This week feels like the politics of golf moving again. Rahm taking aim at the DP World Tour. Tiger dropping cryptic comeback hints. LIV’s future under the microscope. The power struggle shaping the game is far from over.
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⚔️ Rahm fires back at DP World Tour
Jon Rahm did not hold back this week in Hong Kong.
While eight LIV players accepted a new agreement with the DP World Tour, Rahm rejected it and went straight at the Tour’s demands.
The sticking point → a requirement for LIV players to commit to six DP World Tour events to keep membership.
Rahm isn’t having it.
The two-time major winner says he has spent his entire career as a dual member between tours without needing permission to play.
Now the DP World Tour wants six events, including some they will choose.
Rahm’s response was blunt.
He claims the Tour is trying to benefit from LIV players appearing in events while also penalising them.
His words were even stronger → “They’re extorting players.”
Rahm says drop the requirement back to four events and he would sign immediately.
For now, though, the standoff continues.
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🕳️ Tom Kim’s ace sends Jupiter to the playoffs
Jupiter Links produced one of the wildest finishes of the TGL season, storming back from three points down with three holes to play to beat The Bay Golf Club 9–6.
The moment of the night belonged to Tom Kim.
Trailing late, Jupiter threw the Hammer on the par-3 14th. Kim responded by landing his tee shot past the flag and spinning it back into the cup for a stunning hole-in-one.
The ace flipped the match and sent the arena into chaos, with Tiger Woods celebrating wildly as Kim fell to the ground during the celebration.
Moments later Kevin Kisner buried a 13-foot birdie putt on the final hole to seal the comeback and punch Jupiter’s ticket to the playoffs.
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🐅 Tiger drops cryptic return hint
Tiger Woods offered a rare update on his return to competitive golf during a broadcast interview at a TGL match this weekend.
Tiger was there supporting his Jupiter Links team when he was asked the question everyone wants answered → when will he return?
His response was short and classic Tiger.
“Playing the Member-Guest, I’m ready to go.”
The comment immediately sparked speculation across golf. Was he hinting a comeback is close, or just joking about a club event?
What we do know is Tiger is still working back from back surgery last October and slowly building strength again.
The most realistic return remains the 2026 Masters, now just weeks away.
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📊 Leaderboard update
PGA Tour ➜ Arnold Palmer Invitational (USA)
Tournament not yet started
DP World Tour ➜ Joburg Open (South Africa)
1st at -4: 🇫🇷 Ravetto D. 2nd at -3: 🏴 Hawksby J.
LPGA Tour ➜ Blue Bay LPGA (China)
T1 at -6: 🇰🇷 Hwang Y. M. T1 at -6: 🇨🇳 Liu M.
LIV Golf ➜ LIV Golf Hong Kong
1st at -7: 🇿🇼 Vincent S. 2nd at -6: 🇪🇸 Garcia S. |
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🇪🇺 Luke Donald staying on as Ryder Cup captain
Luke Donald will remain European Ryder Cup captain for the 2027 matches.
After leading Europe to back-to-back victories in Italy and the United States, Donald has decided to stay on and chase more Ryder Cup history.
No European captain has ever won three Ryder Cups in a row.
Donald first took the role in 2023 after Henrik Stenson lost the captaincy following his move to LIV Golf.
Europe responded with wins in Rome and New York, cementing Donald as one of the most successful captains in modern Ryder Cup history.
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🚨 Pavan says walking again feels like a miracle
DP World Tour winner Andrea Pavan says it feels like a “miracle to be able to walk” after falling three stories down an open lift shaft in South Africa.
The accident happened before the South African Open when lift doors opened at his accommodation but there was no lift car in the shaft.
Pavan suffered serious shoulder damage and fractures to several vertebrae, requiring major surgery.
The 36-year-old has now been discharged from hospital and will remain in South Africa for around five weeks of rehabilitation.
The two-time DP World Tour winner says the road to recovery is long, but being able to walk and do basic activities again is already a huge step forward.
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🏌️ What comes next for LIV Golf?
We enjoyed a BBC article this week looking at the future of LIV Golf after the departures of Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed.
Koepka became the first major LIV star to return to the PGA Tour, reportedly accepting heavy financial penalties to do so. Reed has also confirmed plans to return to traditional tours.
The big question now is whether others follow.
For now Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith say they remain committed to LIV, but the league’s long-term future may hinge on whether its biggest names stay.
LIV continues to insist the project is moving in the right direction with a 72-hole format, global events and younger audiences.
But with the PGA Tour strengthening financially and Saudi investment reportedly under review, the next few seasons could prove decisive for golf’s most disruptive league.
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Rahm taking on the DP World Tour. Tiger dropping comeback hints. LIV’s future being questioned.
That’s where the game stands this week. Got a take on what matters most? Hit reply and let us know. We read every message.
Team Zire
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