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Fun Panorama

Watch: DP World Tour Stars receive influencer training

(Screenshot: Youtube.com/@dpworldtour)
(Screenshot: Youtube.com/@dpworldtour)

Chapeau to the DP World Tour social media team. It couldn’t be more imaginative and funny. Whether it was the staged round table to find a Ryder Cup team captain or the self-help course in anger management for Tyrrell Hatton – it was all world class, including the cinematic realisation. The creative team’s latest coup is an influencer training course for tour professionals aka: How do I put myself in the limelight in the best and most effective way, how do I generate maximum attention. It goes without saying that there is a pinch of self-irony and a wink. But enough words, the result speaks for itself:

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PGA Tour

Jon Rahm and the Status of his Ryder Cup Relationship: It’s Getting Complicated

Photo: Getty
Photo: Getty

What’s the difference between Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton? No, it’s not the fact that one looks like a Basque bear, while the other – albeit English – looks like an Irish leprechaun in a tall hat under his baseball cap and all too often behaves like one. Like on Saturday at the Dubai Desert Classic, when Hatton smashed a tee marker in anger.

Rather, what is meant is the loudly proclaimed claim of both to be called up for Bethpage Black, for the European Ryder Cup team’s away match on Long Island in September.

Hatton Strengthens Ryder Cup Bid, While Rahm Faces Struggles

While Hatton underlined his claim again yesterday with victory in Dubai after winning the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in October, his eighth title in his 200th start on the DP World Tour, Rahm lacks precisely such successes. Instead, the Spanish LIV star made a false start to the 2025 golf year, firing an underground 77 after an opening 69 on Friday and missing the weekend – also because he lost out in the battle with a bush.

Now, of all times, the supposed Ryder Cup top performer has missed his first cut at a Rolex Series event and his third in more than four years. Now, of course, it is premature and completely inappropriate to pass the sporting baton on the 30-year-old. Team boss Luke Donald will hardly be able to avoid giving Rahm the wild card for his fourth continental competition anyway; after all, he finished second and sixth in his two Spanish home appearances in autumn 2024. Nevertheless, the status of the relationship with regard to the Ryder Cup is likely to remain unchanged: It’s going to be complicated.

Rahm’s Ryder Cup Chances Clouded by Legal Issues

After all, Rahm is virtually operating in a legal vacuum and is speculating that he will ‘survive’ in it until September. That does have a certain flavour. As a reminder, the Spaniard – like Hatton – has lodged an appeal against the multi-million fine imposed by the DP World Tour for the unauthorised switch to the LIV League, is playing under a temporary injunction and is counting on the expected judgement against him not being passed until after the Ryder Cup. The competent appeals court has already legitimised the Tour’s sanctions in other cases, and should a decision be made in Rahm’s case before September, he would have to pay in order to actually be able to play in the USA.

Anyone who doubts that Rahm would also pay without hesitation if, as hoped, the fine is not due until after Bethpage Black. The man to whom the Saudis are paying a guaranteed fee of 450 million dollars for four years and who was already worth over 50 million dollars beforehand has a family of four to feed, so you have to keep your pennies together. Irony off again. Instead, it would be desirable for Rahm to do the same as Hatton – not in terms of tea markers, but to mask the stale odour of his tactics with the fragrance of sporting success. The Englishman also plays with the proviso of a revision. But at least he wins. And gets a lot of encouragement for it:

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Panorama

Justin Bieber Shows Off Golf Skills with Bold ‘Driver Off the Deck’ Shot

Justin Bieber tries daring golf "Driver off the Deck" shot. (Source: Instagram@golfdigest)

It’s no secret that many celebrities find refuge on the golf course, and Justin Bieber is no exception. Over the years, the now 30-year-old singer has been vocal about his passion for golf, once claiming to have played to a 15-handicap. Bieber recently gave his fans a glimpse of his golf game by posting a video showcasing an ambitious shot: the challenging and rarely-seen “Driver off the Deck.”

Justin Bieber Takes on the “Driver Off the Deck” Challenge

For those unfamiliar, hitting a driver off the fairway is a bold move, even for seasoned golfers. It requires precise technique and control, as the shot eliminates the support of a tee, demanding the utmost accuracy. In the video, Justin Bieber can be seen addressing the golf ball with confidence before attempting this high-risk play. Bieber’s swing and the result of the shot sparked interest across social media. While opinions on his performance varied, the video highlights his enthusiasm for the game.

 
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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Golf Digest (@golfdigest)

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PGA Tour

PGA Tour: Tour Championship changing to a group format?

A change to the Tour Championship format might be in the works. (Photo: Getty)
A change to the Tour Championship format might be in the works. (Photo: Getty)

Schedule: The PGA Tour is considering a change to the tournament format for the Tour Championship. According to US media reports, a bracket solution is being discussed for the season finale at East Lake Country Club, i.e. dividing the field of participants into two groups, which will then play out the champion in stroke play and match play. The current format is controversial among active players, but a format with direct duels would be well received. ‘I’d like to see something the players are excited about and the fans are excited about,’ said Patrick Cantlay, a member of the PGA Tour Policy Board, which has to approve a change. As only the top 30 players of the season or the play-offs are competing in East Lake anyway, the problem that makes a match play format unattractive for standard tournaments would also be obsolete: because no underdogs could fight their way through to the semi-finals or final and then possibly rather unattractive names with low ratings would duel each other at prime time on Sunday.

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Panorama

Lexi Thompson: Proposal in the snow

Boyfriend Max Provost proposing to Lexi Thompson. (Photo: Instagram.com/@lexi)
Boyfriend Max Provost proposing to Lexi Thompson. (Photo: Instagram.com/@lexi)

Private happiness: At the end of May last year, Lexi Thompson announced her extensive retirement from the tournament circuit in order to escape the constant public spotlight and have more time for her personal life. The 29-year-old explained that she wanted to get married and have a family. The first step in this direction has now been taken: In the Canadian ski resort of Whistler, a good hour and a half’s drive from Vancouver, boyfriend Max Provost got down on one knee in front of the eleven-time Tour winner on New Year’s Day and proposed to her. Naturally, Lexi Thompson said yes and posted the emotional moment on Instagram with appropriate comments. The comment bar reads like a who’s who, by the way:

Lexi Thompson’s future plans

The future husband works as a salesman and expert in the field of medical technology and specifically in surgical robotics and has been on Lexi Thompson’s bag at several Pro-Ams. Speaking of the bag: the professional life is not quite over for the 2014 major winner (then Kraft Nabisco Championship, now Chevron Championship). Thompson has always emphasised that she no longer wants to play a full LPGA Tour schedule, but that leaves one or two back doors open. For example, for the 2025 Chevron Championship: ‘Even though it’s a different venue and a different sponsor now, it’s still a memory that I’ll cherish for the rest of my life because I won my first major at that event,’ she said in a recent interview. And: ‘Yes, it’s probably one of the events I have circled in my calendar.’ It will be interesting to see.

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Panorama

Tiger Woods on the TGL Mega Simulator

Photo: Getty
Photo: Getty

And he’s still playing: … again. Tiger Woods may not have made it onto the course and into the walking game at his Hero World Challenge, but the almost 49-year-old (December 30) is still able to play standing golf despite the sixth back operation he underwent in September. The 15-time major winner recently personally inspected the action area at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens/Florida, where the Tomorrow’s Golf League (TGL), which he and his business partners Rory McIlroy and Mike McCarley are staging with their joint company TMRW Sports, starts on January 7. Woods himself enters the competition with Jupiter Links on January 14, week two, against Los Angeles.

This week, he will then be able to ride in a cart when he and his son Charlie compete in the family tournament PNC Championship for the fifth time and try to make life difficult for the Daly duo and the defending champions Bernhard and Jason Langer.

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Panorama

Friendship instead of“The Feud”: Koepka Calls DeChambeau a “Good Dude”

Will rivalry be followed by friendship? (Photo: Getty)
Will rivalry be followed by friendship? (Photo: Getty)

The Brooks-Bryson battle, the PR stunt implemented in golf history as The Feud, is a thing of the past: “We all get older, we all mature a bit, and then you realize: Hey, Bryson’s a good dude,” admitted the five-time major winner a few days ago, calling the two-time US Open champion and LIV colleague a ‘good dude’, with whom he will compete tomorrow in Las Vegas against PGA Tour stalwarts Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. Before this duel, which has been stylized as “The Showdown”, the admission is of course no less promotional than the dispute that the two individualists had before switching to the competitive circuit: The emotional element now makes for a few headlines at the appropriate time; they’re letting it get a little human this time. “I think he’s severly misunderstood and I think the world is acutally starting to really see who Bryson DeChambeau really is,” added Koepka, and hit the tear ducts again: ”I’m the first person to admit it, I was wrong with what my original thoughts were.”

From Rivals to Stepbrothers: DeChambeau’s and Koepka’s Journey

The former rival and new buddy naturally returned the favor, which was certainly in the marketing strategists’ script. “I’ve always had respect for Brooks and what he’s done,” DeChambeau commented on Koepka’s statements. “Obviously, early on, we didn’t really understand each other. We had our spats, but when we both went to LIV, we realized we had quite a few things in common. Like stepbrothers, in a sense.” Ah, and so close to the festive season. It’s almost like a Christmas story, isn’t it?

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Live

Australian Pro Hit with Penalty Stroke “Bonanza”

Anthony Quayle’s Victorian PGA: A 7-stroke penalty, a rookie error, and a stunning comeback to claim third—true grit on display. (Photo: Getty)

Seven in one go: At the Victorian PGA Championship on the PGA Australasia Tour, Australian pro Anthony Quayle racked up—or rather was forced to rack up—seven penalty strokes within the span of 15 holes. The 30-year-old from Queensland had misunderstood a special rule specific to the tournament day, assuming that preferred lies were in effect across the entire opening round at Moonah Links.

With that in mind, Quayle cheerfully lifted his ball, cleaned it, and placed it back within scorecard distance multiple times—until one of his playing partners pointed out the oversight. As it turned out, the rule applied only to a specific section of the 13th fairway.

What followed was a frantic series of events involving phone calls to the tournament officials and a reconstruction of Quayle’s round. In the end, the golfer admitted, “An absolute rookie mistake,” and dutifully adjusted his scorecard, adding those seven penalty strokes.

Despite the setback, Quayle carded a 73 for the round, rallied with a stunning 67 on the second day to make the cut, and fired an impressive 66 on Saturday followed by a 69 on Sunday. He even came within striking distance of forcing a playoff, ultimately finishing third in the tournament.

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Panorama

Scottie Scheffler and the Spirit of Christmas: Money in Golf is Just a Bonus

Scottie Scheffler’s Hero World Challenge win brings Christmas cheer with triumph, faith, and heartfelt giving for a greater cause. (Photos: Getty)

Title defense? Check. Ninth victory of the year? Check. Another million dollars earned? Check. The opening story in this section rightfully belongs to Scottie Scheffler, who dominated the Hero World Challenge 2024 for most of the tournament—using a newfound claw grip for short putts, no less.

 
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Ein Beitrag geteilt von PGA TOUR (@pgatour)

This sets the perfect stage for what the 28-year-old shared in his media appearance before the event. When journalists pressed him for details on his conversations with the inactive host, Tiger Woods, during the Pro-Am, Scheffler was in a playful mood. “I think most of the time we just talk about money and how the purses need to be bigger,” he joked. “Today we really grinded on the Ryder Cup and how it’s just such BS that we’ve never gotten paid. Tiger was really frustrated, he feels like he hasn’t made enough money in his career. I feel the same way, I feel like last year I didn’t get paid enough for what I did. Mostly that, just a bunch of griping.”

 
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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Golf Digest (@golfdigest)

The laughter wasn’t necessary to signal that Scheffler wasn’t being serious. Yet, when it came to the topic of money later, the devout Christian and good-hearted Texan turned reflective—and honest. “As far as I’m concerned, I don’t play golf for money. I’ve been playing golf my whole life for free and the money’s just a bonus. If somebody wants to pay us to come out here and play golf, that’s great, I’m not going to say no to it. I’m going to do the best I can in my community to steward that money well.”

It sounded like a Christmas sermon on the true values of the game and a tribute to its “Spirit of the Game.” Amid the greed often seen in professional golf and the obsession with money, one is inclined to believe the modest and grounded world No. 1. After his latest triumph in the Bahamas, Scheffler surpassed $30 million in prize money for the year.

A prime example of his humility is his trusty old GMC Yukon XL, which he’s driven since 2012 and is now auctioning off for pediatric cancer care. The arrival of baby Bennett prompted the realization: “I definitely drove it for too long,” Scheffler told Golfweek. Incidentally, the first bid of over $50,000 for the GMC came from CBS broadcasting legend Jim Nantz.

 
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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Golf Digest (@golfdigest)

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Panorama

Speculation about the future of the ‘Golf Channel’

(Photo: Getty)
(Photo: Getty)

New owner? The US media giant Comcast, owner of the TV channel ‘NBC’ and the ‘Golf Channel’, among others, wants to spin off its cable network-based offering, which includes the ‘Golf Channel’, into a separate, listed company. The background to this is the increasing unprofitability of cable television, which has fallen behind enormously due to streaming services and is actually only kept alive by the live broadcasting of sporting events. All of this has led to considerable speculation in the USA about the future of the ‘Golf Channel’: Will the PGA Tour, which is already tied to NBC by a TV contract worth 400 million dollars a year until the end of the decade, get involved via its new commercial venture PGA Tour Enterprises in order to secure an in-house golf channel for the future? Or will the LIV Golf League get involved with money from the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund PIF, which is still lacking a high-reach and relevant TV partner?