Columns

The Starter: When a loss still feels like a win

Justin Thomas has something in common with Tiger Woods; Adam Schenk has plenty to be thankful for; LPGA gets massive upgrade, but will anyone watch?

🏌️ Justin Thomas, No. 8 in the world, had a microdiscectomy and will be sidelined indefinitely. Isn’t he a little young at 32 years old to have back surgery? Think he’s been asking questions to Tiger Woods and Will Zalatoris?

DP World Tour Championship
Matthew Fitzpatrick, left, and Rory McIlroy embrace following the DP World Tour Championship. Fitzpatrick won in a playoff, but all was not lost for McIlroy, who won his seventh Race to Dubai title.

🏌️ Rory McIlroy passed Seve Ballesteros with his seventh Race to Dubai title on the DP World Tour. Is that more important than his loss at the DP World Tour Championship in a playoff to Matt Fitzpatrick?

🏌️ The PGA Tour issued full playing privileges to the top 10 finishers in the DP World Tour Race to Dubai. Is that fair to the PGA Tour players who finished 101-125 on the FedEx Cup list?

🏌️ Adam Schenk won the Butterfield Bermuda Championship for his first PGA Tour victory in his 234th start. He had missed 13 cuts in his previous 16 events and was 134th on the FedEx Cup list. Wonder what he will be thankful for at Thanksgiving?

🏌️ Victor Perez, who was fighting to keep his PGA Tour card, withdrew from the RSM Classic and signed with the Cleeks GC in the LIV Golf League. Good move?

🏌️ Anthony Kim shot 64 to get in contention after two rounds of the PIF Saudi International. If he wins, how big a story would that be?

🏌️ Golf Channel (and CNBC) will broadcast every round of the 2026 LPGA Tour live. Is that important?

🏌️ Brooke Matthews made a hole-in-one at The Annika and won a two-year lease on a Lamborghini SUV. Did you know Lamborghini even made an SUV? Will she be ready to give it back after two years?

🏌️ The PGA Tour is considering starting future seasons after the Super Bowl. Is that really a good idea?


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