PGA Tour goes to Bermuda, LPGA returns home to America
PGA TOUR
BUTTERFIELD BERMUDA CHAMPIONSHIP
Site: Southampton, Bermuda.
Course: Port Royal GC. Yardage: 6,828. Par: 71.
Prize money: $6.5 million. Winner’s share: $1.17 million.
Television: Thursday-Friday, 1-4 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Golf Channel).
Defending champion: Seamus Power.
FedEx Cup champion: Viktor Hovland.
Last week: Erik van Rooyen won the World Wide Technology Championship.
Notes: With two weeks left in the season, Beau Hossler, Matt Kuchar and Mackenzie Hughes hold the leading three of 10 spots that would get into two $20 million signature events next year at Pebble Beach and Riviera. … Van Rooyen was No. 125 in the FedEx Cup when he won in Mexico, giving him a two-year exemption and a trip to the Masters. It was his first win since the Barracuda Championship in 2021, when he was No. 139 in the FedEx Cup and used that as a springboard to get to the Tour Championship. … Adam Scott is in the Bermuda field. This is his third tournament in five weeks, the previous two in Japan. … Van Rooyen is playing. He moved up to No. 63 in the FedEx Cup, three spots away from getting in a pair of $20 million tournaments. … Camilo Villegas tied for second last week and moved from No. 223 to No. 147 in the FedEx Cup. The top 150 at least have conditional status next year. … This is fifth edition of the Bermuda Championship.
Next week: RSM Classic.
Online: https://www.pgatour.com/
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LPGA TOUR
THE ANNIKA
Site: Belleair, Florida.
Course: Pelican GC. Yardage: 6268. Par: 70.
Prize money: $3.25 million. Winner’s share: $487,500.
Television: Thursday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 1-2 p.m. (Peacock), 2-4 p.m. (Golf Channel).
Defending champion: Nelly Korda.
Race to CME Globe leader: Celine Boutier.
Last week: Mone Inami won the Toto Japan Classic.
Notes: Mone Inami was the fourth Japanese player in the last six years to win the Toto Japan Classic. The Olympic silver medalist from two years ago, she declined to take up LPGA membership immediately. She has until Nov. 13 to decide if she wants an LPGA card for the 2024 season. … The Annika is the final event for players to finish among the top 60 in the Race to CME Globe and qualify for the season finale. … Bianca Pagdanganan is holding down the 60th spot by 14 points over Patty Tavatanakit. … Lexi Thompson, who hasn’t played the LPGA Tour in a month, is No. 88 in the standings. Lydia Ko, who won the CME Group Tour Championship last year, is at No. 102. … Nelly Korda is the two-time defending champion. She will try to become the first player to win the same event three straight years since Inbee Park won the Women’s PGA from 2013 through 2015. … The stacked field features eight of the top 10 in the women’s world ranking. Missing are Minjee Lee and Hyo Joo Kim.
Next week: CME Group Tour Championship.
Online: https://www.lpga.com/
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PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
CHARLES SCHWAB CUP CHAMPIONSHIP
Site: Phoenix.
Course: Phoenix CC. Yardage: 6,860. Par: 71.
Prize money: $3 million. Winner’s share: $528,000.
Television: Thursday-Sunday, 4-6:30 p.m. (Golf Channel).
Defending champion: Padraig Harrington.
Charles Schwab Cup champion: Steve Stricker.
Last week: Padraig Harrington won the TimberTech Championship.
Notes: This is the final event of the PGA Tour Champions season, with the leading 36 players in the Charles Schwab Cup in the field. … Steve Stricker is making his PGA Tour Champions postseason debut. He clinched the Schwab Cup before the playoff events started. This is his first Schwab Cup title. … Padraig Harrington became the fifth multiple winner on the Champions with his victory last week. The others are Stricker, Stephen Ames, Bernhard Langer and David Toms. … Stricker is assured of becoming the first PGA Tour Champions player to eclipse $4 million in a single season. … Charlie Wi and Rob Labritz claimed the final two spots in the 36-man field. Wi finished joint runner-up to move from No. 54 to No. 35 in the points list. Labritz made an 8-foot bogey putt on his last hole at the TimberTech Championship to get the 36th spot by about $7,000 over Lee Janzen. … John Cook in 2009 and 2010 is the last player to win the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in consecutive years.
Next week: End of season.
Online: https://www.pgatour.com/pgatour-champions
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EUROPEAN TOUR
NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE
Site: Sun City, South Africa.
Course: Gary Player CC. Yardage: 7,834. Par: 72.
Prize money: $6 million. Winner’s share: $1 million.
Television: Thursday-Saturday, 3:30-9 a.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, 2:30-8 a.m. (Golf Channel).
Defending champion: Tommy Fleetwood.
Race to Dubai leader: Rory McIlroy.
Last tournament: Sami Valimaki won the Qatar Masters.
Notes: This is the penultimate tournament in the European tour season, with the leading 50 players advancing to the DP World Tour Championship next week in Dubai. … Justin Thomas, Max Homa, Francesco Molinari and Justin Rose are playing on sponsor exemptions … Seven of the top 10 from the Race to Dubai are in the field. Those missing are Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm at Nos. 1 and 2, and Viktor Hovland at No. 10. … Tommy Fleetwood has not won since his victory in Sun City last year. … Matti Schmid of Germany at No. 73 in the Race to Dubai is not playing. He has his card locked up and is trying to earn a PGA Tour card. … Ryo Hisatsune of Japan is No. 14 in the Race to Dubai and holding down the 10th spot of leading players who can earn PGA Tour cards for next year. Hisatsune chose not to play on the PGA Tour last week in Mexico. … The tournament has been part of the European tour since 2013.
Next week: DP World Tour Championship.
Online: https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/
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OTHER TOURS
Asian Tour: Hong Kong Open, Hong Kong GC, Hong Kong. Defending champion: Wade Ormsby. Online: https://asiantour.com/
Japan Golf Tour: Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters, Taiheiyo Club (Gotemba), Shizuoka, Japan. Defending champion: Ryo Ishikawa. Online: https://www.jgto.org/en/
PGA Tour of Australasia: Gippsland Super 6, Warragul CC, Warragul, Australia. Defending champion: Tom Power Horan. Online: https://pga.org.au/
Japan LPGA: Itoen Ladies, Great Island Club, Chiba, Japan. Defending champion: Miyuu Yamashita. Online: https://www.lpga.or.jp/en/
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf