The post What you get for winning the Augusta National Women’s Amateur appeared first on Golf.

The post What you get for winning the Augusta National Women’s Amateur appeared first on Golf.

While there’s no Green Jacket for winning the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, there are plenty of other perks.

Last year’s winner, Carla Bernat Escuder, got the chance to play in four of the LPGA’s five major championships after her breakthrough victory over Asterisk Talley. Her best finish was a tie for 58th at Royal Porthcawl at the AIG Women’s Open Championship.

The win also catapulted Escuder to a great start to her professional career, which she began after her major exemptions ran out. She made the cut in her first LPGA professional start at the CPKC Women’s Open last August and is now fighting for full-time status on the Epson Tour, where she ranks 14th early in the season-long “Race for the Card.”

Previous ANWA winners after also used the victory to jump-start their professional careers. Both Rose Zhang (2023) and Lottie Woad (2024) won in their debuts as professionals on the LPGA Tour. Meanwhile, inaugural champion Jennifer Kupchao remains the only former ANWA champ to earn a major victory, doing so at the 2022 ANA Inspiration.

Here’s a list of all the tournaments the 2026 champion will gain entry into:

-The next five Augusta National Women’s Amateurs (2027-2031)
-The 2026 U.S. Women’s Open
-The 2026 AIG Women’s Open
-The 2026 Chevron Championship
-The 2026 Evian Championship
-Any USGA, R&A and PGA of America amateur championships for which she is eligible (i.e. the U.S. Women’s Amateur and R&A Women’s Amateur)

All of these exemptions remain conditional on the champion remaining an amateur.

In addition, the champion also receives the Augusta National Women’s Amateur trophy, which was designed by Tiffany and Co. and is made from sterling silver.

Lastly, the champion also receives valuable World Amateur Golf Ranking points and LPGA LEAP points. The LPGA’s LEAP program was announced last year and is similar to the PGA Tour University program, which awards college players points to help them earn PGA Tour membership upon graduation.

The winner earns two LPGA LEAP points. Last year, while Woad was unable to defend her title, she earned her LPGA membership by way of the LEAP program.

The post What you get for winning the Augusta National Women’s Amateur appeared first on Golf.

The post Minjee Lee’s clubs: Inside her KPMG Women’s PGA-winning setup appeared first on Golf.

The post Minjee Lee’s clubs: Inside her KPMG Women’s PGA-winning setup appeared first on Golf.

Minjee Lee secured her 11th LPGA victory and 3rd women’s major by winning the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in Frisco, Texas.

Sister to PGA Tour star Min Woo Lee, Minjee put a bag full of Callaway equipment to navigate the brutal test at Fields Ranch East, shooting a final round 74 to best Thailand’s Chanettee Wannasaen and American Auston Kim by three shots.

Known as one of the premier ball strikers on Tour, Lee used Callaway’s Elyte metal woods, 2024 X-Forged irons, Opus wedges, Odyssey Cruiser putter and Chrome Tour X golf ball to hit 68% of the fairways, 63% of the greens with a total of 113 putts.

Lee is one of the few LPGA and PGA Tour players in Callaway’s unreleased X-Forged irons. What makes the irons interesting is the modified sole vs other Callaway offerings, which, based on Tour feedback, provides optimal turf interaction with more bounce on the lead side, which, on the firm PGA Frisco surface, is essential.

Minjee Lee’s winning clubs at the 2025 KPMG Women’s PGA

Driver: Callaway Elyte 10.5 w/ Mitsubishi Diamana WB 50R

Callaway Elyte Custom Driver

FEATURES & BENEFITS The Future of Composites The Elyte driver features an all-new Thermoforged Carbon crown. This aerospace grade carbon fiber enables fast head speeds while optimizing launch and spin. Ai Advancements for Optimal Distance, Control, and Launch Our most advanced Ai face to date, the new Ai10x Face delivers 10x more control points than the Ai Smart Face™. Designed to produce exceptionally fast ball speeds, tight dispersion, and optimized launch across the face Modern Shape with Adjustability   The new Elyte adjustable perimeter weighting system has utilizes a 13g moveable weight to enable a neutral, draw, or fade setting. The Elyte model features a matte carbon crown, modern shape, and a chevron on the topline to inspire confidence off the tee and easy alignment.

$619.99 $399.99 from Fairway Jockey

View Product

3-wood: Elyte 3HL 16.5 w/ Fujikura Ventus Red 6R

7-wood: Elyte 21 w/ Fujikura Ventus Red 6R

Callaway Elyte Custom Fairway Wood

FEATURES & BENEFITS All New Tungsten Speed Wave for consistently fast ball speeds     Featured on the 3-7 wood, the new Tungsten Speed Wave is a 35g weight that positions mass low and forward to promote fast ball speeds. This new, innovative design is engineered specifically to enhance misses low on the face. Ai 10x Face for Optimal Launch and Tight Downrange Dispersion Our most advanced Ai face to date, the new Ai10x Face delivers 10x more control points than the Ai Smart Face. Designed with our C300 Face cup to produce exceptionally fast ball speeds, tight dispersion, and optimized launch across the face. New Step Sole for Efficient Turf Interaction & Improved Center Face Contact Engineered for cleaner contact, the new Step Sole minimizes skidding, ensuring smoother, more solid strikes. Developed through extensive studies and the success of the Apex UW, this sole shape delivers better turf interaction for consistent results.

$369.99 $269.99 from Fairway Jockey

View Product

Irons: (4) Srixon MK2 (5-PW) Callaway XF 24 w/ Aerotech Steelfiber I80R

Callaway Apex TCB 24 Custom Irons

Since Xander Schauffele put a TCB iron in play,his strokes gained in approach have significantlyincreased year over year. Now in 2024, he is top 5 inthe world in strokes gained on the field, and has wontwo major championships with the new ’24 TCB Iron. MAJOR SUCCESS Trusting the ‘24 Apex TCB iron, Xander Schauffelewent on to secure two major championships in the2024 season. TOUR FEEL Combining our best in technology, the ’24 TCB usesa 1025 tour cavity back body with a 17-4 tour tunedface for consistent spin and control up and down thebag. The feel is second to none. Just ask Xander. PRO LOOKS The beautiful raw aesthetic and overall footprint isexactly what Xander was looking for. With a compact controllable shape, and shorter blade length, TCB ’24 are players irons for discerning golfers.

