The first version of Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson was too serious and mistakenly held on PPV. The addition of two NFL stars should spice it up.

Matt Cooper takes a close look at the pre-final round position of the eventual winners on the PGA and European Tours since January 2000. (Getty Images)

This week, GOLF Channel and NBC (weekend) will re-air telecasts across respective amateur competitions and professional tours, beginning today (Thursday) with golf’s first major of the year, the LPGA Tour’s ANA Inspiration.

The PGA of America announced Thursday morning that the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship will not be played this year.

The R&A; on Thursday clarified that all options are still on the table for the 149th Open Championship, including the possibility of postponement.

Iowa State coaches and other athletic department staff members are getting pay cuts for one year to help offset lost revenue from the coronavirus pandemic. Athletic director Jaime Pollard wrote on the Cyclones' website that his department faces a $5 million shortfall this year because of the cancellation of the NCAA and Big 12 men's basketball tournaments. Previously announced increases in Cyclone Club annual giving levels have been delayed, prices for season and individual game ticket prices have been frozen for all sports and the deadline for booster club donations and football season ticket renewals has been extended to May 29.

Golf Australia on Thursday reiterated its recommendation that all golf courses in the country should be closed until further notice due to the coronavirus pandemic after some clubs continued to allow play this week. Australia has instructed people to stay inside unless shopping for food or taking exercise as it tries to contain the virus, which has infected more than 5,200 and killed 25 in the country. According to the most recent golf club participation reports, Australians play more than 10 million rounds of golf a year and there was some anger when Golf Australia first recommended that courses be shut down.

Caddies are golf's unsung heroes but they will never earn the riches made by some of the players and many will struggle during the European Tour suspension caused by the coronavirus pandemic, their chairman says. The pandemic has also brought a halt to conversations that Sean Russell and his association were having with prospective sponsors after he negotiated a groundbreaking agreement with the European Tour. Some caddies have been sacked the week after a player has won a tournament.

European Tour rookie Callum Hill won a mini-tour event in Arizona that included mass disqualifications in the opening round.

The 149th edition of the championship is set to take place from July 16-19 at Royal St George's in Sandwich, Kent. Coronavirus has caused havoc with the sporting calendar, including the postponement of the first two golf majors of the year, the Masters and the US PGA Championship. "We are continuing to work through our options for The Open this year, including postponement," R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers said in a statement.