Golf Digest Middle East - January 2023

COURSE FOR HISTORY

The

Mind / Body

Progress Bronte Law reflects on a breakthrough year and plots her course for a prosperous 2023. by matt smith

A jampacked January awaits

As the spectators return to line the fairways, the new year brings a plethora of events for avid fans

By Matt Smith

We had quite a year in 2022 as the emergence of LIV Golf caused tsunami-level waves across the golfing world, creating divisions among the top tours, player bans, a multitude of star names speaking but both for and against the new arrival, and even a dusting of court cases.

But with 2023, let’s try to go out with the old and in with the new as January always brings with it a plethora of exciting tournaments to get to grips with both home and abroad.

The fans were back in droves at the recent DP World Tour Championship to witness Jon Rahm make history with a third title at Jumeirah Golf Estates as Rory McIlroy picked up his fourth Race to Dubai title.

It was such a welcome sight after the Covid-19-impacted events in recent times, even as the UAE managed to step in and host some rapidly organised events to fill the void as other competitions fell victim to the pandemic. The packed galleries ground the 18th green as Rahm strolled up to roll in the winning putt allowed us to get a feeling of a return to normality after a couple of years without spectators cheering on their favourite players.

And the best is yet to come.

Golf fans in the UAE are in for a jampacked January (and February) as the world’s top golfers come back to town for four straight weeks of thrills and spills on the courses across the country.

From the Ryder Cup-style Hero Cup and Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in the capital, to the flagship Dubai Desert Classic and the return of the Ras Al Khaimah Championship at Al Hamra,

the top players on the DP World Tour will keep the party swinging all month and beyond.

Following that quartet of quality action, all eyes will be on Saudi Arabia as the Saudi International returns for its fifth edition at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club just outside Jeddah at King Abdullah Economic City. Harold Varner III will be aiming to emulate Dustin Johnson and become a twotime winner in the Asian Tour flagship event and steal the limelight once again before the ladies head to town.

The Saudi Ladies International takes place in mid-February and will mark a

It will be a busy time for both Luke Donald and Suzann Pettersen, the respective Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup captains

editor-in-chief Obaid Humaid Al Tayer managing partner & group editor Ian Fairservice

editor Matt Smith

art director Clarkwin Cruz editorial assistant Londresa Flores instruction editors Luke Tidmarsh, Euan Bowden, Tom Ogilvie, Matthew Brookes, Lea Pouillard, Alex Riggs chief commercial officer Anthony Milne publisher David Burke general manager - production S. Sunil Kumar production manager Binu Purandaran

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editor-in-chief Jerry Tarde director, business development & partnerships Greg Chatzinoff international editor Ju Kuang Tan

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chief playing editor Tiger Woods playing editors Phil Mickelson, Francesco Molinari, Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson, Tom Watson

moment in history on the Ladies European Tour and in the golfing world as the best in the world will compete for $5 million, marking the first time ever that an equal purse will be on offer for male and female versions of the same tournament.

It will be a busy time for both Luke Donald and Suzann Pettersen, as the respective European Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup captains will be keeping a close eye on the action as they begin to assemble their options for the big tournaments against the might of the United States come September. While there are some certainties on the team sheets — from Rory McIlroy, Matt Fitzpatrick and John Rahm to Georgia Hall, Charley Hull and Leona Maguire — there are also dozens of others who will be out to impress in the Middle East opening stages of the year and play themselves into the equation.

January is always one of the best months to get out and enjoy the golf — playing and watching — without having to work up too much of a sweat, and organisers of all the events across the UAE will ensure a fun time will be had by all, whichever event you wish to attend, with dedicated kids days, player meetings, coaching classes

and plenty of off-course entertainment to keep fans young and old occupied.

The second season of LIV Golf is also upon us and the 14-event schedule is rapidly taking shape, with seven venues already confirmed for the 2023 calendar.

Mexico, Australia, Singapore, Spain and the United States have been earmarked for tournaments as stars such as Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia and reigning champ Dustin Johnson will fight it out among 12 established team franchises for an unprecedented $405 million in prize purses.

The revamped Asian Tour is bringing major events to the region once again as the International Series has circled dates in Oman and Qatar among its early 2023 competitions, meaning — once again — the Middle East will be at the heart of the top golfing action as the new year gets us rolling into an action-packed 2023.

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picture perfect

The Gallery in Tuscon, Arizona, will host one of the 14 LIV Golf tournaments slated for 2023’s second season

Spain

Finca Cortesin

photograph by tristan

Finca Cortesin thinks ahead

Costa del Sol golf club gets prepared for landmark year and teams up with Troon as it becomes first Spanish venue to host the Solheim Cup

Finca Cortesin. Golf aficionados may find the golf club’s name familiar as it hosted the then-European Tour’s Volvo Masters from 2009 to 2012, but to many it may not ring a bell. Not yet...

The Andalucían resort is set to become a household name as it prepares for a landmark year in 2023. In September it will become the first Spanish venue to host the Solheim Cup, when Suzann Pettersen’s Team Europe will be going for three in a row against the finest female golfers from America in the famous matchplay tournament. In the lead up to the event, Finca Cortesin has teamed up with Troon, the leader in club management, development, and marketing, to help with the growing popularity and inevitable demand that will arrive this year.

Mark Chapleski, Executive Vice President at Troon International, said: “Through our collaboration, we will be able to assist the Finca team to further enhance their positioning in international markets and grow their truly amazing brand.”

Set on a 215-hectare estate and surrounded by undisturbed nature, Finca Cortesin’s championship course is the central focus of an estate that features an award-winning hotel, spa and sport facilities, luxury residential complexes and extensive retail and dining outlets on the shores of the Mediterranean.

The Solheim Cup will take place between 18-24 September. – matt smith

Law and order the aim for 2023

Bronte Law is keen to build on the momentum following a stellar year ahead of landmark event and Solheim Cup

By Matt Smith

Bronte law may only be 27 years old, but following a sensational 2022, the Englishwoman is going through a second coming of sorts.

Following her successful graduation to the LPGA Tour in 2017, her initial breakthrough came early in 2019. She narrowly lost out to Kim Sei-young in a playoff for the LPGA Mediheal Championship in California in May, but she did not let that near miss get her down as she claimed her first professional title at the Pure Silk Championship at Kinsmill Resort in Williamsburg, Virginia, three weeks later and then starred in Europe’s Solheim Cup victory over the United States at Gleneagles.

However, that second individual title refused to arrive anytime soon after the first, and following a series of cuts and mid-table results throughout the remainder of 2019 and all of 2020, she was not sure where the next victory would come from.

Law’s patience and persistence paid off as she finally made it back to the winner’s circle in October 2021 in the Dubai Moonlight Classic at Emirates Golf Club, posting a 15-under total to deny Italy’s Maria Fassi by one and pick up her maiden Ladies European Tour title on the floodlit Faldo Course in the UAE.

This time around the performances have stuck, and a T6 in the 2022 US Women’s Open at Pine Needles in California in June was swiftly followed by title No. 3 at the Aramco Team Series — London, defeating her compatriot Georgia Hall by a stroke at Centurion Club in a now-famous finish.

Needing a birdie at the closing parfive to match Hall and force a play-off,

Law went one better and produced a moment of pure magic, sinking a monster 55ft putt for an eagle three that drew a huge roar from the galleries and secured the crown.

She signed off a stellar 2022 with a T5 at the Aramco Team Series at Royal Greens in Saudi Arabia, three strokes behind eventual champion Chiara Noja, and Law is now looking to kick on with a fast start to the new season.

“I have been playing really nice lately, with another top five in Jeddah,” Law told Golf Digest Middle East. “I could have done with a few more putts dropping now and again, and maybe I would have a few more trophies. But I have been playing really solid.

“I played the Aramco Team Series in Jeddah. It was great to be back — my third time at Royal Greens — and I am trying to get as much info on the course ahead of next February.”

but we are all heading in the right direction. I gave a couple of clinics in Jeddah and you could really see the uptake in interest from children and women.”

Other events across the LPGA and LET are expected to announce increased purses for 2023, and Law is glad the hard work is paying off, literally.

“Looking ahead to 2023, I can’t wait to start and that Saudi purse will definitely make things interesting,” she said. “The girls will work harder when you elevate the game. These girls, not just me, will all be putting in the hours during the off-season in order to prepare for one of the first events of the year and I am pretty sure you will be seeing a lot of good golf that week because of that.

“I certainly will be looking to come out of the blocks in 2023 pretty quick, especially as it is a Solheim Cup year and I am keen to get points to make Suzann’s [Pettersen] team.

“There will be the normal preparations ahead of the new season and I am hoping to kick-start that early this time around.”

After such a long time between titles from 2019 and 2021, Law knows better than most the pressures of golf and how lonely it can be.

AZ

Law is referring to the Saudi Ladies International, to be held at Royal Greens in February, where the female players will compete for a whopping $5 million — the first time in golf history that the prize for elite men’s and women’s events will be the same.

“Obviously, the talk is all about the Saudi International getting a prize money rise from $1 million to $5 million and I can’t wait to compete back here for that Ladies European Tour competition,” Law said.

“It is going to be like a major now as Golf Saudi and Aramco are putting up some incredible money, and we are very grateful for that.

“It just shows you what they are trying to do and create an equal opportunity for women. There is still work to do

“It was one of the hardest things ever [to get back], and at times I didn’t know whether I could do it,” she admitted after her Dubai win. “It’s hard when things aren’t going your way and you feel like the world is against you, but I’ve got a lot of people that have stuck by me, and I owe them a lot.

“It’s the hardest thing in the world and I don’t think people understand how hard it is to be an athlete and the scrutiny that you’re under. You question yourself at times and it’s so hard to pull yourself back through that, but I’ve trusted the process and obviously it’s working.”

While Law is modest and coy most of the time, any mention of that putt at Centurion always brings a little smile to her face.

“The shot to win the Aramco Team Series in London ... I get asked about it all the time, but I am happy to talk about it as it is a great memory,” she said, trying to hide that familiar smirk.

Hopefully 2023 will give Bronte many more fond memories.

