The Starter no.10

We’d rather be golfing. Nothing clever to kick off issue no.10 just some good ol’ fashion housekeeping. We are shutting down DMPL world headquarters for the holidays and will be back in your inbox serving up the important stuff on January 3rd. The Starter is a great stocking stuffer for the golf enthusiast in your life so please keep on plugging away at our referral program. Just like Mariah, all we want for Christmas is You(r friends to subscribe.) It has been a ton of fun watching the growth of this community over the past month. On your way out today, check out our Subscriber Survey and please leave some feedback to help us improve as we head into 2024.

Happy Holidays friends. Be safe and hit em’ straight!

The Gang’s All Here

The most important cards in golf have been handed out. Following a Monday finish at the final stage of the 2023 PGA Tour Q-School, all fully exempt members for the 2024 PGA Tour season have been decided. Although field sizes throughout the season can vary by event, PGA Tour exempt members are guaranteed access to all full-field events and THE PLAYERS. Let’s take a look at the 170 golfers that earned their way to full status for the upcoming season.

PGA Tour - Top 125 on the 2022/23 FedEx Cup Points List

Full List

This list is led at the top by defending FedExCup Champion Viktor Hovland. The top 70 who competed in the FedExCup Playoffs in August clinched their status for the 2024 season, with the top 50 locking in their spots to all 8 of the $20 million Signature Events. Spots 71-125 were determined during the FedExCup Fall schedule that concluded at the RSM Classic in mid-November. This was a part of a series of eligibility adjustments that correspond with the return to a calendar-year FedExCup season in 2024.

The shocking departure of Jon Rahm from the PGA Tour opened the door for Carl Yuan to jump up from spot 126 to 125 and gain fully exempt status. In the event that another Tour player in the top 125 decides to leave the circuit for LIV prior to the start of the 2024 season, Henrik Norlander is currently sitting on deck at spot 126.

DP World Tour - Top 10 not already exempt based off FedExCup Points List

The top 10, who were not already exempt, in the DP World Tour’s final Race to Dubai standings earned PGA Tour cards for the 2024 season. Rory McIlroy was the season long champ but was already exempt based off of his fourth place finish in the FedExCup standings. Below are the 10 players who earned fully exempt status for next season:

1. Adrian Meronk

2. Ryan Fox

3. Victor Perez

4. Thorbjorn Oleson

5. Alexander Bjork

6. Sami Valimaki

7. Robert MacIntyre

8. Matthieu Pavon

9. Jorge Campillo

10. Ryo Hisatsune

Korn Ferry Tour - Top 30 on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List

Full List

Ben Kohles took the season long crown and earned a PGA Tour card for the third time in his career. From the official PGA Tour site, here are some fun numbers to know about this class of Korn Ferry Tour graduates:

18 – Players who will be PGA TOUR rookies for the 2024 season (Jacob Bridgeman, Parker Coody, Pierceson Coody, Kevin Dougherty, Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Patrick Fishburn, Wilson Furr, Max Greyserman, Joe Highsmith, Rico Hoey, Jake Knapp, Ryan McCormick, Mac Meissner, Chandler Phillips, Jimmy Stanger, Alejandro Tosti, Tom Whitney, Norman Xiong)

2 – Additional players who will be a first-time PGA TOUR member (Chris Gotterup, Chan Kim)

7 – Countries and territories represented (Argentina, Belgium, Canada, England, France, Puerto Rico, United States)

7 – PGA TOUR University alums earned their first PGA TOUR card (Jacob Bridgeman, Parker Coody, Pierceson Coody, Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Chris Gotterup, Joe Highsmith, Mac Meissner)

1 – Pair of fraternal twins earning their first PGA TOUR cards (Parker and Pierceson Coody, who will join Allan and Curtis Strange as the only other twins to simultaneously hold PGA TOUR membership, with the Stranges accomplishing the feat in 1981)

PGA Tour Q-School - Top 5 finishers at the Final Stage

Last, but certainly not least. These five golfers battled through brutal conditions in Jacksonville this past weekend and earned their full status for the 2024 season:

1. Harrison Endycott

2. Trace Crowe

3. Blaine Hale, Jr.

4. Raul Pereda

5. Hayden Springer

All five guys have phenomenal stories. Hale, Jr. came out of nowhere to earn his fully exempt status for 2024. Pereda now stands as the only active member of the Tour of Mexican descent. Hayden Springer is only a month removed from the unspeakable tragedy of losing his 3-year-old daughter. 

We can’t wait to watch all of these golfers tee it up at the Sony Open in Hawaii come January 11!

Around the Game

🏌️ Angel Cabrera’s suspension has been lifted following his release from prison. The two-time major champion has been given the “ok” from the PGA Tour to return to play on tours belonging to the PGA Tour in 2024. Cabrera served 30 months in custody over domestic violence cases against two of his former girlfriends prior to being released on parole in August. In his return to professional golf last week, the U.S. Open and Masters champion finished in a tie for 10th at the Abierto del Litoral, an event sanctioned on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica Developmental Series. No word yet from Augusta National if they will honor Cabrera’s lifetime invitation as a former winner of the most famous green jacket in sports.

🏌️ Callaway announces new five-year partnership with the ANNIKA Women’s All Pro Tour. The tour, formerly known as simply the Women’s All Pro Tour, is a developmental circuit for the LPGA Tour and provides avenues for players to earn exemptions to select Epson Tour events as well as the opportunity to advance directly to Stage II of LPGA qualifying at the end of each season.

