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World Golf Ranking: McIlroy and Hovland in Chasing Positions

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.

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PGA Tour

Video: Shane Lowry holes from 234 meters to the albatross

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

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Professionals

Adrian Meronk Rumored to Move to LIV Golf League

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.

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Equipment

International exhibitors and attendees increase their presence at the PGA Show

With around 200 exhibitors from 25 countries, in addition to the United States, and well over one thousand attendees from more than 80 countries, the PGA Show is proving every year its growing global reach and international impact.

The PGA Show: An industry highlight

“Since 2007, Trackman has consistently participated in the PGA show, with only one absence during Covid. Over the years, our presence has gradually grown, reaching its peak this year,” said Bernd Larsen Linde, Vice President of Marketing for Trackman, a renowned Danish manufacturer of simulators and range solutions.

“Since our very beginning, Trackman has collaborated with top coaches, fitters, and global brands. We always look forward to the PGA Show as an opportunity to reconnect with the many PGA professionals who have been our valued partners over the years and get to meet exciting and new business partners,” added Larsen Linde.

Trackman at the PGA Show 2024 (Source: PGA Show)

Like Trackman, German technology firm Puttview, specialized on interactive putting greens, has grown its presence at the PGA Show since their debut in 2018. “It is one of the most important events of the year in terms of the golf industry. It is an easy way to reach out to businesses, clients, golf clubs, with everybody there and together in one place,” said Ann-Kathrin Nahl, Marketing and Communication Manager for Puttview.

Puttview at the PGA Show 2024 (Source: PGA Show)

Exhibitors from all over the world

International exhibitors, like Trackman or Puttview, will make up about 12% of the Show Floor in 2024. They share the floor with education and meeting spaces, and exhibitors from the United States, some of which expand their operations beyond North America.

“For years, the presence of Latin Americans at the Show has been very important. It promotes new relations and clients, interactions with people that meet you in person for the first time. And you get great feedback about the status of golf in the region,” said Juan Pina, Regional Manager for Latin America at Callaway Golf.

While many of the exhibitors come from China, Canada, Korea; most of the regular international visitors to the PGA Show come from the Americas and Europe. However, all the continents and almost half of the world are represented through the combination of exhibitors and attendees.

“The PGA of America is actively sourcing more opportunities to partner with like-minded organizations, golf facilities and mission-driven individuals across Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa,” said Sean D. Thornberry, Director of Global Development at the PGA of America.

The PGA Show, organized by Reed Exhibitions (RX) in partnership with the PGA of America, showcases that global interconnection in the golf industry and the international outreach of both organizations.

“To date, we have executed brand partnerships with golf facilities in 8 countries, merchandising relationships in China and South Korea, formalized an International Section with over 300 PGA of America Golf Professionals, introduced 1000s of golfers to player engagement programs and opened up education pathways to PGA Membership for non-US citizens and non-residents of the United States,” added Thornberry.

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Live

US Amateur Nick Dunlap Makes Giant Leap in World Golf Ranking

Scottie Scheffler continues his reign at the top of the World Golf Ranking, demonstrating consistent performance that secures his number one spot for another week. Among the American golf professionals, Xander Schauffele is following the leader, remaining a strong contender at fifth place in the ranking.

Other American golfers at the top of the World Golf Ranking keep their spots as well: Patrick Cantlay holds the sixth position, while Max Homa and Brian Harman place seventh and ninth respectively, reflecting the dynamic shifts that characterize the competitive landscape. Wyndham Clark secures the tenth spot. Showcasing the depth of talent in the United States’ golfing roster is newly crowned PGA Tour winner Nick Dunlap. The amateur made a huge leap, improving from 4129th to 68th place in just one week.

When examining the Top 10 in the World Golf Ranking, aside from Scheffler’s steadfast leadership, we see Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy at second place overtaking Jon Rahm of Spain, who drops to third. Norway’s Viktor Hovland continues to be a significant presence, maintaining his fourth-place standing within the upper rankings. Moving down the international competition in the World Golf Ranking, the fourth to tenth positions witness England’s Matt Fitzpatrick at eighth, reaffirming his place within the top contenders.

