GolfNews June 2015

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DAVID HOWELL WIN A ROUND WITH STEPHEN GALLACHER MELISSA REID JAMES MORRISON SARAH STIRK TOM LEWIS U.S OPEN REVIEW

THE UK’S NO1 GOLF NEWSPAPER

Issue 233 | June 2015

Est 1994

THE OPEN SHOWDOWN McIlroy and Spieth set for titanic tussle at St Andrews

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THE UK’S NO1 GOLF NEWSPAPER

Issue 233 | June 2015

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DAVID HOWELL WIN A ROUND WITH STEPHEN GALLACHER MELISSA REID JAMES MORRISON SARAH STIRK TOM LEWIS

Est 1994

BY NICK BAYLY

THE OPEN SHOWDOWN

AN ALL TOO PUBLIC FALL TO EARTH If you cast your eyes down the current Official World Golf Ranking – as if like there is some other ranking where all the top players are from North Korea – you have to track your index finger all the way down to 205th to find the name of one Tiger Woods.

Those who haven’t being paying much attention to golf over the last six months could be forgiven for thinking that some chancer who won his card last year had taken the former world No.1’s name as part of an elaborate hoax to cash some of Nike’s cheques, while the real Tiger Woods was way up at the top of the list alongside Rory McIlroy and Jordan Speith.

Sadly, for Tiger’s fast-shrinking group of fans, the real Tiger Woods is currently playing like someone who won a raffle to play on the PGA Tour for a season, despite having a double digit handicap.

To be honest, judging by his most recent rounds – which have included an 85 at The Memorial, and an equally shocking 80 at the first round of the US Open – I don’t think a 10 handicap would be enough to elevate Tiger on to the leaderboards at any tournament right now.

Some of the shots that spectators and TV viewers have witnessed over the last few

months would not have looked out of place at the Sunday morning junior beginners’ roll-up at my local driving range. And I know that even a good many of them would have cringed, and perhaps hidden beneath their caps, if they’d executed some of the horrors that the 14-time major winner has this managed this season.

The stats don’t lie. Woods has hit more rounds in the 80s than he has in the 60s since the Masters, and despite his persistent, and at times almost pleading, protestations that there is light at the end of this darkest of tunnels, I just don’t see it coming to end any time soon.

Not, at least, while he continues to plough the path he has – playing intermittently and sticking with a coach who has patently failed to bring about the desired results.

It may be harsh on Chris Como, whom Woods hired last December on a consultancy basis, but all those who know about such things are begging Woods to pick up the phone and call Butch Harmon.

With his swing in tatters, and his mind all over the place, Woods clearly needs to go back to the beginning – but with a 39-year-old body that is struggling to recover from multiple muscle tears and surgical procedures, it many be too late, even for a man of Harmon’s

119 GOLF LINKS ROAD

Bad to worse: Tiger is showing no signs of knowing how to turn his game around

undoubted talents, to work the required magic to get the one of greatest players the game has ever seen back on the right track.

Golf is the most pitiless of sports when things start to unravel. There is no hiding place, other than a padded cell in a gated community, when it all goes belly up. Boxers are dragged off in an ambulance when they get knocked unconscious, while footballers who no longer score goals or make tackles are simply told to pack their bags and do one.

Former world no.1 golfers suffer

a much slower fall to earth. With their lengthy exemptions from having to qualify for the Majors, and their box office credentials ensuring sponsor’s invitations long after their skills have deserted them, they get the opportunity to face their demons in the all too public gaze of television cameras that mercilessly repeat and rerepeat all those hooked tee shots, topped 3-woods, scuffed wedges, shanked irons, and gut-wrenching three-putts.

Coverage of Woods’s recent rounds – which are often concluded way before the contenders have teed off, if he makes it that far into a tournament – are beginning to take on an almost ghoulish fascination, in the way that they did when Seve used to spray it around in his latter days.

It’s almost as if the producers in the studios are willing Woods to hit another horror shot in order to justify switching the cameras away from those players who might actually win something.

Quite what version of Woods will turn up The Open Championship at St Andrews remains to be seen, but you, like me, will be hard pushed not to want to find out – even if it is by watching through parted fingers while sitting behind the sofa.

McIlroy and Spieth set for showdown at St Andrews

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Golf News, The Studio, 14 Deanway, Hove, East Sussex BN3 6DG Tel: 01273 556377 Email: info@golfnews.co.uk Website: www.golfnews.co.uk Follow us on: Twitter@golfnewsmag Managing Director Matt Nicholson matt@golfnews.co.uk Editor Nick Bayly editor@golfnews.co.uk Production Kath Perry ads@golfnews.co.uk For advertising enquiries please contact Matt Nicholson matt@golfnews.co.uk Design www.yotedesign.com Photography Getty Images Kevin Murray Published by BlueGreen Media Regular contributors Jeremy Ellwood, Sarah Stirk, Paul Mahoney, Clive Agran, Tom Lewis, Alistair Tait, Matt Ford. © Copyright Golf News 2015. 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 IN BRIEF RUSSELL LEAVES WEST SURREY WITH A WIN Hassocks professional Russell Buxton notched up his second victory of the season after shooting 68 to win the West Surrey Pro-Am. Buxton’s three-under-par performance included seven birdies as he edged out the 69s of James Jones (Tonbridge) and Nick Redfern (AIA Group) to claim the £1,000 top prize. “After leading the qualifying at Kingswood and a third place at Haywards Heath, winning here has really helped to reinforce all the work I’ve been doing with my coaches, Ben Clayton, Stuart Dowsett and Jim Roverson,” said Buxton. “I’m learning to stick to the things they’re all advising me to do, especially to stay cool when things don’t go to plan.”

IN-TUNE BELL WINS U18 JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP Surrey youngster Cameron Bell followed in the footsteps of tour legends Peter Oosterhuis and Luke Donald in winning the South East EGU U18 Junior Championship. The Woodcote Park player fired rounds of 72 and 69 at Effingham Golf Club to win the title by one shot. He birdied two of the last four holes to take the title from Angus Flanagan (St Georges Hill), and Tom Farrow-Smith (Burhill). The tournament attracted 84 players from the region with a handicap of less than four.

WHITTAKER CLAIMS BB&O SENIOR TITLE Tim Whittaker made the most of home advantage to win the BB&O Seniors Championship at his first attempt at Beaconsfield Gof Club. Played in wet and windy condition, two-handicapper Whittaker fired rounds of 73 and 72 gross, to win by five shots from David Niven (Newbury & Crookham). Defending champion George Wilson (Calcot Park) finished fourth, nine shots off the leader.

In the Age Group Divisions there were wins for Rod Crisp (Ellesborough) in the over 70s, Chris Osborne (Temple) in the 65-69 bracket, and Phil Sewell (Castle Royle) in the 60-64 bracket.

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Buckinghamshire lines up four fun-filled days for European Ladies Masters Golf fans in the South East looking to see some of the best female golfers in the world in action, and enjoy a fun-filled day out, should head to The Buckinghamshire Golf Club next month, where the ISPS HANDA Ladies European Masters takes place from July 2-5.

A showpiece event on the Ladies European Tour schedule, the European Masters always attracts a strong field, and in addition to the top quality golfing action, offers plenty of off-course entertainment for visiting fans, including live music, celebrity appearances, free coaching, and what is best described as a ‘garden party’ atmosphere.

Each day during the tournament, there will be a celebrity Q&A session in the tented village, where fans can pose questions to players such as Charley Hull, Cheyenne Woods and Laura Davies, while other famous faces available to chat to will include BBC news presenter Naga Munchetty and Strictly Come Dancing’s Anton du Beke.

There will be free SNAG Golf sessions for kids, where giant plastic clubs and colourful targets will offer a fun way to introduce golf to youngsters, while children and adults can enjoy free golf lessons with local PGA professionals in the interactive Ping swing zone.

The tented village features retailers selling all the latest golf fashion brands include Miss Designer Golf, One Up Golf, Golfing Retail and Yonex, while there will also be a full range of catering options, including large marquee serving food and beverages, a Pimm’s bar, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, sushi, a full barbecue, and free wine tastings with Wines of Portugal. Visitors

Solheim Cup star Charley Hull will be teeing it up at The Buckinghamshire

The Buckinghamshire

can also have their photograph taken with the Solheim Cup, and get up close to the LET players and other sports stars with regular autographsigning sessions.

Ticket holders will not only be treated to some of the world’s best golf, but as the sun goes down they will be able to enjoy live music and drinks in the tented village.

Friday night is cocktail night, when ticket holders can stay on to enjoy drinks and music from 6.30-8.30pm. Headlining the music entertainment on Saturday evening will be The Jones Gang, led by The Who’s Kenney Jones and featuring members of Foreigner, Bad Company, Roxy Music and Procol Harum.

Tickets for the concert, which will take place on July 5 from 7.30-9pm, will be on sale on the day at the gate for £15, but anyone who has spent the day watching the golf will be able to

Karrie Webb won the European Ladies Masters title in 2013

stay on and watch the gig free of charge.

The tournament, which was first launched in 2012 and this year offers an impressive €500,000 prize fund, always attracts a stellar field drawn from the world’s five leading tours, with America’s Cheyenne Woods and Christina Kim among the stars of the LPGA Tour that make the journey over.

Such is the event’s popularity among the players, that this year’s field has been enlarged to 144.

The tournament also enjoys a fine roll call of past winners, including Wales’ Lydia Hall, who won her first LET event in 2012, while former world No.1 Karrie Webb prevailed in 2013 with a magnificent score of 16-under par. Last year saw South Korea’s IJ Kim take the £60,000 first prize with a score of 18 under par.

For European players, the

tournament offers a great chance to impress Soheim Cup captain Carin Koch, as well as boost the ranking position for automatic qualification for the team, which will be decided in August.

After her memorable Solheim Cup debut in 2013 and her maiden win in Morocco last year, Charley Hull is guaranteed to be among the star attractions, as will Britain’s golfing dame, Laura Davies. The evergreen four-time major champion, who lives just around the corner in Ascot, will have large galleries as she attempts to bag an 85th career victory.

Tickets, which are available through www.tickets.sky.com/ golf, cost £15 for adults on Thursday and Friday, and £20 over the weekend. Family tickets ( 2 adults 2 children) cost £27/£36, while tickets for groups of more than 10, cost £120. Entry for the Pro-Am day on July 2 is free. There is no public parking available at the club during tournament days, so visitors should follow signs to the free Park & Ride service, which will be in operation just off Swakeley’s Roundabout on the A40.

Raitt romps to Southern Open victory at testing ESN Former PGA South Order of Merit champion Andy Raitt delivered a spectacular 11-under-par performance at East Sussex National to win the PGA Southern Open Championship.

Raitt shot rounds of 66, 65 and 74 around the former European Open venue’s East Course to take home the trophy and the winner’s cheque of £2,500. Fellow former tour professional Benn Barham finished second six shots backs on five-underpar, with Tim Spence one shot further back in third.

Opening with a six-under-par 66, Raitt shared the lead with defending champion Chris Gane in the 138-strong field, but he pulled clear of

the pack with a stunning seven-under 65 in the second round to stretch his lead to nine shots.

In the third round, the unrelenting East Course finally managed to catch up with Raitt, who finished with a 74, but he remained comfortably in front of his nearest rivals. Speaking about his performance, Raitt commented, “The first two rounds were amongst my best ever, with all parts of my game from tee to green were firing on all cylinders. I changed clubs after a club fitting session to Titleist AP2s and a 915D driver, and I’m now driving with far more confidence. I’ve been working hard with my coach Paul Thornley at his indoor academy over the winter, and it’s really paying off.”

NEWS IN BRIEF VALENTINE SHINES AT EUROPEAN US KIDS CHAMPIONSHIP Seven-year-old Jake Valentine from Buckinghamshire shot the joint lowest round of the week at the US Kids Golf European Championships held over five courses in East Lothian. The youngster from Stoke Poges fired a fourunder-par 31 in the Boys U8 category, but was beaten in a play-off for the overall title by Albert Newman from Newport, after both players tied on 104 for 27 holes. The tournament saw over 600 girls and boys from 46 countries take part, with ages ranging between six and 18.

FREEMAN ON FIRE AT THE OXFORDSHIRE Kevin Freeman (Stoke Park) won the BB&O Mid Age Championship at The Oxfordshire after play off with Nick Newman (Newbury & Crookham) after they had tied on 146. Craig Buttivant (Gerrards Cross) was one shot back in third. In the play off, both made pars at the first hole, but at the ninth Newman’s drive was unlucky to finish in a deep divot and he was unable get it close enough to the pin to match Freeman’s birdie.

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JUNE 2015 | NEWS

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Penge powers to Scottish Stroke Play title

Sussex’s Marco Penge has claimed the biggest title in his career, and boosted his chances of making the Walker Cup team, with victory in the Carrick Neill Scottish Open Stroke Play Championship.

The 17 year old from Horsham won by a shot, after rounds of 69, 69, 67 and 73 at a blustery Moray Golf Club saw him finish on six under par.

Speaking after his victory, Penge, who is attached to Golf At Goodwood, said: “It’s my first win in a national men’s event, and it’s a bit of a different feeling walking down the last. I was a bit nervous on the last green – but now I feel good!”

Penge, an England boy international and member of the England Golf boys’ squad, was in contention throughout the championship. After a first round 69, he was two behind the leaders; while after a second 69 he shared the lead at the halfway stage.

On the final morning he had a bogey-free round of 67 to get to eight under and take a one-shot lead into the final round. Then, he had to battle as the wind whipped

across the renowned Old Course.

There were a host of leading names in the hunt for the title on a classy leaderboard, but Penge showed great tenacity to keep them at bay, helped by a decisive eagle at the par-five 17th. He closed with a two-over-par 73 for a six-under par winning total.

Glenbervie’s Graeme Robertson, in the provisional Walker Cup squad ahead of September’s clash with the US at Royal Lytham, finished as runner-up on five under after a brave bid, with another Walker Cup squad man, Ireland’s Cormac Sharvin, taking third spot a stroke further back. Windlesham Golf Club’s Callum Mackay finished tied fourth on one over par.

Penge – who won the Peter McEvoy Trophy earlier this season and will rise from his world amateur ranking of 280 – joins an impressive list of past champions.

They include victorious Ryder Cup captains Bernard Gallacher and Colin Montgomerie, as well as current European Tour stars Stephen Gallacher, Richie Ramsay, Tommy Fleetwood and Andrew Sullivan.

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Greenwich academy on course to ‘revolutionise’ golf in East London The largest driving range and golf academy in Europe is set to open next month on the Greenwich Peninsula in East London.

Facilities at the Greenwich Peninsula Driving Range, which is located next to North Greenwich Underground station, will include a 60-bay, two-tier floodlit driving range; a 3,000 square foot retail outlet; a restaurant; bar and wine school.

The range, which officially opens to the public on July 3, will be 320 yards long and feature eight target greens. Open seven days a week, it will be staffed by a team of PGA-trained professionals who will be on hand to offer lessons, custom fit clubs and advise on equipment purchases.

The venture is part of a £5 billion, 25-year project, which will include the construction of 10,000 new homes, restaurants, galleries, business centres and parks on a 190-acre site reclaimed from marshland on the Greenwich Peninsula, which is expected to transform the South East corner of the capital.

The range is a joint project between the peninsula’s Hong

Kong developer Knight Dragon and N1GOLF. Founded in 2007, N1 Golf already operates a dozen driving ranges around the UK, and its owner, PGA Professional Declan Malone, is confident that the sheer number of local residents, and the superb transport links, including nearby City Airport, will eventually make the range the busiest in the Europe.

“This is the biggest thing to happen in London golf in 30 years,” said Malone. “This will be our flagship N1 site. It will not just be somewhere to whack a few balls – we are aiming to revolutionise how golf is perceived by the wider public by offering an entertaining, familyorientated facility. Being so near to Canary Wharf, we are also expecting the range to be popular with corporate clients.”

He added: “We are also close to some of the most deprived areas of inner city London, and we will be sending our team of PGA pros out to schools and youth centres to engage with local children, as well as inviting them along to attend coaching sessions at the range.”

The new academy is set to attract a wide range of new golfers from the South East London area

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Woodman’s 62 cuts down Sand Martins record Surrey pro Guy Woodman shot a new course record eight-under-par 62 to win the Sand Martins Pro-Am. The Surrey stalwart’s effort included a hole-in-one at the 156-yard 12th and no dropped shots, and saw him finish four shots clear of Paul Newman, whose 66 was no mean round. Not surprisingly, Woodman’s low score also saw him lead his amateur team to victory in the team event, although it required a countback to edge out Rob Gowers and his team, after both tied on 17 under. Woodman said: “Sand Martins really suits my game, and I always look forward to playing in this event, as the course seems to get better every year. The greens are always fantastic.”

Guy Woodman was back to winning ways at Sand Martins

TAYLOR HOLES DECIDING PUTT IN US CHAMPIONSHIP VICTORY Surrey’s Ben Taylor holed the winning putt to seal his university’s victory in the biggest championship on the US college circuit.

Taylor, from Walton Heath, rolled in a nine-foot par putt on the last hole to win his match one up and score the deciding point in the men’s NCAA Championship at The Concession Club in Florida.

The win capped his college career

and gave Louisiana State University its fifth victory in the championship, but the first for 60 years.

Taylor, who is a member of the England Golf men’s squad and is an England international, said: “It was a perfect moment to end a perfect college career, and I couldn’t be more happy.

It’s been a great day, and what a finish to my college career.

I’m so happy – just a great feeling.”

[7]

Top courses join forces to create Heathland Tour Five of the finest heathland courses in southern England have formed an alliance to market themselves to a wider golfing audience.

West Sussex, Liphook, Blackmoor, Hindhead and Hankley Common have created the Southern Counties Heathland Golf Tour, with the aim of opening up the attraction of heathland golf to golfers throughout the UK, as well as those travelling from farther afield.

All five courses, each of which are established members’ clubs, bear the typical heathland trademarks of sweeping swathes of heather and gorse, pine treelined fairways, fast-draining sandy soils, and undulating landscapes.

“With the launch of the Southern Counties Heathland Golf Tour, we have put together a trail of some of the most authentic, yet natural heathland courses of England,” said Andy Stubbs of West Sussex Golf Club.

“Until now, these courses have been a fairly well-guarded secret, as far as the rest of the world was concerned, but for any golfers wishing to discover the pleasure of playing classic, well-designed heathland layouts, our collection of courses would be an ideal place to start.”

To launch the initiative, the Southern Counties Heathland Golf Tour has joined with Golf Tourism England to promote themselves as a golf break

The 6th hole at Hindhead

destination to national and international golfers alike.

Andrew Cooke, founder of Golf Tourism England, who was instrumental in encouraging the clubs to link up, said: “These clubs form an extremely attractive cluster of high quality courses in southern England – an area already well known for heathland masterpieces such as Sunningdale, Wentworth and Walton Heath. Though quieter in profile, these courses are all well established and highly regarded, and are regularly included in the various UK golf course rankings, with the likes of West Sussex and Hankley Common often appearing in the top 20.”

The five clubs are located within an hour of each other, and are easily accessible via the M25 and A3. For those seeking accommodation while undertaking the tour, Old Thorns Manor near Liphook is centrally located to act as a base. Set in 400 acres of rolling Hampshire countryside, and offering its own 18-hole course, the resort offers a range of rooms and apartments, a spa, various bars and restaurants.

NEWS IN BRIEF CORBEN CLAIMS SURREY TITLE

Hindhead’s David Corben made amends for finishing second in last year’s Surrey Amateur Championship, by winning this year’s title in fine style. Following the stroke play qualifying rounds played at Malden and Coombe Hill in lashing wind and rain, which resulted in a cut mark of nineover par, the last 16 moved to the match play rounds at Coombe Hill, where Corben eased through his quarter-final against Mark Finbow (Bansted), before edging out Scott Bryan (Wentworth) in the semis to set up a final against David Primrose (Sutton Green). In the final, Corben led by two after the front nine, and after holing a seven-foot putt on the 17th for a half, Corben sealed the win with a similar length putt on the last to win one up, after Primrose’s birdie attempt narrowly missed.

COOPER BACK TO WINNING WAYS

Sussex pro Lea Cooper shot a four-under-par 68 to win the Woodcote Park Pro-Am by two strokes, Battling gusting winds and firm greens, the Tilgate Forest-based player made eight birdies during his round to beat Ian Golding, Paul Nessling, Chris Gane and James Ablett into a share of second place.

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NEWS IN BRIEF CUDDINGTON’S CALLUM CLAIMS CASEY TROPHY Callum McManus from Cuddington has won the Paul Casey Trophy for the Surrey Under 12s Championship held at Chobham Golf Club.

The youngster pipped fellow Cuddington member James Crossett to the title by one shot, with Aiden Millham from Windlesham, a further two shots back in third. The scratch event saw 35 players take part, although there were prizes in the handicap category with Oliver Wren taking the top spot ahead of Rio Mercer-Marsdeb.

AGE NO BARRIER FOR ACEMAN FLOOD Kent golfer John Flood became one of the oldest players to score a hole-in-one last month when the 85 year old aced the 135-yard fourth hole at Walmer & Kingsdown Golf Club. A longstanding member of the club, Flood used a driver for his effort and was rewarded with a Hole-in-One tie by the club captain Paul Cannons. He also won a limited edition BOSS watch and membership of the exclusive BOSS Watches H1Club.

LIAM BURNS OFF RIVAL TO WIN KENT AMATEUR Sundridge Park’s Liam Burns captured the Kent Amateur Championship after beating Matt Shehan 2&1 in the final held at Littlestone Golf Club.

Burns breezed through his matchplay rounds, winning 6&5, 5&4 and 2up, before being taken to the 17th hole

by Sheehan, whose path to the final was similarly straightforward, with the exception of his 1up win over Freddie Price in the semis.

LIAM BURNS OFF RIVAL TO WIN KENT AMATEUR Sundridge Park’s Liam Burns captured his ?? Kent Amateur Championship after beating Matt Shehan 2&1 in the final held at Littlestone Golf Club.

Burns breezed through his matchplay rounds, winning 6&5, 5&4 and 2up, before being taken to the 17th hole

by Sheehan, whose path to the final was similarly straightforward, with the exception of his 1up win over Freddie Price in the semis.

[8]

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Worthing opens par-three course Worthing Golf Club has opened a new par-three course for its members to use to help sharpen up their short game skills.

The West Sussex venue, which already boasts two 18-hole courses – the 6,505-yard Lower and the 5,211-yard Upper – opened the new short course layout last month.

The course features seven holes, with lengths measuring between 50 and 150 yards, making it ideal for beginners and youngsters, as well as more skilled players looking to dial in their wedge game.

There are mats on the tees to ensure it remains playable throughout the year.

TAYLOR SEALS US WOMEN’S OPEN DEBUT Woburn’s Lauren Taylor booked her place in next month’s US Women’s Open in Pennsylvania, after finishing inside the top five at the European Sectional Qualifier held at Buckinghamshire Golf Club.

The 21 year old from Buckinghamshire had to do it the hard way, though, earning her place in the line up at Lancaster Country Club after coming through a fiveway playoff for the two remaining spots.

Holly Aitchison, Maria Balikoeva and Heather MacRae all qualified automatically with two-round, four-under par totals of 140, with MacRae overcoming a poor first round 75 by shooting 10 shots fewer in the afternoon.

Taylor was among five competitors, including Hampshire’s Georgia Hall, who

tied on three under par, forcing a sudden death play-off on the par-three ninth hole.

Taylor wasted no time in securing her first appearance in the US Women’s Open, hitting a majestic 5-iron to four feet from 180 yards and then holing the putt to claim the first of the two places.

“It couldn’t have gone better,” said Taylor, who will be joined in America on July 8 by Mar Hall’s Kylie Walker. “I finished birdie, birdie in regulation play, and then to go into a play-off and birdie the hole was really fun. I tried to control my nerves, and the tee shot was fine, but when I realised it was to make the US Women’s Open, I tried to get that shot out of my mind. It was a nice fist pump at the end, and all of the adrenaline went out of my mind.”

Clandon considers housing proposal Clandon Golf Club in Surrey faces the prospect of being turned into a housing development or a business park, after the site on which the club is built was proposed to be released from green belt protection.

The trustees of the Clandon Estate, on whose land the golf club is located, have put forward a plan that could see the club be developed for 1,000 new homes, a business park, schools and an expansion to a local park and ride scheme for Guldford.

However, the local residents’ association, which met last month to discuss the proposal, is adamant that the course should remain as it is.

Keith Meldrum, chairman of the Merrow Residents’ Association, said: “We are fortunate in Merrow in having such

an attractive green space on our doorstop and at the entrance to our village. The MRA executive committee agrees that we should resist the whole of this proposal and that there should be no development on this site apart, of course, from the golf clubhouse, for which planning consent has already been obtained.”

The new short course at Worthing feature seven par threes

Callaway weathers storm to seal Surrey Masters title at Farleigh Foxhills-based David Callaway is the new Sun Mountain PGA in Surrey Masters champion, after shooting a fiveunder-par 67 around the Purple layout of the recently re-furbished Farleigh.

Pipped to Callaway’s victor’s spoils by one shot was Purley Downs’ Matthew Rice. whose 68 earned him second place, while West Hill’s David Osborn was third on three-under-par.

Callaway’s victory at Farleigh, the new home of the tournament, was all the more appropriate as the club to which he’s attached, Foxhills, is the sister club to Farleigh.Planned as a 36-hole event, the afternoon round was cancelled due to lightning and hail storms, so Callaway’s morning 67, which included seven birdies, was enough to claim the title, which offered an prize fund of £4,000 for the whole event.

MEET SRIXON’S NEW AMBASSADORS! The winners of the Srixon Ambassador competition that we ran in the February issue of GolfNews were officially unveiled at Studley Wood Golf Club in Oxfordshire this month.

The four lucky winners were Robin Brockwitz, Russell Crane, Adrian Evans and Lee Marshall.

They each received a Srixon stand bag, six dozen AD333 Tour golf balls, plus a hat and glove.

The quartet will be taking part in a series of equipment testing and fitting features over the coming issues, with the first being a wedge fitting, which you can read about on page 21 of this issue.

David Callaway receives the trophy from Brand Fusion’s MD Nigel Freemantle

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[10] JUNE 2015

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

GOLF LINX LIVE ‘15 PROMISES FUN FOR ALL THE FAMILY

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A new public golf show being held at Whittlebury Park Golf & Country Club in Northamptonshire next month promises an action-packed weekend of golfing entertainment for all the family.

Golf Linx Live takes place at the Towcester-based resort from July 18-19, and promises visitors a host of interactive events that will appeal to anyone who has a passion for the game in all its forms.

Home to two 18-hole courses and a high quality hotel and leisure complex, Whittlebury Park offers the perfect venue for this unique public golfing spectacular.

Held over the same weekend as The Open Championship at St Andrews – which will be screened live at the show so that golf fans don’t miss a minute of the action from the Old Course – Golf Linx Live will offer a unique mix of live action and entertainment, as well as the opportunity to take your game to the next level either through expert advice from PGA Professionals, or by testing out the very latest golf equipment and gadgets on the market. Whittlebury’s four 9-hole

loops will be available for a range of demonstrations and events, while visitors will be able to hit balls on the superb driving range and short game area; take part in a range of custom fitting sessions; enjoy PGA coaching clinics and trick shot shows; try their hand on topof-the-range golf simulators; test the latest equipment from all the major brands; and take part skills competitions with a range of great

to participate and interact with all the show elements, and provide not only greater value for money, but also often prolong visitor stays, including weekends, to the benefit of the trade. We are intent on offering great value for money, being mindful of how costly it can be for families to attend events like this, so we have tried very hard to make the entrance ticket all-inclusive, even to the extent that admission includes an eight-hole Whittlebury Park’s 36-hole layout makes it round of golf, while ideal for hosting an interactive golf event children under 16 come in free.”

