Author: Golf Post

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European Tour

DP World Tour: 14 LIV Golfers Participate in Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

LIV golfers Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton (Photo: Getty)
LIV golfers Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton (Photo: Getty)

The 2024 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, one of the most prestigious tournaments on the DP World Tour, is drawing significant attention this year due to the participation of 14 golfers from the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf League. This raises the question: Why are so many LIV golfers allowed to compete in an event of the DP World Tour, especially since many of them are not members of the tour?

Tradition and prestige of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is the only tournament held annually at the famous Old Course in St. Andrews, as well as at Carnoustie and Kingsbarns. This unique event attracts the best golfers in the world, including Ryder Cup stars like Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm. Despite the rivalry between the DP World Tour and the LIV Golf League, fueled by Saudi Arabia’s financial involvement in golf, several LIV players have found a way to participate in this tournament.

Invitations and Special Provisions on the DP World Tour

A key factor allowing many LIV golfers to compete in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is the invitations extended by the tournament committee. The organizers, particularly South African billionaire Johann Rupert, who has been organizing the event for a long time, view this as a way to unite the best golfers worldwide. Rupert has repeatedly emphasized that the future of golf lies in the collaboration of different tours, as demonstrated by the invitation of LIV players.

One example is US American Brooks Koepka, who says the Old Course is one of his favorite places in the world and was invited despite being part of the LIV Golf League. Other players such as Louis Oosthuizen, Talor Gooch and Branden Grace also received invitations from the committee. Other LIV players, however, such as Patrick Reed, have received their starting places through good placings in other tournaments.

Exceptions through appeals

Some LIV golfers who are still active members of the DP World Tour can only take part due to ongoing appeal procedures. Players such as Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton have appealed DP World Tour sanctions imposed on them after competing in LIV events. While these appeals have not yet been finalized, the players will be allowed to continue competing in DP World Tour events while the proceedings are ongoing.

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Live

OWGR: Fleetwood Closes in on Top 10, Rahm Gains Points

Tommy Fleetwood Aims for Top 10 in OWGR. (Photo: Getty)
Tommy Fleetwood Aims for Top 10 in OWGR. (Photo: Getty)

The latest World Golf Ranking presents some notable shifts among British golfers. Rory McIlroy remains the highest-ranked golfer from the UK, holding the 3rd position with no change from last week, and an average point score of 8,64. Tommy Fleetwood, improving his rank from 12th to 11th, remains the second-highest British golfer, with an average point score of 4.25.

See the complete Official World Golf Ranking here

Robert MacIntyre and Other UK Golfers in the World Golf Ranking

Robert MacIntyre from Scotland retains his 16th place, maintaining his position from the previous week with an average point score of 3.76. Aaron Rai, currently ranked 20th, also holds his position from last week, with an average point score of 3.32. Matt Fitzpatrick experienced a slight drop, moving from 28th to 29th in the World Golf Ranking, and holds an average point score of 2.82.

Top 10 in the World Golf Ranking

Scottie Scheffler remains the leader of the World Golf Ranking, sustaining his 1st position. Xander Schauffele follows in the 2nd spot, with no changes from last week. Rory McIlroy, the highest-ranked British player, is in 3rd place. Collin Morikawa, Ludvig Aberg, and Wyndham Clark also maintain their positions from last week, ranked 4th, 5th, and 6th, respectively. Hideki Matsuyama holds steady at 7th place. Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay, and Bryson DeChambeau complete the Top-10, all retaining their ranks from last week. Behind the Top-10 Jon Rahm notably gains points in the OWGR apart from a major tournament with his second place at the Open de Espana.

