Worldwide Golf March 2013

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KNOW YOUR STATS FOR LOWER SCORES

The No.1 ball has been updated for all abilities EXCLUSIVE

ISSUE 146, MARCH 2013

NNEW EW 2013 2013 PROV1 PROVV11 DDESIGNED ESIGNED FOR FOR ALL ALL

BILLYFOSTER

Talks about his freak accident, his funniest moments and caddying for the best golfers in the game

TOP GEAR

» Ping G25 irons – arguably their most versatile club yet

MICHAEL JORDAN

» Callaway turn up the heat with the X Hot iron range EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

CAMBO RETURNS The 2005 US Open champion pion is back with his old coach and reunited wi with belief. elief.

WIN

The NBA legend gets his kicks sinking putts rather than shooting hoops these days

COLUMNISTS

PLUS

PETE COWEN TAKES A LOOK AT CAMBO’S SWING

PPLAYER LAYER

MAJORSSHOULD MAJORS SHOULD FOLLOW FOLLO L WTENNIS

NORMAN N ORMAN

ART R OF OFCHAMPIONSHIP CHAMPIONSHIP DESIGN SUCCESS DESIGNSUCCESS

COWEN TUNE UP FOR THE MAJORS

ODYSSEY VERSA PUTTER Official Publication of The Emirates Golf Federation & The Arab Golf Federation

M I D D L E

E A S T ’ S

Official Media Partner Middle East

N o . 1

G O L F

M A G A Z I N E

NEWS FROM THE LEADING CLUBS LEARN TO MASTER THE WIND MENA TOUR WWG OPEN EUROPEAN TOUR NEWS THE STARTER

ISBN 978-9948-15-427-3

INTRODUCTION

Worldwide Golf Executive Editor Since 1999

Player Gary

The 9-time Major Champion and 9-time Senior Major Champion who has witnessed and been a part of some of the most historic and memorable ggolfingg occasions reflects on thee game todayy

I wonder how many Major champions we would have had from different countries if golf ’s four Majors had been played in four different countries or continents. It’s always easier playing on home soil in front of your home crowd and the Americans have a distinct advantage in three of the four Majors every year.

G

OLF has come a long way since I first started my career and a lot of things have changed, many of them for the better. We’ve got better clubs to play with, better balls, better courses, better travel, better organisation and better communications. Yet we still have only four Major Championships with three played in the United States and one in Great Britain: The Open, the Masters, the US Open and the US PGA. Historically, there’s good reason for this and I don’t expect for one minute that the situation is going to change. But in this modern era where golf is now a truly global game, we should have the four Majors played in four different parts of the world. Tennis has got it right. Their four Grand Slam events are played in England, France, America and Australia. That’s how you get a real Champion of the World. I wonder how many Major champions we would have had from different countries if golf’s four Majors had been played in four different countries or continents. It’s always easier playing on home soil in front of your home crowd and the Americans have a distinct advantage in three of the four Majors every year. The Open Championship began back in

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1860 at Prestwick in Scotland. The US Open followed in 1895, with the US PGA starting in 1916 and the inaugural Masters was in 1934. With the game of golf originating in Scotland it’s understandable that the first Major should be played there. When the game was popularised in the United States it was also understandable that the other three Majors should be played in the US. Before the Second World War golf was predominantly a game played almost exclusively in Great Britain and the United States. It’s ironic that it was an Englishman, Jim Barnes, who won the US PGA Championship in the first two years of its existence, 1916 and 1919, and a Scotsman, Jock Hutchinson who won the third event in 1920. Walter Hagen and Gene Sarazen between them won the next seven US PGA Championships. England’s Harry Vardon was the first non-American to win the US Open, in 1900 and it was another 20 years before another non-American, England’s Ted Ray won it. As far as the Masters is concerned I was the first non-American to win, in 1961. I won it again in 1974 and for a third time in 1978. So from the inaugural Masters tournament in 1934 to 1978 I was the only

TENNIS LESSON

Australia: Novak Djokovic

France: Rafael Nadal

England: Roger Federer

USA: Andy Murray

non-American to win the Masters. Seve was the next non-American to win at Augusta National in 1980 and 1983, quickly followed by a succession of Europeans. In my early days I was one of the few players who were prepared to fly around the world to compete in the Majors and the big events. It wasn’t easy to travel back then but I was determined to play in as many big tournaments as I could. I remember once flying from America to Australia to play in the Australian Open with Jack (Nicklaus) and Arnold (Palmer) via Paris where we were delayed by fog at the airport for such a long time that Jack and Arnold decided to fly back to the States. I was so determined to play, I continued my journey and arrived at Royal Melbourne Golf Club just three hours before teeing off in the Championship. I had no time to prepare but I came out the winner. Between 1958 and 1974 I won the Australian Open seven times. Jack and Arnold did their fair share of globetrotting but, overall, Americans are not enthusiastic travellers outside the United States. But, then, they could make the point that they don’t have to travel abroad too much to compete in so many big tournaments. Q

PERFORMANCE IS

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Performance drives all of us at Titleist. We are inspired to design and make the most consistent and best performing golf balls in the game even better. The 2013 Pro V1 and Pro V1x have undergone rigorous machine and player testing. Our process of listening to players’ needs, testing prototypes and further refining ensures that a new Titleist golf ball delivers meaningful performance improvements for players at every level of the game.

The 2013 Pro V1 utilises a new, softer compression ZG process core technology for the softest Pro V1 yet. Golfers also benefit from more distance due to its lower driver and iron spin, and a shallower angle of descent that produces more roll, along with exceptional D r o p - a n d -S to p™ greenside control.

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Over 100 destinations worldwide

THE STARTER

INSTRUCTION

ARABIAN GOLF

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10 Five holes to play before you die, pimp my ride, golf funnies, Tour news and more.

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Know your stats to lower your scores and learn how to enjoy windy conditions.

News and results from the leading clubs in the Middle East.

COMPETITION

18 Understanding The European Tour’s Final Series which debuts on The Race to Dubai this year.

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Joel Neale catches up with leading amateur Michael Harradine and we report from the sold out WWG Open at Al Ain.

WIN the latest Versa putter from Odyssey.

COLUMNISTS

STYLE

TOP GEAR

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Greg Norman, Gary Player and Pete Cowen air their views on the state of the game.

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

Titleist launch the 2013 ProV1, Callaway turn up the heat with the X Hot irons and Ping reveal the do-it-all G25 irons.

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

Advertising & Marketing Director: Rasha Siriani rasha@wspdubai.com Sales & Marketing Executive: Rasa Laurencikaite rasa.l@wspdubai.com

Michael Jordan talks golf, Driving Range with the BMW 740Li, Up close with LPGA star Suzann Pettersen.

June 2009 SSN 1- 46805671 Approval UAE National Media Council: Ref.816 30/5/2007 Trade Licence No. 1/104375/15280

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THE STARTER

5 HOLES TO PLAY BEFORE YOU DIE Hole 3B Punta Mita Golf Club, Mexico 199 yards Par3

Hole 17 St Andrews 455 yards Par 4

The Jack Nicklaus-designed Pacifico Course at the Punta Mita Golf Club in Mexico actually has 19 holes with two par-3 third holes. No. 3B, known as ‘The Tail of the Whale’ involves a shot over the Pacific Ocean to the world’s only natural island green which is situated atop a mound of black lava rock. The green is only accessible by buggy during low tide – during high tide the club has an amphibious vehicle to transport you!

The Road Hole at the Home of Golf is arguably the most famous hole in the world and there isn’t a golfer alive who wouldn’t sell their grandmother to play it! The tee shot gives you the option of a risky drive over the Old Course Hotel to the right or what looks like an easier shot down the left but actually brings several pothole bunkers into play, and leaves you with an approach that is severely complicated by the notorious Road Bunker to the left of the green. One to tell the grandchildren about.

Hole 1 Doonbeg Golf Club, Ireland 567 yards Par 5 The Greg Norman-designed Doonbeg Golf Course in County Clare, Ireland, is home to arguably the most beautiful opening hole in golf. With the Doonbeg Lodge behind you play from a raised tee overlooking the crashing waves of the Atlantic to the west down to a green encircled by towering dunes which create a natural amphitheatre.

Hole 15 Cape Kidnappers, New Zealand 639 yards Par 5 Every hole on the Tom Doak designed Cape Kidnappers in New Zealand is a stunner, with the course jutting out on a series of promontories into the spectacular Hawkes Bay. In the middle of a stretch of holes that follows these natural cliff fingers is the 15th – “Pirates Plank.” Look where you’re going when playing this long Par 5 as there’s a 140m drop into the sea on the left and a deep cavern to the right.

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GOLFERS DO THE SILLIEST THINGS Legend Golf Resort and Safari Extreme 19th 437 yards Par 3 South Africa’s Legend Golf Resort and Safari is home to the world’s longest and highest Par 3. The tee box is only accessible by helicopter – 430m up the majestic Hanglip Mountain – and you play to a green cut in the shape of Africa. The view from the top is truly spectacular while the distance between the foot of the mountain and the back of the green is a jaw dropping 400m. Hit from the radically elevated tee the ball takes 20 seconds to land.

Michael Campbell and Billy Foster, who both feature in this issue, have been victims of bizarre injuries in recent times. Campbell did his shoulder in lifting a suitcase off a luggage carousal while Foster stepped in a hole as he kicked a football, causing his knee ligaments to basically snap! In honour Cambo and Foz we decided to look at some of golf’s other strange injuries.

JOSÉ MARÍA OLAZÁBAL The then reigning Masters champion ended his participation in the 1999 US Open by punching a hole in his hotel room wall and breaking his hand after shooting a first round 75. Temper, temper!

ERNIE ELS The Big Easy ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in 2005 after falling off a banana boat. The initial PR described it as a ‘sailing accident’… erm, not quite!

MARTIN KAYMER The German Ryder Cup star was leading The Race to Dubai in 2009 when a go-karting crash left him with three broken bones in his foot, forcing him to miss two crucial months of the season. He eventually finished third on the money list. Expensive day at the track...

PAUL CASEY A snowboarding injury derailed the Englishman’s 2012 season when he dislocated his shoulder while getting ‘radical’ in the mountains of Colorado on Christmas Eve 2011. Bummer!

LUCAS GLOVER The 2009 US Open champion missed the start of last season after spraining his right knee while paddleboarding ahead of the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii. You might say it left him up the creek with no paddle (sorry).

MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ The charismatic Spaniard became the latest Tour player to fall victim to a bizarre season-damaging injury when he broke his leg while skiing in his homeland. Well, if you will try to ski with a bottle of Rioja in one hand and a cigar in the other…

RORY MCILROY The World No.1 dropped a 50lb barbell on his toe when pumping iron the day before the 2011 WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral got underway. He still went on to finish in the top 10…the big show off.

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THE STARTER RULE AMENDMENTS A ball sliced or hooked into the rough shall be lifted and placed in the fairway at a point equal to the distance it carried or rolled in the rough. Such veering right or left frequently results from friction between the face of the club and the cover of the ball, and the player should not be penalised for erratic behavior of the ball resulting from such uncontrollable mechanical phenomena.

Pimp

My Ride

A ball hitting a tree shall be deemed not to have hit the tree. Hitting a tree is simply bad luck and has no place in the scientific game. The player should estimate the distance the ball would have travelled if it had not hit the tree and play the ball from there, preferably from a nice tuft of grass.

Golf carts…bit boring aren’t they? They pretty much all look the same, nothing to differentiate one from the other…

TWITTERWARS

These days more and more golfers have joined the Twitter revolution Tweeting their every waking move to an army of fans around the world – but who’s winning the Twitter Wars? Rory McIlory might be replacing Tiger Woods at the top of the world game but when it comes to online followers, Tiger’s still top dog.

There shall be no such thing as a lost ball. The missing ball is on or near the course somewhere and eventually will be found and pocketed by someone else. It thus becomes a stolen ball, and the player should not compound the felony by charging himself with a penalty stroke.

Dentures

Name

Handle

Followers

Tiger Woods

@TigerWoods

2,982,952 1,532,156

Rory McIlroy

@McIlroyRory

Ian Poulter

@IanJamesPoulter

1,442,859

Stewart Cink

@StewartCink

1,149,265

A couple of elderly gents were golfing when one said he was going to Dr. Taylor for a new set of dentures in the morning. His friend remarked that he had gone to the same dentist a few years before. “Is that so?” the first said. “Did he do a good job?” “Well, I was playing yesterday when the fellow on the ninth hole hooked a shot,” he said. “The ball must have been going 200 mph when it hit me in the groin... and that was the first time in two years my teeth didn’t hurt.”

Tiger might be top Twitter dog in the golf world… but he still has a long way to go to catch this guy: Justin Bieber

@justinbieber

34,807,794!

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THE STARTER enthusiasm for the Tournament of Hope remains in South Africa and among other potential international sponsors,” said Selwyn Nathan, executive director of the Sunshine Tour. “We are hopeful that, with an improvement in the economic climate, we will be able to conclude all arrangements for a successful staging of the Tournament of Hope at a future date.”

Avantha Masters moves to Greg Norman-designed course

PGA Tour consider ‘local rule’ rejecting belly putter ban THE US PGA Tour are considering adopting a ‘local rule’ which will see them reject the proposed ban on the anchoring of belly putters. The changes to the rules, which are due to come into force in 2016, were proposed by the R&A and the USGA last November, with a 90-day consultation period granted for views on the subject to be expressed. The US Tour are said to have reservations about the ban and players such as Jim Furyk have been outspoken in their opposition to it. “Right now we’re just giving our opinion on what we think is best for the game of golf,” said Furyk. “We’re not discussing what we are going to

TALES FROM THE 19TH HOLE

do if the USGA does this or they do that. That bridge hasn’t been crossed.” Ian Poulter believes it could get “very messy” if the PGA Tour goes against the governing bodies of the game. “It will be a shame if they get overridden and the PGA Tour go out on their own,” he said. “There is going to be lots of disconnect between tournaments.”

Tournament of Hope postponed THE International Federation of PGA Tours and the Sunshine Tour have pulled the plug on the inaugural Tournament of Hope which was scheduled to take place in November this year. The event was set to be contested in South Africa and feature the top 50 players on the World Ranking and the top players from the Order of Merits on the Tours that make up the Federation of PGA Tours. “We are confident that the initial

It’s not every day you win a Major, or The Ryder Cup and Graeme McDowell did both oth in 2010…so he made sure he celebrated properly! “After the US Open win at Pebble Beach we all went to an old-school Irish bar in Carmel mel near Pebble called Brophy’s Tavern,” said McDowell. “I was with my family and friends and I may have been the drunkest man on earth. The next day I woke up and saw the trophy on the table in my room and thought, ‘This is a really great hangover.’ I had to pinch myself. When I went back to Ireland we had a party at my golf club, Rathmore, and we did drink out of the trophy phy cup. “Another fun moment and celebration was after the 2010 Ryder Cup win, Rory McIlroy oy and I drank out of The Ryder Cup. I really enjoy the social aspect of getting together with 155 or 20 school friends and relaxing in the clubhouse at Christmas time and when I am at home, me, which isn’t often as I travel so much.” Extract taken from Two Good Rounds by Elisa Guadet

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THE only European Tour event to take place in India, the Avantha Masters, has a new home this year as the tournament moves to the Greg Norman-designed Jaypee Greens Golf Course on the outskirts of New Delhi. The tournament, scheduled for March 14-17, is the only course in India designed by the two-time Major Champion. It is approximately one hour from Delhi airport and is reminiscent of classic Melbourne Sandbelt courses. South African Jbe Kruger is defending champion.

USGA to address slow play issues JUST a few days after Tiger Woods endured a pathetically slow final round on his way to winning the Farmers Insurance Open on the PGA Tour, the USGA announced a new initiative with the aim of tackling slow play. The USGA have proposed plans to launch a “multi-faceted programme” later this year in a bid to resolve the issue, which affects those at the top as well as recreational amateurs. “The cry that pace of play has become one of the most significant threats to the game’s health has become only louder over the last year,” said USGA president Glen D. Nager. Executive Director Mike Davis echoed Nager, saying: “Six-hour rounds are just not good for the players, our championships or the game. Slow play is also incompatible with our modern society, in which our personal time for recreation is compressed. This is an issue that demands our complete attention.” Woods said that it took his group just over three hours to complete nine holes – three of which were par 3s.

1916 A star is born

Lyle still dreaming of Ryder Cup captaincy TWO-time Major winner Sandy Lyle has said he has not given up on being a Ryder Cup Captain after revealing he was considered for the 2014 role before Paul McGinley was selected. Players’ Committee Chairman Thomas Björn called Lyle after the McGinley announcement to inform him that he was one of five candidates considered for the role. “At least I’m still being considered because two years ago I thought I was regarded as too old,” said Lyle, 54. “When I got the phone call from Thomas I knew, and with that they seem to have deleted the unwritten rule that says when you reach 50 it’s the end of your Ryder Cup chances. I live in hope and I shall keep my ears and eyes open. Tom Watson being chosen to lead the USA has opened the door for us oldies.”

Lydia Ko wins her third pro title FIFTEEN-year-old amateur Lydia Ko won her third professional title last month with a one-stroke victory over American Amelia Lewis at the New Zealand Women’s Open. In January 2012 the then 14-year-old Ko won the New South Wales Open and last summer after turning 15 she became the youngest ever winner of an LPGA Tour event at the Canadian Open. “I didn’t cry at the Canadian Open so I don’t know why I cried here. I guess it meant more. It is our national open, so to win means a lot,” she said. Ko, who is still an amateur, tees it up in her first LPGA Tour Major next month at the Kraft Nabisco Championship.

Dinah Shore is born in Winchester Tennessee on February 29th 1916 and celebrates her birthday on March 1st for three out of every four years until her death in 1994. Shore becomes a famous singer and television personality and is the only nonplayer to be inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame in 1994, having been a long-time supporter of women’s professional golf. She founded the Colgate Dinah Shore tournament, which has since become the Kraft Nabisco Championship, one of the Majors on the LPGA Tour.

THIS MONTH M IN HISTORY

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THE STARTER

VIJAY SINGH

LOOKING GOOD AT 50 Did you know?

Vijay enjoyed rugby, cricket and football as a child, but gave them up to concentrate on golf after he dropped out of high school at 16.

Major Victories: 3 Career Victories: 57 Driving Distance: 290 yards Driving Accuracy: 58.74% Greens in Regulation: 70.14% Sand Saves: 51.27% Scoring Average: 70.32

He often ran across an airport runway to reach the nine-hole Nadi Airport Golf Club near his childhood home in Fiji. Vijay means ‘victory’ in Hindi. Vijay became golf’s first 10 Million Dollar Man in 2004 when he won US$10,905,166 in prize money with nine PGA Tour victories. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2006.

Born: February 22, 1963 Height: 6ft 2in

QUICK 9 WWG: What’s your favourite golf course? VS: Augusta National. WWG: What’s your favourite hole in golf? VS: The 18th at Pebble Beach. WWG: Who is your favourite golf course architect? VS: Alistair MacKenzie. WWG: What’s the one mulligan you’d like to take? VS: The 15th hole during the final round of the 2000 Masters. WWG: What’s your favourite club in your bag? VS: The putter. WWG: What’s the best golf book you’ve read? VS: The Natural by Sam Snead. WWG: What’s your all time favourite movie? VS: Forest Gump. WWG: Which is your favourite sports team? VS: The New York Yankees WWG: Favourite musician or group? VS: Pink Floyd

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RACE TO DUBAI NEWS

THE FINAL SERIES T

HE DP World Tour Championship, Dubai won last year by World Number One Rory McIlroy, will have an even greater significance this year as the climax not only to the 2013 European Tour’s Race to Dubai , but also to the newly introduced ‘Final Series.’ The Final Series will consist of four tournaments: The BMW Masters at Lake Malaren Golf Club in Shanghai, China (October 24-27); the WGC-HSBC Champions tournament at Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai, China (October 31-November 3); the Turkish Open at The Montgomerie Maxx Royal in Antalya (November 7- 10) and will conclude with the US$8 million DP World Tour Championship on the Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates from November 14-17. The combined prizemoney for all four tournaments is US$30.5 million, plus the additional Race to Dubai Bonus Pool of US$3.75million, awarded to the top 10 players at the end of the season, after the DP World Tour Championship. Any European Tour Member hoping to qualify for the for the DP World Tour Championship – and therefore earn a chance to compete for The Race to Dubai $3.75 million Bonus Pool – will have to participate in two of the three events preceding the season-ending finale. This regulation only applies to those European Tour Members who are eligible for all three events at the close of entries. Furthermore, at the conclusion of the Perth International Championship in Australia on October 20, the last event prior to ‘The Final Series,’ The Race to Dubai will be converted to a points table with €1 equalling 1 point. This will allow for a 20 per cent “points” bonus to be awarded to any player who plays all of the first three events in the ‘The Final Series’. The bonus will be added to the respective players’ points totals before the start of the DP World Tour Championship, potentially improving their chance of either winning The Race to Dubai or increasing their share of the Bonus Pool. Keith Waters, Chief Operating Officer of The European Tour (pictured above, right) said: “The Final Series is designed to attract the world`s best players and create a fitting climax to The Race to Dubai. The large prize funds in all four events plus an added bonus of 20 per cent if a player plays the preceding three events is designed to keep The Race to Dubai alive to the last event, the DP World Tour Championship.

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“The Final Series is designed to attract the World`s best players and create a fitting climax to The Race to Dubai. The large prize funds in all four events plus an added bonus of 20 per cent if a player plays the preceding three events is designed to keep The Race to Dubai alive to the last event, the DP World Tour Championship.” –Keith Waters Chief Operating Officer of The European Tour

“Last year Rory McIlroy, through his superb performances, had clinched The Race and the Bonus Pool two weeks prior to the Grand Finale at Jumeirah Golf Estates and while the new format does not guarantee that will not happen again, it does create greater opportunities for the chasing pack to catch the leader of The Race to Dubai.” O Mohammed Sharaf, Group CEO DP World, commented: “We are delighted to be entering our fifth year supporting The European Tour, and the second year as the title sponsor of the seasonending DP World Tour Championship. Last year will be a tough act to follow with Rory having secured the double in winning The Race to Dubai and the money list on the US PGA Tour in such fine style, as well as winning the DP World Tour Championship, birdieing the last five holes. We look forward to seeing how this year’s Race to Dubai season

develops and the impact of The Final Series. With all 60 of the top European Tour players earning their place at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, it is certain to be a thrilling climax to the season.” The Race to Dubai features a total of 45 tournaments across 24 countries, including the Majors and World Golf Championships. Following the Desert Swing in January and February, the 2013 Race to Dubai moved from South Africa to the World Golf Championships in Arizona and Miami before heading for India, Malaysia and Morocco, in the early stages of a golfing odyssey that traverses the globe as it builds towards the exciting new climax of ‘The Final Series’. O George O’Grady, Chief Executive of The European Tour, said: “The Introduction of ‘The Final Series’ and the associated changes to the structure will bring even more drama and excitement to the conclusion of our season, and further enhance The Race to Dubai.” The BMW Masters was won last year by Swedish Ryder Cup player Peter Hanson, and the 2013 field will be made up of 78 players comprising the top 60 in the World Ranking, 14 players from the Chinese Golf Association, three tournament invites and the balance from The 2013 Race to Dubai. O Eckhard Wannieck, Head of Sponsoring, Co-operations and Product Placement BMW, said: “Last year’s inaugural BMW Masters tournament at the Lake Malaren Golf Club in Shanghai exceeded even our own expectations – it provided a fantastic

HOW IT WORKS

The Race to Dubai will be converted to a points table with €1 equalling 1 point. This will allow for a 20 per cent “points” bonus to be awarded to any player who XTIa[ ITT WN \PM ÅZ[\ \PZMM M^MV\[ QV »<PM .QVIT ;MZQM[¼ <PM JWV][ _QTT JM ILLML \W \PM ZM[XMK\Q^M XTIaMZ[¼ XWQV\[ \W\IT[ JMNWZM \PM [\IZ\ WN \PM ,8 ?WZTL <W]Z Championship, Dubai, potentially improving their chance of either winning The :IKM \W ,]JIQ WZ QVKZMI[QVO \PMQZ [PIZM WN \PM *WV][ 8WWT

O Giles Morgan, HSBC Global Head of Sponsorship and Events, said: “The WGC-HSBC Champions is our flagship event and one of the things we’re most proud of is the qualification criteria with the majority of the field qualifying only by winning a key tournament on their Tours or by being ranked in the top 50. “This absolutely guarantees we’ll have a glittering array of golfing talent in Shanghai and the fact that the players will also be battling it out for ‘The Final Series’ adds even greater lustre to what promises to be a thrilling climax to the season.” O Guy Kinnings, Global Head of IMG Golf, the tournament promoters, added: “When we first staged the HSBC Champions in 2005, HSBC and IMG were well aware of the ever-growing importance of Asia on the global golf map and we are delighted with the stature the tournament now holds in the worldwide schedule today.” The Turkish Open from November 7-10 is a new event on The European Tour International Schedule and follows an exhibition last year when Justin Rose, another of Europe’s Ryder Cup heroes, triumphed. The top 50 in the World Ranking, five tournament invites and the balance from The 2013 Race to Dubai will make up the field of 78. O Ahmet Agaoglu, the President of the Turkish Federation, said: “We are honoured to host the first European Tour event in Turkey and especially delighted to have secured a prime date on The Tour Schedule. The venues and coastline of southern

advertisement for the sport of golf as well as the BMW brand in the dynamically expanding Chinese market. We also welcome The European Tour’s newly-created ‘The Final Series’ as the climax to the season; it underlines the elevated status of the BMW Masters and our role as one of the leading partners in golf worldwide. A prize fund of US$7 million makes the BMW Masters one of the most lucrative international sporting events on the calendar. As The Race to Dubai enters the home straight, the tournament will play a key role in determining who finishes the season at the top of the rankings. This is a major sporting feather in the BMW Masters’ cap.” The following week ‘The Final Series’ moves across Shanghai to Sheshan International Golf Club for the WGC-HSBC Champions from October 31-November 3, the second HSBC title-sponsored event of the year after the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship. The final World Golf Championships event of the season counts towards both The Race to Dubai and the PGA Tour’s FedExCup for the first time. The field of 78 players features the current Major and WGC champions and champions from the other leading tournaments scheduled across all the Federated Tours. The top 50 from the World Ranking qualify, as do the leading five players not otherwise exempt from both The 2013 Race to Dubai and FedexCup and six players from the Chinese Golf Association. Last year’s title went to another Ryder Cup winner, Ian Poulter.

