Here’s a look at the franchises sitting in the middle of the pack in the Season Long Points Race. Being seeded No. 5 through No. 7 might seem like a tough spot entering the GL Championship, but let me be clear – these teams are loaded and very much in the hunt.

Franchises Ranked 5–7:

#7 — Hollywood Hitters

GL Championship Roster:

Colt Knost | Scott Harrington
Colin Featherstone | Peter Tomasulo
Torey Edwards | Stephen Hale
Jake Reiff | Murphy Scott

Storylines:

Talk about a franchise that has seen every part of the ocean. From the league’s launch in spring 2024 to the 2025 GL Championship, the Hollywood Hitters have evolved more than almost any franchise in the league. Just one player from their inaugural Grass Clippings Open roster remains, Brian Doxtator, who also happens to be a part-owner. In short, the Hitters have rebuilt with purpose, and they’ve assembled a roster built to win now.

Their momentum, at least on paper, shouldn’t surprise anyone. One of the franchise owners played on tour for six-plus years and co-founded the TravisMathew golf brand. Access to talent was never going to be an issue, and the roster is beginning to look the part. Their lineup has been fortified by Colin Featherstone and Peter Tomasulo (a three-time winner on the Korn Ferry Tour), both of whom have played in every event dating back to last year’s GL Championship. Ironically, this will be their first time actually playing together at the GL Championship.

Insiders haven’t been able to pinpoint what exactly happened after the Summer Grind, but something clearly jolted management into action. The franchise went on a shopping spree, and – as you’d expect from a team out of Hollywood – they’ve got expensive taste. They started by signing golf household name Colt Knost and pairing him with Scott Harrington, who, on paper, should be the odds-on favorite to win the GL Championship. But again, this isn’t the Frys.com Open, and it’s anybody’s guess how they’ll handle playing under the lights. Yes, the new additions were brought in to win, but something tells me they were also brought in to change the locker room.

Todd’s Prediction: A strong finish to the season, but I’m more concerned about how they’ll keep the roster together entering 2026. A handful of owners will be poking around their roster following the Championship, and with the cost of living in Hollywood, I wouldn’t want to be the one negotiating contracts.

#6 — Scottsdale Strikers

GL Championship Roster:
Charlie Beljan | Andrew Augustyniak
Danny Wax | David Lebowitz
Tony Hendricks | Joe Neuheisel
Dylan Brack | David Bradshaw

Storylines

The Strikers remind me of the St. Louis Rams – now the Los Angeles Rams. If you remember those final years in St. Louis, the Rams were in complete disarray, so much so that they packed up and left town. They then hired a young, hot-shot head coach, traded for a Hall of Fame caliber quarterback, and hit jackpot in the NFL draft. A once-struggling franchise suddenly looked reborn. In a lot of ways, the Strikers are following that same script.

No, the Strikers didn’t relocate, but the trajectory feels similar. Their owner/coach, Jason Adler, is starting to look more like Sean McVay every single tournament. They went out and signed their “Super Bowl quarterback,” PGA Tour winner Charlie Beljan – who, like Matthew Stafford, may have just needed a change of scenery. And they found their version of Puka Nacua in this year’s draft by taking Andrew Augustyniak, who has quickly become the face of the franchise.

Like the Rams, the rest of their roster runs deep. Tony Hendricks and Joe Neuheisel finished T3 at last year’s GL Championship and are back in the starting lineup. Young phenom Dylan Brack will be paired with yet another partner, longtime professional David Bradshaw. And Danny Wax and David Lebowitz reunite once again after also finishing T3 at last year’s GL Championship.

It’s tough to poke holes in the Strikers’ lineup, and that’s a testament to Adler and his staff. New uniforms and a new locker-room vibe have this Franchise as confident as any in the field. It took a few years for the Rams to get their footing in L.A. before winning a Super Bowl, and the Strikers seem to have found theirs. Next week at the GL Championship, they’ll not only get their shot… they’ll have a chance to set the tone for years to come.

Todd’s Prediction: Beljan and Augustyniak will have a chance on the back nine Saturday night.

#5 — Phoenix United

GL Championship Roster:
Will Kropp | Sam Fidone
Nick Mason | Michael McGowan
Joe Affrunti | Vince India
DJ Lantz | Cody Massa

Storylines:

Talk about a rollercoaster of a year. Phoenix United entered 2025 expecting to run away with the season, but they left the Grass Clippings Open searching for an identity. Entering the league’s first road game in Oceanside, Phoenix United sat in dead last in the Season Long Points Race.

Just a few weeks after the Open, United ownership sat down with team captain Austin Quick to reshape what had once looked like a championship roster. Quick, every bit as good a recruiter as he is a player, hit the phones and made four significant additions leading into the Summer Grind. Will Kropp, Bryan Bigley, Michael McGowan, and Seann Harlingten headlined the new-look Phoenix United, and just like that, the franchise was back. Kropp and Bigley finished as the low two-person team, coupled with an inspired final round from Quick and Affrunti, which helped Phoenix United climb squarely back into the mix.

Despite the success in California, the roster saw more changes ahead of next week’s tournament. United was unable to convince Bryan Bigley to suit up again with Will Kropp, which has been the biggest head-scratcher among league insiders. Some will argue, though, that they upgraded by signing one of the best golfers ever to come out of the state of Iowa, Vince India, to replace Bigley. Time will tell.

Yes, the United roster has felt turbulent at times this season, but they’re trending in the right direction, and Quick is still at the helm. Don’t let the movement distract you: Phoenix United has as deep and close-knit a roster as anyone. Will Kropp will be making his first appearance under the lights after a brilliant showing in Oceanside. Nick Mason, the anchor of the roster, teams up with Pinehurst native Michael McGowan to form one of the early favorites of the entire tournament. DJ Lantz and Cody Massa, who had a chance to win on the back nine at last year’s Championship, reunite to give it another go.

If Phoenix United could jump from 10th place to 5th the last time they teed it up, who’s to say they can’t jump all the way into the No. 1 spot? Expect an emotional performance with large galleries following the franchise. A United win would make for one hell of an after-party.

Todd’s Prediction: A United pair finds themselves in a playoff live on Golf Channel.

Next Up: #4 Los Angeles Roses, #3 New York Blue Birds, #2 Michigan Auto Aces, and #1 San Diego Munis