The Masters 2025 Overview

• Dates: April 10-13, 2025
• Course: Augusta National, Augusta, Georgia, USA
• Established: 1934
• Yardage: 7,555 yards
• Par: 72
• Champion: Rory McIlroy -11 (Beat Justin Rose in playoff)
• Prize money: $21m total, $4.2m winner
• Most Masters wins: Jack Nicklaus (6)
• Scoring record: 268 (Dustin Johnson, 2020)
• Course record: 63 (Nick Price, 1986 and Greg Norman, 1996)

The Masters 2025 key info

The first Major of the year was an historic and remarkable one as Rory McIlroy completed the career grand slam after finally sealing the Green Jacket. McIlroy played a rollercoaster final round, highlighted by birdies at 15 and 17, to match Justin Rose at 11-under-par before defeating him on the 1st extra hole with a birdie.

McIlroy became just the sixth man in history to secure the modern career grand slam and is now a five-time Major champion. He gets his own Green Jacket, a lifetime exemption and can set the menu for next year's Champions Dinner - one of many perks of winning The Masters.

The Masters

The Masters is the first men's Major of the year and is hosted at the beautiful Augusta National each April, dating back to 1934. It is one of the most famous golfing venues on the planet, designed by Bobby Jones and Alister MacKenzie it has seen much drama over the decades.

Jack Nicklaus has won The Masters on the most occasions with six victories, while Tiger Woods is second with five Green Jackets after he dramatically won his fifth Masters in 2019.

• Dates: 12-15 June 2025
• Venue: Oakmont Country Club, Pennsylvania
• Defending champion: Bryson DeChambeau

Oakmont Country Club hosts its 10th US Open in 2025 and first since Dustin Johnson's win in 2016, where the American captured his first Major title.

The stunning Pennsylvania course dates back to 1903 and is regarded as one of the USA's greatest, and most difficult, courses.

Bryson DeChambeau defends his title this year after beating Rory McIlroy by a single stroke in a thrilling 2024 championship. DeChambeau won his second US Open trophy thanks to a stunning up-and-down from a bunker on the final hole.

Scottie Scheffler comes into the week as tournament favorite after winning his third Major at the PGA Championship, while Masters champion Rory McIlroy and DeChambeau are also highly fancied.

• R&A Confirms Golf Courses In England To Re-Open On Wednesday
• Boris Johnson Opens Door For Golf To Return This Week
• When Will Golf Courses In The UK Re-Open?

Other Coronavirus Golf Stories

• Open Championship Cancelled and moved to 2021
• US Masters moved to November and other Majors moved
• US Masters and US PGA Major Championships postponed
• Both PGA and European Tours are currently suspended with no golf due until at least mid May.
• The Ryder Cup was rumoured to be being moved but that has now been denied

If you have a Coronavirus golf-related story let us know at golfmonthly@ti-media.com or on our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages. All our latest content around the game and the virus are listed below

Golfers will now be able to gain exclusive insight into some of the world’s best courses and destinations through engaging video content, thanks to a collaboration between social media sensation the Average Golfer and leading golf media brand Golf Monthly. The world’s oldest golf magazine will be enhancing and developing its travel content by partnering with the Average Golfer, Andy Sullivan, as its designated golf travel videographer. Sullivan has already produced vlogs from various golf courses around the world – as well as sharing his honest opinions, insight and reviews on various products, equipment and golfing topics – and posted them on his popular personal YouTube channel, which now has more than 30,000 subscribers and over 7.5 million video views. His impressive engagement figures average around 300,000 views per month with 15,500,000 video minutes watched in the last year, reaffirming his talent for content creation and proving his experience will make him the perfect fit for the new project.

Find out a bit more about the TaylorMade players that are teeing it up on tour in 2020.

Check out the latest gear that the TaylorMade players are using on tour for the 2020 season.

Welcome to our Winter Golf Gear Week, your one-stop shop for all the latest clothing and accessories that will help you play your best and enjoy the game through the winter months. Whether you're looking for a new waterproof jacket, wooly hat or a new golf bag that will keep the elements at bay, check out our latest buyers' guides and reviews that will highlight the best options available to you this winter. Quick Links - Get To What You Want To Quickly  Best Winter Golf Gear Deals Waterproofs Best Golf Waterproof Jackets Best Golf Waterproof Trousers Best Golf Rainwear Best Golf Waterproof Bags Best Waterproof Golf Shoes Best Golf Umbrellas Clothing Best Golf Tops Best Golf Vests Best Golf Base Layers Best Golf Wind Jackets Best Golf Jumpers Shoes Best Waterproof Golf Shoes Best Golf Shoes For Winter Hats and Snoods Best Golf Hats Best Golf Snoods Best Golf Beanies Gloves and Balls Best Wet Weather Gloves Best Winter Mitts Best Golf Gloves For Winter Best Distance Golf Balls Advice Should I Buy New Golf Shoes For Winter? In Praise Of Golfing In Winter 7 Ways To Modify Your Golf Gear For Winter 17 Top Winter Golf Hacks Best Winter Golf Gear Deals 10 Winter Golf Essential items Should you use a Yellow golf ball?

