Moonwalker’s Golf Club Now Hanging Out In New Jersey Museum

Apollo 14 astronaut Al Shepard holding a golf club he used during the moon mission in 1971. Here he is visiting the United States Golf Association Museum in Far Hills, NJ in 1995. Credit: Robert Walker/USGA

 

 

During that heady time when NASA was sending people to the moon, Apollo astronaut Al Shepard — so the story goes — was showing comedian Bob Hope around a NASA center. Hope went into a simulator for the lighter lunar gravity and swung a golf club around (a habit of his) as he bounced around.

“That was the inspiration, I guess,” said Michael Trostel, the curator and historian at the United States Golf Association Museum in Far Hills, New Jersey. In other words, the inspiration for Al Shepard to bring a golf club to the moon and hit a couple of balls. The golf club, in fact, is at the USGA Museum today.

Of course, it wasn’t so easy just to bring a six-iron on board — there were science experiments and other payloads for the Apollo 14 crew. According to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the golf club was actually “a contingency sample extension handle with a No. 6 iron golf club head attached.”

 

 

 

 

Unusually, as space artifacts tend to head over to the Smithsonian after missions, this particular one ended up at the USGA Museum itself. In 1972, when singer Bing Crosby (also a friend of Hope’s and Shepard’s) was a member of the board, he wrote to Shepard on behalf of the museum and asked for the club. Shepard agreed and handed it over during a special ceremony in 1974.

“The reason that it’s not in this museum was that it was personal property of Alan Shepherd. In other words, he took it to space, he brought it back, it was still his personal property he donated it and it was his. That’s the reason,” said Claire Brown, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s communications director.

“Things were a little different back then. You could take a certain amount of personal property. There are different rules now, but at the time that he did it, he was able to bring his own personal club.”

 

A close-up of the golf club used by Apollo 14 astronaut Al Shepard on the moon. Credit: USGA/USGA Museum







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Golf governing bodies tweak rules over 'trial by television'

Golf's governing bodies have made a total of 87 changes to the 2014-2015 version of their 'Decisions on the Rules of Golf', among them one allowing players to make more use of modern technology during the course of their round.

The changes also reduce the ability of TV viewers to report what they perceive as breaches of the rules when players' balls appear to move without being touched, despite the movement being undetectable by the naked eye.

The availability of instant replay facilities at home has seen this trend rise in recent years with a number of armchair 'judges' phoning TV stations to flag up the alleged indiscretions.

The new Decision makes it clear that 'where enhanced technological evidence, eg digital recording or online visual media etc, shows that a ball has left its position and come to rest in another location, the ball will not be deemed to have moved if that movement was not reasonably discernible to the naked eye at the time'.

The Royal and Ancient and the US Golf Association, who meet every two years to review their rules, have added three new Decisions to their 'bible', revised 59 and have re-numbered one.

A total of 24 have also been withdrawn from the book, which contains more than 1,200 entries designed to address specific situations under the Rules of Golf.

Thomas Pagel, the USGA's senior director of the Rules of Golf, said: "The rules are constantly evolving and this review process is an opportunity for the R&A and the USGA to continue to help make the game more understandable and accessible for players, officials and others who participate in the game."

Other notworthy changes are:

1. New Decision 14-3/18 confirms that players can access reports on weather conditions on a smartphone during a round without breaching the Rules. Importantly, this new Decision also clarifies that players are permitted to access information on the threat of an impending storm in order to protect their own safety.

2. Revised Decision 25-2/0.5 helps to clarify when a golf ball is considered to be embedded in the ground through the use of illustrations.

3. Revised Decision 27-2a/1.5 allows a player to go forward up to approximately 50 yards without forfeiting his or her right to go back and play a provisional ball.

David Rickman, The R&A's executive director (Rules and Equipment Standards), said: "It is important to consider carefully new developments in the game and that is reflected in the new Decisions on the Rules which give greater clarity on the use of smart phones and advanced video technology."

