The 2026 DP World Tour season officially kicks off with the 2025 BMW Australian PGA Championship at the Royal Queensland Golf Club in Brisbane. The players will battle for the historic Joe Kirkwood Cup and a record AUD $2.5 million prize purse starting on November 27. Designed by Mike Clayton, the Royal Queensland Golf Club will host the Olympic Games in 2032. Elvis Smylie shocked everyone by winning here last year with -14. But the dominant 2023 champion, Min Woo Lee, wants that trophy back and looks good in his last few starts. The field includes 156 world-class players, a mix of DP World Tour regulars, LIV Golf stars, and local Australian heroes this week. It is the perfect recipe for a dramatic showdown in Brisbane. Now, look at the three players who stand above the rest.
Joaquin Niemann (+800)
The Chilean favorite brings serious heat, entering the week as the clear betting favorite at 8-to-1 odds. Niemann destroyed the LIV Golf competition throughout 2025 with five reported victories. So, his confidence will be sky high, and his game copes perfectly with Australian conditions. He already proved this by winning the Australian Open back in 2023.
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His low flight balls trait is essential for controlling spin into Royal Queensland’s firm greens. Niemann creates elite ball-striking numbers that few players in this field can match. But bettors can also note that Niemann’s last #1 finish came in July. Since then, he has only managed a T4 at Indianapolis and finished in 55th position at the Open de España presented by Madrid.
Min Woo Lee (+900)
The Chef is back in the kitchen. Min Woo Lee dominated this event in 2023 with a -20 score and loves the energy of the rowdy home crowd in Brisbane. The pressure of playing at home usually melts some players, but not Lee.
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Lee played 19 PGA Tour events this season with 1 win and 2 top 10 finishes. And he misses the cut at only 5 of these events. And during his most recent participation, he finished tied for the 5th and 11th positions at the FedEx Open de France and BMW PGA Championship with -13 and -14 scores. Lee’s driving distance is a massive weapon on Royal Queensland’s reachable par-5s and currently sits second on the odds board at 9-to-1 (900+) odds.
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Marco Penge (+1000)
Marco Penge might be the smartest value bet on the entire board, finishing second in the Race to Dubai and winning three times in the 2025 DP World Tour, including big titles in Spain and Denmark. Penge’s aggressive style suits a birdie-fest tournament like the BMW Australian PGA Championship. Penge, who recently won the Open de España presented by Madrid last month, enters the week with generous 10-to-1 odds to win. Plenty of other sharks are swimming in these waters, ready to strike. Ryan Fox at 20-to-1 is a massive steal. The Kiwi won twice on the PGA Tour in 2025, including the Canadian Open.
And don’t sleep on the young Josele, aka Jose Luis Ballester. He just turned pro and joined LIV Golf’s Fireballs GC team. He enters fresh off a crushing -22 victory at the PIF Saudi International. His confidence is overflowing, and he knows he can beat elite fields. And even veteran Eddie Pepperell, who saved his career at Q-School with a clutch-19 finish, presents a fascinating case as well. Even stars like Adam Scott and Cameron Smith loom large over the field.

The 2025 PGA Tour season is already in the books, with names like Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and Tommy Fleetwood grabbing most of the headlines. However, other players have also been the talk of the town, for far less glamorous reasons.
These are the players who had a performance to forget, some of them with dramatic drops in the rankings from one year to the next. Several of them lost their PGA Tour cards for 2026, while others saved their necks only thanks to their successes in previous years.
Let’s look at some examples
1. Max Homa
Max Homa had already been struggling since 2024, when he barely finished in the top 50 of the FedEx Cup (he finished ranked 46th). However, after missing eight cuts in 24 tournaments and finishing in only two top 10s in 2025, he fell more than 50 places to finish outside the top 100 (105th).
His card is secure until 2028 thanks to his six titles between 2019 and 2023, but his golf needs a lot of work if he wants to return to the PGA Tour’s top tier.
2. Tony Finau
Tony Finau went from tying for 23rd in the FedEx Cup rankings in 2024 to 83rd in 2025. This was the result of finishing in only one top 10 during the year, in which he also missed five cuts in 20 tournaments.
His PGA Tour card is not at risk, but he will have to fight to qualify for the majors and Signature Events. It is undoubtedly a difficult pill to swallow for the six-time PGA Tour winner who, on the other hand, has plenty of tools at his disposal to regain his place on the circuit.
3. Adam Scott
Adam Scott is the only major winner on this list and one of the PGA Tour’s fan favorites, but that doesn’t change the fact that his 2025 season was pretty poor. He went from fourth in the FedEx Cup rankings in 2024 to 112th in 2025.
The Australian will also have to rise from the ashes to play in the main events of 2026. Being, as he is, a player with a lot of history on the PGA Tour, fans will want to see him on the big stages.
4. Joel Dahmen
Joel Dahmen has been walking a tightrope for the last couple of seasons and ultimately failed to retain his card in 2025. He had one second-place finish and two other top-10 finishes on the season, but missed the cut in 16 of the 28 events he played.
That performance left him ranked 122nd in the FedEx Cup standings. He will be able to continue playing at the highest level with a Conditional Status, but he’ll need some great results to improve his situation.
5. Nick Dunlap
When he won the 2024 American Express as an amateur, it seemed that Nick Dunlap would be the next big star on the PGA Tour. Even more so when he went on to win the Barracuda Championship that same year.
However, the “sophomore slump” hit him hard, and with 12 missed cuts in 25 tournaments and just two top-10 finishes, he ended 2025 ranked 135th in the FedEx Cup. His card is secure, but he has a lot of ground to make up in his professional career.
6. Adam Hadwin
Adam Hadwin had never lost his card since joining the PGA Tour in 2015. That bad moment came this season, when he missed 12 cuts in 29 tournaments and recorded just one top 10, leading to a 139th-place finish in the FedEx Cup rankings.
7. Sahith Theegala
Sahith Theegala was another player who went from one extreme to the other from one year to the next: from finishing third in the FedEx Cup rankings in 2024 to 146th in 2025. In the recently concluded season, he failed to achieve any top 10 finishes and had only two top-25 finishes in 23 tournaments played (six missed cuts).
Theegala retains his PGA Tour card thanks to his victory in the 2023 Fortinet Championship, but he is also forced to regain ground if he wants to maintain his membership beyond 2026.

The PGA Tour canceled The Sentry 2026 because of drought conditions in Hawaii. Ever since the decision came out, debates about the tour’s opening schedule have started in the golf world. Many golf analysts and even pro golfers said that this might not be the only event off the schedule going forward. Some speculated that the PGA Tour’s new CEO, Brian Rolapp, would want to start further later in January. Ryder Cup star Harris English also commented on the same.
Reflecting on the same, the host at the CNBC CEO Council Experience Forum in Florida asked Brian Rolapp his take on the rumors and if there’s any truth to them. Rolapp brought in Tiger Woods to address the question. He hinted at how the Future Competition Committee, chaired by Woods, is working on the very same issue. Woods and the members of the committee are tasked with determining what the stakeholders of the PGA Tour, including fans, sponsors, media partners, and others, want. And based on that, the committee needs to find out if the PGA Tour should start later. If yes, then how can they pack the events on the calendar to make it understandable to golf fans?
“No. No. Nothing’s been decided,” Brian Rolapp said. “If you go further upstream, what Harris is also referring to is, when I was not in long, the first thing I decided to do was announce, a new committee called the Future Competition Committee, which is chaired by Tiger Woods and is made up of a handful of players and some outside advisers, which is aimed at looking at the competitive product with the idea of how do we make it better for players and for fans and our partners.”
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The PGA Tour CEO created the Future Competition Committee in August 2025. “The goal is not incremental change,” Rolapp said. “The goal is significant change.” Besides Tiger Woods as chairman, the committee includes Patrick Cantlay, Adam Scott, Camilo Villegas, Maverick McNealy, Keith Mitchell, and others as members. As Brian Rolapp pointed out, the aim is to make golf more competitive and engaging for fans and partners. However, the PGA Tour usually has lower viewership in January because of the NFL playoffs. This has led to rumors about a later start.
The Future Competition Committee is working to come up with a solution for this. And discussions are already underway. The committee is actively discussing how the schedule should look, how to make events bigger, and how to fit those major events together in a single season. “Nothing’s been decided, but that’s the committee’s job. It’s trending that way,” Brian Rolapp said.
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Being the chairman of the Future Competition Committee, it’s Tiger Woods’ job to work with the committee’s members and come up with a solution. While the PGA Tour has not decided anything yet, it’s obvious that competing with the NFL is close to impossible for golf. So in some aspect, it does make sense to make the move. But if Tiger Woods & company decide to make this change, there’s also the task of squeezing in these events canceled from the start of January into the calendar.
Rolapp also admitted that the PGA Tour willingly gave the Future Competition Committee a lot on their plate. “Yeah. I could see that. I think, you know, I think there’s a lot of common themes. One thing we did in this committee, which is important, is we launched it with more questions than answers. And we did that on purpose because we want it to be informed by data, research, and our partners,” the CEO said.
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To come up with the solution, Tiger Woods & co. were part of several meetings with media partners and sponsors. Moreover, the PGA Tour surveyed fans to know what they want to see. The committee is actively weighing feedback from all these stakeholders while shaping the schedule for the PGA Tour in 2027 and beyond.
Many golf analysts, including Taylor Zarzour, have said that the PGA Tour should make this move. However, when it comes from professional golfers like Harris English, it carries more weight.
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Harris English’s comments on a later start
Harris English admitted that having a later start to the PGA Tour will be a good idea. He even hinted that instead of having eight signature events, there should be 20 to 22 events on the PGA Tour and each should be of the same caliber. “They’ll have 20, 22 events that are all the same. I think that’s a good model to have. That’s where you’ll see all the top players play every single event because you can’t really afford to take one off,” English said.
He said this considering Brian Rolapp’s aim. Rolapp has stated his intention to have elite golfers play all events. And if that’s what Rolapp is after, English’s comments make perfect sense. If the PGA Tour wants to have its elite golfers play all the events, make all of them important. When all events are of the same caliber, just like the signature events, golfers won’t be able to skip them. And if more elite golfers enter the field, viewership will likely go up, too.
CEO Brian Rolapp and Strategic Sports Group investors want a competitive, streamlined model. The Tour is already moving toward fewer cards and smaller fields in 2026. Instead of 125, only 100 golfers get fully exempt status. The field sizes for certain events are also shrinking. Fewer events on the PGA Tour could add to this and make the PGA Tour more competitive.
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Tiger Woods and the committee face a complex puzzle. But the pressure to strengthen the product has pushed these conversations to the forefront. Whatever direction they choose, the decisions will shape the future of the PGA Tour.

