Golf’s renaissance man guides Brendan Steele to season’s first win on PGA Tour; prepares to launch The Rick Smith Golf Performance Center at Trump® National Doral Miami
Miami, FL – Rick Smith, one of golf’s leading swing coaches, has been very busy in his usual enthusiastic manner while preparing for the upcoming 2017/2018 PGA Tour season.
Kicking off the fall season, long-time Smith student Brendan Steele won the PGA Tour’s 2017-2018 season-opening tournament at Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa Valley on Oct. 8. At the same time, Smith is preparing for the opening of the Rick Smith Golf Performance Center at Trump® National Doral Miami on January 1, 2018.
“I can’t say enough about how excited I am for Brendan and the work he has put into his golf swing,” Smith said. “The changes we have been implementing over the past few years are taking shape and putting him in a great position to be one of the top players on Tour. He is beginning to rise to the top in many of the key statistical categories on Tour including driving distance and strokes gained tee to green and off the tee, which is a testament to his dedication to improvement. Like last year, this win should set the tone for him to once again compete for the Fed Ex Cup.”
Beginning in January, Smith, whose successful and diverse resume includes being a top instructor, course designer, TV analyst, spokesman and communicator, will concentrate on the passion that laid the foundation for his industry success – instruction. He has been ranked as high as the No. 3 teacher in the world, and has worked with the likes of Golfer of the Century – Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, Lee Janzen, Vijay Singh, David Duval, Paul Azinger, John Daly, Greg Norman, and Sang Moon Bae, among other top players in the world.
“I have had tremendous opportunities around the world to teach, design courses, and help promote the game, but my true passion has always been teaching all aspects of the game of golf and to help people get better,” Smith says. “This opportunity to bring my flagship performance center to Trump® National Doral Miami will allow me to focus on my passion for helping golfers of all levels from PGA Tour players, elite amateurs and beginners to improve their games.”
Smith’s current PGA Tour students like Steele, Rocco Mediate, Latin American Tour player Tyler McCumber, as well as other players, will now have one of the best teachers and facilities in the world to call upon when they want to improve their games.
During the development of the new Rick Smith Golf Performance Center at Trump® National Doral Miami, Smith will be assembling an elite team of instructors that will include key past teachers he has worked with along with a collection of top teachers that exemplify Rick’s swing philosophies he has implemented over the years.
“There are common fundamentals shared by all the best teachers, but there certainly is not one method or swing to play the game with,” explained Smith. “This has been proven over the years by the several different types of players’ golf swings we have worked with who have won multiple times on tour as well as major championships.”
Along with world-class instructors, state of the art swing technology and video analysis, the new performance center will serve resort guests, club members and visitors. This modern facility will provide a wide range of unique, fun, and non-pressure type programming in a relaxed atmosphere. This includes private lessons, half-day, full-day and multi-day programs, PGA Professional-member programs, group clinics, on-course programs, and junior programming.
About Rick Smith
Rick Smith has achieved resounding success in golf as a teacher and course designer, excelled in written and verbal communication with all audiences and is regarded as one of the PGA Tour’s best sounding boards for swing advice. He was ranked as high as No. 3 among Golf Digest’s Top 50 Teachers, a GOLF Magazine Top 100 Teacher since 1996, National Teacher of the Year, and voted No. 2 in the world at one-time by PGA Tour players.
Smith is one of the most respected instruction authors and television analysts. He is currently a teaching editor for Golf Digest Magazine and previously served as an instruction writer for GOLF Magazine. In addition, his love for hosting golf instructional shows on television began in 1994 when he developed “The Rick Smith Signature Series” seen worldwide by television audiences on ESPN International, TSN (Canada), and Fox Sports Net. At the Golf Channel, Rick became part of the “Dream Team of Instructors” which consistently offered viewers instructional tips to improve their golf games. He also hosted “Inside the PGA Tour” and has been a commentator and analyst for both NBC and ESPN telecasts of golf tournaments.
Beyond the golf swing, writing, and television, Rick is an accomplished golf course designer working alongside Phil Mickelson, as well as a spokesperson for some of America’s premier brands and golf products.
He currently operates the Rick Smith Golf Performance Center at Trump® National Doral Miami, and Rick Smith Golf Academies at Forest Dunes in Roscommon, Mich., and Oakland University in Rochester, Mich. Visit www.RickSmith.com.
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