The tournament announced Rose’s commitment to return to Cromwell this summer on Tuesday.

The 45-year-old had a tremendous season last year, ranking fourth in the Official World Golf Rankings and finishing 11th in the FedEx Cup standings. He was also part of the European Ryder Cup team that beat the U.S. this past fall.

Rose is off to a great start again this season, having gone wire-to-wire to win the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in early February, breaking the 72-hole course scoring record set by Tiger Woods in the process.

“Justin has built a Hall of Fame career and shows no signs of slowing down, as his victory last month and his overall play the past few years have shown,” said Travelers Executive Vice President Andy Bessette. “He’s been an incredible ambassador for golf and a consistent supporter of the Travelers Championship, which we appreciate. This promises to be one of the best player fields in golf.”

Rose joins defending Travelers champion Keegan Bradley and Tommy Fleetwood among golfers who have committed to play this summer.

The Travelers Championship is set for June 25-28.

With a one-shot lead entering No. 18 last June, the Englishman, 34 years old at the time, was on his way to finally “breaking his duck,” as they say across the pond, and earning that elusive victory, the only thing standing between him and bona fide status as one of the best golfers in the world.

He struck his approach shot from the fairway, and watched as it died in the humid summer air and fell just short of the green. Then he watched as Keegan Bradley, New England native and 2023 Travelers Champion, stuck his within five feet of the cup.

Fleetwood, still one shot ahead of Bradley, had the chance to win the tournament by rolling in a long putt from just off the edge of the green, but his shot came up short again, coming to a rest just behind Bradley’s ball, eight feet from the cup.

Now Fleetwood had to drain the eight-footer to try and force a playoff, but in the sweltering heat, he sent the ball an inch to the right, and it rolled past the hole, taking with it his dreams of a tournament title.

Bradley, the New England native and crowd favorite, sunk his putt, soaked in the roaring adulation of the Connecticut crowd, and sent Fleetwood to the airport with a mere $1.76 million (the runner-up prize).

It was the latest in a number of near-misses on tour for Fleetwood, but the heartbreak didn’t last too long– two months later, he finally broke through– winning the Tour Championship in Atlanta, finally earning that first trophy in his 164th start.

Now ranked No. 3 in the world, Fleetwood will be back in Cromwell this June. The tournament announced his commitment to the 2026 event on Wednesday.

Dom Amore: In dramatic Travelers finish, Keegan Bradley, Captain America, was Captain Clutch

“Tommy consistently demonstrates professionalism and maintains an unwavering, positive attitude – just two of the many reasons why he’s one of the best people you’ll ever meet,” Andy Bessette, Travelers executive vice president, said in a release. “His breakthrough victory last year exemplifies the dedication and perseverance that define his character as one of the best competitors on the PGA Tour.

He’s been a big supporter of this tournament and he and his family have become great friends. We’re looking forward to seeing them back at TPC River Highlands in June.”

Fleetwood will have to contend with Bradley again this June, as the tournament announced his commitment earlier this month. The Travelers Championship is set for June 25-28.

But, assuming the snow does finally melt, the Travelers Championship will return in June, and the reigning champion– someone who knows all about New England winters– will be back, too.

Two-time tournament champion Keegan Bradley will return to Cromwell this season looking to defend his title.

The 39-year-old, who was an all-state ski racer growing up in Vermont, will look to win New England’s PGA Tour event for the third time.

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Bradley won the Travelers last year in dramatic fashion, making birdie on the final hole to overtake Tommy Fleetwood and win by one stroke at 15-under-par. He also broke the tournament record by finishing 22-under in 2023. He’s currently ranked No. 19 in the Official World Golf Rankings, and is coming off of a season in which he served as captain of the U.S. Ryder Cup team.

Bradley has eight career wins on tour. He’s made three starts so far this season.

HONOLULU (AP) — Brooks Koepka is returning to the PGA Tour just five weeks after bolting from LIV Golf, agreeing to a one-time program for elite players that comes with a financial penalty that could rank among the largest in sports.

Koepka plans to resume his PGA Tour career in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines at the end of the month.

But he will not be eligible for PGA Tour equity grants for five years, he will not receive FedEx Cup bonus money in 2026 and he cannot play signature events unless he earns his way in.

The out-of-pocket cost is a $5 million charity donation to be decided jointly with the tour. The financial repercussions — no access to equity or FedEx Cup bonus money this year — is a potential loss the tour puts at $50 million and upward.

Brian Rolapp, the CEO of PGA Tour Enterprises, outlined the agreement with Koepka and details of the “Returning Member Program” in a memo to players Monday. A copy of the memo was obtained by The Associated Press.

Rolapp made clear, however, this was a one-time program and not a precedent.

It applies only to players who have won majors or The Players Championship from 2022 through 2025, meaning Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith would be the only LIV players who could return. They have three weeks to decide.

Koepka will have to earn his way into $20 million signature events. He would be added to the field to not take a spot from another tour player.

The board, which has a majority of players led by Tiger Woods, approved the program.

Rolapp described Koepka’s case as a “unique situation.” He said the solution was guided by what would make the PGA Tour stronger, preserving playing opportunities for current members and responding to fans who want to see all the best players together.

But this is far from an open path back for LIV players if they want to return. The program had the tone of an ultimatum for the trio of stars still in the Saudi-funded league.

“Only those who have recently achieved the highest accomplishments in the game are eligible to return to the PGA Tour, where the best players in the world compete, week in and week out,” Rolapp wrote. “This is a one-time, defined window and is not a precedent for future situations.

“Once the door closes, there is no promise that this path will be available again.”

This can be viewed as catering to the stars — the tour has a history of that with the Player Impact Program and sponsor exemptions — but the stars are limited to a four-year window of big wins.

Those ineligible to return under this program — assuming they even want to — include Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, seven-time LIV winner Joaquin Niemann, Ryder Cup player Tyrrell Hatton of England and Patrick Reed.

Koepka, a five-time major champion, was one of the biggest names to sign with LIV Golf in June 2022. He said in a 2023 podcast with boxer Jake Paul that his contract was for at least $100 million and that “I signed for the dough.”

Koepka, in a brief telephone interview, said he wasn’t entirely sure the PGA Tour would allow him back this quickly but “I’m grateful it’s come to this.”

“I’ve got a lot of work to do with some of the players,” he said about the reception he gets. “There’s definitely guys who are happy, and definitely guys who will be angry. It’s a harsh punishment financially. I understand exactly why the tour did that — it’s meant to hurt. But it (his departure) hurt a lot of people.”

Rolapp said he understands there will be questions about holding a defector to LIV accountable, “especially after earning substantial compensation elsewhere.”

“Ultimately, by accepting membership in the Returning Member category, Brooks is making the decision to return to the PGA TOUR now — something our fans want, and something that strengthens both the game and our organization.”

The financial penalty is based largely on the value of the equity and how the 35-year-old Koepka performs. Assuming he averages a top-30 finish over the next five years and holds his equity shares until he is 50, tour officials estimate the potential loss of earnings at anywhere from $50 million to as high as $85 million.

Otherwise, he is back in the fold, exempt through 2028 based on his 2023 victory in the PGA Championship. He also would be eligible for the Presidents Cup and the indoor TGL league.

But he cannot receive sponsor exemptions to the $20 million signature events. He could only become eligible by qualifying, either with a PGA Tour victory or in two categories that reward current play.

In an effort to protect current players, Rolapp said Koepka would be added to the field at any such tournament he gets in. That includes the FedEx Cup playoffs. If he qualifies this year, the tour would take the 71st player in the standings for the postseason opener, and 51st and 31st players if Koepka advances to the Tour Championship.

___

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

The new facility would be built on a 22-acre piece of land owned by UConn, about a mile and a half south of campus, at the intersection of Storrs Road and East Road.

The new development is planned for seven acres of that land, in a spot formerly used as a plant nursery, the school said. It would include a driving range, chipping and putting areas, as well as office space, lockers, restrooms, showers, equipment storage and repair space, a team room and indoor putting and simulation areas. The development would be restricted to university use and not be open to the public.

The team currently practices in a simulator room inside Gampel Pavilion, and uses other facilities off-campus as well.

“Having a dedicated indoor and outdoor practice facility would centralize activities and reduce travel time for student-athletes, while increasing levels of competition and recruitment,” UConn said in a public notice.

UConn will weigh comments from the public meeting. Written comments from the public will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Jan. 16. A map of the project is available at CT.gov.

