The First Call

LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil, left, during a press conference in South Korea in 2025. ⛳ LIV Golf Scott O’Neil did his best to put an optimistic face on the league’s future. On the other hand, Sergio Garcia said, “We’ll see.” Which one is more realistic? ⛳ Rory McIlroy said on whether some LIV players would bring value if they returned to the PGA Tour: “I’d argue, have they brought value to LIV?” Is he being provocative on purpose? ⛳ Lee Westwood said of McIlroy’s comments: “It’s typical Rory.

NORTON, Mass. (Aug. 21, 2026) – The field is set for the 2026 FM Championship, to be held Aug. 27-30 at TPC Boston. A who’s who of the world’s best golfers including all 10 top golfers in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. TPC Boston is set to host one of the strongest fields of the LPGA Tour season. The FM Championship is bringing world-class golfers to the New England area to compete for a $4.4 million purse, one of the largest purses on the LPGA Tour outside of the majors and Tour Championship.

(Worley, Idaho; August 21, 2026) — Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel is proud to announce that Kal Zaranec, Superintendent at its award-winning Circling Raven Golf Club, has earned his Certified Golf Course Superintendent (CGCS) accreditation from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America. To achieve this designation, superintendents must qualify as an applicant by satisfying specific education and experience requirements.

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (August 20, 2026) — Ahead announced today the appointment of Andrew Bastedo as Sales Representative for Ontario, Canada. In this role, Bastedo will be responsible for supporting Ahead's growing customer base throughout the east-central Canadian province, while expanding relationships with golf facilities, resorts, and specialty retailers. “We are pleased to welcome Andrew to the Ahead team,” said Anne Broholm, CEO of Ahead.

NAYARIT, MEXICO – The ultra-luxurious 1,500-acre resort and residential community of Punta Mita, set on a private peninsula along Mexico’s coveted Nayarit coastline, announces the return of its annual Gourmet & Golf Classic with a special 15th anniversary celebration.

Palo Alto, Calif. (August 19, 2026) – Baylands Golf Links in Palo Alto has been recognized as a "Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary” through the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses, an Audubon International program. Baylands Golf Links Superintendent Patrick Tuttle led the effort to obtain sanctuary designation on the property. Baylands is now one of over 900 courses in the world to hold the "Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary” honor.

Denver, Co. (August 20, 2026) — The Robert Trent Jones Society has announced that Jack and Barbara Nicklaus are the recipients of the 2026 Society Legacy Award, recognizing their extraordinary lifetime contributions to golf, their enduring support for the game’s traditions and values, and their far-reaching commitment to philanthropy.

FRISCO, Texas (August 20, 2026) — The National High School Golf Association (NHSGA), part of the PGA of America, has announced iWanamaker as its Official Scoring and Rankings Partner in an effort to streamline competitive data and expand resources for student-athletes across the high school golf ecosystem. With the national reach of the NHSGA and iWanamaker’s ranking and scoring technology, this collaboration creates a centralized digital home for high school golf.

MERRILLVILLE, IND. — GolfN, the digital caddie and rewards platform that pays golfers to play, today announced a major update to its app: a live database featuring first-of-its-kind verified reviews and real-time condition updates across more than 14,000 golf courses in the United States. The reviews are available to see on the GolfN website and in the GolfN app. Unlike traditional review sites, GolfN requires golfers to verify their play via real-time GPS tracking before submitting feedback.

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.