Golf Digest India - October 2018

VOLUME 3 | ISSUE 6

OCTOBER 2018 `150

THINK YOUNG | PLAY HARD

PUBLISHED BY

MAX OUT YOUR DRIVES

BY JOHN RAHM R EP OR T

SARA FUTURA KARNATAKA GOLF FESTIVAL

RNI NO. HARENG/2016/66983

INSIGH T

THE WISDOM OF JACK NICKLAUS Exclusive Official Media Partner

PAY DAZE GOLF’S LARGEST SALARIES

how to play. what to play. where to play.

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Contents 10/18

ArgentinA l AustrAliA l Chile l ChinA l CzeCh republiC l FinlAnd l FrAnCe l hong Kong l IndIa l indonesiA l irelAnd KoreA l MAlAysiA l MexiCo l Middle eAst l portugAl l russiA l south AFriCA l spAin l sweden l tAiwAn l thAilAnd l usA

India Digest 16

70 64

Newsmakers Sharma, Lahiri Headed To World Cup Of Golf

18

Arjuna Award For Shubhankar

23

Angela Stanford Wins Evian Championship

30

Club Round-Up Updates From Courses Across India

32

Grow The Game India Learn Golf week

34

Corporate Digest Sara Futura Karnataka Golf Festival

40

The Duke of Edinburgh Cup

42

MercedesTrophy

44

Business Of Golf Industry Updates

48

Off The Course

50

Lifestyle

Features The Wisdom of Jack No golfer’s words carry more heft than Nicklaus’.

Here are 28 of his most enduring lessons er story 76 Raining Birdies Low scores start with maxing out your drives.

70

by jon rahm 87

with max adler

Play Your Best 88

89

90

A Flourishing Period For Golf In India And Asia

54

Recognising Talent, Youth And Vigour

How to Make the Ball Curve Don’t make hitting a draw or a fade complicated. by butch harmon

Saif Mehkri Director, Bio-gen Extracts

52

Easy Outs Develop touch from greenside bunkers. by david leadbetter

105 18 holes

23

Undercover Tour Pro When having an agent isn’t worth it.

swing sequence Sung Hyun Park These powerful moves have led to two major wins in two years

The Golf Life 92

Special Report: What People in Golf Earn A closer look at pay rates for top executives. by john paul newport

18

58

Canary Wharf To Host Second Edition Of The 2018 Hero Challenge

60

Wallace Makes It A Hat-Trick In Denmark

94

Jim Nantz: The View From Pebble Beach The greatness of Lawson Little Jr. and Lawson III

96

The Digest The best college-football golf trips to take this year. by sam weinman and alex myers

Shubhankar Sharma is the youngest golfer to win the Arjuna Award

8 golf digest india | october 2018

64

Tiger Woods vs.

Phil Mickelson

66

PGA TOUR welcomes 7 new international players

104 Cool Stuff

Seven of the best devices for any techie golfer. by stephen hennessey

Cover Photograph: R&A Championship/Getty Images

Editor’s Letter Dear Readers,

N

ews of one of Indian golfers’ favourite TV channels - Neo Sports, which broadcast the US PGA Tour - disappearing from our screens is surely disappointing. To make matters worse, India’s only 24-hour golf channel, TEN GOLF has announced it will go off air in December after being in existence for a decade. This goes to show that there are not enough eyeballs tuning into these channels and therefore no advertising support. Also, subscription revenue for these channels was too low to sustain them commercially. The writing on the wall is that all golfers need to educate our friends and family about appreciating the game so that more people start following golf and even turn out in person to watch our big pro tournaments.

GOLF DIGEST USA EDITORIAL ChAirMAn & eDitor-in-ChieF Jerry Tarde exeCutive eDitor Mike O’Malley CreAtive DireCtor Ken DeLago MAnAGinG eDitor Alan P. Pittman Deputy eDitor Max Adler

Write to me at rishi@teamgolfdigest.com or on Twitter @RishiNarain_

India Learn Golf Week has been one such initiative which Golf Digest has been delighted to support. Opening up our clubs will get more newcomers onto a golf course and, if not make them players, at least possibly convert them into followers. Many people watch cricket but don’t play it. Many Indians watch English Premier League football but haven’t played football for decades. Hence, its possible to attract fans even if they aren’t active players themselves. If we take time to explain the jargon of scoring and decode golf’s complex terminology to non-golfer friends and colleagues, they will take more interest in our big professional events and in our Indian star players.

We all need to persuade our golf clubs to open up the game to more people in order to secure golf’s future survival and growth in our country!

Lets make the coming winter golf season, one of inclusion and growth.

Keep Swinging!

Rishi Narain

TEAM GOLF DIGEST INDIA Editor & Publisher Rishi Narain Contributing Editor Karthik Swaminathan karthik@rnsportsmarketing.com

Sales & Marketing Nikhil Narain, +91-9999990364 nikhil@rnsportsmarketing.com

Senior Content Executive Amit Pandey amit@rnsportsmarketing.com

Krishna Kant Dubey kk@rnsportsmarketing.com

Art Director Guneet Singh Oberoi

Prateek Chaturvedi prateek@rnsportsmarketing.com Subscription Monika Chhabra, Gautam Chhabra subscribe@teamgolfdigest.com +91-9999868051

Published and Printed by Rishi Narain on behalf of Rishi Narain Golf Management Private Limited and Printed at Thomson Press India Limited, 18-35 Mile Stone, Delhi-Mathura Road, Faridabad-121 007, Haryana and published from 501, Sushant Tower, Sector - 56, Gurgaon - 122101, Haryana. Phone Number - 0124-2841370, 1371, 1372. Editor: Rishi Narain. Contains material reprinted by permission from Golf Digest® and Golf World®. Golf Digest India is a monthly publication of Rishi Narain Golf Management Private Limited.

10 golf digest india | october 2018

GOLF DIGEST INTERNATIONAL EDITIONS AND EDITORS-IN-CHIEF GD ArGentinA Hernán SimÓ, Jorge R. Arias AustrAliAn GD Brad Clifton GD Chile Rodrigo Soto GD ChinA Echo Ma GD CzeCh republiC Robin Drahonovsky GD FinlAnD Sami Markkanen GD FrAnCe Henry Trouillet GD honG KonG Echo Ma GD inDonesiA Irwan Hermawan GD inDiA Rishi Narain GD irelAnD Linton Walsh GD KoreA Eun Jeong “EJ” Sohn GD MAlAysiA Patrick Ho GD MexiCo Rafa Quiroz GD MiDDle eAst Robbie Greenfield GD portuGAl João Morais Leitão GD russiA Fedor Gogolev GD south AFriCA Stuart McLean GD spAin Óscar Maqueda GD sweDen Oskar Åsgård GD tAiwAn Jennifer Wei GD thAilAnD Chumphol Na Takuathung GD usA Jerry Tarde

ARTICLES eDitoriAl DevelopMent DireCtor Craig Bestrom senior eDitor Ron Kaspriske senior writers Bureau Jaime Diaz, Dave Kindred, Tim Rosaforte, Ron Sirak, Guy Yocom AssoCiAte eDitor Stephen Hennessey AssistAnt eDitor Brittany Romano eDitor-At-lArGe Nick Seitz writer-At-lArGe Dan Jenkins ContributinG eDitors Dave Anderson, Peter Andrews, Tom Callahan, Bob Carney, Marcia Chambers, David Fay, John Feinstein, Peter Finch, Thomas L. Friedman, Lisa Furlong, Matthew M. Ginella, John Huggan, Dean Knuth, David Owen, Steve Rushin, Dave Shedloski, Roger Schiffman, Geoff Shackelford INSTRUCTION senior eDitor Peter Morrice senior writer Matthew Rudy plAyinG eDitors / pGA tour Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, Rickie Fowler, Justin Leonard, Phil Mickelson, Nick Price, Jordan Spieth, David Toms plAyinG eDitors / lpGA tour Paula Creamer teAChinG proFessionAls Rob Akins, Todd Anderson, Chuck Cook, Sean Foley, Hank Haney, Butch Harmon, Hank Johnson, David Leadbetter, Jack Lumpkin, Jim McLean, Tom Ness, Renee Powell, Dean Reinmuth, Randy Smith, Rick Smith, Dave Stockton, Josh Zander proFessionAl ADvisors Amy Alcott, Dr. Bill Mallon, Gary McCord, Randy Myers, Judy Rankin, Lucius Riccio, Ph.D., Dr. Bob Rotella, Ben Shear, Ralph Simpson, Frank Thomas, Stan Utley EQUIPMENT senior eDitor Mike Stachura equipMent eDitor E. Michael Johnson AssistAnt eDitor Keely Levins teChniCAl pAnel John Axe, Ph.D.; Martin Brouillette, Ph.D.; Thomas E. Lacy Jr., Ph.D.; David Lee, Ph.D.; John McPhee, Ph.D.; Dick Rugge; George Springer, Ph.D. GOLF COURSES senior eDitor / ArChiteCture Ron Whitten ContributinG eDitor Topsy Siderowf GOLF DIGEST INTERNATIONAL GROUP senior DireCtor, internAtionAl DevelopMent & strAteGy Angela Byun ContributinG eDitor, internAtionAl Ju Kuang Tan

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DAVID LEADBETTER The most celebrated golf instructor in history Changed golf instruction for all future generations from guesswork to science

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Newsmakers

PLAYERS IN THE NEWS SHUBHANKAR, ANIRBAN TO REPRESENT INDIA AT WORLD CUP OF GOLF

Shubhankar Sharma

T

he 59th edition of the US$7 million World Cup of Golf (November 22-25) will feature 28 nations. Each country will be represented by two golfers.

Shubhankar Sharma, the highest ranked Indian (108 on OWGR as of September 24), has automatically qualified and partnering him will be Anirban Lahiri (ranked 112).

The four-day event will take place at the scenic Metropolitan Golf Club in South Oakleigh, Australia.

An excited Shubhankar said, “It’s my privilege to represent my country in the forthcoming World Cup of Golf at Melbourne.

In Anirban, I will have a great partner and senior to guide us through the grind of the event and hopefully win it for us.”

Anirban, who has previously also taken part in other esteemed team events such as the Presidents Cup, the Olympics and the EurAsia Cup, echoed his partner, “I’m very

Anirban Lahiri

excited to be pairing up with Shubhankar.

He’s a special talent and a dear friend so obviously it’s going to be a lot of fun. We both have the capability to bring back the trophy if we can play to our abilities.

Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI, conveyed his best wishes, “Shubhankar and Anirban make a formidable World Cup team for India.

While Shubhankar has enjoyed great success on the international stage in 2018, Anirban has held his own on the PGA Tour with some top-notch performances this season. We look forward to seeing the Indian team bring out their best as they compete against an elite field. We wish them all the best.”

In 2016 (the tournament was not held in 2017), India was represented Arjuna Awardee S. S. P. Chawrasia and Bengaluru’s Chikkarangappa S. and the pair finished T-22.

Denmark's Søren Kjeldsen and Thorbjørn Olesen emerged victorious on that occasion.

FORMAT

The tournament is a 72-hole stroke play team event (two players to a team). The first and third days will feature fourball (best ball) play while the second and fourth will witness foursomes (alternate shot).

ELIGIBILITY

The 28-team field (56 players) will see competitors vie for the largest prize purse in Australian golf, with $US 7 million on offer.

• Top 28 available countries from the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) as of September 3, 2018 •The top ranked player may pick any player from the same country within the top 500 on OWGR, or if there are less than five players to choose from within the top 500, may extend the range of possible choices to be at least 5 players (and any ties) even if ranked outside 500

New Handicap System to be Implemented 2020 Onward The way golfers around the world will calculate their handicaps is set to be transformed by a new system developed by The R&A and the USGA, with key features designed to provide all golfers with a consistent measure of playing ability.

The new system will feature the following: l Flexibility in formats of play, allowing both competitive and recreational rounds to count for handicap purposes and ensuring a golfer’s handicap is more reflective of potential ability l A recommendation that the number of scores needed to obtain a new handicap be 54 holes from

16 golf digest india | october 2018

any combination of 18-hole and 9-hole rounds, but with some discretion available for handicapping authorities or National Associations to set a different minimum within their own jurisdiction

ability for better responsiveness and control

l A consistent handicap that is portable from course to course and country to country through worldwide use of the USGA Course and Slope Rating System, already successfully used in more than 80 countries

l Daily handicap revisions, taking account of the course and weather conditions calculation

l An average-based calculation of a handicap, taken from the best eight out of the last 20 scores and factoring in memory of previous demonstrated

l A calculation that considers the impact that abnormal course and weather conditions might have on a player’s performance each day

l A limit of Net Double Bogey on the maximum hole score (for handicapping purposes only) l A maximum handicap limit of 54.0, regardless of gender, to encourage more golfers to measure and track their performance to increase their enjoyment of the game

Newsmakers

ARJUNA AWARD FOR SHUBHANKAR

S

hubhankar Sharma, India’s highest-ranked golfer and a winner of two European Tour titles, has been conferred the prestigious Arjuna Award.

22-year-old Sharma, who heads the Asian Tour’s Habitat for Humanity standings, now becomes the 20th Indian golfer and the 11th Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) member to be recognized with the honour. He is also the youngest golfer to win the Arjuna Award.

The Chandigarh resident took the sport by storm following two European Tour titles, the US$1.2 million Joburg Open in South Africa and the US$3 million Maybank Championship in Malaysia, between December 2017 and February 2018.

Sharma then went on to bag two top-20s on the PGA TOUR including a creditable T-9 at the US$ 10 million WGC—Mexico Championship and a T-7 at the US$1.75 million Hero Indian Open.

Subsequently, Sharma went on to make Indian golfing history by playing all four Majors in the same year as his Major debut.

Besides becoming the youngest Indian to play the Masters, the US Open and the PGA Championship, he also became the youngest Indian to make the cut at a Major when accomplished the feat on the eve of his 22nd birthday at The Open Reacting to his Arjuna Award nomination, Sharma said, “… I am absolutely honoured and grateful to the nation to have found me worthy of this honour.”

Congratulating Shubhankar on his Arjuna Award nomination, Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI, said, “We at the PGTI extend our heartiest congratulations to Shubhankar Sharma for being conferred the prestigious Arjuna Award. Shubhankar’s record-breaking accomplishments on the international stage over the last one year have contributed in raising the stature of Indian golf. His talent and single-minded focus have helped him emerge as one of Asia’s leading professionals at a very young age. The award is a true recognition of his feats...”

18 golf digest india | october 2018

"SHUBHANKAR’S RECORD-BREAKING ACCOMPLISHMENTS ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE OVER THE LAST ONE YEAR HAVE CONTRIBUTED IN RAISING THE STATURE OF INDIAN GOLF..." —UTTAM MUNDY, CEO, PGTI GOLFERS WHO HAVE WON ARJUNA AWARD Sl.

Player

Year

Sl.

Player

Year

1.

P.G. Sethi

1961

11.

Amit Luthra

1996

2.

A.S. Malik

1963

12.

Harmeet Kahlon

1997

3.

R.K. Pitamber

1967

13.

Jeev Milkha Singh

1999

4.

Anjali N. Desai

1972

14.

Shiv Kapur

2002

5.

Vikramjit Singh

1973

15.

Jyoti Randhawa

2004

6.

S. K. Jamshed

1975

16.

Arjun Atwal

2007

7.

Sita Rawlley

1977

17.

Gaganjeet Bhullar

2013

8.

Lakshman Singh

1982

18.

Anirban Lahiri

2014

9.

Nonita Lall

1987

19.

S. S. P. Chawrasia

2017

10.

Ali Sher

1991

20.

Shubhankar Sharma

2018

Newsmakers

GOOD TIMES

A “UNIQ” meeting One of the biggest updates in the world of sports business has been 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer's switch to UNIQLO, after more than 20 years with Nike. The Japanese apparel brand held an event at 5th Avenue, NY much to the delight of fans. Former World No. 1 golfer Adam Scott welcomed the Swiss legend to the UNIQLO family.

SHORTER THE GAME, HIGHER THE STAKES Hailed as the Twenty20 of golf, Blitz Golf brings a fast-paced twist and a carnival atmosphere. A revolutionary, innovative concept shepherded by PGA of Australia, the format aims to bring a new level of excitement to the sport. The tournament will comprise four rounds within a half day with the blitzes (rounds) getting shorter as the stakes get higher. Scores are reset after each round and any tiebreaker is decided by a wedge shot.

Round one commences with 40 players, 20 on each side of the draw who each play a nine-hole Blitz within a shotgun start. Players only compete against those within their bracket. The top 12 from each half advance.

Round two continues with the remaining 24 players (12 in each bracket) moving onto a six-hole Blitz—preferably playing holes that they have not yet played. The top six from each bracket advance.

The penultimate round moves onto a three-hole Blitz. The top two from each bracket advance to the Final.

The four players—who have each played all 18 holes albeit in a different order—then play a sudden death final. If more than one player squares the hole, those tied replay the hole and it continues until there is a clear winner; or after a pre-determined number of replays (one or more) the wedge shot could be used to determine the champion.

Tiger Woods’ doppelganger is real The ’real’ Tiger Woods might not interact with his fans much, but his doppelganger had everyone’s attention at the US$9 million Dell Technology Championship. Woods was taking part in the event for the first time since 2013 and finished T-24. The 14-time Major winner celebrated his only triumph there in 2006.

BRAR OPENS TITLE COUNT ON CHALLENGE TOUR

21-year-old Jack Singh Brar, a British golfer of Indian origin, secured his maiden European Challenge Tour title at the €230,000 Cordon Golf Open in France.

The win moves the Southampton native from the 11th position to sixth on the race to the European Challenge Tour’s year-end finale. And should he enjoy a top 15 finish to the season, he will earn himself a European Tour card for 2019.

Brar’s rise has been meteoric. Following a season on the Alps Tour in 2017, he made an immediate impact in 2018 with a tied-second place finish at his first-ever Challenge Tour event, the Turkish Airlines Challenge. Since bursting onto the scene in Turkey, he has been the model of consistency. In 13 starts this year, he has finished inside the top 15 an astounding eight times against only two missed cuts.

All smiles, No tears The Jordan Spieth Family Foundation played a small role in the opening of a state-of-the-art public play space at Flag Pole Hill in Spieth’s native Dallas. The thoughtful design of Flag Pole Hill Park encourages social interaction as well as physical and cognitive development of children of all ages and abilities.

Jack Singh Brar

october 2018 | golf digest india

19

Newsmakers

SHARMA REIGNS AT INAUGURAL QA INFOTECH OPEN

Chandigarh’s Akshay Sharma pulled off a career-best seven-under-65 in the final round of the inaugural `50 lakh QA InfoTech Open 2018 (September 11-14) to post his breakthrough PGTI win—by a thumping six-shot margin—at Noida Golf Course. The 28-year-old, who turned professional in 2011, shot 73-70-69-65 to end the event with a total score of 11-under-277 and take home a cheque worth `8,08,250. A thrilled Akshay said, “I’m overjoyed. I’ve waited for my first PGTI win for almost eight years... It couldn’t have come at a better time.”

Mukesh Sharma, Founder and Managing Director of QA InfoTech, and his parents later felicitated Indian shooters who won medals at the recently concluded Asian Games.

Ranveer Saini

Akshay Sharma

Upward and Onward

Special Olympics Golfer Sinks Hole-in-one

Indian shooters who won medals at the Asiad were felicitated at the QA InfoTech Open

Aman Raj (2L)

17-year-old Special Olympics (SO) Bharat athlete Ranveer Saini recorded a hole-in-one on Hole 3 at the Gary Player Course in DLF Golf & Country Club, Gurgaon on September 12. He becomes the first special needs golfer to have his name etched on the Club’s Honour Board. The Haryana native has battled autism since the age of two, only to become an inspiration to many. He became the first Indian to win gold at the World Special Olympics, taking the top honours in Los Angeles in July 2015.

Saini was also the first Indian golfer to win two gold medals at the Asia-Pacific World Games in 2013.

GOLFERS DISAPPOINT AT ASIAN GAMES

India finished eighth on the medals tally (69, with 15 gold, 24 silver and 30 bronze) at Jakarta-Palembang but were unable to claim a medal in golf.

The Indian contingent comprised 17-year-olds Aadil Bedi and Kshitij Naveed Kaul, 18-year-old Rayhan Thomas and 25-year-old Harimohan Singh among men, and 17-year-olds Diksha Dagar, Ridhima Dilawari and Sifat Sagoo among women.

The men finished seventh out of 20 countries in the field with a score of 3-under 218 over four rounds while the ladies came eighth (out of 15 countries) having posted 3-over 143 as total.

RAJ REJOICES IN RAJASTHAN

23-year-old Aman Raj secured his maiden PGTI title at the `30 lakh Jaipur Open (September 4-7) at Rambagh Golf Club.

“I experienced both relief and happiness after making that winning putt. I’ve waited a long time for my victory having come close on a few occasions in the past,” said the Patna native, who turned professional only in 2016. He also became the first player from the state of Bihar to win on PGTI. Aman’s win made him richer by `4,84,950.

20 golf digest india | october 2018

INDIVIDUAL FINISHES— men

women

Aadil Bedi: T-13

Ridhima Dilawari: T-17

Rayhan Thomas: T-13

Diksha Dagar: T-22

Kshitij Naveed Kaul: T-23

Sifat Sagoo: T-22

Harimohan Singh: T-53

Newsmakers Rayhan Thomas (2R) finished T-8 at the Eisenhower Trophy

SWINGING IT

Justin’s First Pitch World No. 4 Justin Thomas threw the first pitch at Fenway Park ahead of a baseball game between Boston Red Sox and Miami Marlins on August 29. Thomas, a Red Sox fan, was understandably overcome by nerves and ended up pitching high and wide. Fairly certain he was itching to make amends with a golf club and a golf ball!

THOMAS SHINES AT WORLD AMATEUR TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP The biennial World Amateur Team Championship at Carton House, Ireland was a learning experience for the young Indian contingent.

The boys’ team comprising Aadil Bedi (aged 17), Kshitij Naveed Kaul (17) and Rayhan Thomas (18) finished T-31. Thomas, who is the highest ranked Indian on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), recorded the best-ever score by an Indian golfer at the 31st Eisenhower Trophy (September 5-8), shooting 15-under 275 and finishing T-8 individually. In so doing, he bettered Udayan Mane's effort. The Bengalurean had finished T-13 in the 2014 edition of the event.

