Worldwide Golf February 2023

Worldwide Golf

MATT WALLACE ENGLISHMAN RARING TO GO AFTER PGA TOUR REPRIEVE

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VOICE OF THE TOUR

RICHARD BUNN Managing Director of European Tour Productions

Richard Bunn has been at the forefront of golf media production in a career spanning over two decades. As well as showcasing the world-class action on the golf course and ensuring it is beamed into as many households around the world as possible, his role sees him at the helm of ETP’s award winning digital content team.

The Middle East has witnessed some of the Tour’s most iconic golfing performances over the years – from Seve, Monty and Tiger to, more recently, Rory, Jon Rahm and Matt Fitzpatrick, but it has also been where some of our most memorable content has come to life.

From 2016’s Mannequin Challenge at the DP World Tour Championship, to Billy’s Little Interviews and the Content Committee, some of our most successful pieces of original content outside the ropes have been filmed ‘on location’ in this region.

Our latest addition to the Middle East’s showreel, #GolfPsycho, was shot at our first Rolex Series event of 2023, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, on Yas Island.

Starring Ryder Cup player Tyrrell Hatton in the lead role, the dark comedy was a parody of the iconic ‘American Psycho’ business card scene and also featured Tommy Fleetwood, Ryan Fox, Shane Lowry, Robert MacIntyre and Thomas Pieters. In the first weekend alone, it was viewed more than 2million times across our social media platforms, with some terrific feedback and engagement from fans, members of the media, our partners and other players.

As with many of the aforementioned videos, it is a simple idea but one which showcases the unique and diverse personalities of our players. That has been a central tenet of our content strategy over the last eight years and we are incredibly fortunate to have players who have bought into this approach, as well as a wonderfully talented content team to capture and produce it.

Through our content, we have reached new audiences who might not ordinarily have engaged with our sport. We have also attracted new partners and sponsors to golf who have recognised that, as a sport, we are in the entertainment industry.

Netflix’s new golf documentary, Full Swing, which features some of our members, including US Open Champion Matt Fitzpatrick and Rory McIlroy, our 2022 DP World Tour Number One, will unquestionably bring further new fans to golf, giving further insight into the players and the storylines behind our sport.

Of course, golf – the action which takes place inside the ropes - will always be our primary source of entertainment, and we have already seen, there has been plenty of drama and excitement from the fairways already this calendar year, all covered expertly by our onsite team of more than 100 production crew which delivers our live world feed broadcast each day to more than 200 countries globally.

The Hero Cup, played at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, was a new addition to our Middle East swing this year and provided some magnificent match play to kick off 2023, whetting the appetite for golf’s greatest team contest, the Ryder Cup, which takes place in Rome in September.

The Ryder Cup, along with DP World Tour and PGA TOUR events in 2023 and 2024, will be broadcast in the Middle East region via Evision’s 24/7 Golf Life Channel, as part of our new MENA rights agreement with UAE-based e&.

It means fans, both new and existing, in the region will be able to watch all the action from DP World Tour events around the world and see more drama such as the fantastic finale to our Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, when France’s Victor Perez secured his first Rolex Series title helped, in no small part, by an incredible bunker shot on the 17th hole in his final round.

That was an early contender for shot of the year and, like all great pieces of content, it is one which will be played over and over again in years to come.

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FORGED TITANIUM A.I. FACE WITH JAILBREAK A.I.

NICOLAI HØJGAARD

The Danish sensation gives us an insight into his driving capabilities as he gets set to defend his title at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship.

CONTENTS FEATURES

20 MATT WALLACE

The Englishman reveals how important it was to be selected for last month’s Hero Cup.

24 MAYA PALANZA GAUDIN

We meet the UAE youngster who is all set for a date with Augusta National.

26 JOSÉ MARÍA OLAZÁBAL

The Ryder Cup legend looks ahead to Rome 2023 after making a suprise appearance at the Hero Cup.

30 RICHIE RAMSAY

The Scotsman’s enjoyed huge highs and endured sleepless nights a professional golfer. He reveals all on his career so far.

34 BEN FOSTER

The Cycling GK has become an internet sensation over the last few years, and he’s now turning to golf since retiring from football.

38 SEPP STRAKA

The Austrian tells all about his career and gives us an insight into what it takes to become a top 30 player in the world.

CONTENTS

40 NATHAN & NATHAN

Nathan Group is using golf to connect with customers with the launch of an Annual Golf Day

COLUMNS

42 JENNY HENNESSY

The Chicks With Sticks Founder reflects on the festival of golf in the UAE.

43

PETE COWEN

The Master PGA Professional has reason to celebrate after backto-back winners in Abu Dhabi.

45 DAVID HOWELL

INSTRUCTION

The DP World Tour stalwart looks back on a successful Hero Cup.

48 SPIRAL TO SUCCESS

Better your shots from around the green with these three must-see tips from Teaching pro Matthew Kidd.

46 TIPS FOR CHIPS GEAR

52 TITLEIST TS2 & TSR3 HYBRIDS

Titleist has dominated the top spot in most hybrids used on Tour since 2014. Find out how latest models have continued to evolve.

54 CALLAWAY PARADYM DRIVERS

Find out why we think the latest driver from Callaway has raised the bar in terms of accuracy and forgiveness.

Practice with purpose thanks to this pressureinducing putting drill from Tommy Fleetwood Academy pro Ginger Delacrétaz.

53 SCOTTY CAMERON

The legendary craftsman announces his 2023 Select Line putter release and what you can expect from the line up.

58 TAYLORMADE STEALTH 2.0 DRIVERS

The distance rocket has received more carbon upgrades to tighten dispersion.

60

SRIXON ZX MKII

We look at the Major winning driver that has gone under the radar and explain why it’s worth considering, especially for golfers in the Middle East.

TEAM EUROPE IN SAFE HANDS

If there was doubt over Europe’s future Ryder Cup credentials then last month’s Hero Cup put most of those to bed with some impressive performances from the next generation of talent, many of whom will be a mainstay in the biennial contest over the next decade or so.