Top 100 Golf Courses | Next 100 Golf Courses | UK Courses | 100 Best Cheap Golf Courses UK&I | Overseas Courses

NEW TOP 100 UK AND IRELAND RANKINGS 2025/26:

UK and Ireland

• Best Golf Courses In England
• Best Golf Courses In Scotland
• Best Golf Courses In Wales
• Best Golf Courses In Northern Ireland
• Best Golf Courses In Ireland
• Best Links Courses In The UK
• Best Inland Courses In The UK
• Best Links Courses In England
• 10 Most Exclusive Golf Clubs In The UK
• 45 Of The Best Heathland Golf Courses
• 100 Hidden Gem Golf Courses In The UK&I
• 10 Most Expensive Green Fees In The UK&I
• 10 Cheapest Top 100 Green Fees UK

Popular Courses Articles

• 15 Bucket List Golf Courses You Have To Play
• 25 Of The World's Most Incredible Golf Courses
• 10 Of The World's Most Extreme Golf Courses
• 10 Of The Best Public Courses In The US
• The Most Famous Golf Holes In The World
• 20 Of The World's Most Famous Golf Courses
• The Best Par 3s In The World

But we wanted to see if we could fast track the development of a beginner golfer this season with the help of Cobra Golf. Step forward Joe Brewin, a new dad and enthusiastic rookie looking to break 100 for the first time.

You can follow his journey here via his regular blog updates and exclusive video content as he undertakes lessons with PGA Pro James Whittemore and goes through a full bag custom fitting.

Will he achieve his goal and go from beginner to winner? We're excited to find out...

• 10 Best Things About Being A PGA Professional
• How To Become A PGA Professional
• How To Get More Women And Girls Into Golf
• How Has The Role Of A PGA Professional Changed?
• How Pros Use The Latest Technology To Teach
• 10 Things Golfers With Disabilities Are Talking About Right Now
• What Does The PGA Do?
• The PGA 2020 Vision Explained
• “We Are Trying To Professionalise The Industry” – PGA CEO Robert Maxfield
• Five Inspiring Disabled Golfer Stories
• Women's Golf Day Reaches 72.4 million
• Golf 2.0 - A Blueprint For A Better Game
• Why Golf Is Great Through Every Decade
• Are Age-Related Subscriptions A Good Idea?

Schedule London - Centurion Club - July 8-10th Sotogrande - August 5th-7th New York - October 14th-16th Jeddah - November 10th-12th The Format 36 teams of four, made up of three professionals and one amateur, compete over 54 holes per tournament.

Each Aramco Team Series tournament will see 36 captains lead teams of four players, who will compete to shoot the lowest combined score over three days of golf.

All teams will feature three LET players paired through a unique draft system, in which captains choose one player and are randomly assigned another.

Quick Links What Is The Aramco Team Series? Who Is Playing In The Aramco Team Series? Centurion Club Golf Course Review

The Selection Process

All 50 of the products that have been selected here can be found in our A-Z listing below. It wasn’t possible for brands to influence consideration or buy entry into our Edge list – all 50 of the products listed on the following two pages have been included on merit alone. Once the list was finalised, we offered all brands the opportunity to celebrate the inclusion of their product(s) in The Edge by becoming headline sponsor or enhancing their listing online with a bespoke video review. The opinions expressed are those of the Golf Monthly editorial team

The Products That Will Give You The Edge

Game tracking Arccos Caddie bundle Shot Scope V3 GPS Watch GPS / laser Bushnell Tour V5 Shift Slim laser rangefinder Garmin Approach S42 GPS watch Garmin Approach Z82 laser rangefinder GolfBuddy Aim W11 GPS watch Precision Pro R1 Smart laser rangefinder SkyCaddie SX550 GPS TAG Heuer Connected Golf GPS watch Trolleys Big Max Ti Lite push Motocaddy M5 GPS electric PowaKaddy CT6 GPS electric Stewart Golf Q Follow electric Shoes Adidas ZG21 Ecco Biom H4 Boa FootJoy Pro SL Carbon Boa Payntr X 001 F Under Armour Spieth 5 Training Aids Dexon 3M Golf Net PuttOut Academy Studio Srixon Q-Star Tour Divide ball Bags Ping Hoofer Craze-E Lite stand Sun Mountain H2N0 Lite Speed stand Wilson Staff Eco stand Nutrition FutureYou Turmeric + Healthspan Elite caffeine gum Max Golf Protein bars Max Golf Protein hydration drinks Moju turmeric shots Nutrition-X Hydra-10 powder & tablets Grips Golf Pride MCC Plus 4 Align SuperStroke WristLock Putter Gloves FootJoy StaSof Macwet Climatec Under Armour Iso-Chill Apparel FootJoy HydroTour jacket Galvin Green Action jacket Kymira Golf apparel Ocean Tee Oceanic polo Swiftwick Flite XT Zero golf socks Under Armour Daytona Full Zip hoodie

Fitness/Wellness Atemi resistance bands Darren Clarke CBD Decathlon Nyamba Reversible Balance Station Decathlon Push Up Wheel Grips Golfer’s CBD Purity Hemp Theragun Mini Turbine nasal dilators Whoop

Miguel Angel Jimenez turned professional in 1982. Since then the Spaniard has gone on to see 21 European Tour wins. Birthday 05/01/1964 Birthplace Malaga, Spain Official World Golf Ranking 89^th Height 5 ft, 10 in Best Results in MajorsMasters – 4th (2014) US Open – 2nd (2000) Open Championship – 3rd (2001) PGA Championship – 10th (1999) His best-recorded major finish came in 2000 at the US Open at Pebble Beach. Unfortunately, Tiger Woods was in a league of his own, finishing an astounding 15 shots ahead of Jimenez and Ernie Els. In 2009, Jimenez passed a milestone of 500 events played on the European Tour at the Open de France. 5 years later, Jimenez recorded a successful year in 2014, where he won three times in Hong Kong, Spain and America. Jimenez continued to prove that age is not a factor when he extended his record as being the oldest winner in European Tour history at the age of 50 years and 133 days. He won the Spanish Open after a three-way playoff. He beat Thomas Pieters of Belgium and Australia’s Richard Green after he was the only player to escape with a par on the first extra hole.