In the women’s competition, the 28th Espirito Santo Trophy (August 29-September 1), India finished T-25. 17-year-olds Diksha Dagar, Ridhima Dilawari and Sifat Sagoo represented the country.

Named after the 34th President of the United States Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was himself a keen golfer, the Eisenhower Trophy features teams from over 70 countries.

Here is a list of US Presidents and how many rounds they played over the course of their tenure in the White House: President (years in office)

Rounds of golf played in office

Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)

1,200

Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953 –1961)

800

Ronald Reagan (1981-1989)

12

Bill Clinton (1993-2001)

400

George W. Bush (2001-2009)

24

Barack Obama (2009-2017)

333

Donald Trump (2017-present)

144

FACTS ABOUT EISENHOWER TROPHY l This was the first staging of the Eisenhower Trophy in Ireland. The inaugural championship was held at St. Andrews in 1958 l USA has been dominant at this event, winning it 15 times. Australia and Great Britain are next with four titles apiece l Denmark registered their first win at the event this year. Their best finish till now was a runner-up showing in 2010 and the team—Lucas Bjerregaard (European Tour), Joachim Brandt Hansen and Morten Ørum Madsen (Challenge Tour, both)—has since turned pro

Letting ‘Em Rip! 37-year-old Maurice Allen (pictured above, right) claimed his first World Long Drive title courtesy a 393-yard blast on his last ball of the championship match. In the women’s division, 31-year-old Phillis Meti (pictured above, entre) captured her third world championship, having previously triumphed in 2006 and 2016, with a 313. And in the Masters Division, Eddie Fernandes (pictured above, left) took home the honours after driving 373 yards.

Shubhankar gives lessons on Golf Channel Shubhankar Sharma has had the attention of the international golfing world this year.

The 22-year-old joined popular instructor Sean Foley on Golf Channel’s programme ‘Playing Lessons’ on September 10. Besides discussing his game, Sharma also opened up on how meditation has helped him post better scores over the years.

october 2018 | golf digest india

21

Newsmakers

Women’s Golf

Sharmila Nicollet

Nikita Arjun

Neha Tripathi

NEHA, SHARMILA AND NIKITA IN THE HUNT FOR LPGA CARD 20-year-old Aditi Ashok might have company on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour soon in the form of Neha Tripathi (aged 26), Sharmila Nicollet (27) and Nikita Arjun (24). The Bengalurean is currently the only Indian to hold an LPGA card. Sharmila and Nikita had, in fact, tried to qualify last year but failed to

do so. This time however, having cleared Qualifying Tournament Stage I which was held at Mission Hills Country Club and Shadow Ridge Golf Club in California, the trio’s hopes remain high. To enter Qualifying Tournament Stage II, the ladies had to finish among the top-100.

The second stage will take place at

Aditi Ashok

Plantation Golf and Country Club in Florida from October 15-18. The top 15 to 25 players and ties (from the field of 220) will advance to Q-Series, scheduled from October 22 to November 3 at Pinehurst Resort, North Carolina, where top 45 players and ties will receive LPGA Tour membership for the 2019 season.

HERO ORDER OF MERIT AFTER WPGT LEG 14 POS

Golfer

Played

Won

Total Prize (`)

1

Tvesa Malik

14

2

12,82,400

2

Amandeep Drall

11

3

10,38,200

3

Neha Tripathi

12

1

8,97,000

4

Gursimar Badwal

12

2

8,27,000

5

Gaurika Bishnoi

7

1

6,13,300

6

Afshan Fatima

14

1

5,86,600

7

Suchitra Ramesh

13

-

5,32,300

8

Siddhi Kapoor

13

-

4,78,500

9

Smriti Mehra

8

-

4,17,400

10

Sonam Chugh

12

-

3,56,800

TOP-10 FINISH FOR ADITI IN FRANCE

Bengaluru’s Aditi Ashok shrugged off the annoyance that is normally caused by an airline misplacing one’s baggage and proceeded to finish strongly at the €275,000 Lacoste Ladies Open de France on the Ladies European Tour (LET). The 20-year-old lost her golf bag while travelling to Bordeaux and she confirmed the same via a tweet addressing Aer Lingus, the airline, on September 3.

Aditi fired a nervous 74 on the opening day but recovered to post consecutive rounds of 68 before a stunning 66 on the fourth for a commendable T-7 (8-under-276), just four shots adrift of winner Caroline Hedwall of Sweden.

A two-time LET winner, this was Aditi’s best finish on the Tour thus far this year. She also has two top-10 finishes on the LPGA Tour—securing T-6 in the US$1.3 million Volunteer for America Texas Shootout (in May) and T-7 at the US$1.5 million LPGA Mediheal Championship (in April).

22 golf digest india | october 2018

BRINGING MORE WOMEN TO THE GAME

Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and industry consortium WE ARE GOLF have launched a new campaign to attract more women to the sport. The initiative, titled #inviteHER, is in partnership with the PGA TOUR, USGA, PGA of America and Topgolf among others. The natural progression is to gather all women participating off the course and guide them to the fairways.

The #inviteHER movement seeks to create an enjoyable, welcoming experience for those interested in trying the game or picking it back up – whether through a group lesson, complimentary clinic, driving range session or on-course experience.

Newsmakers

WIE’S WEIRD WOODS

Golf clubs used by pros everywhere are almost identical, but World No. 23, Hawaii-born Michelle Wie stands out from the crowd with her unusual choices of fairway woods. She has been spotted using Callaway Rogue 21° 11-Wood and Callaway Epic 25° 7-Wood. Here’s a list of her unusual woods.

Driver: Callaway Rogue, 10.5 degrees 3-wood: Callaway GBB Epic, 15 degrees 5-wood: Callaway Rogue, 19 degrees 7-wood: Callaway GBB Epic, 21 degrees 11-wood: Callaway Rogue, 25 degrees Irons (6-7): Callaway Rogue Pro; (8-PW): Callaway X Forged Wedges: Callaway Mack Daddy 4 (52, 56, 60 degrees) Putter: Odyssey O-Works Red #1 Wide

ANGELA STANFORD WINS EVIAN CHAMPIONSHIP

Co-sanctioned by both LPGA and LET, the US$3.85 million Evian Championship—the final Major of the women’s professional golf season—was won by 40-year-old Angela Stanford of United States of America.

While the tournament was made a Major only in 2014, it has been held annually at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France since 1994. The prize purse for the 2019 edition will increase to US$4.1 million.

India’s Aditi Ashok, who posted her bestever result at a Major in the US$3.25 million Women’s British Open in August where she finished T-22, was unable to make the cut.

Franck Riboud, chairman of The Evian Championship, said: “We are committed to fostering the trend-setting status and heritage of this tournament and, since 2000, Rolex has been supporting us in our initiative through their sponsorship of The Evian Championship. Their alliance with us, and with golf for more than 50 years, has been instrumental to the development of the sport, and we are so grateful to count them as partners.”

WOMEN’S MAJOR WINNERS 2018 ANA Inspiration Pernilla Lindberg (Sweden) Prize purse: US$2,800,000 Gaurika Bishnoi

Afshan Fatima

Tvesa Malik

GAURIKA, FATIMA AND TVESA AMONG HERO WPGT WINNERS

20-year-old Gaurika Bishnoi won Leg 14 of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour (WPGT) on September 14. It was a timely return to form for the Rohtak native at the Gary Player course at DLF Golf & Country Club, winning by six strokes. This was her second win as professional and her last victory was more than a year ago (Hero WPGT Leg 3 at Royal Calcutta Golf Course, Kolkata in February 2017).

Meanwhile, 22-year-old Afshan Fatima of Jaipur won her maiden professional title by clinching Leg 13 which was held at Jaypee Greens, Greater Noida from September 4-7. Late August saw Gurgaon-based Tvesa Malik post her second win on Tour. The 22-year-old, who had earlier won Leg 4 in February, rallied from a four-shot deficit on the final day to tie Amandeep Drall and later proceeded to beat the Panchkula resident in a playoff.

Leg 15, which commences on October 1, will also take place at DLF Golf & Country Club, thereby giving the ladies adequate practice and acclimatization ahead of the US$500,000 Hero Women’s Indian Open which begins on October 18.

U.S. Women’s Open Ariya Jutanugarn (Thailand) Prize purse: US$5,000,000 Women’s PGA Championship Sung-hyun Park (South Korea) Prize purse: US$3,650,000 Women’s British Open Georgia Hall (England) Prize purse: US$3,250,000 Evian Championship Angela Stanford (USA) Prize purse: US$3,250,000

october 2018 | golf digest india

23

Newsmakers

Juniors

NORTH CAROLINA

INDIANS SHINE AT TEEN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Malini Rudra

Hosted by the U.S. Kids Foundation from July 26-28 at Pinehurst, North Carolina the annual Teen World Championship witnessed a commendable showing by the Indian trio of Jahnavi Prakhya (aged 14), Arjun Bhati (13) and Hunar Mittal (13).

Delhi-based Jahnavi finished T-17 in the Girls 14 category while Bhati (also from Delhi) and Chandigarh-based Hunar stood fourth and T-11 respectively in the Boys 13 and Girls 13 categories.

THAILAND PREPARES TO WELCOME JUNIOR GOLFERS

NEW YORK

MALINI MARCHES ON

17-year-old Malini Rudra successfully defended her title at the 92nd WMGA Junior Girls Championship on August 22. Held at Rye Golf Club, the New York resident shot an impressive 6-under 67 to take home the trophy by a comfortable five-stroke margin over Paige Diecidue. Organized and run by the Women’s Metropolitan Golf Association, it is the oldest junior girls’ tournament in United States of America.

Organised by Thailand Golf Association, the SINGHA Thailand Junior World Golf Championships will be held at Royal Hu- Hin Golf Course from November 1- 4. The Championship course is the oldest course in Thailand and measures 6,678 yards over 18 holes.

The eleventh edition of the event will comprise both 72 and 54-hole formats across four different age categories viz., 10 years and under (Category D), 11-12 years (Category C), 13-14 years (Category B) and 15-18 years (Category A). Team competition for both boys and girls will also take place.

DELHI LAD CLINCHES TAIWAN JUNIOR OPEN

Raghav Chugh

24 golf digest india | october 2018

Jahnavi Prakhya

Raghav Chugh posted impressive rounds of 71-70-70 to win the 2018 Taiwan Hills Junior Open held at TongHwa Golf Club, Taipei from August 15-17. Chugh finished seven strokes ahead of local lad Ting Yu Chen who posted 218 over three days. The Delhi-based junior, a winner (Category B) at last year’s Albatross International Junior Golf Championship, is currently ranked 1,756 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) (with a point average of 570.1916). Besides this victory, the 15-year-old also won the IGU Southern India Junior Boys (held at Eagleton Golf Resort, Bengaluru) in May 2018 and Western India Junior Boys (at Kalhaar Blues & Greens, Ahmedabad) in July 2017.

Karina Jadhav

CALIFORNIA

KARINA FINISHES FOURTH AT JUNIOR WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS

8-year-old Indian American Karina Jadhav finished T-4 at the 2018 IMG Academy Junior World Golf Championships in the Girls 7-8 category. The tournament was held at Sycuan Golf Resort, San Diego from July 10-13. The California resident’s heroics meant she became the top ranked golfer in her age group in USA. Instituted in 1968, the IMG Academy Junior World Golf Championships now boasts of over 1,200 participants from across 56 countries. It is the largest international event in the world and is unique for its international representation and cultural diversity.

Newsmakers

JAHANVI, HITAASHEE TRIUMPH IN ALBATROSS INTER-SCHOOL The 8th Albatross Inter-School Junior Golf Championship held at ITC Classic Golf & Country Club, Gurgaon from August 30-31 saw an impressive field of 148 junior golfers.

In all, 27 school teams from across the country took part in the tournament.

Represented by Hitaashee Bakshi and Jahanvi Bakshi, Army Public School-Dhaula Kuan posted 297 to win the Team A/B category (lowest aggregate gross score over two days). They beat the team of Aryaman Mahant and Suryaveer Singh of Modern SchoolVasant Vihar by 16 strokes.

Since its inception in 2007, Albatross has been dedicated to promoting and developing junior golf across India. All the Albatross tournaments count towards the AJT Order of Merit and are ranked by Junior Golf Scoreboard (JGSB), USA.

Pall Shingala

8-YEAR-OLD ON THE RISE

Pall Shingala scored 3-under to triumph in the IGU’s West Zone Feeder Tour (Category E) held at Kharghar Valley Golf Course, Mumbai. The Ahmedabad resident is now No. 1 in West Zone Order of Merit (Category E).

Having recorded 3-under on day 1 and par on day 2, Pall received a special recognition for playing under par in an IGU event (at Category E level). Coached by Sunil Kumar, the youngster took to golf at the age of six. She had also participated at the World Junior Golf Championship in USA in August, finishing 24th. This December, Pall will compete at the prestigious Kids Golf World Championship Malaysia.

26 golf digest india | october 2018

SCHOLARSHIP FOR PRANAVI

WINNERS: Category A Boys

Kritein Gandotra (154)

Category A Girls

Jahanvi Bakshi (150)

Category B Boys

Tushar Pannu (144)

Category B Girls

Hitaashee Bakshi (147)

Category C Boys

Jujhar Singh (145)

Category C Girls

Ragini Navet (157)

Category D Boys

Parth Raman Sood (153)

Category D Girls

Vibhi Chadha (160)

Pranavi S. Urs

15-year-old Pranavi Urs of Mysuru has been awarded a scholarship—worth over U S $ 1 0 0,0 0 0, c o v e r i n g tuition, living expenses, tournament fees—to attend the prestigious Mitchell Spearman Academy at Albany in The Bahamas.

Mitchell Spearman, founder of his eponymous academy, has been coaching young golfers for over three decades, including the likes of Nick Faldo, Greg Norman, Billy Hurley III and Sandra Gal among others.

Sameer Sawhney, founder of golf statistics app Upgame, was instrumental in making this possible.

Pranavi was able to share her tournament statistics on a regular basis through Upgame. This enabled Spearman to monitor her performance and access comprehensive data on her golf game over time.

Sawhney said, “We are glad Upgame could play a small role in allowing Pranavi to achieve her goal... We hope to help many more in future.”

Welcoming his new charge, Spearman said, “We are thrilled that Upgame enabled us to identify Pranavi and we are happy to have Pranavi and her family on board.”

An excited Pranavi sounded upbeat, “I am really excited about the scholarship programme… I am positive this will definitely take my game to the next level.”

Newsmakers

INAUGURAL PARENT-CHILD TOURNAMENT A SUCCESS

Little Master Junior Golf Tour held its first Parent-Child Championship at Ambience Greens, Gurgaon on September 9, 2018.

The event was played over 18 holes and the format was two-player Texas Scramble.

11 teams participated in all. All of 4-and-half years, Zubin Kohli was the youngest entrant. The Championship was an open division event, where juniors played from age-specific tees. Some teams had two juniors where each child played nine holes such that the whole family was involved.

WINNERS: 1st place:

Cameron Virk (Child) and Baljit Virk (Grandfather)

2nd place:

Rheea Razdan (Child) and Viren Razdan (Father)

3rd place:

Krish Gupta (Child) and Harsh Gupta (Father)

Closest to Pin (Child):

Hridaan Wahal

Closest to Pin (Parent):

Jagatjit Singh Bedi

Closest to Pin winner Hridaan Wahal

Winning team Cam United: Baljit Virk and Cameron Virk

Closest to Pin winner Jagatjit Singh Bedi

HONG KONG

INDIA FINISHES 17TH AT APGC JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP Two Indian teams, accompanied by their manager Manju Jakhar, took part in the APGC Junior Championship in Hong Kong. Held at The Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club from August 27-31, the pair of Pranavi Urs (aged 15) and Sunhit Bishnoi (17) posted 293 (76-75-76-66) to finish seventeenth. Meanwhile, the team of Anika Varma (aged 14) and Raghav Chugh (15) finished nineteenth with a score of 295 (76-79-77-63). A total of 34 teams participated in the tournament.

16-year-old Sakke Siltala of Finland won the boys’ event with a score of 69 (the lowest scores from the first round were considered).

Bishnoi (75) and Chugh (79) stood T-18 and T-29 respectively. In the girls’ event, Pranavi and Anika posted identical scores of 76 to finish T-17.

28 golf digest india | october 2018

THE FLOODS IN KERALA HAVE DISPLACED 3,91,494 FAMILIES. WHILE MANY ARE RETURNING HOME, THERE ARE 10,000 FAMILIES LIKE RAVI AND MINI WHO HAVE NO HOME TO RETURN TO. DONATE NOW to rebuild the lives of families like Ravi and Mini.

Help Kerala Build Back Better

Across The Country

CLUB ROUND-UP

To share news on your club or updates from across the country, please email karthik@rnsportsmarketing.com

NAVI MUMBAI

New Clubhouse at Kharghar Valley

The Clubhouse at Kharghar Valley Golf Course

Kharghar Valley Golf Course (KVGC) recently welcomed a new Clubhouse. The state-ofthe-art, two-storey structure spans 15,000sq.ft. and has been built in the heart of the sprawling 145acre course. The Clubhouse hosts a range of facilities such as a conference hall, pro shop, change rooms, canteen, open terrace and dining facilities. Most notably, one gets an exceptional view of the 9-hole golf course. The Kharghar Valley Golf Course is nestled at the foothills of the Kharghar mountain range that provide a spectacular backdrop—particularly during the monsoons.

MUMBAI

VARANASI

Cart Path Construction at BPGC

In order to facilitate easy movement of course machinery and avoid damage, Bombay Presidency G olf Club (BPGC) is constructing a concrete cart path that will connect the golf buggy stand near the first tee through to the second hole, and then across the seventh and third fairways all the way up to the fourth.

Golfing in One of the World’s Oldest Cities

Ashish Chemburkar (Captain, BPGC) and David Brinkel (Superintendent, BPGC)

Easily among the oldest cities on the planet, if not the oldest, Varanasi is perhaps better known for its pilgrimage spots. What will surprise you, however, is that there is an active golfing community too.

The city is home to two golf courses, both run

by Government of India. The nine-hole Gorkha Greens is under the control of the Indian Army while the 18-hole DLW Golf Course is maintained by the Indian Railways Diesel Locomotive Works.

Both properties are situated within 3km of one another. Interestingly, ace Indian golfer Gaganjeet Bhullar’s father served as Sports Officer in DLW in the early ‘90s.

DELHI

Rathore is All India Inter Frontier Champion

DIG Pushpendra Singh Rathore, an All India Police Champion and a World Police Champion, shot rounds of 68 and 76 to take home the Golden Golfer trophy in the recently concluded All India Inter Frontier Golf Tournament and Bordermens Greens.

He received the prize from K. K. Sharma, Director General, Border Security Force (BSF). This was Rathore’s fifth successive best performance award at the event. The team championship was won by Jammu Frontier. Pushpendra Singh Rathore (L)

30 golf digest india | october 2018

Jammu Frontier with K.K. Sharma (2R)

Across The Country

KOLKATA

Tollygunge unveils refurbished Clubhouse

Over the years, the Committee at Tollygunge Club has continued with overall improvements and accelerated the introduction of new facilities. Among them has been the refurbishing of the Clubhouse. The Clubhouse and surrounding areas carry a rich legacy of legends, anecdotes and memories and the Club has inherited a tradition of sports since its inception in 1895.

VISAKHAPATNAM

Help in the Hour of Need

East Point Golf Club (EPGC) came to the aid of the flood-hit state of Kerala by using golf as a fundraiser. 86 participants came forward to participate in this noble cause and proceeds totalling `3,86,000/- were donated to the Kerala Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund. T. S. Varma, Honorable Secretary of EPGC, along with the Committee Members made the contribution in presence of District Collector Pravin Kumar, IAS. Established in 1884, EPGC is located in the port city of Visakhapatnam and is the only 18-hole golf course in Andhra Pradesh.

Laurence Brotheridge (L), Academy Director, guides a participant

NOIDA

All India Police Golf Tournament at Jaypee Greens

More than 120 golfers from across the country participated in the All India Police Golf Tournament held at Jaypee Greens, Greater Noida from September 12-14. Team BSF won the gross team championship. Director of the Intelligence Bureau, Rajiv Jain and the current Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Rajiv Mehrishi lent their presence to the event.

PUNE

Junior Programme at Leadbetter Golf Academy

Rajiv Jain (C), Director of the Intelligence Bureau, at the opening ceremony

The Leadbetter Golf Academy at Oxford Golf Resort conducts several golf training programs and the Junior Satellite Programme, in particular, has gained prevalence. In just two years, it has produced winners on the IGU Junior and Amateur circuits besides national team members and rising tour pros.

The aim of the programme is to provide a holistic approach for juniors and elite players to reach the next level without having to relocate for training. With over 40 competitive participants already registered, the academy continues to enroll more students each month. Flexible batch timings—centered around the students’ needs, from practice plans, individual swing blueprints, mental conditioning and general support online—are also offered. october 2018 | golf digest india

31

Promoting Golf

READY, SET, SWING!

▶▶▶ An initiative of Golf Industry Association (GIA)—in partnership with Indian Golf Union (IGU), Women’s Golf Association of India (WGAI), National Golf Association of India (NGAI), Golf Course Superintendents and Managers Association of India (GCS&MAI), as well as the Professional Golf Association (PGA) of America—India Learn Golf Week (ILGW), which returned for its second edition between September 2430, aims to nurture the next 100,000 Indian golfers, besides generating `1,500 crore revenue for the golf industry over the next five years.

Over 50 clubs (51 at the time of going to press) registered to participate in just the second year, a near 100% rise from last year. More than 20,000 people across all age groups are expected to take their first golf lessons.

