This Week in Golf: From Mexico to Milan - big names, big money, and a major on the line
There's no slowing down on the global pro golf circuit.
LIV Golf is back in action, teeing off in Mexico with its trademark 54-hole format and a hefty $25 million purse up for grabs. Hometown heroes Carlos Ortiz and Abraham Ancer are sure to fire up the local crowd, joined by the usual cast of LIV stars.
Meanwhile, the DP World Tour sticks around in China for the Hainan Classic. It might seem convenient staying in the same country two weeks in a row—until you realize the tour has moved nearly 2,000 kilometers south, with a five-hour flight separating last week's stop from this one. Whoever said scheduling golf tournaments was easy?
On the PGA Tour, it's time for the always-entertaining Zurich Classic of New Orleans. This unique team event spices things up with fourballs (betterball) on Thursday and Saturday, and alternate-shot foursomes on Friday and Sunday. While the event offers valuable FedEx Cup points, there are no Masters invitations or OWGR points on the line.
Who could forget Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry's electric win here last year? They're back to defend their title—and we always appreciate when champions return. It adds to the drama, doesn't it?
Expect a lighter, more festive vibe this week—a welcome breather from the grind of back-to-back 72-hole tournaments.
Over on the HotelPlanner Tour (formerly the Challenge Tour), players are catching their breath after two weeks in the UAE. Italy's Renato Paratore, a former Dubai resident, made the most of it, claiming back-to-back wins and surging to second in the Road to Mallorca rankings. A well-earned break awaits.
In the women's game, it's a big one—the first major of the season. The Chevron Championship takes place in Texas with a whopping $7.9 million purse. It's the beginning of a high-stakes stretch in the LPGA calendar.
And finally, in Italy, Pre-Qualifying for the 2025 US Women's Open gets underway at Golf Club Ambrosiano in Milan. These 18-hole qualifiers are always full of drama and emerging stories—definitely worth keeping an eye on.
A great week ahead for golf fans. Best of luck to everyone teeing it up around the globe!
This Week's Events at a Glance:
LIV Golf
Friday 25th – Sunday 27th April, 2025
LIV Golf Mexico City
Club de Golf Chapultepec, Mexico
Purse: $25 million
PGA Tour
Thursday 24th – Sunday 27th April, 2025
Zurich Classic of New Orleans
TPC Louisiana, Avondale, Louisiana, US
Purse: $9.2 million
Korn Ferry Tour
Thursday 24th – Sunday 27th April, 2025
Veritez Bank Championship
Texas Rangers Golf Club, Arlington, Texas
Purse: $1 million
DP World Tour
Thursday 24th – Sunday 27th April, 2025
Hainan Classic
Blackstone Course, Mission Hills, Hainan Island, China
Purse: $2.55 million
LPGA Tour
Thursday 24th – Sunday 27th April, 2025
The Chevron Championship
The Woodlands, Texas, US
Purse: $7.9 million
Ladies European Tour
Sunday 29th April, 2025
US Women's Open – Pre-Qualifier
Golf Club Ambrosiano, Milan, Italy
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Khaleej Times
28 minutes ago
- Khaleej Times
Is it time for a new, globally recognized men's professional golf ranking system?
As we approach the third Major of the 2025 season, the US Open at Oakmont this week, it seems the perfect time to reflect on how much the golfing landscape has changed since the inaugural LIV Golf event at the Centurion Club near London in 2021, With LIV Golf attracting high-profile players and a bigger global schedule, the PGA Tour has made several adjustments - most notably by increasing prize purses and introducing other innovations. As a result, the influence of LIV Golfers in the global golf conversation cannot be underestimated. Take Joaquin Niemann, for example, winner of last week's LIV Golf event in Virginia, marking his fourth victory of the 2025 season. Despite being ranked just 79th in the current Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), many industry observers view him as a legitimate top 10, if not top 5, player in the world. This disparity presents an ongoing challenge for the golf authorities: to acknowledge this evolving reality and adapt accordingly - or risk becoming outdated. It's a puzzle that will only grow more complex with time. Let's not forget: this time last year, Bryson DeChambeau won the 2024 US Open, his second career victory in the championship. What impact did that have on the narrative surrounding LIV Golf and its standing relative to the PGA Tour? One major obstacle for LIV players continues to be limited access to OWGR points, which have traditionally served as the key metric for qualification into the Majors and other prestigious global events. But those rankings now appear increasingly out of sync with performance. In response, some Majors have shown flexibility, extending special invitations to ensure strong fields. Consider this: Dubai-based Adrian Meronk played in all four Majors in 2024. In 2025, he currently looks set to miss out on all of them. Is it time for a new, globally recognized ranking system across men's professional golf? The debate is only just beginning. LIV Golf Players in the 2025 US Open Field (Based on past champions and other exemption categories) Josele Ballester Richard Bland Bryson DeChambeau Tyrrell Hatton Dustin Johnson Brooks Koepka Jinichiro Kozuma Marc Leishman Phil Mickelson Joaquin Niemann Carlos Ortiz Jon Rahm Patrick Reed Cameron Smith
Khaleej Times
17 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Crushers GC go back-to-back as Niemann clinches fourth title of LIV Golf season
Torque GC Captain Joaquin Niemann continued his dominant run in the 2025 LIV Golf season with a sensational bogey-free final round of 8-under 63 to win LIV Golf Virginia at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, Gainesville. It marked his fourth victory in eight events, bringing his total to 15-under for the 54-hole tournament - one shot ahead of Graeme McDowell and Dubai-based Anirban Lahiri. 'Pretty cool to be in this place, in this position right now,' said the 26-year-old Niemann, the current individual points leader. But Niemann wasn't the only one making headlines. Bryson DeChambeau's Crushers GC claimed their second straight team title, edging out 4Aces GC by two strokes. The win marked the eighth in team history, making the Crushers LIV Golf's most successful team to date. 'I didn't know we'd won eight times - that's pretty cool,' said DeChambeau, who fired a 65, joined by Lahiri, Paul Casey, and Charles Howell III, all carding 68s. 'It's a testament to these guys. The roster hasn't changed.' Dramatic Final Round Sunday's final round was packed with drama, including two rain delays, and a host of major champions including Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, Martin Kaymer, and McDowell, all chasing their first LIV Golf titles. Lahiri, the 36-hole leader, was also eyeing his first global victory in a decade. Adding to the excitement, Lee Westwood and Ben Campbell both shot 9-under 62s. Campbell even set a LIV Golf single-round record with seven consecutive birdies. In one thrilling minute of play, DeChambeau chipped in for birdie on the 16th - his second chip-in there this week - while Thomas Pieters drained a monster 62.5-foot birdie putt. Niemann, Watson, and Lahiri were also firing birdies, creating a six-way tie at 13-under with only a few holes to play. Emerging from the second weather delay red-hot, Niemann birdied holes 14 through 17, pulling away from the field in the shotgun start format. His Sunday excellence has been key - he's a combined 27-under in the final rounds of his four 2025 wins. This was also Niemann's first LIV Golf win on U.S. soil, following earlier triumphs in Adelaide, Singapore, and Mexico City. His 2024 victories came in Mayakoba and Jeddah. 'He's just so good,' said McDowell, who posted back-to-back 66s for his first LIV Golf podium. 'He's an absolute top-10 player in the world - you could argue top five. Phenomenal player.' Lahiri Narrowly Misses Out Dubai-based Anirban Lahiri finished tied second for the sixth time in LIV Golf events, falling just short despite a two-shot lead entering the final round. After a sluggish start - 1-over through four - he rebounded with three birdies in the next four holes to stay in contention. 