Golf Digest India - November 2016

RNI No. HARENG/2016/66983 NoVEmbER 2016 `150

VolumE 1 IssuE 7

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Contents 11/16

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

32

Play Your Best 76

Get More Confident with Your Driver

Ryder Cup 62

by maggie noel 80

▶ Cover Story

David Leadbetter Your putting grip can affect alignment

81

Arnie: The King Forever

Butch Harmon Pitch shots made easy

82

16 The King for Eternity Arnold Palmer’s impact on golf will live forever.

Swing Sequence: Kevin Chappell Hitting more greens with a controlled iron swing

84

85

by tom callahan

24 10 Rules for a Golf Life Here’s what we learned from Arnie, on and off the course. by guy yocom

28 Tributes The Indian golfing fraternity pays tribute to ‘The King’ 30 Closeout Toasting a golf legend by his name. by ron kaspriske

India Digest 32

88

How to Raise a Golfer More young kids are taking up the game than ever before.

Why isn’t yours?

Take 10 Years Off Your Swing These experts’ secrets for longevity might surprise you. by ron kaspriske

Winning at Life A new generation has changed the vibe on the PGA Tour.

Rory and the Miracle Kid The incredible story of Rory McIlroy helping a young star recover from a horrific accident.

by jaime diaz

by max adler

by bob carney 94

96

98

by rohit bhardwaj

Club Round Up Updates from courses across India

Jack Nicklaus Know your options on drivable par 4s

40

Women’s Golf Hero Women’s Indian Open preview

Tom Watson Get it up and down from collection areas

42

Exclusive Interview Brittany Lincicome

44

Players in the News Update on Indian Golfers around the world

50

Corporate Digest Duke of Edinburgh Cup World Finals

52 54 56

Golden Eagles Golf Volvo World Golf Challenge Sudhir Classic

57

Business Of Golf Industry updates

58

Spotlight Cornerstone Cup Karnataka Golf Festival

10 golf digest india | november 2016

Five new irons to maximize distance. by mike stachura

The Golf Life 93

Inside the Ropes Gaganjeet Bhullar returns to the winner’s circle after a gap of almost 3 years

38

102 New Looks

Features

USA scripts terrific turnaround to win Ryder Cup 17-11 over Europe

Undercover Tour Pro Dumb questions. with max adler

104 Golf & Business

Caroline Hirsch’s off-Broadway escape. by peter finch

114 18 Holes

with Joe King

Cover photograph: Golf Digest archives

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Editor’s Letter Dear Readers,

T

he onset of cool weather sees golf activity around India move into high gear. The next 6 months are the best time to improve your game or even introduce a family member to start. GDI believes that growing the number of golfers in India is the golf community’s collective duty. More players will lead to more serious juniors and top class players.

More players encourage development of new golf courses and availability of the latest equipment in more golf retail outlets.

More players also will give rise to additional junior, amateur, corporate and pro events and interest from govt. departments.

oUR conTRiBUToRs

Jack Nicklaus

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

So how do we do it? Every reader can surely introduce at least one friend and get them into golf over the next few months. Persuade one of your family members or friends to accompany you to the driving range next weekend – get them a lesson and accompany them for a couple of weeks. Get the budding player intrigued with the short game.

Introduce them to some of your other golfer friends at your club, and ask them to walk 4-5 holes. Imagine if every active golfer introduced one friend to the game this season! We could double the number of active golfers in India within 3-4 years if a decent number decided to stick with the sport and your friends will be forever grateful to you for changing their lives for the better!

At every pro tournament – junior clinics should be mandatory to capture the imagination of kids in that city. Nothing lights up a kids’ eyes more than seeing a pro drive it straight and long every time! The host clubs can ensure juniors from their clubs don’t miss this opportunity. Those kids will then come back with parents to watch the championship in progress and learn even more. So the pro tours can and must play an active role in junior development. The example has been set by bodies such as the USGA, PGA of America and The Masters who have joined hands to promote “Drive, Chip and Putt’ as a way to get more kids into the game of golf. See www.drivechipandputt.com We would love to hear from our readers about their experiences with friends getting into golf as well as the tour pros on how rewarding junior clinics can be. Clubs and coaches please email us about your junior programs. Write in – let’s create a movement. Let’s Grow the Game in India!!

Grow Golf – Stay Happy!

Team Golf DiGesT inDia Editor Rishi Narain

Rishi Narain Editor

Subscriptions subscribe@teamgolfdigest.com Phone: +91-9999868051

Managing Editor Rohit Bhardwaj

Editorial Assistant Vineet Mann

Marketing & Advertising Nikhil Narain nikhil@teamgolfdigest.com , +91-9999990364

Contributing Editor Bharath Arvind

Assistant Art Director Guneet Singh Oberoi

Srijan Yadav srijan@teamgolfdigest.com , +91-9416252880

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-122 011, Haryana.

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.

12 golf digest india | november 2016

Popularly known as The ‘Golden Bear’, Nicklaus is widely regarded as the greatest golfer of all time. He won a record 18 Majors during his playing career and is regarded as the ultimate thinker and strategist on the golf course. He lies third on the all-time winner list on the PGA Tour behind Sam Snead and Tiger Woods with 73 titles.

Tom Watson

Watson is an eighttime Major champion, with five British Open titles to his credit, who defied age by becoming the oldest professional golfer at 60 years to lead the second and third rounds of the 2009 British Open. He topped the World Rankings from 1978 to 1982.

Butch Harmon

Harmon is best known for having been Tiger Woods’ golf coach during the prime of his career from 1993 to 2004. He has also worked with other Major champions such as Ernie Els, Stewart Cink, Greg Norman, Davis Love III, Fred Couples and Justin Leonard. Has topped many lists as the No. 1 rated golf instructor in the world.

David Leadbetter

Leadbetter, is without doubt the most celebrated golf instructor in history. His books, videos and DVD’s have sold in the millions worldwide. He came to wide notice in the 1980s when he rebuilt the swing of Nick Faldo, who then went on to win six Major championships. Apart from Faldo his students included Greg Norman (1997) and Ernie Els (1990–2008). Leadbetter changed golf instruction for all future generations from guesswork to science.

India Digest Letters to the Editor

From the

Readers This refers to your Comeback Cover Story on Tiger woods. We all are aware that Tiger first missed the U.S. Open in 2011 when he was recovering from leg injuries.

He missed in 2014 at Pinehurst No. 2 while recovering from his first back surgery a week before the Masters that year. Tiger won a lot of tournaments in the past.

He is a great golfer. But why is he changing his swing every year?

Everybody expects him to come back and play like the year 2000.

And that’s just not going to happen. Recently, Tiger Woods withdrew from PGA Tour 201617 season opener Safeway Open and will not play in this month’s Turkish Airlines Open, delaying his return after 14 months out following back surgeries. Tiger’s sudden withdrawal is a body blow for the Safeway Open, which had reportedly sold around 28,000 tickets since the golfer first announced his plans to play this event. He has made a mistake and he has come forward and really taken full responsibility. Let us hope he plays Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas in December.

Over the years, I have been an avid reader of Golf Digest India. I am very glad that you have decided to take GDI on as the official publisher. Never before I have seen any Indian magazine reporting and featuring Indian clubs and players so extensively especially junior golf. I congratulate you for working towards trying to grow the game in the country.

Saksham Leekha, New Delhi

VolumE 1 Issu E

6 RNI No. HAR ENG/2016/66 983 octobER 2016 `150

Think Young | PlaY hard

How sTeNsoN goT His gAMe BACK FroM A 'dArK PLACe' goLdeN reTireM s For PgA Tour ProeNT s iNside THe roP rAHiL gANgjee es wHAT TosKi TeLLs YouNg PLAYers TrAveL sANd HiLLs goLF CLuB

ANdrew joHNsToN’s

seCreT sAuCe

the comeback story

Tiger woods

Cover Oct Final.in

dd 1

So much has been said about the Tiger Woods comeback and I, as a hardcore Tiger fan, loved the story on him in your October issue. My eyes were lit to see Tiger on the cover. I couldn’t wait to read the whole thing. Sadly, he has postponed his return to December, nevertheless, it was refreshing to see all the build-up.

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14 golf digest india | november 2016

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the

king for

eternit y by tom callahan

gutter credit tk

arnold palmer’s impact on golf will live f o r e v e r Photograph by First Lastname

november 2016 | golf digest india

17

18 golf digest india | november 2016

previous pages: John Dominis/ the Life picture coLLection/getty images (Left), Dom furore (right) • this page: BoB gomeL/ time Life pictures/getty images

H

e looked like an athlete, a prizefighter, a middleweight. He opened golf’s windows and let in some air. He lifted a country club game, balanced it on his shoulders, carried it to the people, and made it a sport.

He won big. He lost big. People who didn’t follow golf followed him. People who hated golf loved him. He was photogenic in the old newspapers.

He was telegenic in the new medium. He was the most asked question called into the night desks on weekends: “What did Palmer do today?” ▶ He was a Pittsburgher, like Billy Conn, Mike Ditka, Honus Wagner and Johnny Unitas.

The Mellons and the Carnegies and the Rooneys and Gene Kelly and David McCullough and Sean Thornton. ▶ He was loamy meadows and smoky skies, river valleys and steel mills, like the plant where his father, Milfred, sometimes worked (“Steel, Michaeleen, steel in pig-iron furnaces so hot a man forgets his fear of hell”) until just in front of the Depression, Milfred took a job as greenkeeper and pro (mostly greenkeeper) at Latrobe Country Club. Nobody addressed him as Milfred, except Doris when she was of a fanciful mind. To most, he was Deacon. A few said Deke. Arnold called him Pap.

From Pap, Arnie learned many important things, like how to grip a golf club and integrity. But Doris’ contribution was what made all the difference. She was as light and delicate as a scarf, but ready company and a natural communicator. She liked people, and they liked her. Deacon was always prodding his son to be tougher and try harder and succeed more. But whatever the boy did pleased his mother, provided he was kind.

Nobody had to teach him to love golf.

As Peter Dobereiner wrote, “Arnold did not catch the golf bug; he was born with it like a hereditary disease.”

He started to play at the age of 3 and turned pro at 7 when Latrobe member Helen Fritz offered him a nickel to hit her drive over a ditch. After adjusting the cap pistol strapped to his hip, he took a whirling cut that brought to mind a finish-line flagman or a revolving lawn sprinkler. Mrs. Fritz’s ball floated down like a paratrooper onto the fairway. Every Ladies’ Day thereafter, he was available to bash dowagers’ drives for five cents. “Some of them,” he said, “were slow pay.”

He had a second love as well: airplanes.

Whenever he could, he ran down the country club road to Latrobe’s tiny airport with its grass runway, no control tower, no instrument landing, no radio direction. He passed his hands over the few biplanes parked there and imagined himself an aviator like Wiley Post. He sat in the flight room by a pot-bellied stove and listened to the pilots’ “by-gosh and by-God” adventures.

He went to Wake Forest College but couldn’t stay. A golf teammate accompanied by a basketball player drove to a dance in Durham and never made it home. The golfer was Bud Worsham, Arnold’s best friend, whose brother Lew won the 1947 U.S. Open. Undeservedly but understandably, Palmer blamed himself for the accident, for declining their offer to join them. Had he accepted, he reasoned, he might have been at the wheel on the way back. Finishing the semester in a heart-broken fog, he dropped out of school and joined the Coast Guard.

He spent three years guarding coasts and honing his game. For a time he sold paint supplies in Cleveland. The U.S. Amateur brought him back on course. He won it in 1954, 1 up over investment banker and middle-age millionaire Bob Sweeny. That same year, Arnold successfully defended his Ohio Amateur Championship outside Toledo, where late one day he had the range to himself, knocking down 9-irons in the rain. Only one spectator stood watching, a 14-yearold boy named Jack Nicklaus. They would end up hyphenated like Dempsey-Tunney.

Nobody wanted Dempsey beaten, either.

In December of ’54, Arnold Palmer and Winifred Walzer eloped. To Winnie, he was Arn. The next April, they pulled up at their first Masters in a dusty and dilapidated old Ford hitched to a small trailer. Palmer tied for 10th, good for $696. Winnie told him she loved him, she’d always love him, she’d

t h e 1 9 6 2 w o r l d s e r i e s o f g o l f.

arnie with his army i n t h e e a r ly ’ 6 0 s .

TranscendenTal Graphics/GeTTy imaGes

follow him to the ends of the earth, but the trailer had to go.

Though he won the Masters in 1958 and 1960, Palmer didn’t formally become Palmer until the 1960 U.S. Open near Denver. There were other applicants, including Mike Souchak, a muscleman himself, and Ken Venturi, the betting favorite to succeed Ben Hogan atop golf. Hogan’s favorite, too. “Hogan never called me by my name,” Palmer said coldly. “Never.”

Souchak led the first round by a shot, the second by three and the third by two, leaving Palmer a full seven strokes and 14 players behind. But in the final round he drove Cherry Hills’ 346-yard, par-4 first hole and went out in 30, smoking everybody (while smoking L&Ms). His ultimate 65 was good for a twostroke victory over the 20-year-old amateur, Nicklaus. They had begun.

A month later, with the Masters and U.S. Open in pocket, Palmer felt obligated to make his first bid for an Open Championship, in the Centenary Open at St. Andrews.

Following local caddie Tip Anderson’s nose (a veiny, purple masterpiece), he lost by a stroke to Australian Kel Nagle. But Palmer and Anderson won the next summer at Royal Birkdale and the summer after that at Troon.

After taking his third Masters in 1962, he was defeated by Nicklaus over 18 extra holes in the U.S. Open at Oakmont, just down the road from Latrobe. Jack’s famous concentration was so good that week that he didn’t hear anyone in the crowd say, “Miss it, Fat Guts.”

Palmer, Nicklaus and South African Gary Player, dubbed The Big Three, flew the world for a while, Arnold at the controls. Leaving an exhibition in Seagraves, Tex., Nicklaus and Player had to hold onto each other to keep off the ceiling. They were all over the sky. “I had Gary crouching under his seat,” Palmer said.

“I shouldn’t laugh. But it wasn’t always hardnosed stuff, was it? We had some fun.”

Still, even as partners, Palmer and Nicklaus clashed. It was as if God said to Nicklaus, “You will have skills like no other,” then whispered to Palmer, “but they will love you more.”

“I can remember ginger-ale battles in our hotel rooms,” Palmer said. “One night,” said Nicklaus, “we got to kicking each other’s shins under the table. I don’t know why.

I kicked him. He kicked me. Neither would give. We ended up with the biggest damned bruises. We used to do the stupidest stuff.”

Getting back to work on his 62 PGA Tour victories, Palmer added a fourth Masters in 1964. With that he stopped winning major championships, but no one noticed for 10 years.

His third playoff loss in a U.S. Open, at Olympic in 1966, was the most lingering.

Leading Billy Casper by three strokes on Sunday morning, he covered the front side in 32 to Casper’s 36. Now the advantage was seven with just nine holes to play. But he allowed himself a daydream—Par in from here and you beat Hogan’s Open record—and the world fell apart.

The public didn’t mind. He could sling

four straight 3-woods out-of-bounds to make a 12 at Rancho Park in Los Angeles, and they still didn’t care. If anything, it made him even more attractive. He always went for broke, and they always went with him.

Nicklaus and Palmer finished 1-2 in the Open at Baltusrol in 1967 and 1-3 at Pebble Beach in 1972. Either man might have won the 1975 Open at Medinah if they hadn’t been paired together in the fourth round and become so fixated on each other that they lost track of the field. Afterward, Jack was bemoaning three closing bogeys so pitifully that Arnold finally jumped in and said, “Why don’t you just sashay your ass back out there and play them over?”

The vinegar evaporated in time. Palmer made the first move. At a senior event, The Tradition, he knocked Nicklaus over by asking him to look at his swing. “Can you imagine?” Jack said. “Me? We’ve played 30 years, and that’s the first time he ever asked me.”

“We still have the needle out,” Arnold said, “but we know now that we love each other, and we always did.”

Even during the hatchet-burying ceremony, when Palmer was the honoree at Nicklaus’ Memorial Tournament, the needle was still glistening. Asked by a Canadian writer if he would be returning to the Canadian Open (Arnold’s first pro success, the only blue ribbon to elude Jack), Nicklaus replied, “Barbara says she’s going to keep sending me back there until I get it right.”

To which Palmer inquired innocently, “Are you sure she’s talking about golf?”

They began to play practice rounds together again. At Augusta in 1996, Tiger Woods’ last Masters as an amateur, the three of them went out together Wednesday morning. On the par-5 13th, Woods popped up his drive and for once was away. Nicklaus had his back turned to Tiger. Peeking over Jack’s shoulder, Palmer saw the 20-year-old pull out an iron for his second shot and whispered, “He’s laying up.”

“Oh, Arnie,” Jack said affectionately.

“He’s not.”

Tiger hit a blue darter over the creek onto the green.

‘palmer went to bed at night with charisma, and he woke up the next morning with more.’

—sam snead

a

the search for perfection

rnold and I didn’t do everything perfectly,” Nicklaus said. “You try for perfection in golf, but you never get there.”

On the subject of perfection, Palmer wasn’t a plastic saint. He didn’t glow in the dark. For 45 years he adored Winnie, but he loved all women, and more than a few loved him back. PGA champion Bob Rosburg, his roommate on tour for some of the hungry years, fielded a phone call once from an especially agitated husband. Rossie tried to mollify the man, but, never wanting to come between Arnie and buckshot, signed off by saying, “My bed is the one by the window.”

In 2013, Tom Watson complained to Golf Digest about a cover photo posing 84-yearold Palmer with supermodel Kate Upton in a parody of Grant Wood’s American Gothic.

Mimicking the somber farmer, Arnold is holding a bunker rake instead of a pitchfork.

“He looks doddering,” Watson said. “If they had only shot him sneaking a peek out of the corner of his eye at Kate—eyes twinkling— that would have been all right. That would have been Arnie.”

He earned $40 million that year without taking an official swing, and another $40 million the next. Palmer’s net worth as of last year was an estimated $680 million. His original money man, contemporary Mark McCormack, sport’s first super agent, was at least a co-builder of his great friend’s great brand. McCormack died in 2003. He went in for a face-lift and didn’t come out.

Palmer made his side money in advertising, architecture, clothes, cars, motor oil, catsup, dry cleaners, umbrellas, everything. He actually guest-hosted for Johnny Carson on “The Tonight Show.” It was the most wooden performance since Charlie McCarthy. But the audience enjoyed him.

He walked through a movie scene from “Call Me Bwana” for Bob Hope. His pals ranged from Bing Crosby, Perry Como and James Garner to Mrs. Simpson’s husband, Edward, the former King of England. A lot of pros have played golf with presidents, but only Palmer answered the doorbell at his home to find Dwight Eisenhower on the porch saying, “Happy birthday.”

Palmer maintained two residences, Bay Hill and Latrobe. The portrait Norman Rockwell painted of him was in Latrobe.

To revisit his boyhood, all Arnold had to do was swivel the chair in his Latrobe office and gaze out the window. Since 1971, he owned the golf course where his father had been an employee who never set foot in the locker room, the dining room or the bar unless specifically invited by a member. Pap and he walked that hillside over there, shot pheasants, rabbits and squirrels, cleaned them in a nearby stream, and soaked them in salt water overnight. On the edge of the hill, an old oak tree fell over. The november 2016 | golf digest india

21

trunk was crumbling and honeybees moved in. “ ‘Now, Arnie,’ my dad says, ‘we’re going to take this honey home to your mother.’

But he says, ‘We have to get two five-pound bags of sugar. When we take the honey out, we’re going to put those two bags of sugar right there, so the bees can have their food.’

By God, we did it, too. I was about 7 or 8 years old.”

You might say, he spent his whole life taking the honey out and putting the sugar back.

On May 23, 2014, he wrote a thousandth (ten-thousandth?) letter to a junior golfer in Massachusetts whose older brother had reached out.

“Dear Nate: “I understand from your brother, Adam, that you are quite a golfer and a great younger brother. . . . As you graduate from High School and continue on to Stonehill College, I think you will find life to be enjoyable and fulfilling if you follow this advice: *Courtesy and respect are timeless principles, as well as good manners . . .

“Whatever Hogan did to Arnold that hurt him so,” Byron Nelson said, “I can’t believe he truly meant it. You know, Hogan knew that people as a group didn’t like him. Maybe that was it. Ben had some friends, but most people didn’t like him. He was so driven and he was so good. I think he had, I don’t know, kind of a fear of being close to people. After his automobile accident—and, you know, he played his best golf after he learned to walk again—Ben told me, he said, ‘Byron, I didn’t realize that so many people liked me.’ You could almost cry.” *Knowing when to speak is just as important as knowing what you say . . .

“Palmer went to bed at night with charisma,” Sam Snead said, “and he woke up the next morning with more.” *Know how to win by following the rules . . .

“When I think of him,” Raymond Floyd said, “I think of his hands. The greatest set of hands I’ve ever seen. Those eyes, too. On the golf course, all I ever saw was a mass of people. I saw, but I didn’t see. He was able to focus in on everybody in the gallery individually. It wasn’t fake.” *Know the importance of when and how to say thank you . . .

“We were paired together,” Ernie Els said, “at my first major in America, the PGA at Bellerive [St. Louis]. How old was I then, 22? As we shook hands on Friday—those unbelievable hands—he invited me to play the next year in his tournament at Bay Hill. He said it was the only time he had ever extended an invitation on the spot like that. I can’t tell you what it meant to me. It was like he opened a door and invited me in. I felt so

22 golf digest india | november 2016

glad, and so lucky, when I came to win his tournament eventually.” Twice. *Never underestimate the importance of a good education . . .

“I’ve stayed in Arnold’s house,” Player said. “He’s stayed in mine. He came to South Africa, and we took him down a gold mine.

And his mother! I just loved his mother. She was a dear lady. And I loved his father. He was just as tough as they say, but that wasn’t the whole story. We compete, professional golfers. We’re competitors. But you laugh together as you go, and you cry together sometimes. He and I did, physically. We cried together. At the end of the day, you play for each other.”

In a Champions event near Washington in 1986, Palmer made a hole-in-one with a 5-iron and, the next afternoon, at the same tee, did it again. “I saw Gary standing by the green, looking back,” he said. “I wanted to hit a good one.”

“That’s it! That’s it!” Player said. “He always knew how to share a moment of triumph, yours or his.”

Good luck in college and study hard Sincerely,

arnold pa lmer Incidentally, it delighted him to hear that his autograph was worth almost nothing on the market because there were so many of them.

Six years after Winnie died of ovarian cancer in 1999, Arnold found Kit. Families don’t always embrace second wives, but he had someone with whom to unveil the morning again, and his daughters and their children cheered.

He shook off his own cancer and, missing a prostate but not a beat, hitched his pants and went on.

For golf, he had the simplest wish: “That every 20-handicapper who goes to the first tee with a knowledge of the game should pass it on to someone who doesn’t know or doesn’t care. For every swing lesson a golfer takes, take a lesson in rules and etiquette.

Preserve what we have.”

He had to be talked into talking about Tiger Woods, who won his tournament eight times.

“Let me make sure I say exactly what I want to say,” he said, staring out the window for a moment. “Let’s not put a name on it.

Let’s not talk about anyone specifically. Let’s just say that not everyone in golf or sports wants to share his life with the public, or for that matter, with anyone else at all. I think that’s the simplest way to put it. I’ve

liked sharing my life. I think being out there among the people, letting them know you and sincerely wanting to know them, too, is the happier way to go. But everyone has to go his own way.”

As the 2016 U.S. Open was going on at nearby Oakmont, Palmer was in Latrobe, talking about flying. “I knew the chairman of Boeing,” he said. (Of course he did.) “He let me take up a 747.” Arnold’s visitor guessed, “It must have been like piloting a skyscraper.” “Yeah,” he said with a wonderful smile, “from the top floor.” He was pallid but he was himself. Only at the mention of journeyman pro Sam Saunders did his eyes water. “It isn’t easy for him to be my grandson,” he said, and to have elected this particular grandfather’s life’s work.

Since tripping on a rug and separating his right shoulder in 2015, Palmer had looked shockingly fragile. Not just colorless, gray.

But his mind was terrific and his sense of humor intact. Walking his big yellow dog, Mulligan, at dusk, he said, “I’ll be old one of these days.”

Severiano Ballesteros’ brain tumor had been stalled (but not stopped) by the spring of 2009 when a photograph from Pennsylvania arrived in northern Spain. “Arnold Palmer sent me a dog,” he said with a laugh. “In a picture. His dog, called Mulligan.” The Spaniard got the message and understood it for what it was, a prayer. “The doctor saved my life; now I use my mulligan.” Seve, of course, was the Palmer who came along. Adopting his own Labrador puppy, he named it for the Palmer who followed him. Phil.

“Never saying ‘No,’ ” Lee Trevino said, “is why Arnold wore out sooner than he should have [in the majors]. I don’t think he’d change it, though.”

What about that? Any regrets?

“Sure, I would love to have won the four [U.S.] Opens I almost won,” Palmer said, “or the two or three PGAs I barely lost. But, if I had it to do over again, would I take a different approach? I wouldn’t. Let’s say I could start over. I could have five Opens and two PGAs and six Masters and a couple more British Opens, but not as many friends?

No. No way, Jose. Keep the trophies. I mean, I remember teeing off in Palm Springs at the Bob Hope, and because I had a couple of bad rounds, I’m starting early. Real early in the morning. Maybe 7 o’clock. And here comes Arnie’s Army in their pajamas and robes.”

He was equal parts humble and proud.

He was equal parts commoner and king.

He was equal parts iced tea and lemonade.

He’d bobble across a clubhouse grillroom (home or away) to tell an offender (stranger or friend) to remove his cap indoors.

For 87 burned-and-burnished years, he lived his life with joy and grace, swooping and soaring like a biplane over Latrobe on the earned estimation of men and the free favor of God. Which was how he left this world on September 25, 2016.

w h at d o e s h e k n o w t h at w e d o n ’ t ? a r n o l d i n a n u n d at e d p h o t o .

month 2016 | golfdigest.com

23

10 rules for a

golf l i f e by guy yocom

a

24 golf digest india | november 2016

gutter credit tk

rnold palmer didn’t leave behind a tutorial on how to live the perfect golf life. Which is just as well, because his life and golf game could never be copied by rote anyway. To play the game as well as he did and look so good doing it, to be adored so thoroughly by the public and your peers, to have a lion-like command of every environment would make a how-to useless. To live Arnold’s lifestyle, have his wealth and influence, and build such a grand family—all the while avoiding the land mines most people face—it was too fantastic to be duplicated.

Arnold might not have written down the rules, but he shed a lot of clues along the way. From golf courses, grillrooms, boardrooms, banquet halls, pressrooms, exhibition tents and on TV, he revealed how to absorb and enjoy all the benefits the game can offer. And there has been nobody better at paying it forward. Here are 10 things we learned from Arnold, on and off the course.

Photograph by First Lastname

left: walter iooss jr. • right: BoB gomel/ the life images ColleCtion/getty images

a simple palmer gem: turn the shoulders as far as they’ll go.

“System” in golf usually describes a connect-the-dots, full-swing method. To Arnold, it meant something else. “It’s a whole way of playing,” he said.

It included the fundamentals but also the intangibles, like how far you hit each iron, your tendencies on sideslopes and downslopes, how to play in the wind or to stay calm under pressure. Arnold thought a system could partially be taught but that it mainly was self-discovered. “When you saw me gripping and regripping the club on the tee and taking a bunch of waggles, I was thinking about how I was going to play the shot,” he said. “It was part of my system and was a lot better than dwelling on how important the situation was.”

2

always dress the part

Around the Bay Hill Club in Orlando, Arnold was known to not wear socks with his loafers. On the flip side of this nontraditional style choice, he loathed beards, hats worn backward or indoors and shirts left untucked. He was a principled dresser and always a trendsetter. In the 1960s, he rocked a navy-blue cardigan like nobody else. In the ’70s, he went with bat-wing collars and mod patterns, and in the ’80s, hard-collar shirts with long plackets. Even in recent decades, his look commanded attention. He had quirks, too, favoring pink shirts and breaking out a new pair of golf shoes every week of competition. But he was basically old school. “The neatly appointed golfer,” he told Golf Digest in 2008, “is like a businessman or someone headed to church: He gives the impression he thinks the course and the people there are special.”

3

remember the kids

The defining moment of a 2013 Golf Digest cover shoot with Arnold and supermodel Kate Upton had little to do with either celebrity. It was Arnold who brought the shoot to a halt while he bragged about the golf game of his granddaughter Anna Wears, then 16. How she drove it 240 yards, was breaking 80, was the most athletic of all the grandchildren, and on and on until photographer Walter Iooss Jr. had to ask Arnold to get back on his mark. Young people got Arnold’s attention. No athlete signed more autographs for young fans, endorsed more youth initiatives, put in more calls of support. A small example of his largesse: In 1984, when Arnold was turning down far more endorsements than he was accepting, he agreed to lend his name to P. Bryon Polakoff’s children’s book Arnold Palmer and the Golfin’ Dolphin. Then there’s the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando, a highly regarded pediatric hos-

26 golf digest india | november 2016

4

walk, and walk some more

If for no other reason than he intensely disliked golf carts, it’s doubtful any human walked more miles on the course than Arnold. To him, it was as intrinsic to the game as swinging the club.

He did it for health and enjoyment but also to help him play better. When physicallyhandicapped tour player Casey Martin went to court to be allowed to ride in PGA Tour events, Arnold reluctantly—but firmly—took a stand for walking. Arnold never voluntarily rode during competition as a senior and lobbied against the use of carts on the senior tour. He enjoyed incredible vitality for almost all of his 87 years. There are crazier notions than to assume walking had something to do with that.

5

a good grip comes first

Butch Harmon has long maintained that the Vardon Trophy—a bronzecolored statue of two hands holding a club that goes to the PGA Tour player with the lowest scoring average—was modeled from a cast of Arnold’s grip. It is linear perfection, golf’s equivalent of a silhouetted Jerry West as the logo for the NBA. Arnold never denied or confirmed the rumor, but it’s true that for years, his grip was the envy of other players. Position-wise, neither hand shaded toward weak or strong, the Vs of both hands aiming at his right ear. Arnold was given the grip at age 3 by his father, along with the directive, “Don’t ever change it, boy.”

So gripping properly became second nature to Arnold, and he took immense pride in it.

His grip was a perfect model for aspiring golfers a half century ago—and is to this day.

6

hit the ball hard

It started when he was 7, when a woman at Latrobe (Pa.) Country Club named Mrs. Fritz paid Arnold a nickel to drive her ball over a ditch on the sixth hole. For the next 80 years, Arnold rarely spared himself physically on any shot. The violence of his driver swing led to a balanced but contorted follow-through, and he took huge divots on iron shots. When Arnold played from a tree stump at the 1963 U.S. Open at Brookline, he sent splinters flying everywhere. He preached what he practiced: Keep the head still, turn the shoulders as far as they’ll go, and finish with the hands high above the left shoulder. But he also issued a warning: “Swinging all-out is good. Swinging beyond all-out usually leads to disaster.”

7

it’s all about the driver

Through good times and bad, Arnold’s game was married to the driver. He hit the most famous drive in the game’s history: a Herculean bomb on the par-4 first hole at Cherry Hills outside of

Denver that found the green and fueled his victory at the 1960 U.S. Open. “When I drove the ball well, I was usually tough to beat because my game flowed off that,” he said. Hundreds of his drivers, persimmon and metal, line the shelves of a modified maintenance barn at Latrobe. Arnold was a powerful driver and wanted ordinary players to taste power, too. In 2000, he controversially backed a nonconforming driver.

8

accept the game’s mysteries

A dark counterpoint to Arnold’s driver blast at Cherry Hills was a series of snap-hooked tee shots on the back nine at the Olympic Club in the 1966 U.S. Open, which led to an incoming 39, a blown seven-shot lead, and the title going to Billy Casper. It wasn’t the only time Arnold’s game left him. He lost the 1961 Masters to Gary Player with a double bogey on the final hole. The lesson learned is, sometimes you lose your game, and there’s little you can do about it. “When the train leaves the tracks, it’s rare you can get it back on track again,” he told Golf Digest in 2007. “It’s very hard—impossible, really—to reverse your thinking and go back to the frame of mind you were in just a couple holes before. I’m not sure we’ll ever figure out an answer.”

9

imitate your heroes

Arnold’s swing model when he was a boy in the 1930s was Byron Nelson, and he pored over the instruction book Byron Nelson’s Winning Golf. When he finally met Nelson, who was already famous for his proficient ball-striking, Lord Byron’s sportsmanship and unfailing politeness gave Arnold even more to imitate. Later, a generation of young golfers copied Arnold’s pants-hitching, go-forbroke style. Today, when tour pros like Phil Mickelson sign hats and programs, they often mention they’re following Arnold’s lead.

10

get it to the hole

“The worst thing you can do is leave a putt short,” Arnold said. In his prime, he charged them all.

In the final round of the 1960 Masters, he banged a birdie putt on No. 16 off the flagstick (which at the time could be left unattended). He then rammed home a 20-footer for birdie on 17, and rapped in a four-footer for another birdie at the last to win by a shot. That’s just one example of his aggressive putting. Even when the three-footers stopped falling late in his career, he defended his style. “Get the ball to the hole no matter what,” he said. “If you do that, you’ll at least give it a chance to go in, which, if I’m not mistaken, is the object of the game.”

Simple, sound advice from The King.

BoB Thomas/geTTy images

1

invent a system, then own it

pital that was a passion of Arnold’s since it opened in 1989. His foundation donates to many causes, but the common denominator is that they’re all for young people.

legions of golfers copied palmer’s go-for-broke style.

Photograph by First Lastname

month 2016 | golfdigest.com

27

Tributes arnold palmer (1929-2016)

RIP The King!

The Indian golfing fraternity paid tributes to Arnold ‘The King’ Palmer I met him many times and when I played his event for the first time I thanked him for making golf famous.

True legend. RIP Arnie.

Jeev milkha Singh

“We at the PGTI express our deepest condolences to the family of Mr Arnold Palmer, one of the sport’s greatest personalities. His passing away is a huge loss for the sport of golf. Arnold Palmer’s achievements inspired golfers across the world over the last several decades and his legacy will continue to live on.”

Uttam Singh mundy, pGTI director

The world of golf will miss you Mr Palmer. Thank you for being the pioneer that you were. #TheKing anirban lahiri@anirbangolf

Sad day for golf ! Rest in peace Arnold Palmer . You have given us many years of amazing golf! rahil Gangjee @Gangjeer All of us professional golfers are indebted to Arnold Palmer for where the game of golf is today. He revolutionised the sport and brought a whole new audience to the game. A true champion who will never be forgotten. RIP Arnie!

Shiv Kapur

So sad to hear that Golf’s greatest legend Arnold Palmer passed away #TheKing #RIP.

Game has lost one of its biggest names #RIPArnie Gaganjeet Bhullar @gagsbhullar

aditi ashok @aditigolf

Arnie put American golf on the world map. He brought sponsorship to PGA Tour. His contribution to pro golf is immense. He had a great fan following, which speaks volumes about his stature. Today pros play on a lot of courses designed by him, so his legacy continues...

‘Bunny’ laxman Singh, 1982 Asian Games gold medallist in golf

28 golf digest india | november 2016

©2016 movado group, inc.

MUSEUM® CLASSIC THE SINGLE DOT WATCH DIAL. AN ICON OF MODERN DESIGN. MOVADO.COM

FOUNDED IN SWITZERLAND IN 1881, MOVADO IS RENOWNED FOR ITS MUSEUM DIAL. DEFINED BY A SINGLE DOT AT 12, SYMBOLIZING THE SUN AT HIGH NOON, THE 1947 DESIGN BY ARTIST NATHAN GEORGE HORWITT WAS ACCEPTED BY THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART, NY, IN 1960. REGARDED TODAY AS AN ICON OF MODERN DESIGN, THE SINGLE DOT DIAL IS A SIGNATURE OF THE MOVADO BRAND.

Arnold Palmer Drink

I’ll Have What He’s Having Toasting a golf legend by name

those fractions, but if tea isn’t the dominant feature, you’re not drinking what Arnold and his wife, Winnie, created as a change-of-pace lunchtime beverage in the 1960s. Palmer said the drink steadily grew in popularity after he was overheard requesting it at a restaurant in Palm Springs, Calif., and another patron wanted to have an “Arnold Palmer,” too.

There are many spin-offs, including some that ratchet things up with ingredients only legally procured in the United States by those 21 and older. John Daly partnered with a company to bottle vodka-based cocktails inspired by Arnie’s recipe. Even Palmer cashed in on his creation by allowing AriZona Beverages to sell 27 “Arnold Palmer” offerings, all proudly advertised on its website.

Yet, despite all these choices, we’ll still take the original and raise our glass to the legend behind the legend. Cheers.

— Ron KaspRisKe

t’s the focus of multiple websites, stories of its origin have become golf folklore, and if you don’t want the homemade version, it’s purchasable in an aluminum can or even as a packet of powder (just add water!). We’re talking about the Arnold Palmer, the famous combination of iced tea and lemonade that will posthumously honor one of America’s most famous athletes for decades to come.

When Palmer passed away in September, at age 87, he left behind a concoction that’s as ingenious as it is simple. For the uninitiated, it’s a combination of iced tea and lemonade, served over ice, and often garnished with a lemon slice. Arnie said the correct way to make it is with two-thirds to three-quarters iced tea, and the rest lemonade.

You’re free to experiment with

30 golf digest india | november 2016

gutter credit tk

I

Photograph by Adam Voorhes

India Digest Inside The Ropes

Bang Bang

Bhullar With the 2006 Asian Games silver medal and becoming, in 2013, at age 25, the youngest Asian golfer ever to win five Asian Tour titles and achieving a world ranking of 85, Gaganjeet Bhullar was sitting pretty as one of Asia’s brightest young stars. In 2014, though, his progress came to a halt after a late season ligament tear in the wrist put him out of action for three months. It was not till late September 2016 that Gaganjeet got back in the winner’s circle with his triumph in the $1 million Shinhan Donghae Open on the Asian Tour in Korea.

32 golf digest india | november 2016

Inside The Ropes

India Digest

Meet Gaganjeet Bhullar Born: April 27, 1988 (Age 28) Residence: Kapurthala, Punjab Turned Pro: 2006 World Ranking: 268 (No. 2 ranked Indian) Wins: Asian Tour: 6 (Indonesia President Invitational 2009, Asian Tour International 2010, Yeangder Tournament Players Championship 2012, Venetian Macau Open 2012, Indonesia Open 2013, Shinhan Donghae Open 2016) European Challenge Tour: 1 (Gujarat Kensville Challenge 2011) PGTI: 9 titles Other achievements: 2013 – Arjuna award

november Photographs 2016 | golfCourtesy: digest india Asian Tour 33

India Digest Inside The Ropes

Stat Pack Gaganjeet Bhullar took a massive leap of 406 places in World Rankings from 674th to World No. 268 after winning the 2016 Shinhan Donghae Open in Incheon, Korea.

Gaganjeet’s sixth win on the Asian Tour is overall his seventh international victory.

Moves to 10th place in the Asian Tour Order of Merit from 61st position with season’s earnings of $ 243,462.

He is the second Indian to win the Shinhan Donghae Open after Jeev Milkha Singh won it in 1994.

Bhullar has now posted victories in six different countries – 2 wins in Indonesia and 1 each in Thailand, India, Chinese Taipei, Macau and Korea.

34 golf digest india | november 2016

Inside The Ropes

India Digest

Gaganjeet Bhullar @gagsbhullar

Prize money won

2 years 10 months and 1 day.

It’s been worth the wait. Its good to be back. #ShinhanDonghaeOpen #asiantour

$194,400 (ap

prox. 1.29 crore)

By RohIT BhaRdwaj rohit@teamgolfdigest.com

understanding of my game now. I know what and where I went wrong.

aving failed to win enough money on the European Tour during 2014 and 2015, the Kapurthala lad had lost his playing rights in Europe, earned by virtue of his season earnings of Euro $259,804 in 2013 largely due to his second-place finish in the Euro 1.8 million Avantha Masters, which won him $200,000.

The young champion’s left hand was in a plaster cast for a month but even after its removal, his recovery was distant. A slump in form ensued resulting in two long years of pain and frustration. Only his determined mind, a positive attitude and unwavering support from his parents and peers saw him through this dark period.

In the last part of 2015, his ‘A’ game began to show up in bits and parts but it was not before the PGTI’s Louis Philippe Cup team event in Bengaluru this June that some tweaking of his equipment gave him signals that he was poised to bounce back to his old self. At the Louis Philippe Cup Rahul Ganapathy, who coached Gaganjeet’s team - NSports Hyderabad, did some tests which revealed the lie angle of his wedges were too upright and found they were a significant 4-5 degrees off.

The change paid dividends immediately as Gaganjeet hit 35 out of 36 greens in regulation over the next 36 holes, catapulting his team into contention. From that week on, Gaganjeet felt he had turned a corner. A few decent finishes in the next few months saw him finally get into top gear in September, which culminated in his sterling performance in Korea.

The comeback is now nearly total with his 7th international title (6th on Asian Tour) in Korea and a jump of 406 places in the Official World Rankings to 268th, which saw him become the second highest ranked Indian behind Anirban Lahiri. An upbeat Gaganjeet spoke to Golf Digest India on his ambition to climb all the way back to his former best. Excerpts from the interview:

GDI: Take us through your injury and what happened afterwards in the recovery process? Were there any relapses or complications?

GB: A Grade 2 ligament tear occurred in my wrist muscle in 2014 caused by some shots out of heavy rough on the Tour. That forced me out of action for two months – for one month my hand had to remain in a cast. The medical procedure went on for 3-4 months. I underwent a lot of physiotherapy and acupressure sessions. When it came to driving it was still okay, but as the short game requires more wrist movement – it used to hurt a lot. I couldn’t practice much as the injury could have relapsed. I kept protecting my wrist as much as possible. That affected my shotmaking. I also did a number of strengthening exercises as my wrist felt stiff after practice. Thankfully today it’s finally back to where it feels completely normal.

H

My first goal was to be back in the winner’s circle and I am happy to have achieved that. After this all my focus is to get my European Tour card back. I will be going for the US Open and British Open qualifying.

GDI: You had 5 Asian Tour victories (all outside India) by age 25 and your World Ranking had jumped to 85 in 2013. At that point what were the strengths of your game and what were the factors that had helped you get to such a high point?

GB: It was the first time that I found such success. I didn’t know then what my strengths and weaknesses were. My mind was young and fresh. Getting into the top-100 was something new and I didn’t quite appreciate its significance. As I begin my second innings, I have a better

GDI: Once your wrist was healed, it took a while for form to return. What was going through your mind in the last couple of years when you were struggling to regain form?

GB: I always saw it as a personal battle.

Even your family or your caddy can’t do much. When you are struggling nobody is around that’s one thing I learnt during my lean phase. Honestly, I didn’t much care.

My upbringing has been such and knowing my abilities, I had no doubt about making a comeback. It’s because of my determination and a strong mind that I have recovered.

I had made it a point that whatever I do its not about proving anything to anyone, it was all about proving to myself that I have already done so much and an injury can’t take away all the hard work I put in for the past 10-plus years.

GDI: When did you sense a turnaround – which were the events which gave you glimpses that your old form wasn’t very far november 2016 | golf digest india

35

India Digest Inside The Ropes Overall, I haven’t changed my swing much since 2013, minor tweaks generally.

Bhullar with NSports Hyderabad coach Rahul Ganapathy during the 2016 Louis Philippe Cup

GDI: Now with the win – a huge burden is off your shoulders and this should open a lot of doors for you in the next 18 months.

Can you give us some of the key goals you can reset for the rest of the 2016 season?

GB: My first goal was to be back in the winner’s circle and I am happy to have achieved that. After this all my focus is to get my European Tour card back. Injuries are part of a sportsperson’s career and I will work harder than ever to return to that same spot I was before. I have to improve my rankings as soon as possible so that I get more chances to qualify for the Majors next year. There will be no holding back. I will be going for the US Open and British Open qualifying in 2017.

During the Louis Philippe Cup this year, Hyderabad coach Rahul Ganapathy said that my wedges were 4 degrees more upright. When I checked with him he was right. I then got it changed to more flatter clubs. That I believe is one of the turning points for me. The changed lie angles boosted my confidence. away? You said to the media in Korea that at the start of the week you were sensing and aiming for a victory…

GB: The second half of 2015 gave me glimpses that things were falling into place. I was progressing well only that I was not finishing off on the right note. I was in contention after the third round of the PGTI’s season ending Rs 1.5 crore McLeod Russel Tour Championship at Royal Calcutta GC only to fade in the final round. In 2014, I had finished second in the same event. But after the 2015 event I had a different feeling with the driver.

I drove the ball well and putted better. Never doubted my iron play.

Regarding sensing a win in Korea, during the third round, I holed a few important pressure putts – some good par saves and that gave me confidence that I could win that week. That putting feel carried forward where I made so many good putts in the final round to win. Having overcome this bad situation,

36 golf digest india | november 2016

I now feel completely liberated – it’s a feeling of exhilaration.

GDI: Was there anything about your equipment or any other technical changes you had to make? Has your swing changed from before or is it the same as in 2013?

GB: During the Louis Philippe Cup in June this year, there was a three day pretournament coaching camp with the team coaches. My team coach and close friend Rahul Ganapathy did some tests and found my wedges were 4 degrees too upright. In fact, for some time until then I had been thinking that my technique was at fault as I was hitting shorter than expected. We then got the lie angles changed to be flatter. That I believe is one of the turning points for me. In fact, I began hitting closer to the pins immediately during the next two days of the Louis Philippe Cup at the demanding KGA course. The changed lie angles boosted my confidence.

GDI: You spend summers in Northern California – do you plan on trying to get to the US PGA Tour soon?

GB: I am no more living in India. I am either travelling on Tour or staying in the US. Training, gymming is all there. There’s a lot of positivity around you in that country.

Golfers get good amount of respect there and that does help you keep you in a positive frame of mind. I plan to play the Web.com Tour qualifying in September – October 2017.

I heard about the IAPGA (Indo-American Professional Golfers Association) Tour which gives Indian pros financial assistance for attempting to qualify for Web.com Tour.

Efforts like these are rare and I really love the concept as it helps inspire more young pros to play in the USA. GDI: What advice and learning do you have for other players going through a lean phase?

GB: My advice to them is never say die. Keep your chin up always, even in bad situations.

Give 1000% as these days everyone on Tour puts in more than 100%. You need to have a dedicated mind-set. Think one hole at a time on the course. It all comes down to self-belief – good things will follow thereafter.

Bhullar ends 5th in indonesia Gaganjeet Bhullar’s rich vein of form continued with a fifth-place finish at the BNI Indonesian Masters on the Asian Tour, the very next week after his Shinhan Donghae Open victory in Korea. The 28-year-old shot 12-under 276 across four days, six strokes behind the winner Poom Saksansin of Thailand and jumped to the 234th spot in the World Rankings.

Bengaluru’s Chikkarangappa S ended tied sixth a stroke behind. While 11 Indians made the cut in the the $750,000 event, fellow Asian nation Thailand saw 15 pros make the weekend rounds.

Other Indian results: T-30: Anirban Lahiri; T-36: Arjun Atwal, Jyoti Randhawa; T-43: Rahil Gangjee, Himmat Rai, Chiragh Kumar; T-52: Jeev Milkha Singh; T-63: Shiv Kapur; 66th: Abhinav Lohan.

Inside The Ropes

Asian Tour Order of Merit – Top-10 Pos Player

Played

India Digest

Gaganjeet Bhullar shares a moment with five-time Major champion Phil Mickelson of USA during the final round of the 2014 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship

Earnings (US$)

1.

Scott Hend (AUS)

9

770,842

2.

Marcus Fraser (AUS)

8

679,053

3.

Chan Shih-chang (TPE)

8

528,750

4.

Jeunghun Wang (KOR)

12

499,643

5.

Miguel Tabuena (PHI)

16

483,663

6.

Soomin Lee (KOR)

11

348,724

7.

S.S.P Chawrasia (IND)

10

323,607

8.

Yuta Ikeda (JPN)

4

292,849

9.

Anirban Lahiri (IND)

5

280,707

10. Gaganjeet Bhullar (IND)

15

277,787

(After Venetian Macao Open)

Bhullar’s Favourites Golf course in India Oxford Golf & Country Club, Pune Golf course around the world Turnberry course, Scotland Movie Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and The Pursuit of Happyness

Music I am a truly Desi guy and love Sufi music.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Sartaj are my favourites.

Drink Once in 4-5 months Food Korean and Thai food

Actor Will Smith Actress Taapsee Pannu – she did a good job in Baby (2015). Need to watch Pink as I have heard a lot of praise for her acting

Mentors/Idols Jeev is my mentor but his father ‘Flying Sikh’ Milkha ji is my true inspiration Sport apart from golf Love watching tennis – I am a big Roger Federer fan but unfortunately he is out of form

Superstitions Nothing as such but love to wear loud colours as it looks good on TV. Essentials in your travel bag Spiky ball – it’s a good thing to help you relax your muscles, especially effective for a stiff back or neck.

Holiday destination Mauritius – very beautiful and serene.

Clubs in your golf bag All Titleist

tion Holiday destina Mauritius

Taapsee Pannu

Love Sufi music

Mid-round power snack Gatorade with protein or granola bar and a lot of dry fruits

Milkha Singh is my inspiration november 2016 | golf digest india

37

India Digest Across The Country

Club Round up To share news on your club or updates from across the country, please email vineet@teamgolfdigest.com Promoting the game

DLF organises 12th Invitational Caddy Tournament DLF Golf & Country Club played host to the 12th invitational caddy golf tournament end September with over 100 caddies coming together from across the country.

Started in 2002 as a local tournament for caddies of Delhi and NCR Golf Clubs, it has panned out to encompass clubs from around the country. With the overwhelming response generated from the success of the previous years, the Caddy Golf Tournament is now an annual feature

and an integral part of the DLF G&CC’s golfing calendar.

Caddies are an integral part of this game, however the emphasis and limelight has primarily been focused on players, officials and the corporate fraternity who can indulge in the luxury of this ‘elite’ game and caddies have remained on the periphery, totally unnoticed. Through this tournament, DLF endeavors to inspire caddy golfers so that they can aim to elevate their game to the next level.

The winning team of DLF Golf & Country Club

Individual winner Pramod Kumar (R) of Delhi Golf Club won Maruti Suzuki Alto for his brilliant effort

TeaM ChaMPIonShIP reSulTS: dlF Golf & Country Club - Winner Rambagh Golf Club - Runner up noida Golf Course - 2nd Runner up

Junior Camp

Shillong Golf Club organises NGAI level A coaching

Renowned coach Rukmini Mehta, a National Golf Academy of India (NGAI) certified A-Level teaching professional, conducted a Golf Coaching Camp at Shillong Golf Course in September end. Attended by over 20 juniors from Meghalaya, the camp was organised by Meghalaya Golf Promoters’ Society (MGPS) in association with Shillong Club Ltd. to promote golf amongst the youngsters. With an eye on the future, Batkupar J Synrem, Secy, Shillong GC said, “There are plans to conduct national level junior tournaments 2017 onwards. We thank the effort of Meghalaya Golf Promoters’ Society (MGPS) Golf Academy to promote golf in this part of the country with special focus on junior golf.” MGPS was formed in March 2016 and has been actively taking various initiatives to promote junior as well as professional golf in the region. MGPS is also planning Meghalaya Open Golf, a pro event on PGTI Calendar, which will see participation from top Indian and Asian golfers.

38 golf digest india | november 2016

Across The Country

India Digest

In Good Spirit

DGC to reward Rio Olympics & Paralympics winners

As a welcome gesture, last month, Delhi Golf Club announced cash awards of Rs 50 lakhs for all medal winners from the 2016 Rio Olympics & Paralympics Gold - Rs 10 lakhs Silver – Rs. 7.5 lakhs Bronze- Rs 5 lakhs President Rajesh Dhingra said that he believes that achievements at the biggest sports arena in the world, need to be recognized and rewarded by as many corporate houses, individuals and sports bodies as possible. He added, "I hope that when India's golfers perform at the highest level then they too will get felicitated by other organizations. This will help raise the profile of sports people all over the country."

DGC has also announced a cash reward of Rs 5 lakhs for Pullela Gopichand's Badminton academy in Hyderabad.

"I am pleasanTly surprIsed To receIve a conTrIbuTIon from a golf club and I hope To recIprocaTe by welcomIng any of our naTIonal golfers To my academy for TraInIng If IT helps Them.”

–Pullela Gopichand's

The awardeeS are: devendra Jhajharia, Paralympics Gold Medalist in Javelin - Rs 10 lakhs Thangavelu Mariyappan, Paralympics Gold Medalist in High Jump - Rs 10 lakhs PV Sindhu, Olympics Silver Medalist in Badminton - Rs 7.5 lakhs deepa Malik, Paralympics Silver Medalist in Shot Put - 7.5 lakhs Varun Bhati, Paralympics Bronze Medalist in High Jump - Rs 5 lakhs Sakshi Malik, Olympics Bronze Medalist in Wrestling - Rs 5 lakhs

Improvement

Himachal CM Veerbhadra Singh to improve facilities at Naldehra Golf course

A sum of Rs. 8 crore has been set aside for the refurbishment of facilities at Naldehra Golf Course according to Himachal Pradesh’s chief minister Veerbhadra Singh. Established in 1905 by British viceroy Lord Curzon, Naldhera Golf Course is 23 kms from Shimla.

The nine hole, par-34 course is a challenging layout with the added quirk that many holes share the same fairway, criss-crossing it at different angles. The course plays a regular host to Dr Y S Parmar Memorial Invitational golf tournament, Chalet-Naldehra golf tournament, HPGA golf tournament and Old Cottonian golf tournament. He added that the golf course, surrounded by tall cedars and thick pine forests, is one of the most beautiful golf courses in the country. He also acknowledged the scions of the Koti Estate for their efforts to maintain the property and promote the game in the region. november 2016 | golf digest india

39

India Digest Women’s Golf

Vani Kapoor

Giulia Sergas

Gwladys Nocera

Brittany Lincicome

Maha haddioui (L) with Sharmila Nicollet (C)

THE FABULOUS 13 GWLADYS NOCERA

FRANCE

VICTORIA LOVELADY

BRAZIL

MAHA HADDIOUI

MOROCCO

CHLOE LEURQUIN

BELGIUM

GIULIA SERGAS

ITALY

KLARA SPILKOVA

CZECH REPUBLIC

NOORA TAMMINEN

FINLAND

ADITI ASHOK

INDIA

URSULA WIKSTROM

FINLAND

CHRISTINE WOLF

AUSTRIA

NANNA KOERSTZ MADSEN DENMARK defending champion Emily Kristine Pedersen of denmark

Christine Wolf

Chloe Leurquin

40 golf digest india | november 2016

MARIANNE SKARPNORD

NORWAY

STEPHANIE MEADOW

IRELAND

aditi ashok

Marianne Skarpnord

Nanna Koerstz Madsen

Women’s Golf

India Digest

Olympians Set To Shine At Hero Women’s Indian Open Victoria Lovelady

Stephanie Meadows

L-R: Neha tripathi, amandeep drall and Vani Kapoor at the 2016 hero Women’s indian open curtain raiser

By Rohit BhaRdWaj rohit@teamgolfdigest.com

T

he 10th edition of the Hero Women’s Indian Open will witness a galaxy of stars including 13 Olympians from as many nations when the Ladies European Tour (LET) event tees off on November 10.

Brazilian Victoria Lovelady, who kickstarted the women’s golf competition at the Rio Games, will be among 114 players from 30 countries battling out at the picturesque Gary Player-designed DLF Golf & Country Club in Gurgaon.

Defending champion Emily Kristine Pedersen of Denmark and Christine Wolf of Austria will also be seen in action during the $400,000 tournament.

LPGA regular and two-time Major champion Brittany ‘Bam Bam’ Lincicome, who has three Solheim Cup (Ryder Cup equivalent for women pros) wins in her kitty, will headline the stellar field which will also include current LET No. 2 Beth Allen of the US, France’s Isabelle Boineau and Gwladys Nocera among others.

Olympian Aditi Ashok, who briefly lead at the Rio Games in the second round despite being the youngest golfer in fray, will spearhead the Indian challenge along with Women’s Golf Association of India (WGAI)

Ursula Wikstrom

Noora tamminen

Klara Spilkova

Order of Merit top-2 Amandeep Drall and Vani Kapoor. Aditi, who clinched a quadruple of top-10s in consecutive weeks on the LET recently, will be carrying the country’s hopes of finding an Indian winner this time. She is currently placed third in the LET Rookie of the Year ranking and will be keen to move up the table with a strong performance on home soil.

On the other hand, Amandeep is leading the Order of Merit following four wins from 12 starts with total earnings of Rs 10, 61, 534.

“Having 13 Olympians in one tournament is huge. Golfers from 30 countries will be participating and that will inspire our girls to give their best. I was walking with Aditi in Rio and I was happily surprised to see how she was holding upon herself among the world’s best. At 18 years, she has set a global

“We have the best chance to win the title this time. We are doing really well. Aditi has been in good form and I too have won six titles and I’m confident of a good show.”

— Vani Kapoor, Leading Indian pro

benchmark with her strong show in Rio. Younger girls will aspire to represent their country in the 2020 Tokyo Games looking at her,” WGAI secretary general Champika Sayal told reporters at a press conference.

LET CEO Ivan Khodabaksh said in a statement that he was excited about staging the 10th edition of the event, which was cosanctioned with LET for the first time in 2010.

“The Ladies European Tour is thrilled to be returning to DLF Golf and Country Club for the 10th anniversary edition of the Hero Women’s Indian Open. Over the last decade, the tournament has inspired a new generation of Indian golfers to walk alongside the giants of the professional women’s game and to follow their dreams to succeed at the highest level. Alongside our strong partners, Hero MotoCorp and WGAI, we are determined to continue creating a strong legacy for women’s golf in India for years to come,” Khodabaksh said.

The 6258-yard Gary Player course poses a tough test with its dramatic land forms, rock quarries, large lakes and extensive landscaping.

Venue: DLF Golf & Country Club, Gurgaon Prize purse: $400,000 Winner’s cheque: $60,000; Dates: November 10 to 13 november 2016 | golf digest india

41

India Digest Women’s Golf

Meet Brittany Born: Sept. 19, 1985 Residence: Florida, USA Turned pro: 2005 Career Earnings: $7,486,679 (World no. 36) 2016 Earnings: $299, 752 LPGA Tour Wins (6): 2006 - HSBC Women’s World Match Play Championship; 2007 Ginn Open; 2009 - Kraft Nabisco Championship (Major); 2011 - ShopRite LPGA Classic, CN Canadian Women’s Open; 2015 - ANA Inspiration (Major) Solheim Cup appearances (5): 2007 (W), 2009 (W), 2011, 2013, 2015 (W) * W indicates win in that edition

OLYMPIC AMBITIONS: Brittany Lincicome wants to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Games

FAVOURITE DRINK: Malibu Bay Breeze

42 golf digest india | november 2016

Brittany Lincicome (right) shares a light moment with countrymate Paula Creamer during the 2015 Solheim Cup

MAJOR SUCCESS: At 2015 ANA Inspiration

INSPIRATION: Father Tom Vickers

Women’s Golf

India Digest

‘EXCITED TO PLAY IN INDIA’

BY ROHIT BHARDWAJ rohit@teamgolfdigest.com

S

he already has two Major crowns and three Solheim Cup (Ryder Cup equivalent) titles in her bag. But she is hungry to win more Majors and represent USA in team competitions. World No. 36 Brittany Grace Lincicome is all set to hit Indian shores for the $400,000 Hero Women’s Indian Open to be staged at the Gary Player-designed DLF Golf & Country Club in Gurgaon from November 10 to 13. Brittany started playing golf at the age of 9 with inspiration from her father Tom Vickers and two brothers, Hunter and Bryan.

In fact her father also caddied for her in her rookie year on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour in 2005.

Brittany’s long driving abilities earned her the sobriquet ‘Bam Bam’. Her longest drive on the LPGA Tour is 369 yards, enough to give male golfers a scare.

The 31-year-old found love on the course and got hitched last December to Dewald Gouws, a South African professional long drive competitor. Now she is looking forward to tasting new cuisines and experiencing Indian culture on her first visit to the sub-continent.

In an exclusive interview, Brittany talks about her Olympic aspirations, priorities after marriage and much more. Excerpts:

Invitational in 2004 and also made the cut at the 2004 US Women’s Open. I am not really sure when I knew that I could make a career out of it, but I was hopeful that it would work before I turned professional.

GDI: You have won two Majors and have been part of three Solheim Cup (Ryder Cup equivalent) winning teams. What do you aim to achieve in the next couple of years?

BL: I would like to continue to put myself in a position to win Majors. The team competitions have been especially fun for me so I hope to play in more Solheim Cups and International Crowns. I love the team atmosphere.

GDI: This will be your first trip to India. What are the things you are looking forward to experiencing during the LET event?

BL: I am excited to see the different culture and learn the differences that make India special. My job has allowed me to travel many parts of the world so this is exciting to be going to a spot that I have not previously visited. I do not have much experience with Indian food, but I do look forward to trying it.

Exclusive

Photograph Courtesy: LPGA, Instagram@brittany1golf

GDI: Take us through the highlights of your amateur career.

BL: I was lucky enough to have parents that were willing to sacrifice and allow me to play in a number of amateur events. Early on, I was fortunate to learn how to win in a number of those amateur events on the AJGA and other types of tours. I won the Harder Hall

GDI: How do you see the Hero Women’s Indian Open field?

BL: 13 Olympians are set to participate in the event, so I am excited to compete with such a great group of talented women. It sure sounds like it will be a great field.

GDI: Have you ever thought of representing USA in the Olympics?

BL: I have thought about the Olympics and was hoping to make the 2016 team. I will certainly do my best to qualify in 2020. Tokyo will be a great place for the games.

“I am excited to see the different culture and learn the differences that make India special... I do not have much experience with Indian food, but I do look forward to trying it.”

— Brittany Lincicome, World No. 36

LOVE OF HER LIFE: Husband Dewald Gouws

PRETTY LADY: On her wedding day

Lincicome’s Favourites Golf course around the world The concession in Florida Golf course on your wish list I would love to play Augusta.

Mentors/Idols My dad is my mentor and my idol.

Drink Diet Coke and Malibu Bay Breeze Food Tacos Mid-round power snack Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Superstitions I use the same pencil for all four rounds of golf, a different ball marker each day and if I am playing well, I don’t switch the golf ball.

Essentials in your bag Eye drops, mirror, nail trimmers, chap stick, and a pencil sharpener.

Holiday destination Cape Town, South Africa and West Virginia.

Movie Bridesmaids Actor Vin Diesel Actress Cameron Diaz Music Country music Sport apart from golf Baseball Secret desire Spending more time with my husband (Dewald Gouws) and dog on our boat. This is probably not a secret.

BORN FIGHTER: In the Ninja Turtles suit

november 2016 | golf digest india

43

India Digest Newsmakers

Players in the news Fine Run For Indians On Asian Tour

I

ndian pros Gaganjeet Bhullar, Anirban Lahiri, Chikkarangappa S and others put Indian golf in the forefront over a three-week span which saw Indians score one victory, one runner-up, a third place finish and numerous top-15 finishes as the Asian Tour completed a stretch in Korea, Indonesia and Macau.

It has been a long time since Indians were so consistent on the leaderboards as the Asian Tour tournaments were beamed into living rooms around the globe.

First Gaganjeet scored a remarkable return-to-form victory at the US$1 million Shinhan Donghae Open in Korea. The same week Khalin Joshi finished tied 15th.

The following week, Gaganjeet finished fifth and Chikka sixth, in Indonesia, while being in serious contention for the title. Then Anirban Lahiri, lost in a sudden-death playoff at Venetian Macau Open after a remarkable come-from-behind charge on the back nine in the final round. Chikka was three strokes out of the playoff in third place after a solid four day showing. Additionally Kolkata’s Rahil Gangjee finished seventh with Delhi’s Rashid Khan at eighth in Macau.

While Gaganjeet’s win is covered in detail in this issue on Pg 32, Bangalore’s Anirban who reigns as India’s highest world ranked player, birdied the final 7 holes in Macau to get into the playoff but bogeyed the first hole in extra time. Anirban finished in 2nd place a third time at Macau in four years following the playoff loss to Thailand’s Pavit T. Interestingly Anirban has won four of his seven Asian Tour wins in playoffs and was the favourite to win this time too after his incredible streak of 7 consecutive birdies.

“I was happy I won the toss and I wanted to go first (in the play-off). I think I rushed into that and I was trying to lay up on the second shot but the rough was a bit thick.

I didn’t even think of the hazard being there. I guess that was unfortunate to finish like that.

I’m happy with the way I played the back nine but disappointed I finished second again,” Anirban said after the game.

Taiwan masTers Tied-9Th indonesia masTers Tied-6Th macau open Tied-3rd

44 golf digest india | november 2016

HEARTBREAK: Anirban Lahiri (background) looks on after his playoff loss to Thailand’s Pavit T

Leading scores at Macau (par 71): 268 - Pavit Tangkamolprasert (THA) 69-67-68-64, Anirban Lahiri (IND) 66-68-69-65.

(Pavit won with a birdie on the first play-off hole) 271 - Chan Shih-Chang (TPE) 71-69-66-65, Chikkarangappa S. (IND) 69-65-69-68.

273 - Carlos Pigem (ESP) 64-71-69-69, Rattanon Wannasrichan (THA) 68-71-65-69.

274 - Rahil Gangjee (IND) 68-69-70-67.

275 - Miguel Tabuena (PHI) 67-69-70-69, Rashid Khan (IND) 69-69-66-71.

ChikkA ChAses elusive viCtoRy AfteR Consistent Run of foRm

Bengaluru pro Chikkarangappa S. continued with his rich vein of form on the Asian Tour for three consecutive weeks but is still in search of that elusive victory. The two-time Asian Development Tour (ADT) winner shot a three-over 291 in difficult conditions to script a tied 9th finish in the $800,000 Mercuries Taiwan Masters at the Taiwan Golf & CC. 2011 Handa Classic winner Himmat Rai ended tied 15th, while Chiragh Kumar had a joint 19th result in the Asian Tour event. 2016 Kolkata Classic champion Shubhankar Sharma carded 11-over 299 to be placed tied 33rd.

Newsmakers India Digest

professional golf tour of india

RAshid Reigns supReme in AhmedAbAd

Delhi’s Rashid Khan stole the show on the final day of the Rs 30 lakh PGTI Ahmedabad Masters at the Kalhaar Blues & Greens in Ahmedabad as he registered an exhilarating come-from-behind one stroke victory over last year’s champion and overnight leader Khalin Joshi of Bengaluru. Rashid’s win rocketed him to the second spot on the PGTI Order of Merit while he bagged Rs 4.5 lakh. It was his second win within a span of 40 days and his seventh overall on the PGTI. His previous victory came after a gap of 22 months at Take Soluctions Classic in Noida this August.

L-R: Uttam Mundy (Director, PGTI), Devang Shah (MD, Navratna), Ahmedabad Masters champion Rashid Khan, Dinesh Shah (Chairman, Navratna) and Pranav Shah (MD, Navratna)

PGti Order of Merit after taKe Open rank

Player

Prize Money (`)

Played

won

top 10

1.

Chikkarangappa S

24,06,640

6

2

4

2.

Shubhankar Sharma

21,42,513

8

2

7

3.

Ajeetesh Sandhu

19,27,468

11

1

7

4.

Rashid Khan

17,80,030

5

2

5

5.

Khalin Joshi

16,71,520

8

1

7

6.

Feroz Ali Mollah

15,38,628

12

1

4

7.

Anura Rohana

14,68,448

10

0

4

8.

M Dharma

14,63,820

13

0

3

9.

Mukesh Kumar

13,62,783

12

1

5

10.

Vikrant Chopra

13,57,850

11

0

4

mukesh pRevAils As pRo golf RetuRns to ChennAi BiRdiE KiNg: Ashok Kumar

Ashok defeAts Ajeetesh in plAyoff

Ashok Kumar of DLF Golf & Country Club, Gurgaon, prevailed in a playoff over Chandigarh’s Ajeetesh Sandhu to lift his 13th PGTI title at the PGTI Masters staged at the ITC Classic Golf Resort. Ashok Kumar (68-67-70-66) and Ajeetesh Sandhu (65-71-68-67) were in a deadlock after the regulation 72 holes as both totaled 17-under-271. The second extra playoff hole turned out to be decisive as Ashok converted a six-footer for birdie to clinch the title. Coming into the event, Ashok had posted top-10s in his last three events. He is now keen to go for the Asian Tour Qualifying School early next year. He moved up from 48th to 10th position in the domestic rankings.

The Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) returned to Chennai after a considerable gap of seven years with Chennai Open 2016 at the par-70 Madras Gymkhana Club (MGC).

Massive floods in the end of 2015 brought the entire city to a standstill while MGC course was enormously damaged with multiple fairways and greens requiring total refurbishment. After the rebuilding exercise was complete, it was seasoned pro Mukesh Kumar (61-68-65-66) who cruised to victory in the first pro event on the course after a break of 10 months with a comfortable 11-shot win in the Rs 40 lakh event. The Mhow golfer carded four-under-66 in the final round for a grand tournament tally of 20-under-260. Mukesh’s win in Chennai handed him a record 18th title on the PGTI since 2007, five ahead of second-placed Ashok Kumar.

sEAsoNEd pRo: Mukesh Kumar

november 2016 | golf digest india

45

India Digest Newsmakers International Golf

NEAR MISS FOR US TOUR-BOUND INDIAN PRO GOLFERS

T

Deepinder Kullar

he 2014 PGTI Noida Masters winner, Amardip, and DLF Golf and Country club pro, Deepinder, got the opportunity to take a shot at qualifying for the world’s richest and most competitive tour — the US PGA Tour — thanks to the initiative by the All Cargo Indo-American Professional Golf Association (IAPGA).

Under the initiative, 10 of India’s top pro golfers competed on the ECU IAPGA Tour that was staged in seven different cities across the USA in August-September. In the end, Amardip and Deepinder were selected to compete in the qualifying rounds of the US Web.Com qualifying round, with the All Cargo IAPGA taking care of their entry fees and all other relevant expenses.

In the first stage, Amardip, playing at the Bear Creek Golf Club in Murrieta, California finished tied 47th with a card of 74,70,74 and 75 to finish with a total of five-over 293, while Deepinder carded an even-par 280 with scores of 74, 66, 70 and 70 over the course of four days to end tied 50th at the Florence Country Club, Florence. That was, however, not good enough for either of them to make it to the second stage and eventually into the lucrative US Tour.

As per the rules, only the Top 25 in Stage 1 progress to the next round, before they finally make it into the elite list.

Interestingly, the Top 25 finishers in the annual money list of the Web.com Tour also earn automatic full time playing rights for the next year.

Meerut’s Amardip remained upbeat after his performance, thanking the ECU IAPGA for giving him this wonderful chance. “It is a confidence-booster that I came so close. I am sure I will make it next year,” he said.

“But for one or two bad holes out of the total 54, I would have finished in a much better position,” added Gurgaon’s Deepinder. “I hope we are setting the ball rolling for young Indian kids and showing them that getting on the US Tour is not a far-fetched dream.”

Amardip Malik

“It Is a confIdencebooster that I came so close. I am sure I wIll make It next year,”

love, ochoA, WoosnAm Among neW World hAll of fAmers

—amardIp malIk

Major winners Davis Love III, Ian Woosnam, Lorena Ochoa and Meg Mallon and journalist Henry Longhurst have been named 2017 inductees to the World Golf Hall of Fame. The selection committee for the St Augustine, Florida, attraction announced the honour group on October 18 from among 16 finalists, with enshrinement ceremonies set for September 26, 2017, in New York ahead of the area hosting the Presidents Cup. Love captained the 2016 US Ryder Cup team to victory earlier this month at Hazeltine and has won 21 US PGA Tour titles, including the 1997 PGA Championship, and also played six times each on Ryder and Presidents Cup teams.

Welshman Woosnam, the 1991 Masters champion, topped the world rankings for 50 weeks in 1991 and 1992. Mallon won 18 LPGA titles, including four Major crowns. Ochoa, the first Mexican-born golfer in the Hall, won 27 LPGA events, two of them Majors, and was World No. 1 for 158 consecutive weeks from 2007 to 2010. Longhurst, a long-time British newspaper columnist, was a pioneering British television golf commentator. He died in 1978 at age 69.

Lorena Ochoa

46 golf digest india | november 2016

Ian Woosnam

Davis Love III

Newsmakers India Digest

Women’s Golf

hAt-trick of top-10s for Aditi on let

Aditi Ashok continued her hot streak on the Ladies European Tour (LET), scripting three top-10s in successive weeks. The 18-year-old Bengaluru lass posted the best finish in her Rookie season with a sixth-place result at the Andalucia Costa Del Sol Open De Espana Femenino, carding an overall total of three-under 285. She earned 9300 Euros for her brilliant effort. She finished joint 10th next week at the Lacoste Ladies Open de France, submitting a card of four-under 276 for 5675 Euros. The Olympian then had a tied 8th finish at the Xiamen International Open bagging 7200 Euros. This pushed Aditi into third place in Rookie of the Year honours with 47,899 Euros in earnings. Her world ranking of 289 is the highest of any Indian lady golfer currently. Aditi, who has already progressed to the second stage of the LPGA Qualifying School will be seen in action there and hopes to graduate to the lucrative USA in 2017.

GDI believes Aditi has the potential to become the first Indian to crack the top 25 in world rankings and we predict she will achieve this in 2017 or 2018.

vAni clAims sixth title At JAypee

Gurgaon’s Vani Kapoor and Amandeep Drall of Panchkula have set up an intriguing contest for season ending No. 1 honours on the WGAI Tour as between them they have won 10 of the 15 WGAI legs during 2016. While Vani was No. 1 in 2015 and has 6 titles to her name, Amandeep with 4 titles jumped past Vani in total earnings as of October 8 with Rs 10,61,534 to Vani’s 10,21,150.

The 22-year-old Vani claimed her sixth title of the season with an emphatic 8 stroke victory at 13th leg of Hero Women Pro Golf Tour (HWPGT) played at Jaypee Greens Golf Resort from Sep 20 to 23.

Played over three days, Vani carded rounds of 72-71-71 for a total of two-under 214.

AmAndeep drAll goes top on order of merit

Chandigarh’s Amandeep Drall jumped to the top of Order of Merit with her win at the 15th leg of HWPGT played at DLF Golf & Country Club in October. On the difficult Gary Player layout, the 23-year-old carded two sub-par rounds (74-68-71) on the final two days to run away with a seven stroke victory over Gurgaon’s Gaurika Bishnoi playing on her home turf. Vani Kapoor bagged consecutive 3rd place finish with six-over 222. The next two legs on the women’s tour are scheduled to be played in Lucknow and Noida in November.

rookie siddhi kApoor Wins At dgc

The 19-year-old Kolkatan Siddhi Kapoor registered her maiden victory at Delhi Golf Club at the 14th leg of the women’s tour. Playing in her rookie year as a professional, Siddhi carded scores of 70-77- 73 for a total four-over 220 edging out Chandigarh’s Amandeep Drall by one stroke. Vani Kapoor bagged 3rd place with a six-over 222. november 2016 | golf digest india

47

India Digest Newsmakers Amateur Golf

Truly International Indian contingent at Asia-Pacific Amateur T

he Indian Golf Union, perhaps for the first time in history, fielded a truly international cast of star amateurs from across the globe at the Asia-Pacific Amateur played at the par-72 Jack Nicklaus Golf Club as World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) were used as the key selection criteria and not the Indian amateur rankings. The varied backgrounds of the players also highlights the new trend of increasing popularity of golf among the huge Non-Resident Indian population spread across the globe.

The five-member men’s contingent consisted of 19-year-old Viraj Madappa, a Kolkatan currently playing at Texas A&M University in USA. Alongside him were Dubai born 16-year-old Rayhan Thomas, who shot into fame with back-to-back top-5s in Dubai a few weeks earlier. Joining them were Yuvraj Sandhu who hails from Chandigarh and Florida’s Rigel Fernandes, who first connected with India by winning the All India Junior Championship in Delhi in 2011.

Kolkata’s Viraj Madappa scripted the best

finish among Indians with a tied 26th result at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Incheon, South Korea.

Madappa carded nine-over 297 over four days at the par-72 Jack Nicklaus Golf Club, 21 strokes behind eventual winner Curtis Luck of Australia (12-under 276).

The 18-year-old practised with rental clubs, borrowed shirts and wore flip-flops prior to the first round, following a baggage handling error by the airline.

India’s best individual finish in the event came in 2010 just an year after its inception, when Bengaluru boy Khalin Joshi ended tied ninth with an overall tally of one-under 283 at the par-71 Kasumigaseki Country Club, Kawagoe City, Japan.

Dubai-based amateur Rayhan was the next best Indian at tied 29th with a total of 11-over 299 to lie ahead of Yuvraj (T-38;13-over 299), Rigel and Kshitij Naved Kaul (Both T-42; 15over 303) at the 2015 Presidents Cup venue.

US-based Faridabad boy Priyanshu Singh missed the cut.

SOLID DISPLAY: Viraj Madappa was the best Indian finisher at the Asia-Pacific Amateur held in Korea

Corporate Golf

chandIGarh cheetahs prevaIl In Bt pro-am fIrst leG

(Team S&S) emerged the winner with 35 points Chandigarh Cheetahs won the first leg of the in the 0-14 handicap division and Aneesh LLOYD Business Today Pro-Am of Champions Kumar (Anish Arora Builder Pvt.) with a super at the picturesque Panchkula Golf Club this effort of 34 points was the winner amongst the September.

15- 24 handicap category.

The winning quartet of Amit Singh Rathore (Aakansh Hospitality), Sandeep Sandhu (Team S&S), Amit Katoch (Novartis) and Lt. Col K J Singh posted a combined score of 100 points to earn a spot in the Pro-Am National finals to be held in Delhi in February 2017.

The team comprising of Sanjiv Gupta (ValuePlus Associates), A K Sharma, Col V K Singh and Dr Rajdeep Brar finished runners-up with 98 points.

Winning Team - (L-R) Amit Katoch (Novartis), Alok Tikoo (LLOYD), In the Individual Sandeep Sandhu (Team S&S), and Lt. Col K J Singh category, Sandeep Sandhu

48 golf digest india | november 2016

IGU GUjarat ladIes & jUnIor GIrls Golf champIonshIp

Haryana’s Tvesa Mailk emerged victorious at the IGU Gujarat Ladies & Junior Girls golf championship played at Kalhaar Blues & Greens golf course October 4 to 6. Tvesa registered a resounding eight stroke victory with a total score of 11-over 227 staving off challenge from Delhi’s Sifat Alag, who finshed second with a score of 235, followed by Punjab’s Gurjot Badwal in third place with a score of 241.

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India Digest Corporate Digest

Royal Chance for Indian Amateurs

T

here are not many golfers who ever get to enjoy the game of golf in the same way as it is experienced by the Britain’s Royal family.

Four amateur golfers from the country recently won themselves a chance to play a round of golf at the British Royal family’s private course inside the grounds of Windsor Castle, on the outskirts of London. The game was followed by a Black Tie Royal Champagne Dinner in the State Ballroom, where heads of state are entertained, with members of the Royal Family . The experience was part of the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh Cup which is an annual international series of charity golf tournaments with Royal Patronage and has been running successfully for over 15 years. The 2016 edition was played in London in October among participants from 10 countries.

Each year four lucky amateurs from India get to experience this once in a life time opportunity by winning at one of two India qualifiers – The Madhavrao Scindia Golf tournament in Gurgaon and Christel House Duke of EdinburghCharity golf tournament in Bengaluru. India has been participating in this prestigious event for the past ten years.

FAB FOUR | L-R: Rajendra M, Abhishek Misra, Thimmaiah N and Ravi Chopra at Windsor Castle grounds

At the London meet, played over two days, the Bangalore team of N. Thimmaiah and Rajendra M finished in creditable 3rd place in the team championship with a total of 122 stableford points while the Delhi team of Abhishek Mishra and Ravi Chopra finished in 7th place with 103 points.

Individually, N. Thimmaiah finished as the best placed Indian in 5th place.

Ravi Chopra and wife Rashmi Chopra

Indian Contingent meeting with the Countess of Wessex

50 golf digest india | november 2016

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India Digest Corporate Digest

Golden Eagles Golf raises the bar

L-R: Sharmila Nicollet, Kapil Dev, K Jothiramalingam and NRN Reddy

C

elebrities and prominent personalities shone bright during the tri-city Krishnapatnam Port Golden Eagles Golf Championship which saw massive participation from corporate golfers from over 200 companies from 12 countries.

Krishnapatnam is the country’s largest allweather; deep water port on the east-coast of India.

Legendary cricket captain and avid golfer Kapil Dev kicked off the second annual edition of the event at the Prestige Golfshire course, Bengaluru on September 16. The subsequent legs of the tri-city event -- staged across Oxford Golf Resort and Country Club in Pune on October 1 and Hyderabad Golf Association course on October 8 -- saw Bollywood actors R Madhavan and Shilpa Shetty make their presence felt along with former India all-rounder Ajit Agarkar.

The golf tournament organised annually is an exclusive invitational corporate event for CXOs’ and other top honchos across sectors globally.

Part of the port’s ‘Golfing for Greater Good

Venkatesh Prasad

52 golf digest india | november 2016

“While pretending to be simple, Golf is a very complicated and demanding sport. However it is a great game to unwind reflect and rephrase one’s sanity while indulging in its -Kapil Dev leisurely pace.

C Sasidhar, MD, Krishnapatnam Port

Corporate Digest Initiative’, the exclusive tournament seeks to raise awareness and support for various causes of education, healthcare, wellness, employment among others through the CSR arm of the company. The current tournament raised financial support for a retired Seamen’s Trust.

12-time women’s golf champion Sharmila Nicollet also exhibited her skills while playing and interacting with the other participants. The golf fest housed other professional golfers like Ankita Tiwana, Meher Atwal and Siddharth Semwal as well.

1983 World Cup winning captain, Kapil Dev, who was the Guest of Honour said: “While pretending to be simple, Golf is a very complicated and demanding sport.

However it is a great game to unwind reflect and rephrase one’s sanity while indulging in its leisurely pace. I would want extend my heartiest congratulations to the management of Krishnapatnam Port for envisioning and developing India’s first ocean linked golf course and organizing a tournament at such a grand scale. I would love to see many more corporate to initiate similar projects which will encourage more young golfers to be a part of this sport which is still budding in India.”

Popular actor and film producer R. Madhavan said he enjoyed golf a lot and would like to try his hand at it. “As an actor you are always exposed to a lot of action on the sets but golf is just the opposite where one is just left with his devices ahead of the shot.

It is one game I want to try and see how it fits into my personality. I enjoy the sport a lot, so much so that I have encouraged my whole family to play golf and we now indulge in family outings to enjoy the game,” Madhavan said on the occasion.

“As an actor you are always exposed to a lot of action on the sets but golf is just the opposite where one is just left with his devices ahead of the shot. It is one game I want to try and see how it fits into my personality.

-R. Madhavan Actor and avid golfer Rakul Preet Singh

Tudor Marchis

Shilpa Shetty walks the ramp

India Digest

Ajit Agarkar

Pro golfer Ankita Tiwana

Manoj Chawda receives trophy from KT Rama Rao, Hon’ble IT Minister of Telangana

november 2016 | golf digest india

53

India Digest Corporate Digest

Volvo World Golf Challenge 2016 off to a flying start

Ahmedabad WinnersManish Choksi and Pranav Kapadia

T

he 2016 edition of Volvo World Golf Challenge is almost halfway through with it’s initial three legs completed. The much sought-after event has already witnessed a massive turnout of more than 300 corporate golfers vying for the coveted spots in the national final.

The first leg was held at the East Point Golf Club in Visakhapatnam followed by Hyderabad Golf Association hosting the second leg. The third leg took place at the Kalhaar Blues & Greens in Ahmedabad.

Two winners from each of the three legs have quali-

fied for the national finals, where they will compete with 10 other qualifiers from the remaining five legs for 2 spots in the World Finals of the Volvo World Golf Challenge in China.

The national finals are scheduled to be played at Jaypee Greens Golf Resort in Greater Noida on December 3.

The annual world final sees the participation of club golfers from 40 countries and has been graced by top international pros like Henrik Stenson, Darren Clarke, Thongchai Jaidee and Louis Oosthuizen in the past.

WinnerS Visakhapatnam K Samuel SK Vishwananda Raju Hyderabad Sankeerth Nidadavolu Sumon Chintala Ahmedabad Manish Choksi Pranav Kapadia

Speaking on the event, Tom von Bonsdorff, Managing Director, Volvo India, said: “We are delighted with the response to the fourth edition of the Volvo World Golf Challenge. We look forward to this annual edition and building this up to become the most sought after tournament – the highlight of the golfing season”.

L-R: Avinash Gupta, Umapathi Reddy, Ranadheer Reddy and Rajender Reddy Gaddam

54 golf digest india | november 2016

L-R: Narasimha Raju J, Ashok Reddy Nimma, Arjun Pradipak, B Hanumanth Rao

Corporate Digest

L-R: P. Sridhar Raju, D Kiran Reddy, Ritesh Kumar Daga and P Srinivas Rao

Hyderabad WinnersSankeerth Nidadavolu and Sumon Chintala

India Digest

Saral Talwar, Executive Director, Talwar Group

L-R: Omprakash Modi, Rohan Reddy, A Shridhar Reddy and Shashidhar Reddy

Volvo World Golf Challenge 2016 Schedule

Visakhapatnam WinnersL-R: K Samuel, Tom von Bonsdorff, Managing Director, Volvo India and SK Vishwananda Raju

DATE

VEnuE

1st October

East Point Golf Club, Visakhapatnam

7th October

Hyderabad Golf Association, Hyderabad

14th October

Kalhaar Blues & Greens, Ahmedabad

21st October

Tollygunge Golf Club, Kolkata

4th November

Prestige Golfshire, Bengaluru

11th November

Chandigarh Golf Club, Chandigarh

18th November

Willingdon Sports Club, Mumbai

2nd December

Jaypee Greens Golf Resort, Greater Noida

nATIOnAL FInAL 3rd December Completed legs

Jaypee Greens Golf Resort, Greater Noida november 2016 | golf digest india

55

India Digest Corporate Digest

Capital’s Power Play !

Winners- Sudhir Classic Golf 2016

T

L-R: M K Trisal, Dr. Farooq Abdulla, Anil Monga

Amitabh Kant and Bharat Tandon

L-R: Manoj Mehra, Rahul Seth and Murali Kartik

56 golf digest india | november 2016

he crème de la crème of Delhi’s golfing fraternity, bureaucrats and celebrities from all walks of life came together for the annual Sudhir Classic 2016 which, over the years, has become the highlight of the capital’s social golfing calendar. The much awaited golfing extravaganza was well attended as 152 players teed-off at the picturesque Jaypee Greens Golf Resort in October.

The event was filled with fun and excitement with on course contests on almost every hole, generous lucky draws and a glamorous ladies putting competition.

Hosted by Sudhir Seth and Indu Seth of Sudhir Power, the opulent affair was attended by Najeeb Jung (Governor of Delhi), Amitabh Kant (CEO, Niti Aayog), Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, Gen JJ Singh (former Chief of Army Staff), Ms. Anupama Singh (IGU Chairperson), Justice Vikramjit Sen, Jharkhand’s Ex CM Arjun Munda, Vinod Duggal (former Union Home Secretary & Governor), CBI Chief Anil Singh, ShashiKant Sharma (CAG) along with former cricketers Madan Lal and Murali Kartik.

Prizes were awarded in 2 handicap categories and best gross.

Indu Seth

Lt. Gov. Najeeb Jung and Sudhir Seth

Rao Inderjit Singh

Money Matters

India Digest

Business of Golf Features industry insights & updates from India & across the globe. To contribute updates on events, conferences or other happenings email bharath@teamgolfdigest.com

GBF to present Sorenstam with Lifetime Achievement award All-time leading LPGA Tour money winner Annika Sorenstam will be presented with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement award at the 2016 HSBC Golf Business Forum at the Marriott Sawgrass Resort and Spa from November 28 to December 1.

Annika will play an active role in the largest and most significant meeting place of golf industry executives and decision makers with the award being presented for her outstanding contributions, achievements and leadership in both the game and business of golf. Her

attendance will enhance an already packed agenda that focuses on four key categories: Corporate, Participation, Development and Innovation.

The two-day event will feature an action-packed agenda of the game’s most influential voices, leaders, decision-makers and global innovators from all corners of the golf industry.

Attendees will enjoy keynote speakers, take part in thought leadership and networking sessions, and play the famous TPC Sawgrass Stadium course on December 1.

Source: Golf Business News

Annika will play an active role in the largest and most significant meeting place of golf industry executives and decision makers with the award being presented for her outstanding contributions in the business of golf.

Is your golf course PGA branded?

A $50 million golf complex on the Kenyan coast has become the first in Africa to secure world-renowned PGA approval.

Vipingo Ridge began as a dream to create a championship course and five star golf retreat from old sisal and mango plantations back in 2004. Now the complex – on the MombasaMalindi Highway – is thriving, with its championship Baobab course and homes fit for kings. But most importantly – it has the historic and globally recognised Professional Golfers’ Association seal of approval.

PGA support will have massive benefits for Vipingo resort – and not just as a world recognised seal of excellence for golfers wishing to visit. All PGA branded facilities benefit from the direct use of the PGA brand and its associated brand value built up over the last century. The affiliation serves as a highly valued International seal of approval and assures visitors and owners that the course is built and maintained to a certain set standard.

But the PGA seal offers more than ensuring the course and complex offer world beating standards. There are a series of educational options to ensure the club’s golf coaching facilities are top class too. The PGA has cutting edge education available to aspiring golf professionals and others with key roles in the golfing industry. With the PGA support, the resort can start training local caddies to be professionals and give lessons. They could then go out into the community, into schools and start introducing local kids to the game. The Association will work with Vipingo Ridge to create a bespoke educational programme at the complex which in turn will provide a learning facility for those in the Country wishing to follow a career in the Golf Industry.

Source: Golf Business News

Vipingo Ridge in Kenya is the first golf course in Africa to secure PGA’s approval

PGA support will have massive benefits for Vipingo resort. All PGA branded facilities benefit from the direct use of the PGA brand and its associated brand value built up over the last century. november 2016 | golf digest india

57

India Digest Spotlight

Cornerstone Cup Sees Massive Turnout

L-R: Amitabh Poddar, B K Prabhakar, M S Nagaraj, B P Kumar Babu, (CMD, Cornerstone), Om Prakash, V Madhu (Director, Cornerstone) & Prateek Pant

T

Amitabh Suri

58 golf digest india | november 2016

he Cornerstone Cup Karnataka Golf Festival was held at Karnataka Golf Association (KGA) golf course from October 6 to 9. In its 8th edition, it has become one of the most sought-after tournaments among club golfers throughout the country. Participation from over 450 golfers including outstation players from cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, Pune, Jammu, Chennai, Kolkata, Lucknow speaks volumes of the popularity of the Cornerstone Cup. Cornerstone Cup KGF is the official qualifier for the prestigious World Amateur Golfers Championship (WAGC) to be held in Durban, South Africa in last week of October.

Bangalore Golf Club (BGC) members bagged 3 out of 5 spots for the WAGC. BGC golfers Amitabh Poddar, BK Prabhakar, Om Prakash along with MS Nagaraj of KGA and Prateek Pant from Bombay Presidency Golf Club are the fantastic five who will present the Indian challenge against the other amateurs from around the world.

Anil Valluri & Mohit Gupta

Spotlight

Sandeep Kulhalli

India Digest

Briefing before Tee Off

Charu Sharma, M R Kamble, Amar Kumar Pandey and Ashish Ballal

Mini Kuruvilla and Ashwini Nachappa

Naresh Shah, Varun Berry, Ajay Vij, Joydeep Mukherjee

Amit Sharma and Arjun Nohwar

Sandeep Madhavan and Raju Shahani

Alwyn Didar Singh, Gurcharan Gollerkeri, Ravi Gollerkeri and Dr. Ashwan Kapur

Shivakumar and Pranab Barua

Kiran Poonacha and Sujith Somasundar

Gaurav Singh and Sandeep Singh

november 2016 | golf digest india

59

India Digest Spotlight

Festival ends with a gala

The Cornerstone Cup ended with a wonderful gala dinner at Ritz-Carlton in Bengaluru which was attended by nearly 600 guests, and is perhaps the biggest gathering of socialites and celebrities converging for a golf tournament awards dinner in the country. Hosted by B.P Kumar Babu, Chairman & Managing Director, Cornerstone Properties and Raghu Menon, General Manager Ritz-Carlton Bengaluru. The gala saw guests enjoying live musical performances till the wee hours of next morning.

Dr. Manjula (Govt. of Karnataka) & Indur Hirani

B P Kumar Babu, Jitu Virwani & Manu Viraj Ghosla

Akshay and Mrs. BP Kumar Babu

Raghu Menon (GM, Ritz-Carlton Bengaluru)

Vita Zinna and Ravi Garyali (IPI)

60 golf digest india | november 2016

Ramneek Bakshi, B K Prabhakar & Anand Menon

Sanjay Nadgouda and wife

Anju Talwar and Mohit Talwar

Sonia Rego (Turkish Airlines)

sweet success: Former World No. 1 Jordan Spieth of Team USA kisses the 2016 Ryder Cup trophy

62 golf digest india | november 2016

PhotograPh courtesy: thomas J. russo

The 41st Ryder Cup

The 41st Ryder Cup

Validating a top-to-bottom overhaul of its approach to the Ryder Cup, the United States registered a convincing 17-11 win over Europe to initiate what Jordan Spieth called “a new beginning” for America in the biennial matches fantastic effort: Team USA won the Ryder Cup after a hat-trick of losses to Europe

silencing critics: Patrick Reed saved USA the blushes on two occasions with his solid display

“Patrick has been our titan for the last two ryder cuPs... for him to go out against rory, who is the best Player in the world when he is Playing well, and to beat him in a tight match … he’s got some guts, more than we’ve had in a long time.”

