The presence of 10 United States Ryder Cup players -- led by world No. 1 and tournament champion Scottie Scheffler -- drove a massive ratings jump for last week's Procore Championship.

• Golf Channel averaged 441,000 viewers for Sunday's final round, according to Sports Business Journal. That represents more than a 400 percent increase from the 104,000 who tuned into last year's final round.

  Scheffler won in dramatic fashion, coming from behind to earn a one-stroke victory over Ryder Cup teammate Ben Griffin. It was his 19th career PGA Tour victory and his sixth of 2025.

  Scheffler believes that the majority of the U.S. Ryder Cup team being in Napa, Calif. last week will prove to be a benefit at next week's competition in New York, but said it's too early to say whether he'll return to defend his Procore title next year.

  "I mean, I barely know what I'm going to do tomorrow let alone a year from now," Scheffler said Sunday. "It's always nice to have an opportunity to come and defend your championships, but we'll have to cross that bridge when we get there.

  "I've been pretty consistent with that over time. I don't like committing to tournaments unless I know for sure I'm going to play. Backing out from a tournament is not a good feeling when you've already committed."

  Scheffler does figure to be a member of the 2025 U.S. Presidents Cup roster that will take on the International team at Medinah Country Club outside Chicago from Sept. 25-27, 2026.

  --Field Level Media

Former World No. 1 Stacy Lewis announced her retirement from the LPGA Tour on Wednesday after 17 years and 13 wins on the circuit, including two majors.

• Lewis, 40, was the tour's Player of the Year in 2012 and 2014 and reached No. 1 for four weeks in 2013 and another 21 weeks in 2014. She won the Chevron Championship in 2011 and the Women's British Open in 2013.

  The two-time U.S. Solheim Cup captain, who starred collegiately at Arkansas, announced her impending retirement at a pro-am event at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.

  "Never in a million years, would I have thought this journey playing golf would still be going in 2025, but the time has come to put the clubs away," she wrote in a piece published at LPGA.com. "I will finish out the 2025 season, but this will be my last on the LPGA. I'm not exactly sure what is next but I'm so grateful for all the Arkansas fans and people that have supported me along way!"

  Lewis said she was looking forward to spending more time with her husband and their daughter.

  "I'm going to miss the LPGA Tour family and this part of my life, but my body has told me it's time," she wrote. "My husband became a part of the team too fitting in seamlessly providing great balance and stability to my life. I'm looking forward to our calendars being more in sync and having more time as a family."

  Lewis thanked her coaches, sponsors and her longtime caddy, Travis Wilson, for their support.

  "I've cared for the LPGA Tour like it was my own child and I'm so proud of the progress we have made, but to my fellow players, we aren't done!" she wrote. "I hope you all continue to push the tour forward and do all that you can to help on and off the course!"

  Lewis, who suffered from scoliosis as a child, overcame back surgery in college to win the 2007 NCAA individual national championship. She won her first professional tournament in Arkansas later that year. Her most recent title was at the 2020 Scottish Open.

  --Field Level Media

New York has become a destination for the PGA of America.

• The organization and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday that Bethpage Black in Farmingdale and Oak Hill Country Club in the Rochester suburb of Pittsford will host the PGA Championship events in 2033 and 2035, respectively. Bethpage Black also will welcome the Women's PGA Championship in 2028.

  "New York State is further establishing its reputation as one of the best golf destinations in the world by welcoming the PGA of America for this marquee lineup of elite golf competition," Hochul said. "The announcement underscores the attraction of New York's world-class venues and our ability to host major sporting events, which, in turn, boost local economies and highlight our great state."

  Bethpage Black, on Long Island, is hosting the 2025 Ryder Cup competition next week.

  The Women's PGA Championship in 2028 will be in New York for the eighth time, the first one at Bethpage Black. It will be the first stop in the state for the event since 2015, when it was played at Westchester Country Club in Harrison.

  The 2019 PGA Championship was played at Bethpage Black, but the major has been at Oak Hill four times -- 1980, 2003, 2013 and 2023. In the most recent edition, Brooks Koepka finished 9-under to win his third PGA Championship, this one by two shots over Viktor Hovland and Scottie Scheffler.

  Jack Nicklaus cruised to a seven-shot victory there in 1980, with longshot Shaun Micheel and Jason Dufner winning the next two.

  The 2035 tournament will mark the 16th time New York has hosted the PGA Championship, the most of any state.

  Oak Hill will host the 2027 U.S. Men's Amateur that will coincide with the club's 100th anniversary, along with the U.S. Women's Open in 2037.

  The club also hosted the U.S. Open in 1956, 1968 and 1989, along with the Ryder Cup in 1995.

  "The PGA of America is incredibly proud to be returning to New York and two world-class venues in Bethpage Black and Oak Hill Country Club," said Don Rea Jr., PGA of America president. "Bringing the KPMG Women's PGA Championship to Bethpage Black is a significant milestone and reflects our commitment to staging this event at premier courses in major markets."

  --Field Level Media

The Sentry, the season-opening tournament on the PGA Tour, won't be played at its usual home of the Plantation Course at Kapalua this winter due to ongoing drought conditions on the island of Maui.

• The tour did not say in its announcement Tuesday where the tournament would move, only that details "will be shared when available." The tournament, a $20 million signature event, is scheduled for Jan. 8-11.

  The tour cited "water conservation requirements, agronomic conditions and logistical challenges" related to the drought in its statement.

  New PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp met virtually with Hawaii Gov. Josh Green on Monday to discuss the issues at hand.

