Worldwide Golf February 2013 by Worldwide Golf

ISBN 978-9948-15-427-3

9 789948 154273

Gary Player

Worldwide Golf Executive Editor Since 1999

ESPITE the high expectations of the clash between World No.1 Rory McIlroy and World No.2 Tiger Woods in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship turning to into a double disappointment when they both missed the cut – Rory by four shots and Tiger by just one shot – I was pleased that Rory made no excuses for his performance. I congratulate him on admitting that he let his fans down and that his game just wasn’t good enough. I admired the honest manner in which he faced the media and explained that he just played badly over the two days. That was all there was to it. You see it happen so many times that when players miss the opportunity to win a tournament or even miss the cut they can ﬁnd all sorts of excuses for not playing up to their usual standard. So it’s refreshing to hear the World No.1 accept that he had two bad rounds. We’ve got a lot of good young players at the top of the ranking who are role models for the game both on and oﬀ the course. Players like Rory, Justin Rose and Louis Oosthuizen are very personable as well as being hugely talented, with wonderful golf swings. After Jamie Donaldson, another very pleasant young man, had won the biggest prize of his career at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship attentions turned again to Rory’s Olympics dilemma and his amazing Nike deal. As to whether he plays for Ireland as a country or for Great Britain is something he has to decide for himself. Nobody can advise him either way. It’s for him to choose. As an Ulsterman he’s entitled to play for either GB or Ireland. The tragedy is that whichever way he picks it, he’s going to upset one set of people or another. He’s in a no-win situation. I remember playing in the British Open in the 1960s with one leg of my trousers in black and the other in white as my own quiet way of demonstrating against apartheid. I was heavily criticised by some and praised by others. I expect that’s what will happen with Rory, whichever country he chooses to represent. Back in the days of apartheid I invited Lee Elder to come and play in the 1971 South African PGA Championship. I played golf with the South African

The 9-time Major Champion and 9-time Seniorr Major Champion who has witnessed and beenn a part of some of the most historic and memorable able golﬁng occasions reﬂects on the game today

Prime Minister John Vorster, who was a huge advocate of apartheid, and told him: ‘I want to put a spoke in the wheel of apartheid and invite Lee Elder, the black golfer, to come and play in our PGA Championship.’ He thought about it for what seemed an eternity and said to my surprise, ‘OK – go ahead and invite him.’ Lee was under huge pressure from certain groups not to play and I was branded a traitor by apartheid supporters. Lee took the criticism in his stride and played in the tournament and all went well. That was a big step forward in the ﬁght to abolish apartheid. Four years later Lee became the ﬁrst African-American to play in the Masters. When you consider the medals that are handed out these days to athletes for their athletic prowess it doesn’t compare to what Lee Elder achieved. Even today, Lee has never been given the recognition he deserves.

The other question mark surrounding Rory was whether he would adapt to his new Nike clubs. I think too much has been attributed to his change of equipment. I changed clubs at least ﬁve or six times in my 60-year career, maybe more, and I soon got used to them. It’s all down to the ability of the player himself. In the early days, before the new technology, golf clubs were very basic. But if you’ve got the talent you can adjust to pretty much anything and it’ll be the same with Rory – his experience in Abu Dhabi will soon be a distant memory. When I go over to Callaway at Carlsbad it’s an amazing experience. I can’t believe what they can do today. They can tell you what your spin rate is; what your club speed is; your ball ﬂight and the kick point. They can give you a driver that gives you more topspin. When I think of how far I can hit the ball today with all this new technology it’s just incredible. Q

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CONTENTS

EDITION

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Paul McGinley and Tom Watson are set to go head to head at Gleneagles in next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ryder Cup â&#x20AC;&#x201C; will Irish eyes be smiling?

16 Editor-in-Chief: Mike Gallemore Executive Editor: Gary Player Editor: Alex Gallemore Publisher: Mike Gallemore Senior Editor: Richard Bevan

8 Editors: Todd Staszko, James Reeves, Tabitha Florence Playing Editor: Joel Neale Design Manager: Joanna Eardley Technical Manager: Mark Collinge Editorial Panel: Gary Player, Mike Gallemore, Alex Gallemore, Richard Bevan, Todd Staszko

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Rory’s all ‘Swooshed up!”

Choose your weapons So the worst kept secret in golf became official when Rory McIlroy’s megabucks deal with Nike was announced prior to the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship. He may have felt like that cat that got the cream when he signed the contract rumoured to be worth between US$100,000 and US$125,000 over 5 years, or around US$55,000 per day. But he will certainly have been left with a sour taste in his mouth after struggling to consecutive rounds of 3-over 75 in the UAE’s capital and missing the cut along with new Nike stablemate Tiger Woods. The deal is an all encompassing one that sees McIlroy wearing the famous Swoosh on all of his apparel, his clubs, ball, footwear, headwear and accessories. Here’s what the 23-year-old two-time Major champion had to say BEFORE his Abu Dhabi nightmare: “I chose Nike for a number of reasons. It’s a company and a brand that really resonates with me. It’s young. It’s athletic. It’s innovative. They are committed to being the best, as am I. Signing with Nike is another step towards living out my dream.” But whether is lack of form was down to a simple lack of golf time, having not played competitively for seven weeks, or teething trouble with the new clubs, remains to be seen. What is certain is that his new sponsors will have been cringing to see him ditch his new putter in favour of his trusty old Scotty Cameron as he desperately tried to

McIlroy’s Nike Golf Arsenal Driver: Nike VR_S Covert Tour 9.5-degree, neutral position Fairway Wood: Nike VR Pro Limited Edition 3-wood/15-degree and 5-wood/19-degree Irons: Nike VR Pro Blades (3-PW) Wedges: Nike VR Pro 54-degree and 60-degree Putter: Nike Method 006 Prototype Ball: Nike 20XI X Apparel: Nike Golf Tour Performance Collection Footwear: Nike Lunar Contro

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play his way over the cut line in the second round. “The greens I’ve been practicing on in Florida are a lot faster than these,” he said after his second successive 75. “The Nike putter is great on that. It’s just a little light on these greens, so it’s a weight issue more than anything else. I can feel the head of the one I used today a little better. Yesterday I didn’t’ feel I was getting the ball to the hole.” Despite the putter switch, it would appear Rory’s real problem was with the driver. Prior to play he’d been full of praise for the VR_S Covert – the world’s first high speed cavity back driver that conforms to USGA and R&A Rules, saying: “The new VR_S Covert driver, is completely different. It’s the first cavity back driver. It’s striking, it looks cool and it performs unbelievably well.” But in the aftermath of his Abu Dhabi misery his viewpoint had shifted somewhat: “Really happy with the ball and the wedges. Putter is good on fast greens that I’ve practiced on, and I just need to probably find a driver that I’m comfortable with, because I didn’t drive the ball at all well.” So for now the jury’s out on whether Rory has made a mistake in switching gear off the back of a season that saw him claim his second Major as well as topping both European and PGA Tour money lists with Player of the Year honours. The new bats will undoubtedly take a while to get used to, which is great news for his rivals, and he’ll be hoping that it happens sooner rather than later. Q

“I chose Nike for a number of reasons. It’s a company and a brand that really resonates with me. It’s young. It’s athletic. It’s innovative. They are committed to being the best, as am I. Signing with Nike is another step towards living out my dream.” – Rory WE CAN THINK OF 100 MILLION OTHER REASONS!

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Ryder cup 2014 underway THEY’RE two of the most popular players in the game. Neither man an has as been b bee een involved ee iinv in nvo volv volv llved ved ed w with a losing Ryder Cup Team. Tom Watson’s appointment as US Captain was a bold statement of intent from across the Atlantic –the Kansas City Kid, an eight-time Major champion, was the last person to guide an American team to victory on European soil. That was 20 years ago. Paul McGinley was carried into the European hot seat by an emphatic surge of player power and he’s in no mood to roll over for his esteemed star spangled counterpart. Gleneagles 2014 already looks like one humdinger of a match up. Here the two Captains talk exclusively to Mike Gallemore about their joy at being awarded the greatest job in golf and how they plan to go about masterminding victory for their respective teams.

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Paul mcginley EXCLUSIVE

MCGINLEY – THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE Paul McGinley played on three winning European Ryder Cup teams and had the honour of holing the winning putt for Sam Torrance’s team at The Belfry in 2002 as Europe triumphed 15.5–12.5. He acted as Vice Captain in the two most recent victories of 2012 and 2010 and was Captain of the last two winning Seve Trophy teams in 2011 and 2009 having also played on the victorious teams of 2002 IVL )[ NIZ I[ PI^QVO I ÅVOMZ WV \PM X]T[M WN UWLMZV̉LIa team golf competition is concerned nobody is better qualifed for the job of European Captain than McGinley.

’M absolutely thrilled to be elected Ryder Cup Captain. It’s very humbling to know that my peers thought so highly of me. I know the players on the Ryder Cup Team at Medinah last year spoke highly of me. In fact, the way the players on Tour in general received me after the decision was made – to make it known that they were happy with me was wonderful. The support of players like Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter and Luke Donald, it was remarkable. There’s probably never been a rookie Captain going into a Ryder Cup with more experience than I’ve had in recent years. It has been a really good apprenticeship. I played in three consecutive victorious Ryder Cups Teams, at The Belfry in 2002, Oakland Hills in 2004 and The K Club

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in Ireland in 2006 under the captaincy of Sam Torrance, Bernhard Langer and Ian Woosnam respectively. I also had the experience of being Vice Captain in the winning teams captained by Colin Montgomerie in 2010 and José Maria Olazábal at Medinah last year. Captaining the Great Britain and Ireland Team to victory in Paris twice, in 2009 and 2011, against Continental Europe in the Vivendi Seve Trophy were my ﬁrst experiences of captaincy and were a great opportunity for me. I’m grateful for that experience. I also played in the Vivendi Seve Trophy in 2002 and 2005 and was victorious on both occasions under the captaincy of Monty against teams led by Seve and Ollie respectively, both of whom I went on to play under in The Royal Trophy. I also I’ve learned a lot

Rory McIlroy congratulates Captain Paul McGinley on a job well done after Great Britain & Ireland defeat Continental Europe 16½11½ in the 2009 Seve Trophy in France.

“I’ve always performed extremely highly playing as part of a team. I wish I could have done the same as an individual. I just love the environment of being in a team. My heart ticks a bit faster and the adrenaline starts pumping and I seem to go to another level when I play team golf.”

Flying the flag: Paul McGinley celebrates after sinking the putt that won The Ryder Cup for Europe at The Belfry in 2002.

from watching other Captains and I’ll try to take a little bit from all of the Captains I’ve played under and observed. I’ve been very fortunate. I’ve had a vast amount of experience of playing under a Who’s Who of European golfers over the last decade or more. When Rory said I was the best Captain he’s ever played under it meant a lot to me. Rory and Graeme played in that ﬁrst Vivendi Seve Trophy Team I captained in 2009. We had a weakened team compared to the strength of the Continental European players. We played the role of underdog there very well. Rory and Graeme were huge for me that week and we won quite convincingly. Two years later I captained the team to a three-point victory. I’ve been very fortunate that Rory,

Graeme and Ian have played underneath me as Captain and I’ve been lucky to have that opportunity. I would love to see the Vivendi Seve Trophy grow from strength to strength. I have a real passion for team sports. I started oﬀ in Ireland playing Gaelic football. I’ve always performed extremely highly playing as part of a team. I wish I could have done the same as an individual. I just love the environment of being in a team. My heart ticks a bit faster and the adrenaline starts pumping and I seem to go to another level when I play team golf. With The Ryder Cup I love everything about it. I love the team meetings, the pageantry – everything. It’s also a great honour to be the ﬁrst Irishman to become Ryder Cup Captain.

Poulter approved: European talisman of the last three Ryder Cups, Ian Poulter came out in support of Paul McGinley in the run up to the announcement. Poulter was also part of the Irishman’s 2011 Seve Trophy team.

I always thought that an Irishman would get the captaincy but I wondered whether it would happen to me. The Irish have had great success on the Tour in the last ﬁve years or so, led by Padraig Harrington with his Major wins and then Graeme, Rory and Darren Clarke. I’m the ﬁrst to hit the age in this current era where The Ryder Cup captaincy is an opportunity. We’ve had other great players in the past, like Des Smyth, Eamonn Darcy, Philip Walton, Christy O’Connor and Christy O’Connor Junior but for one reason or another they were up against some serious contenders when their chance of Ryder Cup captaincy came along and that’s why it didn’t happen for them. I’m just delighted that it’s obviously happened for me and that all of the cards are falling in place for me. www.wwgolf.biz

UpClose McGinley

McGinley believes it is unlikely that the Americanbased European Ryder Cup stars will play in this year’s Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles – the host course of the 2014 Ryder Cup.

“I’ve been asked whether The Ryder Cup would ever be played in the UAE and I wouldn’t rule anything out. The way The European Tour has become a global tour means it’s possible. The Middle East is a vital part of The European Tour International Schedule and one of the best places in the world to play golf – so why not?” I know Gleneagles well. It’s a very classy place and the hotel is extremely classy. I’m sure it will be an ideal setting for The Ryder Cup. It would be great as an Irishman to be Ryder Cup Captain in Ireland but I’m equally pleased to get the captaincy in Scotland, particularly against Tom Watson, who won four of his ﬁve Opens in Scotland plus three Senior Opens. I can assure all the Scots that I’ll have very much a Scottish team to do what I’m going to do that week. I’d certainly like to have a 14

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Scottish and a Seve theme to The Ryder Cup set-up. It would be good if our players can get to play Gleneagles before The Ryder Cup but I can’t see some of the American-based players playing the Johnnie Walker this year. It clashes with The Barclays, the ﬁrst of the FedExCup series in the States and to expect them to play at Gleneagles is just not going to happen. There are a lot of European Tour players who have played Gleneagles many times. Paul Casey has won twice there, Paul Lawrie

oasis in the desert: Emirates Golf Club has hosted the Dubai Desert Classic 22 times and should The Ryder Cup ever move to this part of the world it will be a stand-out candidate to be the host venue.

won it last year and we’ve all played it at some time or other. I’m also blessed in that the strength in depth of The European Tour has never been stronger. I’m very fortunate that we will potentially have several players in the top 20 of the World Ranking – maybe more than half. You never know in golf. I’ve been asked whether The Ryder Cup would ever be played in the UAE and I wouldn’t rule anything out. The way The European Tour has become a global tour means it’s possible. The Middle East is a vital part of The European Tour International Schedule and one of the best places in the world to play golf – so why not? Tom Watson is a guy I know and respect. He’s a guy I hold in very high esteem. He will bring a lot of class to The Ryder Cup. He’s a pretty popular player in Scotland and with the knowledgeable Scottish crowds I’m sure it will be a great Ryder Cup. Q

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Tom Watson EXCLUSIVE

USA PLAYS Trump card with Watson Tom Watson was the last Captain to lead the USA to victory on foreign soil at The Belfry in 1993 when they _WV Ě&#x2030; 8ZQWZ \W \PI\ PM XTIaML WV NW]Z :aLMZ +]X teams which resulted in three wins and a draw. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s _WZ[PQXXML QV ;KW\TIVL _PMZM PM _WV NW]Z WN PQ[ Ă&#x2026;^M British Opens and all three of his Senior Opens Now the Kansas City Kid is aiming to reverse the Americansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Ryder Cup fortunes.

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UpClose Watson

congratulate Paul on his selection as European Ryder Cup Captain for Gleneagles in 2014 and anticipate that his passion and love of the event will transfer to being an outstanding leader of his team. Paul has been connected to four winning European Ryder Cup Teams and is an outstanding representative of European golf. I look forward to sharing the stage with him as we make our journey to Scotland. It’s an honour to be Ryder Cup Captain again. It’s been nearly 20 years, and I’d been waiting for the call for a long time. I really wanted the challenge to do it again. Being Captain is like being a stage manager and that means you have to prepare the stage for the actors, and that’s what I do as a Captain – in this case the players. I’m looking forward to the challenge. It’s going to be a great journey.

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Bernard Gallacher and Tom Watson lead out their respective teams during the opening ceremony for the 30th Ryder Cup Matches at The Belfry in 1993. USA went on to defeat Europe 15-13 and it remains the last time they won away from home.

It’s a big responsibility but I’ve been there before and I welcome it. Some will question why an old guy like me should be Captain of a team of youngsters but I deﬂect that by saying: We play the same game. I play against these kids at the Masters, at the British Open, the Greenbrier Classic. They understand that. I understand that. It’s my challenge to set the stage with a little extra inspiration for them to go there with some Watson luck. I believe that propelled us to a 13-15 victory at The Belfry in England in 1993 – the last time the United States won The Ryder Cup on foreign soil. I hope that we will change the tide of losing The Ryder Cup seven out of the last nine years. As Captain at Gleneagles I’m going to probably do the same things I did at The Belfry, just try to make it easy for the players. I believe the pressure in playing

in The Ryder Cup and being Captain is as great or even greater than playing in any Major championship. So I’ll be trying to help them deal with that pressure and help diﬀuse it. Playing at Augusta National, you have the same feeling as The Ryder Cup. My job is to simply to coordinate and maybe inspire a little bit. The players, don’t need to usa CAPTAINS post ‘93 be motivated – they’re already motivated. ‘95: Lanny Wadkins LOST 14½ - 13½ I asked Davis Love what it was like ‘97: Tom Kite LOST 14 ½ - 13½ in the team room after Medinah, one ‘99: Ben Crenshaw WON 14½ - 13½ of the greatest Ryder Cup Matches in ‘02: Cutis Strange LOST 15½ - 12½ history. Davis said there was tremendous ‘04: Hal Sutton LOST 18½ - 9½ disappointment. It was just really tough for ‘06: Tom Lehman LOST 18½ - 9½ everybody. ‘08: Paul Azinger WON 16½ - 11½ It’s even more tough to win away from ‘10: Corey Pavin LOST 14½ - 13½ home. I’m looking forward to going back ‘12: Davis Love III LOST 14½ - 13½ to Scotland and hopefully, later in the year, I’ll get the opportunity to play the Jack Nicklaus-designed Centenary Course at Gleneagles. I’ll try and inspire our Ryder

Oblivious to the rainbow behind them, Americans Jerry Pate, Tom Watson and Ben Crenshaw and their wives shelter from a rainstorm during The Ryder Cup at Walton Heath in 1981.

Tom Watson nearly pulled off one of the greatest Major victories at the 2009 Open Championship at Turnberry after narrowly missing out in a play-off to fellow countryman, Stewart Cink. Even though he failed to lift the Claret Jug for the third time, it did highlight the huge following Watson has outside America.