Visitors to the show can take advantage of a special discount rate for overnight stays at Whittlebury Hall Hotel & Spa, with one night’s accommodation in a standard or twin room; three-course prizes up for grabs. There will also dinner, and full English breakfast be a chance to have a go at some on July 17 or July 18, costing from popular spin-off games such as £139pp.

FootGolf, Disc Golf and Urban Golf.

Adult weekend passes for both Golf Linx Live is being staged days of the show cost £25, or by experienced consumer show £15 for one day, when booked in organiser the Chester Group, advance. Gate prices will be £30 whose founder, Roy Bird, said: for a weekend ticket and £20 “Golf, like many other leisure and for a one-day ticket. Children sports pursuits, has been well 16 and under are free when represented by indoor events, and accompanied with a paying they have an important role to adult. For bookings, visit www. play, but ‘live’ events allow visitors golflinxlive.co.uk.

Gatton Manor to host junior events in July Boys and girls aged between seven and 15 are being invited to take part in a brand new tournament being hosted at Gatton Manor Golf Club in Surrey on July 26.

The ‘Junior Drive, Pitch & Putt’ competition, which is broken down into three age group categories, costs just £10 to enter, with registration forms available to complete online at www. gattonmanorgolfclub.co.uk.

Gatton Manor is now being operated by its members, following the establishment of Gatton Manor (Members) Golf Club Ltd. The Ockley-based club was sold to a Russian businessman in 2011, following 10 years of ownership by Patrick and Belinda Kiely. The 166-acre venue offers an 18-hole course and an 18-bedroom hotel.

Green fee and society bookings, membership enquiries, and Open competitions are being managed by the club’s new golf manager, David Deering. For bookings call 01306 627555.

Harry Rednapp was on the ball at Ferndown

Harry’s on his game at Ferndown Former Queens Park Rangers manager Harry Redknapp swapped his football coach’s tracksuit for his finest golfing attire last month, as he took part in a Pro-Am tournament during Ferndown Golf Club’s annual festival week.

The 68-year-old former West Ham and Bournemouth midfielder showed that he still has an appetite for the game when he joined with teammates Martyn and Tom Ankers, and European Senior Tour player Steven Cipa from South Essex Golf Centre to win the Pro-Am with a 14-under-par total of 128 points.

With greens running at 11 on the Stimpmeter and the course in stunning condition throughout the week, over 1,000 golfers took part in a variety of competitions, with players from over 300 clubs around the UK represented.

Ferndown Golf Club’s Festival of Golf 2015 was a huge success with over 1000 golfers from over 300 golf clubs taking part throughout the week.

For details of the 2016 Festival of Golf or the Four Ball Better Ball and Seniors Pairs competitions being held in August, email suehelliker@ferndowngolfclub. co.uk.

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

JUNE 2015

[11]

State-of-the art simulator centre opens in Newport Pagnell The stylish interior of iPlayGolfUK

The country’s largest indoor golf simulator complex outside of London opened for play last month, following the unveiling of iPlayGolfUK near Milton Keynes. The exciting new venue, which was officially opened over the May Bank Holiday weekend, boasts six large screens on which golfers can play over 70 of the world’s most famous courses in a fashionable, sports bar environment.

Based at the iCentre off Howard Way in Newport Pagnell, the 6,400-square foot venue also includes a large lounge area with a 60-inch TV with PlayStation 4 and Sky Sports, plus a VIP room for private golf and sports parties. There’s also a bar, café and a golf store that stocks a wide ranging of clothing, hardwear and golfing accessories.

The complex is staffed by a team of experienced PGA golf coaches, including Danny Poulter and Greg Tilbury, who are on hand to give lessons and offer custom fitting using a range of state-of-the-art equipment, including two Foresight HMT systems, plus a SAM Puttlab system to produce all the launch monitor data needed for the perfect fit, with most of the major brands available to buy.

The iPlayGolfUK VIP room has a super-size HD screen with additional golf courses to play and weather effects piped through a powerful sound system. “We’re excited to be fully open,” said Neil Wilcox, iPlayGolfUK’s managing director. “We can’t wait to welcome people to our golfing heaven, where you can play for real in a virtual world.”

Join KP and friends at Wentworth A star-studded celebrity field is expected to take part in the Kevin Pietersen Golf Day, which is being held at Wentworth on August 25.

Big names from the world of sport and showbusiness, including the cricketing superstar himself, will be battling it out over the Surrey venue’s world-famous West course, venue for the prestigious BMW PGA Championship.

Although it promises to be a memorable golf day, its main purpose is to raise funds for the KP Foundation, which supports under-privileged children around the world and to give them better chances in sport, education and employment.

The day starts at 10am with brunch, followed by a midday shotgun start, post-round drinks, canapés, and live jazz, before finishing with a prize-giving ceremony and charity auction.

Winners of the KP Foundation Golf Day will win golf holiday to Dubai, where they will take part in the Race to Atlantis Golf Day. Also included in the prize will be flights and three nights’ accommodation at the Atlantis Hotel.

The cost to enter a team of four players for the Kevin Pietersen Golf Day is £3,500 for team of four, or £4,000 for three amateurs and a celebrity. For more details, visit kp24foundation.com.

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[12] JUNE 2015

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

CENTURION REACHES FOR THE STARS

I

t is fair to say that The Centurion Club was widely regarded as one of the bravest and boldest golf club openings in England in the last 20-odd years when it first opened in July 2013.

Located just a few miles west of St Albans, and only a short drive from central London, its owners set out their stall early, aiming to offer a complete five-star golfing experience while remaining both affordable yet refreshingly unencumbered by the stuffiness and snobbery that many high-end private clubs aspire to.

Despite fears over golfers cutting back on club memberships, Centurion’s owners were convinced that they had got the right product for the post-recession market. The club, and it’s 18-hole championship golf course, have attracted a growing number of golfers from nearby clubs who have heard about the unquestionable quality of the layout, its pristine presentation, and its friendly club atmosphere.

Scott Evans – whose golfing CV boasts over 25 years’ experience in senior roles at some of the UK’s top venues, including Loch Lomond, Bearwood Lakes and The London Club – has been delighted with the response from golfers from all walks of life who have been attracted by what the club has to offer. “Our plan from the outset was to create a club that rivals and goes beyond the very best for its quality,” he says. “We looked to build a course that is fun for golfers of all abilities, but also one that is a good test for the top players from the back tees. The feedback we have received so far suggests that we have achieved that, and as the course matures over the next few years, it’s only going to get better.”

While many golf courses hang their reputation on a handful of good holes, it’s as hard as it is unfair to single out any one hole at Centurion, given the quality and variety of the challenges on offer. Measuring 7,195 yards from the back tees, which plays to a par of 72, the middle and forward men’s tees take it down to a more manageable 6,850 and 6,555 yards respectively, although the par goes up to 74, thanks to the first and sixth becoming par fives.

The layout begins in an attractive area of pine woodland on the western edge of the 250-acre site, where the opening five holes cut a green swathe through the woods. A sweeping downhill right-to-left par five (a par four off the backs) opens up proceedings nicely, before switching into a stunning par three, where a raised green provides a tempting, if often elusive target. This is followed by a superb 405-yard par four (off the front tees), which swings left-to right, with a bunker guarding the corner of the dogleg. It’s all very Woburn-esque, with deceptively-narrow fairways dotted with sizeable bunkers at strategic points to catch out the unwary.

After the beautiful par-three fifth, the course opens out over rolling terrain, although thanks to sizeable mounds between the fairways, a sense of individuality is maintained for almost every hole. The 450-yard sixth is a really testing par four, with a big drive required to bring a flag that is hidden behind a raised bank into play, while the eighth introduces the first of four significant water hazards – although the toughest of them is probably the 12th, a 400-yard par four with a pond fronting the putting surface to catch underhit approaches.

The 190-yard 14th is as testing a par three as

The par-four third requires a pinpoint drive to open up a view of the heavily-contoured green

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

JUNE 2015

[13]

The opening hole is a stunning par five that sweeps downhill through the trees and turns right to left

Top chef Jeff Galvin will be overseeing the restaurant at Centurion’s new clubhouse

The green at the par-five 18th hole is heavily guarded, with a pond to the right and bunkers on both sides of the narrow entrance

With the championship layout already earning plaudits from top pros, and exciting developments taking place off the course, The Centurion Club has raised the bar for golfing hospitality in the South East

The 15th hole is another testing par-five played to a raised green

JOIN THE CENTURION FAMILY Three membership categories are currently being offered, including a limited number of founder ‘Senate’ memberships, as well as sevenday Centurion memberships, and a midweek corporate package. These memberships will be the only way to access the course, as visitors can only play as a member’s guest.

For membership enquiries or to arrange a tour, call 01442 510 520, email hello@ centurionclub. co.uk, or visit www. centurionclub.co.uk. co.uk.

you’ll find anywhere, playing uphill all the way to a raised green that has trees back, right and left, and bunkers at the front; while the 150-yard 17th is another stunning short hole, with two trees standing like sentries behind the green, while water lurks to catch anything hit left.

The holes have all been given Latin names, such as Alma Mater, Pro Forma and Hydro, to reflect the Roman history of the local area, and the course closes with the aptly-named Ad Infinitum, a 545-yard par five whose green sits below the clubhouse. With the putting surface protected by a large lake bounded by a wall to the right, it’s a fitting finale to a thoroughly entertaining round that will test all parts of your game.

In addition to the overall design, the greens are also one of the stars of the show. While varying in size, many feature significant borrows and slopes around the edges, before flattening out as you get nearer to the cup. Built on sand, the bent grass surfaces are like carpets – fast, true and firm, yet receptive to the right kinds of shot.

The skills of Troon Golf’s head agronomist Simon Doyle, and Centurion’s head greenkeeper Andrew Garland, have ensured that the condition of the course matches the quality of the layout.

Speaking recently about his work with the club, Doyle says: “We wanted to prepare the course to tournament specifications, and we also wanted year-round playability, which is why we have established the greens with A1 creeping bent.

This variety of bentgrass has proven itself around the world, proving a superb putting surface with all the critical characteristics we look for.”

The quality of the course, and its presentation, was recently endorsed by European Tour star Oliver Fisher, the club’s touring professional.

“I always look forward to spending my time at the club,” he says. “It’s clear the green staff take a lot of pride in their course – it’s always in immaculate condition.”

As well as being enjoyed by players of all standards, the club has already been winning plaudits from the golf industry, with one leading magazine recently awarding it the highest new entry in its UK courses rankings. In its assessment of the course, the editorial commented, “This course lives up to expectation. Serious investment has been made, but for it to look and play so beautifully already suggests that it has been money well spent.”

As all golfers know, a golf club is more than just about offering a great golf course, and in this respect Centurion is serious about offering a fivestar service in all aspects of club life.

In addition to the relaxed, yet exclusive ambience that has been created thus far, the St Albans-based club is planning to open a new clubhouse in April next year, the centre piece of which will be a restaurant which will be overseen

by Chris and Jeff Galvin, whose French-influenced restaurant portfolio includes two London-based Michelin-stared venues, Galvin at Windows and Galvin La Chappelle.

Both chefs are extremely excited to be involved in the new venture, with Jeff Galvin, the younger of the two brothers, commenting: “I’m delighted with our new partnership at Centurion. We will work hard to create an exciting venue, not only for golf, but also for the quality of its food and service.”

With a fast-maturing golf course, the imminent opening of a new clubhouse, and the signing of two top chefs, the future for the Centurion Club, and its growing membership, has never looked brighter.

NEWS IN BRIEF GARNISH GRABS COLTS TITLE AT HUNTERCOMBE The Oxfordshire’s Jordan Garnish ran away with the BB&O Colts Championship at Huntercombe, after shooting rounds of 68 and 71 to win by eight shots from Sandy Bolton (Goring & Streatley). While many of the field struggled to cope with the shortness of the 6,300-yard course, Garnish managed his way around the Willie Park Jnr-designed layout superbly, notching an eagle and four birdies during his two rounds. In the handicap section, Dominic O’Rourke (Hadden Hill) took the Busby Bowl with a score of 143, with Charlie Brown (Castle Royle) in second on 145.

SPOILS SHARED AT CROWLANDS Ashley Lucas (Crowlands Heath) and Stuart Brown (Orton Meadows) matched each other with a pair of three-under 63s to win the Crowlands Heath Invitational Pro-Am. Lucas took advantage of local knowledge in notching up five birdies, while Brown picked up four of his own as the pair finished two shots clear of Steve Cipa (South Essex), who signed for a 65.

[14] JUNE 2015 | NEWS

Jones takes Golf West Hove’s new man Foundation honour coaches rising stars Ben Jones with former Ryder Cup Captain Bernard Gallacher

A junior golf coach from Essex has been honoured with the Golf Foundation’s prestigious Sinclair Award.

Ben Jones, PGA Professional at Garon Park in Southend, has introduced more than 1,600 young people to the game in the last two years. And of those over 450 have returned to the club for further golfing experiences, with more than 100 going on to become fully-fledged members.

The award, which acknowledges PGA Professionals who have made an outstanding contribution to grassroots golf, was presented during the foundation’s annual award ceremony on the eve of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

Jones, who has been a fullyqualified pro for the last six years, used to spend most of his time

Chipstead Golf Club One of Surrey’s hidden gems

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

focusing on work in the pro shop.

But he has quickly developed a packed teaching diary, thanks in no small part to the 40 primary schools he works with on a regular basis.

“It was hard work at first, making that transition from shop pro to teaching pro,” he admitted.

“But I’ve really relished the chance to get stuck into it and I really enjoy it; it’s incredibly rewarding.

Winning an award like this is completely overwhelming; it’s not something I ever really considered as something that could happen to me. All I wanted to do was get as many people down to the club as possible so they could get involved and just see how great it is to play golf. To see how that has spiralled, and to see so many kids involved now is something I’m really proud of.”

Take advantage of our amazing New Membership offers for 2105 There will be no better time to join a golf club full of history, warmth and atmosphere

which has led to her While Ryan Fenwick much-improved driving is celebrating his and short game. appointment as the new Another of Fenwick’s PGA Head Professional successes is high-flying at West Hove Golf Club amateur Marco Penge. in Sussex, his reputation Just 17, he recently for coaching has been added the Scottish boosted by the recent Men’s Strokeplay to successes of two of Ryan Fenwick his growing list of his rising stars, Holly achievements. Part of Aitchison and Marco Team Goodwood, Penge has been Penge. through the county and England Aitchison recently earned her squads, and has been benefitting ticket to the Women’s US Open from Fenwick’s input for the past at Lancaster Country Club in July two years. by leading the qualifiers at The Fenwick said of his move to Buckinghamshire. Her birdie West Hove: “I’m going to be barrage down the last three holes took her to four under par and her running my own retail shop for the first time, as well as providing first Stateside foray, and Fenwick coaching, so that’s going to add will be alongside her to make sure her swing stays in the right groove. a new dimension to the day job.

I’ll be marketing the coaching An ambassador for Golf at side under the brand name ‘Ryan Goodwood as well, Aitchison has Fenwick Golf Academy’, and been benefitting from Fenwick’s developing my base at West Hove deployment of statistical analysis as a centre of excellence.” for every tournament round, Fenwick has been working with rising young star Holly Aitchison

SUMMER GREEN FEE OFFER!

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Can you afford to miss out on what’s taking place at Chipstead today?

Visit our website www.chipsteadgolf.co.uk For further information on Membership offers and Corporate/Society Packages please call Gary or Sue on 01737-555781 or email office@chipsteadgolf.co.uk www.chipsteadgolf.co.uk

for Membership, Green Fee, Society, Corporate and Function packages to see what we can do for you!!

Get together with friends to enjoy 18 holes of glorious golf complete with breathtaking views, a warm summer breeze and we’ll even shelter you from the midday sun with two handy buggies!

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EMAIL US enquiries@manningsheath.com FIND OUT MORE manningsheath.com/teeforfour Mannings Heath, an Exclusive Golf Club, Hammerpond Road, Mannings Heath, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 6PG

NEWS | JUNE 2015

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

[15]

Jacklin tees up Magnolia Park hotel launch

Two-time Major champion Tony Jacklin hosted a Celeb-Am tournament at Magnolia Park Golf & Country Club in Buckinghamshire last month to mark the official opening of the club’s new Best Western Plus hotel.

The 1969 Open champion, who is an ambassador at the Buckinghamshire resort, hosted the Tony Jacklin Golf Classic, which attracted a huge cast list of celebrities, including Willie Thorne, Peter Shilton, Glenn Hoddle, Bob Champion and Dan Walker. The competition also served up some impressive prizes, including a car and a golf holiday to Portugal. The Stableford event was won by the team from Tiger Foods with 88 points, beating the Eligo team into second spot by three points.

Third home was the Swiss Grill 1 team with 82 points.

After the golf, Willie Thorne hosted a gala dinner, where funds were raised for the Oxford Children’s Hospital, and ‘Amarillo’ singer Tony Christie provided the after dinner entertainment.

The new Best Western Plus hotel, which offers 30 en-suite bedrooms, is part of a major redevelopment of the club being carried out by owner Alan Pither. Speaking at the official opening, Mr Pither said: “We are really excited

Tony Jacklin with Magnolia Park’s owners

and proud to be working with such a reputable hotel brand as Best Western, as it will enable us to attract even more people to the area as they will be secure in knowing they will enjoy a comfortable and relaxing stay at the hotel here at Magnolia Park.”

In addition to the new accommodation, the club has plans to replace its existing nine-hole course with a par three facility designed by Jacklin, and it is building a fitness centre and spa, an air conditioned gym and aerobics studio, a swimming pool and spa treatment rooms. In addition, the club has submitted planning permission for a number of two- and four-bedroom lodges.

The club is also home to one of only two Cleveland/Srixon Centres of Excellence in the UK, and is set to become the base for the new Tony Jacklin Golf Academy.

The new hotel offers 30 en-suite bedrooms

NEWS IN BRIEF GILLIGAN & GODWIN MAKE A SPLASH AT ROYAL BLACKHEATH

Pin High to put Sene Valley back on the golfing map Pin High Golf Group has signed an agreement to take on the management of Sene Valley Golf Club in Kent.

Pin High initially worked with the Folkestonebased on a short-term basis, with Pin High’s operations director, Roger Hyder, undertaking an appraisal to highlight areas where the club could improve. This has now led to a full-time contract to oversee the management of the club.

Peter Richardson, chairman of Sene Valley, said: “Like many golf clubs in this country, we have experienced a decline of traditional membership in recent years, and have asked Pin High to help us arrest these falling numbers.

Having operated without a general manager for some time, it was sensible to ask professionals to assume this role, help us improve our business focus, and return to being one of the most sought after golfing venues in this part of Kent.”

Pin High has already introduced the new Cotton Membership, which is aimed specifically at golfers with demands on their time. Golfers can join the club for just £295 per year, get a handicap, play in competitions, book tee times and have seven-day access to the golf course.

Cotton members can also charge their food and beverage bills to their membership.

Tony Healy, managing director of Pin High, commented: “We are really pleased to get this opportunity of working with yet another quality private members club. It is a challenging time for all clubs, but we are very confident that we can help secure Sene Valley’s future as a strong, commercially-minded members club.”

Barnehurst PGA Assistant Professional Jordan Godwin, and Wildernesse’s Gary Gilligan overcame heavy rain and strong winds to tie for victory in the Royal Blackheath Pro-Am, shooting level par rounds of 70 to share first place. Their par performances edged Lea Cooper’s 71 (Burgess Hill) into third place, and all three acknowledged it was the worst day’s weather they’d played in for a long time. “It rained from start to finish, getting heavier as the round progressed,” said Goodwin. “I got through five gloves just trying to hang on to the club! By the end of the round it was a two to three club wind that always seemed to be blowing across the holes.”

JOHNS GOES LOW ON MOOR PARK’S HIGH COURSE Terry Johns from Bushey Hall won Moor Park Golf Club’s annual Senior Open after shooting 39 points over the Hertfordshire venue’s renowned High Course. The popular event attracted a record field of 69 players from all over the south of England.

Next year’s tournament is being held on April 8.

For entries visit www. moorparkgc.co.uk.

GET OUT THERE THIS SUMMER. And indulge in a more superior golfing experience.

It is Sweetwoods Park after all.

Book now at sweetwoodspark.com Located in Cowden, Kent. 01342 850 729.

Sweetwoods Park Golf Club, Colestock Road, Cowden, Edenbridge, Kent, TN8 7AY.

[16] JUNE 2015

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BACK IN THE BIG TIME

Kent-based PGA Tour professional Benn Barham qualified for the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth after winning last season’s PGA South Region’s Order of Merit. Here’s how his week panned out at the European Tour’s flagship event…

MONDAY, MAY 11

When I was on Tour, Monday was usually a day off for me, but not this week. If I hadn’t returned from the American Golf Holidays Pro-Am at Sawgrass the day before, I would have been at Wentworth at 8am, but I played it cool and got there just before lunch time, thankfully with no signs of jet lag, just pure excitement.

I proudly pulled into Car Park 1 – the players’ car park – to look for my personal parking space. I soon saw a sign with ‘Benn Barnum’ on it and a Mercedes parked up in front of it. Maybe I hadn’t heard of this guy and maybe there was another Benn with two n’s playing this week, but as I drove around it soon became clear that was my space. The Mercedes made room for my BMW X5 kindly supplied by Arden Maidstone, and the sign was changed within the hour to read the correct spelling of my name. I was happy.

My first job was to meet up with one of my sponsors, Sean Fitzpatrick from VGC Group, who is also partowner of Pedham Place Golf Centre in Kent, where I do most of my coaching. My caddie, Spencer, who is a full-time caddie at Wentworth, was waiting for me, and we headed for the range, where we were greeted by a question that I don’t normally get asked, ‘What balls do you want to practice with? Titleist, Nike, Srixon or Callaway?”

After hitting my preferred choice of balls for a short time, I was keen to get out and play. I arranged to do some work out on the course with Jamie Donaldson (not the tour player), who is a senior putting coach for AimPoint, which offers specialist putting coaching. I played from the first hole to the sixth, and then cut across to the 12th and played round to the 18th, working hard at mastering the AimPoint Express green reading system.

TUESDAY, MAY 12 After eating a hearty breakfast in the amazing two-tier players’ lounge in the tented village, I arranged to play a practice round on the West Course with Chris Gane, Robert Rock and Oliver Wilson.

Practice rounds are usually a little tedious, and more about getting a feel for the golf course, dropping a few balls around the green, and chipping to different pin positions.

Oli dropped out after nine holes, and we were joined by Jamie Donaldson (the player, not the coach, this time) for the back nine.

I hadn’t played with Jamie for a few years, but he has turned into an incredible player in that time, and not suprisingly, we bombarded him with questions about the Ryder Cup and life on the PGA Tour. We had a few friends and sponsors walking with us, so Jamie’s ears were well and truly bashed by the end of the round. After lunch I visited some of the Tour trucks parked up beside the driving range. They are only there on practice days, so it was a good opportunity to get fitted for some new FootJoy shoes and order some new wedges from the Titleist truck. I also picked up some hats from Mizuno and a new day Thurs es on v r e n AeroBurner 3-wood rst tee few fi ere a from TaylorMade’s w e r e Th truck. My golf balls had already been At least they sp delivered to my locker, elt my name co rrectly on my locker! so I was all set.

Walking down the range and around the clubhouse, it was great to catch up with a huge number of people that I hadn’t seen in ages, including players, caddies, Tour staff, and general golf fans who make the trip to Wentworth so Graeme Storm shot 64 on Fr memorable. Everyone iday was so positive and supportive of my aldson, mie Don I spoke to Rory, he ‘return’ to the tour, and it was a y with Ja a es ri sd o e st Tu p round on Ryder Cu confirmed that Niall had lovely feeling to be back, albeit a practice rtained with his d e y la p I nte definitely been out of his briefly. t us all e who kep comfort zone, and likened it round was under to when he had had to hit the way.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 13 first serve in front of a huge crowd Without going into a shot-by-shot The two shotgun Celebrity Proat a tennis tournament last year. account of the round, I played OK, Ams held at 8am and 1pm meant but scored poorly. I chased it a little that the course was unavailable for THURSDAY, MAY 14 – towards the end to try and give practice all day, so I had prepared 1ST ROUND myself a chance of making the cut myself for a day on the range and I was pleased with the way my on Friday, but ended up with a very some time on the short game area.

I did some work with Matt Belsham, preparation for the tournament had disappointing seven-over par 79. I gone, and I had hit more practice felt deflated and frustrated, but my a coach I respect and had worked balls in two days than I had in mind soon switched to focusing on with when I was on tour. the previous six months. My tee shooting a good score the following At lunch, I met Niall Horan from time was 2.05pm with Graeme day.

One Direction, who played with Storm and Damien McGrane – two Rory McIrloy in the pro-am. I asked seasoned pros and great guys. As him what it was like playing golf in FRIDAY, MAY 15 – 2ND ROUND predicted, I was very nervous on front of lots of spectators, bearing in mind he sings and dances in the first tee and chose not to look A fairly early start at 9.40am gave front of thousands. His reply at the wall of spectators behind me me a good chance to get up early suggested he wished he had worn – most of whom were friends and and get to the course to warm up. brown trousers! He said he only well wishers. Despite my anxiety, I Although making the cut was going usually played with three other somehow managed to hit a decent to be a big ask, as it was predicted people watching – his playing drive about 270 yards down the at one over par, I was determined to partners. Later in the day, when middle of the fairway, and the first give it a good go. Especially as I had

a lot of supporters who had made the effort to set their alarms early.

I played solidly, and maybe if I had holed three of the six to eightfoot putts I had on the front nine, I could have possibly had a chance of making the cut. However, while my putter remained cold, playing partner Graeme [Storm] was red hot. He had 23 putts for 18 holes and shot an eight-under-par 64 to comfortably make the weekend after a 77 in round one.

I had lots of professional pride at stake, so it was nice to play decently and shoot 71, including one of the best shots I have ever hit. I hit my drive near the burger van on the par-four 13th, and had a small gap through some trees with 226 yards to the flag. I warned the crowd that they may want to stand back, as it could ricochet of one of the pines.

Thankfully it didn’t, and I hit it to about 20 feet – great fun!

After the round it was tough to feel positive, as I had dearly wanted to play all four rounds, but it had been a great week for many other reasons.

SATURDAY, MAY 16

I spent the day a home, as I was keen to go back to Tenterden to spend the day with my two daughters, Honor and Arla. They didn’t seem to be too bothered how I did, which was nice.

SUNDAY, MAY 17

I had arranged to meet with one of my sponsors from Watchfinder and some other friends on Sunday, so I watched the last few holes in the tented village and got dragged into the Moet & Chandon Champagne tent. BMW really have become the benchmark in hosting professional golf tournaments and the atmosphere created by having live music after play down was amazing. So amazing that I couldn’t remember much about it the next day!

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[18] JUNE 2015

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

AN IS BEST ON THE WEST Young South Korean star Byeong-hun An stunned his rivals and the huge Wentworth crowds with a record-breaking victory at the BMW PGA Championship

They came to Wentworth hail world No.1 number and defending PGA champion Rory McIlroy, the wonderkid from Northern Ireland, but the hero of the hour, and the new owner of the European Tour’s flagship title, was little known South Korean Byeong-hun An. Ranked 132nd in the world before the week’s incredible events unfolded, 23-year-old An brought the West Course to its proverbial knees, playing four rounds over the 7,200-yard layout in a record-breaking 21 under par. That impressive total included a second round 64, and a bogey-free final round of 65, which combined to prove far too much firepower for the chasing pack, with runners up Miguel Angel Jimenez and Thongchai Jaidee – whose combined age is 96 – languishing six shots behind the runaway winner.

