This Week In Golf: Our regular look at the biggest stories in professional golf, tournament previews and other key details you need to know about the days ahead.

It was an unusually quiet week for this stage of the season last time out with only two tournaments and the US Senior Open on the biggest men's circuits and only one event in the women's game.

Nevertheless, there were exciting finishes in the John Deere Classic and BMW International Open as well as runaway victories for Carolina Chacarra on the LET and Padraig Harrington at the US Senior Open.

This time around, the number of tournaments on the schedule remains modest but there are a couple of huge events to sink your teeth into coming up.

And as always, there's plenty going on away from the course too as plans for the rest of this year and beyond begin to take shape.

So, without further ado, here is what is coming up in golf this week as well as a handful of key storylines to have already taken place.

TIGER WOODS-BACKED COMPANY SOLD

First reported by Front Office Sports' David Rumsey, Golf simulator company Full Swing has been sold to Versant - the parent company of Golf Channel - for a cool $530 million.

Full Swing, which saw investment from Tiger Woods back in 2015 and has boasted the 15-time Major winner as an ambassador ever since, has been used in TGL during its first two seasons and received a mixed response from players and fans alike due to its perceived lack of accuracy in some cases.

The official simulator of the PGA Tour, which welcomed investment by Jon Rahm too, has been owned by Bruin Capital since 2021, when it purchased Full Swing for $160 million.

SERGIO GARCIA PLANNING DP WORLD TOUR RETURN

Sergio Garcia announced plans to make his latest DP World Tour return in 2027 at the BMW International Open last weekend.

Garcia, who originally left for LIV Golf in 2022 before dropping his DP World Tour membership - only to re-apply ahead of the 2025 campaign and once again rescind it at the end of the year - confirmed his plans after missing the cut in Germany.

The 2017 Masters champion also revealed he plans to play a few more events this season, which is likely to include the Spanish Open in October.

Speaking to reporters on-site at the BMW International Open on Friday, he said: "It’s obviously something that I’ve always said that I wanted to do and I’m trying to do the best I can there.

"Obviously, at 46, I can’t play 30 events a year, but I’m going to make an effort to see if I can at least play a handful and try to do my best there.”

Garcia is the latest European legend to pursue re-joining the DP World Tour after Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter settled significant fines earlier this year.

LIV WINNER WITHDRAWS FROM THE OPEN

LIV Golf Riyadh winner Elvis Smylie has withdrawn from The Open Championship next week.

Smylie, who claimed his maiden LIV title on debut in Saudi Arabia in February, has endured a tough season otherwise and last played at the European Tour's Italian Open a fortnight ago where he ended T41st.

The left-hander was due to make his third consecutive Open appearance at Royal Birkdale, but a possible injury may have robbed him of the chance in 2026.

Smylie made his Open debut at Royal Troon in 2024 but has missed the cut in both Major appearances on links golf courses, with further disappointment arriving at Royal Portrush last year.

15 PLAYERS EARN OPEN SPOTS

A group of 15 golfers, including Sahith Theegala, Max Homa and David Puig, have earned spots into The Open Championship through the OWGR.

The late confirmations were the highest placed non-exempt players in the Official World Golf Ranking as of Monday, 6 July.

The full list includes; Sam Stevens, Nico Echavarria, Pierceson Coody, Ryo Hisatsune, Michael Brennan, David Puig, Tom Kim, Eric Cole, Keith Mitchell, Matt Wallace, Sami Valimaki, Max Homa, Thomas Detry, Max Greyserman and Sahith Theegala.

At this stage, the reserves for The Open are Aldrich Potgieter and Matti Schmid. There will also be three places at Royal Birkdale up for grabs via the Genesis Scottish Open this week.

Meanwhile, the final place will be on offer at the Last-Chance Qualifier at Royal Birkdale on Monday, July 13.

THE OPEN TICKET BALLOT IS LIVE

The 154th Open is yet to take place at Royal Birkdale, but the ticket ballot for the 155th Open at St Andrews is already live.

Anyone who is a One Club member, The R&A's free-to-join membership program, can apply for tickets until 3pm BST on Friday, July 24, 2026. You are able to apply for up to four tickets per day, which includes adult, youth, junior and carer passes.

According to The R&A, adding on a practice day may improve your chances of success, but applications can still prove to be fully successful, partially successful or completely unsuccessful, depending on ticket availability.

Under-16s are free throughout the week, while junior prices start from £20 and increase all the way to £95 on Championship Sunday. Adult tickets cost between £40 and £190, depending on the day you apply for.

GENESIS SCOTTISH OPEN

A bumper field is ready to compete at the Genesis Scottish Open this week as the PGA Tour and DP World Tour collide outside of a Major.

The co-sanctioned event features a $9 million tournament purse and provides players with a competitive taste of what's to come at Royal Birkdale where the final men's Major of the season is on the line.

World No.1 Scottie Scheffler is at The Renaissance Club, as are Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood, but there are a number of big names missing the Genesis Scottish Open this time around.

In addition, Jon Rahm heads a long list of LIV golfers who will be making their first PGA Tour start since departing the tour, adding more intrigue to an already fascinating tournament.

AMUNDI EVIAN CHAMPIONSHIP

Following a superb conclusion to the Amundi Evian Championship in 2025, where Grace Kim stunned Jeeno Thitikul in a playoff, expectations are high regarding another immensely entertaining event in France this year.

The season's fourth and penultimate women's Major began life on the biggest stage in 2000, where it has since been won by the likes of Annika Sorenstam, Karrie Webb and Lydia Ko.

Kim defends at Evian Resort Golf Club while Thitikul will be hoping to break her curious Major duck at the championship at which she has come closest so far.

To do so, the Thai star will have to hold off World No.1 Nelly Korda as well as other powerhouses such as Hyo Joo Kim, Charley Hull and Lottie Woad.

There is also a $9.1 million tournament purse up for grabs, which is slightly higher than the amount on offer in the PGA Tour and DP World Tour's Genesis Scottish Open.

ISCO CHAMPIONSHIP

Playing opposite the Genesis Scottish Open this week is the ISCO Championship at Hurstbourne Country Club in Lousiville, Kentucky.

Anyone who is a member of the PGA Tour or DP World Tour and doesn't qualify for the links-based tournament has the option of competing on US soil instead.

There are six players inside the world's top-100 teeing it up at the $4 million event, with Max Homa, Patrick Rodgers and Lucas Glover leading the charge.

Defending champion William Mouw is also playing, as are Ben Kohles and Lee Hodges, both of whom came close to earning a maiden PGA Tour victory at the John Deere Classic last week.

WHAT ELSE TO KNOW

• Ian Poulter's son Luke has earned his first PGA Tour start next year after a successful week at the Arnold Palmer Cup
• Chris Gotterup is back inside the World's top-10 and up to seventh following his win at the John Deere Classic
• Tony Finau was among six players to withdraw from the Genesis Scottish Open in the build-up
• Joaquin Niemann returned to the world's top-50 for the first time in three years following his latest top-10 on the DP World Tour
• The 12-man field for The Open's Last-Chance Qualifier has been announced, with names such as Wesley Bryan, Angel Hidalgo and Aldrich Potgieter involved

This Week In Golf: Our regular look at the biggest stories in professional golf, tournament previews and other key details you need to know about the game.

We've just finished with another fantastic week of professional golf involving a Monday playoff on the PGA Tour, a worthy winner at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship and a thrilling end to the DP World Tour's Italian Open.

But the action keeps on coming and there's plenty going on over the coming days to keep us all occupied. Here's what you can look forward to this week in golf.

THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL QUALIFYING

One of the best days of the year takes place on Tuesday, with Final Qualifying for The Open Championship occurring over four sites throughout the United Kingdom.

Burnham & Berrow, Royal Cinque Ports, West Lancashire and Dundonald Links (Scotland) all welcomed more than 60 players to their respective fairways with five players from each heading through to Royal Birkdale next month.

Among the star names taking part in the 36-hole marathon are Sergio Garcia plus George and Wesley Bryan, with each hoping to earn a spot in the year's final men's Major.

US SENIOR OPEN

Continuing the wall-to-wall run of Major championships this summer is the US Senior Open this week.

Arguably the biggest senior title of them all will take place at Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio, with four grueling rounds culminating in a champion being crowned on Sunday evening.

Padraig Harrington held off Stewart Cink at Broadmoor East Course 12 months ago, and the classy Irishman will be hoping to repeat his heroics this year as he chases more senior titles.

Other star names in the field include Ian Poulter, Pat Perez, Henrik Stenson, Mike Weir and Michael Block alongside a number of former winners such as Colin Montgomerie, Jeff Maggert and David Toms.

BMW INTERNATIONAL OPEN

Perhaps sneaking under the radar a little bit this week is a fantastic field on the DP World Tour.

The BMW International Open is a superb event anyway at Germany's Golfclub Munchen Eichenried, but this year should be even better than usual with a cracking field teeing it up.

Firstly, Marco Penge is set to make his return from a long-term illness, which is great to see. But there's also a whole host of big names, primarily from LIV Golf, taking part as well.

Sergio Garcia, Joaquin Niemann, Victor Perez, Patrick Reed, Thriston Lawrence, Byeong Hun An, Martin Kaymer and Brad Dalke are among the big names many fans will arrive in Germany hoping to catch a glimpse of.

There's another $3 million prize on the line, and it's the final event in the European Swing portion of the season as well, so whoever leads the rankings when all is said and done this week will collect a bonus payout of $200,000.

JOHN DEERE CLASSIC

An event which will almost certainly feature on the PGA Tour Challenger Series schedule from 2028 is up this week at TPC Deere Run - the John Deere Classic.

Eight of the world's top-50 have a tee time in Silvis, Illinois with the likes of Jordan Spieth, Tom Kim, Keith Mitchell and Matt Wallace also playing.

Chris Gotterup and Ben Griffin share the title of betting favorite at the John Deere Classic, but it remains to be seen whether they can live up to the big billing at this $8.8 million tournament.

JACKSON KOIVUN PRO DEBUT

Segueing seamlessly on, Jackson Koivun is set to make his pro debut at the John Deere Classic. Remarkably, he is the third favorite to win this week behind Griffin and Gotterup.

The record-breaking amateur is fresh off the back of claiming co-low-amateur honors at the US Open alongside Ryder Cowan, with the pair finishing T23rd.

Koivun, who won six collegiate events in 2026 and became the first player ever to sweep all four major collegiate awards in the same season (2024), opted to forgo his senior year at Auburn in order to go pro and he will be hoping to make a real splash straight away in the paid ranks.

Koivun earned his PGA Tour status through the PGA Tour University accelerated program in 2025 and is expected to become a star on the historic US circuit in the years to come.

WHAT ELSE TO KNOW

• A Tommy Fleetwood mural commissioned by Scottsdale Golf has been unveiled on the facade of Southport & Birkdale Sports Club as part of celebrations surrounding The Open Championship
• Viktor Hovland moved up from 30th to 12th in the OWGR following his Monday playoff win over Scottie Scheffler at the Travelers Championship
• Haeran Ryu is up to World No.7 after her victory at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship

This Week In Golf: Our regular look at the biggest stories in professional golf, tournament previews and other key details you need to know.

What a US Open we just witnessed. Wyndham Clark took on 156 of the world's best (plus a fair few hecklers outside the ropes) and won.

The American claimed his second national championship title by just one stroke, less than 24 hours after he was seven shots ahead.

But there's no rest in golf at this time of the year and no more time to celebrate for Clark, with the action resuming in earnest on three of the main tours.

One of those is another Major, while the DP World Tour returns with a strong field after a few weeks off.

Below are a handful of the biggest storylines set to occur this week in golf as well as a couple of notable events to have already happened.

PGA TOUR UNVEILS TWO-TIER CIRCUIT

There are huge changes coming to the PGA Tour from 2028 after Brian Rolapp and co. set out the initial structure in a press release on Tuesday.

The PGA Tour is set to operate a 'Championship Series' at the very top of its ecosystem and a 'Challenger Series' as the level above the Korn Ferry Tour moving forward, with other significant introductions being match play in the post season plus the removal of no-cut events and sponsor exemptions.

A minimum of 90 players will retain their status in the Championship Series from 2028 onwards, with 20 players earning promotion from the Challenger Series. Should a player win twice on the second tier, they will receive automatic promotion.

There will be approximately 23-24 Championship Series events, inclusive of The Players Championship, Major championships, season-ending events and international team events (Presidents Cup, Ryder Cup) with the season running "approximately February through August."

Rolapp addressed the media in a press conference from TPC River Highlands ahead of the Travelers Championship where he expanded on the announcement.

KPMG Women's PGA Championship

Another week, another Major in golf. This time, it's the KPMG Women's PGA Championship from Hazeltine National Golf Club.

But an announcement which arrived on Monday has quite literally upped the stakes.

The LPGA and headline sponsors KPMG confirmed the tournament purse would be an extraordinary $13 million, which is the highest total payout in the history of women's golf.

The champion will receive almost $2 million, which is more than Nelly Korda claimed at the US Women's Open a couple of weeks ago.

Away from the money side, KPMG has also promised newer and better technology for players and fans as well as comprehensive TV coverage.

Plus, all top 100 players in the current Race to CME Globe Rankings are set to compete at Hazeltine, making it one of the strongest Majors ever.

TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP

As I said earlier, there's no downtime in pro golf these days with another Signature Event hot on the heels of the year's third Major.

The Travelers Championship is once again being staged at TPC River Highlands, the site of Keegan Bradley's epic comeback victory over Tommy Fleetwood and co. this time last year.

There's another $20 million payout on the line, but with no cut, everyone in the field is set to pick up a healthy reward for being one of the game's top players.

Rory McIlroy has once again chosen to avoid a Signature Event start, but US Open champion Clark is still in the field and planning to play despite the emotional toll a Major week takes on a player.

ITALIAN OPEN

Following a three-week break, the DP World Tour has returned and it's set to be a cracking Italian Open at Circolo Golf Torino in Turin.

The field is undoubtedly one of the best of the year so far on the DP World Tour, with the likes of Joaquin Niemann, Patrick Reed, Luke Donald, David Puig, Matt Wallace, Elvis Smylie, Jose Ballester, Danny Willett, Charley Hoffman and the Molinari brothers all teeing it up.

There's a $3 million purse on the line in Italy, and it comes at the start of a run which leads up to The Open Championship - the final men's Major of the year - so expect a high-quality tournament in a beautiful setting.

Women's Amateur Championship

A record 276 entries were received for The Women's Amateur this year, and arguably the strongest-ever line-up is battling it out across the iconic Muirfield in Scotland.

Farah O'Keefe, who became only the fourth player in Curtis Cup history to win all five matches in the USA’s recent win and was a beaten finalist last year, is among 11 of the top-20 in the WAGR who began the historic championship hoping to follow in Paula Martin Sampedro's footsteps.

In addition, seven of GB&I's Curtis Cup roster entered, with each hoping to land the title and a tee time at the season's remaining two Majors as well as the Chevron Championship and US Women's Open in 2027.

The Women's Amateur began on Monday with stroke play and is due to finish on Saturday with a 36-hole match play final.

SAM BURNS TO MISS THE OPEN

It takes a cold, cold heart not to feel something for Sam Burns after his second US Open near-miss in a row at the weekend.

The American played brilliantly all week and piled the pressure on Clark during the final round but was a matter of inches away from almost forcing a playoff.

As it turns out, that will be Burns' final chance to win a Major in 2026 after it was revealed by his mother Beth that the World No.15 will miss The Open next month in order to be with his wife Caroline as she gives birth to the couple's second child.

Burns' best finish at The Open arrived in 2024 when he ended the week T31st at Royal Troon. Hopefully he'll be back next year as The Open heads to St Andrews.

Open Championship Regional Qualifying

Regional Qualifying for The Open Championship took place on Monday, with a number of high-profile names making it through to Final Qualifying on Tuesday of next week.

George Bryan was co-medallist at his site and will head to one of the four sites next week with real belief he can reach Hoylake.

Meanwhile, other notable faces such as Peter Finch and Rick Shiels failed to make it through.

Unfortunately, Golf Monthly's Joe 'The Pro' Ferguson and Sam De'Ath narrowly missed out on progression as well. But it's OK, we still love them!

HENRIK STENSON TO MAKE SENIOR OPEN DEBUT

Henrik Stenson has been confirmed among those to make their Senior Open Championship debut at Gleneagles July 23-26.

The Swede won The Open at Royal Troon in 2016 and was a part of Team Europe in 2014 when they saw off the Americans at the site of July's Senior Open.

Stenson, who left the LIV Golf League after relegation last year, said: “I am really looking forward to making my ISPS HANDA Senior Open debut in July. I have special memories at Gleneagles from 2014, and it is a wonderful venue.

“We have a very strong field and I’m excited to have the opportunity to join an exclusive club of golfers to win both the ISPS HANDA Senior Open trophy and the Claret Jug.”

WHAT ELSE TO KNOW

• Amazon Prime Day takes place between June 23-26, 2026, with a whole host of deals available on all manner of golfing equipment and apparel
• Wyndham Clark is up to World No.8 and and 12th is the US Presidents Cup rankings following his US Open victory
• Lexi Thompson has withdrawn from the KPMG Women's PGA Championship due to an ongoing injury
• Srixon will debut a new range of drivers at the Travelers Championship called the ZXi RKT
• Three Premier League players have been confirmed for the DP World Tour's BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth - John Terry, Robbie Fowler and Eden Hazard will tee it up in the famous pro-am on Wednesday, September 16
• Francesco Molinari has been confirmed as a vice-captain under Luke Donald at the 2027 Ryder Cup

This Week In Golf: Our regular look at the biggest stories in professional golf, tournament previews and other key details you need to know.

What a stretch of golf we all enjoyed last weekend. Nelly Korda won her fourth Major at the US Women's Open, JT Poston squeezed past Ryan Gerard at the Memorial Tournament, Eugenio Chacarra made a big jump towards a future on the PGA Tour with his victory at the KLM Open and Tyrrell Hatton triumphed at Valderrama to lift the LIV Golf Andalucia trophy.

While the wait for the US Open on the men's side goes on for a few more days yet, there are a handful of other key events around the world for us all to stay tuned for.

And away from the golf course, there have been a number of commitments to tournaments later in the season by big names as well as a withdrawal or two for the events coming up.

Below are some of the biggest storylines in the sport set to go down this week as well as a catch-up on those to have already taken place.

THE CURTIS CUP

One of the biggest weeks in women's amateur golf is here as the Curtis Cup takes place at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles from Friday 12th to Sunday 14th.

Team USA will be be desperate to win back the Cup following Team GB&I's thrilling 10.5-9.5 success at Sunningdale in 2024, and they have the quality to do so with players like Kiara Romero, Farah O'Keefe and Asterisk Talley on the roster.

Tally, Jasmine Koo and Anna Davis were all a part of the losing effort last time out so have experience of the event, while only Patience Rhodes (younger sister of Mimi) and Beth Coulter have been here before for the visitors.

As usual, the format consists of three foursomes and three fourball matches on each of the first two days with eight singles matches on the final day. As Team GB&I are the champions, the only need 10 points to retain.

RBC CANADIAN OPEN

The PGA Tour's final event before the US Open is the RBC Canadian Open at TPC Toronto.

The Canadian Open is one of the oldest national open championships in the world having been established in 1904 and has been won by many of the greatest players ever known - including Lee Trevino, Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods.

This year, four of the current top-10 will have a go at adding their names to that list, with Matt Fitzpatrick starting as the betting favorite just ahead of many people's tip, Tommy Fleetwood.

Whoever wins will earn almost $1.8 million and bounce into the US Open full of confidence, while for the rest it will just be about tuning their game up to have a crack at following in the footsteps of JJ Spaun and his history-making monster putt at Oakmont.

LPGA DOW CHAMPIONSHIP

On the LPGA Tour this week is the circuit's only official pairs event - the Dow Championship. Somi Lee and Jin Hee Im triumphed in a playoff roughly this time last year, beating Lexi Thompson and Megan Khang to the title.

Fresh off her US Women's Open win, Nelly Korda is pairing up with friend Olivia Cowan and playing in this event for the first time since 2022.

Korda has won four times already this term and finished runner-up in three other starts. Oh, and she's only played eight times.

At the Dow Championship, the first and third rounds are foursomes while the second and final rounds are fourballs. There aren't any Rolex Ranking points available this week but there is a tidy $3.3 million tournament purse to fight for.

INTERNATIONAL SERIES MOROCCO

The Asian Tour is about to go on a long summer break, but before it does, the third International Series tournament of the year is ready to go at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam.

The International Series Morocco offers a $2 million purse, world-ranking points to everyone who makes the cut and features a very strong field - supplemented by more than 20 LIV golfers.

Sergio Garcia and Elvis Smylie are among the biggest names teeing it up in the elevated series event, with a handful of those LIV pros heading over to Shinnecock Hills immediately after for the US Open.

AUSTRALIAN OPEN PARTNERS WITH PGA TOUR

Golf Australia has confirmed a partnership with the PGA Tour for the first time ever while extending its long-standing relationship with the DP World Tour as it relates to the Australian Open.

A new agreement, which covers 2027-2029, will see the Australian Open co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia and is set to include a significantly raised prize fund for the championship as well as ensuring it takes place in "a distinct window" in the golfing calendar.

In a statement announcing the news, Golf Australia CEO James Sutherland said: “The Australian Open has a proud history going back to 1904 and is recognized globally as one of the great national championships of world golf.

“Our ambition is clear. We want the men’s Capital.com Australian Open to be recognized among the top 10 most prestigious golf tournaments globally, and everything we are doing for the event flows from that ambition...

“This agreement with the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia strengthens the global relevance of the championship and gives us another important platform to keep growing the event year-on-year."

More details will be shared at the Australian Open later this year - which will see Rory McIlroy attend for the second year in a row - but the PGA Tour's continued relationship with the DP World Tour is expected to allow more names from the US to more easily compete Down Under over the coming seasons.

US OPEN QUALIFYING RESULTS

The US Open field for 2026 is almost complete after more than 40 places were earned through Final Qualifying on Monday.

Big-name pros like Billy Horschel and Neal Shipley punched their ticket to Shinnecock Hills, but players such as Tony Finau and Brandt Snedeker missed out.

There was drama in the form of Adam Svensson's rules blunder which cost him a good chance of teeing it up as a potential first alternate, and there was a playoff that went on for so long that it carried over into Tuesday.

Once all is said and done, though, there will be just a handful of spots left - filled by anyone inside the World's top-60 who isn't already exempt come Monday morning.

RYDER CUP CAMPSITE REVEALED

Ryder Cup Europe has announced details regarding an official campsite for fans at the 2027 competition in Ireland.

Located adjacent to the fifth fairway at Adare Manor, pre-erected accommodation is expected to house between 6,000-7,000 people per day during tournament week with a "festival atmosphere" greeting golf fans.

Organizers say the average price for a seven-night stay will be 151 euros per person while it's set to cost around 176 euros per person per night for a five-night stay.

In a statement, Ryder Cup Europe said: "A wide range of options are available to fans, both in terms of the duration of the stay and the actual camping facilities themselves.

"All accommodation is pre-erected and must be pre-booked. Full details are available via the official website: https://officialrydercupcampsite.com."

Bookings will be available on a first come, first served basis from 2pm BST this Thursday, June 11 - but only to fans who have already purchased tickets via official Ryder Cup platforms.

Ryder Cup Europe said "a further campsite allocation will be made available in due course to fans who are successful via the ticket ballot which opened on June 3 and which runs until June 29."

WHAT ELSE TO KNOW

• JT Poston has withdrawn from this week's RBC Canadian Open following his dramatic victory at the Memorial Tournament on Sunday
• Ryder Cup winners Luke Donald, Nicolai Hojgaard, Rasmus Hojgaard and Tyrrell Hatton have all been confirmed in the Irish Open field on the DP World Tour in mid-September
• Jon Rahm is back into the OWGR top-10 (8th) for the first time since the middle of 2024 after his latest top-10 finish in the LIV Golf League
• F1 World Champion Lando Norris and McLaren team principal Zak Brown will play in the BMW PGA Championship Pro-Am on Wednesday, September 16 alongside a number of other sport stars
• Viktor Hovland and Ryan Fox have joined the field for the DP World India Championship during October, just ahead of the Race To Dubai playoffs
• Nelly Korda moved to 25 points in the LPGA Tour's Hall of Fame after her US Women's Open success. She needs two more points to cement her place, with two points for a Major win and one each per LPGA Tour title
• There is no DP World Tour event this week ahead of the US Open and LIV Golf is not scheduled to return until LIV Golf UK in July

This Week In Golf: Our regular look at the biggest stories in professional golf, tournament previews and other key details you need to know.

The most recent round of events in professional golf saw a couple of playoffs and a first-time winner break through as the build-up to the second round of Majors continued.

In the women's game, the wait for its next Major is now over. Meanwhile, for the men, there is only one more week to tune up before Shinnecock Hills comes into full view.

Away from tour golf, this week is of particular interest to fans who harbor dreams of one day ticking off a true bucket-list wish...

Below, check out some of the biggest storylines from the world of golf this week - both in terms of what has already occurred and what is still yet to go down.

2027 MASTERS LOTTERY WINDOW OPENS

Wakey wakey, people! The Masters Lottery window is now open! You don't have long to act, though, with the closing date being June 20.

