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PGA Tour

Viktor Hovland: “I don’t want to spend my free time thinking about the PGA Tour”

In the week before the Players Championship, Jay Monahan and Rory McIlroy spoke up to the future of the PGA Tour. More fan engagement, ongoing chats with the PIF and the new alliance with the SSG were in discussion. For Viktor Hovland all these topics are important, but the Norwegian doesn’t keep up with all the new twists and turns happening on the PGA Tour right now.

Viktor Hovland on Jay Monahan: “I want a person to take ownership of their mistakes”

“The thing is, like, I play golf for a living. I don’t know exactly what should have been done because at the end of the day I don’t have all the information”, Hovland said when being asked about Jay Monahans and Rory Mclroys latest statement regarding the PGA Tour’s future.

“As a leader of an organization, I will want a person like that to take some ownership and say, hey, we made a couple of mistakes, but this is how we’re going to rectify it, instead of kind of sweeping it under the rug, which I felt like has been done to a certain degree”, he goes on.

With the talk shifting to the possible futures of the PGA Tour and the new PGA Tour Enterprises Hovland doesn’t give mich tought into these developments. “These Signature Events, for example, they have been great for the players that are in the tournaments. I don’t know if that’s necessarily what the fans want to watch.”

On the contrary Hovland agrees to a comment from tour colleague Lucas Glover. “I’ve read Lucas Glover’s comments last week where he said having the smaller field sizes are not making it more competitive. Yes, you’re getting the best players to play, the top guys to show up, but the fields are more competitive when you have bigger field sizes. I think that’s just the fact. There’s a reason why we’re playing THE PLAYERS Championship with 144 guys.”

Hovland agrees with McIlroy in one point. “I don’t think it’s a great outlook if we keep being divided (with LIV Golf) for 10, 15 years, whatever, however long it’s going to take. There has to be some kind of decision being made in the future.” Hovland leaves open what this future might look like.

Should Hovland be more invested in this topic?

The overall impression of Viktor Hovland in terms of the PGA Tour’s development is a leaned back attitude. “Probably there’s definitely a responsibility on my side. I could have definitely gone out of my way to put more time and effort into figuring out what kind of trajectory we’re on and put myself into that debate a bit more.” But with Players like Jordan Spieth, Tiger Woods and other well known names in the Players Advisory Counsil Hovland doesn’t feel the need to stay up to date at all times. “Although, I do trust the players on the PAC to represent the players in the best way possible and I have been in communication with some of those guys to fill me in. But at the same time, I’m just not that interested in spending my free time in trying to figure out every single nuance in the situation. So, I’m trying to stay outside a little bit and play my game, because, yeah, I trust the guys on the board to kind of do their thing.”

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PGA Tour

Players Championship: Rory McIlroy tired of uncertainty

After Jay Monahan’s press conference regarding the future of the PGA Tour, Rory McIlroy agrees with his decision to stay in the lead of the Tour and the new PGA Tour Enterprises. In McIlroys Wednesday press conference, prior to the Players Championship, he emphasises the importance of bringing the game back together and move on. McIlroy oppend up about his difficulties winning another Major and if he thinks he can capture his next Major-Title this year.

Can Rory McIlroy win another Major?

Here’s his opinion on how the pressure added up over the last ten years without a Major title: “It does, but then at the same time, I look at my record in the majors over the last couple of years, and I’ve definitely started to perform much more consistently in them.”

“Look, I’m under no illusion that the clock is ticking and it has been 10 years since I’ve won one of them, and I’ve had chances, and those just haven’t went my way. I just need to keep putting myself in those positions, and sooner or later it’s going to happen.”

Rory McIlroy defends Jay Monahan

“You look at what Jay has done since he took over,” McIlroy said in the Wednesday press conference in TPC Sawgrass. “The media rights deal, navigating us through COVID, the strategic alliance with the DP World Tour. I would say creating PGA Tour Enterprises, we were just able to accept a billion and a half dollars in the business, people can nit-pick and say he didn’t do this right or didn’t do that right, but if you actually step back and look at the bigger picture, I think the PGA Tour is in a far stronger position than when Jay took over.”

