Category: Panorama

Categories
Panorama

Tiger Woods and Vanessa Trump: “Love is in the Air…”

Tiger Woods confirms romance with Vanessa Trump. (Photo: X@Tiger Woods)

Tiger Woods has made his relationship with Vanessa Trump (47) official. The former wife of Donald Trump Jr. and onetime daughter-in-law of the 45th and 47th President of the United States confirmed the romance via a springtime post on social media platform X. The post began with a telling line: “Love is in the air…”

While the new couple made headlines off the course, their children were in the spotlight on it – though with mixed results. At the prestigious Sage Valley Invitational in Graniteville, South Carolina, one of the premier junior events in American golf, both Charlie Woods and Kai Trump were in the field.

Charlie Woods finished tied for 25th out of 36 players in his age group – a modest result for the 15-year-old son of the golf legend. Kai Trump, granddaughter of the former president, finished 24th and last in her division.

The overall boys’ title went to 16-year-old Miles Russell, widely regarded as one of the brightest rising stars in U.S. golf. Russell has already teed it up twice on the PGA Tour and, in 2024, made history as the youngest player ever to make the cut on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Categories
Panorama

Tiger Woods and Vanessa Trump: New Golf Power Couple?

Tiger Woods and Vanessa Trump: New Romance in Florida? (Photos: Getty)

Tiger Woods is making headlines once again, and this time, it has nothing to do with his game on the course. The 15-time major champion is rumored to be in a relationship with Vanessa Trump, the ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr. Reports suggest that they have been seeing each other for several months.

Rumors Surrounding Tiger Woods and Vanessa Trump

Woods is no stranger to the public eye—whether for his triumphs on the golf course or his personal life. Now, his name is back in the spotlight, and this time, it’s not about birdies or bogeys. According to reports from DailyMail and People Magazine, Woods has been linked to Vanessa Trump, the former wife of Donald Trump Jr. The two reportedly live just 20 minutes apart in Florida and have been spotted together on multiple occasions, including at golf tournaments. However, no official confirmation has been made. Insiders claim the pair is taking things slowly and prefers to keep their relationship private for now.

Vanessa Trump, who divorced Donald Trump Jr. in 2018 after 12 years of marriage, has largely stayed out of the public eye since. Woods, on the other hand, has had several high-profile romances, most recently with Erica Herman. Now, it seems he and Vanessa Trump may be more than just acquaintances.

A Shared Connection Through Golf

One thing the two certainly have in common is a deep connection to golf. Vanessa’s daughter, Kai, is an aspiring golfer who is set to play for the University of Miami. Meanwhile, Woods’ children, Sam and Charlie, have grown up around the sport and even attend the same school as Kai.

According to DailyMail, Woods and Trump have been spending significant time together, particularly at Woods’ estate on Jupiter Island. While they are not living together, Vanessa is said to be a frequent visitor. The couple has chosen to keep a low public profile—for now.

On-Course Challenges for Woods

While his personal life is making waves, Woods is facing setbacks in his professional career. Just recently, news broke that he has suffered an Achilles injury, putting his hopes for the Masters in jeopardy. This comes as another blow after he had been gearing up for yet another comeback.

Adding to his challenges, Woods is dealing with a significant personal loss. In early February, his mother, Kultida, passed away at the age of 81. Woods has often credited her as his greatest supporter and a key influence in his career.

Categories
Panorama

Political Protest Targets Trump Turnberry Club in Scotland

Activists vandalize Trump Turnberry with political messages. (Photo: X@ Pal_action)

Over the weekend, Trump Turnberry made headlines—not for a golfing spectacle, but for a politically motivated act of vandalism. Activists from the group Palestine Action responded to U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial statements about Gaza with a dramatic protest.

Trump Turnberry: When Politics Reaches the Fairway

Typically known for its pristine fairways and stunning coastal views, Turnberry presented a very different picture this weekend: the words “Gaza is not for sale” were painted in large letters across the grass, red paint was splattered on the clubhouse walls, and parts of the course were dug up. Pro-Palestinian activists gained access to the property overnight to protest Trump’s remarks on Gaza’s future. Police Scotland launched an investigation into property damage, while the resort’s management assured that operations would continue as normal.

Why Trump Turnberry Became a Target

The protest was orchestrated by Palestine Action, a group opposing Trump’s idea of placing Gaza under U.S. control and relocating the Palestinian population. In their statement, the activists accused Trump of treating Gaza as if it were his own real estate—so they decided to demonstrate that even his own property is not beyond reach.

Trump Turnberry’s management swiftly condemned the protest, calling it a “childish, criminal act,” but emphasized that the resort would continue to operate as usual. The controversy surrounding the incident, however, extends far beyond Scotland, as Trump’s Middle East comments have sparked global debate.