  "We support the PGA Tour's decision, given the drought conditions Maui is facing," Green said in a statement. "Protecting our water and supporting our communities come first. The Sentry has long showcased Maui's beauty while giving back to local nonprofits, and we're grateful to the tour, Sentry Insurance, Kapalua Resort and Maui County for their partnership."

  Formerly called the Tournament of Champions, the Sentry is only open to players who won a tournament or finished top-50 in the FedEx Cup race the prior season. Japan's Hideki Matsuyama is the defending champion.

  --Field Level Media

Amazon Prime Video will become a domestic broadcaster of the 2026 Masters, complementing live coverage on ESPN and CBS Sports.

• Prime will stream action from 1-3 p.m. ET during the first two rounds of the Masters. That will lead into ESPN's coverage from 3-7:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, April 9-10, respectively.

  CBS Sports, in turn, will air live coverage from 2-7 p.m. ET during the third and fourth rounds on Saturday and Sunday, April 11-12, respectively. That follows live streaming coverage on Paramount+ from 12-2 p.m. ET.

  "Working alongside Amazon in this capacity is an exciting opportunity for the Masters Tournament and its fans," Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley said Tuesday in a release. "We are proud of our longstanding partnerships with CBS Sports and ESPN, who have set the highest standard for broadcast coverage of the Masters. The addition of Amazon will only further our abilities to expand and enhance how the Tournament is presented and enjoyed."

  The 2026 Masters will have 27 total hours of broadcast coverage, 50 percent more than the 2024 tournament.

  "It's an honor for all of us to become a broadcast partner of the Masters Tournament and to provide four additional hours of coverage," said Jay Marine, head of Prime Video for U.S. and Global Sports. "We are humbled and proud to begin our relationship with Augusta National Golf Club and cannot wait to get started."

  --Field Level Media

Even with a championship in the balance in a PGA Tour event, a good portion of the golfers in the Procore Championship have larger aspirations this month.

• That's because the tournament served as a final on-course tune-up for the Ryder Cup.

  "It was a good prep week, the guys definitely stayed sharp this week," said Scottie Scheffler, who won the tournament on Sunday in Napa, Calif.

  Ten of the 12 U.S. players for the Ryder Cup took part in the Procore Championship. Only Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau from the U.S. team weren't in the field. Schauffele recently became a father and DeChambeau is ineligible as a member of LIV Golf.

  "It was a good move just to get everyone sort of together and get that chemistry going," J.J. Spaun said. "Get those team atmosphere juices flowing."

  While the Ryder Cup members were mostly paired together for the first two rounds, they also spent time off the course together. That included a dinner earlier in the week as team captain Keegan Bradley was on site but wasn't entered in the Procore Championship.

  "It's really fun to be together as a team outside the Ryder Cup because the Ryder Cup is so intense and nerve-wracking," Bradley said. "So it's fun to see the guys interact, a little lighter scene here."

  The Ryder Cup begins in less than two weeks at Bethpage Black Course in Farmingdale, N.Y.

  "I think as you look back at a couple years ago, a lot of us came in taking four weeks off and at the end of the day we looked back and said how do we get better, right?" Collin Morikawa said. "How do we give ourselves a better chance to go out there and compete? I know for myself I didn't feel like I was as prepared a couple years ago even though I put a lot of work in those four weeks."

  Scheffler, the world's No. 1 golfer, won his sixth tournament of the year over the weekend, but he was peppered with a regular dose of Ryder Cup questions. He overcame Ryder Cup teammate Ben Griffin to win by one stroke.

  "We love going into the Ryder Cup seeing guys play well, and Ben (has) had a great year, so it's nice to see him continue that trend this week and have a good prep week going into the Ryder Cup," Scheffler said.

  Griffin will turn his attention quickly to what lies ahead.

  "I'll get to work this next week and hopefully make every single one of them at the Ryder Cup," Griffin said, referring to a would-be tying birdie putt that he missed on the final hole Sunday.

  Griffin said he understood the attention and the questions about the Ryder Cup. He said his best preparation during the past week was to focus on the Procore Championship and what he could accomplish in that tournament to be in an ideal place going to Bethpage.

  "Definitely, I'd say like after I got the call from Keegan I was on the team, that was like one of those crazy moments where I couldn't really believe that I had achieved what I had done," Griffin said. "But then the focus shifted straight to, all right, I need to prepare for the Procore because I knew he wanted everyone to play."

  It was a good showing for U.S. team members, with Cameron Young joining Scheffler, Griffin and Spaun in the top 10 and Sam Burns and Russell Henley in the top 20.

  Of course, there was more to it than that.

  "A lot of great vibes throughout the meetings and the dinners we've had," Morikawa said. "That's what you ask for. I think we're all very close."

  It proved to be quite a send-off, with the golfers ready to fully transition to the Ryder Cup.

  "We heard lots of ‘USA' chants and lots of good-luck wishes for the Ryder Cup," Scheffler said. "... I think we're all excited for the tournament to get started. We've got three days in New York to compete and have fun. We're all looking forward to it."

  --Field Level Media

Greg Norman, the first CEO of LIV Golf, has officially moved on from the Saudi-backed tour.

• "After four unforgettable years, I have officially closed out my time with LIV Golf, and reflecting with nothing but gratitude, pride and achievement," Norman posted Wednesday on Instagram.

  "Together, we built a movement that changed the game globally. We created opportunities for both players and fans and broaden the ecosystem of golf. We truly globalized the game and expanded golf's reach to fans around the world. We brought entertainment, innovation and private equity into golf (including to the PGA Tour) positioning the sport as an asset class. It's been an incredible chapter, and I'm so proud of what we accomplished. My commitment to do what was and still is, the right thing for golf, the players and fans never waivered (sic).

  "Thank you to everyone who has been part of the journey with me during this time. I'll always look back on this time with great fulfillment and appreciation.

  "As for what's next ... stay tuned! Exciting times ahead. Onward to the next adventure."

  Norman, 70, was the original CEO when the upstart golf league launched in 2021 and was involved in recruiting several high-profile players from the PGA Tour and European circuit. He was replaced as the CEO and commissioner by Scott O'Neil in January.

  The two-time major winner, an Australian known as "The Shark" during his PGA Tour career, had remained with the tour in an unnamed position. Golf Digest reported that his contract expired in August.

  In January, Norman joined the organizing board for the 2032 Summer Olympics in Brisbane, Australia.

  LIV Golf recently completed its fourth season. Talks of a merger with the PGA Tour have stalled since April, when the PGA Tour rejected a reported $1.5 billion reunification offer.

  --Field Level Media

The PGA Tour's FedEx Cup Fall schedule tees off with an unusually strong field thanks to the 10 U.S. Ryder Cup teammates who are in the field for this week's Procore Championship.

• The tournament begins Thursday at the Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif., and our golf experts preview the event while sharing their favorite prop picks along with best bets to win this week.

  PROCORE CHAMPIONSHIP

  Location: Napa, Calif., Sept. 11-14

  Course: Silverado Resort, North Course (Par 72, 7,138 Yards)

  Purse: $6M ($Winner: 1.08M)

  Defending Champion: Patton Kizzire

  HOW TO FOLLOW:

  TV: Thursday: 6-9 p.m. ET ; Friday: 1-4 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday: 6-9 p.m. (All times Golf Channel, NBC Sports App)

  Streaming: Thursday-Friday: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. (ESPN+)

  X: @ProcoreChamp

  PROP PICKS

  --Ben Griffin Top 20 Finish (+125 at BetRivers): This is an important final opportunity for Griffin to impress captain Keegan Bradley ahead of his Ryder Cup debut. In addition to winning twice already in 2025, Griffin finished T12 or better in all three of the playoff events.

  --Ryder Cup Team USA vs. The Field (-280 at DraftKings): This is a unique prop and one that offers very short odds considering the 10 Ryder Cup players the best in a field that is otherwise dominated by those just trying to secure playing status for 2026.

  --Patton Kizzire to Make Cut (-110 at DraftKings): We're going to give one of the most overlooked defending champions in recent memory some love here. Yes, Kizzire has missed 13 of 21 cuts this year and isn't often competitive against elite fields. But this isn't an elite field outside of the Ryder Cup contingent. Kizzire won by five shots here last year before finishing T11 the following week.

  2025 Prop Pick Record: 24-27

  BEST BETS

  --Scottie Scheffler (+210 at DraftKings) has five victories this year but has yet to win on the PGA Tour when making his first start in an event. He also has never won in the state of California, although Scheffler enters this week with 14 consecutive top-10 finishes on tour. The 20 percent of all bets backing Scheffler to win this week is more than triple any other player in the field.

  --Russell Henley (+1600) is a career-high fourth in the world rankings on the strength of seven consecutive top-20 finishes, including T2s at the Tour Championship and at the Travelers.

  --Justin Thomas (+1600) has a win this year (RBC Heritage) and posted a T7 at the Tour Championship.

  --Patrick Cantlay (+1800) has not won since 2022 but is coming off a T2 at the Tour Championship. He and Scheffler lead the field with each backed by 12 percent of the total money wagered on this week's winner.

  --Cameron Young (+2000) followed up his maiden win with a fifth, 11th and T4 in the playoffs.

  --Sam Burns (+2000) also enters in his best form of the season with a T4 and T7 to finish the playoffs.

  --Maverick McNealy (+2500) was perhaps the first player on the outside looking in at this year's Ryder Cup team. Could he use that as motivation to propel him to a second career PGA Tour title? The public seems to think it's a decent possibility, as McNealy has drawn 11 percent of the total money.

  NOTES

  --This marks the beginning of the seven-tournament 2025 FedEx Cup Fall schedule that finalizes eligibility status for the 2026 season. The top 100 players in the FedEx Cup standings following the fall schedule will retain exempt status for next year. Max Homa, who won the event in 2021 and '22, enters the week at No. 111.

  --The field includes 10 of the 12 players on the U.S. Ryder Cup team. The lone exceptions are LIV Golf's Bryson DeChambeau and the PGA Tour's Xander Schauffele, who is at home in Florida with his newborn son.

  --While Bradley is not in the field, his vice-captains Webb Simpson, Brandt Snedeker and Gary Woodland are playing.

  --The field includes 11 of the top 25 players in the Official World Golf Ranking and 12 players who competed in last month's Tour Championship.

  --Top-ranked amateur Jackson Koivun is in the field along with Walker Cup teammate Ethan Fang fresh off their victory at Cypress Point last week.

  --Miles Russell, 16, will make his fourth career PGA Tour start and is seeking his first made cut.

  --Field Level Media

One thing has stuck out to U.S. captain Keegan Bradley during Ryder Cup preparations.

• His players like each other and get along well.

  That's not always the case when egos are involved and sacrifices have to be made. But Bradley is highly impressed at the bonding that is going on as the squad gets ready for the event at Bethpage Black in New York from Sept. 26-28.

  "We have a wide range of rookies, veterans, Scottie Scheffler, No. 1 player in the world, but we really have a group of a great team," Bradley said Wednesday, one day before the Procore Championship in Napa, Calif. "These guys, they really care about one another, they treat each other with respect. It's the closest team I've ever seen."

