Pecuniary prospects for Koepka, relief for Faldo, Tiger Woods’ celebration, a brazen burglary, Daly’s new campsite: The Back Nine.
Not everyone was pleased: Vijay Singh literally draws his career money list tour card, even at the ‘tender’ age of 62 – naturally, some voices complain. For instance, that the Fijian man is taking a start spot from those who urgently need tournament entries to secure their livelihoods. There is some truth to that, as with career prize money over $71 million, Singh presumably no longer worries about daily bread. But the three-time major winner is a sportsman with strong competitive spirit, especially a ‘training beast’, and wants to prove himself once more – 24 years after his PGA Tour debut at 29 and 34 tournament wins later. He is motivated by competing against much younger players. Moreover, if the rule allowing a tour card via career prize money exemption for one season exists…
Singh immediately made his mark upon his first restart on tour. The veteran qualified for the weekend at the Sony Open with rounds of 68 and 70 strokes. Barely, but still. This makes Singh the oldest player since Fred Couples in 2023 at the Masters to make a cut on the PGA Tour. With his weekend appearance in Hawaii, Singh accomplished the rare feat of making a PGA Tour cut in the fourth decade of his professional career. Overall, he now has 506 cuts made out of 638 cuts and finished tied 40th with five under par for the tournament after additional rounds of 68 and 69 strokes.
Koepka Allowed to Compete for FedEx Millions
Another Lex Koepka? The LIV returnee could still make serious money this season. Initially, Brooks Koepka had agreed to rejoin the PGA Tour as a member and for direct comeback under conditions: donating five million dollars to charity, forfeiting shares in the PGA Tour Player Equity Program for five years, and waiving participation in the FedEx Cup bonus pool, which will be filled with $40 million in 2026, paid out at the Tour Championship. However, this prize money has now been declared official prize money by the tour. The five-time major winner may therefore compete for the $10 million winner’s check and prize money for placings if he qualifies for the season finale at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.
Sir Nick Faldo: Open-Heart Surgery
With the Masters in mind, Sir Nick Faldo underwent open-heart surgery in the USA and now reports back cheerfully on social media. The six-time major winner, now 68 years old, spent two weeks in Cleveland with his wife Lindsay and had his enlarged aorta corrected preventively at the Cleveland Clinic by renowned heart surgeon Dr. Lars Svensson. ‘Home has never felt so good,’ Faldo states, who will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the last of his three Green Jackets (1989, 1990, 1996) at the 90th Masters next April.
Impressions from Tiger’s Birthday Bash
As duty requires