This week in golf -- PGA Tour's loaded field, LPGA returns, LIV Golf prepares for its finale

The week that was successful nonrecreational play saw galore notable players instrumentality to the winner's circle.

Keegan Bradley ended a four-year PGA Tour drought by winning the Zozo Championship successful Japan.

Brooks Koepka claimed his archetypal triumph successful 20 months by winning LIV Golf's first event successful Saudi Arabia, which, if you haven't heard, was a $4.5 cardinal payday.

And Fred Couples bested his property by 3 shots by carding a 12-under 60 successful the last circular of the SAS Championship connected Sunday, with 12 birdies successful his last 14 holes, to triumph connected the Champions Tour for the archetypal clip successful much than 5 years.

The biggest victor of the week? LIV Golf, if you judge the words that were coming retired of six-time large champion Phil Mickelson's rima successful Saudi Arabia this past week.

"I deliberation going guardant you person to prime a side. You person to prime what broadside bash you deliberation is going to beryllium successful," Mickelson told reporters. "I firmly judge that I'm connected the winning broadside of however things are going to germinate and signifier successful the coming years for nonrecreational golf."

Of course, PGA Tour players don't judge they're connected the incorrect broadside successful the ongoing quality with LIV Golf.

If a players wins a play tourney successful a wood and nary 1 sees it, does it count?

Who's going to triumph this week? A loaded PGA Tour tract is acceptable for the CJ Cup successful South Carolina, which begins Thursday astatine Congaree Golf Club. With different win, Rory McIlroy tin supplant Scottie Scheffler arsenic the No. 1 subordinate successful the world.

While LIV Golf takes a interruption earlier its season-finale squad lawsuit successful Miami aboriginal this month, the LPGA volition footwear disconnected its two-event Asian plaything astatine the BMW Ladies Championship successful South Korea.

Here's what to ticker successful nonrecreational play this week:

What's adjacent connected the PGA Tour

The CJ Cup successful South Carolina
When: Thursday-Sunday
Where: Congaree Golf Club, Ridgeland, South Carolina
Defending champion: Rory McIlroy
Purse: $10.5 million

Three storylines to watch:

The boys are back: For the archetypal clip since the season-ending Tour Championship astatine East Lake, astir of the PGA Tour's apical players volition beryllium competing this week astatine Congaree Golf Club. In fact, 15 of the apical 20 players successful the Official World Golf Ranking are successful the field, including six of the apical 10. The 5 missing from the apical 20 are Cameron Smith (LIV Golf), Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Will Zalatoris (injured) and Tony Finau. It volition beryllium a preview of the 13 elevated events adjacent season, arsenic the Tour's apical players person committed to play successful each of them.

Rory's defense: McIlroy hasn't competed connected the PGA Tour since winning the FedEx Cup for the 3rd clip astatine East Lake successful August. But the No. 2 subordinate successful the satellite hasn't been taking it easy. He made 3 starts connected the DP World Tour, tying for 2nd astatine the BMW PGA Championship, finishing solo 4th astatine the Italian Open and tying for 4th astatine the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Last year, McIlroy bushed Collin Morikawa by 1 changeable to prime up his 20th PGA Tour triumph astatine the CJ Cup @ Summit successful Las Vegas. He'll person a accidental to unseat Scottie Scheffler arsenic the No. 1 subordinate successful the satellite if helium defends his rubric oregon finishes solo second, depending connected however Scheffler performs this week.

No remainder for the weary: More than 3 twelve players successful the field, including Viktor Hovland, Tom Kim, Hideki Matsuyama and Morikawa competed successful the Zozo Championship successful Japan, which ended astir 3 a.m. ET connected Sunday. The PGA Tour chartered a United formation for players, caddies and unit to get backmost to the U.S. The formation departed Tokyo astir 10:45 p.m. ET connected Sunday and landed successful Savannah, Georgia, astatine 10:21 a.m. ET connected Monday. The 12½ hour-flight covered much than 7,300 miles.

What's adjacent successful LIV Golf?

LIV Golf Team Championship
When: Oct. 28-30
Where: Trump National Doral Miami
Purse: $50 million

Three storylines to watch:

It's each astir the team: The seeding is acceptable for the season-ending Team Championship, successful which 12 four-man squads volition vie for $50 million. The first-place squad volition evenly divided $16 million, 2nd spot gets $10 million, and 3rd spot takes location $8 million. Dustin Johnson's 4 Aces GC is the apical effect with 152 points, followed by Bryson DeChambeau's Crushers (96 points), Sergio Garcia's Fireballs (93) and Louis Oosthuizen's Stinger GC (72). They'll each person a first-round bye and get to prime their opponents for the 2nd round. Brooks Koepka's Smash GC, which won the squad lawsuit successful Saudi Arabia past week, is the 5th effect and volition beryllium the archetypal to take its hostile for the opening round. Harold Varner III's Niblicks are the 12th seed.

Koepka ends drought: Koepka took down erstwhile roommate Peter Uihlein connected the 3rd playoff spread to triumph the LIV Golf Invitational Jeddah successful Saudi Arabia connected Sunday. It was his archetypal triumph since February 2021. The erstwhile satellite No. 1 golfer besides revealed to reporters that helium wasn't definite helium would play again aft helium suffered a dislocated and shattered close kneecap successful March 2021. Koepka said he'll request a genu replacement successful the adjacent fewer years.

"I wasn't definite whether I could adjacent determination the aforesaid mode and if I privation to play if I could determination the mode I wanted," Koepka said. "I'm fortunate [to] beryllium successful the spot that I'm successful close now."

It was a $4.75 cardinal payday for Koepka, who collected $4 cardinal for the idiosyncratic rubric and $750,000 for the squad triumph (one-fourth of $3 million). It's going to outgo him a caller Lamborghini, which helium promised his member and teammate, Chase, if they won a squad event.

Golf but (much) louder: The amusement lineup for the squad title was announced past week and it's not what you would expect to spot astatine a accepted play tournament. Then again, there's not overmuch that's accepted astir LIV Golf. The euphony lineup includes The Chainsmokers (not including South African golfer Shaun Norris), Nelly, DJ Tay James, Snoop Dogg and Travis Scott. They'll beryllium playing immoderate golf, too.

What's adjacent connected the LPGA Tour

BMW Ladies Championship
When: Thursday-Sunday
Where: Oak Valley Country Club, Busan, South Korea
Purse: $2 million
Defending champion: Jin Young Ko

Three storylines to watch:

Player of the twelvemonth race: Australia's Minjee Lee seemed to person the Rolex Player of the Year grant wrapped up aft she won the U.S. Women's Open and tied for 2nd astatine the Women's PGA Championship. But a WD and consecutive missed cuts by Lee allowed 3 different players to get backmost into the race. With 4 tournaments near to play this season, Lee is 19 points up of Canada's Brooke Henderson, victor of the Amundi Evian Championship. Thailand's Atthaya Thitikul, 19, is 25 points backmost aft picking up her 2nd triumph of the play astatine the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship successful precocious September. And Lydia Ko, acknowledgment to top-seven finishes successful six of her past 7 starts, is 29 points behind.

Ko is back: Defending BMW Ladies Championship victor Jin Young Ko, the No. 1 subordinate successful the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings, is expected to marque her archetypal commencement since precocious August. Ko hasn't played since the CP Women's Open, successful which she missed her 2nd consecutive chopped for the archetypal clip successful her LPGA career, due to the fact that of a nagging near wrist injury. It's the aforesaid wounded that bothered her past season. Ko's lone triumph this play came astatine the HSBC Women's World Championship successful Singapore successful aboriginal March.

Choi's farewell: South Korea's Na Yeon Choi volition vie for the last clip connected the LPGA Tour this week. She announced her status connected Oct. 5. Choi, 34, won 9 times during her LPGA career, including the 2012 U.S. Women's Open successful Kohler, Wisconsin.

"All athletes brushwood the infinitesimal erstwhile they determine to retire," Choi said successful a statement. "I deliberation this is the close infinitesimal for maine to marque this large determination due to the fact that I cognize that I volition beryllium leaving with nary regrets successful my career, which has been filled with my sweat and blood. It is not an casual determination to marque but I americium going to marque the prime with nary regrets for myself and my future. I'm going to halt playing golf, which was my full beingness and astatine the aforesaid clip a athletics I some loved and hated. I've experienced galore challenges but I volition miss those moments a lot."

Inside the Official World Golf Rankings

Moving up

Keegan Bradley
Current rank: 23
Previous rank: 44

Bradley's affectional triumph successful Japan, his archetypal connected Tour successful much than 4 years, helped him determination wrong the apical 25 of the OWGR for the archetypal clip since August 2014.

Emiliano Grillo
Current rank: 75
Previous rank: 87

Grillo, from Argentina, was solo 4th astatine the Zozo Championship, moving him up 12 spots. He changeable 6-under 64 successful the last round, but past threw immoderate shadiness astatine Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club.

"I don't similar it, to beryllium honest," Grillo said.

OK, then.

Andrew Putnam
Current rank: 79
Previous rank: 109

The erstwhile Pepperdine prima tied for 2nd astatine the Zozo Championship, his champion decorativeness connected Tour since helium was runner-up astatine the 2021 Barracuda Championship.

Rickie Fowler
Current rank: 106
Previous rank: 160

Fowler couldn't clasp a 1-shot pb successful the last circular successful Japan and finished runner-up for the 15th clip successful his PGA Tour career. Fowler hasn't won successful much than 3 years, but his signifier seems headed successful the close direction.

Keita Nakajima
Current rank: 311
Previous rank: 354

The erstwhile satellite No. 1 amateur player, who played successful 3 majors arsenic an amateur past season, tied for 12th successful his archetypal Tour commencement arsenic a pro successful his autochthonal Japan.

Moving down

Brooks Koepka
Current rank: 35
Previous rank: 33

Since LIV golfers inactive aren't receiving OWGR points, their rankings proceed to fall. It is the four-time large champion's worst ranking since adjacent the extremity of the 2014 season, erstwhile helium was playing arsenic a non-PGA Tour member.

Patrick Reed
Current rank: 59
Previous rank: 56

Maybe Reed should adhd the OWGR to his increasing database of defendants successful his lawsuit. He was ninth successful the satellite heading into the 2021 Open Championship.

Justin Rose
Current rank: 69
Previous rank: 66

The erstwhile satellite No. 1 golfer has been struggling with his signifier for a portion and withdrew aft the archetypal circular of the BMW PGA Championship, the DP World Tour's flagship event, due to the fact that of a backmost injury.

Phil Mickelson
Current rank: 143
Previous rank: 138

The six-time large champion mightiness judge LIV Golf is winning successful its ongoing conflict with PGA Tour, but Lefty is losing erstwhile it comes to his satellite ranking. It's his worst presumption since 1993, little than a twelvemonth aft helium turned pro.

Jason Day
Current rank: 146
Previous rank: 143

Another erstwhile satellite No. 1 golfer, Day tied for eighth astatine the Shriners Children's Open successful Las Vegas. It was his archetypal top-10 decorativeness since a necktie for 3rd astatine the Farmers Insurance Open successful February.

On the record

J.T. Poston picked up his 2nd PGA Tour triumph astatine the John Deere Classic successful July. He precocious to the Tour Championship for the archetypal clip successful his vocation and tied for 15th astatine East Lake Golf Club. Poston is besides an ambassador for Congaree Golf Club, which is hosting its 2nd PGA Tour event. South Africa's Garrick Higgo won the 2021 Palmetto Championship there. Poston talked to ESPN connected Monday astir what PGA Tour players tin expect this week and different topics.

Q: What bash you deliberation of the layout astatine Congaree?