  Bradley said the 12-player squad gets along well off the course, too. He said everybody is pulling in the same direction.

  "The thing that I've noticed that's most impressive is they really pull for each other and they want each other to do well," Bradley said. "When I was playing, I wasn't really pulling for anybody, I was wanting to beat (guys) and play my best. These guys, they're genuinely excited for their friend that wins a tournament and that's really great."

  Scheffler is one of 10 members of the Ryder Cup team playing at the event in Napa. The others are J.J. Spaun, Russell Henley, Harris English, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Ben Griffin, Cameron Young, Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns.

  The two members not playing the Procore Championship are Xander Schauffele (recent birth of a child) and Bryson DeChambeau of LIV Golf. DeChambeau is ineligible to play in PGA events but was in Napa on Tuesday partaking in some of the festivities, including meetings and a team dinner.

  "He has to make a much bigger effort than a lot of the guys," Bradley said of DeChambeau. "Bryson was there last night. He's been incredible. He's been more than willing to go above and beyond for this team.

  "I think it's a testament to what a good teammate Bryson is. I think it's actually really cool to see, for the guys to see -- it's easy for the guys to come play here and come to dinner. Bryson's got to get on a plane, he's got to come to these meetings and I think it's a great thing, shows the commitment that Bryson has for the team. He's going to be a huge asset for us."

  Scheffler said Wednesday that he likes the leadership being shown by Bradley and the overall camaraderie within the group.

  "When guys have questions, they're willing to ask," Scheffler said. "You know, Keegan I think is our leader, that's why he's the captain and he's done a really good job. As far as my role on the team, I think we're all just trying to be ourselves.

  "I love the other 11 guys we have on the squad, we have great vice captains as well and we have a really fun squad, we have a good time and everybody's doing whatever they can in order to be prepared to go play Bethpage and that's really all we can ask for."

  Team Europe easily beat the U.S. in the 2023 Ryder Cup. The Europeans have won 10 of the last 14 matches.

  --Field Level Media

It's going to be much tougher than expected for Patton Kizzire to defend his title at the Procore Championship this week in Napa, Calif.

• The first event of the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup Fall is normally skipped by players on Scottie Scheffler's level, but Scheffler and nine of his U.S. Ryder Cup teammates are on the property at Silverado Resort to use the event as a tune-up for the international competition later this month.

  Kizzire is taking the suddenly stronger field in stride.

  "I think it's great," Kizzire said Tuesday. "It's great for the tournament, it creates a lot of buzz. As the defending champion it's a little more incentive to play well and to get out there and do my best and play like I can play. It gives us an opportunity to win against a really strong field. I think it's fantastic for the tournament and I'm excited to see them here."

  Kizzire carded a 20-under 268 last year to win by five strokes while most of the PGA Tour's upper crust took time off. It was Kizzire's first win in more than six years and his third on tour overall.

  Asked whether Scheffler or one of his counterparts could break 20 under this week, Kizzire pointed out that he could score lower than he did last year, too.

  "But yeah, a stronger field means potential for better scores, but a lot of it depends on the weather and the condition of the golf course," he said. "Somebody's going to play well and make a bunch of birdies."

  Some Ryder Cup players were right behind Kizzire during a practice round Tuesday, and Kizzire, an Auburn graduate, relayed some banter he had with Alabama superfan Justin Thomas.

  "If somebody asks us if we spoke to each other during football season, I said, ‘Man, I don't really care anymore (about Auburn)'. I said Justin's about one or two more losses from not caring anymore (about Alabama). He said, ‘Yeah, you're right,'" Kizzire shared.

  "No, it's all friendly banter. Everybody's here to perform and play well and enjoy Napa."

  Scheffler and Thomas are joined by J.J. Spaun, Russell Henley, Harris English, Collin Morikawa, Ben Griffin, Cameron Young, Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns at the Procore Championship. Xander Schauffele is missing the event due to the birth of his first child, and Bryson DeChambeau is ineligible as a member of LIV Golf.

  --Field Level Media

Tiger Woods was spotted testing out his swing on Tuesday in what can be construed as a positive sign that the 15-time major champion is considering a return to the PGA Tour.

• Woods, 49, was seen hitting balls on the practice range at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, N.J. He was working off the rust for the Nexus Cup, a charity event Monday and Tuesday that benefits Woods' TGR Foundation.

  Video was released over social media, marking the first time Woods has been seen publicly swinging a golf club since he underwent surgery to repair a ruptured left Achilles tendon on March 11. Fellow PGA Tour professional Will Zalatoris, who is working his way back from back surgery, was spotting next to Woods.

  The last official tournament Woods played was a missed cut at the 2024 Open Championship last July.

  Woods has long been plagued by health issues. He underwent his sixth back operation last September and he continues to deal with the effects of a 2021 car accident.

  There is no official timetable for Woods' return to competition.

  --Field Level Media

The PGA of America said it is monitoring the possibility that President Donald Trump may attend the Ryder Cup later this month and what impact his presence might have on the event.

• Trump's attended the men's singles final at the U.S. Open on Sunday, which led to a 48-minute delay in the match Carlos Alcaraz ultimately won over Jannik Sinner.

  Trump said in a post on his Truth Social account last month that he planned to attend the opening round of the Ryder Cup on Sept. 26 at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y. PGA of America CEO Derek Sprague confirmed to The Athletic that the organization, which organizes the event, invited Trump.

  The organization said in a statement to Front Office Sports this week that no plans for Trump's presence have been confirmed.

