Defending champion Anna Davis made a disastrous start to her Augusta National Women’s Amateur title defense on Wednesday as she began her round with a quintuple bogey after breaking course regulations.

Celine Boutier of France fired a 4-under 68 and prevailed in a one-hole playoff against England’s Georgia Hall to win the LPGA Drive On Championship in Gold Canyon, Ariz.

Proposals to limit the distance golf balls travel when struck by elite players have received the surprise backing of four-time major winner Rory McIlroy.

Proposals that would limit how far players can drive the ball at elite tournaments are “bad for the game of golf”, two-times major winner Justin Thomas said.

Golf’s longest hitters could be reeled in under new proposals to limit the distance balls struck by elite players can travel.

Scottie Scheffler ran away with the Players Championship title and along with it took the number one world ranking and the PGA Tour’s richest purse of $4.5 million.

Reduced fields and no cuts at designated events will be “tough” on players trying to make the grade on the PGA Tour but will ultimately reward good golf, according to Australian Min Woo Lee.

LIV Golf has had no issues attracting some of the sport’s top talent but snaring TV audiences will be a tougher task, as viewership for its inaugural broadcasts on the CW Network trailed far behind their rivals on the PGA Tour.

Suzann Pettersen will return as captain of the European team at the Solheim Cup in 2024, the Ladies European Tour (LET) announced on Tuesday, with the Norwegian saying the move will offer players “more consistency”.

Jon Rahm returned to the top of the world rankings with his third win of the year at the Genesis Invitational on Sunday, prevailing in a tense final-round battle with Max Homa to claim a dramatic victory in Pacific Palisades, California.

Tiger Woods was unable to mount a final-day charge on Sunday at the Genesis Invitational in Pacific Palisades, California, but after completing 72 holes on the PGA Tour for the first time in nearly a year the American said he was making progress.

Tiger Woods apologised after being criticised for handing a tampon to fellow American Justin Thomas as a joke during the first round of the Genesis Invitational.