With the first major of the season just around the corner, there has been no shortage of talking points among golf’s elite. Rory McIlroy is the defending champion at The Masters, having sealed his career Grand Slam last year, though he faces stiff competition from all corners. Matt Fitzpatrick is among the big names hitting his stride at precisely the right moment.

The British pro built on his runner-up finish at The Players Championship by clinching the Valspar Championship by a single stroke from David Lipsky. The Masters gets underway on April 9 and a host of former champions are expected to feature in the field. Five-time winner Tiger Woods, who has not recorded a top-10 finish at Augusta National since winning the whole thing in 2019, is amongst those eligible to compete, with his intentions set to become clear shortly. Elsewhere, we have the latest updates from across the sport, spanning LIV Golf and off-course developments.

Trump lets slip Woods plans

United States president Donald Trump has suggested he does not anticipate Tiger Woods to be in the field for the Masters. Woods, 50, is in a relationship with the politician’s former daughter-in-law Vanessa.

“I love Tiger, but he won’t be there,” Trump told Fox News. “He’ll be there, but he won’t be playing in it.”

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Woods has battled injuries in recent years, casting doubt over his participation. The 15-time major champion didn’t compete in any of the Masters, USPGA, U.S. Open or Open last year.

Fleetwood announcement on the way

Tommy Fleetwood has suggested he could shortly announce a fresh brand partnership, three months after his Nike deal ended. The world No.4 has been photographed wearing various brands’ clothing in the interim but stated in an Instagram post that he had “something new coming…”, with fans speculating about what might be next.

“Our contract was ending and it just turned out like we sort of didn’t end up in a place where I’m wearing Nike stuff this year,” Fleetwood said while sporting Pebble Beach’s own kit at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February. “Who knows what’s going to happen in the future. But this is cool.

“I don’t know, I feel like I’m a big golf fan. I really like golf stuff, so it’s quite nice to be wearing Pebble Beach clothing. I mean, my kids would absolutely love this stuff so I feel pretty lucky to have it on.”

Aberg reflects on LIV interest

Swedish sensation Ludvig Aberg says he rejected interest from LIV Golf earlier in his career. He told the Fore Play podcast it was something he never genuinely contemplated, though some leading PGA Tour figures have been open making the switch.

“Yeah, I think so,” he said when asked if LIV were interested in recruiting him. “I got some offers when I was still in school.

“But I was with [agent] Butler [Melnyk] at the time still, but I was pretty straightforward and honest from the start that I wasn’t really interested. I love the history of the game, so to me that just wasn’t in that lane. That wasn’t even an option.”