Golfers Drop Out, New Faces Step In for Big Tournament

Big changes happened just before the World Wide Technology Championship (WWTC) golf tournament. Si Woo Kim, a fan favorite who has earned over $30 million since 2013, pulled out just two days before the event started. Vince Covello got his spot instead. But Kim wasn't the only one to back out. Aaron Wise also withdrew because of a back injury. Hayden Springer took his place in the tournament. The WWTC is a big deal because it's the first PGA Tour event ever held in Mexico in the modern era of golf. It started in 2007 and has been played at El Cardonal at Diamante for the third time this year. Some big names are still playing, like J. J. Spaun, Ben Griffin, Wyndham Clark, and Matt Kuchar. Ben Griffin is the favorite to win, with good odds at +1100. Looking ahead, the next PGA Tour event is the Sony Open in Hawaii on January 15, 2026. Rory McIlroy, who won the Masters this year, plans to play fewer tournaments next year. He wants to focus more on the major events and spend time with his family. McIlroy said, \"I’ll always look at the schedule at the start of the year and see what best fits me and my life. \" He likes having the freedom to choose which tournaments to play in.