19th Hole

Why the LPGA Player of the Year race is must-watch and too tight to call

Published

5 years ago

Nov 11, 2021

We have already had the controversy over the award for the 2021 PGA Player of the Year, that accolade being presented to Patrick Cantlay over the undisputed player of the year (lower case) Jon Rahm, but there can be little argument when the LPGA version is decided in a couple of weeks time – it’s Nelly Korda or Jin Young Ko – and they are very tough to split.

It is no ‘gimme’ that the South Korean 26-year-old will hold on to her slim lead in the Rolex rankings and both results at this week’s Pelican and the following CME Group Tour Championship (where Ko defends her title) will possibly seal both deals, although this cynic wonders if they will ‘somehow’ share the main two titles – world ranked number one and the POTY.

Related: Nelly Korda reveals her main swing thought and why she plays an ‘amateur’ driver

The season has been dominated by these two superstars, but they’ve had two different halves, and that makes it a hugely difficult decision for anyone involved.

From the LPGA.com numbers, we can see there is less than $20,000 between them in prize money won, Ko winning four regular tour events to Korda’s three, yet the younger player has that (maybe) important Major on her card, the PGA.

The main issue may be when they performed at their best.

Related: Nelly Korda’s Whoop data during her Olympic Gold Medal win may surprise you

Korda, alongside sister Jessica, started the season with a bang with three wins by the end of June, including the PGA at Atlanta. Aside from the victories, she notched up five top tens in a run of 11 events before winning Olympic gold at which her ranking rival never got to the pace up front, finishing just inside the top 10.

After a couple of, for her, disappointing top-20 finishes Nelly bounced back with a runner-up at Glen Oaks a few weeks ago and it will be fascinating to see if the three weeks off has refreshed her enough to make a charge to the line. She may also be inspired having been told on Wednesday that she somehow regained her world number one ranking.

The former world number one, Ko, started a tad slower (if five top-10 finishes in 10 starts can be called slow) before her first victory at the Volunteers in Texas, a week after Korda had picked up her third. Take the Evian Masters away, a strangely poor event for the 2019 champion, and recent form has been a revelation, her last six events yielding three wins, a second, sixth and ninth place finish.

The two players are currently one-two for scoring average this season and whilst Nelly is the longer driver, her rival is the more accurate. Either way, they both finish high in greens-in-regulation and within a dimple of each other on the greens.

There are plenty of sub-plots through the next two weeks. Neither player can win the Vare Trophy as they haven’t played the requisite amount of rounds, this award looking almost certain to go to Lydia Ko, currently ranked fourth in the world, and the tite of world number one looks sure to keep flipping until the final hole.

It’s a contest that has proven a worthwhile end to a LPGA season that has grown the women’s game further than at any time before. Both players will be rightful winners and it will be fair should it come down to the last week of the year, perhaps to the final green.

As I write the younger player is a couple clear of her rival through the first third of their first round but we’ve seen how closely they are matched – expect very little in it for the next three days and perhaps for a long time after.

How much each player won at the 2026 Masters

Published

1 month ago

Apr 13, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

Rory McIlroy made it two wins in as many years at Augusta National, seeing off the challengers on a dramatic Sunday to slip on the green jacket once again. The victory earned Rory a whopping payday of $4.5 million, with Scottie Scheffler his closest challenger earning $2.43 million for his sole runner-up finish.

With a total prize purse of $22.5 million up for grabs, here’s a look at how much each player won at the 2026 Masters tournament.

For players that did not make the cut, they still earned $25k for their efforts at the year’s opening major.

1: Rory McIlroy, $4.5 million
2: Scottie Scheffler, $2.43 million
T3: Tyrrell Hatton, $1.08 million
T3: Russell Henley, $1.08 million
T3: Justin Rose, $1.08 million
T3: Cameron Young, $1.08 million
T7: Collin Morikawa, $725,625
T7: Sam Burns, $725,625
T9: Xander Schauffele, $630,00
T9: Max Homa, $630,00
11: Jake Knapp, $562,500
T12: Jordan Spieth, $427,500
T12: Brooks Koepka, $427,500
T12: Hideki Matsuyama, $427,500
T12: Patrick Reed, $427,500
T12: Patrick Cantlay, $427,500
T12: Jason Day, $427,500
T18: Viktor Hovland, $315,000
T18: Maverick McNealy, $315,000
T18: Matt Fitzpatrick, $315,000
T21: Keegan Bradley, $252,000
T21: Ludvig Aberg, $252,000
T21: Wyndham Clark, $252,000
T24: Matt McCarty, $182,083
T24: Adam Scott, $182,083
T24: Sam Stevens, $182,083
T24: Chris Gotterup, $182,083
T24: Michael Brennan, $182,083
T24: Brian Campbell, $182,083
T30: Alex Noren, $146,250
T30: Harris English, $146,250
T30: Shane Lowry, $146,250
T33: Gary Woodland, $121,500
T33: Dustin Johnson, $121,500
T33: Brian Harman, $121,500
T33: Tommy Fleetwood, $121,500
T33: Ben Griffin, $121,500
T38: Jon Rahm, $105,750
T38: Ryan Gerard, $101,250
T38: Haotong Li, $96,750
T41: Justin Thomas, $92,250
T41: Sepp Straka, $87,750
T41: Jacob Bridgeman, $83,250
T41: Kristoffer Reitan, $78,750
T41: Nick Taylor, $74,250
46: Sungjae Im, $69,750
47: Si Woo Kim, $65,250
48: Aaron Rai, $61,650
T49: Corey Conners, $57,600
T49: Marco Penge, $57,600
51: Kurt Kitayama, $55,250
52: Sergio Garcia, $54,000
53: Rasmus Hojgaard, $52,650
54: Charl Schwartzel, $51,300

19th Hole

CBS’s Sunday Masters coverage slammed by golf fans

Published

1 month ago

Apr 13, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

While Sunday was a dramatic day at the Masters, many golf fans were left feeling frustrated by the CBS final round coverage.

There were plenty of moments that golf fans took to social media to air their frustrations on Sunday over, including a lack of shots being shown throughout the day, being behind the live action, confusion over the approach shots of the final group on 18, and providing an angle for the winning putt where the cup couldn’t be seen.

Here’s a look at some of the criticisms that were directed at the CBS coverage throughout the day on X:

This has been a brutal broadcast for CBS. When the folks from Augusta sit down with them this year, you can bet they’ll talk about this 15 seconds where we have no idea where Rory’s ball went, and Dottie moans. #TheMasters pic.twitter.com/ak3mkpIN7V

— Ryan (@PossiblyRy) April 12, 2026

It’s rare criticism coming in for CBS, who are usually heavily praised for their Masters coverage each year.

19th Hole

The surprise club Tommy Fleetwood says is key to his Masters chances

Published

1 month ago

Apr 7, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

Tommy Fleetwood goes in search for the first major victory of his career again this week, with the Englishman proving to be a popular pick at Augusta National.

Fleetwood’s best showing at Augusta came back in 2024 where he finished T3, and while speaking at his pre-tournament press conference, the 35-year-old emphasized the importance of his 9-wood in his pursuit of the green jacket.

Speaking on Tuesday to media, Fleetwood said:

“It’s a great 9-wood golf course. I think it’s always been — I can’t remember when I first put like a 9-wood in or a high lofted club, but it’s a perfect like 9-wood golf course. I’ve had that in the bag for a few years.”

The Englishman continued, revealing that his strategy for the week won’t just be to hit driver off the tee as much as possible:

“Yeah, it’s funny really because I know Augusta is probably associated with being fairly forgiving off the tee in a way, so you think you can whale around driver a little bit. But I don’t necessarily think that’s always the play for me. I think there’s holes that set up really well where I can draw it with the mini driver if I’m feeling less comfortable with the driver and things like that.”

That strategy he believes will make his TaylorMade Qi10 9-wood extra critical this week in Georgia:

“The biggest thing is the 9-wood for me. If I can put myself in position on the par-5s or the 4th long par-3, like it — for me, I can’t really hit that high 4-iron, so 9-wood helps me a lot.”