Tom McKibbin is joining the Jon Rahm-led Legion XIII team and will play golf at LIV Golf in 2025. The transfer of the 22-year-old Northern Irishman, who is considered a close friend of Rory McIlroy, had already been expected and has now been officially confirmed. Like McIlroy, McKibbin comes from Holywood Golf Club in Northern Ireland. McKibbin had not commented on the first rumors regarding a move to LIV, which emerged at the beginning of January. He secured a PGA Tour card for the first time last season in 2024, but is now forgoing it in favor of his start at LIV. In response to the rumors, McIlroy explained at a press conference that he had spoken to McKibbin on the phone and clearly advised him against the switch.
Jon Rahm personally announces in an Instagram post that McKibbin will complete his team in the 2025 LIV season and welcomes him:
The LIV season starts next week from February 6 to 8 at the Riyadh Golf Club in Saudi Arabia, where 13 teams will compete with four players each. There have been several changes in the run-up to the event: back in December 2024, it was announced that Dane Frederik Kjettrup would be joining the Cleeks GC managed by Martin Kaymer, while Spaniard Luis Masaveu was announced as a new member of the Fireballs GC under team captain Sergio Garcia.
In an interview with BBC Sport, Rory McIlroy spoke about the big goals he has set himself for his golf career: “Winning the Masters, winning an Olympic medal and winning another away Ryder Cup, they are my three goals for the rest of my career,” said McIlroy. While the possibility of an Olympic medal will not become a reality again until 2028, he could realise victories at the Masters and the Ryder Cup as early as this year.
The desire for the green jacket
Rory McIlroy is still missing the Masters for the Grand Slam. The four-time major winner won the US Open in 2011, the PGA Championship in 2012 and 2014 and added another major victory in 2014 with the British Open.
Despite significant recent successes, such as the FedEx Cup victory in 2022, and his consistent presence as one of the best players in the world for over a decade, his last major win was several years ago. In 2024, victory at the US Open seemed within reach, but McIlroy finished a close second to Bryson DeChambeau. This year, he has resolved to play fewer tournaments and concentrate fully on the majors: “All of my practice, all of my prep, even the tournaments that I’m playing, it’s all geared towards being ready for those four events”, said McIlroy.
At the start of each year, his focus is on a single week in April – the week when the Masters takes place at Augusta National Golf Club and offers him another chance to finally secure that long-awaited green jacket. This year, the Masters will be held from 10 to 13 April. A win at the Masters would give McIlroy the Grand Slam and cement his status as one of the best golfers of all time.
He also has his sights firmly set on the US Open at Oakmont Country Club and the British Open, which will be held in his home country of Northern Ireland this year: “I’ve realised that all I can control is myself. What’s right for me right now is to fully focus on myself and to get the best out of myself and get back to winning the biggest tournaments in the world.”
The away Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup will take place on the Bethpage Black Course in New York in autumn 2025. After the European team achieved a clear victory in Rome in 2023, it will do everything in its power to defend the Ryder Cup in 2025. However, history shows that it is extremely difficult to win a Ryder Cup on foreign soil. In 2012, the European team managed to do so with Rory McIlroy after trailing by four points – a comeback that became known as the ‘Miracle of Medinah’. The American team has not won in Europe for over 30 years. McIlroy describes winning a Ryder Cup away from home as “one of the greatest achievements in the game right now”.
Under the leadership of captain Luke Donald, the European team will do everything in its power to triumph again in 2025. “It’s a very strong American team, a very partisan crowd. But we’ve got a wonderful captain and we’re going to have a wonderful team and we’re relishing the challenge”, said McIlroy.
This text was written on the basis of information from BBC Sport.
The 150th British Open took place on the Old Course at St Andrews in 2022. (Source: Getty)
The R&A announced on Thursday that The Open Championship will be held in St Andrews in 2027. The connection between The Open and St Andrews is one of the most traditional in golf: the Major will be held on the historic Old Course for the 31st time. The club first hosted the tournament in 1873.
From 15 to 18 July 2027, the St Andrews Golf Club in Scotland will open its doors for the 155th Open. The Open Championship is the only one of the four majors to be held on European soil. It traditionally marks the end of the major season in July.
A special anniversary will be celebrated in 2027: 100 years ago then, in 1927, amateur Bobby Jones triumphed at The Open in St Andrews and celebrated his second of a total of three Open Championship victories.
The Open Championship and St Andrews: A Shared History
The last time The Open Championship was held in St Andrews was in 2022 to mark its 150th anniversary. Back then, Cameron Smith won the tournament with an overall score of 20 strokes under par. The first event on the Old Course took place in 1873, still over 36 holes. Tom Kidd won back then with rounds of 91 and 88 – the highest winning score over 36 holes in the history of the tournament.
