Matt Fitzpatrick believes gambling in golf has now become a serious issue and one that could start to have an impact on tournament results as crowds continue to get rowdier and more abusive.

It has long been a problem in other sports like football, for example, but golf and golfers had been mostly shielded from its impacts until the last few years.

Now, there are far more instances of fans shouting abuse at players and taking to social media to scold them for costing them money.

Fitzpatrick has experienced his fair share of abuse already this season. At the Players Championship in March, he was actively rooted against by the US crowds who wanted Cameron Young to prevail.

They got their wish on that occasion, but the Englishman got his own back a month later, silencing the pro-American fans at Harbour Town to win the RBC Heritage.

Asked ahead of this week’s Open at Royal Birkdale if he thinks gambling is the source of this worrying trend, Fitzpatrick was in no doubt.

“It's a great question because you just look at all the messages people get,” Fitzpatrick began, “footballers, tennis players, you name it, everyone's getting messages of, ‘Oh, you missed that penalty – you cost me this. Oh, you didn't make a birdie – cost me this’.

“I've had my fair share. I would say every golfer that's played a professional tournament has had a message of abuse from someone that is related to gambling. I mean, you could see it this week.

“You go and type in a player's name who maybe isn't playing well, maybe someone who's favoured to play well, you type the name into Twitter (X) and you'll just see their name followed by abuse after abuse after abuse.

“It's difficult because I've had 20 quid on England to win the World Cup, but at the same time, if it doesn't come in, I'm not going to send a message to Harry Kane and be like, ‘Why did you play rubbish?’ There's obviously individuals that have that problem.

“For me, it's definitely becoming a problem and the issue is, particularly in golf, it would be very easy to influence a bet, whether it's you're shouting on someone's backswing, shouting on a putting stroke. It's really easy. Obviously that is really hard to monitor, but it is definitely an issue.”

Golf has always been held in high esteem in regard to the way players and fans behave and carry themselves, so this recent development goes against centuries of tradition.

At The Open this year, the R&A have introduced a new code of conduct for the 300,000 spectators set to descend upon Royal Birkdale across the week.

Specifically, there will be on-course signs reminding fans to respect the players, the venue, each other, and enjoy the event responsibly.

"The atmosphere at The Open is unlike any other major sporting event and one of the things that makes it so unique," Mark Darbon, chief executive of the R&A chief, said.

"It is built on a shared respect for the players, the course, fellow fans and the traditions of the Championship."

Fitzpatrick, himself a big Sheffield United fan, believes there are positives to the louder atmospheres on tour, but thinks it’s “ridiculous” when it spills over to become more sinister.

“I'm all for the game developing and bringing in different people,” he added.

“I want an atmosphere at a golf tournament. I've said a million times, I love football. I love the atmosphere of a football match. Playing Harbour Town this year, playing Harbour Town in 2023, that's the atmosphere I want. There's nothing better.

“[The] Ryder Cup, playing away from home, succeeding in those atmospheres, there's not a much better feeling. I think like I'm all for an atmosphere. Obviously I don't want it to cross a line.

“I don't do any of my social media anymore. I've stayed off of it just because I have my own private accounts elsewhere, but I don't go looking for anything. I don't think the social media companies do a good job of managing that stuff. That's obviously a bigger conversation.

“Like I said, you just search my name, Tommy [Fleetwood’s] name, anyone's name, and you will find just tweet after tweet just straight abuse. It's not right. I'm not going into someone's office or in their e-mails abusing them.

“I would say a lot of it comes down to the gambling. You see that a lot on the social media of, ‘Oh, this guy's favoured this week. Make sure you lump on him and duh, duh, duh. That's obviously not conducive to a great atmosphere.

“When you're getting personally attacked, it's just ridiculous.”

Matt Fitzpatrick hit 13 of 14 fairways in The Travelers Championship opening round after putting a new driver in the bag.

The World No.4 has played a Titleist driver for a number of years but moved into a completely new brand this week, with a Ping model going in for the $20m Signature Event, and it worked very well in the opening round.

As an equipment free agent, Fitzpatrick is able to pick and choose whichever clubs he wants, and his Titleist GT3 has come out in favor of a Ping G430 LST.

Fitzpatrick admitted he "struggled off the tee" last weekend in the US Open at Shinnecock Hills, where he shot 74-73 over the final two rounds to finish 22nd.

He ranked 70th out of 72 players in Strokes Gained: Off the tee on the fourth day.

"Just struggled off the tee. You got to give yourself a chance at making some scores. Not only a chance of making birdies, but just trying to make comfortable pars. I think for me that's been, that was the big thing at the weekend that I struggled with," he said.

"I just, I didn't hit my driver very well and I feel like that that was kind of what held me back most of all."

"I have a different driver this week. That's obviously new. Just getting comfortable with that and I had, you know, felt like I practiced well these first three days as well and just managed to find something that I felt was working a bit better."

Fitzpatrick ranked 12th in Strokes Gained: Off the tee in round one of The Travelers, where he gained over a stroke and carded a six-under-par 64.

'I've lived in the heel my whole career'

"Well, I was explaining it earlier this week that it's not as straightforward as everyone thinks," Fitzpatrick said.

"When you fit a golf club, everyone has tendencies, and not to bore everyone, but my tendency is like I like clubs or a driver with the CG closer to the heel.

"That's kind of where my, where I've lived for basically my whole career. And certain golf clubs are, like, made without that.

"Just the box one, the one you buy off the rack might have it on the toe side, which if you gave that to me I would hit it 500 yards right or whatever it is.

"So the detail is really important and it's important to try and get that right as best as you can.

"Everyone is different, their habits, how they move the club, how they reacts to different clubs.

"I tried one in Canada where it was literally exactly that, like neutral, neutral, neutral and I hit it 50 yards right, and that's just the way I react.

"So I think people think that guys just get driver and it's just going to go straight and away you go and there's obviously a lot more to it than that."

New Srixon ZXi RKT drivers

Fitzpatrick is not the only player with a new driver in the bag at TPC River Highlands, as Srixon released its new drivers on tour this week. The ZXi RKT was revealed prior to The Travelers, with three different heads available - the standard, LS and Max.

The ZXi RKT has made its way on to the USGA's Conforming List and, along with those three models, there's also an LS+ and various versions of the ZXi RKT head.

Hideki Matsuyama and Ryan Fox were pictured using one of the new models in the opening round, while Shane Lowry was also testing it this week - although we haven't yet confirmed if it went in for the tournament.

Golfers can now get their hands on the putter used by World No.4 Matt Fitzpatrick, with Bettinardi officially releasing the model he uses and another he also recently had in the bag.

The BB1 Fitz Flow (BB1 FF) and the BB48 Fitz (BB48-F) are available to purchase now following Fitzpatrick's three recent PGA Tour victories at the Valspar Championship, the RBC Heritage and the Zurich Classic alongside brother Alex.

Fitzpatrick previously used a 'Yes' putter in the early days of his career and that recognizable C-Groove technology was incorporated into his current model by Bettinardi, the brand behind some of the best putters in the game.

Through a mutual connection, Sam Bettinardi reached out to Fitzpatrick's team to offer Bettinardi's precision milling capabilities out of Tinley Park, Illinois. What followed was an extensive development process, with Bettinardi producing more than 30 prototypes until they achieved the exact look, feel, and face milling Fitzpatrick demanded.

The result is the 'Fitz Face', a semi-circular milling pattern engineered at the optimal tool size and depth to deliver his preferred feel and roll.

The two new putters are milled from a one-piece 303 Stainless Steel from just outside Chicago, Ill. to 350 grams. They feature Fitzpatrick's preferred rolled topline and TourTone finish, a dual Black Armor and Diamond Blast combination paired with a thin sightline that is designed to provide contrast and a precise alignment reference at address.

The BB1 Fitz Flow (BB1 FF) has a classic blade profile with a thinner flange line and a flow neck, delivering moderate toe hang for players with a moderate arc in their stroke.

The BB48 Fitz (BB48-F) applies those same standards to a symmetrical, face balanced mallet profile, featuring a spud neck with a double bend shaft that’s best suited to players with a straight-back, straight-through, or slight arc in their putting stroke.

"Fitzpatrick holds his equipment to an exceptionally high standard, and that's exactly the standard we already work to every day in Tinley Park," said Sam Bettinardi, President of Bettinardi Golf.

"We're proud that our craftsmanship is what he trusts on Tour, and now golfers everywhere get to experience putters built to reflect his standards."

Both the BB1 Fitz Flow (BB1 FF) and the BB48 Fitz (BB48-F) are available now at Bettinardi.com, Studio B™ Oak Brook, and select Authorized Retailers, with an MSRP of $550 each.

As a nation, England has been blessed with any number of world-class golfers throughout history from Sir Nick Faldo to Dame Laura Davies and JH Taylor, just to name a few.

In more recent years, a new crop has formed with the likes of Justin Rose, Luke Donald, Charley Hull and Lee Westwood each laying claim to be one of the most talented English players around.

But there's a name missing from that list who I would argue deserves to be included - Matt Fitzpatrick.

For whatever reason, it seems to me as though Fitzpatrick has always just teetered below the level required to gain true respect from golf fans around the world.

That's despite a glowing amateur career and an ever-expanding list of professional achievements which many 30-year veterans would sign for without thought.

Before turning pro in 2014, Fitzpatrick won The Boys Amateur Championship, the US Amateur and was low am at the 2013 Open Championship. He also claimed the Mark H. McCormack medal as the World Amateur No.1.

He spent just one term at Northwestern University but still managed two team titles with the Wildcats courtesy of a shared victory and a third-place finish in five starts.

Having swiftly moved on from college life in order to chase his professional dream, Fitzpatrick's ascension through the game was swift but consistent.

The Sheffield-born pro had earned his full-time DP World Tour card by 2015 and tasted success for the first time during his rookie campaign, lifting the British Masters title from Danny Willett, who would go on to win The Masters the following April.

Coincidentally, Fitzpatrick's highest career finish at Augusta National took place in 2016 as he ended T7th. Another DP World Tour win was not far behind and Fitzpatrick earned himself automatic qualification onto Team Europe's Ryder Cup roster as a 22-year-old.

A few months later, Fitzpatrick claimed his maiden DP World Tour Championship - comfortably the biggest win of his career at that stage - via a one-stroke success over Tyrrell Hatton.

Fast forward five years and the Englishman had landed four more DP World Tour prizes (one of which was another DP World Tour Championship) and had racked up another appearance for Team Europe at the Ryder Cup.

At this point, I think plenty of golf fans around the world thought Fitzpatrick was good, but a Major possibly seemed a step too far. Then he won the US Open.

However, even then, I felt Fitzpatrick (much like JJ Spaun) was never given the respect he deserved for his career-defining success.

When experts discussed who they felt might contend for the World No.1 spot over the coming years or who could be in with a shout of claiming the next Major, it always seemed to me like Fitzpatrick was possibly the next man up in the group below.

Now, though, it appears obvious that Fitzpatrick could add to his Major tally in 2026, although I admit he has plenty of work to do if he's to catch Scheffler at the top of the rankings. Nevertheless, three PGA Tour wins in four starts - plus another DP World Tour victory in the past six months - speaks to the level he's playing at currently.

And that's not far off a reflection of his entire career. To date, Fitzpatrick has 14 professional wins in 12 years as a pro. In addition, there are only two full seasons where he hasn't claimed at least one title - 2019 and 2024. He's a winner and he's been doing it for a while in big events.

When people discuss the greatest English golfers ever, the ones who feature prominently are those who have enjoyed success at a high level over long periods. I'm not saying Fitzpatrick should be considered among the Faldos or the Davies just yet, but surely he's on his way?

Wherever he ends up, I wish fans would give Fitzpatrick his flowers for what he's achieving right now because - personally - I don't think he's given the respect he deserves and I'm not sure why.

Maybe this run of success on the PGA Tour will swing people's opinion surrounding him. If so, I for one will be glad to see it happen.

Let us know your thoughts on the subject in the comments box below this article.

The year is only four months old but Matt Fitzpatrick has already earned enough money in 2026 to set him up for a lifetime.

The World No.3 is attempting to disrupt the status quo - formed by Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy - through his outstanding performances and is winning at a rate that has historically been associated with Tiger Woods, or more recently the aforementioned Scheffler.

At the time of writing, Fitzpatrick has three victories in his past four starts and is locking down his status as one of the best English golfers in the modern era.

Even when he hasn't triumphed, the former Northwestern University golfer has often been in the hunt and is able to boast a couple more top-10s from his first 10 starts this term.

Perhaps his hot start to the year is not surprising, though, especially when it's considered the Englishman defeated McIlroy at the DP World Tour Championship last November and was chaining top-10s together for fun in Europe in the weeks prior.

With a $3 million check secured to end 2025, Fitzpatrick was probably hopeful of performing well when he rocked up at The American Express to kick off 2026, only to be humbled somewhat with a T63rd finish and a payout of less than $20,000.

The 2022 US Open champion bounced back quickly though and racked up almost $300,000 courtesy of a ninth-place result at the WM Phoenix Open.

A couple of top-25s in consecutive $20 million Signature Events during February helped Fitzpatrick collect more than $500,000, and a T41st at the Arnold Palmer Invitational topped his earnings up by $78,000.

At this stage of the season, Fitzpatrick had scooped an impressive $899,488. However, he was about to multiply his earnings ten-fold via a truly dominant run.

The 31-year-old finished second at The Players to add almost $3 million to his season's tally before winning the Valspar Championship days later which earned him nearly $1.64 million.

A T18th at The Masters was enough to pick up a check for $315,000, with a $3.6 million check arriving at the RBC Heritage following Fitzpatrick's playoff success over Scheffler.

The very next week, Fitzpatrick combined perfectly with his brother Alex to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and secure all of the perks that come with the team title.

Through 10 PGA Tour events in 2026, Fitzpatrick has earned more than $10.5 million - most of which was gleaned across a six-week period in the spring.

That isn't quite the figure Fitzpatrick will have actually seen, though, because there are a number of different factors which affect how much a pro golfer really earns through tournaments.

Nevertheless, below is a full breakdown of Fitzpatrick's top-level earnings this season as well as his results at each event.

MATT FITZPATRICK EARNINGS 2026

'Inside The Ropes' is the chance for Golf Monthly's expert team to share its honest thoughts on the biggest subjects in the game. This week, it's all about Matt Fitzpatrick.

As far as form goes, there is no one on planet golf who comes close to Matt Fitzpatrick right now.

Three wins in his past four starts proves that, with the latest arriving alongside his brother Alex at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, and it also adds to the young Englishman's incredible body of work throughout his 12-year career.

Already a Major winner thanks to his US Open success in 2022, Fitzpatrick has managed to notch up a resume many of his compatriots can only dream of with huge wins all over the world.

With that said, should Fitzpatrick now be ranked among the best English golfers of the modern era? And if so, where would he place?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments box below this article. In the meantime, three of Golf Monthly's tour experts have had their say.

EH: It's tricky to assess where Fitzpatrick ranks in the all-time English golfer list as he is still active and has plenty of years left, but I would be inclined to put him above the likes of Paul Casey and Ian Poulter already considering he is a Major champion and a US Amateur champion.

I think he has a long way to go until he surpasses the achievements of Justin Rose, Lee Westwood and Luke Donald, but Westwood and Donald never managed to win a Major so Fitzpatrick has them both in that regard.

We haven't had a multiple Major-winning Englishman since Sir Nick Faldo, and it looks like Rose or Fitzpatrick could achieve that. If he does, I think Fitzy will go down as one of this country's greatest ever golfers.

MC: For me, Fitzpatrick is comfortably inside the top 10, if not in-and-around the top five, greatest English golfers in the modern era.

Since 2015, he has only had two seasons without a win and, during that decade, a Major, two Signature Events, two Rolex Series tournaments and three DP World Tour Championships have been added to his trophy cabinet.

These are high-caliber events, and that doesn't even include the four Ryder Cup appearances during that time frame.

The reason why I rank Fitzpatrick so highly is that he has done it on both sides of the pond. It's not solely the DP World Tour where he has had success.

Yes, the likes of Ian Poulter and Paul Casey have more worldwide wins and victories on the DP World Tour, but neither have as many PGA Tour victories or, crucially, a Major.

Fitzpatrick still has time on his side and, as of writing, he is behind Justin Rose and Lee Westwood (Nick Faldo and Laura Davies also) for me, but given his recent form I can see that changing rapidly.

Westwood never claimed a Major, but 25 DP World Tour wins, three Race to Dubai's, a World No.1 ranking, longevity of four decades and an incredible Ryder Cup career has him above Fitzpatrick.

If the latter can earn himself a Harry Vardon trophy, though, or even a FedEx Cup, another Major or more PGA Tour wins, I'd say Fitzpatrick will be fourth behind Rose.

JL: I would put Fitzpatrick inside the top-10 best English golfers of the modern era (since 1970), but he's not done enough just yet to crack the top-five.

His Major win and growing list of PGA Tour victories is lifting him up the list quickly, mind, and his ranking may well be even higher by the end of the year - especially if he adds to that US Open triumph.

Personally, I think Fitzpatrick has been hugely underrated for a long time anyway and his recent success is more like him fulfilling his potential, in my eyes.

He still has some way to go in terms of longevity, but if he can continue winning and eventually reaches 30 pro titles then maybe he could be talked about alongside the likes of Laura Davies, Justin Rose, Luke Donald and Lee Westwood.

He might also need to put some pressure on the World No.1 spot at the very least, but - right now - the World No.3 should be considered among the very best pro golfers England has ever produced.

Feel free to share your opinion with us in the comments box below.

Although it took a little longer than he'd have liked, Matt Fitzpatrick eventually won the RBC Heritage in a playoff against Scottie Scheffler at Harbour Town Golf Links on Sunday.

But that top line only tells part of the story, with the new World No.3 needing to overcome some particularly difficult circumstances in order to do so.

Not only did the wind begin to blow hard on the South Carolinan coast as the finish line approached, but the fans in attendance made their feelings crystal clear about who they were pulling for, and it wasn't Fitzpatrick.

As the 2022 US Open champion aimed to cling on to his 54-hole lead, which began at three strokes, Scheffler was slowly but surely chiseling away and closed to within one heading down the last.

At this point, the atmosphere felt almost Ryder Cup-like. Chants of 'USA, USA, USA' were being heard and the roars which met Scheffler hole-outs reverberated around an otherwise-sleepy corner of Hilton Head Island.

Despite a clumsy mistake at the 72nd hole which led to the playoff, Fitzpatrick kept his head down throughout and smiled in the face of the partisan crowd before putting his finger to his ear after the winning putt dropped.

It was all fun and games, really. No malice was intended by either party and Fitzpatrick confirmed afterwards that all was well from his side.

Speaking in his winner's press conference, the father-to-be explained how much he actually enjoyed the atmosphere late on Sunday.

He said: "No, it didn't get out of line in terms of... no one was shouting on backswings or anything like that, which was great.

"I'm all for it. I love the people. They're supporting Scottie, that's great. You want golf to have an atmosphere, in my opinion."

Sunday wasn't the first time that Fitzpatrick has been the antihero in home supporters' eyes recently.

Cameron Young, who was playing in the same group as Fitzpatrick in that final round, was carried to a remarkable win at The Players Championship last month by a raucous crowd at TPC Sawgrass.

At the time, Fitzpatrick downplayed the effect that noise had on him, stating that it was "child's play compared to the Ryder Cup."

And once again at the RBC Heritage, the 31-year-old spoke of his love for a boisterous crowd - even claiming that it spurred him on to victory on Sunday.

Using a soccer analogy to illustrate his point, Fitzpatrick said: "I grew up watching football. I'm paid so much money to be out there in front of those crowds, having them chanting at you every week, it's great feeling.

"However, there's no better feeling than coming out on top against that. There isn't a better feeling.

"To describe it in my terms, it's kind of like winning away against your biggest rival. Nothing to do with Scottie or the players; it's the fans that have sort of spurred me on there.

"It was nice to obviously win, but it never crossed the line. It was just loud. Just loud."

Later on in the press conference, Fitzpatrick was once again quizzed on the subject and asked whether he found it strange the Ryder Cup rivalry had been reignited by fans on the PGA Tour.

The Englishman's response was typically considered and cheeky. He said: "No, no. Americans are incredibly patriotic, and I think that was amazing.

"I guess the only issue is they just have shorter memories because we won in [September] (smiling)."

The fact that Matt Fitzpatrick won the Valspar Championship at all was remarkable - not least because of frustration that was building inside his own head during the final round.

Part of that was down to a handful of good putts which just refused to drop throughout the first 14 holes, but the majority of Fitzpatrick's irritation was due to his playing partner's painfully slow pace.

Adrien Dumont de Chassart's day will not be fondly remembered by anyone after a triple-bogey eight at the first and another at the 11th. But the rest of his round did not contain any further nightmares, so the pair should have - in theory - been able to keep up with the group in front.

During the NBC broadcast, on-course reporter John Wood called Dumont de Chassart's speed "glacial, to be kind."

A build-up of negative emotion caused Fitzpatrick, on the 11th hole, to hit his approach before the Belgian (even though he was closer to the green) and wander up to the putting surface while waiting three minutes more for Dumont de Chassart to play.

At that point, the 2022 US Open winner found a rules official and asked them to do something. The 26-year-old, who did not help himself by taking a long time to untangle himself from the mess his tee shot had created, was unofficially timed before being given an official warning later down the back nine.

Throughout the round, Fitzpatrick and his toiling playing partner were constantly under the watchful eyes of a referee which was annoying the Englishman as he tried to contend for the title. There was even a reported glare in Dumont de Chassart's direction at one point from Fitzpatrick after a holed putt by the Ryder Cup star.

Luckily for Fitzpatrick, a lack of rhythm did not upset his chances of victory too badly and he clinched a second outright PGA Tour title to follow up the RBC Heritage victory from 2023.

Meanwhile, Dumont de Chassart finished the week with a three-over 74 to leave him T26th on three-under-par.

During his champion's press conference, Fitzpatrick was asked about his final-round frustrations over the group's pace.

Although he failed to name drop Dumont de Chassart specifically, the direction of Fitzpatrick's annoyance was clear.

He said: "Yeah, that was really frustrating. It was slow today. I felt like there was a lot of stop-start. Yeah, just, you know, just not ready.

"When you're not ready to play a golf shot it gets frustrating after a while. Particularly when you playing well yourself or you're in contention or whatever it is...

"It definitely knocks you out of your rhythm because you hit, you walk to it, you kind of think about it, you hit again, and you go.

"There in particular, that hole [the 11th], then you're around a stretch there that can get a little bit quirky with different shots and stuff, so you have to be on it. It definitely knocked me out of rhythm I felt like for the next two, three holes.

"I was kind of chasing my tail, because I'm trying to speed up and trying to keep us or get back in position, and at the same time you're obviously trying to win a golf tournament. So it's like at that point in the week it's kind of a hard balance, yeah."

The 31-year-old has spoken about the issue many times previously and rarely minces his words, such is his passion for the subject of slow play.

One particularly memorable monologue arrived after his win at Harbor Town in 2023, when Fitzpatrick called out the tours for their lack of action over the issue.

Speaking to Sky Sports at the time, he said: "I think they give us way too much leeway to get round. If you're in a three ball in my opinion you should be round in four hours, four-and-a-half absolute maximum, it's a disgrace to get anywhere near that. You're talking five-fifteen, five-and-a-half at some venues and it's truly appalling.

“The problem is, though, this conversation has gone on for years and years and years, and no one has ever done anything.

“So I feel it’s almost a waste of time talking about it every time. I have my opinions - they’re probably strong opinions - but PGA Tour, DP World Tour, no one’s going to do anything about it.”

After a late charge on the final day at TPC Sawgrass, Matt Fitzpatrick was within touching distance of claiming The Players Championship crown, but he was unable to get over the line after a costly final hole bogey.

In the end, it was his playing partner Cameron Young who took the PGA Tour's Flagship Event, as a birdie-par finish gave him a one stroke victory. That certainly pleased the crowd in Florida, who were more than eager to see an American lift the iconic trophy.

Over the final stages, it was clear that the American crowd were in support of their home-hero, with Englishman Fitzpatrick the recipient of playful booing and patriotic chants from those in attendance.

Although the boos and jeers may have put Fitzpatrick off, the Major winner clarified to the press it didn't bother him, and that it was nowhere near as bad as the atmosphere at Bethpage for the Ryder Cup.

He said: "Listen, the crowd, that was literally child's play compared to Bethpage. If they think that that was anything, then they need to reassess. Get yourself up to New York.

"That's how it is. I would hope it's the exact same if -- well, it probably wouldn't be because we're a little bit more polite in Europe, I would say, but I would hope it would be of similar intensity in Europe.

"I knew it was coming. I had it with Jordan Spieth in 2023. It's funny to me. I find it hilarious."

To be fair, Fitzpatrick has been involved in four Ryder Cups now, so he knows a thing or two about dealing with high-pressure situations.

Claiming his best result on the PGA Tour since 2023, Fitzpatrick ended up securing $2.75m for finishing second at The Players Championship and, along with the paycheck, a healthy amount of FedEx Cup points ahead of a big stretch of golf for the Englishman.

Both Keegan Bradley and PGA of America president Don Rea appeared to suggest that the Ryder Cup abuse at Bethpage Black was similar to what Team USA experienced in Rome in 2023.

That suggestion has been immediately rebuffed by two of Europe's Ryder Cup stars who played in both tournaments - and said comparisons between the two were "pretty offensive to European fans".

Saturday afternoon in particular will go down as one of the most controversial in Ryder Cup history - with Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry being subjected to huge amounts of personal abuse at Bethpage Black.

But an interview Rea gave to the BBC on Saturday night, saying "you know, it happens when we're over in Rome on the other side" did not go down too well with the visitors.

PGA of America CEO Derek Sprague has since apologized for the abuse Europe suffered - and will personally write to McIlroy and his wife Erica in particular as she was also the subject of abuse - and even had a drink thrown on her on Saturday.

But captain Bradley was another to equate what happened at Bethpage to how the European crowd behaved in Rome - even though he didn't play in that Ryder Cup.

"I wasn't at Rome, but I heard a lot of stories that Rome was pretty violent as well," said Bradley at Bethpage. "But the fans of New York from what I have seen have been pretty good."

“You're always going to have a few people that cross the line, and that's unfortunate."

The comparison has been flatly rejected by both Tyrrell Hatton and Matt Fitzpatrick, who played in both events and said they do not come close.

"I saw those comments about the - I saw the interview with the PGA guy discussing about it was the same in Rome," said Fitzpatrick.

"It's pretty offensive to European fans the fact that he said that, really."

Hatton feels the same, adding: "Personally, I don't think they were close at all.

"I certainly, with what I heard last week, I don't think Rome comes anywhere near that.

"To be honest, personally, I don't agree with what they both said there. I don't know what else to add to that. I think they are quite far apart to be honest."

How will Ryder Cup crowd react in Ireland?

There is a slight worry the European crowd at Adare Manor in 2027 might seek revenge and give Team USA similar treatment, but most believe they will react in the right way.

And for the most part, the European crowds have been more about backing their own side than trying to intimidate the Americans - with humor usually at the core.

"If it was my choice, and obviously what I say isn't really going to affect how people behave, but I don't really think that the insults is the way forward," said Hatton.

"I don't think it (Ireland in 2027) will be as hostile as maybe as it was last week. I'd like to think that it will be very respectful."

And Fitzpatrick has no concerns at all, adding that Rea was well wide of the mark with his comments on Rome.

"I don't have any worries about European fans.," said Fitzpatrick. "What the The PGA of America guy said about it was the same in Rome, he clearly wasn't there.

"I guess he wasn't there or he must have been listening to something else because it was just never the case that it was anything like that. It's always been playful and just banter, really."

Matt Fitzpatrick says he noticed "a little bit of bitterness" from PGA of America president Don Rea during the Ryder Cup trophy presentation on Sunday.

After making a quick turnaround for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews, Fitzpatrick reflected on a memorable Ryder Cup victory in New York.

Top of the list, of course, was the behavior of the crowd in New York, which PGA of America CEO Derek Sprague plans on apologizing personally for.

That's a different tone than president of the PGA of America Don Rea struck at Bethpage when playing it down somewhat after that hectic Saturday - but it was his demeanour on Sunday that Fiztpatrick noted.

"You know, I don't want to speak on behalf of everyone but we did feel there was a little bit of bitterness when we got to the - when they presented the trophy there and shook their hands," Fitzpatrick said at the Alfred Dunhill Championship.

The Sheffield man says that fellow Englishman Justin Rose also noted a hint of bitterness from Rea at the presentation - especially when he congratulated Europe for 'retaining' the Ryder Cup when in fact they won it outright 15-13.

"Me and Rosey both looked at each other as if to say, that wasn't a very heartfelt congratulations, I know that," said Fitzpatrick of Rea's attitude at the ceremony.

"And he said we only retained it but actually we won it, so...."

Although Rea hasn't seemed too concerned about the fan behavior, Sprague was much more disappointed, saying it had "no place in the Ryder Cup".

Fitzpatrick and most of the European side dealt with it superbly after being well prepared by captain Luke Donald, although most did not get the levels of abuse saved for Rory McIlroy.

"For me personally, people were giving me abuse about my braces. They were giving me abuse about my Skechers. Like that was kind of the extent that I heard," Fitzpatrick explained.

"Obviously Rory, Shane, in particular, got a lot on that Saturday afternoon, a lot worse, I guess. And obviously you see clips of various things being shouted out. Obviously it wasn't great, and like Rory said, it wasn't acceptable."

And although he understands why the PGA of America would want to apologize, Fitzpatrick accepts it was a minority of fans who got out of control.

"They can't control what comes out of everyone's mouth, there's no doubt about it," he added.

"I wouldn't say we were looking for an apology but I would say it's understandable that they would apologise. I've had a number of friends who are American send messages, texts, all sorts, apologizing for the fans and saying really sorry that you had to deal with that stuff.

"But we knew what we were going to deal with going in. Luke and the team did such an amazing job with that; you over prepare so that actually when you get there, we expected this, anyway. So it wasn't an issue."

It's not often that having your golf ball stolen is a good thing - but that was exactly the case for Matt Fitzpatrick after a bizarre incident at the BMW PGA Championship.

It came during the delayed first round, when thunder and lightning at Wentworth forced the tournament to be stopped for over 90 minutes.

The timing was good for Fitzpatrick, who had just hit a wayward drive into the trees off the 18th tee, leading to him having to play a provisional.

Normally, the sight of two young lads running off with his golf ball would leave a pro golfer furious, but on this occasion it helped Fitzpatrick as he carded a six-under round of 66.

As since the thieves were spotted making off with Fitzpatrick's ball, when play resumed he was able to take a penalty drop rather than use his provisional.

"Someone from the public saw two lads running into the bushes, running out with a golf ball and so they can only think it was my ball," Fitzpatrick explained.

"I made a bogey six, but if we'd had to find it, we probably wouldn't have.

"I'd then have had to play my provisional ball and it would likely have been worse. So, all in all, it was a good result.

"I'd have preferred rather than steal it, they'd chucked it back out on to the fairway."

The bogey on 18 was just the second of the day for Fitzpatrick, who also picked up eight birdies to continue his strong form heading towards the Ryder Cup.

The Englishman was on the outside looking in for the first half of the season, but has finished strong, with T4 finishes at the Open and Scottish Open in particular impressing Luke Donald and moving him up the rankings.

Six top eight finishes in his last eight tournaments heading to Wenworth mean that now he will travel to Bethpage as one of the form horses in the European set up.

Many amateur golfers spend the majority of their practice sessions and time on the course fixated with how far they hit their driver or trying to sharpen up their short game... meaning strategy is often overlooked.

The importance of spending time evaluating the hole you are about to play, creating a plan to navigate it effectively and executing your intention is often lost on the average golfer, but it really should be higher on their priority list.

In this video and article, 2022 US Open Champion Matt Fitzpatrick shares his on-course strategy tips - providing an interesting look at the mindset of a Major Champion. Take note... this information will help you to play better golf!

Matt Fitzpatrick Golf Strategy: 6 Tips From A Major Winner

1. Preparation

When strategising on the tee box, one of the first things that Matt Fitzpatrick does is perform an overall assessment of the hole. As you can see in the video, this particular test has a number of less than ideal spots to avoid, but Matt creates a stellar plan to navigate his way around them.

"This hole is pretty straightforward, I think you (Joe) told me the bunkers are around 315 yards, so I won't be getting there today. We (my caddie and I) would look at this hole and think, where do we want to hit it? The bunkers are obviously trouble here, so we don't want to run it out at that, so we'd keep it short of that".

The planning doesn't all happen on the course however, as Matt and his caddie would be working throughout the week to ensure they are as prepared as possible to face the course come the first round of competition play. When caddie-for-the-day Joe Ferguson asked if the plan is fixed, or a little more flexible, Matt replied:

"Obviously, we have a flexible plan. I think you've always got to stay that way, but we make our plan on a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday - particularly if it's a golf course we haven't seen before. We would go through the holes as we play them during practice rounds and decide on what we are going to do.

"Is it hybrid here, or 4-iron, or driver? Do we take out the bunker or not? There is a lot that goes into it. We would decide on what we do the night before, but obviously from then it would depend on the tournament situation as to whether we change it or not".

2. Stock Shots

Plenty of amateur golfers will have a stock shot without really knowing it, depending on which way they naturally shape their golf shots. For some, and often with higher-handicap golfers, that shape might be more pronounced, but understanding your flights and trajectories will help you to strategise on the tee box. When asked about his stock shot, Matt replied:

"I hit a stock draw off the tee, that's what I'll do regardless. Occasionally, if the hole forces a shape, then obviously I will have to do that, which is something I am happy doing but it's easier to stick with a stock shot".

3. Keep A Record

If you are someone who plays the same golf course regularly, perhaps as a club member, keeping a record of your performance on each hole could help you to better understand your game and avoid costly mistakes.

Matt Fitzpatrick is one of the games great analysts, keeping detailed notes of his performance in a range of areas during the round.

"(I keep notes on) a bit of everything, like what my target is, what club I hit, where the wind is, how the ball is lying above or below my feet, where the pin is... all sorts of things."

When asked why he makes those notes specifically, Matt replied:

"It could be what it does to the yardage, or sometimes there is a common theme like losing strokes with your 7-iron but every shot where you have lost strokes the ball has been below your feet. Right, ok, so I need to practice with the ball below my feet. If you think about when you are playing golf, and the ground we are walking on now, how many golf shots do you hit where it's perfectly flat every time? The answer is probably 10 percent, so why are you practicing on lies that are flat all the time."

4. What Information Do You Need?

When you arrive at your golf ball after hitting a great tee shot, the worst thing you can do is to reach straight for a club and proceed to hastily hit it towards the general direction of the flag. Instead, take a moment to take on board some data and as a result, make an informed decision.

"The first thing is to get the yardage for the front (of the green) and a yardage to the pin. From there, look at your book. Tour books have a lot of detail about the greens, like whether their is slope short or long, bunkers left or right and hazards or whatever it may be. Once you look at that, you know that in this instance we have 188-yards, we know it's releasing six yards so we want to land it 182 (yards). We might have 5-yards of down wind, so all of a sudden it's 177 (yards). Maybe it's a bit warmer or colder, in this case it's cooler so its probably back to playing around 180 (yards), so then you work out - what is your 180-club? For me, it's a 7-iron".

5. Assessing The Lie

It's important not to treat every shot from a certain distance exactly the same, as often the lie will have an impact on the flight and distance of a particular shot. So, what advice does Matt Fitzpatrick have when assessing the lie?

"In this case, the ball is in the semi (rough), which makes a negligible difference. If the ball is in the rough, you are thinking something that might be a bit heavier so take more club. You might also have a 'flyer', out of drier rough, so you also have to think about that.

6. The 'Cant-Miss' Zones Around The Green

To certain greens, there are sometimes 'cant-miss' zones where it would be extremely difficult to save par... or if particularly bad - your score. Factoring this into your strategy will help to avoid big numbers, and costly penalty shots, so it's a worthwhile exercise to heed Matt's advice...

"If there is a water hazard right of the green, you aim further left away from the pin. If there is a bunker, but it's an easy up-and-down, then you could play a little more aggressively. You've done your homework in the practice rounds, so you can then take that into account".

The Golf Monthly tips section is a treasure trove of excellent expert tips, from top tour professionals, giving you the best chance to play your best golf. Why not check out some of our top selections...

• 5 Timeless Lessons From Jack Nicklaus
• Patrick Reed Short Game School
• Denny McCarthy: 5 Putting Tips From The Best Putter On The PGA Tour
• Collin Morikawa's Top Tips To Becoming A Better Golfer
• Bunker Play The Lowry Way

I’ve seen some pretty good deals over the past 48 hours during the Amazon Prime Big Deal Days, but the Arccos Link Pro on sale may be the one that more golfers should be paying attention to.

Many of us play socially, yet don’t necessarily practice and still want to see improvement. Well, paying attention to tendencies on the golf course is one of the easiest ways to see improvement and that’s why all the players on the PGA Tour are using statistics to help them improve their game, even if it’s only marginally. 

Matt Fitzpatrick is known for how diligent he is about tracking all of his shots and that’s why Arccos makes complete sense to be a company partnered with him and the PGA Tour as their official game tracking partners.

Through the use of shot tracking companies such as Arccos, golfers can gain a much better understanding of the things they do both right or things they can improve on when on the golf course. Examples of this would be seeing a high percentage of tee shots with a driver missing to the right or regularly coming up short with approach shots when hitting a 7-iron.

Arccos works through a satellite signal to automatically track your shots as you play through a round of golf. Sensors are added to the end of your grips and work in conjunction with the Link Pro Device or your cell phone in order to determine what club has been selected. 

Many golfers struggle playing with a phone in their pocket and that’s where the Link Pro comes in particularly handy. The small, lightweight and thin fob-like device can slide into your pocket and you seriously wouldn’t even be aware it’s there.

Previously golfers would have had to have clipped a device on the pockets of their pants and I can attest to how fiddly and annoying that can be. The Link Pro removes all of that inconvenience and you can now get it during the Amazon Prime Big Deal Days for 20% off the retail price. Saving just shy of $50 is a huge saving on a brand that is rarely on sale but act fast if you want to take advantage of this offer!

Matt Fitzpatrick believes that the DP World Tour made a mistake by forming a strategic alliance with the PGA Tour.

The 2022 US Open champion is preparing to defend his Alfred Dunhill Links Championship title on the DP World Tour, and beforehand, he told reporters why he thinks the Europe-based circuit has had the rough end of the deal since they came together in 2020, and explained that the invites PGA Tour players recieved to the BMW PGA Championship at the expense of its own members was something that particularly rankled.

"I don't think the Tour should have gone with the PGA Tour," declared Fitzpatrick." I was pretty livid, to be honest, at Wentworth when I found out that there was a handful of PGA Tour players coming to play Wentworth, and at that point in time, not every person who kept their card last year got in the field, which I think is a disgrace. 

"That's the flagship event. There's no invites given to European Tour players at The Players Championship. So why are we dishing them out for Wentworth?"

Despite his issues with the partnership, nowadays Fitzpatrick mainly plays on the PGA Tour, but he admitted that he has little option if he wants to achieve his goals.

He added: "Now I'm sat here as now mainly a PGA Tour nowadays, which people probably say, well, you don't come back and play anyway. Yeah, I understand that. But I think the way of looking at it is, there's not really been left with any option.

"If you want to achieve the things that you want to achieve in the game, you've got to play against the best players. You have to play where the best world ranking points are, and unfortunately with that, the money follows that."

This week's tournament, which sees each professional compete alongside an amateur, will be played against the backdrop of continuing uncertainty over the future of the men's elite game as talks continue between the DP World Tour, the PGA Tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) behind LIV Golf over how the three circuits can coexist.

DP World Tour CEO Guy Kinnings will naturally be on site at the event, but a big twist came when it was confirmed that not only would PGA Tour commisioner Jay Monahan and PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan also attend, but they would be paired together for the opening round.

While that inevitably led to questions over what it could mean for the negotiations, Fitzpatrick was unmoved by the revelation. He said: "Yeah, I don't think they are going to decide the future of golf in five hours around Carnoustie."

He also feels trying to influence the outcome of the discussions isn't worth his time. "I think in terms of bringing the game together this week, I'm past the point of caring. I just don't care," he said. "Me saying things to the PGA Tour board, me saying things to the DP World Tour board, it's not going to change, so why am I going to waste my time talking about it?"

As for his game, Fitzpatrick will be hoping the event he won last year can kickstart a return to form after a poor season by his standards. He said: "Yeah, really poor. Really poor. Not what I wanted to achieve at all. Not coming into contention once, or probably once, to be fair. Yeah, just not at all what I wanted.

"It's been the hardest year of my career by a mile. You know, but not even close. It's been the worst. It's been my worst year on the golf course for sure results-wise. It's just obviously something that I've had to deal with. Something I've had to learn about."

Fitzpatrick tees it up alongside LIV Golf's Tyrrell Hatton in Thursday's opening round. They begin at 6.23am ET (11.23am BST).

Team GB's Matt Fitzpatrick has withdrawn from the men's Olympic golf tournament after the third round, a statement from the International Golf Federation has confirmed.

Fitzpatrick's withdrawal is due to "a pre-existing right thumb strain", and leaves Tommy Fleetwood as the only Team GB representative remaining in the competition.

When asked about his teammates withdrawal, Fleetwood said: "I feel for Fitz, really. The Olympics is something that's very special and comes around once every four years, and yeah, pulling out for injury is part and parcel for the sport. Horrible time for it to happen. I haven't spoken to him yet. I just feel for Fitz, really."

Despite carding an encouraging second round 64, a dismal third round 81 left Fitzpatrick languishing towards the bottom of the leaderboard prior to his withdrawal.

Four bogeys and one birdie in his first twelve holes made for a less than ideal start, but a double-bogey at 13 and a quadruple-bogey at 15 saw Fitzpatrick slide down the leaderboard at an alarming rate.

A bogey-free second round, including seven birdies, couldn't have been more different to his moving day fortunes, and you have to assume that the on-going injury played a part in his Saturday scoring.

Fitzpatrick has had a mixed season so far, with a 5th place finish at The Players perhaps the highlight. After finishing outside the top-36 in his last four tournaments, it's clear that Fitzpatrick arrived in Paris without his best form and he will surely be hoping for a quick recovery prior to the upcoming FedEx Cup Play-offs on the PGA Tour.

Even without Fitzpatrick, Team GB still have a great chance of bagging a medal. Fleetwood goes into the final round just one shot back of the leaders at Le Golf National, and will be looking to claim another gold for Team GB after a promising start to the 2024 Olympic games.

Former US Open champion, Matt Fitzpatrick, has teamed up with Arccos, the Official Game Tracker of the PGA Tour, as an investor and Tour ambassador.

The Englishman, who is well known for collecting stats whenever he plays, would appear to be the perfect match for Arccos, a company that provides real-time on-course data to deliver golfers powerful insights.

The World No. 14 will continue to use Arccos to analyze his performances, and he’ll also play more of a role working with the company, with a view to helping golfers of all abilities to shoot lower scores.

“I’ve always had a huge interest in the power of data and how it can help me play my best. That’s why I started to work with Edoardo Molinari and what drove me to use Arccos,” said Fitzpatrick, the 2022 US Open champion.

“I’m thoroughly impressed by how much they've helped golfers make smarter decisions and shoot lower scores. On Tour we use the data to shave a fraction of a stroke so you can imagine the impact Arccos insights have for amateur players.”

The eight-time DP World Tour winner is the first client of Molinari’s analytics service, now called Arccos Pro Insights, which he credits as key to his US Open victory at Brookline Country Club.

Arccos Pro Insights counts more than 35 Tour professionals as clients – including Viktor Hovland, and Nelly Korda – with Molinari serving as Arccos’ Chief Data Strategist and Lead Tour Ambassador.

Arccos, which launched its Link Pro shot tracking assistant earlier this year, has built the sport’s largest on-course dataset, and encompasses over 900 million shots and more than 1.5 trillion data points across 18 million rounds recorded by Arccos members.

The system, which features a smart sensor in each club grip and is paired with a mobile app, is a trusted tool for both amateurs and elite players worldwide.

“Matt’s success to this point and the role data has played is so impressive to me and speaks to the authenticity of his relationship with Arccos,” said Sal Syed, Arccos CEO & Co-Founder.

“He is a user and true advocate for the power of what we have built, especially through his accomplishments while working with Edoardo.

“With Matt now an investor in Arccos and using the system to capture his data, the insights he provides will help fuel our product development and further accelerate our growth.”

A unique event on the PGA Tour, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, takes place at TPC Louisiana.

The event sees 160 players form 80 teams of two with rounds alternating between fourball and foursomes and a 36-hole cut that sees the top 33 teams and ties progress.

Last year, Davis Riley and Nick Hardy beat the Canadian pairing of Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin for their maiden PGA Tour titles. That also handed them a first prize of $1,242,700 each from the overall purse of $8.6m.

This year, there’s even more on offer, with an overall prize money payout of $8.9m, meaning each of the winners will receive $1,286,050.

Among the other incentives are 400 FedEx Cup points for each of the winners and a two-year PGA Tour exemption. They will also claim spots at the PGA Championship and signature events, as well as next year’s Sentry and Players Championship. However, unlike most other PGA Tour events, winners won’t receive either a Masters invite or world ranking points.

Below is the prize money payout for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

Zurich Classic Of New Orleans Prize Money Payout

Who Are The Star Names In The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans?

Some of the biggest names in the game are in the field, including four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy, who has teamed up with Shane Lowry for his first appearance at the tournament.

The defending champions are Davis Riley and Nick Hardy, who beat Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor in 2023, and all four also return as part of the same teams.

The pair who won in 2022, Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, team up again too. Last year, 2022 US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick joined forces with his brother Alex after a text exchange, and they also return.

Elsewhere, two-time Major winner Collin Morikawa plays alongside 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational winner Kurt Kitayama, while World No.17 Sahith Theegala is in a team with Will Zalatoris.

Team Europe Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald also appears, and he teams up with one of his vice-captains from the 2023 edition at Marco Simone, Francesco Molinari, while fresh from his Corales Puntacana Championship win, Billy Horschel, who has two victories at the tournament, plays alongside Alexander Tyson.

As far as getting great golf tips goes, there aren't many better people to learn from than a Major Champion who has already amassed 10 professional wins in as many years.

On his way to winning the 2023 RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links, Matt Fitzpatrick pulled off one of the most iconic shots in the tournament's history. A three-hole playoff with Jordan Spieth created the tense but thrilling backdrop, as the 2022 US Open Champion claimed a 2nd PGA Tour victory in emphatic style.

In this video and article, Todd Anderson, Director of Instruction at The PGA Tour Performance Centre, shares a great tip that helped Fitzpatrick claim the RBC Heritage title...

Matt Fitzpatrick's Winning Shot At The 2023 RBC Heritage...

In the third playoff hole at the 2023 RBC Heritage, Matt Fitzpatrick found the fairway with his tee shot and left himself 187 yards to the green on the 18th hole. His second shot was a striped 9-iron that landed on the front of the green and released to within 12 inches of the hole, greeted by rapturous applause from the fans surrounding the putting surface.

As Todd Anderson explains in the video above, this key decision had a huge impact on that majestic moment:

"He didn't try to fly the ball all the way to the flagstick. He and his caddie went through a calculation, which you should do on every shot.

"They knew how far the ball would release once it hit the green. It was a little bit downwind, and even though they were probably between clubs, they took the longer club and swung smoothly at it. That took some spin off, so that the ball could land where they wanted it to and release back to the hole.

"Even thought Matthew (Fitzpatrick) was between clubs, and there was a decision to make on which club to use, he selected the right club, decided where he wanted to land it, made a decisive swing to that number and with the tournament on the line was able to execute an awesome shot to win the RBC Heritage."

How Do I Choose The Right Club To Hit On The Golf Course?

When deciding which club to hit on the golf course, you should be considering a number of factors.

Firstly, do you know how far each club in your bag goes? If not, that is the first thing you need to remedy. Spend some time on the range, or with your local club pro, and record your stock yardages as these will be invaluable on the course.

Secondly, rather than trying to go flat out to reach a number, consider going down a club and swinging more smoothly. Tempo and rhythm are huge in the golf swing, and swinging above your limit can cause a number of common swing faults.

Lastly, make a plan. Don't just pull a club and hit it, try instead to consider where you want to land the ball. Think about any danger you need to avoid, where the 'good' miss is, and be confident in your decision. Once you have done that, all that's left to do is step up and commit to your shot.

Matt Fitzpatrick is defending the RBC Heritage title at Harbour Town this week. Watch all four days live on Sky Sports.

From a player that's as detailed-oriented as Matt Fitzpatrick, it seems quite remarkable that a problem with his driving came from such a simple mistake.

The 2022 US Open champion was playing with an added weight in the grip of his driver for a year without even realising.

Fitzpatrick had added a four-gram weight on his driver grip when doing some testing in February 2023, but as it remained there without his knowledge he started noticing a miss left with his big dog creeping into his game.

And since the Englishman had simply forgotten all about the added weight, the solution only came to light when his driver was being regripped in February this year.

"There was a weight in the grip, which we did some testing with in February last year, and never took it out. For whatever reason, I just forgot that it was ever in there,” Fitzpatrick said.

“As soon as it came out and I hit it the next day, it felt night and day. I could hit it as hard as I want, and it wouldn’t go left. Previously, I felt like I hit it hard, and it would just go straight left.”

Fitzpatrick still managed to win the RBC Heritage and Dunhill Links Championship despite the issue, which caused all kinds of confusion.

"My driving kind of got worse from pretty much after Harbour Town, and we were going back and forth," Fitzpatrick admitted.

"We were just very confused swing-wise, did all sorts. Turns out, take the weight out of the top of the driver, and I think since Phoenix is when I've taken it out, I've driven it a lot better.

"Maybe I'd have won four times if I had it out."

The issue saw Fitzpatrick fall from 10th to 92nd on the PGA Tour in strokes gained off the tee last year.

And it seemed to pay off at TPC Sawgrass as Fitzpatrick only missed three fairways and was ranked top of the field in driving in his opening round of 66, which saw him just one shot off the lead 

“I drove it like I feel like I can drive it,” he said. “To me, it felt a bit like my old self: drove the ball well, putted well, and that’s always been the key to when I’ve played well, really.”

Luke Donald is excited at how his European team is shaping up as he now starts to formulate a plan for his rookie inclusions for the Ryder Cup in Rome, which kicks off in less than 100 days.

It’s an exciting landmark for all golf fans, and the Ryder Cup captain for Europe is also feeling it as he teed it up at the BMW International Open with several European hopefuls in the field.

Donald was playing alongside Pablo Larrazabal for the first two rounds in Munich, while the likes of Adrian Meronk, Victor Perez, Jorge Campillo and Rasmus Hojgaard are all in the field and all thought to be in the captain’s thoughts.

And as the qualification process enters it’s most intense period, Donald says he’s really happy with how his team is shaping up, and in particular with how potential European rookies have been playing on the DP World Tour.

“100 days to go until the Ryder Cup, everything’s coming closer and more real so I’m excited,” said Donald as he teed it up in Germany.

“There are established players and players who have been there who are playing really well. Every week it seems like they’re up there consistently in the big events, against strong fields, playing really well.

“I wish that to continue and I think from the side of trying to fulfil the team and fill those last few spots, we’re looking for some rookies who are really keen to be a part of it.

“There have been some great stories and great victories from those guys too, so I’m really happy with where we are.”

Regardless of qualification, it’s a pretty safe bet that Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry and Justin Rose will form the base of the side.

