Tiger Woods isn't committing to a return to competitive golf, but that doesn't mean he won't be involved in the sport.

• Woods had been expected to make his presence known in the tech-infused TGL indoor golf league on Jan. 13 as his team, Jupiter Links GC, tees off against New York Golf Club.

  The 15-time major champion, however, provided a glimpse of his future schedule on Thursday with a response to a tweet from his TGL team.

  Jupiter Links GC wished Woods a quick recovery following his seventh back surgery. The team capped off its tweet by noting that "Rest assured (golf personality and Jupiter Links ambassador Will Lowery) is taking great care of your clubs!"

  "I'll be there for every match!" Woods responded. "Looking forward to seeing everyone on January 13th for our home opener. And (Will Lowery), hands off my sticks!"

  Woods, 49, has been absent from PGA Tour-sanctioned tournaments since the Open Championship in July 2024.

  TGL, founded by Woods, Rory McIlroy and Mike McCarley in partnership with the PGA Tour, completed its first season in early 2025. Atlanta Drive GC defeated New York Golf Club to win the inaugural SoFi Cup.

  --Field Level Media

Caitlin Clark fever will return to the LPGA Tour next month when the WNBA superstar makes another appearance at The Annika pro-am in Belleair, Fla.

• Thousands of fans lined the fairways last year to watch the Indiana Fever guard compete in the event. One of Clark's many endorsement deals is with Gainbridge, the presenting sponsor of The Annika event.

  "I had an amazing time at The Annika last November and participating in the pro-am alongside Nelly Korda and Annika Sorenstam, two of the best in the game," Clark said in a news release on Thursday. "I'm honored to be an ambassador for a company in Gainbridge that is so committed to elevating women's sports. I can't wait to return to Tampa in November to play in the Pro-Am with the best women golfers in the world."

  The pro-am at Pelican Golf Club will take place on Nov. 12. Clark's playing partners have not been announced.

  "We're thrilled to welcome Caitlin back to The Annika," LPGA commissioner Craig Kessler told Golf Digest. "She's a true superstar who brings incredible energy wherever she goes. The atmosphere at Pelican is going to be off the charts, and we're excited for the LPGA fans to experience it."

  Clark played nine holes with Korda and nine with Sorenstam at last year's competition.

  "It was an honor to play in the pro-am with Caitlin last year," Sorenstam said in the release. "The crowds were amazing, and we are excited. ... She added such a great dynamic to our event, and her passion for golf and competitiveness were fun to witness firsthand. I look forward to having her back and continuing to introduce the great game of golf to the next generation."

  Clark, 23, is coming off a disappointing second season in the WNBA, limited to just 13 games due to injuries that ultimately ended her season in July.

  The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft out of Iowa, Clark won Rookie of the Year honors that season and made the All-Star team in both 2024 and 2025. She has career averages of 18.5 points, 8.5 assists and 5.5 rebounds in 53 games.

  --Field Level Media

Basking in another Ryder Cup win while preparing for the DP World India Championship at Delhi Golf Club, Rory McIlroy learned a few lessons from the victory at Bethpage last month and bagged a few memories he'd rather forget.

• "Just over the last two weeks, being able to watch the highlights and just see, especially those first two days, in the foursomes and the four-balls, how good the European Team were," McIlroy said. "The Americans would hit it close; we hit it closer. The Americans hole a putt, and we hole a putt on top it and it happened every single time.

  "The unfortunate thing is people aren't remembering that, and they are remembering the week for the wrong reason. I would like to shift the narrative and focus on how good The European Team were and how proud I was to be part of that team to win an away Ryder Cup."

  McIlroy was 3-1-1 and participated in all five sessions to help Europe turn back an attempted U.S. rally on the final day of competition. Fan behavior was a topic in several corners of the golf world, and McIlroy's family was subjected to a regrettable scene on the course in New York, where fans went from the typically raucous home-course crew to harsh, abrasive and downright offensive.

  McIlroy agreed Wednesday with a question about whether the drive to raise capital and increase the fan base with new interest in the game has impacted the traditional buttoned-down culture of a sport with clear lines for etiquette on the course.

  "It's definitely changed. When it's people watch sport for the gambling aspect and they put money on games, that is something that especially in America, that's a changing landscape," he said. "But I think at its core, watching sport, whatever that is, is still very pure, and it's still pure competition. And I think that's an amazing thing.

  "But yeah, as an athlete, knowing that you're going to get criticized for your performances -- good or bad or whatever it is -- I think at this point in time and in this modern world, that's -- I wouldn't say it's a price to pay but yeah, you just -- it is what it is.

  "I think athletes nowadays have to do a better job of blocking out the noise. So not going on social media. Trying not to read anything about yourself. Easier said than done. But I think the more athletes in this day and age, if they can do that, I think it's better. I think it's better for their performance. I think it's better for their mental health, and I think it's better for their longevity in a given sport as well."

  McIlroy is playing in India and the new India Championship for the first time. He said he's watched tournaments on the course in the past and felt even more claustrophobic on the fairways experiencing the layout in-person, joking he would not likely hit his driver until he plays in Abu Dhabi next month.

  "I don't think I'll hit a driver this week. I just don't feel like the risk is worth the reward," McIlroy said, noting the target distance on the longest holes on the course is about 250 yards. "I'd rather leave myself two or three clubs back and hit a 7-iron into a par 4 instead of hitting a wedge where if you just get it off-line here and the ball is gone. You're hitting it into jungle and you're not going to be able to get it out. You can rack up a very big number very quickly."

