Golf Digest Middle East - February 2024

THE #1 GOLF PUBLICATION

FLYING FINN TO LIV

Kalle Samooja prepares for his first season on LIV Golf

MCILROY MAGIC

F E B R UA RY 2 0 2 4 AED20 KD1.7 OR2.1 SR20 BD2.1

GOLFDIGESTME.COM

A record-breaking week for Rory McIlroy in Dubai

BROOKS KOEPKA EXCLUSIVE

IN-DEPTH ABOUT LIV GOLF, INJURIES, FATHERHOOD AND HIS CHALLENGE TOUR DAYS

FEBRUARY 2024

FIT FOR A KING

Riyadh Golf Club in Saudi Arabia is host to the Ladies European Tour

44 Practice Makes Perfect Three drills to make the most out of your time when practicing.

by harry grimshaw

by gilbert hepburn

The Starter

48 What’s in My Bag Angel Yin

8 Erbil Hills The Kurdistan Region of Iraq opens Dye Design Erbil Hills Golf Club.

with keely levins

by harry grimshaw

by coleman bentley

Mind / Body

Features

10 Journeys Gabriela Ruffels

14 Flying Finn To LIV Kalle Samooja prepares for his first season on LIV Golf.

with keely levins

12 Undercover Caddie When we get too involved, things get messy. with joel beall 6 GOLFDIGESTME.COM

66 The Loop Golf turn-ons and turn-offs.

by harry grimshaw

16 Kingdom Come The Aramco Saudi Ladies International

FEBRUARY 2024

heads to Riyadh with the LET’s best. by harry grimshaw

26 Done In Doha The final event in the Middle East stint heads to Doha Golf Club.

COVER STORY

by harry grimshaw

18 Brooks Koepka Exclusive The multiple major champion chats LIV, injuries, fatherhood and the early days.

28 Tommy Top Of The Invites A lookback at Tommy Fleetwood’s victory at the Dubai Invitational.

by harry grimshaw

by harry grimshaw

22 Al Mouj Golf, Making Waves Asian Tour’s International Series kicks starts in Muscat.

30 McIlroy The Majlis Magician Record breaking-week for Rory McIlroy at the 35th Hero Dubai Desert Classic.

by harry grimshaw

36 Get Your Game Back Lucas Glover has risen from the ashes, and he wants to help you, too. by dave allen

Hot List 2024 part 1

50 The Process Our judges assess the year’s equipment based on months of research, meetings with our scientists and two weeks of player testing. by the editors

24 Bahrain Back With A Bang Returns to the DP World Tour after 13 years with updated course renovations.

34 Private Luxury Golf Club Discovery Dunes is the ultimate members club in Dubai South.

55 Drivers Everybody wants more distance. These 7 hot-faced drivers are ready to give you the yards you never knew you had.

by harry grimshaw

by harry grimshaw

by mike stachura

by harry grimshaw

cover photograph by chris trotman/liv golf

riyadh gc: supplied

7 Editor’s Letter There’s been plenty of head turning in global golf while the Middle East is as busy as ever.

EDITOR’S LE TTER

editor-in- chief Obaid Humaid Al Tayer managing partner & group editor Ian Fairservice editor Harry Grimshaw art director Clarkwin Cruz editorial assistant Londresa Flores instruction editors Gilbert Hepburn, Conor Thornton, Scott Edwards, Alex Riggs chief commercial officer Anthony Milne publisher David Burke gener al manager - production S. Sunil Kumar production manager Binu Purandaran T H E G O L F D I G E S T P U B L I C AT I O N S editor-in- chief Jerry Tarde senior director, business development & partnerships Greg Chatzinoff international editor Ju Kuang Tan GOLF DIGEST USA editor-in- chief Jerry Tarde gener al manager Chris Reynolds editorial director Max Adler executive editor Peter Morrice art directors Chloe Weiss Galkin managing editors Alan P. Pittman, Ryan Herrington pl aying editors Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson

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GOLF DIGEST and HOW TO PLAY, WHAT TO PLAY, WHERE TO PLAY are registered trademarks of Discovery Golf, Inc. Copyright © 2021 Discovery Golf, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. Volume 72, Issue 2. GOLF DIGEST (ISSN 0017-176X) is published eight times a year by Discovery Golf, Inc. Principal office: Golf Digest, 1180 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N.Y., 10036. Discovery Golf, Inc.: Alex Kaplan, President & GM; Gunnar Wiedenfels, Chief Financial Officer. Periodicals postage paid at New York, N.Y., and at additional mailing offices.

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Change is coming There’s been plenty of heads turning in global golf, while the Middle East remains as busy as ever

By Harry Grimshaw

W

e have had some start to the year in all aspects of global golf. I think ‘unexpected’ is the word that would best describe the last month.

It seems to be every day there was another story that came out, and you have to take a double take at.

Where do we start - between the shock departure announcements of Martin Slumbers from the R&A and Keith Pelley from the DP World Tour, to Tiger Woods parting ways with Nike, and Nick Dunlap becoming the first amateur to win on the PGA Tour since Phil Mickelson. Sprinkled with a month of LIV Golf rumours – we have had it all!

Oh and Anthony Kim is apparently making a come back! The now, 38-year-old, is supposedly making a return to the pro game after a decade away. It is still unknown whether it’s going to be a deal with the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, or even at all. More reason to watch this space.

When it comes to the game closer to home for us in the Middle East, we have been lucky enough to have had the DP World Tour in town bringing us the world’s best.

First up was the inaugural Dubai Invitational which was claimed by Jumeirah Golf Estates resident Tommy Fleetwood after a Sunday dual with Rory McIlroy down at the Creek. The Ulsterman didn’t have to wait long to make amends in picking up some silverware though as he won the 35th edition of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic the very following week at Emirates Golf Club. A record-breaking fourth time McIlroy has lifted the Dallah Trophy.

The tour then headed up the road to RAK for the third consecutive Ras Al Khaimah Championship at Al Hamra Golf Club which was won by another Dubai resident, Thorbjørn Olesen.

This was the Dane’s eighth DP World Tour title. A special mention must go to the UAE’s

PHOTOGRAPH BY WARREN LITTLE/GETTY IMAGES

Joshua Grenville-Wood who finished in an impressive tie for nineth. That is the 25-year-old’s second top 10 finish in just three DP World Tour appearances.

The Bahrain Championship presented by Bapco Energies leads into the first week in February at Royal Golf Club, after the venue, and the Kingdom, makes a 13-year return to the tours schedule.

A short trip over to Qatar follows for the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters at Doha Golf Club, a staple event on the rota within the region.

It’s then “See you soon” to the DP World Tour in the Middle East, until they make a return at the end of the year for the Abu Dhabi Championship at Yas Links and the season ending DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

While the men are playing in Qatar, alongside them over in Saudi the ladies are competing in the fifth edition of the USD 5 million Aramco Saudi Ladies International on the Ladies European Tour at Riyadh Golf Club. This is the first time the tournament has been hosted at Riyadh GC in an event which is managed by Golf Saudi.

Riyadh Golf Club, having opened in 2005, isn’t a stranger to top tier events, having previously hosted the ARAMCO Team Series Presented by PIF, the Asian Tour’s Saudi Open presented by PIF and the Junior and Ladies Pan Arab Golf Tournament, all showcasing the high standard of courses and golfers amongst the youth of the Arab world.

That takes us then into the second half of February when is the International Series Oman at the Greg Norman designed spectacle that is Al Mouj Golf in Muscat, Oman. A host of top LIV golfers including Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, Joaquin Niemann, Mito Pereira and Anirban Lahiri alongside a congregation of Asian Tour stars will be heading to the Sultanate of Oman.

That’s all really and plenty more about all these events inside.

A very busy time in the region! Luckily, I’ll be at a few of these events in February, bringing exclusive content for our valued readers.

harry.grimshaw@motivate.ae @harrygrimshaw / @golfdigestme FEBRUARY 2024

GOLFDIGESTME.COM 7

Erbil Hills Golf Club Iraq has it’s first championship golf course, now opening the game to a whole new golfing audience in the Kurdistan Region

I

n the heart of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Erbil Hills Golf Club has opened up the game of golf to a whole new audience. Located just 10 minutes from Erbil International airport, the 18 hole championship course is entering the top tier game of golf in Iraq.

Managed by IMG Golf Course Services and designed by Dye Designs, the development also features 350 exclusive luxury residences which surround the course.

The club is already open as a nine-hole course, before it expands to a full 18-hole complex in the summer of 2024, with aims to host major international competitions in the future.

Designed for beginner and professional golfers alike, Erbil Hills has a golf academy ready for new golfers, plus a state-of-the-art driving range and practice facilities for beginners, intermediates and experts in the game.

Russell Hannah, Vice President, IMG Golf Course Services, said: “Erbil Hills is a truly unique development that offers all members, guests and residents an active, healthy lifestyle and we are pleased to play a part in this landmark golf project in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.” Go to imgprestige.com/erbil-hills for the latest news. —harry grimshaw

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FEBRUARY 2024

Erbil Hills Golf Club

Iraq

photograph courtesy by erbil hills gc

M

MIND / JOURNEYS

‘I Tried to Fit the Professional Mold’ Forgetting to sign up for Q school was the best mistake

By Gabriela Ruffels with Keely Levins

I

was a tennis player before I was a golfer. My parents, Anna-Maria and Ray, were professional tennis players, and I was a top-ranked junior player in Australia when I was 12. I joined the National Academy for Tennis and started home-schooling. I didn’t have a social life at a time when kids should be around their peers. During a training session when I was 14, I realised I didn’t want to be there. No one believed that I actually wanted to quit, but I knew I was done.

Though I was done with the final, I thought, GABRIELA RUFFELS tennis, I still needed Maybe I can actually do LPGA TOUR something to compete this. On the 15th hole, AGE 23 in. I get that from my parmy caddie had to leave LIVES ORLANDO ents. They showed me that to fly home for a funerexcellence comes from al. A friend grabbed my putting focused effort into a goal every bag, and we talked about anything day. I love that lifestyle. My brother, but golf. It let me check out between Ryan, was playing golf (he’s a profes- shots. When the winning putt went in, sional golfer now, too), and my mom I thought, What just happened? thought I might enjoy it. I joined Victoria ● ● ● Golf Club and took regular lessons. My The next year was a totally differbrother has answered all of my golf ques- ent vibe. I got a lot of attention as tions from the start. Matches between the defending champion. Despite the us are super competitive, and he always distractions, I almost won again, but tries to get in my head, so he credits him- Rose Zhang beat me in the final. It’s self with making me mentally stronger. easier to play well when there are no ●●● expectations. I’m proud of how I hanIn the summers, we’d come to the dled the pressure throughout the week.

United States, and I played junior ● ● ● events in the San Diego area. When I played in three majors in 2020 and I was 16, I had a scratch handicap, and finished in the top 15 at the Chevron colleges were recruiting me. I loved and U.S. Women’s Open. That made USC because I was surrounded by turning pro seem like a possibility. some of the top amateurs in the world. I needed to work on 100 yards and in, Allisen Corpuz, who won the 2023 U.S. but I felt like my game was ready. I got a Women’s Open, was on my team. Lilia lot of sponsors’ invites to LPGA tournaVu, who became the No. 1 player in the ments. It was an easy decision to turn world in 2023, was in our conference. pro because I could finish my degree ●●● online, which I did later that year.

In 2019, the summer after my soph- ● ● ● omore year, I won a playoff at a U.S. The transition to pro golf was hard.

Women’s Amateur qualifier to get There’s no college coach telling you into the field at Old Waverly Golf where to be, what time to be there and Club in Mississippi. When I reached what to be doing. My mum traveled with 10 GOLFDIGESTME.COM

FEBRUARY 2024

me, which kept me from getting too lonely. In 2022, I played the Epson Tour and finished $5,390 away from getting my LPGA card for 2023. ●●●

I assumed with that finish I would be automatically entered into LPGA Q school. Driving from Orlando to Alabama for a practice round, I was five minutes away when I thought, The tournament is in three weeks; I should make sure I’m signed up. I checked the app. I wasn’t entered, and the entry deadline had passed. Devastated and alone, I started the seven-and-a-halfhour drive back to Orlando. I called my parents and friends. They were all disappointed, but the message was consistent: It’s OK. It will all come together. ●●●

It was a blessing. I wasn’t ready to compete on the LPGA Tour. I made some changes. When I turned pro, I tried to fit the professional mold, so I hired a bunch of people. I got technical with my swing. In 2023, I shrunk my team to a few people. I trusted myself in amateur golf. I can trust myself as a professional, too. ●●●

I went back to playing feel-based golf. In tennis, there’s no time to think about where your racket is or what angle your wrist is at. You must react to the shot that’s coming at you. I play my best golf when I react to each shot. It keeps me in the present and makes me a better ball-striker. I had a lot of fun in 2023.

I won three times and finished No. 1 on the money list, earning my LPGA card. ●●●

I’ve been working with my dad on how to handle emotions in competition. He tells me to remain poised.

I do that by not thinking too far ahead.

One birdie is not the key to winning the tournament, and a double is not the end of the round. When you consistently practice this thinking on the course, it becomes a habit. ●●●

As I start my LPGA career, I want to keep that poised temperament.

A lot of women who I’ve competed against are already LPGA winners, but I’m not assuming that will be my path.

I know who I am, and I know how I play my best golf.

PHOTOGRAPH BY NATALIE FAYE

MIND / ON TOUR

Undercover Caddie When we get too involved, things get messy

STARE DOWN

Shane Lowry (left) and Joe LaCava exchanged heated words after the caddie’s celebration at the Ryder Cup.

12 GOLFDIGESTME.COM

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ROSS KINNAIRD / GETTY IMAGES

J

OE LACAVA WAS in the wrong for his celebration at the Ryder Cup but for the right reasons. I remember fellow caddie Mitchell Knox once telling me, “If they’re talking about you, you’ve messed up.” That applies to LaCava’s zealous lingering on Saturday at Marco Simone after Patrick Cantlay dropped that ridiculous putt.

LaCava was essentially right in the line—and in the face—of Rory McIlroy before he attempted his final putt of the match. You’ve seen the video and likely the one of a frustrated McIlroy in the parking lot later that night. What the television networks failed to show is how long LaCava’s peacocking truly lasted—around 90 seconds—and how close he got to McIlroy. Keep in mind that all of the distractions McIlroy has dealt with during the past two years while remaining graceful. You have to act egregiously to cause McIlroy to snap like he did.

It sounds like LaCava apologised and all is good between the two. The thing is, I feel like LaCava got a raw deal because he wasn’t the provocateur that he has been made out to be. I wasn’t in Italy for the Ryder Cup, but I’ve talked to players and caddies that were, and I’ve been in a few myself. Ryder Cups are as emotionally charged as this sport gets, and everyone on the grounds feels that electricity. Hell, I once saw a European rules official give a fist pump after Ross Fisher holed a putt. That type of provinciality gives the proceedings an edge, which I love.

That edge also puts people on edge, and sometimes a line is crossed.

On that Saturday in Rome, it wasn’t just the crowd’s behavior toward Cantlay that was getting cruel. Shane Lowry— who is a damn good bloke—got way too carried away in the afternoon session as a spectator. It’s not just the cheering or chest-pounding; Lowry was practically prancing down the 18th hole like he was auditioning for the Nutcracker at his local community theater. That’s his right, and you could argue that type of emotion is why Europe continues to beat America in this competition. The

flip side is that if you’re going to act like that, you can’t be upset if your opponent tells you to shove it.

Cantlay doesn’t emote and has no appetite to engage in controversy. LaCava, though, clearly thought Lowry and the European crowds did his player wrong.

LaCava’s celebration was over the top, but he wasn’t being a poor sport in victory. He was just trying to stand up for his guy. Every player wants that support from their caddie. Almost every caddie I know acknowledges LaCava went too far, but we’re all proud of him for standing up for what he thought was right. After all, this wasn’t the first time a caddie overstepped his station.

O n c e, t h e r e wa s a s c o r i n g issue with a top player, which was pointed out by his playing partner in the tent after the round. It was an hon-

Once, there was a scoring issue with a top player, and one of the caddies decided to intervene. est mistake that happens all the time.

Both players, seated at the scoring table, started to go through the round, hole by hole, making sure everything added up. One of the caddies—and this is a caddie every casual golf fan knows by name—decided to intervene, hovering over his player and pointing to one of the holes in question. The other player turned his head toward the caddie and calmly but sternly said, “Excuse me, the players are taking care of this.”

If that sounds prickish, I won’t debate you, except the player who said it is one of the nicest guys in the game, and the caddie, well, not so much. Even the nice guys have no patience for caddies who step over the line.

Another time, I saw a caddie—also a big name in our line—working with his player and the player’s coach late at night on the green. This player had been struggling for months with the putter, and it was midway through a

major. Though the player was in contention, he could have been leading if a few putts had dropped. I was off to the side, chatting with a friend but still keeping an eye on what was happening on the green. This caddie holds himself in pretty high regard and envisions himself as a teacher. After the player missed a number of putts from 10 feet, the caddie mentioned something about the player’s left foot being slightly open. Both the teacher and player shot him a similar look. That look . . . well, have you ever been moving furniture, and the furniture is stuck on a corner, and an onlooker suggests, “Hey, maybe try turning it?” Yeah, that’s how the caddie’s advice was taken.

My favorite caddie-not-knowinghis-station story comes from the Korn Ferry Tour. A player had a high finish, one that essentially locked up his PGA Tour card. This happened to be at a site where the caddie went to college, so the local newspaper worked that angle hard.

The caddie was not used to getting media attention and went overboard in describing his role in the player’s performance. The article that came out made it sound like the caddie was the reason the player earned his card.

Players and caddies are a team, and we can play a big part in the success of our player. We let the players say that, not us. At the next event, the caddie got to the tournament site, and the player had arranged for several players and caddies to hold pencils as microphones and, taping with their mobile phones, follow the caddie from the parking lot to the range to “interview” him. The caddie found it funny—I think—but the message was sent.

What do all of these stories tell us? As a caddie, you’re right only if the player thinks you’re right. If you think that’s wrong, you’re in the wrong profession.

—WITH JOEL BEALL

Undercover Caddie

once got into a shouting match with a player over a football bet.

FEBRUARY 2024

GOLFDIGESTME.COM 13

Flying Finn to LIV KALLE SAMOOJA

has 12 professional wins worldwide, eight of them on the Finnish Tour. The 35-year-old Finn won LIV Golf Promotions in Abu Dhabi and is now set for a full season on LIV Golf.

Golf Digest Middle East exclusively spoke to Kalle at the recent Hero Dubai Desert Classic.

By Harry Grimshaw

•••

What was the vibe like for you at the LIV Golf Promotions week in Abu Dhabi? There was a lot at stake. But I told my caddie that we are in a good spot and the worst-case scenario is that I’ll have a full spot out here on the DP

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FEBRUARY 2024

samooja: harry grimshaw • liv promotions: liv golf

K

alle, what was your plan at the end of the 2023 DP World Tour season? I still had status out on the DP World Tour, so I was planning ahead to just a regular 2024 season on tour. Then on Twitter or X as it’s called now, I heard about this qualification event. I’m in the same management company as Martin Kaymer from Cleeks GC and my manager spoke to me and we agreed that I should give it a go and enter it and see where we can go from there. There were a few bits that we had to settle with the DP World Tour about consequences and everything, but in the end, we decided to play and obviously, it went better than expected and I won the whole qualifier which has changed the whole plan for this upcoming year and hopefully my career.

World Tour. And that was also compared to most of the other guys playing. So I wasn’t stressing too much and I knew I was playing good golf. I knew that if I made it to Sunday, I had a chance of getting one of those three cards.

Eventually, it went well, after all the rounds of golf with two birdies to finish and I took the top spot. You can’t ask for anything more.

TASTES SWEET Kalle (centre) topped the LIV Golf Promotions event.

The two other qualifiers joining him on LIV are Japan’s Jinichiro Kozuma (left) and Kieran Vincent from Zimbabwe (right).

ness for Finnish companies as well. Saudi Arabia is the biggest export country we have in this part of the world so I can’t see why athletes can’t do the same. I also am a company and run a business so it’s the same thing.

•••

Just looking back on the “consequences” you were worried about, there has been a lot of politics around it all hasn’t there? Yep, a lot of politics – too much in my opinion. At the end of the day we just want to play golf and for me, playing with the best players in the world was my next step.

•••

Did you know of any players who had been playing on LIV Golf prior? What feedback did they have? I had played previously with DP World Tour players Pablo Larrazábal and Adrián Otaegui.

They have said, and lots of caddies have said, that it’s a great opportunity to play golf. They said it was a lot of fun and relaxed – and still competitive.

So I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.

•••

Have you tried to make a schedule of what you’d like to play in?

I would like to still play out here on the DP World Tour, but I’m not sure if I’m allowed to. So we will have to see. I’ll have 14 events on LIV Golf, then hopefully I will play in the Olympics for Finland and play a few Majors. I always want to play the Majors so that is a big focus this year. Then we will see once the season is done on LIV in September, whether I am eligible to play back out here on the DP World Tour but it’s not up to me.

•••

You mentioned how life-changing LIV is going to be? Well, I can play less and earn more money which is a good thing. I’m going to be playing with some of the best guys in the world, former World Number Ones, Ryder Cup stars, Major Champions, so it’s going to be a different atmosphere for sure to be playing with those guys – that’s what I am looking forward to the most. Once you are playing with the best guys in the world you should be paid well yourself, that’s my deal anyway. It works in all the other sports, it should work in golf also.

•••

Have you been concerned about the backlash from your colleagues? I’ve never been worried about the backlash. I know the media is going to write about it, but I’ve been playing on this tour, DP World Tour for five or six years now and have been to some big places so I wanted another challenge. The rest will follow at some point I’m sure.

You have people talking about where the money is coming from, but Saudi Arabia is a major busi-

•••

What has the feedback been like back in Finland? I think the dust needs to still settle a bit. It was a bit of a shock for some people. Sami Välimäki got his PGA Tour card and I got my LIV Golf card, so they need to look at the game a bit differently now. We haven’t even ever had a DP World Tour tournament in Finland so that would be a good start in my opinion.

I think the dust needs to settle.

••• Would that work on a global tour?

It was a bit I don’t know if there are any right answers for of a shock this but I have always said that tennis is doing their stuff well for example. I don’t know if golf for some would be the same. But it is a global sport and we should look into it. The PGA Tour plays a big role people. but so do we. The Asian Tour is growing and LIV The guys is also, so we can’t fight against each other that’s main thing, we need to find some mutual that aren’t the way forward. I hope they will get to some kind of happy agreement in the next few months so then everycan play happily! about it just one ••• don’t say Talking about people being happy, have you any congratulations from anyone out here anything. had on Tour? Well, the guys that aren’t happy about it

just don’t say anything. But I have got lots of players and caddies this week saying congratulations and wishing me good luck for Mexico which is nice to hear. Not everyone is thinking the same, but it seems like they genuinely want me to play well which I appreciate.

FEBRUARY 2024

GOLFDIGESTME.COM 15

Kingdom Come

CHARLE Y H U LL, G EORGIA HALL, LIN N G R ANT AN D A HOST OF GOLF SAU DI AM BASSADORS CON FIRM ED

By Harry Grimshaw his year marks the fifth staging of the Aramco Saudi Ladies International Presented by PIF and the first time it will be hosted at Riyadh Golf Club, Saudi Arabia from the 15th-18th February 2024.

New Zealand’s Lydia Ko was victorious 12 months ago after she secured a onestroke victory to land her second Aramco Saudi Ladies Individual title.

The event was first introduced to the Kingdom back in 2020, making it the first professional women’s golf event ever in Saudi Arabia, and just like in 2023, 120 players will compete towards their share of USD 5 million in the 72-hole stroke player competition.

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This tournament was given a five-fold bolstered purse increase last year to match the prize fund offered at the men’s PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers.

The field for the second event of the 2024 Ladies European Tour (LET) season is divided into 60 players from the LET, 50 players from the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings – provided they are within the top 300 of the standings – and 10 invites.

Top stars already confirmed for the second event of the LET 2024 season, three-time LET winner from England Charley Hull, 2018 Ricoh Women’s British Open and 2022 Aramco Saudi Ladies International winner Georgia Hall, Sweden’s Lin Grant along with her five LET wins and the 2022 Race to Costa Del Sol plus Thailand’s Trichat Cheenglab, the 2023 Race to Costa Del Sol number one.

riyadh gc: supplied • cowan: william brodin/let • hull: tristan jones/let

Charley Hull

A host of Golf Saudi ambassadors including the likes of Anne Van Dam, Olivia Cowan, Carlota Ciganda and Dubai based Chiara Noja will all be looking to get their hands on the Aramco Saudi Ladies International title.

Alexandra Armas, CEO of Ladies European Tour, said, “The Aramco Saudi Ladies International marks a historic milestone for women’s golf, championing equal prize funds and showcasing the incredible talents of our players to a growing audience of sports fans.

“As we look forward to a fantastic spectacle in Riyadh, where the standard of golf will be incredibly high, it’s important to underline the significance of this event, which offers the highest purse on our international schedule outside the Majors and will inspire both men and women to play and enjoy golf worldwide.”

Riyadh Golf Club, which is managed by Golf Saudi, is a par-72 championship course. Opened in 2005, it has hosted the USD 1 million ARAMCO Team Series Presented by PIF on the Ladies European Tour and just in December 2023 it hosted the USD 1 million Saudi Open presented by PIF on the Asian Tour and the Junior and Ladies’ Pan Arab Golf Tournament, showcasing the high standard of golf amongst the youth of the Arab world.

