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2022 #TheOpenChampionship Prize Money:

1st place: $2.5 mil
2nd place: $1.45 mil
3rd place: $930,000
4th place: $725,000
5th place: $580,000

($14 million in prize money is a 22% increase from last year and a 60% increase from 2016)
 
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<b>Current Open Leaders (Day 2):—</b>

-9 Johnson (67), -8 Hatton (66), Scheffler (68), Young (13:26 BST)

Selected tee times: 09:58 Fitzpatrick, Woods; 10:09 Rahm, Spieth

12:53 DeChambeau; 13:04 C Smith; 13:26 C Young; 14:59 McIlroy, Morikawa, Schauffele

15:10 Hovland, Lowry, Thomas
 
Early movers

Kisner -7 (65), Molinari -6 (66), Pieters -7 (11), Fleetwood -7 (10), DeChambeau -5 (16)

It's Moving Day at the Old Course and while it may be another hour and a bit until the leaders tee off, we've already seen several of the earlier starters ripping up the links.

American Kevin Kisner, who was tied second at Carnoustie in 2018, was in the second group out this morning and he carded nine birdies in a sizzling 65 to give us a flavour of what's possible out there.

The Europeans are also faring well, though. Italy's Francesco Molinari, who denied Kisner at Carnoustie, fired a 66 while big-hitting Belgian Thomas Pieters and England's Tommy Fleetwood have made significant moves up the leaderboard.

Bryson DeChambeau was six-under for his round through 13, but a double bogey at the 16th is a reminder that while there are plenty of birdie opportunities, lapses in concentration will be punished severely.
 
• Leader: -14 Hovland (7)

• Selected: -12 McIlroy (7), Young (6), Smith (6); -11 Cantlay (9); -10 D Johnson (7), Scheffler (7)

• Others: -9 Fleetwood (66); -8 Spieth (13), Hatton (7); -7 Kisner (65)
 
Rory doing well — wonder if this is his year?
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">INCREDIBLE SCENES!!! 🤩<br><br>Rory McIlroy leads The Open on 15 under after a sensational bunker shot for an eagle! 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/aFGLmat82L">pic.twitter.com/aFGLmat82L</a></p>— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) <a href="https://twitter.com/SkySportsGolf/status/1548353829300711426?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland take a four-shot lead into the final round of the 150th Open Championship after a scintillating duel over the Old Course.

The Ryder Cup team-mates delighted the St Andrews crowd as they both shot six-under-par 66s to lead on 16 under.

McIlroy, who is trying to end an eight-year major drought, holed a bunker shot for an eagle two on the par-four 10th but had his solitary bogey on the 17th.

Cameron Smith and Cameron Young are tied for third on 12 under par.

Overnight leader Smith, who led by two at the start of play after a nerveless putting display on Friday, spluttered on the first, missing a three-footer for par, and that set the tone for the Australian, who carded a 73 and was one of only two players in the top 20 to shoot over par.

A run of seven pars followed his bogey at the first, dropping him down the leaderboard as those around him made birdies and eagles in the most benign conditions of the week.

Hovland, who is yet to win one of golf's biggest prizes, struck the early blows with a run of four birdies from the third to get to 14 under but McIlroy - a four-time major winner - hit back with three of his own by the ninth.

That drew the Northern Irishman level with Smith and put him one behind Hovland.

But a sensational 10th hole saw the world number two, who won this title in 2014, hit the top of the leaderboard.

McIlroy visited the sand for the first time this week, with an errant tee shot. He backed off his ball a couple of times before settling and striking the perfect blow, his ball landing a dozen feet short of the pin and rolling in. The cheers that greeted it startled world number one Scottie Scheffler who was about to tee off on the adjacent par-three 11th.

"The eagle was a bonus but I was pretty proud that I kept my composure over the next few holes, not to drop a shot or get ahead of myself and I played well down the stretch," the 33-year-old told BBC Radio 5 Live.

As the eagle dropped, Hovland smiled, as Hovland does. The 24-year-old world number nine composed himself and got down in two from the front of the green for a birdie. The pair locked on 15 under.

They would stay that way for three holes, breaking the tension with a laugh and a joke while waiting on the 12th tee. McIlroy said at the start of the week "boring golf" was needed to win a major. Par. Par. Par.

To the 14th. The longest hole on the course. Hovland just short in two. McIlroy turned the screw, hammering an iron into the heart of the green. A two-putt birdie heaped pressure on the Norwegian. Three putts. Par. The roars growing louder as they headed back towards town.

"I certainly appreciate the support," said McIlroy. "I feel it out there but I just have to stay in my own little world. I've done it well for three days so I just have to do it for one more day."

Meanwhile, Smith was melting on the 13th. With his feet in a bunker and the ball at waist height, he tried the kind of shot only Seve Ballesteros could play. A wild swipe careered into more trouble. The world number six tried again to advance his ball to the green. It went left and a double-bogey six was marked on the card as he tumbled to 11 under.

From three behind, McIlroy was now five ahead of Smith, who knows how to win on the big stage, having claimed the PGA Tour's flagship Players Championship in March.

Smith's playing partner Cameron Young played steadily, the American picking up birdies at the two par-five holes and the short par-four ninth and 10th holes to keep the leaders in sight at 14 under after 14. But a horrible chip through the green on the 16th led to a double bogey.

Up ahead, McIlroy and Hovland followed each other over the back of the green on the treacherous par-four 17th.

McIlroy's chip from near the wall crept on to the green but the 24-foot par putt sidled six inches wide.

Hovland chose to putt from a gravel path and knocked his ball to four feet and holed for par, his eighth in succession.

"That was a lot of fun. To shoot bogey free at a major in these conditions was pretty special," Hovland told the BBC.

They were locked again at 15 under, McIlroy's mantra of "boring golf" wins majors ringing true.

And that became 16 under three blows later on the 18th - a hole that ranked as the easiest on the course, almost guaranteeing a birdie.

Except for Smith and Young, whose rounds fizzled out with scruffy pars.

Others briefly challenged but then faltered in the closing holes. Scheffler improved from eight under to 12 under with a birdie on the 11th, while Dustin Johnson also reached that mark on the 10th.

Scheffler gave his shot back at the 12th though and dropped another on the 17th before finishing with a birdie and an 11-under total after a three-under 69 - the same score as South Korea's Kim Si-woo, who had a 67.

That was one better than Johnson, who had three bogeys on the back nine as he signed for a 71.

The English challenge sits seven back. Tommy Fleetwood had the better day with a 66 to get to nine under, while US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick's 69 lifted him to the same total.

BBC
 
Australian Cameron Smith stunned St Andrews by snatching the 150th Open Championship by one stroke from Cameron Young, as Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy missed out again.

It is a first major for Smith, who carded a bogey-free eight-under 64 - which featured five successive birdies from the 10th - to win on 20 under.

McIlroy, who led overnight by four shots alongside Viktor Hovland, closed with a two-under 70 to finish third, while Hovland tied for fourth with England's Tommy Fleetwood after a 74.

Make no mistake though, McIlroy did not lose this. Smith won it.

The world number six - and 2020 US Masters runner-up - started the final round four adrift of the favourite and picked up two birdies in his first nine holes to gain a stroke on the McIlroy, who picked up just one shot, on the fifth.

And then Smith went on a birdie run that wiped out the overnight advantage and effectively won him the Claret Jug.

While Smith was rattling in a salvo of birdies, McIlroy was playing par golf.

BBC
 
Gah no, Rory.

Just fell away a bit.

Still - a great third place.

That next Major will come.
 
<b>The Open final leaderboard</b>

-20 C Smith (Aus) — WINNER

Chasing pack —
-19 C Young (US); -18 R McIlroy (NI); -14 V Hovland (Nor), T Fleetwood (Eng); -13 B Harman (US), D Johnson (US)

Selected others —
-12 DeChambeau (US), J Spieth (US); -11 T Hatton (Eng); -10 X Schauffele (US), A Scott (Aus), F Molinari (Ita); -9 M Fitzpatrick (Eng), S Lowry (Ire), S Scheffler (US); -7 R MacIntyre (Sco), L Westwood (Eng)
 
Two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson is the latest high-profile golfer to sign up with LIV Golf.

The American, 43, is currently recovering from a knee injury and will debut with the controversial Saudi-backed series in September.

The former world number two will be an off-course captain for the fourth event in the inaugural series in Boston.

Currently ranked 86 in the world, Watson has 14 career wins and has made four Ryder Cup appearances for the USA.

BBC
 
Three players from the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series have lost a court bid against the PGA Tour to play in the FedEx Cup Play-offs.

The PGA Tour has suspended members for taking part in the breakaway series.

Australian Matt Jones and Americans Talor Gooch and Hudson Swafford sought a temporary restraining order, clearing them to play at the first FedEx Cup play-off tournament this week.

However US District Judge Beth Labson Freeman sided with the PGA Tour.

The trio claimed the suspension was causing them "irreparable" harm.

But the judge, in her ruling, said the lucrative payments offered by LIV "are based upon players' calculations of what they were leaving behind".
 
Patrick Reed has filed a $750m defamation lawsuit against American television network The Golf Channel and its commentator Brandel Chamblee.

The filing says "calculated, malicious, false and reckless attacks" have caused 2018 Masters champion Reed major damages.

The 32-year-old American suggests the comments have cost him several multi-million-dollar sponsorship deals.

Chamblee and The Golf Channel have yet to respond to Reed's accusations.

Reed joined the LIV Golf Series in June.

The lawsuit alleges that Chamblee and the network have been "actively targeting Reed since he was 23 years old, to destroy his reputation, create hate and a hostile work environment for him, and with the intention to discredit his name and accomplishments as a young, elite, world-class golfer".

Reed goes on to accuse Chamblee of "misreporting information" with "reckless disregard of the truth".

