This week sees the PGA Tour back into action following last week’s Masters won by Jon Rahm.
It is one of the new elevated tournaments and boasts a prizefund of $20 million. It is an interesting observation that this week’s purse is $2 million more than last week’s first major of the season.
It is not always appropriate to talk about money, but it does appear there is some adjusting to take place as the new world of golf transitions.
Another strong field has been assembled including Masters champion Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, Max Homa and Viktor Hovland. Rory McIlroy has pulled out with no reason given by the PGA Tour. The new PGA Tour policies state that players ranked in the top 20 on the PGA Tour’s Player Impact Programme (PIP), created to reward the top players who promote the Tour and its activities through a measured merit table, are only permitted to skip one of these designated events on the PGA Tour each season. This is McIlroy’s second event he has missed, the first being the season opening Sentry Tournament of Champions back in January. Jason Day has also withdrawn this week.
Classic venue
The Harbour Town Golf Links is considered one of the classic venues on Tour – designed by Pete Dye, who worked with a younger Jack Nicklaus to introduce Harbour Town in 1969. It requires exceptional course management. The defending champion is Jordan Spieth, who won in 2022 with a 72 hole score of 13 under par when the purse was $8 million.
The Asian Tour returns this week and is in Vietnam for the International Series.
Dubai based players Shiv Kapur, Anirban Lahiri and Jeev Milkha Singh are all playing in the $2 million event. Anirban Lahiri is currently 76th in the Asian Tour Order of Merit, led by American Andy Ogletree. It is interesting to see LIV Tour players on this OOM list, including; Joaquin Niemann (29), Mito Pereira (31), Sergio Garcia (35), Paul Casey (36), Charl Schwartzel (47), Branden Grace (68), Graeme McDowell (81), Peter Uihlein (88), Harold Varner III (134) as well as others.
PGA Tour
Thursday 13th – Sunday 16th April, 2023
RBC Heritage
Venue: Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head Island, SC, US
Purse: $20 million
Asian Tour
Thursday 13th – Sunday 16th April, 2023
International Series – Vietnam
Venue: KN Golf Links, Vietnam
Purse: $2 million
LPGA
Wednesday 12th – Saturday 15th April, 2023
Lotte Championship presented by Hoakalei
Venue: Hoakalei Country Club, Oahu, Hawaii
Purse: $2 million
LET Access
Thursday 13th – Saturday 15th April, 2023
Terre Blanche Ladies Open
Venue: Golf de Terre Blanche, France
Purse: €40,000
MENA Tour
Tuesday 11th – Thursday 13th April, 2023
Malaysian Swing 1
Venue: The Els Club, Desaru Coast
Purse: $75,000