Cup players to play the course once or twice before September 2014. I think that’s important. I’ve had success in Scotland. I think maybe it brings to the table a bit more of a calm to the team members that I’ve done well over there. It may give them a sense of ‘this guy’s been there before and been successful so we’re going to be a success because he’s leading us. As far as the crowds are concerned at Gleneagles – Ryder Cup crowds are unlike the crowds at an individual tournament, both at home and away. The players understand that. The spectators are either for the United States or for the Europeans. They’ll cheer a bad shot but that’s part of the deal. Basically, it’s not cheering a bad shot, it’s cheering for somebody who misses a putt to give their team a win on the hole – so that’s not a bad deal. They are very partisan, and you understand that. It’s all about wanting your team to beat the

other team. The most important thing for me as Captain is to get lucky. I just hope I get lucky at Gleneagles and that the players all play well, and that we’re playing as a team so that it puts us in with a good chance of winning the tournament. I think the Europeans have done a masterful job in creating an element of winning by using the venues that they use. They play at golf courses where they play a yearly tournament on The European Tour. The European players who play on The Ryder Cup teams have played in that tournament a number of times. By playing in that tournament it means they have played that golf course under a variety of conditions, and that gives them an advantage. The more you play a golf course, the better you are at managing the golf course. When we go over there and we play three or four practice rounds, we have to learn that course under the

TOM’s RYDER CUP STATS: Watson has never been on a losing Ryder Cup team. 0Q[ ÅZ[\ KIX KIUM QV ! at Royal Lythum St Annes. He followed this with two additional wins in 1981 at Walton Heath and 1983 PGA National before drawing at the Belfry 14-14 in 1989. In 1993 he captained the USA to a 15-13 victory at The Belfry.

conditions that prevail at the time. If the wind is only blowing from one direction during those practice rounds and then it switches during The Matches it becomes just like playing a completely new golf course. That’s the advantage that the Europeans have, and I think it’s very masterful. So we have to be playing to the best of our abilities to overcome that advantage. But there’s no point complaining. As Jim Culbert said in a players’ meeting in front of Deane Beman a long time ago when players were complaining about certain things that were going on with the Tour, he got up in front of all the players there and said: “You know what your problem is? Play better.” That’s essentially what we’ve got to do. The Europeans have outplayed us. We are going to pull out all the stops to win. Q www.wwgolf.biz

TOUR NEWS

Above left: Sergio Garcia shakes hands with playing partner Branden Grace at the end of the fourth round of the Commercialbank Qatar Masters. Above right: Champion Chris Wood poses with the famous Pearl trophy following his victory. Left: Sergio Garcia tees oﬀ on his way to a share of second place alongside George Coetzee.

FOR QATAR WIN times and it’s not happened,” said the Englishman. “To get my first win, it’s such an honour. I’m so pleased. I’ve seen a few mates picking up trophies and I’ve been waiting patiently for my time, I felt like I was due one!” Wood’s eagle meant that Coetzee will have to wait a little longer for his maiden title on The European Tour while Garcia finished in the top 10 for the fifth time in Qatar and his third in succession following fifth place in 2012 and ninth

STAT ATTACK Players that made the cut went eagle crazy over the weekend with 13 over the last two rounds – six on Friday and seven on Saturday including Chris Wood’s victory clincher. In the opening two rounds there were only two eagles and both of them came in the first round –courtesy of Martin Kaymer on hole 4 and Rafa Cabrera-Bello on the 10th.

in 2011. The Spaniard would have gone back into the top 10 on the World Ranking for the ﬁrst time in more than three years if he had won, but was full of praise for the triumphant Wood. “Chris hit a great drive and a great six iron and then a wonderful putt,” said the Ryder Cup star. “Obviously he’s been trying for a while and he deserves it, and after the start he had today, it’s quite impressive for him to come back the way he did and win. I gave it my best eﬀort.”

2013 Commercialbank Qatar Masters leaderboard: Pos. Name 1 2 4

Chris Wood George Coetzee Sergio Garcia Steve Webster Alexander Noren

Country ENG RSA ESP ENG SWE

To Par

R1 R2 R3 R4

Total

Prize money

-18 -17 -17 -13 -13

67 69 69 69 71

270 271 271 275 275

€310,917 €162,029 €162,029 €86,188 €86,188

70 67 66 71 67

64 70 70 67 66

69 65 66 68 71

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Date: Jan 4 – 7 Event: Hyundai Tournament of Champions Venue: Plantation Course at Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii Winner’s Cheque: $1,120,000

Date: Jan 10 - 13 Event: Volvo Golf Champions Venue: Durban Country Club, Durban, South Africa Winner’s Cheque: €325,000

LOUIS RUINS JAMIESON’S DAY

JOHNSON EDGES OUT STRICKER IN SEASON OPENER DUSTIN Johnson beat the weather and a ﬁeld full of winners as he triumphed by four strokes at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Hawaii. The tournament didn’t begin until the fourth day due to unprecedented high winds and in the 54 holes played over Monday and Tuesday the American Ryder Cup star overpowered the course with a 16-under-par 203 total.

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Dustin Johnson Steve Stricker Brandt Snedeker

Country

To Par

USA USA USA

-16 -12 -10

R1 R2 R3 69 66 68 71 67 69 70 70 69

Al k Y _j]Yl klYjl lg l`] q]Yj$ A cf]o A `Y\ lg [ge] gml Yf\ _]l eq fYe] mh l`]j]& 9^l]j Z]af_ Ún] \gof$ lg eYc] al mh Y^l]j )* `gd]k$ A oYk j]Yddq [`m^^]\ YZgml l`Yl& A bmkl hdYq]\ j]Yddq o]dd Ydd \Yq& Pos. Name

Country

To Par

R1 R2 R3 R4

Total

203 207 209

2 3

RSA SCO THA

-16 -15 -14

68 64 74 66 69 64 68 72 65 68 73 68

272 273 274

Louis Oosthuizen Scott Jamieson Thongchai Jaidee

Date: Jan 10 - 13 Event: Sony Open in Hawaii Venue: Waialae CC, Honolulu, Hawaii Winner’s Cheque: $990,000

Date: Jan 17 - 20 Event: Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation Venue: PGA West (Palmer Course), La Quinta, California Winner’s Cheque: $1,008,000

HENLEY IN DREAMLAND

GAY GOES THE DISTANCE

PGA Tour rookie Russell Henley finished with five consecutive birdies to shoot a back-nine 29 and a final round 7-under 63 to win the Sony Open in Hawaii by three shots from South African Tim Clark. Henley’s 24-under total is the third-best score for a 72-hole tournament in PGA Tour history and he did it in his first ever outing on the PGA Tour as a professional, with just two PGA Tour events under his belt as an amateur.

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HOME favourite Louis Oosthuizen overhauled Scotland’s Scott Jamieson to win the Volvo Golf Champions in Durban. Jamieson had built up a five-stroke lead going into the final day but Oosthuizen started like a train and fired a 66 to win his sixth European Tour title by one stroke.

Name Russell Henley Tim Clark Charles Howell III Scott Langley

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Country USA RSA USA USA

To Par -24 -21 -17 -17

R1 63 64 66 62

R2 63 66 64 66

R3 67 66 67 65

R4 63 63 66 70

Total 256 259 263 263

OVER the past year Brian Gay had undergone little swing changes to try and add a bit more distance to his driver and it paid dividends this season as he won his fourth US PGA Tour title at the Human Challenge in California. Gay, who averaged the lowest in Driving Distance on Tour in 2012, made birdie on the second play-off hole to defeat Charles Howell III after they finished level on 25-under-par. David Lingmerth also finished on that score but he was eliminated on the first play-off hole.

Al ^]]dk YeYraf_ ja_`l fgo& A e kladd af Y dalld] Zal g^ k`g[c& Al caf\ g^ `Yhh]f]\ kg ^Ykl l`]j] Yl l`] ]f\& Al oYk dac] Y jgdd]j%[gYkl]j& Pos. Name

Country

To Par

R1 R2 R3 R4

Total

1 T2 T2

USA USA SWE

-25 -25 -25

67 66 67 63 67 65 67 64 68 64 69 62

263 263 263

Brian Gay Charles Howell III David Lingmerth

TOUR NEWS

DONALDSON’S DAY IN ABU DHABI ALL it took was one win for the floodgates to open. Welshman Jamie Donaldson was little more than a winless journeyman on The European Tour before he finally won his first title in Ireland last year and last month he added another feather to his cap, winning in Abu Dhabi to leap into the top 30 on the Official World Golf Ranking. The 37-year-old overcame overnight leader and World No.4 Justin Rose to win by one from the Englishman and upcoming Dane Thorbjørn Olesen on 14-under-par. It was a tense ﬁnish as Donaldson bogeyed the par-5 closing hole and left both Rose and Olesen needing a birdie to force a play-oﬀ. However, Olesen’s birdie putt narrowly edged past the cup while Rose’s putt from 12 feet agonisingly lipped out. “It’s pretty surreal really, I’ve played really good all week although I’ve got away with murder up the last,” said Donaldson. “I thought one of them would hole their birdie putts – if not both. But when both putts slipped by it was my week. “I’m very happy to be stood here holding the trophy.”

Donaldson has steadily improved on Tour since re-earning his card on the Challenge Tour in 2007. He finished 89th on the Order of Merit in 2008 then progressed to 59th in 2009, 46th in 2010, 38th in 2011 and 19th last year following his Irish Open win. It was his 255th start when he won at Royal Portrush and the victory in Abu Dhabi was just 13 starts later. “It’s like buses isn’t it?” he quipped. “I played the pro-am on Wednesday and thought the course was too difficult and I had no chance. I thought if I could get a decent finish I would be chuffed. To be holding this trophy is just mad.” The 2012 Rookie of the Year Ricardo Santos finished in fourth place on 11-under while fourtime winner last year Branden Grace finishing fifth a shot further back. There was a three-way tie for sixth place between the resurgent Englishman David Howell, Ryder Cup hero Martin Kaymer and Holland’s Joost Luiten. Star attractions and World Nos. 1 and 2 Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods both failed to make the half-way cut in a dismal week for the pair.

“I played the pro-am on Wednesday and thought the course was too difficult and I had no chance. I thought if I could get a decent finish I would be chuffed. To be holding this trophy is just mad.”

Bad week: Both McIlroy and Woods missed the cut in Abu Dhabi.

Final Leaderboard: Pos. Name 1 2 4 5 6

Jamie DONALDSON Thorbjørn OLESEN Justin ROSE Ricardo SANTOS Branden GRACE David HOWELL Martin KAYMER Joost LUITEN

Country WAL DEN ENG POR RSA ENG GER NED

Donaldson’s winning Stats: To Par

R1 R2 R3 R4

Total

Prize money

-14 -13 -13 -11 -10 -9 -9 -9

67 68 67 71 71 69 71 70

274 275 275 277 278 279 279 279

€336,726 €175,479 €175,479 €101,018 €85,663 €60,611 €60,611 € 60,611

70 69 69 72 69 71 69 69

69 69 68 66 73 68 70 73

68 69 71 68 65 71 69 67

Driving Accuracy:

60.7%

(15th)

Driving Distance:

295yards

(7th)

75%

(8th)

Scrambling:

77.8%

(6th)

Sand Saves:

50%

(41st)

Putts per Round:

28.3

(17)

Greens in Regulation:

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A QUICK 9 WITH 2005 US OPEN CHAMPION

WWG: What’s the best shot of your career? MC: I’d say my bunker shot on the 17th hole at St Andrews in the third round of The Open in 1995. WWG: What’s the one mulligan you’d like to take? MC: My second shot at the fifth hole at St Andrews in the final round of The Open in 1995! WWG: What’s your favourite golf course? MC: Kauri Cliffs in New Zealand, it’s a beautiful course. WWG: What’s your favourite club in the bag? MC: My putter. WWG: What’s your all-time favourite movie? MC: Star Wars. WWG: Your all-time favourite TV show? MC: Friends. WWG: Who would make up your dream foursome? MC: Gene Simmons (from K.I.S.S), Michael Jordan (basketball player), Nicole Kidman (actress). WWG: Favourite sports team? MC: New Zealand All-Blacks. WWG: Favourite musician or group? MC: K.I.S.S

MICHAEL CAMPBELL www.wwgolf.biz

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FOR THE LATEST COMPETITONS & GOLF CHAT

MONTY TO BACK MCGINLEY AS RYDER CUP CAPTAIN COLIN Montgomerie has come out in support of Paul McGinley after the Irishman pipped him in the race to become 2014 Ryder Cup Captain. The Scot, who was a late candidate for the job, said: “We will all get behind Paul now and wish him well. It would have been a dream come true (to be Captain at Gleneagles) but it has not happened. I was very ﬂattered even to be considered again – it meant a lot to me. “The selection process was such that they appointed the best man for the job. Paul is a very good man-manager and very good at assessing people’s strengths.”

No doping in golf say top European pair IN the wake of former cyclist Lance Armstrong’s admission of taking performance enhancing drugs on his way to winning the Tour de France seven times, two top European Tour players – Thomas Björn and Henrik Stenson – both believe that golf is a doping free zone. “I would find it very surprising if we encountered any enhancing drugs in golf,” said Stenson, a two-time Ryder Cup player. “I am happy I am in a sport where doping seems to be very, very rare. It’s obviously sad in any sport when the great heroes you expect to be clean, aren’t. “Cycling’s had a lot of problems with this

STATMASTER: DUSTIN Johnson has won the last three PGA Tour events that have been reduced to 54 holes because of weather disruption. He won this year’s season-opener in Hawaii and prior to that The Barclays in New York in 2011 and the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in 2009 which were heavily delayed by rain and strong winds.

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issue but thankfully golf is in a different situation. “There have been certain sports we’ve known about for years where people have been caught taking illegal stuff...he is just another one in that category. It makes it even sadder when it is one of the greats who gets caught cheating.” Björn, who is chairman of The European Tour’s Players Committee, echoed Stenson’s view. “In golf we do our drug-testing and it seems to be a very clean sport. We can be proud of that,” he said.

TRUMP’S ABERDEEN COURSE RUPTURED BY BAD WEATHER PART of Donald Trump’s International Golf Links course in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, was washed into the sea last month following a spell of severe weather over. An area around the fourth tee saw four feet of earth slide into the North Sea after high-rainfall buffeted the area in December. The course closes over the winter season and nearby residents believed natural damage to the course caused by the rough Aberdeenshire conditions was inevitable. “A number of folk have spoken to me about the recent

storms and the dramatic effect it’s had on the course – which is exactly what we expected to happen,” said David Milne, who lives on the Menie Estate and has constantly opposed the course development. “These landslides are directly on the dune line which is always shifting due to the weather. Just because there’s a golf course built on them, it doesn’t mean that this would change. “You’ve got the spring storms too which we’re expecting in March and April and they will come ripping in.”

DONALD EXTENDS HIS MIZUNO CONTRACT

DIVOTS

WORLD No.3 Luke Donald has ended speculation about a potential change in equipment by signing a new contract with Japanese based club makers Mizuno. Donald has won 13 titles with Mizuno gear and will continue to play the MP-64 irons and the MP-T4 wedges – models he helped design. “I feel as if I am playing as well as ever at this stage in my career,” said Donald. “Over the next few years I want to be in a position to win Major championships and to continue to improve each year. We’ve reﬁned my Mizuno equipment in the last couple of seasons and I’m really happy with what I have in the bag right now, so it gives me great pleasure to extend this relationship.”

Golf in Abu Dhabi running strong NEW ﬁgures released by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) show the emirate’s trio of championship-ready golf courses – Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Saadiyat Beach Golf Club and Yas Links – recorded 94.5% growth in the number of overseas rounds played last year compared to the equivalent in 2011. The authority partially attributes the huge surge in overseas bookings to the runaway success of ‘Golf in Abu

Dhabi’ – an umbrella marketing, communications, product packaging and distribution platform designed to increase the emirate’s penetration of the lucrative golf tourism segment. Some 13,171 overseas rounds were played at Abu Dhabi’s triumvirate of world-class last year – a near two-fold increase on the 6,769 overseas rounds tallied at the same facilities a year earlier.

LPGA ANNOUNCE ‘WORLD CUP’ STYLE TOURNAMENT THE LPGA have announced a first-of-its-kind international team competition that will see teams from eight nations battle for the right to be crowned the world’s best. The ‘International Crown’ will begin in July 2014 at Caves Valley Golf Club in Maryland and will continue as a biennial event which will pit eight four player teams against each other in a match play round-robin format. The eight countries will be determined by the combined Rolex World Ranking of the top four players from each country according to the Rolex World Rankings published at the conclusion of the 2013 CME Group Titleholders. The four-player teams will then be made up of the top four players from each qualified country on the Rolex Ranking on the Monday of the 2014 Kraft Nabisco Championship week. NBC’s golf anchors Johnny Miller (left) and Dan Hicks, shown here at last year’s Ryder Cup, will provide their expert analysis on the next two editions of the Scottish Open.

SCOTTISH OPEN TO BE AIRED ON NBC IN THE USA THE Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open will become the ﬁrst regular European Tour event to be shown live on a major United States TV broadcast network following the signing of an historic agreement with NBC which will complement the existing coverage on the Golf Channel. Until now, only Major Championships, World Golf Championships and leading team events connected to The European Tour have been

shown live on American broadcast networks but this two-year agreement between the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open and NBC Sports opens up new horizons for one of the most prestigious events on the Tour. “The US is one of our most important markets and therefore we are very supportive of this new agreement with NBC and the Golf Channel,” said Martin Gilbert, Chief Executive of Aberdeen Asset Management.

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Caddies Who Carry the Can

fanny sunesson CONTINUING our series on Caddies, Mike Gallemore talks to FANNY SUNESSON who burst onto the global golf stage by becoming the only professional female caddie on the international scene. Having carried the bag for Sir Nick Faldo through four of his six Majors plus The Ryder Cup, and for fellow Swede, Henrik Stenson when he won the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass and the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, injury has caused Fanny to take up another role, as a Tournament Director, courtesy of Volvo, at the recent Volvo World Golf Challenge in South Africa.

S THE leading lady of global golf caddies Fanny Sunesson has never backed off the chance of doing something completely different. In the late 1980s she took on the daunting role of being one of the only professional girl caddies in the world game – and made an overwhelming success of it. Now, after a bizarre accident on the golf course which ended her caddying career she has just enjoyed taking up another daunting role as Tournament Director for Volvo’s amateur World Golf Challenge at the Zimbali Golf Resort near Durban, South Africa. For a female to take on the job of caddie in the totally male dominated occupation of golf caddies was completely unheard of 25 years ago. Despite being the leading lady for women caddies and proving a girl was perfectly capable, Fanny’s huge success has failed to encourage other females to take up the profession. The Swede was an accomplished golfer in her homeland as a teenager and it was a chance occurrence that tempted her to try her hand at being a caddie.

‘Great way of seeing Europe’ “Playing golf was pretty much all I wanted to do,” says Fanny. “I watched an event in Sweden where a friend of mine was caddying. I thought that was a good idea and the following year I signed up as a local caddie for that same event. I caddied for Jaime Gonzalez that week and he asked me to caddy for him the following week. So in 1987 I was caddying on Tour full time. It was a great way of seeing Europe and learning some golf. I caddied for José Rivero in 1987 and then, two years later, for Howard Clark. I guess Nick Faldo must have seen something he liked and in 1990 he asked me to work for him.” Fanny caddied for him in four of his Major wins. “My most memorable events were Nick winning the the Masters in 1990 – just being at Augusta National was fantastic – and The Ryder Cup when we beat the

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Fanny Sunesson pictured with the Claret Jug after Nick Faldo won the 1990 Open Championship at St. Andrews.

Americans on their home soil at Oak Hill in 1995, plus Nick’s victory at the Home of Golf, St Andrews, in 1990. “Nick was a serious perfectionist but then, so am I. I worked really hard at my job and so did Nick. We gelled very well together. When you’re a caddie you’re the only one talking to the player during the round. You’ve got to know what to say and when to say it. Obviously, you need to know the distances on the course and be able to help with which clubs to use but there’s a lot more to caddying than that. Since I’m now a coach, i’m more aware that i was coaching during the time I was caddying.”

‘Fanny is the 15th club in my bag’ Sir Nick Faldo once said of Fanny: “She’s the 15th club in my bag. Fanny is indispensible to me.” After her worldbeating spell with Sir Nick Faldo, Fanny went into semi-retirement as a caddie and concentrated on the coaching side of the game, until she had a call from fellow

After her world-beating spell with Sir Nick Faldo, Fanny went into semi-retirement as a caddie and concentrated on the coaching side of the game, until she had a call from fellow Swede, Henrik Stenson.

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Caddies Who Carry the Can Fanny Sunesson helped Henrik Stenson to victory at The Players Championship in 2011 just before a freak accident caused her to retire from the game as a caddie.

Swede, Henrik Stenson. “Henrik got in touch and asked me to caddie for him,” she says. “He’s one of the nicest guys on the Tour and I really enjoyed working for him. It was good fun. It was supposed to be for a short spell but I ended up being with him for ﬁve years.” Fanny caddied for Henrik when he won the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass and also when he won the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona.

Bizarre accident ended her career It was a bizarre accident that brought Fanny’s caddying career to an abrupt end. “I was caddying for Henrik at the time,” she says. “I was outside the ropes with Henrik and I didn’t notice there was a very long pole in the thick grass. One of the marshals picked it up and as I was stepping over it I tripped up and almost fell over and I could hear my back crack. Three days later I couldn’t walk. I had a bulge on the disc in my back and I was in pain for seven months. I couldn’t do anything. “I’m much better now and I’ve learned to be careful with my back. It’s unlikely I’ll caddy again.” Last year she was contacted by Per Ericsson, President of Volvo Event Management, who invited Fanny to become Tournament Director of the Volvo World Golf Challenge, which had its World Final at Zimbali Golf Resort in South Africa. “Fanny played an important role within the game of golf, working both as a caddie and a coach and she is recognised the world over for her knowledge, authority and enthusiasm,” says Ericsson.

“It was fun and it was interesting doing something on the golf course that was different to what I’d been doing before. I am looking forward to working with Volvo again in addition to my coaching. Whatever I do, I will always give it my all.”

– Fanny Sunesson

Fanny jumped at the chance to take on another golfing challenge, working with an event that globally sees over 60,000 Volvo customers compete, with the aim of making it all the way to the World Final. “I absolutely loved being Tournament Director at Zimbali,” she says. “There were 67 amateurs, men and women. It was a real challenge and a lot of fun. I did the set up of the course and the pin positions. It was different to any other golf event I’d attended but I loved every minute of it. “I enjoyed meeting all the finalists and helping to make their experience of the event a really great one. I was proud and excited to work for Volvo, a company that sponsored many of the tournaments where I worked as a caddie.

‘Wonderful experience’ “I love golf and I love being on a golf course. Being in South Africa with Volvo was a wonderful experience and I’d deﬁnitely do it again. “It was fun and it was interesting doing something on the golf course that was diﬀerent to what I’d been doing before. I am looking forward to working with Volvo again in addition to my coaching. Whatever I do, I will always give it my all.” Fanny has given her total commitment to every challenge she has taken on and made an overwhelming success of it. Maybe her challenge in becoming a Tournament Director will lead to her being the First Lady again. Q www.wwgolf.biz

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Norman Greg

REDESIGNING COURSES IS RESUScITATING THE GAME

T’S been a quick start to 2013 in the world of golf. Despite a great deal of angst regarding the fiscal cliff tax legislation in the United States, the manufacturers are spending a lot of money for marquee players, and preliminary signs of strength are coming out of the PGA Merchandise Show in Florida. I enjoyed going down to Australia in January. No tournament appearances this time around, but I was able to get to the Australian Open Tennis Championship in between business ventures. I attended the opening of the East Course of the Grange Golf Club that I redesigned. The Grange, in Adelaide, South Australia, was the site of my first tournament win back in 1976. Both the

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Membership and I are very pleased with the result. Redesigning golf courses is something that I’m really enjoying and I hope to do more of in the future. I recently opened the Pines Course in Pompano, Florida, a redesign/build that I did for the municipality there. I enjoy the challenge of preserving the integrity of the original design, whilst at the same time incorporating the changes that technology, both with equipment and maintenance, have brought to the game. This type of work is on the leading edge of resuscitating the game in golf’s mature markets. While in South Australia, I visited Port Lincoln to look at a site for a new development. In Australia, Port Lincoln

is a well-known commercial fishing town, also famous for its congregation of Great White Sharks. I’ve gone cage diving with Great White Sharks on several occasions (http://www.shark. com/sharkwatch/videos/). In fact, the land plan for the project I’m looking at would essentially depict a Great White Shark from an aerial perspective. It would be a fun project and one that certainly ties in well with my namesake. As part of the same trip, I visited New South Wales Golf Club in Sydney where I have been acting as a golf course design consultant for the past 10 years. This is probably the best oceanfront golf real estate close to a major metropolitan area, outside of California’s famed Pebble Beach in Cypress Point. Adam

“I attended the opening of the East Course of the Grange Golf Club that I redesigned. The Grange, in Adelaide, South Australia, was the site of my first tournament win back in 1976.Redesigning golf courses is something that I’m really enjoying and I hope to do more of in the future”

Scott won the Australian Open at New South Wales GC in 2009. I’ve had the good fortune of being a member and playing many rounds there over the years. I enjoyed having a “Town Hall” meeting with the members and it’s always satisfying to receive such positive reaction, not only from a design perspective, but also on the environmental sustainability measures that we incorporated into the redesign. NSWGC has obvious sensitivities with its seaside location and there is a premium on water conservation. In fact, I was lucky enough to have two days at New South Wales, the second being a corporate outing for my long-standing partner, Qantas. I’ve been told that my

35+ year relationship with Qantas is the longest standing sponsorship between an individual and a corporation. At the same time, Qantas represents all things Australia. In that sense, I feel a great connection to both Qantas and being Ambassadors for Australia on a global basis. My projects in the Middle East continue to gain traction. The Ayla project at Aqaba, Jordan, continues to make significant progress after completing the final stages of shaping and the appointment of ‘Tanto Golf’ as the main Golf Course Contractor with the expected completion in mid-2014. We’re also starting to see signs of the Lusail Heights/Barwa project in Qatar regaining momentum. Q

The Grange East Course 13th hole – before redesign

The Grange East Course 13th hole – after redesign

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Player Gary

WORLDWIDE GOLF COLUMNIST

Brian Gay tees off on his way to a final round 63 before coming out on top at the first hole of a three-way play-off with Charles Howell III and David Lingmerth to win the Humana Challenge

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“I can honestly say that I don’t know any association that I’m more excited to be involved with than Humana. This is something that is very close to my heart. I was pleased to be at La Quinta for the Humana Challenge and take the first drive off the first tee to open the tournament.”

humana and i are a perfect fit

T was a great honour for me to become Brand Ambassador and co-Host for the Humana Challenge, which was previously the Bob Hope Classic. The partnership with a company like Humana is something I’ve been waiting to come along for a long time. Humana are a very dynamic company and their beliefs are very much in line with my own. I’m looking forward to a lasting, long-term relationship and helping to contribute in their drive against obesity, not only in the United States where it is a growing problem of huge proportions, but also worldwide. Humana is a global company and one of the United States’ leading health and well-being organisations, and the Humana Challenge, which they sponsor along with the William J. Clinton Foundation, is a huge fund-raising event. The partnership with Humana is particularly appropriate with this year being the 60th anniversary of my career as a professional golfer – which we celebrated on January 3 – and the 30th anniversary of The Player Foundation, which, over the years, has raised more than $50 million for underprivileged children. As a leader in the health care industry, Humana is providing a wonderful service to all those impacted by their care and health coverage. Over my 60-year golfing career I’ve placed great emphasis on fitness and a healthy diet, and now, at this stage of my life, I can see the benefits of my lifelong commitment to fitness more than ever. I greatly admire the efforts and commitment of Humana and President Clinton, who is heavily involved in this great tournament through the William J. Clinton Foundation. The Humana Challenge raised more than $100 million in pledges at the Clinton Health Matters Initiative – IT’S NOT ABOUT THE GOLF. Now at the age of 77 I hope to serve as a testament for the benefits of healthy living both on and off the golf course. I haven’t had the chance to play golf with President Clinton but I’ve spent time with him at The Presidents Cup and he’s the warmest and most personable individual you could wish to meet. We spoke about diets and keeping fit and about South Africa and how great it was to see the changes and improvements that have taken place in the country – and we spoke about Nelson Mandela, a man we both love and admire very much. It’s a wonderful experience being around President Clinton. I can honestly say that I don’t know any association that I’m more excited to be involved with than Humana. This is something that is very close to my heart. I was pleased to be at La Quinta for the Humana Challenge and take the first drive off the first tee to open the tournament. Fortunately for me the ball flew 250 yards straight down the fairway. It was a very nice week being with President Clinton and the

Humana Chairman Mike McCallister, and CEO Bruce Broussard and their representatives. We were treated to some great golf and an exciting finish when Brian Gay won on the first hole of a three-way play-off to defeat Charles Howell III and David Lingmerth. I had played in the Bob Hope Classic a number of times and always enjoyed the event and meeting Bob Hope and Frank Sinatra. Palm Springs was always a wonderful place to go. I remember losing the Classic in a play-off to Jack Nicklaus but I enjoyed spending time with President Eisenhower, a man I admired greatly. Joining forces with Humana to improve people’s health, I’m looking forward to contributing in their efforts in seeing that children, in particular, have a proper healthy diet and exercise regime, and tackling the increasing problems of childhood obesity. When I started working with weights around 1953 there were only two golfers who did it – myself and Frank Stranahan. I was ridiculed a lot for doing weights. There was a famous golf architect who mistakenly predicted: ‘Gary Player will be finished by the time he’s 35 because you cannot do weight training and play golf.’ I recently shot 66 playing in a golf tournament in South Africa – 11 shots below my age. I frequently shoot below my age, although it’s true to say, of course, that the older I get, the easier it is to shoot my age. My lasting memory regarding exercise and diet is of my elder brother when he went war in 1943. I was nine years old but I can still see him standing there in his khaki uniform saying to me: ‘Look, you’re small of stature so you must promise to me that you’ll exercise for the rest of your life because you want to be a professional athlete.’ I made that promise and I’ve adhered to it ever since. Staying in shape and keeping my weight down as I’ve got older has been essential for me. I won the Grand Slam on the regular Tours and I won the Grand Slam on the Senior Tours. Winning the Grand Slam as an over-50 was far more difficult than winning it on the regular Tours. I wasn’t interested in the money. I just wanted to be the best I could be and win the most Major championships I could win. It’s been a wonderful 60 years as a professional golfer and I’m still enjoying my golf and doing some good in the world through golf. Q www.wwgolf.biz

Cowen Pete

INSIDE THE ROPES WITH PGA MASTER PROFESSIONAL

IT was great to see one our players, Louis Oosthuizen winning in South Africa and I thought we might get another win two weeks later in Qatar. I’ve just started coaching Martin Kaymer and he was going very well, sharing the lead after two rounds, but fell away slightly over the weekend to finish tied ninth. It was a bit different seeing the tournament end on the Saturday instead of the Sunday this year, which I guess makes sense being that Sunday is a working day in the Middle East and it’s always a challenge getting the crowds in for the final round. Martin (pictured right) is improving very quickly. He takes everything on board and works very hard. He’s determined to get his game to the top level whatever it takes. His main problem has been his short game. It was horrendous. He’s not a great bunker player either for someone who has achieved World No.1 status in his career as Martin did in 2011. As soon as players see that even though they’ve reached the top of the World Ranking, somebody like me is better at some of the shots they want to play, they realise that they’d better shape up pretty quickly!

Start seeing a big improvement Martin’s all round game is solid enough, it’s just his chipping that needs working on and he’s very poor out of the rough because his technique was not right. But he didn’t know, it’s as simple as that. Now that he has the correct technique you’ll start seeing a big improvement in those areas of his game. It was interesting to see Rory McIlroy’s first outing with his Nike equipment at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship and his performance showed that it’s probably going to take a little time and some more tweaking before he’s completely comfortable. It was a bold move for him to change everything all at once, including the putter and the ball, rather than do it in stages but Nike obviously wanted it that way and while there’ll always be a settling in period, eventually I’m sure he’ll be fine. Nike’s strategy is to have the top sportsmen in every sport representing them. The one they haven’t got, who I’m surprised they didn’t go for, is Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi. Nike are effectively a marketing company, they don’t make anything – everything is made under licence, so they want the most visual athletes to market their

GOOD PLAYERS ALWAYS HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR A RESURGENCE brand. They won’t have been pleased with the way Rory’s Nike career began but I’m sure Tiger put a smile back on their faces the following week when ran away with the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, California, on the PGA Tour with 14 Nike clubs in his bag. Another player who has switched to Nike is Thorbjørn Olesen and it doesn’t seem to have affected him at all. He played some great golf in Abu Dhabi to take a share of second place and made a terrific start at the Commercialbank Qatar Masters with consecutive rounds of 68. So it just goes to show that it’s different for each player and I think Thorbjørn is one to watch out for this season. It was nice to see Jamie Donaldson win in Abu

Dhabi. I’m sure his win in Ireland last year will have given him a lot of belief that he can win at the top level, and it didn’t surprise me to see him win again. He’s a very strong player. It’s also great to see Michael Campbell back in the hunt for European Tour titles. The reason he’s doing well again is that he’s back with his old coach Jonathan Yarwood. Michael is now doing the good old things that he used to do well again. He went searching for silly things in his swing that he had no need to look for and now he’s back with Jonathan he’s starting to rediscover his form. If you’re a quality player, like Michael is, as long as you don’t get too down in the dumps when things aren’t going well, you always have the potential to have a resurgence. Q www.wwgolf.biz

H E N R I K

S T E N S O N

SWING 1

ABOVE - Set up: 1 Henrik’s mid-section and legs are a little too soft and his backside is too far behind his heels. 2. He’s slightly overturned the shoulders, so the club is picked up a little bit. 3. The left arm should be more straight out and not across the body. 4. The right elbow is too deep and should be more vertical to supporting the left arm. 5. Great change in direction with a good shaft line. 6. Good delivery, the left hand is below the chin and the right shoulder is in the correct position. Henrik is in good shape here. 7&8. The hips need to match the shoulder angle more but it’s still a strong finish.

1 40

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BY PETE COWEN

PGA MASTER PROFESSIONAL THE ACADEMY AT EMIRATES GOLF CLUB in Association with PETE COWEN F R A M E B Y F R A M E A N A LY S I S O F S O M E O F T H E B E S T S W I N G S I N P R O F E S S I O N A L G O L F

He’s set the club very well here, loaded the shoulders brilliantly and held position through the back swing.

BELOW: 1&2. You can see Henrik’s stance is a little too wide and he’s turned his shoulders a little. The right leg needs to be under the right hip. You can see in frame 3 he’s got good change of direction and strength – as you can see he’s held the legs well. 4. Great delivery position. The left arm is pulling down correctly. 5. Shoulder, hip,knee and ankle line are on top of one another to give a good exit position. 6. This leads to a strong finish ... and as I always say to Henrik ... 5/10!

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Traveller WORLDWIDE GOLF

Bearwood Lakes is a modern classic just 30 minutes outside of London

Bearwood Lakes Golf Club Despite opening just seven years ago and within range of established courses like Wentworth, Sunningdale and Walton Heath, Bearwood Lakes Golf Club has J]QT\ ]X I ZMX]\I\QWV I[ WVM WN \PM Ă&#x2026;VM[\ golf courses in Southern England.

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ocated just 30 minutes from London’s Heathrow Airport, Bearwood Lakes Golf Club has quickly become recognised as one of the finest golf courses in the UK. No easy task for a golf course that opened its doors in 1996 surrounded by many famous layouts built in the early 1900s on the heathlands of Surrey and Berkshire. Last year, Bearwood Lakes gained international recognition when US magazine Golf Week named the Berkshire layout, Best Modern Course in the UK. Despite the accolade and numerous inclusions within Top 100 rankings from other highly respected golf media, Bearwood Lakes have a clear vision of becoming one of the best golf courses, not just in the UK but in the world. An ambitious goal maybe, but owner Gary Holloway is investing significant sums of money to improve every aspect of the golf course and the club facilities. During the winter of 2011/12, Managing Director – Carl Rutherford, Course Manager – Daniel Lightfoot and his team set about making a number of exciting changes under the watchful eye of Guy Hockley who worked alongside Martin Hawtree on the original design. The improvements are pretty spectacular and include the extension and addition of natural water hazards that enhance a number of holes visually and architecturally. The 18 hole layout offers a delightful variety of holes that roll seamlessly around the Bearwood Estate, once the hunting grounds of English royalty. As you drive through the gates at Bearwood Lakes, you get the sense that you’ve arrived somewhere special. The tall pine trees and rhododendrons frame the long driveway up to the contemporary clubhouse that sits at the top of the historic estate. The theatre doesn’t stop there. Half a dozen strides into the lounge, with its abundance of natural light, the view of the perfectly manicured golf course below hits you and immediately starts the golf juices flowing.