  McIlroy said he would like to be chosen to lead Team Europe as captain of their Ryder Cup team sometime, but not in the immediate future, and he gave kudos to the time, effort, energy and success of the current captain, Luke Donald.

  "Certainly not 2027. I hope I'm still playing at that point. But yeah, I would love to be the European team captain at some point," he said. "But that will be beyond my playing days, or at least when my playing days are coming to an end and I'm not good enough to make the team or I make way for the new generation to come along. Hopefully that's not in 2027. Hopefully I'm still good enough to play and put points on the board for Europe. ... I would love to be captain one day. I feel very fortunate that I've had a front row seat playing under some of the best captains in history in the Ryder Cup."

  --Field Level Media

Luke Donald has delivered and then some while serving as Team Europe's captain for each of the last two Ryder Cups.

• After leading Europe to a 16 1/2 to 11 1/2 win in his debut in Rome two years ago, Donald became the first captain to lead a road team to victory since 2012 with a 15-13 victory last month at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, N.Y.

  Donald has drawn praise as being perhaps Europe's greatest Ryder Cup captain of all time. He's just the second European captain to win multiple events and the first since Tony Jacklin won consecutive Ryder Cups in 1985 and 1987.

  Before competing this week at the DP World India Championship in New Delhi, Donald was asked if he's given any more consideration to captaining a third-consecutive Ryder Cup squad in the 46th event at Adare Manor in Ireland in 2027.

  "I'm trying to still enjoy this one," Donald said. " ... it's pretty humbling when someone says you're the greatest captain. Maybe it's a little bit of a reaction in the present moment, but I've certainly given a lot to it. I'm very happy with the results that came with it, but you need those 12 players. You need the back room teams. You need the vice captains. You need so many others to make that happen.

  "Certainly I play a role, but I play a small role in terms of a larger picture. I certainly couldn't do it without the amazing support we have behind me," Donald said. "... If I'm not a captain in two years' time and the captain wants me to be there, then I'm sure I would be happy to help him in any way he wanted."

  As he left the course at Bethpage, Donald was greeted with shouts from the European fans in attendance begging him to take on the captain's role one more time.

  Many of the European players echoed this sentiment in the victory press conference. At the time, the English captain declined to provide a real comment on this possibility.

  "I don't know if my heart can take two more years," Donald said Sept. 28 in the immediate aftermath of the victory. " ... We'll see. I'm just going to enjoy tonight first."

  No one on either side of the Ryder Cup has served as captain for three straight Ryder Cups since Europe's Bernard Gallacher in 1991, '93 and '95.

  Donald was also asked Tuesday about Rory McIlroy's potential future as a Ryder Cup captain. McIlroy, who called Europe's shot that it would win at Bethpage this year immediately after the team's 2023 victory, has won five of the eight Ryder Cups he has participated in as a player. He earned 3 1/2 points in five matches at this year's event.

  "Just the fact that he loves the Ryder Cup more than anything. He made it quite evident that winning an away Ryder Cup would really be the icing on an amazing year that he had this year," Donald said. "He loves what it represents. You've seen the emotion from losing to winning. Anyone that has that passion for a Ryder Cup I think would make a good captain."

  --Field Level Media

Viktor Hovland found himself as the center of discussion after last month's controversial withdrawal from the Ryder Cup due to a bulging disk in his neck.

• As a result, Hovland's final match against American Harris English was halved, with each side receiving a half-point in what ultimately resulted in a 15-13 victory for the Europeans.

  The 28-year-old Norwegian's withdrawal at Bethpage Black put into play the "envelope rule."

  When submitting his singles lineup Saturday night, United States captain Keegan Bradley had to place the name of one of his players in a sealed envelope who would not play if someone from Europe withdrew.

  That name was English, who already was slated to face Hovland in the final singles match of the afternoon.

  "The whole situation was pretty upsetting, just the fact that I didn't get to play, and I felt really bad for Harris, who also didn't get to play a match, even though there was nothing wrong with him," Hovland said on Tuesday, ahead of the DP World India Championship. "He just didn't get to play, and he was upset about that, and I feel very bad for not being able to compete.

  "It's tough. I think we're so used to in sports, that if you can't play because you're hurt, obviously that should be a loss of point. But I think, in the spirit of the Ryder Cup and the spirit of the game and the history of it -- knowing that this Ryder Cup is just a part of many, many Ryder Cups to come -- I think it's more of a gentlemen's agreement that, OK, you were hurt this time and maybe the next time there's a guy on the U.S.'s team and we're all kind of sympathetic about the person being hurt and not being able to play.

  "I think there's kind of a mutual understanding that if we were healthy, we would all go out there and play. I don't think people are using that to really finagle the system and try and squeak by."

  Bradley said in his post-tournament press conference that he feels the rule needs to be changed. European captain Luke Donald, in turn, noted the rule is in the captain's agreement.

  As for Hovland?

  "I don't think there's any ideal to way to do it," Hovland said, "but I think (a half-point each) is just a better way overall to do it, even though it's just a tough situation. And at the end of the day, I think we'd all be wanting to go out there and play."

  Hovland's injury at the Ryder Cup was the same one that forced him to withdraw from the Travelers Championship in late June.

  --Field Level Media

Jon Rahm said he is taking a break from competition and will return for the LIV Golf season opener in February.

• The 30-year-old Spaniard did not win any tournaments in 2025, although he did capture the Ryder Cup with Team Europe last month and the individual season-long championship with LIV Golf in August.

  The two-time major winner had won at least one tournament every year since his first full season as a pro in 2017.

  "I've never had three months off, but I'm looking forward to it," Rahm told Ten Golf following Sunday's T9 finish at the Spanish Open in Madrid.

  "Other athletes have it, and we'll see. I'm lucky to be able to go home now, have a preseason, be a father, be with my family, and well, if I see that it's too much, then maybe I won't do it next year, but I'm looking forward to it."

  The break will be closer to four months, with LIV Golf teeing off the 2026 season on Feb. 5 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

  --Field Level Media

Tiger Woods has undergone his seventh back surgery -- his second in just over a year -- after doctors discovered a collapsed lumbar disc that had caused severe pain and mobility issues. The 49-year-old golfer announced on social media Saturday that the latest procedure, a disc replacement, was performed Friday in New York.

• "After experiencing pain and lack of mobility in my back, I consulted with doctors and surgeons to have tests taken," Woods wrote. "The scans determined that I had a collapsed disc in L4/5, disc fragments and a compromised spinal canal. I opted to have my disc replaced yesterday, and I already know I made a good decision for my health and my back."

  The operation adds to an extensive medical history for Woods, who has endured a string of surgeries on his back, knees, leg and Achilles over the past decade. He has not competed this year while recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered in March, and it is unclear when -- or if -- he will return to competitive golf. The 15-time major champion's latest setback likely rules out appearances in December's Hero World Challenge, which he hosts, and the PNC Championship, where he has played alongside his son Charlie.

  Since surviving a 2021 car crash that nearly resulted in the amputation of his right leg, Woods has played only sparingly -- just 15 official events in four years, often withdrawing mid-tournament due to pain. His most recent competitive round came in the TGL simulator league he co-founded with Rory McIlroy, though his October surgery now makes participation in the league's upcoming season improbable.

  --Field Level Media

Alex Cejka of Germany fired a 6-under 66 -- the lowest score of the second round -- on Saturday to vault atop the leaderboard by three shots at the PGA Tour Champions' SAS Championship in Cary, N.C.

• Cejka notched a double eagle on the par-5 No. 7 hole, then closed his strong round with two of his five birdies to complete a seven-spot leap on the leaderboard. Countryman Bernhard Langer is three shots back entering the final round following a 2-under 70, which included birdies on Nos. 11 and 17 at Prestonwood Country Club.

  "I want to say, I guess, a lucky day," Cejka said. "I hit a lot of good shots, but you've still got to make the birdies. I drove it well. It's a little bit easier on this golf course out of that rough in those conditions to hit it from the fairway, so I really drove it well. ... I missed a couple greens but made great up-and-downs so that kept the momentum going a little bit."

  South Korea's Charlie Wi is four shots off the pace after his second straight 70, while first-round co-leader Robert Karlsson (73 on Saturday) is tied for fourth along with South Africa's Retief Goosen (70) and New Zealand's Steve Alker (72).

  Australia's Cameron Pearcy moved up 20 spots with a 3-under 69 and leads a group of five players tied for seventh, six shots off the lead.

  Stewart Cink and Ireland's Padraig Harington, who also shared the lead, struggled mightily on Saturday, as Cink dropped into a tie for 49th after shooting a 8-over 80. Harrington (4-over 76), meanwhile, tumbled into a tie for 20th. Chad Campbell, who also held a piece of the lead after the opening round, is tied for 12th after posting a second-round 75.

  The SAS Championship is the final event before the Champions' three-event playoff to determine the winner of the Charles Schwab Cup. The top 72 players in the Charles Schwab Cup points standings after this weekend will advance to the first playoff event, the Dominion Energy Charity Classic next weekend in Richmond, Va.

  Cejka, 54, is seeking his fourth victory on the PGA Tour Champions circuit and his first since The Senior Open Championship in July 2023. After opening the round with four straight pars, he birdied the No. 5 hole, followed by his double eagle and another birdie on No. 7.

  Meanwhile, the 68-year-old Langer, who will play with Cejka in the final round, continued his impressive play at the tournament as he seeks his 48th PGA Tour Champions victory. The two-time Masters winner last won at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in November 2024, extending his record to 18 consecutive seasons with at least one win.

  "It's always great to play with Bernhard, but of course you want to kick his ass when you play with him," Cejka said. He's a great friend, he's loved all over the world not only in the golfing scene but everywhere, so it's going to be great, I'm looking forward to it."

  --Field Level Media

Collin Morikawa admits he was looking for some "chaos" from fans at the recent Ryder Cup. What the crowd delivered was something next level.

• Asked if he takes any blame for the hostile attitude fans of the United States team had for players from Europe, Morikawa put some context to the matter Wednesday in advance of his appearance at this week's Baycurrent Classic at Yokohama, Japan.

  "I think we've taken what I said a little out of context," Morikawa said when asked if he felt any ‘responsibility' for fan behavior in New York. "I think Ryder Cups are meant to have a lot of energy, right? And I think me saying the word ‘chaos,' I didn't mean for them to be rude, right? So, like, that's not on me."

