We’d rather be golfing. For 6 years, I was the Head Coach of a high school golf program that I must say has had decades of success and pumped out a good amount of college golfers. Am I bragging about myself right now...absolutely not. I basically drove around in a golf cart with gatorades and snacks to keep my golfers fueled and focused. That being said, I did know the PGA Rule Book well and made sure my players were educated and prepared.  I do not doubt that Jordan Speith is beyond educated and prepared when it comes to the PGA Tour rule book, but still made a careless error at The Genesis Invitational this past week by signing an incorrect scorecard which in turn disqualified him from the tournament. He is not the first, and will not be the last, as even the pro's make mistakes and sometimes these mistakes can be quite costly. I know you are thinking, "BY, get to the point already".  My point is short and concise...the majority of society and today's youth have become soft and immediately state that the DQ was too harsh of a penalty for Jordan and professional golfers shouldn't even be keeping their own scores.  I am always one to look for change when needed, but this "down with tradition" mentality is a slippery slope and this one needs to be let alone.  Through the embarrassment, Jordan owned up to his mistake and took full responsibility for his actions as a true professional should. For you softies out there, it's ok to have some adversity in your life and have to pay for it when you make a mistake...it's probably also time to throw out your 5th and 6th place ribbons from elementary school. -BY

Get in Your Home!

Happy Gilmore

Seven tournaments and seven different champions to start the 2024 PGA Tour season. There is some incredible golf being played.

The guy playing the best golf tee-to-green? No surprise that it’s the number 1 player in el mundo, Scottie “Don’t Call Me Scott” Scheffler. He has already raked in more than $2.4 million this season over his five starts, including four top 10 finishes. The man has hit more than 80% of greens in regulation.. the tour average is 69.57%.. SILLYNESS!

How has he not won a tournament so far this season?

Welp, unfortunately our guy Scottie is battling some serious demons on the greens, ranking in the bottom half of players in strokes gained putting. Scottie’s putting woes have been a huge Debbie Downer on his game for years but he may have hit rock bottom last week at Riviera. He entered the weekend dead last in strokes gained/putting. During the first two rounds, he missed 8 putts from inside of 10 feet, including a 3-putt bogey from 9 feet and three misses from within 4 feet. Even more troubling was how visibly upset he was throughout the tournament, at one point, launching his golf ball into the bushes following another 3-putt. 

Craziest stat….through all of that… he still finished T10!

I hate to say it…but I think Scottie may have a case of the dreaded Y word. Yes, that same Y word that transformed Chuck Knoblauch from an All-Star second baseman to a light hitting DH. The same Y word that sent Rick Ankiel, a generational left-handed pitcher, from the mound to the outfield. The same Y word that many credit for keeping Tommy Armour from reaching his ultimate potential (guy carded a 23 on the 17th hole of the 1927 Shawnee Open 😵‍💫 !).

SCOTTIE HAS THE YIPS!!

It may be time for Scottie to consider all potential options to stem the tide. Broomstick putter is an option for sure. Sports psychologist…why not? Lucky Charms every morning for breakfast…no brainer. But I’m thinking even more extreme…

Bring Papa Shango out of retirement to carry your bag..

Tie a lucky rabbits foot to a horse shoe and use it as a ball marker..

Turn your hat inside out when standing over putts under 10 feet..

Scheffler can continue to claim that his putting woes is fake news driven by the corrupt media but the stats don’t lie and they’ve been speaking the truth for the better part of 3 years. Come on, Scheff! Desperate times call for desperate measures. -MM

You Should Tail Me.

Castaway

Es un infierno! Two backdoor pick winners at The Genesis as Sam Burns and Adam Scott did just enough to cash in for BY making that 5 pick winners in a row! I hope that a few of you believers have been reaping the rewards of this 2024 heater!  Vamos a Mexico!

California has been so good to me, but our next stop is the Mexico Open at Vidanta. If that doesn’t sound like a spell from Harry Potter, I don’t know what does. We have a Greg Norman design, and the weather is set to be impeccable. This will be the third year that this event is held at Vidanta Vallarta with past winners Tony Finau (2023) and Jon Rahm (2022). Tony Finau is the biggest name in the field this week and is set to defend his title.  Although this will be one of the weakest fields we will see on tour this season, the good news is, there is always gambling! If I don’t have confidence now, I don’t think I ever will. I like medium to large plays on both guys this week.  Let’s start with my loose cannon Taylor Pendrith with a top 20 finish at +125.  Pendrith gives me an excited yet frightened feeling that I only get when I am staring down a 7-10 split. His last seven finishes have gone as follows from furthest to most recent tournaments played…T3, T15, T8, CUT, T10, CUT, T9.  Now isn’t that something to get behind! This is my larger play and I think depending on what happens this week I may start to like this guy. Next, would be the smaller play of the two but this one still feels special. Nicolai Hojgaard with a top 10 finish at +190. He had a 2^nd place finish at the Farmers and played solid against difficult fields at the past two tournaments. With his skill set and the field this week, I think this could be a great spot for him and there is money to be won with these odds. At 22 years old, Nicolai can bomb it and I think he is in a healthy spot at this golf course. Nosotros montamos! -BY

Draft Kings DFS 3-Putt Pot

Each week I will give my three strongest value buys for DFS play. I am only getting you started, finishing your line up will be up to you!

• K. Mitchell: $9,900

• D. Ghim: $8,800

• P. Kizzire: $6,800

As always, please remember to gamble responsibly

Spring Swing

Thananuwat Srirasant/Getty Images

The ladies of the LPGA Tour return to action this week at Siam Country Club in Chonburi, Thailand for the Honda LPGA Thailand. Defending champion and 2023 Rolex Player of the Year Lilia Vu returns to the scene of her first career victory with her eyes set on claiming another title. The event marks the first in the three week swing through Asia for the world’s top women. The limited field of 72 players will be competing for a $1.7 million purse in this no-cut event.

Betting Favorite: Xiyu Lin (+1100)

The DP World Tour heads to Muthaiga Golf Club in Nairobi, Kenya for the Magical Kenya Open. The most whimsical tournament in the world will feature 13 golfers from Kenya, including the Kibugu brothers Mutahi and Njorge. In addition, as a part of the partnership between the DP World Tour and the G4D Tour, 8 of the top players from the World Ranking for Golfers with a Disability will compete alongside of the pros.

Betting Favorite: Thriston Lawrence (+1400)

Ahead of the Florida swing, the PGA Tour makes a pit stop in Vallarta, Mexico for the Mexico Open at Vidanta. The majority of the top players on the tour will take this week off leaving defending champion Tony Finau in prime position to continue his tournament dominance in Mexico.

Betting Favorite: Tony Finau (+700)

Around the Game

🏌️ Waste Management tournament host committee The Thunderbirds released the statement below. The tournament, which has gained a reputation as being the most raucous on tour, will be a major storyline heading into the 2025 season.

🏌️ Weird week in Riviera. Tiger Woods, making his much anticipated return, withdraws during the second round of the Genesis Open setting off a social media speculation frenzy. Tiger blamed back spasms for his mishaps down the stretch in the first round, including this shank on the 18th, so assumptions were made on the reoccurrence of physical ailments that have hampered him. An ambulance showed up. More assumptions were made. Ultimately, Tiger left Riviera on his own accord and credited a case of the dreaded influenza for his untimely exit.

Not to be outdone, Jordan Speith went galaxy brain, signed an incorrect scorecard and was DQ’ed following the second round.

🏌️ Coming off of a 3rd place finish at the South Open in Argentina, Angel Cabrera is set to tee it up on the PGA Champions Tour at the Trophy Hassan II in Morocco. This will be his first start at a PGA Tour sanctioned event following his release from prison last August. The 2009 Masters Champion eyes a return to Augusta this April.

🏌️ Capital One’s The Match. Reminder that Rory and Lexi are taking on Max and Rose on Monday, February 26th in the 9th edition of the event. 

💰️ Expensive Sticks. Honma Golf, the club designer from Sakata, Japan, launches pre-orders for their luxury line of clubs. You may need to take a loan out to afford their full 5-Star series set. This purchase should sit well with spouses across the country.

🎯 Ace Alert. Will Zalatoris secures new rides for he and his caddie via this 1.

❣️Love of the game. Mackenzie Hughes provides his thoughts on the current state of professional golf during this walk and talk.

🤖 Easy Game. Vision Pro shot tracer might be Scottie Scheffler’s answer.

🪂 FOOOORRREE. Did Tommy Fleetwood just hit an ace from the back of a cargo plane?

🏈 Officially official. EA Sports drops their first official trailer for the highly anticipated College Football 25 video game that will be released this summer.

We’d rather be golfing. This is a good opportunity to admit that the first concert I ever attended was headlined by Usher and Janet Jackson… The Velvet Rope Tour. I was 13, accompanied by my family, and vividly remember numerous awkward glances from my parents as scantily clad Janet and Usher seduced the raucous crowd throughout the night. Ah, what a show 😆. Sunday night’s halftime performance tapped into a part of me that I tucked away for 20+ years and had middle school Mike poppin’ and lockin’ in the comfort of my own head. I’d honestly forgotten how many great songs Usher had in his catalog. I also couldn’t believe Lil Jon had transformed into 50 Cent and Jermaine Dupree into C-Lo Green. Where does this halftime show rank in my eyes? I’d say it lands somewhere in the top 3-5 range, but nothing…. and I mean NOTHING will top Prince in the rain in Miami. I was a junior at FSU watching the dud of a game with a friend, but for those 12 minutes, I was transported to the purifying waters of Lake Minnetonka. Long Live Purple Rain -MM

Oh, and Happy Valentine’s Day to those who celebrate 💌 

Getting Low on the KFT

Lil Jon

I recently shot a 57. Well it was actually me and 2 fellow dads at our kids elementary school charity scramble, but damn it felt good! And we only used 2..ish mulligans to boot. That 57 earned us the victory over 8 other very worthy teams. Definitely one of the top accomplishments of my golf career.

I can’t even fathom the feeling of shooting a solo 57, especially in a professional event. You know what else I couldn’t fathom? Shooting said 57 and then losing that professional event by 3 strokes. Cristobal Del Solar lived that cruel story this past weekend in Bogota, Columbia as he watched Kevin Velo defeat Brian Campbell in the first playoff hole of the Korn Ferry Tour’s Astara Golf Championship, just days after shooting a 57 and tying the lowest round ever in a PGA Tour sanctioned event. My fellow FSU alum finished in 5th place, 15 spots ahead of 19 year-old KFT rookie Aldrich Potgieter…who by the way shot a 59 on Friday to become the youngest player to break 60 at a PGA Tour sanctioned event.

WTF was going on in Bogota?! A deeper dive into Del Solar’s record first round provides a little more perspective on how these guys feasted on the par-70, 6,254 yard Pacos Course at Country Club de Bogota, which is located nearly 9,000 feet above sea level and actually plays closer to 6,000 yards.

The following two statements are both truths.

Should pros be playing 6,200 yard courses? NO!

Does this diminish how awesome of an accomplishment it is to shoot a 57? NO!

Sure the course is the shortest you’ll find in professional competition but it had never seen a sub-60 round prior to this past weekend. You’ve got to be next level dialed in to go that low.

Crazy good golf being played. -21 is the average score for the winners across the first 6 events of the PGA Tour season and that includes Wyndham Clark’s -17 over 54 holes at the American Express Pro-Am. It’s been fun to watch guys across all the tours get low like Lil Jon and the Eastside Boys over the first month of the season but I’m definitely ready for the courses to start punching back. 👊 -MM

#StayingHottttttt

Goldmember

He’s on fire!  Dominique Wilkins/Mookie Blaylock…unstoppable. Kurt “Kity” Kitayama saw he needed a top 30 finish to get BY to the promised land and just went ahead and finished T8! The question now is…how long can this streak continue? Yes, I have made a small pivot the past few weeks to less aggressive plays to find my groove, and it worked like a charm. It’s time to start getting riskier and The Genesis Invitational is the launchpad.

California has been good to BY and I am looking to keep the coals hot as we head to Pacific Palisades and the always beautiful and storied The Riviera Country Club. The Genesis is a signature event and Tiger is back in the field which always ignites the whispers and excitement. Unlike most signature events, this one will have a cut which will get the field to 50 golfers along with a few sprinkled-on top. Typically firm, and fast, we could be looking at a softer golfer course due to the recent rain which could assist in a few holes being more scoreable where par is good for a lot of the holes at Riviera. The real question is, who will be able to handle the fickle kikuyugrass? This stuff is gnarly, and it wants you to play bad. Only the strong will survive when buried in the kikuyugrass. My first play will be a small one as I haven’t dabbled in the top 10 in quite some time but as I said above, we can start to get a little risky with the recent momentum shift. Sam Burns with a top 10 finish at +200.  He’s finished in the top 10 the last three tournaments and has truly been attacking January and February. My big play is Adam Scott finishing in the top 20 at +105. Catching Scott at plus money in this spot is more delicious than my Super Bowl spread. He has been great on the European Tour to finish out 2023 and stayed solid at Pebble and really came to form last week in Scottsdale. Let’s keep this train rolling! -BY

Draft Kings DFS 3-Putt Pot

Each week I will give my three strongest value buys for DFS play. I am only getting you started, finishing your line up will be up to you!

• W. Zalatoris: $7,900

• N. Hojgaard: $7,800

• S. Ryder: $6,000

As always, please remember to gamble responsibly

Return of The Cat

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Player/Host Eldrick Tont Woods welcomes 70 of the best players in the world to The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California for The Genesis Invitational. Tiger will be introducing a new caddie, new ball, and new look at his 2024 debut. At stake, $20 million and 700 FedExCup Points.

Betting Favorite: Scottie Scheffler (+700)

Around the Game

Getty Images

🏌️ Tiger Woods unveils Sun Day Red apparel brand in partnership with TaylorMade. Bon Voyage to the TW logo that we’d all come accustomed to for the past 27 years and hello to the new 15 striped jumping tiger with the number of stripes representing the amount of major victories on Tiger’s resume. The merch isn’t anything to write home about but this launch video is definitely top notch. It also looks like he enlisted The Riddler to run the new Sun Day Red social account. Brand description has my brain in a pretzel.

🏌️ The PGA Tour and Strategic Sports Group launch PGA Tour Enterprises. The new commercial venture, funded by a reported $3 billion investment from SSG, will give players the opportunity to receive over $1.5 billion in equity. Below is a excerpt from an email sent to Tour players outlining the equity model

via @acaseofthegolf1

🏈 Massive new media rights deal for the College Football Playoff. ESPN has reportedly agreed to a six-year extension worth $7.8 billion that will keep the newly expanded 12-team playoff on the worldwide leader through the 2031 season.

In related news, ESPN announced that Nick Saban will join the College Gameday crew next season. ESPN continuing to ensure that Saban is involved in the playoff one way or another 😉 .

🤮 Wasted Management. The annual Debauchery in the Desert went to a whole new level this past weekend. Plenty of viral clips of patrons leaving their dignity in green side bunkers. Here are a couple of our favorites:

📺️ All Jordan Speith can do is smile 

📺️ Watch until the end

📺️ Man vs. Gravity

📈 Stats don’t lie

via @shootermcgavin

🧑‍🍳 Min Lulu Lee. Lululemon floods the WMPO with hundreds of Lululemon clad fans sporting chefs hats.

❣️ Feeling Finau. Tony won’t forget next year…

🦉 Only Paige. The OG with an ode to the Big Cat…

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We’d rather be golfing. In my adult life as a San Francisco 49ers fan I have only experienced heartache and pain. Have we had some great seasons? Yes. Have we been to Super Bowls? Yes. I was 8 years old when this franchise last raised the Vince Lombardi Trophy in triumph. Although, I don't doubt I was well into my slumber wearing my Steve Young jersey before the game was decided. Needless to say I am in a glass case of emotion as this weekend holds something that all fans strive for but it also can bring an emptiness and despair that cuts deeper than the Mariana Trench (it's deep… look it up.) In the end, you need to be willing to hit the mat if you choose to step in the ring. Andy Reid, we are coming for ya, Go Niners! -BY

Today’s Sponsor

My Pro Golfer 24. Keep golf simple.

The Perfect Storm

Manuel Velasquez/Getty Images

Greg Norman must have done something over the holidays to regain a slight bit of favor with the golf gods. Even with all of the offseason hype surrounding the acquisition of Jon Rahm and later TyrrelI Hatton, the opening event of the LIV Golf season would still be hard pressed to draw the attention of the golf world away from a PGA Tour Signature Event taking place at one of the most beloved venues on the planet, Pebble Beach. An attention grabbing 59 shot by Joaquin Niemann at Mayakoba on Friday was quickly trumped by a historic 60 from Wyndham Clark at Pebble on Saturday. But the guardians of the game enlisted Mother Nature to pay The Shark a major solid in the form of a once in a generation storm that postponed and eventually wiped out the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

With Jim Nance and co sheltered away in the Monterey Peninsula, CBS opted to broadcast a replay of the 2022 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. LIV Golf was the only girl at the dance on Sunday afternoon and the stage seemed to be set for the 3rd year tour to make its breakthrough. But even a dramatic 4-hole playoff between eventual winner Niemann and Sergio Garcia wasn’t enough to entice fans over to the CW as the CBS replay drew 1.211M viewers vs. 432K for the final round of LIV Golf Mayakoba. In fairness to LIV Golf, the viewership numbers don’t account for anyone who may have streamed the final round via the multiple channels available to do so, but it’s still a tough pill to swallow for the LIV faithful.

Personally, I didn’t tune in to any golf on Sunday (I was out playing!) but I must say that the buzz around LIV Mayakoba throughout the weekend felt much different than any tournament they’ve played in the previous two years. The social media coverage of the event from non-LIV accounts felt exponentially greater than any prior competition. Rahm, Hatton, and rookie Caleb Surratt competing for the new Legion XIII added an instant boost. IMO, even with the Tour crushing LIV again in viewership ratings over the weekend the Mayakoba event will be the start of a shift in sentiment towards the league because of the two following reasons:

1) The final leaderboard at Mayakoba was stacked! The top 10 is a scribe of world class players. Don’t recognize D. Burmester? Oh, he is just few weeks removed from winning back to back events on the DP World Tour. Rahm and Hatton answered the call. 11 major titles won between this top 10. An impressive group at the top to say the least.

LIV Golf

2) In an ironic twist, Wyndham Clark was crowned the champ at Pebble Beach after only 54 holes and jumped from 10th to 6th in the OWGR because of his triumph. Jaoquin Niemann also won a 54-hole tournament vs. a world class field and dropped from 66th to 74th in those same rankings. Yikes 🥴 !

I can only speak for myself, but I’m looking forward to watching LIV Golf Las Vegas this weekend just as much as I am the WM Phoenix Open. Now, if I can only find the CW….. -MM

Rain Dance!

Along Came Polly

Let’s just get this out of the way now…Pebble Beach Pro-Am final round was cancelled due to weather which means technically the event was complete after three rounds but really, we all know it wasn’t…BY’s back-to-back pick winner streak continues as Fleety and Speith were both charging and probably would have finished T1 and been in an epic playoff to crown a champion. Very easy storyline to foresee playing out. On we go to “The Greatest Show on Grass” and my quest for a 3^rd straight pick winner!

Do I even need to introduce the WM Phoenix Open played at none other than TPC Scottsdale (Stadium Course)? It was recorded that roughly 4.6 million alcoholic beverages were sold over 4 days at last year’s event, oh, and some golf was played too. The golfers just have to embrace the atmosphere and have fun at this one. I hate to say it, but I have never been…it’s on the list.

I am going with two medium plays this week and both get the nod to turn up the dial if you’re feeling the feel. Starting out with a top 30 finish from Kurt Kitayama at +150. A Vegas guy who is no stranger to desert golf with an upside that has me excited. His finishes may not breed confidence, but I hope my enthusiasm will. My bet is he feels at home here and can pull one out and give the fans what they want! Finally, and not because his first name is nearly my first initial and last name in one, but I like Byeong Hun An with a top 20 finish at +140. If his putter is there, tie a bow on him. He had a strong finish to 2023 and started 2024 off with a bang in Hawaii. Like I said before, you just need to get into the conversation…and I think these two guys can do that for me. BY for three!! -BY

Draft Kings DFS 3-Putt Pot

Each week I will give my three strongest value buys for DFS play. I am only getting you started, finishing your line up will be up to you!

• S. Theegala: $9,100

• T. Detry $7,600

• T. Hoge: $7,300

As always, please remember to gamble responsibly

Time to Party!

WM Phoenix Open

The PGA Tour heads to the Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale for the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The OG of golf party tournaments will be a welcome escape for the players in the field who fought through the elements at Pebble Beach last week. Can Wyndham Clark go back-to-back? Can 2023 winner Scottie Scheffler add another trophy to his collection? Will Joel Dahmen shotgun a beer shirtless on the 16th hole?

Betting Favorite: Scottie Scheffler (+450)

Super Bowl LVIII isn’t the only show visiting Sin City this weekend as LIV Golf heads to Las Vegas Country Club for their Vegas debut. Not to be outdone by the fellas in Phoenix, the par 3 eighth hole at Las Vegas CC will serve as the party hole for the weekend.

Betting Favorite: Jon Rahm (+400)

@ripcityoriginal

The DP World Tour wraps up their five event stretch in the Middle East with the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters at Doha Golf Club. No party holes this week in Qatar, just some good old fashioned golf. Take a look at this primer for more info heading into the weekend.