A number of high-profile players have left the established American-based PGA Tour for the £1.6bn Saudi Arabian-backed LIV Golf circuit. The PGA Tour responded by imposing indefinite bans on players who committed to LIV Golf as well as raising the prize money for several of its own tournaments.

BBC
 
Golfers Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have launched a new "high-tech league" - intended to appeal to younger fans - that will begin in 2024.

The league will feature six, three-man teams competing on "a data-rich, virtual course" in a stadium setting.

Each of the 18-hole contests will take just two hours to complete.

The league - called TGL - will be run by TMRW Sports - the technology-focused sports company launched by Woods and McIlroy on Tuesday.

Taking place in partnership with the PGA Tour, events will be held on 15 Monday nights, starting in January 2024, followed by semi-finals and a final.
 
Rory McIlroy sprinted down the 18th as darkness fell to card a closing birdie which gave him a one-stroke lead at the halfway stage of the Italian Open.

The world number two's five-under-par 66 left him on nine under and one ahead of first-round leader Matt Fitzpatrick.

US Open champion Fitzpatrick looked set to retain the lead on eight under despite some scrappy play in his 69.

But McIlroy's eagle at the 12th and three further birdies - despite a bogey on 15 - saw him move one ahead.

While McIlroy, defending champion Nicolai Hojgaard and their other playing partner Francesco Molinari stepped on the gas late on, several competitors will have to complete their second rounds on Saturday morning.

However, it seems as though the cut will fall at one over at Rome's Marco Simone club, which will stage next year's Ryder Cup.
 
Scotland's Robert MacIntyre clinched a gutsy victory at the Italian Open after he edged out US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick on the first play-off hole.

McIntyre, 26, had 10 birdies in a closing seven-under-par 64 after going to the turn in 29 in Rome.

After 13 holes McIntyre led by three but bogeyed 14 and 15 as Fitzpatrick's eagle on 12 - after going close to an albatross - saw him draw level.

Rory McIlroy was two behind on 12 under as finding water on 16 ended his hopes.

France's Victor Perez needed a birdie at the par five final hole to join MacIntyre and Fitzpatrick in the play-off, but had to settle for a closing par as he finished third - one ahead of fourth-placed McIlroy.

Oban man MacIntyre's only previous DP World Tour victory came at the Cyprus Showdown in November 2020 but this was a much more significant win with McIlroy, Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton and Viktor Hovland in the field at the Marco Simone Club, which will host next year's Ryder Cup.
 
United States captain Davis Love III insisted there was "still a long way to go" after his team opened a 4-1 lead over the International team on day one of the Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow.

The US have won the past eight editions of the Ryder Cup-style event against a team comprised of players from the rest of the world outside Europe.

A total of 15½ points are needed to win the trophy.

"We're going to keep fighting," said International captain Trevor Immelman.

"Nobody here expects us to win. We're up against maybe the strongest American team ever assembled on paper. We've got our work cut out for us, but we'll keep going until they ring the bell."

Both teams have lost players to the controversial LIV Golf circuit. The Americans are without Dustin Johnson, who won all five of his matches in last year's record-breaking Ryder Cup victory over Europe at Whistling Straits.

But Immelman's side has arguably felt the pain more with players such as Open champion and world number three Cameron Smith of Australia unable to play and the team has eight debutants.
 
Phil Mickelson and Ian Poulter have dropped out of a lawsuit filed against the PGA Tour over its decision to suspend players who participated on the new LIV Golf circuit.

The pair were among 11 golfers who had challenged the suspensions imposed on them after they had signed up for the controversial Saudi-backed series.

Mickelson and Poulter, along with Talor Gooch and Hudson Swafford, have now asked to be removed from the case.

The trial is set for January 2024.

Abraham Ancer, Carlos Ortiz, Pat Perez and Jason Kokrak had previously previously removed their names from the case.

The remaining plaintiffs are LIV Golf, Bryson DeChambeau, Matt Jones and Peter Uihlein.

"Nothing has changed," LIV Golf spokesman Jonathan Grella said in a statement.

"The merits of the case - the PGA Tour's anti-competitive conduct - still stand and will be fully tested in court. And we look forward to that.

"LIV stands with the players whom the PGA Tour has treated so poorly, but we also recognise that to be successful, we no longer need a wide array of players to be on the suit.
 
Two-time major winner Dustin Johnson has received $18m (£16.2m) after being announced as the winner of the inaugural LIV Golf championship.
 
Tiger Woods has announced that he will return to action in next month's Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.

Woods, 46, has not played since the Open Championship at St Andrews in July, when he missed the cut.

The 15-time major winner, who suffered severe leg injuries in a car crash last year, has only played nine competitive rounds in 2022.

His return comes at an event which takes place from 1 to 4 December at Albany outside of Nassau.

The American won the event, which serves as a benefit for his TGR Foundation and other charities, five times between 2001 and 2011.

Woods had already said he would team up with Rory McIlroy against Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas in The Match. in Florida on 10 December.

Spieth is expected to be in the 20-man Bahamas field, alongside players including Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Shane Lowry and Tommy Fleetwood.

Woods previously admitted he will never play a full tournament schedule again after his car accident in Los Angeles in February 2021.

He finished 47th in the Masters this year and withdrew from the US PGA Championship following a third round of 79.
 
Tiger Woods: 2022 'tough but rewarding' says 15-time major winner

Tiger Woods says 2022 was "one of the more rewarding years I've had in a while" and is aiming to play all four majors next year.

The American, a 15-time major winner, is still recovering from severe leg injuries suffered in a car crash in February 2021.

He has also developed plantar fasciitis - pain in the base of his foot.

It means the 46-year-old has been limited to only nine rounds of competitive golf this year.

Before taking part in the Match - an exhibition tournament in Florida - last week, Woods had not played since the Open Championship at St Andrews in July, when he missed the cut.

This weekend he played in the PNC Championship family golf tournament in Orlando, Florida, alongside son Charlie, 13.

And when asked how he felt compared to when he played in the event last year, Woods said he had made "a lot" of progress.

"Last year I played with a broken leg. This year nothing was broken, but it was good that all the pieces are there again all lined up," he said.

"Plantar fasciitis is no fun and now I get to truly recover and heal and progress forward on this.

"There are so many good things that I've been able to do physically - be able to hit the golf ball and practice and do everything in a standstill.

"But I haven't been able to get from point A to point B and we're obviously going to work on this," added Woods, who used a cart to get round the course in Orlando.

"It was a tough year but also one of the more rewarding years I've had in a while.

"It was an incredible week just to be able to play with Charlie," added Woods, who also said he did not yet know what his 2023 schedule would look like but that he was aiming to play in all four majors.

The Woods pairing tied for eighth at the event, which was won by Fiji's Vijay Singh and his son Qass Singh.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/golf/64019980
 
Players who have signed up to the controversial LIV Golf circuit will be allowed to play at the 2023 Masters, Augusta officials have confirmed.
 
Rory McIlroy enjoyed "a pretty wild 45 minutes" at the rain delayed Hero Dubai Desert Classic as he completed a first-round six-under 66 on Friday.

Returning to the par-three seventh, his 16th, McIlroy knocked in a short birdie putt, holed a 116-yard shot for an eagle, and then birdied the ninth.

Patrick Reed eagled the 18th to join McIlroy on six under with many players still to complete their first round.

"It was extremely sweet," world number one McIlroy told BBC Sport.
 
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Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland and Brooks Koepka shot superb seven-under-par 65s to lead the Masters after day one as Rory McIlroy made another slow start.

The 33-year-old Northern Irishman holed five birdies but they were cancelled out as he carded a level-par 72.

Defending champion Scottie Scheffler is well placed after a four-under 68, while Tiger Woods limped to a 74.

Stormy weather is forecast for the next two days, raising prospects of a first Monday finish since 1983.

The predicted incoming rain at Augusta has led to Masters organisers bringing Friday's tee-times forward by 30 minutes. The second round will now start at 12:30 BST.

However, the calm conditions on Thursday enabled 16 players to shoot under 70 on a scoreable opening day.

Read more at:

https://www.bbc.com/sport/golf/65194952
 
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Rory McIlroy's dreams of landing an elusive Masters title look to be over this year after a stormy day two at Augusta National saw play cut short and fans avoid injury from falling trees.

Three trees fell next to the 17th tee, moments before play was suspended in Georgia because of electrical storms.

Northern Ireland's McIlroy shot a 77 which puts him five over, with the cut projected to come at two over.

Brooks Koepka leads on 12 under from amateur Sam Bennett on eight under.

American Koepka, one of three overnight leaders with Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland, moved clear of the field with a five-under 67 on Friday.

Bennett, a 23-year-old American making his Masters debut, is his nearest challenger in the clubhouse after a four-under 68.

Rahm birdied the eighth and ninth holes to get to nine under before play was halted, while Hovland is at six under after 10.

Collin Morikawa, the 2021 Open champion, shot another 69 to move to six under, with his American Ryder Cup team-mate Jordan Spieth - the 2015 winner - and Australia's former world number one Jason Day a shot behind on five under.

Defending champion and world number one Scottie Scheffler struggled with the putter as he carded a three-over 75 to leave him on one under.

BBC
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Play was suspended at the US Masters in Augusta, after three large pine trees were blown over.<br><br>They came down close to spectators and two Australian golfers on a nearby green. <a href="https://twitter.com/TimArvier9?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TimArvier9</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/9News?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#9News</a> <a href="https://t.co/1Ea4IZCgCn">pic.twitter.com/1Ea4IZCgCn</a></p>— 9News Melbourne (@9NewsMelb) <a href="https://twitter.com/9NewsMelb/status/1644614379764318209?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Masters 2023: Rains stops third round at Augusta as Brooks Koepka leads

Heavy downpours forced play to be abandoned on the third day of the Masters after American Brooks Koepka extended his advantage at Augusta.

