Stanley says ‘fore’ story a non-issue

In light of today's announcement that the Presidents Cup is headed to Medinah Country Club in 2026, we decided to convene writers from both sides of the aisle to analyze the move and what it means for both teams. Below are Sean Martin's look at the U.S. Team and a potential Tiger Woods captaincy and Ben Everill's take on how Geoff Ogilvy's involvement could help the International Team. U.S. TEAM Augusta National. St. Andrews. Medinah. What do these courses have in common? They're the three venues where Tiger Woods has won multiple majors. Now the 2026 Presidents Cup is headed to Medinah. A Woods captaincy was the first thing that sprung to my mind after today's announcement. There are a lot of factors that go into determining the Presidents Cup captain, and it's a role that comes with a lot of responsibility, but it just seems like a perfect fit. The 1999 PGA Championship at Medinah was Woods' second major victory. It came after a memorable duel with a teen-aged Sergio Garcia. Woods blew away the field when the event returned seven years later, winning by five strokes. That victory was one of seven consecutive starts Woods won, the longest winning streak of his career and second-longest in TOUR history. Woods will be 50 when the Presidents Cup is played at Medinah. Medinah could potentially be the first time Woods leads a team on U.S. soil and holds solely the captain's role. He performed masterfully as the playing captain last year at Royal Melbourne, leading the United States to victory while arguably being the best player on the course. But even he will admit that, just weeks from turning 45, the end of his playing days is only drawing nearer. Phil Mickelson's incredible streak of playing in every Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup since 1994 finally came to an end last year at age 49. Woods has shown a passion for a coaching role, starting with his willingness to fulfill even the most menial tasks as a captain's assistant. During his most dominant days, the thought of Woods fetching sandwiches for another PGA TOUR player was unfathomable. But he loves the camaraderie and competition of team events, even when he isn't able to play. The U.S. captain for the next two Presidents Cups - at Charlotte's Quail Hollow Club in 2022 and Canada's Royal Montreal two years later - is still to be determined. Woods is obviously the top choice every year, but leading four consecutive teams seems unlikely for a player who's still balancing a playing career with parenting and other professional ventures. There's also the inevitable Ryder Cup captaincy to balance. If Woods returns to the captaincy in two years, it would give him a chance to exact revenge on International Captain Trevor Immelman. Woods was runner-up in Immelman's two PGA TOUR wins (2006 Western Open, 2008 Presidents Cup). Woods is a past champion at Quail Hollow, as well. A certain Canadian lefty who thrilled the home crowd by beating Woods in a singles match at Royal Montreal in 2007 seems a good bet to lead the Internationals there in 2024. But of all the upcoming venues, Medinah makes the most sense. It doesn't seem unfathomable that Woods would relinquish the role for the next two Cups, only to return to the helm in 2026. He wouldn't be the first legend to captain multiple Presidents Cup teams. Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Peter Thomson, Nick Price and Fred Couples all did it. The 2026 Presidents Cup falls on the 20th anniversary of his second win at Medinah. The upcoming renovation by Geoff Ogilvy (see below) will lessen Woods' local knowledge but Woods also excels on the type of courses that Ogilvy loves to emulate, ones with wide fairways that emphasize proper angles and use short grass to befuddle players. Think Augusta National, where Woods has won five times, or Royal Melbourne, which was a canvas for Woods to display his artistry last year. Woods doesn't have to be in charge to be an invaluable asset at Medinah, however. He can still share his experience as a captain's assistant. No matter the role, having Woods on site is always a boost for the event and the U.S. Team. Outside of Los Angeles, where Woods made his PGA TOUR debut and hosts the Genesis Invitational, there may not be another metropolis to which he has stronger ties than Chicago. It started with the 1994 Western Amateur, Woods' biggest amateur win until he claimed his first U.S. Amateur weeks later. Woods won the BMW Championship and its predecessor, the Western Open, five times. He has had a longtime friendship with Michael Jordan. And Woods' TGR Design is working on a transformational project at Jackson Park on Chicago's South Shore, just 35 miles from Medinah. Jackson Park also is the scheduled site of the Barack Obama Presidential Center. It was President Obama who called Woods and asked him to take on the Jackson Park golf project. "If we can pull this off, I think it can benefit so many people," Woods said. "Hopefully we can do it.” Woods as a Captain in Chicago? It seems like a perfect fit. And, before we go, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention that Woods' buddy, Justin Thomas, must be licking his chops. Thomas dominated the last tournament to be held at Medinah, the 2019 BMW Championship. He tied the course record with a 61 in the third round and took a six-shot lead into the final round before winning by three strokes over another player who could be on that 2026 U.S. team, Patrick Cantlay. Thomas would still be just 33 years old when the Presidents Cup comes to Medinah, while Cantlay would be 34. Dustin Johnson, the reigning Masters and FedExCup champion, would be 42. And Charlie Woods would be 17. Just saying. INTERNATIONAL TEAM International Team fans rejoice. This is great news. Well, as good as it can be for a visiting team. Medinah Country Club in Chicago will host the 2026 Presidents Cup, a place where demons haunt the U.S. Team after their collapse in the 2012 Ryder Cup, but even more importantly a place that is scheduled to undergo a renovation by none other than former U.S. Open winner and International captain's assistant Geoff Ogilvy. And, of course, there's the chance that the man behind the changes to Medinah could also captain the International side in 2026, giving his team invaluable insight. Ogilvy seems certain to captain the International side one day, so why not in 2026? When Ernie Els took over the captaincy for the Internationals in 2019, one of the many awesome implementations he oversaw was creating a one-and-done captain model that will help move assistants through the process and into the big job. Nothing formal has been announced but Els' assistants in Melbourne were Immelman, Mike Weir and Ogilvy. Immelman will captain at Quail Hollow in 2022. With 2024 set to be contested at Royal Montreal in Canada, Weir seems an obvious choice to lead there. So it doesn't take much to speculate Ogilvy can take charge at Medinah. Ogilvy, with his OCM (Ogilvy, Cocking and Mead) firm, are set to reimagine Medinah's famed No. 3 course and create a test that can once again challenge the best in the world. They'll use the past to do so as the firm uses the "Golden Age" designers as inspiration. "We want more questions asked of the golfer during the course of the round," Mike Cocking recently told the design-focused podcast, The Fried Egg. "Sometimes these questions will be obvious, but at other times they will be confusing, with a lot of different clubs and options in the player's hands." So while the U.S. fans might point to the 2019 BMW Championship, which Thomas won at 25 under, the fact is it will not be as easy a test come 2026. It will require strategy and thinking. The lush, tree-lined course doesn't look much like places Ogilvy grew up around in Australia, but the new course should share some characteristics with places like Royal Melbourne after the redesign. "The best way to achieve (our goals) is with a combination of width, short grass, interesting bunker positions, and of course brilliant green complexes that tilt or slope in a way that reinforces the strategy back down the fairway," Cocking told The Fried Egg. No one will know more about the new course than Ogilvy and if he's in the ear of the International players, it's an advantage they'll take with open arms as they continue to try to turn around U.S. dominance that has spawned a 11-1-1 record. And then, just to add a little spice, there are those aforementioned Medinah demons for the U.S. It's unlikely anyone who played for the U.S. team that coughed up a 10-6 lead in the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah will play in 2026, but the ghosts still remain. The narrative will follow them. It will be a focus for media in the days and weeks leading into the tournament. The U.S. will try to spin it into a chance for redemption. For revenge. They'll say it's motivation. Or perhaps they'll just say it's irrelevant. Old news. Different players from a different time. But in the back of their minds it will still be there. That potential sliver of doubt. And maybe that's all it will take for the International team to get one over their long-dominant rivals.