Team Europe’s thumping defeat at Whistling Straits last September certainly had alarm bells ringing, and that was before Ryder Cup stalwarts such as Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and record points scorer Sergio Garcia made their way over to Greg Norman’s LIV Golf. Who would lead the charge in 2023 with those core members of the team gone as well as Henrik Stenson abandoning his captaincy in favour of the up-front stone-cold cash LIV Golf was offering?

Step forward the likes of Robert MacIntyre, Guido Migliozzi and Victor Perez, with the trio enjoying an unbeaten record over the three days at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. This tournament may not have had the pressure that the Ryder Cup possesses but don’t be fooled into thinking this was just an exhibition of golf with players enjoying themselves. Captain Luke Donald went above and beyond in making the event as Ryder Cup-like as possible, from the locker rooms representing a football changing room to a pairing ceremony on the first night to announce the first day’s play. The teams also met up for dinner both pre-event and post tournament to forge that famous ‘European spirit’ between players, some of which were meeting each other for the first time. At those

dinners were European Ryder Cup greats of the past at the request of Donald, including Paul McGinley and José María Olazábal who famously led the European side to an unbelievable comeback from a 10-6 deficit going into the final day singles to a 14 ½ – 13 ½ victory at Medinah in 2012. Every player we spoke to that week told us how inspiring it was to have those icons of the game there and how eager they were to follow in their footsteps by making Donald’s team at Marco Simon Golf & Country Club later this year. With each team boasting three players with previous Ryder Cup experience, this tournament would have been an invaluable experience for those that have never played golf’s greatest contest before. There’s no doubt the American side will possess the greater talent and experience come September, and chances are Europe will probably succumb to another defeat, but events like this will only help the young guns of the European team for years to come. Yes, we may have lost Poulter, but we’ve gained another outgoing figure in Macintyre. We’ve lost the passion of Sergio, but we’ve got the fiery Jon Rahm. The Iceman has gone for the money, but we’ve gained a former World No.1 as our leader in Donald. Things don’t look too bad for Team Europe at all.

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COURSE

COURSE

Hero Cup Debrief

Continental Europe defeated Great Britain and Ireland 14 ½ – 10 ½ to win the inaugural Hero Cup after collecting six points during the final session at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

Francesco Molinari’s Continental team started the final day with a two-point lead so knew they needed only four and half points to win the first edition of the new match play event and they made the perfect start.

Captain Molinari set the tone with a 3&2 victory over Irishman Shane Lowry in the opening match of the day, but Great Britain and Ireland bounced straight back with wins in matches three and four, with their captain Tommy Fleetwood beating Thomas Pieters

a birdie at the 13th but the point ultimately went to the Continental Europe team, as a Højgaard birdie at the 16th was enough for a 1up victory.

Matt Wallace’s 2&1 victory over Thomas Detry kept the Great Britain and Ireland hopes alive, but Victor Perez completed a 4&2 win against Jordan Smith while Ewen Ferguson went down 5&4 to Sepp Straka to put Continental Europe within half a point of securing the trophy.

That meant it all came down to Dubai resident Adrian Meronk. The two-time DP World Tour winner had lost all three of his matches across the first two days, but he made it count when it mattered as he holed a 25-foot birdie putt on the last to secure both a 1up triumph over Callum Shinkwin and the Hero Cup for Continental Europe.

Here, we look at the key stats and facts from the inaugural event.

LEGENDS INSPIRE

late replacement for his injured twin brother, Guido Migliozzi and Francesco Molinari completed the quartet of players without a loss to their name over the three days at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. With Luke Donald keeping a watchful eye over events, the four only strengthened their chances of making his team for the bienneial showpiece in Rome in Septemebr.

POSTIGO ARCE WINS FIRST G4D TOUR TITLE

Juan Postigo Arce claimed his maiden G4D Tour title in the second event of the 2023 season, the G4D Tour @ Hero Cup. The Spaniard, who was born without much of his right leg and no knee, held the overnight lead and

3&2, before England’s Tyrrell Hatton defeated Frenchman Antoine Rozner 5&4.

Then came what proved to be the pivotal matches with a stretch of tightly-contested pairings. Séamus Power and Denmark’s Nicolai Højgaard went toe-to-toe with the Irishman going 2up through three holes, before the Dane reeled off a trio of birdies approaching the turn. Power got back on level terms with

Ryder Cup legends José María Olazábal and Paul McGinely helped inspire the next generation of European talent after Captain Luke Donald called on the stars to share their fondest memories from their Ryder Cup days. “Luke called Paul and I and asked us to come down here,” said Olazábal. “I believe he wanted to create a Ryder Cup-like spirit and for us to let the players know how important the event was, and to share a few stories here and there.”

UNDEFEATED

An unbeaten record at the Hero Cup proved the catalyst for Victor Perez to become the first Frenchman to secure a Rolex Series title the following week at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. Nicolai Højgaard, who was a

carded a level-par 72 in Saturday’s final round to finish two strokes ahead of Canadian Kurtis Barkley. After registering a runner-up and two third place finishes in the inaugural G4D Tour season, Postigo Arce was delighted to finally enjoy victory as the G4D Tour made its debut visit to Abu Dhabi Golf Club. “It feels great,” he said. “After last year, I played pretty good golf around the globe, but the win didn’t come. It’s the best way to start 2023 and hopefully there’s many more to come.”

Having entered the final round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship one stroke behind the leaders, Victor Perez produced a dramatic finish to overcome a high-class chasing pack and win his maiden Rolex Series title at Yas Links Abu Dhabi.

The Frenchman held a narrow one-shot lead in the closing stages on Sunday afternoon before wild scenes erupted on the 17th as the 30-year-old’s sublime bunker shot found the bottom of the cup.

And even though he ran into trouble at the 18th, a bogey there was enough to secure a one-shot win as he closed with a 66 to finish the tournament on 18 under par, with Australian Min Woo Lee and Sweden’s Sebastian Söderberg sharing second place on 17 under par.

