Golf International 100 by Golf international Magazine

THE MASTERS // 75 YEARS AT AUGUSTA // PAR-3 CONTEST

ISSUE 100 • MAR/APR ʼ11 • £4.25

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GOLF INTERNATIONAL

RICHARD SIMMONS

MAGAZINE

FIRSTUP

ESSENTIAL READING FROM THE BEST IN THE GAME

10, Buckingham Place, London SW1E 6HX Tel: +44 (0)20 7828 3003 Editor:

Editor in Chief:

Richard Simmons richard@golfinternationalmag.com Robert Green robert@golfinternationalmag.com

Equipment Editor: Dominic Pedler dominic@golfinternationalmag.com Design:

Tony Seagrave design@golfinternationalmag.com

Professional Teaching Panel: Robert Baker, Tim Barter, Peter Cowen, Jim Christine, Andrew Hall, Simon Holmes, Paul Hurrion, Stuart Morgan, Denis Pugh, Stuart Smith, David Whelan & Jonathan Yarwood

Regular Contributors: Clive Agran, Peter Alliss, Colin Callander, Jeremy Chapman, Tom Cox, Richard Gillis, Anthony ffrench-Constant, Michael Flannery, John Hopkins, Tony Johnstone, Kevin McGimpsey, David Purdie, Ronan Rafferty, Sarah Stirk, Jayne Storey, Paul Trow & Jake Ulrich Photographers: David Cannon, Peter Dazeley, Ross Kinnaird, Andrew Redington, Getty Images, Charles Briscoe-Knight, Matthew Harris, Eric Hepworth, Steve Read

Now we’ve hit 100, the Sky’s the limit

Regular Illustrators: Peter Clark, Harold Riley, Dave F. Smith, Tony Husband (www.tonyhusband.co.uk)

When you actually sit down to think about it, condensing all the things you love about golf into a black-and-white Top-10 is actually a pretty tough thing to do. Staring at a blank sheet of paper, where to begin? The game is not exactly bereft of attractions. And the brief that went out to the crew of writers, photographers, artists and golfers who make Gi the magazine it is was suitably open-ended – anything golf-related could make the cut: a great course, a moment from history, the great players, a gadget, a destination, a specific piece of equipment, fashion, the camaraderie, the banter at the 19th...

Overseas correspondents: Karl Ableidinger Austria Jan Kees van der Velden Holland Hong Kong Spencer Robinson Mario Camicia Italy Andy Brumer USA

Advertising/Publishing Director: Peter Simmons peter@golfinternationalmag.com Tel: (020) 7828 3003 • Mobile: 07827 995 080

The object of the exercise? To present our cover story on the 100 Finest Things in Golf to celebrate this, our 100th issue. And as the returns came in there were some crackers, too, especially when it came to the quirky things in golf that, for most of us, matter the most: the ‘chink-chink’ of irons on a summer evening...finding a nearly-new ball...the smell of a new glove...a really good bacon sandwich in the clubhouse...making a birdie...wooden tees...breaking 80...links golf...watching Caddyshack. Again.

Advertising Director: Nick Edgley nick@golfinternationalmag.com Mobile: 07774 703 491

Advertising Consultant: Ian Harkness ian@golfinternationalmag.com Tel: 01702 558512 • Mobile: 07980 464 378 US Travel Representative: Gary Edwards gary@coastalsc.com Tel: (00) 1 843 849 1308 Special Projects: Brosnan Event Management Tel: (020) 8691 6836

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ISSUE 100 • MAR/APR 2011

For Europe’s victorious Ryder Cup captain, Colin Montgomerie (a wildcard), eight Order of Merits didn’t warrant a mention – but going head to head with Tiger in the third round of the 2005 Open did; for his manager, IMG’s Guy Kinnings, claiming to be ‘working hard’ when under the Magnolia Tree at Augusta made the cut; as for John Hopkins, forThe finest things in golf? merly of The Times, his list read more like a menu, simMY PERSONAL TOP-10 ply confirming the life of the itinerant golf writer in the days when the papers actually took the game seriously 1. Childhood lessons in summer with – ‘hot buttered ham & eggs at Rye, fried potato chips at then club professional, Jack Gale, at my home club, Tehidy Park in Cornwall Merion, fried oysters at Bandon Dunes, cold lobster and 2. The fact that it’s a game for life, and fishcakes at the National’. All of which sounds delicious. you can play with all members of your family, young and old

Inside the ropes in 1988 at Royal Lytham, watching Seve’s every move as he produced that 65 to win his third Open

Mizuno blades, in just about every denomination: TP-11, 33’s, 57’s & 62’s

The Trevose International Pairs Tournament, a 4-day test of stamina, both on and off the course

Sharing a trip to the Masters (via Kiawah) with with brother, Peter, and lifelong friend Colin George

A competitive fourball, 5-5-5, £1 bits

County team golf, 20-odd years ago, when players on both sides had real, full-time jobs

Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf – the anthology that connects you with the game’s great champions down the ages. ‘Hello, I’m Jack Whittaker...’ Great stuff.

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10. That Gi made it to 100!

We hope you get as much fun reading the Top 100 as the whole team here at Gi has had putting it all together. And if you have an opinion on what should have made the list but didn’t, we’d love to hear from you. Email your personal Top 10 to me at the address below and we will create a Reader’s Top 100 later in the year.

The fact that we are celebrating our 100th issue is reason enough for us to be cracking open the Bollinger. But as we take stock of what we’ve achieved to date, we are constantly looking at ways in which we can improve the magazine. For example, you may have noticed on the cover that this issue has in part been produced in a partnership with Sky Sports, as we have liaised with golf’s most innovative broadcaster to bring you ever closer to the game.

Enjoy the issue,

richard@golfinternationalmag.com

Essential reading from the best in the game

100TH ISSUE // MASTERS PREVIEW Regulars

Columns

Features

The publication of our 100th issue could be just the beginning, writes editor Richard Simmons

56 COVER STORY THE 100 FINEST THINGS IN GOLF

LETTERS

FIRST UP

PLANET GOLF

AND ANOTHER THING...

Do you have an opinion youʼd like to share? Why not email us? You could win the latest FootJoy shoes and wind-shirts The art of Riley...9th Hole Q&A with Jose Maria Olazabal...Tip from the Tour with Dr Paul Hurrion.. New Gear – including Ecco Biom shoe, the latest Pro V1, shafts from Nippon, Matrix & UST, Golf Pride grips... 2-minute lesson – Dan Frost with a 4-step guide to better posture...more advice from Dr Felix Shank...Jayne Story and Chi-Power Golf...The Major...Divots..!

140 THE AMATEUR SCENE

Letʼs get the party started! We talk to William Hunt to find out how the new season on the Trilby Tour is shaping up, while Colin Callendar marvels at the international schedule of the gameʼs elite amateur players. Plus the latest news and fixtures from the world of amateur golf

152 WORLD TOURNAMENT NEWS

After the worldʼs new 1, 2 & 3 – Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer and Tiger Woods – were paired together in Dubai, Andy Farrell looks to Augusta and who is best placed to challenge for the first major of the new season. Robert Green reports on the new format trialed in the Volvo Golf Champions in Bahrain, plus we bring you the results so far from around the world

132 136 138

May is going to be a busy month at Wentworth. Robert Green has the details

44 ON THE AIR

A recent speaking tour of the British Isles proved to be something of a success for the ʻVoice of Golfʼ, Peter Alliss

AT THE 19TH

INSIDE THE ROPES

A momentary lapse of reason explained why Clive Agran was mistaken for a half-decent player on a trip to Cyprus In Olazabalʼs hands, Europe are on to a winner, says Sky Sportsʼ Tim Barter

122 BETTING

With Tigerʼs game in dissaray, itʼs going to be a fascinating week, betting-wise, at Augusta. Jeremy Chapman reports

122 TOM COX

The success enjoyed by the likes of Bubba Watson, says Tom Cox, would suggest golf lessonʼs ainʼt all they are cracked up to be

179 THE LAST SHOT

For John Hopkins, a guest appearance on Sky Sportsʼ coverage of the PGA Tour brought home tthe power of television

PROPERTY France is underestimated not only for the quality of the golf it has to offer but also some pretty spectacular property, much of it at prices that will surprise you. Peter Swain is your guide

MEMORABILIA Giʼs auction-room expert Kevin McGimpsey answers more readers letter, with items under the spotlight this issue including 1930s golf magazines, silverware and a ceramic Scottie dog...

MOTORING Motoring correspondent Anthony ffrench-Constant takes to the wheel of the racing-inspired Mercedes-Benz AMG SLS Gullwing

To mark our 100th issue, we indulge in a celebration of all things great in golf – what would be on your list?

100 A NEW DIMENSION

As a result of its investment in 3D technology Sky Sports won the bidding for the rights to screen all four days of the Masters live from Augusta. Richard Gillis reports

106 A MASTERS IN MINIATURE

TV viewers are in for a treat at this yearʼs Masters. Not only is live coverage starting an hour earlier than usual on the four tournament days, but Sky Sports will also be screening the Par 3 Contest for the first time, writes Bruce Critchley

110 75 YEARS & SIX VERY SPECIAL ANNIVERSARIES AT AUGUSTA

This year is the 75th anniversary of the Masters tournament, and to mark the occasion Robert Green selects six anniversaries featuring Hogan, Palmer, Nicklaus, Woosnam, Faldo and Woods

146 BACK TO THE FUTURE

Now just about recovered from the annual marathon that is the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Giʼs Equipment Editor Dominic Pedler highlights the main talking points

Subscribe today... Subscribe TODAY and you will receive a dozen Srixon golf balls with your order. Itʼs a no-brainer – for just £34.99 you will have all eight issues of Gi magazine delivered to your door PLUS receive a dozen Srixon Z-Star or Z-Star X premium golf balls (which on their own retail for £44.99 per dozen) For details, see page 50

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8 ISSUES OF GOLF INTERNATIONAL delivered direct to your door

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Probably the best instruction on the Planet! ISSUE #100 // MAR/APR 2011 // THE FINEST THINGS IN GOLF! WITHIN PLANET GOLF 24

A tip from the tour: with the help of LPGA Tour player Beatriz Recari, Dr Paul Hurrion highlights the key elements of posture that you need to get right in order to make and repeat a consistent, stroke (Donʼt miss...starting next issue, Paul presents a series on how to putt like a tour pro featuring pupil Rory McIlroy...)

