The PGA Tour announced changes to its senior management team under new CEO Brian Rolapp.
Dhruv Prasad was named Chief Commercial Officer and Paul Hicks was named Executive Vice President, Strategic Communications and Public Policy.
Both Prasad and Hicks previously held senior executive roles at the NFL, as did CEO Brian Rolapp.
The PGA Tour announced changes to its senior management team under Chief Executive Officer Brian Rolapp on Oct. 17, with two key additions: Dhruv Prasad as Chief Commercial Officer and Paul Hicks as Executive Vice President, Strategic Communications and Public Policy.
Andy Weitz will expand his role to become Chief Marketing Officer and Neera Shetty, Chief Legal Officer and EVP, Social Responsibility, will take on interim oversight of additional administrative functions.
“Since Day 1, I have been committed to taking the steps necessary to achieve sustainable success for the PGA Tour,” said Rolapp in a statement. “During my first 90 days in the role, we have identified opportunities to further integrate our teams and add new capabilities to accelerate our growth — for the benefit of our fans, players and partners.

Brian Rolapp is starting his tenure as PGA Tour CEO with a bold move. Facing an organization under scrutiny for racial and sex discrimination lawsuits, he isn’t playing it safe. Instead, he’s shaking up the Tour’s top leadership and bringing in trusted colleagues from his NFL days.
In a recent announcement, the new CEO has brought Dhruv Prasad and Paul Hicks to the table. They are taking the place of longtime Tour veterans Rick Anderson and Allison Keller, who will retire in 2025. Prasad and Hicks bring NFL executive experience in commercial partnerships and strategic communications.
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Prasad will join the PGA Tour as chief commercial officer. He has over two decades of experience as a top-level executive in the entertainment industry. Previously, he was the SVP of business development and strategic investments at the NFL. But that’s not all he has under his belt. Prior to the NFL role, he served as the president and CEO of Music Reports Inc. Meanwhile, Hicks has an expertise of his own.
Paul Hicks will serve as the EVP, Strategic Communications and Public Policy for the PGA Tour. Hicks performed the same role in the NFL a long time back. After his stint in the NFL, he served as a partner at FGS Global before moving to the PGA Tour. Besides Prasad and Hicks, Brian Rolapp has also expanded the roles of Andy Weitz and Neera Shetty.
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Prasad and Hicks are replacing tour veterans. Rick Anderson has been with the tour for around 30 years now. He worked as the chief commercial officer, while Keller had the role of chief administrative officer.
While this change in itself seems like a big move, what’s more surprising is that it comes at a time when the PGA Tour is facing a discrimination lawsuit. Although the two things have nothing to do with each other, such moves can be seen as an attempt to reshape the organization’s culture and management style in response to or in anticipation of litigation outcomes.
Ryan Randolph, a former kitchen worker at TPC Sawgrass, has filed a lawsuit alleging discrimination against the PGA Tour. It all began when Johnattan Hernandez was appointed as the new executive chef in April 2024. Hernandez is a native of Puerto Rico, and Randolph was reportedly the only white male working in the kitchen. Randolph alleges that Hernandez used comments like, “White guys don’t know how to cook,” pointing at him. He also faced other remarks like mocking a vasectomy or calling him a slur.
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The allegation is that when he took the complaint to the company’s head of talent and culture, he was fired within a few days. Rondolph hence filed a lawsuit against the PGA Tour, seeking compensation for lost wages, emotional damages, and punitive damages.
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With NFL executives now in key roles, the Tour is looking to boost fan engagement and reverse declining viewership. Rolapp’s experience in sports media and commercial strategy could be the catalyst it needs.
Brian Rolapp’s extensive media and commercial experience
There was a Tiger Woods era when fans would arrive at golf courses in massive numbers. Even those who didn’t would stick to television to see the legendary golfer play. However, the viewership of PGA Tour events has been declining.
There are still a few stars like Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, and others who can attract some fans. But the overall viewership numbers are going down. For example, the 2025 American Express tournament’s final round saw a 56% drop in viewers compared to the previous year. It drew only about 232,000 viewers on Golf Channel versus 534,000 the year before. The PGA Tour’s aim in bringing in Brian Rolapp as the new CEO is to increase these numbers and enhance fan engagement.
He has over 20 years of experience in the sports entertainment industry. Current commissioner Jay Monahan needed someone like Rolapp to take over his place as he plans to retire after 2026.
“A year ago, I informed our Boards that upon completing a decade as Commissioner, I would step down from my role at the end of 2026,” said PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan. “Since then, we’ve worked together to identify a leader who can build on our momentum and develop a process that ensures a smooth transition. We’ve found exactly the right leader in Brian Rolapp, and I’m excited to support him as he transitions from the NFL into his new role leading the PGA TOUR.”
Rolapp’s NFL experience in media rights, digital innovation, and strategic partnerships positions him to guide the Tour through fan engagement and commercial growth. He is expected to use this expertise to expand the Tour’s global reach, diversify revenue, and strengthen its strategic position.
Rolapp’s executive shakeup signals a clear shift toward modernizing the PGA Tour’s leadership while addressing current challenges. How Prasad and Hicks leverage their NFL experience could shape the Tour’s growth and reputation in the years ahead.

Most golfers spend their careers trying to climb higher. They chase lower scores, better rankings, and the dream of ultimately becoming an elite player. But a former PGA Tour pro is doing the opposite. After more than a decade competing at golf’s highest level and earning millions, Colt Knost now wants to step back into the amateur ranks. While only Knost can say why he made this decision, analysts suggest that it is a ‘stunt’ to gain entry into the Masters.
Hosts Andy Johnson and Brendan Porath didn’t seem happy about Colt Knost’s reinstatement as an amateur. “I think this move seems dubious. But it was, for me, a play for attention and engagement on the podcast, which I’m not unfamiliar with either, sponsored by some off-brand Zen thing, and cut for social and sharing. And it’s worked and everybody’s hooting and hollering about it,” said Brendan Porath on the Fried Egg Golf podcast.
Knost has received a lot of criticism for his move, especially since he retired from the PGA Tour after earning millions and now wants to return to being an amateur. The former U.S. Amateur champion announced on his own Subpar podcast, “I have applied to get my amateur status back.”
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It was not the announcement itself that stirred up the heat, but an X post from Sean Martin, the content head of the PGA tour, which read, “@ColtKnostannounced today that he’s seeking to become a reinstated amateur. This could lead to a most circuitous route to a Master’s debut.”
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It’s not like Knost never got a chance to play in the Masters. The retired PGA Tour pro had an amazing amateur run. He won the 2007 U.S. Amateur, which comes with a Masters invitation. So he could have played the Masters, except that he chose not to. Instead, he turned pro right after the Walker Cup and gave up his spot at the 2008 Masters. Sean Martin described Knost’s frustration over this in his X post. “It’s frustrating the fact I never got there (Masters), but at the time I felt it was the right decision, 100%, and I still do,” Martin wrote Knost’s words in his post. In fact, Knost faced backlash from fans over this.
However, the retired tour pro recently clarified the reasons behind this move. To begin with, he aims to play just one event, Mid-Am. He also intends to captain the Walker Cup team. “My biggest thing in this is I’m very proud of my USGA resume, playing on the Walker Cup team was the biggest honor in my golfing career, and I would like to one day lead the USA Walker Cup team if at all possible,” he said on the Gravy & The Sleeze.
According to Porath, this could make even more people furious. “He was a pro for five years, made almost 5 million, won twice on KFT. I just like, I would think like making him the Walker Cup captain, not just reinstating him and then making him the Walker Cup captain, would make even more people furious,”
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That being said, Colt Knost can become a Walker Cup captain someday. It’s not completely out of the question. Walker Cup captains are usually selected based on strong ties to amateur golf, leadership qualities, and experience. Since Knost won the 2007 US Amateur and has experience playing on the pro circuit, too, he could well be a good candidate for this. However, the fans still seem to be furious about the route he chose.
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Knost has applied for amateur reinstatement, but the USGA has yet to make its decision. But how exactly do pro golfers regain amateur status?
How pro golfers return to amateur status
Professional golfers can regain amateur status by applying through the United States Golf Association (USGA). They have to answer a couple of dozen questions and pay a $200 fee. The questions ask for details like the last tour played, cuts made, prize money won, etc. Essentially, applicants have to demonstrate that they have ceased playing golf for prize money or engaging in professional golf activities. Colt Knost is not the only one who has made this decision.
Many tour pros before him have applied to regain amateur status. The legendary Jack Nicklaus’s son, Gary Nicklaus, did it in 2007. Dillard Pruitt is also among those who were granted reinstatement after playing on the tour for a decade. He soon won the Sunnehanna Amateur and Canadian Amateur after his reinstatement.
John Peterson and Brandon Holtz are some other golfers who did the same. In fact, 7 of the 8 US Mid-Am quarterfinalists in 2025 were former PGA Tour pros.
Knost’s case has reignited debate about where to draw the line between professionals and amateurs in modern golf. As more former professionals seek reinstatement, the sport may soon need more stringent rules to maintain fair competition and preserve the amateur spirit.

PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp on Friday announced a serious shakeup to the organization’s C-suite as headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Rolapp has decided to bring in Dhruv Prasad as chief commercial officer and Paul Hicks as executive vice president, strategic communications and public policy.
Both men previously worked with Rolapp in his prior role at the NFL, making his first notable PGA Tour hires a couple of familiar faces.

It has only been a few hours since Colt Knost announced his controversial decision to try and regain his amateur status. He faced a lot of heat for trying to make this move, even though he explicitly mentioned that he only wanted to be in the position to captain a Walker Cup side. Either way, the golf community tore into him as they couldn’t accept someone with his experience and background wanting to become an amateur again. And now, another pro suggested that he wants to pull the same stunt, albeit jokingly. That hasn’t pleased an analyst one bit.
Moments ago, golf content creator suspended from the PGA Tour, Wesley Bryan, jumped on the bandwagon when he read the news of Colt Knost wanting to regain his amateur status. He tweeted, “I think i should try and get my amateur status back 👀.” He reacted to a guy who was complaining about Knost wanting to regain his amateur status after competing in 199 PGA Tour events and winning two Korn Ferry Tour tournaments. Bryan’s attempt at humor didn’t sit well with Shotgun Start’s Brendan Porath. And he made his feelings clear via his own tweet.
“Two things can be true: in an increasingly nebulous and challenging time to define ‘amateur,’ the USGA may be losing the plot on regulating amateur status, especially at the reinstated mid-am level. And Colt Knost’s move, or stunt, is relatively harmless, though his ‘Y’all are freaking out over nothing’ response to the backlash from a stunt designed to create backlash is a little off-base. You shouted fire in a theater, people ran out, and then you’re holding your hands up, asking why everyone’s running away. And for affirmation of this intended effect, look no further than Wes Bryan attempting to hitch himself to the attention train.”
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This was published in a Fried Egg Golf newsletter. He believes that Knost’s move is nothing but a publicity stunt. He can’t expect to do something outlandish as wanting to become an amateur golfer again, and then not expect the golf community to react. He also looped in Wesley Bryan into the conversation, who is also trying to get some attention from all the backlash Knost is facing. In fact, Bryan’s actions prove that Knost’s intent was also to gain attention in the end. Only time will tell if anything fruitful yields out of it.
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Having said that, whatever Colt Knost’s intent may be, he still received a vote of approval from a USGA officer, but Wesley Bryan might now. Let’s see what they had to say.
The USGA might allow Colt Knost to become an amateur again, but not Wesley Bryan
When Colt Knost confirmed that he wants to become an amateur golfer, he also stated that he wanted to captain a Walker Cup team. Hearing his statement, the USGA Chief Governance Officer Thomas Pagel said, “There are certainly people who take the view that once you’ve turned professional, you have had some level of success, and how you define success again, it’s a bit subjective, should never be allowed back. Our rules allow for that.”
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In short, he gave Knost the green light to transition back to amateur golf if he wanted to. But considering how Wesley Bryan has also made such a statement, does the same rule apply to him as well? Well, Pagel also had something to say about pros like Bryan: “Certainly, if somebody has ripped off a bunch of wins on the PGA Tour or they have played on these cup teams, they’re probably never getting their amateur status back.” While he wasn’t a hugely successful player on the PGA Tour, Wesley Bryan did have one win on it. He captured the RBC Heritage title in 2017. Hence, unlike Colt Knost, there is a possibility that he might not be allowed to return to amateur golf if he seriously intends to at some point in his career.