Who will win rookie race for Ryder Cup spots?

That realistically leaves four spots up for grabs, with one possibly coming automatically via the European points list, where Yannik Paul currently occupies a spot on the team – although he suffered a blow when pulling out of the BMW through injury.

Of course, it’s likely one of the big guns pinches that spot with huge amounts of points on offer in the final Rolex Series Events and the Open Championship – so Donald will have to find which rookies will fit best.

He’s excited about his options though and the desire shown by his potential Ryder Cup rookies for Rome.

“I said from the beginning that I’m looking to see the excitement and commitment from these guys to be a part of that,” he added. “I’m very excited with how it’s going, how these guys are playing over here on the DP World Tour.”

Donald’s also smiling this week in Germany as he can have some valuable face-to-face time with his three Ryder Cup vice-captains – with Edoardo Molinari, Nicolas Colsaerts and Thomas Bjorn all around to bounce ideas off.

“It’s another reason why it’s important to be here. Edoardo is here, Nicolas is here, Thomas is here, we’ll be having dinner tonight to discuss stuff,” said Donald.

“It’s much better to be here in person having those conversations together. We can get through a lot of important information. Communication is invaluable and that will certainly be stepping up over the next few months."

As one of the most eagerly anticipated tournaments of the year, the US Open has had plenty of talking points during the build-up, including the venue, Los Angeles Country Club, which is hosting a Major for the first time.

The tournament will be breaking new ground in another area, too – the prize money, which has been confirmed by USGA CEO Mike Whan as $20m. That’s the largest in Major championship history.

Last year’s tournament featured a top prize of $17.5m, with $3.15m handed to eventual winner Matt Fitzpatrick. However, this year, the winner will receive an even more eye-catching $3.6m.

The increase also means that in just two years, the US Open purse has swelled by an incredible $7.5m, or 62.5%, since Jon Rahm lifted the trophy at Torrey Pines in 2021.  

That is surely another sign of the changing times the golf world is in the midst of, with the money entering the game remaining a hot topic following the emergence of LIV Golf. 

While that circuit's tournaments routinely offer $25m, the PGA Tour was forced to rethink its prize funds to persuade its best players to stay. That means many of its tournaments are now designated events, which generally offer an identical sum to the purse in this week’s Major. Continuing that theme of familiarity, those events also tend to offer $3.6m to the winner.

The two previous Majors in 2023 offered considerably smaller sums than this week's tournament. The Masters at Augusta National had a purse of $18 million, of which winner Jon Rahm claimed $3.24m, while the PGA Championship at Oak Hill the following month had a $17.5m prize fund, earning champion Brooks Koepka $3.15m.

As well as considerably boosting his bank balance, the winner will enjoy several more perks for his victory, including keeping the trophy for a year, receiving the Jack Nicklaus Medal and earning an exemption into the tournament for the next 10 years.

With the third men’s Major of the year fast approaching, Los Angeles Country Club (LACC) prepares to open its doors to the world’s best players. The historic Beverly Hills private club was founded over 126 years ago in 1897 and, despite maintaining its position as one of America’s premier golf courses, has largely remained cut off from the outside world.

The 123rd US Open this week will be the first time that the club has hosted a Major championship, having first opened discussions with the USGA to do so in 2014.  However, LACC does have a storied history of hosting several other famous golf tournaments. It was, after all, the site for the very first Los Angeles Open, now known as the Genesis Invitational. 

Hosting the first edition in 1926, the tournament returned to the club on four other occasions: 1934, 1935, 1936 and 1940. Then, 14 years later, the club hosted the US Junior Amateur Golf Championship in 1954, but it would be over 60 years before LACC would host another major golf tournament. 

That ended in 2017 when the club was the site of the 2017 Walker Cup, contested between the top amateurs from America against Great Britain and Ireland. On that occasion, America ran out comprehensive 19-7 victors, with the US team at the time made up of current stars including World No.1 Scottie Scheffler, two-time Major champion Collin Morikawa, as well as high ranking PGA Tour stars like Will Zalatoris and Maverick McNealy. 

The European team also featured notable names such as 2022 Italian Open champion Robert MacIntyre and DP World Tour regulars Connor Syme, Matthew Jordan and Jack Singh Brar. 

Alongside these events, the club has also hosted a number of college golf tournaments, perhaps most notably the Pac-12 Championship in 2013. It was at that tournament that current World No. 7 and six-time PGA Tour winner, Max Homa, set the LACC course record. 

The former University of California golfer and Los Angeles native shot a nine-under-par 61 to set a course record that remains to this day. Given the current conditions of the course this week, the American will do well to match such a feat in what promises to be an intriguing affair on America’s west coast.

England’s Matt Fitzpatrick will be tasked with defending the title that he won at the Country Club in Brookline last year, but will face a tall order against a stacked 156-man field. 

It's US Open week! The world's best golfers have headed to the west coast and the glorious Los Angeles Country Club in Beverly Hills, LA.

This year's tournament is the US Open's 123rd playing, with England's Matt Fitzpatrick hoping to defend the title he won at The Country Club last June.

It's the first ever US Open for LACC, which was the venue for the 2017 Walker Cup where the USA team, which featured the likes of Scottie Scheffler and Collin Morikawa, beat GB&I 19-7. The club dates back to 1897, with the current George C. Thomas, Jr-designed North course, recently renovated by Gil Hanse, dating back 112 years.

It's an extremely private club that is sure to test the world's best, with thick rough, strategic bunkering and even a couple of par 3s that could measure very close to 300 yards!

An all-star cast is in Beverly Hills for the third men's Major of the year, with the likes of World No.1 Scottie Scheffler and World No.3 Rory McIlroy, who won his maiden Major at the 2011 US Open, two of the headline names.

So, who should we be looking out for this week? Here we take a look at five TaylorMade staffers that are highly fancied to be contending for the famous US Open trophy come Sunday evening...

US Open Key Info

5 Big Names To Watch At The US Open

Scottie Scheffler

• World Ranking: 1
• PGA Tour wins: 6
• Best US Open finish: T2nd (2022) 

View Scottie Scheffler What's in the bag?

Once again, Scottie Scheffler heads into a Major championship as the betting favourite, and it's easy to see why.

The World No.1 is on an incredible run of form and would have won almost everything this year had it not been for a cold putter. Scheffler ranks 148th in Strokes Gained: Putting on the PGA Tour this year but incredibly is 1st in SG: Total, Off the tee, Tee to green and Approach.

He hasn't finished outside of the top-12 in any event since October and is currently on a four-tournament run of T5-T2-T3-3. He has won twice this year as well, with victories coming at the WM Phoenix Open and Players Championship.

The Texan is surely set to be challenging come Sunday evening. Will he pick up his second Major title? You'd be brave to back against him!

Rory McIlroy

• World Ranking: 3
• PGA Tour wins: 23
• Best US Open finish: 1st (2011)

View Rory McIlroy What's in the bag?

McIlroy is also on an impressive run of form after a tough March and April that saw him miss the cut at TPC Sawgrass and Augusta National.

The four-time Major champion was T7th at the PGA Championship last month, T7th at the Memorial Tournament and then T9th at last week's RBC Canadian Open.

Rory has had a lot on his mind over the past 12 months as the PGA Tour's 'de-facto' spokesperson but he'll be hoping to concentrate on his golf this week and pick up his fifth Major title. 

He's coming into LA after a good four days' work in Canada where he began the final round in T2nd place so there'll be no signs of rust as he hopes to get off to a fast start.

A fifth Major title and a second US Open win would be a huge story in the game and he'll be surely wanting to keep up with Brooks Koepka who surpassed his Major tally and reached five after winning the PGA Championship.

Tommy Fleetwood

• World Ranking: 21
• DP World Tour wins: 6
• Best US Open finish: 2nd (2018)

View Tommy Fleetwood What's in the bag?

What a week it was in Canada for Tommy, who agonisingly lost out on the fourth playoff hole to home favourite Nick Taylor after he holed a 72-footer for eagle.

Fleetwood had been working on his game with Butch Harmon and he's starting to look like his old self again when he was a world's top-10 player and went 4/4 at the Ryder Cup with Francesco Molinari.

The Englishman loves the US Open, too, as he shot a record-equalling 63 in 2018 at Shinnecock Hills to push Brooks Koepka all the way. He was also 2nd at the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush, so he is certainly a man for the big occasions.

Could he win this week and make it back-to-back English US Open champions? Definitely.

Collin Morikawa

• World Ranking: 18
• PGA Tour wins: 5
• Best US Open finish: T4 (2021)

View Collin Morikawa What's in the bag?

Two-time Major winner Collin Morikawa could get to within one leg away from the career grand slam if he can lift the US Open trophy this weekend.

The American is having a slow year by his very high standards but he simply can't be discounted when the world's best assemble on the toughest of tests, which this week's tournament at LACC is sure to be.

Morikawa's laser-like irons and straight hitting will stand him in good stead to avoid the thick rough and punishing bunkers but it's on the greens, like Scheffler, where he'll need to make improvements.

He's 2nd in Strokes Gained: Approach on the PGA Tour this year but down at 143rd in putting. A good week on the greens for Collin will ensure that he'll be difficult to beat.

Rickie Fowler

• World Ranking: 45
• PGA Tour wins: 5
• Best US Open finish: T2nd (2014)

View Rickie Fowler What's in the bag?

After somewhat of a slump over the past few years, Rickie Fowler is well and truly a Major player again and it looks like a win is just around the corner for the talented Californian.

Rickie is inside the world's top 50 again after an impressive rise back to form and he's coming in hot to LA this week off the back of a T6 at Colonial in the Charles Schwab Challenge and a T9 at Muirfield Village in the Memorial Tournament.

The five-time PGA Tour winner and two-time DP World Tour victor was T2nd at the 2014 US Open at Pinehurst and he'll be relishing the US Open test again after missing the past three years.

Is a Fowler win this week realistic? Just about. A top-10 finish would be a great result for Rickie, but there's no reason why he can't roll back the years and challenge right up the top of the leaderboard on the back nine on Sunday.

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The 123rd US Open heads to Los Angeles Country Club this week with England’s Matt Fitzpatrick set to defend his trophy against 155 of the best golfers in the world. However, for many hopefuls, the journey to compete at LACC this week began several months ago, with anyone below a 1.4 handicap index allowed to sign up for local qualifying between April 17 - May 22 with the chance to compete in LA in June. 

According to the USGA, this year’s local qualifying saw a record number of entries, surpassing the previous record set in 2014 for the US Open at Pinehurst. 10,187 registered for the first stage of qualifying, an increase from the 10,127 seen in 2014 and only the second time it has exceeded 10,000. 

The figure also represented the 11th consecutive time and the 14th time overall that the total number of entries for the US Open exceeded 9,000 with an exception being the 2020 edition where the field was all-exempt due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Local qualifying was conducted across 109 sites in 44 US states and Canada, with the top performers joining already exempt players at final qualifying, which took place at several courses across America, with other final qualifiers held in Japan and England.

Former European Ryder Cup player Ross Fisher was one of those who made it through final qualifying in England after shooting a nine-under-par 36-hole score at Walton Heath. 

LIV star and Masters champion Sergio Garcia also came through final qualifying in Dallas, Texas, to ensure his spot in his 24th consecutive US Open, having missed out on automatic exemption due to his falling OWGR ranking. 

The final chance to make it into the 156-man field this week came on June 5th, in what has been dubbed ‘the longest day in golf’. The occasion saw 900 players compete for the final 64 spots in LACC at 10 different venues across the US and Canada. 

All these final qualifiers were 36-hole events with notable PGA Tour players such as Dylan Wu and Stewart Cink qualifying alongside LIV golfers such as Sebastian Munoz and Carlos Ortiz. 

Many notable players did not make it through the final qualifiers, however, with the likes of Harry Higgs and 2016 PGA Championship winner Jimmy Walker falling at the final hurdle. 

PGA professional Michael Block, who made headlines for his stunning performance at the PGA Championship last month, was another who failed to qualify as he missed out by two strokes. 

All eyes now turn to LACC with the first round commencing on June 15th.

World No.1 amateur Ludvig Aberg will make his professional debut in the RBC Canadian Open. 

The 23-year-old Swede secured his PGA Tour card after claiming top spot on the PGA Tour University rankings last week, and he isn’t wasting any time putting it to use. He will tee it up at Oakdale Golf and Country Club alongside the likes of defending champion Rory McIlroy and 2022 US Open winner Matt Fitzpatrick.

The Texas Tech senior earned his PGA Tour card for the remainder of 2023 and 2024 after clinching the top spot in the year-long NCAA D-I National Championship. That was enough to make him the first player to ever gain a spot on the PGA Tour direct from college.

Aberg’s transition from amateur to professional has certain echoes of new LPGA Tour pro Rose Zhang insofar as each achieved accolades immediately before turning professional. In Aberg’s case that included becoming only the second player after Jon Rahm to win the Ben Hogan award in successive years.

Aberg strengthened his reputation as a future star of the game on the course, too, with four collegiate titles in 2023 and appearances in the DP World Tour’s Dubai Desert Classic and the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Valspar Classic on the PGA Tour.

His performance in the Arnold Palmer Invitational was particularly impressive given the strength of field as a designated event, and he more than held his own to finish T24, suggesting he has what it takes to handle the big occasion.

Aberg’s appearance continues a packed schedule as he also competed in US Open final qualifying earlier in the week. However, his gruelling 36 holes on the “Longest Day in Golf” didn’t finish as he would have hoped, as he missed out on a place in the Major at Los Angeles Country Club by three shots.

Other intriguing names in the field for the RBC Canadian Open include Bennett, who finished 63rd in his pro debut in The Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village, and PGA Championship hero Michael Block.

For the first time in 75 years, the US Open will return to Los Angeles, with city set to host the third Major of the season in June. 

The championship last came to the California city in 1948, where Ben Hogan claimed his third Major title at the Riviera Country Club, situated just six miles west of this year's venue, the Los Angeles Country Club. 

Over the years we've watched many golfers battle their way around some of the most prestigious golf courses that America has to offer, with the US Open being regularly touted as 'golf's toughest test'. 

Last year's winner, Matt Fitzpatrick, claimed his maiden Major title at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, which is renowned as the site of Team USA's historic 1999 Ryder Cup victory, that has since been labelled the 'Battle of Brookline'. 

But it is not the first time in recent memory that the US Open will be coming to California, with Jon Rahm clinching his 2021 title at the notoriously difficult Torrey Pines Golf Course, situated 123 miles south of the LA Country Club in San Diego. 

And over the years we've certainly seen a fair few of the best players in the world succumb to some of the hardest courses that have been chosen to host the historic Major.

From Shinnecock Hills to Pebble Beach, the US Open has been played at a wide range of iconic venues, but where was it first held?

Which course hosted the first ever US Open?

While the Oakmont Country Club currently boasts the accolade of having hosted the most US Opens (9), the inaugural event was held in Rhode Island back in 1895.

The Newport Country Club, situated on the south-east side of the island, was the site of that tournament and has interestingly never hosted the men's Major since. 

British golfer Horace Rawlins triumphed to become the first US Open champion, topping a field of 11 other players to claim victory and $150 in prize money. 

The Newport Country Club's golf course was actually only designed a year before the US Open took place and was the conception of course architect William 'Willie' Davis. 

At the time it only featured nine-holes, but was later expanded to boast a full 18 in 1899. 

Since then it has been re-modeled on several occasions, with legendary designer A.W. Tillinghast putting his stamp on the course in 1925 before it received a further update by Ron Forse in 1995.

Newport Country Club would also go on to host the US Amateur Championship in 1895 and 1995 before hosting the US Women's Open in 2006. 

Meanwhile, the second-ever US Open championship was held a year after Rawlins' win in 1896 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, one of the most iconic courses on the US Open circuit. 

Shinnecock has now hosted the event five times and will do so once again at the 2026 US Open.

The championship will return to the Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina in 2024, before once again being played at Oakmont the following year. 

Rory McIlroy has been confirmed as one of the players who will be in attendance at the 2023 Genesis Scottish Open. 

The Northern Irishman will tee it up alongside a list of huge names for the co-sanctioned event. 

Some of those will included World No 1 Scottie Scheffler, two-time Major champion Justin Thomas and Olympic champion Xander Schauffele. 

Plenty of golfers from the UK and Ireland will also be in the field, with Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose and Seamus Power all set to add to the stellar cast of names. 

McIlroy is the latest addition to that list, after it was announced today that he will compete at The Renaissance Club on July 13, just a week before the Open Championship kicks off on July 20.

After it was announced this morning, McIlroy said: “I’m pleased to be able to add the Genesis Scottish Open to my schedule again this season. 

"The Scottish fans have always been very supportive of me and it would be great to win a title in the home of golf.”

A press release said: "The four-time Major winner brings further excitement to a stellar field that includes World Number One Scottie Scheffler, fellow Major champions Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose and Justin Thomas, defending champion Xander Schauffele, European Ryder Cup stars Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton, PGA TOUR winners Sam Burns, Max Homa, Im Sungjae and Seamus Power and Scotland’s number one, Robert MacIntyre."

His attendance at the Rolex Series event was teased this morning on Twitter, with the Scottish Open posting a picture of a golf bag featured the 34-year-old's trade-mark St Bernard dog head cover sitting in front of a grand stand at a previous tournament. 

The four-time Major winner was not in attendance at last year's event as Xander Schauffele, who despite hitting a bogey on the 18th, held on to beat Kurt Kitayama by one stroke. 