The 2025 season will be forever remembered as a significant year in the career of Rory McIlroy as the Northern Irishman clinched The Masters title and became the sixth male player to complete the Career Grand Slam.
Not only did McIlroy win The Masters, but he also managed to win The Players Championship for a second time.
The 36-year-old also shone as Europe won the Ryder Cup in New York. And to round off the year, McIlroy clinched a seventh Order of Merit title on the DP World Tour.
But it would be wrong to suggest that McIlroy was consistently successful throughout 2025.
Rory McIlroy was the fourth worst player on the PGA Tour in 2025 in one category
Rory McIlroy seemed to struggle for motivation in the weeks after his triumph at Augusta National.
He missed the cut at the Canadian Open while he only managed to finish inside the top 20 at the US Open after a stunning round of 67 on Sunday at Oakmont.
That mid-season slump may have contributed to McIlroy ending the season as the fourth-worst player on the PGA Tour in one particular category.
It turns out that McIlroy hit just 51.24 per cent of his fairways throughout the year. Only Nick Dunlap, Peter Malnati, and Frankie Capan III performed worse.
Rory McIlroy’s other driving statistics on the PGA Tour this season
It is a remarkable statistic when you consider just how much of a strength driving has been throughout McIlroy’s career. There are few sights in golf which are more impressive than the five-time major champion with the driver in his hand.
In fact, McIlroy is fourth on tour for strokes gained off the tee. He is also second for driving distance at 323 yards.
That just shows that, in the modern game, hitting fairways is less important than making sure you are well down the hole and have a shorter club into the green.
But it is still quite a surprise to see McIlroy be one of the worst players on the PGA Tour when it comes to finding the short grass off the tee.

The PGA Tour will provide a financial safety net for some of its full-time pros through two initiatives starting next year, according to a memo sent to players on Tuesday and reported by multiple media outlets.
As the tour will reduce from the traditional 125 to 100 tour cards for earning elite status in 2026, the new programs will assist former fully exempt PGA Tour members and fully exempt Korn Ferry Tour members.
The Member Support Program awards $150,000 in earning assurance to players ranked No. 126 and beyond — based on the prior season’s FedEx Cup points standings — who were exempt during that season. It guarantees any player who competes in 12 events (combined) on the PGA and Korn Ferry tours a base salary, in a sense, of $150,000 for the entire season. If a player falls short of earning that total by the end of the tours’ seasons, the program makes up the difference.
The second program, called the Pathways Player Achievement Grant, is not based on winnings. Instead, exempt members of the Korn Ferry Tour, which is one step below and annually graduates 20 players to the PGA Tour, receive $15,000 grants at the beginning of the season. Designated for the Nos. 21-75 on the previous season’s points list, there is no minimum number of events to be eligible, and the players can use money however they want, as compensation or expenses.
Also eligible for this stipend are players Nos. 1-10 on the PGA Tour Americas points list, and the top five available players in the PGA Tour University standings.
The PGA Tour policy board, according to the memo, approved the programs for player development,

USGA’s Rule 6-7: The player must play “without undue delay and in accordance with pace-of-play guidelines.” A group is out of position when it completes play on a hole later than the maximum allowable time under those guidelines. If a group gets out of position due to a ruling or some other legitimate delay, the group is expected to regain its position within a reasonable time.
Slow play plagues golf. We all agree. But what have authorities done to curb it? The LPGA Tour imposed fines and a tiered penalty system. And the PGA Tour has sent out a memo outlining a new rule before the 2026 season commences on January 15, with the Sony Open.
The KFT allowed rangefinders last season to see if they work, and as per the memo, the feedback was positive. Hence, the rangefinders will be allowed for the 2026 season. Although it is debatable if they help pros speed up, curbing slow play, they can be a sensible move for KFT since many golfers don’t have full-time caddies. They work with family or friends, and a rangefinder can help an amateur caddie in finding accurate yardage fast.
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The PGA Tour also confirmed that last season’s pace-of-play rules will continue in 2026. Under this system, a player receives a one-stroke penalty for their first overtime once they are put on the clock. The goal is to keep rounds moving and encourage faster decision-making. Other important elements were also discussed in the memo, like a new 2-part initiative, “Member Support Program.”
For the first part, the Tour will give a $15,000 “Achievement Grant” to players who finish 21st-75th on the 2025 KFT Points List, the 10 players graduating from the Americas Tour, and the Top Five from PGA Tour U Rollover. With the first five KFT events happening internationally, this bonus helps players manage a costly start to the season. The memo stresses that this money is a true bonus and does not require repayment. The second part supports PGA Tour members who finished outside the top 125 this year.
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These players will have a $150,000 earnings assurance for next season, as long as they play at least 12 events across the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour. If a player earns less than that amount, the Tour will cover the difference. The memo explained it simply: “Player A earns $90,000 for the season; he would be given a $60,000 check at the end of the year.”
Another notable update is a restructure of the Americas Tour. So, instead of being split into two parts, it will now run as one continuous season with short breaks. Q-School will, moreover, move to March, happening before the season begins instead of between the Latin and Canadian swings.
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While none of these changes are massive, they are meaningful improvements for players. As the memo suggests, these updates show the Tour is trying to move in the right direction, after so many golfers have been heavily called out for pace of play.
Bad play instances on the PGA Tour
During the final round of the 2025 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, on the par-5 sixth hole, Tom Kim took a long time to line up his second shot, and when he finally hit, his shot went out of bounds. Watching the golfer waggling over the ball for more than a minute, analysts Jim Gallagher Jr. and Frank Nobilo roasted the golfer. “One less waggle would have helped,” said Gallagher Jr., while Nobilo shared, “It wasn’t worth the wait.”
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At the WM Phoenix Open, during the third round, Tom Kim again witnessed slow-play allegations. Foster, who caddies for Matt Fitzpatrick, didn’t hold back on his thoughts. “Yeah, I’ve fallen asleep on my headcovers leaning on the bag waiting for him to hit a shot now and again, yeah… He’s as slow as they come; get on with it, will you?” he told Sky Sports.
Maybe a range finder can help pros be faster? We will see how 2026 turns out.

Nelly Korda wrapped up her 2025 season with a light-hearted moment that fans instantly adored. Fresh off a third-place finish at the CME Group Tour Championship and a year without a win, the former world No. 1 still found a reason to smile when she finally mustered the courage to ask Tommy Fleetwood for a photo.
Posting the picture on Instagram, she joked, “Wasn’t scared to ask for a photo this time 😆.” Tommy Fleetwood was seen holding a cap in his hand, which was signed by Nelly Korda. And nobody celebrated the picture more than her sister, Jessica Korda, who chimed in with the perfect comment in three words: “The confidence grew 🔥.”
It was a full circle moment for both Fleetwood and Nelly Korda as she even shared an older snapshot from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where a much more shy Nelly posed with Fleetwood. This time, though, she owned it, and her sister made sure the world knew.
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This is a developing story…

