Rory McIlroy has changed his mind about the LIV Golf League. (Source: Getty)
As the LIV Golf Tour unveiled a new team just ahead of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, boasting the likes of Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, Rory McIlroy shared his thoughts on these significant player migrations. McIlroy, a staunch supporter of the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, surprised many with his altered perspective on players making the transition to LIV Golf.
Rory McIlroy: “At the end of the day, everyone has to do what’s right for them.”
Days before teeing off at the iconic Pebble Beach Links in California, McIlroy delved into the topic during a press conference on Tuesday. Expressing his views on Tyrrell Hatton’s move, McIlroy emphasized the importance of each golfer making decisions that align with their personal journey. “At the end of the day, everyone has to do what’s right for them. I had a lengthy conversation with Tyrrell on Sunday, and I completely understand where he’s coming from. They’ve reached a point in negotiations where he feels comfortable. He has to do what he believes is right, so I won’t stand in anyone’s way of making a living. And if they view it as life-changing money, absolutely,” McIlroy stated.
The multiple Major-winner also touched upon the topic of potential sanctions for players looking to return to their original tours. McIlroy firmly stood against punitive measures, advocating for mutual understanding and collaboration between tours to propel the sport forward. This marked a significant departure from his earlier stance, as McIlroy emphasized his changed perspective, fueled by a desire to ensure the best for the sport as a whole.
?️ "I don't think there should be a punishment"
Rory McIlroy admits he has changed his tune by saying returning LIV Golf players shouldn't be punished ❌ pic.twitter.com/drKmaEp3Wo
Justin Thomas on the latest additions to LIV Golf: “I’m done with it”
Adding to the discourse, Justin Thomas shared his thoughts on the recent influx of players into LIV Golf during the Pebble Beach event. “I feel like at this point, I’m done with it. It is what it is,” Thomas commented. Reflecting on the diversity of opinions surrounding the moves, he acknowledged that people make decisions based on what they believe is best for them. While expressing disappointment over Hatton’s departure, Thomas displayed understanding and refrained from passing judgment, acknowledging the individuality of each player’s choices.
The new TaylorMade Golf Team-Members. (Photo: TaylorMade)
TaylorMade Golf Company, an industry leader in product innovation and technology, announced today the signings of some of the youngest and hottest prospects on the Challenge Tour to play TaylorMade equipment from 2024. With an average age of 22 they join an already incredibly talented stable of athletes plying their trade on both the DP World Tour and Challenge Tour as part of Team TaylorMade.
Four new players for Team TaylorMade Golf in the 2024 season
Angel Ayora
Angel, who won the first stage of Qualifying School at Donnington Grove Golf Club at the end of September, 2023, joins Team TaylorMade after he secured his Challenge Tour card for 2024. At just 19-years-old from Spain, Angel played both the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open and ISPS Handa Australian Open at the beginning of the 2023/2024 DP World Tour season, making the cut on both occasions, finishing 33rd and tied-21st, respectively.
Angel Ayora sings with TaylorMade. (Photo: TaylorMade Golf)
Angel is one the quicker players so getting him dialled in was very important. Tour Representative Sam Day started with a heavier driver shaft which offered him more control with little to no trade-off in club speed. Because of the better strikes and more connected feel with the driver, he was able to gain ball speed and play something that is designed to be more stable. His miss is to the right, so going down in head loft and using the FCT sleeve to change loft and face angle helped fix this problem (9.0 head set two clicks higher playing at 10.5 – the more loft added to a driver will close the face angle and therefore less likely to miss right). During golf ball testing, the soon-to-be-released 2024 TP5x was testing 3mph quicker with the driver, and when it came to irons, Sam actually moved his iron lofts a full 1 degree weaker to help him get better spin rates and land angles into the greens. Angel constantly works with his coach to increase his peak height, and with the new ball and iron lofts he gained 20 feet with his longer irons helping that stopping distance coming into greens.