Halfway leader Koepka is 13 under, four clear of Spain's Jon Rahm who bogeyed two of the six holes they played.

Both players had birdied the second as round three - delayed after Friday's storms - got under way late.

In the cold and wet conditions Tiger Woods had double bogeys on the 15th and 16th holes to drop to nine over.

The five-time champion, 47, started on the 10th tee as Augusta organisers attempted to get through as much play as possible before the persistent rain made the course unplayable.

Woods battled to go beyond the halfway stage earlier on Saturday - meaning he equalled the record set by Gary Player and Fred Couples of 23 consecutive cuts made - but is now last of the 54 remaining players.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/golf/65221973
 
BREAKING! Tiger Woods has withdrawn from The Masters due to injury.

Time to retire I reckon.
 
Masters 2023: Jon Rahm wins, beating Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson

Spain's Jon Rahm kept his nerve and patience to win a first Masters, swinging an exciting final day in his favour from American Brooks Koepka.

Rahm, 28, carded a three-under 69 to finish on 12 under and win by four shots as Koepka, who led by two going into the final round, shot 75.

Koepka ended joint second with veteran Phil Mickelson, who shot a a stunning seven-under 65 to finish eight under.

Former champions Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed finished joint sixth.

Further back was defending champion Scottie Scheffler on four under, along with England's US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, who was the highest finisher from Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Rahm became the fourth Spanish player to win the Masters and his victory poignantly came on what would have been the 66th birthday of the legendary two-time champion Seve Ballesteros, who won in 1980 and 1983.

Not only did Rahm win the iconic Green Jacket for the first time, he also returned to the world number one ranking.

What looked set to be a tight two-way duel between Rahm and Koepka ended up being a controlled and clinical victory for the Spaniard.

Leading by four shots with four holes left to play, he maintained that advantage going into the 18th hole and could even afford to hit his final drive into the trees.

The ball ended up bouncing back into play and landing 150 yards from the tee, but he retained composure to lay up and knock a sublime chip to within a few feet for an unorthodox par.

After sinking his final putt, Rahm shook his clenched fists while looking up the sky.

His family - wife Kelley, along with two sons Kepa and Eneko - quickly joined him on the 18th green before he was congratulated further by friends and family.

Those included compatriot Jose Maria Olazabal, another two-time Masters champion and one of Rahm's mentors.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/golf/65227852
 
After getting some indoor golf lessons over the winter and now some outdoor lessons, played my first 18 hole round last weekend , now I'm truly hooked into golf. I really think people who have played crickets in their younger days can be good in golf rather quickly , particularly in swing . Shot game is a different story , needs a lot of patients and practice .

I'm still at very early stages but goal is to improve significantly in a year and planning to play at the Dundonald golf resort in Scotland next June on the invitation of a friend in UK, who himself is an ex-FC cricketer and now a very good golfer.
 
moghul said:
After getting some indoor golf lessons over the winter and now some outdoor lessons, played my first 18 hole round last weekend , now I'm truly hooked into golf. I really think people who have played crickets in their younger days can be good in golf rather quickly , particularly in swing . Shot game is a different story , needs a lot of patients and practice .

I'm still at very early stages but goal is to improve significantly in a year and planning to play at the Dundonald golf resort in Scotland next June on the invitation of a friend in UK, who himself is an ex-FC cricketer and now a very good golfer.
Click to expand...

As a former 6 handicapper who currently plays off a handicap of 9 due to lack of time, please note down these tips:

- do not watch golf lessons on YouTube. Stick to in person lessons.

- do not get into the habit of changing your clubs frequently. It is very easy to get tempted by new drivers, irons, putters that are released every year, but new isn’t always better. Don’t change a club if it is working for you.

- stick to one golf ball only. Whether it is a Pro V or Srixon or ** or Callaway - it doesn’t matter. Just pick one and stick to it. People don’t realize how important it is especially for your short game.

- don’t obsess yourself with drawing the ball. Almost everyone will tell you need to learn to draw the ball. No you don’t. If you have a natural draw tendency, stick to it but if you don’t, don’t bother. Be a fader but make it controllable so that it doesn’t slice on you.

The key takeaway here is that a pick curve. This will minimize the chances of having a two way miss. Most amateurs think they need to learn to curve the ball both ways. They spend a lifetime failing to achieve this skill and they end up slicing and duck hooking into the trees in consecutive holes.

- I know this is a cliche but if you want to drop your scores and your handicap fast, 80% of your practice should be dedicated to the short game, i.e. within 100 yards. Practice your wedges, practice difference types of chipping (bump and run, high, low), practice putting and experiment with different putting grips. Practice different bunker lies.

- effective course management will help you cut down your strokes big time regardless of your skill level. One of the common high handicapper mistakes is to imitate the pros. Every high handicapper should lay up on a par 5. You have a much better chance of hitting the green with a short iron with your third shot than getting to the green in two with a 3w, 5w or 5i. More often than not, you will top, shank or duff these clubs.

- Always go for an extra club. 8/10 times, the actual distance is greater than you think. This is proven. Get a rangefinder as well. Remember, most hazards are in front of the green not behind the green. More often than not, you will be better off hitting it further than the actual distance.

- Don’t go flag hunting. Aim for the center of the green. You will have a much higher chance of getting on the green.

-fundamentals are extremely important. Grip, alignment, distance from the ball. Do not ignore them. You have to follow a routine on each and every shot. Golf is a repetitive skill. You need to have a constant trigger and a method.

This is where most high handicappers falter. They don’t have a trigger, a pre-swing routine. They have nothing to rely on under pressure. Triggers get you in the zone. Every pro has a trigger.

Good luck with your journey. Golf is the most addictive and frustrating game on the planet. It will never make you happy because even if you shoot under par, there will always be some part of your game that will bother you.

Enjoy the journey of improving and challenging yourself. Learn to embrace failures as well. You will hit a lot more bad shots than good shots and there will be days when nothing will work but you have to carry on. It is an extremely rewarding experience.
 
Mamoon said:
As a former 6 handicapper who currently plays off a handicap of 9 due to lack of time, please note down these tips:

- do not watch golf lessons on YouTube. Stick to in person lessons.

- do not get into the habit of changing your clubs frequently. It is very easy to get tempted by new drivers, irons, putters that are released every year, but new isn’t always better. Don’t change a club if it is working for you.

- stick to one golf ball only. Whether it is a Pro V or Srixon or ** or Callaway - it doesn’t matter. Just pick one and stick to it. People don’t realize how important it is especially for your short game.

- don’t obsess yourself with drawing the ball. Almost everyone will tell you need to learn to draw the ball. No you don’t. If you have a natural draw tendency, stick to it but if you don’t, don’t bother. Be a fader but make it controllable so that it doesn’t slice on you.

The key takeaway here is that a pick curve. This will minimize the chances of having a two way miss. Most amateurs think they need to learn to curve the ball both ways. They spend a lifetime failing to achieve this skill and they end up slicing and duck hooking into the trees in consecutive holes.

- I know this is a cliche but if you want to drop your scores and your handicap fast, 80% of your practice should be dedicated to the short game, i.e. within 100 yards. Practice your wedges, practice difference types of chipping (bump and run, high, low), practice putting and experiment with different putting grips. Practice different bunker lies.

- effective course management will help you cut down your strokes big time regardless of your skill level. One of the common high handicapper mistakes is to imitate the pros. Every high handicapper should lay up on a par 5. You have a much better chance of hitting the green with a short iron with your third shot than getting to the green in two with a 3w, 5w or 5i. More often than not, you will top, shank or duff these clubs.

- Always go for an extra club. 8/10 times, the actual distance is greater than you think. This is proven. Get a rangefinder as well. Remember, most hazards are in front of the green not behind the green. More often than not, you will be better off hitting it further than the actual distance.

- Don’t go flag hunting. Aim for the center of the green. You will have a much higher chance of getting on the green.

-fundamentals are extremely important. Grip, alignment, distance from the ball. Do not ignore them. You have to follow a routine on each and every shot. Golf is a repetitive skill. You need to have a constant trigger and a method.

This is where most high handicappers falter. They don’t have a trigger, a pre-swing routine. They have nothing to rely on under pressure. Triggers get you in the zone. Every pro has a trigger.

Good luck with your journey. Golf is the most addictive and frustrating game on the planet. It will never make you happy because even if you shoot under par, there will always be some part of your game that will bother you.

Enjoy the journey of improving and challenging yourself. Learn to embrace failures as well. You will hit a lot more bad shots than good shots and there will be days when nothing will work but you have to carry on. It is an extremely rewarding experience.
Click to expand...

Mamoon, can't thank you enough for taking time and giving me extremely vauable and practicle tips . I have already taken a picture and saved this in my phone and will be going through these many times , repeaedly in coming days , extremely helful.

You were right , I was watching many youtube videos but everyone is talking different , leaving me confused whom to follow .

I had tried golf two times in the past , very breifly , during my residency days , more than 20 years ago and both times caused more frustration than enjoyment for me , no wonder its not an easy game .

This time I was serious and knew it would require patience and now I'm at the stage where I'm begening to enjoy it. The county I'm living in , you feel isolatd among your colleagues if you don;t play/talk about golf .

I work in 3 hospitals and each one has a golf outing this summer . I want to give my colleagues a suprise , the first one is next week at this beautiful course https://www.mrgc.com/Golf_Course.

Thanks again , will be looking forward to more tips from you .
 
moghul said:
Mamoon, can't thank you enough for taking time and giving me extremely vauable and practicle tips . I have already taken a picture and saved this in my phone and will be going through these many times , repeaedly in coming days , extremely helful.

You were right , I was watching many youtube videos but everyone is talking different , leaving me confused whom to follow .

I had tried golf two times in the past , very breifly , during my residency days , more than 20 years ago and both times caused more frustration than enjoyment for me , no wonder its not an easy game .

