Jon Rahm is a fan of the PGA Tour's recent changes to their schedule and prize money, and gave credit to LIV Golf during Tuesday's pre-tournament press conference at The Players Championship.

Rahm, who had won five of his previous nine events before last week's disappointment at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, has been the undisputed hottest player in golf this season.

With that form has come the title of world number one, as well as a nice boost to his bank account, having already won two of the four new 'elevated' events to take place so far on the PGA Tour calendar this year. He collected $2.7million for taking out the Sentry Tournament of Champions, and another $3.6m with his title at The Genesis Invitational.

The prize purses in those events have almost doubled since their designation as elevated events, designed to attract the tour's top players to the flagship tournaments – with 44 of the world's top 50 teeing it up at Bay Hill last week.

When asked what he thinks was the driving force behind the PGA Tour's recent innovations – including the announced no-cut events to debut next season – Rahm said it was obvious.

"Oh, it's LIV Golf," he said. "I mean, without a doubt. Without LIV Golf, this wouldn’t have happened.

"So to an extent, like I've said before, we should be thankful this threat has made the PGA Tour want to change things. 

"I think I said it last week, as well. I wish it didn’t come to the PGA Tour being, you know, under fire from somebody else to make those changes and make things better for the players, but I guess it is what we needed. 

"So, yeah, it is because of LIV Golf, otherwise we wouldn't have seen any of this."

While Rahm is thankful for the competition and the effects they have had, and has no hard feelings towards those who chose to jump ship, he reiterated that the PGA Tour is clearly the home of the most exciting and competitive golf.

"If you're not happy with the product, [LIV Golf signees] are free to do as they choose," he said. "I still think that the PGA Tour is the best platform for professional golfers. 

"Obviously they’re very different products and they differ in a lot of things, but it's not the same. Like I’ve said before, I’m not one to tell people what to do with their life and with their career. 

"I do think the changes that are happening are very positive – very, very positive. It’s only going to make it so, you know, the better players in the world play together more often, which at the end of the day is what the fans want to see."

His comments were similar to those from Rory McIlroy earlier this week, saying LIV Golf's presence forced the PGA Tour to reassess their "antiquated" format.

"I'm not going to sit here and lie; I think the emergence of LIV or the emergence of a competitor to the PGA Tour has benefitted everyone that plays elite professional golf," he said.

"When you've been the biggest golf league in the biggest market in the world for the last 60 years, there's not a lot of incentive to innovate.

"This has caused a ton of innovation at the PGA Tour, and what was quite, I would say, an antiquated system is being revamped to try to mirror where we're at in the world in the 21st century with the media landscape."

Rory McIlroy claimed the emergence of the LIV Golf Invitational Series "has benefitted everyone that plays elite professional golf" and whipped the PGA Tour into shape after years of being mired in an "antiquated" existence.

The Northern Irishman was not changing his tune and singing the praises of the Saudi-backed series, but he believes it has served as a timely jolt for the US-based PGA Tour, shaking it from a long stupor.

Ahead of this week's Players Championship at Sawgrass, McIlroy was part of a player meeting with PGA Tour bosses on Tuesday in which details of eight newly designated no-cut tournaments for next season were explained.

The limited-field events have sparked mockery from players on the LIV circuit, who have accused the PGA Tour of mimicking the breakaway series after previously being so critical.

There have also been suggestions of concerns from within the PGA Tour ranks that players with tour cards will be frozen out of the biggest events, making it a clear two-tier tour.

McIlroy, who has been heavily involved in strategy meetings, does not agree and believes there is ample opportunity for players to perform well and earn a place in the elite events, pointing out there would be 29 full-field tournaments next year.

He felt Tuesday's meeting had helped the sceptics, saying: "I think when more information and data was presented to them, the people that maybe had reservations about it I think came around, or at least were more informed on their opinions.

"I think the temperature in the room was nowhere near as hot as I anticipated it to be once the information was laid out."

McIlroy said players wanted to be convinced "that there's enough jeopardy built into the system". He admitted a previous meeting, held in Delaware last August, had been "very self-serving for the 20 players in that room", with tour chiefs talking them down and ensuring more flexibility was built into line-up potential for the no-cut events.

The world number three confirmed fields of around 50 players had been proposed at one point, with only 10 players dropping out each year. Now these lucrative tournaments will see 70 to 80 players involved.

"You know Tiger Woods won 26 no-cut events in his career, right. There's always been no-cut events," McIlroy said. "Jack Nicklaus won 20 no-cut events. Arnold Palmer won 17.

"There's precedent for no-cut events. The cuts that you have to make to get into those events, so making the play-offs, getting into the top 50, there's certain things that you have to do to qualify for those events. I think that's more than fair to warrant eight events a year that are guaranteeing the players four days."

McIlroy has been as vocal as anybody in opposing the LIV series, with the 33-year-old scathing about many of the players who have taken the tens of millions on offer.

Given its Saudi backing, and criticism of that country's human rights record, the LIV series has been cited by many critics as an attempt at sportswashing.

Superstars including Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau have joined LIV Golf, and the PGA Tour is determined to fend off the threat of any more luminaries leaving.

Cameron Smith, last year's champion at Sawgrass, is another who has taken the LIV money, and consequently will be absent from the field this week.

Asked how much of the change happening on the PGA Tour now, with prize money soaring, could be attributed to LIV's encroachment, McIlroy said: "A lot of it. I'm not going to sit here and lie; I think the emergence of LIV or the emergence of a competitor to the PGA Tour has benefitted everyone that plays elite professional golf.

"When you've been the biggest golf league in the biggest market in the world for the last 60 years, there's not a lot of incentive to innovate.

"This has caused a ton of innovation at the PGA Tour, and what was quite, I would say, an antiquated system is being revamped to try to mirror where we're at in the world in the 21st century with the media landscape.

"The PGA Tour isn't just competing with LIV Golf or other sports. It's competing with Instagram and TikTok and everything else that's trying to take eyeballs away from the PGA Tour as a product.

"LIV coming along has definitely had a massive impact on the game, but I think everyone who's a professional golfer is going to benefit from it going forward."

Cameron Smith could go from celebrated winner to spectator non grata at the Players Championship this week as the LIV Golf defector toys with a return to Sawgrass.

The Australian is banned from defending his title after leaving the PGA Tour for the lucrative Saudi-led series, a decision that came in the wake of his Open Championship victory last July.

USA Today's Golfweek reported Smith was stripped of his parking spot at Sawgrass and refused permission to practise at the course after making his career-changing decision.

He lives practically on the doorstep of the course, however, in a plush home just minutes away, and Smith hinted he will feel inclined to head for the course and pay at the gate, just so he gets to see some of the action first hand.

That would be a move that causes a major stir, with the rivalry between the competing tours at close to boiling point.

In an interview with Golf.com, Smith said: "I'm a little bit unsure, you know. That's where I live now, so I don't know, I'll definitely be watching on TV.

"I think it's a great event to watch. I grew up my whole childhood watching the event and, yeah, I'd love to get out there.

"I don't know how it would kind of be received, but getting out there and watching, walking around in the crowd, might be pretty funny."

Smith won by one stroke from Anirban Lahiri last year, landing what was then the biggest title of his career, which he went on to top at St Andrews.

Lahiri is also banned from competing, having committed to LIV, and the same applies to Paul Casey, who was third last year.

Play gets under way on Thursday.

Rory McIlroy applauded Kurt Kitayama's maiden PGA Tour victory after the pair were split by a single stroke at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

The Northern Irishman tied for second alongside Harris English at eight under as Kitayama finally ended his runners-up hoodoo to claim victory at Bay Hill Club and Lodge.

After three near-misses on the tour in 2022, including a one-stroke loss to McIlroy at the CJ Cup, Kitayama's victory saw him rewarded for his perseverance.

Speaking afterwards, McIlroy was happy to sing the praises of his fellow player, while acknowledging he was frustrated to have come up shy after just missing his putt at the final hole.

"I think [Kitayama] has been playing pretty well," McIlroy said. "He's sort of persevered and played wherever he could get starts.

"All of a sudden, he's won one of the biggest events on the PGA Tour, so good for him.

"It's disappointing. To play the final five holes in one over par, with this jam-packed leaderboard, isn't really going to get it done.

"It was a battle all day. I felt like I hung in there really well and just came up one short in the end."

Kitayama qualified for The Open with his victory and will hope to finally have an impact on a major. He was tied for 72nd last year.

"Last year was special, with it being at St Andrews," he said. "The Open Championship is a really cool experience.

"I haven't done well, but I've just got to try to keep getting myself back in it and keep getting better."

Kurt Kitayama made sure his 50th start on the PGA Tour would be one he never forgets after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational by one stroke on Sunday with a final score of nine under.

Kitayama, 30, is in his seventh season after making his debut in the 2016-17 campaign, and he finally earned his first PGA Tour victory to go with two wins on the European Tour and one Asian Tour triumph.

It was far from smooth sailing, with a catastrophic triple-bogey on the ninth hole ruining Kitayama's bright start to his final trip around Bay Hill, taking him from a two-stroke lead at 11 under, back to one behind the leaders.

But he kept his composure, rattling off seven pars in a row to begin his back nine, before what ended up being the tournament-winning birdie on the tricky par-three 17th.

Rory McIlroy and Harris English both had birdie putts on the 18th to reach nine under, but could not convert, meaning Kitayama just needed a par on the last to secure the win.

He left himself with a long two-putt for the title, and he almost made it in one, coming up an inch short to set up a tap-in par.

Illustrating how difficult the course played over the weekend, Kitayama was nine under through two rounds, and finished with back-to-back 72s as the field failed to chase him down.

McIlroy briefly tasted the outright lead after Kitayama's triple and Jordan Spieth's late collapse, but the Northern Irishman's seven birdies were balanced out by five bogeys, including two in a row on the 14th and 15th while he was out in front.

He finished tied for second at eight under with English, who was the only player in the field to finish with no bogeys on Saturday or Sunday.

Spieth found himself at 10 under through 13, but imploded with three bogeys over his next four to tie for fourth at seven under with Patrick Cantlay, Scottie Scheffler and Tyrell Hatton.

After a five-over outing on Saturday, Davis Riley bounced back with a 66 for the round of the day, catapulting him into an unlikely top-10 finish at six under.

Kurt Kitayama recovered from a double-bogey to remain the outright leader after three rounds of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, but a star-studded chasing pack is well within reach.

Kitayama led by two strokes coming into his third trip around Bay Hill, but he did well to salvage an even-par 72 to stay at nine under after four birdies on the back-nine.

His lead was trimmed to one, with world number two and defending champion Scottie Scheffler joined by Viktor Hovland in a tie for second at eight under.

Hovland was one of three competitors to shoot the round of the day, with a bogey-free 66, while Scheffler had a four-under day with seven birdies and three bogeys.

Alone in fourth at seven under is Tyrell Hatton, who matched Hovland's bogey-free 66 after rounds of 71 and 72, while world number three Rory McIlroy is joined by Harris English at six under in a tie for fifth.

Close friends Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth will likely be paired together for the final round after joining Pierceson Coody – the day's third 66 – in a tie for seventh at five under.

Max Homa and Cameron Young are still in the hunt at four under, while top-10 talents Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele headline the logjam at three under.

Tiger Woods will not take part in The Players Championship next week after failing to enter the tournament before Friday's deadline.

The 82-time PGA Tour winner finished tied for 45th at the Genesis Invitational in February, with that his first appearance since The Open last July.

However, after competing in his first standard PGA Tour event since October 2020, Woods confirmed he will mainly focus on being ready for this year's four majors.

That means skipping the PGA Tour's flagship tournament, which gets under way on Thursday at TPC Sawgrass, with Woods not part of the 144-player field announced on Friday.

The list includes 43 of the world's top-50 players, including top three Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy.

Woods, who continues to be hampered by mobility issues caused in a career-threatening car accident in February 2021, had been eligible due to winning The Masters in 2019.

The two-time Players Championship winner is expected to next be in action at The Masters in early April.

Jon Rahm's brilliant recent run came to a dramatic halt in windy conditions as he slipped down the leaderboard on day two at the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Friday, with Kurt Kitayama taking a two-stroke lead.

Rahm, who has claimed five wins from his past nine starts worldwide, had led the event after an opening-day seven-under 65 but carded a four-over round of 76 on day two to be six strokes off the pace at three-under overall.

The Spaniard's round saw him come back to earth, falling away dramatically late with three bogeys and a double bogey in his final five holes at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Florida.

Rahm's struggles opened the door for Kitayama, who had been joint second after the first day. Kitayama backed that up with a four-under 68 with five birdies and one bogey to be nine-under overall.

Kitayama has led three events this season after 36 holes and is yet to convert any into victories.

Over Kitayama's shoulder is three-time major winner Jordan Spieth who found his putting groove to card a three-under-par 69, sitting two shots off the lead at seven-under overall. Spieth might have been closer if not for a bogey on the 18th after a poor drive.

Xander Schauffele and Corey Conners are tied at six under, with Davis Riley, Patrick Cantlay, Matt Fitzpatrick and Justin Thomas behind them at five under. Conners carded the day's best round with a six-under 66.

Last month's Honda Classic winner Chris Kirk was tied for second after the opening day but also dropped away with a day-two 75 that included two double bogeys.

Among those to miss the projected cut, with play suspended with two players left on the course, were Collin Morikawa, Tom Hoge and Hideki Matsuyama.

Jon Rahm lived up to his billing as the hottest talent in professional golf after starting his week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a seven-under 65 on Thursday.

Rahm, the world number one, boasts five wins from his past nine starts worldwide and has not finished an event outside the top 10 since finding himself in a tie for 15th in August's Tour Championship.

Coming off a victory in his most recent outing at the Genesis Invitational, Rahm is looking to secure another of the PGA Tour's new elevated events, with the increased prize pool drawing 44 of the world's top-50 players to the famous Bay Hill course.

He certainly made a promising start in Florida, heading into day two with a two-shot lead at the top of the leader board.

Rahm began his day with three consecutive birdies and finished with another two on 17 and 18 having carded an eagle on the par-five 16th.

His sole bogey came on hole eight, failing to recover a par after a wayward tee shot.

Another competitor coming off a win in his most recent start, last week's Honda Classic champion Chris Kirk is tied for second at five under with Cameron Young and Kurt Kitayama.

Not a single player finished their round bogey-free, but Kitayama and Max Homa (two under) made it through 17 holes before their first blemishes came on the 18th.

The group tied for fifth at four under includes some of the game's biggest stars, with world number two Scottie Scheffler joined by three-time major winner Jordan Spieth, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele and resurgent fan favourite Rickie Fowler.

The PGA Tour has confirmed plans to introduce designated events with limited fields and no cuts from 2024, in a bid to fend off competition from the rival LIV Golf circuit.

The tour has seen several household names – including Lee Westwood, Cameron Smith and Phil Mickelson – defect to the controversial Saudi Arabia-backed series since its launch last year.

On Wednesday, reports suggested a radical overhaul of the PGA calendar was on the agenda, with some events refashioned in the format of LIV Golf's no-cut, limited-field structure, while others would offer exemptions to players with strong ranking positions.

Tour commissioner Jay Monahan has now outlined the changes, with the 2024 season to contain eight events with fields of 70-78 players competing for elevated purses and FedEx Cup points.

"These smaller, designated event fields will not only deliver substantial, can't-miss tournaments to our fans at important intervals throughout the season, but they will also enhance the quality of full-field events," Monahan said.

"Together, this approach provides a schedule that is cohesive, compelling, consequential and with clarity for fans, players and sponsors alike."

The tour said eligibility criteria for the events will "reward top performers" while still providing opportunities for players to qualify, with the FedEx Cup standings largely used to determine entry.

The announcement attracted the ire of LIV Golf, with the official account of the breakaway tour tweeting: "Imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Congratulations PGA Tour. Welcome to the future."

Earlier on Wednesday, LIV Golf player Westwood took to social media to accuse the PGA of hypocrisy, saying: "I've spent the last year reading how good full fields and cuts are!"

Lee Westwood mocked PGA Tour plans to restructure their 2024 season with more no-cut events in a perceived response to the controversial LIV Golf breakaway.

The tour has seen several high-profile defections – including Westwood, Cameron Smith and Phil Mickelson – to the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund-backed series.

As a consequence, LIV Golf players have been barred from PGA Tour events, while the latter strengthened its so-called 'Strategic Alliance' with the DP World Tour (formerly European Tour).

However, a Golfweek report on Wednesday suggested a radical overhaul of the PGA Tour is in line for next year.

It would see several events refashioned in the format of LIV Golf's no-cut, limited-field structure, while other tournaments would offer exemptions for those with strong ranking positions.

The news prompted Westwood to suggest its plans are hypocritical after strongly opposing LIV Golf's emergence.

"So, [you would] do away with the [World Golf Championships]. Load the [Official World Golf Ranking] in your favour," he posted on Twitter.

"[You would] create 10 limited field events just for PGA Tour members. Add to that four majors, [the] Players [Championship], [the] FedEx Cup.

"That's a full schedule for a top player. That's growing the game [winking emoji]. What Strategic Alliance?"

He added: "I've spent the last year reading how good full fields and cuts are!"

After 179 starts and nearly eight years since his last victory on the PGA Tour, Chris Kirk survived finding the water on 18 to beat rookie Eric Cole in a playoff for the Honda Classic.

Kirk came into Sunday with a two-stroke lead, and after a two-under front nine he was enjoying a gap on the rest of the field. 

Cole was not flawless, but his work on the greens was exceptional, with 11 one-putts through the first 15 holes to keep the pressure on Kirk as he tried to become the first rookie winner this season.

Paired together, the duo reached the final hole with Kirk ahead by one, but after a perfect tee shot he went for the par-five green in two, coming up just short and finding the water.

It left the door wide open for Cole, who could have stolen the win with a birdie, but his approach found the bunker, and he could only salvage a par. Meanwhile, Kirk made bogey, setting them up to replay the 18th for the playoff.

This time Kirk's tee shot nestled in right behind a tree trunk, forcing him to play conservative and lay-up, while Cole went for it in two and was long into the bunker.

Kirk's approach was the tournament winner, spinning it into range for a tap-in birdie, and while Cole got out of the bunker and gave himself a makeable birdie putt, it tragically lipped out to hand Kirk the win.

Speaking after stepping off the final green, Kirk reflected on his journey the past few years, having temporarily stepped away from the game in 2019 to deal with alcohol and depression issues.

"I can't yet [describe it]," he said. "I just have so much to be thankful for. I'm so grateful for my sobriety, I'm so grateful for my family, I'm so grateful for everyone who has supported me throughout the past three or four years especially.

"I definitely did [draw on recent top-three finishes]. I was obviously very, very nervous today, having not won in so long. 

"Going down the stretch I felt good, obviously that putt on 16 was huge. I was in a great position on 18, but just made a bad swing at the wrong time. 

"I was just trying to stay aggressive and hit it in the middle of the green, but you know, in hindsight it probably would have been better to hit it over to the left somewhere – but thank god it worked out."

For the win, Kirk took home $1.5million, while Cole's consolation prize of $915,000 will soften the blow.

Marcel Siem pipped Yannik Paul to the Indian Open title as a brilliant four-under-par final round clinched victory on Sunday.

Paul headed into the third round on Saturday with a five-shot lead, but a troublesome day three saw his advantage cut to just one at the top of the standings.

Despite Paul steadying himself with a two-under final round to finish on 13 under, it was fellow German Siem who roared to victory with five birdies to reach 14 under and secure his first win on the DP World Tour since 2014.

Dutchman Joost Luiten finished a shot behind Paul in third, while Jorge Campillo and Kazuki Higa shot final rounds of three under and four under respectively to be tied for fourth.

An excellent day four for Alexander Knappe propelled him up to joint-sixth, managing two eagles in a six-under-par final round to leave him level with Thorbjorn Olsen.

Veer Ahlawat and Shubhankar Sharma were the best of the home favourites, both finishing strongly to be among a group of players on four under.

Speaking after his victory, Siem said: "This means a lot because two years ago I wasn't even sure if I could still compete on the European Tour, and now I'm a winner again."

Chris Kirk will take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Honda Classic after carding a 66 on Saturday to close in on his first PGA Tour title in eight years. 

The American, who claimed the last of his four top-tier triumphs back in 2015, leads a field that is devoid of any of the world's top-17 golfers.

His nearest rival is world number 330 Eric Cole, while playing partner and overnight leader Justin Suh is three strokes back after signing for an even-par 70.

Kirk, fresh from a stunning second-round 62, birdied the 17th and 18th to take charge at PGA National, although at least one household name is in the hunt.

World number 20 and 2019 Open champion Shane Lowry put himself firmly in the mix with a 65 that leaves him with a four-stroke deficit to overcome on Sunday. 

And the Irishman is playing with added motivation as he seeks to pay a fitting tribute to his uncle Jimmy Lowry, who died on Thursday.

"It's a very sad week for our family," he said. "To be honest, I wanted to go home on Thursday when I heard the news. A lot of people talked me out of it.

"I'm here now. I'm trying to play for him and play for his wife and his kids and my cousins and my uncles and my aunts and everyone at home because we're a very close family and very proud of our name and very proud of where we come from."

Reigning Korn Ferry Tour Championship winner Justin Suh has a chance to win his first PGA Tour event after finishing Friday's second round of the Honda Classic with the outright lead.

Suh, 25, produced a near-perfect campaign last season on the Korn Ferry Tour, finishing number one overall in points, winning the Tour Championship and being voted the tour's Player of the Year.

He has made the cut in eight of his 11 events to start his PGA Tour career, and after collecting his first top-20 in January's Farmers Insurance Open, he is looking to break through in a big way.

After his opening 66 at PGA National, Suh followed it up with a six-under 64 to reach 10 under overall and take a one-stroke lead into the weekend.

Alone in second place is Chris Kirk, who sits one shot back at nine under after posting a 62 for Friday's round of the day.

England's Ben Taylor is joined by American Monday qualifier Ryan Gerard in a tie for third at eight under, while the trio of Ben Martin, Eric Cole and Brice Garnett round out the top-five at seven under.

After finishing the opening round tied for the lead, both Billy Horschel and Joseph Bramlett fell back into a tie for 28th, following their 65s with a pair of 73s.

With none of the world's top-17 golfers in the field, world number 20 Shane Lowry will feel he still has a chance from his position at four under, tied for 16th, while 18th-ranked Im Sung-jae is at two under.