Scotland's Robert "Bob" MacIntyre makes OWGR history..

 Robert McIntyre made history this week as he became just the third Scottish male golfer to reach the top five in the Official World Golf Ranking, a fantastic feat for this working class young lad from the Scottish port of Oban, taught to play by his greenskeeper father, Dougie at Glencruitten GC. 

A four-time DP World Tour winner, two-time PGA TOUR winner and member of two victorious Ryder Cup teams, this is the latest reward for a fantastically consistent run of play from the 29-year-old who has not missed a cut since the Masters.

He joins Sandy Lyle and Colin Montgomerie as the only Scots to crack the top five.

MacIntyre first entered the all-important top 50 just under five years ago but only truly established himself in that company with his victory at the 2024 RBC Canadian Open which moved him from 76th to 39th.

He has not left the top 50 since and just weeks after his triumph in Canada he claimed an emotional home win at the Genesis Scottish Open which lifted him to a then career-high of 16th.

A first move into the top ten came after he finished second at the BMW Championship in August and he continued to rack up points, winning the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and securing back-to-back top tens in the season-ending DP World Tour Play-Offs.

He then finished 12th at the Hero World Challenge and started 2026 with a tie for fourth at the Sony Open in Hawaii before a tie for 38th at last week's American Express moved him above Xander Schauffele and up to World Number Five.

Lyle was World Number 3 when the Rankings were first released in 1986 and spent a total of 16 weeks in the top five before Montgomerie became a regular fixture after first entering it in December 1995.

He would stay in the top ten from May 1994 to June 2001, spending 158 weeks in the top five and peaking at World Number Two.

Montgomerie was last in the top five on April 29, 2001 and now - over 9,000 days later - the Saltire is flying high again thanks to MacIntyre.

Congratulations Bob!

europeantour.com

Bryan Angus (edit)

Calum Hill ties course record...round 2 suspended darkness...Bahrain Championship 36 hole results

  DP World Tour : Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship 

• Leaderboard

Scotland's Calum Hill opened his week with -5 67, however this morning he woke up with a great swing, and went on to post a career best and Royal GC tying record -11 61 to take a four shot clubhouse lead at -16 in ideal weather in Bahrain.

He is ranked owgr #97, #194 Race to Dubai, and he missed the cut last week in Dubai. He has 2 DP World Tour wins.   more to follow...

Final Edit

Calum Hill powered his way into a four-shot lead after equalling the course record with a sublime 61 at the 2026 Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship.

The Scot was flawless on Friday morning as he rolled in 11 birdies to match the lowest score at the Royal Golf Club, set by Brandon Robinson Thompson during the first round of this event last year, to take control at -16

Hill, who has two DP World Tour titles to his name, overhauled first-round leader Freddy Schott after the German backed up his opening 65 with a 67 to reach -12, three ahead of Frenchman Ugo Coussaud in third.

"Today was really good," Hill said. "I started off really well and then I had a few bonus putts from really long range to really go in and I just kept making birdies. It was nice.

"That’s obviously my best round in competitive golf, in tournament golf. I haven’t kept track of what I’ve shot in practice, but I think that’s up there as one of the best rounds I’ve played.

"I knew the course record was -11, so I knew I needed to hole my last shot (to break the course record) and it looked very good in the air. I thought it had a chance but just long, but it was nice to finish off with a birdie as well. Very happy."

The Kirkcaldy native - going out in the second group of the day - opened with a birdie before picking up three in a row from the fourth to sit at top alongside Schott, who birdied the first and third, at -9.

Hill completed his second round with a hat-trick of birdies to catapult himself to -16 while Schott, two groups behind, dropped a shot at the 15th, birdied the 17th before a closing with a bogey to reach the clubhouse with a -12 total.

Coussaud finished birdie-birdie as he picked up five shots and carded one bogey in his 68 to move into solo third at -9

He is one ahead of a logjammed chasing pack, which includes South African trio JC Ritchie 65, Casey Jarvis 65 and Brandon Stone 68, Spanish triad Sergio Garcia 66, Nacho Elvira 67 and Alejandro Del Rey 71, Dutchman Joost Luiten 65, India's Shubhankar Sharma 70, New Zealand's Daniel Hillier 70, Frenchman Julien Guerrier 67 and Italy's Andrea Pavan 67 all at -8.

