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Rahm Reigns Supreme: A Look Back at Jon Rahm’s Historic 2023 Masters Victory

The roars echoed through Amen Corner, a familiar sound at Augusta National, but in 2023, they resonated with a touch of redemption. Jon Rahm, the fiery Spaniard with a game to match, had finally claimed his rightful place in Masters history, etching his name on the coveted green jacket.

Credit: The Independent

A Journey of Perseverance:

Jon Rahm’s Masters journey began with a twist of fate. Years earlier, he’d signed an Augusta National memorabilia flag in the flag – a ritual for winners and a mistake that some believed might jinx his future chances. But Jon Rahm persevered, racking up top-10 finishes at Augusta year after year, the weight of expectation growing with each visit.

A Marathon Finish for the Ages:

The 2023 Masters was a tournament unlike any other.  Rahm started the final day trailing Brooks Koepka by two strokes as the pair head out in the final pairing ready to do battle. Birdies on the back nine, coupled with Koepka’s stumbles, saw the tide turn. By the time Rahm sank his final putt on 18, the roar of the crowd confirmed what everyone felt – a new champion had emerged.

Image Credit: Masters

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A Legacy Secured:

Rahm’s victory wasn’t just a personal triumph; it cemented his place among the game’s elite. He joined the esteemed company of Spanish Masters champions like Seve Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal, and Sergio Garcia, a lineage he proudly acknowledged. The win also marked his second major championship, solidifying his position as a force to be reckoned with for years to come.

Beyond the Green Jacket:

The 2023 Masters was more than just a single victory. It was the culmination of a journey, a testament to Rahm’s unwavering focus and unwavering talent. It was a reminder that even the most talented golfers face setbacks, but through hard work and determination, dreams can come true, even on the hallowed grounds of Augusta National.

With plenty of offers to get you excited in store, FREE custom fittings and more! Be sure to keep an eye on what’s going on through our YouTube Channel, Instagram and facebook!

WITB For Jon Rahm

DRIVER: Callaway Paradym Ai-Smoke Triple Diamond Driver (10.5°) with an Aldila Tour Green ATX 75 2.8 TX Shaft

FAIRWAY: Callaway Paradym Ai-Smoke Triple Diamond Fairway Wood (16°, 18°) with a Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8X Shaft

UTILITY: Callaway Apex Utility Iron (21°) with a KBS Tour Hybrid Prototype 105 X Shaft

IRONS: Callaway Apex TCB Irons (4-PW) with Project X 6.5 Shafts

WEDGES: Callaway Jaws Raw Wedges (52°, 56°, 60°) with Project X 6.5 Shafts

PUTTER: Odyssey Ai-ONE Rossie S Putter (2.5°) Steel Stepped stroke Lab Shaft

BALL: Callaway Chrome Soft X Golf Ball 2022 (#10)

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3 Golfers Poised to Make a Run at the Masters in 2024

The anticipation is electric as Augusta National Golf Club prepares to host another edition of the Masters. With blooming azaleas and roars echoing through Amen Corner, the 2024 Masters promises a week of captivating storylines and world-class golf. While past champions and established stars will undoubtedly be in the mix, here are 3 golfers who could surprise everyone and make a serious run at the coveted green jacket:

Credit: SB Nation

1. Tom Kim, The Rising Star:

This young gun has been steadily climbing the ranks, turning heads with his impressive play since joining the PGA Tour.  With 3 tour victories to his name already, 2 of which came in 2023 he will be strong showing at Augusta. He serves as a warning shot to the rest of the Tour, and many believe his ability and style is perfectly suited for the demanding layout of Augusta National. Following a 16th place in his first Masters appearance in 2023, will Tom Kim be the next young prodigy to etch his name in Masters lore?

2. On A Roll… Hideki Matsuyama:

Matsuyama is no stranger to contention at Augusta National, having won the Green Jacket in 2021. However, until 2024 he only managed to notch up two further wins on tour with a winless streak from February 2022, citing a neck injury which kept him out of the 2023 Masters. However, a resurgent Hideki has been on a tear lately, with a victory at The Genesis Invitational showcasing a return to form. With a renewed focus and experience on his side, Matsuyama could be a major threat to challenge for the green jacket in 2024.