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Live

World Golf Ranking: Rory McIlroy sneaks up on Scheffler

In the World Golf Ranking, Rory McIlroy from Northern Ireland secures the highest spot among British players at position 2, overtaking Jon Rahm after winning the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. Among the English players, Matt Fitzpatrick takes the highest spot with rank 8, remaining there from the previous week. Tommy Fleetwood, also from England, follows at rank 11 without any change from the prior week.

Slight Drop for British Players in Official World Golf Ranking

Moving down the list, Tyrrell Hatton from England holds position 16, suffering a slight drop from 15. The remaining top British players include Justin Rose at 43, dropping a sort from 42, and Robert MacIntyre from Scotland at 61, descending from 58 in the previous week.

The top 10 of the World Golf Ranking showcases Scottie Scheffler from the USA still in the leading position, with no change from the previous week. Following him is Rory McIlroy from Northern Ireland at number 2 and Jon Rahm from Spain at number 3.

Viktor Hovland from Norway remains at number 4, and Xander Schauffele from the USA holds the 5th spot. Patrick Cantlay and Max Homa, both from the USA, retain their 6th and 7th places respectively. Beyond Fitzpatrick’s 8th rank, Brian Harman and Wyndham Clark, both representing the USA, round out the top 10 at positions 9 and 10, maintaining their standings. This portion of the World Golf Ranking is characterized by a notable steadiness, with no highlights of significant advancement or decline among the top performers.

(This article was created with the help of AI.)

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Professionals Rules

Koepka’s caddie, Lydia Ko’s misunderstanding and more – The most bizarre rule situations in 2023

In 2023, there were also some curious rules situations. In addition to the ignorance of the golfers, the triggers included a hit golf cart and a forgotten club in the tournament bag. The intervention of the officials often had bitter consequences and shattered a few dreams this year. One thing is certain, whether quintuple bogey or disqualification, a glance at the rules would have prevented a number of situations.

Aerated greens: Honesty wins over course record

Tommy Kuhl, college golfer, experienced emotional ups and downs at a local US Open qualifying tournament. First, he broke the course record (62) at Illini Country Club and made it to the next qualifying stage. But the player from the University of Illinios had a rude awakening when he spoke to his teammates. When they mentioned after the end of the round how difficult they had found it to putt on aerated Greens, the student realized that he had repaired the effects of aerification more than once. According to Rule 13.1c, repairs can be made, but there is a clear reference to soil aeration: “Damage to the Green does not include damage or conditions caused by normal maintenance work to preserve the Green (such as soil aeration holes and grooves from scarifying).” This gave Kuhl a “queasy feeling” and as he could not reconcile this with his conscience, he let the officials know about his actions. As a result, he indirectly disqualified himself, his course record was annulled and his dream of a US Open was to remain a dream.

Rare faux pas costs qualification for PGA tournament

The next tragic but also honest character in the year’s rule situations is Hayden Springer. The Texan made a momentous gaffe in the final of the qualifying tournament for the Rocket Mortgage Classic. On Monday, it was a four-player play-off for the three spots for the tournament itself in the same week. Before that, Springer practiced on the driving range after his round of 66, which qualified him for the play-off, and waited for the rest of the field. On the range, he practiced with a club that had not previously been part of his 14-strong tournament bag. When he walked onto the fairway at Fieldstone Golf Club in Auburn Hills on the first playoff hole after teeing off, it sent shivers down his spine. Hayden Springer remembered that the 15th club was still in the bag. He immediately reported the mistake to the rules officials, which is particularly creditable as nobody knew about it. He then played par on the first play-off hole like two of his competitors, while one of the other three players only recorded bogey. In purely playing terms, Springer would have made it. But despite his integrity, the rules had to be adhered to and he received two penalty strokes for the infringement. The resulting double bogey cost him his long-awaited qualification for the PGA Tour event.

Debut ends quickly: Lack of knowledge is no defense against penalties

Another bitter situation was experienced by Zach Williams. The 24-year-old American won a spot in the June Memorial Health Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour via a Monday Qualifier. It was his debut on the tour and it was to end very quickly after two holes. Williams used his rangefinder on hole 1, as he had done on Monday, and was penalized two strokes. On the second hole, the same offense led to the American’s immediate disqualification. The Korn Ferry Tour allows distance aids in qualifying tournaments, but not in official events. The player in question commented on X (formerly Twitter) about the “hard to swallow” breach of the rules. There, Williams said he thought the Korn Ferry Tour had adjusted the rules and that you were allowed to use the rangefinder at the other pro events. However, he also admitted that he should have known about this rule.

Lydia Ko’s unfortunate misunderstanding leads to seven penalty strokes

A player who no longer has to worry about qualifying is Lydia Ko. As a two-time major winner and former number one in the world rankings, the New Zealander is a permanent fixture on the LPGA Tour. But even a multiple tournament winner is not immune to problems with the rules. At the Dana Open in July, replacing the ball was made possible without penalty for the entire third round after heavy rainfall. When round 4 started on Sunday, the pro assumed that this would continue to apply. But on the 11th hole, the officials realized what had long been forbidden at Highland Meadows Golf Club on Sunday, except for holes 1 and 10.

Ko generally assumed replacing the ball was still possible and made use of it on the fairways of holes 3 (par), 7 (par) and 9 (bogey). As she never returned her ball to its original position, she was penalized two strokes for each offence under Rule 14.7a for playing from the wrong position. On the 11th hole, she was given an additional stroke under Rule 9.4 for deliberately picking up the cue ball. However, she continued to play from the original position. So four strokes under par became two over on the leaderboard. This was tantamount to dropping 41 spots.

Upsetting rule situation: Defending champion with a start to forget

Anna Davis won the Augusta National Women’s Amateur last year. But in April 2023, things went wrong right from the start. The 17-year-old started with a bogey on hole 1, but that wasn’t the problem. It was the following: On hole 1, she picked up her ball twice, as is customary when changing the ball position. But then the officials intervened. On the Champions Retreat Course next to Augusta National, changing the ball position in the first round was allowed, but only on short grass and not, as in Davis’ case, in the rough. The amateur conceded two penalty strokes per offense in Georgia. Result: Quintuple bogey. According to the youngster, she had asked her scorer whether repositioning would apply everywhere. In spite of his lack of knowledge, the scorer answered in the affirmative and the bogey turned into a five-shot loss. The US-American took it sportingly and saw it as an “instructive experience”. In the end, she missed the cut.

Controversial decision by a few centimeters costs PGA Tour Card

The final round of the Korn Ferry Tour in Indiana was the deciding round for next year’s PGA Tour Cards. Then, at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship, Shad Tuten involuntarily attracted the attention of the officials. He was already certain that he was one of the top 30 players with a playing license and went into the clubhouse. But according to the rules officials, the 31-year-old made a mistake on hole 15 following a trip into the rough. When he placed the ball back on the ground after the “lift, clean and place” procedure, it rolled forward by a few centimetres. Tuten played on, but the barely visible movement had an aftermath. He was subsequently penalized two strokes. The birdie on hole 15 turned into a bogey and 30th place into 32nd. This meant that his eligibility to play on the PGA Tour, which he thought was certain, was history, as Rule 14.2e states that you have to try again to place a ball that does not come to rest. The committee therefore decided in accordance with Rule 14.7b: “The result with the ball that was played from the wrong location counts and the player incurs the basic penalty under Rule 14.7a in addition to the result with this ball (this means that two penalty strokes are added to the result with this ball).”

Uproar surrounding Brooks Koepka’s caddie at the US Masters 2023

Things got heated in the first round of the US Masters 2023. But not because of Brooks Koepka, who hit a 5-iron onto the green on hole 15 with his second shot and later putted for birdie. It was because of Ricky Elliott, the caddie of the five-time major winner, who apparently said something to his flight partner Gary Woodland and his caddie. “Five” is said to have been the word of agitation, which he probably used to refer to Koepka’s club. Koepka’s hand movement when taking off his glove was also scrutinized as suspicious. However, this would have violated Rule 10-2a, which prohibits giving advice to other caddies or players and is punishable by two penalty strokes. Whether the player is directly involved or only his caddie is giving advice is irrelevant. The Masters officials therefore questioned those involved, but they denied the accusations. Koepka did not consider Elliot to be at fault, as Woodland is even said to have asked him which club he had used on the way to the Green. In the end, the incident went without a penalty and the caddie’s behavior went unpunished, although the upset was significant.

“One in a Million”: Matthias Schwab hits golf cart and spectacularly drops the ball

The next incident was not about a potential penalty, but about the question of how to deal with a strange situation. Matthias Schwab missed his shot during the first round of the 2023 Players Championship and the ball flew towards the spectators as the Austrian shouted “Fore”. The golf cart of the Sky television team led by German reporter Flo Bauer drove past on the cart path and the ball got caught in the vehicle. The crew hit the brakes and an official came to the rescue. The elderly gentleman asked Schwab to put a tee under the cart and mark the spot. Bauer then drove out of the way and things continued in a strange way. Because when the Austrian dropped his ball on the tarred surface, the ball didn’t move an inch despite several bounces and came to rest. You really rarely see a drop like that!

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Fails of 2023: From horror laps to miserable bunkers

Not everything went smoothly in golf year 2023. Julien Brun battled his way through an unforgettable round of horror, while the wicked bunkers at Royal Liverpool presented even experienced players with unforeseen challenges.

Two big disasters at the Players Championship

There were two major mishaps at the Players Championship in March. Firstly, Aaron Wise experienced a real debacle on hole 18 at the TPC Sawgrass and only narrowly escaped the highest score on the last hole at the Players Championship. The 26-year-old started on hole 18 with two over par – a sextuple bogey almost resulted in the worst score on this hole. His tee shots landed in the water three times in a row. Wise finished the last hole with ten strokes and slipped to penultimate place on the leaderboard (T141).

On Sunday in the final, there was another disaster that cost Taylor Montgomery 1.4 million dollars. At the Players Championship, the 28-year-old was on the verge of collecting the biggest cheque of his career to date. At ten under par, he was in the top five with four holes to go and with four pars he would have finished third and, like Tom Hoge and Viktor Hovland, would have collected 1.475 million US dollars in prize money. But no Players Championship without drama on the 17th! One of the most iconic and famous holes in the world of golf cost Montgomery four strokes after he had already had to accept a bogey and a double bogey. First, he sank his tee shot into the water on the short par-3, which is particularly nerve-wracking but always unpredictable due to the unpredictable wind. Then, after the drop, his second attempt was also too long and also ended up in the water.

Bunker Fails 2023

Bunkers are among the most unpleasant obstacles on golf courses. Amateur players in particular have their difficulties with the sand holes in the middle of their favourite golf courses. One amateur was particularly unlucky this year when, after a few air shots, he only made it off the edge of the bunker on the ninth shot.

This year, however, even the pros had their problems. At the British Open at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club, the dreaded pot bunkers spoilt many a player’s top placing. On the very first day, the bunkers threw a spanner in the works for Lucas Herbert. Herbert misjudged his tee shot with the gap wedge slightly to the left and landed in one of the brutal pot bunkers. This was followed by an uncomfortable shot with a leg outside the bunker. This fell short and rolled back into the bunker. This was followed by shot number 4 and then two putts for a triple bogey.

Memorable rule errors

Golf is a complicated game. Even the pros sometimes lose track of the many rules. This was the case for Julien Brun, who incurred two penalty strokes at the DS Automobiles Italian Open. The Frenchman had apparently forgotten a rule change that prohibited players from picking up and cleaning their own ball on the fairway at the weekend – this was still permitted in the first two rounds. This rule had obviously completely passed Brun by, or he had simply forgotten it. Because on the very first hole of his third round, he picked up his ball to clean it and promptly conceded a penalty stroke. The result: a bogey. Anyone thinking that the man had learnt from his mistake was wrong. Because he made the exact same mistake again on the sixth hole. Again it was penalty stroke and bogey. Brun took it with humour.

