#326 Global Golf Week: Wrap-Up bis 24. August 2025

The height of the golf season once again delivered drama: Tommy Fleetwood captured the PGA Tour Championship and FedExCup, Brooke Henderson thrilled home fans in Canada, and Team Legion XIII lifted LIV’s team crown. Yet beyond trophies, structural reforms, sponsorship deals and alliance speculation shaped the week.

PGA TourAt East Lake, Fleetwood closed at 18 under par, earning his first PGA Tour win and the FedExCup bonus. The Tour had abandoned its staggered-stroke format, returning to a straight 72-hole contest. Corey Conners’ closing 62 was the round of the day. Looking ahead, the 2026 schedule will mark the FedExCup’s 20th anniversary with a new committee led by Tiger Woods, aiming to boost head-to-head clashes among top players.

LIV GolfThe league ended its season with the Team Championship, where Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII prevailed in a format counting all four scores, taking the US$14 million prize. LIV’s OWGR application is again under review, with Joaquin Niemann and others urging inclusion to reflect global talent. While purses impress, crowds and TV figures remain inconsistent. CEO Scott O’Neil continues to pursue independent growth as merger talk with the PGA Tour stalls.

LPGA TourBrooke Henderson snapped a two-year drought at the CPKC Women’s Open in Ontario, her closing 67 giving her a one-stroke victory before record galleries. Growth of the women’s game is reinforced by sponsorship initiatives like “Team ShopRite” and industry networking through “Elevate Golf.”

DP World Tour & beyondAlex Norén’s second win of 2025 at the British Masters boosted Ryder Cup hopes. Stewart Cink defended his title at The Ally Challenge, edging Ernie Els in a playoff, while Steve Webster claimed his first Legends Tour crown at Brocket Hall. Filippo Celli triumphed on the Challenge Tour, Lucas Herbert shot 64 to win in Asia, and Satoshi Kodaira’s 24-under in Japan showed that circuit’s birdie-fest nature. In South Africa, Jonathan Broomhead edged Jean-Paul Strydom in a playoff.

Structural dynamicsMerger talk between the PGA Tour and LIV has quieted. The PGA instead pursues a “clean sheet” framework, while critics continue to raise questions about Saudi funding. Rory McIlroy skipped the FedEx St. Jude not from fatigue but for scheduling. Demands for fairer ranking access across tours are growing louder.

Business and sponsorshipCommercial shifts remain central: MEXC Ventures, a crypto exchange, became title sponsor of the Global Golf Masters. NBC extended its USGA deal through 2032, ensuring expanded broadcast hours. Equipment innovation and digital tools signal the game’s widening reach.

Amateurs and rising starsAt the U.S. Amateur, 18-year-old Mason Howell dominated the final, while John Kemp earned a second straight medalist honour at the U.S. Senior Amateur. Sweden’s Meja Ortengren stunned by winning a Ladies European Tour event as an amateur, underlining the strength of the next wave.

Looking aheadAttention now shifts to developmental stages: the PGA Tour Americas’ CRMC Championship, the Omega European Masters in Switzerland, the NT PGA Championship in Australia, and Finland’s Vierumäki Challenge. Match play continues at the U.S. Senior Amateur. The coming week offers rising-star storylines, post-FedEx reflections and the first clues toward 2026 major qualifications.

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