When Brian Rolapp took over as CEO of the PGA Tour, industry watchers knew a shakeup was coming. But few expected his first major hires would come directly from his former life in the NFL. Rolapp’s early appointments of former league executives signal not just continuity with his background, but an ambition to reorient the PGA Tour’s business posture, branding, and media strategy.
Rolapp’s choices are precise. He tapped Dhruv Prasad as Chief Commercial Officer and Paul Hicks as Executive VP of Strategic Communications and Public Policy–both men who previously worked with him in the NFL. These are not safe, lateral or “place-holders.” They are trusted lieutenants who know Rolapp’s style and his vision, and they’ll be under immediate pressure to deliver in a new sport context.
“Since Day 1, I have been committed to taking the steps necessary to achieve sustainable success for the PGA Tour,” Rolapp said. “During my first 90 days in the role, we have identified opportunities to further integrate our teams and add new capabilities to accelerate our growth–for the benefit of our fans, players and partners.
“Dhruv and Paul bring specific experience that will complement our existing team and further strengthen key functions within the organization, and Andy and Neera will help further integrate our operations and elevate the Tour in their expanded roles.”
Why NFL Executives? Translating From Football to Golf
On the surface, football and golf couldn’t be more different–the product, audience habits, seasonal peaks, sponsorship models, and media demands don’t map neatly. But Rolapp sees enough shared DNA in professional sports to believe the crossover is real. He has repeatedly said the fundamentals of sports business are similar: build the product, align with strong partners, and let value follow.
“As a golfer, tournament volunteer, caddie and a fan of the sport, it’s an honor to be a part of the PGA TOUR,” Hicks said. “I look forward to working with our stakeholders and members of the media in telling the story of the TOUR.”
From his time at the NFL, Rolapp knows how to monetize media rights, negotiate complex partnerships, and leverage brand value in an era of fragmentation. Prasad’s prior role in media business development and investments at the NFL gives him exactly that kind of cred, and now he becomes a central driver of PGA Tour’s future media, broadcasting, and corporate partnership strategy. Hicks, in turn, inherits the communications, public policy, and reputation work–crucial for a tour trying to restore credibility after years of disruption.
This isn’t a mere power shift. It’s a statement: Rolapp is aiming to modernize the Tour’s commercial machinery, to elevate its global brand, and to better align it with modern media and consumer expectations.
“I’m thrilled to join the PGA TOUR at such a pivotal moment for the organization,” Prasad said. “I look forward to working together with Brian, the team and our partners to further grow and innovate the commercial engine of the TOUR.”
Internal Reshuffling & The House-Cleaning
Rolapp’s new appointments came hand in hand with internal restructuring. Some long-tenured executives will retire or shift roles, and key departments will be reconfigured. For example:
Chief Marketing Officer Andy Weitz will cede communications duties and focus more squarely on PGA Tour Studios.
Neera Shetty, formerly legal staff, steps into a dual role: interim Chief Administrative Officer while retaining her legal duties.
Long-serving hybrid executives (like Rick Anderson and Allison Keller) will phase out, with some transitioning to advisory roles as part of the leadership handoff.
These moves are risky. Anytime you reshape a leadership team, you threaten continuity, morale, and institutional memory. But Rolapp seems to be betting that new energy, aligned with his strategic goals, outweighs risk.
“Allison Keller and Rick Anderson have been instrumental in the TOUR’s growth for several decades,” Rolapp said. “We all thank them for their service and congratulate them as they begin the next chapter of their careers. I’m also grateful to Len Brown for his trusted leadership and look forward to working together closely in his new role as a Special Advisor to the TOUR.”
Ambition vs. Culture: Challenges on the Road Ahead
Rolapp has made it loud and clear: he intends to transform the PGA Tour. The question is whether his grafted NFL mindset will marry well with golf’s traditions, stakeholders, and culture.
First, the PGA Tour’s stakeholders–players, sponsors, media partners, local tournaments, and regional golf bodies–have their own expectations. Rolapp must balance change with stability. Push too hard, too fast, and he risks alienating long-term partners.
Second, aligning internal teams across prior silos will be demanding. Integrating communication, media, legal, commercial, and brand functions under a new leadership architecture is never seamless. The handpicked NFL execs will have to earn credibility fast in an environment with different histories and dynamics.

Tommy Fleetwood is hoping to win the DP World Tour’s India Championship as he continues his impressive form in 2025. The 34-year-old won his first-ever PGA Tour title at the Tour Championship in August and was then part of Team Europe as they defeated the United States at Bethpage Black to win their first away Ryder Cup in 13 years. Now, he is looking to finish the season on a high with another victory, this time in India.
Fleetwood Abandons Driver To Deal With Delhi Golf Club Conditions
Fleetwood currently leads the tournament at the halfway stage after shooting a brilliant eight-under-par 64 on Friday. His round included five birdies in a row between holes 11 and 15, showing the confidence and control that have defined his year. It was a performance that underlined why he is regarded as one of Europe’s most consistent and composed players.
“I hit it in the fairway a lot today and from there just gave myself the chance to hit some nice irons in and putted well as well for the second day in a row,” Fleetwood said after his round. “It’s easy to talk about how many things you did well when you shot eight under, but just a really good round of golf.”
Fleetwood also admitted that the conditions at the Delhi Golf Club were not easy, but he enjoyed the challenge. Just like Rory McIlroy, Fleetwood has also completely abandoned his driver during the first two days.
“It’s just such a unique challenge for all of us. I haven’t hit more than a 5-wood. The one hole where I’d hit more is 18, but you get to that and you’re like, ‘well, I haven’t hit one, and I don’t really feel that comfortable with it.’”
Fleetwood Eyes Another Championship Win
Fleetwood is making his first appearance in India in nearly a decade. The 34-year-old is slightly ahead of experienced players like Shane Lowry, Brian Harman, and Keita Nakajima, all of whom are capable of turning the leaderboard around quickly. Fleetwood knows that maintaining his lead will require him to be at his best with just two rounds remaining.

The Ryder Cup record books tell a simple story. The biggest comeback ever? Just four points. It happened twice—at Brookline in 1999 and Medinah in 2012. Both times felt impossible. Both times became legend.
Fast forward to Bethpage Black in September 2025. Team USA faced something even more daunting. A seven-point deficit heading into Sunday singles. The math was brutal. No team had ever come back from that far behind.
Yet one American tells this story with surprising fondness. And people look at him funny for it. Kevin Kisner recently appeared on SiriusXM’s “Gravy & The Sleeze” podcast with hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz. The 41-year-old assistant captain opened up about his Ryder Cup experience at Bethpage Black. His take? It was incredible. Even in defeat.
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“I told a bunch of people that since post Ryder Cup and people still look at me funny when I say that,” Kisner admitted. He wasn’t wrong to expect skepticism. After all, Europe crushed the Americans 15-13. The final score looked respectable. The first two days told a different story.
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Team USA got dominated. Keegan Bradley’s squad fell behind 5.5-2.5 on Friday. Saturday was worse. Europe extended its lead to 11.5-4.5. Two days of getting “our butts kicked,” as Kisner put it. All that preparation. All those strategy sessions. None of it worked.
Then Viktor Hovland withdrew on Sunday morning due to a neck injury. Under the envelope agreement, his match with Harris English counted as a half. The score became 12-5 before a single Sunday shot. The Americans needed 9.5 points from 12 games just to tie. History said it couldn’t happen.
“You don’t have a ton of hope when you’re down by seven in the Ryder Cup,” Kisner explained. “There’s just biggest comeback of all time. Four or five, I think.” He was right. Four points were the record.
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But then something shifted. Kisner got stationed on the 12th green at Bethpage Black. The par-4, 496-yard hole became his command center for about an hour. He watched every group come through. He listened to the radio for updates. He saw the impossible start to unfold.
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“The first thing I see is, you know, the first two European guys are winning the matches through four or five holes, and I’m like, man, this is tough,” Kisner recalled. Then everything changed. Cameron Young made a clutch birdie putt. Justin Thomas followed with his own heroics. Bryson DeChambeau clawed back from down multiple holes.
The tide turned. The crowd turned with it. Suddenly, “we started making putts, and we’re winning all the crucial points.” Kisner heard about Cam Young’s birdie on the radio before the scoreboard updated. He pointed at the board and raised his hands. Moments later, it posted. The crowd went absolutely nuts.
“It’s like on the radio suddenly, like, oh, my gosh, we got a chance to actually do this, boys,” Kisner said. The energy became electric. The crowd believed. The Americans believed. For twenty magical minutes, the impossible comeback felt within reach.
Kevin Kisner’s assistant captain role: watching the drama from the sidelines
This wasn’t Kisner’s first rodeo with team golf. The four-time PGA Tour winner played in two Presidents Cups (2017, 2022). His match play record at WGC events was exceptional, standing at 21-6-1 through 2022. Yet he never made a Ryder Cup team as a player. Despite being one of the best match play competitors on tour.
So when Bradley named him assistant captain in January 2025, it carried significant meaning. Kisner was one of five vice captains alongside Jim Furyk, Webb Simpson, Brandt Snedeker, and Gary Woodland. Their job? Watch matches closely. Monitor body language. Provide real-time information. Offer strategic advice. Manage team morale through radios and direct conversations.
Assistant captains typically speak sparingly during rounds—maybe three or four key messages. But Sunday at Bethpage was different. The comeback attempt demanded constant communication. Updates flew between captains and players. The 12th green became Kisner’s vantage point for orchestrating hope.
Team USA won six matches outright that Sunday. They halved four more. They earned 8.5 points—tying the record for most points in a singles session. Only Patrick Cantlay lost his match outright, falling to Ludvig Åberg 2&1. It wasn’t enough. Shane Lowry’s birdie on 18 secured Europe’s retention. Tyrrell Hatton’s half-point clinched outright victory.
But Kisner remembers the energy. The belief. The impossible feeling is possible for those precious minutes.
“The energy was so much fun,” he reflected. “It was just a cool thing to be a part of.”
That’s why people give him funny looks. Most see a loss. Kisner noticed something else entirely.

