Putting greens receive special attention because they are the most sensitive surfaces on a golf course, and even minor disruptions can influence performance.

The latest adjustment focuses on how damage to putting greens is managed. Under Rule 13.1c(2), players are now allowed to repair almost any form of damage that affects the surface. The rule defines damage as ball marks, shoe marks, indentations created by clubs or flagsticks and marks caused by animals. The permission does not apply to aeration holes or natural imperfections.

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 This change removes the need to determine whether a mark was created by a ball or a shoe, a distinction that previously created uncertainty and inconsistent rulings. The intention is to allow the green to be restored to its proper playing condition so that the surface reflects the skill of the player rather than unrelated disruptions.

Officials considered concerns that expanded repair rights might slow play. They concluded that existing pace guidelines and committee policies are sufficient to address unnecessary delays. The adjustment aligns with long-standing permissions that allow players to mark, lift, and clean a ball on the green and remove loose material from the surface.

By allowing players to correct damage that directly affects a putt, the rule supports fair play and reduces the number of situations that require intervention from referees.

The Previous Rule Change Affecting Putting Greens

The most recent revision that influenced putting green procedures occurred in 2019 during the broad update to the Rules of Golf. That transition introduced several changes, including the ability to repair spike marks and other shoe-related damage. It also allowed players to putt with the flagstick left in the hole. 

These adjustments were introduced to simplify procedures and reduce penalties for actions that did not offer a competitive advantage. The current update continues that direction by removing another point of confusion and supporting consistent course conditions for every player throughout a round.

Share your thoughts on how this rule may influence play at your course

LIV confirmed that all regular-season events will transition to a four-day, 72-hole format beginning next year. The structure keeps shotgun starts and the simultaneous individual and team competitions that have defined the league. CEO Scott O’Neil said the adjustment marks “a pivotal new chapter” that strengthens the product and responds to rising global attention, adding that LIV “will always have an eye towards progress that acts in the best interest of LIV Golf and in the best interest of the sport.” The shift follows a year in which LIV reported significant attendance growth and nearly 90% year-on-year gains in broadcast viewership through its partnership with FOX Sports.

Players inside the league welcomed the expanded format. Jon Rahm said the move “is a win for the League, and the players,” calling 72 holes “the logical next step that strengthens the competition, tests us more fully, and delivers more of what the fans want.” Bryson DeChambeau said the change was “a proactive step to align with the historic format recognized globally,” while Dustin Johnson noted that “playing 72 holes just feels a little more like the big tournaments we’ve all grown up playing,” adding that four rounds “give the best players a chance to rise to the top.”

Alongside the format change, LIV has introduced a new requirement for all newly contracted players beginning in 2026. Each will need to compete in at least two Asian Tour International Series events in addition to the 14-event LIV schedule. Flushing It reported, “Starting in 2026, all newly contracted LIV Golf players will be expected to play a minimum of two International Series events on the Asian Tour as well as the 14 events on the LIV Golf League.” He added that the partnership “will only continue to grow in the coming years.”

For many players, the International Series already provides competitive and commercial value. At the Philippines stop, Dustin Johnson said, “I think growing the game is very important,” and added that the Asian Tour “continues to expand golf’s reach by playing all over the world, playing in places like this really helps.” Flushing It later commented that the impact LIV has had on the Asian Tour “cannot be ignored. It’s huge.”

The combined effect of the 72-hole transition and the International Series mandate will shape how LIV’s players approach 2026. The changes increase competitive weeks, add ranking pathways, and expand global exposure while introducing heavier travel and fuller schedules. 

The 2026 changes are only the beginning. Keep up with evolving storylines, ranking implications, and the impact on LIV’s global landscape throughout the season.

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Over the years, the four-time major champion has become one of golf’s fittest athletes, building a body that delivers those 300-yard drives. Moreover, his commitment to conditioning separates him from many peers.

When Golf Monthly stepped inside one of Rory McIlroy’s go-to sessions, ultimately offering a rare look at the method behind his traing. Through that lens, the workout highlights exactly how he trains to stay strong, stable, and injury-free through the grind of a long season. With that in mind, here’s the routine.

A-Block: Strength, Pulling Power & Core Stability

A1. Deadlift: 3 sets of 5 reps
The foundation of McIlroy’s lower-body power. Heavy pulls target the hamstrings, glutes, and back. Those are the muscles responsible for ground force and hip drive. Consequently, this builds the base of Rory McIlroy’s explosiveness.

A2. Pull-Up: 3 sets of 5–10 reps
These build upper-body pulling strength, helping Rory McIlroy maintain posture and control through the swing. Moreover, they keep his movement efficient.

A3. Plank: 3 sets of 1 minute
A strong core is non-negotiable for a player generating this much torque. Planks help stabilize the spine throughout the entire swing and further protect him from over-rotation.

B-Block: Control, Rotation & Functional Balance

B1. Dumbbell Lunge: 3 sets of 8–10 reps
Promotes single-leg strength and balance, both vital for maintaining posture during weight transfer. In addition, it enhances lower-body control.

B2. Renegade Row: 3 sets of 10 reps
A hybrid movement that trains the core to resist rotation while strengthening the upper back and arms. As a result, it supports his ability to stay square through impact.

B3. Lateral Walk: 3 sets of 10 reps each leg
Targets the glute medius — essential for hip stability and preventing swing breakdowns. Similarly, it keeps his movement steady under pressure.

C-Block: Golf-Specific Explosive Power

C. Medicine Ball Side Slam: 3 sets of 10 reps each side
This is Rory McIlroy build his explosive strength. Rotational slams mimic the speed and force of a real golf swing, building rotational power without overtaxing the joints. Therefore, this drill contributes directly to his swing speed.

Why Does This Routine Work for Rory McIlroy?

Rory McIlroy’s routine is effective because it trains the exact qualities his swing depends on. Heavy lifts like deadlifts build lower-body force. Bodyweight work, such as pull-ups, sharpens upper-back strength for posture. Together, they create the foundation of his stability.

Additionally, core staples like planks increase stability under rotation. Functional moves like lunges, renegade rows, and lateral band walks improve balance and control on each side of the body. Meanwhile, explosive drills like medicine-ball side slams mirror the speed and torque of a real swing. Nothing in his program is for size or aesthetics; it’s built for power, efficiency, and durability. Ultimately, that is why his routine works so well.

In the end, the result is simple: a stable base, faster turn, and tour-level speed. So it’s safe to say Rory McIlroy’s signature swing relies on more than technique. Instead, it’s powered by the strength he’s built through years of targeted conditioning.

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The numbers show it plainly. Before LIV, Reed had earned significant money from traditional tours, but the referral to LIV ushered in a new era of earnings. According to data compiled through 2025, his LIV payouts by year read like a jackpot scoreboard.

Patrick Reed’s Earnings boost

Patrick Reed’s LIV Golf run has been a slow build that finally broke open in 2025. Since joining the league in 2022, he delivered steady pressure without the headline win, stacking 17 top-10s and 32 top-24s across 45 events and 135 rounds.

And while the victories weren’t coming yet, the money certainly was. Spotrac reports Reed earned $14.7 million in 2022, $10.96 million in 2023, $5.4 million in 2024, and $9.6 million in 2025 — more than $40.7 million in four seasons.

In fact, his $8.239 million individual haul in 2025 alone placed him among the year’s top earners, reflecting how consistently he kept himself in contention.

But the results needed a breakthrough, and it finally arrived in June 2025. At LIV Golf Dallas, Reed buried a 15-foot birdie to win a four-man playoff — his first individual LIV title after years of close calls.

The performance wasn’t a surprise to those tracking his metrics. Patrick Reed ranked third in strokes gained off the tee that week, a key driver behind his rise to seventh in the 2025 standings with 109.40 points. Combined with selective starts on other tours, the stretch pushed his career earnings to $84.74 million by April 2025.

The paychecks from LIV have given Reed a cushion that traditional tour play rarely offered at his level. Then again, it’s not really surprising. It’s something golf fans haven’t seen happen for other golfers as well. Take Phil Mickelson or Dustin Johnson, who, besides earning individual payouts, also secured guaranteed contracts reported to be over $100 million.

Similarly, for Patrick Reed, LIV Golf didn’t just change where he tees off. It transformed his earning potential and secured a financial legacy.

Because hidden in that sprawling interview was a detail that eclipsed everything around it. Amid talk of criticism from Tiger Woods’ caddie and sleepless business ideas, one detail in his home stole the spotlight: A dinosaur skull. In his office.

In that Golf Digest interview, just days before his 39th birthday in 2009, the tone shifted the moment someone asked about the fossil behind him. When asked about what’s with the dinosaur head?

