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Highlights Tours

World Golf Ranking: Scottie Scheffler maintains lead

In the latest World Golf Ranking, Scottie Scheffler retains the number one spot, underscoring his continued dominance in the sport. His compatriot, Patrick Cantlay, likewise holds his ground at fifth position. These top-performing American players reflect a consistent stronghold within the upper echelon of the rankings.

Six american golfers in the top 10 of the world golf ranking

Further down the list, other American golfers, Xander Schauffele (6th), Max Homa (7th), and Brian Harman (9th), maintain their previous week’s rankings. Wyndham Clark rounds out the top five Americans by claiming the 10th spot this week. Apart from performances by US players, the top three of the World Golf Ranking sees no movement, with Rory McIlroy (NIR) and Jon Rahm (ESP) remaining in the second and third spots respectively. Turning to players ranked fourth through tenth, Viktor Hovland (NOR) keeps his 4th rank, while English golfer, Matt Fitzpatrick, remains at 8th. This variation attests to the diverse talent present in today’s golf spectrum. Collin Morikawa (USA) marks a notable advancement as he climbs to the 13th position, a move that is an affirmation of his upward trajectory in the golfing landscape. In summary, the World Golf Ranking offers a reflective lens on the current standings and shifts within the professional golfing community, highlighting both stability and notable changes among the top contenders.

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Highlights Tours

World Golf Ranking: Matthew Fitzpatrick Best of Britain

In the latest World Golf Ranking, Matt Fitzpatrick of England holds the highest spot among British, Welsh, and Scottish golfers, remaining steady at 8th position. Conversely, Tyrrell Hatton, also from England, experienced a drop from 11th to 12th place.

Few changes in the world golf rankings

In the recent World Golf Ranking, the next three British, Welsh, and Scottish players have seen varied fortunes. Tommy Fleetwood fell one spot to 14th, while fellow Englishman Justin Rose made a leap from 39th to 37th. Robert MacIntyre of Scotland maintained his 57th rank, indicating stability in his performance amidst fluctuating standings. Delving into the top positions of the World Golf Ranking, we witness Scottie Scheffler from the United States securing the number 1 ranking for another week. Rory McIlroy from Northern Ireland follows at second, closing ranks with consistent excellence, and Jon Rahm of Spain remains a fixture at third, despite his move to LIV Golf. The remainder of the World Golf Ranking’s top 10 sees considerable movement. With Collin Morikawa of the USA advancing to 13th and Sepp Straka of Austria improving from 20th to 18th. Conversely, Cameron Young from the USA experienced a notable slip, descending from 18th to 21st, a change which could potentially motivate a resurgence in upcoming tournaments.

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Uncategorized

Confirmed: Jon Rahm joins LIV Golf

After weeks of rumours, it is now officially confirmed: Jon Rahm will play at LIV Golf from the coming season. This means that the reigning Masters champion and world number three will be joining the tour, which was launched in 2022.

Jon Rahm: “I am officially joining LIV Golf”

“As you can see now it’s official. This is me finally saying after all the rumours, some of them were true, and I am officially joining LIV Golf,” Rahm said in an interiew with Fox News. “It’s not an easy decision. I’ve had a very successful career and I’m happy. There are a lot of things that LIV Golf have to offer which were very enticing, starting with team golf.” The Spaniard will even have his own LIV Golf team, but details of this will be announced at a later date.

In an interview with Fox News, the 29-year-old did not want to confirm any concrete information about the sum that Jon Rahm will ultimately receive for his transfer, but sums of between 300 and 600 million dollars were rumoured in advance. However, Jon Rahm reiterated his position that he is not interested in the money. “I play golf for the love of the game and for the love of golf. I’m an ambitious person but I’m not a greedy one.” As a husband and father, however, he said it was still important to him to provide his family with as many opportunities and as many resources as possible.

Rahm: “I can make it something very special.”

However, the main reason for his decision was: “The love of the game and wanting to grow it in a global market. Being part of the team. Being a captain. Hopefully being a leader to team-mates. It makes me want to work harder than I have done now to actually prove myself.”

