Scottie Scheffler is PGA Tour Player of the Year 2024. (Photo: Getty Images)
Scottie Scheffler has made golfing history by becoming only the second player after Tiger Woods to win the prestigious Jack Nicklaus Award for Player of the Year on the PGA Tour for the third time in a row. The 28-year-old American and current world number one received an impressive 91 percent of the votes from his fellow players. While Rory McIlroy has won the award three times, Scheffler and Woods are the only two players to have won it three times in a row.
Seven Tour Titles and Olympic Gold for Scheffler
Scheffler won a total of seven titles in the 2024 season, including his second Masters title at Augusta National in April. He is the first player since Woods in 2007 to win seven titles in a single season. In addition, he capped off his outstanding season by winning the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Paris. Scheffler says he reserved his best golf for his victory at the Olympics, calling that triumphant moment the highlight of his career.
“I think we’re always looking to compare somebody to Tiger Woods,” Scheffler said after receiving the award. “I saw it a lot growing up, but there’s really only one Tiger – that’s just kind of it.” Woods has won the award 11 times in his career, including five in a row between 1999 and 2003 and three in a row from 2005 through 2007.
The Player of the Year award was determined by a member vote. PGA Tour members who participated in at least 15 events during the 2024 season were eligible to vote. The voting period ran from November 25 to December 4. Scheffler won an impressive 91 percent of the votes from his fellow players, underlining his undisputed status in the golf world.
The players of TGL Team "New York Golf Club": Xander Schauffele, Rickie Fowler, Cameron Young, Matt Fitzpatrick. (Photos: Getty)
Cohen Private Ventures recently announced that the New York Golf Club is backed by a group of prominent investors, including Derek Jeter and CC Sabathia (both former professional baseball players), John McEnroe (former tennis player), Eli Manning and Michael Strahan (both former NFL players) and Jimmy Fallon. The New York Golf Club is one of the teams in the TGL, a golf league founded by Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Mike McCarley. Steve A. Cohen, known as the owner of the New York Mets, acquired the rights to the team in September 2023.
Four of the new investors of the TGL team “New York Golf Club”. From left: Eli Manning, Jimmy Fallon, Michael Strahan, Derek Jeter. (Photos: Getty)
World number two Xander Schauffele can look back on an outstanding 2024 season: with victories at the PGA Championship and the Open Championship, he secured two major titles and cemented his reputation as one of the best players in the world. Schauffele already won the Olympic gold medal in 2020 and has been consistently in the top 10 of the world rankings for years.
Matt Fitzpatrick, also a major winner, triumphed at the U.S. Open in 2022. He has also enjoyed several successes on the PGA Tour, most recently winning the RBC Heritage 2023, as well as on the DP World Tour.
Cameron Young brings a breath of fresh air to the team as a rookie. The native New Yorker was named Rookie of the Year in 2022 and impressed with several top 10 finishes on the PGA Tour. He narrowly missed out on victory at the 2022 Open Championship.
Rickie Fowler has been active on the PGA Tour since 2009 and has achieved several victories and numerous top 10 finishes in those years. Having played in five Ryder Cups and three Presidents Cups, he has plenty of experience in the team format. For Fowler, the team game is a special affair of the heart in which he always gives his all with passion.
The Team at the Tonight Show
In November, the four team members paid a visit to Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show in New York to talk to the new investor about TGL.
A video released by the PGA Tour shows highlights of the New York TGL team members’ visit to New York City. Among other things, they can be seen hitting balls in the simulator and talking to new investor and former NFL quarterback Eli Manning at a press event.
TGL was originally scheduled to start in 2024, but the start date has now been set for January 7, 2025. The schedule has also been finalized. In the innovative league, six teams of PGA Tour players will compete against each other in matches. Each match lasts around two hours and is played in a specially designed simulator arena in Palm Beach, Florida. The arena features a giant screen, virtual putting greens and a live audience.