Here, we look at some of the stats and facts from the first Rolex Series event of the season.

Albatross spotted

Paul Waring achieved a very rare feat on day two, holing his second shot at the par-five 11th from 202 yards with a six iron for an albatross.

Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship Wrap-up

Double Ace

In the final round there were not one, but two aces. Dan Bradbury won a new Genesis G70 Shooting Brake 2.0 Sport with a hole-inone at the 17th, before Tyrrell Hatton added a second on the par-three 13th with a pitching wedge.

Toughest hole of the week

The sixth at Yas Links was the toughest hole of the week with the par four witnessing 15 double-bogeys or worse. One of those blemishes came in the opening round from tournament winner Victor Perez who carded a triple-bogey seven on day one. Hitting the fairway here was crucial, as players who missed it were penalised more than half-astroke (+0.51), the highest such number on the course. The sixth was also the second toughest green to hit in regulation for the week at just under 66 percent. This green also yielded the highest average putts per green in regulation at an average of 1.95. The top nine finishers on the leaderboard played this hole to a combined score of even par.

New course record

Sami Välimäki shot a course-record 62 in the final round, firing an eagle and eight birdies to finish the week on 12 under and sneak into the top ten. He beat the old record by one shot.

345 yards

Tapio Pulkkanen topped the leaderboard for Driving distance at Yas Links, averaging 345 yards per drive over the Kyle Philips-designed track.

26

Victor Perez not only won the tournament but also led the way in the total number of birdies with 26. Last year’s winner Thomas Pieters sunk just the 14 birdies on his way to victory.

15

Marcus Armitage and Nacho Elvira held the unfortunate record of most bogeys across the week with both men having 15 blemishes on their card over four rounds.

By Thomas Wragg

Danish Delight

Nicolai Højgaard

Thirty four days before his 21st birthday, Nicolai Højgaard cemented his spot as one of Europe’s most talented prospects by picking up his second DP World Tour title at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship at Al Hamra Golf Club.

The victory - his second in just ten starts following his maiden triumph at the DS Automobiles Italian Open - was made even more impressive by the way he overpowered the course with his phenomenal driving.

To see the young Dane drive the 372 yard par four first by opening up his shoulders and letting the ball carry all the way to the green was mind blowing. He was a good 40 yards longer than many players in the field all week, sometimes a great deal more.

To be able to attack pins with a wedge while his playing partners, like David Law, required two more clubs was not only a huge advantage, but must have been demoralising for the Scotsman.

Law is no pee wee off the tee and averaged close to 300 yards, but Højgaard was just playing a different course.

Højgaard returns to the scene of that memorable triumph this month as he bids to defend his title in the northernmost emirate and join his twin Rasmus on three DP World Tour victories.

“It was a special week and I’m really looking forward to getting back and seeing the course,” said Højgaard.

“From when we first got there to how the week was evolving, I started playing some good golf and my driving was probably what made the main difference that week. On the key holes I drove it really well.

“When I returned to defend my title in Italy it was pretty cool. I went out there knowing I had already played well on the course before and that showed in my game for most of the week, so I don’t think there is more pressure as such.

“You get good memories every time you’re on a certain tee box or hitting an approach shot as you know you’ve been in this position before and executed it well. It’s different returning to a course where you’ve won but in a cool way.”

With Højgaard renowned for bombing it and driving par fours for fun all week at Al Hamra Golf Club, we asked him what his best bit of advice would be to anyone looking to gain distance off the tee?

“The first would be to try and hit the ball in the middle of the face,” he said.

“Before you start striking the ball harder it is pivotal you learn to hit from the middle of the face as the ball will go longer by doing this without trying to bomb every drive. A balanced swing is also very important. I see some players try and get everything out of their drive and end up hitting it from the heel and the toe and they can’t really stand on their feet. If you combine a good base with hitting it from the middle of face, you’re on your way to a good drive.”

Long before that victory in Ras Al Khaimah both Nicolai and Rasmus had starting making quite a name for themselves.

The duo created Danish history in 2018 when representing the national team that won the Eisenhower Trophy for the first time, before going on to represent Europe at the Junior Ryder Cup later that month.

History beckoned again three years later with Nicolai’s triumph at the DS Automobiles Italian Open coming the week after Rasmus was victorious at the Omega European Masters with The Højgaards becoming the first brothers to win in back-to-back weeks on the DP World Tour.

In regards to bragging rights, Rasmus currently holds the advantage with three DP

World Tour wins to Nicolai’s two, so what is it like to follow an almost identical journey into professional golf?

“Rasmus and I are best friends without a doubt, nobody can get close to what we have which is very cool for the both of us,” he said.

“We’ve had fights and arguments over the years where we don’t want to talk to each other, but in the end we support and push one another and that’s probably why we’re both at the level we’re at today. We try and have our own career but we are a product when we are together and I think we have to use that to our advantage. It’s pretty cool to have a twin to experience this golfing journey with.”

The duo will go head-to-head once again at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship this month alongside another Danish superstar in the form of 2018 Ryder Cup winning Captain Thomas Bjørn.

The 51-year-old has a wealth of experience in the game having won 15 DP World Tour titles – including two in the Middle East – as well as leaiding Team Europe to an emphatic Ryder Cup victory at Le Golf National in 2018. He also served as Vice Captain on multiple occasions in the biennial showpiece and held the position of Chairman on the Tour’s Tournament Committee for a decade before becoming a member of the Board of Directors.

and talent but it requires a lot of hard work to take it to the next level – that’s on us.”

When Bjørn says something you listen keenly, so before interviewing Nicolai I remembered a few interesting things that Bjørn himself had told to me when we caught up at Emirates Golf Club last year.

“They both have all the talent in the world, I’m talking about them being Major champions, reaching World No.1 and playing in the Ryder Cup,” said the 51-year-old veteran.

Danish bias aside, these were strong words from arguably one of the greatest European players to play the game – what would Nicolai make of them?