In 2024, the St Andrews Links Trust, the R&A, the Scottish Government and VisitScotland agreed on a long-term partnership. This agreement ensures that The Open Championship will return to Scotland on a regular basis over the next eleven years.
Mark Dabon, Chief Executive of the R&A, emphasized the importance of the tournament: “St Andrews is the home of golf and it generates a unique atmosphere for the fans and the players as well as providing an amazing spectacle on television and digitally for millions of viewers around the world. It promises to be another milestone occasion at one of sport’s greatest and most historic venues and we will be doing everything we can to make it a memorable experience for everyone involved.”
Before returning to St Andrews in 2027, the tournament will be held at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland on 17-20 July 2025 and Royal Birkdale Golf Club in England in 2026.
Will Zalatoris (left) and Cameron Davis were penalized for a violation of the golf rules. (Photos: Getty)
Will Zalatoris and Cameron Davis made a costly mistake in the final round of The Sentry on the PGA Tour: On hole 15 of the Plantation Course in Hawaii, the two pros accidentally swapped their balls. Both had reached the par 5 in two shots and were positioned just short of the green: Zalatoris still had 34 meters to play, Davis was 44 meters from the hole. However, they mistakenly played the other’s ball. Realizing their mistake before completing the hole, they corrected it by going back to the correct spot and playing their ball from there.
Rules: Playing the Wrong Ball Leads to General Penalty
According to Rule 6.3(c), playing the wrong ball is an offense punishable by two penalty strokes: “In stroke play, the player gets the general penalty (two penalty strokes) and must correct the mistake by continuing play with the original ball by playing it as it lies or taking relief under the Rules” (R&A).
The rule also states that the error must be corrected immediately: If they had teed off on the next hole without correcting the error, disqualification would have been the result: “If the player does not correct the mistake before making a stroke to begin another hole or, for the final hole of the round, before returning their scorecard, the player is disqualified” (R&A).
Penalty Strokes Cost Placings and Prize Money
As they followed the rules correctly and realized their mistake early enough, Davis and Zalatoris finished the tournament in regulation, Will Zalatoris on T26 and Cameron Davis on T13. However, the two penalty strokes had a significant impact on their final positions and therefore also on the prize money. Especially in a tournament with such high prize money, even a few strokes can mean differences of tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. In exact figures, this means that Davis would have received 306,625 dollars more with two strokes less, while Zalatoris missed out on 119,866.67 dollars.
The new PGA Tour studios are located next to the headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo: Getty)
Just in time for the start of the 2025 PGA Tour season, the PGA Tour has opened its own state-of-the-art production center in Florida. The PGA Tour Studios will be used to produce a wide range of media content relating to the PGA Tour.
The opening of PGA TOUR Studios is a pivotal step for golf content and production in the ever-changing media landscape. #OpeningDrivehttps://t.co/vTNC4ZMde2
PGA Tour Studios: In-House Media Productions Using Latest Technology
After construction of the production facility was completed in 2022, it opened at the beginning of 2025 following test runs. The three-storey building was constructed next to the PGA Tour Headquarters. It will be the centerpiece of all PGA Tour media productions, including live broadcasts, as well as short-form video, documentary and social media content from the PGA Tour, Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour Champions. It also houses the world’s largest library of golf videos with footage dating back to 1920.
The studio has eight production rooms, seven LED studios with a 270-degree LED display and technical equipment for up to 144 cameras. In addition, there are specialized podcast studios where a radio will be produced from 2026.
Monahan: “A Landmark Step in Golf Media”
The studio will also provide international content such as a new “World Feed” with specific coverage of international players. The aim is to better reach fans worldwide and make golf more attractive to the media: “PGA Tour Studios is a landmark step in golf media, signaling a tangible investment to more deeply connect with our fans through energetic, compelling content that brings them further inside the ropes and closer to their favorite stars”, said PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan.
Rick Anderson, CEO of the PGA Tour, emphasized: “With PGA Tour Studios now live, our team can deliver for fans new, dynamic productions that chronicle the incredible stories of our athletes in a new era of golf media.”
Tiger Woods kicked things off in the studio by reviewing the great moments of his career. He commented on videos and photos of his successes, which are shown on a curved screen.
The players of The Bay Golf Club: Ludvig Åberg, Wyndham Clark, Min Woo Lee, Shane Lowry. (Photos: Getty)
The Bay Golf Club will start in the TGL from January 2025. The American West Coast team bears the name of the “Bay Area” around San Francisco. The main investor is Avenue Sports Fund, and NBA superstar Stephen Curry is also on board.