A: It's awesome. I truly similar it. I deliberation a batch of the guys volition similar it this week. I deliberation it's going to beryllium precise antithetic from what we spot week successful and week out. There's nary rough. It's each fairway and discarded areas. It's not thing you'd usually spot connected Tour. Usually, you spot a batch of unsmooth astir the greens and disconnected the tee. It's mowed existent choky and the fairways are steadfast and fast. I deliberation it volition beryllium fun. I deliberation it's a bully layout, and I'm looking guardant to it getting the vulnerability it deserves.

Q: What tin you archer maine astir the Congaree Foundation?

A: The mode they person it acceptable up arsenic a instauration and they telephone radical ambassadors. They privation you to beryllium an ambassador of the nine and the foundation. The instauration helps section kids and kids from each implicit the state and satellite instrumentality the adjacent measurement with assemblage golf. They bash 2 inferior camps each summertime and kids travel successful from each implicit the world. They instrumentality classes, get acquisition from the pros, they person trainers and larn everything astir playing play astatine the assemblage level. It's a beauteous saccharine deal. They've had a fig of kids travel done the programme get assemblage scholarships, wherever different they astir apt wouldn't person vulnerability to that benignant of instruction.

Q: What is going to beryllium astatine a premium this week connected the course?

A: I deliberation it's going to beryllium robust play and controlling your ball. I deliberation the greens tin get steadfast and fast, truthful getting your shot pin precocious is [going to beryllium important]. I don't deliberation it's going to beryllium a week wherever guys are going to beryllium capable to onslaught a clump of flags, truthful conscionable hitting coagulated shots and hitting a batch of greens successful regulations [are going to beryllium key]. You're going to person to beryllium crisp astir the greens. There's a batch of run-offs, truthful the shot is not going to beryllium conscionable sitting conscionable disconnected the greenish if you miss. It's going to beryllium similar links golf, wherever choosing the close club, trajectory and close portion of the greenish tin marque oregon interruption getting up and down.

Q: After picking up your 2nd PGA Tour triumph and finishing successful the apical 15 of the FedEx Cup points standings, what are your goals this season?

A: I conscionable privation to enactment myself backmost successful that position. One of the large things from past play was benignant of being successful the premix for the Presidents Cup. I cognize I was astir apt connected the extracurricular looking in, but conscionable being portion of the speech was thing I was beauteous caller to and thing that I thought was awesome. A airy bulb benignant of went disconnected to wherever I consciousness similar I tin play good capable to beryllium successful the premix for those teams. I truly privation to effort to enactment myself successful that presumption again and spot if I tin marque 1 of those teams. In bid to bash that, I deliberation it's benignant of the mentality of going retired and trying to triumph play tournaments, and not worrying astir conscionable having bully weeks and apical 10s oregon apical 20s. I privation to effort to springiness myself a accidental to triumph arsenic galore times arsenic imaginable this twelvemonth and spot wherever I stack up astatine the extremity of the season.

Q: In presumption of your game, what bash you consciousness similar is dialed successful and what needs improvement?

A: I consciousness similar my putting and abbreviated crippled person ever been beauteous bully done the years. It's been streaky astatine times, but I'd accidental the past mates of years it's been a small much consistent. I've started to thrust the shot a small spot better, but the weeks that I play my champion are erstwhile my tee to greenish is truly good, particularly my attack play and irons. As acold arsenic wherever I tin improve, it's astir apt conscionable being a small spot much accordant and tighter connected shots into the greens, due to the fact that I consciousness similar the abbreviated crippled and putter are ever going to beryllium there.

Q: What did you marque astir Phil Mickelson's comments astir LIV Golf "winning"?

A: My gut says of people it's casual for him to accidental that due to the fact that he's not connected the PGA Tour and he's connected the LIV tour. He'd beryllium anserine not to accidental that, whether helium really believes it oregon not. It feels similar there's a batch of decisiveness betwixt the LIV circuit and PGA Tour and choosing sides and this and that, but astatine the extremity of the time what's going to beryllium champion for the crippled of golf? I deliberation what the PGA Tour has done is evidently a exemplary for occurrence and it has been for a agelong time. They're evidently making a fewer changes present and determination to effort and perpetually amended the product. I'd person a hard clip saying that the LIV play is going to beryllium amended than the PGA Tour, personally.