Worldwide Golf June 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

IRONS

ARE THEY JUST EXPENSIVE PINGS?

FOCUS

WILL ZALATORIS

THE PGA TOUR’S NEWEST STAR ON HIS BID TO REACH THE FEDEX CUP PLAYOFFS

2021

MCILROY & COWEN

PXG GEN4

FEATURE

JUNE

WHAT ARE THE DUO WORKING ON?

U.S. OPEN

CAN PHIL MICKELSON COMPLETE THE CAREER GRAND SLAM?

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

+ MEET OUR NEW TEST PILOT + LUXURY LIFESTYLE AT TRUMP + VICTOR PEREZ – IN THE BAG

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

“Gary Player has been a massive benefit in my development as a professional golfer. He has a house located on the golf estate where my family used to live in Plettenberg Bay in South Africa. I met him for the first time when I was around the age of eight and we played quite a few ninehole rounds together. Unfortunately, my dad passed away when I was nine years old and Gary told me his mother had passed away when he was around the same age. He would send me letters when I was little, to say, ‘keep going’ and confidenceboosting messages like that. He’s been massively involved in my career, from securing me an invitation onto the Sunshine Tour Q-School and was always giving me ongoing advice and encouragement with my game. It’s been an unreal experience and it’s given me a huge boost with everything. It’s been unreal because he doesn’t really have to do stuff like that, but he does it. He’s been there with me on every step of the way and it’s been simply amazing. I can’t thank him enough.” – GARRICK HIGGO

I couldn’t be happier for Garrick Higgo right now.

Phil is a thrill to watch Golf is all about entertainment. Mickelson demonstrated this at Kiawah with his smile and by taking the time to connect with the galleries. The atmosphere was fitting for a Major finish.

HAT a fantastic tournament we were treated to at the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island last month and what a Superstar Phil Mickelson became in putting on such an exciting performance He greeted the huge galleries to some sublime golf throughout the final round and proved that you don’t need to hit it 400-yards plus off the tee to make a good impression, although he did. It took me back to the days of Lee Trevino, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus when every spectator had a smile on their face, combined with a happy attitude and atmosphere, just for the sheer joy of being there, whereas some of the players could have been following a funeral hearse. The whole situation was a sponsor’s dream. Mickelson was quick to give the ‘thumbs up’ sign to acknowledge the cheers of the crowd throughout the day and a broad smile which never left his face. Unfortunately, the crowd got out of control as they surged forward on the final 18th hole to celebrate an historic occasion, cheering home the oldest Tour player to win a Major as a 50-year-old. Perhaps it was the sheer relief after the long-term frustration of an over-enthusiastic crowd, following more than a year of lockdown due to the pandemic but surely the security guards should have been prepared for the inevitable situation as the spectators ran riot. The guards and marshals should have taken the necessary precautions to prevent players and fans from being injured. Mickelson possesses a long backswing which he used immaculately and he deserved every accolade with

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every shot he made. So, don’t be surprised if his record of six Majors is surpassed at his home course at Torrey Pines, San Diego, takes him to seven Grand Slam triumphs with the US Open. After all, when you break a barrier, it’s much easier to break another barrier. Take the legendary British athlete, Roger Bannister, who broke the record for the 4-minute mile and went on to break a lifetime’s series of records. Phil’s short game was a masterclass Phil played the game the way it should be played to take on the challenging Ocean Course. His short game was a lesson in consistency. Phil has got himself to the peak of fitness to guarantee he could produce his best game. In today’s life you’ve got to be the best you can be. You’ve got to beat obesity and any disorders whatsoever and lead a healthy life. At Kiawah Island you could tell at a glance that Phil had come fully prepared, just from watching his swing. All credit to South African Louis Oosthuizen who shared joint second place with Brooks Koepka, two shots behind Mickelson. Finishing in a share of seventh place, Irishman and reigning British Open Champion Shane Lowry, alongside the forthcoming Ryder Cup nonplaying captain, and fellow Irishman Padraig Harrington, seemed to be having more fun than anyone on the golf course. Rory McIlroy had a disappointing tournament, shooting 75-72-74-72 but the Ulsterman is still a rare talent and he’s working with the right man in coach Pete Cowen. ■

By Gary Player

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CONTENTS 14

COLUMN

Adri Arnaus

David Howell

The Dubai-based Spanish ace remembers the legacy left by compatriot Seve Ballesteros following the 10 year anniversary of his passing.

European Tour stalwart David Howell looks back at his good friend Richard Bland becoming a European Tour winner for the first time at the age of 48

U.S. Open Preview Torrey Pines hosts the U.S. Open for the second time as the world’s best flock to San Diego to take on the challenging South Course in the third men’s Major Championship of the year.

COLUMN

Pete Cowen

Master PGA Professional Pete Cowen on Brooks Koepka’s latest Major disappointment and the secret behind Rory McIlroy’s return to the winner’s circle at Quail Hollow – plus a step-by-step analysis of McIlroy’s swing.

24 Garrick Higgo The young Springbok star is making waves on the European Tour after picking up a third title in just 26 starts at last month’s Canary Islands Championship. In this exclusive interview, the 22 year old discusses the electric start to his career and why this is just the beginning of his success.

30 Will Zalatoris After shooting to fame with a runner-up finish at The Masters, the Californian native is looking to take things one step at a time as he looks to get his hands on full PGA Tour membership before the end of the season.

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CONTENTS

GEAR 40

Meet our test pilot Tour Professional, Nick Poppleton, has been taught under the watchful eye of Nick Huby and Pete Cowen and joins the Worldwide Golf team as our club tester. Read to find out why he’s the ideal ‘test robot’.

PXG GEN4

Many critics online claim that PXG are just expensive PINGS. We are huge fans of the PXG brand but Nick was up for his first release test as he put the latest PXG GEN4 iron up against the PING i210. The findings were a huge surprise.

50 Trump International Golf Club, Dubai Located in the heart of DAMAC Hills, Trump International Golf Club, Dubai provides the ultimate luxury lifestyle experience this summer.

DryJoy Premiere Series FootJoy’s latest masterpiece comes in the shape of the DryJoy Premiere Series which features three new upper designs, Tarlow, Packard and Flint, inspired by three of FootJoy’s best celebrated innovators.

54 EAGL Mini-Series The Emirates Amateur Golf League promises to be a game-changer for amateur golf in the region, giving participants a taste of the ‘Tour pro experience’ which will be showcased at this month’s EAGL Mini-Series event on the Fire course.

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Golf is now all about the baton carriers!

HEN Tiger decided to go high-speed off-roading my heart sank, as the golfing world was all set for his dramatic defence of his Masters title and the industry was on a high. Despite Tiger being sadly sidelined, the baton was picked up to draw the crowds and the headlines. Bryson was the first to pick it up, with millions tuning in to see him just crush those tee shots. It was passed to Matsuyama at Augusta and his win would have lifted the game more in the Far East than if Tiger had retained the Green Jacket. The following week the baton was passed unexpectedly to Stuart Cink who notched another season win for the oldies to light the interest in the over-40s crowd. Meanwhile, Jordan Spieth continued to bounce back to winning ways and find his Major form. He wasn’t alone, with Rory recording his first win since 2019 and putting in the work on the range with coach Pete Cowen, the stars were aligning for many out-ofform players coming into the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island. What a course, and with the challenging wind conditions it resembled the Open Championship in a variety of ways. It rewarded players who could not only work the ball both ways but could master the ball flight. But who was going to end up carrying the baton at the end of the week? Changing conditions spiked interest It wasn’t surprising to see the current and 2012 Open Champions Shane Lowry and Padraig Harrington make a move up the leaderboard on Sunday. But all eyes were on Phil the Thrill Mickelson and Brooks Koepka for the final round shoot-out. Most people, myself, included, expected Brooks to pile the pressure on and for Phil to lose out as a result. If Brooks had managed to carry that tree on his second shot off the tee he would have been sitting pretty with as little as an eight iron into the par-5 and the momentum would have been in his favour. Instead, he found two tough lies and walked off with a double and handed Phil the advantage. You can’t take anything away from Phil’s performance. He played the back nine perfectly but if only someone had been able to take it to him down the stretch it might have been a different story. All this excitement gathered momentum yet not one person has

said to me in recent weeks: “If only Tiger had been playing!” At last, the game of golf doesn’t just revolve around one individual. No one individual will ever be able to emulate what Tiger has achieved. He was a one-off who arrived in time to save the game when it was on its backside. Now, thankfully, we a have a wave of outstanding players who are driving interest in the game and carrying that magical baton like a relay team. If one superstar drops out of form, the golfing light will not fade as others fire into action to take their place. The numbers away from professional golf are also growing stronger. Golf courses are busy and the retail sector can’t make clubs fast enough to satisfy the demand. Which leads me to explain the transition Worldwide Golf is witnessing when it comes to club testing. PXG v PING! The product tests you want to read We have a Tour Professional on board to test all the clubs going forwards and it’s fitting that he has been moulded by both Pete Cowen and Nick Huby at their world renowned golf academy in the UK. Read more about Nick and his first product test on page 40. He does not hold back as you would expect. So we chose a cracker of a challenge for him. Many golfers have said online all over the world that PXG clubs are expensive PINGS so we put it to the test. Keeping on the Pete Cowen theme, I caught up with him after the PGA Championship to see what had been happening for the last month, especially regarding Rory’s swing changes. Listening to all the precious TV pundits pontificate on what Pete is working on, is comical to hear when so many haven’t got a clue. Even I know that Pete would never erase Rory’s draw and get him to hit a power fade off the tee but that appeared to be the general census amongst the ‘experts.’ I mentioned this to Pete and he told me he called a leading broadcaster direct to put them all straight. To find out exactly what he said and what he’s working on with Rory turn to page 34. We have a few new changes on the way here at Worldwide Golf in the next few months. Exciting times ahead and thanks for all your support over the last 20 years.

By Alex Gallemore

ISSUE No.236 JUNE 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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TORREY PINES HOSTS THE US OPEN FOR THE SECOND TIME

THE COURSE Torrey Pines The U.S. Open returns to San Diego from June 14 – 20.

he 36-holes of golf at Torrey Pines, situated to the north of the city of San Diego, are rated as two of the best municipal courses in the United States, and the South course first hosted the U.S. Open in 2008, with Tiger Woods famously prevailing. At first glance the course does offer some impressive views out across the Pacific ocean, but the holes themselves are relatively straight-forward and overall it’s a perfect blueprint for a U.S. Open course – tight fairways, penal rough, large green complexes and can be set up to play long, very long. The par-3 third is the most picturesque with the ocean swaying in the background, but trouble lurks and with a strong wind the hole can play anything from a 9-iron to a hybrid. The courses are built on an old US Army camp site and were designed by William F. Bell and opened in 1957. Since 1968 the venue has hosted the PGA Tour’s annual stop in southern California, now known as the Farmers Insurance Open. Past winners include Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Gary Player, Arnold Palmer, Johnny Miller and in recent years the likes of Tiger Woods (seven times), John Daly, Phil Mickelson (three times), Jose Maria Olazabal and Mark O’Meara have all tasted glory here. Usually a par-72, for the 2008 U.S. Open the par-5 sixth was shortened to 515 yards and was played as a par-4 to make the tournament scorecard a par-71. At 7,643 it was then the longest ever Major Championship venue but has been out-done in that department in recent years.

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STARTER

The dramatic par-3 third hole at Torrey Pines

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U.S. OPEN ROLLBACK: 2008

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rguably the most clutch 72nd hole putt in Major Championship history – followed with an iconic, unrestrained celebration, which was equal parts elation and a release of tension – Tiger Woods wrapped up his 14th Major title 13 years ago at Torrey Pines. His victory in 2008 was built on a foundation of remarkable moments of inspiration, intertwined with confounding mistakes and a very, very dodgy left leg. Woods was playing with a torn ACL and a double stress fracture of his tibia he sustained during recovery from knee surgery, which he had undergone after a runner-up finish at The Masters earlier that year. This wasn’t known during the week and only came to light two days later when Woods announced he was having another round of surgery and would miss the rest of 2008, including that year’s Ryder Cup at Valhalla. Woods’ immortal putt was the final shot of the regulation 72 holes of the U.S. Open, and the birdie meant he would force a play-off with Rocco Mediate who had earlier set the clubhouse target. On a draining final day, England’s Lee Westwood held the lead as he made the turn with Woods in the final pair on the course. Three bogeys over his next four holes left Westwood needing to catch up and he nearly pulled level on the 72nd hole, leaving his 15-foot birdie putt eight inches short moments seconds before Woods sank his to match Mediate. The following day Woods and Mediate came back for 18 holes and, again, couldn’t be separated with both shooting 71. The sudden-death play-off began on the 7th, and after Mediate found a fairway bunker and struggled for par, Woods two-putted for victory. ■

The 18-hole playoff was the first play-off for the U.S. Open since 2001 and was the last time the format was used to decide the outcome. Since 2018 a two-hole aggregate play-off is held, and if the scores remain tied a sudden-death plays out until a winner emerges.

