Let’s tee off!

This week has a little bit of everything: Scheffler setting his early-season schedule like he has plans, Rory opening the door for LIV returns while still side-eyeing the league’s future, and a junior leaderboard reminder that the next wave is already here.

Then we have deals, cold-weather survival tips, and a few swing fixes that will save you from the classic range-to-course betrayal.

Scottie Scheffler just locked in his first two PGA Tour starts of 2026, committing to the American Express in La Quinta and the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale. He is skipping the Sony Open season opener, so this is your first confirmed look at when the world No. 1 is back in action.

Phoenix is not a random stop, either. It is where Scheffler earned his first Tour win in 2022, and he won again there in 2023. Another win at TPC Scottsdale would put him in rare company on the event’s all-time list. Read more here.

Takeaway: When the best player in the world picks his first start this early, it is usually because he plans to peak fast.

Rory McIlroy has softened his stance on LIV players returning to the PGA Tour. His view is that those who left already took a reputational hit, so creating a pathway back could strengthen the Tour overall. He also noted it would be a decision for the full PGA Tour membership, not just a few voices.

At the same time, McIlroy questioned LIV’s long-term future. He pointed to how LIV has tried to look more like traditional golf and raised the bigger question of how long the funding will continue if it does not capture enough fan interest. Read more here.

Takeaway: A return path feels more likely, but LIV’s staying power is still the real unknown.

Bermuda’s Oliver Betschart just posted a confidence-boosting result at the Junior Orange Bowl International in Florida, finishing tied for 11th at two under par in a 72-hole field of 50 elite junior golfers at the Biltmore Golf Course. He ended up eight places ahead of Charlie Woods (tied for 19th) and four spots ahead of Cameron Kuchar.

Betschart’s week included a bogey-free 68 in round three, then a 70 on the final day to lock in his finish. He also pointed out that the atmosphere was intense, with big-name parents on site and college coaches watching closely. Read more here.

Takeaway: The next wave is not waiting for permission, and they are already beating famous last names on the leaderboard.

Akshay Bhatia is only 23, already has two PGA Tour wins, and is trending like a long-term star. That is exactly why his latest decision matters. According to a report, he was offered a lucrative contract to join LIV Golf and said no.

It is an interesting signal in an offseason where the back and forth has not slowed down. For Bhatia, staying put looks like a bet on legacy, schedule, and the path he is already building on Tour, instead of a payday and a reset. Read more here.

Takeaway: When a young winner at Bhatia’s stage turns down LIV money, it says the PGA Tour still has real gravity for careers in progress.

Bad weather golf feels like a slog because it punishes the shots most amateurs rely on. Golf Monthly’s winter guide, led by PGA coach Ben Emerson, is basically a reminder that the pros do not fight the conditions. They change the flight, change the plan, and take the boring shot that stays in play.

The playbook is simple but sneaky effective: keep a low stinger in the bag, treat deep rough like a recovery mission, let the lie decide if you attack or lay up, and use low running chips when the ground is wet. Add a few wet-weather specifics like a steeper strike for compact sand, and a putting routine built for slow greens where you need real acceleration. Read more here.

Takeaway: In brutal weather, the score is not about talent. It is about adaptation and choosing the shot that survives.

If you started the year with “get in golf shape” energy and it already faded, this PGA guide has the right approach. It is not about living in the gym or chasing random swing speed drills. It is about building the parts of your body that show up on the back nine when your form and focus usually disappear.

The five priorities are simple and practical: rebuild rotational power from the ground up, open up hip mobility, train your glutes for stability and speed, protect your lower back with anti-rotation core work, and build a real cardio base so you can walk 18 and still think clearly. Pick two or three, do them consistently, and your swing will thank you. Read more here.

Takeaway: You do not need a perfect program. You need a repeatable one that makes you stronger, looser, and steadier when the round gets long.

A lot of golfers hear “get your hands ahead at impact” and respond by dragging the handle forward and holding off the release. That usually feels powerful for about one range session, then it turns into thin shots, blocks, and a swing that looks like it is fighting itself.

This GOLF.com piece explains why the “forward lean” look is often an illusion created by your body position. When your hips and shoulders are open at impact and your weight is forward, the shaft appears to lean without you forcing your hands toward the target. The better cue is to rotate through and let the arms follow, not shove the handle. Read more here.

Takeaway: Stop trying to manufacture shaft lean with your hands. Get your body open, then let the club arrive on time.

Casting is that brutal moment when the club dumps early and you flip at the ball, which usually shows up as thin contact, ballooning shots, and weak drives. Bogey Book frames it as an early release of wrist angles, often caused by a poor transition sequence, too much tension, a weak lead hand grip, hanging back, or trying to hit at the ball instead of turning through.

Their fixes are practical and drill-based: start the downswing with the lower body, lighten grip pressure, use resistance drills to feel lag, use feedback tools if you need help spotting the moment it happens, and rotate through impact instead of flipping. They also call out the real problem: most golfers cannot hold five mechanical thoughts on the course, so the “fix” disappears under pressure. Read more here.

Takeaway: If you want casting to stop for good, build a repeatable feel and sequence you can trust on the course, not a checklist you only remember on the range.

I was on a work retreat, and we hit the local par-3 course. I don’t really play golf—I just showed up for the vibes and the cart snacks.

On the 5th hole, my coworker dared me to use a putter off the tee “for content.” I accepted, because obviously.

I took a full swing, absolutely bladed it, and watched the ball bounce down the cart path like it owed someone money. It ricocheted off a rock, rolled across the green…and dropped straight into the cup.

Hole-in-one. With a putter. On video.

Now every Monday, my boss greets me with, “What up, PGA?” I have no idea how to golf, but apparently I peaked.

Submitted by Rachel M., Charlotte, NC

Pro golf is still in a transition era. Schedules are strategic, loyalties are negotiable, and the next generation is already forcing its way into the conversation. Meanwhile, the rest of us get the trickle-down benefits. Better gear gets cheaper, better instruction gets simpler, and the small fundamentals like fitness, impact positions, and staying out of trouble in bad weather are what turn a frustrating round into a fun one.

Where are you golfing this weekend?

Until next time,

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.