“Yes, I believe I can be World No.1,” said Højgaard confidently.

“It’s a bold statement and not something I would normally say wide open in public, but there is a long way to go from saying to actually doing it; it’s many years in the making. We’re building on bricks all the time but hopefully one day we will get there.

“I really respect Thomas, we spend a lot of time with him and he’s been like a mentor to us, so for him to say something like that, with the players he has been around over his career, it means a lot.

“Having said that, it also puts a degree of pressure on us – we have a certain level now and talent but it requires a lot of hard work to take it to the next level – that’s on us.”

The pressure on the twins is perhaps even greater this year with Europe looking to reclaim the Ryder Cup after a devastating loss to their American counterparts at Whistling Straits in 2021. With Ryder Cup stalwarts Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Paul Casey all defecting to LIV Golf and set

to miss out on this year’s edition for the first time in decades, faith will be shown in the next generation of European talent and the Højgaard twins are at the forefront of that.

At last month’s inaugural Hero Cup at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Nicolai was a late replacement for Rasmus and he seized his opportunity with both hands, winning 3.5 points from a possible four as he forged a great partnership with Francesco Molinari across four-balls and foursomes over the opening two days.

His unbeaten record coupled with his win at on this year’s Ryder Cup venue, Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in 2021, will have served as notice of what he could potentially bring to Europe in Italy.

“I love the team format in golf,” he said.

“I used to play a lot of team sports when I was younger and it’s about playing for more than just yourself which is quite special and brings some magic out in everybody.

“Making Luke Donald’s team for the Ryder Cup is definitely up there in my priorities this season. We all want to be on that plane to Rome and bring the Ryder Cup back to Europe. My main focus is to get better this season which will mean qualification will take care of itself. There’s a lot of golf to be played this season so it’s about doing your job over the coming months to play your way into the team.”

The Højgaard twins have been making history since their teens

Højgaard picked up his second DP World Tour title in Ras Al Khaimah

ome

Back in 2018, Matt Wallace was playing some of the best golf of his life, with an intensity, passion and confidence that made him a surefire pick for Thomas Bjørn’s European Ryder Cup team at Le Golf National.

Seven birdies in the last eight holes in the final round of the 2018 Made in Denmark saw the Englishman seal his third DP World Tour title of the year, his fourth in total. Despite that triumph coming just four days before Bjørn named his Captain’s Picks, Ryder Cup veterans Ian Poulter, Paul Casey, Henrik Stenson, and Sergio Garcia were the chosen four to join the Dane’s squad.

Having struggled to find the winning formula since then, Wallace will no doubt be hoping to replicate the golf that put him firmly in the picture in 2018 as he looks to play his way into Luke Donald’s European Ryder Cup team later this season.

“In tournament golf and getting the job done then yes,” replied Wallace when asked if that was the best golf of his career. “If you look back, my scoring was amazing in those areas where I needed it to get over the line

and win a tournament. But I wouldn’t say it’s the best golf I’ve ever played – I feel like I’m getting to that point now.

“I’ve improved every single year, even though my scoring hasn’t been as good, but I’m getting better and hopefully I can build on the combination of scoring and playing well. You can play well and not score, it’s all about momentum. If I can put those together then I’ll be playing my best golf.”

Wallace is indeed already in the running this year for a maiden outing at the biennial showpiece, despite Rome 2023 being eight months away. That was evident when he received a call-up to last month’s Hero Cup contested by Great Britain & Ireland and Continental Europe at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

“It was mega for me to get the call from Luke to let me know I’d be playing in the Hero Cup,” he said.

“I hadn’t been playing how I wanted to, so that was big jolt for me to be a part of that. I was massively hoping I could be there, I wanted to play well enough to get in and Luke showed a lot of faith in me. After we spoke on the phone I told him and Tommy that I would be ready to go at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.”

That readiness to pay back the faith that Donald had shown him was on full display with Wallace banking 2.5 points from a possible four to help GB&I secure victory in the capital.

As well as leaving Abu Dhabi Golf Club with an all-important team event under his belt, the 32-year-old also picked up a

“For anyone that thought the Hero Cup was just a showcase, it really wasn’t – it meant everything to me. ”

bucket-load of inspiration from Ryder Cup greats of the past including Paul McGinley and José María Olazábal. The duo were on site to lend a helping hand after Donald called on the legends to inspire the next generation of European talent by sharing their cherished memories from golf’s greatest contest.

“That chat that we had…that’s why I play the game,” said Wallace, the day after the pair had joined the teams for dinner.

“I was so engaged, I wanted to learn more, listen more and for them to just speak the whole night. For anyone that thought the Hero Cup was just a showcase, it really wasn’t – it meant everything to me. It was the first team event I played as a professional and it was obviously a build up to the biggest tournament we can play in the form of the Ryder Cup.”

Another reason to be inspired for the 2023 season is the fact that Wallace received a major reprieve regarding his PGA Tour status at the back-end of last year.

After a disappointing season stateside, he ended the campaign ranked 136th which left him without his playing privileges for the 2223 season. But after Cameron Smith, Joaquin Niemann, Marc Leishman, Cameron Tringale, Harold Varner III and Anirban Lahiri hit their first tee shots at LIV Golf Boston the week after the Tour Championship, Wallace was one of the six to regain PGA Tour status.

With that in mind, Wallace is looking to take advantage of the blessing handed to him by the LIV Golf defectors.

“I’ll probably play a little bit more in America due to the schedule and World Ranking points,” he said.

“I’ve found it’s difficult to play both Tours right now, so I’ve spoken to the hierarchy at the top of the DP World Tour to somehow try and blend it where we can come back a little bit more and play both Tours. I want to support the DP World Tour as much as

possible, it’s my home and where I started. But ultimately, you’ve got to be over in America at the moment.” Along with the new-found inspiration, Wallace will also have a new set of clubs in the bag during his road to Rome after deciding to part ways with Callaway.