Since 1929, the Australian PGA Championship has crowned 95 champions. This year, someone will write Chapter 96. Royal Queensland hosts the season-opener for the 2025-26 DP World Tour from November 27-30, and the field is loaded—156 players, nine from LIV Golf, all chasing AUD $2.5 million.
Last year, it was Australian teenager Elvis Smylie who took the title. Can he do it again? Will an American claim it? Or does a LIV star leave Brisbane with the trophy? Let’s take a look at three star golfers who are looking strong to win the historic Kirkwood Cup.
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Joaquin Niemann
Niemann is one of the biggest names in the field this week at the Australian PGA Championship. The numbers tell you everything you need to know. In 2025, he won five times on LIV Golf. He came in second in the individual standings, only missing out on the championship to Jon Rahm in a thrilling game at Indianapolis.
His Australian experience is a plus. Joaquin Niemann has already won the 2023 Australian Open, so he knows how to win in Australia. He’ll be playing with the kind of confidence that comes from always winning. Royal Queensland’s tough greens and narrow fairways might be good for his accurate ball-striking.
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Carlos Ortiz
Then there’s Carlos Ortiz from Mexico. This year, he achieved the best major championship performance of his career. At the U.S. Open held at Oakmont, he tied for fourth place. During that week, he ranked second in strokes gained on approach shots and first in greens in regulation. This wasn’t just luck; it showcased his exceptional ball-striking skills.
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Ortiz ranked seventh in the 2025 LIV Golf standings and consistently finished in the top ten in every event he played. Last year, he won his first LIV event in Houston, and in the 2024-25 season, he secured two more victories on the Asian Tour. At 34 years old, he is in peak form. His short game and accuracy around the greens make him a formidable competitor on any course, particularly at Royal Queensland, which is a layout that highlights those strengths.
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David Puig
At 23, Puig is the wild card who could surprise everyone at the Australian PGA Championship. In 2025, he was the fourth-best player in LIV Golf in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, making him one of the circuit’s fiercest drivers. His length gives him chances to make birdies that most people can’t. In 2025, 27% of his rounds were below par, which was the second-best in the league.
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He’s in ninth place in LIV’s individual standings, ahead of big winners like Patrick Reed and Brooks Koepka. In his first seven LIV events of 2025, he finished in the top 10 three times, including two fourth-place finishes in a row in Adelaide and Singapore. The young Spaniard is still looking for his first LIV win, but there’s no denying his skill. And let’s not forget he is “regarded to be among the brightest prospects in the game.”

When Stewart Cink hoisted the 2025 Charles Schwab Cup Championship trophy alongside the coveted Schwab Cup, another PGA TOUR Champions season officially came to a close. His thrilling come-from-behind win over points leader Steven Alker was his third victory of the year.
The season conclusion marked the end of an era and the beginning of a significant change that will impact the over-50 circuit for years to come.
School’s Out
Traditionally, the season finale coincides with preparations for PGA TOUR Champions Qualifying Schol (Q-School) held in December. It’s a brutal path to the Tour, consisting of two stages of competition, culminating in a final 72-hole, stroke play tournament. The top five finishers (and ties) at the Final Stage earn fully exempt PGA TOUR Champions membership for the following season. Players finishing between sixth and 30th place earn entry into weekly Monday tournament qualifiers.
In late September, the Tour announced the elimination of Q-School, a decision met with both enthusiasm and disappointment among PGA TOUR Champions players.
A spot on PGA TOUR Champions is notoriously difficult to earn, with a limited field of just 78 players. After reflection and discussion, a decision was made to allot the Q-School places to PGA TOUR veterans who have made 300 or more starts on the PGA TOUR, but don’t have enough career money, wins or total points to qualify for PGA TOUR Champions.
Over the last three years, nine of the 15 Q-School graduates were from outside the United States. In 2024 and 2025, for example, the ratio was 4:1, with Shane Bertsch and Mark Walker the lone Americans.
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Explained 6-time PGA TOUR and 11-time PGA TOUR Champions winner Padraig Harrington, “Obviously, what they’re worried about is if there’s four or five internationals coming in every year, it’s cutting out too many of the guys who have played for 10-15 years on the PGA TOUR and deserve their four or five years on the Champions Tour.”
Harrington, a World Golf Hall of Fame member who made a combined 416 starts on both tours, understands the rationale behind the change, but added, “Yeah, maybe five was too deep but I personally probably would have kept a spot or two (for Q-School). I can see both sides. It’s very subjective.”
PGA TOUR Champions President Miller Brady further explained the decision-making process, “For instance, we have individuals that had a long, significant career on the PGA TOUR and they were struggling to get into our tournaments. And I think a lot of the players asked themselves was that right or wrong? And at the end of the day, they wanted to continue to benefit members who had played the PGA TOUR, and that’s ultimately the reason why.”
He added, “Our player Advisory Council and our Player Directors ultimately felt that if you played and you supported the PGA TOUR career for a significant number of years, you deserve a chance to have access to play this tour.”
Steve Flesch, one of four Player Directors, said the decision was made after intense deliberation.
“We toiled and labored over it for about 3-4 months because we weren’t convinced,” he recalled. “I don’t think any of us thought that it wouldn’t come without any resistance when we voted on it. But ideally, and we agreed with our president, we need to protect and look out for the guys who supported the PGA TOUR for years.”
According to Flesch, 11 of the top 36 players competing at the Schwab Cup Championship never played the PGA TOUR full-time, taking eligibility spots that might have gone to veteran Tour players.
“So the guys who would normally get in, who have had two and three and four PGA TOUR wins, nice career money, Ryder Cups, supported the Tour forever, they’re not getting in.”
Flesch was finally convinced by a fellow Player Director he called an “influential voice,” a foreigner who left home at 21 to move to the States and play the PGA TOUR. That golfer was actually the biggest proponent of eliminating Q-School.
It’s not that the Q-School grads are not excellent players. As a matter of fact, seven of the top 36 in the Schwab Cup Championship earned their tour membership via that path.
Brady agreed, with a caveat.
“It’s not really an issue of quality. It’s an issue of trying to make sure that we’re benefiting members that played the PGA TOUR . I know I sound like a broken record, but that ultimately is the whole reason behind it.”
Flesch concurred, adding “All the guys who come play and finish top 36, they’re great players. They did nothing wrong. It’s just one of those things where we’ve got too many guys who played for so many years who weren’t getting in, who deserved it.”
He also brought up an interesting point of non-reciprocity.
“Let me tell you, the Japanese tour, the DP, the European Tour, Legends Tour over there, they aren’t wanting any of us to come play their tours,” he insisted. “They aren’t offering us spots. So why should we offer them spots? Everybody thinks they should be able to play our tour.”
Increasing the number of members is not an option, according to Brady who said, “We’re 78 every week. We feel like that’s the right number, especially because it allows us to do a 1 and 10 tee start without guys hitting a wall and then playing a six-hour round, which we’re not going to do.”
Monday Monday
With no more Q-School, Monday qualifying is the only door left open for players who have lost their card or had hoped to gain entry through the Final Stage. While Steven Alker and Tommy Gainey both transformed their Monday qualifiers into wins that in turn propelled them to success on PGA TOUR Champions, they remain the exceptions.
Just three tournament spots are available for Monday qualifying, making it even tougher to earn full TOUR membership, especially for international players. Travel expenses will be prohibitive for many.
“But,” said Harrington, “If you’re good enough, you will get through. There’s no doubt about that.”
Point / Counter Point
Players at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship were vocal about the direction being taken by their tour. All agreed that it’s a complicated issue, and most admitted they can see both sides, even while expressing disappointment in the change.
Steven Alker | former Monday qualifier with 10 wins on PGA TOUR Champions, including two Schwab Cups | member of the Player Advisory Group
“So ultimately, I thought we were going down the route of like at least 2-3 spots for tour school, you know, reduce the numbers, give the members who supported the tour more help if you like, more access to the tour.
“Eliminating Q-School takes away some Cinderella stories. But at the same time, we’re looking after the people, the members who have supported the tour for a long, long time, giving access to those who are still playing competitively.”
Steve Allen | 2024 Q-School, T3 | Australia
“I clearly would have kept Q-School. You know, the Champions Tour runs a fine balance between getting the best players of all time playing, and having the best golfers.
“A little disappointing for sure, because I mean, obviously without the Q-School I would have not had this opportunity. So I think there’s a lot of golfers out there like me that are, you know, plenty, plenty good enough. And I think it gives everyone a chance and I think it’s good for the tour. So it’s a little disappointing.”
Cameron Percy | 2024 Q-School, winner | Australia
“Its terrible. Terrible. It’s always been if you play good, your golf will take care of itself. Now they don’t want that. There’s less Americans on the tour, so they want more.”
Freddie Jacobsen | 2025 Q-School, solo 2 | Sweden
“I can see both arguments for it. It’s tricky. It’s a little bit of a continuation of the PGA TOUR and the players that have been committed for many, many years to that tour.
“But it’s also nice with the balance of fresh blood and people that stayed healthy and stayed at it and have the drive to kind of peak late.
“To look on the bright side, it’s not completely shot, which is good. I think the players that are top, top players, they will probably always find a way to get through but it certainly, has been made a lot, lot harder.”
Tag Ridings | 239 PGA TOUR events | PGA TOUR Champions Rookie
“Half the players are from other countries, so who cares if they didn’t play the PGA TOUR ? You’re drawing all the talent from everywhere around the world. That’s what we’re basing our marketing on anyway. So that doesn’t seem like the real reason for it. People want to reward the PGA TOUR players? Good. That’s what you’re doing, right? Then reward more of them. Give more starts, give more players access, right? Increase the field to 90 players a week.”
Mark Hensby | 193 PGA TOUR starts | moved to U.S. from Australia in 1994
“I think that when you got guys who played the tour for 20 years and they can’t get a spot, I mean, sure, they could go and earn a Q-School spot, but if you played, made $20 million on the PGA TOUR , I mean, I thought that’s what this tour was all about.
“Now, in saying all that, it’s always been a closed shop, but now they’re really closing it up. It’s really tough, but all tours are doing it now.
“And you know, I think that to sell pro am spots, they probably need some name players that people are familiar with.”
Identity Crisis?
A key issue is how to brand PGA TOUR Champions. It was initially established to keep legends like Jack Niklous, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and Gary Player relevant in the game at a time there was no Tour pension. It has since evolved with large purses, sponsors and important charitable components.
Said Harrington, “It is a seriously complicated issue, you know, how do you see the Champions Tour? As a regular tour? It certainly isn’t.”
According to Flesch, the first player meeting in Hawaii last January focused on Tour identity and mission statement.
“What are we?” he recalled asking. “We were like, are we the most over-50 competitive tour in the world or are we ambassadors for the PGA TOUR ?
They ultimately decided that “best over-50,” in his words, “wasn’t going to cut it.”
To sustain selling two Pro Ams each week requires “name” golfers that sponsors know and want to partner with.
“Do they want to watch on TV and do they have some level of recognition?” asked Barber. “Which in turn, you know, if you’re trying to sell this tour, I’m not saying it makes it easy, but it makes it a little easier.”
Flesch noted that Wednesdays and Thursdays are the biggest days of the week for PGA TOUR Champions, and that they have found their niche in smaller and mid-sized markets where the PGA TOUR doesn’t compete.
The identity debate – PGA TOUR retirement reward or performance reward regardless of Tour – is reminiscent of the classic Saturday Night Live skit in which Dan Akyrod and Gilda Radner argue ferociously about whether New Shimmer is a floor wax or a dessert topping. Chevy Chase solves it all with “Calm down, you two. New Shimmer is both a floor wax AND a dessert topping!”
Perhaps PGA TOUR Champions will find it can be both.