Betting Favorite: Rasmus Hojgaard (+1000)

Around the Game

Tracy Wilcox/Golf Digest

🏌️ The PGA Tour agreed to an investment partnership with the Strategic Sports Group that could infuse upwards of $3B into the Tour. Under the new PGA Tour Enterprises, nearly 200 PGA Tour members have the opportunity to receive over $1.5 billion in immediate and future equity. Upon announcing the partnership, the PGA Tour also confirmed ongoing negotiations with PIF on a potential investment, subject to any necessary regulatory review and approvals. Jordan Speith, who hasn’t said much publicly regarding the evolving landscape of professional golf made headlines following the announcement when he stated that he didn’t believe an additional investment from PIF was needed moving forward. This lead to global golf enthusiast Rory McIlroy leaving a group chat which included Speith (we’ve all been there) and seemingly caused an even larger rift between the top players remaining on the PGA Tour.

🏌️ Netflix announces that season two of their golf docuseries Full Swing will drop on March 6. Plenty of storylines heading into the second season of the popular show. Featured players include Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler, Tom Kim, Joel Dahmen, Matt & Alex Fitzpatrick, Keegan Bradley and Justin Rose. The season will also feature unique access to the Ryder Cup.

🏌️ The U.S. Women’s Open locks in a new title partner along with an infusion of prize money for the major championship. Ally Financial is the new presenting sponsor and the U.S. Women’s Open will now feature a $12 million purse, the largest in women’s golf.

🏌️ Bernard Langer suffered a torn Achilles tendon during training exercises. The legendary Langer underwent surgery on February 2nd and released a statement sharing his desire to return to competition. No timetable has been set on his return but a final start at Augusta National this April appears to be in doubt.

USA Today Sports

🐐 One of Us. The greatest QB of all-time has the most relatable moment of his athletic career as he duffs a tee shot during the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. I wish they had the shot tracer set for this swing…that would’ve potentially broken the internet!

💉 Juiced Olympics. Billionaire Peter Thiel announces his intent to launch “The Enhanced Games” in 2025. This promo video is something to behold 👀 .

🥊 Showstopper. You won’t find many boxing references in The Starter but Ben Whittaker’s performance over the weekend is must see stuff. Afro Thunder in the flesh!

🤝 Another Bundle. ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery announce a new joint streaming platform for sports.

🔨 Nail in the Coffin. The end seems to be getting closer every day for the NCAA. The latest nail came from the National Labor Relations Board on Monday when they ruled that men’s basketball players at Dartmouth are employees and free to unionize.

🐅 Tiger Watch. “Siri, set a reminder for next Monday”

We’d rather be golfing. I want to take this opportunity to shout out the First Tee of Tampa Bay. For the past month, me and my 6 year old daughter have ventured over to our local course on Saturday mornings so she can tee it up for an hour with a dozen other youngsters. It’s become our favorite hour of the week. She gets her natural athleticism from her mom and has a nice little move for a kid, so much so that she has already crowned herself the long drive champion of the little girls group. Unfortunately for her, looks like she has inherited her old man’s feel around the greens so hopefully that works itself out over time 😆. Who knows if she’ll ever catch the full golf fever like her dad, but for those 60 minutes every weekend she sure gets a kick out of hitting that little white dimpled ball. Cheers to anyone reading this who has volunteered or supported their local First Tee chapter. I’ll be a fan and supporter for life. - MM

An Offer He Couldn’t Refuse

Via @flushingitgolf

Is he or isn’t he? Ever since close friend and Ryder Cup teammate Jon Rahm made the jump over to LIV Golf, Tyrell Hatton has been at the center of the speculation on the next star to defect from the PGA Tour. As reports began to surface earlier this week that the Saudi PIF, PGA Tour, and DP World Tour are closing in on finalizing the long-awaited deal to unify men’s professional golf, a last minute Hail Mary from The Shark and his team in the black and white has lured the eccentric Englishman Hatton to join the rebel league just in time for the start of their 2024 season in Mayakoba. He joins promotions qualifier Kieran Vincent and top amateur Caleb Surratt who will forego his eligibility at the University of Tennessee to join Jon Rahm’s new Legion XIII GC.

Although Hatton had previously committed to playing at the the upcoming Tour events in Pebble Beach and Scottsdale, he consistently navigated questions about his overall long term commitment to the PGA Tour like a seasoned politician. At the Dubai Desert Classic where Hatton finished T31, he commented about his affiliation status by saying “At the moment I’m quite happy playing on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. There’s a lot of people who have had conversations and I don’t think there is anything to shy away from.” When asked to expound on his intent to stay on the traditional tour circuits, he replied: “As of right now, yes.”

As the case with each of the pros that make the jump over to LIV, it’s hard to blame them. Patton is set to reportedly earn $63 million, a far cry from the $500 million that his buddy and new teammate Rahm is rumored to have cashed in, but still nearly triple his on-course earnings on the PGA Tour. Unlike Rahm though, Hatton carries no major exemptions, and although his current position at #16 in the OWGR all but guarantees him a spot at Augusta come April, he has to hope that the agreement to unify golf comes quickly so he can continue to find himself competing at major tournaments. Either way, I can imagine he is sleeping easy at night knowing regardless of how low he goes against par for the remainder of his career he has 63 million reasons to not give a shit.

Who are the biggest losers of the whole deal? IMO, there are two. The first being Rory McIlroy, who in the span of 50 days has witnessed two of his closest Ryder Cup compadres jump ship and cause him to second guess every comment and critique he has made about the rival league over the past 18 months. Wednesday afternoon, Rory completed the full 180 when he dropped this beauty..

Via @nuclrgolf

Second largest losers are the lifelong fans of burgeoning TGL super team Boston Common Golf. As of now, TGL eligibility depends on the players status on the PGA Tour so Hatton’s career in front of the big screen looks to have ended before it ever began. How Rory will go about replacing Hatton on the roster is definitely a storyline we will all be paying attention to throughout the course of the year. There is one name that is starting rise above the rest, and if you listen closely, you can almost hear the chants for “Blockiiiieeee, Blockiieeee!” echoing from Copley Square…

Bob DeChiara/USA Today Sports

Pour one out for the original Boston Common Golf squad. The 30 for 30 on the Boston golf dynasty that could’ve been will be epic…

🚨 Late Breaking News! 🚨 

Could this be the announcement that men’s professional golf is coming back together!?!

@acaseofthegolf1

Going for a Flawless Victory!

Mortal Kombat

He’s heating up!!! Take me back to the days yelling this phrase while playing 2 on 2 in a friend’s basement on a mini door hoop. Ludvig Aberg brings BY home yet again which makes back-to-back pick winners! Of course, he had to 3-jack an eagle putt to keep me on my toes but in the end, there was never a question. Plenty of golfers are starting to take form as we head into February and there is no better battle ground than the cliffs of Pebble Beach…test your might!

Heading north up the coastline but just south of San Francisco…Go Niners…the always anticipated Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The two feature golf courses this week are Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill Golf Course.  There will be an 80-player stacked field for this signature event with NO cut.  All golfers will play one round at each course and then head back to Pebble Beach for the two weekend rounds. This reimagined format is believed to bring a fresh look to this event in hopes to create a strong product for years to come. 

Positional golf and small greens…Pebble Beach Golf Links in a nutshell. The bombers won’t be at an advantage this week, so our precision golfers get a boost. Jordan Spieth’s war path at Pebble Beach Golf Links is savage. His experience is vast, and he has simply played great golf at Pebble. Pick your poison on the size play here but Jordan Spieth to finish top 10 at +190 has me feeling like a schoolboy again (Dumb and Dumber). Lastly, the only way to turn up the heat is to pick a man who is on fire. With a top 20 finish at +110, I am a big fan of Tommy Fleetwood. Yes, he didn’t have the strongest showing at The Sentry, but he has come to form in his last two DP World Tour events including a win at the Dubai Invitational. I love Tommy’s game for Pebble Beach and if gets a little breezy, good, get breezier! A possible 3 in a row?  Time will tell… 

Draft Kings DFS 3-Putt Pot

Each week I will give my three strongest value buys for DFS play. I am only getting you started, finishing your line up will be up to you!

• J. Thomas: $9,600

• B. Hossler $7,800

• T. Montgomery: $6,800

As always, please remember to gamble responsibly

LIV goes LIVE

LIV Golf

The hottest player in the world, the current #1 ranked player in the world, and the best amateur turn pro in the world are set to tee it up at the historic Pebble Beach Golf Links in Northern California for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, and Nick Dunlap highlight a loaded field at the second Signature Event of the 2024 season. At stake, a $20 million purse with $3.6 million going to the winner.

Betting Favorite: Rory McIlroy (+750)

The DP World Tour makes its long anticipated return to the Kingdom of Bahrain for The Bahrain Championship presented by Banco Energies. Royal Golf Club will play host to the fourth event on the international swing and the first event in Bahrain since Paul Casey took home to the Volvo Golf Champions trophy at the same course in 2011.

Betting Favorite: Rasmus Hojgaard (+850)

LIV Golf tees off their 2024 season with a return to El Camaleon Golf Course in Mayakoba, Mexico for what is simply known as LIV Golf Mayakoba. Last season, Crushers GC (-26) took home both the team title and the individual title with Charles Howell III (-16) capturing the top honors.

Betting Favorite: Jon Rahm (+450)

Around the Game

J.Lindberg

🏌️ J.Lindberg unveiled the looks that the U.S. men and women will sport at the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris. Nothing screams Team USA like some ultra form fitting, flamboyant threads made by a Scandinavian brand. The designers claimed to have drawn inspiration from France itself while incorporating elements of the Eiffel Tower within the design. J.Lindberg is contracted to also outfit the American’s for the 2028 Olympic Games held in Los Angeles which begs the question…. will they incorporate smog and heavy traffic into the future design?

🏌️ Anthony Kim is rumored to be making a comeback. Professional golf’s version of the Abominable Snowman has 3 PGA Tour wins to his credit but hasn’t played in an event in over 12 years. FWIW, his swing looks pretty nice for a dude who has been MIA for so long. A Tiger and Anthony Kim pairing at some point this season would be a small token from the golf gods in repentance for the last 18 months of nonsense.

🏌️ A cash infusion may be on the way for the PGA Tour but it’s not from the PIF. Sportico reports that the consortium of American sport team owners/investors known as the Strategic Sports Group is set to begin executing its investment in the PGA Tour as early as next week. The undisclosed amount is thought to be less than the $3 billion originally reported.

Daddy Smack It

@chancetaylorgolf

🥃 Just A Good Ol Boy. Chance Taylor shows off his back country game in one of several old TikTok videos that made a resurgence and went viral over the weekend. Don’t let the ink and jorts fool you… this college standout and current pro has game!

🎸 Saban Sicko Mode. We mentioned a few issues back that newly retired Nick Saban would undoubtedly be putting some time in on the course but had no clue we would see the Travis Scott X Nick Saban eighteen-hole collab.

🎂 Married to the Game. One of the most legit grooms cakes you will ever put your eyes on. If my lovely wife is reading this.. store this idea away for my 50th.

🌈 Bringing sexy back. DJ Khaled shows off his new custom Miura Golf CB-302 Tiffany Blue clubs that match the interior of his new ride. Miura Golf is housed within the Justin Timberlake backed 8AM Golf portfolio of companies.

🏀 Prime time putter, baby! Stop me if you’ve read this but these full court putts for money are becoming a weekly occurrence. Check out the latest full courter for a 15-year old bottle of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon by a Louisville fan!

We’d rather be golfing. I have spent years searching for ways to make the perfect cup of coffee...this journey nearly mirrors the similar difficulty of mastering the game of golf. I have traveled to Costa Rica and Nicaragua...and the question remains the same, "how can I replicate that?" The answer is, I just can't, but I can do my best. I feel like I have tried it all within my current financial bracket and without the purchase of some ultra expensive machine to do the work for me. I have experimented with various kinds of coffee beans from all over the world. I weigh and grind my own beans. I measure and gauge the temperature of the water so as to not burn the grounds. From a coffee machine to a french press to a Chemex pour over, the adventure and research were relentless. Like one great swing, for each delicious cup of coffee I make it keeps me engaged and hungry for more. I haven't played a round of golf since August of 2023, but I did make a full bodied light roast pour over this morning that made me feel like I was on the 1st tee of Whistling Straits on a chilly Sunday morning. It's the small victories that make the journey worthwhile when you can't be on the golf course. - BY

What’s next for Nick Dunlap??

University of Alabama Athletics

Did you hear that an amateur won a PGA Tour event for the first time in 33 years? Unless you are single-track minded member of the Bills Mafia who has shut yourself away from all media since you suffered another heartbreaking playoff loss on Sunday, then the answer is probably a resounding “Duh!” Nick Dunlap, the 20-year-old Crimson Tide sophomore became the first amateur to beat the “big boys” since Phil Mickelson at the Northern Telecom Open in 1991. In doing so, he leaped a record 4,061 spots in OWGR, from 4,129th last week to 68th this week. What a difference a week makes…

What is a college sophomore going to doing with all this prize money??

That’s a great question? How many boxes of “za” can a guy purchase for his bros with that type of budget? Unfortunately for Nick, given his amateur status, he knew going into the tournament that he would have to forfeit any potential tournament payouts he’d earn. The greatest beneficiary of the amateur winning the tournament? 2nd place finisher Christiaan Bezuidenhout who took home the $1,512,000 pay day that Dunlap had to leave on the table.

How NIL was intended.

Policy makers envisioned ultra-talented kids like Nick cashing in on their athletic successes when they introduced NIL a few years ago. Although the antiquated amateurism rules in professional prevented him from cashing a fat check on Sunday, Nick is undoubtedly going to reap financial rewards for the victory. He went into the tournament already boasting a few nice Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) partners including Adidas and New York-based financial planning firm Wealthspire Advisors who each got plenty of unexpected TV visibility while the college kid took the tournament by storm this weekend. You can bet his renewal value took a big jump with those companies while he also entertains a few more calls from brands that want to grab some real estate on his bag, polo, and cap.

What’s next for Mr. Dunlap?

Nick Dunlap has the world at his fingertips, but what will he do? As outlined by GolfDigest, here are all the opportunities that the win at the Amex have afforded him:

• He can accept PGA Tour membership at any time during the season and will receive regular PGA Tour winner status. Once he accepts membership, he will be exempt through the 2026 season.

• By turning professional he will receive exemptions into all signature events, the Masters and PGA Championship. He would be eligible for the Sentry in Kapalua for 2025.

• As winner of the 2023 U.S. Amateur, Dunlap has exemptions into the Masters, U.S. Open and Open Championship. Exemptions into the Masters and Open Championship are only for him if he remains an amateur. But by turning pro he would become exempt into the Masters and PGA Championship. The U.S. Open exemption will remain whether he remains amateur or turns professional.

• If Dunlap postpones PGA Tour membership, he has 30 days after this season to turn pro and accept membership for next year. If Dunlap does not accept membership after this season, he would have to wait until the end of the 2025 season to turn professional. However, it will only run through the 2026 season no matter when he accepts membership.

• If Dunlap does not turn pro, he can still play in full-field events as a winner on the PGA Tour. However, signature events are only available for PGA Tour members, meaning Dunlap would not be able to play as an amateur.

Soon after his victory, Dunlap committed to this week’s Farmers Insurance Open, but would later withdraw from the tournament citing his desire to “…return home to Alabama to be with family, friends, and teammates.

Now the golf world awaits patiently to learn whether the phenom will take his talents to the Tour on a full-time basis..

Let’s stay HOT 🔥 

Seinfeld

Of course, an amateur would win The American Express and steal the spotlight from my first ever pick winner (J.T. Poston: T11)…but, “Yo Adrian, I did it!”  Many blessings J.T.! You always hear that the first million you make is always the hardest, well I will make an argument that the first million might be easier than predicting PGA Tour pick winners on a weekly basis. What a brilliant week from Nick Dunlap, he truly stunned the field with poise and professionalism to the extent that you would have never known he was a 20-year-old amateur. It's a bummer missing out on the $1.5 million, but if Dunlap turns pro, he will get plenty of nice exemptions and perks which will set him up nicely for his future on the PGA Tour. 

Ah, San Diego and the stunning California coastline as the Farmers Insurance Open takes us to the scenic Torrey Pines North and South Golf Courses. Another out of the ordinary week with a Wednesday start and a two-course rotation. All players will get one round at each course, there will be a 36-hole cut, and the final two rounds will be played at the South Course. The South Course is the more famous of the two courses and will pose the most difficulty. All of that aside, Southern California has been getting pounded with rain and at one point was under a flash flood watch. Because of the Wednesday start, that gives one less day to get some of that water off the course. Both courses are long, but the South Course is playing near 7,800 yards. Wet conditions could make these courses a lot longer and create a turbulent situation in heavy rough. Will the PGA Tour make the decision for lift, clean, and place or a preferred lie? The answer is currently unknown.

I’ve never had to opportunity to start turning up the heat, but it’s time to begin pouring water on the sauna stones. Kicking it off with a smaller play with tasty odds, Sungjae Im with a top 10 finish at +240. Im has a solid track record at Torrey Pines and with his driving distance and accuracy, the current wet conditions could set him apart from the rest of the field. Overall, consistency is what I am striving for and hopefully my larger play will bring me just that.  I will snag Ludvig Aberg while he is at plus odds for a top 20 finish at +110.  That’s Aldi value if you ask me. He was on a tear to close out 2023 but has cooled since the start of the new year. Looks like him and I will be heating up together and it will start at Torrey Pines. The time has come for me to build the reputation and become a part of the conversation. - BY  

Draft Kings DFS 3-Putt Pot

Each week I will give my three strongest value buys for DFS play. I am only getting you started, finishing your line up will be up to you!

• K. Bradley: $8,900

• L. List: $7,800

• A. Eckroat: $7,100

As always, please remember to gamble responsibly

Florida Fun

LPGA

The ladies continue their Florida swing to start the 2024 season and make the 115 mile trip from Orlando to Bradenton for the LPGA Drive On Championship. This marks the first full field event of the season and the first time the tournament is being held at Bradenton Country Club which is celebrating it’s 100 year anniversary. Celine Boutier is back to defend her title but it’s last week’s champion Lydia Ko who looks to continue her bounce back season following a disappointing 2023 campaign. On the line are 500 Race to the CME Globe points and a cut of the $1.75 million purse.

Betting Favorite: Lydia Ko (+1200)

The DP World Tour heads to Al Hamza Golf Club in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE for the Ras Al Khaimah Championship. This week’s field lacks the same punch of star power of the previous two tournaments but the fans who take advantage of the free admission during the tournament probably won’t mind all that much. Rory McIlroy is taking the week off following his dramatic charge up the leaderboard on Sunday to capture the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. While his brother Nicolai tees it up on the PGA Tour this week, Rasmus Hojgaard is your betting favorite in Dubai.

Betting Favorite: Rasmus Hojgaard (+1100)

The PGA Tour heads to down the California coast to La Jolla to tee it up at legendary Torrey Pines Golf Course for the Farmers Insurance Open. Defending champion Max Homa returns to the site of his last victory on tour looking to carry the momentum he built after a solid showing at The Sentry.

Betting Favorite: Xander Schauffele (+850)

Around the Game

PGA Tour

🏌️ Two-time Masters champion Bernhard Langer announces that his 41st start at Augusta National in April will be his last. Langer, who has been dominant on the Champions Tour with a record 46 victories, most recently made the cut at The Masters in 2020 when he finished T29. At the time, he was the oldest player to make the cut at 63 years old.

🏌️ For the first time, Capital One’s The Match will feature stars from the LPGA Tour as Lexi Thompson and Rose Zhang will tee it up alongside of Rory McIlroy and Max Homa. The 12-hole skins match will be held under the lights at the Park Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Florida on Monday, February 26.

🏌️ TaylorMade filed three trademarks on January 18 for a Sunday Red brand that seemingly answers the question on who will be outfitting Tiger following his split from Nike. The move to TaylorMade for apparel seems like a natural fit given that Tiger has been playing TM clubs since 2017. Side note, I’m not sure if I love this new Tiger logo…

Grip it, rip it, throw some tour sauce on it..

@nuclrgolf

🤥 I’m basically a stick golfer. We know it’s early, but Dan Finnerty, a caddie from Los Angeles, is the leader in the clubhouse for the most asinine golf clip of the year for his hilarious appearance on Wheel of Fortune.

🥤 Drink it as it lies. Adam Schenk dunks his approach shot into a spectators cocktail during the 1st round of The American Express.

🗯️ Keeping it real. James Morrison is as vulnerable as anyone can be in this unique green room interview following last the DP World Tour’s Dubai Desert Classic.

🏀 Prime time putter, baby! These full court putts for money are becoming a weekly occurrence. Check out the latest full courter for $10,000 by an Indiana State fan!

❤️ A beautiful journey. Jessica and Adam Hadwin share their remarkable IVF story.

🪑 The 2024 Barstool Classic. Barstool Sports unveils the schedule for the 2024 circuit of events with registration opening at noon on January 30th.

Name that Golfer

Three clues. Can you name this player?

• 45x winner on the PGA Tour.

• An avid pilot, following in the footsteps of his father who was a Navy pilot.

• Is right-handed in everything except golf.

