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| Monday Oct 26, 2026 |
BUTTERFIELD BERMUDA CHAMPIONSHIP
➡️ Severe weather forecasts prompted the PGA Tour to declare the Butterfield Bermuda Championship official through 54 holes, marking the Tour's first weather-shortened event since the 2024 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Tied at 16-under 197, Austin Smotherman and 2022 tournament champion Seamus Power will contest a sudden-death playoff tentatively scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday, starting on the par-3 16th hole and televised live on Golf Channel.
➡️ Smotherman posted steady rounds of 65, 66, and 66 to earn a share of the 54-hole lead at 16-under. Coming off his breakthrough maiden victory at the Bank of Utah Championship, the 32-year-old seeks to win consecutive PGA Tour starts — a feat last accomplished by Matt Fitzpatrick earlier this season. Entering his first career playoff, Smotherman also aims to become the tour's eighth multi-time winner of 2026.
➡️ Power matched the 16-under total with rounds of 66, 64, and 67, positioning himself to capture a third career PGA Tour title. A victory would make the 39-year-old Irishman the first multiple champion in Butterfield Bermuda Championship history. Unlike Smotherman, Power brings playoff experience to Monday morning, holding a 1-0 sudden-death record after winning a six-hole marathon at the 2021 ISCO Championship.
➡️ Taylor Moore (66), Corey Conners (69) and Ben Silverman (69) finished tied for third at 14-under 199 as 54-hole standings finalized the remainder of the field. Monday’s showdown marks the season's eighth playoff and the second in tournament history, following Brian Gay’s 2020 extra-hole victory over Wyndham Clark. It also represents the first Monday finish on Tour since Viktor Hovland's playoff win at the Travelers Championship.
POLL OF THE WEEK
THE PUTTER FOR DOUGH
What brand of putter do you play?
>> Vote
Last week: What brand of golf ball do you play? | Results
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
WHAT'S IN A PUTTER?
What characteristics do you look for when buying a putter?
>> Respond
Last week: What characteristics do you look for when buying a golf ball? | Read
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Flush with Saudi cash and bold ambitions, the upstart tour had room to remake pro golf. Instead, flawed formats, bad branding and zero vision made it a flop.
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The First Call readers break down what they look for in a golf ball, weighing soft feel, green spin and driver distance against the ever-rising cost per dozen.
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With easier access to the hardest tee times and a game already in form, the back end of the shoulder season deserves a second look.
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➡️ Yuri Yoshida wins in South Korea for her first LPGA Tour victory
Associated Press | Read
➡️ Dustin Johnson, other LIV golfers want PIF to step up on ‘severance payments’
Gabby Herzig | The Athletic | Read
➡️ LIV 2.0 gains roughly 15 tentative player commitments, per report
Cameron Jourdan | Golfweek | Read
➡️ Laura Frick named 2029 Ryder Cup championship director at Hazeltine National
Cameron Jourdan | Golfweek | Read
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.
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NOVEMBER
8-11: International Association of Golf Administrators Annual Conference | Info
9-11: Golf Business Network Leadership Summit, Pinehurst, North Carolina | Info
JANUARY
26: AGM Retail Conference, Orlando, Florida | Info
26-29: PGA Show, Orlando, Florida | Info
To submit events for the calendar, please include the event name, date, location and informational link to info@firstcallgolf.com.
