#RoryMcIlroy Wins 7th Order of Merit, Stewart Cink Grabs Charles Schwab Cup, Few Notable names Lose #PGATOUR cards, #LIV goes to 72 holes & #LPGA Tour final event #CMEGroupChampionship finalizes season.
Good evening friends and welcome to another episode of the Backman Report, where every week Fred Alvator and I bring you the pivotal stories and unforgettable moments from the world of golf. Tonight we have plenty to dig into from record-breaking wins on the DB World Tour to shakeups on the PGA and Champions Tours, the latest drama from the LPGA season finale and a big change in format coming from LIV Golf. So, my name is Carlos Torres and as usual, I’m with Fred Alvador. Fred, hi. How are you today, Carl? It’s fantastic. Beautiful, beautiful day up here in Cadillac, Michigan. Uh, a little cool in the low 30s down in down in the teens and 20s at night. Uh, winter is rapidly approaching. Well, I had it some snow up here last week. Uh, so a couple inches. So, we’re uh we’re getting into winter as the golf season are winding down. Carlos, uh, we got a few things that, uh, a few things to talk about tonight. Uh, just kind of clean up some things. Let’s do let’s we do. And let’s kick some things off with a heartfelt moment from the DB World Tour. I mean, Roy Mary might have finished behind Matt Fitzpatrick in the tournament, but his seasonlong consistency earned him the prestigious order of merit for a seventh time. Okay, that ties him up with golf legend seviest placing Roy in a rare company. Only Colin Montgomery sits above them with eight. He’s just one of Colin and he has a ton of golf to go to play. So, the win was especially meaningful for Rory who has spoken about his deep uh reverence for Sevy who’s a hero in his home and father’s favorite player. Um, Michael Royce said, “Hearing Sey’s name bring his name back through his journey in golf and admitted and I quote, “Never got this far in my dreams.” Fred, what does this accomplish accomplishment means for Rory’s legacy and the European tour as a whole? You know, Carlos, we’ve been watching Rory for a long, long time, and you know, I think we fail to appreciate just how good he really is. uh he’s done all this in the Tiger era. Okay. Um and so he’s a worthy opponent. Um, you you you you you got a short list here of guys, you know, and and we can go back and, you know, we can talk about uh uh Hogan and Sneeed and and Byron Nelson and on to Palmer and on to Jack and on to Tiger and maybe even throw Phil in there a little bit. You know, I begrudgingly do so. But but uh Rory, you know, he’s got five majors. He’s won all four of them. He’s got his career grand slam and now he’s got seven DP world tour order of merits. Um so Carlos, you know, in in the order of merit dealer on the DP world tour to me, you’ve got Sebie, you’ve got Burnhard Longer, you got Monty, and you got Rory. Longer had 42 European tour wins, second all time, two Masters titles. Monty had eight order of merits, no majors, but he was a writer Cup standout for the Europeans every time. Sebie, the gold standard, 50 European tour wins, two Masters, three opens, five majors. So, he ties Rory with that. Rory, even though he plays mainly in America, still has 20 European wins, but he has 29 PJ tour wins plus that career grand slam thingy. So, Carlos, I want to ask you, um, who’s the most important European player of these four? I mean, these these got to be the f top four, right? Definitely. And I think it’s a tough thing to answer because there are different times and different uh uh goals that each one represents, right? when Sevy was playing there wasn’t this big global tour not I’m not going to say global tour but global appeal appeal that the PGA tour is having like it is right now the importance of the PGA tour in the world of golf it’s very different now than what it was be after so I mean before so if you want to measure which ones each one I would say each one is as important in its own era sevi was the most important in his era and Rory may be the most important right now in European tour history. So, um I I think both serve as great ambassadors of what European tour golf is and each one of them is deservingly so to me. Sevi had his era and uh we can’t compare to me. I just can’t try to put them in the same place. Yeah, I I get it. I I do. I I thought about this today a little bit myself and I I still think the era that Sebie was in, it was a whole different world back then. The European tour was just I mean it was barely scraping by. The money was not that great. The PGA Tour was not the force that it is today. It was it was still the big dog in the world, but it wasn’t the force that it is today. And European tour players just came over sparingly because they didn’t have membership in the PJ tour. they didn’t have free access to play in the events. So, uh the the the opening wasn’t there for Sebie to play a lot and he he could have I mean he could have got sponsor exemptions and played but he chose to stay in Europe and so he was a major factor there. So I I I think and all the players seem to Sevy to the European tour is what Arnold Palmer was to the American tour. Um, so you got to kind of give the nod to Sebie. Even though Rory has had a fantastic career and he’s still a relatively young man, he’s got another seven, eight years of really competitive golf left in so he could blow away a lot of the numbers. But, uh, I I think I I’m beginning to, um, put Rory in a different category with the Tigers and the Jacks and the Arnolds. Um, you know, he’s just not a good player. He’s a fantastic generational talent. It definitely is. And um I think you hit it on the nail with that analogy of uh Sebie being the Arnold to to the European tour. I I think it sums it up perfectly. And uh one thing that I would say is that maybe because of Seby’s charisma and the character that he was, that’s what may has made him transcend time. He’s timeless because of that. I mean and that’s why so many people re him rever him uh as one of their heroes just like Rory says uh says it too you know it’s because of how he was if Rory would have been would be more of that branding I I think he would have surpassed already he would be in Tiger’s sphere regarding influence at this time but anyway I think Fred uh his journey threads together history in heart me reminds us of how legacies are built on inspiration and passion so uh as we move on. Let’s shift uh to the pressure pack finale on the PGA Tour, which wow, it was winding down this past week at the RSM Classic with every round was carrying immense consequences for many players that were fighting near the cutline, their future hanging hung on the balance, there were plain privilege, uh career momentum, even sponsorship deals were all on the table, whether they were a season pro or a newcomer that week truly separated survivors from the hopeful. So Fred, tell us a little bit about who survived and who didn’t. Yeah. Well, some guys did not. Uh Webb Simpson, Zack Johnson, Gary Woodland, Cameron Champ, Jimmy Walker, Francisco Molinary, Zack Blair, and West Bryant. So all of these guys except maybe Zach Blair and Wesley Bryan are are kind of part- timerrs at this point. They’re they’re older guys and they don’t play all the time and so they’re outside but they’re still going to have status. There’s going to be in some tournaments but they they technically lost their cards. Um Matt Cooer, Joel Damon, Daniel Burgerer are still going to be in. Um and remember this is the first year now we’ve gone to 100 cards instead of 125. We’ve got all the guys coming up from the corn ferry tour uh that are going to that are going to take up some space on the PJ tour, but uh we’re going to have a little bit smaller fields. You know, they’re trying to get more money to the players. So, by doing that, they’re cutting the fields down so they can pay more more uh a larger portion of the purse to each player. Um so, but and it cuts some guys out that are going to have to go back to corn ferry tour and work their way back to PJ tour, Carlos. Yeah, it it was it was pretty tense. Um and uh um it it uh it always is, but this year even more so because we’re down to 100 players. It is. And the drama there at the RSM shows golf is unforgiving. I mean, just a few shots can change a season story and that’s what happened. So, now let’s uh celebrate a veteran who prevailed on one of the one on the biggest champion store stage. Steuart Sink was crowned this past weekend as the champ as he rose to the occasion and clinched the Schwab Cup on the champion tour. His win stands as a testament to experience and underlying competitive fire, leaving fans inspired by his late career resurgence. Billy uh after years grinding on tour, you can say that the satisfaction of hoisting the Schwab Cob puts a resounding exclamation point on his journey so far. Fred, what stands out most to you about Steuart’s season and his breakthrough for the over 50 crowd? Well, Steuart Sink is always going to be remembered for winning for taking the open championship away from 59year-old Tom Watson, right? It’s it’s unfortunate he got his major but at the expense of Tom Watson. Uh this was his u fourth win on the PJ tour champions in 36 starts. Uh third win of this year. He had 21 starts this year. His uh previous win was the Insperity Invitational, the Alli Challenge. Uh he becomes the fourth three-time winner of the 2025 season. You got uh Miguel and Hill Jimenez and Hel Carbera and Steve Allen all won three times this year. So um Alker was right there. He led after the first three rounds, but uh sink little 67 there on Sunday to to end up prevailing and winning and and winning the whole deal. So he gets the big check, he gets the big trophy and uh kudos to Stuart Sink. Yeah, I mean he proves that age is just a number and the passion for golf knows no timeline really. So let’s swing over to the LPGA where the season finale has drama of its own. Okay, it’s a big week for the LPGA as the best in the world gather for the CME group championship to close out the season. Uh Lyn Grant arrives riding high after her win at the Aneka event. And while the spotlight also falls on Nelly Corda, who’s looking to cap her year with a statement victory, I wonder if Nelly will pull off a final flourish to salvage her season, or will another contender seize the moment and claim the crown in Naples? Uh Fred, how do you have your eye on the LPGA’s top stars as they battle it out one last time this year? Tibberon’s a tough golf course. you we get to see Tim around quite a bit actually. You know, um there’s two or three tournaments that are played there. It’s outside of Naples. Uh Ritz Carlton on property. It’s quite a quite a place. Been there a couple times. Um we got Lynn Grant coming off the win at the Anukica last week. That’s always a fun event. Uh will Nelly save her season with a big win. She just has, you know, in 2025 she played in 18 events this year. Uh she had eight top 10. She made the cut in every start. She had eight top 10s, but zero wins. She’s still number two in the world behind Gino Thetu who actually won this event last year. Uh so she got to be kind of the favorite and she’s playing at a high level again this year. So uh she’s probably the favorite coming in. But I you got to think that Nellie’s got I mean she’s at a she seems to be at a place in her life where she’s enjoying stuff off the golf course and maybe not working as hard at her golf. She’s achieved the top level. Um and you know you know we see this all the time with players. They get to the top and then they peek and then okay, it’s I’m not going to go out there and spend another half hour practice. I’m going to go do something else. I got other things to do. I got enough money in my pocket. I don’t I don’t need to to stay out here and beat these balls. So, um I I I we need to see Nelly Core to win. LPJ needs to see Nelly Core to win. But Carlos, I got a I got a lot of stuff here for LPJ. So, I’m going to go on. You can take a nap or something. I’m going to go on for a minute or two here. But uh um there was big news today. Um the uh the uh they signed a new sponsor agreement with uh with FM who is a u an insurance company. Uh they’ll become an official partner of the LPGA uh title sponsor uh since two 2024 of the FM championship. Uh but it’s going to be a 4.1 million purse, a large on tour. Um, so the New Deal, every round of an LPJ event in America is going to be on TV. This is the first time for like ever that’s going to happen. U 50% increased total number of cameras, so much more cameras at every event. Uh, slow motion cameras, more microphones, uh, drone coverage, heightened focus on athlete storytelling. So, a lot more stuff. This is exactly what we were talking about a couple weeks ago, Carlos. They’ve got to make a splash and do more stuff. The the LPJ is kind of dying on the vine here. They’ve got to do some better marketing and get a better product out there. And that that’s what this does. So, uh good for that. And also, uh, Carlos, I want to mention if you’re going to watch the, uh, CME Group Championship this weekend, uh, you better keep your, uh, better keep your remote handy because they’re bouncing around between ESPN Plus, um, they’re they’re going NBC Sports, NBC Sports app, Peacock, and Golf Channel. So, you got them all, right? They just keep bouncing all over the place. Um, Thursday, first round, you’re going to be on NBC digital, then to Golf Channel 3 to 5:00 pm. Uh, and ESPN Plus is going to be live streaming all day long from like 8 in the morning until 4 p.m. So, if you got ESPN Plus, you can watch pretty much the whole thing. Um, but go find out what you got because it’s it’s on PE. The final round on Sunday will be on NBC and Peacock from 1 to 4 and again, it’ll be streaming on ESPN Plus. But um so that that’s that’s another thing. Then the other thing I want to just mention real quick, I’ll get out of here. Um the season award winners were announced last night. Um Miyu Yamashita was the third Japanese player to win the rookie of the year. Did you have that one? Did you Did you call Yamashita at the beginning of the year? Oh my god, you missed one. No, I don’t I don’t I don’t know. It’s too long ago. I don’t remember us talking. I have to I have to go back to the show where we did it. Mi Lee uh won the Anukica award. Uh did the best in the majors. Uh plus she won one. Um and founders award Stacy Lewis was given the founders award for her 13 career victories and major championships and and her uh and her Soulheim Cup captaincy. So Stacy had a great career and was rewarded with the founders award. Carlos, uh, that’s that’s a lot of stuff about the LPGA for you. It is. And don’t go. You said you’re leaving, so don’t go because we still have another topic to go. So, okay. Yeah. The energy in Naples will be electric so much on the line. So, let’s see who will define the LPGA’s here as a true champion. So, our next topic shakes up the game beyond the fairways. Uh, last week, LIV Golf made headlines with a big format change announcing their tournaments. will finally run 72 holes instead of 54. That move is part of a bid for official World Golf ranking points, hoping to sway the gatekeepers at the OWGR into recognizing their events. But the conversation is complicated. Um, I mean, questions remain about the tour’s closed shop structure and what more is needed for legitimacy. So, I think that’s a step, but maybe too late. Fred, do you think this change is enough to win the LWGR or are deeper issues still standing in LA’s way? I I don’t think it’s going to do it because close shop is still an issue. You’re looking at what 54 players um and they don’t really vary from that during the season. Uh did you see that Victor Perez jumped today to uh to the LIV? Uh a little surprising. Um, but uh, you know, they’ve already announced they’re not doing the bonuses for resigning or new signings. Um, I just don’t see why a guy would want to play there. It doesn’t make sense to me. And I think we’ve talked about this before, but I they’re trying. I mean, this is a big step, but I don’t think 72 holes is going to get it done. Um and they it might but um I I you got guys like Kepka, Dustin Johnson, Cam Smith, uh Dshambo who need ranking points. Uh now D Shambo is good for another few years because he’s won a couple majors lately. But some of these guys are going to be falling off. They’re not going to be able to get into the majors because they’re not going to be eligible. So it’s getting critical for some of these guys. And like I’ve told you before, Carlos, if I were if I were the uh Brian Rollup, the commissioner of the u of the PJ tour, I guess the CEO, I shouldn’t say commission, he’s the CEO now. Um I’d be going to some sponsors and saying, “Get a hold of D Shambo. Give him new sponsorship deals. We need him back on the PJ tour. If he comes back to PJ tour, you’ll give him a $5 million uh endorsement deal or something so he can get 20 million to come back over because you can’t pay appearance money, but you can pay sponsor money.” So, um, that’s how I would lure him back if if I were the CEO of the PJ Tour. We, the rest of the guys really don’t matter, but PJ Tour needs, uh, needs Dambo back. He is probably the most popular guy right now out there in golf. People want to see him play. Uh, you know, because he’s so engaging on social media and those kind of things. They they want to see him there. But back to the original question, uh, I don’t think 72 holes is going to be enough. uh the close shop uh is still an issue uh I think with the with the deciders of the uh of the OWGR of the ranking points. So, we’ll see Carlos, but I that I they’re trying they’re trying to meet them a little bit, but I don’t think they’re they went far enough. Yeah, I think it’s too late. It’s too late for them. So, we’ll see. But that format shakeup maybe could reshape the future of professional golf if the world listens, right? I don’t think it’s going to happen, but we’ll see. So before we wrap uh let’s share a few final thoughts on everything we unpacked today. Uh I have to admit I just checked here. I did not pick me or Yamashita. It was Rio Taker who I should Okay. It is the first year I have to admit it that I didn’t. So it it was I was like no when you came with that I was like that’s not the name I had in my mind. So yeah it was Rio Taker. So if anybody goes back in the shows Yeah. You can I can’t pick it up. So, anything any any final thoughts? No, Carlos. Uh, I was down at last week. I went to Pinehurst. Um, I was at Hilton Head for the reopening of the newly renovated Harbortown Golf Links. When they when they ended a tournament uh last year in April, they closed the course and they did a bunch of renovation. They did in six months. Davis Love led the led the group that did that. And so, got a nice interview with Davis. I’ll have it up on the site up on the back report TV on YouTube uh here sometime next week or so. Uh and um got to play there. Went down Jackal Island. So had a nice little travel 10 days uh here at the beginning of November. But uh um Pinehurst is wonderful. It’s fantastic. It’s so cool. Uh so yeah um we’re getting on to winter here and uh golf season’s wrapped up and all the turnover tours now are wrapping up and so we’re we’re coming down the end of the year. Carlos, real quick. Yeah, golf never stops evolving. Whether it’s legends, tying records, careers on the line, our new players changing the rules from DP World Tour to LIV golf, every corner of the sport has a story worth changing changing. So for us, that’s seat for this week’s back report. We hope you enjoyed the show as much as we love bringing it to you. All the action, heart, and drama of golf has to offer. Remember to like and follow the show so you never miss an episode. And join us every week for more stories from the back and beyond. Thank you for joining us.
