Expect the Unexpected This Major Week

👋 Hey Golf Fans,

The first recorded golf joke comes from 1728 by Duncan Forbes. It’s a classic father’s lament: “This day after a very hard pull, I got the better of my son at the gouf [golf] in Musselburgh Links; if he was as good at any other thing as he is at that, there might be some hopes for him.”

We can imagine a couple of elderly gentlemen belly-laughing while sipping on homemade heather ale. The joke might have lost its charm, but not the sport. On that note, let’s get started with today’s news.

Before we start with today’s edition, let's kick things off with the stories that've been making waves.

2027 Ryder Cup ticket details are out, and fans are once again outraged. Looks like the Europeans took a leaf out of the PGA of America’s book!

Robert MacIntyre apologizes for his behavior at the Masters, but admits it’s “part of who I am.” Meaning: you might see something similar again.

Bryson DeChambeau fans, breathe easy. Your favorite golfer is grinding through recovery from the injury that forced him to withdraw from LIV Mexico.

The Chevron Championship has its own tradition (the champion’s jump) and a winner’s jacket of its own (the bathrobe). And now they have a makeshift Poppie’s Pond at Memorial Park, which has irked some pros. Take a look at the kiddie pool where the winner will jump on Sunday, and you’ll understand why. Speaking of which, here are the real contenders for the trophy.

Storylines: Nelly Korda has been on a real heater this year: four starts, one win, three runner-up finishes. Per Elias Sports Bureau, the other two players who started their season like this—Karrie Webb (2000) and Annika Sorenstam (2001)—went on to win the first major of the season. Korda’s history at the Chevron Championship is intimidating. She won the tournament in 2024 and has three more top-3s under her belt.

Her biggest challenge will come from Hannah Green. She has already won four times this year, including the mighty six-shot comeback last week. She already has two majors under her belt, like Nelly. On the other hand, Green’s compatriot, Minjee Lee, can become just the eighth LPGA pro to complete a career Grand Slam. She'll square off directly against Chun In-gee and Anna Nordqvist, who are also looking to complete theirs.

Charley Hull, still on the mend from a torn ankle ligament, is chomping at the bit for this challenge. She comes with three top-10s across the LPGA and LET. She has yet to win a major but has four runner-up finishes.

Course: Rainy conditions at Memorial Park GC, where every advantage is a tiny miracle gone in a second, will toughen scoring and put stress on pros around the greens. It’s been trimmed some 660 yards from the Houston Open, playing at 6,811 yards. Two holes (first & 14th) have been changed from par 4s to par 5s.

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Among Wall Street hawks, distressed assets are akin to two-footers for a birdie. You see one, you score it. You probably guessed where we are going with this. We’ll put it bluntly: LIV Golf seems likely to join the scrap heap of PIF ventures left for dead. Hemorrhaging hundreds of millions annually, the league faces a shutdown as PIF eyes a quiet exit.

When an executive like Brian Rolapp notices distressed assets like this, he fires on all cylinders. The ex-NFL man is planning to swoop in and offer these assets (read Rahm, DeChambeau & Co.) a safe haven (read PGA Tour).

After all, who won’t salivate at the prospect of bringing back a great rivalry like Brooks vs. Bryson? Especially after Bryson admitted in an interview that Brooks was indeed a “d*ck” to him. Watch it below.

Monday’s Poll Result: 67.42% of you said today’s golfers show more aggression than pros of past generations.

Struggling to flush your irons as Tommy Fleetwood does here? It all boils down to mastering your low point, which depends on two factors. Firstly, returning the club to the ball on the right path. Secondly, a smooth tempo to avoid rushing or decelerating. The good news is that all you need is a towel to fix it.

• Setup: Place a towel lengthwise on the ground, with the golf ball six to seven inches in front. Position the ball forward, near the inside of your lead foot. Keep the club in the center of your stance.

• Focus: On the downswing, shift your weight and pressure to your lead side. Get your head over the lead foot, forming a right triangle with your head, lead foot, and trail foot.

• Execution: Swing while feeling like you're rotating and "falling" target-side. Catch the ball first, then turf. If you hit the towel, you hung back. Repeat until you miss it cleanly. Watch golf coaches at Elite Golf School demonstrate it below.

Try this drill a few times, and let us know if it helps cut down on those mishits. In case you’re looking for the right towel, we’ve got just the right one for you.

The Bettinardi wedges came into the spotlight after Bryson DeChambeau used them for his back-to-back LIV wins this season—check out his stupendous bunker hole-out here. But the latest one, an extension of that older model, is more special. The limited-edition Bettinardi Molten Copper HLX 6.0 Forged wedges offer two grind options: wider RJ sole and a narrower C player sole.

But it's the finish that truly caught our eyes. This copper finish blends a lush copper-toned coating with a copper-plated scoring surface, crafted to develop a natural patina of age through play. Over time, it gradually deepens in tone and character, lending each wedge its own one-of-a-kind look while shrugging off corrosion. Cool, right? Check them out here.

🎥 Watch — Akshay Bhatia talks about going pro at 17.

🛍 Buy — Switchblade Repair Tool repairs ball marks with a single pull.

👕 Wear — Fleece Joggers offer a relaxed fit for all-day comfort.

🍸 Unwind — Tom Collins needs gin, lemon, sugar syrup, and soda water.

⛳ Play — TPC Deere Run is yours to play at a reasonable green fee.

Thank you for reading this edition of Essentially Golf.

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