Showcasing its best players and configuring a schedule that brings a strategic “cadence” to its future seasons are at the heart of changes coming to the PGA Tour, Commissioner Jay Monahan said on Tuesday during his pre-tournament press conference at the Players Championship.

Starting with the 2024 season, which has yet to be finalized, the PGA Tour will have eight designated no-cut events with elevated purses and fields limited to 70-80 players. Four of those events will be the Sentry Tournament of Champions and the three invitationals—the Genesis Invitational, the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Memorial Tournament. The other four have yet to be determined, but previous reports indicated that one of them is the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Sources told Golf Digest that the Wells Fargo Championship and Travelers Championship, which are designated events this year, will return in that capacity in 2024.

MORE: Even Rory McIlroy admits LIV Golf has been great for PGA Tour players

Whichever four events are eventually identified as designated tournaments, Monahan said they will be locked in for several years. In all, there will be 16 elevated events, with the Players, the four majors and three playoff events included.

“Our 2024 schedule will look significantly different, with a consistent cadence of designated and full-field events,” said Monahan, who stressed that “growth and momentum” are the themes behind the changes.

In reference to the flow of the schedule going forward, no full-field event will be “isolated” next year; that is, a stand-alone surrounded by designated events. Instead, the schedule will see clusters of full-field events leading into multiple elevated limited-field tournaments, and those full-field events will provide a pathway into the designated events. The top five in what Monahan called “swing” events would earn exemptions into elevated tournaments.

As for the designated events, the tour is moving forward after a statistical analysis revealed that the top 10-30 players in the world compete against one another some 95 per cent of the time in major championships, but less than 40 per cent of the time in PGA Tour events.

“We’ve looked at all possible competitive models, and it was evident and perhaps obvious that whatever we do differently, we must showcase our top performers competing against one another more often,” Monahan said. “We know that designated events can resonate both with core and casual fans, evidenced by the metrics of the WM Phoenix Open and the Genesis Invitational last month. But designated events can’t stand on their own. You need strong, compelling full-field events to provide consistency and keep the PGA Tour top of mind week-in and week-out with storylines and breakout stars.”

Rory McIlroy speaks to the media ahead of the 2023 Players Championship. Richard Heathcote

In addition to higher purses, designated events will offer more FedEx Cup points, though Monahan said that number is still to be determined. One veteran tour player, however, told Golf Digest that the players were informed in Tuesday’s meeting of the points for ‘24, and that the winner of a “designated” event would receive 700 points. Those who capture the Players and the four majors would get 750. The numbers compare to the current award of 500 points for regular tour wins, 600 for majors and 550 for this year’s “elevated” events. Monahan stressed that there will be significant turnover in designated events from year to year, that the plan is not reserving the $20 million-plus purses solely for the elite players. “That was an important element to the changes that we’re making. We wanted to make certain that there was real consequence and there’s real promotion, there’s real relegation,” he said.

“I think one of the things you’re going to hear a little bit later on is scheduled cadence. That’s going to be a pretty key term in all this,” Rory McIlroy, one of the players on the PGA Tour Policy Board, said on Tuesday. “The way the schedule is laid out next year—everyone has sort of heard this, two designated, maybe three full-field, two designated. So, again, it’s trying to create the best schedule that guarantees that the top players play in the big events. But also that it can sort of guarantee the participation in a handful of the full-field events as well.”

Monahan told Golf Digest that four opposite-field events will remain on the schedule, with dates to be determined. At least one of those will be a new tournament.

While the 2024 schedule has yet to be finalized, the coming fall schedule still is up in the air as well, though Monahan provided more definition to the competitive framework. The top 70 after the Wyndham Championship, which is the regular-season finale, qualify for the FedEx Cup Playoffs. The top 50 finishers in the first playoff event, the FedEx St. Jude Championship, advance to the BMW Championship and lock up berths in the 2024 designated events.

Players 51-70 have incentive to continue competing in the seven to eight fall events after the Tour Championship to qualify, via top-10 in the fall, for early-season designated events in ’24. Those beyond the top 10 will compete for their full-time tour cards for the following season.

Asked if the institution of limited-field, no-cut events looks similar to the competing LIV Golf League, Monahan pointed out that the tour always has had no-cut events and cited the victories by Jack Nicklaus (17), Arnold Palmer (23) and Tiger Woods (26) in 72-hole stroke-play events that did not have a cut.

“I would ask you, do you think we really look the same?” Monahan said. “And the players that are competing in our events in this new format next year will have earned the right to compete in them and they will have earned it through top-50 position in the FedExCup this year, as well as their performance in the fall and ultimately in these swings. So that’s what this organization has always stood for. I think as we look out to 2024, 2025, 2026, the same will hold true.

“I think when you get to the question about what got you to that point, there was and there still is a lot of discussion and debate on whether or not there should be no cuts. But for us to be able to have our stars assured to play for four days is a really important element to this model going forward. We think that’s what fans want, particularly given the players have earned their right and their ability to play in those events.”

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The radical changes made to the PGA Tour in the past 12 months—spearheaded by creating a series of “designated” events that next year will have reduced fields and no cut—have been strongly influenced by the LIV circuit.

“A lot of it,” McIlroy said of the changes, speaking to reporters Tuesday at this week’s Players Championship, the PGA Tour’s flagship tournament. “I’m not going to sit here and lie; I think the emergence of LIV, or the emergence of a competitor to the PGA Tour, has benefited everyone that plays elite professional golf. LIV coming along, it’s definitely had a massive impact on the game, but I think everyone who’s a professional golfer is going to benefit from it going forward.”

LIV Golf, which has a 48-player roster and is led by Greg Norman, kicked off its rival circuit last summer with 54-hole events featuring no cuts and $25 million purses—$5 million of it for a team component. With large, guaranteed-money contracts, a lighter schedule than the PGA Tour, and those increase purses, LIV poached a host of PGA and DP World tour stars including the reigning Players Championship and Open Championship winner, Cam Smith, as well as fellow major winners Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed, Phil Mickelson and others.

The PGA Tour reacted by unveiling a series of 12 events outside the four majors and the Players which had their prize purses boosted to $20 million. That matches the individual component of LIV’s tournaments, of which there were eight in its inaugural season and 14 this year. Next year, on the PGA Tour, there will be eight $20 million tournaments with reduced fields of between 70 and 80 players and no 36-hole cut.

The changes were revealed last Wednesday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. Many, including LIV itself, thought the changes had a strong resemblance to LIV’s format. LIV Golf was quick to rib the tour on social media.

“Imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Congratulations PGA Tour. Welcome to the future,” LIV tweeted from its official Twitter account.

McIlroy has previously said he “hates what [LIV] is doing to the game” in causing a divide, which has been felt strongly among the European contingent who traverse the PGA and DP World Tours. That’s because several Ryder Cup stalwarts such as Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter have defected to LIV. He has also had a running public feud with LIV chief executive Norman. But four-time major winner McIlroy said there was perhaps a degree of complacency on the PGA Tour before LIV emerged.

“I think when you’ve been the biggest golf league in the biggest market in the world for the last 60 years, there’s not a lot of incentive to innovate,” McIlroy, the 2019 Players champion, said. “This [LIV] has caused a ton of innovation at the PGA Tour, and what was quite, I would say, an antiquated system is being revamped to try to mirror where we’re at in the world in the 21st century with the media landscape. The PGA Tour isn’t just competing with LIV Golf or other sports, it’s competing with Instagram and TikTok and everything else that’s trying to take eyeballs away from the PGA Tour as a product. “

McIlroy isn’t the first to say it. World No. 1 Jon Rahm said in November that “we [PGA Tour pros] should be thankful LIV Golf happened.” Reiterating those comments Tuesday at TPC Sawgrass, Rahm was even more direct.

