Golf Digest Middle East - December 2022_KSA

CHIARA

6 Editor’s Letter

A prolonged festive period of golf on the cards as top players come to town. by matt smith

The Starter

8 A National Treasure

Is Back

Abu Dhabi Golf Club returns to the competitive calendar with the Hero Cup. by matt smith

Mind / Body

14 Journeys

The PGA Tour’s Lucas Herbert has a rebellious streak.

with keely levins

16 The Fringe Sports talkshow host Chris (Mad Dog) Russo has some spicy takes on golf. by alex myers

18 The 10 Rules

We Choose to Ignore Plus, my three favourite tournament officials. by jerry tarde

58 Throw Some Shapes When faced with different challenges off the tee, get moving. by lea pouillard

60 Lose the Big Curve MLB legend John Smoltz can cure your hook. by matthew rudy

64 What’s In My Bag

Long driver Kyle Berkshire wants to be a tour player.

66 The Loop Funny or offensive: Where do you draw the line? by coleman bentley

Features

10 Inspirational Art

Valentino Dixon visits Dubai, a city that helped him in dark times. by matt smith

20 The Dream Team

The Aramco Team Series delivered bigger and better in 2022. by matt smith

26 A Royal Entrance Chiara Noja arrives on the scene in style with ATS Jeddah victory. by matt smith

28 For The Records Roller-coaster DP World Tour season makes history at DPWTC. by matt smith

32 Fast Action Heroes Luke Donald will be watching closely as GB & Ireland take on Europe. by matt smith

34 Swing Away No rest for the cream of the DP World Tour as the UAE Swing comes around once again. by matt smith

36 A Game Of Patience

Tommy Fleetwood is back in a good place as he targets success in the UAE, which he now calls home, and a spot on the Ryder Cup team. by matt smith

42 You Are Where You Play You are a product of your home course, but I’m going to show you how to make your game travel. by mark blackburn

50 Charles Barkley Is Smoking It!

Stan Utley fixed him, and he can fix you, too. by matthew rudy

photograph by jacob sjöman

ISLAND HOPING

Yas Links will host the 18th edition of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year

By Matt Smith

THE FESTIVE PERIOD is a great time to be in the UAE — fireworks, family reunions and fun.

It is even better if you happen to be a sports fan as you really get spoilt for choice when it comes to live events. We have recently witnessed the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix, almost 200,000 runners taking over Sheikh Zayed Road for the Dubai Run and the DP World Tour Championship — and that was all in just one weekend. We have also had the likes of the UFC fighters and even, for the first time, NBA basketball legends taking to the courts. The famous Dubai Rugby Sevens and Mubadala World Tennis Championships (plus numerous World Cup fan zones to watch the action from Qatar) are still to come before the year is out.

The good news for golf fans is the recent visit to Jumeirah Golf Estates, where Jon Rahm made history as the first man to claim the DP World Tour Championship for a third time, is only the start of the sport’s UAE ‘festive’ festival — which seems to get better year on year.

The ‘UAE Swing’ will be back upon us in the New Year as the 2023 DP World Tour season gets going, with the added bonus of the GB-&-Ireland-versusContinental-Europe Hero Cup making its bow at Abu Dhabi Golf Club in early January as Team Europe’s top players

look to impress Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald in a matchplay event.

Fans can expect to watch the likes of Rahm, world No. 1 Rory McIlroy, US Open champ Matt Fitzpatrick, major winners Shane Lowry and Danny Willett, and a host of stars such as Viktor Hovland, Seamus Power, Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Adrian Meronk and Thomas Pieters fight it out in two teams of 10 over three days on the famous National Course.

Then we have the first two $9 million DP World Tour Rolex Series events of 2023. The 18th Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship returns to Yas Links before the 35th edition (time flies!) of the Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club, and fans can keep the party going into February with the second staging of the $2 million Ras Al Khaimah Championship at Al Hamra Golf Club, where Nicolai Hojgaard will be looking to defend his title at one of the Tour’s newest tournaments.

One man sure to be here in the Middle East again following his fourth DP World Tour Rankings triumph at Jumeirah Golf Estates is McIlroy. The

Northern Irishman is coming off a stellar year having become only the second man in history to claim both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour season-long crowns after Henrik Stenson. The world No. 1 says he is in the shape and form of his life and he will be eager to get of to a flier in the UAE as he hunts an elusive fifth major before leading Europe’s hopes against the Americans at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, Rome, in September.

At the other end of the golfing career spectrum, it will also be a huge 2023 for Dubai youngster Chiara Noja, who claimed her first Ladies European Tour title (after only nine starts) at the recent Aramco Team Series event at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in Jeddah.

Chiara, at only 16, had a sensational 2022, securing her full LET card through the circuit’s Access Series, becoming a Golf Saudi Ambassador and taking the crown in Saudi Arabia in dramatic fashion by defeating Charley Hull in a playoff — all while studying for her GCSEs. She will be buzzing to get going again when the new season begins — especially with February’s Saudi Ladies International announcing a massive leap in prize money from $1 million to $5 million to match the cash on offer for the men’s event, which takes place two weeks earlier, again at Royal Greens.

All this before the expanded second season of LIV Golf gets going!

Here’s hoping you don’t overindulge over the festive period, because you will need all your energy to follow the golfing festival across the UAE and beyond.

Enjoy, and here’s to another thrilling year of golf in 2023!

The festive period signals the start of a golfing party across the UAE

cutting a deal Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy both made history at the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates

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A National treasure is back

Professional golf makes a welcome return to Abu Dhabi Golf Club after a year out in the shape of the team matchplay Hero Cup competition

After bidding farewell to the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship last year, the famous Falcon clubhouse will watch over professional, competitive golf once again.

The DP World Tour Rolex Series event took up residence at Abu Dhabi Golf Club from 2006 to 2021 before the HSBC moved to its new home at Yas Links. But now its place has been taken on the calendar at the famous course in the UAE capital by the new-look matchplay Hero Cup. The top male golfers from Great Britain and Ireland will take on the best of Continental Europe in a matchplay team competition over three days from January 13-15 to help Luke Donald ready his men for the Ryder Cup later in the year.

It will be a welcome return to one of the UAE’s most famous clubs, and with the added element of superstar names competing in a team event, the fans will be sure to be back packing the fairways as if they had never been away. – matt smith

turn to page 32 for hero cup preview

United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi Golf Club

Inspirational

After 27 years in prison, wrongfully convicted VALENTINO DIXON realises a dream in Dubai

BY MATT SMITH

alentino dixon endured a living hell most of us could not even begin to fathom.

The now 54-year-old had spent more than 27 years in jail convicted of murder — locked up inside one of America’s most brutal maximum security prisons for a crime he didn’t commit, before he was allowed to walk away a free man in 2018, exonerated of any crime after the real perpetrator confessed.

With only a few magazine photos for inspiration — Dixon had written to Golf Digest asking for help, explain ing how drawing golf courses had be come a needed diversion — he spent his time in Attica prison drawing, per fecting his style over the many, many years with only some pieces of card

place in Dixon’s heart.

While the story of Dixon’s wrongful conviction, and Golf Digest’s part in his eventual release, is absorbing, emo tional and well documented, the man who can count Tiger Woods and Barack Obama among fans of his work has fi nally achieved one of his dreams five years after his walk to freedom — visit ing the courses in Dubai that he drew in prison to help him cling on to hope of one day seeing the outside world.

Dixon recently visited Golf Digest Middle East’s offices in Dubai while on a tour to visit those courses that helped him through his darkest times — from

this is why I am here today.”

Developing his style was no easy task given the limited resources he had in prison, but it was a challenge he applied himself to over the years in captivity.

“There were limitations on was I could use in prison, I was not allowed paint or canvas or brushes, only card, so I turned to coloured pencils,” he said. “The goal was to make the drawings look like paintings — everyone always refers to them as paintings, even after I tell them they are drawings, they say: ‘Oh, that’s a nice painting’ — and to me that is the best compliment I can get be cause I sometimes spend hundreds of

WHILE I WAS DRAWING OTHER GOLF COURSES, I SAID TO MYSELF: ‘I MIGHT AS WELL DRAW THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE ON THE PLANET,’ WHICH IS DUBAI, IN MY OPINION

SETTING SAIL

Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club was one of the golf courses Valentino drew while in prison

hours drawing one of the golf courses. It takes a lot of time to layer coloured pencils on top of one another to get that ‘paint’ look. It took me about 10 years to develop that style.”

Seeing Dubai for himself was al ways one of Dixon’s ambitions once he gained his freedom.

“It wasn’t just the beauty of Dubai that compelled me,” he explained. “I converted to Islam 20 years ago, so I felt a closeness to the country, because of the religion, and also what the golf courses were doing to help my spirit.

“Not only were there the likes of Tiger,

it was it was Jack Nicklaus who said one thing that stuck with me. He compared me to Nelson Mandela. He said I had the same spirit as him — he was friends with him so that was a great compliment.

“Back to Dubai, just look at the char acter of the buildings. I was just saying that New York City of Los Angeles can not compare to these buildings. I have never seen anything like it here, and never seen buildings this tall!

“I would love to draw a massive pic ture of one of the courses here, you know, like 60x90. I did a 60x90 of the Augusta 12th hole and I would love to

do something similar here in Dubai. It may take me a couple of months, 10 hours a day, but I look for that type of challenge. I want to do the type of thing that people have never seen before.

“I could easily pull out a canvas and paintbrush and do something in 20 hours, but I get a lot of joy out of actu ally sitting down and drawing one golf course for over 200 hours.

“I am now going to visit some of the golf courses that I actually drew. That would be the ultimate.

“How would that compare from a 6x8m prison cell to sitting one of the golf courses here and actually seeing it in the flesh. I don’t think it could get

While Dixon still has plenty to see and do while in the UAE, he is already planning a return visit for the Dubai

“That would be a dream come true,”

THE WORK OF ART Valentino uses coloured pencils to create his ‘paint’ look, a time-consuming technique

THE DAWN OF A NEW SEASON FOLLOW THE ACTION OF THE 2022-2023 PGA TOUR SEASON ON THE PGA TOUR APP AND AT PGATOUR.COM

‘I Lost Control and Rebelled by Partying’

You must have faith in what you’ve got. I didn’t have faith. I admit it wasn’t the right way to handle it

By Lucas Herbert, with Keely Levins

Golf wasn’t incredibly popular where I grew up in Austra lia. I wasn’t a massive fan of it right away, but I played because it was family time with my dad and grandfa ther. Other sports were faster paced, more fun. But when I was 11, kids started getting bigger. I was small and scared of get ting knocked around. That pushed me toward golf.