OPEN TO ALL AGES FREE EQUIPMENT PROVIDED (GOLF BALLS AND GOLF CLUBS) REGISTRATION FEE: MIN. `200 TO MAX. `1,000 1 HOUR SESSION WITH A GOLF PROFESSIONAL 32 golf digest india | october 2018

Promoting Golf

DI

• GOLF DIGEST IN E GAM

E• G ITIATIV ROW THE

LOCATION Ahmedabad Ahmedabad Ahmedabad Ahmedabad Ahmedabad Ahmedabad Jorhat, Assam Bengaluru Bengaluru Bengaluru Bengaluru Bengaluru Chandigarh Chennai Delhi Delhi Canacona, Goa Gurgaon Gurgaon Gurgaon Gurgaon Gurgaon Gurgaon Gurgaon Gurgaon Hyderabad Hyderabad Jaipur Jaipur Kerala Kochi Kolkata Kolkata Lucknow Lucknow Ludhiana Mangaluru Mumbai Mumbai Nagpur Nashik Navi Mumbai Noida Noida Panchkula Pune Pune Pune Rajkot Sakhanpur, Nainital Vadodara

A IN

NAME OF GOLF CLUB OR GOLF FACILITY Aalloa Hills Golf Resort Belvedere Golf and Country Club Gulmohar Greens Golf & Country Club Kalhaar Blues & Greens Kensville Golf & Country Club The Otherside Golf Club Kaziranga Golf Resort (November 12 - 18) Eagleton Golf Resort Golfer’s Edge (by TeeTime Ventures) Karnataka Golf Association (September 25 - 30) Prestige Golfshire Club Zion Hills Golf County CGA Golf Range Sun Palm Golf Academy & Driving Range Noida Stadium Golf Range Siri Fort Golf Driving Range The LaLit Golf & Spa Resort Classic Golf & Country Club DLF Golf & Country Club Go Golf Nirvana Golf Camp Golden Greens Golf Course (Sep 15-16, 22-23, 29-30) Hamoni Golf Camp (September 25 - 30) Karma Lakelands T1 Sports Tarudhan Valley Golf Course Boulder Hills Golf & Country Club Vooty Golf Course Rambagh Golf Club Royal Jaipur Golf Club SAI Trivandrum Golf Club CIAL Golf Club Eco Park Driving Range Tollygunge Golf Club Lucknow Golf Club The Palms Golf Club and Resort Imperial Golf Estate Pilikula Golf Club The Bombay Presidency Golf Club Golden Swan Country Club Eden Greenz Golf Club Riverside Golf Course Kharghar Valley Golf Course Jaypee Greens Golf Resort Unitech Golf Course Panchkula Golf Club Oxford Golf Resort Poona Golf Club RSI Golf Course (SSTA&SC) (October 22 - 28) Green Meadows Golf Club The Homestead at Corbett Country Gaekwad Baroda Golf Club

• GOLF DIGEST IN DI

SL. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51

E•G ITIATIV ROW THE N I A

E GAM

The second edition of ILGW will take place from September 24-30, 2018.

Participating clubs/facilities are as follows:

How it will play out

Participating clubs will assign coaches for each of the seven days to deliver introductory golfing lessons from curricula approved by the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) of America. Each coach will have five students in a session and will conduct five sessions in a day.

Registration process

For online registration, please visit: www.rnsportsmarketing.com/events/ilgw

WE ARE OVERWHELMED WITH THE INCREASED PARTICIPATION... THE MOMENTUM HAS RAPIDLY TAKEN OFF AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO A ROARING SUCCESS THIS YEAR. ‘GOLFER GROW GOLFER’: GIVE THE BENEFIT THAT YOU RECEIVED FROM THIS SPORT TO ANOTHER. —DEEPALI SHAH GANDHI, GIA PRESIDENT

INDIA LEARN GOLF WEEK IS AN INNOVATIVE AND UNIQUE INITIATIVE FOR THE PROMOTION OF GOLF. IT IS HEARTENING TO SEE THE TREMENDOUS RESPONSE IT HAS RECEIVED FROM CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. AUGURS WELL FOR THE GAME! —AJAY CHANDELE, HONORARY SECRETARY, IGU

TAKING WOMEN'S GOLF, AND GOLF IN GENERAL, FORWARD FOR NEW INDIA'S VIBRANT AND CONFIDENT TALENT… ILGW UNDOUBTEDLY IMPACTED AND REACHED SCORES OF YOUNG PLAYERS ACROSS —CHAMPIKA SAYAL, SECRETARY GENERAL, WGAI THE NATION. I BELIEVE ILGW IS THE FIRST STEP A NEW GOLFER CAN TAKE: GET INTRODUCED TO THE WORLD OF GOLF. WE JUST NEED MORE AND MORE OF SUCH —PRAVIN UBEROI, FOUNDER MEMBER, GCS&MAI INITIATIVES! I TAKE GREAT PLEASURE IN SEEING SUCH INITIATIVES—THE NEED OF THE HOUR SHOULD WE WANT GOLF TO GROW IN INDIA. THIS IS THE MOMENT FOR NOVICE ENTHUSIASTS AND AMATEURS ALIKE; COME AND ENJOY THIS BEAUTIFUL GAME! — DEVANG SHAH, FORMER GIA PRESIDENT october 2018 | golf digest india

33

Corporate Digest Sara Futura Karnataka Golf Festival

SARA FUTURA KARNATAKA GOLF FESTIVAL Getting Better Every Year Held at Karnataka Golf Association (KGA) from September 20-23, the Sara Futura Karnataka Golf Festival (KGF) was a great success. Now in its tenth edition, KGF— which also happens to be the largest amateur golf tournament in the state— witnessed around 500 golfers take to the pristine fairways of the KGA golf course.

Celebrities such as India cricketer Karun Nair, former cricketers S. Badrinath, Ajit Agarkar and Sujith Somasunder, former sprint queen Ashwini Nachappa, actor Akul Balaji and popular sports commentator Charu Sharma were amongst those participating.

Milesh Jumburao (of Bengaluru), Hritik Gandhi (Delhi), K. Anil Kumar (Bengaluru), Nandan Heblikar (Bengaluru) and Haresh Patel (Mumbai) emerged winners in their respective handicap categories. In so doing, they earned the right to represent corporate India at the World Amateur Golfers Championship which will be held in Johor, Malaysia from October 20-27.

Dr. M. G. Bhat (Hon. Secretary, KGA) (L) and Vinod Chinnappa (Captain, KGA) (2R) felicitate Kshitij Naveed Kaul (2L) and Harimohan Singh, golfers who were part of the Indian contingent at the recently concluded Asian Games

Ashwini Nachappa

B. P. Kumar Babu (CMD, Cornerstone Properties) and Srinivas Vallabhaneni (Director, Krishnapatnam Port)

Chinta Sasidhar (MD, Krishnapatnam Port)

34 golf digest india | october 2018

Shekar Viswanathan (Vice Chairman, Toyota Kirloskar Motor)

Priya Alex (Director, Tungabhadra Beneficiation) and David D'Souza (MD, Garden City Fashions)

Sara Futura Karnataka Golf Festival Corporate Digest

Ajit Agarkar (former cricketer)

Ruosh putting challenge Dhanalakshmi Rice (Drector, Rices Enterprises) and Madhavi Reddy (Director, Steramoid)

Shalini Chopra (fashion blogger) and Charu Sharma

Hitesh N. Joshi (Past President, KGA)

Anand Menon (Head of Marketing, The Serai Resorts)

Kush Jawahar (Director, Featherlite)

L-R: Akul Balaji (actor) and former India cricketers Venkatpathy Raju, Sujith Somasunder and S. Badrinath

L-R: Rishi Wadhera (Sr. GM, Carlsberg India), Mohit Gupta (Co-Founder, TeamLease) and Austin Roach (Founder Member, Ferns Builders & Developers)

Mridumesh Kumar Rai (President, Sara Futura) with Eshita Kamal (student)

Gaurav Sahgal (Director, HSBC)

Syed Suwaid Mohsin (Winner, Germinate Closest To Pin) (C) with Ayappa K. M. (L) and Santosh Joseph of Germinate Wealth

october 2018 | golf digest india

35

Corporate Digest Sara Futura Karnataka Golf Festival

Scenes from the golf clinic conducted by professional golfers Anisha Padukone and Neha Tripathi

Professional golfer Anisha Padukone

GOLF CLINIC AT KGA To commemorate the tenth edition of Karnataka Golf Festival—the largest amateur golf tournament in the state—a golf clinic was conducted at Karnataka Golf Association. Pro golfers Anisha Padukone and Neha Tripathi were on hand to guide enthusiasts (about 50 in all) over the course of the session.

L-R: Karan Singhvi (Director, Sunsera Engineering), Karun Nair (India cricketer) and Ajit Agarkar (former India cricketer)

Saif Mehkri (Director, Bio-gen Extracts)

36 golf digest india | october 2018

L-R: Suresh J. (MD & CEO, Arvind Lifestyle), Praveen Sood IPS (DGP CID), Sandeep Singh (MD, Tata Hitachi Construction Machinery) and Pramod Nigam (CEO, Acuite Consulting)

Sandeep Kulhalli (Sr. VP, Titan Company)

Sunil K. Vasant (Chairman, Vasant Group of Companies) and Dhananjaya M. Naidu (Director, Asscents Ventures)

T. Sukumar (Sr. VP, Epson India)

Sara Futura Karnataka Golf Festival Corporate Digest S. Badrinath (former India cricketer)

Srinivas Vallabhaneni (Director, Krishnapatnam Port)

Varun Berry (MD, Britannia)

Karun Nair (India cricketer) Srikanth Rao (Hon. Secretary, Hyderabad Golf Association)

Pranab Barua (Group Mentor & Business Director, Aditya Birla Group)

Harish Shetty (President, KGA) and Charu Sharma (sports commentator)

L-R: Aashray Goel (Partner, Panthera Projects), Prateek Pant (Co-Founder, Sanctum Wealth) and Digboloi Halder (VP, Goldman Sachs)

Shashank Xavier (Associate, Investor Relations; The Chopras) and Karun Nair (Winner, Ballantine's Longest Drive)

Mridumesh Kumar Rai (President, Sara Futura) with Milesh Jumburao (Winner, Category 0-5)

Hritik Gandhi (Winner, Category 6-10) and Mridumesh Kumar Rai

WINNERS: Category (0-5) Milesh Jumburao Category (6-10) Hritik Gandhi Category (11-15) Anil Kumar K. Category (16-20) Nandan Heblikar Mridumesh Kumar Rai with Anil Kumar K. (Winner, Category 11-15)

Mridumesh Kumar Rai with Nandan Heblikar (Winner, Category 16-20)

Category (21-24) Haresh Patel

Haresh Patel (Winner, Category 21-24) and Mridumesh Kumar Rai

october 2018 | golf digest india

37

Corporate Digest Sara Futura Karnataka Golf Festival

ENDING ON A HIGH A high-profile gala dinner at Karnataka Golf Association (KGA) marked the conclusion of the Sara Futura Karnataka Golf Festival. Almost 600 guests were part of the evening. The likes of 'DJ' Deepak and former cricketers S. Badrinath, Sujith Somasunder and Venkatapathy Raju made the occasion even more memorable with their presence.

L-R: Sumit Singh (Consultant, Investor Relations; The Chporas), Shashank Xavier (Associate, Investor Relations; The Chopras) and Harish Shetty (President, KGA)

L-R: Milesh Jumburao, Hritik Gandhi, Nandan Heblikar and Anil Kumar K

Former India cricketers Venkatapathy Raju and S. Badrinath

Disc Jockey Deepak (Skyye, UB City)

Nikhil Narain and Charu Narain

Vinod Chinnappa (Captain, KGA)

Indur Hirani (L) with guests

L-R: Krishna Prasad, Ranjani, S. Badrinath and Deepak Sridhar

38 golf digest india | october 2018

Syed Suwaid Mohsin (Winner, Germinate Closest To Pin) (L) with Santosh Joseph (C) and Ayappa K. M. of Germinate Wealth

Mridumesh Kumar Rai (President, Sara Futura) and Harish Shetty

Partha Dutt (CEO, Nutrite)

Sara Futura Karnataka Golf Festival Corporate Digest

Vita Zinna and Ravi Garyali (MD, Irrigation Products International)

Mridumesh Kumar Rai (L) and Harish Shetty (2L) along with the team from Sara Futura

Sandeep Madhavan (Immediate Past President, KGA) with a friend

The KGA Committee

Sujith Somasunder (former cricketer)

Latha Shivanna (Executive Director, EXD Projects) L-R: Padmini Chandra, Lily Hirani, Charu Narain and Jaya Virwani

Mohan Tayel (Director, Reevax Pharma)

Mrs. & Mr. Mridumesh Kumar Rai

L-R: Dr. M. G. Bhat (Hon. Secretary, KGA), Nandan Heblikar (Partner, Turfcare), C. V. Ramana Reddy (MD, HELIOS Insurance) and T. Sukumar (Sr. VP, Epson India)

october 2018 | golf digest india

39

Corporate Digest The Duke of Edinburgh Cup

Chennai Duo Win Prestigious Charity Golf Event The India edition of The Duke of Edinburgh Cup—a charity golf tournament with Royal Patronage and in aid of Christel House, a Charity and Not for Profit Organization— saw Dhananjaya Das and Ishwar Achanta of Chennai emerge victorious. The event was held at Bengaluru’s Prestige Golfshire on August 25 and over 100 golfers from across the country’s major cities took part.

Proceeds worth `50,00,000 were raised and donated to Christel House India.

RESULTS: Winning team: Ishwar Achanta, Dhananjay Das Runner-up: Shrenik Kumar, Namit Gumbhir

L-R: Ishwar Achanta (MD, Portman India), Satish Sharma (President-APMEA, Apollo Tyres), Sunam Sarkar (President & Chief Business Officer, Apollo Tyres) and Dhananjay Das (Partner, DJS Ventures)

Elior Closest to Pin: Michael Rodrigues Tata Projects Closest to Pin: Sandeep Kulhalli NetApp Straightest Drive: Priya Alex

Sandeep Kulhalli (VP-Retail and Marketing, Titan) and Vivek Singhal (COO, Tata Projects)

Runners-up Namit Gumbhir and Shrenik Kumar with Saif Mehkri (Director, Bio-gen Extracts) (R)

It was a pleasure competing at the event…

That we needed 70 points to win is a testimony to the level of the competition.

—ISHWAR ACHANTA

Priya Alex and Anil Valluri (President, NetApp)

Mohan Tayel (Director, Reevax Pharma) and Vinay Sal (Director, Sarala Group)

Harish Shetty (President, Karnataka Golf Association)

40 golf digest india | october 2018

Kayum Dhanani (CMD, Barbeque Nation)

Gautam Balakrishnan (VP-Head Smart Cities, Tata Projects)

K.R. Amin (MD, MK Fasteners) and Uday Masturlal (Director, MK Fasteners)

The Duke of Edinburgh Cup Corporate Digest

Proceeds worth `50 lakhs were raised; Rishi Narain (L) presents the cheque to Raju Shahani (Chairman, Christel House India)

Sandeep Singh (MD, Tata Hitachi Construction Machinery)

Satish Sharma (President-APMEA, Apollo Tyres) (2R) and his fourball

Vinod Chinnappa (Captain, Karnataka Golf Association)

L-R: Sunam Sarkar (President & Chief Business Officer, Apollo Tyres), B.S. Patil (General Manager, Toyota Kirloskar Motor), P. P. Uthappa (Deputy General Manager, Toyota Kirloskar Motor), and Jae Sung Seo (Senior General Manager-Purchase, Kia Motors India)

L-R: Amara Venu Madhav (CEO, Coffee Day Global), Nooralla Patel (Manager, Prestige Golfshire), Anand Menon (Head of Marketing, The Serai Resorts) and Saugato Banerjee (VP-Brand Alliance, Victorinox India)

Kush Jawahar (Director, Featherlite Group)

L-R: Peter Prem (Director, Printpack), Madhur Sood (Director, Rootcorp), Shashank Xavier (Associate, Investor Relations; The Chopras) and Akshay Kapur (Partner, Investor Relations; The Chopras)

L-R: Alok Kumar (Director, Banaras House Ltd), Shin Nakajima (Director, Tata Hitachi Construction Machinery), Naresh Shah (President, HP Enterprises) and K. S. Jaiprakash

october 2018 | golf digest india

41

Corporate Digest

MercedesTrophy

Indian Trio Headed To Stuttgart For World Final

Stuttgarter Golf-Club Solitude will be one of the venues for the MercedesTrophy World Final

M

ercedesTrophy India is the country’s biggest corporate golf event. What started out in one city—Delhi—at the turn of the millennium has gone from strength to strength and now boasts around 91 days of action, covering 12 cities and featuring over 3,000 golfers. Easily one of India’s finest amateur golf tournaments, participants compete for a place in the World Final which is held in Stuttgart, Germany.

Bhavkaran Singh (Chandigarh), Aman Sawhney (Gurgaon) and Rajesh Natarajan (Mumbai) emerged victorious in the National Final in Categorie s A , B and C respectively.

The World Final is scheduled for October 2-7. Participants will play three rounds, the first of which will be at Golf Club Schloss Nippenburg while Stuttgarter Golf-Club Solitude will be host to the second and third rounds.

L-R: MercedesTrophy National Final 2018 winners — Mumbai’s Rajesh Natarajan (L), Bhavkaran Singh (C) of Chandigarh and Aman Sawhney of Delhi pose with their trophies at Oxford Golf Resort, Pune

I’d prepared arduously for the National Final and played with the belief that I could beat the best on the day.

And now I’m preparing for the World Finals with the same fervour and look forward to winning the cup!

I have been looking forward to World Final... I've been trying to focus and put in some time into my golf game as I'm sure it will be a very competitive field.

—RAJESH NATARAJAN

—BHAVKARAN SINGH

42 golf digest india | october 2018

I feel confident that with talented teammates like Bhavkaran and Rajesh, we will give ourselves a very fair chance for a podium finish. I had been trying to win the MercedesTrophy for years and was ready to give up all my other trophies for that one crystal-studded marvel! —AMAN SAWHNEY

MercedesTrophy

Corporate Digest

Memorable Outing For ‘Drive to the Major’ Winner The ‘Drive to the Major’ competition is unique to the MercedesTrophy, combining the premium amateur series with one of g olf ’s maj or s —The Open Championship.

Rohit Mittal was this year’s ‘Drive to the Major ’ winner from India. He won the Grand Lucky Draw (Straighte st Drive winners from various legs of MercedesTrophy India are entered into the draw) organised during the National Final in Pune on April 6.

Mittal, a resident of Chandigarh, travelled to Carnoustie to watch this year ’s British Open which was won

by Italy’s Francesco Molinari. Shubhankar Sharma finished tied for 51st place.

The whole experience was so amazing that it is hard to describe in words. It is something that has to be experienced and cannot be explained!

—ROHIT MITTAL october 2018 | golf digest india

43

Business of Golf

Hero MotoCorp Extends Title Sponsorship of Hero World Challenge

Pawan Munjal and Tiger Woods

TGR Live and Tavistock Group announced on September 12 that Hero MotoCorp Ltd., the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer, has extended its title sponsorship of the Hero World Challenge. The 2018 Hero World Challenge will be played at Albany, Bahamas from November 29 to December 2, and will feature tournament host Tiger Woods and an invitation-only field comprising the world’s top ranked golfers.

“The Hero World Challenge has evolved into a global event highlighting the world’s best golfers year after year,” Tiger Woods said. “I’d like to thank Pawan Munjal and Hero MotoCorp for their continued support of the tournament…”

Hero MotoCorp first title sponsored the Hero

World Challenge in 2014 at Isleworth Golf & Country Club before moving to Albany in 2015.

Pawan Munjal, Chairman, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Hero MotoCorp, said, “… This is a unique platform that brings together the best of the global golfing world, not just to compete with each other but also to contribute towards larger community development.

Undoubtedly, this marquee tournament has been a significant catalyst and enabler in the ever-rising global profile of Hero MotoCorp.”

The Hero World Challenge is a four-round, 72hole stroke play event with a $3.5 million purse, a $1 million winner’s prize and Official World Golf Ranking points awarded.

Allure of the Celebrity Chef

Chef Jayanandan Bhaskar

Over the years, luxury hotels have partnered celebrity chefs to boost their culinary offerings. These alliances act as a means of turning hospitality products into destinations for gastronomes, as well as to drive revenues. Couple of leading golf resorts in the country seem to have taken cue.

DLF Golf & Country Club gave visitors a chance to relish a personalised menu of Grand Master Chef, Padma Shri Dr. Imtiaz Qureshi—an exponent of Awadhi cuisine—from September 12-14. Late August, Karma Lakelands appointed Chef Jayanandan Bhaskar as Executive Chef. In his new role, Chef Bhaskar will be responsible for overseeing the resort’s culinary direction, introducing organic dishes, and setting standards to ensure quality.

It therefore appears that celebrity chefs do add value to high-end hotels and resorts. The trend in partnering such experts will perhaps continue for the foreseeable future.

44 golf digest india | october 2018

“… THIS IS A UNIQUE PLATFORM THAT BRINGS TOGETHER THE BEST OF THE GLOBAL GOLFING WORLD.” — PAWAN MUNJAL, CHAIRMAN, MD & CEO, HERO MOTOCORP

“THE HERO WORLD CHALLENGE HAS EVOLVED INTO A GLOBAL EVENT HIGHLIGHTING THE WORLD’S BEST...”

—TIGER WOODS

AGIF Green Keeping Certificate Course

Asian Golf Industry Federation (AGIF) in partnership with The R&A has announced a certificate course in Green Keeping from October 24-26 in Bangkok, Thailand. Besides throwing light on the science of green-keeping, the course is also designed to enhance one’s skills to operate safely and efficiently on a golf course and in a way that protects the turf, prevents damage and improves productivity. The programme will allow a maximum of 20 registrants.

Business of Golf

Ten Golf Likely To Shut Down

Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) is planning to shut down the only dedicated Golf channel in India, Sony Ten Golf HD. “The channel Sony Marathi HD is proposed to be launched in lieu of TEN Golf HD,” the broadcaster noted in its RIO document.

The golf content will move to the company’s digital platform SonyLIV to cater to its niche audience. Sony had got Ten Golf as part of its acquisition of Ten Sports Network from Zee Ltd. in August 2016.

Popular amongst corporates and high net worth individuals, Ten Golf— which featured a mix of live, non-live and feature programming—was launched in March 2012 to tap into the premium segment who followed the sport. It was re-launched in high definition (HD) in October 2015.

Golf Digest India’s request for a comment went unanswered to by the parties concerned.

GOLF CONFERENCE CANCELLED

Global Golf Summit, which was scheduled for October 24-25 Park Hyatt Dubai, has been cancelled.

The event intended to explore developments in the game of golf in the Middle East and African regions. Over 200 attendees were expected to take part.

An announcement from the organizer White Paper Summits said, “WPS is a professional event organising firm and our objective is to organise high-level summits that offer exceptional quality in terms of presentation, industry driven content and calibre of speakers, interactive panel discussions, insightful case studies, platform to share knowledge and learn, facilitate business opportunities, unparalleled networking, one-to- one meetings, and practical workshops.