For those that care to do the research, An, a former Challenge Tour player, has a track record of breaking records, as he was the youngest ever winner of the US Amateur Championship in 2009, at the age of 17. He became only the third European Tour rookie to win the PGA Championship in its 60 year history, and his 267 total over four rounds also beat the tournament record by two shots.

His victory, the first time the European Tour’s flagship event has been won by an Asian, saw

Byeong-hun An sprang a shock win at Europe’s most prestigious event

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP LEADERBOARD TOP 10 1 BYEONG HUN AN

-21 (71 64 67 65)

2 THONGCHAI JAIDEE

-15 (70 66 68 69)

2 MA JIMÉNEZ

-15 (68 70 68 67)

4 CHRIS WOOD

-13 (68 73 68 66)

5 FRANCESCO MOLINARI

-12 (65 69 68 74)

6 TOMMY FLEETWOOD

-11 (69 71 65 72)

6 SHANE LOWRY

-11 (74 67 67 69)

8 ALEX NOREN

-10 (72 67 68 71)

8 JULIEN QUESNE

-10 (72 70 68 68)

10 ALEJANDRO CAÑIZARES -9 (72 71 68 68)

him climb into the world’s top 60, secured his place in the US Open and Open Championship, and earned a five-year exemption in Europe.

“It’s going to be life changing,” said An, the son of two Olympic table-tennis medalists, who picked up €833,00 for his week’s work. “This is the biggest event on the European Tour, and there are a lot of benefits. I played really well today and had all the confidence going into the last couple of holes.”

An began the final round tied for the lead with long-time tournament leader Francesco Molinari and, despite picking up shots at the second and fourth,

was only one ahead at the turn thanks to a hat-trick of birdies from Jaidee from the fifth.

However, a birdie at the 11th and

tap-in eagle at the 12th gave An a three-shot cushion that became four when Jaidee bogeyed the 13th.

An made certain of victory with birdies on the 15th and 17th,while a par on the last completed a hugely impressive performance that can surely be only the beginning of an impressive career on whichever tour he chooses to play in the future.

While An looks forward to playing in the rest of the season’s major championships, the current Open champion, Rory McIlroy, was left to rue his woeful opening round of 78, which he followed up with a 71 to miss the cut by four shots. While the world No.1’s

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lacklustre performance, coming on the back of a victory on the PGA Tour just four days earlier, robbed the event of much of its star appeal, it didn’t stop the crowds flocking to Wentworth over the Bank Holiday, setting a new record for the tournament for the week of 113,640, with almost 25,000 coming to see An crowned PGA champion on Sunday.

Throughout the week, celebrities and professionals joined BBC presenter Andrew Cotter on the BMW Show Stage for ‘Cotter’s Questions’, including golfers Justin Rose, Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley and Graeme McDowell, plus celebrities Alan Shearer and Eve Muirhead. The sporting theme continued on Sunday, with a Rugby World Cup special on the BMW Show Stage, featuring rugby internationals Ben Foden, Michael Lynagh and George North.

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[20] JUNE 2015

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

LOST COURSES THE NAZE, ESSEX

A JAMES BRAID SEASIDE COURSE FALLING BY THE WAYSIDE SOUNDS UNLIKELY, BUT EVENTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES CONSPIRED AGAINST THIS ONCE-THRIVING ESSEX CLUB TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT NOT ONLY DID IT FAIL, BUT IT DID SO WITHIN JUST A DECADE OF OPENING WORDS BY JEREMY ELLWOOD

G

iven that James Braid designs are always talked of in reverential tones, most golfers would find it hard to believe that any of the great man’s work could fail to stand the test of time. But it wasn’t ever thus, and one notable, and hugely successful, Braid creation that lasted just 10 years before succumbing was the clifftop layout at Walton-on-the-Naze on the Essex coast.

This was a grand project from the start, the brainchild of MP account of both the terrain, and A.E. Alexander, who found a an ahead-of-its-time drainage suitable seaside plot to take system. No expense was spared advantage of the 1920s’ golf on the clubhouse either, a boom at Hall Farm to the north grand affair topped with a of Walton. Five-time Open thatched roof and blessed with a champion Braid was enlisted renowned wine cellar. to design the 18-hole layout in Within a short space of time, 1928, and his creation comprised the grand new Essex club had 6,250 yards, 72 bunkers, and a 600 members, rising to 800 wonderfully varied collection of within two years, and 1,200 at holes that made full use of the its mid-1930s peak. Among them cliffs, beach and marshy areas, were notable figures like Lord with ever-present views since the Byng and Sir Albert and Lady course was surrounded by water Clavering, while even Edward on three sides.

Prince of Wales, later Edward The Naze Tower, built in the VIII, played the course in the late 1700s to assist ships along a 1930s. fairly featureless coast, became So what went wrong? Three a prominent feature, occupying main factors, it would seem – the a spot beside the 7th green. sea, bankruptcy, and war - with Nikon282mmx160mm-V2.pdf The course drained well,1on 09/06/2015the18:18 first warning signs coming in

THEN

the mid-1930s when alterations had to be made due to the threat of coastal erosion. Two greens were relocated, and a couple of tough par fours had to be converted into par fives. Sadly, this would prove a taste of things to come, but it wasn’t so much the sea that really did for The Naze, as the threat of war, and subsequently, the war itself.

Rumours of the impending fallout with Germany in 1938 played havoc with the stock markets, and as a result both A.E. Alexander and the once-thriving club were declared bankrupt.

Worse was to come when the military commandeered the club, laying mines, barbed wire and anti-tank defences, taking over the Naze Tower as a radar and

radio station, and converting the clubhouse into living quarters for military staff.

After the war, hopes of reinstating the ravaged course were high, but it took a long time to clear the mines and take down the defences, with work carrying on well into 1946. Sadly, that same year, the once-grand clubhouse was struck by lightning and razed to the ground by fire.

On top of that, the sea defences had not been maintained well during the war, and were often breached at high tide, with the North Sea engulfing parts of the course. The final nail in the coffin came in early 1953, when the disastrous North Sea flood

NOW

that claimed 326 lives along the east coast of Britain, and many more in the Low Countries, swept away a considerable part of what remained of Braid’s 1928 masterpiece.

The land was then taken over by the local council, and is now a open space for public recreational use. But if you glance at an aerial map, it still has more than a hint of golf course about it. Its spectacular rise and fall happened far more quickly than anyone could ever have envisaged, but with the benefit of hindsight, Naze Golf Club’s longterm battle with Mother Nature, and the North Sea, may well have proved futile anyway.

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

JUNE 2015

[21]

FIT FOR PURPOSE Four GolfNews readers won a wedge fitting at Srixon and Cleveland Golf’s Centre of Excellence at Studley Wood Golf Club in Oxfordshire. Here’s how they got on

THE FITTER STEVE MCGUINESS, PGA custom fitting expert at Srixon and Cleveland Golf Performance Centre at Studley Wood Golf Club

THE PLAYERS RUSSELL CRANE AGE: 44 HANDICAP: 7 HOME CLUB: Aylesbury Vale, Bucks CURRENT WEDGE SET UP (loft/ bounce): 50° (7), 54° (8), 58° (8) SUGGESTED SET UP AFTER FITTING: Cleveland 588 Rotex 2.0 in 50° (10), 54° (10), 58° (10), with black nickel finish, KBS Tour shafts, and Tour Velvet Round grips (1 layer).

DISTANCES: PW: 118yds; 50°: 101yds; 54°: 95yds; 58°: 85yds STEVE SAYS: Russell’s gapping with his current wedges was spot on, however it was apparent from the shape of his shots, and from using marker tape and the strike board, that the lie angles were too upright, as everything was going left. To overcome this we made the new wedges, Cleveland’s 588 RXT 2.0, two degrees flat, which immediately straightened out his flight path. He was also thinning quite a lot of shots, so we increased the bounce on all three wedges to 10°, which helped with his ball striking, making more solid contact. Mid-bounce angles still allow a wide amount of versatility, but prevent the kind of digging shots that Russell was hitting with the low bounce option.

RUSSELL SAYS: Having bought a brand new set of wedges off the shelf about two months ago, I was very relieved to learn from Steve that the lofts and gapping were correct, although if I had known about the Cleveland fitting centre I would have come here, and got the correct lie angles as well. I was very impressed with the whole fitting process, and Steve really took the time to understand our game as well as show the benefits of a correctly-fitted club.

LEE MARSHALL AGE: 34 HANDICAP: 20 HOME CLUB: Richmond Park, Surrey CURRENT WEDGE SET UP: 52° (10), 56° (10), 60° (12) SUGGESTED SET UP AFTER FITTING: Cleveland 588 RTX Cavity in 52° (10), 56° (10), 60° (10) with black nickel finish, Dynamic Gold Spinner shafts, and Lamkin Crossline grips (3 layers).

DISTANCES: PW: 107yds; 52°: 97yds; 56°: 80yds; 60°: 50yds

With the right tools, Lee has a new-found confidence in his short game

STEVE SAYS: Lee’s gapping was great, but he lacks a bit of confidence with his wedge game and was struggling slightly with his ball striking. I fitted him for Cleveland 588 Rotex 2.0 Cavity wedges throughout, which feature a larger face, and are much more forgiving than his current set, without sacrificing any of the control that a blade provides. I also changed his lie angle to two degrees flat, as he marked the lie tape towards the heel and kept missing his target left.

LEE SAYS: The fitting process really opened my eyes up to what can be done to help someone who finds the short game a bit scary. As well as fitting me with the right clubs, Steve also taught me about ball position and set up. The wedges and shaft selections I was fitted for gave me loads of confidence to make a committed swing, which translated into more consistent shots and more spin. It was great to understand my gapping and distances too. I also learned I had long fingers, and needed thicker grips! I already use Cleveland wedges and knowing I can get a set made especially for me really sets them apart in my mind.

Steve explains the role of lie angles in shot direction

ROBIN BROCKWITZ AGE: 58 HANDICAP: 10 HOME CLUB: Ealing Middlesex CURRENT WEDGE SET UP: 50° (6), 56° (13) 60° (6) SUGGESTED SET UP AFTER FITTING: Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0 50° (10), 54° (10), 58° (6), with chrome finish, Dynamic Gold Spinner shafts, and Multi Compound blue/black grips (2 layers).

DISTANCES: PW: 106yds; 50°: 93yds; 54°: 85yds; 58°: 70yds STEVE SAYS: We tried to bridge the gap with a 54° and 58°, as in Robin’s current set up there was too big a space between the 50° and his current 56°. I also fitted him with a Dynamic Gold Spinner shaft to increase his spin rates from 7,494rpm to 8,803rpm.

ROBIN SAYS: The wedge fitting process was extremely informative, with explanations of the data that the Trackman system. This allowed me to identify gaps in my distances between the pitching wedges for that all-important 125 yards into the green. The opportunity to try different wedge lofts, shafts and bounce to find what suited me was superb, and highlighted what a vast array of wedge combinations there are. One of the biggest things I took away was what a big difference bounce can make to a wedge’s performance, while the importance of having a more well-distributed selection of wedges to cover the distances is also vital.

ADRIAN EVANS AGE: 42 HANDICAP: 3 HOME CLUB: Sonning, Berks CURRENT WEDGE SET UP: PW (47°), 54° (13), 60° (6) SUGGESTED SET UP AFTER FITTING: Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0 blade 52° (10), 56° (12) and 60° (10), with black nickel finish, 5400 Dynamic Gold shafts, and full cord Lamkin grips.

DISTANCES: PW: 121yds; 52°: 109yds; 56°: 102yds; 60°: 85yds Changing the bounce angles helped Adrian get out of bunkers with ease

STEVE SAYS: Adrian only had two specialist wedges in his bag, a 54° and 60°, which is quite rare for someone with such a low handicap. With his current pitching wedge having a loft of 47°, we added a 52° wedge to gave him better gapping. It also increased his spin control from 100 yards, where I feel a lower handicap player needs to score from. We also played with the option of adding a 56° to take a few yards off the current 54°, creating better gaps between his three utility wedges.

ADRIAN SAYS: Trackman highlighted a 20-yard discrepancy between my current wedges, which showed the need to close these gaps. The 588 RTX 2.0 blade felt soft off the face, offering constant feedback, while the versatility of the head shape impressed me, allowing a variation of shots to be played from sand. I could open the face with confidence, without the need to increase bounce, which could have impacted the variety of other options around the green.

I’ve chosen to buy the set Steve recommended, and I’m looking forward to putting them into play.

THE FITTING PROCESS: Says Steve: First of all I obtain as much information from the player as possible, so I can decide if they would be looking for a wedge that is forgiving like the 588RTX 2.0 CB, or something more versatile like the 588RTX 2.0.

Using a Trackman launch monitor to record all ball flight data, I start off by asking the player to hit half a dozen full shots with their own pitching wedge to get an initial yardage, and then I gap the wedges from that base point.

Dependent on their current PW loft, and how they like to play their wedge shots, I would aim to place three wedges in the bag.

I aim for the gap wedge to be between 8-12 yards behind the pitching wedge, and the same between that and the sand wedge, and typically I will look for between four and six degrees gap between each wedge. For example, if you’re PW is 46 degrees, you could use a wedge mix of 52, 56 and 60 or 50, 54 and 58.

We then look at bounce, which should suit two things – the player’s swing (their attack angle), followed by the typical course conditions. Hitting from grass, the divot pattern reveals a lot about the type of ball striker the person is. For firmer conditions or a shallow attack, you may want a lower bounce wedge. For someone with a steeper attack or plays in softer conditions, a higher bounce option may be best.

After this, I look at customisation, including length, lie angles adjustments; customised shafts, grip selection and size; and finally the type of finish they prefer, be it chrome or satin black.

To book a custom fitting session at the Srixon Cleveland Golf Centre of Excellence call 01865 351144. If you would like to learn more about Cleveland Golf and Srixon products, head to www. clevelandgolf.com or www.srixon. co.uk. at Studley Wood, visit www. studleywoodgolfclub.co.uk.

[22] JUNE 2015

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

MONTY’S MAJOR ROLL H

ow does it feel to have won three of the last six senior Majors?

It feels fantastic. I prefer the course set ups of Major championships – it’s a similar set up to what I was used to playing in Majors 20 years ago.

This was a terrific layout and a fantastically difficult golf course, so to have won three out of the last six is just tremendous.

With invites to the US Open and the US PGA Championship, this means that I’ll be playing in seven Majors this year, and I’m looking forward to them all.

What are your thoughts on being part of the very small group that has made their first three Champions Tour victories Majors?

Any time that you emulate something that Jack Nicklaus has achieved, even in senior golf, is a huge honour. Jack obviously didn’t play in many regular Senior Tour events, otherwise he would have probably won them as well. I can’t seem to win the regular tournaments, but I’ll keep on trying!

How good does it feel to be winning all these Senior majors given the frustrations you suffered in the Majors earlier in your career?

It was very frustrating to play in those tournaments and to walk off with a runner’s up medal. I did that five times. And it was frustrating.

You try your damnedest and you come up a shot light, or someone’s just beaten you in a play-off.

Winning these seniors majors really feels like I have rectified those near misses. The leaderboards aren’t all that different than when I was playing in those majors. Bernard Langer was always there, Fred Couples was always there, and so was Tom Watson. So to me they feel like Major championships.

At what point during the final round did you think you had it in the bag?

Being three shots ahead was a difficult position to be in to start the day, to be honest. Every hole out there was a potential double bogey, so I could never relax. It was very tiring for me mentally, as well as physically. Every shot had to be executed properly or else you’re in trouble. Anybody that broke par for the week around here deserves credit, because that was a test and a half, believe me. The PGA set the course up perfectly for seniors’ golf, in that the rough was penal, but you could still move the ball forward. The fairways were wide, but not too wide. It was just a perfect set up for a Senior PGA Championship. And I was just thrilled to be at the top of the leaderboard at the end.

Did you do a lot of scoreboard watching during the final round?

Yes and no. I’ve always liked to know exactly where I stand in relation to others on the course, but today I kind of stopped looking at the scoreboards from the 13th hole onwards.

The back nine is brutal, and I was just trying to play the course, trying to find the fairways, find a position on the greens where I could hopefully two-putt from. So, from the 13th in, I didn’t look at scoreboards.

After your third round, you went straight to the driving range. What were you working on?

I wasn’t driving the ball as well as I wanted to. It was going a little bit left. And if you aim left and it goes left, that’s sort of not great. I aim left and I try to fade the ball, and I wanted to try to get some rhythm back, and if I did that and hit some good

Colin MontgomerIe is making up for lost time in the Majors, having secured his third Senior Major title in just 12 months following his successful defence of the US PGA Championship at French Lick

shots, I could go home happier with my game. I wouldn’t normally practice before or after after a round, but the weather was good, and Alastair, my caddie, said, ‘Come on, let’s sort this driving out’. So he was right to do so.

Are you surprised by how little your game has changed over the last 20 years?

To average four 70s around a course as tough as this is as good as I could ever have done, even in my heyday, if you like. If I had come here in the ‘90s at No.2 in the world, as I was in 1997, and shot 8 under par from these tees, in these conditions, I would have been thrilled. So, 18 years on, I am delighted to say that my game hasn’t altered that much, in fact, not at all. I honestly feel that I’m playing as well as I did then. I really am. And it’s given me great confidence to go forward now with the rest of the year.

Is there anything you’re doing differently now than when you were trying to win those majors on the main tour?

I’ve learned, after all this time, that all I have to do is concentrate on me.

Perhaps I haven’t done that in the past. I’ve got wrapped up in other people’s play. I was almost concerned about their play rather than my own. Also, I’m more relaxed now. My temperament is more consistent, and I think that that’s helping. I’m in a better place, on and off the golf course, and I’m enjoying it. I’m a great believer if you enjoy your work or whatever you’re doing, you’re usually quite good at it. Doesn’t matter if you’re making widgets or playing golf. I do enjoy it. I love the competition. In a nutshell, I’m loving my job right now.

And what have you learned about how to close out these big tournaments?

It’s a combination of patience and confidence.

Knowing that you’ve done it before, there’s no reason why you can’t do it again. The first time was the difficult one. To get over that hurdle was huge for me. To win a Major championship

MONTY’S MAJORS May 2014

Senior PGA Championship

−13 (69, 69, 68, 65 – 271)

July 2014

US Senior Open

−5 (65, 71, 74, 69 – 279)

May 2015

Senior PGA Championship

−8 (72, 69, 70, 69 – 280)

on American soil for the first time, as I did at Benton Harbour last year, was tough. I know there are some great players coming on to the Champions Tour over the next few years, so you know that you’ve only got a few years to get the job done before the next generation comes through, so I’m glad I’ve got off to a good start in my senior career.

Catch Colin Montgomerie in action at the Senior Open Championship at Sunningdale Golf Club in Berkshire from July 23-26. For tickets, which cost £25 per day for adults, visit europeantour.seetickets.com.

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[24] JUNE 2015 | NEWS

NEWS IN BRIEF

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

Pentland courses lead the way during National Golf Month

AINSWORTH EDGES PAST RYAN TO WIN MIDDLESEX TITLE West Middlesex’s Liam Ainsworth is the new Middlesex County champion after he defeated David Ryan (Ealing) in a very close final held at Fulwell. The match was always close, with high quality golf played by both players, but Ainsworth sealed the title with a par on the final green to finish 1up. Both finalists were taken all the way in their semis, with Ryan defeating Oliver Chesterman (Highgate) and Ainsworth beating James Ellis (Hendon) by the minimum margin.

WEBBER WINS FIRST ORDER OF MERIT TITLE First-year PGA assistant James Webber holed an 18-foot birdie putt at the second hole of extra time to clinch victory in a thrilling renewal of the Weston Homes Bishop’s Stortford Classic. The Three Rivers professional showed great composure to win his first Order of Merit title, pipping the more experienced Rob Leonard (Harpenden Common) after both players fired rounds of 70 and 71 for respective one-under-par totals of 141.

Among many golf facilities in the South East to embrace May’s National Golf Club were the trio of Kent-based courses owned or managed by Pentland Golf, namely Pedham Place, Etchinghill and Boughton.

During the month-long national drive to get new golfers into the game, and encourage existing golfers to dust off their clubs more often, the three venues saw plenty of interest from local residents.

Pentland Golf’s Silver Membership, which costs £99 and offers a 30% discount on green fees, proved a hugely popular option, with over 100 golfers taking up the offer across the three venues, while month-long trial memberships were also popular, with 16 golfers taking up the offer in order to gain an insight to the value of being a full member, which include 14-day advance booking; the chance to enter club competitions; receive a recognised EGU handicap, and take part in the full range of social events offered at each venue.

Beginners group sessions, which offered an introduction to the game for all ages, were also well attended, with 27 new players signing up for the sessions, which

were hosted by the respective venue’s PGA professionals.

For improving golfers, a series of masterclasses targeting specific areas, such as chipping and pitching, were also popular, while a lesson showcasing the benefits of the Aimpoint Express putting system used by a good number of tour pros attracted a solid turnout, with another session already scheduled for August 2.

Junior golfers were treated to an open day at Pedham Place, where 17 under-10 year-olds attended a coaching session which involved a combination of range work and on-course tuition. A junior passport programme will carry on throughout the summer, which offers a structured coaching sessions to take young golfers through the key areas of the game.

MyTime invests in top-of-the-range buggy fleet Mytime Active, one of the largest pay-and-play golf operators in the UK, has taken delivery of over 60 new top-of-the-range golf buggies across eight of its golf courses.

Thirty of the new Club Car Precedent i2 buggies have been put into Orpington Golf Centre in Kent and are now available for golfers to hire across the two 18-hole courses and one 9-hole course.

Orpington is one of the largest golf

facilities in England, with 54 holes, a 28-bay floodlit driving range, and a new a FootGolf course.

The Club Car Precedent i2 is the most advanced golf car ever built, with every detail built with the golfer in mind, including a spacious bag well, a redesigned interior with more storage space for personal items, together with a monsoon top that channels water away from passengers.

The superb new clubhouse at Nailcote Hall

Nailcote Hall opens new clubhouse and hotel extension Nailcote Hall Hotel, the host venue of the annual Farmfoods’ British Par 3 Championship, has kicked off the new golfing season in style with the opening of its new ‘Champions Pavilion’ clubhouse.

The clubhouse is part of a combined development at the West Midlands-based venue, with Nailcote Hall extending its current hotel offering by a further 10 luxury bedrooms which are now open for business. The clubhouse was officially opened by two-time Major champion Tony Jacklin, who will be hosting the Farmfoods British Par 3 Championship this August for the eighth year running.

The new facilities include ladies’ and men’s changing rooms, a pro shop, dining for up to 60 people, plus a balcony with spectacular views of the Cromwell Course and the 10th hole, ‘Charley’s Bar’ named after the Ladies’ European No. 1 and 2014 Order of Merit winner Charley Hull. The opening of the clubhouse was attended by the golfing star’s parents, Dave and Bassa Hull.

Nailcote Hall’s owner, Rick Cressman said: “The new golf facilities will give everyone who plays here an experience to enjoy from start to finish. With the new Champions’ Pavilion, I am sure we will be able to introduce and entertain many more corporate events and society golf days at Nailcote Hall – Europe’s number one par-three venue.”

The British Par 3 Championship takes place at Nailcote Hall from August 11-15. To register for free tickets, visit britishpar3.com

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NEWS | JUNE 2015 [25]

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

Shockwave therapist offers golfers new lease of life A leading osteopath in Surrey is aiming to get golfers that suffer with debilitating knee, heel, elbow and shoulder pain back on the move after bringing a revolutionary new treatment to the region that is used by various Premier League football teams and was widely used by athletes at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Paul Morrissey runs the Osteopathic Clinic of Physical Medicine near Croydon, and has just become the first person in the area to take delivery of a Swiss DolorClast Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy device that draws on revolutionary medical technology to treat various conditions.

Low-energy, extracorporeal shockwave therapy is a relatively new technology, but the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recently issued guidance that it is a safe treatment option for numerous conditions, including inflamed Achilles tendon, tennis elbow and calcific tendonitis of the shoulder.

Shockwave therapy is applied at the point of the pain’s origin via a hand-held device that emits high-intensity sound waves, and is an attractive alternative to conventional surgery because the patient doesn’t have to be

Shockwave therapy is an effective way of treating many sporting injuries without the need for surgery

Paul Morrissey

admitted to hospital, there is no need to have an anaesthetic, and the patient doesn’t face a lengthy spell of rehabilitation and possible immobility. It also takes just a few

minutes to administer and allows the patient to lead an otherwise normal life.

The results achieved by the Swiss DolorClast have been so impressive that a number of Premier League football teams use the device before, during and after matches, and it is also used by a many worldclass professional golfers, including Solheim Cup star Suzann Pettersen.

“The Swiss DolorClast has been tested vigorously and all of the research and recommendations have been extremely impressive,” says Paul Morrissey. “I have been

using the device since 2004 to treat my patients and some of the results have been quite outstanding. I am seeing clinical results that I have never seen before.”

The Osteopathic Clinic of Physical Medicine is treating patients privately and offers a range of affordable treatment packages.

Many of the major medical insurance companies have approved the treatment method and will reimburse payments accordingly, but patients are urged to check with their insurer before commencing treatment.

Morrissey added: “Low-energy shockwave therapy is considered a real breakthrough in medical technology, and the fact that it’s just been approved by NICE means it is completely safe. There is a clinical need for the treatment in Surrey and the Swiss DolorClast will play a leading role in getting local people from every walk of life back on the move and relieving troublesome pain that can be extremely distressing to live with.”

For more information about the Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy treatment available at the Osteopathic Clinic of Physical Medicine, visit www.shockwavetherapy.co.uk or call 0208 662 1155.

Shock as Mentmore G&CC closes without notice There was shock and anger among the membership at Mentmore Golf & Country Club in Bedfordshire last month, when the club was shut down without any notice.

The Leighton Buzzard-based club, which first opened in 1992, was shut down on June 7, with the 50 staff who worked at the club given

one day’s notice of the termination of their employment. The club’s website was closed on the same day, offering a phone number for enquiries. The club, which offered two 18-hole courses, the Rothschild and the Rosebery, was understood to have had several hundred members at the time of the closure, many

of whom returned to the site after hearing about the closure in order to collect personal belongings from their lockers. A number of people who had booked the site for golf days, weddings or other events, which have now been cancelled, have complained that they have been unable to contact the club.

NEWS IN BRIEF EATON TEAM BOOK PLACE IN FOURBALL FINAL Eaton Golf Club’s Mark Allen sealed a place in the Golfbreaks.com PGA Fourball Championship despite being forced into a last minute change of partner. The Norwich pro had intended to play the qualifying event at Bush Hill in Middlesex with Sam Cubitt. But Cubitt was recovering from a bout of pneumonia and could not play. That meant Allen calling in Eaton assistant Michael Skipper as a late stand in, but the pair gelled well to finish with an eight-underpar 62, and book a place in the £35,000 grand final, which is being held at Carden Park between August 12-14.

ED RICHARDSON CLAIMS SUSSEX AMATEUR TITLE Edward Richardson from Rye captured the 2015 Sussex Amateur Championship after beating Tom Bailey (Chartham Park) 3&2 in the final held at West Sussex Golf Club on June 7. Richardson beat Nathan Longley (Worthing) 7&5 to reach the final, while Bailey overcame Jack Floydd (Haywards Heath) 2&1.

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GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

JOIN THE COTTESMORE REVOLUTION Set in beautiful Sussex countryside, Cottesmore Hotel, Golf & Country Club has a reputation for providing the full Country Club experience and offering an affordable approach to membership

L Cottesmore’s putting surfaces are among the best in the region following extensive input from one of the UK’s top master greenkeepers

ocated just outside the village of Pease Pottage, close to the M23 and handy for Gatwick airport, Cottesmore has been part of the golfing furniture in this leafy corner of West Sussex since opening in 1975.