Olivia Cowen FEBRUARY 2024

GOLFDIGESTME.COM 17

BROOKS KOEPKA EXCLUSIVE FIVE-T IME MA JOR WINNER ON LIV GOLF, HIS CAREER-T HRE AT ENING INJURY, BECOMING A FAT HER, AND T HE E ARLY DAYS AS A PRO B Y HARR Y GRIMS HAW 18 GOLFDIGESTME.COM

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BROOKS KOEPKA

2012 Turned Pro

47

Weeks as World Number 1 from October 21, 2018 RESIDENCE Jupiter, Florida, USA

PRO WINS

5 9

main: chris trotman/liv golf • pga 2023: warren little/getty images • liv golf jeddah: montana pritchard/liv golf

Majors

PGA Tour (including majors)

7

DP World Tour (including majors)

2 4 3

Japan Golf Tour

Challenge Tour

LIV Golf League

Last October, Brooks Koepka secured his third LIV Golf victory, his second in Jeddah. Now with the LIV Golf Jeddah event scheduled for a new date at the beginning of March, the two-time defending champion is primed to make his return to Royal Greens Golf and Country Club, as he goes in search of a three-peat in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

“Obviously, I have had a huge success there in the last two years. I’ve played well and enjoyed it and hopefully, I can find a way to make it three in a row,” said Koepka.

“It’s strange, because I have no idea what it is about Royal Greens that suits me.

“I think it’s just one of those things where you get lucky and you’ve got to get lucky to win.

“I have obviously got lucky there two years in a row, so I’ll take that!”

During his first LIV Golf victory at Jeddah in 2022, Koepka went head-to-head in a playoff against his close friend Peter Uihlein, his Smash

GC teammate at the time. Triumphing in both the individual and team event.

The winning then continued for Brooks. He picked up a second LIV title in Orlando in April ’23, becoming the first active LIV Golf League member to hoist a major trophy at Oak Hill in the PGA Championship.

Fast forward to October, Brooks would return to Saudi Arabia as the defending champion in LIV Golf Jeddah. Brooks defeated Talor Gooch in another two-hole playoff in King Abdullah Economic City, but this time the W was different for Brooks, it was his first win as a father, having become a dad to baby boy, Crew, just three months prior.

“Winning as a dad is pretty cool. The first time I won as a dad was in Jeddah.

“It’s been pretty cool. It’s been life-changing for me, not even in golf but outside of golf in normal life.

“But it’s been fun, it’s the coolest experience. I love to be able to see the little guy every day.”

Before Brooks’ return to winning ways, the last few years for him had been a rough journey. One that he has been open about, especially in the Netflix series “First Swing”, where at the time, he wasn’t sure of the extent of his knee injury resulting in a loss of form and game time.

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liv golf jeddah: Charles l aberge/liv golf/liv golf • english Challenge 2012: andrew redington/getty images

ning theme on the Challenge Tour in 2012 (above) and 2013, he has carried on that trend of winning across the globe on multiple tours.

A time when he maybe thought of golf as a lot simpler for someone just starting out in the game.

“It’s like anything, the more involved you get, the more you realise it’s a business and more of a job. It was more fun back then on the Challenge Tour.

“Being a young kid, you don’t realise all the work that goes into it.

“We all do “work” but you don’t realise what goes on behind closed doors. To be around other guys and what it takes to be a professional golfer shows that it’s definitely more of a job now than how it was back on the Challenge Tour.”

‘IT WASN’T FUN. ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN THROUGH THAT HURT, KNOWS IT IS NOT THE NICESET THING TO GO THROUGH. ALL THE REHAB AND SURGERY. EVEN MORE WITH THE SURGERY BECAUSE THAT HAD NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE’

While he had to sit at home and watch from the sidelines as Scottie Scheffler began his rise to the top of the professional game by winning the 2022 Masters.

“It wasn’t fun.

“Anyone who has been through that hurt, knows it is not the nicest thing to go through. All the rehab and surgery.

“Even more with the surgery because that had never been done before, and there was a lot of uncertainty with it.

“I’m just happy to be healthy.”

But it was a team effort that brought Brooks back. He got his previous old team back together including his coaches Claude Harmon III and Peter Cowen had to essentially “rebuild” himself a knew swing.

“It was obviously very different.

“It took a while after creating bad habits to then try to figure out where your body is at. It probably took a year and a half to rebuild it, but it’s perfect now.”

With the upcoming 2024 LIV Golf League kicking off in Mayakoba, Mexico. Koepka and his new look Smash GC have set themselves goals of hitting the ground running. Starting fresh, especially after their team’s mixed performances to date.

“Hopefully we (Smash GC) can get a win. Having Talor (Gooch) coming over was a big thing for us.

“My close friend as well G-Mac (Graeme McDowell) is a guy with experience, and not forgetting Jay (Kokrak) who is an incredible player and I don’t even think he has tapped into his potential yet.

“I just need to keep doing what I’ve been doing and Talor needs to do the same and more of what he did last year, then I think we have got a good shot at being one of the best teams.

“I’m just happy to be healthy and playing good golf and you never know where the season is going to take me.”

For over a decade, it’s been quite the journey for Brooks. From starting out his professional win-

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International Series Oman and Al Mouj Golf get high praise, as both primed for the world’s best returning

By Harry Grimshaw

M

ajor winners, LIV Golf stars and the elite crop of the Asian Tour will tee it up in the USD 2 million International Series Oman tournament on the Asian Tour at Al Mouj Golf, Muscat from the 2225 February.

The season opener on the 2024 International Series is once again being hosted by the Greg Norman-designed course in Muscat. A venue which continues to make waves within the golfing scene in the region, as it was recently voted as the joint winner for the Asian Tour Players Choice Course of the Year award in 2023.

Situated on the outskirts of the capital city, Al Mouj sits alongside a two-kilometre stretch of coastline in Muscat, guarded by the Gulf of Oman and overlooked by the Hajjar mountain range.

Al Mouj Golf also plays an important role in sustainability with five natural water ponds and six nesting areas part of the layout.

Providing perfect nesting, resting and migrating areas for the 173 bird species that make up the venue.

When it comes to the field for this event, South African Major winners Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel will line up alongside their Stinger GC teammates Dean Burmester and Branden Grace, while Chilean superstar Joaquin Niemann has

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also brought his Torque GC team of Mito Pereira, Sebastian Munoz and Carlos Ortiz to the award winning Al Mouj Golf.

Dubai based, Indian sensation, Anirban Lahiri of Crushers GC and highly rated Hong Kong youngster Taichi Kho are also in the field with a host of Asian Tour stars including Miguel Tabuena, Gaganjeet Bhullar, Travis Smyth and Phachara Khongwatmai.

Rahul Singh, Head of The International Series, commented: “Our return to Oman emphasises our growing appeal as a brand. The International Series is recognised as an elite-level golf event that brings together world-class talent from across the globe, along with the cream of the Asian Tour to compete for elevated prize purses at incredible golfing destinations.

“The renowned hospitality of Oman proved extremely popular with the players last year, and it is a real pleasure to return to the Gulf state again in the new season.”

Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO of the Asian Tour said: “The Asian Tour has a strong bond with golf in the Middle East and our efforts in the region are evident through the growing interest in golf across the region, with emerging talent coming from many different countries to play International Series events.

Mundhir al Barwani, Chairman of the Oman Golf Association, said: “The 2023 event exceeded all our expectations and, through the exceptional field of players assembled, showcased Oman to a global audience. We were delighted to hear that the players themselves enjoyed the experience of visiting the Sultanate, the hospitality of the Kempinski Muscat, and the magnificent course at Al Mouj Golf.

“Events such as these are critical to our endeavours to grow the golf industry and support tourism, investment, and employment in the Sultanate. We also value the opportunity to expose our regional elite amateurs to such a high level of competition, and hope that having Omani players participating will help to inspire the next generation of golfers.”

Mubarak Hill, GM of Al Mouj Golf, said: “It is an honour to welcome back The International Series and get the schedule underway again for a second successive year. Thanks to the hard work and commitment of our team here at Al Mouj, we can give the world just one golfing example as to why Oman is one of the best destinations to visit in the Middle East, with its wonderful culture, landscape and leisure experiences.”

The International Series was first introduced to the Asian Tour calendar in 2022 as a set of 10 elevated tournaments that support playing opportunities and drive greater engagement, thanks to a landmark USD 300 million investment with LIV Golf.

al mouj golf: sutton motorsport images • oosthuizen: stuart franklin

AL MOUJ GOLF, MAKING WAVES

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Bahrain T back with a bang Royal Golf Club has undergone major course renovations in preparation for the DP World Tours return after 13 years.

By Harry Grimshaw

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he DP World Tour is returning to the Kingdom of Bahrain for the first time in 13 years with the Bahrain Championship presented by Bapco Energies taking place at Royal Golf Club from February 1-4.

The event is the fourth tournament in the region, on the new look ‘International Swing’, which started back in mid-January.

Royal Golf Club has undergone major course renovations in preparation for the DP World Tours USD 2.5 million event.

They have redesigned and rebuilt 10 greens to California spec with the turf used being from the original greens.

The Sea Shore Supreme Paspalum turf was removed from the old greens and stored in refrigerated containers before being relayed onto the new root zones.

The changes are aimed at creating larger, less undulating playing surfaces which will enable more pin positions to

be available for the upcoming DP World Tour event.

Furthermore, a full bunker renovation has been completed. The new bunkers are using crushed marble sand from Oman with the old drainage lines flushed and additional drainage added as needed.

Upgrades to the Championship course weren’t possible without the support by Osool Asset Management and Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company (Mumtalakat), the sovereign wealth fund of the Kingdom of Bahrain, headed by His Excellency Sheikh Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Khalifa.

Denmark’s Rasmus Højgaard, who has four DP World Tour titles to his name, is relishing the opportunity to tee it up again alongside his fellow countryman Thomas Bjørn, who headlines a field inclduing rising English stars Dan Bradbury, Alex Fitzpatrick and Jordan Smith.

course: royal golf club • Højgaard: getty images

“I love getting to experience new cultures and countries through the game of golf and can’t wait to visit Bahrain for the first time,”said Højgaard.

Spaniard Pablo Larrazábal, is also teeing it up in the Kingdom with his impressive nine DP World Tour titles to his name. He is no stranger to success in the Middle East either having won the prestigious Abu Dhabi Championship in 2014.

The 40-year-old has played on the DP World Tour since 2008, was in the field the last time the Tour visited Bahrain, finishing tied 24th at the Volvo Golf Champions, which was claimed by Paul Casey, and he’s looking forward to a return to Bahrain.

“I really liked the Royal Golf Club course the last time we played there and I believe they’ve made some enhancements recently so it’s going to be even better,” said Larrazábal.

“I love starting my season off in the Middle East - the weather is per-

fect and they have some fantastic golf courses, so I’m really looking forward to what promises to be a great event in the Kingdom of Bahrain.”

South Africa’s Dylan Frittelli, a PGA TOUR and two-time DP World Tour winner, will make his Bahrain Championship debut, alongside Australia’s Harrison Endycott, Austria’s Matthias Schwab and Korea’s Sung Kang, who join the field via their recent 2023 FedExCup Ranking.

Mustafa Al Kooheji, Secretary General of Bahrain Olympic Committee,

commented on the excitement in the country with the DP World Tour’s return; “We are thrilled to welcome back the DP World Tour to Bahrain. Golf is a game, not only of great skill, but one which showcases the highest levels of sportsmanship, fairness and etiquette and one which the Kingdom is proud to support and encourage.

“Through hosting the Bahrain Championship and welcoming some of the best golfers in the world, we are underlining our commitment to this wonderful sport.”

FEBRUARY photograph 2024 byGOLFDIGESTME.COM courtesy by the club 25

The fifth and final event in the Middle East on the DP World Tour’s ‘International Swing’ sees a return to Doha Golf Club

By Harry Grimshaw

O

nly five months have passed since the golfing globe last set its eyes on Qatar for the DP World Tour’s, Commercial Bank Qatar Masters. Now back in its usual early season spot, it will be the fifth and final event on the bounce in the Middle East’s ‘International Swing’ on the 2024 Race to Dubai.

The 2023 tournament, won by Finland’s Sami Välimäki in October, led him to an eventual PGA Tour card after finishing the season within the top 10 of the DP World Tour Eligibility Rankings. This year’s edition will take place from February 8-11, 2024 on the Peter Harradine-designed Doha Golf Club.

Positioned back in its traditional date in the early part of the season, the field will be competing for the USD 2,500,000 prize pool in the International Swing.

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Ben Cowen, Chief Tournament Business Officer at the DP World Tour, said: “We are thrilled to complete the International Swing by adding the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.

“The event has been a staple on the DP World Tour schedule for over 25 years and we must thank Commercial Bank, Doha Golf Club, the Qatar Golf Association and the Qatar Olympic Committee for their support in making this event what it is today.

“We are looking forward to working together again in 2024 as we plan for another highly successful staging of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.”