$215.00 from Fairway Jockey

View Product

Wedges: Callaway Opus 52S, 56C, 60C w/ Nippon 950 R

Callaway Opus Custom Wedge

Welcome Opus – Callaway’s very best in wedge design, taking wedge play around the world to an entirely new level. By utilizing an all-new Spin Gen Face Technology™, three elements of spin come together to provide short game action and control like never before. We’ve spent hours poring over every detail of shape and design with the very best players in the world, so you can have a wedge that sits confidently behind the ball, poised to hit any shot your game may require. Spin Gen Face Technology™ for Tour Level Spin Spin Gen Face Technology provides spin and control in your wedges by combining 3 key elements on the face; an all-new tighter pitch which puts more grooves on the face, offset groove-in-groove for spin when opening the face, and a new aggressive face blast providing spin and bite on partial shots. These three elements work in conjunction to provide a crisp, tour level spin. Tour Certified Shaping  Opus wedges are the most Tour-tested, Tour-validated shapes in Callaway history. A higher toe peak, radius in the leading edge, and easier hosel transitions make Opus our best wedge shape ever. Grind Options to Fit Your Game Your technique travels with you, so finding the right grind for your swing is paramount in wedge play. With Opus, we have a complete lineup of sole shapes from narrow to wide, available in our popular S grind, forgiving W, versatile C, and Tour-favorite T grind. 

$179.99 $149.99 from Fairway Jockey

View Product

Putter: Odyssey Ai-One Cruiser 7 CS

Grip: Golf Pride MCC Black/White

Ball: Callaway Chrome Tour X

Want to overhaul your bag for 2025? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

The post Minjee Lee’s clubs: Inside her KPMG Women’s PGA-winning setup appeared first on Golf.

The post ‘I felt like a complete failure’: LPGA pro shares emotional discovery  appeared first on Golf.

The post ‘I felt like a complete failure’: LPGA pro shares emotional discovery  appeared first on Golf.

Struggle less. To Lindy Duncan, her sister’s thought was as welcome as a 10-putt. 

That would mean accepting struggling, and that was unacceptable. Instead, she ground. “Work till you drop,” was how Duncan put things, and she’d made a good living off of that. Ahead of this year, she’d made 172 starts on the LPGA since 2016, made 114 cuts and posted eight top 10s. Those are fair results. But she continued to push. She chased more. 

Then last week, at the Chevron Championship, the year’s first major, she nearly won. Through 72 holes at the Club at Carlton Woods, Duncan tied for low score with four others, but Mao Saigo’s birdie was best in overtime. That night, Duncan said she couldn’t sleep. That’s hard to do when you can’t stop smiling. 

Eventually, though, you reflect. For about a year, she said she’d been thinking about her journey. About struggling. And struggling less. She said she talked about that with family and friends.

Tuesday, Duncan shared that with everyone. She posted to Instagram, and her words are below. 

They’re worth your time.    

“Struggle less. Fight harder. Never quit.

“My sister gave me this mantra in 2017 and I didn’t understand it at all. Back then struggle felt like failure, not something to embrace.

“For a long time, my core beliefs sounded like this: Struggling means you’re weak. Work until you drop. Punish every mistake so it never happens again. Hide behind practice and gadgets. You should be having better results. Don’t feel, just push.

“But the harder I worked on the wrong things, the more I fought myself. I thought I was protecting my dream, but I was suffocating it. Eventually, I lost my way completely.

“When I finally accepted the truth, that I was the one creating this pain, I was heartbroken. The disappointment cut deep.

“I felt like a complete failure, not just as a golfer, but as a person. I wanted to disappear.

“It took me years to understand that even a strong spirit doesn’t protect you from self-doubt. But every step forward, no matter how heavy was proof: Doubt is a choice. And just like doubt, belief is a choice.

“That mantra my sister gave me, ‘struggle less,’ finally makes sense. It doesn’t say you should not struggle. It means believing in yourself so completely that struggle no longer owns you. It means replacing self punishment with self trust. It means fighting for something, not just against everything. Also, it means striving towards purpose, not hiding from the world.

“Last week, I finished T1 in a major championship. I was nervous. Uncertain. Unsure how I’d handle it. But I stayed in it, even when it hurt.

“Because somewhere along the way, I stopped fearing the struggle. I stopped believing that doubt had the final say. I chose to trust the quiet resilience that had always been there, not loud or perfect, but steady and real, waiting for me to stop chasing perfection long enough to finally hear it.

“Change doesn’t arrive all at once. It sneaks in quietly, one brave moment at a time. Until one day, you realize you didn’t just survive.

“You became.

“Thank you to the Chevron Championship, Carlton Woods, the volunteers, LPGA staff and officials, and all the fans that came to watch. Thank you to my sister McKenzie for helping me write this.”

This week, Duncan’s back at it. She’s playing the Black Desert Championship, where a reporter asked her about the post. 

Her sister asked her questions, she said, and they found the words. “She’s the incredible writer,” Duncan said. She said she’s still not sure how she feels about sharing. 

“But I’m glad I did.”

The post ‘I felt like a complete failure’: LPGA pro shares emotional discovery  appeared first on Golf.

The post Mao Saigo’s clubs: Inside her Chevron Championship-winning setup appeared first on Golf.

The post Mao Saigo’s clubs: Inside her Chevron Championship-winning setup appeared first on Golf.

