Tag: golf game

Five Reasons Why 2025 Could Be Rory Mcllroy’s Year

Posted on by Ivana Miteva

Rory Mcllroy has had one of the most decorated careers in golf. But despite his numerous wins, there’s still that one thing eluding him: a major victory since 2014. Yet, as we look ahead to 2025, there’s a strong case to be made that this could finally be the year Rory adds another major to his golf player resume. Let’s break down why everything is aligning for him.

Source: Andrew Redington/Getty Images

The Swing is in Sync

We’ve seen Rory Mcllroy go through ups and downs in terms of his swing over the years. But it’s clear that his golf game has found a new rhythm since the start of 2025. His ball striking, particularly with the driver, has been as good as it ever has been. Rory’s been hitting the ball with incredible distance and accuracy. And when he’s dialled in off the tee, like he showed at Pebble Beach, he’s nearly impossible to beat. His ability to keep the ball in play, combined with his power, means he has the tools to take on any course this year.

The New Generation of Golfers

One of the interesting things about Rory Mcllroy’s career is that while he’s been one of the top golf players in the world for over a decade, he’s now facing a new generation of golfers who are hungry for their own victories. That competitive edge might just be the spark he needs. With golf players like Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa, and Ludvig Åberg coming into their own, Rory could tap into that extra drive. With that he can show the younger crowd that he’s still a force to be reckoned with.

Course Familiarity

Rory has always excelled on certain golf courses, and many of the upcoming major venues are places where he’s had success before. With courses like Quail Hollow and Royal Portrush on the schedule, Rory knows how to navigate himself around these courses. Also, he has a history of performing well on them. His past success at these venues provides him with confidence. He knows how to tackle these major championship setups.

A Desire to Cement His Legacy

At this stage in his career, Rory isn’t just looking to win for the sake of winning. He’s chasing something much bigger. It’s the chance to solidify his place in the history books as one of the game’s all-time greats. This hunger could fuel his performance in 2025.

No Pressure—Just Golf

Rory’s also been talking about how he’s been focusing on enjoying the golf game again, and that mindset shift could be huge for him. Golf, especially at the highest level, can be exhausting mentally, and sometimes he has been caught up in the pressure of winning another major. By embracing the joy of the game, Rory might be able to approach the majors with a fresh, relaxed perspective that allows him to perform at his best.

Here’s hoping that 2025 will be Rory Mcllroy’s year to take home another piece of golfing history!

Will Buttleman is VPAR’s Social Media and Events Manager.

A former professional cricketer, Will played for Essex County Cricket Club from 2018 to 2023 before joining the VPAR team in 2024. During his cricket career, he competed in First Class, List A, and T20 matches, contributing to the club’s recent successes.
Now, Will’s focus has shifted to golf. He plays off a VPAR Handicap of 4.5 and is aiming to reach scratch in the near future. His favourite course is Poppy Hills, a hidden gem just above Pebble Beach, and his top venue to work at is Waterville Golf Links in County Kerry, Ireland.
Whether you’re seeking top golfing destinations, a fresh perspective on the ever-changing professional game, or betting tips for major events, Will offers valuable insights. For him, golf is more than just a sport – it’s a lifestyle, and he loves sharing that passion with the VPAR community.

VPAR Performance Stats

Posted on by Ivana Miteva

Keep an Eye on the Most Important Metrics

What is the Performance Stats Feature?

The Performance Stats feature within the VPAR app offers a comprehensive breakdown of the most critical metrics from your golf rounds. It allows you to track and analyze your performance over time, covering areas that include:

Fairways hit

Greens in regulation (GIR)

Putts per round

Driving accuracy

Sand saves

Up & Downs

By gathering data from your rounds, the app delivers insightful feedback on your strengths and weaknesses. This data-driven analysis can help you identify the areas of your game that need improvement and highlight where you’re excelling.

Why Use VPAR Performance Stats?

There are several reasons why tracking performance stats is vital to improving your golf game:

Personalized Feedback: Rather than relying on anecdotal evidence or gut feelings about your game, the Performance Stats feature provides concrete, data-driven feedback. You can see exactly how often you’re hitting greens in regulation or missing fairways, making it easier to pinpoint where you need to focus your practice.

Track Your Progress Over Time: Consistency is key to improvement in golf. With VPAR’s stats tracking, you can monitor your performance round-by-round and see how your metrics evolve over time. Spot trends, assess if you’re getting better, and determine whether recent changes in your technique or equipment are paying off.