I made the primary school team, and suddenly golf was all I wanted to do. My dad’s no golf genius, but he taught me how to hold the club and what a swing should look like. I started working with Dom Azzopardi when I was 13 and still work with him today. Now I can look after Dom financially, but back then, after a lesson, my dad would ask what we owed. Dom would ask, “What’s in your wallet?” It could be $20; it could be $80. We were fortunate to have Dom.

I missed a lot of school for golf. My mom was the assistant principal. She explained my absences to my teachers but told them to fail me if I didn’t do my work. When I was 18, I received scholar ship offers from colleges in America, but I wasn’t keen on studying anymore.

● ● ●

I wanted more than anything to be a PGA Tour pro, but when I turned pro, I wasn’t convinced I could do it. I knew I was good. I’d been winning amateur and junior tournaments. As a teenager, I noticed I had this ability to get the ball in the hole in a way that my competitors couldn’t. I could get myself out of trouble and save par. I could make the putts that had to go in. My friends and parents believed in me.

I was on the Australian national team. All of us were broke, sweating $5 money games. The structure wasn’t working for me. I had to use their coaches and follow their rules. You must have faith in what you’ve got. When I couldn’t prepare how I wanted, I didn’t have faith. I lost independence and con trol and rebelled by partying and prac tising the minimum. It wasn’t the right way to handle it. I was kicked out.

● ● ●

My parents encouraged me to use the setback as motivation. I recon nected with Dom, but at the New Zea land Open, I bogeyed three of the last four holes to miss the cut by a shot.

My caddie, one of my best mates, said I could blame him if I wanted, but I had my own stuff to look at. “All these peo ple around you are making sacrifices for you, and you’re not taking this seri ously. You’re not putting in the work.” Hearing that from him, it hit me, and I started to really practise.

● ● ●

In the 2017 Australian Open, I was in the final group with Jason Day. This was the season after he was World No. 1. We juggled the lead all day, but Cam Davis ended up winning. I’d been a professional for two years but never

had proof my game stacked up against the best. For the first time, I believed I could make it on the PGA Tour.

My game was good enough to earn a European Tour card for 2019. I put all this pressure on myself to win. Half way through the season, I wasn’t sure I wanted to play anymore. My mental coach helped me realise that thinking only about winning made every week feel like a failure, so I set goals that weren’t result-based. I started playing nine holes after practice just for fun, re-learning the enjoyment of golf — 2020 felt like a new beginning.

● ● ●

Then I won in Dubai. My approach on the first playoff hole went into the water. Everyone thought Christiaan Bezuiden hout had won, but I got up and down to force another playoff hole. I birdied it and won. I moved to Orlando, and when I had a break from the European Tour, I’d play Monday qualifiers and try to get invites to PGA Tour events. In 2021, I finished 18th at the Memorial and 19th at the Travelers. That got me into the Korn Ferry finals. I played well and clinched my PGA Tour card for 2022.

● ● ●

I booked my flight to Columbus for the next Korn Ferry event. I landed and gave the rental-car desk my confir mation number, and they said, “That’s in Columbus, Ohio.” I’m like, “Well, where are we?” They said, “Columbus, Georgia.” I flew out the next day, shot 69 and finished T-58.

● ● ●

I missed the cut in my first two PGA Tour starts as a rookie in 2021. I went to Bermuda, knowing the field was go ing to be weak. I was in the last group on Sunday. Some diabolical weather came through. I knew I could play in it and thought it would eliminate a lot of guys. Once I took the lead, I never lost it.

● ● ●

That win changed my season. The highlight was playing the 2022 Masters. I brought my parents and friends. My girlfriend, Maggie O’Shea, caddied for me in the Par 3 Contest. On the seventh hole, I nearly made a hole-in-one. Ev eryone was going crazy, and those who had believed in me despite my mistakes were there. It was a perfect moment.

LUCAS HERBERT AGE 26

LIVES PEREGIAN BEACH, AUSTRALIA

Barking Mad

Sports-talk-show host Chris Russo has some spicy takes on golf

By Alex Myers

It’s a tranquil autumn morn ing at Shorehaven Golf Club — just not on the patio where Chris Russo is ranting to the delight of a long time listener, first-time caller. Only I’m not holding a phone but rather sitting next to one of the most popular — and animated — sports-talk-show hosts ever. Russo, better known as “Mad Dog”, has been talking mostly about golf for an hour, but as we start to wrap up a lively conversation, we begin riff ing on topics like the recent retirements of Roger Federer and Serena Williams, the greatest NBA teams of all time, and Chris Paul versus Bob Cousy.

We disagree on the latter — let’s just say Russo is a staunch defender of the old guard, including old point guards — but I still emerge smiling from the spir ited back-and-forth chat like countless callers who have interacted with him through the years. The radio legend’s career first took off in the New York market alongside Mike Francesa on WFAN’s “Mike and the Mad Dog” show. But after that pair’s iconic 19-year run, Russo has been a solo act, and the face — well, voice — of SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio channel for 14 years. “I’ve been very lucky, right place, right time,” says Russo, 63, who was inducted into the US Radio Hall of Fame on Novem ber 1. “I’ve tried not to make the colos sal error, which can kill you.”

The same can’t be said of his golf game. Russo, a father of four who lives with his wife, Jeanne, in New Canaan, Connecticut, plays to a 15-handicap at nearby Shorehaven in large part be cause he can’t avoid the occasional big number, but that doesn’t keep him from participating in the club’s vari ous tournaments and engaging fellow members in sports debates. If you lis ten to his afternoon show, “Mad Dog Unleashed”, you’ve undoubtedly heard him talk about his rounds in painstak ing detail — emphasis on the pain. As with his commentary on professional athletes, he doesn’t hold back. “The

people who play with me get nervous that if they suck, I’m going to bring it up on the air, which I’ve done millions of times,” says Russo, who was particular ly feisty earlier this summer when his teammate in the Governor’s Cup made a 10 on the seventh hole. (Russo made 10, too, but believes the 7-handicapper deserved most of the blame.) “You’ve got to take your jabs. You’ve got to have fun. That’s the danger about playing with me. You’re gonna hear about it.” Actually, it doesn’t take much to get Russo going, and, oh, does he have some spicy takes on golf — starting with one of the game’s most sacred loca tions. “I thought St Andrews was over rated,” says Russo, who played there for his 60th birthday in 2019 when he led a 12-buddy group in a Ryder Cuplike event. “There’s too much going on. There are so many courses. There are balls being hit all over the place. A lot of the holes in the middle are very similar.”

When it comes to the real Ryder Cup, Russo breaks into his signature quicker — and louder — cadence to address the current ban on LIV golfers competing in the biennial event. “If they don’t let them play next year in the Ryder Cup, I don’t want to watch,” says Russo, who added that LIV has provided a huge up tick in the amount of golf calls he gets during his SiriusXM show. “The Presi dents Cup is already a joke. No Camer on Smith? You’re taking the best player in the world away!”

Russo is an advocate for more match play in the pro game and, not surpris ingly, given his old-school bias, he takes Jack Nicklaus over Tiger Woods. “Tiger faced better depth, but Jack beat more top-tier players.” As for LIV Golf, Russo is most bothered by what he sees as hy pocrisy from its critics. “My issue is, I don’t wanna hear people killing the golfers when NBC’s got deals with the IOC, when the NBA’s got deals with Chi na,” he says. “Who says that Harold Var ner can’t get a hundred million dollars? You’d probably do the same thing!”

Russo signed a contract he “never saw coming” this year with ESPN, mak ing weekly Wednesday appearances on the network’s “First Take” morning de bate-style programme headlined by the equally energetic Stephen A Smith. At an age when most people are thinking about winding down their careers, Rus so found another layer to his that has introduced him to a younger audience.

Turns out that you can teach this old Mad Dog new tricks. As part of the tran sition to TV, Russo says he purchased a fresh rotation of suits — “If you don’t look good, Stephen A is going to give you a hard time” — and hired a hair stylist ahead of his Wednesday spots. But once the cameras are rolling, it’s the same Chris Russo who has been en tertaining audiences with passionate sports takes for nearly 40 years.

MIC DROP Rounds with friends are often fodder for Russo’s talk show.

“I know how to embellish it, how to sell it,” says Russo, who bristles at the term “shock jock” but has managed to go viral several times this year thanks to his trademark rants. “I know how to make it a little bigger than it really is, but the origin of the opinion is real.”

On this day, Russo is aware that he’s going “to get pounded” for one of those opinions. A clip of him saying he would take Kirk Cousins over Lamar Jackson had made the rounds the week before, and the Minnesota quarterback had just played dismally on Monday Night Football. “You have to be prepared for that. They’re not gonna remember what you got right. They’re gonna remember what you got wrong,” Russo says. “But you can’t concern yourself with it one way or the other. You just go out there and do your thing.”

Russo continues to do his thing at a time when the country seems as pola rised as ever regardless of the topic. He knows he has done his job well when he gets people calling in to yell at him. He also knows there are far more seri ous things happening away from the sports world.

“This is not life and death,” Russo says. “I try to treat it that way.”

During this morning, Russo treated me just like any of his loyal callers —

pushing back when we didn’t agree but also tossing me a coveted, “That’s a good job”, when I made a persuasive point. After our meeting, I swelled with pride when a club employee asked if we had just taped a segment for his show. It seems Mad Dog is always on, even when he’s not on the air. “There’s probably going to be a day that they’re gonna throw me the hell off because of something I say, but I’ll worry about that down the road,” Russo says. “I’ve lasted this long. Hopefully, I can last a little longer.”

Alex Myers has never had so much fun losing a sports argument.

‘I thought St Andrews was overrated. A lot of holes in the middle are very similar.’

10 Rules We Choose to Ignore

The Nudge and my three favorite tournament officials

By Jerry Tarde

Please don’t take offence to this statement of fact, but public-course golfers tend to nudge their golf balls to a bet ter lie more often than private-course players do. I consider myself somewhat of an authority on this subject because I’ve played half my life at public courses and the other half at private clubs.

It’s not a moral judgement. Publinx ers are just as honest, ethical and seri ous about the rules of life as anyone, but the natural convention at your average public course is such that conditions allow for The Nudge. You know what

I mean: the gentle prod with a clubhead just a few inches to a slightly upgraded patch of turf. No harm, no foul.

Jack Nicklaus has always argued that the rules should let you roll your ball out of a divot hole. The muny course I grew up on was one giant divot hole. We simply codified “Winter Rules” yearround. When betting big money, we insisted on “playing the ball down” — and if you drove it into the woods, you had to keep clapping your hands until you hit the next shot.

