{"id":275469,"date":"2025-11-11T02:43:12","date_gmt":"2025-11-11T02:43:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/275469\/"},"modified":"2025-11-11T02:43:12","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T02:43:12","slug":"10-surprising-golf-stories-flying-under-the-radar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/275469\/","title":{"rendered":"10 surprising golf stories flying under the radar"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome back to the Monday Finish, where the gales of November<\/a> always come early. To the golf news!<\/p>\n

10 surprising bits of golf news<\/p>\n

It\u2019s kinda-sorta golf\u2019s offseason which means the Monday Finish, like the rest of the golf world, gets to experiment with different formats. This week that means sifting through little golf stories that could have big-time ramifications. Here are 10 recent golf stories \u2014\u00a0and what they might mean:<\/p>\n

1. The Internet Invitational is stealing the show.<\/p>\n

The story: Barstool Sports, Bob Does Sports and a bunch of the golf world\u2019s biggest [I have to admit I still groan whenever I type this word] creators have now released five of their six-episode Internet Invitational<\/a>; the first four have each racked up between 2.5 and 6 million views and that number is rising rapidly.<\/p>\n

What it means: Plenty of videos on Golf YouTube rack up mind-blowing numbers of views but this one feels like it has broken through the golf corner of the internet and into the mainstream sports world \u2014\u00a0particularly intriguing given it\u2019s football season. <\/p>\n


\n \"Dave <\/a><\/p>\n

\u2018Internet Invitational\u2019 produces jaw-dropping villain \u2014\u00a0and millions of views<\/a><\/p>\n

By:<\/p>\n


\n Dylan Dethier <\/a><\/p>\n

What\u2019s working? High stakes, entertaining characters, personality clashes, legitimate drama, high production value, endless behind-the-scenes interactions, entertaining narrators (Dave Portnoy plus a rotating cast of eliminated golfers), full buy-in from everyone involved (other than Luke Kwon<\/a>) and the fact that these creators were ceding editorial control. Lessons here for YouTube golf but for pro golf, too. Also, this time of year golf may be better broadcast in the background on a weekday than going up against football on the weekends. You could start watching the Invitational while you\u2019re at work thinking it would be pleasant background noise and end up getting sucked in while getting absolutely zero work done. Hypothetically.<\/p>\n

2. Blade putters are out.<\/p>\n

The story: Ben Griffin brought this to my attention over the weekend after he finished off his third Tour victory of the season \u2014\u00a0and did so<\/a> with a mallet putter in hand. Apparently the classic blade is just\u2026done. From Griffin: \u201cI was 19 in Strokes Gained: Putting, and I believe I was the best blade putter on Tour at 19, and all these guys ahead of me switched from blades to mallets.\u201d<\/p>\n

What it means: Remember when Scottie Scheffler famously pivoted<\/a> from blade to mallet? Apparently he wasn\u2019t the only one.<\/p>\n

3. The LPGA is teaming up with the Saudis.<\/p>\n

The story: The LPGA\u2019s new commissioner, Craig Kessler,<\/a> has brokered a deal with Golf Saudi to host the new Aramco Championship, co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour, in a $4 million, 120-player tournament in Las Vegas. The event is part of the Saudi Public Investment Fund\u2019s five-event Global Series and puts the LPGA in direct business, for the first time, with the Saudis. \u201cWe often talk about routing, courses and purses \u2014 and this event checks every box: a spectacular West Coast setting, an iconic course and a purse that continues our momentum in raising the bar for our athletes,\u201d Kessler said in a release,<\/a> citing the ability to \u201celevate opportunities\u201d for his athletes.<\/p>\n

What it means: It\u2019s a controversial partnership given Saudi Arabia\u2019s human rights record, but it\u2019s hardly surprising. What the Saudis have done with LIV Golf \u2014\u00a0attempting to take over the top level of an entire sport \u2014 is obviously brazen and controversial, but they\u2019ve worked their way more subtly into the fabric of sport in so many other areas, from soccer to Formula 1 to tennis to boxing to women\u2019s golf. For the LPGA (which just made another hire, interestingly an executive from LIV) the event completes a three-tournament West Coast Swing. And to provide an interesting contrast, the tournament will run up against the Augusta National Women\u2019s Am the week before the Masters.<\/p>\n

4. Aaron Rai has a really cool family.<\/p>\n

The story: Aaron Rai bounced back just fine from a Ryder Cup snub by getting married<\/a> this fall. And then, in his return to golf \u2014\u00a0and his first tournament as a husband \u2014\u00a0he won the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. Two notes on his family, then: His father, the man behind the viral iron-covers story, was on site sporting this epic shirt of Rai and his wife.<\/p>\n

Aaron Rai posing with his dad (who’s wearing a shirt with art of his son and wife on it?) and caddie after winning in Abu Dhabi is pretty great. pic.twitter.com\/VcUsSYJYDI<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Ryan Ballengee (@RyanBallengee) November 9, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

As for his wife? Her name is Gaurika Bishnoi and she\u2019s an excellent player in her own right, logging several seasons on the Ladies European Tour.<\/p>\n

Compared to say, tennis, where men and women\u2019s tournaments often run in tandem at the same venues, men\u2019s and women\u2019s golf events almost never overlap, so it\u2019s rare for pros to marry. (Si Woo Kim married Ji Hyun Oh, who won seven times on the Korean LPGA, while Gerina and Martin Piller are another oft-cited example, but there aren\u2019t many.) Rai, who seems like one of the most humble, earnest, appreciative pros in the entire sport, had this to say about his wife\u2019s support:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe understanding of just what goes into playing professional golf, not just being away at the tournament, but on weeks where there are not any tournaments; the amount of practice that you have to do; the way you have to live your life; the choices you have to make; the control that you have to have around just the way you live your life. And I think it\u2019s hard for someone who isn\u2019t in this line or who has the understanding of the game to really be able to know the things that you have to do. So she\u2019s been incredibly understanding in that regard, and just sharing things together has been beautiful. Yeah, I couldn\u2019t ask for anyone better.\u201d <\/p>\n

5. Min Woo Lee isn\u2019t leaving the PGA Tour.<\/p>\n

The story: Amidst rumors he was considering a move to LIV, the Australian star doubled down on his commitment to the PGA Tour. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s been a lot of rumors. I\u2019m not going [to LIV Golf] and am just going to play on the PGA Tour,\u201d Lee said in an interview with the AAP<\/a>. \u201cSo, I\u2019m happy with where I\u2019m at and, yeah, I\u2019m looking forward to next year.\u201d<\/p>\n

What it means: It means we\u2019ll still have to wait and see when it comes to LIV\u2019s biggest offseason signing. And it means a cutout of Brian Rolapp\u2019s face in Lee\u2019s \u2018the show goes on!\u2019 Instagram video:<\/p>\n

6. The PGA Tour is about to get 10 new faces \u2014\u00a0including an ex-LIVer<\/p>\n

The story: After this week\u2019s DP World Tour finale, the DP World Tour Championship, they\u2019ll finalize the 10 pros who will earn PGA Tour cards for the 2026 season. It\u2019s an intriguing list that includes Alex Noren (the red-hot vice captain of this year\u2019s European Ryder Cup Team) and Haotong Li (one of pro golf\u2019s more captivating figures) but also Laurie Canter, who will have the distinction of being the first LIV player to earn full-time PGA Tour status.<\/p>\n

It’s the final week of the DP World Tour season.<\/p>\n

Here’s how the race for the 10 @PGATour<\/a> cards sits with one event to go.<\/p>\n

1. \ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc65\udb40\udc6e\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc7f Marco Penge
2. \ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddf4 Kristoffer Reitan
3. \ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc65\udb40\udc6e\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc7f John Parry
4. \ud83c\uddeb\ud83c\uddf7 Adrien Saddier
5. \ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddea Alex Noren
6. \ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc65\udb40\udc6e\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc7f Laurie Canter
7. \ud83c\udde8\ud83c\uddf3 Haotong Li
8. \ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc65\udb40\udc6e\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc7f Dan Brown
9.\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/bQxeIjFQ4t<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Jamie Kennedy (@jamierkennedy) November 10, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Canter played the inaugural 2022 season for LIV\u2019s Cleeks and served as an alternate and wild card in 2023 and 2024, respectively, before regaining DP World Tour status. He became the first ex-LIVer to tee it up in the Players Championship earlier this year<\/a>; now he\u2019s breaking new ground.<\/p>\n

