Golf News August 2016 by Golf News

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WIN A GOLFBUDDY GPS SYSTEM USPGA REVIEW TYRRELL HATTON DENISE VAN OUTEN LATEST DRIVERS REVIEWED SARAH STIRK AT GLENEAGLES GARY EVANS TONY JOHNSTONE

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ISSUE 257 | AUGUST 2016

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NICK BAYLY

ROSE SETS THE NEW GOLD STANDARD

nyone who witnessed the final round in Rio, either in the flesh or on television, cannot have been left in any doubt as to how much being an Olympian meant to the competitors. Whether they finished last or, as in Justin Rose’s case, a brilliant first, every competitor gave it their all. Those that had bought into golf’s inclusion in the Games for the first time in over a hundred years, bought into it wholeheartedly and completely, and those that didn’t were left to stay at home and count their money. Golf’s return to the Olympics proved that despite all the cash that washes through the upper levels of professional sport, at its heart it’s an game that brings out the best of the best. After going head to head for five hours under the most intense pressure, Rose and silver medalist Henrik Stenson embraced on the 18th green, acknowledging each other’s part in an epic encounter that came close to matching the one played out between the Swede and Phil Mickelson at Royal Troon just four weeks earlier. The difference between the two events? One came away with a Claret Jug and over a million pounds in prize money, while the other left with a gold medal and a cracking story to tell the grandchildren. Ask how much each meant to the other, and they’ll give you the

same answer – everything. Let’s hope that when the IOC members sit down to discuss golf’s inclusion beyond Tokyo 2020, that they look back over the tapes of those final few hours and see the full grandstands, listen to the hysteria of the crowds – many of whom had clearly never watched a golf tournament in their lives – and register the players’ reaction to stepping up on the podium to collect their medals. While there are only positives to come out of the event, following months of negativity, it remains to be seen as to whether golf, specifically English golf, can capitalise on Rose’s triumph. With so many other sports competing for viewer’s attentions, especially on a day when Team GB seemed to be winning gold medals for fun, it is hard to imagine how many wannabe Justin Rose’s tuned into the action. But the very fact that we have an English Olympic golf champion will give all those youngsters out there practicing in clubs up and down the country something to aspire to. No longer do they have to limit their horizons to winning Majors and taking part in Ryder Cups. The Olympics raises golf’s bar still further, and who wouldn’t want to be able to call themselves an Olympic champion?

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PHOTOGRAPHY Getty Images PUBLISHED BY BlueGreen Media REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS Jeremy Ellwood, Sarah Stirk, Paul Mahoney, Clive Agran, Ross McGowan, Alistair Tait. © Copyright 2016. No part of this publication may be copied, photocopied or reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in anyway or means, either by recording or otherwise, without permission of the publishers in writing.

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NEWS | AUGUST 2016

[7]

WOOSIE HEADLINES STAR LINE UP AT HANBURY’S WILLOW CLASSIC

ormer Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam and 1989 European Tour Order of Merit Winner Ronan Rafferty will headline the field at the inaugural Willow Senior Golf Classic, which takes place at Hanbury Manor Marriott Hotel & Country Club from August 26-28. A new addition to the European Senior Tour calendar, the Willow Senior Golf Classic will be played in an Alliance format, with amateurs given the chance to play alongside top professionals in two pro-am rounds and also the three tournament days. “It’s an absolute privilege to have such great legends of the game coming to our course,” said Govert Deketh, General Manager at Hanbury Manor. “The field is incredibly strong, and it will be a delight for everyone involved to witness veterans of the game battle it out to be the first winner of the Willow Senior Golf Classic.”

Barry Lane, winner of the 1988 Scottish Open, Philip Golding, winner of the 2003 Open de France, and Mark James, who won on 18 occasions in 19 years on the European Tour, will also take to the Hertfordshire course. The Senior Tour has teamed up with national charity Willow, and all proceeds of the tournament will go to the charity, which provides Special Days for seriously ill young adults across the United Kingdom. “We hope to have a lot of support from spectators who want to come and see some great golf, whilst supporting a great cause,” said Deketh. “Willow is a brilliant charity, and any amount raised by the tournament will go a long way to providing special memories for seriously young adults and their loved ones during what is

WOOTTON AND ABLETT SHARE HONOURS AT HENLEY

the toughest time in their lives.” David MacLaren, head of the European Senior Tour, added: “We saw some fantastic golf played at the Senior Open Championship Presented by Rolex last month, and the Alliance format gives amateur golfers the chance to play alongside the best professionals on the European Senior Tour.” Tickets, which cost £11.50 per day, are available to purchase from the Senior Tour website, at www.europeantour.com.

GB&I RETAIN ST ANDREWS TROPHY

reat Britain and Ireland retained the St Andrews Trophy after finishing level at 12 ½-12 ½ against the Continent of Europe at the perfectly manicured, Princes Golf Club. Trailing their opponents 8-4 at the start of the second day, captain Craig Watson’s side won three of the morning foursomes matches and halved the other to reduce Europe’s lead to a single point at 8½ -7½ going into the afternoon’s singles. Ireland’s Stuart Grehan led from the first hole against Luca Cianchetti and was comfortable against the Italian for the duration, closing out

the match with a birdie on the 15th hole for a 4&3 win to put GB&I back on level terms at 8½ -8½. The 2016 Amateur Champion Scott Gregory edged GB&1 in front for the first time after beating Jereon Krietemeijer by two holes to make it 9½ -8½, only for the visitors to

take the lead again after a 2&1 win for Sweden’s Robin Petersson over Grant Forrest, followed by Stefano Mazzoli’s victory by one hole against Irishman Jack Hume. Europe’s lead was stretched to two points shortly after, when Frenchman Victor Veyret picked up three holes

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in a row from the 14th to seal a 3&2 success against Jamie Bower. Connor Syme and Matthias Schwab halved their match for a share of the spoils to leave the Continent of Europe needing only one point to win the match outright. However, Alfie Plant pulled a point back for GB&I with a 4&3 win over Mario Galiano and, after Robert MacIntyre and Guido Migliozzi halved their match, the destination of the trophy came down to the result between David Boote and Ivan Cantero Guiterrez. The Welshman retained his composure and secured a par on the 18th to beat the Spaniard by one hole, gaining the crucial point to secure a 12½-12½ final score and ensure that GB&I retained the St Andrews Trophy as holders.

A superb pair of 63s left Adam Wootton and James Ablett sharing the honours in the Henley Pro-Am. Three shots behind, despite an impressive score of 66, was Billy Hemstock, along with with Bearwood Lakes’ Martin Woodbridge, who also led his amateurs to victory in the team event. Reflecting on his 11th win of the season, Ablett commented: “The score was down to my putting, as I made three 25-footers and one outrageous 70-footer. Henley requires you to run some shots in and to take account of the slopes, which Adam and I obviously managed to do pretty well!”

TAKE THE BENROSS CHALLENGE AT GOODWOOD British equipment brand Benross is hosting a club testing day at Golf At Goodwood in West Sussex on August 26. Guests simply need to turn up at the club’s academy between 10am-3pm and bring their own set of clubs to test against the very latest Benross HTX range. All participants will receive a free double sleeve of Bridgestone balls, and will be entered into a prize draw to win £500. For more information, visit www.benrosschallenge.com.

BRAMSHAW BAGS GREEN JACKET Bramshaw won the Green Jackets Cup after defeating La Moye by a single point at Hockley. A total of 34 clubs from all over Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands took part in the inter-club knockout competition. The Bramshaw team comprised Billy Lightfoot, Ciaran Simpkin and Joe Buenfeld, who will go on to represent Hampshire Golf in the England Golf Junior Champion Club Tournament at Frilford Heath in Oxfordshire.

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AUGUST 2016 | NEWS

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SURREY GOLF PAYS TRIBUTE TO BILL TILLMAN AMERICAN GOLF OPENS SANDOWN STORE Equipment retailer American Golf has opened a new store at Sandown Park Golf Centre in Surrey. The store, which officially opened on August 21, is located next to driving range, which has recently be fitted out with two dedicated club fittings bays, so that customers can have their new equipment fitted on site. The new store offers all the latest models for

SHINKWIN SECURES TOUR FUTURE AFTER HOT SUMMER

the leading brands, with plenty of promotional offers in the first few months.

LUTZ COMPLETES SENIORS AMATEUR HAT-TRICK Chip Lutz won his third Seniors Amateur Championship when he holed a 25-foot birdie putt at the first hole of a sudden-death play-off at Formby Golf Club in Lancashire. In a thrilling finale, Lutz, fellow American Brady Exber and Scotland’s Graham Bell finished the 54 holes tied on a fourover-par total of 220. Lutz had shot 75, Exber 74 and Bell 73. The winner at Royal Portrush in 2011, and again at Machynys Peninsula in 2012, Lutz also won last year’s US Seniors Amateur Championship.

PORTER RETAINS GOODWOOD TITLE David Porter retained his status as Golf At Goodwood’s champion golfer after shooting rounds of 73 and 71 over the Downs Course to win by an impressive nine shots. The nett event

ertfordshire professional Callum Shinkwin got his career back on track with a string of strong performances over the summer, which resulted in him bagging his first appearance in a Major championship. The 23 year old from Moor Park secured his place in the Open Championship at Royal Troon after enjoying top-10 finishes at the French Open in Paris and the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart. The former Walker Cup player shot a final round 68 to finish tied ninth over the 2018 Ryder Cup course at Paris National and book his place at Troon, where he missed the cut by just three shots after shooting rounds of 73 and 76. “To be honest, I wasn’t really thinking about qualifying for The Open, as my first task was to keep my European Tour card,” said Shinkwin, whose big payday in Paris, and his eighth-place finish at the following week’s Scottish Open, have taken him to 69th in the Race to Dubai rankings. He added: “I’d always wanted to play in The Open, but it wasn't on my mind, because I didn't go to final qualifying, but in the end that probably helped me. I’ve watched it almost every year since I was a kid, so to finally play in it was a dream come true.” After promotion from the Challenge Tour at the end of last season, Shinkwin had enjoyed a smooth

transition into the upper ranks on the European Tour, making 10 out of 13 cuts. And after picking up €74,000 in Paris, and €91,000 at Castle Stuart, the Bushey-based youngster can now set his sights firmly on bagging a top-60 place on the money list, which will secure him a slot in the lucrative Final Series events at the end of the season. Shinkwin credits much of his recent improvement to advice he received from tour coach Pete Cowen, whom he met while competing at the BMW International in Germany. He admitted: "During my Tuesday practice round in Germany I played nine holes and lost five balls, so I took myself off the course and went to the driving range, where Pete gave me a few bits to work on. I played OK in the first two rounds, but then played exceptionally at the weekend.” Shinkwin led the field for greens in regulation in Paris, and the powerful golfer's form over the weekend saw him surge up the leaderboard at the demanding Le Golf National course. He said: "I hit 13 fairways out of 14, and 15 greens out of 18 on the last two days. My short game was also good, and although I missed some chances on the greens, they didn't miss by much.” Shinkwin added: " I know that my game is good enough. I've just got to remain patient and keep practicing hard."

■ BILL TILLMAN PICTURED PRESENTING THE 2015 TILLMAN TROPHY TO WINNER WILLIAM WHITEOAK

he death has been announced of Bill Tillman, vice-president of Surrey County Golf, Surrey captain from 1965-1968, and Surrey Seniors Champion in 1991. As a member of the English Golf Union championship committee, Tillman bid to introduce the larger 1.68 diameter American size golf ball into the amateur game. He felt that to compete against American players on level terms, use of the bigger ball was necessary. In order to encourage amateurs to use the larger ball, he began his own tournament, the Tillman Trophy, in 1980, where everyone had to play with the American ball. Within three years, the Royal and Ancient had outlawed the smaller 1.62 ball in amateur play and this proved a turning-point in British fortunes in top amateur competition, paving the way for a first Walker Cup win on American soil in 1989. The Tillman Trophy has since been won by a host of leading professionals, including Ernie Els, Peter Baker and Ross Fisher. This year’s tournament was held at East Sussex National Golf Club, where Hampshire’s Bill McKenzie took the title by five shots, after negotiating his way around the wet and windy East Course in an impressive 13 under par. Following Tillman's death just week’s before the tournament, the winner’s trophy was presented by his son, Adam, who also took part in the event.

was only a slightly more competitive affair, with Simon Spicer shooting nett rounds of 62 and 77 to win by four shots from Oliver Hamlett. The wiiner was cut by six shots for the second round, after shooting a gross 78 off a 16 handicap in the first.

YOUNG WINS KENT JUNIOR TITLE George Young made the most of home advantage to win the Kent Junior Championships held over West Malling's Spitfire course. The youngster posted a 36-hole gross total of 142 to hold off the challenges of Richard Cheetham (Chart Hills) 143, and Jacob Hassan (Royal Blackheath) 144. The club championship was won by Royal Blackheath. The handicap award went to Henry Warnock-Thompson (Littlestone) on one under par, while the Handicap Championship saw Ben Robertson (Chestfield) return an impressive nett 57 off a 21 handicap.

CALLAWAY AND RICE SHARE STONEHAM SPOILS David Callaway (Burhill) and Matt Rice (Purley Downs) tied the Stoneham Pro-Am after shooting matching fiveunder-par 67s. They edged Chris Gane and local hero Richard Bland, who tied third with 68s. Both winners picked up cheques for £1,200.

HORSHAM GOLF & FITNESS OPENS NEW PAR-THREE COURSE

new nine-hole course aimed at golfers new and old has opened at Horsham Golf & Fitness in West Sussex. The new 959-yard Firs Course, which officially opened on August 1, has been built on part of the club’s original nine-hole layout, which has now been relocated to form part of the new 18-hole Oaks Course, which opened this spring. A significant amount of earth remodeling has resulted in a heavily contoured course that offers plenty of natural drainage, while the greens have been constructed to USGA specifications to ensure year-round playability. The par-three holes, which vary between 65 yards and 160 yards, place demands on precise shot making, with the course featuring significant elevation changes. The Firs course runs alongside a new short game practice area, which features two USGA-specification greens and a practice bunker. Full members can play the Firs at no extra charge, although a new Firs-only membership is being launched. The adult 9-hole green fee is £7 on weekdays, £8 at weekends, and £5 after 4pm. Juniors pay £5 at all times, although just £4 if playing with an adult. Chris Purton, Director of Golf at Horsham Golf & Fitness, said: “The Firs course will be used for many of our 'Get in to Golf' activities, including Junior Golf, Beginner Golf and others – all of which are targeted at growing the game. Together with the new short

OLYMPIC GOLF GOLD MEDAL TO BE SOLD game area, the Firs is ideal for players of all skill levels, especially those looking to sharper up their short game. It’s also perfect for those wanting a quick golfing fix without carrying a full bag, as nine holes can be played in around an hour.” Last month saw the course stage its first official tournament, when schoolchildren from the local area took part in the final of the ‘Fairways to Horsham’ competition organised by the MY Golf Academy, which was attended by European Tour star Nick Dougherty (pictured above). Dougherty, a three-time tour winner and an ambassador for the Sky Academy, offered a few tips to the children before play got under way, and walked the course to offer encouragement to the youngsters, many of whom had only played the TriGolf or the GolfParc version of the game. A total of 18 schools took part, with the Year 3 team from Leechpool Primary School in Horsham taking the title.

Among the star lots at Christie’s ‘Out of the Ordinary’ sale this Sptember will be the gold medal won by American amateur Robert E. Hunter at the 1904 Games – the last time the golf tournament was staged. Hunter, who finished 14th in the stroke play round, was part of a 10-man squad from America’s Western Golf Association which won the team event. With the auction catalogue giving it a guide price of £20,000-30,000, the 14 carat gold medal was presented at one of only two Olympics in which the winners were presented with solid gold medals, making it particularly rare. In addition to the gold medal awarded to Hunter, only two other team gold medals for golf are known to exist. The medal will be on view to the public in a five-week summer exhibition at Christie’s South Kensington from August 6, and up until the evening of the auction on September 14.

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[10] AUGUST 2016 | NEWS

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BEEFY BUTS WARNE IN A SPIN AT MANNINGS HEATH C JONES WINS IN WALES Colin Jones from West Sussex Golf Club won the Welsh Senior Amateur Championship after shooting rounds of 72, 68 and 69 for an impressive one under par total of 209 at Aberdovey Golf Club. He finished two shots clear of Nigel Evans (St Mellons), with Nick Grimitt (Wenvoe Castle) and Paul Bloomfield (Kingsdown) a further four shots back in tied third.

SIMPSON SEALS SUSSEX U13 TITLE Alfie Simpson won the Sussex U13 Championship after scoring 41 Stableford points at Lindfield Golf Club. The Goodwood player finished three shots ahead of runner up Ryan Chilton (Cottesmore), with Joseph Western (ESN)

ricket legends Ian Botham and Shane Warne swung by Mannings Heath Golf Club in West Sussex last month as part of a whistle-stop charity tour of the English cricket counties. Former England captain Sir Ian and Australian spinner Warne took on the tenth hole of Horsham-based club’s Waterfall course in aid of Beefy’s Charity Foundation. Around 80 spectators watched the cricketing icons during part of their attempt to play one hole in each of the first-class 18 cricketing counties across the UK in a 24hour period. The pair arrived by helicopter just after 2pm, and played the tricky dwonhill par three in front of a crowd of club members, with Warne in his usual chirpy spirits despite being six holes down upon arrival. Sky Sports

cameras were on hand to capture all the action on the day, while spectators enjoyed a glass of fine wine from course sponsors Benguela Cove vineyard, while watching the two players as they raced against the clock in aid of charity. Botham, who revealed he had played the Waterfall Course before in a charity day year ago, said: "It's fantastic, we have had great reception all the way around. The public have been brilliant, as they always are in supporting us and helping us to achieve out goal of making as much money as we can. He added: "I am winning. Winning is important, especially when playing Warney. He's Australian and I’m English, so there is no such thing as a friendly.” The duo travelled the country in two helicopters, beginning the

challenge in County Durham at 6am and finishing at The Belfry shortly after 10pm. Mannings Heath general manager Adam Streeter said: "It was spectacular to have Sir Ian and Shane here. It sounded more like an adventure than a round of golf to be tackling 18 different counties around the UK, but it was a honour to host them both at Mannings Heath, and we look forward to them perhaps coming back to play the other 17 holes on the Waterfall Course in the future.” The cricketing pair also dropped in at Wentworth on their travels, where they played the first hole of the Edinburgh Course, and the 18th hole at Boundary Lakes Golf Course in Southampton, located next to Hampshire Cricket Club’s ground, which is due to officially open next year.

taking third place on countback. The best gross score was achieved by Pyecombe’s Alfie Robinson with 30 points.

GRIFFITHS OFF THE MARK AT BERKHAMSTED Former European Tour player David Griffiths produced a classy display to win the Berkhamsted Pro-Am by two shots. The West Herts pro recorded his first win of the season with a three-under-par 68, which featured four birdies. There was a three-way tie for second place, with Jack Frances (Old Fold Manor), James Scade (Ingrebourne Links) and Peter Cherry (Ashridge) all shooting 70.

■ WARNE AND BOTHAM ENJOYED A LIGHT REFRESHMENT WITH MANNINGS HEATH’S GENERAL MANAGER ADAM STREETER BEFORE TEEING OFF AT THE PAR-THREE 10TH

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■ WELWYN GARDEN CITY IS TO INVEST ITS £70,000 SPORT ENGLAND GRANT ON NEW PRATICE FACILITIES

HERTS CLUBS RECEIVE SPORT ENGLAND GRANTS

wo Hertfordshire golf clubs are receiving nearly £150,000 between them to spend on refurbishments and improvements, thanks to grants from Sport England. Harpenden Golf Club has been awarded £75,000, while Welwyn Garden City Golf Club is receiving more than £70,000. Harpenden will be using the money to extend its clubhouse and provide new disability access. A spokesman said it ‘will bring the club up to date’, covering the cost of repairs to the roof and leaking windows and allow proper insulation to be fitted to make the club more energy efficient. Welwyn Garden City Golf Club will install three new astroturf greens on the club’s existing practice ground and a cover over the existing practice tee in September. The former will provide targets for members using the facility in its current format, but will also be utilised as a

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NEWS | AUGUST 2016

[11]

BARNES LANDS PGA SURREY OPEN TITLE

hile all those around him were losing theirs, Lee-on-the-Solent’s Jon Barnes kept a cool head to claim victory after a play-off in the PGA Surrey Open Championship at Kingswood Golf Club. Former PGA Cup player Barnes showed why he has won the PGA in Hampshire Order of Merit nine times, shooting a bogey-free final round of twounder-par 70 when most weren’t equalling par. Barnes walked away with a winner’s cheque for £2,000, while runner up Lea Cooper (Tilgate Forest) picked up £1,285. The pair edged out the 143s of Alan Lovelace (Farnham), James Sharp (Waterhall) and Craig Cowper. Shooting a two-under-par 142, 45-year-old Barnes was delighted to become the new PGA Surrey Open champion. Holding the magnificent silver trophy,

STALKER SECURES SUSSEX VETS A field of 42 players took part in the he said: “I didn’t think two-under would be in the frame. In the play-off, it was a shame Lea’s drive finished where it did, but it was great to win, and I’m looking forward to the remaining Virgin Atlantic PGA South Order of Merit events. I’d also like to thank Golf Pride for offering to re-grip all the competitors’ clubs.”