— Jim furyk, us vice-captain

manned by six rookies 7½-4½ in singles, the first time it has won the final session since 2010. All 12 U.S. players won at least one match. The last time that happened was 1975 under captain Arnold Palmer, whose passing July 25 at 87 inspired his countrymen.

The last man to join Team USA, Ryan Moore, delivered the winning point and one

more disappointment to Lee Westwood.

Moore, added to the team last Sunday after finishing second in a playoff at the Tour Championship, finished eagle-birdie-par to win the last three holes for a 1-up decision.

Westwood, a questionable captain’s pick, finished 0-3.

“To actually get the point for us, this is unbelievable,” said the reserved Moore, 33, who hadn’t played on a U.S. team since the 2004 Palmer Cup as an amateur. (More inspiration from The King, perhaps?)

Belgium’s Thomas Pieters submitted the most successful debut in Europe’s history, capping a 4-1 effort with a 3-and-2 win over J.B. Holmes. McIlroy was a gutsy 3-2. It wasn’t nearly enough.

Phil Mickelson made 10 birdies to shoot the equivalent of a 63 on Sunday but gained only a half point against Sergio Garcia, who answered with his 63.

“I’ve been around these guys long enough to know that from the Ryder Cup to the Presidents Cup what amazingly talented players we have,” Mickelson, 46, said after completing in his 11th Ryder Cup. “To see them perform at this level is a remarkable thing to be a part of.” november 2016 | golf digest india

63

PhotograPh courtesy: golfworld

F

ormulated by the much-maligned U.S. Task Force in the wake of a thorough drubbing two years ago in Scotland, the game plan that emerged in the 41st Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National—stressing teamwork and commitment—energised and unified a determined American squad, facilitating their largest winning margin since 1981. Overall, the U.S. has won for just the third time in the past 11 meetings and first since 2008 at Valhalla. America improved to 26-13-2 in the series, which moves to Le Golf National in Paris in 2018.

Grand designs aside, the Americans needed more pugnacity, too, and the embodiment of that spirit was impassioned Texan Patrick Reed. Brilliant throughout the weekend, Reed toppled Europe’s best player (and the best in the world the past month), Rory McIlroy, in Sunday’s opening singles match. The two firebrands traded birdies and demonstrative celebrations until Reed, riding the wild exhortations of the home crowd and his unceasing adrenaline, outlasted the Ulsterman, 1 up.

The finger wag he directed at McIlroy after an answering birdie on the eighth green proved perhaps the signature gesture that represented America’s message to Europe all week: “Not this time.”

“Anytime I can wear the red, white and blue, play for our country, and it happens to be match play, it kind of all just fits together,” said Reed, 26, who led the U.S. with 3½ points, while Brandt Snedeker and Brooks Koepka won three apiece.

“Patrick is a wonderful player at any time, he’s been our titan for the last two Ryder Cups,” said U.S. vice captain Jim Furyk. “For him to go out against Rory, who is the best player in the world when he is playing well, and to beat him in a tight match … he’s got some guts, more than we’ve had in a long time.”

“I’ve said that we need more Patrick Reeds on the team,” U.S. captain Davis Love III said.

Love gained a measure of redemption after the 2012 team he captained surrendered a four-point lead the final day, a defeat made all the worse by the U.S. poor performance at Gleneagles two years later. “I’m just proud of these guys. They had a lot of pressure on them the last two years,” Love said. “We love this event. We’ve tried too hard to win it, and we got in our way for a while.”

Leading by three points going into Sunday, the U.S. outgunned a European team

The 41st Ryder Cup

Final Results

Hazeltine National Golf Club, Chaska, Minn., Par 72, 7,628 yards Friday A.M. Foursomes

Friday P.M. Four-balls

Jordan Spieth/ Patrick Reed (U.S.)

df.

Henrik Stenson/Justin Rose, 3 and 2

Rose/Stenson (E)

df.

Spieth/Reed, 5 and 4

Phil Mickelson/ Rickie Fowler (U.S.)

df.

Rory McIlroy/Andy Sullivan, 1 up

Garcia/Rafa Cabrera Bello (E)

df.

J.B. Holmes/Ryan Moore, 3 and 2

Jimmy Walker/Zach Johnson (U.S.)

df.

Sergio Garcia/Martin Kaymer, 4 and 2

Brandt Snedeker/ Brooks Koepka (U.S.)

df.

Kaymer/Danny Willett, 5 and 4

Dustin Johnson/Matt Kuchar (U.S.)

df.

Lee Westwood/Thomas Pieters, 5 and 4

McIlroy/Pieters (E)

df.

D. Johnson/Kuchar, 3 and 2

U.S. leads 4-0

Europe wins session 3-1 U.S. leads overall 5-3 Saturday P.M. Four-balls

Saturday A.M. Foursomes McIlroy/Pieters (E)

df.

Fowler/Mickelson, 4 and 2

McIlroy/Pieters (E)

df.

Koepka/D. Johnson, 3 and 1

Snedeker/Koepka (U.S.)

df.

Stenson/Matt Fitzpatrick, 3 and 2

Holmes/Moore (U.S.)

df.

Willett/Westwood, 1 up

Walker/Z. Johnson, 1 up

Mickelson/Kuchar (U.S.)

df.

Kaymer/Garcia, 2 and 1

Garcia/Cabrera Bello

Reed/Spieth (U.S.)

halved

Rose/Stenson, 2 and 1

Rose/Chris Wood (E)

df.

Reed/Spieth (U.S.)

halved

Europe wins session 2½-1½

U.S. wins session 3-1

U.S. leads overall 6½-5½

U.S. leads overall 9½-6½

Reed (U.S.)

df.

McIlroy, 1 up

Stenson (E)

df.

Spieth, 3 and 2

Pieters (E)

df.

Holmes, 3 and 2

Fowler (U.S.)

df.

Rose, 1 up

Cabrera Bello (E)

df.

Walker, 3 and 2

Mickelson (U.S.)

halved

Garcia

Moore (U.S.)

df.

Westwood, 1 up

Snedeker (U.S.)

df.

Sullivan, 3 and 1

D. Johnson (U.S.)

df.

Wood, 1 up

Koepka (U.S.)

df.

Willett, 5 and 4

Kaymer (E)

df.

Kuchar, 1 up

Z. Johnson (U.S.)

df.

Fitzpatrick, 4 and 3

U.S. wins session 7½-4½ U.S. wins Ryder Cup 17-11

DAZZLING DUO: Team USA’s Jimmy Walker (left) and Zach Johnson celebrate their 4&2 win over Europe’s Sergio Garcia and Martin Kaymer in the Friday Foursomes PArty tIMe: Phil Mickelson begins the celebrations

Sergio Garcia halved a crucial singles match with Phil Mickelson

64 golf digest india | november 2016

PhotograPh Courtesy: getty Images, golfworld

Sunday Singles

Q&A

Davis Love III

trUe LeADer: Davis Love III kept the team spirits high with his chatter

After the 17-11 U.S. win, Davis Love III shared his thoughts with GolfDigestix on leading the team to victory in his second stint as captain.

I

t seemed like a long two years after the post-Ryder Cup press conference at Gleneagles was given in 2014, following the U.S. defeat. In the aftermath, a Task Force was formed by the Americans and Davis Love III was asked to captain the team for 2016 at Hazeltine National.

Excerpts from an interview with Davis Love III:

1

After Medinah, what does this mean for you?

Honestly, in the back [of my mind] I was apologizing on the back of 17 green on 2012. I said, ‘Don’t ever do that again,’ because that was a great team.

We played our hearts out. It was a lot of fun and an experience I’ll always remember.

This is different. This is a different 12, and they have never played together before.

I’m super proud of them. For everybody that’s ever been a part of The Ryder Cup, we all pulled together.

2

Three out of the first five matches, it looked like their strategy might be paying off or might potentially pay off for Europe. At what point did you start to feel comfortable?

We saw the board get really blue when I was on the first tee and I felt like in the past that I’ve hung around and not supported guys correctly on Sunday.

So we took off, as soon as Zach [Johnson] got on the tee—watched him hit and took off and started watching guys. All the assistant captains seemed to go to the right guy at the right time, make some putts or make a birdie or win a hole. I think we had a good strategy that allowed these guys to support these guys all day and not just feel like they are out there by themselves in singles.

3

Can you sum [that strategy] up?

4

What was the difference in team spirit?

This team had to come together, and we lost Arnold Palmer on Sunday, that was tragic for golf. It was a blow to our team, obviously to start off the week, so many crazy things have happened.

You know, it’s not about one guy, but Bubba showed us how much heart this American Team has. We’ve been criticized for eight or ten years for not coming together, and Bubba, Phil Mickelson, everybody played on the team or didn’t play on the team showed that we had a lot of heart and pulled together.

Just because we got kicked around for so long. You keep losing, you feel like you’ve got to do something different. It was a little bit of a rebuilding, a little bit of a shift in attitude, but from Raymond Floyd to Rickie Fowler in those first meetings, we said we’re going to do whatever it takes to get this on the right track. You know what, we’re not going to win every one of them but we’re going to go into it with a better attitude from here on forward.

5

What are you most proud of looking back on this week?

Well, that our guys handled the pressure. The Europeans came in here and played unbelievable golf, from Rory all the way through, there was a lot of stunning golf. Phil put up ten birdies and only got a halve.

Unbelievable golf, and I’m proud of what Darren [Clarke] has done. But our team really rallied together and beat and played one of the best teams ever in The European team.

The Eye of the Tiger

U.S. Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III often mentioned the influence Tiger Woods played on shaping the 2016 team throughout the run-up to Hazeltine. That continued in Minnesota, as the former World No. 1 kept close watch of the competition throughout the week.

Players Switch Gear at Ryder Cup

The singles match between Ryder Cup stalwarts Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia was one of the more memorable duels in recent memory, and certainly of the 41st Cup. The duo carded the equivalent of 63s, with 19 birdies between them. Ironically, both had something new in their hands on the greens at Hazeltine National G.C. Mickelson’s change was more subtle as he had a new insert in his Odyssey Versa #9 white/black/white putter. Though an Odyssey spokesman would only confirm that it’s a prototype, photos showed the insert to have a punch-dot pattern on the face as opposed to conventional grooves.

november 2016 | golf digest india

65

PhotograPh Courtesy: golfdIgestIx

The 41st Ryder Cup

PhotograPh Courtesy: getty Images

The 41st Ryder Cup

show of strength: Patrick Reed (left) roars after beating former World No. 1 Rory McIlroy in the Sunday singles

Patrick Reed Earns MVP Label for USA With 10 singles matches still in the balance on Sunday afternoon, a BBC Radio analyst remarked how a large group of American fans had just asked him which way to Hazeltine’s exits.

Why leave so early? “We saw Patrick Reed,” they answered. “That’s who we came for.” In a way, Reed was the only golfer fans needed to watch to know how the week unfolded in the Minneapolis suburbs. The 26-yearold Texan played better than anyone at the 41st Ryder Cup, and he saved his best for last, taking down Europe’s top gun, Rory McIlroy, 1 up, in a scintillating opening singles match that felt more like a heavyweight title fight.

When it was all over, “PAT-RICKREED” had practically replaced “U-S-A” as the crowd’s favorite chant,

and Reed credited the support for his inspired play. “I think it’s the fans.

It’s the first time I’ve ever played in front of a home crowd,” Reed said.

“It gets you going and keeps you going.” And if it wasn’t obvious after his fiery Ryder Cup debut in 2014—where he single-fingeredly took on the European crowds—Team USA also has a new leader. Reed wound up 3-11 for the week and earned a team-high 3½ points for the second consecutive Ryder Cup. He also earned a nickname from Jordan Spieth, who referred to him as Captain America. Reed even told vice captain Tiger Woods, his pod master, “You are not sitting me on any matches,” and Woods and Davis Love III listened.

—Alex Myers/@AlexMyers3

“PAT-RICK-REED” hAD PRACTICALLy REPLACED “U-S-A” AS ThE CRowD’S fAVoRITE ChAnT. hE CREDITED ThE SUPPoRT foR hIS InSPIRED PLAy. 66 golf digest india | november 2016

RoRy Takes on ameRicans (50,000 of Them)

Before the Ryder Cup ended Sunday at Hazeltine National, Rory McIlroy was out of gas. Not as much physically, but mentally. The long week had taken its toll on the current and future face of the European team. Dueling with Patrick Reed in their electric Sunday singles match, being the emotional leader amid at-times abhorrent behavior from the crowd and trying to rally the troops from a three-point final-day deficit proved too much. “I think all the energy that I’ve expended this week, it sort of caught up with me on the back nine [Sunday], and it caught up with me on the back nine [Saturday], as well,” McIlroy said.

“I wanted to go out there and lead by example and give off the right energy and put as much blue on the board as possible.”

It’s that leadership—and obvious ability—that Europe will lean on for years to come. The 27-year-old Northern Irishman is now a veteran of four Ryder Cups. He went 3-2 last week to bring his career record to 9-6-4 overall. Sunday also marked the first time he has been on the losing side. With the European team amid a transition from one generation to another, as witnessed by six rookies playing at Hazeltine, there was a silver lining that came out of Minnesota for McIlroy. “Some of the new blood that we have, they have gotten over their first Ryder Cup and now they know what it’s about and they know what they’re going to expect next time. We’ll go to Paris with a more experienced squad and a squad that knows what it feels like.

We’ll have great leadership again.” Particularly from McIlroy.

—Brian Wacker/@BrianWacker1

The 41st Ryder Cup

Course Re-Routing aRnie’s PResence felT aT hazelTine Provides Drama, Birdies Hazeltine National did its job at the 41st Ryder Cup, and then some. The impeccably groomed Robert Trent Jones design, maligned in its majorchampionship debut at the 1970 U.S. Open and since then host of the 1991 U.S. Open and the 2002 and 2009 PGA Championship, was made better by a recent re-routing. The purpose was to provide the best spectating and corporate-entertainment experience, but the altered finish also offered opportunities for more dramatic match swings aided by perhaps the largest galleries ever seen at the Ryder Cup. Given that Medinah’s demanding setup became viewed as a culprit during the 2012 loss under Davis Love III’s first captaincy, it became apparent that PGA of America setup man Kerry Haigh was given a simple order: provide short, recovery-friendly rough, fast greens and accessible hole locations, which on Sunday were consistently cut in the center of the large greens. Europe’s Justin Rose was not impressed. “I thought the setup was incredibly weak,” he said. “We want to be tested. E.g. the water holes out there, all the pins were as far away from the water as possible.” The lack of bite was particularly noticeable at the par-4 seventh hole. The former scary 16th nestled hard against Lake Hazeltine was a pushover as it allowed seven birdies and one eagle on Sunday. The weekend birdie-fest presented a Hazeltine vulnerable in ways the prideful membership might not be pleased with, but it didn’t lack for excitement.

KERRy hAIgh wAS gIVEn A SIMPLE oRDER: PRoVIDE ShoRT, RECoVERyfRIEnDLy RoUgh, fAST gREEnS AnD ACCESSIBLE hoLE LoCATIonS

The death of Arnold Palmer on the eve of the Ryder Cup threatened to cast a pall on the biennial competition for which the iconic figure, who died last week at age 87, had a genuine affinity. A six-time player and two-time captain, Palmer once said: “The game brings out the best in us, and the best will always bring out their games at the Ryder Cup.” But members of Team USA and Europe, along with PGA of America officials, found several uplifting ways to offer their respects while playing on, turning a potentially somber situation into a collection of moving remembrances. Competitors wore umbrella pins, Palmer’s signature logo, and spectators were given “I am a member of Arnie’s Army” buttons. In addition to flags flying at half staff outside Hazeltine National’s clubhouse and a moment of silence being held at Thursday’s Opening Ceremony, Palmer’s 1975 Ryder Cup staff bag stood sentinel beside the first tee on Friday, a tangible reminder of The King’s connection to the game and the event. “Mr. Palmer is here in spirit,” said U.S. team member Zach Johnson. That the Americans would sweep the opening foursomes session for the first time since Palmer’s captaincy 41 years ago seemed more than coincidental. In part to accommodate the Ryder Cup, a public memorial service in Palmer’s hometown of Latrobe, Pa., was scheduled for Tuesday, but the chorus of “Ar-nold Pal-mer” cheers from the ebullient Minnesota crowds emphasized that while The King might be gone, he’ll never be forgotten.

—Ryan Herrington/@GWCampusInsider

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The 41st Ryder Cup

Clarke proud of his team despite Ryder Cup debacle C aptain Darren Clarke did not think Europe could have done anything more as they suffered a first Ryder Cup defeat in eight years at Hazeltine National.

The Europeans arrived in Minnesota in search of a fourth consecutive win with six rookies in their ranks and got off to a horrible start, suffering a 4-0 whitewash in the opening foursomes session.

Clarke’s men dug deep and when Rory McIlroy and Thomas Pieters claimed a third win of the week as a pair in the Saturday fourballs, Europe had clawed their way back level at 6½-6½.

The Americans won the remaining three matches in that session to leave Europe with a mountain to climb and then closed out a high-quality singles 7½-4½ to win back the trophy 17-11.

The home victory was their first since 2008 and came after a task force had been formed to address their lack of success in the biennial showpiece in recent years. “I couldn’t be more proud of the guys that I'm surrounded with,” he said. “They did everything I asked of them.

They tried their heart out. They worked hard.

They fought hard.

“The bottom line is that Davis’ team holed

a few more putts than we did and they played better. So when it comes to it, the American Ryder Cup Team deserved to win this Ryder Cup and we’re all gutted and disappointed.

"We will be back stronger to fight in two years' time in Paris. We couldn't have done anything more. I've had a wonderful group of vice captains behind me helping me every step of the way.

Clarke also insisted he would not have done anything differently and suggested, as is often the case in golf, what happened on the greens proved decisive.

"I really wouldn't change anything," he said. "I think the only one that I possibly may have changed, yesterday morning's pairings had to be in at 1140 when there were still some matches in the group and that's the tricky one trying to see what's what.

"At the end of the day, in quite a few of the Ryder Cups that I've played the European guys have putted that little bit better. I think

this week the American guys have putted that little bit better. It's those fine margins that make all the difference between winning and losing."

Pieters led the European charge, claiming four points from his five matches and with fellow rookies Rafa Cabrera Bello, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Andy Sullivan, Danny Willett and Chris Wood now having all tasted Ryder Cup action, Clarke believes the future is bright.

American Captain Davis Love III was full of praise for the European Team as he achieved a victory to put to bed the ghost of the Miracle at Medinah in 2012, when the Europeans came back from 10-6 down to win the cup on the final day.

"The Europeans came in here and played unbelievable golf, from Rory all the way through, there was a lot of stunning golf," he said. "Phil [Mickelson] put up ten birdies and only got a half.”

TexT CourTesy: european Tour

“The boTTom line is ThaT Davis’ Team holeD a few moRe puTTs Than we DiD. we will be baCk sTRongeR To fighT in Two yeaRs’ Time. we CoulDn’T have Done — DaRRen ClaRke, europe captain anyThing moRe.”

phoTograph CourTesy: geTTy Images/european Tour

skipper speak: Darren Clarke (left) and Davis Love III share their thoughts

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The 41st Ryder Cup

Next-LeveL Wardrobes Part of ryder CuP Charm W

OK, just like the crude comments, sometimes, you can go overboard by doing too much. For the most part, though, we’ll let most things slide if it’s good natured fun. You and I might not choose to wear some of this stuff, but the Ryder Cup fans help make this event special. And for that, we’re thankful.

—Marty Hackel/@MrStyleMH

phoTograph CourTesy: geTTy Images, golfDIgesTIx

e know that a hot topic of conversation after this year’s Ryder Cup has been the behavior of the fans. Some folks might’ve taken their rooting interests over the line. We’ll let others take that conversation to the next level. For us, we’d like to take a minute to appreciate the Ryder Cup fans who rev up their wardrobes to the next level for these biennial matches.

Look at how much fun everyone here is having: It’s great for golf.

fanfare: The 2016 Ryder Cup was all about fan power. USA (above & below left) and European fans did their best to motivate their sides

Text Courtesy: GolfDigestix & GolfWorld

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On the European Tour

Molinari makes history with dramatic home win Francesco Molinari held his nerve in a finalday battle with Danny Willett to claim a historic victory at the Italian Open.

The home hero recorded a closing 65 to get to 22 under and beat Willett by one shot, becoming the first Italian to win his national Open twice since the event became part of the European Tour in 1972.

The 2006 champion also became the first Italian to win any European Tour event twice as he claimed his fourth win and his first since the 2012 Reale Seguros Open de España in 2012.

There were nervy moments from both players in the closing stretch but Molinari held on to become the second home player to win their

national Open in as many weeks after Joost Luiten's victory at the KLM Open.

"It's been a rollercoaster," he said. "It's amazing to see this amount of people out here supporting me.

Spaniard Nacho Elvira and England's Chris Paisley shared third at 18 under, two shots clear of English pair Richard Bland and David Horsey.

Elvira finished with a 65 while Paisley recorded a 68, with countrymen Bland and Horsey signing for rounds of 69 and 65 respectively.

Spanish duo Jorge Campillo and Alejandro Cañizares were then at 15 under alongside England's Tommy Fleetwood, Scot Scott Jamieson and Frenchman Alexander Levy.

Hatton seals dream maiden win at St Andrews Tyrrell Hatton sealed his maiden European Tour title in style, firing seven birdies and a solitary bogey to ease to a four-shot victory at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

After producing a stunning 62 to equal the course record at St Andrews on Saturday, Englishman Hatton posted a closing 66 at the Old Course to finish the week on 23 under par.

Hatton's playing partner and countryman Ross Fisher and South Africa's Richard Sterne finished in a tie for second on 19 under.

Swede Joakim Lagergren was another two

70 golf digest india | november 2016

strokes back after Sunday's 68, one shot ahead of Scot Marc Warren on 16 under.

He said: "It feels amazing. I've wanted this moment since I was a six year old walking around Wentworth. It's incredible. I had a new putter in the bag this week and it worked really well. I'm just so happy. “I had the target of getting inside the top 50 in the world and I think I was 53rd going into this week, so I'm looking forward to tomorrow morning to see where I've moved up to. But hopefully I can have a good end to the year and move up a little bit higher.”

On the European Tour

Li Haotong relishing World Cup of Golf opportunity

L

i Haotong is relishing the opportunity to represent China alongside fellow European Tour winner Wu Ashun when the duo travel to Australia and Kingston Heath Golf Club in Melbourne for the World Cup of Golf in November.

Wu won the Lyoness Open powered by Sporthilfe Cashback Card in June, becoming the first Chinese player to record multiple European Tour victories having claimed his first title at the 2015 Volvo China Open.

Li, meanwhile, dethroned his compatriot as the Volvo China Open in April, which also set a new record as it was the first time two Chiense has recorded victories in the same year.

Now Li is hoping the two stars can carry that success into the World Cup and claim a maiden victory for China in the team event.

“I’ve got to thank Wu Ashun for picking me as his partner at the World Cup,” he said.

“It is pretty cool to be going with him.

“For China, it’s big. We only ever had one winner in Europe so what has happened this year was pretty big thing for us.

World Number Six Adam Scott, meanwhile, has selected Marc Leishman, winner

“I’ve got to thank Wu ashun for pIckIng me as hIs partner at the World cup, It Is pretty cool to be — lI haotong goIng WIth hIm.” of six events worldwide, to be his partner to form one of the 28 two-man teams who will represent their countries at Kingston Heath.

Leishman, who was paired with Scott when he won his green jacket at The Masters in 2013, will be making his first World Cup of Golf appearance.

Danny Chia and Nicholas Fung have earned a late entry into the US$8 million World Cup of Golf in Melbourne next month, as Malaysia will make a welcome return to the prestigious team event for the first time since 2001.

Following the withdrawal of Fijian Vijay Singh, Chia received the nod as the next highest-ranked golfer in the world to compete. India’s Chikka and SSP Chowrasia will also pair up to represent the country in Melbourne this November. november 2016 | golf digest india

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On the European Tour

GoLf & HeaLtH projeCt LaunCHes to sHow How Game Can benefit aLL

T

he World Golf Foundation (WGF) today announced the launch of the Golf & Health Project, a unique initiative focused on academic research highlighting how the game can benefit peoples’ lives.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, led by Dr. Andrew Murray and under the supervision of leading international academics, Professor Nanette Mutrie and Professor Liz Grant, have conducted the largest, most comprehensive study of golf and health, with the results published in the world’s leading sports medicine and science journal, The British Journal of Sports Medicine.

In total, 5,000 papers were reviewed to provide a comprehensive view on the impact of the game on health, illness prevention and management, and associated injuries.

Three-time major champion and Golf & Health Project ambassador Padraig Harrington hopes the research will help showcase how golf can have a positive impact on peoples’ lives.

"The Golf & Health Project is clearly taking an important step forward to shine a light on the benefits of our sport,” the 14time European Tour champion said. “I'm really pleased to be involved as an ambassador and I hope I can help spread this message.

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For me being healthy and happy is key to enjoying my own game and throughout my career I have seen how impactful golf can be on peoples' wellbeing - now it's time to get this message out there.

Key benefits include improvements in life expectancy and quality of life, as well as physical and mental health benefits. Golf is expected to decrease the risk of more than 40 major chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart attacks, colon and breast cancer with current research showing golf has positive impacts on cholesterol, body composition, metabolism, and longevity.

The Project launches with support from the European Tour and all of golf’s major organisations, along with Harrington, an initial eight ambassadors from around the world with more than 30 majors and 350 wins between them including Aaron Baddeley, Annika Sorenstam, Brooke Henderson, Gary Player, Ryann O'Toole, So Yeon Ryu and Zach Johnson.

“I am delighted to be an Ambassador for the Golf & Health Project and wholeheartedly support the work they are doing to prove the health and wellbeing benefits of golf,” explained Gary Player, nine-time Major champion and World Golf Hall of Fame member.

The systematic and academic

confirmation of the physical and mental benefits golf gives people will be of great use to us all to spread the word to institutions, governments and the entire world!

The project also aims to show existing and future benefits that are identified are applicable to individuals of all ages throughout society, not just a specific sub-section of the population.

The WGF and the major golf organizations represented on its Board of Directors, along with partners such as the PGAs of Europe and the University of Edinburgh, academic collaborators and supporters from the University of California at San Francisco, and various other organizations, are working together on the Project with a view to sharing its work around the globe.

The Project is planning various researchled activities to further prove areas of interest and also expand into currently under-researched areas such as the mental health benefits of golf, physical benefits in older players and the positive effects of spectating.

The WGF is a non-profit organization developing and supporting initiatives that positively impact lives through the game of golf and its traditional values.

For further information, please visit www.golfandhealth.org

On the European Tour

Levy wins inaugural Hero Challenge Frenchman Alex Levy was the last man standing in the inaugural Hero Challenge under floodlights as an impressive stadium crowd of 2,200 watched the one-hole knockout contest at The Grove.

Levy defeated Sweden’s Alex Noren in the final over the specially constructed 156 yard par three on The Grove’s 18th hole to claim the £10,000 first prize for charity.

The action - which took place two days before the venue hosts the British Masters supported

by Sky Sports - was shown live on Sky Sports, with former cricketer Shane Warne winning the four-man celebrity shootout, defeating Kevin Pietersen, Piers Morgan and Brian McFadden.

In the shootout for the professionals, Levy showed the sort of skill and nerve which helped him win the Porsche European

Open last month, and he celebrated in a similar style to his win in Germany in front of a packed grandstand which was treated to the first event of its kind on the European Tour.

“That was a lot of fun,” said Levy. “I said to Alex Noren, I felt more pressure there than in the play-off in Germany, which is ridiculous.

“It was amazing to see the crowds and everyone enjoying it. Golf needs something like this and it is a great idea. We did the Fastest Par Five earlier this year which was great fun and this was amazing too. I really enjoyed it, and of course it is always nice to win.”

Levy was firing his tee shots to the green throughout the knockout contest and it was his shot to 15ft in the final which ultimately helped him win the inaugural contest, with the

“It was amazIng to see the crowds and everyone enjoyIng It. golf needs somethIng lIke thIs and It Is a great Idea. I really enjoyed It, and of course — alex levy It Is always nIce to wIn.”

Frenchman two-putting for par.

Like Levy, runner-up Noren was also a big fan of the innovative new format.

“This was similar to a tournament in that you want to hit a good shot, but there was a bit more pressure in some ways because of the crowd,” he said.

“It was fantastic to see so many come out and support it, and it was great. I would love to do more of this.”

Levy had progressed from his opening round match play clash by defeating Englishman Andy Sullivan before taking out Luke Donald in the semi-final, after former World Number One Donald had seen off India’s Jeev

Milkha Singh in the first stage.

In the other half of the draw, Noren beat Austrian Bernd Wiesberger before dispatching Ireland’s Shane Lowry in the semi-final after Lowry had emerged from the ‘Battle of the Beards’ with Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston in the previous round.

Tournament host Donald believes the Hero Challenge was a terrific addition to the tournament.

He said: “The crowds were amazing and we had a great turnout. The nerves were jiggling a little bit and it was different to what we are used to. It was a lot of fun though and unique so I really liked it.”

Hero MotoCorp MD & CEO Pawan Munjal (C) with Hero Challenge winner Alex Levy of France

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On the European Tour

Levy digs deep to win porsche european open

A

lexander Levy made a birdie at the second playoff hole to overcome Ross Fisher and win his third European Tour title at the Porsche European Open.

With the tournament reduced to 54 holes due to fog delays over the first three days at Golf Resort Bad Griesbach, the Frenchman entered the third and final round with a four-shot lead at 17-under after 36 bogeyfree holes.

He made three bogeys in his first five holes, though, and with playing partner Fisher closing the gap to one as the pair stood on the final tee, a tense finish was in store. A closing bogey from Levy meant the pair had to go back up the last and after two pars at the first attempt, the 26-year-old holed a quick 18-footer down the slope for a birdie and the victory.

The win makes Levy just the second European Tour player in history after Paul Lawrie to triumph over 72, 54 and 36 holes, following his victories in 2014 at the Volvo China Open and the weather-reduced Portugal Masters.

Levy missed his first three cuts of the season and then had two spells on the sidelines in the summer due to injury but has been in fine form since his return at the start of the month, finishing in a tie for seventh at last week's Italian Open.

“It’s unbelievable,” he said. “On the 18th putt I saw the line and I said to my caddy, ‘I’ve got it’. I felt good, I felt the speed and I

74 golf digest india | november 2016

putted it very quickly.

“It’s too good to have this feeling after two years of no wins, it’s very nice. It’s tough to say that it’s the best one [win]. I have a very nice feeling and I worked a lot the last few weeks to have this one. I was close last week but didn’t play good on Sunday and this week I managed my things to have this trophy in my hands.

“I didn’t play really good on the front nine. I was thinking about the score and not on my own game. I stayed patient and I started to play really good on the back nine.”

A 40-foot birdie putt on the second looked to have steadied his nerves after a bogey on the first and he took advantage of the par five third before recording back-toback bogeys after loose tee-shots.

“It’s unbelIevable. On the 18th putt I saw the lIne and I saId tO my caddy, ‘I’ve gOt It’. It’s tOO gOOd tO have thIs feelIng after twO years Of nO wIns, It’s very nIce. It’s tOugh tO say that It’s the best One [wIn].” — alex levy

Snedeker StrollS to nine Stroke victory in Fiji Brandt Snedeker fired a closing 68 to win the Fiji International by nine shots and claim his first European Tour title at Natadola Bay Golf Course, just a week after playing a starring role at The Ryder Cup in Hazeltine National. The World No. 23 was playing in just his fifth regular event as the European Tour made its first visit to Fiji for a tournament co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australasia.

The island paradise provided a stunning backdrop and Snedeker responded with some stunning golf, finishing 16-under for the biggest winning margin of the season, beating Charl Schwartzel’s eight-shot victory at the Tshwane Open.

“I am very happy with how comfortable I felt in that situation. I never really gave any back,” Snedeker said.

LIGHTS. CAMERA. ACTION. DRAMA ON THE WORLD STAGE

EXCLUSIVE CONTENT

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LATEST HIGHLIGHTS

Follow the drama at: europeantour.com

Play edited by peter morrice

Hit it Big Get more out of your hero club by maggie noel ven though the equipment companies have done everything they can to make the driver huge and easy to hit, a lot of players still get anxious when they tee one up. It comes from a lack of confidence, confusion about mechanics and no real plan for what shot to hit. With a few adjustments to your approach and your swing, you can be what I call “controlled aggressive.” That means you know when to go for it and when to play safe. And you’re not afraid to do either one.

—with matthew Rudy

E

76 golfdigest.com Photographs

by J.D. Cuban | month 2016

see tHe Hole Backward when you play the same course all the time, it’s easy to get psyched out by the trouble you see standing on the tee on tough driving holes. to beat that mental block, try plotting your shots from the green back to the tee box. where’s the ideal spot to play your approach shot? that’s the target you should be thinking about when you tee up your ball—a positive focus instead of that pond on the left or the trees on the right. You’ll be surprised how much this simple change in mind-set can improve your attitude and the tempo of your swing.

How to Beat tHe steep there are lots of ways to hit a bad tee shot, but the most common one for amateurs is “throwing” the club out and away from the body at the start of the downswing. that causes a steep chop on the ball. all the technology in the world won’t stop the shots that result—a slice or a big pull. to prevent a steep downswing, you need to feel the opposite sensation. Feel your right elbow moving straight down from the top and riding your right hip through impact (left). that’s a great way to swing the driver into the ball on a shallow, sweeping angle.

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Play Your Best Driving

Make a full turn back and through while staying stable.

going for the golD Swing mechanics matter, but you can trick yourself into achieving them by nailing your finish. i like to call it “the olympic 10,” like the ones gymnasts do when they stick the landing from a vault. Make it a tight, balanced finish position, and you’ll get the benefit of muscle memory of the good moves that led to it.

Stick this proud pose at the end by making a full turn back and through while staying stable—two big things that help almost any swing. Besides, even if the shot didn’t come off exactly the way you wanted, you still look good doing it!

Maggie noel is a Golf Digest Best Young Teacher, in Houston.

For the full list, see page 102.

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Curing Faults by Jim McLean Play Your Best

%

What’s the toughest wind? ▶ In your face: 48% ▶ Gusty: 27% ▶ Blowing left to right: 20% ▶ Downwind: 5% source: Golf DiGest reaDers

TIMe For soMe TargeT praCTICe If you’re fighting a slice wind, focus on what you need to do physically (square the face), not emotionally (hope for a lucky break). Pick an aiming spot, then move it. Start with a target you would use if there were no trouble on the right. Then move the target to a safer spot and swing as if the trouble were gone. Swing freely, and you’ll have a better chance. Even if you don’t pull it off, you’ll feel better than if you “guided” one and still hit it right.

—morris pickens, ph.D.

Why’d I Do That?

You try so hard not to slice, you slice worse

Illustration by Chris Gash

ou can feel that left-toright wind against your back at address. You think, Man, not a great time to hit one of my slices. So you try mightily to start the ball left. But it takes an angry right turn, and the wind gets it. No chance.

When slicers try to swing to the left, they cut across the ball, making it all the harder to square the face. The result is even worse: a massive slice. What can you do?

First, make a few waist-high practice swings. That will round

Y

out your swing shape, promoting a better release, and help you square the face at impact.

Second, set up with the clubhead forward of the ball, then take your grip. Without changing your hands on the club, move the clubhead behind the ball.

Your grip will be stronger (hands turned more to the right), and the face will be slightly closed.

Third, use a 3-wood instead of a driver. The shorter 3-wood is easier to hit solid and much easier to draw into a crosswind.

In the 2001 AT&T, Phil Mickelson was a stroke back as he contemplated his second shot on the last hole, the 18th at Pebble Beach, with water on the left. He went for the green with driver off the fairway. The ball sliced in a slice wind—rinse—and he lost by three to Davis Love III. “I always go for that green,” Mickelson said. “I’ve never hit it in the water. But when it got up in the wind, it never had a chance.”

Jim McLean owns eight golf schools worldwide.

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brain: jim luft • mickelson: Harry How/allsPort/getty images

phIL’s FLare-ouT aT pebbLe

Play Your Best Step by Step by David Leadbetter

Putt with Confidence Try my grip trick to get the ball rolling on line etting into a good setup is crucial to developing a consistent putting stroke. Without knowing anything about your putting, I know you’ll make a lot more putts if you start from a technically sound setup. The best part is, you can get off to a great start by making just a few adjustments, no matter what your current setup looks like.

Follow these few steps.

G

David Leadbetter operates 25 golf academies worldwide.

1. EyE it uP

2. SwitCh hAnDS

3. GriP AGAin

4. think Smooth

▶ At address, set your eyes directly over the ball or slightly to the inside. you can check your eye position when you practice by dropping a ball from the bridge of your nose and seeing where it lands. you don’t want your eyes to be outside the ball.

▶ Getting your shoulders level and forearms square to the target line will help you rock your shoulders— and prevent a handsy stroke. you can level your shoulders by soling the putterhead at address, then taking a lefthand-low grip.

▶ you don’t have to actually putt left-hand-low, although many top pros do, like Jordan Spieth. you can just use the grip to get level. to return to your normal grip, simply swap your hand positions, being sure to keep your shoulders in place.

▶ Finally, switch your focus to the stroke.

Sense that there is no tension in your arms and your grip pressure is light. now think smooth before sending the ball along your intended line. if you read it right, your new setup will help you roll it in.

80 golf digest india | november 2016

Photograph by J.D. Cuban

illustrations: todd detwiler • jos. a bank: shirt, $115 • house of fleming: belt

“Go left-hand-low to get square, then regrip normally.”

21% 20% 18%

41%

5

Golfer’s Wish List by Butch Harmon Play Your Best

HDCP

What skill would you love to have around the green? ▶ Making the ball check up ▶ Nipping it off tight lies ▶ Hitting it high and soft ▶ A basic bunker shot

42% 34%

1

2

3

4

Pitch Perfect Turn missed greens into pars ittle pitch shots, like the one above, drive golfers nuts. First off, they use too much loft. The more loft you have, the bigger swing you need.

And more swing means more things can go wrong. So unless you have no green to work with, keep your lob wedge in the bag.

Second issue: Most golfers don’t trust the loft they have, so they try to add more at impact.

They flick their wrists, dip down, rock onto the back foot . . . I think you see where I’m going here.

Let’s give you a simple plan for hitting the basic pitch. Take

L

Photographs by J.D. Cuban

a narrow stance, with the ball about middle, and favor your front foot (1). Lean the shaft a touch toward the target, and keep your grip pressure light.

Swing straight back, and let your wrists hinge with the momentum (2). Don’t add hinge, and don’t let the club sweep inside—both lead to fat shots.

Swing down and through the grass. A good trigger to start the downswing is to softly shift your knees forward. The clubhead should stay low after impact (3).

Keep turning so you face the target. Your arms should be soft and your weight on your front foot (4). Now go make the putt.

BUTCH’S BASICS A good test of whether you made the right amount of swing for the shot is how you finish. If your follow-through is very short, you probably swung back too far and had to dump some power. If your finish is much longer than your backswing, you didn’t take it back far enough so you had to accelerate wildly through impact.

You want your follow-through to be smooth and unforced, and your finish slightly longer than your backswing.

Butch Harmon is based at Rio Secco Golf Club, Henderson, Nev. november 2016 | golf digest india

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footjoy: shirt, $72, pants, $85, shoes, $100 • titleist: hat, $27, glove, $21 • rolex: watch • house of fleming: belt

source: Golf DiGest reaDers

Play Your Best Swing Sequence evin Chappell has figured something out. Going into the Tour Championship, where he lost a playoff to Rory McIlroy, Chappell had made 18 of 26 cuts, compared to 17 of 26 a year earlier.

But his earnings more than tripled, from $1.3 million in 2015 to $4.5 million in 2016.

“I found a formula that works for me,” Chappell says. “I’m practicing less but smart-

K

Kevin chappell Learning control and putting up good numbers

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er. My family is the most important thing to me.” With better balance in his life, he says he’s keeping his golf in perspective.

The best player in collegiate golf in 2008, Chappell played on the Nationwide Tour and started working his way up the PGA Tour ladder. Then, early this year he had three second-place finishes—behind Kevin Kisner at the RSM Classic and then to Jason Day

at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Players. He ended the season by reaching the playoff at the Tour Championship.

Working with his teacher of five years, Mark Blackburn, Chappell has learned to control his iron shots with a shorter action.

Check it out below. “This swing really works in pressure situations,” Chappell says, and he’s starting to prove it. —roger schiffman

ball forwarD

wiDe off the ball

StaYing centereD

Even though Chappell’s playing a lower shot here for control, he keeps the ball position forward.

“When you move the ball back,” says his teacher, Mark Blackburn, “you can hit it too much from the inside. Kevin controls trajectory by pivoting his body forward on the downswing.”

Chappell makes a wide move starting back, shifting into his right heel. “This loads the upper body over a stable lower body,” Blackburn says.

“The key is to have enough time to make the swing. People tend to get short and quick when they try to hit a knockdown.”

After a late wrist hinge, Chappell keeps his arm swing abbreviated. “This ensures he can control the downswing pivot,” Blackburn says. “His head is still centered between his feet, which encourages minimal upper-body tilt through impact. That keeps the ball flight down.”

▶ greenS in regulation

66.4%

Kevin chappell (71st)

▶ approacheS outSiDe 100 YarDS

65%

71.6%

tour average

lucas glover (1st)

31’ 6”

Kevin chappell (41st)

32’ 10”

27’

tour average

robert garrigus (1st) s o u rc e : s h ot l i n k

the forwarD piVot

no big Dig here

low anD arounD

pro-file

“One of Kevin’s key moves is his dynamic transition into the downswing.

His lower body moves toward the target while his upper body stays stable,” Blackburn says.

He’s pivoting forward without making a big slide or driving hard.

Being centered at impact guarantees that Chappell delivers the club without adding loft. “Kevin, like most great ball-strikers, delofts the club with a shallow angle of attack,” Blackburn says.

“This produces less spin, made possible by his level body motion.”

In the finish, Chappell is loaded into his left leg with the club extended. “The abbreviated finish is the trademark of a low shot, where the club has moved down and around through impact without the wrists rehinging,” Blackburn says. “This proves no loft was added.”

kevin chappell 30 / 6-0 / 180 pounds Scottsdale driver nike Vapor fly flex 10.5 degrees ball nike rZn tour platinum + NIKE shirt, $90, pants, $110 shoes, $190, hat, $32

Photographs by J.D. Cuban

Play Your Best

Strategy by Jack Nicklaus

Driver? Maybe Your choice should depend on the day

bet there’s a hole at your home course, probably a short par 4, where you’re not entirely settled on what club to use off the tee. There’s no clear choice, but perhaps you’ve come to decide that a certain play—hitting driver or 3-wood or maybe a 5-iron—is going to yield your best scores over time.

I

No more second-guessing, you say to yourself. You’ve got a game plan, and you’re sticking to it.

Although I commend the golfer who strives to be tactically consistent, there’s such a thing as being too rigid. A welldesigned hole changes every day with weather conditions, pin placement and firmness of the

turf. The 15th hole on the Links Course at Bear Lakes Country Club in West Palm Beach (illustrated), a drivable par 4 with two other options, is an example of a hole that asks you to make a decision. The golfer who’s willing to be flexible on club choice stands to gain over those who are set in their ways. —with max adler

perfect for thiS piN A tee ball that finds this spot can reap nice rewards. The approach shot doesn’t have to carry any bunkers. Plus, you’re playing up the entire length of the green, which means more options. When the hole is cut on the front-right portion, you can fire at it without much stress.

However, with a pin on the left side, you’d face basically the same shot you would if you were coming in from the right side of the fairway. In that case, taking on two fairway bunkers to gain a slightly shorter approach might not be worth the risk.

AugustA NAtioNAl/getty imAges

notes from mr. jones

wheN hole high iSN’t great

the StreSS-free Start Here’s the least-demanding spot to place a drive. Playing short to this wide section of fairway defers difficulty to the second shot. Hit it here, and you’ll obviously face a longer approach that must challenge the largest bunker on the hole. But here’s something not so obvious: From this angle, the green is wide yet very shallow, so distance control has to be sharper.

Why go here? If you’re into the wind or the greens are soft, distance control is easier—that’s a vote for this shot. Or maybe you aren’t driving it great and want to play safe.

84 golf digest india | november 2016

This hole is 298 yards from the middle tees, so driving the green is possible for some players. The biggest determinant should be if hitting the driver long and straight is a strength of your game.

Another encouraging factor might be a stiff helping breeze. But be careful: As a designer, whenever I offer an opportunity, I usually exact a penalty if you don’t pull off the shot.

Tug this tee shot to the left, and a grass hollow leaves an awkward pitch to a green that runs away from you. If the greens are firm and fast, that shot just got a lot tougher.

One of the most famous drivable par 4s is Oakmont’s 17th, where I nearly made a big mess in the fourth round of the 1962 U.S. Open. I sank a downhill five-footer for par, which I hit so hard it nearly flew into the cup. Bob Jones was watching, and after I won he sent me a note: “I almost came out of my chair when you hit that putt.”

Mr. Jones followed my career closely, and we had many such communications.

Illustration by Chris O’Riley

Shortcuts by Tom Watson Play Your Best

“Keep your head steady, and commit to the swing.”

Fly it High When you have to play up from a collection area uring the past 15 or 20 years, American golf courses have copied the old British links by implementing collection areas. Miss a green, and instead of ending up in deep rough, your ball is sitting on a super-tight lie below the putting surface. Over in the U.K., the simple play from these spots is to putt up the slope. But that’s not always an option in the

D

U.S. Sometimes the type of grass on the slope is too slow and grabby, or there’s a sprinkler head or another obstacle that prevents a rolling shot. These are the times when you have to fly your

ball onto the surface. But using a sand or lob wedge for a short shot from a tight lie can unnerve even the best of players.

There are two keys to remember. The first is to keep your head still. Grab one of your most lofted wedges, open the face, and when you swing, make sure you concentrate on hitting the back of the ball. The second key is acceleration (below). You can’t slow down or stop your swing in fear of hitting the ball too far.

This is an all-or-nothing shot.

If you keep your head steady and commit to the swing, you should leave yourself a decent chance to get up and down.

ELEMENTARY WATSON If the pin is pretty close to where your ball is in the collection area, try hitting a lowertrajectory chip. It’s safer than lofting it high. The idea is to get the ball to bounce into the slope, pop up and trickle onto the green. Hitting into the slope takes all the momentum off the ball and makes it possible to stop it near the hole.

I use a 5-, 6- or 7-iron and the same swing thought I do for the high shot: Head still, focus on solid contact.

polo golf: shirt, $90 • ralph l auren: pants, $595, belt • call away: hat, $23 • g/fore: glove, $35

Tom Watson is a Golf Digest Playing Editor.

