Financial outlook for Koepka, relief for Faldo, Woods party, a brazen robbery, Daly’s new camping spot. The Back Nine.
Not everyone was pleased: Vijay Singh literally draws the money list tour card at the \”tender\” age of 62 – and naturally there are some voices complaining. For example, that the man from Fiji takes away a starting spot from those who desperately need tournament entries to secure their livelihood. There is some truth to that, as Singh probably no longer has to worry about daily bread with career prize money of over 71 million dollars. But the three-time major winner is a sportsman with a strong competitive spirit, especially a \”training animal,\” and wants to give it another go – 24 years after his debut on the PGA Tour at 29 and 34 tournament wins later. He is tempted by competing with much younger players. Furthermore: the rule with the tour card via the career prize money exemption for one season of choice exists after all.
And Singh immediately responded at his first restart on the tour. The veteran qualified for the weekend at the Sony Open with rounds of 68 and 70 strokes. It was tight but at least achieved. This makes Singh the oldest player since Fred Couples in 2023 at the Masters to make a cut on the PGA Tour. With the weekend effort in Hawaii, Singh accomplished the rare feat of making a PGA Tour cut even in the fourth decade of his professional career. Overall, he now has 506 of 638 cuts in his record and finished tied for 40th place after further rounds of 68 and 69 strokes at five under par for the tournament.
Koepka Allowed to Compete for FedEx Millions
Another Lex Koepka? The LIV returnee could make good money this season after all. Originally, Brooks Koepka had agreed to rejoin the PGA Tour under conditions including donating five million dollars to charity, waiving shares in the Player Equity Program, and not participating in the FedEx Cup Bonus Pool for five years — which in 2026 will be filled with 40 million dollars paid at the Tour Championship. However, this prize money was now declared official prize money by the tour. The five-time major winner may therefore compete for the $10 million winner’s check and prize money for finishers, provided he qualifies for the season finale at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.
Sir Nick Faldo: Open-Heart Surgery
Eyes on The Masters: Sir Nick Faldo underwent open-heart surgery in the USA and has now returned upbeat on social media. The six-time major winner, now 68 years old, spent two weeks in Cleveland with his wife Lindsay and had the enlarged aorta corrected preventively by renowned heart surgeon Dr. Lars Svensson at the Cleveland Clinic. \”Home has never felt so good,\” Faldo reports, who will celebrate the 30th anniversary of his last of three Green Jackets (1989, 1990, 1996) at the 90th Masters next April.
Highlights from Tiger’s Birthday Celebration
A chronicle duty: Here are some impressions from the gala event celebrating Tiger Woods’ 50th birthday,