Planet Golf News for Friday, January 31, 2025

McIlroy and Lowry come up aces, Scheffler back with a 67 and Henley takes Pebble Beach lead | A Lim Kim grabs four-shot lead at Tournament of Champions | The fans have spoken! Here's what they want from the PGA Tour

Friday, January 31, 2025

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Today’s Top Golf News in Three Minutes

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Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy apparently decided that hole-in-ones should be handed out like business cards at Pebble Beach, because both of them aced different holes in the same round. McIlroy, making his first PGA Tour appearance since September, knocked one in from 119 yards at Spyglass Hill, while Lowry did the honors at Pebble Beach’s seventh hole, just to keep things interesting. The last time this happened in a single round at the event was 2009, so either the golf gods were feeling generous, or they’re trying to one-up LIV Golf’s pyrotechnics.

Speaking of excitement, Russell Henley clearly missed the memo about pacing himself, as he tore up Spyglass Hill with an eight-under 64 to take the lead. Cam Davis lurks one stroke back, while a slew of top-tier names—including Viktor “I suck” Hovland, Justin Thomas, and Scottie Scheffler—are all within striking distance. Scheffler, making his return from a hand injury, showed that he still remembers how to play golf, carding a 67. Meanwhile, last year’s champion Wyndham Clark decided to start with a two-over 74, which is one way to keep things interesting.

Over on the LPGA side, A Lim Kim showed up at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions and promptly decided that a four-shot lead after one round would be a nice way to kick things off. The South Korean shot a bogey-free 65, leaving notable names like Celine Boutier, Leona Maguire, and Rose Zhang chasing her. Defending champ Lydia Ko struggled, while Lexi Thompson is waiting until the Founders Cup to make her full-time return, proving once again that sometimes, retirement is just a concept.

Meanwhile, the DP World Tour nearly witnessed history at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship. Brandon Robinson Thompson flirted with a 59 but had to settle for an 11-under 61 because, well, golf is cruel. His final-hole bogey kept him from the magical number, but setting a new course record and leading by three strokes should help ease the pain. Callum Tarren, five strokes back, is hoping the winds of Bahrain blow in his favor before Thompson runs away with the tournament.

On the Korn Ferry Tour, Johnny Keefer was leading in Panama when play was suspended, proving that even Mother Nature isn’t immune to making a dramatic entrance. He’s at seven-under with one hole left in his round, but let’s not jinx it.

And in the land of golf’s ultimate drama-fest, the Ryder Cup, Matt Fitzpatrick is currently ranked 83rd in the European standings, but don’t worry—he’s totally not stressing about it (sure, Matt). He’s just taking it “week by week” and trusting Luke Donald’s decision-making, which is probably code for “I really hope I make the team.”

Elsewhere, a college senior named Jackson Parrish decided that merely making the Monday qualifier for the WM Phoenix Open wasn’t dramatic enough, so he went ahead and holed a 6-iron from 196 yards for a walk-off albatross. That’s right—he needed an eagle to qualify and instead one-upped himself by dunking it outright. Somewhere, the golf gods are high-fiving each other.

So, whether it’s history nearly being made, hole-in-ones flying everywhere, or college kids showing up the pros, golf is proving once again that it has no shortage of ridiculous, wonderful, and downright absurd moments. Stay tuned—at this rate, someone’s probably about to make a hole-in-one with a putter.

Today’s Top Golf News 

Today’s Feature Golf Reads

Major Golf Tournaments happening this week

Alongside PGA Tour pros at Pebble Beach are celebs like Larry Fitzgerald, Mia Hamm

AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am - PGA Tour - Spyglass Hill GC & Pebble Beach Golf Links - Pebble Beach, CA

The 2025 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the second Signature Event of the PGA Tour season, kicked off yesterday at Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill in California. The tournament features a star-studded field, including world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who is making his debut after recovering from hand surgery.

The opening round was marked by two remarkable hole-in-ones. Rory McIlroy, playing in his first PGA Tour event since September, aced the 15th hole at Spyglass Hill with a wedge from 119 yards. Shane Lowry also made a hole-in-one on the famous 113-yard seventh hole at Pebble Beach. This is the first time since 2009 that multiple aces have been recorded in a single round at this tournament.

As the first round progressed, Russell Henley took the early lead with a blistering round at Spyglass Hill. Australian Cam Davis made a strong showing at Pebble Beach, carding a seven-under 65 to position himself just one stroke behind Henley. The leaderboard is tightly packed, with Viktor Hovland, Justin Thomas, Sepp Straka, Rasmus Hojgaard, and Jake Knapp all in contention.

Scottie Scheffler, the tournament favorite, started well with a five-under 67 at Spyglass Hill. However, last year's champion Wyndham Clark struggled, finishing with a two-over 74 at Pebble Beach.

The tournament, which now features a limited field as part of its new status as a Signature Event, continues to attract both top professionals and celebrity amateurs, maintaining its unique charm while offering a substantial $20 million purse.

AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Stories

A Lim Kim opens 4-shot lead in 1st round of LPGA season opener

Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament at Champions - LPGA - Lake Nona Golf & Country Club - Orlando, FL

The 2025 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, the season opener for the LPGA Tour, is currently underway at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, Florida. In yesterday’s first round, A Lim Kim of South Korea has taken a commanding 4-shot lead over the field. This tournament features 32 LPGA Tour winners from the past two years competing for a $2 million purse, with the winner set to receive $300,000.

Defending champion Lydia Ko, who won this event last year to kickstart her remarkable 2024 season, is back to defend her title. World No. 1 Nelly Korda is also in the field, looking to continue her dominant form from last season where she claimed seven victories and Player of the Year honors.

The tournament has a unique format, with LPGA professionals playing alongside celebrities in a separate competition. The celebrities, including notable names like Alfonso Ribeiro, are competing for a $500,000 purse using a modified Stableford scoring system.

Rose Zhang, the young star who turned pro last year, has shown little rust in her play despite prioritizing her Stanford schoolwork during the off-season. The event continues through February 2nd, with coverage available on NBC, Golf Channel, and Peacock.

We almost had the SECOND-EVER 59 on the DP World Tour...

Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship - DP World Tour - Royal GC - Al Mazrowiah, Bahrain

The Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship, a DP World Tour event, is currently underway at the Royal Golf Club in Al Mazrowiah, Bahrain. The tournament, which began yesterday, has already produced some exciting golf action.

The surprise of the day was Brandon Robinson Thompson, who set a new course record to take the lead after the first round. Thompson finished with an impressive 11-under-par, shooting a 61 that included two eagles and eight birdies. This performance has given him a three-shot lead over his nearest competitor, Callum Tarren, who carded a bogey-free 64 with eight birdies.

Following the leaders, there's a group tied for third place at 6-under-par, including Tapio Pulkkanen, Pablo Larrazábal, Martin Couvra, and Richie Ramsay. The defending champion, Dylan Frittelli, had a solid start, finishing the day tied for 35th place at 2-under-par.

The tournament, which is part of the DP World Tour's 'International Swing', features a strong field of players competing for a $2.5 million purse, with the winner set to receive $425,000. Notable participants include Masters champion Patrick Reed, Padraig Harrington, and Jimmy Walker.

The Panama Championship - Korn Ferry - Club de Golf de Panama - Panama City, Panama

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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