BRONTE LAW

AGE 27

LIVES SCOTTSDALE,

I

hope to come out of the blocks pretty quick, especially as it is a Solheim Cup year and I am keen to get on the team

ABU DHABI HSBC CHAMPIONSHIP

A Hero’s welcome

By Matt Smith

There is still some way to go before Team Europe take on the might of the United States at Marco Simone GC in Rome, Italy, for the 44th Ryder Cup in September, but with Zach Johnson’s men getting some vital team experience under their belt at the recent Presidents Cup, Luke Donald made the decision to get his European hopefuls together for a showdown in Abu Dhabi.

Opening the 2023 UAE Swing will be the Hero Cup from January 13-15 at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, the famous National Course welcoming back professional golf after the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship moved to Yas Links in 2022.

The inaugural event is essentially a resurrection of the old Seve Cup that ran from 2000 to 2013 — pitting 10 Great Britain & Ireland players against some of the best Continental Europe has to offer — and the 20-man field has been named.

Tommy Fleetwood will be the playing captain for GB&I, and he will be up against his old pal Francesco Molinari, who will skipper the Europeans for the three-day matchplay event.

Foursomes, four-balls and singles will be played over the three days, and all 20 players will take part each day.

While the likes of Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland and US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick will be absent, star names from Europe’s “core group” of Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton and Shane Lowry will be competing.

For Europe, Molinari will be joined by two Belgians in Thomas Detry and 2022 Abu Dhabi HSBC champion Thomas Pieters, Austria’s Sepp Straka, Italy’s Guido Migliozzi, Adrian Meronk of Poland, Rasmus Hojgaard from Denmark, France’s Victor Perez and Antoine Rozner, and Alex Noren from Sweden.

For GB&I, Fleetwood has five fellow Englishmen in the line-up — Hatton, Matt Wallace, Callum Shinkwin, Richard Mansell and Jordan Smith — two Scots in Robert MacIntyre and Ewen Ferguson, and Ireland’s Lowry and Seamus Power.

Donald had a hand in the selection of both teams, keen to take a look at ‘fringe’ players to see how they handle the team environment. “Having worked closely with Tommy and Fran on building the two teams, I’m delighted with the mix of players who will be on show,” he said. “We all thought it was important to combine experience and youthfulness, and I think we have found that balance with a mixture of major champions and Ryder Cup players, alongside guys who are hoping to secure a spot in Rome next year.”

Fleetwood and Molinari famously combined for four points from their four matches together during Europe’s 17.5-10.5 win at the 2018 Ryder Cup at Le National in Paris, to create the ‘Moliwood’ bromance. Now on opposite sides of the fence, both are eyeing the win, but keeping the main objective in focus: to help Donald’s selection process for Rome in September. He has six picks to go along with the six automatic qualifiers for Team Europe.

“Our team is packed full of exciting players who all have the attributes to excel in a matchplay contest,” Molinari said. “Some of our younger players have already shown incredible maturity in high-pressure situations and proved they can perform in big moments, so giving them the opportunity to compete on this stage alongside the likes of Alex Noren and Thomas Pieters will be really important at the beginning of what could be a big year for them.”

Fleetwood added: “Having the experience of Shane and Tyrrell will be invaluable for the rest of the team but I think we are really strong throughout.”

With the ranking averages for the two teams only slightly favouring Team GB&I, the Ryder Cup warm-up is in the balance as to who will emerge as the Heroes.

The UAE Swing opens with a different spin in the shape of the matchplay Hero Cup in Abu Dhabi

old pals’ act Ryder Cup stars from 2019, Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari will be on opposite sides at the Hero Cup

Banking on a winner

By Matt Smith

It seems like only yesterday that a field including Sergio Garcia, Charl Schwartzel, Ian Poulter and Paul Casey lined up for the inaugural Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in the UAE capital.

Well, OK, maybe not yesterday, but certainly does not feel like 18 years since Chris DiMarco held off Henrik Stenson to claim the now-famous Falcon Trophy and the $330,000 top prize from the $2 million pot.

Now the DP World Tour Rolex Series event returns to its new home at Yas Links, with a record $9 million on the line.

While that inaugural field included icons whose best days are behind them, such as Colin Montgomerie, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Vijay Singh, Gordon Brand Jr and John Daly, the longevity of athletes in the game of golf is clear to see when you consider how many (Garcia, Poulter et al) are still competing at the top level of the game.

Di Marco may not be among them, but there will be a hatful of former champs on show on Yas Island from January 19 to 22, including two-time winner Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry, Tyrell Hatton and defending champion Thomas Pieters, who defeated Rafa Cabrera-Bello and Shubhankar Sharma by a stroke last January, when the event took place at Yas Links for the first time after relocating from Abu Dhabi Golf Club’s National Course.

Englishman Hatton, who won his fourth Rolex Series title when he secured the Falcon Trophy in 2021, is keen to get back on course after a less than ideal title defence last year — and being less than impressed with the set-up on the 18th hole at Yas Links. (“I would love for a bomb to drop on it and blow it up to oblivion, to be honest,” he said.)

A year on, he seems to have cooled his temper and warmed to the course. “I am looking forward to returning, it’s a tour-

BY THE NUMBERS

nament I have a good record in,” he said. “The win in 2021 is one of my greatest memories and it is always an enjoyable experience to begin the year with such a big event in Abu Dhabi.”

Fleetwood, the 2017 and 2018 champ, added: “I’ve always enjoyed starting the year in Abu Dhabi at this prestigious tournament. I’ve based myself in the UAE, it’s a brilliant part of the world, and a place I’ve been successful on the golf course, so it will be nice to play in front of family and friends to begin my DP World Tour season. Yas Links was a new challenge and look forward to coming back.”

Irishman Lowry, who claimed the crown in 2019, concurred. “The HSBC is always a great tournament and the perfect start to the 2023 season,” he said.

“Coming back as a past champion is always nice and Yas Island is a worldclass destination for sport, plus you add in the amazing fans, and it makes for a winning atmosphere.”

Lowry’s fellow Irishman Séamus Power had a breakout season in 2022, winning the Bermuda Championship in October for only his second elite tour title at the age of 35, and now he is set for his Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship debut.

“I have heard great things about the event and I am relishing the chance to take part in it,” he said. “I’ve played well on the PGA Tour recently so hopefully I can bring my game to Abu Dhabi and take a step closer to that [Ryder Cup] team at Marco Simone in September.”

Three-time DP World Tour winner Ryan Fox, 2018 Open Champion Francesco Molinari and rising star Sepp Straka are also confirmed in the field.

New Zealand’s Fox enjoyed a careerbest year in 2022, when he twice won on the DP World Tour — including in Ras Al Khaimah — and finished the season No. 2 in the DPWT Rankings.

“The events in the Middle East at the start of the year are always great fun, so I can’t wait to get on Yas Links in January,” he said. “I’ve played some really good golf over the last 12 months so hopefully I can continue that.”

Molinari, who will return to the event for the first time in nine years, added: “I haven’t played in Abu Dhabi for a long time so I’m looking forward to getting back there and trying out a new venue. I’ve got a pretty good record in the event so I’m hoping to resurrect some good memories.”

Rory hunts triple crown

By Matt Smith

While Rory McIlroy had yet another stand-out season in 2022, it was, in some respects, another year of near misses and what-ifs.

The Northern Irishman became only the second golfer in history after Henrik Stenson to claim the points race on both sides of the Atlantic in one season — taking the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup and the DP World Tour Rankings as he reclaimed top spot in the OWGR standings.

However, the 33-year-old also failed to add to his haul of four majors for an eighth year and was powerless to stop Jon Rahm claiming his third DP World Tour Championship title in November, meaning his own chase for that triple crown has to wait.

Those 2022 near misses began back in January at the Dubai Desert Classic, when a visit to the water on the 72nd hole denied him at least a spot in a playoff with Richard Bland and eventual winner Viktor Hovland.

The majors drought then continued with a late charge only good enough for second behind Scottie Scheffler at the Masters, followed by an eighth place at the PGA Championship and T5 at the US Open before he watched Cameron Smith snatch the 150th Open Championship crown from him, having led the way after 54 holes.

Now McIlroy is returning to Emirates Golf Club as a man on a mission, hoping that a third Dubai Desert Classic title can get his 2023 campaign off to a flying start.

“I always look forward to playing the Dubai Desert Classic, having won twice,” he said. “Lifting the Dallah Trophy for a third time is on my list.”

The Desert Classic takes place on EGC’s Majlis Course from January 26-29, with the DP World Tour Rolex Series event offering a record $9 million in prize money for its 35th edition.

Simon Corkill, Executive Tournament Director of the Dubai Desert Classic, expressed his delight at McIlroy’s return. “Since the first ball teed off more than three decades ago in 1989, the Dubai Desert Classic has gone from strength to strength, attracting a wide array of top golfers from around the world, so to have Rory confirm his participation exemplifies how highly regarded the tournament is,” he said.

“He is one of the greatest names not just in golf but also in sport in general and we are delighted that he will be returning to Emirates Golf Club again. This is a fantastic opportunity for fans to see the world No. 1 in action on the Majlis course, a place he knows very well, in what will be another important year for him.”

As with every year, there will be a world-class field on show, with the likes of 2019 Open Champion Shane Lowry, plus DP World Tour stars Tommy Fleetwood, Ryan Fox and Tyrrell Hatton among those teeing up.

“I’ve had success in the UAE in the past, and it would be great to add my name to the impressive list of players who have lifted this trophy,” Lowry said.

Off the course, there will be plenty for visitors of all ages engaged, including live music, wide-ranging food and drink options, a dedicated kids’ day and all-day entertainment, plus the Junior Dubai Desert Classic gets going on January 21 and 22 to get the festival started.

BY THE NUMBERS

Ernie Els stands alone as a threetime winner

Rory McIlroy is chasing a third Dubai Desert Classic crown at Emirates Golf Club

Here to stay?

After its successful rescue mission in 2022, Al Hamra returns to the DP World Tour with the Ras Al Khaimah Championship

By Matt Smith

Just over a year ago, as COVID-19 continued to wreak havoc across the globe and sporting events were getting cancelled left, right and centre, an unlikely — or at least unexpected — hero emerged to rescue the DP World Tour’s Middle East Swing.

With the Saudi International headed to its new home on the Asian Tour and the likes of the Oman Open and Qatar Masters falling victim to the pandemic, two big holes emerged on the early part of the old European Tour’s 2022 schedule.

Enter Al Hamra Golf Club in Ras Al Khaimah. Thanks to some quick thinking and even quicker organisation, Al Hamra was able to step in at the last minute and host two backto-back events in February, meaning a record four DP World Tour tournaments in a row were held in the emirates — and the so-called ‘UAE Swing’ replaced the Middle East Swing.

BY THE NUMBERS

Times the DP World Tour has held RAK event

Challenge Tour events took place at Al Hamra

2

DPWT wins for RAK champ Nicolai Højgaard

10

Number of DPWT starts for Nicolai’s second win — in RAK

Following the success of the two competitions — the Ras Al Khaimah Championship and Ras Al Khaimah Classic — Al Hamra has been rewarded with a minimum of three years on the DP World Tour calendar to host the RAK Championship.

The final of four UAE events on the early part of the DP World Tour schedule, the RAK Championship is back to bring the curtain down following the Hero Cup at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, and back-to-back Rolex Series events, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and Dubai Desert Classic, at Yas Links and Emirates Golf Club respectively.

During the inaugural edition of the RAK Championship, Dane Nicolai Højgaard emerged victorious to claim his second DP World Tour title, thrilling the crowds with an erratic final day of wayward shots and fantastic recoveries before emerging with a four-stroke victory over England’s Jordan Smith, and fans can expect another thriller this time around.

the dane man Nicolai Højgaard will be back to defend his Ras Al Khaimah title at Al Hamra Golf Club

“This is another significant milestone for Ras Al Khaimah as we welcome the world’s best golfers over the next three years,” said Raki Phillips, CEO, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority. “Following the success of the inaugural edition of the Ras Al Khaimah Championship on the DP World Tour, we are excited to be welcoming back some of the biggest names in golf for a second edition.

“As one of the fastest growing destinations in the region we are proud to be able to showcase Ras Al Khaimah as a leading nature, adventure and sporting destination in the region.”

Benoy Kurien, Group CEO of Al Hamra, added: “It was a privilege for Al Hamra Golf Club to host the very first DP World Tour event in the Emirate in 2022, and we’re thrilled that some of the world’s finest golfers will return next year for the second edition.”

After a rigorous time in the UAE, some of the top stars will be expected to skip the RAK event and, while the field is yet to be announced, the competition can offer some of the Tour’s lesser lights an opportunity to shine — while also targeting exemption and a nice earner, with $300,000 going to the winner in the $2 million event.

That’s well worth a trip to the picturesque Al Hamra Golf Club for players and fans alike.

Harold Varner III gears up for Saudi International as he looks to retain title at Royal Greens

BY MATT SMITH

CASE FOR THE DEFENCE

the fifth edition of the PIF Saudi International is nearly upon us, and it is shaping up to be a cracker as Harold Varner III looks to defend his title against one of the strongest fields.

Some of the top stars are expected to return to Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City near Jeddah at the start of February, with the likes of previous winners Dustin Johnson (twice) and Graeme McDowell chasing the $1 million top prize from the $5 million purse.

But HV3, DJ and G-Mac will have their work cut out if any one of them is to take the trophy home once again, with the likes of world No. 3 Cameron Smith and major winners Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed, Paul Casey and a fit-again Bubba Watson all expected to return to one of the hottest courses in world golf at the moment. Along with the men’s and ladies’ Saudi Internationals last year, Royal Greens also hosted the fi nal individual stage of the inaugural LIV Golf season — where Koepka triumphed — followed by the Aramco Team Series fi nale, which was won by Dubai-based teen sensation Chiara Noja.

One rising star to keep an eye on is Indonesia’s Naraajie E Ramadhanputra, who will tee it up against some of the best players in the world after winning the PIF Saudi Open in style at Riyadh Golf Club to earn his spot at the International.

Ahead of last year’s event, the Saudi International switched from the DP World Tour to become the rejuvenated Asian Tour’s flagship event, with prize money to match its new status.

After three seasons as one of the former European Tour’s highest-ranking events, the Saudi International was relaunched as the Asian Tour’s new “marquee” event in a landmark 10year agreement.

below:

Harold Varner III goes wild a er his 92 putt on the 18th at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club secured the 2022 Saudi International title

While the full field has yet to be confi rmed, Varner is in the early stages of his pre-season preparations ahead of his title defence.

‘HV3’, as he is known, has been relaxing during the LIV Golf off-season with his young family, but he is well aware of what is just around the corner. The American made global headlines and triggered a glut of viral videos when he drained an outrageous 92ft putt on the 18th hole to win the title last February — an eagle three meaning he beat Watson by one stroke, a feat matched only by his outburst of emotion on the green.

Having just returned from a well-earned vacation following his fi rst campaign with LIV Golf, the 32-year-old and relatively new parent was enjoying those precious family moments as 2022 came to a close.

While family comes fi rst during the festive period — young Liam (aka HV4) was keen to get in on our conversation — Varner was beginning to get back into the swing for the 2023 campaign now the suitcases are unpacked.

“I ain’t been doing anything since Miami [LIV Golf Team Championship in October] really,” he told Golf Digest Middle East. “I have just been hanging in there, playing a few fun rounds and a pro-am in Florida. But nothing crazy and enjoying my time off.”

I don’t know if I am more relaxed now, but I know I am capable enough to win again

–HAROLD VARNER III

Past Saudi International winners Johnson and McDowell boast three majors between them, but Varner is not feeling any pressure coming in to defend his title at Royal Greens.

“I just want to be ready to play well and focus on my game,” he said. “I hadn’t won a title since, I think, in 2016/17 in Australia, but that has given me a bit of an idea of how to go about it. I am familiar with it, but my first job is to just go out there and play really good golf and that is all you are really trying to do.

“I won’t do anything crazy or think about what happened last year or two years ago. I just wanna get out there, get going, put my head down and see how it goes.”

HV3’s triumph at the Saudi International was his first in six years, and second overall, and the Ohio native is at peace now that that second crown has been secured.

“I don’t know if I am more relaxed now, but I now know I am capable enough to win again and when you haven’t won it can get harder and harder to get there,” he admitted.

“It’s your own race and you are trying to run it as best as you can. It can be easy to get caught up in what others are doing but I have been busy with my own stuff and I focus on that, my family, fitness, things like that.”

Following the partnership between Golf Saudi and the Asian Tour, Varner is delighted to see the progress being made in the game, including for the ladies, who will be competing for an

above: Dustin Johnson is a two-time Saudi International champion, having won in 2019 and 2021 at Royal Greens

left: Harrold Varner III has been enjoying family life as a new father during the off-season with his young son Liam

“While golf has been the talk of all sport recently, which is something I don’t get into, I play golf to make money and I am sure the girls are all trying to do the same,” he said. “If you are in a business you are trying to maximise your money. My goal is to do what I do best and it certainly is a big deal for the girls. It was all over social media and everyone is talking about it so there is definite progress.

“One hundred per cent what has happened this year has helped raise awareness of golf across the board. I am paying attention to the ladies game more now as a result of the contributions and support from Golf Saudi and Aramco.

“It has been great to be a part of it, from winning in Saudi, to the inaugural LIV series and now with the news of parity for the ladies. Also the team events are such a great addition and certainly the most fun part for me!

“Come 2023, I will be prepared for anything and everything and I am really looking forward to it.”

HV3 has seen the game change since his debut in 2012.

“I think golf is in a great spot right now,” he added. “With all the technology advances and stats, that’s cool if it helps but I just want to be one of the best golfers in the world.”

A title defence in Saudi come February would certainly help on that front.

equal purse of $5 million a fortnight after the men in Jeddah.

It’s easy to get caught up in what others do but I focus on my family, things like that –HAROLD VARNER III

Female golfers eager to get going as landmark Saudi Ladies International looms

BY MATT SMITH

A THIRST AMONG EQUALS

history will be made at February’s Ladies European Tour (LET) Aramco Saudi Ladies International, where a world-class field will gather to compete for a purse of $5 million — up from $1 million.

That alone is reason to sit up and take notice as Golf Saudi and Aramco continue their mission to promote the game and grow awareness and participation in female and youth communities across Saudi Arabia and the world.

Moreover, the golfers will now compete for equal prize money to the men in the PIF Saudi International on the Asian Tour and the purse will be the third largest on the LET, offering a cheque for $750,000 to the tournament champion.

above:

Georgia Hall took the Saudi Ladies International glory in 2022, winning at King Abdullah Economic City by five strokes from Johanna Gustavsson and Kristýna Napoleaová

The increased prize money will start when the tournament takes place for the fourth consecutive year at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City from February 1619 as part of a renewed agreement between the Ladies European Tour and Golf Saudi.

While we await the full 120-strong line-up to be announced, many golfers have already confi rmed to Golf Digest Middle East that they will be there at KAEC for the fourth edition of the tournament, including LPGA star Charley Hull and Aramco Team Series 2022 winners Bronte Law and Chiara Noja.

Another one of those who is certainly planning to make the trip back to Jeddah is defending champion Georgia Hall.

“I have heard nothing but positive things from the other players,” the English star said. “I think they are all excited to play in the event in February, me included. It’s such a great statement. I think it will encourage other companies, hopefully, to also raise the bar for future events.”

Hall is hopeful that the Saudi Ladies International is an example other tournaments will now follow, creating a domino effect, with more and more events showing parity in their purses.

“[We’re] really thankful to Golf Saudi, Majed [Al Sorour, CEO and Deputy Chairman] and Yasir [Al Rumayyan, Chairman] for supporting this event. It’s gone from strength-to-strength every year that I’ve been a part of it. The players

I think the players are all excited to play in the event in February, me included –GEORGIA HALL

are really grateful to them and we look forward to playing in February. And hopefully, slowly, more and more tournaments like this will also offer equal prize funds.”

The world No. 26 cantered to a five-stroke victory in the 2022 Saudi Ladies International, and despite the prize hike, she is solely focused of retaining the silverware.

“Personally, I can’t wait to get back and defend my title,” she said.

Hull, the Aramco Team Series — New York 2021 champion, is all for the positive changes in the women’s game. “It is great,” she told Golf Digest Middle East. “It is good for the game, good for the tour and good for women in sport. A $5 million purse and equal pay — fair play to them.”

Hull is fond of the Royal Greens course that laps the Red Sea and gives the players a respite in the afternoons with a cooling breeze.

“I love playing there,” she added. “It is a nice, peaceful course, which I like to help me clear my head. Those holes out by the water are class. The Saudi Ladies International will fit nicely into my calendar for 2023, so hopefully I can get the year off to a good start — and now we have that added prize-money carrot!”

Noja, who defeated Hull in a dramatic playoff to claim the 2022 ATS finale on the same Royal Greens course in November, has also booked the tournament in on her schedule — as long as it

above: Chiara Noja triumphed at the recent Aramco Team Series — Jeddah event at Royal Greens

below: Georgia Hall celebrates with fans after her 2022 Saudi Ladies International success

does not interfere with the 16-year-old’s school studies in Dubai.

“Oh yes, I will be there!” she said with a glimmer in her eye. “I think it falls outside my GCSEs, so I will be there. It is awesome. Really, really cool. Golf Saudi has already given us a platform to play on, so to match the prize fund for the first time in history is amazing.”

LET CEO Alexandra Armas believes this is only the beginning for ladies golf.

“This is a landmark moment for our Tour, and for women’s sport globally,” she said. “It will allow the tournament to grow in every way, from its purpose and impact on social change to the delivery of exceptional experiences for fans and for players at the event and in the community. This is a message to all young women that golf is for them, and they can pursue the sport as a passion and as a career.”

Golf in the Kingdom has undergone monumental growth since the inaugural Saudi Ladies International in 2020, with thousands of Saudi females of all ages getting into the sport.

“We are delighted to offer the women equal prize money to the men from 2023 as part of our ambitious plans to attract the world’s best players and inspire home grown talents,” Golf Saudi Deputy Chairman and CEO Majed Al Sorour said. “It’s hugely exciting to unveil a five-fold increase in the prize fund and this only highlights our desire to help to raise the profile of women’s golf further and give the players the rewards that they deserve. Golf Saudi is not only committed to providing life-changing prize funds for female golfers but also continuing to encourage females to get involved in the game of golf throughout the Kingdom and beyond.”

Now that is growing the game.

The Saudi will fit nicely into my calendar, so hopefully I can get the year off to a good start –CHARLEY HULL

SUZANN PETTERSEN is covering all the bases ahead of the 2023 Solheim Cup — including a competitive return to golf after three years away

BY MATT SMITH

Middle East and, despite a disappointing return on a personal level (she shot seven-over and missed the cut at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club), it was a very worthwhile exercise.

SUZANN PETTERSEN

took the perfect final bow on a glittering career three years ago when she drained the winning putt to claim the 2019 Solheim Cup for Team Europe at Gleneagles in Scotland.

The Norwegian announced her retirement on the green as she and her teammates celebrated, hanging up her competitive clubs for good to concentrate on her growing family (she and husband Christian Ringvold now have two young children). Or so we thought...

Despite exiting the playing side of the game, Pettersen kept an active presence in the Solheim Cup, helping Catriona Matthew’s side defend their title in 2021 at Inverness Club in Ohio as a vice-captain.

And while family life is still a top priority, it was announced in November that the two-time major winner would take over from Matthew as European Captain for the 2023 Solheim Cup at Finca Cortesin in Spain.

As a result, Pettersen dusted off the clubs and made a competitive return to action at the recent Ladies European Tour (LET) Aramco Team Series — Jeddah.

However, despite claiming more than 20 professional titles in a career going all the way back to 2000, she insists this is definitely not a comeback.

“As part of my captaincy role, I decided to play in a few events to get to know the players better,” she told Golf Digest

“First of all, it was just great to be back in that atmosphere after a long time. You know, walking into the players’ locker room and the players’ lounge on the same terms as everyone else.

“I wanted to be here on a level playing field and get to know some of the players who could be on Team Europe in Spain come September. That was the main reason for being here.

“There are some players that I know well and some that I don’t know so well, so I wanted to see them all in action and give them all the same chance of making the team.

“I got to spend two days with two of those players that I didn’t really know that well [Daniela Holmqvist and Paz Marfa Sans] at the beginning to get my list of potential candidates together in my mind.

“It is also fun to see how you envisage certain players playing together and start to get a picture of potential pairings who complement each others’ games.

“It’s been very much worth the trip I like what the Aramco Team Series has done for women’s golf and I really want to support that.”

Thanks to Aramco and Golf Saudi, team golf has taken off once again and Pettersen is confident that can only help her players — whomever makes the final line-up for Spain.

“I have heard a few people’s experiences at these team events, and I was curious to see how it was for myself,” she said. “I must say it was really fun. I didn’t know what to expect and I obviously didn’t expect to play my best, but

it has really, really good potential. It is nice to have these events in between a packed individual schedule as it makes things a bit more fun and also allows the players to pull together as a team, something vital come the Solheim Cup. It’s a good vibe.”

Back to that burning question for Pettersen herself: Has playing competitively again reignited that fire in the belly to get out there again?

“Well, to start on a personal note, I have never hit a driver worse than I did out there,” she admitted with a laugh. “Before the retirement I would have had a better score, but I have not played that much.

“I must concede it felt good to get that buzz of adrenaline on the first tee again,

be back out there. It is fun to be back but I am not sure I miss it that much and I have moved on to a new part of my life. Obviously I am still around the world of golf and that can do for me just now. It is the younger girls’ turn now.”

Another recent golfing retiree Michelle Wie West recently admitted she had trouble adjusting to life and an “identity crisis” away from the competitive game, but Pettersen is taking her new path in her stride.

“I can see where she is coming from,” she said. “I can’t say I have been there myself, but my adjustment was maybe more gradual as when I stepped back I already had one child, and quickly we had another one, so I really didn’t have much time to dwell and look back. I do know the feeling Michelle is referring to when you go from everything to nothing in the game, from everywhere to people not expecting you to be anywhere anymore. It takes a bit of getting used to from being a professional athlete to being a family. They are two completely different scenarios.”

One future career avenue could be in the commentary booth, doing a fine job as she picked up the mic to help out with the analysis in Jeddah.

“I am definitely going to be doing a few of those moving forward when I am attending LET events.”

I HAVE MOVED ON TO A NEW PART OF MY LIFE. I AM STILL AROUND THE WORLD OF GOLF AND THAT WILL DO FOR ME JUST NOW. IT’S THE YOUNGER GIRLS’ TURN NOW

ABOVE: Suzann Pettersen competes at the Aramco Team Series — Jeddah

LEFT: Pettersen famously holed the winning putt to win the Solheim Cup for Team Europe at Gleneagles in 2019

A United Kingdom

GOLF SAUDI MAKES MAJOR MOVES TO GET THE KINGDOM’S POPULACE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE INTO THE SPORT — SOCIALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY

“I look back on 2022 at Golf Saudi with a huge amount of pride. Each year, we are bringing more and more Saudi golfers into the game for the first time and as a result we are really seeing the strong growth of the game here in the Kingdom. This is particularly true when it comes to women’s golf and our priority in 2023 remains to raise the profile of women’s golf further and give them the rewards they deserve. Showcasing the best female golfers in the world as role models is integral to the game’s growth and increasing participation.” —Majed Al Sorour, Deputy Chairman and CEO of the Saudi Golf Federation and Golf Saudi

In 2020, as part of Golf Saudi’s commitment to the development and growth of the golf industry — within the sporting framework of the Saudi Vision 2030 for the Kingdom — Golf Saudi created the world’s first golf-centred National Sustainability Strategy to ensure the organisation met the ambitious goals set out in the Kingdom. This connected strategy is tasked with ensuring that the fledgling golf industry prioritises providing development and participation opportunities for the population in Saudi Arabia, sound environmental practice as well as exploring investment opportunities and a commitment for developments to operate economically, this is done through the social, green and economic agendas.

Golf Saudi has been working endlessly to ensure participation and employment opportunities are created to allow the Saudi national population to directly benefit from the golf industry. Specific goals aligned to the long term roll-out of golf facilities planned and being built currently have been set out to meet the demands of the industry through its social agenda.

that golf provides through its enriched outdoor, natural and social-participation setting.

The social agenda has set out to ensure 3.9 million Saudi nationals try golf for the first time, the organic creation of 35,500 registered golfers across a variety of different venues and the creation of 2,500 jobs for trained Saudi nationals by 2026.

The goal of education is learning, and the goal of training is performance, and with this in mind Golf Saudi created and launched the world’s first ‘Arabic Golf Education and Training Programme’ to populate the roles within the current facilities in the Kingdom and the many future golf developments with a Saudi national workforce to satisfy growth and developing an all-important ecosystem that will drive job creation and ensure the long-term sustainability of the industry.

“Sustainability has formed a permanent basis in every work-related project to golf development in the Kingdom,” said His Excellency Yasir Al Rumayyan, the Chairman of the Board of the Saudi Golf Federation and the Chairman of Golf Saudi.

The programme’s educational framework introduces the business of club management in addition to teaching transferable skills that will support each participant in becoming more efficient and effective leaders. It encompasses a series of courses and learning opportunities designed not only for those currently working within the golf industry as corporate office support staff, club managers, supervisors and club staff, but also tailored to attract a non-golf audience to start their career in the industry — whether they be students

At its core, this is a socially inspired and educationally motivated movement, allowing for the creation of education, employment and leisure opportunities for Saudis from all age groups and walks of life through ensuring all golf access is legacy driven, culturally bound and community minded.

An major ‘Education and Mass Participation’ plan has been rolled out which will focus on the ‘upskilling’ of the workforce and provide society with the positive human development aspects such as mental, physical and behavioural benefits as well as the wellbeing improvement

TOP RIGHT: Local coaching pros are helping more Saudis get into golf

BOTTOM RIGHT: The Aramco Team Series saw ladies’ clinics take place

LEFT: The sport has caught on in a big way in recent years

leaving university seeking a career in club management, or established business managers seeking a new challenge.