With the last event of the PGA Tour wrapped up for 2025, the schedule is now being set for next season. This includes the Signature events. The tournaments with larger purses and limited field sizes of some of the best players on the Tour. There are a few ways to get into a Signature event. However, for 2026, Jordan Spieth will be relying on sponsorship exemptions. Something that is generating a lot of criticism for Spieth and the Tour.
Why Is Jordan Spieth On Sponsorship Exemptions?
When it comes to the Signature Events, the paths into the roster are built to gather the best players on Tour. To start, the top fifty from the previous FedEx Cup are in. Then it goes to the top 10 for the current FedEx rankings. Next are the top 30 in the OWGR, and then, the PGA event winners in the current season. Spieth is just beyond the top 50 for the 2025 FedEx. He stands at No. 72 on the OWGR, and the rest is dependent on how 2026 will go. Due to those factors, Spieth will need to rely on the sponsorship exemptions for at least the first two Signatures of 2026. Something that is maligned by fans and commentators.
Sponsorship Exemption Criticised
Going onto the Golf Channel Podcast, Rex Hoggard had a lot to say about the sponsorship exemptions. Part of his criticism is that Spieth didn’t play any tournaments in the Fall Series. The fall series helps to fill in positions that would otherwise not be addressed until the next season is well underway.
“These guys play all year long, they play a really gruelling schedule. It’s only going to become more gruelling next year. You deserve the time off, but it is tough when you’re in that category, and you didn’t play once in the fall. You didn’t even give it one shot… I just don’t understand why he made the choice of not even playing if all he needed to do was make one cut and he would have finished in that category, and he wouldn’t even be in this conversation.”
Hoggard went on to say that he is pretty tired of talking about sponsorship exemptions. Only a few players ever take them at a time, yet the conversation comes up every time. He is giving Spieth some leeway as he became a father of three this year.
Spieth On The Exemptions
Jordan Spieth has previously spoken about being on a sponsorship exemption. It had to do with the exemptions he had this year. Spieth doesn’t like asking for such exemptions. He was glad to be able to play in the signatures, but he just didn’t like the path he took to be part of them. Spieth would describe the events as something that he couldn’t just miss.
Spieth Exemptions In 2026
For the first Signature of 2026, Spieth will have an exemption. His sponsor also happens to be AT&T, which hosts the Pebble Beach event. For Spieth to avoid any ire for the sponsorship exemptions for 2027, he’ll need to improve his game or play in the fall series.

Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh have gone down as golfing legends, but intriguingly the pair haven’t always seen eye-to-eye.
Mickelson and Singh were both regulars on the PGA Tour once upon a time, where they both enjoyed huge success.
The American icon boasts 45 PGA Tour wins, while the ​​Fijian ace claimed 34 wins during his fantastic career.
Singh has since moved on to the PGA Tour Champions, while Mickelson is a superstar on LIV Golf.
When Phil Mickelson defended rival Vijay Singh after Korn Ferry Tour criticism
Mickelson and Singh had a famous fallout at The Masters in 2005, with their spat spilling into the locker room.
The Fijian was not happy with the American’s footwear, arguing his spikes were damaging the Augusta National greens, with Mickelson having been playing ahead of Singh.
But in stark contrast, the former once jumped to the defence of the latter, likely much to his surprise and those following the situation.
Back in 2020, Korn Ferry Tour player Brady Schnell took to social media to criticize Singh for entering the inaugural Korn Ferry Challenge.
Schnell believed a younger player was deserving of the 57-year-old’s spot, with Singh committing due to not being eligible to play on the PGA Tour that week, with no PGA Tour Champions event having been scheduled.
Mickelson was firmly on the side of his fellow legend, commenting at the time: “It’s no secret Vijay and I aren’t close, but I’d like to say on his behalf that in addition to being a member of the HoF, he’s a big part of the PGA Tour’s success which financially subsidizes, and always has, the KFT. He has earned the right to play when and where he wants.”
Phil Mickelson vs Vijay Singh PGA Tour stats
Both Mickelson and Singh are major championship winners, although the American holds the bragging rights in that regard.
The 55-year-old has six such victories to his name at this stage, while 62-year-old Singh has claimed three such wins.
And while they are no longer in their prime, both players are still doing their thing on LIV Golf and the PGA Tour Champions.
Mickelson is preparing for another season on the former after finishing 24th in the latest individual standings, while Singh has one runner-up finish from his 20 starts on the latter in 2025.

It was not the first time for Doug Ghim. Standing on the fairway at Sea Island, he knew exactly what the moment meant. He has lived inside the bubble, bounced between tours, and waited through long weekends refreshing leaderboards from home, hoping results would fall his way. His season has been on the line this year. And the 16th hole only demanded perfection. Ghim clipped a 118-yard approach that finished just nine feet away.
The 29-year-old American took to his Instagram and wrote, “Losing your card sucks. But it’s not so bad when you’ve got the team that I’ve got. Wouldn’t trade my team for anyone else. Let’s get it next year team. 👊” And American professional golfer, Maverick McNealy, the son of American billionaire Scott McNealy, showed his support for Ghim by liking his Instagram post.
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Maverick McNealy, who has played in 168 events for the PGA Tour, has had 1 PGA Tour win since joining in 2020. Last year, in 2024, McNealy won in the RSM Classic. And now, just a year later, Ghim lost in the event despite pulling off a remarkable performance.
“Everything ended up going in the way that we needed it to, and I remember it being a pretty jubilant hour,” Ghim stated later. He further tried to reflect on the brighter side and said, “I have friends who are still trying to make it, playing in different continents, scrounging at anything they can get, and for me to feel so negative about [losing my card], it’s such a silly thing.”
Two years ago at this same event, he missed the cut and sat in disbelief as projections put him at No. 126. Back then, he barely held on to his card. And this time, it was the kind of shot players dream about when everything is on the line. And the birdie putt that followed offered a breath of hope in a tense week. This year, despite a $166,886 finish at the RSM Classic, the reality turned out to be harsh.
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Now, alongside him, fans and the golfing community, too, appreciated his run on the fairway in The RSM Classic.
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Doug Ghim receives support after heartbreaking loss at The RSM Classic
Golf instructor and PGA Tour coach Boyd Summerhays expressed his support for Ghim. Despite the setback, the American managed to pull off an impeccable performance. Praising the same Summerhays wrote, “❤️Hell of a final two weeks to make a run at it. Proud of you!”
Another golf enthusiast commented, “You have always been an inspiration to me; have no doubt you will be back quickly. These are normally the best moments as they provide some space to work and come back better than ever. Great opening round as well, so fun to see.” Ghim immediately replied to the kind words and added, “appreciate that brother! Just gotta keep going!”
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“Proud of the fight you put today 👏 keep going 👊🏻”, added another fan showing their support to the 32-year-old PGA star. Echoing the same thoughts, another American netizen stated, “Keep fighting Doug!! We are proud of our hometown hero!! ⛳”