This time I was serious and knew it would require patience and now I'm at the stage where I'm begening to enjoy it. The county I'm living in , you feel isolatd among your colleagues if you don;t play/talk about golf .

I work in 3 hospitals and each one has a golf outing this summer . I want to give my colleagues a suprise , the first one is next week at this beautiful course https://www.mrgc.com/Golf_Course.

Thanks again , will be looking forward to more tips from you .
Click to expand...

You are welcome. Please feel free to reach out whenever you need help. The biggest issue with YouTube lessons is that you don’t know if you are following the instructions because remember, feel is not real.

You might think you are doing something but if you watch yourself on camera, you will realize that you are doing the opposite of what you thought you were doing. This is why there is no substitute for in-person lessons because you need instant feedback.

Golf isn’t just a fantastic sport but it is also hugely beneficial for socializing. Also, it is rightly said that if you want to judge the character of a person, play a round of golf with that person.

Golf is a family sport for me, I live next to a golf course. I have grown up in a golfing environment and have seen and played with players of all levels. From high handicappers to Pakistan’s best professionals.

Anyone can become a single digit handicapper with the right fundamentals and focused practice. You will go from shooting 100+ to 80+ in no time, but this is where most people plateau because it requires a lot of dedication and natural ability to become scratch which is obviously not your goal because you are a full-time doctor and you don’t have the time to practice every day.

I can’t emphasize how important is to do focused practice. Thousands of golfers around the world go to the range and aimlessly hit shots and they never improve.

Do drills, always pick a target on the practice range. Imagine you are playing 18 holes of par 3 and then see how many greens you manage to hit. Focus on three-quarter swings.

Awkward, in-between distances kill scores. If you hit your PW 130 yards and your 9i 140 yards, how will you manage a shot of 135 yards? Will you try to hit your PW harder or will you do a 75% swing with your 9i? This is something that you need to figure out.

High handicappers tend to struggle with the the longer clubs. Anything below 7i and their consistency drops significantly. The biggest reason why this happens because the develop the mindset that they need to hit their driver and their long irons harder than their short irons. Actually, you don’t.

You should have the same swing speed and tempo with a driver and a 5i as you do with an 8i. The ball will travel further because of the loft of the club. Let the club work for you.

Since you are in the U.S., I would highly recommend do a club fitting and also visit a local indoor facility so that you can use a launch monitor.

Club fitting will help you select the right shaft flex and weight for your swing. Using clubs that are suited to your body type and swing speed makes a big difference and reduces dispersion.

Launch monitors like Trackman etc. would help you learn your yardages. You should have a very good idea of how far you hit each of your clubs. It is very important to know your distances.
 
Mamoon said:
You are welcome. Please feel free to reach out whenever you need help. The biggest issue with YouTube lessons is that you don’t know if you are following the instructions because remember, feel is not real.

You might think you are doing something but if you watch yourself on camera, you will realize that you are doing the opposite of what you thought you were doing. This is why there is no substitute for in-person lessons because you need instant feedback.

Golf isn’t just a fantastic sport but it is also hugely beneficial for socializing. Also, it is rightly said that if you want to judge the character of a person, play a round of golf with that person.

Golf is a family sport for me, I live next to a golf course. I have grown up in a golfing environment and have seen and played with players of all levels. From high handicappers to Pakistan’s best professionals.

Anyone can become a single digit handicapper with the right fundamentals and focused practice. You will go from shooting 100+ to 80+ in no time, but this is where most people plateau because it requires a lot of dedication and natural ability to become scratch which is obviously not your goal because you are a full-time doctor and you don’t have the time to practice every day.

I can’t emphasize how important is to do focused practice. Thousands of golfers around the world go to the range and aimlessly hit shots and they never improve.

Do drills, always pick a target on the practice range. Imagine you are playing 18 holes of par 3 and then see how many greens you manage to hit. Focus on three-quarter swings.

Awkward, in-between distances kill scores. If you hit your PW 130 yards and your 9i 140 yards, how will you manage a shot of 135 yards? Will you try to hit your PW harder or will you do a 75% swing with your 9i? This is something that you need to figure out.

High handicappers tend to struggle with the the longer clubs. Anything below 7i and their consistency drops significantly. The biggest reason why this happens because the develop the mindset that they need to hit their driver and their long irons harder than their short irons. Actually, you don’t.

You should have the same swing speed and tempo with a driver and a 5i as you do with an 8i. The ball will travel further because of the loft of the club. Let the club work for you.

Since you are in the U.S., I would highly recommend do a club fitting and also visit a local indoor facility so that you can use a launch monitor.

Club fitting will help you select the right shaft flex and weight for your swing. Using clubs that are suited to your body type and swing speed makes a big difference and reduces dispersion.

Launch monitors like Trackman etc. would help you learn your yardages. You should have a very good idea of how far you hit each of your clubs. It is very important to know your distances.
Click to expand...

Thanks again for more very helpful tips and some of the mistakes you mentioned , I was committing, was not even mentioned by my trainer ( part time ) . I trained indoor in winter using trackman and have some idea what club I need to use for a particular distance, but obviously I'm at a very early stage and have played only two rounds of golf so far .

Not getting any younger but I'm very fitness conscious. Although I'm aware of my limitation but very committed to improve my game with regular practice and guidance. Will keep you posted with my progress.
 
A resurgent Brooks Koepka held off Scottie Scheffler and Viktor Hovland to claim his third US PGA Championship title at Oak Hill in New York state.

Koepka, 33, carded a three-under 67 to win his fifth major on nine under, two shots clear of Scheffler and Hovland.

Scheffler, who returns to world number one, hit a 65 to get to seven under, while Hovland - who had a double bogey on the 16th - shot a two-under 68.

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy carded a 69 to end joint seventh on two under.

There was also a magical moment when south California club professional Michael Block once again illuminated the East Course with a hole-in-one at the 151-yard par-three 15th.
 
The PGA Tour and DP World Tour have agreed to merge with Saudi Arabian-backed circuit LIV Golf in a deal that ends the acrimonious split in the game.

The surprise announcement comes after a year of unprecedented disruption in the men's game following the launch of LIV.

It means pending litigation between the tours will be halted and they will move forward as part of the same enterprise.

"This is a historic day for the game," said Jay Monahan, commissioner of the PGA Tour, golf's leading circuit.

An agreement has been signed that will combine the PGA Tour and LIV's commercial operations and rights into a new, yet to be named for-profit company.

The agreement includes the DP World Tour, formerly known as the European Tour.

The emergence of the LIV circuit fractured men's professional golf over the last year, with several top players lured by its huge prize funds and no-cut events, which include a team format.

LIV Golf is backed by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF), an entity controlled by the Saudi crown prince and which has been embroiled in anti-trust lawsuits with the PGA Tour over the last year.

"This is a momentous day - to partner in this new entity is energising and exciting," said DP World Tour chief executive Keith Pelley.

What will golf now look like?

Monahan, his counterpart on the PGA Tour, confirmed that the team element to LIV's format will remain in some form going forward.

Yasir Al-Rumayyan is governor of the Saudi PIF, which is also the majority owner of Premier League club Newcastle United, who Al-Rumayyan serves as chairman.

The board of the new commercial entity will include Al-Rumayyan as chairman and Monahan as chief executive.

"This transformational partnership recognises the immeasurable strength of the PGA Tour's history, legacy and pro-competitive model and combines with it the DP World Tour and LIV - including the team golf concept - to create an organisation that will benefit players, partners and fans," Monahan added.

"I applaud Yasir Al-Rumayyan for his vision and collaborative and forward-thinking approach that is not just a solution to the rift in our game, but also a commitment to taking it to new heights. This will engender a new era in global golf, for the better."

LIV Golf considering women's tour, says Norman

A joint press release added that all parties will work in the months to come to finalise terms of the agreement.

Al-Rumayyan said: "We are committed to unifying, promoting and growing the game of golf around the world and offering the highest-quality product to the many millions of long-time fans globally, while cultivating new fans.

"There is no question that the LIV model has been positively transformative for golf. We believe there are opportunities for the game to evolve while also maintaining its storied history and tradition."

Why was there legal action?

An anti-trust lawsuit against the PGA Tour was originally filed last August by 11 golfers before being taken over by LIV Golf. It was scheduled to be heard in 2024.

In April, the DP World Tour won its legal battle against 12 LIV players who committed "serious breaches" of the Tour's code of behaviour by playing in LIV Golf events without its permission.

The subsequent increased fines and suspensions prompted Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Henrik Stenson to resign their memberships and become ineligible for this year's Ryder Cup, which will take place from 29 September to 1 October.

Stenson had been selected as captain of the European team for the matches in Rome, but when he joined LIV he was sacked and replaced by Luke Donald.

Those players could now return to the fold, with the new enterprise pledging to establish a "fair and objective process" for players to re-apply for membership after the end of this season.

What has been the reaction?

The latest event in LIV's 2023 season was played at Donald Trump's course in Sterling, Virginia.

The former US president said on social media: "Great news from LIV Golf. A big, beautiful and glamorous deal for the wonderful world of golf. Congrats to all."

Six-time major winner Phil Mickelson, one of the first big names to switch to LIV, added: "Awesome day today."

American golfer Michael Kim said: "The hell is going on? Very curious how many people knew this deal was happening. About 5-7 people? Player run organisation right?"

BBC
 
PGA Tour chief Jay Monahan has faced calls to resign at an "intense and heated" players meeting following the shock merger with LIV Golf.

Several players left the American PGA Tour and European-based DP World Tour to join the Saudi Arabia-backed Liv circuit when it launched last year.

Monahan had previously said anyone who joined LIV would not be welcome back on the PGA Tour.

"I recognise that people are going to call me a hypocrite," Monahan said.

He added that Tuesday's meeting before the start of this week's RBC Canadian Open in Toronto was "intense and certainly heated".

Northern Ireland's world number three Rory McIlroy, who has been a firm defender of the PGA Tour, is set to speak to the media at around 15:00 BST on Wednesday.

American golfer Johnson Wagner, a PGA Tour winner, told the Golf Channel: "There were many moments where certain players were calling for new leadership of the PGA Tour and even got a couple of standing ovations.

"I think the most powerful moment was when a player quoted Monahan from the 3M in Minnesota last year when he said, 'as long as I'm commissioner of the PGA Tour, no player that took LIV money will ever play the PGA Tour again'. It just seems like a lot of backtracking.

"Players were mad, players were calling for [his] resignation, and Jay sat there and took it like a champ, he really did."

An agreement has been signed that will combine the PGA Tour and LIV's commercial operations and rights into a new, yet to be named for-profit company and it means pending litigation between the tours will be halted.

But the announcement took players by surprise with many reacting with anger, while the specifics of how the Tours will look going forward is not yet clear.

Former US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy added: "(Monahan) just sort of explained the structure, how it's going to look going forward.

"He didn't really talk specifics. It was a tough meeting for both sides because nobody really knows what this is going to look like in the end."

Human rights group Amnesty say the announcement is further evidence of Saudi Arabian efforts to draw attention away from the country's human rights record, known as sportswashing.

Meanwhile a 9/11 victims group say the PGA Tour should be "ashamed of their hypocrisy and greed" after Monahan previously referenced the terror attacks when criticising players for leaving the PGA Tour for LIV.

LIV players lost their places on DP World Tour and PGA Tour, were fined for taking part and also saw their world rankings plummet as LIV events were not officially sanctioned.

European players who resigned from the DP World Tour are also not currently eligible for the 2023 Ryder Cup, with Henrik Stenson, removed as captain for this year's event, which takes place in Rome from 29 September to 1 October.

"Any time I've said anything I've said it with the information I had at that moment, and I said it based on someone that's trying to compete for the PGA Tour and our players," said Monahan.

"I accept those criticisms but circumstances do change and I think looking at the big picture got us to this point.

"It probably didn't seem this way to them but as I looked to those players that have been loyal to the PGA Tour, I'm confident they made the right decision.

"They have helped re-architect the future of the PGA Tour, they have moved us to a more competitive model. We have significantly invested in our business in 2023 and we're going to do so in 2024."
 
Open champion Cameron Smith thought the proposed merger of the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund was "a joke" while US Open winner Matt Fitzpatrick said it was "confusing".

Last week's announcement shocked the golfing world, and the US Senate is now investigating the plans.

"Are we signing with the PIF? Are we not signing with the PIF? I've no idea," said England's Fitzpatrick.

"Nobody knows what's going on apart from about four people in the world."
 
Rory McIlroy heads into Sunday's final round of the US Open one shot behind joint leaders Rickie Fowler and Wyndham Clark at the Los Angeles Country Club.

The Northern Irishman, who won the last of his four major titles in 2014, shot a one-under 69 to move to nine under.

Fowler, who is chasing his first major, bogeyed the last to shoot a 70 and join fellow American Clark on 10 under.

World number one Scottie Scheffler is three shots back after holing from 196 yards for an eagle on the 17th.

Scheffler also birdied the last to send out an ominous warning as he attempts to become only the second player after Tiger Woods to win the US Open while sitting at the top of the world rankings, which were introduced in 1986.

His two-under 68 also came despite another relatively mediocre round on the greens, with Scheffler only 27th out of the 65-man field on strokes gained putting.
 
Phil Mickelson has denied gambling on the 2012 Ryder Cup, saying he would "never undermine the integrity of the game" after claims in a new book.

Noted sports gambler Billy Walters has alleged American Mickelson, 53, wanted to bet $400,000 on a US victory at Medinah.

Europe's famous comeback on the final day to win by a point is known as the 'Miracle of Medinah'.

"I never bet on the Ryder Cup," said six-time major winner Mickelson.

Mickelson, who has played in a record 12 Ryder Cups and defected to the LIV tour last year, added in a social media post: "While it is well known that I always enjoy a friendly wager on the course, I would never undermine the integrity of the game."

The clams are made by Walters in his book 'Gambler: Secrets from a Life at Risk', where he recounts his life story, details his relationship with Mickelson and claims the golfer had wagered more than $1bn over a 30-year period.

In an excerpt from the book, Walters claims he refused Mickelson's request to place a bet on a US win in 2012, adding he did not know if the golfer placed the bet.

Last year, Mickelson discussed his "reckless and embarrassing" gambling and how he had to address it.

"I have been very open about my gambling addiction," added Mickelson in his statement on Thursday night.

"I have previously conveyed my remorse, took responsibility, have got help, have been fully committed to therapy that has positively impacted me and I feel good about where I am now."

Walters was jailed for five years in 2017 for insider trading, but his sentence was commuted in 2021 by former US president Donald Trump.
 
Ryder Cup: Brooks Koepka and Justin Thomas among six US wildcard picks

US PGA champion Koepka missed out on the points needed to qualify automatically after joining LIV Golf last year.

Thomas failed to qualify for the season-ending FedEx Cup play-offs.

Sam Burns, Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa and Jordan Spieth are also picked for the match against Europe.

They join automatic qualifiers Brian Harman, Wyndham Clark, Max Homa, Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay in the 12-man team.


BBC
 
Matt Fitzpatrick leads European Masters by two shots going into last round

Matt Fitzpatrick moved two shots clear in the lead of the European Masters as he closes in on a Ryder Cup place.

The Englishman carded a third round 67 at Crans-sur-Sierre in Switzerland to move to 15 under par.

His three-under-par round included seven birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey.

"I was really pleased to make sure I was in the mix come Sunday because it could have unravelled," said Fitzpatrick.


BBC
 
Ludvig Aberg poised to become Ryder Cup’s most inexperienced golfer

The Swede advertised his undoubted talents at the European Masters but questions surround his potential Ryder Cup selection

Ludvig Aberg did not merely shoot down Matt Fitzpatrick at the Omega European Masters but also any remaining questions about why Luke Donald would possibly pick such a rookie, only four months out of college, for the forthcoming Ryder Cup in Rome.

If timing is everything in golf, the 23-year-old’s victory in just his ninth pro event was perfectly synchronised as the Europe captain set about finalising the six wildcards that he will announce at 2pm on Monday.

In a dramatic final round in Switzerland, Fitzpatrick earned the right to an automatic berth in the Italian capital, as did Robert MacIntyre, becoming the first Scot in nine years to appear in the biennial dust-up.

Yet all the buzz was surrounding Aberg, the Swede who will on Monday surely become the most inexperienced golfer ever to be picked to play in the sport’s most intense of arenas.


Telegraph
 
BMW PGA Championship: Ludvig Aberg posts impressive opening round

Newly turned professional Ludvig Aberg warmed up for the Ryder Cup with an impressive opening round at the BMW PGA Championship.

The Swede outscored Ryder Cup team-mates Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland after posting a four-under-par 68 despite a double bogey on the 17th.

"Playing with Rory and Viktor was a lot of fun," said Aberg, 23, who only turned professional in June.

Denmark's Marcus Helligkilde is the clubhouse leader on eight under par.

England's Matt Fitzpatrick and Scotland's Richie Ramsay share second place on six under.

"The 17th was a little bit stupid but other than that I felt like I hit the ball great," added Aberg, who was given a Ryder Cup wildcard hours after winning the European Masters in Switzerland earlier this month.

Hovland carded a three-under-par 69 while McIlroy is a further three shots back.

Norway's Hovland was full of praise for his Ryder Cup team-mate Aberg.

"The way he's played the last couple of months, he has not been a pro very long but he certainly doesn't look scared of the moment," the world number four said.

"I think this week is a great experience for him but I think he's ready regardless.

"He's super talented and he is going to be around a long time. He's going to do great things."


BBC
 
Ryder Cup 2023: Europe lead US 6½-1½ after day one at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club

Europe hold a "sensational" 6½-1½ lead over the United States after a stunning opening day of the Ryder Cup in Rome.

The hosts swept the morning session for the first time to race into a 4-0 lead and held off a spirited US fightback to win 2½ -1½ in the afternoon.

Viktor Hovland, Jon Rahm and Justin Rose all crucially holed putts on the 18th to pick up half points for Europe.

And England's Matt Fitzpatrick, playing with Rory McIlroy, secured his first Ryder Cup point in a memorable 5&3 win.

Fitzpatrick, the 2022 US Open champion, rattled off four birdies and an eagle from the second hole to put his pairing firmly in command of the bottom match against Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa.

McIlroy also knocked in a birdie of his own on the seventh as they reached six up.

It ended a run of five defeats in his previous two appearances for Fitzpatrick, while McIlroy picked up his second point of the day, after earlier partnering Tommy Fleetwood to victory.

"Those putts by Viktor, Jon and Rose make a huge difference," Europe captain Luke Donald told BBC Sport.

"It was sensational, a dream start for us. This morning was an amazing performance by the guys and this afternoon was tough.

"The US came back, we knew they would. They had a stretch there in the middle where the momentum was turning their way but man, did we turn it back."

 
Still haven’t gotten into it lol.

Except for top golf. But is that considered pure golf? Feel like it’s the t10 or maybe t20 of golf haha.
 
I feel like if you allow things like this to distract you from your game, then you diminish your chances of winning
 
England's Tommy Fleetwood secured the winning point as Europe regained the Ryder Cup in dramatic fashion in Rome.

With Europe needing four points from Sunday's 12 singles matches to beat the United States, Fleetwood won the 11th game to pass the 14½ required.

Scotland's Bob MacIntyre added a further point and, with hundreds of fans on the edge of the 18th green, Shane Lowry wrapped up a 16½-11½ win.

They trusted me, and they delivered for me, said Europe captain Luke Donald.

Donald's mantra all week was about getting off to a fast start and his players had delivered on Friday and Saturday, winning both morning sessions 4-0 and 3-1 as Europe built a 10½-5½ lead to take into Sunday.

And the Englishman, who won all four Ryder Cups he contested as a player, stacked the top singles matches with his best players.

The plan seemed to be working with European blue flooding the scoreboards as they led in five of the top six matches.

World number four Viktor Hovland delivered the first point, racing three up after six against Collin Morikawa before sealing a 4&3 win.

But it was the top match that was providing all the drama.

World number three Jon Rahm was taking on top-ranked American Scottie Scheffler in a heavyweight contest that was the Ryder Cup in microcosm, ebbing and flowing as the momentum switched between the pair.

Rahm was two ahead after five, then Scheffler punched back with three birdies in the next six holes to sneak one ahead after 11.

The intensity increased as Rahm birdied the next two to retake the lead; Scheffler retaliated with successive birdies of his own to claim the next two.

But the American was unable to deliver the knockout blow, missing from 15 feet to win the match on the 17th.

And when Rahm cozied a putt from about 60 feet to six inches on the last, it proved enough to win a half point and put Europe 12-6 ahead.

World number two Rory McIlroy and Englishman Tyrrell Hatton added two more points, seeing off Sam Burns and Open champion Brian Harman respectively to take Europe to 14 points and on the brink of regaining the trophy they lost so heavily at Whistling Straits in 2021.


Source: BBC
 
Europe regain Ryder Cup with win over United States on dramatic day in Rome

Luke Donald endured a "rollercoaster of emotions" as Europe regained the Ryder Cup in dramatic fashion in Rome.

With Europe needing four points from Sunday's 12 singles matches to beat the United States, Tommy Fleetwood won the 11th game to pass the 14½ required.

And with hundreds of fans crammed around the edge of the 18th green, Ireland's Shane Lowry wrapped up a 16½-11½ win.

"It looked good early but then looked like it could be a bad day," Europe captain Donald told BBC Sport.

"Our guys hung in there like I knew they would. The first two days were key to us to building our lead.

"The Americans are so strong in singles but we were 12 strong. Everyone contributed. I just love these guys - you need your superstars to show up and they did.

"I've put everything into it and I'm just so glad they were able to win."


 
The LPGA's Lexi Thompson will play a men's PGA Tour event after receiving a sponsor's invitation.

Thompson, 28, will make her debut playing alongside men at next week's Shriners Children's Open in Las Vegas.

The American, an 11-time winner on the LPGA Tour, will become the seventh woman to play in a PGA event.

"I'm hopeful that my ability to play with the men next week at the Shriners Children's Open sends a great message to the young women," Thompson said.

"You can chase your dream regardless of how hard it is."

The current world number 25, Thompson won her first and only major at the 2014 Kraft Nabisco Championship and finished tied eighth at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship last week.

Brittany Lincicome was the last woman to play in a PGA Tour event at the 2018 Barbasol Championship.


www.bbc.com

Thompson to play against men in PGA Tour event

LPGA star Lexi Thompson will become the seventh woman to play in a PGA Tour event after receiving a sponsor invitation.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
 
Ryder Cup's Marco Simone Golf and Country Club hit by large fire | Investigation underway
An investigation is under way after a fire broke out at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club on Thursday, just days after the venue staged Europe's victory in the Ryder Cup

Social media footage captured a blaze and billowing smoke emanating from one of the buildings at the course and a Ryder Cup Europe spokesperson confirmed a temporary hospitality structure had caught fire.

The spokesperson added nobody was injured in an incident which occurred close to the first fairway of the course in Rome.

Thousands attended last weekend to watch Europe regain the Ryder Cup as a team captained by Luke Donald claimed a 16.5-11.5 victory over Zach Johnson's United States in the biennial event.

"A fire was reported in one of the temporary hospitality structures to the right of the first fairway at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club earlier this afternoon," said the spokesperson.

"Local fire crews were called to the scene at 5.07pm local time and quickly brought the blaze under control.

"Nobody was injured in the incident and the fire did not spread beyond the hospitality structure. There was no damage to the golf course or any other structure.

"The cause of the fire is currently being investigated."

www.skysports.com

Ryder Cup's Marco Simone Golf and Country Club hit by large fire | Investigation underway

An investigation is under way after a fire broke out at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club on Thursday, just days after the venue staged Europe's victory in the Ryder Cup
www.skysports.com
 
Matt Fitzpatrick wins the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

Sky Sports
 
LIV Golf will not receive official world golf ranking points 'at this time', says OWGR

LIV Golf's attempt to be recognised by the sport's global rankings body has been rejected.

Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) turned down the Saudi Arabia-backed series' request because of concerns about the circuit's format.

OWGR chairman Peter Dawson said the 54-hole, no-cut events for 48 players was an issue, along with limited access for players to join the venture.

However, he said it could be managed through a "mathematical formula".

Dawson said in a letter sent on Tuesday to LIV Golf's chief executive Greg Norman and chief operating officer Gary Davidson that "at this time" it would not be recognised as an eligible golf tour in the OWGR system.

The bigger concern, according to the letter, is the limited access for players to join LIV Golf which, barring injury, features the same 48 players all season.

The letter also said that LIV informed the OWGR in July that 14 players will be invited back next season regardless of their performance, more than double the number originally indicated to the rankings body.

"Simply put, the board committee does not believe it is equitable to thousands of players who strive every day to get starts in OWGR eligible tournaments to have a tour operate in this mostly closed fashion," Dawson wrote.

LIV Golf responded by issuing a statement claiming professional golf is "now without a true or global scoring and ranking system".

"OWGR's sole objective is to rank the best players across the globe. Today's communication makes clear that it can no longer deliver on that objective," it added.

"A ranking which fails to fairly represent all participants, irrespective of where in the world they play golf, robs fans, players and all of golf's stakeholders of the objective basis underpinning any accurate recognition of the world's best player performances."

www.bbc.co.uk

LIV Golf bid to receive world ranking points denied

LIV Golf's attempt to be recognised by the sport's global rankings body Official World Golf Ranking has been rejected "at this time".
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk
 
Dan Bradbury: English golfer equals hole-in-one season record at Spanish Open

England's Dan Bradbury is aiming to set a new European Tour record for holes-in-one after making his third of the season at the Spanish Open.

The 24-year-old equalled Miguel Angel Jimenez's record of three in a season on the 226-yard third at the event in Madrid.

He is now targeting a record-breaking fourth during the rest of the campaign.

"Now I know that, I'll be aiming at all the par threes, that's for sure," he said.

Bradbury hit his first hole-in-one in Abu Dhabi in January and repeated the feat at the SDC Championship two months later.


BBC
 
PGA Shriners Children's Open: Tom Kim retains title in style in Las Vegas

South Korea's Tom Kim held off Canada's Adam Hadwin over the closing holes to retain his PGA Shriners Children's Open title at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas.

The 21-year-old, who finished joint second at this year's Open Championship, shot a five-under 66 to finish on 20 under.

It was enough to beat Hadwin by one shot and win his third PGA Tour title.

Kim sank a 12-foot birdie putt at the 15th and Hadwin paid the price for a bogey at the 16th.

"It has been a long season," said Kim. "I'm very fortunate to defend. I've learned so much this year. It has been a blessing. It has been very humbling."

Kim, the world number 16, birdied three of the first four holes before back-to-back bogeys at five and six dropped him out of the lead but he recovered with birdies at the ninth, 12th and 13th to take control.


BBC
 
KingKhanWC said:
I used to play golf often but not anymore because it requires a whole afternoon.

My advice is to buy a putter and practice holding it with the correct technique and rolling the ball into a cup etc. After this you really need golf lessons because to strike a golf ball is not easy , even though the golf ball is still on the ground.
Click to expand...
Does being a good batsman translate to golf swing in anyway?
 
LIV Team Championship: Bryson DeChambeau's Crushers take title in Miami

Bryson DeChambeau's Crushers GC brought the curtain down on the 2023 LIV Golf League by lifting the team trophy in Miami.

The Crushers beat 11 teams over the 2023 season to scoop $14m (£11.5m) in prize money at Trump National Doral.

Anirban Lahiri, Charles Howell III and Paul Casey supported captain DeChambeau in their successful campaign.

"I can't be happier with this team of mine," DeChambeau said.

"Any time you get a win with a team, I'd say honestly that's more important than individual stuff. Look, majors are great but there's a team behind you there. I've got a team, my own team."

The top four seeds - 4Aces GC, Crushers GC, Torque GC and RangeGoats GC - came through Saturday's matchplay semi-finals to reach Sunday's finale in which all four squads competed in a strokeplay event, with all four players' scores counting.

India's Lahiri put in a spectacular bogey-free round, signing for a seven-under-par 65, while DeChambeau carded a 67, which featured five bogeys on the back nine. Howell contributed a level-par 72, while England's Casey shot a 73 for a combined total of 11 under.

That was enough to put them two shots clear of Range Goats GC in second, with Torque GC finishing third and defending champions 4 Aces GC fourth.

Lahiri did not win an individual title in 2023, though he went close with two runner-up finishes, but he was the team's top performer with the highlight coming on the eighth when he rolled in for an eagle.

"I had a couple of Sundays where I let myself down," Lahiri said. "But I wasn't going to let the team down today."


BBC
 
Alison Lee equalled the lowest round in Ladies European Tour history with a brilliant 61 at the first round of the Aramco Team Series in Saudi Arabia.

The American's bogey-free round also featured a record-equalling eight successive birdies and set a new course record at the Riyadh Golf Club.

Australia's Minjee Lee is second on the leaderboard after hitting 10 birdies in her 63.

"I'm feeling really good about my game," said 28-year-old Lee.

"We still have two days left but I feel like it's a really nice golf course, it's a fairly easy course, pretty easy to attack pins and make a lot of birdies.

"Coming down the stretch I started to realise I'm on 59 watch here, but I missed a couple of good birdie chances. But I'm not disappointed. I had a great round, overall I played really solid."

England's Charley Hull, Scotland's Kylie Henry and Chloe Williams of Wales are among a group of eight players on seven under after a day of low scoring in Riyadh.

English duo Gabriella Cowley and Cara Gainer are also in contention after shooting a six-under 66, with compatriot Georigia Hall on three under.


BBC
 
Alison Lee completed a record-breaking weekend at the Aramco Team Series in Saudi Arabia by shooting a seven-under-par final-round 65 to secure an eight-shot victory.

American Lee, 28, broke the 54-shot scoring record on the Ladies European Tour with a 29-under 187.

She finished above Spain's Carlota Ciganda, who was three shots ahead of England's Charley Hull in Riyadh.
 
Golf's latest venture - an indoor "high-tech league" launched by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy and backed by fellow sporting superstars - will get under way on Tuesday, 9 January 2024.

Fifteen of the current world's top 20 are among the 24 PGA Tour players to have signed for the inaugural season.

All events will be televised and played at a purpose-built venue in Florida.

Serena and Venus Williams, Stephen Curry and Liverpool owners the Fenway Sports Group are among the backers.


BBC
 
TGL: Rory McIlroy joins Boston but Jon Rahm pulls out of new golf venture

Rory McIlroy will play for Boston Common Golf in the new TGL "high-tech league" but Jon Rahm has withdrawn.

Northern Ireland's McIlroy, who has launched the venture with Tiger Woods, is joined in a four-man squad by Keegan Bradley, Adam Scott and Tyrrell Hatton.

However, Rahm, who had been one of the first to commit to TGL, wrote on social media: "I am sad to confirm I will not be participating in the first season.

"Right now it would require a level of commitment I can't offer."


www.bbc.com

McIlroy joins Boston but Rahm pulls out of new league

Rory McIlroy will play for Boston Common Golf in the new TGL "high-tech league" but Jon Rahm pulls out of the inaugural season.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
 
Rory McIlroy resigns from PGA Tour's Policy Board amid funding negotiations

Rory McIlroy has resigned from the PGA Tour's Policy Board with the American circuit embroiled in high level negotiations over how to fund its future.

McIlroy's shock decision was revealed in a memo to the tour's players issued by commissioner Jay Monahan, who thanked the golfer "for his dedication and commitment to the tour".

At a time of unprecedented rancour and uncertainty in the men's professional game, McIlroy had been a steadfast critic of the Saudi Arabia funded breakaway LIV tour and was regarded as an arch PGA Tour loyalist.

But McIlroy revealed he felt like "a sacrificial lamb" after a secret framework agreement between the main US and European tours and the Saudi Public Investment Fund was announced in June this year.

Since then, the Northern Irishman has been more reluctant to comment on the ongoing negotiations to settle the game's future. Meetings took place earlier this week to discuss potential funding from new investment partners.

McIlroy told reporters on Tuesday: "No one on the outside has any details. Loose lips sink ships, so we are trying to keep it tight and within walls. I'm sure when there's news to tell, it will be told."

But he gave gave no indication that he was about to step down from the Policy Board. Monahan's memo later the same day confirmed the four-time major champion's departure from one of the most influential positions in the game.

"Rory's resignation letter, which he sent to the full board, clearly stated that the difficult decision was made due to professional and personal commitments," Monahan wrote.

McIlroy had served on the tour's Player Advisory Council between 2019 and 2021, acting as chairman for the final year of that spell. He then became a player director on the board.

"During his tenure, Rory's insight has been instrumental in helping shape the success of the tour, and his willingness to thoughtfully voice his opinions has been especially impactful," Monahan added.

"Given the extraordinary time and effort that Rory - and all his fellow player directors - have invested in this unprecedented, transformational period in our history, we certainly understand and respect his decision to step down in order to focus on his game and his family."

Masters champion Jon Rahm immediately ruled himself out as a candidate to replace McIlroy on the board.

"You won't see me there," the Spaniard said. "Absolutely no chance. I've been asked a couple times if I have any interest, and I'm not going to spend, I don't know how many meetings they have, but they are six, seven, hour plus long.

"As regards to Rory, he's obviously been put in a situation where a lot has been expected of him, and I don't know the exact reason why he left the board.

"But I certainly wouldn't blame somebody like him to just want to focus a bit more on his game and his family and enjoy the bit of time he's truly earned. Again, it's a big commitment for somebody to be part of it."

McIlroy's management declined to comment on his resignation when approached by BBC Sport.
​
www.bbc.com

McIlroy resigns from PGA Tour board position

Rory McIlroy resigns from the PGA Tour's policy board amid American circuit's negotiations over how to fund its future.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
 
DP World Tour Championship: Nicolai Hojgaard among leading trio after strong finish

Nicolai Hojgaard produced five birdies in six holes on the back nine to join Julien Guerrier and Matthieu Pavon at the top of the Dubai leaderboard.

Hojgaard, 22, was one over after six holes and level par at the turn but a strong finish ensured the Dane ended day one with a five-under round of 67.

He shares the lead with French pair Guerrier and Pavon in the season-ending tournament at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

Race to Dubai title winner Rory McIlroy is tied 15th at one-under-par.

McIlroy, 34, was crowned Race to Dubai champion for a fifth time after Max Homa's victory at last week's Nedbank Golf Challenge meant the Northern Irishman could not be caught by second-placed Jon Rahm.

The world number two is playing his first tournament since resigning from the PGA Tour's Policy Board amid ongoing negotiations over how to fund its future.

Hojgaard has recorded three top-five finishes in his last four starts on the DP World Tour and his strong finish on day one has set him up to continue that form.

Pavon, 31, made four birdies on the back nine and compatriot Guerrier also carded a bogey-free opening round to keep pace.

A trio of players - Sweden's Jens Dantorp, Frenchman Antoine Rozner, and Poland's Adrian Meronk - are all one shot off the lead, while England's Tommy Fleetwood and Scot Robert MacIntyre are on three-under.

Englishmen Tyrrell Hatton and Dan Bradbury are tied 11th on two-under, with compatriots Daniel Brown and Nathan Kimsey, plus Northern Ireland's Tom McKibbin, all level with McIlroy a shot further back.

Due to inclement weather forecast on Friday, organisers confirmed the second round will be a two-tee start.


BBC
 
England's Tommy Fleetwood is two shots off the lead at the halfway stage of the DP World Tour Championship.

Denmark's Nicolai Hojgaard, 22, remains top of the Dubai leaderboard on 11 under after carding a six-under-par 66 in the second round.

Fleetwood is tied second with South Africa's Thriston Lawrence, Viktor Hovland of Norway, France's Antoine Rozner and Jens Datntorp of Sweden.

"It's great to have a chance to win this tournament," said Fleetwood.

The 32-year-old added: "I always feel like it brings out great winners, great champions, so the ultimate goal is to be one of those. Put my name on the trophy."

Fleetwood, Hojgaard and Hovland were teammates when Europe regained the Ryder Cup in October.

England's Tyrrell Hatton and Scot Robert Macintyre are tied ninth on seven-under par, while England's Daniel Brown is level with defending champion Jon Rahm of Spain a shot further back.

Englishmen Matt Wallace and Dan Bradbury are tied 21st with Rasmus Hojgaard, leader Nicolai's brother.

World number two Rory McIlroy, who was crowned Race to Dubai champion for a fifth time last week, is tied 34th at one-under par.


BBC
 
RSM Classic: Ludvig Aberg wins PGA Tour title six months after turning pro

Ludvig Aberg added to the astonishing start he has made to his professional career by claiming his maiden PGA Tour victory in the RSM Classic.

The Swede carded back-to-back rounds of 61 to finish 29 under par, four shots clear of Canada's Mackenzie Hughes.

The win has moved Aberg, who turned professional in June, to world number 32 and secured an invitation to his first major - next year's Masters.

"I'm super happy. It's kind of beyond my dreams," the 24-year-old told NBC.

"This is the sport that I love and the sport that I'm going to love for a very long time. Watching these events from a very young age is what I've done, so to see myself win is really cool."

Aberg won on the DP World Tour at September's Omega European Masters and was described as a "generational talent" by Luke Donald when he was named one of the European captain's wildcards for the Ryder Cup.

In Rome, he partnered Viktor Hovland to a 4&3 victory in the opening foursomes against Max Homa and Brian Harman before the pair thrashed world number one Scottie Scheffler and five-time major winner Brooks Koepka 9&7 in Saturday's foursomes.

RSM Classic - final leaderboard

-29 L Aberg (Swe); -25 M Hughes (Can); -22 T Duncan, E Cole (both US); -19 A Svensson (Can), B Kohles, D McCarthy (both US).
Selected others:-15 A Noren (Swe), -14 T Detry (Bel), S Jaeger (Ger); -11 R Knox (Sco).


BBC
 

TGL: Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's golf venture start delayed​


The launch of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's virtual golf competition has been pushed back one year, to early 2025, after its facility in Florida sustained damage.

TGL, an indoor "high-tech league", was due to start on 9 January 2024.

But those plans have been delayed after a power outage caused the collapse of the air-supported dome roof at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens.

No injuries occurred at the facility, which covers about 250,000 square feet.

"This decision came after reviewing short-term solutions, potential construction timelines, player schedules, and the primetime sports television calendar," TGL said in a statement.

"Despite this new timeline for the venue, we remain excited about the future of TGL and will continue to build excitement between now and the start of the season with our players, fans and teams."

Fifteen of the current world's top 20 are among the 24 PGA Tour players to have signed for the inaugural season.

