Connect with us

Sports

Spurned young pro says LIV Golf didn't deliver much for him besides money

“It’s frustrating, but I’m excited for the new opportunity and to see where my game takes me.” “I see what it’s like to win on the PGA Tour and how your life changes,” Chacarra said. “How you get major access and ranking points. On LIV, nothing changes, there is only money. It doesn’t matter if […]

Published

on

Spurned young pro says LIV Golf didn't deliver much for him besides money

“It’s frustrating, but I’m excited for the new opportunity and to see where my game takes me.”

“I see what it’s like to win on the PGA Tour and how your life changes,” Chacarra said. “How you get major access and ranking points. On LIV, nothing changes, there is only money. It doesn’t matter if you finish 30th or first, only money. I’m not a guy who wants more money. What will change my life is playing in Hawaii and qualifying for the majors, qualifying for the Masters, the Ryder Cup.

Spaniard Eugenio Chacarra, who is only 24, made a ton of money on LIV Golf for mostly mediocre performances over the last three years. The former Oklahoma State star got his pro career off with a bang, winning in Bangkok in only his fifth start. That ended up being Chacarra’s peak, because over the last two years, he’s notched two top-10 finishes in 27 starts and never sniffed another victory.

Chacarra, however, became expendable to LIV after average event finishes of 26th and 32nd in 48-man fields over 2023-24, and his contract was not renewed for 2025 on captain Sergio Garcia’s Fireballs GC. With no opportunity to play for one year on the PGA Tour after his last LIV event, per tour rules, he’s a man without a home tour at the moment, and it sounds like he may be regretting everything but the money.

Chacarra, who will play later this month in the Asian Tour’s International Series, on which he had two top-five finishes in 2024, and hopes for some exemptions on the DP World Tour, might have strayed a bit off point in the interview when he compared himself to Ludvig Aberg. The 23-year-old Swede already is a legitimate star on the PGA Tour, with a Ryder Cup appearance, one win each on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour and a rise to No. 6 in the World Ranking. (Chacarra is 325th.)

“When I joined LIV, they promised OWGR and majors. But it didn’t happen. I trusted them. I was the first young guy, then the others came after I made the decision. But OWGR and majors still hasn’t happened.

Chacarra contends that LIV’s leadership made him feel as if it’d only be a matter of time before the circuit was afforded Official World Golf Ranking points and the ability to qualify for the majors. But, fighting headwinds from OWGR, LIV withdrew its application in March 2024. Each major has handled inviting LIV players deemed worthy.

In an interview with the “Flushing It” podcast, Chacarra said, “I’m thankful for everything LIV has given me. I’m 24 years old, and my life is set. I don’t know if it will work out for the best or not, but I know this is what my heart tells me is right and it works for my motivation to wake up and grind and get better, and to say I can be a PGA Tour player one day.”

Still, his bank account swelled by more than million combined in those three seasons, aside from whatever original signing bonus he got. That pencils out to more than 5,000 per start. Nearly anybody in the game would take that kind of return.

“So this decision is what’s best for me. I’m very thankful for what they’ve done, but my mind is different now and I want to get to what I was dreaming about when I was little. Because obviously LIV didn’t exist when I was growing up. I was watching Tiger Woods winning on the PGA Tour, and I want to do that.”

“I’m a winner and I was never treated like a winner [on LIV],” Chacarra said. “On the PGA Tour, Ludvig Aberg has one win, and I have one win on LIV. He has one win on the European Tour, and I have one win on the International Series on the Asian Tour. So we have similar careers, but he has way more experience and plays way more big tournaments, but we have the same wins.

“We have performed similar. What tours I can play on, I have won. Same with him. But he’s the No. 6 player in the world and everyone talks about him. But on LIV, I’m the only young guy who’s won, and they never talk about me. They always talk about the same guys. I’m not blaming them, they probably know more, but they don’t really care about the young guys much.

Sports

TCU to Open 2025 Season at College Volleyball Showcase

Story Links PITTSBURGH – TCU volleyball will open its 2025 season at the College Volleyball Showcase at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa., over Labor Day weekend. The Horned Frogs are set to take on defending national champion Penn State and Pitt in the four-match event along with Arizona State.   Launched […]

Published

on


PITTSBURGH – TCU volleyball will open its 2025 season at the College Volleyball Showcase at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa., over Labor Day weekend. The Horned Frogs are set to take on defending national champion Penn State and Pitt in the four-match event along with Arizona State.
 