When the PGA Tour announced in September that the 2026 Sentry wouldn’t return to Kapalua Resort’s Plantation Course, most expected a new venue soon. But months later, with no replacement in sight, fears are growing that the Tour’s longtime season opener may not happen at all.
NBC Sports analyst Mark Rolfing, affectionately known in golf circles as “Mr. Hawaii,” put it bluntly on The Fried Egg podcast this week — “I don’t think there is any scenario where the Sentry can be played in 2026.” Rolfing, who lives in Maui and is the best insider related to The Sentry & The Sony Open, added, “The schedule is basically full. We’re 85 days away from the start of the tournament. It’s just too late. There’s just no time for planning.”
The news has shocked the golf world. The Sentry, the PGA Tour’s season opener since 1986, is a fan favorite featuring the world’s top 60 players. So how did the Tour end up in this predicament?
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Here’s the issue. The Kapalua Resort’s Plantation Course has been fighting a losing battle with severe irrigation water restrictions. Last month, the PGA Tour released a statement saying that the “PGA TOUR has determined the 2026 playing of The Sentry will not be contested at The Plantation Course at Kapalua due to ongoing drought conditions, water conservation requirements, agronomic conditions, and logistical challenges.”
A legal battle between Kapalua’s owners and Maui Land & Pineapple Company has halted progress. The company, forced by state mandates to cut irrigation water by nearly 40%, was sued after shutting it off. With no resolution in sight, the standoff continues to threaten the event’s future.
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The situation got so out of hand that at one point in August, both the Plantation and Bay Courses were forced to shut down after losing access to water for nearly a month. While emergency resources have been directed toward keeping the Plantation Course alive, the Bay Course is reportedly “burned out,” and efforts to salvage course conditions remain uncertain.
The PGA Tour has a proven record of adapting to crises, from natural disasters to global pandemics. The 2016 Greenbrier Classic was canceled after severe flooding in West Virginia, while THE PLAYERS Championship 2020 was halted mid-event due to COVID-19. Similarly, the Zurich Classic relocated after Hurricane Katrina, and the WGC-Mexico, ZOZO, and CJ CUP tournaments were temporarily moved during the pandemic because of travel restrictions and logistical limits.
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These examples show that while the Tour values continuity, relocation or cancellation is not uncommon. When time allows, it pivots to ready venues with existing infrastructure and broadcast setups.
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But when deadlines are too tight—as seen with the Greenbrier and THE PLAYERS—events are simply called off. The same risk now looms over The Sentry 2026, which could be lost if a replacement course isn’t secured soon.
The PGA Tour did suggest there would be an alternative plan in place, but so far, there’s been no update. With the lawsuit expected to drag on and with minimal time left, it is improbable that we would see The Sentry taking place in 2026. It’s a tough blow for a tournament that began in 1953 and has served as the season opener since 1986. So, it’s safe to say that for the first time in 40 years, the PGA Tour season may begin without the Sentry.
But there are some possible alternatives, if some courses are willing to host the $20 million signature event on such short notice.
Possible alternative venues for the PGA Tour to host the Sentry in 2026
With Kapalua’s Plantation Course completely out of the picture for 2026, the PGA Tour is facing a lot of pressure to keep the Sentry Tournament of Champions alive. Especially with no replacement course yet confirmed, and the schedule being more crowded than ever, the clock is ticking.
And the addition of the new Signature Event in 2026, the Miami Championship, makes things tougher. Slotted between the Masters and the PGA Championship, players will now face three Signature Events in just a few weeks, leaving even less flexibility to reschedule the Sentry.
But if the Tour does manage to keep the event in Hawaii, a few credible alternatives stand out. There’s the Four Seasons Resort Hualālai on the Big Island, which offers a championship pedigree through the PGA Tour Champions’ Mitsubishi Electric Championship. It’s a Jack Nicklaus-designed course with a 7,107-yard layout, making it a possible option.
Then there’s the Hoakalei Country Club and Kapolei Golf Club in O’ahu, which host the LOTTE Championship and the Ladies Hawaiian Open on the LPGA. Both courses have a course layout that is challenging and stretches well beyond 7000 yards, making it suitable for the PGA Tour players. Arnold Palmer’s course, The Turtle Bay, is another excellent choice for the Tour to consider. It brings not just length, but also a dramatic layout with water hazards on 14 holes.
Ultimately, any of these venues could work, but with the 2026 schedule already bursting, and with less than 2 months left, the situation is looking extremely dire for The Sentry.

The PGA Tour’s new CEO, Brian Rolapp, has brought new people into the office, alongside multiple schedule changes. From the latest 2026 PGA Tour schedule to the non-golf executives from the NFL, Rolapp has so far kept investors satiated, especially the Strategic Sports Group (SSG). The investment group provided $1.5 billion in funding to the tour. However, there is one crucial decision that can turn into a sore point for the SSG.
What is the major issue of conflict at hand? Subsidies. The PGA Tour’s vision is to develop the game and expand it globally. “The opportunity for the growth of the PGA Tour… and the innovation we can bring, that’s going to be my primary focus,” Rolapp assured when he assumed office earlier this year. That would lead to high-stakes crossroads with other tours and golf circuits. But the league of the conversation is the DP World Tour. The European leg of the sport, the DPWT, becomes a crucial point of global reach and innovation in golf.
With the Tour’s vision in mind, the league first got into a negotiation with DPWT back in 2022. That deal promised massive prize purses for the European events. While the actual figures of the transaction remain undisclosed, sources suggest the tag can reach hundreds of millions during its renegotiation with DPWT in 2027. However, that becomes a major issue for the SSG, whose plain and clear goal is ROI over the sport’s advancement.
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For the purely commercial investment group, subsidizing global golf is nothing more than a waste of money. With no direct business incentive from the DPWT, it becomes a namesake excuse for the sport’s global reach, as per the SSG.
The group’s core interest is in maximizing the US product, including the domestic tour, TV ratings, and sponsorships. However, the Tour’s decision to spend the upper end of $100 million out of the $1.5 billion investment could agitate the SSG.
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That might force Rolapp to bring in the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) to subsidize other leagues. That becomes a welcome hedge to fulfil the Tour’s vision. After the pathetic commercial failure of the Saudi-backed LIV, the PIF is looking to gain a respectable foothold in golf. By lessening the Tour’s personal financial commitments to the DPWT, the Saudi group would want to enter the golfing scene again.
However, it comes with its own challenges, with the threat of re-legitimizing Saudi influence. Providing a seat at the PGA Tour’s arena will put them back in the chase against the Tour, hunting for top players. That could lead to another LIV moment. Only this time, the Saudis have gained the reputation of growing the global game.
This is not a situation Rolapp or the Tour deals with every day. But this could very much be the situation that shakes up what every day looks like for the Tour. However, a look back at the negotiation shows the initial agreement of the players, the tour, and the group, which is fragile now.
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McIlroy & Co. supported SSG as a trustworthy investor
John Henry, owner of the Fenway Sports Group, led SSG into the $1.5 billion investment deal with the PGA Tour. That wasn’t a walk in the park for Henry, however.
The owner of FSG interacted with Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay, Webb Simpson, and Peter Malnati to earn their trust as a worthy financial muscle. It provided American backing to the Tour, counterbalancing PIF’s backing to LIV.
While conversing with McIlroy, showing around Fenway Park, Henry asked if he felt like he owned the Tour. McIlroy curtly replied no; rather focused more on the Tour’s development. That night, FSG hosted a party at Fenway’s 521 Overlook function space, with execs of the Tour and the investor groups.
“And they got excited about the potential of an American group stepping forward to help. They wanted to unify golf. And we thought, if we came in with a deal, we could help,” Henry shared. “The players have the desire, the Public Investment Fund has the desire, same with the Tour in general — I don’t think there’s anyone in golf that doesn’t want to see [unification] happen.”
This initial movement reflected the SSG’s dedication to the Tour. In fact, one of its iconic yesses came from McIlroy, the European star. However, the group’s reluctance to the European Tour feels only ironic at this point.

Back in October 2024, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports filed a federal lawsuit against NASCAR, accusing the popular motorsport league of monopolizing the sport. As they continue their battle in the courtroom, the latest report reveals that the NASCAR President, Steve O’Donnell’s, emails and chats have been presented as evidence. And apparently, O’Donnell is not a huge fan of Jay Monahan & his management of the PGA Tour, it seems.
Josh Carpenter shared screenshots of one of the NASCAR President’s emails and WhatsApp conversations. And he revealed in the caption, “Interesting message from NASCAR’s Steve O’Donnell that surfaced as part of discovery in the 23XI/FRM lawsuit. Several references to PGAT and how it dealt with LIV. This is from 2022 and was to Ben Kennedy, a top NASCAR exec. ‘I just watched Monahan’s press conference. I don’t ever want to see you in that position.’” The dialogue suggests that O’Donnell believes that Monahan doesn’t manage the PGA Tour well.

