Tag: PGA Tour

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Equipment

Galvin Green names tour player line-up for 2024 season

Jordan Smith will represent Galvin Green on the DP World Tour. (Source: Galvin Green)
Jordan Smith will represent Galvin Green on the DP World Tour. (Source: Galvin Green)

Hi-tech golf apparel brand Galvin Green has named its global Tour player line-up headlined by Swedish star Alexander Björk on the PGA Tour and Englishman Jordan Smith leading the brand’s presence on the DP World Tour.

Alexander Björk and Jordan Smith set to represent Galvin Green

Having achieved an impressive stroke average of 69.59 across the DP World Tour calendar in 2023, Björk is set to play most of his golf on the flagship US Tour following a career best season that saw him finish 11 th in the Race to Dubai rankings to earn a sought-after PGA TOUR card.

Hot off the back of a T2 finish at the Jonnson Workwear Open in South Africa, Jordan Smith will be seen wearing Galvin Green garments for another year after a strong showing on the DP World Tour in 2023, where he achieved four top 10s, plus a T20 and T41 finish at the 123rd US Open and 151 st Open Championship respectively.

“We’re so pleased that Alexander earned his PGA Tour card which was fully deserved after a superb season of consistent golf,” said Conor Petters, Galvin Green Global Tour Manager. “It was also great to see Jordan come some close on Sunday after being in contention so often during the course of last year,” he added.

Björk and Smith are joined by five other Tour players

Five other tour players will wear Galvin Green apparel in the 2024 season. They include fellow Englishman Laurie Canter wearing the brand’s clothing during tournaments on LIV Golf as a wildcard player and the DP World Tour. Former Walker Cup star Jake Bolton is one of the newest recruits to wear the latest men’s range featuring products such as the 100% waterproof and windproof ARMSTRONG GORE-TEX Paclite® jacket in a three tone design, plus the breathable MO shirt in moisture wicking VENTIL8™ PLUS fabric with a cross-body gradient print across the chest.

Alexandra Swayne, 23, will wear the brand’s vibrant women’s styles for a second successive season having made her Ladies European Tour debut last year, while 29-year-old Danish Nanna Koerstz Madsen joins the line-up alongside Corinne Viden on the LET circuit.

“We are delighted to continue supporting our new and established Tour players and believe each member of Team Galvin Green will prove to be valuable brand ambassadors in front of global audiences in 2024,” added Petters.

(Text: Galvin Green)

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PGA Tour

FedExCup Leaders: Scheffler & Clark Best of 59 US Players

Scottie Scheffler and Wyndham Clark dominate the FedEx Cup Standings. (Photos: Getty)
Scottie Scheffler and Wyndham Clark dominate the FedEx Cup Standings. (Photos: Getty)

As the PGA Tour season progresses, the quest for FedExCup supremacy continues with players battling it out across various events to accumulate vital points. The recent tournament win added another layer of excitement, cementing the leader’s position atop the FedExCup rankings. Currently, this coveted spot is held by Scottie Scheffler, who also leads the pack of 59 American players within the top 100 rankings. This dominant presence underscores the depth of talent stemming from the USA in the global golf landscape.

FedExCup Spotlight: US Players Making Strides

Wyndham Clark and Scottie Scheffler are the two highest-ranked American players in the FedExCup standings, with Clark gripping the second spot firmly and Scheffler maintaining his lead. Clark’s season is highlighted by his consistent performances, amassing a noteworthy number of points and breaking into the upper echelon with a victory and several top-10 finishes. Scheffler’s exemplary season, punctuated by multiple victories and top-10 finishes, has solidified his status as a formidable force on the PGA Tour. Unsurprisingly, the two golfers decided the Players Championship between them on a dramatic final day.

Top FedExCup Contenders: The Leaders of the Pack

The battle at the apex of the FedExCup rankings sees Scheffler leading a competitive group comprising players from across the globe. Japanese star Hideki Matsuyama, French talent Matthieu Pavon, and the consistent American Xander Schauffele join Sahith Theegala in rounding out the top 5 positions. Their accumulation of points, significant tournament performances, and victories showcase the intensifying competition and diverse talent present on 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.

This text was written with the help of AI.

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PGA Tour

Players Championship 2024 in numbers: Birdie records & the legendary 17

The Players Championship 2024 in retrospect. (Photos: Getty)
The Players Championship 2024 in retrospect. (Photos: Getty)

The Players Championship 2024 kept the excitement going right to the end and provided great entertainment over four days. After the tournament, records, a first for the title holder and the realization that the legendary 17th is not known for causing sweaty palms for one or two professionals for nothing. A look at the statistics of the famous island green and other relevant statistics.

