https://www.scmp.com/rss/517857/feed The latest stories and features on golfer Phil Mickelson, including professional golf news and updates. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Reuters Reuters Bryson DeChambeau addressed speculation that he could be leaving LIV Golf after this season by pledging, “As long as LIV is here, I ⁠would figure out a way for it to ⁠make sense.” DeChambeau told Flushing It Golf, in an interview ⁠published on Wednesday, that he is still working on “a potential contract” as he plays out the final season of his original LIV Golf deal. The circuit is facing questions about its future as rumours circulate that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund may be preparing... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3351084/bryson-dechambeau-not-leaving-liv-golf-working-contract-he-plays-out-final-season?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3351084/bryson-dechambeau-not-leaving-liv-golf-working-contract-he-plays-out-final-season?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 05:00:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Three-time champion Phil Mickelson withdrew from the Masters on Thursday, citing a personal health matter with his family that kept him out of all but one of the five LIV Golf events this year. Earlier in the week, Tiger Woods said Tuesday he was taking an indefinite leave to seek treatment after his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence in a March 27 crash in Florida. It will be the first time neither Woods nor Mickelson will be at the Masters since 1994, when Woods was a senior in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3348896/phil-mickelson-withdraws-masters-joins-tiger-woods-pulling-out-major?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3348896/phil-mickelson-withdraws-masters-joins-tiger-woods-pulling-out-major?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 07:00:08 +0000 Josh Ball Josh Ball There will be a full field for HSBC LIV Golf Hong Kong this week, after seven players stranded by the conflict in the Middle East finally made it to the city on Wednesday. The league had been working for several days to arrange transport for the group, which also included families, and was eventually able to get them out of the war-torn region. A source said updates on what was happening had deliberately been kept to a minimum out of care and concern for the group’s safety. And as part of an... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3345367/liv-golf-uses-jon-rahms-jet-middle-east-rescue-mission-8-players-stranded-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3345367/liv-golf-uses-jon-rahms-jet-middle-east-rescue-mission-8-players-stranded-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 06:17:07 +0000 SCMP Sport SCMP Sport LIV Golf returns to Hong Kong this week for a third time, bringing with it the usual action on and off the golf course, with the added bonus of a four-day tournament this time around. From Bryson DeChambeau hitting balls into the next district to a Dom Dolla after party and a taste of the best the city’s chefs have to offer, here are five things to look out for at Hong Kong Golf Club. On the tee The traditional Lion Dance welcome makes way for the Hong Kong Ballet this year, with Asia’s premier... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3345140/liv-golf-hong-kong-ballet-bites-bryson-no-phil-5-things-know-week?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3345140/liv-golf-hong-kong-ballet-bites-bryson-no-phil-5-things-know-week?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 15:00:08 +0000 Josh Ball Josh Ball The 2026 LIV Golf season gets under way in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday, and for Sergio Garcia it marks the start of a 27th year on tour, not that another trip around the sun has dulled the Spaniard’s desire. Garcia finished in a tie for fourth in the Bahrain Championship on the DP World Tour last weekend, a stroke behind winner Freddy Schott, and goes into his latest LIV campaign seeking another fast start. His Fireballs GC won three of the first four events of the 2025 season, in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3342229/liv-golfer-sergio-garcia-looking-be-little-bit-mentor-younger-players-tour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3342229/liv-golfer-sergio-garcia-looking-be-little-bit-mentor-younger-players-tour?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 09:31:43 +0000 SCMP Sport SCMP Sport The New Year may have been a little low key as far as sport in Hong Kong is concerned, but 2026 is promising to be just as busy as the past 12 months. Along with major events such as the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, LIV Golf and the return of the World Table Tennis Finals, there is something for almost everyone in the coming year. And while there is still no word yet on whether the hugely successful Football Festival will be back again, here are some of the events we do know about so you can... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3338401/ice-hockey-sevens-heres-some-what-lies-ahead-hong-kong-sport-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3338401/ice-hockey-sevens-heres-some-what-lies-ahead-hong-kong-sport-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 09:30:09 +0000 Hong Kong Golf Club rolled over and let LIV’s galaxy of stars tickle its belly on Friday, and if it doesn’t bare its teeth this weekend Aaron Rai’s 2018 course record is certainly for grabs. Dean Burmester and Abraham Ancer came closest to matching the Englishman’s nine-under-par 61, carding bogey-free 63s in an opening round that at one stage had 12 players tied for the lead. The pair are one clear of a chasing pack that has six players on six under, and a top 17 separated by just three... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3254728/liv-golf-hong-kong-strong-winds-may-be-fanlings-only-defence-burmester-ancer-lead-assault-course?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3254728/liv-golf-hong-kong-strong-winds-may-be-fanlings-only-defence-burmester-ancer-lead-assault-course?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Mar 2024 11:36:24 +0000 There are not many times in a professional golfer’s career when failing to win means popping open the champagne, but Andy Ogletree’s performance at the Hong Kong Open was one of those rare occasions. The 25-year-old did not even finish in the top 10 when he broke open a bottle of bubbly last November, but coming 12th sealed last year’s International Series order of merit title, paving the way for him to join Phil Mickleson’s HyFlyers GC team. Ogletree is back at Hong Kong Golf Club this week, as... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3254572/liv-golf-ogletree-believes-he-and-hyflyers-are-verge-great-things-despite-struggles-ahead-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3254572/liv-golf-ogletree-believes-he-and-hyflyers-are-verge-great-things-despite-struggles-ahead-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Mar 2024 00:00:19 +0000 LIV Golf formally withdrew its application for Official World Ranking Points accreditation on Tuesday, in a decision CEO Greg Norman said was “not taken lightly”. In a letter to players, seen by the Post, Norman said the decision had been made following consultation with the league’s board, and after 18 months of trying it was clear “the best way forward for LIV as a league and you as LIV golfers is not through the current ranking system”. The league has been working to get ranking points for... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3254294/liv-golf-formally-withdraws-bid-get-official-golf-world-ranking-status-eve-hong-kong-event?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3254294/liv-golf-formally-withdraws-bid-get-official-golf-world-ranking-status-eve-hong-kong-event?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Mar 2024 14:40:06 +0000 LIV golf boss Greg Norman would not be surprised if Hong Kong saw a little bit of history when the team competition comes to the city next month. Days after Joaquin Niemann shot a 59 at LIV’S first event of the year in Mayakoba, and Wyndham Clark managed a 60 at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Norman said the Chilean could have finished with a 57. No stranger to Hong Kong Golf Club, Norman the city’s Open in 1979 and 1983 on the composite course that will be used in March for the first LIV event in the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3251261/liv-golf-hong-kong-norman-says-59-gettable-citys-composite-course-thinks-long-season-makes-players?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3251261/liv-golf-hong-kong-norman-says-59-gettable-citys-composite-course-thinks-long-season-makes-players?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Feb 2024 13:00:14 +0000 The PGA Tour is getting a US$3 billion investment from Strategic Sports Group in a deal that would give players access to more than US$1.5 billion as equity owners in the new PGA Tour Enterprises. The launching of PGA Tour Enterprises, with SSG as a minority partner, comes eight months after the Tour signed a framework agreement with the Saudi backers of LIV Golf for a commercial venture, and ultimately led to private equity groups wanting to join. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3250484/pga-tour-strikes-us3-billion-deal-fenway-led-investment-group-players-get-equity-ownership?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3250484/pga-tour-strikes-us3-billion-deal-fenway-led-investment-group-players-get-equity-ownership?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Jan 2024 15:46:08 +0000 Tickets for LIV Golf Hong Kong have gone on sale to the general public, with organisers targeting fans across the Greater Bay Area. The tournament at Hong Kong Golf Club in March will be the circuit’s first stop of the season in Asia, with Singapore hosting LIV Golf for the second year running in May. A world-class field, including the likes of Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson, will battle it out around the composite course in Fanling between March 8 and 10. And while some players will... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3248250/liv-golf-hong-kong-tickets-go-general-sale-first-asian-stop-2024-season?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3248250/liv-golf-hong-kong-tickets-go-general-sale-first-asian-stop-2024-season?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Jan 2024 10:02:13 +0000 At the dawn of 2023, the spectre of Saudi Arabia’s growing influence on professional golf, and sport in general, served not only as a moral conundrum for players and their fans, but also, some argued, as an existential threat to the multibillion-dollar professional-sports industry itself. Twelve months later, it’s a different conversation, now virtually devoid of concern about the supposed menace of “sportswashing” and the line between “right” and “wrong,” and more fixed on just how rich the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3246350/2023-saudis-jumped-further-sports-there-no-sign-them-slowing-down-2024?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3246350/2023-saudis-jumped-further-sports-there-no-sign-them-slowing-down-2024?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Dec 2023 05:30:15 +0000 Andy Ogletree has joined Phil Mickelson’s HyFlyers GC team ahead of the new LIV Golf League season, which gets under way in Mexico in February. The American, who earned a full contract with LIV after finishing top of the Asian Tour’s International Series order of merit, replaces James Piot in a quartet that also includes Brendan Steele and Cameron Tringale. Victories in Qatar and England helped Ogletree finish more than US$500,000 ahead of his nearest rival in the series rankings, and Cho Minn... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3245558/liv-golf-phil-mickelson-completes-hyflyers-gc-roster-andy-ogletree-signing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3245558/liv-golf-phil-mickelson-completes-hyflyers-gc-roster-andy-ogletree-signing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Dec 2023 04:14:16 +0000 Lynn Farah Lynn Farah They’re famous for their impressive swings and ability to keep cool during tense moments on the course. Their golfing prowess also brings in major money, as it does in other sports. These golfing sensations have all amassed an impressive wealth portfolio, and are the richest in 2023 according to their estimated net worth. 7. Fred Couples: US$120 million The 15-time PGA Tour winner has an estimated net worth of US$120 million, per Celebrity Net Worth. The 64-year-old professional golfer and... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3244682/7-richest-pro-golfers-world-net-worths-ranked-tiger-woods-and-rory-mcilroy-jack-nicklaus-and-greg?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3244682/7-richest-pro-golfers-world-net-worths-ranked-tiger-woods-and-rory-mcilroy-jack-nicklaus-and-greg?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Dec 2023 20:00:23 +0000 Masters champion Jon Rahm jumped from the PGA Tour to Saudi-backed LIV Golf on Thursday in a big-money move that has sent another shock wave through the sport. The 29-year-old becomes the biggest name to sign on with the rebel circuit funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) since Australian Cameron Smith joined after winning the 2022 Open Championship. “I am proud to join LIV Golf and be part of something new that is bringing growth to the sport,” said Rahm, in a statement from LIV... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3244305/masters-champion-jon-rahm-sends-shock-waves-through-game-ditching-pga-tour-liv-golf?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3244305/masters-champion-jon-rahm-sends-shock-waves-through-game-ditching-pga-tour-liv-golf?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Dec 2023 01:04:46 +0000 Hong Kong is expected to score another international sporting event as part of its post-Covid recovery, with sources telling the Post the city was going to be named as one of the hosts for LIV Golf in 2024, pulling in some of the world’s best players. Landing the Saudi-backed team tournament, which has shaken up the world of golf in the past 18 months, would bring the likes of major winners Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka and Cameron Smith to the city. Hong Kong could also expect to reap bumper... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3234802/liv-golf-heading-hong-kong-2024-sources-say-bringing-worlds-best-city-three-day-event?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3234802/liv-golf-heading-hong-kong-2024-sources-say-bringing-worlds-best-city-three-day-event?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Sep 2023 10:14:15 +0000 Promising the strongest field in the tournament’s long and storied history, Hong Kong Open officials launched November’s event on Thursday by announcing that Cameron Smith would be headlining it. Taichi Kho and defending champion Wade Ormsby will also take part, and with a number of other big-name players expected to be at Hong Kong Golf Club, organisers said a “wonderful field of global stars” would be in attendance. And if the ninth stop on the International Series is anything like the ones... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3232944/liv-golfs-cam-smith-head-field-global-stars-hong-kong-open-returns-first-time-covid-19-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3232944/liv-golfs-cam-smith-head-field-global-stars-hong-kong-open-returns-first-time-covid-19-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Aug 2023 09:00:09 +0000 A lot has changed for Taichi Kho in the year since he was last on England’s northwest coast, not least in his status as a golfer. Twelve months ago, the Hongkonger was competing in The Amateur Championship and in final qualifying for The Open Championship, and not having a particularly happy time of it on the links courses. Now he’s back, a professional with an Asian Tour title already under his belt and a more philosophical view of the test that awaits him in this week’s Open at Royal Liverpool... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3228121/open-championship-hong-kongs-kho-ready-special-moment-he-looks-embrace-challenge-lies-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3228121/open-championship-hong-kongs-kho-ready-special-moment-he-looks-embrace-challenge-lies-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Jul 2023 10:55:26 +0000 Confidence has never been an issue for those responsible for LIV Golf; certainly the belief needed to take on the world’s established tours required it 13 months ago, and on the evidence of last week’s event in London it has only increased since then. Roaring successes in Adelaide and Valderrama this season, and the crowds who watched Cameron Smith win at Centurion Club in Hemel Hempstead, have given the league a very public boost, while the impending partnership between Saudi Arabia’s Public... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3227301/liv-golf-opts-policy-quiet-confidence-its-team-format-here-stay-despite-pga-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3227301/liv-golf-opts-policy-quiet-confidence-its-team-format-here-stay-despite-pga-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Jul 2023 08:54:42 +0000 Scott Vincent has no idea what the future might hold for him in LIV Golf, and he’s OK with that. With more than half the season gone, the Zimbabwean was on the edge of the protected places heading into this week’s event in England, with the top 24 players at the end of the year guaranteed to come back in 2024. Most of the rest of the field will face a battle in November or December to retain their spots, despite the uncertainty surrounding the game’s immediate future. That uncertainty has... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3227012/liv-golf-london-vincent-happy-make-most-incredible-journey-future-hangs-balance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3227012/liv-golf-london-vincent-happy-make-most-incredible-journey-future-hangs-balance?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Jul 2023 06:22:00 +0000 The PGA Tour and DP World Tour have agreed to work with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund to decide how LIV Golf players can return to the other circuits should they choose to do so. A framework agreement released to multiple media outlets in the US, also said the for-profit company to be formed by the PGA Tour and the Saudis would be the “entity for professional golf” and the tours would coexist with LIV Golf. Signed on May 30, the agreement was among documents requested by Senator Richard... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3225505/how-liv-golf-players-can-return-pga-tour-and-dp-world-tour-part-agreement-signed-saudi-arabias-pif?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3225505/how-liv-golf-players-can-return-pga-tour-and-dp-world-tour-part-agreement-signed-saudi-arabias-pif?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jun 2023 04:15:16 +0000 The region’s best golfers will gather for the Korea Open in the next few days as the Asian Tour resumes after a six-week break, with the deal to merge the PGA Tour and LIV Golf likely to still be the main topic of conversation. While rumour and self-proclaimed experts on social media have filled the large void left by a lack of information, the question of what it means for the Asian Tour, LIV Golf and the game in general remains unanswered. Such is the state of play that Jon Rahm’s brief... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3224565/pga-liv-merger-where-does-asian-tour-stand-after-deal-ended-golfs-civil-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3224565/pga-liv-merger-where-does-asian-tour-stand-after-deal-ended-golfs-civil-war?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jun 2023 07:00:10 +0000 The Asian Tour must not be sidelined in any negotiations regarding the future of golf, commissioner Cho Minn Thant said on Friday. After overseeing a rapid rise in the organisation’s standing within the game globally, the Tour has grown to the extent it could be considered on a par with its European counterpart, the DP World Tour. Much of that is down to the significant amount of money pumped into the Asian game by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which on Tuesday announced its shock... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3223593/asian-tour-boss-says-circuit-must-have-proper-seat-table-when-golfs-future-decided?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3223593/asian-tour-boss-says-circuit-must-have-proper-seat-table-when-golfs-future-decided?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jun 2023 11:43:58 +0000 The Asian Tour is now a higher priority for golfers around the world and the days when it played second fiddle to the European Tour are over, according to its CEO. Cho Minn Thant said in many ways the roles had been reversed, with players using the DP World Tour to fill gaps in their schedule rather than planning their year around those events. Calling the support from the likes of Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Jazz Janewattananond, who has played in multiple Asian Tour events this year and finished... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3218192/asian-tour-ceo-says-circuit-no-longer-playing-second-fiddle-european-rival-thinks-golfers-should?