Weekend Wrap - Norwegian Wood Edition

I know I've devolved into a once-a-week blogger, though in my defense that still places me on the podium of my age group.  The thing is, life has suddenly gotten very busy, and I wish it were for better reasons (though the issues mostly to family members, they just require my attention).

For today, the issue is that we are hosting U.S. Open qualifying at Fairview, and we have all sorts of employees and members attempting to move on to Sectional.  A field of 120 players will be chasing six slots, so odds are long.

I'll try to do better, though not sure there's much to back up that promise.

That Thing That's Not Supposed To Happen - The purpose of the Money Grab™ is to keep the vast riches within the confines of the cool kids cabal, so something went horribly awry.  I could also have gone with a NY Times homage, such as "Women, Minorities and Cantlay Hardest Hit."  Really, the bits just write themselves....

Kristoffer Reitan’s unexpected Truist win summed up his pro golf journey

For Kristoffer Reitan, all of this has been unexpected.

Standing on the 18th green at Quail Hollow Club, having just outlasted Rickie Fowler and Alex Fitzpatrick to win the Truist Championship, a PGA Tour Signature Event, it was hard for Reitan to sum up a career-changing win, one that perfectly gels with his unique golf journey.

He went from the Challenge Tour to the DP World Tour, and then, a year ago at the Soudal Open, lightning struck and everything changed. Reitan started that Sunday nine shots off the lead. But he made nine birdies in his final 15 holes to shoot a course-record 62 and eventually win in a playoff.

“I don’t know what to say,” a stunned Reitan said that day in Belgium. “It’s been a dream of mine since I was a little kid. I keep thinking back to a few years ago when I was considering stopping playing because I didn’t find it enjoyable anymore, didn’t see progress, and to be able to turn it around the way I have been doing the last couple of years has been amazing — to seal it with victory here is ridiculous.”

That win, and another that followed, helped him secure a PGA Tour card. Then came another climb. He started slowly this season as a rookie, but his game has clicked over the last month. Then, last week, the unexpected happened again as Reitan got into the Cadillac Championship due to Jake Knapp’s Thursday morning withdrawal. He vaulted into contention at Doral but faded on Sunday. As he finished his final hole in Miami, Reitan didn’t think he would make it into the field this week in Charlotte. Despite a double bogey on his final hole, Reitan squeaked into the Truist field and made the most of an unlikely chain of events.

One week later, he had outclassed the best in the world and reached a place that he was worlds away from when he hung up the clubs in 2022.

More significantly, he ended up at a place the system was designed to keep him from.  

Of course, in pushing through the outrageous concentration of purses into a handful of events with micro-fields, fig leaves had to be employed.  Thus, arcane provisions were included to allow a few randos to play their way in.  After all, those meritocracy illusions don't write themselves....

But the look at the glory of the PGA schedule in the last two weeks.  Having jammed two of their eight Signature Events Money Grabs™, we were treated to the joy of watching a gaggle of elite players skip the first, and phone it in at the second.

Of course, it's even a little worse than that, because most of us began with a prototypical Rickie tease...  He went on an epic tear and the camera couldn't leave him, but the Man in Orange was never a great finisher at his peak, and his peak is no longer visible in the rearview mirror.  C'mon, you didn't think he was going to birdie the 18th, did you?

This is one of those "The Irony, She Burns" moments to me.  As LIV implodes and the PGA is seemingly reasserting its dominance, it's putting on a dreadful show for us.  Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

Golf In The Time of LIV -  You'll be shocked to know that if you employ CTRL:F - Truist on today's Tour Confidential, it will yield zero results.  What does everyone want to talk about?  Yeah, you nailed it in one...

For the first time since news broke that the Saudi PIF will not fund LIV Golf following this season, the league’s CEO, Scott O’Neil, and players spoke to the media at this week’s D.C. tournament. What was your biggest takeaway from what you heard from Trump National?

Jack Hirsh: That LIV is on the ropes. I think we knew this already, but nothing O’Neil said

would do anything to convince me otherwise. It seemed like O’Neil was acting more reactionary than anything, which means he didn’t see the PIF pulling funding. That’s not a death sentence, but the next time the media hears from him, he’s going to need to come up with a more concrete plan about how LIV was going to survive. It didn’t sound like he knew how that would happen yet.

Josh Schrock: As expected, it feels like everyone is trying to figure out what’s next or if there is a next for LIV Golf. O’Neil didn’t offer many specifics on what funding they might get or how a 2027 season would look. I thought Jon Rahm saying that the players would need to make “concessions” to keep the business alive was telling. What does that look like? Who is interested in doing that? Still a lot of unknowns.

Dylan Dethier: LIV as we know it is over. That’s already been true — the original vision was a marriage of Greg Norman and Yasir Al-Rumayyan and had nearly blank-check access to the Saudi PIF reserves — but it was even clearer this week, as O’Neil explained that the plan is to make a new plan and players spoke of concessions and unknowns.

Sorry, Jack, but I'll have to differ here, as it very much is a death sentence.  Sure, they'll be out pitching the historical significance and grow-the-game chops of LIV, but you'll need a moment to stop laughing, no?

Rahm's comment is interesting, but feels quite naïve.  LIV has all of two players that matter, and those two guys have to feel that they squandered their opportunity, though one may be in better shape than the other.  To wit:

One looming question is the future of Bryson DeChambeau, whose contract is up at the end of this year and who said last week he could focus on growing his YouTube channel and playing “tournaments that want me” if it doesn’t work for him to return to LIV or the PGA Tour. How valuable is Bryson to the future of the PGA Tour? And who holds the leverage in Bryson’s future?

Hirsh: There’s no doubt Bryson is super important to the PGA Tour from the standpoint of how many eyeballs he can draw to it that wouldn’t otherwise watch. That said, people are going to see

right through his bluff. Bryson is entertaining, no doubt, but if he’s not playing competitive golf, then some of that really goes away. What is to differentiate him from any other YouTuber? I think his viewers hold the greatest amount of leverage in his future. Maybe I’m wrong and people would continue to watch him if he stopped playing any competitive golf once his exemptions ran out. But if I’m not and he loses his command on his viewers, you’re going to see he come back to the PGA Tour with his tail tucked.

Schrock: Bryson has value to the PGA Tour. If you’re just looking at a spreadsheet of who brings in eyeballs and whose presence would translate into dollars and cents, Bryson would be in the green. But the PGA Tour is doing good without him and I don’t think he’s doing himself a lot of favors by saying the PGA Tour is struggling and complaining about the policy regulating players’ social media content creation at tournaments. It will be fascinating to see what a return would look like for Bryson, should he want to come back. He was the lead plaintiff in the antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour in 2022, which members had to pay to defend. He disparaged the PGA Tour on his way out and worked to recruit players to LIV. Basically, everything Brooks Koepka didn’t do, he did. Bryson had all the leverage in negotiations when Koepka ditched LIV. With the PIF no longer involved, he has lost that leverage and now it’s up to the PGA Tour to decide if and how he returns. Playing YouTube full-time is a good headline but, as Jack noted, eventually the exemptions run out. They don’t hand those out for breaking 50 with Steph Curry.

Dethier: They each really stand to benefit from an enthusiastic partnership. They’ll also each survive just fine without the other. There’s some risk in trying to force something that neither side fully buys in on; to Bryson’s point, he should only play the PGA Tour if he wants to and if they want him to.

I think they at least circle around the right issues.  Bryson's social media presence is a great asset, though one that the Tour inevitably will over-value.  But, as noted above, there are only two guys that matters, so those two guys will end up back on the Tour.

But the guys deal with only so far.  Bryson had the leverage when he was offered a return option, but with LIV's inevitable demise, he has far less leverage than he did back then.  Like Jack Hirsch, I think Bryson wants to be something more than Paige Spirinac, and to do so he needs to be a professional tour player.  He has a few more years of major exemptions, but he's not exactly lighting it up in the majors with LIV tourneys as prep, how do we think he'd perform with only YouTube content as prep?

That said, the interesting bit to me is whether he and Rahm will be treated differently.  I asked AI about his role in LIV v. PGA Tour, and got this synopsis:

• Role in Suit: Alongside Phil Mickelson, DeChambeau was one of the most prominent players among the original 11 golfers who sued the PGA Tour for suspending them after joining LIV Golf.
• Reason for Suing: DeChambeau stated he remained part of the suit for a time due to money he claimed the PGA Tour owed him for the Player Impact Program (PIP), calling it a matter of "principle".
• Withdrawal: In May 2023, DeChambeau and Matt Jones were the last two players to drop their names from the lawsuit, with his agent noting it was "not my fight" as the legal battle shifted to focus on the LIV Golf entity itself.

 I expect to see Bryson treated a bit more harshly than Rahm, but time will tell.

While appearing on The Rich Eisen Show last week, PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said he’s interested in doing whatever makes the PGA Tour better when it comes to player reintegration, but “we need to balance that with the interest of our current golfers.” How does Rolapp go about improving his Tour while also not irking current members who never left in the first place?

