FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS

With an action-packed tournament schedule across the circuits and controversies still to play out, 2023 looks set to be quite a year in professional golf

- FERGUS BISSET

Whatever your views on LIV Golf, there's no denying the soap opera put our sport in the wider public eye during 2022. From the rumours, the defections and the court cases to the finger-wagging spats between players, golf was almost continually in the sporting headlines through the year.

This year promises to deliver more of the same with an expanded LIV schedule offering an astronomical amount of prize money, the realistic possibility of further LIV signings, litigation and likely further wranglings over LIV events and world ranking points. That expanded LIV schedule - up to 14 events with some iconic venues added - will fit around what is set to be a bumper year of golf on the traditional tours.

The PGA Tour has also significantly upped its prize money for the year, with 13 'elevated events' offering increased purses and the guarantee of top players competing. On top of these boosted circuits, the LPGA Tour has announced a record-breaking schedule with $101 million in prize money, the DP World Tour continues to circumnavigate the globe and there's the small matter of the Ryder and Solheim Cups. Here we go....

THE MAJORS (WOMEN)

Four of the five women's Majors will be played at new venues in 2023. The Chevron Championship will visit a new course for the first time since the tournament's inception. It will be contested at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas. Jennifer Kupcho will defend the title. The tournament has been moved from early to late April. There will also be a new venue for the US Women's Open in 2023 - historic Pebble Beach Golf Links. It has hosted six US Opens, but this year the women take centre stage. Australia's Minjee Lee defends the title from June 6-9.