Photograph by J.D. Cuban

november 2016 | golf digest india

85

Play Your Best Back to Basics

5-Minute Clinic Streamline your practice sessions by devan bonebrake dmit it: You’d rather go play golf than beat balls at the range. That’s OK. Most of us would. But practice is the only way you’re going to get significantly better. If you have to put in the time, you might as well get something out of it.

Here are some of my favorite range drills you can do with a few simple props—a range bucket, a headcover and a towel. You don’t even have to hit a million balls to get some serious benefit.

Cycle through these drills during your next session, and you’ll be amazed at the difference in your shots when you get back on the course. You’ll start looking forward to your trips to the range.

A

—with matthew rudy Devan Bonebrake, a Golf Digest Best Young Teacher, runs the Southern California Golf Academy at Carlsbad Golf Center.

1 swing rhythm

Squish the headcover ▶ Hitting balls barefoot is nothing new. Sam Snead did it in the 1950s.

You can do it, too, and get some of that terrific tempo and timing Snead was famous for.

Put a headcover on the ground and cover it with the middle of your front foot. Make your backswing, and when your hands get to chest high, make sure you’re squishing the headcover (left).

Your hands and arms will respond by following your body into the downswing.

Pushing into the ground at halfway back will help you add speed later in the swing.

2 clubhead path

Miss the buckets ▶ The path of the swing is a big deal: It influences ball flight in tons of ways.

But it’s hard to see and feel when you’re going full speed. With a couple of buckets as guides, you’ll learn where to go.

If you slice, create a swing path by putting a bucket upside down to the inside of the target line, in front of the ball, and a bucket right side up to the outside, just behind the ball (right).

Hooking it? Reverse the buckets so the front one is outside, back one inside.

86 golf digest india | november 2016

Photographs by J.D. Cuban

To fix a slice, don’t dump the balls on the backswing.

3 the transition

Get it right going back ▶ One of the biggest backswing mistakes I see is when a player rotates the lead arm over the trail arm right away. That makes the club pull to the inside, putting it immediately out of position.

To feel the right movement, pick up a range bucket that’s half full of balls and get into your setup. Simulate your backswing, keeping the bucket aligned so the balls stay in (far left). Only when you get to the top should you feel the bucket turning so that the balls fall out—right as you start down (left). That’s the position you want to be in to fire into impact.

4 backswing arc

Going back, let the headcover fall ▶ When I walk the range, I often see golfers swinging with a headcover under one arm to stay “connected.”

That might be a good drill for a tour player who already produces a lot of speed, but it’s too restricting for most golfers.

I’d bet you need more width on the backswing—and more speed at impact—so try this drill instead. Put a headcover under your right arm and swing so that the headcover drops behind you when your arms get waist high. This will promote a wider arc and set up the correct downswing sequence.

don’t worry about precise distances when hitting range balls. they’re all different, so distance can vary by 10 or 15 yards.

5 ball-striking

Clean up impact with a towel ▶ Good ball-strikers get it done their own way, but one thing they all do is hit the ball before they hit the ground. To get that clean, pure contact, give yourself a reference point on the ground.

Set a small towel down and make some practice swings with your 8-iron where you hit the turf in front of the towel. Once you do this three or four times, place a ball two inches in front of the towel and hit a shot (above). If you try to lift the ball into the air, you’ll catch the towel before you strike the ball, which means you need to make a more descending strike. november 2016 | golf digest india

87

gutter credit tk

88 golfdigest.com | month 2016

Photograph by First Lastname

how to raise a golfer

t h i n k y o u n g / p l ay h a r d

More young kids

are taking up the game

when malini rudra first met golf, from the seat of a cart watching

her mother, father and

than ever before.

Why isn’t yours?

by bob carney

older sister play at Tam

O’Shanter Club on Long Island, she was 8, and it

was not love at first sight.

“Please,” she told her

father. “Never teach me to play this boring game.”

And Rajiv Rudra did not.

The fact that 15-year-

old Malini is now a New York metropolitan-area competitive champion

and hopes to play golf in

college is a story the game wishes it could tell more

often. It’s a story of family

support—and restraint.

It’s a story of access,

and of innovative teaching

from an instructor who

has made bringing kids into

the game his life’s work.

Illustration by Guy Billout

november 2016 | golf digest india

89

J There are about 3 million junior golfers age 6-17 in the United States. They represent some 10 percent of golfers, account for about 6 percent of 18-hole equivalent rounds (they play a lot of shorter rounds) and represent about one of every three beginners. At a time when the industry’s struggles induce eye-rolling headlines like “Golf Once Again Finds Itself in the Rough,” junior play is, for the most part, a success story. The gamegrowth initiatives precipitated by declining play (and excessive course building) have in many places spawned innovative programs designed to reach kids at their level—and make it fun. “When we got into the game, we just stood on the range and whacked balls,” says Mike Fay, of Boyne Mountain Resort in Michigan, two-time Northern Michigan teacher of the year. “The junior clinic was the job of the third assistant. No disrespect to that assistant, but we [the head teaching professionals] need to be out in front on this. We need to be involved.”

And unorthodox, or just plain silly. Attend a junior “clinic” today and you might not recognize your old game. You’ll see Golf Baseball, played with oversize SNAG (Starting New at Golf)plastic clubs and as many as 25 fielders. Or Cow Pasture Pool, a putting contest where teams knock balls around on a 15-foot square. Or you might encounter Operation 36, which includes an on-course challenge in which kids begin 25 yards from the green, and, when they score 36 for nine holes, move back in increments to the tee, at each stage having to pass the “36” test. “When you grow up thinking one, two or three shots, and not obsessing about making an 8, your mind-set is essentially to go low,” says Michael T. Bulger, who teaches at the Patterson Club in Fairfield, Conn. “The kids figure out what they need to do to progress.”

This kind of teaching prepares kids for increasingly popular national programs like Drive, Chip & Putt, PGA Junior League Golf (see page 81), LPGA*USGA Girls Golf and The First Tee’s National School Program, which has trained physical-education teachers at more than 8,000 schools to incorporate golf into their curriculums.

attend a junior “clinic” today and you might not recognize your old game.

90 golf digest india | november 2016

“I think we’re benefiting from the fact that parents see their kids dropping out of other sports because of an overemphasis on competition, on specializing in one sport at an early age,” says Ryan Graff, vice president of program development for The First Tee. “Physical educators love the program because of the character teaching, and that their big concern, safety, is alleviated because of the SNAG equipment.” Though The First Tee targets school districts near its existing chapters and lower-income areas, TGA (Teach, Grow and Achieve) Premier Junior Golf is a forprofit company that has put the game into schools in 19 states and Canada by incentivizing franchisees.

Thanks in part to all of these programs, junior participation increased by 18.5 percent from 2009-’14, according to the National Golf Foundation. Upcoming data also suggests the trend is continuing. And though the present number of juniors is essentially the same as before the Tiger Woods era, emphasis on simply exposing kids to golf—through free admittance to professional events and highly social outlets like Topgolf driving ranges—has many industry leaders optimis-

courtesy of rudra family

ames Hong, director of junior golf programs at Harbor Links Golf Course in Port Washington, N.Y., changed everything for Malini. She was getting tired of her first sport, tennis, which had become “too confined.” She decided to try hitting a few golf balls at the Harbor Links range with her family.

“James walked down the line and came up and gave her a few pointers,” Rajiv says. “From that point on, she was like a fish to water about golf.”

Junior sports participation (among those 6-17) From 2009-’14, the Sports and Fitness Industry Association reported a 9-percent decrease in overall youth sports participation in the United States. No sport bucked the trend as strongly as golf, whose junior ranks grew by 500,000 in that time.

(in millions) 12

Sport

% change

10 Basketball -6.8%

8 Soccer -8.4% malini rudra , 15,

Baseball -4.3%

h at e d g o l f b e f o r e s h e f e l l i n l o v e with the challenge.

tic. “It feels much better than the numbers, and the numbers aren’t bad,” says Joseph Beditz, president of the NGF. “Though we have the same number of juniors as we did 20 years ago, before what really was the golf bubble, we’re seeing more strength among younger juniors.

We’re losing high schoolers but gaining grammar-school kids. Overall, a plus.” That’s because, in Beditz’s view, when teens and college-age players step away from the game, most return. “Exposure is the name of the game because it doesn’t have to be continuous,” Beditz says. “If they had a good experience, they’ll come back when they get soccer or synchronized swimming or whatever out of their blood.”

A new program launched by the Northern California Golf Association might be the simplest yet at translating early exposure to regular play. Youth on Course’s mission is simple: Kids play for $5.

Now adopted by 12 golf associations as far east as Chicago, YOC has subsidized nearly half a million rounds for kids 18 and under.

It also offers scholarships and caddie opportunities. Elijah Collins is an example of the lifelong golfer a program like this can create.

He took advantage of the YOC caddie program, met a great teacher while playing up and down the California coast for $5, and is now on the Lake Forest (Ill.) College golf team. “My life wouldn’t be anything like it is without Youth on Course,” says Collins, the son of a single parent.

That kind of later access is critical when you’re exposing kids as young as 3 or 4, which happens frequently these days. Granted, lessons at this stage are basic. “You might start them just rolling the ball,” says Megin O’Donnell-Kelly, who teaches juniors at Brooklawn Country Club in Fairfield and has had as many as 60 kids in her junior club championship. “You give lots and lots of compliments.

Chart by Arno Ghelfi

6

4 Football -17.9% Golf G Gol +18.5% Volleyball -21.6% Track and field -10.4%

2

Wre Wrestling -41.9% 41 Lacrosse +28.8% Field hockey -15.5%

0 2009

2014

Sources: The Sports and Fitness Industry Association and the National Golf Foundation.

november 2016 | golf digest india

91

‘i see too many parents out there not making it fun.’

—keegan bradley

instructor james hong of harbor links gets goofy

The first etiquette lesson might be, ‘Here’s the bathroom.’ We forget how intimidating all this can be for kids.” O’Donnell-Kelly, an LPGA teaching professional, is the daughter of a school social worker and a registered nurse. “I’m kind of a golf nurturer,” she laughs.

So is Hong. Other professionals send assistants to shadow Hong because he’s adept at fostering beginners while producing serious competitors, too. Hong helped Stephanie Kim and Kelly Shawn reach the LPGA Tour, but he’s also masterful at winning over resisters like Malini.

“We keep it simple and fun,” Hong says.

He teaches “in short bursts,” not long sessions. He follows instruction with contests— “Kids love the little games”—and works almost as much with the parents. “On the applications we ask about the kid’s personality. Is he easily discouraged? Is she shy? We want to know what kind of kid we’re getting.

And then let’s say I learn he or she is shy, a little intimidated by the surroundings. I’ll go up to that kid and kneel down so I’m on his or her level and say, ‘Are you Tommy?

Great. I’ve been waiting for you to come.

I’m so happy you’re here.’ I’ll put him in a group with a couple of ‘veterans’ of the program and say, ‘Now be careful of these guys, they’re troublemakers,’ and pretty soon the kid is giggling and laughing.”

“James is funny,” says Reena Bhasin, whose two teenage sons are strong, competitive players. “When he gives my boys a compliment, they’re walking on air because he doesn’t hand out many. But then when I see him with the little kids, he’s a goofball.”

92 golf digest india | november 2016

Early lessons might also req u i re l i m i te d p a re n t a l ove r s i g h t .

“I had one dad bring his daughter for her first lesson,” O’Donnell-Kelly says. “He says, ‘Should I hang out here?’ And I kind of said, ‘Why don’t you go hit balls for an hour?’ I think it’s important to let the kids have their own space.”

Hong says Malini’s parents, Rajiv and Rica, “should write a book on parenting skills for competitive juniors because they are wonderfully supportive, strict with discipline, yet not pushy with golf.” Hong, of Korean descent, also has the finesse to deal with conflicting cultures among golf’s increasingly diverse clientele. “It’s tricky,” he says. “The Asian cultures are tough.

And so non-Asians come, and you have to figure out, are they here because they want toughness, or do they like it less tough? So I ask them. Ultimately it’s a balance, and sometimes you can’t win. Some of the Asian parents say you aren’t tough enough. Some of the American parents think you’re too tough.”

It’s a common trap for parents to get too involved in the details of the instruction.

PGA Tour star Keegan Bradley, accepting the Met Golf Writers Association Family of the Year Award this summer, encouraged parents to “remember it’s all about fun. I see too many parents out there not making it fun.”

Hong’s three-tiered program (beginning, intermediate, competitive) adheres to that philosophy. And his principles reflect what other well-respected junior coaches told us: ▶ Don’t let kids specialize in one sport.

Give golf its season, but encourage kids to play other sports, too. ▶ Get kids their clubs from the start. No cut-down irons or hand-me downs. Light is right. ▶ Keep the instruction light, too, at the start. Let kids tell you when they want to get more serious. “The ones who want to com-

pete will tell you,” Fay says. “But let ’em tell you.” ▶ Be a cheerleader, not a coach. ▶ Ask lots of questions.

Hong says he used to have the problem of kids who would have a great time, make real progress, and then when their parents asked them what they’d learned, say, “Oh, we hit balls.” Now Hong sends a report home so parents can know exactly what’s going on.

Coaching parents is a big part of what the most successful teachers do.

“The most important drive in golf is the ride home,” Fay says. “I urge parents to ask their kids: ‘What did you learn? Did you have fun?’ ” Fay tells the story of his daughter Rachel coming back from a Drive, Chip & Putt competition (now available for sign-up in all 41 PGA sections).

“I said, ‘How was it?’ She says, ‘Fun, but I could do better and it would be more fun. I could have putted better. I’d like to work on that.’ The next thing you know, we’re in the living room, and she’s looking down at a mirror on the floor, and I’m going, ‘Are your eyes over the ball?’ But it was her idea.”

For Malini, she hopes college golf is next. She’s sending her scorecards to some colleges on the East Coast with strong academics. “I hope to use golf as a tool, because I know it can be really important in business,” says the girl who once found the game boring. “I love golf.

I love the challenge of it, how creative you can be. I expect to be playing for the rest of my life.”

There you go. One down. About 3 million to go.

COURTESY OF JAMES HONG

w i t h h i s yo u n g e s t p u p i l s .

Mr. X The Golf Life

“I realize not every media person at our tournaments has a tremendous golf IQ.”

hen I was a rookie, going to the range for an hour took an hour. Now that I’ve had some success (I’ve won, and I’ve made a double-digit number of cuts the past six seasons), I allot 1:45 for an hour of practice. Walking from the locker room to the range, or from the fitness trailer to the equipment trucks—pretty much whenever I show my face, I’m going to be stopped. The main questions are, by whom and for how long. Don’t get me wrong: I’m very happy to have this attention from fans, media, volunteers, everyone. If I didn’t have it, that’d mean my career was in the crapper. But the thing is, I spend a staggering amount of my life answering (often the same) questions.

W

The first few trips I made to the media center, back when I hadn’t won and a low round had me in position, the question that always annoyed me was, “Are you excited to be here?” No, I’m bummed. I’ve dedicated everything to being a professional golfer, and tomorrow I have a good chance to win a million dollars. Of course I’m excited.

How the heck is anyone supposed to answer that?

Another one is, “Talk about how it went out there.” That’s not even a question but a command for me to start blathering.

That’s lazy. It’s pretty obvious the person hasn’t followed my round at all. After four or five hours competing on a hard golf course, I’m drained. You can’t catch me outside the scorer’s tent and expect me to deliver something interesting without first engaging me a bit and providing some context for what it is you want me to say.

I realize not every media person at our tournaments has a tremendous golf IQ. We get local sports reporters who cover everything from football to

basketball to high school field hockey, so I’m always patient with any questions that miss the mark. But the all-timer was when I once described having a “two-club wind” into a par 3. The writer asked, “Which two clubs?”

Some players are robotic in interviews. They’ve been trained to give the same safe, contained answers, which is a shame. I feel like it’s my duty to let you all in at least a little.

I like to think I give the same answer whether I’m talking to Jim Nantz or the kid filling the water cooler. I’m a decent person, and so I figure if I can just be myself, I shouldn’t say anything that will get me in trouble.

Sometimes we’re ridiculed for talking in clichés, but they’re true. When I say the key for an important round will be “staying in the moment and taking it one shot a time,” that’s because there’s no other way to describe what I believe is the correct mental approach.

As far as pro-am groups and other captive situations like sponsor dinners and cocktail parties,

what I really get sick of are the golf questions. (You walk into a room and see video cameras, a pitcher of water and two stools set at someone’s conception of the ideal conversational angle, well, you know right then you’re going to have to fill air for at least 20 minutes.) What’s your favorite course? There are lots of really good ones. How far do you hit a 5-iron? Look it up. What was it like playing with (insert golfer more famous than I am)? He was a total gentleman. I recognize the game

is the natural angle for almost anyone meeting me, but I’m a person. I can respond warmly to the same questions for only so many years. Of the various high-profile people I’ve met, almost none enjoyed talking about what they’re famous for.

You need to get them talking about other passions. For me, it’s cars. If you want to talk cars, I’ll go get a beer with you.

But ask me about golf, and it’s like I put up my shield.

Sorry, but that’s the way I am.

—with Max adler

peter arkle

Undercover Tour Pro Dumb questions

winning

t h i n k y o u n g / p l ay h a r d

A new generation has changed the vibe on the PGA Tour

at life

yes, there’s a youth movement in pro golf.

But it’s more than what you think, deeper and more layered than the accepted (but arguable) narrative that today’s young players are simply better than their predecessors.

No question the New Big Three of Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and Rory McIlroy is farther ahead in their careers than any previous trio of 20-somethings. (When Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player began simultaneously killing it in their 20s, Arnold Palmer had reached his 30s.)

Still, today’s young players are more precocious than their immediate predecessors. After Tiger Woods won 46 times in his 20s before turning 30 in 2005, by the end of the 2007 PGA Tour season, only two American players in their 20s—Jonathan Byrd and Ben Curtis—had more than one official victory.

But then came Anthony Kim and Dustin Johnson, followed with a bang by McIlroy, who won four majors before turning 26. In 2015, Spieth won two majors at 21.

But there’s something else going on. Today’s best young players don’t just want to be great at golf. They’re more aware of being great at life.

And they’re being cheered in the pursuit. It’s why #SB2K16—last April’s Instagram- and Snapchat-chronicled buddies trip of Rickie Fowler, Smylie Kaufman, Justin Thomas (then 27, 24 and 22, respectively) and Spieth—was so popular. Some old-schoolers saw it as evidence that the first three were doing too much work on their images and not enough on their games, and that Spieth—who had just suffered a heartbreaker at the Masters—was going soft. But that was the minority view. Most celebrated the unmarried foursome getting bleary-eyed and footloose. Why? A complex cocktail. Partly it’s Woods, long admired for his killer instinct and lonely pursuit of excellence, becoming a cautionary tale. Partly it’s the millennial sensibility—having been shaken by disquieting events and broken models—placing increased value on friendship and joie de vivre, and seeing the public sharing of such moments as the spreading of a new gospel. And partly it’s economic.

Today’s young stars simply have it easier, earlier.

Fowler has been a ringleader. For all his gifts as a selfpromoter, he’s everyone’s friend. He waits behind the 72nd green to congratulate winners and claims those are the very players he most burns to beat.

Can a star have it both ways? In all likelihood, no. The obsessed, as a group, have always outperformed the more balanced. Day, married and a father of two before his 29th birthday, became the world’s premier player by applying more focus, not less. In women’s golf, the purposeful South Koreans are eclipsing the glam-oriented top Americans on the LPGA Tour. Where, by the way, the average age of winners in 2016 was 21.3, or seven years younger than a decade ago.

If there is a trade-off, is it worth it? Under sodium pentothal, Fowler might say yes. But is it possible that the seemingly über-driven Spieth would as well?

Now that would mark a youth movement for the ages.

94 golf digest india | november 2016

Illustration by Dale Stephanos

gutter credit tk

by jaime diaz

#sb2k16 crew (clockwise from left): smylie kaufman, jordan spieth,

gutter credit tk

rickie fowler and justin thomas.

These experts’ secrets for longevity might surprise you by ron kaspriske

take 10 years off your swing

old tom morris thought the North Sea was golf’s fountain of youth. According to his biography, The Life of Tom Morris, written

by W.W. Tulloch in 1907, the legendary Scot believed that a daily dip in its frigid waters kept him healthy. He was once spotted breaking shoreline ice so he could take his constitutional swim.

Was what we now know as cold-immersion therapy Tom’s secret weapon? He did, after all, win four Open Championships after turning 40 and lived past 86, still relatively healthy and working on golf courses until the day he died. ▶ If you knew for sure that cold baths would make your swing faster and better, we’re guessing you’d be headed to the local Cumberland Farms right now to clean out the ice-bag freezer. However, there’s not a lot of scientific evidence to suggest it works. The good news: Slowing, or even reversing, the aging of your golf swing might not be something of old-world remedies. We asked several experts, from Hall of Fame golfers to biomechanics specialists to top instructors, what was essential, and their answers were as hopeful as they were diverse. Read on to hear their advice for swinging as well as you did a decade ago, or even better.

96 golf digest india | november 2016

gary player, who competed in a record 52 Masters (the last at 73): “It’s no secret I’ve been a huge proponent of diet, health and fitness. That’s why today, at nearly 81, my average score is 70. Taking 10 years off your golf swing is not an overnight task.

But those who hit the ball longer have strong hips and core, and are flexible. The best example I can think of is comparing myself to Jack Nicklaus. For years he outdrove me by 20 to 30 yards.

But as we’ve grown older, my strong legs and core, as well as my flexibility, allow me to outdrive him today. Flexibility is the key ingredient. So that’s my advice: Stretch, stretch and stretch again.”

••• tom house, the former majorleague pitcher who has built a second career teaching athletes how to regain that youthful pep: “There’s no reason you can’t do at 45 what you could do at 25. When someone 33 or older comes our way to train, all we do is work on patterning movements. They have strength, skill, experience, but what they’ve lost over the years is activity in their nervous systems. What we have to do is trick the body into firing up those systems again, the ones where nerves and myelin were creating this huge bank of learning patterns for movement from age 6 to around puberty.

We go back to the beginning.

Among the ways we get golfers to regain their former swing speed is by having them swing clubs that are lighter than what they play with, and swinging them as fast as they can.”

david leadbetter, coach to male and female major champions: “I think one of the most overlooked things is posture. I can tell just by one’s normal posture how old his or her swing is going to look.

Make better posture a priority in life. Pull your shoulder blades down, chest up, chin in. Walk and sit like that and certainly swing like that. You’ll breathe better, move better, feel better and look younger.

You’ll soon find that on the golf course, your swing is more fluid and in balance.”

••• bob rotella, sport psychologist who has counseled many of the game’s top players: “Satchel Paige pitched professionally until 59.

He once said, ‘How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you were?’ It’s a great point. So I suggest you start by spending 10 minutes a night visualizing yourself hitting it like you did 10 years ago. Get back to that point in time and think about how you felt, what you did. Then when you return to golf, commit to re-creating those feelings. Also, put the time into the game the way you used to. Practice. Work hard on your short game. And create a pre-shot routine and do it every time you swing.”

••• annika sorenstam, winner of 72 LPGA events: “I’ve always rotated my head toward the target at impact. People ask me why I lift my head. I don’t.

I rotate it. This enables me to clear my hips and transfer the weight to my left side. It also prevents hanging back in a ‘reverse-C’ posture, which can put pressure on your lower back. Try it and see if it doesn’t free up your swing a lot like it used to be.”

dave phillips, co-founder of the Titleist Performance Institute: “You have to get back hip mobility and core stability.

The fact that most of us spend a lot of time sitting erodes both.