The Northern Irishman, meanwhile, had previously excluded himself from that event claiming he "hadn't got what he had been looking for" in his past two outings at the Scottish Open. 

After missing the cut in 2021 placing T88, McIlroy admitted that he was left with "more questions than answers" going into the Open Championship that season, and decided that he would abstain from the tournament in 2022. 

He has only played the Scottish open four times in the last 13 years, with his best finish coming in 2014 where he placed T14. 

But he will return this season to take on the North Berwick golf course, as he hopes to find his groove ahead of the Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club the following week.

Despite having won at the CJ Cup earlier this season, it's been a very difficult few months for the World No 3. 

He came into the season bounding in form after clinching both the FedEx Cup and the DP World Tour's Race to Dubai title. 

And it looked like McIlroy could end his career grand slam woes and finally claim a coveted green jacket too, after he came second at the Arnold Palmer Invitational before coming third at the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play. 

But after a disappointing opening two rounds at Augusta National, he missed the cut at the Masters and that knocked him off his stride, with the 34-year-old taking some time away from the game to focus on his wellbeing, notably missing out on one of his designated events. 

He rallied at the PGA Championship to card a solid T7 finish and will now participate in this weekend's Memorial Tournament at the Muirfield Village Golf Club in Ohio.

Sky Sports will continue to be the home of the US Open after the UK broadcaster struck a last-gasp deal to extend its partnership with the USGA. 

Sky's previous deal expired at the end of the 2022 tournament, when Matt Fitzpatrick captured his maiden Major at The Country Club in Brookline, but talks over an extension had reached a stalemate.

A report in The Guardian claimed Sky representatives were taken aback by the price initially quoted by the USGA, but a resolution has now been reached that will see the US Open available on the subscription-based platform for the next three years. 

As part of the agreement, Sky Sports will also be the destination for a host of other USGA events, including the US Women's Open, the US Amateur Championship, the US Women's Amateur Championship, the US Senior Open and the Curtis Cup.

Fitzpatrick's US Open victory in 2022 was the first for an Englishman since Tony Jacklin in 1970. The Sheffield-born golfer also joined Jack Nicklaus as the only other player to win a US Amateur and US Open at the same venue. Nicklaus achieved the feat at Pebble Beach as an amateur in 1961 and as a pro in 1972.

Fitzpatrick will attempt to defend his title at Los Angeles Country Club from June 15-18 as part of what Sky is billing as its "biggest ever year of live golf", that includes showcasing the rest of the men's and women's Majors, as well as the Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup.

The US Open will then return to Pinehurst in 2024, the scene of Martin Kaymer's last victory in 2014, before heading to Oakmont in 2025.

Former European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie says the hosts have got a much better chance of maintaining their winning form on home soil this year thanks to improvements over the last year.

Montgomerie, who led Europe to a dramatic Monday victory at Celtic Manor in 2010, says he would not have given them much chance a year ago, but some great form from the top four in particular has strengthened their case.

Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy have both risen to World No.1 while the Spaniard and Matt Fitzpatrick have won Majors, with Viktor Hovland a regular contender in golf’s biggest events.

“I wouldn’t have given Europe much chance a year ago. I think we have improved a lot with our top four players in Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland, Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick who won again recently at the RBC,” Montgomerie told Forbes.

“There’s a good top four. Then you add in Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose and Tyrrell Hatton and there’s a good next four. Then there’s some rookies and first timers.

“It’s not a bad team actually and we haven’t lost at home for 30 years. It’s a record that almost nobody can understand, the Belfry was the last time. So we have a record to sustain.”

Montgomerie insisted that even if the Americans again come over to Europe with the stronger-looking team in terms of world ranking, the “putting contest” that is the Ryder Cup is so different that those rankings don’t matter.

“We will be fighting like hell,” he added. “The Americans are good, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a matter of who holes the putts at the right time.

“It’s a putting competition, match play, it’s a very short game. I’m not saying that some of our guys will beat Scottie Scheffler over their careers or over a tournament but over a round, they could. That’s why the Ryder Cup is so good and why the rankings go out the window.”

Europe’s recent success has come with some fine succession planning in terms of captains, but that has been thrown a curveball with Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson and Sergio Garcia all resigning after LIV Golf punishments.

Stenson was due to captain the side in Rome this year while Westwood, Garcia and Poulter looked nailed-on leaders in the years to come – leaving Europe with gaps to fill.

Some have suggested victorious former captains such as Thomas Bjorn and Paul McGinley be brought back for a second go to fill the void – but Montgomerie will not be putting his name forward if the call comes.

“I was told by Sam Torrance, Bernhard Langer and Ian Woosnam, three winning captains, ‘if you’ve won it, get out.’ Why go back into the lion’s den when it’s a fifty-fifty coin toss to be honest,” Monty added.

“Mine was within half a point. I was fortunate and lucky enough to be selected as a captain and very fortunate to win and leave happily. If anyone came to me and asked if I wanted to captain the team next year, I’d say ‘I’m sorry, I’ve been there, done that.”

There are some intriguing pairings for the opening two rounds of the PGA Championship at Oak Hill.

For example, defending champion Justin Thomas goes out with World No.3 Rory McIlroy and two-time Major winner Collin Morikawa, while World No.1 John Rahm is paired with US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick and LIV Golf player Cameron Smith. However, beyond the highest-profile pairings, there are two involving the Ryder Cup captains and potential rookie members of their teams.

Team Europe captain Luke Donald will be able to keep a close check on the performances of Adrian Meronk and Yannik Paul. Pole Meronk is beginning to look like a lock for the tournament. The 29-year-old won the Italian Open earlier in the month at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, the venue for September’s biennial tournament. He is well in contention for one of six automatic qualification spots, with a wildcard seeming likely if he misses out.

German Paul is also riding high in the European Team Rankings, and currently occupies the final automatic qualification place after some impressive results of his own, including successive runner-up finishes in the Thailand Classic and Hero Indian Open on the DP World Tour in February.

Donald’s opposite number Zach Johnson also has the opportunity to cast his eye over potential inclusions in his team after being paired with Kurt Kitayama and Sahith Theegala for the first two rounds. Both players are currently outside the top six in the US Team Rankings, which they would need to reach to qualify automatically, with Kitayama in 12th and Theegala in 16th.

However, each player has impressed at various points in 2023, with Kitayama winning an enthralling Arnold Palmer Invitational in March and Theegala achieving four top-10 finishes since the turn of the year.

There is still some way to go before automatic qualifying concludes and the final selections are confirmed, with Johnson’s Team USA line-up due to be completed after August’s Tour Championship and Donald’s coming after 3 September with the conclusion of the almost year-long Team Europe qualification process.

Despite that, the opportunity for the captains to observe potential team members at close quarters is likely one they will appreciate as they begin to form an idea of the players they see as the best options to close out victory in Italy.

Johnson, Kitayama and Theegala go out at 7.55am EDT/12.55pm BST in the first round and 1.20pm EDT/6.20pm BST for the second.

Donald, Meronk and Paul begin their first round at 8.44am EDT/1.44pm BST, with their second round getting started at 2.09pm EDT/7.09pm BST.

Robert MacIntyre has withdrawn from the Italian Open at Marco Simone Golf Club ahead of his second round, citing a back injury.

The Scot came into the week as the defending champion having captured his second DP World Tour victory eight months ago at the venue for this year's Ryder Cup. 

MacIntyre posted a two-over 73 on day one before announcing he wouldn't be teeing it up on Friday after straining his back and opting to rest in order to get back to full fitness in time for the second men's Major of the year.

"Gutted to withdraw this morning from the Italian Open with a back strain," MacIntyre wrote on Twitter. "Hopefully nothing too serious. Now for a week of rest before the PGA Championship."

MacIntyre overcame US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick in a playoff in Rome last year after the pair finished 14-under. It was the biggest win of the Scot's career as he prevailed over a star-studded field that also included four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy.

However, he has failed to build on that momentum and finds himself in danger of dropping outside the world's top 100, having risen to as high as 42nd. The 26-year-old has made no secret of his desire to make his Ryder Cup debut this year and had been expected to form part of the next generation of European talent that could spoil the American's momentum.

As it stands, he sits well down in the Ryder Cup standings and will be relying on a pick from captain Luke Donald should he want to feature in the upcoming edition of the biennial contest.

A DP World Tour event with greater significance than many takes place at the venue for this year’s Ryder Cup, Marco Simone Golf and Country Club.

The biennial tournament is less than five months away, and many players have the opportunity to continue accumulating Ryder Cup points in their effort to qualify automatically.

One of those is the defending champion, Robert MacIntrye. The Scot stunned Matt Fitzpatrick last year with a brilliant final round of 64 to force a playoff, which he eventually won with a birdie on the first extra hole. MacIntyre has been in excellent recent form, too, with top 10 finishes in each of his last three outings, including a tie for seventh in last week’s Korea Championship.

Team Europe captain Luke Donald is also in this week’s field, and, with six captain’s picks available to the 45-year-old, MacIntyre will be aiming to stay firmly in his thinking by producing another solid performance and demonstrating his command of the course. As well as Donald, his Vice Captains Thomas Bjorn, Nicolas Colsaerts and home favourite Edoardo Molinari also play.

Other players who will have September’s tournament in mind include German Yannik Paul, Frenchman Victor Perez and Spaniard Jorge Campillo, who are all relatively well set in the European Ryder Cup Points List as they aim to keep themselves in contention for automatic qualification.

Paul had successive runner-up finishes in the Thailand Classic and Hero Indian Open, and followed those performances up with a tie for sixth in the ISPS Handa Championship in Japan, and he’ll be looking for another impressive display this week.

As for Perez, he finished third in this tournament last year and won January’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. Meanwhile, Campillo has achieved four top-10 finishes in a row, including a win in the Magical Kenya Open in March, so each player will be confident of further success this week.

As well as MacIntrye, another former winner of the event is Nicolai Hojgaard, who claimed victory by one shot in 2021, and he also appears after finishing tied for 33rd in last week’s Mexico Open on the PGA Tour. One of the players Hojgaard edged out that year was Pole Adrian Meronk, and he plays too, along with the Dane’s twin, Rasmus.

Other players with aspirations of making the Ryder Cup team include 2018 Italian Cup winner Thorbjorn Olesen and Spaniard Rafa Cabrera Bello.

The tournament, which is also the first of the season taking place in Europe, has a purse of $3.25m with $552,500 going to the winner.

Below is the full breakdown of the prize money and field for the 2023 Italian Open at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club.

Italian Open Prize Money 2023

Italian Open Field 2023

• Kiradech Aphibarnrat
• Marcus Armitage
• Adri Arnaus
• John Axelsen
• Nick Bachem
• Matthew Baldwin
• Oliver Bekker
• Wil Besseling
• Alexander Björk
• Thomas Bjørn
• Pietro Bovari
• Dan Bradbury
• Christoffer Bring
• Daniel Brown
• Julien Brun
• Rafa Cabrera Bello
• Jorge Campillo
• Emanuele Canonica
• John Catlin
• Filippo Celli
• Ma Chengyao
• Todd Clements
• Aaron Cockerill
• George Coetzee
• Nicolas Colsaerts
• Sean Crocker
• Jens Dantorp
• Louis De Jager
• Gregorio De Leo
• Alejandro Del Rey
• Enrico Di Nitto
• Luke Donald
• Hennie Du Plessis
• Victor Dubuisson
• Bryce Easton
• Tobias Edén
• Nacho Elvira
• Gonzalo Fdez-Castaño
• Ewen Ferguson
• Pedro Figueiredo
• Ross Fisher
• Marco Florioli
• Grant Forrest
• Simon Forsström
• Jeremy Freiburghaus
• Lorenzo Gagli
• Stephen Gallacher
• Manu Gandas
• Sebastian Garcia Rodriguez
• Alfredo Garcia-Heredia
• Daniel Gavins
• Deon Germishuys
• Gavin Green
• Julien Guerrier
• Chase Hanna
• Grégory Havret
• Marcus Helligkilde
• Angel Hidalgo
• Kazuki Higa
• Calum Hill
• Daniel Hillier
• Ryo Hisatsune
• Nicolai Højgaard
• Rasmus Højgaard
• David Horsey
• Sam Horsfield
• Oliver Hundebøll
• Gary Hurley
• Sam Hutsby
• Scott Jamieson
• Jazz Janewattananond
• Kristian Krogh Johannessen
• Matthew Jordan
• Masahiro Kawamura
• Maximilian Kieffer
• Yeongsu Kim
• Søren Kjeldsen
• Alexander Knappe
• Jeong Weon Ko
• Mikko Korhonen
• Gudmundur Kristjansson
• Jacques Kruyswijk
• Joakim Lagergren
• Romain Langasque
• Francesco Laporta
• Thriston Lawrence
• Joshua Lee
• Alexander Levy
• Haotong Li
• Zander Lombard
• Hurly Long
• Mike Lorenzo-Vera
• Joost Luiten
• Robert Macintyre
• Richard Mansell
• Stefano Mazzoli
• Tom Mckibbin
• Adrian Meronk
• Guido Migliozzi
• Edoardo Molinari
• James Morrison
• John Murphy
• Lukas Nemecz
• Niklas Nørgaard
• Thorbjørn Olesen
• Adrian Otaegui
• Renato Paratore
• John Parry
• Yannik Paul
• Matthieu Pavon
• Eddie Pepperell
• Victor Perez
• Tapio Pulkkanen
• Richie Ramsay
• David Ravetto
• Jc Ritchie
• Andrea Romano
• Antoine Rozner
• Adrien Saddier
• Kalle Samooja
• Andrea Saracino
• Marcel Schneider
• Freddy Schott
• Robin Sciot-Siegrist
• Jason Scrivener
• Shubhankar Sharma
• Callum Shinkwin
• Marcel Siem
• Martin Simonsen
• Jordan Smith
• Sebastian Söderberg
• Clément Sordet
• Matthew Southgate
• Gary Stal
• Joël Stalter
• Ockie Strydom
• Andy Sullivan
• Connor Syme
• Santiago Tarrio
• Sami Välimäki
• Darius Van Driel
• Daniel Van Tonder
• Jacopo Vecchi Fossa
• Johannes Veerman
• Nicolai Von Dellingshausen
• Justin Walters
• Jeunghun Wang
• Paul Waring
• Marc Warren
• Dale Whitnell
• Gunner Wiebe
• Oliver Wilson
• Jeff Winther
• Ashun Wu
• Fabrizio Zanotti
• Aron Zemmer

Matt Fitzpatrick says playing with his brother Alex was an experience “right up there” with the best he’s had on the golf course, after a flying start to the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in his bid to help his sibling win a PGA Tour card.

Along with a $1 million winning prize, Challenge Tour player Alex could get a two-year PGA Tour exemption if he and US Open champion Matt can get a win in New Orleans – and they started brilliantly with a 10-under first round putting them just one shot off the lead.

Fresh off a win at the RBC Heritage, Matt said it was a “no-brainer” to use the perks of being US Open champion to play with Alex in this week’s event, in which the Sheffield pair really fancy their chances.

The two siblings look to have a great relationship, and even though PGA Tour regular Matt was delighted to play in such a big event with his younger brother, he delivered it with his typically dry Yorkshire wit.

“It's as much fun as I've had on the golf course in, well, about four days, to be fair,” Matt Fitzpatrick joked, referencing his win at Harbour Town on Sunday. “Yeah, it's right up there.”

“No, it really is,” he added. “It's just so different. We don't do this - well, we've never done this, obviously. I think it's nice to play a bit of team golf. It's something different.

“Yeah, it was a great day.”

Alex, who is just starting out in his professional career, echoed his brother’s sentiments about enjoying their family affair on the PGA Tour.

“I guess I've been professional about a year, and it couldn't be further away from anything else. I had so much fun out there,” he said after the round.

“It was extra special spending time with him and being on the course, but playing together and working together is a lot of fun, and yeah, it helps a little bit when you have a good score. Yeah, it was great.”

Matt said before the tournament that he’d feel no extra pressure if they had a chance on Sunday to earn what could be a career-changer for his younger brother, instead focusing on enjoying the experience.

And as well as trying to dovetail in this team competition, they seem to do that well off the course too as contrasting personalities - albeit with a similar sense of humour.

Matt summed it up when describing the pair’s relationship before the event, saying: “I would say we're pretty close. I think we're polar opposites I would say. 

"I'm organized, he's unorganized. He's happy, I'm miserable. Yeah, that's probably a good way to put it really.”

A unique tournament in the PGA Tour calendar takes place at TPC Louisiana as 80 teams of two compete in fourballs (best ball) in the first and third rounds and foursomes (alternate shot) in the second and final rounds.

Last year, Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele cruised to victory over Sam Burns and Billy Horschel by two shots to claim the title, and the World No.4 and World No.5 rekindle that partnership this week. Undeterred by that narrow defeat in 2022, Burns and Horschel also team up again, hoping to go one better this year.

In last week’s RBC Heritage, Matt Fitzpatrick won a thrilling playoff to edge out Jordan Spieth for his first win since last year’s US Open, and the new World No.8 joins forces with brother Alex.

Two years ago, players now on the LIV Golf circuit dominated as Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman beat Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel. However, following their decision to join the PGA Tour's rival, they will instead be teeing it up in Australia this week. 

