Sergio Garcia returns to the DP World Tour. (Photo: Getty)
Sergio Garcia is officially back in the fold. The former Masters champion has settled his outstanding fines related to unapproved appearances on LIV Golf, clearing the path for a long-awaited return to the DP World Tour.
Garcia, 45, has been absent from European Tour competition since his sudden withdrawal from the 2022 BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. Now, nearly two years on, the Spaniard is slated to tee it up at two high-profile events: the BMW International Open in Munich this July, and his national Open, the Open de España, later this autumn.
Sources close to Garcia confirm that additional starts are on the horizon, as the veteran eyes a late push for Ryder Cup consideration. Though he narrowly missed out on qualifying for the U.S. Open, Garcia remains motivated to meet the minimum eligibility requirements necessary for a potential Captain’s Pick.
With Team Europe set to defend the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in September, Garcia’s renewed presence on the DP World Tour could prove timely—not just for his own ambitions, but for European hopes in hostile territory.
Bryson DeChambeau at the Indy 500 (Photo: Instagram.com/@brysondech)
Professional golfer Bryson DeChambeau visited the Indianapolis Motor Speedway shortly before the famous Indy 500 race, as documented in his Instagram post. Among other things, he took part in a ride in a two-seater IndyCar and did not miss the opportunity to show off his own drives on the track.
The LIV Golf Final in Indianapolis
The visit could be connected to the LIV Golf Tournament, which will take place 30 kilometers northeast of the Indianapolis Motor Speeday. The LIV Golf Indianapolis Tournament is the season finale of the 2025 LIV Golf League and will be held August 15-17, 2025 on the Championship Course at The Club at Chatham Hills in Westfield. This Pete Dye-designed golf course was chosen for its high-quality facilities. The tournament is expected to attract top players such as Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm and others and is expected to have an economic impact of 21 to 29 million dollars on the region. It will feature intense individual and team competition as well as fan activities and entertainment.
Jack Nicklaus and Rory McIlroy at the 2023 Memorial Tournament. (Photo: Getty)
Almost the entire elite of the PGA Tour will be competing in this week’s Memorial Tournament presented by Workday in Muirfield Village. However, one particularly prominent name is missing from the list of participants: Rory McIlroy has opted out of the signature event organized by Jack Nicklaus. The tournament host is surprised that McIlroy did not inform him in advance, but does not hold it against the Northern Irishman.
Jack Nicklaus: “It’s just his call”
Rory McIlroy recently realigned his tournament calendar: Less focus on the USA, but more starts at national Open tournaments around the globe. As he has committed to the Canadian Open next week, followed by the US Open, McIlroy is taking a break from the Memorial Tournament. It is already the third signature event of the season that he has skipped. Instead, he has played a number of tournaments with a rather weaker field of participants, giving them additional attention and is now making more international appearances.
Jack Nicklaus, host of the Memorial Tournament, self-confessed Rory fan and long-time supporter of the Northern Irishman, only found out about his withdrawal in the middle of last week. As he admitted at the pre-tournament press conference, he was a little caught off guard by the news: ““Yeah, it surprised me,” Nicklaus said. “But guys have got schedules and got things they do. And I haven’t talked to him for him to tell me why or why not. It’s just his call.”
Even though Nicklaus would have been delighted to welcome McIlroy to Muirfield Village, he was understanding: “I don’t hold anything against Rory for that. He did what he likes to play. I know he likes to play so many in a row. He likes to play the week before a U.S. Open. And so he, that’s what he’s doing. So, you know, I really don’t have a comment on it. It’s very difficult, very difficult. I mean, I’m a big Rory fan, I always have been. I’m sure that I will remain that way. I just, I was a little surprised, yes.”
Of course, the headline is provocative, and there is certainly no question of a team mode, a franchise concept or even poaching established golfing greats. But the fact that Saudi Arabia is casting covetous glances at women’s golf was already hinted at by its former calorifier Greg Norman during his time in office. Now Riyadh has manifested this interest and donated a Global Series to the European Ladies Tour (LET), initially with five events in five countries, financed and supported by the sovereign wealth fund PIF. In return, the Aramco Team Series has been dropped or renamed.
The PIF Global Series is organized and hosted by the LET, four of the five tournaments are endowed with two million dollars, plus the PIF Saudi Ladies International with a pot of five million dollars. Attentive observers of the women’s golf scene will have noticed that the first two competitions have already taken place: In February, Jeeno Thitikul won 675,000 dollars at the PIF Saudi Ladies International, and last weekend Korean Hyo Joo Kim celebrated a home victory in Seoul. Other venues include the Centurion Club near London (August 8-10), Houston (September 5-7) and Mission Hills in Shenzen, China (November 6-8).
