I thought it was interesting this fall when Kinnings said, of the DPWT, “we really are the global tour.” LIV has been seeking that position. The PGA Tour obviously has tournaments around the world, too. Does Kinnings lean harder into the strategic alliance with the Tour or opt to welcome LIV’s stars to bolster its biggest events?
‘We really are the global tour’: Inside the DP World Tour’s fascinating limbo
10. What will we see from the new head of the R&A?
That would be Mark Darbon, successor to Martin Slumbers. The R&A chief always feels like an important compass for the game; it’s worth reading this Slumbers exit interview with John Huggan to get a sense of the position and where Darbon will sit with respect to the game’s challenges.
MAJOR CHAMPS DIVISION
11. What will the sequel to Lydia Ko’s fairy tale look like?
Ko’s gold medal-St. Andrews-Hall-of-Fame combo made 2024 tough to beat. How ’bout 2025?
12. Can Xander Schauffele finish off the career grand slam?
Okay, maybe we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Perhaps winning the Masters and the U.S. Open this year isn’t gonna happen. But what if it did?! We unpacked that on this week’s Bold Predictions episode of the Drop Zone, which you can find here:
13. Just how good can Nelly Korda get?
This year she claimed a major championship and six wins in one seven-tournament stretch — and it still felt like a weird year thanks to some high-profile missed cuts, a dog bite injury, you name it. Korda may not win five in a row again but somehow still has room for improvement in 2025.
14. Bryson?
Bryson DeChambeau’s ongoing off-course popularity is challenging established truths about what it means to be a pro athlete, stuff like: do you think more people know about DeChambeau’s house hole-in-one quest or his U.S. Open victory? But the fact that he could do both in 2024 is a testament to his continued rise. I don’t even know what question to ask here, so let’s just see what DeChambeau does next.
15. Just how good will Royal Portrush be?
It’s the major championship I’m most excited for: I’m a sucker for Northern Ireland, for Irish lore in general, for Shane Lowry’s return, five years later, for Rory McIlroy to re-enter the emotional pressure cooker. Can’t wait.
RYDER CUP DIVISION
16. Will Keegan Bradley make his own Ryder Cup team?
I hope so. For Keegan and for the chaos of it all.
17. How many LIV pros will make the Ryder Cup team?
There was only one LIV golfer at the 2023 Ryder Cup — American Brooks Koepka. There will be more this time. Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton have since left for LIV on the European side and others, namely Bryson DeChambeau (and Sergio Garcia?!) will be under serious consideration.
18. Will American pay become a rallying cry?
The American side’s increased stipend has been an endless source of debate; will the European team and their traveling troupe of fans use that to their advantage?
Hovland’s coaching change, Scheffler’s setback, golf’s surprising makeover | Monday Finish
19. How will the fans be, anyway?
Much was made of the $750 Bethpage ticket price and how it’ll price out regular fans. But much has also been made of the unruly atmosphere we’re certain to find on Long Island. Can both be true? Perhaps fans will be that much more unruly because they’ve paid so much to be there? A safe prediction: delightful madness, with at least one or two incidents that cross the line.
20. Can the Europeans steal another one?
Each side has been holding serve effectively; the Americans have now won twice in a row at home while the Europeans haven’t lost at home since [checks notes] 1993. Can Luke Donald lead his squad into hostile territory and emerge with a win?
MISCELLANEOUS DIVISION
21. How much will we see Lexi Thompson?
Her retirement was one of the biggest stories of 2024. But she also shied away from the word “retirement” at times — and finished the year playing some pretty good golf. Where will we see Lexi next? What will she be up to when we do?
22. What’s the story with with LIV’s Fox Sports deal?
That is, where, when and how will we watch LIV? Getting a big-time TV deal is huge for the league’s potential exposure and could be an antidote to its underwhelming ratings. But I’m curious how the media rights were valued and how the product will be televised — how much FS1 we’re getting vs. Fox, whether international events will be live vs. tape-delayed, etc. LIV’s ratings remain an important subplot as various power brokers decide golf’s future.
23. Will the TGL work?
Color me intrigued. I think this could be sneaky fun and legitimately different; it’ll be fast, the tech seems pretty cool and there’s plenty of star power involved — but there’s also a world where it’s something of a disaster. A directly related question: Will the players buy all the way in?
24. Can Rory…y’know…
…win a major? McIlroy will have four more chances to end his decade-long drought. While it’s tough to imagine him getting closer than he got at Pinehurst this year, it’s also tough to imagine just how good it would feel if he got across the line.
25. Can golf continue to grow?
I don’t mean that in the eye-rolling grow-the-game drivel you hear too often from too many people. But more people have been playing golf. More people think and talk positively about the game. There are more options and more different ways to participate than ever. Have we peaked as a sport — or is this just the beginning?
Bonus question: Who will be the next guest on Warming Up?
Shameless plug time; I want you to watch the below interview with Xander Schauffele, if you’re into that sort of thing. And then I want you to stick around for the next one coming in January. Appreciate you all.