The tournament was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic, meaning you need to go back to 2019 to find the most recent winner before Cantlay and Schauffele in this week’s field. That man was Ryan Palmer, who teamed up with Jon Rahm back then as they claimed a three-shot victory over Tommy Fleetwood and another player who has since joined LIV Golf, Sergio Garcia. 

There’s no Rahm this week following his appearances in successive tournaments The Masters and RBC Heritage. Palmer instead teams up with Scott Piercy, who won the tournament in 2018 alongside Horschel. 

As well as Cantlay, Schauffele and Matt Fitzpatrick, another player in the world’s top 10 also plays this week, World No.7 Max Homa. He’ll fancy his chances of success too, as he plays alongside two-time Major winner Collin Morikawa.

Another intriguing team will be the one comprising World No.17 Sungjae Im and World No.58 Keith Mitchell, while World No.19 Tom Kim will also be confident of success alongside World No.40 Si Woo Kim. Arnold Palmer Invitational champion Kurt Kitayama also plays, alongside Taylor Montgomery.

Away from the most recognisable names, another team to look out for will be the one made up of Michael Thompson and a man making his PGA Tour debut, 43-year-old former US army soldier Paresh Amin, who appears on a sponsor exemption.

Teams are competing for a purse of $8.6m, with the winners earning $1,242,700 each.

Below is the breakdown of the prize money and field for the 2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

Zurich Classic Of New Orleans Prize Money 2023

Zurich Classic Of New Orleans Teams 2023

• Matt Fitzpatrick and Alex Fitzpatrick
• Collin Morikawa and Max Homa
• Si Woo Kim and Tom Kim
• Sam Burns and Billy Horschel
• Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay
• Kurt Kitayama and Taylor Montgomery
• Ryan Brehm and Mark Hubbard
• Joel Dahmen and Denny McCarthy
• Tyler Duncan and Hank Lebioda
• Harris English and Tom Hoge
• Jim Herman and Ryan Armour
• Sungjae Im and Keith Mitchell
• Andrew Landry and Austin Cook
• Luke List and Henrik Norlander
• Taylor Moore and Matthew NeSmith
• Trey Mullinax and Scott Stallings
• Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer
• JJ Spaun and Hayden Buckley
• Robert Streb and Troy Merritt
• Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin
• Michael Thompson and Paresh Amin
• Brendon Todd and Patton Kizzire
• Erik Van Rooyen and MJ Daffue
• Matt Wallace and Callum Shinkwin
• Richy Werenski and Scott Brown
• Jason Dufner and Kevin Chappell
• Zach Johnson and Steve Stricker
• Jimmy Walker and DA Points
• Thorbjørn Olesen and Nicolai Hojgaard
• John Daly and David Duval
• Edoardo Molinari and Luke Donald
• Sam Saunders and Eric Cole
• Victor Perez and Thomas Detry
• Ryan Palmer and Scott Piercy
• Sahith Theegala and Justin Suh
• Davis Riley and Nick Hardy
• Taylor Pendrith and Michael Gligic
• Wyndham Clark and Beau Hossler
• Lee Hodges and Robby Shelton
• Brandon Wu and Joseph Bramlett
• Dylan Frittelli and Matti Schmid
• David Lipsky and Aaron Rai
• Russell Knox and Brian Stuard
• Sam Ryder and Doc Redman
• Greyson Sigg and Brice Garnett
• Callum Tarren and Ben Taylor
• Max McGreevy and Sam Stevens
• Chesson Hadley and Ben Martin
• Nick Watney and Charley Hoffman
• Doug Ghim and Kramer Hickok
• Kevin Tway and Kelly Kraft
• Matthias Schwab and Vincent Norrman
• Austin Smotherman and Harry Higgs
• Justin Lower and Dylan Wu
• Zac Blair and Zecheng Dou
• Ben Griffin and Ryan Gerard
• Davis Thompson and Will Gordon
• Byeong Hun An and SH Kim
• David Lingmerth and Jonas Blixt
• Tyson Alexander and Carl Yuan
• Harry Hall and Akshay Bhatia
• Harrison Endycott and Aaron Baddeley
• Michael Kim and SY Noh
• Austin Eckroat and Scott Harrington
• Brent Grant and Kevin Roy
• Paul Haley II and Cody Gribble
• Carson Young and Kyle Westmoreland
• Tano Goya and Trevor Werbylo
• Augusto Núñez and Fabián Gómez
• Brandon Matthews and Sean O'Hair
• Trevor Cone and Andrew Novak
• Chad Collins and DJ Trahan
• Cameron Percy and Greg Chalmers
• Bill Haas and Jonathan Byrd
• Chris Stroud and William McGirt
• Ricky Barnes and Kyle Stanley
• Wesley Bryan and Grayson Murray
• Geoff Ogilvy and Kevin Stadler
• Sung Kang and Sangmoon Bae
• Derek Ernst and Robert Garrigus

The PGA Tour’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans takes place this week as teams of two compete. 

One noteworthy partnership was confirmed last month when Matt Fitzpatrick revealed he will team up with his brother Alex following a funny text exchange. However, another involves a sponsor exemption, former US army soldier and GPro Tour member Paresh Amin, who will partner Michael Thompson.

Amin, who is a member of Sea Island Golf Club in Georgia, spent 15 years in the US army and navy before turning his hand to golf and has competed in 28 GPro Tour events over the last three years. However, during that run he didn't enjoy the best of fortunes, with a tie for 79th in the 2020 Columbia Open his best finish among 26 missed cuts and one withdrawal.

Thompson, of course, has considerably more pedigree, with two PGA Tour wins and a career-high ranking of World No.43. Still, it's almost three years since his most recent win, the 2020 3M Open, while he currently sits at World No.227. Thompson has enjoyed some encouraging results of late, including a tie for 29th in the PGA Tour’s most recent designated event, the RBC Heritage, There's no doubt he and his PGA Tour debutant partner will be considered long shots at TPC Louisiana though.

That’s not to say that Amin won’t have plenty of goodwill going into the tournament. As well as the respect that will come his way considering his former career, Minor League Golf Tour pro Peter Bradbeer had nothing but warm words for him in a Twitter response to the news he would play. He wrote: “I played with Paresh in a gpro last year. Guy is all class. Happy he’s getting a shot at the big leagues! Couldn’t happen to a better dude.”

While some of the world's best players including US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, two-time Major winner Collin Morikawa and World No.4 Patrick Cantlay are in the field this week, the appearance of an army veteran will surely be one to keep an eye on – particularly for anyone with a soft spot for the underdog.

Who Is Viktor Hovland's Girlfriend?

Viktor Hovland has won three times on the PGA Tour and twice on the DP World Tour, whilst also appearing in the Ryder Cup for the first time in 2021 at Whistling Straits. He has also won two Hero World Challenge events in a row in 2021 and 2022. An undeniable star in the game, Hovland's next step is Major success but who is his girlfriend currently? Let's take a look.

At the moment we do not think Hovland has a girlfriend. He seems to keep his private life just that, private. On social media there is no mention of a girlfriend currently. 

Hovland famously was one of only two players to not have a wife or girlfriend at the 2021 Ryder Cup and they seemed to have fun with that as both he and Matt Fitzpatrick were in photos from the gala dinner with all the wives and girlfriends of the European team as you can see above! 

Hovland is a graduate of Oklahoma State University and whilst there he competed on the golf team with great success, including winning the 2018 U.S. Amateur title, a highly prestigious award. At college, it seems he was ultra focused on his golf and we are yet to confirm if he had a girlfriend whilst at OSU.

For more content on the Norwegian, take a look at our specific Viktor Hovland what's in the bag page, or get to know his caddie Shay Knight a little better as well.

Matt Fitzpatrick will team up with brother Alex in next month’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans after the brothers made the arrangement by text.

US Open champion Matt revealed the exchange on Twitter following official confirmation that the pair would play together in the tournament that sees teams of two compete.

Matt wrote: “As easy as that!! Excited to play alongside Alex for the first time, will be a special few days!!”. His words were accompanied by a screenshot of the 11 March text exchange which began with the senior brother asking Alex if he was free between 17 and 23 April. After Alex confirmed his availability, Matt put the idea of playing the tournament to him, to which Alex responded: “If you want to! Entirely up to you.” Matt confirmed with “Yeah we’re in” and the rest is history.

Matt will be hoping Alex can bring some of the form to the tournament that saw him lip out for 59 while the pair enjoyed a golf trip to Streamsong in Florida last year. Before that, Alex made his PGA Tour debut in the 2022 Valspar Championship, but on that occasion he was competing against his brother rather than with him. Back then, Alex missed the cut while Matt finished tied for fifth.

Not surprisingly, the duo’s relationship on the course goes back considerably further than that, with Alex caddying for Matt in his 2013 US Amateur win at the Country Club of Brookline. To highlight just how close the pair are, Alex was also in the crowd at the same venue last year cheering on Matt as he claimed his maiden Major win.

Both players will be making their debuts in the TPC Louisiana tournament, which features fourballs (best ball) in the first and third rounds and foursomes (alternate shot) in the second and final rounds.

Matt Fitzpatrick says the DP World Tour is ‘definitely going to become a feeder tour’ for the PGA Tour thanks to the Strategic Alliance between the two not being what it’s made out to be.

The PGA Tour have made big changes to fend off the threat of LIV Golf, mainly with the addition of new designated events, which from 2024 will be smaller fields with no cuts.

While there is a deal in place with the DP World Tour, it’s hard to see what benefit players and events in Europe will get from it, despite what Keith Pelley may say.

And Fitzpatrick has echoed the thoughts of the likes of Lee Westwood and Richard Bland, who say Jay Monahan is more focused on fending off LIV than strengthening their partnership with the DP World Tour.

The US Open champion told the Foreplay podcast that he fears for the future of European golf, which seems to be left out in the cold even with the Strategic Alliance in place.

“I’ll be honest, there is definite sadness,” Fitzpatrick told the Foreplay podcast. “I don’t think the Strategic Alliance has been that useful.

“I don’t feel like there’s been enough help given to Europe. Whether it’s money, whether it’s starts for players, it’s definitely going to become a feeder tour.”

Fitzpatrick also doubted the benefit of the top 10 players on the DP World Tour, who don’t already have one, earning a PGA Tour card for the following season – given how the schedules now look.

“Like everyone said, it’s the 10 best guys that don’t have a card in Europe this year that will come and play in America,” added Fitzpatrick. “That’s disappointing.

“European guys that play on the European Tour that have a commitment that they’ll play January to August, 22 events or whatever it is.

“The season will end and then it’s like, ‘God, I feel obligated to go play in Europe now, there’s 2, 3 or 4 events there so I’ll go and play those’ and before you know it, your off season is done in November.

“I just think the Strategic Alliance isn’t what it’s made out to be.”

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan has defended the strategic alliance with the DP World Tour following concerns over the PGA Tour's new designated events for 2024.

The designated events will see fields reduced to around 70-80 players and lock up all of the best PGA Tour talent for the majority of the year, including high profile DP World Tour members like Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton and Viktor Hovland.

It means that most of the top Europeans will likely only appear in Rolex Series events on the DP World Tour like the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Dubai Desert Classic, Scottish Open, BMW PGA Championship and DP World Tour Championship.

Monahan stressed that the alliance between the two tours "continues to strengthen" and spoke of the opportunity for 10 DP World Tour members to earn PGA Tour cards. He also maintained that he has been working with DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley "every single day" on helping the European-based circuit and hinted that more benefits are set to come.

"Our strategic alliance with the DP World Tour continues to strengthen," Monahan said at this week's Players Championship.

"We're looking forward it to again co-sanctioning the Genesis Scottish Open along with crossover opportunities at the Barracuda Championship and Barbasol Championship. Our two organizations are working closely on commercial opportunities, and perhaps most exciting this year, the top 10 finishers in the DP World Tour's Race to Dubai will earn PGA Tour cards for 2024.

"Well I think when you look at, you know, both organizations, Keith Pelley has been here, he and his team, the last three or four days. We're spending a lot of time looking at the DP World Tour schedule and opportunities that we have going forward. I'm not going to comment on those today, but when you look at what has happened over the last couple of years, when you look at this year, you know, the DP World Tour is playing for $141 million in prize funds, which we are underpinning.

"We have made a $100 million investment in European Tour Productions. We as a team are rolling up our sleeves and working with Keith and his team every single day on that important part of the DP World Tour's business."

Monahan also said that PGA Tour sponsors are interested in partnering with the DP World Tour, as seen by Genesis sponsoring the Scottish Open, and that there will be more of that to come.

"I think what we've done from a co-sanctioning standpoint at Genesis, the two crossover opportunities we have with Barbasol, Barracuda, if you look at the portfolio of sponsors and you look at those that share a relationship with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, our sponsors are interested in partnering with the DP World Tour. You've seen some of that. I think you'll continue to see more of it.

"Ultimately as we go forward, you'll hear about the benefit of more opportunities because, again, I'm on that board, that's a commitment this organization has made to the DP World Tour and to its members, and it's very important to me that we continue to deliver on that. I think the early signs are that we're on a really good path."

Rory McIlroy recently called for some DP World Tour events to "get into the mix" as potential designated, or co-sanctioned, events with the PGA Tour.

"Irish Open. Spanish Open. Scottish Open is obviously a co-sanctioned event now, which is a big step forward," McIlroy said. "Wentworth. There's a few obvious ones that stick out. 

"You could try to incorporate (them) into more of a World Tour schedule, more so than it just being purely DP World, purely PGA Tour, and trying to sort of combine the two a little bit."

Jay Monahan also declined to comment on the arbitration panel hearing between LIV Golf players and the DP World Tour where players went against their declined release requests and teed it up in the Saudi-backed opener last year against the DP World Tour's decision. A verdict is reportedly delayed and could come as late as June.

"I can't speak to, you know, what's happening with the resolution panel," Monahan said. "Our commitment is to Keith Pelley and the DP World Tour and every member out there. So as it relates to what, how this is all going to play out and what we should be feeling about it, I'm going to leave that for you guys to understand, and I'm not going to comment on it."

Veteran caddie Billy Foster says he’d like to see the European Ryder Cup stalwarts who joined LIV Golf still involved in the event this year, even if just as part of Luke Donald’s backroom staff.

Henrik Stenson was meant to be European captain for the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone GC in Rome in September, before he had to give up the role after joining LIV Golf.

The likes of Lee Westwood, record Ryder Cup points scorer Sergio Garcia and even ‘The Postman’ himself Ian Poulter all joined LIV in a move that seemingly ended their hopes of playing any further part in the tournament.

The legal case on whether the DP World Tour can ban LIV players from competing in their events and from making the Ryder Cup is ongoing, but the veterans were likely being lined up as future captains over the next few years.

Now on the bag of US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, Foster told Garrett Johnston on his Beyond The Clubhouse podcast that he feels the Ryder Cup stalwarts playing for LIV should have some involvement in the competition.

“Personally I’d like to see the likes of Westwood, Stenson, Poulter, Garcia still be involved in Ryder Cups,” Foster said on Beyond The Clubhouse.

“Alright, it’s at a stage where they might not be playing anymore, but they’ve certainly given so much over the last 20 years, inside the locker room and on the golf course just to not include them for their experience, even if it’s in the backroom staff or whatever, I’d still love to see those guys involved.

“Maybe I don’t know enough about it, and maybe there is a lot of bitter and twistedness and guys not liking them going to that side and coming back in.

“But they’re very inspirational European players and to not include them, for me, I wouldn’t be doing it, I would include them.”

Foster is also among the group of people in the game that feel LIV Golf players should be allowed to play in DP World Tour events, to make sure the best players in the world are involved.

“Personally I just like to see the best players – the PGA Tour is a different animal I know that, but in Europe, for me, would you like to see some very average players, I’m not naming names, or would you like to say, well, actually what if Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Cam Smith, Henrik Stenson, Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter want to play in Wentworth or wherever it is. I’m sure the public would love to see them.

“Some guys on both sides of the pond think those guys that have left, why should they make fortunes on LIV and then come and cherry pick where they play. But what the answer is, I don’t know.”

Matt Fitzpatrick and Thomas Pieters, along with journalist Dan Rapaport, were shown joking about Paul Azinger's infamous 'that tour' comments that were made in 2020 in the new Full Swing docuseries.

The fifth episode of the new Netflix series showed Fitzpatrick and Pieters chatting in their rental home during the week of the PGA Championship where the Englishman was set to play in the final group on Sunday.

Rapaport jokes that he wrote that Fitzpatrick would "s*** the bed" in the final round at Southern Hills before Fitzpatrick interjects with: "I've won a few on 'that' tour."

Pieters then also brings up how Daniel Berger apparently once said that one win on the PGA Tour is comparable to four wins in Europe, as the Europeans get across that disparaging comments made against the DP World Tour clearly do spur them on.

Paul Azinger's 'that tour' comment was made towards then-five-time DP World Tour winner Tommy Fleetwood back in 2020 while he was in contention for his first PGA Tour victory at the Honda Classic.

"A lot of pressure you know, you're trying to prove to everybody you've got what it takes and these guys know you can win all you want on that European Tour, the international game and all that, but you have to win on the PGA Tour," Azinger said in the booth, hinting at how much better the PGA Tour is compared to its European counterpart.

Azinger also discussed Lee Westwood's career in the same controversial clip. "Two wins on the PGA Tour but he's like 'oh I've won 44 times all over the world' but it's not the PGA Tour though," he said at the time.

The American received a lot of blowback at the time, with Westwood simply replying "Oh dear, oh dear," and Ian Poulter calling the comments "embarrassing."