In order to be in with a chance, you need to go to The Masters tickets page and set up an account before applying for the days and number of tickets you'd like (up to four on practice days and two on tournament days).

You can apply for every day, but if you're lucky enough to be selected then you're only allowed to win for one day during the week - and The Masters chooses which day for you.

In terms of ticket prices, they've been frozen from this year's figures. It's $125 for Monday and Tuesday, $150 for Wednesday - although that does also include access to the Par 3 Contest - and $160 for all four tournament days.

Historically, you find out whether you've been successful or not in July and it's at that point where you'll need to pay for your tickets. Good luck!

US WOMEN'S OPEN

The biggest in stature. The toughest to win. The joint-most lucrative. The US Women's Open is arguably the top tournament in women's golf, and this year it's being staged at one of the most demanding courses around - Riviera Country Club.

The annual host of the PGA Tour's Genesis Invitational, Riviera will welcome 156 players to California this week as they each battle it out for the $12 million tournament purse and the chance to lift the Harton S. Semple trophy.

It is the joint-highest prize money payout all year, matched only by the KPMG Women's PGA Championship and even exceeding the CME Group Tour Championship by a full $1 million.

Sweden's Maja Stark is the defending US Women's Open champion after she won at Erin Hills to become the first European to win it since Annika Sorenstam in 2006.

This year, the likes of Nelly Korda, Jeeno Thitikul and Charley Hull will try and take her crown while aiming to fulfill their own Major ambitions.

THE MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT

Another world-famous course to be welcoming a tour event this week in Muirfield Village in Ohio - Jack Nicklaus' place.

The Golden Bear is hosting the PGA Tour's latest $20 million Signature Event which sees Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler play in the same field for only the seventh time this year.

Viktor Hovland withdrew late last week to headline the big names missing the Memorial Tournament, but 72 other players are preparing to jostle for this lucrative title.

Unlike the majority of Signature Events, there is a cut at the Memorial Tournament, so pros can't rest on their laurels if they want to pick up a huge payout come Sunday.

LIV GOLF ANDALUCIA

Continuing among a cloud of uncertainty regarding its future, LIV Golf rolls on to Spain for its Andalucia event, held at Real Club Valderrama - one of the most famous layouts in European golf.

Talor Gooch has won two of three LIV Golf Andalucia titles so far, while Spaniard Sergio Garcia tasted victory in the other.

Possibly the most popular home player of all, Jon Rahm, will be desperate to finally lay claim to this trophy and extend his sizable advantage in the overall individual standings this term.

KLM OPEN

Following a maiden victory for Kota Kaneko at the Austrian Alpine Open last week, the DP World Tour moves on to the Netherlands and the KLM Open.

Sponsored by the Dutch airline, this event takes place at the International Golf Club, which is in close proximity to Amsterdam's Schipol airport.

However, this national open will be held at The International for the final time in 2026, with Kennemer Golf & Country Club in Zandvoort taking over from next year.

Joost Luiten is hunting a third national open title while US Amateur champion Mason Howell makes his DP World Tour debut as well.

NCAA D1 MEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER

On Monday, Oklahoma State's Preston Stout claimed the NCAA D1 Individual Men's Golf Championship by a single stroke at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California.

Stout fired a final round three-under 69 to reach 14-under for the week and was forced to wait on the range for a while to see if anyone could catch him.

Alabama's William Jennings recovered from a double-bogey on the fourth to restore parity via a cluster of gains thereafter, but an untimely bogey at the 18th hole cost him a shot at a playoff and gave Stout the crown.

BEN JAMES EARNS PGA TOUR CARD

University of Virginia graduate Ben James has probably played his final event as an amateur and could be looking at a PGA Tour career for at least the next 18 months.

James finished No.1 in the PGA Tour University rankings and has earned status on the historic US circuit through 2027 once he turns pro.

It seems as though he will make the jump soon, with the PGA Tour University account on X suggesting it's only a matter of time for the man who has already teed it up at both of the two most recent US Opens.

Should he turn pro, James' first PGA Tour start could be the RBC Canadian Open at TPC Toronto next week.

SENTRY BECOMES TITLE SPONSOR OF TORREY PINES EVENT

The PGA Tour's event at Torrey Pines has a new sponsor - Sentry Insurance. After it was confirmed the PGA Tour would be departing Hawaii for good after this year, and with Farmers Insurance ending its deal with Torrey Pines, a natural partnership has apparently formed.

Therefore, the longstanding San Diego tournament will henceforth be known as The Sentry and take place at Torrey Pines between January 27-30, 2027. It will finish on a Saturday to avoid clashing with the NFL's late playoff matches.

In a press release, PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said: "For 75 years the PGA Tour has hosted elite competition in San Diego, including the last 60 at revered Torrey Pines, and we are proud to build upon that legacy and longtime philanthropic impact with our partners at Sentry Insurance.

"We are pleased to have the support of Sentry and the Century Club of San Diego to further grow what fans and players have long recognized as one of our game’s most celebrated venues and events."

WHAT ELSE TO KNOW

• Charlie Woods qualified for the US Junior Amateur once again after winning a playoff at Heathrow Golf Club on Monday
• Lexi Thompson reacted to missing her first US Women's Open in 20 years on social media after she failed to qualify
• Madelene Sagstrom is teeing it up at the US Women's Open while almost seven months pregnant. Remarkably, the Swede still plans to play two more events before stopping, including the KPMG Women's PGA Championship later this month
• Travis Smyth will once again step in for Paul Casey on Bryson DeChambeau's Crushers roster at LIV Golf Andalucia as the Englishman continues to battle a back injury
• JJ Spaun, Aaron Rai and Brooks Koepka have all been confirmed to line up at the Genesis Scottish Open next month alongside the likes of Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele
• 19-year-old Blades Brown has accepted Special Temporary Membership on the PGA Tour for the remainder of the 2026 season
• Good Good Golf's Brad Dalke has accepted a sponsor's invite into the 2026 Rocket Classic which takes place at Detroit Golf Club July 30 – August 2
• John Daly II is set to make his professional debut at the Korn Ferry Tour's OccuNet Classic next week

This Week In Golf: Our weekly look at the biggest stories in professional golf, tournament previews and other key details you need to know.

We're somehow now almost in June and well into peak golf season, so what's going on this week in the world of pro golf?

We had Wyndham Clark storm to victory on Sunday courtesy of an 11-under-par 60 at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson after Richard Sterne won his first title in 13 years at the Soudal Open, and this coming week is far busier.

The PGA Tour returns to the iconic Colonial Country Club as the DP World Tour heads to Austria, with the LPGA Tour and LIV Golf also returning.

So, let's take a look at what's on the way this week and what other stories you may have missed:

Charles Schwab Challenge

The PGA Tour heads an hour west to Colonial Country Club for the Charles Schwab Challenge.

Ben Griffin defends his title against a field featuring just one player from the world's top 10 - no.9 JJ Spaun. Ludvig Aberg headlines along with Griffin, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, Hideki Matsuyama and Robert MacIntyre.

Colonial hosts the tournament for the 80th year, and there is a $9.9m prize pool with $1.782m going to the winner.

Wyndham Clark has withdrawn following his CJ Cup Byron Nelson win, while Brooks Koepka, David Ford and Denny McCarthy have pulled out as well. Jordan Spieth is another notable missing, with the three-time Major winner not playing in the event for the first time since 2013.

Also up for grabs, as is tradition at this event, is a classic car. This time around an ‘82 Schwab Scrambler 4x4 will go to the winner.

Austrian Alpine Open

Kevin Na makes his fourth start since leaving LIV Golf this week as a sponsor's invite at the Austrian Alpine Open, which sees Golfclub Kitzbühel-Schwarzsee-Reith make its DP World Tour debut.

Sepp Straka makes his first start on home soil since 2018, as Germany's Nicolai von Dellingshausen defends his title.

No.1 in the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability, Kipp Popert, is another notable in a field featuring the majority of the DP World Tour's top talent - aside from its PGA Tour card-holding members.

The tournament marks the third event in the European Swing, where the winner will earn a $200,000 bonus as well as entry into every event of Phase Two of the DP World Tour season (the 'Back 9').

LIV Golf Korea

LIV Golf returns to Korea for its second staging in the country after Bryson DeChambeau won the inaugural event last year.

There have been some field, and roster, changes this week already with Tyrrell Hatton withdrawing and Phil Mickelson remaining out due to a personal family matter.

Max Rottluff comes in for Hatton, with Scott Vincent keeping his place on the HyFlyers at Asiad Country Club in Busan.

Danny Lee was also surprisingly demoted to a wild card, with Doyeob Mun taking his place on Korean GC.

Bryson DeChambeu has already spoken to the media this week, where he talked what could be next for LIV Golf after the Saudi Arabian PIF withdrew its funding.

Dustin Johnson also gave a very on-brand reply when asked about LIV's current situation:

Shoprite LPGA

The LPGA is back after a week off, with the ShopRite LPGA taking place at Seaview Hotel & Golf Club's Bay Course in Galloway, New Jersey.

Jennifer Kupcho held off Ilhee Lee to win last year to win her fourth LPGA Tour title.

There's a strong field assembled, headlined by Charley Hull, but a number of big names are missing like Nelly Korda, Lottie Woad and Lydia Ko, with the US Women's Open taking place next week at Riviera Country Club.

Farah O'Keefe's NCAA Glory

University of Texas junior Farah O'Keefe shot a final round 70 (-2) to secure a two-stroke victory at Omni La Costa to become the 2026 NCAA Division 1 champion. She has now earned a spot in next week's US Women's Open.

It is her biggest career victory, and the fourth of her 2026 season, having also finished 38th at the Chevron Championship. She is just the third Longhorn in history to win the title.

The team event concludes on Wednesday.

What else to know:

• Three spots are up for grabs in the 154th Open this week at the Mizuno Open on the Japan Golf Tour
• The Baycurrent Classic posted a graphic featuring four players, including Tiger Woods, with the words: 'The world's top players are coming to #YokohamaCC again this year!'
• Auburn junior Jackson Koivun won the 2026 Ben Hogan Award, becoming the third player in history to win the award twice after Jon Rahm and Ludvig Aberg
• Sergio Garcia and Bubba Watson have been confirmed for the International Series Morocco at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam from June 11–14
• Wyndham Clark has jumped from 75th to 44th in the Official World Golf Ranking
• Jon Rahm is back on the verge of the world's top 10, climbing up to 11th despite not playing last week
• Scottie Scheffler is now on a 10-tournament winning drought, his longest since going 14 events without a win in 2023

This Week In Golf: Our weekly look at the biggest stories in professional golf, tournament previews and other key details you need to know.

Last week was a big one for English golf, with Aaron Rai sealing his maiden Major with a sensational finish at the PGA Championship as Lottie Woad won her second LPGA Tour title to move into the world's top five. We also saw a fantastic story as Leonie Harm won her first LET title at the German Masters, 13 years from near-death when she was hit by a drunk driver while out jogging.

So what have we got to look forward to this week? The PGA Tour moves to Texas after Aronimink, while the DP World Tour heads to Belgium as LIV Golf and the LPGA take a break before returning next week.

We've also had US Open Qualifying this week and plenty of other stories and announcements in the sport. Let's take a full look at what's coming up and what you might have missed...

CJ Cup Byron Nelson

The PGA Tour returns to TPC Craig Ranch, just north of Dallas, for the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, where Scottie Scheffler defends his title.

It's the start of another two-week Texan run after the Houston Open and Valero Texas Open pre-Masters, with the CJ Cup being followed by the Charles Schwab Challenge at the revered Colonial Country Club.

As expected after a Major, the field is missing plenty of big names but there is star power with World No.1 Scheffler headlining along with the likes of Jordan Spieth and Brooks Koepka.

There's a $10.3m purse up for grabs with $1.854m going to the winner.

Soudal Open

The DP World Tour is back in Belgium this week for the Soudal Open at Rinkven International GC in Antwerp.

Kristoffer Reitain won his maiden DPWT title here last year but is not back to defend, with the field headlined by LIV Golf's Thomas Detry. He is joined by a number of other LIV Golfers including Adrian Meronk, Victor Perez, Josele Ballester and Caleb Surratt.

However, the star of the show will actually be a LIV Golf commentator this week, as Belgian legend Nicolas Colsaerts makes his final start on the tour. The three-time DP World Tour winner and 2012 Ryder Cup winner is set to bow out in his 505th DPWT appearance.

It is the second event in the six-tournament European Swing, and starts a run of five consecutive national opens. The European Swing champion will earn a $200,000 bonus and the highest non-exempt finisher will qualify for the Scottish Open.

Kolon Korean Open

It's a big week on the Asian Tour, with one spot up for grabs in the 154th Open.

The Kolon Korean Open marks the 68th staging of Korea’s national open, a tournament that has been won by the likes of Vijay Singh, John Daly, KJ Choi, Rickie Fowler, Sergio Garcia and Thongchai Jaidee through the years.

It returns to Woo Jeong Hills Country Club this year, which was being renovated last year, and there's a strong field assembled with Sadom Kaewkanjana defending the title.

Bubba Watson is the headline name along with Abraham Ancer and two-time winner Minkyu Kim, who plays for Korean GC in the LIV Golf League. All three are getting themselves prepared ahead of LIV Golf Korea next week.

There has been some controversy, with Flushing It Golf first reporting that the prize money was reduced from two billion Korean Won to 1.4bn on Monday. That's after the tournament announced the rise from the original 1.4bn last month, with "$500,000 in prize money support from LIV Golf" per Flushing It Golf.

Players reportedly received an email on Monday with the news of the prize money reduction, which was said to be "due to reduced sponsorship."

Golf Monthly has contacted LIV Golf for comment.

US Open field taking shape

The 2026 US Open field is taking shape with a month to go until the third men's Major of the year.

A total of seven players qualified at Walton Heath, with nine making it through Final Qualifying in Dallas.

May 18 was also the first of two cut-offs for the world's top 60, with 35 players qualifying including the likes of Adam Scott, Patrick Reed, Jordan Spieth, Joaquin Niemann, Kristoffer Reitan and Alex Smalley.

There are 11 Final Qualifying events remaining, with Japan’s final qualifier on May 25 before 'Golf's Longest Day' on June 8th, where ten sites will be running 36-hole qualifiers.

The 126th US Open takes place at Shinnecock Hills from June 18-21.

USA's Curtis Cup team is set

The USA's team of eight for the 2026 Curtis Cup has been confirmed, with Kary Hollenbaugh, Jasmine Koo, Avery Weed and Kelly Xu joining the four previously confirmed names of Farah O’Keefe, Kiara Romero, Asterisk Talley and Anna Davis.

They'll be looking to win the cup back after losing to GB&I at Sunningdale two years ago, with the match taking place from June 12-14 at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles.

What else to know

• LIV Golf star Jon Rahm has reportedly committed to the Genesis Scottish Open in July, a co-sanctioned event between the PGA and DP World Tours
• Adam Scott has officially qualified for the 2026 US Open, which will be his 100th consecutive Major start. Jack Nicklaus is the only other man to have played over 100 in a row, with a remarkable record of 154
• Garrick Higgo has split with his caddie after last week's two-stroke penalty for arriving late to his opening tee time at the PGA Championship
• Three-time DP World Tour winner Marco Penge revealed on Instagram that he is to take some time off from the game to focus on his health
• Viktor Hovland has been confirmed for the FedEx Open de France, which takes place at Le Golf National from September 24-27
• Aaron Rai has moved up to a career-high 15th in the world, while Jon Rahm is now up to 12th, having ended 2025 in 84th position
• LIV Golf has announced its 2025 UK event at JCB Golf and Country Club generated £45 million for the United Kingdom’s economy through regional operations, workforce and visitor activity

This Weekend In Golf: Our snapshot look at the biggest stories in professional golf and other key details you need to know over Saturday and Sunday's play.

It's been another incredibly busy couple of days in professional golf, with five high-profile tournaments taking place around the world.

The PGA Tour has the Truist Championship and the Myrtle Beach Classic while the DP World Tour is running the Catalunya Championship.

LIV Golf's first US stop is almost at an end in Virginia and the LPGA Tour is set up for a thrilling finale at the Mizuho Americas Open.

With so much going on, it's easy to miss out on a number of interesting stories both on and away from the golf course. But fear not, because we've rounded up some of the best below for you to catch up on. Here they are below.

ONE OF RORY'S WORST-EVER ROUNDS

Rory McIlroy and Quail Hollow appeared to be a match made in heaven based on past success, but the six-time Major winner's third round at the 2026 Truist Championship proved to be a real rough patch in the pair's relationship.

McIlroy lost a total of 5.29 strokes to the field in total on Saturday, made all the more remarkable by the fact he gained around a stroke to the field off the tee. The worst area of his game was around the green, where McIlroy lost 3.5 strokes to the field and was stone-dead last in that metric among the 72 players involved.

Statistically, it was among the very worst rounds of McIlroy's pro career, with the Northern Irishman having completed 1,350 to this point.

McIlroy ultimately shot a four-over-par 75 and dropped down the leaderboard to T37th heading into the final round, 13 strokes behind leader Alex Fitzpatrick.

REITAN ALMOST DIDN'T MAKE TRUIST FIELD

Kristoffer Reitan heads into the final round of the Truist Championship just one stroke behind leader Alex Fitzpatrick. Coincidentally, it was also a single shot that gave Reitan this week's start.

The DP World Tour graduate has been in excellent form of late, highlighted by his T2nd result alongside Kristoffer Ventura at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, and was in position to qualify for the fifth Signature Event of the season before a last-gasp double-bogey at the Cadillac Championship seven days ago.

The final member of the Aon Next 10 before that mistake, the Norwegian ultimately had Alex Smalley to thank for being switched to the Aon Swing 5 and booking his place in this $20 million event.

Explaining the situation after his Saturday 64 (-7), Reitan said: “On the 18th tee on Sunday last week I was not in the tournament this week.

“[But] because I made double and one more player bogeyed, [Alex] Smalley hopped up a couple spots on the leaderboard, which then put him in the Aon 10, which then put me in the Aon 5. It was a little bit mind blowing, but I'll take it.”

Reitan heads off in the final group alongside Fitzpatrick at 1:45pm ET on Sunday.

BALLESTER EQUALS LIV RECORD

Josele Ballester might not win LIV Golf Virginia this week, such is the gap between the group in T3rd and the leading pair, but he will take immense confidence moving forward thanks to a simply stunning round on Saturday.

The young Spaniard fired a bogey-free 12-under total at Trump National DC to take him up to 13-under on the leaderboard - still eight shots back of Lucas Herbert and five of Sergio Garcia.

Ballester's day featured one eagle and ten birdies and ties the LIV record for the lowest-ever round (relative to par).

JOHN DALY WITHDRAWS

John Daly withdrew from the PGA Tour Champions’ Insperity Invitational on Friday.

The two-time Major winner played just three holes before pulling out of the tournament which he won back in 2017 - his lone success on the senior circuit.

No official reason has been provided for Daly's early exit, but the 60-year-old has suffered with injuries over the past few years and has only made five starts in 2026.

CAM SMITH HIRES NEW COACH

It wouldn't be unfair to say Cameron Smith's career has quite panned out the way the Australian would have liked since joining LIV Golf, especially in the Majors, but the 2022 Open Championship winner is apparently making moves to correct his disappointing form.

Evin Priest is reporting Smith has brought Claude Harmon III on as a new swing coach, possibly replacing Grant Field who has worked with the Ripper GC captain for several years.

Further clarification on Smith's coaching set-up may arrive during next week's PGA Championship at Aronimink.

SUNGJAE IM'S RAGE-INDUCING BUNKER SHOT

Sungjae Im's short-game has largely been in a great place this week, but one particular shot from the sand really tested his mental fortitude after not quite panning out the way he'd hoped (and then some).

The rage-inducing moment arrived at the 15th hole when the South Korean landed in the front green-side bunker. Im caught his next shot a little too thin and it crashed off the grandstand behind the flag before barreling back down the green and trickling into the sand he still stood.

Im escaped with a bogey before another at the 17th dropped him out of the final group heading into today's final round.

That wasn't the only highlight of Im's day, either, as the hole prior to his strange sand-based nightmare, the two-time PGA Tour winner made an outstanding birdie at Quail Hollow's driveable par-4 14th.

His drive stopped just shot of the water to the left of the green, but the next effort required Im to remove his left shoe while standing in the drink.

Gripping down on a wedge, he knocked it to eight feet and rolled in the birdie, proving the saying around no pictures on a scorecard to be kind of a shame on this occasion.

DON'T FORGET ABOUT JEENO

Nelly Korda returned to the World No.1 spot recently after three wins in quick succession, but the rival she displaced is apparently in no mood to go away any time soon.

Jeeno Thitikul is two shots clear at the LPGA Tour's Mizuho Americas Classic - the tournament she won last year as well, albeit at a different course - and could well cut the gap to Korda if she hangs on.

Those immediately behind her are no joke, though, so Thitikul must prove her quality to see off the likes of Celine Boutier, Hye-Jin Choi, Allisen Corpuz, Ruoning Yin and Hannah Green.

KOEPKA FIRES LOWEST ROUND SINCE RETURN

Brooks Koepka has a smile on his face again. The five-time Major winner came off the course on Saturday and admitted he is "the most excited I've been playing golf in a long, long time."

Perhaps the reason for Koepka's joy is the fact he's in contention at the Myrtle Beach Classic - the PGA Tour's opposite-field event - following his lowest round since leaving golf, a seven-under 64 at Dunes Golf and Beach Club in South Carolina.

A fine Moving Day has put Koepka in T7th with 18 holes to play, five strokes away from leader Mark Hubbard, and with a chance of a first outright PGA Tour victory since the 2021 WM Phoenix Open.

SNYMAN BAGS FIRST ASIAN TOUR WIN

South Africa's Ian Snyman has finally landed his first Asian Tour victory at the 83rd time of asking, winning the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open by two strokes on Sunday.

The 29-year-old had picked up five wins on the Big Easy Tour in South Africa during his early days as a pro but had found crossing the line in front on the Asian Tour a little more difficult until this week.

Snyman produced only three bogeys to reach 15-under for the tournament and saw off Mexico’s Santiago De la Fuente (67) and Hong Kong’s Matthew Cheung (68) courtesy of his own closing 69.

The South African has now climbed to No.3 in the Asian Tour Order of Merit and scooped $90,000 in prize money for his win.

This Week In Golf: Our regular look at the biggest stories in professional golf, tournament previews and other key details you need to know.

A few days after dominant victories for Nelly Korda and Cameron Young, as well as a much tighter win for Mikael Lindberg on the DP World Tour, pro golf is back with a bang as a hugely busy week takes place.

The PGA Tour's latest Signature Event is ready to begin at Quail Hollow while New Jersey's Mountain Ridge welcomes the LPGA Tour. LIV Golf also returns for a first US stop and the DP World Tour's European Swing starts.

Away from tournament action, much has already occurred in the world of pro golf and plenty more is sure to unfold in the coming days.

Below, you can find out some of the key storylines due to arise in golf this week as well as a handful of noteworthy narratives to have already taken place.

Truist Championship

The PGA Tour's fifth Signature Event of the year and third in a row is taking place this week at Quail Hollow - the Truist Championship.

This tournament was played at Philadelphia Cricket Club last year (won by Sepp Straka) because Quail Hollow staged the PGA Championship, but the event which Rory McIlroy has won a record four times is back at its traditional home once more.

As usual, there is a $20 million tournament purse on the line and most of the PGA Tour's best are teeing it up, but Scottie Scheffler tops the bill of big names missing the Truist Championship ahead of the year's second men's Major in a few days' time.

Other absentees now include Collin Morikawa and Jake Knapp after the pair withdrew late on due to respective injuries.

Mizuho Americas Open

The LPGA Tour's offering this week is the Mizuho Americas Open at Mountain Ridge Country Club in New Jersey.

The legendary Michelle Wie West is tournament host after the Mizuho brand ambassador accepted a sponsor's invite to make her first LPGA Tour start since the 2023 US Women's Open. Wie West is also planning to play this year's US Women's Open and WTGL later in the season.

Eight of the top-10 are teeing it up in the pro event at Mountain Ridge, with Jeeno Thitikul defending but no Nelly Korda following her latest victory last week.

But where the Mizuho Americas Open differs from most other LPGA Tour events is that there will be 24 top-ranked AJGA juniors competing in their own Stableford competition alongside Wie West and co. Also over four days, the player with the most points will be named winner of the AJGA division.

LIV Golf Virginia

Trump National DC welcomes LIV Golf Virginia for the Saudi-backed circuit's first US stop of the season. It's been a bumpy few weeks for LIV, but there is something like a return to normality (for four days at least) now.

CEO Scott O'Neil spoke ahead of LIV Golf Virginia about the current state of the league and where he sees it heading in the future, but for the time being, Joaquin Niemann is ready to defend his title as Jon Rahm hunts yet another top-10.

But perhaps more crucially, there is one exemption spot for the US Open on the line this week. Whoever the leading LIV golfer inside the top-three of the rankings is after LIV Golf Virginia will earn that tee time at Aronimink.

Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau are locked in the top two spots, but any one of 11 players can secure third place - six of whom must win - with a notable result over the coming days, including Anthony Kim.

Catalunya Championship

The DP World Tour's European Swing kicks off this week with the Catalunya Championship in Barcelona, Spain.

Paul Waring is the standout name at Real Club de Golf El Prat, which is hosting its 12th DP World Tour event and sits just an hour down the road from Camiral - host of the 2031 Ryder Cup.

