• Join Puck

    Directly Supporting Authors

    A new economic model in which writers are also partners in the business.

    Personalized Subscriptions

    Customize your settings to receive the newsletters you want from the authors you follow.

    Stay in the Know

    Connect directly with Puck talent through email and exclusive events.

  • What is puck? Newsletters Authors Podcasts Events Gift Puck Careers

Play It as It Lays

Professional golf is a mess, with competing leagues diluting the talent pool and overstretched PGA Tour tournaments that few are watching. But with a new crop of talent, a pro-merger golf fanatic in the White House, and a new indoor offering, could this year be a turning point?

Scottie Scheffler
The single biggest thing that happened in professional golf in 2024 was that the number one player in the world [Scheffler], who’d won the Masters one month previously, was arrested trying to drive into the golf course because he wasn’t recognized. Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images
John Ourand
January 3, 2025

It’s been a rough four years for professional golf, ever since the Saudi-funded LIV Golf revolt created a civil war in the sport. The two-league reality is a mess: It’s resulted in a diluted talent pool, an overstretched calendar with too many forgettable tournaments, and an expanding income gap. On top of that, no one is really watching outside of the majors. But this may be the year that everything changes, with the Saudis’ proposed investment in the rival PGA Tour, a golf-friendly administration in the White House, and some incredible talent playing at the top of their game.