Two-minute lesson: Follow this simple routine to adopt a better posture over the ball – one that will put you in the perfect starting position to make a good, powerful golf swing. Dan Frost is your guide (while on page 169 youʼll find details of a unique subscription offer that can further benefit your game... Chi-power GOLF: Jayne Storey has more practical advice relating to the way in which exercises developed in the martial arts can help you to improve your golf

THE ITALIAN JOB

European tour coach Denis Pugh struck gold when he was invited to take a look at the Molinari brothers – both of whom played in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor. Here, Denis takes you through the swing that has taken younger brother Edoardo into the worldʼs Top 50

GAME ON...

Make the time before tee-off and in just 100 balls you can have every aspect of your game in shape, ready to roll. Jonathan Yarwood shows you how, from basic warming up to shot-shaping, driving, chipping and putting

HOW TO DIAL IT IN : 100 YARDS

Thereʼs one sure-fire way to improve your scoring and thatʼs to get up-and-down more often from a distance of 100 yards or so. Tour players spend a lot of their time working on this, lasering a yardage and then perfecting a swing with a wedge or gap wedge to land it on the number. Direct from the David Leadbetter Academy HQ in Orlando, Andrew Park shows you how to sharpen up

124

154 THE MIND FACTOR Continuing his series in which he reveals the exercises used by some of the worldʼs leading golfers to harness and utilise the power of the mind for golf, Dr Karl Morris turns the spotlight on the phenomenon of ʻchokingʼ, and suggests ways in which you can deflect pressure and last the course

The perfect ball-turf strike: Andrew Park shows you how to hit the perfect wedge shot - see page 124

PLANET GOLF

19TH HOLE Q&A

JOSÉ MARIA OLAZÁBAL As one half of the greatest Ryder Cup pairing in history, José Maria Olazábal has secured his place in the legend of the biennial contest. In 2012 he wil lead the European team as captain, and he talked candidly to Robert Green about this and other aspects of life What is your all-time favourite Ryder Cup memory? There are many more than one but I’d say two in particular. First would be Muirfield Village in 1987, when I played with Seve. The whole experience of that first Ryder Cup, not knowing what it was all about, playing with Seve, the crowds, the noise – that was very special, and we won then for the first time in America. The second would be the hug that Darren [Clarke] and I had on the 17th green at the K Club in 2006. That was after I had won my singles and of course he had been through so much that week [following the recent death of his wife]. Your worst Ryder Cup memory? The saddest may be Brookline in 1999. We had a good advantage going into the singles but they managed to beat us. We didn’t play good enough on the last day. I’m saying this about the whole thing, not to do with what happened with me 8 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM MARCH/APRIL 2011

when Justin Leonard holed that long putt on the 17th green. It was very disappointing to lose. What’s your favourite Seve Ryder Cup moment? [Long pause.] I have to say there have been many. There have been so many experiences with him that are very personal. There were many times when it seemed we must lose but we somehow kept going and we won, and often it was because of the way Seve thought. The way his mind worked. For example, on the 2nd hole at Kiawah [in 1991] we were in the water off the tee and eventually we were lying five about 30 or 40 yards from the green. The Americans we pretty much in the same place as us, but in two shots. I said: “Seve, we’ve lost this hole. Let’s go to the next tee.” He said: “Wait a minute. Let’s see what sort of shot they play. There is water around the green. They might go in the water, then they might chip on to the green for five and take two putts for a seven. And we can make seven from here.” He never gave up. At the 9th hole one time at Muirfield Village, he blocked the tee shot and I pitched out so we were 100 yards from the green in two. The American ball was in the fairway on one. Before Freddie [Couples] played his shot, Seve said: “You know what? I think we are

PLANET GOLF

going to win this hole.” I said: “Why do you think that. The best we can do is make four.” But Freddie just mishit his shot and missed the green, Seve hit it to four feet, and we won the hole with a four. The way he thought about things was amazing, also the ways he battled. Most people do not feel the way he did. What is the best shot you’ve ever hit? Well, over 25 years I hope I have hit a few good ones, but obviously it is the context that matters. If I had to pick just one, I’d say it was the 6-iron I hit to three feet on the 16th hole on the last day of the Masters in 1999. Greg [Norman] and Davis Love were very close to me but that birdie gave me a crucial cushion to go on and win. And the worst shot, the one you would have again if you could? Well, not that it was a bad shot, but if I had a chance to hit it again, it would be the tee shot on the last hole at Augusta in 1991. I hit what I thought was a good drive, intending to cut it around the corner. But the ball bounced into the bunker and I ended up bogeying the hole. So that would be the shot I’d take again – not because it was a bad shot but I wish I had taken the 3-wood instead. I lost the Masters by a shot to Woosie.

and his fighting spirit. And I’d have to say Tiger as well. I admire his work ethic, how well prepared he is mentally, and to win majors is very difficult and not only has he won so many, some of them have been by huge margins. So often he has hit the perfect shot or made the perfect putt at a crucial time. So that says a lot about him. Which non-golf sports person do you most admire? Michael Jordan, for the way he played basketball. [Rafa] Nadal, he is very impressive. But it’s anyone who gets to that level. I said Nadal but I could just as easily have said [Roger] Federer or Fernando Alonso. They need to have something special to achieve what they do achieve. Outside of sports, whom do you most admire? Mandela. I would have to say him. After all those years of being treated the way he was treated, to not have bad words to say about anybody, that is impressive. Also, of course, what he has achieved in his country. OK, what is your favourite meal? That is difficult to say. It’s pretty much everything. I think where I live, around

OLLY ON THE FINEST THINGS IN GOLF

“The challenge. The challenge of golf. You are on the first tee, and you don’t really know what is going to happen. It doesn’t matter how good your game has been, you don’t know what will happen. That is one of the things that means you cannot get bored of golf. Every day is different.” San Sebastian, we are very spoiled. Everything is so good – the meat, the fish, everything – and I like it all, so I could not say one thing is my favourite over another. Favourite drink? I like red wine, especially I would say rioja. A little help from his friend at Kiawah Island in 1991; Justin Leonard celebrates the putt that clinched it for the US at Brookline in 99; in action on his debut, Muirfield Village 1987 and a hug from Darren Clarke at the K Club, 2006

Favourite movie? The Last of the Mohicans is the one that sticks in my mind. And lately, Avatar. What’s your favourite way to relax? Mostly, I would say hunting. I go with my dad and a couple of friends. We walk up in the hills and it is totally peaceful and the views are fantastic. You smell the plants and enjoy the quiet. We stay

What’s your favourite golf course? Well, Augusta is one of them. I like Castle Pines, where we used to play The International, and I love Loch Lomond. Those three are perhaps my favourites. What course haven’t you played that you would most like to? There would be a few, I guess. Except for those courses that we play tournaments on, I haven’t played that many. I’d say Pine Valley is the one I would most love to play. People who have played it tell me it is simply an amazing golf course. Who would make up your perfect fourball? [Another long pause.] Well, Michael Jordan would be one. The thing with professionals, of course, is that I’ve played with most of them, but if I could then Ben Hogan would be another. And obviously Seve would have to be there. Do you think Tiger will pass Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18 major championships? Yes, I believe that he will. Which golfer do you admire the most? I would say, again obviously, Seve, because of the way he played the game

MARCH/APRIL 2011 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM 9

PLANET GOLF

2-MINUTE LESSON

From a stand-tall posture, get a sense of your weight being balanced through the middle of the feet

Take slow, deep, breaths in and out as you rotate your arms behind your body. Feel the stretch across your chest

A simple drill to create angles and feel athletic at the set-up By Dan Frost

PGA PROFESSIONAL, FROST GOLF ACADEMY, WWW.FROSTGOLF.COM • PHOTOGRAPHY: TOM CRITCHELL

Precisely what we are trying to avoid!

10 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM MARCH/APRIL 2011

Do you struggle with your understanding of body angles and weight distribution at the set up? If so, you’re not alone – tension and poor balance are two of the most prevelant faults in golf and both have their origins right here in the address position. Without good posture it’s extremely difficult to enjoy good balance and without balance you have little hope of making and repeating a good golf swing. In my experience the majority of golfers do not understand how to correctly tilt their upper body towards the ball to create a good spine angle and many compound that problem with a vice-like grip that leads to tension in the arms and shoulders. Others simply fall foul of the age-old misconception that you have to ‘keep your head down’ and address the ball with their shoulders hunched and chin touching their chest. If you recognise either of these problems, help is at hand in the form of this easy-to-follow exercise.

PLANET GOLF

STEP 1:

Stand up comfortably tall with a slight flex in your knees and a gentle angle at the hips. Focus on feeling balanced through the middle of your feet. Reach your arms out in front of you with your thumbs pointing up as though you are holding a ball. Breathe in deeply and then exhale to relax your chest muscles.

STEP 2:

The next step is to take both arms behind the body, rotating your forearms so that your thumbs point directly behind you. You will enjoy the sensation of your chest feeling slightly stretched and very wide. Make sure you do not hold your breath and become too tense. You should

Bend from the hips to create the allimportant spine angle, your weight supported through the balls of the feet

Arms hang down comfortably to receive the club

feel the shoulder blades moving a little closer as your back straightens.

STEP 3:

Now that you have engaged your spine simply tip forwards from your hips keeping your thumbs pointing behind you. This will ensure that you don’t hunch the top part of your spine over towards the ball. Make sure you have comfortable knee flex and try to feel that your feet are nicely grounded with the weight evenly spread so that it doesn’t favour the heels or the toes too much.

STEP 4:

From this athletic, angular set-up allow your arms to very slowly hang forward into the address position. Speed is really

Improving posture and balance will give you a starting position from which to make your swing more synchronised and repeatable

the key here. If you do this too quickly you will start curving that upper spine again and create too much tension in the set-up. Focus on the feeling that the arms, hands and wrists all hang freely from your shoulder sockets in the address position. Although initially this new position may feel a little uncomfortable, particularly across the torso, with practice it will become habit. And I can’t emphasise enough that your arms and hands should feel relaxed.

Turn to page 169 for details on how you can get a swing assessment with Dan as part of a unique subscription offer

MARCH/APRIL 2011 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM 11

TIM BARTER

INSIDE THE ROPES

His experience will be telling The appointment of José Maria Olazábal as the next captain of the European Ryder Cup team was met with a universal chorus of approval. And for good reason, writes Sky Sports’ Tim Barter here is a widely held view in life that it is impossible to please all of the people all of the time, and while that is true on the vast majority of occasions, the recent announcement that José Maria Olazábal will captain Europe’s Ryder Cup team in 2012 proves that it can be done. It may have been the worst kept secret in golf, but the announcement that the 45-year-old Spaniard – a two-times Masters champion – had agreed to take the role was met with universal approval from players, media, tour officials and the golfing fans. This is testament to a man who throughout his 25 years as a professional has managed to combine a fiercely competitive nature with the utmost humility and absolute respect for his fellow competitors and the game. Glowing tributes came not only from those who have played alongside Olazábal in Ryder Cups over three decades but also from Europe’s rising stars, with major champions Graham McDowell and Martin Kaymer both quick to acknowledge the contribution the Spaniard had made to their personal successes in the last two Ryder Cups. A popular winner in Qatar in early February, Thomas Bjorn perhaps put it best when he said “you won’t find a more respected and helpful player on this tour”. Europe has won an incredible eight of the last 13 Ryder Cups and each captain – although different – has played their part. From the unfettered passion of Seve Ballesteros to the the calm and analytical approach of Bernhard Langer, we have witnessed a succession of captains who each brought their own style to the multiple challenges that represent the organisation and staging of the biennial match. In José Maria Olazábal, we have a leader who ticks every single box. He played in seven Ryder Cups across three decades, and formed the most successful partnership in Ryder Cup history with Seve Ballesteros, losing only The finest things in golf? two of 15 pairs matches together. Playing alongside MY PERSONAL TOP 10 Seve in his debut in 1987, José 1. The atmosphere around the first tee Maria says was the spark & the final green as Europe win the which ignited his burning pasRyder Cup on home soil sion for the matches. 2. Play St Andrews in late afternoon sunshine, the swales and mounds Witnessing his compatriot look like surface of the moon, straining every sinew for the followed by a pint in the Jigger Inn European cause and ultimate3. How it feels to hole-in-one ly experiencing the thrill of 4. Watch Seve Ballesteros hit a Europe’s first ever win on US recovery shot no one else could even imagine soil convinced the then 215. Attend the Masters at Augusta year-old Spaniard this was 6. A sausage sandwich from something he always wanted Sunningdale’s halfway house to be part of. 7. A day’s golf at The Berkshire Few players have more with three good friends, a round experience of the biennial on each course and roast pork matches than Ollie. He will and crackling for lunch have observed each of the five 8. Hear the roar when Tiger chipped in from the back of the 16th captains he has played under, at Augusta in the final round in 2005 taking note of the things he 9. Nicklaus on the charge at the felt were key, both positive 1986 Masters and negative. In more recent 10. Play the ‘Postage Stamp’ at times he has been a vice capTroon – the shortest and finest par-three in championship golf tain, firstly to Nick Faldo in the loss at Valhalla and then

12 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM MARCH/APRIL 2011

Olazabal made his Ryder Cup debut in the 1987 match at Muirfield Village, where the mesmerising partnership he forged with Seve contributed significantly to Europe’s first win on American soil

alongside Monty in his successful campaign last year. When I asked him recently what he had learnt from those two occasions, he gave a wry smile and said: “You have to be close to the players and listen to what they say.” In that regard, we were all relieved to hear him say that his health had improved significantly enough for him to play a full schedule alongside the potential qualifiers. He will surely spend much of the next 18 months building strong bonds with some of the younger players who might make his team. One thing is for sure: when José Maria speaks in the team room at Medinah, his players will hang on to every word he says. So good is he at rousing the spirit and focusing the determination that he was invited by captain Nick Faldo to speak at Valhalla and again under Monty at Celtic Manor, and the players I have spoken to who were present on those occasions have told me they were the most moving and inspiring words they have ever heard. For that passion alone there can be no doubt that Olazábal would point to one man, Seve, as his mentor. The new captain describes the challenge of winning the trophy on American soil as “probably his greatest ever”, and that from a man who overcame crippling career threatening injury and illness to win his second major championship at the 1999 Masters. The Americans will undoubtedly field a very strong side; they will have a vocal and extremely patriotic gallery behind them and the opportunity to tweak the course to suit their players. Despite this, their captain, Davis Love – another of life’s great gentleman, in my opinion – has his work cut out. European golf is currently enjoying its greatest period since the halcyon days of Ballesteros, Faldo, Langer, Lyle and Woosnam, and I expect that to continue until the matches in a little over 18 months time. With a captain of Olazábal’s experience, passion and downright golfing know-how, and a team who will be desperate to keep hold of the cup for him, I will be betting on Europe.

Sky Sports will show more than 200 events this year including the Masters, US Open and US PGA Championship live and in HD.

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INSTRUCTION EDOARDO MOLINARI

Shape, width & rhythm controlled by the body motion The start of the golf swing is obviously a critical phase, as what you initiate here determines what is to follow. Looking at images 1-3 in this face-on sequence – i.e. the early move away from the ball to a position where the club reaches horizontal – the key is that you engender a sense of togetherness as the hand, arms and club work as a unit in harmony with the torso. Edoardo does this very well...and with his own style. While the left arm remains nicely connected to the upper part of the chest in frames 1-3, the right arm floats a little as he gets the club to the horizontal. We have experimented with Edoardo keeping the right arm closer to the chest (which, normally, I’d like to see), but this is something he tells me he feels uncomfortable doing (he says he feels that makes it difficult for him to complete the turn of the right shoulder into the backswing). So, while the purist might suggest that the right arm should be folding a little earlier, this is not a ‘feel’ Edoardo likes. Moving to frames 4 & 5, however, quickly shows us just how beautifully he can turn his right shoulder to achieve his preferred position at the top of the swing. The extent to which Edoardo extends his right arm to the top – combined with the fullness of the shoulder rotation – explains why the wrists are so firm as he completes his backswing. Any additional wrist action would just be ‘flicky’ and not contribute in a positive way. (We have experimented with adding greater wrist hinge, but this firmwristed action is the one that undoubtedly works best for him.) Moving into the downswing, frame 6 illustrates perfect balance when orchestrating the all-important change of direction. When he’s playing at his best this is a very slow movement – there’s no real speed from the top of the swing to this point. And that prevents him developing too much ‘lag’ (i.e. an acute angle between his wrists and the shaft) on the way back down. One of the dangers of a firm-wristed backswing is that if you make a fast movement back to the ball with the arms you are liable to get too much ‘down lag’ of the wrists, and that would defeat all of the good stuff in the backswing (and results in being too ‘handsy’ through impact). On the range, to keep the transition slow and smooth, Edoardo makes sure he gets the feeling the club is as wide as possible coming down (just as it was going back). And it’s a great exercise for all players – to simply hit balls with the feeling of moving in slow motion from the top. Once you develop that move into the downswing you can then focus on generating speed with the rotation of your body core through impact – tell yourself to get ‘across’ and then ‘rotate’. Across starts the downswing, rotation releases impact. One point I’d just add here is that Edoardo makes more or less the same length swing with a driver – this compact and controlled arm-swing is not exclusive to the irons.

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Beautifully ‘neutral’ position here, the arms forming a nice long triangle, body comfortably poised, ready

Hands, arms & torso work together to initiate the swing

Hands passive as the rotation of the body accelerate the clubhead through the ball

The first move back towards the target is unhurried – he shifts across and then rotates through. Edoardo works on making this shift into the downswing as smooth as he can – doing it in slow motion is a terrific practice exercise

SWING ANALYSIS // DENIS PUGH

Very strong shoulder turn over a relatively small hip turn. Left arm controls the width of the swing

Edoardo makes no effort to hinge the wrists as the arm-swing continues to create width

Hips are resisting the rotation of the upper body to create a fantastic ‘coiling’ effect; still little in the way of wrist hinge

The finest things in golf? DENIS PUGH

MY PERSONAL TOP 10 1.

Natural rotation and crossover of the forearms into the follow-through – note how the width of the swing is maintained long after the ball

Body now fully released, while the compact arm-swing simply mirrors the backswing, totally controlled

Playing in the Sunnindale Foursomes with my son, Robert 2. Putting on a new white leather glove 3. Changing out of soaking wet socks after a game – one of the great feelings in golf 4. Getting up and down from a links course bunker 5. Hitting a crisp iron shot off links turf – the crispness of the contact, the way you catch the ball, the explosion with the ground, a firm compression rather than a slide away. Leads to better contact, controlling the flight and spin 6. The atmosphere around the 1st tee at the Ryder Cup. 7. Walking around Amen Corner before the play comes through at the Masters, on a Saturday morning, have a wander down there and soak it all in 8. Seeing your clubs coming off the conveyor belt at the airport – that surely is one of the great feelings in golf! 9. When you play a blind second shot to a par four – you walk over the hill and one ball is closer to the hole .... and it's yours! 10. Finding your ball just before the 5 minutes is up!

MARCH/APRIL 2011 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM 15

100 OF THE

FINEST THINGS IN

GOLF

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LE TOUESSROK GOLF – 007 STYLE Any golfing adventure that begins with a boat ride – in this case across the sparkling waters of Trou d’Eau Douce Bay, in Mauritius – has to be the start of something special. You’ll be humming the Bond theme long before you spy the landing jetty, from which a chauffered buggy delivers you to the stunning clubhouse and a terrace offering a glimpse of the playground that awaits. And your day only gets better as you tackle one of the world’s most beautiful – and challenging – layouts, the Bernhard Langer-designed Le Touessrok. Intoxicating, unforgettable golf. And the beach isn’t too shabby, either.

MARCH/APRIL 2011 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM 17

COVER STORY THE 100 FINEST THINGS… The walk from the 16th green to the 17th tee at Sawgrass is a daunting one...because this is all you have to aim at!

ISLAND OF ADVENTURE, 17TH, TPC SAWGRASS

The design of the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass came about by accident. The original idea was for the 17th to be a relatively simple par-three with a green only partially surrounded by a lake. However, the soil surrounding the 17th consisted of sand – necessary to build a good golf course, but rare on the otherwise swampy property – and by the time the course was near completion all the sand had been dug from the area, leaving a large crater. Pete Dye’s wife, Alice (a golf architect in her own right) suggested the Island Green concept, and mentioned it to her husband, who while not thrilled at the idea went ahead with it, in the process creating one of golf's most recognisable holes. - Peter Dazeley

YOU WON’T NEED A WAKE-UP CALL! If there’s one experience that’s on pretty much every golfer’s ‘Bucket List’ it’s a weekend at St Andrews, the Home of Golf. The accompanying photo hardly needs an explanation – treat yourself to a room in the Old Course Hotel and this could be the view that gets you out of bed.