Marc Lasry, CEO of Avenue Capital Group, emphasized the importance of the region and the innovative focus of the team: “Avenue Sports Fund invested in The Bay Golf Club because we are excited to bring a new team and innovative game to the growing number of Golf fans regionally and nationally,” said Lasry.
TGL: Players at The Bay Golf Club
The team is characterized in particular by the internationality of its squad: With team members from Sweden, the USA, Ireland and Australia, it unites three continents.
Ludvig Åberg experienced a meteoric rise as a professional. The talented Swede turned professional in 2023 and quickly established himself on the PGA Tour. In the same year, he celebrated his first title win at the RSM Classic and successfully represented Team Europe at the Ryder Cup.
The team also has a major winner in Wyndham Clark: the American triumphed at the US Open in 2023 and added two more PGA Tour titles to his record. In 2024, he represented the USA at the Olympic Games and the Presidents Cup.
The third member of the team, Min Woo Lee, has already celebrated international success and achieved several top 10 finishes on the PGA Tour. The Australian is also very active on social media and is appreciated for his humorous nature.
Shane Lowry is known for his great passion for team competitions, which he also demonstrated as part of the victorious 2023 Ryder Cup team. His victory at the Open in 2019 represents his greatest individual success. The professional from Ireland, who has been active on the international golf scene since 2009, brings a wealth of experience with him.
A series of short videos published by The Bay Golf Club on Instagram give an insight into the team’s press day. You can see game scenes in the simulator, including playing from an indoor bunker and on the putting green.
The team members of the Los Angeles Golf Club of the TGL: Collin Morikawa, Sahith Theegala, Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood. (Photos: Getty)
The TGL is in the starting blocks and the Los Angeles Golf Club is getting ready for its launch in January. Founded by Alexis Ohanian, the co-founder of Reddit, the team is aiming to establish the new league as a pioneering golf innovation in Los Angeles. “Los Angeles is the perfect home for our TGL team. This city embodies the intersection of sports, technology, and entertainment, making it an ideal backdrop for the innovation and excitement we aim to bring to the world of golf and its fans,” explains Ohanian. The aim is to make golf accessible to everyone.
Collin Morikawa, a native of Los Angeles, is a two-time major winner. In addition to his major successes, he has won several tournaments on the PGA Tour and won the 2021 Race to Dubai.
Sahith Theegala, who also grew up in California, has been playing on the PGA Tour since 2022. He has already won a title there and achieved several top 5 finishes.
The LAGC also has a very experienced player in Justin Rose. The Englishman turned professional in 1998 and has enjoyed numerous successes since then. His outstanding achievements include five Ryder Cup appearances, winning the 2016 Olympic gold medal and eleven titles on the PGA Tour. As a former world number one, Rose is one of the most consistent players of his generation.
Like Rose, the fourth team player, Tommy Fleetwood, comes from England. Fleetwood has already proven his strength in team events on several occasions. His match at the 2023 Ryder Cup was the deciding point. While he has already celebrated several victories on the DP World Tour, he has so far been denied a title on the PGA Tour, although he has already finished second and third there several times.
Antetokounmpo Brothers, Alex Morgan, Servando Carrasco, Michelle Wie West, Carolyn Tisch Blodgett, Shonda Rhimes
Logo
The letters “LA” in the foreground, a driver in the background
Team Colors
Black, White
Match dates
January 14, 2025: vs. Florida Jupiter Links GC February 4, 2025: vs. Boston Common Golf February 17, 2025: vs. Atlanta Drive GC February 24, 2025: vs. New York Golf Club March 3, 2025: vs. The Bay Golf Club
The players of TGL Team "New York Golf Club": Xander Schauffele, Rickie Fowler, Cameron Young, Matt Fitzpatrick. (Photos: Getty)
Cohen Private Ventures recently announced that the New York Golf Club is backed by a group of prominent investors, including Derek Jeter and CC Sabathia (both former professional baseball players), John McEnroe (former tennis player), Eli Manning and Michael Strahan (both former NFL players) and Jimmy Fallon. The New York Golf Club is one of the teams in the TGL, a golf league founded by Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Mike McCarley. Steve A. Cohen, known as the owner of the New York Mets, acquired the rights to the team in September 2023.
Four of the new investors of the TGL team “New York Golf Club”. From left: Eli Manning, Jimmy Fallon, Michael Strahan, Derek Jeter. (Photos: Getty)
World number two Xander Schauffele can look back on an outstanding 2024 season: with victories at the PGA Championship and the Open Championship, he secured two major titles and cemented his reputation as one of the best players in the world. Schauffele already won the Olympic gold medal in 2020 and has been consistently in the top 10 of the world rankings for years.
