PGA Tour: American Express
Location: La Quinta, California.
Courses: PGA West-Pete Dye Stadium (pool: 7,187. par: 72); West-Nicklaus PGA Championship (yards: 7,147. par: 72); La Quinta CC (yards: 7,060, par: 72).
Cash Reward: $8 million. Winner’s share: $1.44 million.
TV set: Watch The Golf Channel on FuboTV
Thursday-Sunday, 3pm-7pm
Previous winner: Hudson Swafford.
FedEx Cup Holder: Seamus power.
last week: Si Woo Kim wins the Sony Open.
Notes: For a non-lifting event, the field is exceptionally strong, with five of the world’s top seven players and 10 of the top 20 players. Among those playing are Kapalua Trophy winner John Rahm, Masters champion Scotty Scheffler and Patrick Cantlay. …Xander Chabela on the field after testing for muscle spasms in his back. Chabela made small changes to his training. … Ricky Fowler is playing in his first tournament of 2023 after managing a top 10 finish in the fall, including a runner-up finish at the Zuzu Championships in Japan. … Japan’s Taiga Semikawa begins his second straight PGA Tour by waiving the sponsor. He won the Japan Golf Tournament twice while in college. … The tournament was previously hosted by Phil Mickelson until American Express ousted him after his involvement with Saudi-funded LIV Golf. … This will be the second time in three PGA Tour events this year that the previous winner (Hudson Swafford) has been suspended from signing with LIV Golf.
Next week: Farmers insurance is open.
Connected: https://www.pgatour.com/
LPGA Tour: Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions
Location: Orlando Florida.
Cycle: Lake Nona Golf Course and CC. Size: 6,617. Value: 72.
Cash Reward: $1.5 million. Winner’s Share: $225,000.
TV set: Check out FuboTV
Thursday-Friday, noon-3pm (Golf Channel); From Saturday to Sunday, from 14:00 to 15:00 (Golf Channel), from 15:00 to 17:00 (NBC).
Title holder: Daniel Kang.
The Race for the CME World Champion: Lydia Co
Last tournament: Lydia Ko won the CME Group Tour Championship.
Notes: The LPGA’s opening event stands out for non-players, with only three players in the top ten in the women’s world rankings. … Lydia Ko, who won the CME Group Tour Championship to return to world number one, got married last month and is not expected to play until next month’s Saudi Women’s International. The line has a home in Lake Nona, where the tournament is held. … Minjee Lee does not play US Open Women’s Champion and Women’s PGA Champion Peggy Chun … The Tournament of Champions is her first event, but a month after the LPGA league season resumes in Thailand to begin her Asian swing . … Nelly Korda recently signed a deal with Nike, trying to keep the momentum she had late last year as her 2022 season was cut short by surgery due to a blood clot in her arm.
Upcoming Tournament: Honda LPGA Thailand on February 23-26.
Connected: https://www.lpga.com/
DP World Tour: Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship
Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Cycle: Yas Links Abu Dhabi GC. Size: 7,425. Value: 72.
Cash Reward: $9 million. Winner’s share: $1.5 million.
TV set: Watch The Golf Channel on FuboTV
Thursday-Friday, 2:30-8:30 a.m.; Sat-Sun, 2-8 am
Titleholder: Thomas Peters.
Race to Dubai Winner: Rory McIlroy.
last week: Continental Europe won the Champions Cup.
Notes: The official season of the DP World Tour kicks off with the first Rolex Series event… Although it usually has one of the strongest fields at the start of the season, Abu Dhabi will not have any of the world’s top 10 courses not. … Austrian Sepp Straka, a career-long member of the PGA Tour, is among the players hoping to win big points in the Ryder Cup. … The course features 10 players who competed in at least four events last year with Saudi-backed LIV Golf, including Lee Westwood, Henrik Stenson, Ian Poulter and Patrick Reed. … Reid, who fell out of the top 80, will compete for world ranking points for the first time in about four months. … Two-time major champion Martin Kaymer, who won three times in Abu Dhabi, is not playing. … Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald is on the field. European captain Padraj Harrington, who is in Abu Dhabi after holidaying in Ireland, also played in place of the PGA Champions Tour opener in Hawaii.
Next week: Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
Connected: https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/
PGA Tour Champions: The Mitsubishi Electric Hualai Championship
Location: Kaupulehu-Kona, Hawaii.
Cycle: Hualalai GC. Size: 7,107. Value: 72.
Cash Reward: $2 million. Winner’s Share: $340,000.
TV set: Watch The Golf Channel on FuboTV
Thursday-Saturday, 7-10 p.m
Titleholder: Miguel Angel Jimenez.
Charles Schwab Trophy Winner: Stephen Alker.
Last tournament: Padraig Harrington wins the Charles Schwab Cup.
Notes: It is the first tournament of the PGA Champions Tour season and features a Saturday prime-time finish. … Padraig Harrington took a long break in Ireland and did not play in the opening game. He is participating in the European Tour this week in Abu Dhabi. … Released sponsors include David Duvall, Justin Leonard, Tom Lehmann and Jeff Sloman, who are expected to join the USGA Executive Committee. … KJ Choi and Jerry Kelly played at the Sony Open last week and missed out. They are in Hualalai Field. … Steve Stricker in the field. He has not played since winning the All-Star Furyk & Friends title in Jacksonville, Florida in October for his fourth win of the year. He has yet to play in the PGA Tour Champions postseason. … Bernhard Langer has 44 career wins and needs one more win to match Hale Irwin’s record. Langer won twice last year and has won every year since turning 50 in 2007. The tour lasts two weeks before resuming in Morocco.
Upcoming Tournament: Hassan II Cup on February 9-11.
Connected: https://www.pgatour.com/champions.html
Other rounds
Ferry Corn Tour: The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic (Sunday-Wednesday), The Abaco Club at Winging Bay, Great Abaco, Bahamas. Defending Champion: Brandon Harkins. Online: https://www.pgatour.com/korn-ferry-tour.html