2016 Sussex Veterans Championship at Piltdown Golf Club on July 28, where five-handicapper Malcome Stalker (The Dyke) took the spoils with a one-overpar 73. He finished two shots ahead of fellow Dyke member Neville Hudson, with Keith Burton (Copthorne) in third.

short par three course when club professional Stuart Mason and his team are giving group lessons to beginners and juniors. Access to the area will also be improved. Welwyn Garden City captain Tony Smith said: “It’s fantastic news for the club and the wider community as a whole. Over the last few years the club has spent a good deal of time and effort endeavouring to attract new members, and we see the development of our practice ground as the latest step in this process. However, it’s also important on another level, because it will also enable the club to reach out into the local community, and that is something we’re all very keen to do.” Sport England property director Charles Johnston said: “Since 2011 we’ve invested £102 million into more than 1,920 projects to improve and refurbish sports clubs and transform non-sporting venues into vibrant community sports clubs. It’s great to see Welwyn Garden City and Harpenden join the long list of successful clubs to benefit from this fund.”

HIGGINS TAKES ROUTE 66 TO LAND TITLEIST & FOOTJOY CHAMPIONSHIP

reland’s David Higgins withstood the charging Andy Raitt to run out a convincing winner of the Titleist & FootJoy PGA Professional Championship at The Oxfordshire. The Waterville Links pro from County Kerry carded his second 66 of the week to post a 15-under-par total of 273 and three-stroke victory over Raitt, who fired a 67. Higgins admitted to a few nerves, but any jitters were alleviated by a devastating burst of birdies around the

turn, with gains at 10, 12, 13 and 14 helping him to a six-under-par final round. Higgins, who pocketed a cheque for £10,000 and the use of a Peugeot 308 GT for a year, rated his triumph as one of the best his career, and he gave himself a pat on the back for the way he

handled the pressure. “I’m delighted, because I was very nervous, it’s been a while since I’ve been in a tournament this big, so to come out on the right end is great,” he said. “It must have been 12 or 14 years or something since I won something like this, so you have to enjoy these. They don’t come along very often, and I will enjoy it." An absorbing final round of the £78,000

event saw several players in contention at various stages, but it was Raitt who was to emerge as Higgins’s most serious rival. And the St George’s Hill pro must have fancied his chances after birdieing the 10th and eagling the 11th for the third time in the week. However, when he checked the leaderboard on 17, he was left to rue a second round 77, which included a quadruple bogey on the ninth where he lost two balls off the tee. Raitt had the consolation of qualifying for the end of season PGA Play-Offs at Saunton in October.

HARRINGTON IN THE MONEY AT INGREBOURNE Rochford Hundred assistant pro Fred Harrington won the Ingrebourne Valley Par 3 Championship after winning a three-way play-off against Ian Campbell (Cheshunt Park) and David Salisbury (Three Rivers). The trio all tied at fourunder-par after 18 holes, one clear of former European Tour player Paul Curry.

ONWARD KRISTIAN SOLDIERS Kristian Tannum-Donaldson shot rounds of 75 and 68 at The Buckinghamshire to win the BB&O Junior Championship. Making the most of home club advantage, the winner finished one shot ahead of Michael East (Burnham Beeches), with Gregor McKenzie (Kirtlington) producing rounds of 74 and 72 to finish third on countback from Sebastian Tannum-Donaldson.

[12] AUGUST 2016 | WOMEN’S BRITISH OPEN REVIEW

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

■ ARIYA JUTANUGARN CELEBRATES HER FIRST MAJOR VICTORY

JOY FOR JUTANUGARN

History was made at the RICOH WOMEN’S BRITISH OPEN held at Woburn, when ARIYA JUTANUGARN claimed a first Major title for a Thai player

then made a cracking birdie putt of around 20 feet, which slid from left to right, at the difficult par-3 17th. A simple par on the last proved enough to secure a comfortable win and, afterwards, Jutanugarn said: “I felt really stressed because I missed a lot of birdie putts. I just wanted to make one. My goal was to win a Major, so I hope I can inspire some players in Thailand.” A phenomenal natural talent, Jutanugarn showed huge promise from an early age. She first won on the Ladies European Tour as a 17-year-old rookie at the 2013 Lalla Meryem Cup. At that stage, she looked ready to conquer the world, but a freak injury to her right shoulder when she stumbled off a tee box during the LPGA Championship, meant that she couldn’t touch a club for eight months. When she returned, she wasn’t the same player and had to make some major adjustments to her swing. Now in her fourth year as a pro, she learned from the experience of letting the ANA Inspiration title slip away in April, and went on to capture three straight titles on the LPGA in May. With her first Major victory, worth £310,838, she moved up to second in the world rankings behind Lydia Ko, who finished a lacklustre 40th on one under par. Playing just a few minutes ahead of Jutanugarn, Scotland’s Catriona Matthew faded away from the leading pack on the final day. The 46-year-old, who had begun the round in fourth, briefly threatened to charge up the leaderboard after shooting two early birdies, but her flame flickered only briefly as five bogeys put an end to her hopes of a second Open victory. “I am disappointed, but it was great fun playing in front of the crowd and being in the last groups,” said Matthew, who finished tied for fifth. “It was a great field, so top five is good stuff. Hopefully I can carry it on for a few more weeks.” Home favourite Charley Hull fell out of contention after a disappointing three-over-par 75 on Saturday,

■ FANS TURNED OUT IN FORCE TO WATCH THE ACTION AT WOBURN

riya Jutanugarn etched her name into the record books on the Marquess’ Course at Woburn after becoming the first player from Thailand to capture a major championship. With rounds of 65, 69, 66 and 72, the 20 year old from Bangkok ended on a total of 16 under par, to finish three shots ahead of South Korean Mirim Lee and the 2014 champion, America’s Mo Martin. Another former champion, Stacy Lewis, finished fourth, with Catriona Matthew, the leading Briton, in a tie for fifth with South Korea’s Ha-Na Jang and Australian Karrie Webb. The fair weather continued for the final round of the Ricoh Women’s British Open, which was played under sunny skies and attracted huge crowds, with more than 54,000 spectators attending over the championship week – once again proving the

■ CHARLEY HULL FELT THE PRESSURE OF BEING THE HOME FAVOURITE, BUT RESPONDED WELL TO FINISH TIED 17TH

popularity of UK-based golf events. Jutanugarn, who played the entire tournament without a driver in her bag – but with a little smile on her face as part of a bizarre pre-shot routine – began the final round with a two-stroke lead over Lee, and it looked set to become a procession after she increased her advantage to six in as many holes. However, things became interesting down the stretch, as her lead was cut to a single stroke. Jutanugarn was in cruise control until she dropped a shot after finding sand on the ninth, yet after a tidy front nine of 35, she was still four ahead of Martin, who hit the turn in 34. Lee, who opened the championship with a recordequalling 62, made an unimpressive start with three bogeys over her first nine, but hit back with three straight birdies from the 10th, narrowing the gap to three strokes. When Jutanugarn overhit her approach to the 13th, and sent her chip ran back across the green, another chip and two putts for a double bogey saw her lead cut to one. Suddenly back into serious contention, Lee’s drive on the 16th crashed into the trees, but both players escaped with pars. Jutanugarn

hit five birdies on the first six holes in her final round, but a double bogey on the 13th killed her momentum, and she finished the tournament 11 shots off the lead. As she was playing at her home club, all eyes were on the 20 year old throughout the week. Hull had admitted to feeling nervous in her early rounds, but insisted the added pressure did not hold her back. “It was brilliant,” she said. “I’ve enjoyed the whole week. Today I played great, apart from the last six holes, but I feel like my game is in good shape.”

RICOH WOMEN’S BRITISH OPEN FINAL LEADERBOARD Pos Player 1 A Jutanugarn 2= M Martin 2= M Lee 4 S Lewis 5= H Na Jang 5= K Webb 5= C Matthew 8= S Yeon Ryu 8= I Gee Chun 8= L Thompson

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[14] AUGUST 2016 | NEWS

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

MOULAND STRIKES AGAIN AT FARMFOODS PAR 3 CHAMPS

M KEMP CLAIMS BB&O CHAMPS Woburn’s John Kemp (Woburn) shot rounds of 70, 75, 75 and 69 to win the BB&O Amateur Championship by two shots. Going in to the final round at The Oxfordshire, Tom Butterworth (Harewood Downs) was leading, but he undid all his earlier good work with a closing 77, while the Castle Royle pairing of Tim Shin and George Gardner moved into the minor placings with final rounds of 69 and 73 respectively.

DANIELS’ DELIGHT AT HERTS BOYS CHAMPS Essendon’s Danny Daniels won the Herts Boys Championship after shooting an impressive 36-hole gross score of 135 (-3) at Mid Herts. Rounds of 67 and 68 saw last year’s runner-up go one better, finishing seven shots clear of Jack Slater (Letchworth), while 13-year-old Max Hopkins finished third after two rounds of 71. That was good enough to claim the Malcolm Reid Trophy for the best U16 score in the Boys Championship. Bishops Stortford, represented by Hopkins, Adam Crowther and Matthew Green, won the boys’ team championship.

GOUGH PICKED FOR ITALIAN JOB Thirteen-year-old Conor Gough from Stoke Park has been selected for the four-strong team representing England in the Italian U16 boys’ international championship at Biella Golf Club from 30 August to 1 September. Gough, who is the reigning British U14 Boys champion, will be joined by Barclay Brown, James Cooper and Hugo Kedzlie.

ark Mouland became the first player to win the Farmfoods British Par 3 Championship twice, after romping to a six-stroke victory in the 2016 renewal to back up his victory in 2008. The 56-year-old Welshman went twice around Nailcote Hall’s challenging 9-hole layout in 53 shots for an 11-under-par total, six shots clear of Richard O'Hanlon, with Australia’s Mike Harwood a further stroke back in third. Mouland, who broke the Cromwell Course record in the first round with a 10-under-par 44, picked up a cheque for €50,000 as part of an overall prize fund of €150,000. Before accepting his award from tournament host Tony Jacklin, Mouland said: “It went right down to the wire – the gap between us was only two shots with three holes to play, but I thought I might just do it when I hit the green on the 17th. Richard had hit it long and he dropped three shots while I picked up one so that made the

difference. But the score doesn’t reflect how close it was, it was really neck and neck for most of the round and it’s that excitement, that unpredictability,that keeps us coming back for more.” Victory for Mouland was particularly sweet, as it was his father, Sid Mouland, who helped owner Rick Cressman to design the Cromwell course and bring the championship to Nailcote Hall. Other leading scores among the top players included Peter Baker on -3, while Jason Timmis, Phil Golding, and newly-crowned Senior Open champion Paul Boradurst all finished on two under. Elsewhere, in a nail-biting finish to the Super Seniors competition, Carl Mason won for the fourth

year in a row, finishing on two over par after sinking a hole-in-one in Wednesday’s first round, and taking home a cheque for €5,000. Mason beat Costantino Rocca into second place, despite the Italian also managing a hole-in-one with his first shot of the day. In the Norma C Herd Silver Salver competition, Ricky Sturrock and Strictly Come Dancing favourite James Jordan won a Silver Salver each, both finishing on one over, well ahead of third place Steve Wright on +7. In the team competition, Harwood teamed up with Nigel Mansell and Peter Odemwingie to take the title ahead of Mouland and his partner Ian Halliwell, beating them on the back nine in a tight battle that saw both teams finish on 12 under. Aston Villa European Cupwinning striker Peter Withe won the final day’s Celeb Am, pipping James Jordan to the title on countback, after both players finished on two over par.

CROWN GOLF OFFERS FREE CLUB HIRE

he UK’s largest golf club operator, Crown Golf, has dropped its fees to hire out golf equipment at its 22 venues in a bid to attract as many newcomers as possible to the sport, and also to entice lapsed players back to golf. The free club hire deal, which began on August 3, also includes three golf balls, a pitch mark repairer, and some tees – although they won’t be asking for the balls back if you lose them. And to make getting back into the game even easier, many Crown Golf venues will not insist that players have to wear traditional golf shoes, providing they are wearing trainers or smart sports shoes. For details and the location of Crown Golf’s courses, which include, including Addington Court, Pine Ridge, Chesfield Downs, Hampton Court Palace and Merrist Wood, visit www.crown-golf.co.uk/freeclubs

HUNTERCOMBE PLANS HOUSES TO FUND RENOVATIONS

untercombe Golf Club in Oxfordshire is the latest golf club to apply to build houses on its land in order to fund improvements to its facilities. The venue has applied for planning permission to build eight homes, two of which will be used to house golf club staff. Huntercombe wants to demolish two existing properties that house members of staff, on a 0.59-hectare piece of land, to make way for the development of two-, three- and four-bedroom properties. In an outline application to South Oxfordshire District Council, the club says two of the new houses would be retained for staff and the other six would be sold on the open market. The funds generated from the sale would be used to modernise the clubhouse, bunker renovation, rebuilding of tees, upgrading practice facilities, enlarging the pro shop, creating more buggy storage and upgrading the irrigation system. The planning application stated: “Like many golf clubs, Huntercombe’s revenue streams have been adversely affected by the downturn in the economy in recent years and by increased competition in the leisure market. The club’s board of directors is seeking to remedy the situation by improving the club’s facilities and consequently broadening its appeal as a golf course.”

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COMPETITION | AUGUST 2016

[15]

GOLFBUDDY GPS UNITS AND LASER RANGEFINDER UP FOR GRABS! GolfNews has teamed up with GolfBuddy to offer readers the chance to win one of three of its amazing new GPS and laser rangefinders. We have two compact GolfBuddy CT2 GPS (worth £129.99 each) devices to give away, plus the brand’s very latest laser rangefinder, the GolfBuddy LR5 (worth £219.99) GOLFBUDDY LR5 For those golfers who like instant accuracy to any point on any hole, GolfBuddy’s new LR5 laser is a must-have. The LR5 has three modes (scan, pin and normal), is ergonomically designed to fit comfortably in one hand, and delivers precise distances in less than a second by pressing just one button. It’s fast, accurate, simple and devastatingly effective. 'Scan' provides a continuous 10-second display of all objects located; 'Pin' homes in on the flag and factors out background noise from trees etc, to give precise readings; and 'Standard' provides a single distance to any chosen target from flag to dogleg point or hazard edge. Featuring a multi-coated lens offering x6 magnification, it offers eyepiece focus adjustment, and is accurate to a yard from up to 880 yards. All this is finished off in an eye-catching new grey and blue casing, with smart metallic detailing and edging to the lens casings, eyepiece and all buttons.

GOLFBUDDY CT2 GPS For those players who want simple distances in an easy-tooperate package then the CT2 is just for you. Measuring just 2.2 x 1.7 inches, the CT2 is GolfBuddy’s smallest ever GPS device, and is slim enough to slip into a pocket, as well as clip on to a towel ring, belt or golf bag. It comes with 38,000 pre-loaded courses and is packed with features, including distances to front/centre/back of the green; distances to hazards; dynamic green view with pin placement; a digital scorecard; automatic course/hole recognition; clock; GPS tracking, and an odometer. Its battery offers up to 18 hours continuous use, and it is available in white/blue or white/green. GolfBuddy maps courses on foot to create extremely accurate maps and distance readings. All its full worldwide courses are available free of charge forever, on any GPS unit, with no expensive annual subscriptions to pay.

COMPETITION ENTRY To be in with a chance of winning a GolfBuddy CT2 GPS or the GolfBuddy LR5 rangefinder, simply answer the question below, and email your answer, together with your name, address, contact telephone number, to: info@golfnews.co.uk, with ‘GolfBuddy Competition’ in the subject line. The winners will be drawn from the correct entries received by September 30, 2016. Usual competition entry rules apply.

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[16] AUGUST 2016 | INTERVIEW

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

■ GLORY DAYS: EVANS CAME WITHIN A SHOT OF MAKING THE PLAY-OFF AT THE OPEN AT MUIRFIELD IN 2002

EVANS SETS HIS SIGHTS ON

NEW GOLFING ADVENTURE After competing on the European Tour for 15 years, GARY EVANS is putting his in-depth knowledge of the game to use after setting up a consultancy that offers advice to businesses and brands looking for routes into the golf market. He also enjoys a bit of banter on Twitter...

t’s been 10 years since you retired from professional golf. How much do you miss it and what have you been doing since then? As much as I loved playing and practising, I was eventually worn down by a series of injuries, first to my shoulder, and then my groin. I was just fed up with trying to stay fit in order to play to the level that I knew that I could. I still love playing golf, just not professionally. I’ve dabbled in a few things since then, including player management, but have recently set up a new company, Iconic Golf Group, which acts as a consultancy to premium brands that are looking at getting into golf, or in some cases, are already involved in the game. What brands are you currently working with? It’s early days still, but we’re currently working with Leica, a German camera company that has a strong heritage in high quality optics, which is looking to expand its market share in the laser rangefinder market. They use the very best materials and manufacturing techiques to produce premium products. They have a sports ■ LEE SLATTERY IS ONE OF THE FIRST PROS TO USE A LEICA RANGEFINDER

division, Leica Sport Optics, which produces Pinmaster rangefinders. We’re looking to build a network of stockists throughout the UK and USA. We’ve currently got Lee Slattery using one on the European Tour, and he absolutely loves it. They’re not cheap – they retail for around £400 – but they are truly top quality products. Leica has its own state-of-theart factory in Germany and it has complete control of the quality process. Do you see a time when all pros will be able to use rangefinders in competition? I don’t see why not. They’re already in use on the EuroPro Tour and the European Senior Tour, where the yardage charts for the courses they play are not always that detailed. There was the feeling early on that rangefinders were only for good players who knew exactly how far they hit each club, but the growth of the GPS market shows that having correct yardages – whether it be to pins, bunkers, water, or whatever – is very useful information to have. Using them has also been shown to speed up the game, which

would help players at all levels of the sport right now. The ability to judge distances is not an inherent golfing skill – swinging a club is. Which other brands have you been working with? I’ve had an association with Hugo Boss for 24 years, as a player, a corporate entertainer, and, for the past few years, have consulted on its global sponsorship platform. The brand has a clear philosophy – they want to offer the very best for the very best – that’s why they work with players like Henrik Stenson and Martin Kaymer. Not a bad summer for the brand then? Henrik is the poster boy for Hugo Boss in golf. He has always worn their clothes and he is a wonderful ambassador for the brand. I was so thrilled that he won The Open. He was thoroughly deserving of it, and it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. Apart from Henrik, Alex Noren, who won the Scottish Open last month, is also a Hugo Boss man. He’s the kind of good-looking, clean-cut sort of player that fits the brand well. Same goes for Martin [Kaymer], and then are other players such as ByeongHun An, who won the BMW PGA Championship last year, who represent the brand in the Far East. Can we expect to see a lot more players wearing Boss on tour in the future? Not really. It’s not interested in flooding the market, or sponsoring 30-40 players. They’re not looking to compete with Nike or FootJoy

GARY EVANS’

TOP TWEETS ON THE IMPACT OF TIGER WOODS… Tiger is a once in a lifetime deal and every pro golfer owes him a thank you for putting money in their pockets

ON RICKIE FOWLER’S HAIRCUT… Hey @RickieFowler who is your hairdresser? He needs a new job and you need a mirror

ON EQUIPMENT SPONSORSHIP DEALS… I can safely say that I never prostituted myself for the sake of a cheque. I always played what I thought was the best equipment.

ON RORY MCILROY’S PUTTING STROKE… It's been like that for ages! I can't believe nobody has noticed that until now. It's horrific.

ON THE IDEA OF INTRODUCING NEW TOURNAMENT FORMATS… Golf must embrace six-hole events, says European Tour chief executive. Really Mr Pelley? Follow Gary Evans @garyevansgolf

or what have you. They are interested in having a dozen or so marque players across various tours around the world that fit into their idea of what a Hugo Boss player should be. It’s never going to be mass market. Talking of The Open, how often are you reminded about the final round at Muirfield in 2002, when you famously lost your ball on the 17th? More than I care to remember. With all the cameras, ball spotters and shot tracers around these days, it’s pretty rare for a pro to lose a ball on a golf course, but it was a slightly different story 15 years ago. Incredibly, I did find a Titleist Pro V1x in roughly the same spot as where mine came down, only it didn’t have my markings on. It was the same number, a 2, but it wasn’t my ball. What are the odds? How do you look back at your career? It was disappointing not to have won. I was certainly good enough, but it just didn’t happen. When I first came out on Tour, I broke my wrist and had three different specialists tell me I had tendonitis, but I actually played for two years with a broken wrist. I had surgery and spent the next four years in the wilderness trying to build a swing around a new grip. You could say that my original natural talent was taken away, but I managed to find a way to play with the grip I had. This game is all about confidence. When you win,

it gives you confidence. When I was winning in my amateur days, I knew I was the best – I beat Darren Clarke 8&7 in the final of British Amateur the year I turned pro, and I won the Brabazon and Lytham Trophies twice. Everything I did was of the highest quality. But when you have to completely change your grip, as I did, your shotmaking confidence goes, and it was liking starting all over again. Would you consider going back out on tour when you turn 50 in 2019? No. My playing days are behind me. I’ve not played on tour for 10 years, and while I still enjoy playing, I’m not interested in practicing for the dozen or so events that are currently on offer. I’m more interested in building up my business. How healthy a state do you think golf is in? I think golf is still in good shape. The number of rounds being played seems to have levelled off, and although less people are perhaps joining clubs, they’re just playing golf in a different way. Golf has come in for a lot of bullying from certain corners in recent years, but generally golf is more affordable and accessible than it has ever been. Time is an issue, and people need to be committed to playing more quickly, but I still want to enjoy 18 holes with my friends without feeling like I’m being rushed. There’s no fun in that.

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

NEWS | AUGUST 2016

[17]

IT PAYS TO STAY LOYAL WITH ALTONWOOD

olfers looking to play a variety of golf courses across the South East at discounted rates should consider investing in the loyalty card launched by the Altonwood Group. The company owns and operates five golf courses in the region, including The Addington, Westerham, Surrey National, Woldingham and Godstone Golf Clubs. The Altonwood Loyalty Card is free to join for all visiting golfers, and guarantees the lowest green fee rates available at all five courses, including online offers via third party promoters. Card holders will also receive discounts on range balls and buggy hire, and

be eligible for advanced booking rights and other special promotional offers. “We’ve experienced an increase in the number of visitors playing across our courses.” said Altonwood’s managing director, Simon Hodsdon. “We’d obviously like to retain as much of that play within our own courses as possible, and believe the best way to do so is to guarantee our regular visitors the best available rates at all the clubs. Over 9,000 golfers have already signed up to the loyalty card scheme, but there’s room for plenty more.” To sign up for the loyalty card scheme, visit altonwoodgroup.co.uk.

■ THE ADDINGTON, PART OF THE ALTONWOOD GROUP

ASHDOWN WEST BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN HEVER TEAM

olfers from throughout the South East helped celebrate the launch of Ashdown West at Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club last month. Some 160 players competed for prizes, although none managed to walk off with the £10,000 on offer for a hole-in-one on any of the course’s five par three holes. “Everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves and appreciate the investment that is going into the course on drainage and new pathways to ensure that we can offer not one, but two top-flight courses,” said Ashdown secretary Edward Richardson. Ashdown West, despite winning an award for the best course in the UK under 6,000 yards in 2014, has gone through a number of guises and name changes over its history, and has often lived in the shadow of its longer sister, The Old Course, even though it opened only a year later in 1889. In 1932 it was the longest ladies’ course in the UK and known as ‘The New Course.’ “Some people still call it the Hotel Course, despite the hotel being knocked down

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over 15 years ago,” added Richardson. “Our message is that visitors and new members are extremely welcome to Ashdown West, one of the county’s best courses.’ Players in the launch competition found plenty of challenges, despite there being no bunkers, as there was plenty of heather, streams and ponds to catch the unwary. The winners in the fourball, better-ball stableford contest were Keith Andrews, Dave Hepburn, John Dunne and Terry Mitchell from Hever Castle Golf Club in Kent. Their combined two best scores over 18 holes amassed 95 points, three points clear of their nearest challengers. New Ashdown West adult membership packages for men and women are available from £47.50 a month, with junior members also welcomed.

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[18] AUGUST 2016 | COLUMN

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

It’s been another testing few weeks for our battling columnist, with swing issues, a neck injury, and a lack of tour starts leading to a lack of consistency as the final part of the season moves into view THERE'S NO DENYING THAT IT HAS BEEN A TOUGH COUPLE OF MONTHS, with three missed cuts, a disappointing result at the US Open qualifying at Walton Heath, and an untimely injury. I’m beginning to second guess myself a little bit, playing damage limitation golf – looking for dangers, rather than going for pins and playing with the kind of freedom that got me back on the European Tour in the first place. Standing on the tee, I often find myself looking for trouble – looking to see where there’s water or if there’s out of bounds, rather than focusing purely on putting a good swing on it. That leads to trying to steer the ball around the course, and manage your scores. It’s a defensive way of thinking and playing, but it all stems from confidence in your ball striking, and at the moment it’s just not quite there. It's small margins, but small margins count for a lot on tour. I’ve been working hard with my coach, Mat Parker, on trying to address some of these issues, but translating work on the range out to the golf course under the pressure of tournament conditions is proving tough. Each venue presents its own set of challenges, and on top of your own game, coping with the different courses is all part of the test.

It was particularly windy up at the Scottish Open, where I got off to a terrible start, shooting a 79 in the first round. I backed it up with a better second round – a level par 72 – but the damage had already been done and I missed the cut by five shots. I found it tough to get to grips with my ball flight at Castle Stuart, and was missing greens long with some of my approaches as a consequence. That really puts pressure on the short game, and although my chipping and putting is in pretty good shape, and has always been a strong part of my game, it can only save you so many times. A few weeks earlier I had a start in the

I OFTEN FIND MYSELF LOOKING FOR TROUBLE – LOOKING TO SEE WHERE THERE’S WATER OR IF THERE’S OUT OF BOUNDS – RATHER THAN FOCUSING PURELY ON PUTTING A GOOD SWING ON IT

Lyoness Open in Austria, and went out there feeling pretty confident, as I’d been putting in some good practice. I was happy enough with my opening 72, which included five birdies, but a couple of ugly sixes ruined what could have been a much better result. Sadly, the following morning after the first round I woke up with a sore neck, and despite some urgent phsyio at the course, I didn’t feel well enough to put a proper swing on it, so I regretfully had to withdraw from the tournament. It was a massive disappointment, as with so few opportunities available, it’s vital to make the most of those that do come along. Thankfully, it seemed to be one of those cricks that sort themselves out quickly, rather than being something longer term, and I was soon back to swinging pain-free again – which was some consolation. With The Open and the US PGA Championship, quickly followed by the Olympics, there’s been a bit of a lull in the regular European Tour schedule, which has given me time to get in some more practice before my next starts, which will be a run of European-based events, kicking off with the Czech Masters in Prague, before moving onto Denmark. I need something to click soon, but I’m not pressing any panic buttons just yet.

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www.golfplan.co.uk ††Premium based on a 70 year golfer taking second hand cover for £1250 Golf equipment and paying by Direct Debit, price includes a 20% year 1 discount. *£1953 – refers to the average amount of equipment cover taken by Golfplan customers during 2015. **Terms and Conditions for the Free Golf Ball Offer • This offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer or promotion • Only one free gift per policy holder • The balls will be dispatched 28 days after the policy has been incepted (Please allow 2-3 days for delivery) • This offer applies to new business policies only • Golfplan reserve the right to withdraw, amend or replace the offer without prior notification • This notice is an advertisement on behalf of Golfplan • No cash alternative is available • This offer will run until the 1st September 2016 Please note: †Terms and conditions apply, for full details of policy cover/benefit limitations and exclusions, please refer to our policy wording and summary of cover. A copy of which is available to view at www.golfplan.co.uk or upon request. Calls to 0333 numbers are charged at ‘normal’ rates from landlines. They are also normally included in call allowances on mobiles. Golfplan International Insurance is a trading name of Canopius UK Specialty Limited, who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England No. 00743268, Registered Office: 1st Floor, 1 Kings Court Business Park, Charles Hastings Way, Worcester, WR5 1JR. Canopius UK Specialty Limited forms part of the Sompo Canopius group of companies. ® PGA is a registered trademark of The Professional Golfers’ Association Limited. GP M062 03/16

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

NEWS | AUGUST 2016

[19]

FAMILY FUN DAYS ON OFFER AT TOPGOLF

opgolf has launched a range of offers to attract families with young children to visit its three south-east based facilities during the summer holidays. Families who take part in its special ‘Eat, Drink, Play’ offer three times over the school holudas will be automatically entered into a free prize draw to win an annual family Merlin pass, worth over £516. The Merlin pass gives families free access to 32 top UK attractions, including Legoland, Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, The London Eye and Madame Tussauds. Throughout the holidays, families can visit any of the three Topgolf venues – Chigwell in Essex, Addlestone in Surrey, and Watford in Hertfordshire – between 3pm7pm to enjoy the special Eat, Drink,

Play offer, which includes two games of golf, a meal and a drink per person for £16 per adult and £10 per child. The deal runs until September 2, and excludes bank holidays and weekends. In addition, all three venues are running a series of Eat, Drink, Play themed competitions across their social media platforms for a chance to win weekly prizes, including vouchers and gift cards for Amazon, John Lewis and Topgolf. Topgolf games can be enjoyed by all ages and skill levels, and the microchipped golf balls score themselves, providing players with instant feedback on each shot’s

GROVE TO HOST MYRTLE BEACH WORLD AMATEUR EVENT

accuracy and distance. Each venue features climate-controlled hitting bays, an extensive food and beverage menu, music and HDTVs. Each venue offers multiple player

bays, but are all slightly different, with the Addlestone site boasting a 9-hole golf course with FootGolf, while the Watford venue features an 18-hole adventure golf course.

based golf resort over the weekend of August 27-28, and will offer competitors a host of prizes, including the chance to win a place in the 2017 Myrtle Beach World Amateur Championship played in South Carolina. Separate 18-hole Stableford competitions will be played at The Grove on each day, with the daily winner from both the Saturday and Sunday events winning the star prize, which includes flights from the UK to the USA for two, room-only accommodation in Myrtle Beach, car hire and free registration for the 2017 Myrtle Beach World Amateur Championship, which attracts over 3,000 competitors. Second prize will be one night’s accommodation at The Grove, to include dinner and breakfast with a round of golf for two people; while third place receives a round of golf for four people on any day. Nearest the Pin and Longest Drive winners receive a bottle of champagne and two one-day passes to attend the British Masters in October. Mirroring the US event, which is staged the week after the UK competition, competitors will receive a goody bag and breakfast before they tee off, players will also be treated to a three-course American-themed buffet. Anna Darnell, Director of Golf at The Grove, commented: “The Myrtle Beach World Am is a unique concept, and we are keen to bring a little slice of South Carolina to The Grove in August. The social side of golf is at the heart of this event and we are sure every guest will have an experience to remember.” Entry to the UK event is £149 per person. To book a place on either day, call 01923 294266 or email tee.time@thegrove.co.uk.

Lancashire’s Alex Forrest was crowned England’s champion woman medal player after beating Sara Allen (Staffs) and Kaylin Screene (Surrey) on countback in a closely contested Grand Medal Final held at Frilford Heath in Oxfordshire. All three players tied with net scores of level par 73 on the Red course, but Forrest (Longridge) won on account of her better back nine, which included three birdies. Screene, from Croham Hurst in Surrey, is just 12 years old.

RICHARDSON’S CHAMPION CAPTAIN Yorkshire’s Alan Richardson is England’s champion captain again and claiming the title for the second time, just two years after his first triumph. Richardson, from Scarborough North Cliff, scored 74 points in the 36-hole final of the English Golf Captains’ tournament series at Frilford Heath, beating Andy Vernon (Stapleford Park) by three points, while Chris Wise (Holtye) and Martin Tate (Blackburn) shared third place with 68 points.

SCREEN STARS IN SCOTTISH U16 TITLE Hertfordshire's Hannah Screen won the Scottish Girls’ U16 Open championship after shooting a aggregate 142 at a wind and rain-lashed Aberdour Golf Club. The 16 year old from Berkhamsted fired rounds 68 or 74 and to beat England Golf squad players Natasha Slater (Furness) and Annabell Fuller (Roehampton) by four shots.

11 i inn 1166 ggo oe ess ffrr eeee

he Grove in Hertfordshire has announced a partnership with the world’s biggest single-site amateur golf event, the Myrtle Beach World Amateur Handicap Championship, which will see the launch of a sister tournament in the UK later this month. The open-to-all inaugural UK Myrtle Beach World Amateur Championship, supported by Myrtle Beach Golf Holidays, will be staged at the luxury Watford-

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[20] AUGUST 2016 | INTERVIEW

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

TALKING A GOOD GAME

SOME GUYS LOVE GOLF FOR THE SAKE OF PLAYING GOLF, BUT TO ME GOLF WAS ALWAYS A TOOL TO COMPETE, AND TO GET THE ADRENALIN GOING

TONY JOHNSTONE, the Zimbabwean who spent a quarter of a century on the main European Tour from 1980, turned 60 this year. Here the tenacious competitor, who won six tour titles, including the 1992 PGA Championship, reflects on his playing career, his newfound role in the Sky commentary box, and his love of social media INTERVIEW BY JEREMY ELLWOOD

ow much are you still playing and how much do you still enjoy it? Sadly, I’m playing very little these days. There aren’t enough tournaments on the European Senior Tour to warrant practising 52 weeks a year, and if there are only six or seven tournaments, I’m not going to stand and hit balls all day. But if you don’t do that, you go out and play at an inferior level, and just get frustrated. I’m doing a lot of TV work now – last year I did 21 weeks for Sky and the world feed - so that takes up a lot of time and I really enjoy that. It’s certainly less pressure than playing! And I’m tired of being sore, basically. Within two weeks of stopping practising, I barely have an ache or a pain; within two days of starting again, every single ache that you’ve had over the years comes back. Everything hurts! Is that just age or old injuries coming back to haunt you? A bit of age, but old injuries really. I was always a hard practiser, and the human body is not made to smash a piece of metal into the ground a million times! When you do play, are you still feisty with club in hand? Feisty as in bad-tempered? Yes, yes, yes… I’ll never beat it. I tried my whole life to overcome my temper and never really succeeded. I’ve long since lost count of the number of times I came off the course embarrassed after losing my head. I’d get the red mist and wouldn’t remember some of the stuff I’d said, or some of the things I did. I don’t really like that side of my character. I love competing – that was the big thing. Some guys love golf for the sake of playing golf, but to me golf was always a tool to compete, and to get the adrenalin going. You were diagnosed with MS in 2004 – is that now fully under control? Yes, I was on that trial. I had two treatments, a year apart, and I’ve had no hiccups at all.

That’s now ten years ago, and I’ve had no new symptoms, and none of the bad original symptoms have come back. Fatigue is still a problem and always will be, but other than that, it was a miracle really. Who’s your favourite sparring partner in the TV booth? There are a couple of good ones, but Ewen Murray is the stand out. Ewen taught me a heck of a lot about commentary. I’d never done it and he was a bit of a mentor to me. Dougie Donnelly has been a great help too, but I’ve enjoyed working with everybody. On the world feed side, I get to commentate with Ken Brown and Warren Humphreys, and they’re just good guys – we have a good time, a lot of laughs, and it's nice to be involved with the game still. I don’t necessarily love playing the game, but I do still love the game. Ewen tends to pass comment on your height quite a lot on Twitter… Yes, how cruel is that - I’ve got feelings! Ewen keeps going on about my height, and I keep telling him it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog, so he’d better beware. A lot of people think we really can’t stand each other - they don’t realise we’re good friends. We just do it for entertainment, to keep ourselves sane, and to let other people have a laugh at our expense, which I think is a great thing. What do you regard as your finest hour on tour? Probably winning in Jersey on the Senior Tour in 2008 shortly after my MS diagnosis, when I had been told I would never play again. That would

probably be number one in terms of personal achievement and overcoming the odds. To be told four years earlier that I wouldn’t play golf again, and then to come out and win was beyond my wildest dreams. I was holding back the tears on the final putt. After that, obviously winning the PGA at Wentworth in 1992, and my first South African Open in 1984. Those two are really, really special, but if you said to me, take all of them away and leave one, Jersey would be the one that gave me most pleasure. In your heyday, did you ever feel you had the potential to challenge in a Major? Every time I played in any tournament, I thought I could win. But in retrospect, I never really played particularly well in the Majors. I think I probably tried too hard, and I was never a particularly good long putter. My strength was always eight feet and in. I would say I was as good as any man on the planet from eight feet and in, but I was never a good long putter. Nick Price always said that the reason he never won at St Andrews was because, however well you were playing, you always ended up with so many 30- and 40-footers. He felt the same - that he was never that great a long putter. From ten feet and in I was pretty tasty, but I could go weeks without holing a 30-footer. If tour golf consisted only of bunker play, where would you finish on the Order of Merit now? I think I would probably still win it. If Gary Player and Seve were around, I think we might have a three-way tie, but there would be nobody out there that I would be scared of from the sand. It’s a gift

that I developed really, and it’s one thing that I do still enjoy practising. Trying to get the ball to stop on a particular bounce… people think you’re talking rubbish, but when you hit thousands and thousands of shots, you can find a way to do it. So I’d still rate my chances. You were one of Nick Price’s vice captains on the International team at the Presidents Cup in 2015. Would you like to be captain? No, I think I might be a bit too volatile as a captain. I absolutely loved being a captain’s assistant to Nick, where my role was to fire up the players, but also to try and keep their spirits up with some witty banter. I suppose I was like the team jester at times. You seem to be a bit of a Twitter addict. What do you like most about social media? Well, I just think it is great for enjoying a laugh, having discussions and having direct contact with players and fans. If I can make people smile with my tweets, well, that’s what life is all about to me. What's your opinion on the state of the professional game at the moment? The depth of young talent worldwide is fantastic at the moment. With Rory, Jordan, Jason and so many others emerging, it is great for the game. The one thing I do slightly worry about is the equipment used these days. The game is becoming more and more about length, and I believe that current golfers – who who are just as talented as any of the golfers I used to play against – are not tested to the fullest on a weekly basis. Finally, who would be in your dream fourball? My son, my father and John Bland.

You can follow Tony Johnstone’s musings on Twitter @TonyJohnstone56

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

TOUR NEWS | AUGUST 2016

[21]

EVOLVE PRO TOUR:

WHERE STARS ARE MADE

Satellite tours have proved a superb breeding ground for some of professional golf’s top performers, and there is none better than the EVOLVE PRO TOUR, which is celebrating five years of hosting top class events for the game’s brightest hopes

golf tour aimed at offering ■ ANDY SULLIVAN competitive opportunities for aspiring and established tour pros is kicking off another series of events for the winter months. Since its inception in 2012, the Evolve Pro Tour has been played by over 5,000 professionals and top amateurs, many of whom have graduated to the Challenge Tour and the European Tour, and gone on to global success. In just four years, the Evolve Pro Tour has become one of the most popular developmental tours in Europe, attracting players from over 45 countries. It has proved an ideal breeding ground for many of the stars competing around the world today, with the standard of competition being extremely high, and the tournament conditions providing the perfect environment in which to lay the foundations for longterm success. The Evolve Pro Tour will be staging its annual Winter Series in Spain during February 2017, followed by a new Spring Series being held in Tarragona (near Barcelona) at the end of April 2017, providing ideal warm weather preparation for UK-based professional golfers. The Winter Series is based around Murcia in southern Spain, with quality venues on the schedule including Hacienda Riquelme La Serena and Lo Romero. The two and three day events are staged on a weekly basis to give players a focused programme of tournaments, including the three-day Tour Championship. As well as being a great place for young players to kick start a professional career, the Evolve Pro Tour has also proved an ideal training ground for older players preparing to embark on second careers on the Senior

Tour, with many experienced players tuning up their competitive games on the Evolve Pro Tour ahead of their 50th birthdays. Evolve Pro Tour joint-founder Wayne Hachey has been involved with professional golf tour operations since 1997, when he established the EPD Tour (now Pro Golf Tour), based in Germany. Hachey joined forces with Ron Hart, and together they created Evolve Pro Tour. The pair are committed to operating high profile, well-organised events, and they balance the professionalism required on the course, with assisting and guiding young players off the course, providing them with the invaluable experience of what life on Tour is really like. Rather than leaving players to fend for themselves, the Evolve Pro Tour always establishes a proper tournament base, with a hotel and/or apartments centrally located close to all venues, thereby keeping travel time and costs to a minimum. Practice facilities are also given top priority, and there is always an excellent driving range and short game area available for players to warm up and work on all aspects of their game. The tournament base is a place for everyone, whether travelling in a group or by themselves, enabling players to socialise and make new friends. The Evolve Pro Tour team understand the importance of having top tournament conditions for aspiring tour professionals, therefore they choose only the best courses on which to host their events, which are a mixture of 36- and 54-hole competitions. Presenting challenging and wellmaintained layouts ensures a smooth transition for players advancing to the main tours, as well as ensuring a suitable test for all players.

■ THE EVOLVE PRO TOUR PROVIDES TOURNAMENT-LEVEL CONDITIONS TO HELP GOLFERS PROGRESS UP THE RANKS

EVOLVE PRO TOUR GRADUATES MARTIN KAYMER BRADLEY DREDGE THORBJORN OLESEN ANDY SULLIVAN JOOST LUITEN EDDIE PEPPERELL ROMAIN WATTEL

LASSE JENSEN RIKARD KARLBERG MARCEL SIEM GARY KING WILLIAM HARROLD FLORIAN FRITSCH MATTHEW SOUTHGATE

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■ HACIENDA DE RIQUELME

Playing professional golf at all levels is a costly business, so the Evolve Pro Tour appreciates the value of paying prize money quickly and efficiently. It guarantees to pay out all winnings no more than five days after the conclusion of each tournament, as well as offering a top-10 minimum prize fund for all competitions. During its Winter Series in 2017, Evolve Pro Tour will be celebrating its fifth anniversary and is planning some special events to mark the milestone, so why not join the party and play the Evolve Pro Tour? To find out more about the Evolve Pro Tour, visit www.evolveprotour.com or call 00 34 688 815 053.

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[22] AUGUST 2016 | NEWS

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

■ ESSENDON IS ALWAYS IN TOP CONDITION

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MEET THE

PRO

as a player? In 2009, I moved

IAN TAYLOR offers the inside track on life as head PGA professional at ESSENDON COUNTRY CLUB in Hertfordshire

ow long have you been a PGA professional? Ten years – I

turned pro in 2006 and have loved every minute of it.

What is your day-to-day role at Essendon? Being a head

professional entails a lot of roles and responsibilities, however my main duties lie in growing the game - developing and delivering various academy programmes that we provide at the club. What’s the best thing about your job? Teaching – I love helping

people develop and reach their potential And the worst? Club politics. Tell us something about the facilities and the playing experience… We have two

fantastic golf courses – the Old and New – which offer two very different challenges. The New has loads of water, and large undulating greens, while the Old

is a traditional parkland course, with five par fives and some really difficult short holes. We are currently in the process of building a short game area, which is a part of the game club golfers neglect to practise.

■ CLUBHOUSE AT ESSENDON

to Australia to play a bit and travel. While I was there I won a Queensland PGA event held at Royal Pines, which came in handy, as I was pretty much living out of a back pack at the time and the funds were getting very low.

■ PETER KAY

encourage them to attend our junior academy programme, which provides a progressive pathway through to becoming a junior member at the club. How much time do you spend teaching? This can vary, but

at the entrance which says ‘All Are Welcome’, and that pretty much symbolises our ethos at the club. We encourage members to bring their families up to get involved in the academies, have a spot of Sunday lunch, or attend some of our popular social events. We have moved with the times, relaxed our dress codes, and try and make everyone feel part of the club. We provide various memberships to suit the level of commitment that each golfer is able to give, including a new introductory membership, which features a heavily reduced fee, but is only available for those going through our adult

academy programme, and is available for their first 12 months only. The academy programme incorporates the learning, playing and competitive elements of the game. We provide free equipment, and sessions are relaxed, fun and informative. We have introduced shortened academy tees on both courses which has eased the transition from the par-three course to the main courses.

would have to be Loch Lomond. In the world, Belle Dune in northern France is hard to beat. Who is your golfing hero and why?

generally between 15-25 hours per week.

What have you done to attract new members? We have a big sign

What’s your favourite course in the UK, and the world? In the UK it

What’s selling well in the pro shop at the moment? Anything FootJoy –

the clothing, in particular, is superb quality and looks great, while the FJ shoe range offers something for all players, and they are very comfortable. If you could change one rule in golf, what would it be? One

Tiger Woods. He was dominant for so long and broke record after record. I just hope that he can get himself back to winning a few more majors soon. Who inspired you to take up golf?

My brother. He got into it when we were young, and I was not too bothered about joining him, but after some persistence I gave it a go and here I am 20 years later.

mulligan per round!

Which three other people would be in your dream fourball? Tiger

What is the club doing to attract juniors? We deliver coaching

What’s the best swing tip you’ve ever received? Grip the club more

Woods, Peter Kay and Richard Branson.

to local schools and community events, which has been a great way of reaching out to children that have never had the opportunity to play before. After this, we

in the fingers, rather than the palm of your hand, to generate longer, straighter shots.

What would you have done if you hadn’t have been a pro? Working

What is your career highlight

for MI5 or MI6 would have definitely appealed to me.

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NEWS | AUGUST 2016

[23]

HEYTHROP PARK RISES TO THE BRIDGESTONE CHALLENGE Up to 10,000 golf fans are expected to descend upon HEYTHROP PARK RESORT in Oxfordshire resort later this month, when the resurrection of a high-profile English tournament takes place, courtesy of Bridgestone

ridgestone is promising to make the return of an Englishbased Challenge Tour event worth the four-year wait, as plans for a spectacle to remember – both on and off the course – are put firmly in place. The Bridgestone Challenge, at Heythrop Park in Oxfordshire from August 25 to 28, will form the focal point of a package of golf sponsorships in 2016, and the company will use the event to bring its range of premium products to life like never before. Bridgestone’s award-winning DriveGuard tyre will take centre stage in the Heythrop grounds, where visitors will be able to experience driving with a puncture as one of a number of memorable activities.

■ THE SHORT PAR-FOUR SIXTH IS ONE OF THE BAINBRIDGE COURSE’S MOST PICTURESQUE HOLES

■ HEYTHROP PARK WILL PROVIDE A FITTING TEST FOR PLAYERS AT THE BRIDGESTONE CHALLENGE

Other attractions for adults and children alike are driving demonstrations, live music and various fun and games for children – including miniature cars to ride and a cinema inside Heythrop Park. On the course, Bridgestone’s decision to embark on a highprofile golf sponsorship represents a significant change from more commonplace sports partnerships in the tyre industry, with the company keen to create a stage for some of the most talented rising stars to realise their dreams and move a step closer to a European Tour card or appearance. A strong entry is expected, as Challenge Tour players compete to top the Road To Oman rankings. Some of most talented amateur players from all over Europe will be taking part alongside some rising elite amateur players, while club golfers have been given a chance to take part in the pro-am that runs alongside the tournament, following the staging of the Bridgestone DriveGuard Trophy events at clubs up and down the country earlier this year. The competition was free to enter and open to golfers of all ages and handicaps. Each club winner went on to regional DriveGuard Trophy finals, with the overall winners invited to play in the proam of the Bridgestone Challenge event itself. The winners of the Bridgestone Challenge pro-am will then win a trip to the British Masters, supported by Sky Sports, to play in the official pro-am with some of the biggest and best names in the sport, in October. Bridgestone’s north region sales and marketing director

Farrell Dolan said: “What really excites us about the Bridgestone Challenge is not only that so many up and coming players will be here at Heythrop Park, but also that a number of amateur players are also here to compete in the final of our DriveGuard Trophy, which has been taking place up and down the country in recent weeks. “We would love to see a great number of people at our Bridgestone Challenge event,” Farrell added. “Not only does this represent a unique platform for emerging golfers to make a big name for themselves, but it will also be a huge celebration of what we are as a business.” Alain de Soultrait, Challenge Tour Director, said: “The Challenge Tour offers the best way for talented young golfers to develop their professional game and a large number of our recent success stories have been English players. Not only this, but Bridgestone is looking to create an all-encompassing event on the perimeters of the course to make the event even more memorable. “The commitment Bridgestone are showing to encourage the growth of the game in England will hopefully lead to similar success stories in future years, and there is no better place for talented youngsters to come and be inspired than the Bridgestone Challenge in August.” Admission to the Bridgestone Challenge is free and for directions to Heythrop Park, visit www.heythroppark.co.uk.

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[24] AUGUST 2016 | TYRRELL HATTON

N N O A S N E M H O T C I T N H AT PU H

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TYRRELL HATTON | AUGUST 2016 [25]

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[26] AUGUST 2016 | FEATURE

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DISTINCTIVE TIMEPIECES FOR GOLFERS

E T I Q U S . C O . U K

A LOOK BACK IN TIME DOUGLAS BADER • ROEHAMPTON GOLF CLUB • 1961

IS A HARD ENOUGH GAME to play with all your physical and mental faculties intact, but imagine trying to hit a tee shot without the use of your legs – well, not your real ones at any rate. This is the challenge that legendary WW2 fighter pilot Douglas Bader set himself after losing both his legs following a crash in 1931 while attempting a low level aerobatic manoeuvre over Reading airfield. Like many disabled people, the 21-year-old Bader refused to let his injuries prevent him from leading the life he had enjoyed before. And despite being discharged from the RAF in 1933, seven years later he found himself back in the seat of a Spitfire fighting in the Battle of Britain, where history records that he shot down 22 German aircraft during an 18-month period. He was shot down in late 1941 and imprisoned in Colditz for the rest of the war. Bader loved golf more than he did flying, and after losing his legs, he threw himself into the game in order to keep himself active. He quickly got down to a respectable single figure handicap, and after the war became a fixture of the celebrity golf circuit, appearing alongside Peter Alliss in the Pro-Celebrity series on BBC2 in 1972. Bader was a forthright and outspoken character, and Alliss recalls that he only saw him upstaged once, and that was by Henry Cotton during the Bowmaker Tournament played at The Berkshire during the ‘50s. "It was a terribly wet day and everyone came in off the course absolutely sodden. Douglas was sitting in the locker room removing his legs, the stumps wrapped in a soft, white

BADER LOVED GOLF MORE THAN HE DID FLYING, AND AFTER LOSING HIS LEGS, HE THREW HIMSELF INTO THE GAME IN ORDER TO KEEP HIMSELF ACTIVE

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blanket, but they looked red and sore. Cotton came in complaining about the weather, he went on and on. Douglas looked up and said: 'Good God old man, I don’t know what you are complaining about. Moan, moan, moan, are you afraid of a bit of rain?' To which Cotton uttered the immortal line 'It’s alright for you Douglas, your feet don’t get wet'." The picture opposite shows Bader cutting a familiar figure playing in a mixed foursomes at Roehampton, decked out in plus fours and airtex shirt with his trademark pipe on the go. Bader died from a heart attack in 1982, aged 72, but his love of golf was recognised through the Bader Cup, an annual mixed greensomes event which ran up until 2013, which saw hundreds of team entries helping to raise over £20,000 each year for the Douglas Bader Foundation, which was founded to continue the inspirational work that Bader himself started to support the disabled community. Although the tournament is no longer running, Bader would have been particularly heartened to see the increasing number of opportunities for disabled golfers to take part in the game, most notably in the relaunch of the British Disabled Open, which is now in its seventh year, and has attracted a full field of entrants at Ufford Park in Suffolk from September 14-15. So if you’re looking for a bit of inspiration for your own game, or even in your life in general, get along to Ufford Park next month and support the tournament in any way you can.

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MAJOR BRANDS GEAR UP FOR GOLF SHOW

NEWS | AUGUST 2016

[27]

DICKMAN SHINES FOR REIGATE NINE

■ GLOW EXHIBTION CENTRE, BLUEWATER

ustom-fitted sets of Titleist Vokey wedges are among the many great prizes to be given away by golf’s big brands when the London Golf Show takes place at Glow, Bluewater, in Kent, from August 26-28. The industry’s major names have already signed up for the show, including Cobra Puma Golf, Ping, TaylorMade, Mizuno, Callaway, Yonex and Acushnet – parent company to Titleist, FootJoy, Pinnacle, Scotty Cameron and Vokey Wedges – with more expected to follow. Each will have its own individual offering, with driving bays to test out the latest equipment and many brands offering a custom-fitting option. Ping is also offering fitting on its putter range using its innovative iPING app. Dave Fanning, European marketing director for Ping, said: “The London Golf Show gives us a great opportunity to engage with members of the public and share our passion for custom fitting and how it can improve the golfer’s performance. We have expanded our involvement in the show this year with the introduction of a putting area which will allow us to demonstrate the importance of custom-fitting within our putter range.” Many of golf’s other top brands have been quick to lend their support to the show. Callaway will be giving away sleeves of balls to visitors who stop show hosts Mark Crossfield and Matt Lockey for a selfie photo, while Titleist is sponsoring the show’s chipping area, where anybody chipping in will receive a sleeve of Pro V1 balls, with one lucky daily winner being drawn to win a customfitted set of Vokey wedges. Anybody attending the show will be in profit almost immediately, with every visitor able to claim at least nine free rounds of golf. Each of nine golf clubs – The Addington, Bletchingly, Chart Hills, Cherry Lodge, Farleigh, Surrey National, Weald of Kent, Westerham, and Woldingham – will give a free green fee to every visitor to their stand, in a package worth at least £300. There are also prizes worth over £70,000 on offer, including holidays to Bermuda and Sawgrass, plus a Tesla Model S car worth more than £60,000. Tickets are free for accompanied under-16s, and also for lady golfers, until August 25. Adult entry will cost £15 on the door. Tickets can be purchased from www.londongolfshow.com/buy-tickets.

uckfield Golf Centre’s Robert Dickman produced three birdies in nine holes, shooting a two-under-par 32, to win the Reigate Heath Pro-Am. Dickman started turning his local knowledge of Peter Alliss’s ‘little gem’ into a winning score with a birdie at the second. Three putts from long range at the third for a bogey was repaired immediately with another birdie at the fourth, and then a three-wood to 10 feet for a deuce delivered Dickman’s third birdie at the 226-yard sixth. Edged out of pole position were Tandridge’s Louis Savill and local man Lewis Parker, whose cards of one-under-par left them sharing the honours for the runners' up spot. Dickman was delighted with his result, as he explained, “The old magic was definitely back, as I just felt right in control from the start.” The event included a nearestthe-pin competition from the 10th tee nearest the clubhouse to the

MAGUIRE WINS MCCORMACK MEDAL Ireland’s Leona Maguire has won ■ ROBERT DICKMAN

second green 260 yards away, and when he’d hit three perfect fades with his driver to land all three balls on the green, Dickman sensed things were going to be good. “The nine-hole format for a pro-am is a fantastic idea,” he continued, “and gives everyone just enough golf for a good day out. I think it works very well for the amateurs, and with the other competitions like the nearest the flag off the 10th in front of the gallery in the clubhouse, it all helps to make the golf a challenge and a fun day out. The course was very fair after the soft rain, while the greens were terrific as usual."

the Mark H McCormack Medal for the second consecutive year as the leading women’s player in the 2016 World Amateur Golf Ranking. Maguire who competed for Ireland in the Olympic Games, played a significant role in GB & Ireland’s Curtis Cup win in June, contributing four points to the 11½-8½ victory, while last month she was the leading amateur at the Ricoh Women's British Open at Woburn, in a tie for 25th place, and also played in the US Women’s Open at CordeValle.

JUNIOR JOY FOR LONG ASHTON Long Ashton in Gloucestershire snatched victory in the English

BIDDY BAGS HOLE-INONE AT 88!

ighty-eight-year-old Biddy Guilford showed that it’s never too late in life to bag an ace, when she holed out with a driver during a competition at East Brighton Golf Club last month. The sprightly’s Sussex golfer was playing in the Ping 4BBB with partner Marion McClymont when she achieved the impressive feat for the first time. Guilford, who has been a member at East Brighton for over 35 years, went on to chalk up 32 points in the competition, and celebrated her ace in time-honoured fashion by buying everyone a drink in the clubhouse – which went down well with members, as it was the hottest day of the year.

Junior Champion Club tournament on countback in the 36-hole final held at Frilford Heath. Nathan Moore, Sam Harrison and Sam Williams came in right at the end to tie with Cambridgeshire’s Nene Park on 147 stableford points, with the best two scores counting in each round. The title was decided by the combined scores of all three players over both rounds and Long Ashton triumphed with 206 points to Nene Park’s 205.

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[28] AUGUST 2016 | OLYMPIC REVIEW

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ROSE STRIKES GOLD IN RIO

JUSTIN ROSE added a gold medal to his already glittering CV following a titanic tussle with Open champion Henrik Stenson in front of packed galleries in Rio, as golf made its long-awaited return to the Olympic Games

PHOTOS BY GETTY IMAGES

t took 112 years for golf to find a new Olympic champion, but it was well worth the wait – and even more so if your name happens to be Justin Rose. The 36-year-old Englishman followed in the footsteps of the long-departed George Lyon of Canada when he climbed onto the podium to collect the Olympic gold medal in Rio de Janeiro. On a sun-drenched final day, in front of a sellout crowd of 15,000 at Reserva de Marapendi Golf Course, Rose added the Olympic crown to his 2013 US Open title after a prolonged and extremely tense battle down the stretch with Open champion Henrik Stenson. In the end, the packed grandstands watched spellbound as Rose got up-and-down from the side of the green for the birdie which sealed a worthy gold medal performance. Stenson, who knew he needed to hole a 25-footer of his own to force a play-off, three-putted, and the first Olympic golf competition since 1904 had a new champion. Stenson, who emerged on top after a similarly epic shoot-out with Phil Mickelson in The Open at Royal Troon, had to accept second place this time, and the silver medal was a deserving reward for his part in a wonderful spectacle which saw America’s Matt Kuchar claim the bronze medal after a course recordequalling last round of 63. Rose finished with four rounds in the sixties, and his closing 67 secured the gold medal with a 16-under-par total of 268. Stenson took silver with a fourth-round 68 for 270, while Kuchar’s swashbuckling last day brought home the remaining medal on 271. The leading three players completed the 72-hole test detached from the rest of the field, in which Belgium’s Thomas Pieters finished a creditable fourth after slicing 12 shots off his third-round 77 with a final day 65. After holing out for a birdie four on the 18th, Rose punched

THE WHOLE WEEK, I'VE BEEN SO FOCUSED. I'VE BEEN SO INTO IT. I'VE BEEN JUST SO DETERMINED TO REPRESENT TEAM GB AS BEST AS I COULD, AND IT WAS JUST THE MOST MAGICAL WEEK

the air in celebration and fell into the arms of his wife, Kate, before savouring the medal ceremony as the Olympic golf champion. “Olympic gold medalist – it sounds absolutely incredible,” said Rose, who had given his full backing to golf’s return to the Olympics from the outset. “I was on that last green, just pinching myself, and taking myself back to the quote that I had given about the Olympics all along – that I hoped my CV would one day read ‘Multiple major champion and Olympic gold medalist’, and if that happened then I'd be a very, very happy man. I just need the multiple majors now, but for the most part, I'm there on that quote.” He added: “The whole week, I've been so focused. I've been so into it. I was so determined to represent Team GB as best as I could, and it was just the most magical week.” The final round in Rio delivered the anticipated head-to-head between two outstanding major champions. And both men held a narrow lead at different times as they exchanged birdies. It seemed that Stenson might repeat his Open victory when he edged in front due to a Rose bogey at the 13th, but he handed back the initiative to the former US Open champion when he bogeyed the 14th and Rose knocked in an eight-footer for birdie on the 15th. Despite both men missing the green at the last, it was Stenson who blinked first, hitting a weak chip to 25 feet, while Rose struck a deft chip close to the hole for a cast-iron birdie four. Stenson recognised the quality of the golf on display on the final day and admitted: “When you out yourself in a good position to win, and don’t manage to get the job done, you always feel a little disappointed afterwards. But at the same time, I said that all along that there are some pretty good consolation prizes at the Olympics.” He added: “If you would have told me before the week that I would leave here with a medal, I would have been pretty pleased, and I managed to do that. I'm quite happy; I didn't feel like I played my absolute best throughout the week, but I played well enough to put myself in contention, and that was my goal. Once I was up there, I played pretty well, but I needed to play one or two shots better to win it.“ Rose paid tribute to his rival and

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OLYMPIC REVIEW | AUGUST 2016 [29]

“IT’S ABOUT THE BEST OF THE BEST BRINGING THEIR BEST”

JUSTIN ROSE, golf’s first Olympic champion in the modern era, reveals what motivated his push for gold in Rio

■ FLYING THE FLAG: ROSE ENJOYED VOCAL

OLYMPIC MENS’ INDIVIDUAL GOLF FINAL LEADERBOARD

SUPPORT FROM THE SIZEABLE GALLERIES

friend by saying: “I said before the final round that I had to out-Stenson Stenson. I knew I wasn't going to get much from him at all. Obviously, the bogey at the last only came because he had to force the putt in, but he is an unbelievable player. He's just relentless, and I can't wait to be on the same team as him in the Ryder Cup. He's also a great friend, and I gave him a hug on the 18th green, and he was as gracious as ever. I said to him, ‘Great summer – winning The Open Championship’, I was so pleased for him. There are very few guys you are really genuinely happy for, but Henrik is one of them.” Bronze medalist Kuchar just came up short, despite equaling the record 63 set by long-time leader Australian Marcus Fraser in the first round. Had he not three-putted the 16th, and failed to birdie the 18th by an inch, he might just have grabbed another colour of medal. The American Ryder Cup player said: “It's just an amazing week. It’s a boyhood dream come true. I keep expressing the feeling of sheer pride. I knew when I was out there playing that I was in third place. I certainly didn't want to lose that, but I also wanted to keep pushing forward. While I was out there playing that back nine, the sense of being an Olympic medalist really hit me. There

■ MEDALLING MEN: STENSON (SILVER), ROSE (GOLD) AND KUCHAR (BRONZE)

Pos Name

Rd1 Rd2 Rd3 Rd4 Total Par

J Rose

268

-16

H Stenson

270

-14

M Kuchar

271

-13

T Pieters

275

-9

T5 R Cabrera Bello 67

276

-8

T5 K Aphibarnrat 71 69 69 67 276 -8 T5 M Fraser

276

-8

T8 S Garcia

277

-7

T8 B Watson

73 67 67 70 277 -7

T8 E Grillo

277

-7

were times when I had to back off and re-gather my thoughts to make sure I tried to continue to hit good shots and keep making birdies.” And while the absence of Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson and Adam Scott undoubtedly took some of the shine off the overall event, the players that shone brightest were those who rose to the challenge of golf’s return to the Olympic Games, and there was none brighter than Justin Rose – golf’s very own Olympic champion.

