Planet Golf News for Saturday, February 1, 2025

Sepp Straka, who won his last start at the AmEx, leads the way at Pebble Beach Pro-Am | A Lim Kim Leads by 3 Strokes Midway Through LPGA Season Opener

Saturday, February 1, 2025

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Today’s Top Golf News in Three Minutes

Good Morning,

Sepp Straka must be feeling pretty good about himself. Fresh off a win at the AmEx, he’s now leading the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am by three shots, casually rolling in birdies while nursing a post-round Diet Coke. The Austrian has dialed in his putting after some offseason tweaks, and with rough weather looming, he might need every bit of that newfound touch to hold off the likes of Cameron Davis, Russell Henley, and a lurking Rory McIlroy. Speaking of Rory, the man drilled a hole-in-one earlier in the week and eagled his final hole on Friday, proving once again that when he’s on, golf is just easier for him. Meanwhile, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is doing his best to shake off some competitive rust, saving pars from actual beaches and keeping himself in the mix.

Over on the LPGA side, A Lim Kim continues to do her thing at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, leading by three heading into the weekend. Nelly Korda, who initially seemed out of sorts, made some quick equipment changes and is now lurking just four shots back, because apparently, switching back to a familiar driver is all it takes to go from “meh” to “on fire.” Meanwhile, Lydia Ko also swapped her putter and immediately climbed the leaderboard. Maybe the secret to great golf isn’t practice but just hoarding old equipment?

Speaking of strong performances, Callum Tarren leads the Bahrain Championship after shaking off a slow start and firing a second-round 67. He’s two ahead of Andrea Pavan and Dan Brown (no, not the Da Vinci Code guy, though plotting a win here would be a great storyline). Pablo Larrazábal, meanwhile, added some fireworks with a hole-in-one, because why not?

Down in Panama, Davis Chatfield leads a Korn Ferry event that got delayed due to darkness—because apparently, nobody thought to bring some extra lamps. But the real drama of the weekend might belong to Viktor Hovland, who shot a 65 at Pebble Beach one day after declaring that his game “sucks.” Some guys just have impossibly high standards.

Off the course, Golf Channel is preparing for life after NBC, trying to figure out how to survive on its own like a college freshman realizing laundry doesn’t magically do itself. Meanwhile, Jim Nantz—voice of golf, master of storytelling—just bought Scottie Scheffler’s 2012 GMC Yukon XL at a charity auction. One can only hope the legendary broadcaster narrates every drive to the grocery store as if it’s Sunday at Augusta.

And finally, the WM Phoenix Open is gearing up for another week of golf’s wildest party. If you like your golf with a side of beer showers and deafening roars, Scottsdale is the place to be next week. With defending champ Nick Taylor and a star-studded field set to tee it up, it should be absolute chaos in the best way possible.

So, as we head into the weekend, all eyes are on Pebble Beach, where Mother Nature might have a say in who takes home the $3.6 million winner’s check. Can Straka hold on? Will Rory keep the magic going? Will Scottie find another beach to escape from? One way or another, it’s going to be fun to watch.

Today’s Top Golf News 

Major Golf Tournaments happening this weekend

Pebble Beach shows its teeth as weather adds to challenge in AT&T Pro-Am

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

The second round of the 2025 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am concluded with Austria's Sepp Straka emerging as the 36-hole leader. Straka fired his second consecutive round of 65 to open up a three-stroke advantage over the field. His impressive play across both Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill has positioned him well heading into the weekend.

Close behind Straka are Cameron Davis and first-round leader Russell Henley, who remain in contention. The leaderboard is tightly packed, with many of the world's top players still in the hunt. Rory McIlroy made a late charge, eagling the final hole to move within six shots of the lead. His spectacular hole-in-one during the first round has been one of the tournament's highlights so far.

Scottie Scheffler, making his 2025 debut after recovering from hand surgery, has shown no signs of rust and remains in contention. The world number one is looking to start his season strong at this signature event is tied for 20th place, 7-back from Straka.

The tournament, featuring a star-studded field of 80 professionals and 80 amateur celebrities, is being played across the iconic Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill courses. With a purse of $20 million and $3.6 million reserved for the winner, the stakes are high as players head into the weekend.

As the tournament moves to its final two rounds, all eyes will be on Straka to see if he can maintain his lead, while the chasing pack, including McIlroy, Scheffler, and defending champion Wyndham Clark, will be looking to make their move on the challenging Pebble Beach layout.

AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Stories

A Lim Kim Leads by 3 Strokes Midway Through LPGA Season Opener

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

After the second round of the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, A Lim Kim of South Korea has taken a commanding lead. Kim is currently at -8, three strokes ahead of her nearest competitors. Her impressive performance includes a first-round 65 and she continued her strong play in the second round, maintaining her lead.

Tied for second place at -4 are Linn Grant of Sweden and Pajaree Anannarukarn of Thailand. Both players have shown consistency and skill to position themselves as contenders heading into the weekend.

Rose Zhang, the talented young American golfer, is also in contention, sitting at -3 and tied for fourth place. Her solid play has kept her within striking distance of the leaders.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda remains in the mix, currently at even par and tied for 16th place. Despite not being at the top of the leaderboard, Korda's skill and experience make her a player to watch as the tournament progresses.

Defending champion Lydia Ko has made a significant move up the leaderboard in the second round. After a challenging first day, Ko has improved her position and is now tied for 10th at -1, showing signs of the form that led her to victory in the previous year's tournament.

As the tournament heads into the weekend rounds, these players will be looking to maintain their positions or make a push for the lead at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, Florida.

Pablo Larrazábal makes hole-in-one at Royal Golf Club in Bahrain

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

The second round of the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship at the Royal Golf Club in Al Mazrowiah, Bahrain, has concluded with Callum Tarren taking the lead at the halfway stage. Tarren, who started the day at 8-under par after an impressive opening round of 64, overcame a slow start on Friday to post a superb second-round 67, putting him at 13-under par overall.

Tarren's round was not without its challenges. He began with a bogey on the first hole and dropped another shot on the fourth. However, he showed remarkable resilience, bouncing back with four birdies in his next five holes to turn in 34. The Englishman continued his strong play on the back nine, adding three more birdies to finish the day with a two-shot lead.

Italy's Andrea Pavan and England's Dan Brown are Tarren's nearest challengers, both sitting at 11-under par. Pablo Larrazábal is one shot further back at 10-under, having made a memorable hole-in-one at the second hole during his round.

The tournament has seen some impressive scoring, with Brandon Robinson Thompson setting a new course record in the first round. Robinson Thompson had threatened to card a historic 59 on Thursday but ultimately settled for an 11-under par round, which briefly gave him the lead.

As the tournament heads into the weekend, the leaderboard is tightly packed, promising an exciting conclusion to this DP World Tour event. The players are competing for a total prize fund of $2.5 million, with the winner set to take home $425,000.

The Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship is part of the DP World Tour's International Swing and is being played in Bahrain for only the second time in 13 years. The event not only offers significant prize money but also valuable Race to Dubai and Ryder Cup points, adding to the stakes for the competitors.

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

Today’s Best Golf Videos

What’s in the Bag (WITB)

Overheard in the Club House

UPCOMING TOURS

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