Players Championship 2024: Drama on the final day and 1000 beach balls – A look at the 17

On the final day of the 2024 Players Championship, it was once again a real source of despair. On Sunday, as is usual in the final round, the flag was placed on the far right of the island green between the small front bunker and the water (136 yards/124 meters). The PGA pros obviously had their problems with this: Over the course of the final day, only four birdies fell, the lowest figure of the week. At the same time, a total of 18 balls landed in the water, more than ever before in the tournament. Nine players even had to accept a double bogey or more, including Martin Laird, who hit two shots into the water on his way to a quadruple bogey. Logically, the stroke average of 3.34 was also significantly higher than on the previous days (3.09, 3.06, 2.84). Denny McCarthy hit the best shot on the final day, missing the hole by just 1 foot 3 inches (38cm).

Beau Hossler secured a special record on the 17th: with his shot into the water on the 17th hole, the US American recorded the 1000th ball sunk in the ShotLink era (since 2003). American Chris Kirk secured a positive record in the second round. Kirk found the green safely and played his 41st consecutive round without sinking a ball in the water on hole 17. He thus drew level with Jason Dufner, who has played the most rounds without a ball in the water on hole 17 since 2003. However, Kirk’s record streak came to an end in the third round. On the moving day, the American recorded a double bogey, followed by another bogey on the final day.

Ryan Fox celebrated a special success on the 17th. The New Zealander sank an ace on the very first day – it was to remain the only hole-in-one of the 2024 Players Championship.

A total of 47 balls landed in the water on the 17th hole during the tournament.

Rory McIlroy and Sam Ryder set two birdie records at the 2024 Players Championship

At the Players Championship 2024, it was not only the island green of the 17th that set records, but also Rory McIlroy and Sam Ryder. After McIlroy set the round record with ten birdies on the first day of the tournament, Ryder went on to become a sole record holder over four days. The American recorded an impressive 27 birdies over the entire tournament, overtaking ‘Fuzzy’ Zoeller in the process. In the end, despite Ryder’s many birdies, it was ‘only’ good enough for T16 (-10).

Scottie Scheffler achieves a first with title defense and collects 4.5 million USD

A first for an anniversary: At the 50th Players Championship, Scottie Scheffler became the first player to defend his title at the prestigious tournament. On a dramatic final day, the world number one prevailed against Wyndham Clark, who tragically missed the play-off with a lip-out on the last hole. Scheffler’s tournament victory earned him 4.13 million euros (4.5 million USD). But the remaining participants can also enjoy the highest prize money on the PGA Tour.

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PGA Tour

Players Championship 2024: How the prize money of 25 million US dollars is distributed

The Players Championship celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. (Photo: Getty)
The Players Championship celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. (Photo: Getty)

As the unofficial fifth major, the Players Championship 2024 awaits us this week as a major highlight in the PGA Tour’s tournament calendar. The absolute elite of the golf world will meet at the TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, to compete for a unique total prize fund of 25 million US dollars.

Players Championship 2024: players can expect this prize money

The PGA Tour increased the prize money for the Players Championship to 25 million US dollars last year. Just three years ago, it was USD 15 million, was raised to USD 20 million and has stood at USD 25 million since last year. This amount puts the tournament on a par with all LIV Golf events, which are also endowed with 25 million US dollars each, and overtakes the prize money of the four major tournaments, which usually have a total prize money of 20 million US dollars.

The Tee Times of the first round of the Players Championship 2024

The PGA Tour recently published an overview of the distribution of the prize money that will flow this year. The winner will receive 4.5 million US dollars. The rest of the money will be distributed among the 65 best and tied players who make the cut after two rounds. While the sole runner-up can expect over ten percent of the total prize money with 2.725 million US dollars, the other three players in the top five can also look forward to seven-figure sums – provided there are no ties with the fifth-placed player.

Beyond the prize money

In addition to the large sums of money, other lucrative prizes await the winner. He will receive 750 FedEx Cup points as well as a five-year exemption for the tournament and the guarantee of a PGA Tour card for the same period. In addition, he secures a starting place at The Sentry, where all Tour winners from the previous year meet at the beginning of the year, as well as the right to compete in all four majors over the next three years. The winner will also receive 80 official world ranking points, just 20 less than the players who win this year’s Majors.

Prizemoney Payout Players Championship 2024

Pos. Player Earnings
1Scottie Scheffler4,500,000.00
T2Brian Harman1,891,666.67
T2Xander Schauffele1,891,666.67
T2Wyndham Clark1,891,666.66
5Matt Fitzpatrick1,025,000.00
T6Si Woo Kim875,000.00
T6Hideki Matsuyama875,000.00
8Ludvig Åberg781,250.00
T9Maverick McNealy706,250.00
T9Sahith Theegala706,250.00
T11Joel Dahmen606,250.00
T11Taylor Montgomery606,250.00
T13Corey Conners489,583.34
T13Christiaan Bezuidenhout489,583.33
T13Nate Lashley489,583.33
T16Doug Ghim406,250.00
T16Sam Ryder406,250.00
T16Sepp Straka406,250.00
T19Harris English285,535.72
T19Shane Lowry285,535.72
T19Dylan Wu285,535.72
T19Kurt Kitayama285,535.71
T19Rory McIlroy285,535.71
T19Alex Noren285,535.71
T19Adam Schenk285,535.71
T26Mackenzie Hughes186,250.00
T26Chris Kirk186,250.00
T26Matt NeSmith186,250.00
T26Matti Schmid186,250.00
T26Nick Taylor186,250.00
T31Mark Hubbard152,812.50
T31Sungjae Im152,812.50
T31Ben Martin152,812.50
T31Taylor Moore152,812.50
T35Lee Hodges119,285.72
T35Denny McCarthy119,285.72
T35Jimmy Stanger119,285.72
T35Jason Day119,285.71
T35Tommy Fleetwood119,285.71
T35Brice Garnett119,285.71
T35Aaron Rai119,285.71
T42David Lipsky93,750.00
T42Grayson Murray93,750.00
T42C.T. Pan93,750.00
T45Sam Burns70,062.50
T45Austin Eckroat70,062.50
T45Tony Finau70,062.50
T45Jake Knapp70,062.50
T45Ryan Moore70,062.50
T45Collin Morikawa70,062.50
T45J.T. Poston70,062.50
T45Adam Scott70,062.50
53Andrew Putnam60,250.00
T54Zac Blair57,500.00
T54Emiliano Grillo57,500.00
T54Tom Hoge57,500.00
T54Martin Laird57,500.00
T54Min Woo Lee57,500.00
T54Francesco Molinari57,500.00
T54Sami Valimaki57,500.00
T54Cameron Young57,500.00
T62Thomas Detry55,000.00
T62Viktor Hovland55,000.00
T64Tyler Duncan53,500.00
T64Max Homa53,500.00
T64Seamus Power53,500.00
T64J.J. Spaun53,500.00
T68Patrick Cantlay51,500.00
T68Rickie Fowler51,500.00
T68Chan Kim51,500.00
T68Peter Malnati51,500.00
72Gary Woodland50,250.00
73Keith Mitchell49,750.00

Pos. Pct. Amount
1 18% $4,500,000.00
2 10.90% $2,725,000.00
3 6.90% $1,725,000.00
4 4.90% $1,225,000.00
5 4.10% $1,025,000.00
6 3.63% $906,250.00
7 3.38% $843,750.00
8 3.13% $781,250.00
9 2.93% $731,250.00
10 2.73% $681,250.00
11 2.53% $631,250.00
12 2.33% $581,250.00
13 2.13% $531,250.00
14 1.93% $481,250.00
15 1.83% $456,250.00
15 1.83% $456,250.00
16 1.73% $431,250.00
17 1.63% $406,250.00
18 1.53% $381,250.00
19 1.43% $356,250.00
20 1.33% $331,250.00
21 1.23% $306,250.00
22 1.13% $281,250.00
23 1.05% $261,250.00
24 0.97% $241,250.00
25 0.89% $221,250.00
26 0.81% $201,250.00
27 0.78% $193,750.00
28 0.75% $186,250.00
29 0.72% $178,750.00
30 0.69% $171,250.00
31 0.66% $163,750.00
32 0.63% $156,250.00
33 0.60% $148,750.00
34 0.57% $142,500.00
35 0.55% $136,250.00
36 0.52% $130,000.00
37 0.50% $123,750.00
38 0.48% $118,750.00
39 0.46% $113,750.00
40 0.44% $108,750.00
41 0.42% $103,750.00
42 0.40% $98,750.00
43 0.38% $93,750.00
44 0.36% $88,750.00
45 0.34% $83,750.00
46 0.32% $78,750.00
47 0.30% $73,750.00
48 0.28% $69,750.00
49 0.27% $66,250.00
50 0.26% $64,250.00
51 0.25% $62,750.00
52 0.25% $61,250.00
53 0.24% $60,250.00
54 0.24% $59,250.00
55 0.24% $58,750.00
56 0.23% $58,250.00
57 0.23% $57,750.00
58 0.23% $57,250.00
59 0.23% $56,750.00
60 0.23% $56,250.00
61 0.22% $55,750.00
62 0.22% $55,250.00
63 0.22% $54,750.00
64 0.22% $54,250.00
65 0.22% $53,750.00
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PGA Tour

Players Championship 2024: Wyndham Clark: “The shot and the putt that meant it all.”

