With the regular season halfway over, The PRO Tour heads to Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., for one of the crown jewels on the circuit.
PGA National's The Champion course, site of the PGA Tour's Cognizant Classic.
Less than two months after Nico Echavarria walked off the 72nd hole as the Cognizant champion, a field led by frontrunners Tyler Clippard and Aaron Hicks take aim at the par-71 masterpiece spanning more than 7,200 yards for the four-day event running April 20-23.
While all three trophies and the lion's share of points sit with two players, a long path remains until the playoffs tee off in August and The PRO crowns its first champion a month later.
That's because after nine rounds and 162 holes, the defining characteristic of the Tour is clear:
Competition.
The third stop on tour, at Fallen Oak Golf Course in Saucier, Miss., ended in the same fashion as the two previous stops. In a playoff.
But not all trends from the first two events made their way to just outside Biloxi, as Clippard's reign as the Tour's only champion this season came to an end as fellow-ex-major leaguer Hicks broke through for his first trophy.
Before play tees off in Florida, let's take a look at how things started, how we got here, and where we're going this season.
Who We Are
The PRO brings together retired professional athletes for fun, camaraderie -- and competition. Spearheaded by Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz, the Tour maintains a pool of roughly 150 athletes from which a field of roughly 80 golfers are selected for each tournament. In keeping with the theme of elite competition for elite athletes, players are invited to the Tour through their on-course performance and their professionalism and commitment to the sport of golf.
The PRO launched in 2024 with The PRO Cup, the first of three events held prior to the start of the current format. Team BSB, captained by Smoltz and including fellow former major leaguers Tyler Clippard, Kevin Millar, Josh Donaldson and Cody Ross, beat Team FTB 54-52 to win the championship at Innisbrook Resort in December.
On March 23, 2025, former Atlanta Falcons quarterback and 2016 NFL MVP Matt Ryan won the first singles tournament, coming back from down 7 points to begin Round 3 to win The PRO FTB over runner-up Garrett Graham, the former Houston Texans tight end.
In the final tournament before the current season began, San Jose Sharks legend Joe Pavelski scored 40 points in the final round and finished with 119 to win The PRO Lakewood at The Lakewood Club in August 2025.
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Event 1: The PRO Cup (Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor Orlando, Fla.), December 2024
Winner: Team BSB (54 points)
Runner-up: Team FTB (52 points)
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Event 2: The PRO FTB (PGA Frisco in Frisco, Texas), March 2025
Winner: Matt Ryan (95 points)
Runner-up: Garrett Graham (91 points)
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Event 3: The PRO Lakewood (The Lakewood Club in Point Clear, Ala.), August 2025
Winner: Joe Pavelski (119 points)
Runner-up: Mardy Fish (113 points)
The Scoring
The PRO Tour uses a modified Stableford scoring system in all its events. Rewarding aggressive shot-taking, this system allows players make up ground quickly if they make the perfect shot:
Soring Format
- Double Eagle: 10 points
- Hole in One: 8 points
- Eagle: 6 points
- Birdie: 4 points
- Par: 2 points
- Bogey: 1 point
- Double-Bogey: -1 point
The Playoffs
After six events, the playoff field is set.
The first 32 players in the 40-player semifinal field come from the top eight players in the standings from each of the following sports:
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Football
- Hockey
The final eight spots are filled by the eight highest-remaining players in the standings regardless of sport, and includes players who did not play in the above-mentioned sports (e.g., soccer, tennis).
How We Got Here
Stop 1: Grand Cypress (Orlando, Fla.), Dec. 8-11, 2025
Winner: Tyler Clippard (123 points)
Runner-up: Aaron Hicks (123 points)
After emerging from a field of seven contenders who were within one hole of the top of the leaderboard throughout the day, ex-MLB players Clippard and Hicks faced off for a two-hole playoff, with Clippard sinking a birdie putt on the second hole to win it.
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Stop 2: Indian Wells (Indian Wells, Calif.), Feb. 16-19
Winner: Tyler Clippard (125 points)
Runner-up: Joe Pavelski (125 points)
For the second straight event, Clippard needed to go beyond 54 holes to take the title, this time going toe-to-toe with San Jose Sharks legend Joe Pavelski for three playoff holes before emerging with the win. The big shot in this one came in regulation, as Clippard's 8-iron from 180 yards out on 18 led to a birdie putt that ultimately forced the extra holes. “We didn’t have a lot over there and I had to get it into about a five-yard window to even have a chance to get it on the green,” Clippard said. “It was just a perfect shot.”
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Stop 3: Fallen Oak (Saucier, Miss.), March 30-April 2
Winner: Aaron Hicks (119 points)
Runner-up: Garrett Graham (119 points)
Three tournaments, three playoffs. But no Clippard this time. Instead, it was Hicks going up-and-down from a greenside bunker on 18 to catch Graham, the former NFL tight end, before parring 18 again to win the event. "My heart was pounding," Hicks said of how he felt standing over what would be the winning putt. "Being able to get the win is awesome." Clippard had a respectable showing nonetheless, finishing tied with former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo for third, seven points out of the playoff.
Where We're Going
Stop 4: PGA National (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.), April 210-23
Stop 5: Savannah Harbor Golf Resort (Savannah, Ga.), May 18-21
Stop 6: Location TBA, June
Semifinals: Turning Stone (Verona, N.Y.), Aug. 24-27
Championship: Black Desert (Ivins, Utah), Sept. 15-19
The Rivalries
The Tour may still be in its infancy, but some rivalries have already began to take shape, both of the competitive and lighthearted nature.
- Tyler Clippard vs. Aaron Hicks: On the leaderboard, this has been the rivalry of the season. Three wins and six top fives in three tournaments. You can't beat that. Their rivalry thus far peaked in the opening event with a playoff needed to decide who would get the Tour's first title. And though Clippard won the first two events, Hicks turned up the pressure a little bit by getting his own trophy at Fallen Oak and closing the gap on Clippard.
- John Smoltz vs. Josh Donaldson: The Commish vs. The Bringer of Rain. No rivalry had drawn more attention than the friendly (we think) jousting between these two former major leaguers, former Atlanta Braves and former All-Stars. The two made no secret at Fallen Oak of their desire to beat one another, with Smoltz admitting, "I want to beat him bad." For more of the rivalries brewing on the course, watch some of the pros calling out their competitors.
- Gerald Henderson vs. Gerald Henderson Jr.: OK, so this one is definitely on the lighthearted side. But when Gerald Henderson Jr. and Sr. were interviewed at Fallen Oak, the son spared little expense in poking fun at dad -- even though dad is a three-time NBA champion. And Jr.'s caddie!
Best of the Best
Before we head to Florida, take a look at some of the best content from Mississippi:
Day 1
Michael Arkush — Surfer catches next wave of his career on The PRO Tour
Day 2
Michael Arkush — From football to fairways, The PRO newbie Adam Thielen adjusts to life after the NFL
Day 3
Michael Arkush — Aaron Hicks wins it in another PRO instant classic