What did it feel like to stand on the podium with a gold medal around your neck, and hear the national anthem being played in front of all those crowds? It was a really surreal moment, to be honest with you. It's a moment I’ve witnessed all around the Games this week. The medal ceremony is what it's all about, really. That's what everyone is striving for here. I just stood there and looked over to Henrik [Stenson], and he looked back at me, and we just took it all in. It felt very different to any other golf tournament, and when the national anthem started up and the Union Jack was being raised, it was a very proud moment. It brought it home what the Olympics is all about – that you’re not just representing yourself, you're representing your country, and I think that's a very big deal. The number of times you see great athletes break world records when they need it most, and they are able to turn up at the track or the pool or wherever it might be, and bring out their best stuff. That was my mentality here, and I’m just so glad that I managed to pull it off. There seemed to be almost a Ryder Cup-style atmosphere out there. What did it feel like, and how much were you able to feed off it? The atmosphere was more like a Ryder Cup than a major, but it’s more unique than either of those two. You can’t compare it to anything else. Obviously there was a good Swedish contingent out there cheering for Henrik, but Team GB supporters were quite loud and proud, as well. At a major you have 50,000 people who are there to watch golf and they want to see who is going to win, but they are not really pulling for one particular player specifically. But here, you had pockets of fans that were really pushing you forward. There was a lot more positive energy out there, which was really helpful – especially when you made a mistake and needed to refocus. How important was your preparation in this win? You got here early, watched other events, and really seemed to get into the whole Olympic spirit.

I made it a big deal in my schedule, and made it a big deal all year. I got here six days before the tournament started. That's typically how I try to prepare for major championships. I try to get to know the golf course as best as I can. I feel like there's always a slight edge in preparation you can get over the rest of the field, and that was no different in this tournament than any other. So I had the benefit of getting down here early, and taking in stuff like the opening ceremony, which was all part of the plan. I felt very inspired this week. I felt very focused. It’s something I've been looking forward to for a long, long time, and I felt very motivated. I felt that I recovered well after each round. I slept well, and I ate well. Everything just seemed to fall into place. Will the gold medal sit alongside your US Open trophy or above it in the cabinet at home? I think it sits right alongside the US Open trophy, although I think it’s rather pointless to compare the two. I’m very happy to add it to my resumé, but they shouldn’t be compared. I can’t speak for other players, but once we got down here, I think all of us realised what a huge event this was. Even the guys that weren’t in contention for medals were blown away by the whole experience. Although there was no money to play for, everyone gave it their all, right down to the final hole, and I think that says it all. How confident are you about golf’s future as an Olympic sport? I would say to anybody making the decision about golf going forward, were you there on Sunday? It was a sell-out crowd, which not many of the other events at these Games can say. So I think from that point of view, it's been a very successful sport. It has been a really important step for Olympic golf going forward. You could see how much it meant to the players. Everyone was trying their hardest out there, and we had some of the best players in the world playing their best – that’s what top level competition is all about. It's about the best of the best going head to head and bringing their best games.

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

R E 6 P ON M LA LY A C IN E IN S G

[30]

for over 20 years, the last 10 of which I’ve focused on the short game, specifically wedge and chip shots from 100 yards and in, which I believe are the key to good scoring. This is where most shots are played, and a good short game will save your scores and make the difference between winning and losing. This trip will give golfers the chance to learn all these skills and put them into practice at one of Spain’s finest golfing resorts.” Author of ‘Seven Steps to Heavenly Chipping’, Smith’s expertise is such that he has recently been made a short game ambassador for Mizuno, and he regularly tours the country demonstrating his skills to the brand’s customers.

COSTA BALLENA OCEAN: 27 HOLES OF SUPERB SEASIDE GOLF

SHARPEN UP YOUR SHORT GAME IN SUNNY SPAIN! Golf News has teamed up with the Stuart Smith Golf Academy to offer readers a week of world-class tuition and top quality hospitality at the stunning Spanish resort of Costa Ballena in Andalusia this October

olfers looking to improve their chipping and putting under warm Spanish skies should make a date to join leading short game coach Stuart Smith, who will be passing on his expertise at an exclusive week-long coaching holiday being held at the superb Costa Ballena Resort in Andalusia this autumn. This unmissable trip, which takes place from October 12-19, will teach you how to think like a professional to improve your short game and lower your scores. The trip will feature morning tuition sessions with Smith, followed by five rounds on Costa Ballena’s 18-hole Ocean Course, a regular venue for the European Tour’s

Qualifying School, and five rounds on the resort’s excellent nine-hole par-three course. The week-long coaching course will cover all aspects of the short game, from putting and chipping, to bunker play and pitching, while all students will receive a short game booklet explaining the drills, how to practise, and giving advice on developing pre-shot routines when they return home. There will be free access to all of the resort’s world-class practice facilities, and unlimited range balls for the duration of your stay. The Costa Ballena Ocean Resort is ideally located close to the centre of Spain’s sherry producing region in Jerez, with tours of the

■ GUESTS WILL STAY IN COMFORT AT THE 4-STAR ELBA COSTA BALLENA BEACH RESORT

Designed by dual Masters' champion José Maria Olazabal, the championship course is played over the Olivos and Palmeras nines of the 27-hole layout, which combine to produce a testing par-72 course measuring just over 6,900 yards from the back tees. Generally flat and with generous fairways, the design encourages golfers to open their shoulders on the longer holes; although there are plenty of bunkers and water hazards for those that stray off the straight and narrow. The feature holes are the par-five 12th and par-four 13th, as they lie closest to the coastline. The Ficus nine has a par of 34 and overall length of 2,850 yards, making it the ideal venue to test out all aspects of your short game.

ITINERARY – OCTOBER 12-19, 2016

bodegas and other local sights on offer to all guests, while Costa Ballena Ocean offers a superb range of leisure and sporting activities, including swimming, horse riding, windsurfing and tennis.

STUART SMITH: THE SHORT GAME MASTER PGA-trained Smith currently runs two successful golf academies at Heydon Grange in Hertfordshire and Thetford Golf Club in Norfolk, and he and his experienced team will be joining golfers for all seven days of the trip, which will combine intensive coaching with plenty of opportunities for fun and relaxation at one of Europe’s finest golf resorts. Smith, whose fresh and innovative approach to the often troublesome areas of pitching, chipping and putting has helped hundreds of amateur golfers transform their short game and dramatically improve their scores, said: “I have been coaching

■ 7 nights’ half-board accommodation at the 4-star Elba Costa Ballena Beach & Thalasso Resort, in Costa de La Luz, Andalusia ■ 5 rounds at Costa Ballena Ocean Golf Club ■ 5 rounds on Costa Ballena’s 9-hole, par 3 course ■ Use of the driving range with unlimited balls and free use of the Tour-standard practice facilities ■ 3 visits to the Elba Thalasso Spa and the full use of the gym ■ All tuition provided by Stuart Smith ■ Return flights on British Airways from Gatwick to Seville, plus all transfers in Spain. One cabin bag, plus one golf bag (up to 23kg). A hold bag costs an extra £60. ■ The total cost for the trip is £905pp for two people sharing a twin room, and £1,025 for a single room.

BOOK NOW! Spaces are limited for this great value tuition break, so for bookings and all other enquiries, visit www. stuartsmithgolfacademy.com, email stuart@stuartsmithgolfacademy.com or call 07799 088786.

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

NEWS | AUGUST 2016

POLICE FOIL OLD COURSE HOTEL JEWEL HEIST

even men have been jailed for a total of 47 years for planning a raid on the Old Course Hotel in St Andrews, Scotland. Police Scotland claim the seven Londonbased robbers were planning a heist on jewellers Mappin & Webb at the hotel, which had been chosen as a soft target after a crackdown on ‘smash and grab’ robberies in their home city. After a lengthy surveillance operation

in 2015, the Organised Crime and Counter Terrorism Unit swooped on the gang just a mile away from the hotel as they prepared to set off for the raid on scooters, armed with sledge hammers, a meat cleaver, a machete, and a knife. On March 2, 2015, six of the gang members travelled to Scotland and stayed overnight in Glasgow, before attempting to carry out the heist the following afternoon. A police

helicopter was deployed and the men were stopped by a large police team – including firearms and plainclothed officers. Had they succeeded, the robbery would have been the first of its kind

in Scotland, and police believe it could have led to a string of copycat crimes. Officers claim it would also have had ‘huge implications for the golf course’, which was due to host the Open Championship just months later. Detective Inspector Steven Sandilands,

■ OLD COURSE HOTEL

from Police Scotland’s specialist crime division, said: “I believe they were targeting this area as they saw it as a soft target. It would have been a truly horrendous incident had they been successful. However, due to the robust police response, we were

able to bring this to a successful conclusion.” The gang members – Kevin Mulhern, Thomas Slayford, Paul Hogwood, Peter Attwood, Benson Aluko, Kai McGinley and Louie Attwoodwere –were sentenced to jail terms of between five and 10 years.

[31]

PENGE TO CAPTAIN JACQUES LEGLISE TROPHY TEAM England international Marco Penge has been picked to captain the Great Britain and Ireland team to face the Continent of Europe in the Jacques Leglise Trophy match at Prince’s Golf Club in Kent from August 26-27. The team also comprises Toby Briggs, Alex Fitzpatrick, Harry Goddard, Kevin LeBlanc, Thomas Mulligan, Mark Power, Jamie Stewart and Charlie Strickland. The format for the match is four foursomes ties each morning, eight singles matches on August 26, and nine singles matches on August 27.

HANISCH WINS BOYS AMATEUR

AXELSEN ANNEXES SOUTH OF ENGLAND TITLE

enmark’s John Axelsen won the South of England Amateur held at Walton Heath in Surrey after shooting rounds of 72,72, 68 and 74 for a two under par total of 286 over the club’s New and Old Courses. His score was matched by Joshua Davies from Celtic Manor in Wales, who fired a final round 75. But the Danish player won the first extra hole to take the coveted title, which was presented to the winner by Masters champion Danny Willett, he won the South of England Amateur back in 2007. The only other player to finish under par was Tom Harris (Isle of Man), while Jake Burnage was fourth at one over.

Germany’s Falko Hanisch won the

WATERLOOVILLE PREPARES TO STAGE COUNTY FINALS

aterlooville Golf Club in Hampshire is preparing up to host some of the county’s finest female golfers this autumn, following England Golf’s decision to award the English Women’s County Finals in September to the 108-year-old Hampshire club. The club will join a stellar list of English courses that have hosted the championship, which was first contested at Prince’s Golf Club in Kent in 1953. The five-day match play championship, which takes place from September 12-16, will be contested by teams representing the East, Midlands North, Midlands South, North, South and South West. Hampshire ladies’ team have won the title four times – including most recently in 2014 at Belton Park in Lincolnshire. Stephen Millett, Waterlooville GC’s president, said: “We are honoured to have been chosen to

T h e Yo ut h G o lf A s s o ci at i o n

90th Boys Amateur Championship at Muirfield after defeating Spain’s Alejandro Aguilera on the 37th hole. The 16 year old, who is a member of Stolper Heide Club in Berlin and the hold such a prestigious ladies’ event this year. We have held pro-ams, and hosted many local and national tournaments since our club was founded in 1907, but this will be on a different scale. The members are very excited that our course has been selected by England Golf, and we will be pulling out all the stops to make it a truly memorable occasion.” Waterlooville’s own scratch golfer, Kerry Smith, was a senior member of the squad – securing six-and-a-half points out of a possible eight – and has played in all four winning Hampshire teams. Waterlooville’s ladies’ captain, Allison Bolam, added: “This is a great compliment to our club. The prestige of the county finals is growing every year. It will be thrilling to watch the best lady amateur golfers in the country competing for the title on our fairways – and to see how Waterlooville is meant to be played.”

top-ranked amateur in Germany, overturned an early deficit in the 36-hole final, coming back from three down on the front nine to go into lunch all square. However, after making a birdie at the 34th hole to take the match level again, Aguilera threw away his chances of victory when his drive on the first extra hole went out of bounds. Hanisch’s win earned him a place in the Amateur Championship at Royal St George’s and Prince’s next year, and an exemption into Final Qualifying for The Open at Royal Birkdale.

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[32] AUGUST 2016 | USPGA PREVIEW

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■ WALKER IS CONGRATULTED BY FELLOW AMERICAN RICKIE FOWLER

merican Ryder Cup player Jimmy Walker completed a clean sweep of first-time winners for this season’s Majors by holding off the challenge of world no.1 Jason Day to capture the 98th US PGA Championship at a weather-beaten Baltusrol Golf Club in New Jersey. The 37 year old from Oklahoma, who has won six times on the PGA Tour, but came into the season’s final grand slam event out of form, led the raindampened tournament for all four rounds, and lifted the Wanamaker Trophy after defeating defending champion Day in dramatic fashion on a final day that required the leading contenders to play 36 holes. Walker fired rounds of 65, 66, 68 and 67 for a 14-under-par total to beat Day by just one shot, but in truth the outcome never looked in much doubt. That is until the very last hole of the tournament, when Walker carved a fairway wood into thick rough and had to scramble for par. Three moments were to define this tournament. Ultimately, and thankfully, with luck playing a part, the forecast brutal weather was not a factor, although players were allowed to pick and place on the final day due to the muddy fairways. When holding a one-stroke lead on the 10th, courtesy of nine straight pars, Walker made his first error by finding a greenside bunker. He was to hole out from there, and did likewise from 30ft at the 11th. On the 17th, he nervelessly converted an 8ft putt seconds after Day had played a 254 yard approach to the hole in front to eagle range. Only a Walker stumble would have handed the trophy away from there. Walker’s A-game might not be up there with the best, but it is clearly sufficient when others fall short. It is testimony to Day that he pushed Walker as far as was the case, with the world No.1 clearly firing on less than four cylinders. Day made that eagle on the 18th to leave Walker needing his par to win. The Australian had been two over par after three holes, but battled back manfully before ultimately falling short in his title defence. Daniel Summerhays claimed third at 10 under, one ahead of Branden Grace, Hideki Matsuyama and Brooks Koepka. Henrik Stenson had produced seven major rounds in the 60s before choosing the wrong time to post a 71. The Swede, still floating on a cloud following his Open victory, shared seventh with Robert Streb and Martin Kaymer. Two Englishmen, Tyrrell Hatton and Paul Casey, sneaked into the top 10. Hatton, who shared fifth at the Open, closed with a 68, with Casey’s round four

WALKER STROLLS TO VICTORY AT

BATTLE OF BALTUSROL

Veteran American JIMMY WALKER held firm against defending champion Jason Day to claim a first Major victory at 37

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

USPGA PREVIEW | AUGUST 2016

WALKING TALLER

[33]

■ JIMMY WALKER COMPLETED A YEAR OF FIRST-TIME MAJOR CHAMPIONS WITH VICTORY AT BALTUSROL

Jimmy Walker talks about what it means to win his first major championship at the age of 37 and his hopes of reclaiming his place in the US Ryder Cup team

■ DEFENDING CHAMPION JASON DAY FINISHED A CLOSE SECOND

coming in at one shot better. Rory McIlroy missed the cut by a single shot, with his putter once again proving his undoing during rounds of 74 and 69. A final hole bogey six, which guaranteed an early exit, seemed to sum up his Major season. While Dustin Johnson and Henrik Stenson were long overdue major winners, and Danny Willett’s Green Jacket was not completely out of turn, Walker’s victory is perhaps the most heart-warming story. Three years ago, when 34, he claimed his first PGA Tour title at the 187th attempt. The trigger was sufficient for him to win twice in 2014, and the same number of times in 2015. From journeyman professional he went to top 50 in the world and, now, major champion. He currently lies 15th in the world – up from 48th – 14th in the FedEx Cup, and fourth in the Ryder Cup points list. He left his rise up the rankings too late to win a place in the US Olympic golf team in Rio, but after playing so well in America’s defeat at Gleneagles, he will have the chance to play a leading role in winning back a golden trophy at Hazeltine.

US PGA CHAMPIONSHIP LEADERBOARD Pos

Par Rd1 Rd2 Rd3 Rd4 Total

Jimmy Walker

-14 65

68 67 266

Jason Day

-13 68

67 67 267

Daniel Summerhays

-10 70

67 66 270

T4 Branden Grace

-9

66 67 271

T4 Hideki Matsuyama

-9

67 68 271

T4 Brooks Koepka

-9

66 70 271

T7 Henrik Stenson

-8 67 67 67 71 272

T7 Martin Kaymer

-8

71 66 272

T7 Robert Streb

-8

72 69 272

T10 Tyrrell Hatton

-7

66 68 273

T10 Paul Casey

-7 69 69 68 67 273

■ RORY MCILROY MISSED THE CUT BY A SINGLE SHOT AFTER ANOTHER POOR PERFORMANCE ON THE GREENS

How does it feel to have won a major championship at the age of 37? Did you ever feel that this day would come? It feels very surreal, and a little crazy, but if I’m perfectly honest, I’ll say that I’ve been kind of expecting this to happen after the way I’ve played the last couple of years. I didn’t come into this tournament in great form, but deep down I knew that I had the game to win one of these things. It's just surreal, it really is. I'm having a hard time putting words to it right now. How did it feel to suddenly have to make a par down the last hole to win after Jason Day’s eagle? I knew that if Jason made a birdie, I still had a couple of shots to play with and I could relax a little bit, but I didn't get to relax. When he made that eagle I was standing out there in the fairway and just said to my caddy Andy, ‘Let's go for it’. I figured that 19 times out of 20 you're going to make a par going for the green from that position. We had a good yardage to the front with my 3-wood, and went with it. I played the pitch pretty conservatively, as I didn't have the best lie. And I knew I was going to have to make a tough 35-foot two-putt, and I ended up having to make a little three-foot tester, which thankfully I buried. It was awesome. You looked extremely calm throughout. How did you handle the stress, and were you as calm on the inside as you seemed on the outside? I'm glad you thought I looked calm, because that's what I was going for. I felt confident in myself. I felt confident in my swing, my putting, and my chipping. I tried to wrap myself around that – that everything was feeling good, and to go with that and trust what I was doing. I made nine pars in a row to start, and I hit a lot of quality shots and hit a lot of greens, and just kept it right out there in front of me. I didn’t hit in very close to the flag, though, and felt

like a had to make a lot of long two-putts, and hole lots of five and six footers, but that’s what you’ve got to do to win any tournament. How hard was it to lead from the front all week and then play two rounds in the final day? Holding the lead all week, honestly, I didn't think about it too much like that. I had a good first day and I'm like, we've got 54 more holes. We had a good second day, but didn't have the finish I wanted; still got more golf. But today was different, because it was like, you go out and play, and bam, you're back out playing again. It was tough to get my head around that. I know it was tough for everybody, especially with the uncertainty of whether we were going to get 36 holes in. Is this really going to happen today? Are we going to Monday? What's happening? That was the hardest part, keeping your head in it, especially after all the delays. I was on edge, because you never knew when you were going to get the text that said, hey, let's go play golf. It was a long day, that’s for sure. My wakeup call was super early. I'd like to think I'm in pretty good shape, but it was a test today, it really was. It's tough walking soft and wet and nasty, and it just wears you down. It was nice to have the long break in between rounds. I got to go back to my bus. I took a shower, got a rub down from my physio, laid on the couch, and I even managed to fall asleep for 10 or 15 minutes. It definitely was a long day – but ultimately a very rewarding one! How did manage to contend with playing in such wet conditions? Playing in the wet really makes you think about solid ball contact. Wet conditions magnify everything. If it's sloppy, you've got a better chance to chunk a shot or chunk a chip. So you're always on edge about the kind of contact you’re going to get. I think that's why I thinned a few of those cut shots, flattened them out, instead of getting steep and getting that club going left, to get that ball started left, to get it to fade back on to the pin. So it makes a big difference, it really does. You came into the tournament on a run of poorish results, but did you think there was a performance coming? I felt like some stuff clicked from the previous week, literally in the last nine holes. Everything felt good. I kept it going. I finished 14th, but it felt big to me. Everything was working, and my head was back in the right place. It’s been a strange year. Every time I’ve taken a step forward,

I’ve then moved two steps back, take a step forward, two back, step back, two steps back, three steps forward, step back. I've been all over the place. But coming into the tournament I felt strangely calm, and things just seem to click back into place. How does it feel to have sealed your place for a second appearance in the Ryder Cup? I'm looking forward to it. It would be great to get back on the team. After playing in the last one, I remember saying that I never wanted to miss another one again, and I really meant that. I have thought about that all year. I haven't played as well as I would have liked to, but I saw Davis [Love] this week and I told him, "Man, I'd love to be on your team." I haven't played that well this year, but I feel like there's still time for me to have a chance to get on the team or get the nod to get picked. Do you think your experience of playing in the Ryder Cup in 2014 helped with the pressure today? I do think it helped. I felt like I learned a lot at the Ryder Cup. I learned that I am not into every golf shot I hit week-in and weekout on Tour. And that week, every shot I hit, I was 100 per cent committed. And it taught me that you can do that. I played great that week, I really did. I know we didn't win, but I felt like I played well, so I had mixed emotions. It’s funny, when we won the Presidents Cup, I didn't feel like I played that well, so it felt like a bit of a downer. So the emotions you run through at these team events are huge, and I felt like I learned a lot about myself that week at Gleneagles, especially during the singles match on the last day. It was crazy. I look forward to hopefully having a chance to do it here on home turf this year. With four first-time Major winners this year, what does that say to you about the state of the game right now? I think it just shows how deep golf is, I really do. Anybody can win. It shows that everybody playing out here is really good, and everybody's got a chance. Henrik [Stenson] has been around forever, FedExCup champion, won a lot of golf tournaments, great player. Dustin [Johnson], he's a great player. He hits it a freaking mile. Everybody expects good things from guys like that. For me, it was just a matter of time, that's certainly what I felt about myself. I knew I had a Major in me, I just wasn’t sure when it was coming. It sure makes me look forward to more. But I think it just shows how deep golf is, I really do. It's deep. Anybody can win.