The Global Golf Summit has unfortunately not received sufficient support from key stakeholders from GCC and the region and the poor response from the golf industry is compelling WPS to cancel the Event, which is not commercially viable at this stage.”

IIM Rohtak introduces Executive Sports Management program Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Rohtak inaugurated the 2-year Executive Post Graduate Diploma in Sports Management on September 4. The university introduced this program—a first for any IIM in the country— bearing in mind the need of trained professional managers in the sports industry.

At the inauguration c e re m o ny, P ro f. D h e e r a j Sharma (Director, IIM Rohtak) said, “Sports management professionals are expected to deal with various business aspects of sports and recreation.

Sports Management Program at IIM Rohtak is expected to produce professionals who have competence in various domains such as sports marketing, sports law, financials of sports, event management, sports infrastructure management, sponsorship, among others.”

In order to bring the best output from the program, IIM

Rohtak has established an exclusive advisory body that will provide critical inputs related to program’s curriculum to ensure students are prepared for the emerging demands of the sports business and related industry. The body includes cricketer-turned-commentator Atul Wassan; sports writer and columnist Ayaz Memon; Indian golfer Jeev Milkha Singh; Golf Digest India Editorin-Chief Rishi Narain; Working President, Haryana State Boxing Association & Member of Sports Authority of India from Hisar District Mr. Kunal Karan Singh; India’s first blade runner Maj. D.P. Singh; President, India Olympic Association Mr. Narinder Dhruv Batra; Ex-Chief Advisor BCCI AntiCorruption Unit Mr. Neeraj Kumar; and Hon’ble Minister, Sports and Youth Services, Govt. of Punjab Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY TO HELP REBUILD KERALA Habitat for Humanity—the Sustainable Development Partner of the Asian Tour—is responding to the urgent needs of floodaffected families in Kerala, India. With the help of partners, Habitat for Humanity India is distributing humanitarian aid kits in the districts of Alappuzha, Idduki, Thrissur, Ernakulum, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta. These kits help protect families from threats brought on by extreme weather and outbreak of diseases, especially for those staying in evacuation centres where hygiene, sanitation and living conditions can be major challenges. This is an initial response in a three-phase plan to support thousands of families transition from emergency to recovery and reconstruction.

Rajan Samuel, Managing Director of Habitat for Humanity India

said, “More than 1 Million people in Kerala are displaced and living in relief camps. Habitat India is on ground and has started distribution of humanitarian aid kits with support of partner organisations, companies, volunteers and community members. We have been able to support over 26,000 families till date… We appeal to the Golfing community to come forward and support us in this time of crisis”.

Volunteers and celebrities are taking an active role in supporting relief efforts in Kerala. Actor and Habitat for Humanity India ambassador Jacqueline Fernandez rallied her online supporters to donate to Habitat India’s Kerala relief appeal. Other Habitat India ambassadors—singer Mihir Joshi, actor Evelyn Sharma and Olympian boxer MC Mary Kom— also urged the public to support the ongoing relief drive. october 2018 | golf digest india

45

Business of Golf

Golf Industry

GROWS IN USA Given the testing times in the world of business and sports media, a lot of people might be wondering how golf has been faring.

A recent report from World Golf Foundation will alleviate any such concern.

The Indian golf industry, therefore, can take note and plan accordingly.

22%

Golf’s impact on the economy in U.S.A. has grown by 22% from US$ 68.8 billion in 2011 to US$ 84.1 billion in 2018, over seven years, according to a survey released by World Golf Foundation

1.9 Million Jobs The game also supports almost 1.9 million jobs and U$ 58.7 billion in salaries.

Approximately 15,000 golf facilities in the U.S. generated almost U$ 33.3 billion in operating revenue in 2018—money that comes from greens fees, membership fees and range fees, golf cart rentals and spending on food and beverage. Operational revenue was up almost 12% from US$ 29.8 billion in 2011, a noteworthy turnaround after the financial crisis that ended in 2010.

$33 billion

Golf Tourism

The industry’s second-biggest contributor was Tourism, as golf drove about US$ 25.8 billion in revenue. Up from US $20.6 billion in 2011.

$20.6 billion 2011

$25.8 billion 2018

$7.2 billion

New golf home construction, which closely tracks national trends, climbed to US$ 7.2 billion after dropping to US$ 3.1 billion seven years ago.

“The positive trends this study details regarding the entire golf industry helps to show how vital the game is to the prosperity of our economy and entire nation," said Steve Mona, World Golf Foundation CEO. “The impact the industry’s health has on millions of Americans cannot be understated. With so much riding on the game’s success, we’re extremely pleased that a comprehensive study of this nature can provide such encouraging results.”

46 golf digest india | october 2018

Business of Golf

TPC Kuala Lumpur’s Upgraded West Course set for PGA Tour Test The CIMB Classic will celebrate its ninth edition this month (October 11-14) and TPC Kuala Lumpur’s revamped West Course is set to take centre stage.

Title-holder Pat Perez has confirmed his return to Malaysia to defend his title after a dominant fourshot victory over fellow-American Keegan Bradley in 2017.

With a US$7 million prize fund, Malaysia’s biggest annual sporting showpiece will feature 60 professional golfers from the PGA Tour’s 2017-18 FedEx Cup final points standing.

The sole PGA Tour-sanctioned tournament in Southeast Asia is primed to serve another exciting week of world-class golf following the renovation work at TPC Kuala Lumpur, a Golf Course Facility Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.

CIMB Classic 2018 was launched by Malaysia’s Deputy Youth and Sports Minister, His Honourable Steven Sim Chee Keong, together with Tengku Dato’ Sri Zafrul Aziz, Group CEO, CIMB Group, Datuk Ahmad Shah Hussein Tambakau, Chairman of Tourism Malaysia, Effendy Shahul Hamid, CEO of Group Commercial

Banking and Group Asset Management & Investments, CIMB Group and Todd Rhinehart, Vice President and Executive Director of PGA Tour.

Since its first staging (2010), the CIMB Classic has attracted top professional golfers such as Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Henrik Stenson, Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler and Ernie Els. It has also proved to be a successful launch-pad for many of the game’s stars such as Justin Thomas (who won his first PGA Tour tournament at the 2015 CIMB Classic before returning to successfully defend his title in 2016), Japanese number one Hideki Matsuyama and India’s Anirban Lahiri.

IACC Golf Invitational Confirmed

To commemorate its Golden Jubilee year, the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC) will be organizing an invitation-only golf tournament at Classic Golf & Country Club, Gurgaon on November 4. Around 120 golfers— including eminent individuals from the embassies besides C-suite executives—will partake in the 18-hole event. Dr Lalit Bhasin, Executive Vice President of IACC, will be the Tournament Chairman. The likes of Dr Farooq Abdullah (former Chief Minister, Jammu and Kashmir), Amitabh Kant (CEO, NITI Aayog) and Suman Billa, IAS (Ministry of Tourism) are expected to be amongst those taking part.

New Golf Course In The Works in Noida

Proposed layout of the upcoming executive nine-hole golf course in Noida

Aashish Vaishnava (CEO, AV Group International) and Jon Hunt (Group Director, International Design Group) have co-designed an executive ninehole golf course at Sector 150, Noida for the Lotus Greens Group.

Spread over 25 acres, the course also offers practice putting and chipping greens.

The project is part of a township where most of the adjacent real estate overlooks the golf course. A state-of-the-art Club House with contemporary facilities will be the main attraction and a centrally located lake will be main source of water. The course aims to be selfsustaining using recycled water along with the best rain water harvesting strategies.

Construction is in full swing and the course is expected to be ready by mid-2019. october 2018 | golf digest india

47

Achievers

OFF THE COURSE corporate golfers and aficionados of the sport who have been in the news lately...

PANKAJ MUNJAL, HERO CYCLES

Kindness begets kindness

The depressing state of flood-hit Kerala brought help from all corners.

One kind soul to donate to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund was nine-year-old Anupriya from Tamil Nadu who contributed her entire piggy bank savings worth INR 9,000. She had been saving up the money to buy a bicycle. Touched and impressed by the selfless gesture, Pankaj Munjal—CMD, Hero Cycles—gifted the child a brand new bicycle.

Needless to say, over the years, golf in India (and globally) has benefitted from the patronage of the Munjals. Hero sponsors prestigious golf tournaments such as Hero Indian Open, Hero Women’s Indian Open and Hero World Challenge and exciting events like Hero Challenge on the European Tour.

TARUN RAI, J. WALTER THOMPSON

Top honour for JWT Chief

World Consulting Research Corporation (WCRC) IDEASFEST 2018 felicitated Tarun Rai, CEO, J Walter Thompson South Asia, as one of the Most Trusted CEOs in India on August 27. The award was presented by Hon. Sr. Cabinet Minister Mahadev Jankar and Subhash Ghai.

Rai is an avid golfer and has taken part in corporate golf tournaments, most recently at the Tata Hitachi World Corporate Golf Challenge in Mumbai (February 2018). He has also taken part in MercedesTrophy and Volvo World Golf Challenge.

The 19-handicapper’s home club is Bombay Presidency Golf Club.

48 golf digest india | october 2018

SUSHIL GUPTA, ASIAN HOTELS (WEST) LTD.

Up for a new role

Delhi Golf Club member Sushil Gupta was nominated to the post of President of Rotary International for 2020–21. A Rotarian since 1977, Gupta is Chairman and Managing Director of Asian Hotels (West) Ltd.—owners of Hyatt Regency Mumbai and JW Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity. The septuagenarian has keen interest in sport—particularly tennis and golf, and credits both disciplines, besides the hospitality sector, as the reasons behind his ability to forge successful business relationships. Gupta, a 20-handicapper, plays golf every morning after about an hour of yoga.

For close to two decades, he played multiple rounds with Justice B. N. Kripal, former Chief Justice of India.

Hi-Life Lifestyle

To share news on your products or updates on new launches, please email karthik@rnsportsmarketing.com

AUTOMOBILE A NEW ROAR ON THE STREETS

Automobili Lamborghini unveiled the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ at a worldwide premiere at Monterey Car Week in California in occasion of the event “The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering”. The distillation of extraordinary design, groundbreaking technologies and the ultimate in handling, performance and driver enjoyment, the Aventador SVJ creates pure driving perfection, taking the concept of a super sports car to a new dimension.

APPAREL PREPARING FOR THE WINTERS

As we transition from the warm summer months into the crisp nature of autumn, Hackett London took the covers off ‘Classics Reinvented’—a collection of essential items designed to be layered and which confidently juxtapose texture, colour and warm fabrics. Also, giving ease to everyday dressing, Country Per Suits showcases a complementary range with an edited selection of rugged and handsome, casually tailored pieces that celebrate a classic British winter nodding to a country escape.

DÉCOR WELCOMING FINESSE

Italian custom design company Momenti recently launched ‘Your Theme, Our Design’ concept solutions.

Besides offering Italian design know-how, from concept to production, Momenti also provide tailor-made design for the entire living environment, from floor to wall coverings, furniture to accessories and artworks.

50 golf digest india | october 2018

Lifestyle

In partnership with THE MAN magazine

SPLURGE

Make a statement off the course

GLENFIDDICH Recognised for numerous awards, the Glenfiddich 21-Year-Old exudes an intense and vanilla sweet essence. The sweetest in the range, it is nurtured for 21 years then finished for four months in Caribbean rum casks that awaken the Scottish whisky, rousing it with extra exotic notes of ginger, fig, lime and banana and a vibrant spicy toffee warmth, elevating it from something great to something extraordinary. The Glenfiddich 18-YearOld, meanwhile, is prepared in small batches of no more than 150 casks.

A robust and full-bodied single malt whisky that remains remarkably soft, rounded and long lasting, it is a classic rich Glenfiddich with luxurious dried fruit, candy peel and date flavours overlaid with elegant oak notes.

Price (Delhi NCR): Glenfiddich 21-year-old – `19,500 Glenfiddich 18-year-old – `11,000 FRAZER AND HAWS Create a contemporary look to any living space by adding silver art installations, photo frames, wall hangings, decorative bowls and other silver accessories that instantly transform the vibe of the sitting room.

Frazer and Haws brings a range of elegant decorative pieces in silver that help you to create a comfortable and welcoming space for parties and get-togethers.

BRING IT HOME The specially designed collection comprises cutlery, crockery, agate coasters and gold laser-cut trays which are ideal to lay out on the table during festive occasions, besides doubling up as the perfect gifting options. The contemporary eye combines objects and material of the present with those from the past, not just because of fashion, but also owing to one’s own knowledgeable eclecticism— the result of one’s varied experiences and cultivated taste.

TITO’S Designed to be savoured by spirit connoisseurs and aficionados alike, Tito’s Handmade Vodka is produced in Austin at Texas’ oldest legal distillery and made in batches, using old fashioned pot stills. It is also certified as Gluten-Free by the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG).

ASPRI Spirits, leading importers and distributors of premium spirits and wines in India, have introduced Tito’s Handmade Vodka in the country.

Price: Delhi – `3,350 Mumbai – `4,480 Bengaluru – `4,398 october 2018 | golf digest india

51

Official Exclusive Pages of the Asian Tour

A Flourishing Period For Golf In India And Asia Shubhankar Sharma, 22, currently leads the Habitat for Humanity standings

20-year old Viraj Madappa won the 2018 TAKE Solutions Masters and became the youngest Indian to win on the Asian Tour

P

rofessional golf in Asia continues its ascension, evident from the Asian Tour ’s robust schedule this season, the outstanding performances of Asian golfers at tournaments globally and the recent rankings boost for two domestic circuits.

The number of events on the Asian Tour has risen significantly over the past three years, from 24 in the 2016 season to more than 30 in 2018. This is demonstrated by the addition of several events both new and returning to the Tour. 2018 has

seen the long-awaited return of marquee events in Korea, China and the Ho Tram Players Championship in Vietnam.

The Tour has also introduced new events such as the ISPS HANDA New Zealand Open, Asia-Pacific Classic in China, Sarawak Championship in Malaysia and the upcoming UMA CNS Open G olf Championship in Pakistan.

The season long Habitat for Humanity Standings race is set to reach an exciting climax at the Indonesian Masters which is the Tour’s finale in mid-December.

52 golf digest india | october 2018

In July, the Asian Tour held the US$350,000 TAKE Solutions Masters in Bangalore, India.

The event saw 20-year-old Viraj Madappa win his maiden Tour title. It was the tournament’s second straight edition on Tour, and its successful staging is the outcome of the Tour’s close ties with the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI).

The PGTI runs one of the continent’s strongest domestic circuits that has helped paved the way for household names on the Asian Tour such as Anirban Lahiri, Jyoti Randhawa and

Gaganjeet Bhullar, who recently won the Fiji International that is tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and the Tour of Australasia.

Shubhankar Sharma, the current Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings leader, also plied his trade on the PGTI before becoming a two-time Asian Tour winner and a rising star in the international game.

As recently as last season, Sharma could be seen participating in numerous home events where he was victorious in two occasions.

Official Exclusive Pages of the Asian Tour No Indian golfer has more Asian Tour wins than Gaganjeet Bhullar (nine) Anirban Lahiri is a seven-time winner on the Asian Tour

Jyoti Randhawa has eight wins on the Asian Tour

GOLF IN INDIA HAS GROWN SIGNIFICANTLY IN RECENT YEARS. THE ASIAN TOUR IS A CLOSE PARTNER OF THE PGTI, AND IT IS WITH THEIR CONTINUED SUPPORT THAT WE HAVE ATTAINED THE OWGR STATUS. THIS WILL CERTAINLY GIVE AN ADDED INCENTIVE TO OUR LOCAL PROFESSIONALS...

— UTTAM SINGH MUNDY, CEO, PGTI Following a decision by the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) G overning B oard in July, the PGTI and the All Thailand Golf Tour (ATGT) will be included into the OWGR system from 2019. With this, tournament winners on these domestic circuits will earn a minimum of five OWGR points.

In addition, the top five golfers on the respective Order of Merit lists at the end of the season will receive spots at the Final Stage of the Asian Tour Qualifying School, with the top-ranked player earning

playing rights on Asia’s premier circuit.

The OWGR is us ed to determine eligibility to lucrative events such as Major championships, World Golf Championship tournaments, the World Cup, Olympic golf tournament and several other high-profile events worldwide.

With these domestic Tours attaining OWGR points from 2019, Asian golfers will have more opportunities to earn points and work their way up the rankings.

P GT I C h i e f E x e c u t i v e

Officer Uttam Singh Mundy was rightfully pleased with his organisation’s achievement. He said: “Golf in India has grown significantly in recent years.

The Asian Tour is a close partner of the PGTI, and it is with their continued support that we have attained the OWGR status. This will certainly give an added incentive to our local professionals prepare for the international stage and, also those already playing on higher tours.”

Asian Tour Chief Operating Officer Cho Minn Thant said:

“The Asian Tour is always looking at new ways to collaborate with local golf bodies to build on existing relationships and instilling goodwill. The ultimate goal is to put Asia on the map as a golfing force and this begins with development at domestic level. “ With the All Thailand Tour and the PGTI now being inducted into the OWGR system, we believe this can only promote the game further in the respective regions which in turn will lead to generating further interest in golf.”

october 2018 | golf digest india

53

Official Exclusive Pages of the Asian Tour

RECOGNISING TALENT, YOUTH AND VIGOUR T

h e A s i a n To u r launched the third phase of i t s # w h e re i t s AT campaign—which celebrates the limitless potential, youthful exuberance and enthusiasm of the players on Tour—on August 8.

Themed “Tomorrow’s Stars

Today”, a series of videos (supported by feature stories and digital ad campaigns) were rolled out from August 10.

22-year-old Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand, who consolidated his credentials as a rising star of the sport after capturing his second Asian Tour title at the 2018

Queen’s Cup, was featured as the inaugural story.

This year’s campaign will thrust young champions as well as up-and-coming golfers.

It also aims to underline the revitalisation of the Tour and attract a younger demographic to the sport.

Asian Tour Chief Operating

Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand is a two-time winner on the Asian Tour

54 golf digest india | october 2018

Officer Cho Minn Thant said: “Week after week, we continue to see a new and exciting generation of golfers contending on the Asian Tour. The Asian Tour aims to encapsulate the unbridled spirit of these young stars, as well as the development of the organisation through the promotional videos.”

THE MONK WHO SWINGS

It was in December 2016 when Jazz Janewattananond decided to live a humble and pious life as a monk for two weeks.

He stayed at the Wa t Benchamahophit D u s i t va n a r a m t e m p l e i n Bangkok and traded his trendy golf attire for a bright orange robe. His hair was shaved off and instead of playing golf, he prayed and chanted every day.

Jazz needed to reflect on life after going through a challenging 2016 season. He had lost his Asian Tour card for the first time since 2013 and missed the grade at the Qualifying School which left him with limited opportunities for the year.

Despite facing uncertainty in his career, Jazz never relented and seized the opportunity when it presented itself by winning the U S$ 300,000 Bashundhara Bangladesh Open in February last year by a convincing four shots.

After the win, a reinvigorated Jazz said that in life, sometimes it takes failure to bring out success.

“I guess those setbacks helped in my game but the win did come sooner than I thought,” said Jazz.

“I prayed and chanted every day in the temple. I felt really peaceful. I seem to take things a lot easier now. Golf used to be everything for me but now I’m just happy that I get to play in tournaments.”

Official Exclusive Pages of the Asian Tour Ajeetesh Sandhu won the 2017 Yeangder TPC

Habitat for Humanity Standings After AsiaPacific Open Golf Championship Diamond Cup

Fast forward to 2018 and Jazz is enjoying life in the fast lane.

He won his second Asian Tour title at the US$300,000 Queen’s Cup in July and also made his Major debut at The Open.

After experiencing the ups and downs in golf, Jazz’s career is beginning to flourish. There’s no denying the huge amount of talent he possesses.

THE COMPETITIVE INDIAN

Ajeetesh Sandhu is a man on a mission.

The 30-year-old wants to be ‘the best golfer he can ever be’ and he knows the world is his oyster.

The Indian is well on his way to achieving that as the spotlight has shone

brightly on him as one of the Asian Tour ’s ‘tomorrow ’s stars today’ since his breakthrough at the US$500,000 Yeangder Tournament Players Championship (TPC) in Chinese Taipei last year.

He immediately followed up that victory with a play-off win on the Japan Challenge Tour the week after. In so doing, Sandhu joined an elite group of Indian golfers who have won on Asian Tour.

They include Arjun Atwal, Jyoti Randhawa, Gaganjeet Bhullar, Anirban Lahiri, Shiv Kapur, S.S.P. Chawrasia, Rahil Gangjee and Jeev Milkha Singh.

The competitive streak among his fellow compatriots simply brought out the best in Sandhu.

POS

PLAYER

EARNINGS (US$)

1

SHUBHANKAR SHARMA (IND)

$603,156

2

SANGHYUN PARK (KOR)

$535,524

3

MATT WALLACE (ENG)

$446,660

4

SCOTT VINCENT (ZIM)

$391,441

5

GAGANJEET BHULLAR (IND)

$390,225

6

KIRADECH APHIBARNRAT (THA)

$372,481

7

YUTA IKEDA (JPN)

$338,671

8

JUSTIN HARDING (RSA)

$338,097

9

RAHIL GANGJEE (IND)

$296,888

10

SIHWAN KIM (USA)

$279,623

11

MINCHEL CHOI (KOR)

$271,340

12

JOHN CATLIN (USA)

$247,372

13

PAUL PETERSON (USA)

$241,148

14

JAZZ JANEWATTANANOND (THA)

$224,414

15

SHAUN NORRIS (RSA)

$179,714

16

PROM MEESAWAT (THA)

$165,838

17

DANTHAI BOONMA (THA)

$165,252

18

BERRY HENSON (USA)

$164,560

19

KURT KITAYAMA (USA)

$152,723

20

DANIEL NISBET (AUS)

$151,883

“IF YOU PLAY WELL, IT’S PRETTY EASY TO MAKE THE STEP UP TO THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL. IT’S GREAT TO SEE SO MANY OF OUR COMPATRIOTS DOING WELL.” — AJEETESH SANDHU “... We Indians have been having a really good run recently. It just spurs each other on,” said Sandhu.

Spur him on they did.

Sandhu became the second Indian after Bhullar (2012) to lay his hands on the Yeangder TPC title.

As fate would have it, Sandhu would finish the 2017 season in a career-high of 21st place on the Order of Merit.

