Brian Campbell (31) shook off an errant tee shot – saved by a lucky break – to birdie the second playoff hole, capturing his first US PGA Tour title at the Mexico Open with a gutsy win over South African Aldrich Potgieter on Sunday.
Campbell, a 31-year-old American who is back on the PGA Tour after his first spell there in 2017 ended in a return to the developmental Korn Ferry Tour, rattled in a three-and-a-half foot birdie putt at the second hole of sudden death – the par-five 18th – to seal the win after Potgieter’s six-foot birdie attempt slid past the hole.

Both players had scrambled for pars when the play-off opened at 18 – shortly after both got up and down for birdie there to finish 72 holes tied on 20-under 264 at the VidantaWorld resort near Puerta Vallarta.

American Isaiah Salinda just missed out on the playoff, carding a 65 for solo third on 265.

“Grit, that’s the only word I can think of right now,” said Campbell, who had four birdies and three bogeys in his final-round 70.

Campbell had piled up 187 starts on the PGA and Korn Ferry tours without a win, and a first visit to the winner’s circle wasn’t looking likely when his tee shot at the second playoff hole veered toward the out-of-bounds woods.

But it hit a tree and ricocheted back into play, bouncing off a cart path into the right rough.

“Oh my gosh, that bounce? But we got ourselves back in position and gave ourselves a chance and it paid off,” said Campbell, who landed his second shot in the fairway 68 yards out from the pin and spun a terrific third shot to within four feet.

Potgieter had the advantage with a tee shot in the fairway, but his second shot landed in one of the small bunkers in front of the green and his shot out left him a tough putt coming back.

It was the end of a hard day for the 20-year-old Pretoria-born prodigy, playing in only his 10th PGA Tour event.

He started the day with a one-shot lead – down from four strokes after his sensational second-round 61 – and had three birdies and three bogeys in his even-par 71.

“Pressure is a big thing,” Potgieter acknowledged. “You can’t really beat it, you just have to learn and adjust to the next time you’re in this position again.

“I’m really happy with how I played this week,” added Potgieter, who won the 2022 Amateur Championship at Royal Lytham and now leads the tour in driving distance.

“If you would have told me I would get second place before the week started I would definitely have taken it.

“I’m just happy to have gotten into a play-off. The way I played today wasn’t my best. I was having to chase the whole time. It was nice to see some good results the last five or six holes of the tournament.”

Campbell admitted it could be discouraging to give up some 40 yards off the tee to Potgieter, but said he had learned to trust his own game.

“It’s impressive how far some of these guys hit it out here,” he said. “That’s just on me and I’ve got to take my game elsewhere.

“It’s cool to see what can happen,” he said.

Following a two-week hiatus, the PGA Tour is back in California for The Genesis Invitational 2025. A prime event in the golfing calendar, this tournament is being closely followed by many fans of the sport.

We will delve deep into it, but first, here are a few key details to keep in mind:

Dates: 13 to 16 February
Venue: San Diego, California, USA
Defending champion: Hideki Matsuyama
Contested for the first time in 1926, the tournament was initially known as the Los Angeles Open and was played in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. Over the years, it has been revamped multiple times before adopting its current iteration.

English-American golfer Harry Cooper won the inaugural edition of the competition. Meanwhile, with four titles each, Macdonald Smith of Scotland and Lloyd Mangrum of the USA hold the record for the most wins in history.

Given that it is a prestigious tournament, The Genesis Invitational 2025 has a star-studded field list. The big news, however, is the absence of American golfing legend Tiger Woods, who had to pull out of the event at the eleventh hour following the tragic death of his mother.

Though Woods’ absence will be felt, the competition won’t be short of riveting golf action, with star players such as Rory McIlroy, Wyndham Clark and Scottie Scheffler (among others) vying for the silverware.

In addition to the glittering trophy, the champion of the San Diego-based tournament will take home a lucrative monetary reward. On that note, here is a closer look at The Genesis Invitational 2025 prize money pool, as well as its schedule and venue.

The Genesis Invitational 2025 boasts a prize money pool of USD 20 million. The figure is similar to what was offered at the recently concluded AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

From this pot, the champion will pocket USD 4 million and the runner-up will be rewarded with USD 2.2 million.

