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Planet Golf News for Saturday, December 4, 2025
Birdie-fest in Maui as Hideki Matsuyama leads The Sentry at midway point | Keegan Bradley's mustache might be here to stay after low rounds at The Sentry | Here’s how you could GET PAID to attend TGL matches this season
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Saturday, January 4, 2025
PlanetGolfNews + Marie Birdie
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Marie Birdie is a clothing brand dedicated to providing young women with the sense of empowerment and individuality. Now available at select PGA Tour Superstores. NOW OPEN the Marie Birdie Store @ 7170 S Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach, FL
[ THE LEADERBOARD ]
Today’s Top Golf News in Three Minutes
Good Morning,
Birdies, Brackets, and Tech Takeovers: Golf in 2025 Starts with a Bang
Ah, nothing says “New Year, New Me” like Hideki Matsuyama tearing it up in paradise while the rest of us are still struggling to stick to our resolutions. The guy casually dropped back-to-back 8-under 65s at The Sentry in Kapalua, Hawaii, because apparently, that’s just what you do when the prize is $3.6 million and eternal golf glory. Matsuyama sits at a cozy 16-under, with Collin Morikawa breathing down his neck at 15-under, presumably plotting his own birdie-filled revenge. And let’s not forget the tightly packed leaderboard featuring Maverick McNealy and friends, all eager to make their move this weekend. It’s shaping up to be a barnburner—well, if barns were lush Hawaiian fairways and birdies were a dime a dozen.
Meanwhile, the PGA Tour has decided it might be time to make the playoffs more fun—or at least more confusing. The bigwigs are tossing around the idea of a bracket-style Tour Championship, complete with head-to-head medal matches. Sure, it sounds a bit like March Madness got lost on a golf course, but hey, maybe that’s the spark we didn’t know we needed. Just imagine the drama of a putt-for-your-life showdown to win the FedEx Cup. Could this be the future? Or just another “good idea on paper”? Stay tuned.
Speaking of madness, Nebraska’s Landmand Golf Club took “hot ticket” to a whole new level when it sold out all of its 2025 tee times in 50 minutes. Yes, you read that right—50 minutes. People were so desperate to snag a round they crashed the booking site. A golf course in Nebraska is officially harder to get into than a Taylor Swift concert. Better luck next year, folks.
Now, let’s talk TGL, aka Tomorrow’s Golf League, aka Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s tech-infused brainchild that’s basically “Topgolf meets Tron.” It’s finally launching next week after a year-long delay (thanks, collapsing roof!). With rotating greens, giant simulators, and players mic’d up for our entertainment, TGL is trying very hard to make golf cool for the TikTok generation. Whether it works or not, it’s going to be wildly entertaining to watch Tiger’s team—yes, he’s playing—try to conquer this futuristic circus.
Meanwhile, the Sony Open is on deck, bringing some good old-fashioned golf vibes to Honolulu. With 144 players and no gimmicks, it’s the perfect palate cleanser after the birdie bonanza in Kapalua. The tournament will also honor the late defending champ, Grayson Murray, making it a meaningful and competitive event to kick off the full-field season.
Oh, and because it’s January, golf gear releases are in full swing. Max Homa is now team Cobra Puma, and everyone seems to have a shiny new driver they’re hoping will shave a few strokes off their game. Let’s be real—if we mere mortals tried the same clubs, we’d probably just find new ways to hit it into the water, but it’s fun to dream.
So here we are, folks. Matsuyama’s lighting it up, Nebraska’s golf scene is somehow hotter than Hawaii’s, and Tiger’s out here trying to reinvent the game itself. 2025 is already shaping up to be peak golf chaos—and honestly, we wouldn’t want it any other way.
Today’s Top Golf News
Major Golf Tournaments happening this weekend
The Sentry - PGA Tour - Kapalua Resort - Kapalua, HI
The Sentry, the PGA Tour's first event of 2025, is underway at the Kapalua Plantation Course in Maui, Hawaii. After two rounds of play, Hideki Matsuyama has surged to the top of the leaderboard, reaching 16-under par with back-to-back rounds of 8-under 65. Matsuyama's stellar performance, which included a run of five straight birdies on the back nine during the second round, has given him a one-stroke lead over Collin Morikawa.
