LIV Golf: Announces a multiyear strategic partnership with Rick Shiels Media, making it the league's first official collaboration with a major content creator. Shiels, regarded as one of the most-followed golf content creators, will serve as a LIV Golf ambassador, offering his fans access to the league’s players, teams and courses through his YouTube channel and social media platforms.
PGA Tour, Genesis Invitational: Moves the 2025 playing of the Los Angeles, California, area tour stop to Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego due to the ongoing natural disaster in greater Los Angeles. The tournament, hosted by Tiger Woods, will be contested on Torrey Pines' South Course on its scheduled dates, Feb. 10-16. The Genesis Invitational is expected to return to The Riviera Country Club in 2026.
Northwestern: Signs Jon "Happy" Gilmore, a 2023 Ultimate Long Drive World Champion, as a brand ambassador. Northwestern was relaunched at the recent PGA Show in Orlando, Florida, and debuted reimagined versions of its Northwestern Thunderbird clubs and a range of other new products. Gilmore will represent the brand by playing its equipment at upcoming Long Drive Championship events.
LPGA: Cancels the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship, scheduled to take place at Palos Verdes Golf Club in Palos Verde, California, March 20-23, due to the event underwriter failing to fulfill any portion of its payment obligations to the LPGA Tour for the 2024 and 2025 events. The LPGA will work with title partner Fir Hills, LPGA Hall of Famer Seri Pak and other tournament stakeholders to explore available options for rescheduling the event.
Bushnell Golf: Unveils Tour Hybrid rangefinder that combines the latest in laser and GPS technologies to provide compensated Slope data. The device helps in making correct club selections by simultaneously displaying the lasered distance to the pin and the GPS-derived front, center and back yardages. Its integrated GPS also delivers slope-adjusted distances when enabled, offering guidance for cart-path-only or blind shots. The Tour Hybrid will be available nationwide starting in April with a retail price of $399.99.
International Network of Golf: Honors golf media member Tony Leodora with the second ING Jan Stephenson Entrepreneur Award, which recognizes a person who has successfully utilized innovative and leadership abilities to develop a business idea into a successful venture in the golf industry. Leodora enjoyed an award-winning career as a sportswriter and editor at the Norristown Herald before starting his own public relations and marketing firm, TL Golf Services. Leodora also created and hosted "Golf Talk Live Weekly Radio Show" in Philadelphia and "The Traveling Golfer" television show.
United States Golf Association: Announces the 2025 U.S. National Junior Team roster, the first-ever U.S. Elite Amateur Program roster and this year’s annual U.S. National Development Program grant funding. The U.S. National Junior Team roster features Kihei Akina, Alpine, Utah); Shyla Brown, McKinney, Texas; Ronin Banerjee, Irvine, California; Anna Fang, San Diego, California; Luke Colton, Frisco, Texas; Mia Hammond, New Albany, Ohio; Philip Dunham, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida; Ryleigh Knaub, DeBary, Florida; Henry Guan, Irving, Texas; Jude Lee, Walnut, California; Trevor Gutschewski, Omaha, Nebraska; Nikki Oh, Torrance, California; Will Hartman, Marvin, North Carolina; Emerie Schartz, Wichita, Kansas; Jessy Huebner, Port St. Lucie, Florida; Scarlett Schremmer, Birmingham, Alabama; Tyler Mawhinney, Fleming Island, Florida; Asterisk Talley, Chowchilla, California; Michael Riebe, Encinitas, California;Amelie Zalsman, St. Petersburg, Florida; Tyler Watts, Huntsville, Alabama; and Angela Zhang, Bellevue, Washington. The inaugural U.S. Elite Amateur Program roster features Max Herendeen, Bellevue, Washington; Gianna Clemente, Estero, Florida; Jackson Koivun, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Anna Davis, Spring Valley, California; Jacob Modleski, Noblesville, Indiana; Jasmine Koo, Cerritos, California; Farah O’Keefe, Austin, Texas; Catherine Park, Irvine, California; Kiara Romero, San Jose, California). Also, the USGA, through its 2025 USNDP Grant, will aid 100 athletes ranging in age from 13-18 with more than $795k to help cover actual and incurred golf and athlete development-related expenses, such as practice and green fees, competitive tournament fees, tournament travel, coach fees and equipment costs.