For comments: ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com

Good Wednesday morning, golf fans. Earlier this week, four lucky GolfWRXers enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at TaylorMade’s famed Kingdom fitting center and got dialed in to all the new Stealth 2 gear. If you’ve ever wondered what goes into a tour-level fitting check out their recaps in this forum thread.

1. Tour seeks discovery from Saudi Arabia’s PIF

Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard…“The PGA Tour’s ongoing lawsuit with LIV Golf expanded when the circuit subpoenaed the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of the fund which is financing the startup league. Both the PIF and Al-Rumayyan claimed the U.S. District Court doesn’t have jurisdiction over a foreign sovereign wealth fund, but the Tour countered late Monday with a supplemental motion.”

• “PIF and Al-Rumayyan should not be permitted to conduct business in the United States … only to hide behind a shell corporation to evade the jurisdiction of this court,” the motion, which was filed in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of California, read.

• Both the PIF and Al-Rumayyan have argued they have no control over the day-to-day operations of LIV Golf and therefore shouldn’t have to submit to discovery or be forced to give depositions. But in a heavily redacted motion, the Tour’s attorneys referenced the “Subscriptions and Shareholders Agreement” between the PIF and LIV Golf that outlines LIV’s corporate structure.”

• “Attorneys for the Tour claim that PIF and Al-Rumayyan “misstated their central role in running LIV and making decisions related to this lawsuit” and “strategically withheld” documents that proved their control of the startup league.”

2. Lydia in for Aramco Saudi Ladies International

Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols…“The Aramco Saudi Ladies International has announced that Lydia Ko is confirmed for the field in mid-February. The World No. 1 and newlywed won the event in 2021, though this year’s field will compete for a substantially larger purse. The $5 million prize fund is the largest in Ladies European Tour history outside of the majors.”

• “The 2023 LPGA season kicks off later this month with the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona, where Ko has a home. The deadline to enter the TOC is 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 10, and so far, Ko, who is honeymooning, is not on the confirmed list.”

• “The Saudi Ladies International will take place at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club from Feb. 16-19, ahead of the LPGA’s Asian swing featuring stops in Thailand, Singapore and China. There’s a one-month break on the LPGA schedule between the TOC and the Asian swing.”

3. Adam Scott on surfing with Kelly Slater

Evin Priest for Golf Digest…“On Monday at Oahu’s North Shore, ahead of this week’s Sony Open in Honolulu, the 14-time PGA Tour winner Scott caught up with Slater, whose 11 World Surfing League titles have established him as the greatest in the sport’s history. It’s a sentimental place in surfing and where Slater has a base. The pair didn’t surf—which they have together on plenty of occasions since meeting through mutual friends—but they did go swimming and Scott said even that was enriching. Although, that’s not why he hangs out with the 50-year-old Slater.”

• “I don’t go up there just to have deep and meaningful [conversations] and try and tap into him, but when you’re around a guy like that you always take something out of the encounter,” Scott said Tuesday at Wai?alae Country Club. “Even yesterday, being up there on the North Shore, just going out for a swim in the ocean with him was … it sounds too spiritual, but it was a bit of an enlightening experience. Being able to let go a little bit. That’s a feeling I get from Kelly a lot, like [he says], ‘Adam, just let go a little bit.’”

4. Spieth heading to the Super Bowl?

Colby Powell for Golf Channel…“The WM Phoenix Open is always a party, but 2023 could bring new levels of chaos to the area with the Super Bowl being played right down the road.”

• “…Jordan Spieth is among those who are considering making the 31.3-mile drive from the golf course to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, but it might depend on which teams are vying for the Lombardi Trophy.”

• “I would say more than 50% chance of going regardless,” Spieth said Tuesday ahead of the Sony Open. “And if the [Dallas] Cowboys go, I would call that 100% chance.”

5. Molinari’s Twitter throwdown

Our Matt Vincenzi…”2023 is an important year for Francesco Molinari. The former Champion Golfer of the Year is leading Continental Europe in this week’s Hero Cup and the 2023 Ryder Cup is in his home country of Italy at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club outside of Rome.”

• “Molinari has some work to do to qualify for the European team as it’s been a rough couple of seasons for the 40-year-old.”

• “Francesco’s poor play of late has led one Twitter user to speculate that the struggles have come from Molinari having family problems, which he of course took exception to.”

• “For those who don’t speak Italian, Molinari said, “Could you please tell me what my family problems are, so maybe if I know about them I can solve them ?”

• “I’m honestly fed up with this idiocy, more or less openly expressed. Golf is a sport, I’ve had a decline in recent years because I’ve made wrong decisions on the course. No one is infallible, least of all me who has always made mistakes, even in the best of times”.

6. Waialae “W” backstory

Jeff Eisenband for PGATour.com…”The most iconic feature of Waialae is the “W” formed by four coconut trees behind the 16th green. This formation is on purpose, and while it has only been around since 2010, its history goes back more than 50 years.”

• “In 1963 – two years before the debut of the Sony Open – Stanley Kramer’s “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” debuted in theaters, and it featured one of Hollywood’s all-time star-studded casts with Spencer Tracy, Milton Berle and Sid Caesar, among others. The film’s plot revolved around a group of individuals racing to uncover $350,000 hidden under a W-shaped tree in the fictional California city of Santa Rosita.”

• “Waialae member Ethan Abbott estimated he was around 9 or 10 years old when he originally saw the movie. His boyish enthusiasm about the film never left him, and as an adult in the 2000s, he started lobbying the course to create its own W. After some initial pushback, Waialae relocated four trees from the hundreds on the course, planting them behind the No. 7 green for members. The entire alteration cost $3,500 and came from a gift already earmarked for a project on the course.”

• “While the trees are tricked into thinking they are growing straight, they now form one of golf’s iconic images, with the “W” appearing on Waialae merchandise and earning the club a series of national landscape awards. Weddings have even become common at the “W,” a prime photo opp for golf enthusiasts.”

7. Poulter fumes at Ryder Cup

8. Former PGA Tour VP to lead Epson Tour

Beth Ann Nichols for Golfweek…”The LPGA has announced Jody Brothers as its new chief business and operations officer for the Epson Tour. Brothers has worked for the PGA Tour since 2007 and takes over for Mike Nichols, who left the Epson Tour last summer.”

• “We are thrilled to welcome Jody Brothers to the LPGA Executive Leadership Team as our Epson Tour Chief Business and Operations Officer,” said LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan. “Jody’s extensive experience at every level of the golf industry coupled with his true passion for the professional developmental tours make him the ideal leader for continued growth of the Epson Tour.”

• “In this newly defined role, Jody will oversee all aspects of the Tour, inside and outside the ropes. We are confident that under Jody’s leadership, we will maximize value for Seiko Epson Corporation and our committed partners and tournaments while offering our players with the best opportunity to reach their peak potential and realize their dream of playing on the LPGA Tour.”

9. Rahm slams World Golf Rankings

Reuters report…”Jon Rahm believes he is currently the “best player in the world” after a red-hot streak of three tournament wins in five starts, and has questioned the methodology of calculating the golf rankings where he remains No 5 in the world.”

• “Since the playoffs… I’ve won three times and I don’t even get close to him. So I’m trying to understand what’s going on,” Rahm said.

• “Had they not changed the world ranking points [system] I would have been pretty damn close [to world No 1] right now. But in my mind, I feel like since August I’ve been the best player in the world.

• “Earlier in the year clearly Scottie (Scheffler) was that player, then Rory (McIlroy) was that player, and I feel like right now it’s been me. Anybody, any given year can get a hot three, four months and get to that spot.”