Bobby Jones used to say there were three kinds of golf: Everyday golf,

competitive golf and championship golf. The first is like walking a crack in the sidewalk. The second is like walk ing a tightrope six feet above the floor.

Championship golf is a high wire, and they take away the net,” he said. Most golfers I know walk on solid ground and have only a nodding acquaintance with the rules.

What do I mean? My top 10 rules we choose to ignore in everyday golf but wouldn’t if we were playing in some thing important like the US Open or even a club championship, which thankfully most of us never do, include:

1 The three-minute lost ball

Three minutes are allowed by the rules, but my opponents search for 10 min utes and then really start looking. My third-favorite rules official David Fay says: “I’m a one-minute guy. If I can’t find it in one minute, screw it.”

2

The Anderson Leaf Rule

Especially in fall golf, if you lose your ball in the leaves, no penalty, just drop one where you think it should be. You can tie but can’t win the hole. Named after the esteemed Dave Anderson, the late New York Times sports columnist who had a great waggle.

3

The Mulligan

Invented on the first tee at Winged Foot, a member named Mulligan al ways required a second drive to find the fairway, and it spread as common practice everywhere.

4 The Gimme

Legal in match play but widely applied in stroke-play club tournaments. What starts as “no gimmes” on the first few holes becomes “inside the leather” by the turn and three- and four-foot ers when you’ve shot yourself out of it. A guy I know as Pelé goes immediately to Stage 3.

5 Failing to post

It’s not a rule of golf, but if you have a handicap, you’re expected to post every score to maintain an accurate handi cap. Vanity players post only their low scores, sandbaggers only the high ones.

6 Carrying more than 14 clubs

My buddies laughed when Wesley Bry an got penalised four strokes for acci dentally having two 7-irons in his bag at a PGA Tour Monday qualifier. I’ve seen guys with more than 14 headcovers.

7 The Consultant What’d ya hit? Some guys take a survey before making a club selection on par 3s.

8 In the interest of public safety Moving your ball from a tree root — or even a tree trunk — without penalty might be a sensible rule. Same with cleaning mud off your ball in the fair way. If you remove a loose impediment, and the ball moves, disregard the pen alty. Dropping incorrectly on the golfhole side of a paved cartpath instead of the actual “nearest point of relief” is acceptable. So is taking relief from im movable objects like irrigation boxes as

“mental interference”, as well as dis regarding the difference between red and yellow stakes and taking the more favorable drop from water hazards as if they’re all lateral (red).

9 Stroke and distance on out-of-bounds

It’s legal now if the local rule is ob served, but we’ve been doing it for years, only you’re hitting your fourth stroke. My pals look at OB as a water hazard, drop and hit 3. It saves going back to the tee and slowing play.

10 Teeing off in front of the markers

You mean that’s against the rules?

My second-favorite rules official was Frank Hannigan, the executive director of the USGA, 1983-’88. When Denis Wat son was hit with two penalty strokes for waiting more than 10 seconds for his ball teetering on the edge of the hole to fall, the ruling cost him the 1985 US Open (he lost by one stroke). I asked Hannigan what he would have done under the circumstances. He said: “I’d have made sure I was standing where I couldn’t see what was happening.”

My all-time favorite was Bobby Jones’ father, known as The Colonel, who sometimes pinch hit as a tournament of ficial at the Masters in the early days. Ac cording to our Augusta National scholar David Owen, The Colonel was called upon for a ruling after torrential rain. The player requested relief from casual water on the 12th hole near the creek.

“Where do you stand in relation to par?” The Colonel famously asked.

“Eighteen over,” the player responded.

“Then what in the hell difference does it make?” The Colonel said. “Tee the thing up on a peg for all I give a hoot!”

As Owen and other historians have pointed out, the word “hoot” may not be journalistically accurate, but the story sums up a reasonable approach to the rules.

Jerry Tarde once played nine holes with 8 Xs and a 1 on his card at Glyfada Golf Club in Greece.

THE DREAM TEAM

THE ARAMCO TEAM SERIES

DELIVERED ON ITS PROMISES FOR AN EVEN BETTER SECOND STINT

BY MATT SMITH

Bigger and better competitions,

improved purses, a compelling sister act and the emergence of a new star on the golfing map: it is fair to say the 2022 Aramco Team Series achieved all it set out to do. ▶ To borrow the famous saying about successful rock stars and that ‘difficult’ second album’, the second edition of the ATS significantly raised the standards after its triumphant opening campaign and has now firmly established itself as a highlight on the Ladies European Tour circuit.

It all began back in London in July 2021, with little in the way of fanfare, but plenty of questions. Held behind closed doors due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many were asking what this new arrival on the scene was all about: Would its new format work? How would the team and individual events

he held at the same time? And, perhaps crucially, will it catch on?

A year-and-a-half on from that first event at Centurion in England — where Olivia Cowan claimed the inaugural team title and Marianne Skarpnord went down in history as the first individual champ — as the series, for-

mat and prize money have all been enhanced, these questions have all been emphatically answered.

So as the dust settles on 2022’s final ATS tournament at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, let’s take a quick look at how it all works — and how it all worked out.

THE FORMAT

The second edition of the ATS saw the season expanded from four events to five — Bangkok, London, Sotogrande in Spain, New York and Jeddah — and with increased prize money from $800,000 to $1 million for each stop, evenly split across the team and individual events.

The best players in the world from the Ladies European Tour (and LPGA) team up with amateur golfers to compete at each tournament, with the 36 team captains selecting one professional teammate before being randomly allocated a second, with an amateur completing each foursome and a huge field of 144 players.

The 36 teams compete over the first two days of each event, with the best two scores at each hole counting towards the team total. Running concurrently is the individual event, with the best 68 players and ties making the cut for the third and final day, where the individual winner is decided.

FIVE-STAR EVENTS

BANGKOK, May 12-14

It was Manon De Roey who bagged the first ATS individual title of the year at Thai Country Club as Bang kok took its bow on the expanded cal endar (a relatively unknown youngster called Chiara Noja also made her own bow, but more on her later). The Belgian marked her first career victory in style in the final round, with a six-under se curing the win over local favourite Patty Tavatanakit. “I was waiting for this for a long time,” she said. “I love the ATS!”

Australia’s Whitney Hillier claimed the team title alongside Krista Bakker of Finland, Thailand’s Chonlada Chaya nun, and amateur Pattanan Amatanon.

“It’s a great concept to give what is usually an individual sport a team el ement,” Hillier told Golf Digest Middle East. “It also showcases the level of golf on the LET in a format that is innova tive and exciting. To have the support and funding provided by Aramco and Golf Saudi shows their belief in what we do and is bringing the difference between prize funds in men’s and wom en’s golf closer together.”

LONDON, June 16-18

The event at Centurion will long be remembered for one thing — Bronte Law’s sensational winning putt: the 55foot eagle taking her past leader Georgia Hall and into the winner’s circle on the final hole. “That’s why we play this game — for moments like that. And in front of a home crowd, it doesn’t really get any better,” said England’s Law.

The team event was just as thrilling as the ATS witnessed its first playoff. Team Nicole Garcia and Team Ursula Wikstrom finished on 27-under, meaning the two captains returned to the 18th. When Wikstrom found trouble on the first extra hole, Gar cia sent home her putt to begin the celebrations with teammates Madelene Stavnar, Kelly Whaley and amateur Mia Baker — who holed the final putt in regulation to secure the playoff.

“Mia really helped us out and that’s what this whole tourna ment is about,” said Garcia. “It’s all about getting involved with the amateurs and giving every body the experience of a profes sional event.”

As the reputation of the ATS grew, so did the strength of the fields and Sotogrande certainly had the celebrity factor, with American superstar siblings Nelly and Jessica Kor da signing up to compete in Spain for the first time.

Little sister Nelly — the then world No. 3 — looked out of the running after a costly triple-bogey late on Thursday tumbled her down the table as el der sibling Jessica set about opening up a six-stroke advantage by the end of play on Friday — bagging the team title at La Reserva along the way. But Nelly doesn’t do things like your everyday golfer and she certainly wasn’t going to be upstaged on her Span ish debut. She overturned a seven-shot deficit and clinched victory over her sister.

NEW YORK, October 13-15

Following the Korda show in Spain, it was the turn of another American star to shine — this time on home soil at Ferry Point in the shadow of the Whitestone Bridge, New York. World No. 4 Lexi Thompson overcame some nasty weather to prevail for her first title since 2019, holding off the challenge of Brooke Henderson and Madelene Sagstrom to finish three shots clear on 11-under-par.

Swedish skipper Johanna Gustavsson led Jessica Karlsson, Karolin Lampert and New York college star Jennifer Rosenberg to the team title, and said: “It’s just great to celebrate with the others and have this kind of experience on the ATS.”

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JEDDAH, November 9-11

The season finale was all about one player as Noja announced her arrival on the big stage with a sensational win on a dramat ic final day at Royal Greens.

The Dubai resident overcame childhood hero Charley Hull on the 20th hole after both players were neck-and-neck by the end of regulation play (turn to page 26 for a full insight into this won derkid). For the first time on the Aramco Team Series both the individual and team competitions were decided by playoffs with Team Nicole Gar cia (Cassandra Alexander, Tereza Melecka, and amateur Sonia Bayahya) claiming victory with a birdie in the first playoff hole against Team Chris tine Wolf (Laura Beveridge, Alexandra Swayne and Saudi amateur Raghdah Alessawi).

Garcia nominated teammate Alexander to take on the playoff against Wolf’s quartet, and she duly delivered to take the win. Bayahya played a significant part in her team reaching the playoff, and said of the ATS: “It’s a really good experience. I really felt part of the team, the girls were so sweet with me — thanks to them and thanks to all of Ar amco Team Series.

With such a sensational second season in the bag for the Aramco Team Series, and with such glowing praise and seals of approval, that third installment shouldn’t be difficult at all.

LEVEL BEST

By Matt Smith

While the top golfers were fighting it out on the course at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, waves were being made on the sidelines of the Aramco Team Series — Jeddah, with the announcement of a rise in prize money for February’s Aramco Saudi Ladies International.

On its own, that news may come as no big surprise, but when you learn that the purse has gone up from $1 million to a staggering $5 million, you sit up and take notice. More so when you consider it is now the first competition in golf history to offer the same prize money for both the male and female versions (played almost back-to-back with the men up first on February 2-5, before the ladies tee off from February 16-19).