It has been 10 months since Sandhu’s life-changing victory and that same self-belief still remains. He continues to revel

in pressure and has declared he wants to return to the winner’s circle.

“There’s always room for improvement and there’s still a long way to go… That’s what you want to play for because the pressure is always up and that’s a good thing.

“I want to win again. That’s my major goal. It is never easy to win but the self-belief is up because you know that you’ve done it before. It is easier because you know you can do it and that always helps,” he signs off saying.

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Official Exclusive Pages of the Asian Tour

Park Enters Fray As Standings Race Heats Up

T

he battle to top the Habitat for Humanity standings has heated up with Korea’s Sanghyun Park throwing his name into the fray.

Following his latest victory at the US$ 1 million Shinhan Donghae Open (September 1316), the 35-year-old Park moved to second place on the standings and declared his intention to stake his claim as Asia’s number one when the 2018 Asian Tour season concludes.

“I’m looking at winning the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings and I’ll be putting more priority on the Asian Tour.

“I’m going to adjust my schedule so that I can play all the required events on the Asian Tour,” said Park, who trails India’s Shubhankar Sharma by slightly over US$116,400.

Park underlined his bold ambitions with a performance on home soil that left his closest rivals in their wake.

He led from start to finish and his final round of eightunder-par 63, which was also the lowest score all-week, saw him romp to a dominant fiveshot victory—his second Asian

Tour win this season.

The Korean, who signed a 22-under-par 262 total, set a new tournament record for the lowest winning gross score.

Jiman Kang and Gaganjeet Bhullar, champions in 2006 and 2016 respectively, jointly held the previous record of 269.

Park also beat the record for lowest winning to-par score of 19-under-par, set by Kang.

With the Asian Tour set to embark on busy stretch of events, offering lucrative prize money and world ranking points, Park knows his goals are within sights.

“I want to play in the WGCHSBC Champions and CIMB Classic to improve my world ranking. Those are my goals.

After winning the Shinhan Donghae Open, these tournaments are well within my reach.

“These days, if I’m in the champion’s group, I’m not anxious. I feel that I can dominate the game. That’s where I feel I’ve grown over the past few years,” said Park, who moved to 126th place on the Official World Golf Ranking.

The top 10 and top four players (not otherwise exempt) on the Habitat for Humanity

56 golf digest india | october 2018

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

“... IF I’M IN THE CHAMPION’S GROUP, I’M NOT ANXIOUS. I FEEL THAT I CAN DOMINATE THE GAME. THAT’S WHERE I FEEL I’VE GROWN OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.” — SANG-HYUN PARK standings will qualify for the US$ 7 million CIMB Classic and US$ 10 million WGC-HSBC Champions staged in Malaysia and China respectively.

The cut-off date for both

events will b e up on the conclusion of the Yeangder Tournament Players Championship (where Ajeetesh Sandhu is defending champion) in Chinese Taipei on October 7.

Official Exclusive Pages of the European Tour

Canary Wharf To Host Second Edition Of The 2018 Hero Challenge T he Hero Challenge will visit another iconic venue this October when the European Tour’s actionpacked night golf contest heads to London’s Canary Wharf.

World No. 1 and Olympic champion Justin Rose will headline the event as some of the world’s leading golfers tee it up at the bustling financial centre for the European Tour’s innovative onehole shootout, which takes place on Tuesday October 9, during the week of the Sky Sports British

58 golf digest india | october 2018

Justin Rose of England will host the British Masters at Walton Heath

“I THINK IT’S A GREAT IDEA TO BRING GOLF INTO THE HEART OF LONDON AND CANARY WHARF WILL BE PRETTY SPECTACULAR BACKDROP FOR THE HERO CHALLENGE."

Official Exclusive Pages of the European Tour

Masters, which Rose will host at Walton Heath.

Canary Wharf becomes the latest world-famous landmark to provide a spectacular backdrop for the Hero Challenge, following Edinburgh Castle, which hosted the first edition of the 2018 Hero Challenge, won by American Ryder Cup star Matt Kuchar in July.

British Masters host Rose said: “I think it’s a great idea to bring golf into the heart of London and Canary Wharf will

be pretty spectacular backdrop for the Hero Challenge. It’s always fun to do something a bit different and reach new audiences.

“The reaction to previous editions of the Hero Challenge on social media has been very positive, and I’m really looking forward to taking part myself during the British Masters week.”

Pawan Munjal, Chairman, Managing Director & Chief E x e c u t i v e O f f i c e r, H e r o

MotoCorp, said: “I am glad to see Hero Challenge playing a role in attracting large number of new fans to golf. Going by the overwhelming response to this unique concept of golf, I am sure the Hero Challenge will go a long way in further popularising the game among the youngsters.

I am also happy to see the Hero Challenge now being played at iconic venues. After the famous Edinburgh Castle, which hosted the first edition of the 2018 Hero Challenge at the Scottish Open,

the landmark Canary Wharf in London will now host the Hero Challenge at the British Masters, making it a truly spectacular event to watch.”

The Hero Challenge made its debut at the British Masters in 2016 when Frenchman Alex Levy was the last man standing at The Grove. With the support of Hero MotoCorp Ltd—the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters—a further three editions were played in 2017, at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open, the British Masters and the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, won by American Patrick Reed, Englishman Lee Westwood and China’s Haotong Li respectively.

The latter took place at the Atlantis, The Palm Resort, where the players hit into a floating green off the Nasimi Beach, and the most recent edition was staged at Edinburgh Castle, in the heart of Scotland’s capital, provided another spectacular backdrop last month for the first of three editions of the Hero Challenge in 2018.

It now moves to Canary Wharf, which is home to a number of the world’s leading financial institutions, with the players hitting from a floating tee into a specially constructed floating green in the shadow of some of London’s tallest buildings.

Keith Pelley, European Tour Chief Executive, said: “Canary Wharf is an iconic London landmark, and it will be another spectacular backdrop for the Hero Challenge, following on from Edinburgh Castle.

“Since we launched the Hero Challenge at the British Masters two years ago, it has grown into a hugely popular event which has captured the imagination of both our fans and our players. By taking the event to the heart of London, we are giving even more people the opportunity to see the skill and character of some of the world’s leading golfers.”

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59

Official Exclusive Pages of the European Tour

Wallace Makes It A Hat-Trick In Denmark

M

att Wallace prevailed from a four-man play-off to win his third European Tour title of the season at the €1.5 million Made in Denmark (August 30 – September 2) as local hero Thorbjørn Olesen sealed his place on the Ryder Cup Team.

Wallace birdied five of his last six holes in a 67 to get to 19 under alongside fellow Englishmen Steven Brown, Jonathan Thomson and Lee Westwood before gains on both extra trips up the last handed him a fourth European Tour win at Silkeborg Ry Golf Club.

In the battle for a place in Thomas Bjørn's Team to take on the United States, Matthew Fitzpatrick Matthew Fitzpatrick carded an excellent closing 66 to get to 16-under and finish T-7 but that was not enough to dislodge Olesen from the final qualifying spot.

The Dane carded a 68 to finish at 11 under and will now make his Ryder Cup debut in Paris alongside Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Rory McIlroy, Francesco Molinari, Alex Noren, Jon Rahm and Justin Rose.

“I set myself positions where I have to do things and, more often than not, I get it done,” said Wallace. “I'm very fortunate to have done it when I needed to in a few

Matt Wallace of England celebrates victory on day four of the Made in Denmark

“WHEN MY BACK'S AGAINST THE WALL, I DON'T SHY AWAY FROM PUSHING MYSELF OFF THERE AND TRYING TO GET THE JOB DONE..." — MATT WALLACE tournaments now.

“When my back's against the wall, I don't shy away from pushing myself off there and trying to get the job done and I kept saying to myself at the end there, 'you can make this, you have done everything to be able to make this putt', and I did it. Super happy.”

One man definitely heading to France is Vice Captain Westwood, who narrowly missed out on a 24th European Tour title, while for rookies Brown and Thomson, the week's performance will provide a major boost in their efforts to retain their playing privileges.

Rolex Trophy Win Hands Koivu European Tour Card

K

im Koivu claimed his third European Challenge Tour victory of the season by six shots at the Rolex Trophy, securing himself European Tour status in the process.

The Finn carded a final day five under par round of 67, adding to his previous rounds of 62-65-72 to claim the historic title at Golf Club de Genève and complete a remarkable eight months since he turned professional in December 2017.

Koivu, who won in China at the start of the year and Finland earlier this month, quickly moved away from overnight co-leader Marcel Schneider as he carded five birdies in his first six holes. The German could not keep up with Koivu as he dropped shots, while the

2018 Rolex Trophy winner Kim Koivu of Finland

27-year-old made another gain on the ninth to move six shots

60 golf digest india | october 2018

ahead at the turn.

The Finn sealed victory and

his European Tour card with a two-putt par on the last.

“It sounds awesome to be the Rolex Trophy champion. It’s what I came here to do, and I’ve done it, so I’m very, very happy,” he said.

“I don’t know if I’m going to continue playing on the Challenge Tour or play European Tour events. It’s up to my team and I to decide...

“This was probably the most emotional win. I felt very tired over the last couple of days because this is my fifth week in a row and I’ve been in contention at a few of them.

“A lot of things went through my head on the front nine, but I put those thoughts aside, and I’m very, very happy at the moment. I can’t put into words what this means.”

Official Exclusive Pages of the European Tour Andrea Pavan of Italy at the D+D REAL Czech Masters

Pavan Prevails In Prague For Maiden Win

A

ndrea Pavan overcame three-time Major champion Padraig Harrington in an enthralling final-day battle to win his first European Tour title at the €1 million D+D Real Czech Masters (August 23-26).

The duo entered round four at Albatross Golf Resort in a share for the lead but Harrington looked set for European Tour win number 16 when he opened up a three-shot lead at the turn.

Pavan had other ideas, however, coming home in 31 to sign for a 67 and beat his Irish rival by two shots.

The Italian's 22 under par total set a new record for the event, eclipsing Thomas Pieters' winning score from 2015 by two strokes.

Malaysia's Gavin Green matched Harrington with a closing 69 to finish at 17 under, two shots clear of Scotland's Scott Jamieson and Englishman Lee Slattery.

Pavan won the Challenge Tour Rankings in 2013 having finished second in 2011 and now has a European Tour title to add to his four on that circuit.

He came through the Qualifying School in November and enters the winner's circle in his 112th event, making it three Italian wins in 2018 after Francesco Molinari's triumphs at the BMW PGA Championship and Open Championship.

“It's amazing, it's massive,” he said. “I've won four times on the Challenge Tour but it was a long time ago.

I'll enjoy this one because it's really hard to get and I'll just keep working on the stuff that seems to be working and enjoy the success.

“I'm going back home tomorrow and we're having a second baby, a little girl is coming on Wednesday. We're really excited about that and I can't wait to celebrate with my family.”

King Of The Mountains

Matthew Fitzpatrick of England with the trophy after winning The Omega European Masters

Matthew Fitzpatrick beat Lucas Bjerre gaard in a play- off to become the first man in 40 years to successfully defend the title at the €2.5 million Omega European Masters (September 6-9).

The Englishman started the day four (September 9) shots ahead of Bjerregaard but the Dane carded a brilliant 63 to set the target at 17 under and Fitzpatrick had to birdie the last to take it to extra holes.

The 24-year-old then put his approach to 12 feet on the first trip back up the 18th and another birdie saw him become the first player since the late, great Seve Ballesteros to go back-to-back at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club.

The final day had developed into an enthralling three-way battle between Fitzpatrick, Bjerregaard and Mike Lorenzo-Vera, with the Frenchman right in it until he bogeyed the last after finding the water.

Lorenzo-Vera finished at 15 under, three shots clear of Spaniard Nacho

Elvira and four ahead of England's Daniel Brooks.

Fitzpatrick needed extra holes to beat Scott Hend in the mountains last season and became just the third player this term to mount a successful defence after Tommy Fleetwood and Brooks Koepka.

At 24 years and eight days old, he also becomes the youngest Englishman to get to five European Tour victories, having won in every season since coming through the Qualifying School in 2014.

“This is what I wanted to achieve this season - another win,” he said.

“To get it here again is so special and to get my fifth is amazing. I love this place.

“Of all my wins I'd say that was definitely the most difficult. I didn't have my A game today, despite loving this place I just didn't play my best today. I managed to grind it out, made some crucial birdies coming in and I'm delighted. This is one of my best..."

AT 24 YEARS AND EIGHT DAYS OLD, MATTHEW FITZPATRICK BECOMES THE YOUNGEST ENGLISHMAN TO GET TO FIVE EUROPEAN TOUR VICTORIES october 2018 | golf digest india

61

Official Exclusive Pages of the European Tour

Paul Waring of England celebrates winning the playoff against Thomas Aiken of South Africa during the Nordea Masters at Hills Golf Club

Waring A Winner At Last

P

aul Waring defeated Thomas Aiken in a play-off to win his first European Tour title at the €1.5 million Nordea Masters (August 16-19).

The duo entered the final round at Hills Golf Club tied for the lead and could not be separated over 18 holes as they both fired rounds of 68 to get to 14 under on an enthralling afternoon in the rain in Gothenburg.

When they returned to the 18th tee, Aiken put his first shot in the water and a par from Waring saw him claim his maiden win at the 200th attempt.

German Maximilian Kieffer finished with three birdies in a 65 to sit at 13 under, one shot clear of in-form Dane Thorbjørn Olesen.

The victory is the pinnacle of a roller coaster career so far for Waring, who has had to overcome two major injuries since coming

through the Qualifying School in 2007.

A wrist injury saw him miss large parts of the 2011 and 2012 seasons, while a shoulder problem meant he could only play 12 events over 2015 and 2016.

He achieved a career-best finish of 60th on the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex last season and is now in position to go better than that in 2018.

“I'm ecstatic,” he said. “I wasn't ever sure this day would come in total honesty. I've tried so hard for many years to get to this point and it's nice to finally cross the line and be holding the trophy “It feels like it's all worth it.

I've had a couple of operations along the way and it's nice to finally have got to this point. I'm sure that everyone back home will be absolutely thrilled for me.

This is all for everyone back home as well.”

62 golf digest india | october 2018

THE VICTORY IS THE PINNACLE OF A ROLLER COASTER CAREER SO FAR FOR PAUL WARING. THE ENGLISHMAN HAS HAD TO OVERCOME TWO MAJOR INJURIES SINCE COMING THROUGH THE QUALIFYING SCHOOL IN 2007.

Photographs Courtesy European Tour/Getty Images

European Tour Store Visit the Official Online Store today for a large range of merchandise including clothing and accessories.

Get 10% OFF

your next online order, simply enter code

EUROTOUR10 at the checkout. shop.europeantour.com

Official Exclusive Pages of the PGA Tour

“It’s On!”, come Thanksgiving Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson took to Twitter on August 23 to announce their much- discussed, high- stakes, winner-take-all US$9 million match for Thanksgiving weekend which falls on Friday, November 23.

Woods and Mickelson, the two richest and most decorated golfers of their generation, rank first and second on the career money leaderboard (with $113.88m and $88.02m respectively), with Woods having massed 14 major titles and 79 tournaments compared to five majors and 42 tour wins for Mickelson.

WarnerMedia’s Turner division has secured worldwide media distribution rights to what is being dubbed, simply, as “The Match”.

To be held at Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas, Turner specified

64 golf digest india | october 2018

that the two competitors—as well as their caddies—would be mic’d up for this event.

Viewers will be able to listen in on banter from Woods and Mickelson and, perhaps more importantly, hear them discuss side bets on a hole-to-hole basis. The release indicated that impromptu challenges such as long-drive, closest-to-the-pin and other hole-to-hole wagers will likely arise, with the stakes going to the charity of the winner’s choice.

“It’s an opportunity for us to bring golf to the masses in prime time during a period where we don’t have much going on in the world of golf,” Mickelson was quoted as saying by ESPN. Woods added, “I think it’s going to be fun for everyone because we’re in a different era than we were in those days. We’re able to showcase golf at a different time and different platforms and I think this will be fun.’’

TIGER WOODS

PHIL MICKELSON

PGA Tour wins

80

43

Majors

14

5

Player of the Year awards

10

0

Career Earnings as of September 24, 2018

$115,504,853

$88,173,124

Official Exclusive Pages of the PGA Tour

Tee Off At The Comfort Of Home

L

eading American video game publisher 2K announced that the Company is partnering HB Studios to publish “The G olf Club 2019 Featuring PGA TOUR®”, the latest entry in the award-winning golf simulation series. It marks the franchise’s first release featuring the official PGA TOUR license and presents an opportunity to deliver the most comprehensive and engaging virtual golf experience to date.

“We are thrilled to have partnered with HB Studios and 2K to create and distribute the first-ever tournament play mode within a console game, featuring some of the most recognized PGA TOUR events i n c l u d i n g T H E P L AY E R S Championship,” said L en Brown, Chief Legal Officer and Executive Vice President Licensing for PGA TOUR. The Golf Club 2019 Featuring PGA TOUR sets a new franchise benchmark for authenticity and realism, including: l Improved ball physics, swing mechanics, swing feedback and

other core gameplay mechanics l Unparalleled visual fidelity powered by award-winning and industry-leading SpeedTree® technology often used in top blockbuster games and films In addition, for the first time in franchise history, players will experience an officially licensed PGA TOUR Career Mode: l Players will embark on an authentic journey through Q -School and the Web.com Tour, earning the right to play in a 32-tournament PGA TOUR season l Players will forge rivalries and land sponsorships en route to competing in the FedExCup Playoffs, with the ultimate goal of becoming a FedExCup Champion The game also includes a robust online multiplayer system for matchmaking and private matches.

The Golf Club 2019 Fe a t u r i n g P G A T O U R i s available for digital download on PlayStation®4, the Xbox One family of devices including the Xbox One X, and Windows PC.

october 2018 | golf digest india

65

Official Exclusive Pages of the PGA Tour ‘The 25’ toss their hats into the air after getting their PGA Tour cards after the WinCo Foods Portland Open

PGA TOUR welcomes 7 new international players

Money leader Sungjae Im, veteran Jose de Jesús Rodríguez headline latest Web.com Tour graduates

J

osé de Jesús Rodríguez knows how it sounds. But the story never, ever changes, even down to its smallest details. He felt what he felt, and there’s no telling him otherwise.

“I felt somebody touch me on my shoulder,” Rodríguez recalled. “I listened to him say, ‘You can do it.’ Everybody said, ‘Ah, you’re crazy.’ No, man. I heard him say I’d make it. I won the event. It’s very special.”

A quick confidence boost before a pivotal moment—in this case, an eagle putt on the 17th hole to clinch the Avianca Colombia Open in Bogota—is nothing new to golf. The only difference this time was the assurance didn’t come from Rodríguez’s caddie but from his sponsor and longtime father-figure, Alfonso Vallejo, who died 20 days earlier.

“I felt a good vibe coming from above,” Rodríguez said after winning the event. “I’m sure Vallejo was cheering for me up there in

66 golf digest india | october 2018

heaven, and that he is very proud of me.”

Behind the inspiration of Vallejo, Rodríguez propelled himself onto the Web.com Tour for the first time this year by virtue of his win in Colombia. And it didn’t take long from there to finally achieve his lifelong dream, as he won the United Leasing & Finance Championship in Evansville, Indiana, in April to punch his ticket to the PGA TOUR next season.

Rodríguez—nicknamed “El Camarón,” Spanish for The Shrimp—was one of four Latin Americans to finish inside the top 25 on the Web.com Tour’s regular season money list, which secures 2018-19 PGA TOUR membership. And each of the newest TOUR players, seven of which hail from outside the United States, has his own incredible story to tell.

But perhaps none are more inspiring that than of the 37-year-old Rodríguez, who spent most of his career working to

achieve a goal that at times seemed like a longshot at best. He’s the all-time PGA TOUR Latinoamérica money leader, having won on the Tour four times and carding an additional win in 2011 on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada. But he just could never seem to break through in his precious few opportunities on the Web.com Tour.

That’s all changed now.

Joining Rodríguez from Latin America on the PGA TOUR next season will be Colombia’s Sebastián Muñoz, Argentina’s Julián Etulain and fellow Mexican Carlos Ortiz. All three will seek redemption on TOUR after previously reaching the top echelon of golf within the last three years, only to lose their cards due to poor performance.

Muñoz never claimed a victory this season, but with six top-10 finishes he did more than enough to finish seventh on the money list. At 25, he’s still learning the

Official Exclusive Pages of the PGA Tour intricacies of life as professional.

30-year-old Etulain broke through with a victory this season and the 2014 PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Player of the Year won his first career Web.com Tour event at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open.

Ortiz, 27, spent the 2015 and 2016 seasons on TOUR, but made just 33 cuts in 62 starts.

He’ll get a chance to reverse those fortunes next season, thanks to his 21st-place finish on the money list. The Mexican even carded four top-10s this year, none better than a runner-up at The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic to start the season. However, it was a Korean who stole most of the headlines that day as then-19-year-old Sungjae Im became the 16th player in Web.com Tour history to win in his first Tour start.

But that was just the beginning for the Jeju Island native, who became the first wire-to-wire money leader in Tour history when he capped his inaugural U.S. campaign with a win at the WinCo Foods Portland Open. He joined Martin Trainer as the only two-time winner this season.

“I honestly didn’t expect to be playing this well so early in my career,” Im said. “I thought I would spend at least two years on the Web.com Tour, so I’m very happy with my wins and my three runner-up finishes.”

Joining Im from Korea is Seoul’s Kyoung-Hoon Lee, or K.H. for short. The 27-year-old tallied a trio of runner-up finishes in 2018, enough to finish fifth on the money list. He and Im became fast friends this year—so much so that Lee was waiting on the 18th green to congratulate Im on his first career win—and the two will look to take on the TOUR together next year.

“I’m sure any player out here can relate; the PGA TOUR is the dream tour,” said Lee, who will marry his fiancé, Jooyeon Yu, this December.

Not to be forgotten, Canada’s Adam Svensson will also get his long-awaited shot at the TOUR after spending the last four years on the Web.com Tour. A native of British Columbia, Svensson ensured membership with his first career win, at The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic.

Each of the 25 TOUR card recipients carried their earnings to the Web.com Tour Finals, where positions on the priority ranking list—used to set PGA TOUR fields— were finalized. An additional 25 cards were awarded during the four events, based solely on money earned during that stretch.