  The United States got off to a slow start in their attempt to unseat Europe as Ryder Cup champions and were defeated despite making a stirring comeback during Sunday's singles matches.

  While the play on the course was filled with classic Ryder Cup drama, much of what was discussed after the competition ended was the unruly fan behavior toward some of Europe's top players, especially Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy.

  "So I don't think, you know, me saying one word, everyone listened and then (issues started)," Morikawa said. "I don't think I have the power to do that amongst people. I think fans can do and say what they want sometimes. It probably crossed a line out there. It wasn't in my groups but definitely what people were hearing.

  "So I would say yeah, there's a line that needs to be drawn, I believe."

  Morikawa's United States teammate Xander Schauffele also is in Japan this week, and while he did not ask for boisterous fan behavior, he did accept some responsibility for not giving American fans what they came to see.

  "Yeah, there were some unsavory things said at certain times," Schauffele said. "You know, I really wish we could have played better to have them cheer for us a bit more. New York's a tough place to play for anyone. I even got a few comments to play better. I'm not taking much personally when it comes to sort of what fans say."

  The Ryder Cup will be played in Ireland in 2027 then return to the United States in 2029 just outside of Minneapolis. Morikawa hopes there will be lessons learned from this year's event moving forward.

  "I think that's what's so different and unique about golf is that we hear nearly everything what people say because people have access to be so close to us," Morikawa said. "You look at a lot of other sports, you don't really hear much.

  "Things are said, but golf has that different aspect to it. So I think you have to learn how to find that division of what's appropriate and what's not."

  --Field Level Media

The Tiger Woods-hosted Hero World Challenge features several big names ranging from two-time defending champion Scottie Scheffler to Xander Schauffele to Justin Thomas.

• Six of the top 10 players in the Official World Golf Ranking are booked to participate in the 20-golfer exhibition. The tournament will be contested at the Albany Golf Course in New Providence, The Bahamas, from Dec. 4-7.

  One major name missing from the initial field is Woods, a five-time winner of the event. There are three sponsor exemptions to be announced at a later date, however, leaving the door ajar should the 15-time major champion opt to compete.

  Woods, 49, has been absent from PGA Tour-sanctioned tournaments since the Open Championship in July 2024.

  He has been plagued by health issues since a 2021 car accident. He had surgery to repair a ruptured left Achilles tendon on March 11.

  --Field Level Media

The Skins Game, making its return on Black Friday after 17 years, will feature four recent Ryder Cup participants.

• U.S. captain Keegan Bradley and team members Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele will join Tommy Fleetwood of the victorious European squad at Panther National in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., on Nov. 28.

  "We've taken up the mantle to bring back The Skins Game, and reclaim its rightful place on the sports calendar," said Chad Mumm, co-founder and president of event organizer Pro Shop.

  "By keeping the traditional format intact and adding some creative twists, we're giving fans an experience that honors the past while delivering pure, high-stakes competition where the pressure builds with every shot."

  The first Skins Game was played in 1983 and featured four of the game's biggest names in history: Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Tom Watson. The players vied for cash prizes on each hole -- also known as a "skin" -- and trash talking became a staple. Player won the first Skins Game and $170,000.

  As the contest grew through the years, so did the prizes, with Fred Couples hauling in five victories and more than $4.4 million before the final event in 2008.

  One of the "twists" Mumm mentioned for this time around is the "reverse purse." Each player will start with $1 million, with that total adjusted based on winning or losing a hole. Each hole will still have a dollar value.

  The Skins Game will air on Amazon Prime Video at 9 a.m. ET on Black Friday.

  It's worth noting that Thomas consulted with Nicklaus on the design of Panther National, which opened in 2023.

  --Field Level Media

World No. 2 Nelly Korda has withdrawn from the upcoming Hanwha Lifeplus International Crown, per the LPGA.

• While the LPGA only cited "an injury" for Korda, the two-time major champion and former World No. 1 player told reporters on Saturday that she was "definitely worn down."

  Yealimi Noh has been tabbed to replace Korda and will join Angel Yin, Lauren Coughlin and Lilia Vu for the Americans in the team competition from Oct. 23-26 in South Korea.

  "I would say by this time of the year my body is definitely worn down," Korda said after finishing in a tie for fourth place at the Lotte Championship last weekend.

  "I do have some injuries I've had in the past that kind of linger that are never really fully resolved, that you still do PT on every single day, you do therapy."

  Korda, 27, has yet to win a tournament in 2025 after capturing seven titles last year.

  Also, Patty Tavatanakit withdrew from the event and will be replaced by Pajaree Anannarukarn on defending champion Thailand. Anannarukarn will join Jeeno Thitikul, Ariya Jutanugarn and Chanettee Wannasasen.

  --Field Level Media

TGL, the tech-infused indoor golf league, will begin its second season on Dec. 28.

• The league co-founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy announced the 15-match schedule on Monday.

  Action begins Dec. 28 with a rematch of last year's final between defending champion Atlanta Drive GC and New York Golf Club at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

  McIlroy's Boston Commons will debut against Los Angeles Golf Club on Jan. 2, with Woods' Jupiter Links Golf Club getting started on Jan. 13 vs. New York GC.

  The Dec. 28 opener is airing on ABC, with the remaining matches televised on ESPN or ESPN2 and streamed on the ESPN app.