Issue no. 15 Answers

Name that Golfer: Jordan Speith

We’d rather be golfing. Me and my lady aren’t huge on giving each other gifts. This is partly a result of having two little girls that we spoil whenever we get the chance, but even before kids, we’d opt for a nice dinner or spa sesh together over an actual gift. This Christmas, I bought my wife one thing…. the Throne of Glass box set written by Sarah J. Mass. The box set consists of eight books…ranging in 500 - 1,000 pages in length. I was so proud of myself when she opened the gift as her reaction was pure joy! Husband of the year type stuff. I thought these 8 gigantic books would carry her through to the following Christmas at which time I’d swoop in with another collection of books to carry her through 2025… and so on and so on. Fast forward, it’s January 14th and my amazing wife is nearly halfway through this series of fantasy novels. An unreal pace. Starting to wonder if the publisher sprinkled crack on the pages because she can’t put down the damn books. I played 18 holes today and I’m not sure that she realized I was gone. Anyways, here’s to y’all loving The Starter as much as she loves these books. - MM

WTF

Blink 182

Just when you thought the struggle for the future of men’s professional golf couldn’t get any more f’ed up…..

The Athletic broke the story that Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF), the chairman of LIV Golf, and the individual spearheading the Kingdom’s attempted takeover of professional golf is being sued by the exiled former intelligence chief Dr. Saad Aljabri. The allegations center around Al-Rumayyan’s involvement in executing a malicious 3.5 year plot ordered by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with the intended goal of “harming, silencing and ultimately destroying” Aljabri and his family. Unlawful kidnapping of Aljabri’s children and an assassination attempt are listed as elements of the plot.

Just hours after this damning report came to light, word began circulating that PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan is currently in Saudi Arabia meeting with Al-Rumayyan to finalize negotiations around a partnership that would see the accused PIF governor assume a leadership role in the new for profit golf entity.

No coincidence that as all of this news was going down, Flushing It Golf reported that negotiations between 2023 U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark and LIV Golf had fallen through. Clark has been a hot target for the league given his exemption status to the majors which eliminates a major barrier of concern.

Everything about this story and the path forward gives me the heebie-jeebies. What in the world is happening in men’s professional golf??

Stop thinking, let things happen, and be the ball

Caddyshack

Grayson Murray shocks the golf world with a stunning victory in a 3-man playoff to capture his 2^nd career win! Many golfers remained closely in the hunt over the weekend including Brian Harman who finished two shots short of being able to crack a top 10 finish. Our love/hate relationship continues but there was a little love gained from the grit he showed throughout The Sony Open. 

Back to the mainland we go for The American Express in La Quinta, California. A little bit of a shake up with a three-golf-course rotation and a 54-hole cut….and if anyone is in need of a shake up, it’s yours truly. Our venues are La Quinta Country Club, the Nicklaus Tournament Course, and the Pete Dye Stadium Course. One round will be played at each course, there will be a 54-hole cut, and a final round will be played at the Pete Dye Stadium Course. The field is packed with talent, and we have 5 of the top 7 players in the world in attendance. This week is setting up to be a lot of fun, but it will be a lot more fun if I can start making people some money. Here we go… with a top 20 finish at +210 I really like Taylor Montgomery. I am aware he was the 36-hole leader at The Sony and finished T13, but he is putting like a man possessed and that will set him apart again this week in Cali. Trending with next level putting, I like a larger play on J.T. Poston with a top 20 finish at +140. What a 2024 start for J.T. as he finished T5 at The Sentry and 6^th at The Sony. This is exactly the kind of golfer I am looking for to bring some good vibes to the Breakfast Ball along with some quality golf this week.

I know what you’re thinking, “BY, really…playing it super conservative with two top 20 finishes?” I might as well have a blind fold on, ear plugs in, and no sense of smell at this point when it comes to picking a winner. Conservative is the key word this week, but always remember, with favorable odds means favorable returns, let Taylor and J.T. do the work for you. - BY  

Draft Kings DFS 3-Putt Pot

Each week I will give my three strongest value buys for DFS play. I am only getting you started, finishing your line up will be up to you!

• J. Thomas: $9,800

• B. Hossler: $7,800

• T. Detry: $7,600

As always, please remember to gamble responsibly

The Ladies are Ready to Play

Lynne Sladky/The Associated Press

The 2024 LPGA Tour season gets underway at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando for the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. The tournament, which marks the start of the 74th LPGA Tour season, is limited to winners from the previous two seasons who will play alongside of celebrities and and athletes over 72 holes. While the pros will be playing stroke play, the celebrities will compete in a modified Stableford format. Last year’s respective winners Brooke Henderson (pictured) and Marty Fish return to defend their crowns.

Betting Favorite: Lilia Vu & Nelly Korda (+650)

Another stacked field in Dubai as the DP World Tour heads to Emirates GC for the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. Following their epic showdown at the Dubai Invitational, last week’s winner Tommy Fleetwood and Rory McIlroy are back in action. Tyrrell Hatton makes his 2024 debut on the European circuit following a T13 finish last week at the Sony Open in Hawaii.

Betting Favorite: Rory McIlroy (+260)

The PGA Tour heads to La Quinta, California for The American Express, one the most unique tournaments of the season. A loaded field also includes the notorious Michael Block. You want some “must see TV”? Tune in for the first round pairing of Tom Kim and Min Woo Lee!

Betting Favorite: Scottie Scheffler (+450)

Around the Game

PGA

🏌️ Veteran broadcaster and golf icon Judy Rankin is named the recipient of the 2024 PGA Lifetime Achievement Award in Journalism. She becomes the 33rd recipient of the award and first woman to receive the honor.

🏌️ Josh Lees of the UK publication Mirror Sports sits down with LIV Golf’s Joaquin Niemann ahead of the Hero Dubai Dessert Classic. With his spot in this year’s Open Championship secured, Niemann enters the event with hopes to earn enough OWGR points to qualify for the other three majors.

🏌️ Adrian Meronk is awarded the Seve Ballesteros Award recognizing the DP World Tour player of the year. Meronk was notably snubbed from the European Ryder Cup squad following a remarkable year that saw him claim three victories and seven top-10’s.

🏌️ Ahead of his PGA Tour debut, Tom Whitney reflects on his arduous path to the pinnacle of professional golf.

LIV Golf

🏆️ Bling, bling. LIV Golf and notable golfer/jeweler Ben Baller, unveil the diamond studded rings that each member of Crushers GC received to celebrate their 2023 team championship.

📏 From way downtown. Ewen Ferguson drills a 100ft birdie putt during the 3rd round of the Dubai Invitational.

📺️ Behind the scenes. Ian Poulter gives a sneak peak of LIV Golf’s version of Hard Knocks.

🍨 What’s the scoop. One of our favorites, Claire Rogers sits with Nelly Korda for her Golf.com interview series.

😵‍💫 Thanks for coming out. Sponsorship exemption Ken Weyand shoots +53 at the Dubai Invitational.

Name that Golfer

Three clues. Can you name this player?

• 13x winner on the PGA Tour.

• A PGA Championship win away from completing the career Grand Slam.

• His father played baseball at Lehigh University.

Issue no. 13 Answers

Name that Golfer: Alison Lee

We’d rather be golfing. Certain events happen in life that tend to let you know you are getting old. In the matter of a week, two NFL coaches I grew up with both ended era’s with their organizations. The 24-year tenure of Bill Belichick as head coach of the New England Patriots has come to an end.  Belichick is the only coach in the NFL to have 6 Super Bowl rings with the same organization. His demeanor is unlike most and he was able to set a fashion trend by cutting the sleeves off a hoodie and making it cool. New England won't be the same without you Bill. And last but not least, a coach I see a lot of myself in and have modeled many coaching characteristics of my own to mirror his. After 14 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, Pete Carroll will be stepping down as head coach but will remain in Seattle as an advisor...smart move on their part. With only one Super Bowl Ring in Seattle, Pete Carroll is most noted as a players coach and being the barometer for energy and enthusiasm on the sidelines. An avid surfer and adventurer, Coach Carroll tirelessly looks to find the positive in life and simply enough, enjoy the ride!  Never change Coach, we love ya! That's about as sappy as I get folks, tie a bow on it and on to the NFL Playoffs we go! - BY

So long, Saban

Dale Zanine/Abell Images

After 28 seasons and 7 national championships, Nick Saban is hanging up his headset. The legendary coach announced his retirement on Wednesday and closed arguably the greatest chapter in the storied football history at the University of Alabama.

With all this new found free time on his hands what is Saban going to do now? Given his well known love of golf, it’s probably a safe bet that he is going to be putting in some extra work to lower the 10.6 handicap he currently carries.

There is plenty of footage online of Coach Saban playing a little golf with familiar pros. Prior to the PLAYERS Championship in 2022, he joined former Alabama golf star Justin Thomas for a fun round at TPC Sawgrass. 

In October of 2021, Coach Saban joined Golf Digest’s Hally Leadbetter for a friendly 3-hole match at the Coral Creek Club in Boca Grande where he was interviewed by Leadbetter throughout. During the match, he admits to Hally that he didn’t start playing golf until the age of 25 and provides an assortment of interesting comparisons between playing football and playing golf. When asked by Hally which golfer he thinks might be the best football player, he chooses Bryson DeChambeau because of his body type that resembles a linebacker or tight end.

Most recently, Coach Saban surprised another Alabama alum, LPGA star Cheyenne Knight by participating in the video introduction of the 2023 Solheim Cup rosters and announcing her selection to Team USA.

In hindsight, Saban purchasing a $17.5 million home last year amongst Rickie Fowler, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and many other pros on Jupiter Island was probably a good sign that the end of his coaching career was near.

Who can blame an old ball coach for wanting to trade wrangling 18-22 year olds daily in exchange for playing 18 holes every morning?

A tip of the hat to you, Coach Saban.

Stars on Top

Getty Images

Tommy Fleetwood (-15) leads by one over Rory McIlroy (-14) heading into the final round of the DP World Tour’s inaugural Dubai Invitational. Ryder Cup star Thorbjorn Olesen (-12) sits in solo third and within striking distance of the leader.

Editors Note: Your editor needs sleep so please forgive us for not reporting the conclusion of the tournament that is set to wrap after midnight eastern. Check this link for the final scores.

Keegan Bradley (-14) and Grayson Murray sit tied at the top heading into the final round of the Sony Open in Hawaii. Chris Kirk (-11) is T4 and looking to become just the seventh golfer to win the Hawaii Double to start the season, joining Justin Thomas, Cameron Smith, Zach Johnson, Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, and Jim Furyk.

Around the Game

Getty Images

🏌️ European Tour CEO Keith Pelley exits to become the new president and chief executive of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, the parent company of the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL), Raptors (NBA), and Argonauts (CFL). Pelley had been the top executive of the European Tour since 2015 and led the rebrand to the DP World Tour in November, 2021. Deputy CEO Guy Kinnings will be Pelley’s successor in the lead role of the European Tour.

🏌️ Pelley later confirmed that his intention to stay in his role with the DP World Tour until April is driven by his desire to see the negotiations with the PGA Tour and PIF through to it’s conclusion. This display of confidence coincides with reports that PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan have made significant progress in their negotiations.

🏌️ In another surprising leadership transition, R&A CEO Martin Slumbers announces his intention to step down from his role by the of 2024. Slumbers nine year tenure is highlighted by initiatives to make the game more accessible and inclusive, including new international amateur championships for women and golfers with disabilities.

🏌️ Four-time PGA Tour winner Daniel Berger commits to the field at next week’s The American Express, marking his return to competition following 18 months away from the sport.

NBC Sports

🚽 You gotta go when you gotta go. The NBC broadcast catch Joseph Bramlett taking some relief in the background as Keegan Bradley lines up a putt during the first round of the Sony Open in Hawaii.

🐅 Tiger + Fore Play. Tiger shows off in his first video with the guys from Barstool Sports Fore Play podcast.

👶 Baby, baby, baby faaaaade. Pop superstar Justin Bieber shows off some baggy, Malbon looking threads while he flies one on the green.

🤣 Good shot, pro! Kevin Kisner joins Smylie Kaufman’s The Smylie Show and shares a quick, funny story about Phil Mickelson.

👨‍🍳 LuluLee. Min Woo Lee becomes the first Lululemon sponsored athlete on the PGA Tour.

💵 More Lefty. Phil joins The Pat McAfee Show to chat through the business model and financial viability of LIV Golf as he sees it. He also shares some interesting tidbits on the vision to create youth academies tied into each of the LIV Golf franchises.

🎙️ More Kiz. Kevin Kisner walks and talks during his second round at the Sony Open in Hawaii. Shares some laughs over the karma of missing a 4 foot putt a week after going viral for his broadcast critique of Jordan Speith missing one of the same length.

Name that Golfer

Three clues. Can you name this player?

• 21 career Top 10’s on the LPGA Tour.

• Won the inaugural ANNIKA Award, given to the nation’s top collegiate female golfer after the 2013-14 season at UCLA.

• Played in five LPGA events as an amateur with a career-best showing of T26 at the 2009 U.S. Women’s Open.

Issue no. 13 Answers

Name that Golfer: Brooks Koepka

We’d rather be golfing. Word quickly spread that Monday night’s CFP National Championship game would help every college football fan take one giant step forward in filling the void that has been present in our hearts since 2013. I waited so patiently. Told my Apple Watch to shove it when it tried to remind me that I was 30 minutes past my healthy sleeping hour. As the game entered the fourth quarter, and hope began fading away, I just kept repeating to myself “clear eyes, full heart, can’t lose.” I put every good vibration that I could out into the universe but alas it didn’t matter. I closed my eyes that night still unsure of when EA Sports NCAA Football 2024 will make its return to our gaming consoles. I have no idea who spread that horrible rumor that made fools out of so many of us. My only hope is that it wasn’t the executives at ESPN in a ploy to lock our attention throughout the game. If so, that might be my last straw with the worldwide leader.. - MM

It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye…

Nike

Tiger and Nike. The partnership that captivated the game and helped introduce a generation of young athletes to golf is officially over. Tiger and Nike both took to social media on Monday to announce the end of their 27 year relationship, one of the most iconic athlete/brand collaborations in the history of professional sports.

Tiger Woods

The split has been rumored for several weeks but still comes as a shock to the system for most. Almost unimaginable to watch Tiger compete with anything other than the Swoosh on his chest. It would be like watching Jeter turn-two with a “B” on his cap or Brady hoisting a Lombardi Trophy outside of New England (oh wait…that actually happened… and IT WAS AWESOME!) But the reality is that the next time we do see Eldrick compete, which will most likely be at The Genesis Invitational in mid-February, he will be dawning an entirely different look as what we have all come accustomed to seeing.

Nike’s split from Tiger comes on the heels of them parting ways with Jason Day, and less notably, LIV Golf’s Matt Wolfe. Naturally, questions are arising on Nike’s intention to stay in golf apparel after leaving the ball and equipment space in 2016.

In 2017, Rory McIlroy signed a 10-year extension reportedly worth $100 million to continue dawning Nike apparel. Scottie Scheffler, Brooks Koepka, and Nelly Korda are among several other prominent golfers who still have multiple years left on apparel agreements with Nike, making it hard to fathom that they would shutter their golf operation overnight. But is golf in their future? It is telling that Nike opted to not extend a lifetime contract to Woods as they had to basketball stars LeBron James and Kevin Durant.

What’s Tiger’s next move? Well we got a pretty good hint yesterday afternoon when this very particular job posting from TopGolf (whose parent company is TaylorMade) went viral..

So now that we have an idea of what Eldrick has planned what is the next move for Nike? Do they slowly start exiting completely out of golf?

Time will tell. In the meantime, I’ll be hanging my lone remaining TW Nike polo from the ceiling of my home office in homage to the 🐐.

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Time to Shake n’ Bake

Talladega Nights/Sony Pictures

If you enjoy birdies, you really enjoyed watching The Sentry. The Plantation Course was shredded as 28 players finished -20 or better to close out the week. Xander got me right to the doorstep but was a single shot away and ran out of holes to cross the threshold and get me my first feeling of being in the winner’s circle. I’ve smelled victory, maybe The Sony will get me my first taste…

Waialae Country Club and the last stop in Hawaii before heading back to the mainland. The Sony Open in Hawaii is our first full field event with a small downside as it does lose a little flash from last week’s top names, but reigning champion Si Woo Kim and last week’s champion Chris Kirk are in attendance and looking to make waves and we know those aren’t uncommon in Hawaii.  500+ yards shorter and a par 70, Waialae Country Club has countless differences from The Plantation Course. Driving accuracy will be key this week and we will be seeing a lot less undulation as Waialae is one of the flattest courses on Tour. 

I once heard a great man say, “the most dangerous man in the room is the one with nothing to lose”. You won’t have to search far as you are looking at that very man and my picks this week are boom or bust! Y’all my remember my 2023 nemesis…Brian Harman. The devil on my shoulder is speaking to me and he is saying Brian Harman with a top 10 finish at +230.  If you would have told me that two weeks into 2024, I would be running back to Brian Harman, I would have told you you’re nuts. Control, accuracy, and putting will get Harman to the promised land. Drum roll please…with a top 20 finish at +240…ladies and gentlemen, Will Zalatoris. One of the best golfers in this field and yes, I know what happened at The Hero World Challenge. He will return to his once dominant self at some point so why not jump on board now…”If you’re not first, you’re last”! - BY

Draft Kings DFS 3-Putt Pot

Each week I will give my three strongest value buys for DFS play. I am only getting you started, finishing your line up will be up to you!

• M. Fitzpatrick: $10,200

• R. Henley: $9,600

• B. Horschel: $7,400

As always, please remember to gamble responsibly

Golf Across the Pond

Getty Images

Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club plays host to the inaugural Dubai Invitational and the start of the DP World Tour’s 2024 slate of tournaments. The 72-hole, no cut tournament also marks the opening of the International Swing portion of the season with $200,000 awarded to the golfer who finishes first overall following the seven events played across Asia and Africa. Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood (pictured) headline a strong field that also features Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald. Up for grabs are 3,000 Race To Dubai points and a $2.5 million purse with winner taking home $425,000.

Betting Favorite: Rory McIlroy (+260)

Kevin Kisner, who earned great reviews for his broadcast debut at The Sentry last week, steps out of the booth to join the field at the Sony Open in Hawaii. A lot of new faces competing at Waialae Country Club but it’s a familiar face that everyone is excited to see back in action. 2019 U.S. Open Champion Gary Woodland makes his return to competition following surgery in September to extract a brain lesion.

Betting Favorite: Ludvig Aberg (+1500)

Around the Game

Photo provided by Lie & Loft

🏌️ You think you’ve played a lot of golf this year? Well compared to Patrick Koenig you’ve barely picked up a club. Koenig (pictured) just wrapped a mind boggling year which saw him play 580 18-hole courses over the span of 365 days, a new world record. 

🏌️ Brian Harmon has taken full advantage of his time with the Claret Jug that he earned by being crowned the Champion Golfer of the Year following his Open Championship victory last July.

🏌️ Billionaire Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison has transformed his once private estate near Palm Springs into a new wellness retreat dubbed Sensei Porcupine Creek. On the grounds sits the most expense course in California with green fees costing a cool $950.

Reddit or Not…

Late last week, we asked the question “Who wins their first major title this year and where does it happen?” to the r/golf community on Reddit. We received 333 user responses.

Here are some of our favorites:

Name that Golfer

Three clues. Can you name this player?

• 9x winner on the PGA Tour.

• 2x ACC Player of the Year.

• His great uncle is Dick Groat, a two-time World Series-winning shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the 1960 National League MVP.

Issue no. 12 Answers

Golf Scramble: 1. Adidas 2. Bonobos 3. Linksoul 4. Greyson 5. Municipal

Name that Golfer: Wyndham Clark

We’d rather be golfing. Down goes Saban and Sarkisian! As the smoke clears, Michigan and Washington are set to do battle for a National Title and lifelong glory. We here at DMPL strive for the same glory and one day hope it is at our doorstep, but until then, our sights will be set on this clash of titans tomorrow night in the final year of the 4-team playoff. Speaking for many I am sure, we have been chomping at the bit for a 12-team playoff to be a reality and the time finally nears...who are you betting on tomorrow? - BY

Today’s Sponsor

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Let’s Hug It Out

Entourage/HBO

The PGA Tour and PIF saga took an unexpected turn on Wednesday when arguably the most vocal opponent of LIV Golf expressed his remorse for his initial stance on the circuit. Rory McIlroy joined The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast and admitted that he was “too judgmental” of the original defectors to LIV.

“I think it was a bit of a mistake on my part because I now realize that not everyone is in my position or in Tiger Woods’ position. I can’t judge people for making that decision, so if I regret anything, it was probably being too judgmental at the start,” he said.

Soon after Rory’s comments went viral, Phil Mickelson took to “X” with a surprising response of his own:

LIV Golf CEO and PGA Tour legend Greg Norman took to the LIV Golf podcast and continued the love fest by saying: “Happy New Year golf! That’s my reaction. I’ve got to be honest with you, I’m very appreciative of what Rory said. It’s been a painful couple of years.”

He would also add "The reason I say I appreciate Rory to fall on his sword to some degree is the fact that he did judge us by not knowing the facts. He judged us on other people's thoughts and opinions. I say, ‘Hey, thank you Rory'. This is a significant turning point for everybody."