This season, 88 international players from 27 different countries called themselves PGA TOUR players. When the FedExCup Playoffs draw to a close, and the additional 25 Web.com Tour Finals cards have been awarded, time will tell whether that number grows once more.

One thing is certain: Each player will have his own unique story to tell, his own trials and adversities to recall in his path to the TOUR. Like Rodríguez, they’ve all accomplished the ultimate prize. Now it’s about trying to keep it.

TOP 25 WHO SECURED 2018-19 PGA TOUR MEMBERSHIPS

Sungjae Im, South Korea

Sam Burns, United States

Scott Langley, United States

Martin Trainer, United States

Kyoung-Hoon Lee, South Korea

Cameron Champ, United States

John Chin, United States

Kyle Jones, United States

Adam Long, United States

Sebastián Muñoz, Colombia

Josh Teater, United States

Julián Etulain, Argentina

Anders Albertson, United States

Chase Wright, United States

José de Jesús Rodríguez, Mexico

Wyndham Clark, United States

Chris Thompson, United States

Kramer Hickok, United States

Roberto Castro, United States

Adam Svensson, Canada

Brady Schnell, United States

Alex Prugh, United States

Carlos Ortiz, Mexico

Hank Lebioda, United States

Joey Garber, United States

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Official Exclusive Pages of the PGA Tour

NBA Superstar Hits The Greens Steph Curry posts second-best score by crossover athlete in Web.com Tour event

T

here’s a good reason why Stephen Curry is considered one of the greatest players in the NBA today.

He doesn’t often have lengthy stretches of off nights.

“Usually when I have a bad game on the court, I come back the next game and figure it out,” he said.

A day after recording one of the best performances by a crossover athlete in Web. com Tour history, the Golden State Warriors guard struggled in his second round at the Ellie Mae Classic, posting a 16-over 86 to finish last at TPC Stonebrae.

But all was not lost for Curry.

He still exits this week with opening 71, a three-shot improvement from the pair of 74s he posted during last year’s tournament.

The score tied for the second-best round by a professional athlete on the Tour, one shot off the 70 posted by the National Hockey League’s Grant Fuhr in 2008.

And his fans in attendance hardly cared that their favorite player struggled. Curry Mania was in full effect at TPC Stonebrae, as hundreds of blue-and-gold-clad Warriors fans lined every hole, cheering him on and snapping pictures as he navigated the course. House parties from neighboring homes made their way to balconies as he walked past, complete with No. 30 Curry jerseys draped over railings.

At merchandise tents, Curry’s signature golf hats, with a hand symbolizing a made 3-pointer, rapidly sold out. So, too, did the rare 20 pairs of Curry 4 golf shoes he had created solely for the event.

Avi Khemani, a computer science student at Stanford University, convinced his friends to join him on the drive over to watch his favorite Warrior. The trip paid off for the 18-year-old, who successfully coaxed Curry into tossing him one of his Callaway golf balls as he walked toward the fourth hole.

68 golf digest india | october 2018

NBA player Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors tees off at Ellie Mae Classic

CURRY IS UNDECIDED AS TO WHETHER HE’LL RETURN TO THE ELLIE MAE CLASSIC. FOR NOW, HE HAS ANOTHER NBA CHAMPIONSHIP TO WIN FIRST “I’m keeping this in my dorm room,” he said, smiling. “It’s going to be a souvenir for a while.”

But the local Warriors supporters aren’t the only ones who are likely Curry fans now.

Following the tournament, the All-Star guard announced that the Ayesha and Stephen Curry Foundation would be making a $25,000 donation to Web.com Tour member Scott Harrington and his wife, Jenn, who was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma for a second time this May. In addition to the Foundation’s effort, title sponsor Ellie Mae also pledged an additional $15,000 donation for a sum total of $40,000 to the family.

“This is an opportunity for me— obviously there’s no words to—I can’t put into words any other thoughts or feelings

about what their family’s going through,” said Curry, who broke the news to Harrington during a Friday morning phone call.

All things considered, it was a positive week for Curry and the Web.com Tour. And he’ll always have Thursday’s impressive opening round to brag about, which came in large part due to the recovery he made down the stretch.

The highlight of the round came on No. 8, when his second shot ricocheted off the flag stick, nestling five feet from the hole.

“I heard the pin rattle, and that was a cool moment,” said Curry, who received a goodluck text message from Justin Thomas prior to the tournament. “I didn’t know how close it landed. When I walked up there, literally was an inch away from dunking it. Out here I don’t get many dunks.”

Curry is undecided as to whether he’ll return to the Ellie Mae Classic for a third consecutive year next season. Time will ultimately tell. For now, he has another NBA championship to win first.

“For me particularly, I’m really proud of the first three rounds that I’ve had in this tournament and I will have short memory on this if I come back next year,” he said. “But it’s all about continuing to raise awareness for the guys out here on the Web.com [Tour], the game of golf in general and take advantage of that opportunity.”

Official Exclusive Pages of the PGA Tour

TOUR SNIPPETS

PGA TOUR Champions to return to Japan in 2019 with Mastercard Japan Championship Tom Watson

Bernhard Langer honored with Payne Stewart Award In recognition of his supreme level of character and spor tsmanship, professionalism and the distinguished way he embraces golf ’s values, Bernhard Langer has been named the recipient of the PGA TOUR’s 2018 Payne Stewart Award.

The award is presented annually by the PGA TOUR to a professional golfer who best exemplifies Stewart’s steadfast values of character, charity and sportsmanship. Stewart, an 11-time winner on the PGA TOUR and World Golf Hall of Fame member, died tragically the week of the TOUR Championship in 1999.

Past winners have all distinguished themselves through their respect for the game, the TOUR’s tradition of charity and their ability to make a positive impact in the lives of others.

The ever humble German said, “... To now be receiving the Payne Stewart Award, I feel extremely honored. I know there are many, many other guys that deserve it as much if not more than me, and I’m thrilled to receive it.”

Langer turned professional in 1972 (aged 15) and joined the European Tour in 1976. He became a PGA TOUR member for four seasons beginning in 1985 and rejoined the TOUR in 2001.

“Bernhard Langer epitomizes the ideals around which the Payne Stewart Award is built—character, charity and spor tsmanship,” said PGA TOUR commissioner Jay Monahan.

“On the course, there has been no one more consistent or resilient over a longer period of time than Bernhard. He’s won all over the world and continues to lift trophies on a regular basis on PGA TOUR Champions. I’m still not so sure Father Time will ever catch him.”

Mastercard has been named the title sponsor for a PGA TOUR Champions event in Tokyo. The newly-named Mastercard Japan Championship will return to the Tour’s schedule the week of June 3-9, 2019.

The 2019 Mastercard Japan Championship will mark the TOUR’s return to Japan following the inaugural Japan Airlines Championship in September 2017 and will again be contested at Narita Golf Club (Accordia Golf) in NaritaCity, Chiba Prefecture. A field of 68 players will compete for a purse of US$ 2.5 million.

“We are excited to bring PGA TOUR Champions and the legends of the game back to the passionate golf fans in Japan,” said PGA TOUR Champions President Greg McLaughlin.

Tom Watson, Mastercard’s Golf Ambassador, will return to compete in the Mastercard Japan Championship.

“I’ve always enjoyed visiting and competing in Japan; therefore, I’m especially pleased that my partner of 25 years, Mastercard, will be bringing PGA TOUR Champions back to Japan in 2019,” said Watson.

With help from United Airlines, Special Olympics Athletes Tee It Up with PGA TOUR Pros

Special Olympic athletes on the driving range prior to THE NORTHERN TRUST at Ridgewood Country Club

In August, United Airlines—the Official Airline of the PGA TOUR—flew nine top Special Olympics golfers to THE NORTHERN TRUST for an inside-the-ropes, VIP experience with Rafa Cabrera Bello, James Hahn and J.J. Spaun. This unified day of play was a part of United’s continued efforts to break down barriers and promote inclusion.

“As United looked at opportunities with THE NORTHERN TRUST tournament and our partnership with PGA TOUR, we saw a unique opportunity and we are so proud to bring together Special Olympics and PGA TOUR golfers for this incredible experience together,” said Suzi Cabo, United’s Managing Director of Corporate and Community Affairs. “Today was about joining people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team to promote social inclusion

on and off the field of play.”

The Special Olympics golfers received a true PGA TOUR player experience. After VIP transportation to The Ridgewood Country Club, the athletes were escorted to personal lockers and then participated in a skills clinic led by New Jersey PGA professionals. Each athlete was then officially announced on the first tee. Following three holes of play, the athletes and their guests attended a reception in the United Airlines Fairway Club.

“So excited I felt so other worldly to be able to play with the pro... Just everything is more than words,” said Kyle Aragon, Special Olympics Southern California. “My favorite part was getting out to play golf, it’s meeting new people, getting to express real feelings...

It’s a very pleasurable experience.” october 2018 | golf digest india

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▶ No golfer’s words carry more heft than those of Nickl aus, evidenced in part by the gentle squeak with which he delivered them. Low volume and lilting with a touch of Oh-hi-oh, when the Bear talks, everybody listens. ▶

N I C K L AU S W I T H C A D D I E J I M M Y D I C K I N S O N AT H OY L A K E I N 1 9 6 7.

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wenty majors if you count

his two U.S. Amateurs, in stone the winner for all time. Champions great and small have sought his counsel in clubhouses and terraces across the world.

Nicklaus started writing for Golf Digest in the early 1970s. What follows are some of his most enduring words that have appeared in our magazine across four decades. —max adler

•

I’ve always believed the club should dominate you instead of you dominating the club.

•

To me, winning by one is the same as winning by 10.

•

Aim and alignment are by far the most important elements of the act of moving a golf ball from A to B. Rub the magic lamp, get the genie to give you any golf swing of your choice from history, and, if you don’t direct it correctly from the beginning, it still won’t reduce your present score by even one measly stroke.

•

Even the gutsiest players learn they can’t try the hero shot all the time.

You first have to see the trouble, then think positively about playing away from it.

Some players might say they just “let it happen.” Well, you don’t ever just let it happen.

•

I hold the club fairly loosely, but just before starting back, I press my hands together on the grip once or twice. I call this a “stationary press.”

•

The harder I want to hit a shot, the slower I try to begin the swing.

•

The fuller your backswing, the longer it takes to execute, which can help your tempo.

Longer swingers, I’ve noticed, usually enjoy longer-lasting careers.

•

I believe the Ryder Cup is an exhibition by some of the best golfers in the world, great entertainment and an exercise in sportsmanship, camaraderie and goodwill.

The individual performances, good or bad, don’t determine who the best players in the world are. Nor does the side that happens to win determine on what side of the Atlantic the best golf is

72 golf digest india | october 2018

played. Too many people believe otherwise, and that helps make the matches too contentious among the teams and their fans.

•

One of my lifelong checkpoints is to keep the shaft between my arms throughout the swing.

•

Practice hitting as fully as you can without letting either heel lift at any point in the swing. This will teach you the proper way to shift weight by rolling your ankles, but most of all it will teach you the feeling of staying “centered.”

•

I believe it’s impossible for me to hit too soon with the clubhead. When I need a through-swing thought, it’s most often, Release! Use the clubhead!

Patience was always my strength. When a player says a course doesn’t suit him, he’s half beaten right there.

•

On most courses, there are only five or six shots where you really need to pay attention and play conservative.

•

When I putt, I hold my breath just before initiating the stroke to keep my head and body still.

•

I visualize the putter shaft as being extremely limber, almost as flexible as a length of rope, which means the only way I can get the clubhead to swing truly is to stroke putts very softly.

•

•

I know I have to make the putt. There is no alternative.

It has to go in. That was my focus.

Although I have great affection for the Masters, as far as pure golf I’d rather play in the British Open than any other event.

I always like to have a couple of short 4s on my courses.

They create variety and make the golfer think.

•

•

With so much money in the pro game, conservative mediocrity sort of prevails.

The goal is to make a good

previous pages: ed L acy/popperfoto/getty images • right and foLLowing pages: r&a championship/getty images

Learn, practice and trust one basic swing.

Most golfers, and especially those who begin the game as adults, pick it up and then continue to play by trial and error, rather than by formally learning one basic method.

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I KNOW I HAVE TO MAKE THE PUTT. THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE. IT HAS TO GO IN.

N I C K L AU S AT C A R N O U S T I E I N 1 9 7 5 .

IT’S NOT THAT I WOULDN’T GET NERVOUS, BUT I COULD ALWAYS THINK STRAIGHT UNDER PRESSURE.

living more than it is to win.

Yes, there’s a lot of depth in the pro game. If you took a large group of today’s players and put them against the group from my prime, today’s group would probably beat their brains out. But I think our four or five top guys, as a group, would have beaten the brains out of the players of today.

•

It’s not that I wouldn’t get nervous, but I could always think straight under pressure.

I know some people tend to go blank.

•

On a second-shot course, you use the tee shot to truly create your second. This type of design happens to be my favorite.

•

If you start with the club grounded, the natural tendency is for it to return to that spot at impact.

In other words, you’re presetting a fat shot.

•

I shot my age for the first time at 64 in Hawaii.

•

I never hit a shot, even in practice, without having a very sharp, in-focus picture of it in my head. It’s like a color movie.

•

The key to playing well is to first understand who you are as a person, and then manage that.

I’m finding now, more than ever, that the game of a lifetime can give you the time of your life without ever striking a shot.

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N I C K L AU S A N D D O U G S A N D E R S AT T H E 1 9 7 0 O P E N AT T H E O L D C O U R S E AT S T. A N D R E W S .

SCORE

OFF THE

TEE

Making PARS andBIRDIES starts with a GREAT DRIVE by jon rahm

october 2018 | golf digest india

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here might be some par 4s where it makes sense to tee off with a 3-wood or an iron, but it’s rare to see me using anything but driver. I’m more comfortable with it. When it comes to scoring, I’d rather hit it as far down the fairway as I can and have a wedge in my hands for the next shot—even from the rough— versus a middle iron from the fairway. My strategy seems to work. I’m second on the PGA Tour in birdie average (4.5 per round) and third in strokes gained/off the tee. My goal with the driver is pretty simple.

I want to load up in the backswing and then use the ground in the downswing to generate as much power as possible. It’s a short-and-fast swing, with my legs and torso doing most of the work, so there’s not a lot that can go wrong. If you’re like me and would rather hit driver every chance you get—I bet you do!—here are some tips to help simplify your swing and make it your most effective scoring club. —with ron kaspriske

“ i f i t h i n k a b o u t w h at m y h a n d s a r e d o i n g , i a ss u r e yo u my driving won’t be good.”

w at c h i n g j o n

get your hands out of the swing

push down and turn hard

▶ This backswing position you see (above) is a checkpoint for me. I want to make sure I haven’t whipped the clubhead inside the target line with my hands. Taking the club back like that is a real power-and-accuracy killer, and if I think about what my hands are doing, I assure you my driving won’t be good. Instead, I want my torso, arms and club moving back together.

You’ll know you made a good backswing if you feel it in your right hip. That’s the main thing for me. I want to load into that hip. If I don’t, it feels more like a stack-and-tilt swing where your weight stays on the left foot. You can’t hit it far from that position. Instead, I want to feel my weight on the inside of my right foot and thigh.

When it gets there, I’m ready to swing down.

▶ To start the downswing, I want to push into the ground with my legs, which lets me turn hard and left with my hips and then the upper body. When I do this, it feels like the club is just being pulled into a great impact position. Again, I’m not trying to hit the ball with my hands. One thing to remember: You’ve got to keep turning—even after impact (right). I feel like I’m powering the club through the ball with my body rotation. In other words, don’t stop until you can’t turn anymore. For me, this produces a fade that feels really solid coming off the clubface. I guess you could say I just think aim left and swing hard left. Do that, and the ball gets out there a good way. Then just grab your wedge and go make birdie.

rahm hit drives is something we could do

Photographs by Giovanni Reda

a l l d ay. i f y o u feel the same, then our video “undercover lessons: jon rahm,” is a must-see. in i t, r a h m h i t s dozens of drives a n d ta l k s a b o u t how he hits it s o da r n fa r . c h e c k i t o u t at g o l f d i g e s t. c o m / allaccess.

Photograph by First Lastname

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his swing—and

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‘MY ADVICE FOR AMATEURS? PLAY THE BALL FARTHER FORWARD AND TEE IT HIGHER. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT DRIVER.’

Photograph by First Lastname

october month2018 2018| |golf golfdigest.com digest india

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what’s in my bag

driver specs TaylorMade M4, 10.25˚, 45 inches, Aldila Tour Green 75TX shaft, D-4 swingweight ▶ I have some extra weight in the toe area to facilitate my preferred fade. I also get a little more ball speed with the M4 over the M3.

fairway wood JON RAHM age 23 lives Scottsdale story Two-time PGA Tour winner has been as high as No. 2 on the World Golf Ranking. walk-up music I like rap and a lot of ’70s and ’80s rock. Queen, Aerosmith, Metallica, Guns N’ Roses. When I won at Torrey [2017], I listened to rock songs before every round. playing with the boss At the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, I play with TaylorMade CEO David Abeles. We missed the cut by two this year. Hopefully we’ll make it next year.

specs TaylorMade M3, 16˚, 42.5 inches, Aldila Tour Green 85TX shaft, D-4 swingweight

yards*

passion play

irons specs TaylorMade GAPR LO (3-iron); TaylorMade P750 (4-iron through pitching wedge), Project X 6.5 shafts, Golf Pride New Decade MCC midsize grips ▶ My irons are three-quarters of an inch long and 2-degrees upright. They’re forgiving, too. It’s nice to not hit it perfect and still get close to the distance you want. The new GAPR LO is a club I’m working on getting familiar with.

specs TaylorMade Milled Grind (52˚, 56˚); TaylorMade Milled Grind Hi-Toe (60˚), Project X 6.5 shafts

295

3-wood

267

3-iron

240

4-iron

213

5-iron

202

6-iron

191

7-iron

180

putter

8-iron

169

9-iron

153

specs TaylorMade Spider Tour Red, 37 inches, 2.5˚ loft

pw

139

52˚

128

56˚

111

60˚

95

80 golf digest india | october 2018

▶ Red is my favorite color. It’s a color of passion, which is how I approach golf.

Plus, most guys sign in black, so on a flag full of signatures, mine stands out.

little red book

wedges

driver

* carry distance

▶ I use a No. 10 TaylorMade TP5x because I was born on Nov. 10. It’s amazing in the wind.

It can blow 5 to 10 miles per hour, and the ball plays like the wind isn’t there.

▶ At the Masters, I put in a higher-lofted fairway wood, and it’s been in since. I was hitting the lower-lofted one too far and too low.

—with e. michael johnson

club

birthday ball

▶ The 52- and 56-degree are standard, but I shaved bounce off the Hi-Toe. That wide sole with low bounce in front makes it easier to get under the ball for any lie.

▶ Last year I tried the Spider Tour with and without an alignment line. I asked my fiancee, Kelley, which one she got the best vibe with. She said I looked more comfortable without the line. I used it at CareerBuilder and won the next week at Torrey Pines.

▶ This book has some notes I use in case my swing is off.

Just some putting, chipping and ballstriking exercises.

I’ve memorized them, but I have this just in case.

alma mater mark ▶ I had a ball marker for 13 years but lost it. Kelley gave me this Arizona State poker chip ball marker. The first time I used it I won the Pac-12 title by four shots. I’ve used it ever since.

‘HITTING IT TOO FAR BECAME A PROBLEM WITH MY 3-WOOD. I WAS CARRYING IT 280.

SOMETIMES THAT WASN’T IN MY FAVOR.’

Photograph by First Lastname

K

I

N

FOR T.J. VOGEL, PATRICK REED AND MANY OTHERS, QUALIFYIN G 82 golf golfdigest.com digest india| |month october 20182018

-3

ON MONDAYS HAS BEEN A LIFELINE TO THE PGA TOUR Photograph by First Lastname

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F O R D A Y

G -8 -9 -4 A -6

-5 -6 -7 -4 -5

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TEXT BY JOHN FEINSTEIN

Photograph by First Lastname

month 2018 | golfdigest.com

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vogel knew he had broken a record

—an unofficial record, but a record nevertheless. His six-under-par 65 at The Resort at Glade Springs on July 2 in West Virginia made him the medalist in the Monday qualifier for A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier, which would begin three days later. ▶ Vogel, 27, was one of four players to Monday-qualify for The Greenbrier, and it was the seventh time in the 2017-’18 PGA Tour season that he had “Mondayed,” or “four-spotted,” into one of four berths in a tournament. ▶ “I knew Patrick Reed had done it six times in a year [2012], so when I made it for a seventh time, I knew it was some sort of record,” says Vogel, who pushed the record to eight in August. “My buddies had started talking to me about it when I made it at the Byron, because that was my fifth one.”

Players don’t aspire to holding Monday records. Playing on Monday generally means you don’t have enough status to get into PGA Tour events or—in most cases—Web.com Tour events. But there is a certain art to qualifying on Monday, because anywhere from 80 to 100 players—many of them PGA Tour veterans—usually play for those four spots.

“You have to approach it almost like match play,” says Reed, who played in 12 events as a rookie in 2012—half of them out of Monday qualifiers. “Every hole is important. You have to try to birdie every hole, be very aggressive. Because there’s almost no score that’s guaranteed to be low enough. If you think being five under after six holes is good enough, you probably aren’t going to make it. You have to come out firing.”

Jason Gore, who has gone from Mondays to being a PGA Tour winner, then back to Mondays, remembers a Monday in New Orleans a few years back in which he shot 64 and went to a nearby barbecue place to celebrate.

“By the time we sat down, I was tied for the last playoff spot,” he says. “I decided to

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t. j . vo g e l k n ow s a ll a b o ut th e w eek ly to urn a men t b efore th e t o u r n a m e n t.

oPening Pages: simon BRuTy/sPoRTs illusTRaTed/geTTy images • Vogel: William hoWaRd/iCon sPoRTsWiRe/geTTy images

T J

finish my barbecue and go back to the golf course for the playoff, and I made it.”

Although players use the term “medalist” to describe the player with the lowest score, there are no medals—unlike at USGA qualifiers. And there’s no money for advancing.

“They give you a player packet that will get you registered [for the PGA Tour event], into the locker room and onto the golf course,” says Chase Seiffert. “Honestly, that’s all you really want.”