  "ESPN has embraced TGL from the beginning," said Rosalyn Durant, ESPN executive vice president, programming and acquisitions. "It delivered everything we had hoped for in its first season: an innovative new sports product, good competition among the stars of the PGA Tour, and a strong audience that is one of the youngest in sports. We look forward to bringing all of the action of TGL's second season to sports fans."

  The regular season ends on March 3. The top four teams advance to the March 17 semifinals, with the best-of-three finals scheduled for March 23-24.

  --Field Level Media

Greg Norman said he is proud of what he accomplished as the CEO of LIV Golf and that PGA Tour players have benefitted from the Saudi-backed league.

• Norman, who stepped down from LIV Golf last month, called his time with the league "mission accomplished" in an interview with Australian Golf Digest.

  "When you look back on the past 12 months, there's been a realization that all those investment dollars have done great things for the institutions as well as the players, in all parts of the world. Even with the PGA Tour (boosting its prize money with elevated events), I was quietly happy when I saw that, because the players benefited from it.

  "Are they going to recognize LIV for doing that? No, but I do know that was a significant uptick for them. For them to be able to play for more money, even play in less competitive fields - they reduced the size of the fields -- I just said, 'Well, there you go.' The adoption, to some degree, of what we implemented has been accepted."

  Norman, 70, acknowledged the time commitment along with the intense criticism he endured as one of the primary faces of the breakaway league did take a toll. But he also said that he would do it all again "in a heartbeat."

  "It was very draining on me," he said. "I was working 100-hour weeks. I'm not going to say all the abuse was anything (of consequence), but what hurt me the most was the lack of understanding of why people would judge me and give the abuse they did.

  "That was the thing that bothered me the most, because I'm the type of guy who will happily sit down and talk about things. And if I'm wrong, I'll admit I'm wrong. But don't judge me. Don't judge what LIV was truly all about."

  Norman was the original CEO of LIV Golf when the league launched in 2021 and held the role until being replaced in January by Scott O'Neil, who serves as the commissioner. Norman stayed on in an unnamed position until his contract expired in August, according to Golf Digest.

  Norman's comments came during a significant news week during LIV Golf's offseason. Cleeks team captain Martin Kaymer said 'several' high profile players on the DP World Tour are interested in joining the league, while The Athletic reported that LIV's losses have hit $1.4 billion during the first three-plus years of its existence.

  Norman is now spending the majority of his time in Florida while refocusing his efforts on his golf course design business and a significant role on the organizing committee for the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane.

  "I'd do it a little differently. But, yes, I'd do it again in a heartbeat," Norman said when asked if he would put himself through the LIV Golf experience again. "Like anything, you look back at losing a golf tournament and ask yourself, Why did you lose that golf tournament? Did I hit a bad 5-iron? Or did I not concentrate? So, you sit back and you analyze it, and of course you would do that. And, like any CEO, you have to learn by your successes just as much as by your failures.

  "So, yes, absolutely I'd do it again."

  --Field Level Media

Akie Iwai produced her worst round of the tournament on Thursday but still emerged with the lead entering the final day of the Lotte Championship in Ewa Beach, Hawaii.

• The 23-year-old Japanese player shot a 1-under-par 71 in the third round at Hoakalei Country Club, ending up at 13-under 203 for a one-stroke edge.

  Second-round leader Youmin Hwang of South Korea shot a 75 in the third round, leaving her in an eight-way tie for second at 12 under.

  Hwang is level with Meghan Khang (third-round 67), Brooke Matthews (69), Jessica Porvasnik (72), Japan's Minami Katsu (66), South Korea's Hyo Joo Kim (66), Taiwan's Peiyun Chien (68) and Thailand's Pornanong Phatlum (69).

  World No. 2 Nelly Korda (69) and Japan's Nasa Hataoka (71) share 10th place at 11 under.

  Iwai led after shooting 64 on Wednesday, and she followed that up with a 68 on Thursday. On Friday, she opened with a birdie but ended the day with three birdies and two bogeys.

  She earned her initial LPGA Tour win in August at the Portland Classic, and she has four top-five finishes this year.

  Looking ahead to the fourth round, Iwai said, "No change. Keep going. Yeah, I have just smiling and just fun, have fun. ... I forget what happened today and (get) ready for tomorrow."

  Katsu birdied three of her first five holes, and she added a run of three birdies in four holes on the back nine immediately after making her lone bogey of the day at the par-3 12th hole.

  "I feel like my (putter) today was working really well, even though it has some bad shots," said Katsu, an eight-time winner on the LPGA of Japan Tour who is seeking her first win on the U.S.-based circuit. "I think I was able to keep a good par save on with my putting. I had a pretty long birdie putt, too, so I felt like that kept my momentum going today."

  Hyo Joo Kim put together a bogey-free round while tying Katsu and South Korea's A Lim Kim for the best score of the day.

  Korda isn't giving up hope of earning her first win of the year. She was a seven-time winner in 2024.

  "For me, the most important thing is giving 100 percent to every shot," she said. "That's what I'm going to do tomorrow. You never know. Golf is a crazy sport. Sports are crazy. You sometimes just need a little bit of momentum."

  --Field Level Media

LIV Golf has totaled more than $1.4 billion in losses over its first three-plus years of existence, according to a report from The Athletic on Friday.