The event has been a staple on the DP World Tour schedule for over 25 years, with the first edition being won

by Scotland’s Andrew Coltart in 1998, and a host of names having engraved their names on the pearl trophy, in-

doha gg: FP-STUdIoS • valImakI: roSS kInnaIrd/geTTy ImageS

Done in Doha

cluding two-time winners Paul Lawrie, Adam Scott and Branden Grace.

The win for Finland’s Välimäki was his second DP World Tour victory, with the Fin no stranger to winning in the region, as his only other trophy was at the 2020 Oman Open in just his sixth Tour event.

An emotional Välimäki was clear to be seen with his return to the winner’s circle in 2023. For many others it represented the final chance to earn their full playing privileges on the DP World Tour for the current season.

There is sure to be just as much emotion at Doha Golf Club in this historic event for the country.

Hassan Nasser Al Naimi, President of the Qatar Golf Association, said: “We are delighted to announce that the 2024 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters will be taking place at Doha Golf Club.

“Aligned with our strategic vision, this event contributes to positioning Qatar as a significant participant in the sports industry. Furthermore, it serves as a valuable platform for Qatar’s promising golf talents to share the field with the global elite. We are honoured to collaborate once again with the QGA, QOC, and Doha Golf Club to deliver a premier golfing event in the region.”

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TOMMY TOP OF THE INVITES DUBAI RESIDENT TOMMY FLEETWOOD CAPTURES HIS SEVENTH DP WORLD TOUR TITLE AT INAUGURAL DUBAI INVITATIONAL AT THE CREEK

BY HARRY GRIMSHAW

TO M M Y F L E E T WO O D produced a stunning birdie-birdie finish to hold off the challenge of Rory McIlroy and Thriston Lawrence to win the inaugural Dubai Invitational by one shot.

The Jumeirah Golf Estates resident entered the final day at Dubai Creek Resort with a one-shot lead, and with close friend McIlroy his nearest challenger, a mouth-watering head-to-head was in store.

While those around him produced fireworks, Fleetwood was a picture of consistency, but he dropped out of the lead for the first time with a bogey on the 16th.

He was still one back on the 18th tee after he and McIlroy both birdied the penultimate hole but as the Northern 28 GOLFDIGESTME.COM

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Irishman found the Dubai Creek and made a bogey, Fleetwood holed from 16 feet for a 67, a 19 under total and a seventh DP World Tour title.

South African Lawrence finished alongside McIlroy at 18 under, two clear of England’s Jordan Smith and three ahead of 2018 Open Champion Francesco Molinari. American Sean Crocker and in-form South African Zander Lombard was at 14 under, with Dubai resident, Dane Thorbjørn Olesen a further two shots back.

This victory is Fleetwood’s third in the United Arab Emirates after claiming two wins in Abu Dhabi and follows a second-place finish at the 2023 season-ending DP World Tour Championship.

“It’s great, that winning feeling is amazing, and it’s been a really cool week,” said Fleetwood. “Felt like I played better and better throughout the week. Had a great day yesterday, and then today, playing with Rory and coming down the stretch in contention and trying to win a golf tournament was really, really cool. It’s been nice being back in Dubai for the start of year.”

“This is obviously where I live and have a lot of support. It’s great to kick off the year with a great result and push on from here.

Other Dubai residents in Poland’s Adrian Meronk finished in solo 10th place at 15 under, Scotland’s Ewen Fergson a further shot back in 11th and Italian Guido Migliozzi in solo 13th spot.

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RORY WINS THE HERO DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC FOR A FOURTH TIME, A WIN THAT TAKES HIM PAST ERNIE ELS’ HAT-TRICK OF DESERT CLASSIC VICTORIES AND HANDS HIM HIS THIRD ROLEX SERIES TITLE.

BY HARRY GRIMSHAW

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If you haven’t heard! Rory McIlroy won a record-breaking fourth Hero Dubai Desert Classic title as he successfully defended his crown at Emirates Golf Club, on a dramatic sun-kissed Sunday.

It’s crazy to think that the Northern Irishman claimed his maiden Rolex Series crown at this very event just 12 months ago, and now he has three to boot! Even more impressive is the manner in which he won this fourth Dallah trophy, as he came into the weekend ten shots back. Before a magical third-round 63 placed him into the final group on Sunday with American Cameron Young.

On Sunday he managed to turn a two-shot deficit into a four-shot lead with just six holes to play before a bogey on the 13th hole then gave both Poland’s Adrian Meronk and Young a glimmer of hope.

Dubai-based Meronk then cut the lead to a single shot as he signed for a 71, but McIlroy held his nerve down the stretch and carded a final round of 70 for a 14-under-par tournament total and a one-shot win.

Let’s recap on what was a memorable week at Emirates Golf Club!

mcilroy: warren little/getty images

MCILROY THE MAJLIS MAGICIAN

RORY HOLE-IN-ONE

atl antis: david cannon/getty images • meronk: richard heathcote/getty images • kofod-olsen: jddc

World Number Two, Rory McIlroy kick-started the 35th edition of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic week with an impressive stunt on top of the iconic Atlantis The Royal, Dubai.

The unique setting of the stunt provided the perfect start to the week, with McIlroy creating a ‘hole-in-one’ scene to mark the 24-hour countdown until the region’s longest-running golf event commenced.

The Northern Irishman expressed his excitement; “I’m thrilled to be back on the Majlis this weekend, Dubai holds a special place in my heart, and the dynamic evolution of the city is truly awe-inspiring. The view from where we stand is a testament to that, and I am really looking forward to this weekend’s event.”

MERONK PRAISED

BY MEMBERS Adrian Meronk, was gifted the 2023 Seve Ballesteros Award after being voted Player of the Year by his fellow members on the DP World Tour.

The award adds to the 31-year-old’s record-breaking achievements in what seems like a short career, as he becomes the first player from Poland to receive the honour after a season in which he won three times and finished a career-high fourth on the 2023 Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex.

The Pole earned 38% of the votes cast by his fellow members, with Race to Dubai Champion Rory McIlroy taking second place. Ryder Cup debutant Nicolai Højgaard and Viktor Hovland, who clinched the PGA TOUR’s FedEx Cup, were in joint third place.

Meronk was presented with the trophy by one of Seve’s sons Javier, who travelled to Dubai ahead of the tournament, won by his father over 30 years ago.

A NEW VIKTOR ON THE SCENE

Viktor Kofod-Olsen of Denmark produced an impressive display to win the second edition of the Junior Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club.

The venue welcomed the sport’s future stars, aged under 18, as they competed in the 36-hole tournament just days before the 35th HDDC event was held later in the week.

The young golfers were presented with their prizes in a ceremony that was attended by Indian professional, Shubhankar Sharma, Simon Corkill, Executive Tournament Director of Hero Dubai Desert Classic, and Akram Skaik, Director General, Emirates Golf Federation.

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THURSDAY 18TH JANUARY – ROUND 1

FRIDAY 19TH JANUARY – ROUND 2

A quartet of players were tied at the top of the leaderboard after the first round of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.

Chinese Haotong Li, England’s Andy Sullivan, American Cameron Young and Denmark’s Rasmus Højgaard all shot opening rounds of five under 67 on the Majlis.

It’s a venue that’s a happy hunting ground for Haotong, as the 28-year-old, overcame Rory McIlroy on this very course six years ago to claim his then second DP World Tour title.

It was a hero’s finish in the opening round for Cameron Young, who was in the tournament on an invite. A birdie-birdie-eagle finish in his closing three holes pushed him up 26 spots to joint first.

Defending champ, Rory McIlroy, got off to a slowish start. A one under 71 to get his defence underway in Dubai.

Cameron Young carried on where he left off his first round, as he fired an ‘almost bogey-free’ 64 on Friday, had it not been for a dropped shot on his final hole after his approach shot found the water.

“I putted fantastic,” he said. “I made a couple of long ones yesterday and then made a few more today that had no right going in.

“I hit a bunch of good putts but just one of those days where you kind of have a couple of 30-footers and you look up and they are going right in the middle, which doesn’t happen all that often to have a bunch of them in one round.”

Young was three shots clear from Adrian Meronk after the Pole had a bogeyfree 66, which saw him sit alongside Andy Sullivan in a tie for second after the Englishman matched his Thursday 67 with the same on Friday.

Rory McIlroy, could only manage a two under 70 on Friday, still, it saw him through to the weekend on three under in a tie for 24th.

As part of its commitment to help build a more sustainable future, the Hero Dubai Desert Classic adopted many environmental measures for its landmark edition of the tournament – which cemented Itself as the first GEO-Certified event in the Middle East 12 months ago.

Organisers had multiple sustainable practices implemented, making it the most eco-friendly edition to date. GEO Certification is an industry-leading credibility standard that recognises leadership and action in environmental and social responsibility.

HEROES OF HOPE The Hero Dubai Deser t Classic partnered once again with Heroes of Hope, a sports charity working with People of Determination to promote inclusivit y and provide diverse sports programmes to allow for the development of key sporting, social and interpersonal skills.

Returning following the successful partnership in 2023 , Heroes of Hope will feature as part of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic’s development

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programmes to inspire the next generation of golfers and providing new opportunities in sport at the grassroots level.

T h e n o n - p rof it o rg a n i s ati o n , founded in 2019 by Hollie Murphy, and aligned with Al Jalila Foundation Dubai, held golfing clinics in the buildup to this year’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic alongside Pros from Pete Cowen Academy, with the Heroes of Hope stars featuring in the final clinic alongside South African professional Thriston Lawrence.

haotong: ross kinnaird/getty images • meronk: francois nel/getty images • heroes: hddc

GOING GREEN

SATURDAY 20TH JANUARY – ROUND 3 Cameron Young started the day with a three-shot cushion, and if he was to continue on the form he had done during the previous two days, it looked to be further smooth sailing.

But the 26-year-old found water off the tee on the par three seventh hole resulting in a double bogey. Sadly the bad scoring wasn’t done there. A further dropped shot on the very next hole put him back to 11 under, as he had one eye on what McIlroy was doing….

The World Number Two emphasised what ‘moving day’ is meant for, a bogey-free 63 rounded of the day with an eagle on the last for a sublime nine under, which equals his lowest round ever at the Majlis.

Meanwhile, Young was fighting back well. Three birdies coming back home put him back on top of the leaderboard after a whirlwind day, two shots clear of McIlroy, and Adrian Meronk.

donald: luke Walker/getty images • young, mcilroy: Warren little/getty images

LUCKY LUKE Seven-time DP World Tour winner and 2023 European Ryder Cup Captain, Luke Donald, was lucky enough to card an ace during the second round play of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.

The skipper made it safely through to the weekend after his brace of 67s on the Majlis, helped along of course

by Friday’s hole-in-one that the Englishman made on the par 3, 4th hole.

“183 yards, a little down off the right.

I just hit a cut 8-iron and over this little hill. My eyesight is not that good these days,” commented Donald.

“I couldn’t see it, but I saw some people behind the green jumping up and down. A shame it wasn’t on camera but nice to get one of those.”

SUNDAY 21ST JANUARY – ROUND 4 You couldn’t have written it! With Rory overcoming Young and winning at the Majlis for a fourth time, the victory takes him past Ernie Els’ hat-trick of Desert Classic victories and hands him his third Rolex Series triumph.

The one-shot victory, confirmed McIlroy as just the second player to successfully defend their title, after Stephen Gallacher lifted the Dallah Trophy in 2013 and 2014. This makes it six wins in Dubai with his two victories at the DP World Tour Championship.

“Just to think 18 years ago, and what it meant to come here and play in this event, to be sitting here, having won it four times. It’s always been a place where I come back to and reminisce about my career because I really feel like it’s where everything started,” said McIlroy.

The 34-year-old has started the defence of his Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex crown with a runner-up finish and a win, as he looks to become Europe’s Number One for a sixth time, moving to the top of the Rankings for the 2024 title.

FEBRUARY 2024

GOLFDIGESTME.COM 33

Discovery Land is coming to Dubai South, Mike Meldman CEO, explains more about the private, members-only residential luxury golf communities he has created in sought-after locations around the world. Next up for him is “Discovery Dunes”

Private, Luxury Golf Club

M

ike, explain to us why you started Discovery Land Company?

When I founded Discovery Land Company in 1994, I was a young, ambitious real estate developer. More importantly, I was a single dad on a personal mission to spend more time with my two boys. I realised that if I built the most sublime golf courses and sumptuous homes, none of it mattered to me if it didn’t allow me to build a life that was centred around the people I cared about the most.

At Discovery, we create extraordinary communities in some of the world’s most beautiful destinations, best known for our active, family-focused lifestyle. My driving passion has been and always will be family. I strive every day to create an environment for families that fosters connections, memories, and fun.

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What made you choose Dubai as one of your Discovery Land Company locations? Adding another destination to your portfolio of properties?

The mission of Discovery goes beyond building homes. We have a rich history of crafting unforgettable experiences worldwide, creating communities that aren’t just attractive to parents but also become a destination where their kids and someday grandkids want to go.

Every Discovery Club property is carefully designed with great attention to detail—from innovative architecture and landscaping to an exhilarating range of outdoor activities and experiences.

We are excited to take our first steps into the Middle East with the launch of Discovery Dunes in Dubai South. We spent over 15 years searching for the right place to build in Dubai. The goal is to create an environment for families to nurture connections, make lasting memories and most importantly, have fun. For a population of 3.5 million people, Dubai only has ten 18-hole golf courses, making this a perfect location for the first truly privatised course in a city with such avid players.

I remember seeing Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai on 60 Minutes early on, sharing his vi-

PHOTOGRAPHS BY DISCOVERY LAND

“I’ve always believed Dubai would be one of the great places for Discovery” sion. The first time I visited, you could truly grasp what they were talking about and see the ongoing developments. I’ve always believed Dubai would be one of the great places for Discovery.

When do you anticipate Discovery Dunes to be completed and is it a phased completion?

The construction on Discovery Dunes has begun. We will commence handover on our land plots in 2024 and the golf course is set to be ready by Q4 2025.

What is the demographic you aim to target in Dubai?

Dubai is a city known for its luxury developments, and we aim to attract like-minded individuals to become members of Discovery. Our member-owners come from a variety of backgrounds from business moguls, tech titans to major athletes and world-renowned entertainers, catering to local and international individuals seeking a casual luxury residential experience in an intimate safe-haven. Complemented by best-in-class amenities, bespoke services and curated experiences, Discovery offers a lifestyle tailored for active, family-focused living.

Is there a pricing structure of the properties? How does someone become a member or a resident?

Our prices depend on the size, proximity to amenities, and views of each property. To become a member of Discovery Dunes, buyers should purchase an estate or a luxury developer residence and be invited to become a member. Membership grants access to the exclusive Discovery Dunes amenities.

The golf angle is exciting, will you have a criteria for membership and if so what is the rough outline of that?

Discovery Dunes is located in the Golf district of Dubai South, and it will be the city’s first and only truly private golf experience of an 18-hole championship golf course designed by the legendary Tom Fazio; a course that does not adopt a tee time policy and welcomes all golfers from beginner to pro.

The unique charm of Discovery Golf is that it’s just really good fun. The fact you can golf barefoot adds to this vibe we’ve taken out the traditional elements for a more relaxed game—this is what makes Discovery Golf different and has improved the game for so many of our members.

You mentioned it is being designed by the legendary golf course architect, Tom Fazio. What can we expect from this course in particular?

Tom Fazio is a Master of Design. He has created some of the most imaginative courses around the world. He is renowned for spacious tee boxes, wide tumbling fairways, flashed-up bunkers and large, gently contoured green complexes.

His meticulously designed courses offer multiple “playing lines” to accommodate golfers of varying abilities and

we expect Tom’s hallmark designs at Discovery Dunes and our signature Comfort Stations to set a new standard in oncourse amenities.

While members are waiting for the golf course to open, they can access the private members club, Discovery Downtown on the 23rd floor of the Dubai Edition hotel, and utilise our state-of-the-art golf simulator and other facilities like the restaurant, lounge area, bar, private dining room and cinema screening room for the kids.

How does Discovery Land Company compare to other international markets with the extreme boom that Dubai is experiencing currently?

We have a rare and unique advantage given our strong affiliation with experienced local partners and the government in Dubai being well-positioned to thrive during the current real estate boom.

These partnerships provide Discovery Land Company with invaluable insights and local expertise to navigate the market more effectively, and we are excited to grow alongside our partners.

How do you see the future of Discovery Land Company?

We remain committed to delivering the highest quality developments in prime locations globally, with a continued dedication to creating an environment that brings families and friends closer together to cherish meaningful moments.

Our vision includes and is not limited to opportunities in the Middle East, North America, and Europe.

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G E T YO U R BAC K

LUCA S G LOVE R HA S R I S E N FRO M TH E A S H E S , A N D H E W A N T S T O S H A R E H I S R E V E L AT I O N S T O H E L P YO U , T O O

BY DAV E A L L E N / P H OTO G R A P H S BY J E N S E N L A R S O N

FEBRUARY 2024

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FOLLOWING A T-79 FINISH AT THE

AT&T Byron Nelson last May, only his fifth made cut in 13 tournaments, Lucas Glover had dropped to 147 in the World Golf Ranking. For the sixtime PGA Tour winner and 2009 U.S. Open champ, his spirit wasn’t at rock bottom—but it was close. Glover, 44, wasn’t finding much joy in golf, and his decade-long struggle with the putting yips left him battling just to play on the weekends. “ Too hard-headed and stub born to give up,” Glover says he kept telling himself that if he beat the yips, he would get his game back. But to do that, something drastic had to be done.

He had already spent thousands on training aids and tried nearly every style of putter, grip and stroke imaginable. He even won the 2021 John Deere Classic by putting inside of six feet with his eyes closed. Realising that nothing else seemed to cure the affliction, including marathon practice sessions, he finally turned to a longer putter.

“No one has made more three-footers in practice over the past 10 years,” says Glover, who has missed 77 putts from three feet and in since the start of the 2020-’21 season. “But you can’t simulate the feeling [of the yips] in practice.”

Inspired by Adam Scott’s success with a 45-inch putter, Glover learned how to use a similar one by watching YouTube videos of Scott’s technique. The splithands grip and bent-over posture made it much easier to isolate the shoulders. The sweeping, broomstick-like motion of the longer club greatly reduced the twitchy, involuntary hand-and-wrist tension that cursed his putting. “It was a complete new motor skill and brain function,” Glover says.

Around the same time of the switch, 38 GOLFDIGESTME.COM

FEBRUARY 2024

Glover met Jason Kuhn, a former Navy SEAL turned performance coach. His specialty is helping others overcome the yips, which Kuhn experienced on the mound in college, once throwing six wild pitches in a single inning.

“Jason’s message to me was, ‘You’re the farthest thing from being mentally weak. You came to work every day and competed,’ ” Glover says. “He said, ‘I’m going to give you a way to beat this, and since you’ve gone through it already, you’re going to be better for it.’ Boy, did I need to hear that.”

The combination of the putter and Kuhn’s guidance helped produce one of the most remarkable in-season turnarounds in PGA Tour history. In a sixweek stretch between July and August, Glover finished in the top six five times

and won in back-to-back weeks at the Wyndham Championship and FedEx St. Jude Championship. Glover was top 15 in strokes gained/putting in both wins, which catapulted him to 30th in the World Ranking. “It’s just an entirely different mind-set,” Glover says. “It’s fun to practice putting again.”

Even better, the improvement seems contagious. Working with South Florida-based swing coach Jason Baile, one of Golf Digest’s 50 Best Teachers in America, Glover has found ways to boost nearly every facet of his game. Here, they want to share some of the things you can take from his restoration to start playing more to your potential. As a finishing touch, Kuhn has a little advice to help fix your putting if your stroke has gotten a little jittery.

PUTTING BASICS: FOCUS ON STABILITY AND FLUIDITY

•

The yips first showed up about four years after Glover won the 2009 U.S. Open. “I would equate it to a panic attack,” he says. “Your heart is racing; you’re not feeling like your motor functions are working. Something you’ve been doing your whole life, now you feel like you can’t move the putter.”

The shorter the putt, the more his hands and wrists would tense up, leading to a very quick backstroke and poor speed control. To counter that, the 45-inch broomstick-style putter forced Glover to radically change his setup and stroke.

By separating his hands on the grip, he now stands much wider and further away from the ball, which helps stabilise his lower body. He’s also more bent over the ball, which makes it easier to set the lead arm parallel to his target line and get his eyes more over the ball.

“If you stabilise the lower body, the

upper body can be freer, and I think that’s what helped Lucas,” Baile says.

“It’s called disassociation. When you create something stable, the next piece—in this case Lucas’ shoulders—can be more mobile. That’s a good tip for amateurs, regardless of what putter you use—putt with a stable lower body, a mobile upper body and very still eyes.”

Glover found a way to distract himself from the initial putter movement by focusing entirely on the connection he feels when the putter meets the ball. It’s like closing his eyes, and it promotes more freedom in the stroke. It also helps Glover to stay in constant motion, as evidenced by his unusual pre-shot routine. Glover will stretch his trail hand away from the bottom grip, but as soon as the hand rejoins the shaft, he starts the backstroke (photos, above). “It feels really smooth,” he says.

GOT THE YIPS? DO THIS “Get your stroke on video and see if you can identify the mechanical interruption point where the yip is occurring. It should be fairly obvious,” says Jason Kuhn, a specialist on curing the yips.

“Once you identify it, put all your conscious effort into that moment in the stroke and attack it. In Lucas’ case, the yip was at the start of his backswing. Because he’s a very rhythmic player, we worked on practical ways to get more fluidity in the way he took the club back.”

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SHIFT YOUR BODY (AND DIVOT HOLE) FORWARD FOR BETTER IRON SHOTS

•

Until this past summer, Glover felt like he had to knock every approach shot stiff to shoot a good score. He would hit a 5-iron to 25 feet but would think it wasn’t close enough because of his struggles with the putter. The yips were starting to negatively impact his irons swings.

“His comment to me would be, ‘It’s just not solid. It’s just not solid,’ ” Baile says. “The thump was gone.”

By “thump,” Glover meant he was looking for better compression between the ball, the club and then the turf. To get it, Baile first had Glover spin the clubface more open at address to counter his stronger grip.

The face had become too closed, and for a player who liked to draw it like Glover, he would instinctively have to rock his torso behind the ball to start it right of the target line and curve it on line. This would push the low point of his divot further and further back (the low point for most pros is at least a few inches after the club makes con40 GOLFDIGESTME.COM

FEBRUARY 2024

tact with the ball). Ironically, Glover had fallen into the same bad habit of many amateur golfers—he was hanging back on his trail side at the start of the downswing.

To get Glover’s upper body moving more forward and creating a feeling that he’s on top of the ball at impact, Baile had him start hitting left-to-right shots (cuts). Baile asked Glover to take a divot as far left and forward of the ball as he could and feel like he could “spit straight down into the middle of his divot hole” at impact. That swing thought prompted Glover to shift his body forward earlier on the downswing, and that gave the feeling of his torso hovering over the ball at impact.

They started working on the cut ball flight at the Memorial Tournament in June, and it didn’t take long before Glover got into a groove. Two months later in his win at the Wyndham, he put on a ballstriking clinic, ranking first in strokes

gained/approach—picking up 8.48 shots on the rest of the field. He also was No. 1 in greens in regulation, missing only seven all week.

Another drill that helps Glover improve his weight shift in the transition from backswing to downswing is to place a half-full water bottle on the ground just inside his right ankle. The goal is to knock the bottle over with his right leg before the clubhead makes contact with the ball (photos, right).

This move causes the trail ankle and leg to bank forward, and the upper body to transition toward the target earlier so that he can hit down and through the ball and compress it.

“I’ve always been a divot guy,” Glover says. “That’s how I compress it so well. It’s not so much the look of the divot as it is the feel of it—it’s not steep and it’s not sticky; the club goes through the ground easily, and the hole is more toward the target than directly under the ball.”

WORK ON SIDE BEND FOR BETTER CONTACT “If you watch Lucas’ pre-shot routine, you’ll see his last move is to kick his left hip up,” Baile says. “This creates more side bend and makes it easier to complete his backswing turn.

“This pelvic tilt will help you, too. Imagine you’re riding a surfboard. If you’re a righty, you want to tilt your pelvis to the left and shift your upper body to the right so that your pressure is on the front end of the board but your mass favors the trail end. If you put your mass where your pressure is, the board is going to flip. Stabilise your setup, and you’ll improve your ball-striking.”

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LET YOUR DRIVER ‘CATCH ITS BREATH’ NEAR THE TOP

•

Another area where Glover experienced a lot of yip-induced pressure was off the tee. He felt like he had to always hit the fairway to make sure he was in position to hit iron approaches close. Glover’s go-to drive for accuracy is a low, “trapped” shot. He says the approach into the ball is “flat,” like he’s “brushing the ground for a long time with the clubhead” through impact, and that creates the controlled flight.

The key, Glover says, is making sure he is slow and calm off the ball, which encourages a more complete shoulder turn and, more importantly, serves as a reminder not to rush into the downswing.

“I have a short backswing, so I need to make sure I have time to sync everything down into the ball,” says Glover, who ranked first in driving accuracy in his win at the Wyndham, hitting 46 of 56 fairways. “Fast off the ball means I’m too fast into it. If I’m patient a foot or two at the start of the swing (above, left), then 42 GOLFDIGESTME.COM

FEBRUARY 2024

everything takes care of itself rhythmwise. The transition feels smooth.”

Adds Baile: “If he takes the club back too fast, he’s going to create too much lag on the downswing, and there won’t be enough time to square the clubface by impact. Staying patient is key.”

Amateur golfers often lose the synchronicity of their swing at this moment, Baile says. The backswing is quick and jerky and the transition rushed, as if they’re trying to put all their energy into the change of direction. Instead, Baile says a good thought is to feel like your arms and club are “more organised,” or balanced, at the top of the backswing (above, right). He cites Glover and Cameron Young as pros who are very “collected and prepared” at the top.