Jimenez also thrives at the Ryder Cup, having represented Europe on seven different occasions, winning five times. His first experience came in 1997 when he was named as vice captain by Spanish legend Seve Ballesteros at Valderrama. Since then, he has actually played in four Ryder Cups, winning two. He has also been vice captain in 2012 and 2014. Unfortunately Jimenez was overlooked as captain for the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine and instead the honour was given to Darren Clarke. As one of the biggest entertainers in the game, Jimenez is a very popular professional and one that the golf faithful love to watch.

Lee Westwood turned professional in 1993. Since then Westwood has seen 2 PGA Tour wins as well as 23 European Tour wins. Birthday 24/04/1973 Birthplace Worksop, England Official World Golf Ranking 55^th Height 6 ft, 0 in Best Results in MajorsMasters – 2nd (2010) US Open – 3rd (2008, 2011) Open Championship – 2nd (2010) PGA Championship – 3rd (2009) Westwood took a while to kick off his professional career but in late 1997, he attracted the attention of golf fans with three sudden victories. These wins propelled Westwood near to the top of the European Tour’s money list. He has come agonisingly close on numerous occasions to winning a major championship but just couldn’t close out. At the 2008 US Open, he missed a 20-foot birdie putt that would have sent him into a playoff with Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate. Also at the 2010 US Masters, his final round lead evaporated. While failing to capitalise on his final day lead at Augusta, he remained in the top three of a gripping contest all day long. He finished runner-up to the very popular Phil Mickelson. However, in October, Westwood became number one in the world and he managed to break Tiger Woods’ five-year reign at the summit. He also found himself back on the number one spot in 2011. Overall, he was top of the rankings for a total of 22 weeks. Westwood has also played a big role in European success at the Ryder Cup in recent times. Out of nine appearances, he has been on the winning side an impressive seven times.

In 2004 and 2006, he remained unbeaten in all five of his matches. He has reached fifth on the all-time list of Ryder Cup point scorers, with an incredible 23, just two points off fellow Englishman Nick Faldo’s record. He will be looking to break this record at Hazeltine in 2016.

            Matt Kuchar turned Pro in 2000. To date Kuchar has won 7 PGA Tour events. Birthday 21/06/1978 Birthplace Winter Park, Florida Height 6 ft, 4 in Official World Golf Ranking 19^th Studied Georgia Tech Best Result in Majors  Masters – 3rd (2012) US Open – 6th (2010) Open Championship – 9th (2012) PGA Championship – 10th (2010) Kuchar’s best finish in a major championship came in the US Masters, finishing third. An overall score of 8-under-par meant the American finished two shots behind Bubba Watson. Arguably, Kuchar’s most significant victory came at the 2013 World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship. Due to this win, Kuchar came back into the top ten of the world golf ranking from 23^rd. Kuchar defeated fellow countryman Hunter Mahan by a 2&1 margin, the man who knocked him out of the quarter-finals the previous year His latest PGA Tour victory came back in 2013-14 season in dramatic fashion at the RBC Heritage. After three-putting from four yards on the 17^th and dropping a shot he bounced back in superb style. Kuchar managed to hole out from the greenside bunker on the 18^th for birdie, ensuring he finished 11-under-par and one shot ahead of Luke Donald. In the 2014-15 season, Kuchar went through his first season in four years without a win. His season’s highlight was making 24 out of 25 cuts, with his best finish coming at the Humana Challenge where he ended tied second. In 2014, he made the United States Ryder Cup team for a third consecutive occasion and was picked as a vice captain but he has not had the best success for his country, losing on all three occasions. America’s captain at the 2016 Ryder Cup, Davis Love III, has named Kuchar as a vice-captain once again, alongside Tom Lehman, Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk at the Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota.    

            Adam Scott has been a professional golfer since 2000. Since then the Australian has won 11 PGA Tour and 9 European Tour competitions. Birthday: 16/07/1980 Birthplace: Adelaide, Australia Official World Golf Ranking: 12th Height: 6ft 0in Studied: University of Nevada-Las Vegas Golf Hero: Greg Norman who along with former coach Butch Harmon, urged him to play on the European Tour. Best results in Majors: Masters – 1st (2013) US Open – T4 (2015) Open Championship – 2nd (2012) PGA Championship – 3rd (2006) At 19, in the 2000 Greg Norman Holden International in Sydney, his 63 was a record 10-under par score for an amateur on the European Tour. The six-time Presidents Cup player’s victory at the 2011 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational was founded on an opening 62 at Firestone. In 2013, Scott won the US Masters in an enthralling last day of golf. In one of the most exciting finishes to a major tournament in recent history, Scott sunk a 25-foot birdie on the final hole and finished tied on -9 with Angel Cabrera. On the second sudden death play-off hole, he held a 12-foot putt to become the first Australian to win the coveted green winner’s jacket.

            In the next chapter of Scott’s golf career, he never finished worse than T16th. On May 19th, Scott arrived at the top of golf’s rankings and he was ranked number 1 in the ranking for the next 11 weeks. The Australian has also been agonisingly close to winning the Open Championship on a few occasions now. At Royal Lytham in 2012 Scott surrendered a four shot lead with four holes to play by bogeying them all. With Ernie Els making a late birdie, Scott lost by one. At Muirfield in 2015, Scott led from the front on the final days only to falter at the final hurdle. A late surge from Phil Mickleson meant the Australian suffered heartbreak once more.  

