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| Thursday Nov 12, 2026 |
AUSTIN CHAMPIONSHIP TALKING POINTS
➡️ The PGA Tour returns to Austin for the first time since the 2023 WGC – Dell Technologies Match Play. The inaugural Austin Championship will be played on the Fazio Canyons Course at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa. The tournament features a 120-player field that includes major champions Lucas Glover and Brian Harman. Fourteen Texas residents and four University of Texas alums are in the field.
➡️ Austin Smotherman returns to action this week at the Austin Championship seeking to become the first golfer since Dustin Johnson in 2017 to win three consecutive PGA Tour starts. The Dallas resident earned back-to-back victories at the Bank of Utah Championship and Butterfield Bermuda Championship. Smotherman enters the week ranked 51st in the FedEx Cup Fall standings, positioning him to secure two signature event starts in 2027.
➡️ Nineteen-year-old Blades Brown enters the Austin Championship fresh off his maiden PGA Tour victory at the World Wide Technology Championship. Brown defeated Ben James in a two-hole playoff after erasing a seven-shot deficit in the final round. The win made him the fourth-youngest winner in tour history and moved him to No. 59 in the FedEx Cup Fall standings, placing him in contention for the Aon Next 10.
➡️ Former University of Texas standout Doug Ghim enters the week seeking his first career victory in his 195th PGA Tour start. Ghim has finished 17th or better in all four of his FedEx Cup Fall appearances, highlighted by a runner-up finish at the Bank of Utah Championship. He sits at a career-best 58th in the fall standings as one of four Longhorns alumni competing this week.
POLL OF THE WEEK
IRON SHARPENS IRON
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QUESTION OF THE WEEK
SELLING POINTS
What characteristics do you look for when buying a set of irons?
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Ahead of the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor, sweeping luxury upgrades and world-class links turn this Irish region into golf's ultimate pilgrimage destination for players worldwide.
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PreSwing Golf: Promotes its iOS and Apple Watch coaching app as an ideal holiday gift. ... Mountain Lake: The private gated community in Lake Wales, Florida, reopens its historic golf course following a multimillion dollar restoration led by architect Tyler Rae and NMP Golf Course Construction Corp. ... J.Lindeberg: The fashion and sportswear brand debuts its winter holiday 2026 and pre-spring 2027 collections designed for cold-weather golf and après-sport lifestyle wear. ... Champion Hills: The private Hendersonville, North Carolina, mountain community touts its "thermal belt" microclimate, which allows for 12-month play on its Tom Fazio-designed layout that is ranked No. 47 in Golfweek's Top 200 Residential Courses. ... Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort: The Troon Prive-affiliated resort in Provence, France, earns top national honors for its hotel, spa and 36-hole golf facility at the 2026 World Golf Awards and World Spa Awards. ... The Experience Golf: The luxury golf travel provider in St Andrews, Scotland, unveils three premium travel packages for the 2027 Ryder Cup centenary at Adare Manor in County Limerick, Ireland.
RELATED: Industry press releases | Industry press release videos
RELATED: The First Call / PR Newswire feed
➡️ What's the cost of slow play? LPGA stiffens fines, penalties for 2027 season
Beth Ann Nichols | Golfweek | Read
➡️ What happened to the $30.7 million Topgolf-style golf complex planned for Tennessee?
Sophia Tiedge | Knoxville News Sentinel via Golfweek | Read
➡️ Carnoustie wins Open Championship bid, but there’s more to the story
Sean Zak | Golf.com | Read
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The tour-pro-turned-instructor shares the story of his career in golf and how his humorous, uncomplicated style has led to success for him and his students.
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Lookout Point head pro Dan Roud joins host Justine Cook to explore inventory discipline, margin protection, plus big-box merchandising methods tailored for condensed Canadian golf calendars.
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Managing director Rob Tankard joins host Niall Flanagan for a conversation about ambition, innovation and the brand that is helping shape the future of golf and fashion.
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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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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.