Monahan spoke about the new alliance with the SSG (Strategic Sports Group) and the new funds coming with the newly created PGA Tour Enterprises. Tough informations regarding the PIF are highly requested Monahan did hold back and just stated, that meetings were “accelerating”.

Rory McIlroy: “We need to get this thing over and done”

Like many fans and players, Rory McIlroy urges the policy board and PGA Tour Enterprises to come to a conclusion and to “get this thing over and done”, falling right in line with his latest statements about the LIV Golf Tour and Liv players getting involved in the Ryder Cup and a potential World Tour.

“I feel grateful that I was on the PGA Tour board at the point in time when I was. I feel like it will stand to me down the line if I ever want to get deeper into the business side of things, whether that’s in golf or in other domains. It’s different now, though. You’ve got two boards on Tour. One is really a business board, and sort of that priority is growing the growth of the business of the PGA Tour, and then the policy board, which I was on, was about making rules and slow play and whatever else.”

“The business board to me would be something — if an opportunity came along in the future and I felt like it was the right time, would maybe be something that I would like to get involved in again.”

“We need to improve fan experience”

Like Jay Monahan, Rory McIlroy talked about enhancing the fan experience. “Yeah, so to me, like this is the problem with a members’ organization. Things are created for the members. Then once those things are created, you’ve got to go sell those things to fans, sponsors, media.” 

“To me, that seems a little backwards. I think what needs to happen is you need to create things for the fans, for the sponsors, for the media, and then you have to go sell that to the players, tell them to get on board with that, because if they get on board and we’re all part of the business now, if the business does better, we do better. That seems pretty simple to me.”

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PGA Tour

PGA Tour: Who wins the Players Championship 2024?

Every year, golf fans eagerly anticipate the Players Championship of the PGA Tour with great expectations. Over the weekend, players compete at The Players Stadium Course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida for a total prize money of $25 million. In anticipation of the tournament, several questions arise: Can Scottie Scheffler defend his title? Which other players have good chances of success? Let’s take a look at the players who are considered the biggest favorites.

Players Championship 2024: Scottie Scheffler is the clear favorite

Scottie Scheffler is certainly the name that comes to mind when it comes to winning the PGA Tour’s flagship tournament. The world number one is in good form and is performing consistently well, as is to be expected given his top position in the World Golf Ranking, which he has held since May last year. Last weekend, he fuelled his confidence with a comfortable victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, five strokes ahead of second-placed Wyndham Clark. Scheffler also won last year’s Players Championship 2023 by five strokes, so not only is he in excellent form, but he certainly has fond memories of last year’s event.

Always a contender: Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy, who incidentally helped Scottie Scheffler to victory last weekend with a tip to change putters, is always good for a win at major tournaments. While the Northern Irishman achieved three top 25 finishes in four events on the PGA Tour in 2024, he has already claimed a victory at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour and narrowly missed out on a second success at the Dubai Invitational. Although McIlroy missed the cut at last year’s Players Championship, the world number two is certainly capable of triumphing this year.

In good form: Wyndham Clark

A victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and a second-place fA victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and a second place last weekend shows that Wyndham Clark is currently in good form. The world number five is definitely a hot candidate for the title. However, he would have to improve on last year’s performance, where he finished tied 27th at the Players Championship.

Under the radar: Hideki Matsuyama and Viktor Hovland

Japanese Hideki Matsuyama and Norwegian Viktor Hovland can be considered more of a “dark horse” category. The situations of the two could hardly be more different. Matsuyama is currently in good form and has already secured a victory in 2024 at the Genesis Invitational. On the other hand, Hovland has not yet found his form from 2023 this year. His best finish is a tied 19th place at the Genesis Invitational. However, their strong performances from last year should give both players confidence. Viktor Hovland finished third at the Players Championship 2023, while Matsuyama finished fifth. Especially for Hovland, the upcoming weekend would be a good time to regain his old form.

European hopes: Ludvig Aberg and Matthieu Pavon

Frenchman Matthieu Pavon impressed at the Farmers Insurance Open with his first tournament win on the PGA Tour after securing a tour card via the DP World Tour and travelling on the PGA Tour as a rookie. Ludvig Aberg is also playing his first full season after a rocket start to his professional career in 2023 and has already recorded two top-10 finishes in 2024. Both players are young talents who did not play in the Players Championship last year and will have the opportunity to prove themselves on the PGA Tour’s biggest stage this week.