Having left PING for the brand in 2020, the six-time Alps Tour champion has made the decision to follow in the footsteps of compatriot Matt Fitzpatrick in playing a mixed bag for the foreseeable future.

“I’ve decided to be a free agent and not sign with another manufacturer, so it’s nice to be able to pick and choose what I play with,” he said.

“It’s all about performance for me now, it’s not about signing any sort of monetary contract or being tied into anything. I’ve seen the likes of Matt Fitzpatrick and Adam Scott do it and I’ve never ventured down that route because I thought that signing with a

manufacturer is great as they help you out a lot.

“Callaway were brilliant for me, they did everything they could but I just wanted to use a different combination. If I wanted to use Callaway clubs and a Titleist ball then there’s no real contract to be had there, so it was the best decision for me at this time. Who knows in the future what could happen, but right now I think this is going to be bring out the best in my game.

“I’ve currently got a Titleist driver and the Pro V1 19 ball which I last won with. Callaway from 3-wood to pitching wedge, Vokey wedges and a Scotty Cameron putter.”

The qulaification process to make Donald’s team will not be an easy one, with a whole host of fresh faces vying to be in the locker room come September, but if Wallace is to recapture the form that saw him narrowly miss out in 2018 his Ryder Cup dream might just become a reality this time around.

Wallace was to narrowly miss out on place in Thomas Bjørn’s Ryder Cup team in 2018 despite his three wins

Wallace claimed his third title of 2018 at the Made in Denmark

“He also reminded me a lot of Mr (Robert) MacIntyre…,” at this point Mum Cassandra interjects, “You mean Mr McIlroy…” Maya replies: “No, well okay, Mr Macintyre and Mr McIlroy - I played with Mr Macintyre at the Pro-Am for last year’s Ras Al Khaimah Championship, remember?”

Player, McIlroy, Fleetwood, Hovland, DeChambeau, MacIntyre and now Pieters – she’s rubbed shoulders with all of them and played with many of them, such is the attention this talented youngster – born in Ethiopia and brought up in Abu Dhabi by her adoptive, doting parents –has garnered.

Maya’s first brush with fame came when she was a mere seven years old. After winning a nearest to the pin competition with the HSBC Future Falcons programme, she was invited to tee off alongside McIlroy during the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

“We thought it was going to be 30 seconds on the range if we were lucky,” says Maya’s father Stephen. “But it was during the third round, after the pros had teed off they called Maya out, in front of about 400 people, and she hit a tee shot.

“We thought that was it but Maya went and introduced herself to Rory and he came over to me and said, ‘we do a lot of these things and usually it’s the kids of sponsors, but they don’t always have the manners your daughter has, would you mind if she walked the rest of the hole with me?’

“We got to meet his dad, his manager, and it was the start of a relationship. Now whenever he’s back here, Rory makes an effort to check in with Maya and see how she’s doing.”

One of those visits was last year when McIlroy returned for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship’s debut showing at Yas Links. He posed for a picture with Maya in front of the club winner’s board. Why? Because her name is up there. She won the Club Championship in 2021, when she was just 11 years old….in fact she was 10 when the tournament started but celebrated her birthday during the event weekend.

“It was the full Ladies Club Championship, not the junior championship as they didn’t have one of those for girls,” Stephen proudly proclaims.

Last summer Maya won the biggest tournament of her short but eye-catching career when she fired rounds of 72-74-74 in the prestigious US Kids European Championship at Glen Golf Club, just outside Edinburgh in Scotland, to claim victory in the Girls Aged 12 Category.

Later this year, she’ll take another giant leap forward in her journey to fulfilling her ambitions of becoming a tour pro when she tees it up at Augusta National in America’s biggest nationwide skills competition, Drive Chip & Putt. In order to secure her place in the field she had to come through multiple qualifying events in the US, where 10,000 young hopefuls were whittled down to just 40 girls and 40 boys who will compete on the Sunday preceding Masters week in Georgia.

“I’m very excited to go to the Masters, it’s supposed to be really good food there…and an amazing golf course!” smiles Maya.

“My goal is to win, of course. I won’t beat myself down if I don’t win but I’m going to score as many points as possible and give myself a fighting chance.”

As with the Masters Tournament itself, competitors for the Drive, Chip & Putt receive fancy official invites in the mail from Augusta National. Maya’s only arrived in Abu Dhabi the day before the Pro-Am and she resolved to wait to open it at Yas Links, a club that holds a special place in her heart.

“I wanted to wait until I was here to open my letter because this is where I started playing golf,” says Maya. “I started playing when I was five and have been playing at Yas Links ever since. So, to get to open my letter from Augusta here with Mr Pieters with me, and my mum and dad, was very special. I couldn’t imagine doing it any other way!

“It was really HSBC who helped me a lot with the Future Falcons Programme because they had the Swing, Chip and Putt competition, which is very similar to the Drive, Chip and Putt. So, it helped me prepare a lot for playing in the States. It brought me on an amazing golf journey, and got me to this point so I can’t thank them enough.”

One of the UAE’s own – a product of the Emirates Golf Federation, supported by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the Dubai Sports Council and HSBC - teeing it up at Augusta in a bone fide top class competition. It truly is the stuff of dreams. Keep an eye out of Maya Palanza Gaudin because I have a feeling she’ll be making us dream of bigger and better things for our very own golfing export for many years to come.

Pieters is one of the many star names that Maya has played golf with over the years

McIlroy helps Maya celebrate winning the Yas Links Club Championship

Journalists are lying if they say never feel a tad nervous heading into interviews with superstar names. Perhaps not shivering with worry, but there’s always something at the back of the mind shouting ‘don’t mess this up!’.

That’s exactly how I felt before approaching Olazábal for an interview. I was stood on the range at the Hero Cup watching him stripe it with genuine speed, despite now being in his mid 50s. He wasn’t even playing in the event, but he loves the game enough to still practice at every given opportunity. But why was he really there?