Offering a 21-bedroom hotel, seven lodges, a modern health club, with a large swimming pool, and a beauty salon, two tennis courts, and 27 holes of golf, it definitely falls under the trade description of a Country Club, and prides itself on providing a relaxing environment for its members and visitors.

Built by a local farming family, the stunning parkland setting rightly wins plaudits for its beautiful and tranquil surroundings, which were originally designed by the famous landscape architect Capability Brown.

Following a brief period under the management of Crown Golf, Cottesmore is now back in the hands of its original owner, the Rogerson family, and has undergone a mini revolution over the last two years, with major investments in both the on- and off-course facilities.

Among the significant and most noticeable renovations are a new bar and restaurant; a new health club and golf changing rooms; a complete upgrade of all 21 hotel rooms; the introduction of the latest Technogym equipment, and a brand new beauty salon. Considerable sums have also been spent on new greenkeeping equipment to ensure that the golf courses are looking and playing their best.

This year marks the club’s 40th anniversary, and to celebrate the milestone, Cottesmore has saved its best and most significant improvements until last. On July 4th Cottesmore will see the official unveiling of a new 27-hole golf complex – replacing the existing two 18-hole courses. Estate finance manager and family representative Johnny Porter explained the thinking behind the changes to the golf courses, which had previously comprised the 18-hole championship Griffin Course and the shorter 18-hole Phoenix Course.

“A change in people’s lifestyles led us to rethink our golf offerings,” he said. “According to golf’s leading market research company, KPMG, ninehole golf courses, and the participation figures they deliver, are growing faster than any other aspect of golf in this country. Having a large site gave us the ability to react to the market trends by reducing our 36-hole complex to 27 holes, incorporating new 18- and 9-hole courses in the process. Now we have a credible alternative to 18 holes for our existing customers, as well as offering something different for new ones. Time is such a precious commodity for many people these days that nine holes could be the answer. They can get their golf fix now by playing nine holes in just 90 minutes. They can play after work or between shifts, may be during an extended lunch break or perhaps a business meeting. It maybe a Saturday morning, but this way you’ll be back with the family by 10 o’clock rather than lunch time.”

While undertaking these significant changes, the club has taken the opportunity to enhance and strengthen its 18-hole championship Griffin course.

The Griffin is a beautiful and challenging course, but its reputation has suffered in the past because many believed that it was impossible to produce a fineconditioned course built on Sussex clay. However, general manager Matthew Hazelden, himself a former Tour Professional, challenged those beliefs by using his knowledge and contacts in the industry to recruit the services of Master Greenkeeper Greg Evans, who has built an enviable reputation at Ealing Golf Club for producing top-class playing surfaces.

“I was fortunate enough to participate in some of the biggest tournaments in the world, including The Open Championship, so I have experience of what top quality greens play like,” said Hazelden. “Greg is one of only 59 Master Greenkeepers in the world, and in my opinion presides over some of the best greens surfaces in the UK on the same soil as us, so it was a natural step for me to recruit him on a consultancy basis to help us change the opinion of some of the locals.

“After extensive scientific analysis of the

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

JUNE 2015 [27]

Off-course facilities include an 18-bedroom hotel and a leisure complex

We now have the best greens in the area – it’s nothing less than what our loyal members deserve

The 18th hole on the Griffin Course

issues here, we put in place a plan which suited Cottesmore – some of it contrary to industry norms.

Last year we saw great greens for a full nine months, and this year we had no temporary greens in operation throughout the winter.”

He added: “Going down to a more compact 27-hole facility will also enable us to deliver quality conditioning across the board, something which has not been possible in the past, with the Phoenix’s conditioning suffering at the hands of the Griffin.

It’s wonderful to hear from players past and present that we now have the best greens in the area – it’s nothing less than what our loyal members deserve, and they are now truly proud of their club, and now they are looking forward to having a quality 9-hole course to play as well.”

Hazelden and his team also looked at the routing of both courses, concluding that it was possible to shift the layouts across the site to include several new holes. The Griffin has now increased in length by 500 yards, keeping the course relevant for the next 40 years, while the Phoenix has stolen several holes from the Griffin, which enjoy excellent conditioning, culminating in a high quality 27-hole golf facility.

Elsewhere, the finishing touches are being made to the health club’s latest improvements, which include a complete refurbishment of the 15-metre

swimming pool and surrounding areas, to give it a contemporary and stylish ‘spa’ look.

Johnny Porter is delighted with the progress that’s been made at Cottesmore in such a short period of time, and he and his staff are looking forward to welcoming new members and old members back – as well as a whole new generation of visitors – to the new-look Cottesmore. “The pool refurbishment has been the most complex plan we have undertaken since we took the business back, but we are on schedule, and everyone has worked so hard at the Club to make our vision a reality. I must thank our members, who have been so patient while the work has been taking place. And with both projects about to open, I am delighted to say the reality is upon us.”

Country Club members enjoy the use of all the facilities, including the gym and pool, as well as golf playing rights at 25 other courses as an affiliate member of the Crown Golf group. Altogether, annual membership is extremely competitive when the cost to of a stand-alone gym membership is factored in.

Cottesmore prides itself on offering an accessible, flexible, and friendly welcome to all golfers, especially women and juniors – as is evident in its flourishing female membership and junior academy.

The club takes its responsibility for growing the game very seriously. Director of Golf Calum Callan,

CONTACT DETAILS For more details on membership, or to organise a tour of the club, call 01293 528256, email memberships@ cottesmoregolf. co.uk, or visit www. cottesmoregolf.co.uk Cottesmore Hotel Golf & Country Club Buchan Hill Pease Pottage West Sussex RH11 9AT

winner of 2013 Proshop Europe Junior Coach of the Year, has designed a learning programme called ‘Get into Golf’ with new and less experienced golfers in mind. It offers free golf lessons to help provide golfers with opportunities to expand their golf knowledge, increase their skills, and learn in both an individual and group environment in a costeffective way.

With the ever-increasing demands on people’s time, the club has recently introduced a number of new membership categories, including Golflite, which was introduced last season to help golfers enjoy all that the club has to offer without having to commit to a big financial outlay.

As Hazelden explains: “Golflite is based on usage, and is designed to make golf cost effective for timepoor golfers. The average number of rounds played by the five million golfers in Britain is six per year, so for the vast majority an annual fee is simply not costeffective. If you pay an annual fee of say £1,100 and only play 20 rounds in that year, the cost per round is a prohibitive £55. Our GolfLite alternative costs as little as £299 per year, and for that price we provide a multitude of options to suit all golfers. You could play unlimited golf on the Phoenix and six rounds of primetime golf on our championship Griffin course.

Another option would be to enjoy unlimited golf on the Phoenix and 16 off-peak rounds on the Griffin – all for £299. If you then decide you’d like to play more, you can simply top up the credits.”

Hazelden adds: “This membership gives all the benefits that are expected as a member of a golf club – events, competitions, levy card discounts and advanced booking. There are no tricks or hidden costs involved, no need for interviews or proposers – you can sign up today and enjoy the delights of modern golf at one of Sussex’s smost progressive golf clubs.”

So if you are looking at membership for the first time, or are looking to get back into membership after a period away, then Cottesmore, with its wealth of facilities and flexible membership options, could be the answer to all your golfing needs.

[28] JUNE 2015

T

hey say that dealing with loss is part of what shapes us as individuals, but few of us are willing to countenance what that must feel like until circumstances are forced upon us.

For all of Melissa Reid’s life, her mother, Joy, had been a constant – on and off the golf course. Yet three years ago, when Reid was just 24, and her mother was 62, that relationship was cruelly torn apart when Reid’s parents were involved a car crash while travelling to watch their daughter play in the 2012 Ladies’ German Open.

Joy was taken to one hospital; Brian, Melissa’s father, to another. And when Joy subsequently died, it was Melissa who had to break the news to her badly injured father.

Reid, who was the hottest property on the Ladies European Tour at the time, had to wait five weeks to bury her mother because of post-mortem regulations, but she returned to the tour just a month after the accident, and against all the odds won the Prague Masters amid emotional scenes.

Despite showing immense courage to return to her day job so soon after such a dreadful ordeal, Reid admits that it is not a decision she would have taken if she had known what was to come after.

“It was at once the best and the worst thing that

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

MELISSA REID FACTFILE AGE: 27 LIVES: Loughborough, Northamptonshire TURNED PRO: 2007 (Rookie of the Year 2008) TOUR WINS: 5 (Turkish Open 2010, Deloitte Open 2011, Spanish Open 2011, Prague Masters 2012, Turkish Open 2015) CAREER PRIZE MONEY: €1,160,835 LET RANKING: 2 WORLD RANKING: 109 TEAM EVENTS: Solheim Cup 2011 (P4 W1 L3) AV. DRIVING DISTANCE: 260 yards AV. PUTTS PER ROUND: 29

Melissa with the Turkish Airlines Open trophy

could have happened to me,” said Reid. Despite friends and family rallying around, the victory served as nothing more than a temporary distraction before the grief following her mother’s death kicked in. “I pressed the self-destruct button. I rebelled against everyone and everything – including golf.”

The self-destruction involved plenty of partying and hanging out with what she describes as the ‘wrong crowd’, which, over a period of two years saw her drop from inside the top 50 on the world rankings in 2011, to a low of 333 in 2014.

Thankfully one of Reid’s closest friends on tour, Breanne Loucks, stepped in to tell her that something had to change. Loucks introduced Reid to Kevin Craggs, Catriona Matthew’s longtime coach, and the turnaround in her fortunes began.

It did not take too long for Craggs to begin understand what made Reid tick. “Melissa wasn’t in a great place when we first met,” he said. “She felt this terrible emptiness following her mother’s death.

She’s had to figure that out and now, after what has been a long journey, she’s on to the next chapter.”

Craggs, who has a 25-year track record of coaching at all levels of the game, sat down with Reid ahead of the Dubai Ladies Masters in December last year, where a few home truths were aired. “Things still weren’t right and Kevin was still trying to work me out,” says Reid. “I remember sitting down with him at breakfast and basically, I just spilled my heart out like I’ve never done before. I found it quite difficult to do, but as soon as I did that I felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders. Then we kind of figured out what the process was to move forward.”

The beginning of that next chapter was written last month, when Reid won the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open after leading for all four rounds of the tournament. As Craggs had advised, Reid teed it up without having had the benefit a practice round, and proved the merit of that strategy by starting with a career low round of 65. Leading the tournament by five shots going into the weekend, following a second round 69, she defended her advantage with rounds of 74 and 73 to win by four strokes from Gwladys Nocera.

“When you win, you want to win properly, and to lead every single day was nice. I’ve not been in that position before, so to win in that way does make it extra special,” said Reid, after collecting the

BACK FROM THE BRINK

Turkish Open trophy for the second time, following her victory in 2010.

After a tough period on the course and off the course, Reid now feels that her game is in better shape than ever: “It’s been a difficult journey, and it’s not one I want to go through again, but it makes winning even sweeter,” she said. “I think for the first time in a long, long time I’ve wanted it again. I’ve not wanted it for anybody else, or thought I should have it because everybody tells me I should have it. I’ve wanted it, and I’ve got the rewards almost immediately.”

With her confidence returned and her game in fine shape, Reid has risen to second in the Ladies European Tour’s money list following her fifth career win, and looks nailed on to enjoy her second appearance in the Solheim Cup in September, where she will be expected to play a senior role in what could be quite an inexperienced team.

After being on the winning side at Killeen Castle in 2011, and missing out in 2013, Reid is desperate to earn her place in Karin Coch’s squad at St Leon Rot. “It’s obviously a huge goal [to make the team], and hopefully this win will get me noticed again. I had a lot of fun in 2011, and after missing out last time, I really don’t want to miss another one throughout my career,” she says. “I loved being in a team again. I’ve always grown up playing in team sports, and I’m a social person, so it’s a bit odd for me to play golf for a living. I just love being in a team and getting a buzz off everyone. I absolutely thrive on it. To have that many people, it was just a great experience, and to beat the Americans was even better.”

Such had been Reid’s desire to turn golf into a team sport that when she first started out on the professional circuit in 2008, she had a support staff of no fewer than 11 people directly involved with her tournament preparation, including Sir Clive Woodward, England’s rugby World Cup winning coach. Since those crazy days, Reid has significantly slimmed down her entourage, and following her win in Turkey, she was quick to give credit to the small team around her, including 46-year-old Craggs. “I’m all over the place when I’m left to my own devices,” she admits. “My mother used to be my guide, but Kevin’s been able to get through to me. He’s the mentor I’ve always needed. He’s saved my life and my golf.”

Reid admits that prior to her mother’s death, she had been programmed to be a ‘golfing robot’, rather than someone who could cope with the vagaries of life. “I think I was very much protected. I had a lot of people do a lot of things for me and when something like that happens to you in your life, you have to step up. It makes you realise a lot about yourself and there were a lot of things I didn’t particularly like about myself. I thought I was pretty much invincible, and all I thought about was golf. So if there is any positive that have come out of it, I’ve certainly discovered myself. I’m certainly not a robot, I’m a human being, and I want to be the best person I can be, as well as the best golfer I can be.”

After losing her mother in a car crash three years ago, Melissa Reid has fought back from personal despair to regain the form that saw her hailed as the next big British talent when she first turned pro in 2007

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Drive time: New Top Gear presenter Chris Evans teamed up with Graeme McDowell

It’s all kicking off: Pat Jennings reacts as only a goalkeeper can to Lee Westwood’s missed putt

Hip to be square: Strictly’s Anton du Beke sees a putt slide by the hole

Model Swing: Jodie Kidd played alongside former BMW PGA champion David Howell

CELEBS ON COURSE Right direction: Nial Horan lines up his next shot

The Pro-Celebrity event at this year’s BMW PGA Championship proved almost as popular as the tournament itself, with almost 20,000 fans lining the fairways to watch the likes of Niall Horan, Declan Donnelly, Jamie Redknapp and Jodie Kidd tackle the West Course with varying degrees of success, which – as John Daly knows only too well – proves that it is not always how well you play the game that draws in the crowds.

Away from the course, the tented village was a hive of activity, with a host of entertainment for spectators of all ages. The BMW Fairway was a popular new addition this year, along with the Mega Putt Challenge, which helped raise over £35,000 for the Championship’s official charity, Teenage Cancer Trust, from the Pro-Am day alone.

Dream Team: Rory McIlroy teed it up alongside One Direction’s Nial Horan and former Man Utd teammates Paul Scholes and Phil Neville

Wide ball: Former Aussie spin bowler Shane Warne finds a tough lie under the trees

Meaty drive; Sir Ian Botham unleashes his tee shot, during his game with Danny Willett

Dec’s got talent: One half of Ant and Dec chips to the 18th green ....and the former Liverpool midfielder finds another difficult lie on the opening hole

Penalty shoot-out: Jamie Rednapp has a spot of bunker trouble....

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JUNE 2015

[31]

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A ROUND WITH RYDER CUP STAR STEPHEN GALLACHER You and a friend could be playing in the Scottish Open Pro-Am at Gullane courtesy of Macdonald Hotels & Resorts Macdonald Hotels & Resorts is offering one lucky GolfNews reader – and one golf buddy – the chance to play alongside Stephen Gallacher, a two-time European Tour winner, in the pre-tournament Proam competition of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open being played at Gullane Golf Club from July 9-12, 2015.

The winner and a friend will join the Macdonald Hotels & Resorts Pro-am team and play 18 holes of golf alongside Gallacher and other top European Tour talent, on Wednesday 8 July.

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Stephen Gallacher with his team at last year’s Scottish Open Pro-Am

TO ENTER To be in with a chance of winning this fantastic once-in-a-life time experience, simply answer the question below, and email it to info@golfnews. co.uk, with ‘Macdonald Hotels Competition’ in the subject line, including your name, address and telephone contact details. The closing date for entries is June 30, 2015.

What is Stephen Gallacher’s role at Macdonald Hotels & Resorts?

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Nick Bayly catches up with Surreybased tour player James Morrison, just a week after his stunning victory in the Spanish Open

THE NEW FOLLOWING

Y

our last victory came at the Madeira Open in 2010, while you lost in a play-off for the Spanish Open that same year. You obviously have a taste for golf in Spain?

I guess so. The Spanish Open is always one of the best weeks of the year. It’s always on a great golf course, with great crowds. I lost to Alvaro Quiros in a play-off in 2010 and now I’ve won it, and it will be dear to my heart forever. It feels amazing.

It’s been five years since my first win and I had a lot of chances in between. I just drew on my experience and got over the line. I ground out every single shot, and I tried my hardest. It shows that all my hard work is paying off, and it’s nice to show everyone that I can do it. I’ve always believed in myself, and every time I’ve got in contention I’ve kind of semi‑faded away and still finished in the top-10s but kept learning. I very proud of myself that I’m learning every day, and I’m standing up to the plate and being counted.

Did you have time to celebrate in Spain?

No. I literally did a few interviews, jumped in the shower, got a taxi to the airport, and flew back home before going to Wentworth on the Tuesday. I had a glass of wine with family and friends that week,

but I couldn’t call it a celebration as such.

Hopefully I’ll have time to reflect on it when I get some time off after the Nordea Masters, but it’s a busy time of the year, so there’s really not much time to sit around patting yourself on the back!

You played the last round in Spain with David Howell, a fellow St George’s Hill member. What was it like having him breathing down your neck?

David’s a good friend and a great competitor, and I knew he would keep the pressure up on me, so in many ways it was good that I was paired with someone like him, rather than a rookie or someone else who I didn’t know well, as I knew he would be on my case. We traded pars early on, and then I managed to chip in from off the green on the fifth and that got me going; and then David dropped a couple and I had a bit of daylight. I played really steadily on the back nine; the wind was up and the conditions were really difficult to make a charge, so I knew that it would take a brilliant round to peg me back.

During your post-round press conference you talked about ‘sticking to your processes’ during the final round, what does that mean?

It’s nothing technical – it’s more about the old clichés of taking each shot as it comes, forgetting what’s gone before, and staying

James Morrison bagged his second European Tour win in at last month’s Spanish Open

focused on the shot in front of you. I used to get a bit frustrated with poor shots and let them bother me, but I’ve been working hard with my mental coach to look for the positives and concentrate on focusing on what I can control, rather than what I can’t. Small things really, but they’ve really helped.

Did you look at the scoreboards around the course during the final round?

A lot of players in contention say that they don’t look at leaderboards, which I often

think is rubbish, but I genuinely tried to avoid looking at any scoreboards through the round, even to the point of looking down or in the opposite direction. I only knew my lead was three when I reached the 17th.

What did it feel like to stand on the 18th tee with a three-shot lead?

My immediate thought was that I wanted to make it four. I had a figure of 10 under par in my mind as a target to reach, so I needed a birdie to achieve that. My caddie

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JUNE 2015 [33]

we work really well together. My coach is Hugh Marr. He’s got an academy at Reigate Hill, but I do my practice sessions with him at The Wisley. I’m attached to St George’s Hill, but the practice facilities at The Wisley are great. There are quite a few tour players up there now, so it kind of drives you on seeing what the other players are up to. I play a few practice rounds there with Ross Fisher, who’s a good friend. It’s good to get in some properly competitive practice rounds – although he always seems to take the money! My mental coach is Lee Cromblehome. I started working with him at the Scottish Open last year, and he’s really helped me get the most out of myself.

Are you one of the gym bunnies on tour?

Not exactly. I knew the physical side was one area that I was needed to work on, so I spend about six hours a week in the gym working on my fitness. I’ve had Crohn’s Disease since I was 16, which affects the digestive system, so I’ve had to manage that and plan my diet accordingly. Touch wood, I’ve had no issues for a while now, and I’ve been working with a personal trainer, Justin Buckthorp, to really knuckle down on my diet. I’m not quite there yet, but we’re getting there. Justin works with Justin Rose, who has been a great role model for me. Rosey literally leaves stone unturned in the quest to improve, and if I’m to get to the next level, I have to have a similar mentality. Everyone on tour is so good these days that you need to be doing that much more in order to keep up. It’s gaining those little advantages off the course that I haven’t done in the past that will hopefully take me there, and diet and fitness is all part of it.

went off to get some water while we were standing on the tee, and I pulled out the driver and left it by the bag, so when he came back he knew that was what I had in mind. I had hit driver all week, and didn’t want to change that routine.

Your drove the ball superbly all week and putted brilliantly. Is that made the difference that week?

No one putts badly and wins a tournament, but it did all seem to come together. Although my results hadn’t really shown it – five missed cuts in the last three months – I felt that I had been doing the right things. I had an okay season last year [88th in the money list], finished fourth in Africa in December, and then sixth in Abu Dhabi, and felt that I was playing better than my scores were showing. So for me it was just a case of staying patient and keeping on looking to find those extra few percentages. I’m certainly driving the ball better than I’ve done for a while – I reckon I’m at last 20-30 yards longer off the tee than I was 18 months ago, which is partly down to improved physical fitness and new equipment.

You had a long list of people to thank after your win. Who else is in Team Morrison?

My caddy is Martin Seddon. He’s been on the bag for the last two seasons and

Did playing well in the BMW PGA Championship on the back of the win give you confidence that you can keep the momentum going?

Definitely. With or without the win, the BMW is one of the biggest weeks of the year on the European Tour, and a good finish there can really turn your season around. There were obviously a few hangovers from the previous week – not literally – but it was great to come to the tour’s biggest event on the back of a win and play as well as I did. After winning a tournament, it generally kind of goes one of two ways for most players – you either keep playing well for a few weeks or you sit back and relax and don’t turn up another month or so. My main aim was to get back to work as quickly as possible and almost pretend like it never happened. On the flip side, it was great to come back to England, and to a venue like Wentworth, and have so many players and friends come up and congratulate me. It made it all sink in that much more.

Did your friends turn out in force at Wentworth?

It’s always good to see friends and family at events, although sometimes it can work against you, as you slip out of the normal routines, especially when you’re staying at home. For instance, we had a power cut at home after the first round, and we no electricity for 24 hours. I had to have a cold shower in the morning. It’s a hard process really to be at home because when you’re away so much, you want to be in your own hotel room and you’ve got your own routine.

Morrison has formed a solid partnership with caddy Martin Seddon

So all things considered, you have must have been pleased with your 11th place finish?

Yeah. A top 10 or so is always a good result any week, but even more so a tournament as strong as the PGA. Apart from the third round 75, it was a really good week, and sets me up a for a good run.

Now that you’re ranked 25th in the Race to Dubai, have you reassessed your goals for the rest of the season?

I’m not setting myself any overly ambitious targets. If I can get into the top 20 in the Race to Dubai rankings I’ll earn automatic qualification for The Open – so that’s clearly a priority.

Everyone wants to play in The Open, especially one at St Andrews, so that’s going to be a main aim. Other than that, if I can break into the world’s top 100 by August I’ll get into the US PGA Championship – so they’re both shortterm things to aim for.

How has having a family changed your life on tour?

It’s been great. While Finlay is still young enough – he’s three this month – he and Jessica have been travelling with me to some of the European-based events, which is great to take your mind off a bad round. It’s a cliché, but having a family shows that there’s more to life than golf, and it helps you stop worrying about missed putts and such like – although it comes with the added responsibility of having some extra mouths to feed!

I used to get frustrated when I hit poor shots, but I’ve been working hard to concentrate on what I can control and what I can’t

JAMES MORRISON FACTFILE AGE: 30 LIVES: GUILDFORD, SURREY ATTACHED: ST GEORGE’S HILL GC TURNED PRO: 2006 EVENTS PLAYED: 165 TOURNAMENT WINS: 2 (MADEIRA OPEN 2010, SPANISH OPEN 2015) CAREER PRIZE MONEY: €2,344,730 CURRENT RACE TO DUBAI RANK: 25TH WORLD RANKING: 136 BEST MAJOR FINISH: T23RD (2012 OPEN)

WHAT’S IN JAMES MORRISON’S BAG? Driver: Callaway Big Bertha V Series (9) Fairway Wood: Titleist 915F (15) Hybrid: Callaway XR (19) Irons: Callaway X Forged (3-9) Wedges: Callaway Mack Daddy 2 (47, 54, 60) Putter: Odyssey Versa Jailbird Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

[34] JUNE 2015 | STORY BEHIND THE PIC

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

STORY BEHIND THE PIC

I

DICK BURTON | OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP, ST ANDREWS | JULY 22, 1939

f you want to stump your friends in a pub quiz, ask the question ‘Who has held the Open Championship for the longest time?’ While they frantically search through Google looking for multiple consecutive champions such as Tom Morris Jr (1868-72) or Jamie Anderson (1877-79), the correct answer is actually Dick Burton.

For it was Burton, a 30-year-old club pro from Manchester, who lifted the Claret Jug just months before the outbreak of World War II in 1939. The Open was not played again until 1946, leaving Burton holding the trophy – and the honour of being the reigning Champion Golfer – for seven whole years.

Little fancied for the title in a field that included the legendary South African Bobby Locke, as well as such stars as Percy Alliss and Reg Whitcombe, Burton shared the first round lead with Locke after opening up with three-under-par 70 over the Old Course. After Locke found trouble on the 14th hole during the second round, Burton lead by three at the halfway stage with a sub-par score of 72.

He lost the lead to Scotland’s John Fallon after shooting a four-over-par 77 in the third, but during a windy final day, Fallon collapsed to a closing 79, and Burton came to the 18th hole needing just a par for victory.

With the wind behind, he hit his drive over 300 yards at the infamous short par-four hole, pitched his approach to 15 feet, and then holed the putt for a birdie and a two-shot win.

Not surprisingly, winning The Open when there was a war on denied Burton the chance to

cash in on his fame – he won just £100 for his four day’s work – and a few weeks after his triumph at St Andrews, the Old Course was converted into a makeshift runway and Burton enlisted in the RAF. After surviving the war, Burton wrote a letter to the Royal and

SUMMER GOLF BREAKS

Ancient in the Spring of 1946, which said simply: “Dear Sirs, Please find enclosed my fee of five guineas for this year’s Open.

I will bring the trophy back when I come.”

Burton mounted a brave defence of the title when the Open returned to St Andrews that year, finishing a distant 12th behind Sam Snead, for whom it was his one and only Open victory in a career that brought him seven major titles.

He never did come close to winning The Open again, finishing fifth in 1947, and playing in the tournament up until 1968, when he was sixty.

A former mill worker, Burton lived on a farm next to Darwen Golf Club in Manchester as a child, and learned to play the game using a walking stick as a club and a bobbin as a ball.

After leaving the mill, he started out a caddie at Darwen, then progressed to greenkeeper, before eventually becoming head professional at Hillside in Southport. In those days the job of a club pro didn’t allow much time for playing competitive golf, so he moved to nearby Hooton, where there were more opportunities to play in local tournaments.

His first professional win came at the Northern Professional Championship in 1934, and the following year he won the Dunlop

Northern Tournament. He soon caught the eye of Great Britain’s Ryder Cup committee, and he made his first appearance in the matches in 1937. That same year he moved to Sale Golf Club, where he served as the club professional until 1946. Burton played in two more Ryder Cups, in 1939 and again in 1949, where he won two of his five matches.

He joined Coombe Hill in 1948, where he served as the club professional for many years and oversaw the early careers of Neil Coles and Craig DeFoy. Legend has it that Burton used to take on the members in regular fourball matches for money, taking all three players at the same time off full handicaps. He also reputedly hit the hole at the 120yard 17th with every club in his bag, including the putter.

When asked, later in life, if he regretted not being able to capitalise on his Open Championship win, he replied: “I was lucky enough. A lot of those who watched me at St Andrews also went off to war and they never came back. Some of my friends didn’t make it either, I did.”

Burton died in Kingston-uponThames in Surrey in 1974, aged 66, and his memory is kept alive today in several tournaments bearing his name, most notably the Richard Burton Trophy held every year at Sale Golf Club.