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Expert Picks: ISPS HANDA World Cup of Golf

The PGATOUR.COM fantasy golf game is taking a break but will return in January with the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. In the meantime, our experts will continue to provide the analysis you've come to expect with their selections for this week's ISPS HANDA World Cup of Golf.

If you haven't already, sign up for PGATOUR.COM Fantasy Golf and begin to compete with our experts in January. Look for the group "PGATOUR.COM Experts" under "Create/Join Leagues" to join our group.

EXPERT PICKS How it works: Each week, our experts from PGATOUR.COM will make four selections, matching their picks for the TOUR's fantasy game and attempt to accumulate the most FedExCup points throughout the season. With no FedExCup points on the line this week, our experts are selecting their projected top-4 at the World Cup. To find out more about PGATOUR.COM's fantasy golf, click here. WORLD CUP: Field | Tee times | Course

Expert picks: ISPS HANDA World Cup of Golf

Expert Fantasy selections Projected champion Sean Martin Brendon de Jonge, Victor Dubuisson Maximillian Kieffer, Adam Scott Adam Scott The highest-ranked player in the field is an easy pick. Ryan Smithson Matt Kuchar, Graeme McDowell Adam Scott, Kevin Streelman Adam Scott Wanted to give back to his homeland by playing all the major events there. Will end up with a boatload of checks and an argument as the world's best. Bryan Mullen Jason Day, Miguel Angel Jimenez Matt Kuchar, Adam Scott Adam Scott Everything is lining up for him to play well in his home country. Chris Dunham Sang-Moon Bae, Matt Kuchar Adam Scott, Tim Wilkinson Tim Wilkinson This Sunday, golf fans everywhere will be saying "Check out Tim Wilkinson." You heard it here first. The Web.com Tour grad is in great form. Anne Detlefsen Victor Dubuisson, Graeme McDowell Francesco Molinari, Adam Scott Adam Scott Two wins in two weeks since returning to Australia. How can you not pick him? John Schwarb Ryo Ishikawa, Miguel Angel Jimenez Matt Kuchar, Adam Scott Adam Scott A chalk pick right now, but can't go against him. Though I like The Mechanic to also make a nice showing. Helen Ross Matt Kuchar, Graeme McDowell Adam Scott, Francesco Molinari Adam Scott Can't argue with success here. The Aussie has won the last two Australasian Tour events, including the Talisker Masters played at Royal Melbourne last week. Rob Bolton Peter Hanson, Maximilian Kieffer Siddikur Rahman, Bernd Wiesberger Peter Hanson Four snubs from my Power Rankings, but all deserving of attention as each has popped up on leaderboards of late. Brian Wacker Victor Dubuisson, Matt Kuchar Graeme McDowell, Adam Scott Matt Kuchar He's coming off arguably his best season and has had success in this event and at this venue. Mike McAllister Victor Dubuisson, Peter Hanson Matt Kuchar, Adam Scott Victor Dubuisson On Sept. 1, the Frenchman was ranked 127th in the world. He's been on a tear since then and is now 32nd. Ryder Cup aspirations, indeed. Amanda Balionis Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Jonas Blixt Matt Kuchar, Adam Scott Adam Scott You can't get more confident than coming off a victory, and staying on the same track the very next week.

PGATOUR.COM Experts league

The experts have their own league in PGATOUR.COM's Fantasy Golf game. You can sign up to play against our experts. Just add your team to our public league, PGATOUR.COM EXPERTS. Click here to sign up Of the 232 teams currently in the league, Merrill's Mauraders currently leads with 2,540 points. Here's where our experts rank after the OHL Classic at Mayakoba: Rank Expert Team name Points 14 SEAN MARTIN, Events Editor @PGATOURSMartin 1,973 35 JOHN SWANTEK, Host, On The Tee Swan Tech 1,821 69 RYAN SMITHSON, Site Producer Ryan Smithson 1,682 91 BRYAN MULLEN, Site Producer Bryan Mullen 1,556 92 D.J. PIEHOWSKI, Social Media coordinator @DJPie 1,555 123 CHRIS DUNHAM, Site Producer @ChrisDunhamJr 1,413 151 ANNE DETLEFSEN, Site Producer Anne Detlefsen 1,299 157 JOHN SCHWARB, Site Producer John Schwarb 1,275 183 HELEN ROSS, Chief of Correspondents helenross 1,160 190 ROB BOLTON, Fantasy Columnist @RobBoltonGolf 1,140 208 BILL COONEY, Site Producer @BillCooney4653 1,053 229 BRIAN WACKER, Site Producer @pgatour_brianw 961 239 MIKE MCALLISTER, Managing Editor @pgatour_mikemc 935 -- AMANDA BALIONIS, Host, PGA TOUR Today Balionis --

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Brown: Burning questions abound as beginning of 2013-14 season starts strong

 

With the official 2013-14 PGA TOUR season already underway, here are 10 questions I’m eager to see answered in 2014.

 

1. Will the U.S. Open finally belong to Phil Mickelson?

The buzz at Pinehurst is going to be off the charts, when Mickelson tries to complete the career Grand Slam, at a great venue where his classic duel with Payne Stewart took place in 1999. Mickelson often feeds off positive emotion, and so many in the gallery will be pulling for him. If he’s in contention, the atmosphere will be surreal.

2. Will Tiger Woods win a major?

I believe he will. But I thought he’d win one in 2013. Clearly, he’s playing well enough. He’s back to being the world’s No. 1 player, but he’s still not back to winning majors.

I think Woods’ major drought speaks to how difficult golf’s mental barriers can be. When you want to win majors as badly as Woods does, it has to be frustrating when you don’t pull it off. And the longer it lasts, the more frustrating it becomes.

That makes 2014 even more interesting, to see if Woods can unlock the key to whatever is keeping him from playing his best at golf’s biggest events. I think once Woods wins his next major, the floodgates will open, and he’ll seriously threaten Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major championships. Can’t wait to see if he breaks through in 2014.

3. Will Steve Stricker keep playing so well, playing so sporadically?

I’m jealous of this dude. Played just 13 events, won $4.4 million. Now that’s a nice weekly salary. I also love his “I’m a savage” Avis commercial. Still laugh whenever I see it.

I know Stricker is one of the world’s best putters and players. But when he made the decision to cut back on his schedule in 2013, I never expected his game to stay so razor sharp between his long breaks from competition.

That makes his 2014 season more interesting, because I can’t imagine Stricker playing much more often, considering the success he had. It also gives other veteran golfers something to consider when playing their schedule.

4. What’s next for Jimmy Walker?

Leading the FedExCup point standings, Walker will be a name to watch. He turns 35 years old in January, and 2014 looks like it could be a career year. He’ll be playing in his first Masters, getting his first TOUR victory at the Frys.com Open after 188 TOUR starts. Hard not to respect a guy who has taken an arduous road to success, and now Walker can set his sights on trying to make the Ryder Cup team.

5. What will Jordan Spieth do for an encore?

Only 20 years old, Spieth looks like the next big thing in golf, the youngest TOUR winner since 1931, already ranked 21st in the world. Young talent like Spieth’s is great for the game. And from all indications, he looks grounded enough to handle the attention and expectation.

6. How many first-time major winners will we see?

I’m thinking at least one of these five guys will win his first major in 2014 – Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Matt Kuchar and Ian Poulter. All of them can take inspiration from Jason Dufner, Justin Rose, and Adam Scott, who got their first majors in 2013.

7. Is Adam Scott going to reach No. 1 in the world ranking?

He’s clearly in his prime, and playing with more confidence than ever. His push to the pinnacle of his profession is another reason why 2014 should be special.

8. Who is going to make the U.S. Ryder Cup team?

With so many potential candidates playing well, some excellent players are sure to be left off. Johnson is already using the Ryder Cup for motivation, determined to clinch a spot. That’s the right approach. If you have to depend on being a captain’s pick, you might be disappointed.

9. Is Kevin Na over his serious back problems?

Tying for third at the Frys.com Open was a positive sign. If he’s healthy, look for him to have a strong 2014.

10. Is Charles Howell III ready for a breakthrough season?

He’s consistently in contention, and a player worth watching in 2014. Hard to believe he hasn’t won since 2007, but if he keeps putting himself in contention, his best year may be forthcoming.

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All qualifying spots taken for 2014 Hyundai Tournament of Champions

KAPALUA, Hawaii – In just five months, Harris English collected his first two PGA TOUR victories since joining the TOUR in 2012 and stamped his ticket to Maui for the winners-only Hyundai Tournament of Champions. English’s latest win came at last week’s OHL Classic at Mayakoba in Mexico, which was the final opportunity for players to qualify for the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. The tournament is set to return to The Plantation Course at Kapalua in Maui, Hawaii from Jan. 2-6, 2014.

Due to rain delays, English faced a 27-hole finish on Sunday but closed with a third-round 68 and fourth-round 65 to cruise to a four-stroke victory. English moved into contention on Saturday when he shot a 62 in the second round and matched his career low round on TOUR.

With his victory, English joined Rory McIlroy as the only current players under the age of 25 with multiple wins. English’s first victory came earlier this season at the FedEx St. Judes Classic at TPC Southwind in June.

Below is the full list of winners who have qualified for the 2014 Hyundai Tournament of Champions:

 

Adam Scott

Bill Haas

Billy Horschel

Boo Weekley

Brandt Snedeker

Brian Gay

Chris Kirk

D.A. Points

Derek Ernst

Dustin Johnson

Gary Woodland

Graeme McDowell

Harris English

Henrik Stenson

Jason Dufner

Jimmy Walker

John Merrick

Jonas Blixt

Jordan Spieth

Justin Rose

Ken Duke

Kevin Streelman

Martin Laird

Matt Kuchar

Michael Thompson

Patrick Reed

Phil Mickelson

Russell Henley

Ryan Moore

Sang-Moon Bae

Scott Brown

Tiger Woods

Webb Simpson

Woody Austin

Zach Johnson

Volunteer opportunities are still available for the 2014 Hyundai Tournament of Champions for fans that want to get a unique, behind-the-scenes experience when the tournament returns to The Plantation Course in Kapalua, Maui from Jan. 2-6, 2014. Volunteers support every element of the tournament, from tracking statistics, greeting guests and shuttling fans, to keeping the grounds beautiful throughout the week.

 

The Hyundai Tournament of Champions Official Pro-Am is taking place from January 1-2, 2014 and is the only Pro-Am on the PGA TOUR that guarantees participants will be paired with a tournament winner. In addition to the rare opportunity to play with PGA TOUR stars, participants will also play both courses at one of the most famous stops on TOUR.

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R&A: Slow-motion and HD replays to have reduced role in rules

The R&A and USGA have ruled that players will no longer be penalised if slow-motion video or high-definition replays show a ball moved when at rest but was not obvious to the naked eye.

It is one of several changes golf's governing bodies  made to the Decisions on the Rules of Golf on Tuesday.

The rule will limit the role of the kind of "enhanced technological evidence" that saw Tiger Woods penalised at the BMW Championship.

The ruling takes effect from 1 January.

According to the R&A and USGA, the Decision 18/4 rule was debated before the incident involving Woods in the BMW Championship in September, where the world number one tried to remove a twig from beside his ball before playing his third shot on the first hole at Conway Farms.

 

Woods felt his ball had only oscillated before he ran up a double-bogey six, but high-definition video footage showed that it had slightly shifted its position and his score was amended to a quadruple-bogey eight.

A USGA official advised Woods to watch a video of the incident before signing his card, but the player refused.

David Rickman, the R&A's executive director of rules and equipment standards, said "We think it's not right to disregard any evidence, but we are particularly concerned that the likes of high-definition and super slow-mo cameras does mean that TV may show a version of events that the player has no opportunity to see."

As part of the 2016 review of the Rules of Golf themselves, the R&A and USGA are also examining the effect of video technology on the necessary precision in marking, lifting and replacing a ball, the estimation of a reference point for taking relief and the question of the appropriate penalty for returning an incorrect score card where the player was unaware that a penalty had been incurred.

Among changes for 2014, players will now be able to access weather reports on a smartphone during a round without breaching the rules.

Other new rule changes coming in from next year include a revised decision 25-2/0.5 that helps to clarify when a golf ball is considered to be embedded in the ground and revised decision 27-2a/1.5 allows a player to go forward up to approximately 50 yards without forfeiting their right to go back and play a provisional ball.

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Ko reunited with Wie for pro debut

Lydia Ko has been paired with American Michelle Wie for her first venture into the professional golfing ranks tomorrow.

The duo are well aquainted with one another from their time competing among the amateur ranks, with Wie today taking to Twitter to voice her excitement at the news of their pairing.

"Excited to play with @Lko424 at her first tournament as a pro! #ifeelold," Wie said.

As a former teenage sensation, Wie enjoyed a similar path to success as Ko, before turning pro shortly before her 16th birthday in 2005.

So far she has failed to live up to the hype on the LPGA tour, where she has only won two tournaments since 2005.

Still just 16, Ko will line up alongside 69 other top golfers in the season-ending Titleholders' Championship in Naples, Florida.

The world's top 10 female golfers will all play, including the current world No 5, Ko.

Ko is excited ahead of the Florida tournament, having missed last year's event because of exams.

School commitments have interrupted her build-up once again, yet Ko says she squeezed in as much practice as she could.

"I had a lot of a study to catch up on for my exams and I practised as much golf as I could around that."

The break from golf was a handy freshener, but she's also found time to tweak an already world-class game.

"I've fine-tuned a few things. I'm looking forward to playing again."

For the first time, Ko can afford to look at the prize-pool and the US$700,000 (NZ$840,980) winner's cheque would make a handy first pay-day.

Ko has never missed a cut in a professional tournament and she won't miss this one either. There is no cut at the Titleholders tournament and all 70-players receive cheques.

There will be nerves, Ko said.

"I'm always nervous going into a big tournament, but it's worked out well so far. It's just another tournament and a good opportunity.

"I know that there will be a lot of expectation on me [as a professional] but I will just try to take it one tournament at a time and hopefully get off to a good start this week in Florida.

"Being the No 1 amateur in the world for a few years came with some pressure so that has helped prepare me for my pro career."

She's already won four professional tournaments, including her second Canadian Open and the New Zealand Open this year, but this will be different. The air of expectation has risen markedly.

Her amateur record was nothing short of remarkable, but backing that up as a professional will be tough.

She's been a professional in all but name for some time, but now it's official and she's rapt.

"I'm really excited. It has been a long time coming ... it is nice to finally be playing as a professional."

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Golf Rules Tweaked Over Use of Video Technology

Golf took another stand against video evidence Tuesday by announcing a new decision that would not penalize a player whose ball moves at rest if the movement is only detected by enhanced pictures.

It was the second time in the last two years that the U.S. Golf Association and Royal & Ancient have established new guidelines involving video.

The next edition of "Decisions on the Rules of Golf" effective Jan. 1 will include three new decisions, the most significant being 18/4. It says that when "enhanced technological evidence" shows that a ball moved, it will not be deemed to have moved if not "reasonably discernible to the naked eye at the time."

The new decision did not stem from Tiger Woods being penalized two shots in the BMW Championship in September. His ball moved barely a dimple as he tried to remove a twig from in front of the ball. The movement was captured by a videographer, and the violation was detected by an editor going through the film. Even after watching video after his round, Woods said he thought the ball only oscillated.