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PGA Tour

PGA Tour Tee Times: Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark At The Players Championship

The Players Championship, known as one of the most prestigious events on the PGA Tour, takes place at the renowned TPC Sawgrass (The Players Stadium Course) in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA. Last year, Scottie Scheffler emerged victorious, securing the title for this popular tournament, with a prize pool of $25,000,000.

PGA Tour Tee Times: Spotlight on U.S. players

As the first flight of the day, Ryan Moore, Chesson Hadley and Zac Blair, all hailing from the USA, will launch into the first round at 07:40 and continue into the second round on Friday at 12:45 local time. Simultaneously Troy Merritt, Taylor Montgomery and Canadian Taylor Pendrith will tee off from Tee 10 on the first and Tee 1 on the second day.

Among the notable American players teeing off is Xander Schauffele, who is scheduled for a tee time at 8:24 am in the first round and 1:29 pm on day 2. His flight partners will be Sam Burns and England’s Tommy Fleetwood. Returning champion Scottie Scheffler will start his round at 1:40 pm alongside Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas. Their second round begins at 8:35 am, starting from Tee 10.

Other renowned American players Wyndham Clark, Collin Morikawa and Brian Harman will start off round 1 at 1:51 pm. On the second day their flight is scheduled for 8:46 am.

This text was created with AI.

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Live

FedExCup Leaders: Scottie Scheffler climbs on top

The PGA Tour season has been in full swing, with numerous tournaments defining the golfing landscape. The most recent tournament winner has added significant points to his FedExCup haul, impacting the overall rankings. Currently, Scottie Scheffler of the USA leads the FedExCup rankings, showcasing consistent excellence throughout his 6 events with 5 Top Ten finishes and a victory under his belt. In total, 57 American players have secured their spots within the top 100 of the FedExCup rankings, a testament to the deep talent pool within the United States.

FedExCup Focus: Top American Players

The two leading American players, Scottie Scheffler and Wyndham Clark, are making waves in the FedExCup standings. Scheffler, known for his strategic play and calm demeanor, sits at the apex with 6 events played, 5 Top Ten finishes, and a rewarding victory. Clark, with a similar event count, has earned his place right behind Scheffler with 2 Top Ten finishes and a triumph that has propelled him up the leaderboard. Both golfers have shown the skill and tenacity needed to compete at the highest levels of the sport.

See the full FedEx Cup Ranking

The PGA Tour season has been in full swing, with numerous tournaments defining the golfing landscape. The most recent tournament winner has added significant points to his FedExCup haul, impacting the overall rankings. Currently, Scottie Scheffler of the USA leads the FedExCup rankings, showcasing consistent excellence throughout his 6 events with 5 Top Ten finishes and a victory under his belt. In total, 57 American players have secured their spots within the top 100 of the FedExCup rankings, a testament to the deep talent pool within the United States.

Top Contenders in FedEx Cup Glory

Looking beyond the American leaderboard, players from France, Japan, Korea, and beyond fill out the top five positions in the FedExCup rankings. Matthieu Pavon from France, with his impressive approach game, lies in third place with consistent performances across his 6 events, capturing a victory and 3 Top Ten finishes. Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama remains a constant threat with his stoic precision, holding the fourth spot with a victory among his 7 events. The pursuit of FedExCup success is truly an international endeavor, with these top golfers epitomizing the global nature of the PGA Tour.

How the PGA Tours FedEx Cup works

The FedExCup is the season ranking of the PGA Tour. The top 30 players in the FedExCup ranking are allowed to take part in the PGA Tour’s final play-off tournament at the end of the season. The season ranking also determines who is allowed to play on the PGA Tour the following year. At each tournament, the players who make the cut collect points. The total number of points earned at a tournament depends on the value of the event. Major tournaments earn the most points. The winner receives 500 points for winning a normal PGA Tour tournament.

Looking beyond the American leaderboard, players from France, Japan, Korea, and beyond fill out the top five positions in the FedExCup rankings. Matthieu Pavon from France, with his impressive approach game, lies in third place with consistent performances across his 6 events, capturing a victory and 3 Top Ten finishes. Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama remains a constant threat with his stoic precision, holding the fourth spot with a victory among his 7 events. The pursuit of FedExCup success is truly an international endeavor, with these top golfers epitomizing the global nature of the PGA Tour.