Wyndham Clark at the Players Championship 2024. (Photo: Getty)
Wyndham Clark at the Players Championship 2024. (Photo: Getty)

Wyndham Clark lost his lead on saturday at the Players Championship. While he was lapped by other players he himself made a deciding bogey on 17, when his first shot landed in the water.

Players Championship: Wyndham Clark on his moving day

Q. Did that feel like a pretty important bogey on 17? You seemed really pumped to make that putt. After a mistake like that, is it a big deal?

WYNDHAM CLARK: Yeah, it’s massive. It’s unfortunate on a hole that’s so iconic and has a bunch of trouble to have kind of your worst swing of the day. But yeah, I followed it with a great swing and a great putt. I’m in the final group tomorrow, which is huge.

I’m hoping that’s a huge point in the tournament and we look back after tomorrow and look at that hole and say, hey, that was maybe the shot and the putt that meant it all.

Q. Does not going to the drop area, is that your thing that you would always do, or is it a circumstances where the pin is?

WYNDHAM CLARK: Fortunately I went first and I had some time to think about it. I asked my caddie John, and he’s like, it’s just too close for us to be able to hit it — the easier shot was just redoing it. We had a good club. Honestly, I made a bad swing and chunked it, and if we went closer, I think it made it a tougher shot.

Q. Did you lose your focus?

WYNDHAM CLARK: No. I mean, I’m not throwing John under the bus by any means, but it was probably a perfect sand wedge. He thought if I nuked it, it could get on top. Kind of, as we were walking to put the ball down, he’s like, Let’s take a little off a full sand wedge. As I was over the ball I kind of got to the top and I was like, take a little off and then I just kind of deceled and chunked it. It wasn’t really a lack of focus or anything. It just was honestly a poor swing.

Players Championship Leaderboard

Q. You shot 70, kind of felt like maybe your bad round, but to still be in the final group —

WYNDHAM CLARK: Yeah, exactly. I think everyone kind of has one round where they have to really grind it out and make those par putts and bogey putts or whatever it is. I felt like that was today. I’m hoping tomorrow I’ll wake up laser locked-in focused and can go have an awesome round and hopefully have a great finish here.

Q. I heard you talking to Todd. Did you feel like you lost focus at any point throughout the round?

WYNDHAM CLARK: No. I mean, gosh, it’s hard in a final group on a Saturday, and especially when everyone else is making a lot of birdies. Sometimes you can press and try to force the issue, and I thought I did an amazing job. If I make the par putt on 8 and make the birdie putt on 9, could have been a totally different round. I could be at 19 or 20, and we’d be having a different conversation.

I felt like I still played good golf. I hit a lot of good shots. Just seemed like a couple missed clubs, a couple missed putts. Other than that, I thought I played fine.

Q. How important was it for you to be in the final group? Does it feel a bit like Wells Fargo all over again?

WYNDHAM CLARK: Yeah, I always think it’s great to be in the final group and kind of know where everyone is at, so depending on what the circumstances are, you can either press it or play really smart coming in.

But yeah, it’s fun playing with Xander. He’s so good, and his caddie, we’re all good friends. It’s going to be fun tomorrow. He has the upper leg right now, and I’m hoping tomorrow I bring it and we can have some fireworks and play some great golf.

Q. What do you think makes him tough as a competitor?

WYNDHAM CLARK: He’s so consistent, and obviously you saw today the guy makes a lot of putts. Hopefully tomorrow he doesn’t make that many putts and I make some putts. I have a lot of respect for Xander’s game. He’s just so steady. He doesn’t really have any flaws.

Players Championship Live Blog
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PGA Tour

The 17 of the Players Championship 2024: Record man Hossler completes 1000

Players Championship 2024: The view of the legendary hole 17 in the morning sun. (Photo: Getty)
Players Championship 2024: The view of the legendary hole 17 in the morning sun. (Photo: Getty)

Beau Hossler would certainly like to do without this entry in the history books: In his second round of the 2024 Players Championship, the American sank the 1000th ball in the water of the island green on the legendary 17th hole. At least Hossler is not alone with his second-round failure. We take a look at the statistics for the second day on the 17th hole.

