Charlie Woods dropped into a tie for ninth on the final day of the Junior PGA Championship, which took him out of the running for a qualifying spot for the U.S. Junior Ryder Cup team on Friday.

• The 16-year-old son of Tiger Woods shot back-to-back 66s in the second and third rounds at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex in West Lafayette, Ind., and was tied for second place entering the final round.

  But he posted a final-round 74 at the Ackerman-Allen course on Friday, with three bogeys and a double bogey over his final 10 holes.

  The Junior Ryder Cup will take place Sept. 23-25 at Bethpage Black and Nassau Country Club, just ahead of the senior event between the U.S. and Team Europe that weekend.

  There is also one captain's pick for the team, although Woods is likely not in line to be selected for it.

  Lunden Esterline was the runaway winner of the Junior PGA Championship with a final score of 19-under-par 266 (featuring a second-round 62).

  Giuseppe Puebla shot a final-round 64 to rocket into a tie for second at 13 under with Tyler Mawhinney (69). In doing so, Puebla received the other automatic qualifying spot for the Junior Ryder Cup.

  Esterline, from Andover, Kan., is a 2027 Auburn commit. Puebla, from Royal Palm Beach, Fla., is also part of the Class of 2027 and uncommitted for college.

  Charlie Woods finished 9 under for the week, 10 off Esterline's pace and four strokes out of the running for a Ryder Cup qualifying spot.

  --Field Level Media

Adam Scott rang off four consecutive birdies and shot a 5-under-par 65 in the first round of the Wyndham Championship on Thursday, not far from the position required to crash the FedEx Cup playoff starting next week.

• Scott missed a four-foot birdie at the Wyndham Championship in 2023 to snap his 16-year streak of reaching the playoff. He said he felt more "motivation" than pressure taking the course knowing he likely requires a two-way tie for third or better to have a reason to fly to Memphis for the FedEx St. Jude next week.

  Scott addressed his mindset heading into the tournament.

  "I'm going to need to get like 20-under to think of anything, so I better not be 1-under through day one or I'm going to leave myself a lot of work, so nice to make a few birdies," Scott said. "And of course as much as I think about moving on, I'd like to win this tournament, so that's -- it's a similar kind of scenario for me."

  Starting his round at the 10th hole, Scott turned in an uneven opening nine with two bogeys and three birdies.

  He clicked after making the turn, including a run of four consecutive birdies to climb the leaderboard.

  On the par-4, 426-yard fourth (Scott's 13th hole in Round 1), he rolled home a birdie putt bending it back to the right from below the hole.

  At No. 5, Scott stayed with the short stick from well off the front of the green with his third shot. From nearly 60 feet out, he rolled the ball to a stop inside of two feet for the tap-in birdie and carded two more birdies at Nos. 6 and 7 to briefly jump into a tie for third.

  Perhaps his best shot of the day was the 33-foot putt at the par-3 seventh. It was his seventh birdie of the round.

  "You know, the back nine is the easier nine here. I was trying to stay patient," Scott said. "I wasn't too concerned about a bit of a slow first nine holes as long as I did put it into gear on the next. And I managed to, you know, I'm in that spot I can't be too patient, I have to have a go of a few things. I was trying to remind myself of that when I was picking targets out there to be as aggressive as I can."

  By the time he signed his scorecard, Scott and Jordan Spieth were tied for fifth and two back of the leaders. When the morning wave ended, Joel Dahmen was in first place following an opening 9-under-par 61, one clear of Alex Noren (62).

  Scott has two top-10 finishes at Sedgefield. He didn't play last year after taking second at the Scottish Open and tying for 10th in the Open Championship.

  This season has been more of a grind. Scott, who celebrated his 45th birthday two weeks ago, is still chasing his first top-10 in 2025. He last had a top-10 in 2024 at the BMW Championship, where he tied for second.

  --Field Level Media

While professional golf's four majors have come and gone, there's still lots of money and prestige to be earned over the next month.

• The PGA Tour's Wyndham Championship, which begins Thursday at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C., is the final tournament before the $100 million FedExCup Playoffs. That means it's the final chance for golfers to collect FedExCup points and claim one of the 70 invites to next week's $20 million FedEx St. Jude Championship.

  Rickie Fowler enters Thursday's play ranked No. 52 on the points list, so he's guaranteed a chance to play in Memphis. But only the top 50 players earn a shot to play the following week in the BMW Championship, and only the top 30 get to compete for $60 million at the Tour Championship.

  So there's plenty of motivation to excel at Sedgefield.

  "Yeah, I definitely believe there's some good golf coming up (for me) and it wouldn't be a bad thing if it happened to be in the next few weeks," Fowler said Wednesday.

  The 36-year-old Fowler has been steadily climbing the points list since he shared 15th place at the Truist Classic in mid-May. He shared 16th place at the Charles Schwab Challenge, tied for seventh at the Memorial, split 18th at the John Deere and snagged a share of 14th at the Open Championship with a final-round 65.

  What does the California native credit for his recent surge? As happens with so many athletes, he hasn't been bothered as much by injuries of late.

  "Just working on getting the body feeling better," he said. "(I've) struggled with a few things. Yeah, just been in a better spot and been able to go out and play as much pain-free as we can. But that's probably been one of the biggest thing(s), just allow myself to go play.

  "Definitely nice to see some trending in the right direction, some good solid finishes. Yeah, looking forward to hopefully putting together a good little run and finish up the season."

  Fowler finished 101st in last year's FedExCup points standings and did not get to play in either the Masters or the U.S. Open this year, so getting back into the top 70 is a notable achievement.

  But finishing among the top 50 would be that much more impressive because, in addition to the current FedExCup opportunities, it would unlock invitations to all eight signature events next year. Each event featured a $20 million purse this year.

  --Field Level Media

Charlie Woods vaulted into contention at the Junior PGA Championships with a 6-under par 66 in the second round in West Lafayette, Ind. on Wednesday.

• After carding a 70 during the first round on the Kampen-Cosler Course at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex, Woods birdied six of his first eight holes en route to making the turn in 5-under 31 on Wednesday. He birdied three of his first six holes on the back to reach 9 under for the event before consecutive bogeys dropped Woods back to 7 under.

  He is seven shots behind leader Lunden Esterline, a 2027 Auburn commit, with Max VanderMolen and Chase Yenser tied at 9 under with 36 holes to play.

  Woods, 16, failed to qualify for the match play rounds at last week's U.S. Junior Amateur Championship in Dallas. He is now seeking one of the two automatic spots on the Junior Ryder Cup team that will go to the top two finishers this week. There is also one captain's pick, although Woods is likely not in line to be selected for it.

  A rising junior at the Benjamin School in Palm Beach, Fla., Woods won the AJGA's Team TaylorMade Invitational in May. He has not yet made a college commitment.

  --Field Level Media

Charley Hull's expectations leading into this week's AIG Women's Open have been tempered by a back injury that has limited her preparation time.

• Hull has recovered from the illness that led her to collapse on a tee box and withdrawal from the first round of the Evian Championship on July 10. But she already was dealing with a back injury she suffered while taking a box out of her car the week before.

  The combination has limited Hull's gym and rehab time.

  "My back's been really playing up and I've not been hitting it as well because I've not been able to go to the gym and do my rehab exercises," Hull told reporters on Wednesday.

  "I'm not hitting it the best coming into this week which is very frustrating because it's an event I've been looking forward to playing all year. I've just got to go out there with what I've got."

  Hull is No. 20 in the Rolex World Rankings, down from eighth earlier this year when she posted three consecutive finishes of 11th or better. After a string of modest results, Hull finished fourth at the KPMG Women's Irish Open before the back injury and having to withdraw at the Evian.

  She did return to tie for 21st at last week's Scottish Open, and will be in a marquee group along with world No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul and Minjee Lee for the first two rounds at Royal Porthcawl in Wales.

  "At the end it's just a game of golf and you've got to go out there and have fun," Hull said. "I'm not going to let it beat me up too much. Apart from that, I feel pretty good."

  Already one of the LPGA Tour's most popular players and with a massive social media following, Hull's popularity continues to rise following her cameo appearance in the movie "Happy Gilmore 2" released last week. But don't expect the Englishwoman to trade in her clubs for movie sets on a regular basis.

  "It was quite a long day. It was good fun to be fair," she said. "It was pretty cool because I watched the first (Happy Gilmore) when I was a kid growing up. Never thought I'd be in a movie, but there you go.

  "Definitely safe to say I couldn't be an actress. Just filming that scene all day, I haven't got the patience."

  --Field Level Media

Adam Scott helped hire Brian Rulapp, the new CEO of the PGA Tour, as part of the tour's search committee and player Policy Board, and he understands better than most the important role Rulapp will play in negotiations with LIV Golf.

• There is hope from the tour that Rulapp, a veteran of two decades with the NFL, can energize stalled talks with LIV. Many prominent players would like to unify the divided tours, but optimism has dwindled since a February session with LIV and President Donald Trump at the White House.

  Scott was part of the PGA contingent that huddled in D.C. with representatives from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, the financer of LIV Golf. Since then, he said there's "not much happening."

  "I don't know if more White House visits are really necessary. It was really quite an experience, I have to say," Scott said Wednesday. "Those conversations haven't advanced far from there."

  Scott is focused on the course this week at the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C. He's under pressure in the event as the FedEx Cup playoff would start without him if he can't improve on his current standing (85th).

  The mild-mannered Scott calmly said he's embracing the "do or die" position in North Carolina starting Thursday. It's the same part of Rulapp's demeanor that convinced Scott he was the right man for the tour's CEO job.

  "I think he's coming in at a very interesting time in the professional game and I think that calm demeanor's going to serve him well," Scott said.

  --Field Level Media

Adam Scott has unfinished business at the Wyndham Championship this week as he continues a season filled with incomplete performances.

• Scott, who lost in a record-tying six-man playoff at this event in 2021, returns to Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C., still looking for his first top-10 finish on the PGA Tour this season.

  "Yeah, I've really not had any momentum at all, and it seems like I can put three rounds together but not four every week," he said Wednesday. "You know, I'll put the last two together and then the next two the next week. I haven't matched it up very well."

  That was the case at last week's 3M Open, where he began with three rounds in the 60s before slipping to T53 with a Sunday 72.

  "You know, I would say as my ball-striking improved this year, my putting cooled off," Scott said. "It's just been one of those (where) I can't put it all together. It's not terrible, but it's obviously not (great)."

  The 45-year-old Australian's highest finish this season was his tie for 12th at the U.S. Open at Oakmont. He missed the cuts at the Masters -- where he won his lone major in 2013 -- and the Open Championship and finished T19 at the PGA Championship.

  Scott's 14th and most recent win on the PGA Tour came at the 2020 Genesis Invitational, although he came close in Greensboro the following year.

  Kevin Kisner won the 2021 Wyndham Championship with a birdie on the second extra hole and Scott settled for a tie for second with Branden Grace, Si Woo Kim, Kevin Na and Roger Sloan.

  Scott missed a 4-foot putt for birdie on the first extra hole that could have won the tournament.

  "It really, it does sting," Scott said. "I was doing a little function last night and I talked about it, and if you asked me quickly there are two putts that I really feel strongly about in my career and that's one of them. The other one was at the British Open one year to make a playoff with Ernie (Els). Yeah, the two putts I wish I could have back really.

  "Thinking back to it at the time, it hurt then but it kind of almost hurts more now because I haven't won since then either. It's not easy to win out here. You really do have to take advantage of those opportunities on Tour because you just don't know when the next one's going to come."

  Setting aside his past disappointments, Scott needs a huge performance to move into the top 70 in the FedEx Cup standings ahead of next week's playoff kickoff at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. He currently sits 85th, leaving him in jeopardy of missing the playoffs for the first time since their inception in 2007.

  "I'm looking for a big result this week to keep my season going but just generally looking for a good result," he said. "I feel like I've been playing well since May and really not gotten much out of this at all. It would be fun to be in the mix this weekend, and also I still have some open wounds from a few years ago in that playoff so it would be fun to change that."

  --Field Level Media

Ben Griffin looks to rebound from missing the cut in each of his last two tournaments when he tees off at the Wyndham Championship on Thursday.

• Griffin, a former University of North Carolina standout, admitted on Tuesday that he relishes playing in the tournament at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro. And with good reason, considering the former mortgage broker finished 14-under par and in fourth place in 2022 before tying for seventh at 12 under in 2024.

  "Yeah, this is one of my favorite events of the year, just a lot of family and friends close by. So really excited to come in this week with a lot more freedom than last kind of couple years being on the bubble of the playoffs," he said.

  Griffin, 29, is 17th in the Official World Golf Ranking on the strength of his two wins earlier this season. He combined with Andrew Novak to win April's Zurich Classic of New Orleans team competition before capturing the Charles Schwab Challenge in May.

  "Pretty much locked up a lot of things coming into this week so playing stress-free golf, just trying to play my best and, hopefully, try to win this one because it's definitely way up there on my list," he said.

  Griffin recorded six straight finishes of tied for 14th or better prior to missing the cut at the John Deere Classic and Open Championship.

  "Yeah, it certainly hasn't hurt the confidence, it's been pretty amazing," he said of his strong play. "Yeah, it's been an awesome year. And like the last couple years, it's playing really good golf but I hadn't quite broken through the way I have this year. Just continued to kind of work hard.

  "Made some changes both physically with my body and then swing's just in a really good spot, so a lot of the hard work's really paid off this year. Continued to have built more and more confidence as I've gotten the experience against the best players in the world, and yeah, it's been awesome to play."

  --Field Level Media

Lottie Woad's meteoric rise to golf stardom has impressed many of her fellow competitors, including World No. 1 Nelly Korda.

• The two were paired together at last week's Scottish Open, which Woad won by three strokes in her professional debut. The world's No. 1-ranked amateur just two weeks ago, Woad already has shot up to No. 24 in the Rolex World Rankings.

  Korda was asked about Woad's game, which she called "absolutely amazing."

  "I was very impressed with her composure, her process," Korda said on Tuesday ahead of this week's AIG Women's Open at Royal Porthcawl in Wales. "When it comes to her shot routine, especially under pressure and in the heat of the moment, sometimes people seem to fidget and kind of doubt themselves. But she stuck to it, she stuck to her process every single time.

  "I think that's one of the main things that I noticed is how mature she is for her age and how comfortable she was in the heat of the moment."

  Woad, 21, arrived on the LPGA Tour after a stellar career at Florida State, and accepted her tour membership after tying for third at the Evian Championship earlier this month.

  "I feel good obviously," she said Tuesday. "I don't feel too different, to be honest. I got a lot of confidence from the last few -- the last month really. Just trying to continue to ride that."

  The Englishwoman is paired with former world No. 1 and defending champion Lydia Ko and 2023 champion Lilia Vu for the first two rounds this week.

  "I think there's a little bit more experience under her belt than what people probably give her credit for," Ko said. "But when I've seen the coverage or how she composes herself, she doesn't seem like she rushes into things or gets like overly emotional. I'm sure that's going to help her with that transition as well."

  Korda will be playing in another marquee group along with Ariya Jutanugarn and Angel Yin. Jenno Thitikul, who is nipping at Korda's heels for that No. 1 ranking, is paired with Minjee Lee and Charley Hull.

  Korda was in contention last week before settling for a tie for fifth following a 71 on Sunday. She is still seeking her first victory of 2025 but did finish second at last year's Women's Open and celebrated her 27th birthday on Monday.

  "New week, new golf course, new conditions," Korda said. "My goal is to prepare the best that I can, enjoy myself and, hopefully, be in contention. And then kind of enjoy the ride because, as many highs as I've had, I've had a lot of lows, too, with this sport, but I still come back and I still want to experience those highs in all the different circumstances, different golf courses, different conditions.

  "And just continue to grow my love for the game."

  --Field Level Media

American Brianna Do and Canadian Anna Huang were among the 17 players to earn spots in this week's AIG Women's Open via Monday's 18-hole qualifier.

• The AIG Women's Open begins Thursday at Wales' Royal Porthcawl.

  Huang, the youngest player on the Ladies European Tour at 16, posted the low round Monday with her 4-under par 67 at Pyle and Kenfig Golf Club. She was followed by Ireland's Anna Foster and Thailand's Arpichaya Yubol at 3 under.

  "I'm delighted with my score," said Huang, who is No. 521 in the Rolex Women's Rankings. "I don't play links golf, so it took a couple of practice rounds to get used to it, but I think I handled it pretty well. I played in the U.S. Open this year so this will be my second major championship. I learned a lot from that week and bringing more patience into this week will be really helpful."

  Do, 35, tied for eighth at 1 under. The 2011 Women's Amateur Public Links champion will play in her first Women's Open since 2016. Ranked 351st, she is coming off a T23 in June at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship and a T59 three weeks ago at the Evian Championship.

  "A few years ago, I was first alternate for the Evian, and I didn't get in, so I came over to Scotland and played quite a bit of golf," Do said. "I played the Old Course, Prestwick, Elie, so I played quite a bit for fun, and it was amazing. I learned quite a bit there but not in a tournament sense."

  Among the five Americans who fell short in qualifying was 2017 major champion and four-time United States Solheim Cup player Danielle Kang, who shot a 73. Despite failing to qualify for her 13th Women's Open, Kang said she is not disappointed.

  "Not even a little bit," she said. "I met unbelievably great people here. I got to play with a bunch of members at Porthcawl, and I got to know everybody at Pyle and Kenfig. It's been great."

  Australia's Hira Naveed (69) and New Zealand's Momoko Kobori (70), teammates at Pepperdine from 2017-19, both qualified. All 17 qualifiers for this week's 144-golfer field finished under par.

  --Field Level Media

The weekly purses for LIV Golf competitions will increase to $30 million in 2026, with the extra $5 million going toward the team competition, the Sports Business Journal reported Monday.

• Beginning next season, $20 million in purse money will continue to cover individual stroke play with $10 million dedicated to the team competition, per the report.

  By comparison, the eight Signature Events of the PGA Tour carry $20 million payouts. The highest payout on the PGA Tour -- even among majors -- is The Players Championship at $25 million.

  The 13 LIV Golf teams are set up to be run independently, with each captain signing his own commercial deals and players.

  The onus of onboarding new players in the offseason is now more focused on teams and captains, with the enormous signing bonuses in the early stages of the league a thing of the past, per the SBJ.

  --Field Level Media

LIV Golf will venture to Africa for the first time next year when it begins a multi-year commitment with a visit to Steyn City, South Africa.

• The event will take place from March 20-22, LIV Golf announced on Saturday.

  The news was music to the ears for South African Louis Oosthuizen, the winner of the 2010 Open Championship. He also serves as the captain of the Stinger GC team, an all-South African squad that features 2011 Masters winner Charl Schwartzel, Dean Burmester and Branden Grace.

  "It's always special to compete at home, and I'm incredibly proud to bring LIV Golf to South Africa for the first time," Oosthuizen said. "For Branden, Charl, Dean and I to play in front of our fans, friends, and families will be an unforgettable experience.

  "South African sports fans love their golf, and I am sure they will turn out in large numbers ... South Africa has given so much to us, and now we get to give something back."

  --Field Level Media

There are still two months until the next Ryder Cup, but Jon Rahm already has thoughts on which golfer should captain Team Europe six years hence.

• With Ryder Cup officials revealing Tuesday that Spain's Camiral Golf Resort will host the 2031 competition, Rahm believes countryman Sergio Garcia makes sense as Team Europe's captain. The only other time Spain was the site for the Ryder Cup, Spain's Seve Ballesteros captained his side to victory in 1997 at Valderrama.

  "I think there's something to say about possibly having, obviously, a local captain," Rahm said Wednesday while previewing this week's LIV Golf United Kingdom tournament.

  "I think it would do wonders for the crowd. If history shows us anything, and it's very hard to compare anybody to Seve, but I've only heard stories about what that Ryder Cup was like. I would say, if possible, I think that's a very obvious good choice to have Sergio be a part of that one."

  The 45-year-old Garcia ranks among the greatest performers in Ryder Cup annals. In 10 Ryder Cup competitions from 1999 to 2021, he delivered a 25-13-7 record in singles matches. No one has equaled his 28.5 points earned - and he might claim a spot on captain Luke Donald's team for this year's Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in New York.

  "I think that I can bring things to the team that-to any team that would probably need it," Garcia told reporters after making the cut at last week's Open Championship. "Obviously, at the end of the day, he's going to make whatever he thinks is the best decision for him and his team, at the end of the day. So, we'll see."

  --Field Level Media

The past two weeks for Chris Gotterup have been nothing short of incredible. And everyone wants to know why.

• After winning the Genesis Scottish Open and following that up with a third-place finish at The Open, Gotterup -- set to compete at the 3M Open in Blahine, Minn. this weekend -- doesn't have much of an explanation.

  "I wish I knew what it was," Gotterup said. "I feel like I've been in a good rhythm and flow over the last couple months.

  "I was talking to my team the last two months about like, all right, I feel like I've got to take the next step here at some point. I didn't know when it was going to happen, if it was going to happen, but I feel like the Scottish was a big step in the right direction, and then to follow it up ...

  "Someone asked me last week, media, they were like, have you ever like been on a heater? I was like, I don't think so. Like when I won, I missed the cut the week after. I feel like I've gotten better at just knowing my body and how to react after like, you know, important weeks like that. And yeah, I'm going to try to ride it out as long as I can."

  To his point, Gotterup's strong play extends back five tournaments now, as he carded three top-30 finishes before his impressive 1-3 the last two weeks.

  That series of results has elevated him to No. 23 in the official FedEx standings. Understandably, his goals have shifted upward, as he now eyes a top-30 finish and a trip to East Lake for the Tour Championship in late August.

  "I feel like I have a different set of circumstances in front of me," he said. "I would like to get to East Lake and then obviously see what happens from there. Yeah, I feel like I'm playing with house money at the moment, especially with what's happened. I'm excited for the rest of the season."

  Gotterup knows the best way to get there is to continue to play well. That might be a tougher assignment at the 3M, where he finished in a tie for 59th a year ago. In his debut at the event in 2022, he finished in a tie for 31st.

  Fortunately, his confidence right now couldn't be higher.

  "At The Open, I felt like, all right, I've done this, I've hit some quality shots under the gun. I think it definitely carried over, and I don't see why that won't carry over into the future. It just gave me a bit more confidence knowing that, one, when it's show time, I have the ability to step up and hit the shots."

  --Field Level Media

When Tony Finau was asked to play himself in the upcoming film "Happy Gilmore 2," the PGA veteran didn't have to think long about saying yes.

• "I had never been a part of anything like that," Finau said. "My short cameo in ‘Happy Gilmore 2' was fun to be a part of, fun to shoot with Adam Sandler. To be asked to even do it was really an honor, being a huge ‘Happy Gilmore' fan growing up."

  But despite the thrill of getting to take part in something new by starring in a Hollywood movie set to debut this weekend, Finau admitted to reporters Wednesday in advance of the 3M Open - also occurring this weekend -- that he is looking for something more familiar: a good feeling about his play on the golf course.

  "I just know this one hasn't felt like a successful season to me. I haven't played my best golf," Finau said. "I feel like when I've played golf, when I've played well, I haven't been able to finish off tournaments. So, I just don't feel like I've gotten a lot out of my game this year.

  "I think obviously wins are the easiest way to look back and say, ‘all right, this was a successful season,' but I've had a lot of seasons that I finished and I thought even though I didn't win, it was a very successful season. I guess I'm more of a feel guy, at the end of the year I kind of just know if I had a season that was worth remembering or forgetting."

  The numbers back those feelings up.

  Finau, who is tied with Xander Schauffele as the active leaders with the most consecutive TOUR Championship berths (eight and counting), is finding that streak to be in jeopardy this season. He is currently just 59th in the FedExCup standings, with no wins under his belt for the second straight year after a run of four championships over the previous two-year period.

  Finau knows some good golf in the short term can net him a Top 50 finish to lock him in for next year's signature events and inch him closer to a potential trip to East Lake for the TOUR Championship late next month.

  "It's definitely in the back of my mind because I know how important that top-50 number is, has become on the PGA TOUR. So it's definitely something in the back of my mind, but that's really where it is, it's back. At the forefront of my mind this week is playing good golf and that's in my experience, you know, if you play good golf it always -- things always take care of themselves."

  He opened strong at The Open last week with two rounds under par before falling out of contention with two pedestrian follow-up rounds.

  He's taking a positive mindset from that experience. That might well be justified. Finau has played all six editions of the 3M Open and never finished worse than T28.

  "I'm optimistic about the week. I had a nice start to the week last week at The Open, didn't have the weekend that I was hoping for. A lot of positives to build from and build on from last week and looking forward to just progressing my way into this weekend."

  --Field Level Media

Lee Westwood's tie for 34th at The Open Championship vaulted him 3,759 spots in the Official World Golf Ranking.

• Now at No. 930, Westwood is now back ahead of his son, Sam, a mini-tour player who currently sits 2,759th. That served as Exhibit 1 for the Englishman's rant against the world rankings system.

  "I think that just proves that without world ranking points it makes a bit of a mockery of the system," Westwood said on Wednesday ahead of this week's LIV Golf UK event.

  The comments came after the league re-applied for submission to the OWGR last month. That submission currently is under review.

  LIV originally applied for accreditation in July of 2022, shortly after the league launched, but was denied. LIV golfers currently can only earn ranking points by competing in major championships and international tour events.

  With limited ability to amass points via the DP World Tour and other tours, LIV players like Westwood have continued to plummet down the OWGR. Dustin Johnson, who spent 135 weeks at No. 1, dropped as low as 907th before a T23 last week vaulted him back up to 571st.

  The current Top 50 includes only two LIV players: No. 16 Bryson DeChambeau and No. 21 Tyrrell Hatton of England.

  Westwood applauds LIV's recent second submission and believes that without earning OWGR, the four major championships will have to alter their processes to include more LIV players in the future.

  "I think mainly it relates back to wanting the best players in the major championships, not wanting this conversation where there's a few people missing out because we don't get world ranking points on LIV," he said.

  "We either start to get world ranking points on LIV or the major championships have to revise their qualification system, which they seem -- some of them seem to want to do but some seem reluctant to do, and they'd have to have a separate qualification system for LIV players, which I don't think anybody particularly wants. You want it all to be based off the same system."

  That he was able to jump more than 3,000 spots based off a tie for 34th at one event speaks to the core issues Westwood has with the system. Jon Rahm's issues with the OWGR pre-date joining LIV in December 2023, and supports a system that focuses more on key playing metrics.

  "I already thought it was flawed before I ever came, and I was vocal about it," he said. "So I think the last few years, even the world ranking itself and both Data Golf do a strokes gained ranking, and I think that much more reflects who truly is playing the best because the actual points being a two-year ranking, you can have a poor week or a poor three weeks, and that will hold you down for two whole years.

  "It's crazy how you can actually finesse a little bit of the system by playing certain weeks and not playing certain weeks and things like that. It's always going to be somewhat accurate but not the most, and I think strokes gained usually is going to be the better representation of how truly everybody is playing."

  For now, LIV players will continue to tumble down the OWGR. Sure, they can accumulate some points on other tours outside of LIV events, but the next major isn't until the Masters next April. And unless they are included in the OWGR, it will become increasingly difficult for LIV players to qualify for the four biggest tournaments each year.

  LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil said earlier this month that he's hopefully the approval process can progress ahead of the 2026 major season.

  "I think there's a lot of guys out here that you certainly want to be playing in majors. If there's a better pathway for that for us, then that's brilliant," Hatton said.

  "There's a lot of guys out here, their current world ranking doesn't really reflect the type of golfer that they are, and I think everyone would like to think everyone sitting here would agree with that statement.

  "I guess the sooner the world rankings can become a little bit more realistic again, the better it is for golf."

  --Field Level Media

Charlie Woods did not qualify to move on to the match play rounds at the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship in Dallas.

• The 16-year-old son of Tiger Woods shot rounds of 81 and 74 for a 14-over 155 during stroke play Monday and Tuesday. Match play began Wednesday morning.

  The tournament began with 264 players taking part in stroke play at Trinity Forest Golf Club and Brook Hollow Golf Club. The field was narrowed to the top 64 for match play.

  One of those advancing was Cameron Kuchar, the son of PGA Tour pro Matt Kuchar. He finished the two-day stroke play at 3-over par 144, which was the cut line.

  Kuchar is a rising high school senior in Florida who has committed to play at TCU. He was competing against Kailer Stone of Alameda, Calif., in match play on Wednesday. Stone, 17, finished stroke play T13 at 1-under.

  The younger Woods is a rising high school junior.

  His first round at Brook Hollow was marred by four double bogeys and five bogeys with just two birdies to offset them. In his second round at Trinity Forest, he played the front nine at even par with three birdies and bogeys but lost three strokes on the back nine with two double bogeys and three bogeys with two birdies.

  Tiger Woods was in Dallas to watch his son play.

  Charlie Woods will have other chances to play in the U.S. Junior Amateur, seeking to join an impressive list of winners who went on to become majors champions. That list includes Johnny Miller (1964), David Duval (1989), Tiger Woods (1991-93), Brian Harman (2003), Jordan Spieth (2009, 2011) and Scottie Scheffler (2013).

  Tiger Woods was 15 when he won his first Junior Amateur.

  The younger Woods missed the cut last year at the tournament at Oakland Hills in Michigan.

  --Field Level Media

Ian Baker-Finch is retiring after a three-decade career as a golf commentator following his professional playing days.

• The announcement was made Tuesday in a statement posted on CBS Sports' X account. Baker-Finch, 64, has spent the past 19 years with the broadcaster.

  As a player, the Australian is most recognized for his win at the 1991 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. Baker-Finch began his broadcasting career with ESPN in 1998 and joined CBS in 2007.

  "After 19 incredible years as a golf analyst with CBS Sports and a remarkable 30-year journey in the industry, I am announcing my retirement from broadcasting," Baker-Finch said. "Golf has been an enormous part of my life. I was fortunate to compete against the best players in the game and more recently work with the very best in television. To my CBS Sports family -- my teammates, producers, directors and crew -- thank you for your extraordinary talent dedication and camaraderie. You've made every moment in the booth a job, transforming broadcasts into cherished memories."

  --Field Level Media

Ryder Cup Europe confirmed on Tuesday that the biennial event will return to Spain in 2031 and be played at the Camiral Golf and Wellness Resort in Caldes de Malavella.

• Located in the northeastern part of Spain near Barcelona, the resort was formerly known as PGA Catalunya. It will be the second course in Spain to host a Ryder Cup, which was played at Valderrama Golf Club in 1997.

  "Today's announcement not only recognizes Camiral as one of Europe's leading venues, but also the considerable contribution Spanish golf has made to the proud history of the Ryder Cup," European Tour Group chief executive Guy Kinnings said in a statement.

  The resort's Stadium course has played host to a DP World Tour event three times, most recently in 2022, as well as having served as the site for the final stage of the tour's qualifying school from 2008-16, according to Golf Digest. It will also host the tour's Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship from 2028-30.

  Spain's Sergio Garcia is the all-time Ryder Cup points leader with 28 1/2, while countryman Jon Rahm has become one of the team's stars over the past three iterations of the event.

  The 2025 Ryder Cup will be contested in September at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y., with Europe defending its 16 1/2-11 1/2 victory in Italy two years ago. The event will be held at Ireland's Adare Manor in 2027 followed by Hazeltine National in Chaska, Minn., in 2027. After Camiral, the Ryder Cup will return to San Francisco's Olympic Club in 2033.

  With Spain's Seve Ballesteros serving as team captain, Europe won the Ryder Cup 14 1/2-13 1/2 at Valderrama. Ballesteros, Garcia and Rahm are three of 11 Spaniards who have competed in the event.

  Ballesteros and countryman Antonio Garrido were the first players from Continental Europe to represent Europe in the Ryder Cup in 1979 at the Greenbrier. There has been at least one Spaniard on the team in every Ryder Cup since.

  "The Ryder Cup has grown significantly since Spain last hosted it in 1997," Kinnings said. "It is one of the world's leading sporting events, which brings significant economic benefits and global exposure to a host region and country, so we could not be happier to be taking it to Costa Brava and Barcelona for the first time, and to Spain for the second time."

  RYDER CUP VENUES

  2025: Bethpage Black, Farmingdale, N.Y.

  2027: Adare Manor, County Limerick, Ireland

  2029: Hazeltine National, Chaska, Minn.

  2031: Camiral, Caldes de Malavella, Spain

  2033: Olympic Club, San Francisco

  --Field Level Media

The 2025 Ryder Cup is getting off to a congenial start.

• According to a report by Telegraph Sport on Monday, Team Europe captain Luke Donald has agreed to extricate his counterpart Keegan Bradley from a potentially sticky situation.

  It was assumed that when Bradley was named Team USA captain, he would serve in the traditional manner. However, the 39-year-old has all but assured himself a spot inside the ropes -- complete with clubs and caddie -- given his brilliant play in 2025.

  However, the Ryder Cup rules state that only the captain is permitted to provide advice to players during the competition. Should Bradley be competing in a session, he would not be able to communicate with the squad.

  But Donald agreed to change the rule to allow one of the American vice-captains to assume Bradley's advisory duties.

  "Keegan can only change the overarching contract with Luke and Ryder Cup Europe's approval," a source told Telegraph Sport. "The contract between the teams includes things like how many vice-captains a team can have, etc. That is used year on year and captains rarely change that. But Keegan went to Luke with this clause and Luke generously agreed."

  The USA vice-captains are Jim Furyk, Kevin Kisner, Webb Simpson, Brandt Snedeker and Gary Woodland. Furyk, the team captain in the 2018 European win in Paris, could be equipped to assume the role.

  Bradley was the 2011 PGA Champion, then won only twice on the PGA Tour over the next 10-plus years. But he captured the BMW Championship during the 2024 FedEx Cup playoffs, then won his second Travelers Championship title in three years one month ago.

  He stands 10th in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings (the top six automatically qualify), but his World ranking has risen to No. 7. With other prominent American players like Patrick Cantlay and Jordan Speith slumping and the selections coming in four weeks, Bradley seems preparing to put himself on the team.

  The last playing captain for Team USA in a Ryder Cup was Arnold Palmer in 1963.

  The 2026 Ryder Cup takes place at Bethpage Black Course in Farmingdale, N.Y. from Sept. 26-28. Team Europe is attempting to become the first away side to win (or retain) the cup in 13 years. They rallied for a 14.5-13.5 win at Medinah (Ill.) in 2012.

  --Field Level Media

Paul Azinger was named the 2025 recipient of the Payne Stewart Award, the PGA Tour's annual award honoring a player for his character, sportsmanship and commitment to charitable giving.

• Azinger, 65, was close friends with Stewart, who died in a plane accident in 1999.

  "If there is one person who knows all the positive traits that exemplified Payne Stewart, it's his close friend, Paul," PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement. "His values align with the character and charitable pursuits that Payne displayed throughout his career, and it's only fitting that Paul be honored with this year's award."

  Azinger receives a $500,000 grant in Stewart's name for his multiple charitable efforts. Much of it will be directed toward the Paul and Toni Azinger Charitable Fund, which is doing work in Manatee County, Fla., to help vulnerable and underserved families.

  "To be named the recipient of this award, representing my dearest friend, is one of the proudest moments in my life," Azinger said in a statement. "Payne displayed the ultimate character, sportsmanship and service to others throughout his career. He set the standard for how to represent the game of golf, so to be recognized for this award is truly humbling."

  Azinger won the 1993 PGA Championship among his 12 PGA Tour titles. More recently, he served as the lead golf analyst for NBC Sports and Golf Channel broadcasts, though his contract was not renewed in 2024. He is now on a one-year deal with Golf Channel as an analyst for PGA Tour Champions broadcasts.

  Recent winners of the Payne Stewart Award include Brandt Snedeker (2024), Gary Koch (2023), Billy Andrade (2022), Justin Rose (2021) and Zach Johnson (2020).

  --Field Level Media

Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley committed to Bryson DeChambeau being part of the U.S. roster at Bethpage Black in September.

• In a text message to Sports Illustrated, Bradley confirmed there was a spot reserved for DeChambeau regardless of whether he remains in the top six in points to earn an automatic qualifying bid. DeChambeau was fifth in points when The Open Championship ended Sunday.

  "Bryson is going to be a very important piece to us winning the Ryder Cup," SI reported of Bradley's text message Sunday night. "He brings so much. He brings energy, passion but most importantly, he's one of the best players on the planet."

  DeChambeau, a two-time U.S. Open winner and currently No. 15 in the Official World Golf Ranking, was fifth in points heading into the Open at Royal Portrush. After the top six automatic qualifiers are settled, Bradley will select the remaining six players to play on his Ryder Cup roster in Farmingdale, N.Y.

  DeChambeau finished tied for 10th at the Open at 9-under. He left Northern Ireland on Sunday thinking about being part of the U.S. team.

  "I hope I can bring a lot of energy and a tsunami of a crowd that's going to be rooting for Team USA," he said.

  DeChambeau, 31, became emotional when asked if he had any communication with Bradley this week.

  "I talked with him briefly, and then he put something in our lockers that was pretty inspirational," he said. "It's a personal message."

  Bradley wrote individualized messages to players who are in the top 15 on the current points list.

  "It meant a lot," DeChambeau said. "This year's no joke. We're tired of it. We're tired of losing."

  Since 2010, Team Europe has won five of the seven Ryder Cup competitions and is the defending champion.

  --Field Level Media

Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia made for an unstoppable team at the 2021 Ryder Cup. The Spaniards are not shy about wanting to recreate that magic this fall at Bethpage Black.

• They're now both members of LIV Golf, but unlike with the 2023 team, Team Europe is not prohibiting any LIV players from competing this time around.

  Garcia, the winningest individual player in Ryder Cup history, tied for 34th at this week's Open Championship and was asked Sunday whether European captain Luke Donald assured him his six captain's picks will be made on golfing terms alone.

  "Yeah, for sure. That's what he's told me," Garcia said. "Yeah, it's just about how my game is and what I can bring, what I can add to the team, as simple as that."

  Garcia, 45, competed in 10 out of 11 Ryder Cups between 1999 and 2021 and racked up a record 28.5 points for Europe in that span. In 2021, he played with Rahm, an ascending young talent months removed from his first major victory at the time.

  Rahm and Garcia went 3-0-0 together, beating Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth 3 and 1 in foursomes, Brooks Koepka and Daniel Berger 3 and 1 in foursomes, and Koepka and Spieth 2 and 1 in fourball across Friday and Saturday.

  "Jon and I are good friends. We played well when we played at Whistling Straits," Garcia said. "I was watching a few YouTube videos this week of our matches there. We had a great time. We jell nicely together. Obviously it's easy to play with Jon because he's so good."

  Rahm -- who also tied for 34th on Sunday with Garcia and others -- said he is hoping to get the call from Donald before he worries about Garcia or whomever he may play with.

  "It would be very special," Rahm said. "... He would be a fantastic guy obviously with his Ryder Cup experience, how he played in the Northeast and actually having played at Bethpage, having played well at Bethpage in the past, so somebody that's familiar with the golf course. He's definitely somebody that should be in Luke's radar.

  "Played fantastic earlier in the year too. He was playing some extremely high-quality golf. Maybe not so much the last six weeks or so. I played with him last week in Valderrama, and he was still striking it beautifully, which is what you need in many aspects of golf in the Ryder Cup."

  Rahm played in the 2023 Ryder Cup for a victorious Team Europe in Rome before shocking the golf world by leaving the PGA Tour for LIV.

  Rahm and Garcia do not earn points in the European Ryder Cup rankings by playing LIV events, so they will have to get in via captain's picks. The top six in the rankings entering this weekend were Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland (already qualified), Englishman Tommy Fleetwood, Scotland's Robert MacIntyre, Englishman Tyrrell Hatton, Austria's Sepp Straka and Irishman Shane Lowry.

  Hatton joined LIV at the same time as Rahm, but he has amassed enough points from major championship finishes (including a T4 at last month's U.S. Open) and DP World Tour events (including a victory at the Dubai Desert Classic in January) to sit in fourth.

  --Field Level Media

LIV Golf's major drought will extend into 2026, but the breakaway league did have a surprise top-10 finisher at Royal Portrush for The Open Championship.

• A breakdown of how each of the 20 LIV players fared at Royal Portrush.

  1. Bryson DeChambeau (-9, T10)

  DeChambeau leading the LIV pack would not have been a surprise at the start of the week despite his shaky history on links courses. But his rally to a tie for 10th was especially impressive considering his 78 on Thursday left DeChambeau ahead of only seven players in the entire field.

  The two-time U.S. Open champion fired a 65 on Friday to make the cut on the number and then posted 68-64 over the weekend to finish at 9 under. DeChambeau's 64 on Sunday tied champion Scottie Scheffler (second round) for the low round of the tournament.

  2. Tyrrell Hatton (-7, T16)

  The Englishman played his way onto the first page of the leaderboard through 54 holes, but Hatton's legendary temper was on full display during a disappointing 72 on Sunday. After battling to stay in contention on the front nine, Hatton went 1 over on the back to slide out of the top-20.

  3. Dustin Johnson (-6, T23)

  There was a D.J. sighting on the weekend of a major for the first time since The Open last year. It didn't appear the drought was going to be snapped after opening with a 73, but Johnson went 69-67-69 to quietly move his way up the leaderboard.

  T4. Sergio Garcia (-3, T34)

  Desperately trying to regain his form in time to convince European captain Luke Donald to consider him for the Ryder Cup, Garcia also made the cut on the number and then closed with a 68 for his low round of the tournament.

  T4. Jon Rahm (-3, T34)

  After solid showings at each of the first three majors of the year, Rahm admitted he just couldn't find his groove at Royal Portrush. His low round was a 69 on Saturday, and the Spaniard was never a factor this week.

  T4. Lee Westwood (-3, T34)

  The Englishman qualified for The Open for the first time in three years and then made some early noise by going 3 under through his first seven holes of the tournament. Westwood wasn't able to maintain the momentum for 72 holes and closed with a 73 that included a triple bogey on Sunday.

  7. Jason Kokrak (-2, T40)

  Kokrak hasn't made many waves with his performance and cruised his way through four rounds at Royal Portrush without breaking 70. But that was good enough for a T40 -- the best finish among players who failed to post at least one score in the 60s this week.

  8. Henrik Stenson (-1, T45)

  The 2016 Open champion rebounded from an opening 75 to make the cut on the number. The author of one of the most dramatic finishes in Open history was unable to generate much drama over the weekend this time, closing 69-71.

  9. Marc Leishman (E, T52)

  Leishman book-ended a 73 and a 75 with a pair of 68s. The Australian was never really a threat after going 3 over through his first 12 holes of the event. Leishman did go 4 under over the next 40 holes but was unable to maintain the momentum. Many take shots at LIV's 54-hole format, and Leishman is one of several who again struggled on Sunday.

  10. Phil Mickelson (+1, T56)

  A hole-out as part of an opening 70 was Mickelson's highlight for the week. He faded with a 72 on Friday that was followed by a 76 on Saturday. Mickelson did rebound for a closing 67 that saw him climb 10 spots on the leaderboard.

  11. Dean Burmester (+3, T61)

  The South African made the cut with a stroke to spare but then tumbled with a 76 on Saturday. After opening the final round with three bogeys through four holes, Burmester did recover to post five birdies en route to a 69.

  MISSED THE CUT

  Joaquin Niemann (144)

  Carlos Ortiz (145)

  Tom McKibbin (145)

  John Catlin (146)

  Lucas Herbert (146)

  Patrick Reed (147)

  Luis Oosthuizen (148)

  Brooks Koepka (149)

  Cam Smith (150)

  The 20 LIV Golf players will now have a few days to relax locally before joining their league mates for this week's LIV Golf IK starting Friday at the JCB Golf & Country Club.

  --Field Level Media

Sergio Garcia played most of his final round at The Open Championship on Sunday without his driver.

• The veteran Spaniard, frustrated by his tee shot on the second hole at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland, slammed his driver into the ground and it split in half.

  Players are not able to replace a club that is broken in anger during a round.

  So how did the driver-less Garcia, 45, fare on Sunday, short a key club? Better than he did in the first three rounds.

  Despite the poor tee shot, Garcia wound up making birdie on the par-5 No. 2, one of five birdies on the day. With two bogeys, he shot 68, his only sub-70 round of the week.

  Garcia finished the Open at 3-under 281, tied for 34th.

  --Field Level Media