Articles by Madeline MacClurg

August 6th, 2024

Corey Pavin’s trusted short-game shots from his best year on tour

Corey Pavin’s success on tour is a testament to the importance of accuracy over distance and exemplifies the old cliche, ‘Golf is a game of misses.’ Pavin, who wasn’t known for his length off the tee, made up for his shorter driving distance, 254.9-yard average, with his touch around the greens. It was Pavin’s accuracy, Read more…

August 1st, 2024

5 tour-trusted drills that will help you prep for your next big event

When professional golfers prepare for a major championship, it requires a different plan of attack than a typical tour event. For example most players will refrain from making major swing changes a few weeks before the major championship, they’ll spend additional time on the tournament course and practice shots that are specific to the conditions Read more…

July 27th, 2024

Why ‘go-to’ shots are important, and how to develop yours

Here are five basic and reliable shots that you can incorporate when your game is off, you’re in a tight spot or conditions are rough.

June 29th, 2024

A lesson from Nick Price on hitting fairways

How did Price bomb it off the tee without sacrificing control? According to a July 1995 article in Golf Digest, it came down to a few simple keys.

June 25th, 2024

A three-time US Open champion says this is ‘the most underrated part of your swing’

In a June 1991 article, Hale Irwin told Golf Digest, “Tempo may be the most underrated part of any golf swing.”

June 17th, 2024

U.S. Open 2024: Neal Shipley completes dream finish to amateur career by claiming this rare double

PINEHURST, N.C. — Capturing low-amateur at both the Masters and the U.S. Open is the stuff of dreams, at least that’s what Neal Shipley thinks. “It’s been wild. It’s been something that maybe three, four years ago I didn’t think was possible, and to accomplish all this has been just phenomenal,” Shipley said in a Read more…

June 17th, 2024

U.S. Open 2024: The heartwarming reason we might see players fire their caddies during the final round

Pinehurst, N.C.—Like most of us golfers, many players in the field at the U.S. Open were introduced to the game of golf by their father. If you were to ask them, they’d tell you having their father watch them play in a major championship is a dream come true. And for the golfers that are Read more…

June 16th, 2024

U.S. Open 2024: The USGA has several special tributes in store to honor Payne Stewart on Sunday at Pinehurst

PINEHURST, N.C. — This year marks 25 years since Payne Stewart’s iconic U.S. Open victory at Pinehurst No. 2. Both players and fans have felt his presence throughout the week—third-round leader Bryson DeChambeau has carried a Tam O’Shanter style hat reminiscent of the one Stewart wore—and during the final round on Sunday, the USGA will Read more…

June 16th, 2024

U.S. Open 2024: The USGA is playing this hole as a drivable par 4 in Round 3. Here’s what it means for the leaders

PINEHURST, N.C. — Players and fans were met with a nice surprise Saturday morning at the 2024 U.S. Open when the USGA moved the tees up on the third hole at Pinehurst No. 2. Now playing 316 yards—61 yards shorter than Friday’s round—the typically short par 4 will now be reachable for most of the Read more…

June 15th, 2024

U.S. Open 2024: How this contender’s unconventional prep led to a leaderboard-climbing performance

PINEHURST, N.C. — It’s always interesting to see how players prepare for major championships because they all seem to have a different approach. While some hone in on fundamentals, others focus on shot selection. It’s all about finding what works best for the individual. This week at Pinehurst No. 2, U.S. Open contender Thomas Detry, Read more…

June 15th, 2024

U.S. Open 2024: This Pinehurst hole location was particularly spicy Friday. What were players saying?

PINEHURST, N.C. — The USGA is known for selecting tough pin placements for its major championships, but Friday’s hole location on the par-3 15th during the second round of the 2024 U.S. Open seemed especially diabolical. Located atop a steep plateau 10 paces off the front of the green and just four paces from the Read more…

June 14th, 2024

U.S. Open 2024: The reason why players are struggling on the 10th hole

PINEHURST, N.C. — Par 5s are usually a birdie fest for tour pros because they’re the most ‘gettable’ holes on the golf course. But that might not be the case this week at Pinehurst No. 2. During the first round of the U.S. Open, the par-5 10th hole had a scoring average of 4.94, and Read more…

June 13th, 2024

U.S. Open 2024: How tour pros pick their misses around Pinehurst’s tricky greens

As the weather heats up in Pinehurst and the course gets baked out a lot of players are talking about the importance of good misses. “I went with my caddie and we just were really charting to certain pins, like we’d rather be here than there,” Wyndham Clark said in a press conference on Monday, Read more…

June 12th, 2024

U.S. Open 2024: Here are the merch tent must-haves at Pinehurst

PINEHURST, N.C. — Few things are guaranteed at a major championship, but one thing you can always count on is a good merch tent. This year, we perused the hundreds of items at the 2024 U.S. Open merch center and came up with our favorites—some of which can be purchased on the USGA’s website from Read more…

June 12th, 2024

4 putting drills players are using to prep for the 2024 U.S. Open

The famous turtle-back greens at Pinehurst No. 2 are already generating some buzz. In a press conference during Monday’s practice round, 2023 U.S. Open Champion Wyndham Clark talked about the challenge they’ll present as the week continues. “Yeah, I mean, they are extremely fast. If they get any firmer and faster, the greens, I mean, Read more…

June 11th, 2024

The Best Short Games On The LPGA Tour

Celine Boutier leads a group of talented players who know how to scramble.

June 7th, 2024

Tom Watson: What matters most in the short game, plus my No. 1 chipping drill

For some professional golfers, their best year is their winningest, but for Tom Watson, it was the season he captured two major championships by taking down Jack Nicklaus—both times. That year, 1977, Watson defeated Nicklaus at the Masters and the Open Championship and finished top-10 in the year’s other two majors. He was awarded PGA Read more…

June 6th, 2024

Golf Digest Best Young Teachers: Nominate a promising young teacher

Back in 2008, Golf Digest featured a list of teachers to watch that were under 40, in years following the list grew in popularity and size and morphed into Golf Digest’s top 40 under 40. As we expanded our search, we realized it was hard to contain the list to 40 as there are so Read more…

June 4th, 2024

‘I can’t emphasise it enough’: Phil Mickelson’s bunker basics from his best season

In an article from 2005, Mickelson explains that most bunker technique is taught with fluffy sand as the standard, but when that’s applied to firm or wet conditions it doesn’t always work.

May 30th, 2024

Ally Financial launches new fan experiences for U.S. Women’s Open designed to uplift women’s golf

After announcing a partnership with the USGA, Ally Financial continues to make good on their promise to invest in women’s sports with their launch of three new fan experiences at the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open. “The product of women’s sports has not just gotten good, it has been good for decades,” says Stephanie Marciano, head Read more…

May 30th, 2024

A tour player reveals every step of her intense tournament warm-up routine

Have you ever wanted to ask a tour pro in-depth questions about their golf game like: what drills they use on the range, how they warm up before a round or what they do when they’re on a hot streak? Well, Golf Digest has teamed up with Epson tour player Hannah Gregg to answer all Read more…

May 25th, 2024

Johnny Miller’s classic setup key can straighten out your slice

Miller’s setup key? To align your body a little left of the target. He explained that this adjustment promotes an aggressive lateral move through the ball.