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Equipment What's in the Bag

Hero World Challenge 2024: Scottie Scheffler’s Winning WITB

Scottie Scheffler's WITB 2024 with TaylorMade. (Image: Getty)
Scottie Scheffler's WITB 2024 with TaylorMade. (Image: Getty)

After an exciting season start, Scottie Scheffler secured the win back at the Players Championship 2024, the Masters Tournament 2024 and the RBC Heritage and finally the FedExCup. He know ends the season with a ninth win at the Bahamas and the Hero World Challenge. Scheffler continued to rely on TaylorMade and the new Spider Tour X putter, which his Tour colleague and TaylorMade staff player Rory McIlroy recommended to him in March and won back to back. 

The Tour Championship Leaderboard

WITB Scottie Scheffler for the Olympics 2024

(Image: TaylorMade)

Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (8°)

(Image: TaylorMade)

3 wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15°)

(Image: Srixon)

Driving Irons: Srixon ZU85 (3, 4)

(Image: TaylorMade)

Irons: TaylorMade P7TW (5-PW)

(Image: Titleist)

Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM8 (50, 56)

Titleist Vokey WedgeWorks Proto (60.5)

(Image: TaylorMade)

Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour X

(Image: Titleist)

Ball: Titleist Pro V1

Categories
Panorama

LPGA Tour and USGA: New Gender Guidelines Cause Discussion

With a far-reaching change to their gender policy, the LPGA Tour and the USGA are sending a clear signal from the 2025 season. (Photos: Getty)
With a far-reaching change to their gender policy, the LPGA Tour and the USGA are sending a clear signal from the 2025 season. (Photos: Getty)

The LPGA Tour, together with the USGA, has announced a fundamental adjustment to its gender policy. The changes, which will apply from 2025, are intended to ensure a balance between inclusion and fair competition.

A Balancing Act Between Fairness and Inclusion

New, stricter gender guidelines will apply from the 2025 season. According to the LPGA and USGA, these are intended to preserve the sporting integrity of the women’s tour by excluding female athletes who have gone through male puberty. This change affects all of the organization’s elite tournaments, from the Epson Tour to the Ladies European Tour.

According to the organizations’ statements, the rules were developed in cooperation with the USGA and are to be based on scientific findings. The medical standards are strict: testosterone levels must be permanently below a certain limit and development must not have gone beyond Tanner Stage 2 – a threshold that lies in early puberty.

“The policy represent our continued commitment to ensuring that all feel welcome within our organization, while preserving the fairness and competitive equity of our elite competitions”, explained Mollie Marcoux Samaan, Commissioner of the LPGA Tour.

The Controversy Surrounding Hailey Davidson

The decision particularly affects Hailey Davidson, who qualified for the Epson Tour in 2025. As the second transgender golfer in the history of professional golf, Davidson seemed to be on the verge of a milestone – but the new rules make further participation impossible.

Davidson expressed her disappointment on social media and spoke of a step backwards. “I’m being penalized for something that doesn’t give me an advantage,” she wrote in a statement. Davidson emphasized that she is regularly outperformed by other players and criticized the lack of support from the golf community.

Golf in the Footsteps of Other Sports

With its new guidelines, the LPGA Tour is following a trend that can also be observed in other sports. Organizations such as World Aquatics and the World Athletics Council have issued similar regulations to ensure equal opportunities in women’s competitions. The realignment of the gender policy is a response to years of demands from the golf world. Players such as Amy Olson, former LPGA proette, had repeatedly called for a return to a “female-at-birth” approach. “I am very, very sad that women’s organizations have waited so long to change their gender policies,” said Olson. “There are people, human beings in the middle of these situations that it effects. I wish that it could’ve been dealt with before there was a face and a name involved.”

USGA CEO Mike Whan emphasized the importance of fairness as the basis for the decision: “It was all based on competitive fairness as the North Star. Right or wrong, let’s be able to look ourselves in the face and any competitor in one of our women’s events in the face and say if you’re in this event, nobody has a competitive advantage relative to their gender.”

Categories
Equipment

TaylorMade Acquires Logan Olson Putters

TaylorMade acquires the luxury brand from Logan Olson (top right in small picture). (Photos: TaylorMade)
TaylorMade acquires the luxury brand from Logan Olson (top right in small picture). (Photos: TaylorMade)

TaylorMade announced the acquisition of Logan Olson Putters on Tuesday. The Logan Olson brand from the company founder of the same name produces putters for the luxury segment and is particularly popular and well-known in specialist and collector circles. Like Tiger Woods’ Sun Day Red, Logan Olson Putters will operate as a sub-brand in the TaylorMade portfolio.