As in the LIV Golf League, the PIF Global Series also has a team and an individual ranking, and PIF boss Yasir Al-Rumayyan is sticking to his vision of team golf. The captains are named based on the world rankings and can then put together their teams. Europe’s figurehead Charley Hull is naturally delighted – and not just because the Englishwoman is an ambassador for Saudi Golf anyway. In view of the generally low prize money at the LET, such multi-million dollar commitments are more than welcome. “Golf Saudi and PIF have shown themselves to be true trailblazers for women’s golf and have once again demonstrated their commitment to equal opportunities,” said Hull. Who would have thought that the Saudis would be talked about like this?
Bryson DeChambeau Leads LIV Charge at PGA Championship as McKibbin, Puig Join Elite Quail Hollow Field (Photo: Getty)
The PGA Championship 2025 promises one of the strongest fields of the year and now two more LIV Golf players have joined. Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin and Spain’s David Puig have received late invitations to the major at Quail Hollow, increasing LIV’s presence amid ongoing debates about world ranking points and qualification criteria.
PGA Championship: Golf’s Deepest Major Field?
The PGA Championship is renowned for its inclusivity. While the Masters maintains strict entry limits, the PGA of America traditionally invites nearly all top-100 players, unless they qualify otherwise. Since LIV events offer no world ranking points, stars like Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka rely on past major wins or special exemptions. Others, such as Joaquín Niemann, depend on invitations despite consistent LIV performances.
Tom McKibbin: Northern Ireland’s Rising LIV Star
Tom McKibbin could have played on the PGA Tour after securing his card via a strong 18th-place finish in the 2024 DP World Tour Race to Dubai. Despite warnings from Rory McIlroy, the 22-year-old joined LIV Golf, where he now plays for Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII.
Currently ranked 115th in the world, which is too low for automatic PGA Championship qualification, McKibbin’s steady LIV performances, including a team win in LIV’s season opener in Saudi Arabia, convinced the PGA of America to extend an invite. Legion XIII confirmed his participation via social media on Tuesday.
David Puig: Spain’s Bold College-to-LIV Prospect
David Puig jumped straight from college to LIV Golf. The 23-year-old sits 20th in LIV’s individual standings and recently impressed with a T4 at the Bahrain Championship on the DP World Tour.
Yet Puig’s world ranking slipped to 107th, typically insufficient for PGA Championship entry. Like McKibbin, he earned a late invitation, a golden opportunity to compete against golf’s elite and chase crucial ranking points.
LIV Stars at the PGA Championship
Beyond McKibbin and Puig, marquee LIV players like Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm, and Cameron Smith will tee off at Quail Hollow. These major champions remain world-class despite LIV’s ranking-points drought.
The PGA Championship highlights LIV players’ qualification hurdles. Without ranking points on their tour, majors and sporadic DP World/Asian Tour starts are their only paths to climb the standings.
Niemann secured a U.S. Open spot via LIV’s performance, aided by a new rule granting starts to three top unqualified LIV players. For McKibbin and Puig, Quail Hollow offers a critical opportunity to play their way up the rankings.
The tee times for the Truist Championship have been set. When will McIlroy and Co. tee off? (Photo: Getty)
The Truist Championship, part of the PGA Tour, takes place at The Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Wissahickon Course in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. With a par of 70, the event offers a $20 million prize pool. Reigning champion Rory McIlroy will defend his title.
PGA Tour Tee Times for UK Players at Truist Championship
Robert MacIntyre, hailing from Scotland, will join the field for the Truist Championship. MacIntyre begins Round 1 on Thursday at 11:20 AM alongside Davis Thompson from the USA and Denny McCarthy, also of the USA. For Round 2 on Friday, this group will tee off at 12:26 PM.
Aaron Rai, representing England, will start his Truist Championship campaign on Thursday at 11:53 AM. He partners with Austin Eckroat from the USA and Will Zalatoris, also of the USA. In the second round, Rai and his fellow players have a start time of 12:59 PM.
Rory McIlroy from Northern Ireland, the defending champion, is set to play in the company of Tommy Fleetwood from England and Justin Thomas from the USA. Their first-round tee time is 12:26 PM on Thursday, while for the second round, they will commence at 11:20 AM on Friday.
Justin Rose, another English golfer, shares his tee time with Shane Lowry from Ireland and Keegan Bradley from the USA. They begin Round 1 at 12:26 PM on Thursday and their second-round start is set for 11:20 AM on Friday.