Here is a detailed breakdown of the payout structure for the top 10 golfers at The Genesis Invitational 2025:

Champion: USD 4 million
Runner-up: USD 2.2 million
Third: USD 1.4 million
Fourth: USD 1 million
Fifth: USD 840,000
Sixth: USD 760,000
Seventh: USD 700,000
Eighth: USD 646,000
Ninth: USD 600,000
Tenth: USD 556,000

The Genesis Invitational 2025 will run from Thursday, 13 February to Sunday, 16 February. After being contested in Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades till last year, the tournament finds a new home in 2025 at the Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, California, USA.

The move is a result of the recent series of wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles. “The Genesis Invitational would be relocated from The Riviera Country Club due to the ongoing natural disaster in Greater Los Angeles and out of respect for those affected,” the PGA Tour said in a statement last month.

As the rain falls in the lead-up to The Genesis Invitational, daily fantasy sports players have to ask themselves one big question… Scottie Scheffler or Rory McIlroy.

Torrey Pines South Course is already brutally long at 7,765 yards but becomes another beast entirely when the rain soaks the coastal course, especially with its already long and juicy rough. The forecast calls for continued rainfall Wednesday and Thursday nights, leaving a different challenge to the hard and fast one of a few weeks ago when the Farmers Insurance Open.

The reality is the winner is likely going to be a big hitter who can try to overpower the rest of the contenders. Accuracy will certainly matter, but only if you add length to it. If you’re stuck hitting mid- or long-irons into holes where others are doing so with wedges or short irons, it’s a tough ask.

“The course is going to play long, the rough is very, very penal, so there’s a premium of putting your ball in the fairway and then controlling the spin into the greens,” Rory McIlroy said Wednesday.

“Not that I didn’t remember, but it took me by surprise when I played a few holes yesterday just how much pitch and slope there is on these greens. So if you are lucky enough to be hitting the ball out of the fairway, you’re going to have to control your spin on these greens a lot as well, so a lot of like three-quarter shots.”

McIlroy sits as the second player on the DraftKings DFS contest board at $10,900 this week coming off his win at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The Northern Irishman proved he can not only still play in soft conditions, but he can actually play through tough, wet and windy conditions as well.

The only player above him is of course world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler at $12,300. If you want the best, you’ll have to pay. But is Scheffler worth the extra spend against McIlroy with the rain in the picture?

Neither player has been a regular at Torrey Pines so it might come down to if you want to top stack your team with another big name. if the answer is yes, then McIlroy becomes the value of the two.

Justin Thomas ($10,100) and Collin Morikawa ($10,000) are the only other two players in five figures but you should also expect some heavy ownership for Ludvig Åberg ($9,800) and Hideki Matsuyama ($9,600).

Thomas is coming off a T6 at the WM Phoenix Open and was runner-up at The American Express. Has four previous top 25s at Torrey Pines including the U.S. Open. Morikawa was third at Torrey Pines in 2023 and finished T4 at the U.S. Open here. Leads the TOUR in SG: Tee-to-Green (although McIlroy’s numbers are higher from just one event.)

Åberg led early at the Farmers Insurance Open, albeit via a low round on Torrey Pines North that is not used this week, before falling ill and tumbling down the leaderboard. The Swede has a previous top 10 here on debut and the length to challenge the course. Matsuyama is the event defending champion (from The Riviera Country Club) and also has two top 10s at Torrey Pines.

The $8000-$9000 section of the board sees the likes of Taylor Pendrith ($9000), Shane Lowry ($8,800), Jason Day ($8,700), Jordan Spieth ($8,500), Tony Finau ($8,200) and Robert MacIntyre ($8,100) in the mix for consideration.

Pendrith has made the cut in all four tries at Torrey Pines, with two top 10s, including one a few weeks ago, and is third on TOUR in SG: Off-the-Tee. Lowry was runner-up to McIlroy at Pebble Beach and is no stranger to playing in the wet. Day is a two-time winner with another T2 and T3 on his Torrey Pines resume. Spieth returned to some form in Phoenix last week but was that just a one-off? Finau is on the comeback trail from knee surgery but has a strong Torrey Pines history with six top 10s from nine top 25s. MacIntyre is used to Scottish-like conditions and enters off a T6 in Phoenix while now ranking 10th in SG: Off-the-Tee.

As you continue down the salary board a few great drivers of the golf ball stand out. Min Woo Lee ($7,800) and Cameron Young ($7,400) could certainly add some firepower to any lineup. Lee is currently third on TOUR in Driving Distance, second in SG: Tee-to-Green and eighth in SG: Total. Young is a decent 16th in SG: Off-the-Tee.

