Patrick Reed’s Middle East Redemption Arc Is Golf’s Most Compelling Story Right Now I’ve been covering professional golf for thirty-five years, and I can tell you there’s something genuinely rare unfolding in the desert right now. Patrick Reed, standing at 14-under with one round to play in Qatar, isn’t just chasing another European Tour title. He’s executing one of the most calculated—and necessary—career rehabilitations I’ve witnessed since the early 2000s. What strikes me most about this moment isn’t the golf itself, though Reed’s iron play has clearly sharpened. It’s the context. This is a 35-year-old former Masters champion who walked…

The Golf Shoe Evolution We’ve Been Waiting For After 35 years covering professional golf, I’ve watched the equipment industry chase trends like we chase birdies—sometimes brilliantly, sometimes into the rough. But True Linkswear’s new Ascent PNWProof shoes represent something I think the market has genuinely needed: functional footwear that doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not. Let me explain why that matters, because it’s deeper than just another shoe review. The Comfort-First Revolution Nobody Saw Coming Here’s what strikes me most about this particular product: it’s built on a running shoe platform, which sounds almost heretical to traditionalists. During my…

Scheffler’s Saturday Surge at Phoenix: When Three Shots Feels Like Everything and Nothing There’s a moment in every tournament where you can feel the energy shift. I’ve stood on enough fairways over 35 years to recognize it—that electrical current running through the gallery when the lead suddenly feels vulnerable. Saturday at TPC Scottsdale was exactly that kind of day, though maybe not in the way Scottie Scheffler would have drawn it up. Let me be clear about something before we dive in: making up seven shots in 18 holes at a PGA Tour event is not a moral victory, no…

LIV Golf’s New Chapter: Season Five Kicks Off Amid Controversy and Change As LIV Golf embarks on its fifth season in Saudi Arabia, the excitement surrounding the tournament is overshadowed by ongoing discussions about player departures and newfound dynamics within the league. The season opener has sparked interest not only for its action on the course but also for the significant developments off it, including the much-anticipated decision from the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) board. LIV Golf’s Shift in Focus The LIV Golf season commenced under the vibrant lights of Riyadh, but this week, the chatter extends beyond birdies…

The Phoenix Open’s Greatest Strength Is Also Its Most Fragile Asset I’ve been covering professional golf for 35 years, and I’ve watched this tour evolve in ways I never could have predicted back when I was carrying bags for Tom Lehman in the ’90s. But if there’s one thing that’s remained constant—one thing that separates golf from every other sport I cover—it’s the relationship between the game and its spectators. We don’t have the physicality of football or the raw tribal energy of basketball. What we have is intimacy, tradition, and increasingly, controlled chaos. The WM Phoenix Open has become…

The WM Phoenix Open’s Green Dream: When Golf Tours Finally Get Smart About the Stuff That Matters Let me be straight with you—in thirty-five years of covering professional golf, I’ve watched the tour evolve in a lot of ways. Some of them stick around. Most don’t. But every once in a while, a tournament does something so elegantly simple that you wonder why it took this long to catch on. The WM Phoenix Open’s new signature ice cream flavor might sound like a gimmick, but I think it’s actually a window into where professional golf is heading, and honestly, it’s…

Winter Golf Isn’t a Punishment—It’s a Skill Test. Here’s How Tour Pros Think About It I’ve spent 35 years covering professional golf, and I’ve learned that the best players in the world don’t curse the cold—they adapt to it. That might sound like corporate motivational poster material, but I mean it literally. When conditions get hostile, that’s when you separate the craftsmen from the weekend warriors. The article floating around this week about winter golf survival tips is solid practical advice. But what strikes me most is what it reveals about how golf’s elite think about adversity. And make no…

The 16th Hole Paradox: Why Golf’s Greatest Spectacle Isn’t Really About Golf I’ve been covering the WM Phoenix Open for fifteen years now, and I’ll be honest—I’ve watched the 16th hole phenomenon evolve into something that would’ve seemed impossible back in my caddie days with Tom Lehman. What started as a lively gallery has transformed into a full-blown carnival that makes you wonder if anyone’s actually keeping score anymore. Here’s what strikes me most about this year’s coverage: the players themselves have essentially admitted what we’ve all suspected. The 16th isn’t a golf hole anymore. It’s a social media moment,…

Is Elvis Smylie the Next Big Thing in LIV Golf? As I sit here reflecting on the gripping action at LIV Golf Riyadh, one thing stands out: Elvis Smylie’s impressive play. The rookie has captured the spotlight in a way we haven’t seen from a new entrant in quite some time. In my three decades covering the tour, I’ve learned that the first-round jitters can sink even the most talented players. But Smylie seems unfazed, embodying confidence not just in his game, but in the way he’s navigating the pressures of this high-stakes environment. The Rising Star of LIV Golf…

2026 WM Phoenix Open: A Round to Remember at TPC Scottsdale The 2026 WM Phoenix Open is serving up another exhilarating round of golf this Saturday with its third round at TPC Scottsdale. As fans gear up to witness some of their favorite players in action, here’s a closer look at what to expect and who to watch as the tournament continues to unfold. Featured Tee Time: A Duel of Giants In a thrilling turn of events, Ryo Hisatsune, the 23-year-old phenom from Japan, currently holds the 36-hole lead at an impressive 11 under par. The seasoned veteran, Hideki Matsuyama,…