“Hopefully some time in the future some kids in Spain will want to be part of this team that I am going to build. Hopefully it’s something that I am related to for a very long time. Hopefully until the day I die. And I can make it something very special.”

Jon Rahm is the next high-calibre golf star to join LIV Golf, after players such as Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau have joined LIV Golf in recent years.

Rahm had originally ruled out a switch, showing no interest in the format and pledging his allegiance to the PGA Tour. However, some time has passed since then and there have been a number of changes in the golf landscape, most notably the co-operation between the PGA and DP World Tour and the PIF. Rahm was also scheduled to be a member of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s TGL, but withdrew from the project before its postponement to 2025 was announced. As things stand, his move to LIV will cost him his PGA Tour membership and could jeopardise future Ryder Cup appearances.

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Professionals

World Golf Ranking: Only slight changes for UK Players – Tiger Woods climbs

Due to the lack of tournaments played The Top 10 remains unchanged, aswell as most of the UK Players’ positions. On a sidenote Tiger Woods climbs back into the Top 1000 after making his comeback at the Hero World Challenge.

Hardly any changes among the UK Players

The World Golf Ranking this week sees the top British, Welsh, and Scottish players striving to improve their global positions. While Rory McIlroy remains in second place, Matt Fitzpatrick retains his position at number 8, maintaining a stronghold within the top 10. Not far behind them is Tyrrell Hatton, who also remains consistent at number 12. He is closely followed by Tommy Fleetwood steady at number 13. Further down Irish golder Shane Lowry falls down from 36th to 37th.

The Top 10 of the World Golf Ranking

Taking a closer look into the Top-10 of the World Golf Ranking, Scottie Scheffler from the USA remains at the helm, retaining the number one position. Close on his heels is Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy at second and Spain’s Jon Rahm at third, both securing their placements from the prior week. Meanwhile, Viktor Hovland from Norway continues to occupy the fourth place, followed by the USA’s Patrick Cantlay in fifth. A detailed overview of the Top-10 shows Xander Schauffele, Max Homa, and Brian Harman remain steady in the sixth, seventh, and ninth spots, respectively, with the USA’s Wyndham Clark rounding out the tenth position, also holding steady in the World Golf Ranking. The pursuit of excellence in golf is relentlessly reflected through the World Golf Ranking, with players across the globe vying for supremacy on the leaderboard.

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Professionals

Scheffler Leads World Golf Ranking – Tiger Woods climbs

In the current World Golf Ranking, American golfers Scottie Scheffler and Back on the PGA Tour, Scottie Scheffler underlines his position at the top of the World Golf Ranking with his victory at the Hero World Challenge. After his comeback, Tiger Woods climbed 430 spots from 1328th to 898th place in the top 1000 of the world rankings. Woods finished 18th in the Hero World Challenge.

An overview of the other US golf stars

Continuing the examination of American golfers, Xander Schauffele, Max Homa, and Brian Harman remain in the sixth, seventh, and ninth places, respectively. Each of these players has maintained their spot on the World Golf Ranking, indicating stability in their performance. Moving into the top performers in the World Golf Ranking, Scottie Scheffler maintains the helm position.

Between 20th and 30th place there is some movement for the US players. Tony Finau, Justin Thomas and also Lucas Glover move up one place. Sam Burns and Rickie Fowler, on the other hand, drop down slightly.

No changes occurred at the very top, with Rory McIlroy from Northern Ireland and Jon Rahm from Spain continuing to hold the second and third positions. Scheffler’s leadership and the consistency of McIlroy and Rahm are notable. Further down but within the top ten, Viktor Hovland and Wyndham Clark occupy the fourth and tenth positions without change from last week. This steadiness is a testament to their ongoing performance on the tour. In conclusion, the latest World Golf Ranking showcases the steady performance of top golfers with minimal shifts among the highest echelons of the game.

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Highlights Tours

Luke Donald Named 2025 European Ryder Cup Captain

Luke Donald has been named as the European Captain for the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in New York.
 
The 45 year old Englishman returns to the role having led Europe to a 16½ – 11½ victory against the United States in the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, Italy, earlier this year.

Luke Donald takes on second Ryder Cup Captaincy

He will become Europe’s first repeat Captain since Bernard Gallacher performed the role in three consecutive Ryder Cups, in 1991, 1993 and 1995.  
 
Donald will be aiming to become only the second Captain to lead Europe to victories both home and away, following Tony Jacklin who achieved the double at Muirfield Village in Ohio in 1987, retaining the Ryder Cup following his team’s victory two years previously at The Belfry, in England, in 1985.
 
Donald said: “I’m delighted and honoured to have been given the chance to lead Team Europe in the Ryder Cup once again. Great opportunities don’t come along very often in life and I’m a great believer that when they do, you need to grab them with both hands – this is one of these moments.
 
“I’ve been fortunate as a player to have had many amazing times in the Ryder Cup over the years and so to add being a winning Captain to that, to form bonds with the 12 players like we did in Italy and to get the result we did, was very special indeed.
 
“The Ryder Cup means so much to me, so to be Captain again and have the chance to create more history by becoming only the second European Captain to win back-to-back is exciting.

Luke Donal will be European Ryder Cup Captain at Bethpage Black

“There is no question that being a Captain away from home is a tough task. But I have never shied away from challenges throughout my career and it is precisely the kind of thing that motivates me. I can’t wait to get another 12-strong team to Bethpage in 2025.”
 
Guy Kinnings, Executive Director – Ryder Cup, said: “Luke was a superb Captain in Rome and we are delighted that he will be returning to the role for the 2025 Ryder Cup in New York.
 
“He demonstrated clear, calm and meticulous leadership skills in Rome, and all those qualities will be big assets again for Luke and Team Europe as they take on the considerable challenge of trying to retain the Ryder Cup against a strong US Team backed by passionate support in New York.”
 
Donald featured as a player in the last European Team to win on American soil at Medinah Country Club in 2012 when he led José María Olazábal’s side out in the singles, securing the first blue point on the board in one of the most famous comebacks in the history of the biennial contest.
 
In total, he represented Europe in the Ryder Cup four times as a player, being part of a winning team on all four occasions, contributing 10½ points from his 15 matches.
He then served as a Vice Captain in 2018, under Thomas Bjørn, and Pádraig Harrington in 2021, before becoming Captain for the first time at the 2023 contest in Rome.
 
Donald also has an impressive in individual playing career having been World Number One for a total of 56 weeks, while in 2011 he became the first player in history to top the money lists on the European Tour (now the DP World Tour) and the PGA TOUR in the same year.

(Text: Ryder Cup Europe)

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Professionals

World Golf Ranking: Scottie Scheffler still in first place ahead of his tournament comeback

As reported in the latest World Golf Ranking, Scottie Scheffler of the USA maintains his position at number one, a testament to his consistent performance. Fellow American Patrick Cantlay holds his place at number five, showing stability at the top of the rankings. Scottie Scheffler will play his first tournament on the PGA Tour after the Ryder Cup at the Hero World Challenge. Organizer Tiger Woods is celebrating his comeback there after a seven-month break.

US Players in the Top Ten of the World Golf Ranking

America’s Xander Schauffele remains at six, closely followed by compatriots Max Homa and Brian Harman, who stand firm at seventh and ninth, respectively. Wyndham Clark rounds out the top-ten, ensuring a strong representation for the United States in the upper echelon of the rankings. Within the top 10 of the World Golf Ranking, aside from Scheffler and Cantlay, we observe some stability with no changes for Jon Rahm of Spain, Viktor Hovland of Norway, and England’s Matt Fitzpatrick who stay put at third, fourth, and eighth positions respectively.

With Keegan Bradley moving from 16th to 15th there is slight movement in the Top 20. Cameron Young (18th) and Sam Burns (19th) also climbed one spot.

The analysis shows a firm upper tier of the World Golf Ranking with players holding their ground firmly. For the rest of the top 10, players in the World Golf Ranking exhibit the competitive nature of golf where single tournaments can influence positions on an international stage. This insight into the latest rankings demonstrates not only individual talent but also the scores of players who strive to improve their standing each week on the global golf circuit.

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Professionals

World Golf Ranking: Two UK Players in the Top Ten

As the World Golf Ranking undergoes its weekly update, two British players find themselves within the top echelons. While Rory McIlroy remains in second place, Matt Fitzpatrick retains his position at number 8, maintaining a stronghold within the top 10. Not far behind them is Tyrrell Hatton, who also remains consistent at number 12. He is closely followed by Tommy Fleetwood steady at number 13. The stability of these players in the rankings reflects their continued strong performances in recent events.

Further UK Players in the Golf World Ranking

Separated by a large block of mostly US and Australian players the next UK Player in the World Golf Ranking is Shane Lowry. He finds himself at position 36 Lowry after he climbed up one spot compared to the previous week.

The World Golf Ranking also reveals the progress of Justin Rose and Robert MacIntyre, who stand at positions 39 and 57, respectively. While Rose remains at the same rank as the previous week, MacIntyre experiences a slight setback. He moved one spot down from 56.

The dynamic nature of the World Golf Ranking continues to challenge players to maintain or improve their standings through consistent performance. In the top 3 of the World Golf Ranking, we see Scottie Scheffler maintaining the number 1 spot, while Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy holds on to the second rank. Spain’s Jon Rahm remains third. These players have solidified their positions at the pinnacle of golf’s elite through remarkable skill and recent achievements on the course.

As for the rest of the top 10 in the World Golf Ranking, Viktor Hovland from Norway and Patrick Cantlay from the USA stay at ranks 4 and 5, demonstrating the elite level of play that keeps them in the conversation for the top spots. Xander Schauffele and Max Homa, both from the USA, secure ranks 6 and 7, respectively. Brian Harman and Wyndham Clark, two more Americans, round out the top 10, taking the 9th and 10th positions without change from the last week. Their presence in the top 10 showcases the depth of talent amongst golfers from the United States.

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PGA Tour

Player Impact Program: Rory McIlroy replaces Tiger Woods

Rory McIlroy secures victory in the PGA Tour’s Player Impact Program 2023 and receives a bonus of 15 million US dollars. He takes over from Tiger Woods, who has won the title in recent years. Woods is in second place this year and will receive prize money of 12 million US dollars.

Player Impact Program: Rory McIlroy walks away with 15 million US dollars

The Player Impact Program was introduced in 2020/21 to reward players who generate the most positive interest for the PGA Tour through their media presence. Various criteria are measured: Internet searches, number of news articles, visibility of sponsor logos on TV, general awareness and social media impact. McIlroy came out on top of the top 20 based on these criteria this year, with a total prize money of 100 million US dollars distributed among them. “The scoring model for the program is intended to be as objective as possible with the goal of quantifying the impact each player has on the PGA Tour,” Jason Gore, the Tour’s executive vice president and chief player officer, wrote in a memo.

Rory McIlroy recently attracted attention in the golf world with his withdrawal from the PGA Tour Politics Committee and the postponement of the start of the TGL League, which he founded with Tiger Woods, by one year. His commitment to the PGA Tour and his success on the course continue to make him the face of the Tour, especially when competing against the up-and-coming LIV Tour. In addition to McIlroy’s sporting achievements, his victory in the Player Impact Program now also recognizes his positive impact on awareness and interest in golf.