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WOODEN TEES, A JOY TO PEG IT UP! Looking at this image on the page we’re just wondering why we would have ordered these in green? A thousand of them. The simplest piece of equipment in the bag – the humble wooden peg is quintessentially golf. Good for wearing holes in trouser pockets, too.

THAT ONE GREAT SHOT... THE ONE THAT BRINGS YOU BACK One minute you’re thinking it’s time to flog your gear on eBay, the next you hit a career iron shot through the wind for a kick-in birdie – a shot not even the best players on the planet could ordinarily expect to better. That’s all it takes – one shot and you’re back.

100TH ISSUE

A REVOLUTION IN RAIN GEAR The market in performance waterproof clothing is today one of the most valuable and competitive in golf – and for that you can thank Gore-Tex fabric. This lightweight, breathable material is the secret to making performance outerwear waterproof, and its widespread use in recent years has transformed the practicality of playing golf in inclement weather. Leading manufacturers such as Galvin Green, ProQuip, Abacus and Ecco shoes continue to refine what has become high-tech equipment in the modern era. Someone really should have told the US Ryder Cup team...

FREDDIE’S RHYTHM : EFFORTLESS POWER The game may have changed significantly in the 30-odd years ‘Boom Boom’ has been playing it for a living, but there’s one thing that has hardly skipped a beat – the glorious ‘syrupy’ rhythm that is Couples’ trademark. You need inspiration before a game? Watch a tape of Freddie in full flow, and tune in to the rhythm of one of the most graceful – and powerful – moves in golf.

23 THE RULES, OK : PLAYING IT BY THE BOOK There are few easier ways to start a heated clubhouse debate than to stand at the bar and denounce Rule 27-4b/5 as being unfit for purpose. The Rules of Golf are exhaustive and, in places, complicated, it’s true. But the fact that golf enjoys the reputation it does as being perhaps the most honourable of sports suggests we are doing something right.

CAMARADERIE, THE BANTER One of the great things about golf at every level is the banter. I know that when I walk along a practice range I am going to get abuse from at least 90% of the guys out there – and that’s a comfort to me. The atmosphere in the bar after a game or a competition is almost as much fun as the golf itself – the game would be a lot poorer without it. Tony Johnstone

WET WEATHER GLOVE Until you actually try out one of these ingenious gloves you have no idea as to the levels of grip that you can enjoy in the wet. And the harder it comes down, the better these babies hang on to the golf club. While it’s doubtful that the example of wearing a pair, as set by Tommy ‘Two Gloves’ Gainey in the recent (and rain-free) Phoenix Open will catch on, having at least one of these tucked away in the bag is valuable insurance. www.footjoy.com

Gary Wolstenholme

FOURSOMES GOLF, ‘YOU PLAY, I PLAY’

Perhaps not surprisingly, the oldest links in England, Royal North Devon, is a golf club that recognises foursomes as one of the traditions of the game, the format celebrated each year with the playing of the Bideford Bay Foursomes, a 36-hole event staged in conjunction with Saunton Golf Club, just across the bay. In fact, this annual foursomes-fest is the biggest amateur open competition in Europe, attracting over 300 pairs of golfers. Foursomes, stableford: 18 at RND, 18 on the East at Saunton. Weekends don’t come much better.

AMATEUR LEGEND TURNED SENIOR TOUR STAR

MY PERSONAL TOP 10 1.

Laser Range Finder/distance measuring devices 2. The US Masters & Augusta National 3. The Metal Wood – driver in particular 4. Karsten Solheim – for the peripheral weighted irons, and the Ping Anser putter 5. Jack Nicklaus 6. The Amateur Championship 7. The Walker Cup 8. Links golf – Royal County Down, Hoylake, Muirfield, Turnberry etc 9. The modern golf ball. 10. Modern day agronomy – particularly for the greens

MARCH/APRIL 2011 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM 19

COVER STORY THE 100 FINEST THINGS… Guy Kinnings MY PERSONAL TOP 10 Being there when a client fulfils his dreams – gaining a card, maiden Tour wins, major vic tories etc 2. Being at Celtic Manor on Monday afternoon for European victory – just ahead of being at The Belfry for Sam’s win 3. The view up 17th and 18th fairway into the town of St Andrews and playing in the Rolex Patrons Day at the Open venue each year 4. Claiming to be ‘working hard’ when under the Magnolia tree at Augusta National 5. The Shandy Bar at the WGC HSBC Champions in Shanghai each year and the Caddie of the Year Awards 6. Being at Finca Cortesin – venue for the Volvo World Matchplay Championship – a lovely venue 7. Playing 9 holes with my two sons Harry and Bertie at the Central London Golf Centre at home in Wandsworth and taking them for chocolate / bacon butties at the half-way houses at Gleneagles or Turnberry 8. Getting away from the business of golf by playing with my mates on two golf tours each year the ‘Nudger’ and the ‘Mugwump’ 9. Playing golf with the family at Trevose during our summer holidays – particularly the par 3 course where we host the Kit Kat Classic 10. A pint by the river at the Christmas Party with our London Golf team – guaranteed fun and humiliation! 1.

SHORT & SWEET THE MASTERS PAR-3 CONTEST First played in 1960 – and won that year by Sam Snead – the Par-3 Contest has become a Wednesday tradition at the Masters. The Par-3 course was built in 1958 by architect George Cobb and Augusta Chairman Clifford Roberts. Tournament participants, non-competing past champions, and Honorary Invitees are invited to participate in the Contest. The nine hole course is par-27, 1,060 yards and played over DeSoto Springs Pond and Ike’s Pond. In 1987 current hole Nos. 8 and 9 were added over Ike’s Pond, eliminating hole Nos. 1 and 2 of the original course from Wednesday competition. In the history of the contest there have been 70 holes-in-one made, a record five in 2002. No Par-3 Contest winner has won the Masters the same year as his short-course victory. There have been 18 sudden death playoffs. Art Wall (1965) and Gay Brewer (1973) share the course record of 20.

Hole

130

No. 2

No. 3

No. 4

130

No. 5

130

No. 6

140

No. 7

115

No. 8

120

TOTAL

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JIGGER INN, THE ULTIMATE 19TH

Yardage

No. 1

No. 9

135 1,060

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GETTYIMAGES.COM

INTERNATIONAL VICE PRESIDENT / IMG

Andrew ‘Chubby’ Chandler had every reason to celebrate with a pint outside the Jigger beside the Road Hole at St Andrews last summer – one of his clients, Loius Oosthuizen, had just waltzed to victory in the Open. A couple of others had finished in the top 5. The Jigger Inn is the best known on a long list of golf-themed St Andrews bars.... and what better way to celebrate a successful day at the Home of Golf than with a pint of Jigger Ale, brewed especially for the 2010 Open.

100TH ISSUE DAVID CANNON LEADING GOLF PHOTOGRAPHER / GETTYIMAGES

MY PERSONAL TOP 10

Playing golf in the summer either early morning or late evening at Turnberry in Scotland

The halfway hut and golf at Sand Hills in Nebraska. The quietest place on earth.

A weekend at Kauri Cliffs in New Zealand

The new Yas Links in Abu Dhabi – Kyle Phillips at his very best

Titleist Pro-V 1X golf ball

The opening tee shot across the bay at Machrihanish

White wooden tees that leave stripes on the sole plate of the driver!

Having the honour to witness the greatest hole in one feat of all time Robert J Taylor playing the 16th at Hunstanton and making three ‘Aces’ on consecutive days in 1974

I’d nominate my favourite three golf books: Golf is not a Game of Perfect, by Dr Bob Rotella; Golf the Greatest Game Ever Played, and The Match, both by Mark Frost

10. Photographing Seve, most notably at Lytham in 1988! In fact, I’d say that was the single greatest tournament week of my career – and possibly his

SEVE IN FULL FLIGHT LYTHAM, 1988 It was both my good fortune and a privilege that my own career as a photographer coincided with that of one of the game’s greatest natural players and, without question, its most charismatic superstars. Seve, quite simply, was a photographer’s dream and this image of him in action during the third round of the Open at Royal Lytham in 1988 remains my favourite action shot of all time.

43 HIS FATHER’S SON BY TOM CALLAHAN

Whatever your opinion of Tiger Woods (and for many people it was in freefall after his disgusting display in Dubai), the only way to validate it, one way or the other, is to understand the influence of his father, Earl. In this engrossing biopic, Tom Callahan treats the reader to a fascinating insight into the early life of the man who would become the world’s most famous athlete, the narrative based largely on Callahan’s relationship with Earl, whom he first met in 1996, the year Tiger turned pro. No other writer has enjoyed such access to the inner sanctum of the Woods machine – and that alone makes this one of the most compelling reads in golf. Published in the UK by Mainstream Publishing; ISBN 9781845967604. MARCH/APRIL 2011 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM 21

INSTRUCTION JONATHAN YARWOOD

Game on... In just 100 balls you can groove a good rhythm and establish a feel for the short game that will have you heading to the 1st tee with your game in good shape – and your head full of confidence

By Jonathan Yarwood WWW.GOLFJY.COM • PHOTOGRAPHY: KEVIN MURRAY SHOT ON LOCATION AT THE CONCESSION • WWW.THECONCESSION.COM

A FEW LOOSENERS – start out easy, build speed gradually Think about what you are trying to achieve in the hour or so you that you have before your tee-time (humour me here...I realise that for many of you 10 minutes is more the norm!). Out on the range, the first 5 minutes should be devoted to limbering up, a little stretching and a few practice swings, gradually building up your speed. You wouldn’t jump into your car and press the pedal to the metal, so don’t automatically reach for your driver. Start with a short iron, a wedge or Gap wedge, and hit a couple of balls; then drop down through the irons, perhaps hitting the odd numbers one day, the evens the next. That way you give your body the time and the exercise it needs to make a full, ayhletic swing. In ten or 20 balls you will establish your rhythm. Once you are hitting it solidy, spend a couple of minutes going through a full preshot routine, focusing on a target and playing the shot as if it were for real.

Ease into your session with a few short shots, and then gradually build your speed as you work up through the irons

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Zero in on a specific target – get focused

THE DRIVER: – make all 10 count When you move on to the fairway woods and the driver, you really have to make ‘em all count – i.e. you have to visualise a fairway that you’re aiming to drive the ball in to, pick out a distinct target, and run through a positive pre-shot routine starting from a position a few feet behind the ball to get a strong visual of the perfect shot in your mind’s eye. Remember, the whole point of a warm-up is to get your mind and body engaged on the task at hand, ready to play. That means placing 100% of your focus on your intended target. Challenge yourself to narrow your focus, picking out a flag or a tree in the distance, and reduce your swing thoughts to something simple and manageable. When you do step on to that 1st tee, you will then be prepared to see and hit your target area.

