Bear & Gator Week on PGA Tour

 👋 Hey Golf Fans,

Not sure if you have heard it before, but February 26 is officially the Carpe Diem day. Ideally, you should seize every day of your life the way you grab your club on the 18th tee. But just for today, grab it a little harder and forget the missed putt on the 17th. Jokes apart, today we’ve a lot to talk about: the Cognizant Classic preview, Butch Harmon’s advice to Tommy Fleetwood, a regal golf course, and more. But before we begin, congrats to Marco Penge on the birth of his newborn son, Romeo. Check out the selfie Penge shared from the hospital room.

Let’s get swinging…

The Cognizant Classic will mark the start of the Florida Swing. Or, the start of that series of events where pro golfers play ball with reptile spectators. Watch how Billy Horschel (a former Florida Gator) used a 60-degree wedge to shoo away an alligator from the fairway.

Horschel is back for the 14th time at PGA National. Other than being skilled at handling gators, the Florida native is adept at tackling the Jack Nicklaus-designed layout pretty well. In his last five starts here, Horschel has netted three top-25s. Fellow Floridian Brooks Koepka will also tee off for his third tournament since returning to the PGA Tour. His best finish (T2) came in 2019.

Ryan Gerard is the highest-ranked player (26th) in the field. He has bagged two runner-up finishes this season. Iron play will be a crucial differentiator here, and Gerard ranks 4th in Strokes Gained: Approach. Shane Lowry is another player you should keep an eye on.

The Irishman, 19th in SG: Approach, has three top-five finishes in his last four starts in the event. Defending champion Joe Highsmith, after breaking the course record last year, will make a return too.

Course:

The PGA National is a relatively easy course by PGA Tour standards. But water comes into play in 15 holes, the highest on the Tour. The closing stretch, famously known as the “Bear Trap" features two long par-3s (15th and 17th) over water. On the other hand, the 16th is a dogleg-right par-4 where water accompanies the fairway. Guess Nicklaus chuckles every time a pro goes shirtless to escape from here (Akshay Bhatia, we’re looking at you).

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Bryson DeChambeau was dumped by his biggest sponsor. In case you missed our story on that yesterday, here you go. Beyond that split, here are three stories that got our attention.

Debut: Guess who just decided to debut on the PGA Tour Champions? No, not Tiger Woods. C’mon, folks, you can do better. He turned 50 on February 24—you saw on our newsletter. Yep, Zach Johnson will join the Senior Tour and he confirmed the first tournament as well. Stewart Cink persuaded him, with ZJ’s driving distance (285.6 yards, 175th on Tour) being a running joke. Not the only problem he has with the longest stick, though. Check out this compilation of all of ZJ’s driver blunders. Trust us, you’re in for a good chuckle.

Return: You might remember Kevin Na for his signature walk-in putts. Or his jungle misadventure when he carded 16 on one hole. But Na also has a sleek club twirl, which you can see here. Anyways, the American pro, after an unceremonious exit from LIV Golf, has returned to the greens at the New Zealand Open. He opened with a 5-under 66 for a T3 after the first round. Here is what you need to know about his PGA Tour return date.

Emerging: India is quickly emerging as an important stop on the global golf schedule. LIV brought its International Series in late 2024. DP World Tour added a new event in October last year (no one was happier than Hovland). Here is something more interesting: the Indian Golf Premier League, which operates on a city-based franchise model, has secured a $100 million investment from 10 franchises. The league will touch down in Africa and the Middle East as well. Unlike TGL, it doesn’t rely on simulator golf, however. Here is a quick snapshot of the league.

Monday’s Results: 56.15% of you said Jeeno Thitikul will dominate the LPGA in 2026.

Finally, Tommy Fleetwood has a hot-mic moment. And no, unlike Jordan Spieth, it’s not one he might regret. Cameras caught the Brit gushing over a swing tip he received from Butch Harmon. Justin Rose, listening intently, seemed quite intrigued. Here’s what transpired and what you can learn.

• Stay high at address, which means don’t hunch down at the start of your backswing. Your right hip will stay back.

• Now most golfers move their hand and shoulder before they rotate their body on the downswing. Wrong. Move your hips first, and there Butch dropped the most deceptively simple hack.

• Think of closing a door with your left hip when you are rotating it. Only then make the turn and “go on to it [the ball].” Watch Fleetwood demonstrate the hip movement below to understand it better.

It’ll rank as one of the most simple yet effective tips Butch Harmon offered. And here are a few more “swing thoughts” similar to that to elevate your game.

Master the Tempo for Effortless Swing

Top Five Stars Missing From Cognizant Classic Field →

Jim Furyk Takes Up Surprise Role at Golf Channel →

Collin Morikawa’s Wife Pulls Off Unreal Feat at 6 Months Pregnant →

The golf sicko among you will revel in the mention of this course’s name. For the uninitiated, let’s just say it’s the Augusta of the mere mortals simply because of its sheer mystery and exclusivity. Yes, we’re talking about TXO, which formerly had an even cool-er name: Wolf Point Ranch. For the uninitiated, this is your cue to swoon over TXO. We won’t go into the curious history of the course built by an aerospace engineer-turned-golf-course-architect for a wealthy Texan. We refer to this for the golf history geeks among you.

What’s the hype about? First you walk fly in to the course’s in-house airstrip. A red carpet rolls for you. The hangar has a tennis court along with golf carts. The clubhouse? You better check for yourself to understand why we’re raving about it. Have any of you ever played here? Let us know.

Essentially Golf brings you handpicked, well-thought-out, and not-to-be-missed recommendations to make your weekend more fun.

🎥 Watch — Paige Spiranac makes a big announcement.

🛍 Buy — The Only Phoenix Open ticket from the day of Tiger’s hole-in-one.

👕 Wear — Snapback Cap is the ultimate fan statement.

🤌 Unwind — Harvey Wallbanger is a Screwdriver with a Galliano spin.

📅 Attend — Bruce Springsteen will tour the country starting March 31.

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