How the PGA Tours FedEx Cup works

The FedExCup is the season ranking of the PGA Tour. The top 30 players in the FedExCup ranking are allowed to take part in the PGA Tour’s final play-off tournament at the end of the season. The season ranking also determines who is allowed to play on the PGA Tour the following year. At each tournament, the players who make the cut collect points. The total number of points earned at a tournament depends on the value of the event. Major tournaments earn the most points. The winner receives 500 points for winning a normal PGA Tour tournament.

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Live

World Golf Ranking: Wyndham Clarks rises into Top 5

Scottie Scheffler maintains his lead in the World Golf Ranking following another week at the pinnacle. The consistency of his performance cements his status as the top American golfer and the world number one. Wyndham Clark made a significant gain, ascending two spots to rank fifth, marking a positive shift in the World Golf Ranking for the American player. Other notable American golfers, including Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay, and Max Homa, experienced a status quo or a slight drop in ranking, placing them at sixth, seventh, and eighth respectively. Brian Harman rose one position, securing the ninth place, and exhibiting incremental progress in the ranking.

Continuing with the American golfers, Keegan Bradley, Jordan Spieth, and Collin Morikawa occupy the 13th to 15th places, with Bradley improving his standing by two slots in the World Golf Ranking. While Spieth saw no change, Morikawa slipped in the rankings, suggesting mixed outcomes for the American contingent. Onto the top three in the World Golf Ranking, Jon Rahm of Spain holds the third position, right behind Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy who remains in second place. Both athletes continue their pursuit of the summit, yet have not made movements in the ranking recently. As the World Golf Ranking evolves, players within the top ten aim to solidify or improve their positions. Viktor Hovland from Norway stands at fourth, separated by the leading trio only by marginal points. Emerging Swedish golfer Ludvig Aberg rounds out the top ten, moving up one place to take the tenth spot. England’s Matt Fitzpatrick just misses the top ten, falling to 11th.

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World Golf Ranking: Shane Lowry makes a big leap

In the current World Golf Ranking, the spotlight falls on Rory McIlroy from Northern Ireland, maintaining his 2nd position, manifesting stability at the apex of the rankings. English golfer, Matt Fitzpatrick, holds the 11th spot, a slight descent from his previous 9th rank, denoting a minor setback.

Shane Lowry jumps into Top 40

Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton, both from England, occupy the 12th and 16th positions respectively, indicating no change for Fleetwood but a climb for Hatton, who was 17th last week. In a notable downturn, Justin Rose from England fell to 51st from 48th. Shane Lowry of Ireland demonstrated a significant leap, landing at 37th, gaining from the prior 54th rank.

Update on British, Welsh, and Scottish Players
The recent World Golf Ranking also depicts Robert MacIntyre from Scotland at 70th, experiencing no movement, while Welsh golfer, Jamie Donaldson, is not in the top ranking positions. Aaron Rai, another English golfer teetered downward to 79th from 78th, Jordan Smith improved to 86th from 96th, and Ewen Ferguson from Scotland climbed from 121st to 119th, which are considered minimal changes.

Top Three in Global Rankings
As for the international scene, Scottie Scheffler of the USA remains at the pinnacle, entrenched as the world number one. Jon Rahm from Spain continues to hold the 3rd place firmly, ensuing behind McIlroy. The uppermost echelon of the rankings thus remains unchanged this week.

Movements in Top 10 Players
Looking further down, the World Golf Ranking reveals Viktor Hovland from Norway staying at 4th. However, Americans made notable advances: Wyndham Clark ascended from 7th to 5th, while Brian Harman inched upwards to 9th from 10th. Ludvig Aberg from Sweden also gained ground, stepping up from 11th to 10th. Meanwhile, Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay, both from the USA, saw demotions to 6th and 7th places respectively, hinting at minor shifts in the upper rung of the rankings.

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Watch: PGA Tour highlights from the 4 round of the Puerto Rico Open

The PGA Tour continues its journey with the Puerto Rico Open, held at the illustrious Grand Reserve Golf Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. Gathering a star-studded player field, the competition is fierce in the final round, round 4.

