Good Wednesday morning, golf fans, as attention turns to the Bermuda Championship.

1. 2023 Champions schedule, $

Todd Kelly for Golfweek…“the 2023 PGA Tour Champions schedule, which features the return of an overseas stop and as well as the first event in Coachella Valley since 1993.”

• “The headliner, though, is another record amount of prize money as there will be $66 million up for grabs in 2023 at 28 events — 25 during the regular season and three tournaments that make up the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs. That’s up $4 million from the 2022 season.”

• “Thanks to the strength of our tournament and title sponsors, the future and stability of PGA Tour Champions has never been more secure,” PGA Tour Champions president Miller Brady said in a statement. “We are thrilled to have the highest purses in PGA Tour Champions history and to be able to bring the game of golf to the many wonderful venues on this Tour.”

• In all, the 2023 slate will see tournaments in 20 states and three countries.

2. Captaincy shakeup!

Mike Hall for Golf Monthly…“The field and teams have been announced for the LIV Golf Team Championship finale at Trump National Doral in Florida. However, while there have been two personnel changes, with Valderrama winner Adrian Otaegeui replacing Hideto Tanihara on Torque GC and Hennie Du Plessis returning to Stinger GC in place of Shaun Norris, another change involves a team captaincy.”

• “Lee Westwood has been the captain of Majesticks GC since the second tournament, when he replaced Ian Poulter. For the season’s final tournament, though, Poulter is stepping back into the leadership role. While it has not been confirmed why the two Englishmen have switched responsibilities, a look at Poulter’s Ryder Cup history may offer the greatest clue. (edited) “

3. Autograph? Try golf instructions

Lorenzo Reyes, USA Today …”The NFL has determined that a pair of gameday officials did not request an autograph from Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans Sunday following a game against the Carolina Panthers.”

• “…Following Carolina’s 21-3 victory at home during Week 7, as Buccaneers players headed through the tunnel just after the game ended, reporter Sheena Quick filmed a moment when side judge Lamberth and line judge Sutter stopped Evans as he was headed toward the locker room. One of the officials can be heard calling to Evans, who turned around. Lamberth appeared to grab a pen and something to write on from Sutter before he handed it to Evans, who then appeared to write on it.”

• “But according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Evans was simply looking to improve his golf game.”

• “WR Mike Evans and side judge Jeff Lamberth both went to Texas A&M, and Lamberth was getting Evans’ phone number to pass it along to a golf pro to give Evans lessons, per sources. Lamberth didn’t have paper, so he borrowed it from another official,” the tweet read.

4. Zalatoris hoping to play with Tiger

Our Jason Daniels…“2021 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, Will Zalatoris may be one of the hottest prospects in the golfing world, but he holds nothing but the utmost respect for 15-time major champion Tiger Woods, pleading with him to ‘get in the damn cart’ if it means a chance of playing with him.”

• “In part of an in-depth interview with Graham Bensinger, the world number 7, and seven time major top-10 finisher, cannot stop eulogising over his golfing idol, even saying it amazed him that Tiger even knows who he was.”

• Debating the greatest player, the 2022 FedEx St. Jude champion says that Tiger changed the game, so much so that it is hardly recognizable from a few years ago.

• Zalatoris explains, “15 years ago, not everyone had trainers, sports psychologists, most people had, just like, one coach,” yet nowadays player’s can just about find room on the on-site training coach, such is the necessity to be super-fit.

• “Tiger’s built like a tight end,” said the 26-year-old. “He is..like..enormous. body is like….his upper body, he is like, just a massive human.”

• Asked whether he could see the day when he might play with the GOAT, Zalatoris can’t hide his enthusiasm.

• “I would love to play with Tiger at least once, before he is done-done. Just to do it would be an amazing experience,” he says, smiling throughout.”

5. Rory’s trips to the top

Jeff Babineau for PGATour.com…“A decade after first getting to the top of the golf world as a bushy-haired 22-year-old from Northern Ireland, Rory McIlroy will wake up Monday as world No. 1 again, doing so in style by successfully defending his title at THE CJ CUP in South Carolina.”

• “The view is just as good, even on your ninth climb. McIlroy started Sunday with a one-shot lead over three players and kept the pedal down through 16 holes, making seven birdies with some brilliant play at Congaree Golf Club to hold off a trio of players who kept on his heels throughout. Even with two closing bogeys, McIlroy would shoot 4-under 67 to finish at 17-under 267, edging Kurt Kitayama (67) by a shot. K.H. Lee (68) was third. Hard-charging Tommy Fleetwood (65) and Jon Rahm – who briefly led on Sunday – tied for fourth.”

• “The victory was McIlroy’s 23rd PGA TOUR title, and he supplanted Masters champion Scottie Scheffler atop the rankings, the ninth time he has been No. 1. McIlroy last was there at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday in 2020, and there was nothing casual about finding himself there again.”

• “When McIlroy missed the cut at the Valero Texas Open last spring, he felt lost with his game, just as he had last autumn after a poor performance at the Ryder Cup. He had vowed to take more ownership in his game, to stop going down any more “rabbit holes.” Getting all the pieces to fit together again has been an effort that took an entire team.”

6. Golf helping pro athletes in retirement

Madeline MacClurg for Golf Digest…”You realize how much football is a part of your life,” Wood, 36, says. “From the second I got to college, I was Eric Wood, the football player. When I was playing, I woke up every morning and my purpose or mission was to be the best center in the NFL. And when that’s suddenly stripped from you, there’s ultimately going to be some type of identity crisis.”

• That type of loss can be crushing. Licensed sport psychologist Dr. Daniel Zimet explains that the pressures of playing can dissuade athletes from taking care of themselves and often reinforce the idea that their sport is their life.

• In his work, Dr. Zimet and his team conducted The Athlete Transition Study, focusing on the retirement experiences and long-term outcomes of elite athletes. Among his findings is that many players struggle post-retirement with what he describes as “identity foreclosure.”

• “Identity foreclosure happens when an athlete’s identity is deeply rooted in their sport. They don’t think of themselves as being anything more than an elite performing athlete, and it can cause them to feel like they have no idea who they are,” Zimet says.

• In addition to his faith, Wood says his family and friends played a huge role in getting him through that transition period. According to Zimet, building a strong support system is one of the best ways to avoid or overcome identity foreclosure. Another way it is to experiment outside the sport and find something that resonates with the athlete.

7. PNC Championship field announced — no Tiger, Charlie yet

The Golf Channel Digital team…“John Daly and his son, John Daly II, will try and defend their title at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club Orlando on Dec. 17-18. Bernhard Langer and his son, Jason, who won the event in 2020, will be back after missing last year’s tournament due to injury.”

• “Jordan Spieth will make his PNC Championship debut with his 60-year-old father, Shawn.”

• “Annika Sorenstam will play alongside her 11-year-old son, Will, for the first time. Justin Leonard will play with his 16-year-old son, Luke. Nick Price will also tee it up at the event for the eighth time.”

• “Lee Trevino will be back at the event. He has played every PNC Championship since its inception in 1995.”

8. It’s tougher out there

Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols runs the numbers on LPGA Tour play…”Lydia Ko currently paces the Vare Trophy race with a 69.051 scoring average. There are 14 players with a sub-70 average with three events remaining. Consider that when Ko first won on the LPGA 10 years ago, zero players averaged below 70 for that season. In 2002, there were two players.”

• “There are currently 102 players averaging below par on the LPGA; 10 years ago there were 34.”

• “Player No. 100…The top 100 players on the CME points list each year keep their cards for the following season.”

• “…Consider that in 2012, the 100th player on the scoring list averaged 73.7. This year, the 100th player, Elizabeth Szokol, averages 71.9, nearly a two-stroke difference.”

9. McIlroy: My first betrayal

• In an interview with the Guardian, the 33-year-old spoke out against the players he used to have a strong bond with.

• “It’s a weird thing. I think it is the first time in my life that I have felt betrayal in a way. It’s an unfamiliar feeling to me. You build bonds with these people through Ryder Cups and other things.

• Them knowing that what they are about to do is going to jeopardize them from being a part of that ever again?”