The LPGA has finally hit the meat of its 2025 season with the Buick LPGA Shanghai. And Qizhong Garden Golf Club isn’t the same field you saw last year. The course got a serious makeover: 30 yards longer, now stretching 6,703 yards with a par-72 layout. Players will need to navigate 6,000 transplanted trees, tricky bunkers, and 11 holes with water (including the final four – yikes!). 

Those large, heavily contoured greens demand pinpoint precision, with slick run-offs and menacing bunkers waiting to punish mistakes. Roll won’t help you much either—the surfaces are cruising at a slow 10.5 on the stimp. 

If you think the punishment is over… nope. That’s when you see the greens, looking worse than ever—almost unplayable. 

Leona Maguire and Matthew Galloway (Michelle Wie West’s former caddie) shared some not-so-great pics of the greens… and yeah, like you’ll see here, even you’d hesitate before putting on these surfaces.

The culprit? Extreme heat. Yes, China is known for its extreme heat, but these surfaces are not the hallmark of a professional circuit. Temperatures are expected to climb into the high 80s and mid-90s, with humidity pushing it past 100. Long, grueling days lie ahead for the pros.

Although not exactly “pro-coded” in condition, this is where LPGA players have to compete this week—and they’re doing just that. And the field hasn’t missed a beat.

Jeeno Thitikul is back on the course. The World No. 1 is making her 18th start of the season, has missed only one cut, notched a win, recorded 11 top-10s, and six of those finishes are solo thirds or better. American Brooke Matthews is playing in her 20th start of 2025, fresh off a T8 at the LOTTE Championship. And then there’s defending champion Ruoning Yin, a fan favorite with a strong season so far: 11 cuts made and 3 top-five finishes in 13 events.

The heat might make things uncomfortable, but with 26 different winners already this season, anything can happen. Qizhong Garden might crown a familiar face—or deliver a brand-new champion to the top.

“Absolute chaos” – Collin Morikawa's words, not ours. Just two weeks ago, he urged New York fans to bring it on, seemingly tired of the “tame” crowds. The next three days? Pure hell… for the European pros, that is. Two weeks later, Morikawa shrugged off the notion that he had played a part in it.

At the Baycurrent Classic, he clarified a few things: his request to Bethpage fans was “a little out of context,” “I think me saying the word ‘chaos,’ I didn’t mean for them to be rude,” and finally: “Fans can do & say what they want sometimes, and it probably crossed the line out there.”

He’s not wrong — at the end of the day, fans are responsible for their own behavior. The ignorant remarks on display at Bethpage proved that. For example, watch this fan shamefully take pride in admitting to disgracing Rory.

But Collin’s also wrong about a few things, mainly his request taken out of context. It wasn’t. He wanted “absolute chaos,” and that’s exactly what he got.

Is he the villain? No. But did he validate rude behavior by choosing the word “chaos” over “energy,” the way he described it at Baycurrent Classic? Yes. Post-Ryder Cup comments from Justin Thomas and Keegan Bradley didn’t exactly help, either:

Part of the problem? A lack of pushback from the American players over those three days. And we weren’t the only ones noticing. Many of you called them “silent partners in that cesspool,” admitted feeling “embarrassed,” and asked the tough questions: “Whatever happened to sportsmanship?” Even the American pros watching from home didn’t hold back too — just listen to former USA captain’s unfiltered reaction to the ‘embarrassing’ moments.

In the end, that’s what everyone will remember. What was once a team with relatable stars has become harder to root for. And that brings us to an important question… 

One secret behind Rory McIlroy’s powerful swings is his ability to move his upper and lower body independently. A series of targeted exercises — which you can watch in action here — help him build lower-body strength, power, and stability. Box jumps with dumbbells are just one example. The payoff? His average ball speed of 184.94 mph, and drives reaching 323 yards. Here’s how to do it:

Reset your stance, and repeat for the planned number of reps. Once you’ve got a natural feel around this exercise, move on to the ones suggested by Charley Hull:

Before Tiger Woods, there was Charlie Sifford, and now his hometown is making sure no one forgets him.

Charlotte is honoring one of its own in a way that feels both overdue and deeply fitting. The city’s latest tribute captures everything Charlie Sifford stood for — take a look at how they’ve brought his story home.

Sifford’s journey began in Charlotte, where he learned the game as a young caddie and was puffing cigars by 13. Opportunities in golf weren’t equal back then, and even after outplaying several established pros at the 1957 Long Beach Open, he didn’t earn his PGA Tour card until 1961, when the “Caucasian-only” clause was lifted.

By then, Sifford was past his prime, but his legacy only grew stronger — two Tour wins, a Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the admiration of Tiger Woods. On what would have been Sifford’s 100th birthday, Woods paid tribute once again. Guess how he marked this milestone?