Focus on Key Metrics: Golf is a multi-faceted game with various aspects that require attention. VPAR helps you break it down by zeroing in on important metrics such as driving accuracy and putting efficiency. This way, you can dedicate practice time to areas where it matters most.

Set Measurable Goals: Golfers often set goals to improve, but those goals can sometimes be vague. VPAR’s Performance Stats make goal setting more structured and measurable. You can set specific targets like reducing the number of putts per round or increasing your greens in regulation percentage.

How to Use the Performance Stats Feature

Using VPAR’s Performance Stats is simple and intuitive. Here’s how to get started:

Play a Round: As you play, use the VPAR app to score your round. As you Play, enter your scores and relevant stats on every hole, in order to gather a complete set of data. More data = more results.

Review Stats After the Round: After completing a round, go to the Performance Stats section of the app. Here, you’ll find a breakdown of the key metrics from your round.

Analyze Your Performance: Look at the data from your round and compare it with past performances. Are you hitting more fairways? Is your putting improving? This analysis will help guide your practice sessions.

Set New Goals: Based on the stats, set measurable goals for your next round. Whether it’s improving your short game or becoming more accurate off the tee, use the insights provided by the app to continuously refine your objectives.

Game-Changing Benefits

Data-Driven Practice: Instead of practicing every area of the game equally, the Performance Stats feature helps you focus on the parts of your game that require the most attention.

Identify Patterns: Over time, you may notice recurring trends in your game. Maybe you constantly struggle with approach shots on longer par 4s, or you’re missing more putts on faster greens. By identifying these patterns, you can adapt your strategy and make smarter decisions on the course.

Share and Compete: The social aspect of VPAR also extends to Performance Stats. You can share your stats with friends and even compare them to other players within the app. This adds a competitive edge that can motivate you to sharpen your skills.

Lesser-Known Golf Rules

Posted on by Ivana Miteva

Here are some interesting or lesser-known golf rules that you might not have been aware of in 2024:

1. Accidentally Hitting the Ball Twice

If you accidentally hit the ball twice during a single stroke (often called a “double-hit”), there’s no longer a penalty. The stroke counts as one, but no extra strokes are added.

2. Dropping the Ball from Knee Height

When taking a drop, you must drop the ball from knee height rather than shoulder height. This change was implemented to increase consistency and fairness in drops.

3. Touching the Sand in a Bunker

You can touch the sand in a bunker with your hand or club for a variety of reasons, such as leaning on a club or removing loose impediments. However, you still can’t test the condition of the sand or ground your club directly behind or in front of the ball.

4. Unplayable Ball in a Bunker

You now have the option to declare a ball unplayable in a bunker and take a two-stroke penalty to drop the ball outside the bunker, keeping the spot where the ball lay directly between the hole and the drop location.

5. Repairing Damage on the Green

You can repair almost any damage on the putting green, including spike marks and other forms of damage, even if they weren’t made by the player themselves.

If you accidentally move your ball while searching for it, there’s no penalty, and you must simply replace the ball in its original spot.

7. Ball Hits You or Your Equipment

If your ball accidentally hits you, your partner, your caddie, or your equipment, there’s no penalty. The ball is played as it lies.

8. No Penalty for a Ball Played Out of Turn in Match Play

In match play, if a player plays out of turn, there is no penalty, but the opponent can require the player to cancel the stroke and play again in the proper order.

9. Flagstick Left in the Hole

You can choose to leave the flagstick in the hole while putting. If your ball hits the flagstick and goes in, it still counts as holed.

10. Penalty for Moving an Object in Penalty Area

You can now move loose impediments and ground your club in penalty areas (formerly known as water hazards). This rule change allows you to take practice swings and ground your club as you would on the fairway.

11. Search Time Reduced to Three Minutes

The time allowed to search for a lost ball has been reduced from five minutes to three minutes. If you can’t find your ball within this time, it’s deemed lost.

12. Dropping Zones for Penalty Relief

In some circumstances, courses have designated dropping zones for penalty relief. These are optional, but if a player uses them, the ball must be dropped within that zone, and it counts as taking a penalty drop.

These golf rules, many of which were updated or clarified in recent years, aim to make the game more fair, streamlined, and enjoyable for players at all levels.