“Oh, it’s LIV Golf,” Rahm said when asked what had caused the PGA Tour officials to reassess its product. “I mean, without a doubt. Without LIV Golf, this wouldn’t have happened. So to an extent, like I’ve said before, we should be thankful this threat has made the PGA Tour want to change things.

“I think I said it last week [at Bay Hill], as well; I wish it didn’t come to the PGA Tour being under fire from somebody else to make those changes and make things better for the players, but I guess it is what we needed,” he said. “So, yeah, it is because of LIV Golf, otherwise we wouldn’t have seen any of this.”

The post Players 2023: Even Rory McIlroy admits LIV Golf has been great for PGA Tour players appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

While Rory McIlroy didn’t address his critics directly during his news conference Tuesday at the Players Championship, he wasted little time afterwards when asked about it by two reporters.

When news broke last week of the PGA Tour moving to a Designated Event Model for 2024, where top players will play against each other more often in no-cut events, no one was more vocal than James Hahn, a two-time PGA Tour winner who is now ranked No. 305 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Speaking to Golfweek, Hahn said of the changes: “I hate them. I’m gonna say exactly what 99.99 per cent of fans said about players leaving for the LIV Tour. If our players just said, ‘We’re doing this for the money,’ I would have a lot more respect for them. But how they’re covering up what they’re doing and trying to make it a thing about sponsors and fans and saving opposite-field events. I think that’s all BS.

“Right now, they’re just covering their ass and saying everything that the PGA Tour basically has trained them to say, have taught them to say and try to make it not about money when everyone knows 100 per cent it’s about more guaranteed money being funnelled to the top players in the world. We’ve been talking about money for the last two years and for them not to say that that’s not the No. 1 reason why they’re making these changes—it’s very, very hypocritical.”

RELATED: PGA Tour commissioner maps out future of 8 ‘designated’ no-cut events with 70-80 players

McIlroy didn’t have a problem with Hahn voicing his opinion as much as he did with Hahn not showing up Tuesday morning at TPC Sawgrass for a player meeting that lasted 90 minutes.

“Like, you say all this s— and you’re not even in the meeting? If you want to get informed and be a part of the process—the fact that he wasn’t even in the room was a slap in the face to everyone there,” McIlroy told reporters immediately after his news conference.

Rory says player meeting turnout was good—but noted James Hahn's absence.

"Like, you say all this s— and you’re not even in the meeting? If you want to get informed and be a part of the process—the fact that he wasn't even in the room was a slap in the face to everyone there."

— Dylan Dethier (@dylan_dethier) March 7, 2023

Hahn, 41, hasn’t won since the 2016 Wells Fargo Championship. His best finish in the past year was a fourth-place tie at the 3M Open, but he has missed 13 cuts since last year’s Players Championship. He qualified for the Players this year because he finished 113th in the FedEx Cup standings in 2022.

McIlroy, 33, finished a shot behind leader Kurt Kitayama last week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He’s ranked No. 3 in the world and has a chance to become No. 1 with a victory this week.

The post Players 2023: Rory McIlroy calls no-show by critic James Hahn a ‘slap in the face’ appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Nos. 100-91

Justin Lower, Webb Simpson, Peter Malnati, Doug Ghim, Mark Hubbard, Kevin Streelman, Ben An, Ryan Palmer, Garrick Higgo, Francesco Molinari

Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images

Simpson finished outside the FedEx Cup top 125 last season, the worst showing of his career—and this year has been worse, ranking 201st in the FEC heading into Bay Hill. Despite his recent form, he makes it on our list thanks to his 2018 Players victory (above). … Last year’s Players was such an oddity due to the dramatic weather splits that one can’t read too deep into the results. That said, Ghim was in contention throughout the tournament, ultimately finishing T-6, making him an intriguing dark horse bet this week. … It’s beginning to get late early for a Molinari Ryder Cup bid in his home country. Sawgrass gives him a chance to get right: the Open winner has four top-10s at the Players.

Nos. 90-81

Harris English, Will Gordon, Patrick Rodgers, Adam Schenk, Beau Hossler, Dylan Frittelli, Sam Ryder, Lee Hodges, Aaron Rai, Stephan Jaeger

Elsa

Gordon (above) is one of the longest hitters on tour, and only Jon Rahm has a better Round 1 scoring average (67.83) this season. Gordon’s performance around the green remains below average, which makes him a shaky pick for this week, but a breakout will happen at some point this season. … Weird year for Hodges. He’s missed seven of 13 cuts, including five straight cuts, yet when he makes the weekend, he makes the most of it, finishing inside the top 25 on four of those five trips. … Rai is sixth in driving accuracy, which should bode well at Sawgrass, and he’s just outside the top 50 in tee-to-green. If his putter can cooperate (159th in SG/putting), he’ll be an interesting watch.

Players 2023: Tee Times for the first and second round at TPC Sawgrass

Nos. 80-71

Lucas Glover, Brandon Wu, Taylor Moore, Troy Merritt, Justin Suh, Alex Smalley, Hayden Buckley, Taylor Pendrith, Robby Shelton, Matthew NeSmith

Douglas P. DeFelice

Suh, the reigning Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year (above), had an inauspicious start following his promotion but has shown signs of life as of late, highlighted by a T-5 at the Honda Classic. … Buckley has a wild stat line—119th in approach, 176th around-the-green and 120th in putting—for a guy who is 26th in the FEC standings, a position propped up by a runner-up at the Sony Open and T-5 at the Zozo Championship. If you’re wondering how, look no further than the long ball: Buckley ranks third in SG/off-the-tee, is 24th in driving accuracy and seventh in total driving. … Shelton missed the cut in his lone Players start in 2021 but he has won at TPC Sawgrass, taking the title at the AJGA’s 2012 Junior Players Championship. … NeSmith was playing last fall to start the 2022-23 season with three straight top-10s, including a runner-up at the Sanderson. Since he has done no better than T-53. He’s too well-rounded of a player for the slump to continue.

Nos. 70-61

Danny Willett, Emiliano Grillo, Ben Griffin, Trey Mullinax, Gary Woodland, Luke List, Cam Davis, Brendon Todd, Thomas Detry, Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Tracy Wilcox

Griffin (above) has been remarkably consistent in his freshman campaign on tour, making the cut in 10 of his first 12 starts and ranking 35th in strokes gained. As long as he tightens up his putting from inside 10 feet (157th), he has a chance to be something special. … Detry had a great fall (four top-15s, with a runner-up in Bermuda) and has been steady in the early going of 2023. He doesn’t make many mistakes (19th in bogey avoidance), which will come in handy at hazard-rich Sawgrass. … Hard to believe Woodland hasn’t won in the four years since his U.S. Open triumph. A T-9 at Riviera signalled hope the 38-year-old could turn it around.

Nos. 60-51

Joel Dahmen, Nick Taylor, Ryan Fox, J.J. Spaun, Andrew Putnam, Denny McCarthy, Adam Hadwin, Maverick McNealy, Matt Kuchar, Scott Stallings

Cliff Hawkins

Even if you haven’t watched the Netflix golf show yet, you might have heard that Dahmen (above) is the breakout star. That said his popularity as an everyman overlooks the fact that the dude is really, really good at golf. Sawgrass is a course that plays to his strengths (accuracy, patience), giving him an opportunity to remind folks he’s more than a media darling. … Taylor grabbed the sport’s attention at the WM Phoenix Open (T-3), but his success spans well outside TPC Scottsdale. The Canadian already has three top-10s and six top-25s this season and ranks 15th in strokes gained. … This will be Kuchar’s 18th start at the Players. It’s been more than a decade since his win at Sawgrass, although he’s finished in the top 25 in almost half of his starts.