  "While President Trump has indicated his interest in attending the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, specific details have not been confirmed," the statement read, per Front Office Sports. "As we get closer to Ryder Cup week, we will communicate any relevant updates that may impact the Ryder Cup experience. Our priority remains delivering a seamless, secure, and first-class environment for all our guests."

  The United States will take on Europe in three days of competition that run from Sept. 26-28.

  The 2026 PGA Tour schedule released last month included the return of an event to Miami's Trump National Doral, which played host to a tour event from 1962-2016. The PGA Tour left Doral after the event lost its title sponsor, and the PGA of America moved the 2022 PGA Championship out of Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey following the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

  LIV Golf has staged multiple events at Doral, and the league's chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan was spotted in Trump's box at the U.S. Open.

  --Field Level Media

Xander Schauffele is not at the Procore Championship in Napa, Calif., with the rest of his United States Ryder Cup teammates in order to be at home in Florida with his newborn son.

• The rest of the U.S. team is in Northern California this week to squeeze in a final competition before the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y., from Sept. 26-28. Even Bryson DeChambeau, who is ineligible for PGA Tour events due to his contract with LIV Golf, said he would make the trip to Napa to bond with his teammates.

  However, Schauffele confirmed to the Associated Press on Tuesday that he chose to remain in Florida after his wife, Maya, recently gave birth to a boy the couple named Victor.

  Schauffele clinched his spot on the Ryder Cup team with a tie for 22nd at the FedEx St. Jude Championship on Aug. 10. He hasn't competed since the following week, when he tied for 28th at the BMW Championship to fall short of qualifying for the Tour Championship.

  Schauffele indicated at the time that he might skip the Procore Championship if he didn't think it would help him prepare for Bethpage Black. The 31-year-old has made only 15 starts this year after missing six weeks in January and February because of a strain in the rib cartilage on his right side.

  While Schauffele has yet to win and has only three top-10s in 2025, two of those came in majors -- a T8 at The Masters and a T7 at The Open Championship. He also remains third in the Official World Golf Ranking as well as the U.S. Ryder Cup standings, and Schauffele was long considered a lock to make captain Keegan Bradley's team even if he had not earned an automatic spot.

  Schauffele went 3-1-0 during the Americans' 2021 victory at Whistling Straits, but struggled to a 1-3-0 record in the United States' loss in Italy two years ago.

  --Field Level Media

Northern Ireland star Rory McIlroy defeated Sweden's Joakim Lagergren on the third playoff hole to win the Amgen Irish Open on Sunday at The K Club in Straffan, Ireland.

• It marked McIlroy's first victory since the Masters in April, when he broke a 10-year-plus major championship drought and completed the career Grand Slam.

  It was also McIlroy's second time winning Ireland's national open, following the 2016 edition that also was held at The K Club.

  "I just feel so lucky that I get to do this in front of these people, the support has been amazing all week," McIlroy said. "So happy I could play the way I did this week and get the win."

  McIlroy, 36, and Lagregen started the day four shots behind France's Adrien Saddler, but McIlroy and Lagregen were part of a five-way tie for first heading into the back nine on Sunday. Lagergren took pole position by eagling the par-5 16th hole to shoot a round of 66 and turn in a four-round score of 17-under-par 271.

  McIlroy answered by making a 28-foot eagle putt at No. 18 to tie Lagergren with a 66 of his own.

  They replayed No. 18 and turned in matching birdies the first two times through. On the third go, Lagergren landed a shot in the water while McIlroy barely cleared the danger, setting himself up for two putts to win the playoff and the title.

  "To do what I did earlier in the year and then to come home and win my national open, no matter what happens for the rest of the year, that's a pretty cool year -- 2025's going to be one of the best, if not the best, of my career," McIlroy said.

  McIlroy has played on the DP World Tour since the PGA Tour season ended, with an eye on staying in form for the Ryder Cup later this month at Bethpage Black. He will try to help Team Europe win back-to-back Cups over the Americans.

  Spaniards Rafa Cabrera Bello (67) and Angel Hidalgo (71) tied for third at 15 under. Angel Ayora of Spain (67) and Saddier (74) tied for fifth at 13 under.

  --Field Level Media

A warning for time may have helped spoil a hot start for Rory McIlroy at the Irish Open in Straffan, Ireland, on Thursday, as the native of Northern Ireland finished his day with two bogeys across his final three holes.

• Instead of being in a tie for 12th, a few shots off the pace of co-leaders France's Romain Langasque, Spain's Nacho Elvira and Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen (6 under), McIlroy sits in a tie for 50th at 1 under following his first round at the K Club.

  McIlroy wasn't shy about attributing his finish to the officiating, citing a lack of "common sense" when it comes to issuing pace warnings.

  A five-time Major championship winner (including this year's Masters), McIlroy attributed some of the difficulty in assessing time warnings to the size of the crowds his group attracts. As a headliner, he not only gets huge crowds from fans, but also several camera crews, which he feels can gum up the works.

  "I feel like it always happens," McIlroy said. "And I don't think they use sort of common sense in terms of, well, ‘of course we're going to lose ground because we're going to have to wait on crowds and wait on the two camera crews that are out there.' They should give us a little bit of leeway."

  McIlroy's playing group was put on the clock early on in their round by one official, then again put on the clock for the final three holes by a separate official. It was then that McIlroy began to struggle, firing a bogey on the par-4 seventh and another on the par-3 eighth before he managed to settle for par on No. 9.

  In contrast, he posted one bogey with four birdies over his other half round.

  "In all honesty, I felt a little rushed out there for the last 12 holes," he said. "There's just a lot more going on with our group than any of the other groups on the course."