Position Player Name Nationality Ranking Last Week Average Points
3 Rory McIlroy NIR 3 8.64
11 Tommy Fleetwood ENG 12 4.25
16 Robert MacIntyre SCO 16 3.76
20 Aaron Rai ENG 20 3.32
29 Matt Fitzpatrick ENG 28 2.81
Categories
Panorama Reports

The Logo: Lawsuit Against Tiger Woods’ Sun Day Red

Tiger Woods at the launch of Sun Day Red in February 2024. (Source: Getty)
Tiger Woods at the launch of Sun Day Red in February 2024. (Source: Getty)

Legal dispute: Tiger Woods is in trouble with his new outfit label Sun Day Red. The company Tigeraire from Baton Rouge/Louisiana has filed a trademark lawsuit against the 15-time major winner, Sun Day Red and the outfit manufacturer TaylorMade.

Tiger Woods’ Logo is Claimed to Confuse Consumers

According to Tigeraire, which manufactures cooling systems for the sports sector, such as ventilation systems for football helmets, the trademark, which has existed since 2020, is being blatantly ignored, protected trademark rights and brand identity are being infringed and consumer confusion is being created: the application to register Sun Day Red’s trademark must therefore be rejected. Tigeraire refers to the similarities and likelihood of confusion between the logos of the two companies, which each show a stylised tiger. David Abeles, CEO of TaylorMade, commented on the process: ‘We have full confidence in the protection of our brand.’

Categories
Fun Panorama

Filming for Happy Gilmore 2: Adam Sandler in a Bathrobe and With a Golf Bag

Filming has begun on Happy Gilmore 2. (Source: X @DailyLoud)
Filming has begun on Happy Gilmore 2. (Source: X @DailyLoud)

Insight: A few weeks ago, production began on the long-awaited sequel to the golfing comedy Happy Gilmore; filming is mainly taking place in New York. And so it can happen that you open your front door in the morning and witness lead actor Adam Sandler shuffling around in his bathrobe, lugging a golf bag with him. This is exactly what happened to ‘TikTok’ user Ariana Hailand, who of course immediately shared this very special sighting with the world:

@arianahailand The nicest guy in Hollywood is now the nicest guy in Jersey #AdamSandler #HappyGilmore2 #HappyMadison #Netflix #fyp #NewJersey ♬ Good Day – Nappy Roots

Happy Gilmore 2 Will Be Distributed by Netflix

Some time ago, Christopher McDonald aka Shooter McGavin revealed that Sandler was working on part 2 of Happy Gilmore, and Netflix confirmed this a little later. It is still not known when the film will be finished and aired. But all fans waiting for the continuation of the duel between Gilmore and McGavin can rejoice: it continues just as weirdly.

Categories
Panorama

Jon Rahm Announces Birth of Third Child

(Photo: Getty)
(Photo: Getty)

Professional golfer Jon Rahm’s third child has been born. Rahm was therefore able to compete in his first DP World Tour tournament of the season.

Birth causes a slight change in plans

After Jon Rahm was unable to take part in the LIV Golf Team Championship last week due to ‘severe flu symptoms’, according to LIV Golf, his participation in this week’s acciona Open de España was uncertain as well. In fact, Rahm’s arrival was delayed by one day: instead of arriving at the Club de Campo Villa in Madrid on Tuesday as planned, he arrived on Wednesday and thus missed the Pro-Am tournament. However, the reason for his delay appears to be a happy one: The Spanish newspaper ‘Marca’ reports that his wife Kelley Cahill gave birth to their third child a day earlier, on Tuesday.

The couple announced the pregnancy on Instagram in March 2024. The post shows Rahm and his wife Kelley holding their two sons, Kepa (3) and Eneko (2), in their arms. Rahm wrote ‘Officially moving to zone defense, baby Rahm #3 coming soon!’.

 
Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an
 

Ein Beitrag geteilt von Jon Rahm Rodriguez (@jonrahm)

At an Open Championship 2024 press conference in July, Rahm hinted at complications with the pregnancy, but did not elaborate.

Now the new baby is born and Rahm is competing at the Open de España with the aim of reclaiming his title. The 2018, 2019 and 2022 winner has the chance to win the trophy in his home country for the fourth time this week.