Play was suspended due to darkness, rd2 resumes 745am, rd3 will not start before 9am.

Bryan Angus

Justin Rose leads, Pendrith top Canadian at Torrey Pines.... 18 hole results

 PGA  Tour: Farmers Insurance Open Tee Times Leaderboard

In ideal weather in San Diego, the North Course at Torrey Pines was not a stiff test for the pros, evergreen Ryder Cup hero Justin Rose leads the way, bogey free -10 62. 

Playing the course backwards birdies on 5 of his holes for 31 and the front nine was just as easy five more birdies 31 for the 62.

American Justin Lower 2nd 63, with Japan's Hideki Matsuyama and American Max Geyserman T3 64 all on the NC.

Canadians : four of the five played the tougher South Course (SC), none are in contention.

Taylor Pendrith SC T55 70 -2

Mac Hughes SC T72 71 -1

Adam Svensson NC T72 71 -1

AJ Ewart SC T72 71 -1

Sudarshan Yellamaraju SC T109, 74 +2

Notables

Matthieu Pavon NC past winner 2024,  T14 67 -5

Brooks Keopka SC T101 73 +1

Neither Rory McIlroy or Scott Scheffler are playing here this week, it is not a signature event.

Bryan Angus

Bahrain Championship...18 hole results

 DP World Tour : Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship 

• Leaderboard

Alejandro Del Rey and Freddy Schott sparkled during the opening round of the 2026 Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship to share the lead at -7 65

Spaniard Del Rey has yet to miss a cut on what is his fifth start of the 2026 DP World Tour campaign and he continued his rich vein of form with a flawless -7 65 at Royal Golf Club.

Del Rey, who earlier this week celebrated the one-year anniversary of his maiden title at this level at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship, set the initial clubhouse target thanks to five birdies on the front nine and two more on his way home.

He was later joined by Germany's Schott who ended his roller coaster round with a closing birdie-eagle to share the lead at -7, ahead of a logjammed leaderboard which saw 28 players sit within four shots.

"It was nice, a quick start. I took advantage of the morning, that it was a little bit calmer with the wind. I’m very happy with the round," Del Rey said..

"I really enjoy this first Swing (of the year) here in the desert. I’ve always enjoyed it. I’ve had my highs and my lows, but I’ve always felt very comfortable out here and the course, I feel like it suits me well. I really enjoy my time here in January especially."

Hillier mixed an eagle, five birdies and a bogey in his -6 66, Swede Niklas Lemke carded eight gains and two dropped shots, Germany's Nicolai Von Dellingshausen signed for an eagle, six birdies and two bogeys and Laurie Canter made a bold start to his title defence by picking up seven shots and one bogey to reach -6. India's Shubhankar Sharma matched Canter's card in his six-under 66.

Andrew Johnston, Scotland's Calum Hill, Frenchman Ugo Coussaud, Sweden's Mikael Lindberg, Finn Oliver Lindell and Italian Gregorio De Leo were one shot further back 67 -5

Play was suspended at 5.25pm local time due to darkness, with ten players to finish their first rounds on Friday morning.

europeantour.com

Bryan Angus (edit)

 

Patrick Reed leaving LIV will play DP World Tour, remains suspended PGA Tour

 

By Gabby Herzig

Patrick Reed is leaving LIV Golf to pursue an eventual return to the PGA Tour, he announced Wednesday.

Reed, who won the DP World Tour’s Dubai Desert Classic on Sunday, will compete on the European-focused circuit for the remainder of this season while serving a suspension from the PGA Tour. He’ll be eligible to compete again on the PGA Tour starting on Aug. 25, 2026 — one year removed from his last LIV Golf event

“I’m a traditionalist at heart, and I was born to play on the PGA Tour, which is where my story began with my wife, Justine,” Reed said in a statement posted on his social media accounts. “I am very fortunate for the opportunities that have come my way and grateful for the life we have created. I am moving forward in my career, and I look forward to competing on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. I can’t wait to get back out there and revisit some of the best places on Earth.”