After a chaotic finsih and ensuing five-way playoff, Japan’s Mao Saigo emerged victorious at the LPGA’s first major of the year, the Chevron Championship.

Saigo made birdie on the first playoff hole, the par-5 18th at Carlton Woods, after a brutally difficult final round in which she shot 74 to finish tied at seven under. A birdie seemed destined to only extend the playoff, but after all her competitors failed to get up and down and world No. 6 Ronni Yin three-putted, Saigo’s three-footer left her as the last woman standing.

Keep reading below for more on the clubs the 23-year-old used for her first major and LPGA victory.

Mao Saigo’s winning clubs at the 2025 Chevron Championship

Driver: Titleist GT3 10.0˚, UST Mamiya The ATTAS V2 6 S

Titleist GT3 Custom Driver

GT3 – Speed-Tuned Distance & Control GT3 offers Titleist’s boldest combination of power and personalization. With a speed-tuned design that allows you to precisely match performance to your most frequent contact location, you can make your biggest drives even bigger while taking total control over flight and shaping. For players with a relatively consistent impact location, GT3 offers a precisely adjustable CG Track to max out distance and directional control. Seamless Thermoform Crown A reimagined ultra-lightweight design, born from a new Proprietary Matrix Polymer. The tunable acoustic properties of this unique composite allow Titleist engineers to realize new material gains while maintaining our signature sound and feel. All wrapped in a clean look that inspires total confidence. Split Mass Construction A breakthrough in internal weighting unlocks longer drives and enhanced directional control in GT3. The Adjustable CG Track now sits closer to the face for more dynamic CG control, while additional discretionary mass is pushed to the back of the club to maintain optimal stability through impact. Advanced Aerodynamics GT3 features a new raised tail contour that represents a dramatic shift in driver aerodynamics. Previously impossible to execute due to design constraints, this advanced shaping results in a driver that swings faster while still providing optimal CG control.

$649.00 $449.99 from Fairway Jockey

View Product

ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore, Titleist

3-wood: Titleist GT2 15.0˚, UST Mamiya The ATTAS V2 6 S

7-wood: Titleist GT2 21.0˚, UST Mamiya The ATTAS V2 6 S

Titleist GT2 Custom Fairway Wood

Experience high-launching distance from the tee and off the deck. GT2 Fairways leverage a proprietary crown and new forged face to produce consistently impressive speed and trajectory on every swing. Built for added confidence, these fairways are designed to boost performance — no matter where you hit it. For players looking for extra confidence in their fairway, GT2 delivers consistently impressive speed and launch—no matter where you hit it. Deeper, More Forward CG Launch it from any lie. GT2 Fairways push performance higher and farther by shifting CG even lower and closer to the face – generating maximum distance through higher launch and lower spin. Forged L-Cup Face GT Fairways introduce a forged face into the club construction to bolster performance on low-center impacts. The new insert wraps around the bottom of the club to preserve ball speed, maintain launch conditions, and enhance sound and feel — even when you’re trying to pick it clean from a tight lie. Redesigned Internal Hosel To extract every ounce of performance in GT2 Fairways, Titleist engineers pursued every gram of weight savings. The redesigned internal hosel achieves subtle mass improvements that unlock real benefits on every swing.

$399.00 $329.99 from Fairway Jockey

View Product

4-hybrid: Titleist GT2 21.0˚, UST Mamiya LINQ Gold 75 S

5-hybrid: Titleist GT2 24.0˚, UST Mamiya LINQ Gold 75 S

Titleist GT2 Custom Hybrid

$329.00 from Fairway Jockey

View Product

Irons: Mizuno JPX 923 Tour (6-PW), Nippon N.S.PRO 850GH neo

Mizuno Pro S-3 Custom Irons

The Mizuno Pro S-3 irons epitomize refined craftsmanship and elite performance, combining Mizuno’s renowned forging expertise with the precision and versatility demanded by today’s golfers. With a sleek, compact profile and an exceptional feel, the Pro S-3 is the ultimate choice for players seeking precision and control in every shot. Iconic Mizuno Pro FeelThe Mizuno Pro S-3 delivers the signature feel that has solidified Mizuno’s reputation. This exceptional sensation stems from the advanced Grain Flow Forged HD process, performed exclusively at Mizuno’s Hiroshima plant, and is enhanced by premium materials: 1025E Pure Select Mild Carbon Steel: Provides a soft, responsive touch that golfers love. Copper Underlay: Subtly enhances vibration patterns, ensuring a smoother, more connected feel with every strike.

$215.00 from Fairway Jockey

View Product

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (50F, 54.10S and 58.08M), Nippon N.S.PRO 950GH

Titleist Vokey SM10 Raw Custom Wedge

For every shot, every lie, every course, there’s a grind fit for your swing. Finding the right grind to match your swing and playing conditions will give you the best turf interaction, contact and shot performance. Master Craftsman Bob Vokey has spent decades crafting, developing and improving his tour proven grinds to fit players of all levels.Anyone can manufacture a wedge, but it takes a master to turn a piece of high-performance technology into an instrument of creative control. Bob’s six tour-proven grinds are designed to offer maximum creativity, versatility and consistency, all meticulously developed through years of working with the best players in the world. PROGRESSIVE CENTER OF GRAVITY SM9 features a progressive center of gravity (CG) throughout the lofts, which optimizes ball flight, accuracy and forgiveness. Using tapered top lines and varied hosel lengths, the Vokey R&D team has raised the height of the CG in the higher lofts, which promotes a lower, more controlled flight.The CG is also forward of the face, resulting in increased MOI, exceptional feel and a club face that simply wants to square up at impact. SPIN MILLED GROOVES SM9’s patented Spin Milled grooves are meticulously engineered through a new cutting process to maximize spin and durability. The process starts by cutting the face perfectly flat with a high-speed saw. Then every groove is individually cut based on loft and finish; low lofts (46°-54°) are designed with narrower, deeper grooves, while higher lofts (56°-62°) have wider, shallower grooves.Micro-grooves are individually cut in between grooves, which maximize spin on partial shots. A proprietary heat treatment is applied to the impact area which doubles the durability of the groove without impacting feel, making it the most durable groove in golf. The process is only complete when every Vokey wedge is 100% inspected for utmost quality and performance.

