Editor’s Letter

Time to set the records straight

Rory McIlroy is racing to become top dog on both sides of the Atlantic at DPWTC, but a host of players have other ideas

By Matt Smith

WITH THE INAUGURAL LIV Golf season now at an end, the likes of Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson can take a well-earned rest. A thrilling — and sticky — Individual Championship in Jeddah, where Brooks Koepka finally overcame his Smash teammate and longtime friend Peter Uihlein on the third playoff hole in the Saudi dusk, was followed by the $50 million Team Championship in Miami, closing the most lucrative series of events in golf history.

But there is still plenty of unfi nished business to take care of in November as the Ladies European Tour returns to the same Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City just outside Jeddah for the Golf Saudibacked Aramco Team Series fi nale from November 10-12.

Some of the best female golfers in the world will be hoping for some cooler climes when they reach the Red Sea than their male counterparts endured, where humidity was hitting 80 per cent at times and even the likes of Man of Steel Bryson DeChambeau came off the course looking like they had gone 12 rounds with Tyson Fury.

While the likes of Charley Hull, Georgia Hall, Suzann Pettersen, Lee-

Dubai’s Chiara Noja will be one to watch at ATS Jeddah after the 16-year-old’s fi rst year as a pro

Anne Pace, Olivia Cowan and Johanna Gustavsson will fancy their chances, Dubai’s Chiara Noja will defi nitely be one to watch after the 16-year-old’s whirlwind fi rst year as a pro was highlighted with an Aramco Team Series — New York T-11 last time out, showing she can hold her own among the likes of Nelly Korda, Lexi Thompson and the cream of female golf.

With her Ladies European Tour card safely secured for 2023, the young German will have a tricky task of balancing schoolwork and a full-time season on the LET next year. It will be an intriguing watch.

One of the biggest events on the UAE calendar is also upon us as the DP World Tour Championship returns to

cutting a deal The newest addition to the expanding eGolf Megastore retail outlet portfolio was opened at Dubai Hills Mall

Jumeirah Golf Estates’ Earth Course for the 14th time from November 17-20.

With free ground-pass tickets once again on off er, the course is sure to be packed — especially with the return of newly crowned FedEx Cup champion and world No. 1 Rory McIlroy.

US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick will also be in town as the pair battle it out on two fronts — for the DPWTC title itself and the DP World Tour Rankings Race (the new-look Race to Dubai).

While Rory will be looking to top the season-long standings on both sides of the Atlantic, Englishman Fitzpatrick will be on his own mission as he narrowly missed out on defending his DPWTC title last year to Collin Morikawa, and he will be gunning for his fi rst Rankings title having gone close the past two years.

It’s not all about those two, though, as the cream of the European Tour will be in town, including Shane Lowry, Will Zalatoris, Dubai Desert Classic champ Viktor Hovland, powerhouse Ryan Fox and Abu Dhabi champ Thomas Pieters all in with a shout of moving to the top of the rankings.

It will be intriguing to see how Poland’s Irish Open winner Adrian Meronk will fare in his own backyard now he has decided to call Dubai ‘home’.

But those 49 players will certainly have their work cut out keeping up with Rory, now the Northern Irishman was found even more distance off the tee (Tom Kim, no slouch himself, was left laughing as he consistently found himself 40 yards behind his playing partner McIlroy at the recent CJ Cup — guess who won).

With the new season now in full swing across the UAE, Golf Digest Middle East’s Oktoberfest recently returned to The Els Club, and was once again a fl ying success, with the party atmosphere enjoyed by all — especially Michael Harradine, who picked up top prize of a spot in the Dubai Desert Classic pro-am in January.

The demand for all things golf retail continues to grow in the UAE, and eGolf Megastore is on hand to help as they have just opened up their eighth (eighth!) store in the UAE at Dubai Hills Mall, to go with the one at Al Mouj in Muscat, Oman.

Speaking of Al Mouj, the travelling golfers among you (and non-travelling, for that matter) should check out our stay-and-play feature on Oman’s leading championship course, which is just a small hop and a skip from Dubai, with Al Mouj Golf itself situated right next to the new Muscat International Airport — ideal for a short golfi ng break.

editor-in-chief Obaid Humaid Al Tayer

managing partner & group editor

Ian Fairservice

editor Matt Smith art director Clarkwin Cruz editorial assistant Londresa Flores instruction editors Luke Tidmarsh, Euan Bowden, Tom Ogilvie, Matthew Brookes, Lea Pouillard, Alex Riggs

chief commercial officer

Anthony Milne publisher David Burke

general manager - production

S. Sunil Kumar production manager Binu Purandaran

the golf digest publications editor-in-chief Jerry Tarde

director, business development

& partnerships Greg Chatzinoff international editor Ju Kuang Tan

golf digest usa editor-in-chief Jerry Tarde general manager Chris Reynolds editorial director Max Adler executive editor Peter Morrice art director Chloe Galkin managing editors Alan P. Pittman, Ryan Herrington (News) chief playing editor Tiger Woods playing editors Phil Mickelson, Francesco Molinari, Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson, Tom Watson

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