Worldwide Golf February 2021 by Worldwide Golf

T H E M I D D L E E A S T ’ S N O .1 G O L F M A G A Z I N E

EST

1999

Worldwide Golf

COLLIN MORIKAWA

FEBRUARY

2021

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU

HOT SHOT READY FOR RYDER CUP PUSH

IS HE TAKING THINGS TOO FAR?

POWER OR

ACCURACY CAN YOU HAVE BOTH?

F E AT U R E

FOCUS

ADAM SCOTT

VETERAN AUSSIE LOOKING TO RIGHT THE WRONGS OF 2020

PING EYE2 TAKES ON THE G425 THE LEGENDARY IRON ROLLS BACK THE YEARS TO SEE HOW TECHNOLOHY HAS EVOLVED

Worldwide Golf is the Official Media partner to the European Tour in the Middle East and the official magazine of the Emirates Golf Federation

+ CHIP IT LIKE BJØRN + HOW TO ADD SPEED + PXG 0211 GEN2 IRONS

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Tyrrell Hatton should play the game the way it suits him.

Time to play it your way, Tyrrell For the sake of the game we need to see the Tours made up of many different people and personalities to keep the sport interesting to watch

YRRELL Hatton has taken the game by storm in recent months, while at the same time putting a smile on our faces. His performances in the Middle East have catapulted him up to fifth place in the world rankings and promoted him as a leading entertainer through his ‘Angry Golfer’ image. There are a diminishing number of characters on the Tour these days so he comes as a welcome star on the scene. I’ve met Tyrrell and he’s a hell of a good guy. He’s earned the title of ‘Angry Golfer’ due to his occasional misbehaviour when he misses a shot or finds the water. His emotions can erupt immediately, but he’s made of strong stuff and he’s quick to make amends. He collected around $1million for winning the Rolex Series event in Abu Dhabi but followed that with a disappointing (by his recent standards) performance in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic at the Emirates Golf Club. Yet Tyrrell has come to terms with his consistency. Golf is big business these days and there are numerous millionaires on the Tour who are outside the top 50. In our time there were 50 Major champions competing each week. There wasn’t the big money there is today so there was less pressure. Today, it’s more about business. In our time, golf was more about fun and just playing, and less about business. Saying that, I understand today’s circumstances and this is in no way a criticism of today’s players. For the sake of the game, we need a Golf Tour made up of many different people and personalities. It’s not surprising that today’s players take their game so seriously. It’s because they’re playing for serious money. We live in a different world and you just have to accept it. In my time we played to win and prizemoney wasn’t such a big deal. Today it sometimes feels the other way round. The media has also changed. You’ve got to understand that the media has to find something sensational to write about - if they don’t, their copy will not be aired. As we’ve recently seen with a young Major winner, one mistaken outburst, or even a wrong phrase, can cost a player millions in endorsements. So it’s not surprising to see management companies trying to remove the character out of the star players, as mistakes

both on and off the course can cost millions. So, my advice to Tyrrell is - keep on playing the game the way that suits you best. It doesn’t matter If he loses his cool now and again, so long as he doesn’t upset anyone in the process. Bad manners are not acceptable. Always remember, ‘Manners Maketh Man’ as Winston Churchill used to say. In my humble opinion you should always give the impression that you are outwardly relaxed, although you are inwardly totally determined, focussed on succeeding. As long as your mindset is in control of yourself, you should be in control of your game. I used to work on the basis that a one-inch putt can be more important than a breath-taking long drive. In our time, we had any amount of characters and we took the view that we should always look for the good in people and praise those who deserve it. One of the most entertaining and talented characters I ever knew was Tommy Bolt. On Tommy’s golf bag there was the image of a lightening bolt with the quote: ‘Buy Tommy Bolt’s clubs - they stay in the air longer than anyone else’s.” He earned himself the nickname ‘Thunder’ or ‘Terrible Tommy,’ because he had a fiery disposition, and yet was one of the most popular players on the Tour. Players didn’t get upset when he occasionally broke a club or two or hurled one into the lake. Admittedly, it was pure showmanship but it never did anyone any harm, although it did lead to the introduction of a rule that prohibited such behaviour. I finished runner-up behind Tommy when he won the 1958 US Open and it was a laugh a minute. When I first met Tommy he called me ‘son,’ and I soon realised that he called everyone ‘son,’ pronouncing it with his long, Southern drawl. Tommy joined the PGA Tour in his thirties and went on to win 15 times including his US Open title. He also played in two Ryder Cups in 1955 and 1957 and was inducted into the Golf Hall of Fame in 2002. I don’t want to be judgemental, but we should encourage characters and personalities and help put the fun back in golf, particularly in these difficult times. Tommy seldom caused anyone any harm. So remember Tyrrell, continue to go with the flow and don’t change anything in your game. Just keep on smiling, having fun - and winning golf tournaments. ■

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CONTENTS COLUMN

COLUMN

Starter

David Howell

Pete Cowen

Adri Arnaus

All the latest news from around the global game as the season’s big events start to get closer and closer.

European Tour stalwart David Howell believes Tyrrell Hatton could become golf ’s answer to John McEnroe.

Master PGA Professional Pete Cowen on why winning ugly is so important at the highest level.

The Dubai-based Spanish ace was delighted to start 2021 in familiar surroundings and is hoping for a big year on Tour.

Adam Scott Australia’s finest is doing all he can to keep up with the current crop of youngsters making names for themselves on Tour.

Bryson DeChambeau

Collin Morikawa

Ones to Watch

The enigmatic Californian is leaving no stone unturned his his quest to produce previously unfathomable ball speeds on Tour.

Golf ’s hottest property is gearing up for a Ryder Cup push, here he offers tips on how to build a reliable swing foundation and Pete Cowen analyses his enviable movement.

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From a young Japanese on a fast-track to greatness to a couple of hot prospect Sprinkboks, we take a look at some players to keep an eye on as 2021 progresses.

CONTENTS 52

The Country Club at The Els Club

The newly-opened Country Club at The Els Club is one of the most impressive facilities in Dubai which offers a vast array of training options, including a golf-orientated strength and conditioning programme.

GEAR

52 INSTRUCTION

PING G425 Max Has one of the most forgiving drivers on the market been made better or worse?

PING Eye2 Vs G425

44 48

How does one of the most iconic PING irons ever stack up against their most technically advanced iron of today?

Follow Golf Coach JC’s methods for more distance Jonathon Craddock, PGA Professional at Jumeirah Golf Estates, talks us through the methods you need to implement in order to make gains off the tee.

PXG 0211 Irons - Gen1 Vs Gen2 We put the latest PXG irons to the test.

PXG 0211 Driver Do they perform as well as they look?

Swing Faster with simple exercises Using some weighted medicine balls, these simple drills by Victoria Mikhaylova, Golf Fitness Coach at Jumeirah Golf Estates, will have you mobile enough to add speed to your swing in no time.

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ALEX GALLEMORE

EDITOR’S LETTER

Since when has golf become a contact sport?

he golf manufacturers always bombard us this time of year with the latest technology advancements, so you can hit it further (into the rough in my case). In addition I receive regular updates on DeChambeau’s power achievements and how he’s got above 210mph on the range. In some ways I admire the different dynamic Bryson has brought to the game but I’m starting to get bored of his long drive approach to the sport. He’s not exactly athletic-looking these days and perhaps he’s gone one protein shake too far. Smashing the weights in a bid to artificially adjust his body to take the power blows generated from the increase forces in his ramped up swing speed isn’t what golf is about.

WHAT IS A GOLF PHYSIQUE?

He’s just become a long drive golfer, but he’s not as fast as the likes of the athletic Kyle Berkshire. When I look at the physiques of Rory and Tiger I automatically think that this is how a golfer should portray the sport. Bryson has certainly pushed his body to its limits. But 15 years ago Gary Player said to me that once true athletes like Michael Jordan take up the sport, just imagine how far they will drive the ball and then golf courses around the world are in big trouble. You might say that Dustin Johnson is the perfect athlete in golf right now, but we also have a new kid on the block and he’s a natural powerhouse. South African Wilco Nienaber is 6ft 3 and he possesses something that Bryson and the other gym-based golf monsters will never have - and that is just superior genetics and natural speed. Pete Cowen says you are born with a certain amount of speed that

can be enhanced but you can’t create it. If you run the 100 metres in 16 seconds you will have no chance of making the Olympics. Usain Bolt first ran the 100 meters in competition aged 20 and recorded a time of just 10.03 seconds. Bryson can’t get any taller or make his arms longer which is why Wilco’s 340-yard drives just look effortless, as opposed to Bryson’s long drive style. Wilco, who is 20, will no doubt get longer off the tee in a similar way Usain managed to run faster as his career progressed and break the 10 second mark.

SHOULD WE LIMIT THE DRIVER?

Last month Pete Cowen and I proved that distance these days is the product of advanced driver head technology. The Callaway Mavrik driver still managed to drive a 60-year-old Dunlop 65 ball 300 yards with a 110mph swing speed. Imagine if Bryson was to try and adapt his power-lifting approach and speed to a 190cc Persimmon head with a 43” shaft! We have all become obsessed with hitting it further, but I’m thankfully seeing a shift in how drivers and clubs are starting to focus more on forgiveness and less on distance. The latest PING G425 and PXG 0211 drivers I tested showcase this on pages 42 and 50. To score well we need to find fairways and not be overly concerned about whether we have enough balls to finish the round. It was also interesting to see how PXG, renowned for making highend clubs, are starting to venture more into the mass market with the new 0211 range. With their new driver priced under $400 and their irons less than $200 each, hopefully we might see the main brands reduce their prices. ■

ISSUE No.232 FEBRUARY 2021 • Published by: Worldwide Sporting Publications Ltd • Published in Dubai by: Prografix • PO Box 24677 • Dubai, UAE (Tel) +9714 340 3785 Editor-in-Chief: Mike Gallemore • Executive Editor: Gary Player • Editor: Alex Gallemore (alex@wspglobal.com) Publisher: Mike Gallemore (mike@wspglobal.com) • General Manager Dubai: Richard Bevan (rick@wspglobal.com) • Editors: Todd Staszko, Thomas Wragg, Ashraf Ahmed • Production/Design Editor: Thameem Rayyan • Editorial Panel: Gary Player, Mike Gallemore, Alex Gallemore, Richard Bevan, Todd Staszko • Photography: Getty Images • June 2009 SSN 1- 46805671 • Approval UAE National Media Council: Ref.816 30/5/2007 Trade Licence No. 1/104375/15280 • Worldwide Golf specifies that post-press changes may occur to any information given in this publication and takes no responsibility for goods or services advertised.

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THE NEW LOCATION OF THE FIRST WGC OF THE YEAR

THE COURSE The Concession The opening World Golf Champinship of 2021 takes place February 25-28.

amed after the famous halved match between Tony Jacklin and Jack Nicklaus at the 1969 Ryder Cup, The Concession in Florida hosts its first World Golf Championship event this year after the WGC-Mexico was hastily relocated to north America amid travel concerns surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic. Located around 35 miles south of Tampa on the outskirts of Bradenton, the 18-hole, par 72 golf course was designed by both Nicklaus and Jacklin and is set on natural Florida land surrounded by huge oaks, imposing pines and free-roaming wildlife. Unlike many high-end golf properties in the States, The Concession has little-to-no housing lining the fairways. The course meanders across various stretches of land – meadows, wetlands and pine forests and is complimented by eye-catching bunkering and challenging green complexes, many of which feature multiple contours. Now, more than a decade after it was built, the course has matured but the setting remains the same as it shares the spotlight with the natural surroundings. The course is where Bryson DeChambeau first came to note when he won the NCAA Championship (the top annual competition in the men’s collegiate golf system in the United States) there in 2015, shortly before he was victorious at that year’s US Amateur. The tournament kicks off a four-week ‘Florida Swing’ on the PGA Tour that will feature the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass and The Honda Classic at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens. The PGA Tour plans to return to Chapultepec Golf Club in Mexico City next year, which has hosted each of the past four editions since the event was moved from Trump National Doral after 2016.

