2014 Titleist HowDidiDo Order of Merit: sign up now!

The 2014 Titleist Order of Merit, powered by HowDidiDo, is now underway, with enhanced prizes up for grabs in the popular amateur competition

Titleist Order of Merit

The 2014 Titleist Order of Merit, powered by HowDidiDo and Golf Monthly, is now underway, with enhanced prizes up for grabs in the popular amateur competition

The 2014 Titleist Order of Merit, powered by HowDidiDo and Golf Monthly, is now underway, with enhanced prizes up for grabs in the popular amateur competition.

The event - which runs from March 30 to October 31 - saw more than 5,000 entries in the first week of sign-ups.

Titleist came on board as title sponsors in 2012 and almost 21,000 clubs golfers took part last year, making the Titleist Order of Merit one of the UK's most subscribed sporting competitions.

The Titleist OOM is a virtual golf competition open to every golfer whose handicap is listed on HowDidiDo.com - Europe's largest golfing community - and who participates in medal competitions at their home club.

Neither the player nor the club has to do any additional entry of scores - something handled automatically by HowDidiDo's cutting-edge handicapping software.

Placings in the Titleist Order of Merit - which is updated weekly with the latest scores - are determined by a player's best five medal rounds at their home club, with scores worked out on best net differential to ensure parity.

Titleist prizes are on offer for the overall winner and the winners of each of the seven categories, as well as monthly goodies provided by GolfBuddy.

The categories are: Men's scratch - 12, 13-21 and 21-28, Ladies' scratch - 16 and 17-36, Junior and Most Improved (biggest reduction in playing handicap).

The overall winner will not only receive a host of top-of-the-range golf gear from title sponsor Titleist - a full Titleist 714 irons fitting, a year's supply of the best Titleist balls for their game, a personalised Titleist Staff bag, Titleist cap and Titleist glove - but will also be whisked away for a luxury golf break with three friends.

Each of the seven divisional winners will receive a dozen of the best Titleist balls for their game, a Titleist stand-bag, a Titleist glove and a Titleist hat.

All competitors are automatically entered into the FootJoy Par-3 Championship, which runs alongside the main event.

There will be a number of prizes up for grabs throughout the year, courtesy of FootJoy, and the winner will be treated to an exclusive money-can't-buy experience.

Titleist 714 irons

A Titleist 714 irons fitting is one of the many prizes on offer for the overall winner

"Every year the Titleist Order of Merit gets stronger and stronger, and we're delighted to once again have Titleist as our title sponsor," said Barry Dyett, HowDidiDo Media's managing director.

"This year there are extra prizes and we would expect to see an increase in the number of participants from last year. To have nearly 21,000 golfers competing sets this event apart from every other competition."

HowDidiDo holds in excess of 21 million rounds of golf from more than 1,300,000 golf club members across the UK.

Visit www.HowDidiDo.com/oom to sign up.

 

Nick Bonfield
Features Editor

Nick Bonfield joined Golf Monthly in 2012 after graduating from Exeter University and earning an NCTJ-accredited journalism diploma from News Associates in Wimbledon. He is responsible for managing production of the magazine, sub-editing, writing, commissioning and coordinating all features across print and online. Most of his online work is opinion-based and typically centres around the Majors and significant events in the global golfing calendar. Nick has been an avid golf fan since the age of ten and became obsessed with the professional game after watching Mike Weir and Shaun Micheel win The Masters and PGA Championship respectively in 2003. In his time with Golf Monthly, he's interviewed the likes of Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Jose Maria Olazabal, Henrik Stenson, Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood and Billy Horschel and has ghost-written columns for Westwood, Wayne Riley, Matthew Southgate, Chris Wood and Eddie Pepperell. Nick is a 12-handicap golfer and his favourite courses include Old Head, Sunningdale New, Penha Longha, Valderrama and Bearwood Lakes. If you have a feature pitch for Nick, please email nick.bonfield@futurenet.com with 'Pitch' in the subject line. Nick is currently playing: Driver: TaylorMade M1 Fairway wood: TaylorMade RBZ Stage 2 Hybrid: Ping Crossover Irons (4-9): Nike Vapor Speed Wedges: Cleveland CBX Full Face, 56˚, Titleist Vokey SM4, 60˚ Putter: testing in progress! Ball: TaylorMade TP5x