Stray Shots: Buying, selling newest trends

Good buys: Hull and more competitive tour rules; Tough sells: Simulation pro league

By Peter Kaufman

England’s Charley Hull gets the camel off her back and snaps a long drought with victory in Riyadh (Tristan Jones/LET)

Today on Stray Shots, it’s buy or sell time …

1. Charley Hull. The Englishwoman wins Aramco Team Series in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for first victory since 2022. Though winless for a couple of years, Hull twice posted runner-ups in majors during that lapse. And while she was No. 15 in the world before jumping to 13th after the Aramco win, she has been as high as seventh this year. She has had a slew of close calls and top-fives the past couple years as well, including two runner-ups in 2024 Aramco events.

Hull won by three strokes, posting a 66 in the last round of the 54-hole event. It only seems like she has been around forever though in fact she is but 28, and this was the sixth victory of her 11-year professional career. 

Hull is one of the only top woman today who brings to the table both steak (her substantial ability) and sizzle (her dynamic personality). Who could fail to respond to her nervously smoking cigarettes (she’s trying to quit) on the course, something not really seen since Arnie was doing the same so many years ago? Hull hits it a long way (ranks 13th in driving distance on the LPGA), is a solid ball striker but — at least this season — has been an uninspired putter, keeping her from pushing the top of the Rolex world rankings.

It my opinion that Hull, not Nelly Korda, has the total package to drive fans and viewership toward woman’s professional golf. Stray Shots is definitely buying an on-form Hull.

2. TGL. The virtual, indoor golf simulation league that was launched by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy kicks into action in January. The venue is a specialized Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., arena where players compete primarily on a simulation course (except for putting and short game, which takes place on a state-of-the-art green that can transform in the arena). Live fans wrap around the competition area and watch on a 3,000-square-foot projector screen. Teams comprised of top global PGA Tour players will compete.

Hmmmmm. Simulator golf is terrific for all of us duffers during the off-season, but will we be glued to our screens to see the best players of the world compete in a virtual setting in a made-for-TV event? And putt indoors with balls placed on the green depending upon where the computer says their virtual approach shots land?

There is real money to be won — $21 million total purse — and Tiger expects that there will be wagering on individual shots. Valuation in the Series A funding round earlier this year implied a $500 million valuation for TGl before a “shot” has been hit. Heavy hitters and savvy investors like Arthur Blank and Steve Cohen, as well as Woods, McIlroy and the PGA Tour, have ponied up a lot of money to back this.

Technology golf? What can go wrong?

Perhaps Stray Shots lacks the vision to be enthusiastic about its future. But it’s going to be a big surprise to me if, after the novelty wears off, golf fans will deem this exercise to be must-see TV.

SS would be sellers here.

3. Potential PIF/PGA merger? Not enough from The Sun tabloid report to buy or sell, though eagerly awaiting more news and details.

4. Proposed PGA Tour reductions. These new rules will be voted upon mid-month by the Policy Board, and here are the interesting items:

• Field size — The maximum number of players in an open tournament will be reduced from 156 to 144, with some events capped at 120 or 132 (depending on circumstances);

• Exempttion status —  The top 100 players in FedEx Cup points will earn full exempt status for the following season, down from 125;

• Korn Ferry Tour promotions — The number of PGA Tour cards awarded to the top KKT players will be reduced from 30 to 20.

Is there an overall theme as to what this all means? Smaller fields and fewer opportunities to break into and stay in the Show? Net net: a more competitive, less-cushy environment for players.

Stray Shots is buying. An eat-what-you-kill mentality is what made the PGA Tour great and it remains the antithesis of guaranteed LIV Golf money. It should make for, at the margin, a better product.