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STARTER

The heavily contoured 18th green at The Concession

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STARTER

KORDA ENDS THREE YEAR DROUGHT

QUICK Hits

Facts and Figures from around the world of golf ▲

Molinari makes ﬁrst topten since 2019 Masters

Francesco Molinari produced a birdie-birdie finish at The American Express in Calfornia last month for his first worldwide top-ten finish since the 2019 Masters. The Italian’s form plummetted after he twice found the water on the back-nine at Augusta two years ago, but after relocating to the United States last summer and working hard on his game, he is showing signs of turning the corner in 2021.

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Koepka misses three straight cuts for the ﬁrst time Former World No.1 Brooks Koepka missed three cuts in succession on the PGA Tour for the first time in his professional career. He failed to make the weekend in Mexico in his final event of 2020 and his opening two efforts of 2021 at PGA West and Torrey Pines both bore no fruit. In 2018 and 2019, Koepka missed just three cuts worldwide.

America’s Jessica Korda clinched her first title since 2018 with a play-off win over compatriot Danielle Kang at the 2021 seasonopening Tournament of champions.

The Oman Open at AlMouj Golf, which was scheduled for the first week of March, has been postponed after the government ordered an immediate stop to all gatherings, international functions and sporting events amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Tournament organisers are hopeful that a new date can be found later in the year for the event, which was won last year by Finland’s Sami Valimaki.

Nicklaus to build championship course in Saudi ▲

Jessica had shot a third round 60 to get into contention, but Kang (inset) was chasing a wire-to-wire win and was three clear heading into the back nine on the Sunday having not dropped a shot all week. However, a bogey on the tough 15th pegged her back and Korda caught her with a birdie on the 16th. The pair both signed for 24-under-par totals and it was Korda who hit the killer putt in the play-off, with Kang missing her putt from 18 feet to extend. “I’m not disappointed in that I didn’t win,” said Kang. “It’s not about winning and losing for me. It’s about being able to execute when I want to – and having a feeling when I feel like I can’t do something is something I don’t like.”

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After getting in the field via the skin of her teeth, Jessica Korda took full advantage by clinching her sixth title on the LPGA Tour with a play-off win over Danielle Kang at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions last month. The 27-year-old qualified because spots in the field are open to players who won LPGA Tour titles in the previous two seasons, so Korda was exempt thanks to her victory in February 2018 at the Honda LPGA Thailand. Since then, Jessica’s 22-year-old sister Nelly had won three times on Tour, but Jessica finally got the better of her younger sibling in Florida. Nelly finished in third place, two shots outside the play-off score, and Jessica took the title outright with a 25-foot birdie on the first extra hole.

Oman Open postponed over Covid concerns

Golf icon Jack Nicklaus is designing his first ever course in Saudi Arabia - a championship golf course for Qiddiya, Saudi Arabia’s capital of Entertainments, Sports and the Arts. The course which will be located 40 minutes from Riyadh, is under design and is awaiting commencement of construction.

Phil has a senior plan in place While Phil Mickelson still harbours a desire to qualify for this year’s Ryder Cup - which would extend his own record as the leading appearance maker in the event to 13 - he admits he will play more on the PGA Tour Champions if his form isn’t good enough on the regular tour. “I’m excited to start the year and see if I’m able to continue playing at the highest level,” said Mickelson, who turns 51 in June. “If I am, I’m going to

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really try to play more events on the PGA Tour and make a push hopefully for the Ryder Cup. But if I don’t play well early on, I’ll start to re-evaluate things and maybe play a few more events on the Champions Tour, because what’s fun for me is competing, getting in contention, and trying to win tournaments.”

STARTER

By 15-times European Tour winner Thomas Bjørn

HOW TO HIT A CHIP-AND-RUN ON FIRM, FAST TERRAIN If you’re faced with a long looking chip shot with a lot of green ahead of you to work with and it’s pretty flat, then usually the best play is to hit a chip-and-run and get the ball to release and roll out towards the hole, like a putt would. If you’re on a firm and bouncy course, it’s so much easier to control the ball if you keep it on the ground.

2018 Ryder Cup Captain Thomas Bjørn won 15 times on the European Tour including the 2001 Dubai Desert Classic

It’s not the most difficult shot in golf, but I do think that people can over-complicate it at times. When you think about it, when using a club like a 9 or an 8-iron, this type of shot is in many ways like a putt, because the movement is

all about the shoulders. There’s nothing in the arms, they stay locked in. This means that the triangle which is created between the shoulders and the hands on the club should remain the same throughout all phases of the shot.

Tuck your upper arms into your body, rock the shoulders and effectively think about letting the ball get in the way of the clubface, rather than think about ‘hitting’ the ball, because then some manipulation my creep in.

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Keep your weight slightly favouring the leading side (left leg for right handed players), keep everything connected and then make the stroke, and keep practising because it is likely to be a shot you will need to go to a lot.

HATTON CONTINUES TO BLAZE A TRAIL

W • •

Hatton’s victory was his sixth European Tour title, four of which have been Rolex Series events. Rounds of 65-68-71-66 saw him with an 18-under-par total, four ahead of Jason Scrivener with Rory McIlroy third.

“I don’t see myself as anything special. I’m just going about my business, doing my own thing. That’s just the way I am, I guess. I wouldn’t say I’m uncomfortable with the position I’m in, I just don’t see myself as anything different. It’s not something that I really worry about. TYRRELL HATTON on rising to a career-best fifth in the Official World Golf Ranking.

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Scrivener’s back nine on the Sunday consisted of an eagle at the tenth before he made gains on the 12th, 14th, 15th, 16th and last to come home in 29 and catapult up the leaderboard.

ith four wins in his last 20 starts worldwide, Tyrrell Hatton is fast becoming one of the game’s major talents and his cruise-controlled 4-stroke win at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship underlined his current run of form. The Englishman has a knack for winning big, taking the Turkish Airlines Open in late 2019 before winning his first title on American soil at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in March last year. That he missed the cut at the US Open and Masters will sting, but victory at the BMW PGA Championship and in Abu Dhabi stand him in good stead for a push at the Majors this year.

EVERY BIRDIE COUNTS INITIATIVE OFF TO A FAST START IN ABU DHABI The European Tour’s new Every Birdie Counts initiative, which is part of the Golf for Good campaign, rewards every single birdie, eagle and albatross made in the season with charitable donations. The maiden Rolex Series event of the 2021 season received a Birdie Boost,

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meaning €10 was donated for every birdie, €100 for every eagle and €1,000 for every albatross. Winner Tyrrell Hatton contributed 16 birdies and three eagles to the cause as Golf for Good raised a total of €15,480 for the tournament’s Official Charity, The Reach campaign.

CASEY HITS LANDMARK TITLE IN DUBAI P

aul Casey finally ticked off a milestone he’d been eyeing since 2019 with a 15th European Tour title thanks to a confident win at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic – his fourth win in the Middle East and first in Dubai. The Englishman was in imperious form around a tough Majlis layout at Emirates Golf Club, taking the lead with a stunning third round 64 and closing the door with a 2-under-par 70 to win by four ahead of Brandon Stone with Robert MacIntyre in third. The 43-year-old, who won his first Tour title back in 2001, joined Thomas Bjorn and Padraig Harrington on 15 Tour wins having been stuck on 14 following victory at the Porsche European Open in 2019.

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Casey became the fourth Englishman to win the Desert Classic, following Mark James (1989), David Howell (1999) and Danny Willett (2016).

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Casey’s victory propelled him up 20 places on the Ryder Cup Qualiﬁcation World Points List and into the automatic positions with 111.39 points, as well as up an impressive 37 places on the European Points List into 14th position with 1,562.50 points.

“It felt horrible, felt like I was doing a couple rounds with Mike Tyson. Felt like I couldn’t get the ball on the green to be fair. Felt like I was putting from a distance, and every time I was putting I was putting for par.” Runner-up BRANDON STONE on his Sunday front nine 38 which featured three bogeys and no gains. He fought back to post a level par 72.

BOB BREAKS INTO THE WORLD’S TOP 50 BOB MACINTYRE is now the highest-ranked left-handed golfer on the planet after becoming the latest Challenge Tour graduate to break into the top 50 on the Official World Golf Ranking following his third placed finish at Emirates Golf Club. Breaking into the world’s top 50 opens new doors for the Scotsman, including the possibility of an invite to the Masters Tournament. “It would be unbelievable, but it’s not done until March 25, that Augusta one, so I’ve got a lot of work to do,” he said. “I’ve just got to keep believing in myself. I keep giving myself chances, like today, if I keep giving myself these chances week-in-week-out then I’m going to bundle over the line again at some point.”

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ADAM SCOTT

KEEPING GROUNDED FOR

By Todd Staszko

Candid Aussie Adam Scott tur ned 40 in July last year and knows that time is fir mly not on his side as young talent keeps on emerging, year after year, ready to win the biggest events. After a truncated season in 2020, Scott is hoping to find a sense of routine and nor mality in his mission to reach 20 wins on the PGA Tour and become a multiple Major champion.

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ADAM SCOTT

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dam Scott made a superb start to his 2020 campaign with a second career win at the Genesis Invitational at Riviera in February for his 14th taste of success on the PGA Tour. That win, his first since 2016, came at a good time and he was feeling confident about what the rest of the year had in store. However, just a few weeks later the pandemic started to take its grip, and his plans for the season were in tatters as golf shutdown to stem the steadily rising rate of infection around the world. “I think last season wasn’t really a season for me,” said Scott ahead of the PGA Tour’s Tournament of Champions last month in Maui. “I mean, I had a good break over winter, but looking back to last year, there was a lot of time away from the Tour and my routines changed and couldn’t be put back in place. The logistics were too difficult to do it, so I kind of had to reassess things after The Masters in November, and figure out a way to tackle this season, because it looks like it’s going to be under similar circumstances, and trying to put a good plan in place to get myself in the mix of tournaments is the challenge.”

ON THE RISE

Scott climbed as high as sixth in the world after his victory, but his ranking started to fall because his form was patchy when the tournaments re-started in the summer. “I just never played that well when we came back,” he said. “The situation was somewhat difficult for me to try and operate in the same fashion, with international travel and coaches living internationally and things like that, it made it very difficult to even see people. “So I fell off a little bit and the ranking slipped down, but I feel like, hopefully I’ve addressed those difficulties and have a good plan in place to kind of move back up. I feel like the work I’ve done recently is really good, so I’m eager to start moving in the right direction before the big stuff in the spring.” And by the ‘big stuff’ he means The Masters in April – a tournament he won at a rainsoaked Augusta National in 2013 with a play-off win over Presidents Cup teammate Angel Cabrera – and the first two World Golf Championships in Florida and Texas, which sit either side of The Players at TPC Sawgrass. “My game, swing-wise and techniquewise, feels like it’s really come along nicely in practice over the off-season,” he said. “Obviously I’m looking ahead to the spring and The Players and then The Masters soon after that as target events to be peaking for.” Scott entered his 40s last year and watched as Bryson DeChambeau and Collin Morikawa became first-time Major champions as guys still in their 20s, and while he might not overtly say it, he realises that his window of being competitive at the highest level might be gradually getting smaller. “I would like to quickly get to 20 PGA Tour wins at this point,” he said. “I think that would be a nice little accomplishment for me and obviously winning another Major – or try to do what Brooks or Jordan or Rory did and win a

ADAM SCOTT WITH IS WIFE AND SWEDISH ARCHITECT, MARIE KOJZAR, POSE ON THE RED CARPET DURING THE 2019 PRESIDENTS CUP GALA

few in really quick succession, because being ‘quick’ is important at this point.” One way Scott is looking to harness some momentum is by looking at his equipment. Noise was made by DeChambeau and Dustin Johnson last year around using longerthan-conventional driver shafts to gain more distance, and going to a longer length was something Scott tried at the Houston Open, the week before The Masters.