“That was my birthday present from Amy,” he said, almost casually, as if every golfer keeps prehistoric fossils on their bookshelf. The gift arrived the previous June. “Mongolian fossil, believed by paleontologists to be a Tarbosaurus bataar.” The one Amy gave me is from Mongolia [paleontologists say it’s possibly a Tarbosaurus bataar],” Mickelson told Golf Digest.

And yes, Phil even fielded a question about whether it was male or female. “Female, not that I would know by inspecting it or anything. I’m just going by what I was told.” But the fascination doesn’t stop at ownership. When asked whether he’d named the dinosaur, Mickelson divulged another intriguing detail.

More Than a Conversation Piece to Phil Mickelson and His Family

Still, he made it clear just how much the piece meant to him. He said, “It’s the coolest thing I’ve ever gotten,” he said. The skull became more than a conversation starter; it turned into a window into another world. Mickelson described how he and his kids would sit in his office, staring at the fossil and imagining life 68 million years ago.

That curiosity wasn’t random. His oldest daughter, Amanda—born the day after the 1999 U.S. Open—had long harbored dreams of becoming a paleontologist. Their shared fascination with dinosaurs and outer space made the skull feel less like an eccentric display and more like an anchor for family imagination.

What’s more? The dinosaur skull was far from the only unique gift to Phil Mickelson from his wife. During the same interview, the golfer explained that Amy Mickelson gave him an equally unique gift for Christmas the previous year.

It was a meteorite. “That’s from Argentina, a crash from the 1930s, I believe… It weighs about 300 pounds and is the size of a basketball,” he explained. So who knows what else Phil Mickelson has in his collection? Yet, do you think anything tops a 68-million-year-old skull?

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From Augusta to St Andrews to Oakmont, Nicklaus built a résumé that shaped how greatness is measured in golf. Yet, for all the iconic moments and all the pressure-filled Sundays he mastered, one triumph outside the majors holds a place of its own in his memory.

That victory came in 1977 at the Memorial Tournament, an event he did not simply compete in, he created it. As Nicklaus’ career grew, so did his desire to give golf a tournament steeped in respect for its past while offering the best players a demanding stage.

In 1976, that vision became reality when the first Memorial Tournament was held at Muirfield Village Golf Club, the course he designed in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio. Winning there the following year carried an emotional weight no major ever could.

Nicklaus explained the significance in an interview with Business Jet Traveler, recalling how deeply involved he was in the details of the young tournament. “Probably what meant more than most of my majors was winning the Memorial in 1977. That was the tournament I started in my hometown of Columbus, Ohio, at the golf club I founded, Muirfield Village. It was our second year of the tournament. I’m picking up trash and cigarette butts and putting them in my caddie’s pockets and organizing this, organizing that, and still won the tournament, too. I’m very proud of that.”

His words capture why that victory stands apart. It wasn’t simply about outplaying the field; it was about seeing an idea become part of the sport’s landscape and then performing under the strain of hosting, organizing, and competing all at once.

Few athletes experience the challenge of managing an event while still contending for a trophy. Fewer still win under those circumstances.

The Memorial Tournament has grown considerably since Nicklaus lifted the trophy that year. Held annually and hosted by Nicklaus himself, it was built on three guiding goals: to honor individuals who have contributed to golf with distinction, to bring the world’s best players to a demanding venue, and to support charitable efforts in the Greater Columbus community.

Those commitments remain at the center of the tournament’s identity decades later.

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From its first staging in 1976 to its evolution in the years since, the Memorial has become one of the PGA Tour’s most respected stops, an extension of Nicklaus’ competitive legacy and his dedication to shaping the game beyond his own victories. What began as a personal vision now stands as a fixture of professional golf, with each edition reflecting the values he set in motion.

For a player whose career redefined the sport, it is telling that the win he cherishes so deeply came not on one of golf’s traditional major stages, but at home, on ground he built, during a week when he was both host and champion. The 1977 Memorial offered something no major championship could provide: the satisfaction of seeing a dream take hold, and the rare chance to win on a course and a tournament that carries his signature.

Stay with us for more stories from the fairways!

Greg Norman has worn many labels since LIV Golf’s emergence: architect, agitator, and even golf’s antihero. Yet despite all that, in his first interview after exiting the Saudi-backed league, Norman isn’t rewriting history. He’s defending it. And he does so from a place that signals exactly where his focus has shifted.

The Florida headquarters of The Greg Norman Company, where he is now fully immersed in his business empire once again. From that new office, Norman delivered his clearest assessment yet of his time leading LIV: “mission accomplished.” It’s a bold phrase, and he knows it. Still, the reasoning behind it shows the lens through which he views the league’s impact.

Norman underscored that his role wasn’t about short-term wins or pleasing critics. It was singularly about execution. “It was just one of those things where you had to stay focused on what purpose you were going after and execute on that purpose,” he said. “I think, from my perspective, I did that.” And to him, that clarity mattered more than anything else.

The “purpose,” as Norman defines it, was simple: push golf into a new financial era. And according to him, the turbulence. The backlash, the headlines, and the politics were expected. But even then, the scale of that turbulence? That caught him off guard. When asked about the pushback, he didn’t hesitate.

Headwinds and Misperceptions

“I knew there were going to be a lot of headwinds,” Greg Norman admitted. “I didn’t anticipate the magnitude of those headwinds because… as time went by, those headwinds were created by misperceptions.” Norman is blunt here, and he believes much of the resistance came from narratives, not realities. Eventually, those narratives faded only when something shifted outside LIV’s walls.

For Norman, the turning point wasn’t a tournament or a player signing. It was the arrival of Strategic Sports Group (SSG) and additional private equity investors into men’s professional golf. “Once SSG came in, and once the other private equity money started rolling in, that was the catalyst for everybody to calm down a little bit,” Norman said. “They started to see that what LIV did—bring private equity into the game of golf for the first time in 53 years—was a positive.” To Norman, that validation spoke louder than any response LIV could have made.

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Norman viewed the arrival of Strategic Sports Group and other investors as the clearest evidence of LIV’s influence. Their involvement, he said, proved that LIV’s model of team formats, guaranteed funding, and long-term capital set a new standard that the rest of the sport ultimately adopted.

And now, with private equity firmly embedded in professional golf, Norman sees LIV’s role in that shift as significant and undeniable.

Tiger Woods and Mike “Fluff” Cowan formed one of golf’s most impactful early partnerships. It began in 1996 when Woods turned professional. From their very first week at the Greater Milwaukee Open, they delivered immediate results, powering Tiger’s historic rise through the PGA Tour. After more than two years, everything changed.

While Woods clarified that he and Cowan had “discussed this over the past few weeks,” before their partnership ended at the 1999 Nissan Open, Cowan spoke about it to Links Magazine years later. “I don’t hold a bit of animosity because he fired me. I don’t know why he did it exactly. I’ve never asked him, and I never will. I don’t care. It happened, and you move on,” he said.

Afterward, Cowan did what few expected: he stepped away quietly and tried to figure out where his career should go next. There was no public frustration, no search for answers, just a deliberate pause.

“I went home after the firing and waited it out… I considered trying to play as a professional… but nothing ever came of it,” Cowan said during the interview. It was an honest crossroads moment. In the end, he accepted the split without resentment, treating it as another turn in a long career rather than a setback.

Between September 1996 and February 1999, they collected seven victories, including breakthrough wins at the Las Vegas Invitational and the Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic during Tiger’s rookie season. But the defining moment came in 1997, when Cowan was on the bag for Woods’ 12-shot demolition at the Masters. The performance that reshaped modern golf and cemented the duo as a force.

But before everything unraveled, Cowan had witnessed Tiger at his most transformative; none more so than at Augusta in 1997.

Fluff’s Front-Row Seat at the 1997 Masters

When Cowan looks back on his time with Tiger, the 1997 Masters still defines their partnership. It wasn’t just Tiger winning, but the way he changed the course in real time. 

In the same interview with Links Magazine, Fluff said, “Just watching him take that golf course apart with both his length and his putter. Watching him hit pitching wedges into the 15th hole. I don’t think that had ever been done.” And soon enough, Tiger’s Thursday turnaround became the foundation of the entire week. From Cowan’s vantage point, that week felt different from the start.

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Fluff recalled, “The 30 we shot on the back nine Thursday was just an unbelievable way to come back from shooting a bad score on the front nine; turning what could’ve been 75 or 76 or who knows what into 70 set the tone for the whole week.” Cowan stepped in at the right moment with a simple reset as they walked to the 10th tee.

He delivered a steadying reminder. “I said something to the effect of it’s nothing more than the start of a long tournament. Let’s go shoot something in the red, and we’ll be all right, and from there he just dominated that golf course.” From that point on, and with that adjustment, Tiger didn’t just contend took control of Augusta and never let it go.

So, while the split may have been sudden, but the legacy of what they built together never faded. For Fluff, the memories of those weeks, especially Augusta, still matter more than how it ended.

