Charlie Woods, the son of legendary golfer Tiger Woods, had his own iconic golf moment at the PNC Championship on Sunday when he made his first ever hole-in-one.
Charlie, 15, delivered the first ace of his young career on the par-3 fourth hole at the Ritz-Carlton Club Orlando during the final round of the tournament, which the father and son duo entered the day leading.
After teeing off, Charlie walked away seemingly satisfied with his shot. That was until the crowds began cheering, signaling that he had nailed a hole-in-one.
Woods, also in disbelief, embraced his son with a big hug as he shouted, "Yeah!"
This weekend marks the fifth straight year Woods and his son are playing the 36-hole tournament. It is also Woods’ first tournament since having his sixth lower back surgery in September.
They continue to share the lead through the front nine on Sunday.
Kai Trump, the granddaughter of President-elect Trump, had a little fun on the golf course when she interviewed two-time Masters winner Scottie Scheffler during the LIV-PGA showdown on Tuesday
Speaking with Scheffler ahead of his and Rory McIlroy’s exhibition match against LIV Golf stars Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka, Kai asked Scheffler about his May 2024 arrest when he was charged with several offenses, including second-degree assault of a police officer.
The incident took place as Scheffler was attempting to enter Valhalla Golf Club, site of the PGA Championship, before the second round on May 17.
Kai began the interview asking, "Scottie, you’re too nice, but how was jail?"
"You know, honestly, it was a bit boring," he said with a laugh. "There’s not really much to do in there. I was in a cell by myself and just kind of sitting in there looking at the walls. So, it was a little boring."
Kai, who has captivated golf fans with her vlogs on YouTube following Trump’s successful bid for the White House, then made a lighthearted joke at the expense of Tiger Woods, who had his own run-in with law in 2017.
"I mean, orange is not a bad color though – on you, honestly. You pulled it off just like Tiger Woods," she joked.
Scheffler quipped back, "I prefer the burnt orange a little bit more than the jail cell orange."
The charges stemming from Scheffler’s arrest were later dropped. An internal investigation also found that three Louisville Metro Police officers violated police policy when they failed to have their bodycams activated.
Detective Bryan Gillis received "corrective action" for his role.
Police were investigating the death of a volunteer, who was hit by a bus just outside the golf course, when the Scheffler incident occurred.
Rory McIlroy and Charles Barkley had some playful banter while the Northern Irishman participated in "The Showdown" golf match with Scottie Scheffler against LIV Golf stars Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka.
As McIlroy walked down the fairway, Barkley asked how much he eats during a round. McIlroy was eating a power bar while the Basketball Hall of Famer chatted with him.
Barkley laughed and responded that he was on a diet.
For what it’s worth, the former Philadelphia 76ers star has admitted to taking Mounjaro to help with his weight loss and deal with Type 2 diabetes. Mounjaro, which is a brand name for tirzepatide, helps with weight loss by curbing appetite and improving how the body breaks down sugar and fat.
"I started at 352 [pounds] and I’m down to 290," Barkley has said previously. "I’m starting to feel like a human being, not a fat a-- anymore."
McIlroy and Scheffler ended up defeating their LIV Golf counterparts. They only needed 14 holes to do it.
The format was one point for a six-hole four-ball match, one point for a six-hole foursomes match and one point each for singles over the last six holes.
"I'd love to have another opportunity," DeChambeau said. "It was a bit of a pillow fight for us."
McIlroy and Scheffler each won $5 million in paid cryptocurrency.
Fox News' Scott Thompson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy were taking on Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka in a two-on-two in Las Vegas Tuesday.
The latter two players defected from the PGA Tour to LIV about 2½ years ago, and McIlroy long lamented the players who had done so before recently doing an about-face.
Leading up to the match, DeChambeau cracked a joke about McIlroy's choke job at the U.S. Open as the two shared the driving range together.
McIlroy bogeyed three of his final four holes and missed two putts that were both inside of three feet. DeChambeau took advantage with his legendary bunker save to win his second U.S. Open.
McIlroy admitted he wanted to "go up against Bryson and try to get him back for what he did to me at the U.S. Open."
"Well, to be fair, you kind of did it to yourself," DeChambeau replied.
The event features a combined 13 major championship victories from the four golfers — five from Koepka, four from McIlroy and two apiece from Scheffler and DeChambeau.
Scheffler and DeChambeau were paired up with one another for last year's Ryder Cup on Team USA.
Bryson DeChambeau pulled off one of the great golf shots after his up-and-down from the bunker on 18 at Pinehurst No. 2 this summer to win the U.S. Open — but he knows he got some help.
McIlroy bogeyed three of his final four holes and missed two putts that were both inside of three feet. DeChambeau took advantage with his legendary bunker save to win his second U.S. Open.
The two golfers will be on the links on Tuesday in the "LIV vs. PGA" edition of "The Match," where frenemies DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka will team up against McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler.
McIlroy and DeChambeau hit the range beside one another earlier this week, where McIlroy admitted he wanted to "go up against Bryson and try to get him back for what he did to me at the U.S. Open."
DeChambeau, though, didn't let him slide that easily.
"Well, to be fair, you kind of did it to yourself," DeChambeau hit back.
McIlroy took the crack on the chin as the crowd burst out in laughter.
In speaking with Fox News Digital over the summer, Dechambeau couldn't help but admit that he thought about that day at Pinehurst "every day."
"The bunker shot is amazing, but there’s a couple shots I hit during the course of that week. The back of No. 8, I hit it over the green twice, and I get up-and-down twice. I win the tournament because of that," DeChambeau told Fox News Digital back in August. "If I don’t get that up-and-down, I may not win the tournament. It’s actually the culmination of the whole week and how things progressed that led to it being such a memorable week."
"You never want to lose a championship that way. You want to see someone make a putt and do something crazy and cool. But I can tell you, there was a battle between us. It was definitely LIV vs. PGA for sure," DeCheambeau added.
Had DeChambeau not knocked down that par putt on 18, DeChambeau and McIlroy would have faced off in the first aggregate playoff in U.S. Open history.
Well, maybe McIlroy can get some sort of revenge this week at Shadow Creek.
"Finally a little common sense," Mickelson wrote in a post on X. "There never should have been a trial. He should be commended for selfless actions to protect the other passengers and those who brought charges should be out of a job."
Penny, a 26-year-old Marine veteran and architecture student, was charged with manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide for the subway chokehold death of Neely, a 30-year-old homeless man with schizophrenia who barged onto the train shouting death threats while high on a type of synthetic marijuana known as K2.
In a statement, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office secured charges against Penny with a grand jury indictment after police had questioned and released him in connection with the incident, said he would respect the jury's decision. However, he also condemned "unacceptable" behavior that he said had targeted his prosecutors.
"Unfortunately, over the duration of this trial, talented career prosecutors and their family members were besieged with hate and threats – on social media, by phone and over email," he said. "Simply put, this is unacceptable, and everyone, no matter your opinion on this case, should condemn it."
Mickelson also expressed his support for Penny earlier in the day.
"If a deranged individual threatens to kill you let’s hope there’s a Daniel Penny around," he wrote on X in part.
Fox News’ Michael Ruiz and Grace Taggart contributed to this report.
LIV Golf star Phil Mickelson wrote out his "random thoughts" on social media on Sunday night, apparently while watching the Kansas City Chiefs’ win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Mickelson’s X post included another take on Daniel Penny.
"Random thoughts Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth are great in the booth. ‘Day of the Jackal’ is an incredible show," he wrote.
"If a deranged individual threatens to kill you let’s hope there’s a Daniel Penny around."
A New York jury dismissed a manslaughter charge against Penny on Friday afternoon. The jury is set to deliberate a lesser charge this week.
Mickelson had thoughts on Penny after the initial verdict came in last week.
"Thank you Daniel for serving your country and for protecting the many passengers whose lives were threatened by this violent and deranged individual," he wrote on X.
Mickelson agreed that Penny was a "model citizen" who should be praised instead of vilified.
The jury in the Penny case was initially deadlocked and told the judge they could not reach a unanimous decision.
The judge initially ruled the jury could not deliberate on the second charge unless they found Penny not guilty of manslaughter for some reason other than that the chokehold was justified. However, after jurors said they were deadlocked a second time, Assistant Manhattan District Attorney Dafna Yoran asked to have the most serious charge dismissed to allow the jury to debate the lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide, which carries a maximum punishment of four years in prison.
The charge requires prosecutors to prove Penny acted with recklessness when he grabbed Jordan Neely in a chokehold. Neely barged onto the train while high on drugs, threatening to kill passengers during a psychotic episode, according to trial testimony.
Neely was a 30-year-old with schizophrenia who said someone was going to "die today" and that he did not care about going to prison for life. Penny grabbed him from behind in a chokehold to halt the outburst.
Neely later died. He had an active arrest warrant at the time. He was high on K2, a synthetic marijuana drug that functions as a stimulant, and his lengthy criminal record included an alleged 2021 assault on a 67-year-old woman at another subway station.
The 54-year-old golfer shared a post from political commentator Collin Rugg on X that called Penny a "model citizen…that every mayor of every city should want more of," a "hero" and a "breed of young men who are becoming less and less common."
Before the most serious charge was dismissed, Penny was on trial for second-degree manslaughter for killing Jordan Neely after placing him in a chokehold on a subway.
Neely died later on.
Mickelson agreed with Rugg's words.
"Agree. Thank you Daniel for serving your country and for protecting the many passengers whose lives were threatened by this violent and deranged individual," Mickelson wrote.
Despite the jury being deadlocked, the judge sent jurors back to deliberate more Friday morning, but they told the court shortly after 3 p.m. they still could not reach a unanimous decision.
The judge initially ruled the jury could not deliberate on the second charge unless they found Penny not guilty of manslaughter for some reason other than that the chokehold was justified. However, after jurors said they were deadlocked a second time, Assistant Manhattan District Attorney Dafna Yoran asked to have the most serious charge dismissed to allow the jury to debate the lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide, which carries a maximum punishment of four years in prison.
The charge requires prosecutors to prove Penny acted with recklessness when he grabbed Jordan Neely in a chokehold. Neely barged onto the train while high on drugs, threatening to kill passengers during a psychotic episode, according to trial testimony.
Neely was a 30-year-old with schizophrenia who said someone was going to "die today" and that he didn't care about going to prison for life. Penny grabbed him from behind in a chokehold to halt the outburst.
Neely later died. He had an active arrest warrant at the time. He was high on K2, a synthetic marijuana drug that functions as a stimulant, and his lengthy criminal record included an alleged 2021 assault on a 67-year-old woman at another subway station.
The jury will break for the weekend and deliberate on a lesser charge, criminally negligent homicide, on Monday.
The LPGA's new rule that bans post-puberty biological males from pro women's golf competition has been widely celebrated by women's sports activists after it was passed this week.
However, it has also earned gripes from transgender golfer Hailey Davidson, who spoke out against the ban in an Instagram story on Thursday and claimed the LPGA did not seek Davidson's input on the decision.
Davidson's participation resulted in one of the sport's first bans of a trans athlete earlier in March and provided evidence that doing so might be met with more praise than backlash.
This happened after venture capitalist Stuart McKinnon purchased and took control of the NXXT Golf Tour in January 2023, when Davidson was already a participant.
"I was advised that Hailey was a transgender, and I asked Hailey for some proof of verification that there's eligibility to play, and I had a partnership with the LPGA, so I'm following their rules, and I was provided with a letter from the USGA (United States Golf Association) and a letter from the LPGA by Hailey stating that Hailey was qualified to play in USGA and LPGA sanctioned events," McKinnon said during an X spaces conversation on Thursday with the Independent Council on Women's Sports.
McKinnon learned that trans athletes were very much permitted to participate in the tour he had just purchased. It was a purchase he had made because he wanted to create more opportunities for women's golfers, he said. However, Davidson became a part of that investment because of the institutional rules protecting trans athletes.
"I'm trying to help these ladies and I didn't want to break the rules with the LPGA because, ultimately, I was afraid," McKinnond said, adding that his specific fear was that of the tour's players missing out on exemptions to qualify for other LPGA events.
McKinnon had to watch Davidson finish first place on the tour this past January, marking Davidson's third first-place finish at the event. The win put Davidson in the race to earn an Epson Tour exemption, which is the developmental tour of the LPGA Tour. The top 10 players of the Epson Tour graduate to the LPGA Tour.
After watching Davidson perform up close on the tour he had purchased, McKinnon had come to the belief that it was not fair.
"Davidson won an event… I wasn't at the event, but I was dialed in, hearing what was going on, and Hailey started to dominate," McKinnon said. "As a father of five daughters, I'm here to protect my daughters and protect females, and I can tell you, like, I'm the type of father, if I was watching my daughter playing soccer and there was a male that was playing against her, and he was 240 lbs, barreling down the field, I would have gone on the field and I would have stopped it.
"It's something that can cause, in certain sports, physical damage to a player. In this case, it's not the case in golf, but we clearly felt there was an advantage for Hailey Davidson."
McKinnon and NXXT banned Davidson from the tour in March. It was a landmark moment for the fight against trans inclusion in women's golf and sparked national controversy. At the time, Davidson was second in the mini tour’s season standings.
McKinnon simply could not stand to watch Davidson and the golfer's overpowering swings on his tour anymore.
"Hailey would spew off some things on social media, ‘I only hit it 255' or whatever the number is, and I can unequivocally tell you that that's incorrect," McKinnon said. "Our team was behind Hailey, I could say, I was told once, dead into the wind, 25 an hour and clocked at 269 [mph]. So it's not 255."
McKinnon and his colleagues at NXXT began to consult with scientists and experts about a case to ban Davidson from the tour. McKinnon said he sent out an anonymous poll to all the tour's players about what they would like to see happen with Davidson.
McKinnon said the poll had to be anonymous because players were fearful of answering with their names because they were scared they would be "canceled." He also claims the anonymous responses were "overwhelmingly" in favor of making a change regarding Davidson's eligibility.
"I sat down with my family, I sat down with all of my daughters and said ‘We’re in this together or not. We potentially will get a lot of backlash, a lot of hatred, people will be against us for this,' and we decided we needed to do what we felt was the right thing, and we did it.," McKinnon said.
However, McKinnon says the decision did not prompt the backlash he warned his daughters about.
"We didn't get sued yet, and we didn't get the negative backlash, it was minimal at best, our lawyers were astonished how much little backlash there was, and it was a lot of love and support," McKinnon said.
McKinnon went on to commend the LPGA for following his lead and passing their recent rule, insisting that it took more courage for the LPGA to do it over his lead because the association had to weigh the possibility of losing sponsorship deals, which it hasn't yet.
Multiple women's golfers have come forward to praise and celebrate the LPGA's rule change on Wednesday that bars post-pubescent males from competing against females in pro competition.
The Independent Women's Forum released a press release in which several women golfers spoke in favor of the ruling later on Wednesday. These golfers include Lauren Miller, Hannah Arnold, Dana Fall and Amy Olson.
Miller said that she and female colleagues in pro golf have said "no more" to the issues of competing against biological males with the statement.
"This announcement from the LPGA and USGA gives me hope for the future of women’s golf," Miller said. "The movement of female professional golfers was essential and has been heard — we’ve stood up and said, ‘No more’. By acknowledging the distinctions between men and women, golf leadership is uniting with us in their desire to champion women and girls by restoring a space that prioritizes fair competition. Today, women have won."
Olson, meanwhile, insisted that the biological differences between men and women should be acknowledged in sports.
"This is a positive step forward, recognizing that an individual’s chromosomes affect their physical development in ways that are irreversible," Olson said.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Davidson for comment but has not received a response.
Golf influencer Paige Spiranac learned a lesson today: Stay far away from making a memecoin.
Haliey Welch, better known on social media as "Hawk Tuah Girl," has capitalized on her recent fame in numerous ways, but her latest attempt crashed and burned before it could even take off.
Welch launched her own cryptocurrency on Wednesday, and it had a pretty good surge just hours into the launch, hitting a market cap of $490 million, according to Cointelegraph, which cited data from DexScreener.
"If I’ve learned anything, it’s to never release a memecoin," the post said.
Bubblemaps, a site that analyzes data from the blockchain, found a few people owned the vast majority of Hawk, which led to controversy about "snipers," or investors who move quickly to buy a majority of new meme tokens when they launch.
Welch spoke about it on X, saying her team "tried to stop snipers as best we could through high fees in the start of launch," adding her insiders on the project had not "sold one token."
The 22-year-old overnight celebrity told Fortune that Hawk was not meant to be a "cash grab." She said that while she used to view cryptocurrency as a scam, she changed her mind because it’s a "fun way to get my fans to interact."
Multiple women's golfers came forward to praise and celebrate the LPGA's rule change on Wednesday that bars post-pubescent males from competing against females in pro competition.
The organization said in a news release that male players who have gone through male puberty are barred from competing in the LPGA Tour, Epson Tour, Ladies European Tour and all other elite LPGA competitions. The new rule will go into effect for the 2025 season.
"Players assigned male at birth and who have gone through male puberty are not eligible to compete in the aforementioned events," the organization said. "The policies governing the LPGA’s recreational programs and non-elite events utilize different criteria to provide opportunities for participation in the broader LPGA community."
The International Women's Forum (IWF) released a press release in which several women golfers spoke in favor of the ruling later on Wednesday. These golfers include Lauren Miller, Hannah Arnold, Dana Fall, and Amy Olson.
Miller said that she and female colleagues in pro golf have said "no more" to the issues of competing against biological males with the statement.
"This announcement from the LPGA and USGA gives me hope for the future of women’s golf," Miller said. "The movement of female professional golfers was essential and has been heard — we’ve stood up and said, ‘No more’. By acknowledging the distinctions between men and women, golf leadership is uniting with us in their desire to champion women and girls by restoring a space that prioritizes fair competition. Today, women have won."
Olson, meanwhile, insisted that the biological differences between men and women should be acknowledged in sports.
"This is a positive step forward, recognizing that an individual’s chromosomes affect their physical development in ways that are irreversible," Olson said.
Fall said that Wednesday's announcement indicates that "women do matter" in sports.
"Today’s policy announcement is a huge win for women and girls in sports. The LPGA and USGA, the premiere bodies which dictate the rules of women’s golf, are standing up for fairness and the integrity of our sport. Today, the message sent to women is that we do matter, and they are working to return equal opportunity and protect fair sport for female athletes," Fall said.
Still, the announcement was not meant with unanimous praise. Liberals and trans rights activists have criticized the new rule.
Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson spoke out against the new rule, as it will likely prevent Davidson from competing in the LPGA moving forward.
"Can’t say I didn’t see this coming. Banned from the Epson and LPGA," Davidson wrote in an Instagram Stories post. "All the silence and people wanting to stay ‘neutral’ thanks for absolutely nothing. This happened because of all your silence.
"And somehow people are surprised the suicide rate for transgender people is around 50%. Situations just like this are part of the reason."
A female golfer who competed against Davidson, Olivia Schmidt, made a plea to the LPGA to ban trans athletes like Davidson during an appearance at the Independent Women's Forum in November.
"The bottom line is we can fight this all we want, but the true change comes from the LPGA. They are the only ones with the power to stop it. It’s up to them to protect us," she said.
"I want my kids one day to chase their dreams and not have these distractions in their way. I’m just praying that [the policy] gets changed, and I’m praying that we can find a way to kind of find some common ground in that and hopefully for the next generation of golfers."
Now, the LPGA has fulfilled that wish for all of its female competitors and fans.
Hailey Davidson, the transgender golfer who hoped to break into the professional ranks, reacted on social media as the LPGA Tour updated its gender-eligibility policy on Wednesday.
Davidson competed on the NXXT Tour before the organization altered its gender-participation rules and was booted off. Now, Davidson’s possible path to the LPGA or Epson Tours has been closed. Davidson competed in Q School in the fall in hopes of getting an LPGA Tour card.
"Can’t say I didn’t see this coming. Banned from the Epson and LPGA," Davidson wrote in an Instagram Stories post. "All the silence and people wanting to stay ‘neutral’ thanks for absolutely nothing. This happened because of all your silence.
"And somehow people are surprised the suicide rate for transgender people is around 50%. Situations just like this are part of the reason."
The LPGA Tour said in a news release that male players who have gone through male puberty are barred from competing in the LPGA Tour, Epson Tour, Ladies European Tour and all other elite LPGA competitions.
"Players assigned male at birth and who have gone through male puberty are not eligible to compete in the aforementioned events," the organization said. "The policies governing the LPGA’s recreational programs and non-elite events utilize different criteria to provide opportunities for participation in the broader LPGA community."
The announcement came after two pro golfers and a retired player called on the organization to change its rules.
"Golf offers opportunities for all athletes to compete at professional and elite amateur levels," the LPGA Tour said. "Individual competitions are generally categorized as ‘women’s events,’ which have specific eligibility requirements, or ‘open events,’ where any player, regardless of sex, is eligible to compete."
Outgoing LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan said the policy change is based on science.
"Our policy is reflective of an extensive, science-based and inclusive approach," Marcoux Samaan said. "The policy represents our continued commitment to ensuring that all feel welcome within our organization, while preserving the fairness and competitive equity of our elite competitions."
The LPGA Tour on Wednesday updated its gender-eligibility policy, which will go into effect at the start of the 2025 season.
The organization said in a news release that male players who have gone through male puberty are barred from competing in the LPGA Tour, Epson Tour, Ladies European Tour and all other elite LPGA competitions.
"Players assigned male at birth and who have gone through male puberty are not eligible to compete in the aforementioned events," the organization said. "The policies governing the LPGA’s recreational programs and non-elite events utilize different criteria to provide opportunities for participation in the broader LPGA community."
The announcement came after two pro golfers and a retired player called on the organization to change its rules.
"Golf offers opportunities for all athletes to compete at professional and elite amateur levels," the LPGA Tour said. "Individual competitions are generally categorized as ‘women’s events,’ which have specific eligibility requirements, or ‘open events,’ where any player, regardless of sex, is eligible to compete."
Outgoing LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan said the policy change is based on science.
"Our policy is reflective of an extensive, science-based and inclusive approach," Marcoux Samaan said. "The policy represents our continued commitment to ensuring that all feel welcome within our organization, while preserving the fairness and competitive equity of our elite competitions."
The LPGA Tour saw a shakeup in leadership this week when Mollie Marcoux Samaan announced she will be stepping down as commissioner next month, and Liz Moore will be taking over in the interim.
Marcoux Samaan has served as the tour commissioner since May 2021 and introduced record prize money to the organization, but faced criticism for the tour not seeing an increase in popularity during a rise in women’s sports. Moore has been the chief legal and technology officer.
The LPGA Tour nearly had a major controversy on its hands when it came to trans inclusion in women’s sports. Hailey Davidson, a transgender women’s golfer, participated in Q School in hopes of acquiring an LPGA Tour card. Davidson had been removed from the NXXT Tour due to its policy to ban transgender athletes from competing against the gender they identify as.
Two professional women’s golfers and one retired pro hoped the LPGA Tour would take initiative and enact a policy to prevent transgender athletes from competing against biological females on the tour.
"My hope is the next LPGA commissioner has the courage and boldness to do what is best for not only its current members but the future of women’s golf through emphasizing fairness by keeping women’s golf female!" pro golfer Lauren Miller, who is also an ambassador for the Independent Women’s Forum, said Wednesday in a news release.
Pro golfer Hannah Arnold hoped that the organization would get leadership that is focused on the player.
"We need leadership who emphasizes player first and tour second," Arnold, who is also an IWF ambassador, said in a news release. "Naturally it’s the ladies professional golf tour for a reason. It’s our responsibility to hold leadership accountable to the players. I’m hoping the tour leads with a player first mentality going forward."
Amy Olson, an IWF ambassador who recently retired from the LPGA, applauded Marcoux Samaan for increasing pay on the tour, but the next leader needed to make sure what the "L" in LPGA stood for.
"Mollie has been a fierce advocate for increasing pay for LPGA players. One of the most crucial issues the next leader will need to provide clarity on is what the L’ in LPGA means," Olson added.
Each of the golfers were among those who signed a letter to the LPGA Tour demanding the organization acknowledge the male advantage when it comes to golf between the two genders.
The letter also requested that the LPGA Tour "establish and enforce the right of female professional golfers to participate in women’s golf based on sex-eligibility must be limited to members of the female sex."
The LPGA Tour has a gender policy. It allows transgender golfers to participate as long as sex-reassignment surgery is done after puberty and hormone therapy requirements have been met.
Golfweek reported it obtained a memo from Marcoux Samaan in August, which said the LPGA Tour and Epson Tour will conclude a review of its gender policy by the end of the year, when changes, if any, will be implemented before the start of next season.
Fox News’ Scott Thompson contributed to this report.
Golf legend Tiger Woods has a goal of competing on the PGA Tour at least once a month, but he admitted Tuesday at the Hero World Challenge he’s not close to doing so.
Woods spoke with reporters prior to the event in the Bahamas, where he said he has a "long way to go" before he returns to the tour after another back surgery.
Woods underwent microdecompression surgery, which he hopes can help him get strong enough to play on the PGA Tour at least once a month.
Woods said he was hurting badly toward the end of this year’s season, to the point he knew he needed to do something to help himself get back to normal.
"I didn’t think my back was going to go like it did this year," he said, via Yahoo Sports. "It was quite painful throughout the end of the year and, hence, I had another procedure done to it to alleviate the pain I had going down my leg.
"So, whether my commitment going forward is once a month, yeah, I could say that all over again, but I truly don’t know."
Woods added that, for now, continuing to rehab and get stronger is the top priority. Once he feels like he can start swinging a golf club up to his standards, he will consider playing again.
The Tiger Woods Foundation benefits from the Hero World Challenge, which is why the 15-time major winner is in the Bahamas despite announcing last week he wouldn’t be participating in the field.
"I’m still not there," Woods said of being "tournament sharp." "And these are 20 of the best players in the world, and I’m not sharp enough to compete against them at this level."
Woods did battle through injury, but he was able to accomplish a small milestone this year, competing in all four majors for the first time since 2020. He finished 60th at the Masters, though he missed the cut at the PGA Championship, U.S. Open and The Open.
Other than those events, Woods competed in the Genesis Invitational in February, but he withdrew from the tournament midway through his second round.
Woods will turn 49 at the end of this month, but he told reporters "the fire still burns to compete."
Golf fans will wait patiently, hoping Woods can get back on the course next year.
After Hailey Davidson once again attempted to get an LPGA card, a golfer who competed against Davidson wants rule changes.
Olivia Schmidt was highlighted at the Independent Women's Forum in a recent video this week. The video was titled "Tee Time: Keep Women's Golf Female."
"I think that when you have a big organization that only protects one person compared to 400 others, that says a lot about who they are and how they handle themselves," Schmidt said in the video. "They’re protecting the few among the many."
The LPGA currently allows transgender athletes who have undergone hormone therapy to compete against biological women. That rule allows Davidson to participate in events in which Davidson tries to gain professional status on the women's tour.
Schmidt wants those rules nixed.
"The bottom line is we can fight this all we want, but the true change comes from the LPGA," she said. "They are the only ones with the power to stop it. It’s up to them to protect us."
Smidt added, "I want my kids one day to chase their dreams and not have these distractions in their way. I’m just praying that [the policy] gets changed, and I’m praying that we can find a way to kind of find some common ground in that and hopefully for the next generation of golfers."
Close to 300 players opposed Davidson's inclusion in the LPGA qualifying; Davidson failed to make it past the second stage, finishing in 95th out of 190 golfers.
Davidson has been open about transition and defended being able to qualify to turn pro.
"Every year I have played at Q School, the players have gotten longer and longer to where I was being outdriven by 40 yards consistently in the final round yesterday by one player," Davidson wrote in an Instagram post in August. "Honestly I love seeing it though, especially since their [sic] is this massive lie out there that I am outdriving everyone, which is just so very far from the truth and reality."
"Clearly conservative media needs to give these amazing female athletes WAY more credit rather than belittle them and their capabilities all in an attempt to attack transgender athletes."
LIV Golf star Bryson DeChambeau was among those who went to Texas to watch SpaceX CEO Elon Musk last week.
DeChambeau was with President-elect Donald Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and several others as SpaceX scientists sought to push the rocket to the max in order to learn more about heat shields and which shields and configurations may perform best, among other things.
The two-time major champion appeared on Trump’s granddaughter Kai Trump’s vlog during the rocket launch. She posted the highlights of her time at the event on Tuesday.
"I want to do that so badly," DeChambeau said of his aspirations to go to space. "I would literally cry for probably a good couple hours. Being up there and looking at the Earth."
DeChambeau also joked he would design a special golf club for Kai Trump, who verbally committed to play for the Miami Hurricanes.
"I’ll design a rocket ship golf club with boosters on the back so it would increase your swing speed … just for you," he said.
DeChambeau had tightened his ties with the current president-elect over the summer. Trump appeared on his golf channel.
DeChambeau told Fox News Digital at the time he had no regrets about it.
"There’s always risk associated to that. But from my perspective, it was focused on entertainment," DeChambeau said to Fox News Digital back in August at Maridoe Golf Club, the site of the LIV Golf Team Championship. "We can talk about politics — that’s a whole different conversation, something that I was not trying to do on my YouTube channel. It was solely on providing great entertainment."
President-elect Trump even invited DeChambeau on stage shortly after winning the election. He sported a "Make America Great Again" hat, walked on stage but did not speak.
The new golf season is upon us, and already it isn't the best start for Tiger Woods.
The 48-year-old announced Monday he will not be playing in the Hero World Challenge, which he hosts every year, after yet another back surgery in September.
Woods wrote on X, though, that he would fulfill his hosting duties at the Bahamas tournament.
Missing the event won't harm Woods in the standings. The tournament is considered an unofficial event and does not offer FedEx Cup points or prize money.
The 2024 season was a nightmare for Woods. He played in five tournaments, including all four majors, yet made the cut in just two of them. He missed the cut in the PGA Championship, U.S. Open and Open Championship, while finishing in last at the Masters (not including those who missed the cut or withdrew).
Since the 2022 Masters, Woods has competed in just 10 events. The only non-major he has played in has been the Genesis Invitational, which he hosts at Riviera. He withdrew from that tournament this year.
It's been a tough stretch for Woods, who, in 14 majors since winning the green jacket in 2019, has failed to muster a top 20 finish. It’s his longest such streak since failing to finish in the top 20 in the first six majors of his career in 1995 and 1996. In his last 26 majors, he has four top 20 finishes.
After missing the cut at Royal Troon, it marked the second time Woods had ever missed three consecutive major cuts. In his last 36 majors, he has missed 13 cuts with just six top 10 finishes and another 13 finishes outside the top 20 and two withdrawals.
Woods is tied with Sam Snead for the most wins in tour history with 82. His 15 majors rank second behind Jack Nicklaus' 18. Woods turns 49 next month.
Golf influencer Paige Spiranac came to the defense of pop star Sabrina Carpenter after the singer came under fire on social media over her sexuality while keeping a mostly female audience.
Carpenter has made viral moments over the course of the year for doing sexual poses during her performance of the song "Juno" while on tour. One user on X pointed out how Carpenter is able to keep her base while wearing essentially lingerie during her sets.
Spiranac, who has also faced backlash for her attire while on the golf course, defended Carpenter.
"I dislike how women pick and choose when it’s okay to support other women for embracing their sexuality depending on if it appears to be for the female or male gaze," Spiranac wrote in a post on X. "Women should be able to embrace their sexuality if that’s what makes them feel empowered.
"One shouldn’t be called a genius while the other is called an attention whore for doing the same exact thing."
Spiranac added that the problem was not about her.
"This isn’t really even about me. It’s a constant theme I keep seeing with other women too," she added.
The golfer has routinely fired back at negative comments about her appearance.
"I was a gymnast before I switched into golf," the former All-Mountain West Conference golfer said. "I was so comfortable wearing spandex and very little of it because that's just what you wear when you're wearing a leotard, and you're competing. When I switched into golf, we were struggling a little bit financially, and so I didn't have the luxury to go out and buy a whole new golf-appropriate wardrobe. And so, I wore what was in my closet, which was workout clothes. That's just how I learned to play the game."
Spiranac said she considers golfers athletes and wondered "why don’t we dress like athletes?"
She remarked about Lucas Glover sweating through his clothes during a PGA Tour event as why golfers should be able to wear what they are comfortable with. LIV golfers, for instance, are allowed to wear shorts during their competitions.
"That was always my mindset when I got into golf, and it really rubs people the wrong way, which is shocking," she said. "They'll have really intense discussions over if they should wear shorts or pants or a blade collar or a real collar, and I'm just out here just in tank tops or spandex and people are like 'What are you doing?' But I love it.
"But we're starting to see that change and fashion is a big part of growing the game and it’s moving in the right direction."
Harman said his son was on a boogie board when he was ripped out to sea by a rip current.
Dowdy went into the ocean after the child but couldn’t reach him and began to struggle in the abnormally strong current. Harman said another man, Crane Cantrell, saw what was happening and went in to help.
"He makes it out fine, Cathy (is) injured really badly in the water," Harman said Tuesday at the RSM Classic. "She’s been in a coma for going on six weeks now and so obviously our world down here was kind of turned on its head."
The St. Johns Citizen reported a lifeguard pulled Dowdy from the water and performed life-saving measures until medical help arrived.
"I don’t really know what I wanted to kind of say other than I wanted to use whatever platform I have to bring awareness to what Cathy did, what Crane did," Harman said earlier this week. "They disregarded themselves, went into the water, saved my son and how do you thank people like that? I don’t know other than to just say what you think.
"I think that bravery and doing something like that for people who aren’t your blood is just the most beautiful thing you can do in this life."
Harman won The Open last year, which got him a nod onto that year's Ryder Cup team. He also appeared on this year's' Presidents Cup team.