At last, in the late afternoon hours of April 6, Bueckers checked out, the last time she’d be seen on a basketball court in her iconic No. 5 UConn jersey. She walked over to her coach and threw her arms around him.

Looking back on Connecticut sports in 2025, that was the moment.

“Just gratitude for all that Coach has meant to me,” Bueckers said, after the Huskies finished off South Carolina for the long elusive national championship. “Just putting it all together in one hug, what our journey has been together.”

Dom Amore: A dynasty restored, Paige Bueckers, UConn women leave no unfinished business

Auriemma, 71, was nervous throughout the day. He wasn’t afraid of losing a national championship, he’d won more than his share and fallen short excruciatingly short several years in a row. No, he was on edge because he feared Bueckers leaving UConn after five years without hers.

“I was thinking, ‘What am I going to say if things don’t go our way?’” Auriemma said. “How could you describe the emotions you would feel if it went the wrong way for us when there is so much riding on this game for a lot of people, mostly for Paige being her last opportunity to do this.”

In the end, there was nothing to fear in Tampa. The UConn women, after three losses, found their voice with a win at South Carolina in February and never looked back, winning title No. 12 in dominant fashion. And Bueckers went on to be the No.1 pick in the WNBA Draft, and win the rookie of the year.

The Huskies she left behind, including Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong, have not lost since, ranked No.1 in the AP poll as the new year dawns and championship No. 13 may be in the offing.

The year about to expire was one of drama, disappointment, departures, high expectations and high achievement. The new year holds exciting possibilities, too:

UConn men

Dan Hurley’s Huskies were going for a three-peat, but by the start of 2025 it was apparent that the UConn men did not have all the ingredients of the previous two national championship seasons. They won enough games, 24, to qualify for the NCAA Tournament, and beat Oklahoma in the first round. They gave the top seed, Florida, a battle in the Round of 32, but fell two points short to the eventual champs. Liam McNeeley went one-and-done, and high in the NBA Draft.

Hurley and his staff have since reloaded and are in the top five, powering through a tough early season schedule.

Dom Amore: For Dan Hurley, UConn men, a painful, but honorable end to their historic era

UConn football

UConn began the year aglow over its Fenway Bowl triumph over North Carolina and, with quarterback Joe Fagnano and receiver Skyler Bell returning, went for more. Both distinguished themselves as the Huskies went 9-3, all three losses in OT, but Fagnano opted out of a return to Fenway, Bell played only a few snaps and the Huskies were crushed by Army on Dec. 27. In between, coach Jim Mora left for Colorado State  Nov. 26 and coaches and players began scattering. The Huskies, though, made a well-received hire in Jason Candle, who’d been coaching at Toledo, and the new year finds UConn football looking to carry its momentum into a new era.

CT Sun

After years of contending for a title, the Sun lost most of their team to free agency and new coach Rachid Meziane was unable to mold a new group in time for a playoff push, despite the best efforts of UConn legend Tina Charles. Worse for fans, the franchise was up for sale, and after a complicated series of machinations, now appears to have only one more year at Mohegan Sun before removal to Houston. Time was, the Connecticut fan base helped save The W, but that doesn’t seem to mean much to the powers that be.

Trophy in Hartford

Hartford Athletic, after several losing seasons, turned things around, making the USL playoffs and bringing the in-season Jägermeister Cup home to Hartford. When the team was introduced in Rhode Island as the “Hartford Pathetic,” it struck a nerve, and coach Brendan Burke and his players buried the image, maybe for good.

Playoff Bulldogs

The Ivy League decided in the spring to allow its football teams to compete in the FCS playoffs, and Yale, with a late-season push and a win over Harvard, won the league’s automatic bid. In one of he most dramatic football games anywhere in the U.S., Yale came from four TDs back to win at Youngstown State, 43-42, then lost a competitive second-round game at Montana State, which is now playing for the championship.

State of Champions

Wesleyan and Trinity both reached the Final Four in NCAA Division III men’s basketball, where Trinity survived their semifinal matchup, then beat NYU to bring yet another basketball title home to Connecticut. The Bantams are right back at it, too, ranked No.1 at year end

Stunners

Central Connecticut men’s basketball pulled off a pair of stunning upsets, winning at Boston College and Rutgers, its first-ever wins against Power 4 opponents. Quinnipiac pulled off a Power 4 upset at Pitt, too. And Yale continues to be a national power, ranked second to Gonzaga among mid-majors before losing at Alabama on Tuesday.

