On average, players are hitting roughly 90% of fairways off-the-tee at the Tiger Woods designed golf course El Cardonal. If everyone is virtually playing from the fairway, this gives a greater emphasis on approach play and putting. Specifically with your approach shots, El Cardonal is a straightforward middle to long iron test.

In this segment, I want to identify the best pure iron players. Over the last 36 rounds, here are the best overall approach players in the field:

Josh Segal

LIV Golf is now a 72 hole golf tournament

Does LIV Golf need to change its name now?

Yesterday, LIV Golf announced a major adjustment to its tournaments. The league is changing their tournaments from 54 holes to 72 holes for the 2026 season. Here is a statement from CEO Scott O’Neil: 

“As we enter our fourth season as a League, the move to 72 holes marks a pivotal new chapter for LIV Golf that strengthens our League, challenges our elite field of players, and delivers more of the world-class golf, energy, innovation and access that our global audience wants”.

When I read the news at first, I was a little surprised because I don’t believe that the LIV leadership gets it. But as I thought about it further, this must have been a decision that the star players really pushed for. LIV golfers have been criticized for not looking prepared for major championships, and many believe that due to playing fewer golf tournaments and fewer rounds, lacking competitive reps. With now playing full 72 hole tournaments, it’s now an opportunity for players to get more into major championship shape.

There are many reasons why professional golfers don’t believe in LIV Golf and refuse to sign with this tour. However, with LIV transitioning to 72 holes, will this be a major kicker for players to go over to LIV and take the guaranteed money? I believe it’s a really intriguing argument that playing more golf will entice golfers to potentially flip to LIV. 

There is still one major point I haven’t brought up yet, which is Official World Golf Ranking points. LIV has been battling with the OWGR to get sanctioned for their players to earn world ranking points.

If you go back and listen to players talking about LIV, one of the key drawbacks mentioned is not earning world ranking points. Ranking inside the top 50 in the OWGR guarantees you a spot in major championships. If you aren’t a major champion and you are on LIV, it’s pretty hard to qualify. 

Will moving to a 72 hole format convince Trevor Immelman, the OWGR Chairman, to finally give LIV events world ranking points? It’s definitely worthy of a conversation if you believe that going to 72 holes increases the competitive integrity of the tour.   

Just to wrap things up, it’s ironic because one of LIV’s selling points was that you are playing less golf. Funny how things change so quickly!

Who would you bet to win the NFL MVP Today?

I did a similar exercise a couple of weeks ago when I wrote about what team I would bet on to win the Super Bowl, considering their odds on sportsbook. 

This week, the question I am raising is: “What player would you bet on to win NFL MVP today?”

My answer: Matthew Stafford +600

If you read my column on who I would bet on the Super Bowl, my pick was the LA Rams at 12-1. My pick to win MVP with Matthew Stafford is correlated with how bullish I am on the LA Rams to make a deep playoff run this year. 

Let’s dive into Stafford’s stats. The former number one overall pick and Super Bowl champion ranks 6th in passing yards, 1st in passing TDs (21), and 6th in passer rating. He is playing mistake free football, only having thrown two interceptions this year. This can be credited to the cast of elite playmakers around him in arguably the best receivers  in the NFL, Puka Nacua, future first ballot hall of fame in Davante Adams, and a great all around running back in Kyren Williams. 

To win the NFL MVP, your team needs to be one of the best in the league. As it currently stands, the Rams are 6-2 and tied for first in the NFC West with the Seattle Seahawks. The Rams have a pretty tough stretch to end the year with the Niners, the Seahawks twice, Buccaneers, and the Detroit Lions. However, I believe this plays right into Stafford’s hands well for his MVP case. 

A couple of these games will be either on national television or be Fox’s Game of the Week. Having the opportunity to win big games in standalone time slots, with the entire football fanbase just watching your game is so key. It seems like MVP winners need to have a moment or two down the stretch to really cement your case to the voters. 

Coming into the year, Stafford’s health was a big question mark due to missing the majority of training camp with a back injury. However, Stafford is playing some of the best football in the league and I believe he is on a trajectory to win the NFL MVP award and maybe another Super Bowl ring to his hall of fame resume.

ISN Content Update: DP World Tour Articles

One of our well respected subscribers, Bexico City, is one of the sharpest golf bettors in our discord. He specifically excels at breaking down the DP World Tour and handicapping each tournament, specifically analyzing how he expects the golf course to play. We are happy to bring on Bexico City to the team to contribute a weekly DP World article. Here is his preview for this week: