Ryder Cup captain McGinley at Speed Pocket challenge

Ryder Cup Captain Paul McGinley took to the streets of Canary Wharf to officially launch TaylorMade Golf’s Speed Pocket World Challenge.

The challenge is a series of simultaneous global golf distance challenge events spanning four cities to celebrate TaylorMade’s innovative new Speed Pocket technology.

McGinley was in the capital’s iconic financial district of Canary Wharf to take the first shot of the challenge, which will see golfers in London, Toronto, New York and San Francisco compete against each other in an effort to be crowned Speed Pocket World Challenge champion. 

McGinley set the standard in a ‘closest to the pin’ competition as the area outside Canary Wharf tube station was transformed by the installation of cutting-edge golf simulators.

Open to the public all day on Tuesday 11th March, London’s golfers are invited to use the new SpeedBlade irons and challenge McGinley’s accuracy and power to see how they stack up. 

Golfers will compete not only against McGinley himself but other golfers in Toronto, New York and San Francisco and the distance gains with the SpeedBlade irons communicated by a live global scoreboard. 
It’d be great to see a European Speed Pocket World champion in a Ryder Cup year There will be local winners in each market and one international Speed Pocket World Champion.

McGinley said: “I’ve had a long standing relationship with TaylorMade-adidas Golf and I’m still impressed by their ability to push the boundaries of innovation not only for elite golfers but for golfers of all levels. 

“The new Speed Pocket technology is incredible and today’s Speed Pocket World Challenge is a great way to showcase this amazing new product. I’d encourage London’s golfers to get themselves along to Canary Wharf as it’d be great to see a European Speed Pocket World champion in a Ryder Cup year.”

Brian Bazzel, TaylorMade’s director of iron, wedge and putters development added: “The Speed Pocket performs where golfers need it most. 

“Our research indicates that 72 per cent of shots by 5-25 handicap golfers are impacted below the centre of the face. 

“That typically results in low-launching shots of inconsistent distance. The Speed Pocket helps you launch those low-impact shots on a consistently higher, longer carrying and softer-landing flight.”