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3218192/asian-tour-ceo-says-circuit-no-longer-playing-second-fiddle-european-rival-thinks-golfers-should?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Apr 2023 23:00:25 +0000 The head of the DP World Tour wants to punish members who have competed on the Asian Tour, after a court in the UK ruled he had a right to enforce conflicting-release rules. But forcing players to chose between the two organisations could backfire on Keith Pelley, with the pathway from the Asian Tour to the riches of the LIV Golf circuit expected to expand next season. Pelley, the DPWT’s CEO, issued his threat during an interview on ‘the bunkered podcast’ in which he revelled in a legal victory... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3217639/dp-world-tour-chief-keith-pelley-threatens-asian-tour-players-sanctions-revels-court-win-over-liv?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3217639/dp-world-tour-chief-keith-pelley-threatens-asian-tour-players-sanctions-revels-court-win-over-liv?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Apr 2023 00:00:12 +0000 The International Series reached Vietnam last week, the fourth event in a season that is taking the Asian Tour to the Middle East, the UK and many places in between. Adding a tournament in St Andrews weeks after confirming that the Hong Kong Open would be one of the elevated events, means there are now 10 stops on the schedule for 2023. The expansion will not stop there, and officials have previously said they would like as many as 14 tournaments, while Cho Minn Thant, the Tour CEO, hailed the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3217266/asian-tours-growing-popularity-sign-golfs-status-quo-changing-foothold-europe-just-beginning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3217266/asian-tours-growing-popularity-sign-golfs-status-quo-changing-foothold-europe-just-beginning?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Apr 2023 00:00:17 +0000 Jon Rahm offered a sense of history – and then he went out and became part of it. The Spaniard shot a three-under-par 69 in the final round to earn his first Masters championship on a long Sunday at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta. His victory came on the 40-year anniversary of Spanish great Seve Ballesteros’ second Masters championship. April 9 also was Ballesteros’ birthday. Ballesteros captained the 1997 European team to a Ryder Cup victory in Sotogrande, Spain, something that had a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3216506/masters-jon-rahm-pulls-away-win-gives-nod-seve-ballesteros?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3216506/masters-jon-rahm-pulls-away-win-gives-nod-seve-ballesteros?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Apr 2023 02:11:31 +0000 American Brooks Koepka has his fifth major title in his sights as he heads into what will be a hectic final day showdown with Spain’s Jon Rahm at the rain-affected Masters. Koepka has a four-stroke lead over Rahm but has a marathon day ahead of him with the leading pair still having 30 holes to complete after Saturday’s third round was cut short due to rain. Should the Floridian triumph it will be his first major since the PGA Championship at Bethpage in 2019 and since he left the PGA Tour for... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3216448/masters-brooks-koepka-threatens-liv-golf-triumph-rain-sets-marathon-sunday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3216448/masters-brooks-koepka-threatens-liv-golf-triumph-rain-sets-marathon-sunday?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Apr 2023 03:49:01 +0000 John Rahm has called them laughable, Cameron Smith believes they are in danger of becoming obsolete, and Asian Tour boss Cho Minn Thant has said he was “shocked” by the way golf world ranking points were allocated this week. The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am traditionally has one of the weaker fields on the PGA Tour’s calendar, and this week the likes of Kurt Kitayama, world No 43, and Brandon Wu, world 197, are rubbing shoulders at the top of their respective leader boards with NFL quarterback Aaron... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3209100/pga-tour-pebble-beach-pro-am-highlights-shocking-state-golfs-world-ranking-system-asian-tour-boss?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3209100/pga-tour-pebble-beach-pro-am-highlights-shocking-state-golfs-world-ranking-system-asian-tour-boss?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Feb 2023 09:00:14 +0000 Matthew Cheung barely made the cut in the first Asian Tour event of the season, finishing right on the line at level par, and said he had been “holding on for dear life” during Friday’s second round of the PIF Saudi International. The 27-year-old was the last player to make it into the weekend at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club, after his one-under-par 69 left him in a tie for 57th. For a while it looked as if Cheung would easily make it to Saturday, with an eagle at 18, his ninth hole of the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3209068/saudi-international-cheung-holds-his-nerve-make-cut-ancer-keeps-narrow-lead-asian-tours-first-event?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3209068/saudi-international-cheung-holds-his-nerve-make-cut-ancer-keeps-narrow-lead-asian-tours-first-event?