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BMW Masters Lake Malaren Golf Club Shanghai, China. October 24 -27. Prize fund: $7,000,000.

WGC-HSBC Champions Sheshan International GC Shanghai, China. October 31-November 3. Prize fund: $8,500,000.

Turkey provide an ideal destination for international events and tourists alike.” O Andrew Chandler, of promoters International Sports Management, added: “The Turkish Open, positioned in the penultimate week of The Race to Dubai and played on a great golf course, will attract an exceptionally strong field as the anticipation at the tail end of the season grows.” These three events build towards the thrilling climax to ‘The Final Series’ at the DP World Tour Championship, from November 14-17 where once again the top 60 players in The Race to Dubai after the Turkish Open will be eligible for the season finale.

3 Turkish Open The Montgomerie Maxx Royal, Antalya, Turkey. November 07-10. Prize fund: $7,000,000.

4 DP World Tour Championship, Dubai Jumeriah Golf Estates Dubai, United Arab Emirates. November 14-17 Prize fund: $8,000,00.

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Cleated

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OFFICIAL 2013 RACE TO DUBAI THE 2013 RACE TO DUBAI RANKING  AS AT FEBRUARY 25, 2013 Pos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 30 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

Name

Nationality

STERNE Richard JAMIESON Scott OOSTHUIZEN Louis SCHWARTZEL Charl DONALDSON Jamie OLESEN Thorbjørn POULTER Ian WOOD Chris GALLACHER Stephen COETZEE George SANTOS Ricardo ROSE Justin GRACE Branden WEBSTER Steve GARCIA Sergio JAIDEE Thongchai FICHARDT Darren AGUILAR Felipe MULROY Garth McDOWELL Graeme KAYMER Martin FDEZ-CASTAÑO Gonzalo NOREN Alexander FRASER Marcus BOURDY Grégory SULLIVAN Andy CABRERA-BELLO Rafa BROBERG Kristoffer HARRINGTON Padraig COLSAERTS Nicolas LOWRY Shane MANASSERO Matteo VAN ZYL Jaco CLARK Tim STENSON Henrik WILLETT Danny HANSON Peter HOWELL David GAGLI Lorenzo LAWRIE Paul WESTWOOD Lee HORNE Keith QUESNE Julien RAMSAY Richie SIEM Marcel KRUGER Jbe BJÖRN Thomas ROCK Robert ELS Ernie KIEFFER Maximilian

RSA SCO RSA RSA WAL DEN ENG ENG SCO RSA POR ENG RSA ENG ESP THA RSA CHI RSA NIR GER ESP SWE AUS FRA ENG ESP SWE IRL BEL IRL ITA RSA RSA SWE ENG SWE ENG ITA SCO ENG RSA FRA SCO GER RSA DEN ENG RSA GER

No. of events 5 6 4 3 4 5 1 4 4 6 6 3 7 6 3 5 8 4 7 1 3 4 4 4 7 7 5 6 3 2 4 5 6 2 5 5 3 5 7 4 2 7 4 4 5 6 5 6 4 6

Prizemoney

Pos

€521,389 €436,205 €435,328 €421,432 €419,932 €395,478 €371,546 €363,704 €348,452 €332,598 €284,050 €270,601 €269,961 €267,298 €255,177 €237,724 €234,544 €206,694 €204,388 €204,350 €200,689 €199,242 €187,687 €184,277 €180,126 €176,767 €176,307 €174,759 €165,282 €152,362 €152,362 €147,399 €138,842 €136,124 €127,822 €126,324 €124,241 €119,345 €118,379 €108,260 €105,987 €103,015 €102,363 €99,339 €97,937 €93,954 €92,254 €89,020 €83,844 €81,076

51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 58 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 91 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100

Name MOLINARI Francesco CASEY Paul FLEETWOOD Tommy AIKEN Thomas LAWRIE Peter DE LA RIVA Eduardo SINGH Jeev Milkha DONALD Luke PETTERSSON Carl WALL Anthony WIESBERGER Bernd KHAN Simon LUITEN Joost WALTERS Justin DRYSDALE David VAN DER WALT Tjaart FISHER JNR Trevor CAMPILLO Jorge LOCKERBIE Gary CAMPBELL Michael ÅKESSON Björn MAYBIN Gareth BLAND Richard NIXON Matthew OLAZÁBAL José María HOEY Michael HANSEN Anders HARTØ Andreas CHOWRASIA S.S.P WARREN Marc LEE Craig MADSEN Morten Ørum HORSEY David ILONEN Mikko SLATTERY Lee KINGSTON James GONZALEZ Ricardo JACQUELIN Raphaël DERKSEN Robert-Jan GARRIDO Ignacio LYNN David McILROY Rory DA SILVA Adilson RUMFORD Brett GOOSEN Retief MEESAWAT Prom DUBUISSON Victor TULLO Mark CLARKE Darren GREEN Richard

Nationality ITA ENG ENG RSA IRL ESP IND ENG SWE ENG AUT ENG NED RSA SCO RSA RSA ESP ENG NZL SWE NIR ENG ENG ESP NIR DEN DEN IND SCO SCO DEN ENG FIN ENG RSA ARG FRA NED ESP ENG NIR BRA AUS RSA THA FRA CHI NIR AUS

No. of events 3 4 6 6 5 4 4 1 1 3 4 3 3 6 7 4 4 7 6 3 4 5 5 5 4 5 3 7 5 6 6 4 6 3 5 4 4 3 4 7 1 2 3 4 2 3 3 3 2 3

Prizemoney €79,539 €79,496 €77,741 €77,350 €76,621 €73,939 €72,774 €71,337 €71,337 €70,889 €67,403 €65,614 €64,621 €63,147 €61,973 €57,570 €55,235 €54,851 €53,180 €49,444 €49,293 €49,086 €48,726 €48,184 €46,962 €45,913 €45,162 €44,849 €42,414 €41,393 €41,358 €40,719 €39,821 €39,594 €38,689 €38,542 €37,290 €37,103 €36,645 €36,123 €34,182 €34,182 €34,150 €33,702 €33,550 €33,079 €33,073 €32,700 €32,150 €31,739

E X P L A N AT I O N O F T H E E U R O P E A N T O U R R A C E T O D U B A I 2 0 1 3 The Race to Dubai is a season-long competition spanning a minimum of 45 tournaments in 24 countries and all five continents on The 2013 European Tour International Schedule. The Race to Dubai winner receives The Harry Vardon Trophy (first awarded in 1937), and a seven year European Tour Card exemption. The winner of The Race to Dubai will secure Category 1 Membership of The European Tour similar to the winners of The Open Championship, the US Open, the US PGA Championship and the Masters Tournament. The Bonus Pool will count as Official Money on the final Race to Dubai standings.

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GARY PLAYER It’s a crazy situation where it seems that the USGA, who are responsible for making the rules of golf in the United States and Mexico, and the R&A who set the rules and administer them in the rest of the world, could be overruled by the PGA Tour through the loophole of using ‘local rules’ to allow its use.

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ITH the consultation process to consider banning the belly putter now at an end following the conclusion of the snow-hit World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship, there is new speculation that the US PGA Tour may allow the introduction of ‘local rules’ to override the proposed ban by the USGA and the Royal & Ancient. When I heard the news that golf’s governing bodies, the R&A and the USGA, had finally decided to ban the anchoring of the long-handled putter I couldn’t have been more pleased, although I didn’t understand why they wanted to wait until 2016 before implementing it. Now it seems the US PGA Tour are considering allowing “conditions of competition” that apply to each tournament, encompassing the possible use of the long-handled anchored putter. If the US PGA Tour take this route and the R&A and the USGA go ahead with the ban it could lead to total chaos. We could end up with a situation where someone like Ernie Els would be allowed to use his long-handled putter playing a US PGA Tour event one week and the following week he could be playing a European Tour event and be banned from using it. It took the R&A and the USGA many years before deciding to ban the anchoring of long-handled putters and I welcomed it because I believe it should have been banned from the outset. By prolonging the implementation of the ban they are merely allowing exponents of the anchored putter to continue their campaign to reverse the ruling. It’s a crazy situation where it seems that the USGA, who are responsible for making the rules of golf in the United States and Mexico, and the R&A who set the rules and administer them in the rest of the world, could be overruled by the PGA Tour through the loophole of using ‘local rules’ to allow its use. The simple truth is that the game of golf was never intended to include long-handled anchored putters. The governing bodies have to standardise the rules. They have to either do it or not do it but they can’t leave it open-ended. I’ll never understand why, having decided to ban it, they then opted to give everyone three years to get used to the idea. There is not a great deal between the ability level of players on the Tour but there’s a big difference in their mind control. I’m only a small guy. In my career I won 165 golf tournaments, nine regular Majors and nine Senior Majors. I couldn’t have done that without my mental strength. It’s what made the difference. I couldn’t hit the ball anywhere near the distance of my rivals but I could use my mental strength to use my course management and my mental focus to get the best out of what I’d got, including the strength

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of my putting when the chips were down. Superstars in most sports only become superstars because of their ability to be in total control of their emotions and their nerves. Golf is all about pressure and how you react to it. When you’re in a tight situation and you’ve got to use everything in your power to get the job done, that’s what champions are all about. If you take the nerves out of the game you are ruining the spectacle. Golf is all about making great shots under pressure and having the nerve to turn those shots into birdies and eagles or making a vital save. Take out the mental nerves from golf and you take out the guts from the game. It’s 30 or maybe 40 per cent of what it’s all about.

BY USING AN ANCHORED LONG PUTTER, WHETHER YOU ANCHOR IT IN YOUR MIDRIFF, YOUR CHEST, YOUR CHIN, OR WHEREVER IT SUITS YOU, IT’S TAKING THE WRIST ACTION ALTOGETHER OUT OF YOUR PUTTING STROKE. IF A PLAYER IS STRUGGLING WITH HIS PUTTING, HE HAS TO COME TO TERMS WITH IT. MANY PLAYERS SUFFER FROM A LACK OF CONFIDENCE WITH THEIR PUTTING AT SOME STAGE OF THEIR CAREER BUT THEY HAVE TO OVERCOME IT. BUT BY USING THE ANCHORED PUTTER IT MEANS THEY ARE TAKING AWAY A VITAL ELEMENT OF THE GAME. By using an anchored long putter, whether you anchor it in your midriff, your chest, your chin, or wherever it suits you, it’s taking the wrist action altogether out of your putting stroke. If a player is struggling with his putting, he has to come to terms with it. Many players suffer from a lack of confidence with their putting at some stage of their career but they have to overcome it. But by using the anchored putter it means they are taking away a vital element of the game. I can remember when some players used beta-blockers to calm their nerves. Well, using an anchored

putter is no different than taking a pill. Fortunately, they have been banned from the game and the anchored putter should be treated in the same way. Orville Moody was one of the best ball strikers on Tour in the 1960s but, by his own admission, his putting was what let him down. He won the 1969 US Open using a cross-handed putting grip. But when he reached 50 and joined the US Champions Tour he switched to an anchored longhandled putter and won 11 tournaments including the 1989 US Senior Open. You shouldn’t be allowed to use the anchored putter as a cure for your nerves. Tom Weiskopf was one of the best ball-strikers in the game. He was a better ball striker than Jack or Arnold or me but he didn’t win the number of tournaments he should have won because of his nerves in pressure situations. Tiger Woods went through a period, after his personal problems, when he lost his focus. His nerve, which made him the player he was, just wasn’t there when he needed to sink those five or six foot putts which had been automatic certainties to him previously. Now, he’s getting it back again. He’s swinging better and he’s got his mental approach in order again. He’s won already on Tour at Torrey Pines in January and he’s my bet to win the Masters. HOPEFULLY this could be Lee Westwood’s year to win a Major. He’s done the right thing in moving to the States and taken a lot of pressure off himself. He’s showing signs of finding his best form and I’d like to see him finally win a Major. He deserves it. It will be interesting to see how Rory McIlroy performs at the Masters, which will give us an insight into his much anticipated season ahead. I’m pleased to see how the South African boys are shaping up. Richard Sterne and Darren Fichardt have won recently, along with Charl Schwartzel, who, with Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, and the up and coming George Coetzee, look like making this a memorable year for South African golf. I THNK it’s time to put rules into golf to govern the progress of new technology. Not for the amateurs, the local club golfers, but for the Tour pros. There’s a Canadian professional from Alberta, Jamie Sadlowski, who is one of the longest drivers in the world, who regularly hits the ball over 400 yards. He’s got a personal best of 445 yards and he’s no giant. He’s 5 foot 10 inches and 168 pounds. Players are driving the ball further and further and If the trend continues it will change the character of some of the world’s greatest golf courses and make some of them totally redundant. We need bifurcation in the game of golf immediately. Q

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PETE COWEN Padraig has never been tempted to live over in America. He’s always taken the view that if you’re good enough it doesn’t matter where you live.

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T’S interesting to see how all the big names are preparing for the season ahead, with their main focus on the Majors in general and the Masters in particular. I was over in Santa Monica, California, last month working with Graeme McDowell, Padraig Harrington and Martin Kaymer. Graeme is struggling a bit with his confidence but that’s not at all surprising given the time he’s been off the course. But his game is in quite good shape after his 10-week layoff and he’s hitting the ball well enough. He’s fit physically but he’s missing that vital, competitive sharpness you need for tournament golf. But he’s happy and playing well overall so it won’t take him long to get back into the swing of things. It’s not necessarily a bad thing for players to take a good, long break around Christmas and New Year. Being fresh is a good thing as Tiger has shown by successfully taking a long winter break for many years. You need to make sure you’re in the right frame of mind where you really want to play. You don’t want be thinking, ‘I’ve already played 8 or 10 weeks and I’m getting tired already.’ You want to be fresh but you’ve got the have the eagerness to get back into action. Padraig is also in good shape. He feels he’s got no problems with his game. Last year he was playing well but he just couldn’t finish anything off. If he had been putting a little bit better at certain times he could probably have won a few times and maybe won another Major. But he just wasn’t putting well enough. If you’re not putting well out there you’re not going to be winning anything. Although many of the major European players, like Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose are now based in the United States, Padraig has never been tempted to live over in America. He’s always taken the view that if you’re good enough it doesn’t matter where you live. It’s a difficult thing for the Europeans to go over to the United States and be successful. We tend to forget that here’s huge strength in depth on the US PGA Tour and good, new players are joining the Tour every year. They play on golf courses out here that are decent, but easy to score on. Ten-under is a normal score for these guys on most of these layouts. At the end of the day it all comes down to putting. The putting stats at each tournament tell you everything about the players. Brandt Snedeker, for instance, is one of the most naturally gifted putters in the game right now. Anyone who putts that well is going to win tournaments. If you’re putting well, invariably the rest of your game is good because the confidence that comes from putting well is unbelievable. When your ball is dropping into the cup the hole looks like a bucket to you. Another player who is putting well at the moment is Richard Sterne. Last month it was great to see Sterne back in the winner’s enclosure after two years out of the game through injury. I used to coach Sterne at the same time as Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel. When I first

worked with all the three of them together I told them that they had the opportunity to dominate golf for the next 15 years if they wanted to. They all have that quality. You can also add George Coetzee to that list. It seems that the Afrikaaners have got that certain edge to them. They’ve got a steely determination and a real fighting spirit – Ernie, Goose, Branden Grace, Sterne, Louis, Charl and George, all Africaaners. They’re all really tough competitors. In golf you’ve got the level of players who can win Tour events and you’ve got another level who can win Majors. The Majors are different from ordinary Tour events. They’re a different kettle of fish. It’s like a football team doing well in the Championship but they’ve then got to step it up to succeed when they get into the Premiership. Mickelson is the perfect example of a Major hunter. He always comes out firing on all cylinders at the beginning of each season. He’ll take two or three weeks before getting into action. The only thing he wants on his CV is more Majors – and that’s what he’s looking for. As a three-times Masters winner he’s got a great affinity for Augusta National. He’s always going to be in contention at the big events, particularly the Masters. Majors are always contested by the usual suspects with the odd surprise package thrown in. The cream always rises to the top – with the odd exception. But that doesn’t happen very often. Off the course I’ve been doing a bit of work with Callaway. As you can imagine I’ve seen every possible club out there ere but the new X Hot series took my eye. The large 3-wood is unbelievable, ble, the control and additional speed makes it a safe driver alternative. I managed to hit a few and there wasn’t much in it against my driver. The irons are brilliant. A classic iron you could argue, is a classic iron but the X- ot sole progression is spot on. The key is how itt interacts with ground on impact and Callaway way has designed a cracker with these. Right, I’m now off to the States again to team eam up with the lads in Florida in preparation for the WGC -Cadillac Championship at Doral, lets hope it doesn’t snow! Q

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Caddies Who Carry the Can

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Exclusive

Getting back on the bag +),,1- *144A .7;<-: PI[ JMMV QV \PM \WX ÆQOP\ \PZW]OPW]\ PQ[ aMIZ[ I[ I JIOUIV ) NZMIS QVR]Za PM []NNMZML QV I NWW\JITT SQKS̉IZW]VL I\ I OWTN \W]ZVIUMV\ QV \PM =;) X]\ PQU W]\ WN IK\QWV _Q\P I [VIXXML KZ]KQI\M SVMM TQOIUMV\ IVL VW_ IN\MZ UWV\P[ WNN \PM KW]Z[M PMŸ[ TWWSQVO NWZ_IZL \W OM\\QVO JIKS QV IK\QWV *QTTa Q[ ]VQ^MZ[ITTa IKSVW_TMLOML I[ WVM WN \PM JM[\ QV \PM J][QVM[[ J]\ IT\PW]OP PMŸ[ IT[W ZMVW_VML I[ WVM WN \PM N]VVQM[\ O]a[ QV \PM OIUM PQ[ NIUML P]UW]Z PI[ JMMV \M[\ML \W \PM TQUQ\ Ja PQ[ VQOP\UIZM TIaWNN 1V \PM \PQZL QV[\ITUMV\ WN W]Z [MZQM[ WV /WTN +ILLQM[ 5QSM /ITTMUWZM \ITS[ \W \PM JIOUIV _PW PI[ KILLQML NWZ UIVa WN \PM OZMI\M[\ XTIaMZ[ QV \PM OIUM WWG: How did your bizarre accident actually happen? BF: It was just before the Quail Hollow Championship last May in the States. The caddies had organised a football match against a local Charlotte team. They asked me to play but I told them that I wouldn’t because I was too old and it was too dangerous to risk injury. My job was too important to me. The boys were having a bit of a kick-around before the game and the ball came my way. As I tried to kick it back to them I put my foot in a hole. My leg went one way and my knee went the other. It snapped my cruciate ligament and damaged my lateral ligament. I made a really good job of it. That was 10 months ago and it’s been pure agony ever since. WWG: How’s the knee doing? BF: I’ve had three operations since the

accident and only yesterday I had my knee drained and a steroid injection to calm it down. It’s been a nightmare for me mentally and physically and a disaster financially as I’m basically self-employed. WWG: Have you missed not being on the course? BF: When you’ve done the job I’ve done and enjoyed the highlights and travelled the world for the past 30 years then obviously I miss it but it’s also the sheer boredom of having to lie on the couch keeping my leg elevated for months on end and having to watch unwatchable programmes on television. I’ve missed not being able to do anything with the kids and the family. I’ve had to be careful and take care of the knee and nurse it along. But I’m getting there and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I’m hoping to get back

out there in the next few weeks. Hopefully, I’m on the last leg, as it were. WWG: What are your plans for the future? BF: I’ve not been able to make any firm plans because I don’t know exactly when I’ll get the all clear to get back on course. I’ve been patient and followed the doctors’ orders to the letter so I wouldn’t hinder the healing process. Once I get close to a return to the game I’ll make it known to the caddies and management companies that I’m back in business. I’ll just have to bide my time and be patient a little longer. I’m not going to jeopardise everything by coming back too soon. There’s no guarantee I’ll get a top job when I start caddying. Maybe I’ll have to freelance for a while. WWG: How difficult is it to become one of the leading caddies in the game?

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Billy Foster Billy with Darren Clarke at the emotional Ryder Cup in 2006

BF: I was fortunate in being asked by Seve to caddie for him for the following year when I was with Gordon Brand Jnr in 1990. Seve was the greatest golfer of his generation and it was a great honour for me. He had huge highs and lows and it was a real rollercoaster ride. But six weeks after starting with him he won three tournaments in four weeks. It was the single-minded determination that made him so special. One of the most important things about being a caddie is being able to ‘see’ the right shots even from virtually impossible positions. I learned that from Seve. Nothing was impossible in his eyes. Everything I know came from those five years with The Grand Señor. Working with him was the greatest endorsement I could have. It was a fantastic experience. We had good times and bad times. We were close friends. Being a caddie is a tough job, whoever you are caddying for. There’s more to it than meets the eye. You’ve got to know when to speak up and when to keep quite. When’s the right time to speak and when it’s the wrong time. Sometimes it’s having the balls under pressure to make your point. You’re always going to be in a lose-lose situation. There have been times when I’ve reared up but you’ve just got to use your judgement. To have a successful relationship you’ve got to have mutual respect between caddie and player. I’ve been very lucky to have caddied for some great players and I’ve enjoyed success and got on with all of them. You’ve also got to do your homework and get the information right. WWG: You’ve caddied in 11 Ryder Cups. What was your most memorable? BF: My first Ryder Cup was in 1987 when I caddied for Gordon Brand Jnr. at Muirfield Village, Columbus, Ohio, under Tony Jacklin’s captaincy. That was an unbelievable experience. It was Europe’s 32

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Billy and Lee Westwood on their way to victory at the 2010 Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor.

WWG: What was the most heartbreaking moment of your career? BF: Caddying for Thomas Björn when we all thought he was bound to win The Open at Royal St. George’s in 2003 was a real heartbreaker. I thought about it every day for six months after that. It broke my heart. I remember standing on the 15th green with Thomas leading the field by three shots. I told him: ‘Thomas, there’s a lot of hard work to do yet, just stay focused on what you are doing.’ Then he left his ball in that greenside bunker on 16 twice for a double bogey and then bogeyed 17 to lose by one shot to Ben Curtis. It was tough for me but how tough was it for Thomas? In golf it’s never over until the fat lady sings. That’s just golf and I have no illusions about that. You’ve just got to stay focused. I’ve been so close to a Major so many times – I’ve been caddying at The Open since 1984 and being on the bag for The Open Champion remains my biggest ambition in the game. It’s a special event for me.

‘In the 2008 Ryder Cup, after the Captain, Nick Faldo, had made a speech in the locker room I actually kicked José (Maria Olazábal) under the table and said he needed to say something to rally the troops. He spoke for about 20 minutes and had half the players in tears. José is a strong-minded man and a tough competitor.’ first win in the United States and it reversed the fortunes of The Ryder Cup as a proper competition after years of it being little more than an exhibition match for the USA. I’ve worked at many great Ryder Cups but the most outstanding and most emotional was when I caddied for Darren Clarke at the K Club in Ireland in 2006 when we won 18.5-9.5. Darren called me to say he’d been offered a wildcard by Captain Ian Woosnam shortly after his wife, Heather, passed away. He asked me what I thought and he decided that Heather would have wanted him to play. The atmosphere throughout the week was something special and there were a lot of tears. When Darren won his singles match to make it three points out of three to keep The Ryder Cup we all burst into tears. I don’t think that moment for me will ever

be beaten. The memory will stay with me forever. WWG: Who do you rate as the best of Europe’s Ryder Cup Captains? BF: There have been so many good Captains – Bernhard Langer was exceptional, Colin Montgomerie and Mark James were brilliant, especially in the way they involved the caddies. Before Medinah I had no doubt that José Maria Olazábal would make the best Captain ever and he certainly was. His passion and desire is second to none. He’s a very inspirational man and he had the strength to cope with all situations. Being Seve’s sidekick in The Ryder Cup meant he had learned all the tricks of the trade. In The 2008 Ryder Cup, after the Captain, Nick Faldo, had made a speech in the locker room I actually kicked José

Caddies Who Carry the Can

Billy caddying for Tiger Woods in The Presidents Cup (above) and for Sergio Garcia (below).

BILLY FOSTER: “It was at The Open at St Andrews with Darren Clarke in 2000 that I first had the idea of raising funds for the Candlelight charity and for Darren’s foundation for Breast Cancer by walking from Loch Lomond Golf Club – venue for the Scottish Open the week before – to The Open Championship but it wasn’t until Turnberry in 2009 that I had the opportunity to do it when I was working a job-share between Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood. I was pleased to complete the ‘course’ by holding my golf bag aloft at Turnberry. We managed to raise £70,000 split between the two charities, which was great.” under the table and said he needed to say something to rally the troops. He spoke for about 20 minutes and had half the players in tears. José is a strong-minded man and a tough competitor. WWG: Do you think Paul McGinley will make a good Ryder Cup Captain? BF: I think Paul is an excellent choice for the Team. He’s a very good communicator and he’ll do a very good job. He’s well liked by the players and he’ll create the right atmosphere in the locker room. He’s had bags of experience and a lot of success in the Seve Trophy and he’s gained a lot of knowledge from being a vice captain in The Ryder Cup. He’s got all the qualities needed to lead the Team to another victory. WWG: What is it that makes a great player? BF: Different players have different qualities but the most important thing is to be in control of your emotions. A player with a strong, focused mind and a sharp short game will always beat a good ball striker. WWW: Do you ever get nervous in tight situations and caught up in the drama of it all during a tournament? BF: Any caddie or player is nervous to some extent. But your thought process has

to override everything else that’s going on. I get nervous but I don’t let it show. I’ve always had a placid state of mind. I can be jovial but also serious when I need to be. Winning golf tournaments is a serious business. WWG: You have seen so many funny happenings on and off the golf course but which is the funniest? BF: I was caddying for Thomas Björn at the 2004 Ryder Cup and, for a bit of fun I drove off with Thomas’s buggy. After they’d hit their tee shots at the 12th I ran down the hill and jumped in the buggy and shot off down the fairway with everyone chasing behind me. It was like a scene from a Benny Hill sketch. They started to catch up so I put my foot down. I was still standing up with Thomas’s bag on my back. I slipped on the floor of the buggy, cart-wheeled onto the fairway, did a triple somersault and ended up on my back with clubs and bag on top of me with the buggy veering off towards the galleries. Luckily, the crowd parted and it ended up harmlessly in the trees. I was lying there thinking I was facing a number of multi-million-dollar lawsuits from injured spectators but fortunately nobody was hurt and everyone saw the funny side of it. That was one of many stupid things that I got up to. It’s all harmless fun that helps bring people together.

WWG: How important is humour to you? BF: I know I have a reputation for being one of golf ’s court jesters but if I didn’t have a sense of humour I’d be lost. You have to have a release from the pressure out there. My humour has certainly got me through the agony of the last 10 months. I’ve got through it and, hopefully, the good times are only just around the corner.

WWG: What has been your biggest success? BF: I couldn’t pick just one but the most memorable moments for me have been caddying for Darren Clarke when he beat Tiger Woods in the final of the WGCAccenture Match Play Championship at Carlsbad in 2000; caddying for Darren at The Ryder Cup at the K Club in 2006; Winning The Race to Dubai and the DP World Tour Championship with Lee (Westwood) in 2009; and with Seve, winning the PGA Championship and the World Match Play Championship in 1991. WWG: What are your memories of Dubai and the UAE? BF: I’m a great fan of Dubai and the UAE and, like the players, I always enjoy going over there. Dubai is a hub for the golfers and caddies. It’s a halfway stopover whether you’re going to Malaysia, Hong Kong, the Far East, Australia or New Zealand. They’ve got a great airline in Emirates, who make it a joy to travel. Stopping off in Dubai breaks up those long distance trips. Dubai, the UAE and the Middle East Swing has done a lot for European Golf and The European Tour. It’s a special place to go to. I missed going over there last year and earlier this year but I’m looking forward to getting back over there, hopefully for the DP World Tour Championship in November. Q www.wwgolf.biz

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Exclusive

Guess who’s back - again? Richard Bevan talks to MICHAEL CAMPBELL as the 2005 US Open Champion reveals how the seven bleak years which followed his epic victory almost saw him quit the game for good and how he’s now rediscovering the old magic once again.

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ICHAEL Campbell knows a thing or two about bouncing back, upsetting the odds and surprising people. You see, his latest return to form following seven years in the doldrums isn’t the first time he’s successfully weathered a storm in his turbulent career and it might not be the last. But the New Zealander has a steely inner core that belies the laid back ‘big teddy bear’ image which sees him frequently described as the ‘nicest guy in golf.’ “I’m used to making comebacks you know,â€? he says. “It sounds a strange thing to say but I’m used to that sort of stu where I do kind of disappear for a period and then come back again. So it’s just a matter of being patient and believing that what you’re doing is correct.â€? Cambo is ďŹ nally starting to see the ďŹ rst chinks of light at the end of what has been a very long, dark tunnel since he etched his name into the golďŹ ng history books by becoming the ďŹ rst Mouri to win a Major championship when he held o Tiger Woods at Pinehurst No.2 to win the 2005 US Open. He then followed up by claiming the World Match Play Championship at Wentworth. These days Campbell is sticking around for the weekend at tournaments more often – a novel experience for someone who at one

point during his barren run made only one cut in 19 events. “It’s been a big turnaround for me, especially during the last six months or so,â€? says Campbell. “I came close in Portugal (tied third, his ďŹ rst top three ďŹ nish for four years), close in Hong Kong (tied eighth), Abu Dhabi (tied 17th) and Doha (tied 16th) – so I’ve managed to get that door open again a little bit. It’s just down to a lot of hard work, self belief and a ‘never give up’ attitude. “I think the talent to play golf will always be with you – it never goes away. It’s just that sometimes a combination of other things going on in your life makes it a little bit more diďŹƒcult.â€? Campbell is in no doubt about what the damaging cocktail of ingredients were that saw him drop from a high point of 13th in the World Ranking following his 2005 heroics to a low point of 910th last summer as his form and conďŹ dence deserted him. A major factor was his bad time management following his epic accomplishments that made him one of the most sought-after players in golf. “It was really surreal. The attention showered on me was quite overwhelming,â€? he says. “A lot of opportunities came along o the golf course with all my charity work, which I

love doing, helping kids. All of these projects, including course design, meant there was so much stu going on o the golf course that I didn’t have time to actually practice or play. “It was my fault and I take full responsibility because I chose that path, I chose that schedule. In hindsight I should have divided my time more sensibly rather than do what I did. But, hey, that’s just the way it is. I look back now and think, ‘Well, it doesn’t matter, it’s gone, it’s time to move on and be in the now and enjoy the moment.â€? Another factor was his split from his longtime coach Jonathan Yarwood. Like many before him, Campbell made the risky decision to overhaul the swing that had seen him achieve his dream and he parted company with Yarwood in 2009, having worked with him for 10 years. In retrospect he admits it was the wrong thing to do and when Jonathan moved back to Europe from America last year the pair reconnected after a three year break. Since then things have gone from strength to strength – he’s gone back to basics and remembered what made him such a great player in the ďŹ rst place. “The main thing was that I was too obsessed with wanting to hit the ball a lot further for some reason,â€? says Campbell. “I

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Michael Campbell thought that in order to get to the next level, to be even more competitive, I needed more distance. So I decided to change my swing completely in order to achieve that. It was crazy doing that. It put me o a lot. My strength is really my iron accuracy and my short game so I went from working on my strengths to working on something that wasn’t exactly a weakness but it wasn’t really the strongest part of my game. I was spending too long working on my length and that’s what started the whole snowball eect. “You’d have to ask Jonathan for his perspective on our split but my opinion at the time was that our relationship had gone a little bit stale. We’d been together for 10 years which is a long time. We split up for three years and now we’re back together we’re even better than before as a team. “You really do appreciate things more when they’re not there. I don’t want to say ‘absence makes the heart grow stronger’ because we’re two guys! But it does kind of happen that way. Now we get on great, we’re very good friends and we get on better than ever. Things really started to kick on when I got back with Jonathan.â€? Campbell’s form was also hampered by the inconvenient location of his Sydney home in relation to the events he plays on The European Tour, having made the decision to move there from Brighton in 2009. “I tried to play on The European Tour while living in Australia for three years, which was really hard because of all the travelling. Six or seven times a year I was away from my family for three or four weeks at a time, then back for two weeks, then away for ďŹ ve. One time, I was away for nine weeks from my family. It was absolutely ridiculous. I wasn’t happy with that situation of being away from them for so long. So combine that with not playing well, and a lack of conďŹ dence and you’re bound to miss cuts.â€? Things weren’t helped when he injured his shoulder lifting a suitcase o a luggage carousel during one of his many international journeys. In 2009 the Kiwi earned just â‚Ź19,655 on The European

MAKING A SPLASH: Michael Campbell pictured with his wife, Julie, holding the 2005 US Open trophy on the beach in Brighton, England, where they used to live.

TEAM CAMPBELL: Michael pictured with his wife, Julie, and sons Thomas and Jordan after he won the HSBC Match Play Championship at Wentworth in 2005 to finish off a bumper season. Through all Cambo’s ups and downs this magical team have stuck together, the major force that enables him to continue to bounce back.

Tour, and in 2010 it was just â‚Ź13,576. Only the exemption granted to him for his US Open win allowed him to keep playing at the top level. When he missed the 12th consecutive cut of a dismal run at the 2011 Commercialbank Qatar Masters he considered walking away from the game for good. Instead, he made the bold decision to relocate the family – wife Julie and children Thomas and Jordan – to Marbella in Southern Spain. “I thought, ‘this is the last straw, I’ve had enough.’ So I went back to Australia and took six weeks o. It gave me time to reect on what I should do with my career. I said to my wife, bless her, ‘Look I’ve got to do something here. I can walk away from the game – I’ve had a great career and I can look back and say, ‘Wow, what a great career I’ve had.’ Or, we can pack up the house in Sydney and move back to Europe and give it another crack. So with Julie’s

blessing, and my boys’ support, that’s what we did. They made huge sacriďŹ ces, having to leave their friends and home, on my behalf. Behind the scenes there was lots going on that aected my game and once you’re happy with your life personally it reects in the way you play.â€? With the green shoots of recovery now starting to show through Cambo will be hoping the cyclical nature of his career continues in the same vein as it has in the past. Having enjoyed a spectacular rookie season on The European Tour in 1995, ďŹ nishing third at The Open among a string of top results that saw him take ďŹ fth place on the Order of Merit, his form deserted him over the next two seasons – not helped by injury. He required a trip to Q-School in 1997 to regain his Tour card. Two years later he embarked upon one of the ďŹ nest seasons of his career, winning his ďŹ rst three

Michael’s Milestones 1993

Turns professional and _QV[ PQ[ ÅZ[\ \Q\TM WV the Australasian Tour’s Canon Challenge.

1994

Wins three Challenge Tour titles to gain his European Tour card for the 1995 season JMKWUQVO \PM Ă…Z[\ 5W]ZQ \W play on The European Tour. 36

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1995

-VRWa[ I [XMK\IK]TIZ ZWWSQM [MI[WV Ă…VQ[PQVO third at The Open and the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and runner-up at the British Masters and the Volvo PGA Championship.

1997

Losing his European Tour card after a combination of injuries and a loss WN NWZU \PI\ [I_ PQU Ă…VQ[P rd on the Order of Merit after scraping in at 120 the previous year.

2000

Makes his breakthrough on The European Tour winning \PZMM \Q\TM[ IVL Ă…VQ[PQVO fourth on the Order of Merit.

2005

5Q[[M[ \PM Ă…Z[\ Ă…^M K]\[ WN <PM European Tour season as he searches for form.

REUNITED: Michael Campbell pictured in 2006 with coach Jonathan Yarwood. The pair went their separate ways for three years, before reuniting in May 2012. European Tour titles and ďŹ nishing fourth on the money list. “I beat Geo Ogilvy by a stroke to win the Johnnie Walker Classic at the end of 1999, the beginning of the 2000 season. Tiger was also playing and I beat him by ďŹ ve strokes, which was pretty cool. That gave me a lot of conďŹ dence,â€? says Campbell. “I was thinking, ‘I can really make a good living from this game.’ I went onto have a great season, winning two more tournaments.â€? Three more titles followed over the next three years but the way his career-deďŹ ning season in 2005 began gave no hint of what was to come. He only decided to try to qualify for the US Open after his wife, Julie, persuaded him Campbell explains: “It was a strange six months leading up to ithe US Open. I’d missed nearly every cut – ďŹ ve in a row at the start of the season. I was doing

2005

2005

terribly and didn’t know what to do. But, once again, I just knuckled down and worked very hard and started making a few cuts. Then I had a few top 10s before the US Open and Julie convinced me to try and qualify for the US Open because the qualiďŹ ers were only a few minutes’ drive from my house in Brighton at Walton Heath. I thought I might as well give it a go. I played with Steve Webster and he missed the cut by one and I made it right on the number – I think it was 4-under. Then I ew over to America and won it!â€? Despite regaining a certain amount of form prior to the US Open, Campbell’s putting was all over the place when he arrived at Pinehurst and he almost decided to play using a belly putter. “My putting was very, very poor, to the point where I was so desperate I had a practice round on the Monday using a belly putter,â€? he says. “My coach arrived the next

At his wife Julie’s behest he plays in the Y]ITQĂ…MZ NWZ \PM =; 7XMV I\ ?IT\WV 0MI\P .QVQ[PM[ ZQOP\ WV \PM Y]ITQĂ…KI\QWV UIZS WN ̉]VLMZ IVL ÆQM[ \W \PM =; ¡ IVL _QV[ Q\

2005

Creates history as \PM Ă…Z[\ 5W]ZQ \W _QV a Major, beating Tiger Woods by two strokes at Pinehurst No.2.

“My coach arrived the next day, saw me and said, ‘What are you doing? ‘I said I’m so desperate Jonathan, I can’t putt.’ So on the Tuesday we spent the whole day putting. We didn’t go to Pinehurst at all, we went to a different golf course about 20 minutes away from the event and spent about five hours just putting.� – Michael Campbell

2006

2010 Makes only one cut all [MI[WV IVL Ă…VQ[PM[ th on the Order of Merit with Ă‚ QV XZQbM UWVMa

Rises to a career high WN th in the World Ranking.

Caps a sensational season by winning the World Match Play Championship, beating good friend Retief Goosen QV \PM [MUQ̉ÅVIT IVL 8I]T 5K/QVTMa QV \PM ÅVIT

day, saw me and said, ‘What are you doing? ‘ I said I’m so desperate Jonathan, I can’t putt.’ So on the Tuesday we spent the whole day putting. We didn’t go to Pinehurst at all, we went to a dierent golf course about 20 minutes away from the championship and spent about ďŹ ve hours just putting. That gave me a lot of conďŹ dence – I was hitting the ball great, my short game was great, my putting was great so I was quietly conďŹ dent but I had no great expectations. “Winning is a pleasure and there are no guarantees in this game. I just went out there to enjoy being part of another Major. The ďŹ rst three rounds I played quite nicely but my mate Goose was miles ahead and I was thinking, ‘OK just enjoy yourself today, you never know what’s going to happen – a Major is a Major, and stranger things have happened.’ “ I think with12 holes to play I was leading, which was pretty cool. Tiger was about two groups in front of me. He was making all of these birdies – he was the crowd favourite, the TV favourite, everyone’s favourite and I was the underdog, which was ďŹ ne by me. “It’s a great advantage being able to y under the radar. I played some wonderful golf and had the self belief that I could do it. I was telling myself the whole time, ‘This is what you’ve practiced for all these years. This is your chance, Michael, it’s a special day for you, you can do it. This is why you spent all those hours on the range. This is your time to shine.’ “Anybody can hit the ball from A to B, anybody can sink a 10-foot putt, anybody can chip or play a bunker shot and hit it close, hit fairways, hit greens. But the bottom line is you’ve got to be able to do it under the gun when you know you need to be able to perform well, that’s when it really matters. That’s a really good gauge of how well you can handle pressure.â€? Campbell, who went on to become only the ďŹ fth person, along with Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Mark O’Meara, to win the World Match Play Championship in the same year as winning a Major, is intensely proud of his trail-blazing achievements for people of Mouri descent in the world of golf. He grew

2009

Splits with his coach Jonathan Yarwood after 10 years working \WOM\PMZ Ă…VQ[PM[ !th on the Order of Merit.

2012 Drops to a career low Ranking of 910th in July, reunites with Jonathan Yarwood, and returns to form later in the season. www.wwgolf.biz

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Michael Campbell

GOOD LAUGH: Campbell is one of the most laid back Major Champions we know. Whether it’s enjoying a track day with the boys in Bahrain, trying his hand at the World Sand Championship or having a joke with Samuel L. Jackson at the Alfred Dunhill Championship, he makes friends wherever he goes, just by being himself.

up in the New Zealand town of Patea on the North Island’s West Coast where money was tight and golf was not a popular sport. “We used to live in government housing,” he says. “I remember when I was a kid, just having a pair of shoes was an amazing thing. We had nothing really. Both my parents worked very, very hard – sometimes working two jobs just to get by. I think growing up that way has made me appreciate things much more – having money and all that sort of stuff. But don’t get me wrong, I had a great time growing up. We used to kick a ball around and just enjoyed what we had. “ A naturally gifted sportsman, Campbell spent a lot of time playing rugby, dreaming of becoming an All-Black. He also played many other sports. He was introduced to golf at nine years old after being dragged along to the course by his father. “The golf course I grew up playing was actually on a farm!” he says. “There were sheep on the course, fences around the greens – sheep droppings everywhere – and it cost like two dollars to play 18 holes. I used a chopped down 6 iron I got off my father! “I was probably 12 when I thought I’d try and make a go of it as a golfer. I was a natural sportsman and played lots of different sports – rugby, softball, basketball, golf – during the week. My parents said to me eventually, ‘Michael you have to choose one sport because we can’t provide a

taxi service every day, it’s ridiculous, we’re running back and forth, here, there and everywhere.’ I thought about it and said, ‘OK, I’ll give golf a go.’ “I thought golf was more of a challenge because back in those days there were no young Mouri kids playing. I wanted to break the mould and become the first Mouri to win on The European Tour, and the first Mouri to win a Major – which I was. I wanted to break all of these records and I’ve done that, which is pretty cool.” Unlike many of today’s pampered stars who are born into luxury and live the life of a rich golfer long before they actually make it, Campbell worked in a ‘real job’ prior to turning professional in 1993. “Yeah, I had a proper 9-to-5 job!” he laughs. “I worked for Telecom as an engineer. It took me five years to qualify for that job – from age 16-21. I’m officially a fully qualified technical officer! So I’ve done a real job, although I didn’t like it! But I could afford a car and stuff so it was pretty cool. “I always had that dream of turning pro one day and touring the world but along with my family I decided to get the qualification to fall back on just in case golf didn’t work out – so that’s why I started working for Telecom as a fully qualified technical officer at 21. Two years later, at 23, I turned pro. “Having done stuff like that has given me the ‘never give up’ attitude because

“The golf course I grew up playing was actually on a farm! There were sheep on the course, fences around the greens – sheep droppings everywhere – and cost like two dollars to play 18 holes. I used to use a chopped down 6 iron I got off my father!”

I know that what I have is very special. I know that it’s just one of those things where you’ve got to stick at it and never quit. My upbringing has definitely helped me in that way. I know I’m lucky to be where I am, doing something I love, so I need to make the most of it.” Campbell’s journey has been anything but smooth, but his immense inner determination to overcome all odds has led him to the greatest heights. After the toughest seven years of his career, all the elements are now back in place for another assault on top honours. The level-headed star isn’t getting carried away just yet. “The most important thing is not to look too far ahead and not to think too much about the consequences or have too much of an expectation of getting back to the level of winning another Major,” he says. “The most important thing for me is to take baby steps, get back in that top 50 in the World Ranking – that’s my first goal. Then make The Presidents Cup. If I can do that, things will happen around that. If I do get into the top 50, that means I’m playing well, so If I focus on that and keep going through the same processes I’m doing now, other things will be achievable.” If history has taught us one thing, it’s that you can’t keep a good guy down for too long, and Michael Campbell is a good guy and one of the best in the business. Watch this space. Q www.wwgolf.biz

39

Swing

THE ACADEMY AT EMIRATES GOLF CLUB in Association with PETE COWEN

CAMBO HARD ON THE RANGE 1

2

3

7

8

9

PETE COWEN

PGA MASTER PROFESSIONAL & coach to the stars, such as McDowell, Harrington, Kaymer, Stenson ... if Pete doesn’t know it, it isn’t worth knowing! 40

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Michael Campbell is a great player and a great character off the course. I’m pleased to see him finding form again and to hear he’s gone back to his old coach Jonathan Yarwood. You can see from this sequence that his swing looks alot simpler and better for it as he’s no longer trying to force things by trying to find extra yardage.

1

Michael has nice posture here but I would like to see a little more flex in the lower body and the shoulders less rounded.

2

As you can see he’s got a one-piece take away which creates a slight over-turn of the body in the early part of the backswing.

3

As a result of the over-turn you can see in this frame that he has to lift his arms.

Pete Cowen checks out the swing that won the 2005 US Open 4

5

6

10

11

12

4

Cambo’s continued to lift his arms and not loaded the wrists yet so he’s not setting the club hard. This makes him consistent but not very powerful.

5 6

The right arm is supporting the club well at the top of the backswing.

The change in direction is good as it’s coming down the left forearm and the shift is going to follow accordingly. I’d like to see a little more loading in the wrists but the position is still good.

7 8

10

The delivery position is good. The club is out in front so it’s easy to deliver the club from here.

Continues to exit well up and through the shoulders. It’s quite a decent body match but if I was being critical I would like to see a little more angle in his hips to match his shoulder angle and stop lower back problems.

9

11

Simple and good here with no problems!

The exit line is good and strong, with everything going left, which is what you want to see.

Good strong position to finish. Keep up the good work Cambo!

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41

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BY- Bryan Smyth, Golf Professional at Emirates Golf Club

THE KNOCKDOWN In windy conditions, basically what you’re doing is hitting a knockdown shot. This is a lower, lessspinning iron shot that isn’t as susceptible to ballooning in the wind as a normal shot would be. The action should have a curtailed backswing and finish with the hands in a lower position. This will help you hit down and through, as opposed to down and up, which might add loft to your shot. A knockdown is also a great option for distances in between two clubs, or if you need to hit a controlled shot under a tree.

BEAT THE WIND To hit successful shots into the wind or facing a crosswind (go ahead and swing away as normal when hitting downwind), remember two key factors. First, keep the hands ahead of the ball at impact. This is what I meant by “covering” the golf ball previously. Not only will this produce a lower shot, but a slower release of the hands ought to reduce spin as well. Use these tips to help control your ball in windy conditions and lower you scores.

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Learn more at titleist.co.uk

ARABIAN The winning juniors pose with their prizes after the fourth event in the Ajyal Golf Championship series.

AJYAL GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP HOTTING UP CHILDREN of all ages descended on Dubai Creek last month for the fourth event of the 2012-2013 Ajyal Golf Championship Under the Patronage of the children of Sheikh Diab Bin Saif Al Nahyan and stand-out player Mohmood Skaik improved his lead on the Order of Merit with another impressive first-place finish. Skaik took the gross honours after signing for a 36 over nine holes for a two-stroke win over Abu Dhabi’s Khaled Al Mutawa. Finishing third with a gross 41 was Mohammed Saeed Abdulla. A superb gross 29 saw Mohammed Ali Al Shaer win his first event as he topped Division ‘B’ by six strokes. Finishing second was Ahmed Al Marzouqi with a countback victory over the ever-improving Alyazya Al Shehhi. “We are pleased to introduce these events for our youngsters who are on the programme already and I am sure this is going to be the beginning of many more events that will be organised in the future for our young Emiratis,” said Khalid Al Shamsi, Secretary General of the Federation. “With a competitive atmosphere to the game, we will soon be seeing some of these players making it to National Team levels.” Sheikh Khaled Ali Al Mualla who presented the prizes on behalf of Sheikha Shikha bint Diab Al Nahyan and Sheikh Mohammed bin Diab Al Nahyan commented: “I am sure with the continued support from the Al Nahyan family and parents, the league will continue to grow bigger and better. We are also grateful to all participating clubs who help in making our league a success.”

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March’s local contents 60 62 65 67 68 70 71 72 73 75 76 76 77 78

GCC CHAMPIONSHIPS WORLDWIDE GOLF AL AIN OPEN JOEL NEALE COLUMN MICHAEL HARRADINE Q&A MENA TOUR 2013 EMIRATES GOLF CLUB DUBAI CREEK GOLF & YACHT CLUB ‘PIC ‘ GOLF SOCIETY LEAGUE SHARJAH SHARJAH GOLF & SHOOTING CLUB INTERNATIONAL PAIRS UAE JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES THE ELS CLUB THE ADDRESS MONTGOMERIE DUBAI AL HAMRA GOLF CLUB

78 79 79 80 80 81 82 83 84 85 87 88 88 89

TOWER LINKS GOLF CLUB ARABIAN RANCHES GOLF CLUB AL AIN EQUESTRIAN AND SHOOTING AND GOLF CLUB ABU DHABI GOLF CLUB SAADIYAT BEACH GOLF CLUB YAS LINKS ABU DHABI DIRAB GOLF CLUB INTERCONTINENTAL RIYADH ALMOUJ GOLF MUSCAT HILLS GOLF CLUB AL GHAZAL GOLF CLUB ABU DHABI CITY GOLF CLUB AL BADIA GOLF CLUB THE TRACK, MEYDAN GOLF

GOLF

LOCAL NEWS

AL AIN EQUESTRIAN, SHOOTING & GOLF CLUB Turn to page 62 to see who triumphed in the Worldwide Golf Open held at AESGC last month. Pictured here is the par-5 ninth hole. Turn to page 79 to read Luke Plumb’s tips on how best to navigate your way down it.

EMIRATES GOLF CLUB AND THE MONTGOMERIE PROGRESS TO THE SCRATCH LEAGUE SEMI-FINALS TEAMS from Emirates Golf Club and The Address Montgomerie Dubai have progressed to the semi-finals of the UAE Invitational Scratch League after the recent set of fixtures. In League C The Montgomerie team downed The Els Club 3-1 (5-1) which means they progress on goal difference ahead of The Els Club with them both locked on 15½ points after four matches each. The Emirates Golf Club team have dominated League D and qualified to the semi-finals with a game to spare. They beat Sharjah Wanderers 4-0 (6-0) to get to an unassailable 17½ points with one match remaining against Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club. With Arabian Ranches already through from League A the only remaining semi-finalists to be

determined are from League B. It is still possible any of the three teams can qualify with Yas Links still to play both Abu Dhabi Golf Club and Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club, with both fixtures at home. The UAE Invitational Scratch Golf League sees 12 teams competing in four leagues of three teams with each team playing four matches – two at home and two away. The points system sees each team accumulate their individual winning games added to a bonus of 2 points for a team win and 1 point for a team draw. The matches are played with a team of 8 players in a scratch fourball matchplay format. All remaining round robin fixtures are to be played by the end of March, 2013.

League A Team Arabian Ranches Tower Links/Al Hamra Al Ghazal

Played 4 3 3

Points 12 5½ 2½

Bonus 6 4 0

Total 18 9½ 2½

Played 3 3 2

Points 6½ 6½ 3

Bonus 4 3 1

Total 10 ½ 9½ 4

Played 4 4 4

Points 10 ½ 9½ 4

Bonus 5 6 1

Total 15 ½ 15 ½ 5

Played 3 3 4

Points 11 ½ 5½ 3

Bonus 6 2 2

Total 17 ½ 7½ 5

League B Team Dubai Creek Abu Dhabi Golf Club Yas Links, Abu Dhabi

League C Team The Address, Mont. The Els Club Al Badia Golf Club

League D Team Emirates Golf Club Al Ain Sharjah Wanderers

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2013 GCC GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS

The victorious GCC Golf Championships winners: The Bahrain Team of Hamad Mubarak, Nasser Yacoob, Ali Saleh and Sultan Abdullah.

BAHRAIN BACK ON TOP TO WIN GCC TITLE THE talented Bahraini team reinstated their domination of the GCC Golf Championships at Almouj Golf The Wave, Muscat, Oman, in winning the event for the 16th time in the tournament’s 17-year history. Their only blemish was last year’s victory by the UAE Team at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club. In the individual event it was the Qatari player, Ali Al Bishi, who led from his first tee shot until his final putt. The third and final round of the

54-hole Championship was played in groups of three with the top players going out last. By the 18th green Ali Al Bishi had carded the top score of the day, a 72, with Bahrain’s Hamad Mubarak and Qatar’s Abdul Rahman Al Bishi both three shots behind after shooting 75 apiece. In the main team competition Bahrain showed their consistency with Hamad Mubarak, Nasser Yacoob, Ali Saleh and Sultan Abdullah staying ahead of Qatar in the top 10, individually,

finishing second, third, fourth and fifth respectively, ahead of individual winner, Ali Al Bishi. Last year’s winners, the UAE Team, sealed third place with the Oman team pushing them all the way but having to settle for a credible fourth place overall. The Saudi Arabia team put in a spirited chase to finish in fifth, ahead of the Kuwaiti team in sixth and last place. Bahrain’s Hamad Mubarak was very happy with his team’s win, saying: “We knew that when

The staging of the 17th GCC Golf Championship at Almouj Golf The Wave, Muscat, Oman was due to the work put in by Golf Oman, with the support of the Ministry of Sport and key sponsors National Bank of Oman, Omantel and Etihad Airways. Farah Al Mansour of Saudi Arabia tees off during the 17th staging of the GGC Championships played at Almouj Golf The Wave, Muscat, Oman last month. 60

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LOCAL NEWS

we came to Almouj Golf we were facing a challenge from some of the teams, and that we could not discount a single one of them. “The conditions here at Almouj Golf have been perfect in producing a tight competition with each hole throwing a new challenge at us. We look forward to the competition next year where we hope to win again, although we know the other teams will be training hard as well.” Qatar’s Ali Al Bishi was equally pleased about winning the individual event, commenting: “The first day I went out and carded a 70 which I was very happy with and it really gave me inspiration for the following rounds. I am very proud to have won the individual competition but as a team we were really hoping to beat Bahrain and take the group trophy back to Qatar with us. “But we’ll be back next year stronger and more experienced and we will give it our best. In the meantime, I look forward to playing Almouj Golf again. It is a great course which offered many challenges throughout the competition.” The Championship ended with a closing ceremony presided over by His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Bin Hamad Al Rumhy, Oman’s Minister of Oil and Gas in the presence of Sheikh Saad bin Mohammed Al Saadi, Oman’s Minister of Sports. Also in attendance were His Excellency Sheikh Fahim Bin Sultan Al Qasimi (UAE) , Pan-Arab Golf Federation Chairman and Khalid Ibrahim Al Abu Nahyan (KSA), the GCC Golf Committee Chairman. Q

“I am very proud to have won the individual competition but as a team we were really hoping to beat Bahrain and take the group trophy back to Qatar with us.” – Individual winner Ali Al Bishi (pictured above receiving his trophy). Pictured left to right: Individual winner Ali Al Bishi putts while winning Bahrain team member Nasser Yacoob looks on; Hamad Mubarak from the Bahrain team hits an approach shot; Faisal Salhab of the Saudi Arabia team gets to grips with the Greg Norman designed Almouj Golf Championship Course.

UAE JUNIOR TEAM TAKE THE TITLE ALTHOUGH the UAE National Senior Team had to relinquish their title to the triumphant Bahrain team the UAE juniors proved that the future of golf in the Emirates is looking good by claiming the Junior Champions’ Team title by a clear margin of 12 shots. The team comprising Abdulla Al Qubaisi, Ahmed Skaik and Ahmed Al Budoor, produced a series of stunning performances over the Greg Norman-designed Almouj Golf The Wave, Muscat, Oman. The host team, Oman finished in the runners-up position in the junior competition and the Bahrain team, winners of the main senior team event, was placed third, a further two shots behind. The UAE Junior Team also won the Net Division, ahead of Oman. Abdulla Al Qubaisi won individual third place (gross) and was the individual runner-up (net), while Ahmed Skaik took individual third (net). Khalid Mubarak Al Shamsi, Secretary General of the Emirates Golf Federation and UAE National Team manager, expressed his delight over the remarkable feat by the UAE Junior Team, saying: “We are extremely proud of this achievement. Our juniors have shown that with clear focus, dedication and rigorous training we can achieve our goals. In 2012 our junior team was placed in third position in the GCC Golf Championships, and in just a year they have made a great strides. We hope for even bigger honours in the future.”

The victorious GCC Golf Championships UAE Junior Team pictured at Almouj Golf The Wave, Muscat, Oman: Ahmed Albudoor, Abdullah Al Qubaisi and Ahmed Skaik with EGF Secretary General and UAE National Team Manager Khalid Mubarak Al Shamsi and coach Jason Froggatt (right).

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DISAPPOINTING TO SEE CLASSIC CROWD NUMBERS DOWN

T

HE talk around the UAE following the conclusion of The European Tour’s Middle East Swing revolves around Chris Wood winning his first Tour title in Doha, Stephen Gallacher winning the Desert Classic and Jamie Donaldson’s triumph in Abu Dhabi with the World No.1 and No.2, Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods, not even making it into the weekend. Most people I’ve spoken to about the Desert Swing, agree that Great Britain and Ireland golf at the moment is second to none with experienced European Tour players dominating the World Ranking and so many other up-and-coming young players coming through. With the likes of Tommy Fleetwood showing form and confidence to compete with the top guys on Tour it seems that a win may come from him this season as well! British golfers are exposed to so many types of courses, such as parkland and links, which is why I think in terms of their shotmaking ability they are a more complete ‘golfer’ than many of their American rivals. One thing that was disappointing to

see was the surprisingly low numbers of spectators at the Desert Classic this year and I’m not alone in saying this. Some people felt like they even had to voice their opinion in the ‘letters page’ in the 7Days newspaper the following day saying things like: ‘Last Thursday I thought it would be nice to take my young boys to the Dubai Desert Classic for the afternoon. I was disappointed to find that the promoters were charging 175dhs for an adult’s entrance ticket.’ For a number of years this was the premium event in the region attracting the world’s top golfers. This year, perhaps with the exception of Westwood and Garcia, the field was made up of yesterday’s men and current European Tour journeymen golfers. The less-than-stellar field, combined with the ticket pricing, resulted in poor spectator numbers. The promoters should take a leaf out of the season-ending Race to Dubai event at Jumeirah Golf Estates, where the field is outstanding and the crowds are large due to the free tickets. This is how most people feel – why charge for ‘journeymen’ at

Tiger Woods, winner of the 2008 Dubai Desert Classic, played in Abu Dhabi rather than Dubai this year and in 2012.

the Dubai Desert Classic when the likes of Abu Dhabi pay large endorsements to get Tiger and McIlroy playing and then promote it as a free event for spectators. Most golf enthusiasts look past the 175dhs per ticket but when a family of four go to Emirates Golf Club for the afternoon they’re 800dhs down before buying a bottle of water. This is sad to see when so much hard work goes into putting on such an historic event. There’s nothing worse than minimal crowds. I’m not advocating paying huge appearance money endorsements for big names, as I don’t believe players should receive any payments to play golf tournaments. They should only be rewarded in the form of payment for doing well. However, I do believe a small fee should be paid to watch these sporting events, somewhere in between 175dhs and free in my opinion would be fair. It’s good for the game of golf. Q

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Joel Neale talks to the UAE’s leading amateur, MICHAEL HARRADINE, on his plans for the future now that he has been selected to play for the Swiss National Team. JN: Do you have any sort of regular practice routine that you try and follow? MH: Not really. If there’s an area of my game that needs work I try to spend time on that. I try to use 60-70 per cent of my time on my short game. My long game tends to be quite steady but I know there is always room for improvement with my iron play. It really depends on what needs work on any given day. If I’m struggling with the putter, I’ll putt a lot more, if it’s the driver, I’ll drive a lot more. I don’t really have any fixed routine I just go with what I think needs work. JN: How do you balance your time between working for Harradine Golf and practising? MH: Obviously, I’d like to concentrate all my time and effort on playing and practising to get my game to the highest level I can. Because I’m not spending all day, every day playing and working on the range, it’s harder to get into a steaady routine. I’m sure that if I had the whole day to devote to my game it would be a lot easier to plan a full routine that covers all the different elements I need to work on.

JN: You’ve been selected to play for the Swiss National Team. You must be thrilled to be asked. MH: The officials from the Swiss National Team approached me last November to ask if I’d like to be considered for the Team. It was a goal of mine two years ago to get into the National Team and at that time I met up with the coach and told him I was interested. I went on to have a horrible season so last year I decided not to say anything! Fortunately, I had a good season playing on the amateur circuit in Switzerland and got some good results. They always do the selection at the end of the year and I got an e-mail from the coach saying he’d like to meet up and go through a few things. I wasn’t sure at first whether he wanted to talk about the National Team but when I met with him he said, ‘You’re in the Team.’ So I was quite happy with that! JN: Now that you’re in do you get much chance to go and play with them or is it a seasonal thing? MH: It’s seasonal. It works well with me living in Dubai because our season is in the winter and theirs is in the summer. They knew I was playing

in the Desert Classic, so they told me, ‘Play in the Classic then work hard for two months and come over in April’. Fitness is a big thing for them so hopefully I’ll be in good shape when I go over there next month. JN: Do you have any aspirations to turn professional – maybe at the end of this year? MH: I’m certainly thinking about trying for Q-School for The European Tour but that’s obviously a really tough proposition. I’m definitely going to be going to Asian Tour Q-School next January. I’d love to turn professional and play on one of the major tours but there are so many talented guys out there trying to do the same thing. It’s much tougher than people think. JN: Do you think you’re in a better situation being based in Dubai with the likes of the MENA Tour right on your doorstep which provides a platform for you to get invitations to play in tournaments like the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, the Commercialbank Qatar Masters and the Omega Dubai Desert Classic? MH: Definitely. Don’t get me wrong, the UAE has always been a great place to practice. We’ve got beautiful courses, great facilities, the weather’s perfect – but previously we had good amateur events and nothing really after that. The MENA Tour has really helped. They started with four tournaments the first year, then six and now 11 so it’s certainly growing. It’s been just such an fantastic experience to play six tournaments in a row of three rounds each. It gives you a great taste of what it’s like for a touring pro. I was surprised how draining it is, mentally not physically. When you’re actually in tournament mode for that length of time it takes it out of you more than you’d imagine. Q BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Michael Harradine is pictured with the trophy after winning the prestigious Shaikh Rashid Trophy at Jebel Ali in 2010. www.wwgolf.biz

NEW EVENTS IN MOROCCO TO KICK OFF THE 2013 MENA GOLF TOUR THE 2013 MENA Golf Tour schedule has been announced with two new events in Morocco kicking off the Tour this month before nine events complete the Tour later in the year. Last year there were six events on Tour and that number has almost doubled this year with 11 set to take place including new events in Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The Tour, now in its third year, has grown from four events in the inaugural 2011 season and with the additions of events across North Africa it now has a truly regional flavour and offers total prize money of $575,000. The expansion provides greater opportunities for players to enhance their careers and the split in the schedule utilizes the months conductive to playing golf. The first section of the tour travels to Morocco for two events – one each at Royal Dar Es Salam Golf Club, Rabat, and Royal Mohammedia Golf in Casablanca – while nine events spread over UAE and neighbouring Gulf states between September and November will complete the schedule. “With 10 tournaments already confirmed, including one in Oman and two in Saudi Arabia, we are hopeful of making additional tournament announcements in the near future which will further strengthen the playing schedule for the broad spectrum of our membership,” said Mohamed Juma Buamaim,

Mohamed Juma Buamaim, Chairman of the MENA Golf Tour, announces the 2013 MENA Tour Schedule.

Chairman of the MENA Golf Tour. “The expansion of the tour to North Africa will continue to serve as a platform in developing top talent by providing top-class playing opportunities with reasonable entry fees for its members. “It is, indeed, a matter of pride that a large contingent from Morocco has competed in the MENA Golf Tour events, showcasing the rising standards of the game in the Arab world. We value their overwhelming support of the Tour.” The Tour continues to attract global attention with the top players on the Orders of Merit for professionals and amateurs winning invitations

to the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and getting exemptions to the final stage of the Asian Tour Qualifying School. Muhammad Munir of Pakistan used the experience gained on the MENA Golf Tour to earn his Asian Tour card for 2013. “We would like to thank our sponsors Omega and Mercedes-Benz and colleagues in golf’s governing bodies around the world – the R&A and the Arab Golf Federation – for their support of the MENA Golf Tour, and we look forward to welcoming them all to the 2013 season,” concluded Buamaim. Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan

2013 MENA GOLF TOUR SCHEDULE Morocco Championship Royal Dar Es Salam Royal Golf Club, Rabat, Morroco March 11 – 14 Prize Money: US $50,000 Morocco Classic Royal Mohammedia Golf, Casablanca, Morocco March 18 – 21 Prize Money: US $50,000

American Express Dirab Golf Championship Dirab Golf and Country Club, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia September 15 – 18 Prize Money: US $50,000

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LOCAL NEWS

MENA GOLF TOUR

2012 MENA Golf Tour champion Stephen Dodd receives the trophy from Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan Qasimi, Chairman of the Emirates Golf Federation, with Mohamed Juma Buamaim, Chairman of the MENA Golf Tour, and Saif Al Shamsi, Board Member of Al Ain ESGC.

Qasimi, President of the Arab Golf Federation and head of the MENA Golf Tour’s new Board of Trustees, presided over the board earlier in the day. The new board includes representatives from Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco and Qatar. Sheikh Fahim, who is also the Chairman of the Emirates Golf Federation, lauded the growing popularity of the tour saying it has given the emerging players from the region, especially amateurs, a perfect platform to hone their competitive edge. He confirmed that The Arab Golf Federation

would do its best to encourage countries under its umbrella to host a tour event in the near future. “We have many other countries in the region like Egypt, Lebanon, Tunisia and Bahrain who have shown their keen interest in hosting tour events. I am sure the tour will expand further in years to come,” he said. Sheikh Fahim also praised the Sheikh Maktoum Golf Foundation for awarding a golf scholarship to the leading amateur on the Order of Merit. “Their gesture will encourage other promising Arab players to work hard on their game. It was nice to see an Arab player (Ahmed Marjan of

Morocco) win the scholarship in the inaugural edition of the tour,” said Sheikh Fahim. “It is a complete Tour in its own right and the only one which is open to amateurs as well. We want to develop amateurs who represent their country in the region since they are the ones who will encourage more people to take up golf.” Launched by the Sheikh Maktoum Golf Foundation in 2011, the MENA Golf Tour is affiliated to the R&A and the Arab Golf Federation. Each tournament – a minimum 54-hole stroke-play event – carries World Ranking points.

TBC Venue TBC, Saudi Arabia September 22 – 25 Prize Money: US $50,000

Shaikh Maktoum Dubai Open Al Badia Golf Club, Dubai, UAE October 20 – 23 Prize Money: US $50,000

Dubai Creek Open Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, Dubai, UAE September 29 – October 2 Prize Money: US $50,000

TBC Doha Golf Club Qatar October 27 – 30 Prize Money: US $50,000

Abu Dhabi GOLF CITIZEN Open Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, Abu Dhabi, UAE October 6 – 9 Prize Money: US $50,000

Oman (Title TBC) Ghala Valley Golf Club, Muscat, Oman November 3 – 6 Prize Money: US $50,000

Ras Al Khaimah Classic Tower Links Golf Club, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE October 13 – 16 Prize Money: US $50,000

Mena Tour Championship Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club, Al Ain, UAE November 10 – 13 Prize Money: US $75,000

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Q Michael Jordan has switched the court for the course, find out why the NBA legend is mad for the game. Q Suzann Petterson has scaled the LPGA Tour rankings but did you know she’s scared of heights and would love to swap places with Roger Federer for a day? Q BMW have found the right balance of pace and luxury while also befriending the eco demands of today’s world with the latest 740Li. Plus...plenty of room for the clubs!

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0LFKDHO

Jordan ;<): /74.-:

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5

QKPIMT 2WZLIV Q[ ZMOIZLML I[ \PM OZMI\M[\ JI[SM\JITT XTIaMZ WN ITT \QUM 1V I XZW KIZMMZ [XIVVQVO ! aMIZ[ XTIaQVO XZQUIZQTa NWZ \PM +PQKIOW *]TT[ IVL TI\MZ \PM ?I[PQVO\WV ?QbIZL[ 2WZLIV _WV \PM XZM[\QOQW][ 5W[\ >IT]IJTM 8TIaMZ I_IZL Å^M \QUM[ IVL PM _I[ \PM 6*) [KWZQVO KPIUXQWV \QUM[ 0M _I[ QV[\Z]UMV\IT QV TMILQVO \PM *]TT[ \W [Q` 6*) \Q\TM[ IVL _I[ TIZOMTa ZM[XWV[QJTM NWZ XWX]TIZQ[QVO JI[SM\JITT IZW]VL \PM _WZTL QV \PM [ IVL ! [ 0Q[ R]UXQVO IJQTQ\a _I[ []KP \PI\ PM OIQVML \PM VQKSVIUM »)QZ 2WZLIV¼ IVL []J[MY]MV\Ta 6QSM UILM I TQVM WN JI[SM\JITT JWW\[ WN \PM [IUM VIUM ?Q\P []KP I OTWZQW][ KIZMMZ JMPQVL PQU aW] UQOP\ \PQVS \PI\ 52 _W]TL _IV\ \W [Q\ JIKS ZMTI` IVL KW]V\ PQ[ KI[P J]\ PM U][\ JM I OT]\\WV NWZ X]VQ[PUMV\ JMKI][M QV[\MIL PM [XMVL[ U]KP WN PQ[ \QUM WV \PM OWTN KW]Z[M ) OZMI\ NZQMVL WN <QOMZ ?WWL[ \PM \W_MZQVO [\IZ IT[W PW[\[ \PM IVV]IT 5QKPIMT 2WZLIV +MTMJZQ\a 1V^Q\I\QWVIT What do you enjoy most about the game of golf? MJ: It allows me to get away from people because I’m always in a position where I really can’t let my hair down but when you play golf you’re out among nature – by yourself or with your buddies and you can just relax. If I hit a bad shot I can scream and not worry about it being on the internet or whatever. It gives you a sense of pleasure just being away from people and enjoying the environment a lot more than you normally do. What’s it like being Michael Jordan and not being able to let your hair down? MJ: It’s no different to other people who have a responsibility to people who pay attention to them and look up to them. But sometimes you just don’t want to think about all of that, and that’s what golf allows you to do, it allows you to go out and have fun and not worry about how things are going to be perceived. You’re amongst friends and you’re just having a good time. Are there any similarities between golf and basketball and do any of the qualities that made you such a good basketball player transfer into your golf game? MJ: Golf is a very competitive sport – you battle against yourself a lot more than in basketball. In basketball you’ve got team mates – so if I have a bad day, I’ve got four other guys on the basketball court that can save me. In golf, if you hit a bad shot, you’ve got to

play – you’re battling with yourself and that makes it more competitive for me. My whole nature is competitive and I think when I left basketball I was looking for a substitute for that competitive drive. Golf does that for me because you never conquer the game – one day you can be playing great and the next day you can stink! That’s the way golf is, it’s a very humbling game and for someone who’s as competitive as I am – you need that humbling experience each and every day to drive you and that’s what golf does. What’s more difficult, becoming a great golfer or becoming a great basketball player? MJ: They both take a lifetime of discipline and dedication. Although each has a specific skill set, I would not rate one more difficult than the other. You were known for getting into the zone on the basketball court. Does that happen to you on the golf course? MJ: I’ve had many moments on the golf course where I was able to simply play the game without consciously thinking or forcing it. Unfortunately, my skills are not at the professional level to allow me to do that consistently. It’s one of the great challenges that make golf such a special game. If you had discovered golf before college, do you think you would have tried to go pro?

MJ: No, my God given path has always been basketball and I’m grateful for the success it has brought me. There’s no doubt that I have a strong love and appreciation for the game of golf. Golf is definitely my favourite recreational activity but basketball is and has always been my number one passion. You’re often seen at The Ryder Cup and the Presidents Cup – what gets you so fired up about those team competitions? MJ: It’s that you’re representing your country. You’re not just representing yourself and your fan base, now you’re representing that red, white and blue and I get chill bumps every time I go to those events. It’s not about the money, it’s about the pride. Who would make up your dream foursome? MJ: Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Lee Elder – that would be a great foursome!

Top: Michael chats with Phil Mickelson at the Presidents Cup. Middle: Enjoying a joke with Thomas Bjorn at The Ryder Cup. Bottom: A young and cheeky Sergio Garcia says something that provokes MJ to give chase at the Dunhill Links Championship.

VWDU JROIHU www.wwgolf.biz

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DRIVING RANGE THE 2013 BMW 7 Series gets incremental improvements everywhere. Outside the changes are minimal: fewer vertical slats inside the kidney grille and a larger chrome surround, two horizontal chrome accent bars splitting the lower intake, restyled side mirrors with turn-signal indicators, and new shades of red on the taillights. Inside are resculpted front seats, more soundproofing, redesigned ambient lighting, an updated iDrive controller and “floating” screens for the Rear Seat Entertainment package, and an optional Bang & Olufsen sound system. Along with those changes, the look of the navigation system has been updated with new menu organisation, displays, a “pie menu” and 3D elements. The Attention Assistant system gives BMW drivers their own coffee cup icon to remind you when it’s time to rest while hands-free trunk operation makes its first appearance in the range. The eight-speed steptronic transmission, fitted to every model, allows the new 7 to make more of its engines. Under the hood, the inline six-cylinder in the 740i maintains the same power ratings, 315 horsepower and 330 lb-ft, but is mated to the new eight-speed Steptronic transmission and said to have “significantly improved” efficiency, with a 20 percent increase noted in the EU cycle. The 4.4-litre V8 in the 750i gets fitted with Valvetronic and gets bumps of 45 hp and 30 lb-ft, for 445 hp and 480 lb-ft total. The changes reduce its 0-60 time to 4.7 seconds, at the same time as fuel economy on the EU cycle climbs 25 percent with the new transmission. The second-gen ActiveHybrid 7 drops down an engine size, swapping its previous V8 for the 3.0-litre sixcylinder from the 740. It’s yoked to a 55-hp synchronous motor. Rated at a combined 349 hp and 367 lb-ft, BMW says it is 14 percent more fuel efficient than the 740i. Both the 740i and 750i will come with a new powertrain management system dubbed ECO PRO that joins the other Driving Dynamics Control settings and that includes a coasting mode operable between 30 and 100 mph. Other driving enhancements include Dynamic Damper Control, an electronically controlled damping system that works on each shock individually dependent on road conditions, self-leveling rear suspension now standard on all models, while xDrive is available on the 740i.

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