Former French Number One Amateur, Martin Couvra, joins Team TaylorMade after becoming only the seventh player in history to win on the Challenge Tour as an amateur. Following his victory at the Challenge de España in September, 2023, Martin made the decision to turn professional. Martin finished the 2023 season ranked 46th on the Road to Mallorca rankings, solidifying a full Challenge Tour card for 2024 for the 21-year-old.
Martin Couvra sings with TaylorMade. (Photo: TaylorMade Golf)
Martin likes to see a fade with the driver so he likes to see the ball starting left and falling to the right. Tour Representative Mark Thistleton worked with Martin a lot around face angle, and they found that the more Mark opened the face, the more fade Martin produced, reacting to what he saw at address. Couvra settled on a 10.5 head set a little lower playing at 10 degrees with a little open face angle that gives him the look of a fade club at address. Mark then worked on wedge options to better fill his distances after spotting that Martin previously carried a 52 & 58 degree Hi Toe wedge and left himself a 20-metre gap between PW & 52. Martin ended up in the new MG4 50 & 54 wedges to have his approach play dialled in ahead of the season. They both spent a lot of the session working with the new TP5 ball, which Martin loved right away. Martin is not one of the longer hitters out there and found speed especially in the top end of the bag with the new ball which he was sold on right away.
Two-time Walker Cup star and Wake Forest University graduate, Mark Power (23), has put his trust in TaylorMade equipment as he starts the next phase of his career. Prior to heading to the US College system in 2019, Mark was a three-time winner of the Irish Boys Order of Merit (2016, 2017,2018) and two-time winner of the Irish Open Boys Championship (2016, 2017). Mark graduated in 2023 before making his professional debut on the DP World Tour at the Horizon Irish Open last year, finishing tied-33rd. He also made the cut at the ISPS Handa Australian Open this season on the DP World Tour and will ply his main trade on the Challenge Tour this year.
Mark Power sings with TaylorMade. (Photo: TaylorMade Golf)
Mark likes to play with a draw, and with the new Qi10 LS driver he was able to match the correct amount of launch and spin to make his go-to shot a lot easier and perform better. His drop-off in spin with his previous gamer was penalising his miss shot and therefore performance off the tee. Again, during ball testing, Mark gained 2mph ball speed switching into the 2024 TP5x golf ball from the 2021 TP5, and this was a massive step forward for him. Tour Representative Sam Day looked at the wedge and putter performance with the new ball to make sure the feel and sound married up with performance, which it did. The soft feel and low spin numbers he gained at the top end of the bag made this a clear winner.
North Carolina State University scholar, Max Steinlechner (24), from Austria, completes the roster for 2024. Max, a former Austrian Number One Amateur, had a stellar amateur career before heading off to play for the Wolfpack. He won the Austrian International Amateur Championship as a 17-year-old with a score of 11-under par, and won the Austrian Boys Strokeplay Championship for three consecutive years between 2015-2017. Max played the majority of his golf on the Challenge Tour in 2023, where he will look to build on a strong foundation moving into 2024.
Max Steinlechner sings with TaylorMade. (Photo: TaylorMade Golf)
Max is very much a feel player and likes to focus on feel when testing clubs almost as much as performance. He does not change equipment easily or without validation, but he very quickly fell in love with the Qi10 driver. Tour Representative Mark Thistleton tested a couple of new shaft options, settling on the new Graphite Design VF in a 60 TX, tipped 1.25”, which is a little more than standard. Max has lots of speed and an extremely good ball striker, he offers precise feedback and any small changes Mark made to his equipment were seen instantly in the resulting ball flight. During pre-season was Max’s first testing session with a TaylorMade Golf Ball. This made up a huge part of the testing procedure, testing the range of TaylorMade golf balls, diligently looking at the numbers and giving his precise feedback on sound and feel. Mark and Max soon concluded that the soon-to-be-released 2024 TP5x ball was the perfect fit for his game. It controlled his spin in the long game and offered great feedback and feel through the rest of the bag.