My golf credentials are solid, having spent three decades in the industry and 17 years as a multiple award-winning PGA Professional and Coach.
But what really qualifies me to write the following piece is my ridiculous enthusiasm for Halloween mini golf.
I’ve analyzed thousands of swings and taught proper grip pressure to golfers of all skill levels, from beginners to scratch golfers. I’ve also spent way too many October nights putting through fog-filled haunted houses while animatronic vampires scream at me. This weird overlap of professional expertise and seasonal obsession means I can tell you exactly what separates great spooky mini golf from cheap gimmicks.
You’re going to want to try this.
It’s That Time of Year…
October gives us football rivalries and playoff baseball. It also gives us something stranger: competitive putting with monsters.
Haunted miniature golf has exploded across America over the past decade. What used to be a niche attraction has become a legitimate entertainment category. You’ll navigate courses through manufactured fog banks, dodge pneumatic ghouls that lunge from corners, and attempt to maintain your putting stroke while mechanical creatures shriek three feet from your backswing.
These aren’t your neighborhood’s windmill-and-clown courses upgraded with plastic skeletons. They’re theatrical environments where narrative storytelling collides with legitimate athletic competition. Someone invested real money and serious creative effort into making these work.
The Year-Round Haunted Experience
Most Halloween attractions pack up on November 1st and disappear until the following October. These mini golf courses operate twelve months a year, refining their scares and improving their obstacles through constant guest feedback and operational experience.
Monster Mini Golf: A Multi-State Phenomenon
Monster Mini Golf runs locations from New York down through Florida. Their reputation rests on two pillars: glow-in-the-dark courses and scares that won’t traumatize children.
Every venue features 18 indoor holes lit exclusively by blacklight. Neon paint creates explosions of color against pure darkness. Animated creatures appear from unexpected angles. Rock music blasts from speakers embedded in faux stone walls.
The chain has figured out a tricky balance. Young kids play without nightmares afterward. Teenagers don’t mock the experience as babyish. Adults actually enjoy themselves rather than just tolerating the outing for their children’s sake. The monsters skew cartoonish instead of realistic. Climate control matters more than you’d expect. October temperatures swing wildly depending on your region, and indoor comfort beats outdoor misery every time.
Each location follows the core formula but incorporates local flavor. The New Jersey venues feel distinct from their Florida counterparts — regional adaptation within brand consistency.
Haunted Golf: Ocean City’s Crown Jewel
Ocean City’s boardwalk offers the standard beach town mix of attractions. Haunted Golf transcends that category. Located across from the Music Pier, this 5,000-square-foot course matches Disney production values and exceeds them in certain details.
Before entering, you meet Bones. He’s a singing skeleton accompanied by Buff, his buffalo skull sidekick. They perform on the boardwalk to attract customers. The strategy works. Bones delivers terrible puns. Buff provides sarcastic commentary. Tourists stop, laugh, and buy tickets.
Inside, you crash Victoria and Adam’s wedding. Their cursed ceremony provides narrative continuity across 18 holes spanning multiple themed rooms. Budget 45 minutes for completion, longer if you pause to examine the 15+ animatronic features. A piano player performs in the grand ballroom. Talking animals deliver jokes from shadowed corners. Comedy softens what could otherwise become genuinely unsettling.
Details separate this venue from competitors. The Grand Ballroom fireplace came from a demolished mental institution. The boiler room door shipped from Augusta, Georgia. These aren’t catalog props. Someone hunted authentic pieces with actual histories and constructed narrative around them.
Despite legitimate atmosphere, Haunted Golf stays firmly PG-rated. Kids might startle, but they won’t need therapy. Comedic elements undercut pure horror, maintaining family accessibility while preserving enough darkness to satisfy adults seeking genuine thrills.
Hollywood Drive-In Golf: Where Classic Horror Meets Mini Golf
Universal’s CityWalk in Orlando houses Hollywood Drive-In Golf. Two 18-hole courses draw inspiration from 1950s B-movie horror and science fiction: giant insects, atomic mutations, creatures from mysterious lagoons. One course emphasizes haunted house aesthetics lifted from drive-in creature features. The other explores alien invasion territory.
The theming celebrates an era when monsters entertained rather than traumatized audiences. Everything feels oversized and exaggerated, a deliberate nod to low-budget practical effects and theatrical marketing campaigns. Night play adds vibrancy without relying on pitch darkness. The setup accommodates groups seeking entertainment before dinner or after exhausting theme park marathons.
Orlando attracts sports fans for spring training and various athletic competitions. This gives them completely different entertainment requiring neither a full-day commitment nor extreme physical exertion.
Ghost Golf: California’s Spooky Surprise
Fresno’s Ghost Golf benefits from its creator’s professional background in prop fabrication. That expertise manifests in custom obstacles unavailable elsewhere. Each hole presents unique challenges wrapped in ghost-themed storytelling, testing putting skills while delivering visual spectacle.
Indoor operation eliminates weather variables. Central California heat or unexpected rain won’t derail your plans. Professional-grade construction quality shows in details and inventive design solutions. It’s spooky without being scary, silly without becoming stupid.
Why Spooky Mini Golf Deserves a Spot on Your October Calendar
Mini golf feels casual until competition gets serious. Reading breaks correctly. Controlling power. Maintaining focus despite distractions. These skills matter in regulation golf, and they matter here too. Add fog machines, sudden audio cues, and moving obstacles, and the mental challenge intensifies dramatically.
Traditional haunted attractions are passive experiences. You walk predetermined paths. You observe set pieces. You maybe scream at jump scares. Haunted mini golf demands performance. You keep score. Competition runs through every moment, giving groups tangible objectives beyond reacting to manufactured frights.
Most venues operate indoors. October weather varies wildly nationwide. Outdoor Halloween events often cancel due to rain or become miserable during unexpected cold snaps. Climate control removes that variable entirely. Florida and California locations particularly benefit from air conditioning when October temperatures still reach the 80s.
Age range spans grandparents to grandchildren. Extreme haunted houses fragment audiences. Some family members can’t handle intense scares. Others find tame attractions boring. These mini golf courses occupy middle ground. Everyone participates. Everyone competes. Nobody gets traumatized or bored.
Planning Your Spooky Mini Golf Adventure
Timing matters. Year-round operation means you can visit any month, but October brings enhanced decorations and crowds that amplify the atmosphere beyond what March or July offer.
Avoid peak times. Weekend evenings in October pack these venues. Weekday visits or daytime weekend rounds provide space to appreciate details without constantly waiting on the group ahead.
Lean into it. React to animatronics. Notice small details. Forget posting competitive scores. Experience matters more than your final number.
Bring a group. Shared reactions enhance everything. Most courses handle various party sizes equally well, from birthday celebrations to dates to family outings.
Check their calendars. Some locations host special Halloween tournaments or themed events during October. Websites and social media announce these advance.
Build a bigger evening. Haunted Golf sits on Ocean City’s boardwalk. Hollywood Drive-In Golf anchors CityWalk. Monster Mini Golf locations cluster near restaurants and entertainment. Plan accordingly rather than making the course your sole destination.
The Future of Spooky Sports Entertainment
These courses succeed by merging golf with theater. Consumer preferences increasingly favor participatory experiences over passive entertainment. Instagram-worthy moments matter. Immersive environments matter. Shared activities matter.
Mini golf accepts this treatment particularly well. No special skills required. No expensive equipment. Natural breaks between holes let players absorb theming and effects. The game’s inherent playfulness lends itself to creative embellishment more effectively than more serious sports.
Elite athletes perform under pressure and maintain focus despite distractions. Try sinking a crucial putt while a skeleton sings directly at you or a ghost erupts from a fake tombstone. The mental challenge feels genuine even when the stakes remain purely recreational.
A Hole-in-One for Halloween Entertainment
Haunted mini golf courses deliver what traditional Halloween attractions can’t: active participation, competitive scoring and entertainment spanning generations. Monster Mini Golf’s blacklight environments, Haunted Golf’s cursed wedding narrative, Hollywood Drive-In Golf’s B-movie nostalgia, Ghost Golf’s prop-builder craftsmanship. Each offers distinct experiences while sharing a common formula. They’ve mastered making Halloween fun rather than just frightening, interactive rather than passive, competitive rather than observational.
Memorable October experiences don’t require gore or extreme scares. Sometimes the best approach combines comedy, competition, and just enough supernatural atmosphere to maintain interest. Your putter becomes the tool for navigating haunted hotels, monster-filled caverns and ghostly landscapes.
This October, between football games and playoff baseball, try something different. Your score will probably suffer when an animatronic monster disrupts your concentration mid-stroke. You’ll remember the experience longer than most traditional mini golf rounds. Competition works best when entertainment balances skill. These courses understand that equation.
Serious golfers, Halloween enthusiasts and sports fans seeking variety will all find value in these venues. Singing skeletons, wise-cracking buffalo heads and ghoulish piano players await. That’s October done right.

The Saudi-backed LIV Golf began in 2021, intending to revolutionize the game of golf. However, it soon evolved into a power struggle between LIV on one side and the PGA Tour and DP World Tour on the other. Amid stalled merger talks, the possibility of reconciliation seems distant, according to NCB reporter, Johnson Wagner. Yet for stars like Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau, that uncertainty could open the door for a path back to the PGA Tour challenging.
Wagner appeared as a guest on Trey Wingo’s YouTube video. Considering the wealth of information and knowledge Wagner would have as a golf commentator for NCB, Wingo asked him about the idea of LIV and the PGA Tour coming together. “I don’t see the PJ Tour and LIV merging in any form. I think that’s not going to happen,” said Wagner to Trey Wingo. Even President Donald Trump got involved in trying to help merge the two organizations.
“Ultimately, hopefully, the two tours are going to merge. That’ll be good. I’m involved in that too,” Trump said. Even the PGA Tour’s commissioner, Jay Monahan, confirmed the same in March 2025.
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“The talks are real, they’re substantial, and they’re being driven at the top levels of both organizations. Those talks have been significantly bolstered by President Trump’s willingness to serve as a facilitator,” Monahan told reporters at the Players Championship. While there has been no communication about a merger since then, Wagner believes that it should not impair LIV golfers’ path back to the PGA Tour.
“I think LIV’s going to resign a lot of these guys. So, the big names that are the team captains…I’ve heard their contracts run through 2026. All the other guys like the Harold Varners and those guys, they were up at the end of this year. What I’m seeing is that a lot of the guys are resigning with LIV. Now, if a guy like Koepka, whose contract ends in 2026, if he were to want to come back, I think there’s got to be a path for those guys to come back and play on the PGA Tour,” Wagner said. LIV Golf’s new CEO, Scott O’Neil, who replaced Greg Norman, has also said that most athletes want to continue playing in the league.
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Speaking on the Rick Shiels Golf Show, O’Neil said, “Of the players who have their contracts up this year, everyone wants to be back. We’re having those conversations.” This suggests that the most popular names on the roster will probably remain for a longer period, considering the golfers are also equally interested in staying.
For instance, speaking to the media at the US Open, Bryson DeChambeau said, “Next year is when it ends. We’re looking to negotiate at the end of this year, and I’m very excited. They see the value in me. I see the value in what they can provide, and I believe we’ll come to some sort of resolution on that.” Regardless of whether LIV golfers continue or not, Wagner thinks they should have an option to come back to the PGA Tour as well.
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Reflecting on the same, Wagner gave an example of Hudson Swafford. Like Wagner, Swafford is a 3-time PGA Tour winner and was one of the first to join LIV Golf. But after his relegation from LIV, he was denied entry back to the PGA Tour for the 2026 season.
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“I know a guy named Hudson Swafford, who was one of the first guys to go, a multiple winner on the PGA Tour. Yeah, he got relegated off of LIV, and the PGA Tour basically said you have a year suspension, you can come back and try to play in 2027, is what I’ve heard. So I think that is what we’re looking at as far as any sort of unity,” Wagner said. Swafford said that he had a five-year suspension from the year he started playing in LIV, which is 2022.
According to Swafford, the PGA Tour made this decision based on the other LIV golfers’ contracts. When speaking on Golf.com’s Subpar podcast, Swafford said, “I know they’re basing that on a couple of people’s contracts being up after the ’26 season. So then they can kind of change the rules in favor of everybody coming back.” But while the door might eventually open for players like Koepka, others are facing a harsher reality.
Koepka is not the only one facing this uncertainty. Many LIV golfers whose contracts end or who are relegated from the league have their careers hanging in the balance.
LIV golfers face uncertainty amid contract issues
Many golfers’ careers with LIV Golf remain uncertain. While contracts of popular names like DeChambeau and Koepka will probably renew, low-performing golfers may face a harsh reality. These golfers cannot play on the DP World Tour or the PGA Tour either because of suspension or fines.
For instance, star golfers like Jon Rahm have around £1 million in fines. Although unlikely, if Rahm plans to leave LIV Golf and continue on the DP World Tour, he will first have to clear his dues. On the other hand, those who want to join the PGA Tour will have to wait out their suspension before participating in its events.
While LIV is ready to resign most golfers, those who are relegated or don’t resign certainly face a tough situation. For instance, Eugenio Chacarra, part of Fireballs GC, became a free agent after failing to re-sign with LIV. The same happened with Pat Perez, too. Moreover, relegated golfers also face a similar situation.
Henrik Stenson, Andy Ogletree, Mito Pereira, Yubin Jang, Anthony Kim, and Frederik Kjettrup are the golfers relegated after the 2025 season. They can retain their status on the roster based on team decisions. For example, Branden Grace and Bubba Watson, both team captains, were allowed to return in 2025 despite relegation, as captains can make a business case to remain.
Efforts to reconcile the PGA Tour and LIV Golf have stalled, with no resolution expected before 2027. This prolongs uncertainty for LIV golfers whose contracts expire after 2025 or 2026, leaving their careers in flux.