“The club has to reach zero velocity going back and change direction at some point,” Baile says. “It’s almost as if you want the club to catch its breath. Then you have more time to square the face.”

DELAY YOUR UPPER BODY FOR MORE SPEED “It’s also important you exercise patience with your upper body as you swing down,” Baile says.

“Amateurs tend to pull on the club from the top, which narrows the hand path and makes it very difficult to square the face. Instead, feel as if your dominant arm is pushing the club away from you as your hips shift laterally toward the target. Also, feel like your back stays facing the fairway a touch longer. The arms stay wide, and the longer hand path means there is more time to build speed.”

ROTATE AND TOSS TO CHIP IT CLOSE

•

In his win at the Wyndham, Glover picked up more than 12 strokes on the field from tee to green. But at his second win of 2023, the FedEx St. Jude Championship, it was his short game that carried him to victory, as he got up and down 23 of 26 times, including eight of nine in the final round.

“If it weren’t for my short game at St. Jude, I would’ve finished eighth,” Glover says. “I don’t get to the par 5s as much as I used to, but I’ve still got to get birdie putts. That’s why I work hard on my short game. I must be more consistent there every week to remain competitive on longer holes.”

A point of emphasis when chipping has been to reduce the angle between his lead arm and the club’s shaft on the backswing. Glover creates strong wrist angles in his full swing for max power, but when those angles creep into your short game, you lose touch.

To take energy out of the shot, Glover sometimes hangs back or stops rotating. Neither is a good thing.

To improve his action, Glover will chip with his right arm only, like he’s tossing a cornhole beanbag (below).

This encourages him to use his body as the primary source of power—not his arms. He continues to rotate his body so that at the completion of the stroke, the butt of the club points to his waist and his chest faces the target (right).

Improve your chipping, Glover says, and you’ve likely taken the first big step to getting your game back.

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BODY / BACK TO BASICS

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

WATCH THE VIDEO ▶ Scan the QR Code to watch Gilbert bring this lesson to life.

Check out these three simple and effective things you can apply to improve your time while practicing

By Gilbert Hepburn

IN THE PREVIOUS editions of the discover golf series by Golf Saudi, we have discussed how to explore and get comfortable with some of the basic shot types in golf.

During that time you may have tried these on the driving range or at a golf course, or perhaps on a simulator, all great ways to get your golf game going.

As you develop the way you practice it will have a huge bearing on how competent you become and today we will talk about exactly that….. Practice!

Practice makes perfect, is a term we hear all the time, but is it true? Well, no, unfortunately not, certainly not just any practice. However, good quality and purposeful practice can certainly get you on your way. Ensuring that we get the absolute most out of our practice sessions no matter if we do that to help enjoy golf more, lower our scores or simply out-drive our friends on the driving range, practice is crucial. Practicing the wrong thing, or in the wrong way puts us at risk of making this game of golf harder than it is. Here are my top three points to help you get the most out of your practice sessions and closer to achieving the goals you have set out for your golf.

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ROUTINE

1

Routine, or pre-shot routine as it’s formally known, is something that I would recommend to any golfer of any ability. It is very common for golfers when practicing to repeatedly strike balls at an alarmingly quick speed. Hitting balls in this manner is not what you will encounter when you are on the golf course, yet many golfers do it with the belief that more is better.

We want to focus on what we are trying to accomplish. To help with this I like to ask my students to take their time, often having a break between shots. A routine can follow this type of structure; they stand behind the ball determine the objectives, pick their target, ensure their own specific fundamentals are correct, allow themselves to become relaxed, and then make that smooth balanced motion which can help produce the best contacts.

After the ball has landed (and we are still in our finish position), I would then encourage them to discuss with me, how their shot was. How was the direction?

Did it go towards the intended target? Are they happy with the distance? Was the ball curving in the air, or did it fly straight? How did it compare to their objective and would it of worked out on the golf course? These are all internal questions that I would encourage you to ask after every shot to help have a deeper understanding of your objectives and gain quality feedback to allow you to do the most important thing... determine what to do differently next time.

It is incredibly advantageous to adopt your own routine. All the best golfers have one, but it is important to find your own one and ensure you repeat it the same way every time.

THE TARGET

CHANGING CLUB

Our objective can be different every time. It could be how far we want to hit it or more specific to the course how close we want it to go to the target. We can all very easily get into the bad habit of keeping the same target on the driving range, even when we change clubs. However, our journey on the golf course is quite different to this. On the course, we can aim at an array of different targets, the flagstick, bunkers, trees, buildings, and so the list goes on. In order to keep our minds engaged, as well as practicing aiming and also becoming more aware of our clubface relationship to the direction, I would recommend students not to hit more than 3 to 5 shots at the same target, without switching things up. Additionally, use your imagination and utilise everything around you to make your range experience as realistic as possible. Even the barest of practice ground can provide areas or corridors to hit the ball towards by using fence posts, trees or buildings on the horizon to build targets.

This is probably something that we are all guilty of, no matter what our experience in this game. I often say to students, “How many times in a full round of golf (18 holes) would you hit a full 7-iron? Its full distance from a perfect lie, with no wind, to a non-elevated green?” The answer is that you will probably be lucky if you have this shot twice in a round – so why hit 70 balls like this? If we were to go off of the numbers, then the two most utilised clubs in a round of golf will most likely be the driver and putter.

I would encourage students to get a feel for all clubs whilst at the driving range. Although some clubs are harder to hit than others and we all have our favourites, it is vital to become familiar and confident with all of them and the only way to reach this is through gaining experience with the whole bag. An additional benefit of altering your club more often in practice is how to move into the different amounts of bend in posture, stance widths and ball positions. All making you more adaptable and more aware of what you are doing ensuring when on the course, you are more capable of getting it right.

2

3

Summary As we have seen here, it is vital to keep our practice sessions productive in order to get the most out of our time. We can now actually start to build everything here into a practice model. We are standing behind the ball to engrain our focus with a routine.

Then, we choose a target that is different to the last, ensuring that our body is all set up accordingly, and then after hitting the shot, we process the strike to get as much feedback as possible. Oh, and then don’t forget to change club before we redo the process all over again. gilbert hepburn is a PGA Teaching Professional at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club FEBRUARY 2024

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BODY / SHORT GAME

KILL YOUR CHIPS SOFTLY

Release the clubhead with your hands to deaden the ball

By Jason Birnbaum

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t h e 1 7 t h g r e e n at Manhattan Woods Golf Club, New York, is a devilish one.

There’s water left and a bunker long, and if you bail out to the right, you might find yourself with a daunting downhill chip, such as the one I have here. In addition to the downhill lie, you must also contend with the rough, and the green slopes hard toward the water on the opposite side. It’s a challenging shot that takes all of the nerve and finesse you’ve got but is certainly manageable with the proper setup and swing adjustments.

Another critical element to this shot is that you must let the clubhead release through the grass. It’s not a normal, tight-lie chip where the handle stays in front of the clubhead through impact. In this instance, the clubhead beats the handle to the ball (above). Loft is your friend. Here’s how to get it. —with dave allen JASON BIRNBAUM, a Golf Digest Best Teacher in New York, is director of instruction at Manhattan Woods Golf Academy in West Nyack.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JAMES FARRELL

 ALIGN TO THE SLOPE Spread your feet wider apart than you would for a normal chip and distribute more weight left. This makes it easier to align your hips and shoulders parallel to the downhill slope. Make sure to set the handle slightly back, and play the ball forward of center in your stance (left). This will increase the effective loft on the club. It also helps to grip down to the middle of the grip because this shortens the club and promotes a steeper angle of attack into the ball.

KEEP YOUR WEIGHT FORWARD  Maintain the weight on your lead leg as you take the club back, which encourages you to swing down in the direction of the hill. Note the early wrist set and the angle between my lead arm and shaft (right). This promotes a steeper angle of descent into the ball with speed, imparting more spin so that the ball comes out higher and softer.

The steeper the approach, the less grass you catch between the face and ball and the more you can spin it.

 SWING WITH THE SLOPE The purpose of dropping the handle back at address is to help the clubhead release past your hands sooner, adding loft to the clubface and the shot. Your right palm and clubface should point to the sky shortly after impact (left).

Provided you maintain the loft on the face and the flex in your left knee, and you swing the clubhead along the slope, the ball should come out with enough spin to hold the green and leave you a putt for par.

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B

BODY / EQUIPMENT

WHAT'S IN MY BAG : ANGEL YIN DRIVER SPECS Ping G430 LST, 7°, Fujikura Ventus Blue 6X shaft, 45.25 inches.

AGE 25

I’ve played a driver with really low loft ever since I was a kid. I like my driver to look like a knife. If I play a higher loft, the ball shoots up into the sky like a rocket. I hit up on it a fair amount, so I have to stick with a low-lofted driver.

LIVES

Los Angeles STORY

Won her first LPGA Tour event in 2023.

Has played three Solheim Cups for Team USA.

FAIRWAY WOOD/HYBRID

THE RIGHT CLUB

SPECS Callaway Mavrik, 13.5°, Fujikura Speeder 757TR 7X shaft; Callaway Apex 18, 16.5°, Fujikura Ventus Blue 8X.

CAN COME FROM ANYWHERE

I’ve been fortunate enough to be offered a few equipment deals, but they have never been lucrative enough for me to give up playing what I’m most comfortable with. I’m really picky about the clubs I play. I like to be able to test everything and play anything.

IRONS SPECS Callaway X-Forged UT 21 (4-iron); Callaway Apex TCB (5-PW); all KBS C-Taper S+ shafts.

SNACK PACK

I rely on protein for my on-course snacking. I’ve found jerky is good to gnaw on for consistent energy.

You don’t want to eat anything too sugary; it can mess with your energy.

DRIVER

250

3-WOOD

220

WEDGES

HYBRID

205

4-IRON

195

SPECS Epon Tour (50°, 56°); PXG 0311 S.D. proto (60°); True Temper Dynamic Gold S200.

5-IRON

180

6-IRON

170

7-IRON

160

8-IRON

150

I go through wedges so fast. In my garage I have a wedge that’s completely smooth from being hit so much. I carry two wedges when I practice: the practice wedge and the gamer. If I played only one wedge, it would last six weeks.

9-IRON

140

PUTTER

PW

125

50˚WEDGE

115

SPECS Angel Yin prototype; 32 inches, 3.25°.

56˚WEDGE

105

60˚WEDGE

85

—WITH KEELY LEVINS

YARDS*

I played a Bloodline putter and liked it but knew I could improve it for my game.

My clubfitter connected me with a putter maker. I sketched out the design, and this is what we made. The smaller mallet head shape was key for me.

FEBRUARY 2024

My mum lost my favorite Hello Kitty ball marker. I was so disappointed, but she bought me this one in Japan.

I don’t like this one as much as the one she lost, but it’s so bright, I can always spot it.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRIAN TIETZ

YIN : DUSTIN SATLOFF / GETTY IMAGES

BRIGHT SPOT

* CARRY DISTANCE

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I had a temper as a junior golfer.

My mum started drawing a smiley face on my Titleist Pro V1 to remind me to be happy, and I’ve continued to do it.

Last year, my caddie convinced me to take the 2-iron out and put the hybrid in.

I’d never liked the look of hybrids, and they always spun too much. But this Apex has a really nice compact head, and I don’t get crazy spin numbers with it.

I grew up playing Japanese blades, Fourteen and Miura. Those really small, super-clean heads have made it impossible for me to look at anything with a thick topline. The shape of these Apex irons fits my eye.

CLUB

SMILE LIKE YOU MEAN IT

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in association with

GET READY FOR MORE HOT LIST

THE PROCESS

Research with our scientists and testing with players like you

J.D. CUBAN

Our annual guide to the best clubs is the most comprehensive yet

Welcome to the 21st edition of the Golf Digest Hot List, the game’s most trustworthy equipment review. As the Hot List enters its third decade, one crucial fact has not changed: Golfers need help making sense of the dizzying choices facing them.

Your best resource is always going to be an expert clubfitter you trust. However, to get the conversation started, you need a baseline of knowledge about what clubs should be on your short list. This is the mission of the Hot List, and the 2024 collection of Gold and Silver medal winners in drivers, woods, hybrids, irons, wedges and putters promises to be the most comprehensive yet.

This year we expanded the Hot List to include more detailed model reviews for the driver, fairway-wood and hybrid categories.

These entries often include a family of models that share the same foundational technologies and appearance, but getting the wrong version for your needs won’t help you play your best.

The ability to customise a club to your needs has never been more widespread. That’s one reason we doubled our full-time panel of player testers to 32. From this array of swing types, we’re better able to collect insight from specific handicap groups on, for example, the highest-flying irons for low-launch players, or which drivers golfers with slower swing speeds found the most forgiving, or the best-feeling blade and mallet putters.