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Phil Mickelson faces perhaps the biggest challenge of his historic golf career as he partners with NBA legend Charles Barkley against two-time Super Bowl champion Peyton Manning and current Golden State Warriors NBA legend and three-time NBA Champion Stephen Curry in Capital One's The Match: Champions for Change. Stone Canyon Golf Club in Oro Valley, Arizona is our host as 44-time PGA TOUR winner Mickelson tries to get Barkley's notoriously unreliable swing smooth enough to get through against near-scratch golfer Curry and single digit handicapper Manning. RELATED: How to watch The event will contribute toward and highlight diversity, equality, and inclusion through donations to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and organizations that support them (Thurgood Marshall Fund, United Negro College Fund) while raising awareness and spotlighting opportunities for diversity and equality in sports. As many of us lay back in a food coma following Thanksgiving feasts it's also important to note The Match will support Feeding America. Around 50 million people may face hunger in the U.S. during 2020's pandemic times, including more than 17 million children. The competition format will be modified alternate shot match play where each player will hit a tee shot and the team can then choose their best option before continuing in alternate shot fashion until the ball is holed. PRE MATCH The smack talk has already begun with Manning handing Barkley a special kit that includes an airhorn he can blow if he gets lost in the desert. Clearly these four champions are out for some fun while raising money and awareness for great causes. Mickelson has his calves out in all their glory - and he'll likely need them to carry a pretty big load given what we've seen out of Barkley in the past. But the 44-time PGA TOUR winner is at least talking a confident game - while reminding us he'll be hitting bombs and hellacious seeds to put some pressure on the Curry/Manning combo. And hey, look at this, Barkley has actually made some decent contact on a few at the range. Could an upset be on the cards? GO TIME Just minutes away from the start of The Match and players are getting their final warm up moments in. Mickelson is dialed in on the putting green while Barkley is trying to stretch out his back before he submits it to his swing that usually resembles a frog in a blender. Curry and Manning have that look of quiet confidence but there's also a whiff of nerves coming from the duo who, at their best in their respective sports, were seemingly impervious to jitters. The anticipation for the smack talk battle is just as high as it is for the golf itself. HOLE-BY-HOLE Hole 1: (par 4, 426 yards) The Curry / Manning team gets off to a fine start after Curry splits the fairway. Mickelson then busts out his driver and lets the group know, "I wouldn't normally hit driver here but I just want to set the tone," and cuts the corner of the dogleg left opener, but finds the rough. Barkley then takes iron and hits a perfect draw into the fairway, but it's well back meaning they decide to use Mickelson's shot. Manning pulls his approach ever so slightly to the fringe of the green, but ensures Curry will get a birdie look from around 20 feet. Mickelson tells Barkley the shot is 70 yards as he's worried about pace through the rough. It's actually 55 yards. Mickelson math backfires and Barkley hits it through the green to the back fringe leaving about 70-feet. "I won't do that to you again," the TOUR star is forced to say to his teammate. Mickelson lags it down to six-feet giving Curry a chance to win the hole, but his effort comes up well short. "I don't recall Tiger leaving you five-footers," Mickelson chirps to Manning referencing the previous Capital One's The Match where Tiger Woods and Manning bested Mickelson and Tom Brady 1up. Barkley leaves his par putt on the high edge and lips out but Manning makes no mistake and an early lead is established. Hole Result: Curry / Manning WIN Hole Scores: Curry / Manning - Par; Mickelson / Barkley - Bogey Match Score: Curry / Manning 1up Mickelson / Barkley Hole 2: (par 5, 559 yards) A change in strategy for the Mickelson / Barkley team is instituted immediately as Barkley defies all odds and finds his second straight fairway off the tee. Mickelson's drive is significantly longer, but they choose Barkley's ball, allowing Phil to try to reach the