Morning.
Real quick one to start: shoutout to everyone who came out to Bridging the G-A-P on Friday — more on that below. This issue's got a follow-up on a tip from a few weeks back, a piece of gear I've trusted for two years, and the Presidents Cup kicking off Thursday with a streak that's begging to be broken. Let's get into it.
The Grind
A few weeks back I talked about playing odd or even clubs only — forcing yourself to improvise instead of always reaching for the "perfect" club. Today's follow-up is almost the opposite instinct, and it's one I still have to remind myself of: clubbing up.
Too many of us get stuck chasing distance like it's the whole game. It's not — it's one piece. There's accuracy, course management, target selection, a secondary target when you miss the first one, picking your safe zone, knowing your feel distance versus your stock distance, whether the fairways are running hard, whether you're chipping into the grain or with it. That's a lot to actually manage out there if you're playing the course instead of just swinging at it.
But clubbing up specifically might be the single easiest edge you can give yourself. Take one more club than you think you need, swing at your normal tempo — no steering, no extra effort, no tension. You're not trying to squeeze a perfect shot out of a club that's asking too much of you. You're removing the pressure and giving yourself room for the mishit that's coming eventually anyway.
You'll strike it better. Your dispersion tightens up. And you might be surprised how much less demanding the game feels when you stop asking every swing to be your best one.
Would you enjoy this game more if your swing didn't have to be perfect every time?
In the Bag
I've had a golf club stand for two years now, and it might be the least exciting piece of gear I own — but I genuinely can't play without it anymore.
There are a bunch of brands that make these, they all basically do the same thing, and no, I'm not going to link you to the one I use. Once Sunday Chase has actual ad endorsements, I'll start dropping direct product links your way. Until then — nah. Just go search "golf club stand" and pick one, they're all in the same ballpark.
Here's the problem it solves- I despise my grips getting wet or dirty. Every time you lay a club down on dewy grass or a damp fairway, that moisture works into the grip, and over time it shows. Worse, a club lying flat in the grass just disappears — how many guys have you seen drive off and leave a wedge sitting in the rough because it blended right in? A good stand keeps your clubs upright and visible, standing greenside between you and the cart, exactly where you left it. Clean, dry, and impossible to forget.
Mine slides into one of my club slots and clings over the side of the bag, out of the way but always within reach. Genuinely useful anytime you're carrying multiple clubs to your ball — cart-path-only days, or greenside when you've got a wedge and putter in hand and nowhere good to set either one down.
I still see guys tossing clubs straight onto dew-covered grass on the regular. Be good to your clubs. They'll be good to you. Give it a try.
Around the Green
Presidents Cup kicks off Thursday at Medinah Country Club — USA vs. the World, basically, since it's every country except Europe. Matches run September 24-27, 30 points up for grabs, first team to 15.5 takes the cup.
Brandt Snedeker's captaining the Americans, and as host captain he got to pick the opening format — chose four-ball to start things off. His roster's loaded: Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Patrick Cantlay, all in the mix. Geoff Ogilvy's running the international side, and his team's no pushover either — Hideki Matsuyama, Tom Kim, Min Woo Lee, Adam Scott, Ryan Fox.
Here's the number that makes this whole thing interesting: the International Team hasn't won since 1998. Twenty-eight years. That's not really a rivalry anymore, it's closer to a running joke — except every couple of years they show up with a roster that makes you think maybe this is finally the year. Worth tuning in Thursday to find out.
Reader of the Week
Quick recap from Friday's Bridging the G-A-P tournament: the course was in great shape, greens rolling fast and true, exactly what you'd expect from Henry Horton. This year's winning score was an impressive 62, put up by Dennis Limo and Trent Mapp.
Dennis, Joe, and Thomas — if you're reading, it was great playing alongside you guys. We had a blast. Thomas, you wore a lot of hats out there. Much respect for answering calls and texts while still playing for your own team.
Genuinely great turnout for the whole event — people drove in from Arizona, Memphis, Huntsville, and all over Kentucky. Cheryl and Jennifer ran registration and kept the day moving without a hitch, which anyone who's helped run a tournament knows is its own kind of hard work.
Every dollar raised this year goes straight to the Domestic Violence Service in Columbia, TN. If you missed this one, mark your calendar — next year's tournament is already set for September 24, 2027, back at Henry Horton.
One more thing worth passing along: BTG's mentoring program kicks off October 1 in Columbia, TN, and they're looking for committed mentors from Middle Tennessee. If that's you, text Thomas your name and email — mentors get mileage reimbursed at 72 cents a mile for travel within Middle TN.
You could be Reader of the Week! Reply to this email and tell me about your good round, the club you can't put down, or a shot you're still thinking about days after the round. Reply and tell me all about it.
As always, thank you for reading. If you're finding this useful, or just enjoy reading, tell a buddy and help it grow. More coming soon to sundaychase.com.
Hit'em straight this week.
— Trent
P.S. Also thinking about adding a blog to the site down the road. More on that when it's real.
P.P.S. Reading in your inbox and want to leave a comment? Click "Read online" up top — that opens the web version where comments actually work.