WOODS WOULD LATER REACH 15 MAJOR TITLES AT THE 2019 MASTERS MEDIATE ENDED HIS PGA TOUR CAREER WITH 6 WINS BEFORE JOINING THE SENIOR CIRCUIT AND HAS ONE TITLE TO HIS NAME - A MAJOR AT THE 2016 US SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP WHEN HE DEFEATED COLIN MONTGOMERIE BY THREE.

“HE’S JUST SO HARD TO BEAT. HE IS WHO HE IS. THERE’S NOTHING ELSE TO SAY.” – ROCCO MEDIATE Worldwide GOLF 17

U.S. OPEN FACTS & FIGURES

Webb Simpson (2012) is the only winner since 2000 to be coming off a missed cut in his last start before the U.S. Open.

THE TROPHY:

The worst single hole score in a U.S. Open belongs to Ray Ainsley in 1938 at Cherry Hills C.C. It started when he hit his ball into the creek on the par-4 16th and ended with a 19 on his scorecard.

The 2005 Open at Pinehurst was the first year international players could qualify via tournaments held in England and Japan and not just via qualifying at events in the USA. That year’s champion - Michael Campbell - was one of nine players to qualify from the English tournament at Walton Heath.

The trophy is 18” tall, 6” wide and weighs approximately 8.5lbs and the names of past winners are engraved around the base. The USGA first awarded the current version of trophy in 1947. It’s actually a replica of the original U.S. Open trophy, which dates back to the first U.S. Open in 1895. U.S. Open winners get to hold on to the U.S. Open Trophy for one year, and then they return it to the USGA ahead of their title defense. The champion gets a gold medal, named the Jack Nicklaus Medal in 2012, as a permanent trophy. Winners and host clubs can also order one replica trophy each from the USGA.

The 1912 U.S. Open, held at the Country Club of Buffalo, was the first and only Open course to feature a par-6. En route to his second consecutive U.S. Open win, John McDermott would play the 606-yard 10th hole in six-under par for the tournament.

FORGOTTEN WINNERS: LUCAS GLOVER, 2009

American journeyman Lucas Glover arrived at Bethpage Black for the ’09 Open ranked 71st in the world and having never made a cut in the event. He left holding the trophy after winning by two ahead of Phil Mickelson, a resurgent David Duval and Rickie Barnes. Glover has only one victory to his name on the PGA Tour since that Major week.

STEVE JONES, 1996

Steve Jones began his career in the early 1980s but didn’t experience much success until his second stint on the PGA Tour after he lost and regained his status. In 1991, Jones damaged his fingers in a dirt bike accident and missed almost three full seasons. Five years later he earned his spot in the U.S. Open via sectional qualifying and outlasted the field at Oakland Hills, winning by one ahead of Major champions Tom Lehman and Davis Love III.

1947 was also the first

year that the U.S. Open was televised to a local audience in St. Louis, Missouri, where the event was being played. It was first televised nationally in 1954. The entire weekend 36 holes were first broadcast live in 1977, and in 1982, all four rounds were televised for the first time.

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CONTROVERSY!

THE USGA HAVE A HABIT OF SETTING UP U.S. OPEN COURSES TO BE EXTREMELY PUNISHING – OFTEN PUSHING P YERS AND FANS TO THEIR LIMIT. HERE ARE OUR FAVOURITE FOUR MOST CONTROVERSIAL MOMENTS FROM PREVIOUS U.S. OPENS.

2004 Shinnecock Hills With 11 players under par through 36 holes, USGA officials decided not to water the course and let the track firm up for the weekend. On Sunday, the weather became so hot and humid that some greens almost died – and the first groups out on Sunday couldn’t keep their ball on the putting surface at the 7th hole. This lead to ground staff taking unprecedented action and watering surfaces in between groups. “It was a great deal embarrassing,” said former USGA Executive Director Frank Hannigan. The average score for the week was 78.7 and only runner-up Phil Mickelson and winner Retief Goosen finished under par.

1974 Winged Foot After watching Johnny Miller shoot the first 63 in Major history en route to U.S. Open victory in 1973, the USGA were keen on not letting that happen again on their patch. Nobody broke par after day one of the 1974 U.S. Open and the event was later billed “The Massacre at Winged Foot” with absolutely rock-solid greens and dense, deep rough. Hale Irwin won by two shots with a 7-over-par total. Tom Watson led after three rounds but suffered a final round 79 to fall back to eighth. “We’re not trying to humiliate the best players in the world – we’re simply trying to identify them,” said tournament honcho Sandy Tatum.

Chambers Bay, 2015 There was a great deal of excitement when Chambers Bay – built on a former gravel pit on the outskirts of Seattle - was chosen to host the 2015 event, but when the tournament arrived it was met with a barrage of criticism. Tiger Woods called it ‘brutal’, Gary Player ranted that course designed Robert Trent Jones Jr ‘must have one leg shorter than the other’ while Henrik Stenson said the green were like ‘putting on broccoli’. Needless to say it wasn’t the most popular of layouts after playing too firm thanks to a hot spell in the lead up. It’s status as a future U.S. Open venue remains uncertain, but course officials are hopeful after switching to poa annua greens, which is the region’s dominant grass. Jordan Spieth was that year’s winner after Dustin Johnson three-putted the final green from 10 feet.

2016 Oakmont The last two hours of the 2016 U.S. Open turned into a ‘will they/won’t they’ scenario after viewers were left unclear as to whether eventual winner Dustin Johnson would be handed a post-round penalty for a potential rules infraction on the fifth green. Johnson made two practice putts, and, as he prepared to address the ball to make his stroke, it moved. The then World No.6 backed off and stated that he had not yet fully addressed the ball. He checked with a both a rules official and playing partner Lee Westwood and they were happy that there was no infraction. However, on the 12th tee USGA referees spoke to Johnson and told him that they needed to review the incident after he had completed his round – because he could face a penalty. Johnson, thankfully, cruised home despite the doubt in his mind – while TV viewers were left in limbo wondering what his actual score was. The American won by four and was later assessed the penalty, officially turning it into a three-shot win for the history books.

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THE PL U.S. OPEN

any of the world’s elite will be making their second trip to Torrey Pines this year for the U.S. Open with the club also hosting the Farmers Insurance Open on the PGA Tour since 1968. That event usually produces a top-rate winner with the likes of Tiger Woods, Jon Rahm, Justin Rose and Patrick Reed all winning in recent years and course form could be the key to unlocking the winner of the third men’s Major of the year. Here, we break down the chances of some of the best in the game with many enjoying favourable results in San Diego.

Phil Mickelson

BEST RESULT: 2nd – 1999, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2013 Lefty will be hoping to repeat the heroics of last month’s historic US PGA Championship triumph as he bids to become just the sixth man to complete the Career Grand Slam with victory at the U.S. Open. The American star, who turns 51 the day before play gets underway in his hometown of San Diego, has endured a number of near-misses in his national Open, finishing runner-up a

remarkable six times in 29 appearances, but this year’s host venue could be the key to Mickelson finally getting his hands on this elusive title. His record at Torrey Pines speaks for itself, having won the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open there three times as well as finishing runner-up twice. Could we witness history being made by the ‘Phil the Thrill’ once again?

Patrick Reed

BEST RESULT: 4th – 2018 Victory at Torrey Pines earlier this year makes Reed one of the favourites to etch his name onto the trophy and capture Major silverware for the second time. Has enjoyed four top 20s since that commanding fivestroke triumph including top tens at the

WGC at The Concession, The Masters and Wells Fargo Championship. Renowned for being one of the best in the business around the greens and, at the time of writing, ranks second for strokes gained in putting.

Bryson DeChambeau BEST RESULT: 1st - 2020

The defending champion made it look easy last year with a six-stroke rout at Winged Foot, where he was also the only player to finish under par. Won at Bay Hill earlier this year before finishing in a share of third at The

Players Championship to move inside the top five of the World Ranking. The big-hitter has proved he can make birdies even if he misses fairways while also demonstrating maturity and composure in recent victories.

Lee Westwood

BEST RESULT: 3rd – 2008, 2011 Enjoyed his best U.S. Open result the last time the event was held at Torrey Pines, finishing third after failing to sink a birdie putt on the 18th which would have seen him make the play-off with Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate. Like a fine wine, Westwood

seems to be getting better with age as he chases that elusive Major with runner-up finishes at The Players Championship and Arnold Palmer Invitational earlier this year coming off the back of his third Race to Dubai title in 2020.

Brooks Koepka

BEST RESULT: 1st – 2017, 2018 Question marks about his fitness were put to bed when he finished in a share of second at last month’s US PGA Championship. Always seem to go under the radar ahead of the biggest events but his Major record

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is nothing short of mesmerising. Since the 2017 Masters, he has played in 15 Major Championships, winning four of them, finishing second on three occasions and placing in the top 10 in three more.

AYERS Justin Rose

BEST RESULT: 1st – 2013

Back-to-back top tens at The Masters and US PGA Championship showed encouraging signs that his game is trending in the right direction following a difficult spell. Won his only Major at the 2013 edition with a two-stroke triumph at Merion and has enjoyed success at Torrey Pines with victory at the Farmers Insurance Open in 2019. Victory this year would see him make a welcome surge up the World Ranking as he looks to cement his title defence at the Olympic Games.

Will Zalatoris

BEST RESULT: T6 - 2020

Shot to fame with a runner-up finish at The Masters in April despite not holding full PGA Tour membership. Finished tied sixth at the 2020 edition at Winged Foot which kick-started an impressive run of form that saw the youngster finish inside the top ten, including a tied eighth at the US PGA Championship, a further six times to move inside the world’s top 30. Ranks second in stokes gained approach the green and sixth in strokes gained tee-to-green.

Jon Rahm

BEST RESULT: T3 – 2019 Secured his first PGA Tour victory in 2017 at Torrey Pines with a three-stroke triumph at the Farmers Insurance Open. Will be the highest ranked European in the field (3rd) once again as he looks to add a Major triumph to his glowing CV, which includes four Rolex Series wins and a Race to Dubai title.

Tony Finau

BEST RESULT: 5th – 2018

The big-hitting American has made the top 10 in nine of his last 13 Majors and looks destined to win one of golf’s biggest prizes. Despite his impressive record and consistent play he has only picked up one PGA Tour title, which was back in 2016 at the Puerto Rico Open. A share of second earlier this year at Torrey Pines was his fourth top ten in the last five editions.

Dustin Johnson BEST RESULT: 1st – 2016

The World No.1 finally got his hands on a second Major with victory at last year’s November Masters and quickly followed that up with his second victory in three years at the Saudi International. Hasn’t played at Torrey Pines since 2016, where he finished tied 18th, and has struggled in the last two Major Championships with missed cuts at Augusta National and Kiawah Island.

US OPEN SLEEPER PICKS. Lets take a look at a few players who are capable of pulling oﬀ a surprise. Harris English Less than two years ago English was outside the top 350 in the world but has returned to form in the last 12 months. He finished fourth at Winged Foot so can get it round a US Open set up and has form at Torrey Pines with a T8 in 2018 and 14th in 2017. Max Homa The Californian has already won in his home state at Riviera back in February – and his other win on Tour came at another Major venue two years ago at Quail Hollow. Only made one cut in seven Major starts but has a good eye for Torrey with a T9 in 2020 and T18 earlier this year. Sam Burns Riding high after winning his first Tour title in May and followed it with a runner-up. Finished T18 at Torrey in January and will fancy his chances if he returns from a back injury which forced him to withdraw from the PGA Championship. Tommy Fleetwood Hasn’t been at his consistent best so far in 2021 with as many missed cuts as top tens (three). He also doesn’t have a great record in California but has enjoyed success on tough layouts, notably with wins in Abu Dhabi (twice) and the Open de France. Brian Harman The gritty American has posted some impressive results this year with a T3 at The Players one of six top-25s so far. Finished T9 at Torrey in 2017. Christiaan Bezuidenhout Classy South African who has performed well on hard courses – notably winning at Valderrama in 2019, finishing third at Wentworth later that year and was runner-up at the 2020 Dubai Desert Classic. Hasn’t missed a cut since October and his best result is a T7 at Bay Hill in March. Jason Kokrak Something of a late bloomer, Kokrak is a steely competitor who held off Xander Schauffele to win his first title on his 233rd start in Las Vegas late last year. Hasn’t finished outside the top 30 in last three outings at Torrey Pines. Ryan Palmer Twice a runner-up at Torrey Pines in the last four years, Palmer is sneaky long for a 44-year-old and could contend should he have a good week with the driver in hand.