“The golfing world all sees the success stories at the top with the likes of Rory, Tommy and Nelly when they win golf tournaments. But what they don’t see is how much work goes on behind the scenes in Team TaylorMade to find and develop the next generation of top class players. We believe this crop of talented young players from across Europe all have what it takes to compete and succeed on a world stage in the very near future. Each has their own successes as an amateur to be proud of, but more than that, we see a maturity and an attitude in these guys that stands them apart from their peers and because of this they are a great fit for the TaylorMade family. We are excited to continue this journey with them and look forward to seeing the individual success stories from each of them over the coming months and years.”
-Mark Thistleton, Tour Representative, TaylorMade Golf
Three days before the start of the 2024 season in Mayakoba, LIV Golf announces the line-up and team name for the 13th team, which will be under the direction of Jon Rahm. Under the name “Legion XIII”, inspired by the Legion XIII Gemina in Ceasar’s Army, the new team will play with the mantra “Together we play. Together we conquer.” Captain Jon Rahm will be joined by Tyrrell Hatton, former amateur Caleb Surratt and Kieran Vincent. There are no more big surprises, the details have already been circulating in the social and traditional golf media with varying degrees of certainty. It was only on Monday that the apparently recent signing of Tyrrell Hatton attracted a great deal of attention.
LIV Golf: Jon Rahm and his 13th Legion
Legion XIII is the first new team to join LIV Golf since the tour’s inception.“We’ve come a long way in a short period of time and are extremely proud of the team and brand we are building,” said Rahm. “As we were developing the team’s brand it became clear that I wanted to fight alongside a group of guys who aligned perfectly with what the team stands for. Tyrrellis a fierce competitor, proven champion, and of course my Ryder Cup teammate. Caleb is one of the brightest next gen stars of the game. And Kieran is a steady, talented ball striker who earned his promotion to LIV and is elevating his game every day.”
Rahm explained more about the meaning he sees in the team name: “The XIII portion of the name was appealing early in the process as it fit the structure of captain (X) and the three players in the lineup (III),” said Rahm. “Plus, we are the 13th team in the league. As for the logo, that was something I was also very passionate about. The soccer team I grew up following (Athletic Bilbao) is called the Lions. It’s just a fierce animal that everybody respects and fears at the same time.”
Rahm’s Legion XIII will consist of:
Jon Rahm, two-time major winner and reigning Masters champion with a total of 20 wins in his professional career.
Tyrrell Hatton, Rahm’s Ryder Cup teammate and 6-time winner on the DP World Tour. “I’m really looking forward to this next chapter, working with Jon Rahm and Legion XIII and getting started this week in Mexico,” said Hatton.
Caleb Surratt, number 10 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking with a successful performance at the Walker Cup 2023
Kieran Vincent, who qualified for the league via the LIV Golf Promotions event and whose brother Scott is already a permanent member of the Iron Heads team.
McIlroy, Rahm and Hovland remain in chasing positions in the World Golf Ranking. (Image: Getty)
Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland maintain their positions at second, third and fourth position, respectively. With England’s Matt Fitzpatrick standing firm at eighth position in the World Golf Ranking, there are some contenders holding up to break American dominance in the top ten. Tommy Fleetwood, secured the 11th spot, with no changes from the previous week. England’s Tyrrell Hatton remains at sixteenth place.
British Players in the Official World Golf Ranking
Delving deeper into the British presence, England’s Justin Rose drops from position forty-three to forty-five while Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre and England’s Aaron Rai take spots sixty-four and sixty-eight, respectively.
At the top of the table, the World Golf Ranking sees Scottie Scheffler from the USA continuing his lead, followed by McIlroy at second. Spain’s Jon Rahm also retains his third place. The top five in the World Golf Ranking, including Viktor Hovland from Norway and Xander Schauffele from the USA, remain unaltered. Looking at slots beyond, there is also notable stability of American players with Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa, Brian Harman, and Wyndham Clark holding positions six to ten respectively, indicating a steady phase in the upper echelons of the rankings.