The news from Golf Saudi and Aramco was greeted with wholesale thumbs up in Jeddah, and a little vindication thrown in for good measure.

With the 2023 winner pocketing a cheque for $750,000, defending champion Georgia Hall was first to give the seal of approval.

“It’s incredible,” she said. “Speaking in the locker room, all the players are all really excited to play here in February next year, and we should certainly get a strong field from the LPGA too.

“It is such a strong statement by Golf Saudi, and hopefully other sponsors can continue to raise the bar for women’s golf.

“This really is what women in sport and golfers needed and deserved. We are all so grateful to Golf Saudi and what Majed [Al Sorour, CEO and Deputy Chairman] and Yasir [Al Rumayyan, Chairman] have done for us.

“Both the Aramco Team Series and Saudi International events have gone from strength to strength every time I have come here, and I hope that will continue.”

“It is going to be amazing. The money is going to be great and I am very grateful. The girls will work harder and that’s what happens when you elevate the game.”

Bronte Law, ATS — London 2022 champion

“I like what Aramco and Golf Saudi are doing for women’s golf. It is the right thing and fantastic to see. More tournaments will now hopefully follow this example.”

Suzann Pettersen, Team Europe Solheim Cup 2023 captain

Players react to Saudi Ladies International 2023 purse matching men’s event at $5 million

A ROYAL ENTRANCE

DUBAI YOUNGSTER CHIARA NOJA HAS TRULY ARRIVED WITH SENSATIONAL VICTORY AT

ARAMCO TEAM

BY MATT SMITH

Chiara Noja

born 16 March 2006 (age 16) place of birth Berlin, Germany height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) sporting nationality Germany residence Dubai, UAE turned professional 2021 current tour Ladies European Tour former tour LET Access Series professional wins 2

SERIES TOURNAMENT IN JEDDAH

there are certain moments in sport that herald the arrival of a new star — someone who emerges from the shadows to announce their time in the limelight. ▶ (Think 20-year-old Tiger Woods defeating Davis Love III in Vegas in 1996, Pele dazzling at the World Cup aged 17 in 1958, Martina Hingis winning Wimbledon at the age of 15.)

After witnessing the events at the final Aramco Team Se ries tournament of 2022 at Royal Greens Golf And Country Club in Jeddah in November, we could well have another sporting superstar ready to thrill for the foreseeable future. Step forward Chiara Noja

They say that balance can be key to success in golf, and noone knows this better than Dubai resident Chiara, who has been juggling her studies alongside her career as a tour pro.

You see, Chiara is just a 16-year-old schoolgirl — while also being the Ladies European Tour’s latest champion at the Aramco Team Series finale in Saudi Arabia.

Let’s rewind a little to see how we got here.

The Berlin-born Chiara moved to England at the age of seven and quickly showed her talent for the game, becom ing a scratch golfer by 12. Following her tied-ninth finish at the 2020 Women’s Amateur Championship, she made her LET debut at the Dubai Moonlight Classic.

She also impressed by making the weekend at the 2021 Aramco Saudi Ladies International and the Aramco Team Series — Jeddah (both at her favourite Royal Greens) on a sponsor’s invitation from Golf Saudi.

SILVER LINING Chiara Noja with her first Ladies European Tour trophy following her win at Jeddah

After turning pro in October 2021, Chiara gained access to the Ladies European Tour Access Series (an LET version of the Korn Ferry/Challenge

Tour, if you will). She was ineligible for the LET Q-School as she was under the age of 16.

Undeterred, she quickly showed she meant business with a second-place finish in the 2022 season opener in France, before claiming her first professional victory in the Amundi Czech Ladies Challenge in June, followed by a string of top10 finishes to help her secure her full LET card for 2023.

While still studying for her GCSEs, Chiara saved her best for last on her return to Jeddah.

The now-16-year-old lined up against some of the top players in the world — with the likes of Georgia Hall, Bronte Law, Olivia Cowan, Ann van Dam and the great Catriona Matthew and Suzann Pettersen in the 144-strong field.

With her LET card safe, the 6ft-tall Chiara played with a freedom and maturity beyond her years, backed up by the longest drive on tour, and was lurking near the top of the leaderboard after the first two days with a 68 and 70 taking her to six-under. She found another gear for the final round, scorching a sensational 65 to match her idol Charley Hull on 13-under and force a playoff.

Before the tournament in Jeddah, Chiara joked that “the goal is to win this week, so I don’t need school anymore”.

Job done! Two perfect birdies down the 18th eventually saw her overcome Hull and history was made.

Speaking to Golf Digest Middle East after her triumph, an emotional Chiara let her mature guise slip a little, offering a glimpse of the schoolgirl underneath, dancing a jig when she learnt she now had a two-year exemption on the LET.

“I am so pleased I just managed to keep it all together,” she said. “In the playoff, I had nothing to lose. Dad said and Chris (Murphy, my caddie) said to just keep breathing and I just did that. I tried to stay comfortable and, I guess that’s the secret!”

One more secret that is out is that Chiara is the one to watch in 2023, and a new star has truly arrived.

Rahm holds off all-star cast to claim his third DP World Tour Championship crown to cap a historic season

BY MATT SMITH

FOR THE RECORDS

for the DP World Tour — both on and off the course — in 2022, with record purses, record-breakers, rankings wrangles and the emergence of a certain LIV Golf circuit making sure this campaign will live long in the memory.

An unusual season began in unusual fashion, with the first of many re cords. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and travel restrictions still lingering after the New Year, Al Hamra Club in Ras Al Khaimah stepped in to help fill cancellation gaps in the calendar and set up a historic ‘UAE Swing’, allowing golfers to compete in four events back-to-back in the same country to alleviate travel risks and the stress that comes with that.

So, after the $8 million Rolex Series openers — the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and Dubai Desert Classic — were claimed by Thomas Piet ers and Viktor Hovland respectively, the DP Tour golfers were off to the north of the UAE for two new $2 million competitions — the RAK Cham pionship and the RAK Challenge, taking the total money on offer in the Emirates to a record $20 million. Following the victories for Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard and Kiwi Ryan Fox, a sense of normality returned to the calendar as travel re strictions were eased as the season went on.

Behind the scenes, another storm was brew ing as LIV Golf prepared for its inaugural event in London, and a host of DP World Tour legends announced their intentions to compete in the new, money-spinning team series.

The bombshells rained down thick and fast as Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Graeme McDow ell and Lee Westwood moved to the new circuit, followed by the likes of Paul Casey and Henrik Stenson — the latter losing his status as Ryder Cup Team Europe captain in the process.

The DP World Tour moved to follow the PGA Tour and ban LIV Golfers from competing in

its events, before a UK court put a hold on sanc tions until February 2023.

Despite the controversies, things thankful ly stayed on course, well, on the course, with the likes Kalle Samooja, Haotong Li, Adrian Meronk, Xander Schauffele all getting into the winner’s circle to show the true international flavour of the tour before Australia’s Cameron Smith surged at St Andrews to deny Rory McIl roy a fifth major at the Open Championship.

Other highlights over the summer included Matt Fitzpatrick’s wonderful victory at the US Open and Linn Grant making history as the first female to win on the DP World Tour. Shane Lowry claimed the flagship BMW PGA Champi onship at Wentworth in September, fending off a group of LIV Golfers (with Sergio controversially going AWOL) and claiming it as a “victory for the good guys”.

And so we rolled on towards the season finale at Jumeirah Golf Estates in the DP World Tour Championship, with the likes of Jon Rahm (Open de Espana) and Tommy Fleetwood (Nedbank Golf Challenge) joining the list of winners this season.

Arguably the best was saved for last.

DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP WINNERS

John Rahm (3) 2017, 2019, 2022

Matt Fitzpatrick (2) 2016, 2020

Rory McIlroy (2) 2012, 2015

Henrik Stenson (2) 2013, 2014 Collin Morikawa 2021 Danny Willett 2018 Alvaro Quiros 2011 Robert Karlsson 2010 Lee Westwood 2009

t was a season like no other

top right:

Rory McIlroy’s fourthplace finish at the DP World Tour Champion ship ensured he topped the season-long Rank ings for the fourth time.

below: Jon Rahm allowed him self a smile after it was mission accomplished on the 18th green at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

Following four long days in the Dubai sun shine to end a rollercoaster season, it was Spain’s Rahm who was the last man standing in Dubai as he became the first man to claim a hat-trick of DP World Tour Championships.

The victory moved him one clear of Sten son, McIlroy and Fitz patrick — all of whom have two DPWTC titles to their names.

Rahm, who earlier in the week had blasted the Official Golf World Rankings as ‘laugh able’ for offering more ranking points to a weaker PGA Tour field that what was on offer at the DPWTC, kept his head while others faltered. Following a little scare as his tee shot at the last veered left into the scrub, he allowed himself a little grin as he walked up the famous par-5 18th to a standing ovation from the sold-out crowd, knowing his place in history was assured.

Tyrrell Hatton, who had been in contention over the first two days, paid the price for a shaky back nine on Saturday and had to settle for tied second alongside Sweden’s Alex Noren, two shots back, with McIlroy a further two behind on 16-under, three ahead of a resurgent Fleet wood and downcast Fitzpatrick.

“This is very special,” Rahm said after his his toric win added to titles in 2017 and 2019. “Be cause of COVID I never got a chance to defend my 2019 title and even though I decided not to come last year, I came with the mentality that, well, nobody beat me in the last two years, so they are going to have to beat me again.

“I came in with that confidence. I like this course and this course likes me. I hope this is third of many more.”

Along with his triple crown, Rahm also walked away with the $10 million Rolex Series’ record payout of $3 million.

There was more history at JGE as World No. 1 McIlroy became only the second man after Stenson to hold both the European and PGA FedEx Cup titles in the same season, and it was the Northern Irishman’s fourth time to claim the Harry Vardon Trophy.

“This means a lot,” said McIlroy. “It’s been seven years since I’ve last done it. Obviously this is my fourth one but it’s been a while. I’ve won three FedEx Cups since the last time I won, which was The Race to Dubai back then.

“I was a model of consistency the whole way through the year. A lot of top finishes. I think my worst finish of the European Tour events I played this year was 12th at the start of the year in Abu Dhabi. A really consistent season putting in good performances. I am looking forward to 2023. I’m as complete a golfer as I feel like I’ve ever been, and hopefully I can continue on that path.”

While many will be hoping for a less tumultu ous time on the DP World Tour, one thing is for sure — 2023 has a lot to live up to!