Hirsh: Oh man! Isn’t that the million-dollar question? I don’t think there’s a scenario where the

PGA Tour product vastly improves for the fan, but the majority of Tour pros (especially guys ranked from like 75-125) aren’t irked. Personally, I’m not a fan of the proposed two-tier Tour, but I can see how that would make it easier for the casual fan. As for reintegration. I say guys who wouldn’t otherwise be exempt need to take the Patrick Reed route. Sorry, not sorry.

Schrock: When someone finds the answer to this question, let me know. I do think we’re really only talking about a handful of players and the real questions revolve around Bryson and Rahm. Feels like the second-tier bucket — the Tyrrell Hattons and Joaquin Niemanns — can take the Patrick Reed route back via the DP World Tour and most of the membership wouldn’t bat an eye. But how Rolapp constructs a punishment and way back for Bryson and Rahm, two players who have irked membership in a way Brooks Koepka didn’t, will be a fascinating tight-rope act.

Dethier: I think we’ve seen versions of these reintegration programs with Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed — but those guys returned voluntarily, while LIV was still in existence. This version is far more complex. Especially with Bryson declaring that he’ll be with LIV as long as LIV exists, and that he wants to watch out for the league’s young would-be stars and their futures, too. I don’t see a simple fix.

Schrock mostly hits it I think, though he thinks Rahm has more 'splainin' to do.  He may be right in that Rahm's timing no doubt gave LIV encouragement to go on....

Even as I acknowledge that those two guys will make it back, it's not like I miss either of them.

Anything On For Tis Week? - I'm already eyeing the exit, so please bear with me.  But at least the TC panel noticed a certain event on for this week:

The second men’s major of the year has arrived, as we head to Aronimink outside of Philadelphia for the PGA Championship. What’s your top storyline for this year’s event?

Hirsh: That more golf tournaments need to be in Philly. I’m biased, but come on, we only get a golf tournament in the Philly metro every four years (the next one on the schedule is the 2030

U.S. Open at Merion). There are dozens of outstanding tournament-quality venues within 90 minutes of the airport. Not to mention it’s the best food city in the northeast (I said what I said). I think the Philly crowds are going to show out in force this week and show everyone exactly why we need to have a regular event. I’m sure the Cobbs Creek project will be highlighted and hopefully, soon, that might be the host of a tournament in Philly.

Schrock: I feel like every PGA Championship has the same top storyline, which is: So, what’s the identity of this major? Ever since the move to May, the PGA Championship has been adrift. It’s a major, but doesn’t really have the major juice we will get at the U.S. Open, Masters or Open. It’s almost Chevron-esque in that you’re telling me it’s a major but I’m not seeing it. Going to Valhalla and Quail Hollow hasn’t helped. I’m bullish on Aronomink giving us a major feel we’ve been missing at this event but we’re still looking for an identity for the fourth major.

Dethier: Jordan Spieth hunting the career Grand Slam, fellas! [Returns to earth] Honestly, for me it’s the ongoing Scottie-Rory major hunt. To Schrock’s point, as the PGA continues to hunt for an identity, its strongest virtue is that yeah, it’s a major! These are the ones that we really keep track of. I can’t wait.

A good rule of thumb is that any city with its own school of golf architecture is likely to be a pretty good golf town....

I'm certainly relieved that Dylan's tongue was planted firmly in his cheek as he touted the Spieth Grand Slam quest.

And this inevitable query:

Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler have won four of the last five majors, with McIlroy already taking the Masters this year. Which player do you like better heading into the PGA?

Hirsh: Rory just won one. Scottie has finished second his last like bajillion events. I more likely see him defending his title than Rory getting halfway to the slam.

Schrock: Rory won at Augusta with his B- game. Scottie has been playing with his B- game for like the last two months and barely finishes outside the top five. I feel like Scottie’s floor is Sunday contention and a to -five, whereas Rory could win or bomb out early. I’ll take Scottie.

Dethier: Scottie’s the best golfer in the world and continues to play like it, so I’ll take him at an old-school major championship test over anyone. But I think Cameron Young might win, and I also think these three could end up 1-2-3 in some order, like they did at Augusta National.

Can I take a Fitzgerald brother to be named later?  And this GMTA moment:

Alex Fitzpatrick wasn’t a PGA Tour member until he teamed with his brother, World No. 4 Matthew Fitzpatrick, to win the Zurich Classic last month. But in his first two starts as a Tour member, Alex tied for 9th at the Cadillac Championship and now 4th at the Truist Championship Sunday. Has his play been the biggest surprise of 2026? If not, what has been?

Hirsh: Yeah, and I don’t think anything will top it. To go from having zero status to winning a

team event with your brother and finishing top-10 in the next two Siggies? Now he’s playing in his second major. Quite the whirlwind.

Schrock: In a year of surprises, from Brooks Koepka’s return to Rory’s second jacket and a freakin’ Gary Woodland win, I think Alex Fitzpatrick’s last month, namely how he has played post-Zurich, is the biggest surprise. I would like to throw in Brandt Snedeker winning in Myrtle Beach today, which was his first win in almost eight years and first since he had experimental surgery on his sternum. He had five top-10s in six years coming into this week!

Dethier: The biggest surprise of 2026 is what Sungjae Im did from that bunker on the weekend. Other than that, though? Yeah, I’d say the Brothers Fitzpatrick take the cake, with a nod to some epic, inspiring wins from the trio of 40-somethings (Rose, Woodland, Snedeker). Also, did you see what happened on the Euro Tour this weekend? Golf is full of glorious, unexpected surprises. Maybe another one this week.

You know what stays in my mind?  The image of Matt seeking out and congratulating the Young family after his heartbreaking loss to Cam at Sawgrass.  I'm thinking this is a family for which I am happy to root.

The Times, They Are A-Changin' -  Via longime reader and golf buddy Mark. W:

Claire Dowling has been nominated by the Past Captains of the Club and becomes the first woman to serve as Captain. Claire will begin her year in office after the traditional Driving-in

ceremony on the first tee of the Old Course on Friday 25th September 2026.

A distinguished amateur golfer, Claire represented Great Britain and Ireland in the Curtis Cup on four occasions and was part of the 1986 team which secured the first GB&I victory over the USA team on American soil with a 13-5 win at Prairie Dunes.

Born and educated in Dublin, Claire attended Dublin College of Catering and graduated from Trinity College in 1979 with a Bsc(Mgt) in Hotel and Catering Management.

Yes, Mark, we will be at Crail in August.  Will you be there for Dowling's Driving In ceremony in September?

That will have to suffice for today, as Sned's popular win will be left on the cutting room floor.  Have a great week.

Weekend Wrap - Summer of Nelly, Part II

Did you discern that my tongue was firmly in my cheek with that header?  Seeing last week's header as I hit the "Create New Post" icon, it seemed that that particular summer is ongoing.... Not that I saw any of it or intend to blog it.

Young At Heart - I didn't see a single minute of yesterday's action, though I did watch a bit of the early rounds.  I was moderately interested in how Young would hold after multiple days with big leads, especially after the series of guys (Justin, cough, Rose) showing tightened collars....  But not here, apparently.

Geoff ledes with some bullet points:

What can we take away from the PGA Tour’s vibe-free Signature snoozefest at Trump Doral? Plenty.

• Cameron Young established himself as the favorite heading into the PGA Championship after a resounding six-stroke victory at Trump Doral. The 30-year-old posted a 19-under-par 269 total to beat Scottie Scheffler by six strokes.

• Young took the Cadillac Championship wire-to-wire with less than his best par-5 play (-3) or approach precision (48/72 greens, 38’3” proximity, SG 26th).

• The city-raised reformed street gang member* led the field in birdies (24) and Strokes Gained Putting (7.062). His power off the tee remains his greatest attribute after posting a 311.7-yard, all-drives average.

• Young has been on an incredible run. His stroke play finishes since missing the cut at The Open last year: 1-5-11-T4-T9-10-T22-T41-T55-T7-T3-1-T3-T25-1

• He calls penalties…on himself. At No. 2 Sunday he was assessed a stroke penalty for a breach of Rule 9.4 (player causing ball at rest to move) and then made 13’6” putt to save par.

• Scheffler’s game is not far from his best form. The so-so first rounds and occasional off-days approaching greens popped up at Doral but in far less worrisome fashion. In his final start before the PGA at Aronimink Scheffler hit 56/72 greens with a 40’10” proximity average, finishing 6th in Strokes Gained Approach. And he seemed as miserable as ever on the course!

Like me, you might be scratching your head over that third bullet point.  Geoff is blessed with a good memory and it's an amusing click-through if you're so inclined.   Though, perhaps not if you still harbor any illusions about journalism....

And he's even got more, especially for those wondering what he thinks upon a return visit to this venue:

• Justin Rose’s new irons from McLaren Racing didn’t get off to the best start. Granted, they may not have received a fair shot after Rose hit only 29 of 56 fairways and needed a final round 68 to finish T62. But when the Tour’s leader in greens in regulation hit a fairway, the new clubs did not shine: he lost 1.311 strokes to the field, hitting 48/72 greens.

• Rory McIlroy and five other top 15 players did the right thing avoiding a hot and humid Bermudagrass test that will play nothing like Aronimink.