The top 20 of the Player Impact Program is as follows:

  1. Rory McIlroy — $15 million
  2. Tiger Woods — $12 million
  3. Jon Rahm — $9 million
  4. Jordan Spieth — $7.5 million
  5. Scottie Scheffler — $6 million
  6. Rickie Fowler — $5.5 million
  7. Viktor Hovland — $5 million
  8. Justin Thomas — $5 million
  9. Tommy Fleetwood — $5 million
  10. Max Homa — $5 million
  11. Xander Schauffele — $3 million
  12. Jason Day — $3 million
  13. Tony Finau — $3 million
  14. Collin Morikawa — $3 million
  15. Matt Fitzpatrick — $3 million
  16. Wyndham Clark — $2 million
  17. Cameron Young — $2 million
  18. Justin Rose — $2 million
  19. Patrick Cantlay — $2 million
  20. Brian Harman — $2 million
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LIV Tour

LIV Golf: A look at the 2024 tournament calendar

LIV Golf enters its third round: After the tour was launched in 2022, the third season will begin in 2024. The league recently announced the locations where the 54-hole tournaments will take place next year. From Mexico to Australia and Saudi Arabia, the tour players will travel around the world. While not all the venues have been confirmed yet, it is certain that there will be 14 tournaments at which the players will compete for an individual and team championship.

LIV Golf: old acquaintances and new courses

The new schedule was published at the insistence of LIV player Brooks Koepka. On social media, the reigning Major winner was impatient about the scheduling of next year’s tournaments. But even after the dates have been published, players and fans will have to be patient. Not all venues have been confirmed yet. In addition to the venues, the exact dates for the season finals are still open.

  • 2/2-4: LIV Mayakoba — El Cameleon Country Club
  • 2/8-10: LIV Las Vegas — Las Vegas Country Club
  • 3/1-3: LIV Saudi Arabia — TBD
  • 3/8-10: LIV Hong Kong — Hong Kong Golf Club
  • 4/5-7: LIV “USA” — Location and course TBD
  • 4/26-28: LIV Adelaide — The Grange Golf Club
  • 5/3-5: LIV Singapore — The Serapong Golf Club
  • 6/7-9: LIV Houston — The Golf Club of Houston
  • 6/21-23: LIV Nashville — The Grove Golf Club
  • 7/12-14: LIV Andalucia — Real Club Valderrama
  • 7/25-28: LIV UK: Staffordshire — JCB Golf and Country Club
  • 8/16-19: LIV Greenbrier — The Old White Course at the Greenbrier
  • Date, Course and Location TBD: LIV Golf Individual Championships
  • Date, Course and Location TBD: LIV Golf Team Championships

“LIV Golf is the truly global golf league that the sport and its fans deserve,” said LIV Golf Commissioner and CEO Greg Norman. “We’re thrilled to announce an exciting slate of events that reflects our commitment to bringing world-class players and premier competition to new and repeat markets every year. Launching a new league is a massive undertaking, and we’re full steam ahead building off our incredibly successful first full season in 2023. Our goal has always been to create a worldwide league that inspires progress and attracts new fans to the sport that we love. LIV Golf is stronger than ever, and next season will accomplish that goal and more.”

A look at the schedule

In addition to the courses already familiar to LIV players, such as the Old White Course in Greenbrier or the Grange Golf Club in Australia, there are some new venues on the schedule. In February, for example, the tour will make a guest appearance at the Las Vegas Country Club in the middle of Las Vegas – on the same weekend as the Super Bowl, the final game of the National Football League. The courses on which the LIV tournaments will take place in Saudi Arabia and the USA have not yet been decided. The latter venue should be particularly interesting for the players, as it is the last tournament before the first Major of the year just one week before the Masters 2024.

It is also notable that this is the first schedule that has no connection to Trump Golf. In the first two seasons, the league repeatedly played on courses owned by the former president – as things stand, the tour will not be visiting any of Donald Trump’s well-known courses next year.

Saudi Arabia, the home of the LIV Golf League, has found its place in the schedule at the start of the season. Following the recent uproar over Saudi Arabia as the venue for the team final, which was ultimately played in Miami, the LIV players will travel to Saudi Arabia in March next year. This date overlaps with the traditional Saudi International, which shows the league’s efforts to reduce the travel burden for its players in 2024.