Nos. 50-46

K.H. Lee, Adam Svensson, Davis Thompson, Lucas Herbert, J.T. Poston

Katelyn Mulcahy

Lee is known for his back-to-back wins at the Byron Nelson, but he’s quietly proving his game travels outside Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. He was one of the bright spots for the International team at the ‘22 Presidents Cup and posted solid finishes at the CJ Cup and Sentry Tournament of Champions. With one of the better short games on tour (12th in SG/around-the-green), don’t be surprised if Lee is in contention come the weekend. … The Players is notoriously unkind to first-timers, but Thompson (above) has shown little issue acclimating to tour life, finishing second at the American Express and owning two other T-12 or better finishes in his rookie campaign. … Svensson had a bit of a rough start to 2023 following his breakthrough win at the RSM Classic, yet righted the ship at Riviera (T-9). The key for the Canadian will be avoiding a slow start, something that has plagued him this season (136th in Round 1 scoring).

Nos. 45-41

Taylor Montgomery, Mackenzie Hughes, Min Woo Lee, Kurt Kitayama, Adam Scott

Darrian Traynor

Montgomery has hit a bit of a wall following his en fuego start. No matter; slumps are expected, especially for rookies, and his short game is so smooth that we don’t see him being down for too long. … We went back and forth on Lee, who has feasted on global competition but hasn’t played particularly well in the U.S. He’s also just 24, and Sawgrass is one of the few tour set-ups impervious to bomb-and-gouge, which should allow an old-school player like Lee into the mix. … Scott (above) hasn’t done much in limited appearances in 2023. This is the place for him to get right: Along with a win in 2004, Scott has finished T-19 or better in 10 of his 20 appearances.

Nos. 40-36

Alex Noren, Si Woo Kim, Kevin Kisner, Corey Conners, Justin Rose

Jared C. Tilton

Since skipping the Open Championship and flying highway around the world to compete in the Barracuda—a sentence we had to double-check to make sure it was true—Noren has three worldwide runner-up finishes, along with a T-4 at the Houston Open and T-5 at the Abu Dhabi Championship. He hasn’t done much at Sawgrass since a top-10 at his Players debut in 2017, but his ball-striking makes him worth a flyer. … Kisner (above) has finished second, fourth, T-22, T-56 and missed the cut in three appearances. Godspeed to anyone who wants to know how to bet him. … For as well-rounded a game, and strong of a career, as Rose has had, he’s never been right at this tournament, missing the cut seven times against two top-15 finishes in 17 starts.

Nos. 35-31

Russell Henley, Davis Riley, Sepp Straka, Aaron Wise, Chris Kirk

Julio Aguilar

Riley (above) is in somewhat of a sophomore slump, ranking outside the FEC 100 entering Bay Hill. The issue lies with his driving; after ranking 41st in SG/off-the-tee last year, he began March 156th in the category. However, his approach performance continues to be sound, which is why we are buying a Riley surge sooner rather than later. … We have no stats to drop on you regarding Wise, just intuition—the former NCAA champ seems due for a run this spring, a heater so hot we wouldn’t be shocked if he works himself into Ryder Cup consideration.

Nos. 30-26

Keith Mitchell, Rickie Fowler, Jason Day, Tom Hoge, Brian Harman

Michael Reaves

Given how much was written and said about the struggles of Fowler (above) and Day over the past three or so seasons, their respective rejuvenations have gone somewhat under the radar. According to Data Golf, only Rahm and Scottie Scheffler have better true strokes-gained figures over the past three months than Day, while Fowler entered Bay Hil seventh in approach and 15th in SG/tee-to-green. As former Players champs, this week could be the exclamation marks on both their comebacks.

No. 25: Seamus Power

Sam Greenwood

World Ranking: 28 Players Starts: 2 Best Finish: T-33, 2022

Once a rank-and-file name, the Irishman started this month fourth in the FEC standings and is essentially a lock for the European Ryder Cup team. If the second part of that sentence made you do a double-take, know that only five European players (Rahm, McIlroy, Hovland, Hatton, Noren) have a better strokes-gained figure over the past six months than Power, who has reeled off seven straight top-25 finishes, highlighted by a win at the Bermuda Butterfield Championship last fall. TPC Sawgrass is a mix of distance and target golf, not necessarily the best combo for Power’s game (91st in driving, 165th in approach). Conversely, he’s been one of the best putters on tour (gaining almost a full stroke over the field on the greens), and he’s been a red-figure machine (eighth in birdie average) while keeping the big numbers at bay (17th in bogey avoidance), a make-up that makes him a formidable foe in Ponte Vedra Beach.

No. 24: Tommy Fleetwood

Sam Greenwood

World Ranking: 25 Players Starts: 5 Best Finish: T-5, 2019

The Englishman has two top-10s at TPC Sawgrass and opened with a 66 last year before fading. He’s also one of the 14 members of the ignominious fraternity of PGA Tour members who have made more than $10 million on tour without a victory. There’s a chance Tommy Lad earns win No. 1 this week, although we like him better come PGA Championship time at Oak Hill.

No. 23: Billy Horschel

Sam Greenwood

World Ranking: 20 Players Starts: 9 Best Finish: T-13, 2015

Since his win last June at Memorial, Horschel has logged just a lone top-20 finish, a byproduct of poor play with the big stick (195th SG/off-the-tee). He also doesn’t have much of a track record at the Players, with a T-13 in 2015 his only top-25 finish in nine tries. We remain bullish on his prospects, however, as his historical prowess in driving accuracy gives him an opportunity to be a threat this week. Plus he practices out of TPC Sawgrass so there might not be another player in the field more familiar with the course.

No. 22: Tyrrell Hatton

Icon Sportswire

World Ranking: 26 Players Starts: 5 Best Finish: T-13, 2022

A T-13 last year was his best showing in five appearances. With one of the best tee-to-green games in the sport, the Englishman should, eventually, be a factor here. Speaking of Hatton, in the past year he has ripped the set-ups at Augusta National (faux shooting azaleas and calling the course an unfair test after shooting 80), Riviera (“S*** hole” about the 10th), Southern Hills (ridiculing the greens) and St. George’s (“That golf shot was about as good as this hole. Ab-so-lute-ly awful!”). We would happily turn over our next paycheck for a weekly podcast where Hatton goes through the world’s greatest tracks and decimates each one into oblivion.

No. 21: Sungjae Im

Jared C. Tilton

World Ranking: 18 Players Starts: 3 Best Finish: T-17, 2021

Another strong, steady season from Im (17th in strokes gained, 21st in scoring). He’s just 24 and is coming off a remarkably good showing in last year’s Presidents Cup; it’s only a matter of time before his week-to-week work translates into the game’s biggest events. Im hasn’t done anything special in his limited Players’ starts, but don’t expect that trend to continue.

No. 20: Sam Burns

Icon Sportswire

World Ranking: 14 Players Starts: 2 Best Finish: T-26, 2022

Burns’ standing is not a knock on his play but a reflection of how deep the tour is at the moment. Similar to Im, Burns is young (26) and has reached as high as No. 9 in the world, but in 12 starts at the majors and Players his best finish is T-20. Sawgrass provides a chance to add that big-game kill to his résumé. He contended through three days at last year’s Players, entering the final round just one shot out of the lead, although a final-round 76 equated to a T-26 finish. He’s been relatively quiet in the early going of 2023. Envision the noise turning up a notch as the seasons turn to Augusta.