Born: 30/12/1975 Birthplace: Cypress, California Height: 6ft, 1in Studied: Stanford University Turned pro: 1996 Major wins: 14 PGA Tour wins: 79 Major wins: Masters – 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005 US Open – 2000, 2002, 2008 Open Championship – 2000, 2005, 2006 PGA Championship – 1999, 2000, 2006, 2007 Nicknamed Tiger after a Vietnamese soldier who was a friend of his father. At 21, he won his first Masters in 1997 shooting a record score, also making him the youngest man and the first African American to win the coveted Green Jacket. Woods dominated at the top of golf for years, winning another 13 majors. He also was named PGA Player of the Year 10 times over the next 12 years. Between 1998 and 2005, Woods made 142 cuts in a row to break the PGA Tour record that was once held by Byron Nelson. Woods also holds the record for the lowest 72-hole scores in relation to par in three major championships. 1997 Masters: 18-under-par (tied with Jordan Spieth – 2015) 2000 British Open Championship: 19-under-par 2000 & 2006 PGA Championships: 18-under-par (tied with Bob May - 2000) He won the 2008 US Open, his last major to date, with a double stress fracture in his left tibia and a torn ACL in his left knee. He beat Rocco Mediate in a gruelling Monday playoff in what was considered as one his greatest triumphs.

However, personal problems occurred in 2009 and his injury list increased. The American won five times in his Player of the Year 2013 season, including The Players Championship and WGC-Bridgestone Invitational (his last worldwide victory). After missing the cut in three of the four majors in 2015, he underwent a second microdiscectomy surgery and returned in December 2016 at the Hero World Challenge. He would have his fourth back surgery in April 2017 after pulling out of the Dubai Desert Classic earlier in the year citing back spasms. Woods was arrested for DUI in May 2017, just a month after his fourth back surgery, and had to attend rehab for a reported addiction to his medication. He would become a vice-captain at the 2017 Presidents Cup where he revealed he may never play competitively again. However, Woods returned in late 2017 and has now climbed back into the world's top 100 after a string of solid PGA Tour finishes. Tiger Woods' 2018 schedule: 10-13th May - The Players Championship, TPC Sawgrass 14-17th June - US Open, Shinnecock Hills 28th June - 1st July - The National, TPC Potomac 19th - 22nd July - The Open, Carnoustie

Hybrid buyers guide

Iron or fairway replacement? The first thing you should consider is what you want your hybrid to do. Are you looking for more control than your 3-iron currently provides to find greens on long par 3s and par 4s, or are you looking to breach the gap between your fairway and current long iron set-up for more accuracy and options off the tee? If you are looking to replace a long iron then the added forgiveness and versatility of a hybrid will come as a welcome addition. If you are happy with your ball striking, but could do with an option that better suits the gap between your longest iron and shortest wood then a hybrid is also useful. They have the same smooth sole for sweeping strikes of the deck as a fairway wood, while the lofts often go as low as 15°, providing lots of options for your gapping requirements. Loft The loft you need will mostly be decided by what you want your hybrid to do. If you are looking to replace a 3-iron, for example, you’ll want to look at hybrids with lofts between 20-24°. However, if you are looking for a more controllable alternative to your fairway then you should consider something lower; 15° will traditionally replace a 3-wood, while 17° is the normally a 5-wood. Try before you buy A club’s shaft length can affect the overall distance as much as the loft. Some players will also find they hit hybrids further than irons with the same lofts due to the increased quality of strike, so if you are trying to reduce your gapping it can be especially important to try a few side by side. Adjustability If you’re not quite sure what you want your hybrid for, but know you could benefit from an easier-to-hit option, then choosing one with an adjustable element could be the answer. Adjustability can also be extremely useful if you play lots of different courses or in changing wind conditions. Design Another factor you may consider is the club’s design. With a range of bright colours hitting the market, the choice here will mostly come down to what inspires the most confidence in your game. The shape of the clubhead will also affect this. Some hybrids are more like fairway woods to advance the ball, while some are more compact and suited to approach shots.

Born: 04/05/1989 Birthplacee: Holywood, Northern Ireland Height: 5ft, 10in Turned pro: 2007 Major wins: 4 Total victories: 23 Major wins: 2011 US Open, Congressional 2012 USPGA, Kiawah Island 2014 Open, Royal Liverpool 2014 USPGA, Valhalla Rory McIlroy is widely regarded as the best golfer in the world on his day and is known for his beautiful swing and seemingly effortless power. In 2004, McIlroy scored 61 and 11-under-par to set a record at the North of Ireland Amateur Open at Royal Portrush. He beat the previous record by three shots. McIlroy became the youngest professional to ever earn a European Tour Card in 2007 and he was eager to make a real breakthrough on the scene. This didn’t take long as he went on to finish second at the Omega European Masters in 2008 and in November, he became the youngest player to rank among the top 50 golfers in the world. In 2009, the Northern Irishman won his first professional tournament at the Dubai Desert Classic. Then came heartache in the form of the 2011 Masters. After dominating for three whole days and taking a four shot lead going into the final round, he surrendered his advantage and finished 15^th. However, he bounced back even stronger and clinched his first major in emphatic style at the US Open, shooting a brilliant 16-under-par at Congressional Country Club.

He broke three records for this major championship. They were the lowest 72-hole total, the lowest 72-hole total in relationship to par and finally the lowest score to par at any point in a US Open. McIlroy then collected his second major title at the 2012 USPGA Championship at Kiawah Island, where he won by a record eight shots. His first Claret Jug and third major came at the 2014 Open at Royal Liverpool and he then won in his next start at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational before sealing his fourth and final major to date the following week at the USPGA Championship at Valhalla.

As well as four majors, Rory McIlroy has won three Race to Dubai titles - in 2012, 2014 and 2015, as well as the FedEx Cup in 2016. He has spent 95 weeks as the world number one, the fourth-highest total since records began in 1986. His most recent victory came at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in March where he had his best week ever on the greens after struggling with the putter on-and-off for a few years.

