LIV Staring Down Its Darkest Moment Yet

👋 Hey Golf Fans,

The word “chaos” has an interesting etymology. In ancient Greek, it simply meant the void before anything existed. Think pre-Big Bang. Over time, it has come to mean something different: a state of disorder and turmoil. When LIV started in 2022, the golf world was thrown into that chaos, a topsy-turvy state. Four years later, LIV finds itself in chaos; only this time, the chaos might lead the league to a void where it doesn’t even exist.

Let’s get started…

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

Ex-LIV Golfer Makes Surprise Entry to Senior Tour ↗

CBS Pulls Off Jaw-Dropping Feat Despite Mounting Backlash ↗

Tiger Woods’s Legal Battle Escalates as Court Demands Personal Records ↗

Course: Harbour Town, the host of RBC Heritage, is barely a three-hour drive from Augusta National. Yet the courses couldn’t be any more different. Narrow fairways, small greens, and deep bunkers nullify a lot of the edge that long-hitters traditionally enjoy at the Masters. One bad shot and you’re in a swamp, or native area, or worse, climbing down the ladder to a pot bunker. Yeah, that has happened—watch the painful moment here.

The course has undergone a renovation by Davis Love III, who has retained its original features. That means a complex mix of par-3s and par-4s will challenge the pros. Mid-iron play becomes absolutely crucial here on the par-3s, and driving accuracy separates a bogey from a par-save. Every hole has undergone some change—cart paths have been moved, green complexes lengthened, and bunkers expanded. The scores are expected to be low.

Storylines: Eight of the world’s top tens and 41 of the top-50 are present in South Carolina this week. Seven of them finished inside the top-ten at the Masters. Scottie Scheffler will look forward to bringing his Masters performance to Harbour Town as well. He needs to win to silence the critics.

His friend Sam Burns is also present after throwing away his chances last week. He had a T13 at Heritage in 2025. On the other hand, another Masters contender, Cameron Young, is in the field. He has never finished outside the top-ten in his last four starts. Justin Thomas returns as the defending champion, but only one top-ten in four starts isn’t a favorable look.

Weather: Temperatures are expected to hover around mid-80s. Winds around 8-10 mph are expected, which will play an important role on the 18th hole.

Harbour Town asks a very different question than Augusta did just a few days ago. This is a course where precision matters, momentum can change quickly, and one swing can reshape the leaderboard. That’s what makes it such a fun event to follow on Novig.

Whether you’re backing a player who fits Harbour Town’s demands, fading a big name, or adjusting your position as the tournament unfolds, the app lets you stay close to every meaningful moment—from the opening tee shot to the final putt by the lighthouse.

So this weekend, don’t just watch the leaderboard change. Trade every turn on Novig.

P.S. Use code ESSENTIALLY and get $50 Novig coins for just a $5 spend.

Guess who’s back? Michelle Wie West will tee off in the LPGA again. She isn’t exactly breaking her retirement. The 36-year-old mother of two announced she would be the playing host of the Mizuho Americas Open next month. She will also play the U.S. Women’s Open this year, utilizing the last exemption as a past champion. Remember the time when she was 14 and broke 70 in a PGA Tour event? Check it out below. We’ve come a long way.

You kidding me? Whatever hopes anyone had of a quiet post-Masters weekend were gone with one bombshell tweet, one report, and one statement. First, Ryan French of Monday Q Info posted that LIV is close to being shut down. A report came out within a few hours. Executives were called to New York for an emergency meeting. Then Scott O’Neil released a statement trying to dismantle all notions of LIV’s closure. The statement was as good as Jay Monahan’s update on the merger. No conclusive thought, only some promises.

Apparently, Mohammed bin Salman, the ruler of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is mulling over declaring “force majeure,” citing the ongoing Middle East conflict to pull the plug on LIV. The league hasn’t made a profit and realistically, can’t make any in the next ten years. So there are two ways it can go: either 2026 is the last you’ll see of LIV, putting the future of many golfers in jeopardy, or it will continue to be funded by PIF, albeit with a cut. Meanwhile, another report came of LIV players threatening not to play the Mexico event unless they are cleared of their Q1 dues—find more on it here.

Monday’s Poll Result: 69.13% of you believe Rory McIlroy will win more than ten majors in his career.

Keeping arms and body in sync is crucial for hitting quality shots. The body should lead, and the arms will follow. Here is a simple drill that will help you achieve the same.

1. Take an alignment stick, and tuck it under your right armpit (for right-handed golfers). On the backswing, when your left arm touches the stick, that’s the time to stop.

2. On the downswing, you have to work your body around without letting go of the stick. If the stick falls, that means your arms are getting ahead more than they should be.

3. You need to move your chest a bit on the takeaway to keep the stick in place throughout the swing. Similarly, your torso needs to move on the downswing to achieve this. Watch head PGA professional Jay Kelly demonstrate it below.

You can try the same drill with a golf towel as well. The key is not let go of the towel at any point during your swing.

TaylorMade and Titleist might dominate the PGA Tour, but among recreational golfers? The landscape is entirely different. Be it for equipment or apparel, brands that stand out the most are not the PGA Tour favorites. Cleveland, Ping, Callaway, Srixon, and Wilson are some of the most popular golf equipment brands for amateurs. Price is the key, but so are quality and longevity. Check out this old wooden Wilson driver here.

Ditto for apparel. It’s not Adidas or Nike, but Holderness and Bourne, Under Armour, Uniqlo, and Footjoy still dominate. Meanwhile, Kirkland golf gloves are still one of the most popular among amateurs. Which one is your favorite?

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

🎥 Watch — Jack Nicklaus talks about his career, strategy, and approach to the game.

🛍 Buy — Born to Run vinyl is the one record that belongs on every shelf.

🚀 Gear Up — The Club Crest Collection is perfect for caps, golf bags, jackets, and backpacks.

🍸 Unwind — The French 75 is the cocktail equivalent of a well-struck iron.

🏌️‍♂️ Play — The Pfau Course at Indiana University is a gem of a collegiate track.

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