As much as the stars at the top of the board are needed, so too are the diamonds in the rough at the bottom. Consider the fact that Thomas Detry, Daniel Berger, Michael Kim, Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Taylor Moore were all part of last week’s optimum lineup and all cost $7,400 or less, and you can see how critical these choices can be.

I think riding Berger’s ($6,900) coattails another week could be beneficial. He’s ranked seventh in SG: Off-the-Tee and third in SG: Tee-to-Green! At 22nd in Driving distance and 17th in Driving Accuracy he’s actually leading the TOUR in Total Driving. Those metrics make him a potential bargain coming off his T2 last week.

Another name to pop at small outlay is veteran Justin Rose ($6,400). Rose was T3 at Pebble Beach recently and is a former winner at Torrey Pines. The Englishman is certainly used to playing in wet conditions and he allows you to take two stars from the top of the board.

Tempestuous Tyrrell, the Dubai winner. Beware the angry golfer. Say what you like about Tyrrell Hatton’s frequent tantrums – and plenty do – but the Englishman’s ability can never be called into question. ­Hatton will surge back into the top 10 of the world on account of his Dubai Desert Classic victory, with a Ryder Cup return at Bethpage this year already looking a formality.

Many have disappeared from view after switching to LIV Golf. Hatton, by contrast, can still mix it with the best. This marks his second DP World Tour success since joining the rebel circuit in early 2024. Even the emergence of Rory McIlroy from the Sunday shadows was insufficient to knock Hatton off stride at the Emirates Club.

“To add my name to the list of the amazing champions that have been before me, to have my name on that trophy now, is a dream come true,” he said. He used to feign illness to skip school and watch this ­championship. Half a dozen major top 10s suggest Hatton has capacity to take his game to a further level.

There will be a minor deduction from Hatton’s $1.5m (£1.2m) Dubai prize but he is unlikely to care. The 33-year-old damaged a tee box in anger during round three, meaning a tongue lashing and upcoming fine from tour officialdom. If ranting, raving and snapping continues to precede wins then this leopard is hardly going to change his spots. Hatton’s 69 for a 15-under-par aggregate took the trophy by one from New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier. Hatton converted from 6ft on the 72nd green to seal the title.

“He doesn’t give a flying fig what anyone else thinks, which is a really good attribute in this game,” McIlroy said of Hatton. “He has got balls.” McIlroy believes Hatton will be “amazing” and a “massive asset” as Europe look to retain the Ryder Cup.

Day four here for Hatton was all about coping with expectation. He was the clear favourite to prevail before a ball was struck. A dropped shot at the opening hole suggested nerves but he rebounded immediately. A front nine of 33 rendered him the man to catch. McIlroy’s day was a slow burner; he played the front nine in minus two before three birdies between the 10th and 13th. McIlroy picked up shots again at the 16th and 18th but by now Hatton had left the defending champion too much to do. McIlroy shared fourth with Niklas Nørgaard of Denmark.

Hatton stood on the 18th tee with a two-stroke lead. A wonderful approach to tap-in range at the 16th had seemed to settle the outcome. Yet Hillier, who started the tour­nament outside the world’s top 200, produced a final birdie four to give Hatton something to think about. He completed a two-putt from 50ft.

“I was pretty nervous on the back nine to be honest,” Hatton said. “I guess I maybe wanted it a bit too much. I knew the position I was in and I was a little bit scruffy down the last. To see that putt go in felt amazing, I am just so happy to win. My hands had been shaking. This is one of the events you want on your CV, it is so iconic on this tour.”

McIlroy believes his “game management” requires some work before he returns to action in the United States. A Sunday 66 was his lowest round of the week. Laurie Canter chipped in at the 17th then picked up another shot at the last to start his year positively, two adrift of the winner. LIV-bound Tom McKibbin earned a top-10 berth at minus 11.

The tournament will be staged December 12-14 at Riyadh Golf Club

Following an intense conclusion to the LIV Golf season, the league today unveiled details on the second edition of LIV Golf Promotions, presenting pathways for elite players from across the globe to earn their place in the League and The International Series for 2025.

The tournament will be staged December 12-14 at Riyadh Golf Club, with four rounds of stroke-play over three days, including 36 holes on the final day where the top finisher will earn a spot in the LIV Golf League next season.

The top 10 finishers, including ties, will earn full exemption into all 2025 events on The International Series, sanctioned by the Asian Tour. LIV Golf Promotions also offers a prize purse of US $1.5 million.

“Those who have competed in the LIV Golf League consistently share similar feedback: the energy, camaraderie, and global competition have created a once-in-a-lifetime experience for players to pursue their dreams at the highest level,” said LIV Golf Commissioner and CEO Greg Norman.

“LIV Golf Promotions delivers another pathway for up-and-coming players and top competitors across the globe to experience a life-changing season with LIV, and we’re eager to see who steps up this year in Riyadh.”

LIV Golf Promotions will consist of four rounds of 18-hole stroke play. Starting Thursday, December 12, those who finish in the top 20 and ties from round one will advance to Friday’s round two, where scores will reset, and the field will be joined by a category of players who automatically qualified for day two of competition.

The top 20 players following round two will advance to the final day of competition, with scores reset once more for an intense full-day, 36-hole shootout. At Saturday’s conclusion, the winner will earn $200,000 and a highly coveted and lucrative spot in the LIV Golf League for 2025.

LIV Golf Promotions will add to the full-season player field for the 2025 LIV Golf League, with the top qualifier from Riyadh Golf Club and the winner of The International Series 2024 Rankings guaranteed to compete in the League with the opportunity to be signed by a team.

American John Catlin, who played as a reserve in six LIV Golf events this past season, currently leads the standings, having recorded one International Series win in Macau, and two runner-up finishes.

“John’s success in a number of LIV Golf events as a reserve this season is proof of the quality of play that we see each week on The International Series,” said Head of The International Series Rahul Singh.

“As we crown a 2024 International Series champion later this fall and look to the highly anticipated LIV Golf Promotions, one deserving player will have the chance to punch their life-changing ticket to the LIV Golf League.”

In addition to welcoming players from around the world, relegated players, and those without a team commitment for 2025 who finished in the Open Zone (25th-48th) in the 2024 LIV Golf League standings also have the opportunity to regain their playing rights for 2025.

However, only the top finisher in LIV Golf Promotions is guaranteed a spot in the League for 2025 – allowing teams greater flexibility during free agency to enhance their rosters this offseason.

The PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Fall schedule rolls on this week with the 2024 Black Desert Championship beginning on Thursday, Oct. 10. This is the first time the PGA Tour will host a tournament in Utah since 1963. The first-round tee times for the Black Desert Championship get underway on Thursday at 9:40 a.m. ET. The latest 2024 Black Desert Championship odds list Keith Mitchell as the 18-1 favorite, followed by Kurt Kitayama (25-1), Seamus Power (25-1), Beau Hossler (28-1) and Chris Kirk (30-1).

Mitchell and Hossler were both in contention to win last week’s Sanderson Farms Championship, but Kevin Yu secured the victory, beating Hossler in a playoff to record his first PGA Tour win. Yu is in the Black Desert Championship field this week but is among the longshots at 50-1 odds. Before locking in your 2024 Black Desert Championship picks, be sure to see the golf predictions and projected leaderboard from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

SportsLine’s proprietary model, built by DFS pro Mike McClure, has been red-hot since the PGA Tour resumed in June 2020. In fact, the model is up more than $9,500 on its best bets since the restart, nailing tournament after tournament.

This same model has also nailed a whopping 13 majors entering the weekend, including the 2024 Masters — its third Masters in a row — and this year’s PGA Championship and U.S. Open. Anyone who has followed it has seen massive returns.

Now with the 2024 Black Desert Championship field locked in, SportsLine simulated the tournament 10,000 times, and the results were surprising. Head to SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard.

Top 2024 Black Desert Championship predictions
One major surprise the model is calling for at the 2024 Black Desert Championship: Chris Kirk (30-1), a six-time PGA Tour champion and one of the top favorites, stumbles this week and barely cracks the top 10. Kirk has recorded one win and three top-10 finishes in 2024, finishing on top of the leaderboard at The Sentry in January.

However, Kirk secured just one top-25 finish in 10 of his last 11 starts on the PGA Tour. In addition, the 39-year-old has struggled mightily with his approach shots in 2024, ranking 91st in strokes gained: approach to green (0.077) and 122nd in greens in regulation percentage (65.02%). He’s not a strong pick to win it all and there are far better values in the 2024 Black Desert Championship field. See who else to fade here.

Another surprise: Rico Hoey, a massive 60-1 longshot, makes a strong run at the title. He has a much better chance to win it all than his odds imply, so he’s a target for anyone looking for a huge payday.

In order to score well this week, players will need to be extremely effective off the tee and few do it better than Hoey. The 29-year-old enters this week’s event ranked 10th in strokes gained: off the tee (0.563), 12th in total driving (108) and 22nd in driving distance (309.8). He’s also been effective with his irons, ranking 24th in greens in regulation percentage (69.27%). Those impressive stats, plus his long odds, make him a strong value pick for your 2024 Black Desert Championship bets. See who else to back here.

How to make 2024 Black Desert Championship picks
The model is also targeting five other golfers with odds of 35-1 or longer who will make a strong run at the title. Anyone who backs these longshots could hit it big.

2024 Black Desert Championship odds
Get full 2024 Black Desert Championship picks, best bets and predictions here.

Keith Mitchell +1800
Kurt Kitayama +2500
Beau Hossler +2800
Seamus Power +2500
Chris Kirk +3000
Patrick Rodgers +3300
J.J. Spaun +3500
Patrick Fishburn +3500
Chan Kim +3500
Ben Griffin +3500
Michael Thorbjornsen +3500
Stephan Jaeger +3500
Harry Hall +3500
Erik van Rooyen +3500
Ryan Fox +3500
Lucas Glover +4000
Andrew Novak +4000
Emiliano Grillo +4500
Harris English +4500
Adam Svensson +4500
Doug Ghim +5000
Matti Schmid +5000
Matt McCarty +5000
Kevin Yu +5000
Justin Lower +5500
Mac Meissner +5500
Jacob Bridgeman +5500
Rico Hoey +6000
Bud Cauley +6000
Daniel Berger +6000
Patton Kizzire +6000
Alex Smalley +6500
Chandler Phillips +7000
Vince Whaley +7500
Max McGreevy +7500
Nick Taylor +7500
Zac Blair +7500
C.T. Pan +7500
Nick Hardy +8000
Cameron Champ +8000
Justin Suh +8000
Mark Hubbard +8000
Ben Kohles +8000
Michael Kim +8000
Hayden Springer +8000
David Skinns +9000
Alexander Björk +9000
Chesson Hadley +9000
Trace Crowe +10000
Sami Valimaki +10000
Austin Smotherman +10000
Pierceson Coody +10000

Alfred Dunhill Links Championship final leaderboard

-24 T Hatton (Eng); -23 N Colsaerts (Bel); -21 T Fleetwood (Eng); -19 R Neergaard-Petersen (Den), D Puig (Spa), R Williams (SA)

Selected others: -18 J Rahm (Spa); -17 B Koepka (US), D Jordan (Eng); -16 S Lowry (Ire); -14 R Macintyre (Sco), R McIlroy (NI), C Shinkwin (Eng), P Harrington (Ire), S Jamieson (Sco)

England’s Tyrrell Hatton survived a late scare before securing a record third Alfred Dunhill Links Championship title at St Andrews.

Hatton, 32, had equalled the course record on Saturday to hold a one-shot lead going into the final day and he went three ahead thanks to four birdies in his first 11 holes.

However, a double bogey at the 13th and a bogey at the 14th enabled Nicolas Colsaerts to grab a share of the lead with three holes remaining.

But the 2016 and 2017 champion birdied the last hole from three feet to finish on 24 under – one shot ahead of his Belgian rival who left a long eagle putt from the Valley of Sin eight feet below the hole and was unable to convert the birdie attempt.

Hatton also finished second in the team event alongside his father Jeff, the pair finishing two shots behind Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen and Irish businessman Dermot Desmond.

“It’s the first time I’ve actually won the tournament with my dad here so it means a lot and to do it at the home of golf is really special,” said Hatton, who has been part of two winning Ryder Cup teams.

“I’m trying not to cry, to be honest. I’m a bit lost for words.”

The win ensures he will be at the DP World Tour’s season-ending event in Dubai and means he can also attend the upcoming wedding of Ryder Cup team-mate Matt Fitzpatrick.

He went on: “I was meant to be going to Fitzy’s wedding the week of Spain [the Andalucia Masters] and I had to message him a few weeks ago to say if I don’t earn enough points I might not be able to go, and I felt so bad about that.

“I guess having a little bit of extra motivation to play well and be able to be there for their special day [was good].”