“Luke called Paul McGinley and myself to attend,” said Olazábal when asked about his attendance at the Hero Cup. “He wanted to create the spirit of the Ryder Cup. We wanted to try and explain what it meant to us, and how important it is for us. Also, to tell a couple of stories here and there.”

Following three days of contests at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, it was Continental Europe who claimed victory with a 14.5 – 10.5 victory over Great Britain & Ireland. The

score was obviously important, but it was more for gaining experience in the format, team bonding and finding out which players dovetail well ahead of the Ryder Cup in September.

“When we played the same match with a different name (Seve Trophy) it was great for the team,” said Olazábal. “We don’t play match-play all that often during the season so you get to know the players, the players get to know each other. You can maybe see good chemistry

between certain players and I think that might help a lot regarding the players playing the Ryder Cup and the Captain knowing the players even better.

“Luke knows really well what he needs to do. I don’t think he needs any advice. He’s been a (Ryder Cup) player many times and he’s been number one in the world. He knows what it takes to play the Ryder Cup and to play match play. In that regard I don’t think he needs any help.”

While the Hero Cup helped supply some

“Luke knows really well what he needs to do. I don’t think he needs any advice. He’s been a player many times and he’s been number one in the world. He knows what it takes to play the Ryder Cup and to play match play. In that regard I don’t think he needs any help.”

much-needed team experience to some younger stalwarts of the DP World Tour, it lacked any real rivalry. The Captains of each side – Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari – are great friends. And while there would have no doubt been nerves teeing it up for your side, the Ryder Cup is a completely different beast. It’s an event which stretches back to 1927 and has staged some of the most memorable moments in the sport including USA’s 19-9 thumping of Europe two years ago in Whistling Straits. “It’s true, the US team is still a very strong team,” added Olazábal. “They proved so the last time around. We’re playing on home soil now though, so hopefully our players will deliver. I have full trust on that, hopefully we’ll win it back.”

Spaniards like Olazábal have been an integral part of Ryder Cup teams in the past and 2023 is likely to follow the same storyline. Many European hopes this year will fall on the shoulders of another player from Spain; Jon Rahm. “We all know how

he still continues to battle away at improving his own game. The two-time Masters winner triumphed 23 times on the DP World Tour during his career, and currently sits ninth in the all-time winners’ list. Despite dominance on the circuit, his progression onto the Legends Tour hasn’t been so profitable with his only top ten finish coming at the 2019 WINSTONgolf Senior Open.

“I need to raise my level as I’ve struggled lately, I have to say,” admitted Olazábal. “I took it easy through Christmas and have just started practicing again. The work I’ve started to put in this year has been quite positive. The quality of the shots are improving.”

good a player he is,” said Olazábal of his fellow countryman. “He doesn’t stop battling, he’s fantastic. I believe we do have four, five great players at the moment that should make the team. Hopefully we will see some younger generation players raising the level and making the team. European rookies through the years have done pretty well.”

One of those potential fresh faces could be Adri Arnaus. The 28-year-old secured his maiden DP World Tour title last season to catapult himself into the limelight. He failed to make the Hero Cup squad, but he remains firmly inside the top 100 players of the world rankings, so remains in with a chance of making Luke Donald’s side. “He has potential to play and make the team,” said Olazábal. “No question about that. Obviously it’s a long way from here to September. It’s not going to be easy to make that group of 12 players, he’s going to haveto play really, really well.”

While Olazábal will be watching the action unfold in Rome from the sidelines,

Golf is one of the few sports in the world that gives opportunities for senior players to have genuine competition still with considerable prize purses. Just because you’re in your 50s doesn’t mean you can’t compete – or even win.

Think Phil Mickelson at the 2021 PGA Championship aged 50, or how close 59-year-old Tom Watson came to lifting a ninth Major in 2009 at Turnberry just to lose in a play-off. The intensity of life as a touring pro may soften as the years go by with a reduced schedule, but that competitive edge undoubtedly lives on.

“I just love the game,” added Olazábal. “I love practicing. I love the challenge it presents on the driving range and getting on the golf course every day. You just don’t know what’s going to happen regardless of how good you’re striping the ball. I enjoy it. I don’t have to push myself really to come here and practice. It’s something that I do happily. I spend quite a bit of time on the driving range and practicing and don’t see that changing soon.”

“I need to raise my level as I’ve struggled lately, I have to say,” admitted Olazábal. “I took it easy through Christmas and have just started practicing again. The work I’ve started to put in this year has been quite positive. The quality of the shots are improving.”

Ramsay answered the phone to me while on his freezing cold walk to the gym in Edinburgh. After 15 years as a professional with six high-profile lucrative wins, it would be easy to swap his icy commute to the dumbbells for a night in with Netflix. Instead, the 39-year-old is chasing longevity with hopes that more success is on the horizon following a memorable 2022.

But this sport hasn’t always been kind to the Scotsman. He came within a whisker of claiming the Betfred British Masters last year with his approach shot on the 72nd hole falling into the water. It was still enough to finish in a share of third place and while that may seem like a great result for a player who has endured stretches of mediocre form, it was a genuine nightmare.

“Sometimes the hardest thing is to go from a super high to a super low,” said Ramsay. “The British Masters was pretty much that. I was in tears that night, I have to be honest about it. After quite a while of not winning, it was just one shot. You don’t sleep, you just don’t sleep. It’s not just one night. It carries on for a while. One thing I’m very good at is I’m very resilient. Being a little bit older, I’m not talking about sport, but talking about life, you realise that

failure is your biggest learning potential. Once that passed, you sit down and look at it, you try to extract the emotion out of it which is very difficult. I can either use it as fuel and learn from it, or go on a downward spiral that gets out of control to ruin the season.”

That wayward shot at the Belfry wasn’t the

only time the Ramsay’s suffered emotional pain inflicted by the game of golf. Life on tour isn’t always the glitz and glamour that we watch on the television every week. The pressure of making the cut is undoubtedly immense when you’re struggling, something which the Aberdonian understands all too well.