Credit: Golf Digest

3. Mr Major… Brooks Koepka

The Masters is a global stage, and in 2024, the international contingent looks stronger than ever. Among them is LIV favourite, Brooks Koepka who in recent times has been no stranger in competing at the highest level when it comes to a Major, finishing second to Jon Rahm in 2023 shortly before winning his third PGA Championship in May of the same year.

Credit: The Independent

His fearless approach won’t be of any surprise to many at Augusta National, and a strong showing this year could be the springboard for him to complete his career grand slam and cement his name as one of the all time greats.

Be sure to keep an eye on what’s going on through our YouTube Channel, Instagram and facebook!

Beyond the Big Names:

While these three golfers are poised for potential success, the beauty of the Masters lies in its ability to produce unexpected winners. Keep an eye on the leaderboard throughout the week, as dark horses emerge and seasoned veterans make their experience count. One thing is certain: the 2024 Masters promises to be a thrilling display of athleticism, strategy, and the pursuit of golfing immortality.

Visit us in store where we have some exciting offers, FREE custom fitting as well as just a chance to talk all things Masters!

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The Road to Augusta: Anticipation Builds for the 2024 Masters

Spring is in the air, and with it comes the unmistakable buzz surrounding one of golf’s most prestigious tournaments – the 2024 Masters. As the iconic azaleas begin to bloom at Augusta National Golf Club, fans around the world eagerly await the 2024 edition, promising a week of captivating storylines, breathtaking shots, and the crowning of a new champion.

Who Will Wear the Green Jacket?

The 2023 Masters saw a thrilling finish, with Jon Rahm etching his name in history. This year, all eyes will be on Rory Mcilroy again as he bids for a career grand slam. Major favourites such as Brooks Koepka will be hoping to bring the LIV brand more success on the Major stage and favourite Scottie Scheffler will be looking to impress following wins at Bayhill and Sawgrass in March.

Will a seasoned veteran add another Masters title to their legacy, or will a young gun rise to the occasion and claim their place among the legends?

Storylines to Watch At The 2024 Masters

Beyond the individual battles, several captivating storylines promise to unfold:

  • Can Jon Rahm Defend His Title? Repeating at Augusta National is no easy feat. In fact it’s only happened on 3 occasions. Jack Niklaus was the first, followed by Nick Faldo. The most recent defence was by Tiger Woods in 2002. To add to that difficulty, Rahm left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf earlier this year, which we already know with limited events makes being Major ready more difficult. 
  • Contenders: Scottie Scheffler will deservedly go into the Masters as favourite, following his formidable form in March. However, the Masters can throw up many storylines. Will Rory finally get the job done? Can Justin Thomas end his run of poor form? Can young hopeful Tom Kim live up to the expectation of him at such a young age?
  • LIV vs PGA: There was a lot of focus around the break up from the tour last season with a new found hunger from PGA Tour players to stop a LIV player from winning at Augusta. With the merger still up in the air, what will the mood be like between opposing tour players? And will there still be that extra desire to avoid a LIV win?
Image Credit: Masters

A Tradition Unlike Any Other

The Masters is more than just a golf tournament; it’s a celebration of tradition. The roars of Amen Corner, the iconic champions’ dinner menu, and the signature green jacket ceremony all contribute to the tournament’s unique mystique.

We always use Masters week as a nod to the beginning of a new season and at AFGolfStore we are excited for another fun filled week! With plenty of offers to get you excited in store, FREE custom fittings and more! Be sure to keep an eye on what’s going on through our YouTube Channel, Instagram and facebook!

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LA Golf At The Masters

It’s been a busy start to the season at AFGolfStore with a lot of new clubs being build through our build centre. One particular shaft has taken us by storm. The LA Golf shafts have been extremely popular and proved to perform superbly well in our fitting studios. And with the first Major of 2023, we’re excited to see LA Golf at the Masters. 