Here are our star performers of the 2022 DP World Tour season

Jon Rahm spain

The Spanish world No. 5 followed up his emotional third Open de Espana victory in September — where he equalled the achievement of the great Seve Ballesteros — with a hat-trick of DP World Tour Championship wins at Jumeirah Golf Estates to close out the DP World Tour season in style in November, proving this was his triple-crown campaign.

Ryan Fox new zealand

A sensational season began back in February’s Ras Al Khaimah Classic at Al Hamra Golf Club. Victory kickstarted an astonishingly consistent season for the previously unheralded Kiwi that also included claiming the Dunhill Championship and a near miss at the Nedbank Challenge, just before the DP World Tour Championship, where he claimed second in the year-long Rankings.

Ewen Ferguson scotland

The 26-year-old claimed a longawaited first DP World Tour crown at the Qatar Masters in Doha at the end of March, and he proved that one-stroke triumph over Chase Hanna was no fluke either by becoming the first two-time champ of the season at the ISPS

Handa World Invitational at Galgorm Castle and Massereene Golf Club in Northern Ireland in August.

Linn Grant sweden

A quirky one, but deserving of recognition as Grant cantered to a nine-stroke victory on home soil at the Scandinavian Mixed at Halmstad in June, becoming the first female to win on the DP World Tour in the tournament that was co-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour. The Swede left top names such as Henrik Stenson and Alex Noren trailing to take the $334,000 top prize

Adrian Otaegui spain

The Dubai resident caused a bit of a stir when he won the Estrella Damm Andalucía Masters at Valderrama in October. His albeit impressive sixstroke win normally wouldn’t move the needle so much, but given the 30-year-old also competes on the LIV Golf Tour, which is involved in an ongoing legal wrangle with the DP World Tour over playing rights, it certainly grabbed a few headlines.

Adrian Meronk poland

The giant Pole was one of many players to have a breakout season in 2022 on the DP World Tour, but the Dubai residents stands head and shoulders above others — quite literally at 6ft 6ins — thanks to his July triumph in the Irish Open at Mount Juliet, destroying the final four holes to become the first Pole to win on the Tour, defeating Ryan Fox by three shots.

Fast action Heroes

The cream of European golfers head to Abu Dhabi for the Ryder Cup-style Hero Cup

By Matt Smith

Following on from this year’s four-event extravaganza during the DP World Tour’s UAE Swing — from Abu Dhabi to Ras Al Khaimah — golf fans are in for an even bigger treat in 2023 as the finest players in Eu rope will arrive in Abu Dhabi in Janu ary for a Ryder Cup-style competition to kick-off the four-week golf feast.

The Hero Cup will take place over the National Course at Abu Dhabi Golf Club from January 13-15, ahead of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Dubai Desert Classic and Ras Al Khaimah Championship.

Space was made on the DP World Tour calendar for the Hero Cup, so that Team Europe captain Luke Donald could get his Ryder Cup hopefuls com peting in a team event ahead of the big one against the United States in Rome in September.

Donald will run the rule over the two teams — Great Britain & Ireland and Continental Europe — captained by Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Mo linari respectively.

The two playing captains will select nine players early in January to make up the teams that will compete over one session each of foursomes, fourballs and singles matches, with all 20 play ers taking part in each session.

“I wanted to reinstate a team contest to give playing and leadership experi ence to Ryder Cup players,” Donald said.

Team selection will take into ac count performances on the DP World Tour Rankings, with the final decision resting with the captains, but you can be pretty much guaranteed to see the likes of Rory McIlroy, Matt Fitzpatrick, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland and Shane Lowry all teeing it up next month.

SW NG

THE NEW YEAR SIGNALS THE START OF FOUR WEEKS OF TOP GOLFING ENTERTAINMENT

IN THE UAE

BY MATT SMITH

The new year is always a highly antici pated time for golf fans in the Middle East as it signals the busiest time on the calen dar when the four-week DP World Tour UAE Swing comes to town.

Such is the way of things these days, the players get little in the way of rest following the end of the preceding campaign, before the new season opens its doors (the 2023 campaign official ly began on November 24, four days after the 2022 season-ending DP World Tour Championship).

There are actually six ‘2023’ events in South Af rica, Australia and Mauritius before the bells ring on December 31, but the UAE Swing is the real sign to get the season rolling.

ABOVE: Thomas Pieters thrived at a stormy Yas Links in 2022 to claim the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

The 2023 extravaganza is certainly not to be missed as some of the best players in the world grace the courses of Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah.

With the big names already in town for the Hero Cup, where the top 10 players from Great Britain & Ireland face off against Continental Europe’s fin est on Abu Dhabi Golf Club’s National Course in a Ryder Cup warm-up, fans will be in for a treat across the UAE.

First up is the return to Yas Links, Abu Dhabi, and the first Rolex Series event of the year.

Not only will there be $9 million on the table from January 19-22 on Yas Island at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, there will also be 5,000

Ryder Cup points up for grabs as those hoping to make Luke Donald’s team at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome come September look to make and early move into contention.

Thomas Pieters’ final-round 72 and 10-underpar 278 was just enough to claim the trophy back in January, the Belgian just managing to hold off the surge from local hero Rafa Cabrera-Bello and India’s finest Shubhankar Sharma.

Viktor Hovland was two shots shy, but his time to shine was just around the corner

“Winning a Rolex Series event is as good as it gets in Europe,” said Pieters as he cradled the Fal con Trophy in his arms.

He will be looking for another strong start to the year, with Luke Donald certain to be taking notes.

Another one to watch will be the winner of the Abu Dhabi Amateur Championship, which takes place from December 13-15. Victory in that tour nament books a ticket to Yas Links, and the victor will have a lot to live up to following Josh Hill’s break-out season in 2022, where he made the cut in both the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (58th) and then the Dubai Desert Classic (55th).

Following the celebrations on Sunday, the cream of European golf will make the short trip along Sheikh Zayed Road to the Emirates Golf Club for the Dubai Desert Classic, where another $9 mil lion and 5,000 Ryder Cup points will be available.

ABOVE: Nicolai Højgaard won the inaugural Ras Al Khaimah Championship.

LEFT: Viktor Hovland was the eventual winner of 2022's Dubai Desert Classic.

Coming off one of his best-ever seasons without lifting a major in 2022, reinstalled world No. 1 Rory McIlroy will be chasing a hat-trick over the famous Majlis course from January 26-29.

The Northern Irishman triumphed in this event in 2009 and 2015, and blew a great chance for the triple crown last year, where he found the water on 18 to miss out on at least a playoff with Viktor Hovland and Richard Bland.

It was the Norwegian who took the glory and an nounce his arrival at golf’s top table with a thrill ing playoff win over the English veteran Bland as dusk fell across EGC.

McIlroy himself, though, knows he has unfin ished business in Dubai.

The 33-year-old said: “I always look forward to playing the Dubai Desert Classic, having won the tournament twice in my career, and the Majlis is a golf course that I love to play.

“Lifting the Dallah trophy for a third time is something I would love to achieve.”

Following the conclusion of the back-to-back Rolex Series events, the action rolls on up to Ras Al Khaimah, where the RAK Championship re turns from February 2-5. Nicolai Højgaard took top spot at Al Hamra in 2022, and both he and his twin brother Rasmus will be back vying for those valu able Ryder Cup points this time around.

So, strap in for four weeks of non-stop action right across the UAE.

THE MAJLIS IS A GOLF COURSE THAT I LOVE TO PLAY. LIFTING THE DALLAH TROPHY FOR A THIRD TIME IS SOMETHING I WOULD LOVE TO ACHIEVE. –RORY MCILROY

A game of

PATIENCE

FLEETWOOD HAS REDISCOVERED HIS FORM IN TIME FOR THE UAE SWING , WITH THE RYDER CUP ON THE HORIZON BY MATT SMITH

it would be fair to say Tommy Fleetwood is going through a pe riod on the golf course you could describe as ‘unusual’.

However, the Englishman would be the first to concur that ‘unusual’ is no bad thing as his recent victory in the Ned bank Golf Challenge saw him finally get back in the winner’s circle.

Winning had become unusual.

His most recent triumph before the November success in South Africa was in the same competition in Sun City way back in 2019. A slump in form then saw him slip from a high of No. 9 in the world to No. 50 by the time he missed the cut at the Honda Classic this February.

TOMMY

The 31-year-old took time to reset earlier this year, and it has paid dividends, with a T10 at the RBC Heritage in April seem ingly kick-starting a return to form. He turned in his best performance at the US PGA Championship with a T5 a few weeks later, and the consistency continued with T4s and both the Scottish Open and Open Championship over the summer.

Still, that winning feeling had become ‘unusual’, and it was not until his trip to South Africa to defend his Nedbank title, following a two-year Covid hiatus, that he was able to end his trophy drought.

“I think the overall feeling was how much I enjoyed being back in conten tion,” he told Golf Digest Middle East about landing his ninth professional title and following it up with an impressive T5 at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates at the end of November. “I feel like my game’s been on the right track and I’ve been doing a lot of the right things. I’ve been driving it so much better.”

Fleetwood was overcome with emotion on the 18th after his Nedbank triumph —

understandable after such a long wait and to cement his name alongside some leg ends of the game in ‘South Africa’s Major’.

“Some of the greats of the game have held that trophy aloft, to be mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Seve [Ballesteros], Nick [Faldo] and Ernie [Els] makes me feel like all of the hard work I put in on a day-to-day basis makes it worth it,” he added.

Fleetwood’s return to form could not have come at a better time as the famous UAE Swing approaches in the New Year

— with the addition of the Hero Cup — in a Ryder Cup year.

The Englishman is looking to play his way into Luke Donald’s Team Europe plans for the showdown with the Ameri cans at Marco Simone GC in Rome come September — starting in the UAE capital.

Ahead of the traditional Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and Dubai Desert Classic, Fleetwood will have the honour of captaining Team GB & Ireland against Continental Europe in the matchplay Hero Cup at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, the event aimed at getting the European hopefuls up to speed ahead of the Ryder Cup, a competition that is a favourite of Fleetwood’s.

During the 2018 edition of the biennial tournament, Fleetwood and best buddy Francesco Molinari hit the headlines as duo won four points from four matches together to help down Team USA at Le National in Paris. The ‘bromance’ would become famously known as ‘Moliwood’.

However, with his Italian pal now on the other side of the fence as he will captain Team Europe against him and his nine teammates in Abu Dhabi, it all seems a little, well, unusual.