  --Field Level Media

Rory McIlroy admitted to being confused over Sergio Garcia's decision to withdraw from the Irish Open after the latter was not selected to represent Europe's Ryder Cup team.

• "No, I don't (understand)," McIlroy said Wednesday, one day before the start of the Irish Open at The K Club in County Kildare, Ireland.

  "I mean, it would have been great for the tournament if Sergio played, but obviously, he was trying to keep himself sharp, I guess, if he did get a pick. He has the right to enter and pull out of whatever tournaments he wants to. As I said, Luke (Donald), has assembled a very strong 12 players, and I think the right 12 players, and I'm sure he's disappointed.

  "But you know, at the same time, I'm sure he wishes Europe well and wants us to win."

  Garcia withdrew from the DP World Tour event on Tuesday, one day after Donald revealed his six captain's picks. Garcia -- a 10-time Ryder Cup selection -- was not among them.

  "I felt like I was so looking forward to being a part of that team, and so I felt like mentally, you know, mentally it was kind of tough," Garcia said in an interview with the GolfMagic of the United Kingdom.

  "I didn't want to go there and not be fully engaged in the tournament and stuff, so I just decided to take a little bit of time off and spend it with the family and do a couple of things, you know, some things outside of golf and just kind of reboot a little bit, recharge the batteries."

  Garcia, 45, plays in the LIV Golf League, which hampered his ability to earn rankings points toward an automatic qualification. The Spaniard is the all-time leading point scorer in Ryder Cup history.

  Donald instead selected Ludvig Aberg, Matt Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry, Jon Rahm and Sepp Straka, all of whom were part of the winning European team at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club near Rome in 2023.

  The 45th Ryder Cup will be played Sept. 26-28 at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y.

  --Field Level Media

The Golf Channel has a pre-holiday gift for golf fans.

• That's the Golf Channel Games, a made-for-TV event the network officially announced Wednesday. To be held Dec. 17, the event will feature captains Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy leading their four-player teams in what is being called a "rapid-fire" team competition.

  It will be held in prime time at Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter, Fla., and televised on both the Golf Channel and USA Network.

  The players who will team with Scheffler and McIlroy, the top two golfers in the world, will be announced later.

  The Golf Channel Games have four innovations not seen in traditional competitions. This won't be stroke play or match play, as in other team events. Instead, the event is made up of the following:

  --Timed drive, chip and putt: Each player will try to drive a total number of yards, chip within a certain proximity to the pin, and hole a certain number of feet of putts.

  --14-club challenge: Closest-to-the-pin competition involving players from each team hitting from designated spots. The catch: they will use clubs from the same bag, and once a club is used, it is out of play. That includes the driver and putter.

  --Timed shootout: Team members will alternate shots on three holes, and players will be stationed in set places: one on the tee, one in the fairway and two near the green. The team with the lowest score in the shortest time wins.

  --Captain's challenge: McIlroy and Scheffler will hit shots from pre-determined , including a 50-yard pitch, a 100-yard wedge, from the bunker and greenside, 50-foot putt and a 10-foot putt. The player with the lowest total proximity to the hole wins.

  "We wanted to create a new golf event that was highly competitive, showcasing the best players in the world hitting specific shots and plotting strategy with a running clock," said Tom Knapp, executive vice president of golf and the general manager of the Golf Channel. "To have the opportunity to create an annual, end-of-season golf event which includes Rory and Scottie at one of South Florida's premier golf clubs, has been a treat. It should be fun."

  --Field Level Media

Yana Wilson is the fifth Epson Tour member to earn her 2026 LPGA card.

• Wilson, 19, is currently atop the Epson Tour's Race for the Card standings and second on the tour's money list at $138,581 after winning her second event of the season -- the Dream First Bank Charity Classic on Aug. 24 in Garden City, Kan.

  From Henderson, Nev., she has nine top-10 finishes in 16 Epson Tour events this season with just one missed cut.

  "It feels pretty cool. I mean, there's still more work to be done," Wilson said about clinching her spot. "I have other goals in mind that I want to achieve, so, you know, job not done."

  Wilson joins Melanie Green, Gina Kim, Briana Chacon and Japan's Erika Hara as the top-five competitors in the Race for the Card standings to already have clinched 2026 LGPA Tour spots. There are 10 spots still up for grabs with three events left this season.

  The final list of 15 golfers who earned LPGA cards will be determined after the Epson Tour Championship in Indian Wells, Calif., from Oct 2-5.

  --Field Level Media

Sergio Garcia has pulled out of this weekend's Irish Open, disappointed after not being selected as a captain's pick for Europe's Ryder Cup team.

• Captain Luke Donald revealed his six picks on Monday, with Garcia -- a 10-time Ryder Cup selection -- not among them.

  "I felt like I was so looking forward to being a part of that team, and so I felt like mentally, you know, mentally it was kind of tough," Garcia said in an interview with the GolfMagic of the United Kingdom.

  "I didn't want to go there and not be fully engaged in the tournament and stuff, so I just decided to take a little bit of time off and spend it with the family and do a couple of things, you know, some things outside of golf and just kind of reboot a little bit, recharge the batteries."

  The Irish Open begins Thursday at The K Club in County Kildare, Ireland.

  Garcia, 45, plays in the LIV Golf League, which hampered his ability to earn rankings points toward an automatic qualification. The Spaniard is the all-time leading point scorer in Ryder Cup history.

  He has 28.5 points and a 25-13-7 record. The leading American is the late Billy Casper, with 23.5 points and a 20-10-7 record.

  Garcia last played for Team Europe in 2021, a loss at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.