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Gary’s buoyed despite Swiss defeat Oxfordshire tour pro Gary Boyd was disappointed to lose out in a play-off for the Swiss Challenge earlier this month, but the 28 year old from Banbury is taking plenty of comfort from putting himself into contention for a title on the Challenge Tour again after enduring a poor run of form in recent seasons.

Boyd, who is attached to Woburn Golf Club, finished 50th in the 2010 Race to Dubai following a runner-up finish at the Czech Open and a top five at the Alfred Dunhill Links, but has since suffered a steady decline in form which saw him lose his Challenge Tour card after finishing 156th on last year’s money list.

Playing in the Swiss Challenge at Sempachersee on a sponsor’s invitation, however, the former Challenge Tour winner strung together three rounds of 67 and a final round of 70 to tie for the lead with America’s Daniel Im on 11 under par.

Despite losing the subsequent sudden play-off to Im’s birdie at the first extra hole, Boyd is confident that his game is finally on its way back.

“It’s obviously gutting not to win, but a secondplace finish and only losing out in a play-off is a great week,” said Boyd, who pocketed €18,700 for his efforts in Switzerland.

“It’s just disappointing that there was a chance

there to win coming up the final stretch. I had some of my best swings at the last four holes, following a bit of a shaky period after the turn. Then I had a chance at the last, and I was unlucky in the play-off with a poor lie in the bunker.”

After losing his Challenge Tour card at the end of last seaosn, Boyd has been thankful for the chance to show off his new-found confidence, which comes on the back of a major re-think of his golf over the winter.

“I had a re-evaluation over the winter and changed coach, and did more fitness work, and it seems to be paying off. It was a tough two years, where I wasn’t enjoying it, but I’m not the only player to have been through it. Guys like Henrik Stenson have bounced back, and my good friend James Morrison struggled for a while, but has come back from it, as his win at last month’s Spanish Open showed. At 28, I’m still quite young, but I have a lot of experience behind me. I’m looking forward to the future, because I do feel like my game is back to where it should be.”

He added: “I’ve only played twice before on the Challenge Tour this year, in Kenya and Austria, and I’ve been thankful to get those invitations.

But I played well both times, and I’ve been knocking on the door – I just need to hole a few more putts. I feel my game is there to go out and win now, where 18 months ago it really wasn’t; it was pretty awful to be honest. When you’re hitting it 50 or 60 yards off line from the tee and you feel like you’re the Red Arrows out there – it’s not a nice place to be. I wasn’t enjoying my golf. It was a big technical issue and the confidence goes from that.”

Finals to find ‘most improved’

Osborn sails home at Hayling West Hill professional David Osborn shot a stunning seven-under-par 64 to win the Hayling Pro-Am by two shots. The Surrey man’s lowest score for many years easily eclipsed the 66 scored by Chris Rodgers, while Matthew Rice (Purley Downs) picked up third place with a 67.

Conditions at Hayling were as benign as they could be, with warm temperatures, a one-club breeze, and receptive greens making low scoring the order of the day.

Osborn opened with a birdie two, and made three more in quick succession at the third, fourth and sixth, reaching the turn in four under par. Another birdie at the 10th saw him back in top gear again, and he went on to made birdies at the 12th, 13th and another deuce at the 16th to get to eight under par with just two holes left. He then dropped the only shot of his round at the penultimate hole. “I pulled my second shot trying to hold it up in the cross wind, but got blindsided instead, he said. “I tried to nip it off a bare surface, but fatted it into the bunker from where I got up and down in two more for what was a ‘good’ five!”

Osborn, who put his improved performance down to some hard work over the winter under the direction of Clifford Gough at Reigate Heath, added: “Although the conditions were perfect, you still have to go out and produce the goods. My driving set up the second shots nicely, all of which, except the 17th, were pin high. The fact that I had only 23 putts tells you I made the most of the opportunities – even though none of them were at the par fives.”

Twenty-three youngsters are heading to Royal Cromer in Norfolk next month to find the most improved girl golfer in the country.

They all qualified for the final of the Abraham Trophy on the basis of handicap reduction over the last 12 months, with the overall champion being decided over 18 holes over the famous East coast links course on July 26.

The field is made up of eight area winners, plus the next best 12 players and ties.

The South East is sending a strong contingent to the finals, comprising Rafiah Banday (Royal Mid-Surrey), Charlotte Dack (Meon Valley), Ashley Chalmers (Thorndon Park), Sophie Wheeler (Orsett), Nathalie Warke (Stoke Park) and Georgina Bowers (Beaconsfield).

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SHOWDOWN AT ST ANDREWS W

hile there are fierce clubhouse debates to be had as to precisely where or when golf was first played, there can be no argument that St Andrews is where it all begins and ends as far as true aficionados of the game are concerned.

Forget your cave paintings depicting men with hairy backs belting a rock around a field with a length of mammoth tusk, St Andrews, more specifically, the Old Course, is the Centre of the Known Golfing Universe.

Football has Wembley, tennis has Wimbledon, snooker has The Crucible and darts has Frimley Green. Golf has St Andrews.

Thankfully the great Scottish electorate saw sense at last September’s vote, and English visitors making the pilgrimage to this year’s Open can drive across the border without a passport or needing to change up their pounds for whatever kind of currency former SNP leader Alex Salmond had up his sleeve. And boy will they come.

Ask the players, or anyone who has been to watch, and they’ll quickly tell you that an Open at St Andrews is like no other. From the double greens, to the world’s widest opening hole, from the Road Hole bunker to Swilken

Bridge, the course is littered with familiar furniture. Throw in the unique party atmosphere of a university town where pubs only just outscore the number of shops selling tartan golf trews, and you have makings of a great, big week-long golfing party.

While the eight other clubs on the R&A’s preferred list of host venues have to wait a decade to stage the game’s oldest major, St Andrews has that privilege conferred on it every five years.

With such frequency comes not only the chance to build up a rich and varied history, and for armchairs fans to get to grips with the somewhat idiosyncratic layout, it also presents the opportunity for players to become ‘Old Course specialists’.

With many pros enjoying 30year plus careers these days, and former champions being given a bye, an Open at the Old Course offers an unchanging backdrop to a surprisingly consistent cast list.

It’s a cosy, comfort blanket of a tournament.

Yet this year, more than perhaps any other in recent history, offers the prospect of change. While the R&A has managed to avoid the event being overshadowed by criticism of its male-only membership following last year’s historic

A new ‘mega grandstand’ will encircle the first and 18th holes

Rory McIlroy will be hoping to mount a stout defence of the Claret Jug he won so impressively at Hoylake last year

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Advance tickets can be purchased at www.opengolf.com or on the day at the gate.

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JUNE 2015 [37]

Rory McIlroy will arrive at St Andrews as the favourite to reclaim the Claret Jug, but with Jordan Spieth gunning for a third consecutive major, it’s going to be a battle royal

THE CHAMPIONS’ CHALLENGE

John Daly will be among many past Open winners taking part in the Champions Challenge on July 15

Gary Player, Tony Jacklin, Sir Nick Faldo, Ernie Els and Tiger Woods will among a host of former Open champions taking part in a special four-hole competition over the Old Course on Wednesday, July 15.

The four-hole challenge will see groups of three or four play the 1st, 2nd, 17th and 18th holes, competing for a prize of £50,000, which will go to a charity of the winning team’s choice. The best individual score per team on each hole will count as the team score.

Play starts at 4pm, with other confirmed starters including Bob Charles, Phil Mickelson, Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington, Louis Oosthuizen, Stewart Cink, David Duval, Paul Lawrie, Mark O’ Meara, Justin Leonard, John Daly and Sandy Lyle.

The occasion will also be used to pay tribute to Australia’s Kel Nagle, who won the Centenary Open in 1960 at St Andrews and sadly passed away in January at the age of 94.

The Road Hole bunker has been slightly widened as part of ongoing updates to the design of the Old Course, although few players will notice the difference

CLARET JUG CONTENDERS

EACH-WAY BETS FOR OPEN GLORY

Jordan Spieth will be bidding for a third consecutive major win at The Open

vote to allow women to join its ranks, this year’s Open sees its conqueror of 2000, Tiger Woods, reduced to hacking around PGA tracks in plus-80 scores, while the defending Open champion, Rory McIlroy, still has plenty to prove that he’s completely at home at the Home of Golf.

With Woods seemingly fit, if mentally and technically shot, there will be much gnashing of teeth in the corridors of power

if the person who changed the face of golf with his devastating eight-shot victory in 2000, is not in the starting line up when the action gets under way on July 16.

A prospect of a Woods-less Open thankfully looks unlikely given his love affair with the place.

And with St Andrews being more forgiving off the tee than many links courses, coupled with his knowledge of the Auld Lady’s twists and turns, Woods has an outside chance of putting in some sort of performance, although whether it will be enough to unseat defending champion Rory McIIroy, or any number of other pretenders to the title of ‘Champion Golfer’, remains to be seen.

With the BBC bowing out of covering golf in 2016, and with five-time Open champion Tom Watson making his final farewell to the Open, this year’s championship seems like a last hurrah in many ways, so I can’t advise you strongly enough to cross off those four days in July and make the long trip to Fife. Failing that, plump up the cushions in your favourite armchair, chill down the wine, and sit back and listen to what may well be Peter Alliss’s last Open commentary.

NIKON CONTINUES SUPPORT FOR THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

DUSTIN JOHNSON 14-1

Fresh from a six-month layoff from the game for reasons best not discussed, DJ is currently in the form of his life, with seven top-10s, a win at the Cadillac Championship, and a runner up spot in the US Open already under his low-slung belt this season. Long overdue a major, and boasting a very consistent Open record – four top-15 finishes in last five – the slugger from South Carolina is a solid bet to go even closer here.

DANNY WILLETT 100-1

If you’ve got to have an Englishman on your betting slip, then why not one of the hottest home grown players of the younger generation? Getting used to playing alongside the world’s best now that he’s inside the world’s top 50, Sheffield-born Willett oozes confidence. Tied 15th in 2013, he doesn’t have much of an Open record, but he has plenty of course form around the Old Course, having gone close in a couple of Dunhill Links.

FRANCESCO MOLINARI 100-1 The softly-spoken Italian has quietly gone about his business for the last 10 years on tour, and is now ranked 44th in the world. Given his immense talent, he should have perhaps won more than three European Tour titles, but at 33 he is only now maturing into the man for the big occasion, and providing he has his putting boots on, there are few straighter hitters or better iron players in the game.

OPEN BETTING: 4 McIlroy; 6 Speith; 14 D Johnson; 18 Rose, Johnson D; 20 Fowler, Stenson,

Kaymer; 25 Garcia; 28 Mickelson, Day; 33 Watson B, Casey; 40 Woods, McDowell, Walker, Oosthuizen, Matsuyama, Furyk; 50 Westwood, Poulter, Schwartzel, Dubuisson, Kopeka, Kuchar, Reed; 66 Donald, Lowry, Grace, Snedeker, Harrington, Fleetwood, Horschel; 80 Gallacher, An, Wiesberger, Donaldson, Moore, Holmes, Mahan; 100-1 or more the field. (Odds compiled by paddypower.com)

Nikon has been a patron of The Open Championship for many years and has been supporting it since 1993.

The continued support by the brand for golf’s most revered golf championship is boosted by Nikon’s latest range of laser rangefinders, which consists of three models – COOLSHOT 20, COOLSHOT 40 and COOLSHOT 40i.

The Coolshot 20 is the most compact and lightweight rangefinder in its class, with easy-to-use First Target Priority

technology making it easy to pick out the flag against a cluttered background.

Capable of measuring up to 650 yards, the Coolshot 40 is designed exclusively for measuring actual distance and can be used for competition if local rules allow, while the 40i incorporates Nikon’s angle compensation technology, which displays the slope-adjusted distance, and is ideal for use on courses with significant inclines.

All three models are available in golf retail stores and pro shops throughout the UK & Ireland or online at www.nikongolf.co.uk

[38] JUNE 2015

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

PIN HIGH UNVEILS PLANS TO TURNAROUND TRADITIONS

Fraser flies home at Foxhills to claim Senior PGA title The Senior PGA Professional Championship title will remain in Scotland after Fraser Mann sealed his first national victory in style at Foxhills.

But the popular 55-year-old Carnoustie professional, who eased to a six-shot victory at the Surrey venue, cut short his celebrations to head home in time to give a lesson the very next morning.

Mann, who had chalked up top-10 finishes on his previous two appearances in the championship, never looked in danger of surrendering the title, having seen his overnight one-shot advantage ease to three after the first hole.

A steady round containing two birdies and two bogeys, for a level par 73 on the Bernard Hunt course, was more than ample to capture The Bernard Hunt Trophy, named in honour of the former PGA captain and Ryder Cup legend, and the £5,250 first prize.

“It’s just great,” said Mann. “I’ve won a few things in Scotland, but this is my first national title. I played really nicely all week and I have just enjoyed it. I was bit nervous at first, but I hit an approach to 10 feet and holed it and that was my little cushion. I wasn’t playing anyone else or looking at the scoreboard. I was just trying to play the course today at par or better.”

Victory earned Mann a place in the ISPS Handa Senior PGA Championship held at Close House, where he finished tied 27th.

Growing golf course operations company Pin High Golf has wasted no time in making improvements to Traditions Golf Course in Surrey, following its purchase from Crown Golf just over two months ago.

The new owners outlined sizeable investment plans for the West Byfleet-based venue when it took over the venue in April. These included plans for a complete bunker remodelling programme – eight of which have already been renovated and are back in play – improvements to course drainage, upgrades to course machinery, and the introduction of a new fleet of buggies.

Further investment is also planned for the club’s off-course facilities, and the first of these has already taken place, with the opening of a new professional’s shop this month, while four large flat-screen TVs have been installed in the clubhouse bar area, so that visitors to enjoy watching live golf and other sporting events once they come off the golf course.

Pin High Golf’s managing director, Tony Healy, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that we have been able to add Traditions to our portfolio, and we are looking forward to welcoming everyone back to the club to witness the big changes that are currently taking place.

Traditions, which first opened in 1999, boasts a 6,300-yard parkland course designed by Peter Allis and Clive Clark. Predominantly operating as a pay and play venue, the course is renowned for having among the best-conditioned greens for a public course – a reputation that Pin High is keen to build upon. Healy added: “We are delighted with the way the greens are getting better with every day, and the feedback from the members has been great.”

The investment programme has also attracted a tranche of new members, including of number of local sporting celebrities, including former footballers Ian Wright, Lee Dixon, Paul Walsh and John Salako, as well as ex-featherweight world boxing champion Barry Jones.

Following the change of ownership, the club is also undergoing a complete re-branding, with a new name and logo due to be announced shortly.

World of Golf ranges in London put up for sale World of Golf Croydon

Two of the busiest driving ranges in South London have been put up for sale.

The World of Golf sites at Sidcup and Croydon have both been put on the market by owners Ashtour Ltd, with guide prices set at £450,000 and £250,000 respectively.

The Sidcup-based facility features a two-tier, 54-bay floodlit driving range, with Adventure Golf, café, and retail outlet, and boasts an annual turnover of £950,000, while the Croydon-based venue has a 24bay floodlit driving range with Adventure Golf and pro shop, and turns over £538,000 a year.

World of Golf’s chief executive Grant Wright said: “Ashtour Ltd has owned the World of Golf sites for eight years. After the successful sale of New Malden in 2012 and Glasgow in 2014, we are now selling our last two sites at Sidcup and Croydon. These are great businesses that are both growing and are at the heart of their local golfing communities.”

The sales of both venues is being handled by HMH Golf & Leisure.

Selsdon Park Hotel & Golf Club Sanderstead, Surrey

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GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

JUNE 2015 [39]

PGolf holds coaching day at London Beach Former European Tour professional Benn Barham, who is now Director of Golf Development for PGolf Coaching, was delighted with the success of the company’s first-ever Coaching Golf Day and Dinner held at London Beach Golf & Country Club in Kent.

Teams of six from each PGolf Coaching centre, made up of five clients plus the centre’s coach, took part in a nine-hole six-ball special competition, followed by a dinner.

Barham (pictured), who lives at nearby Tenterden, said: “I think this is the first time that a coaching company such as PGolf has done something like this. Basically, it’s a way of saying ‘thank you’ to some of the clients whom we coach.

We really want to make our clients, or students, feel that they are getting something back for coming to us for their golf coaching” PGolf Coaching is the coaching arm of Pentland Golf & Leisure, for whom Barham has been working since 2014. He is based at Pedham Place Golf Centre at Swanley, and is thoroughly enjoying the experience after his 12-year European Tour career, during which he played in over 300 tournaments.

He said: “I am not the sort of guy who can work in a pro shop six days a week, although that might happen in the future. Right now I feel I need to get out and about, mix with different people, network a bit, coach a bit and play a bit, and I am able to do that with this job and so everything is good.”

He was also delighted that the London Beach “Coaching Day” raised nearly £2300 for the Golf Foundation charity, helped by a generous donation of £1,320 from London Beach, and added: “We are very grateful to London Beach for their support of this project, which has also helped them to showcase their excellent facilities:’ For more details about PGolfCoaching, visit www.pgolfcoaching.co.uk.

‘9-Hole Club’ attracts time-poor’golfers An innovative new membership category launched by West Chiltington Golf Club in West Sussex has seen a host of new players take up golf for the first time, as well as attract plenty of existing golfers back to the game.

In a bid to combat the decline in seven-day memberships, the 27-hole Pulborough-based venue launched ‘The 9-Hole Club’ in May last year, which operates as a separate membership to its existing 18hole membership. Twelve months on, and the 9 Hole Club boasts over 200 members, with 10 per cent of those subsequently upgrading to the full membership of the 18hole course.

Membership of The 9 Hole Club costs £30 per year, and offers 50 per cent off green fees for the nine-hole course, as well as a number of vouchers to use on the 18-hole course to encourage new members to upgrade.

The new scheme has also been popular with the club’s existing full members, many of whom have helped to introduce and welcome in new members. Gary Milburn, a seven-day member commented: “Everyone is so friendly here, it’s a real community, and we all try and encourage new golfers. We’ve been organising 18-hole taster days for all the members of The 9 Hole Club, and it’s great to see people progress.

Due to the continued success of The 9 Hole Club, and the

increase in the number of nomadic golf, West Chiltington is also pioneering two new flexible memberships – ‘The 18 Hole Club’ and ‘The 18 Hole Club Plus’, both of which offer green fees from £9 on the 18-hole course.

The 18 Hole Club is a year-round social playing ticket which costs £65 per year, while The 18 Hole Club Plus includes the opportunity to hold a handicap and enter competitions for a fee of £120 per year. Both have already proven popular, with 70 new members taking up one of the initiatives since November last year.

Juniors to the fore at Poult Wood open Poult Wood Golf Club in Kent held a series of open events for juniors last month, which saw plenty of great scores and lots of fun competition.

The scratch winner on the 18-Hole course was Alex Johnson with a gross score of 80, while the 9-Hole competition (8-10 years) winner was eight-year-old Luca Biddulph with a score of 42. Second place went to Massi Perry with 51 and third to Charlie Atkins with 57.

Thirteen-year-old Alex Pollington took the 9-hole competition for those aged 11 to 13 with a score of 34, while Harry Bevan-Thomas was second with 38 and Torre Redman third a total of 40.

The 9-Hole Course competition for 14 to 17 year-olds was won by 15-year-old Lawrence Ansell with a score of 36.

Juniors aged between eight and 17

looking to take up the game can join one of the seven-week ‘Get Into Golf’ courses starting at Poult Wood on July 4, August 1, August 22 or September 19. Involving small groups of no more than eight, one of the club’s PGA coaches will teach and equip players with the skills and knowledge needed to comfortably play the 9-hole course. For more details and bookings, visit www.tmactive.co.uk or call 01732 364039.

Society days in style... by the sea!

Seaford Head Golf Course To celebrate the opening of our new £1.7m clubhouse we are offering some great Society and Golf Day packages.

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C.T. Golf, 1 Stanley Way, St. Mary’s Cray, Orpington, Kent BR5 2HE website: www.ctgolf.co.uk email: enquiries@ctgolf.co.uk

[40] JUNE 2015 | MEET THE PRO

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

MEET THE PRO MATT TYLER

PGA PROFESSIONAL MATT TYLER REVEALS THE INSIDE TRACK ON LIFE AS DIRECTOR OF GOLF AT SWEETWOODS PARK GOLF CLUB IN KENT

How long have you been a pro?

I turned pro in 2007, when I was 18, and became fully qualified in 2010, just as I joined Sweetwoods Park.

What is your day-to-day role?

As Director of Golf, I help to cover all areas of the golf operations. I manage the pro shop, run all the coaching, help to meet and greet societies and corporate days, and advise the owner on the best formats and structures for the day-to-day golf.

What’s the best thing about your job?

I do for a living what most people would class as their hobby. I get to spend the summer outside on the golf course with clients.

Tell us something about the facilities and the playing experience…

Sweetwoods Park was founded by Peter Strand in 1994, when he turned his farmland into an 18-hole parkland course. In 2010, Martin Long, who currently owns the club, invested in new facilities for both the clubhouse and pro shop. Allan Tait joined as course manager in 2014, and the course is now in its best ever condition. We have always been a picturesque course, and now with consistent, smooth and receptive greens running around 10.5 on the stimp, new fairway definitions, and tee boxes that receive as much maintenance as the putting surfaces, Sweetwoods is properly back on the golfing map.

What have you done to retain members and attract new ones?

In my personal opinion you have to ensure you don’t fall behind the times of the industry. Golfers still wish to invest in their hobby, but their money won’t be thrown around wastefully, they need to receive an excellent product for their hard earned cash. We deliver this through constant investment in the golf course, ever-changing stock in the pro shop, and competitive prices in the clubhouse. We constantly strive to give our members great value for money, and various golfing benefits to retain them as members. These benefits include 14-day advance booking; competitively priced guest and

buggy rates; complimentary access to over 38 courses nationwide, and free lockers for those who renew first.

What is the club doing to attract juniors?

We have an outstanding junior membership offer of just £120 per year, which can be paid in interestfree monthly installments. Junior members receive free coaching from myself in small clinics run throughout the school holidays.

If a parent is also a seven-day member then his or her child under the age of 18 is eligible for free membership.

How much time do you spend teaching?

It’s a seasonal thing, but on average around 20 lessons a week throughout the year.

What’s selling well in the pro shop?

Under Armour clothing has been popular this year, which was helped by Jordan Speith winning the Masters. From a hardware angle, the Nike Vapor series has flown out of the door, both in irons and woods. Bridgestone balls have also been selling well thanks to support from the brand, which has run a number of ballfitting days at the club.

What facilities do you have for custom fitting?

The pro shop has a swing studio which was kitted out with a custom net and screen by Foresight Sports, and is used for custom fitting for all of the brands that we stock, as well as doubling up as a simulator. You can play loads of famous layouts, including The Belfry, Carnoustie, Medinah, Birkdale and many more. I can also now use the room for lessons throughout the winter, and we run competitions in there for the members.

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

To remember that you’re swinging towards the target, and not towards the golf ball. The target is the flag, green, fairway, or wherever you’re wishing for the ball to land.

What is your highlight as a player?

I’ve never spent too much time playing as a pro, as getting into the coaching side was always my dream, but as a keen junior I managed to win the club championship one year by driving the green and holing the putt for eagle on the 18th to win by one.

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

I’m a great fan of Hankley Common in Surrey. They advertise that it is ‘one of the best inland layouts in Britain’, and I couldn’t agree more.

Worldwide, I think I would be silly not to say that Augusta National around the month of April isn’t on my bucket list.

Who inspired you to take up golf?

Alongside Tiger, a motivating factor for me to improve at golf and caused me to fall in love with it, was the fact that my younger brother, who was only seven at the time, showed a lot more potential then I had at by the age of 11.

Jealousy and family rivalry can sometimes pay off!

Who would make up your dream fourball?

Tiger Woods, Jonny Wilkinson and Michael Jordan. All elite players in their own sport.

To book a round at Sweetwoods Park (visitor green fees start from £30 for 18 holes if booked online) or to find out details about membership, visit www. sweetwoodspark.com or call 01342 850 729.

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

Patshull Park Golf and Resort Hotel JUNE 2015

TomLewis

TIPS FROM THE TOUR IF WANT TO HIT IT LOW OR HIGH, IT’S ALL ABOUT YOUR BALL POSITION

[41]

Pattingham, Nr Wolverhampton WV6 7HR

Tom Lewis is a brand ambassador for Marriott.

The photographs were shot at Marriott Hanbury Manor in Hertfordshire. For details visit www.marriott.co.uk or download the Marriott app from iTunes.

TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR TRAJECTORY

I

am often asked by amateurs how to hit low shots into the wind or hit high shots into greens and the good news is there is a relatively straightforward way to do it.

The simple answer is that it is almost all about

1

2

getting your ball position right, and that applies to shots hit anywhere on the golf course.

As you will see from the three pictures below, I use three different ball positions for low, medium and high shots.

3

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from just £25 per player 1 NORMAL TRAJECTORY

The one in the middle is what could be described as my neutral position – a couple of ball widths inside my left heel for a mid-iron – and it is the one I use when I want a normal ball trajectory.

2 HIGH SHOTS

When I want to hit the ball a bit higher than usual, all I do is move the ball about a ball width forward – or to the left – in my stance and then swing as normal.

I make no attempt to manipulate the ball into the air – I don’t need to. When the ball is in this position, I will be hitting it more on the upswing, and that in itself will mean that I’m going the hit the ball higher and create more hang time. It’s a useful shot to have, particularly on courses with lots of trouble in front of the greens, as well as when you are playing downwind and looking for a bit more distance.

3 LOW SHOTS

When you turn into the wind, that’s when you need to be able to play a low shot, and the first thing I do in this situation is to move the ball position about a ball width further back in my stance than normal.

While for a high shot there is no need to alter your swing, with a low shot there you need to try to keep the club shallow through the impact position.

One way to get the feel of doing that that is to imagine you are swinging under a plank of wood.

Another is to feel that when you swing back you are swinging the club along the grass, and then on the downswing feel as if you are swinging through the grass, rather than into the ground.

That – combined with the ball position back in your stance - will give you the ball flight you need to hit low shots through the wind.

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[42] JUNE 2015

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

MATT FORD’S

TOUR DIARY

KENT-BASED PROFESSIONAL MATT FORD CONTINUES HIS MONTHLY COLUMN CHARTING HIS FIRST SEASON ON THE EUROPEAN TOUR AT THE TENDER AGE OF 36

L

ast month I spoke about my impending trip to Seve’s home just before the Spanish Open – and what an awesome experience that was. On the first day, we had lunch at Pedrena Golf Club – Seve’s home club – then went round to his house in the afternoon. While we were there, it was the fourth anniversary of his death, and I think we were the first people to visit his house since then.

We were supposed to play golf with his brother, Manuel, but he’s been struggling with his health recently, so sadly he couldn’t come out for a game, although he joined us for a beer afterwards and we chatted with him for about an hour or so. You could tell he was still quite emotional about it all – he and Seve were very close.

The whole trip was really inspiring – I shot nine-under par at Pedrena the following day, then carried that form into the early part of the Spanish Open, where the wind made things tricky all week. It was kind of moving around, then stopping and gusting, so clubbing was really difficult.

I struggled a bit on the last day in the wind, unfortunately, and finished tied 28th.

I was paired with Miguel Angel Jimenez for the final round, which

was pretty amazing, as being his home open, he enjoyed a huge following. Two weeks later, at Royal County Down, I played with Rickie Fowler and Padraig Harrington over the weekend. I’d have to say Fowler is the biggest draw, in terms of crowds, that I’ve played with since I’ve been on Tour. It was really difficult to concentrate and keep myself focused because at times I felt like a bit of a spare part. You’ve got to be a very strong character, and have a strong sense of your own identity to thrive on tour, so I’ve certainly learned a few things over the last few weeks.