No. 19: Hideki Matsuyama

Patrick Smith

World Ranking: 22 Players Starts: 7 Best Finish: T-7, 2016

Matsuyama’s results have not been all that great, but his stats are in line with his historical output, so nothing to be worried about. Pretty good track record at the Players (five top-25s, two-10s in seven starts) which doesn’t count his first-round 63 from the cancelled 2020 event. Weekend could be wet in PVB, which would play into the ball-striker’s hands.

No. 18: Keegan Bradley

Ben Jared

World Ranking: 21 Players Starts: 11 Best Finish: 5th, 2022

A dramatic weight loss has spurred a career revival for the former Wanamaker winner who entered Bay Hill third in the FEC standings. That should continue this week, as Bradley has had success at the Players, particularly over the past five years, highlighted by a fifth-place finish in 2022. His numbers don’t illustrate the 36-year-old doing anything especially amazing, although there’s little weakness, either.

No. 17: Shane Lowry

Icon Sportswire

World Ranking: 19 Players Starts: 7 Best Finish: 8th, 2021

We say this with love: Lowry has become the go-to “sexy” pick for it seems two straight seasons when it comes to big events. Which we get: He’s won the claret jug, he plays his best when the course is at its worst and his short game is second to none. But because he’s been such an underrated performer for so long he’s now become, dare we say, slightly overrated? At least when it comes to winning, owning a lone victory in the United States. So while we really, really like his game, maybe let’s hold off on the “People are overlooking Shane Lowry” storyline that’s inevitably going to manifest at some point this week. (Please feel free to fire this as an Old Take Exposed should Lowry lap the field by seven.)

No. 16: Sahith Theegala

Mike Ehrmann

World Ranking: 31 Players Starts: 1 Best Finish: MC, 2022

No sophomore slump from Theegala. He’s finished T-6 or better in five of 11 starts heading into Bay Hill. Sawgrass doesn’t necessarily fit his game, as his Achilles’ heel is driving accuracy (191st on tour). There’s also little that’s been able to stand in his way; to bet against Theegala is a fool’s errand. While we’re here, allows us to re-heat our take that leaving Theegala off the Presidents Cup team could prove to be a major mistake. As the Americans were overwhelming favourites, it would have been smart to get him into the rotation and grab valuable reps before Rome this fall. I know the Presidents Cup doesn’t like to be viewed as prep or experimental ground for the Ryder Cup, but the whole point (allegedly) of the task force was to create symmetry between the two events.

No. 15: Jordan Spieth

Icon Sportswire

World Ranking: 17 Players Starts: 8 Best Finish: T-4, 2014

Yes, he’s outside the FEC top 100. He also played just six times before Bay Hill, one of his last starts was a T-6 in Phoenix and he opened at the API with a four-under 68. His short game remains messy (142nd in SG/putting), but his irons are making up for it. He would be ranked higher, yet after his T-4 debut in 2014, he’s missed the cut at Sawgrass in five of his last seven appearances.

No. 14: Cameron Young

Ben Jared

World Ranking: 16 Players Starts: 1 Best Finish: MC, 2022

Slow start to the season for Young (although he did finish second at the Saudi International in early February). This shouldn’t be a surprise; given the climate, it’s tough to practice in winter on the mean streets of the Bronx.

No. 13: Matt Fitzpatrick

Patrick Smith

World Ranking: 13 Players Starts: 6 Best Finish: T-9, 2021

A little worried about placing Fitzpatrick this high as he’s coming back from a neck injury. He also opened the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a two-under round, placating those concerns, and as good of a fit as Brookline was to his game, Sawgrass is tailored to his style.

No. 12: Tony Finau

Mike Ehrmann

World Ranking: 12 Players Starts: 6 Best Finish: T-22, 2019

This time last year Finau was the proof of concept that an elite player isn’t defined by wins alone. Now … well, now he’s a major or Players title away from becoming a bona fide star. Following three victories in 2022, Finau has finished no worse than T-20 in five events in 2023 and his putting, long the bane of his existence, has become a weapon (24th in SG/putting). We don’t think it’s happening this week; Finau has missed the cut in four of his six starts at Sawgrass. But Finau has proved he has the ladder in tow to reach the heights of his talent ceiling. Though he’s not there yet, he’s making his way up.

No. 11: Tom Kim

Chris Condon

World Ranking: 15 Players Starts: Debut

Kim’s magnetic personality is such a tour de force that we may be overlooking how good this cat really is. According to DataGolf, the 20-year-old is 10th in SG/tee-to-green over the past six months, and he’s not too shabby in the short game, either (15th in around-the-green). Mentioned above, this tournament is infamously unkind to players in their first go-around, but if you’re betting on anyone to buck this trend, Kim’s accuracy (eighth) and bravado are worth riding.

No. 10: Will Zalatoris

Ben Jared

World Ranking: 7 Players Starts: 2 Best Finish: T-21, 2021

At Pebble Beach there were major whispers that Zalatoris was dealing with back problems again. He promptly went out and finished fourth at the Genesis Invitational, proving that no one knows anything. The 26-year-old played well at last year’s Players, ultimately undone by a final-round 74. He’s come so close at so many premier events that he knows what it takes to get it done … although, we are slightly worried that there also could be some scar tissue from coming up empty at each shot. Zalatoris remains in the fledgling stages of his career so we shouldn’t get worried about those misses adding up yet, but a win at the Players can put those questions to bed for good.

No. 9: Viktor Hovland

Icon Sportswire

World Ranking: 11 Players Starts: 2 Best Finish: T-9, 2022

Our former colleague Dan Rapaport once dubbed Hovland “The Resort King” for his penchant for winning events at destination courses. Considering a tee time at TPC Sawgrass now runs for $600, Hovland should feel right at home.

No. 8: Xander Schauffele

Sam Greenwood

World Ranking: 6 Players Starts: 4 Best Finish: T-2, 2018

Finished T-2 in his Players debut in 2018 and entered Bay Hill sixth in strokes gained. Only thing that gives us slight pause is that Schauffele has missed the cut in his last three appearances at Sawgrass, and his lone issue this year—accuracy—doesn’t play well at this course’s tight confines.

No. 7: Collin Morikawa

David Cannon

World Ranking: 10 Players Starts: 2 Best Finish: T-41, 2021

Morikawa has become somewhat of a forgotten man, at least when discussing the best in the game. Only McIlroy has a better SG/tee-to-green mark over the past six months, and Morikawa’s finished T-6 or better in three of four 2023 starts. He has only broken 70 once in six rounds at TPC Sawgrass, but he’s so accurate off the tee (third on tour this season) that we don’t see that trend continuing this week.

No. 6: Patrick Cantlay

Mike Ehrmann

World Ranking: 4 Players Starts: 5 Best Finish: T-22, 2017

You know Cantlay is really good. You know he needs to start showing it at the majors and Players. To save us all time, let’s instead focus on the recent announcement to do away with cuts at the designated events. Personally, we hate the idea. As we wrote in the roundtable, professional golf is appreciated for being the purest rendition of meritocracy, where spots aren’t given, and you only make what you earn. One of the tour’s biggest selling points was that LIV was the antithesis of this ethos. Now the no-cut element opens the tour up for the very ridicule that was directed at its opponent. HOWEVER, Cantlay, one of the more astute minds in the sport, at least provides a bit more context of why the tour is going this route. “The biggest advantage is locking the stars that play those events into four days. If you’re a little kid that can only go on Sunday and Tiger Woods is in the event, you can go watch him. Rory? You can go watch him. That’s powerful,” Cantlay said at Bay Hill. Again, we don’t like the move, but we can at least wrap our minds around Cantlay’s pitch.

No. 5: Max Homa

Mike Ehrmann

World Ranking: 8 Players Starts: 2 Best Finish: T-13, 2022

You put Rahm, McIlroy and Scheffler in any order as the top players in the game. But over the past half year, Homa has been the fourth-best guy in the game. Sometimes fans and media overrate the value of a Ryder or Presidents Cup in terms of what it means for a player and their career trajectory. For Homa, last fall at Quail Hollow showed he can not only just hang with the big boys or that he’s one of them … but that he can be better than them. Coupled with a good weekend at last year’s Players (71-66), envision Homa being a factor into the weekend.

No. 4: Scottie Scheffler

Ben Jared

World Ranking: 2 Players Starts: 2 Best Finish: T-55, 2022

It’s time to say what has gone unsaid: We need to have an intervention with Scheffler and his clothes. The man’s wardrobe consists of solely size XX tents. He’s a Masters champion! Can we at least get him something that doesn’t fit like a poncho? Oh, and FYI, Scheffler’s early track record at TPC Sawgrass isn’t stellar. Maybe a wardrobe improvement could help with that too.

No. 3: Justin Thomas

Icon Sportswire

World Ranking: 9 Players Starts: 7 Best Finish: Win, 2021

He’s a past winner and turned in a second-round 69 last year playing in a hurricane. His putting continues to be a problem (115th in SG/putting), but it’s a problem we’re confident Thomas will solve. Seems like we’re overdue for a Thomas run; would not be surprised if it starts this week.

No. 2: Jon Rahm

Sam Greenwood

World Ranking: 1 Players Starts: 5 Best Finish: T-9, 2021

For the record, we called this tear. Nevertheless, it seems unconscionable to put Rahm and his heater less than No. 1, and should he read this he’ll likely be as incredulous as he is when missing a putt outside 30 feet. But the guy above him gets the nod because …

No. 1: Rory McIlroy

Patrick Smith

World Ranking: 3 Players Starts: 12 Best Finish: Win, 2019

He’s a past champ, yes, but as the de facto spokesperson for the tour over the past year, it would mean a hell of a lot for Rory to win the flagship event of the circuit he has so vociferously defended. Says here we see him rising up to the challenge.

The post Players 2023: The top 100 golfers competing at TPC Sawgrass, ranked appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The Players Championship has its traditionally standout field in place with 43 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking making the trip this week to TPC Sawgrass. While defending champion Cameron Smith is missing, having joined the LIV Golf League, eight past Players winners are competing—Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy, Webb Simpson, Si Woo Kim, Jason Day, Rickie Fowler, Matt Kuchar and Adam Scott.

That’s in addition to all 14 winners on the PGA Tour in the 2022-23 season and 49 of 50 in the FedEx Cup points standings. Meanwhile, combined the entire field has won 323 PGA Tour titles among them.

The 144-player field will be competing for the richest prize in the PGA Tour. The overall purse is $25 million with the winner taking home $4.5 million.

Tee Times (all times ET)

THURSDAY/FIRST ROUND

First tee
6:50 a.m. — Robby Shelton, Austin Smotherman, Min Woo Lee
7:01 a.m. — Kevin Streelman, Denny McCarthy, Matthew NeSmith
7:12 a.m. — Byeong Hun An, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Doug Ghim
7:23 a.m. — Michael Thompson, Brendon Todd, Keith Mitchell
7:34 a.m. — Kevin Kisner, Nick Taylor, Corey Conners
7:45 a.m. — Trey Mullinax, Cam Davis, Tyler Duncan
7:56 a.m. — Adam Svensson, Joel Dahmen, Robert Streb
8:07 a.m. — J.J. Spaun, Chad Ramey, Luke List
8:18 a.m. — Russell Henley, Mackenzie Hughes, Brian Harman
8:29 a.m. — Emiliano Grillo, Mark Hubbard, Matt Wallace
8:40 a.m. — Nate Lashley, Troy Merritt, Kelly Kraft
8:51 a.m. — Aaron Baddeley, David Lingmerth, Ben Martin
11:50 a.m. — Kevin Tway, Russell Knox, Chesson Hadley
12:01 p.m. — Andrew Putnam, Maverick McNealy, Doc Redman
12:12 p.m. — Beau Hossler, Adam Schenk, Stephan Jaeger
12:23 p.m. — Lucas Herbert, Aaron Wise, Jason Day
12:34 p.m. — Matt Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry
12:45 p.m. — Kurt Kitayama, Will Zalatoris, Xander Schauffele
12:56 p.m. — Max Homa, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth
1:07 p.m. — Sam Burns, Cameron Young, Sahith Theegala
1:18 p.m. — Chris Kirk, Seamus Power, Keegan Bradley
1:29 p.m. — Sam Ryder, Davis Riley, Taylor Moore
1:40 p.m. — Alex Noren, Thomas Detry, Max McGreevy
1:51 p.m. — Joseph Bramlett, Justin Suh, Andrew Novak

10th tee
6:50 a.m. — Danny Willett, Brandon Wu, Davis Thompson
7:01 a.m. — Adam Long, Hayden Buckley, Taylor Montgomery
7:12 a.m. — Tommy Fleetwood, Taylor Pendrith, Callum Tarren
7:23 a.m. — Si Woo Kim, Webb Simpson, Tyrrell Hatton
7:34 a.m. — Tony Finau, Tom Kim, Patrick Cantlay
7:45 a.m. — Collin Morikawa, Adam Scott, Rickie Fowler
7:56 a.m. — Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy
8:07 a.m. — Justin Rose, Billy Horschel, Hideki Matsuyama
8:18 a.m. — Nico Echavarria, Sungjae Im, Harris English
8:29 a.m. — Jhonattan Vegas, Peter Malnati, Ryan Fox
8:40 a.m. — Adam Hadwin, Patrick Rodgers, Greyson Sigg
8:51 a.m. — Nick Hardy, Eric Cole, Harrison Endycott
11:50 a.m. — David Lipsky, S.H. Kim, Tyson Alexander
12:01 p.m. — Kramer Hickok, Lee Hodges, Will Gordon
12:12 p.m. — Ben Griffin, Matthias Schwab, Justin Lower
12:23 p.m. — Sepp Straka, Garrick Higgo, Stewart Cink
12:34 p.m. — Chez Reavie, Tom Hoge, Francesco Molinari
12:45 p.m. — J.T. Poston, Lucas Glover, Matt Kuchar
12:56 p.m. — K.H. Lee, Martin Laird, Gary Woodland
1:07 p.m. — Ryan Brehm, Lanto Griffin, Scott Stallings
1:18 p.m. — Ryan Palmer, Patton Kizzire, Alex Smalley
1:29 p.m. — Dylan Frittelli, Jerry Kelly, Wyndham Clark
1:40 p.m. — Scott Piercy, James Hahn, Nick Watney
1:51 p.m. — Aaron Rai, Dylan Wu, Erik Barnes

