ELEPHANT BUTTE, N.M., Sept. 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AI golf commentator Duff Foreman could make broadcast history alongside Notah Begay III and Ryan Burr as 140-player field competes for record $137,000 purse
The 2026 New Mexico Open could make sports broadcasting history on Sept. 14-16 when AI golf commentator Duff Foreman joins Notah Begay III and Ryan Burr for live coverage across five streaming platforms. The championship will feature a 140-player field of PGA Tour winners, major championship competitors and top professional and amateur golfers at Turtleback Mountain Golf & Resort.
Notah Begay III, a four-time PGA Tour winner, NBC Sports and Golf Channel analyst and 2026 recipient of the PGA Tour’s Payne Stewart Award, will join Ryan Burr and AI golf commentator Duff Foreman for live streaming coverage of the championship. Begay will also compete in the 2026 New Mexico Open at Turtleback Mountain Golf & Resort, presented by New Mexico True, Sept. 14-16 in Elephant Butte, N.M.
Based on a review of publicly available information, tournament organizers believe no professional golf tournament has previously featured an autonomous, conversational AI golf commentator interacting live on-screen with human hosts. Foreman is expected to do that throughout nine hours of live coverage of the 2026 New Mexico Open at Turtleback Mountain Golf & Resort presented by New Mexico True.
Unlike conventional AI systems used primarily to generate statistics, graphics or narration, Foreman is designed to participate in live, unscripted conversations as tournament play unfolds. He is expected to provide course strategy, swing analysis, shot-selection insights and commentary on weather, course conditions, player tendencies, historical performance and the Rules of Golf.
“Golf fans are always looking for a better understanding of what players are thinking and why they make certain decisions,” Begay said. “If Duff Foreman delivers what we’re expecting, he’ll become another voice in the broadcast, helping us explain strategy, analyze swings, consider changing conditions like weather and course setup, and answer questions in real time. I think that kind of conversation could make the game more interesting and enjoyable for viewers.”
An aerial view of Turtleback Mountain Golf & Resort shows the golf course and surrounding homes along holes Nos. 1, 10 and 9, from left, in Elephant Butte, N.M. Turtleback Mountain Golf & Resort is home to the New Mexico Open from 2025 through 2027.
Beyond the potential broadcast first, the 2026 New Mexico Open will feature one of the strongest fields in the championship’s 72-year history. Three players have combined for 10 PGA Tour victories, led by New Mexico native Begay, Sean O’Hair and Matt Every.
Begay is a four-time PGA Tour winner and the 2026 recipient of the PGA Tour’s Payne Stewart Award. O’Hair, also a four-time PGA Tour winner, has made more than 400 PGA Tour starts and represented the United States in the 2009 Presidents Cup. Every is a two-time PGA Tour winner who won consecutive Arnold Palmer Invitationals at Bay Hill in 2014 and 2015.
Defending champion Aidan Thomas returns after winning the 2025 New Mexico Open in his first tournament as a professional. The former New Mexico State golfer has since earned conditional PGA Tour Americas status for 2026.
The field also includes Travis Vick, low amateur at the 2022 U.S. Open and a member of the University of Texas’ 2022 NCAA championship team; Jin Jeong, winner of the 2010 Amateur Championship and low amateur at the 2010 Open Championship at St. Andrews; Trevor Simsby, winner of the 2020 Bandar Malaysia Open on the Asian Tour; and Shawn Stefani, a PGA Tour veteran and two-time Web.com Tour winner.
Maurice Allen, a four-time long drive champion and former world No. 1, won the Long Drivers European Tour championship in 2015 and 2016, the World Long Drivers Tour championship in 2017 and the World Long Drive Championship in 2018, when he captured the title with a 393-yard drive.
“This is the 72nd playing of the New Mexico Open, and when you look back at its history, there are major champions who have raised this trophy,” said Cory Armstrong, executive director of Sun Country Golf House, which administers the championship. “To have what may be the strongest field we’ve ever had competing for the largest purse in tournament history says a lot about where the New Mexico Open is today.”
The professional purse has increased from $100,000 in 2025 to a record $137,000 this year, with $30,000 going to the winner, a 50% increase from last year’s $20,000 first-place prize.
“Players pay attention to where good competition is, where the purse is going and where an event is being run well,” said Kris Strauss, executive vice president of global sales and marketing at Troon. “When players at different stages of their careers put the same tournament on their schedules, people in golf notice. That’s good news for the New Mexico Open, Turtleback and golf throughout the region.”“For me, the New Mexico Open has always meant something special because this is home,” Begay said. “I’m looking forward to competing again, especially against a field like this. There are established players here and younger guys who are hungry and have a lot to prove. I expect the golf to be really good.”
Live coverage will stream on Turtleback Mountain Golf & Resort’s YouTube, Facebook and Instagram channels, as well as KRQE NOW in Albuquerque and KTSM+ in El Paso and their respective connected TV platforms, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Mountain time Sept. 14 and 15. Final-round coverage will stream from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 16.
“When we brought the New Mexico Open to Turtleback, we wanted people outside this area to see what’s happening here,” said James Prendamano, founder and CEO of PreReal Investments and co-owner of Turtleback Mountain Golf & Resort. “The golf gives them a reason to watch, and then they see the course, the mountains, the water and this part of New Mexico. That exposure matters to the entire region.”
About the New Mexico Open
The New Mexico Open is New Mexico’s premier state golf championship, bringing together top professional and amateur golfers for a 54-hole stroke-play tournament. Organized by the Sun Country Section of the PGA of America, the championship has been played annually since 1954. Turtleback Mountain Golf & Resort has hosted the tournament since 2025 under a multi-year agreement. Users can visit: www.suncountrygolf.com/newmexicoopen/
About Turtleback Mountain Golf & Resort
Turtleback Mountain Golf & Resort, home of the New Mexico Open, is a golf, residential and resort community in Elephant Butte, New Mexico, minutes from Elephant Butte Lake. The property features an 18-hole championship golf course, residential neighborhoods, planned resort amenities and golf and community events. Its golf operations are professionally managed by Troon, a leader in golf, club, leisure and hospitality services. Learn more: www.turtlebackmountaingolfandresort.com.
Attachment