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GARRICK HIGGO

IT’S BEEN A WHIRLWIND FEW YEARS FOR SOUTH AFRICA’S LATEST HOTSHOT GARRICK HIGGO. THE 2-YEAR-OLD IS ALREADY A THREETIMES WINNER ON THE EUROPEAN TOUR HAVING ONLY TURNED PROFESSIONAL IN THE EARLY STAGES OF 29 AND NOW HAS HIS SIGHTS SET ON SOME OF THE BIGGEST TITLES IN THE SPORT. TODD STASZKO CAUGHT UP WITH THE YOUNGSTER AS HE PREPARED FOR HIS DEBUT MAJOR OUTING AT LAST MONTH’S US PGA CHAMPIONSHIP.

“E

verything has happened so fast,” beams Garrick Higgo as he reflects winning three times inside his first 26 starts on the European Tour, “it’s been unreal, really.” There was quite a buzz around the youngster last September when he won the co-sanctioned Open de Portugal to earn his place on the European Tour – and he enhanced his burgeoning reputation with two record-breaking victories in a devastating three-week spell in Spain last month. Higgo bookended the ‘Canary Islands Swing’ on the European Tour with victories at the Gran Canaria Lopesan Open and the Canary Islands Championship with record tallies of 25-under-par and 27-under-par respectively. Sandwiched in the middle was a T8 finish at the Tenerife Open, and his aggregate score over 216 holes was 68-under-par. So what’s been the secret to these incredibly low scores? “Right now I’d say it’s my putting that has been really great,” he smiles. “I have gained

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some distance off the tee and my iron-game has always been unbelievably strong, but my short game and putting has improved a lot and I think that’s why my ‘bad’ rounds have gotten a lot better in recent months. I have always given myself a lot of chances for birdie, but the days when I wasn’t playing well it was because my short game was letting me down.” There haven’t been any signs of any short-game woes in recent months, which is a far cry from 2018 when he was struggling to adapt to life in the United States while attending the University of Nevada in Las Vegas. Higgo cut short that stint and came home later that year and decided to take the plunge as a full-time touring professional. “I came back from college in December 2018, and at that point my plan was to turn professional and play some mini-tour events in South Africa,” says Higgo. “I had missed the entries for Sunshine Tour Qualifying School, but Gary Player managed to secure me an invitation to play the event. And I managed to get my card – which was a huge step for me because I hadn’t played that well throughout 2018.

I HAD PLAYED A COUPLE WHICH WERE CO-SANCTIONED WITH THE SUNSHINE TOUR IN SOUTH AFRICA AND THEN AFTER THE RE-START THERE WERE A FEW CO-SANCTIONED WITH THE EUROPEAN TOUR – AND I MANAGED TO WIN ONE OF THOSE IN PORTUGAL WHICH GOT ME A CARD ON THE FULL TOUR.”

Higgo celebrates with his caddie, Nick CavendishPell after winning his third European Tour title at the Canary Islands Championship.

“Then I had two wins on such a great layout and so the Sunshine Tour in its 2019 tough,” he says. “I guess it’s season, which was unreal. It probably the closest I’ll get happened so quick with that to playing Augusta before I first win, I think it was on ever qualify for a spot in The just my fourth start. Masters. It was in perfect And then in early 2020 I condition last year and was won the Tour Championships really fun to play.” – but just before that I Higgo later picked up a had secured a card for the T3 finish at the Aphrodite European Challenge Tour Hills Cyprus Open and at Q School. Then the first would earn his place in the lockdown because of Covid season-ending DP World happened so I didn’t play Tour Championship where that many Challenge Tour he finished T14 on debut. events. I had played a couple Looking to carry on that Higgo celebrates his ﬁrst career hole-in-one en route to victory at the Canary which were co-sanctioned momentum into the start of Islands Championship last month. with the Sunshine Tour in 2021 Higgo signed up for the South Africa and then after Tour’s Middle East Swing but the re-start there were a few found it tough going, missing co-sanctioned with the European Tour – and Rolex Series events and he didn’t feel out of the cut in all three events. I managed to win one of those in Portugal place or overawed, finishing inside the top 30 “Abu Dhabi and Dubai were both really which got me a card on the full Tour.” at both the Aberdeen Standard Investments difficult,” says Higgo, “I got the impression Higgo’s victory at the Open de Portugal Scottish Open and BMW PGA Championship that they’re the kind of events that you need last year paved the way for him to mix it with at Wentworth in the Autumn. to play a few times, because the first time was some of the stars of the game at the Tour’s “I really enjoyed playing Wentworth, it’s really hard because I didn’t really know which

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GARRICK HIGGO

Higgo is paired with his close friend Wilco Nienaber at last year’s ISPS HANDA UK Championship at The Belfry.

holes to attack and things like that. “But it was nice because it was the first time I’d played events alongside the top guys in the world – like Rory McIlroy in Abu Dhabi and Dustin Johnson in Saudi Arabia. So it was nice to see what kind of scores they shoot on those hard courses and see where their games are at – and obviously they are really good. “The weather in Dubai is unreal. We got to practice a lot and you can really see why people love Dubai and the UAE so much and I’m looking forward to getting back there later this season for the DP World Tour Championship. I enjoyed the Earth course a lot last year - it’s tough but when you play well it rewards you.” Currently in 5th place in the Race to Dubai, Higgo’s place at the season-ending showdown at Jumeirah Golf Estates is guaranteed and he will be looking to maintain his momentum as we enter the second half of 2020. With so much to look forward to, is there a moment he can look back on as a catalyst for his fast start to life as a professional? “I think that first Sunshine Tour victory at the Sun City Challenge in June 2019 was massive for me and my development,” says Higgo, “I came from behind and I beat some really good players, which was huge for my confidence because Sun City is a tough

“I AM A YEAR OLDER THAN HIM BUT WE PLAYED ALL THE SAME JUNIOR TOURNAMENTS AND WE KNOW EACH OTHER VERY WELL. I THINK WE SPUR EACH OTHER ON AND I WAS SO HAPPY FOR HIM TO WIN IN SOUTH AFRICA THE SAME WEEK THAT I WON – I’M SURE HE’S GOING TO WIN A LOT MORE.” course and you’ve got to hit the ball well. “At that point I was really enjoying playing full-time as a professional, but it was really an unreal feeling. And that victory got me into some co-sanctioned European Challenge Tour events, so it was big. “And then, when I won the Tour Championship in early 2020, the Covid lockdown came literally straight after it. So my game was in a good spot and I practiced and worked really hard on my swing during the

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lockdown. My confidence was also high after the Tour Championship win, and then when the new chapter started last summer, I kept that momentum going.” South Africa has been enjoying a purple patch of late with wins on the European Tour this season for Dean Burmester, Justin Harding and Daniel Van Tonder in addition to Higgo, and then there is the emergence of big-hitting Wilco Nienaber, who won his first professional title on home soil the same day

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GARRICK HIGGO

Higgo gets a ﬁrst taste of Major championship golf last month at the US PGA Championship at Kiawah Island.

Higgo was securing his third European Tour title. “Wilco is definitely my closest friend in golf,” says Higgo. “I am a year older than him but we played all the same junior tournaments and we know each other very well. I think we spur each other on and I was so happy for him to win in South Africa the same week that I won – I’m sure he’s going to win a lot more.” At the time of writing there are ten South Africans inside the top 100 in the world rankings, but Higgo is yet to really spend any time with the nations’ most recent Major winners, Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel. “When Louis and Charl won their Majors I don’t think I realised just how big those achievements were,” says Higgo. “Growing up I heard stories from my parents and the people at the golf clubs about guys like Ernie Els, Gary Player, Charl and Louis and guys like that, because they come from the same place. And it’s a massive motivation to see them achieve what they achieved because I know that if they can do it, I can do it. I’ve not really spent much time with Charl or Louis but I’m hoping that changes soon and I’d love to learn from them.” With South Africa’s golfing fraternity currently in rude health, it wouldn’t be a great surprise to see Higgo join his contemporaries as a Major champion in the coming years should he continue his current upward trajectory. ■

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WILL ZALATORIS

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK Worldwide GOLF 30

H E L A S T T WO Y E A R S H A V E B E E N SOMEWHAT A ROLLER-COASTER RIDE FOR RISING STAR WILL Z A L A TO R I S . F R O M R E LY I N G O N M O N D A Y QUALIFIERS AND SPONSOR EXEMPTIONS TO P L A Y O N T H E KO R N F E R RY TO U R I N 2 0 1 9 TO A N N O U N C I N G H I M S E L F TO T H E G O L F I N G WO R L D E A R L I E R T H I S Y E A R WITH A RUNNER-UP FINISH AT THE M A S T E R S TO U R N A M E N T - I T ’ S A L R E A DY B E E N O N E H E L L O F A J O U R N E Y.

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ou’d be forgiven if you hadn’t heard of the 24-year-old, who strikes an uncanny resemblance to Happy Gilmore’s caddy, before his heroics at Augusta National as he doesn’t hold full PGA Tour membership, despite ranking inside the top 30 in the world, due to no player earning or losing their membership in 2020 because of the pandemic. But his name was on everyone’s lips on the second weekend of April with the ‘tall skinny blonde kid’ from California posting four under par rounds – the only player to do so that week – to finish just one shy of Hideki Matsuyama on his Masters debut. “I still wish I could put into words how much fun I actually had at Augusta National,” said Zalatoris, who banked $1.2 million for finishing second. “I was able to appreciate playing in my first Masters because I really haven’t taken anything for granted over the last two years, going from Monday-qualifying for Korn Ferry Tour events to playing on the Korn Ferry Tour for two years to then playing in my first Masters – it’s a crazy wild ride that I’ve enjoyed every single minute of. “To be in contention on a Sunday at Augusta was obviously a dream come true. Obviously to come up one short will sting forever, but I know that I can contend against the best players in the world, and I know I’m capable of getting those two shots somewhere pretty soon.” A win at The Masters would have automatically sealed full membership on the PGA Tour and made him eligible for this season’s FedEx Cup Play-Offs. In fact, any Tour victory this season would earn automatic membership and put him in the hunt for the FedEx Cup title with only

I still wish I could put into words how much fun I actually had at Augusta National” 25 players, at the time of writing, banking more points than him this season. Despite the huge rewards that could be coming his way by entering the race for the PGA Tour’s season-long trophy, Zalatoris insists his game plan remains the same as it was when he was grinding his way through Monday Qualifiers on the Korn Ferry Tour. “My goal is to obviously win an event before the season’s over and be a part of the FedEx Cup playoffs,” he said. “I think it’s just about staying patient, I’ve kind of given this same monotonous answer for the last six months of – I’ve been sticking to the same practice routine and same process

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for two years and it’s gotten me to here. “Just because you’ve had some success doesn’t mean that we need to be changing goals, changing our attitude. It’s just more of the same. I’ve done that from Monday Qualifiers on the Korn Ferry Tour all the way into contending in a Major championship.”

WILL ZALATORIS

BIG CAT ERA

A victory on the PGA Tour would see him join the likes of Viktor Hovland, Matthew Wolff and Collin Morikawa as the recent generation of new stars who have etched their names onto trophies in the early stages of their PGA Tour career. Is it just a coincidence that these youngsters are firing on all cylinders from an early age? Zalatoris thinks not. “I think that fearlessness of seeing Tiger do his thing has carried over the last 20 years or 20-plus years – I think that’s why you’re seeing guys like Collin, Viktor and Matt coming out of the gates winning,” he said. “If you think about it, we were born kind of around when Tiger really started to take off, so from 2000 to 2010 that was one of the best decades of golf ever, and we got to see it. Seeing Tiger play and dominate in the way he did, we’re now seeing a lot of younger guys do that, the reality is obviously none of us have anything to lose out here, and I felt that at The Masters; my attitude was: ‘I’m playing in my first Masters; let’s enjoy this. I’ve watched this tournament for 20 years; let’s go have some fun’.” One thing Zalatoris and Tiger don’t share is the input their fathers had on their game. Tiger’s father, Earl, is widely known for coaching Tiger from a young age and being heavily involved in his growth whereas Zalatoris’ father, Richard, let Will forge his own path. “My parents were very hands-off,” he said. “My dad is really proud to say that he’s never been to single golf lesson of mine in my entire life, never sat in on one, never said, ‘Hey, you’re working on this, do that’. “He’s just completely let me be. And it’s very admirable, because I even think about some of my buddies or kids that I’ve mentored and if I go watch them play nine holes I’m like, ‘Dude, you got to get this thing going’ – I

Zalatoris picked up his ﬁrst professional win at the Korn Ferry Tour’s TPC Colorado Championship in 2020.

even act like a parent and they’re not even my kids. So I don’t know how he was able to do it that way, but it let me own my golf game. “I think my competitive spirit probably comes from my mum. She ran track at Oregon. She’s the toughest person I know. It’s kind of funny to see me as kind of a combination of my parents. My dad introduced me to the game, but he joked that his whole job was to go get me a milkshake and make sure I had enough golf balls when we were out there.”