With the vast golf product mix emerging in Saudi Arabia, there are opportunities in each sector of the golf industry, from the wide variety of urban golf assets such as social putting experiences, adventure golf courses, indoor simulator venues, large entertainment driving ranges and academies, to the extensive green grass facilities such as short courses to engage newcomers all the way to the high-end, world-class golf club facilities.

The first step in the Golf Saudi Education and Training programme was the creation of the club industry management pathway. Aimed at creating the club specific management talent of the fast-developing Club industry, Golf Saudi partnered with the Club Managers Association of Europe (CMAE), the foremost experts in the development of club industry leaders.

FROM TOP: Golf Saudi has invested in the Asian Tour and Asian Development Tour, while many Saudi nationals are on their club industry education pathway

This unique education has been designed specifically for the Saudi landscape and allows learners to commence their journey at the ground level with a holistic learning of the what, why, where, how and who of the golf industry business through the ‘Introduction to Golf’ level. Following this, club staff are developed through the ‘Foundation Skills’, ‘Supervisory and Team Leadership’ and the ‘Pre-Management Development Programme’ levels, which upon completion allows access to CMAE’s extensive MDP programme, where Club Management Diplomas and Certified Club Manager accreditation can be gained.

–HIS EXCELLENCY YASIR AL RUMAYYAN, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF SAUDI GOLF FEDERATION AND THE CHAIRMAN OF GOLF SAUDI

Some 20 Saudi nationals working at Golf Saudi-managed properties have already commenced their Club Management education journey and will enter the Supervisory and Team Leadership level in early 2023.

Further steps currently in development are the Agronomy and Golf Coaches educational pathways of the Education and Training programme to ensure not only are the future courses are being built and maintained by nationals but also players are being developed by culturally appropriate, Arabic-speaking coaching talent.

BIG CHALLENGE

Introducing a new sport to an entire nation is no easy feat. The development of a culture of golf requires an extensive strategy that covers all corners of society as Golf Saudi aims to avoid any of the common misconceptions that golf carries, where it may be seen as a sport that is not for everyone.

To fostering the initial interest in golf and commence the journey to becoming an active golfer, Golf Saudi has created an entire Mass Participation department. This growing team of Saudi national coaches provides touch points to golf at no cost to ensure golf is seen as a sport that anyone can play and learn in the most culturally appropriate Arabic environment.

The strength is in recognising the importance of creating and developing modern touch points — at home, at school and in everyday life — to ensure the fundamentals of the great game are introduced and a culture of awareness is created away from on-course activities for all Saudis of all ages across the entire Kingdom and how that facilitates the early steps of falling in love with the game.

Golf is now accessible through the national school physical education curriculum with the aim of having 135,000 students in schools across all 13 regions of the Kingdom playing the game by 2026. Furthermore, university students can gain access to golf in their facilities through coaching and event play using screen technology such as golf simulators — a good way to beat the summer heat!

RIGHT FROM TOP: Players such as Othman Almulla are inspiring the next generation in Saudi

BELOW: Chiara Noja was the star of the show at the recent Aramco Team Series event at Royal Greens

In addition to these, the team travels across the country holding mass-event activations in high footfall areas such as malls, parks, sporting events and concerts to engage with huge sectors of the population allowing everyone the opportunity to see, try and become more aware of the vast benefits of participating in the sport.

The organisation wants everyone in society to have complete access to all its golf facilities. Saudi’s are free to visit any golf club just as they are free to visit any other public facility across Saudi Arabia where they can engage in the next step of the pathway where they can take their learning even further through the ‘Let it Fly’ programme at any of the Golf Saudi Academies.

These beginners have complimentary access to a five-stage golf development programme delivered by qualified PGA Professionals and assisted by Saudi national coache,s who themselves are on their own coach development pathway. New golfers develop a higher level of skill and knowledge and spurring on further interest where organic growth is created and the goal of populating the country with registered golfers in the wide array of facilities can be accomplished.

LIV goes on

EXPANDED SECOND SEASON IS HERE AS LIV GOLF LEAGUE SET TO LAUNCH IN MEXICO IN FEBRUARY

BY MATT SMITH

Following on from its highly successful — if controversial — inaugural outing, LIV Golf returns in 2023 with a bigger and better schedule on the cards.

Following on from the seven-event 2022 campaign, where Dustin Johnson and his Four Aces team grabbed the glory, the new season will see LIV Golf double its number of tournaments to 14, taking some of the top golfers across the globe.

The series’ international field is set to feature major winners including Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Henrik Stenson, Patrick Reed, Louis Oosthuizen, Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell.

Final team line-ups (including reserves) for the LIV Golf League will be announced ahead of the opening event in February, and 12 team franchises will compete in a global schedule for an unprecedented $405 million in prize money.

Similar in format to the first year, the LIV Golf League will feature simultaneous team and individual play, ahead of the Team Championship finale. The full 2023 league schedule is expected early in 2023 and will run from February to September, while avoiding clashes with the majors, international team events and other tours’ flagship events.

Seven of the 2023 destinations have already been confirmed, with the players heading to Mexico, Singapore, Spain, Australia and the US.

“LIV Golf is truly a global league dedicated to expanding the sport throughout the world, and these destinations for the league’s 2023 launch showcase our commitment to tournament play at the highest level,” LIV Golf CEO and Commissioner Greg Norman said. “These venues have played host to signature moments in golf, and we’re excited to build new traditions for the sport while delivering a first-class fan experience at some of the world’s best courses.”

Here is a look at the confirmed destinations:

LIV Golf Mayakoba

FEBRUARY 24-26

El Camaleón Mayakoba Golf Course, Mexico

Par 72 • 7,024 yards Mayakoba’s El Camaleón, one of the most diverse golf courses in the world, made history in 2007 shortly after its opening when it hosted the first PGA Tour event to be held outside the United States and Canada.

The Greg Norman-designed course will mark another first in February when it hosts LIV Golf’s first event in Latin America. Like the lizard it was named after, El Camaleón changes its look throughout the 18 holes, winding through tropical Mayan jungle, mangrove wetlands and Caribbean coastline. Two LIV Golfers could have an advantage here as it previously hosted the World Wide Technology Championship, where Graeme McDowell (2015) and Pat Perez (2016) are past champions. Mexican stars Abraham Ancer and Carlos Ortiz will also feel right at home.

LIV Golf Adelaide

APRIL 21-23

The Grange Golf Club, Australia

West Course

• Par 72 • 6,934 yards

East Course • Par 72 • 7,092 yards

One of South Australia’s most famous sporting venues, The Grange has hosted some of Australia’s top golf tournaments, including the West Lakes Classic, where Norman claimed his first professional victory in 1976. Reigning Open Champion Cameron Smith, along with fellow LIV Golf Aussies Marc Leishman and Matt Jones, will ensure the galleries are packed, as golf fans have been starved of big events in recent years.

While a final layout has yet to be revealed, it is expected to take in parts of both the West and East courses, wide fairways with plenty of expansive bunkers can be expected across both courses’ signature holes.

LIV Golf Singapore

APRIL 28-30

The Serapong at Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore

Par 72 • 7,299 yards

Serapong is famous/infamous for its fast, challenging greens, undulating contours and iconic holes, and former Singapore Open champions Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia will be relishing a return to a happy hunting ground. Deep bunkers, huge lakes and stunning views across downtown Singapore will be the order of the day, and the April slot should mean less humidity and rainfall than the country experiences for most of the year.

LIV Golf Valderrama

JUNE 30-JULY 2

Real Club Valderrama, Spain

Par 71 • 7,018 yards

Opened in 1974, Valderama rapidly achieved global recognition, and by 1988 was the host venue for the European Tour’s flagship Volvo Masters. In 1997, the Club hosted the 32nd Ryder Cup, where Europe claimed one of the tournament’s most famous victories over their American rivals. Other elite events to be held here include the WGC-American Express Championship and the Andalucía Masters.

Again McDowell and Garcia are past winners on this course, widely recognised as the “Augusta of Europe” for its championship pedigree and stunning surroundings.

LIV Golf Tucson

MARCH 17-19

The Gallery Golf Club (Arizona)

The South Course at The Gallery Golf Club is no stranger to hosting the globe’s best golfers. For two years, the desert layout on Dove Mountain was the venue for the Match Play Championship, with current LIV Golf member and former Open Champion Henrik Stenson claiming the title in 2007. The John Fought-designed layout has brought comparisons to Donald Ross’ famous Pinehurst No. 2 with mounded green complexes and expansive fairways.

LIV Golf Tulsa

MAY 12-14

Cedar Ridge Country Club (Oklahoma)

The championship layout at Cedar Ridge Country Club in Broken Arrow on the outskirts of Tulsa was created in the late 1960s by architect Joe Finger, turning a 200-acre dairy farm into one of the state’s best courses. Tripp Davis carried out renovations in 2016, reducing the number of bunkers in the process by almost a third. The redesign features a more modern course layout that challenges the game’s elite from the tips. Local crowds will welcome Oklahoman Talor Gooch, fellow former Oklahoma State University stars Eugenio Chacarra, Charles Howell III, Peter Uihlein and Matthew Wolff, and former University of Oklahoma hero Abraham Ancer.

LIV Golf Greenbrier

AUGUST 4-6

The Greenbrier (West Virginia)

The Old White is the signature course at The Greenbrier, one of America’s most prestigious and popular resorts. It’s also a familiar layout for many players, having hosted the PGA Tour’s Greenbrier Classic from 201019. Among the list of winners are LIV Golf’s Joaquin Niemann and Kevin Na. Named after the popular hotel on the grounds, The Old White was designed by Charles Blair Macdonald and opened for play in 1914 as The Greenbrier’s first 18-hole course.

TAYLORMADE PUTS FIRE IN THE IRONS

INDUSTRY LEADER IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION UNVEILS NEW P·700 RANGE TO HELP YOU STRIKE WHILE THE IRONS ARE HOT

By Matt Smith

WITH THE NEW YEAR comes some new arrivals, as TaylorMade has added to its revolutionary P·700 family — unveiling the all-new P·770, P·7MC and P·7MB irons.

While geared towards the better player, the P·770 and its brothers are slimmed-down siblings to the ever-popular P·790 range, offering a little extra forgiveness while maintaining distance.

The slimmer design brings a blade-like appearance along with a whole heap of technology lurking below the surface.

