19th Hole

EA Sports PGA Tour Review

Published

3 years ago

Apr 12, 2023

2023 marks the first year since 2015 that golf fans have been treated to an EA Sports video game, with Rory McIlroy PGA Tour having been released in June of 2015.

The game features an abundance of aesthetically pleasing golf courses with fantastic graphics and a loaded roster of elite golfers. Augusta National is a playable golf course for the first time in a video game since 2011 and doesn’t disappoint. The tricky green complexes, sloping fairways and pink azaleas make gamers feel like they’re playing in The Masters.

Swing Mechanics

The swing mechanics in the game are a bit tricky to figure out. It took me quite a long time to get a grasp of where I needed to pull the analog stick back to when making a full swing. My approach shots when over the green almost every time forcing me either to club down or make an abbreviated swing.

There are a great deal of new shot types which add realism to the game, but it can be a bit overwhelming trying to figure out which shot to use when the basic swing is so hard to get right to begin with. For advanced players, the abundance of shot types should be a welcome benefit.

The difficulty of the swing and figuring out how to use all of the different mechanics to play a round of golf was most definitely the biggest drawback of the game. Simply put, it will take a lot of time and effort to master EA Sports PGA Tour and those looking to pick it up quickly are in for a disappointment.

Career Mode

Career Mode is far and away the best part about EA Sports PGA Tour. While it’s certainly a grind to build your player’s stats and XP up enough to be competitive in the events, it’s worth the struggle. The game has all four of the majors, which is fantastic and truly gives the player incentive to improve and play well.

The choices of new clubs and gear is expansive and offers all of the big brands, but gaining the XP to purchase them in conjunction with the difficulty of the game can be frustrating.

Career Mode also offers players an option to play alongside a computer controlled professional player, which gives the tournament a much more authentic feel. However, playing alongside a pro slows the pace of play down considerably. There’s an option for players to choose Quick Play” which speeds up the round and only gives players the chance to play the most important shots of the tournament. However, there isn’t an option to change a tournament to two or three rounds instead of four.

The Verdict

The Career Mode is enough to make EA Sports’ return to the golf game world successful. Access to all four majors, the ability to play at historic courses like Pebble Beach and Augusta National, and the deep roster of stars makes this game worth buying.

The swing mechanics and overall difficulty of the golf simulation will be tough for players to adapt to, but patience and determination will pay off. Once the time is put in to master the swing and different shot types, the experience feels like the real thing.

EA Sports PGA Tour 2023 is a great start to golf video games on next generation consoles, but there is undoubtedly room for improvement for the series in the future.

Score: 8.1/10

19th Hole

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.”