ATLANTA (AP) — Justin Decrease missing his PGA Tour card in brutal vogue in the last event of the frequent time. Needing a par on the closing hole to end amid the prime 125, Lessen ran his 60-footer some 6 feet by and missed for a three-putt bogey.
He concluded at No. 127 and was in tears when he explained, “It sucks to come up this small.”
Many thanks to Saudi-funded LIV Golf, Lessen is among gamers who may get a reprieve.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan notified players in an Aug. 12 memo that the policy board made the decision eligibility for the upcoming season (which commences Sept. 12) would not be finalized until finally soon after the Korn Ferry Tour Championship.
“Accordingly, the FedEx Cup Playoffs and Eligibility Points Listing will keep on to update,” he said.
The Everyday Telegraph noted that British Open champion Cameron Smith will be a part of LIV Golf following the Tour Championship, and it is believed as several as six many others could be a part of him, all of whom finished in the best 125 of the FedEx Cup standings.
The following LIV Golf function starts off Sept. 2 — two days just before the Korn Ferry Tour ends — and the PGA Tour has suspended gamers as soon as they strike a tee shot for the rival sequence.
Based on how quite a few gamers signal with LIV Golfing, that will transfer up the players who are exterior the top rated 125. If three have been to sign, that would indicate Matt Wallace, Austin Smotherman (who had his personal mishap on his previous hole at the Wyndham Championship) and Reduce would keep a whole card and be exempt for The Gamers Championship.
They still would have gotten into tournaments, but top rated 125 indicates they retain their priority all 12 months devoid of heading via a reshuffle.
It also would have an outcome more up the eligibility checklist. The best 70 get into the invitational functions like the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Memorial, which provide $15 million purses.
This wouldn’t be the 1st time Smotherman was aided by LIV Golf. He is listed at No. 137 in the formal standings, but he is 10 places increased since of the LIV gamers forward of him who are suspended. And odds are there is additional to arrive.
PARADISE Prolonged
Cameron Youthful and Sahith Theegala are among the 8 gamers who can make ideas for Kapalua even if they you should not win this yr.
Kapalua has been the winners-only commence to the 12 months on the PGA Tour considering the fact that 1999, and Wisconsin-based Sentry Insurance has created sure it will stay that way for one more 10 years. In the process, the discipline is increasing.
The PGA Tour declared Tuesday a agreement extension with the Sentry Event of Champions that runs via 2035. It extends a 10-yr partnership announced in 2020. Sentry’s initial year as title sponsor was 2018, its 1st major sports activities marketing agreement.
Setting up in January, the area will contain all PGA Tour winners from the preceding calendar calendar year alongside with the 30 players who qualify for the Tour Championship. That was the exact format used in 2021 due to the fact the former 12 months was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The adjust suggests a journey to paradise to start off the yr for Youthful, Theegala, Scott Stallings, Collin Morikawa, Corey Conners, Brian Harman, Adam Scott and Aaron Intelligent. All are at East Lake without possessing received this calendar year.
Sentry already agreed to bump its purse to $15 million, virtually double from past calendar year, as it turns into a single of the elevated prize money in the tour’s new schedule.
Sentry already has a large 12 months in golfing in 2023. Its program, SentryWorld, is hosting the U.S. Senior Open up.
TIGER Games
Tiger Woods is the star attraction for the PGA Tour 2K23 video clip game coming out in Oct.
So is a man who actually performs far more golfing than Woods — Michael Jordan.
2K introduced Monday that avid gamers can engage in as Woods or against him in the 2023 edition. They also can buy a exclusive edition of the match that will involve the style of wedges made use of by Woods, a shirt and a “Tiger Woods Signature Sunday” pack with black trousers, a crimson shirt, black hat, sneakers and golf balls.
Woods is invested in other techniques. He is an executive director advising the enhancement.
“It’s not only fantastic to be back again on the cover of a movie sport, but the govt director part will make this a genuinely unique chance,” Woods explained in a assertion. “2K is the great husband or wife for me and I am energized to keep on impacting the video game and society of golfing past my enjoy on the PGA Tour.”
Woods is enjoying only occasionally now for the reason that of leg injuries from his February 2021 automobile crash. He made the slice in two of the 3 majors he performed this calendar year.
The activity also will attribute Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Tony Finau and Will Zalatoris, and LPGA main champions Lexi Thompson, Lydia Ko and Brooke Henderson.
LOVING THE Strain
PGA Tour rookie Sahith Theegala is aware of all about nerves. He had a chance to get the Phoenix Open up till a shot in the drinking water on the 17th gap. He had a chance to win the Tourists Championship until eventually a double bogey on the ultimate hole.
More tension uncovered him at the BMW Championship, and he delivered with plenty of fantastic golfing to make it to the Tour Championship.
For Theegala, there is absolutely nothing far better.
“Imagine not staying anxious,” he said. “Obviously there’s a high-quality line among severe nervousness and stress and comfortability, and discovering that line is challenging. But yeah, just force is a privilege, and I sure felt that way today.”
ASCENSION AND APGA
The Ascension Charity Common has established a location in its PGA Tour Champions subject for Tim O’Neal of the Advocates Skilled Golf Association Tour.
Ascension beforehand declared a 3-calendar year offer to host an APGA Tour occasion in St. Louis. Now it is bringing an APGA Tour participant to its 50-and-older function on Sept. 9-11 that attributes a $2 million purse. It will be O’Neal’s initially Champions start off. He turned 50 on Aug. 3.
“We’re thrilled to have Tim be a part of this elite industry,” explained Nick Ragone, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Ascension. “By bringing the PGA Tour Champions and APGA Tour in closer alignment, we hope that other PGA TOUR properties will do furthermore as we aid make the game far more diverse and inclusive.”
O’Neal, who 2 times skipped earning a PGA Tour card in Q-faculty by a single shot, has played 8 times on the PGA Tour and has 156 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour. He is a nine-time winner on the APGA Tour, developed to provide opportunities within and outside the house the ropes for underrepresented players.
DIVOTS
Atlanta-based Southern Company has renewed its partnership at the Tour Championship. Alongside with Accenture and Coca-Cola, the PGA Tour ideas to be at East Lake for the foreseeable foreseeable future. It had been checking out the possibility of a rotation. … 8 many years soon after Lucy Li performed in the U.S. Women’s Open at age 11, she’s headed for the LPGA Tour. Li grew to become the very first player to clinch a spot on the LPGA Tour up coming yr through the Epson Tour income record courtesy of two wins, a runner-up complete and a pair of leading 5s. … Bobbi Stricker manufactured it through the first stage of LPGA qualifying with a 69 on the Dinah Shore Tournament System at Mission Hills, the old home of the LPGA’s initially key. She tied for seventh. She had for a caddie her father, Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker.
STAT OF THE Week
Xander Schauffele is 52-below par in his 5 years at the Tour Championship. He has been below par in 18 of his 20 rounds — the exceptions have been an even-par 70. He has nevertheless to acquire a trophy at East Lake.
Last Word
“Maybe a Tiger harm.” — Patrick Cantlay, on why no one has recurring as FedEx Cup champion. Woods received in 2007 and 2009 and was recovering from year-ending knee surgical procedures in 2008.
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