SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Oct. 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nate Lindquist waited seven holes. Then he struck. The Philadelphia poker dealer won the World Series of Golf (WSG) x Topgolf Satellite Series Finals on Friday, Oct. 2, at Topgolf Scottsdale, outlasting a 16-player field to earn a $10,000 buy-in seat in the WSG Championship, presented by Lotto.com.

Lindquist earned his seat at the Finals by winning the Satellite Series qualifier at Topgolf Mount Laurel, N.J. The Finals ran on the WSG format: golf scored like poker, with players betting chips on their own shots, antes rising as the round goes on, and the low score among active players taking each pot. Every player ran the game on the WSG App, which tracked chips, bets, scores and eliminations live from each bay.

Sixteen players opened in four Topgolf bays of four on the back nine of Spyglass Hill, each starting with 10,000 chips. The field included former NBA player Michael Ruffin. The four bay winners advanced to a nine-hole championship on the front nine with stacks reset to 10,000.

The championship turned on Hole 8, a 399-yard par 4. Three players pushed all-in and nearly 39,000 chips went into the middle. Lindquist carded the only 4 on the hole. The pot swung roughly 36,000 chips his way and left him holding about 90 percent of the chips in play. He closed it out from there.

Final standings

  1. Nate Lindquist, 33,501 chips
  2. Patrick Swisher, 5,466 chips
  3. Ryan Johnston, 1,033 chips
  4. Cam Cropper, eliminated on Hole 8

Swisher reached the final table the hard way, winning Bay 121 by collecting all 40,000 chips in his bay. Johnston, a former minor league hockey player from Ontario, Canada, took third. Cropper, of Nashville, won Bay 118 by just 50 chips.

Kweku Sapra-Grant of Lotto.com, WSG’s Official Lottery Courier Partner, presented Lindquist with the $10,000 check covering his WSG Championship buy-in. Lindquist also won a $250 Topgolf gift card in the Lotto.com scratch-off contest run at the Finals. The WSG Championship carries a top prize of up to $250,000. Date and venue will be announced.

“Nate played it exactly the way this format rewards,” said Robert Davidman, CEO, World Series of Golf. “He sat on his chips for seven holes, patiently reading the group, and when three players shoved on eight, he had the shot to back it up. That is golf and poker in one swing. Our thanks to Lotto.com for putting a $10,000 Championship seat on the line, and to Citizen, Zenni and Wandando for backing every player who stepped into a bay this season. We will see Nate at the Championship.”

The Satellite Series ran with support from WSG’s partners. Time at the Satellite Series was presented by Citizen, and every Satellite Series venue champion receives a Citizen timepiece. Zenni, WSG’s Official Eyewear partner, supplied player gift bags for the Finals. Wandando, WSG’s Official Gaming Partner, backed the series across seven markets. Players also went home with Lotto.com-branded golf balls and Black Clover provided players with golf hats.

ClickitGolf.com covered the Finals. Full coverage: Lindquist Waits, Then Strikes.

About World Series of Golf

WSG Entertainment LLC, d/b/a World Series of Golf, runs live poker-style golf competitions under the format “Golf. Poker. One Champion.” Players bet virtual chips on their own shots hole by hole until one champion is left standing. Chips carry no cash value, and prizes are sponsor-funded. Founded in 2003, WSG has aired on CBS, NBC and WGN America, with past fields including Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Erick Lindgren and Ray Romano. More information is available at wsg.golf.

Media Contact

Bobby Markowitz
Chief Marketing Officer, World Series of Golf
212-201-7888

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4e1a0b4d-2fc0-4df9-bf5a-e35f08b81b76

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e36a4ec9-5623-4bfc-a758-1945b982586b

 


bobby@wsg.golf

Primary Logo

About The Author
World Series of Golf