Trump Turnberry and The Open Championship: A Closed Door for the R&A?

There is little debate about Trump Turnberry’s status as a world-class golf course. The Ailsa Course has hosted The Open Championship four times, most recently in 2009. However, since Trump acquired the resort in 2014, it has disappeared from the major championship circuit.

The R&A, which oversees The Open, has suggested that Trump’s association with the course is a distraction and that the venue’s infrastructure does not fully meet modern major championship standards. While Turnberry consistently ranks among the world’s best golf courses, the question remains whether it will ever host The Open again.

Categories
Panorama

The Masters 2025: How Rory McIlroy is preparing for his most important tournament

Rory McIlroy talks about his preparations for the Masters. (Photo: Getty)
Rory McIlroy talks about his preparations for the Masters. (Photo: Getty)

As the year progresses, The Masters in Augusta is getting closer and closer, and anticipation is growing – but so is nervousness. This also applies to Rory McIlroy, for whom the first major of the season is known to be of the highest importance. Now he has revealed how he will prepare for the important tournament this year.

Rory McIlroy is fully focused on The Masters

The legendary tournament at the tradition-rich Augusta National Golf Club takes place from April 10 to 13. In addition to the prestige and history, there is another very personal reason for the Northern Irishman: it is the only major that is still missing from his career Grand Slam. A victory would not only crown his career, but also elevate him to the ranks of the greatest golfers of all time. Alongside a Ryder Cup triumph in the USA and an Olympic gold medal, winning the green jacket is one of his three main goals. Every year, he focuses on this one week in April when he has the chance to finally win The Masters.

With his team’s TGL elimination, McIlroy can now focus entirely on preparation. In recent years, he has tried various approaches to get in peak physical condition. During a press conference at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, he discussed his current plans. He has no tournaments scheduled between next week’s PLAYERS Championship and the Masters, but that could still change:

“I don’t like the idea of having three weeks off going into the Masters, so I may add one event, but I’m still between what event that may be. But it really just depends on how these two weeks go and how I’m feeling about my game.”

“It feels a little different”

He emphasizes that it helps him to travel to Augusta in advance and spend time on the golf course: “You can spend as much time as you want around there, like on those days that you go up outside of the tournament. You’re not under any pressure from a time constraint, like having to get to media or having any other obligations.”

He continues: “It’s funny, when you want to spend six hours on a practice round it doesn’t feel like it’s that bad, but the week of it you don’t really want to be out there for six hours and it feels a little different.”

Categories
Panorama

Embarrassing defeat: Scottie Scheffler loses to 10 handicap

Scottie Scheffler takes his unexpected defeat with humor. (Photo: Getty)
Scottie Scheffler takes his unexpected defeat with humor. (Photo: Getty)

It’s a bitter pill to swallow for the world number one, Olympic champion and two-time major winner Scottie Scheffler: last weekend, he was beaten by a friend with a handicap of 10 during a private round of golf. The two played an exciting match for money – and in the end, Scheffler had to pay up.

Scottie Scheffler defeated on 18th hole

Scottie Scheffler gave his friend strokes according to their difference in level of play. The decision was made spectacularly at hole 18: His opponent holed out of the bunker and secured the victory. “I got out of the way because I thought he could potentially shank it, and he ended up holing it,” Scheffler describes the decisive moment.

Despite the personal setback, Scheffler emphasizes that it is precisely experiences like this that make golf so appealing and fun: no matter what level the players are at, the handicap system ensures that every match remains exciting and can take unexpected turns: “One of the great things about golf is that I can out with a guy who’s going to play 90, and I can give him enough strokes to where we’ll have a good competition,” he says.

When asked how he dealt with the defeat, Scheffler openly admits: “I didn’t like losing.” But he took it in good humor, joking that he thanked his friend for the boost to his self-confidence before his upcoming start on the PGA Tour this week. Scheffler will tee off as one of the favorites in the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard. The fourth PGA Tour Signature Event features a total prize purse of $20 million and the full PGA elite is participating.

Categories
Panorama

Billy Horschel vs. alligator: 60-degree wedge in special use

Billy Horschel vs. Alligator (Source: X@GolfDigest).
Billy Horschel vs. Alligator (Source: X@GolfDigest).

On the first day of the Cognizant Classic in Florida, golf pro Billy Horschel had an unusual encounter with an unexpected guest – an alligator. While Horschel shot a round of 66 and fought his way to a tied 16th place, the scene on the 6th hole caused quite a stir. However, the six-time PGA Tour winner remained ice-cold and proved that he can handle not only a golf ball but also reptiles.

Billy Horschel: ‘I’m not afraid of gators’

The scene occurred when Horschel had just finished his putt on the sixth hole and was marching towards the seventh tee. Suddenly he noticed an alligator crawling slowly across the green – directly towards the crowd. A police officer who was on site tried to chase the animal away, but to no effect.