LA Golf have announced that in this weeks 2023 Masters they will have 4 players using their shafts including 4 LIV players:

  • Sergio Garcia
  • Dustin Johnson
  • Bryson DeChambeau
  • Pat Perez

“LA Golf designs, develops, and manufactures performance-driven and technologically advanced shafts in partnership with some of the top players in the game. They leverage the world’s best players in the development process to pass along their feedback directly to you.”

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LA GOLF SHAFTS TECHNOLOGY

Whether you are a high handicap or a scratch golfer, our LA Golf proprietary shaft designs allow you to be more athletic and less mechanical. Status Quo conventional wisdom has always said to swing smooth to hit it straight, but we have a message for everyone from LA Golf, Swing Harder.

LA Golf shafts have been incredibly popular at AFGolfStore with many irons fits finding their shafts the best suited to the golfer. At our Peterborough Build Centre we can install these shafts into any of the heads available within our build service. 

TRY THEM FOR YOURSELF IN A FREE CUSTOM FITTING

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Scottie Scheffler’s 2022 Masters Winning WITB

A week on from a memorable Masters, we look at Scottie Scheffler’s 2022 Masters Winning WITB. A week of many talking points has passed since Scottie Scheffler donned the Green Jacket for his first time, and on current form, you would suggest it’s the first of many!

What was your favourite moment of the weekend? There are so many to choose from including the return of Tiger Woods! Another come back, only this time he didn’t need a victory to capture the hearts of his fans. To see him just playing again after a horrible accident last year left us wondering if we’d ever see the Sunday red shirt again! Perhaps you enjoyed the incredible display from Rory on Sunday? It has got us excited about a potential return to form! However, whatever your favourite moment was, one man stole the show, with what looked like an effortless display of golf all weekend long. You must be good if you can 4 putt the last to claim your first Major win. So with that in mind, let’s look at what equipment helped Scottie to his 4th win in only 6 starts in 2022.

Whats In The Bag

Driver: TaylorMade Stealth Plus (8 degrees @7.5)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X

Hitting 43 / 56 fairways over 4 days is a must around Augusta. Everyone knows Augusta for the greens, but positioning yourself on the green starts by having the right shot in… preferably off the fairway!

3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth Plus (16.5 degrees @15)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X

Utility: Srixon Z U85 (3)
Shaft: Nippon Pro Modus3 Hybrid Tour X

Irons: Srixon ZU85 (4), TaylorMade P7TW (5-PW)
Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

49 / 72 greens hit over the 4 days, which was 11% higher than the field average!

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM8 (50-12F, 56-14F, 60-06K)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Scotty Cameron Special Select Timeless Tour type GSS Prototype

Putting average of 1.53 putts per hole, which was 5th on the list of players.

Based on the weekend stats, Scottie was the most steady players across the board. He found the least amount of trouble and looked in control of his game, mindset and clubs all weekend.

So, that’s another win for Scottie and another win for the TaylorMade Stealth driver this season. If you are looking for equipment that you can rely on under pressure, then we have the perfect solution for you. FREE CUSTOM FITTING

Book for FREE at your local AFGolfStore.

Locations

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AFGolfStore’s Masters Club Fitting Weekend

This years Masters is less than a week away and the excitement for the first Major of the year is growing! To celebrate we are running our first, AFGolf Store’s Masters Club Fitting Weekend!

I know what you’re thinking, AFGolf Store offers FREE club fitting every day of the week, so why is this so special! Well, the answer is simple, everyone who books a fitting with us from the 7th – 10th April will also receive a FREE sleeve of Taylormade TP5 golf balls. That’s a FREE fitting and FREE golf balls, all because, we love the Masters and want to enjoy it with you.

Where Is It Taking Place?

We have three stores at AFGolf Store with availability at each one:

Cambridge: Located at Kingsway Golf Centre near Royston, this is our only on course site with our fitting studio offering outdoor hitting onto the range. With the use of Trackman.

Peterborough: Located on the Eagle Business Park in Yaxley, this indoor store offers a state of the art indoor studio with Trackman4.

Milton Keynes: Located on the Granby estate in Bletchley, this indoor store offers a state of the art indoor studio with Trackman4.

All 3 stores are open 7 days a week with FREE fittings offered by our expert fitting team. Find our locations here.

