RUSTY JARRETT, PGA TOUR VIA GETTY IMAGES
Speaking ahead of last week’s John Deere Classic, Jordan Spieth advanced the notion that sports betting may have had something to do with spectators cheering against eventual champion Wyndham Clark during the final round of last month’s U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.
“I think you had some unique circumstances there,” Spieth said. “I don’t know. I mean, I think the one thing that I’ll point out is I do think that betting in golf is something that’s going to have to be tackled here soon, because I don’t know how much of, say, the Wyndham scenario was the fact that it was enticing to bet the field verse Wyndham on Sunday in a legalized betting state, and you could have had people out there that are essentially, you know, have $100 to $10,000, depending on who it is, on the field versus somebody else.”
Although Spieth acknowledged that poor fan behavior is nothing new, he has observed more of it related to betting in the last five years, he said. READ MORE
“I try to play with him, but I also try not to play with him, if that makes sense, because he hits it 40 yards past me. It’s a bit demoralizing, to be honest.”
Ian Poulter, speaking last week ahead of his U.S. Senior Open debut about his son Luke, a rising University of Florida senior who is No. 8 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking
DAVID CANNON, GETTY IMAGES
Four players pulled off a rare double last Tuesday, advancing through final qualifying to earn spots in next week’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale after having similarly qualified for last month’s U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.
The fab four are James Nicholas, Caleb Surratt, Peter Uihlein and Matthew Jordan. Nicholas, a winner on the Korn Ferry Tour earlier this season, was the medalist at England’s Burnham & Berrow Golf Club (65-67), finishing one stroke ahead of LIV Golf competitor Surratt (67-66). Uihlein, a LIV player and past U.S. Amateur champion, qualified at Royal Cinque Ports (66-69), while DP World Tour player Jordan (69-67) survived a 3-for-1 playoff at West Lancashire Golf Club near Liverpool.
Although he missed the cut at Shinnecock, Jordan has a strong track record at the Open, having finished T10 in both 2023 and ’24.
At Dundonald Links in Scotland, American Marcus Plunkett was among the qualifiers. A 2016 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, Plunkett served five years in the U.S. Army, including six months in Afghanistan, before deciding to pursue professional golf. Plunkett, who currently plays on the Asian Tour, will be making his first major championship start.
Among the notables who failed to qualify was Sergio García, who opened with a 68 at West Lancashire but blamed his lunchtime lasagna for the stomach upset that plagued him during an afternoon 75. READ MORE
Although the PGA Tour will not start next season in Hawaii, its senior circuit will step in to perpetuate a long tradition.
The PGA Tour Champions will stage the Sony Championship at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, which had hosted the PGA Tour stop most recently known as the Sony Open in Hawaii since 1965, it was announced Wednesday. The tournament is slated for Jan. 14-16, ending on a Saturday.
“Sony has been an incredible PGA Tour partner since 1999, and we are looking forward to beginning this new era with the legends of the game competing on a truly iconic venue in Waialae Country Club,” said Miller Brady, president of PGA Tour Champions.
Among the past champions at Waialae now playing on the 50-and-older circuit are Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Zach Johnson and Jerry Kelly. READ MORE
Tap-Ins
World Nos. 1 and 2 Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy will headline the field this week at the Genesis Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club, an event co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, LIV Golf competitors who are also DP World Tour members, will also be in the field. READ MORE
Kiara Romero, the world’s No. 1 ranked female amateur, will have a chance to earn her LPGA card via the tour’s Elite Amateur Pathway by making the cut at this week’s Amundi Evian Championship. READ MORE
ESPN will provide expanded coverage of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup playoffs next month, with 12 hours of early-round broadcast coverage in addition to more than 100 hours of streaming coverage, it was announced last Wednesday. READ MORE
In its work to create the new two-track competitive model that will debut in 2028, the PGA Tour’s Future Competition Committee invited current and potential future media partners to share their perspectives on the tour’s current model, tour chief commercial officer Dhruv Prasad said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. The tour has not yet had discussions about new media deals beyond its current contracts that run through 2030, Prasad added. “I don’t think we have any preconceived notions about what the future packaging is going to be, and what the elements of each package will be for our media distribution partners,” he said. READ MORE
Compiled by Mike Cullity