Let’s take a look at the three new P·Series additions.

P·770

RRP AED 6,395 from 4-iron to

pitching wedge

The all-new P·770 features a compact, tour-proven shape with a thinner top line, less o set in long irons and a shorter blade length when compared to P·790.

It features FLTD CG, a strategic design that positions the centre of gravity lowest in long irons and progressively shifts it higher throughout the set. This encourages easier launch, trajectory and spin as we progress up the clubs, along with a sweet sound and feel. The addition of SpeedFoam Air technology supports the face with a material 69 per cent less dense than the original SpeedFoam, which was seen in the earlier P·770 generation.

The thin face incorporates Thru-Slot Speed Pocket and Inverted Cone Technology to increase ball speed and allows forgiveness low in the face.

It will be interesting to see where the new technologypacked 2023 version places in the Golf Digest Hot List when it goes in front of our panel of experts early in the New Year.

WHAT THEY SAID

“P·Series irons need to be technical, elegant and timeless and the new P·770 design has all of that in spades. We wanted to take as much performance and hide it on the inside. The technology we have poured in creates a product that we believe is truly one of one in this space.”

— Matt Bovee, Director, Irons Product Creation

Specifications

• Better player category

• Hollow head foam filled

• Internal tungsten weight

• Forged body, sole slot

• Weight screw in toe, progressive CG

• Stock lofts: 4-iron 25.5°, PW 46°

P·7MC RRP AED 6,395 from 4-iron to pitching

wedge

With precision and a hint of forgiveness, every angle of the P·7MC has been analysed to meet the performance demands of the game’s best ball strikers.

It incorporates minimal o set and perimeter weighting into a classical shape for ultimate control. A narrow sole and tight leading edge ensure consistency through the turf. TaylorMade’s Compact Grain Forging process uses 2,000 tons of pressure, leading to a tighter grain structure for the best possible feel and strength properties.

The club has a forged ‘Metal-T’ in the cavity. The face is machined to ensure precision TaylorMade’s most aggressive score line geometry for exacting shot-making

This club has a lot to live up to as it took Gold on the 2022 Golf Digest Hot List. Will it make the grade this time around? We shall see ...

WHAT THEY SAID

“There’s no better feeling than a solidly hit forged iron. For pure ball strikers, the consistency of P·7MC rivals anything in the marketplace today and has been a favourite among skilled golfers. For players who chose to combo, our cohesive design language allows you to seamlessly pair it with either P·770 or P·7MB. No two golfers play the game exactly alike, and one of the things I love about our P·Series family is the ability for golfers to personalise a set to match their needs and maintain aesthetic unity.”

— Matt Bovee, TaylorMade Golf, Irons Product Creation

Specifications

• Better player category

• Forged head

• Muscle cavity back

• Stock lofts: 4-iron 26°, PW 47°

P·7MB RRP AED 6,395 from 4-iron to pitching wedge

The P·7MB was again designed with the best ball strikers in mind, and TaylorMade brought in the best to ensure they got it just right.

Through feedback from top pros Rory McIlroy and Collin Morikawa following extensive testing, the all-new P·7MB has emerged with a shorter blade length, new sole geometry and progressive o set to control shot shape and trajectory.

The narrower sole than previous incarnations meant TaylorMade engineers had to add slightly more bounce to the leading edge, resulting in a completely di erent feel through the turf.

The P·7MB’s shorter blade length allows for an updated backbar using symmetrical geometry. This allows for more mass to be positioned directly behind the face to support the point of impact and elevate feel. Again, let’s see if the 2023 enhancements allow it to earn a spot among the greatest irons on the planet

WHAT THEY SAID

“The narrower sole width of P·7MB is a direct result of testing and feedback from Rory, Collin and our TaylorMade Tour pros. Rory and Collin worked with us to identify the right sole geometry and bounce. Having two of the best players being a driving force behind the design has us extremely excited to bring it to the marketplace.”

— Matt Bovee, Director, Irons Product Creation

Specifications

• Better player category

• Forged head

• Muscleback

• Stock lofts: 4-iron 26°, PW 47°

Hole

BY DEREK DUNCAN

WHICH COURSE HAS THE GREATEST SET OF PAR 3 s IN THE WORLD?

par 3 s are to golf courses what aces are to games of chance, periodic game stoppers that, if situated properly, inspire apprehension, hope and mild heart palpitations.

They can represent the most profound moments of a round — think of the 15th and 16th at Cypress Point, or the island-green 17th at TPC Sawgrass — or be ordinary low cards that have little impact. Most decent designs have at least one prime par 3, maybe two if they are lucky, but their power compounds when multiplied by three or four.

An extraordinary set of par 3s can change the dynamics of any golf course. They become the anchor stars in the golf constellation.

But what defines a great set versus a merely good set is a more elusive debate. Conventional wisdom states that each par 3 should play to a different length and require a different club from the tee. Many architects have insisted they be arranged toward exclusive compass points to ensure equal wind confrontation.

Others believe they should be shaped to balance an array of shot patterns and trajectories.

These are mathematical considerations that hundreds of courses can check off and don’t guarantee any modicum of greatness. The world’s best par 3s have ineffable qualities that cannot be itemized in a survey. You simply know — or feel — them when you see them. They simply make you itch to hit the shot.

No minimum standard exists for how many holes are needed to constitute a great collection of par 3s — the majority of courses have three to six; the Old Course at St Andrews has just two. It so

happens that six of the seven courses that make our list of the best par 3s in the world have four.

The following are outposts that possess some of the most alluring and complete sets of par 3s on the planet.

BARNBOUGLE DUNES—THE DUNES TASMANIA, AUSTRALIA

Certain courses are so naturally or architecturally remarkable that it would seem impossible to isolate just the par 3s as standouts.

Pine Valley, National Golf Links, Sand Hills, Royal County Down and Royal Melbourne all register as having few if any weaknesses, and the case could be made their par 4s or par 5s also count among the world’s best. Barnbougle Dunes, nestled in the windy, tumbling sand hills on the northeast coast of Tasmania, belongs in this club. But let’s begin with the 3s.

Barnbougle’s quartet of short holes scores points on many levels, but the holes are noteworthy for their distinctiveness — the variation among the par 3s is head-spinning.

The primary credit belongs to the heaving, mutating dunes that provide natural crowns, bowls and bumps for the holes, but designers Tom Doak and Mike Clayton and their associates also had the wisdom to orient the layouts in directions that maximise the effect of the exaggerated landforms and winds.

Using the ground to steer balls onto greens is exciting and essential, particularly at the 220-yard fifth and 205-yard 13th, the latter with one of the wildest multilevel greens in the Southern Hemisphere. On the other hand, no amount of advice or good behaviour will help golfers in hitting and holding the putting surface at the miniscule, table-top seventh.

CAPE WICKHAM

KING ISLAND, AUSTRALIA

Oceanfront golf typically comes in two forms. The first is in the dunes where the game was born, with holes scampering over but mostly down and between low ridges of sand, whins, flowers and fescue: Think of the Old Course, Rye, Tara Iti and Lahinch. The second is blufftop, set higher above the surf with clear views and golf played across more exposed terrain: This is Pebble Beach, Cape Kidnappers, Old Head and Quivira.

Cape Wickham, set on a stunning island between Tasmania and the Australian mainland, belongs to the second category. American Mike DeVries and Australian Darius Oliver routed its holes across the cresting uplands of the island’s northwestern point, with nine holes touching the rocky outer rim. This includes three of the four par 3s, beginning with the long third falling into the Indian Ocean on the right.

After the seventh, which turns inland and plays into a benched slope, the dainty 11th returns to the coastal crags with the sea now on the left, and the stunning 17th jumps from one benchland to another toward a deep, left-to-right green with any shot hit short and right bouncing down into Victoria Cove.

CAPE WICKHAM

A GREAT PAR 3 INSPIRES APPREHENSION, HOPE AND MILD HEART PALPITATIONS.

CASA DE CAMPO, TEETH OF THE DOG DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Pete Dye always had a way with par 3s. The short holes at his 1960s Crooked Stick and The Golf Club designs were unlike anything else being built at the time, and at Harbour Town in 1969 he fashioned one of the country’s most ground-breaking set of par 3s with nothing more to work with than lagoons, railroad ties and live oaks. His models were the Seth Raynor and William Langford courses he played in his amateur days throughout the Midwest seasoned with some auld quirk imported from Scotland, and he riffed on these inspirations for more than 50 years.

Cynics might be tempted to dismiss the par 3s at Teeth of the Dog as Pete Dye clichés propped up by the Caribbean Sea, but that would only prove they had never played the holes. The sea laps at three of the four greens, with the ocean to the left of two and right on the other (the nearest drop, as they say, is Caracas), but they each feature different putting surface shapes and sizes, and distances range up to 227 yards with sand being as prominent a hazard as the water. The short lily padto-lily pad fifth remains one of a kind, and doppelgangers of others went on to make later cameos throughout the Dye oeuvre — the 16th is a blueprint for the 12th at Whistling Straits, and the 13th reappears as the eighth at The Ocean Course at Kiawah, for instance. They might seem familiar now, but Dye thought of them here first.

HIRONO GOLF CLUB HYOGO, JAPAN

Par 3s are not inherently strategic holes; they’re tactical. You decide how to play the shot rather than how to play the hole. There are some exceptions, like when landforms allow you to bank the ball toward a hole location or if green

sizes and orientations provide the option of playing away from the flag. But almost by definition, to various degrees, one-shot holes are penal — you either execute the required shot or face a long putt or challenging recovery, if not a worse fate.

Hirono’s par 3s are decidedly penal, Japan’s analogue to Pine Valley. In fact, Hirono’s might be tougher, but they are also just as rapturous aesthetically, with putting surfaces that seem to levitate against artful formations of sand, turf and pines, the contrasts rendered more exquisite after a 2019 restoration of the original 1932 Charles Alison design by British architects Tom Mackenzie and Martin Ebert. The 176-yard fifth is one of the most recognisable in Asia with its green set on the far side of an inlet behind a sheer fortress of raggedy bunkers. The original tees at the 13th hole, removed decades ago, have been reinstated so that the hole plays on the diagonal across a section of water cutting in from the left. The seventh requires an all-carry 217-yard shot over a ravine with bunkers that step up to a plateau green.

