Tour Confidential: Player of the Year, Tiger returns (kind of) and more

Check in every week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in the sport, and join the conversation by tweeting us at @golf_com. This week, we discuss end-of-the-season awards, the Hero World Challenge, things we are thankful for and more.

The PGA Tour released its nominees for the 2024 Jack Nicklaus Award and Arnold Palmer Award, with Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele and Rory McIlroy battling for POY and Nick Dunlap, Max Greyserman, Jake Knapp and Matthieu Pavon nominated for Rookie of the Year. Any predictions?

Josh Berhow, managing editor (@Josh_Berhow): Scheffler’s seven-win season and the fact that most of them were in bigger events will be tough to top, even with Xander’s double-major year. (P.S. Scottie’s Olympic gold doesn’t hurt his chances, either.) The ROY race should be tighter, but not by much. Pavon won once and had a nice run at the Masters, but it’s hard to bet against the headlines Nick Dunlap made when he became the first amateur to win since Phil and the first player to win as an amateur and pro in the same season.

Jessica Marksbury, senior editor (@Jess_Marksbury): Scottie is a lock. In terms of win quality, Pavon’s title at the Farmers Insurance Open was probably the strongest in terms of prestige. But Josh, you make a great case for Nick Dunlap. I think you’re right. If all wins are equal, doing it as an amateur should be worth double anyway, and Dunlap won another tournament too, for good measure. He gets the nod from me.

Dylan Dethier, senior writer (@dylan_dethier): It’s Scottie, who had a ridiculous, historic season. But as crazy as it sounds, I think Scheffler would have traded his season for Schauffele’s until he won the gold medal. A player’s major count is his most important number and Schauffele got two to Scheffler’s one. But Olympic gold is in a category of its own; pair that with his Masters title, add in the Players and a bundle of additional Tour wins, cap it off with the FedEx Cup title and he’s the clear winner. As for Rookie of the Year? Dunlap won twice and is therefore the easy pick. Max Greyserman has shown some red-hot form, though, and may be the guy to watch for 2025.

It’s Hero World Challenge week, and while the 15-time major-winning host won’t be teeing it up, we will hear from him in his annual pre-tournament press conference. What are you hoping to learn from Tiger Woods when he speaks to the media next week?

Berhow: We seem to constantly get no-update updates on the state of the pending merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, but hopefully Tiger has a little more intel on current happenings and where everything stands. As a prominent figure in golf, if he voices any displeasure or skepticism, it will make waves. But maybe it’s wishful thinking that even his thoughts will have that much impact at this point.

Marksbury: I’m still not ready for Tiger’s full transition from player to elder statesman. An update on the LIV/PGA Tour proceedings would be great, but I also want to know how he’s healing from his latest procedure and if competitive golf is far away. A tentative schedule of when we can expect to see him tee it up next year would be nice too.

Dethier: At the moment the people really want to know if Team Woods will be taking on the PNC. I’m legitimately curious to take his temperature on the TGL, too — how invested and excited is he? But Berhow’s right that we should at least be able to read between the lines of whatever sidestep he offers on the PIF-PGA Tour relationship. Mostly it’ll be good to see Woods out and about; the world hasn’t seen much of him since The Open.

GOLF recently released its latest rankings of the Top 100 Courses in the U.S. (including the public list) and with it some survey results we collected from golf fans like you. What was the most interesting nugget you noticed?

Berhow: About 1/3 of those surveyed said they wouldn’t pay more than $100 to play a Top 100 Course. While I think that figure is about right, I think it also reminds that there’s a large portion of people out there who are more into golf for the recreation, sport and camaraderie rather than checking off a bucket list gem — and that’s just fine. It’s important to have courses to support that, too.

Marksbury: I was very surprised at how many respondents (55 percent!) said a course’s designer matters to them when they’re choosing where to play. Unless I’m headed to a heralded or bucket-list destination in which the designer is basically synonymous with the course, a given course’s designer is often something I think about after I play, rather than before.

Dethier: I was just surprised that 10 percent of survey-takers had played Pine Valley and nearly half of you know someone who has. I knew you all were golf sickos, I just didn’t realize how well-connected you were.

Drivers

With a nod to Thanksgiving, what golf moment or part of the game are you thankful for right now?

Berhow: Friends to take buddies’ trips with, slope buttons on rangefinders, good push carts, high-quality brats at the turn and strong post-round IPAs on patios.

Marksbury: Josh, what a list! Hard to top. I’ll go with that first-tee feeling, when the anticipation is at a high and the round — and all its potential unrealized glories — is still ahead of you.

Dethier: Every time you get out on a crisp fall day it just feels like you’re stealing one. Thankful for fall golf, for a course with a view and for the relief when the one group holding you up drops out after nine.

And on a different note, our Josh Sens compiled a list of our annual ‘Turkey Award‘ winners for 2024, which was a look back at some of the more unsavory headlines from the year. Who or what is your winner in that category for this year?

Berhow: Oh boy, some worthy candidates no doubt. Hard to top the mess in Phoenix, although arresting the World No. 1 player might do that.

Marksbury: Scottie’s arrest, hands down. I’m still mad about it.

Dethier: There was something strange and hilarious about Matt Kuchar singlehandedly extending the Wyndham Championship into Monday. Probably less hilarious for tournament staffers who had to come back first thing, though.