Launched in 2024 with a similar group of elite programs – Minnesota, Stanford, Texas and Wisconsin – the State Farm Women’s College Volleyball Showcase will once again shine a spotlight on the new college volleyball season with must-see nationally televised contests.
 
Taking place at PPG Paints Arena, the four teams will compete on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1. All four matches will be broadcast on national TV across the Fox platforms. Match times and television designations will be announced at a later date.
 
TCU finished the 2024 season with a 22-8 record, advancing to its third consecutive NCAA Tournament. The Frogs recorded their first 20-win season since 2011 and were ranked in the AVCA poll for the first time in program history held strong in the rankings for 14 straight weeks, ending the season at No. 25.
 
Last season, Penn State staked its claim as the nation’s top team after winning its eighth national championship in program history. The Nittany Lions won 35 matches and the Big Ten Conference title. Pitt made its fourth-straight Final Four appearance last year. The ACC Champions posted a 33-2 record overall, led by AVCA National Player of the Year Olivia Babcock. Arizona State won the Big 12 title and earned its way into the second round of the NCAA Tournament, rounding out a stacked field.
 
Fans interested in learning more about the event and gaining early access to a 24-hour ticket presale opportunity, which will take place on May 20, can access the general event page on the PPG Paints Arena website. The general public ticket sale will begin May 21.
 
For all the latest TCU volleyball news, follow the Frogs on Twitter at @TCUVolleyball, on Instagram at @tcuvolleyball and on Facebook at TCU Volleyball.
 
 





Link

Continue Reading

Sports

Announcement on Beach Volleyball Leadership

Story Links HONOLULU – University of Hawai’i beach volleyball coach Evan Silberstein will not return as head coach, Acting Athletics Director Lois Manin announced. Silberstein’s contract ends on May 31, 2025 and will not be renewed.   “We have decided to move in a different direction with our beach volleyball program,” Manin […]

Published

on


HONOLULU – University of Hawai’i beach volleyball coach Evan Silberstein will not return as head coach, Acting Athletics Director Lois Manin announced. Silberstein’s contract ends on May 31, 2025 and will not be renewed.
 
“We have decided to move in a different direction with our beach volleyball program,” Manin said. “We appreciate everything Evan has given to this program as both an assistant and head coach and we wish him well.”
 
Silberstein spent 11 years with the program including the last four as head coach, compiling an 89-59 record.
 
Women’s Volleyball Assistant Coach Nick Castello will serve as interim head coach until a new head coach is hired.
 

#HawaiiBVB



Link

Continue Reading

Sports

Pitt, Penn State to play in women’s college volleyball showcase at PPG Paints Arena

The Pitt and Penn State women’s volleyball programs, two of the best in the college game, will be part of four-team showcase event Labor Day weekend at PPG Paints Arena. Four contested matches will kick off the college volleyball season Aug. 31 and Sept. 1. The defending NCAA champion Nittany Lions and semifinalist Panthers will […]

Published

on


The Pitt and Penn State women’s volleyball programs, two of the best in the college game, will be part of four-team showcase event Labor Day weekend at PPG Paints Arena.

Four contested matches will kick off the college volleyball season Aug. 31 and Sept. 1.

The defending NCAA champion Nittany Lions and semifinalist Panthers will headline the event but will not play each other. Both teams will play Arizona State and TCU.

Penn State captured its eighth national title last fall, while the Panthers made a fourth straight trip to the NCAA Final Four. Arizona State and TCU both advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The State Farm Women’s College Volleyball Showcase launched last year with matches between Minnesota, Stanford, Texas and Wisconsin, drawing more than 22,000 fans to Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum.

Match times and television designations are still to be determined.

A ticket presale will be held May 20, and tickets for the general public will go on sale May 21.

Visit the PPG Paints Arena website for tickets and more information.



Link

Continue Reading

Sports

LOCAL ROUNDUP: Flagstaff beach volleyball falls in D-II State Championship semifinals | Local News

State AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington D.C.West VirginiaWisconsinWyomingPuerto RicoUS Virgin IslandsArmed Forces AmericasArmed Forces PacificArmed Forces EuropeNorthern Mariana IslandsMarshall IslandsAmerican SamoaFederated States of MicronesiaGuamPalauAlberta, CanadaBritish Columbia, CanadaManitoba, CanadaNew Brunswick, CanadaNewfoundland, CanadaNova Scotia, CanadaNorthwest Territories, CanadaNunavut, CanadaOntario, CanadaPrince Edward Island, CanadaQuebec, CanadaSaskatchewan, CanadaYukon Territory, Canada Zip Code Country United States of […]

Published

on







Link

Continue Reading

Sports

Second year of boys volleyball brings improved play

Second year of boys volleyball brings improved play Published 12:46 pm Wednesday, April 30, 2025 1 of 7 Crook County’s Caleb Decker, left, tries to block a spike from Summit’s Anand Groves, during the Summit-Crook County volleyball match at Summit High in Bend Monday afternoon. 4-28-25 Andy Tullis/The Bulletin Summit’s 3Edward Archer, left, bumps the […]

Published

on


Second year of boys volleyball brings improved play

Published 12:46 pm Wednesday, April 30, 2025

One of the main differences between the first and second year of high school boys volleyball in Oregon is in the eyes of Summit’s Gavin White.

White can’t remember a single set during the high school season a year ago en route to a state title where the matches were competitive. This year, the competition level, he feels, has been raised.

“We haven’t had many close games except for this year,” said White, a junior setter. “I think it is good to see some better teams that are going to put up a fight.”

Monday evening two of the three Central Oregon boys volleyball teams squared off at Summit High. Summit rolled past Crook County in straight sets (25-8, 25-13, 26-24). The Storm have won eight of nine matches this spring, and have won 22 of the possible 26 sets.

But against the Cowboys, despite winning handily in the first two sets, the Storm found themselves in unfamiliar territory in the third set. They were in a major hole and needed to dig their way out to avoid dropping the set.

“They are working on meshing together as a team and keeping that excitement up,” said Crook County coach Mallory Hall of her team. “Because when they do, they play great.”

Crook County built a 13-5 lead midway through the set and had the set tied at 24 before the Storm were ultimately able to pull away. Being on the ropes, even for a set, isn’t something Summit was used to.

“We don’t have a lot of these situations in school volleyball,” said Summit sophomore Aiden Woods. “But we do in club volleyball.”

With boys volleyball being such a new sport at the high school level – the second year of its trial run as an “emerging activity” with the chance to be a fully-sanctioned sport by the Oregon Schools Activities Association next year – there is a high variance of skill level.

But perhaps it is to be expected with so many schools and the majority of the athletes giving the sport a try for the first time. Some teams have a core of players who play volleyball for a club, while others are starting from scratch trying to build and introduce a new sport.

That is the case for Crook County. When the program started a year ago, only one of its players had played volleyball competitively.

“The difference in skill for each player has been amazing,” Hall said. “Just seeing them come back from last year and realized where we started last year and seeing how well they have honed their skills has been really great to see as a coach.”

The Cowboy have put together a quality season, winning five of their eight matches with two of their losses coming to Summit.

There are four games remaining in the regular season and the Cowboys are hoping to get better in time for the eight-team Class 4A culminating event in late May.

“We are just hoping that they can continue to improve,” Hall said. “We don’t want them to plateau. We are going to keep practicing. I’m just hoping that they are able to make the improvements that they are hoping for.”

Brian Rathbone has been the sports reporter for the Bulletin since 2019. He likes playing basketball, running and spending time with his dog, Rodger.

He can be reached at 541-668-7538, brian.rathbone@bendbulletin.com, or on X/IG @ByBrianRathbone

email author
More by Brian



Link

Continue Reading

Sports

West Coast Conference Announces 2025 Beach Volleyball Awards

Story Links SAN BRUNO, Calif. – LMU won its sixth straight West Coast Conference Championship last Friday in Santa Monica, Calif., and the Lions nearly pulled off a clean sweep of the 2025 West Coast Conference all-conference and major awards, as announced by the Conference on Wednesday. LMU’s major awards include John […]

Published

on


SAN BRUNO, Calif. – LMU won its sixth straight West Coast Conference Championship last Friday in Santa Monica, Calif., and the Lions nearly pulled off a clean sweep of the 2025 West Coast Conference all-conference and major awards, as announced by the Conference on Wednesday.

LMU’s major awards include John Mayer winning Coach of the Year, Chloe Hooker winning Defensive Player of the Year, and the Pair of the Year went to Isabelle Reffel and Magdalena Rabitsch. LMU’s Tanon Rosenthal was named Co-Freshman of the Year with Pepperdine’s Emma Eden. 

All-conference honors and major individual awards were selected solely by the seven conference head coaches. 

