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 the Ryder Cup bubble, Tommy Fleetwood’s loss in Memphis and more.
The six auto-qualifying spots for the U.S. Ryder Cup team will be set following next week’s BMW Championship, and with a $20 million purse offered at the BMW, there’s still time for some players just outside that cutoff to make a major move and secure their spot. Which player on the bubble most needs a big week to jump into the top six so they don’t have to worry about receiving a captain’s pick?
Jack Hirsh, associate equipment editor (@JR_HIRSHey): I don’t think there’s any other answer than the defending champion this week, Keegan Bradley. Also known as the team captain. Keegan is 10th on the U.S. points list, and he seems to have softened his stance that he wouldn’t pick himself. I don’t know the math, but I would assume only another win would get him into the top-6. Otherwise, it will be very interesting to watch what he decides regarding picking himself or even relinquishing the captaincy.
James Colgan, news and features editor (@jamescolgan26): Keegan is a good answer, but I’m leaning towards Chris Gotterup. He’s been a hard charger in the last few weeks — along with Cameron Young — but a T54 finish in Memphis wasn’t enough to finish the job. He needs another strong performance.
Jessica Marksbury, senior editor (@jess_marksbury): Agree with my colleagues on Keegan and Chris, and will also add Andrew Novak to the list. Novak was ranked 13th on the Ryder Cup points list heading into the FedEx St. Jude, and frankly, was not a name I would have considered for the team. But a T6 finish in Memphis should help his cause, and backing it up with another strong performance next week could end up being a major difference-maker.
Tommy Fleetwood held the 54-hole lead at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, but a 17th-hole bogey and final-round one-under 69 on Sunday kept him a shot out of a playoff (in which Justin Rose beat J.J. Spaun on the third playoff hole for the title). Fleetwood has won seven times on the DP World Tour but is still famously winless in 162 PGA Tour starts. Is this sample size officially big enough to explain what’s holding him back?
Hirsh: No! I don’t think we know what’s holding him back yet. It could be a lot of different things, but what’s abundantly clear is he keeps putting himself in these positions. And with a game and easily repeatable golf swing like him, it’s only a matter of time before he converts.
Colgan: Yes! And the answer is simple: It’s in his head. I spent a while reporting on the phenomenon of “choking under pressure” — or performing less than your best when it matters most — and I learned that golfers are uniquely attuned to struggle under the limelight. It’s because of how our prefrontal cortex handles stress, and how the “repetition compulsion” of the golf swing fades while under duress. The good news: Practice helps — and Tommy is getting lots of practice.
Marksbury: As Fleetwood said in his post-round interview, it’s really hard to win on Tour. And it’s not like his final round was a complete blow-up — an ill-timed bogey on 17, sure, but that happens. To even have a chance to win, you have to put yourself in position for a potential letdown. Tommy’s definitely getting lots of practice. He’ll get there eventually!
CBS Sports reported a 17 percent year-over-year bump in average audience for its PGA Tour telecasts, the best year of Tour viewership on the network since 2018. This comes after viewership dipped in 2024. What do you think caused the increase? And do you expect the numbers to keep improving next year?
Hirsh: I think honestly the golf has just been really compelling this year. This was not the case in 2024 when there was a run of low-voltage winners. But you’ve had Rory and Scottie win seven times including three of the four majors, a really awesome U.S. Open that was electric down the stretch, a couple of other big names like Ludvig, Justin Thomas and now Justin Rose have collected big wins. The PGA bet big on its stars with limited fields, and it seems those guys are winning more often.
Colgan: I think a bunch of star winners helped. As did later finishes, which push up ratings. As did a few major sports monoculture moments (Rory at the Masters). As did tweaks to Nielsen’s out-of-home viewing. As did a thousand other things. I think the numbers will slide a tad next year, but those drops are expected as cable TV dies.
Marksbury: James is our resident expert on that front, but personally, I think golf is more interesting and fun to follow when there is a dominant character or two to cheer for. Scottie seems more comfortable than ever filling the void that Tiger left. We love to watch winners win, and if Scottie can keep the pedal down, I think that will keep the eyeballs locked on golf. Throw in an historic performance or two from the likes of Rory and other fan favorites, and that feels like a solid recipe for ratings success in the future.
Rickie Fowler was among the players who moved into the top 50 to advance to next week’s second playoff stop, while Jordan Spieth was among a group that dropped from inside the top 50 to out of it. What movement around the top-50 cutoff was most noteworthy to you?
Hirsh: Loved watching Rickie Fowler’s grind out a top-50 berth, but I’m kinda shocked a player like Aldrich Potgieter, who had a win and a playoff loss this year, did not make the top-50. And as the only rookie to make the playoffs, there won’t be any at the season’s last two events. It’s tough to make it on Tour, and now it’s tougher to succeed!
Colgan: I was inspired by Bud Cauley’s performance on Sunday — particularly the chip-in for birdie on 17 — to push himself into 48th place and into the BMW. Gritty stuff!
Marksbury: A couple of impressive clutch performances to note: Akshay Bhatia finishing T6 to go from 45th to 29th; Kurt Kitayama’s T9 moving him from 52 to 37; and Jhonattan Vegas going from 56 to 49 after finishing T14. On the other side, a surprise for me was Min Woo Lee’s lackluster week. He started at 50, but finished second-to-last to drop to 57. Also, Jake Knapp finishing T62 and dropping from 47 to 55 has to sting a bit.
Scottie Scheffler unveiled earlier this week that he spent $50 on eBay buying a replacement for a cherished Cypress Point divot tool he had lost. What’s been your most odd or spontaneous golfy purchase?
Hirsh: Joining Fortrose and Rosemarkie Golf Club in Scotland after playing it for the second time two years ago. Cost me 250 GBP and now I’m about to renew for a second time!
Colgan: It was a gift, but several years ago, a buddy purchased an Otto the Orange headcover for me. (I’m a proud Syracuse grad.) It travels the whole world with me, and it’s the only item I’d buy three more of if I lost it tomorrow.
Marksbury: As soon as I saw this crystal-encrusted ball mark shaped like a pint of beer, I knew I had to have it.
