The PGA Tour returned this week, kind of, which means Par Talk is also back to its regularly scheduled programming as we gear up for four straight weeks of action to close out the Fall Swing.
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we → return → Swing
The Butterfield Bermuda Championship is sneakily one of the most entertaining events of the fall, with players competing for status on an island in some of the windiest conditions they'll ever play in.
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they → compete → conditions
Unfortunately, the PGA Tour deemed the wind on Sunday and Monday to be too much and cut the event to 54 holes.
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wind → deem → holes
There were eight players within three shots of the lead heading into the final round, but ultimately, the Tour let 54-hole co-leaders Austin Smotherman and Seamus Power duel it out in a Monday playoff at Port Royal.
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Smotherman → be → Royal
As for the biggest news out of the golf world from the past week, it involves bankruptcy, Cameron Young, and his signature on an agreement to join LIV Golf years ago.
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it → involve → Golf
Welcome to Par Talk, a weekly read to get you caught up on all the happenings that took place in professional golf that you should know.
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you → welcome → that
Cameron Young was out the door to LIV Golf
Cameron Young was open about having interest in potentially joining LIV Golf during its inaugural season in 2022.
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Young → have → 2022
The American openly stated at that year's Tour Championship in Atlanta that he was interested in making the jump to the then Saudi-backed circuit.
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he → state → circuit
Recently revealed court documents revealed that Young's interest in a move wasn't just a thought he was tossing around in his brain, but one he took legitimate action on.
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he → reveal → action
As LIV Golf is going through proceedings after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, documents revealed that the circuit paid $15.6 million in retention payments to executives before filing.
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circuit → go → executives
Not lost in the shuffle, which showed that LIV CEO Scott O'Neil received a retention of more than $6 million, was Young previously signing a document of intent to join LIV following the 2022 Open Championship at St. Andrews.
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Young → lose → Andrews
The 2022 Open Championship, while a classic finish with Cameron Smith edging out Rory McIlroy, was already remembered as 'The One With The LIV Distraction,' but even more so now.
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Smith → edge → Distraction
Smith joined LIV shortly after hoisting the Claret Jug, and with Young signing his intent dated July 24, one week after the final round, he was ready to follow suit.
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he → join → suit
The speculation about Young jumping ship from the PGA Tour continued to gain steam for another four weeks before he ultimately grew tired of the questions and shared he had decided to stay on the Tour following the final round of the 2022 Tour Championship.
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he → jump → Championship
Young was ranked 17th in the world at the time with zero wins on Tour to his name.
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Young → rank → name
Since then, he's moved up to No. 4 in the world, won three times, including the 2026 Players, and has represented the United States at both the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup.
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he → move → Cup
Austin Smotherman gets it done in Bermuda
The PGA Tour was scrambling on Monday. Pun absolutely intended.
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Pun → get → Monday
With wind gusts over 50 mph coupled with rain on Sunday, the Tour was hopeful for a Monday finish, and while it got one, it was about as unique as they come.
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they → couple → one
With the weather an issue again on Monday, the final round was scrapped, and Smotherman and Power went to the Par 3 16th for a playoff to determine a winner.
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Smotherman → scrap → winner
Then they did it again, and again.
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they → do → it
The pair shared pars on the first and second times around playing the 16th, the staff then moved the pin placement, and Smotherman's third par in a row was enough to get the job done after Power couldn't get up and down from an awkward spot in the rough.
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Power → share → rough
It wasn't exactly the most exciting of finishes – players having to gut their way through 18 holes of pure hell in the wind certainly would have been – but when Mother Nature doesn't cooperate, and another event starts in less than four days' time, the Tour wasn't exactly left with another choice.
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Tour → have → choice
As for Smotherman, that's two wins in his last two starts after winning the Bank of Utah Championship at the beginning of October.
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that → win → October
For a player who had just two Top 25 finishes dating back to May, that's a big-time run for the 32-year-old.
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that → have → old
Mexico is finally back in our lives
Oh, Vidanta Vallarta, how we've missed you.
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we → miss → you
The 2025 Mexico Open at VidantaWorld, which was held in February, was one of those events that the golf sickos out there may never forget, and finally, after 20 months of waiting, we are back.
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we → hold → waiting
If, for whatever reason, you forgot one of the greatest finishes we may ever see, let's take a look back at what went down early last year.
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what → forget → look
Aldrich Potgieter, the South African whose superpower is being one of the longest hitters in the game, found himself in a playoff with Brian Campbell, who finished 161st out of 162 players in average driving distance this season.
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who → find → distance
The sudden-death playoff was held on the Par 5 18th hole, so advantage Potgieter.
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playoff → hold → hole
The two each made pars the first time around, and then came the tee shot heard 'round the world.
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shot → make → world
Campbell ended up hitting the block of all blocks off the tee, with his ball entering what is a legitimate jungle guarding the right side of the fairway.
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what → end → fairway
His ball should have disappeared, and it did for a brief moment, before jumping back into play and into the right rough.
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it → disappear → rough
Potgieter followed up Campbell's tee shot by hitting a 321-yard rocket into the fairway, leaving him 218 yards to the hole, while Campbell had 311 to the pin.
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Campbell → follow → pin
Despite the almost 100-yard difference, Campbell was the one who made birdie while Potgieter missed a six-footer to extend the playoff.
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Potgieter → make → playoff
It was cinema, made practically no sense, and was a win for all short hitters around the globe.
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It → make → globe
The Aporia