 

Reffel and Rabitsch finished the 2025 campaign with an overall record of 35-4. Playing primarily on the No. 4 court, the tandem went 32-4 there and 3-0 on the third court. Going back to April 11, the pair is enjoying a 10-match winning streak, including three wins in last week’s West Coast Conference Tournament. Reffel and Rabitsch own three wins over UCLA this season and wins over Stanford and USC, as well. Reffel and Rabitsch won West Coast Conference Pair of the Week two times this season. 

 

Mayer collected his sixth straight West Coast Conference Coach of the Year honor after leading the Lions back into the NCAA Championship as a No. 4 seed. LMU concluded the regular season with a record of 35-6, and Mayer’s Lions enter the NCAA Tournament riding a seven-match winning streak. LMU boasts multiple wins over the top-ranked teams in the country according to the AVCA national polls including No. 1 TCU and No. 3 UCLA.  

The 2023 West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year, Hooker adds another Conference major award to her resume. Compiling a record of 28-10 on the courts this season, Hooker primarily teamed with Vilhelmiina Prihti on either the No. 1 or No. 2 court. She and Prihti garnered a win on April 11 over No. 1 TCU. Hooker also played on LMU’s second court with Jaeya Brach and Anna Pelloia. Hooker and Pelloia boasted Conference Pair of the Week accolades once in 2025. Hooker becomes the fifth straight Lion to claim this award. 

Rosenthal is the third Lion to capture West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year accolades, and the first since Hooker in 2023. Rosenthal boasted Conference Pair of the Week recognition three times this season, the most among the Lions who won all but one of the conference weekly awards this season. She totaled a record of 33-5 this season, playing primarily on the No. 5 court with Giuliana Poletti-Corrales. They will head to the NCAA Tournament having won their last eight matches in a row. 

 

Eden compiled an overall record of 25-8 this season. She competed primarily on the No. 3 court with Ella Foti, notching a record of 23-7 with her between the No. 2 and No. 3 courts. She also went 2-1 with Madison Oriskovich on the No. 2 court. Eden becomes the fourth Wave to win Freshman of the Year. Kaydon Myers won the award last season, while McKenna Thomas earned a share of the award in 2022 and Brook Bauer won it in 2018. 

The Lions and Pepperdine comprised the entire all-conference first team with seven Lions and three Waves being named to the all-conference first team. Three more Lions made the all-conference second team with Santa Clara matching that total on the second team, while Saint Mary’s picked up a pair of second-team selections. 

 

Pepperdine’s Kate Clermont and McKenna Thomas earned first-team accolades for the third straight season. Hooker garnered all-conference recognition for the third straight season, and she made her second appearance on the all-conference first team after also being named to that team as a freshman in 2023. Michelle Shaffer garnered first-team recognition for the third time, second time at LMU, after also being an honoree in 2022 with Santa Clara. Pelloia garnered first-team recognition for the second straight season. 

2025 WCC Coach of the Year             

John Mayer, LMU      

           

2025 WCC Pair of the Year                

Isabelle Reffel and Magdalena Rabitsch, LMU           

           

2025 WCC Defensive Player of the Year                    

Chloe Hooker, LMU              

 

2025 WCC Co-Freshmen of the Year             

Emma Eden, Pepperdine     

Tanon Rosenthal, LMU             

 

2025 All-WCC Beach Volleyball First Team               

Kate Clermont, Pepperdine

Emma Eden, Pepperdine

Chloe Hooker, LMU

Lisa Luini, LMU

Anna Pelloia, LMU

Isabelle Reffel, LMU

Tanon Rosenthal, LMU

Michelle Shaffer, LMU

McKenna Thomas, Pepperdine

Abbey Thorup, LMU

 

2025 All-WCC Beach Volleyball Second Team                       

Allie Cataldo, Saint Mary’s

Hannah Couch, Saint Mary’s

Giuliana Poletti-Corrales, LMU

Vilhelmiina Prihti, LMU

Magdalena Rabitsch, LMU

Sadie Snipes, Santa Clara

Ava Stoddard, Santa Clara

Alexandra Urbina, Santa Clara

 

2025 All-WCC Beach Volleyball All-Freshman Team                  

Ciara Cantlen, Santa Clara

Kawena Chillingworth, Santa Clara

Emma Eden, Pepperdine

Caroline Loughran, Santa Clara

Tanon Rosenthal, LMU

Burkleigh Smith, San Francisco

Sadie Snipes, Santa Clara

 



Link

Continue Reading

Most Viewed Posts

Trending