PRESSURE

Zalatoris was part of the United States’ 2017 Walker Cup Team alongside Cameron Champ and Collin Morikawa.

At last month’s AT&T Byron Nelson, Zalatoris finished in a share of 17th which was his 25th Top-25 in his last 33 events. That’s the kind of form gets tongues wagging, so it came as no surprise to see the California native tee it up with 2021 Ryder Cup Captain Steve Stricker and Vice Captain Zach Johnson in a practice round at last month’s US PGA Championship. Does Zalatoris feel pressure to grab a PGA Tour win this season or play in his way to Ryder Cup contention? “The only pressure I feel is the pressure I put on myself,” he said. “Of course, there’s a lot of people that think I could play on a Ryder Cup team or win a Major or whatever. I mean, I’ve heard it all. I’ve been asked all the questions, but the fact of the matter is I’m just

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trying to become a better golfer every week. “I’ve now kind of had a little bit more of a breakout where more people have seen me play, but it’s still the same for me. People might think I could do more, think I could do better, but the goals I put on myself or the pressure that I put on myself is the only pressure that I really feel.” “I just go out, get better, sign up for a golf tournament and try to go win it. It’s nice to know that I can contend in Majors and contend against the best players in the world, but I still have things to improve on, and there’s things that I need to get better at in my golf game if I want to go win these tournaments. “For me, it’s the same goal of go out and win a tournament or win a Major. These are all career goals that I have, but I do that by focusing on the micro goals and trying to get better in every aspect of my golf game.” Whatever happens for the remainder of this season, Zalatoris is already guaranteed to earn fully exempt 2021-22 PGA Tour status via the top-125 nonmember category. But with a relaxed attitude to the game and a determination to take things week by week, you wouldn’t back against this rising star entering the winner’s circle in the very near future. ■

WHAT A MONTH!

I’VE BEEN been away for around four weeks in the lead-up to the US PGA Championship. The first three were split between West Palm Beach and Orlando before we headed north for the US PGA. It was a bit backwards and forwards with a lot of players. In Orlando I was with McDowell, Stenson and Poulter. From then I went to West Palm Beach to see Rory for a couple of days, Brooks for three days, Woodland for a couple of days, and then I had to factor in Victor Perez for an afternoon and Branden Grace for a morning. There was a lot of coming and going. It’s a six hour drive from Orlando up to Kiawah for the US PGA – about 425 miles. And then after the week, I drove back from South Carolina to Miami, which was almost nine hours, to catch a flight on Saturday on my own. When you’re on the road for that length of time you don’t half see some idiots behind the wheel – and there were plenty who made it onto the 18th fairway when Mickelson and Brooks were finishing the final round off. Brooks said he couldn’t see his second shot to the green land because everyone was running past him as he hit it. Rickie, Brooks’s caddy, said that when they did eventually get through the crowds Phil and his brother Tim were sat at the back of the green waiting for them – they got marshalled to the green while Brooks and Rickie were left to fend for themselves! Brooks rushed his putt, which, had he holed it, he would have finished second on his own, but he wanted to get out of the way for Phil. It was bad organisation on the PGA’s part, but everyone seemed to say that it was great for golf...! It wasn’t - it merely made golfers look like idiots – as if they didn’t care about the Covid pandemic. .

Brooks was fuming!

Brooks was far from happy after he came off the course on Sunday. I told him that was good because if it had been a regular tournament he wouldn’t have cared. But because it’s a Major he feels like he’s let himself down. It’s only a few weeks ago that his year looked like it could have been over before he had the operation on his

knee. It seemed like he might have needed to rehab for eight months! But here we are talking about him be disappointed at finishing second in a Major just a few weeks later. Now, Jack Nicklaus would have felt disappointed a lot of times, too, as he finished runner-up 19 times in the Majors!

No wonder Phil was hungry

Everybody’s impressed with what Phil achieved at Kiawah. He’s always produced off the wall stuff, and he’s now got people thinking about meditation. And then there was him talking about his fasting for 36-hours to keep up his weight loss. But he’s proved he can do it – at his age – so why can’t he do it again? If you’ve not done it and say that you will – that’s a different thing altogether. But, all of a sudden, he now has a five-year exemption to the US Open, which he needs to win to complete his career Grand Slam. Before the PGA win he needed a special exemption to get into this year’s event because his ranking had fallen. He’s such a fan favourite. The galleries love him. There were occasions when Phil out-drove Brooks, but that was largely down to it being a more favourable wind for a left-hander with a draw shape. Also, the stretch of holes from 6 through to 13 favoured a lefty.

Padraig’s swing is on point

I think the final round draw at Kiawah of Harrington playing alongside his fellow Irishman Shane Lowry helped both players to play well and move up the pack into the top 10. Padraig played great and has that inner belief. Nowadays, he says he doesn’t make many ‘swing’ related mistakes – it’s only mental mistakes. His swing is really solid and his mechanics are great. I watched him flush drivers off the deck and if your swing has any issues that shot will highlight them. Alhough he didn’t take that shot onto the course, which is shame as he could easily have hit it. At the beginning of the PGA Padraig admitted to me that he felt nervous about his chipping but then he got a good session against Lowry in practice around the green and he started to get more confident with a

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wedge in his hand. He even took Rose on in a fun chipping competition and walked away with the money. So, he really had no reason to feel nervous.

Old guard flying the flag

I’m delighted for Blandy (Richard Bland). You’ve got to take your hat off to someone who is prepared to do that. I had packed in my playing career by the time I was 28 and Blandy just kept going and kept going as a journeyman pro. I think Tim Barter has done a really good job coaching him to get him competitive at that age. Dialling in his wedges and finding fairways off the tee was the only way to compete against the youngsters and they’ve proved the formula works. Another oldie who has impressed me was Stewart Cink. I watched him play with Brooks in the practice round at the PGA. He’s tall and has long levers, just like Phil, and hits it a long way. When he won at Hilton Head he said: ‘I was expecting a real dog-fight but the dogs didn’t turn up!’ Mickelson could say the same about the PGA! No-one really put all that much pressure on him in the final round.

Super League could have worked

I think things are going a bit cold on the proposed Golf Super League front and it looks like those who were involved in the project are trying to move in and buy the Asian Tour. I was talking about this recently with various people and what they need to do is find an in-road into the game. At the end of the year, if they want to try and get the players, they should have a massive tournament – a bit like the old World Match Play Championship – and invite all the best players, pay them $5m each and then start talking about building from there. You can’t take the PGA and European Tours head on. It was a shame the European Tour didn’t go the Saudi route and I know they have other plans for their brand in the Middle East. But if the Saudis had come in and been able to put on , say 30 tournaments a year with a guarantee of $3m each – with more in some - a lot of the Europeans would have played Europe and just played the three Majors over in the USA.

THE PETE COWEN COLUMN

“I’m not trying to re-invent the wheel with Rory because he’s got the best body action you could have for a golfer.” PETE COWEN

COMMENTATORS HAVE NO IDEA WHEN IT COMES TO RORY WE’VE PUT A LOT of hard work in so far but all I’m trying to do with Rory is bring his deviation pattern down, and it irks me to hear the commentators on TV saying conflicting things about working on hitting a draw or a fade. I can’t make Rory perfect, it’s just all about bringing his deviation down. No-one is going to get rid of his trademark draw, because then it will be nearer to a straight shot. But what we want to stop is the push-draw that he’s had for years, which is now becoming a hook – we want to turn that 50-yard hook into a 5-yard draw and give him a ‘fairway finder’ off the tee, which is a cut shot, if he needs it. This isn’t going to happen in two minutes. It will take time. I’ve got him working on his right arm because his club gets too far behind him and the path goes too far right and it becomes a push-draw or a sling hook. How did Rory win last month? Rory’s win at Quail Hollow was all down to his performance on the greens – he was 52 out of 52 on putts from inside six feet, and anyone’s got a chance when they put up stats like that. But as he said at the time – he was hitting his target quite a lot but running through the fairway. There’s a lot of slight dog-legs on that course and so, statistically, he was missing fairways, and therefore it looked on paper as if he had driven it badly, but the stats don’t tell the full story. The 8th hole there is a short par-4 and he knocked it up alongside the green – but because he’s not in the short grass that goes down as a missed fairway. Rory was hitting effective shots off the tee, even if they didn’t hit the fairway, because he could still get it on the green. That stat of him hitting 34% fairways-hit shouldn’t have been the focus from the media. On the range, Rory can hit any shot you like because he’s a talented kid. But what you’ve got to do is make sure that he can do everything under pressure without manipulating too much. So in an ideal world all we are trying to do is put a little bit more pressure on the ball so he can control his ball flight, and that’s it in the most simplest of terms. I’m not trying to re-invent the wheel with Rory because he’s got the best body action you could have for a golfer.

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WHAT IS THE GOAL WITH RORY?

his is a sequence of Rory hitting a push-draw, and I’m going to relate to this as what I would like it to be if he was hitting a straight shot. So for me, I know this is a push-draw, but I’m looking at it as if I want it to be a straighter shot. These are good mechanics for a push draw, which could turn into an over-draw or a hook if it gets too excessive. He’s been doing this all his life, but now, with stiffer shafts and the balls that are not moving as much in the air, does he need a ball that spins a little bit more? We’re working on trying to neutralize everything so that his draw is a 5-yard draw and his cut is a 5-yard cut. But at the moment, to Rory, a 5-yard draw feels like a cut to him. So it’s a work in progress, but his short-game is getting better because we’ve controlled his ball flight. There are certain things you have to do to maintain a good short game, and to hit a pitch that will stop and check after one bounce you need the correct flight and spin. But if you can’t control your trajectory then you can’t control your distance or spin.

1. Rory’ posture is always good, he still works at it, but it’s always been solid. It’s a great base for his swing.

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THE PETE COWEN COLUMN

2. Because we know he’s hitting a pushdraw, it’s probably where he needs to be – but for me it’s a slight overrotation of the right arm and body.

5. His right arm is a little bit too far behind the body here, but again it’s OK for this shot, but we don’t want a push-draw shot! It’s too deep for a neutral shot, and we’re working to neutralize his path.

8. The body movement here says ‘path to the right’.

3. The club is starting to go a little bit too deep here.

4. The ‘set’ of the wrists and the shaft is, again, a little bit too deep, but it’s ok for this push-draw shot.

6. The body movement and the squat is good – he’s got some of the best body movement ever. But the arms, for a neutral shot, are a little bit behind.

7. Most players and coaches would say that this is a good shaft plane, and it is – for a push-draw!

9. The extended arms match with this being a push-draw, you can see him chasing it a little here. Working with Rory, he just needs to neutralize these positions if he wants to hit a neutral shot.

11. This position says ‘draw’ all day. It’s almost a classic Ben Hogan ‘fold of the arms’ position after drawing it.

10. A natural fold of the arms for a push-draw shot.

12. To me, this tells me that he’s thinking to himself ‘I hope this doesn’t over-draw’. You can see it in his arm position.

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COLUMN

ADRI ARNAUS Pushing for a strong second half of the season.

Great to be back in the mix

We’re at the halfway stage of a strange season and I feel my best is still to come.