Justin Rose turned professional in 1998 when he was 17. He has picked up one major victory at the US Open in 2013. Birthday 07/30/1980 Birthplace Johannesburg, South Africa Official World Golf Ranking 5^th Height 6ft, 3in Best results in Majors: Masters – T2 (2015) US Open – 1^st (2013) Open Championship – 4^th (2013) PGA Championship – 3^rd (2012) Rose first broke onto the scene in 1998 when he finished tied fourth as an amateur in the British Open at Royal Birkdale. He won the silver medal as leading amateur and the next day he turned professional. Rose also enjoys the limelight of the Ryder Cup. He has played in the 2008, 2012 and 2014 tournaments, winning two of these. Rose’s putt during the Miracle in Medinah has gone down in Ryder Cup history. With two holes to play and being one down against Phil Mickelson, the task was huge. On the 17^th, Rose produced a special 50-foot breaking putt to take them all square going up 18. The Englishman had the momentum and produced a brilliant approach shot and putt to win the tie on the last hole. In 2013, Rose won the US Open at Merion after a brilliant final round. He clinched his maiden major title to become the first Englishmen to win the US Open for 43 years. Rose won by two shots from Phil Mickelson and Jason Day. He also became the first Englishman to win a major since Nick Faldo back in 1996. The talented Englishman has been very consistent in major championships and has come very close to winning all four majors. He came close to winning the illustrious Masters green jacket in 2015 but finished tied second with Phil Mickelson and four shots behind winner Jordan Spieth. Rose's most recent victory came at the 2015 UBS Hong Kong Open. He was trailing Denmark’s Lucas Bjerregaard by two strokes with nine holes to play but he forced his way to the top, finishing one stroke ahead on 17-under-par.

Paul Casey turned professional in 2000. Since then Casey has seen 1 PGA Tour win and 12 European Tour wins. Birthday 21/07/1977 Birthplace Cheltenham, England Official World Golf Ranking 22^nd Height 5 ft, 10 in Best Results in MajorsMasters – 6th (2004) US Open – 10th (2007) Open Championship – 3rd (2010) PGA Championship – 12th (2010) In 2004, Casey joined the PGA Tour in April as a Special Temporary Member and earned privileges for the 2005 season through making the 2004 Ryder Cup team. He also managed to finish sixth at his first appearance at the US Masters. He went into the final round a shot behind co-leaders Phil Mickelson and Chris DiMarco but shot a disappointing 74. Casey also finished third at the Open Championship in 2010. He finished tied third with Henrik Stenson on 8-under-par, falling 8 shots short of the impressive Louis Oosthuizen at St. Andrews. In 2011, Casey failed to finish inside the top 125 of the official money list for the first time in four years. After three seasons without finishing in the top 10, Casey posted a career-high eight top ten performances, finishing runner up on two occasions both via play-off defeats in the 2014/15 season. Casey has appeared in the 2004, 2006 and 2008 Ryder Cup. He made his debut at Oakland Hills where he picked up one point from two matches. He played a significant role at the K Club in 2006, winning three out of four points as Europe won by a huge margin of 18½ to 9½. In 2008, Casey was picked as a wildcard by captain Nick Faldo. A personal highlight of Casey’s must be his hole in one at 14^th hole at the K Club to seal a 5&4 victory over US pair Stewart Cink and Zach Johnson. It was only the fifth hole in one in Ryder Cup history and the first since Englishman Howard Clark’s in 1995.

Since 1999, Henrik Stenson has been playing golf at a professional level. Stenson's career has seen him claim 4 PGA Tour wins and 9 European Tour wins. Birthday 05/04/1976 Birthplace Gothenburg, Sweden Official World Golf Ranking 5^th Height 6 ft 2 in Best results in Majors Masters – 14th (2014) US Open – 4th (2014) Open Championship – 2nd (2013) PGA Championship – 3rd (2013) Stenson joined the European Tour in 2001. In 2005, he picked up his first top 10 in five career starts in a tour event, finishing tied third at the World Golf Championships-American Express Championship at Harding Park in San Francisco. In his first start as an official member of the PGA Tour, he triumphed at the Acenture Match Play Championship. Stenson defeated Australian Geoff Ogilvy 2&1 in the 36 hole championship match. As a result, he became only the fourth Swede to win on Tour, the first Tour rookie to win in 2007 and the third player to clinch his first Tour title at the Accenture Match Play Championship. Stenson managed to reach the top 20 of the official world golf ranking in 2006 and the top 10 in 2007. In 2012, Stenson won the South African Open after a tough few years. This pushed him on to a successful 2013 season, with three individual wins. These included the Deutsche Bank Championship, the Tour Championship on the PGA Tour and and the DP World Championship on the European Tour. Stenson’s closest call to winning a major came in 2013 at the Open Championship where he finished three strokes behind Phil Mickelson at Muirfield. In May 2014, Stenson achieved a career high ranking of number two in the world, trailing Australian Adam Scott. This ensured he has had the highest ranking ever achieved by a Swede. In 2015, Stenson found himself fifth in the world rankings after he earned six runner-up finishes in his final 20 tournaments, three of which came during the FedEx Cup playoffs. The Swede has also enjoyed success with Europe in the Ryder Cup. He has appeared in the 2006, 2008 and 2014 Ryder Cup. He sunk the winning putt in 2006.  

            Bubba Watson turned Pro in 2003. Since then Watson has seen 6 PGA Tour wins and 2 Major wins. Birthday 05/11/1978 Birthplace Bagdad, Florida Official World Golf Ranking 4th Height 6 ft, 3 in Studied University of Georgia Best results in Majors Masters – 1st (2012, 2014) US Open – 5th (2007) Open Championship – 23rd (2012) PGA Championship – 2nd (2010) Watson started his professional career on the Nationwide Tour in 2001 but failed to make an impression in the first few years. The golfer recognised for his shot making decided to go back to university in 2008 to complete his degree after wanting to be a role model to younger kids. Watson wanted to encourage kids to get an education so they could recognise their dreams. Watson had to wait until 2010 to win his first PGA Tour title. In June, the American won the Travelers Championship. As a result of impressive form, he was selected to play in the prestigious Ryder Cup that October. In 2011, his impressive form continued, by winning another two championships on tour. In January he won the Farmers Insurance Open and in May he won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Watson won his first Masters in 2012 after beating Louis Oosthuizen in a sudden death play-off after they both finished on 10-under-par. His victory will be remembered for the extraordinary shot played from the woods to win the famous green jacket. In 2014, Watson picked up his second Masters victory, beating Jordan Spieth with a final round 69. He won at Augusta by three clear strokes, shooting 8-under-par throughout the four days. The exuberant American has achieved what only three other players have done by winning the Masters twice in three years. These players are Tiger Woods, Phil Mickleson and Jack Nicklaus. In the 2014-15 season, Watson made 15 out of 17 cuts. He finished inside the top 10 on 10 different occasions and he finished 5^th overall in the final FedExCup standings for the second consecutive season.

Jason Day turned professional in 2006. To date, the Australian golfer has 2 PGA Tour wins. Birthday 12/11/1987 Birthplace Queensland, Australia Height 6 ft, 0 in Best Results in Majors Masters – 2nd (2011) US Open – 2nd (2013) Open Championship – T4 (2015) PGA Championship – 8th (2013)

            Sergio Garcia turned professional in 1999. Since then the Spaniard has gone on to win 8 PGA Tour titles and 11 European Tour titles, but he is still looking for his first major. Birthday 09/01/1980 Birthplace Castellon, Spain Official World Golf Ranking 11^th Height 5 ft, 10 in Best Results in MajorsMasters – 4th (2004) US Open – 3rd (2005) Open Championship –2nd (2007/2014) PGA Championship – 2nd (2008) Garcia has come very close on numerous occasions to winning a major championship. In 1999, Garcia was still a teenager when he came runner-up to Tiger Woods at the PGA Championship and then he won his first three Ryder Cup games just one month later. He broke onto the professional scene in a prolific fashion. The Spaniard finished in the top 10 in all four majors in 2002 and he was the only player to do so. In 2007, the Spaniard perhaps came the closest he will ever come to winning a major. Garcia had a 10 foot putt on the 18^th hole to win the British Open at Carnoustie but missed, giving Padraig Harrington a chance to win via a sudden death playoff, which he duly took advantage of. Just a year later, Harrington took another major off him again, this time in the PGA Championship. This brilliant battle stirred memories of their Open play-off back in 2007. Garcia finished on 1-under-par for the tournament, two shots off the Irishman. Garcia then finished runner-up for the third time at the 2014 British Open Championship to Rory McIlroy. He made a valiant effort in the final round to catch the formidable Northern Irishman, birdying two of the last three holes to finish a 6-under-par round. The Spaniard finished on 15-under-par with Rickie Fowler. However, Garcia’s Ryder Cup record is to be truly admired. He has competed in seven Ryder Cups for Europe and has won five of them.  

            Jordan Spieth is a two time major winner. He won the Masters in April 2015 and the US Open two months later. Spieth has won three PGA Tour events, including the John Deere Classic Twice. In 2012, Spieth turned professional. Birthday: 27/07/1993 Birthplace: Dallas, Texas Height – 6ft, 1in Best results in Majors: Masters – 1^st (2015) US Open – 1^st in (2015) Open Championship – T4 (2015) PGA Championship – Cut (2013) Official World Golf Ranking: 1^st The American won the US Junior Amateur in 2009 and 2011. This made him just the second golfer to win the event twice, the other player being Tiger Woods. In 2013, he went onto become the youngest player in 82 years to win a PGA Tour event. In his Masters debut in 2014, he finished runner-up. He was tied for the lead after round three and held a two-shot lead over his competitors until Bubba Watson passed him. In 2014-15, the young American recorded 15 top 10 finishes on tour. Spieth became the second youngest Masters winner and the youngest US Open Champion in 2015 in more than 90 years. He also became the first male since Gene Sarazen in 1922 to claim multiple majors before his 22^nd birthday. Spieth’s first major win came at the Masters in 2015 where he finished four shots clear of the chasers. An overall score of 18-under-par fended off competition from Phil Mickleson and Justin Rose.

            In the US Open, he beat Dustin Johnson by one stroke. A missed putt from Johnson on the last at Chambers Bay ensured the major did not go to a play-off. With the victory he became only the sixth golfer to win both the Masters and the US Open in the same year. Spieth will be desperate to continue his fine form into the 2016 season and will want to maintain his brilliant record in the big events.                    

