Precision to the Pin: Lexi Thompson calls it a career at 29
Columnist image Bob Weeks
TSN Senior Reporter
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At almost every PGA Tour event, a caravan of large trucks arrives and sets up close to the driving range. The trucks carry the logos and graphics from golf’s major equipment companies.
Inside each of these vehicles is a super-charged back shop where support staff have the equipment and technology to do pretty much anything to a golf club from changing grips to altering the lofts. Experts can also build an entire set from scratch just in case that bag got lost in transit.
During any usual week, these trucks welcome a steady stream of players and caddies hoping to fine tune things ahead of the first round. Once the tournament starts, the trucks depart for the next event.
The guys have it easy. The women? If they need changes they have to scramble and hope. There are rarely trucks as equipped on the LPGA Tour and alterations are usually made at the host club’s facility, if there is one. Aside from that, it’s usually a scramble into the local town to find a retail golf store that can do the job. A last-ditch method might be to contact the equipment company and have something shipped overnight.
Too often, equipment fixes must wait. The top female golfers play with what they have and hope it works.
That is, until this week. For the first time, there will be a tour truck at the CPKC Women’s Open. Golf Town has created a state-of-the-art mobile facility known as the Players Tour Truck, that will provide access to elevated professional fitting and club services. In contrast to the men’s trucks, this one will welcome any player, no matter her equipment company affiliation.
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“At Golf Town, from Day One, we have been committed to promoting equality in our sport of golf,” said Frederick Lecoq, Chief Marketing Officer at Golf Town, in a release. “By introducing our Players Tour Truck at the CPKC Women’s Open, we are taking a significant step in providing female athletes with the expertise and resources to help them perform their best on Canada’s greatest stage.”
The truck will be at the Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary, site of the Canadian national championship, for the entire week. Inside, golfers will find the latest golf club technology operated by Golf Town certified master club fitters and technicians, who will offer some of the best expertise available in Canada. Stationed near the practice area it will have a range of services including lie and loft adjustments, regripping, Foresight launch monitor rentals, shaft installations, repairs and more. This will allow any player in the field to optimize her gear before and, if necessary, during the tournament.
One player who is fully supportive of the Players Tour Truck is Canada’s winningest golfer and Golf Town ambassador, Brooke Henderson.
“Golf Town is leading the charge in promoting equality and growth in women’s golf across Canada, and I couldn’t be more excited for myself and my fellow players to have access to the Players Tour Truck at this year’s CPKC Women’s Open,” said Henderson, in a release.
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It’s expected that the Players Tour Truck will be a busy place. Many golfers are finicky about their equipment and believe that a tweak could be the difference between winning and finishing second, or making the cut and going home early. A change could happen prior to the first round or before teeing off on Sunday, but any necessary alterations can now occur on site and on time.
The move extends Golf Town’s relationship with the CPKC Women’s Open and Golf Canada, which started in 2017. Best known of the initiatives are Golf Town’s Brooke Brigade, which sets up a youth cheering section for Canada’s top golfer, and Autograph Alley, where youngsters can get signatures of their favourite players.
One of the interesting parts of the Players Tour Truck is that all the services being provided to the players can also be given to average golfers who go to a Golf Town store. Who knows? That small adjustment to your club might make the difference between breaking 100 or 90 or 80.
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