This Week In Golf: Three LIV Cards On The Line, Missing PGA Tour Event Passes By And New Equipment Drops

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