From here, there are seven more counting events in the European Swing - including the next two Majors - as the tour heads through the continent which it calls home with players aiming to wrap up places in the Back Nine and subsequent DP World Tour playoffs.

Myrtle Beach Classic

Opposite the PGA Tour's fifth Signature Event is the Myrtle Beach Classic - the opposite field tournament with a handful of big names competing at Dunes Golf and Beach Club in South Carolina.

Brooks Koepka remains yet to make his Signature Event debut after missing out by one spot at each of the past two, but he's playing this week, as is Nicolai Hojgaard - the World No.37.

There is a $4 million tournament purse at the Myrtle Beach Classic - which was won by Ryan Fox last year - which is just a shade higher than the entire amount the winner of the Truist Championship will earn.

Full Your Golf Tour Details Revealed

The Bryan Bros and Grant Horvat - among the most popular personalities in YouTube golf - have launched a influencer-driven circuit with a $1 million top prize, and now we know the full details thanks to an announcement video from the four captains.

Brad Dalke was brought in as the fourth and final skipper, with each captain choosing three more extremely talented content creators for their rosters.

People like Luke Kwon, Peter Finch and Roger Steele are involved, with the four events taking place at Pursell Farms, Teeth of the Dog at Casa de Campo, Cutalong at Tributer Resort and - finally - Wynn Golf Club.

There are so many more details to cover, but - helpfully - the aforementioned creators have published a video (above) telling you everything you need to know.

Adam Scott confirmed for 100th Major In A Row

Adam Scott is a legend of the game and has been working towards playing 100 consecutive Majors for a long, long time.

But despite a couple of scares, the 2013 Masters champion has now locked it up courtesy of sitting inside the world's top-50 ahead of the May cut-off for the US Open.

His T4th finish at the Cadillac Championship last week was enough to seal the deal, and the 45-year-old will aim to add to his Major tally at Shinnecock Hills next month as a result.

Rickie Fowler Announces New On-Brand Sponsor

Certain partnerships between pro athletes and brands simply work perfectly - and Rickie Fowler's link up with orange juice brand Tropicana is definitely one of those.

The six-time PGA Tour winner has long been known for his trademark Sunday orange apparel, born from his time at Oklahoma State, and is now taking that passion for the color and the fruit that little bit further.

He helped launch Tropicana's new range on World Orange Juice Day (May 4) with a social media video that proves what a talent he is on screen as well as on the course.

WHAT ELSE TO KNOW

• Jon Rahm has been granted a conditional release by the DP World Tour after paying off his fines and is eligible to compete in both the LIV Golf League and European circuit this season
• The WTGL has announced six new stars for the upcoming season, including: Celine Boutier, Andrea Lee, Minjee Lee, Danielle Kang, Megan Khang and Albane Valenzuela
• The RBC Canadian Open has confirmed Matt Fitzpatrick, Collin Morikawa, Tommy Fleetwood, Brooks Koepka, Tony Finau, Shane Lowry, Sam Burns, Sahith Theegala and defending champion Ryan Fox are set to play TPC Toronto next month - but there is no Rory McIlroy at this stage
• Dustin Johnson has received a special invite into the PGA Championship next week, taking his run of consecutive Majors to 69
• Cameron Young is back up to a career-high World No.3 following his Cadillac Championship victory
• Phil Mickelson has officially withdrawn from the PGA Championship next week, citing a private family health matter. Mickelson has missed all but one LIV event this season due to the same reason

This Week In Golf: Our regular look at the biggest stories in professional golf, tournament previews and other key details you need to know.

The back end of last week produced some incredible stories in the world of golf such as Nelly Korda lifting her third Major championship, Alex Fitzpatrick teaming up with brother Matt to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, and Bernd Wiesberger roaring back to triumph at the DP World Tour's Volvo China Open - his first success in five years.

But this sport doesn't stand still for very long and everyone involved in the pro game is already looking forward to what might happen next.

Luckily for them, the possibilities appear almost endless this week with one of the busiest starts to a week we've seen in a long time.

Below are some of the biggest storylines in golf this week as well as a look back at what has already occurred.

Cadillac Championship

The PGA Tour is back with yet another $20 million Signature Event as Trump National Doral's Blue Monster course welcomes some of the circuit's very best to the Cadillac Championship.

And it will only be some of the best as the event's position in the schedule has caused it to be skipped by five of the world's top-15 as well as a handful of other big names.

Although there won't be any sign of Rory McIlroy, Matt Fitzpatrick or Xander Schauffele in Miami, Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young and Collin Morikawa are all primed to try and win the next big PGA Tour event.

But in order to do so, they better be able to hit it a long way. Per the PGA Tour: "at 7,739 yards, the stock par 72 trails only the South Course at Torrey Pines as the longest hosts this season." Good luck, fellas.

Turkish Airlines Open

For fans of the DP World Tour, your serving this week is the Turkish Airlines Open at National Golf Club in Belek, Antalya - a switch from Regnum Carya (you know, the one with the swimming pool underneath the villa-roof tee box).

A new course will present plenty of challenge to those contending for not only the title but a place in the top-three of the Asian Swing rankings.

It's the final event before the European Swing starts, and the three leading players on the Asian Swing after Sunday's play has concluded will earn starts at the upcoming PGA Championship.

Not only that, but the man who tops the standings will earn exemptions into each of the Back 9 events and walk away with a $200,000 bonus check.

Riviera Maya Open

The second edition of the LPGA Tour's Mexico Open is taking place at Mayakoba's El Camaleon Golf Course - home to the PGA Tour for many years and site for LIV Golf's Mexican stop in 2023 and 2024.

Chizzy Iwai romped to victory by six strokes in the inaugural running last year, so officials will hope for a slightly closer contest this time around.

Nelly Korda leads the field alongside the Iwai sisters - Akie and defending champion Chizzy - as everyone battles it out for the lion's share of a $2.5 million tournament purse.

Sunningdale Returns as Major venue

Sunningdale's world-famous Old Course has been confirmed as the host of the AIG Women's Open in 2028.

It will mark the first time in two decades the Golf Monthly Top 100 layout has been given the honor, with Jiyai Shin winning when Sunningdale last hosted in 2008.

Mark Darbon, chief executive of The R&A, said in a press release: “Sunningdale continues a run of world class venues for the AIG Women’s Open. Venue selection is incredibly important to The R&A and AIG as we remain committed to making the AIG Women’s Open one of the world’s leading women’s sports events.

“With a track record of producing outstanding champions, Sunningdale will provide a fantastic test of golf and we look forward to an exciting AIG Women’s Open in 2028.”

The AIG Women’s Open will be played at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2026 before heading down to Royal St George’s in 2027.

Nelly Korda returns to World no.1

Nelly Korda won the Chevron Championship at a canter on Sunday, producing some video-game golf at times to earn the third Major of her career.

In doing so, Korda returned to the summit of world golf - replacing Jeeno Thitikul - for the first time since August 2025.

Given the standings in the women's game are much closer than on the men's side, expect this tussle for supremacy to continue for many years to come.

AIG Women's Open Prize Money Reaches $10 million

For the 50th edition of the Women's Open later this year, the championship will feature a $10 million prize money payout for the first time.

In 2020, the tournament purse was less than half that figure at $4.5 million, but The R&A have committed to raising the payout once more despite CEO Mark Darbon admitting the championship is not currently profitable in comments to BBC Sport.

In a press release, Darbon said: “This is the sixth consecutive year that the AIG Women’s Open prize fund has been increased.

“These consistent and sustainable investments in the prize fund clearly demonstrate The R&A and AIG’s commitment to elevating the Championship on the global stage.”

Speaking to BBC Sport, Darbon said: "At the moment [the AIG Women's Open] is not profitable. We treat it as an investment into the game, but an absolutely critical investment.

"Our focus actually is around audience growth. We think if we're going to be true to that notion of inspiring millions of people around the world, we need to grow the audience for this championship and the women's game more broadly."

Fitzpatrick accepts PGA Tour membership

Matt Fitzpatrick is very much a PGA Tour regular with three wins in his past four starts and up to World No.3 with over $10 million in tournament earnings so far this year.

However, his younger brother Alex Fitzpatrick is hoping to start his own journey now after the pair of Englishmen won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on Sunday.

Alex, who still holds DP World Tour status and recently won the Hero Indian Open on one of the toughest courses in the game, has now accepted PGA Tour membership and will go straight into the field for this week's Cadillac Championship.

The 27-year-old is eligible for the remaining three Signature Events and has slotted in at No.45 on the FedEx Cup standings as he chases a playoff spot and the vastly superior riches on offer compared to his time in Europe.

NFL player drafted on the golf course

Quite often in the NFL Draft, fans see new recruits called at home surrounded by friends and family just praying the phone will ring and their dreams will begin.

That wasn't quite how it unfolded for new Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Kaden Wetjenwas, though.

The Iowa product was playing golf when his new boss Mike McCarthy made contact, sparking a sweet moment where Wetjenwas and a few friends gathered around a phone by the side of the fairway to watch the draft (which just so happened to be taking place in Steel town).

As the wideout had his name called by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, he swiped away a flurry of messages that were pouring in and celebrated with a potential new celebration dance before presumably carrying on with his round. Because the hard work never stops for golfers.

WHAT ELSE TO KNOW

• The Golf Monthly Tour Issue podcast has launched, with our team of experts looking back on the weekend's golf, discussing the biggest stories and talking points in the game, answering your questions and previewing the upcoming tournaments every week
• The R&A CEO Mark Darbon has said players could face up to a two-stroke penalty for misconduct at The Open Championship in July as the game's governing bodies look to crack down on unsavory moments out on the course
• Local qualifying for the US Open continues this week with 20 sites hosting events between Monday and Thursday
• In a rare incident, the OWGR has recognized there are two World No.67s. Jordan Smith and Max Greyserman have the same number of average points over the relevant period, so there is no World No.68 as a result
• Following swiftly on from the Senior PGA Championship, the next PGA Tour Champions Major takes place this week with the Regions Tradition
• On the Asian Tour, The 45th GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship begins on Thursday at Namseoul Country Club in South Korea
• Royal Lytham & St Annes has been confirmed as the host venue of The Open Championship in 2028
• Justin Rose, Ian Poulter and Michelle Wie have joined McLaren Golf as global ambassadors, with Rose using the new brand's irons at the Cadillac Championship this week.
• Ryder Cup legends Bernhard Langer, Padraig Harrington, and Jose Maria Olazabal have been added to the PGA Tour Champions' Portugal Invitational field later this year, joining former teammate Thomas Bjorn and Major champions David Duval, Retief Goosen, and Angel Cabrera
• Team Europe Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald has once again committed to the DP World Tour's British Masters later this year
• Rory McIlroy has been confirmed for his first start since winning The Masters at next week's Truist Championship, played at Quail Hollow Club, an event he has won four times

This Week In Golf: Our regular look at the biggest stories in professional golf, tournament previews and other key details you need to know.

The golf season is in full flow and there are Major championships everywhere you look. Stewart Cink claimed his first at the Senior PGA Championship just a week after Rory McIlroy won The Masters.

Looking forward, another Major is on the schedule this week as the women's game comes to the party.

Elsewhere, the PGA Tour hosts a unique event, the DP World Tour is back after a few weeks away and the Asian Tour boasts its latest elevated tournament. And that's just what is set to occur on the course.

Below is a look ahead to some of the biggest storylines in the sport which are set to evolve over the coming days as well as a look back on what has already happened.

THE CHEVRON CHAMPIONSHIP

After The Masters and the Senior PGA Championship, it's the LPGA Tour's turn as The Chevron Championship marks the opening women's Major of the year.

Moved to Memorial Park in Houston, Texas for 2026 - the site of a PGA Tour event just a few weeks ago - the Chevron Championship will once again provide the best in the world with a chance to taste Major glory and land the top prize from an $8 million purse.

Mao Saigo is the defending champion and will be hoping to make another jump into a version of Poppie's Pond, which now resembles a four-foot-deep swimming pool by the side of the 18th green.

Should any of the stacked field - which includes Jeeno Thitikul, Nelly Korda and Charley Hull - find the tiny water hazard, they will be provided free relief. But the aim will be to avoid it until they can jump in as champion.

ZURICH CLASSIC OF NEW ORLEANS

The PGA Tour is taking a break from its traditional single-pro stroke play events this week and changing things up with the annual pairs tournament.

Duos from across the circuit (and beyond) will compete in a combination of foursomes and four balls in order to try and shoot the lowest score and earn many of the perks usually on offer for just one player per tournament.

However, the prize money is split between the winning pair and there are no OWGR points on offer at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, so teams could end up winning the event but dropping down the rankings!

Nevertheless, a win this week will still result in a two-year PGA Tour exemption and spots at the PGA Championship as well as each of the remaining Signature Events this term, so it's certainly worth striving for the title.

VOLVO CHINA OPEN

There was a remarkable victory for Ashun Wu at the Volvo China Open last year, and the defending champion is back in 2026 as the DP World Tour returns from three weeks off.

Shanghai Enhance Anting Golf Club will once again stage the penultimate tournament of the Asian Swing, and there is a spot at the PGA Championship on offer to whoever leads the rankings after next week's Turkish Airlines Open.

Not only that, but the tournament purse has been increased by $200,000 as well, so there is plenty to fight for in China this week.

SINGAPORE OPEN

The fourth event of the Asian Tour's 2026 season is also its second International Series tournament, and this is a really cool one. The Singapore Open is played at one of the best golf courses in the world - the Serapong at Sentosa Golf Club.

Site of the recent LIV Golf Singapore, won by Bryson DeChambeau, Sentosa will welcome a field of 144 with each looking to claim the top prize in a $2 million payout.

Not to mention, the points accumulated in International Series events are totted up and the leading two players may end up earning a LIV Golf card for 2027.

Additionally, the 57th Singapore Open also provides two places at The 154th Open Championship in July as the tournament is part of The Open Qualifying Series.

DECHAMBEAU DISCUSSES LIV-EXIT OPTIONS: REPORT

According to Brody Miller of The Athletic, LIV Golf star Bryson DeChambeau recently met with "organizations to discuss possible options if he chose to leave LIV" at the end of his contract.

DeChambeau's deal with the PIF-backed circuit is due to expire in 2026, and Miller claimed that the two-time Major winner spoke with external parties during Masters week in order to weigh up his professional playing options beyond this year.

The report arrives amid concerns over the future of LIV Golf, with The Financial Times the first to state that the Saudi PIF is set to withdraw its backing of the team-based circuit later this year.

US WOMEN'S OPEN QUALIFYING BEGINS

Qualifying for the US Women's Open began on Monday with two events - one in Japan and the other in Texas.

Four players booked their spot at Riviera Country Club via success at Boso Country Club (located to the east of Tokyo in Chiba) while two more made it through at Galveston Country Club in the USA.

Miyuu Goto, Chia Yen Wu, Sayaka Takahashi and promising amateur Soomin Oh all qualified in Japan while Yue Zhang and Brianna Do qualified in Texas.

The next round of qualifying tournaments are due to take place next week across six sites around America.

WHAT ELSE TO KNOW

• Rory McIlroy’s 2025 Masters victory was named Comeback of the Year at the Laureus World Sport Awards on Monday
• Matt Fitzpatrick has moved up to World No.3 following his playoff victory over Scottie Scheffler at the RBC Heritage
• Jon Rahm's latest LIV Golf win (Mexico City) helped him back into the World's top-20
• Speaking of Rahm, the Spaniard's caddie Adam Hayes has put his family's home up for sale, with an asking price of almost $14 million
• The PGA Tour confirmed both of its events in Hawaii would not return to the schedule in 2027, bringing to an end its 62-year association with the Aloha State
• LIV Golf team Smash GC rebranded as Oklahoma Golf Club, becoming the first side to anchor itself in a US state
• The DP World Tour announced The Renaissance Club will host the Genesis Scottish Open through 2030, ensuring the co-sanctioned tournament is played there at least 12 years in a row
• From May, average shot times for all Korn Ferry Tour players will be made public
• The Chevron Championship tournament purse has been increased by $1 million from 2025, bringing it to $9 million
• Cara Banks has been named NBC Sports' lead play-by-play voice for LPGA Tour coverage moving forward, starting with the first women's Major this week - the Chevron Championship

This Week In Golf: Our regular look at the biggest stories in professional golf, tournament previews and other key details you need to know.

The Masters is over and Major season has well and truly begun. Rory McIlroy claimed his second Green Jacket by a single stroke on Sunday as an impressive leaderboard failed to reel him in.

But Augusta National is now in the rear-view mirror, so we can start to look at what else is happening in the world of golf.

There is still no DP World Tour or Asian Tour golf this week, but there's plenty of other action to remain locked in to - including a PGA Tour Signature Event plus the return of the LPGA Tour and LIV Golf League.

Below are some of the key storylines to have already taken place as well as what else you can expect in golf over the coming days.

RBC HERITAGE (MAYBE WITH BROOKS KOEPKA)

The PGA Tour is straight back into it this week with its fourth Signature Event of the season - the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links in South Carolina.

Justin Thomas won this last year, scooping $3.6 million from a $20 million prize purse, and he's back to defend against a field which has seen multiple changes since its original iteration.

Firstly, Rory McIlroy chose not to play while Justin Rose withdrew at the weekend - with Rose replaced by Michael Thorbjornsen - while Brooks Koepka is on the precipice of making his first Signature Event start via the Aon Next 10.

At this stage, eight of the World's top-10 will be teeing it up at the RBC Heritage - including the betting favorite, Scottie Scheffler.

LA CHAMPIONSHIP

Off the back of a small break, the LPGA Tour also returns this week with the JM Eagle LA Championship.

Sweden's Ingrid Lindblad managed to win this tournament last year in what was just her third start on the LPGA Tour.

The young Swede triumphed by a single stroke at El Caballero Country Club and scooped over $550,000 in prize money - kicking her pro career off quite nicely indeed.

This time around, top names include Miyu Yamashita and Minjee Lee star while Asterisk Talley is among those given a sponsor's exemption. However, neither Jeeno Thitikul or Nelly Korda are in action.

LIV GOLF MEXICO CITY

LIV Golf is back for the first time since Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau's playoff duel in South Africa.

The PIF-backed circuit is in Mexico City at Club de Golf Chapultepec this week, with both of its star names looking for a significant response to what was a really poor Masters showing.

Joaquin Niemann claimed one of his five wins here last year and will be looking for a first of 2026 while Rahm will be aiming to extend his advantage over DeChambeau in the standings with another victory of his own.

EX-LIV PROS MAKE CHAMPIONS TOUR DEBUTS

It's the Senior PGA Championship at The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida this week - the first senior Major of the year.

While any Major is interesting and the $3 million purse only adds to that, a few names in the field are of particular note.

Former LIV golfers Henrik Stenson and Pat Perez are making their PGA Tour Champions debuts, with the Swede doing so only months after being relegated from the team-centered league.

Meanwhile, six-time PGA Tour winner Rory Sabbatini is also making his debut having turned 50 just a couple of weeks ago.

$29,000 MASTERS GNOME

People are going crazy for The Masters gnome in 2026, and it's been a similar story since they were first introduced in 2016.

The must-have item from The Masters shop retails at $50, but there is a limited number available every day and they go fast.

Such is their desirability, people are apparently willing to pay silly money for them online - especially an original, with evidence of this on Golden Age Auctions' website where a 2016 model was recently sold for almost $30,000.

What started at a modest $300 saw 48 bids in total and the final price agreed at $28,827.60. Quite how they arrived at that number is anyone's guess, but the gnome is at least officially theirs now.

NEW POPPIE'S 'POND' UNVEILED

Quick history lesson, in case you didn't know. The winner of the 1988 Chevron Championship was Amy Alcott. She thought it'd be a good idea to launch herself (fully clothed) into Poppie’s Pond next to the 18th green on the Dinah Shore Course at Mission Hills immediately after her victory.

Ever since, the champion has followed suit, making it a cool tradition to go alongside the first women's Major of the year (which takes place next week).

However, when the championship moved outside of California to The Club at Carlton Woods in Texas, it wasn't as easy. There was now a lake there which tried to imitate the original. And to help avoid horrible injuries, organizers put a small dock for people to run and jump off. There was also a sponsored robe for the winner to don after.

Now, for whatever reason, the good people involved with the Chevron Championship have decided they would build a 4-foot-deep pool instead, which you can see courtesy of Joseph LaMagna's post above. Let's just say opinion is currently divided on the idea...

TAYLORMADE RELEASES NEW PUTTER RANGE

TaylorMade putters have been incredibly successful not only this season but over the past several campaigns as well, with a wide variety of different makes and models on the market.

Now, there is a new one arriving on the scene - the proto TaylorMade Spider Tour range.

It will make its debut at the PGA Tour's RBC Heritage over the coming days, with the Spider Tour F and Spider Tour V models as the main shapes on show.

The sole plate of the new flat sticks also appears to be similar to that of TaylorMade's zero-torque model, the 5K-ZT, with further information likely coming to light over the coming weeks and months.

MINI TWIGS - WHAT ELSE TO KNOW

• Justin Rose has moved up to World No.4 following his T3rd result at The Masters
• Russell Henley has moved back into the World's top-10 (6th) after also ending T3rd at Augusta National
• Rory McIlroy has significantly cut the gap to Patrick Reed in the DP World Tour's Race To Dubai rankings thanks to his Masters victory, but the American's advantage remains in excess of 550 points
• Data from WHOOP showed McIlroy’s heart rate dropped to just 105 BPM as he stepped up to sink the winning putt at the Masters, while it was as high as 136 BPM when playing his bunker shot just before. He also took a mammoth total of 91,247 steps across the Masters weekend
• Half of Team USA's Curtis Cup roster has been decided. Kiara Romero, Farah O'Keefe, Asterisk Talley and Anna Davis have been locked in, with the rest of the side will be determined by the selection committee after next month's NCAA regional events
• Over 2,000 Your Golf Travel customers have unlocked more than £1.5 million in free golf holiday credits thanks to the company's 'Back-To-Back Payback' campaign. Golfers who booked and paid in full for a qualifying Your Golf Travel holiday would receive the entire value of their trip as credit for their next YGT trip if Rory retained his Masters title, which he managed by a single shot
• Jordan Spieth is among more than 10,000 entries to have been accepted by the USGA for the 126th US Open Championship, which is to be held at Shinnecock Hills in June
• It has been confirmed that Kevin Na will make his first DP World Tour start in more than five years at the Volvo China Open later this month
• The 2026/27 Sunshine Tour has begun with the Medi Clinic Invitational

This Week In Golf: Our regular look at the biggest stories in professional golf, tournament previews and other key details you need to know.

Last week saw several brilliant stories unfold as Gary Woodland earned his first PGA Tour victory since the 2019 US Open and Hyo Joo Kim held off Nelly Korda for the second week in a row to land the Ford Championship.

It was also a crucial few days for those chasing a spot at Augusta, with one of the final qualification windows closing after the Texas Children's Houston Open.

As the build-up to The Masters continues to dominate the headlines, we're here to remind you that there are plenty of other narratives to follow right now.

Below are all of the key storylines to follow this week as well as recap on the most notable events to have already happened since Monday morning.

AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN'S AMATEUR

Shortly before The Masters, it is tradition for the Augusta National Women's Amateur to commence, with an elite field of 72 amateurs competing over 54 holes of stroke play.

Once again, Champions Retreat Golf Club will stage the opening two rounds on Wednesday and Thursday before a rest/practice day takes place on Friday at Augusta National.

Finally, the leading 30 players will do battle at Augusta National on Saturday in a bid to land one of the most prestigious trophies in golf.

In 2026, 48 of the world's top-50 will be in action, including World No.1 Kiara Romero and past champions Tsubasa Kajitani (2021) and Anna Davis (2022).

TEXAS OPEN

This is it, the final PGA Tour event prior to The Masters. The Valero Texas Open represents the last chance anywhere on earth to qualify for the year's first men's Major championship.

Notables competing for a last-gasp Masters start this week include Rickie Fowler, Tony Finau and Billy Horschel.

Held at TPC San Antonio, winners of the Valero Texas Open in recent years have included Brian Harman, Akshay Bhatia, Corey Conners, JJ Spaun and home-state favorite Jordan Spieth.

The last non-North American champion of this event was Steven Bowditch in 2014. The Australian shot eight-under and triumphed by one stroke to earn $1.16 million. Whoever wins in 2026 will land a spot at The Masters and a check for $1,764,000.

Several players have already withdrawn, though, including Woodland, last week's runner-up Nicolai Hojgaard and Pierceson Coody - grandson of 1971 winner Charles.

ARAMCO CHAMPIONSHIP

The Aramco Championship is taking place for the first time in 2026 and will form the biggest tournament in women's pro golf this week.

A 72-hole strokeplay event which has been co-sanctioned by the LPGA Tour and LET, the Aramco Championship therefore has a Major-like field competing against each other shortly before the first official Major of the year.

Each of the world's top-20 are involved at Shadow Creek as the Saudi-backed PIF Global Series puts up another huge prize fund for the women's game, with $4 million on the line in Nevada.

INTERNATIONAL SERIES STARTS

This week sees the Asian Tour's International Series begin in Japan at Caledonian Golf Club near Chiba, east of Tokyo.

The Asian Tour currently has eight elevated tournaments which ultimately offer LIV Golf cards to the leading pair of pros at the end of the season.