FRIDAY/SECOND ROUND

First tee
6:50 a.m. — David Lipsky, S.H. Kim, Tyson Alexander
7:01 a.m. — Kramer Hickok, Lee Hodges, Will Gordon
7:12 a.m. — Ben Griffin, Matthias Schwab, Justin Lower
7:23 a.m. — Sepp Straka, Garrick Higgo, Stewart Cink
7:34 a.m. — Chez Reavie, Tom Hoge, Francesco Molinari
7:45 a.m. — J.T. Poston, Lucas Glover, Matt Kuchar
7:56 a.m. — K.H. Lee, Martin Laird, Gary Woodland
8:07 a.m. — Ryan Brehm, Lanto Griffin, Scott Stallings
8:18 a.m. — Ryan Palmer, Patton Kizzire, Alex Smalley
8:29 a.m. — Dylan Frittelli, Jerry Kelly, Wyndham Clark
8:40 a.m. — Scott Piercy, James Hahn, Nick Watney
8:51 a.m. — Aaron Rai, Dylan Wu, Erik Barnes
11:50 a.m. — Danny Willett, Brandon Wu, Davis Thompson
12:01 p.m. — Adam Long, Hayden Buckley, Taylor Montgomery
12:12 p.m. — Tommy Fleetwood, Taylor Pendrith, Callum Tarren
12:23 p.m. — Si Woo Kim, Webb Simpson, Tyrrell Hatton
12:34 p.m. — Tony Finau, Tom Kim, Patrick Cantlay
12:45 p.m. — Collin Morikawa, Adam Scott, Rickie Fowler
12:56 p.m. — Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy
1:07 p.m. — Justin Rose, Billy Horschel, Hideki Matsuyama
1:18 p.m. — Nico Echavarria, Sungjae Im, Harris English
1:29 p.m. — Jhonattan Vegas, Peter Malnati, Ryan Fox
1:40 p.m. — Adam Hadwin, Patrick Rodgers, Greyson Sigg
1:51 p.m. — Nick Hardy, Eric Cole, Harrison Endycott

10th tee
6:50 a.m. — Kevin Tway, Russell Knox, Chesson Hadley
7:01 a.m. — Andrew Putnam, Maverick McNealy, Doc Redman
7:12 a.m. — Beau Hossler, Adam Schenk, Stephan Jaeger
7:23 a.m. — Lucas Herbert, Aaron Wise, Jason Day
7:34 a.m. — Matt Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry
7:45 a.m. — Kurt Kitayama, Will Zalatoris, Xander Schauffele
7:56 a.m. — Max Homa, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth
8:07 a.m. — Sam Burns, Cameron Young, Sahith Theegala
8:18 a.m. — Chris Kirk, Seamus Power, Keegan Bradley
8:29 a.m. — Sam Ryder, Davis Riley, Taylor Moore
8:40 a.m. — Alex Noren, Thomas Detry, Max McGreevy
8:51 a.m. — Joseph Bramlett, Justin Suh, Andrew Novak
11:50 a.m. — Robby Shelton, Austin Smotherman, Min Woo Lee
12:01 p.m. — Kevin Streelman, Denny McCarthy, Matthew NeSmith
12:12 p.m. — Byeong Hun An, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Doug Ghim
12:23 p.m. — Michael Thompson, Brendon Todd, Keith Mitchell
12:34 p.m. — Kevin Kisner, Nick Taylor, Corey Conners
12:45 p.m. — Trey Mullinax, Cam Davis, Tyler Duncan
12:56 p.m. — Adam Svensson, Joel Dahmen, Robert Streb
1:07 p.m. — J.J. Spaun, Chad Ramey, Luke List
1:18 p.m. — Russell Henley, Mackenzie Hughes, Brian Harman
1:29 p.m. — Emiliano Grillo, Mark Hubbard, Matt Wallace
1:40 p.m. — Nate Lashley, Troy Merritt, Kelly Kraft
1:51 p.m. — Aaron Baddeley, David Lingmerth, Ben Martin

The post Players 2023: Tee Times for the first and second round at TPC Sawgrass appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Cameron Smith has a simple answer for what he will do during the Players Championship this week. The reigning Players and Open Championship champion, who left the PGA Tour in September as the six-time winner to join LIV Golf last fall, will be fishing on the waterways around Jacksonville.

It’s his biggest passion outside golf.

“I think it’ll be a pretty quiet week on the water,” Smith told Golf Digest at LIV Golf’s season-opening event two weeks ago in Mexico. “I think all the residents will be out watching the golf tournament. So I’ll be able to strap out and have the water to myself.”

Smith poses for a photo during a Golf Digest cover shoot in 2022.

Indeed, while the 29-year-old Aussie is out on his boat trying to reel in redfish, the tournament he won at TPC Sawgrass last year will take over the Ponte Vedra Beach area. Smith has lived in the area since 2016, and it’s also where the PGA Tour is headquartered.

Smith one-putted eight of his final nine holes to win the 2022 Players title in a thrilling Monday finish. But now as a LIV golfer, Smith and his fellow recruits to the rival league are prohibited from playing PGA Tour events. Smith is one of 31 golfers now on LIV who teed up in last year’s Players, including the top three on the final leaderboard—Smith, runner-up Anirban Lahiri of India and England veteran Paul Casey.

Smith is just the fourth Players champion not to defend his title in its history, and first, since an injured Tiger Woods missed the 2014 edition.

Beyond his tour ban, Smith lost his member-playing privileges at TPC Sawgrass, where he refined his game over the past few years and improved it to the world-class level he was playing in 2022. The tour also changed Smith’s reserved car space—a yearlong perk as the defending champion—to now read, “Tour players only.”

MORE: The top 100 golfers competing at the 2023 Players, ranked

Not all signs of Smith’s victory have been removed from TPC Sawgrass. Inside the clubhouse, a caricature of him accompanied by a description of his win is on display, along with a pitching wedge he used during his one-shot victory over Lahiri. The Australian flag is also still flying outside the clubhouse, a symbolic year-round gesture made to the most recent winner.

“He’s one of our champions and history speaks for itself,” Players Championship executive director Jared Rice told Golf Digest in a statement. “The play of all of our past champions speaks for itself. But 2023 is about the players who will be here.”

Smith says he will also spend the latter half of the week preparing for LIV Golf’s next tournament, March 17-19 at The Gallery in Tucson, a course that once hosted the WGC-Accenture Match Play.

After that, Smith heads to LIV’s event in Orlando the week before the Masters. The Aussie had set his sights on bettering last year’s tie for third at Augusta National when he played in the final group with eventual winner Scottie Scheffler. “I’m definitely looking to be in contention a few times leading up to [the Masters] for sure,” Smith said, having finished sixth, four shots behind winner Charles Howell III in Mayakoba.

“After a few months offseason [and nine months since the last major of 2022, Smith’s Open win], the nerves may be a little bit different. They may be the same, I’m not really sure yet,” he said. “I haven’t been in that spot [for a while], but I’m hoping I can do much more of the same at Augusta as I did last year. I’ve definitely got that fire in the belly.”

The post Players 2023: Here’s how Cam Smith says he’ll be keeping busy instead of defending his title at TPC Sawgrass appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Joel Beall
The PGA Tour has informed players that the purse for next year’s Players Championship will increase by a minimum of $5 million, the Golf Channel first reported.

The news means the tour’s flagship event at TPC Sawgrass will boast at least a $20 million purse. It is by far the most money allotted in a single stroke-play tournament, and dwarfs the purses of the sport’s four majors in 2021 ($12.5 million for the U.S. Open, $12 million for the PGA Championship and $11.5 for the Masters and Open Championship).

The only payouts higher in golf come at the tour’s FedEx Cup Playoffs, with a $60 million pool distributed to those that make the postseason, $46 million distributed to the 30 players that reach the season-finale at East Lake and $15 million to the winner.

The winner’s-only 2022 Tournament of Championship will also see an increase, going from $6.7 million to $8 million. According to reports, players will additionally be awarded $50,000 for making at least 15 starts, beginning this season.

The news comes as the tour combats threats of rival leagues promising guaranteed paydays to the game’s biggest stars, and follows the tour’s new Player Impact Program, a $40 million bonus pool for players who boost publicity and engagement.

The post Report: Players Championship increases purse to $20 million appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Christopher Powers
Believe it or not, we’re seven months into the PGA Tour’s 2020-21 “Super Season.” There’s already been three majors (with three more to come!), a Players Championship and a pair of WGCs. It may feel like there’s still a ways to go, but in reality we’re more than halfway done.