• The United Kingdom-based LIV Golf Ltd managed the golf tour's undertakings outside the United States, and its losses have grown every single year of its existence, The Athletic detailed, with losses growing from £243.7 million in 2022 to £395.9 million in 2023. Over the course of this past year, LIV has lost an additional £461.8 million, which translated to roughly $590.1 million in U.S. dollars.

  In stark contrast to the £553 million paid out in costs, non-U.S. revenues rose to about £64.9 million in 2024, a harsh shortfall.

  The financial statements put the Saudi Arabia-funded LIV's prize money expenditure for 2024 at roughly $400 million all by itself. A little less than $1.4 billion has been distributed to players over four completed seasons. Furthermore, The Athletic estimated that outside funding has invested over $4.89 billion into the league, which is over three and a half times the recorded prize money.

  That figure gives some hint to the amount committed to luring players over from other tours, a key practice in LIV trying to establish itself in its nascent stages of existence.

  Spain's Jon Rahm is the leader on LIV's overall earnings board, having taken in more than $75 million in two years, but his fee for joining the league in the first place was never formally released.

  --Field Level Media

Former United States team captains have had mixed reactions to Rory McIlroy's comments last week at the Ryder Cup.

• While Tom Watson posted an apology on behalf of the U.S. for the home fans' "rude and mean-spirited behavior" toward McIlroy at Bethpage Black, Paul Azinger is questioning whether McIlroy egged some of it on himself.

  On Golf.com's "Subpar" podcast this week, Azinger implied McIlroy needed to pick a lane.

  "In the press conference after it's over, he is saying that I think golf should be held to a higher standard of decorum, but in the meantime he says ‘F you, F you, F you' in full voice for the world to see," Azinger said. "He turns around and says to the guy, ‘Shut the F up.' The guy in the media asks him, ‘How did that feel Rory, to tell him to shut up and then hit it to two feet?' And he said, ‘It felt pretty f'ing good.'

  "And I'm like, which is it, Rory? Is it that golf is held to a higher standard or are you just going to ‘F you' the fans and act like that's OK? So, I love Rory, but you can't say that. You can't say the fans need to behave better and then in the meantime lay them to waste. You can't do both. You've got to be one or the other."

  McIlroy spoke before and after the Ryder Cup about finding the balance of interacting with hostile fans at the biennial competition. Sometimes, the Northern Irishman said, he has engaged with fans too much, and other times, he didn't engage enough.

  "It was a rough week for all of us," McIlroy said Sunday night after Team Europe finished off a 15-13 victory. "But at the same time, we shut them up by our performance and how we played, and we tried to -- I chirped back a few times because it got to me a few times, but we tried to handle everything that came our way with class and poise, and for the most part, I felt like we did that."

  Europe entered Sunday with an 11 1/2-4 1/2 lead, and it became 12-5 when one match went down as a draw when Norway's Viktor Hovland withdrew with a neck injury. From that point, Europe needed 2 1/2 more points to clinch the win and it only scored three, as the U.S. made an improbable comeback that fell short.

  Azinger took the opportunity to question what that said about McIlroy and his teammates.

  "I don't know what happened in Europe's team room, but they almost let it get away," Azinger said. "But they did the slaughtering the first two days. That was a tough pill to swallow. There was a time when I thought it was just going to be the most devastating defeat, and the PGA of America was going to have to restructure everything. And it turned out not to be that way at all. It was actually a bit of a nail-biter."

  Regardless of the final score, the United States' Ryder Cup operation is still under scrutiny, and not just for its failings on the course for the first two days. The verbal abuse toward McIlroy and his wife was a topic throughout the weekend, and fans often couldn't get a coherent chant together. A comedian hired to serve as emcee at the first tee stepped down after video showed her encouraging "F-- you, Rory" chants.

  "Didn't the PGA of America know when they came here what was going to happen?" Azinger said. "Of course, we all knew. We've all been talking about it for 10 years, that this crowd could go crazy. Hey, if the beers weren't $16 a piece, it could have been worse."

  Azinger, 65, captained the U.S. to a five-point home win in 2008.

  --Field Level Media

Peter Malnati withdrew from the Sanderson Farms Championship prior to the first round Thursday due to a chest injury.

• Scott Piercy replaced Malnati, who won the tournament in 2015 at the Country Club of Jackson in Mississippi.

  Malnati, 38, is a two-time PGA Tour winner. He also emerged victorious at the 2024 Valspar Championship.

  --Field Level Media

Ryder Cup emcee Heather McMahan has apologized for participating in a vulgar chant directed at Rory McIlroy last weekend.

• The comedian and actress stepped down from her role as master of ceremonies following the incident on Saturday at Bethpage Black in New York, where video footage caught her saying "f--- you, Rory" into a microphone.

  "I would just like to say I immediately did not like the energy and the vibe from when that started to happen," McMahan said on her podcast Wednesday. "I will take full responsibility and sincerely apologize to Rory and Team Europe for saying that. It was so foolish of me. I did not start the chant. I would just like that narrative to get out there. I did not start it, but any way that I participated in that, even just saying it once, was so foolish and so silly of me."

  McIlroy contributed to the unruly atmosphere by telling spectators to "shut the f--- up" after being shouted at while sizing up a shot.

  The Northern Irishman got the last laugh as Team Europe retained the Ryder Cup on Sunday with a 15-13 victory, its first on American soil since 2012.