“Fran [Molinari] and I obviously get on very well so I am sure it will feel a little

▶ Tommy Fleetwood flew straight home to Dubai following his Nedbank victory to launch his academy at JGE

▶

Calling the UAE home has helped Tommy relax and rediscover his form, with a T5 at the DP World Tour Championship

strange at first being opposing captains,” Fleetwood explained. “But I think the Hero Cup is a fantastic way for players to com pete in team matchplay, which is some thing both of us have always relished.

“Abu Dhabi has been pretty good to me over the years so hopefully that will continue in January and I look forward to working closely with Fran and Luke, as well as all the players.”

Abu Dhabi certainly has been good to Fleetwood, with back-to-back victories in the HSBC Championship in 2017 and 2018 followed by a narrow miss for the hat-trick in 2020, on the very same Na tional Course where he will lead Team GB&I in January.

He will also have another edge this time around as he now calls the UAE his home, having moved to Dubai with his family earlier this year. He plans on us ing his ‘home’ comforts to his advantage come the UAE Swing.

“They are essentially home tourna ments for me, as I’ve been living in the UAE now,” he said. “They [the HSBC Championship and Dubai Desert Classic] are two of the biggest tournaments of the year on the DP World Tour, with some of the best fields and two of the best courses in the region, so I’m very excited.”

Despite having these upcoming events close to home, Fleetwood admits time on the road can be tough, as he balances life on the DP World Tour and PGA Tour, with tournaments taking him all over the world — he flew into Dubai for the DP WTC only hours after winning in South Africa, and is jetting off to the Bahamas for Tiger Woods’ Hero World Challenge before a well-earned rest.

“It’s been a hectic year with a lot of travel and tournaments, but I had an extended break in the summer,” he ex plained. “I’m fortunate enough to have been invited to Tiger’s event in Decem ber, but after that I’ll relax over Christ mas until the New Year.”

Not that he will be piling on the pounds with turkey and stuffing. “I’ll still be put ting in the work though, trying to refine and improve my game ahead of the 2023 season,” he added.

That relaxation is something Fleet wood takes seriously, and he is relishing a few weeks’ rest and competition in his new home in the UAE.

“I am a resident and my family lives here now. My kids are in school here too,” he added. “So Dubai is where normal life

is for us at this time. So that’s been great, and we’ve settled in really well.

“We moved over around three months ago, it’s been great for me, [wife] Clare and the boys. The boys are loving school here which is great, so we’re feeling settled and loving life so far.”

Part of the reason Fleetwood had to rush home from South Africa was for the launch of his Tommy Fleetwood Acad emy at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

“As golfers, we all absolutely love our jobs and are incredibly fortunate to be in the position we have, but the downside is spending a lot of time away from the fam ily,” he said. “Don’t get me wrong, I abso lutely love spending time with Fino and he’s one of my best mates, but you do get homesick at points and miss the family when you’re on the road for so long. Luck ily, Clare is my manager, which means she comes to a lot of tournaments with me.”

With the winning drought over and the monkey off his back, Fleetwood is eagerly looking ahead to a successful 2023 — as that date in September looms.

“My main goal for 2023 is to make the team — playing in a Ryder Cup is unlike any tournament we have in the sport, it’s totally unique, where some of the best bonds are formed and experiences are had,” he said. “I’ve been lucky enough to play in the past two events, with mixed results, to play in Rome is the dream as it’s the pinnacle of the sport.

“A big factor in the move to the UAE was launching the Academy, which I’m really passionate about,” he said. “Hav ing the chance to help grow the game of golf in the region is an amazing feeling. The facility is superb, the DP World Golf Performance Centre is state of the art, with fantastic facilities and top-level coaches, so it is the perfect spot to launch the Academy.”

With all the travelling, it was jokingly suggested that Fleetwood spends more time with his caddie Ian Finnis than with his wife, Clare. But Fleetwood was happy set the record straight.

“But I have to approach it like any other year. On a day-to-day basis, I’m going to keep working hard, trying to improve and that will give me the best chance of being successful. It’s nice to be in a pretty good spot in the world rankings [he was back up to No. 23 following the DPWTC and second on the Team Europe points list]. I want to contend in some more tour naments over the next year as there is no better feeling than lifting a trophy after a tough 72 holes. I’d missed it over the past three years. If I perform like I know I can, it will hopefully be a good year.”

And can 2023 be the year Tommy also wins a major? “I hope so. I’ve been close, so one day the door will open if I keep knocking!”

Peak practice

By Matt Smith

With Yas acres Golf & countrY club hav ing been added to Viya Golf’s portfolio, it con tinues to grow in popularity for expe rienced golfers, budding youngsters, weekend warriors and those who just like to relax and let the others do the hard work.

On top on the fully floodlit Fry/ Straka-designed nine-hole course — stretching from 2,554 yards to a chal lenging 3,700 yards from five different tee areas — Yas Acres has a lot more to offer in the heart of Yas Island.

Away from the course, golfers of all levels can work on their game at the world-class floodlit practice facilities, including two chipping greens, with practice bunkers, USGA approved put ting greens — and the longest driving range in the UAE.

The club also offers a new gymnasi um to help you stay in trim away from the heat, padel tennis can keep enthu siasts young and old busy, while the premium swimming pool is the per fect way to chill out after a round, or to simply spend some time away from the bustle of the city.

Full food and beverage facilities are also on hand to cater to all, thanks to the newly opened Acres Grill House (think sumptuous steaks and jazz), and The Black Room — a lounge with music and refreshments to suit every taste.

Yas Acres Golf & Country Club opened earlier this year on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, and recently joined Viya Golf’s growing list of clubs alongside Emirates Golf Club, Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club and Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, plus Yas Links, Abu Dhabi and Saadiyat Beach Golf Club in the UAE capital.

Yas Acres Golf & Country Club has plenty to offer away from the course in the heart of Yas Island, Abu Dhabi

YOU ARE WHERE YOU PLAY

BY MARK BLACKBURN • PHOTOGRAPHS BY JD CUBAN

YOU’RE A PRODUCT OF YOUR HOME COURSE, BUT I’M GOING TO SHOW YOU HOW TO MAKE YOUR GAME TRAVEL

very course, no mat ter the pedigree, has certain shots it favours over others. I grew up at a classic Harry Coltdesigned course called Betchworth Park in the UK. Thanks to the non-irrigated turf, summertime meant you had to play the ball along the ground and roll it up to stop it on the green. You probably adapted similarly to your home course, developing your game to suit its style. In other words, you are where you play.

The problem with that is far too many amateurs try to repli cate a baseline swing no matter where they tee it up instead of developing a shot-centric skill set that engages the creative and strategic mind. You want to see and execute the right shot for the environment you’re in — not just stick with what works for you on your home course.

I coach several players on the PGA Tour, and we encounter many different styles of courses throughout the year. If they didn’t adapt their games, they wouldn’t stay out there — and I wouldn’t keep my job.

In this article, I’m going to help make your game travel by taking you on a tour of some of America’s most iconic courses and showing you a shot you should play when you encounter any similarly designed course or hole. Now when you recognise these styles, you’ll know how to beat them.

with Matthew Rudy

You’re probably not going to encounter the botanical-garden-quality conditions of Augusta National, but you will likely come across holes that demand certain shapes off the tee. Augusta's 18th, an uphill dog leg that bends to the right, requires a fade from most players. How do you move the ball left to right without turning it into a slice when playing a similarly shaped hole? First, don’t play the ball too far back in your stance. Set up with it off your lead instep, and stand a little closer to it than standard. Second, when you swing, feel your head and chest staying right over the ball through impact and then let the club exit low and around you (above).

Pine Valley is a masterpiece of design that gives you very specific routes to take off the tee. When you face a course or hole that puts a premium on tee-shot accuracy, you’ll want to hit a “bullet drive.” It’s not so much the “stinger” Tiger made famous as it is just a drive with a penetrating ball flight. To execute it, tee the ball slightly farther back than normal (below), avoid swaying or moving laterally, and make a shorter swing with your shoulders more level through impact. Ball position is key, because if you tee it up any farther forward than I am, you’ll likely launch it too high.

The modern tour game is played on some big courses, like Erin Hills. Soon, 8,000 yards will be the new 7,000, and raw distance off the tee will be the premium. If you get a chance to play a let-it-rip type of course, think of your tee shot as you would the barrel of a military tank firing a shell. You have to tilt the barrel upward to send it, which means slightly accentuating the angle of your shoulders at address. You also will need to make a full backswing, really loading onto your trail side (above). One more thing: Many players mistakenly try to swing hard at the start of the downswing and end up lurching and lunging, causing poor contact. I want your transition into the downswing to be much smoother. Gather your speed no sooner than halfway down.

When tiny greens like Pebble’s are firm and fast, the most reliable way to keep the ball on the putting surface is with a high-fade approach shot. Hitting the ball with a slightly open face will help create that shape and trajectory. The mistake is letting your lead hand rotate in the downswing so that the palm is skyward through the hitting zone. That shuts the clubface and delofts the shot. Instead, focus on keeping the palm facing away from the target as you swing down and through, and finish with this “held-off” look (above).

Pete Dye drew from the classic sod-faced bunkers in Scotland when he designed obstacles like railroad ties and steep grass faces at the Stadium Course. These features demand you play shortgame shots that get the ball up im mediately. The trick to playing these shots well is understanding how to increase the effective loft on the clubface. You need to open the face before you take your grip, play the ball forward, get into a wider stance and lower your hands (below). This set-up puts you in po sition to crank up the loft, and you can swing with a lot of speed without worrying about hitting the ball too far. It will pop up softly.

TPC SAWGRASS HOIST IT HIGH OVER TALL LIPS

The greens at Pine hurst No. 2 are notorious for their turtle backs and punish ing collection areas. That means you need to be spot-on with your pitch ing, landing the ball in a place that gives you a reasonably good chance to make the ensuing putt. To do that, stand slightly open to your target (I’m using alignment rods to demonstrate) and get the club in this toe-up look on the way back (left). This puts the wedge in a position to glide along the turf, not dig into it. Now that you know how to produce better contact, let’s work on dis tance control. When you swing, keep your chest moving, not just your arms. You will find the ball comes off at a pre dictable speed. It’s nice to practise clean contact at the range, but it’s even better if you lay out some towels or headcovers at intervals and try to hit them. You’ll then get feedback on how far your shots carry and roll.

Bandon is America’s version of a links course — few trees, roll ing terrain and wind that always should be factored when choosing a club and what type of shot to play. When you’re downwind on a links course, a high draw is a great option. To practise it, focus on these two feels: (1) You need more tilt in your swing. Keep the trail shoulder lower than the lead shoul der going through; (2) finish high, with the logo of your glove pointed at the target. I’m making onearm swings (left) to re hearse the movement and feeling I want to produce that nice, high draw.