With that being the case, it’s officially time to start sweating for some of the game’s higher profile players, and by sweating we mean keeping an eye on the FedEx Cup standings. This season, a number of former major winners, tour winners and usual FedEx Cup Playoff locks are on the outside looking in at the moment. Yes, there are 18 events left until the first leg of the playoffs, The Northern Trust at Liberty National, which seems like a lot until you consider that we’ve played 27 tournaments already, so some serious ground needs to be made up.

Here are eight tour pros who you might be surprised have work to do to get inside the top 125 by season’s end.

Steve Dykes

Rickie Fowler (Current FEC ranking: 128th)

Rickie’s slump has been well-documented, and yet, of the names on this list, he’s the closest to cracking the top 125 as it currently stands. It helps that his “slump” has included a T-29 in the November Masters, a T-21 at The American Express, a T-20 at Riviera and a T-17 at Valero the week before the Masters, his best finish since the WGC-FedEx St. Jude last summer. No, none of those finishes are up to Fowler’s standards, but they’ve been good enough to keep him hanging around that 125 mark. Like his buddy Jordan Spieth, Fowler seems to be very invested in “the process,” one he hopes will net similar results to those Spieth is seeing. If it doesn’t soon, however, he’ll be in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in his PGA Tour career.

• • •

Kevin C. Cox

Justin Rose (Current FEC ranking: 135th)

Rose began to show flashes of his former World No. 1 self last June, starting with a T-3 at Colonial, the first post-pandemic tour event. He backed that up with a ninth at the PGA in August and a T-2 at the European Tour’s Saudi International in early 2021. A bad back knocked him out of Bay Hill while he was in contention, though, and it seemed like an issue that seriously stunted his progress. Then he grabbed the first-round lead at the Masters and contended deep into the weekend, ultimately finishing solo seventh. If the back holds up, there’s no doubt he’ll be a regular contender again, which would seem to make advancing into the FedEx Cup Playoffs a formality. The Englishman has advanced to the playoffs 12 straight times, including 2018, when he infamously won the FedEx Cup despite not winning the Tour Championship (some guy named Tiger won that one).

• • •

Steve Dykes

Brandt Snedeker (Current FEC ranking: 136th)

Like Rose, Snedeker is another former FedEx Cup champion who has been a regular in the playoffs. Injuries combined with poor form have been an issue in 2020-21, although he seems to be turning a corner. Just two weeks ago, Sneds tied for sixth at the Valero, his first top-10 since the 2020 Farmers Insurance Open. He’s in the field this week at the RBC Heritage, an event he won in 2011 and has four other top-25 finishes.

• • •

Kevin C. Cox

Gary Woodland (Current FEC ranking: 140th)

Woodland, like Rose and Snedeker, also has had some injury concerns that have led to a rough stretch for the 2019 U.S. Open champ. Back in the fall, Woodland finished 72nd at the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek, then withdrew from the Zozo Championship at Sherwood his next start, and could be seen lying on a tee box with back pain before being carted off. He’s had a semi bounce back since, with a T-16 at the AMEX and a T-6 at the Valero, and appears to be feeling better. Though, following a solid first round at the Players, Woodland said if it flares up again he’ll have to go under the knife. For now, he’s playing better and feeling better, which he should be able to start capitalizing on. Woodland hasn’t missed the playoffs since 2012.

• • •

Harry How

Byeong Hun An (Current FEC ranking: 151st)

You might laugh at Benny An making a “big names” list, but An was once ranked 24th in the world, and he hasn’t missed the tour’s postseason since 2016. The super season has not been kind, however, to the 29-year-old former U.S. Amateur champion. In 15 starts he’s missed eight cuts, with only one top-10. He’s too talented for that to continue, though if the putter remains ice cold it may be too much to overcome.

• • •

Jared C. Tilton

Phil Mickelson (Current FEC ranking: 157th)

Even last year, when Mickelson’s struggles began, he still was able to sneak into The Northern Trust, continuing his streak of making it to the playoffs every season since their inception in 2007. That streak is now officially in danger, as Lefty has failed to post a single top-20 in the 2020-21 season. The ball-striking has turned around, and he continues to grind his face off, but the putter, once one of his greatest weapons, has vanished. If Mickelson is to be believed, he’s “close,” and he often does his best work with his back against the wall. As of now, he’s not currently in the U.S. Open field, and it’s becoming increasingly likely that he gets left off the Ryder Cup team for the first time since 1993. Those would be two crushing blows for Mickelson, who wants to still compete with the young guns but knows a life of dominating the PGA Tour Champions, and/or sliding into the broadcast booth is calling.

• • •

Kevin C. Cox

Danny Willett (Current FEC ranking: 159th)

Willett, like so many other European Tour pros, had his positive momentum get somewhat stifled by the pandemic. He had just began to turn his career back around in 2018 and 2019 with multiple European Tour wins, but in the post-COVID world he has just two top-10s in 25 starts. The good news—one of those came recently at the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship, a sign he’s settling back into PGA Tour life. He’s since followed up with consecutive MCs at the Valero and the Masters, but will look to get back on track at Harbour Town, where he’s MC’d in all three career appearances.

• • •

Jared C. Tilton

Henrik Stenson (Current FEC ranking: 170th)

Like many of the names above, Stenson’s game has gone completely missing over the last year and change. The former World No. 2 and FedEx Cup champ won the Hero World Challenge in 2019 just before the calendar turned to 2020, but has been a mess since, with zero top-10s to be found. There was signs of life last week at the Masters, where he was one under after 54 holes and wound up tying for 38th, but he’ll need a lot more than T-38s to start climbing the rankings. If he fails to reach the playoffs, it would mark the third straight time he’s missed the postseason, though one of those years, 2019, Stenson was eligible but skipped them entirely.

The post 8 players you might be surprised have work to do to reach the FedEx Cup Playoffs appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

But seriously, people, stay safe out there. Or, rather, IN there. this is no joke and the sooner we all do our part, the sooner we’ll be able to return to focusing on much sillier stuff like Tiger’s pursuit of Jack, LeBron’s pursuit of MJ, and (gulp) even the Masters. Just listen to the man himself:

There are a lot more important things in life than a golf tournament right now. We need to be safe, smart and do what is best for ourselves, our loved ones and our community.

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) March 16, 2020

Good to hear from him, by the way. It had been a while. Anyway, of course, we’ll still talk about the sillier stuff here. So crank up your Wi-Fi, find a comfy spot to sit, and let’s get to it.

WE’RE BUYING

Playing golf (for now): This might already not be an option where you live—as we are reminded constantly this is a “fluid” situation—but there are also many golf courses taking plenty of safety precautions. And if you walk, carry your bag, avoid all handshakes/fist bumps, and Venmo all bets, you should be fine. As our Mike Stachura points out, being outside playing this great game is also a great way to relieve stress. And as someone cooped up with a wife and a two-year-old for the foreseeable future, let me know if you have a spot in your foursome. Please.

Greg Eason: Believe it or not, there was still some golf being played on the All Pro Tour, where Eason claimed the Coke Dr. Pepper Open—instantly my favourite tournament name ever. But as our friend Ryan French points out, the bigger deal here is that this was a guy who just three years ago failed to break 90 for three consecutive (brutally windy) rounds on the Korn Ferry Tour:

Greg Eason once had 3 consecutive rounds in the 90's on the KFT Tour…
Yesterday he won on the APT after making 26 birdies and just 3 bogeys over 72 holes.
His 68-63-66-68 (-23) beats the 170 player field, and he wins 35K #NeverGiveUp

— Monday Q Info (@acaseofthegolf1) March 15, 2020

Now that’s a bounceback.

