Tournament Chairman Pat Williams announced today WM ambassador and 23-year PGA TOUR veteran Charley Hoffman will receive the first of five available sponsor exemptions for the 2023 WM Phoenix Open, set to tee it up February 6-12 at TPC Scottsdale.

“We’re obviously very proud to present our first sponsor exemption to 23-year PGA TOUR veteran and WM ambassador Charley Hoffman,” Williams said. “Charley has been a wonderful friend of not only our tournament, but our title sponsor and our local communities. We’re looking forward to seeing him in action this February and excited to welcome him back to ‘The People’s Open’.”

Since, turning professional in 2000, the San Diego native has recorded four PGA TOUR wins including the 2007 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, the 2010 Deutsche Bank Championship, the 2014 OHL Classic at Mayakoba and the 2016 Valero Texas Open. Hoffman also was a member of the 2017 U.S. Presidents Cup team. Hoffman will make his 17th start at “The People’s Open” with his best finish coming in 2009 as a runner-up to eventual winner Kenny Perry.

Tournament Chairman Pat Williams announced today World No. 1 and four-time major winner Rory McIlroy has officially committed to play in the 2023 WM Phoenix Open Presented by Taylor Morrison, which is set to tee it up February 6-12 at TPC Scottsdale. This will be McIlroy’s second appearance at “The People’s Open”, he finished T-13 in his 2021 debut.

“We’re beyond excited to welcome one of the most decorated golfers of this generation, Rory McIlroy, back to ‘The People’s Open’,” Williams said. “Rory’s accomplishments on and off the golf course are indicative of what it means to be a ‘pro’s pro,’ we are thrilled that our fans get to watch him in action at TPC Scottsdale for a second time.”

Check out the best shots of the day from Round 4 at the 2023 Sony Open in Hawaii, featuring Si Woo Kim, Chris Kirk and Hayden Buckley among others.

Golf fitness can cover a lot of territory but, as a youth golf coach, I see stretching, cardio, speed work, strength training and injury prevention as the top areas of focus for kids.

In thinking about one of those areas — strength training — I turned to my friend and award-winning Golf Fitness Instructor Scott Shepard.

Happy New Year! This week's episode of the Gear Of The Week show sees Neil Tappin, Martin Hopley and Dan Parker reflect on all the best equipment that 2022 had to offer while briefly looking ahead at what we might be expecting for 2023. Was 2022 a vintage year for new golf equipment?