Step onto the first tee and take in the panoramic view of the first, seventh and 18th holes before you strike your tee shot at the gentle opener. The par-5 second offers a good birdie chance before the course bares its first set of teeth at the par-3 third, a well bunkered hole which often plays into the prevailing wind. Take your three and run to the next tee! The tricky fourth hole plays from an elevated tee and by mid summer is beautifully defined by tall, wispy rough and an immaculately groomed fairway that invites a well struck drive. Your first glimpse of Bearwood’s upper lake comes into view as you rise the fairway at the par-5 fifth where a shallow green sits in front of a watery grave for a mis-judged approach. The relatively straight forward sixth hole offers a breather before you play holes 7-14 that the senior management have boldly described as the best eight consecutive holes in the country! It’s not hard to see why, the par-4 seventh rises back up towards the clubhouse and from the back tee is a truly magnificent golf hole. This is followed by a genuine risk-reward short par four before you close out the front nine with a spectacular par 3 over one of the newly extended lakes. A brief stop at the delightful half-way house sets you up for the back nine holes which are a sheer joy to play as you meander your way through a forest of mature pines, cedars and silver birch and then head for home along the edge of Bearwood’s lower lake. The par-3 14th hole is often regarded as Bearwood Lakes’ signature hole but in truth any number of holes here could stake a claim to be the standout hole. After the long par-4 15th, the final three holes run around the perimeter of the estate and offer excellent birdie chances to finish your round off in style. As you stroll down the wonderfully generous18th fairway, you will certainly have enjoyed a golfing experience to savour at one of England’s most exclusive golf clubs.

Bearwood Lakes Golf Club, Bearwood Road, Sindlesham, Berkshire , RG41 4SJ T +44 118 979 7900 | E golf@bearwoodlakes.co.uk | W www.bearwoodlakes.co.uk

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BY- Bryan Smyth, Golf Professional at Emirates Golf Club

THE FIX MOVE 1

MOVE 2

The fix is to set the club properly on its 45 degree line. As you can see I have set out my hitting station. I have shown a 45 degree line in yellow. I have set my hands, wrists and club correctly at the start of my swing on this line (Move 1). This keeps the clubhead outside the hands and my hands remain in front of my body. From this position I can keep working the shaft up on this line with my shoulder turn (Move 2). The club can naturally work down more from this position with no manipulation from the hands or arms.

Practice Take the time in your practice sessions to set the club correctly. It will be a new move for many of you so work hard on this for a minimum of 10 minutes daily to achieve a natural feeling for it. Break it down into two Moves for a while and then put it together when you are ready. Start with a 7 or 8 iron and work your way up.

THE DRILL Practice setting up with just your right hand on the grip, placing your left arm across the bottom of your rib cage resting the back of the left hand against your tricep. Then work the club up with your shoulder turn.

'SQI RMKLX GPYFFMRK SR XLI *EPHS GSYVWI EX )QMVEXIW +SPJ 'PYF ERH KIX SR XLI HERGI 他SSV every night of the week. Enjoy 9 or 18 holes with tee times available until 9.55pm. For tee time reservations contact +971 4 380 1234 or email golfbooking@dubiagolf.com www.dubaigolf.com

JOIN THE CLUB AND FEEL LIKE A WINNER! SIGN UP TODAY FOR FULL MEMBERSHIP AT THE AL HAMRA GOLF CLUB AND ENJOY A HOST OF BENEFITS EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK!

Your Exclusive Member BeneďŹ ts Include: Unlimited access to golf on our championship and academy par 3 courses

Complimentary Access To: Al Badia Golf Club, Dubai - 5 days per week Banyan Tree Beach Club - 7 days per week Fitness Facilities - 7 days per week

Preferred Member Rates On: Bag storage | Locker rooms | Golf lessons | Your guests

Member-Only Discounts: 20% on all food and beverages 10% in the Pro-Shop

Current Rates*: Membership valid from February 2013 to January 2014

Juniors AED 5,000**

Individuals AED 15,000**

*More Membership Categories available upon request **Payment Plans are available upon request

Al Hamra Golf Club

P.O.Box 6617, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE T : +971 7 244 7474 F : +971 7 244 7426 E : enquiries@alhamragolf.com

www.alhamragolf.com alhamragolf alhamravillage

Families AED 22,500**

AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE GCC FROM 14TH FEBURARY 2013.

www.prosports.ae

National Bank of Oman Golf Classic

invite top players from GCC Golf Championships THE top two players in this month’s GCC Golf Championships will be invited to play in the prestigious National Bank of Oman Golf Classic later this year – with both tournaments to be played on the highly-acclaimed Greg Norman-designed course at Almouj Golf The Wave, Muscat, Oman. The Organising Committee of the National Bank of Oman Golf Classic, to be held on Thursday 24th to Sunday 27th October, has announced that the two leading players in the 17th GCC Golf Championships, played at Almouj Golf on Saturday 23rd to Tuesday 26th February, will receive invitations to play in the European Challenge Tour event. The 54-hole GCC Golf Championships, contested by the six GCC nations – Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and the UAE – were hosted by the UAE last year at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club when the UAE claimed the team prize and Ahmed Al Musharrekh (UAE) took individual honours. A National Bank of Oman spokesman commented: “We are delighted to join hands with the GGC Golf Committee and give an opportunity for two Arab Nationals to compete in the Challenge Tour event at Almouj Golf, Muscat, Oman. “We have a number of amateur spots available in our invitation bracket and we feel it is a priority for us to encourage Arab Nationals to participate. We wish the GCC Golf Championships a great tournament and look forward to welcoming the top two players to the National Bank of Oman Golf Classic in October.” The leading players must hold an oﬃcial handicap

THE defending champions, UAE team, pictured below at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club after winning the 2012 GCC Golf Championships on home soil , with Ahmed Al Musharrekh also taking individual honours.

of three or less at the time when both the GCC Golf Championships and the National Bank of Oman Golf Classic are played, to satisfy the invitation conditions. If both, or either, of the top two players have a handicap higher than three at the time of both events, the places will not be passed lower down the field and will revert to the National Bank of Oman. With Almouj Golf hosting both prestigious tournaments this year, Oman has received a considerable boost to its golﬁng future. Later this month spectators at The Wave will be able to see how the best amateurs in the GCC countries handle Greg Norman’s spectacular Championship layout. In October golf fans in the region can compare how the cream of the European Challenge Tour fare over the Amouj Golf course, courtesy of the sponsorship of the National Bank of Oman.

SIAN Events Golf Series Championship Final 2012/13

Pauline and Amanda’s THE unusual fear of rain and storms got the SIAN Events Golf Championship Final off to a somewhat shaky start but I[ \PM ÅVITQ[\[ XZMXIZML NWZ \PM +PIUXQWV[PQX WV \PM ZIVOM the clouds disappeared, although the wind remained to make the Arabian Ranches Course a real challenge for the 40 two-player qualifying teams.

Dubai (Head Office) PO Box 333459 T +971 4 323 5865 F +971 4 323 5869

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Abu Dhabi PO Box 95001 T +971 2 406 4590 F +971 2 449 6377

London, England Sphere Studios, 2 Shuttleworth Rd, London SW11 3EA T +44 20 7326 9450

sianevents.com

January 11th 2013, Arabian Ranches Golf Club

Final Glory AFTER four hours on the course the team of Pauline Wallace and Amada Barrett proved too strong for the rest of the ﬁeld by posting a remarkable total of 76 stableford points, 33 and 43 respectively, to become the 2012/13 SIAN Golf Series Champions. Runners-up were Tom Freer and Paul Baxter with a total of 73 stableford points, 39 and 34, respectively – another great score considering the conditions. Tied for third place on 68 points were the teams of Patrick Poles with 33 points and Jacques Leretz with 35 points; and Gary Swan (33 points) and Graham Wood (35 points), with Poles and Leretz taking the position on a superior countback.

In the individual section The Ladies’ Low Net was won by Sheila Alban with 36 points. The Men’s Low Net went to Nigel Fenwick with 36 points. Paul Clark won the Men’s Low Gross with a fine 78. The Big Day culminated with a Buffet Supper on the Arabian Ranches Terrace where the UK’s Victor Michaels, a tremendous tenor and entertainer, got the players joining in as his choir and backing singers with songs from all genres of music. The players were as enthusiastic vocally as they were swinging a club on the golf course and received applause from Michaels for their efforts. The evening concluded with Simon McDonald,

Chairman and Founder of SIAN Events, announcing the winners with fellow Director, his wife Ann, and Victor Michaels presenting the Trophies and prizes from an amazing table of Chrystal and Golf memorabilia. Simon also conﬁrmed the ﬁrst Qualifying round for the 2013/14 SIAN Championship will be played in March and thanked all the players for their support and thanked Elliott Gray and his team at the Arabian Ranches Golf Club for their commitment, enthusiasm and assistance in working with SIAN Events throughout the year in making the tournament again a resounding success.

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WORLDWIDE Golf Open Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club 22nd February 2013 - 1.00pm shotgun Format: 4 player team, best 2 stableford scores to count. 18 hole, 4 player team format. Open to all amateur Men and Ladies with a valid handicap index or certificate, this would need to be produced prior to the event. The R&A rules of golf along with the AESGC local rules will apply. All Men will play from the AESGC blue teeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, all Ladies from the red. Ties will be decided by normal count back rules.

Please return the entry form below to the AESGC golf reception, fax to +971 3 768 331 or email to luke@aesgc.ae Closing date for entries will be Saturday 16th February, teams will be notified of their participation after the closing date. The event is limited to 24 teams and will be based on order of entry. Cancelation within 24 hours or no shows will be charged the full entry fee.

Entry fee per player AESGC Gold member 100 AED AESGC Silver member 195 AED EGF member 275 AED Visitor 300 AED Junior visitor (under 16) 200 AED Which includes - round of golf, shared golf cart, range balls, prizes and presentation buffet Prizes Overall winners, runners up and third place, plus special events Hilton Al Ain offer Accommodation is available and can be arranged through the AESGC on request.

Player 1: ______________________________ Club: __________________________ Hcp:___ Contact number:________________________ Email address : _________________________

Player 2: ______________________________ Club: __________________________ Hcp:___ Contact number:________________________ Email address : _________________________

Player 3: ______________________________ Club: __________________________ Hcp:___ Contact number:________________________ Email address : _________________________

Player

4: ______________________________ Club: __________________________ Hcp:___ Contact number:________________________ Email address : _________________________

Send the below players information for the Hilton Al Ain (tick the box where appropriate)

Player 1

P layer 2

Player 3

Player 4

WORLDWIDE Golf Open - Friday 22nd February 2013 Entry Form For more information please contact Luke by calling +971 3 702 6400 or email luke@aesgc.ae

ce an r ch te st en La to

OPEN Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club February 22nd 2013 – 1.00pm Shotgun Start O Located in the oasis city of Al Ain, the Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club offers an 18 hole Championship course which is a picturesque and challenging experience for all golfers. O The Al Ain Worldwide Golf Open will see competitors play the Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club on the 22nd February 2013.

O The tournament will be a 4 person team event with the best 2 scores on each hole counting for the team. O The entry fee will include, use of practice facilities, range balls, shared golf carts and will culminate with a prize presentation buffet and prizes. Accommodation is optional and can be arranged by request at the Al Ain Hilton Hotel. Prices available on request.

Prizes: Top 3 Teams and Special Events Prizes 1st place - x4 2nd place - x4 3rd place - x4 Special events - x4

Format: 4 Person Team, Am/Am Stableford. ¾ Handicap Allowance Tournament Cost Per Person: t

Gold Member – 100 dhs

Silver Member – 195 dhs

EGF Members – 275 dhs

Visitor – 300 dhs

Junior Under 16 – 200 dhs

To enter or for further inquiries contact Luke Plumb, Tournament Coordinator at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club as follows: Tel: +971 3 702 6400 Fax: +971 3 168 3331 E-mail: luke@aesgc.ae

Chris plays his cards right Mike Gallemore talks to CHRIS CARD, who has recently come from the legendary links at Turnberry on Scotland’s West Coast to take charge at Abu Dhabi Golf Club and Saadiyat Beach Golf Club with Troon Golf, about his background, Scotland, his views and his plans for the future of golf in Abu Dhabi.

Q: Where were you born and brought up and what are your earliest memories of golf? CC: I was born and raised in Connecticut, in the Northeast of the United States. Some of my earliest memories of the game revolve around playing and practising with my father at our local golf course. I was probably only 9 or 10 years old at the time, but I can remember it like it was yesterday.

Waking up to blue skies every morning is something we’re enjoying getting used to! Our lifestyle has changed as a result. For one, the children love the Abu Dhabi Golf Club ﬂoating cinema pool nights, which is certainly something we could not do on the West coast of Scotland.

Q: Do you have a family – have you and they been to the Middle East before? CC: Yes, I have a wife and two young girls who are settling into life here very quickly. I had visited Abu Dhabi prior to moving the family out and needless to say I was hugely impressed at what has been created. The quality of life we have experienced since settling in has been superb. There is a great community spirit, the schools are of the highest standard and we are certainly enjoying the sunshine.

Q: What has been your golf career so far? CC: I started my career in the USA as a First Assistant Golf Professional at Wild Wing Plantation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where I stayed for four years. I accepted my ﬁrst Head Golf Professional position at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. From there I took up Director of Golf and General Manager positions at a number of high end clubs and resorts before I made the big move in early 2009 to the Home of Golf in Scotland at Turnberry Resort. I was fortunate enough to spend three and a half years there before we moved out to the warmer climate of Abu Dhabi last October.

Q: There’s a different atmosphere between Turnberry and the UAE – how will that work for you. Will you miss the rain, driving winds and snow? CC: The weather is one of the biggest diﬀerences between Turnberry and the UAE.

Q: What are your early impressions of Abu Dhabi GC and Saadiyat Beach GC – and Abu Dhabi itself? CC: I’m really impressed. Having worked in the Troon Golf organisation for the past twelve years I have certainly been hearing

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some very positive stories about the rapid growth and development of golf in Abu Dhabi. Naturally, it was a great honour to be offered the opportunity of taking on such an exciting role, managing two of the world’s most talked about modern championship golf courses. I have been extremely fortunate to inherit experienced and enthusiastic teams at both Clubs. I’m enjoying working alongside them to provide all of our members and guests with the finest levels of course conditioning, service and hospitality that they have come to expect from Troon-managed facilities. I haven’t had too much time to sit back and reflect as we have been extremely busy with the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship. This is our eighth year of hosting the Championship and with so many of the word’s best players competing we were treated to another fantastic week. Q: Are you a golfer – and if so what are your most memorable moments of either playing or watching golf? CC: I’ve been lucky to grow up playing golf for over 30 years now. Some of my earliest memories revolve around playing in the summer with my father, who at the time was a pretty good player in his own right.

INTERVIEW

What are your greatest memories of being at Turnberry? The 2009 Open Championship fell L]ZQVO Ua ÅZ[\ aMIZ I\ Turnberry which was an incredible experience and certainly my greatest memory of my time there. I was even lucky enough to play as a marker on \PM ÅVIT LIa [W VW\ WVTa did I play host, I also got to take part!

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Pay and play in Abu Dhabi? Q: There is now a play and pay course in Dubai – do you think Abu Dhabi needs such a facility? CC: Our guests are more than welcome to arrive at Abu Dhabi Golf Club and Saadiyat Beach Golf Club and pay and play. In my opinion with three championship courses in Abu Dhabi there is not a requirement for more play and play courses, however, as participation continues to grow, perhaps there will be a demand in the future.

Q: Who are your golfing heroes – and why – and what would be your perfect four ball? CC: That’s a difficult question! I cannot fail to admire the outstanding Major records of both Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, whilst it was the charisma and showmanship exuded by Seve Ballesteros that got me hooked into golf in the first place. Those three legends would make up my dream four ball! Q: Do you have any other hobbies or past-times? CC: I enjoy cycling, running and exercising in general. In addition, I enjoy travelling with my family. Being in the golf and hospitality business has allowed us to visit and experience some spectacular places around the world. Q: What are your goals and targets for Troon Golf in Abu Dhabi? CC: With our presence at both Abu Dhabi Golf Club and Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, I think Troon is in a very important and influential position. Personally, I feel privileged, having moved out to Abu Dhabi at a time when in-bound golf tourism is flourishing and both golf courses are reaping the benefits, following the opening of two on-site 5-star hotels. By continuing to work closely with them to service our clients to the highest of standards and with the added support of the Governmentbacked Golf in Abu Dhabi initiative, I am certain we will grow our global appeal amongst the discerning golfer looking for the ultimate golfing escape. Q: Do you have any ideas for creating more golfers in Abu Dhabi or attracting more golfing tourists? CC: Both are equally as important for us. We have integrated programmes aimed at fuelling interest in the sport at a grass roots level. The Future Falcons and The Troon Family Golf initiative are two examples of how we are looking to offer incentives for juniors to take up the game. In addition, accessibility to lessons at our golf academies is a major part of daily life in Abu Dhabi. Inbound tourists are also a major focus for us. We now have recognition with consumers on a global scale who have either read, seen or heard from friends, family or colleagues about the Abu Dhabi golf experience. With two new five-star on

site hotels, our appeal to markets around the globe is as strong as it has ever been. We continue to work closely with stakeholders and business partners to deliver one of the strongest and diverse golf experiences that will give us further impetus in the coming years. We are all committed to ensuring Abu Dhabi makes its mark as one of the world’s ﬁnest golf experiences. Q: Do you think it is possible for a standalone golf club to be viable without including a hotel, or real estate? CC: Stand-alone golf clubs do exist and are viable depending on the business model, scale and revenue streams. There is no doubt that tourism is key for golf as a leisure attraction in Abu Dhabi. The addition of the St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort and The

Westin at Abu Dhabi Golf Club are both strategic business moves that will enhance the attractiveness of Abu Dhabi for visitors and ultimately run as business entities. We have an aligned approach that means we all work together for common goals, ensuring the most efficient and effective practices are put in place. Q: With maintenance on desert courses being so expensive do you think there is a place for synthetic courses? CC: We have the world’s finest agronomists at Troon who are constantly examining state of the art techniques, using cutting edge products, to maximise efficiencies in water consumption for our owners. There is a place for synthetic turf in some instances, but the global demand exists for traditional golf courses. Q www.wwgolf.biz

February’s local contents 63 64 67 68 70 71 72 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 78 79 80 81 82 82 83 83 83 85 85

JOEL NEALE COLUMN ROSS MCGOWAN’S SWING ANALYSED DUBAI CREEK GOLF & YACHT CLUB EMIRATES GOLF CLUB INTERNATIONAL PAIRS UAE JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES AL BADIA GOLF CLUB THE ADDRESS MONTGOMERIE DUBAI ARABIAN RANCHES GOLF CLUB ALMOUJ GOLF, MUSCAT, OMAN MUSCAT HILLS GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB ‘PIC ‘ GOLF SOCIETY LEAGUE SHARJAH SHARJAH GOLF & SHOOTING CLUB BANYAN GOLF CLUB DIRAB GOLF CLUB AL HAMRA GOLF CLUB ABU DHABI GOLF CLUB ABU DHABI CITY GOLF CLUB AL AIN EQUESTRIAN, SHOOTING & GOLF CLUB AL GHAZAL GOLF CLUB YAS LINKS ABU DHABI SAADIYAT BEACH GOLF CLUB TOWER LINKS GOLF CLUB THE ROYAL GOLF CLUB BAHRAIN THE TRACK, MEYDAN

ARABIAN

2012 League to Dubai winners Chris Wall (left) and Mark Green are pictured after their win in the Pairs format.

PRESTIGIOUS AMATEUR TITLES HEAD NORTH AND SOUTH AFTER FINAL IN DUBAI OVER 700 golfers from across the UK entered the prestigious 2012 League to Dubai, but ultimately the titles ended up in the north and south of England, after an exciting grand final in Dubai last month. Chris Wall, from Middlesbrough, and Mark Green, from Stockton-on-Tees – who both play their golf at Middlesbrough GC – secured the pairs title, while Andy Clements, from Cranleigh, Surrey, the membership manager at West Sussex’s Cottesmore GC, was the proud winner of the individual competition, both of which were played out over three of Dubai’s top courses: the Faldo course at Emirates Golf Club; Dubai Creek Golf Club and the Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates. The stunning, all-expenses-paid trip to the UAE – which included return flights and six nights’ half-board accommodation at a five-star hotel – was reward for their initial efforts in battling their way through their local league and a regional finals in England during 2012. Wall, an 8-handicapper, and Green, who plays off 11, scored 425 points to finish 20 clear of runners-up John Woodward (Manor House, Wiltshire) and Gary Prescott (The Kendleshire, Avon). 60

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“We took the lead on day one at the Faldo and just hoped to hang on until the end,” said Wall. “To get a chance to play these courses is a prize in itself so anything else we achieved was a bonus. We were trying our best and it has been a tournament played in great spirit with some good golf thrown in. I wish this event every success in the world.” Green added: “We have played the best three courses we will ever play back-to-back: Faldo, Creek then the Earth, it was a very special experience. Dubai Creek was also very special, but we also got to have a social night of golf at the Meydan course, which was the first time we have ever played floodlit golf.”