E’RE at the halfway stage of this year’s Race to Dubai and it’s been an up and down one for myself from starting the year with strong finishes in Abu Dhabi and Dubai to contracting COVID-19 in Qatar before back-to-back top tens in Spain last month. It was great to be able to perform well in those last two events in Tenerife for a few reasons. The first of those is the fact it’s always special to play well in your homeland and it’s a place I’ve always enjoyed playing with the beautiful weather and fun courses. But the biggest positive from the events was how solid I played after coming off a difficult few months, I was feeling quite drained physically having played five events in a row by the end of British Masters but we managed to stick in there and produce some nice golf with two decent results in that stretch. It was also nice to feel the changes I’ve made in my swing heading in the right direction. I’m looking forward to building on that and continue hitting it further while having consistency with my ball flight. Puttingwise we’ve also been working quite hard on reading as well as the stroke, so everything is falling into place, my physical condition needs to improve but it’s hard to do when you are flying every week. Hopefully we can get back on track and start hitting the gym when I have some energy to get back to feeling the power throughout a whole tournament week. While we were in Spain we also remembered the late great Seve Ballesteros on what was the tenth anniversary of his passing. It was special to be able to mark the occasion on home soil with the European Tour giving him the respect he deserves with a number of fitting tributes. I had the pleasure of meeting him when I was nine years old while I was playing for the Spanish U10’s. We bumped into him and he was really nice and let us take a photo with him, it was the only time I met him but I can say that I was lucky

enough to shake his hand. He’s someone that I always looked up to with his passion on the course and his fantastic short game. These are things I would like to emulate and I think I did a little bit during the final tournament in Spain. Needless to say, I was thinking about him and the legacy that he has made in Spain and Europe.

Route to success

I always keep an eye out on the Challenge Tour after enjoying success there a few years ago with victory in the Grand Final sealing my passage into European Tour golf so it was great to see the Tour make its return to European shores after starting the season with a trio of events in South Africa. I have a few people that I’m really cheering on including Lucas Vacarisas, who is one of my friends from Barcelona he has come off the Alps Tour and is playing on the Challenge Tour for the first time so I wish all the best. I’ll also be keeping an eye out for Santiago Tarrio, who came very close last year to earning his card last year, so hopefully both of them can secure their playing privileges along with the rest of the Spanish contingent.

Magnificent Mickelson

I wasn’t planning on watching any of the PGA Championship after playing on Tour for five weeks straight. I just wanted to disconnect for a while but by the end of the week I had to switch it on to catch some of the incredible action from Phil Mickelson. It was a truly amazing feat to win a Major Championship at the age of 50 and it shows off his magnificent work ethic, passion and the fun he has out on the course. It capped off a terrific stretch of golf for some of the older guys out on Tour with Mickelson, Lee Westwood and Richard Bland all winning trophies to show us younger players up! ■

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COLUMN

BLANDY, 2021 BRITISH MASTERS CHAMPION, I SALUTE YOU Richard Bland proves that inspiration can come in many forms, and last month it came in the form of a man who has proved to all his fellow golfers that age is no barrier, and that getting knocked down is only a problem if you fail to get back up again, and that consistency and loyalty are both great attributes.

Y FIRST British Amateur experience was way back in 1994 was, “why on earth is he not in contention every week?’ Last at the wonderful Nairn Golf Club in the north of Scotland. month when we arrived at The Belfry, one of the game’s most I remember it for a number reasons, one of which was famous of venues with rough around the greens and targets that when I shared a static caravan with a few other players from the needed hitting - right up anyone’s alley who could hit the ball south of England. Richard Bland was one of them, and he has been accurately, time after time after time. a good friend ever since. We started on Wednesday, and on Tuesday night, with no alarm Twenty seven years later and we are both still playing on the Tour, call to wake up to I fell into the deepest of sleeps, and had the most but last week ‘Blandy,’ as he is universally known, became the oldest vivid of dreams - you know the one, where you wake up and have to first time-winner in the history of the European Tour. In fact, you take a moment to check where you are, and to work out what the have to go back to the 1960s on the PGA Tour to find an older firsttrue reality is. My dream was clear: Richard Bland, holding a Trophy time winner. So the lad I shared fish suppers with in that caravan all aloft, above his head, for the first time in his career. those years ago, has just etched his name into I informed Richard about my dream, saying: golf’s history books. “Blandy, I had a dream last night that you won the “I INFORMED RICHARD tournament.” “Cheers Howeller” he replied, “I’m What a tale of perseverance, dedication and ABOUT MY DREAM, discipline Richard can tell. His journey through to hear you can’t stop thinking about me,” and SAYING: “BLANDY, I HAD glad professional golf could hardly have been more off he toddled to warm up, to work on the routine A DREAM LAST NIGHT different to mine. My success came rather easily that he always works on, to keep doing the same THAT YOU WON THE and early in my career, and the confidence and thing each and every time - just as he has done for TOURNAMENT.” “CHEERS belief that came with those early triumphs pushed majority of his 478 starts on Tour. HOWELLER’ HE REPLIED, theThings me onto heights I hadn’t anticipated reaching. were not quite the same as they turned ‘I’M GLAD TO HEAR YOU ‘Blandy’s’ progress took somewhat longer and was out to be. Blandy’ hit the front during round two, CAN’T STOP THINKING a little steadier, shall we say. then I had a morning searching The Belfry for my ABOUT ME.” He earned his Tour card when he was in his early wash bag and pillow, which I had duly forgot to twenties, which for all pro golfers is the first hurdle pack when I scurried away from the venue having to leap. For a few years he bounced around the lower reaches of the missed the cut. Then ‘Blandy’ missed everything on the greens in round Tour. Slowly and surely, day after day, year after year progress was three to sit three shots back. I know this because I spoke to him that made, until ‘Blandy’ finally became a fixture on the Tour. If you had night, to check on the pillow situation. He sounded relaxed and quite asked the 19-year-old Richard Bland if he would embark on a content. 25-year career on the European Tour; get to travel to virtually every corner of the world; play the game he loved for a living; rub Life changer shoulders with the game’s best players; earn a healthy living Little did he know that the following day, his life would change and, of course, most importantly, eat with me most nights, I forever. All the hard work and dedication would come to fruition reckon he would have snapped your hand off. on perhaps the most famous 18th green in England, where he stared at a 30-foot putt for birdie across the slope, to set a Playing his best golf at 48! clubhouse total that would be hard to reach. But a win was the missing link from his resume, and in 2018 I watched on my mobile phone, in the pouring rain, as ‘Blandy’ Richard lost his ‘playing’ card, and, at the age of 46, was back on the heroically holed the most crucial putt of his lifetime. Thirty eight Challenge Tour competing with the youngsters. Clearly, that could so years of practice, the ups and downs, the doubts and fears, had easily have been the end of the road. But the enthusiasm was still all been scrubbed away in that one instant, when it mattered within, the fire was still burning, and through sheer will and most. He made the putt - the putt of all putts - on the 18th green determination he worked his way back onto the main Tour just in at The Belfry, which was the moment he won the British Masters time for Covid-19 to take hold of all our lives. in reality, not the three-foot putt 20 minutes later when he won When we returned to the golf courses from the first lockdown, I the playoff. noticed something unusual. Week-on-week when we practiced Inspiration can come in many forms, and last month it came in Blandy was so damned good at the game of golf, with straight drives; the form of a man who has proved to all his fellow golfers that well struck iron shots; confident short game. Quite simply, here was age is no barrier, that getting knocked down is only a problem if a man who was better at golf now than he had ever been at any time you fail to get back up again, and that consistency and loyalty in his earlier golfing life, over the past twenty years. I took to joking are both great attributes. with him, saying that he must be the best 48-year-old golfer in the It also proves that my dreams can indeed come true, so long world, a mickey-taking routine that he seemed to like - backhanded as the oldest winner in town plays a starring role. ■ compliments. Suddenly, the talk amongst his friends and fellow competitors By David Howell

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NICK POPPLETON

“I’VE PLAYED THE FIRST NINE ROUNDS OF THE 2021 SEASON 35-UNDER-PAR ... SO NICK AND PETE HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB”

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CHOCKS AWAY!

MEET OUR NEW

TEST

PILOT BY ALEX GALLEMORE

hen it come to testing clubs you should really use an Iron Byron machine in order to record data using a repetitive mechanical motion but they will set you back close to $2 million! The next best thing is to find the services of a top level professional that swings the club as close to neutral through impact. Oh, the professional also needs to be willing to test products in a none bias way that doesn’t breach any sponsorship clauses … now you can understand why an Iron Byron machine is easier to find! Thankfully, through the Pete Cowen connection, we have at long last found the perfect club tester. Nick Poppleton grew up at the Peter Cowen Academy in Sheffield under the watchful eye of Nick Huby and Pete. He turned professional in 2019 but the pandemic has limited his playing options, so we quickly jumped in to book some of his valuable spare time. As you can imagine his swing mechanics are spot on in terms of club to path but equally as important is he’s a Sheffield lad and values the cost of things. Nick, like his mentors, will say things straight. There are no hidden agendas or paid promotions. For this reason we would like to introduce Nick so you can meet the man behind the testing.

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

Try our more user friendly login options

Website

www.egfgolf.com

info@egfgolf.com

Social Media

CHOCKS AWAY!

Are Tour pros getting paid too much? It is quite easy to lose perspective on what money is worth but the vast sums that are on offer are making the top-level players not relatable as people. How has the pandemic affected your plans? Last year was a struggle not being able to travel and play constant tournaments. I ended up playing one-day mini tour events in the North of England, mainly on the 2020 Tour. I played well and won a few events but it will be great to get some three round tournaments under my belt on the Euro Pro Tour and push on. What are the financial pressures? When I first started on the Euro Pro Tour I struggled and turned over £12,000 and when you spend upwards of £10,000 on expenses it’s not a lot of money to get by with. How are you able to cover your out goings and still focus on your game? During the pandemic I’ve done a few extra jobs from driving a delivery van for Iceland to fitting windows and glazing with a close friend of mine at weekends plus any other odd jobs that crop up. Did lockdown affect your game? Surprisingly it actually helped. As I was practicing too much prior to lockdown but when things opened up I felt fresh and went on to win the first event. What is your route to make it big on Tour? Firstly I need to constantly play well to my ability and the best route would be through Tour School but that is an extreme expense. Its £6,000 if you play all three stages but it’s easy to run out of money and need to pull out in the later stages. So this year I’m trying to earn a place on the Challenge Tour via the Euro Pro Tour. It’s the better route in the long run, as the Challenge Tour players tend to fair better once they make it on the European Tour because they are used to the travelling plus the standards are very similar.

it up alongside them. At that point, under real tournament pressure, I will be able to see how my game really stands up against the best. Unlike many professionals you don’t have your name on the bag, why? When I gain my tour card or win an international event I might do as I feel you have to earn the right to put your name on the bag. When you earn that winners’ cheque what would you spend it on? I’m not sure. I prefer to treat other people that have been good to me. I’ve got everything I need right now. My partner works for the NHS and she’s happy and healthy plus the rest of my family haven’t been affected by the pandemic. Thinking about it I would pay my partner’s mortgage off. I think that might go down well! Why is Sheffield producing top class golfers? There are a few things. First Pete is a massive factor and generally the players tend to come from more of a working class background and are hungry for success. That’s not just Sheffield but the north of England. Who are your golfing idols? I know it sounds cheesy but Pete has been my role model due to what he has done and achieved. As a player I’d have to idolise Stenson for his ball striking but realistically it’s the coaches I tend to look up to the most. I’ve done a lot of work with Nick Huby at Pete’s range in Rotherham and he’s established one of the best junior programmes in the country from the ground up.

Do you see yourself teeing it up on the PGA TOUR in the future? I’ve been very privileged to see some of the best players down at Pete’s academy and I definitely think my game could hold up against those guys. I’m certainly hungry enough to put in the graft to show I can tee

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PETE COWEN

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IRON BLING

PXG GEN4 IRONS

ARE THEY JUST EXPENSIVE PINGS? The PXG GEN4 irons have a unique look that sets them apart from the other major manufacturers and their latest fitting system is one of the best, but are they worth the staggering $500 … per iron? Before we conduct our test, lets review the specs and how PXG justify the sky-high price tag. THE MODELS

O311T GEN4 -The Tour head is for players that put an emphasis on workability. O311 P GEN4 - The Players head blends performance, workability and forgiveness O311 XP GEN4 - The Xtreme Performance head is all about distance and forgiveness.

THE TECHNOLOGY

XCOR Technology The upgraded polymer is designed to supercharge ball speeds while adding a softer feel. It certainly works but does it work too well? Ultra thins face and upgraded polymer insert At 1.55mm thick PXG has produced the thinnest face in golf. That’s backed by their upgraded XCOR polymer insert behind the face to create their highest C.O.R. performance ever. The issue might be they are too hot. Read the review below to find out more.

Precision Weighting Technology

Inspired by the adjustability in the PXG metal woods, the GEN4 irons feature a similar weighting system located on the back of the clubhead. This is to give the fitter an additional option to customise the swing weight to dial in the club. Unfortunately the weights aren’t intended to be re-adjusted. So not ideal for the tinker happy golfer!

5 x Forged

The 8620 soft carbon steel irons are forged five times to increase strength and prolong the life of the grooves while enhancing the overall feel. The feel is very comparable to the GEN3 irons but it will be interesting to see if they hold up better, not just groove wear, but also in the bag. As forged clubs pick up unwanted dings while in the bag when they knock into each other. I guess I should get iron covers, but who has the time for that on the course?

Milled Back

I’m a huge fan of the way PXG mill their clubs. It’s designed to

reduce the wall thickness to enhance performance but it’s main purpose is aesthetics and it certainly scores on that front.

THE FINDINGS

We put the PXG GEN4 P head up against the PING i210 iron in a straight shoot out test - three balls each with a wedge, seven and five iron. Why PING you might ask? Well it’s easy to see the similarities in looks and technology in the two brands and considering PXG’s lead designers originated from PXG the synergy becomes even clearer. In terms of feel both sets of irons deliver and you would struggle to split them. When it comes to distance the PXG GEN4 irons are longer but that is the issue. With a wedge I got a dispersion difference of 15 yards with the GEN4 and just 5 yards with the i210. The thin face in the GEN4 is fast but you get that hot one that you just can’t predict. The story was the same when it came to testing the seven and five irons. The readings on the TrackMan matched what I was seeing in the ball flight and the shafts were an identical spec.

THE REVIEW

People buy cars for a whole variety of different reasons. Whether it is comfort, speed or fuel consumption, we all have our reasons and budgets. PXG has certainly priced and designed the GEN4 iron around the looks and fitting experience at the high end but they will not lower your handicap any more than the other leading brands. The distance gain will be a welcome boost for the shorter hitters and the dispersion might not be too much of an issue for the mid to higher handicapper. For the better player where dispersion is more essential the PING i210 won hands down and at less than half the price of the PXG GEN4.

PXG GEN4 Scores Looks 4/5 Feel 3.5/5 Performance 4/5 Dispersion 2/5 Value 3.5/5

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IN THE BAG WITH

VICTOR PEREZ DRIVER

PING G425 MAX 9O LOFT SHAFT: GRAPHITE DESIGN IZ 7X, 45 1/4”. D5

FAIRWAY

2021

STATS DRIVING DISTANCE: 294.8 YARDS

PING G425 LST 3W SHAFT: 43”, MITSUBISHI TENSEI BLUE 80TX TIPPED 1”. D4

DRIVING ACCURACY % 66.88% GREENS IN REG. % 63.13% SAND SAVE PERCENTAGE 47.06% PUTTS PER ROUND 29.55

IRONS

PING IBLADES 3-5 PING BLUE PRINT 6-PW SHAFT: PING ZZ LITE, +1”, D8

SCORING AVERAGE 72.2

WEDGES

PING PROTOTYPE 50O , 56O , 60O LOFT SHAFT: PING Z-Z65

ON THE BAG: JP FITZGERALD Having previously caddied for Rory for eight years, JP took a two year break when the pair amicably split in 2017. JP returned to work with Matthew Wolff for a short spell before settling with Perez in 2019, just before the Frenchman went on to secure his first win on the European Tour at the Alfred Dunhill Championship later that year. It was a huge boost Victor’s word ranking points and a ticket to play events on the PGA TOUR.

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PUTTER

PING SIGMA 2 ZB2 PLATINUM 35.5”, 10 UPRIGHT, 30 LOFT, PING PP61 GRIP

BY ROBBIE MCCARTHY

Store Manager at Golf Superstore

D R YJ O Y P R E M I E R E S E R I E S

BLAST FROM THE PAST

ootJoy has been at the forefront of golf apparel for over 150 years with the iconic brand being the go-to for shoes, gloves and clothing for Tour professionals weekend warriors alike. Their latest masterpiece to hit the market comes in the shape of the DryJoy Premiere Series which features three new upper designs, Tarlow, Packard and Flint, inspired by three of FootJoy’s best celebrated innovators. The DryJoy Premiere Series, which has been designed in collaboration with several PGA Tour payers, are a modern reimagining of the brand’s rich footwear history with each collection using premium leather uppers and ultra-lightweight materials, as well as precise detailing to deliver modern classic styling.

TARLOW The Tarlow is inspired by Bill and Dick Tarlow, who bought the FootJoy business in 1957 and focused the brand primarily on golf. The craftmanship that has gone into the design is stunning with the collection featuring a nod to the timeless cap toe design while using a natural grain leather in the vamp and the quarter, complemented by a coordinated croc print in the heel, cap toe and eyestay.

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DRYJOY PREMIERE SERIES

FLINT

Named after Perley Flint, designer of the first ever FootJoy golf shoe in 1910, the Flint is a spikeless collection which features a smooth ChromoSkin leather in the upper with decorated detailing on the saddle area. Inside the shoe you will find premium lambskin linings and a new fitbed for supreme comfort. The Navy model really stands out from the crowd with its timeless, elegant look, making it one of the smartest shoes on the market.

VERSATRAX+ PACKARD The Packard takes inspiration from Frederick Packard, who originally founded the Burt and Packard Shoe Company in 1857 which would later become FootyJoy. The collection has such a clean look with pebble grain leather in both the vamp and the quarter while using calfskin croc print in the saddle area, complemented by a natural leather welt and contrast stitching.

1857

Burt and Packard Shoe Company founded in Brockton, Massachusetts. Soon thereafter named Field and Flint Company.

1927

Field and Flint Company’s FootJoy line of golf shoes becomes ofﬁcial shoe for American Ryder Cup team captained by Walter Hagen.

“I COULDN’T PUT THE PREMIERES IN PLAY FAST ENOUGH. THEY LOOK INCREDIBLE — VISUALLY INSTILLING CONFIDENCE, AND MY FEET FEEL IN COMPLETE CONTROL THROUGHOUT MY SWING.” JUSTIN THOMAS

1945

FootJoy wins its ﬁrst shoe count on U.S. PGA Tour.

1957

Stone and Tarlow families purchase Field and Flint Company.

1970

Field and Flint Company becomes ofﬁcially known as FootJoy, Inc.

The innovation in the DryJoys is led by the brand-new VersaTrax+ outsole which features a revolutionary anti-channeling tread pattern that is engineered to provide grip for any lie or angle. The Premiere Series has taken the Tour by storm and will be worn by more Tour players in 2021 than any other golf shoe, including Justin Thomas, Adam Scott, Ian Poulter, Rafa Cabrera Bello and countless others.

1980

FootJoy becomes the ﬁrst glove manufacturer to use water repellent cabretta leather – becomes #1 glove in golf by 1983

1989

DryJoys golf shoes were introduced

1996

FootJoy celebrates the sale of the 50 millionth glove sold worldwide.

2016

The Pro|SL quickly becomes the #1 shoe model on every major world Tour and at retail in many worldwide markets.

Next time you are passing our Umm Suqeim store in Dubai, please pop in and check out our vast collection of FootJoy shoes, including the stunning DryJoy Premiere Series.

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Experience the Trump lifestyle this summer As the scorching summer edges ever closer in the UAE, you’d be forgiven for putting the clubs away for a couple of months to escape the sizzling sun. But then you’d be missing out an array of improvements at Trump International Golf Club, Dubai both on and oﬀ the course.

From a brand-new putting green and short game area on the Par 3 course to the addition of ﬂoodlights on the Academy range, everything is set up to help you make the most of the cooler evening climate and the club is ready to welcome you this summer.

PLAY ON ONE OF THE BEST PAR 3 COURSES IN THE WORLD The fantastic Par 3, which has been nominated in the ‘Best Par 3 Course in the World’ category at the World Golf Awards, has undergone some major changes with the installation of a brand-new short game area and putting green while new tee boxes are set to be finished for the summer. Guests can also enjoy the addition of the Caddy Shack Drive-In off course. The casual dining venue offers an array of easy bites from gourmet burgers combos, nachos to ice cream sundaes and monster milkshakes whilst hosting entertainment throughout the week including FREE movie nights for kids on the weekends. “With the popularity of our Gil Hanse PAR 3 course growing exponentially, we believed that the time was right to enhance the experience further with the putting green and short game area. The addition of the Caddy Shack Drive-In brings a vibe to the course in the evenings for golfers and friends to mingle after their rounds.” Casper Schonfeldt, General Manager.

GROOVE YOUR SWING UNDER THE LIGHTS With the summer heat fast approaching, the new floodlights on the Academy Range will come as a welcome addition for those that like to practice under the lights to escape the heat. The club offers a number of Summer Academy packages for a wide range of abilities, ensuring you receive a tailor-made enhanced tuition experience from one of the club’s top-class professionals. “In the summer, the timeframe for practice during the day is quite short, with the addition of lights on the range, we can now offer more tuitions, later throughout the evening, giving more students the opportunity to schedule their training for the summer.” Sven Nielsen, Head PGA Professional.

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TRUMP INTERNATIONAL GOLF CLUB, DUBAI

BAG A LUXURY BARGAIN AT THE PRO SHOP The Trump Pro Shop will kit you out in the latest golf hardware and apparel with a great range exclusively available such as Greyson, Travis Mathew, EP PRO, Fairway and Greene and B Draddy. You can also book yourself into the TrackMan fitting studio to test out the new SIM 2 range, while demo days will be hosted throughout the summer to showcase pioneering hardware equipment in the region from top golfing brands. “Trump International is the home of luxury golf and keeping in line with our quality standards, we believe that offering some of the top fashion golf apparel brands exclusively at the club, helps our golfers stand out from the rest of the crowd.” Phil Waine, Director of Golf.

SOCIAL FOODIE HEAVEN For all you foodies there’s plenty to tuck in to with all-day dining promotions at the restaurant and 71 Sports Bar. The restaurant has a new family chic interior and offers fantastic weekly promotions such as steak nights, BBQ deals and a carvery plus keep an eye out for an all-new concept with Italian flair later in the summer. If you’re looking to catch the latest sporting action on the big screen then 71 Sports Bar has you covered with everything from EURO 2020 to the Formula 1 World Championship.

“With our vision to offer continuous improvements for our members and guests, in 2021 we have contracted Skelmore hospitality partners to further enhance our dining offerings through five venues at Trump Golf Dubai. From casual diners to the cigar connoisseur, we have different gastronomical experiences for everyone, with a distinctive flair.” Casper Schonfeldt, General Manager.

AWARD WINNING LUXURY GOLF AT ITS BEST To experience the luxury Trump Golf lifestyle and their fantastic facilities this summer pick up a Weekday Summer Pass which gives you access to the Gil Hanse designed 18 Hole Championship course, which has been nominated at World Golf Awards for best Course in the UAE and Dubai. If you’re looking to sharpen your game then take advantage of the Summer Academy packages or if you just fancy a bite to eat, the club’s array of delicious dining outlets are the perfect spot for everyone this summer.

VISIT THE HOME OF LUXURY GOLF IN DUBAI. CALL 042453939 OR VISIT WWW.TRUMPGOLFDUBAI.COM Worldwide GOLF 51

UAE golf industry shines bright at 59club Awards

fter more than a year of being starved of physical get togethers, representatives from the finest golf properties across the Middle East & Africa descended on Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai last month with the hope of claiming an industry ‘Oscar’ at the annual 59club MEA Service Excellence Awards Supported by Golfbreaks. A day which started with a 9-hole Team Shamble on the Earth course, ended in a glittering awards ceremony as the market-leading performance-management specialist continued to honour its best performers across the region for having achieved the highest standards of sales & customer service excellence across 2020/21. The winners in the 59club MEA Service Excellence Awards are determined by scores collected from its impartial mystery shopping audits, which evaluate the experience afforded to visiting golfers and prospective members, in accordance with objective benchmarking criteria. On the night, 59club MEA presented 16 awards, recognising ‘service excellence’ across all areas of the businesses – Sales, Service, Operations, Retail, Golf course, Food & Beverage and Management. And, for one property, there was double celebrations as Abu Dhabi Golf Club saw two of its teams honoured after scooping Golf Membership Sales Team of the Year and Golf Agronomy Team of the Year. Speaking of their winning performance, Francisco de Lancastre, Cluster General Manager said; “We are delighted to receive these two awards, as it is a testament to the

Scott Sellars, Golf Operations Manager, Abu Dhabi Golf Club and Clinton Southorn, Cluster Director of Agronomy took home awards on the night.