[34] AUGUST 2016 | TOUR NEWS

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

TOURNEWS...

KNOX KNOCKS ON RYDER CUP DOOR AFTER CAPTURING TRAVELERS TITLE

ussell Knox took a huge step towards bagging an automatic place in next month’s European Ryder Cup team after winning the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship in Connecticut by one shot. The 31-year-old Scot carded a final round 68 at River Highlands in Cromwell to finish on 14 under par. He claimed the title after getting up-and-down from a greenside bunker on the final hole to edge out American veteran Jerry Kelly, who shot a six-under-par 64. Knox holds dual nationality, on account of having an American father, but has already stated that he would play for Europe if he was ever given the chance to compete in the Ryder Cup. "I'm not sure there's ever been someone in my position before, but I'm Scottish down to the core, so I'll be on team Europe hopefully," the Inverness-born Knox said. The win lifted Knox inside the top 20 in the world rankings and gave European Ryder Cup Darren Clarke even more to think about as the final pieces of the team jigsaw begin to fall into place ahead of the biennial event against the United States in Minnesota at the end of September. Only five European players are currently ahead of Knox on the world rankings – Rory McIlroy, Henrik Stenson, Danny Willett, Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose.

FURYK FIRES HIMSELF INTO RECORD BOOKS WITH FIRST 58 J

im Furyk broke the record for the lowest single-round score in the history of the PGA Tour after shooting a 58 during the final of the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Connecticut. The 46 year old’s 12-under-par score was one shot fewer than the previous record of 59. Six golfers are members of the 59 club, including Furyk himself, who shot a 59 in the second round of the 2013 BMW Championship. Starting his round at one over par, Furyk proceeded to make six birdies and an eagle through his first nine holes for an outward 27, then followed that with birdies at the 10th, 11th and 12th holes to reach 11 under for his round, and 10 under for the tournament.. After lipping out at the 15th, Furyk sank a 23-foot birdie putt at 16 to reach 12 under. Furyk closed out the record-breaking 58 with a short par

■ JIM FURYK WAS ALL SMILES AFTER SHOOTING 58, ALTHOUGH HE LAMENTED THAT IT WAS 'ONE WORSE THAN A 57'

putt at the 18th. Despite the historic day, Furyk still finished five shots behind winner Russell Knox, who finished on 16 under par. “I’m stunned and more than a little flabbergasted,” said Furyk, following his record-breaking effort, which included just 24 putts. “Late in the front nine, I felt good about my short irons. I almost holed

BROADHURST CONQUERS CARNOUSTIE TO CAPTURE SENIOR OPEN AT FIRST ATTEMPT

aul Broadhurst produced a career-defining performance at Carnoustie to capture the Senior Open Championship on his debut in the event. The 50-year-old produced a final round 68 over the notoriously tough links to to beat American Scott McCarron by two shots. The Walsall-born player became only the second English winner of the championship following Neil Coles’ win at the very first Senior Open at

Turnberry in 1987. Broadhurst admitted that the victory was the ‘biggest achievement of my life’ as he signed for an 11-under-par total of 277 and a two-stroke winning margin over McCarron, with third round leader Miguel Angel Jiménez sharing third place with Swede Magnus Atlevi a further shot back. And it was Jimenez who looked the likely winner after a third round 65, but Broadhurst, with his 19-year-old son, Sam, acting as caddie, converted a

four-shot third round deficit into a two stroke win after paring his way around Carnoustie’s front nine, while Jimenez displayed uncharacteristic nerves, bogeying the ninth and doublebogeying the tenth. McCarron picked up five shots in the first 12 holes to sweep into the lead, while Atlevi, who had nine birdies in his first 14 holes, was also in the mix. However, he and McCarron both suffered at the hands of Carnoustie’s gruelling finish. Bogeys at the 16th and

it on seven and again on nine. When you reach the turn in 27, you can’t help but think about a 59, especially playing on a par 70 course. Eleven under with six to play – it became almost a mental game.” He added: “It’s kind of a reminder that no matter how bad you feel with your swing, you’re never that far away. On the flip side, you’re never that far from playing poorly, either.”

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

TOUR NEWS | AUGUST 2016

TOUR NEWS IN BRIEF TORRANCE GIVEN RYDER VICE ROLE Sam Torrance has been named as Europe’s fifth and final vice-captain for the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine in September. Torrance, who captained the Europeans to victory in 2002, joins Ian Poulter, Padraig Harrington, Paul Lawrie and Thomas Bjorn as assistants to Darren Clarke.

CHAN IN CHARGE AT KING’S CUP Taipai’s Chan Shih-chang won the King’s Cup by two shots after producing a closing 67 at Phoenix Gold Golf Club in Thailand. The 30 year old mixed six birdies with three bogeys in his final

round to finish the week on 12 under. Lin Wen-Tang came, while local favourite Danthai Boonma and England's Mark Foster were another shot back on nine under. Oxfordshire’s Eddie Pepperell, who was tied at the top of the leaderboard with nine holes to play, but finished on seven under after carding three bogeys and a double bogey in his final four holes.

OLDCORN PIPS BROADHURST TO TITLE

Scotland’s Andrew Oldcorn won his second European Senior Tour title after beating England’s Paul Broadhurst in a play-off to win the WINSTONgolf Senior Open in Germany. Oldcorn, an eighttime runner up on the Senior Tour,

carded five birdies en route to a final round 69 and an eight under par total. Broadhurst fired a course record 67 to force extra-time, but ran into trouble on the second play-off hole to hand the title to Oldcorn.

VEGAS CALLS THE SHOTS IN CANADA

Venezuela’s Jhonattan Vegas shot a final round 64 to win the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club and clinch his second career PGA Tour victory. The 31 year old ended the tournament with three consecutive birdies to beat Dustin Johnson, Martin Laird and Jon Rahm by a single shot.

DURANT BAGS FIRST CHAMPIONS TITLE

Joe Durant won the Champions Tour’s 3M Championship in Minnesota after beating Miguel Angel Jimenez in a play-off. The American captured his first over-50s win with an eagle at the first extra hole after both players had tied on 19 under par. Durant closed with a nine-under-par 63, while third round leader Jimenez shot a 67, which included birdies on the last four holes.

STALTER RISES TO SWEDISH CHALLENGE

Frenchman Joel Stalter captured his first win on the Challenge Tour

[35]

after beating Wales’ Oliver Farr and England’s Ben Stow in a play-off at the Swedish Challenge. The 24-yearold closed with it 68 at Katrinholms Golf Klub to finish in a three-way tie on 12 under par, before prevailing with a birdie on the second extra hole.

BRYAN EARNS PGA TOUR PROMOTION

American Wesley Bryan earned instant promotion to the PGA Tour after winning his third event on the Web.com Tour this season. The 26 year old from South Carolina won the Digital Ally Open in a play-off to complete his third tour win of 2016, following victories at the Louisiana Open and El Bosque Mexico, and become the 11th player to earn a three-victory promotion. He also earns exemption for the 2016-2017 PGA Tour season.

WALL ENDS 16-YEAR WAIT FOR SECOND TOUR WIN INSPIRED BY TOUR. AUTHENTIC TO GOLF. FASHIONED FOR YOU.

nthony Wall ended a 16-year wait for a second European Tour title when the Londoner beat Alex Noren in the Paul Lawrie Match Play final. The Sunningdale man’s gap between titles is the longest in Tour history, with the 431 events since his first triumph in South Africa surpassing the previous high of 276 set by Christy O’Connor Jnr. Wall overcame a sluggish start at Archerfield to eventually secure a one-up win over favourite Noren, who missed out on a Scottish double following his victory at Castle Stuart last month. Wall, who finished as a runner-up seven times between victories, said: “It’s funny – the other one in 2000 felt like yesterday. It’s amazing, because it’s such a hard job to beat everyone because everyone is so good. I cannot tell you how happy I am.” Noren was a combined 19 under par for the front nine over the first five rounds and made another flying start in the final. Wall drove into trees at the first, and Noren took full advantage with a birdie from ten feet.

18th put paid to their chances, while Broadhurst kept his nerve at the 17th and 18th, getting up and down from bunkers to clinch his first Major in dramatic fashion. “It’s beyond my wildest dreams. This sort of thing doesn’t happen to players like me,” said Broadhurst, who picked up a cheque for €213,000 and moved into pole position in the European Order of Merit. “I feel very privileged to have won this event. Going forward, I want to play a schedule which will take in America and Europe, but I want to support the events in Europe, as this is where my home is.”

It was Noren, a five-time European Tour winner, who was wayward off the second tee as he pulled his effort into a forest down the left. However, having been forced to chip out backwards, he played a remarkable third to the green on the par five and sunk his putt for another birdie. At two down Wall must have been expecting his long wait for a second trophy to continue, but he responded immediately with a winning birdie on the third and squared the contest with a gain at the long sixth as Noren paid for missing the fairway. Wall kept his nose in front on the back nine and made par at the long finishing hole, while Noren missed his birdie effort from 15 feet. “I did wonder whether it would ever come again,” said Wall, after picking up the trophy and a welcome €171,000 winner’s prize, following a season that has seeen him miss eight of 15 cuts. “I’m just so pleased for my parents – they put in so much when I was young. I’ve got two children that just want to see their dad win.”

Broadhurst, who turned 50 last August, made an immediate impact at the senior level, winning the Scottish Senior Open title on his very first appearance, but it is his elevation to the status of major champion that he justifiably regards as more important than any of his six wins on the European Tour. “This is bigger than all of those wins,” he reflected. “A lot, lot bigger. It’s absolutely massive. I played some of my best golf this week. I hit the ball really nicely, and my iron play was really good. I’m delighted that all the hard work that I’ve put in has paid off.”

2016 MASTERS CHAMPION

DANNY WILLETT WEARS CALLAWAY APPAREL WWW.CALLAWAYEUROPEAPPAREL.COM © 2016 Callaway Golf Company. Callaway and the Chevron device are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Callaway Golf Company. Perry Ellis International is an official licensee of Callaway Golf Company.

[36] AUGUST 2016 | NEWS

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

CAPTAIN CLARKE RE-SIGNS WITH STUBURT RYDER CUP CAPTAIN DARREN CLARKE will be stepping out in a pair of Stuburt golf shoes at next month’s Ryder Cup, after the former 2011 Open Champion signed a new deal to wear the British-made footwear and apparel brand. The Northern Irishman first signed with Stuburt in 2007, and was instrumental in the design of the Stuburt DCC Classic shoes. He went on to enjoy his finest hour in golf when he captured the Claret Jug at Royal St George’s sporting a pair of

the brand’s footwear. “I was wearing Stuburt shoes for my greatest achievement in golf, so am really pleased to be back with them,” said the 22-time professional winner and five times Ryder Cup player. “I’m looking forward to working with the team again and providing some design input as the brand works to develop its future ranges,” added Clarke. Stuburt's managing director, Graeme Stevens, said: “It’s great to be back working with Darren again

ahead of the Ryder Cup. We look forward to hearing his thoughts and ideas as we work together on our next range of shoes.”

PROFESSIONAL PUTTING MADE EASY WITH HOLE MORE PUTTS THERE ARE NUMEROUS affordable and effective swing analysis systems available to buy for club golfers to measure their performance from the tee, but there has been nothing of note to monitor the most important part of the game – putting – the key skill that puts a number on your scorecard – until now. Created and developed in Ireland by experienced PGA Professional and respected international coach David Kearney, Hole More Putts is a high-tech, portable solution to mastering one of the most difficult parts in the game of golf. Featuring a strike board and patented infrared technology, Hole More Putts measures the five key elements of the putting stroke – face angle, impact point, path, angle of attack and speed – and provides instant analysis of the putting stroke on an easy-to-read, high-visibility screen located right next to the hitting zone. After five putts have been hit, proprietary software analyses the stroke and calculates a player’s ‘Putting Index’ – their putting performance score – by assessing data on face angle, impact point, path, angle of attack and speed. The interactive website then provides the golfer with a visualisation of each putt, a detailed analysis of the stroke, and personalised improvement instruction in an easy-to-follow video format. Requiring no set up, and very little space, it can be used indoors and outdoors to improve putting performance. Repeated use will help golfers build a clear picture of their strengths and weaknesses, and develop a stroke that is effective time after time.

Hole More Putts costs £399 and is available to buy online and at major golf retailers. For orders, visit www.HoleMorePutts.com.

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

NEWS | AUGUST 2016

NIKE PULLS OUT OF EQUIPMENT BUSINESS RORY MCILROY will have to find some new clubs to play with next season after Nike Golf, his equipment sponsor, announced its decision to stop making golf equipment. The shock announcement came on August 2, in a brief statement from the company which revealed that it is to stop making clubs, golf balls and golf bags, and devote its resources to its golf shoe and clothing business. "We're committed to being the undisputed leader in golf footwear and apparel," said Trevor Edwards, president of Nike. "We will achieve this by investing in performance innovation for athletes and delivering sustainable profitable growth for Nike Golf." McIlroy has been on Nike’s books since the beginning of the 2013 season, with a 10-year contract reported to be worth $200 million; while Tiger Woods,

THE GEAR EFFECT Inside The Bags Of Winners On Tour

JIMMY WALKER

US PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

■ MCILROY AND WOODS WILL BOTH BE LOOKING FOR NEW CLUBS TO USE NEXT SEASON

who hasn't competed professional in more than a year, has been with the brand since he turned professional in 1996. Woods’s management team said he would remain ‘the iconic ambassador’ for Nike Golf, just with a smaller group of products. "We have a long-term contract with Nike, and that likely will not change," said Excel Sports Management agent Mark Steinberg.

SPIETH STEPS OUT IN UNDER ARMOUR’S ‘SMART’ GOLF SHOE

IN AN EFFORT TO IMPROVE his overall game and match fitness, Jordan Spieth recently teamed up with Under Armour’s Connected Fitness division to record his physical activity during last month’s

[37]

Open Championship at Royal Troon. The 22-year-old world No.3 has been sponsored by Under Armour since January last year, and currently wears the company’s clothing, as

"I'm sure we'll have a conversation into what exactly the future looks like. It just means he'll likely have some different equipment in the bag, whether that's tomorrow, next month or a year from now. There is no set timeline.” Other leading players looking for new equipment sponsors next season will include Brooks Koepka, who tied for fourth in the US PGA Championship and Tony Finau. Nike also sponsors many leading women pros, including major champions Suzann Pettersen and Michelle Wie.

well as its new range of golf shoes, which were launched this spring. Among the information that the company included in the researcH WAS Spieth’s daily data for sleep, fitness, overall daily activity and nutrition. Using Under Armour’s fitness platform, UA Record, the data showed that Spieth recorded a total of 13,541 steps during one round of 18 holes at Troon, and took a total of 54,000 during the four-day tournament. He also slept for just under eight hours and ate 3,600 calories during one 24-hour period. Professional golfers aren’t allowed to track their movements with wearable tracking bands, so Under Armour took the sensor technology it uses in the company’s recently launched Speedform Gemini 2 Record Equipped

shoe and applied it to the brand’s first-ever, custommade smart golf shoe. The shoes house a motion sensor in the midsole, which records movement and translates that data into steps. “The data around overall performance applies in ways that are more important than just runners and cyclists,” said Jason LaRose, senior vice president of global e-commerce at Under Armour. “Golf is a natural place for us, as it has evolved as a sport over the past 20 years. As a company that makes shirts and shoes, we are excited about that. We will continue to pursue avenues to make athletes better.” The company is yet to announce if it plans to make the smart golf shoe available to regular golfers.

Nike began selling golf balls in 1998, and launched into the club business in 2002, just six months after David Duval became the first player to win a major with Nike equipment at the 2001 Open Championship at Royal Lytham. Nike Golf has been suffering declining sales of its hardwear in the last couple of years, with the latest year-onyear figures recording an 8% slump. It only ever managed to gain around 5% market share in the golf ball sector, but is currently the second most popular shoe brand behind FootJoy.

CLUB GOLFERS looking to follow the example set by PGA Tour rookie sensation Bryson DeChambeau, and use irons featuring the same length shafts, can do so following the launch of the new Sterling Single Length irons by custom irons company Wishon Golf. The Sterling Irons are a major departure from traditional irons in that they feature a single-length shaft construction. This identical set up ensures all possible elements of swing feel are identical for each and every club – same MOI, same total weight, same headweight, same balance point – to offer the chance for improved shot consistency. By using the exact same length and lie, golfers can adopt the same stance, the same posture, and the same swing plane for every iron in the bag, thus further enhancing consistency. Traditionally, iron lengths change by about half an inch from one club to the next, ranging from just under 36 inches in the wedges, to about 39 inches or longer in the long irons. Head

RUSSELL KNOX

TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP DRIVER: TAYLORMADE M2 (10.5) FAIRWAY WOODS: CALLAWAY BIG BERTHA (16), CLEVELAND LAUNCHER FL (19) HYBRIDS: CLEVELAND LAUNCHER DST (20.5), CLEVELAND MASHIE (23) IRONS: SRIXON Z 545 (5), SRIXON Z 745 (6-9), CLEVELAND RTX 588 2.0 CUSTOM (PW) WEDGES: CLEVELAND RTX 588 2.0 CUSTOM (54, 60) PUTTER: SEEMORE FGP MINI GIANT BALL: TITLEIST PRO V1X

JHONATTAN VEGAS RBC CANADIAN OPEN

DRIVER: NIKE VR (8.5) FAIRWAY WOODS: NIKE VAPOR SPEED (15, 19) IRONS: NIKE VAPOR PRO (3-PW) WEDGES: NIKE ENGAGE (54, 58) PUTTER: NIKE METHOD CORE MC-12W BALL: NIKE RZN TOUR PLATINUM

ARIYA JUTANUGARN WOMEN’S BRITISH OPEN

NEW MOTOCADDY TROLLEY TAKES SLOPES IN ITS STRIDE

FAIRWAY WOOD: TAYLORMADE AEROBURNER (15) UTILITY IRONS: TAYLORMADE RSI TP UDI (2), CALLAWAY APEX UT (3): TAYLORMADE RSI TP UDI (4) IRONS: TITLEIST 716 AP2 (5-9) WEDGES: TITLEIST SM6 (46, 50, 56, 60) PUTTER: ODYSSEY WORKS CRUISER V-LINE BALL: TITLEIST PRO V1X

THE NEW MOTOCADDY S1

JUSTIN ROSE

DHC incorporates all the same

OLYMPIC MENS TOURNAMENT

features as the latest S1, but it

DRIVER: TAYLORMADE M2 (8.5) FAIRWAY WOOD: TAYLORMADE M2 (15) IRONS: TAYLORMADE PSI TOUR (3), TAYLORMADE TOUR PREFERRED MB (4-PW) WEDGES: TAYLORMADE TOUR PREFERRED EF (52-09, 56-12, 60-10) PUTTER: TAYLORMADE GHOST MONACO TOUR BLACK PROTOTYPE BALL: TAYLORMADE TOUR PREFERRED X

can also maintain a constant speed while descending a gradient. An additional motor automatically adjusts power to control the rate of descent without golfers having to make

WISHON LAUNCHES SINGLE-LENGTH IRONS SET

DRIVER: TITLEIST 917D2 (8.5) FAIRWAY WOOD: TAYLORMADE M1 (15), TITLEIST 915FD (18) IRONS: TITLEIST 716 MB (3-9) WEDGES: TITLEIST VOKEY DESIGN SM6 (48, 54, 60) PUTTER: SCOTTY CAMERON NEWPORT 2 GSS PROTOTYPE BALL: TITLEIST PRO V1X

any adjustment to the speed setting. The new system is also strong enough to act as an electronic parking brake, which has the capacity to hold its position even on the steepest of slopes.

weights of the individual clubs also progressively increase, varying by as much as 60g from the heavier short irons to the lighter long irons. DeChambeau has been using a set of irons that have all been fitted with identical 371/2-inch shafts. And while other single-length sets lose too much distance with the lower lofted clubs, and generate too much distance with the more lofted irons and wedges, Sterling Irons deliver precise and consistent distance gaps throughout the bag. Wishon Golf has achieved this by using high springlike faces made from high strength steel in the 5-hybrid, 5, 6 and 7 irons with four-degree loft increments, while the faces in the 8, 9, PW, GW and SW are made from conventional cast carbon steel and feature five-degree loft increments. This unique design ensures consistent yardage gaps throughout the entire set. For more information visit www.wishongolf.com.