• As brother Matt took the week off, Alex Fitzpatrick put his Zurich Classic-enabled PGA Tour card to excellent use. A final round 67 landed Fitzpatrick a T9 finish and a $500,000 check. Yes, $500k. What a farce. But good on Alex.

• Following a bogey-free weekend and final round 64, World No. 54 Adam Scott will be inside the world top 60 status ahead of the U.S. Open’s May 18th OWGR cutoff. After playing next week’s PGA Championship, the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock would be Scott’s 100th straight major.

• It’s time for the Blue Monster moniker to decamp to Boca Vista Phase 5 and buffet dinners at 3:45 pm. Stretched to 7,739 yards with firm greens featuring a big first bounce until Sunday’s inch-of-rain, 59 of the 72 players finished under par. Half the “Monster” holes played under par. The field finished -330.

Good point there from Geoff.  Not only do the mental midgets minding the store in Ponte Vedra Beach lay in signature events the two weeks prior to the PGA Championship, but they put the guys on friggin' Bermuda.  

Of course, I was reliably informed by Mr. McIlroy himself that golf would only survive if we as fans know when Rory is going to play.  And then he refuses to show, so it's just possible that he was, yanno, lying to us.

Geoff kept himself under control in those bullets, but shall we let him fly his freak flag?

The Tour’s return to Miami was an optics disaster for the new leadership and board members who bequeathed “Signature” status on this mundane effort.

At least the event provided a signature example of what it looks like when a tournament has no legacy, no ties to the community, poorly-timed scheduling, and a bloated, unsustainable purse. The Cadillac Championship also provided a convenient reminder that no-cut, limited fields are particularly drab in a splintered, post-WGC world.

Worse, the purveyors of mundane mess managed to make LIV look good.

That dying entity drew better crowds in its April playings at Doral. LIV also had a much more impressive buildout and managed to exude atmosphere. (No, I’m not saying this needed a DJ spinning Careless Whisper remixes.)

OK, let's take a moment to enjoy that bit of schadenfreude....  I'll just add that Florida golf courses look visually awful on TV, because of the grain mostly.  I just the look of it, which is especially funny when you consider that the venues owner hated the look f Pinehurst.

Shall we allow Geoff to ramble on?   Again, rhetorical.

But this was the first event created from scratch by the PGA Tour’s newly renamed “Events” business—you know, the one that’s expected to be a driver of profit for the Strategic Sports Group. They gave us a dreary, cheap-looking product in a major market that had little interest in seeing the Tour return.

We’ve been told that this combination of the SSG wisdom and a CEO coming from the NFL was supposed to bring fresh perspectives. They would bring in beancounting-forward entities at Fenway Sports for fresh approaches to big time golf. This one looked more like a nightmarish hybrid of John Henry’s 2026 Red Sox and Steve Cohen’s dismal Mets. Other than CBS’s continuing to push innovation on the telecast front, there were no signs of a fresh approach. Throw in brilliantly scheduling the Cadillac Championship on the same weekend when F1 was in Miami, sprinkle on some lack of appreciation for what makes a market or golf tournament click, and the frugal-looking presentation hardly gave the Tour’s new owners “brand equity”. Or whatever nonsense will get Blankie his 11% return.

Thought: maybe instead of hitting the majors up for money, the Tour should ask for advice on how to put on a tournament? Just one idea.

Still, it was astounding to see how few people bought tickets the first three days. For those old enough to remember what it looks like when people attend a tournament at Doral, I can confirm it used to be a festive, fun event to watch when kicking off the Florida swing.

In May, when it’s 90 degrees and $90 to get in before fees and exhaustive security searches, it’s a wonder they drew anyone at all. Throw in the Trump factor as he polls in Jimmy Carter territory, and the event needed a creative approach to compensate for various constraints. But at least that massive charitable contribution will…

Props to Geoff for the linkage to the Red Sox and Mets' fortunes....  He is spot-on about the lifelessness of the Tour these days, which I assume means that they'll have to figure out a means to get more money into Patrick Cantlay's pockets.

Life In The Time of LIV -  In the moment of that D-Day announcement back in 2023, someone suggested a wellness check on Brandell Chamblee.... I'm awaiting proof of life on Phil.

I'll not stint in my enjoyment of their failure, though it would be far more pleasing had the PGA Tour not been turned into LIV-lite.  But it's all the Tour Confidential panel wants to chew upon this morning:

In a press release Thursday, LIV Golf announced new board members as it transitions from “a foundational launch phase to a diversified, multi-partner investment model.” Hours

later, its bankroller, the Saudi PIF, released its own statement saying the “PIF has made the decision to fund LIV Golf only for the remainder of the 2026 season. The substantial investment required by LIV Golf over a longer term is no longer consistent with the current phase of PIF’s investment strategy.” Now that you’ve had a few days to digest this bombshell — and after a rollercoaster April for LIV Golf — what thought has lingered with you?

Josh Sens: That for all the tumult, not much changed, aside from some players getting a whole lot richer. I suppose you could say LIV’s birth shook the Tour out of its complacency, which led to (ongoing) schedule changes and even fatter purses for already extravagantly paid golfers. Beyond that, though, what? Is there now an insatiable demand for team golf? There is not. Is professional golf itself a better product now for fans? I don’t see a ton of evidence of that.

Josh Schrock: I think Sens pretty much nailed it. What will stick with me long after LIV either morphs into something else or goes away entirely is that money couldn’t buy the parts of professional golf that actually resonate with fans: the tradition, the history and the meaning of the results. Billions of dollars can do a lot, but they can’t speed up time. It takes decades for sports leagues to resonate with fans and to develop a connection. LIV Golf was never going to be able to achieve that goal in a short time frame. As our Michael Bamberger wrote, LIV Golf changed the PGA Tour, but not for the better. And I feel like a reckoning is coming now that the Tour’s great opponent is teetering.

James Colgan: Good points, gents. My lingering thought was this: We never heard the “don” of LIV Golf, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, say a single word. However golf history remembers LIV’s most powerful Saudi benefactor, it will NOT remember him for saying a single word about the sport. “His Excellency” left golf as he entered it: Without a peep.

Exactly.  They didn't improve or change golf, they merely hurt the place they left.  Oh, large checks were cashed, which was in fact the entire point.

I'm just saddened that His Excellency wasn't granted the Augusta National membership that may have been what this was all about.  But to all the folks who said the Saudis could fund this as long as they wanted...... Isn't funny how you can be correct and still not get it.  

At Trump Doral for this week’s Cadillac Championship, several players were asked if LIV members should be welcomed back to the PGA Tour, and what types of penalties they should face. If you werePGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp, how would you handle players’ reintegration? Is it different for everyone? Would you not allow certain players at all?

Sens: Open a pathway for guys to play their way back on, with a point system that has some kind of reward for past performance. So that maybe the likes of Bryson and Rahm and Smith can compete in regular Tour events but not elevated events, which they’d still have to play their way into. The less relevant LIV guys would probably just retire rather than face that grind. And the younger guys would be left to try to earn their cards, which is what they’d probably be doing anyway.

Schrock: It’s going to have to be a case-by-case basis. As Rolapp and Jordan Spieth have noted, the PGA Tour extended an offer to Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith earlier this year and it wasn’t accepted. The next deal shouldn’t be as forgiving. Both Spieth and Rolapp also subtly mentioned the lawsuit that DeChambeau was a key plaintiff in after LIV launched in 2022. That’s a lawsuit that PGA Tour players had to pay to defend, and the road back for those who signed on to sue the Tour should be harsher than those who went to LIV quietly, like Brooks Koepka, and didn’t rock the boat. Rahm will be the interesting case. His exodus came at a time when LIV was floundering, and it gave the rebel league juice and calcified the two sides’ stances in golf’s civil conflict. That rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. I’m not sure there’s an easy way to bring either of the big names back without upsetting a big portion of Tour membership, but the Tour would certainly benefit economically from reintegrating them quickly. As for the rest of LIV’s roster, some who resigned their membership, like Patrick Reed, can try to play their way back via the DP World Tour or KFT. Many will disappear with their millions and not even knock on the door at the global home. In all honesty, we’re probably talking about 15-20 players in total that decisions need to be made on.

Colgan: I’d give Bryson a path back. His presence would single-handedly change the PGA Tour’s economics, and he’s probably the only LIV player for whom that is true (Jon Rahm probably deserves consideration here as well). Everyone else would be subject to a lengthy (and expensive) return process through the Tour’s strategic partners at the DP World Tour and the KFT, or a short-term retirement.

There's a few points that I'd like to make here.  The first is that I'm struggling to identify anyone beyond Bryson and Rahm that's even worthy of discussion at this point.  I'll concede that Bryson has created a following, one that the geriatric PGA Tour can't help but overvalue, but does anyone think Rahm moves the needle?

I will confess that Rahm is that quintessential guy that can't read the room.  he jumps thinking naively that he's so important that they'll have to cut a deal....  How did you enjoy your years in the isolation tank, Jon?  How has it helped you prepare for the majors?  And now?  he picks this time to hold out and go to war with the DP World Tour, just as LIV is vaporizing....  I guess he wants to ensure that he has absolutely nowhere to play in 2027.  Which, quite frankly, works for me.  He was arguing about having to play six of their events instead of four, so I'm totally cool with him playing in none.