Padraig Harrington’s backyard: If you’re a tour pro, you may as well take this time as an opportunity to work on your short game:

Padraig Harrington’s home wedge practice area ? pic.twitter.com/SRb7rhQhSm

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) March 16, 2020

Nice setup, Paddy. There are certainly a lot worse places to be on lockdown.

Paula Creamer’s pad: As in, I’d love to buy this place and ride out this Coronavirus there if I had an extra $6.35 million. Just look at the fitness center:

OK, I’d still never use that. But how about the game room and the home theatre:

And I wouldn’t even have to do any decorating because that Tiger mural is already up!

WE’RE SELLING

Paula Creamer’s timing: What a month to put your mansion on the market, huh? Probably aren’t going to be a lot of open houses for the next few weeks. But again, at least Creamer has plenty of space and amenities during these crazy times.

Hideki Matsuyama’s timing: Poor Hideki. The dude is trending toward returning to the winner’s circle, then opens with a course-record-tying 63 at TPC Sawgrass to take a two-shot lead, and the PGA Tour’s flagship event promptly gets cancelled.

Cliff Hawkins

Instead of possibly picking up his biggest win, Matsuyama left with the same $52,083.33 check given to all 144 players who teed it up. Let’s just say the two guys who shot 79, Nick Watney and Patton Kizzire, got a better deal.

COVID-19: It goes without saying that in the seven-year-plus history of The Grind, I have never wanted to sell anything more than this devastating disease. And while sports are certainly at the bottom of the priority list these days, we still miss them—not only for their entertainment, but for the way they connect us. Hang in there, everyone. Again, “in” being the keyword.

ON TAP

The PGA Tour was supposed to finish the Florida Swing this week at the Valspar Championship, but, well, you know. It’s unclear when we’ll see the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, European Tour, Korn Ferry Tour, etc. again and that sucks for fans and players, but it also sucks for those who work so hard all year to put on these events and for the communities and charities that profit from them. To that point, here was a great message from Billy Horschel:

Let’s help out the charities and organizations that are effected by the cancellation of the upcoming tournaments! Thank you! @THEPLAYERSChamp @ValsparChamp @DellMatchPlay @valerotxopen @CoralesChamp pic.twitter.com/8e3hU5BNts

— Billy Horschel (@BillyHo_Golf) March 13, 2020

Let’s hope things get back to normal soon.

Random tournament fact: The Valspar has been sneaky-great the past few years, check out these results (just pay no mind to the top one. . . )

Paul Casey’s three-peat will have to wait until next year.

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

—Tiger Woods will win the Masters—at some point this year: 16-to-1 odds (Actual odds)
—Kramer Hickock will win this week’s All Pro Tour event: 7-to-1 odds (Also, actual odds)
—Vegas sports books are going to struggle for the next couple months: LOCK

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

If you’ve ever been to the Players Championship, you know Friday (and Saturday) afternoon is an absolute party. Well, not this year:

An eerily quiet and empty TPC Sawgrass on an otherwise spectacular Friday afternoon after @THEPLAYERSChamp is canceled … pic.twitter.com/KB4nXINXOl

— Brian Wacker (@brianwacker1) March 13, 2020

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

#StayAtHomeChallenge – Golf ???‍ pic.twitter.com/cMsvrllVQ2

— Matthias Schwab (@schwab_matth) March 16, 2020

Impressive, but Matthias better bar his doors because people are going to come after his toilet paper stash.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

A week ago, things seemed relatively normal in the U.S. Sports were being played, stores were fully stocked with toilet paper, and Rory McIlroy was giving great quotes like this on Pete Dye courses:

“Yeah, going on from there [Whistling Straits], winning at Kiawah, winning at Crooked Stick, winning here, I’ve started to quite like them. But as you said, an acquired taste. They’re like beer when you’re younger. You sort of don’t like it but then you think it’s cool to drink it and then you sort of acquire a taste for it.”

Maybe we can keep the Rory press conferences going even when there aren’t tournaments?

THIS WEEK IN DUSTIN JOHNSON-PAULINA GRETZKY PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION

going to be a long break for DJ… pic.twitter.com/luXARuCm8V

— Eric Patterson (@EPatGolf) March 14, 2020

Cute, but yeah. . . Pray for DJ.

THIS WEEK IN PHIL BEING PHIL

After arriving home safely and with a month off, I could sense things were going to go one way or the other. I was either going to use this time to workout, get fit and stronger or I was going to lay in bed, watch shows and eat. After day 1, the latter is in the lead.

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) March 15, 2020

I’m with you, Phil. The COVID-19 15 is going to become a thing.

THIS WEEK IN OTHER TOUR PROS BEING QUARANTINED

Marc Leishman has even more time to take care of his lawn:

Marc Leishman is wasting no time getting to work prepping his beloved lawn for the spring. What an absolute Dad legend. pic.twitter.com/mYC1ku8ks5

— Outside The Cut (@OutsideTheCut) March 13, 2020

My father-in-law does the same thing. WILD. And Justin Thomas fired a 65 against Rickie Fowler—and lost. By FIVE strokes.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9w9ZbehMK_/?utm_source=ig_embed

Nice job, Rickie, but maybe save those for the Sundays that really count. . .

THIS AND THAT

In addition to Augusta National postponing the Masters, the club is completely closing down until further notice. We’re guessing the members aren’t getting any refunds on this year’s dues. … Brooks Koepka and Jon Rahm joined Rory McIlroy in declaring their allegiance to the PGA Tour. With the top three players in the world saying no to the Premier League, RIP PGL. … As of now, the 2020 HGGA Championship is still set for this summer in Pinehurst. Moving our annual golf trip from June to August has never looked smarter. (Fingers crossed.) … And finally, it took my wife and I—brother-in-law through FaceTime—SIX hours to assemble this kids’ kitchen for my daughter’s second birthday:

We finished at 2 a.m. and I have never been more exhausted, frustrated, and proud in my life. Look at that thing! It might be even nicer than Paula Creamer’s kitchen! I just hope the Father of the Year Awards haven’t been cancelled yet.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Who would have won the Players?
What did people do before TV/the Internet?
How long will my soda supply last?

The post Tiger Woods breaks his silence, and Dustin-Paulina dance on, Paula Creamer puts her pad on the market appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Joel Beall
Augusta National Golf Club is postponing the 2020 Masters amid concerns for the coronavirus pandemic, according to a statement released by tournament chairman and club president Fred Ridley on Friday.

Sources told Golf Digest Thursday that Augusta National was reviewing contingencies include limiting patron access or banning patrons from the course entirely, as well as cancellations of practice rounds, the Par-3 Contest, the ANWA and the DCP. Multiple sources insisted that cancelling the tournament “is not expected at this time.”

However, as every major sports league suspended its operations—including the PGA Tour, which cancelled the Players Championship and its next three weeks of events—and awareness grew of the battle ahead against COVID-19, the club altered its approach to the 2020 tournament.

“Unfortunately, the ever-increasing risks associated with the widespread Coronavirus COVID-19 have led us to a decision that undoubtedly will be disappointing to many, although I am confident is appropriate under these unique circumstances,” said Ridley in a statement. “Considering the latest information and expert analysis, we have decided at this time to postpone the Masters Tournament, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals.

“Ultimately, the health and well-being of everyone associated with these events and the citizens of the Augusta community led us to this decision. We hope this postponement puts us in the best position to safely host the Masters Tournament and our amateur events at some later date.”

This is a breaking news story. This post will updated with more information as it becomes available.

The post Augusta National postpones 2020 Masters, no new date specified appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.