$9.75 million. The AIG Women’s Open prize money is more than most PGA Tour events. It's all up for grabs at a links course that's never hosted a women's major! Royal Porthcawl opens its arms to history this week as the AIG Women's Open arrives in Wales for the first time.

The par-72, 6580-yard layout sits completely exposed to the Bristol Channel. So, no respite from the howling Atlantic gales. That means… carnage. At the 2023 Senior Open, Colin Montgomerie shot 17-over-88 on Sunday. And guess what? That wasn't even the highest round: Patrik Sjoland succumbed to an 89.

It figures, too.

When you have six-foot-deep and 12-foot-wide pot bunkers peppered across the course, what else would you expect? Just watch how Megan Khang fell flat on her face trying to hit out one earlier today!

Of course, driving accuracy will be paramount. That gives Lottie Woad a huge advantage. She hit 73% of the fairways at the Women’s Scottish Open (1st) and reached 85% of the greens in regulation (13th). Now add to that the fact that she won the 2022 Girls Amateur Championship at Carnoustie and has a T10 at last year’s Women’s Open. Bettor’s favorite without a doubt.

But don’t ignore Jeeno Thitikul either. Among her 12 top tens this season, two came at the last two majors, including a runner-up at Evian. Her relaxed approach makes majors look like regular tournaments. Then, there is, of course, Nelly Korda, Charley Hull, and Lydia Ko. But…

It’s a major. So, rule no one out!

"I didn't like asking for exemptions this year at all."

Jordan Spieth's raw admission cuts to the bone of golf's most uncomfortable reality. The three-time major champion, languishing at 50th in FedEx Cup standings, voiced what many established stars won't (his overwhelming talk in its entirety is worth a deeper look): whether you like it or not, sometimes you need a little help just to get into tournaments.

But his performance at those tournaments paints a sobering picture. Made cuts (in most). But rarely contended.

The ripple effects of this extend far beyond tournament access. Spieth's Ryder Cup dreams are crumbling. The five-time team veteran admitted he's "on the outside looking in" for Bethpage Black. And like you’ll see, hear… and FEEL here, Jordan’s silence between words reveals more than what words ever could.

Good to note, his colleague, Rickie Fowler, needed even more assistance — seven sponsor exemptions plus a special PGA Championship invite. His 83.3% made-cut rate included seven top-25s, with a T7 at the Memorial earning him a Major berth. But what happened during the Open Championship gives away why the exemption debate continues to rage.

Nevertheless, Spieth's visible discomfort with this system reveals something more profound. His pledge to earn his way back without exemptions shows the fierce competition still burns within. That self-awareness about gaming a broken system might be exactly what separates champions from former champions clinging to past glory.

Howling winds trigger panic among amateurs and pros alike. Watch how even major champions suffered because of the crosswind. Here's the counterintuitive truth. Swinging harder into the wind causes more backspin and makes it more vulnerable to gusts. So, instead, cut through the wind with controlled power to gain more distance:

These principles work everywhere from your local course to major championships. Next time the flags are dancing, use these tips and watch your game improve, and for the instrument itself, try this:

We thought things couldn’t get any worse. Just last Sunday, we arrived a little (or so we thought) late for our early morning tee time at our local course. Apparently, that was enough to get our tee time cancelled. We get it, it was the weekend, and it’s the season when golfers – hacks and pros – alike come out of their hibernation. They couldn’t shoehorn our round between any two. And sure, it wasn’t like missing a tee time at St. Andrews like this guy here, but it still stung.

And we figured, nothing could be worse than that, right?

Well, we thought the same till we read this… imagine staying awake the entire night looking for a tee time. Then miss it because you are 127, and the course only allows 108 players. Poor luck.