Rory’s comments on LIV stole the headlines, and for good reason, but he also provides quality insight on his shortcomings at Augusta and the skirmish at the Ryder Cup. Overall, a really good listen!

It looks like some sense of harmony is starting to take hold in professional golf.

Well, at least for this week…..

How low can you go?

Michael Reaves/Getty Images

The leaderboard is crowded at the top as Chris Kirk (-21) takes a one shot lead into the final round of The Sentry. He leads Akshay Bhatia (-20) who matched Kirk’s 3rd round 66 with a 66 of his own. Jason Day (-17, pictured) debuted his new apparel partnership with Malbon to mixed reviews. No press is bad press for the upstart Malbon as they introduce their unique designs to the mainstream audience of the PGA Tour.

Hope you tailed BY this week as Xander Schauffele (-19) sits T3 alongside Jordan Speith and Byeung Hun An and in good position to cash in on a Top 5 finish.

Around the Game

Getty Images

🏌️ A man without a team. LIV Golf kicks off their 2024 season next month in Mayakoba and their prized off-season signing Jon Rahm is still without a team. A recent report detailing LIV’s struggles to generate revenue during the 2023 season only exacerbated the concern over the lack of clarity on how LIV’s $600 million man will be integrated into the league.

🏌️ Dolla, dolla bills. Speaking of handsomely compensated ball strikers, Forbes released their list of the world’s 18 highest-paid golfers in 2023 with Dustin Johnson topping the list, banking $111 million last year. Unsurprisingly, 12 out of the 18 were LIV golfers. Jon Rahm checked in at number 9 on this list but is sure to finish a tad bit higher in 2024.

🏌️ He gets it from his momma. Eric Cole takes home PGA Tour Rookie of the Year honors 50 years after his mom, Laura Baugh, won the same award on the LPGA Tour. To be fair, his father Bobby Cole was also a highly accomplished professional golfer finishing third at two majors and winning the 1977 Buick Open. At 35 years old, Cole is the second oldest rookie to ever win the award.

🏌️ Award season continues. World no. 1 Scottie Scheffler goes back-to-back and wins the Jack Nicklaus Award as the PGA Tour Player of the Year for the 2022-23 season. Scottie also signed a multi-year extension with TaylorMade.

On the amateur front, defending U.S. Amateur champ Nick Dunlap took home the 2023 AGC Men’s Player of the Year award. The University of Alabama sophomore joins list of previous AGC players of the year that includes the likes of Ludvig Aberg (2021), Viktor Hovland (2018), Bryson DeChambeau (2015), Justin Thomas (2012) and Patrick Cantlay (2011).

For the first time in the 17 year history of the award, AGC awarded Co - Women’s Players of the Year as both Ingrid Lindblad and Rose Zhang shared the honor for 2023. Zhang also took home top honors in 2022.

🏌️ Frivolous. U.S District Court Judge Timothy J. Corrigan dismissed Patrick Reed’s $750 million defamation lawsuit against Brandel Chamblee and others.

Barstool Sports

🍝 Hole-In-2,627. Barstool Sports’ Jersey Jerry makes an ace after 36 hours in a golf simulator. Per data from Zoomph, the livestream and subsequent frenzy captured social media as posts on X mentioning #LegenJerry or @Jerrythekid21 had 125 million impressions over the 48 hours following the shot for a social value of $3.25 million.

Some of the biggest names sports world got in on the action. It took Jerry a mere 10 minutes after this tweet from Tom Brady to finally sink the shot..

Tiger Woods then wrapped up the magical afternoon with a congratulatory message to the unsuspecting golf hero..

Barstool has doubled down on golf content over the last several months with the addition of reputable golf media personality Dan Rapaport to headline their Fore Play Podcast team. But with Jersey Jerry reigning supreme over the golf world for 48 hours, one could argue that he is now indeed the face of Barstool Golf.

One thing is for sure, four days into 2024 and we already have our potential winner for viral golf event of the year!

🎂 Happy Birthday, MAJ! The legendary Miguel Angel Jimenez turned 60 on Friday. PGA Tour Champions posted a great video to celebrate.

☁️ No more fluff. Collin Morikawa vents to Bunkered on his frustration with the drama around the PGA Tour and it’s ongoing negotiations with PIF.

Golf Scramble

Can you correctly unscramble these golf terms? Hint: They are all apparel companies..

1. SIADDA

2. SONOBBO

3. LAIUONSK

4. NGROESY

5. LMAUPNCII

Name that Golfer

Three clues. Can you name this player?

• 2x winner on the PGA Tour.

• High School classmates with San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey.

• 2017 Pac-12 Player of the Year.

Issue no. 11 Answers

Golf Trivia: Mutual of New York

Name that Golfer: Brooke Henderson

We’d rather be golfing. Bowl season just hasn’t felt the same to me. Tough to get invested in the games when so many teams are missing top players who decided to “opt out” in the face of a little adversity (Ouch FSU 😭 ). I shot a clean 100 during my final round of 2023. Absolutely humbled by Streamsong Blue. Did I consider opting out of writing this newsletter or playing golf in 2024? Not for a second. I’m going to tighten up my penmanship and golf swing this year to deliver the goods on the web and on the course. Stay tuned…we have big things in store for 2024! - MM

No Points For You!

Seinfeld

The Governing Board of the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) announced two updates to their ranking system that went into effect on January 1st. Although not explicitly linked, these changes come a few weeks removed from Tiger Woods ascending 430 spots in the OWGR after finishing 18th out of 20 golfers in his invitational Hero World Challenge and Ludvig Aberg closing out a miraculous rookie season.

New points “Distribution Curve” for limited field events (The Tiger Rule)

As mentioned, Tiger catapulted from 1,328th to 898th place in the OWGR after a lackluster showing in his glorified “hit and giggle” in the Bahamas. To help rectify, for no cut events, the OWGR will no longer distribute points to players finishing in the bottom 15 percent in the final standings while awarding a greater percentage of available points to top finishers in those events. Additionally, for events with a match play format, players who lose their first-round match or lose all matches in a pool format will no longer receive Ranking Points. The PGA Tour does not have a match-play event in 2024 as the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play is no longer on the schedule.

New Multi-Win Benefit (The Aberg Rule)

The Governing Board also introduced a new multi-win benefit that provides a 60 percent bonus to players who win for a second time within a 52-week period on any eligible Tour; a 70 percent bonus is awarded to players who win three or more times. Any points bonus is capped at a total of four points. This rule comes in the wake of phenom Ludvig Aberg winning twice worldwide (European Masters and RSM Classic) within a 3 month span shortly after turning pro.

Will this impact LIV Golf?

Short answer…no. The OWGR rejected LIV’s application for points in October, and although these recent changes impact fields of less than 80 players, LIV’s 54-hole, shotgun start format remains a road block on the league’s quest for OWGR inclusion. Interested to see a ranking system inclusive of the stars on the rebel circuit? Take a look at The Universal Golf Rankings (TUGR) where newly acquired Spaniard Jon Rahm paces Team LIV ranking 5th overall as of 12/31/23.

Hello Hawaii

via @TaylorMadeGolf

Fifty-nine of the world’s top players are in Maui and set to kick off the 2024 PGA Tour season at The Sentry. The Plantation Course at Kapalua plays host to the first of eight limited field “Signature Events” where the prize monies and FedExCup points are boosted for those fortunate enough to participate. Scottie Scheffler (pictured) is feeling brawny and bold sporting a full beard for the new season. We are going to refer to him as “Scott” while he dawns the facial fur. Vegas digs the look…and his game… as he is your betting favorite. One thing we know for sure is that there will be no repeat champion as last year’s winner Jon Rahm is somewhere other than Maui, most likely sporting a sweet letterman jacket.

Betting Favorite: Scott Scheffler (+550)

📖 Interested in learning about the next wave of PGA Tour stars? Check out this 15 minute read highlighting twenty-four players under 24 to watch in 2024.

👀 Check out this cool animated clip of the global excursion that is the 2024 PGA Tour schedule.

Around the Game

Stranger Things/Netflix

🏌️ The clock continues to tick on the PGA Tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) as the sides elected to extend their negotiations beyond the self-imposed deadline of December 31, 2023. In a letter to his membership, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan stated “Our goal for 2024 is to reach agreements with Strategic Sports Group (SSG), PIF and the DP World Tour, bringing them on board as minority co-investors.” All players involved now look towards the first week of April and The Masters as the deadline to reach a definitive agreement on a potential merger.

Check out this deep dive on the PGA Tour - PIF negotiations for more color on the situation.

🏌️ Patrick Cantlay continues to steal headlines ahead of the start of the 2024 season. For the first time since the Ryder Cup, Cantlay opened up and discussed a variety of topics with Golf.com’s Dylan Dethier. Amongst the most poignant was his admission that his representatives did indeed engage with LIV Golf in 2023 but that he has no plans on leaving the PGA Tour. "I declined offers," Cantlay said. "Pre and post joining the board. And the most recent offer I got, I declined in the same meeting that my management team brought it to me." Cantlay then announced ahead of The Sentry that he has found a new hat partner in the First Responders Children’s Foundation.

🏌️ The Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), who have been honoring players of the year since 1975, named Jon Rahm male player of the year, Lilia Vu female player of the year and Steve Stricker senior player of the year for 2023. Rahm received 48.9% of the first-place votes, pacing ahead of Viktor Hovland (33%) and Scott Scheffler (18.1%). Vu claimed two major championships among her four victories in 2023 while Stricker captured six wins in 16 starts. The three players will be honored at the annual GWAA awards ceremony in Augusta on April 10.

What can I say except, You’re welcome!

Moana/Disney

The Plantation Course at Kapalua…now that makes for a Happy New Year. Welcome to 2024 and the return of the Breakfast Ball! After a short hiatus over the holidays, golf is back. Unfortunately, this does mean that the huge following of BY’s Top FORE will need to be put on the back burner for the time being as we are back to business…the business of picking winners! Let’s get to it!

The field is stacked, the weather is primo, and we are in Maui, times are good.  The opportunity for heavy gusts is always in the cards at the Plantation Course, but as we’ve seen before, these guys are just too good to let the conditions diminish scoring. Defending champion Jon Rahm will not be in the field this week as I believe he is off until February. As most know, I didn’t make a huge splash with my picks to finish out the 2023 season. Well let’s turn that frown upside down with some spicy leans. My first small play goes to Xander Schauffele with a top 5 finish at +300. There is an outside chance at a decent return opportunity here for a guy with a solid track record at Kapalua. Xander won it in 2019 and finished top 5 the next two showings. Lastly, lets go with Tony Finau finishing top 10 at +250. You can get a little loose here if you have a few extra dollars to throw around. Finua was T7 in this event last year and had a strong finish to his 2023 season. There is only one way to get the ball rolling and it starts with a little nudge… - BY

Draft Kings DFS 3-Putt Pot

Each week I will give my three strongest value buys for DFS play. I am only getting you started, finishing your line up will be up to you!

• M. Fitzpatrick: $9,500

• T. Kim: $8,900

• R. Henley: $7,700

As always, please remember to gamble responsibly

“x” @skysportsgolf

 🕰️ Better late than never. Willie (Don’t call me Bill) Clinton (pictured) nets his first ace at 91 years young! Gotta love the joy on his face and the excitement from his playing partners. BY has an ace on his resume…. I may have to hope to make it to 91 like Wild Will.

👰 Meet my better half. Cameron Smith rings in the new year by marrying his girlfriend Shanel Naoum in Brisbane, Australia. Stateside, Brooks Koepka and wife Jena Sims put on their own firework display to close out 2023.

👕 New year, new threads. Jason Day drops the swoosh to join Malbon Golf. Meanwhile, Xander Schauffele looks to have given Adidas the boot in favor of Descente. Is the skiwear brand making a play off the slopes and onto the greens?

🐄 Twitter fingers. Ian Poulter and Billy Horschel trade digital blows to close out 2023.

🥃 Caddypreneur. Interesting Forbes piece on Scottish golf caddie Douglas Clement and his Kingsbarns Distillery.

Name that Golfer

Three clues. Can you name this player?

• 13x winner on the LPGA Tour.

• Only the third player ever to win before her 18th birthday, joining Lydia Ko and Lexi Thompson.

• Won the 2019 ESPY Award for “Best Female Golfer”.

Issue no. 10 Answers

Golf Hole of the Day: Whistling Straits

Name that Golfer: Matt Kuchar

We’d rather be golfing. Nothing clever to kick off issue no.10 just some good ol’ fashion housekeeping. We are shutting down DMPL world headquarters for the holidays and will be back in your inbox serving up the important stuff on January 3rd. The Starter is a great stocking stuffer for the golf enthusiast in your life so please keep on plugging away at our referral program. Just like Mariah, all we want for Christmas is You(r friends to subscribe.) It has been a ton of fun watching the growth of this community over the past month. On your way out today, check out our Subscriber Survey and please leave some feedback to help us improve as we head into 2024.

Happy Holidays friends. Be safe and hit em’ straight!

The Gang’s All Here

PGA Tour

The most important cards in golf have been handed out. Following a Monday finish at the final stage of the 2023 PGA Tour Q-School, all fully exempt members for the 2024 PGA Tour season have been decided. Although field sizes throughout the season can vary by event, PGA Tour exempt members are guaranteed access to all full-field events and THE PLAYERS. Let’s take a look at the 170 golfers that earned their way to full status for the upcoming season.

PGA Tour - Top 125 on the 2022/23 FedEx Cup Points List

Full List

This list is led at the top by defending FedExCup Champion Viktor Hovland. The top 70 who competed in the FedExCup Playoffs in August clinched their status for the 2024 season, with the top 50 locking in their spots to all 8 of the $20 million Signature Events. Spots 71-125 were determined during the FedExCup Fall schedule that concluded at the RSM Classic in mid-November. This was a part of a series of eligibility adjustments that correspond with the return to a calendar-year FedExCup season in 2024.

The shocking departure of Jon Rahm from the PGA Tour opened the door for Carl Yuan to jump up from spot 126 to 125 and gain fully exempt status. In the event that another Tour player in the top 125 decides to leave the circuit for LIV prior to the start of the 2024 season, Henrik Norlander is currently sitting on deck at spot 126.

DP World Tour - Top 10 not already exempt based off FedExCup Points List

The top 10, who were not already exempt, in the DP World Tour’s final Race to Dubai standings earned PGA Tour cards for the 2024 season. Rory McIlroy was the season long champ but was already exempt based off of his fourth place finish in the FedExCup standings. Below are the 10 players who earned fully exempt status for next season:

1. Adrian Meronk

2. Ryan Fox

3. Victor Perez

4. Thorbjorn Oleson

5. Alexander Bjork

6. Sami Valimaki

7. Robert MacIntyre

8. Matthieu Pavon

9. Jorge Campillo

10. Ryo Hisatsune

Korn Ferry Tour - Top 30 on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List

Full List

Ben Kohles took the season long crown and earned a PGA Tour card for the third time in his career. From the official PGA Tour site, here are some fun numbers to know about this class of Korn Ferry Tour graduates:

18 – Players who will be PGA TOUR rookies for the 2024 season (Jacob Bridgeman, Parker Coody, Pierceson Coody, Kevin Dougherty, Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Patrick Fishburn, Wilson Furr, Max Greyserman, Joe Highsmith, Rico Hoey, Jake Knapp, Ryan McCormick, Mac Meissner, Chandler Phillips, Jimmy Stanger, Alejandro Tosti, Tom Whitney, Norman Xiong)

2 – Additional players who will be a first-time PGA TOUR member (Chris Gotterup, Chan Kim)

7 – Countries and territories represented (Argentina, Belgium, Canada, England, France, Puerto Rico, United States)

7 – PGA TOUR University alums earned their first PGA TOUR card (Jacob Bridgeman, Parker Coody, Pierceson Coody, Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Chris Gotterup, Joe Highsmith, Mac Meissner)

1 – Pair of fraternal twins earning their first PGA TOUR cards (Parker and Pierceson Coody, who will join Allan and Curtis Strange as the only other twins to simultaneously hold PGA TOUR membership, with the Stranges accomplishing the feat in 1981)

PGA Tour Q-School - Top 5 finishers at the Final Stage

Last, but certainly not least. These five golfers battled through brutal conditions in Jacksonville this past weekend and earned their full status for the 2024 season:

1. Harrison Endycott

2. Trace Crowe

3. Blaine Hale, Jr.

4. Raul Pereda

5. Hayden Springer

All five guys have phenomenal stories. Hale, Jr. came out of nowhere to earn his fully exempt status for 2024. Pereda now stands as the only active member of the Tour of Mexican descent. Hayden Springer is only a month removed from the unspeakable tragedy of losing his 3-year-old daughter. 

We can’t wait to watch all of these golfers tee it up at the Sony Open in Hawaii come January 11!

Around the Game

PGA Tour

🏌️ Angel Cabrera’s suspension has been lifted following his release from prison. The two-time major champion has been given the “ok” from the PGA Tour to return to play on tours belonging to the PGA Tour in 2024. Cabrera served 30 months in custody over domestic violence cases against two of his former girlfriends prior to being released on parole in August. In his return to professional golf last week, the U.S. Open and Masters champion finished in a tie for 10th at the Abierto del Litoral, an event sanctioned on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica Developmental Series. No word yet from Augusta National if they will honor Cabrera’s lifetime invitation as a former winner of the most famous green jacket in sports.

🏌️ Callaway announces new five-year partnership with the ANNIKA Women’s All Pro Tour. The tour, formerly known as simply the Women’s All Pro Tour, is a developmental circuit for the LPGA Tour and provides avenues for players to earn exemptions to select Epson Tour events as well as the opportunity to advance directly to Stage II of LPGA qualifying at the end of each season.

🏌️ Kevin Kisner (pictured) gets tabbed by NBC to fill the broadcast seat vacated by Paul Azinger at two early season PGA Tour events. The four-time PGA Tour winner will make his debut in the booth at The Sentry in January and is scheduled to return for the WM Phoenix Open in February. “I’m excited to have this opportunity with NBC Sports to watch the game of golf from the other side and comment on what I’m seeing on the course,” Kisner said in a press release. 

🏌️ Viktor Hovland voices his displeasure with PGA Tour leadership. Appearing on Discovery’s “FORE!” podcast, Hovland calls out the organization, stating that the “PGA Tour has done a damn bad job,” while also reaffirming his commitment to competing on the tour in 2024.

BY’s Top FORE! Part Deux

Home Alone/Fox

I must give a quick shout out to another great year for the PNC Championship! The DMPL front office was on site for the Sunday finish, and even with the spitting rain and gale force winds, the play was top notch. We followed our friends on Team Annika and Team Goosen who played solid golf and delivered plenty of memories throughout the weekend!

The first edition of BY’s Top FORE took off like a symphony of bottle rockets. As I’d hoped, it ruffled the feathers of some, but also changed a few minds in the process. The cinema pop-culture continues this week! We are 5 days away from Christmas and there isn’t a better way to get in the holiday spirit then to rank my top four Christmas movie villains. No doubt that it will have me under even more scrutiny, and some might even label me as the villain. Please note, the Christmas movie itself is not being ranked…you might just have to tune in again next Christmas for that one. 

I have kept you waiting long enough, and now..

BY’s Top FORE All-Time Christmas Movie Villains 

4).  The Grinch – Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)

A classic villain and one of the most well-known evil grins in all of cinema history. Most are probably thinking, how does this fall at number 4? Easy answer, because The Grinch turns good. But, at one time, his evil reign was one of legend…stealing Christmas from kids will always crack BY’s Top FORE!

3).  Scut Farkas – A Christmas Story (1983)

Ah, the bully and his sidekick, a story as old as time. Being a teacher, I have seen many Scut Farkas and Grover Dill in my day. These two young men use evil to cover their own flaws, one with red hair and braces and the other a vertically challenged follower. They have tasked themselves to take the Christmas spirit from Ralphie and his buddies. Ralphie and his crew have sustained years of verbal and physical abuse at the hands of these two bullies, but as we all know, in the end, blind rage led to a Goldberg spear followed by Ralphie raining blows to end the terror of Scut Farkas and Grover Dill once and for all!

2).  Hans Gruber – Die Hard (1988)

Insert your boo’s and negative comments here as I am mentally prepared for this one. Yes, Die Hard is a Christmas movie and what is more sinister than the villain being a German master-terrorist. Hans Gruber is a “by any means necessary” type villain and murder is always an option. The list of men who have the skills to take down Gruber is short and Bruce Willis does not disappoint in this Christmas Eve action packed thriller! Gruber’s demise is captured with the brilliance of movie magic and his face alone shows he should have never crossed John McClane.

1).  Harry and Marv – Home Alone (1990), Home Alone 2 (1992)

From the “Wet Bandits” to the “Sticky Bandits,” this villainous duo has been in the business of robbing families for years. Across two movies, Harry and Marv set their sights on getting rid of Kevin McCallister once and for all. Two grown men attempting to kill an 8-year-old boy, most likely wouldn’t fly in today’s cinema. How can unsuccessful villains be at the top of my list? Harry and Marv stay evil to the core and their goal to rid the world of Kevin McCallister never changes. They survive injuries that would bring Marvel heroes to their knees and a prison cell wasn’t enough to keep them off the streets and searching for Kevin. An epic story of true evil perseverance if you ask me. 

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Reddit or Not, Here Come the Takes

Late last week, we asked the question “Did BY get his Top Fore All-Time Best Golf Movies Right?” to the r/golf community on Reddit. We received nearly 135 user responses.