Matt Fitzpatrick, also a major winner, triumphed at the U.S. Open in 2022. He has also enjoyed several successes on the PGA Tour, most recently winning the RBC Heritage 2023, as well as on the DP World Tour.
Cameron Young brings a breath of fresh air to the team as a rookie. The native New Yorker was named Rookie of the Year in 2022 and impressed with several top 10 finishes on the PGA Tour. He narrowly missed out on victory at the 2022 Open Championship.
Rickie Fowler has been active on the PGA Tour since 2009 and has achieved several victories and numerous top 10 finishes in those years. Having played in five Ryder Cups and three Presidents Cups, he has plenty of experience in the team format. For Fowler, the team game is a special affair of the heart in which he always gives his all with passion.
The Team at the Tonight Show
In November, the four team members paid a visit to Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show in New York to talk to the new investor about TGL.
A video released by the PGA Tour shows highlights of the New York TGL team members’ visit to New York City. Among other things, they can be seen hitting balls in the simulator and talking to new investor and former NFL quarterback Eli Manning at a press event.
TGL was originally scheduled to start in 2024, but the start date has now been set for January 7, 2025. The schedule has also been finalized. In the innovative league, six teams of PGA Tour players will compete against each other in matches. Each match lasts around two hours and is played in a specially designed simulator arena in Palm Beach, Florida. The arena features a giant screen, virtual putting greens and a live audience.
TGL: All important information about the “New York Golf Club” at a glance
Team Name
New York Golf Club
The Four Players
Xander Schauffele, Cameron Young, Rickie Fowler (alle USA) und Matt Fitzpatrick (England)
Investors
Steve Cohen and Cohen Private Ventures, Jimmy Fallon, Eli Manning, Derek Jeter, CC Sabathia, John McEnroe, Michael Strahan
Logo
A blue bird, inspired by the official New York state bird, the Eastern bluebird
Team Colors
New York Navy (dark blue), Birdie Blue (medium blue), Hudson Mist (light gray)
Match dates January 7, 2025: vs. The Bay Golf Club January 21, 2025: vs. Atlanta Drive GC February 18, 2025: vs. Jupiter Links GC February 24, 2025: vs. Los Angeles Golf Club March 3, 2025: vs. Boston Common Golf
Emilio Gonzalez violated the rules of golf at the 2024 World Wide Technology Championship. (Source: Getty)
At the World Wide Technology Championship, which took place from 7 to 10 November on the El Cardonal at Diamante golf course, Emilio Gonzalez from Mexico was disqualified after his second round due to ‘serious misconduct’.
According to golf.com, Gonzalez hit his first ball into a desert area on hole 15 on Friday and then played a provisional ball. He began searching for the first ball, and within three minutes a ball was found in the area in question. However, Gonzalez did not identify it and instead continued to play with the provisional ball. This behaviour violated Rule 18.3c (3), which states:
‘If the provisional ball has not become the ball in play and a ball is found that might be the original ball, the player must make all reasonable efforts to identify that ball. If the player fails to do so, the Committee may disqualify the player under Rule 1.2a if it decides that this was serious misconduct contrary to the spirit of the game.’
As Gonzalez had not made a ‘reasonable effort’ to identify his ball, according to the rules officer, he was disqualified.
Rules of golf: The found ball must be identified
The rules also state that the player may ask his teammates not to look for the original ball. However, they are not obliged to honour this request. If a ball is found, the player must identify it immediately (Rule 18.2a (1)). If the ball found is the original ball, it is in play and must be continued. The provisional ball is now considered to be the wrong ball and may no longer be played. According to Rule 6.3c, playing the wrong ball leads to the basic penalty of two strokes and must be corrected immediately, otherwise the player is disqualified.
Charley Hull secured a victory on the LET using a full set of TaylorMade clubs. (Photo: flickr)
Starting the day two shots behind the overnight leader, and fellow Team TaylorMade staffer Pia Babnik, Hull continued her sparkling form for the event. Hull began her charge sinking five birdies in the first seven holes to continue her dominance of the front nine. Once Hull reached the summit of the leaderboard, she never looked like relinquishing control.
With a vital birdie on 12 and two further birdies on the back nine Hull concluded on the best round of the day (66). Throughout the tournament Hull showcased incredible shot making and total control with her TP5x golf ball and Qi10 LS driver in the breezy conditions, whilst also slotting in a number of clutch putts throughout the event with her TP Juno putter. This hot streak in Riyadh represents Hull’s second win an Aramco Team Series event following her success in New York in 2021 and has found her back at the top of the podium following a series of near misses over the past couple of seasons.