Our player testing, conducted at the Reunion Resort in Florida during three weeks in late 2023 with five on-site clubfitters, made something very clear: A ton of transformational golf clubs exist in the market, but only the right ones for your game can help you reach your potential.

The Hot List is a massive effort by the Golf Digest editorial team, but the voting is fueled by the contributions of two groups who aren’t getting paid. Our team of scientists advises the judges on what technologies show the most promise, and our panel of 32 golfers lets us know what clubs are working and how. Together, they make up the foundation for our three criteria: Performance, Innovation, Look/Sound/Feel.

PERFORMANCE

50%

Based on interviews with our player panelists on their evaluations of clubs within a category, the judges assess the utility of each product.

In other words, this is a grade of what happens to the ball when a player hits it. Rapsodo MLM2Pro launch monitors are used at every hitting station, and this year more than 24,000 shots were recorded. Fitters

work with players so that they are evaluating clubs that are ideal for their inidividual specs. (For example, an individual player most likely will hit only the driver model within a driver family that is ideal for his or her game.)

Also, our low-handicap players do not evaluate super gameimprovement irons, just as our high-handicap players do not evaluate players irons.

All drivers are tested for conformance before player evaluations begin.

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HOT LIST JUDGES

I N N O VAT I O N

HOT LIST COORDINATOR

30%

In consultation with our technical panel and based on our interviews with company R&D teams and our review of company technical documents, this grade reflects how a particular technology advances the category in all aspects, to what degree the commitment to fitting the vast majority of golfers is executed, and how that technology is explained to the public and to our editors.

In short, the best clubs in Innovation are changing what’s possible in their respective categories.

ERIK A LARKIN MIKE STACHURA

Senior Editor (Equipment)

DARIA DELFINO

Director of Instruction, The Stable at Creighton Farms

FITTERS

GARY ABBOTT, 36 E . MICHAEL JOHNSON

Equipment Editor

HOT LIST ASSISTANT

CHRIS MARCHINI

Waterloo, Ontario Handicap: 13

Director of Golf Experience, Golf Galaxy, Coraopolis, Pa.

THOMAS B. ALLEN, 59 JARED GOLDSTEIN

AUSTIN CLARKE

Middletown, Ohio Handicap: 7

Golf Galaxy, Pittsburgh, Pa.

SCIENTISTS

LO O K • S O U N D • F E E L

20%

ALEJANDRA BEDOYA , 25 ALEX KENNEDY

Using input from the panelists, our judges evaluate the relative excellence of the visual, auditory and tactile experience of using a particular club. The more the club resonates with our understanding of what a golf club should be, the higher the grade it receives. In short, this is a grade of what the player experiences when viewing, holding and swinging the club.

MARTIN BROUILLETTE , PH.D.

CRITERION UNDER EACH CLUB CATEGORY.

DEVIN LOGUE

Golf Galaxy, Richmond, Va.

Professor of Mechanical Engineering (emeritus), Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo

PLAYERS Professor, Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo

52 GOLFDIGESTME.COM

Fort Worth Handicap: +2

SCOTT DICKINSON, 35

Teaching Professional, Westmoor Country Club

Senior Technical Director (retired), USGA

Littleton, Colo.

Handicap: 14

CONOR DUNN, 30 JASON GUSS

Director of Golf Performance, Naperville Country Club

97-100 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

≤50 ★

RICK Y BROWN, 45

DICK RUGGE

Products earned a score of 88 to 92.99.

51-69 ★ ★

Hilton Head Island Handicap: 1

JOHN MCPHEE , PH.D.

MOLLY BRAID

 S I LV E R

★★★★

PAT SNYDER

Golf Galaxy, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Products earned a score of 93 to 100.

70-87 ★ ★ ★

JACK BINGHAM, 34

TOM MASE , PH.D.

 GOLD

88-96

Miami Handicap: 5

Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Sherbrooke

ALL JUDGING IS BASED ON A 100-POINT SCALE FOR EACH

Golf Galaxy, Pittsburgh, Pa.

GEORGE SPRINGER, PH.D.

Paul Piggott Professor of Engineering (emeritus), Stanford University

FEBRUARY 2024

Denver Handicap: 7

in association with

Go team: Our three-week Hot List Summit saw a record number of entries, testers, fitters, launch monitors and shots recorded.

SK YLAR FRANKIEWICZ , 25

RYAN KROLL , 48

SANG PAK, 63

SÁNDOR J. VALLS, 34

WESLEY GILMORE , 29

PETER LEE , 56

SHANE POPHAM, 35

DAVID WEINSTEIN, 55

SEAN HARPER, 52

DAN LUPO, 31

ALEX REINHART, 39

CHRIS WON, 43

RC HILL , 61

JOSH MACERA , 27

MATT SINGER, 51

RYAN WOYSKI, 45

PAUL IANNIELLO, 62

WEI MAO, 53

JAMIE STRUCK, 50

WAYNE JOHNSON, 58

ANAND MUDALIAR, 41

BK SUHR, 40

New York Handicap: 7

Atlanta Handicap: + 1

Delaware, Ohio Handicap: 8

DeLand, Fla. Handicap: 7

DARIA DELFINO

Scottsdale Handicap: 4

Palm Coast, Fla. Handicap: 6

Chanhassen, Minn.

Handicap: 10

San Diego Handicap: 7

New York Handicap: 12

Cranston, R.I. Handicap: 1

Elk Grove, Calif.

Handicap: 13

Philadelphia Handicap: 6

Tenafly, N.J. Handicap: 9

Norwalk, Conn.

Handicap: 13

River Hills, Wisc.

Handicap: 11

Anchorage Handicap: 11

Miami Handicap: 9

Dublin, Ohio Handicap: 13

Miami Handicap: 9

Kansas City, Mo. Handicap: 14

Okatie, S.C. Handicap: 5

Orlando Handicap: 1

FEBRUARY 2024

GOLFDIGESTME.COM 53

ininassociation associationwith with

DRIVERS Nothing in golf changes your attitude more than an obliterated tee shot.

Golfers walk taller and strut better when they’ve outdriven members of their foursome. Luckily, no single piece of golf equipment continues to evolve as much as the driver. Improvements in design, mass properties, manufacturing and materials have led to an era of personalisation in which finding the right driver is easier than ever. Looking for a boost to your self-esteem? Try one of these monsters we have selected for this year’s Hot List. Chest puff not included.

DRIVERS

CALLAWAY PARADYM Ai SMOKE MAX

RRP AED 3,195

• Carbon composite in the crown and sole saves more than six grams.

• The face-thickness pattern is optimised to maximise off-center hits.

• A 10-gram sliding weight lets golfers dial in ball flight.

• 9, 10.5, 12 degrees (with an eight-way adjustable hosel) Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore TOP 5 HIGHEST LAUNCHING, DRIVERS, SLOWER SWING SPEEDS

OV E R A L L R AT I N G

★★★★★ PERFORMANCE

★★★★★ I N N O VAT I O N

★★★★★ LO O K • S O U N D • F E E L

★★★★★

CALLAWAY PARADYM Ai SMOKE MAX D

RRP AED 3,195

• Made for medium swing speeds with inconsistent contact and a tendency to slice.

• Fixed rear weight lowers the center of gravity for the highest launch in the family.

• Largest shape and face area of the four models.

• 9, 10.5, 12 degrees (with an eight-way adjustable hosel) Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore

OV E R A L L R AT I N G

TOP 5 MOST FORGIVING, DRIVERS, HIGH-HANDICAPS

★★★★★ PERFORMANCE

★★★★★ I N N O VAT I O N

★★★★★ LO O K • S O U N D • F E E L

★★★★★

CALLAWAY PARADYM Ai SMOKE MAX FAST

RRP AED 3,195

• Targets moderate-swing-speed golfers with an ultralight grip and shaft.

• The built-in draw bias helps to mitigate a slice and square the face at impact.

• It has the largest face area in the Ai Smoke driver family.

• 10.5, 12 degrees (fixed hosel) Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore TOP 3 LIGHTEST DRIVERS

OV E R A L L R AT I N G

★★★★★ PERFORMANCE

★★★★★ I N N O VAT I O N

★★★★★ LO O K • S O U N D • F E E L

★★★★★

56 GOLFDIGESTME.COM

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CALLAWAY PARADYM Ai SMOKE ♦♦♦

RRP AED 3,195

• The most compact of the four drivers is the lowest spinning as well.

• Interchangeable front and rear weights allow for tweaks to lower ball flight and spin.

• Targets swing speeds of 105 miles per hour or higher.

• 8, 9, 10.5 degrees (with an eight-way adjustable hosel) Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore

OV E R A L L R AT I N G

TOP 5 BEST-LOOKING, DRIVERS, LOW-HANDICAPS

★★★★★ PERFORMANCE

★★★★★ I N N O VAT I O N

★★★★★ LO O K • S O U N D • F E E L

★★★★★

CLEVELAND LAUNCHER XL 2

RRP AED 2,195

• The large head size and face area emphasise forgiveness.

• The variable-thickness face pattern saves weight that can be used to improve stability and is designed to boost distance on mis-hits.

• Loft is adjustable between 9 and 12 degrees.

Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore

OV E R A L L R AT I N G

TOP 5 LARGEST, DRIVERS, FRONT TO BACK

★★★★½ PERFORMANCE

★★★★½ I N N O VAT I O N

★★★★½ LO O K • S O U N D • F E E L

★★★★

CLEVELAND LAUNCHER XL 2 DRAW

RRP AED 2,195

• Internal heel-biased weighting helps slicers find more fairways.

• Alternating flexible and rigid sections in the perimeter offer a ball-speed boost.

• An eight-gram weight in the butt end of the grip enhances control in the downswing.

• Loft is adjustable between 9 and 12 degrees.

Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore

OV E R A L L R AT I N G

TOP 5 MOST FORGIVING, DRIVERS, ALL HANDICAP GROUPS

★★★★★ PERFORMANCE

★★★★½ I N N O VAT I O N

★★★★½ LO O K • S O U N D • F E E L

★★★★

FEBRUARY 2024

GOLFDIGESTME.COM 57

DRIVERS

COBRA DARKSPEED X

RRP AED 2,695

• Carbon composite in the crown and sole results in low spin with forgiveness.

• Neutral shaping and large face should appeal to the widest segment of golfers.

• Golfers can tweak launch and spin through adjustable weights in front and rear.

• 9, 10.5, 12 degrees (with an eight-way adjustable hosel) Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore TOP 10 QUIETEST DRIVERS, MODERATE SWING SPEEDS

OV E R A L L R AT I N G

★★★★★ PERFORMANCE

★★★★★ I N N O VAT I O N

★★★★★ LO O K • S O U N D • F E E L

★★★★★

COBRA DARKSPEED LS

RRP AED 2,695

• The sleek shape enhances speed for the fastest swingers.

• Two forward sole weights and one in the rear balance forgiveness and spin.

• It features the built-in neutral-to-fade bias better players prefer.

• 8, 9, 10.5 degrees (with an eight-way adjustable hosel) Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore

OV E R A L L R AT I N G

TOP 5 BEST LOOKING, DRIVERS, LOW-HANDICAPS

★★★★★ PERFORMANCE

★★★★★ I N N O VAT I O N

★★★★★ LO O K • S O U N D • F E E L

★★★★★

COBRA DARKSPEED MAX

RRP AED 2,695

• Targets players who need help with higher launch and slice forgiveness.

• Carbon-composite panels make room for switchable heel and back weights.

• Internal weighting makes the face easier to close and launch shots higher.

• 9, 10.5, 12 degrees (with an eight-way adjustable hosel) Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore TOP 5 BEST LOOKING, DRIVERS, HIGH-HANDICAPS

OV E R A L L R AT I N G

★★★★★ PERFORMANCE

★★★★★ I N N O VAT I O N

★★★★★ LO O K • S O U N D • F E E L

★★★★★

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MIZUNO ST-G

RRP AED 2,295

• The compact, pear-shaped head (440 cubic centimeters) has a deep face.

• The crown wraps around the upper toe to help balance the draw/fade bias.

• A new beta-rich titanium alloy in the face is lighter and stronger for better ball speed.

• 9.5, 10.5 degrees (with an eight-way adjustable hosel) Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore

OV E R A L L R AT I N G

TOP 5 BEST LOOKING, DRIVERS, LOW-HANDICAPS

★★★★½ PERFORMANCE

★★★★½ I N N O VAT I O N

★★★★½ LO O K • S O U N D • F E E L

★★★★½

MIZUNO ST-X 230

RRP AED 2,195

• A channel cut in the front part of the sole helps the face flex.

• The carbon-composite crown frees mass for a 14-gram weight in the heel of the sole.

• The center of gravity is closer to the shaft. This makes the head easier to manipulate.

• 9.5, 10.5, 12 degrees (with an eight-way adjustable hosel) Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore

OV E R A L L R AT I N G

TOP 5 QUIETEST, DRIVERS, SLOWER SWING SPEEDS

★★★★½ PERFORMANCE

★★★★½ I N N O VAT I O N

★★★★½ LO O K • S O U N D • F E E L

★★★★½

MIZUNO ST-MAX 230

RRP AED 2,295

• The largest frame in the Mizuno driver family exudes stability on off-center hits.