 

What Is Involved?

Our fitting slots for this Masters weekend are all one hour slots. Upon advanced booking we will ask what you’d like to be fitted for, ensuring you get the fit you need. We can offer the following:

  • Driver
  • Woods
  • Irons
  • Wedges
  • Putter

Our fitting kits include all the latest models from the 6 leading brands on tour:

  • Taylormade
  • Callaway
  • Titleist
  • Cobra
  • Mizuno
  • Ping

And we can offer the following putters in all the latest models:

  • Scotty Cameron
  • SIK
  • Odyssey
  • Taylormade
  • Ping
  • Cobra

You will be greeted by your club fitter, who will find performance gains for you with the suitable equipment. Following the fitting you will receive a FREE sleeve of TP5 golf balls.

How Do I Book?

Spaces are limited in each store, so be quick. Its from the 7th-10th only! You can book in your local store with a member of staff or click here.

We look forward to seeing you soon and discussing this years Masters with you!

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AFGolfStore’s Masters Moments

AFGolfStore's Masters Moments

It is that time of year again! The sun is beginning to shine, the course is getting more colour and the greens are getting faster and we’re playing more golf. The season has begun and now we can look forward to the first major of the year. This is ‘AFGolfStore’s Masters Moments’.

After the 2020 Masters was played in November, we had a very short wait for the 2021 edition in April, which bought along so much excitement with back-to-back Masters. The wait this time around has felt like an eternity and the excitement for the new season of golf is again, beginning to ramp up. The thoughts of watching the back 9 on Sunday, will he or won’t he avoid water on 12, can he win it? The wait is still on to see if Tiger Woods can make it for this years event, however whilst we wait, let’s take a look back at some of the memorable moments in the Masters, of which, Tiger brings us a moment of magic!

We could go on for weeks about the best moments in the Masters and there have been so many that go back generations, but we are going to keep this to recent times and only 3 moments, so our younger readers can enjoy the trip down memory lane too, but, if you have a moment to share, let us hear it!

NUMBER ONE

We will begin with the big cat, Tiger Woods. Conversations just on his moments alone would go on forever, from the chip in on 16 to send him on the way to claim the 2005 Masters to the incredible 2001 win that saw Tiger gain his 4th Major in a row and become the first golfer to hold all 4 majors at one time, now known as the ‘Tiger Slam’. However, when we talk Tiger, we don’t have to go back very far to one of the most incredible comeback stories in golf and perhaps sporting history.

Tiger birdied three holes in a four-hole stretch, including a tap-in on the par-3 16th in the 2019 Masters. He played with calmness and made calculated decisions, seamlessly drawing his opponents into mistakes . Watching him hit his approach into 18, we could all breath a sigh of relief as we realised he was going to finally win again. After multiple operations and mountains to climb to get back to this moment of winning, it was just superb to see Tiger celebrate with his son, Charlie, years after we all watched him win for the first time and live out those exact celebrations with his father.

NUMBER TWO

Practising a shot over and over again until you can do it under pressure is one of the most rewarding skills as a golfer, however, what about hitting a shot you’ve never practiced, for a green jacket? Our number two is the mind blowing wedge in a play-off from Bubba Watson.  A 52-degree wedge on hole 10 from the trees… deep into the trees! From 144 yards, hooking 40 yards, to 15 feet of the hole! 10 years on, we are all still wondering, how!? Few would have even thought of the shot let alone been able to pull it off.

NUMBER THREE

In 2017, we all got behind Sergio Garcia. A fan favourite for so many years finally got the win that we all hoped he would. A win over England’s Justin Rose in a one hole playoff saw one of the more emotional celebrations in modern Masters history. 19 starts without a win, what once looked unlikely when he shot onto the tour. There was an expectation upon him to follow in Seve’s footsteps. Watching Sergio, for so many years, the nearly man. It almost felt like something was going to ruin the day for him and it would just be another occasion, but to see that putt roll in on 18 was a very special moment.

So there are three of AFGolfStore’s Masters Moments. What is your favourite?

Visit us in your local store, we love to chat all things golf.