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Feb 2023 16:41:19 +0000 The Asian Tour has taken a step towards removing golf’s slightly stuffy image by allowing players to wear shorts during tournaments, starting at this week’s PIF Saudi International. While the PGA Tour and DP World Tour have maintained a strict dress code, LIV Golf’s more relaxed approach to the game saw the likes of Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia and Brooks Koepka get more comfortable on the course. Now, the Asian Tour’s player’s committee has adopted a similar stance, deciding that the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3209020/asian-tours-fashion-forward-approach-brings-shorts-course-new-season?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3209020/asian-tours-fashion-forward-approach-brings-shorts-course-new-season?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Feb 2023 09:55:53 +0000 Playing in the PIF Saudi International is not how Matthew Cheung expected to be spending the days leading up to his first wedding anniversary, but a late invite to the Asian Tour’s season opener changed all that. The 27-year-old had been preparing to play in a local club competition in Hong Kong this week, instead on Thursday he carded a one-over-par 71 in the first round at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club. Wife Kaitlin, meanwhile, who celebrated her birthday on Tuesday by caddying for her... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3208903/saudi-international-royal-celebration-hong-kong-pair-after-late-invite-changes-first-wedding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3208903/saudi-international-royal-celebration-hong-kong-pair-after-late-invite-changes-first-wedding?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Feb 2023 12:30:14 +0000 A fit-again Sergio Garcia has not given up on his chances of playing in this year’s Ryder Cup, but knows he will need to be one of captain Luke Donald’s picks if that is to happen. The Spaniard has won more points, 28½, than anyone in the competition’s history, and said Donald would need the strongest team available if he wanted to beat the US in Rome in September. Garcia was a member of the side that was hammered 19-9 at Whistling Straits Golf Course two years ago, a victory the Americans... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3208775/sergio-garcia-holding-ryder-cup-dream-says-europe-captain-luke-donald-will-need-his-strongest-team?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3208775/sergio-garcia-holding-ryder-cup-dream-says-europe-captain-luke-donald-will-need-his-strongest-team?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Feb 2023 17:01:14 +0000 A fired up Phil Mickelson is ready to put the embarrassment of last year behind him, and believes he is in the kind of form that made him the game’s oldest major winner in 2021. The 52-year-old plays his first tournament of the year at the PIF Saudi International this week, one of 19 in his schedule for 2023, and after an off-season of hard work is back to his college weight and in “the best shape I’ve been in for a long time”. By his own high standards, Mickelson’s performances on the course... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3208614/asian-tour-mickelson-ready-put-embarrassing-2022-behind-him-says-hes-ready-do-something-special-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3208614/asian-tour-mickelson-ready-put-embarrassing-2022-behind-him-says-hes-ready-do-something-special-year?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Jan 2023 11:30:10 +0000 It started with tennis superstar Novak Djokovic being deported from Australia and ended with Lionel Messi lifting the World Cup in Qatar, 2022 will go down as one of the more memorable years in sporting history. Russian bans dominated headlines, as did the death of cricket legend Shane Warne. While it is hard to look past Lionel Messi leading Argentina to World Cup glory as the story of the year, here is our list of the 10 stories that shaped sport in 2022. Djokovic deported Novak Djokovic flew... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3204357/2022-year-review-djokovic-deportation-messi-magic-top-10-sports-stories-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3204357/2022-year-review-djokovic-deportation-messi-magic-top-10-sports-stories-year?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Dec 2022 04:00:11 +0000 Augusta National will open their doors to LIV Golf’s biggest names, confirming that players from the breakaway tour will be eligible to compete in the 2023 Masters if they meet the established qualifying criteria. The decision will be viewed as a major victory for the Saudi-backed series with the PGA Tour having suspended players jumping across to the rebel circuit. LIV Golf has lured away some of the US-based PGA Tour’s top players with huge sums of money, leading to a simmering feud within the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3204058/liv-golf-players-eligible-2023-masters-augusta-national-chairman-honouring-tradition-having?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3204058/liv-golf-players-eligible-2023-masters-augusta-national-chairman-honouring-tradition-having?