One grand Canadian club

George Springer, from New Britain, Avon Old Farms at UConn, had a renaissance MLB season at age 36 for the Blue Jays. The World Series MVP in 2017, Springer showed his October magic still worked, with a dramatic home run to beat Seattle in the ALCS and send Toronto to the World Series. The Dodgers prevailed there.

Captain America

Keegan Bradley, the captain of the American team for the Ryder Cup, came back to his “home” tournament, the Travelers Championship. He showed his mastery of the TPC River Highlands to win Connecticut’s PGA premier event for the second time in three years.

… And on to 2026

The year about to begin promises more of the things that bring so many of us back to the local sports scene. Some things to look forward to, dream about, or in some cases expect.

*Connecticut college hockey is on the rise. The UConn women have been ranked in the top 10 and could be headed for an NCAA run of their own. The UConn men, coming off their first tournament appearance, and Quinnipiac, always a championship contender, are poised for runs for the Frozen Four in April.

*UConn is the only team to win men’s and women’s basketball championships in the same year, and has in fact done it twice, in 2004 and 2014. If you’re too young to remember what a double parade in Hartford is like, maybe it’s time you found out in ’26.

*Eventually the WNBA will solve its labor problems and then we will have some clarity and closure on the future of the Connecticut Sun. At the moment, it does not look like such “clarity” will be a good thing.

Dom Amore: As Jim Calhoun was sweating it out, one of his guys brought home an NBA title

*UConn grad Mark Daigneault led the Thunder to the NBA championship and started off the new season 26-4. The Thunder have had some problems with the Spurs, led by UConn’s Stephon Castle, who joined Bueckers for another first, rookies of the year in both leagues from the same school. It looks more and more as if the NBA playoffs will feature somebody from Connecticut, even if the Knicks parted ways with New Britain’s Tom Thibodeau as coach last June.

*The 2026 drafts will likely bring welcome news for Huskies Azzi Fudd in the WNBA, Braylon Mullins in the NBA and Bell in the NFL.

*The Travelers will again draw the majority of the world’s best golfers to Cromwell. That means Scottie Scheffler, No.1 in the world, could return to try for his second title in three years, June 25-28.

*The Yard Goats continue to draw fans to Hartford and send talent up to Colorado, though the parent club continues to founder. The new season starts April 2.

*The Athletic start up again March 7. The Wolf Pack, seventh in the Atlantic Division, have work to do to make the AHL playoffs again.

The Hartford HealthCare Women’s Championship, which had been held at Great River Golf Club in Milford since 2023, will be contested at the Golf Club of Avon for the next three years. The announcement was made on Thursday.

Tournament festivities will kick off with Women’s Day on July 21, and a pro-am on July 22. The event will run from the 23rd through the 26th.

The event, part of the LPGA’s Epson Tour, will see a purse increase over the next three years, with $250K in prize money next July, $275K in 2027 and $300K in 2028.

The last three winners of the event have all gone on to earn their LPGA Tour cards, including last year’s winner, Gina Kim.

With her mother caddying, Gina Kim takes home Hartford HealthCare Women’s Championship

“Kind of a bummer it was the last of the fall season, it kind of felt like things were turning,” he said. “But it put me in a good place for the spring. Really excited to get back after it.”

Costello will have to be patient, though, let the future come to him. This is some of the life coaching he gets from his grandmother, Babs, social media’s unlikeliest influencer, a rock star.

“I always tell Matt he’s been greatly blessed,” Barbara Costello said. “And to use his gifts and not worry and go out there and just relax. Golf is an extremely intense pressure sport, it’s got to be, but you also need to know that you have these gifts, you relax and you use your gifts. … And win or lose, you’ll always be a winner in our eyes.”

Vivacious Barbara “Babs” Costello, retired teacher, began using her gift of gab when her daughter convinced her to make a video in 2020, sharing one of her recipes. “And I thought it’d be one and done,” she said, flashing a grandmotherly dash of sports lingo.

Innocently, reluctantly, she plunged into the snark-infested waters of social media during the pandemic, flooding it with warmth and family vibes, and people responded overwhelmingly.