'Didn't get the start I wanted, and lost some momentum in the middle,' said Lahiri. 'I tried my best, but it's disappointing to come up short. I could've played a lot better today.' Despite the result, Lahiri remained upbeat: 'What I'm really happy about is how I handled myself. I was calmer, more focused, and believed I was going to win right until the final putt. That's something I'll carry with me into future events.' Though they didn't manage a clean sweep of the individual and team trophies, DeChambeau's elite form with top-five finishes in each of his last six starts, including two majors combined with the consistency of his veteran teammates, positions Crushers GC well for the top playoff seed for the second year in a row. They currently sit second behind Legion XIII. Team Scores – LIV Golf Virginia Note: Under LIV Golf's new format, all four scores count in every round for the team competition. 1. Crushers GC -36 DeChambeau 65, Casey 68, Howell III 68, Lahiri 68 (Round 3: -15) 2. 4Aces GC -34 Pieters 63, Johnson 66, Reed 66, Varner III 68 (Round 3: -21) 3. Smash GC -31 McDowell 66, Gooch 67, Koepka 69, Kokrak 71 (Round 3: -11) 4. Torque GC -25 Niemann 63, Muñoz 66, Ortiz 68, Pereira 74 (Round 3: -13) 5. RangeGoats GC -24 Campbell 62, Watson 67, Uihlein 68, Schniederjans 71 (Round 3: -16) 6. Legion XIII -21 Hatton 65, Surratt 67, McKibbin 68, Rahm 68 (Round 3: -16) 7. Stinger GC -20 Burmester 66, Grace 68, Schwartzel 70, Oosthuizen 71 (Round 3: -9) 8. HyFlyers GC -19 Steele 64, Mickelson 65, Ogletree 68, Tringale 68 (Round 3: -19) 9. Cleeks GC -14 Bland 65, Kaymer 70, Meronk 70, Kjettrup 74 (Round 3: -5) 10. Iron Heads GC -8 Kozuma 64, Na 67, Jang 72, Lee 73 (Round 3: -8) 11. Majesticks GC -6 Westwood 62, Poulter 66, Stenson 68, Horsfield 70 (Round 3: -18) 12. Ripper GC -4 Leishman 66, Herbert 68, Smith 68, Jones 70 (Round 3: -12) 13. Fireballs GC -4 Garcia 64, Ancer 68, Masaveu 71, Ballester 73 (Round 3: -8) Wild Cards: Kim 70, C. Lee 73
Khaleej Times
20 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Syme seals first DP World Tour title at KLM Open, hails caddie's role in breakthrough
Scotland's Connor Syme finally tasted victory on the DP World Tour, securing his first title at the 2025 KLM Open with a composed final round at The International, and credited his caddie for instilling the belief that a win was within reach. In his 182nd career start, the 29-year-old from Drumoig held off a determined challenge from Sweden's Joakim Lagergren, finishing two shots clear after a head-to-head battle that lasted all afternoon. With the rest of the field trailing behind, it quickly became a two-man duel - Syme never looked rattled. Syme acknowledged the crucial role his team played, singling out caddie Ryan McGuigan for reinforcing the belief that victory was possible. 'It's an unbelievable feeling,' an emotional Syme said. 'The past few days were really tough, but I felt different this week—calmer, more ready. Ryan's (McGuigan) been huge for me, always reminding me that I've won before, even if not at this level.' Syme began the final round with a two-stroke lead over Lagergren, and while Italian Francesco Laporta rounded out the final group, the real drama was between the Scot and the Swede. Early Move Syme made an early statement with a birdie at the second, his wedge shot nestling four feet from the cup. Lagergren kept the pressure on, holing a long birdie putt at the seventh, but a slip-up in the sand at the ninth handed the advantage back to Syme. After trading birdies on the 13th, Syme dropped his first shot in 33 holes at the 14th - a rare misstep that cut his lead to two. But he quickly steadied the ship. When Lagergren failed to save par at the 15th, Syme missed a birdie putt but regained his three-stroke cushion. Even as Lagergren unleashed a late eagle on the 18th, it was too little, too late. Syme calmly navigated the closing stretch with smart shot choices and nerveless putting, tapping in for par on the last to seal a career-defining win at nine under par. He joins a prestigious group of Scots who have triumphed at the KLM Open, including Colin Montgomerie and Gordon Brand Jr. South Africa's Jayden Schaper claimed solo third with a final-round 69, while Scots Ewen Ferguson and Richie Ramsay shared fourth alongside England's Jack Senior. Ferguson lit up the course with an ace on the seventh, finishing with a sizzling 67. Laporta faded late with trouble at the 18th, while last week's winner Nicolai von Dellingshausen finished among a cluster at two under, joined by Jorge Campillo, Manuel Elvira, Andy Sullivan, and Dan Bradbury. Emotional Victory An emotional Syme credited his team, particularly his caddie Ryan McGuigan, for helping him believe a win was within reach. He also acknowledged the impact of his formative years and his time on developmental tours, where he built the confidence that ultimately carried him over the finish line. 'There's so much talent coming through now,' he added. 'To get my name on the list of first-time winners this season is just amazing.'