Matthew Fitzpatrick, representing England, will tackle the first round at 12:59 PM. Alongside him are Thomas Detry from Belgium and Christiaan Bezuidenhout from South Africa. On Friday, Round 2 for this group is scheduled to begin at 11:53 AM.
Player Name
Nationality
Round
Tee Time
Flight Partner
Robert MacIntyre
Scotland
1
11:20 AM
Davis Thompson, USA; Denny McCarthy, USA
Aaron Rai
England
1
11:53 AM
Austin Eckroat, USA; Will Zalatoris, USA
Rory McIlroy
Northern Ireland
1
12:26 PM
Tommy Fleetwood, England; Justin Thomas, USA
Justin Rose
England
1
12:26 PM
Shane Lowry, Ireland; Keegan Bradley, USA
Matthew Fitzpatrick
England
1
12:59 PM
Thomas Detry, Belgium; Christiaan Bezuidenhout, South Africa
Robert MacIntyre
Scotland
2
12:26 PM
Davis Thompson, USA; Denny McCarthy, USA
Aaron Rai
England
2
12:59 PM
Austin Eckroat, USA; Will Zalatoris, USA
Rory McIlroy
Northern Ireland
2
11:20 AM
Tommy Fleetwood, England; Justin Thomas, USA
Justin Rose
England
2
11:20 AM
Shane Lowry, Ireland; Keegan Bradley, USA
Matthew Fitzpatrick
England
2
11:53 AM
Thomas Detry, Belgium; Christiaan Bezuidenhout, South Africa
LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil and OWGR chairman Trevor Immelman reportedly in new talks over World Ranking Points for the League (Photo: Getty)
Augusta was, as always, the stage for great golf moments – and apparently also for a meeting away from the fairways. At the Masters, LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil and the new OWGR chairman Trevor Immelman were seen under the famous oak tree – a place where important matters in golf are often discussed. Nothing has been officially confirmed, but according to multiple reports, talks between LIV Golf and the OWGR about possible recognition of the league for world ranking points are said to be taking place. This would be the first time since the rejected application in 2022 that the two sides have moved closer again.
Talks are progressing between LIV Golf and the OWGR for the LIV Golf League to receive World Ranking Points. Multiple conversations have taken place, including an in-person meeting between LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil and OWGR Chairman Trevor Immelman at the Masters.
Since its founding in 2022, LIV Golf has been striving for recognition by the OWGR. So far, this has failed due to criticism of the format—particularly because of the team competition and the lack of relegation. Now, it seems things are moving forward. With new leadership on both sides, structural reforms, and the first visible signs of rapprochement—as reports suggest—the door to the world rankings may be opening a little wider.
What also seems apparent: LIV Golf appears willing to make structural adjustments. To accommodate the OWGR, there are said to be plans for clearer sporting mobility in the future. Players who end up in the so called “Drop Zone” at the end of the season would automatically be eliminated. A return would then only be possible through the Promotions Event or the Asian Tour.
OWGR Points as the Key to the Majors
The debate over ranking points has tangible consequences for many LIV golfers. While top players like Jon Rahm or Brooks Koepka are secured through major successes, others lack guaranteed access to big tournaments. The world ranking is the central criterion—without points, no starts in the majors. Integration into the OWGR system would significantly improve the competitive prospects of many LIV golfers.
The British Open at Royal Portrush expects record breaking crowd. (Photo: Getty)
Royal Portrush is set to make history once again. The R&A announced that it expects a staggering 278,000 fans to descend on the famed links this July for the 153rd Open Championship — a figure that would make it one of the most attended Opens of all time.
The turnout will mark the largest sporting event ever staged in Northern Ireland, with an estimated economic impact of £213 million. Ticket demand has been unprecedented, with over one million applications submitted. Only the 150th Open at St Andrews in 2022 — which drew 290,000 spectators — has attracted a larger crowd.
Lowry and McIlroy Set for Homecoming Battle
Portrush last hosted The Open in 2019, when Shane Lowry thrilled the home crowds with a commanding six-shot victory, drawing a then-record 237,750 fans over four days. Six years later, anticipation is reaching a fever pitch as Lowry prepares for a potential showdown with fellow fan favorite Rory McIlroy — fresh off his long-awaited Masters triumph and the favorite to capture more major glory in 2025.
Suspended over a LIV-linked event, Wesley Bryan addresses fans directly on YouTube—with reflection, respect, and resolve. (Photo: Youtube@Bryan Bros Golf)
For most of his career, Wesley Bryan has been as comfortable in front of a camera as he is over a wedge shot. Trick shots, Tour wins, YouTube content — he’s built a name straddling the line between entertainer and elite athlete. But now, the PGA Tour veteran finds himself at the center of a different kind of story: one where the future of golf collides head-on with its rules of the past.