Rickie played solidly before finishing 8, 8, which is never nice to see. But on that golf course, with the wind howling, it was very easy to do that. He just hit a few poor drives, which cost him those shots. Just before that he’d pitched in for an eagle two on 16, which generated one of the biggest roars I heard all week. I’d hit a poor pitch and still had 30 feet to go, so it was quite difficult to follow that. But I suppose I had pretty much the same score as Fowler, then beat Harrington on Sunday.

In tough conditions, I controlled the ball nicely in the first two rounds to get inside the top ten on the leaderboard, but I struggled a bit with my ball flight over the

You’ve got to have a strong sense of your own identity to survive on tour, so I’ve certainly learned a few things over the last few weeks

weekend, and ended up tied 35th, which I wasn’t too unhappy with in the circumstances.

In between, I got an invitation to play in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, courtesy of being one of the top two in the Race to Dubai rankings who weren’t already in after the Spanish Open. There were so many potential scenarios that could have unfolded in Spain, so it was a matter of just trying to play as well as I could, and in the end it was good enough.

The PGA Championship is always an amazing event, and I

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played okay in places, but it’s so demanding off the tee there. I dropped five shots in four holes in the middle of my first round, which killed me. After that it was a bit of a battle, but I kept going and played okay in the second round. But it is a tough golf course, and probably one that doesn’t necessarily suit my game.

I have a regular caddie now in Barry Love. Actually, his name

is Barry Cornwall, but he calls everybody ‘love’, so everybody calls him ‘love’. I got my card with him at Q School, but he then decided he was going to work for somebody else. That didn’t happen in the end, so I’ve got him back now. He didn’t come to South Africa, but was on the bag for me in India and Thailand. He’s caddied for about 10 years, but hasn’t done too much on tour, so it’s a case of us building a relationship, and if we do it week in, week out, then we will hopefully find something that’s consistent and works well.

As for my schedule, after Nordea and Austria, I didn’t qualify for the US Open at Walton Heath – the putter went stone-cold that day – so after a week off, it’s on to Germany, France, Scotland… and then hopefully the Open, if I’m able to qualify.

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[44] JUNE 2015

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HOWELL’S DELIGHT Y ou’ve had a great start to 2015, with two or three good chances to win in China and at last month’s Spanish Open. How pleased are you with your form?

I started off the season poorly and things have tailed off a bit recently, but in between things haven been pretty good. The Volvo China Open was mine to win up the last, so you’d think I’d have been devastated not to have finished it off, but in reality I felt in complete control of my game during the final round, so I was pleased from that point of view. I’ve come away from tournaments with that sort of result in the past and been devastated, but I’m much more calm about things now. I played nicely, but just hit a couple of poor shots. That’s golf.

I got off to a bad start during the final round in Spain, and was never really in contention on the back nine, but I was pleased with how I kept it together to finish as well as I did.

Overall, I feel positive about everything I’m doing right now, and I feel like if I keep doing the same things, then things will go my way very soon.

One of those near misses came at the JoBurg Open in March, where you finished second to qualify for The Open. How much are you looking forward to competing at St Andrews, a venue that obviously holds good memories following your Dunhill Links win in 2013?

I am absolutely delighted to have booked my place in The Open, as it took the pressure off trying to qualify later on in the season. It was one of the main reasons why I took part in the JoBurg Open, so to come close to winning it was a bonus.

I have not played an Open at St Andrews before, and I’m not getting any younger, so I knew my chances were running out.

Whatever happens, I’m going to really enjoy it.

When did you feel that your game was turning around?

I played some nice stuff during the second half of 2012, and then started off again well in 2013. The Dunhill was only my sixth win in a 17-year career, so winning has not come easy to me, and you gain the ultimate confidence when you do win.

What things have you specifically been working on?

I used to see everything from a technical point of view and that probably wasn’t right. I now put more emphasis on scoring and that appears to have helped. My game is now a lot simpler, and I’ve reminded myself that I’ve always been a reasonably talented golfer. I started working with a new coach, Justin Parsons, at the beginning of the year, and we’ve been focusing a lot on my rhythm. I am trying to swing the club as slowly as I have in my whole life and that’s a real challenge to bring that to the course.

A lot of golfer’s come into their own in their 40s. Are you confident there is more to come?

Of course, otherwise I wouldn’t be out here. Why can’t the next ten years be the best of my career? I’m not quite 40 yet, but I have won six times and if I could win seven times in the next 10 years, bearing in mind where I have been, that would be a great achievement and would mean that I have had a fantastic 30-year career. It would be nice for my kids when they are old enough to see me playing great golf as well, I think that is something that helps me stay disciplined and maintain the desire. I would love them to see me do some great things, rather than have a look back through the photo albums.

You were back at Wentworth for the PGA Championship last month. Do you still have fond memories of your win in 2006?

Winning the PGA is always going to be my career highlight, as it’s the flagship event on the European Tour. I saw my name up on the board at Wentworth and it still makes me feel proud.

Winning the HSBC Champions in 2005 was also a huge win for me, especially playing alongside Tiger in his prime, and winning the Dunhill came at a really important time in my career, but the PGA is clearly my proudest achievement as a player.

Now in his 20th season on Tour, and with three hungry mouths to feed, David Howell is more determined than ever to get back into the winner’s circle Howell played in the Ryder Cup in 2004 and 2006

How much would you love to add a third Ryder Cup appearance to your CV? Of course, I’d love to play in another Ryder Cup. I wouldn’t say I wake up every day thinking about it, as I’ve just battled my way back into the world’s top 100, and then the next step will be to make the top 50. When you’re not playing well, the Ryder Cup is a pretty nerve-wracking event, and you can only really cope with it if you’re playing extremely good golf. You wouldn’t want to have to been playing in the Ryder Cup playing as poorly as I was, but with my game in better shape, it [the Ryder Cup] is at least on my radar, if not at the forefront of my mind.

Do you see yourself as a future captain?

There are loads of guys in front of me when it comes to who is deserving of the captaincy.

They may not be better qualified in terms of personality, but in terms of what has been achieved on the golf course I am way down the list of candidates. I would have to produce an Indian Summer of a career for the captaincy to be considered even a possibility.

You’re an ambassador for Adams Golf on Tour.

Have you always been an Adams fan?

I’ve used Adams hybrids for numerous periods throughout my career, as they’ve always been leaders in the hybrid field. I was particularly aware of the number of tour players using Adams club whenever I played in the US, so they’re clearly making great products, and not just for tour pros, as the new Red and Blue range of clubs shows. I had a hit with them recently, and they’re really easy to get off the ground.

How are you enjoying your part-time work as a commentator for Sky Sports?

Yeah, it’s great. It came along at a nice time in my career, when I was struggling with my game. It also kept me involved with the game in general. I won’t miss a tournament to sit in the commentary box, but I’m more than happy to step in as and when they want me.

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JUNE 2015 [45]

Pyrford leads the way to Frilford final

Lizzie Prior was presented with the Critchley Salver by commentator Bruce Critchley

Record-breaking Prior claims Critchley Salver England girl international Lizzie Prior hit record form to win the Critchley Salver by two shots at Sunningdale.

The 17 year old from Burhill in Surrey set up her victory in the first round, when she shot a course record eightunder par 67 on the New Course, including a hot stretch that included an eagle and six birdies.

Despite slipping to a second-round 77, Prior’s first round heroics ensured she had enough daylight between her nearest pursuer, Dulcie Sverdloff from Essex, with her lead being two shots by the finish.

Prior was presented with the trophy

by Sky Sports golf commentator Brice Critchley, who set up the tournament in honour of his mother, British champion and Curtis Cup player, Diana Critchley.

“I’ve always wanted to win this competition,” said Prior. “I played really well over the two days, especially my first round, which was my lowest ever gross score, and my first ever round without a bogey.”

Sell’s out for more Jamega glory Swindon’s Martin Sell returned to the top of the leaderboard for his first Jamega Pro Golf Tour victory of 2015 after shooting rounds of 66 and 67 at The Bedfordshire.

The 35-year-old reigning Jamega Tour champion finished on seven under par and one shot clear of James Ruebotham.

Sell’s 133 total on the par-70 course matched his score from last year, but on that occasion an inspired final round 64 by Simon Lilly forced him into the runner-up spot.

Sell has started the year in impressive form, winning the EuroPro Tour final qualifying event at Frilford Heath in Oxfordshire to return to a series he has not competed in for four years.

A quartet from Pyrford Golf Club in Surrey led the first set of six qualifiers for the grand final of England Golf’s new Club Team Championship.

Club captain Brendan Campbell, together with Adele Slavin, Lynne Daniel and Chris Barber won the first qualifying tournament at Stoneham in Hampshire with a total of 85 stableford points.

The other five qualifying teams were Newbury & Crookham, Bramley, Rochester & Cobham

Park; Hennerton and Enmore Park.

They all go forward to the final at Frilford Heath in Oxfordshire on August 14, where they will play off against finalists from three other qualifying events. It will be a feature of the new Golf Week festival, staged by England Golf to create a national grand finale for a host of handicap and team championships.

The new competition invited clubs to enter teams

of two men and two women with combined handicaps between 50 and 96. They play a stableford off three-quarters

Pyrford’s winning team, from left, Chris Barber, Lynne Daniel, Adele Slavin and Brendan Campbell

handicap, with the best two scores counting on each hole.

The mixed format was an instant hit with Pyrford, as club captain Campbell explained: “We always include women in our weekend competitions, so we are very much behind mixed formats.

It was tough out there, but we all managed to come in and help each other. The course was fantastic and the greens were fast and true. We’re very pleased to reach the final and we have heard good things about Frilford.”

[46] JUNE 2015

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ATTOE LIVES THE DREAM TO CAPTURE SENIOR CROWN AT WORPLESDON

Hot-shot Wright bags first EuroPro title at Burhill Hampshire’s Darren Wright shot a level-par final round to win the PGA EuroPro Tour’s Kerry London Championship at Burhill Golf Club by one stroke from Ireland’s Alan Dunbar.

Leading by two shots after the first two rounds, Wright was five clear early in the final round, as playing partner Dunbar faltered, and Wright bag birdies at the 4th and 5th on Burhill’s New Course.

That early advantage soon evaporated though, as Wright, who is attached to Golf at Goodwood, dropped shots at six, eight and 13, while Craig Farrelly moved to five under with an eagle at the 11th to join Dunbar, who had birdied nine and ten and 13, at the top of the leaderboard. Farrelly slipped two back after bogeys at 15 and 16, and finished the tournament in third, while Wright rejoined Dunbar at nine under with a birdie at 16, and the Irishman dropped out of a share of the lead when he bogeyed the 17th. Both parred the last, leaving Wright to collect the trophy, a cheque for £10,000, plus a brand new Motocaddy trolley, a Bushnell Tour X range finder, Bolle sunglasses, and £500 to spend with sponsors HotelPlanner.com.

“I was pretty confident at the start of the day,” said 26-year-old Wright, who recently joined Goodwood after years at Rowlands Castle in Hampshire. “I have been playing really good golf and making a lot of birdies, the odd eagle, and have been putting really well. On these pure greens, if you get it starting on line, you have a good chance to hole some putts.”

Wright added: “You see a lot of guys get that first win under their belt, and then they are off. It’s certainly given me a lot of confidence and hopefully I can follow this up with some more decent results.”

Chelsea’s just champion!

Chelsea Masters lived up to her name in no uncertain terms when she won the Sussex Ladies County Championship for the second time in her career after beating three-time champion Aileen Greenfield from Pyecombe in a closely-fought final held in testing conditions at Ifield Golf Club in West Sussex.

The 24 year old from Highwoods, who also won the title in 2009 when she was just 18, battled against wet and windy conditions to overcome her more experienced rival with a magical round that included six birdies, although she had to

wait until the 18th hole to close out the match 2&1.

Greenfield had the consolation of winning the Fleming Salver, as well as the Langridge Salver for the best scratch score for those in the 50-plus age category, following her 36-hole qualifying rounds of 76 and 73. Despite heavy downpours and blustery conditions, the qualifying day saw some amazing golf, with 30 rounds shot under 80 on the par-72 course. Daisy Wakelin of East Sussex National set a new ladies’ course record with two under par.

Ian Attoe made the best of his local knowledge when winning the English Senior Men’s Open Amateur championship at his home course, Worplesdon.

Attoe, who has been a member of the popular Surrey heathland club for 40 years, gave up his job as club secretary at West Byfleet in April to concentrate on playing the senior golfing circuit, and his decision paid off handsomely when he won the prestigious title by three shots, after shooting rounds of 71, 73 and 72 for a fiveover-par total of 216.

Attoe had pencilled in the tournament as a potential target ever since it was announced two years ago that Worplesdon and West Hill would host the championship. “I started thinking that it had to be an advantage to play on your own course,” he said.

The final round was, for the most part, a tight battle between the leading contenders. Tim

Whittaker (Beaconsfield) set out with a two-shot lead, but after five holes had been caught by both Attoe and Andrew Atkinson from Windermere. After the 10th – a picturesque par three over water – Atkinson and Attoe moved into a one-shot lead, as Whittaker went out in five over par and collapsed to a closing 81.

Attoe then played the next four holes in one under par to build up what looked like an unassailable

three-shot lead. However, topped shots on both the par-five 15th and short 16th showed that nerves were beginning to kick in, although he managed to rescue both errors with his superb short game, salvaging a birdie and a bogey respectively.

“I looked at the scoreboard after 14, and saw I had a three-shot lead and tried to play defensively,” said Attoe, who had a large group of Worplesdon members following his progress. “I had a couple of quick swings, but thankfully my putting stood up. I wanted to play well for the members who had walked round – I didn’t want to let them down, and thankfully I didn’t.”

“It’s what I gave up work for,” he added. “I was hoping to win maybe one event this year, but it’s beyond my wildest dreams to win the English Seniors at my home course – even though I admit that I did dream about it once or twice!”

Barham keeps up with Jones to share Leeds Castle spoils

James Jones tied with Benn Barham

British golfers are fastest in the world but still want rounds to take less time The biggest survey into the pace of play ever conducted has found that British golfers complete their rounds far more quickly than golfers from any other country in the world.

However, many of British golfers still believe their rounds take too long to play, and they would play more golf if the average length of a round was significantly shorter.

The R&A’s six-month study, involving 56,248 golfers across 122 countries, found that the average time it takes a golfer at a British club to complete a round is three hours and 44 minutes, and this has not changed since they started playing.

By contrast, no other region in the world had an average length of less than four hours, although golfers in North America said the average time today was three hours and 59 minutes, and in continental Europe it was three hours and 56 minutes.

Despite the relatively fast speed in which British golfers play 18-hole rounds – more than 25

percent also complete them in less than three and a half hours, far higher than any other region in the world, and less than 25 per cent take more than four hours to play their rounds – far lower than anywhere else (the figure was more than 60 percent in Australasia).

More than 15 per cent of UK golfers said that the slow play they experience prevents them from playing more golf. The figure rises to 26 per cent for under 17s. Also, only three per cent of UK respondents said they were always happy with the amount of time it takes to play a round of golf – the lowest percentage in the world.

However, over 90 per cent of British respondents said they preferred 18 holes to six, nine or 12 holes. Well over half of respondents said that their enjoyment of the game would be enhanced if they could play in less time, with nearly a quarter stating that they would play more golf if the average 18-hole round was 30 minutes shorter.

Former European Tour pro Benn Barham called upon all of his experience of playing in the topflight to bag a share of the honours at the Leeds Castle Pro-Am in Kent.

The PGA South region’s only nine-hole Pro-Am tournament attracted a strong field, with 22 teams comprising one professional and one amateur taking part in the event, which was sponsored by Guy Salmon JLR Maidstone.

Reigning Virgin Atlantic PGA South Order of Merit champion Barham shared the spoils with James Jones (The Hertfordhsire), after both players carded one-under par rounds of 33.

Despite a talented field, Barham and Jones were the only two players to break par around the Leeds Castle course, and they each took home their tidy winner’s cheques.

Victory gave Jones his first win for in 2015, having come close to winning at Redhill & Reigate, London Beach and West Surrey Pro-Ams in the last month.

After sharing the first-place prize money, Jones added: “I thoroughly enjoyed the ninehole format, which made a refreshing change to the usual 18-hole version. With the constant presence of one of the UK’s most beautiful castles, the golf course is unique.”

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N

icknamed as ‘The Golden Child’ by his fellow players and caddies, Jordan Spieth more than lived up to his moniker when capturing the second major of his career – and the second in a row – following a dramatic victory in the US Open held at Chambers Bay on America’s Pacific North West coast.

The 21-year-old from Texas followed up his easy win at Augusta with a far less assured display over the dry and dusty layout at Chambers Bay, but despite admitting not to not having his ‘A game’ for the week, he still emerged holding the trophy after four gruelling days over a 7,500-yard course that took its toll on the majority of the field.

Only eight players were able to finish in red figures over the controversial Robert Trent Jones-designed course, which featured fast-running fairways and firm greens that, in many instances, played as bad as they looked, with numerous short putts sent sideways by the less-than-smooth surfaces.

Spieth overcame what he described as a ‘poor ballstriking week’ thanks to the red-hot putter that served him so well at the Masters, holing a succession of long putts during the opening rounds, and then keeping his calm on those all-important five-footers that so many of his fellow players found so hard.

On a quite epic final day, Spieth lead by three shots with two holes to play, but after double-bogeying the par-three 17th after a horrible tee shot, he opened the door for Dustin Johnson, who had birdied the penultimate hole and played a glorious five-iron into the last from 247 yards.

Spieth reacts to holing the birdie putt on 18

Faced with a 12-foot eagle putt to win, or a birdie to force a play-off, Johnson slid the first one four feet past and then missed the one back to hand the tournament to Spieth, who was sitting helplessly in the clubhouse on five-under par, following a final round 69.

It was a heartbreaking denouement for the luckless Johnson, who has come so close to several major successes during his career, yet seems to possess a self-destruct button in the final moments of the most important tournaments. With the ability to reduce most of the par fours to a drive and a flick, and able to reach the par fives with mid-irons, the course was almost purpose built for his power game, but time and time again he missed seemingly makeable putts that would have given himself a more than adequate cushion.

But Johnson was not the only player to leave Chambers Bay with thoughts of what might have been. South Africa’s Branden Grace was tied with Spieth before carving his tee shot on 16 out of bounds. Fellow countryman Louis Oosthuizen played the

Jason Day collapses during the second round after suffering vertigo

back nine on Sunday in just 29 shots to be denied a play-off by one shot – although he will look back ruefully on an opening round of 77. However there was little shock attached to the fact that Australia’s Jason Day, who had earlier suffered from the effects of vertigo, watched his challenge peter out with a closing 74.

Rory McIIroy, seemingly too far back at four over par, mounted a Tiger-style of old charge, reaching two under par after the 12th, before bogeys at two of the last three holes saw him drop back to level par and a share of ninth, with Shane Lowry and Day, while former Masters champion Adam Scott returned to form with a closing 64 to take a share of fourth place with South African qualifier Cameron Smith and Branden Grace.

With both McIlroy and Spieth in the form of their lives, the stage is now set for a thrilling renewal of the Open Championship at St Andrews next month, the winner of which could justifiably call themselves the best golfer in the world, regardless of what the rankings might say.

LAST MAN STANDING

Jordan Spieth secured a second consecutive major following a dramatic victory in the US Open at a controversial Chambers Bay

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JUNE 2015 [49]

Chambers Bay was subject to a barrage of criticism from the players over the state of the greens

Dustin Johnson misses his birdie putt to force a playoff

“YOU CAN’T WIN THEM ALL IF YOU DON’T WIN THE FIRST TWO”

Jordan Spieth says he is gunning for the grand slam after adding the US Open to his Masters title

US OPEN LEADERBOARD Pos 1 T2 T2 T4 T4 T4 7 8 T9 T9 T9

Name J Spieth L Oosthuizen D Johnson A Scott C Smith B Grace C Schwartzel B Snedeker R McIlroy S Lowry J Day

Rd1 Rd2 Rd3 Rd4 Total Par 68 67 71 69 275 -5 77 66 66 67 276 -4 65 71 70 70 276 -4 70 71 72 64 277 -3 70 70 69 68 277 -3 69 67 70 71 277 -3 73 70 69 66 278 -2 69 72 70 68 279 -1 72 72 70 66 280 0 69 70 70 71 280 0 68 70 68 74 280 0

How does it feel to be half way to achieving a career grand slam at the age of 21?

I’m obviously very pleased, but it’s hard to understand right now. It’s hard to believe I won the trophy. I’m still amazed that I won, let alone that it didn’t at least go to a playoff. It’s such a turnaround in fortunes that I haven’t been able to process it, or put anything into perspective yet.

a while. I don’t really think of my age. I just think of us all as peers. It’s cool to be able to have two legs of the Grand Slam now, and to conquer golf’s hardest test.

The US Open is conquering the hardest layout in all of golf. That’s the way it is every year. The fact that we did it is amazing. I didn’t have my best stuff in terms of ball striking at all, but we really grinded over those 4- or 5-foot putts, and that was the difference.

You played the final hole knowing you needed a birdie at worst to give yourself a chance of winning. What strategy did you have in your mind to get that done?

I knew I needed to fade the ball off the tee, and I struck it right off the middle of the face. That’s the only way I could have kept it short of the second bunker. I said to myself ‘put it in the fairway, give yourself a chance’.

It got right up there on the upslope – I couldn’t have placed it in a better spot. The next 3-wood, was very, very pure. Any little bit of breeze up there held it up, and then it stay up by a foot on that ledge. Walking up to the green, I felt like I needed to make an eagle to tie.

I just wanted to make a good putt, with the right speed.

I kept telling myself ‘Major champions don’t leave these putts short’. I hit a decent putt. I didn’t leave it short. It got to the hole. It had die speed, which was the speed I wanted, but it just didn’t turn enough. It was a slight miss-read.

When I finished I was just hoping it was good enough to get into a play-off.

What did you do while Dustin was playing the last?

I closed the door and Michael and I went away from any cameras when the finish was happening. He just said to me, ‘Dude, be positive’. I was sitting there going, ‘I think Dustin is going to make this, what did I do? How did I possibly let this happen?’ He said, ‘Be positive.

You just never know’. I was sitting with him when that second putt missed. My eyes were wide looking at the TV screen, and he was silent as well. We didn’t really know what to do. Then got up. He said, ‘Dude, give me a hug, you did it’. It was really cool. It’s amazing.

What a special place for Michael. He was married here.

He shares arguably one of the best moments of his life here. I was able to add to that history that he has at Chambers Bay. That was probably the best work Michael has ever done this week to get me through. At Augusta, I was on, and making everything and striking the ball really well. He was the one that got me through this week when I wanted to get down when things weren’t going well.

How long will it take for you for this win to sink in?

I think it will sink in a little quicker than the Masters did given that it’s already happened but, boy, what a team effort. I didn’t have my best stuff and we were able to get it done. Michael [Geller], my caddy, knew this course better than anybody playing this week and he made sure I was in the right spots without my best stuff, and that’s why I won.

With you and Rory currently holding all four major between you, it sets up the Open as a great showdown, doesn’t it?

It’s kind of cool to have two players hold the four majors and It’s awesome that the game is in young hands, but I don’t think of it so much as a rivalry. I’ve said that from the beginning. Rory has four majors and dozens of wins, and I’m just starting out. I’m certainly quite a bit younger than he is, but I’m just happy to have this and to be chasing that No.1 spot which he holds. So I’m certainly focused on that.

Among the other records, you’re the youngest player to win back-to-back majors since Bobby Jones did it in 1923. How does that sound?

Every single thing that I’m able to do, somebody seems to find a history lesson on why I was the youngest to do something, or as young as somebody way back when. For me, this is my life. I’ve now been doing it for

Do you feel like the grand slam is on this season?

You can’t win them all if you don’t win the first two. So we are going to go St Andrews looking for the Claret Jug. I believe we can get it done.

NEWS IN BRIEF WOOD SHINES AT DIAMOND Chris Wood played one of the best rounds of his injury-hit career to claim his second European Tour title at the Lyoness Open in Austria.

The 27-year-old Bristol pro, who was sidelined for five months after breaking a bone in his wrist last October, took advantage of a final-day collapse from long-time leader Gregory Bourdy to clinch a two-shot win in testing conditions at the Diamond Country Club in Atzenbrugg.

Wood made five birdies in a final round 67 for a winning score of 15 under, two shots clear of Rafa Cabrera-Bello.

PARK RECORDS THIRD PGA TITLE Inbee Park claimed her third consecutive win in Women’s PGA Championship, and reclaimed the world number one ranking from Lydia Ko, after coasting to a five-shot victory at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Westchester Country Club in New York. The South Korean fired a flawless five-under par 68 on the final day to post a winning score of 19 under and emulate Annika Sorenstam in winning the tournament three times in a row. Park has now won five of the last 12 majors.

BOWDITCH BAGS BYRON NELSON Australia’s Steven Bowditch won the AT&T Byron Nelson by four shots after firing a final round five-under par 64 at the TPC Four Seasons Resort. Leading after 54 holes, Bowditch pulled clear with four back-nine birdies to leave Jimmy Walker, Charley Hoffman and Scott Pinckney having to settle for jointsecond.

NORDQVIST SECURES SHOPRITE TITLE Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist secured the fifth tour title of her career following a oneshot victory at the ShopRite LPGA Classic. She posted a two-under 69 in the final round to finish eight under for the week, one clear of nearest challenger Christel Boeljon.

America’s Morgan Pressell led the tournament after the third round, but fell away with a closing 73.

[50] JUNE 2015 | TOUR NEWS

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Woods decline continues following worst-ever round Despite compiling the worse round of his 20 year professional career at last month’s Memorial Tournament – a 13-over-par 85 – Tiger Woods is still searching for the positives as he bids to turn around the slump in his form.

The five-time Memorial champion had to play on his own on the final day at Muirfield Village, having plummeted to the bottom of the field following his disastrous third round. And after carding a two-over par 74, Woods

insisted that he was able to take plenty of positives out of the round, as he closed on 14 over par for the tournament.

“I got a solidness back – I was hitting the driver with both shapes, cuts and draws,” he said.

“I was doing what I’ve been doing on the driving range, and that was nice to see. Today was a lot better ball-striking wise, but I didn’t finish off very well.”

Alluding to his shocking third round performance, he added: “I am changing a few things and I had to go through some painful moments yesterday, just like I did at Torrey Pines and Phoenix in order to be able to make the leap I did at Augusta.”

Asked how he approached the final round knowing he was playing on his own, Woods said: “Just because I’m in last place, it doesn’t change how I play. I play all out. This is a lonely sport.

You’ve just got to play through it. And that’s one of the hardest things about golf, and it’s also one of the best things. When you’re on, no one is going to slow you down. But when you’re off, no one is going to pick you up, either. It’s one of those sports that’s tough. Deal with it. For us, unfortunately, you have those days and they’re five hours long.”

Following his performance at the Memorial, Woods has now dropped to 195th in the world rankings, with his only other result since the Masters being tied 69th at the Players Championship.

Ladies Tour experiments with Wednesday finish In a bid to avoid the Caption inevitable clash with coverage of men’s tournaments on Sunday afternoon, the Ladies European Tour experimented with ending last month’s Turkish Ladies Open on a Wednesday.

Breaking with the traditional Sunday finish ensured that the tournament received extended live television coverage on Sky Sports and the Golf Channel.

The pioneering move is one of a tranche of innovations aimed at boosting the profile of women’s golf both on television and at the event, and has been met with enthusiasm from broadcasters, commercial partners, although the players themselves gave a mixed reaction.