What it means: It means it\u2019s easier to jump from LIV to the PGA Tour if you weren\u2019t a PGA Tour member to begin with, as you don\u2019t have the same level of pesky suspensions to deal with. It doesn\u2019t mean much else \u2014\u00a0though it seems cool for Canter, who has been playing well.<\/p>\n

7. Remember the guy with the gambling suspension? He\u2019s chasing down Rory.<\/p>\n

The story: Marco Penge enters the DP World Tour Championship No. 2 in the Order of Merit; he\u2019s the man who could stand between Rory McIlroy and his fourth consecutive Race to Dubai. McIlroy leads with 4,640.06 points, while Penge is second with 3,873.04. (Tyrrell Hatton is third at 2,919.18.) But getting this far already represents a massive turnaround for Penge, whose competitive future seemed in doubt after a gambling suspension. (It was, as these things go, a remarkably innocent and harmless breach<\/a> of the rules.)<\/p>\n

What it means: You, like Penge, may have a history of placing $20 wagers on golf tournaments. But he may also outdrive you by 100 yards and own three DP World Tour titles this season, which is why he\u2019ll play the biggest events in the world next season.<\/p>\n

8. Scottie and Rory are headlining a pro golf event that really does feel different. <\/p>\n

The story: Teams were announced<\/a> for the skills challenge-style primetime event for Dec. 17 at Trump National in Jupiter, Fla. Team Rory will consist of Shane Lowry, Luke Donald and Haotong Li. Team Scottie will be Scheffler plus Keegan Bradley, Sam Burns and Luke Clanton. They\u2019ll face off in timed competitions (driving, short game and alternate shot), a 14-club challenge (two players, one bag and eliminating used clubs) and a captains\u2019 challenge between McIlroy and Scheffler (more details here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

What it means: Pro golf has a habit of trotting out something extremely similar to its existing product and branding it as some massive change. But this actually is a dramatically different look from 72-hole stroke-play golf. That doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019ll work, of course. It might, though. And it could serve as a jumping-off point for future skills-style competitions as golf continues to dial in its vision for the offseason.<\/p>\n

9. Nelly Korda is going to pick up her first win this week.<\/p>\n

The story: This is more a prediction than a story, I suppose. This week\u2019s LPGA event, the ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican (let\u2019s just go with \u201cthe Annika\u201d) is the penultimate event of a season in which World No. 2 Nelly Korda has not won despite six top-five finishes. She\u2019s won this event in 2021, 2022, and 2024 \u2014 I expect 2025 is coming, too.<\/p>\n

What it means: Most early-week headlines around this event will involve Caitlin Clark\u2019s pro-am appearance or Kai Trump\u2019s sponsor invitation<\/a>. But once the competition starts it\u2019ll be fun to watch Korda lock in knowing the season\u2019s finish line is in sight, knowing she\u2019s been playing well and knowing she must be frustrated not to have and hardware after last year\u2019s seven-win campaign.<\/p>\n

10. The PGA Tour\u2019s adding two new events \u2014\u00a0and not where you\u2019d expect.<\/p>\n

The story: The PGA Tour has now signed on two new fall events for next year: the Good Good Championship in Austin, Tx. and now the Biltmore Championship, which will be played at\u00a0The Cliffs at Walnut Cove<\/a> near Asheville, N.C. next September.<\/p>\n

What it means: When new Tour CEO Brian Rolapp came in preaching \u201cscarcity,\u201d many people assumed that meant slashing Tour events, particularly those in golf\u2019s \u201coffseason.\u201d Instead they seem to be doubling down on the fall, leaving us wondering just how different the Tour schedule in, say, 2027, will look.<\/p>\n

NEWS FROM SEATTLE<\/p>\n

Monday Finish HQ.<\/p>\n

I haven\u2019t been playing much golf of late but have a fun local round on the books for Wednesday, which has me fired up. Obsessively checking weather forecasts, thinking about rain gear, plotting a stop at the range tomorrow, ready to debut a new laser, all that good stuff. Golf is the best. I hope you have a fall round in your future to look forward to, too.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll see you next week!<\/p>\n

Dylan Dethier welcomes your comments at dylan_dethier@golf.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

“><\/p>\n