Max Homa ended the 2025 FedExCup Fall ranked 105th. And that could have been a matter of concern for many. For most players, that number would immediately create worry because under the new system, golfers outside the top 100 risk losing their PGA Tour cards. Thus, 105 is indeed a stressful place to finish, especially after a long season of travel, pressure, and expectations.
However, for Homa, the situation seems to be different. Although he did not make the cut-off in points, his past success is seemingly acting as a shield to prevent him from losing the tour card. With six PGA Tour wins, he holds exempt status, which guarantees his position on the Tour despite the ranking. Thus, at the moment, in simple terms, the number next to his name isn’t deciding his future in the tour, but his victories would.
Playing 222 events for the PGA, he has made 142 cuts. With 15 top-five finishes, the American golfer is standing at 105th position with 531 points. Joining the tour in 2014, Homa currently holds an official money purse of $29,091,165.
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Homa has also had one second-place finish and 3 third-place finishes alongside the six wins. Now, as the new season approaches, Homa does not have to rebuild from zero like others outside the top 100. And although this season hasn’t turned out remarkably for the athlete, a golf content creator, Grant Horvat, has shown him support by praising his potential.
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Grant Horvat backs Max Homa after challenging 2025 season
Max Homa has been one of the emerging stars this year. However, trying to make a name for himself, Homa has had a pretty tough 2025 so far. While he has played in all four majors, none of the outcomes have been according to expectations. In fact, the closest he could come was at the PGA Championship. But sadly enough, Homa ended up tied for 60th. However, despite going winless this year, it was his consistency and incredible technical ability that qualified him for the highest echelons. And this is exactly what renowned golf YouTuber Grant Horvat pointed out.
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In a video from September 2025 that has now gone viral, Horvat analyzed the technique of Homa. As the video rolled on, the golfer could be spotted hitting a tee shot with his driver. Next up, he calmly walked off toward the greens. And all of this impressed Horvat significantly. Not only did he like Homa’s swing angle, but also his calmness.
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Sami Valimaki has undergone a season of change when it comes to his equipment, and all that tinkering culminated in his first PGA Tour win at the RSM Classic on Sunday.
After becoming a gear free agent earlier this year, Valimaki, in one of his first moves, switched to a Titleist golf ball.
At the Texas Children’s Houston Open in March, he settled on the new 2025 Titleist Pro V1x, and he’s seen a huge transformation in his game ever since.
Last season on Tour, Valimaki barely held onto his status with a 123rd-place finish in the FedEx Cup Fall. His shaky form was largely due to approach play, where he lost .036 strokes to the field and was 112th in the category.
This year, Valimaki has been one of the best approach players on Tour, gaining more than half a stroke on his peers and ranking 18th. He was also 39th on Tour in Strokes Gained: Total, which, after his win last week, boosted him to 51st in the FedEx Cup Fall rankings, earning him a place in the year’s first two Signature Events.
The 2025 Pro V1x Valimaki used this week is the 25th anniversary edition of the ball that’s become overwhelmingly the most popular in the professional game. The ball uses a new formula for the core that created a faster high-gradient core, something Titleist engineers first used in the popular Pro V1x Left Dash and Pro V1 Left Dot Custom Performance Option golf balls.
Titleist Pro V1x Golf Balls
Total Performance With Higher Flight And More Spin Pro V1x golf balls are the optimal premium performance choice for players looking for maximum distance, higher flight and more stopping power. Why Play Pro V1x? Pro V1x is recommended to players who are looking for high-trajectory flight, low long game spin with maximum short game spin, and firmer feel. Comparison to Pro V1 Due to its unique dimple pattern, Pro V1x has a higher flight than Pro V1. A high-gradient dual core produces slightly more iron and wedge spin than Pro V1.
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Titleist Pro V1x Aim Enhanced Golf Balls
Along with all the same performance benefits as 2025 Pro V1x, Pro V1x AIM Enhanced golf balls feature a premium, extended alignment sidestamp for more precise aim and accuracy. The elongated sidestamp provides a built-in visual aid measuring over 65% longer than the Titleist standard sidestamp. Why Play Pro V1x? Pro V1x is recommended to players who are looking for high-trajectory flight, low long game spin with maximum short game spin, and firmer feel. Comparison to Pro V1 Due to its unique dimple pattern, Pro V1x has a higher flight than Pro V1. A high-gradient dual core produces slightly more iron and wedge spin than Pro V1.
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Titleist Pro V1x Aim Performance Golf Balls
Along with all the same performance benefits as 2025 Pro V1x, Pro V1x AIM Performance golf balls feature a premium tour-inspired, 105-degree precision alignment marking for improved aim and accuracy, offering a visual aid measuring over 65% longer than the Titleist standard sidestamp. Why Play Pro V1x? Pro V1x is recommended to players who are looking for high-trajectory flight, low long game spin with maximum short game spin, and firmer feel. Comparison to Pro V1 Due to its unique dimple pattern, Pro V1x has a higher flight than Pro V1. A high-gradient dual core produces slightly more iron and wedge spin than Pro V1.
View Product
The Pro V1x should be slightly faster, launch higher, spin more and feel firmer than its Pro V1 sibling. After factoring in feel, the choice of which ball to play can come down to whether you’re looking for more peak height and spin with your irons or trying to bring those down.
The Pro V1x also comes in a number of alignment options, including the Enchance Alignment or Performance Alignment markings.
Want to find the best stuff for your bag in 2025? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

The 2025 PGA Tour season has officially concluded, with Sami Välimäki winning the RSM Classic. Now that the season is over, golf fans can look back and appreciate the greatness of Scottie Scheffler.
Scheffler had yet another historic year in 2025. He won six more tournaments, including adding two majors to his mantle. The season was so dominant, he actually accomplished something that only Tiger Woods in 2000 ever had.
Scheffler led the PGA Tour in Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, and Round 4 scoring in 2025, according to golf statistician Justin Ray.
It was quite a remarkable year for the World No. 1, that did not begin without some drama. Scheffler cut his hand at Christmas 2024, which prompted him to miss the first month-plus of the season.
But once he re-joined the Tour, it was though he never left.
He finished T9 at Pebble Beach to begin his year. That was followed up with his worst finish, a T25 at the Phoenix Open. Yes, you read that correctly. Tying for 25th was his worst finish.
Scheffler won the PGA Championship, Open Championship, Byron Nelson, Memorial, BMW Championship, and the Procore. Of his 20 events, the legend notched a top-10 a whopping 17 times.

While Rory McIlroy had a great year playing, now, off the course, too, he is having a good one. In his downtime since his PGA Tour and DPWT seasons are done, he is making some lucrative deals for his TGL team, Boston Common Golf, paying attention to a better fan experience before the second season starts.
VENU has partnered with Rory McIlroy’s team. A Boston Common Golf Celebrity Tee Party was held on November 21, where VENU participated as a sponsor of the event. The event had an interesting ‘fireside chat’ with global singer-songwriters and Boston Common Golf investors Noah Kahan and Niall Horan. The Boston Common Golf has consistently integrated music into its brand and fan strategy, with Kahan and Horan’s help. This has introduced the team to new audiences.
Now, this partnership aims to redefine how modern audiences engage and align, with a shared focus on innovation. It will also focus on fan engagement for the next generation while redefining how the mass perceives and experience entertainment. To celebrate the occasion, Niall Horan gifted a custom guitar, while McIlroy gave a signed custom pin flag to VENU representatives. Senior management of BCG and VENU had remarkable words to share.
“VENU has built an impressive reputation for creating dynamic, immersive entertainment experiences that bring people together. Their approach aligns perfectly with our belief that fan engagement extends beyond the competition itself. Music and hospitality are powerful ways to welcome new fans into the game and deepen their connection to it,” said Boston Common Golf CEO Mark Lev.
“At VENU, our mission has always been to create remarkable experiences, and Boston Common Golf shares that same passion for connecting with fans in meaningful ways,” said J.W. Roth, Founder and CEO of VENU. “They’re a next-generation organization that isn’t afraid to do things differently, and it’s rare and frankly exciting to find a partner whose vision runs parallel to our own. Together, we’re blending the energy of music, culture, and sport in a way fans haven’t experienced before, and that’s truly something special.”
With things looking bright for Boston Common Golf this new season, fans will be eager to see how the partnership pans out for them and what kind of changes they will see when they go to catch BCG’s matches at the arena. Meanwhile, this was not the first major business deal Rory McIlroy had this year.
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Rory McIlroy has a sharp business mind.
Right after securing the win in the Masters at the beginning of the season, Rory McIlroy partnered with TPG Sports. Through Symphony Ventures, McIlroy looked forward to investing in various sports companies, and TPG’s assets of $200 billion would help the Northern Irish golfer to leverage the fund. Symphony Ventures is a firm that McIlroy cofounded back in 2019. And since then, he has been eyeing growing his business by investing in sports companies.
Sharing his thoughts with the New York Times, he shared, “We were talking about what’s the next step for us. The timing was right. Sport is undergoing a big transformation. There is a lot of investment going into the sports world and trying to make it more professional and trying to bring it into the 21st century.”
McIlroy’s investments in the business world are not new. He’s invested in numerous sports ventures, such as mini-golf brand Puttery, tournament software Golf Genius, ticket platform TickPick, health tech company Whoop, and F1 team Alpine.