Most of the International Series events have a $2 million prize purse before the $5 million PIF Saudi International which closes the campaign in November.

Current LIV players Richard T. Lee, Yosuke Asaji and Miguel Tabuena are in the field, as are other familiar names such as Sangmoon Bae, Kieran Vincent, Jinichiro Kozuma and Chieh-po Lee.

THE MASTERS FIELD ALL BUT FINALIZED

As previously mentioned, last week represented the final chance for tour pros to earn their spot at the year's first men's Major via the OWGR top-50.

However, no one from outside the cut-off line made it in once the rankings were updated on Sunday night, leaving Nicolai Hojgaard, Matt McCarty, Jake Knapp and Daniel Berger as the final four players to lock up a tee time having not been exempt via any other category.

FLEETWOOD PICKS HAT SPONSOR

No, it's not a full apparel deal, but Tommy Fleetwood has picked out a new hat sponsor this week. The popular Englishman has signed with investment management company Blackstone as its first ever global brand ambassador.

Fleetwood moved away from Nike at the start of the season and has been rifling through pro shops like they're going out of fashion ever since. However, while there is still no full apparel deal in sight, the head of the World No.4 will remain protected by the Blackstone badge for the foreseeable future, it would appear.

FASTEST DRIVE EVER RECORDED

If you thought Bryson DeChambeau was capable of cranking his driver and unleashing hellfire down on golf courses, wait until you see this guy!

Australia's Thomas Fliniks is a world long-drive golfer and recently wondered if he might be able to break the all-time speed record after practicing his extraordinary talent.

It turns out, he absolutely can. The previous record belonged to the USA's Ryan Winther, who smashed a drive 217.1mph back in 2013, but the new record is now owned by Fliniks after the Australian was recorded firing a drive at a truly remarkable 235.1mph in February.

For context, the average ball speed on the PGA Tour with driver in hand is 175mph while the top-ranked pro - Aldrich Potgieter - is top with a tickle under 190mph. My back hurts just thinking about all of this...

MINI TWIGS - WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Shane Lowry and Brooks Koepka will team up for the 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans after Rory McIlroy decided not to play this year
• Jack Nicklaus will join Amazon Prime Video's inaugural Masters coverage as a special guest
• Royal Porthcawl in South Wales has been announced as the host of the 2027 ISPHS Handa Senior Open Championship
• Rory McIlroy: The Masters Wait was released on Amazon's Prime Video, with the feature-length documentary showing the Northern Irishman's life-long pursuit of a Green Jacket
• Gary Woodland shot up to World No.51 following his emotional Houston Open victory on Sunday
• Ping has unveiled its new Scottsdale TEC putter line with 'onset hosel' options and a new alignment system
• Jason Kelce has been confirmed as part of ESPN's Masters broadcast team, with the former Super Bowl-winning Eagles centre taking up the role as on-course reporter during The Masters Par 3 contest
• Tiger Woods has confirmed he is taking an indefinite break from golf in order to seek treatment and focus on his health following a car crash late last month
• Rory McIlroy has committed to the DP World India Championship once again, which is due to take place at Delhi Golf Club from October 15-18

This Week In Golf: Our regular look at the biggest stories in professional golf, tournament previews and other key details you need to know.

Last weekend saw four exciting ends to various tournaments all over the world with a quartet of one-shot victories the obvious highlights.

Matt Fitzpatrick claimed the Valspar Championship, Bryson DeChambeau went back-to-back at the inaugural LIV Golf South Africa, Jordan Gumberg achieved a remarkable career turnaround at the Hainan Classic and Hyo Joo Kim triumphed over Nelly Korda at the Fortinet Founders Cup.

Looking ahead, the first Majors of the season in both the men's and women's games are edging ever closer and time is running out to prepare sufficiently.

So, without further ado, here is what is coming up in golf this week as well as a handful of key storylines to have already taken place.

KEY MASTERS QUALIFICATION WINDOW ENDS

The Masters takes place in just over two weeks' time and the chance to qualify is quickly running out.

Aside from the winners of the next two PGA Tour events, both of which take place in the Lone Star State, the only remaining methods of securing a tee time at Augusta National in 2026 is by receiving a special invite (which have historically been sent out by now) or by occupying one of the OWGR top-50 spots come next Monday.

As it stands, there are a number of big names in danger of missing The Masters - including Rickie Fowler, Tony Finau, Billy Horschel and Sahith Theegala. Pierceson Coody - grandson of 1971 champion Charles Coody - begins the week 51st.

TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOUSTON OPEN

Brooks Koepka and defending champion Min Woo Lee headline a strong field at Memorial Park Golf Course this week for the penultimate PGA Tour event prior to The Masters.

Scottie Scheffler was due to tee it up in his adopted home state, but the World No.1 withdrew on Tuesday as his wife Meredith has reportedly gone into labor.

There have been a multitude of other changes as well, including two extra players thanks to Koepka's inclusion. Andrew Putnam and Kris Ventura are the two pros which top the field up to 135 this week.

Meanwhile, Austin Smotherman, Cam Davis, Ryo Hisatsune, Michael Kim and Matt McCarty have all withdrawn early on. They have been replaced by Doug Ghim, Danny Willett, Jimmy Stanger, Paul Waring and Jesper Svensson.

A $9.9 million prize money payout is on the line in Texas at a public course which normally costs less than $40 to play for residents. Memorial Park is also due to host the Chevron Championship next month - the LPGA Tour's first Major of the year.

FORD CHAMPIONSHIP

Strangely, last week's winner is this week's defending champion, with Hyo Joo Kim apparently loving golf in March. The South Korean has three victories in March on the LPGA Tour, including the 2025 Ford Championship.

This time last year, Kim roared back from four strokes behind to force a playoff with Lilia Vu via an eight-under 64 , which she then won with a birdie at the first extra hole.

Whirlwind Golf Club in Phoenix, Arizona hosts this time as most of the biggest players in the game ramp up their preparations for The Chevron Championship.

Jeeno Thitikul and Charley Hull are all playing in the $2.25 million tournament, as are sisters Nelly and Jessica Korda for the first time since 2023.

HERO INDIAN OPEN

The DP World Tour's Hero Indian Open is next on the schedule, with the notoriously tough DLF Golf and Country Club hosting once more.

Eugenio Chacarra triumphed 12 months ago to claim full playing rights after only receiving the start in the first place via a sponsor's invite.

This year, there is a special guest from the PGA Tour in the field - Akshay Bhatia. The left-hander recently won the Arnold Palmer Invitational and is set to make his third-ever exclusive DP World Tour start following a missed cut at the 2020 Saudi International and a T37th at the 2025 Dubai Desert Classic.

Bhatia will be joined by LIV golfers David Puig and Elvis Smylie at the $2.55 million tournament where precious Race To Dubai points are also up for grabs - especially crucial given Patrick Reed is not in the field this week.

JON RAHM LEADS THE WAY IN 2026

According to Data Golf, Jon Rahm is leading the strokes gained metric for all male professionals in 2026 so far.

The Spaniard, who is also ranked second in the world by Data Golf compared with 28th on the OWGR list, has gained 2.71 SG: Total to lead Scottie Scheffler by just 0.04.

Rahm has begun the LIV Golf season in fine form, scoring a win, three runner-up finishes and a T5th so far. His stand-out category in terms of strokes gained is tee-to-green where the two-time Major winner has notched up 2.05 strokes on his rivals - bettered only by Collin Morikawa (2.18), Matt Fitzpatrick (2.14) and Si Woo Kim (2.13).

TIGER WOODS REMAINS HOPEFUL OF MASTERS START

Tiger Woods made his first competitive appearance in over a year at Tuesday night's TGL finals, not that it went particularly well from a results point of view.

With Jupiter Links already 1-0 down in the best-of-three match series, Woods was subbed in for Kevin Kisner against Los Angeles GC... and the east-coast side lost 9-2.

The 15-time Major winner missed a three-foot putt on the seventh hole, and three consecutive eagles from the trio of Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose and Sahith Theegala wrapped up the match and the title by the 10th.

Speaking afterwards, Woods admitted his team was a clear second in the contest but shared that he is "trying" to compete at The Masters in a couple of weeks' time...

JOHN DALY'S VIRAL 'BELLYFLOP'

John Daly saw a little more of La Paloma Country Club in Tuscon, Arizona than he'd bargained for on Sunday after a risky shot went slightly wrong.

During the final round of the PGA Tour Champions' Cologuard Classic, Daly was videoed trying to hit a chip shot from over the back of a green while standing on a steep slope which fed into the desert.

As soon as Daly made contact with the ball, he tumbled backwards and was chased by musician Joel Cooley who was on hand to try and help.

Daly shared the video of his accident to his social media channels on Monday accompanied by the caption: "Bellyfloppin’ in the desert" and a message in the corner of the clip which read: "On today's episode of Jacka**."

Remarkably, the two-time Major winner recovered suitably to finish T29th on six-under, nine shots behind eventual champion, Steven Alker.

GARY PLAYER PRAISES LIV GOLF SOUTH AFRICA

Nine-time Major winner and Grand Slam champion Gary Player shared his praise for LIV Golf South Africa on X on Monday with a long post which also congratulated Bryson DeChambeau for lifting the title.

LIV Golf South Africa came in for widespread praise and could even go on to become a genuine rival to the PIF-backed circuit's Australian event in terms of the biggest tournament on the calendar.

In a post on X, Player said: "I must say, it fills my heart with tremendous pride to see South Africa hosting such a world-class event. This is a nation with a deep love for the game, a country that has produced champions, and a place where the spirit of golf runs strong.

"To showcase our beautiful land, our passionate supporters, and our rich golfing heritage on the world stage is something truly special."

MINI TWIGS - WHAT ELSE TO KNOW

• Sir Nick Faldo gave a positive update on his health weeks after undergoing open heart surgery in the US
• Titleist shared that its new range of GTS drivers are arriving on tour this week
• Former Ryder Cup player Chris Wood has won the MENA Tour rankings title for the season after its final two events were cancelled due to the conflict in the Middle East. As a result, he has earned HotelPlanner Tour status for the remainder of this season
• It is the Sunshine Tour's final event of the season this week, the DNi Tour Championship, and whoever tops the Order of Merit afterwards will earn a spot at the Nedbank Golf Challenge, The PGA Championship and The Open. The leading player on the Sunshine Tour's Order of Merit without any DP World Tour status will also pick up a card for next term while the next two in the top-10 will collect HotelPlanner Tour cards for next year
• The potential final-ever Masters gnome has been revealed on social media, and it has a really cool little party trick...
• LAGC won TGL's SoFi Cup thanks to a 2-0 series victory over Jupiter Links
• Alex Ohanian announced the formation of a women's LAGC team for the upcoming debut season of WTGL

This Week In Golf: Our regular look at the biggest stories in professional golf, tournament previews and other key details you need to know.

The golfing world was locked into a grandstand finish at The Players Championship on Sunday, where Cameron Young birdied the iconic 17th before edging past Matt Fitzpatrick by a single stroke.

With the unofficial fifth Major now in the rearview mirror, we can really start to amp up the excitement regarding The Masters, which gets underway in three weeks' time.

So what's happening this week? We have the final Florida Swing event before the PGA Tour heads for Texas, while there are returns from the DP World and LPGA Tours as well as a brand new event on the LIV Golf League.

So, here are all of the key stories you need to know about which have either already happened or are set to occur in golf this week...

Valspar Championship

The PGA Tour returns to Innisbrook Resort near Tampa for the Valspar Championship, which draws a conclusion to the Florida Swing.

Viktor Hovland defends his title against a strong field featuring the likes of Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas, Matt Fitzpatrick, Brooks Koepka, Jacob Bridgeman and Patrick Cantlay.

There have been a swathe of withdrawals early this week, though, including Robert MacIntyre, Sudarshan Yellamaraju, Keith Mitchell and William Mouw. Koepka's participation has upped the field size from 133 to 135 and seen Seamus Power and Matt Kuchar secure spots.

Innisbrook's Copperhead Course is known for its 'Snake Pit', the three-hole closing stretch featuring two tough par 4s and a 200-yard par 3. The event is much-loved by PGA Tour pros and is also notable for its caddie bibs, where players can choose whatever they wish written on their loopers' vests.

The players will compete for a $9.1m prize pool, with $1.638m going to the champion.

LIV Golf South Africa

It's a big week in the LIV Golf League with The Club at Steyn City hosting the inaugural LIV Golf South Africa tournament.

Southern Guards (formerly Stinger GC) will be the home favorites in front of big crowds as 90,000 tickets have been sold. Many fans will be camped out at the 'Lion's Den' par 3 17th, which is a stadium-style par 3 similar to the Watering Hole in Adelaide.

The course has previously hosted the DP World Tour and Sunshine Tour and is home to species including impala, antelope and springbok.

It will also mark Phil Mickelson's LIV Golf return. The six-time Major champion, who has missed the first four events of the season so far due to a family health matter, makes his first start since August.

Jon Rahm leads the standings and LIV Golf money list heading into South Africa, which is the circuit's final event before The Masters.

Hainan Classic

The DP World Tour returns after a one-week break for the Hainan Classic on Hainan Island, China.

Marco Penge won the title here last year in his incredible break-out season, and this time around the event will look very different.

That's because it's a pro-am format for the first 36-holes, with 120 tour pros and 120 amateurs competing in teams of two across Mission Hills' Blackstone and Vintage courses - and all competitors will be allowed to use carts.

In the individual professional event, the top 65-and-ties will make it through to the final two rounds.

LPGA back stateside

Following the usual early year Asia swing, the LPGA Tour is back on US soil this week for the Fortinet Founders Cup at Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club between San Francisco and San Jose, California.

The event pays tribute to the LPGA Tour's founders and dates back to 2011.

With Nelly Korda skipping the Asia swing again, this will be the World No.2's first start since her 16th LPGA Tour victory at the Tournament of Champions on February 1st.

Yealimi Noh defends the title in a strong field featuring World No.1 Jeeno Thitikul, Korda, Minjee Lee and many other established LPGA stars.

It's the start of a strong run of tournaments for the LPGA, with the Ford Championship taking place next week in Arizona before the inaugural LPGA Aramco Championship in Las Vegas and LA Open leading into the Chevron Championship.

Still no Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods did not make his 2026 TGL debut this week for Jupiter Links in the SoFi Cup Playoffs where his Floridian team took on (and defeated) Rory McIlroy's Boston Common.

McIlroy played despite recent back troubles, but it does leave Woods' potential Masters return in perhaps a little doubt.

The 15-time Major winner said last month that The Masters is not off the table and he is back hitting full shots now, so it was a surprise not to see him. But, after the match, Woods pumped the brakes on hopes that he could return to playing at Augusta National.

It seems unlikely he'll play either of the upcoming PGA Tour events in Texas, so his only other pre-Masters tune-up is the Hoag Classic on the Champions Tour next week.

The event is in his hometown of Los Angeles at Newport Beach CC, and he can use a cart, so it isn't unthinkable to see him make his senior debut... but it does feel unlikely.

90 years of The Masters

Excited for The Masters? Not yet? This video will do the job.

Augusta National released a '90 Years of The Masters' promo across social media on Monday evening featuring some of its iconic moments and photographs through the years.

Reminder: The 90th Masters begins in three weeks' time!

TASTE OF THE MASTERS

Fast becoming a key part of the opening men's Major of the year, the Taste Of The Masters menu has been unveiled for 2026.

Containing iconic sandwiches like pimento cheese, egg salad, and pork bar-b-que, the latest menu is available to purchase wherever you are in the world, thus allowing fans to sample some of the flavors which have helped to make The Masters what it is.

As well as the key sandwich items, there are other snacks like cookies, chips, popcorn and moonpies.

A 'Large Hosting Kit' - which serves 12-14 people - costs $189 while 'The Classics Kit' serves 4-6 people and is priced at $99. Alternatively, the 'Azalea Cocktail Kit' is also $99 and designed for six people.

SH KIM DESTINED FOR MILITARY SERVICE

Even if SH Kim somehow qualifies for The Masters this year, he will not be going. Instead, the South Korean is destined to return home to fulfill his mandatory military service.

The 27-year-old graduated from the Korn Ferry Tour last year after finishing 8th in the points list and has enjoyed a couple of top-20s on the PGA Tour so far this term, but his final event of 2026 will be at the Valero Texas Open.

He is set to be based in South Korea for the next two years and will return to play shortly before his 30th birthday. According to ESPN, PGA Tour officials are "in the process of finalizing an arrangement where Kim can get a medical extension and still play at home on the Korea PGA circuit during the weeks he wouldn't be eligible on the PGA Tour (majors and signature events)."

Mini twigs: what else to know

• The LET's Aussie swing concludes with the Australian WPGA Championship this week at Sanctuary Cove Golf & Country Club in Queensland
• Tommy Fleetwood has confirmed he will defend his title at the DP World India Championship at Delhi Golf Club from October 15-18
• Players Champion Cameron Young has moved to a career-high of 4th in the OWGR
• Justin Rose has overtaken Dustin Johnson to move up to 5th in the PGA Tour Career Money list with $75,951,420
• Travis Smyth wrapped up the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit to earn a 2027 DP World Tour card and qualify for the 2026 Open at Royal Birkdale
• John Daly has confirmed appearances at Topgolf Augusta during Masters week on Thursday and Friday at 6-9pm following the closure of Hooters, his usual Masters-week hang-out
• The HotelPlanner Tour has announced it has rescheduled the upcoming UAE Challenge as well as the Abu Dhabi Challenge due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East. Both events were due to take place next month, but they are now scheduled to begin in September and October, respectively
• LA defeated Atlanta Drive 6-4 while Jupiter Links saw off Boston Common 9-5 to reach TGL's SoFi Cup Playoff Final, which takes place next week

This Week In Golf: Our regular look at the biggest stories in professional golf, tournament previews and other key details you need to know.

Last week saw one of the busiest stretches of the year take place with at least one event on each of the main professional tours, and many more beside.

Akshay Bhatia won a thrilling Arnold Palmer Invitational days after Tiger Woods hinted at a possible comeback in the coming weeks.

Elsewhere, Luke Donald officially returned as Team Europe's Ryder Cup captain and there were multiple storylines to come out of LIV Golf as usual.

Looking ahead, here are all of the key stories you need to know about which have already happened or are set to occur in golf this week.

THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

The Players Championship headlines this week's tour event schedule, with the PGA Tour's biggest few days set to play out at TPC Sawgrass' Stadium Course.

The debate surrounding whether The Players should finally be classed as a Major returned to the forefront of people's minds, but even while it remains the crowning jewel of the historic US circuit and no more, it is still one of the most sought-after prizes in the men's game.

As has been the case for the past couple of years now, the biggest payout of the season (before the FedEx Cup Playoffs) is on offer in Florida and 'the best field in golf" is preparing to do battle for it.

MCILROY'S PLAYERS STATUS

Rory McIlroy won his second Players Championship title 12 months ago following a playoff victory over JJ Spaun, but the defending champion may find his defence a struggle in 2026.

The five-time Major winner suffered a back issue during the Arnold Palmer Invitational which has proved to be "more stubborn" than McIlroy and his team first thought.

The latest update from McIlroy's camp is that he is going to head to TPC Sawgrass on Wednesday but is not planning on playing a practice round ahead of his first-round tee time on Thursday.

Whether his back improves enough in time to truly compete remains to be seen, but he must be careful with another particularly prestigious championship not too far away either.

LIV GOLF SINGAPORE

Away from the PGA Tour, LIV Golf Singapore is happening at Sentosa Golf Club this weekend. However, one of the league's biggest names continues to miss out due to personal reasons.

Phil Mickelson is set to miss his fourth straight LIV event and will be replaced by Wade Ormsby once more. The Australian filled in for Lefty in Hong Kong and finished T41st at Fanling as Jon Rahm claimed his first win since 2024.

WOMEN'S AUSTRALIAN OPEN

There's no action on the LPGA Tour this week following the first Asian Swing of the season, but there is a big tournament on the Ladies European Tour in the form of the Women's Australian Open.

Major winners Minjee Lee, Grace Kim and Hannah Green headline the field at Kooyonga Golf Club, but defending champion Jiyai Shin is not in the field this time.

As a result, a new champion will scoop the lion's share of the AU$1.7 million prize money payout.

SUNNINGDALE FOURSOMES

The historic foursomes event has already begun at Sunningdale, where several current tour pros have entered hoping to add the prestigious title to their cabinet.

Among the notable names involved include Charley Hull, Eddie Pepperell, Kris Kim, Alex Fitzpatrick, Robert Rock, Marc Warren and Callum Tarren.

However, many have already been knocked out prior to the third round and will be forced to postpone their dreams of victory for at least another year.

David Corben and Harry Crockett are the current champions of the event which began in 1934. First-round matches were played on Tuesday, with the final contested on Friday afternoon.

DAHMEN AND BONNALIE REUNITE (TEMPORARILY)

Fans of Netflix docu-series Full Swing will be fully aware of the close and complex relationship Joel Dahmen and Geno Bonnalie have formed over the years together. So it was quite a shock when the pair went their separate ways last year.

However, the duo remain good friends and they will temporarily reunite for The Players Championship this week as Dahmen continues to rotate his loopers this season.

Bonnalie is the full-time bagman of Isaiah Salinda, but the American didn't qualify for the PGA Tour's flagship event so he is free to fill in.

MINI TWIGS - WHAT ELSE TO KNOW

• Justin Thomas joined Tommy Fleetwood in becoming a clothing free agent
• Photos and videos emerged from Lexi Thompson's wedding in Florida last weekend, with a whole host of current and former tour pros in attendance
• Former tennis player Sir Andy Murray became the latest big-name investor in Manors Golf
• Gary Woodland bravely revealed he was diagnosed with PTSD in early 2025, less than two years after he had a benign tumor removed from his brain
• Anthony Kim added a new tattoo to commemorate his LIV Golf Adelaide victory
• Justin Rose urged Jon Rahm to pay his DP World Tour fines so that he's able to play in the Ryder Cup
• Akshay Bhatia has committed to the DP World Tour's Hero Indian Open next month

This Week In Golf: Our regular look at the biggest stories in professional golf, tournament previews and other key details you need to know.

Following on from last week, where several Major spots were clinched and there was drama aplenty in the closing stages of the PGA Tour's Cognizant Classic, we find ourselves in the midst of another hectic few days.

Before tour events take centre stage once again, the TGL regular season came to an end and a couple of other interesting storylines emerged away from the course.

Not only has plenty already taken place, but the end of the week is set to be one of the busiest periods of the year with several huge events taking place around the world.

So, without further ado, here are the biggest stories that have either already happened or are set to unfold in golf this week.

BUSIEST WEEK OF THE YEAR ON TOUR?

Where to start? Major weeks are a huge deal in golf, obviously, but all of the world's attention is focused on one championship. This week, there are several big tournaments in the sport which will pull attention spans in different directions.

Firstly, the PGA Tour's Arnold Palmer Invitational is on - a $20m Signature Event no less - while the historic US circuit is also operating the Puerto Rico Open for its members who did not qualify for the limited-field event.

Then there is the DP World Tour's Joburg Open, a second South African event in a row which will see Patrick Reed and co battle it out at Houghton Golf Club. The LPGA Tour's latest tournament is the Blue Bay LPGA on Hainan Island in China, and LIV Golf is in Hong Kong.

Additionally, the Australian Women's Classic is taking place on the Ladies European Tour while the PGA Tour Champions and Korn Ferry Tour also have events this week. Is that enough for you?

LIV GOLFERS ALMOST MISS HONG KONG

Due to the serious situation in the Middle East at present, multiple LIV golfers were initially unable to leave their bases in Dubai in order to reach Hong Kong for the latest tournament, which begins on Thursday.

The group, which includes Lee Westwood, Laurie Canter, Thomas Detry, Sam Horsfield, Anirban Lahiri, Tom McKibbin, Adrian Meronk and Caleb Surratt, were practicing in the Middle East over the past week.

But when the USA and Israel launched air strikes on Iran, multiple zones in the region were put into lockdown, with airport closures impacting many people in Dubai and other Middle Eastern countries.

However, according to various sources - including Flushing It on X and the South China Morning Post - the group of eight pros have reached Fanling just hours before the first round begins.

At the heart of the "rescue mission" was Jon Rahm, who apparently commissioned a private jet to take the group from Oman after they had travelled across the border in a coach.

TIGER WOODS DROPS LATEST COMEBACK HINT

Tiger Woods recently said he was not ruling himself out of The Masters, sparking excitement among fans over potentially seeing the 15-time Major winner return to action very soon.

How soon? Well, no one really knows except maybe the man himself. During the final round of regular TGL action earlier this week, Woods was asked how close he feels to a return to which he replied: "If I’m playing a member guest, I’m ready to go.”

Woods made the comment the day before the prestigious Seminole Pro-Member took place, suggesting he may be a part of the exclusive tournament. However, he was not in the field, so the uncertainty over his latest return date remains.

LUKE DONALD RETURNS AS EURO CAPTAIN

Luke Donald was confirmed as Team Europe's Ryder Cup captain for a third time on Wednesday, allowing the Englishman the chance to secure an unprecedented hat-trick of consecutive victories for a European skipper.

Donald, who has won all seven of the Ryder Cups he's been involved in as either a player or captain, first led Europe to a 16.5 - 11.5 victory against the United States at Marco Simone, Rome in 2023 before triumphing again at Bethpage Black in New York courtesy of a 15-13 success last year.

While it has been confirmed the 48-year-old will lead Team Europe at Adare Manor in Ireland next September, his opposite number remains unclear at this stage with Tiger Woods the PGA of America's reported first choice.

JON RAHM EXPLAINS DP WORLD TOUR-DEAL REJECTION

Late last month, a group of LIV golfers agreed to a deal put in front of them by the DP World Tour which offered conditional releases for 2026. Jon Rahm's name was the only one not included.

In his pre-LIV Golf Hong Kong press conference on Tuesday, the two-time Major winner explained why he rejected the DP World Tour's offer and even went as far as saying the European circuit was "extorting" certain players.

Meanwhile, the Spaniard shared the small change in the terms which would see him "sign tonight" after the DP World Tour asked players to compete in six of its events - two of which were designated.

MCLAREN F1 TO LAUNCH MCLAREN GOLF

F1 team McLaren has announced it will be launching McLaren Golf at the end of next month.

The world championship-winning side shared on Tuesday that it will be releasing its first set of products on April 29, two weeks after The Masters has concluded.

Very few details are available at this stage, but it remains an exciting development from one of the most decorated motorsport teams of all time.

F1 world champion Lando Norris and his teammate Oscar Piastri are also huge fans of golf, so this news will likely have been met with great enthusiasm from within the team.

NEW PROPERTY ADDED TO TPC NETWORK

On Monday, Sweetwater Country Club was named the 31st property in the PGA Tour's TPC network.

Sweetwater will be renamed TPC Houston and becomes the fourth TPC property in the state of Texas, joining TPC Craig Ranch, TPC Las Colinas and TPC San Antonio.

It has not been awarded a tour event at this stage, although TPC Houston will be one of five sites hosting PGA TOUR Americas Q-School between March 24-27.

MINI TWIGS - WHAT ELSE TO KNOW

• Rory McIlroy and his father Gerry won the prestigious Seminole Pro-Member title
• McIlroy was also nominated in the Comeback of the Year category at the Laureus World Sports Awards following his Masters victory last April
• Sungjae Im signed with Malbon ahead of his first PGA Tour start in five months
• The TGL Playoff line-up was confirmed after a busy final week of matches. Boston Common will face Jupiter Links while Los Angeles will take on Atlanta Drive in the other semi-final
• Zach Johnson is set to make his PGA Tour Champions debut at the James Hardie Invitational

This Week In Golf: Our regular look at the biggest stories in professional golf, tournament previews and other key details you need to know.

The past week in golf coughed a trio of worthy winners as Jeeno Thitikul triumphed in her home country, Jacob Bridgeman just about held off Rory McIlroy and Casey Jarvis (eventually) won his first DP World Tour title.

Outside of the main professional golf tournaments, there were several other fascinating storylines relating to The Masters, LIV Golf and Charlie Woods.

This time around, we expect more of the same. Plenty has already gone on over the past few days and there is another hectic weekend of action still to come.

Below, we've picked out some of the key storylines you need to be aware of and provide an update on what's already occurred.

BRYSON AND LA GOLF SPLIT

According to Golf.com, Bryson DeChambeau and equipment manufacturer LA Golf have gone their separate ways.

DeChambeau brought the high-end brand to light in 2020 when he won the delayed US Open with 14 LA Golf shafts in his bag. He continued with that same set-up through his second US Open victory in 2024 and into The Masters last time out.

Then, for most of last year, DeChambeau used LA Golf club heads as well with a distinctive bulge-and-roll profile. Also in 2025, drivers partially designed by the two-time Major winner hit shelves.

However, a partnership which appeared perfectly intertwined hit a snag when - per LA Golf owner and CEO Reed Dickens via Golf.com - one of DeChambeau's representatives suggested the pro golfer take on a majority share in the business and LA Golf flat out refused.

Dickens said: “Bryson and I actually have some of the same tendencies, and I have nothing but respect for him.

“But he has this new consultant, a McKinsey-consulting type guy, and this guy says to me that Bryson is gonna walk unless he gets 51 percent. Bryson’s got 2 percent of the company. And I think the guy doesn’t realize that he’s dealing with a redneck.

"I say, ‘There’s no path for that.’ They played chicken with me, and now we’re going to graciously part ways.”

KEVIN NA SET FOR FIRST POST-LIV START

Kevin Na is back in action this week for the first time since being dropped from the LIV Golf League over the winter.

Na was let go from the PIF-backed circuit after LIV opted to make significant changes to Iron Heads GC - not least renaming the franchise Korean GC and bringing in Byeong Hun An as captain.

Several weeks later, the Korean-American pro is set to continue his career by competing in the New Zealand Open on the Asian Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia.

Na is expected to play on the Asian Tour until his PGA Tour ban runs out. Once that has expired, he may well return to the historic US circuit after applying to reinstate his membership recently.

BIG-NAME TRIO WITHDRAW ON PGA TOUR

On the PGA Tour this week, it's the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches at PGA National.

And while Brooks Koepka is featuring in the only regular event in a five-week period, several other star names withdrew earlier in the week, noticeably weakening the field.

Adam Scott, Jacob Bridgeman and Ben Griffin each pulled out ahead of the practice rounds, leading to some people suggesting that the PGA Tour has never felt more like two different circuits.

LIV GOLF COO LEAVES

A report from Sports Business Journal's Josh Carpenter has stated that LIV Golf's COO, Lawrence Burian, is leaving the PIF-backed circuit less than three years after he was hired by Greg Norman.

Burian arrived in late 2023, but LIV continues to make several changes at boardroom level - including the hiring of four executives late last year - and the former CEO's hire joins LIV’s former SVP/Worldwide Production James Watson and ex-SVP and Creative Director Will Newell in departing.

FIVE OPEN SPOTS AVAILABLE

It's a very busy week in terms of Major qualification spots, with three tournaments on different tours offering a chance to compete at the 2026 Open Championship.

The South African Open Championship - co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and Sunshine Tour - is giving the leading three players who are not already exempt routes into Royal Birkdale.

Meanwhile, the New Zealand Open (Asian Tour/PGA Tour of Australasia) and the Korn Ferry Tour's Argentina Open are each offering just one Open spot.

Each event is part of the Open Qualifying Series, which largely focuses on national opens prior to local and Final Qualifying closer to the time.

TIGER WOODS ATTENDS CHARLIE'S STATE CHAMPIONSHIP CEREMONY

Charlie Woods' parents, Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren, attended his school team's State Championship victory ceremony on Tuesday night.

Woods and his teammates at The Benjamin School triumphed in last November's Florida Class 1A State Championship at The Park West Palm and were rewarded with a second victory ceremony in three years as a result.

In a video captured by WPBF25 News' Yianni Kourakis, it shows Charlie being joined on stage by his parents and posing for a photo while the young talent wears two medals around his neck.

The family will hope there is more to come from Charlie in the coming years, too, with the teenager having recently committed to Florida State University once he graduates high school.

HSBC WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Following on immediately from the Honda LPGA Thailand, which was won by home favorite Jeeno Thitikul, the LPGA Tour continues with the HSBC Women's World Championship.

Sentosa Golf Club's Tanjong Course will host many of the world's best in Singapore, with a healthy $3 million prize pot up for grabs.

14 of the world's top-15 players are in the field this week, with the only exception being Nelly Korda.

MINI TWIGS - WHAT ELSE TO KNOW

• Patrick Reed was confirmed as the DP World Tour's International Swing champion with two events remaining, with the American picking up a $200,000 bonus check
• Justin Thomas has confirmed he plans to make his PGA Tour return at the Cognizant Classic, following a five-month spell out
• Brooks Koepka and the PGA Tour announced where $2.5 million of the $5 million charitable contribution is heading after the five-time Major winner's return from LIV
• Former LIV player Eugenio Chacarra has confirmed he will make his first PGA Tour start as a pro at the Puerto Rico Open next week
• The Saudi PIF injected $267 million into its LIV Golf budget as the total investment figure creeps towards $6 billion
• Michelle Wie is set to come out of retirement to join the stable of golfers competing in the inaugural Women's TGL later this year
• LIV's Torque GC has agreed a long-term deal with the AJGA to sponsor a junior tournament titled the Torque GC Championship
• Rory McIlroy has committed to the 2026 BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth for the fifth year in a row

This Week In Golf: Our regular look at the biggest stories in professional golf, tournament previews and other key details you need to know.

This past week saw one of the all-time great comebacks courtesy of Anthony Kim, with the American's 16-year wait for his latest pro victory ending at LIV Golf Adelaide.

Joining Kim in the winner's circle was Collin Morikawa - who last tasted success in 2023 - thanks to his one-shot victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

There was no action on either the LPGA Tour or DP World Tour last week, but that will change over the coming days as LIV enjoys its first break of the new campaign.

Below are the biggest stories that have either already happened or are set to unfold in golf this week.

AUGUSTA NATIONAL HOLE TWEAK

Augusta National's par-4 17th hole has been lengthened by 10 yards ahead of The Masters in 2026, taking it from 440 yards to 450 yards.

This has been achieved by 12 yards being removed from the front of the tee box and the championship tee marker relocating.

The most recent change to the 17th arrived in 2014 when the famous Eisenhower Tree was removed following damage sustained in an ice storm. Before that, it was lengthened by 10-15 yards in 2006.

The total length of the championship course at The Masters will now be 7,565 yards.

LIV AGREES COURSE-STANDARDS DEAL WITH USGA AND R&A

The LIV Golf League has agreed a deal with the USGA and The R&A to help improve course standards across each of its 14 events.

In a press release, LIV shared that The R&A Sustainable Agronomy Service and the USGA Green Section will work with it to "advance agronomic standards" by "implementing a unified agronomic evaluation and preparation framework."

LIV said that by drawing on the expertise of the two consulting services, it will be able to "elevate host courses to peak competitive condition in an environmentally responsible way and deliver championship-caliber playing standards worldwide."

CHARLIE WOODS SIGNS WITH FIRST AGENT

Last week, Charlie Woods verbally committed to Florida State University. This week, the son of 15-time Major champion Tiger has signed with his first agency.

Per Sports Business Journal, Woods jr. has linked up with Players Group Management and will be represented by Allen Hobbs. Dad Tiger's agency is Excel Sports Management.

PGM is also Miles Russell's agency - the No.1 junior golfer in the world who attends FSU - as well as representing pros like Sahith Theegala, Will Zalatoris and Caleb Surratt.

TIGER WOODS 'NOT RULING OUT' MASTERS APPEARANCE

Tiger Woods may well compete at The Masters in 2026.

Speaking in a press conference ahead of the Genesis Invitational - a Signature Event that he hosts - Woods gave an emphatic "no" when asked if he was ruling out playing Augusta National this year despite having not played competitively since The Open Championship in 2024.

JUSTIN THOMAS TO RETURN

Justin Thomas is ready to come back to pro golf. In something of a gentle warm-up to a full event, Thomas will compete for Atlanta Drive in next Monday's TGL clash against Boston Common.

The two-time Major winner has been out of action since undergoing microdiscectomy surgery after the Ryder Cup in September, but he announced last week that he had been cleared for all golf activity and his tour-golf comeback was imminent.

Thomas had previously said that his aim was to return "at some point" during the PGA Tour's Florida Swing, which begins next week with the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches.

CHARLEY HULL REACHES HIGHEST-EVER ROLEX RANKING

What a few days for England's Charley Hull. She won the PIF Saudi Ladies International and scored a check for $750,000 on Sunday, and then moved up to a career-best third in the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings on Monday.

The 29-year-old - who is behind only Jeeno Thitikul and Nelly Korda in the rankings - now has nine professional wins and will be considered among the favorites for the five Major championships once again in 2026. She is currently one of the best players in the game without a Major, but surely that will change this year?

MARCO PENGE WINS SEVE BALLESTEROS AWARD

Marco Penge has won the 2025 Seve Ballesteros Award after being voted Player of the Year by his fellow DP World Tour pros.

In just his second full campaign on the European circuit, Penge won three times and finished as the leading player in the race for a PGA Tour card by ending the year second in the Race To Dubai.

Penge also moved inside the world's top-30 and will play at The Masters for the first time in April.

The Englishman said: “I feel incredibly honoured to have won this prestigious award. I had a great season last year on the DP World Tour, but to have that recognised by my fellow competitors really means a lot. I want to say a big thank you to all of them.

“To go from fighting to keep my card to winning an award that carries Seve’s name in the space of a year is something I’m incredibly proud of, and I’m grateful to my team for their support - it gives me huge confidence and motivation to keep pushing for more this season.”

NO NELLY KORDA AS LPGA TOUR RETURNS

The LPGA Tour returns this week with the Honda LPGA Thailand on the Old Course at Siam Country Club. The field consists of several high-class Asian players, but it's a couple of the absentees which have raised eyebrows.

While World No.1 Jeeno Thitikul and World No.5 Miyu Yamashita lead the charge, Nelly Korda, Charley Hull and Minjee Lee - the World No.2, 3 and 4 - will be elsewhere for the week.

Hull won in Saudi Arabia just days ago, so her absence could be excused, but the fact that Korda is opting to miss a 19th-straight Asian event has led to questions about her legacy - specifically whether she will only be seen as a home-turf hero rather than a world-wide winner.

DP WORLD TOUR IS BACK

After a one-week hiatus, the DP World Tour has returned and the Magical Kenya Open will resume the action.

Played at Karen Country Club in Nairobi, the tight old-school layout is always worth tuning in for as players navigate the awkward yet beautiful course to be crowned champion.

South Africa's Jacques Kruyswijk reigned supreme last year, and he's back in the field to try and defend his crown.

MINI TWIGS - WHAT ELSE TO KNOW

• Brooks Koepka committed to the Texas Children's Houston Open, adding another pre-Masters event to his 2026 schedule
• Genesis renewed its deal with the PGA Tour until 2030, remaining as title partner of this week's PGA Tour Signature Event
• Riviera's par-3 4th hole has been extended by 40 yards to now measure over 270 yards for the 2026 Genesis Invitational
• Anthony Kim has made a massive jump in the OWGR, moving up over 600 spots to just outside 200th in the world
• Lucas Glover was elected as Player Advisory Council (PAC) chairman for 2026 by the PGA Tour’s voting membership

This Week In Golf: Our regular look at the biggest stories in professional golf, tournament previews and other key details you need to know.

The pro golf season is now well underway and the biggest tours are either several events deep or preparing for takeoff in 2026.

Last week saw the PGA Tour and DP World Tour continue and the fallout from the LPGA Tour's campaign-opener while the Asian Tour started and the LIV Golf League began after being awarded OWGR points.

Looking ahead, there is another tour readying itself for the first tournament of the year in the midst of a whole heap of fascinating storylines throughout planet golf.

Below is a round-up of some of the biggest narratives to have already taken place this week as well as the lowdown on a handful yet to come.

ANTHONY KIM SIGNING FOR 4ACES

Following the news that Patrick Reed had left the LIV Golf League in favor of a PGA Tour return via the DP World Tour, Dustin Johnson's 4Aces were left one permanent player short.

Miguel Tabuena filled the spot at LIV Golf Riyadh, but a report from Flushing It on X has stated that Wild Card Anthony Kim - who finished T22nd in Riyadh - will sign a one-year contract with Johnson's team instead ahead of LIV Golf Adelaide.

It is not known what that will mean for the fifth Wild Card spot at this stage, with the news unconfirmed by either 4Aces or the LIV Golf League.

JUSTIN THOMAS SHARES RETURN UPDATE

Good news for Justin Thomas fans - he's coming back very soon. The two-time Major winner underwent a successful microdiscectomy back in November and has been patiently going through rehab in the meantime with a view to competing on the PGA Tour as soon as possible.

In a statement on Instagram published Tuesday night, Thomas said his comeback is right around the corner.

He said: "After some follow up imaging and meeting with my [doctor] and team, I’m officially cleared for all golf activity.

"It feels great to be swinging freely again and getting some reps in on the course. I’m working hard to build up my strength and stamina to get back into golf shape before competing on [the PGA Tour]. Can’t wait to get out there with the guys! LFG."

CHARLIE WOODS MAKES COLLEGE CHOICE

The next big chapter in Charlie Woods' life has become a little clearer after the teenager verbally committed to his college of choice.

The son of Tiger Woods is destined to attend Florida State University in the same state as the family's home, opting not to follow in his father's and sister's footsteps by attending Stanford University in California.

Woods will join his classmates in 2027 where he will play alongside Miles Russell, the no.1-ranked junior golfer in the world.

ROGER MALTBIE BACK ON GOLF CHANNEL

One of the most famous voices in golf broadcasting is returning this week. And the good news doesn't stop there because Roger Maltbie has been confirmed as a Golf Channel analyst for multiple PGA Tour events (and a Major) this season including the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the Memorial Tournament, The Players Championship and the US Open.

Maltbie has long been a fan favorite on the airwaves, but his contract with NBC was not renewed beyond the 2022 season. However, the famously moustachioed face will return for nine events in 2026 and who knows beyond that?

LIV GOLF ADELAIDE

Just days after Elvis Smylie left his rivals All Shook Up at LIV Golf Riyadh, the Australian is returning to his home country where he will hope to repeat his success.

LIV Golf Adelaide is one of the most eagerly anticipated events on the schedule because of the significant crowd numbers it attracts, and there will surely be plenty of support for Ripper GC once more.

PEBBLE BEACH PRO-AM

The first PGA Tour Signature Event of the year is here and it is set to be a real thriller. Not only because of the 80-man field, which is of the highest quality, and also not just because of the high-profile celebrities who are in action over the first two days.

No, it's because of the weather forecast. Strong winds have already played havoc with practice rounds (see above) and the gales are predicted to continue to play their part on Friday and especially Sunday.

The weather looks relatively calm on Thursday and Saturday, so players will have to make hay while the sun literally shines if they can. Whoever does the best job and stays out of trouble on Sunday will be in line to take home the $3.6m top prize.

$5M PIF SAUDI LADIES INTERNATIONAL

The Ladies European Tour is kicking off this week with a huge event for women's golf globally. Some of the best players from both the LET and LPGA Tour are gathering in Riyadh for the PIF Saudi Ladies International at Riyadh Golf Club.

One of the key reasons such an impressive field - which includes Charley Hull, Carlota Ciganda, Chizzy Iwai, Patty Tavatanakit, Hye-jin Choi, Mimi Rhodes, Rio Takeda and Shannon Tan - have gathered is because of the $5 million total prize money payout.

There is a record amount of prize money on offer on the LET this year, with over 40 million euros (roughly $47m) on offer over the course of the year. Whoever wins the opening LET tournament will bank $750,000.

ERNIE ELS MAKES RARE HOTELPLANNER TOUR START

Four-time Major winner Ernie Els is teeing it up in the HotelPlanner Tour's NTT Data Pro-Am at Fancourt Golf Estate in South Africa this week.

The South African is competing in the tournament, which is co-sanctioned by the second tier of European golf and the Sunshine Tour, in order to give back to a circuit which helped the 56-year-old ultimately enjoy such a successful career.

Els said: “I have such wonderful memories of this tournament throughout my career, and I’m looking forward to playing in it again. They have been such a loyal and longstanding partner of the Sunshine Tour.

“The Sunshine Tour is where I started my career and I’ve always come back to play here whenever I can. It’s going to be great to see some old faces and a few of the youngsters on the Tour as well.”

NEXT GOLF TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

The final of the Next Golf Tour Championship is taking place right now (Tuesday through Thursday) with the winner claiming $40,000 as well as one DP World Tour start and six HotelPlanner Tour starts this term.

The Next Golf Tour - powered by Trackman - sees players compete on some of the world's most famous courses from the relative comfort of an indoor simulator. This week's finale is being played out across Jumeirah Golf Estates' Earth Course in Dubai.

A few recognized tour pros have been in action, including Oliver Lindell who finished T28th at The Open Championship at Royal Portrush last year. Through two rounds, Kim Koivu - who competed a handful of times on the DP World Tour last season - is co-leader alongside fellow Finn, Tyry Nikke.

MINI TWIGS - WHAT ELSE TO KNOW

• Neal Shipley made the first ever TGL hole-in-one as The Bay thumped Los Angeles 11-5 for the team's first win this season
• The sixth hole at Pebble Beach has been lengthened by 17 yards from last year, and the par-5 hole now measures 540 yards
• Rory McIlroy has switched back to blades in his irons after a short stint with cavity-backed clubs
• CBS Sports delivered the most-watched final round of WM Phoenix Open in seven years, with an average of 3.781 million people tuning in (up 32% vs 2025) and a peak of almost 5 million
• Kevin Na confirmed his first start since leaving LIV Golf earlier this year
• The new Callaway mini-driver and fairway wood have reached the USGA conforming list ahead of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
• Re-opening dates and green-fee details for The Patch in Augusta have been shared after a 16-month renovation of The Masters' local muni which includes the addition of The Loop, designed by Tiger Woods' company TGR Design

This Week In Golf: Our regular look at the biggest stories in professional golf, tournament previews and other key details you need to know.

The first few days of February have been action-packed with stories from across the major tours arriving thick and fast.

Last week saw the return of Brooks Koepka to the PGA Tour, the LPGA Tour made its bow for 2026 and there was even more movement in the LIV Golf League via Patrick Reed's exit.

And with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour seasons continuing on at the weekend before the NFL's Super Bowl takes centre stage on Sunday night, there is sure to be plenty more in the way of incident until then.

Below is a round-up of some of the biggest stories yet to unfold this week as well as some of the key ones you may have missed.

TIGER WOODS GIVES PESSIMISTIC RETURN UPDATE

Tiger Woods has admitted it will still be "some time" before he's back playing competitive golf again as he continues to recover from his latest back surgery.

Woods went under the knife back in October and said in December that he was back to chipping and putting but shared he was "still a ways away" from returning to full strength.

Speaking after Jupiter Links' 8-6 win over Atlanta Drive GC in TGL on Monday, the 15-time Major winner revealed he was certainly not close to competing again.

He said: "“Playing here in [TGL]? I don't know. I like watching these guys. As far as competitive golf, it’s still some time.”

Woods last played a tour-level event at the 2024 Open Championship and did appear in several TGL matches last term before an Achilles injury put him out of action once more.

Now aged 50, he could come back and play the PGA Tour Champions - which permits the use of a cart - in 2026, but Woods' schedule clearly remains up in the air at this stage.

LIV EARNS OWGR POINTS

LIV Golf has finally been given the green light to offer OWGR points at its events from this week, but it's still not completely happy.

The OWGR announced on Tuesday that the top-10 finishers in LIV Golf events from LIV Golf Riyadh would earn world-ranking points, but LIV argued the decision "disproportionately harms" its players who finish just outside those spots before going on to claim that "no other competitive tour or league in OWGR history has been subjected to such a restriction."

LIV RETURNS (WITH MULTIPLE FIELD CHANGES)

The LIV Golf League is back underway in 2026, but there have been a few late alterations to the field in Riyadh.

Phil Mickelson shared he had to remain in the USA to take care of a "family health matter" while Lee Westwood revealed he had injured his wrist in the days leading up to the opening tournament in Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, Patrick Reed's late exit for the PIF-backed circuit left 4Aces GC with a spare spot on its roster.

Mickelson has been replaced by Ollie Schniederjans for the first event while Westwood's place has been taken by young Englishman, Ben Schmidt. Miguel Tabuena - a reserve player for 2026 - has stepped in to fill Reed's shoes for the time being.

LPGA CHIEF APOLOGIZES FOR CONFUSION

LPGA Tour commissioner Craig Kessler has apologized to players after the circuit's controversial decision to cut the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions down to 54 holes on Sunday.

With temperatures hovering around freezing at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club at the weekend, the call was made to allow all players to complete three rounds before naming a champion thereafter.

However, confusion caused by a number of decisions the LPGA Tour made - which included allowing the celebrity tournament to play nine holes - and contradictory statements left hoards of people unhappy.

In response, Kessler wrote a letter to LPGA Tour members in which he apologized for the way the whole incident was handled.

He said: "I made the decision to limit the event to 54 holes, worried that our athletes might be injured given the way record overnight low temperatures hardened the course.

"While the decision was a tough one and ran counter to prior statements we shared, I made a judgement call. With the benefit of hindsight, there were clearly other ways we should have managed the situation.

"I recognize this decision, and others we made in real time, were confusing and disappointing to our fans. And our communication around the decision wasn’t clear or timely enough. Your frustration is valid — I own that, and I’m sorry."

Kessler went on to say that the tour is "taking steps to improve" and that they will learn from the weekend in order to regain players' trust moving forward.

LET ANNOUNCES RECORD PRIZE MONEY

The Ladies European Tour has announced a record prize fund of over 40 million euros ($47 million) for the 2026 season.

La Sella Open, which is one of 30 events on the schedule this year, revealed its prize fund to be $1 million this year, which in turn took the overall prize pot to its highest ever level in 48 seasons.

In a statement, the LET said that a third of its tournaments will now have prize purses of at least seven figures while 10 events have increased their total payout from last term.

The new LET season begins next week with the $5 million PIF Saudi Ladies International in Riyadh.

WM PHOENIX OPEN

Scottie Scheffler headlines the field at the 2026 WM Phoenix Open as the PGA Tour continues its West Coast Swing with the 'Greatest Show On Grass.'

Scheffler has won this event twice before but not since 2023. Since then, Nick Taylor and Thomas Detry have reigned supreme, but the latter is not playing this year following his move to LIV.