Fully engage with your target as you aim the clubface

Waggle to stay loose at the set-up

Swing to a full, committed finish, and hold it

MARCH/APRIL 2011 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM 23

MASTERS THE MASTERS

A New For Sky Sports, the facility to broadcast live images in 3D clinched the deal when it came to securing the rights to televise all four days of the Masters – in fact, make that five with what will be the first ever presentation of the famed Par-3 Contest. Richard Gillis reports

Mickelson drives at 18 last year en route to his third green jacket. For fans everywhere, the opportunity to see Augusta in 3D will this year turn it into a whole new ball game

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Television coverage of golf’s opening major of the season first began in 1956, and all of us who love this game – and more than a few sports fans generally – look forward each April to images of a pristine Augusta National, the date more or less coinciding with the first shoots of spring. Since 1986 the BBC has enjoyed an unbroken run in the UK, a period that saw some a run of some great British and European victories, notably Sandy Lyle’s last-gasp birdie three in 1988 and Nick Faldo’s back-to-back wins in 1989 & ’90. And, as the live coverage increased – both in terms of the number of hours of golf available and the number of holes shown (the front nine remained largely a mystery until relatively recently), armchair fans believed they had a pretty good knowledge of Augusta’s storied layout. However, they are greatly mistaken. Limited by the technology hitherto available, TV has lied, or at the very least, misrepresented the most famous golf course in the world. Critically for Sky Sports, Augusta National’s policy of investigating every possible avenue that might improve the quality of its offering – both to ‘patrons’ who attend the tournament week and the TV audience at large – extends to the latest in digital technology. It’s a point made clearly by Augusta National Chairman Billy Payne in outlining the new arrangement. “Since our first telecast of the Masters in 1956, we have carefully maintained a tradition of high-quality programming within an appropriate broadcast window,”

explained Payne in announcing the decision to award Sky Sports the rights to broadcast all four days of the tournament in 2011 (with the BBC sharing the action over the weekend). “Now, with the proper infrastructure and resources in place, we are confident the additional coverage will meet the high standards of the millions of golf fans who enjoy viewing the Masters each April. This agreement was successful in both preserving a long-term partnership and adding a new dimension to our coverage in the UK.” For ‘new dimension’ read 3 Dimensions, or 3D for short. In 2010, the Masters became the first major sporting event in the United States to be produced and delivered in 3D to television and computers in homes throughout North America. In addition, the 2010 Masters gave rise to the first successful live transoceanic 3D distribution, involving select platforms in Europe. It was Sky Sports’ ambition to grow its 3D sports coverage that unlocked the gates to Augusta. And a recent look at Sky’s financial results shows how important 3D is becoming to the broadcaster. The company passed its long-term target of 10 million subscribers last year, while also increasing the amount of money paid per subscriber. “The only thing we did in 2004 (when the 10 million target was first set) really was sell [satellite TV] into people’s homes, and we [only] grew the business by adding more households,” confirms Jeremy Darroch, chief executive of BSkyB. Now 3D

A NEW DIMENSION

MARCH/APRIL 2011 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM 25

FEATURE THE MASTERS 2011

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PAR-3 CONTEST

A Masters in

mınıature Having secured the rights to screen all four days of the Masters this year, the Sky Sports team will be heading to Georgia with a determination to add its expert commentary and analysis to the game’s first major of the season. And, as a glorious appetiser, Wednesday’s Par-3 contest will also be screened live. Bruce Critchley tells the story of one of the great spectacles in golf In many ways, television coverage of the Masters has been the most tantalising in all of sport. For many years, viewers were treated only to the final nine holes on Saturday and Sunday with a smattering of the best bits from the first two days thrown in. A little more exposure came with Arnold Palmer and colour television; a good look at all four days, and appetiser from the so-far hidden front nine. More recently, with the other majors showing their iconic events and venues almost from dawn to dusk, Augusta has gradually permitted the whole course to be seen, with those in contention displayed on all 18 holes. Until very recently though, little has been seen of the week’s competitive pipe-opener, the Par-3 contest. It is an event that has now been going for more than 50 years. From the club’s inception there had always been thoughts about a third nine holes, a short course, that would be both a warm up before tackling the big course

as well as somewhere pleasant to take a little exercise after tea. It would have seemed a bit of an extravagance during the Great Depression when Augusta was built and it wasn’t until 1958 that Clifford Roberts, chairman of Augusta since its inception in 1934, oversaw its creation. Generally speaking, there has always been a design consultant associated with the club. In the early days of course it was Dr Alister Mackenzie, who is jointly credited with Bobby Jones as the designer of Augusta. Most likely, with the place being his idea and with his vast knowledge of all that was best in golf at that time, Bob Jones would have masterminded the overall design with Mackenzie ensuring the work was carried out properly. That said, the big swathes of sand that is the bunkering were pure Mackenzie. By the 1950s, one George W. Cobb, a little known course architect from nearby South Carolina, had the role and would have

MARCH/APRIL 2011 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM 27

FEATURE AUGUSTA 2011

The 75th Masters: 6 Extraordinary Anniversaries

60 The ‘Iron Man’ prevails as Snead takes to the water

1951: Bobby Jones looks happy enough and Ben Hogan (next to him, holding the plaque) had reasons to be cheerful since he had just won his first Masters title. Less happy, had he been around to have his photo taken, would have been Sam Snead. Although Sneadʼs losing forte was blowing several chances to win the US Open, at Augusta this week he went into the final round a shot ahead of his great rival. While Hogan was putting together a closing 68, four birdies and 14 pars, Snead blew up to an 80 that featured an eight on the 11th. Hogan won by two shots from Skee Riegel.

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75 YEARS OF THE MASTERS

Palmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unwanted gift to Player

1961: Gary Player became the first non-American Masters champion despite stumbling home in 40 strokes in his final round and because of a series of errors by Arnold Palmer. Arnie had birdied the 18th hole at Augusta the previous year to win the title. This year a par would do the job. But after a good drive, seemingly thinking it was all over, he accepted the congratulations of a friend in the gallery. Then he hit his second shot into a bunker. Then (inset) he thinned his third over the green (main photo). He took three more to get down. He had lost.

MARCH/APRIL 2011 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM 29

INSTRUCTION 100 YARDS

Use a laser to create the 100 yard shot, and experiment with your wedges to find the one that gives you that distance with a comfortable swing

Dialling it in

100 yards By Andrew Park

MASTER CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR / DIRECTOR OF PLAYER DEVELOPMENT DAVID LEADBETTER GOLF ACADEMY • WWW.DAVIDLEADBETTER.COM PHOTOGRAPHY: KEVIN MURRAY

If you really want to see some improvement in your scoring ability this season then do as the pros do: get yourself a rangefinder and use it to measure precisely the distance you hit a comfortable wedge shot. The majority of tour pros dial in 100 yards – a shot most would hit with a full gap wedge. This is how you do it

30 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM MARCH/APRIL 2011

Weight 60:40 in favour of the front foot

Make a full shoulder turn to the finish, club comfortably behind your neck

Full shoulder turn, compact 3/4 arm swing

Use full shoulder turn to control speed & rhythm of wedge swing Compact arm-swing will come naturally Play the ball in the middle of the feet, adjusting your stance to be just a tad narrower than it would be for a middle iron â&#x20AC;&#x201C; along with settling your weight gently in favour of your forward foot that will help to promote the downward strike you are looking for to create maximum spin and control. The swing itself should feel like a normal full swing, the rotation of the upper body dominating the motion and regulating the tempo of your acceleration down and through the ball. The armswing will, naturally, be more compact and upright due to the nature of the club you are using. Identify which of your wedges gives you 100 yards with a comfortable swing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that is your stock in trade shot in flat conditions.

When you practice, use a couple of shafts or alignment canes to give you a corridor to your target. The set up is critical; you want the leading edge of the clubface square to the target line, and your body parallel to that

MARCH/APRIL 2011 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM 31

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MERCEDES-BENZ SLS AMG, 6.3 litre V8 GULLWING

Merc’s ultimate flight of fancy nlike Volkswagen, who recently wheeled out Le Mans 24 Hours legend Jackie Ickx as their new ambassador at a Jetta launch on the somewhat spurious basis that he, erm, keeps a Caravelle camper van at his home in South Africa, Mercedes-Benz can lay a rather more genuine claim to a working relationship with Stirling Moss. Moss, relentlessly lauded as the greatest driver never to win a World Championship (In Formula 1 he finished second to Fangio three years in a row and then once, in 1958, to Hawthorn), started racing for Mercedes in 1954. Back in those hilariously brave, open cockpit and goggles days, a driver’s face would quickly be thoroughly black and white minstrel’ed by a heady blend of exhaust soot, unburned fuel and shredded rubber. On their return to the pits, drivers were accustomed to reaching for the oily rag to try and remove at least some of the accumulated detritus. When Moss pulled in after his first trial for Mercedes, he was met – with a Prussian click of the heels – by a man at attention holding a porcelain bowl of steaming hot water, a bar of soap and an Egyptian cotton towel. ‘Well, if that’s how it’s going to be’ he thought, ‘I’d better sign up…’ There followed perhaps his most famous race victory; the 1955 Mille Miglia, in which, armed with an open-topped 300 SLR, he dispatched 1000 miles in a cool 10 hours, 7 minutes and 48 sec-