Jon Rahm’s participation relevant for Ryder Cup eligibility

Rahm’s participation in the DP World Tour tournament is also important for his potential Ryder Cup participation in 2025: only European players who are members of the DP World Tour can represent Europe in the Ryder Cup. The prerequisite for membership is playing at least four DP World Tour tournaments.

After Rahm switched to the LIV Tour in December 2023, he no longer took part in any DP World Tour tournaments. As the Olympic golf tournament also counts, the Open de España is Rahm’s second of four necessary tournaments. Next week he is on the list of participants at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland and in October he would like to play the Andalucía Masters in Spain.

Categories
Panorama

Mini Golf Showdown: Justin Rose vs. Billy Horschel in an Epic Duell

Justin Rose and Billy Horschel at the first DP World Mini Golf Invitational. (Source: YouTube/DP World Tour)
Justin Rose and Billy Horschel at the first DP World Mini Golf Invitational. (Source: YouTube/DP World Tour)

Justin Rose and Billy Horschel, two of the biggest names in golf, met at the first DP World Mini Golf Invitational. But instead of the big golf courses, a completely different terrain awaited them: the 8-hole jungle course at Bear Mountain Adventure Golf in London. This unique event promised not only fun, but also exciting challenges for the two professionals.

Golf Professionals in Miniature – A Duel of the Highest Class

Although the tournament looked like a casual game of fun at first glance, the ambition of the two professionals seemed unbroken. “There’s nothing mini about my game” joked Rose before the duel, while Horschel emphasized: “To win big, you have to think mini”. These humorous remarks made it clear that both players were prepared to give their all to win their first mini golf title. The event was not only an opportunity to put their skills to the test, but also a chance to celebrate their sporting rivalry in an unusual setting.

Precision and Strategy on the Mini Golf Course

The course put the golf stars to a completely new test. Winding fairways, tricky obstacles and heated discussions with their caddies ensured a mixture of laughter and concentration. The jungle course not only demanded precise putting, but also strategic thinking to find the best solutions to each challenge. Horschel, who jokingly referred to the tournament as “the fifth major”, took the competition with a good dose of humor, but also with ambition.

In the end, Billy Horschel triumphed and not only secured victory in mini golf, but also crowned a historic week. After his victory at the BMW PGA Championship in Wentworth, he added another extraordinary title to his collection. The battle for the mini golf crown was fierce, but Horschel eventually prevailed and won the inaugural DP World Mini Golf Invitational.

Categories
Panorama

R&A: Golf Participation Continues to Enjoy Growth

Golf Participation Report 2023 shows growth. (Photo: The R&A)
Golf Participation Report 2023 shows growth. (Photo: The R&A)

The R&A today announced new participation figures that show an increase of more than three million adult golfers playing the sport.

According to new research undertaken for the governing body, there are now 42.7 million on-course golfers (9 and 18-hole) in R&A affiliated markets (outside the USA and Mexico).

The research figures for 2023 indicate a growth of 3.1 million on-course golfers since 2022. The growth trend began before the onset of Covid-19 and is now accelerating faster than the 2020-2022 pandemic period when there was an average of 2.5 million new on-course golfers per annum. The sport continues to increase in popularity, now up 44% from 29.6 million on-course players in 2016.

The new data is provided by national federations in The R&A’s affiliated markets in Asia, Africa, Canada, the Caribbean, Central and South America, Europe, the Middle East and Oceania.

R&A: Global Surge in On-Course Golfers

The research also shows that 62.3 million adults (outside the USA and Mexico) consume the sport in some format, an increase of 1.1 million since 2022. It is just the second time an estimate has been made beyond on-course activity to include alternative-only formats, such as pitch & putt, indoor simulator golf and driving range use.

Phil Anderton, Chief Development Officer at The R&A, said, “Golf’s popularity continues to grow with a significant increase in the number of people playing the sport both on and off the course.

