⛳ Rory McIlroy to be "Punched in the Face"

Plus: PGA Tour Pros vs Scratch Players, and more

November 22, 2023

Good morning. The 2023-24 DP World Tour season begins this week with the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship and the Joburg Open, headlining this week’s live golf coverage on GOLF Channel.

The Fortinet Australian PGA Championship – one of DP World Tour’s “Opening Swing” events – will be held from Royal Queensland Golf Club in Brisbane, Australia. Three-time event champion Cameron Smith looks to repeat after winning last year’s event by three strokes. Adam Scott looks to capture his third event championship after winning in 2012 and 2019.

There’s not much that’s headlining this week, with it being Thanksgiving week. We will be back too next Monday.

Until then, we are so thankful for the opportunity to present the very best of Golf news and analysis everyday.

From our family to yours, have a most wonderful Thanksgiving!

ALBATROS
Paul Azinger’s Abrupt NBC Golf Exit

Some interesting details have emerged about Paul Azinger’s NBC split and it doesn’t sound encouraging for the future TV coverage of the sport.

Azinger was in the middle of contract negotiations with NBC when the network abruptly opted to part ways with the analyst.

The move comes as NBC and Golf Channel, which are both owned by Comcast, have made significant cutbacks in their coverage.

NBC had offered Azinger a one-year contract that was less than his original contract. When Azinger’s agent, Rich Braund, made a counter offer, NBC decided to go in a different direction.

EAGLE
Rory McIlroy to be "Punched in the Face"

Rory McIlroy's criticism of LIV Golf has clearly got under the skin of Pat Perez's wife Ashley, after she brutally claimed she wanted to see the PGA Tour loyalist to be "punched in the face".

Perez was one of a number of PGA Tour stars who made the move to the LIV setup following its emergence last summer. After spending two seasons with the breakaway league playing for Dustin Johnson's 4Aces, there were concerns his time with the LIV setup was coming to end this month after he entered free agency.

Fortunately for the 47-year-old, he was handed a lifeline by former world No. 1 Johnson. Perez was recalled to the 2022 team champions, the 4Aces, for a third campaign heading into 2024.

LOCKER ROOM
What else is making news

  • With the very recent opening of the Apes Hill resort, Barbados leaps onto the global stage as a golf travel destination.

  • Streamsong golf resort ready to open funky little 4th course called The Chain.

  • Brooks Koepka trolls LIV Golf by asking about unreleased schedule for 2024.

  • Top stats of 2023: Scottie Scheffler's sensational season among top performances on TOUR.

  • Inside the Field: See who's teeing it up in Albany at Hero World Challenge.

  • Michael Jordan joins Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Luke Donald for wine and Ryder Cup talk.

  • Pat’s Hat: Patrick Cantlay’s headwear makes news again.

BIRDIE
The Differences Between PGA Tour Pros and Scratch Players

Some non-golfers can be forgiven for thinking that a scratch handicapper is equal to a touring professional, but the truth is that there is miles between the two.

A PGA Tour pro is obviously statistically better than a scratch player in every single department of the game, but a clear and obvious one is driving distance. Scratch golfers average 259 yards off the tee, which would leave them an awful long way back versus a tour pro. The PGA Tour average is 299.9 yards, meaning scratch players would be 40 yards back on every par 4 and par 5 where drivers are used.

On the greens, touring pros are also well ahead of scratch players when it comes to the number of 1-putts, 3-putts and total putts per round. Scratch golfers average 1.3 3-putts per round, with the PGA Tour average standing at 0.49. Aaron Baddeley averaged just 0.24 3-putts per round during the 2023 PGA Tour season. Zero digit golfers have 5.2 1-putts per round, again well behind the pro.

DRIVING RANGE
Tiger Woods Best Golf Advice Ever

“There are so many ways to play this game, and that’s the beautiful part about this game,” Woods said. “You can play it with hands. You can play it with all body. You can play anywhere in between. … We all have our own finger print. You have to find a system that works best for you.”

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PAR FOR THE COURSE
This Day In History

On November 22, 1910, Arthur F. Knight patented a steel shaft to replace wood shafts in golf clubs.