• The sole channel creates more flexing in the face on extreme misses.

• Mass saved from the carbon-composite crown and sole is pushed to the perimeter.

• 9.5, 10.5, 12 degrees Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore

OV E R A L L R AT I N G

TOP 5 HIGHEST LAUNCHING, DRIVERS, SLOWER SWING SPEEDS

★★★★½ PERFORMANCE

★★★★½ I N N O VAT I O N

★★★★½ LO O K • S O U N D • F E E L

★★★★½

FEBRUARY 2024

GOLFDIGESTME.COM 59

DRIVERS

MIZUNO ST-Z 230

RRP AED 2,195

• A low center of gravity reduces spin, and a centered rear weight adds stability.

• The deep center of gravity also yields a higher launch.

• The titanium-alloy face and polymer-filled sole channel maximise distance.

• 9.5, 10.5 degrees (with an eight-way adjustable hosel) Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore TOP 10 QUIETEST, DRIVERS, MODERATE SWING SPEEDS

OV E R A L L R AT I N G

★★★★½ PERFORMANCE

★★★★½ I N N O VAT I O N

★★★★½ LO O K • S O U N D • F E E L

★★★★½

PING G430 MAX 10K

RRP AED 3,195

• The at-the-limit size makes for the company’s most stable head.

• A fixed 28-gram rear weight boosts stability.

• This driver’s forgiveness is a boon for aggressive swingers.

• 9, 10.5, 12 degrees (with an eight-way adjustable hosel) Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore

OV E R A L L R AT I N G

TOP 5 MOST FORGIVING, DRIVERS, HIGH-HANDICAPS

★★★★★ PERFORMANCE

★★★★★ I N N O VAT I O N

★★★★½ LO O K • S O U N D • F E E L

★★★★★

PING G430 MAX

RRP AED 2,995

• Offers draw-fade adjustability with a 25-gram perimeter weight in three settings.

• A thin T9S+ titanium alloy in the face promotes better energy transfer.

• More of a neutral ball flight in the standard setting compared to the other models.

• 9, 10.5, 12 degrees (with an eight-way adjustable hosel) Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore TOP 5 BEST RATED, DRIVERS, MIDDLE-HANDICAPS

OV E R A L L R AT I N G

★★★★★ PERFORMANCE

★★★★★ I N N O VAT I O N

★★★★½ LO O K • S O U N D • F E E L

★★★★★

60 GOLFDIGESTME.COM

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in association with

PING G430 SFT

RRP AED 2,995

• Two adjustable-weight positions to the heel side help minimise a slice.

• A thin variable-thickness face provides more potential ball speed and distance.

• Available in a 15-percent lighter HL build for moderate-swing-speed players.

• 10.5 degrees (with an eight-way adjustable hosel) Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore

OV E R A L L R AT I N G

TOP 5 MOST FORGIVING, DRIVERS, ALL HANDICAP GROUPS

★★★★★ PERFORMANCE

★★★★★ I N N O VAT I O N

★★★★½ LO O K • S O U N D • F E E L

★★★★★

PING G430 LST

RRP AED 3,195

• Its relatively compact shape targets better players seeking low launch and spin.

• A 22-gram tungsten weight has three positions for tweaking a draw or fade.

• The carbon-composite wrap in the back half of the crown helps lower spin.

• 9, 10.5 degrees (with an eight-way adjustable hosel) Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore

OV E R A L L R AT I N G

TOP 5 BEST SOUND/FEEL, DRIVERS, LOW-HANDICAPS

★★★★★ PERFORMANCE

★★★★★ I N N O VAT I O N

★★★★½ LO O K • S O U N D • F E E L

★★★★★

PXG 0311 BLACK OPS

RRP AED 2,995

• This driver emphasises forgiveness with its weight-saving carbon-composite panels.

• New titanium-alloy face insert deflects more for higher launch with less spin.

• Three perimeter weights in the center, heel and toe of the sole provide stability.

• 8, 9, 10.5, 12 degrees (with an eight-way adjustable hosel) Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore

OV E R A L L R AT I N G

TOP 5 BEST LOOKING, DRIVERS, HIGH-HANDICAPS

★★★★½ PERFORMANCE

★★★★½ I N N O VAT I O N

★★★★½ LO O K • S O U N D • F E E L

★★★★½

FEBRUARY 2024

GOLFDIGESTME.COM 61

DRIVERS

PXG 0311 BLACK OPS TOUR-1

RRP AED 3,095

• This compact, low-spin model has adjustable weights toward the front of the sole.

• A low back weight adds stability on off-center hits.

• This driver should produce a lower ball flight relative to the standard model.

• 8, 9, 10.5 degrees (with an eight-way adjustable hosel) Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore TOP 10 QUIETEST, DRIVERS, MODERATE SWING SPEEDS

OV E R A L L R AT I N G

★★★★½ PERFORMANCE

★★★★½ I N N O VAT I O N

★★★★½ LO O K • S O U N D • F E E L

★★★★½

SRIXON ZX5 LS Mk II

RRP AED 2,545

• Larger profile (similar to ZX5) with more of a flattened crown shape.

• It launches lower with less spin compared to the standard ZX5.

• It also has a more neutral- to slight-fade-biased ball flight.

• 8.5, 9.5, 10.5 degrees (with a 12-way adjustable hosel) Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore TOP 5 BEST SOUND/FEEL, DRIVERS, MIDDLE-HANDICAPS

OV E R A L L R AT I N G

★★★★½ PERFORMANCE

★★★★½ I N N O VAT I O N

★★★★½ LO O K • S O U N D • F E E L

★★★★½

SRIXON ZX5 Mk II

RRP AED 2,545

• The largest profile of any of the three heads in the family.

• A hint of a natural-draw bias is built into this shape.

• The deep center of gravity should add loft to most tee shots.

• 9.5, 10.5 degrees (with a 12-way adjustable hosel) Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore TOP 5 HIGHEST LAUNCHING, DRIVERS, SLOWER SWING SPEEDS

OV E R A L L R AT I N G

★★★★½ PERFORMANCE

★★★★½ I N N O VAT I O N

★★★★½ LO O K • S O U N D • F E E L

★★★★½

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SRIXON ZX7 Mk II

RRP AED 2,545

• It’s shorter front to back for players who prefer to work their tee shots.

• The lowest launching of the three drivers in the family.

• Weights for ports in the heel and toe allow players to tweak ball flight.

• 9.5, 10.5 degrees (with a 12-way adjustable hosel) Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore

OV E R A L L R AT I N G

TOP 5 BEST LOOKING, DRIVERS, MIDDLE-HANDICAPS

★★★★½ PERFORMANCE

★★★★½ I N N O VAT I O N

★★★★½ LO O K • S O U N D • F E E L

★★★★½

TAYLORMADE Qi10

RRP AED 2,895

• The head has forward and rear weighting for low spin and forgiveness.

• This driver is deeper front to back than the Qi10 LS for more stability.

• The sole channel gives at impact for faster ball speed.

• 9, 10.5, 12 degrees (with a 12-way adjustable hosel) Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore

OV E R A L L R AT I N G

TOP 5 BEST LOOKING, DRIVERS, MIDDLE-HANDICAPS

★★★★★ PERFORMANCE

★★★★★ I N N O VAT I O N

★★★★★ LO O K • S O U N D • F E E L

★★★★★

TAYLORMADE Qi10 MAX

RRP AED 2,895

• The size and 30-gram rear weight create the highest stability in this family.

• Heel-biased shaping and weighting make it easier to square the face.

• A lightweight low-torque shaft helps to promote a draw.

• 9, 10.5, 12 degrees (with a 12-way adjustable hosel) Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore

OV E R A L L R AT I N G

TOP 5 MOST FORGIVING, DRIVERS, HIGH-HANDICAPS

★★★★★ PERFORMANCE

★★★★★ I N N O VAT I O N

★★★★★ LO O K • S O U N D • F E E L

★★★★★

FEBRUARY 2024

GOLFDIGESTME.COM 63

DRIVERS

TAYLORMADE Qi10 LS

RRP AED 2,995

• The lowest spinning of the three models.

• A sliding-weight track houses a 19-gram weight to tweak fades and draws.

• Another 19-gram rear weight provides better off-center-hit performance.

• 8, 9, 10.5 degrees (with a 12-way adjustable hosel) Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore

OV E R A L L R AT I N G

TOP 5 BEST LOOKING, DRIVERS, HIGH-HANDICAPS

★★★★★ PERFORMANCE

★★★★★ I N N O VAT I O N

★★★★★ LO O K • S O U N D • F E E L

★★★★★

TITLEIST TSR2

RRP AED 2,945

• The size emphasises forgiveness; the shape improvements optimise aerodynamics.

• The variable-thickness face minimises mis-hits.

• This model maintains the higher launch of past versions with less spin.

• 8, 9, 10, 11 degrees (with a 16-way adjustable hosel) Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore

OV E R A L L R AT I N G

TOP 5 BEST LOOKING, DRIVERS, LOW-HANDICAPS

★★★★★ PERFORMANCE

★★★★★ I N N O VAT I O N

★★★★½ LO O K • S O U N D • F E E L

★★★★★

TITLEIST TSR3

RRP AED 2,945

• A sole panel allows weight to be shifted to align with a player’s natural impact location.

• This model targets players who want to maximise performance on center-face hits.

• The compact shape’s aerodynamic enhancements maximise clubhead speed.

• 8, 9, 10, 11 degrees (with a 16-way adjustable hosel) Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore TOP 5 BEST LOOKING, DRIVERS, LOW-HANDICAPS

OV E R A L L R AT I N G

★★★★★ PERFORMANCE

★★★★★ I N N O VAT I O N

★★★★½ LO O K • S O U N D • F E E L

★★★★★

64 GOLFDIGESTME.COM

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TITLEIST TSR4

RRP AED 2,945

• This driver tends to produce the lowest spin of any TSR model.

• A movable weight in front and back allows for spin-reduction settings.

• The variable-thickness face results in more consistent ball speed across the face.

• 8, 9, 10 degrees (with a 16-way adjustable hosel) Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore

OV E R A L L R AT I N G

TOP 3 SMALLEST DRIVER HEADS

★★★★★ PERFORMANCE

★★★★★ I N N O VAT I O N

★★★★½ LO O K • S O U N D • F E E L

★★★★★

TITLEIST TSR1

RRP AED 2,945

• Targets sub-90 mph swing speeds with a lighter shaft and grip.

• This model features a slight draw bias.

• The head shape creates the lowest drag in the line.

• 9, 10, 12 degrees (with a 16-way adjustable hosel) Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore

OV E R A L L R AT I N G

TOP 3 LIGHTEST DRIVERS

★★★★★ PERFORMANCE

★★★★★ I N N O VAT I O N

★★★★½ LO O K • S O U N D • F E E L

★★★★★

COBRA AIR-X

TBC

• Targets moderate to slow-swing speeds through a lighter head, shaft and grip.

• Internal heel weighting minimises slicing and encourages a higher launch.

• Lofts measure higher than the number on the sole to encourage higher launch.

• 9.5, 10.5 (straight neck); 9.5, 10.5, 11.5 (offset); with fixed hosel

OV E R A L L R AT I N G

TOP 5 HIGHEST LAUNCHING, DRIVERS, SLOWER SWING SPEEDS

★★★★ PERFORMANCE

★★★★ I N N O VAT I O N

★★★★ LO O K • S O U N D • F E E L

★★★★

FEBRUARY 2024

GOLFDIGESTME.COM 65

L

THE LOOP

Golf Turn-ons and Turn-offs When looking for love on the course, attraction isn’t the only thing that matters

By Coleman Bentley

SHE’S A NINE BUT NEVER REPLACES HER DIVOTS.

SHE’S A SEVEN BUT HER GLOVE LOOKS LIKE IT SURVIVED THE CRETACEOUS PERIOD.

HE’S A FOUR BUT PAYS HIS GOLF BETS IMMEDIATELY.

HE’S A SEVEN BUT ALWAYS “FINDS” HIS BALL.

HE’S A NINE BUT CALLS IN RULES INFRACTIONS WHILE WATCHING GOLF ON TV.

HE’S AN EIGHT BUT ROCKS PERSONALISED IRON COVERS.

SHE’S A THREE BUT HAS AN IN AT FISHERS ISLAND.

HE’S A 10 BUT DRESSES LIKE PAYNE STEWART UNIRONICALLY.

SHE’S AN EIGHT BUT LINES UP EVERY PUTT FROM BOTH SIDES. 66 GOLFDIGESTME.COM

FEBRUARY 2024

ILLUSTRATIONS BY SEAN MORRIS

EXCLUSIVE PAINTINGS, SCULPTURES, PHOTOGRAPHY AND TIMEPIECES FROM AWARD-WINNING INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS

Photograph by Faisal Alrais

Sculpture by Alejandra Palos Ortega

Painting by Almudena Angoso