Seiffert, 27, is one of five players who converted a Monday qualifier into a top-10 finish on the PGA Tour this season. He had a very good college career at Florida State and bounced around mini-tours before Monday-qualifying three times in 2017. His best finish was a T-43 at the Travelers Championship, which earned him a then-career-high $19,869. He returned to Hartford this past June and again Monday-qualified.

“I think doing it in the same tournament two years in a row was a big help,” he says.

“I knew the golf course, and liked it. I knew I could play well there because I had played well the first two rounds the year before. So I teed it up on Thursday feeling confident.”

Almost everyone with experience in Monday qualifying says the same thing: Thursday almost always feels good; Friday, not so much.

“It is the elephant in the room,” Vogel says. “You get to Friday, and you’re trying not to think about the cut. I tell myself that the cut isn’t my goal, getting on the leader board is my goal. If your goal is to make the cut, then you’re going to find yourself around the cut line.”

Vogel had just that experience at The

Greenbrier, shooting one-under-par 69 both days. The cut was three under.

“It’s nice to know that I’ve done something kind of cool on Mondays,” he says.

“Every week now when I show up on Tuesday at a tournament site, my friends who are on tour say, ‘Again?’ I know what I’ve done isn’t easy.”

Like most who play Mondays, Vogel knew exactly where he stood on the FedEx Cup points list, even though technically he was nowhere. The tour doesn’t officially credit nonmembers with points, but if they accumulate enough points unofficially, they earn a spot in the Web.com finals, a fourtournament grind that leads 25 players to the PGA Tour and everyone else to at least some status on the Web.com.

Through the Barbasol Championship, Vogel had 51 points—42½ of them from his T-16 finish at Valspar. He had checked early in the year and found that 82 FedEx points had been enough to get into last year’s Web.com finals. That became his goal. “I pretty much decided after Valspar to just play in the PGA Tour Mondays,” he says. “The Web Mondays aren’t as difficult, but those events don’t have as much potential value.”

Vogel made an eighth Monday before the Wyndham Championship, the last regularseason tour event, surviving a four-for-three playoff after shooting 66. Knowing he probably needed a top-25 finish to make the Web.com finals, he missed the cut by a shot. Vogel went home with the unofficial Monday-qualifying record but not with what he wanted most. Next stop: Q school.

Range: ChRis Condon/Pga TouR/geTTy images

paying up to try your luck Web.com Mondays cost the same as PGA Tour Mondays—$450 for nonmembers and $100 for members—but there are generally 12 spots available, and you’re less likely to encounter players who have had success on tour.

Cost is important to those who play on Mondays. That’s why Patrick and Justine Reed often traveled through the night to qualifiers, slept a couple of hours in their car and then headed for the first tee.

Qualifying to play on Thursday earns a player only the coveted player packet. To save money, players often do without a caddie and, more often than not, travel by car. In some ways, it’s a throwback to the old days on tour when most players traveled that way from event to event.

That’s also why Seiffert’s finish at Hartford was life-changing. “Now I can make decisions based on what’s best for my golf, not on cost,” he says. “If I drive, it will only be because that’s the easiest way to get where I’m going.”

Most players estimate that qualifying on a Monday but failing to make the cut costs

shift to the all-exempt tour

QUALIFYING EVENTS DRAW 80 TO 100 PLAYERS—A MIX OF TOUR VETERANS, YOUNGSTERS AND LOCALS WHO THINK IT’S WORTH $450 TO TEE IT UP FOR FOUR SPOTS. about $1,000 for the week, including travel, entry fees, hotel (usually as inexpensive as possible) and food.

In Charlotte, where Vogel was also the medalist, some of the other players who did not make the four-player cut were past PGA Tour winners Tommy Gainey, Frank Lickliter, Ken Duke and D.J. Trahan. There were other familiar names, including past U.S. Amateur champion and U.S. Open runnerup Ricky Barnes, five-time Web.com winner Mathew Goggin and tour veterans like Cliff Kresge, Cameron Tringale, Steve Allan and Kyle Reifers.

That’s a pretty typical Monday field—a mix of veterans trying to return to the tour, youngsters trying to make it to the tour and locals who think it’s worth $450 to tee it up with guys who have played on the tour— some just to say they did it; others because occasionally one will make it to the field.

“It’s a crowded locker room when you walk in on a Monday,” Reed says. “There’s no one stopping anyone from walking in, so you’ve got players, families, agents, club reps. It’s a lot quieter on Thursday.”

Once upon a time, Mondays were a rite of passage for almost everyone who played on tour. Until 1983, only 60 players were fully exempt. Everyone else played on Monday to earn a spot in the field. When the “all-exempt” tour came into existence, the tour saved four slots for Monday qualifiers. That’s when the events became known as four-spotters. And it’s not four-andties—playoffs are the norm for the final spot or spots.

Since the all-exempt tour came on line in 1983, three players have won coming out of a Monday: Kenny Knox at the 1986 Honda Classic, Fred Wadsworth at the Southern Open later that year, and 24 years later, Arjun Atwal at the Wyndham Classic. That’s the list.

More realistic—though still difficult—is a top-10 finish, which not only makes you a good deal of money and is worth a lot of FedEx Cup points, it grants you a spot in the next non-invitational event on the schedule.

Five players accomplished that feat in the 2017-’18 season: John Oda (T-3 at the Barracuda Championship), Scott Strohmeyer (T-4 at the Sanderson Farms Championship), Trey Mullinax (T-8 at Valspar), Julian Suri (T-8 at Houston) and Seiffert (T-9 at Hartford).

Seiffert’s comfort level with TPC River Highlands helped him shoot 66 on Thursday. Then the cut nerves kicked in, and he shot 71 on Friday, managing to survive the cut with a shot to spare. More relaxed on Saturday, he shot 67, moving up to T-22. That was when a top-10 finish became possible.

“I was at breakfast on Sunday with my mom and my teacher, David Hanson, who had come up to caddie for me,” he says. “I told them, ‘I’m going to treat this as my Monday october 2018 | golf digest india

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qualifier for The Greenbrier. I know I have to go low, shoot maybe five or six under to get to the top 10, but I’m on a golf course I like, and I’m playing well, so why not go for it?’ ” As it turned out, six under was the magic number that day, and Seiffert hit it on the head, shooting 64. At one point on the back nine, he was seven under for the day and 13 under for the tournament. “Walking off 14 green, winning actually occurred to me,” he says. “I figured it would take at least 15 under, but I wasn’t that far from it. I hadn’t looked at a board all day. When I didn’t birdie 15 [a drivable par 4], I looked at a board. I knew I wasn’t going to win, but I was thinking that one more birdie would lock a top 10.

So, I ended up bogeying 17.”

As it turned out, he hung on to finish T-9, though there was some suspense waiting out the last few holes. He, his mom and Hanson drove to a nearby restaurant to eat and wait.

“We didn’t eat much at first,” he says. “We were checking our phones pretty constantly.

Finally, I figured out that mathematically, I couldn’t finish out of the top 10 because of the players still on the golf course. After that, we ate very well.”

That finish earned Seiffert $189,000— $169,131 more than he’d ever made in a golf tournament. It was also worth 75 FedEx Cup points, almost assuring him of being one made cut away from the Web.com finals.

Two weeks later, he staggered to a 73 in the first round at The Greenbrier. With nothing to lose, he came back to shoot 65 on Friday.

That left him one shot outside the cut line.

Painful. Even so, the glow of Hartford and the check he received there lingered.

“For me, that’s life-changing money,” he says. “It means I can fly more often if I want to and hire a caddie when I have to play on Mondays.”

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‘WHAT YOU FIGURE OUT EVENTUALLY IS, HARD AS IT IS TO GET THROUGH A MONDAY, IT’S JUST A BEGINNING, NOT AN ENDING.’ patrick reed’s path Many players, even those who have played on tour, carry their bags or take a pullcart on Mondays rather than pay for a caddie.

Reed was prepared to carry his bag before going out on tour to try Mondays in 2012 when Justine volunteered to caddie.

“I laughed at her,” Reed says. “She’s fivefeet nothing and 100 pounds, soaking wet.

I said to her, ‘The bag weighs almost as much as you do, and my driver’s taller than you.’

She just laughed and said, ‘Try me.’

“So, we went out on a brutally hot Houston day. After nine holes, I was hot, sweaty, done. I said, ‘OK, that’s enough.’ She insisted we keep going. By the time we finished 18, I was completely dragging. She was fine.

Moral of the story: She’s a lot tougher than I am.”

Justine caddied for Reed through the year of Monday qualifiers, through his first win on tour in 2013 and gave the bag up only after

she became pregnant with their first child.

Many players don’t have the luxury of a wife, fiancee or girlfriend to caddie for them, which is why many of them go it alone on Monday. If they qualify for the tournament, they get a caddie—even though there’s no guarantee they’ll make any money until they make the cut.

“It’s all very nerve-wracking,” says Austin Cook, who survived three Mondays in 2014 and 2015 before earning full tour status and then winning the RSM Classic last fall.

“What you figure out eventually is, hard as it is to get through a Monday, it’s just a beginning, not an ending.

“You have to take a deep breath after you make a Monday and then tell yourself, OK, now it’s time to get STARTED.” Cook was as good as anyone at taking advantage of Mondays. He finished T-13 at Memphis in 2014, T-11 at Houston in 2015 and T-6 at Barbasol later that year—which got him into Canada—where he finished T-7.

“You learn a lot about not relaxing during a round playing Mondays,” he says. “But one of the best things about winning is knowing I don’t have to play Mondays again.”

That’s because a win guarantees a twoyear exemption on tour. But it doesn’t guarantee you won’t ever play on a Monday again.

Atwal has entered a few Mondays this year, as have many other past winners, including Stuart Appleby, who has nine PGA Tour victories.

“It was nice when they put the nickname, Mr. Monday, on me,” Reed says. “But I prefer my current nickname—Captain America [based on his play in the Ryder Cup]—more.

A lot more.”

Vogel certainly understands that. He has been labeled The King of Mondays this year.

He missed the cut at The Greenbrier by one and then had to play the Monday qualifier at the John Deere with borrowed clubs after an airline lost his set. He shot a solid 68 but missed qualifying by two shots. That meant he had four tournaments left to four-spot and earn the roughly 30 FedEx points he still needed to take the next step in his career— ultimately to no avail.

The end of Seiffert’s quest might have been even more frustrating. Three times he missed playing off for a spot by one shot. He missed by two shots in Canada and, finally, clearly worn out, he didn’t come close in Greensboro, shooting 72 when 66 played off.

Seiffert had the memory of Hartford and the $189,000 check to comfort him. Vogel knew he was now part of PGA Tour lore. For both men, 2018 was a year of clear progress.

It was also an experience neither wants to live through again. Like everyone else who plays on Mondays, they don’t want to see a golf course on that day for a long, long time.

Jim Rogash/getty images

ju stine r eed c ad d i ed fo r pat r ic k r e e d be fo r e a n d a f t e r th ey w ere ma rri ed.

Mr. X The Golf Life

“M” is a decent guy, but he’s got a few politely practiced lies.

E

Undercover Tour Pro When having an agent isn’t worth it ast year I fired my agent. It was on a Sunday. I signed my card, and instead of packing up in the locker room, I suggested the two of us get a table on the clubhouse terrace and order drinks. I think he knew it was coming. He reps other players, and I still see him out here. We’ll talk pleasantries. He’s got a few politely practiced lies. ▶ Really, M is a decent guy. He was with me during the peak playing days of my career, when I was single, and he was fun to pal around with. Sunday nights are sleepy in most cities, but you can find action if you’re with the right running dog. Of course, most of our time together was just chilling, grabbing dinner or driving to the airport. When the day is done, no matter how you played, it’s nice having at least loose plans to connect with someone. Ideally, they already know your birdies and bogeys, so you can choose to talk about them or not.

L

For a long time that person for me was M, but then I got married, and my wife started traveling with me more.

I used to sort of relish telling people to “talk to my agent.” It sounded cool, and those magic words could make anyone I didn’t want to deal with immediately disappear. It was after about my second win that walking around at a tour event got unpredictable. When you don’t know if a trip from the parking lot to the chipping green is going to take three minutes or 30, it’s hard to plan your day. Then you’ve lost control.

Practice time starts to revolve around media and sponsor obligations instead of the other way. Thursdays would come, and I’d feel relieved because I knew no one would bother me once the tournament started. M was perceptive. All he needed was the slightest hint, and he’d throttle back appointments or be there to walk with me.

But an agent’s first priority is themselves.

This is true of anyone in business. That’s why I tell younger players they also need a lawyer and an accountant. Everyone under you should be performing checks and balances.

Also, go with an agent who won’t accept a dime until you make it to the PGA Tour. If he wants a piece of your $30,000 Web.com Tour equipment deal, tell him to hit the road.

It’s a classic sleazy move: An agent gets a young player to change just so he can collect an easy six grand. Unless a player has some quality that makes him a marketer’s dream, club deals are standardized, and you don’t need an agent to land one. On the PGA Tour, pretty much everybody except the superstars gets $250,000 per year, plus the same incentivized bonuses for winning.

I used to pay my agent 20 percent of the value of my deals, and then we made it 10 percent. We both knew he was becoming superfluous. I’ve had the same two non-endemic sponsors on my shirt and bag for years. I’ve developed close relationships with the “golf” representatives of these two corporations, and so effectively, these two guys have become my agents. If the particulars around an outing need to be arranged, they email me directly. In my 20s, this might’ve been too much of a distraction, but at this stage of my career, I prefer being in charge of my affairs.

I could be wrong, but I feel like there are more agents out here than ever before.

The very top players absolutely need a person or even a team negotiating on their behalf. There’s just so much money at stake. But I foresee a general correction, just as we see in other industries in a dynamic economy. More golfers are going to realize what I have: Being agent-free isn’t a bad way to be. —With Max adler Photo illustration by John Ueland

Play Your Best Golf Made Simple by David Leadbetter

ou might not believe it now, but there will come a point when you think getting out of greenside bunkers is easy. When that day arrives, turn your attention to improving your control of the ball once it lands on the putting surface—especially on short sand shots. ▶ When you need to stop the ball quickly on a green, you have to create a fair amount of clubhead speed. But if you try to get that speed by making a standard-length swing, the ball will fly too far. Instead, you need a fast swing but a short follow-through.

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You’ve got to hit the brakes once the club enters the sand.

Momentum will still carry the clubhead toward the target (above), but the finish will feel very abbreviated. This fast-butabrupt swing imparts enough force to get the ball out of the bunker, but it won’t go very far past the lip once it lands.

The key is committing to making an aggressive down-

swing. Don’t be afraid that the clubhead speed you’re creating is going to shoot the ball over the green. If you enter the sand an inch or two behind the ball and let all that acceleration dissipate just after contact, you can trust that the ball won’t go very far.

Having that kind of touch in the bunker will have your friends calling you the Sand Master.

—with ron kaspriske

on the upslope? put your body into it ▶ You need even more speed to get the ball up quickly when your ball is on the upslope. The lip is just too close. The problem is, you often can’t create enough speed just with your arms. You have to add more oomph to the shot, and you can get that if you use your body weight. try this: As you swing into the sand, step down the slope and away from the target with your lead leg. This change of direction thrusts a significant amount of energy toward the target.

Your body goes one way; the club goes the other. The ball will pop straight up and fly just far enough to get you on the green.

Photograph by J.D. Cuban

illustration: ron barrett

Sand Master Add more control to your bunker play

Tee to Green by Butch Harmon Play Your Best

“To shape a shot, better to change your setup than your swing.”

Transform Your Game Success starts with improving on the green by jessica korda

golf’s no. 1 mistake

How to Make the Ball Curve Jack’s method is still the best odern launch monitors have taught us exactly what makes the ball go where it goes, but most golfers would be smart not to get too caught up in technicalities. Decades ago, Jack Nicklaus described a simple way to shape shots, and it’s every bit as valid today.

Jack said to hit a fade—his preferred shot—aim the clubface where you want the ball to come down, and align your body to the left (for right-handers). To hit a draw, do the opposite: Aim the face where you want the ball to finish and align your body to the right. For both ball flights, swing the club where your body is aimed.

Here’s the procedure, starting with the fade (above). After sighting your target from behind the ball, step in and aim the face at the target. Next, set your feet, mak-

M

ing sure your stance line is well to the left.

(Remember, a square stance is parallel-left of the target line, so you have to be farther left than that.) Your body lines—knees, hips and shoulders—should point where your feet point. Then swing where your body is aimed. The ball will start left and curve right.

Now, take the draw. Aim the clubface at the target, then arrange your stance and your other body lines to the right. Swing where your body is aimed, and the ball will start right and curve to the left.

What I really like about this method is, you get most of it done at address. I see golfers trying to roll the face closed for a draw or hold it open for a fade. Jack’s way is better.

▶ People ask me all the time, What’s the biggest fault you see with amateur golfers?

My answer: They don’t take enough club. They take the club that requires a career shot to get to the target.

Optimistic? No, more like unrealistic. You should base your club selections on the average distance you get out of your clubs. Take one more than you think you need, and then swing within yourself.

Trust me, you’ll make better contact and hit your target a lot more often.

butch harmon is based at Rio Secco Golf Club in Henderson, Nev.

Photographs by Dom Furore

Play Your Best Swing Sequence n 2017, Sung Hyun Park had one of the greatest rookie seasons in LPGA Tour history. She won twice, including the U.S. Women’s Open, and joined Nancy Lopez as the only other golfer to win the tour’s Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year honors in the same sea-

I

son (the latter she shared with So Yeon Ryu). Park then won her second major, the 2018 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, to solidify her position as one of the tour’s best players.

Park has a proven swing, but she works on it in an unorthodox way. Rather than getting

Sung Hyun Park With a swing like this, it’s easy to see why she has two majors in only two seasons

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advice predominantly from an instructor, she prefers to diagnose and fix swing issues on her own after watching videos of herself taken by her mom or caddie. It’s hard to criticize that process considering how well she swings the club, says instructor Sean Hogan, who

has coached several pros on the LPGA and PGA Tours, including Lydia Ko and Suzann Pettersen.

“Her swing has great flow,” Hogan says. “It’s a bit of Tiger’s athleticism mixed with Ernie Els’ effortless power. She has a strong ownership of her swing.”

— Keely levins

SOLID CONNECTION

STARTING WIDE

POWERING UP

“Park’s power originates from a strong, stable connection to the ground at address,” says instructor Sean Hogan. “Her setup looks athletic. She’s ready to go.” The forward ball position and noticeable shoulder tilt put her in the ideal position to launch the ball on the upswing, he says.

Park’s initial move is to maintain the width of her swing arc. That’s a power generator all golfers should copy, Hogan says. “Her shoulders, arms, hands, and club move away as one unit,” he says.

“There’s no change to the radius of her swing as she begins to load.”

Halfway into the backswing, Park hinges her wrists and allows the right arm to fold.

“This combination gets her to fully load the club going back and sets up a powerful release of the clubhead on the way down,” Hogan says.

The wrist hinge adds another power lever to any swing.

“Her driver swing is a beautiful blend of athleticism, power and great sequencing.” —Sean Hogan

FULLY FLEXED

STAYING BACK

CHARGING UPHILL

FINISHING TOUCH

PRO-FILE

“Park completes her backswing with a full coil of her upper torso while maintaining a solid connection to the ground with her lower body,” Hogan says. “This shows her tremendous flexibility. It’s also ideal in terms of storing power and getting in position for a properly sequenced downswing.”

Her first move in the downswing is with the lower body. “At the same time, she’s retaining that coiled look in her upper body,” Hogan says.

“Many amateurs do the opposite. They initiate the transition with their shoulders and upper torso, which ultimately leads to slicing and lost distance.”

Hitting the ball on the upswing with the driver, like Park is doing here, is vital to maximizing distance, Hogan says.

“It’s as if she’s on a slight upslope as she makes contact,” he says.

“Her head and upper body are still patiently staying back. This is an ideal image for amateurs to copy.”

By clearing her left side first, she can let her arms and clubhead come through impact fully extended, Hogan says. “Sung Hyun puts an exclamation point on her driver swing with a picture-perfect, balanced finish,” he says. “There’s no holding back. It’s why she averages 271 yards off the tee.”

sung hyun park 24 / 5-8 Seoul, South Korea driver TaylorMade M3 460 (9.5 degrees) ball Titleist Pro V1x

Photographs by Dom Furore

The Golf Life Special Report

What People in Golf Earn A closer look at pay rates for top executives by john paul newport or many readers, the first thing that pops to mind when scanning the accompanying list of executive pay at golf’s major associations will be the overall bigness of the bucks.

Aren’t these supposed to be nonprofits? The second thing might be the disparity between what the PGA Tour executives earn and the salaries of everybody else. Recently retired PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem’s takehome pay was six times that of Mike Davis, the USGA’s executive director. Given enough context, the numbers make sense, but you’re still allowed to be a bit jealous.

One factor to remember is that nonprofits, even those founded by saints for saintly causes, must compete with the private sector, where compensation is supplemented by equity and stock options worth several times their base pay. Two executives on our list, for example, were hired away this summer. Pete Bevacqua, the PGA of America’s chief executive, was lured to the private sector in July when NBC Sports Group offered him a newly created position. Bevacqua will oversee programming, marketing, digital, the group’s regional networks and all of NBC’s golf operations, including Golf Channel. Money probably wasn’t the only reason Bevacqua decided to make the move, but one assumes he’ll receive an increase over the $2,203,738 he was making at the PGA of America.

The other departee, also in July, was Sarah Hirshland, the USGA’s chief commercial officer. She will stay in the nonprofit realm, but her new job as CEO of the United States Olympic Committee has a higher profile and an enticing challenge: rehabilitating the USOC’s image in the wake of its recent sexual-abuse scandal.

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All but the smallest nonprofits are required to report to the Internal Revenue Service how they determine pay rates for their officers, directors and key employees.

Most large nonprofits impanel compensation committees, which in turn often hire outside consultants. A key criterion is the median salary for executives in similar nonprofits, lists of which are available via nonprofit-tracking organizations such as GuideStar and the Economic Research Institute. Significant deviations from the median, especially on the high side, raise red flags with the IRS and watchdog groups.

Determining which nonprofits are “most similar” to the major golf associations is more art than science, but nothing suggests that the top golf salaries are out of whack.

The two highest-paid officers at the U.S. Tennis Association, for example, earned 39 percent and 9 percent more, respectively, than the $940,146 that the USGA’s Davis earned. The $504,725 payday that American Junior Golf Association executive director Stephen Hamblin enjoyed in 2016 tallies quite closely with the $513,460 that Little League Baseball Inc. chief executive Stephen Keener earned.