At the time, rules officials already had gone through multiple drafts of the new decision.

Decision 18/4 instead was an offshoot of Decision 33-7/4.5 in 2011. Under that decision, officials can waive disqualification for an incorrect scorecard if a player was unaware of a rules violation. The example was Peter Hanson, who double-hit a chip shot. The violation was only detected through HDTV played in super slow-motion.

Thomas Pagel, the USGA's senior director of rules and competition, said an example of Decision 18/4 would be a player addressing his ball in the rough, and only a camera zoomed in on the ball showed it moving fractionally based on the blades of grass around the ball. In that case, the player would have no idea it had moved.

The "Decisions" are updated every two years. The Rules of Golf are updated every four years.

The latest decisions were part of a movement by the USGA and R&A to deal with increased advances in video technology. In a joint statement, they said the Rules of Golf committees continue to look at other issues related to video. That includes the precision in marking, lifting and replacing a golf ball; estimating where to take relief; and the appropriate penalty for returning an incorrect scorecard when the player was unaware of a violation.

"As is true of the rules in many other televised sports, adapting to developments in technology and video evidence is an important ongoing topic in making and applying the Rules of Golf," the statement said.

What remains unaffected is television viewers reporting potential violations. Golf officials say it is important to consider all evidence from any source. The only change is that a player might not be penalized if the only clear evidence is from enhanced video.

The other chances to the 2014-15 edition of "Decisions:"

—Decision 14-3/18 allows players to use smart phones to access weather reports. The new decision also clarifies that players are permitted access to information on the threat of an approaching storm for their own safety.

—Decision 25-2/0.5 was revised to clarify when a golf ball is embedded. Officials have noticed an increased in tour players asking for relief, and a debate on whether the ball has broken through the soil. The revised decision will be accompanied by illustrations.

—Decision 27-2a/1.5 was revised to allow players to go forward 50 yards without losing their right to return to play a provisional ball.

The new edition of "Decisions" includes three new decisions and 59 revised decisions, while 24 decisions were taken out. Pagel said this done for the sake of clarity.

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Teen Lexi Thompson wins Lorena Ochoa Invitational

GUADALAJARA, Mexico -- Lexi Thompson won the Lorena Ochoa Invitational on Sunday for her second victory in her last four starts, birdieing the final hole to beat Stacy Lewis by a stroke.

The 18-year-old Thompson made a 5-foot putt on the par-5 18th, then won when Lewis missed her 5-foot try.

"First off, I had like a 50- to 60-footer for the first one, which was interesting getting up there within a few feet," Thompson said. "You know on the second putt, that's what it all came down to thinking I can make it and went up to it confidently. Just knock it in."

The third-ranked Lewis, a three-time winner this year, had a 68.

"I knew I had to make it," Lewis said about her birdie try on the final hole. "I had a good line on it, just with these greens, those downhill putts are the hardest ones to make. I hit a good putt. I hit it where I wanted to. It just didn't go in."

Thompson closed with a 3-under 69 to finish at 16-under 272 at Guadalajara Country Club. She won the 2011 LPGA Navistar Classic at 16, and took the LPGA Malaysia last month for her second tour title.

So Yeon Ryu was third at 13 under after a 69.

Top-ranked Inbee Park finished fourth at 11 under to wrap up the points-based player of the year award with one event left. She is the first South Korean player to win the award.

"I said all year, there should have been at least two or three girls that already won the award, but nobody really did it," said Park, who shot 69. "It's just really hard to believe and I'm just very lucky I won."

Lewis birdied Nos. 12-14 to take a one-stroke lead, but dropped into a tie with Thompson with a bogey on the par-3 17th.

"Stacy is an amazing player," Thompson said. "I knew she could make a run at me any time during that round. When she made the two-shot swing on me, I think on No. 12, it brought it back to all squared. I knew I had to make birdies on top of her because she gets on a roll and she doesn't stop. She's an amazing player and played great today."  

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