  Donald instead selected Ludvig Aberg, Matt Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry, Jon Rahm and Sepp Straka, all of whom were part of the winning European team at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club near Rome in 2023.

  The 45th Ryder Cup will be played Sept. 26-28 at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y.

  "The call with Luke was fine but not the call I wanted, obviously, but the conversation was fine," Garcia told GolfMagic about the conversation he had with Donald.

  "Now, the only thing I can do is support the team from home. It's as simple as that. I'll be watching and cheering on the European team."

  --Field Level Media

Captain Luke Donald will bring a veteran Team Europe to the 45th Ryder Cup later this month at Bethpage Black in New York.

• Shane Lowry, Jon Rahm, Sepp Straka, Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland and Matt Fitzpatrick were named by Donald as captain's picks on Monday, six of the 12 players set to defend Europe's Ryder Cup trophy win over the United States in convincing fashion near Rome in 2023.

  They join the six automatic qualifiers: Rory McIlroy, Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Rasmus Hojgaard and Tyrrell Hatton.

  Of the group, only Hojgaard is a Ryder Cup rookie, and the team has a combined 32 Ryder Cup appearances. By contrast, U.S. captain Keegan Bradley's team includes four players making their debut on the Ryder Cup stage.

  Other than Hojgaard, all 11 played for Team Europe at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club. The 12th player then was Nicolai Hojgaard, his twin brother.

  "I'm absolutely thrilled with the 12 that we have," said Donald, making his second consecutive tour as captain.

  "I couldn't be more excited to lead the gentlemen we have."

  Lowry and Rahm, the first two players announced by Donald, were considered shoo-ins to make the team. It will be the fourth appearance for both.

  Donald was full of praise for them.

  "He thrives on the biggest stages. His passion for the Ryder Cup is second to none," Donald said of Lowry, from Ireland.

  Rahm, a two-time winner of the LIV individual title, is the latest in a long line of great Spaniards in the Ryder Cup, taking the baton from Sergio Garcia. Seve Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal and Garcia played in a combined 25 Ryder Cups from 1979 to 2021.

  "Jon sets the standard for us. He's meticulous in what he does," Donald said. "He's the first person up and the last person out of the team room. He understands the history of the Ryder Cup, and he wants to follow in the footsteps of the amazing Spanish players who have led the way."

  Aberg and Hovland made history in 2023 at Marco Simone, setting the Ryder Cup record for largest margin of victory in an 18-hole match when they defeated Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka 9-and-7.

  Aberg, from Sweden, was a rookie last time around, just three months into his pro career. He is happy to have the chance again at Bethpage Black from Sept. 26-28.

  "I definitely feel more experienced this time. Last year it was so short into my professional career," Aberg said. "It was the first time I experienced all of those things, in the locker room with all of those legends. And I knew I wanted to be on the team again."

  Hovland, a Norwegian, said he relishes the chance to play his individual sport as part of Team Europe.

  "This feels awesome. I can feel my palms getting sweaty," said Hovland, who will make his third consecutive appearance. "I'm just super excited to get going and to see everyone. ... Playing here makes you feel part of something."

  Straka, from Austria, was a Ryder Cup rookie in 2023. For Englishman Fitzpatrick, celebrating his 31st birthday on Monday, this is his fourth selection.

  Fitzpatrick didn't have his best PGA Tour season, finishing with five top-10 scores in 21 events. But his T8 at the PGA Championship kick-started his run to the Ryder Cup, as did his recent performance on the DP World Tour.

  "Matt said himself he didn't get off to the best start this year. But he has turned it around impressively," Donald said. "I challenged Matt to play the last two events in Europe and to get to the last group on Sunday this past two weeks shows you what he has."

  Bradley's American team consists of automatic qualifiers Scheffler, J.J. Spaun, Xander Schauffele, Russell Henley, Harris English and Bryson DeChambeau, along with captain's picks Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Ben Griffin, Cameron Young, Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns.

  The 13th player could be the home crowd on Long Island. While Ryder Cups are known for over-the-top fan behavior, New Yorkers often take things a step further. But Rahm is ready.

  "The environment might be the biggest challenge, but it can be used in your advantage," Rahm said. "In my experience, New York fans can actually be quite fun."

  --Field Level Media

Charlie Woods carded his second recorded hole-in-one after firing an ace on Sunday during the third and final round of the Junior Players Championship at Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

• Starting the round on the back nine, Woods was even-par through 11 holes on Sunday before he covered the par-3 third hole with one shot from 177 yards out at TPC Sawgrass.

  Woods' first ace came while he played with his famous father, Tiger Woods, at the 2024 PNC Championship.

  The 16-year-old made that shot with a 7-iron to cover the par-3, 176-yard fourth hole at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, Fla.

  --Field Level Media

Water restrictions due to drought conditions in Hawaii could put the PGA Tour's season-opening event in peril, after it was revealed this week the course that hosts the event will close for two months to spur recovery.

• Kapalua Resort in Maui, Hawaii has hosted the PGA Tour's season-opening event, the Sentry, every January since 1999. But the resort will close to golfers for 60 days starting Tuesday, Sept. 2, to address an extended stretch of water restrictions that has limited the resort's ability to water its Bay and Plantation courses properly.

  In a statement released to the press, Kapalua general manager Alex Nakajima said the decision to close "was not made lightly," noting that the decision to reopen on Nov. 1 would be revisited on Oct. 15, pending the condition of the course.

  This decision has called into question, for some observers, the viability of the parched course to host the event next Jan. 15-18.

  "Our team is making every effort to restore golf course conditions to the highest level to host The Sentry PGA Tournament in January 2026," Nakajima said.