The announcement of Reed’s pathway back to the tour comes as former LIV golfer Brooks Koepka makes his return this week at the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego. It is also on the heels of Reed making it clear after his Dubai win that he had not signed a new contract with LIV for 2026. He was wearing 4Aces apparel at the time, and LIV celebrated his victory on its social media accounts and website.

“Over the last four years, I have learned a lot about myself, about who I am and who I am not, and for that I am forever grateful. To Dustin Johnson, the Aces, and LIV Golf, I want to thank you for the memories we shared and created together,” Reed wrote.

Koepka, a five-time major champion, became eligible for immediate reinstatement to the PGA Tour through a new program specifically targeting major winners from 2022 to 2025. Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith also fit the criteria, but the PGA Tour has acknowledged it expects the three to let the Feb. 2 deadline pass.

Reed, the 2018 Masters champion, is ineligible for the Returning Members Program. However, the PGA Tour evaluated Reed’s timeline for return based on several factors. 

Reed resigned his PGA Tour membership upon joining LIV Golf in June 2022, meaning he did not incur penalties while competing in unauthorized events with the Saudi-backed league. Therefore, Reed can begin to compete on the PGA Tour again after the standard one-year suspension — but only as a non-member. That means he can tee it up in fall events only if a tournament invites him as a sponsor exemption or if he plays his way in via a one-time Monday qualifier. In 2027, Reed can apply for reinstatement as a full member of the Tour.

As part of his lifetime honorary membership on the DP World Tour, Reed can compete in the few events that are co-sanctioned with the PGA Tour this summer, such as the ISCO Championship in Kentucky and the Genesis Scottish Open. He’ll also be eligible for a captain’s pick for the 2026 Presidents Cup team. Currently ranked No. 29 in the world by the OWGR, Reed is expected to compete in all four major championships.

Reed will have past champion status on the PGA Tour in 2027, but his best chance at playing a full schedule will be by performing at the highest level in Europe to improve his status. He’s currently ranked No. 2 in the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai, and the top 10 players on those standings earn their PGA Tour cards at the end of the season.

Like Koepka, Reed will forfeit an opportunity to collect equity in the tour until 2030. However, Reed will not be required to make the same $5 million donation to charity.

In a statement posted to X more than an hour after his announcement, LIV Golf said, “LIV has always been an advocate for player movement and recognizes that when golf settles into a new normal, players will not only have the right but the opportunity to play golf when and where they want.”

Reed, 35, has won nine times on the PGA Tour, including his one major championship. He was known and labeled as one of the tour’s strongest and most consistent villains. Rules controversies have followed him since his collegiate career began at Georgia (he later transferred to Augusta State), and onto the PGA Tour. In 2019, he was penalized for moving sand in a waste bunker at the Hero World Challenge.

Reed has repeatedly denied all allegations and has not been afraid to take legal action to clear his name — including a $750 million defamation lawsuit against Golf Channel and several members of the golf media.

He accused the group of engaging in anticompetitive conduct and attempting to undermine the upstart LIV Golf league.

The lawsuits were later dismissed, and his lawyer, Larry Klayman, has since had his law license suspended for unrelated reasons.

Upon joining LIV in June 2022, Reed announced that he had resigned from the PGA Tour. He joined Dustin Johnson’s team, the 4Aces, and has one individual title since making his debut. Reed has consistently shone brightest at the Masters, with two top-five finishes in the last three years.

The PGA Tour also clarified the pathways for return for three former LIV Golf members: Kevin Na, Pat Perez and Hudson Swafford. Na is still facing disciplinary action, while Perez and Swafford can begin competition in January 2027.

“Each situation is consistently evaluated under our existing regulations and policies,” the PGA Tour wrote in the letter to its membership.