The PGA Tour suspended Bryan following his appearance at “The Duels: Miami,” a LIV Golf-adjacent creator event. The response? A 3-minute YouTube video, shot from a golf cart, layered with gratitude, introspection, and an unmistakable undercurrent of defiance.
“It’s Been an Emotional Rollercoaster”
In the video, Bryan isn’t teeing off or goofing around with influencers. He’s seated quietly in a golf cart, speaking directly to his audience — not as a content creator, not as a PGA Tour player, but as someone genuinely trying to make sense of where golf is headed.
“It’s been an emotional rollercoaster,” he admits early in the video. The PGA Tour had suspended him for playing in an event connected to LIV — without securing a mandatory release. But instead of firing back, Bryan starts with something unexpected: gratitude.
He thanks the Tour. For the tournaments. For the platform. For the eight years of opportunities. It’s a tone that’s disarming — reflective rather than reactive. There’s no hint of rage. Only a desire to explain.
YouTube, LIV, and a Grey Area in the Rulebook
To understand the controversy, it helps to understand the event. “The Duels: Miami” wasn’t a traditional tournament. It wasn’t sanctioned, it wasn’t ranked, and it wasn’t played for a seven-figure purse. It was a content shoot — part challenge, part entertainment — streamed on YouTube, not broadcast on national television.
Bryan played alongside YouTubers and major champions alike, all of it captured on Grant Horvat’s channel. The problem? The PGA Tour’s policy requires players to seek permission before appearing in non-Tour events, particularly those linked to LIV Golf. Bryan didn’t — because, as he sees it, it wasn’t a competitive event at all.
For Bryan, YouTube isn’t a hobby. It’s a career lane that has grown up alongside his Tour life — one he’s cultivated for over a decade. It’s also part of a larger shift in golf, where Gen Z fans are just as likely to follow Grant Horvat or Rick Shiels as they are to tune into CBS on a Sunday.
“The Rule Was Not Meant To Cover Content Creation On Youtube”
Bryan makes it clear: this isn’t about defiance. It’s about definitions. He respects the PGA Tour, and he’s not looking to blow up the rulebook — but he is questioning whether the rules have kept up with the game.
“I want to be clear. I do respect the authorities that are in place at the tour, but because of the ambiguity and the rules and regulations that were written I do, a as a member of the PGA Tour, have a right to appeal their decision,” he says. “I don’t feel like when the rule was written, that it was meant to cover content creation on YouTube, I feel like it was meant to cover organized professional high-level golf events. And with that being said, I plan on carrying out my right to appeal.”
So, he’s appealing. Not to win an argument, but to seek clarity — for himself, for other content creators in golf, and for the next generation of players who might find themselves walking the same line between entertainment and elite sport.
What happens next will likely be decided behind closed doors. But the bigger question — how golf defines itself in the digital age — is one that’s far from settled.
A small mistake with big consequences: At the Corales Puntacana Championship, a breach of the rules was Ben Crane’s undoing. After making a mistake at the PGA Tour event, he disqualified himself.
On hole 8 of the third round in the Dominican Republic, the ball supposedly landed in the water after the tee shot. Crane then played a second ball from the tee, which came to rest near the penalty area. Once there, however, the American found two balls. His first ball had not landed in the water but hit the rocks and bounced back onto the course. Crane made a mistake in identifying the ball and inadvertently continued to play his first ball. As the second ball was already in play, this was illegal. It was not until the following hole that Crane discovered scratches on his ball caused by the impact with the rocks and realized his mistake.
Rules of golf: Wrong ball played
The Rules of Golf state that, as a rule, a hole must be played with one ball from start to finish. Rule 6.3b states: “If the player’s original ball has not been found and the player put another ball in play to take stroke-and-distance relief or as allowed under a Rule that applies when it is known or virtually certain what happened to the ball: The player must continue playing with the substituted ball, and the player must not play the original ball even if it is found on the course before the end of the three-minute search time.”
If a player continues to play with the original ball, this is regarded as playing the wrong ball. According to Rule 6.3c(1), a player is obliged to correct a mistake before teeing off on the next hole. It states: “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.”
Ben Crane addressed the public after the incident via his X account and described the situation from his perspective. He explained how the mistake came about and why he decided to take the consequences in the form of self-disqualification. His honest account and the decision to hold himself accountable were widely appreciated in the golf community.
