Fore the Love of Golf: The Sequel to Our First Slice of Humour

Fellow Golfers, This is the Birdie Banter, your friend that's guaranteed to bring the cooly, too. Here's what we're duck-hooking our way through the week:

• Tee Time: Zurich classic of New Orleans & LIV Golf Adelaide

• Putt Prediction: Mexico Open

• Tips & Tricks: Putting Grips

• Meme of the Week

Tee Time

The Zurich Classic of New Orleans: Where Golf and Gumbo Collide!

In a shocking turn of events, Nick Hardy and Davis Riley managed to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on Sunday by playing golf really well. Despite starting the day behind the leaders, they managed to shoot a final-round, 7-under-par 65, including an impressive five birdies on the back nine. Their 30-under 258 total was enough to beat out the Canadian duo of Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor, who fired a 9-under 63 on the final day but were still two shots off the pace.

"It was nerve-racking, honestly," said Riley, who clearly doesn't understand the concept of sarcasm. "But fortunately, we were able to kind of execute some really good shots coming down the stretch, and it was really fun."

The Zurich Classic is the only team-based tournament on the PGA Tour schedule, using a four-ball format in the first and third rounds and alternate shot in the second and final rounds. Alternate shot is considered the more difficult of the two, but apparently not for Riley and Hardy, who caught fire on the back nine to seal the victory.

Other notable performances included Wyndham Clark and Beau Hossler, who led after the first three rounds but faltered on Sunday with a final-round 71, finishing in third place. Defending champions Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay tied for fourth with Taylor Moore and Matthew NeSmith, while Keith Mitchell and South Korea's Sungjae Im finished sixth.

All in all, it was an exciting tournament filled with birdies, bogeys, and a shocking lack of sarcastic commentary from the players.

Fore-get About The Rest: LIV Golf is a Hole-in-One!

Golf player Talor Gooch wins the LIV Golf Adelaide championship after almost collapsing in a monumental fashion. Gooch started with a 10-stroke lead and dropped four strokes in four holes but managed to hold on to his lead and win by two strokes. Gooch credits his Australian caddie for his success and his ability to read greens.

In other news, Chase Koepka, the brother of four-time Major champion Brooks Koepka, managed to ace the par-3 12th hole, and the crowd showered him with beer cans. Meanwhile, 4Aces GC won the team competition with a new LIV Golf scoring record of 47-under par. However, the captain's score was not required as Patrick Reed, Peter Uihlein, and Pat Perez stepped up when needed.

Putt Prediction

PGA TOUR players are dusting off their passports and heading to Mexico for the 2023 Mexico Open at Greg Norman’s Vidanta Vallarta resort course in Puerto Vallarta. It seems the tournament is lacking star power, with only three players in the OWGR top-65 participating. However, defending champion Jon Rahm is expected to have a good chance of winning, as he only has one notable opponent in Tony Finau.

The course has been touted as a bomber's paradise, favoring those with the longest drives and best long-iron plays. It's also located in a coastal region with high winds, making it ideal for players who have proven results on similar courses. So, if you're a long hitter and have a knack for playing in windy conditions, you might have a shot at winning. Or, you know, just pray that Jon Rahm misses his flight!

Tips & Tricks - Putting for Dough

Golfers often face putting problems that may stem from an improper grip on the putter. Here are five unconventional putting grips to experiment with this season:

1. Cross Hand: Dominant hand goes on top of the nondominant hand, giving more control to the nondominant hand

Used by Padraig Harrington, Jim Furyk, and Jordan Speith.

2. Split Hand: Unlinking the hands creates space, increasing control over the putter.

Used by Natalie Gulbis, Daniel Chopra, and Happy Gilmore.

3. The Claw: Dominant hand grips the putter shaft like a pencil while the nondominant hand steadies the top of the shaft.

Used by Tommy Fleetwood, Phil Mickelson, and Sergio Garcia.

4. Palm to Palm: Aligning the palms and wrapping the dominant hand around the fingers of the nondominant hand creates a snug grip.

Used by Vijay Singh, Paul Dunne, and Matt Wallace.

5. Arm Lock: Choking up on the putter and locking it to the lead forearm minimizes hand movement.

Used by Bernhard Langer, Soren Kjeldsen, and Jason Dufner.

Meme of the Week

And so, fellow fairway fanatics, as our golf escapades come to a close, let's take a moment to channel our inner Birdman, flap our wings, and soar into the sunset. Remember, keep your head down, swing easy, and don't forget to replace your divots.

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The Birdman