But maybe the best reflection is how those three guys will regret not taking the Tour's offered deal.  None as much as Cam Smith, who by the evidence couldn't qualify right now for the championship bracket of your club championship.

Even if LIV Golf receives alternative funding, with the substantial PIF coffers no longer

available, does this end any sort of competition that was remaining with the PGA Tour?

Sens: I think so. If LIV taught us anything, it’s that the world does not need more professional
golf. At least not for the money these guys think they deserve to be making. Ironically, the Tour’s real competition for eyeballs these days doesn’t come from LIV. It comes from a bunch of YouTube bros producing their own content.

Schrock: Yes. Without the $30 million purses and signing bonuses, LIV will cease to be any sort of threat to the PGA Tour. It sounds like it’s close to a wrap, barring an unforeseen bailout.

Colgan: No fat lady is singing. Yet. But it sounds like she’s warming up.

I confess that I didn't think the PGA Tour was financeable, but LIV?  Surely you jest

What’s the best-case scenario for LIV Golf going forward?

Sens: Maybe pivot to crypto?

Schrock: Try to merge with the DP World Tour. LIV can slink along with limited funds, but there will almost certainly be a talent exodus once the money dries up.

Colgan: I think there’s a vision that could exist with significantly smaller purses at LIV’s previously successful golf-crazy venues (Korea, Australia, South Africa). The problem LIV is going to run into is that every sports league needs significant TV revenue to survive, and they’re not anywhere close to that right now.

I don't know, what does McKinsey say?  Have you stopped laughing yet?

With the benefit of hindsight, they should have tried to do a deal with the Euro Tour or, even better, the LPGA.  But McKinsey assured them world domination was their birthright, so what could go wrong?

Dis and Dat - Just a couple of minor bits to get me out of here.  The TC panel reference above could only spare this silly question about the week's play:

Sunday’s golf slate featured two blowouts, as Nelly Korda won by four in Mexico and Cameron Young won by six in Florida. Both have had fantastic starts to 2026, but which one are you taking as most likely to continue this success through the summer?

Sens: I think they’ll both keep rolling, but Young’s summer is going to stand out just a bit more boldly when he wins his first major at Shinnecock.

Schrock: It’s Korda for multiple reasons. The first is that she’s the unquestioned best player on her tour. Young has been fantastic but has to deal with Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and the blistering hot Matt Fitzpatrick. Korda changed her mentality after a winless 2025 and has been relentless to start this season. The only thing that can hold her back is a balky putter, but her new putting coach seems to have at least made that a net neutral. I expect her to win at least one more major this year and wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a three-major 2026 for Nelly.

Colgan: Cam! He’s a no-doubt top-5 player in the world right now, and a maiden voyage PGA Championship at Philly looms.

Cam has no doubt found his footing, but nelly can beat those girls in her sleep.  At least when she stays out of her own way.

I'm forever leaving browser tabs open, but do you agree I can dispense with this one?

Luke Donald is back as Euro Ryder Cup captain. What about Tiger Woods?

His Greta Garbo act in 2025 seems to have moved the needle, as many more folks now agree that he's the GOAT of dicks.

I'm not going to dive in too deeply, but there is something really odd in play with the R&A's site selection process:

Royal Lytham & St Annes To Host 2028 Open

The 11-time site returns, ending speculation that Trump Turnberry or Muirfield would land the next available open date.

Really?  Wee Lytham?

Not too many years ago, it was unclear if Lytham would ever return to rota hosting status after the 2012 edition won by Ernie Els. With most of the contenders hitting irons off tees to avoid Lytham’s 206-or-so bunkers, the links looked outdated by a modern game just beginning to welcome golfers who could walk without assistance, occasionally eat something green, and even dare to lift a weight. Els lifted the second Claret Jug of his celebrated career that week by edging out Adam Scott.

Turnberry hasn't hosted since 2009 and Muirfield since 2013, so the plot thickens.  Will we ever see Muirfield again?

That will have to suffice for today.  Have a great week.

Weekend Wrap - Summer of Nelly Edition

 Quite the good week for golf, methinks.  It will be fun watching them squander it.....

Houston, We Dodged A Bullet - The Tour That Can't Shoot Straight may have finally found a home for that major that has a permanent venue, though Houston itself is a big part of said problem.  But Geoff dives right in on the threshold issue of the day (see what I did there?):

Nelly Korda made the kiddie pond leap. With pride and an impressive cannonball to avoid a lower leg injury.

“Feet first,” Korda said. “I knew it was four feet so I was expecting to hit the ground very fast.”

That answered one of the key questions around the 2026 Chevron Championship and its makeshift pool. Another on most minds? Whether more than a few hundred people would show up over the weekend (they did). Otherwise, that’s about it for suspense at the first women’s major of the year. Blame Nelly.

Mercifully for all involved, Korda’s brilliance will be the takeaway from what was an otherwise flat and uninspired edition of the major formerly known as The Dinah.

My own take on the actual competition isn't quite as harsh as Geoff's, as the LPGA ended up with a great final round threesome, though he's on point that Nelly was never threatened.

But it was no walk in the (Memorial) park:

Unflappable and focused, Korda put together a wire-to-wire masterpiece. But she insisted this

was no walk in Memorial Park.

“Honestly, having that big of a lead, it's not easy,” she said. “It was definitely one of the hardest things I've had to do mentally.”

After taking the week off ahead of Chevron’s first playing inside Houston city limits, Korda carved up the minimalist muni with rounds of 65-65-70-70 to set 36 and 54-hole scoring records. Her 270 total finished just one stroke shy of Dottie Pepper’s 27-year-old set at Mission Hills.

With noticeably more rough than the men dealt with during March’s Texas Children’s Houston Open, Korda’s driving distance and accuracy took on real meaning. She landed in 40 of 52 fairways with a 269.0 average. Korda hit 59 of 72 greens and took 115 putts in a win that appeared nearly flawless—other than a few short misses.

“What I was telling myself was I really want to hoist this trophy because I want to show the kids at home that it’s okay to miss short putts and still win a major championship,” Korda said. “You’re going to make mistakes. You have to mentally still be in it 100%, and that’s really what I wanted show. I wanted to show it to myself and I wanted to show it to everyone looking up to me.”

Sure we'd have preferred the collar to be a little tighter down the stretch, but the state of the women's game is such that this is manna from heaven.  There is simply no other woman on the LPGA that has a fraction of Nelly's Q-rating, partially due to the sorry state of American women's golf.  But, while Patty and Jeeno are appealing players, the tour needs the American market more than human's need oxygen, and that means Nelly has outsized importance.  So, the summer of Nelly would also inevitably be the Summer of the LPGA.

Let's duck into the Tour Confidential for a bit, before returning to some downer notes from Geoff:

Nelly Korda won the Chevron Championship, blitzing the field to win by five and claim the first major of the year, the third of her career. Two years ago she won seven times, but followed it up with a winless 2025. This year she has already won twice. Is a summer of Nelly Korda dominance ahead? What’s changed?

James Colgan: It is the hardest thing in golf to win a tournament. And yet, it is very, very hard to lose golf tournaments when you’re playing the way Nelly did this weekend. On the front nine on

Sunday with a five-shot lead, feeling all of the pressure in the world to close it out, Korda made seven pars and two birdies. There’s a maturity in that kind of sensibility on Sunday at a major, and I think it explains a lot of her success in Houston.

Sean Zak: I think Nelly has settled in to a comfortable spot with what she wants to be to the game. When she last went on a run like this, there was immense pressure for her to carry the entire women’s game. To try and live up to cross-sport comparisons to Caitlin Clark. I’m not sure Korda ever really felt great about all of that.

To answer the question, I hope a Summer of Nelly is upon us. She is unquestionably one of the best golfers we’ve ever seen, which just makes me want to see what she’s capable of achieving at her very peak. This comes the same week that DataGolf launched its women’s rankings. I want to see her take off and plant her flag with one of the best seasons of all-time. And then, if I can be greedy, I want to see Jeeno Thitikul go toe-to-toe with her.

Josh Schrock: Here in Houston all week, it was very apparent that Nelly Korda is at peace with who she is, and her maturity on the golf course stems from both personal happiness and a decision that she and caddie Jason McDede made to approach things differently after 2025. She’s made a concerted effort to play smart golf, not take on unnecessary risk and not let negativity, both internal and external, seep into her game. McDede told me that the loss last year at Erin Hills was really the catalyst for the changes she made to her mentality, and I think there’s reason to believe she could rip off several more wins this year. Every part of her game is firing, and her decision to hire a “no nonsense” putting coach has helped address what was the Achilles’ heel of her game. The hype train leading into Riviera will be out of control.

I think Sean Zak hits on the dilemma, that there is an unnatural pressure on the one lady.  There's great natural talent there for sure, though she's also been mistake-prone and has struggled with leads, yanno, the human stuff of our game.  But, as I alluded to above, there is simply no other LPGA player that will cause folks to turn on their TV's.