Morikawa, who has finished in the top 10 in all five of his previous appearances at this event, is in close pursuit at 15-under par. He matched Matsuyama's second-round 65, highlighted by eight birdies, including five consecutive on the back nine.
A group of four players are tied for third at 14-under par, including Maverick McNealy, Tom Hoge, Corey Conners, and Thomas Detry. First-round leader Tom Hoge couldn't maintain his torrid pace but remains in contention.
The leaderboard remains tightly packed, with only five shots separating the top 12 players. Notable names in the mix include Wyndham Clark, Keegan Bradley, and Cameron Young, all tied for seventh at 13-under par. Will Zalatoris, who shared the lead after the first round, has slipped to 12th place at 11-under par.
The tournament, which features no cut, boasts a purse of $20 million, with the winner set to take home $3.6 million. As the first Signature Event of the 2025 PGA Tour season, The Sentry has attracted a strong field, although notable absences include world number one Scottie Scheffler, who is recovering from hand surgery, and Rory McIlroy, who traditionally starts his season in Dubai.
With two rounds remaining, the stage is set for an exciting weekend of golf in Hawaii, as players vie for the substantial prize money and valuable FedEx Cup points on offer.
The Sentry Stories
2025 Sentry leaderboard, takeaways: Hideki Matsuyama leads, Collin Morikawa chasing after Round 2 - cbssports.com
Hideki Matsuyama sets the target at Kapalua and leads Collin Morikawa by 1 - apnews.com
Birdie-fest in Maui as Hideki Matsuyama leads The Sentry at midway point - golfweek.usatoday.com
Keegan Bradley’s mustache has brought him good vibes in Maui, should keep it for Ryder Cup - sbnation.com
The Sentry Videos
TGL
TGL, which stands for Tomorrow's Golf League, is an innovative golf league founded by Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and former NBC golf executive Mike McCarley in August 2022. This tech-infused, team-based golf competition is set to launch its inaugural season on January 7, 2025, after being postponed from its initial 2024 start date due to a venue issue.
The league features six teams, each comprising four PGA Tour golfers, competing in a season-long competition. The matches take place at the SoFi Center, a purpose-built venue in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The teams include Atlanta Drive GC, Boston Common Golf, Jupiter Links Golf Club, Los Angeles Golf Club, New York Golf Club, and The Bay Golf Club. Each team boasts a roster of top-tier golfers, with Tiger Woods himself playing for Jupiter Links Golf Club alongside Max Homa, Tom Kim, and Kevin Kisner.
TGL matches last approximately two hours and feature three players from each team. The format consists of 15 holes divided into two sessions: nine holes of triples (3-on-3 alternate shot) followed by six holes of head-to-head singles golf. This unique structure combines team play with individual performance, adding an exciting dynamic to the competition.
One of the most distinctive aspects of TGL is its integration of advanced technology with live action. Players hit from real grass tee boxes into a giant simulation screen, which is over 20 times larger than a standard golf simulator. The short game complex features a tech-infused green with adjustable slopes, and a 41-yard-wide turntable rotates the green and bunkers to change approach angles. To enhance the viewer experience, all players are mic'd up, providing strategic insights and entertainment throughout the match.
The scoring system in TGL is straightforward yet strategic. Each hole is worth one point, with the team scoring the fewest shots winning the point. Teams can use a "Hammer" to double a hole's value, adding an extra layer of strategy to the game. The regular season follows a round-robin format, with each team playing five matches. The top four teams then advance to the semi-finals, followed by a best-of-three Finals to determine the SoFi Cup winner.
TGL aims to attract new and younger audiences to golf by combining elements of traditional golf with modern technology and a fast-paced format. With its prime-time scheduling and star-studded lineup, TGL represents an exciting new chapter in professional golf, showcasing the sport in an innovative and engaging way. By blending the skill and precision of golf with cutting-edge technology and a team-based format, TGL is poised to offer a fresh and dynamic viewing experience for golf enthusiasts and newcomers alike.
Upcoming: Sony Open
Ryder Cup (Sept 25-28, 2025)
Today’s Best Golf Videos
What’s in the Bag (WITB)
Overheard in the Club House
UPCOMING TOURS
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Marie Birdie is a female-founded and owned golf and active wear brand for tween and teen girls. Our mission is to inspire, delight, and empower girls to enjoy an active lifestyle while playing golf. Now available at select PGA Tour Superstores.
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