$225.00 from Fairway Jockey

View Product

Putter: Odssey White Hot OG Rossi DB

Ball: Bridgestone Tour B XS

Want to overhaul your bag for 2025? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

The post Mao Saigo’s clubs: Inside her Chevron Championship-winning setup appeared first on Golf.

The post Lydia Ko runs away from the field in Singapore for 23rd LPGA title appeared first on Golf.

The post Lydia Ko runs away from the field in Singapore for 23rd LPGA title appeared first on Golf.

Lydia Ko did something she’d never done before Sunday.

The reigning Olympic Gold medalist and AIG Women’s Open champion has accomplished as much as anyone in women’s golf over the last decade-plus. Ko already cemented her place in the Hall-of-Fame last year at 27. But like Tiger Woods at Riviera, sometimes it’s the simple regular season events, like the HSBC Women’s World Championship, that elude the game’s biggest stars.

That’s no longer the case for Ko.

Starting the day with a one-stroke lead over Charley Hull in what was billed as an epic final-round clash, Ko made three consecutive birdies on the front nine to pull away from the field. She finished with a 69 at Singapore’s Sentosa Golf Club, carding a 13 under total score to win her 23rd LPGA title by four strokes over Jeeno Thitikul and Ayaka Furue.

“You know, I dreamt last night that I won but then I woke up, and I was like, ‘Dang, it’s not real yet.’ But I just wanted to focus on my game,” Ko said. “Obviously this one is called Asia’s Major, to kind of add Asia major to my major collection is really cool.”

Ko finally got across the line in her 11th try in the event.

“I think I’ve been in the final group [here] a couple times,” she said. “I remember one of the worst ones was we hit our drive on the 18th, and we were on the 18th hole, and they blew the horn because of thunderstorms, and none of us in the group were going to win. That was a very odd experience, knowing that you have a hole and you’re the final group out there, and the winner is already set pretty much. I think it was Inbee that won that year.

“But yeah, because I had that experience, it didn’t feel very new but there were a lot of people and I rode all the support they were giving me. I had some really poor rounds out here, too. So I knew that I know the golf course really well, and I think that played into my favor; that I’ve been there and done that. So it didn’t feel like a completely new experience.”

By the time Ko finished off her run of three straight birdies, she was already four clear of Thitikul. However, Ko dropped a shot at 12, letting Thitikul inch closer.

News

2 LPGA stars offer different viewpoints on retirement plans

By: Josh Schrock

The spread was down to three when Ko faced a 40-footer for birdie on the par-3 15th. The putt was so long that Ko started walking after it when the ball was halfway to the hole as if to try to mark it quickly and get out of the way.

But as the ball started to slow down and break, it just caught the low edge and spun into the cup for an unlikely birdie-2 to push the lead back out to four. Ko turned back to caddie Paul Cormack, laughing as the pair went for a high-five.

“My big goal was just to two-putt. I honestly didn’t think it was going in until it lipped in,” Ko said. “Those things, when those kind of things happen, you think, oh, maybe it is — maybe it is going to be my time to win the event.”

Ko said she didn’t want to get ahead of herself knowing the following hole was a reachable par-5, but she knew the long make was a boon because the two-putt wasn’t automatic.

“But to hole that one, it’s almost like a 1 1/2-shot swing for me,” she said.

It’s Ko’s first victory since the end of her three-victory tear late last summer that included the Olympics, Open and the Kroger Queen City Championship.

She had four victories total in 2024, which led her to come to terms with not having much to prove with a big follow-up in 2025. Ko has stated previously she intends to retire by 30 but hasn’t held firm to that timeline in recent months.

“I just kind of came to peace with it that if I have a good year, you know, that’s great,” she said. “But I’m not trying to prove anything to anybody else, and who is to say that, you know, I had a great year, and I can have an even better one.

“Obviously we have a long season ahead. But this is my first time winning in the spring, Asia Swing. So it’s definitely nice to win a new event for me.”

The post Lydia Ko runs away from the field in Singapore for 23rd LPGA title appeared first on Golf.

The post This pro tour is allowing electric caddies thanks to a new partnership appeared first on Golf.

The post This pro tour is allowing electric caddies thanks to a new partnership appeared first on Golf.

If you head out to an Epson Tour event this year, you may see something you wouldn’t find on any other major professional tour.

Beginning this week with the season’s first event at the Central Florida Championship, Epson Tour players will now be able to use electric, remote-controlled carts, or electric caddies, in competition.

The rules change was born out of a partnership between the Epson Tour and MGI, an Australian maker of electric caddies and power trolleys that entered the U.S. market eight years ago.

Epson Tour Chief Business and Operations Officer Jody Brothers said the partnership was born after the tour, the only direct feeder to the LPGA Tour, reached out to MGI, looking to level the playing field for all of their members.

“When I made a connection with somebody at MGI, that got me thinking about this whole idea of if we allowed you know the motorized caddies, would that level the playing field for somebody that maybe couldn’t afford to take a caddie week in and week out on the Epson Tour?” Brothers told GOLF.com this week. “And that’s that’s really how the whole thing got started.”

Brothers said about one-third of players on the Epson Tour use a professional caddie who travels with their player week-to-week and usually has prior experience on the LPGA Tour or another global professional tour. Then there’s a third of players who either use local caddies or a family member who doesn’t do much more than carry the bag and only gives advice a few times a round, if at all.

News

Making it to the LPGA Tour isn't easy. This pro has to do it twice

By: Jack Hirsh

The final third are players who carry their own bag or use a push cart.

Brothers says he expects many of the players who fall into the latter two categories to take advantage of the Tour’s new partnership with MGI, which allows players to purchase their own MGI electric caddie at exclusive pricing.

Those who already use a professional caddie will likely continue using one, but the rule change and access to the discounted electric caddies could be a boon to those who couldn’t afford a pro caddie.

“What I felt like I saw just as an observer of the game was that those that could afford a caddie really probably had an advantage over those who potentially couldn’t afford a caddie,” Brothers said. “Our athletes come from a lot of different countries, a lot of different social backgrounds and I really just wanted to have the most level playing field possible.”

While caddie rates vary on the Epson Tour, Brothers estimated that on average, a player purchasing an MGI electric caddie on the discount would be roughly equivalent to the average caddie rate for a week. Obviously, the MGI cart can last for multiple weeks and likely years.

As a bonus, MGI was a logical partner for the Epson Tour over other manufacturers as it’s headed by two female CEOs, sisters Carrie Edwards-Britt and Miranda Turner, who joined their father’s business in 2005.

“We are more than excited to partner with the Epson Tour as it continues to redefine the future of women’s golf in the U.S. The Epson Tour is truly leading the charge, demonstrating innovation, talent, and the vital role it plays in developing the next generation of LPGA stars,” said Turner, in a press release. “At MGI, we are incredibly proud to support this exciting shift in the game, standing behind these driven athletes as they compete — state by state, course by course — on their journey to the top.”

Using an electric caddie in competition probably defies a lot of conventional norms to many people, and this isn’t something Brothers sees being entertained by the LPGA Tour with their larger purses and TV coverage.

Features

U.S. golf's national development program making strides — and just getting started

By: Adam Woodard

But it makes logical sense for the Epson Tour given it is a developmental tour.

“I understand that it’s gonna look a little different,” he said. “In a perfect world every one of our athletes would take a professional caddie and they would make enough money that they could afford it. They would be able to learn to use a caddie the right way and have somebody helping them read greens and carry their clubs and keep them clean and do all the things that a great caddie does for our athletes — that would be the perfect scenario — in reality, we just haven’t grown purses enough to really be able to support that.

“There will be some that will not like this at all, and there will be many who applaud us for maybe bucking the tradition of a golf a little bit and being innovative and trying to balance the playing field for those that can’t afford a caddy.”

For those who might be surprised to see professionals using electric carts, Brothers hopes it might inspire them to try one for themselves.

“It encourages people to walk and if there are fans that come out to watch an Epson Tour and they see that,” he said. “The only difference between them riding a golf cart with four wheels versus walking alongside a motorized caddie is the fact that they thought it was weird.”

The post This pro tour is allowing electric caddies thanks to a new partnership appeared first on Golf.

The post The LPGA’s most colorful character is on verge of breakthrough appeared first on Golf.

The post The LPGA’s most colorful character is on verge of breakthrough appeared first on Golf.

Usually, when Angel Yin enters the media room, she puts on a show.

Take last year at the Solheim Cup when she showed up at a press conference with massive shades, and channeled her inner-Coach Prime with her answers, getting a rise out of the room.

But it’s not only her sense of humor that has made her a fan favorite on the LPGA Tour — it’s also the candor she exhibits when speaking about weightier topics, such as the state of women’s professional golf. Take, for instance, earlier this week when GOLF’s Nick Pistowski caught up with Yin to pick her brain on a variety of subjects, including whether the LPGA had capitalized on the boom in women’s sports over the past few years.

“No,” she said, contending the buzz around Caitlin Clark playing in an LPGA pro-am last week “didn’t feel like it got out there enough.”

On Friday, she broke down a ruling she received on the 4th hole of her second round when she was asked to review video footage of a drop.

She expended 753 words in explaining what happened. That was nearly double the number of words she used in her entire press conference Saturday evening.

But the context is important.

Friday night, Yin was comfortably heading into the weekend at the CME Group Tour Championship with a two-shot lead. She has contended in big tournaments before — she won her first and only LPGA Tour event 13 months ago in China and lost a playoff to Lilia Vu at last year’s Chevron Championship — but something about this week is markedly different.

News

Slow play? Bathrooms? One of the LPGA’s brightest personalities is a great listen

By: Nick Piastowski

This week’s purse is a record $11 million, and the winner will take home $4 million, larger than the prize for many of the PGA Tour’s Signature Events. To put that in perspective for Yin, a 26-year-old who joined the LPGA full-time in 2017, a first-prize check on Sunday would almost double her career earnings of $5.2 million.

The other bit of context is that Yin’s two-shot lead had swelled to three shots at one point during the third round, but she’ll start the final round tied for the lead with Jeeno Thitikul after the former World No. 1 went eagle-birdie to card a nine-under 63.

A first-place payday Sunday would be career-changing for nearly every player in the field. But for Yin, a win would also would go a long way in changing her image from fan favorite to player to watch in 2025.

The post The LPGA’s most colorful character is on verge of breakthrough appeared first on Golf.

The post Why a significant sponsor is calling an LPGA TV decision ‘bulls**t’ appeared first on Golf.

The post Why a significant sponsor is calling an LPGA TV decision ‘bulls**t’ appeared first on Golf.

NAPLES, Fla. — Terry Duffy, whose company sponsors the LPGA’s season-ending event and is responsible for its record prize fund, says should other businesses be thinking about a similar move, no, he wouldn’t tell them anything. 

He’d show them. 

The CEO of the CME Group said he’s even done so before.

“I’d been asked when Mike Whan was still the commissioner of the LPGA — and I talked to Mike yesterday; he’s a great friend — he asked me, he had a sponsor that was thinking about dipping their toes in,” Duffy said. “And he said, will you talk to them? And I said, no, but I’ll tell you what I’ll do: I’ll host them. And I brought them here and I showed them what we had. 

“And sometimes when you look at it and see it and have a touchy-feely versus just someone telling you, this is really good, your client is going to love it, and you go, it sounds like I’m being pitched by everyone else. That’s not what this is all about. I think this is one of these events that you have to experience.”

Should anyone, though, be interested in watching Saturday’s third round of the CME Group Tour Championship on live television, they can’t. Coverage will be shown only on tape delay, from 4-7 p.m. ET on Golf Channel — and when the decision was brought up by a reporter, Duffy’s first thought was both unsurprising and four words long.

“That’s bulls**t, isn’t it?”

Talking to a small group on Wednesday, a day before the start of the tournament, Duffy then continued for about five minutes. He said he voiced his frustration to the LPGA’s commissioner, Mollie Marcoux Samaan, and hoped that she would “make that not be the case.” He also said he understood deals long in place (in 2020, the PGA Tour and LPGA agreed to let the men’s tour negotiate their domestic TV contracts jointly) and admitted he’s not “overly exercised” about the move and — but “I would hope that people would recognize that if you’re going to continue to build women’s sports, you have to give them the same billing as men and stop — stop — the nonsense of saying that, well, we have to show a men’s tournament because they’re the men.”

So what does Saturday afternoon’s live TV schedule look like? From 1-4 p.m. ET, Golf Channel will show the PGA Tour’s RSM Classic, while on NBC, a Golf Channel partner, there is a Premier League Soccer match from 12:30-2:30 p.m., followed by a post-match show and two women’s college basketball documentaries that are running as part of a preview for a 4 p.m. game. On Sunday, the tournament will receive three hours of broadcast time, from 1-4 p.m. on NBC. (Notably, Saturday’s play can be seen from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on ESPN+ and from 2-5 p.m. on nbcsports.com.)  

News

Did LPGA capitalize on women’s sports boom? Or did it fall short?

By: Nick Piastowski

For clarity, below is most of the back-and-forth between Duffy and a reporter, with the reporter’s questions in italics. 

“The third round here is on tape delay.” 

“That’s bulls**t, isn’t it?” Duffy said. 

“Could more have been done? Was time spent with that? Was there — could it have been …”

“I can do a lot of things and money can cure a lot, but it can’t cure illness, it can’t cure certain things,” Duffy said. “I looked at that tape delay and I don’t like it. I agree with you. I think that that’s inappropriate for a tournament of this magnitude to be on a tape delay. I have told Mollie that I don’t like that. I will leave it in her hands where that ultimately ends up and hopefully she can work with the folks at the Golf Channel and others to make that not be the case. 

“What’s important to me, I don’t know anybody that watches four days of golf, to start with, except the Masters, maybe the U.S. Open and the British. I don’t know anybody that watches the PGA four days in a row. And I don’t mean to say that sarcastically, it’s just some people catch snippets of it or else they’ll watch it later. And the reason I’m not overly exercised is because of what I said earlier. I’m in 200 countries around the world. Golf Channel’s around the world. People can watch my event in their time zones, too. So that’s also helpful for the delays on certain things. I’m not a fan of it, because they can re-run it again obviously like they do. But at the same time, I would hope that people would recognize that if you’re going to continue to build women’s sports, you have to give them the same billing as men and stop — stop — the nonsense of saying that, well, we have to show a men’s tournament because they’re the men.

“And I know why they do it because of the relationship and the deal they have with the men. And I get it. So I’m not trying to have them violate an agreement they have and I’m not asking for the Golf Channel to be put in a bad spot. But there’s a lot of different ways for content to be distributed in the world that we live in today. I had my dear friend Vince Vaughn here yesterday at my conference. And we talked about the proliferation of artificial intelligence and the proliferation of streaming and what’s going on with the movie theaters versus streaming. There’s so many different ways to get content today. So I’m not suggesting we go a different route. But I don’t think Golf Channel is the only game in town anymore. There’s a lot of ways for people to get content. …

News

How to finally solve slow play? Oh, do Nelly Korda, other pros have thoughts

By: Nick Piastowski

Could you have … 

“I didn’t try to influence the process,” Duffy said. “I did not ask to influence the process.”

Notably, Duffy has previously voiced displeasure at the tournament. As reported in a story written by Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols — which you can read in full here — the CME Group had asked LPGA players to attend a dinner, but none came, leading Duffy to question LPGA leadership. 

“I am exceptionally disappointed with the leadership of the LPGA,” Duffy said in Nichols’ story. “They better get their act together because they’re going to lose people like me over stuff like this.”

The post Why a significant sponsor is calling an LPGA TV decision ‘bulls**t’ appeared first on Golf.

The post Slow play? Bathrooms? One of the LPGA’s brightest personalities is a great listen appeared first on Golf.

The post Slow play? Bathrooms? One of the LPGA’s brightest personalities is a great listen appeared first on Golf.

NAPLES, Fla. — Eavesdropping on Angel Yin, you overhear thoughts on…Teslas. She’d eyed a luxury car passing by, and she brings up the subject. 

She also has questions about…Roger Clemens. Her caddie has looped for the former pitcher, and Yin was curious. 

And then there’s conversation on drivers. But that’s a given. Yin is one of the best players on the planet, and this week, she’s among the 60 who’ve made it to the CME Group Tour Championship, the LPGA’s season finale. 

She’s also a lively thinker, too. And a personality, arguably the brightest on tour. You’ve maybe seen her channel Deion Sanders. You’ve perhaps heard her session with reporters last year at the CME, where she discussed, well, a little of everything. So it’s worth catching up to her this year, if only to hear, well, a little bit more. 

The author’s questions are in italics. Though you could probably guess who’s who. 

First subject? Her thoughts on the Tour Championship’s record prize. 

What would $4 million mean to you if you won?

“A lot of cash, a lot of taxes, but a lot of cushion for my career, for the year and for the year after, so I can have more freedom of who I want to hire and what I want on my team. It creates a lot of financial freedom. We want sponsorships because we want them to support our career, and we do need it at times because our profession is such a gamble from time to time. Just gives us as a player and as a person more freedom.” 