Within the leaderboards’ top five, Brice Garnett (USA) and Erik Barnes (USA) are both at number 1 and 2, respectively, with a total score of -19. In hot pursuit are Victor Perez (FRA), Hayden Springer (USA), and Jimmy Stanger (USA) tied at spot three with a total score of -18.

This round’s top performers include Victor Perez (FRA) who garnered a daily score of -7. Showing off their skills as well are Adrien Dumont de Chassart (BEL) and Jackson Van Paris (USA) with daily scores of -6 and -8, respectively.

The Puerto Rico Open offers a whopping tournament prize money of $4,000,000. This lucrative prize pool is sure to add an extra layer of motivation for the golfers as they vie for victory on the green.

Puerto Rico Open: The PGA Tour 4 round highlights

About the PGA Tour

The PGA Tour is the largest American professional golf tour. There are 36 tournaments on the tour’s schedule this season. The tournaments mainly take place in the USA, but there are also some international venues over the course of the season. The signature events introduced in 2023 offer higher prize money and a smaller field of participants. There will be a total of eight of these events in the 2024 season. The four Majors and the Players Championship are also part of the PGA Tour. At the end of the tours season, the 70 best players in the FedEx Cup season rankings will play in a three-tournament play-off for overall tour victory and an extra 18 million dollars in prize money.

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Watch: PGA Tour highlights from the 4th round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational

As an esteemed event of the PGA Tour, the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard is currently underway at the Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge situated in Orlando, Florida, USA.

Scottie Scheffler (USA) wins the Arnold Palmer Invitation in the fourth and final round with a total score of -15. He secured an impressive lead of five strokes over second-placed Wyndham Clark (USA). Clark, who climbed up from third, finished the tournament with a total of 10 under par. Despite some challenges on the front nine, including a bogey on the fifth hole, he put in a strong performance on the back nine with a birdie on the final hole to finish the round with 70 strokes. He is followed by Shane Lowry (IRL), who finished in third place with -9 despite a bumpy start. Tied at the fourth position are two Americans, Russell Henley and Will Zalatoris, both with a total score of -7. Rory McIlroy (NIR), who started the final round with high hopes, suffered an early loss of strokes and finished the tournament outside the top 20.

The coveted tournament awards a total prize money of $20,000,000. The fourth round will further intensify the competition, with the top golfers battling for the tournament victory.

Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard: The PGA Tour 4 round highlights

About the PGA Tour

The PGA Tour is the largest American professional golf tour. There are 36 tournaments on the tour’s schedule this season. The tournaments mainly take place in the USA, but there are also some international venues over the course of the season. The signature events introduced in 2023 offer higher prize money and a smaller field of participants. There will be a total of eight of these events in the 2024 season. The four Majors and the Players Championship are also part of the PGA Tour. At the end of the tours season, the 70 best players in the FedEx Cup season rankings will play in a three-tournament play-off for overall tour victory and an extra 18 million dollars in prize money.

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Live PGA Tour

Watch: PGA Tour highlights from the 3 round of the Puerto Rico Open

Welcome to the latest coverage of the PGA Tour, focusing specifically on the Puerto Rico Open, where the third round of play has just concluded. The tournament, taking place at the Grand Reserve Golf Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, has seen some impressive golf so far. This report highlights the PGA Tour highlights of the Puerto Rico Open.

On the leaderboard, the top position is currently occupied by Ben Kohles from the USA with a total score of -18. Following close behind in second position are Jimmy Stanger from the USA, Brice Garnett from the USA, and Matti Schmid from Germany, all with a total score of -16. Erik Barnes from the USA and Joe Highsmith from the USA share the fifth position with a total score of -15.

The best rounds of the day were played by Ben Kohles, Chan Kim, and Aaron Baddeley, scoring -9, -7, and -5 respectively. These daily scores highlight the exceptional talent on display at the Puerto Rico Open.

This highly competitive tournament comes with a considerable prize of $4,000,000. This factual report does not serve to evaluate the sum, instead focuses purely on the tournament’s details.

Puerto Rico Open: The PGA Tour 3 round highlights