Luke Donald turned professional in 2001. Since then the English golfer has won 5 PGA Tours and 7 European Tours. Birthday 07/12/1977 Birthplace Hemel Hempstead, England Official World Golf Ranking 74^th Studied Northwestern University Height 5 ft, 9 in Best Results in MajorsMasters – 3rd (2005) US Open – 8th (2013) Open Championship – 5th (2009, 2012) PGA Championship – 3rd (2006) In 2002, Donald won his first Tour title in his rookie season at the Southern Farm Bureau Classic, which was reduced to 54 holes due to unplayable conditions. He joined Jonathan Byrd as the only rookies to win that season. Donald is another player that has come very close to securing a major title but has fallen just short. At the US Masters in 2005, he finished in third place behind Tiger Woods and Chris DiMarco. At the 2006 PGA Championship, Donald again finished in third place, six shots adrift off the dominant Tiger Woods. In 2011, Donald became the first English player to earn PGA Tour Player of the Year honours since the award’s launch in 1990. He also broke another record after becoming the first English golfer to win the Arnold Palmer Award. The Englishman enjoyed a spell as world number one after a long spell of consistent performances. He climbed to the top spot after overcoming Lee Westwood in a playoff at the BMW PGA Championship. He came from behind on the final round to force a playoff where he watched Westwood hit his approach shot into the water on the first hole. Overall, he has spent 55 weeks as number one throughout his spells. 2011 turned into a great year for Donald. Not only was he the finest golfer in the world, he managed to top both money lists on the PGA and European Tours. His Ryder Cup record is also one of brilliance. He has been on the winning team in all four he has played in. These appreances came in 2004, 2006, 2010 and 2012.          

          Graeme McDowell turned professional in 2002. The Northern Irish golfer since has seen 3 PGA Tour wins and 7 European Tour wins. Birthday 30/07/1979 Birthplace Portrush, Northern Ireland Official World Golf Ranking 53^rd Height 5 ft, 11 in Studied University of Alabama-Birmingham Best Results in MajorsMasters – 12th (2012) US Open – 1st (2010) Open Championship – 5th (2012) PGA Championship – 10th (2009) Graeme McDowell made the headlines after winning the US Open in June 2010. He finished on Even Par after the four days of action, one shot ahead of France’s Gregory Havret. Victory at Pebble Beach ensured McDowell became Europe’s first US champion for 40 years. The Portrush native became the first Northern Irishman to win a major since Fred Daly won the open back in 1947 at Hoylake. He also became the first player from the United Kingdom to win a major since Paul Lawrie’s victory at Carnoustie in the Open in 1999. 2010 carried on in the same fashion for McDowell after carrying Europe over the line in the Ryder Cup. In the Celtic Manor Resort Classic, his 3&1 victory over Hunter Mahan gave Europe a remarkable 14 ½ to 13 ½ victory over the United States to regain the trophy.

          McDowell made his Ryder Cup debut in 2008 at Valhalla in a 16 ½ to 11 ½ defeat to the Americans but impressed as one of Nick Faldo’s wildcards. As a result, McDowell has played in three more Ryder Cups, winning two of them. Just a few weeks back, McDowell won the OHL Classic at Mayakoba, edging out Russell Knox and Jason Bohn in a play-off. McDowell confirmed victory on the first extra hole to knock in a birdie to clinch his first win since the French Open last July. McDowell will be eager to take this impressive form into the new year.  

Ian Poulter turned professional in 1995. Since then Poulter has gone to claim 2 PGA Tour wins and 12 European Tour wins. Birthday 10/01/1976 Birthplace Stevenage, England Height 6 ft, 1 in Best Results in Majors Masters – 7th (2012) US Open – 12th (2006) Open Championship – 2nd (2008) PGA Championship – 3rd (2012)

Stephen Gallacher turned professional in 1995. Since then Gallacher has seen 3 European Tour wins. Birthday 01/11/1974 Birthplace Dechmont, Scotland Height 6 ft, 2 in Best Results in Majors Masters – 34th (2014) US Open – Cut (2005, 2011, 2014) Open Championship – 21st (2013) PGA Championship – 18th (2010)

Shane Lowry turned professional in 2009. Since then Lowry has seen 2 European Tour wins. Birthday 02/04/1987 Birthplace Clara, County Offaly, Ireland Height 6 ft, 1 in Official World Golf Ranking 21^st Studied University College Dublin Best Results in MajorsMasters – Cut (2015) US Open – T9 (2015) Open Championship – T9 (2014) PGA Championship – T46 (2014) In 2007, Lowry won the Irish Amateur Closed Championship, joining fellow Irishmen Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington, Paul McGinley and Rory McIlroy as past winners of the event. In 2009, Shane Lowry, in his first event of the year, became only the third amateur to win a European Tour title at the 3 Irish Open at County Louth GC in Ireland. Lowry managed to beat Robert Rock in a playoff. He joined New Zealander Danny Lee as the other amateur to win on the European Tour that year. Three years later, the Irishman won his first European Tour title since the 3 Irish Open. He came behind on the final day to clinch the Portugal Masters. After three rounds, he found himself four shots off the leader Bernd Wiesberger but a final round of 5-under-par at Oceanico Victoria GC in Algarve was enough to overcome Ross Fisher by a shot.

In 2013/14, Lowry made three PGA Tour starts and these all came in major championships. In the 2014 Open Championship at Hoylake, Lowry finished in 9^th position on 10-under-par, seven shots behind winner Rory McIlroy. This was his best major championship finish so far.

In 2015, the Irishman then tied his previous best finish at a major championship, this time finishing 9^th at the US Open. Lowry scored Even Par throughout the four days of action, just five shots off the talented Jordan Spieth. Lowry’s career highlight came in 2015, when he won the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational. The Irishman scored 11-under-par and finished two shots ahead of American Bubba Watson. Lowry tied Watson as the lowest scorer on the final day, shooting an impressive bogey free four-under-par.    