Experience The overall experience was summed up by Stuart Wilson, from West Kilbride. Despite finishing ninth of nine finalists in the individual event he said: “It didn’t matter if I won or not you win by actually getting here. Anything else is just a bonus. “I only knew a couple of the other guys from the regional final but we are all here for the same reason and enjoy being together. “I’ve already entered the competition for 2013

- I like the format as it gives you a chance even if you lose a match. I’m the only member from my club to enter but there is definitely a lot more interest after I won a place at the grand final. “My best chance of getting here was in the first year as I am sure the interest is now going to be very high. More players should enter as it’s a tournament that deserves to be a success and the experience of being here to play golf on these courses is second to none.”

Format Inspired by the European Tour’s Race to Dubai, the League to Dubai – which is sanctioned by The R&A – pits amateur golfers against each other initially in a local league format, between April and August, playing two home matches and two away. The league winners head to one of three regional finals from where the top three (top two in the pairs’ competition) qualify for the grand final in Dubai - all for just a one-off entry fee, which in 2013 will be just £35 per person.

Q To enter the 2013 League to Dubai or to find out more about the competition, visit: www.leaguetodubai.co.uk

GOLF

LOCAL NEWS

Khalid Yousuf with EGF Chairman H.E. Shaikh Fahim Bin Sultan Al Qasimi and CEO, HSBC - UAE Abdulfattah Sharaf.

YOUSUF WINS THE PRESIDENTS CUP

Junior Net and Gross Champion Ahmed Skaik is pictured with his trophies alongside the overall winner Khalid Yousuf.

KHALID Yousuf birdied two of the last four holes to seal victory in The Presidents Cup over two rounds at Saadiyat Beach last month. In the two-day tournament, played over the Gary Player-designed layout, Yousuf shot rounds of 74 and 76 for a 150 total, three clear of defending champion Abdulla Al Musharrekh who came in with rounds of 78 and 75. The win was Yousuf’s fourth National title since his first at the 2009 Lexus National Championship. The Presidents Cup, which is the new name for the National Championship, has the blessings of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and it also has a new sponsor in HSBC UAE. There was a two-way tie for third place on 155 between Saif Thabet and Sohail Al Marzouqi with the latter taking the final place on the podium on the countback after his one-under-par back nine. In the junior division, Ahmed Skaik won both the gross and net prizes with rounds of 84 and 87. That accounted for a gross 171 and a net 157.

EGF Secretary General Khalid Mubarak Al Shamsi said: “The Presidents Cup marks a new chapter in the history of golf in the UAE. The Royal blessing elevates the stature of the tournament, and we would like to thank His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan for that. “For any tournament to succeed we also need a committed sponsor, and in sport very few companies can match the credibility of HSBC. We are looking forward to many years of working along with them to make The Presidents Cup even bigger. “Congratulations to Khalid Yousuf and all the other players in the field. They are the most important part of the tournament and it is very encouraging for us to see that the standard of the game is constantly improving in the country.” Yousuf said: “I am really delighted. The tournament definitely has a much bigger stature now with the President’s name attached. I haven’t been playing well lately and have been a bit short of practice. But this victory feels really good.”

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local scene

WITH WORLDWIDE GOLF PLAYING EDITOR, JOEL NEALE

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ABSENCE MAKES THE HEART GROW FONDER I DECIDED to take an extended break over Christmas in a bid to try to rediscover my hunger for the game – because if you haven’t got that you’ve got no chance of making it. I was feeling really guilty about not spending enough time on the driving range, putting in the hours practicing. Normally, you go down to the golf club and start hitting balls because you want to be there but I’ve been ﬁnding it such a big ‘ask’ lately I decided to put the clubs away and have a break until the hunger returned. then I can go back and practice for a decent amount of time and enjoy it rather than continually looking at my watch and thinking, ‘Have I done two hours yet?’ If you don’t have that driven desire you’re wasting your time so a break here and there is sometimes a good idea. But I’m starting to plan out my season ahead and I’m just waiting for the MENA Tour dates to be published after the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. Golf in Dubai are doing a split season this time with events in March-April and then SeptemberOctober with 11 or 12 tournaments, compared to the six they had last year. I think it’s a great idea as the way they had it last year with six events back to back meant that one run of form could win the whole tour whereas now it really does reward

consistency throughout the season. I’m planning to play in all of the MENA Tour events if I can – I’ve heard that there are going to be a couple in Morocco and one in Qatar so it should be great. Being based in the UAE where most of the events are, it’s a no brainer for me to take part, especially when you see so many players coming from all over Europe, Asia and even Australia to compete. It’s such an advantage for me living in the region. The standard of last year’s MENA Tour was really high but it’s set to be even higher this year. There were a record number of entries into this year’s Asian Tour Qualifying School with 761 players trying to secure their cards which is why they had to split it into Section A and Section B for the first time. Obviously, many of those players who don’t secure their cards will sign up for the MENA Tour which is scary and I’m sure the standard will go through the roof. It makes it tougher for the likes of me and it keeps you on edge, always questioning your ability. For every hour that you’re not out there practicing there are another 1,000 guys of a similar level out there putting in the hard yards trying to achieve the same thing as you. But you need to be playing among the best if you want to make it – there’s no point trying to kid yourself. So it’s good for me to look to the standard set by these guys as something to strive for. If anything was going to make me get that hunger for the game back it was the Desert Swing coming to town. Watching Jamie Donaldson win in Abu Dhabi and then Chris Wood in Qatar definitely got the juices flowing again. I’m still like a kid

when I watch those tournaments. I was at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship and it just made me want to come home to Arabian Ranches and start practicing! It was sad to see Rory McIlroy missing the cut in Abu Dhabi in his ﬁrst event using the new Nike equipment but I think there was so much pressure on him that fatigue got the better of him. That’s why he took four weeks oﬀ after the tournament so that he can recharge his batteries and spend a bit of time getting the gear right. He was paid a vast amount of money by Nike and they were desperate to launch the deal in Abu Dhabi. But I don’t think they spent enough time with him working on getting everything right. It was a bit rushed, so it ended up being a bit of a testing ground, which wasn’t really fair considering how much he was being paid in appearance money to compete in the tournament. I also think that with the amount of money both Rory and Tiger Woods were receiving for playing Abu Dhabi they perhaps should have stayed around for the presentation and maybe given some clinics over the weekend after missing the cut. I’m not a fan of appearance money anyway but I think when players are being paid huge sums just for turning up they have a duty to the tournament organisers to provide as much value as possible. I’m sure Rory will sort out his issues with his putter and his driver – he’s still the best player in the world and it won’t be long before he’s back winning tournaments again. Q

Michelle Wie enjoys time out with a local fan during the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters. www.wwgolf.biz

LOCAL SWING BY JUSTIN PARSONS

Director of Instruction at Butch Harmon School ol of Golf, Dubai.

Set up – Ross’s set up is excellent, a nice neutral spine angle at address and good balance from face on. We did a little work on his right hand grip which can get a little strong – this is common in ex-squash and hockey players. Ross benefits a great deal from his natural athleticism and hand eye coordination, he was a top ranked squash player before finding golf.

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It does not get much better than Ross’s first move, a great position to copy, the body remaining stable and the ‘Y’ shape formed by the club and arms moving away with rotation from the chest.

As Ross continues up towards the top of his backswing you can see that he uses his legs and feet quite aggressively in his swing. His sequencing was some of the best which we measured on 3D. As he nears the top of the swing you can see his left foot getting into the air, his position at the top of the swing looks rotary and efficient although I would like to see the right foot a little more stable here.

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ROSS MCGOWAN Ross is about 80% with regards to recovering from a serious wrist injury. I’m glad to see him coming back to form and looking at his swing he’s not far from returning to his best.

His transition isFrom achieved pressurising thesee ballhow of the leftthe downbythe line, you can ‘quiet’ foot back onto takeaway the floor, aistrait many ofrotation. the best withcommon minimalinforearm ball-strikers. From view,ofyou can ssee that the shaft Thisthe is adownline characteristic Rachel’ backswing begins to alignand withresults the right forearm which isbehind a sign the of his in the club moving body swing remaining plane. andonthe face closing at the top of the swing.

His impact position looks excellent down has‘quiet’ created From down from the line, youthe canline. seeHe how theplenty of room by keeping his takeaway lower bodyis under control and aggressively with minimal forearm rotation.firing his chest, everything clearing Ross to freewheel through the ball. Thisand is aallowing characteristic of Rachel’ s backswing This strong, covering move a medium-to-low which Ross can and creates results in the club movingflight behind the body repeat allowing him to and be one theclosing playersatcapable very low theofface the topofofshooting the swing. scores when he is fit and healthy.

Ross fires on through a full the finish, leftcan foot Fromtodown line,theyou seesometimes how ‘quiet’getting the a little loose towards thetakeaway end of hisisswing. A great guy and exciting with minimal forearm rotation.player, we all hope to see him back best in 2013.of Rachel’s backswing Thistois ahischaracteristic and results in the club moving behind the body and the face closing at the top of the swing.

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Left to right: Stephen Hubner, George Horan (Captain) winner Joseph Andrade and Alan Mackenzie.

Chris Cornwall receives his trophy from Dubai Creek Head Pro Stephen Hubner (l), Director of Golf Alan Mackenzie (r) and Omega’s Jacklyn Quadras.

CORNWALL STANDS FIRM TO WIN THE AM OPEN DUBAI Creek hosted the first EGF Order of Merit event of 2013 recently in the form of the prestigious OMEGA Dubai Creek Men’s Amateur Open and coming out on top after two days of intense competition was Englishman Chris Cornwall. Cornwall began the second day with a one-shot lead ahead of the UAE’s top amateur Michael Harradine and EGC member Nicola Angelastri. With the standings being so tight, the ﬁnal round was sure to provide some drama with a host of players still in with a chance of winning on the unforgiving and unpredictable course. Harradine showed why he is the No. 1 ranked amateur player by moving clear of Angelastri and Cornwall after the opening nine of the second round. Things stayed very tight at the top but continued to chop and change with each of the top three taking the outright lead at some point. After making back-to-back birdies on holes 14 and 15 Cornwall stood on the 17th with a two-shot lead over his two playing partners.

He found the water with his tee shot but held his nerve and limited the damage to just a bogey to take a one shot lead going into the final hole. The 18th hole at the Dubai Creek always provides a dramatic finish and this was no exception as Harradine and Cornwall found the water off the tee whilst Angelastri stayed dry but was in the sand. Course Management Harradine played first and showed good course management by laying up short of the water. Angelastri however had different ideas. He took on a brave shot from the sandy waste but pulled it and it finished wet in the Creek. Cornwall took his drop and played a good mid-iron shot into the wind to the middle of the green. Harradine played a good wedge shot to 15 feet and Angelastri followed. Cornwall then hit a very good long putt up the green and finished just three feet away and after Harradine and Angealstri both missed their bogey attempts Cornwall was left with two putts for the title.

After a couple of quick nervy taps Cornwall was the champion on by one stroke with a 5-over par 36-hole total of 147. “I would like to say what an honour it is to win such a prestigious golf tournament,” smiled Cornwall. “Playing with two great players like Michael and Nicola in the final round was a lot of fun. “With five to play I was two back and fighting to stay in the tournament, then I knocked it in close on 14 and 15 for back-to-back birdies which meant standing on the 17th tee I was two ahead which helped me just make it over the line.” In the end there was a three-way tie for the runner-up spot and it was Creek member Mark Williams who won on a countback after a second round 74. Angealstri took third place over Harradine on a better back nine holes of the final round and it was Ryan Riley who completed the top five on 150. Emirates Golf Club member Sheikh Imran Qayyum took the overall net prize with a two day total of 2-under par 140.

LADIES FESTIVE SPECIAL SEES 2012 END IN STYLE LADY Vice Captain Maureen Platt won the final event of 2012 as she scored 31 points to win the Ladies Christmas Stableford by two points from Lida Hoekstra. “I would like to thank my playing partners today for a lovely day,” said Platt. “I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank our Professional Craig Waddell and all staﬀ at Dubai Creek for putting on these wonderful events. I wish everyone a successful new year on and oﬀ the course.” Finishing in third place after losing out to Hoekstra on a countback was Swati Singh while the Nearest the Pin prizes were taken by Singh, Platt, Hoekstra and Paula Savage. The Longest Drive challenge was won by Nadia Matveeva as she boomed her tee shot down the 11th fairway.

ANDRADE ROLLS BACK THE YEARS FORMER Club Captain Joseph Andrade won the first event of the New Year at Dubai Creek as he claimed last month’s Mashreq Medal Championship in association with BMW. Nearly 90 players took part hoping to finish the day at the top of the new Dubai Golf Order of Merit series and it was Andrade who stormed to victory with a stunning net 64 for a six-stroke winning margin. “I am very happy to have had such a good game after a long break, especially to start the new year with a win,” smiled Andrade. “ The course was in excellent condition and was a joy to play. A big thank you to everyone involved for making the event such a success and I look forward to playing in many more.” Peter Stapleton got his year off to a flying start with a fantastic performance and a net 70 which earned him first place in Men’s Division ‘A’ by one shot over Ishwar Jodha who took the runner-up place with a net 71. Dubai Creek’s Scratch Match Play champion Paul King also scored a net 71 but he was awarded the prize for the best gross performance for the second consecutive month after his fine round of 1-over par 72. Pritam Mirchandani took the Men’s Division B title with a net 73, ahead of Haridas Kondath who was second on 75. Vanessa North managed to go one better this month after finishing runner-up in December’s medal as she took the Ladies Division with a solid 1-over par net 72 while Rishi Nair shot a superb net 65 to win the Junior Division by five shots over his older brother Dhruv. www.wwgolf.biz

EMIRATES GOLF CLUB www.dubaigolf.com

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THOMPSON TRIUMPHS IN THE LADIES MEDAL

Emirates Club Captain Moshe Kohli receiving the trophy from Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht club Captain Ara Nakhnikian.

EMIRATES GOLF CLUB TRIUMPH IN THE CLASH OF THE TITANS

IN the first event after the New Year it was Carolyn Thompson who brushed off any cobwebs and triumphed over the Majlis course in the Silver ‘A’ Division (hcp 0-14) thanks to a lovely net 70 which included a gross birdie on the par-3 11th. Taking the overall gross prize was Jayshree Gupta with a ﬁne 80 and her net 72 gave her the runner-up spot in the Silver ‘A’ Division behind Thompson. In the Silver “B” Division (hcp 15-23) it was Maura Duggan who took top honours with her net score of 70, three ahead of Fiona Berry while Fiona Munro carded a nice net 73 to take the Bronze Division (hcp 24-42) medal.

A TEAM representing Emirates Golf Club defeated their Dubai Creek counterparts in the popular bi-annual Clash of the Titans event recently. Played over the Majlis course the EGC team were led to victory by the Club Captain Moshe Kohli and Club Manager Andrew Whitelaw as they combined for a superb score of 44 points in the betterball format. The overall scores were 393 – 378 with the highest scoring Creek pairing of Steven Vanson and Pro Kenny Monaghan earning 45 points for their team.

AMARNANI, STATHIS AND FREDRIKSSON START WELL IN MASHREQ MEDAL PREM Amarnani recorded the best score of the day in the first event of the The Mashreq Medal Championship in association with BMW as he carded a net 63 over the Faldo Course to win Division ‘C’. Pontus Fredriksson, three times the Club Champion, also started the Medal Championship in ﬁne style with a gross and net 72. He completed the arguably more diﬃcult front nine of the Faldo course in 34 strokes (2-under), including birdies on holes 3 and 7. An up and down back nine including birdies on 13 and 16 but dropped shots on the holes 10, 14 and 17 which resulted in a 2-over inward half and level par total. He took home the prize for best gross and runners-up place in Division

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Andrew Robinson, Lan Peterson, Robert Curtis and Janet Curtis receivie their prize from the Lady Captain Glynis Hendry and the club Vice Captain Dick Purchase.