And this silly bit:

A pre-tournament talking point at the Chevron was if the winner’s leap into Poppie’s Pond should continue with the tournament now taking place at a new venue, Memorial Park. A small pool was built as a placeholder this year (which Korda splashed into) until a more natural water feature is built by Tom Doak before next year. Should the winner’s leap have stayed put at the previous venue, Carlton Woods? Is it gimmicky? Or is it a fun tradition and important to preserve?

Colgan: Golf people get so worked up about the dumbest things. I’d argue sports are fun precisely because of our stupidly blind adherence to totally outrageous (and often watered down) traditions like the winner’s leap. We’re investing emotionally into someone’s capacity to put a white ball into a hole in the ground in fewer lashes than their opponent. That’s as dumb as it gets. If the winner wants to jump into a kiddie pool or battle an orangutan after, we should be unmoved.

Zak: If they battle an orangutan, I’m gonna be moved by that. Sorry, James. But I actually kinda dig this tradition, mostly because … who cares? Bring your hate elsewhere. There are more important — and way more gimmicky — things to get angry about. Nelly’s team seemed to enjoy the leap.

Schrock: Completely agree. What was all the fuss about? The players want to keep tradition alive and the LPGA created a stopgap move to allow it. There’s way too much hand-wringing about dumb things in golf. This was much ado about nothing. Korda was one of the players who wanted the tradition kept alive. She dove in. We move on. It’s sports. Go take a lap if you’re so aggrieved, maybe in a pool.

That sound you hear is my eyes rolling in the socket, not that I much disagree with anything the writers have said, with the exception of wanting to ban Zak's analogy.

This is a tough one in that the tradition was tied to a specific venue, and it's never not going to feel forced in Houston.  That said, unlike the big-boy tour, this isn't the ladies voluntarily abandoning their birthright, this was forced on them by Augusta National, a/k/a The Patriarchy.  So, I'm inclined to let them make the best of it, without my usual snark.

Alas, Geoff leaves us with these depressing thoughts:

Korda’s brilliance distracted from what was an inauspicious start at Memorial Park. The venue played incredibly well despite three inches of rain leading into the first round (with the LPGA staff admirably playing the ball down despite player grumbling).

But practically non-existent galleries on Thursday and Friday were impossible to ignore. As were the empty hospitality chalets (a primary motivation for Chevron to move the tournament closer to its headquarters.) Throw in persistently gray skies and lack of vibe in the fourth largest market, and it’s hard not to blame the oversaturation of pro golf caused by returning to a venue that hosted the PGA Tour just last month.

There will be a similar conundrum when Korda turns up in Los Angeles for the next women’s major, the U.S. Women’s Open. Riviera Country Club also hosts an annual PGA Tour stop in a notoriously fickle golf market.

Yes, and there's one other issue of the ladies following the men, that golf viewers can see the difference.  And while the Chevron comes in the sports shoulder season, the U.S. Women's Open will be in the heart of the summer, competing against both a stronger sports schedule and, perhaps more importantly, the summer outdoor activities of their viewership.  And, as Geoff notes, LA doesn't turn out for anything and, if they do, they leave in the fifth inning to beat traffic.

Fitzmagic - Am I the only one that notices that the best moments on the PGA Tour seem to come in their least important events, kind of bass-ackwards to this observer.

The Tour shrinks field sizes dramatically to try to script their Sundays, then we see that the best moments are the ones that couldn't be scripted due to their implausibility.  Nick Dunlop comers to mind, but how about a scenario where a major winner hits a world-class shot the deliver a PGA Tour card for his kid brother?  Nah, c'mon, that could never happen!

Brother of the Year Matt Fitzpatrick hits superb sand shot to win Zurich Classic, give brother Alex a PGA Tour card

The ballgame moment—as in, "we've got ourselves a ballgame"—came on the 12th hole, when

an errant drive from Matt Fitzpatrick kicked off a chain of events that ended with his younger brother Alex putting out for double bogey. This was the closing stretch of the final round of the Zurich Classic, played in the alternate-shot format, and everyone knew the stakes: with a win for the brothers, Alex Fitzpatrick would get a two-and-a-half-year PGA Tour exemption on the spot. (He wasn't without a backup plan—he's seventh in the Race to Dubai standings on the DP World Tour, and the top 10 also get PGA Tour cards for the following year, but this was both a swifter and a bigger prize.) For most of the front nine, it appeared as though they'd cruise to a win. The double bogey invited doubt, and a heap of pressure.

Now they had to battle, and it was the elder brother, Matt, who continued to leak oil as the back wore on. He followed the errant drive on 12 with a pull on the par-3 14th that led to a bogey, and when the Norwegian duo of Kristoffer Reitan and Kris Ventura finished their superb day with an eagle on 18, the teams were tied at 30 under. A few minutes later, Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer made it a trio, finishing with birdie and broaching the possibility of a three-team playoff.

he Fitzpatricks needed a birdie in the last four holes to win outright, but trouble found them again on 15 with a poor drive and approach that left them off the green. This time, though, Matt buried an eight-foot par putt to stay abreast, and he bailed his little brother out again on 16 with a chip from off the green to two feet. On the par-3 17th, Alex's excellent iron to 14 feet led to a simple par, and then it was down to the extremely birdie-able 18th. One birdie, and the brothers had it.

Matt shook off the back nine tee demons to bomb a 322-yard drive down the left side of the fairway, but with 260 yards left, Alex's approach came up 35 yards short in a bunker.

What happened next might be the shot of the year and certainly goes down as the best sand shot since Bryson DeChambeau secured his U.S. Open win at Pinehurst on the 18th hole. Matt Fitzpatrick's shot came out high, but stopped quickly, and came to rest a foot from the hole.

The Zurich isn't much, but at least they've found a means to differentiate themselves from the week-to-week mindlessness of Tour life.  But throw in the family connections and, presto, you've found real-life drama involving an attractive family (not to mention the third-ranked player in the world).

I've linked to the TC panel, but would you believe that they don't even acknowledge this event in their Q&A?  They spare a slot for Ryder Cup ticket prices more than a year out, but ignore a heartwarming story that happens on national TV.  Bizarre.

Schedule Follies - This is far from the most pressing issue of the day, but the TC panel had this on next year's schedule:

It’s official — for the first time in nearly six decades, the PGA Tour will not stop in Hawaii during the 2027 season, a domino of the forthcoming schedule change. Will you miss Hawaii? And what was your favorite moment during the Tour’s time in The Aloha State?

Colgan: I’ll miss Hawaii. The golf course was fun and distinct, and the vibes were aspirational in a way few events on the golf calendar are. In a lot of ways, it feels like this is the moment we’ll look back upon as the Tour’s defining shift toward commerce in the mid-2020s. Not a bad thing, but a thing worth noting!

Zak: It’s okay to miss Hawaii as a season-starter and also know it was not an economically viable tournament. We live in an era of sports that will squeeze plenty of Things We Like out and replace them with Things We Still Like But Are Better Funded. It is what it is. This is a strictly commercial move and I think we’ll look back on it in five years in a totally accepting way. That said, the Tiger-Ernie battle from 2000 was one of the best mano a mano golf moments we’ve ever had.

Schrock: I’ll miss Hawaii for sure. Kapalua was a great course and it gave everyone buried in snow in the northeast an escape. That being said, I completely understand why the decision was made from a financial standpoint. Agree, this decision feels like a notable moment in the PGA Tour’s for-profit journey.

Do these guys remember that Hawaii was two events, not one? 

Personally, I have greave doubts that this makes sense.  To me, the Tour's biggest problem is that mind-numbing sameness of the week-to-week experience, yet the events that are cancelled tend to be the more interesting.  Hawaii offers not just those unbelievable vistas at a time of year folks need them, but also a useful time difference that allows for prime time broadcasts. 

That said, they're focusing on next year's schedule, whereas they've screwed up next week's event:

Is next week’s PGA Tour field a problem? Or just the truth?

It's a hot mess of an article, because it oddly focuses on the sponsor's exemptions, which is its own ugly story these days.  But the important point is this:

Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Bob MacIntyre, Ludvig Aberg and Matt Fitzpatrick — all ranked in the world top 15 — will be skipping next week in Miami. (For McIlroy, it’ll be the second Signature Event skipped this season.) All together, it’s the most significant voluntary departure of talent any Signature Event has seen to date, and there’s an extremely obvious reason: most pros are okay playing three events in a row. But some definitely don’t want to play a major championship in that third week.

Please remember, those sage administrators telling us that Hawaii isn't viable are the same mental midgets that put signature events before and after majors.  Remember how they told us we had to exclude the riffraff so we'd know when Rory was going to play?  Yeah, they lie to us.  And when they told us it wasn't about the money?

Alas, Poor Furyk (The Sequel) - I have good news for anyone hoping for me to recapture enthusiasm for this blog, this story won't hurt.  Not only can I recycle one of my favorite nicknames (as in the header), but we can relive all of that 2018 bloggy fun just as PReed returns to the fold.  Good fun!

Geoff captures the dreary reality of it:

Jim Furyk Is The Next Ryder Cup Captain, Again

PGA of America and Task Force holdovers select another uninspired Ryder Cup

I'm sorry, was Hal Sutton unavailable?

It’s official. Stewart Cink is the new Larry Nelson.

Both were born in Alabama and became adopted Georgians. While Nelson won three majors to Cink’s one, each played on multiple Ryder Cup teams, Cink competed five times to Nelson’s three. But Nelson played on two winning teams to Cink’s one.

Both are nice guys who’ve made no known enemies outside of the PGA of America. Each has represented their country with class and dignity. Neither has ever sold merch outside a Hooters on Washington Road. Are they too nice?

You’d think the modern-day, in-total-shambles-PGA-of-America might have prioritized kind-guy values after the boondoggle at Bethpage messed with Samuel Ryder’s reason for starting the matches.

“I trust that the effect of this match will be to influence a cordial, friendly, and peaceful feeling throughout the whole civilized world,” the founder said.

Instead, they’ll be wheeling out Furyk to lead the USA team at Adare Manor, according to the Associated Press. He’s officially the new Davis Love. The inoffensive guy golf org’s turn to again and again in a safety-first, ass-covering, utterly-lazy world. Apparently, the PGA of America’s driving force in the decision this time was geared toward…letting brass sleep at night? You know, because those wild, wacky rebels like a Stewart Cink, or a Justin Leonard, or a David Toms or a Fred Couples would be too much trouble. Even the most recent losing American Captain, Keegan Bradley, could have been brought back if only he’d ever brought himself to admit bungling the 2025 job’s extra-important fan “engagement” component.

Geoff quite obviously understates the importance of experience,  specifically the experience of losing Ryder Cups badly.  

But, strike that, it so happens Geoff is all over that experience thing:

Furyk is level-headed and has vast experience handling losing well. He gives decent-enough press conference. He’s earned a Masters and Ph.D. in Sunday Night Forlorn Face after playing on seven losing squads and captaining the 2018 team to an especially ugly defeat at Le Golf Nationale.

Furyk was also supposed to be the sage veteran voice to Bradley at Bethpage. Perhaps he was the lone outlier vote against starting with the European’s beloved Foursomes. Or maybe he lobbied Bradley hard to discourage fans from hurling insults and beers at the visiting team’s family. We’ll never know.

Hey, but as a Vice Cart Driver Furyk’s 2-2!

USA! USA! USA!

It's not the losing that bothers me, as that 2018 team wasn't ever likely to win.   But if you go back (and for surer we will) and look at his pairings, it's hard to imagine giving him another captaincy.  He showed an inability to understand the two team formats, throwing guys like Phil and PReed out in foursomes, and Justine Reeds tweeting show his complete loss of team discipline.  So, great choice, guys!

The PGA of America announced Jim Furyk as its Ryder Cup captain for 2027, and he’ll

become just the fourth repeat captain in the modern era. While we already discussed the news earlier this week, Furyk has had plenty of experience since his 2018 loss (as Ryder Cup assistant and Presidents Cup captain). What do you think his biggest learning from Paris has been that will be most beneficial next year?

Colgan: Don’t allow yourself to start the Cup by getting punched in the face. A fast start is the biggest asset for any road team, and it’s especially true at the Cup.

Zak: Here’s what the biggest learning needs to be: pairings decided weeks in advance. Perhaps months in advance. The Euros have trotted out pairs they knew would be playing together back in June. It seems like a strategy that keeps working.

Schrock: There has to be a better strategy with the pairings than letting guys play with who they want to and flying by the seat of their pants as the competition goes on. The U.S. has the talent but they are lacking in every other area.

 Did Furyk not know that pairings mattered in 2018?

Reminds of Davis Love's mewling after Medinah..... He didn't know that they should have a plan for pin locations....  Hmmm, wasn't that his job?    It's really fascinating because they tell us how time consuming the job of Ryder Cup captain is, then we find out they can't be bothered with the actual job.  Maybe hire someone that gets it?  Just spitballin' here....  Or, do what you always do, wait around for Tiger with no Plan B, then make an ill-conceived snap decision.

I will need to leave you there.  Have a great week.

Weekend Wrap - A World Without LIV Edition

It's been an extremely tough stretch for your humble blogger, the only saving grace being that the issues are not long-term.  But the last tow weeks has been quite hellish....

Have I had cause to reference Hemingway previously?  I can't remember doing so but, then again, I can't actually remember much.  But, back in the day he was asked how golf tours go bankrupt, and this was his answer:

"Two ways: gradually and then suddenly"

Please buckle your seat belt as we exit the gradual stage.....

Fitzmagic -  I'm a fan of Harbor Town (which I played once back in the day) and this perfect, laid-back post-Masters get-together.... Strike that, what used to be a pleasantly relaxed vibe has been ruined by designating it a Signature Event.  The alleged slam-dunk logic of forcing the top 70 players to play the same week is undermined when half the filed is suffering from pimento-cheese withdrawal symptoms.

Geoff had some thoughts on the week:

Matt Fitzpatrick did it again.

He captured another RBC Heritage at Harbour Town.

He became the second two-time winner on the tour this year.

And continuing a trend that Fitzpatrick brushed off with aplomb last month en route to winning the Valspar, he had to hold off both the World No. 1 and a xenophobic-adjacent Hilton Head crowd.

“It didn’t get out of line in terms of no one was shouting on backswings or anything like that,” Fitzpatrick said after birdieing the first hole of sudden death to beat Scottie Scheffler. “Which was great. I’m all for it. I love the people -- they’re supporting Scottie; that’s great. You want golf to have an atmosphere in my opinion.”

Fitzpatrick’s fourth PGA Tour title joins his wins at the 2022 U.S. Open, 2023 RBC Heritage, and the 2026 Valspar.

The crowd partisanship on display at a pretty old school PGA Tour stop seemed particularly odd thanks to Fitzpatrick’s passion for Harbour Town and the Englishman’s embrace of American tour life.

It's a lovely story of a English family finding their ideal vacation spot across the wide Atlantic, as apparently they don't like their golf course without encroaching residential real estate.  

The Tour Confidential panel struggled unsuccessfully for an angle on the event:

Matt Fitzpatrick won the RBC Heritage in a playoff over Scottie Scheffler, who started the day three shots off the lead but caught Fitzpatrick late. Is your Hilton Head takeaway more focused on Fitzpatrick’s second win in the last month, or Scheffler’s second straight runner-up finish?

Colgan: How quickly we forget that Scottie Scheffler remains a U.S. Open victory away from the career grand slam? Kudos to Fitz for another win, and for continuing to reestablish himself as one of the premier players in the sport … but my eyes are already peeking ahead to Shinnecock.

Sens: Like Woods before him, Scheffler has twisted our expectations so wildly out of proportion that a second-place finish somehow gets cast as a failure. Fitzpatrick is on a great run of golf. Scheffler is operating in a different dimension. Whatever “struggles” he went through earlier seem to be behind him. So yeah, as James said, eyes on Shinnecock. But also on Aronimink before that. And frankly, anywhere Scheffler tees it up.

Schrock: The Scheffler “struggles” were blown out of proportion as we tend to do when an elite athlete dips below the level at which we’ve become accustomed to seeing them operate. Scheffler almost erased a 12-shot weekend deficit at the Masters with an ice-cold putter. He’s the best in the world, and I expect him to contend every time he tees it up. To me, this was more about Fitzpatrick. A year ago, he was in a bad spot. His game was “rubbish,” and he was ranked 79th in the world. A year later, he has three worldwide wins and has beaten both Rory and Scottie in separate playoffs. His rise back is impressive, and I think he’s a much better player now than what we thought his ceiling was when he won the 2022 U.S. Open. Expect him to threaten at Aronimink and the Open.

The success is a surprise, as is the added length he's added, which is where so many before him have lost their games and minds.  No doubt a tough competitor not scared by the moment and, just to add a downer, likely to be a Ryder Cup thorn in our side for the foreseeable future.

Masters Scat - Geoff's been doing his typical post-major thing, by which I mean Winners, Cut-Makers and Point-Missers.  I haven't read any of them yet, think of it as bare-back blogging, but I'll be very disappointed is a certain Spaniard doesn't break into that last category.....

Shall we start with his good stuff? Again, rhetorical....

Champions, 2026 Masters

The very best from another remarkable week at Augusta National.

Tournament Starting On The Back Nine Sunday. The Jenkins credo has made its way back from the dark (Hootie) days. As tempting as it is, there is need to re-litigate course changes that

changed the Masters flow from three-and-a-half days of socializing, respectful applause, and pimento cheese sandwiches to U.S. Open style golf. Some of the reverting back to old school vibe has been done by distances catching up to course changes made with future leaps in mind. Helene helped clear out some trees (or get them moved to plug in holes). A few more could be moved from 15 and 17 to encourage more Sunday afternoon zaniness. The final confirmation that no one should blink an eye until around 4:30 on Sunday afternoon? Rory McIlroy approached his front nine setbacks just other legends aware of the old adage.

The guild requires a Dan Jenkins reference, so we're pleased to meet those obligations....