The final event of the year crowned a new first-time PGA Tour winner in Sami Välimäki, but with every victory comes disappointment. As the 2025 season closed at the RSM Classic, several well-known players narrowly missed maintaining their PGA Tour cards for 2026. Here are five of the most notable names who finished on the wrong side of the points line.
Lee Hodges – Ranked 101
Hodges narrowly missed a putt on Sunday that would have secured his Top-100 status. The former 3M Open champion will instead begin the 2026 season with conditional status.
“I made so many putts out there today of distance,” Hodges said. “To miss one (on No. 18) and say it’s that’s fault, that’s unfair to my putter.”
Joel Dahmen – Ranked 117
Internet favorite and Netflix star Joel Dahmen missed the cut at the RSM Classic, costing him his card heading into 2026. Dahmen entered the event with a newborn at home and acknowledged that family was top of mind.
“My mind’s at home a lot, honestly, this week,” Dahmen said. “If I’m not playing 25 weeks a year, then I get to hang out with a couple amazing kids and my wife… there’s no real downside to it. It’s just less golf.”
As a fan favorite, Dahmen is likely to receive multiple sponsor exemptions next year. He began the season strongly with three Top-10 finishes but faded late, missing six consecutive cuts. He also made news mid-season after splitting with longtime caddie Geno Bonnalie.
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Matt Kuchar – Ranked 118
Matt Kuchar has been a staple on the PGA Tour since 2007. With nine career victories, he is arguably the biggest name to lose full status this season. Despite making most cuts in 2025, his lone Top-10 finish at the John Deere Classic didn’t earn enough points. At age 47, the Champions Tour may soon become his competitive focus.
“Been a long time since I lost my job,” Kuchar said. “I’d like to keep it … I still love doing it, I still feel like I’m a junkie for the game of golf.”
Sam Ryder – Ranked 108
Sam Ryder, known for one of golf’s most creative sponsorship tie-ins with Ryder Transportation and Logistics, missed two cuts during the FedEx Fall, ultimately falling short of retaining full status. He also failed to post a Top-10 finish in 2025, a sharp contrast from 2023, when he recorded five.
“Definitely very aware of the cut, aware of my lack of ability to get the ball to go where I want it to go consistently enough, so it was just kind of a grind,” Ryder said.
Camilo Villegas – Ranked 164
Camilo Villegas’ story had the makings of one of golf’s great comebacks. Following the heartbreaking loss of his daughter Mia to brain cancer at 22 months, Villegas nearly stepped away from the sport, appearing to shift focus to road cycling in 2019–2020. Instead, he fought back and won again in 2023 at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.
In 2025, he posted two Top-10 finishes but missed 11 cuts.
Reflecting on his 2023 victory, Villegas said: “Tough to put in words, what a ride man. I love this game, it’s given me so many great things. But in the process it kicks your butt.”
Works Cited (MLA)
“Camilo Villegas Wins Butterfield Bermuda Championship 2023.” Golf Digest, Condé Nast, https://www.golfdigest.com/story/camilo-villegas-wins-butterfield-bermuda-championship-2023.
Castillo, Ricky. “How the FedExCup Fall Top 100 Bubble Unfolded on Sunday.” PGA Tour, https://www.pgatour.com/article/news/latest/2025/11/23/how-fedexcup-fall-top-100-bubble-unfolded-sunday-round-4-the-rsm-classic-ricky-castillo-lee-hodges-matt-kuchar.
“Joel Dahmen Misses Cut at RSM Classic.” The Mirror, Reach PLC, https://www.themirror.com/sport/golf/joel-dahmen-cut-rsm-classic-1521039.
“RSM Classic 2025: Who Made the Cut and Who Was Sent Home.” Golfweek, USA Today Sports, https://golfweek.usatoday.com/story/sports/golf/pga/2025/11/21/rsm-classic-2025-who-made-the-cut-who-was-sent-home-at-pga-tour-finale/87404318007.

As a golf fan, you might only have 10 good years to watch him tee off. He is ready to lead the Ryder Cup in the coming years, with no desire to be a playing captain. He has also shared his skepticism about the Seniors Tour. McIlroy is all set to pack up the moment he teeters on the edge of 50. His post-golf plan is ready, as he finally shared his vision.
Speaking at the CNBC’s CEO Council Forum, McIlroy looked clear in his upcoming plans. “I used to be the young guy on Tour, and I look around myself now, and I’m not, and I’ve got the gray hairs to prove it,” he joked light-heartedly. “I still feel like I can be a really good golfer for the next five to ten years, but, you know, I’m still going to have half my life to live after that.”
The “gray hairs” he talks about are a sign of his growing age, and he is not ready to risk his body for a few more trophies. In his words, he “hit a wall” after playing 27 events last year, and so his schedule would see a drastic scale-back (from 25-30 to 18-20). That was visible in 2025, when he missed 4 Signature Events. His aim was basically to skip most of the PGA Tour events, as they require him to fly out of Europe, where he is currently based. McIlroy has also criticized golf for having a dense schedule and suggested having an NFL-like system. But that does not mean he skipped golf completely; he just shifted his focus.
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For McIlroy, the grind became intense at the DP World Tour. He played the Genesis Scottish Open. He also played the Amgen Irish Open, where he won. He traveled to India for DPWIC and then flew to the UAE for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (3T) and the DPWT Championship, finishing second. This all just means that golf is still his priority, as of now, but he wants to play more globally.
“I think as long as I’m playing golf competitively, I will be a golfer first and foremost,” he reflected. “Golf is the reason that I am on this stage. It’s given me a platform to follow these different interests in my life.”
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“Different interests” is where he sees himself after 10 years. He does not want to be one of those players who have hung up their clubs at home and have nothing left to do. He doesn’t want to think, “Okay, what am I going to do next?”
The next step in his life is definitely business, something he has started dipping his toes in.
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Rory McIlroy is a businessman, too
This year, just weeks after completing his career Grand Slam at the Masters, he launched TPG Sports. TPG, which is a private equity firm that manages around $246 B in assets, seemed like the perfect launchpad for McIlroy. Even back in 2019, he had walked on this path when he co-founded Symphony Ventures. The result of this is Whoop, Hyperice, Golf Genius, and Puttery. Then there is also the TGL that he has with Tiger Woods.
“I think to put the wheels in motion, partnering with great firms like TPG, following my interests in investing, it sets me up for that second phase of life, which I think a lot of athletes, you know, don’t get to,” he shared.
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McIlroy’s job is to operate as a partner in the firm and bring in funds for sports investment. That is something already being seen since his entry into the company. The fund has received great commitment from Lunate, which is an Abu Dhabi investment manager. For the Northern Irishman, this is a great opportunity because he believes sport is going through a big transformation. All he wants to do is bring in more investment in golf and try to make it more professional. That’s simply his post-retirement plan.
“When I feel like I’ve done everything that I want to do in the game of golf, it will be so nice to hopefully step into this other role, and it will sort of be a smooth transition into that,” smiles Rory McIlroy.

Sami Valimaki didn’t begin his athletic journey on a lush fairway; he started with dreams of skating on ice. Growing up in Finland, he once harbored aspirations of playing in the NHL. His 6’2″ build and athleticism made hockey a natural dream.
But life had other plans. When Valimaki entered mandatory national military service, he found himself enduring harsh conditions: sub-zero temperatures, forested terrain, and rigorous training far removed from any athletic glamour.
It was during this period of discipline and adversity that golf began to really take root, setting him on a path far different than the ice rinks of his youth.
Amateur Standout
Before turning professional, Valimaki had already built a strong reputation as an amateur. In 2018, he helped lead Finland to victory at the European Amateur Team Championship, showcasing the early signs of the competitiveness and power he would later bring to the pro ranks.
That same year, even as he began his mandatory national military service, he continued his development by competing on the Nordic Golf League whenever his training schedule allowed. His military obligations were no small task; he endured subzero temperatures, slept in tents, and went through grueling field exercises he described as “minus 20, 25 degrees … a hard time over there.”
Despite the rugged conditions, Valimaki’s talent still pushed him forward. As a designated sportsman, he was given limited stretches where he could practice or travel to tournaments, keeping him sharp enough to maintain his upward trajectory. Those efforts paid off quickly.
He turned professional in early 2019, before being officially discharged, and immediately made noise by winning his pro debut on the Pro Golf Tour in Morocco. He didn’t slow down, either. Valimaki added three more titles that season on the developmental circuit, bypassing the Challenge Tour entirely and instead earning his DP World Tour card through Q-School.
His rise only accelerated from there. In just his fifth start on the DP World Tour, he broke through with a victory at the Oman Open–the second-to-last event before the pandemic shut the season down.
Less than two years after turning pro, Valimaki earned his first major start at the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, a testament to how quickly he climbed through the ranks. His second DP World Tour win came three years later at the 2023 Qatar Masters, fueling a top-15 finish in the Race to Dubai and punching his ticket to the PGA Tour for a chance to be Finland’s first Tour winner.
Becoming Finland’s First PGA Tour Winner
That opportunity finally arrived at the 2025 RSM Classic. On a windy, pressure-packed Sunday at Sea Island, Valimaki closed with a 4-under 66 to finish at 23-under overall and edged out Max McGreevy by just one stroke.
With that victory he made history: becoming the first Finnish golfer to win on the PGA Tour.
It wasn’t just about the win. He did it with calm under pressure–saving par on the 16th with a clutch putt from off the green, then sealing it on 18 under swirling winds. Those moments spoke volumes about his nerve, confidence, and mental resilience under fire.
“I just wanted to show the people it’s possible from there,” Valimaki said.
By season’s end, he ranked No. 51 in the FedExCup standings. That finish earned him exemptions into the first two major signature events of the 2026 PGA Tour season–a huge boon that gives him a clearer path to cement his status among golf’s elite.
“It has been a long road, of course,” Valimaki said. “I feel like, kind of how the last year taught me, I feel like it’s a really tough year even when I kind of played decent golf, and then to keep pushing and find some good grooves in the last few tournaments, so it feels amazing.”
What Makes Valimaki Different
What sets Valimaki apart from many peers is his unusual sporting background. Few PGA Tour winners can say they once dreamed of playing center in the NHL, or that they endured military training in sub-zero forests before even picking up a club seriously.
That toughness seems to have translated, physically and mentally, to the golf course. Whether braving brutal winters as a serviceman or grinding through minor tours early in his career, Valimaki learned resilience. And now, when the wind picks up, or the pressure mounts, that background gives him an edge many of his peers don’t have.
Also notable, despite being 27 years old, he’s already amassed a well-rounded resume: multiple professional wins in Europe, a U.S. Tour win, and a growing reputation as a long hitter with a calm temperament in the clutch.