It’s difficult to exaggerate their importance for every athletic movement. They’re like the plug that connects the force that our lower body generates from the ground to our core and then the club. Start by doing a lot more walking.

Dump the golf cart if you can.

And when you swing, really focus on maintaining your golf posture. Don’t straighten up during the backswing or downswing. In the gym, focus on strengthening your core muscles, as well as hip-hinging and hip-rotation exercises.”

••• ben shear, Golf Digest fitness advisor and trainer to several PGA Tour pros: “Stop trying to be so rotary with your swing.

I recommend adding either more vertical or lateral movement to generate the power you used to get from rotary movement. Instructor Jimmy Ballard has taught this lateral shift for decades. As you get older, this is a lot easier than trying to rotate the way the young pros do. But if you’re insistent on making that type of swing, let your hips and torso rotate away from the target together when you swing back.

Then push off the front leg as you make your downswing.

I’ve seen players at really advanced ages suddenly start making a powerful, repeatable swing this way.”

••• tom watson, runner-up in the 2009 British Open at 59: “The most important thing is to add loft to your golf clubs.

It gets harder and harder to get the ball airborne as you get older, but getting the ball up in the air is to your advantage. Get a driver with more loft. Switch from a 4-iron to a 4-hybrid. Let equipment produce the shots that your body no longer can produce.”

t h i n k y o u n g / p l ay h a r d

‘i can tell just by one’s normal posture how old his or her swing is going to look.’

—david leadbetter

month 2016 Photograph

by Fredrik Broden 97 | golfdigest.com

gutter credit tk

t h i n k y o u n g / p l ay h a r d

98 golfdigest.com | month 2016

Photograph by First Lastname

The incredible story of Rory helping a young star recover from a horrific accident by ma x adler

Miracle on Grass traden karch wasn’t necessarily the best player on the team, but the kid had a nose for clutch moments. Like his chip-in on the last hole to beat the team from Austin. Or the 40foot bomb against Little Rock. First-year head coach Pete Chimarys had taken to calling him Big Shot Traden, and rather than disrupt the team mojo, he kept putting the slender towhead with the wavy putting stroke in the final group of the lineup. And because Traden’s easygoing manner was best-suited, or simply because they kept winning, Coach paired him with the team’s only girl, a strong player who outdrove many of the boys.

Though it was just a scramble-format tap-in, Traden sank the putt that clinched the team’s berth to the PGA Junior League national tournament in Disney World. A Tulsa television reporter who had never covered golf in her life arrived just in time with her cameraman. No one could know then how these few seconds of footage—white jersey No. 7 humbly retrieving his ball from the cup amid a mix of juvenile and parental

Photo illustration by John Ritter

cheering—would take on a life of its own.

That’s because Chuck Higgins of the PGA of America—who ran that regional playoff and whose duty it is to spread the gospel of “golf like Little League baseball” by driving to town-hall meetings across Oklahoma, Kansas and Arkansas—had used the clip extensively in his campaigning. In the days and weeks after the accident, it wasn’t hard for Higgins to tell people who Traden was. He was the boy from the video.

“Here’s this kid on top of the mountain, and now he’s fighting for his life,” as Higgins said many times.

Feb. 23, 2016, was rainy. The disappointment of finishing eighth out of eight teams at Disney World had faded. Traden was more excited about basketball. His grandfather had picked up him and his younger sister at school. At an intersection, a pickup truck turning left failed to yield. Given the low speeds, it wasn’t the sort of collision where emergency personnel expected serious injuries. But the truck was on a lift kit, so its raised bumper entered the minivan window at precisely the wrong spot, and Traden’s head received the brunt of the impact.

His sister shouted at him to wake up, wake

up. By the time his grandfather got him unbuckled and laid flat, Traden was convulsing from a seizure, and it took considerable effort to restrain him. “It was horrific,” says Chris Karch, the dad. “Several nurses told us, later on, that they never thought he was going to make it to the next morning.”

For three weeks, Traden lay in a coma. At 4-feet-11, the 86-pounder shriveled to 66.

His parents could only stare at the bedside instrument that measured the pressure inside their son’s skull. Numbers in the 40s were bad, 30s were less bad, single digits were what he needed to wake up. Whenever it rose to the 50s, they called the nurses.

“After a week we knew he wasn’t going to die, but we didn’t know what further damage was being done—if he would be paralyzed or maybe forever be in a vegetative state,” Chris says.

It was around this time that Higgins relayed the story to Pete Bevacqua, CEO of the PGA of America. Bevacqua promptly sent a care package to the hospital, and in corresponding with the Karches, he learned that Traden’s favorite golfer was Rory McIlroy. So Bevacqua called McIlroy, and McIlroy said, “Whatever you need me to do.” That night in his hotel room—McIlroy was stitching together a semifinal run at the WGC-Dell Match Play—Rory filmed a private message for Traden: “I hope you’re feeling much better, and I wish you a really speedy recovery.

Golf and the PGA Junior League need you.

When you’re feeling better, I want you to come to a tournament so we can meet and hang out. Hopefully we’ll see you soon.”

The pressure inside Traden’s skull began

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99

the damage to traden karch’s skull ( a b o v e ) f r o m t h e t r a f f i c a c c i d e n t. t h e o k l a h o m a a l l - s ta r s ( r i g h t ) , b a c k r o w f r o m l e f t : c o a c h p e t e c h i m a ry s , a n d r e w h e n n e s s e y, h a dy n h a l l , b e n stoller , jenni roller , traden karch. front row from left: will sides, johnmark roller , will jonkowski, w i l l h e n n e s s e y, d r e w m a b r e y.

100 golf digest india | november 2016

When he got out of rehab, the strangers who threw a party for him at the golf course seemed nice, so Traden went to them and laughed. The families and friends who organized fundraisers on his behalf—the driver of the pickup had been uninsured—treated him like an old teammate. The pro who gave him lessons seemed to already know his habits inside and out and could communicate swing tips without words. Golf was a good place.

Playing something like basketball was to risk death, but Traden could hit as many range balls as he wished. When he was done, he’d eat a cheeseburger at the Broken Arrow clubhouse or a medium rib-eye with baked potato at home.

His mind grew stronger, too. He knew who the Irishman was and stamped his feet in delight at the fact he was flying to the PGA Championship to meet him.

In a private room to the side of the Baltusrol range, Bevacqua, McIlroy, agent Sean O’Flaherty and the Karches shared a tender gathering. Then Rory led Traden to his locker, and for half an hour the rest waited. “Rory was incredible,” Chris says. “Until you see it in person, you can’t imagine how in-demand a top player is. Media interviews, corporate requests, everywhere we turned somebody wanted him. For him to slow down and take all that extra time to be with just Traden meant a lot.”

Sometimes his teammates on the Oklahoma All-Stars step in to guide interactions with opposing teams. When Traden can’t find a way to express himself, he looks at the sky in frustration. Still, his positive attitude persists.

Visits with golfers Bo Van Pelt and Brad Dalke have no doubt helped keep his spirits up. Traden is in remedial English but just tested into advanced math. In a recent casual nine holes, Traden made four birdies from the men’s tees.

“If he didn’t play golf, didn’t have somewhere to go to be with buddies, I’m not sure where he’d be,” says Chimarys, Traden’s former coach.

“I used to have these dreams that Traden would become a doctor or a lawyer,” Chris says. “Those dreams were personal and selfish. Prestige doesn’t guarantee joy. I don’t know if Traden will ever fully get back. But he can be a productive member of society, have a family, so he has every opportunity for a happy life. It’s now up to him.”

PGA Junior League Golf primer

T

ake everything you know about Little League baseball and apply it to golf. What you get is an affordable national program organized at a local level. Besides maybe carpooling to a few games, the only responsibility of Mom and Dad is to make sure their kid’s jersey finds the laundry now and again.

Boys and girls 7-13 participate on teams of eight to 12. They might hail from the same golf course or from an assortment of area facilities. Some private clubs even allow nonmember kids to join their teams. To find or start a team, call a local PGA professional or search at pgajlg.com.

Registration generally occurs from February through March, with a regular season of five or six games in June and July. A postseason with all-star teams culminates with a national championship in the fall.

A game between two teams consists of four nine-hole matches divided into three-hole segments worth one point each.

That’s 12 points up for grabs.

So that beginners can compete alongside the more skilled, each match is a two-person scramble where substitutes work in. Every lie is preferred, there are no penalties for inadvertently moving a ball, and out-of-bounds is played as a lateral hazard.

Parents are encouraged to spectate. In time, your kid might even want to play with you. —MA

Opening page: MOntana pritchard/pga Of aMerica • this page: cOurtesy Of Karch faMily

to drop. The drugs keeping him unconscious were eased out of his system, and he began to stir. Loopy, he smiled at his parents, and for a couple days watched them laugh and weep.

It was a joyous time. But when Traden tried to speak, his words were gone. Forget syllables—his throat could barely produce sounds.

The straight-A student realized his mind was different. He didn’t know this muscular Irishman who had sent him a video.

“Traden didn’t want to interact,” his dad says. “We tried to talk, but he would just cry.

He spent a couple days like that.”

Aphasia is an inability to comprehend or formulate language. Most often the condition is caused by a stroke, and so it’s rare among children. As immense a physical recovery that Traden faced, relearning the meanings of words and how to connect them in spoken sentences would prove the far greater undertaking. The neural pathways of Traden’s brain were like city streets devastated by an earthquake—certain messengers needed to find new routes, and there was no map. With brain injuries, if and to what degree a person will recover is guesswork.

“The doctors thought he would remember everything up until the accident but have trouble forming new memories and learning,” says Manda, Traden’s mom. “But it turned out be just the opposite.”

Traden didn’t remember childhood friends. He didn’t remember several of his relatives. He didn’t remember not to pull the string on the garage door. With rather stoic nonchalance, he said “no” when asked if various details from his 12 years on earth rang a bell. But he remembered his mom and dad, and when Dad brought his putter to rehab, the boy’s eyes glimmered. He took his old grip, and the putting stroke was unmistakable. Later, when he was strong enough to pitch foam balls in the parking lot, his swing was the same. Like it had never left.

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november 2016 | golf digest india

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Play Your Best Equipment by Mike Stachura

The distance you want is consistent distance. mizuno jpx- 9 0 0 fo rge d ▶ The boron-infused forged carbon steel not only flexes to create extra ball speed, it’s also light so that about four quarters’ worth of weight is redistributed to the corners for extra stability. p r i c e $1,200

Absolute Power How five new irons maximize distance he key to distance, even in an iron, is to make the ball go fast. Thin faces bend or flex at impact so the ball flies faster, higher and with less spin. However, the kind of distance you want is consistent distance, not just the isolated shot that goes farther.

Some irons improve mis-hits because of an oversize shape that offers a larger area of the face that flexes. Others boost distance marginally on your best hits but maintain a compact size for shaping shots. How do you decide which is right for you? First, make sure the irons you’re comparing have the same loft. Not all 7-irons do, for example.

That’s why data from a launch monitor is so important. It’ll show you how the maximum height or landing angles differ, and it’ll show the distance range of all your shots. Second, you want an iron that produces the tightest range from your longest to shortest hits and as close to the longest average distance as possible. That’s consistency and distance. Here are five new models that might give you both.

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▶ Want forgiveness and control? The deep-pocket cavity stabilizes those mis-hits, and a thicker section behind the center of the face provides feel.

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102 golf digest india | november 2016

Photograph by Victor Prado

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cob r a k ing os

Comic Relief Golf is Caroline Hirsch’s off-Broadway escape by peter finch

aroline Hirsch’s business is all about relationships. Her carefully formed connections with agents and comics helped her build Carolines on Broadway into one of New York’s top venues for big-name comedy acts—and a launching pad for the careers of Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Maher, Sam Kinison and many more.

C

104 golf digest india | november 2016

Yet this passionate golfer, player of more than 50 rounds a year, isn’t looking to strengthen those relationships on the golf course.

She’s looking to disconnect. “Taking four hours and escaping the stresses of life—that’s good for human beings,” she says. “It’s important to decompress.”

Hirsch learned the game in the late 1960s at Brooklyn’s Marine Park Golf Course, not far from her home. Nowadays she and her partner, Andrew Fox, have memberships at Noyac Golf Club in Sag Harbor, N.Y., and nearby East Hampton Golf Club. They also belong to Donald Trump’s course in West Palm Beach. “The politics this year!

Eeeeesh,” she says.

Hirsch’s usual game is at Noyac. In the summer, she and three women friends tee it up most Saturdays and Sundays at 9:32. These are the first weekend times available to “non-primary” members, a.k.a. spouses or significant others. She’s a primary member, and can play when she wants, but not all her friends are. Do those restrictions bother her, a former board member of the Ms. Foundation and part of its “Take Our Daughters to Work” initiative? “I’d like [the rule] to change, and I’m hopeful it will,” she says. “Listen, there’s a list of things I’d like to change. You pick your battles, I think.”

Unlike the comedians on her stage, Hirsch doesn’t aim for laughs.

She’s known as serious and efficient, with a special eye for spotting up-and-coming talent. These are traits that carry onto the 5 comedy course, where she plays quickly and well gimmes (16.7 Handicap Index).

She was heading toward a career in reDon’t miss these tail when in 1981 some “friends who had standouts at discos and stuff” convinced her to join this year’s New them in opening a comedy club. Hirsch York Comedy bought them out when the friends reloFestival, says cated to Boston. She has moved the club Caroline Hirsch twice, landing near Times Square in 1992.

One thing that makes it different: She ▶ Eric Andre An outrageously books headliners, comics who can deliver hilarious and original an hour or more of material versus the 10performer. His or 15-minute sets by multiple performers Adult Swim show you find at other clubs. The first comic she is a must-see. booked was Jay Leno. ▶ Bridget Everett Today Hirsch’s comedy empire exA staple of the tends to the New York Comedy Festival, New York comedy a five-day event she founded that puts on and cabaret scene. shows at six venues throughout the city in Bold, brash and early November. It should draw more than fearless.

40,000 fans. ▶ Michael Che She and Fox also created Stand Up for Smart with a Heroes, an event at Madison Square Garrazor-sharp wit. den that features Bruce Springsteen and Brings edge to the raises millions for veterans through the “Weekend Update” Bob Woodruff Foundation. And then she’s segment on “Satura producer and underwriter for Stand Up day Night Live.” for Madeline, named for the late comic ▶ Hari Kondabolu Madeline Kahn, which for 15 years has A great writer and helped fund ovarian cancer research. gifted performer.

So when the weekend comes and A very smart, Hirsch hits the golf course, can she really insightful comedian. turn off all those distractions? Her friends ▶ Cameron Esposito insist she can—though traces of the weekBrave and bright. day Caroline Hirsch are never far away.

Great material on “There’s only one person who drives LGBT issues that’s the cart: Caroline,” says her friend, Brooke delivered in a bold Cohen. “It’s totally a control thing.” and honest way.

Photograph by Walter Iooss Jr.

illustration: stephen savage

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TURNBERRY TURNOVER 106 golf digest india | november 2016

Travel

Turnberry’s new owner donald Trump may be making waves on his side of The aTlanTiC wiTh The impending u.s. presidenTial eleCTion, buT The Timeless Course along sCoTland’s wesTern CoasT has Turned heads wiTh iTs reCenT revamp. riCky hall, Trump Turnberry’s direCTor of golf, provides some insighTs inTo The reConsTruCTed ailsa Course, and why iT will ConTinue To be a sTrong ComponenT of The open Championship roTa. C o m p i l e d b y J u K . Ta n

november 2016 | golf digest india

107

Travel

What prompted the redevelopment of Turnberry, already one of the strongest courses on the Open rota?

When Mr Donald Trump bought the property in 2014 he loved the Ailsa course for what it was but fully believed that it could be improved. He thought that there was an even better golf course out there and that the incredible coastline could enhance both the golf holes and the golfer’s experience.

Specifically, what was done?

The Trump Organization purchased the resort in July 2014, and the first work began in October 2014 with the upgrade of the clubhouse and the hotel meeting space. Mr Trump and Martin Ebert, the golf course architect, worked on the plans for the new golf course through the winter of 2014/15 and the final design was agreed with Mr Trump and unveiled in Spring 2015. Work began on the Ailsa Course in October 2015 and we

108 golf digest india | november 2016

re-opened the course on the June 1 this year.

Essentially the main changes were to holes 1, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 14, 17 and 18.

All the changes are significant and have greatly improved the holes but the stretch from 9 through 11 is as dramatic a three-hole stretch you will find. It really is breathtaking. All of the 18 greens were lifted to allow a consistent root zone profile to be established

Travel

throughout and then the existing greens turf was replaced. We introduced a new irrigation system throughout.

New tees were built, both back and forward and every existing bunker was re-designed, with the fairway bunkers being restored to a more natural, rough edged appearance for which they were once famed and obviously new bunkers were added to a number of the holes. Along with the Ailsa work, the famed Turnberry

the main changes were to holes 1, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 14, 17 and 18. all the changes have greatly improved the holes but the stretch from 9 through 11 is as dramatic a three-hole stretch you will find.

Lighthouse was completely transformed to now house an incredible two-bedroom suite and also our Halfway House.

With the work that has been done here, there can be no finer Halfway House in the world! Â Â

What do you think the Trump brand does for Turnberry, already one of the most recognizable golf names around?

Turnberry is a legendary destination, known throughout the golfing world for its four Open Championships on the

great Ailsa course and also for its personalised service and attention to detail. The Trump name is known throughout the world for high standards of luxury, so the two combined create a truly memorable experience for our guests.

november 2016 | golf digest india

109

Travel

The lighThouse had saT unTouched for over 30 years so when The Trump organizaTion announced They were going To upgrade The building and creaTe a Two-bedroom suiTe, we were Thrilled.

What were some of the challenges Turnberry faced through the course of the redevelopment, and how did you overcome it?

It was a major renovation program through a Scottish winter so the weather definitely played a part in the challenges that the team faced.

The main contractor, SOL Golf, did an incredible job with a dedicated and talented team of people to complete the work on time. They employed a large number of greens staff through the winter, which has ensured continuity through the grow-in period.

One of the major issues was on the 14th hole, which is a beautiful new par 5. The original plan was to use a technique whereby we would grow the fairway from turf cores taken from existing Ailsa fairways.

In theory this should have been fine but unfortunately the Scottish winter took its toll and it became apparent that within the required timescale the condition would not have

been to the required standard in time. A decision was then taken to re-turf the whole 14th fairway, with existing fairway turf from our Kintyre Course, and that was a major job that wasn’t planned for so I would say that was ultimately one of the main challenges of the renovation.

the latest technology. We also welcomed True Spec Golf as our custom fitting offering, the first of its kind in the U.K. As part of the Academy and focus on instruction, we also had a new short game area created. It truly is a fantastic addition to the golf offering that we have here.

What are some of the non-course features introduced at Turnberry with this redevelopment? How do you think this will add to the golf experience?

Working alongside Martin Ebert, the course architect, we’ve upgraded our pitch and putt course in front of the hotel from a 12-hole to an 18-hole course. Renamed “The Wee Links”, it’s designed to play like a mini Ailsa course. It’s really quite special and the resort guests and our members enjoy playing it. We also reopened The Golf Academy after a refurbishment. The putting studio and swing studio have been revamped and fitted with

I couldn’t help but notice what a wonderful job you did refurbishing the lighthouse and opening it to the golfers.

Tell us what you did there and what it offers now.

The lighthouse had sat untouched for over 30 years so when The Trump Organization announced they were going to upgrade the building and create a two-bedroom suite, as well as putting in a new halfway house, we were thrilled.

It makes perfect sense. The lighthouse is such an iconic and important symbol of Turnberry that it’s wonderful that guests now can actually experience it, either through staying overnight or just by

110 golf digest india | november 2016

stopping in for some lunch on their way from the 9th to the 10th.

What work was done to the hotel?

Ralph Porciani now manages the hotel and has done so since The Trump Organization took over in 2014. The main building of the hotel was built in 1906 and in September 2015 it closed to undergo probably the biggest renovation it has ever seen in over 100 years.

All of its 103 bedrooms have been refurbished, as have all of the public areas, bars and restaurants.

What other development is planned, if any?

The renovations will complete in the summer of 2017, with The Spa at Turnberry and the Trump Villas also due to be refurbished. Work is currently underway on our second golf course, which is also benefitting from the magic touch of Martin Ebert.

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India Digest 18 Holes with Joe King

‘Golf Allows You To Challenge Yourself’ Joe King, Head, Audi India

1

When did you start playing golf?

I took up the game very late, after my University days. After my first round, I was truly hooked to the point that I thought that being a pro would have been wonderful.

2

What do you love most about golf?

Golf allows you to challenge yourself. I am intrigued at the power of the mind to enable you to play brilliantly sometimes and terribly at other times. The internal challenge is what I really enjoy.

3

Who forms your regular fourball?

I have a group of friends with whom I try to play as regularly as I can. Unfortunately, golf can take quite some time out of the schedule and I like to spend as much time with the family as possible.

4

Your dream fourball?

Barack Obama, Robin Williams (obviously a “dream” fourball) and Ernie Els in his prime.

5

Your favourite pro golfer.

I just love the swing of ‘Big Easy’ Ernie Els.

6

Favourite golf course – in India & abroad?

Delhi Golf Club is a great course in India, great oasis in the heart of the city. In Australia, I love the Royal Melbourne and the NSW Golf Club.

7

How often do you get to play golf?

Nowhere near enough! I really would love to play more.

8

Your thoughts on doing business on the golf course?

I think you can build some really nice relationships on the golf course. There is lots of time to talk and get to know people and interact. In fact, the Indian circuit of the Audi Quattro Cup, one of the most celebrated amateur golf tournaments in the world presents me an opportunity to spend time and interact with the Audi customers and take their feedback.

9

Do you use any golf apps or any gadgets to improve your game?

No, I don’t think they have designed an app that can help me yet! I’m a little old fashioned in that sense.

10

Describe your most memorable experience on the course.

You forget the rest of the world and can

114 golf digest india | november 2016

get caught up in some great views, great competition and some great laughs!

Unfortunately I can’t list a hole-in-one.

It would have been a great personal achievement!

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13

The most scenic course you have ever played?

The NSW Golf Club in Sydney is truly spectacular. It winds its way along the coastline and Botany Bay in Sydney and plays and looks very different depending on the weather. The 6th is a great hole where you shoot over the waves of the Tasman Sea crashing on the shore. Natandola in Fiji is also a spectacular course. I would love to play at the Royal Springs Golf Club and other golf courses in Kashmir.

What golf apparel/equipment brands do you lean towards?

I have generally used TaylorMade, although a few years ago I switched to Callaway.

Currently, I am also using the Audi exclusive range of golf merchandise.

On an average, how long do you drive the ball?

I am happy if I am hitting around the 200m consistently. On a good day I can get more,

but accuracy is a greater key to scoring well.

14

Lowest handicap you have had?

18

15

Your dream car?

My favourite is the Audi R8. The thrill of the acceleration and the sound sparks emotions of pure exhilaration and truly reflects the advanced technology that goes into the making of this car.

16

What is your favourite holiday destination?

I have travelled a lot, but still have a lot to see of India. I really enjoyed the ‘Taj Mahal’, ‘Ranthambore’ and ‘Kerala’, but I would love to get back into the mountains.

Internationally I enjoy Europe and it is also nice to go home to Australia to see friends and family as well.

17

What is your favourite dish at your home course?

In Australia they regularly do a BBQ.

18

Favourite 19th hole drink?

Lemon, lime and bitters straight after coming off the course, and then a beer always goes down well.

Total Number of pages (including cover pages) is 116 Monthly Magazine, RNI N0. HARENG/2016/66983

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Golf Retreat RNI N0. HARENG/2016/66983