BANDON DUNES RIDE THE WIND

TPC SCOTTSDALE CONTROL THE HEIGHT ON YOUR IRONS

You probably won’t experience the infamous par-3 16th at TPC Scottsdale like it is during the Phoenix Open — when the surrounding crowd makes it feel like a college football game. That hole’s framing is not unlike the challenge you face on a course where distance control is crucial to scoring (and avoiding penalties). To fine tune your iron carry distances, adjust the inclination of your lead wrist at impact. When your lead wrist is in extension (below) at impact, you will put more loft on the shot, and the landing angle will help the ball quickly stop. When that wrist is in flexion (knuckles down), the ball flies on a more penetrating trajec tory and stops as a result of backspin. Tour pros typically flight their iron shots lower because it's easier to hit them pin-high.

HILLS CLIP IT OFF FIRM TURF

Links courses like Shinnecock Hills get running firm and fast in the summer, and that harder turf demands you understand how to get the club to interact with the ground on pitch shots. Most players don’t create enough loft on the backswing and lead with their hands on the downswing, striking the ground first with the leading edge of the club. That makes it easy to chunk it. Instead, get the toe pointing up on the backswing and keep it that way through impact (above). It’s like you’re making a “cut” swing, meaning your swing path cuts across the ball from out to in. Do that and the bounce, or trailing edge of the wedge, will slide along the ground — providing forgiveness. Played this way, there’s really no reason to fear hitting it heavy. Hit too far behind the ball, and the bounce will still glide along the turf and produce a decent shot.

mark blackburn, one of Golf Digest's 50 Best Teachers in America, instructs at the Blackburn Golf Academy at Greystone Golf & Country Club in Birmingham, Alabama

SHINNECOCK

CHARLES

BARKLEY

is STAN UTLEY fixed him and he can fix you, too by MATTHEW RUDY photographs by JOHN LOOMIS

‘I play golf every day now, and I’m playing real golf.’

IT’S 10 MINUTES BEFORE A LATE summer lesson at the Maroon Creek Club in Aspen, Colorado, when Charles Barkley pulls up in his cart — engaging and endearingly profane even after go ing deep the night before in the town’s posh entertainment district.

His needle is long and sharp, and it’s easy to see why he’s the heavyweight champion of NBA studio analysts at TNT and effortlessly popular in his moonlight gig, calling silly-season celebrity golf broadcasts for TBS.

A photographer, who is there to docu ment the lesson for this story, holds up a spray-painted gold driver for Barkley to pose with. At first glance at the club, Barkley recoils like he’s been served a $3 steak. “Was this your idea?” he says to the photographer. “Because it’s ter rible.” Later, during the video part of the shoot, the man who is a veteran of thou sands of hours of live television and countless national advertising spots gives the side-eye to a director who gets a little too specific with direction. “You got it, Francis Ford,” Barkley says.

Sir Charles doesn’t look like a play er whose golf game has been under the equivalent of open-heart surgery for the past 20 years — getting sliced, diced and dissected by more coaches (armchair and otherwise) than anyone this side of Tiger Woods. He moves much better than you would expect for a 59-year-old big man with more than

FIX 1: GET RID OF THE ‘FORCED’ LAG

Barkley’s full-swing hitch was just physics, says Stan Utley, pictured with the Hall of Fame basketball player here. Barkley would pull the handle down hard in the downswing, making his path steep while lagging the clubhead way behind (top photo). From that position, something drastic had to happen to let the clubhead catch up before impact — like Barkley’s stop-and-go hitch. Utley’s cure was to get Barkley to feel an earlier “throw” (above) of the clubhead with his wrists by having him hit right-arm-only pitch shots. That helped him feel the unhinging of his wrists, not only at the right time but in the right direction. Then he took that feel to his driver swing (right).

1,000 NBA games on his clock. He had both hips replaced and is getting ready to have the same done to his shoulders, but he still looks like he’s ready to mus cle up in the paint.

Ignoring all the shorter clubs in his enormous Ping staff bag, Barkley pulls out his driver — customised in Auburn University’s blue-and-orange color scheme (his alma mater) — tees one up and gets ready to make his first swing of the day. It’s as if everyone has collectively held their breath to see what happens next. Having all eyes on him isn’t a new phenomenon. Barkley glances up and smiles.

“You watch,” Barkley says to anyone within earshot. “Stan Utley has fixed my swing.”

THERE’S A REASON YOU CAN’T look away when a quarterback gets crushed on a blind-side hit, a box er gets punched in the groin or a NASCAR driver goes cartwheeling down the back straight at Talladega in

a 20-car pile-up. We’re hard-wired to gawk at the spectacle. (They built the Colosseum for it in Ancient Rome.) It’s why everybody knows exactly what this retired NBA power forward’s golf swing looks like even if they don’t know the difference between a jump shot and a jump start. Barkley is a genuine sports hero, television star and celebrity pitch man, selling Subway sandwiches, AT&T cellphones and Dick’s Sporting Goods in every other commercial — but he’s also that guy with the hitch.

For more than 20 years, Barkley hit almost every full shot with the golf equivalent of a stutter step. Halfway down, it was like he ran on electricity and everything went unplugged. His arms would stop, the club stopped. But then the power would come back on with just enough time for a desper ate late lurch at the ball. Barkley went from being a reliable 70s-shooter to going full rounds without getting the ball airborne. Not only was it bad, it was on display in televised events, like

the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship in Lake Tahoe, and in money matches with other alpha ath letes like Tiger and Michael Jordan. Because of his swing, Charles had be come the designated pigeon. When he wasn’t being laughed at in prime time, he was on lowlight reels across every social-media channel — all of it on auto-play.

A sane person would quit, and Bark ley basically did. He went from playing 200 rounds a year to maybe five, all at charity events around Phoenix. “People wanted to pay their money to come see my swing up close. It was miserable,” he says. “It just sucks playing bad golf

‘People wanted to pay their money to see me swing up close. It was miserable.’

‘I tried everything. I even tried playing left-handed for a couple of years.’

FIX 2: UNHINGE, SHIFT AND RELEASE

Barkley’s main swing thought now? His first downswing move with his wrists is to unhinge them away from the target. Pairing that with a healthy turn and shift means that the club comes down on a much better plane with no effort or manipulation of his hands. Instead of taking ugly, crooked divots, he now skims the ground through impact, even with his wedges. “He hit balls for two hours here, and all he did was bruise the grass,” Utley says.

Release is a term that gets thrown around a lot, but this is what it really looks like through impact (left). This is tour-pro quality, Utley says. Check out where Barkley’s thumbs are pointing — down where the ball just was. His right arm isn’t twisting up and above his left arm, and the clubface isn’t held open or rolled closed. This is a from a guy with two fake hips and two shoulders that need replacing.

and constantly getting made fun of.

I just got tired of getting kicked.”

It was at one of those charity events, Tom Lehman’s Elevate Phoenix Invita tional in 2017, where Barkley first ran into Utley, the short-game guru and for mer PGA Tour player. The low-key Ut ley waited for a quiet moment and then casually asked if the two Phoenix-area residents could get together so he could watch Barkley hit a few balls. Barkley had heard that pitch before.

“I tried everything. I even tried play ing left-handed for a couple of years,” Barkley says. “I told Stan there wasn’t anything left for anybody to tell me. I’d already taken a lesson from everybody.”

“One more won’t hurt,” Utley said. Utley presented his theory about why Barkley had developed his famous instruction-proof hitch. “It was obvi ous that he pulled the handle down and wasn’t swinging the head until after he hitched,” Utley says. “I felt like that was because he misunderstood what he was supposed to be doing.”

Utley asked Barkley to hit some ba sic pitch shots with just his right hand while focusing on something very dif ferent. “He’s such a good athlete and has such good hands, he immediately started hitting it solid,” Utley says. “His instinct let him pitch the club out there with his wrist. But his concept of what he was supposed to be doing wouldn’t let him do that with two hands on the club. His idea was that you had to lag the clubhead to hit it far, and it evolved into something that prevented him from being able to play golf.”

The term “lag” might conjure a pic ture of Sergio Garcia’s dramatic tran sition from backswing to downswing, where the angle between his forearms

and the club’s shaft shrinks drastically. Utley’s advice for Barkley was borne from work Utley did as Garcia’s shortgame coach in the early 2000s.

“Sergio’s issue was basically identi cal to Charles’, but Sergio’s was with his chipping,” Utley says. “It was de laying the release of the club too long. Sergio could delay the release on a full swing — or at least make it look like he was delaying it — but he had time to get to the ball. On a chip, he didn’t have enough time. With Charles, I don’t think anybody ever held the an gle — the lag — as long as he did, and the hitch was the only way he could have time to catch up and hit the ball.”

About 40 minutes into that first ses sion, Barkley had his two-handed “eu reka” moment: “You mean you want me to throw the clubhead with my wrists backward?”

Barkley’s downswing issue was ex treme, but the cure was something almost every player can apply to look more like a golfer (and less like a lum berjack having a seizure). “Whether you have a hitch or are just a 20-handi capper who wants to get better, that’s going to happen only if you understand how the club has to unwind to get to the ball,” Utley says. “The head has to take the longest journey, which means you need to get that part going sooner than you probably are. That means learning how to hinge and unhinge your wrists.”

Barkley didn’t see Utley again until a year later, and when they reunited, the hitch had retreated and Barkley was able to switch gears and get the finetuning every avid player with plenty of free time and a taste for betting wants — a better short game. Now that Bark ley could use his hands appropriately,

FIX 3: CLOSE THE FACE

Gaining control over the clubface also pays off in the short game. Barkley’s old tendency was to open the face (above, left) and tip his shoulders away from the target on the downswing. That caused mis-hits and scoops. Now he’s starting back with the face more closed (above, right). He then turns the shaft to the left on the way through. If you do this, you’ll chip and pitch the ball lower with more spin and distance control.

Another thing Utley got Barkely to do around the greens is to start tall and then get even taller through impact — like Utley is demonstrating (right). Everything about Barkley’s old swing was tight and anxious, and he dipped his knees and got “smaller.” Good pitch shots — and full swings — have extension, but that doesn’t mean keep your arms rigid. When you hyperextend your arms, your hands and wrists are restricted and move slower. A good swing thought is to feel like your arms are relaxed and your body is stretching upward through impact.

it was time to make the ball check and dance. Utley schooled Barkley on ways to control the face of a lofted wedge, so he could change between high floaters and low, checking pitches.