Speaking about the idea of more Sunday to Wednesday events, England’s Liz Young said: We’re normally always competing against the men for live TV coverage, so it’s great to get more exposure and live coverage by switching the schedule around, which can only be good for the Ladies European Tour. Having said that, I think certain events do need to stay with a Sunday finish, so that more fans can get to the course at the weekend. There’s a trade off between having a great atmosphere on the golf course, and having more TV viewers.”

Dame Laura Davies added: “I think it’s a great idea for the Europeanbased players, because it means we get some live TV coverage and raise the tour’s profile. However, it’s awkward if you both play the LET and the LPGA Tour, as it means you have to miss two tournaments. It’s hard to miss two for one.”

Pavlov endures ‘Tin Cup’ nightmare in Austria Russia’s Andrey Pavlov suffered a nightmare start to his second round at the Lyoness Open in Austria, recording a 17 at the 506-yard, parfive opening hole, having found the water six times.

The 28 year old, who is ranked 1,598th in the world, and finished 26 over par at the same event in 2014, was playing his first European Tour event of the year on a sponsor’s invitation. He tied the second highest number of strokes on a single hole in European Tour history, joining Surrey’s Chris Gane, who made the same score at Gleneagles in 2003. Only Philippe Porquier’s 20 at the 1978 French Open is worse.

Pavlov eventually signed for an 18-over-par 90, having made a one-under 71 in his opening round, which had given him a chance of making his first cut in 15 attempts on both the European and

Challenge Tours.

The Russian can rest safe in the knowledge that he did not fare quite as badly as Tommy Armour and Ray Ainsley, who both needed 23 shots on a single hole on when competing on the PGA Tour.

Armour’s nightmare came about at the 1927 Shawnee Open, while Ainsley’s hole to forget was at the 1938 US Open.

Asked what went wrong as he persevered with his attempt to reach the green, Pavlov said: To be honest, it hurts too much to think about it. I don’t know what happened. I went out of my mind.”

Owen falls short at St Jude Classic Greg Owen’s hopes of winning a longed-for first PGA Tour event met a watery end earlier this month, when the 43-yearold from Mansfield hit his tee shot into a lake during the back nine at the FedEx St Jude Classic in Memphis.

The experienced Midlander, whose previous best finish was a second at the Bay Hill Invitational in 2006, had started the final day tied for the lead with Argentina’s Fabian Gomez. And he looked on course to bag that cherished first title when he opened up a two-shot lead with early birdies in the final round. But after Gomez birdied the eighth and Owen bogeyed the ninth after a wayward drive, the pair reached the turn all-square.

And then Gomez, who was also bidding for his own debut PGA Tour win, edged ahead when he converted a fine approach to the par-three 11th, while Owen blocked his tee shot into water at the 12th, before angrily snapping the offending three-wood when he smashed the grip into the ground as he left the tee.

Mansfield-born Owen limited the damage to his scorecard with a fine pitch and putt for bogey, but he then slipped three behind when failing to get up and down at the 14th, after finding a bunker off the tee.

Gomez answered with a sublime bunker shot to set up birdie at the 16th, before wrapping up his maiden tour title with another birdie at the last.

Owen managed to close with three consecutive pars to hang on to the outright runner’s up place, and claim the $638,000 second prize, which propelled him 77 places up the FedExCup standings.

Despite not winning an event in 214 career starts, Owen maintained the week had been a successful one. “Of course I’m disappointed that I didn’t win, but I can relax knowing I’ve still got the game to get myself into contention. I played great for the first eight holes, and then hit some rocky shots. The guys are so good out here, you can’t play average and expect to win. I’ve got some work to do, but I can take plenty of positives from my performance this week.”

[52] JUNE 2015 | EQUIPMENT NEWS

THE GEAR EFFECT WINNERS’ BAGS ON TOUR

BYEONG HUN AN BMW PGA Championship DRIVER: Titleist 915D3 (8.5) FAIRWAY WOOD: Titleist 915F (13.5) HYBRID: Titleist 915Hd (17.5) IRONS: Titleist MB 714 (3-9) WEDGES: Titleist Vokey Design SM5 (48, 54, 60) PUTTER: Titleist Scotty Cameron BALL: Titleist Pro V1x STEVEN BOWDITCH AT&T Byron Nelson DRIVER: TaylorMade AeroBurner TP (9) FAIRWAY WOOD: TaylorMade JetSpeed (15) HYBRID: Adams Pro Mini (18) IRONS: Mizuno MP-4 (4-PW) WEDGES: Cleveland 588 (50, 54, 60) PUTTER: Bettinardi Queen B Model 6 BALL: Titleist Pro V1x SOREN KJELDSEN DDF Irish Open DRIVER: TaylorMade AeroBurner (10.5) FAIRWAY WOOD: TaylorMade AeroBurner (16.5) HYBRID: Cleveland Launcher (20.5) IRONS: Cleveland 588 CB (4-PW) WEDGES: Cleveland 588 RTX (52, 56, 60) PUTTER: Odyssey Dual Force Rossie 2 BALL: Srixon Z-Star XV DAVID LINGMERTH The Memorial DRIVER: Ping G30 (10.5) FAIRWAY WOOD: Ping G25 (15) HYBRID: Ping Anser (17) IRONS: Ping i25 (4-PW) WEDGES: Ping Glide SS (50, 54, 60) PUTTER: Ping Cadence TR Ketsch BALL: Titleist Pro V1x ALEX NOREN Nordea Masters DRIVER: Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 815 (8.5) FAIRWAY WOOD: Callaway XR Pro Deep (14) HYBRID: Callaway Diablo Edge Tour (18) IRONS: Callaway Apex Pro (4-9) WEDGES: Callaway Mack Daddy 2 (47, 52, 56, 60) PUTTER: Odyssey ProType iX #1 BALL: Callaway Speed Regime 3 CHRIS WOOD Lyoness Open DRIVER: Mizuno JPX-850 FAIRWAY WOODS: Mizuno JPX-850 (3, 5) IRONS: Mizuno MP-64 (3-4), Mizuno MP-4 (5-PW) WEDGES: Mizuno MPT5 (52, 56) PUTTER: Odyssey Versa #7 BALL: Titleist Pro V1 JORDAN SPIETH US Open DRIVER: Titleist 915D2 (9.5) FAIRWAY WOOD: Titleist 915D2 (15) HYBRID: Titliest 915Hd (20.5) IRONS: Titliest AP2 714 (4-PW) WEDGES: Titleist Vokey SM5 (48, 52, 56, 60) PUTTER: Titleist Scotty Cameron 009 BALL: Titleist Pro V1x

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

Westwood opens new PGA Academy at Close House Lee Westwood has officially opened the new PGA Golf Academy at Close House in Newcastle.

The 42-year-old Ryder Cup star, who is Close House’s touring professional, was on hand to unveil the brand new facility, which offers a floodlit driving range, long and short game practice areas, a SAM PuttLab analysis system, and a custom-fitting centre.

The opening also coincided with the fifth annual Have a Heart charity golf event, which this year raised in excess of £350,000 for the Children’s Heart Unit Fund. A host of celebrities from the worlds of racing, golf, television and sport played a round of golf on Close House’s Colt Course and then enjoyed a gala dinner and auction.

Speaking at the launch, the PGA’s joint chief operating officer, Robert Maxfield, said: “The new PGA Academy at Close House is a fantastic addition to the family of PGAbranded golf academies and courses around the world, including the PGA’s headquarters at The Belfry and the PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles. The academy reinforces the relationship between The PGA and Close House, whose vision under Graham Wylie’s leadership is set to become one of the finest golf facilities in the UK.” A team of PGA-qualified professionals will be based on site to deliver all aspects of tuition, providing access to the latest technology in golf swing analysis, including the GASP Lab video system and the Explanar training system.

Close House’s owner, Graham Wylie, said: “This is an exciting new addition to the facilities, and means we are now able

to offer the latest teaching technologies to those wanting to learn and improve. We are passionate about providing the best possible golfing experience for both our members and our visitors, and the opening of the new academy will enable our instructors to deliver tuition through the use of the very best facilities.”

Close House also boasts two 18-hole courses – the 6,813-yard Colt, which hosted this month’s ISPS Handa PGA Seniors Championship won by Peter Fowler, and the 6,000-yard Filly course.

Monty joins Skechers Fast-growing golf shoe brand Skechers has signed Colin Montgomerie to be its new Tour ambassador in Europe.

The eighttime Order of Merit winner, and three-time Senior major champion, will act as a brand ambassador for Skechers’ Go Golf range of shoes, appearing in all marketing campaigns for the brand, which launched its first golf-specific range of shoes into the UK last year.

“We are extremely excited to announce the addition of Colin Montgomerie to the Skechers Performance Division as we continue to expand the Skechers Go Golf platform,” said Pete Youell, managing director of Skechers UK & Ireland. “Partnering with Colin, a true champion and golf legend, is in line with our growth strategy for the Performance Division, and he will play an integral role building our brand awareness amongst the golf community here in the UK, Ireland and across Europe.”

Montgomerie added: “I was not surprised when Skechers entered the golf market, as they are known for making comfortable, top quality shoes. I spend a lot of time on my feet, both when I’m playing and when I’m practising, so shoes really matter to me and Skechers Go Golf products really make a difference to my game.”

Max Golf Protein helps golfers go the distance GolfBuddy gets on the bandwagon with BB5 It was only a matter of time before one of the golf GPS companies came up with a band-style unit, so hats off to GolfBuddy for winning this particular race with the BB5.

Significantly slimmer than any of the golf GPS watch designs on the market, but without the ‘green view’ graphics that some provide, the BB5 delivers distances to the front, middle and back of the green on over 37,000 courses via a ‘tickertapestyle’ LED dot display. Users can also measure shot distances, count steps, and tell the time with it.

The water-resistant band has a built-in rechargeable lithium battery, which offers up to 13 hours use in golf mode.

It comes with two sizes of band (S/M and L/XL), and there are six different colour bands to choose from as optional extras.

Priced at £199.95, it can be ordered from www.gpsgolfbuddy.eu.

Leading online golf retailer Trendygolf.com has been named as the exclusive online stockist of Max Golf Protein, the revolutionary new sports drink designed specifically for golfers, by golfers.

This expansion into nutritional products comes as a first forTrendygolf.com, renowned for bringing together the latest fashions and trends from all of golf’s big-name brands, including J.Lindeberg, RLX, Hugo Boss and Puma.

Explaining the decision to stock Max Golf Protein, Trendygolf.com co-founder Ian McLeod said: “Health and fitness is becoming an ever-important focus for some of the top players on tour, a trend which we see continuing through to the everyday

player. Many of our customers come to us because the clothing ranges we stock not only deliver on style but also on performance technologies. Therefore it makes sense that our customers should have access to the highest quality products in performanceenhancing nutrition.”

Max Golf Protein is sold as a healthy and convenient alternative to chocolate bars and energy drinks, both of which, while providing a short burst of energy, will inevitably result in tiredness and reduced concentration. Not only can protein help to grow and repair muscles, but it can also helps the mind to focus more when it matters most on the course. Low in fat, Max Golf Protein contains a blend of ingredients that have been carefully selected to provide a slow release of protein, and balanced with carbohydrates to keep golfers at their best around 18 holes.

And, in a game where powders just won’t do, Max Golf Protein is a ready-to-drink formula with a vanilla milk flavour.

Max Protein costs £45 for 12 and can be ordered direct from www.trendygolf.com.

FLIP IT & RIP IT.

TM

Introducing our first-ever front-to-back FLIPZONE adjustable weight technology. Flip the weight forward for a penetrating ball flight that generates more roll. Or, flip it back for a towering flight path and carry those hazards that used to get in your head. Its two settings deliver the perfect distance and trajectory for your swing.

TM

Find which setting is right for your game at cobragolf.co.uk/fly-z

GAME CHANGED

[54] JUNE 2015 | PROSHOP

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

ODYSSEY WORKS BIG T PUTTERS

SUNWISE SUNGLASSES

RRP: £149 CONTACT: ODYSSEYGOLF.COM

RRP: £38.99-£79.99 CONTACT: SUNWISE.CO.UK

The Works Big T putter range is a blend of Odyssey’s popular Versa (parallel lines) and Marxman (perpendicular lines) alignment systems that combine to form a prominent ‘T’ on the putter. Although T alignment aid has been seen on putters before, this is the first time it has been done with Odyssey’s Versa’s alternating black and white lines and a thicker ‘T’ design.

While the Big T has the look of a Versa, it will be part of Odyssey’s Works range, which features the company’s Fusion RX insert. The insert is a variation of the classic White Hot insert with a thin .406mm stainless steel mesh over the face. The addition of the mesh, which has oval dimples similar to those found on the Metal-X insert, gives the putter a faster roll than the standard White Hot insert.

Friction created by the mesh also produces a low launch angle and topspin that mitigates bouncing during the skid phase for improved distance control.

The Works Big T range consists of four head shapes – Blade, #5 (small mallet), V-Line and V-Line centre shaft – each is fitted with a black powder coated shaft to reduce glare. A SuperStroke grip can be fitted for an extra £20.

TRIED + TESTED

British eyewear company Sunwise has launched a new range of sunglasses designed specifically for golfers.

One of the key features is Chromafusion 2.0 technology, a photochromic lens system, which offers 100% protection against sun glare and UVA rays.

These lenses are offered in the Waterloo Blue and Waterloo Chrome models (£69.99), and also feature in the Wellington White and Wellington Black models (£79.99). All four models are ideal for playing in all light conditions, as the fast-reacting lenses adjust to the amount of sun available within seconds, so that clarity is always maintained. Lightweight and hard wearing, they feature impact-resistant, wrap-around lenses to block out peripheral light, and molded arms to keep them secure during all phases of the swing. Sunwise also offers a range of sunglasses with multiple lens options to suit tint preferences, with the Shipley Yellow and Shipley Green (£38.99) offering interchangeable polycarbonate gradient lenses.

CALLAWAY BIG BERTHA STAND BAG

Offering the flexibility of a stand bag, but with the storage capacity of a cart bag, Callaway’s new Big Bertha bag is the bag of choice for touring pros when they have to carry.

With plenty of room for all 14 clubs and accessories, it boasts a fullsize saddle apparel pocket, full tour branding and logos, and a 9.5-inch five-way, club organising system.

The leg mechanism is sturdy and keeps the bag nicely balanced, while there are some handy grab handles on the top and on the side, which help when shifting the bag in and out of the car. The double straps are well padded, and easy to slip onto your shoulders, and even with a full set of clubs on board, the bag feels well balanced and light.

There is acres of internal space for all your golfing clobber, including a rangefinder or GPS pocket, a thermal-lined water bottle pocket, and a full-length clothing pocket, as well as a sizeable golf ball storage pocket and two further accessory pocks.

All in all, this is very smart and extremely practical bag for Callaway fans who like to carry – and with the legs able to be locked away securely, it could also work effectively as a trolley or cart bag.

CHERVO AUDREY DRYMATIC POLO RRP: £80 CONTACT: CHERVO.COM Italian sports apparel brand Chervo has created a range of performanceenhancing polo shirts that are made from a special polyamide microfibre which, together with an innovative finish, guarantees high levels of moisture evaporation and ensures freshness to the 18th hole and beyond. Featuring Dry-Matic comfort-stretch fabric, crafted from Chervò Tex research, the stylish range of classic, short sleeve polos is available in 15 different colours.

RATING:  RRP: £220 CONTACT: CALLAWAYGOLF.COM

ADAMS GOLF RED HYBRID RRP: £169 CONTACT: ADAMGOLF.CO.UK Adams has thrown all of its experience of what makes a great hybrid club – the brand has been No1 on the PGA Tour since 2008 – into the making of its new Red hybrid. While the classic Adams hybrid face is still there, with the upside-down look with the high toe and relatively flat sole, the Red features a velocity slot in the sole, and what Adams calls a ‘Ghost Slot’ concealed in the crown. Both channels serve to increase ball speeds across the face, and allow weight to be moved back and low to enhance trajectory.

With a head volume of just 95cc, the Red is squarely aimed at better players who like to work the ball. Its shot-shaping ability is further enhanced by three transferrable weights in the sole (one 25g and two 2g), which can be configured to promote a fade or a draw. It is available in five different lofts (16°, 18°, 20°, 23° and 26°).

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

PRO SHOP

PROSHOP | JUNE 2015 [55]

ASHWORTH CARDIFF ADC RRP: £89.99 CONTACT: ASHWORTHGOLF.COM

VOICE CADDIE T2 HYBRID WATCH RRP: £179 CONTACT: VOICECADDIE.COM Watches are fast outselling traditional handsets in the golf GPS market, with their ease of use making them a popular buy among golfers who are looking for the basic functions of yardages to the front, middle and back of greens.

However, the second and third generation watches offer that little bit more, as is the case with Voice Caddie’s T2, which is an update of the T1.

Available with a black or white body, the T2 provides the usual yardages to the front, middle and back of greens, as well as automatic hole recognition. It also comes preloaded with 30,000 courses, and there are no annual subscription fees. New for the T2 is a ‘Smart Scorecard’ feature that detects how many shots you’ve taken on each hole, as well as offering the ability to analyse your round using the aerial map view mode that comes as part of the downloadable T2 data manager software.

It also has a swing tempo analysis feature that enables the wearer to measure the ratio of backswing time to downswing time, and as well as offering time, date, alarm and stopwatch functions, it has a fitness mode that measures distance, average speed, and calories burned, making it a solid option for those who want to justify that bacon roll in the halfway house.

FOOTJOY HYPERFLEX BOA RRP: £150 CONTACT: FOOTJOY.CO.UK FootJoy has added two new models to its HyperFlex range, both of which feature the easy-to-use Boa closure system. A heel-mounted dial pulls a stainless steel wire evenly through the body of the shoe for a secure, consistent and comfortable fit. The system ensures an even dispersion of pressure across the top of the foot and eliminates friction and pressure points, as well as the inconvenience of traditional laces.

Choose from white/ light grey/ royal blue or charcoal/ orange.

Worn by Justin Rose during his US Open victory at Merion in 2013, Ashworth’s Cardiff ADC (All Day Comfort) shoe has been given a makeover for the new season, with a number of design tweaks and new colour options. The Cardiff ADC 2 features soft tumbled leather uppers and a spikeless outsole, which is designed to deliver increased traction, additional cushioning and enhanced flexibility. A new lightweight, breathable and washable insole maintains its structure with unique spring-back technology, while a new last offers a more generous forefoot for increased comfort. It is available in black, dark denim, grey, brown, and white.

SKECHERS GO GOLF PRO RRP: £119 CONTACT: SKECHERSGOGOLF.CO.UK Part of a brand new line up of golf shoes for 2015 from Skechers, the GO GOLF PRO is the brand’s most advanced yet, combining a classic design with replaceable spikes and waterproof leather uppers. Worn by US Ryder Cup player and seven-time PGA Tour winner Matt Kuchar, it features a comfort traction outsole to provide sturdy, turf-gripping performance and give stability from tee to green, while Skechers’ Resalyte midsole cushioning enhances comfort further. Choose from navy blue, black, or white with a black saddle.

CALLAWAY BERTHA MINI DRIVER RRP: £249 CONTACT: CALLAWAYGOLF.COM With a clubhead measuring just 235cc and a shaft length of 44 inches, Callaway’s new Bertha Mini 1.5 closely resembles a driver from the 1980s. Like its previous Frankenwood and 3Deep clubs, the Bertha Mini promises more length than a traditional fairway wood, and more accuracy than is normally achieved with a standard-sized driver. However, while the aforementioned clubs were aimed at better players, the Bertha Mini is aimed at all golfers due to its built-in forgiveness properties.

These include a forged hyper speed face cup that increases ball speeds in the heel and toe areas, and a lighter forged composite crown that allows weight to be moved lower, where it makes the club easier to launch more consistently.

Available in the 12° and 14° lofts, the Mitsubishi Kurokage shaft is two inches shorter than most modern driver shafts, making it more controllable off the tee, while the Warbird soleplate ensures the club remains playable when being used off the fairway or semirough.

The Bertha Mini also features an OptiFit hosel, so users can choose between eight different lie and loft settings.

CLEVELAND GOLF TFI SMART SQUARE PUTTER RRP: £149 CONTACT: CLEVELANDGOLF.COM TFI stands for True Feel Innovation, and with its milled, copper-infused face attached to a polymer insert, Cleveland’s latest version of the eye-catching Smart Square promises plenty feedback and soft feel.

A heavy stabilising wing combines with a lightweight aluminium body to offer increased resistance to twisting on off-centre hits and more consistent distance control off a wider area of the face.

As with its predecessors, the Smart Square Blade and Mallet putters, the TFI incorporates dual axis alignment technology, which sees two squares on the crown creating parallel lines that frame the ball at address and provide a clear visual path to the hole.

They also generate two perpendicular lines that let you know when the putter is not square to the target.

[56] JUNE 2015 | SHOWCASE

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

5

1. CALLAWAY MACK DADDY 2

8

2. COBRA TOUR TRUSTY WEDGE

RRP: £99 CONTACT: CALLAWAYGOLF.COM Designed by Roger Cleveland, with a name originally inspired by Phil Mickelson, second generation Mack Daddy wedges feature larger, wider grooves than found in the previous model, as well as a steeper wall angle – 5° steeper in the higher lofts – to improve spin on shots played from the rough. The space between grooves feature lasered microgrooves that further enhance friction.

According to testing, the new groove produces 25% more spin for full shots out of the rough. The range offers three different sole grinds in the higher lofts, while a new Tour Grind option, featuring more heel and toe relief, is also available.

3

RRP: £100 CONTACT: COBRAGOLF.CO.UK

6

2

4

7 1

The Tour Trusty wedge offers tour-level performance courtesy of a notch K-Grind, a Tourpreferred shape that provides heel and toe relief versatility around the greens. The compact head shape and straight leading edge makes for easy alignment, while the groove edges and volume have been maximised to the allowable limit. The cast carbon steel faces have been milled with two depths of cut to improve spin on all shots, and offers double the amount of surface roughness than the Trusty Rusty, and wider grooves. It is available in a matt satin and matt black PVD finishes, in nine lofts ranging from 48° to 64°, and multiple bounce options.

SCORING IRONS Hit it closer with the latest wedges

3. MIZUNO MP-T5 RRP: £110 CONTACT: MIZUNOEUROPE. COM The MP-T5 wedge range offers 50 loft/bounce/sole combinations in order to cater for all techniques and turf conditions. They are available in 25 different loft and bounce combinations, in lofts ranging from 49 to 62 degrees, and two sole configurations.

The gap wedges (49-53) have a C-grind with soft trailing edge relief, while 54-58 degrees models have two different bounce options. Its low-bounce wedges have an aggressive C Grind for more versatility, while its highbounce wedges have a soft trailing edge and a significant heel grind to aid performance on open-faced bunker shots.

The T5 range features Mizuno’s renowned Grain Flow Forging construction, for soft feel and consistent distance control, and is available in black ion and white satin finishes.

6. PING GLIDE RRP: ££105/£120 (ST/GR) CONTACT: PING.COM Ping’s Glide wedge is offered in three sole designs — standard, wide and thin — for different angles of attack and turf conditions, while new Gorge grooves offer improved performance on full, chip and pitch shots.

Gorge grooves have a 16-degree sidewall in the lower lofts (47-54 degrees) to maximise volume on full shots, while in the higher lofts (56-60) a 24-degree sidewall gives sharper edges to help golfers create more spin on open-face shots. To create more friction from the rough and in wet conditions, each wedge is chrome-plated with stainless steel. The chrome finish beads water off the face and is 220% more consistent in wet grass and 35% more consistent in dry grass than the dark blast finish used on the Tour Gorge wedge. There are 13 loft/ sole options, from 47-60 degrees.

4. TAYLORMADE TP EF RRP: £199 CONTACT: TAYLORMADEGOLF.COM The Tour Preferred EF wedge sees the introduction of a nickel cobalt face insert that has been electroformed to ensure consistent and precise groove geometry.

Although the insert is just 0.25 mm thick, nickel cobalt is 50% harder than carbon steel, making it incredibly durable, yet it retains soft feel from the carbon steel body, resulting in a blend of feel and performance. It is available in two sole grind options – Tour (47°, 50°, 52°, 54°, 56°, 58° and 60°) and ATV (54°, 56°, 58° and 60°).

The Tour features progressive camber and generous heel relief, which allows for the versatility on openfaced shots, while the ATV boasts a reshaped sole that promotes less bounce on both chip and full shots, while maintaining higher bounce on open-face shots.

7. TITLEIST VOKEY SM5 RRP: £105 CONTACT: TITLEIST.CO.UK Offering a slightly more compact profile that the SM4 range, the SM5 has a series of circular micro-edges milled into the face to increase friction and spin consistency on partial shots. Seventeen grooves are then individually machine-milled into the face. The TX3 groove is 7% larger than those found in the SM4, with a deeper, narrower profile for improved contact.

They are available in lofts of 46° to 62° and six sole grinds (L, T, S, M, F and K), with each model sorted into low, mid and high bounce categories. The result is 21 different loft/bounce/grind combinations to satisfy all swing types and turf conditions. They are available in three finishes – Tour Chrome, Gold Nickel and Raw Black, the latter of which will rust over time.

5. NIKE VR X3X RRP: £89.99 CONTACT: NIKE.COM/GOLF Nike’s X3X wedge range features two models – Toe Sweep and Dual Wide Sole. The former features a large amount of heel relief, which lets players really open clubface at address, and is ideal for hitting out of bunkers or semi-rough. It also has a much wider toe area. The Dual Wide model has relief towards the heel and toe, which helps launch the ball higher with more spin. Both are made for soft carbon steel and have a non-glare, satin-chrome finish. They also feature an updated X3X 27 groove pattern, which has wider spacing – resulting in a 15% increase in the volume of each groove – and more aggressive edges for enhanced spin.

8. CLEVELAND 588 RTX 2.0 RRP: £99 CONTACT: CLEVELANDGOLF.COM While Cleveland has always offered multiple bounce and loft options in its wedges, the new 588 RTX 2.0 represents the first time the company has created a range with specific bounce and sole grinds that allows players to optimise their wedge set up based on course conditions and playing preferences.

Cleveland developed three distinct sole grinds in two different head designs, and multiple loft options, to give golfers up to 120 different configurations to maximise performance. Players can choose from a cavity or blade designs, both of which are made from carbon steel, and both feature Cleveland’s Rotex face technology, which enhances the surface roughness for added spin. Both are available in a range of 10 lofts from 46-64 degrees, with either True Temper Dynamic Gold steel shafts or Rotex graphite wedge shafts as standard.

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

JUNE 2015 [57]

PING HITS THE EYE MARK

WITH PERFORMANCE-DRIVEN APPAREL Ping’s first ever in-house apparel collection combines hi-tech materials with sharp, tailored designs to create products that look great and perform even better

MAKING SENSE OF PING SENSOR TECHNOLOGY Sensor is an innovative technological system designed to ensure that every garment worn is specifically engineered to respond to the body’s requirements and the demands of the game, whatever the conditions.

P

ing is a company that likes to push boundaries. Ever since the brand’s founder, Karsten Solheim, fashioned the first Ping putters in his garage in California back in the 1950s, the company has constantly sought to break down barriers, rail against the norm, and refuse to accept the status quo.

An obsession with advancing technology and applying scientific principles to the game of golf, has seen Ping create some of the most groundbreaking innovations the sport has ever seen, from the Anser putter to Ping Eye2 irons, from the ‘L’ on the lob wedge to the all-conquering G Series of woods and irons that dominate the market place today.

So it should perhaps come as no surprise that when Ping finally decided to bring its apparel business back under its own control – it had previously licensed out the brand – it came up with a collection that put technology and performanceenhancing properties at the forefront.

“At Ping, we never stop thinking about golf,” said Andy Solheim, vice president of brand development, and grandson of Karsten and son of Ping’s chairman and chief executive, John Solheim. “That allows us to concentrate solely on engineering our products for golfers and only golfers.