Here are some of our favorite takes:

Keep up bingbong….keep up!

Worth the Follow: Rick Golfs

"x” @Top100Rick

We have no shame admitting that we find ourselves living our golf travel dreams vicariously through Top100Rick. So many great courses. So many great memories. Rick’s IG and X feeds read like a love note to this great game. We always look forward to seeing where his journeys take him next. Rick Golfs is definitely Worth the Follow!

ICYMI

❓️ Por Que? A TikTok’er decided to take on a mythological challenge dressed like a character from Happy Gilmore.

🤮 Take all my money. Former PGA Tour pro John Peterson posts a nauseating letter from the Tour.

🦷 Life comes at you fast. A day removed from an epic PNC Championship, everyone’s new favorite golfing 12-year-old has a reality check at the orthodontist office.

🦉 Papa Padraig. Padraig Harrington delivers an inspiring message for all parents raising young golfers.

🎅 Mac Daddy Santa. Tiger and Team TaylorMade bring some holiday cheer.

🗣️ Preach, Max. Another example of why we need to protect Max Homa at all cost.

Golf Scramble

Name that Golfer

Three clues. Can you name this player?

• 9x winner on the PGA Tour.

• Defeated Joel Kribel (Stanford) to win the 1997 U.S. Amateur.

• First golf brand ambassador for Skechers.

Issue no. 9 Answers

Golf Scramble: 1. Muirfield 2. Turnberry 3. Prestwick 4. Carnoustie 5. Musselburgh

Name that Golfer: Lilia Vu

We’d rather be golfing. Did you see the theory that ChatGPT is depressed? The diagnosis is an ailment known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which affects nearly 10 million Americans from mid fall through the early days of spring. Given its sensitivity to the change in season, we should all be thankful that GPT isn’t a golfer (yet!) or the opening scene of Terminator could’ve been a reality for Los Angeles this holiday season. T’s and P’s for a quick bounce back for everyone’s favorite new sidekick 🙏 .

Nice Work If You Can Get It

The Wolf of Wall Street

Even with his position leading the PGA Tour in limbo, commissioner Jay Monahan has at least 18.6 million reasons why he can sleep easy at night. On Wednesday, Sportico released details from the PGA Tour’s most recent tax filings which included the staggering compensation package in 2022 for its beleaguered leader. In addition to his $1.8 million base salary, the commissioner received $9.2 million in bonus and incentive compensation, as well as $7.4 million for non-cash benefits that he will receive after he retires. The $18.6 million haul marks a 34% increase from his 2021 compensation ($13.9 million) all while the league dolled out $20.7 million in legal expenses in its battle with LIV Golf.

Is Jay Monahan worth the $18.6 million he took home in 2022? Based solely off of compensation as a percentage of league revenue, when compared to his peers leading other major professional sports leagues in the U.S., the answer is an emphatic NO.

The PGA Tour’s commissioner earned $18.6 million on the $1.9 billion in revenue generated by the tour in 2022. For comparison, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman reportedly earned $9.6 million on $5.93 billion in league revenue. Even more damning, Monahan nearly doubled the annual compensation of NBA commissioner Adam Silver who took home an estimated $10 million on $10.58 in league revenue in 2022.

The commissioner of the embattled PGA Tour got paid $8.6 million more last year than the leader of the National Basketball Association, arguably the 2nd most popular league in the world.

Let that sink in. 🤯 

Reddit or Not, Here Come the Takes

Earlier this week, we posed the question “Is Jay Monahan the most overpaid leader in pro sports?” to the r/golf community on Reddit. We received nearly 150 user responses.

Here are some of our favorite (Rated PG) takes:

Rain, rain go away

Ben Jared/PGA Tour via Getty Images

Team Kuchar (-15) leads by 3 shots at a rain soaked PNC Championship in Orlando. Defending champions Team Singh (-12) are in a four-way tie for 2nd place alongside of Team Langer, Team Goosen, and Team Duval. Team Woods (-8) sit at T11.

💬 Friend of The Starter, Will McGee says..

“What makes the PNC Championship so special is the wide range of ages, and regardless of your age, you are treated the same as a tour player. It’s fun to play with family on such a big stage against legends of the game”

Louis Oosthuizen (-14) leads by one at the final stop of the DP World Tour season, the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open. Oosthuizen looks to go back-to-back following his thrilling win at the Alfred Dunhill Championship last week.

Harrison Endycott (-12) holds the lead heading into Sunday at the final stage of PGA Tour Q-School. The top five and ties after Sunday will earn 2024 PGA TOUR membership, with the next 40 and ties earning guaranteed starts on the Korn Ferry Tour. The next 20 and ties will earn guaranteed starts on PGA TOUR Americas. All players who tee it up at Final Stage receive conditional Korn Ferry Tour and PGA TOUR Americas status at minimum.

Around the Game

Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

🏌️ Close to a Deal. Reports surfaced on Friday evening that the PGA Tour was in the final stages of securing a $3 billion infusion of capital from the Strategic Sports Group, the consortium of U.S. sport team owners led by Arthur Blank (Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United) and John Henry (Fenway Sports Group). The potential deal with SSG comes as the PGA Tour nears the December 31 deadline to finalize the framework agreement with the Saudi Public Investment Fund as set forward in their joint announcement on June 6.

🏌️ The U. PGA Tour University, the initiative that allowed rising star Ludvig Aberg to transition from Texas Tech directly on to the tour, has expanded its performance benefits offering ahead of the 2024 season. As detailed on the official PGA Tour website, beginning with the Class of 2024, five more players – now a total of 25 – will earn performance benefits based on their finish in the PGA Tour University Ranking. Players who finish 11th-25th (previously 11th-20th) will earn exempt membership on PGA TOUR Americas for the remainder of the current season, and they will be exempt into Second Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry.

Additionally, starting in 2024, a junior or senior who wins the D-II Jack Nicklaus Award (National Player of the Year) will earn the same benefits as players who finish 11th-25th in the PGA TOUR University Ranking. This player may accept his performance benefits upon the conclusion of his collegiate career, meaning a junior who wins the D-II Jack Nicklaus Award may accept his performance benefits after his senior season.

🏌️ Another LIVely Week. Jon Rahm made more waves this week during a visit to La Sociedad Bilbaina near his hometown. Reportedly dismayed over attending a gathering which he expected to be an “intimate” affair, Rahm remarked to the media in attendance “I am under very strict instruction not to do public events, which I have imposed on myself a little bit for myself, and for the change I have given to the world of golf in the last week. There will be nothing until February. I’m not allowed to.” This sparked conversation on whether LIV is muzzling their newly acquired top player.

Meanwhile, last year’s individual champion Taylor Gooch hinted that Rahm’s move to LIV could lead to eventual changes to the current 54 hole, no cut format. Rahm was vocal critic of the format prior to his shocking move to the league. The transition to a more traditional tournament format could be in the cards for the league after the OWGR recently denied LIV’s bid for world ranking points on the basis of it’s unconventional format.

🏌️ Next in the Booth. Sports Business Journal reported on Friday that 4x PGA Tour Winner and 2x Presidents Cup vice-captain Geoff Ogilvy is in the mix to take Paul Azinger’s spot on NBC golf broadcasts. SBJ indicates the NBC will be making the announcement "within the next week" and that the broadcaster "could end up splitting the lead analyst role between two people, with Ogilvy handling some of the network’s bigger golf events."

Worth the Follow: Every Ball Has A Story

ig @everyballhasastory

Life is short, book the golf trip. This is the motto of a group of friends who are on a journey to capture and tell the stories of players around the world by tracking the golf balls that they are playing. Their IG is full of original videos and memes that are relatable, authentic, and best of all, you don’t feel the need to have to cover your phone to watch them in public. The real fun can be found on their website where they detail their methodology to connect golfers via a simple four digit code on their golf ball. The group has logged 995 golf balls to date. Will you log 996? Every Ball Has A Story is Worth The Follow!

ICYMI

🍺 Daly Bites. The Tiger v. John Daly content is top-notch leading into this weekend’s PNC Championship. You want a good laugh? Check out this clip highlighting the disparity between their warm-up routines.

👨‍🍳 Cooking on Tour. Min Woo Lee gets in front of any LIV speculation with this superb hype video for his commitment to playing on the PGA Tour in 2024.

❤️ Love to see it. RSM and the RSM Classic donate $250,000 on the behalf of Luke List to the Children’s Hospital of Georgia to support the expansion of the hospital’s pediatric intensive care unit.

🍾 OVO Par. Drake joins the guys at Eastside Golf for a day out on the links.

Golf Scramble

Can you correctly unscramble these golf terms? Hint: They were all host sites of a major championship.

1. EMRLDFIIFR

2. RYNBRUTRE

3. TWISCERKP

4. IACERTSNOU

5. HUMGRSUSLEB

Name that Golfer

Three clues. Can you name this player?

• 4x winner on the LPGA Tour.

• Member of the 2018 Arnold Palmer Cup and USA World Amateur Teams.

• Ranks first on the all-time career victory list at UCLA.

Issue no. 8 Answers

U.S. Open Trivia: 1. The Olympic Club 2. Shinnecock Hills GC 3. Baltusrol GC 4. Merion GC 5. Bellerive CC

Name that Golfer: John Daly

We’d rather be golfing. In case you forgot, a quick reminder that today is National Cocoa Day. Swap that Venti latte for a delicious hot cocoa this morning while you continue to ponder over the fact that there is a young baseball phenom who is going to defer being paid $68 million per year for the next 10 years of his life. That is a TON of hot cocoas left on the table..

The PGA Tour is Running out of Moves

Independence Day/IFC via Giphy

The PGA Tour Policy Board announced Sunday evening its decision to continue discussions with Strategic Sports Group (SSG), a consortium of U.S. based professional sports team investors, on an equity stake in the new for-profit tour entity dubbed NewCo. In the same memo, the Tour also confirmed its intention to continue negotiations with the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF).

How did we get here?

Commissioner Jay Monahan’s tumultuous tenure bottomed out on June 6 when he shocked the golf world, along with his roster of players, by joining PIF managing director Yasir Al-Rumayyan in announcing a framework agreement between the PGA Tour and the Saudi backed fund. The announcement set a December 31 deadline for both sides to work in good faith to formalize the agreement and was universally thought to have marked the beginning of the end of the PGA Tour/LIV Golf battle.

Although there has been much speculation, it is unclear exactly why the Tour continues to pursue additional investors into NewCo alongside of the PIF, who boast a staggering $700+ billion in assets. Last week, like a scorned lover, the PIF backed up the Brink’s truck to lure away reigning Masters champion Jon Rahm, a clear sign that they are dissatisfied with the progress made towards executing the framework agreement as the December 31 deadline nears.

What now?

The PIF has made it evident that they are more than capable and ready to continue to throw piles of money at the world’s top golfers in their effort to build the most prolific golf league on the planet. The PGA Tour has shown itself to be ill equipped to thwart the challenge. In order to preserve the future of the PGA Tour and popularity of the game, they are seemingly left with only one move to make — acquiesce to the PIF’s vision for a global league anchored by a team format. For better or worse, the PIF and their war chest of cash control the center in this game of chess with the PGA Tour.

Listen Up

🗣️ The Flushing It Golf pod welcomes Kevin Pietersen, English cricket commentator and former England international captain, to discuss the similarities between LIV Golf’s current disruption of the game to the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) disruption of cricket 15 years ago. Pietersen has a fascinating perspective and believes that the PIF will ultimately win this battle which will be the best outcome for golf fans around the world.

The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far

David Cannon/Getty Images

The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando will once again play host to 20 professionals and their loved ones in the annual PNC Championship. To the victorious duo goes The Willie Park Trophy, a red leather belt with sterling silver embellishments named in honor of the first winner of the British Open. The teams will play 18 holes of scramble format golf on both Saturday and Sunday to determine the winners.

Teams set to compete

• John Daly & John Daly II (son)

• Bernhard Langer & Jason Langer (son)

• David Duval & Brady Duval (son)

• Vijay Singh & Qass Singh (son)

• Stewart Cink & Reagan Cink (son)

• Justin Thomas & Mike Thomas (dad)

• Nelly Korda & Petr Korda (dad)

• Annika Sorenstam & Will McGee (son, pictured)

• Nick Faldo & Matthew Faldo (son)

• Matt Kuchar & Cameron Kuchar (son)

• Tom Lehman & Sean Lehman (son)

• Lee Trevino & Daniel Trevino (son)

• Justin Leonard & Luke Leonard (son)

• Mark O’Meara & Shaun O’Meara (son)

• Jim Furyk & Tanner Furyk (son)

• Padraig Harrington & Ciaran Harrington (son)

• Nick Price & Greg Price (son)

• Retief Goosen & Leo Goosen (son)

• Steve Stricker & Izzi Stricker (daughter)

• Tiger Woods & Charlie Woods (son)

Not to play favorites, but Team DMPL will be pulling hard for Team Sorenstam/McGee and Team Goosen!

🎯 How about our guy Will McGee sinking an ACE during his practice round yesterday!

💬 Friend of The Starter, Leo Goosen says..

“The PNC Championship is truly something special considering there is not another event like it. It is always an awesome time to get to play with family and compete. Creating special memories with family and friends while playing golf… I couldn’t ask for more.”

The DP World Tour concludes 2023 with a visit to Heritage La Reserva GC in Heritage Bel Ombre, Mauritius for the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open. Louis Oosthuizen looks to go back-to-back following his thrilling win at the Alfred Dunhill Championship.

Betting Favorite: Louis Oosthuizen (+600)

Pete Dye’s Valley and Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL will play host to 168 players competing in the final stage of PGA Tour Q-School. This week marks the first time since 2012 that Q-School will award PGA Tour cards. The top five and ties after 72 holes will earn 2024 PGA TOUR membership, with the next 40 and ties earning guaranteed starts on the Korn Ferry Tour. The next 20 and ties will earn guaranteed starts on PGA TOUR Americas. All players who tee it up at Final Stage receive conditional Korn Ferry Tour and PGA TOUR Americas status at minimum.

Around the Game

Montana Pritchard/LIV Golf

🏌️ Three’s Company. Kalle Samooja, Kieran Vincent, and Jinichiro Kozuma all earn spots in LIV Golf for the 2024 season following the inaugural promotions event at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. Vincent joins his brother Scott who has played LIV Golf since the inaugural season.

🏌️ Changing it up. Rising star Ludvig Aberg agrees to a club deal with Titleist. He also changes up who will be carrying those new Titleist as he ditches caddie Jack Clarke in favor of Joe Skovron. Skovron is the former longtime caddie of Rickie Fowler and has carried a bag at more than 50 major tournaments.

🏌️ Get em while you can. Costco continues to carve a niche in the world of golf equipment following the release of their Kirkland Signature irons. The irons, priced at a delightful $499, sold out in mere hours. All eyes now turn to the highly anticipated release of the Kirkland Signature adjustable driver that popped up on the USGA conforming list in early November.

🏌️ Moving on Up. Mackenzie Hughes and Carl Yuan are the greatest beneficiaries of the PGA Tour officially suspending Jon Rahm following his move to LIV. Hughes moves up one spot to #50 and is eligible for all seven of the $20 million signature events. Yuan gets to bypass the Final Stage of Q-School as his new spot at #125 earns him a full PGA Tour card for 2024. Other players who may send Rahm a Christmas card include Alex Smalley who is guaranteed to play in two $20 million events after moving up to spot #60 and Paul Haley who now has conditional status at spot #150.

🏌️ Kept in the Dark. Attorney Jacob Buchdahl of Susman Godfrey LLC of New York sent a letter on behalf of 21 players to the PGA Tour’s policy board seeking transparency in the ongoing negotiations with potential outside investors, including the PIF. In the letter, Buchdahl demands "full disclosure of the details and analyses of any proposals by prospective capital partners, which should be shared promptly with all Tour players." Shortly after the story broke public, Wesley Bryan, a journeyman tour player and popular social media personality, took to “X” to publicly rescind his support of the letter.

Tis the Season for BY’s Top FORE!

Caddyshack

I was thoroughly entertained by the Grant Thornton Invitational. The mixed teams and changing formats posed varying challenges which led to several lead changes and showcased how certain formats favored specific teams. If only one of those formats would’ve favored either of my picks 🤷‍♂️. On the brighter side, it looks to be an event that will stick around for years to come and continue to grow the partnership between the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour. 

The PGA Tour is taking a well-deserved break for the holiday season before returning to action at The Sentry Tournament in Kapalua in January. This break couldn’t come soon enough for me as I am in need of a reset in hopes that my picks take a 180 degree turn and dial in for the 2024 season! 

The next few weeks will focus on a couple things I hold dearest to my heart, cinema and pop-culture. After all, there is no better time of year to pair your favorite bowl of buttery popcorn with a deep dive into the cinema archive. Without further ado..

BY’s Top FORE All-Time Favorite Golf Movies

Yes, I am aware that this is a touchy subject for some. A few of my friends can be quite territorial when it comes to the best golf movies of all time. In the end, it all comes down to what tugs on your heart strings and believe me, each of these movies deliver in their own way.

4).  The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005)

Who doesn’t like a nice dose of Shia LeBeouf? Based on the true story that shook the golf world to its core, The Greatest Game Ever Played keeps you on the edge of your seat as it transports you back to what the game was like in the early 1900’s. If you aren’t inspired to pick up a club after this one, dial it up again!

Favorite Character: Eddie Lowery

3). Happy Gilmore (1996)

The film is full of nonsense but my goodness how wonderful it is! You won’t step foot on a driving range today without seeing at least one Happy Gilmore swing. This is one of those movies that never gets old and to this day each time I see a large fake clown, I can’t help but say to myself, “I hate that clown.”

Favorite Character: Shooter McGavin

2).  Tin Cup (1996)

Who doesn’t love a true underdog story?  A washed up, driving range pro finds the love of the game again and makes a run for the US Open. Does it get any better than that? The perfect mix of comedy, drama, a sprinkle of a love story, and the best 12 in the history of golf, sign me up!

Favorite Character: Romeo Posar

1).  Caddyshack (1980)

The “Animal House” of golf movies. A storyline that transports you beyond the game of golf and plants you in the shoes of a few dynamic characters at the prestigious Bushwood Country Club. This movie produces one liners with the best of them and adds a tasteful raunchiness that is unforgettable. “A flute with no holes, isn’t a flute. A donut with no hole, is a Danish.”

Favorite Character: Ty Webb

Worth the Follow: Jared Doerfler/Perfect Putt

x @doerflerjared

Yes, that is a picture of Arnold Palmer. But in April 2022, this header photo, along with a deep dive into how Arnie built his $1.5 billion empire, helped Jared Doerfler break on to the “golf twitter” scene. His weekly newsletter, Perfect Putt, is a must read for avid golfers and casual fans alike who are interested in the business side of the game. We appreciate his passion and desire to shed light on some of the most fascinating aspects of the sport. Subscribe to the Perfect Putt newsletter and give Jared Doerfler a follow!

ICYMI

📺️ Live Broadcast. As if you needed any more pressure, a local 9-hole course pipes live feed of their Par 3 greens into the clubhouse.

🔥 Stay Hot. J.R. Smith celebrates his first hole-in-one. We wonder what drink he bought the bar to celebrate?

🗒️ State of the Game. Mackenzie Hughes shares his thoughts on the current state of men’s professional golf.

🏌️‍♂️ Staying Put. In a victory for the PGA Tour, Tony Finau dispels rumors of his departure to LIV.

🎩 Capiche. NY Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito’s agent took over social media following his appearance on Monday Night Football. The G-Men better be prepared to offer their new QB a “deal that he cannot refuse.”

Auto Insurance: Overpriced!

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U.S. Open Trivia

We’ll give you the tournament winner and host city, and you name the course where it was played.

• Webb Simpson - San Francisco, CA

• Retief Goosen - Southampton, NY

• Lee Janzen - Springfield, NJ

• David Graham - Ardmore, PA

• Gary Player - St. Louis, MO

Name that Golfer

Three clues. Can you name this player?

• 5x winner on the PGA Tour.

• Released a country music album in 2010.

• Only two-time major winner never selected to play in a Ryder Cup.

Issue no. 5 Answers

Golf Scramble: 1. Srixon 2. Volvik 3. Slazenger 4. Pinnacle 5. Bridgestone

Name that Golfer: Nelly Korda

We’d rather be golfing. Let’s take this opportunity to cleanse your palate before you dive into an issue full of this week’s highs and lows and celebrate an individual, who unlike PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, has helped unify two competing entities towards one common goal. I’m talking about none other than Time’s Person of the Year, Taylor Swift. Who could’ve imagined a world where millions of “swifties” would coalesce with Chiefs Kingdom to tomahawk chop their little hearts out on Sundays? That’s the type of harmony we all need right now. I raise a glass to you Taylor. Shall you inspire those presiding over the future of golf to flip the track from Bad Blood to You Belong With Me in 2024.

NIL has Changed the Game

Getty Images

Name, image, and likeness (NIL) reemerged in the headlines this week as NCAA president Charlie Baker publicly expressed his desire to create a new subdivision within Division I that would allow participating schools greater autonomy around policy-making and compensation of their student-athletes. The letter sent to Division I members, and obtained by Yahoo Sports, outlines opportunities for schools to establish their own NIL deals with student-athletes, an alternative to the current NIL structure and a monumental shift from the direction of the NCAA under previous president Mark Emmert.