The controversy surrounding the ex-PGA Tour stars trying to get their amateur status continues. This time, it’s a retired pro who had hung up his clubs years ago. Only a few weeks ago, 7 of the 8 U.S. Mid-Am quarterfinalists were former PGA Tour pros who regained their amateur status. Since then, the golf community has been on edge. Despite this heated debate surrounding the topic, Colt Knost recently decided to announce that he wants to become an amateur golfer again, and a USGA Officer has shared his thoughts about it.
After Knost’s big revelation, he received a lot of backlash from the community. That forced the USGA Chief Governance Officer, Thomas Pagel, to step in and clear the air on the situation.
“There are certainly people who take the view that once you’ve turned professional, you have had some level of success, and how you define success again, it’s a bit subjective, should never be allowed back. Our rules allow for that. Certainly, if somebody has ripped off a bunch of wins on the PGA Tour or they have played on these cup teams, they’re probably never getting their amateur status back.”
Pagel clarified that the USGA has channels for pros to find their way back to amateur golf. However, he also confirmed that PGA Tour players who have grabbed a few title wins might find it impossible to regain their status, considering how the system is set up. However, that’s not the case for some who have never won a title.
“Just because they were a card-carrying member of a Tour, we think that there is a home for them back in Amateur Golf. But the key for us is how you define that waiting period. So it truly is a bit of a cooling-off period. And that you’re not just unleashing those players straight back into the amateur game. There’s some sacrifice they make in waiting to get back into the amateur game, and we think that’s appropriate.”
As Pagel expressed, the USGA expects the pros to hold off their ambitions on the fairway for a short waiting period. If they can remain patient and not play professionally during the waiting period, they will receive their amateur status. He believes that’s a small sacrifice they can make to help them adjust to the atmosphere of Amateur golf after serving as a professional golfer in the past.
The request is understandable, given the experience professional golfers bring when returning to amateur competition. However, most of them don’t usually transition from pro to amateur immediately. It usually isn’t a hassle as they take a break from the sport before returning to the Mid-Am level. That is exactly what Colt Knost is trying to do as well, with one clear goal in his mind.
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Can Colt Knost regain his Amateur Status?
Colt Knost enjoyed quite an exhilarating career on the PGA Tour when he played actively. Even though he didn’t win a title, he did compete in 199 events and made the cut 92 times. The 40-year-old also had four third-place finishes and nine top 10s.
However, he hasn’t played a professional golf tournament since February 2020. In fact, Knost is mostly known for being a CBS analyst now than a former professional golfer. So what is making him want to regain his amateur status?
During his interview with SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio, he revealed that he only had one reason to become an official amateur golfer again. Colt Knost spoke about his love for the Walker Cup and how he loved the opportunity to play it in 2007. Now that he is 40 years old, he is at the age where he can possibly be a choice for a captain for Team U.S. in the prestigious event.
Knost wanted to retain his status as an amateur golfer again to give himself the best shot at getting that opportunity. Otherwise, as he explained, he is too busy covering events with CBS Sports to participate in tournaments as an amateur player.

Cameron Young’s one of the longest hitters on the PGA Tour, with the one-time winner averaging a whopping 313.2 yards off the tee during the 2025 season — which ranked him 20th in driving distance.
While Young can bomb his drives, he doesn’t always need to. So like any great golfer, he has to have the ability to mix and match different types of shot shapes — from draws to fades, and higher-flighted to lower-flighted tee shots.
During a recent golf lesson on the driving range at Panther National in Jupiter, FL., Young showed me some of the differences between his tee shots, explaining when he may use a fairway finder versus an all-out bomb.
Cameron Young’s Driving Range Lesson
As a former pitcher in baseball, I’ve always understood the importance of mixing in off-speed pitches with a straight fastball. Not only does it keep the hitter guessing, but it’s a good way to still pound the strike zone to avoid trouble.
During my lesson with Cameron Young, the PGA pro pretty much echoed that same strategy on the golf course, explaining how, why, and when he might used a different type of tee shot — like a knockdown shot — depending on the hole’s layout or the weather conditions.
When I describe a pretty relatable scenario to Young — trying to “go for it” by bombing a drive on a short par-4 — he actually says his preference is hitting a safer fairway finder instead.
“I’ve got two different [types of tee shots] that I’ll hit that are a little off-speed and different shapes,” Young says. “I’ll sometimes hit a lower fade if the wind or the hole [layout] calls for that, and then I’ve got one that I basically tee on the ground that wants to come out right-to-left.”
Having the discipline to pull back from “gripping it and ripping it” can be a struggle for amateur players, so Young shows how he utilizes the two different types of tee shots, specifically explaining the importance of his fairway finder.
“On the [fairway finder], it’s catching [the ball] on the bottom of the face on purpose — because it’s teed up low enough that you can’t really hit the center,” Young explains. “The keeps the ball speed down a little bit, the spin goes up, and it carries about 20 yards shorter than a normal one.”
While Young might be sacrificing distance on this fairway finder shot, it gives him the opportunity to avoid risks, which, in return, can lead to lower scores.
“I think of that as a 280-to-285-yard carry, and since it has so much spin, it tends to stop pretty quick,” he adds. “So it’s almost like hitting a 2-wood or strong 3-wood, with the shape being really playable; especially in wind, where it wants to hold its shape into the wind.”
By incorporating this type of lower-flighted tee shot like Young does, you’ll hit (and hold!) more fairways, while overcoming any nasty weather conditions — especially as we enter fall and winter golf season — which, ultimately, can reduce your scores.

A new, free golf tour for children ages 6-12 is being created by the Northern Texas PGA Foundation, in partnership with World No. 1-ranked golfer Scottie Scheffler and his wife, Meredith.
It’s appropriately named the Randy Smith Tour, in honor of the Royal Oaks pro emeritus and PGA of America Hall of Famer who has taught Scottie Scheffler since age 6 and has mentored hundreds of players during the past five decades.
The tour is scheduled to start late in the spring of 2026 and will be a newly created level of the Ewing Automotive NTPGA Junior Tour. Initially there will be 10-to-12 events across East Texas, North Texas and West Texas, growing to 20-to-25 events starting in 2027.
The Randy Smith Tour will be in addition to the almost 500 Ewing Automotive NTPGA Junior Tour events the Foundation already runs each year for kids ages 6-19.
From Thursday’s NTPGA news release:
A Tour Built on Values
The Randy Smith Tour is not about competition at this entry level of our Junior Tour; it is about fun, family, and mentorship. Modeled after the values that defined the Scheffler family’s own journey in junior golf, the mission of this tour is to offer a joyful step into the game, where every child feels welcomed, supported, and celebrated. The Randy Smith Tour aims to deliver mentorship and shared experiences.
“This tour is about giving kids the same gift Randy gave me,” said Scottie Scheffler, three-time Ryder Cup team member, four-time major championship winner and former Ewing Automotive NTPGA Junior Tour member. “He taught me that golf is about more than just scores. It’s about character, respect, and the people who help you along the way. That’s the legacy that Meredith and I are excited to pass on. We are proud to help start the Randy Smith Tour.”
Tour Highlights
No charge to play
Ages 6-12, divided into age groups (6-9 and 10-12 for boys and girls)
Par-3 courses utilizing 6 or 9-hole formats
4-player teams (play your own ball)
Trained high school golfers to guide each group teaching etiquette, safety, introductory rules and sportsmanship
Events emphasize fun, learning, and the basics of tournament golf
Parents are invited and encouraged to spectate, but they are not permitted to caddie
Non-competitive “stamp scoring” system celebrating effort and teamwork
End-of-round ice cream celebrations for every participant and their family
“This is about where it all began,” said Randy Smith, PGA Head Professional Emeritus at Royal Oaks Country Club. “Scottie and his family are proof that when kids are surrounded by support, great things can happen. I’m humbled and grateful that they want to pay that forward, and I am beyond excited about the countless kids that will be introduced to the game through this new addition to the Ewing Automotive NTPGA Junior Tour.”
“Randy’s fingerprints are all over our Foundation and have been for more than four decades. He’s been the connective tissue behind so many relationships and milestones that help define who we are today,” said Mark Harrison, CEO of the Northern Texas PGA. “In 1983, he started a yearly fundraiser that has raised more than $2.3M for our growth of the game initiatives. Randy then introduced us to Justin Leonard, our first Junior Tour spokesperson nearly 30 years ago, and to Fin Ewing III, whose partnership through Ewing Automotive has powered both the Ewing Charity Classic and our Junior Tour for 20 years. About a decade ago, Randy also connected us with Dr. Bill Blair, whose impact on our Foundation has been extraordinary. The Growth of the Game Pavilion on our campus is the Randy Smith & Dr. Bill Blair Who’s Next Pavilion. Along with Scottie and Meredith, Dr. Blair was instrumental in helping us endow this new level of our Junior Tour. When I think of Randy, I think of junior golf. It is only fitting that our new tour bears his name.”

“I’ve never been one to announce what we do,” Scottie Scheffler had said when asked about what he would do with the $500,000 he would get for participating in the 2025 Ryder Cup. While he chose to stay out of the spotlight in that regard, a recent act of his quietly revealed the same generosity that drives him. A recent post from the Jordan Spieth Family Foundation offers a clear example of this generosity in action.
The Jordan Spieth Family Foundation’s 2025 Spieth & Friends online Auction + Raffle just went live a couple of days ago. The organization shared a post on its Instagram handle, with a caption that read, “The wait is over! Let’s give back while going for something amazing! 🎉 Our 2025 Spieth & Friends online Auction + Raffle is LIVE — featuring incredible packages, from once-in-a-lifetime experiences to exclusive memorabilia. Every bid supports the JSFF and our four pillars: Individuals with Special Needs, Junior Golf, Military Families & Veterans, and Pediatric Cancer. Link in bio to explore, bid, share and make an impact today! 🧡”
A wide range of items was available for auction, as shared in the post. However, what caught the attention of most fans was an item that made World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler a part of the fellow Texan’s personal project.
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The list of items included a golf bag signed by Scottie Scheffler. Some other items on the list included Presidents Cup tickets, his and her Lucchese boots, Cotton Bowl tickets, a Fullswing K.I.T., playing at Panther National, and an Auberge overnight stay.
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Each of these packages not only offers unique experiences for fans but also directly supports the foundation’s charitable mission.
The Spieth & Friends auction is an annual charity event hosted by the Jordan Spieth Family Foundation (JSFF) to raise funds in support of its mission. It leads to a concert event to engage the community and golf fans alike. Last year, the multi-platinum and CMA award-winning country artist Jordan Davis performed at the concert. Prior to that, ACM award winner and number one chart-topper Jake Owen was the key singer. This year, it will be an intimate concert experience with Chris Young. In fact, Spieth’s noble efforts don’t end there.
Jordan Spieth also hosts the golf event Crush It! This is a junior golf tournament created by the golf company Invited and Spieth. The tournament aims to raise funds for the Jordan Spieth Family Foundation. Since its inception, the foundation has donated $10 million to causes within its four pillars. Like Scheffler, he is also someone who donates quietly.
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“I’ve never been one to focus on the dollar amounts we’ve given, but milestones like this deserve to be celebrated, especially because so much of it comes from the amazing people who support our foundation,” Spieth said after the first Crush It! event. “That was our first endowment, and hopefully the first of many. The idea is to build long-term partnerships with organizations we really believe in,” he continued.
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This year, with Scheffler silently participating in this personal project, it is likely to get a significant boost. But it is not the first time Scheffler has given to a cause. This year, the PGA of America decided to give $500,000 to the members of the American Ryder Cup Team for participation. Out of this, $300,000 was intended to go to a charity of the golfers’ choice, and $200,000 was meant for them to use as they saw fit.
When asked about how Scheffler will use this money, he said, “I don’t like to give charitable dollars for some kind of recognition. We have something planned for the money that we’ll be receiving. I think it’s a really cool thing that the PGA of America has empowered us to do. I have a deep passion for the city of Dallas, I have a deep passion for the organizations that we support at home, and I’m excited to be able to take this money and be able to do some good in our local community.”
In fact, Scheffler is associated with various such events. He actively maintains ties to many other charitable organizations.
Scottie Scheffler’s philanthropic efforts
Scheffler, a 19-time PGA Tour winner, has consistently used his platform to give back. Among his contributions is a notable $50,000 donation to the Northern Texas PGA (NTPGA) Foundation, supporting junior golf programs. He has also backed Triumph Over Kid Cancer. This helped raise funds for pediatric bone cancer research, which is a charity that has raised over $3 million since its inception. Scheffler’s generosity extends across the Dallas community.
He has donated $20,000 each to the West Dallas Community School, Advocates for Community Transformation, Human Impact, and Behind Every Door Ministries. Beyond monetary gifts, he has engaged in memorable hands-on activities, too. Activities such as taking children from a Dallas charity shopping for golf gear at the PGA Tour Superstore during the holidays have been in the mix.
The World No. 1 has also given back to his alma mater, the Texas Longhorns golf program, supporting its facilities and programs. He has also joined fellow golfers, including Justin Thomas, in fundraising events. For instance, he’s been a part of the Renaissance Club Charitable Foundation in Scotland.
Over the years, Jordan Spieth’s foundation has raised significant funds to support families, children, and communities in need. This year, with Scheffler quietly joining the effort, that mission feels both stronger and more personal, highlighting a generosity that often happens without fanfare.