Though nothing blocks the front of the 17th, it’s the longest of the quartet at more than 225 yards with the putting surface blind and elevated.

Jasper Park’s five par 3s would rank among the best in the world on their names alone, but they are also dazzling and beautiful golf holes that range from the very short to the very long.

Canadian Stanley Thompson, the country’s greatest architect, set them against backdrops of several ranges of the Canadian Rockies in 1925, and it’s difficult to determine what’s more impressive, their elegance or the various shots required to play them.

The mountain elevation makes everything at Jasper Park play a club shorter. In fact, the first nine has two par 3s that stretch more than 230 yards, and the landing spots for these holes must be mapped out. The fourth, “Cavell”, storms south along a valley floor with a tee ball that must carry a cross bunker 40 yards short of the green. The steeply downhill ninth, with a kickslope that bounces short shots toward the putting surface,

JASPER PARK LODGE GOLF CLUB ALBERTA, CANADA

is called “Cleopatra”, a name that riffs on Pyramid Mountain seen in the distance and the necklace of golden bunkers that circle the green. “Colin’s Clout” and “Tête Jaune” are lovely, stout mid-iron holes, and the best of the bunch is the shortest, “The Bad Baby” 15th, playing just 138 yards to a small pushpin green that repels balls in all directions.

NORTH BERWICK GOLF CLUB SCOTLAND

North Berwick is home to the world’s most famous par 3, at least by name: the Redan. The hole, No. 15, was christened for its resemblance to the military fortifications British soldiers encountered during the Crimean War, with the high and blind front end of the green built up over guarding bunkers. It was unique to North Berwick until CB Macdonald clipped the idea for his fourth hole at National Golf Links of America in 1909, and his facsimile of the angled green that falls away from the tee was so inspired that he and his protégé Seth Raynor included a version of it on basically every course they built.

Ironically, the Redan might be the least enjoyable of the four par 3s at North Berwick. Though fascinating, getting the ball to rest on the green can be nearly impossible in certain winds,

THE FOUR PAR 3 s AT HIRONO ARE DECIDEDLY PENAL, JAPAN’S ANALOGUE TO PINE VALLEY.

and even that result isn’t discovered until the player crests the ridge of bunkers short of the green. North Berwick’s other one-shotters possess more flirtatious intrigue. The fourth plays like a gateway between the town section of the course and the quieter country section farther out, with a deep and narrow green flanked by penal pot bunkers. Six is called “Quarry” and plays over an old pit with its green above a steep fronting bunker, and the gorgeous 10th, “Eastward Ho!”, plays slightly downhill along the Firth of Forth to an angled putting surface defended by bunkers that circle its nape like pearls.

WATERVILLE GOLF LINKS

IRELAND

Waterville’s par 3s would not qualify for contention as one of the great sets in golf if gauged off the scorecard. The four short holes vary a mere six yards

in distance, from 194 to 200, violating one of the commandments that each par 3 should play to a different length. But let us not obsess over rules: Waterville’s par 3s achieve an even higher calling, that of diversity, achieving an uncommon variation of looks and shot demands despite their similar lengths.

Eddie Hackett, Ireland’s jolly elf of golf design, created the links in 1973, with American Tom Fazio adding revisions in the 2000s. Looping across a peninsula in Ballinskelligs Bay, the par 3s run up over and between shaggy dunes, and three of the greens are at the mercy of the wind. The 12th is called the Mass Hole because, as legend has it, Catholic Masses were once conducted in the deep, hidden hollow between the green and tee, protected and out of sight from unsympathetic or un-God-fearing eyes. Fittingly the shot is a prayer, all carry. The 17th begins atop Waterville’s most elevated point with soaring 360-degree views

of Kerry that tumble over a fescue no man’s land toward a green propped on the Atlantic Ocean headlands and accessible to shots turned over right to left. The least heralded but most interesting par 3 is the fourth, resembling a bowling alley tucked between bumpers of high dunes, appropriate because bumping the ball along the firm turf is often the best way to approach the green nestled in a saddle between grassy hillocks.

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MASTER THE LONG APPROACH

BRING THE LONGEST HOLES TO THEIR KNEES WITH MY BALLSTRIKING KEYS

BY SAM BURNS PHOTOGRAPHS BY DOM FURORE

’m not the longest off the tee, but I’m long enough to take advantage of many of the par 5s on the PGA Tour. (I averaged just over 309 yards in driving distance this past season.)

If I can get home in two, I can separate myself from a lot of the field. In my three tour wins this season, I played the par 5s in 27-under par.

My go-to approach clubs on the longer holes are a 3-wood and a 21-degree utility wood ( left ), which is a cross between a hybrid and a 5-wood. I think of it as my 4-hybrid and can carry it 255 yards. Perhaps more importantly, I can flight it higher than normal when necessary — a real advantage when you’re trying to stop the ball on the green from so far away. Most amateurs would benefit from hitting these higher-launching utility clubs on the longer approaches. They also would benefit from contacting the ball more frequently on the sweet spot of the club because it’s hard to get the launch and distance you desire if you’re hitting it all over the face.

The hybrids and fairway woods play a critical role in scoring whether you’re attempting to hit the longer par 4s or 5s in two or trying to advance the ball as far as you can. If you want to get better with these clubs, try using my checkpoints and drills for them. Pretty soon you’ll be turning bogeys into pars and pars into birdies from way downtown.

—WITH DAVE ALLEN

STEP I

Get the club set in the correct place

The most important two feet of my swing occur at the beginning. I know that if I can start with the clubface square and under control ( above ), I can move through the remainder of my swing with confidence.

The takeaway is so important that I rehearse it before every swing. I’m checking to see that my left arm and the clubhead are more in line with my hands — or just slightly in front of them—when the shaft is parallel to the ground (left). Like many amateurs, I have a tendency to lift and roll my arms to the inside. This opens the clubface and pulls my arms

away from my body, putting me in a very bad hitting position. I’ve learned the hard way that you can’t play good golf if you fan the face open, because everything else becomes a series of compensations to try and square it again before impact.

One way to fix this takeaway error is to wedge a small ball between your forearms and make several rehearsal swings, maintaining pressure on both sides of the ball with the inside of your arms (opposite page, above). Not only does this drill stop me from rolling my forearms, it forces me to take the club back with the big muscles of my body, not solely my hands and arms. The result is I don’t get too lifty, and I get a good amount of width to my left arm and the club — a key to being able to

turn properly and create some power for these longer shots.

Another thing I find extremely helpful in controlling the woods and hybrids is this two-part backswing drill (below). It’s just an extension of my rehearsal takeaway, except I’m completing the rotation of my arms and chest to the top of the swing and then actually hitting a ball.

Although the drill is great for grooving your long-distance shots, it helps me to perform this exercise really slow with a short iron because then I can feel where the clubface and shaft are throughout my backswing and where I want my arms to be at the top. I don’t want them lifted. They should be low and rotated (below, middle). When I get into this position, it’s easier to use my athleticism to square the clubface through the impact zone.

My swing coach, Brad Pullin, and I worked on this same drill before this year’s Valspar Championship, and it helped me shoot four rounds in the 60s and win that tournament for the second year in a row. If you give it a try, check your positions visually, but also feel what it’s like to get the club in these ideal spots. You should have a sense of being better connected. Take that feel to the course.

STEP 2

Square the face with your body’s rotation

You can see the product of a good takeaway in this sequence ( above ).

At the top of the backswing, my chest is fully rotated behind the ball, creating a tremendous stretch between my upper and lower body. I’m also recentring and shifting pressure into my left side, which is going

to help me get more on top of the ball at impact and really compress it.

A major reason why amateurs struggle with topping the ball or hitting it fat with their longer clubs is that they’re too slow when shifting into their lead side — or they never get there at all. If you don’t shift, you can’t put the bottom of the swing arc in front of the ball, which is key to squeezing it off the ground and maximising your distance.

As I transition into my left side, I try to get my pelvis working down-

ward so that I can rotate effortlessly and deliver the club from inside the target line. Many amateurs don’t lower their pelvis in the transition. They straighten up, which moves their hips closer to the ball and causes them to re-route the club on an out-to-in path. The typical result is a slice or pull.

As you can see by my impact position, my left wrist is firm and the clubface looks very stable. That’s because I’m not using my hands to square the face, which requires more timing.

Instead, I’m using body rotation to square things up. Trust me, it’s a much more reliable way to get the club back to the ball than relying on your hands.

Also note how my spine angle is not tilting any farther away from the ball than it was during the early part of my swing. I’m not crushing the ribs on my right side. Too much side bend leads to a lot of hooks and blocks for me. Instead, I want to feel more on top of the ball as I strike it. If you can shift your pressure forward and keep your

spine in this more neutral position (lead shoulder down), you’ll notice a difference in how the ball comes off the club.

One more key to success: At the completion of the swing, my body has fully unwound and my right shoulder is closest to the target. That’s a good swing thought to keep you from being too armsy or stopping your body rotation short. Keep moving, and you’re going to smoke these longer clubs and attack holes that your buddies can’t.

Sam Burns ranked seventh in par-5 scoring (4.50), eighth in birdies per round (4.33), 12th in strokes gained/total, and 18th in strokes gained/approach the green for the 2021-’22 PGA Tour season. He won the Sanderson Farms Championship, the Valspar Championship and the Charles Schwab Challenge while finishing the season 12th in the World Golf Ranking.

BRUSH UP ON THE LOWDOWN

Getting to grips with the fundamentals of the chip shot will reap rewards

By Scott Edwards

A CHIP IS A lofted shot we hit when we are close to the green, but not quite on the dancefloor The shot itself can be low or high depending on the situation we find ourself in on the course, which is mainly controlled by which club we choose to use. To get a visual for a chip, try throwing a ball high up in the air then low, how easy or difficult is it to get distance and how does the amount of roll differ? When trying the shot below, if you don’t have access to a short-game area, try it out on the driving range instead

Set-up

Hold: Just like in our introduction to the full swing, for the right-handed golfer, place the left hand at the top of the club, with the right hand below. Experiment with holding lower down on the grip, towards the shaft of the club (above right). The swing when we are chipping is small, so making the club smaller too can make it easier to control.