TPC Scottsdale's Stadium Course is famous for its Stadium Hole, the par-3 16th which is believed to hold up to 20,000 spectators at any one time.

Anyone who makes a hole-in-one there is promptly showered with cans of beer and earns their name onto a permanent board which stands by the tee box.

• Read More: WM Phoenix Open betting tips 2026
• Read More: WM Phoenix Open tee times 2026

QATAR MASTERS

The DP World Tour season continues on with a much more serene tournament in Qatar.

Held at Doha GC, a new champion is set to be crowned in 2026 after last year's winner, Haotong Li, crossed over to the PGA Tour at the start of the season.

This week's event also marks the midway point of the International Swing, with a $2.75 million prize purse up for grabs.

AFRICA AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

The third edition of the Africa Amateur Championship is taking place this week at Royal Johannesburg in South Africa.

Started in 2024, the Africa Amateur Championship offers spots into several prestigious events including The Amateur Championship and The Open Championship to its winner.

Bryan Newman claimed victory last year at the tender age of 17 but went on to miss the cut at Royal Portrush.

MINI TWIGS - WHAT ELSE TO KNOW

• Rory McIlroy has committed to July's Genesis Scottish Open
• The Asian Tour's Singapore Open will offer two spots into The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale later this year
• Joel Dahmen successfully applied for a WM Phoenix Open sponsor's exemption via a unique and cheeky method
• LIV Golf revealed a huge cut to its season-long championship bonus money payout
• Jupiter Links defeated Atlanta Drive 8-6 on Monday night to hand the Georgia-based side its first TGL loss of the season while claiming its debut win
• British businessman Peter Jones and his investment group have completed the purchase of American Golf, the UK’s largest golf retailer from private equity investors, Endless LLP (“Endless”)
• Nicolas Colsaerts and Brett Rumford have joined the LIV Golf broadcast team for 2026
• Padraig Harrington is in the Qatar Masters field and will make his 500th DP World Tour start

This Week In Golf: Our weekly look at the biggest stories in professional golf, tournament previews and other key details you need to know.

February is almost here already, but there's still time left in January for plenty to happen in the golfing sphere.

And much is expected to occur before the next Monday as a couple of big names are set to make their season debuts while one of the biggest tours in the world is back for 2026.

Meanwhile, there could be some seismic news to come out of LIV Golf - if reports are to be believed - which may consequently impact the entire men's pro golf scene.

Here's everything you need to know about what is going on in golf this week as well as a catch-up on the biggest stories to have already hit the internet.

LIV'S OWGR DECISION COULD ARRIVE SOON

Per the Associated Press' Doug Ferguson, there is "a chance" LIV will hear whether it has been granted Official World Golf Ranking points "by the end of the week."

In his report, Ferguson noted that the OWGR board is set to meet on Wednesday, January 28 but that no official vote on LIV is believed to be on the table.

However, a decision could arrive before February 4 anyway when LIV Golf begins its 2026 campaign in Riyadh.

BROOKS KOEPKA MAKES PGA TOUR RETURN

You may have heard already, but just in case, Brooks Koepka is playing his first PGA Tour event in almost four years at this week's Farmers Insurance Open.

In his pre-tournament press conference, the five-time Major champion admitted he was "nervous" about the reaction he would receive from the fans and also went on to share his reasons for leaving LIV as well as his short-term schedule on the PGA Tour.

Koepka is teeing off alongside Ludvig Aberg and Max Homa in the first two rounds, with ESPN providing a three-hour coverage window on the PGA Tour for the first time in almost 20 years.

SERGIO GARCIA MAKES DP WORLD TOUR RETURN

A week on from Patrick Reed providing a golfing clinic on how to ice a tournament at the Dubai Desert Classic, another LIV pro will be hoping to roll back the years and triumph once more on the DP World Tour.

As Reed tees it up once again before LIV Golf Riyadh, Sergio Garcia will make his DP World Tour return, joined by fellow LIV golfers Laurie Canter and Thomas Detry following the pair's recent switch.

Garcia is making his tournament debut in 2026 on a sponsor's invite after giving up his DP World Tour membership once he failed to make Luke Donald's Ryder Cup roster at Bethpage Black.

Garcia last played the Asian Tour's Saudi International in November while his most recent DP World Tour start was at the Open de España in October.

THE LPGA TOUR IS BACK

From this Thursday, the LPGA Tour returns for 2026 and the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions has the honor of firing the starting gun at Lake Nona Golf Club near Orlando, Florida.

A stellar line-up featuring nearly every champion on the circuit for the past two years is in town, with the exception of three Australians, while a celebrity field is also competing for a separate title alongside.

So, as Jeeno Thitikul and co. try to win the LPGA Tour's opening trophy of the year, a group of well-known names such as Annika Sorenstam, Alfonso Ribeiro and Brian Baumgartner will battle it out for the celebrity trophy.

AUGUSTA INTRODUCES 'SHOT CLOCK' AT DC&P FINALS

Augusta National has introduced a shot clock at its Drive, Chip And Putt finals competition from this year after criticism over slow play in 2025.

ANGC chairman Fred Ridley touched on the subject during his pre-Masters press conference last year and vowed to do something about it from 2026.

The action he has taken is to add a 40-second time limit for each shot the players have in order to "reinforce pace of play as an essential skill in golf."

Each competitor will earn an extra half-point for every shot they complete in 40 seconds or less, so there is up to an additional three points on offer if they hit all six shots within the timeframe.

MINI TWIGS - WHAT ELSE TO KNOW

• Gavin Green received a three-month suspension from European Tour Group events
• England's Marco Penge revealed he was "turned away" from a couple of Florida golf clubs when trying to find a new home course
• Rory McIlroy's Boston Common thumped The Bay 9-1 on Monday to maintain their unbeaten start in TGL 2026
• Paul Azinger called his debut season calling PGA Tour Champions events "probably the most difficult of my career"
• Nelly Korda called it an "unbelievable miss" that TGL isn't mixed with men and women after WTGL's recent launch
• Robert MacIntyre rose to World No.5 while Patrick Reed moved back into the world's top-30 (World No.29) following his Dubai Desert Classic win
• LIV Golf has announced Rolex as an official partner two days after the DP World Tour announced Rolex had extended its long-standing partnership

This Week In Golf: Our weekly look at the biggest stories in professional golf, tournament previews and other key details you need to know.

Yet another hectic week in the men's game has already taken place, with around half of it still to go and two mouth-watering tournaments either side of the Atlantic capable of churning out even more news.

The main women's tours are yet to spring into action, and neither has the Asian Tour which is due to begin in early February.

Nevertheless, the PGA Tour and DP World Tour have been carrying the load efficiently between them, with LIV also chipping in courtesy of multiple key storylines.

Here's everything you need to know about what is going on in golf this week as well as a catch-up on the biggest stories to have already occurred.

THE AMERICAN EXPRESS

Following on from last week's Sony Open in Hawaii, the PGA Tour moves over to California for the start of the West Coast Swing and The American Express.

Not only is this event normally a fun shootout for the players and fans, 2026 will see World No.1 Scottie Scheffler kick off his year in a very strong field.

Other big names to be battling it out across La Quinta Country Club, the Pete Dye Stadium Course and the Nicklaus Tournament Course include Ludvig Aberg, Sam Burns, Robert MacIntyre and Patrick Cantlay. The field will play each of the aforementioned courses once before a cut is made ahead of Sunday's final round.

And, the reward for following in Sepp Straka's footsteps has been increased, with the overall prize money purse rising by $400,000 to $9.2 million this year.

DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC

Speaking of impressive fields, the Dubai Desert Classic is one of the DP World Tour's most prestigious events of the year and - as such - has a line-up to match at Emirates Golf Club.

Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and defending champion Tyrrell Hatton are all involved this week and actually tee off together in the first two rounds.

Elsewhere, Dustin Johnson, Victor Perez and Patrick Reed are make up a small portion of the LIV golfers in the Dubai Desert Classic field.

And, because of the event's status as a Rolex Series tournament, there is a $9 million prize purse on the line in Dubai.

PATRICK REED'S PGA TOUR ADMISSION

Speaking to Golf Digest's Evin Priest and The Telegraph's James Corrigan, Patrick Reed admitted he would consider going back to the PGA Tour if offered the same terms as Brooks Koepka was via the Returning Member Program.

Reed won The Masters in 2018 but does not qualify to make his PGA Tour return from LIV Golf due to the parameters involved. If he was, the nine-time PGA Tour winner revealed he might well switch circuits again.

Reed said: "I mean, of course. If it were up to me, I'd play everywhere. I'm already playing on three tours, why not add one more?” he added with a laugh.

“I always enjoyed my time out there on the PGA Tour. Let's be honest, out there, it's the best tour in the world. Look at what they've done in golf … I could see myself playing there at some point again. But right now, you just never know; everything's so fluid.”

• Read More: Should The PGA Tour Tweak Its Returning Member Program To Lure More LIV Golfers Back?

MICHAEL LA SASSO JOINED LIV GOLF

Arguably the most surprising news of the week arrived on Tuesday when it was announced that NCAA D1 Men's Golf champion Michael La Sasso had joined Phil Mickelson's HyFlyers in the LIV Golf League.

The former University of Mississippi golfer achieved First Team All-American honors and set the lowest single-season scoring average in Ole Miss history (69.48) before winning the NCAA championship by two strokes from Texas A&M's Phichaksn Maichon last year.

La Sasso was expected to join the PGA Tour in the coming years but has made the decision to sign for its PIF-backed rivals instead.

As a result of turning pro immediately, La Sasso consequently forfeited his place at The Masters and will make his LIV debut in Riyadh next month.

MATEO PULCINI WINS LAAC, BOOKS MAJOR SPOTS

Argentina's Mateo Pulcini is heading to The Masters, the US Open and The Open Championship this year after winning the 11th edition of the Latin America Amateur Championship.

Pulcini won in a play-off against Venezuela’s Virgilio Paz Valdes after both fired closing rounds of 68 to finish on five-under-par, two clear of Tomas Restrepo of Colombia and Paraguay’s Erich Fortlage.

The Argentinian managed to prevail on the second extra hole, making par as his rival stumbled at the critical moment.

Ranked 174th on the World Amateur Golf Ranking, Pulcini is the oldest champion in the 11-year history of the championship and the third from Argentina after 2020 winner Abel Gallegos and 2023 winner Mateo Fernández de Oliveira.

DUSTIN JOHNSON LIV CONTRACT LENGTH REVEALED

Dustin Johnson signed a new contract with LIV Golf's 4Aces last week, but it wasn't until the past couple of days that the exact length of his deal was shared publicly.

Traditionally, LIV has not revealed the length of any player's contract, but Johnson's team broke with tradition on social media and shared that not only was the two-time Major winner's original contract five years but his new terms would retain Johnson through 2029.

Johnson is among the field for the Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour this week before returning to action with LIV in Riyadh next month.

GOLF BALL ROLLBACK DATE COULD BE TWEAKED

The R&A and USGA have suggested the date for the golf ball rollback may be pushed back after a letter was shared with manufacturers that said the two governing bodies were "interested in soliciting views on a possible change" from the two separate dates initially proposed into a single date - specifically January 2030.

While plans have been made to continue with the two-phase approach, affecting pros in 2028 and amateurs from 2030, "several stakeholders have expressed concerns" surrounding issues that could arise if that does happen.

Consequently, The R&A and USGA has asked for opinions on the subject "no later than February 15" with a view to either tweaking or ploughing ahead with their original plans, ready for 2028 when the elite level of the sport would be affected.

MINI TWIGS - WHAT ELSE TO KNOW

• Aldrich Potgieter has joined Marco Penge in signing with PXG
• LAGC defeated Jupiter Links GC 8-4 in the latest round of TGL on Tuesday night
• A life-size statue of Seve Ballesteros has gone missing from the Spanish legend's home town of Pedreña
• Rory McIlroy has shared an updated shortlist of career goals after a historic 2025
• The first crop of WTGL players were unveiled - Jeeno Thitikul, Charley Hull, Lydia Ko, Brooke Henderson and Lexi Thompson
• A whole host of new gear was unveiled, including new Vokey SM11 wedges, a new range of Scotty Cameron putters and Bridgestone Tour B golf balls

This Week In Golf: Our weekly look at the biggest stories in professional golf, tournament previews and other key details you need to know.

It's a big week in the men's game with the first PGA Tour and DP World Tour events of the year following a late start to 2026.

The Sentry was supposed to open the PGA Tour's season last week before its cancellation, so it is the Sony Open getting us underway. The field has a strong mix of PGA Tour stars along with new Korn Ferry Tour and DP World Tour graduates.

On the DP World Tour, the biennial Dubai Invitational returns for its second staging, with a field headlined by defending champion Tommy Fleetwood and Masters champion Rory McIlroy.

There is plenty that has been going on this week following Brooks Koepka's PGA Tour return and constant LIV news ahead of the 2026 LIV Golf season beginning early next month.

Here's what you need to know about the events on tour this week and what else is going on:

Sony Open

Nick Taylor defends his Sony Open title this weekend against a field including the likes of past champion Hideki Matsuyama, Russell Henley, JJ Spaun, Collin Morikawa, Ben Griffin, Robert MacIntyre, Keegan Bradley and Jordan Spieth.

The returning Vijay Singh is also playing after the 62-year-old cashed in his career money list exemption.

A number of rookies are making their debuts as PGA Tour members including Korn Ferry Tour no.1 Johnny Keefer and Kristoffer Reitan, who won the Nedbank Golf Challenge in his most recent start.

The event takes place at Waialae Country Club, potentially for the last time. Reports have stated the Hawaii swing could be cut from a streamlined PGA Tour in 2027 with a potential post-Super Bowl start. Nothing has been confirmed yet, though.

It is also Sony's final year of sponsorship, meaning the event certainly feels somewhat at risk - so let's make sure we enjoy it this week as it could possibly be the last (hopefully not though!).

• Read more: Sony Open Betting Tips

Dubai Invitational

The Dubai Invitational returns at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club following its inaugural staging in 2024, when Tommy Fleetwood finished birdie-birdie to pip Rory McIlroy in a dramatic finish.

Both men are playing this week as well as Shane Lowry and recent back-to-back winner Jayden Schaper. The young South African is bidding to join Seve Ballesteros and Sir Nick Faldo as the only man to win three DP World Tour events in a row.

The field features 60 pros and 60 amateurs in a three-day pro-am format before the pros go solo in the final round to decide the championship.

It marks the opening to the DP World Tour's Middle East swing, with the Dubai Desert Classic taking place next week.

• Read more: Dubai Invitational Betting Picks
• Read more: Dubai Invitational Tee Times

Brooks Koepka's PGA Tour return confirmed and LIV stars decline offer

Brooks Koepka's immediate PGA Tour return has been confirmed thanks to the newly introduced Returning Member Program, with the five-time Major champion set to make his first start later this month at the Farmers Insurance Open.

The Returning Member Program also opened the door for Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith to make spectacular returns - but all three LIV Golf stars turned it down and said they would be staying with LIV Golf.

• Read more: Are Brooks Koepka's sanctions tough enough?
• Read more: Is this the end for LIV Golf? Why it's more complicated than you think
• Read more: Tiger Woods reacts to Brooks Koepka's PGA Tour return

Kevin Na leaves LIV Golf

The five-time PGA Tour winner has left the PIF-backed circuit, having joined back in 2022.

Na had been the Iron Heads GC captain but the side has now rebranded to Korean GC and is set to have a different roster this year. Reports say the PGA Tour's Ben An will be the new captain, with Danny Lee remaining alongside MK Kim and Young-han Song.

If those reports are true, it also means Jinichiro Kozuma has been let go from the league, too. It seems that way, as the Japanese player tweeted: "I’m looking forward to seeing if they’re a better player than I am."

"Thank you, Kevin. Kevin Na closes his LIV Golf chapter leaving behind a lasting mark on the league and team," Korean GC wrote on social media to confirm Na's departure.

Stinger GC rebrands

LIV Golf's all-South African Stinger GC is another team to have rebranded for 2026, with the franchise now known as Southern Guards GC.

The team, which features Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace, Dean Burmester and Charl Schwartzel, retains the green colorway and will now wear the 'SG' branding and rhino logo.

The rhino is said to be "a powerful symbol deeply rooted in South African culture" that represents "strength and resolve" and "embodies both competitive toughness and a commitment to legacy."

Latin America Amateur Championship

It's a big week in the amateur game, too, with the Latin America Amateur Championship taking place at Lima Golf Club in Peru.

The event is run by the Masters, the USGA and the R&A and will see the winner earn spots into the 2026 Masters Tournament, the 154th Open at Royal Birkdale and the 126th US Open at Shinnecock Hills.

It was first played in 2015, with past winners including Joaquin Niemann and Korn Ferry Tour player Alvaro Ortiz.

Mini twigs - what else to know

• New York GC defeated Jupiter Links GC 8-3 on Tuesday evening
• Marco Penge has signed with PXG ahead of his 2026 PGA Tour rookie season
• Tommy Fleetwood was spotted wearing Lululemon apparel at the Dubai Invitational
• Thomas Detry has joined LIV Golf and will play for Dustin Johnson's 4Aces GC team
• The new Cobra Optm range was revealed
• The new Ping G440 K driver was revealed
• Husqvarna was confirmed as the new British Masters title sponsor

This Week In Golf: Jonny Leighfield’s weekly look at the biggest stories in professional golf, tournament previews and other key details you need to know.

The new year is here and excitement is building for the start of various seasons across the game.

But with none of the main tours across men's or women's golf beginning for at least another week, you might be fooled into thinking there's not much going on at the moment. You'd be wrong.

There is a crucial few days for LIV Golf coming up while January - as it always does - marks the start of manufacturers officially releasing all of their new equipment out to the world. Plus, the opening PGA Tour event of the season should have been taking place this week, only for it to be cancelled towards the end of last year.

Regardless, it is an interesting week in golf, and below are all of the biggest stories you need to know about.

LIV GOLF PROMOTIONS

LIV Golf Promotions is taking place at Black Diamond Ranch in Florida between Thursday and Sunday, with three Wild Card spots in the LIV Golf League up for grabs at the end of it.

LIV had initially said there would only be one place available but added a second and later a third spot in recent weeks. In addition, the top-10 and ties will be exempt into all International Series tournaments on the Asian Tour this season.

Almost 90 players are set to start the four days, with anyone who was relegated from LIV among those eligible to jump straight into round two.

The top-20 from Thursday's scores make it into round two before the top-20 thereafter - once scores have reset - progress into rounds three and four. Scores reset one last time ahead of Saturday's round three and from there it's a straight shootout to the line.

LIV Golf Promotions will be available to watch on Fox Sports in the US and DAZN in the UK.

NO PGA TOUR EVENT

Admittedly, under normal circumstances, the absence of a professional tour event would not make this list. But it could easily be argued these are not quite normal circumstances.

The Sentry had kicked off every PGA Tour campaign between 1986 and 2013 and then again in 2024 and 2025, but it will not do so in 2026.

Last October, the PGA Tour announced that The Sentry had been cancelled due to "ongoing drought conditions and related challenges on the island of Maui" which led to the Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort being unfit for purpose.

While an alternative site was looked into, the PGA Tour ultimately came to the unfortunate decision and next week's Sony Open will begin the 2026 term instead.

NEW EQUIPMENT SEASON IS HERE

The season of unveiling new equipment is here and manufacturers are already throwing out enough new gear to stock your local pro shop.

Following a few new items here or there at the back end of 2025, this week marks the first days of an intense period where all of the major brands are sharing their latest and greatest.

Mizuno kicked things off with the launch of its M-13, M-15 and tour utility irons before welcoming its fresh M Craft putters to the world. Elsewhere, Callaway launched its new Chrome golf balls and Cobra followed with 3DP, MB and X irons.

The latest Mizuno woods and driver, Takomo irons and Titleist Pro V1x Left Dash golf ball also arrived on the scene today, with another big unveiling still expected to appear before the week is over.

MAJESTICKS REBRAND

On Wednesday, LIV Golf's Majesticks GC unveiled a rebranded badge and team colors less than a month before the start of the new season in Riyadh.

Moving away from a light blue, the team's new colors are royal blue, red and white, with the new badge featuring a large red capital M inside a dark blue badge with a white outline.

The all-English line-up, which now carries the colors of the United Kingdom's Union Jack flag, was officially completed by Sam Horsfield re-signing earlier this week, adding on to the arrival of Laurie Canter in December.

Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter remain on board after Poulter's last-gasp escape at the end of last season which led to Henrik Stenson's relegation.

WTGL LAUNCHED

It was announced by the LPGA Tour and TMRW Sports on Tuesday that the women's version of TGL is set to arrive later this year.

Off the back of the men's competition making a successful start, officials felt a female league - which is set to include some of the best players on the LPGA Tour - would perform just as well.

The line-up and team names are yet to be unveiled, but it was stated that the WTGL would look and play almost exactly the same as the original.

MINI TWIGS

• Rory McIlroy has revealed he is trialing a new set of TaylorMade irons, which were used in Boston Common's TGL victory over Los Angeles last weekend
• A large fire destroyed West Essex Golf Club's clubhouse, with over 60 firefighters tackling the blaze over the course of two days
• Atlanta Drive made it two wins from two to start its 2026 TGL campaign following a 7-4 victory against The Bay on Tuesday night
• Thomas Detry and Elvis Smylie are reportedly set to sign for the LIV Golf League in the coming days
• Akshay Bhatia is believed to have turned down a 'lucrative' deal to join LIV and has, instead, opted to sign up to TGL's Jupiter Links
• Charlie Woods finished just inside the top-20 at the Junior Orange Bowl International Golf Championship - an event his dad Tiger won back in 1991
• The PGA Tour has announced a minor tweak to its preferred lies rule, reducing the distance a ball can move from a full club length to a scorecard length - as is the case on the DP World Tour

This Week In Golf: Jonny Leighfield’s regular look at the biggest stories in professional golf, tournament previews and other key details you need to know.

The year might be coming to a close and most of professional golf is finally putting its feet up for a well deserved break, but that doesn't mean there's nothing to talk about this week - far from it.

Before the week is out, professional golfers will be hitting balls on live TV once again, although not in the traditional environment.

Otherwise, plenty has already happened - largely involving LIV Golf in one way or another - as plans are made for a couple of key events in 2026.

Below are a handful of the biggest storylines from the world of professional golf this week. Enjoy.

TGL SEASON TWO

On Sunday, December 28th at 3pm ET (8pm GMT), TGL is returning for its second season live from SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Kicking off the second season of the tech-infused indoor competition is a rematch of the season one finals between Atlanta Drive GC and New York GC.

Atlanta came out on top to win the inaugural SoFi Cup earlier this year, and they will hope to make a strong start to their title defence on Sunday. However, the reigning champions will try to do so without Justin Thomas, who underwent back surgery in November.

Atlanta's line up includes Billy Horschel, Lucas Glover and Patrick Cantlay, and they will take on New York's trio of Matt Fitzpatrick, Xander Schauffele and Cameron Young.

MASTERS INVITES SENT OUT

With just under four months to go until the men's Major season begins, excitement is beginning to build already as invites to The Masters have been sent out to those confirmed in the 2026 field.

Justin Rose, who lost out in a playoff to Rory McIlroy, posted on Instagram to share he had received his invite to Augusta National in April and countless others have done the same over the past day or two.

Keep an eye out on social media this week and I dare say you'll see a few more pros posting their bespoke mail from The Masters.

SI WOO KIM SAYS HE'S NOT LEAVING FOR LIV (AGAIN)

Twice the subject of rumors regarding a potential switch to the LIV Golf League this month, Si Woo Kim once again posted on Instagram this week to say he will not be playing anywhere else but the PGA Tour in 2026.

He shared a story on the social media platform with an orange background and the words: "I will be playing on PGA Tour" around a week after another post that refuted claims he was considering a switch.

LIV GOLF PROMOTIONS FIELD ANNOUNCED

Ahead of the latest LIV Golf Promotions event - which is due to take place in January at Black Diamond Ranch in Lecanto, Florida - the field has been confirmed.

The biggest names involved in the four-day tournament include Anthony Kim, Chris Wood and the man who finished third in the Asian Tour's International Series, Miguel Tabuena.

Unlike last year, there will be two LIV Golf cards on offer to the pair of leading pros. 90 players are expected to tee it up in total.

TWO LIV PROS DROPPED

Two names which also appeared in the LIV Golf Promotions field were Ripper GC's Matt Jones and RangeGoats GC's Ben Campbell.

News of the pair's inclusion in the LIV Golf Promotions field revealed they had been let go by their respective teams and are now hoping for a route back to the PIF-backed circuit via the playoff event.

Jones had been with LIV since it began in 2022 while Campbell had only played one full year as contracted player with the season before spent as a reserve.

MITO PEREIRA RETIRES

There was some surprising news on Monday as former Torque GC player Mito Pereira announced his retirement from professional golf with immediate effect at the age of 30.

The Chilean is set to return to his home country after earning more than $11.5 million with the LIV Golf League and almost $4 million on the PGA Tour across his career.

In a statement, Pereira said he had been "thoughtfully considering" the decision "for some time" and was keen to return to Chile to focus on his personal life.

MORE AWARDS FOR MCILROY

Following on from his BBC Sports Personality of the Year award last Thursday, Rory McIlroy was named BBC Northern Ireland Sports Personality of the Year and RTE Sports Personality of the Year this week.