Zach Bauchou was prepared to receive the news.
He and his wife Victoria had spent eight months preparing for the arrival of their first child in the summer and fall of 2023. Now, well into the third trimester, they knew their new arrival could come on any day at any time.
Bauchou just wasn’t prepared to receive the news when he did: On the 12th hole of PGA Tour final qualifying, with his PGA Tour dream firmly hanging in the balance.
It was two years ago that Bauchou made his career’s most agonizing decision, leaving behind a chance at his lifelong dream in order to be at his wife’s bedside as she delivered their first child. Of course, Bauchou never flinched when he was approached by the rules official with the news that his wife was due to go into labor five weeks early. The official told him he could choose to continue competing or withdraw.
Bauchou calmly informed the official of the plan he and Victoria had chosen weeks earlier: He would withdraw from the event, and hop on the first flight home. The next day, Bauchou was in the hospital as his first son, James, entered the world — and though he was overjoyed, his emotions around leaving the golf tournament were understandably mixed.
Then 27 years old, Bauchou had spent most of his working life pushing toward an opportunity like PGA Tour final qualifying — where a handful of the Korn Ferry Tour’s best players would earn a Tour card for the following year based on their performance that weekend. After a successful career at Oklahoma State, he’d battled just to earn a spot onto one of golf’s feeder tours, then battled again to get his game in the place where he might consider qualifying for the big show. Now, his WD had raised the possibility that he might lose his Korn Ferry status, too, given the breakdown of the points for the year’s final event.
Thankfully, Bauchou kept his Korn Ferry Tour status and began the 2024 season with a fresh goal to make it to PGA Tour. But that goal continued to prove elusive. He fell short of qualifying for a Tour card in 2024 by just three spots.
Bauchou turned for 2025 with a second baby on the way and a renewed sense of clarity: It was time to make one final push for the PGA Tour in his age 29 season, getting on Tour in time to celebrate his 30th birthday.
With two boys watching from home, Bauchou pieced together the best golf of his life in ’25, winning for the first time at the Simmons Bank Open and qualifying for the U.S. Open after a dramatic (and emotional) final qualifying run, his first major start as a pro.
By the time last weekend’s Korn Ferry Tour Championship came around, Bauchou’s fate was sealed. By virtue of a 9th-place points finish in 2025, he earned PGA Tour status for 2026.

2025 has been a spectacular year, with Brian Rolapp’s team looking to celebrate as they close a great season. Despite this success, the future of the Tour doesn’t look as exciting. Jay Monahan and his team have been in the spotlight of late. After facing heat for the slow pace in the last few seasons, the PGA Tour commissioner announced something shocking in 2024. He stated that from 2026 onwards, field sizes will be reduced and fewer players will hold PGA Tour cards, and Johnson Wagner is not a huge fan of that.
Wagner recently joined Trey Wingo on his YouTube channel for a conversation to discuss all things golf. During one of the segments, the host suggested this was the best year for the PGA Tour since Tiger Woods’s prime and asked him to describe the current state of the game. Wagner told Wingo, “I would completely agree with you on that. I think the ratings were up way ahead of where they had been the last few years.”
“I think Rory winning the Masters and completing the Career Grand Slam started the major season off right. Scheffler winning the PGA and The Open was amazing. The way J.J. Spaun won the U.S. Open was a great story. I think the game is in a good spot. I’m a little leery of the new powers that be at the PGA Tour coming in and shaking things up, I’m not a fan of 100 men, as opposed to 125 keeping their cards. I’m not a fan of shrinking field sizes and decreasing opportunities.”
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Like Lucas Glover, Viktor Hovland, and Matt Fitzpatrick, it seems that Johnson Wagner doesn’t want the PGA Tour to reduce the field size either. With fewer players on the course, the gateway for new stars to rise through the ranks will be narrower. This will heavily impact the PGA Tour’s ability to attract new and young talent from around the world to join them. That is what Johnson also reflected on.
“One thing the PGA Tour does so well that LIV doesn’t is that we create stars. In the PGA Tour, when you play and you win out here, and you win at a heavy clip, you are becoming a star. The more we shrink this, the harder it is for rookies to keep their jobs the next year. I’m leery of becoming a closed shop and not creating this new breed of superstars like we’re going to see out of Clanton and Jackson Koivun, and these guys coming out of college,” Johnson said.
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Unlike LIV Golf, the PGA Tour has a channel to develop and nurture young talent and help them integrate into the Tour. But with the limited fields, such players will not get enough opportunities to jump through the ranks and reach the top to test their skills. This not only puts their careers at risk but also raises a question about the future of the PGA Tour. Reflecting on that, Wingo revealed how he has worked with Brian Rolapp before. His advice for the new CEO would be, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it,” just to try something new and prove your authority.
After agreeing with Wingo, Wagner had another thought about the current situation in the PGA Tour. “As I look from the media side, I worked the Sanderson Farms Championship last week. I’m working on three or four other fall events. I love the fall events. That’s what a lot of guys are doing to keep their jobs. I think what we’re going to see is the fall series on the PGA Tour get phased out. To be honest, it may be nice for the golf fan to miss the sport for a while. The PGA Tour players play so many weeks that the fan never has the opportunity to be like, ‘Man, I wish there was a golf tournament this weekend.’ Because there is a tournament every single weekend.” It seems like the FedEx Cup Fall might be losing its importance on the PGA Tour calendar.
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With most big names skipping the Fall events, TV ratings often drop well below the main season’s numbers. Viewership falls even further when stars like Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland head to the DP World Tour instead. Skipping the Fall swing altogether could make more financial sense for the PGA Tour and build greater anticipation for the start of the next FedEx Cup season.
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Interestingly, Viktor Hovland held similar views about the situation, as he also expressed his concerns about the PGA Tour.
Viktor Hovland’s message to new CEO Brian Rolapp
Making a return from a neck injury sustained at the 2025 Ryder Cup, Viktor Hovland sat down for a press conference preceding the DP World India Open. That’s when EssentiallySports asked him to share his thoughts on the reduced field in 2026. Hovland said, “I think having more cards is obviously good for competition, but at the same time, I think they’re trying to get to a place where you have obviously Memorial and Bay Hill and these bigger tournaments and then you also have a lot of smaller events, and trying to get both of those tournaments to work in the same league is tough, and I think they’re trying to mitigate some of that.”
While trying to stay neutral towards the subject, Hovland still expressed that he knew that having more pros on the course was better for competition. That is the narrative nearly everyone else agrees with, including Lucas Glover and Matt Fitzpatrick. So, considering the experience Brian Rolapp has gained from working with the NFL, he would probably see the same logic as well. We’ll have to wait and see if he actually applies it.

What do you call it when the official emcee of golf’s biggest team event drops F-bombs on the rival team’s biggest player? Team spirit or dirty tactics? Heather McMahan‘s antics on the second day of the Ryder Cup will go down in history as things that could have been avoided. What went on in her head, and what made her do it, are questions that need to be dealt with later. A bigger question remains: why did this happen? The conversation around these incidents continues, as Gary Player has now spoken out — without mincing any words.
The South African legend was not hesitant to rebuke the PGA of America, especially for its hostile behavior towards European players Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry. “And to see a (PGA of America) hire a lady to stand on the tee — if you want to call her a lady — and saying ‘F you, Rory. F this European team.’ Are we crazy? And then the head of the (PGA of America) says, ‘What was so serious about it?’” he told The Palm Beach Post.
Player’s anger seems to emanate not just from McMahan’s desperate (if you call it that) attempt to energize the otherwise down crowd. But also at Don Rea’s — the PGA of America’s President – downplaying the entire questionable behavior of the brutal New York Crowd. According to him, this happens at almost all major sports events worldwide.
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“Well, you’ve got 50,000 people here that are really excited and, heck, you could go to a youth soccer game and get some people who say the wrong things,” said Rea. Of course, his statements drew massive backlash online, forcing him to finally apologize.
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Yet, Player is not having it. What happened on those four days in America made him question the morality on which this age-old sport now stands. “Golf has never been that,” he said firmly. “Golf has been a gentleman’s sport. And to see that, and to see the players using this ‘F’ word, I mean, the whole lot.”
F words were indeed very casually used during the three days of the biennial event. McIlroy himself was seen pointing at the New Yorkers, yelling “F-You” to them. Even Lowry almost lost his cool before launching at a fan on Saturday. But are they to be blamed for this?
The European players were not welcomed as warmly from the very get-go as they should have been. Sure, they were the rivals, but it is one thing to support your home team and another to throw a beer bottle at a player’s wife. McIlroy and Lowry’s anger was not just at the rowdiness of the Americans, but also at the casual passing of comments that are not deemed acceptable in a respected venue like that of the Ryder Cup.
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Unacceptable, like bringing McIlroy’s alleged past with CBS reporter Amanda Balionis, or Lowry’s being bullied for his physique, with advice to try “Ozempic.” The tradition and value the Ryder Cup once held, with players like Arnold Palmer and Ben Hogan, surely seemed to disappear. Gary Player highlighted the same.
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“I was disgusted. So to me, the Ryder Cup is a shambles…the Ryder Cup to me is the worst event in the world,” he added.
But while Gary Player is “ashamed” that such incidents mar his favorite event, Rory McIlroy, on the other hand, wants people to look at the brighter side.
Rory McIlroy urges fans to shift their focus from Ryder Cup chaos
Rory McIlroy recently asked fans for a “shift in the narrative” surrounding the Ryder Cup controversies. McIlroy, as reported by the BBC, said the fallout over fan behavior overshadowed what could have been remembered as Europe’s landmark win on enemy turf.
“The unfortunate thing is people aren’t remembering that [performance] and they are remembering the week for the wrong reason,” he said, while at the same time deeming the crowd’s behavior as “unacceptable and abusive.”
He is right. Europe did have a dominating victory at Bethpage Black. Starting strong, Luke Donald‘s team maintained a steady lead the first two days (7 points). On Sunday, though, there seemed to be a revival from the US’s side as they inched in closing the gap. But with the help of Shane Lowry on the 18th hole, the Europeans streamrolled the Red, white, and blue and secured a 15-13 victory eventually. The win was especially significant as an away triumph on rival turf, coming 13 years after Europe’s last victory there —famously remembered as the Miracle of Medinah.
“I would like to shift the narrative and focus on how good the European team was and how proud I was to be part of that team to win an away Ryder Cup,” concluded Rory, who earned three-and-a-half points overall.