Posture & stance: Starting from the ground up. Keep the feet close together, around the width of a clubhead, with the ball in the centre of the stance. Hold the club level with the ground, elbows close to the body and tilt forward from the waist with a small knee flex until head of the golf club is resting on the ground. For the right-handed golfer our weight wants to favour the left side as we address the ball.

WATCH THE VIDEO

Tap/click here to watch Scott bring this lesson to life.

Swing

Distance control: Just as in putting, the distance of the shot is primarily controlled by the speed of the club which can be altered by rhythm and length of the swing. Making a longer swing the club will move faster, hitting the ball further, the shorter the swing the slower the club and the shot will go shorter. Depending on the loft of the club we are using, we can not only change the height of the shot but the distance too.

Strike: If this is your first time hitting shots from the grass, don’t be afraid of hitting the ground. The club should make contact but not dig, if it does then chances are the face is too far left (below). Try keeping the grip of the club pointing straight up at address and try to return it to this point as we swing down.

Practice

Impact: Controlling the clubs lowest point and how it interacts with the ground is one of the most important aspects of all iron shots in golf, and with chipping it is no exception. Give this simple practice drill a try to improve your control over where the club hits the ground, making it easier to get good contact on the ball.

Start by setting a tee in the ground, or use a bottle cap if hitting from a mat. Make a swing and try to hit the tee, the lower we make the tee the harder this drill is, so begin with the tee 1-2cm above the ground. With each successful hit, lower it slightly, until we no longer need the tee and are brushing the club on the ground. As we make contact with the ground some grass should be dislodged, but remember that we should not be ‘digging’.

Target practice: Start with hitting a chip with a low-lofted club such as a 7 iron, and take note of where it finishes. Change to a more lofted club, such as an 8 iron or 9 iron, and try to hit the ball the same distance. Once we can get the ball to finish close to the first, change to a more lofted club again such as the sand wedge. If we are able to hit the ball the same distance with a variety of clubs, it massively helps us to learn how the loft impacts the flight and roll of the ball.

There is no correct club or shot to play in any given situation, just whatever will get us closest to the hole most often Sometimes the best chip is actually a putt, don’t be afraid to experiment and be creative around the green.

scott edwards is a member of the PGA Professionals team at Golf Saudi-managed Riyadh Golf Club

7 Iron Sand Wedge

SHANK IT ON COMMAND

Here's how to hit hosel rockets so good, you'll never do it again

By Sahith Theegala

THE DREADED SHANK: Just the sound of it sends shivers down any golfer’s spine. Why in the world would anyone want to hit the ball sideways? Well, I'll tell you why.

Firing off a couple of dead shanks is my specialty. I’ve been doing it ever since high school. Though unintentional at first, it soon became a way to draw a few laughs and loosen up my team and me before a big match. For example, back in 2015 I was playing in my second-ever college tournament for Pepperdine. It was early before a long 36-hole day, and a number of guys from each squad were warming up on the range, including players from Arizona State and the host school, Cal Berkeley. You couldn’t have drawn up a more perfect scenario for a sizzling hosel rocket. The range was shaped like a semicircle, and each team only had one stall. Pepperdine's designated spot was on the very left edge of the range. Everyone was watching.

The shot ricocheted off my club almost 90 degrees to the right, whizzing past everyone, including ASU star Jon Rahm, who was hitting two spots down. Jon looked up at me like, “What the heck is this guy doing here?” I pretended to hang my head in disbelief.

Because I’m so adept at hitting shanks, I’m going to teach you everything you need to know to hit one of these mortifying shots. Really, I am, because how else are you going to learn how not to hit a repeat shank on the course if you don’t understand what causes one in the first place? Read at your own risk. —wiTH

gAbRiEllE HERzig

SAHITH THEEGALA finished 28th in the PGA Tour,s FedExCup standings in 2021-,22, his rookie season. He had five top-10 finishes and led the tour in birdies with 433.

EXPOSE THE HOSEL TO THE BALL

The first step in any pre-shot routine is visualisation. For a shank, I imagine the ball exiting 45 degrees to the right of my target line. That’s where my focus is. As for the setup, I’ll stand a little closer to the ball than normal (above), which is what really helps produce the shank. I’ll also press my hands forward, which opens the clubface and exposes more of the hosel to the ball. On the takeaway, ditch any notion you have of making an on-plane swing, and take the clubhead back outside your target line and slightly away from your body on a more vertical plane.

HOLD YOUR HANDS HIGH

You’ll see the by-product of standing closer to the ball at the top of my backswing. My arm plane is much steeper than it would be were I standing my normal distance from the ball, and my hands are higher, too (below). I also feel more open with my body at the top. From this position, it’s much easier to start down over the top and swing across the target line, which increases the chances of the hosel being first to contact the ball. This steep, high-hands position, combined with a quicker-than-normal transition — something most amateurs have — is what often leads to the shank.

DRAG THE HANDLE DOWN

Swinging left produces a better shank than any sort of inside move can. From the top, I feel as if I’m dragging the handle of the club down as fast as I can into the ball (above). My hands “beat” my body and the clubface to the ball. When the face does arrive at the ball, it’s wide open, and is angled in such a way that the sweet spot of the hosel is the first to make contact. In general, dismiss everything you learned about swinging easy from the top and syncing up your hands, arms and body on the downswing. And forget about swinging from the inside. Pull down hard on the handle and swing left.

SWING ACROSS YOUR BODY

When it comes to impact, the terrible moves you’ve made up until this point will all but ensure that you shank the ball. All you have to do is continue to lead with the handle and the hosel, and swing across your body from right to left. Note how open my body is to the target, and how little room there is between my hands, arms and torso (below). That's a classic out-to-in downswing path. Don’t release the club; keep dragging those hands forward and left as long as you can. When you finally make contact, the ball will ricochet off the face and careen to the right, just as you were visualising at the start.

HOW NOT TO SHANK

Once you know how to shank, you should have a pretty good idea of what to do to avoid one. Just in case you're still a little lost, my advice is to stand a couple inches farther away from the ball. This gives you a better chance of centreface contact. For a long-term fix, I recommend setting the heel down opposite the ball. This will train you to make contact in the sweet spot. Once you can do that consistently, you’ll forget you ever shanked one.

A Healthy Addiction

By Alex Myers

Now I’m finally feeling free I’m living down by an old par 3 You know I’ll be playing

The last lyric that came to Adam Granduciel for the latest The War on Drugs album is the one he’s most proud of—and the one he most enjoys singing. But the frontman and creative force behind the Grammy-winning rock band didn’t need to take any artistic licence in coming up with it.

Granduciel actually lives down by an old par-3 course, and it played a crucial role in his band’s most recent creation. After moving to the Studio City area of Los Angeles in 2020, Granduciel stumbled onto Weddington Golf Course while on a walk with his theninfant son, Bruce (named in part for one of Granduciel’s music idols, the legendary Bruce Springsteen).

It soon became a place to unwind after the baby was put to bed, but it also morphed into an important part of his creative process, both for the band’s fifth studio album, “I Don’t Live Here Anymore”, and for the album’s 10th and final track, “Occasional Rain”, on which he sings about his golf oasis.

“I’d go at night and just park the car behind the huge net and sit there listen-

ing to the music we were working on or voice memos of ideas I had and watch people tee off,” says Granduciel, whose band won a Grammy for best rock album in 2018. “It was just real meditative, and it was a nice routine I had.”

As with many others, the pandemic played a role in Granduciel getting (back) into golf. The future rocker first fell in love with the game as a sixthgrader caddieing at Wellesley Country Club outside of Boston, taking advantage of Monday playing privileges while using his dad’s old set of clubs.

As a teen he cobbled together his own set — in some cases by ordering parts and using a blowtorch in the basement.

But Granduciel stopped playing when he was too old for the junior golf rate — by then he was spending nearly all his free time playing guitar anyway. He thought about getting back into the game after college until his father informed him that his clubs had been thrown away. (Empty nesters like that nest empty.) A few decades later, the 43-year-old’s latest move not only brought him close to that par 3 but to a neighbour who was looking for a fourth.

“It was just such a great thing to do every week,” Granduciel says, “to get outside and forget about whatever was

going on, and I just really love it. And it was just great to connect with something from when I was younger.”

Granduciel raves about the public golf courses in the LA area, even if he has to pay full freight these days. His Friday game has become a fixture on his calendar — well, when he’s not touring. He says the next steps in his golfing evolution are converting his bandmates and bringing his clubs on the road.

“What a great way to see a city, too, or a town,” Granduciel says. “A couple years ago you’d go to the local record store or you’d find the great coffee shop or restaurant. But now, I’m just going to try to find the great course.”

In the meantime, Granduciel is just happy to have found the game again after all these years.

“You can’t really choose the things you get obsessed with. It was the same feeling I had when I was in sixth grade, and my friend invited me over to his house to jam for the first time . . . I couldn’t wait for him to invite me over again,” Granduciel says. “I don’t even know what I’m doing out there half the time, but it’s the getting there that’s the fun part.”

Granduciel calls playing the guitar an extension of himself, but he says his golf game is very much a work in progress. After recently shooting a career-best 84, though, he’s at least begun entertaining the possibility of playing the celebrity pro-am circuit.

“When you see these highlights, and there are thousands of people watching you hit a 6-iron out of a fairway bunker to two inches, I can’t even imagine how that feels,” Granduciel says. “You must feel like a god or something.”

Of course, most people think the same thing about rock stars — even rock stars who just bought their first pair of golf shoes. Yep, there’s no turning back now. Adam Granduciel is all in as a golfer — just listen to his lyrics.

“We just played in LA, so my golf buddies all came to the show, and I sang the line, and I pointed to them,” Granduciel says. “So it was a cool, full-circle kind of event.”

Alex Myers was reminded that playing guitar would have made him a lot cooler.

PLAYING THROUGH Adam Granduciel takes a break from touring to visit Lions Municipal Golf Course in Austin.

Adam Granduciel of the Grammy-winning band The War on Drugs finds musical inspiration on the course

HAROLD VARNER III

SCOTT VINCENT SADOM

CAMERON SMITH

Royal