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In the shape of the gullwing SLS, a racing thoroughbred 55 years in the making, Mercedes Benz has fused historical open-cockpit motoring with the sort of technology usually associated with Formula 1. Sadly, Anthony Ffrench-Constant had just 250 miles to give his verdict onds, for once beating Fangio in the process. In the same year, Mercedes produced its first roadgoing iteration of that car, the gullwing-doored 300 SL. This SLS, the natural successor to that legendary brute, has been 55 years in the making, and I have one weekend and just 250 miles to find out whether it’s been worth the wait… Now, whilst you’ll inevitably find yourself regularly clocked if driving Italian exotica, a Ferrari or Lamborghini eyeballing these days tends to take the form of a confirmatory glance rather than a protracted stare. But sit in an SLS, and so relentlessly will you be ogled that you’ll begin to fret about having inadvertently left the house without trousers. Never before have I experienced such pressed metal spectator persistence. To me, the SLS is something of a hymn book on wheels; an extraordinary meld of ancient and modern. In profile, the ancient prevails, with a bonnet long enough to accommodate a family of four on a fortnight’s holiday and the cockpit so far astern that you sit pretty much as far back as possible without actually being on top of the rear axle. The cab itself is entirely reminiscent of the original car, quite bulbous and rounded, with a remarkably upright windscreen pillar by today’s

supercar standards and relatively small door glazing. Indeed, that cabin is so small and low in relation to the overall size of the beast that you’d be forgiven for thinking it had spent time in a classic, earl Harley-style American chop shop. From dead ahead, though, the presentation is far more modern, and from dead astern (my favourite viewpoint and that most common to other road users) it’s positively futuristic by the standards of the rest of the car, and also reinforces just how massively wide this machine actually is. That chop shop imagery is heightened by the use of a bespoke, semi-matt paint intended, presumably, to be reminiscent of a bare aluminium racing finish and nod at the cars all-alloy construction. I had to sign a document promising not to take it through one of those threshing mill car washes… Huge alloys with gold brake callipers denote the presence of ceramic composite discs so large they almost fill the front wheel. Massive stopping power is assured, but you might want to think twice about ticking that £8,140 option box, since they need to be up to operating temperature to work most effectively, and that sort of temperature is achieved only by driving so fast you might as well simply sear straight down to the nearest

police station and surrender. Actually, such self-sacrifice is unnecessary, because most of the boot is a spoiler which pops up automatically when you pass 70mph, thus making it a particularly useful flag for lurking constabulary. Those eye-catching gullwing doors work surprisingly well, too; a handle oozes from low on the door when you plip the key, and minimal effort raises the door. You can’t stand under it, but it’s no aerobic chore to stoop down and clamber over a wide, carbon-fibre dressed cill which already displayed signs of heel scuffing on the car I drove. Not only are Blakeys Segs wearers advised to steer well clear, but the rest of us might consider the wearing of carpet slippers to get over this issue. Just don’t park in a puddle. And before you ask, the doors are designed specifically to work in Tokyo’s tightest multistorey car park, which means they open to a height of just 1.8 metres and, with both doors fully open, the car is only 36 cm wider overall. Sadly, after an entry of veritable street carnival stature, the interior leaves one feeling a tad too village fete for my liking. It’s all beautifully made, of course, but lacks real drama. The only retro touch is howitzer-style air vents finished in a cunning plastic called Noble, which has enough metal in the mix to not only look the part, but also feel cold to the touch first thing in the morning. Least wholesome is the driver’s instrument binnacle, which shuns traditional Mercedes black-onwhite clarity in favour of all metal finishes which, as in an Aston Martin (though we are mercifully spared lilac back-lighting here), do the user no favours and aren’t as clear as one would like. Sitting so far back beneath the bonnet that it’s entirely behind the front axle to give the best possible weight distribution in a front engined rear drive car, the most powerful naturally aspirated V8 in the world barks into life with a burst of unsolicited throttle in the manner of all modern performance cars. Start up stealth is out of the question. AMG’s 6.3 litre V8 has been even further tweak for installation here, now developing a wholesome 563bhp and 479lb ft of torque. Via a dual-clutch, seven-speed automatic transmission with flappy paddle override, this will fling the SLS at the horizon, from a standstill to 62mph in just 3.8 seconds, and on to 197mph. Sitting this far back, you hear everything from the exhaust and surprisingly little combustion noise from the engine itself. Even at full chat, with the exhausts doing their best to replicate the sounds of the 7th Cavalry laying siege to an overamplified bowl of Rice Krispies, little but the oleaginous threshing of expensive metal leaks aft. On the move, the dual clutch makes for super smooth progress, though manual paddle shift mode finds it a little slow on the uptake by supercar standards. Smooth throttle inputs can be novice-challenging at low speeds too, most noticeably when pulling onto roundabouts from a standstill. Too little throttle leaves you growling

The figures are as you’d expect of the world’s most powerful naturally aspirated V8 – 0-62 in just 3.8 seconds, while the ‘197’ plate fitted to this model is a most specific reference to the car’s maximum speed. And while the driver’s instrument binacle is relatively basic, given the SLR’s supercar staus, the retro interior works beautifully in the context of the overall package – a roadster with a pedigree heritage

nowhere and missing the gap. Too much, by way of compensation, finds you yelling away like a boulder slung from a trebuchet. At all times, power is, of course, gloriously absolute on demand. But the SLS is at its magnificent best under a somewhat modulated throttle, wherein performance is still sufficient to see off pretty much anything else but progress becomes utterly, deliciously fluid, smooth and effortless. Artfully putting the whole dubious concept of even Mercedes’ own adaptive trick suspension to the sword, the SLS rides on conventional shock absorbers and double wishbones all round. Though undeniably on the firm side, this set-up offers precisely the long-haul-comfort level of compromise between information and suppleness you’d expect from a car with these capabilities. Though its balance is sublime and levels of grip and traction are predictably astonishing, the SLS

doesn’t, in fact, encourage you to hoon around in the manner of a mid-engined Italian. Rather, it offers the very grandest of gran turismo experiences; get in and devour Europe at relentless pace, making absolutely sure you go anywhere via a considerable chunk of Germany for an extended bout of de-restricted face bending. Destined, I suspect, to remain rare as Hannibal Lecter’s steak, an SLS may be afforded for as little as, um, £168,345. The car I drove was so laden with AMG options and accessories that its price tag actually overhauled its maximum speed, topping out at a thumping £205,680. However, apart from the £5,055 Bang and Olufsen stereo – which is always going to lose out to those bellowing exhausts – I probably wouldn’t bother with any of the extras (£3,425 for a carbon fibre engine cover you’ll never see?). Then again, if you’re in the market for a car such as this, you probably won’t quibble over the odd thirty grand here and there. MARCH/APRIL 2011 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM

AMATEUR

Let’s get the party started!

About to enter its 4th season, the William Hunt Trilby Tour is again set to take the country by storm, offering amateur golfers nationwide the opportunity to feel like a tour player for a day in one of a dozen pressure-packed qualifying events staged at some of the finest venues in golf. Adam Hathaway tees up the action

The finest things in golf? WILLIAM HUNT / TRILBY TOUR

MY PERSONAL TOP 10 1

My Union Jack golf trousers worn by Ian Poulter in the 2000 Open at St Andrews

The Trilby Tour and all who sail with her – and the ‘King’, John O’Leary for making it all happen

3. Ian Poulter himself, for not only talking it but also walking it! 4.

Phil Archer – the nicest golf pro bloke you could meet

The fact that Tiger Woods isn’t top dog anymore

Getting a hole-in-one on the 10th at The Belfry (and once beating Clint Eastwood over 18 holes)

Shells Wonderfull World of Golf – the 1970s versions

The fact that James Bond wore a trilby to play golf at Stoke Park in Goldfinger (there may not have been a Trilby Tour if he hadn’t!)

Callaway Golf – and in particular Nick McInally and Neil Howie, proper golf men

10. Sky Sports coverage of golf (puts the others back in the 90s)

36 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM MARCH/APRIL 2011

For good reason was the William Hunt Trilby Tour included in our list of 100 of the Finest Things in Golf. By any measure, this unique tournament series – the brainchild of the eponymous Savile Row designer – does exactly what it says on the tin: everyone who takes part can look forward to being made to feel like a tour player for the day, right down to the TV cameras Sky Sports provide in the course of covering an event that has attracted a cult following. Contrary to the fiction you may tell your kids, good things don’t come to those who wait – no, they come to those who have a good idea and then work hard to see it through. Which is exactly what Hunt has achieved with his series of regional tournaments leading to the Grand Final, the winner ultimately identified in a made-for-TV four-man three-hole playoff. Now in its fourth season, the Trilby Tour is this year focusing exclusively on amateur golfers, with 1,200 players already registered to compete, up from 800 last year – way ahead of inflation. On top of that there are a further 500 golfers on the waiting list. For the entry fee of £250, each competitor receives a full outfit from William’s Savile Row range of luxury clothing, a Trilby, a limited edition Callaway golf bag and a white boiler suit – Augusta style – for the (obligatory) caddie. The result is a spectacle like no other in golf. This year’s itinerary once again lists consistently high-calibre venues. From Trevose in Cornwall to Rockliffe Hall in Durham, Slieve Russell in Co. Cavan (Ireland) to Goodwood in West Sussex, golfers can expect championship conditions on the golf course and matching levels of service and bonhomie off it. “This year we have taken the decision to focus exclusively on the amateur events,” says Hunt. “And the reason is simple: they are just a lot more fun to run and the players involved really appreciate the fact that you are putting on a very special tournament. A professional event has a different atmosphere which we can’t achieve, so we are concentrating on what we can do well. Not to mention the fact that the amateur events tend to benefit the host venue so much more than a comparable pro event. Last year the Trilby Tour bucked the economic trend and gave a welcome financial shot in the arm to clubs staging our tournaments. On the playing side of things there is no let

up on all of the elements that add that delicious element of pressure. “Everyone who enters will go home having been put through the wringer, not least when the Sky Sports cameras appear,” delights Hunt. “It’s all about putting ordinary guys who love playing golf under the gun, to make them feel like a tour player for a day and to see how they react to the challenge of scoring under tough tournament conditions. “With the quality of the golf courses on board again this year we are sure to test the toughest of players. I love to see grown men shaking at the 1st tee – some of them think they have it all under control and then they collapse like a house of cards in front of the cameras. It’s been fantastic to see the Trilby Tour community growing, too. There’s a brilliant camaraderie on and off the course and we’ve even created our own mini Facebook on the website where players can meet up and get together for a practice round or social.” Do you have what it takes? Last year’s winner, Chris Dyson, said that taking the title was harder than sailing the Atlantic – something he could also list on his CV. This year’s champion will have to get past more than 1200 like-minded amateurs to enjoy that feeling. www.williamhunttrilbytour.com

TRILBY TOUR 2010 CHAMPION – CHRIS DYSON (in action, left) Age: Handicap: Home club: Occupation: History: Regional Qualifier:

42 6.8 Goodwood European Head of Supply Chain for Nokia Siemens First time in the Trilby Tour The Park

2011 Tour Dates & Venues

“In terms of the level of detail and the set up of the event the Trilby Tour is in a league of its own. With the cameras, the banners, the marshalls, the outfits and the crowds – you look and feel a million dollars”

May 12

Donnington Grove, Berkshire

May 24

Trevose, Cornwall

May 18 June 2

June 30 July 14

Old Thorns, Hampshire KP Club, Yorkshire

Rockliffe Hall, Durham Slieve Russell, Ireland

July 21

Goodwood, Sussex

August

Marriott Sprowston Manor

July 29

Oxfordshire, Oxfordshire

MARCH/APRIL 2011 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM 37

EQUIPMENT

CAB FUTURE TO THE

With over 40,000 industry visitors and 1,000 companies from 88 countries parading thousands of new products, Floridaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s January PGA Merchandise Show is the largest pro shop in the world. Dominic Pedler hit dozens of clubs at the Demo Day and walked the 10 miles of aisles at the Orange County Convention Centre to bring you this special report.