The PGA Tour’s decision to slash Korn Ferry Tour graduates from 30 to 20 has sparked outrage across professional golf. Tommy Gainey called it “insane,” while Brandel Chamblee warned it could “destroy the pipeline that builds stars.” Even casual observers see it as a gut punch to aspiring pros. But one voice is breaking from the chorus of criticism—and it’s coming from someone who knows the Korn Ferry grind better than most.
Ben Griffin, speaking at the DP World India Championship press conference on Wednesday, defended the controversial policy change that’s been vilified by players and pundits alike. “What we’ll see is better access from those 20 players on the Korn Ferry Tour and on the PGA TOUR on next year’s season,” Griffin argued, offering a perspective that contradicts the widespread backlash.
The 28-year-old’s defense centers on a critical detail critics have overlooked: priority positioning. “They will have more playing opportunities especially early in the season because the guys that finished 101 to 125 are now going to be behind them on the commitment sheet,” Griffin explained. In other words, while 10 fewer players get cards, the 20 who make it will actually have better access to tournaments than the previous 30-player system provided.
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Griffin acknowledged the tradeoff directly. “So in a way you’re limiting the amount of players that are now going to be on the PGA TOUR, the new and up-and-coming players maybe but at the same time, there’s 20 players who are playing a little bit better than the guys that are 21 to 30 are now going to have a way better chance of playing in not only more events but playing against the best players in the world.”
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Starting over is common in sports, but a former PGA Tour pro seeking amateur reinstatement is rare. Former PGA Tour professional and current CBS Sports analyst Colt Knost has sparked widespread debate after revealing that he has applied to regain his amateur status. The former U.S. Amateur champion made the announcement on his Golf’s Subpar podcast earlier this week, setting off a wave of criticism from fans and fellow golf followers online.
While Knost made his announcement a few days ago, stating “I have applied to get my amateur status back,” it was a recent post from Sean Martin on X, the content head of the PGA Tour, that stirred up the heat on Knost’s decision. “@ColtKnostannounced today that he’s seeking to become a reinstated amateur. This could lead to a most circuitous route to a Master’s debut,” Martin began.
The man who once earned a spot in the Masters by winning the 2007 U.S. Amateur, and then turned pro before ever teeing it up at Augusta, is now eyeing a return via the U.S. Mid-Am. Why? Because the winner of the mid-am gets a ticket to the Masters. So, this almost feels like Knost’s roundabout route to earning his way into play at Augusta and a path to redemption.
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But it’s not like Colt Knost has anything left to prove. He was one of the greatest amateurs of his generation, winning both the U.S. Amateur and the U.S Amateur Public Links in the same year (2007), something only two others in history have done (one of them being Bobby Jones). He represented the USA in the 2007 Walker Cup alongside Dustin Johnson and even won the Mark H. McCormack Medal as the top player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
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Then came the big leap. He turned pro right after the Walker Cup, giving up his hard-earned spot in the 2008 Masters. It seemed like the right call at the time, and it kind of was. He went on to win twice in his first 12 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2008 and cruised to his PGA Tour card. But despite six full seasons on the PGA Tour, Knost never once made it to the Masters. “It’s frustrating the fact I never got there. But at the time I felt it was the right decision, 100%, and I still do,” Martin revealed Knost’s words in his post on X.
Colt Knost eventually retired in 2020 after wrist injuries and a dip in form, moving smoothly into a popular broadcasting role with CBS and co-hosting Golf’s Subpar with Drew Stoltz. Now, as he attempts to return to his amateur status, people are not happy with the move.
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Controversy Swells as Fans Slam Colt Knost’s Decision
While Colt Knost’s move has sparked debate among many, fans are downright furious, and they didn’t hold back under Sean Martin’s post on X. “Have him return the $5.2 million he won if he wants to be amateur again. Dumbest thing ever if it gets approved,” one fan fumed, cutting straight to the money Knost earned on the Korn Ferry and the PGA Tour. Another echoed the sentiment with growing frustration, “No offense, but if you have two wins as a pro, there is no way in hell anyone should be reinstated as an amateur. This is getting out of control and is lame as hell.”
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One fan took a dig at Knost but also directed the USGA to have stricter rules regarding players wanting to reinstate their amateur status. “USGA needs to have limits of reinstated Ams that want to qualify for Mid Ams and Senior Ams – If you won KFT or so much money, no entry,” the fan quipped. It’s a call for boundaries, especially when former Tour pros can swoop back into the fields meant for career amateurs.
Interestingly, Knost himself admitted he didn’t exactly stumble upon this plan on his own. In fact, it was the USGA that handed him the keys. “I talked to Scott Langley at the USGA a few weeks ago,” Knost said on Sub-Par. “He actually sent me the little link to apply for my amateur status back.”
One fan even flagged the issue of pensions. “If a former pro golfer is getting any compensation through a tour pension, they should not be eligible to be reinstated as an amateur,” the comment read, raising questions not just about fairness in competition, but financial integrity. And perhaps the most conflicted but telling comment of all? “I’m a Colt Knost fan, but this is ridiculous. That man is a professional golfer,” another added, seemingly torn between admiration for Knost and the frustration around his decision, which seemed like a clear overstep.
The message was the same from all no matter how much time had passed, a professional is a professional. It’s clear that for many, this isn’t just about Colt Knost. It’s about drawing a line, and one that ensures fair opportunities are given to all.

Last month, Gary McCord was cleaning out his Colorado summer home when he stumbled upon something remarkable. An old leather briefcase sat collecting dust in the corner. Inside? A complete binder documenting his 1981 pitch for the All-Exempt Tour. “God damned if I haven’t got the binder with all of the information I had when I pitched the All-Exempt Tour in 1981, everything,” McCord told Golfweek. He spent seven weeks crafting that proposal over four decades ago.
The timing of this discovery feels almost prophetic. The PGA Tour just announced it’s reducing fully exempt cards from 125 to 100 for the 2026 season. And the man who fought to create that 125-card system? He’s completely on board with cutting it.
“It was exactly the right thing to do at this point,” McCord said without hesitation. This marks the first reduction since the All-Exempt Tour launched in 1983. Back then, McCord rallied over 100 players at a Holiday Inn in Tallahassee to support expanding exemptions from just 60 to 125. He pitched it as a grassroots uprising. The vote passed 7-2.
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Now, 42 years later, the landscape has undergone a complete transformation. The PGA Tour officially approved these sweeping changes on November 18, 2024. Field sizes will shrink across the board. Most tournaments will feature 120 to 144 players instead of 156. The Players Championship drops from 144 to 120. Seven events will eliminate Monday qualifying entirely. Others will reduce Monday qualifier spots from four to just two.
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The Korn Ferry Tour takes a hit, too. Only 20 players will graduate, instead of the original 30. Q-School cards drop from “top five and ties” to exactly five. Meanwhile, bubble players have voiced concerns about how these changes threaten their livelihoods.
McCord Questions PGA Tour’s LIV Response
McCord sees a fundamental difference between then and now. “When I did it, it was not competition,” he explained. In the 1980s, the Tour was struggling for basic financial viability. Players were broke. Travel expenses crushed them. McCord calculated that 76 percent of Tour competitors couldn’t break even after expenses.
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Today’s fight is entirely different. LIV Golf arrived in 2022 with Saudi money and guaranteed contracts. Jon Rahm signed for $300 million. Brooks Koepka got $130 million. The threat forced the PGA Tour to create eight signature events with $20 million purses. These showcase concentrated star power, competing with LIV’s 14-event schedule.
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But McCord questions the entire strategy. “My question is why do we need to genuflect to LIV? They have absolutely no one watching them on TV,” he said bluntly. The numbers back him up. LIV Golf averaged just 338,000 viewers on Fox in 2025. Meanwhile, PGA Tour Sunday broadcasts averaged 3.1 million viewers. That’s nearly 18 times more eyeballs.
The Tour’s official justification centers on the pace of play. Smaller fields mean faster rounds and Friday cuts. Commissioner Jay Monahan called it a “collaborative effort” to build a “stronger PGA Tour.” Yet players like Lucas Glover aren’t buying it. “And then hiding behind pace of play, I think challenges our intelligence,” Glover told reporters. He believes the real goal is appeasing top players to prevent more LIV defections.
McCord’s evolution from rebel to supporter reveals how drastically professional golf has changed. He fought for opportunity in an era of scarcity. Now he backs restriction in an era of excess. The irony isn’t lost on anyone. Yesterday’s rabbits became today’s mules. The fight for cards continues. But the magic number just dropped by 25.

The Delhi Golf Club buzzed with activity on a warm October morning. Young Frankie Fleetwood, just seven years old, wandered through the practice area with wide eyes. He watched players hit balls on the range. He soaked in the tournament atmosphere. His father, Tommy Fleetwood, stood nearby, preparing for the DP World India Championship. The scene perfectly captured what drives the English golfer—family and ambition intertwined.
Tommy opened up about his son during Wednesday’s press conference. “He absolutely loves the game,” he said. “Like, he loves golf and he loves being around the golf courses and the tournaments and everything.” But then came the revelation that struck a chord. “He’s like such a big source of inspiration for me and motivation. So it’s always great having him around.”
The 34-year-old reflected on what it means to have Frankie at tournaments. “I feel very lucky that I get to bring our kids to such amazing places, really,” Tommy shared. He didn’t travel internationally until he was 14 or 15. Meanwhile, Frankie has already visited countless countries and experienced diverse cultures. “Frankie to have been as many places as he has and still get the chance to visit new cultures and new places I think is great,” Tommy added.
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This family inspiration fuels Tommy’s next ambitious goal. He’s setting his sights on winning a major championship in 2026. “It’s definitely something in my mind and I’ll have written down,” he declared. “I feel like majors are absolutely career-defining tournaments.” The People’s Champion has everything on his résumé except that coveted major title. He’s collected seven career top-5 finishes in majors, including a heartbreaking runner-up at the 2018 U.S. Open. Yet victory has remained just out of reach.
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Tommy’s 2025 major performances left him disappointed. “This year was actually, as good as the season has been, it was a poor major year for me,” he admitted honestly. “I didn’t come close to being in contention or competing in those majors.” He tied for 21st at the Masters. He struggled to tie for 41st at the PGA Championship. He missed the cut entirely at the U.S. Open. He managed only a tie for 16th at The Open Championship. Those results stung, especially after such a stellar overall season.
The frustration is understandable when considering Tommy’s journey throughout 2025. But understanding how he channeled that disappointment into breakthrough success reveals the true power of his family’s inspiration.
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Tommy Fleetwood’s resilience turned heartbreak into FedEx Cup glory
The 2025 season repeatedly tested Tommy’s mental fortitude. He finished second at the Travelers Championship in June, coming agonizingly close. Then came the FedEx St. Jude Championship in August. Tommy tied for third, losing by just one shot to Justin Rose in a playoff. He’d led by one stroke entering the final round. He faltered over the final three holes. The victory slipped away again.
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Each near-miss could have shattered his confidence. Instead, Tommy explained his philosophy during the press conference. “What’s the point in letting it have a negative effect on whatever happens next?” he asked. “I could have moped or sulked or been angry. But I really wanted to try and rewire as quickly as possible and see the positives.” That mindset separated him from other talented players who couldn’t break through. Tommy previously called his family, including Frankie, his biggest supporters through every disappointment. Showing his children that perseverance pays off mattered more than any trophy. “Being an example that it can happen for you if you keep going,” he said, became his driving force.
Tommy previously named his family, including Frankie, as his most prominent supporters through every disappointment. Showing his children that perseverance pays off mattered more than any trophy. “Being an example that it can happen for you if you keep going,” he said, became his driving force.
Then came August 24th at East Lake Golf Club. Tommy shot 18-under-par to win the Tour Championship by three strokes. The victory secured his first PGA Tour title after 164 attempts. It also delivered the FedEx Cup and its massive $10 million prize. After six runner-up finishes and 31 top-5s without winning, he’d finally done it.
The breakthrough validated everything. Tommy’s Ryder Cup heroics followed in September, where Europe won 15-13 at Bethpage Black. He posted a perfect 2-0 record in foursomes with Rory McIlroy. He went 2-0 in four-ball with Justin Rose. The world number five had arrived at golf’s summit through sheer persistence.
Now he brings that same resilience to his major championship quest. “Yeah, I’ll be looking towards those next year and try to give myself the best chance I can,” Tommy said with quiet determination. The inspiration walks beside him in Frankie. The goal sits clearly ahead. 2026 could finally be his year to complete the résumé.