“None of this was planned,” she said. “You know, God has a plan for your life and you just go along and go, ‘Wow, how did this happen?’ It’s like people were looking for family, they were looking for their moms, grandmas, looking for some kind of normalcy and here’s this older lady on TikTok talking about cooking and obviously it struck a chord.”

Recipes, kitchen hacks, life tips — @BrunchWithBabs now has 3.9 million followers on Instagram, another 4.2 million on TikTok, 16,700 subscribers on YouTube — and all are encouraged to click on this column each and every Sunday morning. There is also her cookbook, substack, TV appearances. I was unfamiliar with Mrs. Costello, but after some binge clicking, this confirmed bachelor has learned how to make Key Lime ice box cake, get out stubborn oil stains using a toothbrush, and keep yellowjackets from invading an outdoor party by leaving an open can of tuna 30 feet away. Her YouTube channel bills Babs as “the internet mom/grandma you didn’t know you needed.”

At family gatherings, Barbara would have all the grandkids put their iPhones in a box upon entry, so as not to detract from family time. And now she’s one of the stars of the tiny screens in their hands?

“If you told me five years ago my grandmother would be like this famous social media influencer, I would have said ‘You’re crazy,'” Matt said. “But it’s been awesome to see. She loves it, she loves interacting and all the positive comments she gets. And I love it for her. She has not changed, she’s just the same person she was five years ago.”

Babs and her husband Bill, “Mr. Babs,” even made a golf-themed video for NBC Sports before The Open in 2021, where she smacked his hand off a doughnut and offered tips to “take eight strokes off your golf game:” Get a good night’s sleep, eat a healthy, protein-rich breakfast and keep hydrating.

“That was a very fun one,” Matt said. “The good stuff to do pre-rounds. Something we could both relate to and I could help with. ”

Dom Amore’s Sunday Read: Rare stress test for Geno Auriemma, CCSU slays another giant, and more

Videos of her recent trip to Notre Dame, where she punted, ran with the football, took a campus tour, are going viral right now. Barbara Costello, 77, a Chicago native and Marquette grad, settled in western Connecticut and became a teacher, raising four children and now enjoying eight grandkids.

Her son and Matt’s father, Bill, graduated from UConn, as did Matt’s older sister, Mary. Matt’s father gave him a set of plastic clubs as a toddler and he swung them, his grandmother remembers, like a grownup golfer, a natural. As he grew up in Staunton, Mass., Matt Costello became one of the top high school and young amateur golfers in the state, and targeted UConn as a dream school.

Coach Dave Pezzino rolled out the big artillery, taking the Costellos to a UConn men’s basketball game at Gampel Pavilion, and the recruiting deal was sealed.

“The kid’s a workaholic,” Pezzino said. “He played a very demanding junior schedule, any time, against anybody, and that resonated with me. Great handshake, looks you in the eye, a real Connecticut man, even though he’s from Massachusetts.”

Now Matt Costello, a lefty swinger, and Ellington’s Bradley Sawka, the Dick Tettelbach Award winner as Connecticut’s top amateur, are a 1-2 punch for UConn on the links. The team’s training trip to warm weather comes in January, with the spring season to follow.

“I think my golf game has matured the most, with the leadership to my teammates and with Coach,” Matt Costello said. “My course management has progressed, and there is room for improvement there. That’s the biggest thing for me, confidence in course management. … I still think I’m scratching the surface and my best is far to come. I don’t really have a goal, I just want to work as hard as I can, see how far, how good I can get.”

From freshman to sophomore year, Costello lowered his average from 76.2 to 72.8. His grandparents get out to watch him compete for UConn when they can, Babs brings the warmth and the life tips her family, and the world, find so comforting. “She’s always taught me, just staying patient and letting everything come to you,” Matt said.

“I get nervous, especially putting,” Babs said. “The strong, powerful strokes early in the game, fine, but then putting. He practices constantly. Sometimes I close my eyes and say a Hail Mary, and if everybody cheers, I know my prayers were answered.”

More for your Sunday Read:

Dom Amore: Jim Mora leaves UConn football far better than he found it. Now, what’s next?

Still unpacking Jim Mora’s departure

A few stray thoughts and fallout from the big news of the week. … Given Jim Mora’s departure from UConn, done in the unfortunate, abrupt, slip-out-the-back-Jack way these things are done nowadays, it’s a good time to point out one thing the NCAA, with full cooperation from the colleges and agents, should wade into: The timing of the coaching carousel and transfer portal.

In football, coaches jumping and players hitting the portal or opting out with a bowl game, even playoffs, still ahead is a nationwide epidemic. Open the portal Jan. 10 or so, and put a moratorium on coaching hires until that date. This would leave plenty of time for recruiting and portal surfing once positions are filled. If that’s not possible, then you might just as well get rid of most bowl games outside the playoffs. They’ve become meaningless exhibitions with interim coaches and JV lineups.

*Don’t be too concerned (yet) about UConn players entering the portal. Several players, including Skyler Bell, entered before the Fenway Bowl a year ago. Some played, some didn’t. Some came back, some didn’t. Players are wise to explore options, gauge interest, see how the coaching search plays out, gain leverage.

*Geno Auriemma’s take on the search: “Dave Benedict seems to get these things right, so I’ll leave it up to him. But we’re in much better shape than we were four years ago, so the pool of candidates, internal or external, a much greater pool to choose from and that’s because of what’s happened here since Jim took the job. Jim did what great coaches do, he put his stamp on the program.”

*Mora will be formally introduced at Colorado State on Monday. A head’s up for our brethren out there: Be ready to fire off questions. Hesitate half a second and he’ll disappear faster than a character on “Bewitched.” (We’re half joking).

‘She expects way more:’ UConn star Sarah Strong on pace for record-breaking sophomore season

Sunday short takes

*In this crazy, crass age in which we live, pearl-clutching over a coach’s foul language doesn’t do much for me. But one thing Dan Hurley should avoid is referring to the medical staff when players are injured. Even if he is just frustrated about the injury and doesn’t mean to point fingers, it can easily be interpreted that way. It’s just not a good look, or sound.

*Wait a minute. The Yankees’ payroll isn’t high enough? Are we really having that conversation?

*Yale basketball is off to another good start, taking home the trophy from the Virgin Islands after beating Wisconsin-Green Bay, College of Charleston and Akron in the Paradise Jam, going 21-for-21 from the line in the championship game. Senior Nick Townsend was the MVP, averaging 22 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists. Meanwhile, Conard-West Hartford’s Riley Fox is growing into a bigger role for the Bulldogs as a sophomore, averaging 12.9 points per game, shooting 52 percent on 3-pointers.

*Lenny Bonn, 72, is retiring after 50 distinguished years coaching football in Connecticut, most of it at Notre Dame High in West Haven, Branford High, where he was head coach, and his alma mater, Southern Connecticut, where he worked with running backs and special teams.

*NBC-CT loses an industrious, young talent, and Detroit gained, when Matt Finkel peace’d out as sports director at Channel 30 earlier this month. Wish him the best in his new, major-market gig.

*Auriemma was also effusive in his ZOOM call Friday effusive about quarterback Joe Fagnano: “I think one of the greatest stories in college football and the best story here is what Joe has done. He got here, had the job, then he lost it, had it, then lost it, easily that kid could have said, ‘I’m out.’ But the kid hung in there, guys from Pennsylvania who are Italian have a tendency to do that, and he had a season for the ages. One of the best stories in Connecticut sports in a long, long, long time.”

Last word

Semi-serious question: If Sarah Strong played 40 minutes against some of UConn’s conference opponents and set her mind to  it, could she get a quintuple-double?

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Kai Trump knew more than a year ago that she wanted to go to the University of Miami and play golf for the Hurricanes.

And the granddaughter of President Donald Trump never changed her mind.

Miami announced that Kai Trump is part of its women’s golf signing class on Wednesday, the first day of the NCAA Division I signing window for most sports. She filled out the letter of intent last week in a ceremony at her high school — not far from her grandfather’s Mar-a-Lago estate in West Palm Beach — but Miami could not acknowledge her signing or even her commitment until now because of the NCAA rule regarding signing dates.

How she’ll fare in college is anyone’s guess. But this much is certain: Miami golf is about to be getting a whole lot more attention.

“We view any potential exposure as positive for Miami golf,” Hurricanes coach Janice Olivencia said. “Our current team is a very mature and intelligent group of women. So, we anticipate that we will handle all the attention with great composure and enthusiasm.”

Kai Trump was part of a three-player recruiting class for the Hurricanes, who also signed Bella Dovhey from Orlando and Carlee Rogers from Tennessee. Olivencia said Dovhey “is going to bring the complete package” to the Hurricanes and that Rogers — one of the top juniors in her state — “will come to Coral Gables with a championship pedigree and an impressive record against some of the most elite junior competitors.”

Kai Trump, the daughter of Donald Trump Jr., committed to Miami in August 2024. She’s making her LPGA debut this week in The Annika at Pelican Golf Club, explaining in a news conference there Tuesday why Miami was her pick.

“I love the coaches. It’s close to home. Great school,” Kai Trump said. “I love the people there. My cousins went there as well, so I know people that have gone there. You know, it’s a great university and I’m looking forward playing for them.”

Kai Trump is scheduled to tee off at The Annika on Thursday at 12:32 p.m. Eastern, playing alongside Hinako Shibuno of Japan and Olivia Cowan of Germany.

The eldest granddaughter of the president is an influencer on social media; her behind-the-scenes video from election night has more than 5.1 million views on YouTube, and her video from going to the Ryder Cup with her grandfather has been viewed about 2 million times on YouTube alone. And yes, she plays golf with her grandfather, whose affinity for the game is no secret.

“We play a lot,” Kai Trump said. “We have a great time out there.”

Her LPGA debut comes this week courtesy of a sponsor’s exemption. Tournament host and Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam played with Kai Trump earlier this week and said she was impressed by the 17-year-old’s ability to ask questions.

“I just don’t know how she does it, honestly,” Sorenstam said. “To be 17 years old and hear all the comments, she must be super tough on the inside. I’m sure we can all relate what it’s like to get criticism here and there, but she gets it a thousand times.”

Kai Trump is open about her strengths and weaknesses when it comes to the game. She’s a big hitter; even Sorenstam was impressed with her length off the tee. The short game — being able to score around the green — is a work in progress.

“Kai will bring tremendous energy and excitement to Miami,” Olivencia said. “She’s a multisport athlete with a strong competitive spirit and a true love for the game of golf. Kai is very committed to her growth, both as a player and a person. And her emphasis on development will continue to lead her to new heights.”

The university hasn’t revealed much regarding what it’ll be like to have the president’s granddaughter on campus, but the Hurricanes are hoping that Kai Trump’s college experience will be as normal as possible.

“Our team is very welcoming,” Olivencia said. “They trust in us to continue to invite players to the program that will contribute in their own way, to raise the level of this team. In addition to that, we’re very fortunate at Miami to have a plethora of resources and great support systems. This class will certainly have the access our current student athletes have at The U from the minute they get on campus.”

The Saudi-funded breakaway circuit will align itself more with golf’s traditional tours by moving from three rounds to four next year.

The format switch could boost LIV’s bid to be recognized by the Official World Golf Ranking, which is critical because the four majors use its listing to help determine their fields.

The OWGR rejected LIV’s request for world ranking points when the league started, mainly over concerns about it being a closed shop of the same 54 players all year, except for alternates replacing injured players, and that team competition could affect the integrity of the individual competition since it was based on the same scores.

McIlroy has been outspoken about LIV’s disruption of the golf world, so was asked for his view of the change to 72 holes when speaking Wednesday at his news conference ahead of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

“I think it’s a peculiar move,” McIlroy said, “because I think they could have got ranking points with three rounds. I don’t think three rounds vs. four rounds is what was holding them back.

“It certainly puts them more in line with traditional golf tournaments than what we’ve all done,” he added. “It brings them back into not really being a destructor and sort of is falling more in line with what everyone else does. But if that’s what they felt they needed to do to get the ranking points, I guess that’s what they had to do.”

McIlroy questioned how many ranking points will be on offer at LIV Golf events.

“Because their strength of fields are going to be so weak because a lot of the guys have fallen already in the rankings because they have not had ranking points for so long, I don’t know if the ranking points are really going to benefit them,” McIlroy said.

“Yeah, it will be interesting to see how it plays out.”

McIlroy is playing the Abu Dhabi tournament for a 12th time. He has nine top-three finishes but has never won.

The Northern Irishman tops the season-long Race to Dubai standings with two events to play, and a win this week would push him closer to a seventh title in what was the Order of Merit — one off Colin Montgomerie’s record haul.

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf