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HOW TO ATTACK PAR-5S AND SET UP MORE BIRDIE LOOKS
LEGENDS TOUR U.A.E. BOUND
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Tee Sheet 10/20
how to play. what to play. where to play.
▶ double-header Despite COVID-19 fears, Royal Greens Golf & Country Club will host not one, but now two LET events next month. 40
Features 36 Giant Leap Former Women’s Open champion Georgia Hall will be a major threat at the OMEGA Dubai Moonlight Classic. BY KENT GRAY
40 Saudi Double Down The LET has a new event. And another one. BY KENT GRAY
royal greens, tower links: courtesy of the clubs • irons: dom furore • rahm: j.d. cuban
6 Editor’s Letter Welcome to the future of professional golf. Like it or not.
The Starter 8 The Öeschberghof Golf Resort and Spa This exclusive German golf residence between the Black Forest, Lake Constance and Switzerland just got a star endorsement. BY KENT GRAY
17 Michael Breed Load more power at the top. 18 Fairway Bunkers How I keep this shot simple.
be at 1 26 Tower Links Test The 5th hole at this testy Ras Al Khaimah layout requires local knowledge. BY SIMON PAYNE
BY TIGER WOODS
20 Gimme One Thing Embracing scary shots. BY JEFF RITTER
30 Journeys Social-media haters couldn’t stop Lily He from getting to the LPGA Tour. WITH KEELY LEVINS
22 Equipment Lab: Irons We gave muscle-back blades to 15-handicappers and other crimes against humanity.
10 Golfers We Like Former NFL running back Reggie Bush is working on controlling his speed.
BY MATTHEW RUDY
34 What’s In My Bag Sahith Theegala.
BY EUAN BOWDEN
16 Butch Harmon Master the dreaded half-wedge. Cover photograph by J.D. Cuban
50 Legends U.A.E. Bound The rebranded European over-50s circuit has a refocused amateur remit. 54 Tricky Lies Tamed Downhill lie over water? No problem at The Track. BY IAN BRENNAN
46 The Core One exercise to train your lower body to fire effectively.
56 Good Shot, Bad Result Still scoring from undeserved bad lies around the green. BY EARL COOPER
BY RON KASPRISKE
48 Golf Digest Schools Why delay getting better?
62 Junior High Young Mousa Shana’ah and friends are Al Hamra-bound.
BY SEAN HOGAN
BY KENT GRAY
66 Undercover Caddie The guys you do and don’t want to be paired with on tour.
64 DDF Irish Open From bubble-buster to twotitle Race to Dubai contender.
WITH JOEL BEALL
BY KENT GRAY
BY KEELY LEVINS
14 Fairway Finder Here’s a go-to tee shot when the pressure is on.
BY JON RAHM
BY KENT GRAY
32 The Ethicist Can you copyright a swing?
BY MIKE STACHURA
Play
cover story 42 The Gettable Holes You don’t need tour-level distance to do a better job of attacking the par 5s.
october 2020 | golfdigestme.com
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Editor’s Letter
New Age KENT GRAY kent.gray@motivate.ae • Twitter: @KentGrayGolf / @GolfDigestME
RANDEL CHAMBLEE paused to gather his thoughts before calmly exhaling his considered assessment. “The future just happened”. The Golf Channel antagonist indexed the profound claim by calling it as seismic a moment for golf as the 1997 Masters. That April Sunday 23-years ago when Tiger claimed his first green jacket by a cool 12 strokes over Tom Kite and the hearts and minds of the sporting world forever. Earlier at Winged Foot, poor old Rory McIlroy was completely befuddled. Asked for his reaction to the fact Bryson DeChambeau had cruised to a six-stroke victory despite finding just four of his final 21 fairways, McIlroy admitted he never imagined the gnarly old U.S. Open being conquered in such cavalier fashion. Having finished 12 shots back tied for eighth, the Northern Irishman could only doff his cap. There is no arguing at the ingenuity or hard work that has allowed DeChambeau to shatter conventional norms. But McIlroy’s praise was so thinly veiled even the game’s pedantic rule-makers surely received another concerned transmission loud and clear. “It’s just where the game’s at right now. I’m not saying that’s right or wrong. He’s just taking advantage of what we have right now.” We all witnessed it. One of the toughest, tightest courses on the planet being man-handled. DeChambeau even doubled down on his extraordinary pitch and putt strategy by immediately promising to experiment with a 48in driver in the search of yet more distance off the tee. “I thought, I can see it [DeChambeau’s approach working] for week in and week out, PGA Tour setups that are a little more benign,” McIlroy continued. “But I sort of said, ‘OK, wait until he gets to a proper golf course, he’ll have to rein it back in.’ This is as proper as they come, and look what’s happened. Yeah, he’s got full belief in what he’s doing, and it’s pretty impressive.” McIlroy may well have been impressed. But there were the same caveats they’re struggling to find answers to within the halls of the USGA and R&A. “I don’t really know what to say because that’s just the complete opposite of what you think a U.S. Open champion does,” McIlroy said. “Whether that’s good or bad for the game, I don’t know, but it’s just—it’s not the way I saw this golf course being played or this tournament being played. It’s kind of hard to wrap my head around it … I think it’s brilliant, but I think he’s taken advantage of where the game is at the minute.”
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What we have right now is a crazy old world where DeChambeau’s unique methods aren’t as criminal (as distance off the tee is now seen) as everyone would have you believe. It was notable that the incredible bulk was only seventh in driving distance stats at Winged Foot. McIlroy? Sixth. It’s a shame the DeChambeau’s ability to bully the ball out of the hay with recoveries hit high for soft landings, rather than scudding across greens into deeper trouble, didn’t receive the same press. Nor his vastly improved putting, lock arm and all. Chamblee got it. “This is a game-changer”, the analyst said. Whether you like it or not. As a former OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic champion and regular visitor to the Middle East, we have an enduring interest in DeChambeau’s progression. It’s an endlessly fascinating, and opinion dividing, journey we’ll continue to cover within these pages. To help you follow along with the rapid developments and advance your own game with golf’s best instruction, we’ve adapted to the times ourselves by making it even easier to get your monthly fix of Golf Digest Middle East. You may have already seen the QR code at clubs around the region that allows you to get the print version, even back issues, on your favourite device. Simply open the camera function on your smartphone, snap a pic and you’ll be directed to the region’s No.1 golf title. This has been a weird year (how about the next two men’s majors on the calendar being the Masters and the...Masters) but we share DeChambeau’s 2020 ethos. “I felt like it was an opportunity, not a lost year at all. I felt it was an opportunity to do something great, change my lifestyle, make it healthier, make it better, and I hope this inspires everybody else to do the same. “When you have time, when you have that little free moment, don’t squander it. Look at it as an opportunity for you to make yourself better. That’s what I did this year and I’m going to keep trying to do that.” We don’t have DeChambeau’s muscle off the tee or new-found weight in all the right places. Sadly no. But we are working on incremental gains to bring the thoughts of the game’s biggest names, the latest equipment and course developments and best instruction to a screen near you when it is difficult to get your hands on a print copy. Indeed, it’s Bryson’s world now and we’re just living in it, trying our best to not squander a moment. We hope you continue enjoying some of your precious downtime within these now digitally accessible pages. The future happening right now, on device near you. Enjoy.
“We don’t have DeChambeau’s muscle off the tee or new-found weight in all the right places. Sadly no. But we are working on incremental gains…”
editor-in-chief Obaid Humaid Al Tayer managing partner & group editor Ian Fairservice editor Kent Gray art director Clarkwin Cruz editorial assistant Londresa Flores photographer Mustufa Abidi instruction editors Mike Kinloch, Euan Bowden, Tom Ogilvie, Alex Riggs chief commercial officer Anthony Milne publisher David Burke general manager - production S. Sunil Kumar assistant production manager Binu Purandaran THE GOLF DIGEST PUBLICATIONS chairman & editor-in-chief Jerry Tarde international licensing director Edward Klaris international editor Ju Kuang Tan GOLF DIGEST USA chairman & editor-in-chief Jerry Tarde editorial director Max Adler executive editor Mike O’Malley, Peter Morrice general manager Chris Reynolds managing editor Alan P. Pittman design director Ken DeLago playing editors Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Tom Watson, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas
Scan the QR Code to read, download and share the latest, and back issues, of Golf Digest Middle East.
Head Office: Media One Tower, PO Box 2331, Dubai, UAE Tel +971 4 427 3000; Fax +971 4 428 2270 Dubai Media City: Office 508, 5th Floor, Building 8, Dubai, UAE Tel +971 4 390 3550; Fax +971 4 390 4845 Abu Dhabi: PO Box 43072, UAE Tel +971 2 657 3490; Fax +971 2 657 3489 London: Acre House, 11/15 William Road, London NW1 3ER, UK, E-mail: motivateuk@motivate.ae
GOLF DIGEST USA (ISSN 0017-176X) is published monthly by The Golf Digest Publications, a subsidiary of Advance Publications Inc. Editorial and executive offices at 20 Westport Road (PO Box 850), Wilton, CT 06897-0850. Telephone: 091-203-761-5100. Copyright 2001 by The Golf Digest Publications and Touchline Media (Pty) Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. GOLF DIGEST and HOW TO PLAY, WHAT TO PLAY, WHERE TO PLAY are registered trademarks of Advance Magazine Publishers Inc. Printed in USA. Contains material reprinted by permission from GOLF DIGEST® Copyright© 2001, The Golf Digest Publications ® is a registered trademark of The Golf Digest Companies. GOLF DIGEST MIDDLE EAST is the exclusive Licensee of Advance Publications.
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www.golfdigestme.com Photograph by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
The Öeschberghof Golf Resort and Spa This exclusive German golf residence between the Black Forest, Lake Constance and Switzerland just got a star endorsement by kent gray
he pictures speak for themselves. The online reviews are glowing. The facilities world class. But if you’re still not convinced The Öeschberghof is one of Germany’s leading golf destinations, lend Martin Kaymer your ear. The two-time major champion and former world No.1 has become an ambassador for the 45-hole resort after what was clearly an inspiring stay with his family at the 5-star facility in Donaueschingen in the Baar region of south-west Germany recently. “The facilities are superb, from the golf courses and the academy to the restaurants and the impressive hotel. I immediately came to love everything here.” Opened in 1976 and constantly updated since, the resort now boasts two 18 hole courses, a nine-holer, indoor academy, 5000sq metre spa and four restaurants. They’re planning charity and junior tournaments with Kaymer’s help and interestingly a special programme inviting guests to learn how the European Tour star goes about his daily practice routine during the colder months. Few pros work as hard on their games as Kaymer and fewer still are as interesting as the three time Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship winner. Time to book a stay? www.oeschberghof.com
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Photograph courtesy by the club
Looking for Daylight Former running back Reggie Bush is in a rush to conquer golf BY KEELY LEVINS
“I was horrible, and I was embarrassed.” ▶ That’s what former NFL running back Reggie Bush says, laughing, as he recalls his first effort at golf. This was just six years ago, when he and his wife, Lilit, put on a golf tournament as a fundraiser for his junior football camp. ▶ Bush didn’t stay horrible for long. After the fundraiser, he started taking golf lessons, and now plays to a 9-handicap, making regular appearances in PGA Tour pro-ams. ▶ “It’s competitiveness, it’s wanting to be great, and it’s giving myself something to do post-football,” says Bush, 35. “I’m still an athlete. Just because I’m not playing football doesn’t mean the athlete in me stops. I still have that drive and determination to want to be great at just about everything I do. I love that I found golf. I wish I found it earlier.” ▶ Getting the driver under control has been key. “Speed is one of the hardest things to control, especially for someone who’s big and strong, who’s used to getting hit by grown men, and now you’re swinging this little stick,” Bush says. “Driver was my biggest issue, because I was swinging so hard and so fast. I’d make contact, and that ball was just spinning, going wherever it wanted.” ▶ october 2020 | golfdigestme.com
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Play Golfers We Like
The driver is going straight now, sometimes as far as 350 yards. “Now that my driver’s right, I’ve got no fear,” Bush says. “It changes everything. It changes my confidence as a person. The better I hit the driver, the more confident I am in life.” Away from the course, Bush keeps busy with a bit of TV work. He announces some college football games on Fox Sports, and this summer he has been appearing on a Fox reality show called “Celebrity Watch Party.” Though he admits his first golf fundraiser wasn’t a huge financial success, he’s gotten much better at that, too. Last year, he and Lilit raised $350,000 for one of his favorite charities, the Birthday Party Project, which throws birthday parties for homeless children. Bush lives in San Diego, where he grew up, and belongs to Del Mar Country Club. He says he plays best with his wife. Lilit’s new to the game but has a good swing and the benefit of great strength and coordination from her background as a ballroom dancer. “When I’m playing with my boys, I’m competitive, trying to prove something,” Bush says. “And in golf, trying is the worst thing you can do. When I’m with my wife, I’m relaxed, I’m calm, we’re having great conversations. I’ve played some of my best rounds with my wife.” Lately they’ve been making it a family affair. Del Mar has six-seater carts, which are perfect for them. Everyone piles in, with iPads for their three young kids in case anybody gets tired of playing. “I don’t ever want it to feel like something that they have to do. I want it to be our family time, the way that we converse, the way we build our chemistry, how we laugh and cry,” Bush says. “I hope they build a passion for it, because we can play it for the rest of our lives.” Photographed by Kwaku Alston at Del Mar Country Club in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.
“The better I hit the driver, the more confident I am in life.” ▶ range rover “I love that I found golf,” says Reggie Bush. “I wish I found it earlier.”
Play Driving with Euan Bowden
“Your fairway finder is personal to you. Just make sure it’s one you can repeat.” Fairway Finder
WATCH THE VIDEO ▶ Euan brings this lesson to life at golfdigestme.com
A simple set-up tweak to help you get it in play under the blow torch of competition T IS IMPORTANT for golfers of all abilities to have a go-to tee shot, a fairway finder they can rely on in the most pressured situations. Your fairway finder is personal to you. It could be a low draw or a towering high fade but just make sure it’s one you can repeat. The simple set up changes illustrated here can make it easier to shape the ball and ensure you achieve that reliable ball flight. To hit the controlled fade from left to right, tee the ball low and position it forward in your stance. These small alterations will encourage your club path to work more across the ball to target line from outside to in. The club path moving in this direction will make it easier for you to shape the ball from left to right. To hit the draw shot, tee the ball up slightly higher than normal and bring the ball position back in your stance. This will encourage the path of the club to move more from inside to out across the ball to target line, creating the desired club path to hit a draw. Instead of worrying about positions in the swing, which can be difficult to feel at full speed, try these simple set up tweaks. It will encourage the appropriate club path through impact for a more predictable and reliable ball flight, allowing you to find more fairways. Now you’re in play, go fire at that pin! Euan Bowden is PGA teaching professional at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club’s Peter Cowen Academy Dubai.
A REAL game changer
mustufa abidi
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Play Tee to Green by Butch Harmon
“It’s not just a hands-and-arms swing, let your lower body move.”
The Dreaded Half-Wedge How to hit it solid—and get the distance right
HEN TOUR PLAYERS drive the ball in the rough, they usually can still get it to the green. But that changes at events like the U.S Open, where deep rough often requires hacking out after a bad drive, leaving a wedge in. And when those wedge shots are 40, 50, 60 yards, even the pros don’t like them. The secret to playing a half-wedge is committing to the hit. I see a lot of players make a long backswing, and then quit on it at impact. Or they try to baby it and
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end up in a front bunker. Instead, make a shorter backswing that will prompt you to accelerate through the ball, which improves contact and distance control. Start with the ball in the centre of your stance and your weight 60-40 on your front foot. Then make that shorter backswing and put a firm strike on the ball, keeping up your speed to the finish. Let your lower body turn through the shot—don’t freeze your legs and steer the club with your hands and arms. Your body should move like it does on a
full swing, just on a smaller scale. One last thought: Return the loft. Whatever your clubface looks like at address, return the same amount of loft at impact. No chopping down on it, and no flipping your hands to try to get the ball up. Returning the loft is a great image for these little wedges. —WITH PETER MORRICE butch harmon, a Golf Digest Teaching Professional, is based at Rio Secco Golf Club, Henderson, Nev.
Photograph by J.D. Cuban
The Leading Edge by Michael Breed
Play
“Get these two things right, and you’ll be ripping your driver.”
Fully Loaded How to Power Up Your Swing OR A LOT OF GOLFERS, making a bigger windup in the backswing is the answer to adding distance. That’s about body turn, of course, but also loading into your trail side so you can shift toward the target as you unwind. The combination of pushing forward and rotating through the ball is what maximises speed. That might sound complicated, but the best way to set up those moves is very simple: Get your ball position right. Most golfers play the ball too far forward with the driver and stand too far away from it. Playing it too forward can cause your shoulders to shift open and your spine to tilt toward the target, both of which inhibit a full turn. Standing too far from the ball puts your weight on your toes, which
makes it harder to load into your trail heel. So, yes, ball position is that important. Here’s how to check it. First, when you take your setup, line up the ball with your front armpit. That’ll square your shoulders and let you tilt your spine slightly away from the target. Next, to make sure you’re not reaching for the ball, check that your weight is in the arches of your feet, even toward the heels. From there, you can load into your trail side and rotate back freely. You’ll be ready to unleash some serious power into the ball. —WITH PETER MORRICE michael breed is Golf Digest’s Chief Digital Instructor. He operates the Michael Breed Golf Academy at Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point in New York.
gutter credit tk
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Photograph by Nathaniel Welch
october 2020 | golfdigestme.com
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Play TW
Clear the Lip It’s priority one, but don’t overthink it by tiger woods
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ou probably don’t practice fairway-bunker shots a lot, if ever. And when the ball is close to the lip, the biggest mistake I see amateurs make is trying to change their swing to manufacture a high shot that will clear the lip. My advice? Keep it simple. A fairway bunker is not the place where you want to be shotshaping. For me, nothing changes in my technique when I’m close to the lip. The only difference is, I choose a club that I know will get me back in play. You have to get that right.
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“My main thought in a fairway bunker is to keep my legs as still as possible.”
My technique from here is fairly standard. When building a stance in a fairway bunker, it’s crucial to dig your feet in and feel flat-footed. To compensate for the lower position of my feet, I choke down a touch on the grip to help make sure my club hits the ball before it hits the sand.
My main thought in a fairway bunker is to keep my legs as still as possible. I feel like my torso and arms are completely in control of the club, while my legs are simply anchoring me in the sand. And I always play a cut. It’s easier to lose your posture or slip trying to draw it from a bunker.
Another key to success: Don’t take a big divot. I want to sweep the ball off the sand, rather than hit down on it. If your downswing is too steep, you’re more likely to hit it fat or drive the ball into the lip. This is a swing that requires your best control. —with daniel rapaport Photographs by Jensen Larson
Play Gimme One Thing
“It’s not what you gotta do. It’s what you get to do.”
ask golf digest
Clearing the Pond The right approach turns scary into fun BY JEFF RITTER REALISE THE TERM “forced carry” helps set a tense mood for what’s about to happen, but you’ve got to stop thinking of situations where you have to hit over a water hazard, excuse me—a penalty area—as problematic. That’s part of the reason you tend to dunk these shots. You’re assigning stress to a shot you should think of as fun. It’s not what you gotta do. It’s what you get to do. Hitting over a penalty area and onto a green is one of the
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coolest things about playing golf. Before I teach you how to play this shot, here’s a warning: If someone tells you to keep your head down, delete, delete, delete. That’s a recipe for a restricted swing and poor contact, two things that will increase your chance of rinsing it. Instead, think about turning through the ball with long arms and pressure on your front foot. While you’re waiting to hit, instead of getting stressed out, make a few practice swings that clip the
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grass slightly forward of where you imagine the ball to be. Then when it’s your turn, push into the ground with your lead foot, rotate your hips toward the target, and finish with your arms nice and straight. Stand tall with your head up, not down, enjoying your successful shot. Your gimme one thing? Think, Extend my arms.
A A centreshafted club could indeed add stability, which is why they’re illegal under the Rules, with the exception of putters. (See Part 2c of the Rules regarding equipment.) Like you, rules-makers saw the potential benefit of centreshafted clubs and put the kibosh on them.”
—WITH RON KASPRISKE jeff ritter is director of instruction at the Pronghorn Resort in Bend, Ore.
Photo Illustration by Gluekit
photo: al fenn/getty images • ask golf digest: ron barrett
Q Why is the shaft of the club offset to the side of the clubhead? Wouldn’t a shaft centreed behind the middle of the clubhead be better? ersley mclemore jackson, tenn.
AED 99 only
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Play Equipment Lab
taylor m a d e p•770 ▶ The multipiece, tungsten and “speedfoam” elements of the popular P•790 are here in a more compact shape with a thinner topline. A new sole slot and thin L-shape maintain distance.
ca l l away big bertha b-21 ▶ The game-improvement tech has a cupface that wraps around the top and sole; urethane inside for a soft feel; and heavy tungsten and a flexible-tip graphite shaft for higher launch.
b en h o g an icon ▶ This forged muscle-back design subtly shifts the centre of gravity through the set. It’s lower in the long irons for higher launch and higher in the short irons for trajectory control.
honm a tr21-x ▶ This hollow design’s thin, L-shape face wraps around the sole for better flex. Heavy tungsten (50 to 89 grams) placed low in the head improves launch, and internal foam helps feel.
The PGA Tour’s Jon Rahm uses a cavity-back model.
m i zu no jpx 921 forged ▶ The super-strong steel popular in its “hot metal” cast irons injects some speed in these one-piece forged irons. The back-milled face is thinner over a larger area for more distance.
to ur ed ge exotics exs pro forged ▶ Computer milling deepens the back cavity and concentrates extra mass in the heel and toe for enhanced stability. Tungsten in the toe adds extra forgiveness to the long and middle irons.
t i t l e i st t100•s ▶ A stout amount of tungsten (an average of 66 grams) is forged into the heel and toe on this faster version of the players-shape T100. It also has a thinner face and stronger lofts.
What’s Your Iron Type? We tested cavity-back and blades BY MIKE STACHURA ISTANCE AND forgiveness are as much a part of iron design today as they are for drivers. But not all players, especially better ones, need—or maybe a better word is “want”—all the help they can get. Just what are they giving up, and are they right? In an exclusive test for Golf Digest, Club Champion, a national fitting chain, found that a larger, hotter, more forgiving iron produced shots at least a club farther than a classic blade for very good players and very average players. But despite this evidence, the better player still wasn’t smitten. Game-improvement irons are designed with wide soles and thin, fast-flexing faces to hit the ball high, far and straight for players who have a hard time doing those things. But put that iron in the hands of a player with skill and speed, and all that extra help might lead to shots that fly too high. Better players often talk about wanting to control trajectory or “flighting” shots, but “that should not be part of the lexicon for average golfers,” says Alan Hocknell, senior vice president of research and development for Callaway, whose new Big Bertha B-21 irons emphasise game improvement. “They’re just measuring the distance and trying to put a normal swing on it.” In our test, when Club Champion’s co-founder Nick Sherburne asked scratch players about the super-
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oct 2020 | golfdigestme.com
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Play Equipment Lab
Better players focus more on trajectory than distance. game-improvement iron, they worried about “trusting the distance control.” The 15-handicapper’s answer was different: “I don’t have control. Just get me up by the green.” It’s not that better players want irons that aren’t forgiving, but characteristics like a thin topline or little offset (the distance the face is set back from the front of the hosel) help them hit the shots they expect to hit more often, says TaylorMade’s Matt Bovee, senior manager of iron product creation. “It’s amazing how much a couple tenths of a millimeter on a topline will cause a better player to shy away,” he says. Still, as attractive as gameimprovement technology can be to average golfers, it’s also starting to resonate with the world’s best players. (For example, Jon Rahm plays a cavityback iron.) The newest models, such as TaylorMade’s P·770, use distance technology like tungsten and thin-face inserts once reserved for larger irons. “There are going to be a lot of players who see an iron that fits their visual criteria but gives them half a club more distance,” Bovee says. In the end, maybe average golfers are more likely to respond to an iron after seeing the results, and better players are inspired by the way an iron makes them feel. But the gap between them is narrowing. Says Hocknell: “If supergame-improvement irons are meant as a stepping stone to other kinds of irons, you would ask, ‘Well, where do those players go next? Why wouldn’t they stay with this because it does everything they need?’ Style of game might be as much a part of it as ability.” If you’re an iron player who likes to shape shots, you’ll likely want an iron with less help. If you’re just trying to get the ball to fly period, take all the help you can get.
gd tested zero versus 15 handicap + blade versus sgi
mikes@golfdigest.com
0 / SGI
▶ in our test with clubfitter Club Champion, a scratch player and a 15-handicapper hit shots with a blade and a supergame-improvement (SGI) iron. The TrackMan analysis reveals that the SGI iron easily won the distance contest for both players. It carried an average of 14 yards farther than the blade
for the scratch and nearly 40 yards farther for the 15. The better player was concerned about distance control, but our data shows the range between longest and shortest shots for both irons was within a yard. Still, the dispersion for the two irons favoured the blade—43 percent tighter than with the SGI
iron. Blade-iron shots also spun more and landed steeper for eight feet less roll after landing. For the 15-handicapper, it wasn’t a contest. In addition to being longer, SGI shots flew higher while rolling out about the same. And dispersion? Please. All the shots fit in an oval one-eighth the size of the blade’s shots.
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source: club champion
previous pages: dom furore
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Play Course Management
▶ the tiger line off the tee (pictured above) is between the "Twin Towers" in the distance but it brings a potential reload into play. You need to concentrate until your ball is holed as the putting surface is home to some subtle breaks.
Don’t succumb to Stroke Index 1 Tower Links Golf Club is next up in our new series designed to help you tame the Middle East’s toughest holes. Here Australian General Manager Simon Payne, who mixed it with the likes of Norman and Grady in his day, tackles the start of the RAK club’s famed “Green Mile”. Photographs courtesy by Tower Links G.C.
he drive from the 4th green to the 5th tee gives you time to contemplate the task ahead as you enter the “Green Mile”, a stretch of three holes under the road comprising two par 5’s and a long par 4. The par-5 5th, which thoroughly warrants its stroke index 1 status, poses a challenge to even the most skilled players. At no point can you allow your concentration to waiver. Depending on the tee box you are playing from, the first task is to select a line from the tee which allows you to carry the mangroves which hug the entire right side of the hole. The sensible play is towards one of the bunkers on the left side of the fairway, reducing the risk of a re-loaded tee shot. Care must be taken to ensure the bunker just over the mangrove does not catch your tee shot leaving a long lay-up shot. Longer hitters can use the “twin towers” in the distance as a guide. Thread them with your drive and it offers an opportunity for the longer hitters to take on a very risky second to a well-protected green. Normally the prevailing wind is straight into your face and must be considered when deciding your line, regardless of which tee you peg it up from.
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Play Course Management
"The braver you are will dictate the length of the third shot where accuracy is key."
Simon Payne DECISIONS, DECISIONS Once you are in play off the tee, focus turns to a second shot into a tight landing area. Beware the water on the left which runs from 150 yards out all the way to the green. On the right side there is a large sandy waste area and mangroves beyond waiting to swallow your ball. The braver you are will dictate the length of the third shot where pinpoint accuracy is key. Anything short or left will catch water. Should you carry but not hit the green a steep run off onto a speed zone will catch your ball. To the right and long of the green are small bunkers. These present a very scary shot heading back towards the speed zone and water.
▶ precision with your approach, be it a risky second or still scary third (or fourth, or fifth) shot, is important if this is not to be a complete scorecard wrecker.
5
th
PAR 5
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Black
583 yards
Green
553 yards
White
513 yards
Red
499 yards
CLEVER CLOSING The green offers a number of great pin positions. Take care wherever it is cut as the green slopes from back to front. The clever design often sees those generating a lot of spin finding themselves bringing the speed zone in to play by spinning the ball off the green, especially with left sided pin positions. The toughest pin position is back right on a small shelf surrounded by subtle breaks. This really is a hole not to get greedy on. The 5th at Tower Links can bite but also offer a good chance of birdie providing you stick to a plan. Always remember you still have two tough holes ahead as you complete the first phase of the “Green Mile” so use your handicap allowance wisely. — WITH KENT GRAY
THE HOME OF STORYTELLING IN THE MIDDLE EAST
“BOOKS WERE MY PASS TO PERSONAL FREEDOM. I LEARNED TO READ AT AGE THREE, AND THERE DISCOVERED WAS A WHOLE WORLD TO CONQUER THAT WENT BEYOND OUR FARM IN MISSISSIPPI.” OPRAH WINFREY
lily he lpga tour age 21 lives los angeles 308,000 instagram followers
x golf digest | issue x . 2020
Journeys Play
“In golf and in social media, I tried to be perfect. . . . [But] perfection doesn’t exist.” Lily He My Instagram fame used to define me hen i started my instagram account, I was just a regular 15-year-old girl who lived in San Diego, went to high school, had friends and played golf. At the time, I posted what all my friends were posting: selfies, what we were wearing. I liked cultivating an image that wasn’t all about golf, even though my life really was. The assumptions people make on Instagram about how hard I work have followed me through college golf at USC and into professional golf. Though a lot of the things people say to me online are positive and supportive, there are those that always seem to touch a nerve. It took me hitting rock bottom mentally to not let it consume me and not let it define me.
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People don’t see on social media that before I could walk, I was in my baby seat, next to my mom, behind dad’s hitting stall at the range in Chengdu, China, where I was born. My parents would ask me, “How does daddy’s swing look?” and I’d start swinging my arms like I was swinging a club. I started playing when I was 5 years old. The smallest kid in golf camps. I’m still not tall—just 5 feet 6—but back then I was tiny. But I remember thinking I should win every competition. The coach told my parents my competitiveness and swing were signs of potential. So I started playing tournaments. When I was 5 and 6 years old, we would take two-hour flights so I could play tournaments on the weekends. ●
We moved to Vancouver when I was 6. My parents found a coach, Jake Kwon, who they liked because he was strict. In Canada, all the girls played together, no age groups. I improved fast,
Photograph by Lily He
playing against older girls. After six years, we moved to San Diego, mostly for my golf. It was all that was going on in my life, but I didn’t have that clear vision of wanting to be a professional golfer until I was 15 and qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open. The feeling of playing well under that pressure with all those people around, nothing can compare. ●
I made the cut and played with Paula Creamer. I love how, not only is she very fashionable, feminine, pretty and sweet, but she’s also a fierce competitor. Competition is seen as so masculine; people think you can’t be super feminine and still be taken seriously as a competitor. When my Instagram took off, I gained a real appreciation for how hard it is to do that. ●
Growing up, I was never the pretty kid. Golf was on my mind, appearance wasn’t. But as you get older, it’s natural for girls and guys to put effort into how they look. My appearance started to mature. I got a sense of my style, how I wanted to present myself. I was lucky to build a community and get attention really quickly. I love
interacting with people and getting to share parts of my life. Through attention and sponsorships, it’s also helped fund my golf career. ●
My Instagram doesn’t show my dedication to golf. I post golf photos, of course, but on Instagram I show the more feminine side of me. But some people dismiss my golf achievements because of that. People see how I look and say, “Well you’re not going to make it, because you don’t fit the image of what a winner should look like.” They’re assuming that if I’m putting effort into how I look, I’m not putting enough effort into golf. I receive a lot of comments like that. People were waiting to see me fail, just to prove their theory. ●
I turned pro and played the Symetra Tour in 2018. Amid swing changes, I didn’t have the best year, but I had a win and got full LPGA Tour status. When I got my card, I put so much pressure on
myself to prove to people who knew me and those who didn’t that I’ve spent my entire life working on golf. This is my dream. That’s where everything went wrong. The first seven months on the LPGA Tour, it was one missed cut after another. Add in the negative feedback on social media, people saying I didn’t belong, and all I could think was, Am I really cut out for this? Maybe they’re right. Maybe I’m not good enough. I remember nights waking up at 2 a.m. crying in bed because I wanted to be good so badly. ●
In July, I just stopped caring. I was more miserable than I’d ever been. I let go of the advice coaches and people close to my family had given me about my game. I had been told to prepare for tournaments by looking at everything that could go wrong and managing those risks. I realised that stressed me out. I’d been told to practice a certain number of hours before events; this made me overthink things. I’d been told to meditate. It wasn’t a fit, so I stopped. If I didn’t feel like posting on Instagram, I didn’t post. If I worried people might not like something I wanted to post, I posted anyway. ●
I lost my card, so I had to go back to Q school. But unlike the year before, I slept well those two weeks. The nervousness that had made it impossible to eat a year ago went away. I had confidence. And I won Q school. In golf and social media, I tried to be perfect. I thought that’s what people wanted to see, so that’s how I thought I had to be. But the last year has taught me perfection doesn’t exist anywhere. Mistakes will happen. And I can survive them. —with keely levins
october 2020 | golfdigestme.com
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Play The Ethicist
Can You Own Your Swing? A golf instructor says his technique was stolen by matthew rudy he golf swing is a lot like the menu at Taco Bell: Both have a finite number of familiar ingredients that can be combined in myriad ways to produce something “new.” Of course, calling a Cheesy Gordita Crunch “new” or seeing it as a crunchy beef taco protected by an outer skin of melted cheese and a soft tortilla is a matter open to interpretation. So, too, is the assertion by a Colorado golf instructor that another teacher stole his proprietary technique—the Rotary Swing. In his April lawsuit, Chuck Quinton says Eric Kaplan joined the Rotary Swing program in 2015 and spent years scraping information on Quinton’s teachings before starting the Axys Golf website. What set Rotary Swing apart, Quinton says, is that he consulted with experts to devise a technique that’s easier on the body. In his complaint, Quinton says Kaplan pirated the ideas from Rotary Swing and made virtually identical videos of his, and when Quinton complained, Kaplan moved them from a free part of the site to behind a paywall.
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Not so fast, says Kaplan, who disputes that Quinton invented the technique and terminology of a “rotary” swing and even throws in a celebrity testimonial video from PGA Tour Champions legend Bernhard Langer, who says he has been working on elements of “turning in a box” with Kaplan since 2014—a year before Quinton claims Kaplan joined Rotary Swing. In a scene straight out of a college-town Taco Bell 20 minutes after last call, Quinton and Kaplan have taken their court battle to social media, exchanging insults and putting up boutique websites to advance their causes. Quinton has gone so far as to call Kaplan a fraud and snake-oil salesman in a YouTube video, and Kaplan uses his Rotary Truth website to call Quinton a bully and liar. United States District Court Judge Christine Arguello’s ruling on the matter is
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exquisitely scoldy: She called both men’s conduct egregious and unprofessional and banished them to mediation to work it out. But within the ruling is language both ominous—for Quinton—and interesting. Arguello points to golf instruction published by Alex Morrison in the 1930s— A New Way to Better Golf—as an example of “rotary style” swinging being taught long before Quinton could claim it to be proprietary. Before we all wrap our arms around the idea that there literally is nothing new under the sun (at least since the Herbert Hoover administration), and thus no standing for modern pros to claim their ideas have been ripped off, let’s consider what that does to
innovation in the world of golf instruction. Teaching language and access to the technology to measure and interpret athletic movement has certainly changed and evolved since 1932. Morrison probably couldn’t have imagined a radar device sitting on the ground behind a player, beaming swing analytics to a phone with more processing firepower in its hand-held innards than the supercomputer that sent the first astronauts to the moon. You can’t copyright physics, but novel approaches, new language, improved technology and—most important— new ways to interact with students can and should be rewarded and protected from exploitation. Fredrik Tuxen didn’t invent radar tracking. He used it in his previous job to track bullets and missiles. But when Klaus and Morten Eldrup-Jorgensen asked him if it would be possible to do it with golf balls, TrackMan was born. Jim McLean wasn’t the first coach to see the relationship between the upper and lower body, but he did the work to grow it from a collection of anecdotes to an integrated teaching system called the X-Factor. Quinton’s Rotary Swing clearly stands on Morrison’s shoulders (and on Percy Boomer’s from the 1940s). He doesn’t have the right to put a fence around the physics, but he deserves space for his trade name and protection from having his stuff copied. It might help to think about modern golf coaching concepts like the artwork of Andy Warhol. Warhol took photographs of people and commercial labels and through adaptation turned them into new works of art. The adaptations are different from straight-up copies, and they recognise the source material from which they came. Sort of like a Nacho Cheese Doritos Taco. Familiar, but different.
doug chayka
You can’t copyright physics, but novel approaches should be rewarded.
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Play Equipment
What’s in My Bag Sahith Theegala driver specs Ping G410 LST, 10°, Graphite Design IZ 6X shaft, 44.75 inches, D-3 swingweight
—e. michael johnson
club
yards*
▶ I fight spin off the tee because I’ve always hit down on the driver. The LST is Ping’s low-spin driver, so things are really good now in that regard. I recently upped the loft, which helps me work the ball, especially when I try to hit a high draw.
fairway wood / hybrid specs Ping G410 LST, 14.5°, Graphite Design Tour AD IZ 8X shaft; Ping G410, 17°, Graphite Design Tour AD IZ 85X shaft. ▶ I never used to carry a 3-wood. Instead, I use what I call a FrankenHybrid—a 17-degree hybrid that I alternate with a 2-iron. But this one I’ve had for about a year, and I feel really comfortable with it off the tee and the ground. It’s great for a 270-yard tee shot.
irons specs Ping iBlade (4-7), Ping Blueprint (8-PW), True Temper Project X 6.5 shafts. ▶ My tendency is to spin my short irons a lot. The Blueprint irons are a true blade and less spinny. They go through the turf so easily. I can just flick my wrists and forearms a little and have complete control trajectory-wise and shape-wise. Plus, the feel is incredible.
driver
290
3-wood
265
wedges
2-hybrid
255
4-iron
223
specs Ping Glide 2.0 (50°, 54°, 58° degrees), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts.
5-iron
212
6-iron
198
7-iron
185
8-iron
170
9-iron
154
pw
140
50˚wedge
125
54˚wedge
112
58˚wedge
100
* carry distance
34 golfdigestme.com | october 2020
living in the 909 ▶ I play the Titleist Pro V1x. I mark it with an S above the sidestamp. On one side I black out the number and write a 9 on both sides because I live in the 909 area code.
▶ I prefer less bounce and a thinner sole on the lob wedge. I use the 54-degree on long bunker shots and prefer more bounce for that. I don’t mess with the grinds. I love the way these sit on the ground.
mamba magic ▶ Kobe Bryant was my sports idol. Right after he died, I won the Southwestern Invitational. On the final hole I pulled a Kobe jersey from my bag and put it on for the final putts. I just wanted to pay tribute somehow.
putter specs Ping Karsten Anser 2, 35.25 inches, 3° loft, Ping PP58 midsize grip. ▶ I put this putter in play a month into my freshman year at Pepperdine and have pretty much stuck with it. I’ve gone between a silver and dark finish on the Anser 2 a couple of times, but only for a short while when I needed a different look. Then I go back to this trusty one, and it looks awesome again.
strategy session ▶ Chess is like golf—your current move sets up the next one. I was so bad at chess a year ago. But I’ve gotten pretty good during quarantine. It helps keep the mind sharp.
Photographs by Dom Furore
chess: floortje/getty images • allen berezovsky/getty images • ball: theegal a
age 23 lives Chino Hills, Calif. story The Pepperdine University graduate is the fifth college golfer to win the Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan and Haskins awards for player of the year Theegala’s father immigrated to the United States from India, and for a long time he would take the family to his homeland every other year. weekend plans Theegala made the cut at the 2017 Genesis Open as an amateur and played both weekend rounds with Phil Mickelson.
“I never used to carry a 3-wood. Instead, I use what I call a FrankenHybrid.”
IANT LEA
l adies european tour
georgia hall has quietly gone about turning herself into Britain’s most successful female golfer since her last start in the UAE, a selftitled “tired” T-21 finish at Dubai’s Ladies European Tour stop in 2017. It was a performance camouflaged by the fact Hall had already wrapped up that season’s LET Order of Merit title. ▶ Fast-forward to the present and what isn’t cloaked his her new-found standing even if countrywoman Charley Hull, at 30th, was a place above Hall in the world rankings at press time. There’s a major edge on Hall’s CV and now the 2019 Women’s Open champion has a LPGA Tour title to rival Hull as well. The Cambia Portland Classic victory in mid-September mightn’t have matched the statue of Hull’s Tour Championship win in 2017 but was just as satisfying after a couple of years of close calls in the U.S. ▶ Forget not the perfect 4-0-0 record either as Europe upset the U.S. at the 2019 Solheim Cup, including a memorable 2&1 singles victory over Lexi Thompson on the final day at Gleneagles. ▶ Hall has since collected an MBE for services to golf, an ambassadorial role with the Royal & Ancient and two Rose Series victories en-route to her return to the Middle East for next month’s US$285,000 OMEGA Dubai Moonlight Classic. ▶ The 24-year-old Dorset-based Englishwoman won’t be the highest ranked player and wasn’t part of the new Pro-Am, floodlit format last year. She’s never teed it up on the Faldo course at Emirates Golf Club, nor under lights. But it’s just another trial the two-time LET Order of Merit champion is happy to accept in a year full of unexpected challenges. ▶ Indeed Hall will surely be one of the toughest players to beat if she can quickly adjust to the bright LEDs and testing greens on a course designed by another tenacious compatriot, Sir Nick Faldo. Given her recent form and endless determination, it will come as no surprise if that exact narrative plays out at the November 4-6 event. – kent gray 36 golfdigestme.com | october 2020
Steve DykeS / getty imageS
Georgia Hall has ample confidence to help her overcome the unknown at next month’s OMEGA Dubai Moonlight Classic
I WILL CERTAINLY COME TO DUBAI FULL OF CONFIDENCE. I’VE NOT YET WON A REGULAR LET EVENT, SO THAT WOULD BE NICE TO DO. Photograph by First Lastname
issue x . 2020 | golf digest
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surprise, surprise Team Europe, captained by Catriona Matthew, celebrate 2019 Solheim Cup success at Gleneagles in Scotland
easy with all of the covid conundrums we are faced with nowadays?
To be honest it’s been pretty tricky to celebrate. We had a week off immediately after Portland so I had the time to reflect on things a bit but I didn’t want to go out to any bars or restaurants so we stayed in and recharged the batteries. Hopefully I’ll be able to have a bit of a celebration when I get back to the UK but things are pretty strict there COVID-wise, so I won’t be able to do much. you win the 2019 open at royal lytham & st. annes. you’re honoured with an mbe. you play a starring role in the solheim cup victory. you claim your maiden lpga tour title. what’s next for georgia hall?
Just to keep doing what I’m doing, which I know sounds a little boring, but it seems to be working for me. I’d like to be as consistent as I possibly can and I’m sure that with that, more wins will come. I’d like to move up the world rankings, and secure a spot to represent Great Britain at next year’s Olympic games. ●●●
with the beauty of hindsight/time to reflect, does your lpga tour breakthrough mean to you now?
I’ve had to work hard to get myself into a position to win in the U.S. I worked hard on my short game, and those high shots into greens, as well as distance control with my wedges. I wouldn’t say that I didn’t believe I could win in the U.S. because I did but it was a relief to get it done and it’s a massive step for me in terms of knowing that I can do it. ●●●
maybe we shouldn’t be surprised given how 2020 has
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developed but the cambia portland classic wasn’t your normal tournament week. wildfires, poor air quality, reduced to 54 holes, lighting delays on the saturday. in a strange kind of way, did it sum up 2020 thus far?
Yes, it really was crazy. We went from dangerously high temperatures the week before at the ANA Inspiration (major championship) where caddies were allowed to use buggies because it was so hot, to the fires in Portland. It really was thick – you couldn’t see across the course from one hole to
another, and on practice days they limited the amount of time we were allowed to stay outside to a couple of hours. And we lost a couple of days totally, so I didn’t play the whole course before the event began. Lucky I knew it from previous years. It’s actually one of my favourite courses. ●●●
you’re on record as saying that you didn’t “really take it all in and enjoy it properly” after your open championship triumph. you were determined to enjoy your portland win but it can’t have been
●●●
talking of pandemics, can we rewind to the start of 2020. what were your goals for the year and how hard has it been to pivot professionally?
At the beginning of the year we obviously had no idea how it was going to pan out. Thankfully I got three events under my belt before the COVID break came but it did mean that I went all the way to Australia for one week, as we should have played Thailand and Singapore on the way home, but they were cancelled! I’m not sure I’d have travelled to Australia had I have known how that was going to pan out. It was difficult when our restart kept being delayed but I made the most of lockdown and really felt ready once we were able to get back out there. ●●●
how did you stay sharp golf wise and how have you coped with all the
lpga breakthrough Hall won the Cambia Portland Classic after edging Ashleigh Buhai with a par on the second hole of a two-way playoff
coronavirus restrictions on a personal level?
good to be back Hall is keen to atone for a “tired” showing at the then OMEGA Dubai Ladies Masters on the Majlis in 2017
We had eight weeks of total lockdown when we couldn’t leave the house other than to pick up essential shopping. Funnily enough, I’d literally just moved into my new home in Dorset on the south coast so it was a great opportunity to do some painting and decorating and get things straight. I also worked on my fitness, so in a funny way I quite enjoyed it and it came at a good time for me. Once golf courses opened up again in mid-May, I had plenty of time to get my game in shape before my first tournaments back in August.
IT WILL BE WEIRD PLAYING IN THE EVENING AND HAVING THE WHOLE DAY FREE BEFOREHAND BUT THE COURSES ARE ALWAYS IN GREAT SHAPE AT THE EMIRATES, SO I’M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. ●●●
the two rose series wins must have been huge, just to get back into competition mode?
It was a fantastic initiative and we are all so grateful to Justin and Kate [Rose] for coming up with the idea and making it happen. We played some great courses and received some decent media coverage as there wasn’t much other sport going on at that time.
(3) getty images
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you finished t21 on your last visit to dubai in 2017 having already wrapped up the let oom for the first time. you admitted at the time you were tired after a long season and probably didn’t play as well as you’d have liked so fond memories tinged with feelings of unfinished business in dubai?
Yes, for sure. I’m looking forward to being out there again and hopefully finishing a little
higher. It’s towards the end of the season again but I should feel a little fresher than I did at the end of the 2017 season.
golf is in the women’s and children’s area of the game and we’ve been working together to inspire as many children to take up the game as we can. It’s really important for the children to have role models and to show them that the game can be fun and rewarding, in every sense. The R&A have also got their Women’s Golf Charter, whereby organisations around the world commit to doing more to recruit new women into golf. So it’s exciting times and it’s having good results already. one practice round and my caddy and I will both get a lot out of that and be ready for the competition. I should also try to practice under the floodlights I guess as that will be a new experience for me. ●●●
these innovative new formats are good for the game/exposure of the let aren’t they?
Yes absolutely, especially if they attract a new audience.
●●●
●●●
you weren’t part of the introduction of the new pro-am/’moonlight’ night golf format last year. what do you expect from the week?
with your focus on the lpga tour, you’ve only made two let tour starts in 2020, finishing t51 at the scottish open and t45 at the aig women’s open. the win in portland surely gives you confidence of claiming your first regular season let title?
It’s great to have some new formats in golf. Last year sounded fun and relaxed. It will be weird playing in the evening, and having the whole day free beforehand but the courses are always in great shape at the Emirates, so I’m really looking forward to it. Plus, I’ll get to go to the beach during the day.
Well yes, I will certainly come to Dubai full of confidence and I’d love to be able to get another win in before the end of the year. I’ve not yet won a regular LET event, so that would be nice to do.
●●●
●●●
you’ve not played the faldo course at emirates before. how hard is it to get up to speed with a new layout quickly?
talk more about your ambassadorial role with the r&a, what has been achieved thus far and next steps?
I’ve not played the course before but I’ll play at least
The R&A recognise that the biggest growth potential in
●●●
with golf seen as a relatively safe pursuit in this new covid-era, there are more people getting into the game. it’s clearly a real opportunity for the women’s game?
I love the fact that participation numbers have risen over the past few months in the UK, and may other countries, I believe. So it’s important that all golf facilities, whether it’s a course or a driving range, remain as welcoming as possible. Some of them are doing some great offers to attract people in and that’s really good to see. ●●●
you’ve also signed up for the aramco saudi ladies international (rescheduled for nov. 1215). how important is it to you to help promote/ grow the game in nontraditional markets?
It’s hugely important. As I spoke about with the R&A, I think it’s important for women and children in countries where golf is relatively new to see what is possible. It’s exciting to think that we might be able to inspire people to try it and I believe it could really help them with their confidence and to develop as individuals.
october 2020 | golfdigestme.com
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Aramco Saudi Ladies International
▶ welsh wizard Amy Boulden will be among a field of more than 100 professionals at November’s tournaments at Royal Greens GCC
“This type of commitment to women’s golf is really amazing at this time” WELSH STAR AMY BOULDEN HAS HAILED SAUDI ARABIA’S ABILITY TO DOUBLE-DOWN ON ITS HISTORIC LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR STOP
G
getty images
iven how quickly the year has spiralled out of control for golf events around the world, it would have been easy for Saudi Arabia to give up on plans to host its historic women’s event and reset for 2021. ▶ Welsh star Amy Boulden says the Ladies European Tour’s (LET) membership are indebted the Kingdom have not only avoided such a fate but doubled down on their commitment to the women’s game. The Saudi Golf Federation and Golf Saudi have announced what is being billed as a “landmark LET golf week” next month. It will be headlined by the US$1 million Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by PIF from November 12-15 and followed two days later at Royal Greens Golf Club near Jeddah by a three-day teams event. The November 17-19 Saudi Ladies Team International will involve a ProAm component and bring the total purse for the week to $1.5 million. Fresh from winning the Swiss Ladies Open in September for her LET breakthrough, Boulden says it is huge news for LET players, many of whom will tee it up in the US$285,000 OMEGA Dubai Moonlight Classic earlier in November before heading to King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC). “This type of commitment to women’s golf is really amazing to see
Boulden (centre) hopes to inspire more young Saudis into playing golf
at this time,” said the 27-year-old. “It’s given players another massive week to look forward to competing in and allows us to take the game we love to a new country where we can play on what is a truly incredible golf course with one of the most picturesque views you’ll see on tour.” The Saudi Ladies International, originally planned for March and rescheduled to October due to the coronavirus outbreak before
finding the latest November date in the calendar, will be the LET’s third highest paying event in 2020 behind the Women’s (British) Open and Scottish Open. Organisers are promising a “safe bio-secure environment” at both tournaments in KAEC. “To throw their weight behind two events in one week is a really significant gesture from a country I know is passionate about growing golf, and I can’t wait to get out there playing.” The tournaments mark the return of large-scale international sporting events to Saudi Arabia as part of the country’s Vision 2030 socio-economic blueprint which has targeted high-level sport as a means of inspiring the Kingdom’s next generation. His Excellency Yasir O. AlRumayyan, Chairman of the Saudi Golf Federation and tournament organiser Golf Saudi, is delighted to have finally locked in the historic week. “As we all know the first half of this year has been extremely trying on businesses, organisations and nations worldwide, with sport affected greatly,” he said. “However, we are thankful to both PIF and Aramco – who are equally determined to give elite level sport the platform to continue to flourish, both here in Saudi Arabia and abroad, and never more so than now – which makes us proud to be throwing our full weight behind both the Saudi Ladies International and the Saudi Ladies Team International.” Those sentiments were echoed by Majed Al Sorour, CEO of Golf Saudi and the Saudi Golf Federation. “Our vision is to grow golf across the Kingdom, and make it both accessible and enjoyable to all men, women and children,” said Al Sorour. “One of our key initiatives for this is hosting tournaments capable of drawing the world’s best players as a means of inspiring the next generation of young Saudis and Saudi golfers, so it is a great honour to be taking our next step on that journey by welcoming the Ladies European Tour to the Kingdom for October’s debut Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by PIF and the Saudi Ladies Team International.” – kent gray
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Photographs by J.D. Cuban
THE GETTABLE HOLES
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HOW TO ATTACK THE PAR 5S AND SET UP MORE BIRDIE LOOKS BY J O N R A H M
the tee shot : listen to your gut
▶ when i’m on the tee, I first take into account how I’m hitting it that day. If I’m hitting it well, I’ll pull out driver and play an aggressive tee shot. I realise that might not be the best advice for average golfers who are probably better off playing a shorter drive from the fairway. But if there’s no real risk in airing one out, go for it. The ninth hole at Torrey Pines South is one where I always hit my driver hard. The key is that even though I’m swinging aggressively, I never lose my balance. If you can’t keep your feet connected to the turf, you’re swinging too hard.
hen you stand on the tee of a par 5, you should see opportunity. I certainly do. So far in 2020, I’m top five in par-5 scoring average on the PGA Tour, averaging 4.48 strokes per hole. But the desire to birdie these “gettable” holes means nothing if you don’t have a plan. And that plan probably shouldn’t be just to hit your first two shots as far as you can and deal with the outcomes. Instead, let me share with you my approach to scoring on the par 5s, plus a little of my technique to get from the tee to the green. There might be opportunites for you to reach the green in two, but my first piece of advice is, don’t always try to max out your distance in the hopes of an eagle putt. That can get you in real trouble, and one of the worst feelings in golf is walking off a par-5 green with a double bogey or worse. Compartmentalising these holes by having a clear goal for each shot is the first step to dominating the par 5s. Let’s put you on the attack. —with keely levins october 2020 | golfdigestme.com
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IF THERE’S TOO MUCH RISK IN GOING FOR A GREEN IN TWO, I LAY UP TO MY FAVOURITE SPOT.
▶ the question to ask on a second shot is, what do I want my third shot to be? For the par-5 second hole at Augusta, being as close as possible to the green is an advantage—so I go for it. If there’s minimal risk around the greens, you can do the same. But you’re probably going to lay up on most par 5s and use a fairway wood to do it. I heard Tiger once say that when you’re hitting woods, just focus on contact. I like that. To help you hit it solid, play the ball a couple of inches back from your front heel—it’s not a driver. Also, play toward a bailout area in case you don’t hit it straight. That will help you make a much smoother swing.
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gutter credit tk
the second shot : focus on a solid strike
the third shot : stay down on it ▶ i love being 75 meters (82 yards) out for my third because it’s the perfect three-quarter shot for me with my 60-degree wedge. Having a wedge shot you’re confident in frees up your swing so you can be more aggressive into the green. To knock it close, think about keeping your torso centred over the ball as you swing down through impact. The mistake is trying to hoist the ball way up with a scoopy hand motion. Instead, you want to stay down on it and compress the ball. It will fly on a more piercing trajectory with a lot of spin and quickly stop—hopefully near the hole. Now go and drop the putt .
gutter credit tk
WHEN HITTING A WEDGE INTO THE GREEN, TRUST THE CLUBFACE TO DO THE WORK. DON’T GET CUTE WITH IT.
october 2020 | golfdigestme.com
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Play Core
Build a Better Base It’s essential to hitting solid shots by ron kaspriske
here’s an old saying in fitness that you can’t fire a cannon from a canoe. The translation for golfers is that you can’t expect to swing hard and find the sweet spot on the clubface if your lower body is weak and dysfunctional. Andrea Doddato, one of Golf Digest’s 50 Best Golf-Fitness Trainers, is demonstrating here an exercise that will strengthen several lower-body muscles, including the glutes, hamstrings and calves, while improving mobility in the hips and ankles. “The best part is, you can do it anywhere,” she says. “See if you can do five reps on each leg. When it gets easier, go for 10 holding a light weight.”
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1 stork stand ▶ Stand tall with a bench, chair or box behind your left leg. Raise your right leg up, and hold this position until you get your balance.
2 grab a seat ▶ While balancing on one leg, slowly lower your body until the left side of your butt gently touches the platform behind you.
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Think you can do five reps of this exercise? 3 stand and kick ▶ From the squat position with your right foot still off the ground, push up with your left leg until you’re standing tall again. Then bend your right leg up until your shin is parallel to the ground.
4 take a bow ▶ Still balancing on your left leg, hinge forward from your hips and reach for the ground with your right arm. Your right leg should extend behind you and to the side of the bench. When you touch the ground, return to the standing position. After several reps, repeat the entire movement balancing on the right leg. Photographs by J.D. Cuban
Play Your Best GD Schools
3 Ways to Improve Right Now Why wait to elevate your game? BY SEAN HOGAN
1 improve your impact
OU COULD STASH your clubs for a few months and forget about golf until the weather improves, but I have a better idea: Use this time, when scores don’t really matter and your handicap might be frozen, to work on a few things that can have a meaningful impact on your game next spring. What things? Two are as simple as rehearsing better body motions in front of a mirror. The other is a drill you can do indoors or out. Pro tip: You might want to use foam golf balls for spousal harmony. —WITH RON KASPRISKE
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sean hogan is director of instruction for the Leadbetter Golf Academy in ChampionsGate, Fla.
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▶ This mini-swing drill will immediately help you develop a better strike on the ball: Grab your pitching wedge and set your feet in a narrower stance than normal with the ball centred. Make a small swing with your lead arm moving back short of parallel with the ground. Hold this position (above) for a couple of seconds, noting a hinge of the wrists and a fold of your trail arm. You’re now in an ideal pre-impact position with the club trailing the hands. From there, swing down and through into a low, abbreviated finish. This will give you a great feel for how to compress the ball with a square clubface and a forward-leaning shaft.
2 perfect your pivot ▶ Now’s the perfect time to groove how the body should rotate during the swing. With your hands positioned on the side of your thighs, get into a good address posture hinging forward from your hips. Now simulate a clubless backswing, letting your arms move up and down your legs as you pivot away from the target (above). Then simulate a through-swing (left). This is the look and feel of a good pivot, and you can practice it anywhere. Keep doing this all winter, and your swing will look and feel much more efficient and in control.
3 sync your swing ▶ This drill helps sync your arm swing with your body rotation. It’s also a great isometric stretch as you warm-up. Get in your address posture, and hook the back of your trail hand (right for righties) under the back of your lead hand. Now pretend you’re making a backswing, feeling like your lead arm stays connected to your upper body as your torso rotates (left). Then simulate a downswing maintaining this connection. Remember how this feels when you hit the course next spring. Photographs by Dom Furore
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A MAJOR FOCUS OF THE REBRANDED AND RE-ENERGISED LEGENDS TOUR IS TO BECOME THE “GREATEST AMATEUR EXPERIENCE IN GOLF”. THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES FIGURES STRONGLY IN THOSE AMBITIOUS PLANS AS KENT GRAY DISCOVERS
LUAE
egends LEGENDS TOUR
Bound
iven the struggles to keep the European Tour financially and logistically viable in this unprecedented time, many feared the Staysure Tour would become a sad casualty of the coronavirus pandemic.
The doubters clearly hadn’t figured on Ryan Howsam’s vision for the over-50s circuit. The Englishman, who founded insurance firm Staysure in 2004, has become the first individual to have a controlling stake and leadership role in one of golf’s major circuits after taking a majority equity share in what is now known as The Legends Tour. Howsam will oversee the Tour’s commercial strategy as part of the evolution of Staysure’s existing umbrella sponsorship announced in 2017. The Legends Tour was officially unveiled at the Wentworth Club, the European Tour’s HQ, on September 1 with former Ryder Cup captains Mark James, Paul McGinley, 1999 Open champion Paul Lawrie and 1991 Masters champion Ian Woosnam on hand to sell the sizzle. The quartet will be joined by major champions Darren Clarke, Tom Lehman, Colin Montgomerie and Michael Campbell as Legends Tour ambassadors. The exciting news for Middle East fans is the work behind the scenes to bring a couple of Legends Tour events to the region. Well-heeled amateurs will also be intrigued by the exciting opportunities to compete alongside some of the game’s greats, including a ‘Legends Club” where Ams will compete in their own Order of Merit race. New Legends Tour chief Mark Aspland chatted to Golf Digest Middle East soon after the tour’s unveiling to bring us up to speed with the all the latest developments of the circuit that no only refuses to die but is determined to become the “greatest amateur experience in golf’.
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It’s an incredibly exciting time for Senior golf. Discussions were at the formative stage when I started working on the then Staysure Tour in early 2019. Keith Pelley and Ryan Howsam have a really strong relationship and the idea was first discussed between them whilst on the golf course. For the staff and players, we have the best of both worlds, the European Tour will still operate the ‘inside the ropes’ activities, whilst Ryan will have overall commercial control of the Legends Tour and drive the commercial activity and vision.
Majority equity share holder Ryan Howsam is flanked by Paul McGinley and Colin Montgomerie
It was quite a job to unpick 25 plus years of the integration with the European Tour operations, but the result is a big step forward for a traditional rights-holder to engage with an entrepreneur to drive the business forward.
IT’S NOT RE-INVENTING THE WHEEL, MORE FOCUSING IN ON THE COMMERCIAL VALUE OF OUR PLAYERS AND OFFERING AN ‘INSIDE THE ROPES’ EXPERIENCE IN THE TOURNAMENT THAT I BELIEVE DOESN’T CURRENTLY EXIST IN THE MIDDLE EAST. To align with the premium nature of the product we are looking at aspirational and successful venues to host events. We have an optimum number of 24/25 events eventually and the product we are building and the value proposition behind the Tour will align very closely with Tourism destinations. We have a very successful 10 year partnership in Mauritius and now Seychelles to form the season ending Tour Championship, and are currently exploring the Caribbean and Middle East to complement the existing events. We believe the Legends Tour has a unique offering that will complement the European Tour in the Middle East. We are in regular contact with Tom Phillips in the Tour’s Dubai Office and have several opportunities that are being explored. The UAE has history with the players now playing on the Legends Tour, and we hope to build on this going forward. The Legends Tour can complement the other golf activity in the Middle East. We are focusing on the Legends Tour being the ‘greatest amateur experience in golf’. The Pro-am and Alliance formats are central to this – it’s not re-inventing the wheel, more focusing in on the commercial value of our players, and offering an ‘inside the ropes’ experience in the tournament that I believe doesn’t currently exist in the Middle East. Aligned to this, in the new Tour structure within the Staysure Group, we have access to over 5.5 million predominantly 50+ UK travellers. This creates a compelling opportunity for premium tourism destinations and helps us to pull together a long-term narrative for the Legends Tour in the region. In the new proposition we are planning for standard fields to be 60 pros and 30 amateurs playing over the 3 days of the tournament. Two pros to 1 am will create an intense, competitive opportunity for the amateur. We are creating a ‘Legends Club’, where amateurs can play in a number of tournaments and feature on their own Order of Merit too. The Amateur spots will be at a premium as they are limited and different territories have slightly different commercial
models. For example, we are targeting the US golf travel market for our events in the UK to create a week of golf at incredible venues culminating in the Alliance events. A title sponsor could come in and own Alliance spots too then allocate to charity / junior golf for a CSR project? We will work a model according to the commercial requirements of the individual events.
“Accessibility to our stars will form the basis of our growth plan moving forwards.”
The Legends Club proposition feeds directly in to the threeday Alliance events and will initially be focused on events owned and promoted by the Tour, but will be built out further over time. We totally respect that a number of external promoters host tournaments and want to use their own format. We aim to have between 6-8 Alliance events for the Legends Club in 2021. The Legends Club is a lifestyle opportunity where you travel and play with your wife /husband / partner to premium destinations living the life of our pros. The opportunity is not just for over 50s. it’s for anyone with a passion for golf and spending time with our Legends on and off the course. The Legends Tour pros are great fun to be with and provide the full experience of not just golf… eat with them in the Players’ Lounge and enjoy a drink with them afterwards. This is a unique, premium experience that true golf fans will revel in. The celebrity Pro-Ams we have planned with big names from the sports, music and entertainment worlds are designed to create additional charity / CSR, PR and marketing opportunities, plus enhance the playing experience during the week and therefore commercial value for the over-all event. We want to create a week of top quality entertainment to maximise the value of our events. The Ambassadors are a crucial part of our strategy going forward and we have been specific in their criteria of being Ryder Cup captains and major winners. We will be using them to drive the brand forward, create awareness, generate content for legendstour.com and utilise them for lifestyle experiences as well as playing experiences. They are the perfect marketing channel for us and our partners and we have further exciting additions planned on top of those already announced. october 2020 | golfdigestme.com
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TRICKY LIES
pga teaching professional ian brennan helps you pass the tricky lies test at the track, meydan golf
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on’t let the relaxed atmosphere, floodlit ambience and unparalleled views of the Burj Khalifa fool you. The Track, Meydan Golf is no walk in the park, a layout that promises a stern test of your game. With eight out of our nine holes protected by water, it’s common for players to find themselves in some unusual positions. Playing lessons are incredibly popular at The Track and I love the discussions they generate with beginner and veteran player alike. A common question I receive during our time on the course is: How do I play some of these awkward lies? Here at the iconic 4th Hole I’ve pulled my tee shot and found myself in one such position, a little too close to the water’s edge for comfort. Due to the bank of the lake that my ball now lies on, you’ll notice the ball is above my feet as I take my stance. The ball above the feet lie can cause a lot of problems for amateur golfers but if you remember these tips, you’ll pass this tricky lie test every time.
WATCH THE VIDEO ▶ Ian brings this lesson to life at golfdigestme.com
choke down
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e’ve spoken about alignment and the effect the slope has on the golf swing itself but in order to ensure consistent contact, we also need to adjust our grip placement slightly. Remember not only is the ball above our feet, it’s also now brought closer to our body. As noted, the swing will become flatter due to the angle of the slope. This, matched with choking down slightly on the grip, will give you the best chance of catching the ball clean and watching it curve back to target, navigating another tricky Track lie like a Tour Pro.
a li g nm e nt
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irst things first, we need to understand the role alignment plays in performing this shot. The more above my feet the ball is, the more left the clubface will point. Note that the higher the loft of the club in hand, the more exaggerated this will be. With that in mind, we now need to ensure to aim far enough to the right of our target to
allow for the correct start line and pronounced right to left curvature this shot will produce. As you can see, my body alignment is towards the right edge of the green. You’ll also notice my swing appears to be flatter. Again, due to the angle of the slope my swing will naturally need to flatten to match with the slope. Think of a baseball swing for the perfect pre-shot feeling.
To book a lesson with PGA Golf Professional Ian Brennan at the Meydan Academy By Troon, call 04 381 3733 or email ian.brennan@meydangolf.com
TAMED Photographs by Mustufa Abidi
october 2020 | golfdigestme.com
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GOOD SHOT
▶ YOU JUST HIT your best approach shot of the day, and now you’re in a hero pose watching as the ball sails toward the flagstick. For a moment you’re thinking birdie opportunity, but then it happens—a gust of wind knocks down your ball, or it caroms off a sprinkler head, or maybe it catches the downslope and runs off the green. There are few things more disappointing in golf than hitting a solid shot, only to have it wind up in a bad spot. Still, you don’t have to let it ruin your day. Let me show you how to deal with some of the tougher lies on and around the greens. Your birdie opp is probably gone—but saving par isn’t. —WITH RON KASPRISKE
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BAD RESULT
BUT YOU CAN STILL SCORE FROM THESE TOUGH GREENSIDE LIES BY E A R L C O O P E R
Photographs by Steve Boyle
close to the bunker lip
have a blast ▶ When your ball is so close to the bunker’s edge that you can’t stand in the sand with two feet, do whatever you can to get into a solid stance. You might have to dig extra deep with the foot in the sand, or go down to one knee on the leg outside the bunker. You’ll need your balance because I want you to make an aggressive swing. To create enough power to get the ball out, take your least-lofted wedge, open the face, grip it at the very end, and blast down into the sand right under the ball (right). The club will likely stay in the sand, but the power you generate with your longest wedge should get the ball out. It will probably come out left (for right-handers) and roll, so adjust your aim if you can.
short-sided in rough
finish full ▶ Miss the green on the side closest to the flag, and you might find your ball sitting down in the rough just a few yards from the hole. The common mistake here is decelerating the club during the through-swing in fear of hitting the ball too far. It’s a short shot, for sure, but you need to make a healthy swing to pop it out. Take your most lofted wedge, open the face and hold the club with soft grip pressure. To ensure you accelerate the club through the grass, make a shorter backswing but follow through like you were swinging a driver. Let the shaft of the wedge finish behind you (above). The ball should pop up and land somewhere between the edge of the green and the hole.
BE MAD . . . FOR A SECOND. THEN ACCEPT A BAD LIE LIKE ANY OF THESE AS A CHALLENGE. ball on the fringe against high gr ass
give it a chop ▶ With the ball resting against high grass, many teachers recommend using a hybrid like it’s a putter, or to grab a wedge and “belly it,” striking the top half of the ball with the leading edge of the clubface. I prefer a different technique—one that ensures a solid strike, which is the most important part of this shot. Grab your most lofted wedge and play the ball back in your stance, favouring your left foot. The shaft should be leaning toward the hole. Holding the club lightly, hinge your wrists as soon as you take it back (right), and then softly chop down on the ball. The ball should leap up and start rolling once it lands. october 2020 | golfdigestme.com
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way above the hole
soften the impact ▶ Sometimes an approach lands too deep on a green or runs out and stops way above the hole. From this lie, the mistake is using a slower, decelerating stroke to keep the ball on the green. It might stay, but that type of stroke can leave the ball above the hole, setting up a likely three-putt. Your goal should always be to at least set up a second putt that’s uphill. If you want to make a confident, accelerating stroke without hitting the ball too hard, address it near the toe of the putterface (above) and focus on striking it with that part of the club. Hitting it off-centre deadens the strike, helping you control speed. Now you’ve got a decent chance at a two-putt par. earl cooper is one of Golf Digest’s Best Young Teachers. He’s based in Philadelphia (earlcoopergolf.com).
sprinkler-he ad interference
you can still putt it ▶ If you come up just short of the green or your ball rolls down into a collection area, your first option should be the putter. But when there’s a sprinkler head between you and the hole, you probably think you can’t putt. You can—just not with your putter. Grab an iron with enough loft to hop the ball over the sprinkler, play the ball off your back foot, take your normal putting grip (I’m going left-hand low here) and make a putting stroke. To commit to the shot, imagine there’s a coin under the ball and you want to clip it toward the hole in the through-stroke.
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HITTING A PUTT FROM WAY ABOVE THE HOLE DOESN’T REQUIRE YOU TO CHANGE YOUR STROKE. JUST GIVE IT A SOFTER KISS. octoberissue 2020 x| . golfdigestme.com 2020 | golf digest
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JUNIOR HIGH
MOUSA SHANA’AH WILL LOOK TO ENHANCE HIS REPUTATION AS ONE OF THE MIDDLE EAST’S MOST EXCITING TEEN PROSPECTS AT AN EQUALLY AMBITIOUS JUNIOR EVENT JUST ANNOUNCED FOR AL HAMRA GOLF CLUB IN DECEMBER.
UAE World Amateur Junior Golf Championship
PROMISING YOUNGSTERS come and go
in golf, victims of a game with absolutely no guarantees, not even for the most talented of prodigies. Two things we do know for certain are that Mousa Shana’ah has serious game for a 13-year-old and won’t fade away for lack of opportunity on his own back doorstep.