“I play every day now, and I’m play ing real golf,” says Barkley, who shot 80 three times over the summer and plays as a 10 handicap. The rejuvenat ed swing was on display in May during a pro-am at a PGA Tour Champions event in Barkley’s home state of Ala bama. Barkley pured a hitch-free drive on the first hole while fellow Auburn sports legend Bo Jackson watched in astonishment.

“I could kiss you right now,” Jackson said. In July, Barkley shot three rounds

in the 90s at the annual American Cen tury Championship — betrayed not by his swing but by his body protesting three straight days of 18-hole walks.

“It opened my eyes that I have to be in better shape,” he says. “I’d get to the 14th or 15th hole every day, and I was just done.”

For Utley, Barkley’s triumphant performances or full-throated en dorsement isn’t the thing that is most satisfying about the project. It’s the impact. “I went to his New Year’s Eve party, and a group of his buddies came over and hugged me,” Utley says. “Their friend was happy on the golf course again. He got the joy back.

“People ask me all the time how

I fixed Charles’ mental problem. He didn’t have a mental problem, he had a mechanical issue that was mak ing it impossible to swing with any confidence.

“It doesn’t mean he’ll never hit an other bad one. But he owns his swing now. He’s built a new pattern.”

Back on the private practice tee at Maroon Creek, Barkley has tossed the gold-painted club and is getting ready to make that first swing with his driv er. He rips a tight draw 340 yards into the breeze and watches it roll onto the base of the busy members’ practice tee at the other end of the range.

He turns and gives his famous Barkley smile: “Let’s see them scatter.”

HIS TOUGHEST MATCH

You know who Stan Utley is because of his hands.

In his PGA Tour playing career, Utley never averaged much more than 250 yards off the tee, but he had one of the most consistently excellent short games in golf. He won the PGA Tour’s 1989 Chattanooga Classic, and still holds the record for fewest putts over nine holes with six — set at the 2002 Air Canada Classic.

Since the early 2000s, Utley has made his living teaching tour players and amateurs alike from his bases at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale and Maroon Creek in Aspen, Colorado. He’s still demonstrating the short game technique that made him the envy of his peers and the one they consistently sought out for early-week pointers when he was on tour.

Charles Barkley is his most cel ebrated recent student, but Utley has worked with champions and major win

ners such as Sergio Garcia, Inbee Park, Darren Clarke, Joaquin Niemann, Rocco Mediate and Jay Haas.

Knowing his impact on people’s lives, Utley was distressed when he came out of a programme of chemotherapy for non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 2019 with a faint but noticeable tremor in his left hand. Like a surgeon’s, Utley’s hands are the tools of his trade.

One of Utley’s students is a neurolo gist and identified the tremor as the potential onset of Parkinson’s Disease. (Parkinson’s is a progressive degenera tive disorder of the central nervous system.) After a battery of testing at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoe nix, the diagnosis was confirmed. “They told me I was already susceptible to Parkinson’s,” says Utley, 60, who last played on the PGA Tour Champions in 2016. “But the trauma of chemotherapy is probably what caused it.”

Utley’s form of the disease manifests

in part as a resting tremor, which goes away when he holds a club. “It doesn’t really affect my game too much,” says Utley, who shot 69 at Pebble Beach’s Spyglass Hill Golf Course in September. “My good golf isn’t too far off from where I was 10 years ago. My swing is probably better because I’ve gained so much knowledge being around great teachers like Jim Hardy and Rob Akins.”

An aggressive workout regimen and a determination to stick with his busy coaching schedule has meant that the disease hasn’t been much more than a nuisance. “Attitude has so much to do with living a healthy life,” says Utley, who trains with fitness specialist Car son Kemp at Motionlab in Scottsdale. “I’m going forward fast, hard and posi tive. I’m teaching my normal schedule. I don’t plan on slowing down.”

Watching Barkley’s practice ethic has been another motivator. “I’ve never seen somebody work so hard on his game like Chuck has for the last two years.” Utley says. “Hundreds of hours on his own, putting in the time. When you have hope and you put in the work in, you’ll get better.

MATTHEW RUDY

Stan Utley is thriving through a major health challenge

THROW SOME SHAPES

A fade, draw or low flight can get you on the dancefloor when tee shots prove tricky

By Lea Pouillard

THIS MONTH we are taking a look at how to shape your shots off the tee. There a number of factors to consider when faced with different set-ups around any given course — be it a dogleg left, dogleg right or into the wind. Here we will show you how to get the most out of your drive in different circumstances.

Your stance can help you draw or fade a shot and also help with a low flight off the tee to help take the wind out of the equation.

the draw

First up is the draw, where the ball needs to start on the right of the target and curve to the left all the way to the target point. This is an ideal shot if you are faced with a dogleg left. To get the curve you will need the club face ‘closed’ to the path it is on, and add that right-to-left spin.

For that we aim to the right with the line of our body (feet, hips and shoulders) and swing the club in this direction while keeping the face of the club on the target, so club face is closed to the path of club.

the fade

Next up is the fade, where the ball needs to start on the left of our target and curve to the right (dogleg right). To get the curve you will need to club face ‘open’ to the path that’s is on, which should feel left.

This time around, we do the opposite with our body, aligning our feet, hips and shoulders left of the target and swing the club in this direction. Remember to keep the face of the club on the intended target.

low flight

Finally, sometimes you could be faced with a straight approach from the tee,

but you are playing into the wind. Here, a low-trajectory flight is perfect to help take most of that wind out of play as a high ball will get caught and stop dead.

To achieve this, your set up in front the ball needs to be altered. Try to tee up the ball lower than normal, with the ball in the centre of your stance. Try to get a feel for something like a punch and hold your finish half way, keeping your hands, arms and clubhead lower than usual during your finish.

lea pouillard is PGA teaching professional at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club’s Peter Cowen Academy Dubai.

WATCH THE VIDEO

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

draw fade low

LOSE THE BIG CURVE

Learn how to stop hooking it with MLB legend John Smoltz

By Matthew Rudy

John Smoltz retired from Major League Baseball in 2009, but the 55-year-old Hall of Fame pitcher still looks like he could suit up and get batters out. These days, however, Smoltz domi nates on an entirely different playing field. Despite chronic hip and back issues from his 22 years in the bigs, he carries a plus-1.6 Index. We paired the Fox MLB lead analyst with Golf Digest 50 Best Teacher Brian Manzella for a lesson at Smoltz’s Atlanta-area home club, Hawks Ridge.

“Watching him hit a few balls, it was clear John has tremendous control over the clubface,” says Manzella, who teaches at The Studio in the Sky in New Orleans. “But his swing path was too much to the right — and he was clearly afraid that using his famous right hand too much would produce hooks.”

The goal? Show Smoltz how to re lease the club without fear of losing it left, and reduce the amount the club travels in to out through impact — two keys that would help almost any player. “I can go after it now instead of swing ing defensively,” Smoltz says. “I can take this to the course right away.”

GROOVE YOUR PATH

“Swing path is an important one, because when it gets extreme, it limits the kind of shots you can hit,” Manzella says. “John’s path was 6 degrees to the right, which made it hard for him to hit the relatively straight shots he likes to see.”

To train a more neutral path, Manzella pegged a tee at driver height 12 inches ahead and slightly inside of Smoltz’s 7-iron ball position (right). When Smoltz hit the ball and clipped the tee, it meant his path was neutral. “If your path is too far left, which it tends to be for slicers, flip the drill and put the tee slightly outside the target line,” Manzella says. “Perfect strikes.”

FACE YOUR PALM

“A lot of players think the trail wrist should stay bent to ‘hold the angle’, or they think using the wrists is somehow ‘flip ping’ through impact,” Manzella says. “If you have a relatively neutral swing path and are turning your chest through impact, you can really use that trail hand to help produce speed.”

The feel? Take a handful of balls in your trail hand and make an imaginary swing, stopping when your trail arm is chest high on the follow-through. At this position, you should be able to look down and see your palm and the balls facing you (left). “John was actually trying not to bend his right hand at all,” Manzella says. “Now, he can throw fastballs instead of change-ups.”

AGE 26

LIVES

Orlando STORY

Two-time winner of the World Long Drive Championship (2019, 2021).

NOT JUST A BASHER

Many people who follow me on social media don’t realise I compete as a long driver. Instead they ask why I’m not on tour. My game isn’t ready to play professionally just yet, but I play to a plus-3-handicap. My socialmedia following has flourished because I post golf-related videos. People understand I’m a golfer, too.

WITH E MICHAEL JOHNSON

: KYLE BERKSHIRE

Cobra LTDx LS, 5.5°, Paderson Kinetixx shaft.

When I play golf, my Cobra driver is between 6 and 7 degrees. For long drive it’s between 1.5 and 7 degrees. It all depends on wind, altitude, etc. Although my normal carry is about 350 yards, my longest drive measured 492 yards.

DRIVING IRON

Cobra King Forged Tec KB 3D prototype, 15°, Fujikura Ventus Black HB 10TX shaft.

This is a 3-D printed club. Pretty cool. I don’t carry a fairway wood, so this is basically my club o the tee when I play because I still hit it more than 300 yards. I want to lay back a little to have full shots into the greens on most holes.

Cobra King Forged Chrome CB (3-PW), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X7 shafts, Golf Pride Tour Wrap Midsize grips.

I’ve played cavity-back irons since I was 7 years old. They’re forgiving and have a comfortable feel. My favorite club is my 8-iron. My shafts are hardstepped, which means they’re sti er and spin less.

WEDGES

Cobra V Grind Raw (48°, 54°, 58°, 62°), True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 shafts.

Most times I carry four wedges but sometimes only three. I spend a lot of time working on my wedge shots. That might surprise some people, but it’s become a very big part of my game.

PUTTER

SPECS SIK Pro Series C Armlock, 37 inches, 3°.

This is the same style Bryson DeChambeau uses, though his is more upright. I putt armlock style but with a twist: I hook my right index finger under the grip. The outline in the middle of the sole is of me hoisting the World Long Drive Championship belt.

around my Titleist Pro V1 is great for putting. The balls we use for long drive have a softer compression. This allows me to launch it higher and spin it less if I increase my angle of attack.

AT THE READY

As you see, my bag has multiple drivers in it. I need extras. I hit a driver 30 to 50 times before I have to switch it out. It’s not that the club breaks, but the face flattens out.

WHIP IT GOOD

The Orange Whip helps activate my golf muscles without swinging a club. I really like the feel of the orange ball whipping through the impact zone. With this I don’t need many swings to get loose.

Funny or O ensive: A

c

By Coleman Bentley