THOUGHTS ON SHAFT LENGTH

“It’s been interesting, obviously, there’s a lot happening with equipment and speed and things like this out here on Tour, a lot of talk about it, and it’s been interesting to experiment a little bit and not have to change too much to make some gains. So that’s been positive for me with the new Titleist driver, and I switched to the new ball at the end of last year too and that’s looking good.” - Scott Worldwide GOLF 22

“I did start playing a longer shaft in Houston last year,” he confirmed. “I tried a 46” shaft, but that’s where I’ve left it for moment. I hadn’t really even tamed a 46-inch shaft, so I need to get a bit better at that before we go longer. But I think my driving is generally in a good spot. “It’s been interesting, obviously, there’s a lot happening with equipment and speed and things like this out here on Tour, a lot of talk about it, and it’s been interesting to experiment a little bit and not have to change too much to make some gains. So that’s been positive for me with the new Titleist driver, and I switched to the new ball at the end of last year too and that’s looking good.” Scott produced a solid, if unspectacular start to 2021 with rounds of 68-71-68-70 to finish in a share of 21st at the Tournament of Champions, but with the building blocks in place after some hard work during the off-season, he feels ready to kick on as he attempts to keep up with the new class and add some more silverware to his collection. ■

ADAM SCOTT

ADAM SCOTT DRAINS A BIRDIE PUTT TO FORCE A PLAY-OFF AT THE 2013 MASTERS. SCOTT THEN DEFEATED ANGEL CABRERA WITH BIRDIE ON THE SECOND EXTRA HOLE FOR HIS FIRST GREEN JACKET.

2000

2006

2012

2004

2011

2013

Turns professional and wins his first title at the following season’s Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa.

Announces himself on the big stage by winning The Players at Sawgrass.

Continues his rise with victory at The Tour Championship at East Lake for his fifth PGA Tour win.

Wins his first WGC title at Firestone his first title with Tiger Wood’s ex caddie Steve Williams on the bag.

Bogeys the final four holes at Royal Lytham to lose to The Open by one to Ernie Els.

Downs Angel Cabrera in a play-off to win The Masters, becoming the first Aussie to win at Augusta.

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2019

Makes ninth consecutive Presidents Cup appearance and is still to feature in a winning side.

2020

Wins his 15th PGA Tour title in Los Angeles but struggles after the post-lockdown re-start.

W ith Viktor Hovland, Collin Morikawa and Matthew Wolff taking to the professional game with ease over the last 18 months, lets take a look at some of the up-and-coming prospects from around the world who could be destined for great things in the not-too-distant future.

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ONES TO WATCH

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This hot-shot from Japan spent 55 weeks as the world’s top ranked amateur and during that time won the 2019 Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters on the Japan Golf Tour. A year earlier

Kanaya won the 2018 Asia-Pacific Amateur which subsequently saw him receive an invite to the following year’s Open Championship and The Masters, where he recorded a 68 in the third round. Shortly after turning professional late last year he won the prestigious Dunlop Phoenix, an event which the likes of Brooks Koepka, Ian Poulter and Luke Donald have won in the past. He was handed an invitation to play in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and performed admirably, putting together rounds of 70-6972-69 to finish on 8-under-par and in a share of ninth place in what was his first start in a regular European Tour event. In his announcement at turning pro, he said: “My immediate goal is to secure the status on the European Tour. In the medium term (3-4 years) I would like to try to win the Race to Dubai

and improve my world ranking in order to be able to participate in some of the PGA Tour events, Majors and World Golf Championships.” Back in 1983 Isao Aoki became the first Japanese winner on the PGA Tour and since then the likes of Masashi “Jumbo” Ozaki, Tommy Nakajima, Ryo Ishikawa, Satoshi Kodaira and more recently Hideki Matsuyama have continued to put the Land of the Rising Sun on the golfing map. “I began playing at the age of five having been influenced by my parents, who love the game. I grew up watching Tiger Woods play and it was natural to be inspired by him. I played other sports, such as baseball and basketball, and I loved sports in general but golf was always at the center, and I decided to pursue my career in golf at junior high school.” He cites Matsuyama and Woods as his favourite players and admires Adam Scott’s professionalism. Look out world!

Entering the year ranked 90th in the world, 21-year-old Garrick Higgo already has one European Tour title to his name after winning the Open de Portugal last September, and with that he locked up an exemption on the Tour for 2021. The production line from South Africa continues to produce gifted players and we should expect big things from this cool customer, who won twice in his first season as a professional on the Sunshine Tour, including the Tour Championship. The lefty made his first starts in the Middle East Swing events in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, enjoying a practice round with Justin Thomas at the former. “This is where I want to be and I feel like my game is good enough,” he said.

Australian Min Woo Lee went on to have a relatively quiet year after breaking through at the ISPS Handa Vic Open on home soil last February, but the 22-yearold from Perth has all the tools to contend more this year. Older sister Min Jee Lee is a 5-time LPGA Tour winner and reigning OMEGA Dubai Moonlight Classic champion. An upbringing on the west coast of Australia should stand him good stead at venues on Tour susceptible to the odd gust of wind, so look out for him to potentially contend in Qatar next month.

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ONES TO WATCH

This 19-year-old South African played in the Junior Presidents Cup in December 2019 and he first made a name for himself on the European Tour at South African Open the following month with a T6 finish – the best result by any South African amateur in the event since Ernie Els in 1989. He turned professional two months later and made some more eye-catching displays with two top tens in five starts in European Tour co-sanctioned events. One of those was a runner-up finish at the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek behind winner Christiaan Bezuidenhout. The youngster was right in contention but stumbled on the back nine, coming home in 40 blows to see his chance of victory disappear. “You have to put yourself in positions like that in order to learn, and the more opportunities I get to put myself in a final group, the more I’ll learn,” he said. “If I’m ever in that position again I’ll be in a better space of mind, and I’ll come out better.” Schaper enjoyed an immensely successful run as an amateur which saw him become the first Junior in South African history to win the U-13, U-15, U-17 and U-19 SA Boys Championships. He won the latter at the age of 16.

This young German is someone to keep track of on the Challenge Tour this year. Rosenmuller played college golf at the University of North Texas (during which time he won the Trinity Forest Invitational in 2018), and last year he won three times on the Pro Golf Tour in Europe to top the Order of Merit, which has set him up perfectly for a crack on the rung below the European Tour. Should he win three times on the Challenge Tour this year he’ll automatically earn a spot at Europe’s top table of golf.

Aussie Ryan Ruffels is based in Florida, where he was born to Australian parents and excelled at tennis, football and golf as youngster. When Ruffels was young his father took a role in the tennis industry in Australia, and the whole family moved back down under. It was around this time Ryan decided to focus on golf. He made the cut at the 2013 Australian Open as an amateur, finishing 24th, and turned professional in 2016 while ranked 13th on the World Amateur Golf Rankings. He came close to breaking through on the US PGA Tour’s satellite Korn Ferry Tour last year, finishing second at the Pinnacle Bank Championship having led by two going into the final round. The 22-year-old averages 318 yards off the tee and will be a factor this season as he continues his rise up the rankings towards the PGA Tour.

Much talk about 20-year-old Wilco Nienaber revolves around how far he rips his driver (he notched a 439-yarder at last year’s Joburg Open) but his all-round game has come on in spades as he continues to tee it up on the European Tour. Indeed, Nienaber impressed early last year with a runnerup finish at the Challenge Tour’s Limpopo Championship in February and finished in a share of 4th at the English Championship after getting in the field when John Catlin was withdrawn from the event for breaking the Tour’s Covid-19 protocols. He later finished 6th at Valderrama, runner-up at the Joburg Open and qualified for his DP World Tour Championship debut alongside the very best players in the game. His career seems to be taking off with the same force as one of his booming drives. Watch this space.

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UP BY TODD STASZKO

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU

POWER

BRYSON’S QUEST FOR SPEED

W ith a bar nstor ming breakthrough victory at the US Open last September, Bryson DeChambeau is on the ultimate quest to regularly break the 200mph ball speed barrier and add more silverware to his cabinet in the process. The American spoke prior to jetting half-way around the world for a second appearance in the Saudi Inter national powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers, and his fifth trip to the Middle East.

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“W

hen you get to the golf course, you have to hit it straight, right?” DeChambeau responds when asked about how his training to increase his ball speed is going when he’s not out competing. “I’ve reached 210pmh ball speed a few times actually, but the difference is I can get up there when I’m hitting 150 golf balls in training, really working hard and swinging as hard as I can for a long amount of time. But that’s a completely different perspective change that I have to have on the golf course. “For example, at Kapalua last month, I actually got to 211mph on the driving range on the Wednesday, and then when I got to the golf course, it was 193/194. And that just shows you how my brain reins me a little, because I need to hit it straight because I’m a professional golfer and I still need to keep the ball in play every hole. So you kind of lose that ability to just free yourself up and let it go.

Bryson DeChambeau en route to winning the 2019 OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic

“I can get it over 200mph no problem - it’s just about how can I get that onto the golf course.” “I can get it over 200mph no problem - it’s just about how can I get that onto the golf course.” In almost five years since turning professional, few players have moved the needle more than the Californian as he ripped up the rule book in transforming his body to smash the ball further than anyone else on Tour off the tee. It’s his dedication and hard work that has seen him eclipse many of his peers, as he himself admits he wasn’t the most gifted player growing up.

WHY BRYSON HAD TO WORK TWICE AS HARD

“When I was a junior golfer, I wasn’t the best junior out there,” he said. “There were plenty of other golfers better than me and I always had to feel like I had to work twice as hard to be just as good as some of the best junior golfers in the world. “And I think that work ethic, that determination to try and keep getting better allowed me to try and find distinct and unique ways to become better, and so with these new ideas, these different thoughts – things like the the one-length irons – I’m always trying to be the best version of myself and become the best player in the world. There’s no doubt about that.” After last year’s US Open in September, which he turned into something of a procession, all the talk ahead of a soft and receptive Augusta National in November was of Bryson demolishing the benign layout and walking away with the Green Jacket. However, that

didn’t quite come to fruition as he cut a largely frustrated figure, finishing in a share of 34th, a full 18 shots behind Dustin Johnson. So what went wrong in Georgia? “I think I have to look back on what went wrong, and what happened that didn’t allow me to perform at the highest level like I did at the US Open,” he said. “My driving wasn’t the longest at the US Open but I putted amazing and I wedged it amazing. My iron play was incredible and I drove it pretty well. “So, objectively, as I look at Augusta there were plenty of opportunities that I missed with wedging, putting and iron play. I wouldn’t say it was necessarily the driver that got me into trouble for the most part, but definitely there were times where my putter and my wedges and my iron play did.

DRIVER IS NOT THE ANSWER

“So I have to keep working on that as I increase the speed, and that’s how I objectively look at it, whenever I don’t do my best, there are reasons for it. It’s not like the driving is going to be the ultimate answer and the reason for winning every single tournament. There’s plenty of issues behind not putting well or wedging it well or iron playing well and that’s stuff I’ve always got to work on and try and fix.” So it’s the total package that wins golf tournaments, and DeChambeau will have his sights set on more as he looks to become World

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No.1 and he believes his recent muscle and weight gain will help him achieve his goal. “I like this Bryson version better,” he said. “I feel that in the long run I’m giving myself a better opportunity to live a better, healthier, long life. Most people think that with swinging it this fast, I’m going to get injured. But I would actually say the converse is that I’ve got the more ability to prevent injury, because I can tolerate so much force.

WORLD LONG DRIVE ADVICE

“I talked to World Long Drive Champion Kyle Berkshire about this, and he told me that people were always saying that he was going to get injured swinging the way he does, but he’s learned how to tolerate the force he puts into the swing. “So as time goes on, I really think this is a better way, personally, for me to live a longer, healthier life. And because of that, I don’t really miss the old Bryson too much. I feel like I’m in a better place in life because of it.” The 27-year-old is never one to sit still, and that is true of his playing schedule as he looks to become a more rounded competitor in different conditions around the world. DeChambeau won the OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic in 2019 and played the inaugural Saudi International a week later. In 2020 he played in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and this year played in Saudi again. Back in 2018 he contended at the Porsche

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU BRYSON DECHAMBEAU

European Open in Hamburg and he’s keen to continue his globe-trotting path as his career progresses.

WORLDWIDE GOLF IS ESSENTIAL

“I think it’s one of the most important moves we can all make,” he said. “Being able to travel the world and go to a place like Saudi Arabia and showcase the best players in the world is something that helps ultimately grow the game worldwide. “I think it’s important for us top players in the world to do that so that we can show the world, hey, we care about you guys, we care about everyone else, we want to see this game grow, we want to see it flourish. “We’re not going to be here forever and we want others in the world to see how great this game can be, not only just for fun but to create amazing relationships for the future. That’s what the game of golf is truly about and that’s what I respect and honor about this game, this great game that we play.

2021 SCHEDULE

I would say my schedule for the year is more fluid than set in stone. I don’t want to make sure that I’m going too hard and I wear myself out, and then going into a major I’m dead tired. I want to be preparing myself for the major championships and the big events of the year. ■

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MORIKAWA’S

MAJOR

MARCH While a return of T68 in his debut at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic last month didn’t quite go as planned, Collin Morikawa remains fired up ahead of what’s in store for 2021.

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COLLIN MORIKAWA

orikawa got his year off to a solid start with back-to-back T7 finishes at the two PGA Tour events in Hawaii before he jetted over to Dubai for the second time in two months following a maiden DP World Tour Championship appearance in December. While he finished T10 at Jumeirah Golf Estates, the conditions at the Emirates Golf Club proved tricky to overcome and he followed an opening 1-under-par 71 with rounds of 73, 76 and 75. Not the kind of scorecard we’ve come to expect from the American who turned 24 this month. It’s been a rapid rise to stardom - he doesn’t seem fazed by all he’s accomplished so far and is on the quest for more success as a potential Ryder Cup debut looms in September. “The Ryder Cup is really important obviously and I’ve heard many things about it,” said Morikawa, who currently occupies one of the top six qualifying spots for Steve Stricker’s team. “I’ve watched it, and to hopefully be able to make that team – I’ve given myself a good chance to make that team so far - is a huge goal on my list for 2021.

RYDER TEAM WILL BE TOUGH

“I know that there are 20-30 guys on the PGA Tour that can make the team this year and I’ve got to come out knowing that I’ve got to play some good golf, because nothing is ever given to you. You’ve got to earn it. I’ve put myself in a good position so far and hopefully I can keep that going. “I had a great experience at the Walker Cup in 2017 playing match-play. My ball-striking is very consistent, and when I’m on I feel like I can hit everything to ten feet, and in match play if you’re doing that and putting pressure on the opponent, shot after shot, you can wear them down. I think I’m a great match play partner and

hopefully I’ll be on the team come September.” Morikawa’s nerveless victory at the US PGA Championship last year announced him as a star in the making but he’s keen to experience those Major championship nerves again in front of packed galleries when fans are eventually allowed to attend again.

MISSING THE CROWDS

“I miss the adrenaline that the fans bring,” he said. “Last year’s US PGA Championship was a great example. There were about seven players all in close contention with 7-8 holes to play, if you put fans in there, a lot of players’ adrenaline levels might have gone through the roof. Some of the guys might have fallen away. I don’t know what I would have done. I felt like in that moment that you could have thrown anything at me and I would have remained as focused as I was. And that’s what got me through. “But fans at a Major championship play a role, and we as players need that the channel their energy into something. I’ve had the same mental and swing coach for 16 years now and we’ve worked on how to deal with moments like coming down the stretch to win championships. It’s going to be different when we do play the Majors with fans around, and it’s something I look forward to.” It’s unclear what Morikawa’s schedule will look like for the remainder of 2021 outside of the United States. Last year he had hoped to add the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open to his schedule the week before The Open, but once the European Tour’s calendar was shuffled as a result of the

“Fans at a Major championship play a role, and we as players need that the channel their energy into something. I’ve had the same mental and swing coach for 16 years now and we’ve worked on how to deal with moments like coming down the stretch to win championships. It’s going to be different when we do play the Majors with fans around, and it’s something I look forward to.” Worldwide GOLF 33

pandemic he couldn’t fit the rescheduled date into his plans. “The situation is still fluid with different countries changing their rules and what not, so I really don’t know what my schedule is looking like,” said Morikawa, whose two European Tour starts outside the Majors and WGCs have both come in Dubai. “All we can really do is plan maybe a month to six weeks ahead, hopefully I can add something along those lines around summer, and something else down the road, but it’s tough because we don’t know what two months, or five months down the line is going to look like. Hopefully things will get better but if they don’t, the option might not be there. For now, all I’m really focused on it’s what’s coming up. “I think The European Tour has done an amazing job with their tournament bubble. It’s very different than what we have in the US. But they are doing it right. Guys aren’t testing positive and even though we’re stuck in our hotel rooms and out on the golf course, at the end of the day, we can come out here and play some golf, which is everything we could ask for.” ■

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COLLIN MORIKAWA

COLLIN’S TOPTIPS TRAINING DURING A WEEK OFF:

I focus my training during the off-weeks on staying injury free. How do I do that? Well I haven’t gone down the ‘bulking’ route, as is apparent with how I look, because that’s just not me. I just want to stay as injury-free as possible, so I look at how I maintain flexibility, and then look to get stronger – but doing it in the right way. The guys on Tour, they all have trainers and people around them to make sure they’re not doing anything stupid where we might injure ourselves. But a lot of kids that watch us and see us guys hit it further and further, they think that they can just go to the gym and start lifting weights to mimic our swing speeds and distance, but that’s not the case. You need to build your core muscles and your glutes, and start there. Start simple and build a better foundation, and from there you can experiment and get into bigger weights and more explosive training. I think every player out here has a great foundation and using that they can then look into how to hit it further. But for someone just taking up the game, they need to build that foundation first, because the last thing you want is to injure yourself by overtraining in the wrong way.

ADVICE FOR YOUNG KIDS: When I was growing up, one thing that really stuck with me was when people said: ‘just go out and have fun when you play the game’. If you’re out there, and you’re forcing yourself to be out there, at that stage you need to take a break. I know ever year since I was a competitive junior I would take a week or two and not touch my clubs. I love the game as much as the next guy on Tour, but sometimes you’ve got to do something different because you’re likely to get burned out. You’ve got to find a way to make the game fun.

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SWING SWINGCOLLIN

WINNING A MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIP IS THE PINNACLE OF GOLF, SO TO ACCOMPLISH IT WITHIN 14 MONTHS OF TURNING PROFESSIONAL TAKES SOMETHING SPECIAL. HERE MASTER PGA PROFESSIONAL PETE COWEN BREAKS DOWN THE SWING OF 2020 US PGA CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER COLLIN MORIKAWA, A PLAYER WHO ALREADY HAS THREE TITLES ON THE PGA TOUR AND IS HIGHLY FAVOURED TO PLAY HIS WAY ON TO STEVE STRICKER’S RYDER CUP TEAM COME SEPTEMBER.

From the start I like the way his arms don’t just hang straight down at address, they hang slightly out, this gives the impression that the club is going to move around his body, rather than straight up and down. You see the right arm moving away really nicely, the left arm is stretching back parallel to the ground with the club slightly outside the hands, which is a new way of swinging. Collin then moves to thw classic position at 9 O’clock with the club out in front with the wrists set a little later. He remains onplane and there’s good height to his left arm and I like his right arm position, because to me that is one of the things that separates a good delivery from a poor delivery.

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N MORIKAWA BY PETE COWEN, MASTER PGA PROFESSIONAL

Collin has got the common denominator in all good swings and that’s the club gets in the correct delivery position relative to the shot he’s trying to play. Looking at these static pictures and from some of the positions he’s trying to hit a slight draw. This isn’t his favourite shot as he likes to hit it predominantly left to right. The lower body is moving the club around his body correctly. To complete the swing, it stretches up to a finish with great balance.

Collin has a pretty classic golf swing, with a little left wrist bowed position, which gives him a slightly stronger face. He’s not particularly long and not short – right in the middle somewhere, but he’s very, very accurate because he doesn’t have a lot of face rotation in his impact area. He’s a good athlete too and the footwork is solid. There’s nothing which shouts out at me, it’s a pretty standardised swing with the exception of the left wrist which helps him to shallow the club a little bit and keep the club-face more stable.

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COLUMN

PETE COWEN It’s such a fine line between success and failure for Rory.

The best players know how to win ugly It’s been an interesting start to the season so far. Rory’s aggressiveness has won him many, many tournaments, but if he managed his game just a fraction better, he would win a lot more. Henrik Stenson’s problem is that he thinks he needs to play perfectly to win.

It was a tough couple of weeks for my players in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, only really Adri Arnaus, who I started working with just after the DP World Tour Championship, played well. He’s a nice lad, a good player and has plenty of ball speed. I didn’t think there was enough rough in Abu Dhabi, it wasn’t that penal, and unfortunately the event seemed a bit lifeless without the spectators there, which is true of most events, really. Then, unfortunately at the Desert Classic the greens weren’t in great shape and everyone was a bit of down on them. But those conditions were the same for everyone – they all have to deal with it. Robert MacIntyre’s only 24 and playing pretty fearlessly; he’s going to be a tremendous player. He’s a bit like how Brooks Koepka was 4/5 years ago in that he doesn’t give too much care or thought to things and goes for everything. Sometimes it comes off, sometimes it doesn’t, but they believe that if they play well they’ve got a chance of winning. I’d like to see him in the Ryder Cup. There’s definitely going to be a changing of the guard somewhat this year, as there is every time. Three or four players disappear and new faces come in. With Brooks, if you look at his past five years, you will see that he’s a very slow starter and doesn’t really get going until around The Players at TPC Sawgrass. In 2018 when he was PGA Tour Player of the Year, he started out slow and then he goes on to win two Majors. This year he’s missed some cuts already, but I don’t think it’s anything to be alarmed by, given his history. Henrik Stenson sometimes thinks he needs to re-learn his swing every few weeks, that’s his problem. I recently spoke to Padraig Harrington and he mentioned that every time he sees me working with Henrik, he says it looks like he’s having his first lesson with me again. Henrik always wants to go back, but he’s not honest with himself because he can play this game so well, but he thinks he needs to be perfect. I don’t think he’s won enough times, given his

talent, but he thinks that he can only win when he’s perfect. He doesn’t like winning ugly, but players have to learn to do that. No player is on their game every day of the week, and in a four round tournament you’re going to have one bad spell when you struggle a bit. But if you can turn that stretch – whether it’s nine holes or a full round – into a 1 or 2-under par round and play the other three rounds well, you’re going to have a chance of winning. The aim is to be in with a chance of winning come the late stages of Sunday afternoon, like a horse-race, it’s jockeying for position ahead of that final furlong and sprint finish. Padraig is playing really well at the moment, his speed is good and he might end up picking himself for his Ryder Cup team at this rate. I think at the start of a player’s career they should be absolutely dedicated to their game and work really, really hard. And then when they get to the early/mid 40s, I think they should be able to enjoy their career a bit more if they’ve had previous success, and Harrington is like that – although he is 50 later this year. And I’d like to see some players out there just enjoying themselves playing the game a little bit more. With Rory in Abu Dhabi, he’s out there trying to win every tournament he plays and the pressure he puts on himself sometimes could be counterproductive. I think that if he managed his game just a fraction better he’d win a lot more. He’s such an aggressive player and he wins a lot because of that – so you can’t really take that inherent nature away from him because that is why he’s so good - but more often we’re seeing that one round where his aggressiveness backfires on him a little bit. When it doesn’t backfire, he tends to win. Some players are getting too distracted by social media, and it drives me mad, to be honest. They argue that they earn money from it with a whole load of followers – but they don’t need that, they should be earning more money on the golf course! It doesn’t make any sense to me. ■

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COLUMN

DAVID HOWELL Topgolf will bring legions of new people to golf.

Another year starts with some ‘angry’ fireworks Tyrrell Hatton is fast becoming the star of the European Tour both on and off the course

nd so it began, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship got things underway for another year on the European Tour, my twentysixth year on Tour to be exact. On a beautifully turned out National Course at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Tyrrell Hatton ran away from a stellar field to win by four shots, to claim his fourth Rolex series title. Sometimes in sport you get to see a person epitomise confidence, you can see the belief rising up from within and right now the feisty Englishman is precisely that person. These big wins are starting to stack up pretty quickly: a first PGA Tour win at the Bay Hill Invitational; the Alfred Dunhill Links on two occasions; the BMW PGA Championship; the Turkish Airlines Open, the Italian Open – and in different styles, too. Not many people chip-in to continue in a play-off, not many hole a 15-foot putt on the 72nd green to win, as he did in Italy, what now seems like an age ago. Then, to hold off Rory McIlroy and Rafa Cabrera Bello at Abu Dhabi with a resolute display of winning from the front – right now Tyrrell has the lot, long game, short game, mental resilience, confidence, and even a newly cultivated image which only does him the world of good, too. At Wentworth, en route to victory in the Autumn chill in Surrey, Tyrrell was seen sporting a hoody during the tournament. Tongues were wagging about this attire, yet the majority saw the positives in a more ‘streetwear’ look finding its way onto the traditional fairways. Tyrrell took the media attention in his stride, and beat everyone anyway. Now, courtesy of the European Tour’s soon to be Oscar-winning media team he was the star of the show in the recent ‘Angry Golfer’ sketch. If you haven’t seen it and want cheering up in these difficult times then take a look, it is laugh-out-loud funny. Laughing at one’s own expense is a beautiful human trait, and one thing we are reminded of often through Tyrrell’s passion is he is most definitely human. Slowly but surely the golfing world is becoming more and more aware of the boy from High Wycombe, and I can only see his popularity growing and growing. There is a normality to everything he does, which is compelling. The next tantrum might just be around the corner, he could be golf’s very own John McEnroe perhaps, but when it’s all added up, right now he is certainly becoming the man to beat on our Tour. Once again, we feel fortunate and thankful to be out playing professional golf when the world around us is still struggling so badly from Covid-19. Like many, I thought the Tour would look more normal again by now but, sadly, it is just not the case as yet. Another year of

travelling and staying in secure bubbles is ahead of us and soon enough that stress will inevitably build up. Wives and families unable to travel at all, livelihoods on the line, the stress of hoping for another negative Covid test, this is small fry compared to the plight of many, of that there is no doubt, but as sure as ‘eggs is eggs’ sometime soon on your screens you will witness a different breed of Angry Golfer. Not the world’s best players getting frustrated that their latest tilt at glory is going wrong, and that the next seven-figure cheque might be slipping away, but the player who is struggling with his game, who is striding along, wondering what the future holds for him, where his next birdie is going to come from. Or his next four-figure cheque, for that matter. Professional sport is hard. The glory at the top end is wonderful, from that high perch it’s easy to laugh at oneself, and it’s wonderful that our top players can, and that they frequently do, but at the other end of the scale life can have a very different look to it and laughing at oneself is not so easy. The frustration can turn to anguish, anger can turn to worry and, in turn, to stress and depression. Thankfully, whist the European Tour is all about hard-nosed professional sport, which is demanding and competitive, as it should be, it does this whilst somehow having a heart, and a core understanding that life on Tour can be tough. It would be easy to find enough players to fill a real Angry Golfers ‘Help Group,’ it just wouldn’t be fun to watch on social media. So, if I may be so bold, the next time you see a golfer throwing a tantrum on your screens, whilst not ideal, do please remember that under the cover of a sponsored cap might lie a professional sportsman whose anguish and worry has just erupted in an explosion of fury. They are probably not acting like a child, most likely the opposite, in fact. They’re probably just reacting to the pressures that only adults feel. For me, that’s why it is so compelling to watch the unheralded player win – that life-changing moment that takes all that stress away. Now that’s a beautiful thing. Enough of the deep stuff. Last month we were back at the home of golf in the Middle East – the Omega Dubai Desert Classic on the Majlis course at Emirates Golf Club. Nowhere in the world can be as busy with golfers than the Emirates Club, and now they have gone a step further and built the most amazing Topgolf range you have ever seen. Think ten pin bowling for golf – it’s a winner for sure. Whether you’re old or young, beginner or expert, it really doesn’t matter. This is golf but not as we know it. So, for all the talk about technology in golf, it could be that a ball with a micro chip in it might be just the thing that will guarantee the next generation of golfers continues to enjoy this most wonderful of sports.■

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COLUMN

y r a i D r u o

A D R I

A R N A U S

Adri Arnaus has risen through the ranks of tour golf at sensational speed. He won the Alps Tour Order of Merit in 2017, while still an amateur, after two victories including the tour’s season-ending grand final. He then repeated the feat by winning the Challenge Tour finale in Ras Al Khaimah in 2018 to take second place on the Rankings and gain promotion to the European Tour. He has finished inside the top 50 in the Race to Dubai in each of his first two seasons on Tour to comfortably gain his spot in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship

always enjoy starting the season in the Middle East so it was great to kick 2021 off in the UAE with the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship followed by the OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic. We’re so fortunate to be able to still play professional golf during these times, so hats off to everyone involved in running two great events. I arrived in the UAE ten days prior to the start of the season and I hadn’t practiced much as I wanted to spent a lot of the offseason with my friends and family because I knew 2021 would be a very busy year with a full European Tour schedule. However, I did put a lot of hard work in at the gym while I was back home and I feel like I’m in the best shape of my career, which is hopefully going to benefit me while I’m on the road for several weeks. It’s also going to help me drive the ball further and get more speed back in my game which is a big motivation for me as I really enjoy that element of the sport, so I just need to keep putting the work in and transfer that to the course. Despite not playing as much in the off-season, I managed to get some really good practice under my belt at JA, The Resort. I really enjoy playing the 9-hole course as it’s quiet and reminds me a lot of my local course from back home in Spain. I also took advantage of the world-class facilities at Jumeirah Golf Estates before making my way to Emirates Golf Club to

prepare for the OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic. When I was a kid I always dreamt of playing that tournament. It’s such an iconic event with a fantastic list of winners and picturesque views of the Dubai skyline, so to have now played in the event for the last three years is really a dream come true. It was also cool seeing Topgolf there this year and taking part in a fun challenge with Lee Westwood and Matt Fitzpatrick. They are really good players and I look up to them, and to be able to share that experience with them and see first-hand their competitive side was a lot of fun – and to get the win made it even better. You could say that this my first title of the season – ‘Topgolf European Tour Champion’! I think Topgolf is a wonderful addition to the Dubai social golf scene, I heard that 50% of the people who visit are non-golfers, which is great for golf and for the city as well. It was nice to finish inside the top ten again in Dubai and I’m looking to use that as a springboard for success throughout the year. I know what I want to achieve but, at the same time, I break it down into mini goals. If I keep improving around the greens, on the greens, my driving, etc then I know I will have a lot of opportunities to improve my ranking from last year on the Race to Dubai and hopefully get into the Olympics. If things go well and I perform in the Majors then why not go for the Ryder Cup team as well..? ■

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BY ALEX GALLEMORE

PING G425 MAX LOFTS 9O 10.5O 12O

PRECISION FORGED FACE A PROPRIETARY HIGHSTRENGTH, PRECISIONMACHINED T9S+ FORGED FACE MAXIMISES FLEXING TO DELIVER FAST BALL SPEEDS AND MORE DISTANCE.

HIGHEST MOI

IN THE MAX, TOTAL MOI PUSHES A RECORD 10,000, LARGELY DUE TO A 26GRAM TUNGSTEN MOVABLE WEIGHT THAT SHIFTS THE CG LOWER AND FURTHER BACK AND CAN BE SECURED IN THE NEUTRAL, DRAW OR FADE SETTING.

PRECISION FORGED FACE A PROPRIETARY HIGH-STRENGTH, PRECISION-MACHINED T9S+ FORGED FACE MAXIMISES FLEXING TO DELIVER FAST BALL SPEEDS AND MORE DISTANCE.

DRAGONFLY® REFINED

MOVABLE TUNGSTEN WEIGHTS THAT VARY BY MODEL ARE MADE POSSIBLE BY WEIGHT SAVINGS ATTRIBUTED TO ADVANCEMENTS IN THE DRIVERS’ DRAGONFLY CROWN TECHNOLOGY.

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PING IN HIS OWN G425

PING G425 MAX DRIVER

I A N P O U LT E R

MAX

HAS ONE OF THE MOST FORGIVING DRIVERS BEEN MADE BETTER OR WORSE? Things have evolved ever so slightly from the PING G410 driver, which has to be the best driver they have ever made, so when you improve something that’s already great it’s bound to be even greater. The question is how much greater is it? To be honest, it’s slightly better in all areas. When staff players such as Lee Westwood put it in the bag straight away you know it’s better. But what you might not know is that these guys sometimes take months switching over. The fact it looks similar to the G410 is a huge advantage for Tour players to upgrade, as it’s not impacting on the eye too much at address. Before we dive into the specs I need to explain why this driver is so good. It’s not the longest driver and it’s not going to win a beauty contest, but it’s consistent and forgiving across the face. Sounds simple – I know. But that is the key to a great driver and PING has found the formula. Many other equipment journalists will claim it’s the most accurate driver on the market. That’s nonsense. No legal driver can correct a slice or hook. Accuracy, unfortunately, is down to you. Clubs can play a damage limitation role and that’s where the G425 scores well. The area of the face most of us get slammed when it comes to performance is the yardagezapping heel strike, or an impact low on the face. This is where most performance marketed clubs run out of gas, and the yardage drop off is huge. So imagine needing to carry at 240-yard bunker off the tee. A good strike on a good day might be a given. But what if you are slightly off form that day and you aren’t quite on your

game. Tee shots are a good 15 yards back than usual and doubt of whether you opt for the 3-wood instead creeps in as the round progresses. You might lose confidence in the driver and those thoughts about eBay listings start to creep in. It’s happened to me many times, and not just with drivers but all clubs I buy with just distance as a performance measure. That is why I come back to the G425. It’s not a boom stick. It does everything well.

ADJUSTMENTS

Tinkering with your driver set up is all part of being a modern day golfer. I like to keep it simple. PING’S trajectory tuning means you can adjust the loft from +1.5 to -1.0 degrees and even the lie from +1.0 to -1.0 flat. So you can easily adjust the flight you need. That along with the correct shaft weight and flex will make a huge difference. The G425 head has moveable tungsten weights in the rear of the head. In the Max head this really lowers the centre of gravity and is why the club is so forgiving. The MOI is recorded at 10,000 apparently. I’ve no idea what that means, apart from I can slam it out of the heel and the ball still goes as if I’ve struck it close to the sweet spot. You can move the weights from neutral to the draw and fade position. The 26-gram weights will not cure you slice or hook but make it much easier when getting fitted to dial in the head to optimise your performance.

SUMMARY

The MAX is very forgiving but it does spin.

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Even if your swing speed isn’t the fastest and you slice the ball, ask your PING club fitter to try the LST (low spin head). It is a 445cc head compared to the MAX at 460 but remains very forgiving and the drop in spin rates might assist in getting some more run-out yards. There is also a G425 SFT head. This is a heavily draw bias head for players that are battling against a strong slice. If you were to favour this head, I would put it back and get some lessons to help iron out that slice. As that shot shape will be throughout all your shots and the game will be an unnecessary challenge from the first tee to the last approach shot.

VERDICT

The G425 Max is extremely forgiving and I much prefer the classic silver and black colour scheme over the G410. The LST head will suit players that aren’t necessary big hitters so make sure you try them both.

