European Tour golf icon and former world number one Ian Woosnam will use SkyCaddie GPS distance measuring devices when he competes on the Legends Tour in 2021.
Woosnam, who plays in his 32nd Masters Tournament this April, has a SkyCaddie SX500 which will be automatically pre-loaded with each day’s pin positions in all European events on the Legends Tour in 2021 (formerly known as the Staysure Tour and European Senior Tour).
Over half of the field in each Legends Tour event are expected to join Woosnam in using a SkyCaddie GPS device while they compete this year.
“Unlike a laser, which only gives you line of sight, a SkyCaddie instantly shows your next yardage as well” said Woosnam, 62, a veteran of eight Ryder Cups and a Major winner in 1991 after his famous victory at the Masters.
“From the tee, my SkyCaddie gives me my landing distance, plus what I will then have left to the pin. You can only get that with a SkyCaddie. In fact it gives me every yardage I need, instantly, which makes it much faster to use than a yardage book. I use the SX500 on every tee to judge carries and runouts when there are hazards in range. Plus, having the day’s pins pre-loaded means I have a complete road map for every hole, at a glance, including a great yardage to the flag, and an image of its location on the green.”
He added: “Having played in hundreds of tournaments, and with over 50 professional wins, I know that using a SkyCaddie gives me a clear performance advantage. I can’t imagine why I would ever go back to using a laser and a yardage book.”
The recent announcement by the PGA of America that players can use GPS and laser in this year’s PGA Championship signalled a Major breakthrough for SkyCaddie.
Woosnam commented: “I support the decision and can see speed of play benefits. It can be challenging to get a conventional yardage when you’re offline, and the process can slow down play even with a professional caddie. A SkyCaddie is particularly fast in giving you accurate numbers to all points on the golf course, particularly if you find yourself somewhere you hadn’t planned to be.”
SkyCaddie GPS will also be used by competitors on other popular tours such as the EuroPro Tour and LET Access Series in 2021, as well as in all PGA national tournaments. Professional tournament organisers, including the PGA, often now use SkyCaddie yardages to set their pins, given the brand’s reliably accurate on-foot course mapping service.
“SkyCaddies are proven to speed up play, more so than lasers and yardage books, and we feel it won’t be long before other prominent Tours also permit the use of a SkyCaddie in tournament play” said SkyCaddie’s James Holmes. “We are ready for that moment!”
SkyCaddie recently launched a series of ‘Masterclass’ videos on YouTube to help golfers and PGA Professionals understand the benefits and features of its next-generation GPS technology. The videos have been promoted by the PGA, which is using SkyCaddie pin information in all of its 2021 national tournaments.