Golden Bell. What a needy little hole! So many others would love to be the decider just once to plant new little demon seeds. But nooooo, you just have to do it every year. First, it was the

Augusta National Women’s Amateur, when Maria Jose Marin experienced a “miracle” before Asterisk Talley joined the Hall of Fame list of greats to suffer at the hands of 155’s cruelty. Then came the Masters final round, with the same stock swirling breezes that have confounded every generation. But it’s the green’s extreme angle that never fails to shock players. Maybe it’s because Sunday’s back right hole comes a day after the traditional holes cut in the center or all the way left? Either way, measuring 161 yards, the final round shot by McIlroy embodied a wild week: using wisdom gained and stored on his immense mental server, McIlroy remedied his iron pulls in a post-third round practice session. Then he made a nearly seven-foot birdie putt that can be tricky to read. His chasers had every opportunity at No. 12. Scheffler played a smart shot to the green center. Rose drew a strange lie, and playing partner Cameron Young took on the flag but couldn’t make a slightly longer putt. The field averaged 3.259 on Sunday with just four birdies made. McIlroy joined 14 other champions in using the hole to prove his superiority. Golden Bell ruled again.

Although the line Rory took should be an exhibit in out ball rollback debate..... Do we want to live in a world where they can fire with impunity at the Masters Sunday pin on No. 12?

Hard to imagine this guy not grabbing one or more:

Cameron Young. Sustaining the brilliance on display in his Players win, Young didn’t do much wrong playing alongside McIlroy. “I handled it fine, just didn’t make anything,” he said of

starting the day -11 and posting a 73. “That’s the story the week honestly if you look through all four rounds. I had a chip in yesterday and maybe made a putt or 2-over ten feet and really that was it. So I feel like I played the golf I needed to. Just didn’t have the day making anything at all.” Young’s putting for the week was more than fine. He only three-putted once all week (sixth hole Sunday) and had a respectable 115 to rank T19 on a 1.60 average. “If you go through the back nine I pretty much had a birdie chance on every hole and didn't make any. That's how it goes sometimes.” Young has now posted his best finish in the tournament that means the most to him and set the stage for future success at Augusta National. As McIlroy can attest, that’s a pretty handy thing to experience and learn from. And Young seems like the kind of player who will be better for such a close brush with the Green Jacket.

What a great couple of weeks for old-timey phots.  Cam at Augusta with his Dad and the Fitzgerald clan in front of the iconic Hilton Head lighthouse....

This one I would have had in the middle tier:

Justin Rose. The sentimental choice took the lead late in the front nine, only to suffer another crushing Masters loss. “ I was really in control. First ten holes I felt like I was -- yeah, I was. And the mentality was to run through the finish line not just try and get it done. I was playing great, but just momentum shifted for me around the Amen Corner.” Rose bailed right at the 11th, bailed left at 12 and three-putted the 13th after hitting it to 30 feet from 208. “Felt like the crowd was amazing to me all week long. They pulled for me all week long. I felt their encouragement and support. At the end, it kind of goes a little flat. It’s more of a sympathy than anything.” While he still has the drive and skills to win, he’s running out of time. “It was still, nonetheless, very beautiful. But, yeah, another little stinger.” Rose. needs to regroup with the PGA at Aronimink, where he’s won before and in the same city where he captured his 2013 U.S. Open.

He shows what a great guy he is by talking about it, but can't help but hedge a bit by not explaining the momentum shift.  What happened?  It's the oldest bit in  the world.... he saw a scoreboard showing that he was a couple of shots clear and had that, "Holy S**t, Batman, I'm gonna win this thing" moment.  

It's hard because he's such a nice guy, buy we've seen this movie more than once, no?

Geoff devotes the vast majority of his Cutmakers column to CBS, presumably channeling his inner Clifford Roberts:

CBS’s rough finish. The various streams and announcing work produced by CBS were as tremendous as ever, particularly on the streaming side with network-grade shows and enjoyable

announcers who pass the background listening test. You wouldn’t know it because of the wackier-than-usual backlash over shots not shown and some regrettable moments. The streams complementing the main coverage are also as live as golf gets. Meaning, second-screen viewers can see shots immediately, while the main CBS show that is watched by the vast majority (peaking at 20.049 million Sunday) features even more production in the form of visuals, graphics, and other information that is cobbled together for the main audience. That show can’t be everywhere at once to cover golf spread over many holes. This leads to annual complaints about seeing shots well after they’ve aired on Amen Corner Live or Featured Group coverage. Or not at all, as was the case again this year in a few questionable cases (and even though folks can go to the amazing Masters app if they absolutely must see Haotong Li’s 10 on the 13th. The criticism suggesting shots shown on tape are signs of catastrophic failure are odd since, (A) one can get plenty of live golf via the streaming option, and, (B) the notion that covering a golf tournament is the same as a Super Bowl played in a stadium, as NBC’s Kevin Kisner claimed in an embarrassing, obscenity-laden rant about his inability to follow the action while during his soon-to-be one-off Masters Radio stint. (Fun fact: the next intelligent thing Kisner says during an NBC telecast will also be a first for “Kiz”.) (Fun fact 2: his boss at Comcast/NBC is also a member of Augusta National who hopefully had to take time away from much more vital matters to mop up the mess made by his vapid lead golf analyst.)

That said, the “not-enough-live-golf-shots” criticism was legitimate in situations like Friday afternoon’s mistake, when the CBS-produced ESPN coverage missed Rory McIlroy’s dramatic chip-in at No. 17. A roar could be heard while we were looking at another golfer. This roar-in-the-background was a regular annoyance in the 80s and 90s. In 2026, it’s a head-scratcher. The defending champ who happens to be the biggest draw in the field made two birdies in a row and was potentially distancing himself in record fashion. There were only a few groups left on the course. At this point, he should have been getting the Woods treatment of showing everything but bathroom breaks. (We also know from the past that a network gets dinged for all-Tiger-all-the-time coverage.)

I don't disagree about Kiz, who one expects is under significant pressure to be funny.....

But look at the bright side, Geoff.  At least this Rory-induced cheer wasn't accompanied by the mentally-challenged Sir Nick telling us what CBS couldn't be bother showing us.

Here Geoff hints at the long-running ANGC-CBS tension:

After a spectacular West Coast Swing, the shows from Augusta had more out-of-character misses exacerbated by viewers having access to second-screen options almost anywhere they want (Prime, ESPN, Paramount+, Masters.com, Masters app, Telemundo+, etc). This year’s drone work, sound, and updated Amen Corner camera angles were more spectacular than ever. So was nearly all of the camerawork that’s often taken for granted when networks show up with their best practitioners. So there is no question that losing McIlroy’s ball on the 18th for almost a minute was truly bizarre and unprecedented. And it’s still not clear what went wrong since the Masters.com scoreboard’s replay of McIlroy’s shots does (sort of) follow his ball into the sand (albeit not very smoothly, suggesting it may have been a good guess or a hunch by the other 18th green camera operator).

One contributing factor may be related to Augusta National’s well-intentioned love of minimalism. At a typical PGA Tour event, CBS spotters are free to roam and alert the truck on the whereabouts of wayward tee shots. If a camera operator loses the ball, the direct can tell the camera where to look. At Augusta National’s 18th hole, there are tighter restrictions for access to the second half of the hole. This is done in the name of creating the admittedly beautiful look of the player and caddie walking to the green. The on-course reporter also must disappear. It’s an uphill hole where it’s hard to see the outcome of a shot from the fairway.

The national crisis erupting over the finishing blunder may come down to a spotter just not seeing the ball. But having no announcers on the hole may have also delayed a determination of the ball’s final resting spot. Multiple backup systems failed, and a worst-case scenario ensued following McIlroy’s wayward tee shot.

Have you read this?

 Well, why the hell not?

To me, our old friend David Owen nailed the subtitle, especially when you remember who isn't cited.  Roberts was quite the fascinating character and my favorite part was the interaction with CBS after each annual tournament.  The Masters (meaning Clifford Roberts) drove innovation in the broadcasting of golf, while simultaneously constraining it.

To demonstrate, I always cite Bubba's famous playoff shot from the woods on No. 10, endearingly recreated in those commercials this year.  What I point out to folks is that when Bubba hit the shot the viewer had nothing.... No yardage and no sense of what kind of opening he had.  Why?  Because at that point ANGC still precluded the use of an on-course reporter... It's true they now allow Dottie, but that only took fifty years to arrange...

But Geoff is nothing if not constructive:

Here’s a modest proposal: save some bucks by losing the Hallmark Channel reenactments. Instead, run some of those great shots of the past, fly the drone up Magnolia Lane, cut to a pretty course shot with the leaderboard set to some goosebump-inducing Dave Loggins, then get a “hello friends” from Butler Cabin, and get busy showing golf shots so you don’t have to play catch-up the rest of the day. Everyone’s happy! (Except the actors.)

CBS and The Masters may be victims of their well-intentioned efforts to do too much for too many hours at the expense of production precision. They also seem one hole announcer and an on-course reporter short of having the best possible storytelling team. It would be a shame if the 18th hole lost ball causes the tournament and production to pull back from innovating that has pushed golf television forward. The perks for viewers have far outweighed the mistakes.

They have innovated, it's just that they simultaneously constrain innovation.

Shall we get to the fun bits?  Yeah, you're still struggling to pick up on those rhetorical queries....

(Point) Missers, 2026 Masters

LIV, Bryson, Sergio, Code of Conduct violators, PGA Tour profit seekers, crackdowns on patrons, a Par 3 alternative, ESPN, Merch stress, and the new candy bar.