“There are now 13 million more golfers playing on the course since 2016 in R&A affiliated markets, while there are also millions of others enjoying alternative formats of golf, such as driving ranges, adventure golf and simulator golf, which are vital to the growth of the sport.

“New golfer participation programmes with appealing propositions, promotion and imagery are important for encouraging more people into the sport and retaining them in greater numbers. This is why we continue to work collaboratively with our affiliated national federations and stakeholders to build on this momentum and ensure golf continues to thrive.”

The top five on-course adult golfer markets overall reported are in: Japan (11.4 million), Republic of Korea (8.7 million), Canada (6.3 million), England (4.2 million) and Germany (2.4 million).

Women’s Participation on the Rise

Asia is the leading region for people engaging with golf among R&A affiliated regions, with total adult engagement in golf of 26.2 million. Europe is next highest with 19.7 million adults having some form of golf engagement.

The number of adult registered golfers (those members of a golf club within their national association or affiliated through a direct subscription) increased from 8 million in 2022 to 8.2 million in 2023, with an overall growth of 10% since 2020. Registered women golfers have grown from 1.5 million in 2020 to 1.6 million in 2023.

There was a decrease in those adults who only played formats other than 9 or 18-hole golf  – 21.6 million in 2022 to 19.6 million in 2023 – but this is likely to positively reflect on those moving instead to full-length on-course golf. The percentage of golfers only using alternative formats that are women did grow from 47% in 2022 to 52% in 2023, specifically in key golfing markets.

The R&A is continuing its commitment to invest £200 million over ten years (2017-2026) in developing golf, including sustained work to encourage participation through various initiatives.

(Text: The R&A)

Categories
PGA Tour

Michael Kim: “It’s Honestly a Bit of a Dog Eat Dog World”

Image: Getty
Image: Getty

Professional golfer Michael Kim is known for sharing insider information from the world of professional golf with his followers on social media. This time, the 31-year-old writes about contact with player agents, experiences, rumors and the different types of agencies. “When you’re first out of college and a really good player, agents will reach out to you directly to you or your head coach showing interest. […] It’s tricky, they’re really good salesman and unless you’ve known them thru someone else, you’re not sure who to trust. You can find MANY examples of agents stealing from the player and/or many shady deals”, wrote Michael Kim.

Offers made to players already under contract

Kim went on to tweet: “It’s honestly a bit of a dog eat dog world. I’ve heard rumors where players were going to sign with an agent and all of a sudden a different agent shows up with a really good deal with a company and the player ended up signing with the new agent for the deal. Some of the shadier ones will come up to a player even though he’s under contract promising a better deal or throw in a line or two to try and create doubt.”

Big or small agency?

In another tweet, Michael Kim describes the decision from a player’s perspective: “As a player, you have to decide what size of agency you want to sign with. Bigger agency with lots of names like Wasserman, or a smaller agency. Bigger agencies already have established connections and thru their bigger players, can even get certain deals or even exemptions into events. But the downside is, because of their big crop of players, in a way you’re all competing for the same pie within the agency. If I know the same level of player within the agency gets a new deal, you can be left wondering, why didn’t I get that deal? A smaller agency, you don’t have to worry about that kind of stuff but also know that in general, the agent isn’t going to have the same amount of power or sway within the industry. You can be the big fish and know that all the big deals might come thru you.”

In his last two tweets on this topic, Kim writes about his personal preferences and experiences.

Note: This is of course one player’s opinion and therefore not an immediate general conclusion, as well as possibly not 100 percent reality. When it comes to contact with agents right after the end of a college career, Kim is certainly a good example. Michael Kim was honored with the Jack Nicklaus Award and the Haskins Award during his amateur career – both famous awards for the player of the year in American college golf. This is likely to have aroused the interest of some player agencies.