"Paul please do not condescend or disrespect the @EuropeanTour and our players like that," the Englishman said on social media.

"We have slapped your arse in Ryder Cup for so long. I know you captained a win but seriously that was embarrassing today."

Fitzpatrick stars in Episode 5: American Dreams of Full Swing, where his US Open victory at Brookline features.

Episode five of the PGA Tour's Netflix docuseries 'Full Swing' takes in the US Open at Brookline and follows Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick and former World No.1 Dustin Johnson. Stop reading now if you wish to avoid any spoilers!

It follows Fitzpatrick and frames him as an "accomplished British" golfer who is small in stature but gritty as a competitor and the hardest worker in the sport. He's won a lot in Europe but never in America. A "gaping hole in his resume" it's called.

He is compared to Dustin Johnson, an alpha-male of the professional golf world at 6ft,4in with two Majors, 24 PGA Tour wins and over 100 weeks as World No.1.

"I've been in Sheffield for a week now and have not been recognised once. I told you, nobody knows who I am in Sheffield"

"I've been in Sheffield for a week now and have not been recognised once. I told you, nobody knows who I am in Sheffield," he says as he's back home. Full Swing really paints the picture of Fitzpatrick as this shy, unassuming, polite young man who hasn't quite reached stardom yet, but that is all about to change.

We get introduced to Matt Fitzpatrick the statistician and how he has kept notes on basically every single golf shot he has hit since his amateur days. We see a glimpse of his notebook and his beefy excel spreadsheet. "I can show you 7,000 shots if people want to see that."

This is also the second time in Full Swing we get to see and hear from Fitzpatrick after he briefly features in Episode 3: Money or Legacy when taking down Ian Poulter at the WGC-Match Play.

As well as his stats-keeping, we also start to see how the Englishman has been working on increasing his distance via speed training and that later gets compared to Dustin Johnson as the pair play together at the US Open. Fitzpatrick more than holds his own against DJ's big hitting.

'THAT TOUR'

The Netflix crews are at Fitzpatrick's rental home the night before the PGA Championship final round, where he plays in the final group on Sunday as he goes for his first Major victory. Fitzpatrick is house-sharing with Thomas Pieters and his close friend, and Barstool Sports journalist, Dan Rapaport is also at the house.

Pieters and Fitzpatrick bring up the 'that tour' comments made by Paul Azinger towards Tommy Fleetwood, which golf fans will remember from 2020. "You can win all you want on that European Tour," Azinger once said, hinting at how much better the PGA Tour is compared to its European counterpart.

Pieters also brings up how Daniel Berger once said one win on the PGA Tour is comparable to four wins in Europe. This was a fascinating look at how these small niggles from Americans clearly do bother the Europeans.

Fitzpatrick doesn't quite get it done at the PGA Championship but we all know what transpired at the US Open the very next month.

Dustin Johnson to LIV

We then get to hear from Dustin Johnson and his move to LIV Golf. The American has remained fairly coy following his departure from the PGA Tour but he really does get across his reason for joining the Saudi-backed circuit. Money.

"The decision to join LIV I mean it finally just came down to you know the offer that they made me," he explains.

"For me it was playing less, making more money. Pretty simple. Someone offers anyone a job, doing the same thing they're already doing but less time at the office and they're gonna pay them more. Pretty sure you're gonna take it. And something's wrong with you if you didn't."

DJ and his team are also filmed watching a hilarious social media clip of some of the LIV players' faces edited onto a funny video of them dancing in a hotel room. It's a spoof video that fans might share in their Whatsapp group chats, and seeing that pros watch them too is a funny insight.

He comes across as a very likeable, family man who is very proud of his resume so far and thankful for all of his PGA Tour victories. He just couldn't turn down the money, with his LIV offer reported to be north of $125m.

We see Team Johnson around the table discussing how the first LIV event went and his wife Paulina Gretzky confirming to the cameras that he is just as motivated as ever to continue winning Majors. Good to hear.

Johnson's cameo is substantial but certainly could have been bigger, but Matt Fitzpatrick and his incredible US Open win mainly see out the episode.

FITZPATRICK AT THE US OPEN

Fitzpatrick turns up at the US Open and it's clear his stature in the game is growing following his PGA Championship close-call, extra distance and rising world ranking.

We get to see a number of press conference clips, from Mickelson's first one back from his four month hiatus, to Brooks Koepka getting annoyed with reporters for LIV questions (he hadn't been announced as a LIV signing yet) and Matt Fitzpatrick joking that his reason for more attention was due to everyone leaving the PGA Tour and "the dreggs" having to be dug up.

The US Open was the week after the inaugural LIV event and the entire week's build-up was completely dominated by talk of the rebel tour.

The episode follows both DJ and Fitzpatrick at Brookline and it's clear that Fitzy can hang with him. He gets into the final group for the second-successive Major and the cameras even manage to get some great footage of that Sunday morning in the house with the Fitzpatrick family as they watch the early coverage on TV.

The US Open is where Netflix introduces the audience to Matt's younger brother Alex, who is now also a pro. Alex was on the bag at Brookline during the US Amateur win and is staying with Matt and their parents, being followed by the cameras whilst watching Matt go on to win Major number one.

"Ten million times better than I ever thought it would be. It's a validation of all the work I've put in through the years."

The final round is fully documented as Fitzpatrick and Zalatoris go neck-and-neck, with Full Swing conveying the drama of Sunday at Brookline very well. Fitzpatrick's family and Dan Rapaport are all mic'd up during the final round, too, so we get a great perspective of how his team were feeling throughout all the ebbs and flows of the superb final round.

His incredible bunker shot on the 72nd hole, arguably the best shot of the 2022 professional golfing calendar, perhaps wasn't conveyed to be quite as difficult as it actually was but the footage and music as he approaches the green really capture the enormity of the event and his crowning moment. The scenes that follow are superb, including his and his family's reaction, a congratulatory hug from Rory McIlroy on the final green and a short speech from legendary caddie Billy Foster in the clubhouse. It's goosebumps stuff and fitting for the Englishman to get an episode dedicated to his maiden Major triumph.

"This is what a lifetime of work looks like," Paul Azinger on commentary is heard. "All that work pays off, I'm so happy for you," Rory McIlroy says as we see footage of Fitzpatrick's family in tears and him lifting the trophy.

What a conclusion to the episode.

Full Swing Season 1 Episode 5: American Dreams

• Episode length: 47 minutes
• Synopsis: Tensions between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf reach new heights as Matt Fitzpatrick and Dustin Johnson face off at the U.S. Open
• Main cast: Matt Fitzpatrick, Dustin Johnson, Paulina Gretzky, Austin Johnson, Billy Foster, Dan Rapaport, Thomas Pieters
• Tournaments featured: PGA Championship, US Open

The PGA Tour moves to not one but three of the most beautiful golf courses on the calendar - Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and Monterey Peninsula - for the ever-popular Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which sees big-name players compete alongside amateur and celebrity golfers.

This year, the highest-ranked player in the field is World No.10 Matt Fitzpatrick. Meanwhile, there are at least two others with realistic aspirations of returning to that elite group sooner rather than later – World No.11 Viktor Hovland and World No.16 Jordan Spieth.

Of those, Spieth, in particular, should fancy his chances having won the tournament in 2017, finishing tied for third in 2021, and coming close last year before eventually settling for runner-up behind Tom Hoge. That appearance memorably included Spieth taking on one of the scariest shots you're likely to see on Pebble Beach's eighth, where his drive landed just inches from one of its many severe drops. He came through it safely, but didn't have quite enough to beat Hoge. Still, Spieth clearly loves the tournament - he’s yet to miss a year since making his debut on it in 2013.

That’s not to discount the possibility of Fitzpatrick or Hovland winning either. Fitzpatrick finished tied for sixth last year, while Hovland won the 2018 US Amateur at Pebble Beach. The year after, the Norwegian then finished as low amateur in a tie for 12th in the US Open at the same venue.

Hoge will hope to draw from his recent tie for third in the Sentry Tournament of Champions as he aims to build on that maiden win last year. A clutch of other previous winners also appear - 2020 champion Nick Taylor, 2018 victor Ted Potter Jr, Jimmy Walker, who won nine years ago, and DA Points, who claimed victory way back in 2011. There is still no sign of 2021 winner Daniel Berger, though, who hasn’t played competitively since the US Open after sustaining a back injury.

Others to look out for include three more players in the world’s top 50 – Kevin Kismer, Seamus Power and Kurt Kitayama. Maverick McNealy, who finished runner-up to Berger by two shots in 2021, also plays.

They will be teeing it up alongside celebrities including tournament favourites Bill Murray and Ray Romano, recently retired footballer Gareth Bale, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and actor Jason Bateman. Each pro is paired with an amateur and the action takes place over all three courses for the first three rounds, with the cut coming after Saturday's play. Then, Pebble Beach takes centre stage for Sunday's final round.

Last year’s purse of $8.7m increases to $9m for 2023. The winner will bank $1.62m.

Below is the full breakdown of the prize money and field for the 2023 Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Pebble Beach Pro-Am Prize Money Breakdown

Pebble Beach Pro-Am Field

• Albertson, Anders
• Alexander, Tyson
• An, Byeong Hun
• Armour, Ryan
• Atwal, Arjun
• Baddeley, Aaron
• Barnes, Erik
• Blair, Zac
• Bramlett, Joseph
• Brehm, Ryan
• Brown, Scott
• Bryan, Wesley
• Burmester, Dean
• Byrd, Jonathan
• Chalmers, Greg
• Chappell, Kevin
• Cole, Eric
• Cone, Trevor
• Cook, Austin
• Crane, Ben
• Daffue, MJ
• Dahmen, Joel
• Detry, Thomas
• Donald, Luke
• Dou, Zecheng
• Dufner, Jason
• Echavarria, Nico
• Eckroat, Austin
• Endycott, Harrison
• Fitzpatrick, Matt
• Frittelli, Dylan
• Gainey, Tommy
• Garnett, Brice
• Garrigues, Robert
• Gay, Brian
• Ghim, Doug
• Gligic, Michael
• Glover, Lucas
• Gómez, Fabián
• Gordon, Will
• Goya, Tano
• Grant, Brent
• Gribble, Cody
• Griffin, Ben
• Griffin, Lanto
• Haas, Bill
• Hadley, Chesson H
• Hahn, James
• Haley II, Paul
• Hall, Harry
• Hardy, Nick
• Harrington, Scott
• Higgo, Garrick
• Higgs, Harry
• Hoffman, Charley
• Hoge, Tom
• Holmes, J.B.
• Hossler, Beau
• Hovland, Viktor
• Hubbard, Mark
• Johnson, Tom
• Kang, Sung
• Kim, Michael
• Kim, S.H.
• Kisner, Kevin
• Kitayama, Kurt
• Knowles, Philip
• Knox, Russell
• Kodaira, Satoshi
• Kraft, Kelly
• Kuchar, Matt
• Landry, Andrew
• Lashley, Nate
• Lebioda, Hank
• Lingmerth, David
• Lipsky, David
• Long, Adam
• Lower, Justin
• Malnati, Peter
• Manke, RJ
• Martin, Ben
• Matthews, Brandon
• McCarthy, Denny
• McGirt, William
• McGreevy, Max
• McNealy, Maverick
• Merritt, Troy
• Mitchell, Keith
• Moore, Ryan
• Moore, Taylor
• Mullinax, Trey
• Murray, Grayson
• NeSmith, Matthew
• Noh, S.Y.
• Norlander, Henrik
• Norrman, Vincent
• Novak, Andrew
• Nunez, Augusto
• O'Hair, Sean
• O'Hara, Paul
• Ogilvy, Geoff
• Pak, John
• Palmer, Ryan
• Pendrith, Taylor
• Percy, Cameron
• Piercy, Scott
• Points, D.A.
• Porter, Charles
• Potter, Jr., Ted
• Power, Seamus
• Putnam, Andrew
• Ramey, Chad
• Reband, Garett
• Redman, Doc
• Riley, Davis
• Rose, Justin
• Roy, Kevin
• Sabbatini, Rory
• Schenk, Adam
• Schmid, Matti
• Schwab, Matthias
• Shelton, Robby
• Siem, Marcel
• Sigg, Greyson
• Silverman, Ben
• Simpson, Webb
• Smalley, Alex
• Smotherman, Austin
• Spieth, Jordan
• Stallings, Scott
• Stanley, Kyle
• Stevens, Sam
• Streelman, Kevin
• Stroud, Chris
• Stuard, Brian
• Suh, Justin
• Tarren, Callum
• Taylor, Ben
• Taylor, Nick
• Todd, Brendon
• Trainer, Martin
• Tway, Kevin
• Van Pelt, Bo
• Van Rooyen, Erik
• Villegas, Camilo
• Walker, Jimmy
• Watney, Nick
• Werbylo, Trevor
• Werenski, Richy
• Westmoreland, Kyle
• Willett, Danny
• Wu, Brandon
• Wu, Dylan
• Young, Carson ‘
• Yu, Kevin
• Yuan, Carl

 The PGA Tour heads to the scenic, coastal beaches of Northern California for the 2023 Pebble Beach Pro-Am at Pebble Beach Golf Links for its next event. Beginning on Thursday, 156 professionals will be joined by amateur and celebrity golfers on three different courses at Pebble Beach, culminating with a cut-line enforced after Saturday’s third round has been completed. Jordan Spieth and Matt Fitzpatrick are the current betting favorites to win outright at +1000, but plenty of talented players are lining up for a chance to hoist the first-place hardware and collect the winning purse. It’s also a great opportunity for amateur golfers and celebrities to compete with each other and have fun while generating revenue for charity.

Max Homa just won his sixth PGA Tour event at Torrey Pines during the Farmers Insurance Open, recording his fourth win in his home state of California. He also saved his best performance for the last round, going six-under-par at Torrey Pines’ South Course to usurp Sam Ryder with a brilliant combination of ball-striking, approach shots, and putting. Jon Rahm was the betting favorite after winning the previous two events outright. Still, he was unable to produce another masterful finish on Sunday, sliding from ten-under par to an eight-under-par finish with a +2 final round. We haven’t seen a sudden-death playoff in 2023 yet, so will it finally happen at one of golf’s most prestigious venues at Pebble Beach? The last time a sudden death playoff occurred at Pebble Beach was in 2016 when Phil Mickelson missed a birdie putt on the 18th hole and allowed Vaughn Taylor to mount a comeback win at -17-under-par. 

Let’s check out the top-ten Pebble Beach Pro-Am odds, course layout, and a few players who warrant serious consideration to win outright ahead of Thursday’s opening round at the 2023 Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

2023 Pebble Beach Pro-Am Odds

 Jordan Spieth and Tom Hoge have each won at Pebble Beach in the last five years, which is why they’re being given short odds to win outright once again this weekend. Hoge managed to hold off Spieth during last year’s event, opening up with a strong 9-under par in Round 1, while sealing the deal with a two-stroke lead on Sunday. In fact, Spieth has finished inside of the top ten for three consecutive years after falling outside of the top 25 following his outright win (-19) back in 2017. 

Seamus Power, Andrew Putnam, and Matt Fitzpatrick are getting a lot of love with oddsmakers and sportsbooks after finishing T9 or higher at Pebble Beach in 2022. Maverick McNealy had a T33 finish last year but had a second-place finish in 2021 behind Daniel Berger, delivering a final round of six-under-par to climb above Patrick Cantlay and Spieth. Seamus Power is one of the best ball-strikers in the field and has +1900 odds due to his skill set. He’ll be motivated to avenge his disappointing final two rounds in 2022, going +3 across Saturday and Sunday to fall outside of contention for first place.

Several big-name players such as Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson are no longer competing on the PGA Tour circuit but they were dominant names who frequently won or finished in the top ten at Pebble Beach. This opens up ample opportunity for other players seeking to stake their claim and build their legacy at a challenging, iconic venue like Pebble Beach. The lack of continuity will be a big obstacle to overcome, as there are three courses that players will have to adjust to and compete at before returning to Pebble Beach Golf Links for the second time on a pressure-packed Sunday. Let’s explore the course layout more, along with previous winners, relevant betting stats, and a few of my favorite golfers to bet on as outright winners ahead of the 2023 Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

2023 Pebble Beach Pro-Am Betting Preview

Pebble Beach Pro-Am Previous Winners 

•  2022 - Tom Hoge (-19)
•  2021 - Daniel Berger (-18)
•  2020 - Nick Taylor (-19)
•  2019 - Phil Mickelson (-19)
•  2018 - Ted Potter Jr. (-17)
•  2017 - Jordan Spieth (-19)

Pebble Beach Pro-Am Relevant Betting Stats 

•  Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee
•  Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green
•  Scrambling
•  Bogey Avoidance

Pebble Beach Course Layout

The PGA Tour continues to make it difficult on its players to acclimate and adapt to the same exact golf course, as Pebble Beach has three different courses to compete on across the first three days. The traditional cut-line, typically enforced at the same course after the first two rounds, will not be enforced until the end of the third round on Saturday, playing Pebble Beach GL, Monterey Peninsula CC, and Spyglass Hill GC. 

Pebble Beach GL and Spyglass are both par-72 courses, with Spyglass tipping at 7,041 yards, edging out the other two for length. Monterey Peninsula CC (Shore) is the third course that is a par 71, stretching to 6,957 yards. Most of the courses have an even distribution of par 3s and par 5s, but Monterey only has one par 5 on the front nine. But, three par 3s on the front-nine demand precision and great putting without the benefit of an extra stroke to birdie.