NEW YEARS DAY FUN FOR ALL ‘A’. Topping Division ‘A’ was Jignesh Sanganias he shot a 71 while third place went to Tarun Khanna with a 73. Stathis Stathis continued his good run of form with a net 68 to win Division ‘B’ (hcp 11-20). Anand Lakhiani claimed second with a 75 followed by Rabih Sfeila two shots further back. Over a 12 month period there will be a total of 22 monthly medals across the two Dubai Golf managed clubs. During the months of July and August there will also be joint medals whereby Dubai Creek members compete against Emirates members and vice versa. Both clubs will run separate order-of-merits and the top 36 players in both Order of Merits will win a place in the grand ﬁnal.

AT A windy Emirates Golf Club a strong field of 80 members blew off the excesses of the night before as they competed in the annual New Year’s Day Texas Scramble golf competition on the Faldo Course and coming out on top was the team of Robert and Janet Curtis and Lan Peterson and Andrew Robinson as they scored a gross 65 for a net 58.9. Needing something of a jolt into action, Robert served up a round of coﬀee to wake up the team. The caﬀeine seemed to kick in by the time they reached the par-5 10th hole with Lan Patterson driving and putting superbly to secure an eagle three. A nice birdie two on the par 3 12th continued the momentum. That left them on their last hole

(13th par 4) with a tense Andrew Robinson still needing to hit his last of the required three drives. This he duly did with a wind assisted drive straight onto the green and to within six feet of the flag. The celebration was complete when Janet Curtis rolled in their second Eagle to secure first place. Taking second place, not far back on 59.5, was the team led by Lady Captain Glynic Hendry which included Lady Vice Captain Barbara Head, Philip Head and Andy Hendry while the team of Chris Turlik, John Stadwick, Daniel Hendry and Alex Turlik took the third place with a very close 59.7. They had the best gross score of the day (63)with no less than 10 birdies including five on the bounce from hole 11 to 15.

LOCAL NEWS CONTACT: Tel : +9714 380 2222 E-mail: info@dubaigolf.com

MUIRHEAD AND BUDHIRAJA SHINE IN JUNIOR CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP ALISON Muirhead and Inaan Budhiraja both signed for a gross 78 over the Majlis course to become the 2012 Girls Club Champion and Boys Club Champion respectively. Muirhead got off to a nervous start, dropping four shots in her opening three holes, but bounced back superbly with a birdie on the difficult par-3 fourth hole. Despite an unfortunate double bogey on the final hole she carded her best score on the Dubai Desert Classic track – a 6-over par 78 – while her net

Winners Inan Budhiraja (fourth from left) and Alison Muirhead (to his right) are pictured with the other winners on the day. 68 also gave her the best net score of the day. Budhiraja carded a conﬁdent front nine score of 1-over-par 36 but a run of dropped shots from the 12th resulted in a 5-over-par back nine. However, despite the loss of form coming home, his gross 78 was good enough for a two-shot win over Rory Blincow with

Karan Bhasin third on 81. In the boy’s net division Matthew Laven came out on top with a level-par 72. For the ﬁrst time this year a new category was created –namely the ‘Academy Graduates’ and four juniors who graduated from the Emirates Academy participated in a gross competition from the forward tees

with Niklas Korjonen clinshing top prize with a gross 92. Alex Turlik, Karam Wallia and Aayush Bakshi were the other competitors in this category and they were competing in their ﬁrst major junior event. The Nearest the Pin were won by Karam Sehmi on hole 4 and Inaan Budhiraja on hole 11.

KOHLI, TURLIK, WHITELAW AND BROWN TAKE THE HONOURS

Club Captain Moshe Kohli and his winning team of Nana Nielson, Naema Maya and Ross Hopwood are pictured with Lady Vice Captain Glynis Hendry after their victory.

KOHLI, NIELSON, HOPWOOD AND MAYA VICTORIOUS THE quartet of Club Captain Moshe Kohli, Nana Nielson, Ross Hopwood and Naema Maya fired a superb net 58 over the Majlis course to win the Mixed Christmas Scramble by 0.8 from Rekha Bandopadhyay, Tania Sangani, Amresh Sangani and Arun Khehar. The team of Jill, Robert and Alison Muirhead and Butch Zeederberg continued their consistent run in Scramble events with a third-place ﬁnish on 59.7. The Nearest the Pin prizes on hole 12 went to Rosemary Turlik in the Ladies section and Arun Khehar in the Men’s Division. Other Nearest the Pin prizes went to Nak Min Choi on hole 2 and Viet Nga Petersen on hole 8 while the Long Drive challenges were won by Nana Nielsen and Ross Barry.

CLUB Captain Moshe Kohli led his team of Chris Turlik, Club Manager Andrew Whitelaw and Golf Professional Alastair Brown to victory in the popular Members and Staff Scramble played over Faldo Course recently. Their impressive scramble score of 58 included 11 birdies and an eagle on the par-5 third hole and all four players kindly donated their prize back to the junior staﬀ via a lucky draw. The runner-up spot was taken by Alan and Soumaya Salem’s team as they scored 59.6 in the windy conditions.

Third place went to the three-man team of Jackie Barry, Nick Evangelopoulos and GCM staﬀ member Miaz Khan with a great 59.9 scramble score. Their scorecard included six birdies equally spread between the front and back nine. Jackie and Nick also kindly donated their prize back to the junior staﬀ via a lucky draw. Nearest the Pin prizes were won by Bag Store Supervisor Jhun Basa and member Amresh Sangani while Spikes Bar Manager Andre Grove and member Jackie Barry won the Longest Drive challenges.

Club Captain Moshe Kohli and his winning team of Andrew Whitelaw, Alastair Brown and Chris Turlik receive their prizes from Lady Captain Glynis Hendry.

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TECH ACCESS INTERNATIONAL PAIRS RECORD DAY AT THE ADDRESS MONTGOMERIE DUBAI THE fifth qualifier of the Tech Access International Pairs UAE Presented by Cadillac 2012-13 season took place at The Address Montgomerie last month and there were some notable ‘firsts’ in the only series of its type in the region. This was the 39th tournament since International Pairs arrived in the UAE in 2010 and the ﬁeld of 96 golfers ensured it was the biggest to date. It was only ﬁtting that a stunning score of 48 points in the betterball Stableford format won the day, with so many pairs competing for a coveted spot in the 2013 National Final at Yas links in June. That was the standard set by Michael Thompson and James Haupt

Winners at The Address Montgomerie Dubai Michael Thompson and James Haupt, pictured with Club Captain John Brash and Lady Captain Kerry Fitzpatrick. as they both found their best form at the right time and produced the highest winning score since Bob Driver and Claire Warburton won at Sharjah Wanderers with 49 points in the 2010-11 series. Haupt, who was playing in his ﬁrst ever members event at The Address

Montgomerie Dubai proved the perfect foil for Thompson and if they can hit the same kind of form in the National Final, they will certainly be diﬃcult to beat. Four teams ﬁnished with 43 points and a countback was required to determine the runners-up spot.

Thanks to 16 points in their last six holes, Paul Pitman and Keith Stacey emerged from the pack just edging Charlie Simpson and Kevin Thorley into third. Unlucky to miss out on the overall prizes were Eun Joon and Ji Hun Song and Samantha and Richard Barron.

RAS AL KHAIMAH INTERNATIONAL PAIRS UAE QUALIFIER Al Hamra Golf Club in Ras al Khaimah hosted the sixth and seventh qualifiers of the 2012-13 season last month when they invited the members of Tower Links Golf Club to play their event at Al Hamra. The ‘shared’ tournament day was a ﬁrst for International Pairs UAE and was well received by members of both clubs. With perfect weather conditions and a course to match, there was no shortage of contenders in each of the two tournaments. In the ‘home’ event, Anthony Cashman and Ma Li Min emerged on the right side of a scorecard countback to claim victory. After a mediocre opening nine, the winning duo’s card burst into life as they notched up a staggering 24 points on the inward half to beat Dewald Lubbe and Jake Maki-Petaja to the top spot. Third place was taken by Shawqi Sajwani and Robert Craquelin who 70

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raced out of the blocks and finished with 37 Stableford points to earn their place in the Grand Final. Meanwhile, the Tower Links members apparently adapted well to the course at Al Hamra and some excellent scores were returned. Coming out on top was the veteran duo Jeff Glasgow and Alistair Purves as they compiled 40 points to win by one. Taking second place on a countback were Roger Floyd and Yuki Pellerine with third place going to Greg Maddox and Mark Regan. With two holes left and sitting seven points behind clubhouse leaders Maddox and Regan, Glasgow and Purves pulled off the impossible as first Glasgow birdied the 17th for four points and then Purves made a net eagle on the last to snatch victory by a solitary point. With nerves like this under pressure, this pairing might be one to watch in June’s finale.

International Pairs UAE Al Hamra Golf Club winners Anthony Cashman and Ma Li Min are pictured with Al Hamra Golf Club PGA Professional, Karl Rowe.

Tower Links Golf Club winners Alistaor Purves and Jeff Glasgow are pictured with Karl Rowe.

CONTACT: Tel : +971 4 375 999

JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES www.jumeirahgolfestates.com

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GOOD SCORES IN MEMBERS & GUESTS STABLEFORD THE opening Members and Guest event of the new year was a close affair and coming out on top over the Fire course was the team of Ayaz Afridi, Nadir Mohammadi, Omer Iqbal Khan and Avinash Pangarkar as they compiled 90 Stableford points to win by one. Finishing in second place was Michelle Walsh, Jonathan Hall, Zuzana Pourova and Shabir Yakub while in third with 87 points were Denise Fennell, Mick Fennell, Chloe Dillon and Mark Yasmin Ali. Iqbal Khan struck the Longest Drive down the 5th fairway while the Nearest the Pin prizes on holes 8 and 14 were taken by Steve Freed and Graeme Marshall respectively.

SCHWARTZ TAKES AN EARLY LEAD PARTICIPANTS in the 2013 JGE – Yas Links Cup were met with challenging conditions during the opening round of the Series recently as high winds and cooler temperatures greeted the competitors. Players from both teams were looking to get oﬀ to a good start in the individual Stableford format and taking an early lead in the series was JGE member Paul Schwartz as he pipped two players on a countback. Schwartz,

Haiyan Mujarkech and Tania Gelasini all scored 32 points in the brutal conditions on the Fire course and it was Schwartz’s better inward nine of 20 points that gave him the title. Taking second was Gelasini with a back nine of 19 compared to Mujarkech’s 15. The Longest Drive prizes went to Martin Fernandez on hole 5 and Noorat Thongde on the 18th while the Nearest the Pin prizes on holes 8 and 14 went to Felix Ruoﬀ and Gary Tang respectively.

10TH HOLE (Fire course) TOP TIP By David Blackadder, Golf Operations Supervisor The 10th Hole is the longest Par 4 on the course, requiring a long tee shot missing the fairway bunker on the right. If you’ve successfully found the fairway then a long second shot waits to this slightly elevated green protected by a bunker short right which eats into the green and another left waiting to punish pulled approach shots. Laying up to the left is a sensible idea, leaving a straight forward pitch shot up to a relatively flat green. Walking off the green with a five on the card is not an overly bad start to the second nine of this championship course.

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CONTACT: Tel : +971 4 601 0101

AL BADIA GOLF CLUB www.albadiagolfclub.ae

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PATEL KICKS IT OFF WITH A WIN CLOSE to 100 keen golfers participated in the opening qualifying event of the 2013 TaylorMade Series and clinching the top spot with a countback victory was Kanhai Patel as his better inward six holes pipped Keiron O’Connor and Brett Armstrong to the title. The trio returned to the scorer’s hut with matching gross 76s but it was Patel who prevailed and he takes his place in the December Grand Final as the gross winner. O’Connor and Armstrong will also

join Patel in the Final and so too will the net winner David Evans as he cruised to victory with a stunning net 60. Ed Chapman, PGA Golf Professional at Al Badia Golf Club, said: “David has been a star performer in the Al Badia Golf Academy and it is great to see his practice and hard work paying off.” The on-course prizes went to Bill Buchanan for the Nearest the Pin on the hole 7 and Colin Gow for the Longest Drive down the 12th fairway.

Gross winner Kanhai Patel with Club Captain Tony Billingham.

BIRDIES GALORE IN HYUNDAI GRAND FINALE THE 2013 Hyundai Grand Finale saw over 100 competitors take to the course and coming out on top with a magniﬁcent net 55 in the Texas Scramble format was the foursome of Sanjay and Ranjay Israni, Asif Oomer and Pravesg Jethwani. The team started their round on a

The winners with Hyundai Middle East President, Tony Ashton.

birdie bonanza as they managed six in their ﬁrst nine holes with a further four coming on the back nine. Taking second place with a 56.3 were Stewart Chisholm, Keith Nann, Keiron O’Connor and Jaqui O’Connor as they posted 11 birdies and seven pars. In the individual on-course

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THE ADDRESS MONTGOMERIE DUBAI www.themontgomerie.com

events it was Michael Baawl who took home the Longest Drive challenge on the fourth after he bombed it 287 yards down the fairway. The Straghtest Drive was won by Tina Bogal while the only Nearest the Pin prize on oﬀer was won by Barry Pavic.

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SOBATI SEALS THE JANUARY MEDAL MASOUD Sobati returned a net 67 from a gross 80 to top Division ‘A’ of January’s Ecco Medal to win by four from Maneesh Dungatwal who signed for a net 71 after a gross 83. David Millar took third place in the top Division after a countback win over Ji Hun Song with both players locked on net 74. In Division ‘B’ Alex Kuk sealed a one-stroke victory over Mark Gillings after a superb net 67 from a gross 81. Gillings, who plays off the same 14 handicap as Kuk, shot a gross 82 for his net 67 while taking third was Liam Burns with a 71. The Ladies Division was a tightly contested affair as four players all

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Top Tip Hole 18 Rhys Beecher – Director of Instruction, PGA Professional

had a sniff of victory. Coming out on top with a 67 was JiWon Bae while taking second place one shot back was Frances Westwood. There was a countback for third place

with Jo Higgins and Jane Gray locked on net 69 and after their back nines were compared it was Higgins who was handed the bronze medal position on the podium.

‘The 18th hole at The Address Montgomerie, Dubai provides a picturesque backdrop, but is one of the hardest finishing holes in the UAE. Multiple water hazards on both sides on the fairway make for difficult first and second shots and even the approach is not without difficulty. When faced with a difficult pitch shot, ensure you maintain equal lengths of backswing and follow-through. The body should accelerate to a balanced finish.”

LOCAL NEWS CONTACT: Tel : +971 4 366 3000 E-mail: info@arabianranchesgolf.ae

ARABIAN RANCHES GOLF CLUB www.arabianranchesgolfclubdubai.com

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INFINITI GOLF DAY TURNS INTO A FAMILY AFFAIR HAKAN Karlsson and Ola Sealy scored 48 Stableford points to win the Betterball of Partners event late last month. Their card consisted of two halves of 23 and 25 points and ﬁnishing in second place, two points back, were Sandy Crawford and Daryl Atkins while in the Ladies/Mixed Division Pernilla Karlsson and Kristi Sealy kept the prizes in the family as they won with a 49-point haul from Mark and Karen Evans. Edoardo Galeppini and Kim Chiang, winners of the GOLF CITIZEN Open, are pictured with Adrian Flaherty, General Manager of golf in DUBAi.

GALEPPINI AND CHIANG TAKE THE CITIZEN HONOURS EDOARDO Galeppini and Kim Chiang held their nerves when it mattered to pull off exciting wins in their respective divisions in the first GOLF CITIZEN Open last month, securing places in the pro am for the prestigious Dubai Desert Classic in the process. Galeppini, who grew up playing with Italy’s Ryder Cup stars Edoardo and Francesco Molinari, carded a consistent 35 points to take the honours in the men’s section while the 12-year-old Chiang, showing maturity beyond her tender age of 12, upstaged a strong ﬁeld in the ladies division to win with a score of 34 points. The individual Stableford tournament was part of golf in DUBAi’s ambitious drive to promote GOLF CITIZEN, a new golf reservation website (golfcitizen.com) that facilitates its members to book rounds at courses of their choice.

Mens Division Winners Ole Sealey and Hakan Karlsson alongside Club Captain Eddie Ramage and Vice Lady Captain Pauline Wallace.

Ladies Divisional Winners Kristi Sealey and Pernilla Karlsson alongside Eddie Ramage and Pauline Wallace.

BENNETT SCOOPS THE JANUARY MEDAL STEVE Bennett returned a gross 4-over-par 76 to win last month’s Rivoli Monthly Medal supported by Speed Cleaning. Bennett, one of the club’s top performers and member of the Scratch League team, had a steady round and got the job done on a day perfect for scoring with nines of 36 and 40. “I’m happy with my performance today, it is a special event to win,” said Bennett. “My thanks go out to

the sponsors for their support and congratulations to all today’s winners.” Jon Skittrall took the spoils in Division ‘A’ with a countback victory over Cameron Marland after both came in with a net 72. In the Men’s Division ‘B’ David French took the spoils with a net 70 while in the Ladies Division youngster Kim Chiang notched a 77 to win the gross prize with Karen Evans taking the net trophy with a 69.

JUNIORS EXCEL IN SPECIAL INVITATIONAL A TOTAL of 54 keen juniors from across nine golf clubs in the region competed in the inaugural JTS Medical Centre Invitational last month on the Academy Par-3 course and some excellent scores were posted. The course was played twice and the overall winning team came from the Butch Harmon School of Golf which was made up of Sana Tufail, Freddy Rooster, Harry Sheedy, Victory Charpentier, Alkyonie Ahardidis, and Arkesh Bhatia as they

fended off the team from Arabian Ranches with a score of 154. The formidable partnership of Al Ain’s Eoin Cunniffe and Peter Whittiker produced a scramble score of 45 which was enough for them to be declared worthy winners of the pair’s section. Junior Development Coordinator Paul Hubner was delighted with how the day went. “We have been successful here in providing the kids with a day which will benefit them going forward as developing

talents in the game,” he said. “They had lots of fun out there and by exposing them to tournament golf, particularly the less experienced players, we have covered an integral part of the learning curve and we will hopefully see the appetite for golf spreading amongst them and their fellow junior golfers. “Our thanks go to JTS Medical Centre for supporting the event and we look forward to another fabulous ﬁxture next year.”

Winning Team (Sana Tufail, Arkesh Bhatia, Harry Sheedy, Alkyonie Ahardidis, and Victor Charpentier) pictured with sponsor’s Managing Director; Dr Marlon Pereira.