NIL and Amateur Golf

In 2021, soon after the NCAA’s introduction of their NIL policies, the USGA updated its own Rules of Amateur Status to allow golfers the opportunity to receive compensation from social media sponsorships, autograph signings, and other personal appearances. While football and basketball student-athletes account for the lions share of NIL partnerships, some of the countries top amateur golfers have capitalized on their growing status within the game by signing lucrative deals. As college stars, Rose Zhang (pictured) and Sam Bennett were two of the most notable examples of amateur golfers cashing in. Zhang became the first student-athlete, male or female, to sign an NIL deal with Adidas when she inked her partnership with the three stripes in 2022. Bennett, even prior to his remarkable performance at the 2023 Masters, boasted deals with the likes of Johnnie-O, Vertex Bank, and CAP Fleet as a senior at Texas A&M. In a story published by GolfDigest, Following his run at Augusta, NIL expert and sports attorney Luke Feldlam estimated Bennett’s NIL worth to be “at least in the high six figures - and probably seven figures - for him moving forward”. That new found NIL boost somewhat eased the pain Sam felt having to forego a $261,000 check for his T16 finish because of his amateur status.

Zhang and Bennett are now pros but they helped pave the way for the next era of collegiate golfers looking to capitalize on their NIL. The current crop is highlighted by USC’s Amari Avery who this summer translated her phenomenal game into a multi-year deal with Lexus.

Leveraging NIL to Grow the Game

The term “Grow the Game” gets thrown around a lot now-a-days. But a young golfer out of Houston, TX is utilizing his budding stardom and NIL opportunities to help provide financial assistance to other aspiring players who lack the means to afford the substantial costs associated with competing in tournaments. Through his Lucky Swing Foundation, 15-year-old Lucky Cruz (yeah, the kid that lapped Charlie Woods at the NBIII Junior Golf National Championship last month) aspires to help find the next diamond in the rough and provide them with the financial support to reach their full potential as a golfer. In a “me first” world, Lucky’s desire to use his platform to help elevate the next generation of golfers is a great example of the potential good of NIL for the future of the game.

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Let The Best Team Win

PGA Tour

K.J. Choi and Ernie Els (pictured) lead the International Team (111.5) into the final sessions with a .5 point advantage over Team USA (111) and 10 point lead over Team Europe (101.5). It is still anyone’s competition to win as 324 points will be up for grabs during the 12 single matches on Sunday.

A hallmark week for LIV Golf continues as two of it’s players, Louis Oosthuizen (-15) and Charl Schwartzel (-15), share the lead heading into the final round of the DP World Tour’s Alfred Dunhill Championship. The South African duo sit 5 shots clear of the field competing at Leopard Creek Country Club.

Editors Note: Your editor needs sleep so please forgive us for not reporting the conclusion of the tournament that is set to wrap after midnight eastern. Check this link for the final scores.

In Naples, the LPGA Tour and PGA Tour head into the final round of the inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational with the team of Lydia Ko & Jason Day (-20) sitting 2 shots clear of the field. The format for Sunday is Modified Four-Ball. In this format, both players tee off, and then they switch balls for their second shots and play that same ball until it is holed. The lower score of the partners is then counted as the team score for the hole.

Around the Game

🏌️ Didn’t have this on my 2023 bingo card. Surreal scene as reigning Masters champ Jon Rahm, cloaked in a letterman jacket only AC Slater could truly appreciate, joins Bret Baier (Fox News) to make the official announcement of his departure to LIV Golf.

🏌️ 5 Percent Pandemonium. The USGA and R&A officially announce a golf-ball rollback. Our cats’ heads are officially falling off.

🏌️ In Bad Faith. PGA Tour officials are shocked that LIV would lure away Jon Rahm.

🏌️ Mo Money, Mo Problems. Has the PGA Tour promised checks they won’t be able to deliver? Tournament officials see significant troubles ahead as companies evaluate the increased costs to sponsor events.

🏌️ Speith Pushes Back. Jordan Speith rebukes the chatter that Patrick Cantlay is running the show on the PGA Tour Policy Board.

🏌️ Place your Bets. The newly launched ESPN Bet strikes a deal with the Quail Hollow Club (North Carolina) to be the exclusive betting operator of the soon to be former Wells Fargo Championship. 🚨 Segue Alert 🚨 

🏌️ Wells FargoNE. The prophecies that tournament officials laid out a few days earlier begin to come to fruition as one of the Tour’s longest tenured sponsors opts to not renew their sponsorship of a signature event.

🏌️ Strongly Worded Statements. Both Titleist and Wilson post statements questioning the USGA and R&A’s rollback decision.

Mountain Tiger

Tracy Wilcox/Getty Images

Tiger Woods is set to add a fourth 18-hole design credit to his resume, and the first of the mountain variety, as his firm TGR Design have begun the initial phase of developing Marcella Club in Park City, Utah. The 18-hole championship course will be situated 7,000 feet above sea level and is a part of a larger facility project that will include another golf course and an alpine skiing resort.

As described on the TGR website, the course has been routed to take advantage of the incredible long-range vistas while also incorporating contrasting intimate valleys between the ridges to create a truly unique and memorable golf experience. The course will provide a stern test for low handicap golfers, yet also present a fun, family friendly experience to allow individuals of all skill levels to come together and enjoy the course.

Arguably the greatest golfer of all-time is also partnered with Mike Trout, arguably the greatest baseball player of this era, on Trout National - The Reserve, an 18-hole championship course currently under construction in southern New Jersey.

More Courses

• Sea Trail Investments acquires three courses and plans major investment in community near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

• American golf tycoon Mike Kaiser faces headwinds in quest to build new championship course in Scotland. Scottish government has been asked to intervene following the recent approval of the Highland Council.

Worth the Follow: The Par Train

ig @thepartrain

If you are anything like us, a fun afternoon 9 can quickly deteriorate with one wayward drive. Enter The Par Train, the team dedicated to getting your golf game back on the rails and helping you find the right mindset on your way to your next round. The quick hits on their IG account are on point, and for the struggling golfer who needs some extra encouragement, their weekly The Par Train - A Mental Golf Show pod will help straighten you out. Thanks to The Par Train, we only broke one club out of frustration during our last round, a significant improvement from the norm. Hop aboard the Train and give this crew a follow!

ICYMI

🗣️ We need him at Bethpage. Rory shares his thoughts on Jon Rahm’s move to LIV Golf.

↔️ Range Goats on the move. The Goats ship out defending singles champ Taylor Gooch and Harold Varner III on the same day.

🫶 An all-time call. One of the funniest reactions to a bunker shot that you will ever hear.

🎯 Clutch! Michael Wright holes out on the final hole of Champions Tour Q School to secure his card for 2024.

🎯 Ace Alert. Lexi Thompson is buying drinks after this ace at the Grant Thornton Invitational.

🧠 Eureka! Jared Doerfler posts a hypothetical 2024 schedule that would accommodate a potential union between LIV and the PGA Tour.

💬 Reader Rob Says…

In response to the question “how do you feel about the potential golf ball rollback?”

“As an elite country club player, losing 9-11 yards on my 110+ mph swing speeds is not something that I can get behind. The lack of distance will force me to practice hitting mid, and potentially long irons, which is something I cannot commit to doing. I don’t consume 2,500 - 3,000 empty calories a day to carry the ball 270 yards. I consume those calories to carry 280. As the great Tom Glavine and Greg Maddox once so eloquently stated…. chicks dig the long ball.“

Golf Scramble

Can you correctly unscramble these golf terms?

1. NIRXOS

2. LKVOIV

3. RSELGZANE

4. CNAIPNLE

5. EBRNOIDTEGS

Name that Golfer

Three clues. Can you name this player?

• 8x winner on the LPGA Tour.

• Father won the 1998 Australian Open (Tennis).

• Gold medalist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Issue no. 6 Answers

Whose Drink is it Anyways?: Transfusion

Name that Golfer: Sahith Theegala

We’d rather be golfing. We’d actually rather be heading to the College Football Playoff. I took a pause from fulfilling rewards for our referral program on Sunday afternoon to get kicked in the stomach by the realization that, for the first time, an undefeated major college football program was not going to have the opportunity to compete for a national championship. To make it worse, I would’ve preferred if today’s partner 1440 Media (check them out!) were broadcasting the selection show as the SEC bias from the majority of the talking heads at ESPN was more than I could handle. Now I sit here, struggling to believe that we were left out, rotating through a Spotify playlist of late 90’s emo hits, and asking myself “Is this how Keegan Bradley felt this summer?” - MM

Much Ado About Nothing?

Titleist

The distance dilemma has taken center stage since news broke last Friday that the USGA and R&A were set to soon announce a revision to the way golf balls are tested with the intended goal of rolling back distance in golf for amateurs and professionals alike.

How did we get here?

Hitting distances and the lengths of golf courses have been increasing for more than a 100 years, but it wasn’t until the beginning of the 21st century that golf’s governing bodies began to address the concerns associated with increased length. The USGA and R&A first addressed the topic in 2002 via their Joint Statement of Principles. Sixteen years later, in May of 2018, they initiated the Distance Insights Project to provide a comprehensive review of hitting distance in golf. In February of 2020, the Distance Insights Report was released providing conclusions from the 20+ months of research and outlining nexts steps to curb a continuing cycle of distance increases that was deemed detrimental to the long-term future of the game.

To bifurcate, or not to bifurcate, that is the question.

At least that was the question posed to professionals upon the release of the Distance Insights Report. The report recommended that professional tournament sites, including major championships, implemented a local rule that would specify use of clubs and/or balls intended to result in shorter hitting. The concept of golf ball bifurcation was born as the implementation of this local rule would lead tour professionals to play different balls and/or equipment than the amateur or recreational player. This consideration was met with resistance by the numerous parties that had vested interest in golf ball manufacturers profiting off of the marketing ploy of every day hackers “playing what the pros play..”

What’s Next?

If you are interested in taking a deeper dive into what this might mean for your particular game, the folks at GolfDigest, who are much more knowledgable on the subject then this humble newsletter, recently outlined and explained 5 different golf ball rollback scenarios.

Ultimately, the rumored changes aren’t scheduled to take full effect until 2030. If that’s the case, what’s the big deal?! Won’t we all be playing the game on simulators in the Metaverse by then anyways?? 🙃 

Listen Up

📻️ Adam Hawk & Ryan Engle rap about the ball rollback at the 20:00 mark of their latest The Fellowship pod.

📻️ Jonathan Wall & Ryan Barath discuss rollback in a special edition of their Fully Equipped pod.

📻️ The Lucas Glover Show debuts tonight at 8pm EST on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio. Can imagine that rollback will be a topic amongst others.

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Team Ball at Tiburon

Grant Thornton Invitational

Thirty-two stars from the LPGA Tour and PGA Tour are set to compete together at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida in the inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational. The unique co-sanctioned team event will see the men and women pair up and vie for an equal share of the $4 million purse.

Teams set to compete

• Madelene Sagstrom & Ludvig Aberg

• Allison Corpuz & Cameron Champ

• Brooke Henderson & Corey Conners

• Lilia Vu & Joel Dahmen

• Lydia Ko & Jason Day

• Celine Boutier & Harris English

• Nelly Korda & Tony Finau

• Lexi Thompson & Rickie Fowler

• Leona Maguire & Lucas Glover

• Mel Reid & Russell Henley

• Cheyenne Knight & Tom Hoge

• Andrea Lee & Billy Horschel

• Megan Khang & Denny McCarthy

• Charley Hull & Justin Rose

• Ruoning Yin & Nick Taylor

• Rose Zhang & Sahith Theegala

Betting Favorite: Nelly Korda & Tony Finau (+600)

Can Dean Burmester of Stinger GC(LIV Golf) fame continue to dominate the South Africa leg of the DP World Tour schedule? Coming off back-to-back wins at the South African Open Championship and Joburg Open, Burmester looks to make it three straight at the Alfred Dunhill Championship played at Leopard Creek CC in Malelane, South Africa.

Betting Favorite: Christian Bezuidenhout (+900)

The inaugural World Champions Cup takes place at The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida. Take a look at issue no. 5 for more detail on the event. Team USA announced a last minute adjustment to their roster as Vice Captain Billy Andrade will now play in place of injured Captain Jim Furyk.

Betting Favorite: Team USA (+140)

Around the Game

WWE

⛳️ Everybody has a Price. The Jon Rahm to LIV Golf rumors have hit overdrive. Early on Tuesday, he was noticeably absent from the announced field for next month’s American Express tournament where he is the defending champion. Then in the evening, chatter about him accepting a $565 million deal to join the rival league hit the wire.

⛳️ Just Don’t Do It. Rumors are swirling that the upcoming PNC Championship will mark the final time Tiger dawns the Nike swoosh.

⛳️ Major League Game. Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz is competing in the final stage of Champions Tour Q-School. The top 5 finishers will earn status for 2024.

⛳️ Throw the Flag. Collin Morikawa expresses his confusion after being docked a two stroke penalty at the Hero World Challenge.

⛳️ And we have a Trade. Fireballs GC and Torque GC complete the first trade in LIV Golf history. Carlos Ortiz heads to Torque in exchange for 21-year-old David Puig.

⛳️ Rookie of the Year. 21-year-old Ryo Hisatsune becomes the first Japanese player to win the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year on the DP World Tour. His stellar season also earned him a PGA Tour card for 2024.

Lessons from Lasso

Ted Lasso

Oh, Wyndham Clark…sandwiched in second to last place between two players who underwent the same exact back surgery and took nearly a year to return to golf. 🤷‍♂️ This one stung to watch, but I never looked away as I felt compelled to experience every second of regret and shame for my brutal pick. My hero Dolph Lundgren would’ve been disappointed if I hadn’t. 

But, in the awe-inspiring words of Ted Lasso: “Be a goldfish”

The Grant Thornton Invitational…one of one. Switching gears this week as the PGA and LPGA come together for a team event at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida. A Greg Norman design which delivers a taste of true Florida golf with a heavy dose of difficulty as a garnish. The field of 16 teams will play a Scramble on Friday, Alternate Shot on Saturday, and a Modified Four-Ball on Sunday. 

With the limited field this week, my hand has been forced to pick a winner which I know will be under a microscope following my missteps a week ago. The pressure cooker is ready to burst but here we go. At +1100 to win, I like a small play with a big return on Sahith Theegala & Rose Zhang. They are young but have superstar potential, and potential is always something I can work with! Sahith won the QBE Shootout (previous iteration of this event) last year alongside of Tom Hoge. I think Zhang will bring the right balance to this duo and help lead them to a victory.  

My sleeper lean for this week will be a top 5 finish at +210 from Tom Hoge & Cheyenne Knight. As previously mentioned, Hoge won this event last year with Theegala and has a history of going very low in competition, never a bad trait to have in your back pocket. Knight won the ladies team ball event, the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, back in July and went unbeaten in her Solheim Cup debut.

Always remember, sometimes it just takes a piece of “believe”. - BY

Draft Kings DFS 3-Putt Pot

Each week I will give my three strongest value buys for DFS play. I am only getting you started, finishing your line up will be up to you!

• Rose/Hull: $9,700

• English/Boutier: $8,700

• McCarthy/Khang: $7,400

As always, please remember to gamble responsibly

Worth the Follow: The Society of Golf Historians

ig @thesocietyofgolfhistorians

Sure, The Starter is the newsletter for the modern golfer. But even the modern golfer should have an appreciation for the history of the game. Did you know Richard Peters used an actual pool cue to putt at the very first US Amateur in 1895? Didn’t think so. This is just one of the many interesting facts and stories shared by Connor Lewis who also hosts the popular TalkinGolf History podcast. Love newsletters as much as we do? Subscribe now to “The Society”, Connor’s free newsletter that will begin delivering the fun aspects of the game’s past to inboxes come January.

ICYMI

⛺️ He hit it from where? Joaquin Niemann makes an incredible save from behind a hospital structure in route to a victory at the Australian Open.

🧑‍🍳 Min Woo Tree. Although he surrendered a Sunday lead, the legend of Min Woo Lee continues to grow following this remarkable shot out of the trees in the final round of the Australian Open.

🔥 Hot Rory Take. In a rare social media post, Rory gives his two-cents on the golf ball rollback drama.

🇨🇦 Does it get any cooler than this? RBC Canadian Open updates the tournament logo to include an animation of Nick Taylor’s iconic putter toss on the 18th green of his 2023 win.

👀 Let’s not do this. FLAT doesn’t resonate as well as DMPL.

Whose Drink is it Anyway?

Can you correctly name this golf course favorite?

• 3 oz vodka

• 1.5 oz grape juice

• .25 oz lime juice

• Splash of ginger ale

• Lime wedge and/or frozen grapes for garnish

Name that Golfer

Three clues. Can you name this player?

• 1 career win on the PGA Tour.

• Graduated from the same California high school as Jim Edmonds, Alex Morgan, and Keith Van Horn.

• As a college senior, won all three national player of the year awards (Fred Haskins Award, Ben Hogan Award, and Jack Nicklaus Award).

Issue no. 5 Answers

Golf Scramble: 1. Fairway 2. Dogleg 3. Provisional 4. Stableford 5. Pitch

Name that Golfer: Danielle Kang

We’d rather be golfing. While we await the delivery of our new fleet of custom DMPL Cybertrucks (all thanks to investing wisely with Vinovest!) and get ready to fulfill our first batch of rewards for the referral program, we can’t help but wonder whether the latest rumored mega signing on the LIV front will help move the needle for the league any more so then the previous ones? We get it, these player acquisitions by the PIF are moves in a much larger game of chess against the PGA Tour. But we couldn’t help but notice just how un-phased we were by the news of the latest potential defection. Dustin Johnson signing with LIV last February was a shock to the system. One of the top ranked golfers in the world leaving the PGA Tour in his prime?! No knock on DJ, but have you found yourself watching a tour event over the last 20 months and thinking “man, this would be so much better if Dustin Johnson was out there.”

Yeah, neither have we. - Team DMPL

Old Dogs. New Tricks.

World Champions Cup

What do you get when you mix one part Champions Tour, one part President’s Cup, and one part Ryder Cup? You get the World Champions Cup, the brainchild of golfer/commentator Peter Jacobsen and the realization of a concept that has been whispered about for several years. The inaugural event is set to take place from Dec. 7-10 at The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida and will be unlike any other international competition.

Eighteen of the World’s Best Senior Golfers

Team USA

• Jim Furyk (Captain)

• Bill Andrade (Vice Captain)

• Steve Stricker

• Jerry Kelly

• Justin Leonard

• Brett Quigley

• David Toms

Team Europe

• Darren Clarke (Captain)

• Jesper Parnevik (Vice Captain)

• Colin Montgomerie

• Miguel Angel Jimenez

• Robert Karlsson

• Alex Cejka

• Bernhard Langer

Team International

• Ernie Els (Captain)

• Stuart Appleby (Vice Captain)

• Vijay Singh

• Steven Alker

• Stephen Ames

• K.J. Choi

• Retief Goosen

The three Vice Captains will serve in non-playing roles and assist their respective Captains with setting matchups throughout the tournament. They will have their sticks handy though. Should any player sustain an injury and not be able to compete, the Vice Captain will come out of the pen in relief.

The World Champions Cup will feature a truly unique format consisting of 24 nine-hole team and singles play matches over the three day event. Unlike traditional team competition events, no matches will be closed out early as players will have the opportunity to earn points for their team on every hole of every session.

A total of 3 points will be up for grabs on each hole with the team with the lowest score receiving 2 points, second lowest receiving 1 point, and highest score getting a goose egg. There are some additional nuances and rules around ties that are far too complex to include in this humble little newsletter.

All things considered, we love the concept and are excited to tune in to see what type of emotion and game these legends bring to this inaugural event!

Pouring Profits: Why whiskey as an asset class.

Invest Like the Greats — What do Thomas Jefferson, LeBron James, and the British royal family have in common? They all invested in wine and whiskey. And with good reason. According to Knight Frank, wine and whiskey have been two of the best-performing alternative assets of the last decade. See how Vinovest makes it easy to invest like the ultra wealthy today!

Let Min Cook

Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Perhaps the hottest player in the world, Min Woo Lee (-13) sits tied for the lead at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open. Lee is coming off a victory last week at the Australian PGA Championship. While brother Matthew is contention at Tiger’s party in Albany, Alex Fitzpatrick (-12) is just one shot off the lead heading into the final round.

Ashleigh Buhai (-12) leads the ladies side of the Aussie Open by three strokes heading into final round action.

Editors Note: Your editor needs sleep so please forgive us for not reporting the conclusion of the tournament that is set to wrap after midnight eastern. Check this link for the final scores.

In the Bahamas, Scottie Scheffler (-16) fired a 65 on Saturday and sits three shots clear of Matthew Fitzpatrick (-13) heading into the final round of the Hero World Challenge. Tiger Woods (E) has shot back-to-back rounds under par in his return to competition. Will Zalatoris (+12) is just happy to have packed enough sun screen for the weekend and will gladly take his last place money and run this evening.

Around the Game

PNC Championship

⛳️ Rollin’ it Back. It looks like the long rumored golf ball roll back is getting ready to take place.

⛳️ Tour Policy in the spotlight. A day after a memo from the Tour Policy Board Director’s to the players is released, news breaks of a petition sent out from an anonymous group players requesting a meeting with Tour leadership.