The five-time Major winner claimed the RTE prize for the third time in his career and the BBC Northern Ireland gong for the fourth time.

SKY SPORTS RENEWS PGA TOUR DEAL

For golf fans in the British Isles, there was confirmation that Sky Sports had renewed its deal to be the exclusive home of live PGA Tour golf until 2029 on Monday.

The news arrives a month after Sky Sports confirmed it would remain the home of the Ryder Cup and DP World Tour until 2029, showing each of the next two biennial contests and maintaining its coverage of the European-based circuit.

Sky has also agreed to extend its golf coverage relating to The Masters, the Ladies European Tour and the Solheim Cup recently.

AWESOME LEE TREVINO INTERVIEW

Following the PNC Championship, Lee Trevino gave a brilliant interview to NBC Sports in which he declared he owes golf everything he has and even if he lived to 150, he'd never be able to repay the sport. Have a watch above.

END-OF-YEAR OWGR LOCKED IN

With no more counting tournaments until 2026, the year-ending OWGR rankings were locked in on Monday. Scottie Scheffler remains a long way out in front in the men's game, with five other Americans joining him inside the top-10. He is also the first player since Tiger Woods to end three consecutive years as World No.1.

Meanwhile, Jeeno Thitikul comfortably held off the challenge of Nelly Korda to claim the women's World No.1 spot. In a far more diverse list, England's Charley Hull ends the year fifth and one of seven different nationalities in the top-10.

This Week In Golf: Jonny Leighfield’s weekly look at the biggest stories in professional golf, tournament previews and other key details you need to know.

The end of the year is fast approaching, but the golfing action never seems to stop and fans are able to prepare for another big week of storylines on planet golf.

Although many of the major professional circuits are taking a brief respite until 2026, the DP World Tour has one final stop before a mini hiatus and a handful of the PGA Tour's best are going head-to-head in the latest primetime TV event.

Plus, tour cards are on the line in the women's game and a family favorite tournament takes its annual slot in the schedule.

Not only is there enough to maintain our golfing fix coming up, but there have already been a few fascinating stories to catch up on. Below, I've picked out some of the most interesting narratives from across the world of professional golf this week.

GOLF CHANNEL GAMES

On Wednesday night between 7pm and 11pm ET, Team Scottie Scheffler is taking on Team Rory McIlroy in the inaugural Optum Golf Channel Games.

Two teams of four will do battle at Trump National Golf Club Jupiter, competing in five different challenges designed to test each pro's skills in a variety of different ways.

It is being broadcast live on Golf Channel and USA Network with familiar voices such as Johnson Wagner and Smylie Kaufman being joined by PGA Tour pro Keith Mitchell and US President Donald Trump's granddaughter Kai Trump.

PNC CHAMPIONSHIP (BUT NO TIGER)

The PNC Championship takes place at Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando this weekend, continuing an awesome few days of golf in Florida.

Bernhard Langer and his son Jason are back to defend their title, but there will not be a repeat of last year's thrilling playoff due to Tiger Woods and Charlie not being in the field. The 15-time Major winner is continuing to recover from surgery and only recently started chipping and putting again.

Nevertheless, plenty of world-class names are gearing up to try and dethrone the German pair including Annika Sorenstam and son Will McGee, Nelly Korda and her dad Petr plus Lee Trevino and his son Daniel.

MAURITIUS OPEN

The DP World Tour has one event remaining in its schedule this year and that's the Mauritius Open at La Reserve Golf Links in Heritage Bel Ombre.

John Parry is defending his title in Mauritius and will be joined by a handful of fellow Europeans who are set to embark on their PGA Tour journeys early next year after winning one of the 10 dual cards.

But, before Parry and co. jet off to the US, they will be hoping for one final confidence-boosting win on the European circuit in this $1.2 million event.

LET Q-SCHOOL FINALE

It's already been an eventful week for the Ladies European Tour's final stage of Q-School after heavy rain largely washed out Tuesday's first round in Morocco.

Unplayable course conditions at Al Maaden Golf Marrakech and Royal Golf Marrakech caused the action to be postponed until Wednesday, with the tournament officially reduced to 72 holes.

Q-School is due to end on Saturday, but the LET says it will make every effort to complete the minimum 72-hole requirement this week, even if it means extending the tournament into Sunday.

As a result of the reduction in holes, there will no longer be a cut but the top-20 players and ties after 72 holes will earn category 12 status on the LET for 2026.

BBC SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR

Thursday night sees the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony take place, with golf's Rory McIlroy named on the six-athlete shortlist.

A golfer hasn't won this award since Sir Nick Faldo in 1989, but hopes are high for the Northern Irishman after his remarkable year which included a win at The Masters and victory alongside Team Europe at the Ryder Cup.

In addition, Team Europe have been nominated for team of the year, so it could be double delight for McIlroy if all goes well.

MINI TWIGS

• Abraham Ancer was announced as having moved from Fireballs GC to Torque GC in the LIV Golf League
• Malbon has teased a new signing which appears to be 1992 Masters champion, Fred Couples
• Anthony Kim posted a video on social media earlier this week to report he had made a hole-in-one for the 13th time in his life
• Justin Thomas has donated $1 million to the University of Alabama's golf practice facility - the Crimson Reserve
• Scottie Scheffler had a go at TGL-style golf with a handful of practice shots inside SoFi Center
• The World No.1 also announced a new sponsor, teaming up with Huntingdon Bank which will see the bank's logo on Scheffler's tour bag

This Week In Golf: Our weekly look at the biggest stories in professional golf, tournament previews and other key details you need to know.

After a big week in the sport, which included the Australian Open, Nedbank Golf Challenge and Hero World Challenge, there is again an awful lot to be decided in the game this weekend.

We've got the return of the mixed Grant Thornton Invitational on the PGA and LPGA Tours as well as PGA Tour Q-School and the Alfred Dunhill Championship on the DP World Tour.

As well as the action to come, a handful of key stories have already played out since Monday morning.

With a busy week in the sport, it can be easy to lose track of the biggest storylines so here we've picked out some of the most interesting narratives from across the world of professional golf this week.

Grant Thornton Invitational

The event is back for the third year after wins from Jason Day and Lydia Ko in 2023 and then Jake Knapp and Patty Tavatanakit last time out.

The three-day tournament features scramble, foursomes and modified four-ball formats for each round, with 16 teams battling it out for the prize.

We've already seen Daniel Berger withdraw this week, with the Floridian replaced by recent PGA Tour winner Michael Brennan, who will partner World No.5 Charley Hull.

Jessica Korda returns after two-and-a-half-years out, having become a mother for the first time, and the all-FSU duo of Luke Clanton and Lottie Woad looks an exciting partnership.

The Grant Thornton Invitational takes place at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida and runs from Friday to Sunday.

PGA Tour Q-School

The PGA Tour is running it's qualifying school, officially known as PGA Tour Q-School presented by Korn Ferry, this week from Thursday to Sunday, where five cards will be on the line at TPC Sawgrass’ Valley Course and Sawgrass Country Club.

Golf Channel will be airing eight-hours of coverage this weekend.

This is the final stage, with the preliminaries, first and second rounds taking place earlier this fall.

Just five cards are up for grabs, meaning if there is a tie for fifth-place there will be a tense playoff for the last card.

Notables in the 176-man field include Doug Ghim, Adam Hadwin, Lanton Griffin, Camilo Villegas, Cameron Champ, Luke List, Ryo Ishikawa, Alejandro Tosti, Andrew Putnam, Sam Ryder and many other recognizable names.

Former LIV Golf players, albeit back in 2022, Travis Smyth and Turk Pettit are also competing.

While there are five golden memberships to play for, status for 2026 will also be decided for the top 40 and other finishers as per the guidelines:

• Top 5: PGA Tour membership for the 2026 season
• Next 40 Finishers and Ties: Korn Ferry Tour membership for the 2026 season, with the first 25 finishers and ties being subject to the third reshuffle (occurs after 14th event), and any remaining finishers being subject to the second reshuffle (occurs after 10th event)
• All Remaining Finishers: Conditional membership for the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour season and subject to the reshuffle (first reshuffle occurs after sixth event); membership on PGA Tour Americas for the 2026 season and subject to the reshuffle (first reshuffle occurs after sixth event)

Alfred Dunhill Championship

The DP World Tour remains in South Africa this week with the Opening Swing continuing at the Alfred Dunhill Championship, which takes place at Royal Johannesburg after previously being held at Leopard Creek.

Shaun Norris defends the title, with LIV Golfers Louis Oosthuizen, Dean Burmester and Branden Grace also in the field.

This is the penultimate event of 2025 on the DP World Tour, with next week's Mauritius Open drawing a close to the calendar year.

Briem tops LPGA Tour Q-School

A total of 31 players earned their cards for 2026 at LPGA Q-School, where Germany's Helen Briem topped the leaderboard.

The event was shorted from four-to-five days due to weather, with the big-hitting Briem finishing at 13-under-par. Other notables to progress included Mimi Rhodes, Hinako Shibuno, Ryann O'Toole and Jodi Ewart Shadoff.

SPOTY Nominations expected

Rory McIlroy is currently favorite for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, with the official shortlist expected later this week.

McIlroy, who completed the career grand slam in winning The Masters this year as well being part of Europe's away Ryder Cup victory, is edging out Lando Norris and Chloe Kelly in the odds.

Ryder Cup Team Europe is also expected to be nominated for the Team of the Year crown.

Asian Tour finale

The 10th Saudi Open takes place this week at a new venue, Dirab Golf & Country Club, just outside of Riyadh to bring a close to the 2025 Asian Tour campaign

John Catlin defends his title while Kazuki Higa and Scott Vincent, who recently earned a LIV Golf card, will battle it out for the Order of Merit title.

Higa, the highest-ranked player in the field, is favorite to lift the crown after back-to-back wins in September, and needs just to make the cut as long as Vincent finishes outside the top-four.

New Tiger Woods-inspired TGL hole

The TGL returns on December 28 and there will be a very cool new hole on show.

The simulator league is often criticized for its realistic holes but this new one - Stinger - is anything but, which is exactly what the league should showcase, right?

The 414 yard par 4 features a 'natural' rock formation guarding the fairway, with players needing to hit a stinger no higher than 50ft to advance. Competitors could also hit a high draw over and around it, but let's hope they get their 2-irons out for this one.

'Mini twigs' - what else to know:

• The 2025 Australian Open was officially the best attended golf event in Australian history with 112,698 fans on-site at Royal Melbourne
• The 2025 PNC Championship field has been confirmed, with three teams dropping out and three new pairings replacing them
• Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry and Dustin Johnson have been added to the Dubai Desert Classic field, joining the previously announced defending champion Tyrrell Hatton, Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood
• The Golf Channel has obtained what a potential 2028 PGA Tour schedule could look like - starting after the Super Bowl and ending before Labor Day
• Sports Business Journal's Josh Carpenter cited sources indicating "there's a chance Brooks Koepka may not play on LIV Golf in 2026"
• PGA and DP World Tour player Michael Kim posted an interactive video of his 2025 flying schedule, and it featured over 68,000 miles travelled and more than 250 days away from home

This Week In Golf: Jonny Leighfield’s regular look at the biggest stories in professional golf, tournament previews and other key details you need to know.

Despite the fact that it's now December and very much winter time in a lot of key golfing markets, the coming days represent a very busy and fascinating time in the sport.

Although there are no pro events on the women's side and there is a break on the Asian Tour, fans still have their choice of three big tournaments to choose from otherwise.

And, in keeping with 'silly season', one of those is an unofficial PGA Tour event with a limited field and a $5 million purse. Yet, to add further silliness, it's not even the most lucrative tournament in pro golf thanks to one of two concurrent DP World Tour events.

So, to try and make sense of it all, we've listed some of the biggest stories this week in golf below.

TIGER WOODS IS BACK (HOSTING ONLY)

For the first time in several months, Tiger Woods spoke publicly ahead of this week's Hero World Challenge, which he hosts at Albany Golf Club in The Bahamas.

Although nowhere near competing again, Woods - who says recovery from a third surgery in the past 13 months has been "slow" - will be on site through the tournament and is set to pass the trophy across to this year's champion.

The 49-year-old, who turns 50 on December 30, has admitted he won't be playing competitively any time soon and would not be drawn on where exactly he plans to compete once he's back fit.

He did, however, mention that he was looking forward to taking the Genesis Invitational back to Riviera Country Club next February, which could well be the next time we hear from the 15-time Major winner.

THREE STARS PLAYING THREE DIFFERENT EVENTS

As I mentioned earlier, it's a strange week in men's pro golf. You may have seen Elliott Heath's excellent opinion piece asking if pro golf is shooting itself in the foot recently.

Basically, there are three pretty big events all going on over the same days. Although, somewhat helpfully, they're not all on at exactly the same time.

First, the Australian Open (featuring Rory McIlroy) is taking place at Royal Melbourne Golf Club for the Stonehaven Cup - an event that will award the winner spots in both The Masters and The Open Championship.

Then there is the Nedbank Golf Challenge, which has a $6 million prize purse to be shared out among the 66 players involved - one of which is Viktor Hovland (as well as Joost Luiten).

Last, but by no means least, the Tiger Woods-hosted Hero World Challenge is set to feature the likes of Scottie Scheffler, JJ Spaun and Keegan Bradley. The 20-man field holds a $5 million payout overall.

In short, there's a lot of golf going on over the next few days and not all of your favorite players are playing against each other. Hardly a new problem, though, is it?...

TWO BIG NAMES BACK AFTER LONG LAY-OFFS

Speaking of big names playing different events, Will Zalatoris and Jordan Spieth are both making long-awaited returns this week - only not in the same tournament.

Zalatoris is joining Hovland and co. at the Nedbank Golf Challenge following a six-month lay-off due to back surgery while Spieth is lining up at the Hero World Challenge, marking his first appearance since August.

TOMMY FLEETWOOD HITS NEW HEIGHTS

Everyone's favorite English golfer, Tommy Fleetwood, was confirmed as having moved up to World No.3 - a career best - on Monday.

Fleetwood overtook Xander Schauffele despite not playing since the DP World Tour Championship, but the average-points figure from over the past two years tipped in his favor and he's now sat behind only McIlroy and Scheffler in the men's game.

The above news will have been warmly welcomed at TaylorMade, too, with the brand now equipping each of the top-three players.

THE OPEN'S LAST-CHANCE QUALIFYING EVENT DETAILS EMERGE

This should be really exciting. The R&A has announced details for a last-chance qualifying event between 12 players ahead of The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale next year.

On Monday, July 13 - days before the first tee shot in north-west England - a dozen players will battle it out over 18 holes for just one place in the final men's Major of the season.

The limited field will be made up of the top two non-exempt players in the OWGR as of July 6, the runner-up in The Amateur Championship (providing they retain their amateur status), anyone who missed out in a play-off at Final Qualifying, players who finished one position behind those who secured Open spots at Final Qualifying and players who were tied for a qualifying place (but missed out) in any of the Open Qualifying Series events - excluding the Scottish Open - but did not make it due to a lower position in the OWGR.

MINI TWIGS

• It was confirmed that Laurie Canter had re-joined the LIV Golf League as part of the all-English Majesticks GC. As a result, Dan Brown claimed one of the 10 dual-card spots on the PGA Tour in 2026
• Rory McIlroy moved to the bookmakers' favorite for BBC Sports Personality of the Year ahead of F1 driver Lando Norris and European Championship winner Chloe Kelly
• Scottie Scheffler was pictured using the new TaylorMade Qi4D and fairway wood during a practice round ahead of the Hero World Challenge
• Justin Thomas told the No Laying Up podcast that Team USA were being "fought with" over green speeds at Bethpage Black during the Ryder Cup
• PGA Tour Q-School Second Stage is currently ongoing (December 2-5). Final Stage is due to take place December 11-14, with only five cards up for grabs
• Keegan Bradley called the aftermath of Team USA's Ryder Cup defeat "the darkest time of my life"
• Joe Greiner, former caddie for Max Homa and Collin Morikawa, has teamed up with Akshay Bhatia for the Hero World Challenge and told Golfweek he plans to stick with the left-hander for next season

This Week In Golf: Jonny Leighfield’s regular look at the biggest stories in professional golf, tournament previews and other key details you need to know.

The PGA Tour and the LPGA Tour are both done until 2026 and the holidays are right around the corner, but the golfing circus continues to roll on regardless. And, this week, it's all about money.

OK, so there's rarely a week where money isn't the key subject in golf, but it's especially true over the coming days as a TV classic which relies on dollars is returning and the DP World Tour is operating a cool incentive at its first event of the new season.

Meanwhile, one of the biggest prize money payouts is on the line as the Ladies European Tour comes to a close and the PGA Tour has recently announced a new financial support program.

Check out some of the biggest storylines from around the world of golf this week below.

THE SKINS GAME RETURNS

For the first time in 17 years, The Skins Game returns to TV. A format once played by the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Lee Trevino and Fred Couples (not all together, I might add) will feature Keegan Bradley, Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood and Xander Schauffele in 2025.

Kicking off Black Friday on Amazon Prime at 9am ET, the four players will start with $1 million each and lay it all on the line as the 'reverse purse' makes its debut.

The return of The Skins Game is taking place on the Big Cat course at Panther National, designed by Nicklaus and Justin Thomas. The latter was due to be involved but has since undergone back surgery and was replaced by Lowry.

$1M PAR 3 IN PLAY AS NEW DP WORLD TOUR SEASON BEGINS

The 2025-26 DP World Tour season begins this week with the BMW Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland Golf Club in Brisbane.

Hometown hero Cam Smith is one of nine LIV golfers in the field, with some of the other players involved having competed at the DP World Tour Championship only a fortnight ago.

And while everyone is hoping to make a winning start to the season while banking a big check, fans in attendance could also earn something, too.

The Dabble Party Hole - a.k.a the par-3 17th - is set to feature a $1 million payout to all those inside the stands if and when a pro makes a hole-in-one during any of the four competition rounds.

THE LET SEASON REACHES ITS CONCLUSION

In the same week as the DP World Tour begins, the Ladies European Tour is coming to its conclusion. The final tournament of the season is the Andalucia Open de Espana, which - in turn - will decide who which young star wins the Order of Merit.

Heading into the finale, Shannon Tan tops the standings by 219 points from Mimi Rhodes after claiming two wins and eight top-10s this year. Meanwhile, Rhodes has three victories and five top-10s.

There is 500 points up for grabs for the winner in Spain as a field of 75 players (64 members and 11 invites) battles it out over four days of no-cut action for the 700,000 euro payout.

Realistically, Rhodes either needs to win or come second at Real Guadalhorce Club de Golf in order to put severe pressure on Tan, who would otherwise only need to finish inside the top-45 if Rhodes is third or worse.

PGA TOUR LAUNCHES NEW FINANCIAL-SUPPORT PROGRAMS

According to Golf Channel's Brentley Romine, the PGA Tour is introducing two new financial-support packages starting next season.

The first is called the Member Support Program, which will give $150,000 to those players who finished 126th or lower in the previous season's FedEx Cup points list.

Pros will be eligible for this stipend as long as they have played 12 events across the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour and will not have to repay the difference if they don't reach the $150,000 earnings mark.

Meanwhile, the second program is called the Pathways Player Achievement Grant, which will give players ranked 21-75 in the previous year's Korn Ferry Tour points list, the leading 10 players in the PGA Tour Americas points list and the top-five eligible players out of PGA Tour University $15,000 grants at the start of the year.

They can use this money for whatever they wish, but it is mean to help with travel and accommodation costs throughout the season.

The money for these financial support packages has come from the Earnings Assurance Program, which shares $500,000 with each fully exempt PGA Tour member at the beginning of each season. After the PGA Tour reduced the number of fully exempt cards from 125 to 100, the circuit decided to channel the funds it had kept aside to other sources.

ELSEWHERE

• Also per Brentley Romine, the Korn Ferry Tour is set to permit distance-measuring devices for the entire 2026 season while adopting the revised pace-of-place policy it implemented early last year
• On the Asian Tour, the Bharath Classic 2025 Gujarat in India marks the penultimate event of the season
• Scotland's Cameron Adam makes his professional debut at the Australian PGA Championship. Adam topped the R&A's Global Amateur Pathway rankings and earned a DP World Tour card as a result
• Minjee Lee won her fourth Greg Norman medal - handed out to the best Australian golfer that year - at the Australian PGA awards. But as she couldn't be at the actual ceremony to accept, her brother Min Woo Lee attended instead and entertained the crowd with a speech typical of a sibling

• The USGA has invited 12 players to attend a practice session at Bel-Air Country Club in LA ahead of the 2026 Curtis Cup. The practice session is marked for Jan. 16-18 and will feature the likes of Anna Davis, Jasmine Koo, Catherine Park, Asterisk Talley and Avery Weed
• Australia's Anthony Quayle has employed Tiger Woods' former caddie Steve Williams as his bagman for the first two events of the new DP World Tour season
• Joost Luiten finally landed a spot in the Nedbank Golf Challenge following his criticism of the qualifying list, but he still called out the DP World Tour for being 'inconsistent'

This Week In Golf: Jonny Leighfield’s regular look at the biggest stories in professional golf, tournament previews and other key details you need to know.

It's another massive few days in the world of professional golf, with the futures of multiple players on several different tours to be decided by Sunday evening.

While the DP World Tour is enjoying a well-earned break before kicking off its new season in Australia next week, the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour and Asian Tour are all winding up for arguably their most important sequence of the year.

The final events of the season on the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour and in the Asian Tour's International Series will see long-lasting repercussions for some players while others will see their dreams turn into reality.

Meanwhile, plenty has already happened and will continue to occur outside of the biggest pro circuits. Below are some of the key storylines for you to watch out for this week in golf.

TWO LIV GOLF CARDS AWARDED

The PIF Saudi International is taking place at Riyadh Golf Club this week, bringing the curtain down on the Asian Tour's International Series for another year.

While it is not finale of the Asian Tour schedule for 2025, the $5 million event - which begins on Wednesday and ends on Saturday - will decide which two players take spots in the LIV Golf League next year.

LIV announced it would be doubling its qualification pathway via the International Series earlier this month, giving the leading pair of eligible pros the chance to compete for $20 million payouts every week.

As a result of the lucrative opportunity, over 40 LIV players - past and present - are teeing it up in the hopes of securing their respective futures.

PGA TOUR FUTURES DECIDED

The RSM Classic is the last of seven FedEx Cup Fall events in 2025 and, as such, marks the final opportunity for members to retain their playing rights on the PGA Tour.

Plenty of notable names face an uphill battle to keep their cards in 2026, with the only guaranteed method of sticking around being winning at Sea Island Golf Club, Georgia.

Although there is a slightly increased prize purse compared to most FedEx Cup Fall events, very few of the players will be too worried about the check they pick up at the end of the week, so long as they're still PGA Tour members next term.

JEENO THITIKUL CAN WIN IT ALL

The LPGA Tour's CME Group Tour Championship will decide a handful of different awards in the elite women's circuit, including who is named Race To CME Globe champion.

60 of the LPGA Tour's best are teeing it up at Tiburón Golf Club in Naples, Florida, with each hoping to land the $4 million top prize from a total payout of $11 million.

Should World No.1 Jeeno Thitikul manage to defend her title in the campaign finale, she would sweep most of the season-long awards.

Already favorite to win the Vare Trophy - given to the player with the lowest scoring average throughout the season - and the Rolex Player of the Year, Thitikul needs to earn around $250,000 more than Minjee Lee to land the Money List title as well.

Despite Thitikul holding a near-800-point lead over Lee in the Race To CME Globe rankings, the Thai star is $244,058 behind her Australian rival in the LPGA Tour's Money List and will require a strong end to the season in Florida.

HENRIK STENSON RETURNS

Less than three years after playing his last DP World Tour event before moving to the LIV Golf League, Henrik Stenson is officially returning to the European circuit ahead of 2026.

The DP World Tour confirmed to Golf Monthly on Monday that the Swede has no outstanding fines and has applied for DP World Tour membership once again, although it is not yet clear which event he will make his second debut in.

ELSEWHERE

• Jennifer Kupcho banked $1 million bonus payout for winning Aon Risk Reward Challenge while Brooke Matthews scored a two-year lease on a Lamborghini thanks to her first-ever hole-in-one at The Annika
• Bridgestone has unveiled a new prototype golf ball that Jason Day already uses and Tiger Woods could end up using in the future
• Charlie Hull followed Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood in putting the new TaylorMade Qi4 driver in her bag at The Annika
• The Open Championship being held at Royal Portrush led to the country's economy being boosted by $369 million, per The R&A
• Marco Penge and Jordan Smith are among the 10 DP World Tour players to earn dual status on the PGA Tour following the culmination of the DP World Tour Championship
• Henni Zuel has joined the LIV Golf League broadcast team after almost 10 years at Sky Sports Golf

This Week In Golf: Jonny Leighfield’s weekly look at the biggest stories in professional golf, tournament previews and other key details you need to know.

As the end of the season fast approaches on each of the main global tours, there are plenty of gripping storylines to keep track of.

From players trying to maintain their playing rights at the highest level to season champions being crowned, the coming days will provide conclusions to many of these narratives.

This week, the penultimate PGA Tour event of the year takes place in Bermuda as the race to snatch one of the remaining cards for next term continues while the LPGA Tour is also preparing for its second-to-last tournament - a competition which will ultimately decide who makes the play-offs as well.