With this shot in Abu Dhabi (below) TaylorMade staff player Martin Kaymer launched his assault on the Race to Dubai 38 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM MARCH/APRIL NOV/DEC 20102011

ORLANDO PGA SHOW REVIEW

Orlando 2011

It was 20 years ago (today) that I attended my first Orlando Show and reported on the strange looking Big Bertha driver – the first ever ‘wide-bodied’ metalwood – launched by the previously little-known Callaway company whose charismatic founder worked in the wine trade before dabbling in quaint hickory-shafted clubs. Two decades later, the 58th PGA Merchandise Show was unrecognizable from that time when persimmon woods, bladed irons and wound balata golf balls dominated and graphite shafts were still a luxury item. But, fuelled by the Big Bertha legacy, the giant enterprise of Callaway Golf continues to lead the industry’s relentless pursuit of innovation, as shown by the luscious Lamborghini Sesto on display at their booth now boasting ten times more floor space than in 1991. All part of the Orlando razzmatazz, the supercar was also a slick reminder of the company’s joint R&D venture with the crack Italian engineers which has already yielded a fascinating new forged composite material benefiting both the car and the latest Callaway metalwoods. Having debuted in the Diablo Octane model at Munich last autumn, this lightweight, design-friendly derivative of conventional graphite [see Issue 99 for technical details] is also a crucial crown component in the company’s new RAZR Hawk metalwoods which, right on cue, Thomas Bjorn played to victory in Qatar the following week. Rivaling RAZR Hawk in the technical ‘space race’ are TaylorMade’s R11 metals with their adjustable sole plate system offering independent adjustment of face angle along with Flight Control and Moveable Weight

MARCH/APRIL 2011 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM 39

Have clubs TRAVEL ADVERTORIAL

Murcia may be booming with a number of new golf developments, but the daddy of them all, La Manga, remains the resort with the perfect mix of location, accommodation and facilities. Steve Muncey reports on this enduring classic, along with updates on the latest deals to be had at Celtic Manor and Aphrodite Hills

will travel

La Manga Club, Spain

The term “convenience” isn’t as squeaky clean as it used to be. Stores with this tag flog cider to our school children, flags with such a moniker adorn rusty hulks that spew filthy cargoes on to glittering reefs, and convenience food is, apparently, turning us all into Big Bobby-Joe from Indiana. But back in the 1970s “convenience” was the mantra of the masses. You’d stuff down your Vesta curry (after picking out the sultanas), shovel in your strawberry Angel Delight, then warm up for the evening ahead with a quick jam on your Stylophone after sprucing up your white suit with the K-tel Miracle Brush lint remover. No wonder, in 1970, an enterprising American by the name of Greg Peters came up with the then novel idea that is La Manga. This new resort would take away the stress of bouncing up and down dusty Spanish roads in an overstuffed hire car looking for a miniscule golf club entrance. His resort would contain great golf courses along with every conceivable amenity, in one neat 450-hectare packet. His vision was to build a range of accommodations, tennis courts, swimming pools, restaurants and two championship golf courses in close proximity – and, crucially, it was easily accessible from both Murcia (20 minutes) and Alicante (an hour) airports. Some 40 years on, La Manga is still a great golf destination, and that’s primarily because the convenience factor that made it such a hit back then still exists today. Also, it hasn’t stood still. Like the Porsche 911, Cliff Richard and Kerplunk, La Manga is an enduring classic because it has been honed and improved over time. What started out as a packet of Smash has become a Waitrose ready meal of Duck Confit with Roasted Potatoes. It really is that good. This resort is more polished, more complete and revamped in several key areas to ensure a gratifying experience for a wider spectrum of customers. One of these is the golf. It was always the South Course – host to numerous 40 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM MARCH/APRIL 2011

You’ll find 5* quality both on and off the golf course at La Manga

There are three courses at La Manga – all of them presented in championship order

European Tour events – that hogged the stage at La Manga, while the North and West courses were reduced to backing tracks. But since a serious overhaul a few years ago, the North has developed a voice all its own and, for some, it’s a tad more appealing. The two courses are similar in that they are flanked by private properties and both conclude next to the resort's hotel. They route through attractive strands of palm trees with lakes and large well-shaped bunkers. The North Course is slightly shorter than the South, but makes up for that with tighter fairways and larger, tiered greens, which really test your putting skills. The finishing holes on both the North and South courses are protected by ravines, the one on the South being particularly tough because it’s close to the green that’s closely guarded by bunkers. This is where Arnold Palmer made an astonishing eagle three to win the 1975 Spanish Open title. The West Course is a different package again. Opened in 1996, it is not a monster by today's standards at 6,500 yards, but it doesn’t need to be. Meandering through undulating forested hills, it’s thoroughly entertaining with lots of dog-legs, blind shots and lakes to negotiate. These wonderful courses are more than matched by the accommodation on offer, too. The Hotel La Manga Club – the Principe Felipe – is in many ways the ultimate golf hotel. It’s situated between North and South courses and the rooms have been refurbished to a level that would exceed most people’s expectations, with goose-down bedding, marble bathrooms, and private terraces. The rooms also boast lots of modern features such as Internet access, mini-bar, satellite television, climate control. La Manga Club – Las Lomas Village, meanwhile, is a welcome option for groups and families. This collection of studios, townhouses and apartments, available on either self-catering or bed and breakfast basis, has been positioned to resemble a traditional Spanish village. Close by are restaurants and shops and a superb Spa with

an indoor swimming pool. The tennis centre, football and cricket facilities are world-class. There’s also a private beach club, open in the summer months, which is accessed from the resort by private shuttle. The dining options are just as extensive. with over 20 bars and restaurants from which to choose, including the legendary Piano Bar – or head to the Gran Casino de Cartagena, which is only 20 minutes from the hotel. This astonishing array of facilities are a joy to explore and they all help to preserve La Manga’s status as one of the most desirable – and convenient – golfing destinations on the planet.

In love with Aphrodite

Some golf resorts are blessed with natural advantages, and Aphrodite Hills in Cyprus is one of them. Imagine if there was a huge shift in the Earth’s tectonic plates and Cornwall ended up sliding 500 miles to the south. Basically, you’d end up with a very hot and sunny island where the cars drove on the left, there was a handful of notable golf courses, some long sandy beaches, the odd British military base, and the people spoke almost fluent English. In essence, what you’d have is Cyprus, and for many people that’s what lies at the heart of this

MONTE DA QUINTA RESORT La Manga Las Lomas Murcia - Spain, £429

7 nightsʼ accommodation based on two sharing a twin room, including daily breakfast and 6 rounds of golf on the South, North and West Courses Valid: Mar 1 - Apr 24, 2011 Price based on group of 8

www.yourgolftravel.com /la-manga-las-lomas.html Hotel La Manga Club – Principe Felipe 5* Murcia - Spain, £339

4 nightsʼ accommodation based on two sharing a twin room, including daily breakfast and 3 rounds of golf on South, North and West Courses FREE buggies in April & May for GI readers Valid: April-July & Sept-Oct

Price based on a group of 8 www.longshotgolf.co.uk /la-manga.aspx

MARCH/APRIL 2011 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM 41

WORLD

NEWS

Time for Europeans to rekindle the Augusta magic

PERHAPS NOTHING EPITOMISED THE

first great rising of European golf a quarter of a century ago than success at Augusta. Even before the Ryder Cup started heading over this side of the Atlantic from 1985 onwards, there was Seve Ballesteros storming the great citadel of American golf and slipping into the mythical green jacket in both 1980 and ’83. Winning the Open at Lytham in ’79 was one thing, beating the Americans on their own soil quite another. What a dynasty was to follow: Bernhard Langer, Sandy Lyle, Nick Faldo, Ian Woosnam and Jose Maria Olazabal won the Masters on a further nine occasions. British cuisine dominated at the champions’ dinner for four consecutive years. A little bit of Georgia would always be a special part of the history of European golf. But now, the Masters is the only major not won by a European this millennium. Ollie’s second win in 1999 was the last success. The drought has not gone on as long as at the US Open, where last June Graeme McDowell followed Tony Jacklin after 40 years, or the USPGA, where in 2008 Padraig Harrington became the first winner in modern times. Yet it is the Masters that has a romance all of its own. The rite of spring enjoys a whole winter of anticipation and the glory of the National makes for the perfect setting. All those things still remain but for anyone who grew accustomed to the victories through the 1980s and 90s, something has been missing. Of course, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have waltzed off with seven jackets between them and Lee Westwood was only just pipped by some Mickelson magic from the trees at the 13th. Westwood became the new world No 1 and Martin Kaymer the No 2, relegating Woods to No 3 after the Middle East swing on the European Tour. In fact, Europeans

dominate the world rankings and that has not gone down well over the other side of the pond. The doubters might be able to dismiss the Ryder Cup, won only narrowly at Celtic Manor, but have they forgotten what happened in the majors last year? McDowell and Kaymer hold two of them and a European Tour player, Louis Oosthuizen, won a third. The only thing to do is to keep winning them and Augusta is not only the first opportunity but again represents a holy grail for the current European bunch. A word of warning. Although Westwood came so close last year, and Ian Poulter had his best finish with a tie for tenth place, the following missed the cut: Kaymer, McDowell, Paul Casey, Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald and Harrington. Also, Kaymer has never made the cut there in three attempts, McDowell has missed two out of three and both Casey and Donald had their best results at Augusta on their first appearances (the same applies to McIlroy but he has only played their twice, having finished joint 20th in 2009). The early season form, with two World Golf Championships and the Florida swing still to influence matters, has hardly been definitive. The outstanding performance –