BY ALEX GALLEMORE

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PING EYE2 VS PING G425

PING EYE2

ONE LAST They were the irons Tiger Woods won the US Amateur with before the sponsorship deals were signed. They were the irons that helped amateurs find more greens in the 80s and 90s. They were the iron that rivials were so jealous of the groove ruling was introduced to limit their advantage over the competition. This is why I believe the PING Eye2 has to be one of the most iconic irons of all time. But how will this historic iron compare against PING’S latest and most technically advanced iron to date, the G425.

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BY ALEX GALLEMORE

ver the years I’ve upgraded, eBayed and part exchanged my clubs. There have only ever been a couple of ‘old faithful’ sets that managed to stay locked away for sentimental reasons. In summer 1990 I was a very keen 17 yearold playing off a 9 handicap. I had youth and flexibility on my side but a tired old set of Dunlop irons, and these, when paired with a lack of talent, saw my game plateux. Though a summer job helping my local green keeper was about to change everything. I managed to save enough money to buy a second hand set of PING Eye2 irons and had the lie adjusted to my swing. They were not only longer than my old Dunlop irons – the game changer was their accuracy. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t become Seve over night – but I was finding greens I would normally have missed and walking off with pars and the occasional birdie instead of bogey or worse. By spring 1991 I was playing off a two handicap. A little stronger physically and more confident thanks to those PING Eye2 irons, golf opened many opportunities and that is the reason they will NEVER end up on eBay or cut down for nephews or grandchildren! Though I woke up thinking last month wondering how far I would be able to hit the ball these days if I was 17 again. Well, I might not be able to turn the physical clock back, but I can certainly turn the technology clock forward. So to amuse myself and see how things have progressed PING sent me a set of their latest G425 irons – their most advanced iron to date. Designed to be fast and forgiving, but just how much faster and just how much more forgiving? There was only one way to find out. So I gave the lads at the Pete Cowen Academy in Rotherham a shout, asked them to warm up the TrackMan and prepare to be entertained.

PING 2 IRONS

They were first brought out in 1982 and featured a V shaped groove. Between 1984 and 1985 this became a U shape groove, then just one year later it was revised to the iconic box groove. It was the box groove paired with the iconic offset and cavity back head that gave PING that edge over the competition in terms of control. You were able to hold greens with an 8 iron when other brand would just fire through the back.

FIRST TEST THOUGHTS

It’s been 15 years or more since I had hit them but it was like putting on an old pair of slippers. I was not able to hit them as far as I did in the 90s but the grouping was as tight as ever, though my alignment wasn’t the greatest.

PING G425

Designed as a game improvement iron embracing both speed and forgiveness. Tungsten has been added to increase the perimeter weighting in the toe and heel to increase forgiveness and a variable thickness steel face has been used to enhance ball speed.

PING has used a patented sole design with a top rail under cut, so it acts like a hinge – flexing to launch the ball higher and faster.

FIRST THOUGHTS

It’s not your stereotypical game improvement iron. The head is smaller than the previous G410 iron and the offset is less than that of the Eye2. Though the five-iron does look and feel like a compact hybrid, but when you are looking at trying to carry 190 yards the bigger and more confidence inspiring the better.

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CONCLUSION

It was always going to be the case that the G425 was going to be longer than the Eye2. The lofts are much stronger – at least three degrees per iron – but the impressive stat was the apex height of the G425. The flights were strong with all the irons and even though I managed to get the 5 iron to carry 202 yards it was landing from a height you would normally expect a 6 or even strong 7 iron. So I would still be able to hold greens from that distance.

PING EYE2 VS PING G425

TRACKMAN 4 REPORT: FROM ANALYSING THE DATA YOU CAN SEE THE CLUB HEAD SPEED IS ONLY SLIGHTLY INCREASED DUE TO AERO DYNAMICS BUT THE BALL SPEED IS INCREASED DRAMATICALLY, THOUGH THE STAND-OUT NUMBERS ARE THE HEIGHT. CONSIDERING THE MUCH STRONGER LOFTS IN THE G425 THE PEAK HEIGHT IS SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN THE PING EYE2, BUT BALL FLIGHT IS MUCH STRONGER.

In terms of grouping they were not vastly different to the Eye2. But grouping is linked to your swing dynamics more than anything else. A slice will always be a slice! Distance control is something to keep an eye on though. I got away with some heel strikes that wouldn’t have favoured so well with the Eye2 but I also got the occasional flier off the face with the G425. Impressive if you want to boast how

far a certain shot went. Probably not the best result if your green is surrounded by water. Only a real concern if you are Tour pro! The only real issue I had was the sound. There is a multi-material cavity badge that is designed to dampen unwanted frequencies and enhance the feel. Though even on a great strike the G425 felt and sounded like a fairway metal.

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VERDICT

If you are looking for a compact modern iron that delivers both forgiveness and extra distance, the PING G425 is certainly one to consider. PING has kept the look and colour scheme classic so these will no doubt age gracefully over time. The PING i500 might be worth trying but the trade off will be a little more feel for a little less distance and forgiveness.

EVOLUTION

BY ALEX GALLEMORE

0211 GEN1

0211 GEN2

his is a rare but easy test as I’ve been playing the 0211 GEN 2 for all of 2020. It might come as a surprise when you know that I also have a set of the forged PXG 0311 GEN 3 irons but I’ve parked them up to play the cheaper, cast 0211 version. There is some method in my madness. It goes without saying the 0311 GEN 3 are by far the more superior club. Both in quality and aesthetics – plus the feel is one of the best in the market today. So, why switch to the 0211 iron? I had picked up an injury, age related, not over training in the gym I must add, and at the time I was sent a set of 0211 irons to test. Straight away I liked how they sat on the ground and looked at address. One round with them and I was taken back by the performance. Longer than the 0311 but not in the same class when it came to sound and feel. Another round followed and I left the 0211 irons in the bag and I continued to play well. With the lofts being a couple of degrees stronger than the 0311 GEN3 I was getting an

unbelievable ball flight. Both penetrating and high, they just didn’t spin up, which made it easier to take on holes when the wind got up. I quickly gapped the 0211 irons and scored slightly better than I did with the 0311 irons. I was a club longer, due to the lofts, but it enabled me to swing a little more within myself. Another advantage of being cast is that the heads don’t mark up like the softer forged 0311 irons. When I picked up a mark on the 0311 head I was devastated as they are just great craftsmanship. If you are just after clubs to look good in the bag, or boot of your Bentley – take the 0311 GEN3 all day long. I, on the other hand, want clubs that make me look better on the course and not the car park. Plus I drive a Volvo – though it will be part exchanged for a Bentley if I win the lottery next week! When I got the call from PXG saying they are bringing out the 0211 GEN2 I was interested to see how they would move things forward. As if they enhanced the feel PXG endanger the 0311 GEN3.

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SO WHAT IS NEW?

If you look on their website the first thing PXG will tell you is the progressive bounce and offset across the iron set. Why they plug this first, I have no idea. This isn’t a new concept. What is interesting is all the other tech. One of the thinnest faces in an iron paired to a patented polymer insert is a main reason why the 0211 GEN1 was so long ,but also launched the ball high in relation to its stronger lofts. The 0211 GEN2 has gone even further with an inner and outer polymer to form what PXG all a DualCOR. The high strength polymer stabilises the thin face and the softer, larger polymer absorbs and transfers more energy to the ball. So in theory – more bang and better acoustics. PXG has also played around with the head mass. Moving weight from the heel toward the toe shifts the centre of gravity more towards the centre of the face for a higher MOI – increasing both forgiveness and consistency.

PXG O211 GEN2 VS 0211 GEN1 IRONS

TRACKMAN FINDINGS THE 0211 GEN2 IRONS ARE A GOOD CLUB AND LONGER THAN THE 0211 GEN1. THE NEW HEAD CONSTRUCTION AND LOWER LOFTS HAVE DRAMATICALLY REDUCED THE SPIN AND INCREASED THE CARRY AND TOTAL YARDAGES THROUGHOUT THE SET. THE SURPRISE IS THE APEX HEIGHT OF THE GEN2, AS DESPITE THE LOFT DIFFERENCE AND STRONGER FLIGHT, THEY MANAGE TO MATCH THAT OF THE GEN1. BUT WILL A 9 IRON WITH JUST 4138RPM HAVE ENOUGH SPIN TO HOLD FAST GREENS IN THE UAE?

FIRST THOUGHTS

The head appears slightly larger and more performance enhanced than the 0211 GEN1. The muscle back design is weighted low in the head, so before I hit them I knew I would not have issues with launch, even with a 5 iron lofted at just 21 degrees. If I was to choose off looks alone I would opt for the older, more classic 0211 GEN1 head.

THE TEST

The 0211 GEN1 irons didn’t disappoint and reminded me why I still had them in the bag. Long and straight with the odd stray one getting away from me when I tried to push the numbers with the limitations of my swing. Well, quickly after hitting the 0211 GEN2 my thoughts of classic looks and 12 months of love and joy went out of the window. Straight away I could see they were a good

club – longer too, but they just launched with ease and the numbers were, if anything, a little too far. I should not be hitting a 5 iron 230 yards! Grouping was a little tighter than the GEN1 but the stand-out came from the new feel. The polymers certainly do the job in improving the sound and feel.

VERDICT

The 0211 GEN2 might have caused PXG a problem in improving the performance and feel to this level. The feel isn’t that of a true forged head but it is impressive for a cast club. Its very well priced at $195 per iron, so I’m keen to see how PXG develop their GEN4 range. I’ve also heard that a 0211 blade will be out soon. PXG are certainly not pulling back during the pandemic and it’s great to see a brand focus on iron development, instead of using the driver as a their main marketing tool.

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0211 GEN 2 TECH SPEC World’s thinnest face measuring 1.55mm Angled top rail for more forgiveness DualCOR for stability and performance Larger active face area for faster ball speeds Progressive set design to balance the accuracy and distance across the set

RRP: $195* * U.S RECOMMENDED RETAIL PRICE PER IRON

PXG 0211 BY ALEX GALLEMORE

DO THEY PERFORM AS WELL AS THEY LOOK?

PXG

has quickly established the brand has one of the best iron manufacturers in the market and the last 0211 irons have emphasised that statement. Now they are turning their attention to the driver market with the 0211 driver. Having been blown away their latest 0211 GEN2 irons I had great expectations for the 0211 driver. I’m familiar with their woods, having played their low spinning 0811X driver for a number of months last year. It was long and moderately forgiving, but the honest attraction was how it looks. I fell foul of my number one rule by opting for athstetics first and not all round performance. The stealth appearance and that glorious matt carbon crown just looked completely different to all the other fussylooking drivers at the time. For a low spinning head the feel was exceptional and it didn’t sound like the usual dead bedpan. So with this in mind, I was anticipating to be blown away by the 0211 driver.

FIRST THOUGHTS

Once again, I was drawn to the stealth appearance and its similarity in design to the 0811X head. If anything the sole of the head looked more in keeping with a matt finish compared to the gloss black of the 0811X. Ironically I had moaned to PXG about the cream head cover of the 0811X and how quickly it became dirty. So it was great to see the 0211 arrive with a fitted black head cover. It will wear better and is more aligned with the club’s image.

THE TEST

THE VERDICT

As I expected the spin rate was greater than the 0811X and I struggled to get it below 3300rpm, so the flight wasn’t penetrating and just stalled. I wasn’t on my game during the test and struggled to neutralise my swing path and was on average two degrees left, so I was cutting the ball slightly. This would also contribute to the spin rate. Though it’s good to test a club when you are not dialled in, as that’s when you need the most support from the club. We can make any driver look good when we bring our ‘A’ game! I hit a few with the 0811X at the same time and the spin rate was sub 3,000 rpm and the flight was dramatically improved. Though my heel and toe strikes were punished more that the 0211 head. The 0211 felt very stable in the face with great acoustics and overall feel.

This is not a driver you can just buy off the shelf. It is a very forgiving head and the speed is there for sure. But the challenge is setting up the head weight, shaft and loft to get the launch and spin rates optimised for your swing. The price is very competitive, but upgrading the shaft would definitely be worth considering. With the 60gram stiff shaft I wasn’t comfortable to step on a few drives, as I knew that spin rate would just rocket and the ball would balloon. I would have spent the extra $150 on upgrading to the Fujikura Pro 2.0 6 shaft in either an X or S flex and dropped the loft to 8 degrees. The centre of gravity in the 0211 head naturally wants to launch the ball quickly, so even at 8 degrees I would not be concerned about getting the ball airborne.

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PXG O211 DRIVER

RRP: $375* HIGH SPEED FACE

USING A TITANIUM ALLOY FACE, THE 0211 DRIVER HAS BEEN ABLE TO REDUCE THE OVERALL CLUHEAD WEIGHT AND OPTIMISE BALL SPEED.

PRECISION WEIGHTING TECHNOLOGY

ADJUSTABLE HOSEL

CAN CHANGE THE LOFT (+/-) 1½ DEGREES TO OPTIMIZE THE TRAJECTORY.

A SINGLE WEIGHT PORT POSITIONED ON THE SOLE TOWARD THE BACK OF THE CLUBHEAD FOR MAXIMUM FORGIVENESS, HIGH TRAJECTORY AND HIGH MOI.

* U.S RECOMMENDED RETAIL PRICE

HYBRID CARBON CROWN

A TITANIUM HEEL/TOE ADDS STIFFNESS FOR FASTER BALL SPEEDS. THE CARBON FIBRE CENTRE REDUCES MASS IN THE MIDDLE TO OPTIMISE THE CENTRE OF GRAVITY FOR INCREASED FORGIVENESS.

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WANT MORE DISTANCE?

JONATHAN CRADDOCK

PGA GOLF PROFESSIONAL DG PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT golfcoachjc

EASY!

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INSTRUCTION

319 YARD DRIVE

GOLF COACH JC’S TSI 3 NUMBERS ▶ SWING SPEED 109.4 MPH ▶ ATTACK ANGLE 3.8° POSITIVE ▶ BALL SPEED 169.7 MPH ▶ DYNAMIC LOFT 14.8°

BAD FINISH FROM POOR MECHANICS

▶ CARRY DISTANCE 297.2 YARDS ▶ TOTAL DISTANCE 319.6 YARDS

hen we look at creating more distance the first thing to ensure is that we have the correct equipment. I’m lucky enough to be currently using the New Titleist TSi 3 driver. Having the correct equipment is paramount to making the game easier and achieving your best. Be sure to drop in at the Emirates Golf Club pro shop for a fitting with our specific custom fit professional using TrackMan 4. Second to the equipment is centring your strike - and this is true with any golf club, getting the mass of the club behind the ball correctly will increase distance. An added advantage with the TSi 3 is the opportunity to have the mass fitted in the correct location to match your strike, which ensures you are getting the best performance from the club. Finally, distance comes from great mechanics, but more importantly those mechanics create the energy that transfers from a stable, moving clubhead into the ball. There are lots of times when I hear of golfers say phrases like “I’m using my arms too much,” and “I need to get my body moving,” or “I’m working on turning my hips quicker”. Well, the averages show that most golfers – including tour professionals – are often late

During the video, the demonstration clocked up a distance oﬀ 288 yards from a relatively small swing, simply by moving the arms and hands correctly. Join me or our team at the Emirates Golf Club Peter Cowen Academy to improve your distance today

to move the energy into the clubhead and this is partly due to outdated swing ideas. Such ideas often have equally dated related swing fixes to poor movement mechanics. The fact is, if the club is moved naturally, the ability to be relaxed ensures energy is transferred out to the clubhead more regularly. One of the biggest proponents of this is Miguel Angel Jimenez, with his free flowing practice swings – or any golfers on the senior tour who are still able to drive it over 300 yards. The hands and arms equate to create a substantial amount of the club head speed and yes, we should improve our body mechanics, but far too often do I see golfers working so hard on moving the hips or turning the shoulders, as opposed to loading the shaft and letting the arms and hands go. Try it next time you are at the range, spiral into a nicely stretched backswing and let the arms and hands fire. Try to create as much noise as possible by releasing the clubhead as early as possible. Remember, a relaxed body will be moved by the movement itself, your clubhead will make an arch if done correctly and therefore your body will spiral accordingly.

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INCREASE MOBILITY FOR MORE SPEED BY

VICTORIA MIKHAYLOVA

GOLF FITNESS COACH, JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES victoria_golﬃtness

f you are looking to increase your swing speed, make sure your body is ready to swing faster. You need to have enough mobility to create a good range of motion and balance to use as the base for powerful movement, and the skills to use the ground to provide the power.

Here are my TOP 3 exercises for golfers of all ages and levels:

1.Balance Using a step platform, box or even stairs, take a single leg stance and make sure you have good athletic posture. Cross your arms on your chest.

Take a single leg golf posture. Load your right foot, keep your knee stable as you step down.

Rotate your shoulders as much as you can (as you would do in your backswing) without moving your hips. After that go back to the centre and go up. Repeat 8 to 10 times, then switch to the other side.

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INSTRUCTION

2. Mobility Using a medicine ball (approximately 3-4kg) take a single leg kneeling position next to a wall. Engage your core muscles and squeeze your shoulder blades.

Rotate your upper body away from the wall and keep the ball in front of your chest.

Straighten your arms and reach with the ball as far as you can, keeping a good athletic position. Do not lean on the wall. Maintain position for couple of seconds and then relax. Repeat 6 to 8 times. Then turn to the other side.

3. Power Take a 4-5kg medicine ball or a weight which is challenging enough for you to encourage the bigger muscles to work. Stand as shown in the picture.

Squat and rotate your shoulders at the same time. Keep your arms straight and chest high.

Using your legs, go to the follow through position. Rotate your hips towards the target as if you were hitting a shot. Make sure your left foot is fully on the ground. Repeat 8 to 10 times. Then switch sides.

Give these exercises a try and you will be ready to swing faster and bring more power to your golf game. Watch the video or visit The Peter Cowen Academy Dubai for further insights and improvements.

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WELCOME TO THE

COUNTRY

CLUB A ONE OF A KIND FITNESS FACILITY IN THE REGION THE NEWLY-OPENED COUNTRY CLUB AT THE ELS CLUB IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPRESSIVE FACILITIES IN DUBAI WHICH OFFERS A VAST ARRAY OF TRAINING OPTIONS, INCLUDING A GOLFORIENTATED STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING PROGRAMME. WE CAUGHT UP WITH FITNESS OPERATIONS MANAGER ABBIE MACEY TO GET THE LOW DOWN.

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THE COUNTRY CLUB AT THE ELS CLUB

WGG: What makes the Country Club such a special enhancement to The Els Club? Abbie Macey: A facility of this caliber does not yet exist at any golf club in this region and I believe this is a strong step towards increasing awareness of the correlation between strength and conditioning training, the correct approach to nutrition, and enhanced golf performance. This is truly what I believe the embodiment of ‘TroonFit’ is and was a much-needed addition to our incredible golf club as it will facilitate the growth and improvement to both our avid golfers and those who are just starting to play and are eager to improve their on course performance. WWG: Can you run through the facilities that the Country Club has? AM: Our stunning new Country Club includes a multi-storey urban chic gym that boasts large open spaces and an abundance of natural light. Our ground floor houses a hybrid studio, two relaxation lounges and locker room facilities. The first floor includes a large gym space, complete with a fully equipped spin studio. Outside you can find two resort style swimming pools and a dedicated children’s play area and pool. For me, there is nothing better than sitting back and relaxing at our pool with a refreshing beverage after a game of golf – you can’t forget the importance of recovery! Non golfers will still reap the benefits and education of the right approach to nutrition and experience how increased levels of fitness contributes to an overall better quality of life through our group exercise classes and personal training services. WWG: Is there any outside exercise space? AM: Absolutely! We have a spacious outdoor fitness terrace on the first floor that our members have been taking advantage of during these cooler winter months. Additionally, we utilise this space for various high-energy classes that cater for all ages and ability levels.

“We have a spacious outdoor fitness terrace on the first floor that our members have been taking advantage of during these cooler winter months. Additionally, we utilise this space for various high-energy classes that cater for all ages and ability levels.” WWG: Do Els Club members get to use the Country Club and is there an additional fee? AM: Golf members can enjoy full access to the Country Club facilities at no additional cost. Furthermore, golf members can purchase an add-on for their families for a small fee. WWG: Can non-golf club members use the club, if so, what kind of memberships are available? AM: Non-golf members are welcomed with open arms to use our beautiful Country Club. There are several types of Country Club memberships available, including family and individual options, with the choice of paying upfront or in monthly installments. Additionally, we offer a variety of packages to non-members who would like to participate in our group exercise classes and/or undertake personal training. WWG: What golf-specific training and equipment do you offer? AM: Regardless of level of ability or age, we have a variety of programmes in place to support and develop golf performance, a prime example of this is our TroonFit Bootcamp. The TroonFit Bootcamp is a fast-paced class that incorporates strength training, cardiovascular

and muscular endurance, as well as flexibility and balance work to enhance your performance on course and reduce the likelihood of injuries. For our young avid golfers we have TroonFit Teens across two age categories – 7-11 and 1215. Classes for ages 7-11 consist of fun circuits, battle ropes, plyometrics and drills, while the classes for ages 12 – 15 aims to educate them on how to safely and correctly operate strength and cardio equipment to develop strength and stamina, with a focus on golf specific strength and conditioning under the supervision of one of our talented TroonFit Personal Trainers. WWG: You’ve not been open long, what has the response been so far from people who have visited and how popular is the facility proving to be? AM: Opening a new facility in the midst of a global pandemic has been challenging to say the least. Our focus has been to implement and adhere to strict social distancing measures with routine sanitisation and cleaning schedules to ensure the wellbeing and safety of our members and guests. The feedback for the facility has been overwhelmingly positive with our members and guests and it’s proving to be a very popular hotspot for some of the world’s best golfers.

The gym is open from 6:00am – 10:30pm while the pool is open from 6:30am – 6:00pm. For more information email: CountryClub@ElsClubDubai.com or call 04 425 1000

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ARABIAN GOLF S H ARJAH GOL F & S H OOT ING CLU B

EMIRATES GOLF FEDERATION

Ian Poulter empowers UAE National Team Member Ahmad Skaik to achieve more in the sport The second year of the mentorship programme which sees Ryder Cup legend Ian Poulter pass on his knowledge and experience to the UAE’s most promising players, Ahmad Skaik, got underway last month. The programme that DP World ran in partnership with the Emirates Golf Federation was designed to help Ahmed build his confidence prior to competing in tournaments and Ahmad joined the mentorship programme at the start of 2020. He enjoyed monthly calls with Poulter as well as a face-to-face coaching session when they were both in Dubai ahead of the DP World Tour Championship. Just after last month’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, Ahmad’s second participation at the Rolex Series event on his home soil, he met up with his mentor to discuss his performance and tactics on improving his skills and confidence. Ian Poulter said: “I’ve had the chance to get to know

Ahmad over the last nine months and I believe he has great potential. If he continues working as hard as he does now, the region could be seeing a superstar emerging in the next few years. “Overall, it’s amazing to see the rising level of young golfers in the UAE. Platforms such as the Emirates Golf Federation National Junior Development Programme and Mentorship Programmes run by DP World, are fantastic opportunities for young talent to grow and I am really proud to play some part in it.” Skaik added: “I am really grateful for this amazing opportunity to be mentored by golfing legend, Ian Poulter. 2020 was a very challenging year but mentorship from Ian helped me keep myself on track with physical training and mental readiness to compete again when the time came. I feel more confident as a player now, and I am looking forward to improving my skills further.” TRUMP I NT E RNAT IONAL GC , DU B AI

Wassinks seal the Saturday spoils The recent Saturday Stableford competition saw Fedde and Jip Wassink emerge victorious in their respective divisions, with Fedde winning the overall gross prize with a 75 and Jip securing Division B with a 40-point haul. In Division A Michael Romkey topped the pile with 36 points while Melissa Stahl took the Ladies Division title with 38 points. Meanwhile in the recent Ladies Matchplay final Jackie Thomson sealed a convincing 6&5 victory over Emma Malsher to take the title.

AB U D HA B I C ITY G O LF CLUB

Great performances in round three of the Rigid Industries Golf Society League Round three of the Rigid Industries Golf Society League saw the White Rose Golf Society overcome the challenge of GEMS Golf Society in both their fixtures to add six points to their tally in the Rigid League. The other fixture saw Filipino Golfers in the Middle East (FIGME) line up against Team International Golf Society and they could not be separated with one victory each to share the points on offer. The Happy Hookers continued their fine form to win both their matches against Dubai Divots in the Worldwide Golf League while the Spartans were also in good shape as they saw off the challenge of the KEGS Golf Society. The Angry Birdies Golf Society won both their matches against SGSC society to top the SGSC League table while Sharjah Night Riders defeated the Nepalese Golf Society in both matches to add six points to their league total. The fifteen societies have been split into three leagues with top two in each league and the best two societies in third place moving into the knock out stages. Ali Tiwana and Aamir Inam (pictured) of the Angry Birdies won the day’s prizes while Adhip Shankar and Namir Al Naimi took second place.

Micheal brings home the Bacon Williams seals the Medal Amanda Williams carded a superb net 63 to win the final Medal of 2020 while Michael Gibson was crowned the gross winner with a score of 74. A net 64 saw Stuart Williams take the spoils in Division A while Chris Saunders shot a net 68 to top Division B. The honours in Division C went to Bala Raju Karri with a 79.

The recent ‘Reverse Roulette’ Stableford competition, which saw a combination of red and black tees utilisted, saw Michael Bacon emerge victorious in Division A with a haul of 39 points. The gross prize on the day was won by Tom Hoban with a 73 after he edged out Colin Cordery on a countback while in both Division B and the Ladies Division a score of 35 points was enough to seal the honours as Conall Bond and Joanne Eglintine were crowned the respective winners.

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Camero seals the Junior Open in style Jamie Camero blew away the field to win the 12th staging of the Junior Open with a gross 1-underpar 71. Six shots back in second place was Viktor Joachim Kofod-Olsen while Vedant Pal finished third with a 79. Max Hibbert shot a 74 to win the boy’s net division while the girl’s prize went to Fatima Rizvi wuth an excellent 69.

ARABIAN GOLF AL AI N – A E SGC

DUBAI CR E E K GOL F & Y AC H T C LU B

Large field turns out for opening medal of the year

Wayne O’Mahony takes the Final spoils Wayne O’Mahony overcame strong, cold winds to post a gross 79 and win the overall prize in the 2020 Medal Finals competition, which drew together all the medal winners from the season. Tiaan Labuschagne took second place wit ha gross 81 while the best net on the day came from Todd Stelck with a 74, two clear of Edwin Scheepers.

Rahm wins the Omega Dubai Creek Am Open

Over 100 members took part in the opening OMA Emirates Medal of 2021 and coming out on top with a gross 73 was Hyeonji Kang. The overall net winner was Glory Xavier with a superb 69 as she defeated the December winner Leo Bolton on a countback, while Bolton won the Men’s Division A prize ahead of Dave Gowans by one shot. The Men’s Division B title went to Chris Othen with a countback win over new member Kim Gade while the Ladies Division was won by Hannah Alan with a steady level par 71.

The annual Omega Dubai Creek Men’s Amateur Open saw a field of 105 take to the course for two days of competition and coming out on top after an epic final day was Christopher Rahm as he held off Bayhaan Lakdawala, Zubair Firdaus, Max Burrow and Miki Mirza to take the title. Rahm carded rounds of 70-72 for an even-par finish to win by one ahead of Lakdawala with Firdaus in third. The net prize went to Bilel Belaid with a two-shot win over Raghav Gulati. J UMEI RAH GOL F E ST AT E S

Walters waltzes to victory Jason Walters won last month’s OMA Emirates Medalford over the Earth course with a great score of Net 70 in difficult conditions. Jamal Bin Marghoob won the Men’s Division A with a Net 71, one ahead of Gavin Ritchie with Samvit Chopra in third. The best gross on the day came from Bilbo Perrott with a 74 while Mitsuko Emmerson won the Ladies Division with a net 79.

Staff edge close “Members Match” with exciting play-off win The annual competition which pitches club staff against the members saw 15 head-to-head matches take place and after the scores were tied at 22½ point each, a ‘closest to the green’ playoff was won by staff member Tom Buchanan to hand his team the victory. The format was a Pairs Betterball Matchplay with one point awarded for a front 9 victory, one point for a back 9 victory and one point for the overall game result. Club Captain Stuart Bell is pictured handing over the ‘The Putter’ to Buchanan to commemorate the result.

Westby tuned in for Thursday victory A field of 26 players took to the course for the opening Thursday Social of the new season and Ryan Westby secured the honours in Division B with a haul of 19 points, one clear of Findan Cox with Mohammad Khan in third. In Division A, Anton Van Schalkwyk emerged victorious after a countback with Wayne O’Mahony with Stuart Bell third while in Division C Jean Boucher took the spoils on a countback from Martine Garbutt after both players compiled hauls of 20 points.

Gupta on fire for Ladies Am Open title Natalii Gupta posted a new Ladies course record of 9-under-par 63 on the Fire course to ease to victory in the annual Ladies Amateur Open. Gupta won by seven ahead of Chiara Noja while in the net division Hyeonji Kang took the spoils on a countback over Hannah Alan after both players returned a net 68.

EMI RATES GOL F C LU B

Willan lands a big one The opening OMA Emirates Medal of 2021 saw Robert Willan shoot a 68 to clinch the overall prize in Division A ahead of David Waite and Rakesh Shah while in Division B a score of 69 saw Pawan Sahni win ahead of Amit Judge and Tomoyuki Arai. Division C went to Ravi Khanna while the best gross on the day went to Paul Byrne with a 73. The Ladies Stableford competition took place on the Faldo course with Josie Tracey winning with a 34 point haul.

Buckley wins the Omega Emirates Am Open The two-day Omega Emirates Amateur Open was held last month and Paul Buckley of Cork Golf Club emerged victorious after a fantastic display. Buckley opened with a 69 on the Faldo course and then fired a 73 on the Majlis – which included a hole-out for eagle on the par-4 ninth hole – as he won by won ahead of Zubair Firdaus with a 142 total. Charlie Thornton finished third with Viggo Sorenson in fourth and Shergo Al Kurdi fifth. Abaid Al Heloo won the net prize with a 144 total, one clear of Dan Byrne with Mike Kaye in third.

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WORLDWIDE GOLF

TRAVEL

Set in a stunning landscape against a breath-taking mountainous backdrop, PGA Catalunya Resort includes the world-renowned Stadium Course, one of the top-ranked layouts in Europe.

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EUROPEAN TOUR DESTINATIONS

VENUES

LE GOLF NATIONAL PARIS, FRANCE DIAMOND COUNTRY CLUB VIENNA, AUSTRIA PGA CATALUNYA RESORT BARCELONA, SPAIN JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES LIGHTHOUSE GOLF & SPA RESORT CAPE KALIAKRA, BULGARIA SAUJANA GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA LONDON GOLF CLUB LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM TERRE BLANCHE HOTEL SPA GOLF RESORT***** PROVENCE, FRANCE GOLF CLUB ST. LEON-ROT HEIDELBERG, GERMANY THE DUTCH AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS BLACK MOUNTAIN GOLF CLUB & RESORT HUA HIN, THAILAND ALBATROSS GOLF RESORT PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC BOM SUCESSO OBIDOS, PORTUGAL CONSTANCE BELLE MARE PLAGE POSTE DE FLACQ, MAURITIUS MARCO SIMONE GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB ROME, ITALY VERDURA RESORT SICILY, ITALY FINCA CORTESIN HOTEL GOLF & SPA MARBELLA, SPAIN VILLAVERDE HOTEL & RESORT VENICE, ITALY QUINTA DO LAGO ALGARVE, PORTUGAL LINNA GOLF HÄMEENLINNA, FINLAND GOLF SON MUNTANER PALMA, SPAIN TBILISI HILLS TBILISI, GEORGIA ESTONIAN GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB TALLINN, ESTONIA PIRIN GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB SOFIA, BULGARIA CONSTANCE LEMURIA PRASLIN, SEYCHELLES DUBAI CREEK GOLF & YACHT CLUB DUBAI, UAE EMIRATES GOLF CLUB DUBAI, UAE GENZON GOLF CLUB SHENZHEN, CHINA

UNDER DEVELOPMENT:

ROSSINGTON HALL DONCASTER, UNITED KINGDOM SPARBEN GOLF RESORT BORDEAUX, FRANCE

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BOOK GOLF & CLOSE YOUR GAME ! Now available on the EGF App & Website

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GOLF TRAVEL

ombining modernity and tradition, PGA Catalunya Resort offers contemporary villas and apartments intertwining between two acclaimed golf courses and with spectacular views of the nearby Pyrénées. The plot of land on which the resort sits was first set aside for a Formula 1 racetrack, and then a purpose-built golf venue for the 1997 Ryder Cup. However, the resort’s future would travel down a different road, one that eventually saw the launch of one of Europe’s finest golfing facilities which would see the Stadium Course go on to host the Open de Espana on three occasions while the European Tour’s Qualifying School Final Stage was held across both the Stadium Course and its sister Tour Course nine times. Located an hour’s drive from the vibrant city of Barcelona and only 10 minutes from Girona Airport, PGA Catalunya Resort’s two courses were designed by Spanish legend Angel Gallardo and Ryder Cup star Neil Coles MBE and opened in 1999. The Open de Espana was held

on the Stadium Course the following year and since then international acclaim has continued to grow. The spectacular layout has undergone recent transformations to enhance and lengthen some of the holes, including the lakeside green on hole 3, the expansive short 11th and the tough finishing hole. Trees creep into fairways, bunkers lurk in unexpected places and water comes into play on almost half the holes. Elevated tees are an often used feature which provide clear views of the course’s test and the stunning dog-leg 6th hole features a rare uphill sloping fairway, where both driver and total commitment are a pre-requisite. In addition to the two courses is one of Europe’s finest short game practice areas that incorporates a huge chipping and putting green. The 5* Hotel Camiral offers a luxurious blend of space, comfort and design and contemporary real estate nestled amongst the golf courses exudes sleek and innovative architectural design. ■

For more information: www.pgacatalunya.com

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Celebrity KURT KITAYAMA

We ask the European Tour’s top golfers how their dream dinner party would unfold. Players must choose three celebrities to accompany them, one band or artist to provide the music, what would be on the menu and tell us their favourite party trick! Next in the hotseat is 2019 Oman Open champion Kurt Kitayama.

TIGER WOODS He would have a ton of good stories.

Music

POST MALONE

MICHAEL JORDAN

Basketball was my favourite sport when I was growing up.

MENU GAL GADOT

She would be my date! I’m sure she will be a lot of fun.

- Starter -

TUNA TARTAE - Main -

STEAK. I’D GET SALT BAE TO SERVE IT. - Dessert -

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

The Country Club at The Els Club Dubai The Els Club now offers a new sector of membership termed ‘The Country Club Membership’ which is available for non-golfing members to have access to the new expansion which includes the new Gym and Pools. Membership options include annual, half-year, quarterly, and monthly options. Subcription options start from as low as AED 450 (when paying upfront for the Annual plan) Day passes available at introductory prices with exclusive discounts for Member Guests and Victory Heights Residents. Personal Training services and Group Training Classes will be offered by a talented team of TroonFit Trainers who hold extensive knowledge and experience in their craft, paired with a friendly and professional approach. Our experts are waiting to guide and support you in achieving your goals. #WhereYouBelong For further information, please contact us on 04 425 1000 or email CountryClub@elsclubdubai.com