In this Issue

1. 🔥 Aussie Summer of Golf Preview

2. 📉 Rahm withdraws from the TGL

3. 🏆 Results Recap

4. 📅 Schedule for the Week

5. 🎁 November Giveaway

🔥 Aussie Summer of Golf Preview

The Aussie Summer of Golf is upon us with the two flagship Australian golf tournaments to be held over the next few weeks - starting with the Australian PGA Championship, held at Royal Queensland Golf Club from 23 to 26 November, and then to the Australian Open at The Australian Golf Club/The Lakes in Sydney from 30 November to 3 December. Both the PGA of Australia and Golf Australia have been busy trying to sure up the list of big-name players for these tournaments, and things at this point are looking pretty good.

The Australian PGA Championship will see the DP World Tour season commence in Brisbane and the field of Australian and International players will compete for the Joe Kirkwood Cup and $2M in prizemoney (the largest purse on the Australasian Tour). The Australian Open returns to Sydney with an innovative format that allows fans to see some of the best men and women golfers playing for different titles on the same course at the same time. The men and women will be playing in alternating groups across both courses over the first two days, and then The Australian Golf Club only on the weekend.

In terms of big-name players, this is shaping up to be one of the best years for golf fans to see the top Aussie players along with a pretty good selection of international players. Confirmed so far for both tournaments are Aussies Cam Smith, Adam Scott, Min Woo Lee, Cam Davis and Mark Leishman. Disappointingly, Jason Day has chosen not to return home, instead playing in Tiger’s limited field event The Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. Unfortunately, Aussie golf fans are now accustomed to Day snubbing his home tour. In addition to the Aussie contingent, there is also a very solid spread of international players including Ryder Cup player Bobby McIntyre, defending Australian Open champ Adrian Meronk and LIV Golf players Mito Pereira and Joaquin Niemann. The women’s field for the Australian Open will include Minjee Lee, Hannah Green, Jiyai Shin and Grace Kim.

Controversially, Golf Australia has taken a large risk in bringing out American club professional Michael Block for the Open. Shankers might recall “Blockie” rocketing to fame following his strong showing at the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill where he played with Rory McIlroy in the final round, finished T15 and made an ace along the way. Whether this play from Golf Australia turns out to be a stroke of genius or a disaster will be very interesting, especially given that Blockie needed a sponsor’s invite to the WTT Championship in Mexico this week and finished DFL.

Tickets to both events are reasonably priced, with General Admission grounds passes for the PGA starting at $33 and $30 for the Open. For those that are keen to let lose, you can get yourself a start at the PGA’s party hole (17th at RQ) for $295 on the Champion’s Deck, whilst the Open will have the Champion’s Club set up around the 16th green at The Australian and entry will cost you $499. All in all, it should be a great summer of golf down under.

📉 Rahm withdraws from the TGL

In a fairly significant blow to the TMRW Golf League (TGL), Jon Rahm unexpectedly withdrew last week, citing scheduling and commitment challenges. In the lead up to Rahm’s formal announcement he was withdrawing, there was significant speculation about his impending exit because Rahm had been removed from all content on the TGL website and social media accounts. Many were then prepared to extrapolate that further into theories that Rahm was set to announce his move to LIV Golf and join the Fireballs team captained by fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia.

At this point, no such move by Rahm has been announced, and given Rahm’s previous statements committing his “fealty” to the PGA Tour, we think a move to LIV immediately is unlikely to be on the cards. However, there are reports that he has been talking to LIV and put forward a number so large not even the deep pockets of LIV and the Saudi Public Investment fund were able to meet…yet!!

For now, we expect to see Rahm continue with his usual schedule on the PGA Tour. However, his withdrawal is undoubtedly a hit to the TGL (brainchild of Tiger and Rory) which has been trying to build a major sense of hype about the new league through the release of new team names, mascots and merchandise. Rory’s Boston team (which also includes Aussie Adam Scott in its line up) was pumping the social media channel this week announcing its “bullfrog” mascot along with a sting of cheesy one-liners to whip up some excitement. We have to say, some of this stuff is pretty cringeworthy, and it will be interesting to see how it is received by the golf community, especially those who have been so critical of the LIV Golf team names and logos over the last 2 years. We suspect they won’t be as vocal regarding the TGL as they were towards LIV.

🏆 Results Recap

Here is a quick wrap on last week’s results:

• PGAT: WTT Championship - Erik van Rooyen was inspired by a terminally ill mate to shoot 28 in his final round back 9 to win the WTT Championship over Matt Kuchar (who led by 6 shots at one point) and Camilo Villegas. EVR was visibly moved in his post-victory interview and was brought to tears when recounting the struggles his friend has been experiencing as he battles melanoma.

• LPGA: TOTO Japan Classic - Hometown Queen Mone Inami claimed her first LPGA tour win at the TOTO, after rising star Rose Zhang was in contention again but unable to close things out.

• PGA Tour of Australasia: QLD PGA - 22-year-old Victorian Amateur Phoenix Campbell held off a fast finishing David Micheluzzi to claim the QLD PGA title in windy conditions at Nudgee Golf Club. Unfortunately, as an amateur, he was not able to claim any of the prize money for his win, but does get spots into the Australian PGA Championship and the Australian Open if he decides to turn professional.

• Asian Tour: China Open - LIV Golf players Eugenio Chacarra and Andy Ogletree delivered strong performances in China but were unable to beat Thai player Sarit Suwannarut who shot a final round 64 to take the W.

📅 Schedule for the Week

Your golfing schedule for the week, and how to watch is below:

• PGAT: The Bermuda Championship - Port Royal Golf Course (Bermuda), $6.5m purse, Friday 10/11 to Monday 13/11 - Coverage on Foxtel & Kayo, starts 4am Thursday.

• Asian Tour: Hong Kong Open - Hong Kong Golf Club, $2m purse, Thursday 9/11 to Sunday 12/11 - Coverage on Foxtel & Kayo, starts 2.30pm Thursday. Cameron Smith will be playing in this event along with other LIV players Harold Varner III, Talor Gooch, Graeme McDowell, Patrick Reed and Thomas Pieters.

• DPWT: Nedbank Golf Challenge - Gary Player Country Club (Sun City, South Africa), $6m purse, Thursday 9/11 to Sunday 23/11 - Coverage on Foxtel & Kayo, starts 7pm Thursday.

• LPGA: The Annika - Pelican Golf Club (Florida), $3.25m purse, Friday 10/11 to Monday 13/11 - Coverage on Foxtel & Kayo, starts 1am Thursday.

🎁November Giveaway

Over the next fortnight, we’ll be running a competition to give away a double-pass to the Australian PGA Championships at Royal Queensland Golf Club from 23 to 26 November. All you have to do is:

1.  Subscribe to The Shank Show newsletter.

2. Follow us on Instagram.

For many of our Shankers, you will already have done both these things and will be in the draw. However, if you’re really keen on getting to RQ to see Smithy and the other top golfers, you can also earn extra entries by referring others to The Shank Show. Just send them this newsletter and get them to use the button below and link above to subscribe and follow.

We will be drawing the winner on 20 November 2023, so make sure you are in it to win it!!!

Thanks again for your support and readership. We’ll be back next week and leave you with Bernard Langer making a mess from the reeds…