Scottie Scheffler remains at the top of the World Golf Ranking. (Image: Getty)
In the latest World Golf Ranking, American players maintain significant positions with Scottie Scheffler holding the top spot for another consecutive week and Xander Schauffele residing at the fifth position. There were no changes in their rankings from the previous week.
Other notable American golfers within the World Golf Ranking top echelon include Patrick Cantlay at sixth, closely followed by Max Homa in seventh place, and Brian Harman residing at ninth. These high-ranking players’ positions also remained unchanged from the prior week, maintaining a steady presence at the top of the chart. The tenth position is held by Wyndham Clark, marking another week of consistent standing within the top 10.
Within the upper tier of the World Golf Ranking, six of the top ten spots are secured by American players. Beyond the top ten, American golfer Collin Morikawa is found at the 12th position. From the table leader to this position, there have been no changes compared to the previous week.
The ranking showcases that aside from the leading American players, notable positions come from Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and Spain’s Jon Rahm, stable at second and third positions, respectively. Norway’s Viktor Hovland retains his fourth-place ranking, cementing his presence among golf’s elite in the World Golf Ranking.
Shifting focus to the middle portion of the top-10, England’s Matt Fitzpatrick holds fast at eighth. South Korean talent Tom Kim, climbs from the 15th to the 13th spot, marking the only significant shift within the top 15 as the tour progresses through the season.
Tyrrell Hatton could be the latest and possibly last addition for the 2024 LIV Golf season. At least that’s what the British newspaper The Telegraph reports. According to the newspaper, Hatton has joined Jon Rahm’s new LIV Golf team and signed a contract worth 50 million pounds (approx. 58.6 million euros).
Tyrrell Hatton in talks with LIV Golf
Tyrrell Hatton, ranked 16th in the world, would be a high-calibre addition to the league and has already gained experience with Jon Rahm as a team-mate, most recently at the Ryder Cup in Rome, where Rahm and Hatton competed successfully together. This is another reason why rumours about Hatton have persisted for weeks. When asked about this at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, he confirmed that he had held talks with LIV Golf, but also that he is still happy with his place on the traditional tours at the moment.
“I would say there are several people who have had conversations,” Hatton said in Dubai. “I think that’s part of golf at the moment, but I’m very happy playing on the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour.”
Hatton’s move would also be a very last-minute one, as the LIV golf season starts this week in Mexico. According to the Telegraph, the Briton is also set to make his debut on the new tour there. Hatton is currently still listed in the field for this week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. There has been no official announcement from Hatton, LIV Golf or Jon Rahm and his “Legion XIII” team regarding this new addition.
Speculation about new LIV Golf members
The same applies to almost all of the newcomers who are expected to fill the open spots in the 13 teams. Not even the team name for Rahm’s team has been officially confirmed at the moment, but there is speculation that Kieran Vincent, who qualified for the league via the LIV Promotions event, and amateur Caleb Surratt will join the team alongside Hatton.
The transfer of Adrian Meronk to LIV Golf, who is to find a place in Martin Kaymer’s Cleeks, has also allegedly been confirmed by Sports Illustrated. What is certain is that the Cleeks will be strengthened by Kalle Samooja alongside Kaymer and Richard Bland, as the captain himself confirmed in an interview with the National Club Golfer. Like Vincent, Samooja had also qualified via the promotional event. The third qualifier, Jinichiro Kozuma, is to be accommodated at Kevin Nas Iron Heads. Australian Lucas Herbert is also rumoured to be joining Cam Smith’s all-Australian Rippers team.
Most of these speculations should either be confirmed or proved wrong with the start of the LIV golf season on 2 February in Mexico.
Shane Lowry holed out for the albatross. (Photo: Getty)
In addition to a hole in one, many a golfer dreams of an albatross. A triple shot win on just one hole is a rare event in golf and worth just as much jubilation and excitement as a hole-in-one. For Shane Lowry, it happened on the fourth day of the Farmers Insurance Open and the 36-year-old PGA Tour winner holed out for an albatross. The magic happened on the first par-5 of the South Course at Torrey Pines. Shane Lowry holed his ball from 234 meters and celebrated. In the end, the Ryder Cup player finished tied 25th at the Farmers Insurance Open 2024.