As well as the advantage of greater control on undulating courses, the latest Motocaddy S-Series trolley is significantly lighter than previous dualmotored models boasting similar functionality for demanding terrain. The S1 DHC trolley is available with an 18-hole lithium battery for £499.99, or £549.99 for the extended version. For more information visit www.motocaddy.com.

RYAN MOORE

JOHN DEERE CLASSIC DRIVER: PXG 0811 (9) FAIRWAY WOODS: CALLAWAY XR (16, 18) HYBRIDS: PXG 0317 (19, 22) IRONS: PXG 0311T (5-PW) WEDGES: PXG 0311T (54, 60) PUTTER: ODYSSEY WHITE HOT RX V-LINE FANG BALL: TITLEIST PRO V1X

[38] AUGUST 2016 | PRO SHOP

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

PING IBLADE £TBC, PING.COM

MIZUNO JPX900 £105-£120 PER CLUB, GOLF.MIZUNOEUROPE.COM

PRO SHOP

GEAR

GUIDE

Mizuno has unveiled three new JPX900 irons – Tour, Forged and Hot Metal – each of which uses different material combinations to create unique performance attributes. Mizuno’s newest material – Chomoly 4140M – is introduced in the JPX900 Hot Metal (£105 per iron), which combines high ball speeds with the pliability of a forged iron. The secret to this new material is its versatility, which has not only resulted in Mizuno’s thinnest ever cup face, but also remains soft and bendable in the hosel for precise lie angle adjustments. The wedges are made from a different material – a softer grade of steel – that offers the necessary feel around the greens that all golfers demand. The JPX900 Forged (£120 per iron) is the second generation of Mizuno’s forged irons to use Boron-infused steel, which allows a softfeeling forged iron to produce higher ball speeds. Whereas the first model used a uniform, thinner face to generate more distance, the JPX900 Forged pushes the technology forward with a multi-thickness face. It also boasts a milled pocket, which enhances energy transfer over a wider impact area. The extended pocket cavity allows 21.5g of weight to be redistributed to the corners of the clubhead for added stability and reduced distance loss on misshits. The midsize profile will still appeal to all good players, with the shorter irons more compact for precision and control at the scoring end of the bag. The JPX900 Tour (£120 per iron), which is grain flow forged from a single billet of mild carbon steel, combines high levels of feedback with advanced stability and off-centre performance, courtesy of more weight being pushed to the extremities of the head. This classic Mizuno player’s iron boasts a satin finish, straighter lines, and a toe profile that combines with a compact face and narrow tapered sole to promote crisp ballstriking, excellent workability and enhanced trajectory control.

While Ping’s reputation in the irons’ market has largely been fuelled by its cavity-back game improvement irons,such as its legendary Eye2 and its unfailingly popular G Series, the company’s first irons were a lot closer to traditional blades. But over the last decade or so, Ping has been pushing the idea of a compact players iron with a blade-like appearance, beginning with the S59 iron in 2003, and its most recent iteration, the S55, which was launched in 2013. Given the time lapse, it was perhaps only logical for the company to make another foray into the elite player’s market – step forward the iBlade. Tested on tour since May this year, and already in the bags of Bubba Watson and the most-played Ping iron by pros, the iBlade is cast from soft, high-strength stainless steel and features a thinner top rail than the S55, minimal offset, straight lead edge and a sharp, high toe, will appeal to all good players. The face is, incredibly, almost half the thickness of the S55, which delivers faster balls speed for increased distance – up to six yards longer than the S55 – with higher overall trajectories and precise distance control. Forgiveness, a key component of all Ping clubs, comes in the form of an elastomer insert behind almost the entire length of the face, which activates at impact to dampen vibrations, while high density tungsten weights in the toe area increases MOI and helps the clubface turn cleanly through the hitting zone.

YONEX N1–MB £1,400, YONEX.CO.UK

PING VAULT

Hand forged in Japan at Yonex’s factory in Niigata, the brand new Ni1-MB irons will suit the eye of all good players who love the look of a blade with a bit of built-in forgiveness. The design features a unique cut-out behind the face that is filed with a graphite insert, which lowers the centre of gravity in the head, and helps improve ball speeds across the face, making it more forgiving than a traditional blade, as well as softening the feel and adding more control to the shots. The heads are fractionally longer heel to

toe than most blades, which helps enhance forgiveness. But to make them cut through the turf like a blade, Yonex has rounded the sole in the heel and toe, and face to back, so there is less sole area in contact with the ground at impact. Available in 4-PW, they are fitted with a Nippon 950 steel shaft or Yonex’s NST310 graphite shaft as standard.

£275, PING.COM Taking inspiration from the legendary gold putter vault housed at its Phoenix-based headquarters, Ping’s new Vault series are designed for players seeking a putter that has been engineered to exacting standards and precision-milled to the tightest tolerances. The range comprises two blade designs (Voss and Anser 2) and two new mallet models (Oslo and Bergen). All four models are available in either a platinum or slate finish, and feature Ping’s patented True Roll face technology, which features a milled face pattern that varies in depth and pitch across the face, which speeds up off-centre impacts. The blade models are machined from stainless steel forged billets, with the Voss putter boasting a new design that features a ball-width cavity and sloped heel-toe weights for precise setup. The bodies of the Oslo and Bergen are milled aluminium, while improved stability and roll characteristics result from stainless steel bottom weighting, which boosts MOI and lowers the centre of gravity. Both models feature a precision double-bend shaft that can be adjusted to match stroke type. The Oslo is a simpler mallet with a smaller footprint and lower-level sightline, while Bergen features a raised ball-width crown alignment aid similar to the award-winning Ketsch model. Ping’s oversized pistol grip is standard on all four models, which also come with fixed or adjustable-length shafts.

LYNX BLACK CAT FAIRWAY WOOD £189, LYNXGOLF.CO.UK As with the new Black Cat driver, the matching fairway woods feature Lynx’s unique Spin Control System – a removable and reversible weight bar which repositions weight either further forward, or further back, in the clubhead. Positioning the High Weight setting closer to the clubface moves the weight forwards, reducing spin and keeping the flight lower, with a more penetrating flight and control. Positioning the Low Weight setting closer to the clubface moves more weight to the rear of club, increasing spin for a higher launch. An adjustable hosel offers lofts between 13° and 16°, while complementary Black Cat hybrids (£129) are available in 3 (17°) and 4 (21°) options. All clubs are available with custom fit options and come in a choice of black, red or blue head colours.

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

PRO NEWS SHOP | AUGUST 2016 [39]

SRIXON Z 65 IRONS £££ TBC, SRIXON.CO.UK

MIZUNO T7 WEDGES £120, GOLF.MIZUNOEUROPE.COM Already in the bag of Mizuno staff player Luke Donald, the new T7 wedges are the first Mizuno forged wedges to be infused with Boron. While the nature of soft forgings mean that the grooves deteriorate more quickly than those made from harder cast steel, the addition of Boron adds an extra element of durability that enables them to create spin for longer. The spin control performance of the face has already been enhanced by a new, more precise milling tool that allows the loft-specific Quad Cut grooves to be cut as tight as possible for even more spin. The grooves are wider and shallower in the higher lofts (5462˚), then deeper and narrower in the lower lofts (45-53˚), allowing golfers to really maximise spin on both full and partial shots. The leading edges are also loft specific, with the pitching wedge lofts featuring a straighter leading edge and topline for fuller shots, graduating into a more rounded profile in the highest lofts. The higher lofts also boast more visible grinds that narrow the sole to deliver crisp ball striking from a wide variety of lies. The T7 wedges are available in a white satin or blue IP finish in lofts from 45˚ to 62˚.

Srixon has opted to keep the changes to its popular Z Series to the minimum – with the most significant advancement of its next generation coming in the form of an updated Tour V.T. sole that has been modified to improve turf interaction. There are three models in the range, the gameimprovement Z 565 features a SUP10 steel face that is 10% stronger than stainless steel but with similar density. The face insert is surrounded by a forged carbon steel body that enhances feel. It also has a pocket cavity that extends from the heel to the toe — the depth of the cavity decreases closer to the toe — to improve forgiveness, and 5% larger grooves than the previous model for more spin control. The Z 765s are aimed at better players and feature a more compact shape and thinner topline. Forged from carbon steel, the one-piece cavity-back design has a special heat treatment to each head to improve feel and control. Like the Z 565, the iron also has 5% larger grooves and a redesigned Tour V.T. sole. The Z 965s feature a blade-style design that will appeal to pros and low single-figure handicappers. With more leading edge bounce and a compact head/topline, the iron offers very little forgiveness but plenty of workability and feel. All three irons have a number of shaft and grip options that are available at no extra cost, including True Temper's Dynamic Gold and Nippon's N.S. Pro 980GH DST. They go on sale from mid-September.

ECCO CAGE EVO £160, GOLF.ECCO.COM Ecco prides itself on being the only golf shoe brand that owns its own tanning factories, ensuring quality control from start to end product – but the Danish footwear company has eschewed its preference for all-leather uppers in its latest performance golf shoe – the Cage Evo. The leather is replaced with a combination of PU-structured textile bonded with a polyurethane webbing, which makes it lightweight, comfortable, and hard wearing. The material has been treated with Ecco’s Hydromax process to repel water. Ecco

has also turned its back on rubber nubs on the sole for this model, with the Cage Evo featuring Champ plastic cleats for extra firm grip in all conditions. Other features include a one-piece stability cage that wraps from the heel through the midsole and across the toe; while an anatomical outsole design, featuring an integrated TPU shank, helps the entire shoe move with the natural movement of the foot. For those with wider feet, there is a removable inlay sole, and as with most Ecco golf shoes, the forefoot is slightly roomier to allow the toes to wiggle and encourage natural balance, while the heel is locked securely in place. They are available in five colour combinations: Sulphur/Concrete/Black; Dark Shadow/Sulphur; Concrete/Wild Dove/Coral Blush; Bermuda BlueOmbre/Bermuda Blue, and Black/ Brick, in sizes 39-47.

PUMA TITANTOUR IGNITE DISC

CLEVELAND RTX 3 WEDGES

£150, COBRAGOLF.CO.UK/PUMAGOLF

£99, CLEVELANDGOLF.COM

Puma is the latest leading shoe brand to add a laceless model to its line-up. The Ignite’s ‘Disc Tech’ fastening system seamlessly tightens the shoe to provide a secure and snug fit. By turning the disc on the side of the shoe an internal wiring system tightens the upper, and the fit can be slackened just as easily. Similar to a trainer design Puma's sponsored athletes were wearing at the Rio Olympics, this limited-edition golf version comes in red/white/black or white/black.

Although looking very much like most other tour-style wedges, Cleveland’s new RTX 3’s feature some subtle tweaks to the design process which aims to take their performance to new levels. The main point of difference is the transposing of the RTX-3’s centre of gravity more in line with the centre of the face for more consistent performance. Typically, the centre of gravity for many wedges is more toward the heel side, as much as 10mm. Cleveland engineers shifted that position closer to true centre by saving 9g of weight in the hosel. The range includes both traditional blade designs and cavity back models and a full complement of 34 loft and bounce combinations with three sole grinds – V-LG, V-MG and V-FG – which are marked by one, two and three blue dots. The LG is Cleveland’s narrowest low bounce sole for maximum versatility, while the MG has mid bounce suitable for a wide range of players and turf conditions, and the FG is a forgiving full sole design with trailing edge relief. All three models feature a new Rotex Fapattern which increases friction and is directionally enhanced by loft. They are available in Tour Satin and Black Satin finishes, with True Temper Dynamic Gold steel (wedge flex) and Cleveland Blue Cap grips by Lamkin.

[40] AUGUST 2016 | DRIVERS

POWER & PRECISION GO DEEPER AND STRAIGHTER WITH THE LATEST ADJUSTABLE DRIVERS

PING G

CALLAWAY XR 16

LYNX BLACK CAT

TITLEIST 915

Ping’s G driver range comprises three models – standard, SF Tec (Straight Flight) and LS Tec (Low-Spin), all of which boast a newlydesigned crown which features Dragonfly Technology. Inspired by the complex design of a dragonfly’s wings, which features a strong exoskeleton supporting very thin wings, the crown features external weightsaving support structures that allows weight to be redistributed within the 460cc head to move the centre of gravity even lower and deeper to maximise forgiveness. As well as repositioned ‘turbulators’ to further delay airflow separation prior to impact, the new G driver also features Vortec Technology, which improves aerodynamics by minimising wake turbulence for faster clubhead speed and stability.

Callaway worked alongside aerodynamics experts at Boeing to create a driver that moves through the air very much like the wing of an airplane, and launches the ball faster and further. Boeing’s engineers discovered that a series of ‘trip steps’ located on the crown reduced drag and pressure around the clubhead, which resulted in increased swing speeds of 1mph. A larger footprint, which has been stretched to create a lower and deeper centre of gravity, improves forgiveness and raises trajectory, while thinner and lighter face makes it easier to swing faster without increased effort. It boasts an adjustable hosel for loft alterations, and is available in 9°, 10.5° and 13.5° models. It comes with a Fujikura Speeder Evolution 565 graphite.

The Black Cat driver boasts a number of performance-enhancing features, including the Lynx Spin Control System – a removable and reversible weight bar, which repositions weight either further forward, or further back, in the clubhead. Positioning the High Weight setting closer to the clubface moves the weight forward, reducing spin and keeping the flight lower, while positioning the Low Weight forward moves more weight to the rear of club, increasing spin for a higher launch. A cup-face design helps generate faster ball speeds and reduced spin, while full adjustability from 9-12 degrees, with draw and fade setting is on offer. Effective Energy Transfer delivers a sizeable sweet spot, and minimizes the effects of ‘gearing’ caused by off-centre hits.

While we eagerly await the arrival of the 917 driver, which is currently being tested on tour, the 915 range still represents a impressive piece of kit. Golfers can choose from the 440cc head in the D3 or the more forgiving 460cc head in the D2, whose profile has been stretched to offer more stability and a slight draw bias. Both models feature a deep channel across the front of the sole which creates a trampoline effect to increase ball speeds across a wide section of the face. The face is progressively thinner in the heel and toe areas, enhancing the trampoline effect, while a low centre of gravity location ensures low spin and high MOI to deliver forgiveness. An adjustable hosel allows loft and lie to be adjusted independently.

£349, PING.COM

£279, CALLAWAYGOLF.COM

£239, LYNXGOLF.CO.UK

£379, TITLEIST.CO.UK

DRIVERS | AUGUST 2016

[41]

PXG 0811

£429, PXG.COM Named after the numbers that refer to members of the US Marine Corps that look after artillery batteries, Parson Xtreme Golf’s 0811 driver is designed to launch golf balls rather than shells, with a powerful, if slightly less damaging, effect. Featuring a matt black crown, its key feature is a precision weighting system that boasts no fewer than 16 movable aluminium and tungsten weights on the sole that enable the club to be customisable in over 8,000 settings for swing weight, shot shape, and spin rate. Put the tungsten weights towards the front for low spin, towards the back for high spin, in the heel for draw bias, and the toe to encourage a fade. It also features an adjustable hosel that can be altered +/-1.5 degrees. The head is made from high grade titanium alloy that allows for thinner walls and a thinner face for faster ball speeds and increased forgiveness. Custom orders only.

MIZUNO JPX850

£349, GOLF.MIZUNOEUROPE.COM The JPX850 features an eye-catching blue crown and an even more attentiongrabbing sliding weight system that allows golfers to dial in the perfect launch conditions. The Fast Track allows players to set up for a high spin, mid spin or low spin 'neutral' flight to dial in their perfect launch and spin. Twin 8g weights can be located either on the central sliding rail or the two lateral slots located on the heel or toe of the driver. Mizuno's Quick Shift shaft release system offers eight loft options, ranging from 7.5° to 11.5°, within the one head. The 440cc head incorporates a ‘rebound crown’ to maximise ball speeds by flexing at impact, while Hot Metal face technology helps transfer clubhead speed to the ball across a large area of the face.

YONEX EZONE XPG £249, YONEX.CO.UK

Combining high-quality materials with innovative Japanese technology and design, the EZone XPG continues Yonex’s emphasis of using premium materials to produce maximum performance. Slightly heavier than the previous XP driver, the XPG has a lower and deeper centre of gravity, thanks to its lightweight carbon graphite crown and an 8g weight that has been added the head. This extra weight is counterbalanced by adding 20g of tungsten powder into the butt of the grip, which makes the shaft feel lighter. An adjustable hosel allows the loft angle to be altered +/-1.5° and club face angle through eight settings for the ideal launch trajectory.

SRIXON Z 565

XXIO 9

TAYLORMADE M2

COBRA KING F6+

The all-new Z 565 driver is designed to promote a higher launch with more forgiveness with a slight draw bias. The driver has three specific design features that maximize distance and control off the tee; the first is a multi-step design on the sole, which allows the lower face to bend, helping increase distance across the face. The second is a new cup face, which stretches farther around the crown and sole to create a larger sweet spot; while the final element is a thinner, lighter crown, which serves to increase MOI and lower the 460cc clubhead’s centre of gravity. Available in lofts of 9.5 and 10.5, it comes with a 45-inch Miyazaki Kaula Mizu shaft in regular or stiff flex.

The key feature of the new XXIO 9 driver is Dual Speed Technology, which combines an ultra lightweight, high balance point shaft with a heavy clubhead. This combination creates more centrifugal force in the downswing, and more kinetic energy at impact, resulting in faster swing speeds and greater distances. A new cup face design provides a 10% larger effective hitting area than the previous XXIO model for added forgiveness, while weight that has been repositioned further back in the clubhead to improve launch angles, while also lowering spin rate – which is the key to longer distance.

Dispensing with the two-way adjustable sliding weight mechanism found in the M1 driver has knocked £100 off the price tag of the M2, while retaining many of the same performance elements. An eye-catching crown combines black carbon composite and white titanium to give a two-tone effect, while a black face also helps to frame the ball at address. The crown weighs 12g less than a full titanium crown and results in a 35% lower and 46% deeper centre of gravity than in the brand’s popular AeroBurner driver to give longer, lowspinning launch. A hosel sleeve enables the loft to be changed across three settings by up to +/- 2° in an upright or standard lie. It comes with Fujikura Pro 50 and Pro 60 graphite shafts as standard.

The King F6+ features a sliding weighting system encased in a carbon fibre shell that offers five different centre of gravity positions. A carbon fibre crown, a new titanium body, and a forged face allows a 18g weight on the sole to deliver ultralow centre of gravity and ball flights ranging from towering to penetrating. Other features include E9 Zone Face technology, which increases the size and speed of the sweet spot, while Speed Channel technology – a trench around the perimeter of the face and toe – delivers faster ball speeds. It is available in five lofts, three draw settings, and three colour options (black, blue, white) and comes with a Matrix OZIK Black Tie 65g shaft.

£299, SRIXON.CO.UK

£499.99, XXIOSTORE.CO.UK

£329, TAYLORMADEGOLF.COM

£289, COBRAGOLF.CO.UK

[42] AUGUST 2016 | UK BREAKS

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

PLAY BRITISH MASTERS’ ‘SUNDAY PINS’ WITH EUROPEAN TOUR TRAVEL CLUB

P MORE GOLF FOR LESS AT

THE MANOR S

et in the foothills of Dartmoor National Park in Devon, The Manor House and Ashbury Hotels form one of the largest golf complexes in the UK. The Okehampton-based resort offers an unrivalled choice of seven 18-hole course options, all on one site, with layouts ranging from the Kigbeare, at 6,528 yards, through to the Oakwood at 5,502 yards, plus an 18-hole par-three layout. And with 27 holes of golf, per night of stay, included free of charge, all visitors are guaranteed great value. All the courses have been beautifully designed, using the natural features of the landscape, with

mature trees, hedgerows and ponds integrated into the design. All are maintained in peak condition, allowing for spectacular golf all year round. Other facilities available to guests free of charge include 13 tennis courts; 12 badminton courts; 13 bowls rinks; 28 snooker tables; 10 lanes of ten-pin bowling; three swimming pools; five target ranges featuring archery, air rifles, air pistols and laser shooting; dance and exercise classes and much more. Two craft centres offer 17 tutored crafts, including pottery, glass engraving, hot press printing and woodwork. All tutoring

is free, with guests only paying for minimal material costs. Guests are also able to make use of the resort’s state-of-the-art hydro spas. With saunas, steam rooms, hydro pools and relaxation loungers, it’s the perfect place to unwind after a busy day of activities. There is also a choice of

over 20 health and beauty treatments, including hot stones massage, facials and manicures. All golf breaks are full board, and there are generous savings on offer for larger groups. For bookings, call 0800 389 9892 or visit www. ashburygolfhotel.com.

Southern Counties

HEATHLAND GOLF TOURS

laying a round of golf with some of the world’s best players is something most golf fans can only dream about, but those dreams could now be a reality following the launch of the European Tour Travel Club. Offering travellers unprecedented access to a unique range of experiences, the European Tour Travel Club not only offer the chance to buy tickets and travel packages to European Tour events, but to be involved in the tournament, too. Pro-Am places are available to buy, giving regular club golfers the opportunity to tee it up alongside some of the world’s best golfers, and there will also be options to purchase rounds on the course the day after the tournament finishes. In addition, the club is offering packages to the European Tour’s network of world-class venues in their properties portfolio, including PGA Catalunya in Spain, Quinta do Lago in Portugal Le Golf National in Paris, and Terre Blanche in the south of France, to name but a few. Keith Pelley, chief executive of the European Tour, said: "People are increasingly seeking unique experiences on holiday and golfers are no different. Yes, they want the best courses and convenient accommodation, but never before

have they been able to access our Pro-Am tournaments or play tournament courses on our schedule as part of a European Tour Travel package.” While the Pro-Am package to October’s British Masters at The Grove (pictured below) is already sold out, there are still places available to play in the ‘Sunday Pins on Monday’ event taking place on October 17, when golfers will be able to experience the same set up played by the pros during the previous day’s final round, with all the grandstands still in place. The package, comprising two nights’ B&B accommodation at the four-star Hilton Watford, 18 holes at The Grove, and a further 18 holes at nearby Luton Hoo, costs £895 per person, based on twin occupancy. The European Tour Travel Club is operated by Golfbreaks.com. For more details visit www.golfbreaks.com.

To enquire call:

01822 618181 Website:

Email:

schgt.co.uk

info@exclusivegolfbreaks.com

Five of England’s finest heathland courses have joined forces as Southern Counties Heathland Golf Tour Blackmoor, Hankley Common, Hindhead, Liphook and West Sussex Staying at top quality hotels and Inns.

Packages start from just £339 playing three rounds of golf and two nights B&B at a top venue

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

UK BREAKS | AUGUST 2016 [43]

STAY AT THORPENESS TO SAMPLE THE

BEST OF SUFFOLK

horpeness Golf Club and Hotel, on Suffolk’s Heritage Coast, has a range of great value golf break offers that enable golfers to sample the best of Sufffolk golf. From £130pp, golfers can play two rounds at Thorpness’s James Braiddesigned 18-hole heathland course, stay over for two nights in the 36-bedroom golf hotel (including dinner

TheManor House

& Ashbury Hotels

- The Only Sport, Craft & Spa Hotels in the UK

heathland course, featuring crisp turf, heather, gorse and, being located just 400 yards from the North Sea, freshening seaside winds. The signature hole arrives early in the round, at the third, a hole that sweep around Thorpeness Mere, an artificial lake used for fishing and boating. Thorpeness is famous for the ‘House in the Clouds,’

a converted water tower turned holiday home that overlooks the 18th green, and has hosted prestigious amateur and professional events, including the English Seniors Championship and the PGA Super 60’s Championship. For more details, visit www.thorpeness.co.uk or call 01728 452176.

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Pines 17th 442 yards, Par 4

Autumn to Spring

and breakfast), and then play a further 18 holes at the fabulous course at nearby Aldeburgh. Thorpeness’ awardwinning course is consistently rated as one of the best courses in Eastern England, and is located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the Suffolk Coast. Laid out on sandy soil, the 6,500-yard course is a natural maritime

Oakwood 4th 321 yards, Par 4

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[44] AUGUST 2016 | COLUMN

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

In need of a break following a hectic major season, Sarah Stirk heads to the highland retreat of Gleneagles to assess the new-look KING’S COURSE, following its recent redesign

WHAT BETTER PLACE to spend a couple of days unwinding after an epic week at The Open, than my spiritual home – Gleneagles. I’ve been coming to the grand old Scottish estate for years. It was where I learnt to play the game, as my uncle moved up there when he retired. I even spent a summer during university working at the resort, where my roles included course ranger, juice buggy driver and bag store attendant. Of course, the highlight was getting access to the courses at the end of day. It was the best summer job ever, and I look back at my time there with the fondest memories. I’ve been going back most years ever since, and we’ve had many a family celebration there for Hogmanay. Gleneagles is very special to both me and countless others, but the best thing is that it’s set to get even better. Sharan Pasricha, the chief executive of Ennismore, acquired the resort last year, and plans have already been announced for an extensive refurbishment programme. We met for a coffee in the über-stylish and recentlyredesigned Century Bar to discuss his aspirations, and his energy, enthusiasm and passion were inspiring. “The Gleneagles Hotel is an incredible property and beloved brand,” said Pasricha. “It is known the world over for its golf, but with 850 acres of beautiful Scottish countryside, there is the potential to do so much more with the hotel. We really want to showcase the unrivalled range of facilities – the glorious playground of country pursuits and activities – we offer on the estate. We’re approaching the refurbishment with bold and creative decisions, while respecting the hotel’s history and building on its remarkable heritage.” The changes are already in motion, as the King’s Course was officially relaunched earlier this year, following extensive redevelopment to restore it to its original glory. The James Braid-designed course will celebrate its 100th birthday in 2019. The Queen’s course has always held a special place in my heart, because it was where I spent most of my time while learning to play. It’s a gentler test and features some picture-perfect holes. The PGA Centenary Course receives plenty of attention as the host of the 2014 Ryder Cup, but the King’s is probably my favourite challenge. Scott Fenwick, Gleneagles’ Golf Courses and Estate Manager, who managed the King’s Course project, joined the greenkeeping team at Gleneagles 35 years ago and was keen to elaborate on the changes. “We’ve taken the course back to how it would have been in Braid’s day. I started here in 1980, but by the end of that decade we had begun to change the whole character of the King’s Course to meet golfers’ expectations at that time. We started contouring and reshaping until the fairways became really narrow. The original bunkers within the fairways ended up sitting in the rough, which meant the approaches became so tight that golfers had to fly the ball onto the greens. There was a surge in demand for this type of play at the time.” The recent restoration project has reversed most of these changes from the late 1980s, with the focus on Braid’s philosophy of using the natural lie

THE KING’S PLAYS LIKE AN INLAND LINKS, WHERE YOU CAN PITCH, BUMP, RUN AND MANUFACTURE SHOTS, USING THE CONTOURS OF THE LAND TO GET THE BALL IN THE HOLE

of the landscape. Work to reinstate elements of the original design have included re-aligning fairways and widening greens, bringing several bunkers back into play and reinstating more heather, which is the one change I wholeheartedly disagree with – after my alltoo regular visits to it. I had the pleasure of sampling the new-look course, as my dad and I took on the Gleneagles’ director of golf, Gary Silcock, and general manager Paul Heery. I’m pleased to report Team Stirk were the recipients of the post-match winning drinks after the stunning surroundings inspired us to victory, although I do have to admit there’s a very healthy advantage from the red tees. Gary Silcock had this to say about the golf on offer at this spectacular destination. “Taken together, our three championship courses offer a fascinating insight into the development of golf course design. By restoring the King’s back to Braid’s original design, we’re providing golfers with a lot more choice. The PGA Centenary is a modern course with pristine, defined and immaculate contouring, where you can really fly the ball and take an aerial approach onto the green. The King’s and the Queen’s, on the other hand, are traditional heathland courses which play like inland links, where you can pitch, bump, run and manufacture shots, using the contours of the land to get the ball in the hole.” I’m clearly biased, but everything Gleneagles does and stands for is first class, and with a new, ambitious owner, the future of the resort is in great hands. There is one criticism, however, which I’d like to see rectified. A couple of years ago, the halfway house stopped selling waffles and maple syrup, which was a delightful mid-round treat. Despite the golfing defeat, Heery assured me this would be looked at, as they take customer feedback very seriously. Apart from that, keep up the good work Gleneagles! For details on the latest golf breaks to Gleneagles, visit www.gleneagles.com

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

TRAVEL | AUGUST 2016 [45]

WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE BAGSOLO: 1. NO MORE HEAVY GOLF BAGS TO CARRY 2. SKIP THE QUEUES AT CHECK-IN 3. NO MORE EXCESS BAGGAGE FEES 4. AVOID DELAYS AT BAGGAGE RECLAIM 5. FEDEX STAFF TRAINED TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR CLUBS 6. NO NEED TO HIRE OVERSIZED RENTAL VEHICLES AT YOUR DESTINATION

BAGSOLO: TAKING THE STRAIN OUT OF PLAYING AWAY

7. ENJOY 25% EXTRA WEIGHT ALLOWANCE OVER THE SCHEDULED AIRLINES 8. PLAY WITH YOUR OWN CLUBS, WHEREVER YOU ARE IN THE WORLD

Fed up with rubbish hire sets when you play golf on holiday? Tired of checking in your golf bag at airports? Then you need BagSOLO, the ultimate door-to-door chauffeur service for your clubs

olfers are creatures of habits, and that’s certainly the case when it comes to our precious golf equipment. We spend hundreds, often thousands, of pounds buying and customising our gear so that it helps us get the most out of our game and is right for our swing. But what happens when you go on holiday and are forced to use a random set of hire clubs? You often end up with a dodgy set that look like they’ve come from a car boot sale, or at best a new set of sticks that feature tour stiff shafts, no lob wedge, and a putter that takes you two rounds to get used to. With luggage allowances, security checks and the sheer amount of stuff you take on holiday these days, lumbering a set of golf clubs to the airport is just another inconvenience you could do without – which is where BagSOLO comes to the rescue. BagSOLO is a new travel solution that provides the ultimate convenience for travelling golfers. Launched this summer, BagSOLO offers to courier your clubs around the world from door to door. BagSOLO relieves the stress of travelling with your equipment so that you can relax and enjoy your journey, while your golf bag goes solo.

Working in partnership with world-leading courier services Fedex and UPS, BagSOLO offer golfers the luxury of personal delivery of their clubs when they travel. No excess baggage charges, no queues at the airport check-in, no heavy bags to lug around, and no more dodgy hire sets! The service can cost as little as £29 each way, depending on travel requirements, and covers destinations in the UK, Europe, and the USA, amongst others. BagSOLO’s courier service can be booked directly through its website in three simple steps. Travellers can arrange pick-up and delivery to whichever destination they choose, whether at home, the golf club, or hotel, and can track their precious clubs every step of the way with a free tracking service. In the unlikely event that there is a delay in getting the clubs to the destination, BagSOLO guarantees that a free hire set will be available to the traveller until their own set arrive at the specified destination. “It’s a luxury service at an affordable price,” said Mike Coyne, Director of BagSOLO. “Travelling with your own clubs can be frustrating, and can distract from enjoying your time away. BagSOLO offers the convenient service where you can take your own set of clubs all over the world, hassle-free, and not have to worry about hiring clubs or transporting clubs and luggage to and from the airport.” BagSOLO.com has already garnered a great deal of interest within the golfing world, with many of the UK’s leading tour operators being quick to partner with the company. For more information on BagSOLO, and how to book your first trip, visit www. bagsolo.com.

■ BAGSOLO USES ONLY THE MOST REPUTABLE CARRIERS, INCLUDING FEDEX, TO TRANSPORT GOLF CLUBS

■ NO MORE NEED TO CRAM IN CLUBS ON THE WAY TO THE AIRPORT

■ NO MORE LUGGING CLUBS AROUND THE TERMINAL

■ AND NO MORE LONG WAITS FOR YOUR CLUBS TO BE UNLOADED

[46] AUGUST 2016 | NEWS

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

LODGES ADD LUXURY APPEAL TO

LOFOTEN LINKS

■ THE NEW LODGES AT LOFOTEN LINKS ARE A GREAT PLACE TO SEE THE NORTHERN LIGHTS

LISBON’S ‘GOLF COAST’ HOT SPOT FOR UK GOLFERS

he golf courses around Portugal’s capital city are enjoying another bumper year, after recording a 21.9 per cent increase in rounds played by UK visitors during the first half of 2016, up to 16,000 compared with 13,000 during the same period last year. A long-established destination for UK golf travellers, Europe’s westernmost capital typically welcomes more than 100,000 international golfers each year.

According to the latest figures issued by Turismo de Lisboa, the Scandinavians are the only international visitors to play more rounds on the Lisbon Golf Coast than the British. Having been awarded the title of European Golf Destination of the Year by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators for the third time at the end of last year, the Lisbon region continues to attract UK golfers, who flock there for its choice of great courses,

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ofoten Links in Norway, one of the world’s most northerly courses, has opened a range of luxury accommodation in the beautiful setting of the Lofoten Islands. Managed by Troon, Lofoten Links sits 95 miles north of the Arctic Circle, and can provide every visitor with an experience of a lifetime, whether golfing under the midnight sun or enjoying the Northern Lights, which are visible from late August until April. Guests can choose between a range of newly opened lodges and apartments. The lodges, which are set next to Hov Beach, have three or four bedrooms, kitchens, spacious lounges with fireplaces, and terraces with sea views. Prices start from around €58 per person per night, based on six

affordable green fees, year-round mild climate, and easy access to the attractions of the city centre. There are currently 21 courses in the region that are members of Turismo de Lisboa, all located less than an hour’s drive from the centre of the capital. Although they vary in size, location and difficulty, many have been designed by well-known designers, including Seve Ballesteros and Donald Steel. And for golfers looking for an extra reason to plan a golf break to the Lisbon area in the next few months, upcoming events include

people sharing a four-bedroom lodge. The apartments range between one and three bedrooms, and are situated nearer the links itself. Guests can look forward to golf course or ocean views, plus kitchenettes, living rooms and shower rooms. They start from around €52pp, based on two people sharing. The golf course at Loften Links has recently been expanded from nine to 18 holes by English architect Jeremy Turner, who borrowed five holes from the existing course and created 13 completely new ones. Several holes on the 6,600-yard layout play alongside the ocean, while one, the par-3 second, juts out into the sea promontory, with the green surrounded by water on three sides.

Other holes occupy land slightly further from the shore, including area around Viking graves, while Mount Hoven provides a spectacular backdrop. Though the site is natural linksland, some areas are extremely rocky, especially on the edges of fairways. Lofoten Links is offering special stay and play packages to coincide with 24-hour golf and the Northern Lights. Meals for all guests can be taken at the clubhouse, with breakfast brought to your door. The lodges are the perfect base for a range of outdoor activities, and have clear views to the north and the sea, where the Northern Lights appear. For more details, visit www.lofotenlinks.no.

■ OITAVOS DUNES

the European Amateur Golf Tour (21-25 October), held at the awardwinning Oitavos Dunes; the Cascais International Golf Week (29 Oct-5 Nov), and the Oitavos Classic 2017

(23-26 February 2017) which is open to all amateur golfers with a handicap below 28. For more information on playing golf in Lisbon, visit www.visitlisboa.com.

TAKE ON VIETNAM’S GRAND SLAM TOUR

espite being slightly off the traditionally beaten track as far as golfers are concerned, Vietnam is making a strong case for being the Far East’s next hot golfing destination on the back of a quartet of top tracks located on what is being called the ‘Golf Coast Vietnam’. Throw in an inviting climate, high quality accommodation, stunning beaches, a safe environment, interesting local food, culture and history, friendly people, and sensibly-priced green fees, and the result is a country that has seen its golf visitor numbers rise from virtually zero five years ago, to more than 250,000 rounds to date, and counting. Encompassing the coastal cities of Danang, Hoi An, Hue and Lang Co, all of which are accessible from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, the Central Coast offer over 35 miles of white sandy beaches which are dotted at regular intervals with luxury resorts operated by the likes of Intercontinental, Hyatt and Accor, many of which offer exceptional golf courses that are already ranked highly in the world top 100 lists.

Luke Donald is the latest among a growing list of tour players to turn their hand to golf course design following the opening of his first project at Ba Na Hills Golf Club in Vietnam. Located near Danang, where Colin Montgomerie, Nick Faldo and Greg Norman already have coastal courses in play, Donald’s design is located away from the sea, where it enjoys a typically cooler, less windy setting. The course is also completely floodlit, allowing golfers to tee off in the evening, when temperatures drop even further. Golfers wishing to test themselves on all four signature courses, including Faldo’s Laguna Lang Co, Montgomerie Links at Danang, and Greg Norman’s The Bluffs at Grand Ho Tram Strip, should consider booking up the Grand Slam Tour package currently being offered by tour operator Golf Asian. The eight nit, nine-day tour takes in all four venues. For package prices and more details email inquire@ golfasian.com or visit www.golfcoastvietnam.com.

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

TRAVEL | AUGUST 2016

[47]

ME&MYTRAVELS

Actress, singer and television personality Denise Van Outen heads to Spain to get her golfing fix and America for holidays

My first holiday… without my parents, was to Ibiza, when I was 17 years old. I went with my friend Tamara, and I still remember how much fun we had. I fell in love with the party island and its beautiful sunsets. I still go back there regularly.

had a social aspect, and it’s become a bit of a passion. My handicap is still 36, but I’m probably better than that.

■ LAS COLINAS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB, SPAIN

My favourite golf course in the UK is… The Grove in Hertfordshire, while

My most recently holiday was to… Disney World in Florida with my daughter, Betsy. It was such a nice opportunity to be a big kid again, and, of course, Betsy loved every minute of it.

My golfing highlight so far… was having a golf lesson with Justin Rose at Costa Smeralda in Sardinia. He passed on some great tips that definitely helped improve my game. I took up golf two years ago in a bid to get involved in an activity that abroad it’s definitely Las Colinas Golf & Country Club, which his near Alicante in Spain. I’ve been lucky to play lots of really lovely courses, including Royal Westmoreland in Barbados and the Emirates in Dubai.

■ CHATEAU MARMONT HOTEL, LOS ANGELES

some great memories.

My dream fourball would include…Gareth Bale, Justin Rose, Justin Timberlake (left) and me.

My next golf trip is to… I never travel without… my clothes steamer. I hate having creased clothes, so that’s always one of the first things I pack whenever I go abroad.

My favourite hotel is… the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles. It has a real sense of old

school Hollywood, while the hotel restaurant serves a mean spaghetti bolognaise.

Las Colinas Golf & Country Club in a couple of weeks. I’m hoping to finally get my official club handicap – and I can’t wait to return!

My favourite city is…

My top travel tip is…

New York. It really is the city that never sleeps. I did Chicago there on Broadway, which has left me with

to always take lots of pictures. It’s so nice to be able to look back and remember a great trip.

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5* Belle Mare Plage

12 nights Half Board from £1,695 PP 12 nights All Inclusive Package from £2,235 PP Unlimited golf, incl. flights & transfers

12 nights B&B (Half Board £30 pp/day) 8 rounds of golf (or 2 hour spa treatment)

MEXICO 5* Moon Palace

SOUTH AFRICA from £2,295 PP Cape Town & Fancourt

Incl. flights & transfers

from £1,995 PP

10 nights B&B 6 rounds of golf on 6 courses

2 weeks All Inclusive

Unlimited golf on 2 courses Incl. flights, transfers & unlimited golf

Incl. flights & car hire

Prices include - 7 nights in 3* hotel or self-catering, 4 great rounds of golf including carts! and a 7 seat people carrier with inclusive car insurance based on 4 sharing. (FLIGHTS NOT INCLUDED, PLEASE CALL FOR LATEST PRICES AND GROUP DISCOUNTS).

MEXICO MIXED PAIRS 2017 TOURNAMENT 25th Feb - 07th Mar 2017 - From £2,559 pp

For the BEST PRICES in - MYRTLE BEACH - FLORIDA - LAS VEGAS CALIFORNIA - PEBBLE BEACH - SAWGRASS - CHARLESTON

Europe and South Africa please call:

EAGLE GOLF TOURS 01273 419111 For every booking through Chaka Travel you

will recieve a free golf lesson with your local pro. or go to: www.eaglegolftours.com *Ask for full details

from £2,095 PP

10 nights Moon Palace with unlimited green fees and 5 tournament rounds. With your host PGA PRO Nico Els MADEIRA

SEYCHELLES

DUBAI

SPAIN

www.chakatravel.com enquiries@chakatravel.com

ITALY

IRELAND

MOROCCO

CALL OUR SPECIALISTS

028 9023 2112

Please quote: GOLFNEWS when you enquire.

TURKEY

YOUR SCORE CARD WILL LOOK JUST AS CLEAN.

NEW

PING engineers designed the new iBlade iron for golfers who rely on the workability, precision and control to execute the most demanding shots in the game. Precision cast from 431 stainless steel, the compact head delivers the softest, purest feel ever in a PING iron. The thin face accelerates ball speeds for added distance, and tungsten weighting provides forgiveness when you need it. Visit a PING Authorised Clubfitter today and get fit for technology that rewards your 100% commitment to every shot.

EVERY CLUBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S A SCORING CLUB.

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