It was even more bitter for Curtis Luck on the Korn Ferry Tour. Within the extensive rules of golf, there are numerous reasons to be disqualified during the round. Only very few manage to be disqualified before the round. Curtis Luck made this annoying faux pas this year. He arrived too late for his tee-off and his eligibility to start was ruined. According to the rules, anyone who arrives late will be disqualified.

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Professionals

World Golf Ranking: Scottie Scheffler Ends the Year at the Top

Scottie Scheffler remains firmly at the top of the current world golf ranking, solidifying his position as the highest-ranked American golfer. Scheffler’s consistent and stellar performances on the golf course have allowed him to clinch the top spot, underscoring his status as a dominant force in the sport. Accompanying him in the rankings, Patrick Cantlay secures his elite standing by holding onto the fifth position, showcasing the enduring excellence of American golfers.

Consistent Performances: Leading American Golfers in World Ranking

Among the leading American players, Xander Schauffele holds sixth place, closely followed by Max Homa in seventh. The players have maintained their positions from the previous week, placing them firmly in the top ten. Brian Harman and Wyndham Clark bring up the rear in ninth and tenth place, respectively, concluding the group of leading American talents in the World Golf Rankings.

Scottie Scheffler is followed in the world rankings in second and third place by Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and Jon Rahm of Spain. Further into the top ten is the steadfast fourth-place standing of Norway’s Viktor Hovland, indicative of a sustained level of performance and unchanged from the previous week. This consistency among the upper reaches of the rankings indicates a consistency in performances throughout the sport over the last couple of weeks. Focusing on the rest of the top ten, England’s Matt Fitzpatrick remains in eighth place. The presence of several nationalities in this segment of the world rankings highlights the global nature of competitive golf. Notably absent since the last ranking update is any change in the top ten, suggesting a temporary pause in the typically dynamic shifts towards the end of the year.

This text was created with the help ofAI.

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PGA Tour

PGA Tour: Youngest talent since 2014

Golf prodigy Oliver Betschart will catch the attention of spectators and journalists in November. Betschart, who lives in Bermuda, qualified for the Bermuda Championship last week, making him one of three players to make it through qualifying.

Golf prodigy on the PGA Tour

Betschart already set a record a year ago when he became the youngest winner of the Port Royal Golf Club Championship. This year, he completed the 54-hole local qualifier with a score of 3-over par, with the win going to Eric West. Betschart will be the second 15-year-old to compete in the Bermuda event. Kenny Leseur already qualified for the championship in 2019. “This has been my goal all year,” Betschart, who shot a final round of 68 in challenging wind conditions, told The Royal Gazette. “And now it’s finally true and it’s hard to accept, but I’m really excited. … Last year I was up here working with the tournament staff and seeing all the work that goes into it, and I’m really happy to be a part of it this year. I was definitely nervous going into the home stretch, but then I hit a lot of good shots,” he added. Betschart missed qualifying for the tournament by one stroke last year, but put in a strong performance this time, playing a 68 before watching pro Chaka DeSilva narrowly miss tying with him with a birdie on 18. Betschart will be the youngest player to compete on Tour since 2014 and the fifth youngest since 2000, with only Michelle Wie (twice), Tianlang Guan (six times), Andy Zhang (2012 U.S. Open) and Lorens Chan (2009 Sony Open in Hawaii) younger. Only twice, however, did any of them survive a cut.

In case of a victory Betschart would follow in big footsteps. In 2013, a certain Jordan Spieth made history when he won for the first time on the PGA Tour. Spieth, however, was already 19 years old at the time. At the John Deere Classic, the current major champion beat his rivals David Hearn and Zach Johnson on the fifth playoff hole and became the youngest winner on the PGA Tour since 1931, when Ralph Guldahl won the Santa Monica Open.