⛳️ Family Affair. Friend of The Starter, Leo Goosen and his pops Retief (pictured) are once again set to headline a star-studded field at what one of the funnest events on the schedule, the PNC Championship. Team DMPL will be present and may/may not dress in goose regalia.

⛳️ Promotion Time. LIV Golf announces the field of 70+ golfers that will head to Abu Dhabi next week to compete in the inaugural promotions tournament for the shot to secure the three remaining roster spots for the 2024 season.

⛳️ Two More Years. Team Europe taps Luke Donald to another term as they set their sights towards Bethpage Black.

⛳️ A Real Good Man. Great profile on Army vet turned PGA Professional Tom Son and his love of the game.

⛳️ Nothing but Aces. A compilation of all 20 holes-in-one made during the 2023 LPGA Tour season.

Staying Modest

Getty Images

With a roster of talent headlined by stars Tyrrell Hatton, Leona Maguire, and Angel Yin, Modest Golf Management has established itself as a premier global sport marketing agency. The man at the helm, 30-year-old, international pop icon, Niall Horan has silenced all the naysayers who couldn’t fathom that the One Direction star would actually build a credible presence within the world of golf. Most notably, Modest Golf spearheaded the first-of-it’s-kind ISPS HANDA World Invitational, the innovative mixed tournament sanctioned by the European Tour, LPGA Tour, and Ladies European Tours.

Featured in the December edition of UK’s Bunkered magazine, Niall details how his involvement with the sport could help encourage the next generation of female golfers.

“I always say this but, you know, I’ve got 40 million Twitter followers and a few more on Instagram (26 million),” he adds. “If me posting about golf here and there makes just one per cent of my followers take an interest in golf, well, look, I’m no mathematician, but it’s a lot!

“Don’t get me wrong, I know a lot of them will be like, ‘oh great, he’s talking about golf again!’ But I guarantee there’s quite a few who’ll read that tweet and go to the driving range, or go to TopGolf, or even just try to get involved in some shape or form. It’s just about letting them know the sport exists really.

“You never know how many will go, ‘Well, if Niall thinks it’s cool, it might be cool.’”

More Business

• The “Friends of Golf” consortium led by billionaires Henry Kravis and George Roberts, first cousins and co-founders of global investment firm KKR, are no longer in the mix to claim a stake of the new for-profit PGA Tour enterprise.

• Another change for the former Honda Classic, as tournament director Andrew George is leaving to join TMRW Sports and TGL as a senior vice-president. IT firm Cognizant is expected to become the new title sponsor for the PGA Tour event that takes place at the PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.

Worth the Follow: Michelle Holmes Golf

X @mholmesgolf

As #DMPLDads, we have a soft spot for youth golfers. Which is one of the reasons we gravitate to Michelle Holmes and her adventures teaching the game to the youngest of golfers. Having a bad day? A quick scroll through her feed is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face! Based out of Norfolk, Virginia, she is a LPGA Teaching Professional and a U.S. Kids Golf Master Teacher who has been recognized as a GRAA Top 50 Growth Of The Game Professional multiple times. Michelle Holmes has quickly become one of our favorites and is definitely worth the follow.

ICYMI

🎯 Put a 1 on the card. Lucas Glover aces the 17th hole during the second round of the Hero World Challenge.

🧑‍🍳 Chef’s Kiss. Min Woo Lee with a ridiculous 9 iron during the second round of the ISPS HANDA Australian Open.

🪨 Relatively Firm. America’s favorite caddy Geno Bonnalie shows just how hard it is to hold the green during winter in Northern Idaho.

🔍️ Where’s Jordan? Speith finds himself in a tough spot off the tee on Saturday after hitting 13/13 fairways during his second round.

🏀 Nothing to do with golf… But we couldn’t help but include this ultimate disrespect on the hardwood 😆 .

Golf Scramble

Can you correctly unscramble these golf terms?

1. AWRIFAY

2. GGDEOL

3. LPARNIOVISO

4. RTDSFLOABE

5. TPHCI

Name that Golfer

Three clues. Can you name this player?

• 6x winner on the LPGA Tour.

• Won the US Women’s Amateur Championship in consecutive years.

• First pro victory came at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

Issue no. 4 Answers

Golf Hole of the Day: Sleepy Hollow Golf Club. Congrats Scott Flanders!

Name that Golfer: Graeme McDowell

We’d rather be golfing. The Noble Fir is up and the lights are hung. Tis the most wonderful time of the year, indeed. What’s our favorite holiday movie? Glad you asked. Easy answer. Home Alone. The Wet Bandits are the ultimate Christmas villains and there is no better traveling polka band than the Kenosha Kickers. This classic will be playing nightly at the DMPL world headquarters for the duration of the year. Want to bring us some holiday cheer? Do us a favor and text your friends your new referral link with a “Keep the change, you filthy animal” GIF. We promise it will be well received. -Team DMPL

Home Alone/Fox

The Kids Want to Play

The Sandlot/Fox

According to the annual “State of Play” report from the Aspen Institute, an increasing number of kids are spurning traditional team sports such as football and baseball for individual sports like golf and tennis. The report, which is an insightful read recommended for parents and coaches, highlights that this migration trend began prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aspen Institute

Junior golf participants reach record levels

A recent study from the National Golf Foundation (NGF) showed that from 2019 - 2022 the sport gained nearly 1 million junior golfers (ages 6-17), and at just over 3.4 million in total, the youth golfer pool is now at its highest level since 2006. The recent rise in popularity of off-course venues such as TopGolf, Drive Shack, and PopStroke continues to attract young players and serves as a non-intimidating and affordable introduction to the game.

Social Media Influence

The sport has never felt more accessible, due in no small part to the increasing number of golf creators and influencers that post their talents (or lack there of!) across social media. DJ Khaled, Tom Holland, and Harry Styles are just a few of the notable celebrities who post their exploits on the golf course for the world to see. Former competitive amateur golfers turned social media phenomenons Grant Horvat, Mac Boucher, and Sabrina Andolpho combined boast nearly 1 million followers on Instagram alone and showcase new courses, miraculous shots, and fun banter to an engaged audience on a daily basis. Like it or not, the day is coming where a generation of golfers credit their love of the game to these social media personalities more so than the pros on tour.

In the end, regardless of how they are introduced to the sport, more kids interested in golf will lead to more opportunities for juniors and a brighter future for the game we all love.

All Eyes on Albany

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Albany Golf Course in The Bahamas will serve as the stage for the highly anticipated return of Will Zalatoris (pictured)…oh, and some guy named Tiger!

Who are we kidding? As much as we love the storyline of Zalatoris returning from a severe back injury, it is the return to competitive action for Woods that will have us all locked in on the Hero World Challenge this week. Twenty of the PGA Tour’s top players, including 2x defending champion Viktor Hovland, will compete in this non-cut event for the $1 million top prize. No tears will be shed for whoever finishes the week in last place as even they will take home a six-figure pay day and nice tan for joining in on Eldrick’s festivities in the Caribbean.

Betting Favorite: Viktor Hovland (+400)

Meow.

🐅 Complete Cat Recap. If you have 32 minutes to kill this morning, here is Tiger’s full press conference at the Hero World Challenge.

🐅 Next time, consult the Cat. Tiger shares his frustration of being caught flat footed on June 6 by the PGA Tour’s framework agreement announcement with the PIF.

🐅 Caddying for the Cat. Tiger confirms that friend and business partner Rob McNamara will be on his bag in Albany. No decision on who will be his caddy in 2024.

🐅 Captain Cat? Tiger shows off his press conference acumen by deflecting questions on his potential U.S. Ryder Cup team captaincy in 2025.

🐅 Year of the Cat. Tiger lays out his plan to play one tournament per month during the 2024 season. He will look to kick off his season at the Genesis Invitational in February.

More on the PGA Tour

• The controversial Player Impact Program (PIP) dolls out another $100 million with Rory bagging $15 million and ousting Tiger at the top of the list.

Around the Game

Shutterstock

⛳️ Goldman Sached. In a twist straight out of a USA Network prime time drama, the Ryder Cup’s hatless rebel Patrick Cantlay has lost his cap sponsor in Goldman Sachs. Cantlay was Goldman’s first-ever golf deal when they signed the emerging star in 2020.

⛳️ Ivy League to the Euro Tour. James Nicholas, who played both golf and football at Yale, secures his DP World Tour card after a final-round 67 at DP World Tour Q School.

⛳️ We Bought a Range. Rickie Fowler purchases Murrieta Valley Golf Range, the range he grew up playing, and promises his hometown to keep the range up and running.

⛳️ Globetrotting. LIV Golf formally unveils their 2024 schedule featuring stops at 12 courses across 8 countries.

⛳️ Coming in Cold. Players competing at the Asian Tour’s Taiwan Glass Tailing Open aren’t afforded the luxury of hitting range balls.

Dining Under Par

The Breezy Lounge

Golf themed sports bars are the vibe. Below are a few high profile dining establishments that merge good food and drinks with the great game:

• The Breezy Lounge at Five Iron Golf. Cult favorite Breezy Golf serves up adult beverages and handhelds at Five Iron Golf’s flagship Herald Square location in NYC.

• T-Squared Social in NYC. Justin Timberlake and Tiger Woods initially dreamt up the concept of an elevated golf themed sports bar while playing a round together in the Bahamas. After a successful debut in NYC, the duo turns their attention towards opening a second restaurant just steps away from the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland.

• Atlanta Golf and Social. Greg and Andrea Hall’s vision of creating a neighborhood hang while helping to build a community around a shared love of golf takes shape in this gem located in Chamblee, GA.

• The Woods Cabo. You won’t find a golf simulator at this dining concept from the Big Cat. Billed as a legendary sports bar experience in Cabo San Lucas, Eldrick’s dining haven boasts a menu of Baja Mexican specialities infused with Mediterranean flavors. Can’t make it to Mexico? Check out the original The Woods restaurant located in Jupiter, FL.

Hero World Challenge

Warner Home Video

Does Christian McCaffrey deliver or does Christian McCaffrey deliver? I honestly don’t know what was tastier - the line set at 112.5 total yards or my grandmother’s green bean casserole. Thanksgiving is still undefeated as it delivers family, food, and of course football. We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and are excited to get back to golf action this week as the PGA’s best head to the crystal-clear waters of the Bahamas. 

The anticipation has been building for Tiger Woods’ return to competition. He is the host of the Hero World Challenge, and the field is sizzling like a perfectly cooked bratwurst. This week’s tournament has me reminiscing about my childhood hero, none other than Dolph Lundgren, who plays He-Man in Masters of the Universe. Take us back to when movies were made with that type of quality…I apologize for that pivot but when the opportunity strikes to fit in a Dolph Lundgren reference, I don’t squander it. 

Moving forward. I know you’re probably thinking; “this guy is going to take Brian Harman again, isn’t he?” Well guess again! That ship has sailed and BY is on to bigger and brighter opportunities. And it doesn’t get much bigger and brighter than a field of the 20 best golfers in the world. My first lean will be to Wyndham Clark with a top 10 finish at -110. What I like most here is the value at nearly even money. Wyndham had a strong showing at the Ryder Cup and is looking to make some waves in the Bahamas. I like seeing a return on the investment at this position. My final lean is Max Homa with a top 5 finish at +125. Max is coming off a win on the DP World Tour at The Nedbank Golf Challenge, which we know has him fired up to play against a top tier field like we will see at Albany. Plus money for Homa…count me in! -BY

Draft Kings DFS 3-Putt Pot

Each week I will give my three strongest value buys for DFS play. I am only getting you started, finishing your line up will be up to you!

• Justin Thomas: $8,400

• Jordan Speith: $7,400

• Justin Rose: $6,900

As always, please remember to gamble responsibly.

Worth the Follow: My Pro Golfer 24

ig @myprogolfer24

Jeremy Franks, an established club pro, traded in the country club life to follow his passion for teaching the game, inspiring others, and playing courses around the world. From this pursuit, My Pro Golfer 24 was born. We are big fans of Jeremy and his Olive Tree Method that works to simplify the game for players of all skill levels. Need to get your game in shape for the upcoming season? We definitely recommend you give MPG24 a follow.

ICYMI

🦜 He said, he said. A rousing exchange between polarizing author Alan Shipnuck and polarizing golfer Phil Mickelson.

🍨 Back to School. Claire Rogers gets The Scoop from everyone’s favorite NBA Champ turned college golfer, J.R. Smith.

🏁 Racing Down Under. Who doesn’t enjoy a caddy race?

🦅 🦅 Pin Seeking. Adam Scott rattles the pin from the tee on a Par 4 during the 2nd round of the Australian PGA Championship.

🍞 Burnt Toast. Jordan Speith admits to re-injuring his wrist in the oddest of ways.

One winner will receive their hat of choice from Nation Golf!

Thanks for the submission, Rob Macchi!

Have a favorite golf hole that you’d like to see featured in an upcoming newsletter? Reply to this email or send to team@dmplgolf.com

Name that Golfer

Three clues. Can you name this player?

• 4x winner on the PGA Tour.

• Won the US Open and Ryder Cup in the same calendar year.

• Has an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Ulster.

Issue no. 3 Answers

Golf Scramble: 1. Albatross 2. Pinseeker 3. Wormburner 4. Sandbagger 5. Gimme

Name that Golfer: Mackenzie Hughes

We’d rather be golfing. Anything happen in golf this week?? Let’s dive into a busy week of headlines shortly, but before that, quick shout out to everyone who has subscribed. None of us were very popular in high school so this is the closest we have ever felt to being prom kings. Very excited to introduce our referral program that will make it easier for you to share our newsletter and earn some cool gear in the process. Turkey hangovers expected across the board over here so no Sunday morning issue this week. Enjoy time with your family, show Phil Jackson level zen while your better half empties the bank account on Friday, and look forward to us sliding back into your email next Wednesday. - Team DMPL

Transfers and Free Agency and Promotions, Oh my!

USA Today Sports

Innovation or insanity? LIV Golf has toed that line since it’s launch in October 2021. Their recent announcement of an Offseason Player Movement process is par for the course as they look to continue to modernize the sport.

Zone Coverage

Prior to the start of the offseason player movement process, LIV channeled Bill Belichick and outlined a few zone schemes for organizing their final standings.

• Lock Zone: Players finishing in the Top 24 secure an opportunity with the league next season.

• Open Zone: Players finishing 25-44 whose contracts are expiring become free agents.

• Drop Zone: Players finishing 45 and below are relegated out of the league and automatically qualify for the LIV Golf promotion tournament and the chance to earn their spot back next season.

  Editors note: As an undersized and un-athletic high school DB, I welcomed some drop zone back in the day…

What’s my Phase again?

This is where it really get’s fun! LIV recently wrapped up Phase One and are in the middle of Phase Two.

• Phase One: 

  • Top 24 players who are out of contract in 2023 have been offered a new contract by their current team.

  • Players that finished in the top 24 whose contracts are not expiring continue to play under their current terms.

• Phase Two:

  • Players from the first phase who did not accept their new contracts and those who finished in spots 25-44 with expired contracts enter free agency.

    • Pat Perez was the first free agent to re-sign on Monday.

• Phase Three:

  • Once the players from phase two find their new homes, spots 45-48 will be filled by the winner of the International Series rankings and the top 3 finishers at the LIV Golf promotion tournament to be held December 8-10 at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club. 

  • The teams with open roster spots will participate in the inaugural LIV Golf Draft and determine where the four players from phase three call home during the 2024 season.

Speaking of the 2024 season….

Golfchannel.com reported that the 2024 season would see at least 7 of the 14 events played outside of the United States. The circuit will kick off its season on February 2 in Mexico and make its debut in Houston in June. LIV Golf will look to release the full schedule later today.

Earlier this week, LIV’s resident defending major champion, Brooks Koepka, had a little fun trolling his employer for the lack of clarity on destinations for the golf road show next season.

So many storylines following the offseason. Who will go #1 in the draft?? Will the Cleeks go into the luxury tax after re-signing Richard Bland to a max deal?? Will anyone tune in to the CW next year to find out?? 🫠 

Hello Old Friends

Patrick Smith/Getty Images

As the tours stateside take a break, golf across the pond keeps on rolling this week as the DP World Tour stages both the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland GC in Brisbane, Australia and the Joburg Open at Houghton GC in Johannesburg, South Africa.

In Brisbane, defending champion Cameron Smith (pictured) headlines a strong field featuring Adam Scott and young stars Min Woo Lee and Cameron Davis. While 24-year-old Dan Bradbury looks to defend his crown at the Joburg. His 2022 victory in South Africa is the only professional win on his resume.

An interesting sub plot to the week is the participation of several notable LIV Golf players at both of the tournaments.

Betting Favorite: 

Australian PGA; Cameron Smith (+450) Joburg Open; Dean Burmester (+1000)

More on the DP World Tour

• DP World Tour made the right call in strengthening alliance with the PGA Tour.

• For the first time ever, Race to Dubai standings help ten DP World Tour pros secure their PGA Tour cards for the upcoming season.

Around the Game

Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images

⛳️ End of an Era. 2008 Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger unceremoniously departs his chair as the lead golf analyst for NBC. Reports indicate that Zinger’s unwillingness to take a pay cut led to the separation. Curt Bynum has gotten the call up to the lead analyst role for next week’s Hero World Challenge. No word yet on whether Marshawn Lynch will fill the full-time void.

⛳️ Deflating. TGL punts the start of their inaugural season to 2025 following the overnight power failure last week that caused significant damage to the future home of the league.

⛳️ What a Year. Lilia Vu caps off a remarkable season on the LPGA Tour by earning the Rolex Player of the Year Award.

⛳️ LET’s wait a minute. Ladies European Tour members unexpectedly postpone vote on whether to merge with the LPGA.

⛳️ Heir Jordan. Jordan Speith assumes the role recently vacated by Rory McIlroy on the PGA Tour policy board. Speith, who previously sat on the board from 2019-21, will serve on the board for the remainder of McIlroy’s term, which runs through the end of 2024.

⛳️ She Long. Fun profile on the longest content creator on IG Gabi Powel and her path to the World Long Drive Championship.

Swinging for a Cause

Tracy Wilcox/PGA Tour

Since 1988, the PGA Tour Wives Association have been giving back to communities and supporting charities across the country where their professional golfing husbands compete. To date, the wives have contributed more than $5 million to the host communities of the PGA Tour.

This powerhouse group of women tact an additional $25,000 on to their fundraising total as their 11th annual RSM Wiffle Ball Classic was another homerun! Aided by some clutch hitting from Harry Higgs and Brendon Todd, the PGA Tour husbands edged out a 9-8 victory over the wives. The real winner of the evening was the Boys and Girls Club of Southeast Georgia as they were the beneficiary of the philanthropic support raised at the event.

On deck for the ladies is the 20th edition of their annual Tour Wives Golf Classic held in conjunction to the WM Phoenix Open in which the pros caddie for their spouses. Proceeds from this event support St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

Growing the Game

• The World Invitational Father and Daughter Golf Tournament hosted by Carr Golf is a bucket list event for every girl dad.

• The GEO Foundation champions sustainable golf.

• LPGA star Hannah Green makes significant donation to the Australian Golf Foundation Junior Girls Scholarship program.

• November 28 marks the annual GivingTuesday fundraising initiative. Plenty of great charities across the sport. Find one and support!

Hey, Buddy! Happy Thanksgiving!

Seinfeld

So who am I? That is an excellent question. I am an avid golfer, who rarely plays but loves the game, and a regular gambler, who considers himself dangerously streaky. To put it plainly, I’ve held a 7 handicap for nearly a decade and haven’t played a single round without at least one wager attached to it…

Allow me to be your caddie and let’s win some money! - BY

Thanksgiving NFL “Prop” Luck Special

What more can I say than our guys had fight! The RSM Classic brought fireworks with a winning score of -29 from an unwavering Ludvig Aberg, who was the favorite entering the contest. Aberg’s back-to-back 61’s to finish the weekend left spectators’ jaws nestled nicely in the ryegrass. Aberg is living up to the hype and will continue to be on my radar moving forward. 

My picks Brian Harman and Patton Kizzire both finished at -11 which was just enough to crack the top 50. Falling short of expectations can be difficult, but here at DMPL we thrive within the storm and press on.

Happy Thanksgiving to all! We are so thankful for you being a part of our growing community. The PGA Tour is taking a week off and will resume on November 30^th with The Hero World Challenge and the highly anticipated return of Tiger Woods. In the meantime, as we embark on a holiday filled with gratitude, we are thankful for all sports, especially the NFL. The standard three game slate is set for Thanksgiving Day, and I have selected my favorite player prop from each game to add a little extra gravy to your bank account heading into the holiday season. Parlay if you dare!

Packers @ Lions: Jared Goff U253.5 passing yards (-115)

Commanders @ Cowboys: Brandon Aubrey O1.5 Field Goals (-135)

49ers @ Seahawks: Christian McCaffrey O112.5 rushing + receiving yds (-115)

As always, please remember to gamble responsibly.

Worth the Follow: Nation Golf

ig @nationgolf

Nation Golf is cool. Plain and simple. Inspired by their convictions that golf is worth dressing up for, each post from Nation Golf, led by Ryan Engle and Adam Hawk, evokes a feeling of nostalgia for the golden era of golf unmatched by any other brand on social media. We recommend you make a play on some swanky styles from Nation Golf and bring a touch of class to your holiday scramble.