It helps when your father runs a golf events company with bold ambitions for the junior game in the Middle East. Mousa is already a serial winner on the Junior Masters Open Tour organised by Abedallah Shana’ah and his father’s business partner, Ali Kalbat, the Managing Director and General Manager of Golf Events Management (GEM) respectively. In December, Mousa will have a chance at yet more glory with GEM announcing a deal with the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) to host an annual ‘UAE World Amateur Junior Golf Championship’ at Al Hamra Golf Club. The event will be open to amateur boys and girls up to the age of 19 and will carry World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) and Global Junior Golf Ranking (GJGR) points. Mousa is set to be one of the star acts if his recent performances are any indication. They include junior course records at JA The Resort Golf Course (68) and, encouragingly, Al Hamra (71) earlier this year. The Jordanian is coached by former European and Asian Tour player, Yasin Ali, at the Leadbetter Academy at JA the
Resort. Like Abedallah Shana’ah, Ali is working hard to ensure young Mousa keeps on developing. From almost first glance, Ali knew he was witnessing something special, a player with an attitude and work ethic that belie his years. “I watched him hit some shots and what struck me was how he approached his practice. There was a real purpose behind each shot and that stayed with me,” said the Kenyan-born Briton. “As I’ve gotten to spend more time with him I’ve noticed that he’s a little different to most kids I’ve met at his age. You notice how mature and grounded he is. The thing I love is when I set him a practice drill or give him a challenge it’s like a mission for him, he
▶ young contenders 1) Mirwais Arghandiwal; 2) Fatiya Khalil; 3) Abdullah Kalbat; 4) Kate Bibby; 5) Hashem Shana’ah; 6) Lili Brecken; 7) Salwa Khalil
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doesn’t stop till he gets it done, he doesn’t quit. That’s a great quality.” Ali describes Mousa’s swing as “beautiful” in its simplicity. “It’s repeatable which is great.” But that’s only half the picture. “In terms of his mental game, he has a very positive outlook and a fantastic temperament which is essential for good golf. “For me his strengths are his temperament and his driving. When he’s out on the on the course, you’d be hard pressed to figure how he’s doing as he keeps his emotions in check, he’s calm and collected. He drives the ball well and is pretty straight which naturally keeps him in play and with a chance to score. “What do we need to improve? We need to gain some speed to hit it further, which will also increase as he develops and grows physically, and short game. For me, your short game can never be good enough. You can always hole more putts and chips.” Ali says a 50-50 practice and competition balance is about right for juniots. He says juniors in the UAE are especially lucky to train on pristine practice surfaces and play and world class courses. So where does Mousa go from here? “The short term goal would be to improve his game from a 150 yards and in. Medium goal, I would love for him to experience college golf in the United States as I did. Getting an education while playing golf is a win-win for me. Long term, it would for him to be happy and love the process of learning irrespective of the results. If he can maintain the same passion for learning and improving he’ll be more than successful where ever he plays.” In this COVID-complicated world, the immediate playing opportunities will be at home. Luckily GEM is taking care of this as Kalbat points out. “This competition will offer the best young golfers in the region a chance to compete against their counterparts from across the world, and we will be sure to market this event to the entire region, positioning it to become one of the biggest events in the world,” Kalbat said. “We are so proud that we are the first national company to establish an event of this high standing within the region, in cooperation with our main partners, RAKTDA and Al Hamra Golf Club. The main goal of this event is to introduce youth to the professional golfing environment, help serious players to compete in high class ranked events with their counterparts from all the world, and lead juniors to the path of professional golf.” – KENT GRAY october 2020 | golfdigestme.com
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/ O W T / E K A /T
race to dubai
BY KENT GRAY
From dumped bubblebuster to celebrated twotime winner, new Dubai Duty Free Irish Open champion John Catlin is set to be a central character in the European Tour’s season finale at Jumeirah Golf Estates in December
he’s the pantomime villain made good. Indeed, the way this (hopefully) never to be repeated Race to Dubai season has transpired anything but to script thus far, don’t be surprised if John Catlin goes from suddenly charming support act to a leading role by the time the final curtain falls at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
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The 29-year-old American was an unknown character to most until being slapped with a “forced WD” at the English Championship in August after breaking the European Tour’s COVID-19 protocols. That illconsidered meal out with his caddie, at a restaurant outside the tour’s course and designated hotel bubble, could have been all she wrote in 2020.
But Catlin, immediately repentant for his “error of judgement”, quietly went about ensuring a far more positive narrative will accompany him to the UAE in December. He went wire-to-wire to claim his maiden European Tour title at Valderrama in early September and backed up the classy Andalucia Masters win with victory in the rescheduled Dubai Duty Free Irish Open three weeks later. Catlin did it tougher in County Antrim in late September, fighting back from a two shot deficit to Jazz Janewattanan standing on the 14th tee Sunday to eventually sign for a closing 64 at Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort and a two stroke victory over Englishman Aaron Rai. Janewattanan, who won the MENA Tour’s Mahasamutr Masters in May 2017, had to settle for a share of third with Aussie Maverick Antcliff, a shot further back. The victory earned Catlin €199,750 to take his season earnings to a smidgeon over €424,000. Significantly, it catapulted the American 22 places up the Race to Dubai standings to 14th at the time of press. There are ample events for the University of New Mexico alumnus to wriggle his way further into the frame for the bonus greenbacks at JGE when the 2020 Race to Dubai climaxes at the DP World Tour Championship from December 10-13. But that is for the future. In the immediate aftermath of becoming just the third American to capture the DDF Irish Open, one of the European Tour’s blue-ribbon events first contest in 1927, Catlin was happy to bask in the moment. “It’s hard to describe how special this feels,” said Catlin who joined Ben Crenshaw and Hubert Green, champions in 1976 and 1977 respectively. “That’s incredible company to be in. It’s an honour to have my name on the trophy with
▶ proven John Catlin had previously won four Asian Tour titles, the most recent at last year’s Thailand Open in a playoff
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IT’S HARD TO DESCRIBE HOW SPECIAL THIS FEELS.” those great players and the likes of Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Colin Montgomerie, Ian Woosnam. Seve Ballesteros and Nick Faldo. So much hard work during lockdown has gone into this moment. It was my goal to win again at the start of the week, so to achieve that is truly special. With five holes to play, I kinda had nothing to lose. I was going after every flag and was able to hit a couple in there close. “Winning at Valderrama has given me massive confidence.
You never know if you are going to win, but winning there has freed me up. I can look myself in the mirror and tell myself honestly that, having won once, I can do it again.” And so he did. And maybe he will again. Stranger things have happened in 2020. This intriguing Race to Dubai script remains a work in progress courtesy of the sub-plots being produced by the likes of Catlin, the bubble buster turned celebrated champion. Stay tuned, folks. Photographs by Getty Images
Play On Tour
Going behind Bubba’s description of players who are two-shot penalties.
WAS AT the Travelers Championship when Bubba Watson said playing with certain players on tour equates to a two-shot penalty. I was surprised it made as big of a stir as it did. Because I think a lot of us, players and caddies, heard Bubba and thought, Yeah, no kidding. Given Bubba’s peculiar ways, he’s not wrong. But to think that players have bad rounds because of bad chemistry with their pairings is only one branch of this tree. Most players get along out here. The jackasses who do pass through usually wash out. I can think of only four, maybe five guys who are universally loathed. Yet when paired with one of these knuckleheads, I don’t think it takes most players out of their games. Just a little quieter trek that day, that’s all. When do pairings become detriments, then? Few years ago, Rory McIlroy said the chaos that surrounds Tiger Woods costs Tiger half a shot per day. I can’t imagine what Tiger must deal with every time he tees it up, and far be it from me to say Rory’s wrong. But that theory applies to Tiger’s playing mates as well, if not more so. There are added eyeballs, and pressure, when playing with Tiger, which can do a number on your round. The bigger impact is dealing with the crowd. Everyone stands still for Tiger, but they don’t give a damn about the rest of the group. There’s only so much marshals can do, and only so long a player can wait for things to die down. If you play with him, be prepared to be interrupted six times, minimum. The only thing worse? Playing ahead of Tiger, or behind him. Fans are running into position to get their glimpse of the Great One, then departing once he’s finished a hole to get into position for another look. I’ve tried to tell my players to imagine it as a free throw at a college basketball game, the student section waving and hollering behind the backboard. You have to block it out and concentrate on the rim . . . er, flag. Easier said than done. Next there is playing with friends, which can be problematic. Sure, it puts the players at ease. That doesn’t translate to lower scores, at least for everyone. For some play-
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ers, being with their buds makes them too loose and subtracts tension from a bad shot or rough stretch of holes. I think there needs to be tension to get it done. Not saying I want my player paralysed with nerves, but I want a level of discomfort. It keeps him more focused, aware of his surroundings and what we need to do. After all, this is our job. And of course there are slow players. There have been enough surveys where you can find the guilty parties. Professional golf is slow in general. But when you get paired with one of the worst offenders, no matter how much you prepare for it, it’s longer than dinner with the in-laws. Quick addendum: Playing with fast players isn’t easy, either. Dustin Johnson is as chill as they come, but the man moves so damn quick it messes with your rhythm. Same goes for Jhonattan Vegas and Matt Every. You take them over the snails any day, but you just have to be mindful of sticking to your routine. Getting matched with a bomber can also throw your player. You’d think it happens so much that it would be the norm. Then
—WITH JOEL BEALL
tim bradbury/getty images • izusek/getty images
Undercover Caddie How does a bad pairing hurt? Let’s count the ways
again, these are professional athletes we’re talking about. They run on machismo, and playing 40 yards behind your partners can make the most confident of spirits feel emasculated. The swing is a bit harder, a bit faster, and suddenly you find yourself in the rough more often than not. But the biggest possible penalty pairing? Players who love to bet. I say “possible.” Wagers—and these head-tohead bets aren’t always big money; in fact, often the cash is pretty minimal, and even innocuous prizes like dinner—brought out the best in one of my players. I see plenty of others, though, go the other way. The situations you worry about are the weekends, when your player thinks he’s out of it, so he has A SIDE GAME TO KEEP HIS INTEREST. IN PREMISE, IT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD THING, AND IT CAN BE. BUT your focus goes from the course and tournament to the other player. It’s a change in attack that won’t keep you from the winner’s circle, but it could mean the difference between a top 20 and a top 40, and that’s real money. Right now, my player doesn’t want any part of it—and word is out in the locker room on who does and doesn’t like to “dance.” He’s conservative by nature. Plus, he’s mapped his season out, knowing every point counts come playoff time. What does shake my guy? Good question. Honestly, his biggest pairing fear comes on Wednesdays. There are just some pro-am experiences you can’t unlive.
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