green in two. The 50-year-old comes up just short to the front of the green. After a sweet Manning drive, Curry lays up to a number that Manning clearly loved as his wedge shot tracks to the hole and actually lips out before settling about six-feet away. Unfortunately, Curry pushes the birdie putt out to the right. That miss proves costly as Barkley produces an impressive long lag putt from the front of the green to five-feet and given the chance to square The Match, Mickelson makes no mistake. "I made a mistake there in strategy and gave them a hole," Mickelson says of the opening hole. "But Chuck and I can make pars and birdies on this course if we play to our strengths and with him that's his putting so I'll work on giving him those chances." Hole Result: Mickelson / Barkley WIN Hole Scores: Curry / Manning - Par; Mickelson / Barkley - Birdie Match Score: Curry / Manning ALL SQUARE Mickelson / Barkley Hole 3: (par 4, 304 yards) We've hit the Ford Mustang Mach-E Drivable par 4 challenge where a Hole-in-One would trigger a $5 million donation to HBCUs, an eagle nets $1 million, a drive within 10-feet is worth $250,000 and the winner of the hole $100,000. Mickelson doesn't even need driver and lets loose, coming up with a shot to the back fringe of the green. Barkley brings out his driver for the first time and snipes a low bullet that they can dismiss. Both Curry and Manning have a crack with driver with the former NFL star's shot just short and right in the rough the best of the two. Curry chips out, but the ball rolls out significantly so Manning must try for an unlikely birdie. It doesn't quite have the gas to get there and they settle for par. Barkley has a putt for the $1 million and the hole with Mickelson reminding him to "quieten his mind," and forget about the money, the cameras and all of the outside noise. His 25-foot eagle effort has some heat and runs five-feet past. The stress of it all is evident on his face, but you'd be hard pressed finding many 25 handicappers (Barkley's official number) able to do much better under the spotlight like this. Mickelson proves his pedigree by converting the birdie to win the hole and take their first lead in The Match. Hole Result: Mickelson / Barkley WIN Hole Scores: Curry / Manning - Par; Mickelson / Barkley - Birdie Match Score: Mickelson / Barkley 1up Curry / Manning Hole 4: (par 4, 374 yards) Barkley has clearly been in some sort of golf boot camp like back in the day when he was part of the Hank Haney Project on Golf Channel. His swing is holding up fairly well under pressure and he once again finds the middle of the fairway off the tee. This allows Mickelson to go full flex with his calves and try to hit a bomb up near the green. "I've only seen one better resurrection," Gary McCord quips of Barkley's game in commentary. Mickelson does hit a huge drive that finds the fairway, but the 50-yard pitch would have to go over a bunker and find the correct tier of the green so he learns from the opening hole and decides to back his approach game from distance against Barkley's short game. A clever shot to about 18-feet makes the strategy appear genius. Manning's drive hooks into the left rough leaving Curry under enormous pressure given the momentum of The Match. The Warriors weapon steps up in the clutch and pounds a good drive up near the green, albeit into the left rough. The angle for the short wedge approach is a good one though. Manning, mindful of needing to get the ball to the back tier where the pin is located, is just a tad aggressive and sends the second shot into the back rough, but close enough for Curry to use his putter for their third. That effort rolls some 10-feet past the pin. Barkley's attempt to win the hole with birdie from 18 feet is tracking, but ends up just short. It's good enough though when Manning pushes his par putt. Hole Result: Mickelson / Barkley WIN Hole Scores: Curry / Manning - Bogey; Mickelson / Barkley - Par Match Score: Mickelson / Barkley 2up Curry / Manning Hole 5: (par 4, 423 yards) Trouble off the tee for both Mickelson and Barkley as they end up in the left rough on a slope. Manning finds the left first cut which gives Curry a chance to go hard at one. He tattoos it, but it catches a bunker on the left side of the fairway. "That was hit a long way," Mickelson says of Curry's shot. "Was that hellacious?" Curry asks. "Yeah but if it is in the bunker you don't want to go bragging about it," Mickelson fires. As players reach the fairway, the chatter starts to take an even more competitive turn. "What happened on that shot... I'd like to see a little more of those," Manning says to Barkley. But after Curry finds a greenside bunker on approach Mickelson starts his world renowned talk. He calls his shot, letting everyone know he will put it to about 20-feet from the hole in a spot Barkley was practicing his putting from... and goes pretty close to doing just that, going a little long to the back fringe. And a slow motion replay brings more calf action in to play. "I have been in the gym every day activating them daily, they are ready," Mickelson says. "You can see the intimidation has already begun." After Manning catches his bunker shot thin to the back rough, Mickelson starts announcing how two putts will be enough but "let's make it anyway." When Curry chunks a chip they confidently concede a bogey... "We don't want handouts, we want to earn it," Mickelson grins. Barkley takes a better shot saying, "We gonna run out of daylight," when explaining the concession. Barkley puts the birdie attempt five-feet past and Mickelson makes the par, but only after the ball does a victory lap of the hole. "We're 14-0 down and the kid hasn't got the kicking tee off the field yet," Manning says. Hole Result: Mickelson / Barkley WIN Hole Scores: Curry / Manning - Bogey; Mickelson / Barkley - Par Match Score: Mickelson / Barkley 3up Curry / Manning Hole 6: (par 3, 131 yards) TNT legend Ernie Johnson joins the telecast for the first par three of the round and at one point quips to Mickelson how he's worried he might "lose your voice before the end." Mickelson's tongue is as sharp as his wedges. "We're not going all 18, we will be done well before that," he says. Barkley can't find the green, but Mickelson rescues things by shaping one to about 20-feet. Manning once again fights his right to left ball flight and ends up in the water feature on this short and pretty hole. Under extreme pressure now, Curry finds his zone and sticks his shot to six-feet. Barkley has to attempt his birdie after his NBA on TNT colleagues Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny Smith spend several minutes trash talking him. It comes up short. With the door open, Manning has a short birdie look to stop the bleeding but his aggressive effort lips out hard from the left side. Hole Result: Halved Hole Scores: Curry / Manning - Par; Mickelson / Barkley - Par Match Score: Mickelson / Barkley 3up Curry / Manning Hole 7: (par 5, 513 yards) What starts as a golden opportunity for Curry and Manning turns into a nightmare as Mickelson and Barkley extend their commanding lead. Despite Mickelson finding the desert off the tee and Barkley, who was about to hit driver only to be called off his shot to hit 5-iron, pull hooking his shot short and left - the Curry / Manning combo find a way to implode. After Barkley punches out sideways, Mickelson finds the middle of the green in three. Meanwhile, incredibly Curry decides to lay up and Manning then pulls his approach into the greenside bunker. From there Curry goes long, Manning misses the putt from the back fringe and Curry misses from six feet to make a serious bird of it. We learn Curry and Manning played a morning practice round in just 50 minutes. "Looks like they should have taken a little longer," International Presidents Cup captain Trevor Immelman says. After the hole, Barkley looks down the camera and announces the network needs "to get some of those Law and Order reruns ready," as he anticipates a quick kill. Hole Result: Mickelson / Barkley WIN Hole Scores: Curry / Manning - Double Bogey; Mickelson / Barkley - Par Match Score: Mickelson / Barkley 4up Curry / Manning Hole 8: (par 4, 340 yards) Is it the start of a comeback? Mickelson is the beneficiary of a room-service bounce after his drive looks set to find cactus country, but hits a boulder and ricochets back near the fairway. Being the course owner has its perks it seems. But Curry has similar luck and Manning shows lovely touch to wedge it to around six-feet. Barkley finds the green as well, but on the lower tier forcing Mickelson to attempt birdie from long range. He lags to four-feet, but a conceded par is not forthcoming at all from those staring a four-hole deficit in the face. Curry misses the birdie on the low side but when Barkley pulls the par putt left there is life for Manning and Curry again. Hole Result: Curry / Manning WIN Hole Scores: Curry / Manning - Par; Mickelson / Barkley - Bogey Match Score: Mickelson / Barkley 3up Curry / Manning Hole 9: (par 3, 177 yards) Top Tracer shows off its full range of capabilities as Barkley shanks one off the tee and it manages to keep up. But the big man makes up for it with a brilliant putt from the rough after they're forced to use Mickelson's tee ball. Manning and Curry both hit near identical tee shots to about 20-feet, but it is the former Colts and Broncos quarterback who gets the chance to cut the deficit heading to the turn. Unfortunately, his birdie try stays out on the right side and they have to settle for a half and are down three at the turn. Hole Result: Halved Hole Scores: Curry / Manning - Par; Mickelson / Barkley - Par Match Score: Mickelson / Barkley 3up Curry / Manning Hole 10: (par 5, 622 yards) Incredible picturesque scenes of the Arizona desert frame the shot from the elevated 10th tee box. It's a small teeing area so you wouldn't want to swing out of your shoes and lose your balance. If you do, you might find a few cactus barbs in your behind. Manning, Barkley and Mickelson find the fairway, but Curry, on advice from Mickelson, takes an aggressive line towards a water hazard. Mickelson claimed Curry couldn't reach the hazard... but he did just that. Using Manning's tee ball, Curry refuses to lay up this time and lasers one to the greenside bunker. Mickelson's approach comes up just short of the green leaving Barkley a long range eagle try from the fringe and he duly lags it to three-feet with great touch. Short-sided, Manning's bunker shot runs well past the pin and down to the front of the green from where Curry can't convert a long-range birdie try. Mickelson slots home the birdie and puts his team on the brink of victory well out from the clubhouse. Hole Result: Mickelson / Barkley WIN Hole Scores: Curry / Manning - Par; Mickelson / Barkley - Birdie Match Score: Mickelson / Barkley 4up Curry / Manning Hole 11: (par 4, 435 yards) A hacker battle breaks out on this hole, the first time both teams have shown significant struggle at the same time, but it is Curry and Manning who secure a much needed win. Tee troubles see Barkley need to attempt to rescue a ball from the desert, but he's unable to do so and Mickelson's calves get lost in knee high desert bushes as he's forced to punch out. They're still not on the putting surface after four shots, but Curry's approach finds a bunker and Manning's escape from the sand leaves a long range par putt that Curry fails to put within gimme range. It's inconsequential in the end as Mickelson fails to chip in and Barkley misses the putt for double bogey. Hole Result: Curry / Manning WIN Hole Scores: Curry / Manning - Bogey; Mickelson / Barkley - Triple Bogey Match Score: Mickelson / Barkley 3up Curry / Manning Hole 12: (par 4, 458 yards) The less said about this hole the better. Both teams were forced into unplayable penalties after wayward tee shots from all four competitors found the desert. While Mickelson was able to recover somewhere up near the green with the third shot, the same couldn't be said for Manning and Curry who needed to hit two shots from wasteland and one from sand before securing a triple bogey. In the end a lag from Mickelson to set up a double bogey was enough. Manning holds the NFL record with 43 fourth quarter comebacks... but coming back from here might dwarf all of those. Hole Result: Mickelson / Barkley WIN Hole Scores: Curry / Manning - Triple Bogey; Mickelson / Barkley - Double Bogey Match Score: Mickelson / Barkley 4up Curry / Manning Hole 13: (Par 4, 403 yards) Bombs away as Mickelson unleashes one over the desert, cuts a corner and finds the grass again. The Hall-of-Famer can smell the blood in the water and is now just putting on a show. But Barkley comes up short on approach as the two debate whether he should hit a 60 or 56 degree wedge. Manning and Curry sit in the box seat after finding the green in regulation, but contrary to their usual clutch nature, the duo find a way to three-putt and miss the chance to reduce the significant hole they find themselves in. The big moment was left to Curry from about seven feet, but another lip out ensured that only a miracle could save them from here. Hole Result: Halved Hole Scores: Curry / Manning - Bogey; Mickelson / Barkley - Bogey Match Score: Mickelson / Barkley 4up Curry / Manning Hole 14 (par 3, 154 yards) Barkley has the chance to win The Match after