The DP World Tour finishes its fiveweek swing within the region at the Peter Harradine-designed Doha Golf Club. Page 52
4 Watch This Space 2025 is shaping up to be transformative. by harry grimshaw
the starter
6 Blue Course Brilliance: A Royal Challenge
Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, located just 15 minutes from Rabat. by harry grimshaw
voices
8 Why Golfers Climb Mountains by jerry tarde
10 Journeys by rasmus neergaardpetersen with harry grimshaw
features
48 Heroic Hatton
The LIV Golfer secured his fifth Rolex Series title on the DP World Tour in Dubai.
50 GB&I The Top Team European’s got into a cheeky warm-up event for the Ryder Cup.
51 Dominant Del Rey
The Spaniard secured his maiden title in Ras Al Khaimah.
52 Ferguson Fighting Fit
After a challenging 12 months, Ewen is a changed man. with harry grimshaw
54 Twice As Nice – Niemann’s Saudi Double Joqauin holds the two biggest titles. with harry grimshaw
56 2025 Aramco Series Revamp
The LET is in for a revamp in 2025.
58 What To Steal From The Pros
Nine moves you can do. by mark blackburn
how to play
12 The Knockdown
With these adjustments, you’ll be a master in no time. by thomas gracey
14 Dialing in His Draw Chris Kirk adjusted his swing to find the winner’s circle again. by luke kerr-dineen
16 Rules Review
Do I get relief from an electrical box? The pros do, right? by ron kaspriske
18 Get Your Speed Right
Use this drill to turn three-footers into gimmes by jason baile
what to play
20 Dig it Out of the Dirt
What clubs you should add to your golf bag. by peter morrice
22 Mission: Hot list Our annual equipment guide gets more comprehensive—and personal—than ever. by mike stachura
24 Hot List: The 2025 Winners Gold and silver medals go to 143 entries
26 Our Testers
Telling you what you need to know about our judges.
29 Hot List Drivers by mike stachura
42 What’s In My Bag Michael Thorbjornsen with dave allen
where to play
44 Al Zorah Golf Club
The first Jack Nicklaus designed course in the United Arab Emirates. by harry grimshaw
46 Where Golf Meets Nature
What three holes to look out for. by austin cahill
the gulf club
66 Club News
A gallery of some of the local winners in the amateur circuit.
Innovation, Growth, and Drama
2025 is shaping up to be a transformative year for golf
BY HARRY GRIMSHAW
AS WE MOVE THROUGH the first quarter of 2025, the world of professional golf continues to provide storylines and evolving scenarios across both the men’s and women’s game.
One of the biggest developments this year is the much-anticipated TGL (Tomorrow Golf League), which is spearheaded by Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Mike McCarley. Well into its full swing, the TGL is looking to transform the sport with its format of blending traditional golf with cutting-edge indoor simulation technology. Definitely something to keep an eye on!
In the world of the PGA Tour, the new year has been marked by sombre stories following the wildfires in Los Angeles, forcing changes to their schedule. The fires wreaked havoc on both local communities and infrastructure, but the golf community responded with support and solidarity.
The golfing world will be happy to see the return of World Number One Scottie Schef-
fler, who is returning from a Christmas holiday injury to his hand, that sidelined him at the backend of last year.
Meanwhile, LIV Golf is gearing up for its 2025 season, which will see the league mark their season-opener move to Riyadh Golf Club in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The transition is a part of LIV’s continued goal to expand its footprint globally and bring new, exciting events to the Middle East.
The field includes the likes of Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, and Jon Rahm making their debut in the capital.
On the DP World Tour, the Middle East swing of 2025 has delivered plenty of dramatic moments. With standout performances across Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah and Bahrain, the tour continues to Qatar this month which adds into showcasing some of the finest golf courses in the Middle East region. The ever-growing significance of these events on the global stage cannot be overlooked, as it still brings in the cream of the crop players in Rory McIlroy, Tyrrell Hatton, Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood and Min Woo Lee to name just a few playing on its links.
For the Ladies European Tour, their 2025 season kicks off in Morocco for the Lalla Meryem Cup in the first week of the Feb, before the focus shifts to Riyadh for the newly revamped Aramco Series, which promises to bring an exciting improvement to women’s golf.
As the year unfolds, it’s clear that 2025 is shaping up to be a transformative year for golf, with plenty of exciting action across all fronts.
editor-in-chief Obaid Humaid Al Tayer
managing partner & group editor
Ian Fairservice
chief commercial officer
Anthony Milne
editor Harry Grimshaw
art director Clarkwin Cruz
editorial assistant Londresa Flores
publisher David Burke
general manager - production
S. Sunil Kumar
production manager Binu Purandaran
THE GOLF DIGEST PUBLICATIONS
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
general manager Chris Reynolds
editorial director Max Adler
executive editor Peter Morrice
art director Bill Specht
managing editors Alan P. Pittman, Ryan Herrington
playing editors Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson
Motivate Publishing Ltd, Acre House, 11/15 William Road, London, NW1 3ER, UK
Email: motivateuk@motivate.ae
JUNIOR
JUNIOR
JUNIOR
the starter
Blue Course Brilliance: A Royal Challenge
Home to the Lalla Meryem Cup, this is a Robert Trent Jones Sr. beauty
BY HARRY GRIMSHAW
ROYAL GOLF DAR ES SALAM, located just 15 minutes from Rabat, Morocco’s capital, is golfing royalty set amidst a 440-hectare cork oak forest.
Designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., the Blue Course blends technical challenges with scenic beauty. In 2018, Cabell B. Robinson added a fairway bunker and a winding stream to the 18th hole, enhancing its unpredictability and drama. Known for its fast, undulating greens and lively fairways, it offers an experience for golfers of all levels.
The Blue Course serves as the stage for the prestigious Lalla Meryem Cup, on the Ladies European Tour (LET), one of the premier events on the circuit. Founded in 1993 by His Late Majesty King Hassan II and a part of the LET since 2010, the event has seen the participation of golf legends like Laura Davies, Suzann Pettersen, and Annika Sörenstam. Its unique trophy—a delicate minaudière—adds to the charm and exclusivity of the special event, just like the course.
8th February
Par 73 Yardage 6449
LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR - LALLA MERYEM CUP
Royal Golf Dar Es Salam (Blue Course) 6th –
Prize Pot: €450,000
Why Golfers Climb Mountains
BY JERRY TARDE
Imust know a couple of thousand people on a first-name basis who play golf, but I know only two who climb mountains. I went to Arizona to see one of them on the way to see the other in Kansas. I asked the first what I should ask the second. They’re both in the golf business, and I was looking to learn something about golf and life.
Pat Loftus, 69, is a senior executive with Ping. He’s climbed four of the World’s Seven Great Summits—Denali in Alaska, Elbrus in Russia, Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and Aconcagua in Argentina—but still dreams of reaching Everest in the Himalayas. “I would love to do it in retirement,” he says, and I think to myself that sounds nuts.
Pat first told me what not to ask. He says when someone’s climbing a mountain you never ask two things: You don’t ask him how he feels, because he feels crappy. You always feel rubbish when you’re climbing a mountain. You’re not eating or sleeping. You’re lying on the ground and you’re cold. You need a shower. You don’t have enough oxygen. You feel isolated. So, of course, you feel rubbish. Don’t ask that.
He says the second thing you never ask is how far you’ve got left to go, because you’ve always got a long way to go. When you’re climbing a mountain, you just put your head down and keep going. People think it’s about tenacity and determination, but it’s all about patience.
Nobody wants to hear that.
I tell Pat, OK, I get the degree of difficulty, but our friend already climbed his mountain. What do I ask him? Rhett Evans, the 56-year-old CEO of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America—golf’s No. 1 greenkeeper— took a sabbatical from his job and spent 50 days this past spring climbing Mount Everest (29,035 feet), the world’s tallest summit. What Pine Valley is to golfers, Everest is to mountain climbers, times 100. About 6,600 individuals have done
it since Sir Edmund Hillary in 1953, but Rhett’s the only one I play golf with.
Loftus looked at me and said one word: “Why? That’s really the only question.”
Back in May, the climber in a group ahead of Evans died in the snow right
in front him before reaching the summit. His Sherpa borrowed Rhett’s spare oxygen bottle and failed to revive him. The same day another climber died on the descent. This is known as the Death Zone, where your body deprived of ox-
ygen is dying by the minute. Why the hell do golfers climb mountains?
Carnoustie is hard. Shinnecock and Oakmont can be impossible. But nobody dies playing them. So I flew from visiting Pat in Scottsdale to Kansas City and drove another 50 miles to Lawrence, Kansas, where the GCSAA is headquartered and where Rhett works when he’s not climbing mountains. There’s a life-size bronze of Old Tom Morris, the original greenkeeper, standing outside his office. I asked Rhett one question, sat back and listened.
“Why? I thought a lot about that,” he began, “As humans we have an innate desire to improve ourselves. We’re innovators as a species. If we’re not extending ourselves, we’re stagnant. If we’re not reinventing ourselves, we become average. I have a deep belief that we’re all better than average if we push ourselves.”
(This made me laugh. I thought of A Prairie Home Companion, when Garrison Keillor lived in another small midwestern town where all the children were above average.)
“We’re so much more capable of what we think we can do,” Evans kept going. “Everybody doesn’t have to climb Everest. But we each stand to gain so much
A
DIFFICULT UP AND DOWN GCSAA leader Rhett Evans summited Mt. Everest in May of 2024.
double-sportsmen: They fish and golf or they ski and golf or they sail and golf or they play tennis and golf. But they’re not putting their lives at risk. I ask Rhett how he gets the fear of death out of his head. “You don’t,” he says. “I think all the time about those climbers who died, what were their regrets, what would they have changed?” Then he shows me a passage from his diary on the mountain: “The unforgettable faces of those who had perished just hours before loom over me. I had witnessed first-hand one of them take his last breath. It was a stark reminder how fragile life is. We never know when it will be our time. The memory of the climber’s final moment spurred me to maintain a hyper-focus and meticulous placement of each footstep. I ensured my crampons were securely embedded in the ice before taking my next step.”
The golf part of our brain doesn’t dwell as much on the why; it’s more thinking about the how.
injuries. (When I saw him, he was still recovering and hadn’t been able to play golf.) The third adversity, he says, was the overall deterioration of his body— lack of oxygen, dehydration, weight loss, sleep deprivation, fatigue. “It just felt too big, too ominous,” he says. And then there were the false summits. Everest has several illusions where you think you’ve reached the top, but you haven’t. The Southern Summit, Hillary Step, the summit ridge, and only then the True Summit. He finally made it on May 23, looked around for 15 minutes and saw the curvature of the earth.
“A wave of emotions washed over me,” he wrote in his diary the next day. “I felt a sense of relief, accomplishment, a closeness to God. I had never before felt such a profound connection. Overwhelming gratitude.” Then he began what he learned would be the hardest part—more than half of deaths occur on the descent. “Getting to the summit was optional,” he says. “Getting down was mandatory—one of the axioms of mountaineering.”
“We’re innovators as a species. If we’re not extending ourselves, we’re stagnant. I have a deep belief that we’re all better than average if we push ourselves.”
-Rhett Evans
from doing something out of our comfort zone. No matter our health or disabilities, we push ourselves to get out of bed in the morning. Each one of us has something we’re dealing with—a fear of failure, inadequacy, lack of confidence. We all want to become a better person. Isn’t that why we do it?”
Most of the 2,000 golfers I know are
How did Rhett get to the top of the world? He says he overcame three adversities, but I count a lot more. He dreamed for years and trained for months before he even got to Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, about 4,600 feet above sea level. From there it’s about 14 days of climbing through the Himalayas to get to Everest Base Camp. Three days in, he ate some bad yak, got food poisoning and became so sick he thought his trip would end abruptly— the first adversity. But he made it to Base Camp, 17,500 feet, where he began to practice expeditions going higher and higher to acclimatize himself. On a climb up Lobuche Peak (20,075 feet), he fell and hurt his shoulder, wrist and leg—the second adversity. Again he thought it might be the end of the journey. He had to be helicoptered back to Kathmandu for treatment.
“You have plenty of time,” his Sherpa, Chakra, told him. “The mountain will be there waiting for you and we will climb her.”
Rhett returned and had to learn a modified climbing technique for his
“There are no secrets to success,” one diary entry read. “It’s simply a matter of methodical preparation, relentless hard work, and the resilience to rise after each fall. Chance truly favours the prepared.”
These are the words of a man who leads 20,000 hard-working golf superintendents fitting our game into the outside world. Their caring for the ecosystem of golf today is challenged by frequent extreme weather events and a growing climate crisis. It’s not enough to maintain green speeds and fairway conditioning. The GCSAA bears the responsibility to balance government regulation with environmental stewardship and wildlife preservation. The only person in the golf industry who’s climbed Everest seems like the man for the job.
What else has Rhett learned on the mountain? “You can’t give your life more time, so give your time more life,” he says now. “Be in the moment. Appreciate the present.”
Why, I ask him one last time.
He quotes that other mountain climber, Ben Hogan: “The most important shot is the next one.” The next shot is our why.
‘Turning professional is stressful. You never know where you are playing next.’
With three wins in India, Abu Dhabi and Germany, now I’m on the DP World Tour which is crazy!
BY RASMUS NEERGAARD-PETERSEN WITH HARRY GRIMSHAW
IGREW UP about 20 minutes north of Copenhagen. Both of my parents played golf, so I come from a golfing family. I was introduced to the game from a very young age; my parents got me plastic golf clubs before I could even walk, and I was still crawling around smacking the ball!
I grew up playing a bit of badminton, football and golf. Then, when I was about 13, I got into the Danish national team and the development squad. That’s when golf became more serious for me, so I quit those other two sports and started spending more time on golf.
● ● ●
RASMUS NEERGAARDPETERSEN
DP WORLD TOUR
AGE: 25
PRO WINS: 3
I was looking at a couple of other schools in the States, but it felt like Oklahoma State University (OSU) had so much history there, and they had a great, great programme. OSU isn’t for everyone; it’s very cut-throat, and if you’re not playing well, you’re not going to get picked for the tournaments. I guess that makes it similar to professional golf: it doesn’t matter how you do it, the only thing that matters is what you shoot. So that taught me a lot.
●
●
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I was on the team for four years with Rayhan Thomas; he’s a great guy and we spent a lot of good times together. I was pumped to see him get his first pro win in India last year and am looking forward to hopefully seeing him soon. I was lucky enough to overlap one year at OSU with Viktor Hovland and Matt Wolff when they were in their final year. Viktor stayed in Stillwater when he turned pro for a couple of years, so I spent a lot of time with him, which was really inspiring, being able to pick his brain and play with him.
●
I turned professional in 2023, and it was quite stressful playing off invites—you never quite know when or where you’re going to play next. Then 2024 was just a great year on the Challenge Tour. I won three times in India, Abu Dhabi and Germany, next thing you know I’m on the DP World Tour, which is crazy! I was lucky enough to play in some great events towards the end of 2024 and even managed to secure a better card than I originally had for the 2025 season.
●
It all goes back to the support I had from the Danish Golf Union as a kid. But it’s not just me—look at how well Danish golf is doing now. We have the Højgaard brothers, Niklas Nørgaard, Thorbjørn Olesen, even Hamish Brown. We aren’t the biggest country in population, let alone actual golfers. So to be able to produce so many world-class golfers shows we are definitely doing something right in developing players. All credit to them!
●
The main goal for this year is to see if I can win a tournament on the DP World Tour. Then, also, I’d love to see if I can grab one of those PGA Tour cards. There is obviously a lot of golf to be played this year, so hopefully, I can get off to a hot start early on.
EDITED BY HARRY GRIMSHAW
“Hitting a knockdown shot is easier than it looks! First, grab at least two clubs more than you’d normally use for the distance. Position the ball in the centre of your stance. To keep the ball flight low, limit your swing to below shoulder height. Keep your sternum directly over the ball throughout the swing, and most importantly, commit to the shot! With these adjustments, you’ll master the knockdown in no time.”
-THOMAS GRACEY, PGA PROFESSIONAL, ABU DHABI GOLF RESORT, ABU DHABI, UAE
Dialing in His Draw
Chris Kirk adjusted his swing to find the winner’s circle again
BY LUKE KERR-DINEEN
MANY TOUR PLAYERS
learn how to sling draws from an early age because it’s a shortcut to more distance. However, executing a big power hook depends a lot on precision timing, so many pros eventually curtail this shot shape for something easier to repeat. Just ask Chris Kirk.
“I’ve always moved the ball from right to left,” says Kirk, 39, who started his 14th season on the PGA Tour last January with his sixth victory— arguably his biggest—at The Sentry in Kapalua, Hawaii. “When I was younger,
in college, it was drawing a lot more. You could call it a ‘sling hook.’ But as I’ve gotten older and my swing has gotten a little better, I don’t sling it as much [for control].”
Kirk’s long-time swing coach, Golf Digest 50 Best Teacher Scott Hamilton, says that while they’ve softened the sling, Kirk didn’t have to sacrifice distance as a result.
“He was a 113 to 114 miles-per-hour guy. Now he can hit 118,” Hamilton says. “He probably plays at 113 to 115, but when he wants to hit one hard, he’s got that extra gear.”
Hamilton says Kirk’s old tendency was to let his arms fold, making the swing get narrow at the top. But a lot of work on the range—and in the gym— helped Kirk get much wider. That width generates more power and, even better, helps him swing with better timing. He’s able to consistently bring the club down on a shallower plane.
The other thing the two worked on was getting Kirk’s pelvis to move better, Hamilton says. Kirk’s old habit was to push his hips out in front of the ball on the backswing, which caused him “to throw the brakes on and then
GROUND GAME
Chris Kirk pushes off the turf for power.
try and square up the clubface” in the downswing, Hamilton says. It was an unreliable move. Now, the more Kirk can load into his right hip and maintain pressure there on the backswing (above, fourth image), the easier it is for him to sync his arm swing with his body rotation and attack the ball from inside the target line.
“I want to feel like I make a big turn, but I stay centered as I turn,” Kirk says. Getting his pelvis stabilised also makes it easier for Kirk to unload and
push off the ground through impact ( above , sixth image ) —a big reason for his jump in clubhead speed. Kirk finished 2024 ranked 100th in driving distance at 299.1 yards, a near 16-yard increase from five years prior when he struggled to post one top-25 finish in 17 starts. Kirk had three top 10s last year including the win in the season opener.
“He’s really added a vertical component to his swing,” Hamilton says. “He’ll load up, squat a little bit, and then push out. He’s using a lot more ground force, and that boosts power.”
That Thing is in My Way
Do I get relief from an electrical box? The pros do, right?
BY RON KASPRISKE
WATCH PRO GOLF long enough and you’ll be amazed at some of the breaks players seem to get thanks to the construction of grandstands, hospitality tents, TV towers and more. In fact, it’s not all that unusual for tour pros to take temporary immovable obstructions (TIOs) into consideration when playing shots.
One example came from Jordan Spieth at the Valero Texas Open last year. Trying to escape a dicey lie in a penalty area on the 18th hole at TPC San Antonio during the third round, Spieth purposely hit his third shot into the gutter of the clubhouse left of the green, knowing that the building was not out of bounds. He got the relief drop, which then put his ball behind a scoreboard on his line to the hole. That allowed him to take more free relief, because a scoreboard is considered a TIO on the PGA Tour. That scoreboard relief gave him a clean shot into the green, and he knocked it on. As it turns out, he made a double bogey, but those crafty moves nearly helped him save par.
If you were watching or just read about it, you might be wondering why pros get free relief for stuff like that but you can’t move your ball without penalty when there’s an irrigationcontrol box ( above ) or some other permanent structure between it and the hole. Rule 16 covers abnormal course conditions including immovable obstructions (not temporary ).
Examples of obstructions include cement cart paths, ball washers and even the snack bar at the turn. As long as your ball is anywhere on the course except for a penalty area, the rule states that you are allowed one club-length of free relief (it has to be complete relief) from the obstruction. When you drop, your ball can’t be closer to the hole and it must be in the general area of the course. But here’s the catch: This relief applies only if the immovable obstruction interferes with your ball, stance or swing
Notice the rule didn’t mention line of play? That type of relief is available only when a temporary immovable obstruction is on the intended line and Model Local Rule F-23 has been enacted. The logic is that these objects the pros have to deal with wouldn’t be there for any other reason but the tournament, so it’s unfair to make players navigate them.
The takeaway might be that while it can seem like pros are getting outrageous relief without penalties, they are just taking advantage of the rules.
Get Your Speed Right
Use this drill to turn three-footers into gimmes
BY JASON BAILE
FOR MANY GOLFERS, a three-foot putt is anything but a gimme, especially when the pressure is ratcheted up and the putt is for birdie or a crucial par to extend the big weekend match. The mistake a lot of amateurs make with this length putt is that they don’t hit the ball firm enough. They try to cozy the ball up to the hole because they fear another three-footer coming back. Consequently, the ball doesn’t have enough pace to hold its line. They also tend to play too much break, which effectively shrinks the size of the hole.
What is the perfect speed for making more of these three-footers? The following drill will help you dial in just the right amount. Find a relatively flat three-foot putt on the practice green, and place three balls down. Putt the first ball as slow as you possibly can but with just enough forward momentum that it trickles over the front edge of the cup (bottom left). Now putt the second ball at a faster speed so that it will hit the back of the hole and drop in without lipping out (bottom right). Then hit the final ball at a speed between the first two. It should have just enough pace so that it carries to the centre of the cup (bottom middle). That’s the speed you want on all threefooters—nothing too soft or too hard but firm and right in the middle. Perform this drill regularly in your practice and before you play, and you’ll no longer have to fear these short kneeknockers ever again. —with dave allen
JASON BAILE, a Golf Digest 50 Best Teacher, is the director of instruction at Jupiter Hills Club, Tequesta, Florida.
Dig it Out of the Dirt
One of the rare quiet moments at the annual Hot List Summit comes when the range line reveals itself each morning, ready for players to begin testing. Thousands of clubs and 32 avid, real-world golfers went to work over three weeks last fall at the Reunion Resort in Orlando. That process— regimented, resolute, revealing—defines our mission: to find the clubs that matter most in 2025 and, specifically, to help you navigate which ones you should add to your bag.
J.D. CUBAN
EDITED BY PETER MORRICE
MISSION: HOT LIST
Our annual equipment guide gets more comprehensive—and personal—than ever
Just as there was with the first Hot List 22 years ago, there’s a kind of pursuit of the impossible that drives our equipment testing. While “What are the best new clubs?” seems a straightforward enough enterprise, each possible answer spurs more questions. “Best” is a word that draws a lot of attention, but we here at Hot List Central present our annual collection of drivers, woods, irons, wedges and putters in terms of what fits your game and swing. These are the clubs that should move to the top of your own shopping list.
While the intent of our testing hasn’t changed in two decades, the process for getting this year’s Hot List and its 143 winners in front of you is almost unrecognisable. What once took a handful
of days now includes three weeks of testing at the Reunion Resort in Orlando; study by a team of scientists, editors and player-testers representing golfers like you; plus, months of independent research. We’re doing more work defining clubs by the type of players that match up best with their characteristics. We’re taking the input of each of our testers and making their assessments available in a broader form than ever before. You’ll see some of those improvements on the following pages, and be able to align yourself with select players and let their individual reviews further inform your decisions on equipment.
The goal for the program this year is as simple as that original question. What the 2025 Hot List will show you is that there is no such thing as “the best clubs.” Rather, our evolving mission is to reveal “the best clubs for you.”
—Mike Stachura
You can read full reviews and detailed analyses of every winning club each month for the first half of the year.
OUR PROCESS
Founded in research from our scientists and extensive testing by players like you
The Hot List is a massive effort by the Golf Digest editorial team, but the voting is fueled by contributions from two groups that aren’t getting paid. Our team of scientists advises us on which technologies show the most promise, and our panel of 32 player-testers lets us know which 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 testers, we assess the utility of each club. 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 during testing this time we recorded nearly 27,000 shots. Fitters work with players on-site so that
they are evaluating clubs that are ideal for their individual specs. (For example, a tester most likely will hit only the driver model within a driver family that fits his or her game.) Also, our low-handicap players don’t evaluate super-gameimprovement irons, just as our high-handicap players don’t hit players irons. All of the drivers are tested for conformance to the rules on spring-like effect before player evaluations begin.
INNOVATION
30%
In consultation with our scientists 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. We also consider how that technology is explained and how much of a commitment to fitting a company has made. In short, the best clubs in Innovation are changing what’s possible.
LOOK • SOUND • FEEL
20%
Using input from our testers, we rate the relative excellence of the visual, auditory and tactile experience of hitting 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 measure of what the player discovers while testing each club.
GOLD
Products earned a score of 93 to 100. SILVER
Products earned a score of 88 to 92.99
OUR EXPERTS
Our scientists and fitters make the Hot List better. The scientists prod manufacturers to find the truly innovative clubs in the game, and our fitters from Golf Galaxy ensure that players hit the right clubs for their swings. Together, they’re crucial to our search for the clubs that matter.
SCIENTISTS
MARTIN BROUILLETTE, PH.D.
Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Sherbrooke
TOM MASE, PH.D. Professor of Mechanical Engineering (emeritus), Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo
JOHN MCPHEE, PH.D. Professor of Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo
DICK RUGGE
Senior Technical Director (retired), USGA
FITTERS
CHRIS MARCHINI
Director of Golf Experience, Golf Galaxy, Coraopolis, Pennsylvania
ANDREW FARLOW
Golf Galaxy, Richmond, Virginia
ALEX KENNEDY
Golf Galaxy, Pittsburgh
DEVIN LOGUE
Golf Galaxy, Richmond, Virginia
DANIEL MARTINEZ
Golf Galaxy, Orlando
PAT SNYDER
Golf Galaxy, Pittsburgh
HOT LIST: THE 2025 WINNERS
Gold and silver medals go to 143 entries, including 11 drivers, 58 irons, 14 wedges and 36 putter s
DRIVERS
•CALLAWAY
Elyte/Elyte Max Fast/Elyte X/ Elyte
•COBRA
DS-Adapt LS/
DS-Adapt Max-D/
DS-Adapt Max-K/DS-Adapt X
•PING
G440 LST/G440 Max/ G440 SFT
•PXG
0311 Black Ops/ 0311 Black Ops Tour-1
•SRIXON
ZXi/ZXi LS/ZXi Max
•TAYLORMADE
Qi35/Qi35 LS/Qi35 Max/Qi35 Max Lite
•TITLEIST
GT1/GT2/GT3/GT4
•CLEVELAND
HiBore XL/HiBore XL Lite
•MIZUNO
ST-G/ST-Max 230/ST-X 230/
ST-Z 230
•TOUR EDGE
Exotics C725/Exotics E725
•WILSON
Dynapower Carbon/ Dynapower LS/ Dynapower Max
FAIRWAY WOODS
•CALLAWAY
Elyte/Elyte Max Fast/ Elyte X/Elyte
•CALLAWAY
Elyte Ti
•COBRA
DS-Adapt LS
•COBRA
DS-Adapt Max/DS-Adapt X
•PING
G440 LST
•PING
G440 Max/G440 SFT
•TAYLORMADE
Qi35/Qi35 Max/Qi35 Max Lite
•TAYLORMADE
Qi35 Tour
•TITLEIST
GT1/GT2/GT3
•MIZUNO
ST-G
•PXG 0311 Black Ops
•SRIXON ZXi
•TOUR EDGE Exotics C725
•WILSON Dynapower Carbon/ Dynapower Max
HYBRIDS
•CALLAWAY
Elyte/Elyte Max Fast/Elyte X
•COBRA
DS-Adapt
•COBRA King Tec
•PING G440
•SRIXON ZXi
•TAYLORMADE
Qi35/Qi35 Max/Qi35 Max Lite
•TITLEIST
GT1/GT2/GT3
•CLEVELAND Halo XL
•MIZUNO ST-Max 230/ST-Z 230
•PXG 0311 Black Ops
PLAYERS IRONS
•CALLAWAY Apex CB
•CALLAWAY Apex Pro
•COBRA 3DP Tour
•MIZUNO Mizuno Pro 243
•PING Blueprint S
•SRIXON ZXi7
•TAYLORMADE P•770
•TAYLORMADE P•7CB
•TITLEIST T100
•TITLEIST T150
•COBRA King Tour
•MAXFLI XC2
•MIZUNO Mizuno Pro S3
•PING i230
•PXG 0317 T
PLAYERS-DISTANCE IRONS
•CALLAWAY Apex Ai200
•CALLAWAY
Apex Ti Fusion
•COBRA King Tec
•MIZUNO
JPX925 Forged
•MIZUNO
JPX925 Hot Metal Pro
•MIZUNO Mizuno Pro 245
•PING
i530
•PXG 0311 P GEN7
•SRIXON ZXi5
•TAYLORMADE P•790
•TITLEIST T200
•HONMA
TW767 PX
•WILSON Dynapower Forged
GAME-IMPROVEMENT IRONS
•CALLAWAY Apex Ai300
•CALLAWAY Elyte
•CALLAWAY Elyte HL
•COBRA DS-Adapt
•COBRA King Tec-X
•MIZUNO
JPX925 Hot Metal
•PING G440
•PXG 0311 XP GEN7
•SRIXON ZXi4
•TAYLORMADE Qi
•TITLEIST T350
•CLEVELAND ZipCore XL
•HONMA TW767 HX
•PXG Black Ops
•TOUR EDGE Exotics E725
•VICE
VGI02
•WILSON Dynapower
SUPER-GAMEIMPROVEMENT IRONS
•CALLAWAY Elyte X
•CLEVELAND Halo XL Full-Face
•COBRA DS-Adapt Max
•MIZUNO JPX925 Hot Metal HL
•PING G730
•TAYLORMADE Qi HL
•YONEX EZone GT
•COBRA Air-X
•COBRA T-Rail
•PXG Wildcat
•TOUR EDGE Exotics X725
•WILSON Dynapower Max
•XXIO 13
WEDGES
•CALLAWAY
Opus/Opus Platinum
•CLEVELAND
CBX4 ZipCore
•CLEVELAND RTZ
•MIZUNO
Mizuno Pro T1
•PING s159
•TAYLORMADE
Milled Grind 4
•TITLEIST
Vokey Design SM10
•BETTINARDI
HLX 6.0
•COBRA King
•EDEL
SMS Pro
•MIZUNO
Mizuno Pro T3
•PXG
Sugar Daddy III
•TAYLORMADE
Hi-Toe 4
•WILSON
Sta Model ZM
BLADE PUTTERS
•BETTINARDI
Queen B
•EVNROLL V-Series
•EVNROLL Zero
•KEVIN BURNS Custom Series
•MERIDIAN
Milled Stainless Series
•ODYSSEY
Ai-One
•ODYSSEY
Ai-One Milled
•ODYSSEY
Ai-One Square 2 Square
•PING
PLD Milled
•PING
Scottsdale
•PXG
Battle Ready II
•TITLEIST
Scotty Cameron Studio Style
•BETTINARDI Antidote
•CLEVELAND
HB Soft 2 Black
•COBRA Vintage
•MIZUNO
M.Craft OMOI
•PXG
Tour Series
MALLET PUTTERS
•BETTINARDI
Queen B
•EVNROLL V-Series
•EVNROLL Zero
•L.A.B. GOLF
Oz.1/Oz.1i
•MERIDIAN Milled Stainless Series
•MIZUNO M.Craft X
•ODYSSEY Ai-One
•ODYSSEY Ai-One Milled
•ODYSSEY Ai-One Square 2 Square
•PING
PLD Milled
•PING Scottsdale
•PXG Allan
•PXG Battle Ready II
•TAYLORMADE Spider Tour/Black
•TITLEIST
Scotty Cameron Phantom
•TITLEIST
Scotty Cameron Studio Style
•BETTINARDI
Antidote
•COBRA
3D Printed
•SEEMORE
Mini Giant HTX/MDX
OUR TESTERS
Telling you what you need to know
At the Hot List Summit, our panel of intrepid testers—from 90-shooters to pros—analysed, scrutinised and pulverised golf’s newest clubs. Let’s meet them.
Gary Abbott, 37 Dundas, Ontario, Canada
Solutions engineer / Handicap: 12
Driver: 265 yards / 7-iron: 170 yards
"I minimise big mistakes by playing a fairly conservative game from tee to green so I chase par and bogey on most holes. I lack the higher gear to make a bunch of birdies in a round."
Favourite Hot List driver: Callaway Elyte X
Thomas B. Allen, 60 Middletown, Ohio
Attorney / Handicap: 5
Driver: 250 yards / 7-iron: 153 yards
"About once a week, I put in a practice session, mostly on my short game, so I excel with a wedge or putter in my hands. I fight a two-way miss off the tee, which is where I lose most of my strokes."
Favourite Hot List wedge: Titleist Vokey Design SM10
Alejandra Bedoya, 26
Bogotá, Colombia
Corporate financial planner / Handicap: 6
Driver: 240 yards / 7-iron: 150 yards
"I have competitive experience, so I’ve put a premium on keeping the ball in play off the tee and scoring around the greens. I sometimes struggle to hit greens with my long irons."
Favourite Hot List players-distance iron: Callaway Apex Ti Fusion
Jack Bingham, 35
Hilton Head Island
Caddie / Handicap: 0.5
Driver: 275 yards / 7-iron: 170 yards
"I’m a straight-and-in-play guy. Nothing fancy from me. I play more than I practice, typically a couple of times per week. My low-launch, high-spin combo can be an issue into a headwind."
Favourite Hot List driver:
Ping G440 LST
Molly Braid, 37
Shorewood, Wisconsin.
Golf professional
Driver: 235 yards / 7-iron: 145 yards
"I hit a lot of fairways with my longer clubs, but I miss more greens than I’d like. As a result, I’ve got a deep arsenal of recovery shots around the green.
And I’m a streaky putter."
Favourite Hot List wedge: Ping s159
Ricky Brown, 46
Fort Worth
High school principal / Handicap: +3
Driver: 285 yards / 7-iron: 180 yards
"I’m a long hitter, and I keep the ball fairly straight with the driver. I tend to have some issues on short shots around the green. I’d say I practice my putting more than anything."
Favourite Hot List driver:
TaylorMade Qi35 LS
Alan Cooke, 30
Denver
Service Solutions Specialist / Handicap: 1
Driver: 270 yards / 7-iron: 175 yards
"My opponents should be nervous if I’m standing over a short or middle iron. My driver, on the other hand, can get a bit wild. My ball flight is too high, which only adds to the problem."
Favourite Hot List mallet putter: Ping Scottsdale
Scott Dickinson, 36 Greenville, South Carolina
Producer/editor / Handicap: 14
Driver: 310 yards / 7-iron: 190 yards
"I’m a power guy, and like a lot of long hitters, I don’t always keep the ball on the planet. I do have decent touch when I get down to the wedges. Reading greens is one skill that baffles me."
Favourite Hot List driver: Cobra DS-Adapt LS
Skylar Frankiewicz, 26
Concord, Massachusetts
Growth/partnerships associate / Handicap: 5
Driver: 260 yards / 7-iron: 155 yards
"The best part of my game is my versatility around the green. I struggle to hit lowerlofted irons with enough trajectory to hold the greens. I practice and play about two or three times a month."
Favourite Hot List game-improvement iron: TaylorMade Qi
Jason Guss, 47
Westmont, Illinois
Golf professional
Driver: 250 yards / 7-iron: 165 yards
"My short game and putting are rock-solid. A lack of distance with the driver and on iron shots is a big weakness for me. I practice most days, but I play only about once every other week."
Favourite Hot List mallet putter: Meridian Milled Stainless Series
Sean Harper, Sr., 53
Columbus, Ohio
Retired / Handicap: 6
Driver: 260 yards / 7-iron: 170 yards
"My short irons and wedges are great, and I save lots of strokes around the green. Driver is the worst club in my bag. I play most days, weather permitting, and mix in some practice sessions."
Favourite Hot List players-distance iron: TaylorMade P·790
R.C. Hill, 62
DeLand, Florida.
Auto and powersports dealer / Handicap: 8
Driver: 270 yards / 7-iron: 173 yards
"I’m pretty consistent at both ends of my bag. The driver, wedges and putter are definitely where I have some advantage. My irons can get a bit dicey. Plus, I play only a few times a month."
Favourite Hot List mallet putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour
Paul Ianniello, 63
Scottsdale
Retired / Handicap: 5
Driver: 260 yards / 7-iron: 160 yards
"I’m consistent with my tempo, which leads to pretty solid ball-striking, especially with my driver and woods. My short irons and wedges usually prevent me from shooting better scores."
Favourite Hot List players iron: Cobra 3DP Tour
David Ilsley, 65
Wolfeboro, New Hampshire
Financial advisor / Handicap: 8
Driver: 230 yards / 7-iron: 150 yards
"My driver is the best club in my bag. I struggle with wedge play, particularly my chipping. When I’m in-season, I play three or four times a week and practice most of the other days."
Favourite Hot List driver: Titleist GT1
Wayne Johnson, 59 Palm Coast, Florida Pilot / Handicap: 7
Driver: 240 yards / 7-iron: 160 yards
"I hit the ball a decent distance, especially for my age, but when my swing is off, I can get it going left or right. I try for two or three practice sessions a week and play usually three times."
Favourite Hot List blade putter: Odyssey Ai-One Square 2 Square
Ryan Kroll, 49
Chanhassen, Minnesota
Stay-at-home father / Handicap: 10
Driver: 237 yards / 7-iron: 157 yards
"My short irons and bunker play are pretty good, and I’m a very positive person, which helps. I fight early extension on the downswing and lose accuracy with longer clubs. I’d like more distance."
Favourite Hot List driver: Ping G440 Max
Peter Lee, 56
San Diego
Attorney / Handicap: 9
Driver: 250 yards / 7-iron: 165 yards
"I’m generally a good ball-striker, but, ironically, I struggle with the mental game and end up not trusting my swing. I mix practicing and playing on average four or five times a week."
Favourite Hot List game-improvement iron: PXG 0311 XP GEN7
Dan Lupo, 32
New York City
Leveraged credit analyst / Handicap: 11
Driver: 260 yards / 7-iron: 170 yards
"I’m an over-the-top swinger, so I fight a fade, but I account for it and can usually control it. As a weekend golfer, I struggle with feel, so my short game is not always there."
Favourite Hot List blade putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron Studio Style
Wei Mao, 54
Sacramento
Rural mail carrier / Handicap: 10
Driver: 240 yards / 7-iron: 155 yards
"My ball-striking is a definite strength, albeit with only modest distance. Putting is a sore spot for me. I practice about as much as I play—once, maybe twice per week."
Favourite Hot List driver: TaylorMade Qi35
Anand Mudaliar, 42
Philadelphia
Head of product / Handicap: 6
Driver: 265 yards / 7-iron: 160 yards
"I’m a strong driver, and my putting— especially green-reading—has improved over the last few years. I’d benefit from smarter course management and better bunker play."
Favourite Hot List driver: Titleist GT2
Matt Nestler, 27
Tenafly, New Jersey
Acquisitions manager / Handicap: 5
Driver: 270 yards / 7-iron: 170 yards
"Short game and putting are where I’m at my best. I hit a high cut off the tee, which can get away from me when I’m quick in the transition. I play three times a week and practice once."
Favourite Hot List wedge: Mizuno Pro T1
Megan Padua Buzza, 39
Frisco, Texas
Golf professional
Driver: 230 yards / 7-iron: 150 yards
"I drive and putt for dough. My wedge play can cause some issues here and there. I try to practice once or twice a week, but I only get to play about once a month."
Favourite Hot List mallet putter: Bettinardi Antidote
Shane Popham, 36
Norwalk, Connecticut
Channel sales director / Handicap: 13
Driver: 285 yards / 7-iron: 177 yards
"I’m that player who bombs a drive in the team scramble. The scramble part is key because I’m not always able to find it. I like the hero shot over the smart one, despite knowing better."
Favourite Hot List driver: Srixon ZXi LS
Alex Reinhart, 40
Milwaukee
Private equity consultant / Handicap: 9
Driver: 255 yards / 7-iron: 170 yards
"My strength is scrambling. I struggle with putting and consistent swings with good tempo, which is probably why I excel at punch-outs."
Favourite Hot List players-distance iron: Callaway Apex Ai200
Jin Roh, 29
Tenafly, New Jersey
Personal trainer / Handicap: 13
Driver: 280 yards / 7-iron: 165 yards
"I hit the ball high and get plenty of distance through the bag. I’m told I have really nice tempo, but I struggle with reading greens and controlling distance with my putter."
Favourite Hot List game-improvement iron: Cobra King Tec-X
Robert Shaw, 27
Cumming, Georgia
Consultant / Handicap: 2
Driver: 305 yards / 7-iron: 180 yards
"I’m usually the long hitter in my group, so where I get into trouble is with accuracy. I’m most comfortable with an iron or a wedge in my hands."
Favourite Hot List players-distance iron:
Mizuno Mizuno Pro 245
Matt Singer, 52
Portland, Oregon
Trial lawyer / Handicap: 13
Driver: 240 yards / 7-iron: 150 yards
"I played more than 100 times this past year, often six-, nine- or 12-hole outings. I’ve got a reliable short game because I miss lots of greens and have many opportunities to practice."
Favourite Hot List super-gameimprovement iron: TaylorMade Qi HL
Jamie Struck, 51
Okatie, South Carolina
Test pilot / Handicap: 5
Driver: 250 yards / 7-iron: 160 yards
"Most of the time, I hit the fairway, and I know how far each one of my irons goes. I tend to lose strokes with my short game when I miss a green."
Favourite Hot List players-distance iron:
Titleist T200
B.K. Suhr, 41
Orlando
Nurse practitioner / Handicap: 0
Driver: 290 yards / 7-iron: 174 yards
"I’ve got a wide range of wedge shots
I’m comfortable hitting from 30 to 100 yards out, where I often find myself because of my length off the tee. I often battle a two-way miss with my irons."
Favourite Hot List wedge: Titleist Vokey Design SM10
Sandor J. Valls, 35
Miami
Dentist / Handicap: 8
Driver: 290 yards / 7-iron: 185 yards
"My strong suit definitely is power. Keeping the ball in play is a different story for me. Sometimes I lack the concentration to avoid big numbers on the scorecard."
Favourite Hot List players-distance iron: Callaway Apex Ti Fusion
John Vampatella, 54
Storrs, Connecticut
Author/Chaplin / Handicap: 10
Driver: 270 yards / 7-iron: 170 yards
"I’m a good wedge player, and in the peak of the season, I know all my numbers and can even shape shots. Poor putting, especially knee-knockers, and inconsistency plague me."
Favourite Hot List mallet putter: Evnroll Zero
Ryan Woyski, 46
Agency, Missouri
Sales automation specialist / Handicap: 13
Driver: 275 yards / 7-iron: 165 yards
"I practice a few times a week, mostly in my garage, and I get out three or four times a month on work or golf trips. I’m a good scrambler and putter, but I struggle to stay in play."
Favourite Hot List driver: Callaway Elyte
The best drivers today aren’t simply about distance. Sure, power is their calling card, but that power now is delivered more consistently and reliably in a clubhead built for a specific kind of swing, like yours. Maximum results come from choosing a particular model that masks your failings and at the same time enhances your skills. The best drivers this year can restore your confidence and embolden your aggressiveness. While it remains true that in golf we have to play our foul balls, more and more mis-hits with today’s drivers feel like home runs.
• The new head shape features smoother curves for less drag without compromising ocenter-hit stability or negatively altering spin or launch.
• Callaway analysed thousands of swings via AI to optimise face thickness.
• The thermo-forged carbon crown
saves weight that is repositioned low to reduce spin.
• Designed for players who swing out to in with an open face.
• Top 5 in Forgiveness, high-handicaps
• 9, 10.5, 12 degrees (with an eight-way adjustable hosel)
‘Rip city. Ten more yards, and I eliminated my right miss.’
—11-HANDICAP
CALLAWAY ELYTE X
• The largest Elyte clubhead improves mis-hits for golfers who tend to cut across the ball and struggle to square the clubface.
• Designed with a draw bias; two sole weight ports can dial in more draw.
• Tour-based head shape caters to higher swing speeds, produces lower spin.
• Designed for better performance on ocentre hits compared to past models without enlarging the clubhead.
• The AI-designed face uses an asymmetrical thickness pattern to deliver consistent ball speeds.
• Two switchable weight screws in the front and back help increase playability.
• New 3-D-printing capabilities enhance head shape with curves for less drag.
• Top 5 in Performance, middle- and high-handicaps
• 8, 9, 10.5 degrees (adjustable hosel)
Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore
‘Incredibly long and forgiving, and I could shape shots both ways.’
—6-HANDICAP
• The multi-thickness face uses AI swing analysis to better match the needs of this type of player.
• The thermo-forged carbon crown is lighter, stronger than typical carbon composite.
• The highest measured moment of inertia (stability on o -centre hits) of any Elyte model.
• 9, 10.5, 12 degrees (adjustable hosel)
‘Through impact, it’s like a big old thunder crack.’
—+3-HANDICAP
CALLAWAY ELYTE MAX FAST
• The lightest model in the family at 272 grams targets players with swing speeds of 85 miles per hour or less.
• Designed to launch the ball higher with a significant draw bias to counter sliceproducing impact conditions.
• Callaway used AI to develop
the clubface’s asymmetrical variable thickness so that it flexes more e ectively on moderate-speed impacts.
• A thermo-forged carbon crown saves more mass than traditional carbon composite.
• 10.5, 12 degrees (adjustable hosel)
Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore
RRP AED 3,195
COBRA DS-ADAPT X
‘Love the matte black, smaller head. Pleasing sound on the strike and the same flight over and over.’
—6-HANDICAP
Features forgiveness, lower spin and a head shape that emphasises aerodynamic e ciency. The adjustable hosel’s 33 settings tweak ball flight low, high, left or right. Innovative shaping includes raising the rear skirt and softening the leading
edges to reduce clubhead drag.
• The face is designed with variable thicknesses across 15 distinct regions for more consistent speed on mis-hits.
• 9, 10.5 degrees (33-way adjustable hosel)
Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore
COBRA DS-ADAPT LS
• The sleekest, most aerodynamic shape in the family.
• Targeting better players with faster swing speeds, this model uses frontbias weighting for high energy transfer and workability.
• An internal bridgelike bar near the front on the 9-degree bows toward the
face to move weight lower and forward for less spin.
• The 10.5-degree stores more weight deep in the clubhead to provide added forgiveness and optimal launch.
• Top 5 in Forgiveness, middle-handicaps
• 9, 10.5 degrees (33-way adjustable hosel)
Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore
RRP AED 2,795
‘Swings easy because it’s light but plenty of meat at impact.’
—13-HANDICAP
RRP AED 2,795
‘Like the compact head. A nice thud at impact, consistent ball flight.’
—+3-HANDICAP
COBRA DS-ADAPT MAX-D
• Slicers take note: This is Cobra’s most drawinducing model.
• The more upright lie angle makes it easier to return the clubface to square.
• The lighter head gives moderateswing-speed players better control of the face angle.
• An asymmetrical face curvature helps
mis-hits o the toe track back toward the centre.
• A 10-gram external weight in the heel adds draw bias.
• The adjustable hosel features 33 settings for tweaking ball flight low, high, left or right.
• 10.5, 12 degrees (33-way adjustable hosel)
Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf
‘Elegant, kind of understated. Easy to hit it straight.’
—13-HANDICAP
COBRA DS-ADAPT MAX-K
‘Centre face didn’t even matter; every shot was just flat-out launched.’
—15-HANDICAP
PING
Minimises mis-hits with the largest frame in the family and deep internal weighting in the rear perimeter. The clubhead’s measured stability on o -centre hits (moment of inertia) is near the USGA limit and is the highest in the company’s history.
• A 10-gram weight in the back pushes mass lower using an aluminum housing.
• Thin carboncomposite layers replace much of the crown and sole to save weight that is repositioned for extra stability.
• 9, 10.5, 12 degrees (33-way adjustable hosel)
G440 MAX RRP AED 2,995
• The most forgiving model in the G440 driver lineup.
• A more open interior portion of the hosel creates room for that area of the face to flex better while lowering the centre of gravity.
• A carbon-composite piece wraps into the back half of the crown to save mass for a 29-gram adjustable weight in the rear perimeter that allows for neutral, draw or fade positions.
• Top 5 in Performance, middleand high-handicaps
• 9, 10.5, 12 degrees (with an eight-way adjustable hosel)
Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore
‘A lot of design elements but they work well together. Loved the feel at impact—soft but powerful.’
—13-HANDICAP
Megastore
PING G440 LST
• The LST is for faster swingers who can reduce spin through the clubhead’s forward and low centre of gravity, plus it earns a high rating for stability on ocentre hits.
• The head, which incorporates many of the technologies from the G440 Max, has a flatter lie angle
than the Max to reduce draw bias.
• A 29-gram weight allows neutral, draw or fade settings.
• Top 5 in Performance, lowand high-handicaps
• 9, 10.5 degrees (adjustable hosel)
Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore
RRP AED 2,995
‘The white marks on the face are like an airport runway telling you where to go.’
—1-HANDICAP
PING G440 SFT
RRP AED 2,995
‘Great visual aid on the face. Head size is not too large. Monstrous numbers.’
—7-HANDICAP
The slice-fighting “neutral” face angle is 1.5 degrees more closed than the G440 Max in a “draw” setting. The new 9-degree model provides slice correction for players with faster swing speeds, too.
A redesigned interior portion of the hosel creates room for that area of the face to flex better while lowering the centre of gravity.
• The SFT is 3 percent lighter than the LST and designed to be easier to control for players with moderate swing speeds.
• 9, 10.5 degrees (adjustable hosel)
Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore
PXG 0311 BLACK OPS
• This model is the most forgiving driver in the company’s history.
• A lightweight carbon-composite crown and sole panels save weight that is pushed to the perimeter for maximum stability.
FORGIVENESS
RRP AED 2,995
• The centre of gravity is deeper and lower compared to previous PXG models.
• Top 5 in Performance, low-handicaps
• The high-strength titanium alloy in the face, originally developed for airplane landing gear, deflects the ball in a way that launches it higher with less spin.
Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore
‘I like the glossy black look and the way the carbon fiber is integrated. A classic sports car vibe.’
—6-HANDICAP
PXG 0311 BLACK OPS TOUR-1
• This version is more compact compared to the standard model and targets faster swingers wanting less spin.
• Discretionary weight is positioned lower and more forward for reduced spin and a low launch.
• A flatter lie angle than the standard model helps to lessen draw bias.
• The carboncomposite crown and sole panels save weight, boosting playability.
• Weight ports in the sole are more tightly spaced than on the standard model to create precise adjustability options.
• 8, 9, 10.5 degrees (adjustable hosel)
Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore
RRP AED 3,095
‘A nice weight and balance, which made me feel like I had control. Great consistency.’
SRIXON ZXI
‘I like the pattern on top, coollooking. Impact was on the louder side.’
—6-HANDICAP
SRIXON
ZXI LS
• This model should appeal to better players with faster swings who are looking for less spin.
• The neutral setting encourages hitting a fade.
• Front and rear sole weights provide options to create less spin or higher launch.
Fits players looking for mid-to-high flight and mid-to-low spin. Unlike in typical drivers, the face’s variable-thickness pattern uses a thinner (not thicker) middle section surrounded by thicker heel and toe sections, along with a stronger titanium alloy, to create a
larger area of the face with the highest ball speeds.
• Alternating rigid and flexible regions in the crown and sole provide a power boost at impact.
• Top 5 in Forgiveness, middle-handicaps
• 9, 10.5 degrees (12-way adjustable hosel)
Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore
RRP AED 2,795
• The face’s unique variable-thickness pattern uses a thinner middle section surrounded by thicker heel and toe sections to maximise ball speed across a wider area.
• Top 5 in Performance, low-handicaps
• 8, 9, 10.5 degrees (12-way adjustable hosel)
Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore
—9-HANDICAP
RRP AED 2,795
‘I could feel the good ones versus toe or heel but definitely some forgiveness.‘
—2-HANDICAP
SRIXON ZXI MAX
• This new shape for the Srixon line o ers moderate-swingspeed players the most forgiving driver in company history.
• Designed to launch high with a slight draw.
• A 14-gram, deepcentre weight boosts stability on mis-hits.
• The face’s variablethickness pattern
uses a thinner middle section surrounded by thicker heel and toe sections to maximise ball speed across a wider area.
• The crown and sole’s alternating rigid and flexible regions help increase distance.
• 9, 10.5, 12 degrees (12-way adjustable hosel)
Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore
RRP AED 2,795
‘The ridge on the sole felt like a powerful bar behind the sweet spot. Very stable and strong.’
—13-HANDICAP
TAYLORMADE QI35 MAX
RRP AED 2,995
‘Loved this club. Appreciate the craftsmanship and design.’
—7-HANDICAP
The largest address profile in the line is also the most forgiving with the highest launch, and a 34-gram tungsten weight in the back provides maximum stability.
The carbon-fiber clubface uses a thicker perimeter and thinner centre than last year’s Qi10
model for more consistency.
• Features a slight draw bias with lower, forward weighting for less spin.
• Top 5 in Forgiveness, middle-handicaps
• 9, 10.5, 12 degrees (12-way adjustable hosel)
Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore
TAYLORMADE QI35 LS
• This compact but stout, tour-inspired shape is built with an extremely forward centre of gravity for the lowest spin.
• The LS targets higher-speed ballstrikers who are losing distance due to excess spin.
RRP AED 3,095
• The carbon-fiber face uses a thicker perimeter and thinner centre (compared to the Qi10) for consistent ball speeds.
• Top 5 in Performance, low-handicaps
• 8, 9, 10.5 degrees (12-way adjustable hosel)
• Three weight ports in the sole allow users to dial in a fade or draw while keeping spin low.
Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore
‘Easy to swing and very powerful off the clubface.’
—4-HANDICAP
TAYLORMADE QI35
• The family’s main model can work equally for tour pros and their fans.
• The larger frontto-back size (vs. the Qi10) optimises forgiveness, and movable sole weights control spin.
• Carbon composite in the body and face save weight that pushes the centre of gravity lower than the Qi10 for less spin.
• Special markings embedded in the face of the fitting heads help launch monitors precisely track the head for more reliable data.
• Top 5 in Performance, high-handicaps
• 9, 10.5, 12 degrees (adjustable hosel)
Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore
‘Love the crown’s consistent look. Almost impossible to miss.’
—13-HANDICAP
TAYLORMADE QI35 MAX LITE
‘Massive sweet spot. So light, I could get some serious speed.’
—8-HANDICAP
TITLEIST GT2
• The larger head provides more stability on mis-hits and produces a higher launch.
• Best for players who tend to use the entire clubface and swing with average to above-average speeds.
Built on the same platform as the Qi35 Max but with a lighter overall weight. Ideal for smooth swingers who don’t have that extra gear of speed. A 24-gram tungsten weight in the back improves the stability on o -centre strikes and encourages a higher launch.
• Unique in the industry, the carbonfiber face uses a thicker perimeter region and thinner centre section (compared to the Qi10) for consistent ball speeds.
• A redesigned slot in the sole improves the way the face flexes.
• 10.5, 12 degrees (adjustable hosel)
Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore
RRP AED 3,295
• A lightweight, thermo-formed polymer piece, which wraps around the crown, saves weight for a lower, forward centre of gravity while maintaining Titleist’s preferred sound at impact.
• Top 5 in Performance, low- and middle-handicaps
• 8, 9, 10, 11 degrees (16-way adjustable hosel)
Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore
‘Love the high polish and clean lines. Nothing harsh, everything understated.’
—13-HANDICAP
TITLEIST GT1
• This model has the lightest overall weight of the four drivers in the family and the deepest centre of gravity for stability and high launch.
• The lightweight balance potentially gives moderateswing-speed golfers more control, speed and a higher flight.
• The rear weight port can accommodate a heavier flat weight to fit averageswing-speed players looking for a slight draw bias.
• A ring encircling the back perimeter of the face is designed to maximise ball speed.
• 9, 10, 12 degrees (adjustable hosel)
TBC
‘Traditional, simple, gorgeous. Consistently good on distance.’
TITLEIST GT3
directional control.
‘Consistent distance. Spin rate was low with a penetrating flight.’
—12-HANDICAP
TITLEIST GT4
• The most compact of the four models (430 cubic centimeters) features a centre of gravity that’s more forward than in any other GT model for the most spin reduction.
Its forward centre of gravity (compared to the GT2 model) works better for golfers with a repeatable impact location. The weight track is forward in the sole to allow players to dial in the preferred centre of gravity for better energy transfer and more
• A lightweight, thermo-formed polymer piece wraps around the crown to lower the centre of gravity and maintain Titleist’s preferred sound and feel.
• Top 5 in Performance, lowand high-handicaps
• 8, 9, 10, 11 degrees (adjustable hosel)
Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore
RRP AED 3,295
—8-HANDICAP
• Switchable front and back weights in the sole allow players to choose between a lower-spin option and a more-forgiving setting with the heavier weight in the back.
• A lightweight, thermo-formed polymer piece wraps around the crown to lower the centre of gravity and maintain Titleist’s preferred sound and feel.
• 8, 9, 10 degrees (adjustable hosel)
Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore
‘Super fast off the face. Randy Johnson fastball trajectory.’
—15-HANDICAP
CLEVELAND HIBORE XL
• The triangular shape provides stability with less volume, allowing designers to create a face that’s roughly 10-percent larger than the current average.
• The head shape sti ens the body to improve sound.
• The weld line is farther o the center, improving face flex
on o -center hits.
• Cleveland used AI simulations of average golfers’ impact patterns to dial in the face’s variable thickness for maximizing ball speed on mis-hits.
• Top 5 in Forgiveness, low-handicaps
• 10.5 degrees (12-way adjustable hosel)
Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore
RRP AED 2,195
‘Definitely a different look with the chiseled tail on the back, but it performed better than it looks.’
—+3-HANDICAP
CLEVELAND HIBORE XL LITE
RRP AED 2,195
average.
‘I hit it straight. Off-center hits didn’t affect much. Powerful sound.’
—7-HANDICAP
At 10-percent lighter than the standard XL, the XL Lite targets moderate-swingspeed golfers looking to create more power with the same e ort. The triangular head shape provides stability with less volume but with a face that’s roughly 10-percent larger than the industry
• The head’s internal weighting favors the heel side to create more slice-fighting draw bias.
• A winglet on the crown’s heel side increases the head’s stability as it moves toward impact.
• 10.5 degrees (adjustable hosel)
Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore
MIZUNO ST-MAX 230
• This oversized entry stretches to the limits of the rules that govern high stability.
• Carbon composite swaths in the crown and sole save weight (54 grams) that’s pushed deep within the frame to create more forgiveness.
• A channel cut in the sole extends heel to toe to increase
flexing in the face.
• The channel includes a five-gram steel weight to further lower the center of gravity.
Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore
RRP AED 2,295
‘I like the carbon fiber hinting on the back of the crown, not too much.’
—6-HANDICAP
MIZUNO ST-G
• Its compact shape (440 cubic centimeters) means this model targets ball-strikers looking for reduced spin and adjustability options.
• Two tracks in the sole feature sevengram weights for changing the head from extremely low spin (both weights in the front) to
maximum stability (both weights all the way back). It also can be adjusted to favor a draw or fade.
• The channel cut into the sole maximizes face flex.
• A beta-rich-titanium alloy makes the face lighter, stronger and faster-flexing.
• 9.5, 10.5 degrees (adjustable hosel)
Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore
RRP AED 2,295
‘A classic head shape. Felt like the ball jumped off the face.’
MIZUNO ST-X 230
—14-HANDICAP
RRP AED 2,195
‘I could swing aggressively. It made a powerful sound at impact.’
—7-HANDICAP
MIZUNO ST-Z 230
• Similar in profile to the ST-X, this model features weighting that is more neutral to emphasize forgiveness across the face.
• A 14-gram weight deep in the center creates significant stability compared to the ST-G.
This head uses a 14gram sole weight in the heel to provide draw bias and make it easier to manipulate the head during the swing. That weight also rests deep in the sole to boost stability on o -center hits. High-strength titanium in the face creates more ball
speed on mis-hits.
• Speed also comes from a channel in the sole that improves deflection, particularly on lower impacts.
• A three-gram steel bar within the channel lowers the center of gravity.
• 9.5, 10.5, 12 degrees (adjustable hosel)
Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore
RRP AED 2,195
• The deep center of gravity yields a higher launch.
• More speed comes from the channel in the front of the sole, which increases face flex, especially low on the face.
• A steel weight located in the channel further lowers the center of gravity to reduce spin.
• 9.5, 10.5 degrees (adjustable hosel)
Demo this club and get a custom fit at eGolf Megastore
‘Tended to go high and straight. Quiet but still lively.’
—7-HANDICAP
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The
AGE 23
LIVES Jacksonville Beach, Florida.
STORY
Ranked No. One in the 2023-’24 PGA Tour University ranking; had three top-10s in 11 PGA Tour starts in ’24.
JUST CALL ME ‘THOR’
My last name, which is Norwegian, is pronounced, Thorbee-oar-n-sen. I’ve heard so many pronunciations of it, the most common probably being, Thor-sen. Everyone now just says, “Thor,” and they basically give up on the rest of it.
It’s similar to the Stealth 2 I played last year. I like the blue, black and gray colors a little more, and the carbon-fiber face is very forgiving. It helps reduce the amount the ball curves in the air. I don’t shape the ball too much. I can work it if I want; I just don’t choose to. I like to hit a high, straight ball off the tee.
I chip and pitch mostly with my 60-degree. The 50 and 56 are for fullswing shots. I used to play the Hi-Toe wedges, but I wasn’t getting enough spin. These are the best wedges TaylorMade has made. Even on firm fairways, I can get under the ball and clip it. If the ground is soft, with the proper technique, the club isn’t going to dig. Great for all sorts of terrain.
FAIRWAY WOOD
SPECS TaylorMade Qi10 Tour 3HL, 16°, Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 8-TX shaft, 43.25 inches
I put this fairway wood in at the start of last summer. I had been playing a 2-iron, and I just needed something with a little more height coming into the longer par 5s. It has turned into one of my favorite clubs. I like how high it goes, and unlike the 2-iron, if I don’t hit it perfect, I know it’s still going to carry decently far.
PUTTER
SPECS TaylorMade Spider Tour #3, 2.25° loft, SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 3.0 17-inch grip, 35 inches
I’ve used a Spider putter for—wow, I’m getting old—eight years now. This might be my favourite of them all. My putting coach, Stephen Sweeney, and I experimented with different combinations of putters, hosels and grips, and we’ve found one that I’m really comfortable with. It gives great feedback. Good putts feel soft, like when you’re biting into a nice, soft cookie.
IRONS
SPECS (3-iron): TaylorMade P•770, True Temper Dynamic Gold X7 shaft; (4-PW): TaylorMade P•7MC, True Temper AMT Tour White X100 shafts; Golf Pride Tour Velvet Align grips I’ve had only two different sets of irons since the start of high school— the P•750s and the MCs—so I’ve had about eight years to get used to the same style of iron. They’re basically an extension of my arms at this point.
GREENSIDE FINESSE
I play the TaylorMade TP5x. I like lower spin overall, but I still get the benefit of high-spinning performance around the hole.
GOBBLING BIRDIES
I picked up this Pac-Man headcover last summer. Pac-Man is eating those ghosts, and hopefully I’m feeding on a lot of birdies.
BOLT OF ENERGY
The lightning bolt on my tees and the hammer on my putter are tributes to the power of Thor—good reminders when I’m playing.
where to play
EDITED BY HARRY GRIMSHAW
Al Zorah Golf Club, the UAE’s first Jack Nicklaus Design course, offers a unique challenge through natural mangrove forests and tidal changes. Opened in 2015, it features world-class facilities, including a brand-new floodlit driving range and luxury clubhouse. Now set to host top-level tournaments, including the HotelPlanner Tour (formerly Challenge Tour), it’s a premier destination for golf and leisure in the United Arab Emirates.
Where Golf Meets Nature
Ajman’s par-72 course weaves its way through more than one million square metres of natural mangrove forest
BY AUSTIN CAHILL
AL ZORAH GOLF CLUB , which opened in December 2015, is the first Nicklaus Design course in the United Arab Emirates and has quickly become one of the premier golf destinations in the Middle East.
The course spans over a million square metres of natural mangrove forest, providing a distinctive and challenging layout. With a par-72 design that stretches to 7,169 yards from the back tees, it caters to players of all abilities, thanks to multiple tee options.
The course is also unique due to its constantly changing tidal system, which transforms its appearance on an hourly basis, creating a dynamic playing experience. Additionally, Al Zorah is home to more than 200 species of native and migratory birds, further enhancing its natural beauty.
Al Zorah Golf Club has made significant investments to enhance both the playing experience and its facilities. Having opened a new 10,000m² short-
game area and putting green at the end of 2023, the club has continued its golf investment by recently completing the activation of its floodlit driving range, a significant project over the last 12 months.
This year, we proudly opened our new luxury clubhouse. Under construction since 2022, the grand three-storey building is set to serve as a major focal point for golfers visiting the United Arab Emirates region and has already garnered outstanding feedback from both the community and golfers.
In line with the Ajman 2030 Vision, Al Zorah Golf Club is committed to promoting golf in the region, and are thrilled to have been chosen to host so many high-profile tournaments recently. In addition to the Clutch Pro Tour – which will be returning to Al Zorah this spring – and host to the HotelPlanner Tour in April, we also had the honour of welcoming the Pan Arab Golf Championship for the first time last November.
WATER HAZARDS Constantly changing tidal system transforms the course on an hourly basis.
Austin Cahill is the Head of Golf at Al Zorah Golf Club
KEY HOLES
12TH
At first glance, the 12th hole may seem straightforward, but it presents several challenges. A deep bunker on the right at 260 yards, combined with a tricky green surrounded by water, bunkers, and runoff areas, demands precision. Additionally, the hole typically plays into the wind, making it play longer than expected. The key to success here is maintaining control, avoiding excessive aggression, and keeping the ball in play.
13TH
The 13th at Al Zorah features water running down the entire left side, with a bunker well positioned on the right at the spot where you’d ideally like to place your tee shot. Waste land on the right further complicates matters. The large green is protected by water on the left and a collection bowl short right, making placement crucial. The best strategy is to aim for the centre of the green, ensuring an easier two-putt and a satisfying walk off the hole.
17TH
A challenging par three from the back tees, measuring around 225 yards, the 17th hole features a small, angled green that can be difficult to access, particularly when approaching from the back. Bunkers short right of the green are a common hazard. The optimal approach is to aim for the left side of the green, allowing the slopes to guide the ball toward the flag. Even a miss to the short-left area is a safe and favourable option.
Heroic Hatton
“To add my name to the list of the amazing champions that have been before me, to have my name on that trophy now, it’s a dream come true.”
LIV Golfer, Tyrrell Hatton secured his fi fth Rolex Series title on the DP World Tour in the Hero Dubai Desert Classic after an epic tussle with New Zealander, Daniel Hillier.
The Ryder Cup star went into the fi nal round one-shot behind Hillier but grinded out a three-under-par 69 to fi nish on 15 under on the Majlis Course at Emirates Golf Club.
A score that was one clear of Hillier, who signed for a 71, while England’s Laurie Canter, fired a 68 on the final day to finish in solo third and pick up his biggest cheque on the DP World Tour to date.
The duo of Hatton and Hillier traded blows throughout the day with neither taking full advantage and the lack of birdies at the top of the leaderboard briefly offered hopes to the chasing pack, including Canter, South African Shaun Norris, Denmark’s Niklas Norgaard and defending champion Rory McIlroy.
However, Hatton took a huge stride towards victory with a brilliant wedge approach into the 16th that set up a tap-in birdie, and gave himself one hand on the Dallah trophy.
There was still time for a few jitters on the 18th. Hatton unsurprisingly laid up on the par5, after a slightly conservative tee shot. A third shot to the back of the green was still required to take the water out of play, leaving him with a 45-foot birdie attempt.
Hillier had gone for the green in two and overshot the back, but made a nine-footer for birdie, leaving Hatton with a testing five-footer for the win,
which he duly converted to claim the oldest event in the Middle East and equal his fellow LIV Golf teammate Jon Rahm’s five Rolex Series titles.
McIlroy saved his best for last as a Sunday 66 took him to 12 under alongside Norgaard, with his tied-fourth finish representing his 11th consecutive top-ten in this event, a run stretching back to the first of his four wins in 2009.
“It feels amazing,” said Hatton.
“I said earlier in the week, this is one of the events that you would like to have on your C.V. It’s such an iconic event for the DP World Tour.
“To add my name to the list of the amazing champions that have been before me, to have my name on that trophy now, it’s a dream come true.”
Norris and Northern Irishman Tom McKibbin were a shot further back on 11 under with Italian Guido Migliozzi and Australian David Micheluzzi shared eighth on 10 under.
Hatton hoisted the famous Dallah trophy aloft after being presented it by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline & Group.
The presentation party included His Excellency Mohammed Al Shaibani, Managing Director of the Investment Corporation of Dubai and Director General of HH the Ruler’s Court, His Excellency Sheikh Fahim Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Emirates Golf Federation, His Excellency Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of the Dubai Sports Council, Mustafa Al Hashimi, CEO of Wasl, and Dr. Pawan Munjal, Executive Chairman of Hero MotoCorp.
Also in attendance were Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, CEO of Emirates Global Aluminium, Abdul Hamied Seddiqi, Chairman of Seddiqi Holdings, Shahab Al Jassmi, Senior Vice President Ports & Terminals Commercial DP World GCC, Shayne Nelson, CEO of Emirates NBD, and Tom Phillips, Director of DP World Tour, Middle East.
Before the Hero Dubai Desert Classic officially teed off, the tournament festivities had already begun the week prior with the third edition of the Junior Dubai Desert Classic, which, for the first time, awarded World Amateur Golf Ranking points.
Louis Klein from Czechia won the Junior Dubai Desert Classic with a stunning 15-underpar total over three rounds at Emirates Golf Club, including a new Junior Course Record with a 9-under 63 in the second round.
This was soon followed by the Creators Dubai Desert Classic, a regional first, celebrating the growing influence of golf content creators.
Sixteen renowned creators, including F0ur Br0thers, Mac Boucher and Inci Mehmet, were invited to compete in an 18-hole stroke play contest on the iconic Majlis Course.
Taking the spoils on the iconic layout in the Gross Division was Harry Woan, with an impressive two-under-par 70. While the Net Division
winner, with an eight-under-par 64, was David “Temps” Templer (handicap 26).
Simon Corkill, Executive Tournament Director of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, commented on what was another successful: “First and foremost, congratulations to Tyrrell on an outstanding performance and a well-deserved victory at this year’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
“We have been privileged to witness one of the strongest fields in the event’s rich history, featuring our four-time champion Rory McIlroy, two-time Major winner Jon Rahm, and World Number Eight Viktor Hovland, along with rising stars such as Akshay Bhatia and Preston Summerhays, our leading amateur.