It was an honour and privilege to host the first service excellence awards outside of the UK, special thanks to our host venue, Jumeirah Golf Estates and Golfbreaks for their support of the event, as well as all our event partners. Congratulations to all nominees and winners on the night, all of whom can be proud of the levels of service provided throughout 2020 and we look forward to continuing to support the industry in driving standards forward.” Mark Bull, Director at 59club MEA hard work and effort demonstrated by the team over 2020. Working with 59club MEA throughout the year assists us to monitor customer service data and constantly strive to improve and evolve our renowned service and facility standards”. Other Teams honoured on the night were Abu Dhabi City Golf Club who were awarded Food and Beverage Team of the Year, Emirates Golf Club who claimed Golf Operations Team of the Year and The Els Club, Dubai having scooped Golf Retail Team of the Year. While Trump International Golf Club, Dubai went on to receive the My59 Ultimate Service Excellence Award for their continued commitment to engage, analyze and enrich their member and guest experience, utilising a collateral of survey tools across 59club’s software platform.

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The final awards of the evening and always a highlight of proceedings saw 59club MEA present their Industry Benchmark of excellence, it’s Gold and Silver Flag Designations. These highly prized accolades recognise properties that provide excellent facilities for golfers to enjoy, as well as having achieved the required standard of customer service throughout the year. This year, 59club MEA presented eight ‘Gold Flags’, the deserving winners were: Abu Dhabi Golf Club; Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club; Emirates Golf Club; Jumeirah Golf Estates; Saadiyat Beach Golf Club; The Els Club, Dubai; Trump International Golf Club, Dubai; and Yas Links Abu Dhabi. Whilst two ‘Silver Flags’ went to Abu Dhabi City Golf Club and The Track, Meydan Golf. Of this year’s awards, Mark Bull, Director

59CLUB MEA AWARDS

at 59club MEA, commented: “ It was an honour and privilege to host the first service excellence awards outside of the UK, special thanks to our host venue, Jumeirah Golf Estates and Golfbreaks for their support of the event, as well as all our event partners. Congratulations to all nominees and winners on the night, all of whom can be proud of the levels of service provided throughout 2020 and we look forward to continuing to support the industry in driving standards forward.”

Guests took part in a 9-hole Team Shamble on the Earth course before the glittering awards ceremony.

59CLUB MEA ‘SERVICE EXCELLENCE’ AWARD WINNERS 2020/21 1

GOLF MEMBERSHIP SALES TEAM OF THE YEAR, SPONSORED BY WORLDWIDE GOLF:

ABU DHABI GOLF CLUB RETAIL TEAM OF THE YEAR, 2 GOLF SPONSORED BY SUNSET EVENTS:

THE ELS CLUB, DUBAI

AND BEVERAGE TEAM OF THE YEAR, 3 FOOD SPONSORED BY AFRICAN & EASTERN:

ABU DHABI CITY GOLF CLUB

AGRONOMY TEAM OF THE YEAR, 4 GOLF SPONSORED BY TORO/DELTA TURF CARE:

ABU DHABI GOLF CLUB OPERATIONS TEAM OF THE YEAR, 5 GOLF SPONSORED BY GOLF GENIUS:

EMIRATES GOLF CLUB

6 MY 59 ULTIMATE SERVICE EXCELLENCE, SPONSORED BY CLUB CAR:

TRUMP INTERNATIONAL GOLF CLUB, DUBAI SILVER FLAG DESIGNATIONS: Abu Dhabi City Golf Club and The Track, Meydan Golf.

GOLD FLAG DESIGNATIONS: Abu Dhabi Golf Club; Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club; Emirates Golf Club; Jumeirah Golf Estates; Saadiyat Beach Golf Club; The Els Club, Dubai; Trump International Golf Club, Dubai; and Yas Links Abu Dhabi

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All systems go for EAGL Mini-Series

The eagerly anticipated Emirates Amateur Golf League (EAGL) took another significant step forward last month when the Team Captains were unveiled for a one-day ‘EAGL Mini-Series’ showcase event set to take place on the Fire course at Jumeirah Golf Estates on Sunday, June 20th with Welsh rugby legend Mike Phillips among them.

he Emirates Amateur Golf League promises to be a game-changer for amateur golf in the region, giving participants a taste of the ‘Tour pro experience’ with live media broadcast coverage and a host of other enhanced features set to elevate the series far beyond the standard blueprint of a corporate golf day event. The series proper, which is officially sanctioned by the Emirates Golf Federation (EGF), and backed by the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) and the Dubai Sports Council, as well as boasting European Tour pro Shiv Kapur as its ambassador, will get underway in November this year. However, organisers are hosting the 9-hole EAGL Mini-Series to provide a taster of what is to come with eight four-man teams going headto-head followed by a Gala Dinner and prize presentation against the backdrop of the final round of the US Open.

“EAGL will raise the bar and set distinctive high standards for amateur golf in a prostyle setting where the competitors will be treated like Tour professionals for the day with bespoke team shirts, names on lockers, branded golf carts, valet parking, media coverage, on-course branding and more,” said Priyaa Kumria, League Administrator. “The league has been envisioned to take corporate golf to a new level and give those who take part a sense of what it feels like to play in a professional team event. This Mini-Series event will showcase many of the unique highlights the full series will feature later in the year.” Golf industry veteran Nick Tarratt, who was announced at Tournament Director and Senior Auditor of Handicaps of the EAGL last month, added: “The EAGL Mini-Series has eight four-player teams whereas the EAGL tournament proper will have eight 12-player teams, so it’s a more condensed version!

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“Our vision is to give a new dimension to amateur golf in the UAE and create a tour that is at a different level to those in other countries.” Sudesh Aggarwal Chairman, EAGL

EMIRATES AMATEUR GOLF LEAGUE

“The EAGL MiniSeries has eight fourplayer teams whereas the EAGL tournament proper will have eight 12-player teams, so it’s a more condensed version!” Nick Tarratt

Tournament Director, EAGL

“The unique match play format is player versus player with matches within each four-ball over nine holes and the winner earning two points. If the match is won prior to the ninth green, there will be a ‘Press match’ and if the loser wins the Press, one point is claimed back with a net one point to the original winner. If the winner also wins the Press they can win no more than two points and a halved match over nine holes sees one point to awarded to each team. This will encourage all matches to go to the final green and encourage a tournament buzz around the last hole.” Teams Sponsors Captains The Emirates Amateur Golf League, 1 Abu Dhabi Roars Abu Dhabi Golf Club Khalfan Al Kaabi which is the brainchild of Dubai-based businessman Sudesh Aggarwal, will offer 2 Dubai Tigers Dubai Sports Council Chris May businesses and individuals the opportunity 3 English Roses Gulf News Mark Rix to own a team franchise with a model similar to that of the Indian Premier League NON-PLAYING -CAPTAIN Rick Bevan 4 Mena Golfers Worldwide Golf in cricket. Aggarwal believes the potential NON-PLAYING CAPTAIN Rajeev Khanna 5 Indian Lions Khaleej Times for exposure and business development for NON-PLAYING CAPTAIN Ismail Sharif Emirates Golf team owners and stakeholders is enormous. 6 Emirates Players PLAYING CAPTAIN Khalid Yousuf Federation “Our vision is to give a new dimension to amateur golf in the UAE and create a tour 7 Asian Jumbos ARN Robbie Greenﬁeld that is at a different level to those in other 8 European Seves GE&E Mike Phillips countries,” said Aggarwal. “The franchise model has not been seen before in golf and we are excited to be able to showcase this new approach. The series will create a business proposition that benefits corporates, investors and team owners in enhancing their marketing efforts through multiple event channels and on and offcourse branding opportunities as well as providing a platform for a truly world-class networking experience.” Phillips, who was the most capped scrum half in Wales’ history, said: “I’m excited to be Indian Lions part of what promises to be a fantastic event. Emirati players Dubai Tigers English Roses The EAGL is going provide a huge boost for The above are proposed names only and can be change amateur golf in the region.” The evening programme after play will also feature a special UAE Golf Industry forum which will bring together some of the game’s leading decision makers to discuss the current state of the UAE golf industry. Invited to attend will be representatives from Dubai Golf, Troon Golf, Falcon & Associates and other golfing heavyweights. MENA Golfers Asian Jumbos Sevesnames Dhabi Roars The above are proposed names only and can be changed. The above areEuropean proposed names only Abu and can becan changed. The above are proposed only and be changed.

PROPOSED TEAMS

PROPOSED TEAMS EAGL MINI SERIES PROPOSED TEAMS PROPOSED TEAMS PROPOSED TEAMS MATCHES

PROPOSED TEAMS

The above are proposed names only and can be changed.

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The above are

THE ELS CLUB

#GirlsWhoGolf

he Claude Harmon III Performance Golf Academy has introduced over 170 ladies to the game of the golf in the last eight months with the helping hand of Teaching Professional Amy Millward. The biggest objective for the CH3PGA Teaching Professional since joining the team in September 2019 was to get more ladies experiencing and playing golf in the Middle East and she has duly delivered by partnering with love.golf to build a strong community of female golfers. The love.golf ladies program has four different levels to suit different abilities which allows golfers to progress at their own speed and ability. The partnership has enhanced Millward’s teaching techniques and also offered a different insight into the game for many of the female golfers. “It’s been fantastic to have so many ladies involved in our program,” said Millward. “I love growing the game and supporting more ladies getting into golf so this has been a dream come true for me. I hope it continues to grow and I’m excited for next season”

Despite some of the difficulties that COVID-19 has presented, the ladies program has gone from strength to strength and introduced almost 180 new ladies to the game of golf in the last 18 months. This has been greatly helped through an association with local ladies’ group ‘Chicks with sticks’ who have enabled ladies throughout Dubai the opportunity to learn and play the game in a fun and friendly environment. “Amy has done an outstanding job of introducing so many ladies to the game of golf through the love.golf Development Programs. Seeing new faces coming through brings a real energy to the academy, the club and most importantly the region as a whole.” Jamie McConnell, Director of Instruction

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UAE AMATEUR MATCHPLAY LEAGUE

Khalid Mubarak Al Shamsi

Secretary General, Emirates Golf Federation

Aayan Dadabhoy

Mirwais Arghandiwal

Abdulla Kalbat

Mousa Shana’ah

Rohit Menon

UAE AMATEUR MATCHPLAY LEAGUE LAUNCHES L

Leila Aghabi

Hashem Shana’ah

Imrand Dadabhoy

Samuel Durbin

ast month saw the inaugural edition of the UAE Amateur Matchplay League played at The Track, Meydan Golf with talented players from the region battling against each other for a spot in the next round. The event, which is managed by Golf Events Management who also run the Junior Masters Open Tour and the UAE World Amateur Junior Golf Championship, welcomed men, ladies and juniors representing a plethora of nationalities to the Championship course with ten of those sealing their passage into round two. Reigning Junior Masters Open Tour Order of Merit champion Mousa Shana’ah booked his spot with a convincing 6&5 triumph over Abhiraj Gupta while Emirati youngster Abdullah Kalbat joined the Jordanian after winning on the 19th hole. Ties Wolters’ match also went to 19 holes as he prevailed over Aasiya Saleem to move

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one step closer to being crowned champion while Rohit Menon, Samuel Durbin, Leila Aghi, Mirwais Arghadiwal, Hashem Shana’ah, Imrand and Aayan Dadabhoy all won their respective matches. “Hosting the UAE Amateur Matchplay League is offering players the opportunity to experience a different format of golf rather than just strokeplay,” said Abedallah Shana’ah,Managing Director of Golf Events Management. “This will help enhance their development in the game as they will have a greater understanding of what it takes to compete in a matchplay scenario. “We’re delighted with the feedback from the first event with men, ladies and juniors up and down the country competing for the same prize. This is just the beginning of the UAE Amateur Matchplay League and we’re looking forward to the next rounds which will kick off this month.”

E M I R A TE S G O LF C LUB

Lady Captain leads team to Greensomes Matchplay title This year’s Captains Greensomes Matchplay was an intriguing competition which saw 108 players compete across the Faldo course. Coming out on top with a resounding victory of 18.5 – 8.5 was the Lady Captain’s team as they crushed the Captain’s team. One of the closest fought games came between Club Captain Boyd Edmondson and Ishu Rupani, against Lady Captain Naima Maya and Yana Jamieson. In the end it was Lady Captain Naima Maya and Yana Jamieson who came out on top after an excellent birdie two at the very difficult par-3 17th.

Yash Majmudar back in Black

Fierce competition at the Majlis Championship A total of 220 players signed up for this year’s Majlis Championship supported by Viya as a pairs scramble format was played over both the Majlis and Faldo courses. The overall winners, with a sublime 9-under-par net 62 were Zain Qureshi and Syed Badruddin Hilal. Two strokes back in second were Alex Rodriguez and Nicsha Rodriguez while Adash Kumar and Jugwinder Brar took third place.

Yash Majmudar fired a superb gross 73 to win this year’s Dubai Desert Classic Black Tee Challenge Sponsored by Suited and Booted by one ahead of Dong Lee with Viggo Sorenson in third place. Division A saw Aditya Judge fire a 71 to take the spoils ahead of Russell Yeomans while in Division B a score of 70 saw Stuart Wakemen top the pile by one ahead of Ken Owiti. AB U DH AB I C IT Y GOL F C LU B

Kirkwood and Mason clinch Summer Series opener Reigning Club Champions Dan Kirkwood and fellow scratch team player Jonathon Mason oozed class as their shot a net 57.5 to win the first event of the Summer Series. Finishing second on 58.75 were Andre De Beer and Colm Stack while Yash Chavan and Bala Raju Kari were third on 59. The Summer Series will include events such as ‘Cross Country’ and a ‘Kick, Throw and Mulligan’ competition over the few months.

Bouigue on top in Ladies Medal Anne Gely Bouigue carded a net 70 to win Division A at last month’s Ladies Medal which was played on the Faldo course. Three strokes back in second was Yana Jamieson with Haide Wright in third. Division B saw Kiyono Taniuchi take the honours with a 76 on a countback over Martha Wong with Christiane Verhaagen third with a 77. Colette Muttoni won the Bronze Division with a 73, two clear of Petra Meijer while the gross prize on the day went to Nonita Chand with a 75.

Staahle and Palao seal the Ladies Majlis Championship This year’s Majlis Championship saw 56 players take to the course and the overall winners in the Pairs Scramble format were Anita Staahle and Monica Palao with an impressive net 63, one clear of Caroline Sabbagh and Maria Arias with Delaney Leigh and Nicsha Russouw in third place with a 65.

Dancing queens win the Cha Cha Cha Stableford The Faldo course hosted the recent Ladies Cha Cha Cha Stableford competition with 45 players competing and coming out on top with a fantastic score of 87 points was the team of Naima Maya, Ninu Smith, Marie Benson and Margaret Breen. Finishing in second on 79 were Genie Owiti, Haide Wright, Joumana Petridis and Francoise Everingham. TRUMP INTERNATIONAL GOLF CLUB, DUBAI

DOH A GOL F C LU B

Barker and MacKay win the Ramadan Eclectic David Barker and Ann MacKay were crowned the respective Men’s and Ladies winners at the recent Ramadan Eclectic competition. Barker won with a net 43.2 ahead of Sam Brooks while MacKay carded a 50.9 to win by two ahead of Yumiko Calla. Garvan Jones won the Academy division ahead of Edward Adams.

Corcelles seals the Mug Chris Corcelles came out on top in Flight A of last month’s InterContinental Doha Mug with a score of 39 points. Shinichi Magami won Flight B on 38 points while Flight C went to Kenji Azuyama with 30. A score of 40 points saw Nichapa Wichaidit win the Ladies section.

Trump Dubai crowned Scratch League Champions In a repeat of last year’s final, the Trump Dubai team defeated the team from Dubai Creek to win the 2020/21 Scratch Amateur League title. Trump came out one top with a score of 5-3 after two days of play. The highlight of the opening day came from Bayhan Lakdawala as he struck a rare albatross on hole 9 at the Trump course. Home advantage paid dividends with Trump taking a

3.5-0.5 lead into the second day. As darkness fell at Dubai Creek it was all to play for with team captain Nick Slater and playing partner Zubair Firduis needing a half point to take the title and they dually delivered. A concession on the 17th green was met with emotional scenes from the 30 plus Trump supporters led by next year’s team captain Graeme Eglintine.

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Aiden on top in the Medal Thomas Aiden secured the honours in Flight A of the May Monthly Medal with a score of net 69. The same score was good enough for Ollie Valencia to take the spoils in Flight B while in Flight C Terence McGuire topped the pile with a 73. Lisa Wahlqvist won the Ladies title with a net 66 while Mikkel Mathiesen shot a gross 66 to take the Low Gross prize.

ARABIAN GOLF J U M E I R A H GO L F E STA T ES

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

Kim cruises to victory

Landmark Lincoln Open a success Hemmings heats up on Fire Richard Hemmings shot a sublime net 63 on the Fire course to win last month’s OMA Emirates Medalford competition, taking advantage of a perfect day for scoring. In Division A Jason Walters carded a 69 to win ahead of Nick Wright and Stephen Watson while the Ladies Division saw Willemijn Roeterdink triumph with a 71. The gross prize on the day went to Bilbo Perrot (73) as he nudged Chris Wilmot into second on a countback. M ON TGO M E R IE GO L F C LUB DUBAI

Poulsson copes well in the heat A solid return of net 73 saw Axel Poulsson come out on top in Division A of the May Medal which was played in sweltering conditions. Paul Murnaghan carded a 74 to win the Men’s gross prize while a score of 81 saw Claudette Dumoulin win the Ladies division. The Men’s Division B prize went to Fady Salib with a 68, one clear of Eugen Simic with Rayan Ahmed in third. The Ladies Net Division saw Marie Fitches top the pile with a 74, one ahead of Maxine Minty and Adina Cameron.

The first staging of the Lincoln Dubai Creek Open was a great success as 108 players took to the course and coming out on top with a team score of 88 points was the foursome of Shankar Balasubramanian, John Fish, Michael Nielsen and Adam Savage. Taking second place, one point behind, were Michael Major, Hannah Mannion, Frederic Schepens, and Retna Schepens while in third on 86 points were Sultan Mahmood, Mujahid Siddiqui, Abdul Paracha and Noman Mahmood. SHARJ AH GOL F & S H OOT ING C LU B

Malone clinches the penultimate Medal James Malone produced an inspired display – with eight net birdies and a net eagle – to win last month’s Orient Travel Medal with a score of 4-underpar 68. Finishing in second with a 69 was Adam Smith while in third was Wongeon Na as back-toback eagles propelled her up the leaderboard. The gross winner on the day was Nathan Fisher with a 74, four clear of Ramli Sulaiman.

Joe Bautista storms to Ramadan Open glory T HE E LS C LUB

Busy month of golf at The Els Club The final Medal of the season was held last month and order of merit leader Alex Schlig took the top spot with a superb score of net 64, three ahead of Marty Gromotka with Seun Salisu in third. The gross winner was Kenny Babcock after he downed Billy Meadows on a countback with both players recording a 71. In the Pairs Scramble the sibling partnership of Ben and Tom Morris came out on top with a net 63 ahead of Mark Bateman and Dean Stothard and there was a rare hold-in-one for Tristan Foster on the day. The final event of the season’s order of merit calendar was the Monthly Stableford and coming out on top was Jim Kearney with a haul of 44 points, three clear of Kevin Riley with Russell Stewart in third.

Janet Kim carded a sublime 8-under-par 63 to win round 5 of the OMA Emirates Monthly Medals while the overall gross prize on the day went to Sami Nas with a 3-under-par 68. In Division A Wenji Li pipped Adam Savage to the title on a countback while a countback was also needed in Division B as Anthony Avinash secured the spoils over Rhys Penning. Beatrice Galeppini fired a 4-under-par 67 to win the Ladies division.

Joe Bautista romped to victory in the 11th staging of the Ramadan Open last month with a haul of 44 Stableford points to finish three ahead of new member Peter Gannon. In third place overall with 39 points was Vice Captain Ravi AE while the honours in Division A went to Christopher Bagge with Sultan Qazi winning Division B. The best gross score on the day came from Purna Sharma with 36 as he pipped Director of Golf Sam McLaren to the title on a countback.

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ARAB IAN RANC H E S GOL F C LU B

Biswas defends the Dougherty Trophy Subhojit Biswas posted a gross 73 to earn 44 Stableford points and win the 11th staging of the Dougherty Trophy supported by De Luca Sartoria last month. On a perfect day for scoring Biswas was a clear winner by five points while in the Men’s Division Pedro Alonso won a countback over T.R. Vijayan after both players scored 39. Nicola Breeze won the Ladies title with a 35-point haul, five clear of Marta Biswas.

Campbell secures the Medal Steven Campbell returned a one over par gross 74 to win the May Rivoli Monthly Medal supported by Al Shirawi Solar LLC – but relied on a strong finish to take the top spot after defeating Graeme McCann and Michael Connor on a countback. In the Men’s Division A McCann secured the honours with a net 73 ahead of Pedro Alonso, Douglas Mclennan, and Gary Swan, and Craig Berry while in Dividion B Adrian Black won by five shots ahead of Mark Gathercole. Leila Aghabi won the Ladies Division with an 85 while the net winner was Nicola Breeze with a 75.

WORLDWIDE GOLF

TRAVEL

Set in 230 hectares of stunning landscape on the south west coast of Sicily, Verdura Resort is one of Europe’s premier golf and lifestyle destinations.

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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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A NET WORK OF WORLD CL A SS GOLF VENUE S

Play. Stay. Live. Austria Diamond Country Club, Vienna

Bulgaria Lighthouse Golf & Spa Resort, Cape Kaliakra Pirin Golf & Country Club, Bansko

China Genzon Golf Club, Shenzhen

Czech Republic Albatross Golf Resort, Prague

Estonia Estonian Golf & Country Club, Tallinn

Finland Linna Golf, Hameenlinna

France Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort, Provence Le Golf National, Paris Sparben Golf Resort, Bordeaux

Portugal Georgia Tbilisi Hills, Tbilisi

Germany Golf Club St. Leon-Rot, Heidelberg

Italy Villaverde Hotel & Resort, Venice Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, Rome Verdura Resort, Sicily

Malaysia Saujana Golf & Country Club, Kuala Lumpur

Mauritius Constance Belle Mare Plage, Mauritius

The Netherlands The Dutch, Amsterdam

europeantourdestinations.com @EuropeanTourETD

Bom Sucesso, Óbidos Quinta do Lago, Algarve

Seychelles Constance Lemuria, Praslin

Spain PGA Catalunya Resort, Barcelona Finca Cortesin Hotel Golf & Spa, Marbella Golf Son Muntaner, Mallorca

Thailand Black Mountain Golf Club & Resort, Hua Hin

United Kingdom Rossington Hall, Yorkshire London Golf Club, London

United Arab Emirates Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai Emirates Golf Club, Dubai Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, Dubai

GOLF TRAVEL

ocated in a stunning valley of olive groves overlooking the Mediterranean and close to the seaside town of Sciacca, Verdura Resort is a 5* resort which features two 18-hole Championship courses and a 9-hole par-3 course designed by Kyle Phillips as well as outstanding practice facilities. The resort – home of the European Tour’s Rocco Forte Sicilian Open in 2012, 2017 and 2018 – boasts a wealth of exclusive luxury facilities, including 203 rooms and suites – all with sea views – and 20 new modern and spacious Rocco Forte Private Villas which opened last month. The villas each hold their own private swimming pool and afford unparalled panoramic views of the Sicilian coast and Mediterranean. The East course is currently in the midst of a major renovation, with nine holes set to be ready for play in August and the remaining nine completed in October with world-renowned architect Phillips returning to tweak his original design. The new ninth hole will be the signature hole and is framed by incredible views over the sea while asking serious questions of accuracy,

strategy and distance control with a slight dogleg design. Water flanks both sides of the fairway and a bunker lurks adding extra danger. Once those perils have been avoided the second shot is an approach to a green guarded by two bunkers, with the beach and crashing waves sitting just a few yards beyond. The extensive renovation will see a number of new features and modification of the course route, so some of the hole numbers have been adjusted. But this has allowed for the restoration of previous holes and also some exciting new additions. Recently enriched with 680 new plants, the Resort is now made up of 7,700 trees, including prickly pear, olive, orange, pomegranate and lemon trees. Over the last decade, the resort has been implementing socially responsible practices, with the aim of offsetting carbon emissions, supporting biodiversity and becoming a destination able to counteract Co2 production on site. Away from golf, guests can enjoy an extensive array of other luxury sports and lifestyle facilities, as well as the opportunity to sample a wide variety of gastronomy, wine, history and culture. ■

One of the re-designed holes at Verdura Resort

For more information: www.roccofortehotels.com

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LOCAL Ahmad Skaik Nationality: Emirati D.O.B: 22/5/1997 Best course in the UAE: Saadiyat Beach Golf Club Best clubhouse: Trump International Golf Club, Dubai Favourite hole: 18th – Saadiyat Beach Golf Club Hardest hole in the UAE: 17th – Abu Dhabi Golf Club, National Course. (Off the tips) Struggle to play: 11th – Abu Dhabi Golf Club, National Course. (Off the tips) Favourite European Tour event in the UAE: Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship Favourite player: Tiger Woods

Driver: Titleist TSi2 Woods: Titleist TSi2 Irons: Titleist T100 Wedges: Vokey SM8 Putter: PING Vault 2.0 Dale Anser Worldwide GOLF 64