With all of the many tournaments and different headlines to take place in this 2025 PGA Tour season, many may have forgotten about a top face in the sport. The pro since 1996 being Tiger Woods, who has recently been forced into recovery after major back surgeries. His most recent surgery coming in a lumbar disc replacement, another roadblock put in front of his already doubtful return back to the sport. With a career filled with 82 total wins, the soon to be 50-year-old is only becoming more seasoned and now maybe forced to step away from the game in its entirety. This sport has seen a multitude of highs with Woods as the front-runner, now it’s time to entertain a possible reality without arguably the best to ever play the sport.
Playing The Long Game
The long game is just that for Woods, another added input to an already frustrating equation for the veteran. Having to get yet another surgery on his back, only pushes his possible return back even more. Having to most recently repair a ruptured Achilles Tendon in March, Woods has spent most of his time on the outside looking in.
“After experiencing pain and lack of mobility in my back, I consulted doctors and surgeons to have tests taken,” Woods’ said. “The scans determined that I had a collapsed disc in L4/L5, disc fragments and a compromised spinal canal. I opted to have my disc replaced yesterday and already know I made a good decision for my health and back.”
At this stage in the career for Woods, time is unfortunately not on his side or a benefit. With those like Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, the chance to add on more wins has become even more difficult than last seen. One plus that has come since the sidelining of Woods and company, is his very own design company named TGR Design. One of the most illustrious companies in the sport of golf, while also being a firm dedicated to the further development of golf courses around the world. Including his very own 13 created courses, a most recent coming in the “Marcella Club”. A private club located in Park City, Utah and the first mountain design done by the team. With the career Tour wins having slowed down in total, Woods is still a recipient of wins outside the course.
Passing The Torch
There is not much of a timetable or baseline, in terms of navigating the return back to golf for Woods. The recovery time will be one that must not be rushed, after dealing with an already difficult road back to competition after last spurts seen at the 2024 Masters. One positive that still will remain despite the ups and downs, is the uprising of his son in Charlie Woods. Working as the caddie for Charlie in some tournaments, Tiger has had a front row seat to the next possible chapter in the Woods run within the sport.
While many had their eyes glued to the Ryder Cup and deservingly so, The 16-year-old prodigy finished with an eye opening 68 and led The Benjamin School to a win. Putting on a show at the South Florida PGA Junior Golf West Coast High School Championship, at the TwinEagles Talon Course in Naples, Florida. Picking up right where his dad left off in his own career, totaling in with eight birdies to open up the round but finishing tied fourth overall.

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Colt Knost’s recent announcement, “I have applied to get my amateur status back,” has been the talk of the town nearly all week. And not in a good way. When the former PGA Tour pro and CBS Sports analyst revealed that he’s officially applied to regain his amateur status, it had everyone in splits. Many called it ridiculous and unfair to the existing mid-ams, but amidst all the backlash Knost is receiving for his decision, one notable voice has stepped up in his defense.
When Colt Knost explained why he’s heading toward this decision, he mentioned that he “would like to one day lead the United States Walker Cup team if at all possible,” on Gracy & The Sleeze podcast. That is his biggest motivation to turn towards this path, contrary to what most people are assuming about him. He represented the United States in the 2007 Walker Cup alongside Dustin Johnson, and now he’s hoping to return to that prestigious stage, not as a player, but as a captain. That’s the real driver behind his move.
And one fellow player is on board with his mission — Billy Horschel. Responding to Knost’s reasoning on wanting to reinstate his amateur status, Horschel had a message for Knost on X — “You’ve got my vote for future Walker Cup Captain! @ColtKnost.”
It was short, sharp, and just enough to add fuel to the existing fire Knost already started. Whether it was a playful jab or a genuine endorsement, Horschel’s message stood out amid a wave of skepticism Knost has been facing.
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Colt Knost even mentioned on the podcast that he would not be like other amateurs playing all the events on the circuit. “I wish people would just sit back and take a second to ask why I’m doing this instead of just assuming that I’m gonna be like our buddy Stewart Hagestad and play 25 events a year,” he stated. He referenced Stewart Hagestad, a popular name on the mid-am circuit, who has racked up five Walker Cup wins and plays nearly 17-20 events every year. Knost specified that he can’t do the same.
“Like, I have several jobs. I don’t really have time to play a lot on the amateur circuit when most of them are during the summer, and I’m traveling around the country for CBS,” he added. And it’s true. While he has a busy schedule with CBS, Knost is also a co-host on two podcasts – Gravy & The Sleeze and the Golf’s Subpar podcast. Imagine juggling all of this and competing full-time on the mid-am circuit. Sounds superhuman.
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But it’s clear that Colt Knost’s ambition is far more personal, and arguably more meaningful. He simply aspires to lead Team USA in the Walker Cup sometime in the future. And the only way he can do that is to return to the amateur circle. It’s a path he’s more than willing to take, even if it means facing criticism along the way. But why is Knost receiving so much backlash for this decision?
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Why Colt Knost’s Decision Is Getting So Much Criticism
Colt Knost’s bid to regain his amateur status has reignited a debate over what the mid-am is supposed to represent. Knost, once one of the most dominant amateurs of his generation, famously gave up his spot in the 2008 Masters by turning pro after the 2007 Walker Cup. Now, over 15 years later, many critics like Sean Martin feel that he is eyeing a different route to Augusta—through the mid-am, which awards its champion a coveted Masters invitation. For Knost, it feels like a shot at redemption. A full-circle moment. But to many, it’s contradictory to the very spirit of the event.
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Critics argue that letting former pros, especially ones like Knost, who has banked more than $4.3 million in 199 events in his 8 years on the PGA Tour, should not be allowed to reinstate their amateur status. As Lou Stagner pointed out on X, the USGA itself describes the mid-am as a championship “for whom the game is truly an avocation.”
But when a player like Knost, with years of grinding on the world’s biggest stages, returns to the amateur ranks, is it really a fair fight? His skill set doesn’t just vanish because he hasn’t played competitively in years. Wagner points out that, “even if they’re a bit rusty, a former tour player’s baseline skills remain FAR above a career amateur… Also, skill decay does not equal skill deletion.”
And it makes sense. It only takes a few months of good practice for a tour-level player to get back his elite playing skills, which is an unfair advantage if Knost gets to compete on the amateur circuit. But it’s not just Colt Knost; this has been a growing trend. In the 2025 mid-am alone, six of the eight quarterfinalists were reinstated professionals. And if former pros start dominating the mid-am scene, Knost’s case will be like the new norm that’s testing the boundaries of amateur golf.

Eugenio Chacarra joined LIV Golf in 2022 as a member of Fireballs GC. He won in Bangkok and was one of the most promising players there. But struggles came for him over the next two years, and as a result, his time with LIV came to an end.
Afterwards, he vocally called out LIV for being about “only money,” and also expressed his thoughts on LIV failing to deliver on its promise to provide OWGR points and access to majors. Despite all of this, Charcarra was “thankful” to the Saudi Tour for the financial security it gave him. After this incident, Chacarra found a new zeal to achieve his childhood dream: the European Tour and the PGA Tour. The chase has been in his favor so far.
Eugenio relied on the sponsor’s exemption to get started on the DP World Tour early in the season. Then in India, he won the 2025 Hero Indian Open: a victory that helped him earn DP World Tour status for the rest of the season. Now, he is back in India, at the Delhi Golf Club, but his performance might not be as eccentric as it was back in February because of some injuries he has been enduring.
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Essentially Sports had a quick chat with Eugenio before he officially started his play on October 16th at the DP World India Championship, and he gave us answers about his health, future goals, and his time with LIV.
EssentiallySports: You’re back in India just after a few months of your Hero Indian Open win. How are you feeling about your chances here this time?
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Eugenio Chacarra: Feeling great. It’s been a couple of tough weeks health-wise. Being sick. I have some problems with my hip and with my golf shoes and stuff. I was hearing some problems with my swing, but we figured it out, and yeah, back in the country, that’s been great to me. Love the country, love the people, and, yeah, it’s obviously to different course, but, of course, you need to hit a good one as well. And I’m excited for the week. Obviously, my game is not as sharp as I wanted it to be because of the illness and being a little hurt, but I think it’s, of course, that’s good for me. I love the grass here in India, and I love the support, so hopefully I can be up there again.
EssentiallySports: You recently spoke about losing some weight, roughly around 20 pounds. Can you walk us through what happened there? What led to that weight loss? What’s the journey?
Eugenio Chacarra: Yeah, I obviously, because when I stay with my team and make some decisions, and one of them, I need to be back physically good for my own health and for my golf swing. And that was one of them. I needed to go back to my weight where I had success, and I was feeling good. And yeah, that’s a goal for the year, and I was lucky enough that I cut it pretty quickly, and I just need to keep focusing on it. And, like I said, I’ve been feeling great. I don’t know if it’s because I didn’t have a lot of food or what the problem was, but I’m getting to get back to it. It was a tough three or four weeks, past weeks, but I’m happy that I’m here. I’m feeling better every day, and hopefully, I can get it run.
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EssentiallySports: It’s been some time since your association with LIV Golf? How do you look back on that time?
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Eugenio Chacarra: Yeah, it was great. It was a great experience. I think, like I said, I was really grateful for the opportunity. It saved my life in a lot of ways. But my team and I thought it was time to pursue what I dream of. I was losing motivation to do stuff. And some things that they said they were gonna do never really happened, but it was an awesome experience. It’s another great golf Tour, great players, and I was thankful that I have 3 years over there, but now I’m focusing on the European Tour, and hopefully I can get my dream since I was little, get to the PGA Tour.
EssentiallySports: Is getting onto the PGA Tour still your childhood dream?
Eugenio Chacarra: Yeah, obviously, growing up, that’s what we had, the PGA Tour and the European Tour, as in Spaniard, and as you’re a fellow European, I always wanted to win on the European Tour. I already accomplished that dream, but now my dream that I’m missing is to win on the PGA Tour and be a member of the PGA Tour. So hopefully, we can get that. I’m still young. I’m here way quicker than I thought I was gonna be when I left, so I’m still trying to learn, still trying to get better. But I know with hard work and with the team I have behind me, we’ll be on the PGA Tour one day.
EssentiallySports: Great, great. So, like, any favourite golfer growing up, any fond memory of any of, you know, the,
Eugenio Chacarra: Yeah, obviously, being from Spain, I need to go. I need to say 75 stairs. I got lucky enough that my family, from that side, is from Padrena. We go in the summer over there. So I grew up seeing all his family and seeing seven. So he’s probably my favourite player, and then I need to see Tiger. I think what Tiger did to the game of golf, and how he played the game of golf, and how good he was, and at least when I was growing up, he was the one who was dominating, and I was watching golf. So, yeah, those will be my 2 favourite players.
All the best, Eugenio!