🏌️ Kevin Kisner (pictured) gets tabbed by NBC to fill the broadcast seat vacated by Paul Azinger at two early season PGA Tour events. The four-time PGA Tour winner will make his debut in the booth at The Sentry in January and is scheduled to return for the WM Phoenix Open in February. “I’m excited to have this opportunity with NBC Sports to watch the game of golf from the other side and comment on what I’m seeing on the course,” Kisner said in a press release. 

🏌️ Viktor Hovland voices his displeasure with PGA Tour leadership. Appearing on Discovery’s “FORE!” podcast, Hovland calls out the organization, stating that the “PGA Tour has done a damn bad job,” while also reaffirming his commitment to competing on the tour in 2024.

BY’s Top FORE! Part Deux

I must give a quick shout out to another great year for the PNC Championship! The DMPL front office was on site for the Sunday finish, and even with the spitting rain and gale force winds, the play was top notch. We followed our friends on Team Annika and Team Goosen who played solid golf and delivered plenty of memories throughout the weekend!

The first edition of BY’s Top FORE took off like a symphony of bottle rockets. As I’d hoped, it ruffled the feathers of some, but also changed a few minds in the process. The cinema pop-culture continues this week! We are 5 days away from Christmas and there isn’t a better way to get in the holiday spirit then to rank my top four Christmas movie villains. No doubt that it will have me under even more scrutiny, and some might even label me as the villain. Please note, the Christmas movie itself is not being ranked…you might just have to tune in again next Christmas for that one. 

I have kept you waiting long enough, and now..

BY’s Top FORE All-Time Christmas Movie Villains 

4).  The Grinch – Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)

A classic villain and one of the most well-known evil grins in all of cinema history. Most are probably thinking, how does this fall at number 4? Easy answer, because The Grinch turns good. But, at one time, his evil reign was one of legend…stealing Christmas from kids will always crack BY’s Top FORE!

3).  Scut Farkas – A Christmas Story (1983)

Ah, the bully and his sidekick, a story as old as time. Being a teacher, I have seen many Scut Farkas and Grover Dill in my day. These two young men use evil to cover their own flaws, one with red hair and braces and the other a vertically challenged follower. They have tasked themselves to take the Christmas spirit from Ralphie and his buddies. Ralphie and his crew have sustained years of verbal and physical abuse at the hands of these two bullies, but as we all know, in the end, blind rage led to a Goldberg spear followed by Ralphie raining blows to end the terror of Scut Farkas and Grover Dill once and for all!

2).  Hans Gruber – Die Hard (1988)

Insert your boo’s and negative comments here as I am mentally prepared for this one. Yes, Die Hard is a Christmas movie and what is more sinister than the villain being a German master-terrorist. Hans Gruber is a “by any means necessary” type villain and murder is always an option. The list of men who have the skills to take down Gruber is short and Bruce Willis does not disappoint in this Christmas Eve action packed thriller! Gruber’s demise is captured with the brilliance of movie magic and his face alone shows he should have never crossed John McClane.

1).  Harry and Marv – Home Alone (1990), Home Alone 2 (1992)

From the “Wet Bandits” to the “Sticky Bandits,” this villainous duo has been in the business of robbing families for years. Across two movies, Harry and Marv set their sights on getting rid of Kevin McCallister once and for all. Two grown men attempting to kill an 8-year-old boy, most likely wouldn’t fly in today’s cinema. How can unsuccessful villains be at the top of my list? Harry and Marv stay evil to the core and their goal to rid the world of Kevin McCallister never changes. They survive injuries that would bring Marvel heroes to their knees and a prison cell wasn’t enough to keep them off the streets and searching for Kevin. An epic story of true evil perseverance if you ask me. 

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Reddit or Not, Here Come the Takes

Late last week, we asked the question “Did BY get his Top Fore All-Time Best Golf Movies Right?” to the r/golf community on Reddit. We received nearly 135 user responses.

Here are some of our favorite takes:

Worth the Follow: Rick Golfs

We have no shame admitting that we find ourselves living our golf travel dreams vicariously through Top100Rick. So many great courses. So many great memories. Rick’s IG and X feeds read like a love note to this great game. We always look forward to seeing where his journeys take him next. Rick Golfs is definitely Worth the Follow!

ICYMI

❓️ Por Que? A TikTok’er decided to take on a mythological challenge dressed like a character from Happy Gilmore.

🤮 Take all my money. Former PGA Tour pro John Peterson posts a nauseating letter from the Tour.

🦷 Life comes at you fast. A day removed from an epic PNC Championship, everyone’s new favorite golfing 12-year-old has a reality check at the orthodontist office.

🦉 Papa Padraig. Padraig Harrington delivers an inspiring message for all parents raising young golfers.

🎅 Mac Daddy Santa. Tiger and Team TaylorMade bring some holiday cheer.

🗣️ Preach, Max. Another example of why we need to protect Max Homa at all cost.

Golf Scramble

Name that Golfer

Three clues. Can you name this player?

• 9x winner on the PGA Tour.

• Defeated Joel Kribel (Stanford) to win the 1997 U.S. Amateur.

• First golf brand ambassador for Skechers.

Issue no. 9 Answers

Golf Scramble: 1. Muirfield 2. Turnberry 3. Prestwick 4. Carnoustie 5. Musselburgh

Name that Golfer: Lilia Vu