“The other low point in my career was when I was starting out in Switzerland,” he continued. “I started off the first round and for some reason, I don’t know why, I walked in the locker room afterwards I was basically in tears. Things weren’t going my way. When you turn pro, there’s quite a lot of pressure on you. I just remember basically sobbing in the corner. I was finding it difficult, things weren’t clicking – off the course as well as on the course.”

While these struggles seem lodged in Ramsay’s memory like cement, his career is still flooded with incredible highs. In 2006, he became the first British golfer for 95 years to win the US Amateur Championship. Since then he’s gone on win four times on the DP World Tour, with his most recent triumph coming at Hillside Golf Club last July.

“You saw my reaction when I holed that putt to win,” said Ramsay. “That was part for my daughter, but part was the British Masters

“The British Masters was pretty much that. I was in tears that night, I have to be honest about it. After quite a while of not winning, it was just one shot. You don’t sleep, you just don’t sleep. It’s not just one night.”

Ramsay has one eye on making Luke Donald’s European Ryder Cup squad this year

defeat. That was a cool moment. It’s great being at the top of mountain but you’re really tested when you’re at the bottom. It’s really one of those moments when you need good people around you and it’s fortunate that I had that. It was great to get over the line again after a long time.”

Winning again was the result of Ramsay’s hard work in trying to simplify the game after spending a lot of time overcomplicating it. He finished in the top ten for driving accuracy and greens in regulation last year, which is testament to his graft as well as his collaboration with Callaway.

“Sticking to what I know has been important as well as trusting the people around me,” Ramsay responded when asked how he improved last season. “A big thing is trying to be the best that I can be. With social media, it’s very easy to compare yourself and see what others are doing. It’s about trusting the process and

trusting my coach, not getting pulled off onto tangents about what other players are doing. It’s very easy to go searching for stuff. You’ve got to realise what you have is really, really good and by making a small but simple change you can increase stats in areas where needed. It can be tiny, tiny gains over one or two rounds but over the course of a season it’s massive.”

MAKING THE RYDER CUP

Three top ten finishes in 2022 including his attention-grabbing victory at the Cazoo Classic rocketed Ramsay closer to the spotlight for a potential Ryder Cup selection. Still, he has a fight on his hands if he is to topple the host of other Europeans all bidding for a spot in the team. His chances of making Luke Donald’s side are unlikely as it stands, but there’s still a lot of golf to be played from now until the trip to Rome in September.

“If I was honest, I would say there’s a maximum of four spots up for grabs,” said Ramsay. “There’s going to be a fight with some guys needing to prove themselves more than others. I have a couple of things that I think go against me but I have lots of positive stuff. Again, I’ve got to realise what I’ve just done. If you play well against the best players I would think that’s where they are going to measure you so you really need to be in those top tournaments. I’m comfortable on the outside looking in. There are a ton of guys ahead of me. Winning the British Masters would have given me a far better chance but there are two simple words in golf; play better. I need to force them to pick me by playing better in the big tournaments.”

The dust may have just settled on Jumeirah Golf Estates for another year, but it won’t be too long before we’re back watching the best battle it out for the DP World Tour Championship once more. Traditionally it’s a course which has suited the big hitters, with the likes of Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm feeling at home on the track which measures over 7,700 yards. Despite the clear advantage of having huge length off the tee, Ramsay has still enjoyed relative success there. His share of 16th place last year was solid and he appears to have worked out how to navigate his way around the Earth course.

“I definitely want to be back there this year,” added the former Walker Cup player. “I’ll be honest, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the golf course when it started. But I think last year it was hotter than usual in Dubai and the Bermuda (grass) was a nightmare to hit out of so it put a premium on hitting fairways, so straight away I’m like ‘this is great’. I really enjoyed that element.”

The result earned Ramsay a further 156 DP World Tour Rankings which secured him 19th in the season-long standings – his best finish in over a decade on tour. Positive moments like this can only serve as motivation to secure his spot there again this coming November.

“It’s a brilliant time to be in Dubai that time of year with friends and family able to watch you, playing against some of the best players in the world,” he added. “It has all the ingredients to be the showcase and finish the season the way you want to. I do always look at the tournament to aim to get back there. That’s my target.”

“It’s a brilliant time to be in Dubai that time of year with friends and family able to watch you, playing against some of the best players in the world,” he added. “It has all the ingredients to be the showcase and finish the season the way you want to. I do always look at the tournament to aim to get back there. That’s my target.”

Ramsay entered the winner’s circle for the first time in seven years with victory at last year’s Cazoo Classic

Ben, surprised to see you on the driving range in Abu Dhabi – how has that come about?

Well, I retired from football back in September and I think I would have been one of the last people to have been stood on a driving range a few years ago. I’m now really into golf and I played in the Pro-Am at the tournament. I was double nervous on the first tee. I shanked the life out of it left, but I was playing with Shane Lowry. What a guy. These pros that making a living out of it… they’ve just played a round of golf and the first thing they want to do is go straight to driving range to try and perfect that tiny one or two percent they weren’t happy with on the course. Impressive.

Did you pick up any tips off Lowry?

It’s so hard to pick up tips off him. All he does is go straight down the middle with his driver, straight to the pin with his irons, then he puts it straight in the hole. I’m thinking ‘that looks really easy to do’.

But it’s really not. It’s just relentless. He’s persistent, drilling it down the middle. He doesn’t even try and hit it, and it’s going over 300 yards. Just incredible to watch.

How do the nerves compare playing with Lowry to a big football game?

Much worse playing with Shane. So much worse. I know what I’m doing with football. I know how to dive, how to kick it, catch it, pass… All that kind of stuff involved with football comes naturally to me. But golfing, I’ve never tee’d off on the first hole with more than three or four people stood there watching me. With Shane I had only had 20, but Major winner Lowry is one of them! The nerves were there and very real. They probably didn’t even settle down until the fourth or fifth hole.

