The First Call

CHICAGO — Five-time PGA TOUR winner and former U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland is the fourth and final captain’s assistant for Brandt Snedeker’s U.S. Team at the 2026 Presidents Cup. The appointment marks Woodland’s first time serving as a captain’s assistant in the PGA TOUR’s biennial team competition, where he will join fellow assistants Jim Furyk, Keegan Bradley and Webb Simpson.

(NEW YORK) – AVA Golf™, the platform designed to transform golf performance data into personalized improvement, has introduced a series of proprietary performance visualizations that turn shot data into powerful, interactive representations of how golfers actually play. The visualizations, including hole-by-hole performance mapping, approach and chip dispersion, and lag-putting analysis, help golfers identify recurring tendencies and better understand the factors influencing their scores.

[PHOENIX, Ariz.] August 18, 2026 — AZ GOLF, the governing body for amateur golf in Arizona and the state's representative to the USGA, today announced the launch of the AZ GOLF Foundation, a relaunch and evolution of the organization formerly known as the Arizona Golf Foundation.

Tiger Woods was in St. Louis on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. With all planes grounded, he hopped into a car for the long drive back to Florida with plenty of time to think about the gravity of what had happened to the Twin Towers at New York City’s World Trade Center and life in general. His thoughts soon turned to his nonprofit TGR Foundation, which was launched in 1996 by Woods, then just 20 years old, and his parents, Earl and Tida.

Atlanta, Ga. (Aug. 18, 2026) — Courses, players, inventions—what in golf hasn't been ranked? Logos. Until now. The Best Logos in Golf, a new four-color, 256-page book from Back9 Press, celebrates the game's most meaningful and visually compelling club emblems through an exclusive ranking of the top 100.

(CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.) — Keswick Hall, the distinguished 600-acre luxury boutique resort in Virginia Wine Country, announced today that its official touring professional Lauren Coughlin and esteemed Keswick Club member Dr. Bob Rotella have been named to the Virginia Golf Hall of Fame 2026 Class. The Virginia Golf Hall of Fame will officially introduce its four-member class on October 27 at The Omni Homestead Resort during the organization's 10th anniversary celebrations.

Lawrence, Kan. (Aug. 18, 2026) – Tizayi Sithole has been named the recipient of the 2026 Larry Powell Scholarship from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA). Sithole is currently pursuing a master’s degree in turfgrass science management through Penn State World Campus and serves as an assistant superintendent at the Country Club of New Canaan in New Canaan, Conn.

Algarve, Portugal (August 18, 2026) – Salgados Golf Club on Portugal’s southern Algarve coast will host an EDGA (European Disabled Golf Association) Tour event from 15 to 17 November 2026, welcoming 60 golfers with disabilities from around the world for a week of competitive play. The event begins with a practice round on Sunday, November 15, followed by championship rounds on Monday and Tuesday.

Editors: ●      For photos from the 2026 PGA NCCGA National Championship, courtesy of PGA of America, click here. ●      For photos of Hot Springs Country Club courtesy of PGA of America, click here. FRISCO, Texas (August 18, 2026) – The PGA National Collegiate Club Golf Association (NCCGA) announced its National Championship will return to Hot Springs (Arkansas) Country Club, April 24-25, 2027.

(LINCOLN, Neb.) – Landscapes Golf Management’s inaugural “Lead the Way on the Longest Day” summer solstice program raised $65,000 for On Course Foundation and charities local to 25 participating golf courses, country clubs and destination clubs in the company’s portfolio.