Categories
Golfshoes LPGA Tour

Ecco Golf Ambassador Lydia Ko Claims Third Win in Four Starts at Kroger Queen City Championship

Lydia Ko celebrates her third LPGA win at the Kroger Queen City Championship. (Photo: Getty)
Lydia Ko celebrates her third LPGA win at the Kroger Queen City Championship. (Photo: Getty)


Lydia Ko extends her winning streak with a stunning performance at the Kroger Queen City Championship, capturing her third title in four starts. Following her recent AIG Women’s Open victory, Ko delivered an impressive final round of 63, solidifying her place as one of the game’s greatest talents in a remarkable 2024 season.

Ecco Golf and Lydia Ko: A Winning Partnership

ECCO GOLF ambassador, Lydia Ko, continued her hot streak this weekend at the Kroger Queen City Championship on the LPGA Tour in her first tournament since claiming her maiden AIG Women’s Open title last month. 

Ko, wearing Ecco Golf Tray, shot a scintillating final round 63, coming home in just 30 shots to take home her third win in her last four starts. 

Ko’s 22nd LPGA Tour victory rounds off what has been an incredible 2024 season for the Kiwi, following her Olympic Gold Medal and triumph at the AIG Women’s Open during the month of August.

Lydia Ko Shines at Kroger Queen City Championship

“It’s been pretty surreal. You know, I had the most unbelievable three weeks in Europe, and after having another three weeks off you’re not entirely sure what it’s going to be like,” Ko said. 

“I started off this event really strong, playing well the first couple days. I kind of hung in there yesterday and I said I know the other girls aren’t going to play bad golf, so I just have to try and play even better golf. To have a round like this to cap off a win is pretty special.”

Timo Vollrath, Head of Global Marketing at Ecco Golf, commented Ko’s latest: “Lydia continues to prove that she is one of the game’s greatest – she makes a habit of winning and for us, it is brilliant to watch. 

“It is a pleasure to work with Lydia, and to witness her journey in recent years has been a thrill. This streak of performances will go down as one the very best of all time, and we can’t wait to see what happens next!”

In addition to Lydia Ko, Ecco Golf shoes are worn in competition around the world by Esther Henseleit, Nanna Koerstz Madsen, Erik van Rooyen, Henrik Stenson, Freddy Schott, Thomas Bjørn, Janet Lin, Rick Shiels and Erik Anders Lang among others. For further information about Ecco Golf, please visit golf.ecco.com. 

(Text: Ecco)

Categories
Live

OWGR: Billy Horschel Back in the Top 20

Billy Horschel climbs in the OWGR. (Photo: Getty)
Billy Horschel climbs in the OWGR. (Photo: Getty)

Scottie Scheffler remains atop the Golf World Ranking, holding his number one position with a steady performance. His average points tally continues to reflect his dominance. Xander Schauffele also holds firm at second position, showcasing consistent form. Both players maintain their standings from the previous week. Currently, Scheffler averages 10.42 points, while Schauffele has an average of 9.50 points.

See the complete Official World Golf Ranking here

Other Top American Performers in the Golf World Ranking

The first change in the rankings comes from Billy Horschel who reenters the top 20 after his win in Wentworth. He dropped out of the top ranks in Febuary of 2023 and is now back at 17 after consisten good results during his 2024 PGA Tour season.

Top 10 Players in the OWGR

Scottie Scheffler remains the leader in the Golf World Ranking, followed by Xander Schauffele. Rory McIlroy retains his third position, maintaining stability among the top three. Collin Morikawa and Ludvig Aberg sit in the fourth and fifth positions, respectively, with no changes from the previous week. Similarly, Wyndham Clark and Hideki Matsuyama hold their positions at sixth and seventh. Viktor Hovland is consistent at eighth, while Patrick Cantlay and Bryson DeChambeau round out the top ten without any shifts in their rankings.

Rank Player Name Nationality Average Points Ranking Last Week
1 Scottie Scheffler USA 10.42 1
2 Xander Schauffele USA 9.50 2
4 Collin Morikawa USA 8.75 4
6 Wyndham Clark USA 8.35 6
9 Patrick Cantlay USA 8.10 9