RIYADH: The Arab Golf Federation (AGF) has announced the launch of the Arab Golf Series (AGS), a new, unified schedule of tournaments in the region which also includes an official independent ranking system. The initiative is set to transform golf in the Arab world by enhancing competition, identifying and nurturing emerging talent, and providing Arab golfers of all levels with a clear pathway to professional success.

The AGS, which officially kicked off with its first event at the Qatar Open at Doha Golf Club, sets out a new schedule of tournaments that adopts Arab Golf Federation member’s amateur open events. The series will be rolled out across men’s tournaments in the region and will then expand to competitions across women’s and junior fields. Working closely with the 17 national federations included, the new series will roll out through 2025, driving the growth of the sport in the region and promoting Arab golfing ability on the global stage.

The new regional rankings, revealed as part of AGS, will offer a structured system that rewards performance and provides a pathway for Arab golfers to progress to the highest levels. By earning ranking points, players can leverage their success to qualify for elite and professional tournaments, creating new opportunities for rising stars to compete at elite levels.

The ranking system will follow a structured, points-based mechanism in line with global best practices. Factors such as strength of field, number of players, and average tournament scores will be taken into consideration when calculating ranking points for each event, ensuring player performance is assessed fairly and able to contribute to their overall standing.

In addition to the competitive doors that the initiative will open, exposure to more elite tournaments will also increase the ability for Arab golfers to access critical scholarships through the AGF’s expansive programs.

Following the Qatar Open, the series is set to continue with the Cedars Golf Championship, Pan-Arab Ladies & Juniors Championship, and the Jordan Open. A full 2025 regional calendar will also be confirmed, further expanding competitive opportunities for Arab golfers.

The Arab Golf Federation, which represents the collective interests of 17 member federations, aims to streamline the governance of golf in the Arab world and enhance its overall development by creating enhanced and accessible opportunities for its members. With this key announcement, AGF will leverage its extensive network and expertise to oversee the roll-out of the new series and ranking system, ensuring it aligns with the unique needs and aspirations of Arab players and future golf champions from the region.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida: Jake Knapp knew he was on the verge of something special early on Thursday, with a run of five straight birdies to open his round at the Cognizant Classic.

In the end, he joined one of golf’s most elite clubs.

Knapp — the 99th-ranked player in the world — joined the PGA Tour’s sub-60 club on Thursday, shooting a bogey-free 59 in the opening round at PGA National. It was the 15th time that someone has broken 60 in a PGA Tour event.

“It’s just one of those days where everything was kind of clicking,” Knapp said.

Knapp finished one shot off the tour scoring record of 58, done by Jim Furyk in the final round of the 2016 Travelers Championship. Knapp became the 14th player to shoot a sub-60 round; Furyk is the only one to do it twice. The feat has become more frequent, with nine such rounds since 2016.

Knapp had a putt for eagle at the par-5 18th that would have tied Furyk’s mark of 58 — 18 feet, 8 inches was the measurement given by the PGA Tour. The putt didn’t have the speed and he tapped in for birdie.

And yes, he was thinking about 58 — especially after a long birdie putt at the 15th put him at 11 under for the round.

“I stepped up on the 16 tee and just kind of told my caddie, ‘Let’s play 2 under in the last three,’” Knapp said. “‘Let’s do what we’re supposed to do.’”

He had to settle for 59, if a 59 can ever actually be settled for.

“I thought I played well,” said Daniel Berger, who had a bogey-free round of 8-under 63, highlighted by a par on the par-5 10th — after his tee shot was lost in a tree and he played a provisional. “But then someone shot 59.”

Knapp’s 12-birdie round on the par-71 course also broke the previous Cognizant scoring record of 61, first done in 2012 by Brian Harman and matched in 2021 by Matt Jones. There are three rounds of 62 in tournament history — Tiger Woods in the final round in 2012 on his way to a tie for second, Brandon Hagy in the second round in 2021 and eventual winner Chris Kirk in the second round of the 2023 event.

There was barely any wind, which is rare for South Florida, and PGA National was largely defenseless in the morning session. The closest there was to any trouble was around the seventh hole, where Billy Horschel — a Florida Gator from his college days — used a club to poke at an actual alligator that was catching some sun near the green and got it to retreat back to its watery home.

Even wildlife didn’t deter scoring in Round 1. Berger, Russell Henley and Sami Valimaki all shot 63, Rickie Fowler was among those at 64, Jordan Spieth — continuing his comeback after wrist surgery — shot 65, and Horschel, Zach Johnson and Camilo Villegas were among those who opened with a 66.

For the day, the average score was 68.62, the lowest ever for a tournament round at PGA National.

And nobody had an easier time than Knapp, who finished no better than a tie for 17th in any of his first seven starts of 2025 — and then played his way into golf history at PGA National, a course that players have said has been less punitive in recent years. He needed to make only 98 feet of putts, a tribute to a day of excellent ball-striking.

“You still have to hit shots. You have to make putts,” Fowler said. “Yeah, 59 anywhere is hard to do. I don’t care if you go play from 6,500 yards. You still have to make putts. You still have to hit it close enough to have those opportunities. With this place, we’ve seen some low scores, guys get after it when the conditions are right. But obviously no one has shot 59 before out here.”

Knapp has one PGA Tour win, that coming at last year’s Mexico Open. He’s played the Cognizant only once before, tying for fourth last year after shooting three rounds of 68 or better and finishing at 13 under.

And this year, so far, he’s even better.

“You’ve got to tip your hat to him,” Horschel said. “He shot a 12-under-par 59 at PGA National, which no one ever thought.”

Horschel and Knapp crossed paths after the round, and Horschel — offering congratulations — told him he would have wagered “a lot of money ... like, a lot of money” on nobody ever shooting 59 at PGA National.

“I feel like I shot 4 over after seeing what you shot,” Horschel told Knapp as he walked away.

Knapp started Thursday with five straight birdies, that stretch highlighted by a 60-foot chip-in at the par-4 second hole. The birdies kept coming in bunches; three in a row on holes 9 through 11, three more coming on holes 13 through 15 — the last of those a big breaking putt from 31 feet, going across the green before dropping dead center into the cup.

Mike Stephens, Knapp’s caddie, said they were not afraid to talk about the chances that awaited on the final three holes.

“I think if anything, maybe your playing competitors try to give you a little distance or whatnot, but he likes to talk,” Stephens said. “So, we’d kind of go over things on the last couple (holes), to try to fill the time. Just to keep it the same. ... Just another day.”

Well, not quite. A 59 is not just another day.

“Whether I shot 89 or 59, I’m going to come back out and do my job tomorrow,” Knapp said.