Nicolai von Dellingshausen talks courses, travel, rounds and goals on the 2025 DP World Tour calendar.
Tag: professionals-rory-mcilroy
DP World Tour opener at Crown Australian Open sees tough conditions and a three-way lead. Wiesberger well-positioned to chase top spots.
The 2025 golf season was anything but dull – from fan scandals to rule chaos, it was a year full of drama and surprises.
DP World Tour tee times are set: Rory McIlroy returns to Australia, joined by Freddy Schott and Yannik Paul.
Despite ongoing discussions between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, a full reunification of professional golf seems far off, according to prominent players from both sides.
McIlroy and DeChambeau skeptical about PGA-LIV merger
Speaking at the CNBC CEO Council Forum, Rory McIlroy, a long-time advocate for reunifying professional golf, expressed doubt about a resolution anytime soon. “I think unification would be better for the game overall,” McIlroy said. “But given everything that has happened over the past few years, I think it’s going to be very difficult to achieve.”
LIV Golf star Bryson DeChambeau echoed the sentiment in a recent FOX News interview. The two-time U.S. Open champion believes both sides are entrenched in their positions. “There are too many demands and not enough concessions on both sides,” he said, adding that it will take time for real progress to be made.
Financial gains highlight the need for unity
While the split in professional golf has caused controversy, one undeniable benefit has been financial. McIlroy noted back in February that both sides have profited and should now focus on reuniting the sport. “Whether you stayed on the PGA Tour or left, we’ve all benefited,” he said at the Genesis Invitational. “We’re playing for $20 million this week—that wouldn’t have happened without LIV. We need to move on, stop looking back, and do what’s best for the game moving forward.”
Although February showed signs of progress, talks stalled again in March. Since then, little has changed. LIV Golf continues to push for legitimacy, aiming to award Official World Golf Ranking points and transitioning to a 72-hole format.
Despite the current stalemate, DeChambeau remains hopeful. “I don’t want to speak for others, but I believe the game will improve over time,” he told FOX News. “This is a positive disruption, and it will take time for things to settle. Ultimately, I think it will be good for the game.”
The Korn Ferry Tour introduces two new initiatives to provide financial security and reduce entry barriers for aspiring professionals.
The 2025 season comes to a close. We look back at the most spectacular and unforgettable golf shots of the year.
Sami Valimaki emerged victorious at the RSM Classic, securing his maiden PGA Tour title in the final event of the FedEx Cup Fall. The Finnish golfer delivered a composed and consistent performance throughout the week, culminating in a final-round 66 to finish four-under-par on Sunday. With this win, Valimaki not only celebrates his first career victory on the PGA Tour but also qualifies for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Genesis Invitational.
PGA Tour: Valimaki shines at RSM Classic finale
Entering the tournament ranked 74th in the FedEx Cup standings, Sami Valimaki was already in a strong position to retain his PGA Tour card for the 2026 season. However, the 27-year-old made the most of the opportunity, showcasing a near-flawless game across four rounds. On Sunday, he carded a 66 to fend off late charges from Americans Max McGreevy (-7) and Ricky Castillo (-8). Valimaki started strong with birdies on holes 2 and 4, followed by a risky tee shot on hole 5 that led to a bogey—just his fourth of the week. He bounced back quickly with another birdie on hole 8 and added two more on the back nine at holes 10 and 15 to seal the win.
Mixed results for German players
It was a disappointing week for the German contingent. Jeremy Paul and Stephan Jäger both missed the cut on Friday, finishing at three and four under par, respectively. Jäger concluded the FedEx Cup Fall season ranked 68th, securing his PGA Tour card. However, a stronger finish might have propelled him into the top 60, granting him entry into Pebble Beach and the Genesis Invitational. Jeremy Paul ended the season at 135th, resulting in the loss of his PGA Tour card. Thomas Rosenmüller, the only German to make the weekend, finished T64 after rounds of 72 and 69, placing him 151st in the standings and also costing him his card.
Almost the entire elite of the PGA Tour will be competing in this week’s Memorial Tournament presented by Workday in Muirfield Village. However, one particularly prominent name is missing from the list of participants: Rory McIlroy has opted out of the signature event organized by Jack Nicklaus. The tournament host is surprised that McIlroy did not inform him in advance, but does not hold it against the Northern Irishman.
Jack Nicklaus: “It’s just his call”
Rory McIlroy recently realigned his tournament calendar: Less focus on the USA, but more starts at national Open tournaments around the globe. As he has committed to the Canadian Open next week, followed by the US Open, McIlroy is taking a break from the Memorial Tournament. It is already the third signature event of the season that he has skipped. Instead, he has played a number of tournaments with a rather weaker field of participants, giving them additional attention and is now making more international appearances.
Jack Nicklaus, host of the Memorial Tournament, self-confessed Rory fan and long-time supporter of the Northern Irishman, only found out about his withdrawal in the middle of last week. As he admitted at the pre-tournament press conference, he was a little caught off guard by the news: ““Yeah, it surprised me,” Nicklaus said. “But guys have got schedules and got things they do. And I haven’t talked to him for him to tell me why or why not. It’s just his call.”
Even though Nicklaus would have been delighted to welcome McIlroy to Muirfield Village, he was understanding: “I don’t hold anything against Rory for that. He did what he likes to play. I know he likes to play so many in a row. He likes to play the week before a U.S. Open. And so he, that’s what he’s doing. So, you know, I really don’t have a comment on it. It’s very difficult, very difficult. I mean, I’m a big Rory fan, I always have been. I’m sure that I will remain that way. I just, I was a little surprised, yes.”
Rory McIlroy’s life, both on and off the course, has long been a source of fascination for the sporting world. His victories, setbacks, outspoken nature, and commitment to the game consistently draw the spotlight. Recent weeks have been no different, as media attention intensified following McIlroy’s appearance at the Masters — not just for his performance, but for his movements beyond Augusta’s fairways.
One stop on McIlroy’s post-Masters itinerary brought him home to Northern Ireland, where he reunited with his parents, Rosie and Gerry, in Holywood. The visit served as a celebration, compensating for their absence at Augusta as they prepared for a relocation of their own.
McIlroy Lays New Foundations at Wentworth Estate
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, construction is well underway on a significant new project for the McIlroy family: a home in England’s prestigious Wentworth Estate, just outside London. The development, situated near the storied Wentworth Club — host venue for the BMW PGA Championship — signals a new chapter for McIlroy, his wife Erica Stoll, and their young daughter, Poppy. Reports suggest the move was motivated in part by a desire for a fresh start for the couple.
“It’s not every day you get to fulfil one of your lifelong goals and dreams,” McIlroy reflected during the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. “We first went to London with Erica and Poppy to see our new home that we’re building and we made the trip over to Belfast to see a few other people that are important to us. Just to be with them, to be with Erica and Poppy and my mum and dad.”
Artist from Ireland. Found a home for my Rory McIlroy painting, donated the piece to Holywood Golf Club this week, Rory’s home course. Hopefully he gets the chance to see the portrait the next time he plays a round there 👍 byu/mikesartwrks ingolf