TFC Week In Review 07-25-2025

THIS WEEK'S EDITIONS OF THE FIRST CALL

Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

What are your opinions of the 2025 Open Championship?

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> Last week's question: What do you believe LIV Golf needs to change in order to receive Official World Golf Ranking points? | Read

The Starter: Chris Gotterup — 2-week wonder or rising star?

Don't forget 'Happy Gilmore 2' has dropped; Playing the blame game; What to make of Grace Kim and Lottie Woad.

BUSINESS

Audubon International: Names Freylit USA as new corporate sponsor

Freylit USA to support the organization’s ongoing efforts to help establish and build on sustainable best practices through various certification programs

Discover Puerto Rico: Courses embracing enviro, sustainability best practices

Proactive, responsible initiatives mirror destination’s commitment to responsible tourism

Five Iron Golf, Golf Saudi: Announce strategic partnership

Partnership includes a multi-unit deal, with a flagship Five Iron location opening in Riyadh in Q1 2026

Golf VX: Opens Boston-area location on July 25

New England's first Golf VX franchise features premier indoor golf, entertainment and PGA instruction

PGA Tour Superstore: Sun Day Red footwear by Tiger Woods now available

Included in the Sun Day Red collection are the Osprey, Pioneer Magnolia and Pioneer Cypress golf shoes

Troon: Renews management agreement with City of Seattle

The 15-year agreement renewal allows Seattle-based Premier Golf Centers, a Troon company, to continue operating Seattle's four golf facilities

CLUBS / COURSES

Saddlebrook Resort: Rees Jones reimagines golf experience

Extensive $92 million renovation project is underway across the golf and resort grounds of the Wesley Chapel, Florida, venue

COMPETITION

APGA: Marcus Byrd posts 2nd wire-to-wire win of 2025

The Advocates Professional Golf Association Tour player now has eight career APGA wins

PGA Tour Champions: Announces the Portugal Invitational

New tournament will be played at the Els Club Vilamoura, which was designed by Ernie Els, July 31-Aug. 2, 2026

DESTINATIONS

Explore Branson: Receives Afar Magazine recognition

Publication names Branson, Missouri, the Best Place to Visit in September as destination features 11 golf courses

EVENTS

PGA Buying Summit: Readies for return to PGA Frisco, July 28-30

Golf industry’s mid-season business and networking event will feature a sold-out lineup of 180-plus golf and lifestyle brands, influential PGA of America Golf Professionals and key buyers

World Golf Hall of Fame: St. Andrews to host 2027 Induction Ceremony

The 2029 Induction Ceremony will return to the Hall’s home in Pinehurst, North Carolina, coinciding with back-to-back U.S. Open weeks

GEAR

Ahead: Unveils 2026 spring-summer headwear collection

From the AeroSphere tech fabric to go-to lightweight cotton favorites, the collection strikes a balance between innovation and everyday wearability

GolfForever: Scottie Scheffler wins 4th major at Open Championship

Brand ambassador earns 17th career win

Johnnie-O, Swag Golf: Release limited-edition summer collaboration

Collection features four unique apparel and headcover drops with nods to both iconic brands

SuperStroke: Ryan Gerard wins Barracuda Championship

PGA Tour rookie secures first career win with a Zenergy Pistol 1.0 putter grip 

MEDIA

NBC Sports: British Open most-watched since 2022, up 16% from last year

Final-round coverage on NBC/Peacock averaged 4.1 million viewers, up 21% vs. 2024

PGA Tour: Launches 'Rapid Rounds' content series with media partners

Viewers can watch cut-down versions of select players from Golf Channel, NBC, CBS telecasts and PGA Tour LIVE on ESPN+

PEOPLE

Audubon International: Names Michael Williams to board of directors

Williams has worked within the banking, technology, media and communications industries throughout his career

Peacock + Lewis: Appoints John Lyberger as president, COO

Lyberger will oversee daily operations and support the continued growth of Peacock + Lewis within ClubWorks, a luxury and private club services holding company

PGA of America: Names Eric Nuxol as 2026 Senior PGA Championship director

The championship is scheduled for April 16-19 at The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida

PGA Tour: Honors Paul Azinger with Payne Stewart Award

The award recognizes Azinger's character, sportsmanship and commitment to charitable giving

TECHNOLOGY

Ace Indoor Golf: 3 spacing-saving retractable golf simulator enclosures

Offerings provide top-tier performance and flexible use of your space

Ace Indoor Golf: Reports on the ease of buying golf simulator packages

The company can curate all-in-one setups for homes, businesses, teaching facilities and entertainment venues

INDUSTRY NOTES

BUSINESS

4Aces GC: Announces FlyHouse as the exclusive private aviation partner of the LIV Golf team and captain Dustin Johnson. FlyHouse will offer bespoke air travel for the team to tournaments through the 2026 season. The partnership builds on FlyHouse’s growing presence in the sports world. In 2024, the company named hockey legend Wayne Gretzky as its first global brand ambassador.

SpeakSport: Completes its integration with Club Caddie, an all-in-one golf course management software platform. SpeakSport’s AI-receptionist platform integrates directly with Club Caddie’s tee sheet reservation system, enabling golf facilities to automatically answer, route and respond to phone calls 24/7 while preserving the unique voice and identity of each operation.

COMPETITION

LIV Golf: Announces it will return to JCB Golf and Country Club, located in Rocester, England, in 2026 for the third LIV Golf UK. The 54-hole tournament will be played July 24-26. Early-bird tickets are available at LIVGolf.com/uk2026, including a select number of Club 54 hospitality tickets and three-day ground passes. LIV Golf UK 2026 will mark the league’s fifth event in the UK since its inception in 2022.

GEAR

Nippon Shaft: Scottie Scheffler played the N.S.Pro Modus3 Hybrid Tour X-flex shaft in his utility iron en route to winning the Open Championship.

Bushnell Golf: According to independent research conducted by Sporting Insights, 151 of the 156 players (96.8%) in the field used Bushnell laser rangefinders during Open Championship week.

Swag Golf: Introduces a limited-edition, officially licensed Happy Gilmore putter and headcover. The putter boasts a gold-torched finish with a "tap tap taparoo" reminder to sink a putt. It also comes with a matching headcover featuring Morris, the gator that took Chubbs’ hand. SWAG also collaborated with Rewind Golf to release the "Just Tap It In" headcover series for drivers, fairways, blades and mallets. The putter retails for $399.99 and is available for pre-order online at Swag.Golf. The headcovers retail for $125 and the Rewind Golf Happy Gilmore head cover collection retails for $59.99.