Tiger Woods has agreed to help with the renovation of historic Langston Golf Course in Washington, D.C, a White House adviser told Front Office Sports.
The municipal course opened in 1939 as the city’s first golf course built for African Americans. Ed Russo, chairman of the White House Environmental Advisory Task Force, said Woods will assist with Langston’s redesign as part of the Nation’s Capital Project, which will seek to revitalize and rehabilitate three historic municipal golf courses in the nation’s capital that the National Links Trust operates.
Architect Beau Welling, a consultant to Woods’ TGR Design who also operates his own firm, previously signed on to provide pro bono architectural services to Langston, the report said.
The National Links Trust declined to comment to Front Office Sports when asked about Woods’ involvement in the project, and Woods’ agent, Mark Steinberg, did not respond to the website’s request for comment. READ MORE
Sandra Changkija became the first woman to win the Assistant PGA Professional Championship in the event’s 49-year history on Sunday in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
Changkija, a former LPGA Tour player who is an assistant PGA professional at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, Florida, shot 72 on the Dye Course at PGA Golf Club to win by five strokes over three players. She started the day with a one-shot lead, regained it after seven holes and steadily pulled away, finishing at 8-under 280. She was one of two women in the 132-player field who played from approximately 85 percent of the yardage of the male competitors, per PGA of America guidelines.
“It means a lot,” Changkija said. “I’ve worked really hard on my game. And being that I work a full-time job, it’s hard. The field is mostly men, these national events, so it means a lot that a female can win.” RESULTS
A new private club is being developed in the hills overlooking St. Andrews, Scotland. The club, called Hogs Haven, will feature an 18-hole course designed by DJ Russell, a former European Tour pro and longtime design partner of Ian Woosnam; a stand-alone par-3 course; a Himalayas-style putting course; practice facilities; a luxury lodge; and six guest cottages, according to a Golf.com report.
The developers are Tony Alvarez and Bryan Marsal, who purchased the site in 2023 and also created Hogs Head, a private golf retreat overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in southwest Ireland, the report said. Hogs Haven is expected to be the first new course to open in the St. Andrews area since David McLay Kidd’s Castle Course in 2008. READ MORE
The World Amateur Golf Ranking will implement a change to how the strength of events is calculated starting in January, it announced Friday.
The change addresses strength-of-event concerns whereby players failing to demonstrate a suitable standard of elite performance are affecting the power of events in a way that is disproportionately giving other players an advantage, the announcement said.
Going forward, players who start the event and achieve a certain scoring standard – based on the par of the course – will contribute to the event’s power (for any of the rounds in which they are eligible to compete). Players who underperform, withdraw or are disqualified will no longer impact the power calculation.
This change ensures that the power reflects the performance of players who fully participate and meet the expected level of play throughout the event. The change has been made based on WAGR’s extensive competitive and comparative analysis and in direct response to feedback from stakeholders. READ MORE
Tap-Ins
Goldman Sachs has made an investment in Excel Sports Management, the sports talent agency that represents Tiger Woods and other leading athletes, it was announced last Tuesday. The parties did not disclose financial terms, but The Athletic reported that the deal will make Goldman Sachs a majority stakeholder, citing an unnamed source briefed on the deal. READ MORE
Topgolf Callaway Brands is in talks to sell its Topgolf unit to Los Angeles private equity firm Leonard Green in a deal that could value the business at about $1 billion, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. READ MORE
Golf Channel’s morning programming slate for 2026 will include three new podcast simulcasts: “The Big Swing with Jimmy Roberts,” featuring interviews with influential golf-business figures; “Vanity Index” hosted by Chad Mumm, creator of the Neflix series “Full Swing;” and “The Smylie Show” hosted by former PGA Tour player Smylie Kaufman. READ MORE
The St. Andrews Links Trust has launched a new Home of Golf app with digital course guides providing hole-by-hole information, live course updates and maintenance notifications, streamlined Old Course Ballot process and integrated technology that enables greenkeepers to digitally map live pin positions. READ MORE
Coastal Carolina University successfully defended its title last Wednesday at the 2025 PGA University Championship near Atlanta, a tournament featuring teams representing 17 PGA Golf Management University programs. READ MORE
The American Junior Golf Association announced Adidas as a premier partner. As part of the partnership, Adidas will continue to outfit AJGA staff and interns at more than 140 events across the country. READ MORE
Compiled by Mike Cullity