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Dec 2022 02:10:34 +0000 In a year when everything from stocks and bonds to cryptocurrencies have tumbled, an investment in Singapore’s most elite golf club stands out. The cost for an expatriate to join the 36-hole Sentosa Golf Club overlooking the Singapore Strait has more than doubled since the end of 2019 to S$840,000 ($618,000), according to brokerage Singolf Services Pte. For citizens and permanent residents, the membership price has surged to as much as S$500,000. It’s another way the city state is defying... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3203525/elite-singapore-golf-club-entry-fee-skyrockets-us618000-expats-thanks-wealthy-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3203525/elite-singapore-golf-club-entry-fee-skyrockets-us618000-expats-thanks-wealthy-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Dec 2022 04:07:40 +0000 The final round of this year’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Thailand on Sunday will be the last time several of those involved play in the tournament, with the move from it to the professional game almost a rite of passage. But that well-trodden path has become a little muddier this year, and while in the past the journey mostly led to the PGA Tour or its European counterpart, the Asian Tour – with the financial support of LIV Golf – has positioned itself as a legitimate third... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3197722/asia-pacific-amateur-championship-golfs-upheaval-offers-young-players-new-path-some-fear-influence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3197722/asia-pacific-amateur-championship-golfs-upheaval-offers-young-players-new-path-some-fear-influence?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Oct 2022 11:00:31 +0000 Six-time major winner Phil Mickelson says the breakaway Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series is a “force in the game that is not going away” after world number one Rory McIlroy expressed fear of an “irreparable” split. The LIV season concludes at the Trump National club at Doral, near Miami, this weekend with a team championship featuring an eye-watering $50 million purse. The animosity LIV’s breakaway has caused has left McIlroy worried for the game, but at the media launch for the event, Mickelson... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3197409/phil-mickelson-says-liv-not-going-away-rory-mcilroy-fears-irreparable-split?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3197409/phil-mickelson-says-liv-not-going-away-rory-mcilroy-fears-irreparable-split?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Oct 2022 04:51:35 +0000 Ratchanon “TK” Chantananuwat’s preparation for this week’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Thailand has been anything but normal. The 15-year-old has been juggling a gruelling schedule of training, fitness work, and physiotherapy – in addition to a hefty school load that has included three science tests, an English test and exams in economics and physics. On top of this are hours of extra tutoring to make up for the time he’s lost at school while playing golf with some of the best in the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3197208/liv-golf-boss-greg-norman-hails-thai-teen-star-ratchanon-tk-chantananuwat-trust-me-kid-has-got-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3197208/liv-golf-boss-greg-norman-hails-thai-teen-star-ratchanon-tk-chantananuwat-trust-me-kid-has-got-it?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Oct 2022 10:52:35 +0000 Next year’s Phoenix Open, Heritage tournament, Wells Fargo Championship and Travelers Championship will have purses boosted to US$20 million and guaranteed appearances by top golfers, the US PGA Tour announced Wednesday. The moves complete a PGA revamp to combat the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series that was announced by tour commissioner Jay Monahan in August at the Tour Championship. Star PGA players such as four-time major winner Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and top-ranked Scottie Scheffler, the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3196577/pga-boosts-2023-purses-four-events-liv-fight-revamp?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3196577/pga-boosts-2023-purses-four-events-liv-fight-revamp?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Oct 2022 04:15:10 +0000 LIV Golf has struck a strategic alliance with the Dubai-based Mena Tour in the hopes of securing Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points for its players, just days ahead of its debut event in Thailand. If approved by the OWGR, the deal, announced early on Thursday by Mena, would mean stars including Open Championship winner Cameron Smith, the No 3 player in the world, and LIV Golf Invitational Boston winner Dustin Johnson, could earn world ranking points for competing in LIV events. But in a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3195005/liv-golf-secures-world-ranking-points-under-strategic-alliance-dubai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3195005/liv-golf-secures-world-ranking-points-under-strategic-alliance-dubai?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Oct 2022 04:37:58 +0000 LIV Golf kingpin Greg Norman has said he was no longer prepared to negotiate with PGA Tour chiefs while denying the Saudi-funded circuit was a “breakaway” league. In an interview with The Australian newspaper, Norman said he had offered to meet with his US counterparts but they had repeatedly declined, instead focusing on reforming their tour to hang on to leading players. “That’s why we are where we are today,” Norman said. “We tried awfully hard, I know I did personally for the past year …... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3192541/liv-golfs-greg-norman-has-no-interest-talking-pga-tour-says-theyre?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3192541/liv-golfs-greg-norman-has-no-interest-talking-pga-tour-says-theyre?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Sep 2022 02:10:35 +0000 Open champion Cameron Smith has again refused to deny reports he has agreed to join the rebel LIV Golf Invitational Series on a reported US$100 million deal. The Telegraph has reported the world No 2 would play at LIV’s event in Boston in September. Smith declined to comment on the report as he builds for the first event of the lucrative FedExCup playoffs in Memphis this week. “You know, my goal here is to win the FedExCup Playoffs,” the 28-year-old told reporters. “That’s all I’m here for. If... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3188389/british-open-champion-cameron-smith-tight-lipped-us100m-liv-golf-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3188389/british-open-champion-cameron-smith-tight-lipped-us100m-liv-golf-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Aug 2022 07:42:22 +0000 A federal judge in California ruled Tuesday that three golfers who joined Saudi-backed LIV Golf will not be able to compete in the PGA Tour’s postseason. US District Judge Beth Labson Freeman made her decision in San Jose after lawyers for the sides each spoke for about an hour. Freeman said she did not consider the golfers faced irreparable harm because of the big money they were guaranteed by joining LIV, a key issue in the case. “There simply is no irreparable harm in this case,” PGA Tour... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3188364/federal-judge-denies-liv-golfers-bid-compete-pga-tour-playoffs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3188364/federal-judge-denies-liv-golfers-bid-compete-pga-tour-playoffs?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Aug 2022 04:24:49 +0000 Taichi Kho will resume his second round of the Mandiri Indonesia Open on Saturday morning just two shots off leader Itthipat Buranatanyarat, after another impressive performance in the Asian Tour event. The Hong Kong amateur, who is three-under-par through 14 holes and 11-under overall, lies in a three-way tie for third at Pondok Indah Golf Course, alongside Berry Henson and Minkyu Kim. Taiwan’s Chang Wei-lun sits alone in second at 12-under, although like Kho he still has to complete his second... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3187913/asian-tour-hong-kongs-taichi-kho-keeps-touch-leaders-indonesia-open?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3187913/asian-tour-hong-kongs-taichi-kho-keeps-touch-leaders-indonesia-open?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Aug 2022 13:02:00 +0000 Phil Mickelson and 10 other golfers sued the PGA Tour over its decision to suspend them for playing the new LIV Golf circuit, according to an antitrust filing on Wednesday that revealed the Hall of Famer cannot apply for reinstatement until 2024. The lawsuit was led by six-time major champion Mickelson and includes 2020 US Open winner Bryson DeChambeau, European Ryder Cup veteran Ian Poulter, Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford and Matt Jones, among others. “As part of its carefully orchestrated plan... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3187650/phil-mickelson-and-ian-poulter-among-11-liv-golfers-sue-pga-tour-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3187650/phil-mickelson-and-ian-poulter-among-11-liv-golfers-sue-pga-tour-over?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Aug 2022 03:28:38 +0000 Henrik Stenson’s decision that cost him the European Ryder Cup captaincy paid large and immediate dividends on Sunday, when he won the LIV Golf Invitational at Bedminster and picked up more than US$4 million for three days’ work. Staked to a three-shot lead going into the third and final round at Trump National, Stenson opened with a 20-foot birdie putt and never let anyone get closer than two shots the rest of the way. He closed with a 2-under 69 for a two-shot victory over Matthew Wolf (64)... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3187263/henrik-stenson-wins-liv-golf-event-and-gets-us4-million-debut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3187263/henrik-stenson-wins-liv-golf-event-and-gets-us4-million-debut?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Aug 2022 04:19:22 +0000 The 48 players in the LIV Golf League will compete in 14 tournaments with US$405 million in combined purses in 2023. Organisers announced the plans for next year on Wednesday, the day before the start of the upstart league’s third-ever tournament, this one in Bedminster, New Jersey. The controversial Saudi-backed series is holding eight tournaments with US$255 million in prize money this year, its inaugural season. Sergio Garcia to ‘hold off’ on plan to resign from DP World Tour Star players... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3186840/liv-golf-reveals-14-event-plan-us405m-purses-2023?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3186840/liv-golf-reveals-14-event-plan-us405m-purses-2023?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Jul 2022 02:11:12 +0000