Rory McIlroy and Boston Widespread GC are rebooting skilled golf in 2025.
Getty Photos
Welcome again to the Monday End, the place we’re headed to the cliffs. Pebble is again. Jordan Spieth is, too. To the information…
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GOLF STUFF I LIKE
Let’s begin over.
In the case of males’s skilled golf, I’ve acquired some excellent news and a few unhealthy information. At all times the unhealthy information first, proper? Let’s begin there.
A very powerful people within the sport are lacking in motion. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler injured himself so critically whereas making ravioli on Christmas that he’s missed a month of golf. World No. 2 Xander Schauffele has missed a number of consecutive begins, too, reportedly with a rib harm. World No. 3 Rory McIlroy was a compelling contestant in Dubai final week however hasn’t competed within the U.S. because the Tour Championship final August. World No. 4 Collin Morikawa was a part of a wave of WDs forward of final week’s Farmers Insurance coverage Open — very presumably associated to a nasty sickness going across the event — whereas World No. 6 Ludvig Aberg performed by means of it however spent a lot of Saturday’s spherical trying inexperienced within the face, wandering across the course like a gravely hung over bachelor-party golfer simply attempting to make it by means of the subsequent deep breath.
And whereas World No. 9 Viktor Hovland has been gritting his tooth and taking part in by means of it, he suffered a damaged toe proper round New 12 months’s, kicking off his 2025 on the improper, decidedly painful foot.
There are different faves you haven’t gotten to observe shortly. We haven’t seen Jordan Spieth tee it up publicly because the FedEx Cup playoffs. We haven’t seen Tiger Woods because the Open Championship.
There’s additionally the matter of LIV execs; some fan favorites like Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson have largely disappeared because the group championship in September, whereas two others — Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau — have taken to YouTube. Tyrrell Hatton has been barnstorming his means by means of the DP World Tour however stays barred from PGA Tour occasions, as does Jon Rahm, who may be very probably nonetheless one of many world’s 5 finest golfers.
As for that LIV-PGA Tour deal? I’m unsure the way to really feel in the intervening time apart from shrug my shoulders. As I perceive it, finally, one thing will get finished, and a few settlement will get reached, first for Saudi PIF funding within the PGA Tour after which finally some kind of cross-tour settlement. However you may’t simply put the genie again within the bottle. We’ve LIV Golf now. Extra not too long ago, now we have the TGL. We’ve YouTube Golf, with all its boy bands, its 2v2s, its epic showdowns, its three-club challenges, all of that are good and enjoyable and reaching new audiences — however the draw back of all of those choices is that it’s much less clear than ever the place we must be collectively focusing our golf-watching time. Our usually scheduled weekly professional tournaments really feel, for the second, considerably diminished.
That’s the unhealthy information.
However the good begins now as a result of we on the Monday End are beginning issues over. The solar is about to shine on the professional recreation once more. Pebble Seaside marks a contemporary starting to the golf season. We’re not taking away Hideki Matsuyama‘s victory on Maui, nor Nick Taylor’s on the Sony, nor Sepp Straka’s within the desert nor Harris English’s at Torrey. It’s simply that now we’re actually gonna get going. There’s just one soccer recreation left this 12 months, which suggests golf can fill the weekend void, starting with primetime competitors at a crown jewel of American golf. The celebs shall be out: Scheffler is slated to make his 2025 debut, McIlroy will play for the primary time on the PGA Tour this season and Spieth will, too. And Morikawa and Aberg — inner programs allowing — must be again and higher, too. Final 12 months, this occasion became a slop-fest and finally a disappointing 54-hole washout. This 12 months, issues are trying up.
Our new season begins with a pleasant appetizer on Monday night time within the type of the perfect TGL showdown but; if this factor is gonna work, it’s as a result of Tiger vs. Rory in primetime enviornment golf is enjoyable viewing. By Thursday we’ll be hungry for the true factor, for high execs holding rating, for aggressive golf on the epic California shoreline. Come Saturday, we’ll be consuming up pictures from CBS’ expanded drone tracers, marveling at that 6-7-8 stretch, on the drama of the par-5 18th. And Sunday will deliver us what we will solely hope is a aggressive, high-wattage leaderboard the likes of which we haven’t seen at Pebble because the 2019 U.S. Open. Less complicated occasions.
This kicks off what is basically the stretch of golf on the PGA Tour. Submit-football. Pre-majors. Pebble, Phoenix, Genesis, Bay Hill, Gamers Championship, issues of that nature. If you happen to like aggressive golf, you most likely just like the majors the perfect. However that is the place the good things begins. Attending to the meat of the particular golf season? That’s, very actually, golf stuff I like.
WINNERS
Who gained the week?
Harris English gained the Farmers Insurance coverage Open, rising from a crowded leaderboard at Torrey Pines in what you would name an exciting check of grit or a boring slog, relying in your mindset. Both means, terrific exhibiting from English.
Alejandro Del Rey gained the Ras Al Khaimah Championship on the DP World Tour, closing with three consecutive rounds of 66 en path to a four-shot win during which he held off former Arizona State teammate (and present LIV standout) David Puig within the course of.
Sudarshan Yellamaraju gained within the Bahamas on the Korn Ferry Tour; the Canadian lefty had an uneven 2024 on the KFT and now instantly has an inside observe on a 2026 PGA Tour card.
Daniel van Tonder gained the SDC Open on the HotelPlanner Tour, which I’m largely mentioning to tell you that that’s the new title of what was once the Problem Tour.
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NOT-WINNERS
These guys are good, too.
Sam Stevens shot Sunday’s low spherical (68) to complete solo second, whereas Andrew Novak shot Saturday’s low spherical (66) and in the end completed solo third. Every jumped inside the highest 100 on this planet and to his highest-ever world rating.
Sungjae Im (T4) logged his second top-five end in three 2025 begins. And Kristoffer Ventura, roommate (a minimum of at one level) to fellow Norwegian Viktor Hovland, completed T4, his finest outcome ever on Tour.
SHORT HITTERS
5 tales to launch the LPGA season.
This week’s Hilton Grand Holidays Event of Champions kicks issues off for the LPGA in 2025.
1. How will Lydia Ko’s sequel go?
Her 2024 “fairy-tale” season started with a victory at this Event of Champions final 12 months. Now that she’s a gold medalist, a significant champion (once more) and a Corridor-of-Famer, how will Lydia Ko’s 2025 start?
2. The place will Nelly Korda go from right here?
The dominant World No. 1 had unbelievable highs but in addition severe lows in 2024. At her finest, there’s clearly no person higher than Nelly Korda. After a seven-win season that modified the trajectory of her profession, how usually can she get to that high degree this 12 months?
3. What’s subsequent for 2 younger challengers?
Ruoning “Ronnie” Yin and Jeeno Thitikul are 22 and 21 years previous, respectively. They’re Nos. 3 and 4 on this planet, respectively. And so they’re poised to maintain shifting up {the golfing} world. Neither is within the subject this week, however once they’re again, what’ll occur?
4. Who’s taking on?
Whoever takes over as LPGA commissioner enters the game at a captivating time. It’s a growth period for golf in addition to for ladies’s sports activities. Nevertheless it’s an period of uncertainty in skilled golf, the place the bottom continues to shift. Nice energy, nice accountability, nice alternative. Let’s hope they decide one.
5. What on earth is up with the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship?
That is particular to 1 cease, however what’s taking place with Seri Pak‘s occasion? The second annual taking part in of the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship was scheduled for March at Palos Verdes Golf Membership, however the LPGA’s communications group introduced final week that it gained’t go on as scheduled “because of the occasion underwriter failing to meet any portion of its cost obligations to the LPGA Tour for the 2024 and 2025 occasions”. In an Instagram publish, Pak acknowledged the information however cautioned in opposition to damaging the status of these concerned. It’s clear there’s extra to the story right here…
ONE DUMB GRAPHIC
We’re trending up.
ONE SWING THOUGHT
Lee Trevino’s hardest shot in golf.
The toughest shot in golf? Lee Trevino says it’s the punch-out from the timber. From final week’s Warming Up interview, which you’ll watch right here or on the backside of this text:
“The toughest shot in golf is whenever you get within the timber on the suitable and you may’t go down towards the flag and also you gotta go throughout the golf green to put up,” Trevino mentioned. “The toughest shot in golf is to take a wedge or no matter membership you’ll get out from underneath the timber to get to the golf green — and no person would even consider this — and the toughest shot in golf is how arduous do you hit that ball to clear the tough right here, however then cease it earlier than it will get into that tough [on the other side]?
“That’s the toughest shot in golf, apart from a 60-yard bunker shot. You’ve acquired to get out of the difficulty, and you might be laying up, so that you want the ball within the fairway, and other people will hit it too low, by no means make it out of the tough. Or they hit it too arduous and go into the tough on the opposite facet. So that is one thing it’s a must to apply. You may’t simply exit on the driving vary and hit golf balls. It’s a must to have a function.”
ONE BIG QUESTION
How will Scottie look?
I do know we’re rebooting the season, however it’s a very huge deal that World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler missed a month with an harm to his hand in a sport that’s actually fairly hands-intensive. The weird nature of the harm — Making ravioli? Critically? — distracts from the truth that Scheffler’s sequel to his outrageous 2024 has been delayed and presumably impacted. The query, then, is whether or not that is all behind him. Will he should make any modifications, acutely aware or unconscious? Is he experiencing any ache? Or is he absolutely healed, enterprise as regular, prepared to maneuver on?
We’ll see this week.
ONE THING TO WATCH
Jordan Spieth on the cliffs at Pebble.
It’s a couple of years previous, however man, what a second. Can’t consider he hit this shot. But in addition, in fact, he did. Welcome again, Jordan.
NEWS FROM SEATTLE
Monday End HQ.
I performed 18 holes final week for the primary time in 2025 and confirmed up, as I are inclined to throughout mid-week sneak-outs, about 10 minutes earlier than my tee time. However one factor led to a different, our group was delayed about half-hour and I ended up with time for a full vary session pre-round. Guess what? I felt means higher. I performed means higher. I actually warmed up. You’d suppose a man who actually hosts an interview present about this actual topic would perceive the worth of a warm-up, however I want a reminder a minimum of each six months — there’s a motive folks present up early. It’s properly price the additional couple of minutes.
Get heat and keep heat, gang. We’ll see you subsequent week.
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Dylan Dethier
Golf.com Editor
Dylan Dethier is a senior author for GOLF Journal/GOLF.com. The Williamstown, Mass. native joined GOLF in 2017 after two years scuffling on the mini-tours. Dethier is a graduate of Williams School, the place he majored in English, and he’s the creator of 18 in America, which particulars the 12 months he spent as an 18-year-old residing from his automobile and taking part in a spherical of golf in each state.
