Happy New Year, golfers.

It is officially 2026, which means two things are now socially acceptable: fresh starts and wildly unrealistic score goals.

This week, the golf world is already moving. Justin Bieber casually drops an 82 like it is a selfie. LIV hands Talor Gooch the captain’s clipboard. Brooks Koepka exits and turns the entire sport into a rumor buffet. Then we bring it back to the real mission: fewer blowups, fewer three putts, and more “I actually warmed up” energy.

New year, same game. Better plan. Let’s tee off.

If you thought Bieber only shows up for the cart selfies and the fit pics, here is your reminder that he can actually play. In a social post from earlier in 2025, he said he shot an 82 at Stratford Golf Course. That is about 10 over par, which puts him firmly in the “not messing around” category for amateur golf.

That number also matches what plenty of golf fans estimate for his handicap, right around 10. In other words, he is not scratch, but he is absolutely good enough to ruin your confidence on the first tee. Read more here.

Takeaway: The real celebrity flex is not the outfit. It is the scorecard.

LIV Golf just handed Talor Gooch the keys to Smash GC for the 2026 season, replacing Brooks Koepka. The twist: it is the first time the league has elevated a non-captain into a full-time captain role, which tells you exactly how much stock they put in Gooch’s resume.

He has four individual wins, a 2023 Individual Championship, and trophies with three different teams. Now he wants to build a culture, not just stack stats. His north star is the “Rule of 67,” a simple team goal that turns a complicated sport into one clear number. Read more here.

Takeaway: Gooch is not just chasing birdies. He is shaping the blueprint.

LIV Golf says it “amicably” split with Brooks Koepka after the 2025 season, with Koepka citing a desire to spend more time with family. That alone is headline material, but the real intrigue is the ripple effect. GOLF.com’s Tour Confidential crew argues the PGA Tour is clearly motivated to get him back, yet how it handles any return (and any consequences) will be a loud signal to everyone watching the sport’s cold war.

Also in the mix: Koepka’s departure gives Bryson DeChambeau extra leverage in contract talks, and nobody seems totally sure what Koepka actually wants next. Read more here.

Takeaway: Koepka leaving LIV is news. Koepka choosing his next move is the plot.

Tiger turns 50 on Dec. 30, and GOLF.com asked four Top 100 Teachers a simple question: What should regular golfers steal from Tiger’s game? The answers are refreshingly practical. Start with course management that avoids blowups, like no doubles and no three putts. Build a repeatable pre-shot routine so your “good swing” shows up more often. Stay willing to change when something is not working, especially as your body changes. And copy the foundation: balanced posture that lets your arms swing fast without losing control.

None of this requires new clubs or a rebuild. It just asks you to play smarter and practice with intention. Read more here.

Takeaway: Tiger’s cheat code is discipline, not magic.

If greenside bunkers feel like a personal insult, you are probably not far off. Most bunker disasters come from tiny setup mistakes that make you hit the sand too early or catch the ball clean. A top teacher at GOLF.com says you can fix that with five simple keys.

Start with a slightly wider stance and level shoulders. Play the ball roughly in line with your shirt logo. Set your feet a touch right of the target to stay stable. Focus on a dimple on top of the ball so your entry point stays consistent. Then swing with the feel of throwing a medicine ball so your chest rotates through the shot.

Small tweaks, big results. Read more here.

Takeaway: You do not need a new wedge. You need a cleaner plan.

Most three-putts are not about aim. They are about speed, and speed starts with one simple rule: your backstroke length is your main distance dial, while your head and lower body stay quiet until the stroke is done.

One Top 100 Teacher lays out five drills that train that feel fast. Think laddering balls in three foot steps, calibrating 10, 20, 30, and 40 foot rolls, and going back and forth between two holes with different slopes so your brain stops guessing. Add eyes closed putts to sharpen feel, then finish with a game that rewards leaving everything inside three feet. Read more here.

Takeaway: Better putting is often just better pace, practiced on purpose.

Most of us roll two putts, shrug, and walk to the first tee like we did our homework. Then we spend the front nine “finding the speed” with our scorecard.

MyGolfSpy’s routine fixes that with a simple sequence: start with a few three-foot strokes on a flat spot with no hole, just to loosen up and learn the green’s pace. Then spend the bulk of your time on distance control by hitting five or six putts from around 30 feet and trying to finish inside three feet. After that, add a few breaking putts, make a small set of short putts for confidence, and finish with a couple of long lags to lock in feel. Bonus: run your full pre-putt routine every time. Read more here.

Takeaway: Warm up your speed first, and the makes will follow.

Most “wild off the tee” rounds begin with one bad habit: trying to pull off shots you do not actually own. Rory McIlroy’s advice is simple: avoid the hero shots, and the easiest way to do that is to spend more time in the fairway in the first place.

A GOLF Top 100 Teacher says the shortcut is not a new swing thought. It is setup, grip, and balance. Then comes the drill: hit balls with your feet close together. It forces you to stay centered, square your face, and swing efficiently. Take it to the tee and hold your finish until the ball lands. If you cannot hold it, you were not balanced. Read more here.

Takeaway: Balance is boring, and it also saves strokes.

I showed up early last weekend because I decided I’m starting 2026 as a “serious golfer.” You know, the kind who warms up instead of arriving with a latte and a prayer.

I started on the putting green, rolling a few three-footers with no hole, just trying to feel the speed like the internet keeps telling me. A guy walked by and said, “Nice stroke.” That was all it took. I immediately tried a ten-footer I had not read, did not deserve, and absolutely did not make. It sailed six feet past and parked itself right next to someone’s shoe. I apologized like I had hit a moving vehicle.

Then I went to the range and tried the feet-together drill to “find more fairways.” Two shots went straight. I felt reborn. Third swing, I wobbled, finished like a flamingo, and my buddy goes, “Hold that. That is your best balance all season.”

First tee, I pull out my rangefinder, lock the pin, and hit the shot of my life. High, soft, pin-high.

On the wrong green.

The best part about a new year is not the motivation. It is the reset.

Golf is a game of habits that either save you strokes or steal them quietly. A smarter warm-up can protect your first few holes. Better pace control can erase three putts. A boring, balanced tee shot can prevent the hero decisions that turn one mistake into four.

So if you take one thing into 2026, make it this: do the simple stuff on purpose. That is how good rounds happen, even for people who are not Justin Bieber.

See you next week, and may your first fairway of the year be the start of a trend.

Adam Rosen
Editor-in-Chief, Birdies, Bogeys & Bourbon

PS: Have a fun golf story? Share it here, and we may include it in the next edition.