The 2015 Spring/Summer apparel range is aesthetically pure, performance driven, and tailored for the modern game. We’ve engineered each garment to meet the challenges of our game head on. The resulting performance, combined with a refined visual appearance and cut, has produced a very exciting line.”

No self-respecting fashion brand does without a logo these days, and while the iconic Pingman is still visible on many of Ping’s products today, the new clothing range demanded a refreshed look, which has been achieved with the eyecatching, yet subtle new ‘Eye

Sensor Cool

Mark’ logo. The logo takes its inspiration from the previously mentioned Ping Eye 2 iron, the first ever peripherally-weighted iron which enjoyed a huge following in the mid-1980s.

The logo showcases each garments refined qualities, reflected through clean colours, innovative fabrics, and a tailored fit.

Worn on the professional tours worldwide by stars including major champions Louis Oosthuizen and Angel Cabrera, improving performance and enhancing comfort are the guiding principles behind the new collection, whether it be through stretch fabrics that hug the contours of the body while allowing complete freedom of movement, or through crease-free, moisture managing materials that ensure the wearers are able to keep cool under the heat of competition.

All of these elements can be seen in the new range of polo shirts for men, including

Engineered to be worn next to the skin, Sensor Cool moisture moving technology draws excess perspiration from the skin. This keeps the golfer dry, and guarantees exceptional comfort in all conditions. Each Sensor Cool garment is crease resistant and formed from stretch fabrics designed to complement the natural movement of the golf swing.

Sensor Warm

in the Latimer (£65), a merino garment that has a water resistant finish and features the soft tones and muted hues found across the range. Each polo shirt is engineered to play through a crease-free gauge with moisture movement, UV protection, and anti-bacterial properties.

Other signature polo shirts, including the Bancroft (£55) and Gilden (£45) models, offer a premium feel through a softtouch cotton feeling polyester, twinned with colour-coordinated stripes (Bancroft) and button down collars (Gilden).

Supplementing the polo shirts is the slim-leg Dean chino (£70), which combines the cut and feel of a traditional chino with four-way stretch and crease-resistant properties.

It is available in a choice of six colours to coordinate with other garments in the collection.

Another key item for any golfer’s wardrobe is the Dunbar 100% Merino sweater (£70), which reflects the timeless nature of the collection, with subtle branding, the finest fabrication and a tailored fit.

Many of the products feature Ping’s Sensor technology, which keeps the wearer in a climatecontrolled environment. Each

garment is injected with either Sensor Dry, Cool or Warm properties to ensure longlasting comfort and protection, whatever the conditions.

Ping has also unveiled a new range of women’s clothing, with every garment featuring a new Ping ladies’ logo, which is also found on the Rhapsody range of clubs, bags and accessories.

The women’s collection features soft-touch fabrics and carefully-selected colour palettes for a uniquely feminine aesthetic. An example of this combination is the Alexandra polo (£60). Refined branding and considered colour options echo the premium fabric structure and fit of the garment, while contrast yarn dyed stripes create ample opportunity for outfit coordination.

“This women’s line is so balanced. We’ve altered the structure slightly, and added beautiful detailing, which really feminises the feel of the collection,” said Andy Solheim.

“It’s clean, distinguished and really performs.”

The 2015 Ping men’s and women’s apparel collections are available to buy in store and online at www. pingcollection.co.uk

Sensor Warm technology fesatures a thermal layer designed to trap warm air and maintain a preferable body temperature. This layer also works as a barrier to resist wind chill. Sensor Warm garments are designed to minimise weight through the use of breathable and stretch fabrics. Such qualities also enable the garments to work with the body to respond to the demands of a round.

Sensor Dry

This technology provides ultimate, long-lasting waterproof and windproof protection from all the elements. The garments incorporating Sensor Dry are air permeable and 100% breathable. The outerwear is specifically cut in lightweight and noiseless fabrics to eradicate distractions, while the fabrics used hold stretch qualities intended to move with the body through the golf swing.

[58] JUNE 2015

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

STAY AND PLAY AT A SURREY GEM

The Lodge at Kingswood Golf Club, which opened earlier this year, is already proving a real hit with golfers visiting the popular Tadworth-based club. The attractive facility offers 18 stylish guest rooms, which are ideal for visiting groups and societies, as well as golfers travelling to take part in the numerous high profile events that the club stages on a regular basis.

Featuring en suite facilities, and a chic and contemporary design, the luxury lodge offers four-star equivalent boutique hotel accommodation located in the peaceful surroundings of the Surrey countryside. The twin and double rooms feature everything you’d expect to find in a top-class hotel, including Sky TV, Wi-Fi, mini bar and espresso machines, as well as 24-hour room service.

After a restful night’s sleep and a full English breakfast in the clubhouse, guests can head to the first tee of the championship golf course. Built in 1927, and designed by legendary architect James Braid, Kingswood has recently completed a major renovation programme that has seen the course updated to maintain its

status as being one of the finest courses in the region. The result is a 6,916-yard layout that is now punctuated with exciting risk and reward tee shots and daunting approaches, making the course both memorable and challenging.

Located just three miles from junction 8 of the M25, Kingswood is easily accessible from all parts of south and west London and the Home Counties, and makes for a wonderful venue whatever the occasion.

Stay and play packages are currently available from £102pp, including 18 holes of golf, overnight accommodation and breakfast, based on two people sharing a room. For enquiries, visit kingswood-golf. co.uk or call 01737 832188.

Savour the links of North Wales

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JUNE 2015 [59]

Selsdon offers golf breaks to savour Sitting on the terrace Selsdon Park Hotel & Golf Club, looking out over the landscaped gardens, with its cedar trees, tall pines and swathes of manicured grass, it’s hard to believe that the centre of London lies only a few miles away to the north.

Located in one of the leafier parts of South Croydon, Selsdon Park offers the best of both worlds for those thousands of golfers who live within the confines of the M25, and for whom leaving the city to play golf is often just too time-consuming.

Although popular with locals, the resort is also a popular with tourists preparing to tackle London’s sights, with the four-star 200-bedroom Neo-Jacobean hotel providing all the modern comforts demanded by the international traveller.

With a thriving conference business, and a leisure club that offers a heated indoor pool, sauna, fitness suite and beauty treatment rooms, its got all the facilities you’d expect of a four-star deluxe hotel.

And for those with a passion for golf, it’s also got a fantastic parkland course.

First laid out in 1929 by five-time Open champion J.H. Taylor, Selsdon Park quickly earned a reputation as

Selsdon Park is in a great setting

being one of the finest facilities in the south. Although the course has been extended over the years, Taylor’s original layout has barely changed since it was first cut from the woodland that covers this picturesque part of Surrey. Today’s layout measures 6,473 yards off the back tees and plays to a par of 73, and despite

If you want to enjoy some seriously rugged links golf, then you only need to head to the fabulous coast of North Wales to experience some of the best links in the world.

With views of the sea from every tee, and eight holes played on the world-famous ‘Point’, it is no wonder Nefyn often draws comparisons with Pebble Beach. With the holes bounded on one side by rocky outcrops and the sea, and on the other by a glorious stretch of sandy beach, it’s an awe-inspiring spot.

Porthmadog, situated a mile from Portmerion, offers an intriguing mix of heathland and links golf. Designed by James Braid, the gorse and undulating fairways create for a testing round. The back nine heads out to sea for a pure links challenge, with the 12th, which requires a carry over

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the unrelenting developments in equipment technology, the course remains an excellent test thanks to the tree-lined fairways and the heavily sculptured greens.

The gently-undulating typography of the course also creates some interesting changes in elevation, with several shots to raised greens, and others many yards below your feet, demanding imagination and creativity in equal measure. While it’s an enjoyable walk, there are plenty of buggies available for those that are happier travelling on four wheels.

Selsdon Park also offers one of the finest 19th holes in the country, where golfers are treated to luxurious surroundings.

Golfers can chose from the informality of the Tempus bar, while formal gatherings will also enjoy the elegant Cedar restaurant, where a comprehensive a la carte menu can be enjoyed while overlooking the estate.

The hotel offers a range of mid-week and weekend residential golf packages, with one-night breaks, with two rounds of golf and a three-course dinner, starting from £99. For bookings, call 020 8768 3116 or visit www.selsdonparkcroydon. co.uk.

a narrow bay, being an obvious highlight.

With its magnificent setting beneath the brooding Harlech Castle, it’s no wonder Royal St David’s is one of the most photographed courses in the UK. Host of numerous top-class amateur events over the years, golfers will need to bring their complete game to score on this lengthy par 69.

Exclusive Golf Breaks has put together a package to enjoy all three courses while staying for two nights at the Royal Sportsman Hotel in Portmadog, with prices starting at just £225 per person.

For more details call 01822 618181 or visit www. exclusivegolfbreaks.com.

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[60] JUNE 2015

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Mallorca tournament tees off at Son Gual Winter sunshine golf on Mallorca’s top two courses is on offer as one of the island’s best hotel’s hosts a unique amateur tournament in November.

The third annual Lindner Mallorca Golf Trophy includes golf at Son Gual and Club de Golf Alcanada, and three nights’ B&B at the four-star Lindner Golf & Wellness Resort Portals Nous.

The entry fee for the tournament, which is an individual Stableford, also includes two dinners at the hotel, a gala ceremony at Alcanada’s clubhouse, and all golf course transfers.

Both host courses are award-winning venues and are members of the Leading Golf Courses in Spain group. The €30m Thomas Himmel-designed Son Gual, which first opened in 2007, is listed as the eighth-best course in Spain, and includes many memorable holes, including a closing hole described by one reviewer as a ‘serious contender for Europe’s best par-five, and Spain’s most dramatic 18th’.

Alcanada’s 7,108-yard, Robert Trent Jones Jrdesigned course has won a steady stream of awards since opening 12 years ago. Enjoying a breathtaking location overlooking the Bay of Alcudia, Alcanada blends naturally into the typical Mallorcan terrain and takes its name from an island with a lighthouse, situated just offshore, which can be seen from most of the holes.

The 18th hole at Son Gual

Glrio Old Course

Competitors will be staying in the African-influenced Lindner Golf & Wellness Resort Portals Nous, which is located at Bendinat’s Royal Golf Course and close to the luxury yacht harbour of Puerto Portals.

It offers 118 rooms and suites, two restaurants, a bar, spa area with indoor and outdoor pool, Jacuzzi, saunas, steam bath and gym, all set within spacious grounds with large sun lawns.

The Lindner Mallorca Golf Trophy 2015 runs from November 26-29, and costs from €619 per person (based upon two people sharing a room).

To book a place call 0034 971 707 777 or email info. portalsnous@lindnerhotels.com.

Tuition breaks top the bill at La Manga Hailed by top instructor David Leadbetter as a teaching facility to rival anything in the world, La Manga Club’s new Leadbetter Golf Academy is helping to usher in a new era at the luxury destination resort and golfers can take advantage of outstanding value on tuition breaks this summer.

The bespoke academy is the centrepiece of the Spanish resort’s €1m redevelopment of its teaching and practice centre, and guests can choose from a range of courses – with five-night packages including entry to the ‘Total Golf School’ starting from €527pp.

Golfers of all abilities and ages can combine a stay at the luxury Hotel La Manga Club Principe Felipe or four-star Las Lomas Village apartments and townhouses with a five-star experience at the

academy – described by Leadbetter as “comparable with anything I have seen worldwide” and the only one of its kind in mainland Spain.

The four-day school offers 12 hours’ expert tuition and analysis on all parts of the game; from swing technique and short-game secrets to improving a player’s mental approach, pre-shot preparation and practice methods. All prices, based on two people sharing a room, also include complimentary access to the fitness centre, indoor pool and steam rooms at Spa La Manga Club, with five nights’ bed and breakfast accommodation in the hotel available from €663 per person. To book a break, call 00 34 968 17 5577, email reservas@lamangaclub.com or visit www.lamangaclub.com.

Hit the links with top soccer legends in Turkey Golfers with a passion for football should waste no time in signing up for a CelebrityAm tournament that is being hosted in Turkey this autumn.

The Signature Tournament, which is being run by former Arsenal and England midfielder David Platt’s own company, Major Golf Events, takes place from 15-20 September, and will see teams of amateur golfers rub shoulders with a host of former footballing greats.

Last year’s inaugural event saw Alan Shearer, Andriy Shevchenko, David Seaman, Peter Schmeichel, Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole, Robbie Savage, Les Ferdinand, John Jensen, and Platt himself take part, a similarly line up of legends is promised for this year.

The 72-hole tournament takes place at the exclusive five-star Gloria Serenity Resort in Belek, where teams of four, consisting of three amateurs and a different celebrity each day, will play three rounds of golf on three different courses and enjoy all of the fivestar inclusive benefits that the resort has to offer over the duration of the five-night stay.

The package includes all airport and transfers, and also comprises seven all-inclusive accommodation in a twin room at the Gloria Serenity Resort.

The price for an amateur team of four players is £4,760, while teams of three with a celebrity guest playing alongside cost £6,600 per team.

For bookings, visit www.majorgolfevents.co.uk/signature or call 01782 409788.

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TRAVEL | JUNE 2015

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

Me&MyTravels My first golfing holiday was to… the west coast of Ireland. It rained every day, but between the downpours we played some great courses and, rather predictably, visited some great bars once we’d dried off and had a decent shower.

My most recent holiday was… to Kenya. It’s a country I adore, but which finds itself the subject of a lot of bad press.

It is supremely beautiful, with the most magnificent people, and the remote beaches on the coast are without equal.

My favourite golf resort… is Turnberry. There is something almost spiritual about heading down the west coast of Scotland and then finding this jewel of a course, and obviously a hotel that is now even more magnificent than it has been in the past.

My most memorable round was at… Royal Dornoch. I have never played golf in America, but have been lucky enough to visit many courses around the world, and I simply cannot believe there is anywhere better in the world to play golf that Scotland. And of all the courses there, Royal Dornoch is surely the finest. Maybe we were lucky when we got there, but without a cloud in the sky, it

was as close to golfing Nirvana as I can imagine.

I always travel with… music, old and new. Music is your mood and your mood is invariably reflected by music.

From rock and roll to country, the Carpenters to the Foo Fighters, apart from the obvious, it’s one of life’s essentials.

My ideal holiday fourball would be… Donald Fagen and Walter Becker from Steely Dan, and Tim Henman. Tim’s

BBC SPORTS PRESENTER JOHN INVERDALE HAS A PASSION FOR THE TIMELESS LINKS COURSES OF SCOTLAND, IRELAND AND WALES, AND IS GRADUALLY LEARNING TO TRAVEL LIGHT

Royal Dornoch

Turnberry’s Ailsa course Tim Heman

there to be entertaining (which he is, hugely) and to hit the ball straight (which he does with irritating regularity), but I wouldn’t talk to him. He can do the golf, and I’ll just listen to the other guys telling me how they wrote the music I love more than any other.

The best hotel I’ve stayed in was… the Cavalieri Hilton in Rome during the 1990 Football

COSTA NAVARINO

southwest Peloponnese, Greece

[61]

Stingrays can be very painful

Steely Dan

World Cup. It had a lobby you could have played squash in.

I always remember kicking a football round in there while watching Madonna’s ‘Vogue’ on

MTV, which was still new and cool back then.

My favourite city is…

London. Isn’t it everybody’s?

My worst holiday experience was… getting stung by a stingray in Mexico. I trod on it in the shallows and my foot came up like a basketball, so I spent the rest of the trip on crutches.

I’m planning a golf trip to…

North Wales. I’ve got a friend who keeps talking about how great the course at Nefyn is, so I’m looking forward to playing there. I’ll also head south to Newport in Pembrokeshire, because there’s a beautiful course there which runs down by the beach, so you can play golf, and leap into the sea once you walk off the 18th.

My top travel tip is… to travel light. The first big overseas event I covered meant spending six weeks at the Seoul Olympics in 1988, and I arrived at the airport laden by down by suitcases to meet the head of BBC engineering, who had been around the block a few times, and was carrying the tiniest backpack in history. I asked him where his cases were, and he said that all he had with him was contained within this miniscule bag. “I think you’ll find they have shops over there,” he said. The best travel advice ever.

Treat a plane like a bus. No bags.

No carousels. No hassle. Get on, get off. That’s the only trouble with golf bags!

Exciting, challenging with breathtaking views Located in the magnificent seaside landscape of Messinia, Costa Navarino comprises of two 5-star luxury hotels, The Westin Resort Costa Navarino and The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort, two signature golf courses, The Dunes Course and The Bay Course, Golf Academy, Anazoe Spa and a wide range of year-round activities for adults and children which are unique in the Mediterranean.

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Tel: 01342 811777 | Email: info@golf-escapes.com www.golf-escapes.com

[62] JUNE 2015

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

COSTA NAVARINO – FIT FOR GOLFING GODS The luxury resort of Costa Navarino has put Greece on the map as a destination for a great golf holiday For decades the preserve of students and young couples heading for island beach resorts, or culture vultures visiting ancient historical sites, Greece finally entered the grown up world of golf with the opening of Costa Navarino in 2010.

While the country’s plans of having 20 or more courses open for play by the beginning of the new millennium sadly failed to come to fruition, Costa Navarino stands like a proud beacon of what can be achieved when a passionate owner – the late shipping magnate Vassilis Constantakopoulos – two world-class golf architects, and a luxury hotel chain get fully behind a project.

Located in the coastal region of Messinia, in the south-west corner of the mainland, Costa Navarino has almost single-handedly put Greece on the golfing map, with its two championship layouts up there among the very best new courses to have opened in Europe in the last decade.

After a three-hour drive from Athens, or a shorter hop from the nearby airport at Kalamata, visitors to this stunning five-star resort are able unwind in the lap

With two 18-hole champiosnhip courses Costa Navarino is a golfer’s paradise

of luxury offered by not one, but two five-star hotels operated by Starwood Hotels & Resorts – the Westin and the Romanos – both of which occupy a prime beach-front location.

The Westin offers 445 spacious rooms – some of which boast their own infinity pools – built around a mini town which offers a variety of bars, restaurants and shops. Similar luxury is on offer at The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort that offers 321 rooms and suites set amid lush olive groves and overlooking the Ionian Sea. Golfers are spoiit for choice between two championship courses – the Bernhard Langerdesigned Dunes, which opened in 2010, and the Robert Trent Jones II-designed Bay Course, which

Guests can stay at one of two five-star hotels

and border the fairways.

Measuring 6,780 yards off the competition tees, the Dunes will certainly test Several holes on the Bay course hug the shoreline the best, although followed 18 months later. Both a variety of more forward tees courses are managed by Troon Golf, ensure that it can be enjoyed by all whose reputation for producing handicap levels. finely-manicured courses is well At 6,300 yards, the Bay Course deserved. is shorter, but is no less exciting The Dunes offers spectacular sea or challenging. The design brief, and river views, and is characterised in Jones’s own words, was ‘not by the dunes that separate the to create a Top 100 course, but a holes that run alongside the Top 100 ‘fun course’, and this has beach, as well as steep-faced pot been achieved with larger landing bunkers that surround the greens areas and green complexes that

draw the ball back towards the pin, rather than deflecting it away.

Both courses use the natural landscape to stunning effect, with the Bay Course featuring more of the coastline, with several holes hugging the very edge of the land to add to the challenge.

Away from the golf courses, the resort’s extensive practice facilities include a full-size driving range, putting green and shortgame practice area, while guests travelling without their clubs can rent a wide selection of high quality equipment.

The impressive clubhouse has a lovely bar and restaurant, the Flame, which overlooks the 18th green with mountain and valley views, while all the facilities of the two hotels are just a short walk away, including the 4,000 square metre Anazoe spa, a private beach, two indoor pools, three outdoor pools, tennis courts, and a choice of 14 restaurants and bars.

UK-based golf holiday operator Golf Escapes has range of golf packages to Costa Navarino, starting from £399pp for four nights’ in a twin/double room on a B&B basis, with three rounds of golf (2 Dunes, 1 Bay) and shared buggies. For bookings visit www.golf-escapes.com. For more information on the resort, visit www.costanavarino.com.

Big savings on offer at Sheraton Salobre Brittany Ferries launches long-stay Spanish breaks Golf groups can enjoy discounts of up to 45% at Gran Canaria’s premier golfing destination this spring – with a five-night half-board stay at the fivestar Sheraton Salobre Golf Resort & Spa, including unlimited golf, available from £385 per person.

The Canary Islands’ only 36-hole golf complex is offering mouth-watering value on golf packages – with savings of more than £300 of offer to golf parties of four or more people.

Boasting average temperatures of around 24 degrees all-year-round, Gran Canaria is the ideal place for a golfing break and Sheraton Salobre’s firstclass facilities include two 18-hole championship courses – the South and North – an extensive practice area and new club-fitting and performance centre.

As well as including golf and half-board accommodation in the resort’s luxury hotel, the eye-catching breaks also include airport transfers for groups of four or more, while one in eight guests stay and play for free.

Launched in 2000 and created by Roland Favre,

Salobre’s South Course has been cleverly designed to offer visitors magnificent views of the sea and mountains and is a must for golfers of all levels with its varied and fun layout. In contrast, the resort’s North Course – designed by architect Ron Kirby – takes its inspiration from the desert courses in America and provides a new challenge as it winds its way through and around the unique volcanic rock environment.

Sheraton Salobre offers plenty of choice for golfers and non-golfers alike – with 313 rooms, four restaurants, two stylish bars, a state-of-theart luxury Aloe Spa, fully equipped gym and seven outdoor pools – offering a calming and relaxing environment for all.

Ideally situated in the south of the island, the resort is just 10 minutes from Maspalomas and 30 minutes from Gran Canaria International Airport and is easily accessed from airports across the UK and Ireland.

For more information, or to book, visit www. sheratonsalobre.com.

Golfers looking to get away for an extended break this summer should check out the variety of options for longer holidays currently being offered to Spain by Brittany Ferries.

The company has made it easy for those who want to get away from the UK by offering a selection of long stay apartment rentals that offer outstanding value, with a ferry cruise and a month’s stay in the Costa del Sol costing from just £438 per person.

The Costa del Sol is renowned for its pleasant winter climate, as well as being the most cosmopolitan of all the Spanish Costas, which is why so many British have relocated or have holiday homes there. The scenery is stunning, with mountains forming the hinterland of the Mediterranean coastline, and the choice of leisure facilities is superb, including the largest concentration of golf courses in Europe.

But you don’t have to buy a place in Spain to enjoy all this. Brittany Ferries has selected some high quality apartments in Estepona (18 miles south west of Marbella), one of the few resort towns that has succeeded in retaining its traditional charm and character despite being a place with lots to do. There are two locations to choose from – one right on the beach and the other slightly inland.

The holiday begins and ends with a cruise in a four-berth cabin between either Portsmouth or Plymouth and Santander or Bilbao in Northern Spain.

Golfers can save the cost of car hire by taking their own vehicles, which also allows them to pack all they need without having to worry about excess baggage charges. All utilities, plus a weekly cleaning service and linen change, are included in the monthly rental.

For more details visit www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/offers or call 0871 244 0633.

TRAVEL | FEBRUARY 2015 [63]

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

SarahStirk

A

fter covering The Players in Jacksonville, I took a little road trip north to Charlotte for the Wells Fargo Championship. It was the perfect opportunity to stop off en route at Kiawah Island – a venue that has been on my bucket list for some time. Inspired by Rickie Fowler’s spectacular finish at TPC Sawgrass, I was ready to shoot some birdies.

Originally designed to sit behind the dunes which line the Atlantic shore of Kiawah Island, the Ocean Course became what it is today when architect Pete Dye’s wife suggested he raise the layout to allow better views of the ocean. The elevation change brought ocean breezes into play, and the stage was set for the famous ‘War on the Shore’ Ryder Cup when the course opened in 1991.

With ten holes right next to the Atlantic and eight running parallel to those, the fact that the wind has no prevailing direction can make as much as an eight-club difference. It’s without doubt one of the best courses in the world.

Dye took a Carolina seascape already blessed by nature and used some subtle touches to great effect. No golf course in the world has ever improved on its natural surroundings, but this one comes closer than most.

Dye accomplished this by allowing the location’s natural beauty to remain in its simplest state. There’s no fancy bunkering, but there is plenty of sand in the form of waste areas.

It’s novel to be able to take practice swings and ground your club in the sand, and I loved this aspect of the course. There are some typical Dye nuances, which become very obvious when you tackle the course, and the biggest one is its difficulty – Dye loves to penalise bad golf and it’s easy to see why the Ocean Course has been rated among the toughest tracks in America.

Kiawah Island Golf Resort is home to five championship courses: The Ocean, Turtle Point, Osprey Point, Oak Point and Cougar Point, designed by Dye, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio, Clyde Johnston and Gary Player, respectively.

The Ocean’s credentials are impressive; the 1991 Ryder Cup put Kiawah on the map, as did Rory McIlroy’s eight-shot victory at the 2012 PGA Championship. And there’s been more good news recently, after it was announced a few weeks ago that Kiawah is to host the season’s final Major again in 2021.

The course is simply breathtaking from start to finish. Despite its relative flatness, each hole presents a fairway and/or green closed off from the rest of the property by marshland, waste bunkers or water. Each tee, fairway and green is in some way an island of its own. Fairways sit at an angle from the tee, and the elevated greens are slick and pure. The second hole epitomises the course’s beauty and brutality. A testing, picturesque, 540-yard, par five, littered with difficulty, it requires a right-to-left tee shot to match the curve of the fairway around a waste bunker that focuses your eye from the tee. It’s a stunning and demanding hole that acts as a harsh introduction to the challenge ahead.

The final five holes are, of course, what

AFTER WATCHING THE 1991 RYDER CUP AND THE 2012 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP AT KIAWAH ISLAND’S OCEAN COURSE, SARAH STIRK CREATES SOME GOLFING MEMORIES OF HER OWN DURING A ROUND ON PETER DYE’S MASTERPIECE IN SOUTH CAROLINA

THE CALL OF

THE OCEAN

“No golf course in the world has ever improved on its natural surroundings, but this one comes closer than most”

Golfers need to watch out for alligators when searching for balls close to water

will make and break your score at Kiawah.

Meandering along the coast, and typically into the wind, they provide one of the toughest closing stretches in the game, highlighted by the infamous par-three 17th. Similar to the 17th at Sawgrass, it requires a shot over water. However, at Sawgrass the distance is only 140 yards, and plays to a large putting surface. The 17th at the Ocean Course can stretch to 240 yards, and the green is angled from front left to back right. Playing the penultimate hole brought back some great Ryder Cup memories, but the less famous 14th may actually be my favourite par three on the course.

The Ocean is a tough layout to start with, made infinitely more difficult when the wind blows. I love Pete Dye courses, they make you

Kiawah’s Sanctuary Hotel

think, and aesthetically Kiawah is breathtaking.

Dye has tinkered with the course since its original design, making it easier for the average player. I think it’s very playable nowadays, and there are plenty of tee boxes to choose from, depending on your confidence levels.

Visitors can choose to stay on the island in the sumptuous Sanctuary Hotel and have virtually the entire island at their disposal, either by foot, bicycle or car.

There are 26 miles of bike trails to discover, but remember to watch for the alligators on your travels – Kiawah has more alligators per square foot than the Everglades.

There’s one other great thing about Kiawah, and that’s its proximity to Charleston, my new favourite city in America. Good old Southern hospitality and gastronomic delights don’t come much better than here in South Carolina’s oldest city. There are so many reasons to visit this wonderful part of the United States.

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STANDARD SOLE Moderate attack angle & divots.

WIDE SOLE Steep angle of attack & deep divots.

LOFT-OPTIMIZED GORGE® GROOVES FULL SHOTS 47° - 54° A 16° sidewall is optimised to maximise spin consistency for control on full shots.

AROUND THE GREEN 56° - 60° A 24° sidewall and tighter radius help compress the ball to maximise spin on short shots.

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