Six teams of four players are set to compete in the TGL. They are the Los Angeles Golf Club, Atlanta Drive Golf Club, Boston Common Golf, Jupiter Links Golf Club, TGL New York and TGL San Francisco.

Woods is set to compete for Jupiter Links, while McIlroy will play for Boston Common.

The Sofi Center is set to host each event, which will take around two hours to play and be broadcast live in the US with all players wearing microphones.

Woods, a 15-time major winner, said: "Although the events of last week will force us to make adjustments to our timelines, I'm fully confident that this concept will be brought to life by our great committed players."

McIlroy said: "The postponement brings mixed feelings of disappointment and excitement.

"Above all, we are happy that no one was injured," he added.

Source: BBC
 
Wondering if anyone had played golf in Scotland ? Going for a 10 days Scotland Golf tour in next summer , with friends.
 
Ahmad-GERMANFC said:
Does being a good batsman translate to golf swing in anyway?
Click to expand...
absolutely , the technique including grip and swing is different but the eye-hand coordination you develop if you have been playing cricket , particularly from your childhood helps a lot in Golf too. I just started playing Gold earlier this year, my progress is still slow but I'm much better than many who have been playing for 2-3 years.
 
Australian PGA Championship: Cameron Smith close to tears after missing cut

Defending champion Cameron Smith missed the cut at the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship by nine shots, leaving him close to tears.

The 30-year-old former Open champion carded a second-round 78 to finish nine over in his home city of Brisbane.

Min Woo Lee, who shot a five-under-par 66 to move to 12 under overall, leads fellow Australian Adam Scott by a shot.

"Australia has been so good to me, there's no reason to perform like that. Unacceptable," said an emotional Smith.

"I've performed under pressure before and it's not acceptable, a bit upsetting actually. I know what I'm doing, it's just going out there and committing to something is another thing."

Smith, who won the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews in July 2022, made a double bogey at the 10th and bogeys on the final two holes at the Royal Queensland Golf Club.

The Australian, who plies his trade on the LIV Golf circuit, agreed he could not remember a worse round as a professional.

"Yeah, no words," added Smith, who won the Australian PGA in 2017, 2018 and 2022.

Australian compatriot Lee rattled off six birdies in his 66, while former US Masters champion Scott is a shot behind after a 65 which also contained six birdies but, unlike Lee, no dropped shots.

"It's always nice to have a bogey-free round, I probably haven't had many of them this year," Scott said.

"I feel like my swing from the tee to the green is feeling better than it has for a while and that's a nice thing for me."

Spaniard Joel Moscatel, who equalled the course record when he shot a 63 in the first round, remains in contention at eight under after a 71.



BBC
 
Aditi Ashok wins in Spain as Trichat Cheenglab claims LET Race to Costa del Sol title

India's Aditi Ashok won her second Ladies European Tour title of the year with a two-shot victory in the season-ending Open de Espana at Las Brisas.

Ashok, who won the season opener in Kenya, closed with a bogey-free six-under-par 66 to win on 17 under.

Anne van Dam of the Netherlands shot a 68 to finish second on 15 under.

Thailand's Trichat Cheenglab finished well down the field but her 55th in Spain was enough for the rookie to win the LET's Race to Costa del Sol title.

She finished top of the money list by fewer than 100 points from Evian Championship winner Celine Boutier and is the sixth player to win both the Race to Costa del Sol and Rookie of the Year titles in the same Ladies European Tour season.

France's Boutier and India's Diksha Dagar could both have won the season-long title with a victory this week, but they ended joint seventh on 10 under par.


BBC
 

Rory McIlroy beats Tiger Woods to PGA Tour's $15m Player Impact Programme top prize​


World number two Rory McIlroy has beaten Tiger Woods to the PGA Tour's $15m (£11.9m) prize for generating the most media interest in 2023.

Northern Ireland's McIlroy pipped the 15-time major winner to top spot on the tour's 'Player Impact Programme' (PIP).

Woods won it in 2021 and 2022 despite his injury-hit playing schedule.

McIlroy takes top spot for the first time two weeks after saying "something had to give" when he resigned from the tour's Policy Board.

The PIP, introduced in 2021, was designed to reward players who generate the most interest in the PGA Tour, with metrics such as Google searches, news article mentions and social media reach taken into account.

McIlroy, who finished second to Woods in 2022, tops the PIP list after capturing his fifth DP World Tour Race to Dubai title earlier this month. Woods earns $12m (£9.5m) for finishing second.

McIlroy, 34, was unable to defend his FedEx Cup title on the PGA Tour, however, finishing fourth behind Viktor Hovland, Xander Schauffele and Wyndham Clark, who also denied McIlroy a fifth major title at the US Open in June.

Masters winner Jon Rahm earns $9m (£7.2m) for finishing third, with three-time major winner Jordan Spieth and world number one Scottie Scheffler rounding out the top five.

England's Tommy Fleetwood collects $5m (£4m) for finishing tied seventh alongside Hovland, Justin Thomas and Max Homa.

Next year, the Player Impact Programme's bonus pool will be $50m (£39.9m) between the top 10 players, a change from the $100m (£79.8m) that was awarded to the top 20 this year.

Woods, 47, will return to action this week after seven months out in the Hero World Challenge, an event he hosts in the Bahamas, having recovered from ankle surgery.

Woods and McIlroy are also fronting a new virtual golf competition called TGL, the start date for which was pushed back one year to early 2025, after its facility in Florida sustained serious damage after a power outage.

Source: BBC
 
Tiger Woods has said he will continue to play for as long as he thinks he can still win as he prepares to return to professional golf.

Woods will play in the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas having not played since injury forced him to withdraw from the Masters in April.

The 15-time major winner then had fusion surgery on a bone in his ankle.

"There will come a time when I can no longer win. When that time comes, I will walk away," Woods said.

"I love to compete. I love the camaraderie, being around the guys."

The 47-year-old American said earlier this month he had "zero issues" with his surgically repaired right ankle, which was done to address post-traumatic arthritis following the 2021 car crash that side lined him for nearly 14 months. However, he indicated that other injury problems remain.

"The only way to fix that was to replace it or have it fused," Woods said of his ankle. "The next part is the hard part. The six months of doing nothing. The first couple months were really rough - I'm here on the good side now."

The five-time Masters champion has struggled to walk 18 holes since but, after he was seen caddying for his son Charlie at the Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship earlier this month, he has decided the time is right to return to action.

"I was hitting golf balls a lot trying to get Charlie ready for the event. Then, post-event, I thought, 'I can probably do this,'" Woods said.

"I've played a lot of holes. I haven't used a pencil and a scorecard.

"My game feels rusty. I haven't played in a while. I'm excited to compete and play. I'm just as curious as all of you are to see what happens.

"I can tell you this, I don't have any of the pain I had in Augusta in my ankle. Other parts are taking the brunt of the load. But that surgery was a success."

The tournament, a 20-player invitational event which will also include Justin Rose, Scottie Scheffler, Matt Fitzpatrick and Viktor Hovland, begins on Thursday in Albany, The Bahamas.

Woods said he hopes to play one tournament per month in 2024 and that this event will help to determine his schedule for next season.



BBC
 
Luke Donald to remain Europe's Ryder Cup captain for 2025 edition in New York

Luke Donald will remain Europe's Ryder Cup captain for the 2025 edition in New York after leading his team to victory in Rome in October.

Donald has been victorious in all four of his appearances as a player and one as captain, guiding Europe to a 16½-11½ win over the United States.

He will become the first Europe captain to serve consecutive terms since Bernard Gallacher between 1991-1995.

"I'm delighted and honoured to lead Team Europe again," Donald said.

"Great opportunities don't come along very often in life and I'm a great believer that when they do, you need to grab them with both hands. This is one of these moments."

Having been appointed captain in August 2022 as a replacement for the ousted Henrik Stenson following the Swede's move to LIV Golf, Donald helped his side regain the trophy and ensured Europe's unbeaten home record would stretch beyond 30 years.

Europe's Ryder Cup players chanted "two more years" at Donald during his speech at the 2023 trophy presentation.

Among his four Ryder Cup appearances as a player, Donald's successes included the the 'Miracle at Medinah' in 2012 when he secured the first singles point of Europe's remarkable comeback.

Donald had served as vice-captain in previous editions under Thomas Bjorn in 2018 and Padraig Harrington in 2021.

Following the team's success in Rome, in which they regained the trophy after a 19-9 loss in Wisconsin in 2021, Jon Rahm said Donald had "done an unbelievable job" while Tommy Fleetwood added that the players were "all so proud of him".

The next Ryder Cup will take place in September 2025 at Bethpage Black, which is set to join Oak Hill Country Club as the second New York course to host the event.

There, Donald will seek to become only the second captain to lead Europe to victories both home and away since Tony Jacklin at The Belfry, in England, in 1985 and Muirfield Village in Ohio in 1987.

Donald added: "There is no question that being a captain away from home is a tough task.

"But I have never shied away from challenges throughout my career and it is precisely the kind of thing that motivates me. I can't wait to get another 12-strong team to Bethpage in 2025."




 
Tiger Woods returns to competitive golf at Hero World Challenge

Tiger Woods shot a three-over-par 75 on his return to competitive golf at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.

The 15-time major champion, 47, has not played since having ankle surgery after injury forced him to withdraw from the third round of the Masters in April.

Woods was one under after 14 holes but a wayward drive on the 15th found a bush and cost him a double bogey to leave him 18th in the 20-player field.


Hero World Challenge first-round leaderboard
-5 Harman (US), Finau (US); -4 Spieth (US); -3 Young (US), Scheffler (US), Morikawa (US), Homa (US); -2 Fitzpatrick (Eng), Thomas (US)



www.bbc.com

'Rusty' Woods shoots 75 on return from injury

Tiger Woods shoots a three-over-par 75 as he makes his return to competitive golf in the Hero World Challenge.
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