Salaries for the top executives at other nonprofits on our list appear to be similarly in line with the norms.

The National Golf Foundation, the World Golf Foundation and the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America can all be considered trade organizations created to support and/or lobby for their constituent members—golf businesses in the case of the NGF; the global golf industry and the world’s major golf associations for the WGF; and golf-course superintendents in the case of the GCSAA. Comparable nonprofits such as the National Association of Realtors and the American Farm Bureau Federation pay their leaders similar salaries.

Managing organizations of this size isn’t easy. The USGA, as an example, has 340 full-time employees and revenue of about $200 million. In addition to staging more than a dozen high-profile tournaments each year, the USGA operates a museum, runs an equipment-testing center, administers the rules of golf globally in coordination with the R&A, manages its computer-based handicap and course-rating system, and promotes sustainable golf-course management practices. Davis is in charge of all of that, and when things go south, he takes the heat, as happened this summer after overly harsh course conditions in the third round at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock created a furor.

Davis had personally supervised the setup.

If Davis and his colleagues in golf’s top nonprofit jobs deserve what they earn, why the big jump in pay for PGA Tour executives?

Primarily because, practically speaking, the tour functions more like an entertainment business than a trade association.

PGA Tour Inc. qualifies as a nonprofit because it exists not to make money for itself or for owners and shareholders, of which there are none, but primarily to organize, support and create opportunities for its members, independent contractors that we commonly refer to as tour pros. (PGA Tour Inc. runs six tours around the world, including the PGA Tour Champions, the Web.com Tour and the PGA Tour Latinoamérica.) The difference between the tour and a standard trade association is that whereas realtors and farmers establish and run independent businesses, touring pros make money primarily by playing in tournaments that the PGA Tour organizes, sanctions and in some cases directly

Finchem, monahan, davis: sam greenwood/getty images • bevacqua: hannah Foslien/getty images • whan: donald miralle/getty images

Given context, the numbers make sense, but you’re still allowed to be jealous. administers. In other words, the PGA Tour is a sports league, and as such has to play hardball in competition against other sports leagues and the entertainment industry in general. That requires executives capable of negotiating global television rights, signing big-ticket corporate sponsors to multiyear contracts, identifying local organizations to supervise the logistics of weekly tournaments attended by tens or hundreds of thousands of fans, perpetually ginning up interest in the professional game and massaging high-profile athletes’ egos.

But compared with what rival sports commissioners earn, then-PGA Tour commissioner Finchem’s 2016 salary of $5,802,230 is modest. (In January 2017, Finchem passed the commissioner’s job to Jay Monahan.)

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s base annual pay is roughly $20 million, with incentives that in a good year can double his take-home total. NBA commissioner Adam Silver recently negotiated a contract extension through the 2023-’24 season. Financial terms were not disclosed, but his predecessor, David Stern, is said to have earned about $20 million a year. Even longtime NHL commissioner Gary Bettman reportedly earns nearly $4 million more than what Finchem, and now Monahan, makes. If Finchem were a tour player, his official earnings in 2016 would have ranked fourth on the money list, just ahead of Rory McIlroy. But he has little of McIlroy’s and other celebrity players’ offcourse earnings potential.

The LPGA is also a sports league organized as a nonprofit, albeit on a smaller financial scale, which explains LPGA commissioner Mike Whan’s proportionally smaller salary. The USGA and PGA of America also run tournaments, including their highly lucrative majors, the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship. But the primary mission of the USGA and PGA of America isn’t to enhance the earning potential of the players who participate but to “promote and conserve the true spirit of the game of golf” (the USGA) and tend to the needs of club and teaching pros (the PGA of America). Profits from the U.S. Open and PGA Championship are redirected to those ends.

If you’re looking for controversy, consider college sports, where top coaches and athletic directors sometimes earn multiples of the salaries of their university president. The market might well have things priced right there, too, but it could be the basis for an interesting discussion. john paul newport is a contributor to golf digest and the former longtime wall street journal golf columnist.

From left: Tim Finchem, Jay Monahan, Pete Bevacqua, Mike Davis and Mike Whan.

GOLF-ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES n a me

title

c ompen s at ion

year

PGA TOUR Tim Finchem

Commissioner (former)

$5,802,230

2016

Jay Monahan

Deputy Commissioner (now commissioner)

$3,632,120

2016

Ed Moorhouse

President, Tour Operations & Global Business Affairs

$2,021,966

2016

Ron Price

Chief Financial Officer

$1,863,879

2016

Tom Wade

Chief Commercial Officer

$1,517,689

2016

Charlie Zink

Chairman, the Presidents Cup

$1,437,299

2016

Ty Votaw

Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer

$1,269,235

2016

Richard Anderson

Executive Vice President, Global Media

$1,127,221

2016

James Pazder

Executive Vice President, Chief of Operations

$946,565

2016

Allison Keller

Executive Vice President, Human Resources

$913,165

2016

PGA OF AMERICA Pete Bevacqua

Chief Executive Officer (former)

$2,203,738

2016

Darrell Crall

Chief Operating Officer

$992,635

2016

Kerry Haigh

Chief Championships Officer

$937,505

2016

Jeff Price

Chief Commercial Officer

$605,797

2016

Rhona Aime

Chief Financial Officer

$533,307

2016

UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION Mike Davis

Executive Director / CEO

$940,146

2015

Michael Butz

Director, Open Championships

$598,694

2015

Sarah Hirshland

Chief Commercial Officer (former)

$584,026

2015

Rand Jerris

Director, Public Service and USGA Foundation

$572,603

2015

John Bodenhamer

Director, Championships and Governance

$557,129

2015

LPGA TOUR Mike Whan

Commissioner

$1,126,930

2016

Jon Podany

Chief Commercial Officer

$480,574

2016

Kathryn Milthorpe

Chief Financial Officer

$332,579

2016

Marian Moore

Chief Legal Officer

$319,046

2016

$504,725

2016

AMERICAN JUNIOR GOLF ASSOCIATION Stephen Hamblin

Executive Director

WORLD GOLF FOUNDATION Joe L. Barrow Jr.

Chief Executive Officer, The First Tee (now retired)

$671,678

2016

Stephen Mona

President & CEO, World Golf Foundation

$503,674

2016

$448,846

2016

$451,913

2016

NATIONAL GOLF FOUNDATION Joseph Beditz

President & CEO

GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA J. Rhett Evans

CEO

The compensation figures for the executives listed in this chart were gathered from the organizations’ latest tax returns available.

Illustration by Zohar Lazar

Jim Nantz Remembering the greatness of Lawson Little Jr. and Lawson III n June 3, 2015, in keeping with a long tradition, I visited my home club in the Pepper Pike suburb of Cleveland, known simply as The Country Club. It’s an old William Flynn design and perhaps the most underrated course in America. It’s elegant, challenging and filled with old-world charm. One of its early members was Coburn Haskell, who invented the first rubber-core wound ball. It’s the kind of club that reeks history and somehow beckons to you. I never fail to play there early in the week of the Memorial Tournament, played down the road outside Columbus.

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On this day, playing with my friends Hughes Norton and the head pro, Jack McKelvey, I followed a personal ritual at the par-5 16th hole. Mounted on a large rock there is a plaque noting the spot where Lawson Little Jr. closed out Walter Emery, 4 and 2, to win the 1935 U.S. Amateur. I always pause at the plaque for a few moments and give it a little pat, because Lawson Little is special to me.

Although I never knew him— he passed away from a heart attack in 1968 at age 57—I’ve always felt connected to him.

Just as many golfers feel a kinship with Ben Hogan or Bobby Jones after studying their lives, such is the closeness I feel with Lawson Little Jr. Little quite simply is the most underappreciated golfer of the first half of the 20th century. In 1934, as an amateur, Little won

the U.S. and British Amateurs, a huge feat in that day. In 1935, he won both of them again to achieve what was called the Little Slam. Bobby Jones, who was in attendance at The Country Club in ’35, said Little’s performance was the finest he’d ever witnessed in an amateur championship. Little won 32 consecutive matches during the Little Slam, an accomplishment that is hard to fathom. The quality of golf he played was unreal. Known as Cannonball for packing 200 pounds on his 5-foot-9 frame, Little was a massively long hitter who had all the shots. In a 14-and-13 thrashing of James Wallace in the 36-hole final of the 1934 British Amateur at Prestwick, Little made a dozen 3s.

Little turned pro in 1936, but Great Depression times being what they were, he chose to give exhibitions for sure income rather than focus exclusively on a tour career. But he did win eight PGA tournaments, including the 1940 U.S. Open, beating Gene Sarazen in an 18-hole playoff at—coinci-

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dentally, I should add—Canterbury in Cleveland, just a few minutes’ drive from The Country Club. Considering that the U.S. and British Amateurs absolutely were considered major championships, that brings Little’s major count to a very respectable five. And he won them all with an unusual flair.

An intense, somewhat surly competitor on the course, he was something of a bon vivant off it. Little carried as many as 26 clubs in his bag (including seven wedges), which in 1938 prompted the USGA to lower the maximum to 14, where it’s been ever since.

But here’s the personal connection. In 1953, Little purchased a home along the first fairway at Pebble Beach, near where I live today. The house was known as Fairway House No. 2, and after it was sold in

the wake of Little’s passing, it’s where I stayed when I anchored my first AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in 1986. My roommate was the incomparable Bob Drum. I always felt a piece of Little’s spirit still resided there.

As I became more interested in Little’s life and career, I became aware that his son, Lawson Little III, not only grew up in Fairway House No. 2 but became an institution in the area. For many years he was the pro at Quail Lodge & Golf Club in Carmel-by-the-Sea and went on to serve as president. He was a giant in the Monterey Peninsula community. He loved his father and his legacy, and by all accounts could regale people for hours with stories about him. I always wanted to call Lawson III and pass along how much I respected his father and hear some of his stories. But you know how these things go.

Reaching out as a stranger takes a little courage, and somehow it didn’t happen.

During that round on June 3, 2015, I vowed to finally call Lawson III. After I patted the Lawson Little Jr. plaque and talked to Hughes and Jack about him, I said, “This is the year. As soon as I get home from this tournament swing, I’m calling Lawson III.” I obtained Lawson’s number, even marked a day on my calendar to make the call.

On June 30, shortly after I returned home but before I could pick up the phone, I received word that Lawson Little III had passed away a day earlier during a visit to Las Vegas to play in a poker tournament. He was 67.

I couldn’t believe it. The sense of regret at not reaching out to him was overwhelming.

This August, I stopped by Country, as we affectionately call it, for the second time this year. As always, I paused by the Little plaque at the 16th.

But this time I lingered there a while longer, giving it two extra pats. One for a legend that golf history has overlooked, the other, for his son I regrettably never met.

multiple major champion Lawson Little Jr. at Augusta National in the 1930s.

AugustA NAtioNAl/getty imAges

The Golf Life The View from Pebble Beach

Slug

The Golf Life

gutter credit tk

The most underappreciated golfer of the first half of the 20th century.

Illustration by First Lastname

month 2018 | golfdigest.com

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The Golf Life The Digest

“

I CANNOT ENDURE TO WASTE ANYTHING SO PRECIOUS AS AUTUMNAL SUNSHINE BY STAYING IN THE HOUSE.

Andrew plays 50 rounds per year. Alan plays 60 times. How many years will it take them to play that many rounds if they ever have kids?

”

WORD PROBLEMS ▶ Test yourself with these back-to-school brain teasers A foursome averages 20 minutes a hole.

A single averages 12 minutes a hole. If both groups tee off at noon, at what point does the single realize he needs to apologize to his old golf partners?

3 great golf & football weekends nebraska vs. wisconsin Oct. 6

▶ Two Big Ten title hopefuls meet in Madison before chilly conditions settle in. Wisconsin’s University Ridge Golf Course is an option, or within two hours is a hotbed of public golf: Erin Hills, Sand Valley, Whistling Straits, SentryWorld and Lawsonia.

usc vs. ucla Nov. 17

alabama vs. auburn

▶ There probably won’t be a national title on the line when these two crosstown rivals meet, but there should be great weather. Pelican Hill Golf Club has two Tom Fazio layouts ranked among Golf Digest’s best public courses and is an hour-and-a-half drive from the Rose Bowl.

▶ OK, so the Iron Bowl is a tough ticket, but if you’re lucky enough to get one, you’ll be just 10 miles from Opelika, home of Grand National. With 54 holes, this site makes up a nice chunk of the famed Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.

Nov. 24

REJECTED PUMPKINSPICE GOLF PRODUCTS ▶ sunscreen ▶ sprinklers ▶ ball-washer fluid ▶ water hazards ▶ hot dogs ▶ arnold palmer iced tea ▶ golf-bag air fresheners ▶ shoe inserts ▶ urinal cakes

96 golf digest india | october 2018

Joe hits his 3-iron 182 yards. Ralph hits his 3-iron 175 yards.

If both hit their drives 225 yards, how long before either decides he should break down and buy a hybrid?

Tiger Woods won 14 majors in his first 12 years as a pro. Jack Nicklaus won 18 majors in 25 years. Who made more money on endorsements?

If you averaged a bogey a hole except for double bogeys every five holes . . . does any of this really matter? You’re clearly not very good.

Phil Mickelson can hit a flop shot over a person standing in front of him. Your buddy can sometimes hit a flop shot over a bunker. How much money would you need to let your buddy attempt a flop shot over you?

Tiger Woods won two Opens at St. Andrews. John Daly won one. How much more did John Daly drink out of the claret jug?

John is a 15handicapper who loses three balls per round. Bill is an 18 who usually loses four per round.

Why are these guys playing the back tees?

haw thorne: Photo12/uig via gett y images, Photo illustration: gluekit • football: Josh lefkowitz/gett y images • PumPkin: navid barat y/gett y images • ball: tal aJ/istock/gett y images Plus

—nathaniel hawthorne

beers: courtesy of breweries • arcadia bluffs: Pickstock/getty images • man: PbnJ Productions/getty images, norman: Jim sPellman/wireimage/getty images, Photo illustration: gluekit • golfer: brian cronin • frankenstein: ron barrett

by sam weinman + alex myers

4 TERRIFYING GOLF-THEMED HALLOWEEN COSTUMES MANGLED-ANKLE TONY FINAU MOVING-BALL-HITTING PHIL MICKELSON BODY-ISSUE GREG NORMAN FRESH-FROM-BENCHPRESSING BROOKS KOEPKA

GOLF MEETS OKTOBERFEST

▶ 4 GOOD BREWS with ties to the game

▶ Made in Toronto, Triple Bogey’s tallboy lagers come cold and crushable.

‘TIS THE SEASON FOR ‘SHOULDER’ DISCOUNTS arcadia bluffs, michigan

cabot links, nova scotia

the american club, wisconsin

turning stone, new york

▶ Shoulderseason green fees at Bluffs (above), No. 13 on America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses, drop to $90. That compares with $195 in the summer.

The new South Course can be played for $75, down from $125 in peak months.

▶The Cliffs course is the best in all of Canada, and the Links course is No. 5. Resort guests normally pay $245 Canadian to play either one. Visit in October and that drops to $90. Tee off after 2:30 and you’ll pay just $60.

▶ The famous Straits course asks a heavy $515 in the summer. That dips to $360 in October, caddie included.

The resort’s three other 18s offer similar shoulder-season discounts.

Meadow Valleys, normally $245, goes for $160.

▶ Atunyote, a former PGA Tour stop, is $200 no matter when you visit this casino resort. But two other fine courses, Kaluhyat and Shenendoah, drop to $95, from $120. Go out among the dew sweepers or after 2 p.m. and they’re just $60.

Oct. 10-Nov. 12

▶ Belhaven Brewery’s St. Andrews Amber Ale is a biscuity delight.

▶ La Quinta Brewing calls its Even Par 7.2 IPA “aiming fluid.”

▶ You needn’t win the Masters to enjoy Augusta’s No Jacket Required.

—coleman bentley

Oct. 8-Oct. 28

Oct. 8-Oct. 21

Sept. 24-Nov. 30

7 REASONS TO PLAY GOLF OVER FOOTBALL 1 NO NEED TO BUY A PROTECTIVE CUP (UNLESS PLAYING PARTNER HAS THE SHANKS).

2 FEWER ANTHEM CONTROVERSIES. 3 AWKWARD HUDDLING KEPT TO A MINIMUM. 4 CRIPPLING PAIN INFLICTED MORE TO YOUR PSYCHE THAN TO KNEES AND HIPS. 5 NO CHEERLEADERS WHO WILL EVENTUALLY BREAK YOUR HEART. 6 YOU CAN WEAR COOL BELTS. 7 PEOPLE YELL “FORE!” TO WARN YOU WHEN YOU’RE ABOUT TO GET HIT. october 2018 | golf digest india

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CONGRATULATIONS ACERS Jan 1, 2018 onwards

Suraj Bahri Bombay Presidency Golf Club Mumbai September 20, 2018 Mahendra K. Sicka Tollygunge Club Kolkata August 18, 2018 Ajay Chopra Qutab Golf Course Delhi March 9, 2018 Cdr H. C. Guruprasad (Indian Navy, Retd) Bangalore Golf Club Bengaluru February 8, 2018

Mumbai

Saturday, 19th January

Bombay Presidency Golf Club

Delhi

Saturday, 2nd February

ITC Classic Golf Resort

Hyderabad

Saturday, 16th February

Hyderabad Golf Association

Bangalore

Saturday, 23rd February

Prestige Golfshire

National Final

Sunday, 24th February

Prestige Golfshire

The Golf Life Stuff

Stay Connected 7 of the best devices for any techie golfer hese days, simply showing golfers their stats isn’t good enough. We want them in real time, easy to read, using a smartly designed app on something that doesn’t make us look like total nerds. (Even if most of us are nerds.)

In the market for a cool way to track your game? These products are among the slickest we’ve seen. —stephen hennessey

T

garmin approach ct10, with s60 watch

18birdies premium app

arccos smart grips

golfshot’s golfscape ar app

nikon coolshot pro stabilized

club car tempo walk

golflogix premium app

▶ This latest version includes strokesgained stats, so you can see how various parts of your game compare to other golfers.

Its virtual-caddie function makes shot suggestions based on your strengths, and a partnership with GolfNow lets you book tee times, too. $5 a month

▶ A leader in golf’s wearabletechnology space, the Arccos stattracking system now offers GPS sensorembedded grips.

Instead of separate sensors that plug into the butt end of your clubs, these grips sync with the Arccos Caddie 2.0 app. $150 grips $100 a year for app

▶ Here’s an app that gives you a view of each hole in “augmented reality.”

That is, you can learn the distances to hazards, greens and other objects simply by holding up your phone and looking at them in real time. $30

▶ The company’s “Hyper Read” technology allows yardages to be displayed in 0.3 seconds. Yes, it’s that quick. An OLED display includes a brightnessadjustment option, making it easier to see those distances in red. $449

▶ This hands-free, automated cart shows yardages on its front display. In addition to holding your bag, it carries a cooler and other accessories. Just like a real caddie.

▶ Just as tour pros have their greenreading books to show them all the breaks, GolfLogix has charted greens for more than 8,000 courses. Its “Putt Breaks” feature shows you a 3-D map with every last undulation. $50

104 golf digest india | october 2018

retail price not available; cart sold directly to courses

courtesy of the companies • illustration by ron barrett

▶ The GPS giant’s new stat tracker includes club sensors that collect data with each swing and a watch to display it all. $300 ct10 system $400 s60 watch

18 Holes with Saif Mehkri

“Playing Golf Is Akin To Meditation”

Saif Mehkri, Promoter and Director of Bio-gen Extracts Pvt. Ltd., Anaha LifeCare and Nutrite Healthcare was once in love with cricket—during his school and college days. Now, his most cherished memory is his first round of golf at Eagleton. He was introduced to the sport by his closest friend, Arjun Malik, exactly eight years ago in October 2010. Mehkri, who wields a Mizuno JPX 900 golf set, started his own business at the age of 22 and cites his parents as his biggest influence. Here he is in conversation with Amit Pandey…

GDI: What is your home club?

1 Prestige Golfshire,

Bengaluru

2 GDI: When did you start playing golf?

October 2010 3 GDI: What do you love about

the game?

The golf course is a great place to meet like-minded people.

Also, to me, playing golf is akin to meditation. It helps me stay calm.

4 GDI: Who have you played golf with the most?

Arjun Malik, a dear friend who introduced me to golf 5 GDI: How about your dream four ball?

Tiger Woods, Shubhankar Sharma, and Sachin Tendulkar will be the best fourball to be part of!

GDI: Favourite golf course,

6 both in India and abroad

Golf Club de Geneve (Switzerland) overlooking Lake Geneva is as scenic as it gets!

Closer to home, I enjoy playing at Prestige Golfshire and Karnataka Golf Association.

7 GDI: Your thoughts on doing

business on the golf course…

I don’t play golf thinking about business. Having a good time is important. Golf is definitely a great way to network and build great relationships.

8 GDI: How often do you get to play?

About three to four times a month 9 GDI: Favourite male and

female golfers Tiger Woods and Aditi Ashok

Total Number of pages (including cover pages) is 108 Monthly Magazine, RNI N0. HARENG/2016/66983

GDI: Please describe your most

10 memorable golfing experience

The most memorable moment was a weekend morning in October 2010, when I teed off for the first time. The first tee-shot is something I cannot forget!

GDI: Do you use any golf apps 11 on your phone?

I don’t use any app per se, but I do find the Bushnell Neo XS (GPS golf watch) helpful with yardage GDI: Your current 12 handicap index Nine. My lowest has been seven.

GDI: Your current reading list I am an avid reader and I 13 love to read about sport.

Golf Digest is always with me whenever I travel. I also read nutrition journals. In fiction, I love Ayn Rand! In fact, I’m currently reading The Fountainhead once again!

GDI: Your inspiration in life

14 My parents! My family

has been the biggest influence and their support has been tremendous since I started my business at the age of 22.

GDI: On an average, how long

15 do you drive the ball?

270-280 yards

GDI: Your favourite holiday

16 destination(s)

San Francisco—love the culture and food there. My family loves Singapore; so that’s another country we frequent.

GDI: Your advice to young

17 golfers/players

Work hard! Stay focused, and more importantly, believe in your dreams.

GDI: Favourite 19th hole drink

18 Fresh lime soda

october 2018 | golf digest india

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