According to McIlroy, LIV’s aggressive approach has already consumed $5–6 billion, driven by enormous guaranteed contracts for stars such as Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, and Jon Rahm. Entering its 5th season in 2026, the league is now facing the next financial test: renegotiating deals that players expect to match or exceed their original nine-figure payouts.

“A lot of these guys’ contracts are up,” McIlroy said while speaking to CNBC. “They’re going to ask for the same number or an even bigger number. LIV has spent $5 to $6 billion U.S., and they’re going to have to spend another five or six just to maintain where they are.”

Rory emphasized that the league has yet to generate a meaningful return despite its massive outlay across team operations, events, and player guarantees. The concern, he noted, is not just the amount spent, but the willingness to keep spending in a way that defies traditional sports business logic.

“As someone who supports the traditional structure of men’s professional golf,” he added, “we have to realize we were trying to deal with people that were acting, in some ways, irrationally, just in terms of the capital they were allocating and the money they were spending.”

While he has softened his tone compared with his early opposition to LIV, he was direct about the difficulty a merger now faces. He cited boxing’s fragmented sanctioning bodies and the decades-long split between IndyCar and NASCAR as examples of how sports can remain divided for generations.

“You see some of these other sports that have been fractured for so long,” McIlroy said. “I think for golf in general, it would be better if there was unification. But I just think with what’s happened over the last few years, it’s just going to be very difficult to be able to do that.”

The Northern Irish star also made his personal position unmistakably clear. In assessing the economics of both leagues, he delivered one of the sharpest lines of the day: “I’m way more comfortable being on the PGA Tour side than on their side.”

Rory’s comments showed the fundamental divide shaping professional golf’s future: one tour operating under traditional revenue models, and another burning billions to stay afloat.

Whether those worlds can meet in the middle remains, as McIlroy put it, “very difficult.”

It was his father, Charlie Nicklaus. The revelation comes not in a grand speech, but in a simple memory Nicklaus still quotes word for word. When asked what made him so gracious in defeat, a trait that peers have praised for decades.

In a May 2019 interview with Business Jet Traveler, Nicklaus recalled, “My dad. He always told me, ‘That other guy is working just as hard as you are, and if he beats you, he deserves to be congratulated and you ought to do it properly. You’ll get your chance the next time.’”

In that BJET’s interview, Nicklaus recalled how his father shaped his work ethic and even his pressure approach. Charlie’s lessons showed up early. One afternoon at Scioto, Jack hit an 8-iron into a bunker on the 15th hole and, frustrated, threw the club almost as far as the ball. Charlie didn’t lecture.

He said only, “Pick up your club. Pick your ball.” They walked straight in. His father added one sentence Jack never forgot: “If that happens again, you’ll never see another golf course.” It was a clear line between talent and self-control. But Charlie wasn’t just enforcing discipline. He also recognized when to push and when to support.

At 13, when Jack had a chance to break 70 for the first time, he wanted to skip dinner to keep playing. Though Charlie refused, but promised they’d return if they ate quickly. They did, and in the fading light, Jack holed a 35-footer on 18 for a 69. Another quiet lesson? Stay committed, but keep your head steady. And the same way, the Golden Bear shaped his son’s career.

Jack Nicklaus Through His Son’s Eyes

Nicklaus passed those same lessons on to his own son, Jack Nicklaus II. Once, shortly after high school, Jack II accepted a golf scholarship and played a junior tournament. And when he called his father to report a disappointing round, “I described my entire round, hole by hole, shot by shot … whether I lifted my head during a swing, misread a putt …” he recalled. 

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The Golden Bear listened patiently, asked thoughtful questions about his errors, and, when Jack II told him he had trouble with his chipping, promised, “We would work on it when we both got home.”

Then, after a long silence, came the pivot. Then, the Golden Bear asked Jr., “Jackie, would you like to know how your dad did today?” He replied, “Well, yes, how did you do today?” Only when Jr. finished did he say, almost casually, “Well, I just won the U.S. Open.”

Jack Nicklaus had just set a new scoring record at Baltusrol for his fourth U.S. Open title and still chose to talk about my round first. That was my dad. Jack Nicklaus’ first professional win came at the 1962 U.S. Open, where he famously beat Arnold Palmer in a playoff. He went on to win the championship three more times: 1967, 1972, and 1980.

In the end, the trophies tell only part of the story. The real foundation of Jack Nicklaus’s success was built long before the majors, in the lessons a father passed to his son, and that the son carried forward.