            Martin Kaymer turned professional in 2005. Since then the German golfer has seen 3 European Tour wins along with 11 PGA Tour wins. Birthday 28/12/1984 Birthplace Dusseldorf, Germany Official World Golf Ranking 26^th Height 6 ft, 0 in Best Results in MajorsMasters – 31st (2014) US Open – 1st (2014) Open Championship – 7th (2010) PGA Championship – 1st (2010) One year after turning professional, Kaymer won his first professional event at the Friedberg Classic in 2006. Kaymer first tasted major success when he won the PGA Championship in August 2010 in Wisconsin to become one of only two German golfers to win a major PGA Championship. The other being Bernhard Langer. Kaymer won a tense three-hole play-off against Bubba Watson. The German had plenty of success in 2010, becoming the top money earner on the European Tour. In January 2011, he won the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship for the third time in a row by an incredible eight shots. This victory put Kaymer in the top 10 for the first time in his career. Later on that year, Kaymer held the number one spot for eight weeks but was struggling for form, especially in PGA competitions. In 2014, Kaymer refound his winning formula and had another successful year, winning the Players Championship and the US Open. The highly rated German scored 13-under-par, finishing one shot ahead of the experienced Jim Furyk. One of the highlights of the tournament came on the 17^th on the final day. Kaymer sunk an amazing 28-foot putt to save par that would turn out to be key to his victory.

  Kaymer then followed this victory up, by comfortably securing his second major title, this time at the US Open at Pinehurst. The former number one finished eight shots clear of second placed Erik Compton and Rickie Fowler, after shooting 9-under-par throughout the tournament.

            Phil Mickelson turned pro in 1992. Since then the American golfer has seen 7 European Tour wins along with 72 PGA Tour wins. Birthday: 16/06/1970 Birthplace: San Diego, California Official World Golf Ranking: 24th Height: 6 ft, 3 in Studied: Arizona State University Best Results in Majors: Masters – 1st (2004, 2006. 2010) US Open – 2nd (1999, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2013) Open Championship – 1st (2013) PGA Championship – 1st (2005) In 1992 on the eve of his 22nd birthday, Mickelson turned professional. His first professional win came in 1993 at the Torrey Pines. Many titles started to come along, including the Byron Nelson Golf Classic and the World Series of Golf in 1996. For a while, there was a cloud hanging over Mickelson about whether he would ever win a major but he soon answered these problems. Mickelson picked up his first major championship win in 2004 at the US Masters after shooting a final round 69. He finished 9-under-par for the Championship, with Ernie Els just one shot behind. Mickelson’s 2004 Masters victory was ranked number 9 in TV’s guide list of the "25 Most Awesome Sports Moments" (of the last 15 years). Major number two came in the PGA Championship in 2005 at Baltusrol Golf Club in New Jersey, where he finished one shot ahead of Thomas Bjorn and Steve Elkington. Mickelson then added another two Masters wins in 2006 and 2010, this time winning them in a less nerve-racking fashion. In 2013, the American picked up his first British Open Championship after triumphing at Muirfield. The five times major champion scored 3-under-par for the four rounds, finishing three shots ahead of second placed Henrik Stenson. However, he didn’t have it all his own way, as he found himself five shots off the lead but Mickelson surged to a superb 5-under-par on the final day after birdying four of the last six holes.

Charl Schwartzel turned professional in 2002. His biggest achievement came at the 2011 US Masters, where he picked up the illustrious green jacket. Birthday 08/31/1984 Birthplace Johannesburg, South Africa Official World Golf Ranking 35^th Height 5ft 11in Best results in Majors: Masters – 1^st (2011) US Open – 7^th (2015) Open Championship – T7 (2014) PGA Championship – T12 (2011) In 2005, Schwartzel won his first victory on the European Tour at the Dunhill Championship, in his native country. He followed up this success by winning the Vodacom Tour Championship in 2006. Triumph in South Africa ensured he earned his place in the top 100 of the official world golf rankings for the first time. In 2008, he clinched his third European Tour victory at the Madrid Masters meaning he finished inside Order of Merit top 30. Schwartzel picked up his only major win at the Masters by two strokes and became only the third South African to win the event. He finished on 14-under-par with Australians, Jason Day and Adam Scott behind on 12-under. He made an electric start to the final round after holing his second from the fairway on the third for an eagle and finished off in style too, birdying his final four holes. In 2012, the South African captured his first victory since the Masters at the Thailand Golf Championship on the Asian Tour. He cruised to an 11 stroke victory, finishing on an extraordinary 25-under-par. Most recently, Schwartzel, who fell to 50^th in the world rankings, celebrated a record-breaking fourth title at the Alfred Dunhill Championship. He became the first South African to win the same European Tour event on four different occasions. This win also made him the youngest South African to win 10 titles. He has outdone Ernie Els, who was a year older when he achieved double figures at the 2002 Dubai Desert Classic.

First up, setting some foundations from tee to green is a vital step for every golfer, but especially beginners. There are few better feelings for a newcomer than making your first birdie, but to do that, there are some techniques to learn and practice. Contained within our guides below is everything you need to know to hit the green more often and give yourself the best chance of improving. 

Of course, scoring well requires far more than just a solid swing. You will also need to develop important skills around the green. That means being able to escape from bunkers and having a chipping technique you can rely on to make solid contact. All that is included here in these simple and effective tips.

Finally, no beginner golfer tips would be complete without some advice on how to master the basics of what is arguably the most important part of the game: getting the ball in the hole. Our golf putting tips for beginners are designed to do just that, and will hopefully provide the final piece of the puzzle that will help you get off on the right foot.

Location:

Sutton Green GC Price: £80 per hour Contact: garysmithgolf.com Biography: Gary turned pro in 1979 and cites his best coaching achievements as coaching Wayne Riley to victories at the Scottish and Portuguese Opens and helping Richard Boxall to triumph at the Italian Open. Coaching philosophy: "I try to teach each player as an individual based on his own ability, physique and aspirations in the game. Together we will set some tangible long-term goals and plan exactly how we intend to meet these targets." Best tip: "Hit a series of bunker shots with just your right hand on the club. Your rhythm will improve and you’ll get a feel for how the club should release through the ball.”