What would be the most fun thing you’d spend it on?

“I don’t know. Checking out stocks. I’ve been getting lately into stocks. Probably that would be more my fun thing. Invest it.” 

I think this year, in pro golf in general, it seems like there are a lot of suggestions, a lot of ideas on the table. There’s change. There are adjustments on the men’s tour, the women’s tour. If you were in charge of the LPGA, what’s a big-ticket item you would change? 

“That’s a pretty loaded question because I don’t know if there’s a big-ticket item I would change because I think the direction we’re in right now is good. We have a big wave of women’s sports that’s on the rise. Probably my main focus on all of it is not getting more sponsors but getting us known. As women’s sports are on the rise, if you don’t surf it, it just dies out and you need to catch that wave.” 

News

Did LPGA capitalize on women’s sports boom? Or did it fall short?

By: Nick Piastowski

Have you thought about a way that can happen? 

“Oh, I don’t know. I think stuff like that, to go into detail, to be able to give an honest answer, is someone being able to look at all the numbers and all the strategies in the last five, six years and see where we can progress and compare to what other organizations are doing. If I had to give an answer right now, it would be investing into players. For example, Nelly [Korda]. Nelly’s doing a lot. Nelly won her seventh tournament, she got her Sports Illustrated swimsuit, she went to the Met Gala — she’s doing a lot. And she’s putting her name out there. Whether she knows, she’s also representing all of us and so we appreciate what she does a lot and she’s doing good. And so yeah, just invest in players.” 

What’s a real small thing you would change? To give you help with the answer, I asked this question last year to Jon Rahm, and he said on the men’s tour, he’d like to see more bathrooms on the course. So it could be something as minor as that. But what would you change low-key?

“Man, I really haven’t thought about it because — let’s think about it. More bathrooms? No, I think we have enough bathrooms. And because you know why bathrooms aren’t a big issue? Because as girls, we cannot just go anywhere to go pee. And so it’s been an issue we’ve tackled, and I think we’ve seen the results on that. Honestly right now, we’re doing OK. … But overall, our tour is pretty good for accommodating us.” 

Along those lines, and you’ve kind of mentioned, with Nelly, with women’s sports in general, the Caitlin Clark rise in women’s basketball, that this has been an opportunity for the LPGA to capture that moment. Do you think they’ve done a good job of that?

“No.” 

Why do you say that?

News

My nephew is looking to break 80. So I asked Nelly Korda for 1 tip

By: Nick Piastowski

“Gosh, it just doesn’t feel like it. It’s an opinion. Caitlin Clark coming over to our tournament created a crowd, created a buzz — didn’t feel like it got out there enough. Went out to a certain amount of people. But I don’t know, like I said, to give a detailed answer, I have to like — I want to be more responsible with my answers so I just don’t want to speak. But if you have to ask how I feel about that, I don’t really think we’ve capitalized that much. Just riding the wave that other people are doing and we’re just associated with women. Unfortunately, I don’t think we have done enough.”

One golf instruction question I had. So my 16-year-old nephew is trying to break 80 and get onto his high school varsity team next year. What’s one tip you’d give him?

“Hit through the ball and not at the ball. It’s simple. I think a lot of people try to hit at the ball because it’s the one ballgame you play that the ball is really stationary and you have to go after it. In football, they’re throwing it at you; tennis, the ball is coming at you — you’re reacting. Where this one, you have to, I don’t know, go after the ball. It’s a little bit different. You have to make the ball move.” 

One last question. Is slow play an issue on the LPGA tour?

“So, I have my opinions. I know Charley [Hull] gave an answer.” 

I’m going to ask for your solution after.

“I just found out about it this morning. It was pretty funny and I joked about it on the golf course today. But if I have to really say, over the years I’ve been on tour, I think it was worse before. It was worse before, we were waiting more, and I think now we have a good mixture of fast players and then that’s when the slow players really start showing up. Because the majority of the girls are playing much faster, where you cannot be really too slow or then you start getting behind. Although we are having more delays on the tees this year. But that could be course setup this year, the spacing and everything. Our pro-ams are slower. That could also be a spacing issue. So I don’t really think it’s specifically the players.” 

Like last week and the lack of daylight. 

News

How to finally solve slow play? Oh, do Nelly Korda, other pros have thoughts

By: Nick Piastowski

“Yes. I think it’s just a spacing issue because we get up to the tee box and we’re already delayed and we’re in a morning tee time. So how can that fall onto a player? And that’s also going back to where I think we can improve as a tour, a small issue. I can’t point fingers too much, but there are certain types of people who I feel like they should be able to manage that better. I think the easiest way to point fingers without thinking too deep into it is players slow-play, but it takes a lot for the schedules to fit, and if the schedules don’t fit, then we’re just sitting on a hole. And I think that’s where it’s showing up. At the U.S. Open, we had a slow hole where there was like four groups stacked up there. But that’s also because the pin was in a really ridiculous …” 

The par-3. 

“Yeah. Nelly got a 10, I think. So stuff like that. It has nothing to do with the player. I’m pretty sure Nelly is going really fast. When you’re taking drops and you’re doing this and that, there’s nothing we can do about it. Or for example, last week on 18, there’s a rules official sitting on that hole, waiting for us. If a player makes a seven, they’re going to take seven shots and seven shots of time. So that accumulates. So I think that’s where it’s happening. And so my solution is better scheduling, better placement. It should be tough. It shouldn’t be stupid. But yeah, I think there are slow players out there, but I definitely don’t think it’s as bad as before. Because when I first came out on tour, I could take a nap. It was terrible. And they were really just getting warnings. So they’re much harsher now. They’re doing the right steps. But I think it’s just always easy for everybody to point fingers at the players.” 

The post Slow play? Bathrooms? One of the LPGA’s brightest personalities is a great listen appeared first on Golf.

The post My nephew is looking to break 80. So I asked Nelly Korda for 1 tip appeared first on Golf.