“This week, we’ve not only showcased worldclass golf but also celebrated the vibrancy of Dubai, its people, and its forward-thinking vision.
“We’re especially proud of our continued commitment to innovation, including the return of the Mental Fitness Zone and the addition of the Step Fore It challenge, both of which have enhanced the tournament experience for players and fans. Our focus on sustainability remains unwavering, and our GEO Certified® status is testament to the ongoing efforts we’ve made to ensure the event is environmentally responsible.
“A huge thank you to our title sponsor, Hero MotoCorp, and founding partner, Emirates Global Aluminium, as well as all our partners and fans, for making this event a true celebration of golf, community, and sustainability.”
I said earlier in the week, this is one of the events that wouldyoulike to have on your C.V.
▶ HAT-ON FORM
Tyrrell captured his record-equalling fifth Rolex Series title at Emirates Golf Club
GB&I THE TOP TEAM
LAURIE CANTER AND TOMMY
FLEETWOOD SECURED THE TWO POINTS NEEDED AT THE 2025 TEAM CUP IN ABU DHABI
Great Britain & Ireland
(GB&I) clinched a convincing 17-8 win over Continental Europe in the 2025 Team Cup at the Abu Dhabi Golf Resort.
With a comfortable seven-point lead going into the fi nal day, GB&I only needed two points to seal the deal for Captain Justin Rose.
The fi nal afternoon kicked off with Englishman Laurie Canter securing the fi rst point for his side, comfortably defeating an unbeaten Frenchman Romain Langasque 5&4. Dubai based Tommy Fleetwood then stepped up to seal the decisive point, just as he did in the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, by beating Frenchman Matthieu Pavon 3&1. Fleetwood’s win also meant he fi nished the event with a perfect record, becoming the only player to win all four of his matches in the Team Cup.
At one point, GB&I looked set for a runaway victory, leading in nine of the ten matches. However, Continen-
tal Europe managed to rally. Denmark’s Niklas Nørgaard earned a 3&2 win over Matthew Jordan, while France’s Antoine Rozner and Italy’s Matteo Manassero each claimed tight 1Up victories.
Continental Europe’s Captain, Francesco Molinari, fought back from two down with seven holes remaining to secure a hard-earned half-point against Jordan Smith. Meanwhile, Denmark’s Rasmus Højgaard made a brilliant recovery, halving his match against Aaron Rai after being three down with just five holes left.
Despite their late surge, Continental Europe couldn’t turn the tide, and GB&I held their nerve to claim overall victory.
In his post-match comments, the GB&I skipper voiced his pride in his team’s performance. “It’s a huge honour to captain this group. The lads have made me look really good,” Rose said.
“Our message was clear: play relentlessly and take the fight to them. And the team did just that. Even though we had a big lead, we focused on individual pride and playing for each other.”
Rose also highlighted the event’s competitive spirit. “You can’t quite recreate the intensity of a Ryder Cup, but the energy and drive are always there when you wear the team crest. The competitiveness was high, and match play is so valuable for players.”
For GB&I, the win was not just an emphatic result but also a reminder of the depth of talent within their squad.
Dominant Del Rey
Spain’s Alejandro del Rey secured his maiden DP World Tour title in Ras Al Khaimah
Alejandro del Rey stormed to a four-stroke victory as he claimed his maiden DP World Tour title at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship.
The Spaniard posted a third successive round of 66 to fi nish on 22 under par, four clear of Englishman Marcus Armitage, who battled valiantly but was unable to reel in the
impressive del Rey at Al Hamra Golf Club, who becomes the fi rst Spanish winner on the 2025 Race to Dubai.
Del Rey went into the fi nal round with a two-shot lead but a lightningquick start soon took him five strokes clear at the top of the leaderboard.
Although playing partner Armitage cut the gap to three at the turn, another brilliant burst of scoring from del Rey at the beginning of the back nine sent him six shots ahead with five holes to play.
The Spaniard never looked like opening the door for closest challenger Armitage from that point onwards, clos-
LEADERBOARD TOP 5
1 – Alejandro del Rey (ESP) -22
2 – Marcus Armitage (ENG) -18
3 – David Puig (ESP) -15
4 – Jason Scrivener (AUS) -14
5 – Ivan Cantero (ESP) -12
Joe Dean (ENG) -12
Sebastian Söderberg (SWE) -12
ing his round with five pars in a row to enter the DP World Tour winner’s circle for the first time on his 70th start.
“It’s amazing because it’s basically what I work for,” said del Rey.
“I got to a point last year where I just felt like I wasn’t having that much fun on the golf course because for me, playing for 20th, 30th place wasn’t that meaningful at that point.
“I just worked really hard since then because I just didn’t want to be in that position much longer. And I feel like I’ve played many years with a lot of friends that have won out here and I knew I could do it but it just wasn’t showing up. I’m just grateful and I’m very happy that this fi nally came.”
Fellow Spaniard, and LIV Golf League member, David Puig was then alone in third place, three shots further back after a fi nal round 65, with Australian Jason Scrivener a shot further back in fourth.
The impressive Spanish showing continued with Ivan Cantero, who fi nished in a tie for fi fth on 12 under par alongside Englishman Joe Dean and Swede Sebastian Söderberg. Meanwhile, Adrien Saddier enjoyed a memorable day as he made a hole-in-one at the seventh on his way to fi nishing in a tie for 13th.
With a record-breaking, five UAE National players in the field at the start of the week, Adrian Otaegui and Joshua Grenville-Wood successfully made the weekend fi nishing in a tie for 67th and 70th place.
Victory for del Rey means he jumps straight to seventh on the Race to Dubai after earning his fi rst points of the season in Ras Al Khaimah, and moves to second on the International Swing Rankings, led by England’s Tyrrell Hatton after his victory at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
THE DUBAI-BASED SCOT HAS HAD A CHALLENGING 12 MONTHS, AS HE HEADS BACK TO THE HAPPY HUNTING GROUND OF THE COMMERCIAL BANK QATAR MASTERS
FERGUSON FIGHTING FIT
WITH HARRY GRIMSHAW
How much are you looking forward to returning to Doha Golf Club in a few weeks time, Ewen? Yeah, I can’t wait. It’s one of my favourite events of the year, and Doha Golf Club is a proper, proper test. Everybody loves it.
I love it the most though, not just because I won there, but I just love the place. It’s not far from home in Dubai, it’s beautiful, clean, the hotels are amazing, the course is awesome, facilities are brilliant, the weather is class. It gets a bit windy as well like back in Scotland and I think the last three times I’ve played there my worst finish is 16th!
•
Still loving living in out in the Middle East in Dubai? Yep! Still love Dubai. Nothing to complain about. Travels easy from here. You know the facilities are incredible. Everyone looks after me so well in terms of practicing, and course and driving range facilities.
Sadly, you just can’t get that back home in Scotland all year round. The weather just doesn’t allow you to do that.
•
You mentioned winning in Qatar, your maiden win on the DP World Tour, it's a historic event to be a past winner of as well isn’t it? Exactly, even more reason why I love it there and I can’t wait to go back!
There’s a lot of Scots that live in Doha that come out and watch me play, which is nice to have a wee fan base there as well which is cool.
Also I’m not just saying it, but the trophy is one of the best in golf! So it’s a good one to have on the resume and hopefully a second one would be nice in the future.
You actually get a little replica trophy when you win which is nice. So that’s at my parents’ house back home in Scotland.
They love it just as much as me. They’ve got three replica trophies now on the mantle piece from my three wins and a picture of me and Tiger Woods at The Open, so that’s their talking point when they’ve got their friends over!
It’s strange thinking back to then in 2022 and it feels weird actually. I feel like a different man now from three years ago. But at the same time, when I watch the videos, it feels like yesterday. Time in golf just goes by so quick.
You haven't shied away from how tough the past 12 months have been for you. Yeah, I’ve had quite a bit of sickness this past 12 months. Still get some sickness now.
It’s anxiety that I suffer from and I worry sometimes when tournaments are on, that it’s going to happen again.
It’s just the worry, and it all adds up on top of each other. That’s why I’ve got a physio now and
above: Ferguson, competing last month in the Hero Dubai Desert Classic
I FEEL LIKE A DIFFERENT MAN NOW FROM THREE YEARS AGO
a phycologist to just try to get on top of it all and calm myself down.
It’s not the golf part, I’m happy and fine when playing golf, but it’s just everything else around it which has been a bit of a battle.
You know, it makes you realise that life isn’t plane sailing, especially when something happens to you.
The first 27 years of my life, I never had anything wrong with me. You just act like your unbreakable.
So it has definitely been a lesson at the same time, to appreciate the good times and look after not just yourself, but others around you and ask if they’re doing ok?
Since having this different approach, I feel like it’s almost taken a bit of pressure off the golf. Playing golf does mean everything to me, but at the same time if I do play badly, then I go home to the people that I love, sit down, have a nice dinner and just be happy.
Twice As Nice – Niemann’s Saudi Double
“I don’t know what it is about Saudi Arabia, I just like it!”
JOAQUÍN NIEMANN LOVES SAUDI ARABIA.
The 26-year-old has claimed the two biggest prize funds in golf in the Kingdom within the space of 10 months at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club and Riyadh Golf Club. In this exclusive interview with Golf Digest Middle East, Niemann shares his plans for defending his LIV Golf title this month in the capital, as he also looks ahead to his 2025 season both personally and within the LIV Golf League.
Joaquín, how much are you looking forward to defend your title in Saudi Arabia this month. Especially with it being LIV Golf’s fi rst event of the season? I’m pretty excited. I played, and won, at Riyadh Golf Club for the PIF Saudi International back in December on the Asian Tour’s International Series, so we were able to see the course and get a feel for what it’s going to be like. I think the weather will be similar in February, so I’m really looking forward to going back.
There were some really good crowds as well when we were there, so I’m sure it’s going to be a fun week.
How does it feel to win twice in Saudi Arabia now? Winning in both Jeddah on LIV Golf and Riyadh on the Asian Tour is pretty special.
In Riyadh, it felt like it was an interesting week because I was playing really well, and I felt I had a great chance to win. I was almost able to get it done on the last couple of holes, but then it got a little bit “complicated” towards the end, as Caleb (Surratt) was playing great.
But it was a great experience, especially playing well on those playoff holes, even though I struggled with a few of the short putts.
But that’s part of golf when the pressure is on, and it makes it even sweeter to win the title.
It seems like you’ve developed a strong connection with the country! Ha! I’m not sure what it is! I’ve played really well in Saudi this past 12 months. The grass on the course is similar to what I’m used to, which is a mix of Paspalum and Bermuda. I’ve heard they might overseed the course in Riyadh for the LIV Golf event, so we’ll see.
Hopefully, it won’t change too much! But I don’t know what it is about Saudi Arabia; I just like it!
You’re an integral part of Torque GC, how do you see the team dynamic evolving this season? We have a great team
at Torque GC. We’re really good friends, and we’re all committed to working hard and improving together.
But looking back at last year, we didn’t play well enough. We didn’t win anything and ended up fifth in the league, which I feel like we didn’t deserve.
I keep saying it, but I think we played better than the results showed. So this year, we’ve got to start playing better and getting those results in.
What about your personal goals and objectives for this season? Is there anything specific you’ve been working on in your game? Surprisingly, I feel like everything in my game needs to improve.
There’s a lot more room for improvement in my short game. I think if I can improve that, I’ll have a better chance of winning more tournaments. My long game, including my irons and driving, has been pretty consistent throughout the year. But it just feels like it’s been the same for every round of golf.
When I’m out of position, and I miss a green, that’s where I’m able to make up for it with my short game and save my round. So if I can do that more often, I hope to be able to play a lot better.
How important do you think it is for players like yourself to be able to compete in the majors this year? For me, as a professional golfer, majors are majors. We all want to play in them and win them. But with everything going on, I think it’s part of the adjustment to golf.
For me, it’s frustrating not being in some of the majors, but there’s not much I can do.
I’m trying to do my best, I’m trying to travel around the world and play to earn world ranking points where I can, but sometimes, it’s just not enough.
Looking back, how would you assess your journey with LIV Golf? It’s been awesome to be part of this process. Something I’ve been telling a lot of my friends back in Chile about is that when you’re part of something new, and you get to be part of building it, it’s pretty special. Putting part of myself into something to help it grow is great. Being a part of that process, watching how it has grown every year since we started, and looking back at where we began, it’s pretty cool.
Yeah, there’s still a lot of room for improvement. There’s a lot that needs to happen, a lot of things LIV Golf needs to improve on, but also it is down to us to make it better and more competitive.
But it’s getting better, and I’m happy to be part of it.
2025 ARAMCO SERIES REVAMP
THE GOLF SAUDI-ORGANISED SERIES OF EVENTS ON THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WILL UNDERGO A MAJOR PRIZE FUND OVERHAUL IN 2025
The 2025 Aramco Series will kick off with the Riyadh tournament at Riyadh Golf Club in Saudi Arabia, offering an upgraded prize fund of US $5 million.
England’s Charley Hull claimed victory in Riyadh just a few months ago, securing a three-shot win to capture her fourth Ladies European Tour (LET) title.
This year’s tournament will feature 112 players competing in the second event of the 2025 LET season. The field will include 60 players from the LET, 42 from the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings (provided they are within the top 300), and 10 invitations.
The following four events in the Aramco Series schedule, will see their prize funds doubled from US $1 million to US $2 million, thanks to a major cash influx from Aramco and Golf Saudi, the organisers of the Aramco Series events. The team format will still remain a key part of the five elevated event series, the Individual/Team percentage split will be adjusted to give the Individual winner a larger share of the prize money going forward in 2025.
2025 ARAMCO SERIES SCHEDULE
Event 1 – 13th – 15th Feb – Aramco Series – Riyadh
Event 2 – 9th – 11th May – Aramco Series – Korea
Event 3 – 8th – 10th August – Aramco Series – London
Event 4 – 5th – 7th September – Aramco Series – TBC
Event 5 – 6th – 8th November – Aramco Series – Shenzhen
PAST WINNERS IN SAUDI ARABIA
2020 – Emily Kristine Pedersen (Jeddah)
2021 – Pia Babnik (Jeddah)
2022 – Chiara Noja (Jeddah)
2023 – Alison Lee (Riyadh)
2024 – Charley Hull (Riyadh)
BLACKBURN
PHOTOGRAPHS BY JESSE RIESER
OF ALL THE THINGS THE BEST GOLFERS IN THE WORLD DO WELL, which moves should average players try to add to their games? I know what you’re thinking: There’s no way I can move like that. To some extent, I agree with you. I’ve been coaching on tour for 20 years, and players have never been more fit or had more immediate, accurate feedback on how they’re swinging. Most of them have been doing golf-specific exercises since college, and they track their technique every day, so they’re able to do things we can only dream of. However, not every tour-pro move is off limits—you might be surprised that there’s lots you can steal. You just need to know what to focus on. The good news is, you don’t have to be perfect: The better you do these things, the more they’ll help. It’s not all or nothing. By adding these pro moves, you will mimic the best players where it matters the most and lower your scores. with Drew Powell
Keep Your Trail Arm Soft
he setup is critical to allowing the club and body to move properly in the backswing. On tour, nearly every player starts with a soft trail arm. The right elbow for right-handers is slightly bent at address and when viewed from behind, looking down the target line, it sits below the left arm (above). This serves two crucial functions. First, it squares up your shoulders. Many average golfers who fight a slice tend to get their shoulders open in the setup. This often happens when the right
arm is too internally rotated because it’s rigid, which shoves the shoulders open. With open shoulders, you’ll tend to take the club back too far outside, which leads to that dreaded out-to-in path coming down and a slice.
A softer trail arm also promotes an on-plane backswing, where the club moves on the plane established by the shaft to the ground at address. The trail arm controls the structure of the backswing, and by keeping it bent slightly at address, it’s easier to fold it going back. The clubface will naturally
open a little as you bend the right arm, which will put you in a perfect backswing position every time.
To determine if your trail arm needs softening, take a picture of your setup from down the line. From this angle, you should see the trail arm sitting below the lead arm. Feeling like your trail elbow is pointing more toward the centre of your body will help get you into the proper setup position. If your arm is straight or your elbow is facing the camera, you know you need to loosen it up.
Move the Clubhead First
nstructors have long preached the importance of a one-piece takeaway, where the club, hands, arms and shoulders start back together. That’s bad advice—the clubhead should start first. Some players might feel like they have a one-piece move off the ball, but feel and real aren’t always the same thing. Taking everything back together gets the
WARM UP DYNAMICALLY
club too far to the inside and starts a chain of events that produces a slice.
When we look at the swings of the best players with 3-D technology, we see that the clubhead moves away from the ball first, followed by the arms, then the shoulders, then the torso and finally the hips. This is the proper kinematic sequence, which keeps the club tracking on a good path, so you can simply
Gone is the day when a static, club-over-yourhead stretch is enough to get warm. Before pros get to the range, they go through dynamic warm-ups that prep for the movements they need in the swing. My favourite is a lunge with a twist. Step forward into a lunge position and rotate your upper body toward your lead leg (right). Go back to your starting position and repeat this five times on each leg. You’re training to disassociate movement of your lower half from your upper half, just like in the golf swing.
reverse the order coming down and deliver the club efficiently to the ball.
To nail this move, focus on giving the clubhead a head start (above). This might feel like an earlier wrist set, as opposed to moving everything together. A good thought is small to big. The smaller muscles of the hands, wrists and arms move before the larger ones of the shoulders, torso and hips.
Turn Your Ribcage
ow let’s get you making a bigger turn for power— something the best players do so well by turning their ribcage to the top. The torso, or centre of the chest, is the engine that drives the second half of the backswing, with the whole upper body moving away from the target (above).
You hear a lot about “making a full turn” on the backswing, but many average golfers cheat by focusing on their shoulder movement instead of
rotating their entire trunk. When you cheat, your shoulders appear to make a full turn, but if you look at the centre of your chest at the top of the swing, it hasn’t moved much. It’s a fake turn, and you’ll struggle to produce much power if that’s all you do.
Some golfers get too active with their hips in the backswing. The hips should turn going back, but that’s the result of the ribcage moving, which pulls the hips along for the ride. If you over-rotate your hips, you’ll get the
club too far around and behind your body, requiring you to re-route the club on the downswing to get it back to the ball.
To correctly rotate going back, focus on your shirt buttons. Try to turn them away from the target. Imagine you’re on TV and the camera is filming your swing from behind. Show the lens your shirt buttons by coiling and turning your ribcage to the top. Your hips and shoulders will automatically move with it.
Push Your Butt Back
rom the top of the swing, the best players create space to swing the club down to the ball. Watch the first downswing move from elite ball-strikers— their butt stays back and their chest is down. It’s the opposite of early extension, where the pelvis moves toward the ball and the chest rises, a fault that plagues so many amateurs and causes all kinds of contact issues and inconsistency.
Creating space in the downswing is crucial to hitting it flush, especially
DRINK AND EAT UP
with irons and wedges. It keeps the clubface square and allows the shaft to return to a similar position that it was in at address. People who early extend and move their hips toward the ball are jammed and have no room to rotate through the shot, leading to erratic contact and usually a slice.
To prevent early extension and keep your chest down, stand slightly closer to the ball. Check out Tiger Woods or Jon Rahm at address—they look like they’re right over the ball. When you set up like that, you’re incentivising
Pros are constantly eating and drinking during a round. Dehydration and blood-sugar fluctuation creates cognitive and physical lapses, leading to dumb mistakes and poor swings. I advise my players to drink 16 ounces of water or an electrolyte drink every three holes. For you, the key is just to drink more, two or three times per nine. Be sure to eat every few holes as well. Healthy fats, like nuts, and complex carbs, like bananas, are great options to maintain consistent energy.
your body to push your butt back and create space. If you stand too far from the ball, the instinct is to move toward it, which causes the cascade of issues I just listed.
The key from the top of the swing is to push your lead foot toward the ball. Drive the toes of your lead foot into the tip of your shoe. The foot won’t actually move, but since force creates motion, that friction will push your butt back. Your chest will move down, and you’ll create a clear path to swing into the ball (above).
Swing Wide on Wedge Shots
our pros are exceptional wedge players because they control their distance so well, but you don’t need to spend hours on the range to be pin-high more often—you just might need to adjust your technique. The best wedge players have a wide backswing with very minimal wrist set (above). Think of Steve Stricker’s motion, where he hardly hinges his wrists. The wedge swing should be controlled by the rotation of your
core, not by your hands and arms.
A wider backswing creates a shallower angle of attack and a lower, more consistent ball flight. Bad wedge players use a lot of hand action and slide their body toward the target in the downswing, which creates a steep angle and big divots. The best wedge players stay very centered throughout the swing and use the speed of their rotation to determine how far the ball will go.
At setup, lean the handle of the
club a little toward the target. By doing this, you’re pre-setting the shaft lean that you want at impact so you don’t need to hinge the club much in the backswing. This is how you deliver the same loft every time. After making a wider move off the ball, stay centered as you rotate your chest and hips in the downswing. You can control the distance by changing the speed of your body’s rotation. Do it right, and you’ll hit low-flying wedges that grab next to the pin.
Use Your Pivot for Chips
ou might think that because chip and pitch shots are short swings, you don’t need much body movement. That’s not true. There should be way more dynamic motion on these shots. The best players clip the ball off the turf and create tons of spin by moving their body toward the target in the backswing, then standing up and rotating hard in the downswing. You heard me right: On chips and pitches, you should early extend and lift your head up slightly. This movement is called “pivot planing,” and it is something
PICK THE EASIEST SHOT
biomechanists Rob Neal and Layne Savoie, with whom I work closely, have identified using 3-D technology. The best chippers move their head down and toward the target as they swing back, and then stand up and rotate through the shot. This controls the low point, so they don’t stick the club in the ground. If you learn to pick the ball off the turf, you can chip off any lie.
To practice this move, start with your feet close together and slightly open. Raise the handle a little to prevent the heel from digging and lean the shaft toward the target. Then on the way back, shift your head
The best players can pull off any shot, but that doesn’t mean they always try for the flashy one. Lower scoring is the result of discipline. Often you don’t need the fancy chip or recovery shot to play well. Instead, choose the simplest shot that provides a positive outcome. Around the greens, that often means taking less loft and playing a running shot. Good golf is the compounding of smart, micro-decisions added up over 18 holes.
down and toward the target as your weight moves to your front foot. Finally, as you swing into the ball, extend your legs, spine and head upward while rotating your chest around (above).
A word of caution: As you stand up through the shot, make sure your head isn’t falling away from the target. That’s a common tendency, and it can cause fat and thin shots. Instead, keep the centre of your chest in front of the ball as you allow your head to rise and your chest to rotate through. You’ll clip the ball perfectly and generate tons of spin every time.
ABOUT MARK Mark Blackburn, voted No. 1 by his peers on Golf Digest’s 50 Best Teachers in America, has coached dozens of pros, including Justin Rose, Max Homa, Collin Morikawa, Adam Hadwin, Daniel Berger, Charley Hoffman, Alex Fitzpatrick, Matthieu Pavon and Trey Mullinax. His golf academy is located at Greystone Golf & Country Club in Birmingham, Alabama.
the gulf club
Orient Travel Monthly Medal Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club
Shagir Mohammed
Captains’ Drive-In Jumeirah Golf Estates
Visions International Cup Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club
Rajesh Parekh
Rivoli Medal Dubai Hills Golf Club
Anna Iatsuliak
OMA Emirates Medalford Jumeirah Golf Estates
Gerhard Vorster
Rivoli Medal Dubai Hills
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Dimos Monthly Stableford Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club