By Gabby Herzig

Koepka returns, 5 Canadians at the Farmers Insurance at Torrey Pines... TEE TIMES

PGA  Tour: Farmers Insurance Open Tee Times Leaderboard

They say absence makes the heart grow stronger, Brooks Koepka who was so keen to leave the PGA Tour for a reported signing bonus of $250,000,000 at LIV 3 1/2 years ago says now after amassing a Saudi Kings ransom,, he say he's all grown up, has "a wife Jenn and a son Crew and he says repeatedly "just want to play golf again and " I love the grind"

That begs the questions, is that the same grind he hated enough to leave and what game was he playing for all that money at LIV ?

So in a classic case of having your cake and eating it too, and with a stamp of approval from Tiger he has been welcomed back this week at Torrey Pines like the prodigal son.

Kind of sickening to be honest with you.

Meanwhile there are 5 Canadians in the field,, click on the TEE Times link above for their pairings.

Mac Hughes, Sudarshan Yellamaraju, Adam Svensson, AJ Ewart and Taylor Pendrith.

The weather forecast is the opposite of winter in Canada, sunny, 75*f, no precipitation and not much wind.

Bryan Angus

Reed aims to continue his success at Bahrain Championship.. TEE TIMES

 DP World Tour : Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship 

• • Leaderboard
  Tee Times

With one trophy already in his possession this year, Patrick Reed is hoping to continue his strong start to 2026 on the DP World Tour at this week’s Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship.

Patrick Reed is second on the Race to Dubai Rankings Delivered by DP World

The American arrives in the Kingdom of Bahrain as the top-ranked player in the field after his impressive four-shot victory at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic saw him rise to 29th in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Victory at the first Rolex Series event of the campaign saw Reed claim his fourth DP World Tour title, but with his previous wins all coming in co-sanctioned events – the 2018 Masters Tournament and two World Golf Championships events – the triumph took on even greater significance personally.

A member of the DP World Tour since 2015, the 35-year-old knows the value of performing in the schedule’s blue riband events and stands second in the Race to Dubai Rankings Delivered by DP World – less than 400 points adrift of Jayden Schaper, who is also teeing it up this week.

While the stage at Royal Golf Club may be smaller than at Emirates Golf Club, Reed is glad to be competing again rather than toasting his success and knows a top-two finish could see him overtake the in-form Schaper.

"The game feels really solid and we’re looking forward to getting right back at it and getting playing here this week, and just trying to take that confidence in the way I was playing last week into this week," he said.

"The first couple of weeks out on the road, at the start of the season after an off-season, is really to kind of see if what you worked on during the off-season actually worked.

"And to come out and play the way we did, especially to go out and get a win at such a demanding golf course last week, definitely allows me to have the confidence and hopefully jumpstart to having a really good year and have one of those years where I’m holding up more than one trophy."

Renowned as being one of the best short-game players, Reed was informed last week that his ability around the greens had drawn comparisons to the late, great Seve Ballesteros by the Spaniard’s former caddie Billy Foster.

While that part of his game has always been a focus, Reed insists a newly instilled mission of improving other areas is something he hopes will result in a greater consistency of performance.

“For me, the biggest thing was obviously hitting fairways - drive the ball a little better, get the irons a little sharper, just allow the short game to continue being short game,” he said of his approach leading up into 2026.

“I think the biggest thing in my career, I focus so much on having my short game save me, and it’s whenever I am hitting the ball well, that’s when I’m using the short game as my weapon.

“This year, the focus was let’s hit the ball a little better, let’s get the ball striking back, so then we can go out and shoot lower numbers and just be more consistent off the tee and on the approaches, so that I can allow the short game to be a weapon rather than a saviour.”

After beginning the year at the Dubai Invitational, Reed is making his third start on the DP World Tour in as many weeks as part of the International Swing and returns to Bahrain for the second year in a row after finishing tied 60th on his debut.

“It’s a little bit softer this year, last year was firm and fast, the fairways were running out,” he said.

“So, it’s going to play a little longer this year compared to last, but it’s one of these golf courses that is going to be demanding, not only off the tee and out in the fairways, but your iron game has to be on point because the greens are large and there’s a lot of slope in them.

“You have to play certain quadrants of these greens, so this golf course is a really good test. If the wind continues to pick up, it’s going to be a little more challenging, but it’s really just a premium in ball striking and staying patient.”

europeantour.com

Bryan Angus (edit)