The post My nephew is looking to break 80. So I asked Nelly Korda for 1 tip appeared first on Golf.

NAPLES, Fla. — Sorry, Mason. I was just trying to help. 

If I embarrassed you in front of Nelly Korda, I apologize. 

Wait, what? Wild, right? I’ll try to explain. Mason is my 16-year-old nephew, and, in his uncle’s estimation, has true golf hall of fame potential. But first he has to break 80 consistently. 

Korda, of course, you know. Seven-time winner this year on the LPGA. Fifteen-time winner overall. By all measures, she’s great at golf. She’s also at this week’s CME Group Tour Championship, the LPGA’s season-ending event. 

And so am I. 

So I thought: Why not? I asked Korda and other LPGA pros this:

My 16-year-old is looking to break 80. He shoots in the mid-to-high 80s now. What’s one tip you’d give him?

It was a bit frivolous. But the benefit, I think, was three-fold. The players talk shop. Mason gets a tip. Maybe you do, too. 

Except now Mason is worried that Korda thinks he isn’t that great. Whatever. The kid will live. 

Maybe break 80 consistently, too. 

The full exchanges are below. 

What’s one tip you would give my nephew on his journey to break 80?

Nelly Korda 

Nelly, kind of a lighthearted question. My 16-year-old nephew is trying to break 80 for the first time. He shoots in the mid-80s, high 80s. What’s one tip you would give him?

“One tip I would give him? Well, two,” Korda said. “A lot of the people that I see who are ams never have a stick down on the range. If you don’t know where you’re aiming, there is a high chance you don’t know where you’re aiming on the golf course.

News

Did LPGA capitalize on women’s sports boom? Or did it fall short?

By: Nick Piastowski

“Tip two, I see a lot of people stand on the range and just drilling golf balls or just practicing a lot instead of going out and visualizing.

“At the end of the day, golf is a game of creativity and you’re never going to have your A-game. One day the wind will be off the left and one day off the right. The hole will play completely different. It’s all about creativity.

“So going out and playing a lot.”

Lexi Thompson 

My 16-year-old nephew is trying to break 80 for the first time and shoots in the mid-80s right now. What’s one quick tip you would give him?

“That I would give him to break 80?” Lexi Thompson asked. “How long has he been playing?”

Been playing about four years.

“Oh, that’s pretty good then,” she said. “He’s going in the right direction. I always say the biggest tip that helped out the most when I went out and practiced was always have a goal in mind. Always have something you want to improve on. It could be the smallest or biggest of things, the mental side. As we know, golf is such a mental sport. Could be working on the mental side and visualizing shots.

“So going out there with a purpose. Don’t just go out to the golf course and be like I’m just going to hit some balls today or play. Have a goal, something you want to improve on. That way, you’re not wasting any time and it’s always productive practice.

“Even if you struggle a little bit, you had a goal, you committed, and you’re striving to be better.”

Lydia Ko 

This is an easy one. It’s instruction-based. My nephew is trying to break 80 for the first time. He shoots like mid-80s, high 80s. What’s one tip you would give him?

News

How to finally solve slow play? Oh, do Nelly Korda, other pros have thoughts

By: Nick Piastowski

“One tip. I would say try and nail down what is the consistent reason — I think when you shoot in the 80s or high 70s, it’s always not because you consistently make a bogey, but it’s more like one hole where you made a double,” Lydia Ko said. “And most of the time, those mistakes are very repetitive. And even for me, I play and have — it’s kind of the same reason why I make those mistakes. Try and nail down what that key dominator is and that way you’ll be able to work on that and I think that slowly fixes itself without you trying to break everything down and try and make everything better.” 

Ally Ewing 

My 16-year-old nephew is trying to break 80 for the first time. What’s one tip you would give him?

“My tip would be go to a tee box that makes that realistic,” Ally Ewing said, “and then when you break 80 on that tee box, move back a box. So I would move up to a tee — like probably some people would say that’s not good. I think scoring is scoring and you have to learn to score.

“You know, shooting 61 from the forward tees is still really hard. You still have to golf your ball. I would encourage him to go to a tee box where he feels like he can attain that and steadily move back and keep challenging yourself that way.”

Ruoning Yin 

My 16-year-old nephew is trying to break 80 for the first time. What’s one tip you would give him?

“Break 80? Practice your short game and putting,” Ruoning Yin said, “because that’s what you spend most of the time on the golf course. Let’s say 62-stroke course. You’re probably going to spend half on putting.

“If you want to break 80, I would say spend time on your putting.”

Angel Yin 

One golf instruction question I had. So my 16-year-old nephew is trying to break 80 and get onto his high school varsity team next year. What’s one tip you’d give him?

News

Lydia Ko explains how getting a dog changed her perspective on golf

By: Jessica Marksbury

“Hit through the ball and not at the ball. It’s simple,” Angel Yin said. “I think a lot of people try to hit at the ball because it’s the one ballgame you play that the ball is really stationary and you have to go after it. In football, they’re throwing it at you; tennis, the ball is coming at you — you’re reacting. Where this one, you have to, I don’t know, go after the ball. It’s a little bit different. You have to make the ball move.” 

Jenno Thitikul 

(Editor’s note: Jeeno Thitikul was this year’s winner of the Aon Risk-Reward Challenge — so I asked her a risk-reward question.) 

If you were talking to a higher handicap player, how would you advise them about going for a risk or playing it safe?

“Well, for me it’s hard,” Thitikul said. “I know golf is so hard. It’s like a really — there’s the ball and the club is like this big. I think sometimes it needs confidence. You need confidence and not afraid to make a mistake if you’re going to go to a risk. I think that’s the big key, when you have a really challenging hole, a really risk hole, water or something that you have to carry. I think confidence is the most important.”

The post My nephew is looking to break 80. So I asked Nelly Korda for 1 tip appeared first on Golf.