PGA Tour-LIV Golf match, Tiger Woods’ potential return highlight golf events worth watching to end 2024
By Adam Woodard
Even though the PGA Tour's Tour Championship and Presidents Cup are both in the rearview mirror, that doesn't mean it's the end of the professional golf season.
Sure, the NFL and college football are both off and running and basketball is right around the corner, but there's still lots of professional golf still to be played this fall and winter. From the PGA Tour's FedExCup Fall to the winter silly season, highlighted by the highly anticipated PGA Tour vs. LIV Golf match in December, here are a handful of golf events that remain on the 2024 calendar and are more than worth watching.
Korn Ferry Tour Championship
This week is the fourth and final Korn Ferry Tour Finals event of 2024, the Korn Ferry Tour Championship at French Lick Golf Resort in Indiana. Of the 30 PGA Tour cards available to KFT players, 13 have yet to be claimed. If you love golf, tune in and get to know next year’s potential breakout stars as players look to play their way onto the PGA Tour.
Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
Also this week is the DP World Tour’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, one of the most unique events in golf seeing as its held in Scotland across three of the greatest courses in the world: The Old Course at St. Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns. Links golf in the morning makes for some great coffee golf viewing to start your day, and the field is stacked with the likes of Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry, Billy Horschel and LIV players such as Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed, Tyrrell Hatton, Talor Gooch and others.
PGA Tour FedExCup Fall
The PGA Tour’s FedExCup Fall season is underway, which consists of eight events for players to earn their status on Tour in 2025. Full status is up for grabs for players who finish inside the top 125, as well as entry into two early Signature Events via the Aon Next 10 (FedEx Cup Nos. 51-60) at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Genesis Invitational.
This week is the second fall event, the Sanderson Farms Championship in Mississippi, where players rave about the host course, Country Club of Jackson, specifically the greens. Next week marks the inaugural Black Desert Championship at Black Desert Resort Golf Course in Ivins, Utah. Later in the month, the Tour returns to Japan with the Zozo Championship, which features a fun course that usually draws some solid players, including defending champion Collin Morikawa. The season wraps with the RSM Classic in November, which serves as the last chance saloon for players to take advantage of the FedExCup Fall to secure their status for 2025.
DP World Tour Championship
The DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, Nov. 14 has become Rory McIlroy’s personal ATM over the years. The Northern Irishman has won the tour’s Race to Dubai – think the FedExCup but for the DP World Tour – five times (2012, 2014, 2015, 2022, 2023) and has won the season finale at Jumeirah Golf Estates twice.
LPGA closing stretch
The LPGA embarks on its monthlong swing through Asia in October, then returns to the States in November and ends its season with the CME Group Tour Championship, Nov. 21-24. The season finale offers an $11 million purse, second to only the U.S. Women’s Open, and will attract a loaded field of the world’s best women’s players.
Hero World Challenge
Now it’s time for the silly season events. First up is the Hero World Challenge, Dec. 5-8, Tiger Woods’ event in the Bahamas that benefits his TGR Foundation. Will the 15-time major champion play after his latest back surgery? Or will he wait for another winter event to return to the course? The Hero features a loaded field of the world’s best men’s players year in and year out, and watching golf in the Bahamas when it’s winter across the country is just plain fun.
Grant Thornton Invitational
The mixed PGA Tour, LPGA event was a big success in its debut last year, where Jason Day and Lydia Ko claimed the trophy. Players had nothing but good things to say, so expect another solid turnout once again this winter at Tiburón Golf Club in Florida, Dec. 13-15.
PGA Tour-LIV Golf match
Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy against Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka in Las Vegas. Need I say more? The Match has slowly fallen off since the made-for-tv event debuted with Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson, but given the personalities involved this one should be fun. You never know what DeChambeau will say, Koepka and McIlroy still have a good relationship and both can dish out trash talk, and golf fans saw Scheffler give it to Tom Kim last week in the Presidents Cup. This may be appointment viewing for golf fans.
PNC Championship
The family hit-and-giggle event has been a hit for social clips thanks to Tiger and Charlie Woods, Annika Sorenstam and her son, Will, and John Daly and his son, John II. Tiger loves playing this event with Charlie, and Sorenstam has already confirmed she'll play with Will once again. Between the holiday parties and football and basketball games, this will be a feel-good event worth watching in December.
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