“Yeah, we were on No. 6 green and I just putted out, went to the left side of the green there. Right about to walk to 7 I saw the gator coming across,” Horschel explained. “The cop who was working with us walked over there and tried to shoo him, but he didn’t have anything to touch him and he was trying to get as close as he could. It was either someone was going to have to go up to No. 8 and grab a rake or I was 30 yards away, 25 yards away, and I just grabbed a club and went over there and pushed him away.”

60-Degree Wedge in Action

Billy Horschel, who himself played college golf for the Florida Gators, showed no fear of the reptile. With a 60-degree wedge in his hand, he approached the alligator and skilfully directed it back into the water.

“I’m not afraid of gators. Listen, as I tell most people, I said, they’re more afraid of you. The majority of the time they’re only going to come after you during mating season where they’re a little aggressive and then if you’re around their nest when they’ve got some eggs,” Horschel said. “The majority of the time, they’re fine. I grew up with my dad grabbing their tail when they’re on the side of the bank and shooing them back in the water. I never touched a tail with my hand but I’ve done it with a club. Not that big of a deal.”

Categories
Fun Panorama

Unusual dress code: You have to play naked on this golf course

La Jenny: The only naturist golf course in the world. (Source: lajennyvacances/Instagram)
La Jenny: The only naturist golf course in the world. (Source: lajennyvacances/Instagram)

Forget dress codes and tight polo shirts! On the world’s only officially recognized naturist golf course, La Jenny, on the French Atlantic coast, things are different: here golfers swing their clubs the way God created them. In the midst of pine forests and dunes, a unique golfing experience awaits – without any clothing getting in the way, but with maximum freedom of movement.

FKK Golf: The naked madness

La Jenny is no ordinary golf course. Here, nudity is not only tolerated, but expressly encouraged – as long as the weather cooperates. The course offers six holes: three par-3s (70 to 130 meters) and three par-4s (220 to 330 meters). Beginners and experienced golfers alike will find a challenge here. But one question remains: Where to put the tee? Creativity is required – because there is no trouser pocket here!

More freedom of movement – fewer tan lines!

Without tight polo shirts or pinching belts, the golf swing feels freer than ever before. So if you’ve always wanted to hone your technique without any clothes getting in the way – here’s your chance. Another bonus: The unloved tan lines are a thing of the past. If you don’t have your own equipment, you can borrow everything from the clubhouse – from clubs to golf balls. Only clothing is not on the rental list here.

La Jenny is located in the picturesque Nouvelle-Aquitaine region and is part of a larger naturist village known for its relaxed and respectful atmosphere. Since its opening in 1993, the golf course has developed into a real highlight for nature-loving golfers. After the round, the clubhouse with its cozy lounge and spacious terrace invites you to relax. Here you can enjoy coffee, fruit juices or even French wines – in the best of company, of course, and still completely informal.

La Jenny is not the only place where nude golf can be played. At Cypress Cove Resort in Florida, there is also the opportunity to play a round on the Chip n Putt course in the nude – but there it is optional, unlike at La Jenny, where nudity is mandatory.

Categories
Panorama

Tiger Woods and the proximity to power

Photo: Getty
Photo: Getty

The new factors in professional golf: power lust, geopolitical aspects, economic influences, elitism, plus digital fire from media people 4.0.

In this context, the news fit that Kai Trump, the US president’s ambitious niece, is now sponsored by TaylorMade with a so-called NIL contract, according to which college athletes can benefit to a certain extent from “name, image, and likeness” . The 17-year-old is a prospective student at the University of Miami and has 5.4 million followers on social media.

Meeting of Tiger Woods and Kai Trump

Only a cynic would suspect that Tiger Woods had a hand in this—after all, he has recently been very visibly and seeking proximity to power in a variety of ways, fraternizing with the Trump clique, and allowing himself to be used for their agenda in more ways than just the National Black History Month.

 
Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an
 

Ein Beitrag geteilt von Flushing It (@flushingitgolf)

Categories
Panorama

Next meeting with Trump: The future of golf will be decided at the White House

Photo: Getty
Photo: Getty

Prove what had to be proven: 2025 is the year in which the world’s order is being rearranged. On a large scale – politically, economically, socially – and on a small scale, in golf, for example. And everything stands and falls with the disruptor, the self-proclaimed big shot in the White House, who wants to put his stamp on everything that is of interest and useful to him on this globe. Golf, anyway. Donald Trump may not have settled the tug-of-war between the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund PIF and the PGA Tour for an investment in the commercial venture PGA Tour Enterprises within 15 minutes, as he once boasted. But negotiations have progressed at a breathtaking pace since Agent Orange returned to the Oval Office – not least because the parties are hoping for The Donald’s diktat for the U.S. Department of Justice. Last Thursday, a delegation of the establishment was again with the president, Commissioner Jay Monahan and player representative Adam Scott, who had already been heard the other day, as well as Tiger Woods, who had been unable to attend the previous time – and PIF boss Yasir Al-Rumayyan, which was the biggest news item of the meeting.