  "It went from us trying to be fun and funny and get it going to immediately was just negative and felt really toxic," McMahan said Wednesday. "As soon as I said that, I was like I don't want any part of this. This was just getting weird, and I don't know how to control this crowd of 4,000 dudes at 5 o'clock in the morning, shouting crazy s--t.

  "As soon as that happened, I immediately turned to my producer and said, 'Let's just get the DJ to play music. I don't know what to do with this audience right now, so I'm not going to participate.'"

  PGA of America CEO Derek Sprague told The Athletic on Wednesday that it had issued a lengthy apology to McIlroy and his wife, Erica.

  --Field Level Media

Former Joel Dahmen caddie Geno Bonnalie will be working with another golfer for the first time in over a decade this weekend, as Bonnalie will make his return to the PGA Tour by caddying for Isaiah Salinda at the Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Miss.

• Bonnalie gained some fame when he starred with Dahmen on the Netflix television series, "Full Swing," which also enabled Bonnalie to build a significant social media following.

  The two parted ways in July after Dahmen has missed six straight cuts, at which point Dahmen said, "It was time. We had a great run."

  Dahmen's longtime swing coach Rob Rashell has been on his bag since, and capped the summer with a T15 finish at the Wyndham Championship in early August.

  Salinda, 28, is still seeking his first win on the tour, though he had two Top-10 finishes earlier this year at the Mexico Open (3) and the Zurich Classic (T8).

  --Field Level Media

Martin Kaymer says that he is recruiting several players at present to make the switch from the DP World (European) Tour, which is under the PGA Tour, to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour.

• Kaymer, 40, was one of several high-profile stars to make the switch in 2022, but his motives likely run deeper than a pure allegiance to LIV.

  Kaymer's teammate Frederik Kjettrup of Denmark was recently relegated from the league for failing to secure any points, creating an opening on the Cleeks team, captained by Kaymer.

  The Cleeks team finished a spot out of last place this year after finishing in 11th a year ago.

  In an interview with Bunkered, Kaymer noted, "We are already on the case talking to several players. We have had a lot of interest, which is a great thing."

  Germany's Kaymer, who reached a No. 1 ranking in 2011 and has won two majors (2010 PGA Championship, 2014 U.S. Open), further pointed to having a good deal of interest from players on the European Tour.

  "I have had calls from managers, they wanted to talk," he said. "There is a lot of interest."

  Despite the interest he says that he has received, Kaymer is making public his desire to recruit players who aren't solely motivated by money.

  "People are just thinking about the rumours of millions of dollars left, right and centre," Kaymer said. "We are not that kind of team. Of course, you get paid well if you play well, but not just because you put a signature on a contract."

  --Field Level Media

The hole that the United States Ryder Cup team dug themselves into during the first two days of last weekend's event appears to have had an impact on the biennial event's TV ratings.

• Sunday's final round at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, N.Y. averaged 3.22 million viewers, the lowest viewership numbers for a Ryder Cup on American soil this century. It was an 8 percent decrease from the 3.51 million viewers who tuned into the Americans' dominating 2021 victory at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.

  Across the pond, Sky Sports reported 5 million average viewers for this year's Ryder Cup in the U.K., a new network record and a 45 percent increase from the 2023 event in Rome.

  Team Europe entered Sunday's individual competition with a commanding 11.5 to 4.5 lead after winning each of the first four sessions. The Americans made an impressive surge, losing just one of the 11 individual matches that were played. That resulted in a ratings surge up to 5.3 million viewers just after 5 p.m.

  However, the Europeans survived with a 15-13 win to snap a streak of five straight Ryder Cups won by the hosts.

  --Field Level Media

The 2028 Solheim Cup will take place from Sept. 8-10 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, the LPGA announced on Wednesday.

• The 21st edition of the international team competition will be held for the first time at the Kentucky venue.

  "As we look to September 2028, we are so excited to work with the team at Valhalla to build an incredible Solheim Cup experience for Louisville sports fans," said Lindsay Allen, executive director of the 2028 Solheim Cup. "This area is no stranger to incredible sporting events and we are thrilled to add the Solheim Cup to that list.

  "We have no doubt that the Solheim Cup, the pinnacle of competition for American and European golfers, will be a can't-miss event."

  The U.S. won the 2024 Solheim Cup on home soil in Gainesville, Va., defeating the European squad 15 1/2 to 12 1/2.

  The 2026 event is scheduled for Sept. 7-13 at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands.

  With the 2028 Solheim Cup, Valhalla will join The Greenbrier, Muirfield Village and Gleneagles as the only venues to host both a Solheim Cup and a Ryder Cup.

  --Field Level Media

Tom Watson is United States golf royalty. And, along with Tiger Woods, he may be the most popular American golfer on both sides of the Atlantic.

• Watson won eight major titles, five of them overseas at the Open Championship. He was awestruck of the play by the victorious Team Europe in the 2025 Ryder Cup, but disgusted by the behavior of some of the American fans in attendance.

  On Monday, he posted an apology to the victors on X.

  "I'd like to congratulate @RyderCupEurope on their victory. Your team play the first few days was sensational. More importantly, I'd like to apologize for the rude and mean-spirited behavior from our American crowd at Bethpage.

  "As a former player, Captain and as an American, I am ashamed of what happened."