TGL: All important information about the “New York Golf Club” at a glance
Team Name
New York Golf Club
The Four Players
Xander Schauffele, Cameron Young, Rickie Fowler (alle USA) und Matt Fitzpatrick (England)
Investors
Steve Cohen and Cohen Private Ventures, Jimmy Fallon, Eli Manning, Derek Jeter, CC Sabathia, John McEnroe, Michael Strahan
Logo
A blue bird, inspired by the official New York state bird, the Eastern bluebird
Team Colors
New York Navy (dark blue), Birdie Blue (medium blue), Hudson Mist (light gray)
Match dates January 7, 2025: vs. The Bay Golf Club January 21, 2025: vs. Atlanta Drive GC February 18, 2025: vs. Jupiter Links GC February 24, 2025: vs. Los Angeles Golf Club March 3, 2025: vs. Boston Common Golf
Anthony Quayle’s Victorian PGA: A 7-stroke penalty, a rookie error, and a stunning comeback to claim third—true grit on display. (Photo: Getty)
Seven in one go: At the Victorian PGA Championship on the PGA Australasia Tour, Australian pro Anthony Quayle racked up—or rather was forced to rack up—seven penalty strokes within the span of 15 holes. The 30-year-old from Queensland had misunderstood a special rule specific to the tournament day, assuming that preferred lies were in effect across the entire opening round at Moonah Links.
With that in mind, Quayle cheerfully lifted his ball, cleaned it, and placed it back within scorecard distance multiple times—until one of his playing partners pointed out the oversight. As it turned out, the rule applied only to a specific section of the 13th fairway.
What followed was a frantic series of events involving phone calls to the tournament officials and a reconstruction of Quayle’s round. In the end, the golfer admitted, “An absolute rookie mistake,” and dutifully adjusted his scorecard, adding those seven penalty strokes.
Despite the setback, Quayle carded a 73 for the round, rallied with a stunning 67 on the second day to make the cut, and fired an impressive 66 on Saturday followed by a 69 on Sunday. He even came within striking distance of forcing a playoff, ultimately finishing third in the tournament.
Scottie Scheffler’s Hero World Challenge win brings Christmas cheer with triumph, faith, and heartfelt giving for a greater cause. (Photos: Getty)
Title defense? Check. Ninth victory of the year? Check. Another million dollars earned? Check. The opening story in this section rightfully belongs to Scottie Scheffler, who dominated the Hero World Challenge 2024 for most of the tournament—using a newfound claw grip for short putts, no less.
This sets the perfect stage for what the 28-year-old shared in his media appearance before the event. When journalists pressed him for details on his conversations with the inactive host, Tiger Woods, during the Pro-Am, Scheffler was in a playful mood. “I think most of the time we just talk about money and how the purses need to be bigger,” he joked. “Today we really grinded on the Ryder Cup and how it’s just such BS that we’ve never gotten paid. Tiger was really frustrated, he feels like he hasn’t made enough money in his career. I feel the same way, I feel like last year I didn’t get paid enough for what I did. Mostly that, just a bunch of griping.”
The laughter wasn’t necessary to signal that Scheffler wasn’t being serious. Yet, when it came to the topic of money later, the devout Christian and good-hearted Texan turned reflective—and honest. “As far as I’m concerned, I don’t play golf for money. I’ve been playing golf my whole life for free and the money’s just a bonus. If somebody wants to pay us to come out here and play golf, that’s great, I’m not going to say no to it. I’m going to do the best I can in my community to steward that money well.”
It sounded like a Christmas sermon on the true values of the game and a tribute to its “Spirit of the Game.” Amid the greed often seen in professional golf and the obsession with money, one is inclined to believe the modest and grounded world No. 1. After his latest triumph in the Bahamas, Scheffler surpassed $30 million in prize money for the year.
A prime example of his humility is his trusty old GMC Yukon XL, which he’s driven since 2012 and is now auctioning off for pediatric cancer care. The arrival of baby Bennett prompted the realization: “I definitely drove it for too long,” Scheffler told Golfweek. Incidentally, the first bid of over $50,000 for the GMC came from CBS broadcasting legend Jim Nantz.
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.
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.”
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.”
I am incredibly proud to announce that I’ve partnered with @TaylorMadeGolf to help bring my unique perspective on putters to professional tours as well as share my vision with the world.
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.
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 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.
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.)