Whether it’s the sprawling coastal views, Cypress trees, or challenging hole locations on smaller greens, players will have their hands full trying to acclimate to each course’s intricacies and hazards. Wind will be a constant factor off of the coast while sloping hills and cliffs will punish errant tee shots and approach shots. Putting will be at a premium, per usual, as the sloped fairways and greens add an extra layer of difficulty to overcome on these three courses located along the shores of Northern California. 

Pebble Beach Pro-Am Best Bets - Outright Winner

Jordan Spieth (+1000) (Bet $100 to collect $1,100) Get these odds at DraftKings now

Not much persuasion is needed to back the 2017 winner of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Jordan Spieth has three consecutive T10 finishes, including the runner-up at -17-under-par in 2022, while entering the event well-rested after missing the cut at the Sony Open a few weeks ago. +1000 is still great value for a betting favorite, compared to the 4/2 odds Jon Rahm was given after winning at The American Express ahead of a disastrous final round at Farmers Insurance Open last weekend. Back Spieth ahead of a venue that he historically dominates. 

Andrew Putnam (+2500) (Bet $100 to collect $2,600) PointsBet has the best odds for this outright pick

34-year-old American Andrew Putnam hasn’t missed a cut all season. He’s played ten events and only logged two T10 finishes, which includes a T2 finish at the ZOZO Championship back in October. Putnam has logged previous finishes of T6, T55, T38, and MC during his last four appearances at Pebble Beach. Putnam is ranked 34th in total strokes gained, hits 71% of his greens in regulation, and has a flat stick that can catch fire at any given moment. +2500 is great value to acquire ahead of Thursday’s opening round, so invest in Putnam accordingly.

 Trey Mullinax (+6000) (Bet $100 to collect $6,100) If you're backing Trey Mullinax, FanDuel has the best odds

30-year-old Alabama native Trey Mullinax is another intriguing prospect who can be labeled a long shot at +6000 odds. He has previously finished T28, T22, T47, and T14 at Pebble Beach, relying on a blend of powerful driving and running 49th in strokes gained approaching the green. It hasn’t been a great start to Mullinax’s season with only one T25 finish, but his previous success at Pebble Beach, combined with his lucrative odds, make him a quality dart throw.

Russell Knox (+6500) (Bet $100 to collect $6,600) You can head over to PointsBet to get the best odds for this play

Another long-shot player that has huge odds and a lot of past success at Pebble Beach is Scottish golfer Russell Knox. He’s logged previous finishes of T33, T7, MC, T14, and T15 while boasting accurate irons that find the greens over 70% of the time. Knox also has great finesse and touch around the green, ranking sixth in strokes gained approaching the green, but he’ll need to clean up other areas of his game in order to climb the leaderboard and have a shot at netting his fourth T25 finish in his previous six events played at Pebble Beach.

 Lanto Griffin (+7500) (Bet $100 to collect $7,600) If you want to back Lanto Griffin at the best odds, Caesars Sportsbook is the place to bet

After making his PGA Tour debut last weekend with a T37 finish at Torrey Pines, 34-year-old American Lanto Griffin is eyeing up the potential to pull off an upset win at Pebble Beach. Griffin has logged previous finishes of T16, T9, and MC, so he’s developed the ability to master the three-course circuit. The Florida native hit over 70% of his greens in regulation at a tougher Torrey Pines venue last weekend and has the ability to gain strokes with his putter and wedge when approaching the green, finishing 27th in strokes gained approaching the green in 2022. +7500 is a massive payout, so based on how fresh Griffin is, combined with his previous T16 and T9 finishes, Griffin is my favorite long shot to produce an outright win at Pebble Beach this weekend. 

After six years and four wins - including the 2022 US Open - with legendary caddie, Billy Foster, Matt Fitzpatrick opted to make a change to his team early in 2025.

Foster announced towards the end of 2024 that the toll of so many transatlantic flights were taking their toll on him and he had informed the Sheffield-born golfer that he needed to take a step back.

From there, Fitzpatrick brought experienced looper, Daniel Parratt on board to fill on during the weeks Foster was not working, with the pair sharing caddie responsibilities.

However, after the English pro's poor run of form failed to improve thereafter, Fitzpatrick and Foster permanently went their separate ways in March 2025.

At that point, Parratt was given the job full-time and has remained with Fitzpatrick ever since. And although the Englishman's results took a while to pick up, once they did, Fitzpatrick and Parratt have managed some notable success together.

The start of Fitzpatrick's return to form arrived via a T8th at the 2025 PGA Championship in May - the Ryder Cup star's first top-10 since the 2024 Memorial Tournament.

Not long after, Fitzpatrick managed four top-10s on the bounce - with one arriving at The Open Championship. A return to Europe further cemented Fitzpatrick's place as one of the best players in the world and he was duly selected as part of Luke Donald's side for the 2025 Ryder Cup.

With Parratt at his side, Fitzpatrick scored 2.5 points from four matches and Team Europe triumphed once more, giving Parratt his first experience of being on the winning team.

The duo continued an impressive year by defeating Rory McIlroy at the 2025 DP World Tour Championship in a playoff, claiming their biggest victory to date.

A runner-up at The Players Championship and Fitzpatrick's latest PGA Tour win has since followed, taking him up to World No.6 with the aid of Parratt.

WHO IS DANIEL PARRATT?

Parratt was born in Bristol, England and has been a professional caddie since 2009. In that time, he has worked with a host of top PGA Tour and DP World Tour players such as Byeong Hun An, K.H. Lee, Tom Kim, Calum Hill, Alex Noren, Thorbjorn Olesen and Robert Karlsson.

When teaming up with Scotsman, Hill, the pair triumphed at the 2021 Cazoo Classic in just their third start together.

Meanwhile, Parratt was at An's side during his appearance at the 2019 Presidents Cup and the Korean's T22nd-place finish at the 2020 PGA Championship.

Discussing one of his first Major championship appearances, Parratt detailed how he dealt with his maiden trip to The Masters alongside Olesen. The experienced bagman explained his reaction to seeing Augusta National in person for the first time and how difficult it can be to do the job there.

Speaking to fellow caddie Jamie Lane in a video feature for Titleist back in 2020, Parratt said: "That was one of the weirdest ones when I first went, I was working for Thorbjorn, because it was one of those courses where we both hadn't been before but you almost know it so well - especially the back nine because you've watched it so much.

"And the thing about Augusta is, once you've caddied there quite a few times, you almost build up your bible of a book, don't you? It's always the same spots you hit it, it always plays this way or does that. So it's a really unique golf course in the sense that you kind of know how it's all got to be played...

"But the front nine was what shocked me, how tough some of those holes are on the front nine. Everyone talks about Amen Corner, but some of those other holes..."

In terms of family, Parratt is married to Gemma and the pair have two boys called Brooks and Casey. Brooks was born in September 2016 while Casey was delivered in September 2018.

At just 30 years old, Matt Fitzpatrick has already forged an incredibly impressive career within the game of golf.

A multiple-time winner on the DP World Tour, including a handful of Rolex Series and DP World Tour Championship victories, the Englishman enjoyed his best season to date in 2022.

The success came in the form of an incredible US Open win at The Country Club in Brookline, scene of his US Amateur victory in 2013.

During his win in the US Open, Fitzpatrick hit arguably the shot of the year at the 72nd hole from a fairway bunker, with the Major win propelling him even further into the limelight.

Here, we take a look at what the Englishman's net worth is - including an oversight on his career earnings and current sponsorship deals.

Prior to turning professional in 2014, Fitzpatrick won the US Amateur with a 4&3 victory over Australian, Oliver Goss. After his win, it wouldn't take long for him to secure a first professional title as, at the 2015 British Masters, he secured a two-shot victory. This netted him €671,549.98 and, at 21 years and 40 days, he became the fifth youngest English winner in European Tour history.

Primarily plying his trade on the DP World Tour for the early part of his career, Fitzpatrick went on to become the youngest Englishman to win five times on the Tour, taking this record from Sir Nick Faldo.

Fitzpatrick currently stands on nine DP World Tour victories, including two Omega European Masters and two DP World Tour Championships. His most-recent victory arrived at the 2023 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, winning the pro-am event alongside his mother as well.

These impressive results - sustained over the past couple of years despite primarily playing on the PGA Tour - have left the Englishman just outside of the top-10 on the DP World Tour's career money list, with a shade under $29 million having entered his bank account.

His biggest pay check to date was at the PGA Tour's RBC Heritage, where he bagged $3.6 million for his efforts. That made up a healthy percentage of his total earnings on the PGA Tour - standing at over $28 million as of July 2025.

Throughout his career, Fitzpatrick has had multiple sponsors and, for a number of years, he was seen wearing Under Armour apparel. This partnership started when he was just 14 years old and ended in 2021.

Following that, the Englishman signed a multi-year deal with Castore in 2022 but, at the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions, he was seen wearing Greyson Clothiers.

He is also heavily linked with Skechers as Fitzpatrick has worn their footwear and headwear since March 2022. Fitzpatrick is signed with Rolex, too, which has been with the Englishman since 2016. He is often seen wearing the brand's watches at events.

Workday have also sponsored him since 2018, while golf management company Troon, which is seen on his golf bag, has done so since 2019.

In 2020, Fitzpatrick signed a deal with Bettinardi and uses one of their putters, the DASS BB1 Flow Tour Dept. He also has Titleist as a partner as he uses the Pro V1x golf ball.

The last remaining partners include Protiviti, a global consulting firm that linked up with the Englishman in 2020, DemandScience who are a global business-to-business data company and 2K, the American video game publisher.

This particular deal is a multi-year agreement where the Englishman features in the two most recent PGATour2K video games. As a result of the partnership, he wears the 2K logo on the left sleeve of his clothing in all competitions and engagements worldwide.

It's worth noting that the financial details of these sponsorships are not public and his exact net worth is difficult to gauge. It has been reported as surpassing $10 million in 2023 and $13 million at the start of 2025, although, that remains unconfirmed.

As the golfing year of 2023 begins we see a whole host of big events lined up throughout the next 12 months. We've already seen Jon Rahm fight back to claim the Sentry Tournament of Champions, while Continental Europe put on a dazzling display to beat team GB&I at the Hero Cup.

With the DP World Tour season underway, we head to Abu Dhabi for the first Rolex Series event of the year, followed by the Hero Dubai Desert Classic a week later. However, it's certain names in the field that are perhaps the big talking point so far, with a number of LIV players listed for the opening tournaments of 2023.

This isn't something new though as, you may remember back in September, controversy surrounded the BMW PGA Championship when over 15 LIV golfers were listed in the field for the flagship tournament. Within the event, LIV players were excluded from the Pro-Am, with Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick calling it "odd" and "disappointing" that they were present.

Further controversy followed when Sergio Garcia withdrew from the tournament after the first round without an explanation. What's more he then attended a Texas football game while the tournament was still in progress. This left a sour taste in the mouth for some players, including eventual winner Shane Lowry and Jon Rahm. The latter even pointed out that the appearance of LIV Golf players meant his friend Alfredo Garcia-Heredia missed out.

At the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, LIV players will be present, with Lee Westwood, who played all eight of their events last year, questioning the DP World Tour's behaviour after being left off promotional material for 2023. Westwood will be one of the players also at Emirates GC in Dubai for the Desert Classic, with a full list of LIV golfers below.

LIV GOLF PLAYERS IN THE HERO DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC

• Lee Westwood
• Henrik Stenson
• Patrick Reed
• Abraham Ancer
• Bernd Wiesberger
• Adrian Otaegui
• Sam Horsfield
• Pablo Larrazábal
• Richard Bland
• Shaun Norris
• Ian Poulter
• Hennie Du Plessis

Matt Fitzpatrick says he's "not bothered" if LIV Golf players feature on this year's European Ryder Cup team despite strong opposition from the likes of Rory McIlroy.

McIlroy has insisted that "I don't think any of those guys should be on the Ryder Cup team" but the reigning US Open champion just wants the strongest team possible for Europe.

"It might be some players from other places in the world," Fitzpatrick said of Luke Donald's Team Europe in an interview with Sky Sports.

"I think there definitely are a few personal relationships that have been dented by this [the LIV vs PGA Tour civil war]. I'm not bothered, I just want to win, and I'm sure those boys do too."

Fitzpatrick has played in two Ryder Cups - 2016 and 2021 - where last time out he partnered fellow Yorkshireman and close friend Lee Westwood, now at LIV Golf, in the foursomes.

He also partnered Westwood's fellow LIV player Henrik Stenson at Hazeltine in 2016, with the Swede highly unlikely to feature in any capacity this year after being ousted as captain when he joined LIV Golf.

"It was a tough one because he had started gearing up for Rome, making notes and putting plans together," Fitzpatrick said of the Ice Man, who lasted just 127 days as captain. "And then it's like, 'sorry, lads, I'm off.'"

One player the Englishman thinks Europe would miss is the Ryder Cup's all-time points scorer Sergio Garcia, who has taken himself out of consideration for the event after failing to meet his DP World Tour card criteria for not playing the minimum number of tournaments or a single event in Spain last season.

“I honestly don't know,” Garcia told Marca regarding if his Ryder Cup options are still zero. “First because I didn't play the minimum number of tournaments last year and I don't think I can qualify. But as I said at the time, I don't know if I want to be part of the team.”

The Spaniard also said some members of the European side "have shown very little class."

"Sergio would be the one that would stand out for me, particularly," Fitzpatrick told Sky Sports.

"I don't know the details of [his relationship with McIlroy]. I'm happy to share a room with him, if that's going to be the case, I can corner him off for everyone else."

Fitzpatrick also doesn't seem to have an issue with the start-up tour itself, but more with players who continue to use the DP World Tour as a place to earn world ranking points. The likes of Abraham Ancer and Talor Gooch received criticism for playing in the BMW PGA Championship despite never really supporting the DP World Tour previously, for example.

"As long as you go and don't come back, I don't have an issue," he said. "Go take the money, go play wherever you want, I could not care less, just don't come back and then take spots from other guys that want to play.

"I understand that there's the likes of Westy, Poulter and Sergio that have played a lot in Europe over the years and have done their bit, and they have. I can't ever knock them for that, they've done way more than I have for the European Tour."

Fitzpatrick makes his 2023 debut at Kapalua this week in the Sentry Tournament of Champions. The elevated purse tournament features a $15m prize pool and a total of 17 of the world's top 20 players. Rory McIlroy is skipping the event, after it was revealed that players are allowed to miss one of the newly-mandated elevated purse tournaments that were introduced in retaliation to the LIV Golf threat.

Following the news that US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick has been snubbed by the BBC Sports personality of the year, Ian Poulter has criticised the decision, describing the awards as a "joke".

The LIV Golf player aired his views in response to a tweet from the Telegraph’s Golf Correspondent James Corrigan on the controversy. The 46-year-old responded: “BBC Spoty is a joke. Disgusting how @MattFitz94 is completely overlooked. Glad he didn’t waste his time flying over. Team GB won in 2012, & in the hand book Team GB couldn’t win as a Team. That was overturned by the executive panel. BBC told us please fly over for it. Custard Pie.”

It was recently revealed that Fitzpatrick politely declined an invite to the ceremony because golfers rarely win the award. Indeed, only two players have won the award in its long history – Sir Nick Faldo in 1989 and Dai Rees in 1957.

Fitzpatrick’s win at the Country Club of Brookline was special not only because it marked the Englishman’s first Major victory, but also because he achieved the feat at the same venue he won the US Amateur in 2013, an achievement previously matched only by the legendary Jack Nicklaus. The win was the highlight of a remarkable year for Fitzpatrick, who also moved into the world’s top 10 for the first time.

As far as Poulter is concerned, the snub is hardly surprising given the recent history of the ceremony. Poulter’s criticism also refers to Team Europe’s ineligibility for the Team of the Year award following its remarkable Miracle Of Medinah Ryder Cup win a decade ago, which he was part of. That victory was particularly dramatic because Team Europe faced a daunting four-shot deficit against Team USA going into the final day. While Poulter acknowledges the exclusion was eventually overturned, it didn’t lead to recognition. Only one member of the team, Rory McIlroy, appeared anywhere in the list of nominees for an award that year. The Northern Irishman eventually came 10th on the list for the Sports Personality of the Year award.

Poulter wasn't finished there either, and also responded directly to BBC Sport's tweet announcing the nominees. He wrote: Sorry but complete disregard for @MattFitz94 makes this event a continued farce and joke. I experienced first hand how much of a joke this was 10 years ago. Promised myself then I’d never waste time attending or watching again."

It’s not just Poulter who has had his say, either. Former World No.1 Justin Rose also took to Twitter to air his frustrations at Fitzpatrick's omission. Responding to the nominees’ list unveiled by BBC Sport, Rose wrote: “One question @BBCSport @BBCSPOTY. What about @MattFitz94 and his @usopengolf win this year??”

While Fitzpatrick is likely to be disappointed - though not surprised - he has been left off the list of nominees, perhaps the support being shown to him by his fellow pros will offer some consolation after a memorable year. Given the high-profile names weighing in on the controversy, it will also be hoped that future years will see more recognition for the achievements of golfers when the prestigious annual awards ceremony comes around.

Looking for the perfect gift for the festive season? Check out the best Christmas Golf Gift Ideas