42 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM MARCH/APRIL 2011

Europe has dominated before – and has the players to do so once again in the year's opening major

and may remain so for a regular tour event – was Kaymer’s superlative exhibition in Abu Dhabi, where he went round in level 66s, won by eight and had only one bogey. They said the course was harder this year, not to the German. When he is playing that well – and it was the first time he had picked up his clubs in anger since November – there looks little to go wrong and his temperament ideal for championship golf. “Hoganesque” they were calling it. Two tepid performances followed but here, surely, was a world No 1 in waiting. He just needs some tips from Langer about unlocking the secrets of Augusta. Westwood’s calf injury appears to have recovered but his relative lack of golf in the second half of last year prevented a quick start to this season. Do not worry. The plan all along is to ease his way up to Augusta and peak at the right time. No one has achieved this better than the man from Worksop in recent seasons. The difference with Kaymer, who has already broken his major duck and could have a decade or more at the top to come, is that Westwood cannot know how many more chances there will be. It goes without saying that his career deserves a biggie and he is ever more geared to obtaining it. Any of England’s other contenders could have a hot week and take the green jacket and it was important for Casey to get back to winning ways in Bahrain. McIlroy has more time on his side than anyone and he says a few changes have followed after reflecting on last year. His schedule will remain lighter than most others, so as to remain physically strong, but when he has weeks like Dubai, when he faded badly in the last quarter of the race, sometimes it might be better to chalk it up to experience and get on with the next week rather than brood on it too long. The good news for Mickelson has come

Volvo drives to the front

off the course, with his wife and mother responding well to treatment for breast cancer and his own arthritis problem sorting itself out. His year fizzled after Augusta and his early season appearances rarely mean much when the grander stages arrive. So Mickelson avoids the scrutiny that follows Woods everywhere. His first appearance of the year at Torrey Pines was lacklustre, his second in Dubai contained brilliance and woefulness in equal measure. He looked a man still fighting the changes he is making with new coach Sean Foley, and admitted how much work he still needed to do. But he resolutely believes it will all come together – how soon is the question? And that’s the long game – his short game has fallen apart in the mean time so that’s something else he needs to fix (along with his manners). It is often forgotten how much golf he has missed in the last few years, mostly by himself in refusing to up his schedule. Through his injuries and early in his return after the scandal last year, playing on familiar ground where he has had success in the past always helped. Fourth places at Augusta and Pebble Beach last year were extraordinary. But since Firestone last Augusta, his worst fourround effort as a professional, teeing it up on his favourite courses has not been any guarantee of success – he had never finished out of the top-ten at Torrey or the

Westwood and caddie Billy Foster know exactly what it takes to win at Augusta – Lefty showed them

The worldʼs economic problems may have delayed the endeavours of the European Tour to have its Race to Dubai begin and end in the same calendar year, but itʼs now on track for that to occur, beginning in 2012. And with it will come a new start to the season, the Volvo Golf Champions, which had its inaugural staging in something of a hybrid format in Bahrain in January, a tournament won by Paul Casey. Volvo used to host the Tourʼs season-ending tournament, usually at Valderrama. Now, in addition to tournaments in China in April and Spain in May, it (almost) has the season-opener. In future it will have it without that rider. Says Per Ericsson, president of Volvo Event Management – Golf: “We intended to be the opening event this season, but that couldnʼt work and in the end we helped out the tour by taking this date [thereby becoming the fourth tournament of 2011] and having a field of this size. But in future it will be a tournament of champions, the champions of 2011, to which we might add players who have won at least ten times on the European Tour. That is a very elite club in itself and I can tell you that when I mentioned it at the press conference, Monty was very happy!” The Swedish car giant has enjoyed a long association with both golf and the European Tour. “We started in 1988,” says Ericsson. “At that time we had the Volvo Tour, the whole show. But the reason we are in golf is that our customers play the game. We organise the Volvo Golf Challenge, which involves 60-70,000 amateur golfers competing around the world. What we are doing here is providing a tournament for the pros and on the Saturday, the third round, it all comes together when the winners of the amateur competition will play with the pros in the tournament – one amateur with two pros. The winning amateur can help the pros to win a car and we help them to fulfil a dream of being there on the 18th green of a golf tournament with a top-named player. We appreciate the help of the European Tour in making this happen, and I think itʼs because we have been there with them for so long that they were happy for us to do this.” So Bahrain has joined Abu Dhabi, Dubai and

Qatar in providing a desert haven for the European Tour. Why Bahrain? “Well,” admits Ericsson, “my first answer is usually ʻBecause of the weatherʼ, and then I got beaten up about that when it rained so heavily on the Wednesday morning. But we have to hold the event in January because it is going to be the season-opening event, and you canʼt play in Europe in that month. We had a few options of places we could go to which would be warm but here we liked the people in golf and the people at government level with whom we were dealing. And when you do a big event, and Volvo does a lot of them, the success of it basically comes down to the quality of the people youʼre dealing with. Plus, of course, there is a business angle with this, too, because the Middle East is an important market for Volvo.” From next season, although the format will have been modified, the amateurs will remain involved – “although I would guess that in future, with a more limited field, we would go for the first day rather than the third,” says Ericsson. Volvoʼs commitment to the Tour is a substantial one and the event may remain in Bahrain. “We like it here but obviously we have to evaluate the tournament after the first year,” explains Ericsson. “As for the dates, we are keen to avoid a clash with the season-opener on the PGA Tour in Hawaii because then we would both be going for the same major champions and so on. We are working towards that but it is not sorted out yet, although our hope is that we would be the week after them. But whatever, the whole point of the tournament is to be the first event each season on the European Tour. Being a tournament of champions, that makes sense.”

continued overleaf

MARCH/APRIL 2011 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM 43

JOHN HOPKINS

LAST SHOT

Hit by the full force of live television Golf writer on The Times for over 20 years, John Hopkins is a newspaper man through and through. The opportunity to join the Sky Sports’ golf panel provided a fascinating change of pace ewspapers or television? Where and how do you get your news, your golf scores, your football results? I am a newspaper junkie. I have newspaper ink on my fingers for much of each day of my life. If I do not have a newspaper to read at breakfast – any newspaper, any date – then my enjoyment of my breakfast is diminished. It is as if the coffee is cold. On the other hand, I know that some of you are television people. You own a home with two or three sets, unlike Laura Davies who has five in one room. It is more than an amusement; it is a source of information for which you pay a licence fee. It requires your presence in front of it. You cannot carry it around and read it in bed as you can a newspaper. Why does appearing on television attract a degree of awe, even in 2011? I ask because it happened to me the other day when I was invited to appear on Sky Sports’ The finest things in golf? Golf Night, covering the action from the PGA Tour, and the MY PERSONAL TOP 10 number of people who saw it 1. The spectator stands behind the 12th and commented on it far tee at Augusta National. exceeded the number of people 2. Big-headed drivers. who commented on anything I 3. Two-inch-long white wooden tees. wrote in The Times when I was 4. Standing on the 18th tee at Royal that paper’s golf correspondent. Porthcawl and playing into the setting My friends were typically blunt. sun so that the sea seems a “Far too much gesticulating” continuation of the hole. one wrote. “You looked like a 5. The 17th tee at Cypress Point. tic-tac man at a race course.” 6. The hut at Sunningdale. “Sit up straight, John” said 7. Crossing the railway line to enter another. “Too much slouching.” Aberdovey. A newspaper sells, say, 8. Golf Courses of the British Isles, by Bernard Darwin. 500,000 copies and parts of that 9. The 13th green on the old inward paper will be read by more than nine holes at Nefyn. one person. Even so, a newspa10. Herb Wind’s Story of American Golf per’s circulation rarely and Herb Wind’s work on golf. approaches TV viewing figures.

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More than eight million people watched the Wales v England game at the start of this year’s RBS Six Nations Championship. Is television accorded this reverence because it casts a longer footprint? “Lights! Camera! Quiet Please. Ten, nine, eight....” I fiddled with my ear piece, glanced at John Hawksworth, my fellow guest, and then turned to watch Robert Lee do his introductory piece to camera. I felt on edge without being uncomfortable. And when the two nightly sessions were over I removed my microphone, arose from the chair and stepped out of the studio with feelings that could be described as a mixture or fatigue and elation. Television does that to you. It makes you feel undeservedly self-important. We had talked for more than three hours each night, about cheating in golf, about Anthony Kim, about Padraig Harrington’s disqualification from the Abu Dhabi golf championship and whether it was too serious for his crime of not replacing his ball after he had accidentally moved it. It was, after all, a mistake that was noticeable on television but not to the naked eye. We touched briefly on Ian Poulter’s rule infringement in Dubai, the penalty that Brian Davis called on himself at the Verizon Heritage event on Hilton Head Island in the US last year, which he might otherwise have won. It is surprising how much you can get into a 2¾minute segment. That was good television; television doing what it does not often do and that is discuss current issues. On television you have to try very hard to make your point. A colleague said he made mental bullet points of the things he wanted to say and then reeled them off. You do not say “OK” or “right on” at all if possible. And then when that section of the interview or conversation is finished you have to quieten the siren voices in your mind that say ‘Why didn’t you put it this way?’ or ‘Why didn’t you say this?’ or ‘You idiot. You forget to mention such and such.’ In newspapers, you have a chance to chisel out a sentence, edit it, rewrite it and edit it again. Television does not offer the same luxury. You have one shot at it and you hope you say it clearly and concisely. If a caddie’s role is to turn up, stand up and shut up, the role of television pundit is to turn up, speak up and sit up. Occasional appearances on the radio had educated me to the 30/50-seconds sound bite. That means a well constructed answer, clear and well-spoken and preferably in short sentences with no ‘ums’ and ‘ers’ delivered in a time between a half minute and one minute. The same goes for television. There might be an understandable tendency to go on longer because you know that a camera is pointing at you, but forget it. If you don’t, the voice in your ear becomes more forceful. “Wrap it up please” or even “Wrap it up now.” There was little or no chance of forgetting the Andy Gray and Richard Keys remarks. I believe we were in a studio only a few feet away from the one used by Gray and Keays and the ripples following that incident were still being felt. “Best to think that the mike is on all the time you are in the studio,” Hawksworth whispered out of the corner of his voice as we sat down. Andy Warhol talked about everyone having 15 minutes of fame. To appear on television for three hours over two nights is rather more than 15 minutes and it generates the sort of feelings of presumptuousness that you have to fight against. I am a newspaper man through and through, though. Despite newspapers being tomorrow’s fish and chips wrappings, they are in my blood. I will always be a newspaper man. To me television is like sex – all the better for being infrequent.

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