In the video: Shane Lowry holes out for an albatross
Adrian Meronk looks set for a move to the LIV Golf League. (Source: Getty)
Just recently, Adrian Meronk was named Player of the Year by his DP World Tour peers, but now the Polish golfer appears to be considering a move to the LIV Golf League. Meronk, who recently became a full-fledged member of the PGA Tour, is absent from the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego, officially citing health reasons. However, speculations quickly arose linking his absence to a potential impending transfer.
Adrian Meronk set to join the Cleeks
Despite improving his world ranking to 39th after a strong performance in Dubai and securing a second-place finish at the Dubai Desert Classic, it seems the 30-year-old has made the decision to explore new opportunities. Initially reported by The Times in London, there are now numerous corroborating reports confirming Meronk’s imminent joining of Martin Kaymer’s Cleeks team. The Cleeks had a disappointing season on the LIV Tour, leading to the non-renewal of contracts with Bernd Wiesberger and Graeme McDowell. With the potential addition of Adrian Meronk, Team Captain Kaymer seems to have found a prominent player to fill one of the two vacant positions. A move to LIV Golf would likely result in Meronk being suspended from the PGA Tour before officially playing a round as a tour member.
However, Meronk isn’t the only player considering a move to LIV Golf. Rumors suggest that Tyrrell Hatton, ranked 16th in the world, might also be contemplating joining the LIV Golf League. Although Hatton emphasized his commitment to the PGA Tour and DP World Tour last weekend in Dubai, LIV Golf seems to have renewed interest in the Ryder Cup player. An insider revealed that a deal with Hatton, strengthening Jon Rahm’s team, is imminent but not officially confirmed.
The LPGA Drive On Championship in the season 2024 is being played in Bradenton, Florida (USA) at the Bradenton Country Club. The tournament starts at the Thursday, 25th of January and ends at the Sunday, 28th of January 2024.
The LPGA Drive On Championship is part of the LPGA Tour in the season 2024. In 2024 all players competing for a total prize money of $ 1.750.000.
The course for the tournament at Bradenton Country Club plays at Par 71.
LPGA Tour live
The LPGA Tour is the largest tournament series in women’s professional golf. Most events are held in the USA, but the tour also has a global focus, for example with a strong Asian swing.
Five major tournaments are organised on the women’s tour: the Chevron Championship, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, the U.S. Women’s Open and, in cooperation with the Ladies European Tour, the Ricoh Women’s British Open and the Evian Championship.
In addition to the LPGA Tour, there is also the second-tier Symetra Tour, which can be used to qualify for the next season of the big tour. Similar to the men’s tour, there are also qualifying tournaments, the annual Qualifying School, where you can earn the right to play on the LPGA Tour, the Epson Tour or neither, depending on your ranking.
The LPGA is the oldest continuing women’s professional sports organisation in the United States. It succeeded the WPGA (Women’s Professional Golf Association, 1944-1949). The LPGA was founded in 1950 by 13 founding women. Alice Bauer, Patty Berg, Bettye Danoff, Helen Dettweiler, Marlene Hagge, Helen Hicks, Opal Hill, Betty Jameson, Sally Sessions, Marilynn Smith, Shirley Spork, Louise Suggs, and Babe Zaharias.
The The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic in the season 2024 is being played in Great Abaco, Bahamas at the The Abaco Club on Winding Bay. The tournament starts at the Sunday, 21st of January and ends at the Wednesday, 24th of January 2024.
The The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic is part of the Korn Ferry Tour in the season 2024. In 2024 all players competing for a total prize money of $1,000,000.
The course for the tournament at The Abaco Club on Winding Bay plays at Par 72.
The Korn Ferry Tour is once again playing in the Bahamas and kicks off the new year with two tournaments on the Caribbean island.
