Wednesday Aug 26, 2026
FIRST THOUGHT

TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP TALKING POINTS

➡️ The 2026 Tour Championship returns to East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta for the 25th time and its 20th consecutive year as the FedEx Cup Playoffs finale. The top 30 qualifiers will compete for a $40 million total purse, with the champion receiving $10 million. For the second consecutive season, all players will start the event at even par, giving each competitor an equal opportunity to capture the title.
➡️ World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler enters the Tour Championship as the FedEx Cup leader for the fifth consecutive year. Scheffler leads the PGA Tour in greens in regulation (72.52%), top-10 finishes (12), scoring average (68.65), and official money ($20,937,525). The 21-time tour winner secured his second victory of the season at the FedEx St. Jude Championship before finishing tied for 12th at the BMW Championship.
➡️ Wyndham Clark enters the week ranked No. 3 in the FedEx Cup standings following a three-stroke victory at the BMW Championship. Clark birdied his final three holes at Bellerive Country Club to claim his sixth PGA Tour title and third of the 2026 season. Clark is the only player in the field to record top-10 finishes in both of the first two FedEx Cup Playoff events.
➡️ Three-time FedEx Cup champion Rory McIlroy qualified for his ninth consecutive Tour Championship, holding the longest active streak on the PGA Tour. Ranked No. 11 in the standings following a third-place finish at the BMW Championship, McIlroy leads the 30-player field with 30 career PGA Tour victories.
➡️ The 30-man field features several historic milestones at East Lake. Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick are the first set of brothers to compete in the Tour Championship since Bobby and Lanny Wadkins in 1987. Additionally, 46-year-olds Justin Rose and Adam Scott mark the first time since 2009 that multiple players age 45 or older have qualified for the finale. Six players are making their tournament debuts.

POLL OF THE WEEK

ON THE MOVE
Should the PGA Tour's Tour Championship be played at a different venue each year?
>> Vote

Last week: Does the PGA Tour need a postseason playoff? | Results

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

A CHANGE OF SCENERY
What venues would you like to see host the Tour Championship?
>> Respond

Last week: What criteria would you use to determine the PGA Tour's Player of the Year? | Read

GOLF INDUSTRY NEWS
The LeBron James Family Foundation Invitational will be held at Firestone Country Club and feature PGA Tour Pathway to Progression
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New no-download ordering experience gives clubs, courses, resorts and communities a faster and more flexible way to connect guests with food and beverage
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The WGA and Evans Scholars Foundation joined leaders from Rutgers, New Jersey Golf and the Caddie Scholarship Foundation, Liberty National Foundation and Liberty National Golf Club to celebrate the official renovations at Jameson Hall D
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A 37,000-square-foot facility will open September 19
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Medina previously served as the Safford, Arizona, club's assistant general manager. In his new role, Medina will oversee all aspects of the golf course, the Double ‘R’ Bar & Grill restaurant and golf shop operations
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Parker, president and general manager of East Lake Golf Club, has achieved the organization's highest education designation in executive management
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The Tallahassee course is ranked No. 10 in the publication’s "Best Public-Access Courses in Every State" rankings for Florida
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Yuta Sugiura captured his first career Korn Ferry Tour victory and was presented the custom trophy
Read More
Performance testing of 150 baseball athletes and more than 1,650 swings demonstrated gains in exit velocity, consistency and first-swing readiness
Read More

   

READ, WATCH, LISTEN

➡️ The ‘reimagined’ PGA Tour is taking shape, but some important questions still need answers
Dave Shedloski | Golf Digest | Read

➡️ Good Good ad and the initial response criticized by PGA Tour CEO
Nick Piastowski | Golf.com | Read

➡️ Brian Rolapp sent messages to Jay Monahan and LIV players, and made very clear who won and who lost
Eamon Lynch | Golfweek.com | Read

➡️ ‘No current plans’ for Returning Member Program revival, says PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp
Ryan Lavner | Golf Channel | Read

TFC GOLF JOB BOARD

THIS WEEK'S FEATURED LISTINGS

▪️Golf Coach
Five Iron Golf
Detroit, Michigan | Info

▪️Director of Golf
Troon / Fairmont Grand Del Mar
San Diego, California | Info

▪️Studio Golf Fitting Specialist / Instructor
PGA TOUR Superstore
Cherry Hill, New Jersey | Info

▪️ The First Call Job Board
▪️ Buffalo Groupe Job Openings

TFC PODCAST / VIDEO NETWORK

RECENT DROPS

🎧 | ▶️ CONTENT CLUBHOUSE
Hally Leadbetter | Andrew Wantuck: (Un)Serious business
Guests: Hally Leadbetter and Andrew Wantuck, co-founders of Better Co. and consultants on Netflix's "The Hawk."
Listen | Watch | Archives

ARCHIVES: 🎧 Podcasts | ▶️ Videos

Pedals and pines: Discover the high-desert magic of Sunriver Resort
Best known for 63 holes of championship golf, this central Oregon haven charms families with 40-plus miles of paved bike paths, luxury amenities and plenty of nostalgia.
GOLF IN MOTION MONTHLY

Buffalo Research's new Golf in Motion Monthly tracks year-over-year visitation trends across traditional golf facilities, off-course retail, golf entertainment venues and sporting goods retailers using anonymized movement data from approximately 30 million mobile devices.

Each monthly report is designed to provide the golf industry with a consistent, data-driven benchmark to help operators, brands, investors and industry leaders identify trends, and make more informed business decisions.

The report is free. Upon signing up, you will receive the updated monthly reports straight to your inbox.
>> Sign Up

CALENDAR

SEPTEMBER

29-30: Golf Inc. Strategies Summit, Hilton Head, South Carolina | Info

OCTOBER

1: Golf Inc. Strategies Summit, Hilton Head, South Carolina | Info

NOVEMBER

8-11: International Association of Golf Administrators Annual Conference | Info

9-11: Golf Business Network Leadership Summit, Pinehurst, North Carolina | Info

COMPLETE CALENDAR >

To submit events for the calendar, please include the event name, date, location and informational link to info@firstcallgolf.com.