The DP World Tour is midway through arguably the biggest week of the year in Dubai and the Asian Tour is enjoying a regular event prior to the incredibly important PIF Saudi International in a few days time. Elsewhere, the Ladies European Tour is without an event until the end of the month.

With that in mind, below are a handful of other interesting storylines from the world of golf this week.

NEW PGA TOUR EVENT UNVEILED

The PGA Tour announced earlier this week that there would be a new addition to the FedEx Cup Fall schedule in September 2026.

Staged at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, which looks as idyllic as it sounds, the Biltmore Championship will take place September 17-20, 2026 and gives Asheville in North Carolina its first tour event in more than 80 years.

The Biltmore Championship has signed a four-year agreement with the PGA Tour and follows on from news of another fresh event which is set to make its debut next term - the Good Good Championship.

KAI TRUMP TO MAKE LPGA TOUR DEBUT

It was announced last month that Kai Trump - granddaughter of US President Donald Trump - had received an invite into The Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican. Well, that tournament is this week and 18-year-old Trump is preparing to make her debut on the LPGA Tour.

Ranked 461st in the AJGA standings, Trump has more than six million social-media followers and also founded her own apparel and lifestyle brand which aims to empower young women in sports.

She won't be the only big name at Pelican Golf Club this week, though, as WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark is once again competing in the Pro-Am on Wednesday.

But, once the fun of the Pro-Am is over, all eyes will be fixed on Trump to see how the University of Miami commit fares in the big leagues.

PGA TOUR CARDS DECIDED

This week is massive in terms of the DP World Tour season. Not only will the Race To Dubai be decided - likely in Rory McIlroy's favor - but the 10 PGA Tour cards are handed out to the leading players in the Race To Dubai rankings.

Marco Penge has the chance to deny McIlroy a seventh Race To Dubai title via a couple of different routes, but even if the Englishman comes up a little short, he will simply be aiming to ensure he takes the first PGA Tour card available.

As it stands, Penge is guaranteed starts in the US next year, but he will want the trappings that come with securing the No.1 seed, so to speak.

Elsewhere, Jordan Smith currently possesses the final PGA Tour card and needs a good result to avoid suffering the heartbreak he endured 12 months ago.

This time last year, Smith missed out to Tom McKibbin by one spot, only for the Northern Irishman to leave for LIV Golf in the first few days of 2025 which ensured his English rival could not be subbed in.

DP WORLD TOUR Q-SCHOOL ENDS

At the other end of the DP World Tour, so to speak, there are 20 cards up for grabs in the Final Stage of DP World Tour Qualifying School. The six-day marathon began on Friday and saw several notable names miss the cut after four days.

With just one round to go at Spain's Infinitum Golf, former tour winners and promising talents are sprinting to the line to ensure they have status on the main European circuit in 2026.

ELSEWHERE

• Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy have unveiled the rest of their four-man teams for December's Golf Channel Games
• The DP World Tour announced the creation of the 'Rory McIlroy Award' which recognizes the leading DP World Tour member with the best performance in the four Major championships each year (McIlroy is exempt)
• Mimi Rhodes was announced as the LET's Rookie of the Year following her three-win campaign just months after turning pro
• DP World has extended its long-standing agreement with the European Tour until 2035. DP World will continue its role as the tour's headline sponsor and logistics partner as well as the circuit's season-finale sponsor
• Min Woo Lee confirmed via Instagram (as well as in an interview with the Associated Press) that he would not be leaving for LIV Golf and was sticking with the PGA Tour, despite rumors suggesting the opposite

This Week In Golf: Jonny Leighfield’s weekly look at the biggest stories in professional golf, tournament previews and other key details you need to know.

Following a quieter stretch in the world of tour golf last week, the coming days sees a full quota of tournaments in each of the main professional circuits.

The PGA Tour has returned for the final three-week stretch of the year while the LPGA Tour is closing its Asian Swing with one last event. The DP World Tour Playoffs are set to begin in the Middle East and the Asian Tour's International Series is set for its penultimate tournament.

As well as the action to come, a handful of key stories have already played out since Monday morning.

But, with so much action to try and stay tuned into, it can be easy to lose track of the biggest storylines. Below, we've picked out some of the most interesting narratives from across the world of professional golf this week.

LIV SWITCHES TO 72 HOLES

Almost certainly the biggest story in golf this week is LIV Golf's decision to move on from 54-hole tournaments in favor of the traditional 72 used by many of the world's biggest tours.

The surprising news dropped on Tuesday, with LIV's CEO Scott O'Neil confirming the latest notable alteration by the PIF-backed circuit as it looks to clinch OWGR recognition.

Jon Rahm called the move "a win for the league and the players" while Bryson DeChambeau said it is a "fantastic evolution."

The first 72-hole tournament will be LIV Golf Riyadh in February, with nearly all events taking place Thursday through Sunday. The opening event, however, will be Wednesday through Saturday.

PGA TOUR RETURNS ON TIGER-DESIGNED COURSE

After a week's break, the PGA Tour is back with the World Wide Technology Championship - held at El Cardonal at Diamante.

The Tiger Woods-designed layout has often led to particularly low scoring in the past, making for an exciting event in the heat of Mexico.

And the pressure to do well this week is really on because, after the World Wide Technology Championship, there are only two more tournaments in 2025 before the FedEx Cup's top-100 is set and cards are secured or lost for next term.

DP World Tour Q-School Final Stage

Speaking of cards, the battle for playing rights on the DP World Tour is reaching its conclusion in Spain over the coming days.

Starting on Friday and lasting six full rounds over six days, 156 players will play INFINITUM's Lakes and Hills courses twice before a 72-hole cut is made.

From there, each player will attempt to finish inside the top-20 after a further 36 holes in order to secure DP World Tour status.

Notable names involved include Eddie Pepperell, Chris Wood and a pair of five-time DP World Tour winners, George Coetzee and Alexander Levy.

NEW DRIVERS ON THE SCENE

Before likely being officially launched at some point shortly into the new year, a couple of club manufacturers have sent their newest products out to be tested in competition this week.

Mere hours after appearing on the USGA's conforming list, the new TaylorMade Qi4 and Ping G440 K were seen at Yas Links for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

Rory McIlroy was seen using the standard version of TaylorMade's Qi4 while Tommy Fleetwood had the LS driver in hand on course. Given there are several Ping staffers in the field this week, there remains a good chance someone like Tyrrell Hatton, Laurie Canter or Dan Brown may put the G440K in the bag.

PENULTIMATE INTERNATIONAL SERIES EVENT

On the Asian Tour, this week's Moutai Singapore Open is an International Series event. More specifically, it's the penultimate International Series event of the year.

Following the news that LIV Golf will now be offering the top-two eligible players in the International Series Rankings a card for the 2026 season, those near the top of the standings will be desperate to make their lofty positions count.

Currently, Scott Vincent and Miguel Tabuena (pictured above) hold the vital spots, but a win for one of their rivals this week would leave them with work to do ahead of the closing PIF Saudi International later this month.

FINAL LEG OF LPGA TOUR'S ASIAN SWING

There are only three events remaining in the LPGA Tour season, with the TOTO Japan Classic up next.

The event, which is headlined by Minjee Lee (above), is the final leg of the Asian Swing and precedes the sprint to the line in terms of the Race To CME Globe.

Not only are players battling to reach the top-60 in order to play the CME Group Tour Championship, many are hoping to retain their playing rights by finishing inside the top-100.

ELSEWHERE

• Rory McIlroy and Marco Penge have been paired together in the first and second rounds of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. The big-hitting pair are fourth and fifth in terms of DP World Tour driving distance this season and have both spoken about the subject in their pre-tournament press conferences
• Charlie Woods helped his high school team win the 1-4A region title and advance to the FHSAA State championship round earlier this week
• The Ladies European Tour is staging its penultimate event of the year - the Aramco China Championship - which features both an individual and team tournament running concurrently at Mission Hills' World Cup course
• According to The Telegraph, Justin Rose has reportedly withdrawn his name from consideration for Team Europe's next Ryder Cup captain, leaving Francesco and Edoardo Molinari as the two most likely contenders if Luke Donald chooses to walk away from the role
• Per Bob Harig, the PGA Tour will punish players who appear in LIV Golf's Promotions event next January after the tournament was moved to Florida - the same state as the PGA Tour's headquarters. The PGA Tour has deemed the event 'unauthorized' as it takes place in North America, so players with status could be suspended and those without may face other penalties
• Lexi Thompson was announced as the winner of the inaugural Dow Impact Award after receiving almost 50% of the votes from fans. The award "honors LPGA athletes who exemplify passion, service and excellence both on and off the course" and rewards winners with a $25,000 cash prize as well as a matching charitable donation to the cause of their choice
• Walker Cup stars Dominic Clemons and Charlie Forster are both set to turn professional, with the English pair earning spots on the HotelPlanner Tour

If you're a golf fan looking for something to take an interest in this week that isn't the World Series or Week 9 of the NFL, I've got just the thing for you. Actually, I've got several things.

The PGA Tour's FedEx Cup Fall is taking its final mini-break before a three-tournament sprint to the line while the DP World Tour is gearing up for its Playoffs with a weekend off to allow all those involved to rest and recover prior to an intense fortnight in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, the LPGA Tour's Maybank Championship is taking place at Kuala Lumpar Golf & Country Club for the third year as Jeeno Thitikul aims to take another step towards lifting the Race To CME Globe title via a third season victory.

Elsewhere, there is plenty more action going on around the world over the coming days with a plethora of elite talent involved.

Below are some of the key storylines to watch out for in golf this week.

30+ LIV GOLFERS IN HONG KONG

The latest International Series event on the Asian Tour has an incredibly sought-after first prize. Not just the $360,000 winner's check, but also spots at The Masters and The Open Championship.

As a result, over half of the 2025 LIV Golf League roster has turned up to the Link Hong Kong Open in the hopes of booking spots in the opening and closing men's Majors next year.

The historic championship has been won by the likes of Bernhard Langer, Tom Watson and Rory McIlroy in the past, and Patrick Reed is among those hoping to triumph once again.

The American shot 59 on his way to winning in 2024 and would undoubtedly love to rubberstamp an Open Championship start having locked up trips to Augusta for life following his Masters victory in 2018.

HOTELPLANNER TOUR GRAND FINAL

At the end of a long season, it all comes down to the next four days for the 45 players involved in the HotelPlanner Tour Grand Final.

Even the last man in can still earn promotion to the DP World Tour while only a handful of the leading contenders at the top of the rankings can win the Race To Mallorca.

South Africa's JC Ritchie is in the strongest position before a ball has been struck as he has his DP World Tour card already via three wins this term.

For most of the pros involved, though, their futures remain up in the air as there are still 15 cards to be handed out on Sunday.

PETER FINCH PLAYING PRO EVENT

One of the most famous content creators on planet golf, Peter Finch, has been invited to take part in the Asian Development Tour's Egyptian Open this week.

The Englishman, who made it through to Final Qualifying for The Open Championship earlier this year, received a sponsor's invite to play at Madinaty Golf Club near Cairo and will tee it up in the $125,000 four-day event between Wednesday, October 29 and Saturday, November 1.

At the end of the Asian Development Tour season, the leading 10 players in the rankings will receive Asian Tour cards for the following year with the chance to progress on to either the DP World Tour or LIV Golf League after that.

JESSICA KORDA ANNOUNCES RETURN

Six-time LPGA Tour winner and older sister of World No.2 Nelly Korda, Jessica Korda confirmed she will be making her first competitive start since May 2023 in December's Grant Thornton Invitational.

Korda stopped playing two-and-a-half years ago after she fell pregnant with her and husband Johnny DelPrete's first child.

After giving birth to a baby boy called Greyson on February 3, 2024, the 32-year-old said she was "shooting for" a return to competitive action in 2026 - just inside the LPGA Tour's 24-month limit to resume playing after giving birth.

Korda, who has been paired with Bud Cauley, will tune up for her comeback at Tiburon Golf Club between December 12-14 in the mixed pairs tournament.

PROS IN HALLOWEEN COSTUMES

It's spooky season and some of the game's biggest stars will be posting pictures of their Halloween costumes on social media in the coming days.

Ryder Cup star Shane Lowry and his wife Wendy have already been to a party in fancy dress, masquerading as Snow White and Grumpy the dwarf (no prizes for guessing which way around!).

Keep an eye out on Instagram or X this weekend for some of your favorite players taking their chance to celebrate Halloween in some interesting, funny and creative ways.

WHAT ELSE?

• Scotty Cameron unveiled two new limited-edition putters - a Studio Xperimental Limited line of the Squareback 2 and Fastback 2 models
• The PGA Tour Champions announced its 2026 schedule with new events in Portugal and Allentown, PA. Next year sees Tiger Woods become eligible for the senior circuit, which has increased its overall prize money payout to over $69 million
• Kai Trump, granddaughter of US President Donald Trump, will make her LPGA Tour debut at The Annika next month after being given a sponsor's invite, it was announced on Tuesday
• St Andrews Old Course is to be lengthened by over 130 yards as part of several alterations to The Home Of Golf's most famous layout. Other changes include a restoration of the historic routing on the 16th and the tweaking or moving of several bunkers and tee boxes throughout
• It's been a big week for content creators as the Internet Invitational airs across social media. There is a $1 million purse on the line and it features some of the biggest YouTube golfers around

With much of the focus on the PGA Tour once again now that it has returned from its trip to Japan, I'm here to tell you that there remains plenty of other golf with a series of fascinating storylines to take an interest in as well.

Outside of the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup Fall, which continues with the Bank of Utah Championship at Black Desert Resort, the LPGA Tour, DP World Tour, Ladies European Tour and Asian Tour all have something going on this week.

Below are a handful of upcoming storylines from the week ahead that you might want to pay attention to.

Bryan Bros And Major Winners In Asian Tour Field

On the Asian Tour, the International Series Philippines is taking place at Sta Elena Golf Club in Manila.

The field includes Major winners including Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed and Louis Oosthuizen as well as fellow LIV players Dean Burmester and Marc Leishman. Relegated LIV golfer Anthony Kim is also set to play.

Additionally, YouTube stars - the Bryan Bros - are teeing it up and will play alongside each other over the first two rounds.

LET FIRST-ROUND CANCELLED

There is more than one notable storyline on the Ladies European Tour this week, with the first round of the Wistron Ladies Open in Taiwan having already been reduced to 54 holes following heavy rain which waterlogged the course.

The event, which was due to be 72 holes, features the likes of Lottie Woad, Mimi Rhodes, Shannon Tan and Chiara Tamburlini.

HAT-TRICK OF WINS ON THE LINE FOR TEENAGER

Once the action does begin in Taiwan, plenty of eyes will be on the 16-year-old Anna Huang.

The Canadian, who turns 17 on October 30, has won her past two LET events and could make it a hat-trick of triumphs if she's successful this week.

Huang - who has her dad on the bag - said: “To win three in a row would be really cool. I’m so grateful for two wins, but three would definitely be the cherry on top.”

LAST-CHANCE SALOON

In case you weren't aware, this week marks the final event in the DP World Tour's regular season schedule.

Anyone who either has a chance of keeping their card for next term or would like to make the DP World Tour Playoffs has travelled out to South Korea for the Genesis Championship.

After Sunday, the Race To Dubai rankings will determine players' respective futures, with careers possibly changing on the roll of a golf ball - just as Marco Penge managed 12 months ago.

The Englishman only just maintained his playing rights in South Korea before going on to rack up three wins in 2025 and lead the way in terms of the 10 DP World Tour players who are in line to pick up a PGA Tour card.

GOOD GOOD PGA TOUR EVENT

Earlier in the week, popular content creators Good Good Golf announced - in conjunction with the PGA Tour - that it would be hosting the inaugural Good Good Championship in Fall 2026.

Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa’s Fazio Canyons Course in Austin, Texas will stage the FedEx Cup Fall tournament between November 12-15, 2026, with 120 players battling it out for the lion's share of FedEx Cup points.

INTERNATIONAL CROWN TAKING PLACE

Midway through the LPGA Tour's Asian Swing, the biennial International Crown is taking place at New Korea Country Club in the Republic of Korea.

The top-seven highest ranked teams are involved, with Team International becoming the eight side added for the first time this year. Charley Hull, Brooke Henderson, Lydia Ko and Wei-Ling Hsu will represent the debutants.

The format sees teams battle it out over four days, starting with four-ball matches in a round-robin format over the first three days. The top two teams in each pool will go head-to-head in semi-finals and a final on Sunday for the prize.

Team USA will be without Nelly Korda after she withdrew through injury, but the Americans have seen Yealimi Noh replace the World No.2.

ELSEWHERE

• Korn Ferry Tour rankings winner Johnny Keefer has crept into the World's top-50 despite predominantly competing in Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour Americas events to date
• Jamie Donaldson and Johan Edfors will make their senior golf debuts on the Legends Tour this week after recently turning 50. The pair join the likes of David Howell, Ian Woosnam, Michael Campbell and Stephen Gallacher at the Senior Italian Open
• Amazon is the latest manufacturer to enter the golf ball world, launching its 'Basics' product online this week
• Andrew 'Beef' Johnston is set to make his professional comeback after more than a year out through injury
• Jason Day was spotted practicing with Avoda irons ahead of his appearance at the Bank of Utah Championship on the PGA Tour
• Rory McIlroy confirmed he would be playing in the second-ever edition of the Dubai Invitational early next year

There may not be any PGA Tour golf at all this week after the historic US circuit went on vacation to Japan for the Baycurrent Classic, but that doesn't mean there is nothing going on in the world of golf - far from it.

A break in PGA Tour action will give the other main tours the chance to shine, with great storylines set to occur on the LPGA Tour, DP World Tour and the Asian Tour in particular.

Plus, the amateur game has been bubbling away already over the past few days in the form of two highly prestigious events - both heavily linked to team golf.

Below are some of the most interesting stories that have either already happened or are just around the corner.

FATHER-SON DUO IN SAME FIELD

At the Asian Tour's Macao Open this week, father and son - Lee and Sam Westwood - will be competing against each other.

They have already done so on several occasions, with the first time occurring at the 2022 Indonesian Masters as Sam made his professional debut.

Their latest family battle will take place at Macao Golf and Country Club in the $1 million event which sees the likes of Sungjae Im and Haotong Li also tee it up.

MCILROY NOT HITTING DRIVER

Rory McIlroy - one of the modern era's best drivers of the golf ball - has said he will not be using the big stick at all during the DP World India Championship this week.

The reason for McIlroy's choice, whether he was fully serious or not, boils down to the close proximity of the trees which line the course at Delhi Golf Club.

In his pre-tournament press conference, McIlroy said: "I'd say that the next time I hit my driver will be in Abu Dhabi!

"I don't think I'll hit a driver this week. I just don't feel like the risk is worth the reward. I'd rather leave myself two or three clubs back and hit a 7-iron into a par 4 instead of hitting a wedge where if you just get it off-line here and the ball is gone.

"You're hitting it into jungle and you're not going to be able to get it out. You can rack up a very big number very quickly. So being strategic and being smart with your play off the tee, especially, is very important."

KOREA'S PEBBLE BEACH

The LPGA Tour is heading to a new venue for this week's BMW Ladies Championship. Nicknamed Korea's Pebble Beach, Pine Beach Golf Links holds several similarities to its Californian namesake, from the seaside location and coastal views to the challenge conditions.

Ranked as one of the best in South Korea, the golf course is also a top-50 layout in the Asia Pacific region, too. Hannah Green defends one week after the LPGA Tour's different winners streak was snapped by Jeeno Thitikul.

Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Renews

Earlier in the week, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship confirmed it had extended its agreement with three of Scotland's most iconic courses.

St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns will continue to host the DP World Tour event through 2030 and ensure a tournament which sees pro golfers and celebrity amateurs mix on the links will celebrate its 30th birthday at the very least.

PGA Tour Champions Pro's Playoff Heartbreak

Last weekend marked the cut-off point for the PGA Tour Champions' Charles Schwab Playoffs, with the top-72 making it through after the regular season. And as is often the case with these matters, one guy missed out in painful circumstances.

Brandt Jobe ended just 201 points behind Kirk Triplett in the standings where every point is made up of one dollar in yearly prize money.

The 60-year-old ended the year with $221,861 in earnings. And while that was certainly enough to enjoy a comfortable off-season and beyond, it wasn't enough to see Jobe through to the final four events.

The bulk of the PGA Tour season may be behind us, but that doesn't mean there is nothing to look out for in the world of golf - far from it.

The FedEx Cup Fall, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour and much more continue to roll on with no shortage of storylines knocking around for golf fans to sink their teeth into.

As it relates to the coming week, the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour have travelled to the Far East and the DP World Tour has headed over to Spain. Meanwhile, in terms of domestic golf, it's a huge week for those on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Away from the aforementioned tours, plenty more has been occurring since the most recent batch of champions were crowned.

Below is a round-up of the biggest stories you may have missed so far this week as well as a rundown of key topics you might want to keep an eye out for before Sunday night.

MASTERS SPOT ON THE LINE IN SPAIN

This week's DP World Tour event marks the first opportunity for players to book a spot in two Majors next year following The R&A's and The Masters' decision to revamp their respective qualifying pathways in August.

The winners of - or highest non-exempt finishers in - certain national Opens over the coming months will be rewarded with a place at both The Masters and The Open Championship in 2026.

One of those is the Open de España, with other opportunities arising at championships including the Scottish Open, the Japan Open and the Australian Open. Just one place is up for grabs at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid this week.

PGA TOUR WINNER TO CADDY FOR WIFE

When Gaurika Bishnoi tees it up on the Ladies European Tour's Hero Women's Indian Open this week, she will have one of the best possible assistants at her side - her husband.

Bishnoi's partner also happens to be PGA Tour winner, Aaron Rai, who has a wealth of experience as a pro and is taking time off from his US-based schedule.

Bishnoi featured in The Masters Par 3 Contest back in April, drawing plenty of admirers for her wonderfully fluid swing as she found the putting surface with one of Rai's clubs and while wearing one of the iconic white caddie boiler suits - no mean feat.

She will hope for similar success this week alongside Rai at the incredibly difficult DLF Golf and Country Club.

PGA TOUR CARDS AVAILABLE

The Korn Ferry Tour Championship is here and the top-75 players on the PGA Tour's feeder circuit are all fighting for the points they require for a chance at the top level.

Anyone who ends the term inside the top-20 is eligible for one, but eight players have already earned their PGA Tour cards for the 2026 campaign via successful seasons.

Nevertheless, 12 cards remain up for grabs over the course of the next four days, with almost all of the field able to sneak into the top-20 with a win.

ALL-TIME RECORD LOOMS

The LPGA Tour has witnessed different winners through each of its 26 tournaments so far this year. That ties the record for the most unique winners in one year on the LPGA Tour (1995, 2018, 2022) and arguably poses a big problem for women's golf at the highest level.

If the sequence extends to 27 at the Buick LPGA Shanghai on Sunday, a new all-time record will be set.

There are 10 players in the field this week who can stop that from happening, though, and they are: Angel Yin, Rio Takeda, Jeeno Thitikul, Jennifer Kupcho, Carlota Ciganda, Minjee Lee, Somi Lee, Jin Hee Im, Miyu Yamashita and Miranda Wang.

THE SKINS GAME RETURNS

For the first time since 2008, The Skins Game will return to TV as Tommy Fleetwood, Keegan Bradley, Xander Schauffele and Justin Thomas compete at the new Panther National in South Florida - designed by Jack Nicklaus and Thomas himself.

The match will take place on Black Friday (November 28) at 9am ET, and it will be broadcast by Amazon's Prime Video on a day which will go on to feature the NFL's third annual Black Friday game as well as an NBA double-header.

As far as the 'Skins' format goes, nothing much has changed. Each hole will carry a certain value and tied holes will see the figure roll over. However, the event's return will see each player begin with $1 million - officially labelled a "reverse purse" - which can be added to or taken away depending on their fortunes.

NO CUTS ON TWO TOURS

The PGA Tour has navigated its way to Japan for the latest event in the FedEx Cup Fall (Baycurrent Classic) while the LPGA Tour is in China for the Buick LPGA Shanghai.

Both events feature limited fields of around only 80 players while neither will have a cut after two rounds.

Men's World No.3, Xander Schauffele headlines the Baycurrent Classic and Women's World No.1, Jeeno Thitikul is the star name at Qizhong Garden Golf Club.

ELSEWHERE

• There are seven LIV Golf League players in the field for the Open de España on the DP World Tour - (Jon Rahm, David Puig, Sergio Garcia, Tom McKibbin, Patrick Reed, Joaquin Niemann, Jose Luis Ballester)
• PGA Tour's Baycurrent Classic taking place at a new golf course - Yokohama Country Club - just outside of Tokyo
• A Sports Business Journal report stated that season 4 of Netflix’s Full Swing docuseries is in the works
• Nelly Korda withdrew from the eight-team International Crown taking place later this month and has been replaced by Yealimi Noh for Team USA. Patty Tavatanakit also withdrew and has been replaced by Pajaree Anannarukarn
• TGL’s second season schedule was announced on Monday
• Tony Finau withdrew from the Baycurrent Classic and was replaced by Sam Ryder
• The 2025 Hero World Challenge field has been announced, with World No.1, Scottie Scheffler headlining. However, Rory McIlroy nor Tiger Woods are among the 17 players initially confirmed