The 27-year-old Logan Olson is the boss and main designer of the company of the same name. The entrepreneur has built up a reputation with high-quality blade-style putters. Olson’s putters have also been used at professional level, for example Scottie Scheffler won the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas with a 2023 model. The putters from Logan Olson are limited, high-priced and usually sell quickly. Olson’s company is located in Fortuna, California, several hundred kilometers north of Carlsbad, California, the headquarters of TaylorMade.

Logan: “I Am Incredibly Proud”

In a press release from TaylorMade, Brian Bazzel, TaylorMade Vice President of Product Creation, said of Olson, “It’s not every day you stumble upon someone like Logan. His ability to merge creativity with such a technical process is nothing short of remarkable. Whether you’re a professional on Tour, someone who plays the game for the sheer love of it, or even a collector with a keen eye for finely crafted putters, Logan’s creations embody a level of craftsmanship that resonates with golfers of all abilities.”

Olson himself shared via a post on social media, “I am incredibly proud to announce that I’ve partnered with TaylorMade to bring my unique perspective on putters to professional tours as well as share my vision with the world. I can’t wait to take this brand to the next level.”

Categories
European Tour

DP World Tour: Defending Champion Max Homa Tees Off at African Major

DP World Tour: Tee Times for the Nedbank Golf Challenge. (Photos: Getty)

The DP World Tour tees off this week at the Nedbank Golf Challenge, held at the renowned Gary Player Country Club in Sun City, South Africa. With a Par-72 layout and a $6 million prize purse, the event promises world-class golf, featuring top players from around the globe. Defending champion Max Homa leads a strong American contingent, with live coverage available on Sky starting Thursday at 10:00 AM.

Tee Times of the American Contingent

The tournament boasts a strong lineup of American players, including Max Homa, Will Zalatoris, and Johannes Veerman.

Jordan Gumberg kicks off his round at 9:21 AM. He’ll play alongside South Africa’s Ockie Strydom and Ryggs Johnston, setting the stage for an early start.

Johannes Veerman begins his round at 10:05 AM. Paired with English golfers Joseph Dean and Matthew Jordan, Veerman’s group combines a blend of American finesse with British grit.

Will Zalatoris is set to tee off at 10:38 AM. He’ll compete alongside Erik Van Rooyen from South Africa and Tom McKibbin of Northern Ireland.

Defending champion Max Homa starts his title defense at 11:11 AM. Joining him are Thriston Lawrence, representing South Africa, and Nicolai Højgaard from Denmark.

DP World Tour Tee Times

RoundTimePlayer 1Player 2Player 3
109:21Jordan Gumberg (USA)Ockie Strydom (RSA)Ryggs Johnston
110:05Johannes Veerman (USA)Joseph Dean (ENG)Matthew Jordan (ENG)
110:38Will Zalatoris (USA)Erik Van Rooyen (RSA)Tom McKibbin (NIR)
111:11Max Homa (USA)Thriston Lawrence (RSA)Nicolai Højgaard (DEN)
Categories
European Tour

DP World Tour Tee Times: Grant Forrest and Ewen Ferguson at Africas Major

DP World Tour: Tee Times for the Nedbank Golf Challenge. (Photos: Getty)

The DP World Tour lands in Sun City, South Africa, this week for the iconic Nedbank Golf Challenge at the Gary Player Country Club. With its challenging Par-72 layout and a prize purse of $6 million, the tournament brings together a stellar field of international golfers. Defending champion Max Homa returns, while fans across the globe can tune in starting Thursday at 10:00 AM on Sky.

DP World Tour Tee Times for British and Scottish Golfers

Among the many stars taking to the fairways are notable names from Britain and Scotland. Players like Grant Forrest and Ewen Ferguson are set to navigate the iconic course, paired with seasoned competitors from across the world. Here’s a closer look at their pairings and starting times:

Grant Forrest represents Scotland in a dynamic trio that includes compatriot Calum Hill and Japan’s Yuto Katsuragawa. Their 10:38 tee time positions them perfectly to tackle the morning conditions.

Ewen Ferguson, another standout from Scotland, begins his round at 10:05. He’ll be joined by Spain’s Jorge Campillo and Sweden’s Sebastian Soderberg.

Connor Syme steps onto the first tee at 11:00, playing alongside Darius Van Driel from the Netherlands and Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune.

England’s Joseph Dean shares a 10:05 tee time with Johannes Veerman from the United States, while Matthew Jordan completes the group, adding a second English presence to the pairing.

DP World Tour Tee Times

RoundTimePlayer 1NationalityPlayer 2NationalityPlayer 3Nationality
19:32Ewen FergusonSCOJorge CampilloESPSebastian SoderbergSWE
110:05Joseph DeanENGJohannes VeermanUSAMatthew JordanENG
110:38Grant ForrestSCOCalum HillSCOYuto KatsuragawaJPN
111:00Connor SymeSCODarius Van DrielNEDRyo HisatsuneJPN
Categories
LPGA Tour

LPGA Tour Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan Announces Resignation

Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan at the LPGA Tour season finale. (Photo: Getty)

Mollie Marcoux Samaan will step down as Commissioner of the LPGA Tour effective January 9, 2025. Liz Moore will assume interim leadership in the coming weeks, while a global search is conducted for a permanent successor.

The Marcoux Samaan Era: Growth and Transformation

Since taking office in 2021, Marcoux Samaan has left an indelible mark on the LPGA Tour. Under her leadership, prize money surged by 90%, with a record $131 million set to be distributed across 33 tournaments in 2025. Players benefited from unprecedented enhancements, including missed-cut stipends, health benefits, and travel subsidies—a first in the history of the LPGA Tour.

“Since joining the LPGA in 2021, Mollie has been instrumental in solidifying our position as the global leader in women’s professional golf, realizing record growth in player earnings and fan engagement. Mollie has been a steadfast advocate for equity in the sport and has worked tirelessly to expand opportunities for women and girls through the game,” stated LPGA Board Chair John B. Veihmeyer.

The tour also saw worldwide growth in viewership and set records for fan engagement. In her resignation statement, Marcoux Samaan emphasized the importance of her tenure: “In this role, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside a remarkable community of athletes, teachers, partners, tournament operators, industry colleagues, media, fans, volunteers, and staff who share a deep commitment to growing the LPGA and using the organization’s unique platform to empower and advance women and girls.”

Challenges in a Complex Sporting Landscape

Despite economic success, Marcoux Samaan’s tenure faced notable challenges. The LPGA Tour contended with issues surrounding transparency and operational shortcomings. A key example was the 2024 Solheim Cup, where insufficient spectator transport planning led to logistical setbacks.

Sponsorship relationships and limited live television coverage also became focal points of critique. The absence of long-term TV contracts and reliance on other tours hindered broader audience accessibility, sparking ongoing discussions about the LPGA Tour’s visibility.

Liz Moore Steps In: Transitioning to the Future

Liz Moore, a seasoned executive with over a decade at the LPGA, will take on the role of interim Commissioner. Having spearheaded major projects such as the tour’s digital transformation, Moore brings a strong blend of legal and technological expertise, along with deep operational knowledge of the LPGA’s strategic framework.

Her primary objective will be to ensure a smooth transition and prepare the tour for the upcoming season. The 2025 schedule begins with a record-setting $131 million in prize money across 33 official events—an enduring testament to Marcoux Samaan’s growth-oriented vision.

(This article draws on materials provided by LPGA Communications.)

Categories
PGA Tour Top Tours

Player of the Year: Rory McIlroy also up for election

Rory McIlroy gets late nomination for "Player of the Year". (Image: Getty)
Rory McIlroy gets late nomination for "Player of the Year". (Image: Getty)

Trio of candidates: The decision for the “Player of the Year” title on the PGA Tour is turning into a three-way battle. Ponte Vedra Beach has now officially put Rory McIlroy up for the Jack Nicklaus Award alongside Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele, who have long been virtually certain. The clear favorite is of course seven-time season winner, Masters and Players champion and Olympic gold medalist Scheffler, who could be the first to win the award for the third time in a row after Tiger Woods (2005, 2006, 2007). Schauffele will be putting his two major triumphs (PGA Championship, The Open Championship) in the balance; McIlroy, who has already been “Player of the Year” three times, won the Zurich Classic and the Truist Championship (formerly Wells Fargo).

Dunlap as favorite for “Rookie of the Year”

Nick Dunlap is the favorite for the Rookie of the Year (Arnold Palmer Award), along with Max Greyserman, Jake Knapp and Frenchman Matthieu Pavon. The decision will be made by the Tour players and announced at the end of the year.

Categories
Live

World record: mega putt and holed rescue shot

A new putting world record at the DP World Tour. (Image: Getty)
A new putting world record at the DP World Tour. (Image: Getty)

A few more trick shots: Others can also do something special with the club. For example, Australian David Micheluzzi, who landed a shot over 127.1 meters on the seventh hole of Yas Links in a special competition as part of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, which the DP World Tour has now announced as the longest putt ever holed outside of an official tournament for the Guinness Book of Records. Although this caused some controversy in the comments, Micheluzzi’s “push” is still worth seeing. Incidentally, 65 players took part in the challenge, including Yannik Paul, Tommy Fleetwood, Min Woo Lee, Robert MacIntyre and Justin Rose.

Or the recovery shot played by eventual winner Jiyai Shin at the Women’s Australian Open at Kingston Heath Golf Club:

Categories
Panorama

Bryson DeChambeau Makes Hole in One Over His Own House

Bryson DeChambeau is currently going viral with a hole-in-one challenge. (Photos: Screenshots/@brysondechambeau/Instagram)
Bryson DeChambeau is currently going viral with a hole-in-one challenge. (Photos: Screenshots/@brysondechambeau/Instagram)

Major champion and social media star, Bryson DeChambeau, is currently running an exciting challenge on his social channels: He wants to hit an ace from around 100 yards – over his house and onto a short flag on the green behind his house. DeChambeau himself stands in the driveway of his property on a hitting mat fixed with kettlebells. There are just so many shots per day, which means: on day 1 there is one shot, on day 2 there are two attempts and so on. To give his fans the best possible experience, the American has set up several cameras – including one on the roof – as well as a tracking device.

 
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There have been several close results, for example on days 1 and 13, as the 31-year-old almost holed his ball with the very first shot of the challenge. On day 13, things got really close again when his ball bounced in and out of the hole after shot 7.

 
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What is the probability of hitting an ace?

Lou Stagner, the ‘Golf Stat Pro’, has worked out how high the chance of an ace is in this starting position. At a distance of around 100 yards, the chance of a Tour pro making a hole-out from the fairway is 0.2 per cent, according to Lou Stagner. In Bryson’s situation, the probability is different because he always hits the same shot from 100 yards and from a flat mat. In this case, the probability – according to Stagner’s estimate – is 0.57 per cent for one shot. Stagner has now extrapolated these figures and the result is that the chance of him hitting an ace by day 50 is 99.9 per cent. However, these figures are only an approximate guess by the expert, so we will see how long Bryson DeChambeau still needs.

Update:

On day 16, the time had finally come. After a total of 134 shots, the ball goes into the hole and the joy is huge.

 
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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Bryson DeChambeau (@brysondechambeau)

Categories
Live

Prize Money: How much LPGA Stars earn Compared to the PGA

(Photo: Getty)
(Photo: Getty)

The LPGA Tour made history in 2024: Jeeno Thitikul became the top earner with annual earnings of over 6 million US dollars. Her victory at the CME Group Tour Championship, which was worth USD 4 million, marked a historic moment. Never before had there been such a high individual prize in women’s golf. But while Thitikul topped the tour’s prize money list, Nelly Korda also achieved an impressive record with just under 4.4 million dollars. Nevertheless, a look at the PGA Tour shows how far there is still to go to achieve equality.

The superstar gap: Korda and Scheffler in a prize money comparison

The year 2024 brought exceptional performances for both Scottie Scheffler on the PGA Tour and Nelly Korda. Scheffler triumphed in seven tournaments, including several prestigious events, and finished the season with record prize money of 29.2 million US dollars. His victory at the Players Championship alone earned him $4.5 million – more than Korda’s entire season.

Nelly Korda had a season to rival the best in LPGA history in 2024, becoming only the third player to break the $4 million mark before the season finale. With seven titles, including a major, she recorded earnings of $4.39 million – yet she remains only second in the annual rankings behind Jeeno Thitikul. A further comparison shows the dimensions of her achievement: on the PGA Tour prize money list, Korda would ‘only’ rank 39th despite her outstanding year, 38 places behind the men’s top earner, Scottie Scheffler.

New records, old differences

The history of prize money in women’s golf nevertheless shows progress. What began in the 1950s with sums of a few thousand dollars has developed into millions, especially through events such as the CME Group Tour Championship – the LPGA season finale set a mark with Thitikul’s $4 million victory. Never before has there been such a large prize in women’s golf.

The gap between the tours

On the PGA Tour, however, such a sum has long been standard. The financial explosion triggered by LIV Golf has drastically increased the prize money on the men’s tour and forced the PGA Tour to massively increase its payouts – a development from which players like Scheffler benefit. Since his PGA Tour debut four years ago, Scheffler has already earned 71.79 million US dollars, while the women are still waiting for their big breakthrough.