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Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the backer of LIV Golf and potential partner to the PGA Tour in a deal to reunify professional golf, is seeking to buy the Wentworth Club, the suburban London club that serves as DP World Tour headquarters and host to the circuit’s flagship BMW PGA Championship, according to a Daily Mail report published last week.
The club’s Chinese owner, the Reignwood Group, insists the club is not for sale, the report said. “Wentworth Club has previously commented that they are not in conversation with the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund in relation to the sale of the club and that remains the case,” a spokesman told the newspaper. “Reignwood Group is committed to its long-term vision for Wentworth and continues to invest into the club facility.”
Speculation that the PIF was interested in buying Wentworth first surfaced last November when DP World Tour player Eddie Pepperell commented about the possibility in a podcast interview. Wentworth’s board dismissed the rumors as unfounded at the time, but last week’s Daily Mail report said multiple sources in Europe and the United States have indicated a continued Saudi interest in the property.
The report also suggested “insiders” view the PIF interest as a ploy in its PGA Tour negotiations, “owing to the implications of a separate arrangement between LIV and the DP World Tour.” READ MORE
This week’s Texas Children’s Houston Open will feature the world’s top two players, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, making what figures to be their final start before the Masters.
While McIlroy has won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Players Championship already this season, Scheffler has had a comparatively slow start as he’s recovered from a puncture wound to his right hand he sustained while cooking over the holidays. Still, Scheffler spoke optimistically last week about how his game is trending as he prepares to defend his Masters title.
“Each day, my hand continues to improve, my body continues to get back to where it needs to be,” Scheffler said. “And you know, I think my swing is coming around as well. So I’m definitely excited about the improvements that I’m making. The results this year have been decent. I feel like I’m really close to playing some really nice golf again.”
McIlroy will play Houston for the first time since 2014, which also happens to be the year he won his last two majors. READ MORE
Three LIV Golf members, including 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed, qualified for the 2025 Open Championship by virtue of their finishes in the Asian Tour’s International Series Macau tournament on Sunday.
Tournament winner Carlos Ortiz and third-place finisher Jason Kokrak also qualified. Reed finished second, three strokes behind Ortiz. The International Series Macau was the fifth event on the Open Qualifying Series, which continues with the Kolon Korea Open in May. The Open Championship is slated for July 17-20 at Royal Portrush. READ MORE
A club pro from New York whose checking account was nearly tapped at the start of last week was the most unlikely starter in the Valspar Championship.
Andre Chi, a 24-year-old assistant pro at Deepdale Golf Club on Long Island, shot 67 last Monday to earn one of four qualifying spots. And that came after he shot 66 in a pre-qualifier the previous Thursday.
By Tuesday, Chi was playing a practice round at Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead Course with Adam Scott, one of his childhood idols, and Byeong Hun An, for whom he had caddied at the Seminole Pro-Member earlier this month.
“I’m not working and I’m playing Mondays, and so there’s money going out, no money coming in,” said Chi, who has spent the last few months in Florida chasing his tour aspirations. “I put that gamble on myself, but I thought if I just did everything I could to get better I think the golf game will speak for itself and the support will come, so I didn’t lose sight of that belief and here we are and I'm extremely grateful.”
After his story went viral last week, Chi attracted $31,000 in financial support, PGATour.com reported. In his tour debut, he missed the cut with rounds of 81-74. READ MORE
Tap-Ins
An LPGA administrative error resulted in German pro Sophia Popov, the 2020 AIG Women’s Open winner, competing in three 2025 tournaments for which she was not eligible, according to a tour memo obtained by Golfweek. To correct the error, Popov’s earnings, Race to the CME Globe points and Aon Risk Reward Challenge points from those events will be removed from official standings, the memo said. READ MORE
Rickie Fowler, Maverick McNealy and Keith Mitchell are the three candidates running for co-chairmen of the PGA Tour’s Player Advisory Committee for 2025. READ MORE
The LPGA announced an additional element of its updated pace of play policy taking effect this week, adding season-long tracking of holes timed. Players who have 40 or more holes timed during the remaining scheduled events (excluding the T-Mobile Match Play, U.S. Women’s Open, Dow Championship and AIG Women’s Open) will be fined. READ MORE
Compiled by Mike Cullity