ICYMI

🌳 Joost Luiten for my clubs. One of the silliest scenes you’ll ever see took place during the final round of the DP World Tour Championship.

🪄 Fitzmagic. U.S. Open Champion Matt Fitzpatrick joins the High Performance Podcast to discuss his meticulous approach to the game.

🐅 Living the dream. Barstool’s ForePlay Pod guys give sneak peak at their shoot with Eldrick.

🏠️ Crib with a course. Potentially, the ultimate Airbnb rental for your next golf trip.

👀 Forget Foosball. This table golf set up is the perfect gift for the Lambda Chi in your life.

Golf Scramble

Can you correctly unscramble these golf terms?

1. SOSALTRBAO

2. EEINRKEPS

3. MBRUORNWRE

4. GANBGRSAED

5. MIGME

Name that Golfer

Three clues. Can you name this player?

• 2x winner of the PGA Tour.

• First player to win on the PGA Tour, the PGA Tour Canada, and the Korn Ferry Tour.

• Par-3 course at Dundas Valley Golf and Country Club was renamed in his honor.

Issue no. 2 Answers

Golf Hole of the Day: Bethpage Black

Name that Golfer: Tom Kim

We’d rather be golfing. Welcome to issue no. 2 of The Starter, the email newsletter curated by our team of mid-handicappers at DMPL. We understand that with so many great publications, journalists, and creators covering the sport that it can be difficult to keep up with all of the best insights. Every Sunday and Wednesday, we will save you the time of searching the web and deliver you stories around the world of golf that highlight topics such as business, technology, style, gambling, and everything in between. Full transparency, if you are simply seeking tips on how to fix your slice then this isn’t the newsletter for you..

What’s with the name DMPL? Just as dimples are integral to a golf ball, we are working to become an essential part of every golfers daily journey. Our mission is to cultivate a community of engaged golfers by amplifying the voices of every day players like ourselves. This newsletter is the first step towards that goal and we look forward to having everyone along for the ride! - Team DMPL

Women’s Golf is on the Rise

Adam Hagy/USA Today Sports

🚀 The stage for the world’s best golfers continues to get bigger and brighter. As the ladies wrap up their 2023 season in Naples, the LPGA Tour announced a revamped schedule for 2024 which includes a record breaking $118 million in prize money. Yes, the gap between the LPGA Tour season purse and the men’s circuit (approx. $460 million in 2023) is still massive and will probably only grow larger given the new for-profit direction of the PGA Tour. But considering the total purse was $70 million when Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan left her Athletic Director’s post at Princeton in 2021 to lead the women’s tour, the nearly 70% increase in prize monies validates the growing popularity and reach of the sport under her direction.

The 2024 LPGA Tour schedule release is not merely about tournaments and destinations; it’s a resounding declaration that women’s golf is not just gaining momentum – it’s raising the stakes and laying the foundation for future generations of female golfers.

2024 Schedule by the Numbers

• $118 million in total prize money

• 35 events

• 16 tournaments with purse of at least $3 million

• 15 states

• 10 countries

• $11 million purse for the CME Tour Championship ($7 million in 2023)

More on Women’s Golf

• 🌎️ LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour near historic merger.

• 💰️ The Epson Tour, LPGA’s developmental circuit, announces the elevation of the Carlisle Arizona Women’s Golf Classic.

• 🏆️ Lexi Thompson accepts the Founders Award at the annual LPGA Awards.

• 🎙️ The crew at “No Laying Up” recap the 2023 LPGA Tour season.

Going Low

AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili

Matt Wallace (pictured) went full video game mode during his 3rd round at the DP World Tour Championship sinking a record 12 birdies, including 9 in a row on the backside, to shoot a course record 60 and take a one stroke lead heading into the final round. Viktor Hovland (-15) sits one shot behind the leader and has a legitimate chance to become the first golfer to win both the PGA Tour Championship and DP World Tour Championship in the same season.

Rookie phenom Ludvig Aberg (-20) carded a 3rd round 61 to take a one shot lead into Sunday at The RSM Classic. Aberg hit arguably the shot of the week on Friday when he drove the green on the 394-yard 5th hole. The Vegas favorite heading into the tournament is looking to follow up his Ryder Cup breakout with his first PGA Tour victory. McKenzie Hughes (-18) also put on a Saturday sizzler at the fall finale in Sea Island. Hughes, who won The RSM Classic in 2016, had a 16-foot birdie look on the final hole for a 59 but ended up settling for a Saturday 60.

Did you tail Wednesday’s Breakfast Ball? If so, you’ll be watching intently on Sunday as Patton Kizzire (-10) sits tied for 30th while Brian Harman (-7) is T55.

Nelly Korda (-14) carded an ace on her way to a 3rd round 66 at the CME Group Tour Championship. She trails co-leaders Amy Yang (-21) and Nasa Hataoka by seven strokes heading into Sunday. Yang is seeking her first LPGA Tour win since 2019.

Around the Game

Universal Pictures

🐅The BIG CAT is BACK. Tiger confirms what we all were expecting and announces his return to competition at the Hero World Challenge on November 30 - December 3.

⛳️ Stanford powered by the signing of four of the the top-100 amateurs in the world, secured the top-ranked women’s class for 2024. Not to be out-done, the men landed Thailand’s T.K. Chantanuwat (#46 in the WAGR) to highlight the top-ranked men’s class for 2024. Ball State University may not have landed a heralded class but they did sign Landon “Happy” Gilmore. Lafferty, Daniel did not sign anywhere.

⛳️ TGL sees their anticipated timeline potentially deflate alongside of their planned SoFi Center. Fortunately, no injuries or destroyed Trackman’s were reported following the collapse. The drone footage is remarkable. Can they really get this all together in less than 2 months?

⛳️ Are you desperately seeking a virtual golf alternative if the TGL is delayed? Look no further than Season 2 of the NEXT Golf Tour.

⛳️ Fenway Sports Group has rallied a who’s who of sports owners in their quest to become an equity partner in the new for-profit PGA Tour. Steve Cohen (Mets), Arthur Blank (Falcons), and Tom Ricketts (Cubs) headline the names involved in FSG’s Strategic Sports Consortium.

⛳️ Slow players beware, the PGA Tour is set to impose hefty fines for slow play. In completely unrelated news, Patrick Cantlay has hired an additional CPA.

⛳️ Very Superstitious. Lighthearted piece explores the surprising quirks of some of the world’s top golfers. 

Panther National Premiers

Panther National

Jack Nicklaus and Justin Thomas’ highly anticipated collaboration officially opened on Friday. Panther National, the new ultra-exclusive club situated on a 400 acre plot in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, incorporates dynamic elevation changes, double fairways, and expansive waste areas to provide a challenge unique to the golf scene in South Florida. Born out of boredom from the Florida courses he had grown accustomed to, Dominik Senn, founder and president of 4Sports & Entertainment, set out to create the first modern golf and country club in the United States. 

JT the Designer

While the Golden Bear has designed more than 400 courses across 45 countries, Panther National is the first design credit for the 2x major winner Justin Thomas. Admittedly, Thomas rode shotgun to Nicklaus and co. throughout the development of the project but his significant social media presence has played a key role in promoting the club and selling memberships and home sites in advance of it’s opening.

Will Panther National live up to the hype? We’ll wait patiently for an invite from a member of the DMPL community to find out for ourselves 🙃.

More Course Updates

• Cabot Citrus Farms, Cabot’s first American property, unveils the names of all four courses set to open in Brooksville, FL next year.

• OCM unveils redesign of Course Three at Medinah Country Club.

• Oakland Hills Country Club moves forward with costly rebuild of historic clubhouse.

Worth the Follow: St. Andre Golf

ig @standregolf

In our humble opinion, St. Andre Golf are the kings (and queen!) of golf content creation. Bridgestone Golf agrees and earlier this year tabbed the golf-loving comedians to headline their social content creation efforts alongside the likes of Tiger, Fred Couples, and Lexi Thompson. Little doubt that most, if not all, of you reading this newsletter are already following them, but we couldn’t go another issue without shouting out Aaron, Hannah, Jonathan and the rest of this crew from Atlanta.

ICYMI

🐡 A Tiger and a Blowfish walk into a bar. Darius Rucker tells an all-time story about the first time he met Tiger.

🪑 Play it as it lies. Rory has a unique interaction with a fan during the 1st round of the DP World Tour Championship.

⚡️ Electric. Richard Bland can hardly contain his enthusiasm after re-signing with the vaunted Cleeks GC of LIV Golf.

🖼️ Hang Tiger in The Louvre. Is this the best use of 25,000 wooden tees ever? We think so.

🌑 Shorter days. Daylight Savings is tough on us golfers in Florida but it is downright devastating for you folks up north.

🎯 Sure shot. Tommy Fleetwood shows off his skills.

Have a favorite golf hole that you’d like to see featured in an upcoming newsletter? Reply to this email or send to team@dmplgolf.com.

Guess that Golfer

Three clues. Can you name this player?

• 3x winner on the PGA Tour.

• Won his first professional event in 2019 on the Asian Development Tour.

• Nicknamed after the lead character in the cartoon “Thomas & Friends”.

Issue no. 1 Answers

Guess that Stache: 1. Rory McIlroy 2. Bubba Watson 3. Dustin Johnson 4. Rickie Fowler 5. Erik van Rooyen 6. Phil Mickelson

Name that Golfer: Cheyenne Knight

We’d rather be golfing. Welcome to The Starter, the email newsletter curated by our team of mid-handicappers at DMPL. We understand that with so many great publications, journalists, and creators covering the sport that it can be difficult to keep up with all of the best insights. Every Sunday and Wednesday, we will save you the time of searching the web and deliver you stories around the world of golf that highlight topics such as business, technology, style, gambling, and everything in between. Full transparency, if you are simply seeking tips on how to fix your slice then this isn’t the newsletter for you..

What’s with the name DMPL? Just as dimples are integral to a golf ball, we are working to become an essential part of every golfers daily journey. Our mission is to cultivate a community of engaged golfers by amplifying the voices of every day players like ourselves. This newsletter is the first step towards that goal and we look forward to having everyone along for the ride! - Team DMPL

TGL Looks Towards the Future

Oisin Keniry/R&A/Getty Images

This won’t be your grandfather’s round of golf. TMRW Sports, a joint venture formed by Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and sports executive Mike McCarley, in partnership with the PGA Tour are set to launch the tech driven TMRW Golf League (TGL) in January. The growing popularity of golf simulators coupled with the desire to cater to a younger, more tech savvy audience, has propelled this revolutionary new league that will offer a total purse of $21 million, with $9 million going to the winning team. Twenty-four of the world’s best players (sans Jon Rahm), will make up 6 teams from 6 different cities, with Tiger channeling the legendary Jackie Moon and serving as both a player and the owner for the team based out of Jupiter, FL.

TGL Teams

• Atlanta Drive GC

• Boston Common Golf

• Jupiter Links GC

• Los Angeles GC

• New York (Team Name TBD)

• San Francisco (Team Name TBD)

TGL recently revealed the format that will look to incorporate elements found in the traditional major American sports (shot clock, penalties, etc.) along with what is being dubbed “Modern Match Play”. All of this will take place at the new SoFi Center in West Palm Beach, FL in front of a massive 64’ x 46’ Full Swing technology simulator screen. The new venue is set to hold only 2,000 fans, but with ESPN set to broadcast the league in prime time, there will be plenty of opportunity for golf fans to tune in on a weekly basis.

Is TGL the future of golf? Time will only tell, but it should sure beat watching Shark Tank reruns on Monday nights….

More on TGL

• 💰️ Rory McIlroy and Tom Werner (Fenway Sports Group) discuss the future of TGL on CNBC’s “Halftime Report”.

• 🐸 Boston Common Golf, featuring Rory, Adam Scott, Keegan Bradley, and Tyrrell Hatton are introduced at presser in Boston.

• 🎙️ The guys at “No Laying Up” ask all the best questions on TGL.

• 👕 Fanatics lands rights to design and manufacture TGL merchandise.

A Champion Will Be Crowned

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

The LPGA Tour heads to Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, FL for their season ending CME Group Tour Championship. Lilia Vu (pictured) fresh off her fourth victory of the season at The Annika heads into the final week leading the Race to CME Globe Season points standings and as a favorite to capture the Tour Championship and a large share of the $7 million purse. 2022 champion Lydia Ko will not be in South Florida to defend her title as she failed to make it inside the top 60 in the season long points standings.

Betting Favorite: Atthaya Thitikul (+1100)

Davis Love III welcome’s the PGA Tour to Sea Island Golf Club in St. Simons Island, GA for the last regular season event in 2023, the RSM Classic. The cordial host will also join the field highlighted by 2023 Open Champion Brian Harman, future TGL stars Cameron Young and Kevin Kisner, and defending champion Adam Svensson. The final event of 2023 carries an $8.4 million purse and will help determine full-time status for 2024 as well as who will take part in early-season signature events.

Betting Favorite: Ludvig Aberg (+1400)

The strongest field in men’s golf this weekend will be found in Dubai competing at the DP World Tour Championship. Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and Viktor Hovland highlight a stacked lineup of players that are set to take on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates and vie for the $10 million purse. Rory goes into the week having already secured the season long Race to Dubai title, his fifth time claiming the European Tour’s top crown.

Betting Favorite: Rory McIlroy (+450)

Around the Game

USGA

⛳️ Nine is fine. The USGA and The R&A announced a set of of significant revisions to the World Handicap System that will take effect on January 1, 2024. Per the release, the updates are a part of an an on ongoing review of the Rules of Handicapping and Course Rating system with a continued emphasis on accuracy, consistency and equity. All twilight golfers rejoice as chief among the changes is that standalone 9-hole scores will now count towards a golfers official Handicap Index.

⛳️ And Still. Pine Valley once again ranks as the best course in America in the eyes of the esteemed panelist at Golf.com, who unveiled their annual ranking of the Top 100 Courses in the US. 

⛳️ Show me the money. That’s what PGA TOUR officials are yelling into their smart phones as they engage potential private equity partners in their new for-profit entity. ESPN reports that a memo sent from commissioner Jay Monahan informed players that once an agreement is made with an outside partner, the Tour will offer its members direct ownership in the new corporation. Endeavor, owner of the UFC and WWE, is the only potential partner to have taken their interest public. Unfortunately, the agency’s president Mark Shapiro confirmed to Sportico that its bid had been rejected, costing a global audience the chance to see The Match featuring Rory & LA Knight vs. Tiger & Sean O’Malley.

⛳️ He’s a Richard. The content gift that keeps on giving as Rory shares some additional color on the tension at the Ryder Cup. This should lead to some extremely cold stares and strongly worded emails between both sides.

⛳️ Rory Resigns. Rory continues his takeover of the headlines by resigning from the PGA TOUR policy board.

⛳️ The Wishbone Brawl. Xander Schauffele showed off his skills with the persimmon woods and headlined the 6th edition of the exhibition event held at 4,500 yard Goat Hill Park Golf Club in Oceanside, California. A celebration of the game, all proceeds from the event benefited the North County Junior Golf Association and Goat Hill Park’s Junior Caddie and Leadership Academy.

Eastside Golf x Mercedes Benz

Mercedes USA

If you aren’t familiar with Eastside Golf, you will be soon. Co-founders Olajuwon Ajanaku and Earl Cooper have been a disruptive force and at the forefront of growing the game since the brands inception in 2019. Strategic brand partnerships, such as their wildly successful collaboration with Jordan Brand, have led the Atlanta based company to burst onto the golf scene like few have in recent memory. With their recently announced partnership with Mercedes-Benz and the joint “Vehicle for Change” program, Eastside Golf continues to drive awareness and advance golf beyond traditionally exclusive environments. Morehouse College, alma mater of the Eastside founders, is a beneficiary of the most recent partnership as the HBCU received philanthropic support towards academic initiatives and programs for student-athletes.

Growing the Game

• Twenty-eight emerging golf leaders attended the annual First Tee Innovators Forum hosted at the PGA TOUR Global home office in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.

Fortune Favors the Brave

Warner Brothers

So who am I? That is an excellent question. I am an avid golfer, who rarely plays but loves the game, and a regular gambler, who considers himself dangerously streaky. To put it plainly, I’ve held a 7 handicap for nearly a decade and haven’t played a single round without at least one wager attached to it…

Allow me to be your caddie and let’s win some money! - BY

The RSM Classic

Coincidently, our sponsor this week specializes in none other than risk management, setting a serendipitous backdrop for the opening week of the Breakfast Ball.

In the movie Troy, when a young boy delivers the message to Achilles (Brad Pitt) that he was chosen to fight the opposing army's best warrior to decide the battle, the boy confesses that he wouldn’t want the unenviable task of facing the opposing warrior due to his tremendous size. Achilles responds calmly by saying, "that's why no one will remember your name." 

Are you inspired? Fantastic. Well consider me more Reuben Feffer and less Achilles this week as I start out conservative and lean on Brian Harman to secure a Top 10 finish at +200. If you have a few extra dollars and can handle some additional risk in a separate play, don’t be shy to push him to a Top 5 finish at +400. Harman should be well rested as he hasn’t played an event since the Ryder Cup. More importantly, he is a member at Sea Island and is coming off of a T2 finish at last year’s event. My second lean is towards a Top 20 finish at +500 for another Sea Island member, Patton Kizzire. He is fresh off solid showings in his two most recent starts and has finished in the Top 10 at The RSM Classic two out of the last five years. 

DraftKings DFS 3-Putt Pot

Each week I will also share my three strongest value buys for DraftKings daily fantasy play.  I am only getting you started though. Finishing your lineup will be up to you!

• J.T. Poston: $9,300

• Camilo Villegas: $7,700

• Webb Simpson: $7,200

As always, please remember to gamble responsibly.

Is it time for the Mock Turtleneck to make another comeback?

Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

🐢 I remember the first time I saw Tiger rock the mock turtleneck on a weekend. Striding down the fairway with the swagger of John Shaft and the confidence of Michael Jordan. I was blown away. Sure, other golf greats like Jack and Gary Player had a habit in their day of exchanging the traditional fly collars for the high neck on golf’s biggest stages, but this was different. Those guys would wear the turtleneck under a sweater, seemingly prepared to hit the bingo hall immediately after the round. Tiger, on the other hand, introduced the short sleeve, guns in your face variation that screamed “I’m a better athlete than you are!” He made it cool.

One of the best parts of Tiger’s historic return to glory at Augusta in 2019 was that he did it in the patented “Sunday Red” mock turtleneck that spurred guys of my era to scour the web in a quest to find that badass garment. A few years later, Brooks gave the mock a run at the Tour Championship introducing NOCTA Golf, a collaboration between rap superstar Drake and Nike. The public reviews were mixed and both NOCTA Golf’s popularity and Brooks’ desire to continue sporting the high neck were stymied.

Although it may not translate onto the tour, today, fashion forward golf brands such as Macade and Nation Golf are doing their part to make the mock turtleneck a course staple for the next generation of golfers. While Macade offers a more traditional mock style in their Heath Mock Tee line, Nation Golf has gone nostalgic with their vintage inspired Riviera Mock Neck. And of course, Nike still offers a variation of the OG mock that will help channel your inner Eldrick during your next round.

As fall golf turns to winter golf, don’t be surprised if you see your local sandbagger doing his part to help make mocks great again! -MM

Golf Fashion Collaborations

• 🤝 PING and Hideoki Bespoke collab to elevate luxury golf fashion and create “The 19th Collection”.

• 🤝 Malbon Golf and Budweiser introduce third installment of their successful collaboration.

• 🤝 TaylorMade and Vessel drop super limited collection with only 50 sets of the luxury collaboration produced.

Worth the Follow: Fore The Ladies

ig @foretheladies

Launched in 2019 by Abby Liebenthal, Fore the Ladies continues to open doors for women that are eager to learn the game and engage in the business, social and networking opportunities that take place on the course. Fore The Ladies is one of our favorite new follows.

ICYMI

🎯 Zeroed. Tiger gave us all our new favorite term and Adam Long set the record for most consecutive fairways hit on Tour, stripping 69 of them in a row. Coincidently, this is 68 more consecutive fairways hit than anyone on Team DMPL.

🕰️ Better late than never.  Kevin Durant get’s his first set of clubs and the Fresh Prince gives Joyner Lucas a few swing tips.

🦓 Swings and Safari’s. Justin Rose, Justin Thomas and Max Homa, and Hally Leadbetter all took the opportunity to enjoy the sights in South Africa. While at Skuza Golf Club, you’re guaranteed to play the wildest round of your life…

🍀 Feeling Lucky. Lucky Cruz put on a show to capture the 2023 Notah Begay III Junior National Championship, beating a certain spawn of the greatest golfer of all time in the process.

❤️ Love to see it. Two months post brain surgery, Gary Woodland shares heartfelt note and inspiring video of him getting back after it at the range.

🏎️ Need for Speed. As you can imagine, the social fodder is robust in reaction to The Netflix Cup that took place last night. The world is asking should Jim Nance be concerned by the emergence of the next great golf commentator, Marshawn “Beast Mode” Lynch? Only fitting that a chaotic night ends with winner Carlos Saenz breaking the cup at the podium 😲 .

Guess that Stache

Can you correctly identify these six pros by their facial hair?

Name that Golfer

Three clues. Can you name this player?

1. 2x winner on the LPGA Tour

2. Former SEC Player of the Year

3. Made Solheim Cup debut in 2023