After the hours-long meeting, the PGA Tour released the usual blah-blah statement and spoke meaninglessly of a “constructive working session”. What was significant, of course, was not only that Trump’s “leadership” was once again praised, but that Al-Rumayyan was consistently and respectfully referred to as “His Excellency”. Monahan has sounded different before, but now it is time to bow down before the new balance of power and Trump’s presidential and private economic ties with the Saudis.

The president, in turn, took advantage of Woods’ presence and celebrated a high-profile joint appearance with the 15-time major winner on the occasion of National Black History Month, which, in view of Trump’s otherwise openly displayed racism, is not without a certain irony. At a dinner for the governors of the US states the next day, the president then declared: “There is a good chance that we will make it. I think there is a very good chance.”

 
Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an
 

Ein Beitrag geteilt von GOLF.com // GOLF Magazine (@golf_com)

 
Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an
 

Ein Beitrag geteilt von Fore Play (@foreplaypod)

“And there’s Trump, who lives and breathes golf and has extensive business dealings with the Tour, with LIV and with Saudi Arabia. This is his world; in a public appearance post-meeting he led a “Ti-ger” chant and showered praise on Scott (“I’ve always tried to swing like Adam, it never worked out that way”) and he would love nothing more than to be the toast of the game.” Dylan Dethier in Golf.com

However and whenever it happens, one thing is clear: the future of golf will be defined and decided in the White House – and everything points to it being decided soon. If Trump puts the brakes on the Department of Justice, the only sticking point remaining is the future and staffing of the LIV league, which Al-Rumayyan apparently wants to hold on to.

The latest rumor was spread by Rex Hoggard from the “Golf Channel”. He claims to have learned from a LIV’ler that professionals from the rival circuit will be allowed to compete in the Players Championship (March 11-16) on the PGA Tour, of all things at their flagship event. However, the fact that the LIV event in Singapore is scheduled for that weekend speaks against this.

Categories
Panorama

The Tough Reality Behind the Dream of the PGA Tour

Golf professional and coach Alex Romo breaks down the financial reality of mini tour golf in a social media video. (Source: Instagram @alexromogolf)

The road to the PGA Tour is paved with talent, dedication, and financial risk. For many aspiring professionals, mini tours provide a proving ground, but as Alex Romo recently highlighted, they come with a steep price—and no guarantees.

$2,500 Upfront – and No Promises

Reaching the PGA Tour is a long and costly journey. Most players start on mini tours—small, regional circuits designed to give professionals competitive experience. Unlike the PGA Tour, however, these events offer no guaranteed income. Players pay entry fees, cover travel expenses, and hope to play well enough to turn a profit.

Golf professional Alex Romo recently shared the financial breakdown of a week on the Asher Tour: a $1,350 entry fee, $600 for accommodations, $280 for gas, $60 for golf balls, and $200 for food. That totals roughly $2,500 before hitting a single shot.

For players who fail to make the cut, the financial loss is immediate. There are no appearance fees, no safety nets—just the reality of professional golf at an unforgiving level.

Breaking Even Requires Elite Play

Even for those who make the cut, turning a profit is far from guaranteed. At the event Romo analyzed, tournament winner Michael Feagles finished at 16-under par over three rounds, earning $20,000. A strong payday, but the numbers below him tell a different story.

To break even, a player needed to finish at least seventh, which required shooting 10-under par. Romo pointed out that a scratch golfer—typically considered elite at the amateur level—would average around 75 on this course. To contend, a player needed to perform at the level of a +6.3 handicap, just shy of Scottie Scheffler’s +7.5.

On the PGA Tour, that kind of golf is worth millions. On a mini tour, finishing seventh merely covers expenses. Those who barely made the cut but finished near the bottom saw little return. The last-place finisher after the cut earned just $600—well below the $2,500 needed to break even.

No Clear Path to the PGA Tour

Unlike the Korn Ferry Tour or international development tours, mini tours do not offer Official World Golf Ranking points or direct promotion pathways. Instead, they serve as testing grounds—players who consistently perform well may attract sponsor interest or receive exemptions into higher-level events. But success on a mini tour does not guarantee a PGA Tour opportunity.

For Romo, this particular event ended with a missed cut by three strokes. His 72.5 scoring average translated to a +2.5 handicap—a strong showing on a demanding course. But without making the cut, there was no prize money. And without prize money, the $2,500 investment became just another expense in the pursuit of a bigger dream.