Winning Pair (Eoin Cunniffe and Peter Whittiker) pictured with Golf Professional Paul Hubner. www.wwgolf.biz

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MUSCAT HILLS HIRE TWO PGA PROFESSIONALS MUSCAT Hills have announced the addition of two PGA Professionals to the coaching staff. South African David Hon and German Milo Breitenwischer began their roles on January 1st and will be at the club until April 31st. The two new recruits take the number of PGA professionals employed at Muscat Hills to ﬁve – the highest in Oman. Hon has been working in golf in South Africa for almost a decade – most recently at Pearl Valley Golf Club – and is sure to bring a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to his new role. Breitenwischer is a teaching Professional from Germany who ﬁnished his PGA Training at the Internationally acclaimed David Leadbetter Golf Academy and most recently worked as Head Golf Professional at Wittenbeck’s Golf Resort. He has also participated on the Challenge Tour and will be an asset to Muscat Hills during his time in Oman. “Muscat Hills is delighted to have two new teaching professionals on board,” said Ray Stopforth,

New Professionals David Hon and Milo Breitenwischer are pictured in their new roles at Muscat Hills.

Director of Golf at Muscat Hills. “We are constantly looking at ways of improving the golf experience at Muscat Hills and we are continually

looking at improving the service and tuition needs of our members. “Finally, growing the game of golf in Oman is high on our priority list

– having two new professionals in our team will enable us to continue developing the local Omani golf population.”

NEW YEAR TOURNAMENT WON BY NEW MEMBERS THE New Year was kicked off in fine style as a scramble tournament was hosted for members and guests. The team event featured four PGA professionals participating with the members and taking the honours with a superb net 57 was a team that featured three new members for 2013 – Dave Newell, Ray Baird, Andy Jones and Kim Robinson. Taking second place with a net 59.7 was Chris Green, John Medhurst, Derek Stewart and Ian Felton while in third with a net 60 was the three-man team of Danny Van Biljon, Bradley Van Biljon and Scott Newell.

Pictured from left: Andy Jones, Kim Robinson, Dave Newell, Ray Baird and Golf Operations Manager Alex Day.

SOCIAL EVENT WELCOMES THE NEW PROFESSIONALS OVER 100 Muscat Hills Golf and Country Club members attended a function at the Dolphin resort in Muscat which was arranged as one of many social gatherings and activities that the club will host this year. During the event there was a raﬄe draw for some great prizes including complimentary lessons at the magniﬁcent golf academy with the two new Golf Professionals David Ho and Milo Breitenwischer. David and Milo had earlier in the day carried out a ‘Beat the Pro’ competition

on the 14th hole where members were challenged to get their golf ball inside of the Pro’s tee shot. The activity was at the forefront of discussion during the evening reception due to the fact the new professionals only lost four times throughout the day with their pinpoint iron play. “We were delighted by the membership turnout at this event,” said Director of Golf Ray Stopforth. “The club is really building up a great social atmosphere and is helping us with our ongoing vision of creating the members club of Oman.” www.wwgolf.biz

PIC GOLF SOCIETY LEAGUE

SUPPORTED BY SNTTA TRAVEL, BMW AND WWG

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TWO-WAY TIE IN PIC LEAGUE WHILE AL NABOODAH LEAD THE BMW LEAGUE THE Sport 360 society won both of their matches against former league leaders the Emirates Pilots Club to create a two-way tie at the top of the PIC League with 18 points apiece. Both teams currently hold a three point advantage over the Dubai Irish Golf Society who themselves had an excellent day beating the Emirates Golf Society in both their matches to move from fourth to third. Falling to fourth were the Emirates Golf Society while Mott MacDonald enjoyed a good day against the PIC League E.P.C. Sport 360 D.I.G.S. Emirates Golf Society Mott MacDonald Etihad Golf Society

Etihad Golf Society with two wins. Mott MacDonald remain fifth while the Etihad GS remain rooted to the bottom with eight consecutive losses. In the BMW League the Al Naboodah team increased their lead at the top to four points clear of the Sharjah Golfing Buddies with one win and a tie against the Darjeeling Society. The Dubai Divots moved up one place from fourth to third with two wins over the Sultans of Swing who remain adrift at the bottom of the table with just three points. The Sharjah Golfing Buddies had

Played

Won

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Tied

Points

8 8 8 8 8 8

6 6 5 4 3 0

2 2 3 4 5 8

0 0 0 0 0 0

18 18 15 12 9 0

one huge 7&6 win courtesy of Barry Furlong and Joe Farina as they dispatched of Mark Hile and Dale Grelck of the ‘Ackerdemicals while BMW League Al Naboodah Sharjah Golﬁng Buddies Dubai Divots Darjeeling The ‘Ackerdemicals Sultans of Swing

the other match was almost as one sided in the other direction, 6&4, meaning they lost ground to league leaders Al Naboodah.

Played

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Tied

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8 8 8 8 8 8

6 5 4 3 3 1

0 2 4 4 5 7

2 1 0 1 0 0

20 16 12 10 9 3

GULF ROCK AND IEGS LEAD WITH ONE FIXTURE LEFT IN the fourth round fixtures in the SNTTA and Worldwide Golf leagues there were some tight results and it’s all to play for with just one round of fixtures left before the knock-out stages. In the SNTTA League Gulf Rock moved into pole position thanks to two wins over rock-bottom KEGS1. Dropping from ﬁrst to second were the MasSin1 as they managed one win and a defeat against the Dubai ExPutts1 who stay in third. The Dubai

ExPutts2 moved off the bottom of the ladder into fourth position, with two wins over the Dubai Duffers who are now in fifth position. In the Worldwide Golf League the Indian Expats Golf Society maintained their grip on top spot with a win and a tie against RimauSinga. With 17 points they now have a healthy four-point lead over RimauSinga while two teams sit just one point further back on 12. The Nepalese Golf Society and the

MasSin2 team both share third place after contrasting results. MasSin2 moved up two places thanks to two

wins over bottom placed KEGS2 while the Nepalese Society managed a win and a loss against Dubal.

SNTTA Travel League

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Worldwide Golf League

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Gulf Rock MasSin Golf Society 1 Dubai ExPutts 1 Dubai ExPutts 2 Dubai Duﬀers K.E.G.S. 1

8 8 8 8 8 8

5 5 4 3 2 2

1 2 2 5 5 6

2 1 2 0 1 0

17 16 14 9 7 6

Indian Expats Golf Society RimauSinga Nepalese Golf Society MasSin Golf Society 2 Dubal K.E.G.S. 2

8 8 8 8 8 8

5 4 4 4 3 1

1 3 4 4 4 5

2 1 0 0 1 2

17 13 12 12 10 5

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TEAM ASIA SEAL INAUGURAL NMT CROWN TEAM Asia lifted the inaugural NMT Battle of the Continents trophy on what can only be described as a truly thrilling afternoon’s golf. Respective Captains Ramli Sulaiman (Asia), Ted Green (the Americas and Australasia), Rory Thomson (Europe) and Tyrone Evans (Africa and the Middle East) all chose their respective pairings which produced some intriguing duels. Rank outsiders the Americas and Australasia were the fastest out the blocks as they took an early lead in the fourball , Stableford matchplay format, however Africa and the

Middle East took control after half the day’s play. Pre-tournament favourites Europe were, as predicted, strong in the gross matches but their net form was preventing them having any significant impact on the result. With only an hour left to play Asia finally edged ahead as the Africa and Middle East contingent began to feel the pressure, particularly in the gross formats. In the end some strong finishes and favourable countbacks saw Asia ease ahead, finishing with what looked, on paper, like a comfortable victory. At the presentation Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club Director of Golf Martin

Duﬀ announced the Captains for the 2013/14 edition: Africa and the Middle East – Leroy Durward; Americas and

Australasia – Dave Loftus; Asia – Vivien Verma; Europe – Gary Langthorne.

RAHAN THOMAS TRIUMPHS IN JUNIOR OPEN The third SGSC Pros v Members winners – the Professional Team

PROS BEAT THE MEMBERS FOR THIRD STRAIGHT WIN THE third installment of the Pros v Members Scratch Trophy took place last month and coming out on top for the third successive time were the SGSC professionals. Despite compiling a hugely strong team, the members came up short against their professional counterparts with the ﬁnal score 8-4. With much pride as stake, the format for the day was to be nine holes of fourballs and nine holes of foursomes in the morning, followed by eight singles matches in the afternoon. The morning’s play went the way of the professionals with Simon Duﬀ holing a tricky eight-foot putt on the

18th to help the team establish a lead 3-1 going into the afternoon. Heading into the singles, just two points back, the members felt they had a sniff at victory, but their hopes were soon quashed as they lost their opening encounter to fall three behind. The result began to look inevitable and the only real highlight for the members in the afternoon came from the only Korean team member S.S Son as he fired six birdies in 13 holes to dispose of Director of Golf Martin Duff 7&5. A superb day’s golfing was enjoyed by all 16 competitors and the professionals still hold the bragging rights for the next 12 months.

A SUPERB performance from Dubai Creek youngster Rahan Thomas saw him win the fourth installment of the Petrofac Junior Open recently thanks to a superb gross 36 points, two points clear of Inaan Budhiraja. Yas Links member Darren Hall ﬁnishes a further two points back in third place while the Net Champion on the day was another Dubai Creek member Vijeyesh Haridas who scored 42 points over the 18 holes to win by two from Matthew Laven and Fardeen Meeran who picked up the titles in Divisions ‘1’ and ‘2’ respectively. Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club’s own Vrunda Shah beat off a usually very strong Samuel De Souza by virtue of a scorecard countback to become the girls’ champion after both finished on 10 gross points.

JUN WINS BY TWO AVID Korean golfer B.C Jun returned to winning ways in the recent Centro Sharjah By Rotana midweek medal with a superb net 32 for a two-stroke win. In Division ‘1’ Steve Gregory took the spoils with a net 34 while Omer Saﬁ won Division ‘2’ with a modest net 40.

GREGORY WINS HIS FIRST SHARJAH TITLE NEW member Steve Gregory won his ﬁrst competition on Sharjah soil as he ran away with the Centro Sharjah by Rotana Midweek Medal recently. Gregory’s net 33 over nine holes helped him clinch a two-shot win over Ove Pedersen in Division ‘2’. www.wwgolf.biz

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RAYMOND RUSSELL PITCHES CAMP EUROPEAN Tour professional Raymond Russell selected Banyan Resort and Golf Club, Hua Hin as his base for training ahead of the 2013 season. Russell, who hails from Edinburgh, Scotland, turned professional in 1993 and his ﬁrst victory was the Air France Cannes Open in his rookie year. One of his most memorable Open Championships was in 1998 as he ﬁnished in a share of fourth place alongside a young Justin Rose with a 282 total, one shot behind Tiger Woods and two behind winner Mark O’Meara. “I selected Banyan Resort and Golf Club for our Christmas holiday and also as a training centre to develop my game further before the season started because I’d heard so much

about Banyan over the years from Stacey Walton, the golf club’s manager and Mike Gerbich a former captain at Emirates Golf Club in Dubai,” said Russell. “They recommended Banyan to me as the best place for me and my family. From the moment we arrived at the resort and golf club the team made us feel extremely welcome. “The course provides a really good test of golf and you certainly need your wits about you on the greens. I am practicing everyday and I have found all the golf operations staﬀ very helpful and friendly. I’ve met several golfers here and they say that this is the one of the best golf courses in Thailand.”

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GUNN TEAM WINS XEROX CORPORATE GOLF OPEN GRAHAM Gunn lead his team to victory in the Xerox Corporate Golf Open in what was the last event of the 2012 campaign. Gunn and teammates Anjum Mulla, Syed Sahfiq and Liz Kennedy put together a winning score of 55 from a gross of 65 in the four-man Texas Scramble format competition. The quartet of the newly crowned Saudi Oger Amateur Golf Championship junior champion Christer Rem Sibug, Declan White, Jan Franks and Kapila N. claimed the second position with a 56 with team of Jose Vigil, Mike Jones, Phil Pannel and Gary Richardson in third on countback from the foursome of Rob Smith, George Baklini, Ian Mcdonald and Patrick Lyons after both sides tied with a score of 57. Gunn also took home the individual prize for Neares the Pin, while Saudi National team Player Faisal Salhab and Susan Tessier nabbed the Mens and Ladies Longest Drive prizes respectively.

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Hole 1, Par 5, By Bouchiab El Jadiani, Golf Professional A long and challenging par-5 greets players at Dirab Golf & County Club. It features a dogleg right and then a slight dogleg to the left. Bunkers come into play off the tee while there is out of bounds all the way down the right of the hole. Most players can’t get home in two on this hole so it requires a strong tee shot and an equally good second shot to set up an approach shot to a relatively large green.

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ALHEMOUD CROWNED RAK LADIES CHAMPION AFTER PLAY-OFF

DEWALD CONTINUES TO DOMINATE DEWALD Lubbe made it three out of four as he took the honours in the January Monthly Medal in tough weather conditions. As competitors turned up to tee oﬀ they were greeted by the unusual feeling of strong winds and patches of rain which went on to provide a proper test of golﬁng ability. With many of the competitors not used to playing in such conditions the scoring was expected to be higher than normal, especially in the strokeplay format. This turned out to be very much the case as Dewald picked up the

Best Gross prize to add to his October and December Monthly Medal wins by shooting an 85. Lubbe wasn’t the only player to come in with an 85 as Jake Maki-Petaja also tallied this number but was edged out of the top prize on a countback. Four shots back in third place was Dave Hoggins who carded an 89 while Husam Al Sayed wrapped up the Net Division first prize with a very respectable 75. Close behind in second place was Magnus Blomgren who carded 76 to beat Mohammed Darwish into third after a card play-off as he also finished with 76.

JULIA Alhemoud sealed the seventh edition of the RAK Ladies Challenge last month with a playoff victory over Nasha Sarkari. Both players carded gross scores of 82 after 18 holes and went back down the closing hole to see who would be crowned this year’s champion. As they came down the closing par-5 they were side by side in the fairway after two blows, with the allimportant third shots to come. Sarkari was ﬁrst to play as she was slightly shorter but she pulled it into the greenside bunker. Alhemoud then played sensible by ﬁnding the middle of the green to heap the pressure on her opponent. Sarkari splashed out onto the green and followed it with a par putt that narrowly missed. Alhemoud then had two putts for the victory and

after rolling her first putt next to the cup she tapped in to clinch the title. The Net Division turned out to be an extremely close fought contest with only one shot separating the top three. Finishing at the top of the pile with a 74 was Yuki Pellerine whose 74 saw her finish one clear of Annie Marriott and Pat Mattershead who had to be separated by a countback. Taking the silver medal position after the card play-off was Mottershead, leaving Marriott in third.

DEADLY DARWISH WINS OPEN STABLEFORD MOHAMMED Darwish put together a quality round of 41 points in a high scoring Open Stableford to win by one from Jake Maki-Petaja. With a front nine score of 22 and a back nine of 19 points Darwish put together his best round of the season which resulted in his ﬁrst victory of the season. Maki-Petaja also compiled his best round of the season but was pipped to the title by Darwish. Taking third place with a 38-point haul was Steve Gregory while Darwish put the seal on an excellent day by winning the Nearest the Pin prize on hole 4.

MARRIOTT MAKES PERFECT TO THE NEW SEASON ANNIE Marriott got her year off to the perfect start by winning the first event of 2013 – the ‘New Years Day Cup’. She managed to just squeeze past Diana Brown on a card playoff as both players had identical scores of 36 points but with a quality back nine of 20 points Annie did enough to take top spot and push Diana into second.

Third place also came down to a card play-oﬀ between Steve Rayment, Kim SC and David Inglis as all three players scored 35 points. However, after their back nines were compared it was Rayment who came out on top thanks to his score of 20 on the inward nine. Jeff Hume picked up the special event prize on the day for his Nearest the Pin effort on hole 7.

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CRAIG WINS WINDY MEDAL THE third event of the Rotana Junior Series was staged last month and it proved to be another success as some low scores were recorded in all of the minitournaments that took place. Winning the two-hole event was Monica Chu as she came out on top with a score of 16 while in the three-hole shootout the winner was Alicia Pan as she defeated Freya McDonald on a countback after both had scored 17. The boys three-hole champion, with a superb score of 13 shots, was Pallav Chavan while there were some more impressive scores in the eight-hole event with Safa Mohammed winning the girls division with 12 Stableford points

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CRAIG WINS WINDY MEDAL

and Christian Warren winning the boy’s with and incredible 24 point haul. The 18-hole event was keenly contested and taking the net honours was Emily Schwarte with a

75 while the gross champion was Aleksander Jakobsson with an 87. The most improved trophies went to Yannik Lehman and Xin Yi Zhu for continued improvement in both tournaments and weekly classes.

LAST month’s Mercure Medal saw a full turnout of 72 golfers hoping to shave points from their handicap and get their hands on the various divisional trophies and in extreme winds it was Jonathan Craig who took the spoils in Divsion ‘A’ with a net 73. Division ‘B’ went to John Mackenzie as he recorded a net 74 while the same score was also good enough for Salman Khan to scoop the honours in Division ‘C’. The Ladies Division was won by Carolina O’Donnell with a 77 while the low gross of the day went to Tim Munnerlyn as he went round in 81 blows.

΋ϘϏϔύ ϚώϏϙ ϕϘϏύϏϔχϒ Ίϊ Ϛϕ Ϙϋϊϋϋϓ ϟϕϛϘ л όϕϘ к ϜϕϛωώϋϘ ϕϔ χϒϒ Ϙϕϒϒ ϛϖ ωχϒϙϙϋϙ χϔϊ ψχϙϑϋϚ ϕό ϖϘχωϚϏωϋ ψχϒϒϙͨ ΏϘϕϓ кϙϚ ΏϋψϘϛχϘϟ ϛϔϚϏϒ лкϙϚ ΏϋψϘϛχϘϟͨ

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UNSUNG HERO WINS ‘SPIRIT OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP’ ISHTIAQ Khan, a 39-year-old Senior Foreman at Al Laith scaffolding company, was awarded the annual ‘Spirit of the Championship’ accolade at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship last month. Having worked at every Championship to date, Khan oversees delivery of Al Laith’s scaﬀolding services for the star-studded tournament, which teed-oﬀ The European Tour’s trio of ‘Desert Swing’ which also went to Qatar and will conclude in Dubai. “I’m honoured to receive the award,” he said as he was presented with his trophy by His Excellency Mubarak Al Muhairi, Director General, TCA Abu

Dhabi, the Championship organiser. “I’ve worked on this event for such a long time and I love it so much. I’m very grateful to be recognised.” Pakistani Khan joined Al Laith in 1997 as a trainee scaﬀolder and by 2005 had progressed to the level of ‘charge hand’. He is currently the company’s seventh longest-serving site employee. “Al Laith is extremely proud of Ishtiaq’s selection for this award and for the recognition he is receiving,” said Eugene O’Doherty, Chief Operations Oﬃcer of Al Laith. “Ishtiaq has developed an excellent understanding

of the challenges of working on a major golf event.” Launched in 2011 to celebrate an individual’s outstanding commitment to the tournament, the ‘Spirit of the Championship’ award is open to anyone associated with the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship – from spectators and volunteers to golfers and score-keepers. Previous winners include Jean Iggo, the Championship’s Chief Marshal, in 2011, and last year’s winner Rasheed Ahmad from Abu Dhabi Golf Club’s Maintenance Department.

Top Tip Hole3 439yd par 4 The third hole plays easier than it looks. Most pros will not be lured into taking on the corner of the dogleg left, as it offers little reward and plenty of risk. The ideal play is to hit either a fairway wood or driver to the corner of the dogleg which will leave a full shot of around 160 yards to a sloping green. Experienced players have no difficulty with the third hole and it has a low level of difficulty.

΋ϘϏϔύ ϚώϏϙ ϕϘϏύϏϔχϒ Ίϊ Ϛϕ Ϙϋϊϋϋϓ όϘϋϋ ϕϔϋ ϊχϟ ϛϙϋ ϕό χϒϒ ϒϋϏϙϛϘϋ όχωϏϒϏϚϏϋϙ όϘϕϓ кϙϚ ΏϋψϘϛχϘϟ ϛϔϚϏϒ лкϙϚ ΏϋψϘϛχϘϟͨ www.wwgolf.biz

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Top Tip Hole 12 By Luke Plumb, Tournament Coordinator

VISITING PRO TAKES THE SPOILS EUROPEAN Tour pro Steven O’Hara was in the ﬁeld during the third annual Pro-Am at AESGC and on a windy day it turned out to the Tower Links pro Simon Payne and his team of Billy King, Jeﬀ Glasgow and Alatsair Purves who took the spoils with a 16-under-par score. Finishing in second after winning

a countback on 8-under was pro Steven Munro and amateurs Ruediger Richter, Marja Kohn and AESGC Club Captain Jim Muirhead as they beat the Jebel Ali-based pro Stuart Fee and his amateur partners Ian Collinson, Matt Williamson and Carsten Seitsberg by virtue of a better back nine.

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AL GHAZAL TRIUMPH THE annual Keith Hindmarsh Trophy between Al Ghazal and Awali Golf Club of Bahrain took place last month and coming out on top in a landslide 8.5 – 1.5 victory was the host team. The Al Ghazal Captains Rupert Evans and Kate Davies played the opening match against the Awali Captains Andy and Jan McAlpine and set the tone for the rest of the day with a comfortable victory. The Awali members have a year to mull over their performances before they host the return match. The weekend began with a Strokeplay Eclectic event and AGGC members Morag Pester and Hassan Al Marzouki won their respective divisions with a net 66 and 67.

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Hole 12 has just had a new tee put in making the hole 400+ yards and this has added a lot more importance to the drive. You need to hit the fairway to have control with your second shot into a very shallow green. The water hazard at the front and right of the green is waiting for any misplaced approaches.

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SIEGELS SEAL THE JUNIOR OPEN

MCCLURE AND GILZEAN TEAM UP WELL

EMILY Siegel clinched the Girls Division in the 2013 Junior Open with an impressive gross 89 last month over the testing Yas Links layout. Juniors from all over the UAE travelled to compete and keeping it in the family to win the Boys Division with a gross 72 was Emily’s brother Daniel as he pipped Rayhan Thomas to the title. The Best Net score on the day went to home member Darren Hall as he shot a 68 to beat Matthew Baxter by one. The Longest Drive and Nearest the Pin prizes went to Parth Goel and Ryan Hunter respectively.

LAST month’s ECCO Challenge was played in a Pairs Betterball format and coming out on top with a score of 43 points were Brian McClure and Peter Gilzean. Two teams ﬁnished on 41 points and had to be separated by countback. Taking second place outright were Elizabeth Campbell and Bill Lisgo as they dumped Lincoln Mardell and Andy Thorpe into third.

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KEN JOHNSTONE SAVOURS SUCCESS KEN Johnstone secured his second Rosewood Bowl win in just over six months following a stunning 3-under par net score of 69. Philip Warwick was hot on his heels but came up a shot short in his quest for victory, eventually settling for second place, one shot back.

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WILLIAMS HITS TOP GEAR

HUGH TASTES VICTORY IN MMI SOCIAL HUGH Williams obviously enjoyed having the sun on his back as he conquered the 30-strong field in the MMI Sponsored Wednesday Social recently with a solid +3 in the Individual bogey format. The gloomy days of winter in the United Kingdom were the farthest thing from Williams’ mind as he blitzed around the course, ﬁnding the bottom of the cup with monotonous regularity.

There was a three-way countback behind Williams and it was Yuki Pellerine who took second place ahead of Paul Williams who took

third. The Nearest the Pin winners were Norman Ahmed on hole 12 and Derek Fisher on the 16th.

HUGH Williams made it backto-back wins as he followed his victory in the MMI Social with another triumph in the midweek 9-hole social. Williams devoured the back nine as he posted 20 Stableford points which included a no-score on the 14th. Peter Mitias took second place with 19 points while S.P Hong took third. Finishing in dead last with a meagre eight points was Hugo Toledo while the Nearest the Pin winners were Yuki Pellerine on hole 12 and Mitias on the 16th. www.wwgolf.biz

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LOCAL NEWS

THE ROYAL GOLF CLUB www.theroyalgolfclub.com

royalgolfclub

CONTACT: Tel : +973 1 775 0777

theroyalgolfclub Royal Golf Club Captain Ebrahim Esbai (right) receives the trophy from Awali Captain Andy McAlpine.

BUGGY TALK AROUND THE TURN It was "around the turn" last week when my buggy partner Rob piped up, "My gout's been playing me up recently and you can see what it’s doing to my game." Being a family magazine, I have left out the more colourful words he used to describe his gout and his golf.

ROYAL GOLF CLUB RETAIN THE GREEN & BROWN TROPHY THE third annual Green and Brown Challenge was narrowly won by the Royal Golf Club after beating neighbouring Awali Golf Club by six and a half matches to Awali’s five and a half. The pairs’ betterball match play event was played over nine holes of the Royal Golf Club’s “green” Montgomerie championship course followed by nine holes on the Awali’s “brown” sand course and was contested by 12 pairs of golfers from each club.

THE TRACK, MEYDAN www.meydangolf.com

The concept of combining a competition across both grass and sand golf courses was the brainchild of 2011 Royal Golf Club Captain Ed Daly and the unique event has gone from strength to strength. Current Club Captain Ebrahim Esbai was on hand to collect the unique trophy, designed to represent both courses with half sand and half grass forming the base for a mounted golf shoe, presented by Awali Captain Andy McAlpine.

CONTACT: Tel : +971 4 381 3733 E-mail: info@meydangolf.com

TheTrackMeydanGolfClub

"It’s so annoying. My work schedule is so busy, I rarely get time for golf and today is going to be my last game for over six months. My boss is sending me abroad and there will be no golf time there, believe me," bemoaned Rob, hobbling to the tee. "A walking stick would be more useful today than this driver!" Gout is an inflammatory condition which pounces on its unsuspecting victim mercilessly, causing, most often, a very painful, swollen, red and hot big toe joint on either foot. You can go to bed fit and well and wake up a few hours later howling with pain. Uric acid crystals have formed in the joint, triggering this dramatic response. It is usually treated with an anti-inflammatory medication. The symptoms lessen over several days and all being well are fully resolved by day ten. If attacks become frequent, numerous other joints can become involved including those of the fingers and thumbs which can lead to irreversible changes developing, called gouty tophii. There are many different triggers for attacks of gout. These include alcohol, high sugar soft drinks (two sugar rich drinks per day increase the risk of gout by 85%), lack of vitamin C and dehydration. Certain food types may "tip the balance" and of course the old favourites, high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity are all linked. "Did you know," I asked Rob, "that taking 1 to 1.5 grams of vitamin C can reduce the risk of further attacks by about 50%?" It works by reducing the uric acid level in the blood. There is also a drug called Allopurinol which may be appropriate for some gout sufferers to prevent further attacks. "It looks like Vitamin C for me then," said Rob, as he sliced another drive into the trees. This "Buggy Talk" is dedicated to all those, like my friend Rob, whose work keeps them off the golf course. Wherever you are. Top Tip: Keeping well hydrated and taking Vitamin C can help prevent gout.

‘SPECTRACKULAR’ NIGHT EVENT AT MEYDAN GOLF GOLFERS from a host of different nations will head to The Track golf course at Meydan on February 13 for the inaugural World Night Golf Championship. The individual Stableford event is expected to attract golfers from diﬀerent nationalities who will compete head-to-head to win the

title of World Night Golf Champion for their country and individual prizes from TaylorMade, Troon Golf and Meydan Hotel. Players of all abilities can sign up for the event for 350AED per person. Shotgun start is 6pm and those wishing to take part can email: info@meydangolf.com.

By Dr. Andrew Devine

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WWG STYLE IT’S

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JODIE

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WIN COMPETITION O The latest Ping G25 Driver

JACQUI CONCOLINO Up close with the LPGA star. www.wwgolf.biz

COMPETITION

WIN a PING G25 Driver To enter, just ‘like’ us on facebook and ‘like’ this page

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THE WINNER WILL BE DRAWN WHEN ENTRIES CLOSE ON FEBRUARY 20, 2013

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WWG STYLE

ECLIPSE TD508MK3 SPEAKERS

G25 DRIVER – BACK IN BLACK WHEN Ping launched the G20 in 2011, it was proven to be one of the most forgiving drivers on the market. The Ping G25 continues that trend. It is the largest-profile, most forgiving driver Ping have made and now features Ping’s modern matt black finish. Along with the new look, the G25 brings adjustability to the ‘G’ range. Using Ping’s lightweight, aerodynamic adjustable-hosel players can optimise their own launch conditions using the Trajectory Tuning Technology. You can add or subtract half a degree of loft to the four different lofted heads: 8.5, 9.5, 10.5 or 12 degrees. Ping were cautious entering into the adjustable market, wanting to design a driver, and specifically a hosel, that wouldn’t adversely impact performance or appearance. The hosel design they settled on has the same mass and diameter as past ‘fixed’ hosels, making the transition to adjustability as seamless as possible. www.ping.com

THESE speakers from Eclipse ooze style. Featuring a newly developed 8cm fibreglass drive unit to ensure an incredible level of performance, way beyond the expectations of a compact monitor speaker the TD508MK3s certainly pack a punch. Time Domain technology gives you the sense of being at a live gig, with amazing clarity and detail in the sound. A great range of adjustment and flexibility, including settings for both ceiling and wall mounting, makes the TD508MK3s the perfect option for discerning Hi-Fi and home theatre aficionados. Not to mention they’re also very easy on the eye! www.eclipse-td.net

SONY CYBER-SHOT DSC-RX1 THE Sony DSC-RX1 is a great camera choice for those who want some of the capabilities of a DSLR with the simplicity of use of a ‘point-andshoot. It features a full-frame 24.3MP sensor and a fixed 35mm Carl Zeiss Sonnar lens, the first compact camera to do so. Sturdy and very well made, the image quality from this camera is incredible – the auto mode produces great shots while more advanced photographers can also use aperture priority or manual settings to create fantastic effects. The RX-1 can also record great-looking videos. www.sony.com

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Orico STREETWISE Gentle Antioxidant Face Wash

WWG STYLE

Streetwise Gentle Antioxidant Face Wash is a powerhouse of organic extracts; Ginko, Chamomile and Linden, that cleanse pores and stimulate circulation, whilst super active anti-inﬂammatory antioxidants infused with tangerine and orange oils calm body and soul.

Hugo Boss Nuit Pour Femme Hugo Boss Nuit Pour Femme is a modern fresh fragrance for the sophisticated and stylish lady. A modern scent with a wonderful blend of ﬂowery and soft peach notes with a warm woody base. Technical jargon: Top notes – Aldehydes, Peach. Heart notes – White Flowers, Jasmine, Violet. Base notes – Crystalline Moss, Sandalwood.

Ole Henriksen Lemon Strip Flash Peel Lacoste Eau de Lacoste L.12.12 Rouge Strange though it may sound, this fragrance actually takes its inspiration from a polo shirt! There are also blue, green and white variations available to suit every mood. All of them are stylish and undeniably masculine with ‘Rouge’ representing the chic, energetic scent in the collection. Technical jargon: Top notes – Mandarin Orange, Mango, Tea. Heart notes – Black Pepper, Ginger, Cardamom. Base notes – Acacia, Benzoin, Rockrose.

The new Lemon Strip Flash Peel by Ole Henriksen is a one-step exfoliating facial peel powered by lactic, glycolic and fruit acids that go to work in three ways to resurface skin. Algae extract enhances the peel by delivering a calming, soothing balance to the skin for a refreshed, rejuvenated complexion. This quick, easy treatment safely and dramatically increases cell turnover, brightens and evens skin tone and reﬁnes pores for smoother, younger looking skin.

get fresh www.wwgolf.biz

JODIE

KIDD MODEL GOLFER

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NGLISH television presenter and former supermodel Jodie Kidd has it all â&#x20AC;&#x201C; beauty, brains, charm, charisma and best of allâ&#x20AC;Śa PMIT\Pa OWTĂ&#x2026;VO WJ[M[[QWV 3QLL _PW _I[ [XW\\ML Ja XPW\WOZIXPMZ <MZZa 7Âź6MQT _PMV [PM _I[ R][\ _I[ WVM WN \PM = 3Âź[ UW[\ []KKM[[N]T UWLMT[ IVL _I[ \PM NIKM WN 1VVWKMVKM Ja +PTWM A^M[ ;IQV\ 4I]ZMV\ +PIVMT 5W\WZWTI IVL UIVa UWZM JQOĚ&#x2030;VIUM JZIVL[ ;PMÂź[ IT[W made a name for herself in front of the television cameras presenting \PM :ML *]TT )QZ :IKM ?WZTL ;MZQM[ IVL \PM **+Âź[ :WaIT )[KW\ KW^MZIOM <PM LW_VĚ&#x2030;\WĚ&#x2030;MIZ\P Ě&#x2030;aMIZĚ&#x2030;WTL _PW OZM_ ]X QV *IZJILW[ KWUM[ NZWU a sporting family â&#x20AC;&#x201C; her brother is an accomplished professional polo XTIaMZ _PQTM PMZ NI\PMZ Q[ I NWZUMZ [PW_ R]UXMZ IVL XWTW XTIaMZ ;PMÂź[ I NIV WN IVa\PQVO KWUXM\Q\Q^M IVL MVRWa[ I PW[\ WN [XWZ\[ []KP I[ UW\WZ ZIKQVO [PW_ R]UXQVO IVL XWTW J]\ PI[ I [XMKQIT [WN\ [XW\ NWZ OWTN IVL PI[ \ISMV XIZ\ QV M^MV\[ []KP I[ \PM ,]VPQTT 4QVS[ +PIUXQWV[PQX \PM +MTMJZQ\a )TT ;\IZ +]X IVL \PM /IZa 8TIaMZ 1V^Q\I\QWVIT

WWG: When did you take up golf and how did you become involved in the sport? JK: Age 12. I started playing with my father when we lived in Barbados. WWG: What is it that appeals to you about the sport? JK: I love that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re able to play it with anybody of any standard through the handicap system. I also enjoy the places I can travel to and people I can play with. WWG: What handicap are you currently playing off? JK: 18. WWG: You come from a very sporty family â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is competition in your blood? JK: Yes. Absolutely. My father was an international show jumper and polo player my as is my brother and I have also represented my country as a young rider. WWG: Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve competed in many celebrity golf events and Pro-Ams â&#x20AC;&#x201C; do you think that the growth of celebrity golf is good for the popularity of the game? JK: Yes. I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fantastic. If it attracts more people to golf then it has to be good.

WWG: What are your ambitions in golf? JK: To be a single ďŹ gure handicapper.

WWG: Describe your best moment on a golf course? JK: Chipping in on the road hole on the old course St. Andrews whilst partnering Colin Montgomerie in 2004 Dunhill Links Championship. WWG: How did you become involved in modelling â&#x20AC;&#x201C; did you always want to be a model? JK: I was spotted by family friend and photographer Terry Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neil whilst I was out riding. I hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really considered modelling until that point. WWG: What would you have been if you werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a model â&#x20AC;&#x201C; involved in sports of some sort perhaps? JK: Yes. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always been very into sport and would have continued with my riding and show jumping. Hopefully I would have been involved in either riding, driving or hitting a golf ball for my country!

WWG STYLE

WWG: Which other celebrities do you play golf with and are they any good? JK: Chris Evans, Matt Dawson, Colin Montgomerie, Catherine Zeta Jones, Ian Wright and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all great.

Âš<PM KI\_ITS is far easier than holing a N\ X]\\ NWZ I championship!â&#x20AC;?

WWG: Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the funniest thing youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen on a golf course? JK: Ian Poulterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trousers splitting on the ďŹ rst tee of the Nelson Mandela tournament in South Africa. WWG: What golf related activities have you got coming up? JK: Being from England Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m just waiting for the sun to come out before I can play!

WWG: How does the pressure of playing in a competitive round of golf in a competition like the Dunhill Links Championship compare to walking down a catwalk in front of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fashion critics? JK: The catwalk is far easier than holing a 6ft putt for a championship!

star golfer www.wwgolf.biz

WWG STYLE

Jacqui

CONCOLINO UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH LPGA PROFESSIONAL... WWG: Tell us something most people don’t know about you? JC: I’m very superstitious when it comes to golf routines. WWG: If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be and why? JC: Tiger Woods. I’d like to be a worldwide sports icon. WWG: If a song was played at the first tee, what song would be played for you? JC: Metallica – No Leaf Clover. WWG: What is your favourite home-cooked meal? JC: Chocolate Chips. WWG: If your life were made into a movie, who would you want to play your character? JC: Angelina Jolie. WWG: If you were stranded on a desert island, what three items would you take with you? JC: iPhone, lighter ﬂuid and snuggie. WWG: If you could meet and have lunch with any three people, past or present, who would you choose and what would you want to say to them? JC: Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. I would ask them all to play in a match. WWG: What is the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten? JC: Alligator Tail. WWG: What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received? JC: Mason Rudolph: Pick a club you can swing aggressive regardless of what it is.

spotlight 96

www.wwgolf.biz

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Play a round of 18 holes at The Track, Meydan Golf and every time you play youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll receive a burger and beverage from QUBE all for the price of a game of golf. AED 295 per person Tee timings available weekdays 7am - 4pm & weekends from 4pm onwards. Offer runs 1st - 28th February

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www.meydangolf.com Book online or call us now on +971 4 381 3733 for tee time bookings. Like us on facebook.com/TheTrackMeydanGolfClub Follow us on @thetrackmeydan

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