Mickelson and Curry find the green off the tee, but Manning can't get the mid-range birdie try to go. The former Phoenix Sun gives it a decent crack, but the victory party will have to wait at least one more hole. He takes great pleasure in being able to let the folks at home know he's just recently learned the term "dormie"... as indeed they sit four up with four to play. Hole Result: Halved Hole Scores: Curry / Manning - Par; Mickelson / Barkley - Par Match Score: Mickelson / Barkley 4up Curry / Manning Hole 15: (par 5, 578 yards) The lone hole with a different format is where things end up as the sun goes close to ducking behind the awesome Arizona mountains. After modified alternate shot had been used exclusively to this point, this par five is to be played as a scramble hole. This essentially means Mickelson is taking on Manning and Curry. Both teams find themselves in a greenside bunker in two shots and after setting up six-foot birdie tries, Manning gives his team life with a lovely putt. Barkley is given the first chance to close out the match, but his attempt dives across the hole late meaning it falls to Mickelson to seal the deal. He makes no mistake, meaning he's now the beneficiary of a 2-1 record over the three versions of Capital One's The Match as the only player to be part of them all. Hole Result: Halved Hole Scores: Curry / Manning - Birdie; Mickelson / Barkley - Birdie Match Score: Mickelson / Barkley defeat Curry / Manning 4 and 3.Hole 15: (par 5, 578 yards)

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The PGA TOUR joined the American Gaming Association (AGA) as the newest Have A Game Plan.® Bet Responsibly public service campaign partner to educate golf fans on responsible sports betting. As part of the campaign, the TOUR will develop content that encourages its fans to "Know When to Lay Up" and bet responsibly. The co-branded responsible gaming content will appear on social and digital platforms along with public service announcements that will air on PGA TOUR Radio. "A key pillar of the PGA TOUR's sports betting strategy is responsible gaming and ensuring our fans are equipped with the appropriate resources so they are properly prepared and educated," said Scott Warfield, VP of Gaming at the PGA TOUR. "By aligning with the American Gaming Association in support of its Have A Game Plan campaign we're able to align our efforts and provide a consistent message focused on responsible gaming." The TOUR joins NASCAR and the National Hockey League (NHL) as league partners in the campaign, which focuses on the fundamentals of responsible sports betting: setting a budget and sticking to it, keeping betting social, knowing the odds, and playing with trusted, regulated operators. Monumental Sports & Entertainment and the Vegas Golden Knights have also committed inventory in support of the campaign. "The AGA is thrilled welcome the PGA TOUR to our growing responsible sports betting campaign," said Casey Clark, AGA Senior Vice President, Strategic Communications. "As legal sports betting continues to expand in both availability and popularity, it is imperative that responsible gaming education keeps pace. Today's announcement is a testament to the TOUR's thoughtful approach to sports betting and marks an important step in continuing to engage all industry stakeholders in our shared responsibility to educate fans on safely and responsibly betting on sports." Launched in 2019, the AGA's Have A Game Plan campaign provides consumers with a state-by-state guide on where to find legal operators, spotlights the basics of sports betting, and raises awareness on signs of problem gambling. This partnership is the latest in a string of progressive and industry-leading sports betting initiatives by the TOUR. Following the Supreme Court's decision that overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in 2018, the TOUR instituted a robust integrity program in collaboration with Genius Sports and later that year announced a global partnership with IMG ARENA to license its official, live scoring data to betting operators all over the world. The TOUR's official sports betting partners include BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel, and PointsBet, and the organization continues to evolve its innovative GolfBet partnership with The Action Network. The TOUR is also a platinum member of the National Council on Problem Gambling.

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