It's an embarrassment of riches....Though this lede photo might come as a surprise:

I'm going to embargo his LIV comments for a bit, but this guy has learned the meaning of karma:

Bryson DeChambeau. After inviting Kevin Hart to hit balls on the big boys range Masters

Tournament Practice Facility ahead of the comedian’s Par 3 caddie gig, DeChambeau played two uneven rounds before heading home a year after contending late into 2025’s final round. Since calling Augusta National a par-67, the not-happening-now $500 million man has been a whopping 126-over, and 16-over the actual par of 72. Bryson’s game won’t grow until he learns to hit better iron shots in majors, where advanced metrics increasingly tell us that approach play is the difference maker, no matter the course. LIV’s top player hit only eight greens in round one, then managed to find 14 in round two, only to triple the 18th after another greenside bunker slash-and-burn job. But Bryson did elaborate on the 3D printed 5-iron he’s created and does genuinely still seem to care when he shows up at a Grand Slam event. “Just going to give what the golf course gives me,” he said after round one. “I have to try to hit my irons better.” Bryson, as a wise philosopher once said, “There is no try.”

 That 18th hole meltdown on Friday as schadenfreudalicious as anything I've seen lately....

Though he did make us wait for this one:

Sergio. The 2016 champion seemed to be in especially miserable form all week, despite achieving his goal of making the cut. “Really, with the way I’m feeling about my game and the way I’d been playing coming in, I honestly gave myself very few chances of doing it,” he said of reaching the weekend. “But the feelings are still very bad, very bad, very ugly.” After driving in No. 2’s fairway bunker on Sunday, Gargia took a giant chunk out of the second tee. It required a cup cutter crew to replace the maimed turf. He appeared to break his driver on a bench, then carried Jon Rahm’s bag down the fairway because his playing partner’s bagman raked the sand. His Point Misser HOFer status was never in doubt, but the final round incident makes him a first ballot lock. He’s since apologized in a pointless statement written by someone else or AI. And as pitiful as the antics were, Garcia accidentally revealed a previously unknown Code of Conduct policy. It explained why he received an unprecedented on-course visit from Rules and Competitions Chair Geoff Yang. Well done, Sergio!

he makes me work too hard.  I can't just title a photo "Sergio Meltdown", I need to specify the event and year.....

My favorite bit about this incident was his playing partner, fellow Spaniard and LIV miscreant Jon Rahm.  Makes for a perfect thought bubble contest, no?  

Life In The Time of (No) LIV - Here were Geoff's comments about LIV's Masters' week:

LIV. If this “golf, but louder” just made its final Masters appearance, what a way to go out. The Saudi Arabia-backed entity appears—gulp—to be-heading toward its inevitable demise. The remainder of this year may feature an entertaining mix of, “we’re not getting paid,” “they lied to us,” “this isn’t what we signed up for,” et. cetera. Oh joy. Heading into The Masters, LIV’s poorly-conceived early-season schedule lacked domestic tune-up events, thereby sending the top game-growers to Augusta in less-than-fresh manner. The toll was evident by uninspired and sloppy play from the 10 who turned up, Tyrrell Hatton’s T3 notwithstanding. There was plenty of crankiness and embarrassment induced by Augusta National’s multi-layered difficulties that no LIV venue could prepare them for for. The once-promising Cameron Smith missed his sixth straight cut in a major. Jon Rahm (T38) barely made the weekend, but at least got a front row seat for Sergio’s Sunday meltdown. Dustin Johnson (T33) reminded everyone that he still plays golf. But with the PIF outlining a new future minus NEOM, Trojena and investments that lose gobs of money and subject fans to persistent DJs, LIV’s demise appears imminent after the PIF decided to end funding this year. Instead of an immediate death, we’ll have more time to ponder how the disruptor tour destroyed legacies and careers. But don’t cry because it happened. Smile because it’s almost over.

 Say it with me... It couldn't happen to nicer group of guys.

I don't actually have huge amounts to add, but shall we see what the TC panel has for us?  Good on you for realizing the rhetorical nature of that question:

Early last week, several news outlets reported uncertainty regarding LIV Golf’s future, indicating the Saudi PIF was on the verge of pulling its funding. LIV CEO Scott O’Neil told his staff via email on Wednesday: “Our season continues exactly as planned, uninterrupted

and at full throttle. While the media landscape is often filled with speculation, our reality is defined by the work we do on the grass.” But O’Neil was more specific about the situation on Thursday, when he said in a TV interview, “The reality is you’re funded through the season, and then you work like crazy as a business to create a business and a business plan to keep us going.” (The clip was deleted but still circulated online.) On Sunday, Jon Rahm won LIV’s sixth event of the season, in Mexico City. What’s your primary takeaway from what was a wild week for the five-year-old league?

James Colgan: My primary takeaway is simple: The Saudis seem to be getting out of the business of running a golf league, which is a truly momentous takeaway for the entire sport. LIV now enters a period in which it will need to work hard to find a path to survival, and as its CEO, Scott O’Neil, himself said, it seems all options are on the table.

Josh Sens. One takeaway is as old as capitalism: that new businesses — even the disruptive variety — are hard to grow no matter how much money you put into them. That said, for Saudi Arabia, getting out of the business of funding a professional golf tour would not have to mean getting out of golf. A new course just opened in Jura. Others are in the works. The ambition is still to grow the country’s presence in the game, but likely now as a host for golf tourism and tour events. Which, in retrospect, seems like it would have been the better path all along.

Josh Schrock: My main takeaway is that if the PIF pulls out, LIV Golf, as we know it, would need to reinvent itself. O’Neil said he would pursue all avenues to get more funding, but it’s hard to see one or several sponsors willing to bankroll the league at a level that would allow for more nine-figure contracts. O’Neil himself said LIV wouldn’t be profitable for five or 10 years without significant changes.

Reinvent itself?  Remind me how well the original invention was doing?  I'm sure banks are lining up at the door to fund Phil and DJ, but it's more than passing strange to wonder about their path to viability absent PIF funding, when they had no path to viability with said funding.

Apparently they insist on continuing to beat the deceased horse:

To Schrock’s point, can LIV continue in its current form without PIF’s deep pockets? If so, what would need to change?

Colgan: Definitely not in its current form. The league has spent more than $5 billion of Saudi funding to date, and, as Josh noted, O’Neil has already said that the league is several years away from any hope of profitability. Depending upon who steps up to help LIV with funding, I’d say any change is on the table.

Sens: Nope, the league would not be viable in its current form, and I have a tough time imagining what other form it might take. A limited series of world championship events with big overseas dollar sponsorships? But is there really a market for more big-dollar professional golf than we already have? The LIV experiment has shown that certain markets — Australia and South Africa, for example — are hungry for golf star power, but, on a global level, building and drawing eyeballs to a new league is a steep hill to climb.

Schrock: LIV could try and merge with the DP World Tour or reconstruct how it did a lot of things when the PIF spigot was on. But the contracts and purses would have to go down, and, at that point, how many players are going to want to continue when the financial payoff isn’t what it was when they initially signed on? A lot of moving parts to consider, many of which we still have limited to no information on.

I would have just gone with a hard, "No."  That said, the Euro Tour is quite the weak sister, however it's status as the third most prestigious golf tour in the world isn't even secure, as the changes contemplated out of PVB sound like a new tour will be created to sit between the PGA and the KF.

If LIV doesn’t survive past 2026, would you expect the PGA Tour to offer LIV’s top players — Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, etc. — a path back to the Tour by way of a similar agreement that Brooks Koepka accepted?

Sens: For the big LIV names, absolutely. If the Tour wants to be a showcase for the world’s best talent, and it does, it will work out a deal with Rahm and DeChambeau and maybe a small handful of others. The rest, I suspect, will have to play their way back in through other smaller tours.

Colgan: In that theoretical, I’d think the Tour can afford to offer a “Koepka Deal” to Bryson and Rahm … and probably leave the rest of the LIV contingent to serve out their suspensions on the DP World Tour.

Schrock: From a pure cost-benefit analysis, Tour CEO Brian Rolapp would probably love to add Bryson and Rahm back in the fold just as he did with Brooks. But things are not always that easy when you’re dealing with two players who already turned down an opportunity to come back, who might not be as well-liked by the current membership as Brooks, who kept his head down after he left and didn’t take any swipes or recruit other players. The feelings might not be the same toward Bryson, who was a named plaintiff in LIV’s antitrust suit against the PGA Tour and its members, or Rahm, whose departure post-framework agreement rubbed many players the wrong way. Would they immediately add value to the Tour? Yes. But for Rolapp to sell that vision, it’ll be a tricky high-wire act.

The first bit for us to acknowledge and amuse ourselves with is that they've named the only two guys that conceivably matter.  And even that includes a bit of a concession, so the easy answer is, who cares?

These guys decided to play their golf in the Cone of Silence, and I wish them continued enjoyment of the fruits of that decision.  I don't miss any of them, do you?

but I do owe them a note of thanks.  Because amid my hellish week, the LIV provided a much-needed smile.

I will nee to depart at this juncture.  Have a great week and I'll get back when I can.