  This is not the only way Kapalua is working to restore its courses in West Maui, which has been dealing with drought conditions for two years. Kapalua's owner, Tadashi Yanai, recently joined a lawsuit against Maui Land & Pineapple for allegedly mismanaging a ditch and stream system that transports water to the area.

  --Field Level Media

Tommy Fleetwood's dramatic Tour Championship breakthrough delivered big television ratings for NBC on Sunday.

• The network averaged 4.49 million viewers for the final round -- up 34 percent from 2024, according to the Nielsen numbers.

  England's Fleetwood claimed the FedEx Cup trophy and earned $10 million for his first victory on the PGA Tour in 164 starts.

  An audience of 3.36 million viewers tuned in to watch Scottie Scheffler capture the 2024 Tour Championship, per Front Office Sports.

  All three of the PGA Tour's playoff events saw significant ratings boosts this year for the NBC Sports platform. The final round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship on Aug. 10 was up 71 percent from last year and the final round at the BMW Championship on Aug. 17 was up 43 percent.

  --Field Level Media

Keegan Bradley stuck with the job he was assigned, resisting the role he dreamed of, and will not be a playing captain at the Ryder Cup next month.

• Bradley, 11th in the Official World Golf Ranking, announced Wednesday the six captain's picks for the Ryder Cup to complete his 12-man roster for the 2025 event at Bethpage Black. Despite a ranking ahead of captain's picks Ben Griffin (17th), Bryson DeChambeau (18th), Cam Young (20th), Patrick Cantlay (21st) and Sam Burns (22nd).

  "The decision was made a while ago that I wasn't playing," Bradley said. "This was a really tough decision. All of these guys stepped up in a major way and played their way onto the team. It was an extremely difficult decision, but one I'm really happy with. I'm really happy with these six players. I'm glad it's over."

  Bradley said he didn't take comments from Rory McIlroy to heart because no one alive has ever done it. Bradley said McIlroy's assertion it wouldn't be possible to be effective as a player and captain was never discussed with U.S. vice captains or automatic qualifiers.

  "I grew up wanting to play Ryder Cups. I grew up wanting to fight alongside these guys. It broke my heart not to play. It really did," Bradley said. "You work forever to make these teams. But ultimately I was chosen to do a job. I was chosen to be the captain of this team. My ultimate goal to start this thing was to be the best captain I could be. This is how I felt like I could do this. If it got to this point and it felt like the team was better with me on it, I was going to do that. I know 100 percent certain this was the right choice. These six guys, again, played so incredibly coming down the stretch here and made my decision a lot easier."

  Ryder Cup veteran Justin Thomas said he knows Bradley, 39, is "gutted" but took his pledge seriously to serve as the best captain above other duties.

  "Keegan said it perfectly," Thomas said. "It's going to be said so many times between now and the Ryder Cup, Keegan did and will do whatever he needs to do with the team."

  Bradley said it's "strange" his play-or-captain call received so much "hype, but the Ryder Cup is a big deal, apparently."

  --Field Level Media

U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley will not compete in the event next month, failing to include himself in the six captain's picks.

• Instead, he announced Wednesday that Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Ben Griffin, Cameron Young, Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns will join the six automatic qualifiers to represent the United States at the 45th Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in New York next month.

  "The decision was made a while ago that I wasn't playing," said Bradley, who finished No. 11 on the list of qualifiers. "The last 48 hours the team was set."

  He said the way the players he chose finished up the 2025 season made the decision easy for him.

  "All these guys stepped up in a major way and played their way onto this team," he said. "... I know 100 percent for certain this is the right choice."

  The six qualifiers are World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, J.J. Spaun, Xander Schauffele, Russell Henley, Harris English and Bryson DeChambeau.

  The team includes eight Ryder Cup veterans and four rookies -- Spaun, Henley, Griffin and Young.

  Thomas is the veteran of the group, making his fourth appearance.

  "He's the heartbeat of our team," Bradley said. "This guy was born to play Ryder Cup, especially at Bethpage Black."

  Another natural for the course is Young, a New York native who played events at the course growing up. His father, David Young, is a PGA of America pro in Westchester County, N.Y., about 60 miles from Bethpage Black.

  "To get the opportunity to represent the country and play in the Ryder Cup is something you dream of," said Young, who rated the selection to his first Ryder Cup team ahead of winning a PGA Tour event.

  "This Ryder Cup in particular, in New York, at Bethpage, is so special to me. I've been picturing the moment where I could possibly get a call and play on this team for a long, long time."

  Morikawa will be playing in his third Ryder Cup and is 3-0-1 on home soil. He said the secret to success at Bethpage is simple.

  "You have to play great golf," he said. "You have to hit great shots. You have to make putts."

  Griffin is second to Scheffler in top-10 finishes this year. He called making the roster the "biggest honor" bestowed on him in golf, adding it was an emotional conversation with Bradley -- and a call he couldn't have envisioned four years ago.

  "I don't think so. Going from a desk job, making my way back to the PGA Tour has been an incredible journey for me," Griffin said. "I appreciate the belief not only from Keegan but also the captains and other players for believing in me."

  Bradley went outside the top 12 in points to select both Young (No. 14) and Cantlay (No. 15), who will be making his third appearance. That veteran leadership is key, Bradley said.

  "This is where he thrives," Bradley said. "This is where we need him."

  Burns, Bradley said, earned his spot as the "best putter on the planet" and also because of his expertise at match play.

  The players in the top 12 not to be selected were Bradley (No. 11) and No. 10 Maverick McNealy.

  --Field Level Media