The Zurich Classic of New Orleans just announced its 2027 dates, giving us another piece of the PGA Tour schedule puzzle that’s looking similar to this year’s lineup — minus Hawaii.
The American Express in La Quinta will keep its third-week-of-January slot. Pebble Beach (Feb. 4-7) and Phoenix (Feb. 11-14, Super Bowl week) have already posted their dates online.
The Masters is set for April 8-11, with the RBC Heritage and Zurich Classic following in their traditional post-Augusta slots.
Florida’s swing remains the big question mark, except for The Players Championship locked in for March 11-14. Adding intrigue was Doral’s return to the schedule, though it barely resembled its former self beyond the water hazards and planes landing at nearby Miami International.
Five top-15 players skipped the Cadillac Championship at Doral, and fan turnout was nothing like the packed galleries of the Blue Monster’s heyday. The PGA Tour last visited in 2016 before LIV Golf took over the venue for the past four years with better crowds.
The tournament also competed with Formula 1 in Miami, which drew 275,000 spectators over three days. Dodgy weather and Cameron Young’s six-shot runaway win didn’t help matters.
It’s looking like major PGA Tour changes won’t materialize until 2028. The question remains how quickly the Tour will move the Cadillac Championship back to the Florida swing leading to the Masters.
Florida currently hosts four events — the Cognizant Classic at PGA National, Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, The Players, and the Valspar Championship (which draws strong fields despite its awkward date because Innisbrook is such a quality test).
Can Doral fit in? That’s another moving part for Tour officials to figure out.
CEO Brian Rolapp didn’t offer solutions last August when announcing two majors and three signature events in a six-week span. He simply said of Doral, “I think we’re looking forward to bringing that back as a PGA Tour tradition.”
It clearly doesn’t have much tradition the first weekend in May.
Nelly Korda and Coca-Cola
Fresh off back-to-back wins and reclaiming world No. 1, Nelly Korda charmed audiences with a playful appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” where she revealed how Coca-Cola helped shape her silky-smooth swing.
When McAfee asked about swing changes, Korda credited longtime coach David Whelan for building her fundamentals. She also highlighted her father Petr’s crucial role.
“My parents spent so many hours with me, just working on tempo. That is the one thing they ingrained in my brain,” Korda said. “And my dad always referred to Coca-Cola.”
She demonstrated by moving her arms back for “Coca” and forward for “Cola.”
“It was super simple, but it was the key to have a very fluid swing,” Korda explained.
She also revealed another secret behind this year’s success: “I have higher shoes.”
“I’m trying to actually get closer to the ground with my chest,” Korda said. “I actually get a little bit steeper in my swing and I can hinge a little faster. So it’s just literally the smallest of things. But yeah, golfers are crazy. I’m crazy, just to let you know.”
Rose and Poulter going with McLaren irons
Justin Rose made a major equipment change and set himself up for an easy punchline. He became McLaren Golf’s first global ambassador, representing the company best known for Formula 1 race cars. Rose debuted the McLaren irons at the Cadillac Championship and promptly got off to a glacial start.
After three rounds, he was 21 shots behind. He closed with a 68 but beat just two players in the 72-man field. One tournament isn’t a fair assessment, of course. It’s still a bold move for both Rose and McLaren, which promises to “push the boundaries of equipment design and manufacturing.”
Rose says the clubs performed well on the range, though he expects a refinement period.
He’s been down this road before. Rose was world No. 1 when he signed with Honma, winning at Torrey Pines within weeks but falling outside the top 10 just over a year later. He left Honma after only 16 months.
Rose isn’t alone in the McLaren switch. Ian Poulter, a well-known car enthusiast, had McLaren irons in his bag at LIV Golf Virginia.
U.S. Open spot up for grabs at LIV Golf
LIV Golf’s first U.S. tournament this season comes with a U.S. Open berth on the line.
Joaquin Niemann already secured one spot by finishing among the top three in last year’s points race. Another spot goes to the leading player from the top three in points as of May 18, with LIV Golf Virginia being the final event before that cutoff.
Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau are set as U.S. Open champions from the past decade. The final spot features a tight race with Thomas Detry holding third place by just 0.86 points over Elvis Smylie. Anthony Kim lurks at No. 5, only 14 points back. For context, a 10th-place finish is worth 21 points.
The British Open offers one spot to the leading player not already qualified through the standings after LIV Golf Andalucia on June 7. The cutoff was originally Louisiana at the end of June, but that event has been postponed.
Koepka and Srixon end relationship
Brooks Koepka is once again a free agent in the equipment market.
Koepka didn’t have an equipment deal after Nike exited the clubs and golf balls business until signing with Dunlop-owned Srixon in late 2021. He joined LIV Golf the following year, then won the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill.
Dunlop Sports announced they mutually agreed to end their contract.
“Over the course of their relationship, Brooks served as an exceptional ambassador for the Srixon and Cleveland Golf brands,” said a statement on the company’s website. “His commitment to competing at the highest level of the game, including a major championship victory with Srixon and Cleveland Golf equipment in play, exemplifies the performance standard both brands stand for.”
The first sign of the split came in late February when Koepka switched to the Titleist Pro V1x golf ball. He’s playing this week’s Myrtle Beach Classic.
Women’s TGL gets 6 more players and a logo
Three-time major champion Minjee Lee is among six women joining the indoor WTGL launching later this year. The tech-infused league playing at SoFi Center also unveiled its logo — a red “W” in front of TGL to show the connection between the separate leagues run by TMRW Sports.
The logo was revealed to WTGL players competing in the Mizuho Americas Open in New Jersey. Other new additions include Celine Boutier, Andrea Lee, Megan Khang, Danielle Kang and Albane Valenzuela.
WTGL now has 14 player commitments, including five of the world’s top 10, plus Michelle Wie West. Still missing from the inaugural season lineup is top-ranked Nelly Korda.
Stat of the week
Scottie Scheffler has earned $6.75 million in his last three tournaments without winning. He finished runner-up at the Masters, the RBC Heritage and the Cadillac Championship.
Final word
“Yes, I am living my best life, for sure. But golf also humbles you, so I know that I need to enjoy these moments.” — Nelly Korda after winning her second straight tournament at the Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba.