Players Championship 2024: Record man Hossler and 13 balls sunk

Beau Hossler had a bad day in the second round of the Players Championship 2024. With his shot into the water on hole 17, the American recorded the 1000th ball sunk in the ShotLink era (since 2003). The direction of the shot actually looked very good, but the length proved to be his undoing, causing the ball to miss the target. Not only did Hossler inadvertently write himself into the tournament’s history books with this shot, he also added a bogey to the scorecard. With a round of 74, Hossler missed the cut (+1).

However, it wasn’t just Beau Hossler who had to contend with the legendary island green. After ten balls landed in the water on the 17th in the first round, 13 more followed the path into the cool water on day two. Chesson Hadley came closest to the hole on the 137-yards shot: 1 foot 8 inches. Without a hole-in-one like Ryan Fox’s the day before, the average score was 3.06 strokes – a slight improvement on the previous day. In total, the golfers recorded 28 birdies, 90 pars, 17 bogeys and three double bogeys. Four players even shot above that. US player Chris Kirk was able to secure a small positive record: Kirk found the green safely and played his 41st consecutive round without sinking a ball in the water on hole 17. He thus drew level with Jason Dufner, who has played the most rounds without a ball in the water on hole 17 since 2003.

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PGA Tour

The 17 of the Players Championship 2024: This is how many balls went down in round 1

The calm before the storm: The 17 in the morning sun. (Photo: Getty)
The calm before the storm: The 17 in the morning sun. (Photo: Getty)

The course at the TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach is not the favorite course of many golf pros for nothing. The course impresses with its challenging design and first-class conditions. The highlight of the course is hole 17, a par-3 where the ball has to be hit over a large pond directly onto the island green. The slightest mistake is severely punished: year after year, numerous balls go astray at the Players Championship, as even the pros miss the green from time to time.

Live blog of the Players Championship 2024

Ten balls disappeared into the water

About 127 yards had to be overcome in round 1 of the Players Championship 2024. The flag was stuck on the front edge of the green, which made the approach even more difficult. Out of 138 players who passed the hole before the interruption due to darkness on the first day, ten players sank their ball in the water. It was particularly annoying for Sam Ryder, whose ball missed the hole by a hair’s breadth before rolling into the water (double bogey). Tom Kim, who was playing with a fever of over 39 degrees and gave up shortly afterwards, also sank his ball in the water (triple bogey).

Nevertheless, there was great jubilation on the par-3. 23 players mastered the hole with a birdie, but were eclipsed by Ryan Fox. Fox achieved what most golfers dream of: he holed out for a hole-in-one. With just the right amount of backspin, his ball rolled straight into the hole after landing. In combination with another eagle, which he scored on the 16th, Fox is the first player in the history of the tournament to achieve two double stroke wins in a row.

In addition to the ace and the 23 birdies, there were a total of 86 pars, 20 bogeys, seven double bogeys and Tom Kim’s triple bogey. This results in an average score of 3.087, which is slightly higher than last year’s 3.03. Last year, almost twice as many balls landed in the water: a total of 16.

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PGA Tour

Video: From near ace to double bogey at the 2024 Players Championship

Sam Ryder at th 2024 Players Championship. (Photo: Getty)
Sam Ryder at th 2024 Players Championship. (Photo: Getty)

That’s golf: just millimeters away from one of the greatest moments of your golf career to a costly double bogey in just a few minutes. When Sam Ryder teed off on the famous signature hole, the 17th, in round 1 of the 2024 Players Championship, thousands of fans cheered him on.

Live Blog of the Players Championship 2024

Hole 17 – the highlight of the Players Championship 2024

Hole 17 of the TPC Sawgrass – the dreaded island green of the course, which has been the undoing of many a player. While Ryan Fox was able to celebrate an ace on this special hole on Thursday, things turned out differently for Sam Ryder. His ball headed straight for the flag after hitting the green and missed it by a hair’s breadth. The back spin that Ryder had put on the ball then drove the ball off the green, over the narrow edge of the rough and into the water. In the end, Ryder recorded an annoying 5 on the par-3. He found a conciliatory finish with a birdie on the 18th and is tied 37th after round 1.

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PGA Tour

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

Viktor Hovland doesn't trouble with thinking to much about the PGA Tour's future. (Image: Getty)
Viktor Hovland doesn't trouble with thinking to much about the PGA Tour's future. (Image: Getty)

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.

Click here for the live blog of the Players Championship 2024

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

Rory McIlroy talks about his next Major title. (Image: Getty)
Rory McIlroy talks about his next Major title. (Image: Getty)

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.

Click here for the live blog of the Players Championship 2024

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.”