Sami Valimaki earned his first PGA Tour victory at this week’s RSM Classic with a bag consisting of four different brands after recently becoming a gear-free agent.
Valimaki’s bag features some of the most popular club models on the PGA Tour this season.
His Titleist GT3 driver was the winningest driver on the PGA Tour this past season, now with its seventh win and seventh different player.
He also plays a TaylorMade R7 Mini Driver and a TaylorMade Qi35 7-wood, which were also extremely popular options this season, as well as his Ping Blueprint S irons.
For his wedges, he uses a Vokey SM10 setup consisting of 46, 50, 56 and 60. Vokey wedges had another outstanding season on the PGA Tour, with upward of 250 wedges going into play every week.
But then for his putter, he goes back to a classic with an Odyssey White Hot OG 2-Ball putter.
Keep reading below for all of Valimaki’s specs.
Sami Valimaki’s winning clubs at the 2025 RSM Classic
Driver: Titleist GT3 8.0˚
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Red RDX 70 TX
Titleist GT3 Custom Driver
GT3 – Speed-Tuned Distance & Control GT3 offers Titleist’s boldest combination of power and personalization. With a speed-tuned design that allows you to precisely match performance to your most frequent contact location, you can make your biggest drives even bigger while taking total control over flight and shaping. For players with a relatively consistent impact location, GT3 offers a precisely adjustable CG Track to max out distance and directional control. Seamless Thermoform Crown A reimagined ultra-lightweight design, born from a new Proprietary Matrix Polymer. The tunable acoustic properties of this unique composite allow Titleist engineers to realize new material gains while maintaining our signature sound and feel. All wrapped in a clean look that inspires total confidence. Split Mass Construction A breakthrough in internal weighting unlocks longer drives and enhanced directional control in GT3. The Adjustable CG Track now sits closer to the face for more dynamic CG control, while additional discretionary mass is pushed to the back of the club to maintain optimal stability through impact. Advanced Aerodynamics GT3 features a new raised tail contour that represents a dramatic shift in driver aerodynamics. Previously impossible to execute due to design constraints, this advanced shaping results in a driver that swings faster while still providing optimal CG control.
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ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore, Titleist
Project X HZRDUS Smoke Red RDX Wood Shaft
HZRDUS Smoke Red RDX provides more launch and spin than any other HZRDUS RDX shaft. Similar to RDX Black, Smoke Red RDX features a stiff butt and midsection that best suits aggressive tempos but contains an active tip section for increased trajectory. Designed in lighter weights and optimized torques, RDX Red is ideal for a wide range of mid trajectory players. To make the best, you have to use the best. Project X has teamed up with Hexcel®, a global leader in composites technology for aerospace and military operations, to utilize their HexTow® carbon fibers. Hexcel’s HexTow® carbon fiber represents the highest quality aerospace-grade carbon fiber delivering superior performance on some of the world’s most advanced aircraft.
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Mini Driver: TaylorMade R7 Quad Mini 13.5˚
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Red RDX 70 TX
TaylorMade R7 Quad Custom Mini Driver
PERFORMANCE FOR THE MODERN PLAYER Inspired by one of the most iconic models in TaylorMade history, the R7 Quad Mini Driver pays homage to what’s come before, while creating its own modern identity in the same breath. It’s that very modern design that incorporates proven TaylorMade technologies to give golfers versatility and playability. R7 QUAD WEIGHTING SYSTEM The new quad weighting system features four movable weights (13g x2, 4g x2) that provide the ultimate in spin management and shot shape control. Forward CG creates a penetrating flight best suited for maximizing distance whereas rear CG helps prioritize control and ease of use from the deck. Shot shape can also be fine-tuned helping create the most optimal flight. Additional weights can be purchased for a wider range of adjustability. INFINITY CARBON CROWN A new satin Infinity Carbon Crown has been added to the R7 Quad Mini Driver chassis creating a stunning look while saving weight for better mass optimization. The cosmetic package is clean, elegant, and confidence-inspiring.
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7-wood: TaylorMade Qi35 21.0
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Red RDX 80 TX
TaylorMade Qi35 Custom Fairway Wood
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Irons: Ping Blueprint S (4-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Mid X100
PING Blueprint S Custom Irons
Developed following extensive testing with PING’s top tour pros to meet their “must haves” — control and precision — Blueprint S delivers the score-lowering performance demanded by the best players in the world. COMPACT SHAPE The compact shape fits the discerning eye with a thin top line and minimal offset. The 8620 carbon steel head boasts a clean cavity design, distinguished by an eye-catching forged textured pattern and hydropearl 2.0 chrome finish. PRECISION POCKET FORGING This patented forging technique allows PING to forge a pocket into the cavity of the 3, 4 and 5 irons. The pocket saves 10 grams of weight, which is re-allocated to increase the MOI and optimize the center of gravity position for more distance and trajectory control.
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Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM10 (46.10F, 50.08F, 56.10S, 60.04T)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100, (46-50), S400 (56, 60)
Titleist Vokey SM10 Raw Custom Wedge
For every shot, every lie, every course, there’s a grind fit for your swing. Finding the right grind to match your swing and playing conditions will give you the best turf interaction, contact and shot performance. Master Craftsman Bob Vokey has spent decades crafting, developing and improving his tour proven grinds to fit players of all levels.Anyone can manufacture a wedge, but it takes a master to turn a piece of high-performance technology into an instrument of creative control. Bob’s six tour-proven grinds are designed to offer maximum creativity, versatility and consistency, all meticulously developed through years of working with the best players in the world. PROGRESSIVE CENTER OF GRAVITY SM9 features a progressive center of gravity (CG) throughout the lofts, which optimizes ball flight, accuracy and forgiveness. Using tapered top lines and varied hosel lengths, the Vokey R&D team has raised the height of the CG in the higher lofts, which promotes a lower, more controlled flight.The CG is also forward of the face, resulting in increased MOI, exceptional feel and a club face that simply wants to square up at impact. SPIN MILLED GROOVES SM9’s patented Spin Milled grooves are meticulously engineered through a new cutting process to maximize spin and durability. The process starts by cutting the face perfectly flat with a high-speed saw. Then every groove is individually cut based on loft and finish; low lofts (46°-54°) are designed with narrower, deeper grooves, while higher lofts (56°-62°) have wider, shallower grooves.Micro-grooves are individually cut in between grooves, which maximize spin on partial shots. A proprietary heat treatment is applied to the impact area which doubles the durability of the groove without impacting feel, making it the most durable groove in golf. The process is only complete when every Vokey wedge is 100% inspected for utmost quality and performance.
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ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — Sami Valimaki became Finland’s first PGA Tour winner on Sunday when he closed with a 4-under 66 for a one-shot victory in the RSM Classic, the final event of the year, which saw hopes rise and fall over the final hour at Sea Island.
Valimaki, who had two runner-up finishes over the past two seasons, used putter from below the green on the 16th and then holed an 18-foot putt putt. He was steady over the closing holes even as the wind abruptly changed direction with a little more force late in the day.
Far more dramatic was everything going on in front of him.
The top 100 in the FedEx Cup standings — down from 125 players in previous years — have full PGA Tour cards for a 2026 season when the fields will be smaller.
Ricky Castillo shot 28 on the front nine and closed with a 62, and when he finished, it looked like that would be enough for him to move from No. 135 inside the top 100. But then Max McGreevy holed a 30-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a 63, moving him into second place alone.
That bumped Castillo down to No. 102 by fewer than 10 points.
Right after McGreevy holed his putt, Lee Hodges had a 10-foot birdie attempt that narrowly missed and cost him a chance to move into the top 100. The par for a 66 left him at No. 101 in the FedEx Cup standings by about two points.
When the RSM Classic ended, the players at Nos. 95 to 100 going into the final event were unchanged.
And there was Valimaki, a two-time winner on the European tour who was runner-up two weeks ago in Mexico. Now he has a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour and is assured of playing the first two $20 million signature events of 2026 by finishing at No. 51 in the FedEx Cup.