  Watson, 76, competed on four Ryder Cup teams and captained a pair. As a player, his teams won three of four competitions (1977, 1981, 1983) and tied one (1989). As captain, he led the winning American side in 1993 at The Belfry in England, but also suffered a setback in the 2014 matches in Scotland.

  The European team was subjected to jeering and heckling throughout the matches, even while preparing to hit shots. Rory McIlroy was the prime target, and even his wife Erica was subjected to taunts and a beverage being hurled at her.

  "I don't think we should ever accept that in golf," McIlroy said Sunday after the matches had concluded. "... I think golf should be held to a higher standard than what was seen out there this week.

  "There was a lot of language that was unacceptable and abusive behavior."

  The United States staged a furious Sunday rally, cutting decisively into the Europeans' 12-5 lead, but the visitors prevailed 15-13 to capture the Ryder Cup for third time in the last four meetings.

  The 2027 Ryder Cup is set to be played in Limerick, Ireland on Sept. 17-19.

  --Field Level Media

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. -- The home fans here on Long Island were treated to a thrilling finish to the 45th Ryder Cup, as the United States nearly completed a historic comeback from seven points down before falling 15-13 to Team Europe.

• But the Ryder Cup is a three-day competition, and the final margin -- produced by an 8 1/2-3 1/2 advantage in Sunday singles -- obscures the deeper issues at play for the Americans, who were shellacked in foursomes and fourball.

  The U.S. is now 4-11 in the event since 1995. PGA Tour pro Michael Kim, an American, stood out among the many critics looking at the bigger picture Sunday.

  "I hope this finish doesn't stop Team USA from looking at the entire process that led to the first two days," Kim wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "Clearly there are issues that need to be fixed."

  What those issues are, exactly, is up for debate.

  Speaking to reporters after his team's narrow loss, first-time captain Keegan Bradley welcomed the brunt of the criticism while defending the PGA of America, which organizes the U.S. Ryder Cup team every two years.

  "The PGA of America put me in an amazing position to succeed," Bradley said. "They gave me every resource. They gave me every option. I had everything at my fingertips. This is no one's fault but mine.

  "When you are the leader of the team and you're the coach, the captain, whatever you want to call it, and you lose, you have to take the blame."

  Bradley went on to insist that Team Europe played better than the Americans this week, which was a common refrain over Friday and Saturday, particularly when it came to putting.

  With his team seated around him Sunday night, Bradley was asked what he thought he didn't do as well as his European counterpart, Luke Donald. From the far corner of the stage, Justin Thomas cut in and defended his captain.

  "We needed to make more putts," Thomas said. "That's what Keegan needed, he needed us to make more putts. That's what he needed to do."

  The top point-earners were Xander Schauffele and Ryder Cup rookie Cameron Young, playing not far from his hometown of Scarborough, N.Y., and with all the pressure that entails. They each went 3-1-0 in four matches.

  But four players failed to win a single match: captain's picks Collin Morikawa and Sam Burns and auto-qualifiers Russell Henley and Harris English. Bryson DeChambeau, described by Bradley to start the week as the team's "X factor," went 1-3-1, as did Ryder Cup vet Patrick Cantlay.

  Most disappointing of all was Scottie Scheffler, who became the first player under the current format to play the first four sessions and lose all four. He went head to head with McIlroy on Sunday, the first time the No. 1 and No. 2 players in the world rankings faced off in singles, and won 1 up to avoid a dubious 0-5-0 record.

  "You absolutely need your big guns to fire," Donald said, "and that's what we are proud of, that the U.S. guys' big guys, their guns, they didn't get as many points as ours."

  Though some of Bradley's selections have come into question, the PGA of America may also need to re-examine how the six automatic qualifiers earn their place on the team. Henley and English racked up points over a nearly two-year span but were not in great form at the end of the summer.

  The wider American operation also took a hit due to the subset of fans who hurled verbal abuse toward McIlroy, his teammates and his wife, including heckling him while he was addressing his ball and preparing to swing. The comedian that the PGA of America hired as an emcee, Heather McMahan, stepped down late Saturday night after she encouraged "(Expletive) you, Rory" chants.

  Bradley and Thomas denied they bore any responsibility for the recklessness of those fans.

  One mistake Bradley did regret was the way the U.S. laid out Bethpage Black. He expected faster greens, which he believed would give the Americans an advantage because their PGA Tour-seasoned players were more used to speedy greens than Europeans who spend some or all of their time overseas.

  Instead, Team Europe dominated the putting contest.

  "For whatever reason, that wasn't the right way to set the course up," Bradley said. "The greens were as soft as I've ever seen greens without it raining. Especially here, it can get pretty firm, and they never firmed up."

  Bradley, at 39 the youngest Ryder Cup captain since Arnold Palmer, was seen as a bold choice to shake up the Americans' doldrums in this event. Until Sunday, the choice was looking like a disaster. It's unclear if he will get the opportunity again.

  "It was a unique approach, and like I said, I had to learn on the fly," Bradley said. "But I also had been on a lot of these teams, and I had the resources of all the vice captains and all the previous captains, as well, that helped me.

  "I think the goal was to give the captaincy a fresh face, a different way to go about things. Unfortunately, it didn't work out. But we have some momentum going forward. I think we can continue down this road, and I'll help out the best I can to help the next captain or the next whoever it is."

  --Adam Zielonka, Field Level Media