🏌🏻 Rory Beats Tiger To Win $15M 🏌🏻‍♀️

Good morning. It's a beautiful day for golf and a great day to catch up on all things golfing in our latest edition of Golf Reporter.

We've got some exciting stuff lined up for you today, from Rory beating Tiger at a popularity contest to win $15M to a complete guide on the Australian Open 2023 starting tomorrow, and Tiger Wood’s new gear changes.

Whether you're heading out to the course or just dreaming of your next round, we're here to keep you connected with your favorite sport.

So, grab your favorite morning beverage, and let's get into the swing of things!

ALBATROS
Rory Beats Tiger In Popularity Contest: Takes Home $15M

World number two, Rory McIlroy, has beaten Tiger Woods to the PGA Tour's $15m (£11.9m) prize for generating the most media interest in 2023.

Northern Ireland's McIlroy pipped the 15-time major winner to top spot on the tour's 'Player Impact Programme' (PIP).

Woods won it in 2021 and 2022 despite his injury-hit playing schedule.

The PIP, introduced in 2021, was designed to reward players who generate the most interest in the PGA Tour, with metrics such as Google searches, news article mentions and social media reach taken into account.

McIlroy, who finished second to Woods in 2022, tops the PIP list after capturing his fifth DP World Tour Race to Dubai title earlier this month. Woods earns $12m (£9.5m) for finishing second.

TWEETS
Worth Mentioning

EAGLE
Australian Open 2023 Ultimate Guide

The golf summer continues with one of the nation’s top tournaments, the 2023 Australian Open, teeing off on Thursday November 30.

This year, Sydney’s Australian Golf Club and the Lakes Golf Club are co-hosting the vent.

Men’s and women’s players will alternate between courses across the first two days, with the Australian Golf Club to host the final two rounds on the weekend.

A who’s who of Australian golf will feature including Australian PGA Championship winner Min Woo Lee, Cameron Smith, Adam Scott, Marc Leishman, Cam Davis, Lucas Herbert, Matt Jones, Aaron Baddeley and veterans including Geoff Ogilvy, John Senden and Peter Lonard.

Poland’s Adrian Meronk is back to defend his 2022 title while the international crop also includes Chilean Joaquin Niemann, European Ryder Cup star Robert MacIntyre and in-form Japanese stars Ryo Hisatsune and Rikuya Hoshino.

A record total of AU$3.4 million of prize money is on offer, with the men’s and women’s champions to each receive $A$270,000

LOCKER ROOM
What else is making news

• The rich new PGA Tour is not about the haves and have nots. It’s the haves and have more.

• Tiger Woods laid out a plan for the 2024 season, saying the best scenario for his return to golf is to potentially play one tournament per month.

• Jordan Spieth reveals post-Ryder Cup injury, thanks to his day job of being a father.

• Graeme McDowell staying in LIV Golf with spot on brooks koepka's team.

• Tiger Woods calls future of Golf 'Murky' amid PGA Tour, LIV merger negotiations.

• Will Zalatoris used advice from Tiger Woods and new-found wisdom to plot his return from back surgery.

• Tiger Woods says he’ll ‘walk away’ from golf when he no longer believes he can win.

• Ryo Hisatsune becomes first Japanese player to win DP World Tour Rookie of the Year honors.

• LIV Golf adds Houston to 2024 tour schedule.

BIRDIE
Tiger Wood’s 3 Gear Changes You Need To Know

Tiger does have some new toys in the golf bag that are impossible to miss. Two weeks after Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood debuted TaylorMade’s Qi10 LS driver in Dubai, Woods became the latest staffer to vet the Qi10 LS driver in competition.

But there’s more to Woods’ driver change than a simple head change. Look above the hosel and you’ll find a Graphite Design Tour AD-VF shaft that all but confirms his return to a shaft manufacturer he used for large stretches in his career. Only instead of going back to the orange Tour AD-DI, Woods appears intent on trying something that’s designed to promote a lower launch, when compared to AD-DI.

And then there’s the gear change few will likely pick up on — a return to lead tape on Woods’ famed Scotty Cameron Newport 2 GSS putter.

Read the full article here.

DRIVING RANGE
How to Break 90 But Actually Get Closer to 80

PAR FOR THE COURSE
This Day In History

On November 29, 1971, the Professional Golf Championship was held at Walt Disney World for the first time.