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – For once, Max McGreevy wasn’t the one holding his breath. The 30-year-old from Edmond, Oklahoma, had spent most of the past six months on the FedExCup bubble, but after tying for third last week in Bermuda, he was afforded house money to chase his first victory at the RSM Classic.
As McGreevy stood over his 30-foot birdie putt on Sea Island’s par-4 finishing hole on Sunday afternoon, within striking distance of leader Sami Valimaki, the tension had instead manifested in competitors Ricky Castillo and Lee Hodges. The former watched from the clubhouse while the latter shared the green with McGreevy, staring down a crucial birdie putt of his own.
Castillo, the 24-year-old rookie out of Florida, had just fired an 8-under 62, but if McGreevy made, it wouldn’t be enough to crack the top 100 in points and retain full membership for 2026. Hodges needed to break out of a logjam for fourth, otherwise he’d be joining Castillo as a conditional member next year.
McGreevy prefers a singular thought when he swings back the putter, and the focus this week has been to keep his head still.
“When I get under pressure, I feel like I kind of move back as the putt’s going on,” explained McGreevy, who gained over two strokes on the greens in his final round.
Even as the wind picked up late, McGreevy stood firm on that last green. He put a nice stroke on his ball, then watched it track toward the hole.
With McGreevy’s ball in motion, Castillo’s fate hung in the balance. It had been a year of narrow disappointments for Castillo, who missed eight cuts by a single shot, three of those coming during a four-MC streak entering the RSM. Now, he was potentially about to lose his card by the same, tiny margin. And yet, Castillo was surprisingly calm, like he’d been all week at a place where he’d won an SEC Championship his senior year with the Gators.
“Honestly, I really didn’t feel much pressure,” Castillo said. “It was kind of like I really didn’t have anything to lose.”
Florida head coach J.C. Deacon texted Castillo on Saturday night, telling his former player that there was no player he’d rather have the ball in their hands. Derek Castillo, Ricky’s older brother and caddie, agreed after witnessing his little brother hit his first few warmup shots on Sunday morning. High winds in Bermuda had thrown Ricky’s swing off kilter, but when Ricky turned toward the first tee, he turned to Derek and said, “This is the best my swing has felt all week.”
Ricky Castillo didn’t say much on Sunday. Bryan Kopsick, looper for Castillo’s playing competitor Jonathan Byrd, noted during the final round, “I’ve never seen a kid so zoned in.”
“When he’s feeling confident, he can get in the zone and he just kind of goes,” said Derek Castillo.
And boy, did he go on Sunday, going out in a scorching 7-under 28. His only blemish was a tough one, a missed 2-footer for par at the par-3 12th, but he responded with a two-putt birdie at the par-5 15th and 32-foot birdie make at the par-4 16th. He gave himself 20 feet for 61 at the last before settling for a 10-under 62.
“I just felt like I had a good idea of what I was going to do today and just come out and just play the best I could,” Castillo said.
Not even an hour later, though, McGreevy’s ball disappeared into the 18th hole – and with it, Castillo’s hopes. As McGreevy celebrated with an emphatic fist pump, Castillo, whose golf bag had been set up on the driving range, in case he was needed for a playoff, simultaneously headed to the parking lot. He then spent several minutes unloading his belongings, including his fishing gear, from his courtesy SUV and into a much smaller car to make the drive home to Jacksonville, Florida.
He just wouldn’t be returning with his PGA Tour card, as McGreevy’s birdie knocked him from a projected No. 95 in points to No. 102.
“It’s just been one of those years where it’s been really close,” Castillo said. “It could have been really good, but it hasn’t really clicked. Finally clicked this week.”
Castillo will have one last chance to garner fully exempt status on the PGA Tour for 2026. He’ll be eligible for the final stage of PGA Tour Q-School in a few weeks. If not, he’ll likely still receive plenty of starts in a conditional category, Nos. 101-110, that doesn’t reshuffle and is projected to warrant upwards of 20 starts.
Same goes for Hodges, who holed two birdie putts from outside 20 feet on the back nine but couldn’t capitalize from 10 feet on the last. The 30-year-old Alabama product, who finished top 50 in points two seasons ago, ended in a three-way tie for fourth, which cemented him No. 101 in points – by approximately two points – after starting the week No. 122. He’ll also have four starts via a medical extension after cracking a rib earlier this year. That solace didn’t lessen the immediate sting, though, as Hodges’ closing miss caused him to double over and bury his head in his hands.
“My agents have been telling me if you finish inside the top 111, you’re going to really like where you are,” Hodges said, already holding an open can of Coors light. “So, 101, I guess, is all right after the s— year – sorry, after the bad year I had this year.”
He was forgiven.
With McGreevy’s late heroics, no players moved inside the top 100 this week. In fact, Nos. 95-100 remained unchanged. And when it comes to the top 125, the cutoff between two conditional groups with drastically different outlooks, only Seamus Power moved in, from No. 129 to No. 117, while Frankie Capan III, who missed the RSM cut, dropped out.
McGreevy, whose one-shot runner-up to Valimaki bumped Jordan Spieth from the Aon Next 10 (and two signature-event starts next year), was later informed what his final putt meant for Castillo and his closing 63 for Hodges, a close friend whom he shared a rookie season with a few years ago.
“I hate to hear that, that I was the one that did that,” McGreevy said. “I’m playing alongside Lee … and I’m pulling for him to make that putt just as much as I was for myself to make that putt. It’s little successes and defeats, whether it’s a defeat to Ricky or Lee or something like that, they both still played great rounds, gave themself that chance, and that’s all they can rely on is to give themself an opportunity, and they did.
“Hopefully, both those guys, Ricky and Lee, can take care of business either at Q-School or next year with some starts.”

Phil Mickelson’s name has sparked arguments for years. His move to LIV and vocal support of the Saudi-backed league have been a topic of debate, not just among golf fans and commentators, but also among many golfers. They perceive his switch to LIV to be wrong, while the others think that he had the right to make his choice. Amidst this to and fro, Phil Mickelson’s biographer has revealed why Lefty should get credit for Scottie Scheffler and other PGA Tour pros’ hefty paychecks.
Golf writer and author Alan Shipnuck knows the 6x major winner better than many others. In a recent conversation on ‘Pablo Torre Finds Out,’ Shipnuck pulled back the curtain on a side of the sport’s upheaval that fans don’t get to see. The shifts in power and the money pouring into tournaments were all because of Phil Mickelson.
“The tour spent $75 million to build this headquarters. They had hundreds of millions of dollars in reserves. And then LiV Golf arrives, they turn the spigot on, and all of a sudden, the players are getting paid twice as much as they used to. Phil was right about that, too. And so, on the merits, he could be vindicated. He could be the hero to every professional golfer because he tripled their salaries,” Alan Shipnuck said on ‘Pablo Torre Finds Out.’
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Phil Mickelson was right to say that golfers on the PGA Tour should be compensated more. And the PGA Tour had the means to do so. However, until LIV arrived, the prize money on the PGA Tour events was much lower than what it is today. For instance, the total prize money on the PGA Tour in 2021 was $367 million. It increased by $60 million to $427 million in 2022. The board announced this rise in November 2021, following the establishment of LIV.
The prize pool for many events increased significantly over the course of a year. For instance, the FedEx St. Jude Invitational and the BMW Championship prize pools increased from $9.5 million to $15 million. Today, both events boast a prize pool of a whopping $20 million. The same increase was seen across many other events on the schedule.
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If elite golfers like Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, and others hadn’t joined LIV for the money, the PGA Tour might not have taken these steps.
Another thing that Alan Shipnuck credits Phil Mickelson for is giving golfers more control. “Like his two main talking points to me were that the players needed more say in their governance on the PGA Tour. And you saw that when Jay Monahan, the commissioner, sold them all out and created this backroom deal with the Saudis. And ever since then, there has been so much outrage. They’ve blown the whole thing up. They’ve given the players more seats on the board. The players now run the PGA Tour,” Shipnuck said.
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Jay Monahan had struck a deal with the PIF governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, in 2023. The deal was so secretive that even LIV’s then-CEO, Greg Norman, had no idea about it. He found out just five minutes before Monahan and Al-Rumayyan announced it publicly. Many golfers, including Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa, and even Jon Rahm, were angry with the decision.
Phil Mickelson had a controversial manner of handling these changes. However, his legacy includes changing the financial landscape of professional golf and empowering players with governance rights. And this was not the only time he handled things controversially. Over the years, Mickelson has been part of many controversies. The most recent one is his involvement in insider trading.
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Phil Mickelson is accused of insider trading
Investigative outlet Hunterbrook published a report in late October 2025. The report alleged that Sable Offshore selectively shared material non‑public information with a small group of investors, including Mickelson. Leaked screenshots and messages cited in that report show Mickelson telling a private X investor group about restarting production details.
The report also described a leaked call. During the call, Sable’s CEO, Jim Flores, discussed a “west coast game” with “a certain left‑handed golfer” and a high‑level U.S. official. Flores suggested a plan to lobby for federal help that could dramatically improve Sable’s prospects. The official publicly denied any such plans or knowledge of Sable.
U.S. insider‑trading law focuses on trading on material non‑public information or benefiting from tipping others. The report dropped alongside warnings that Sable would likely have to raise about $200–225 million in dilutive equity to extend a key loan with Exxon. The combined news contributed to Sable’s stock plunging by roughly 15–20% in a single trading session. However, the 55-year-old denied all accusations.
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“So a company says I can’t say anything to you, but we will announce something at the close,” Mickelson said. “I don’t know if it’s a dilution, and the stock goes down, or a deal for the stock to go up. I have to wait to see what the info is; I make no trades whatsoever and am ultra, ultra careful given past history.”
In fact, Lefty asked Hunterbrook if they had traded Sable’s stock. Their report plunged Sable’s stock, so Phil Mickelson was curious if the company shared the report on purpose to ride the price drop. Mickelson even warned of legal action against Hunterbrook and anyone who reposts the article.
Phil Mickelson’s impact on modern golf continues to spark debate. However, even his critics can see how his actions pushed the sport into a new financial era.