PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Hello friends and welcome to this edition of The Rogers Report! I’m covering my first one PGA Tour event of the year in Players Championshipand is always one of my favorite events. I’ve been coming here since 2022 and always think of the event as a golf homecoming because almost all of my media friends cover this tournament every year. It’s the first time we’re all really in one place and it feels like the start of the big season before the big season starts. When people leave on a Sunday night, they always greet you with a fun goodbye:See you in Augusta!”
It’s already been a busy week here in the country, so let’s get right into it.
The first time
The PGA Tour hosts a “Rookie Players Championship” media day each year at The Players, and this year it did not disappoint. My colleague and friend Emma Devine and I took to the microphone and asked the newbies some rapid-fire questions. There are 14 new guys on the field this year, and while all the guys we talked to were great, Michael Thorbjornsen and Zach Bauchou stood out to me as two guys with big personalities.
Bauchou was teammates (and roommates!) with Viktor Hovland, so it’s no surprise that he had fun with his hot take question during our chat. You may recognize Bauchou as the player Hovland caddied for in a US Open qualifier less than 24 hours after winning the 2023 Memorial Tournament.
I actually knew Michael Thorbjornsen before he arrived on rookie day. I’ve interviewed him and his Boston Common teammates a few times on TGL this winter, but his personality really came through on Wednesday morning. I was very pleasantly surprised at how silly he was willing to be when answering our questions, and he was a breath of fresh air early in the morning.
The best merchandise on the PGA Tour
I know, I know. Masters isn’t second to none when it comes to merchandise, but Players deserves some respect of its own. The best part at Sawgrass every year? The women’s section is just as big as the men’s. Check out my on-site tour from earlier this week.
I’m sporting my new one The players sweater as I write, and I am very happy with the little sweater I got for a baby in the family. My merchandising game is in solid shape and I can’t wait for it to peak at the Masters next month.
Golf Free Agents
I have spent a lot of time over the last few years thinking about who I would want to be my apparel sponsor if I were a professional golfer. Nelly Korda always looks spectacular in Nike. Billy HorschelRLX’s lineup is unbeatable every year at the Masters. Adam Scott’s Uniqlo clothes are always nice, and I’m a big fan of their everyday wear. In all the time I’ve spent considering this hypothetical situation, it never occurred to me that the biggest sponsor might not have one at all. Right now, that’s the case for two of the top 15 players in the world – who told me they’re in no rush to sign a new clothing sponsor.
No sponsor, no problem.
Justin Thomas and Tommy Fleetwood are agents without clothes and enjoy creative control of their clothes.
Who do you think they will sign? pic.twitter.com/0tg0rOMVnA
—GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) March 10, 2026
I’m sure both Fleetwood and Thomas will collaborate with new companies eventually, but it’s been fun to see all their looks lately. Especially since Fleetwood has been rocking hats from some of his favorite Tour stops since parting ways with Nike.
Adam Scott who?
Long before Adam Scott was a Masters champion and a face of longevity on the PGA Tour, he was…. a ‘no name’? At least that’s what he said earlier this week, when the 14-time PGA Tour winner revealed a story from his time as a little boy at the 2004 Players Championship.
“Some Nameless”
Adam Scott is one of the most popular players in the world, but it wasn’t always this way. He shared a hilarious story from his 2004 Players Championship win during his press conference. pic.twitter.com/HhqsMAjSra
—GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) March 10, 2026
The good news is that Adam Scott went on to win that week, and many more times after that. Twenty-two years later, he’s still competing on the Tour, so it’s safe to say he had the last laugh here.
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