I’ve heard a rumour you’re playing off a nine handicap after just six months – is that true? Nine is a bit of a tentative one. On Yas Links, I think I’d need a 29 handicap! The greens

were scaring the life out of me. Honestly, I’ve never played a course of this calibre before. They were telling me beforehand that the greens were unbelievably fast, even the tee boxes. I was like ‘what?!’. It was such a tough course, with a bit of wind as well. The pros just make it look easy.

Even if it’s a tentative handicap, that’s impressive – how have you managed that? I get obsessive compulsive with things though. If I like something and if I find anything I want to get into, I jump in head first. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve played golf all the way through my professional career as a footballer, but it would have been once every five or six months. Since I retired I’ve had so much more time on my hands, so yeah, boom, golf! The beauty of being a retired footballer is you get to do whatever you want. We’ve got the Cycling GK YouTube channel, the Fozcast Podcast so the Golfing GK channel is here now. Watch out for that, it’s coming soon.

Golf is popular even among footballers still playing now, how come it took you so long to fall in love with it?

I just didn’t have the time to be able to commit to it. I don’t like doing things and doing it half hearted. I wanted to do it and find a way to get better, to do it quickly. That’s just me and my personality. I’ve only really been able to do that since I’ve retired. When you’ve got kids it’s difficult as well.

What’s the strongest part of your game?

My driving can be a bit wayward sometimes, but at Yas Links it was the best part of my game. I can usually hit it fairly long, but more often than not it’s off line. Usually my iron play is the strongest part. It was brutal at Yas Links though. I think

opportunity to come out to places like the Middle East and meet people like Lowry – he’s a top man as well – film some content. People want to see that. I wanna see that. All I do is watch YouTube videos like Rick Shiels, Pete Finch and everyone. I like playing golf, I like YouTube, let’s do that.

What else did you get up to in the UAE?

We watched Lowry and Tommy Fleetwood on the Thursday of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship for a couple of hours, then after that we played the Trump International in Dubai. Then on Friday, same sort of thing for couple of hours watching the pros, then heading over to play the Majlis.

mum and dad were. And the other one would be winning the League Cup with Birmingham City in 2011 against Arsenal. Just the fact that I’m from the Midlands and I knew how much it meant to all the Brummies, along with the fact we were such underdogs. Those were the two standouts for me.

And how does that compare with the highlight of your golfing career so far? Playing in the Pro-Am was the best day of my ‘golfing career’ so far without a doubt. My skill level is not anywhere near the level it needs to be. It is probably one of the best course I’ll ever play as well.

BENFOSTER

Foster played alongside former Open Champion Shane Lowry in the Pro-Am ahead of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

Straka

STRAKA ON HIS CHILDHOOD

I got into golf through my Mum running the pro shop at Fontana Golf Club in Austria when my twin brother Sam and I were growing up. That’s where we learned the game and when we were 11 we did a summer camp at the course and got the bug. My Dad still plays a lot and loves it, and my Mum did a little bit. We grew up playing with them and they showed us how the game worked.

We moved to the United States when we were 14 and we knew we wanted to keep playing, we even knew then that we wanted to play in college, that was the goal. I never really ever thought that it would end up being my career

but that was the dream.

It was a little bit difficult changing countries at 14. We visited my Mum’s family in Georgia so I kind of knew what we were getting into, but it was very different. The school was completely different in the States to Austria, and it was a change in routine, but we got to go back to Austria almost every year and we still try to do that.

STRAKA ON HIS ROLE MODEL IN GOLF

Tiger Woods was definitely the number one influence on me growing up. Sam and I both just loved watching him play, and José María Olazábal too, we loved his style and his flair.

I weirdly got into a Moe Norman phase for a while, I was a big fan and still am - the guy was a pretty remarkable golfer and one of the best ball-strikers ever.

STRAKA ON SPLIT LOYALTIES

There’ll be no split loyalties if I get to play in the Ryder Cup, it’ll be pretty easy to tap into the Austrian side. I’ve played a lot of team golf for Austria and played for Continental Europe last month in the Hero Cup. It was a great time. I didn’t know some of the guys on the Continental Europe team but after that week, I feel like I made a lot of new friends, and it was great hanging out with them and getting to know

them. Every golfer grows up watching the Ryder Cup and gearing up for it. It doesn’t happen all that often, so it was always a dream to play in that.

STRAKA ON REPRESENTING AUSTRIA AT THE OLYMPICS

It was amazing to play at the Olympics with Sam caddying and getting to share that experience with him. We didn’t get the full experience with there being no fans due to Covid but everywhere we went everybody was just excited to see Olympic athletes walking around, even as golfers. It was our first time in Japan and I absolutely fell in love with the

place, I’ve been back twice since, it’s an amazing country and we had a great time. I can’t wait to play at the Olympics again with fans.

STRAKA ON WINNING FOR THE FIRST TIME ON THE PGA TOUR

The win at the Honda Classic was amazing, it was a cool day. We were five back going into the final round but I knew I had a chance on that course because it’s mayhem everywhere, water on every hole and there’s not an easy shot on the golf course. We got back into it pretty early and the thing I’ll remember the most is my caddie on the ninth tee telling me he wanted the best ten holes of the week and all of a sudden I started hitting the ball well

and getting myself some birdie looks. Things just started happening and at the end, I was lucky to hit the green in two on 18 and twoputt for the win there.

STRAKA ON THE DESERT SWING

I grew up watching these Desert Swing events in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and always wanted to make the trip. I remember seeing events in Dubai 20-something years ago and there was nothing in the background and now you look at it and there’s a huge skyline. It’s kind of fun to see the places I grew up watching on TV. It’s nice to experience a new part of the world, it’s amazing and absolutely beautiful.

Ihere in the UAE, we seldom get a chance to slow down, take stock and catch our breath.

Which is one of the reasons is why golf is booming in the region, providing a perfect escape from the hectic metropolis, surrounded by lush greenery with fresh air in our lungs.

The Nathan Group, headquartered out of the DIFC, in Dubai, is using golf as an

tomers and to promote their products and services.

The group, which has interests across Technology, Enterprise Software, BPO services, HR, Manufacturing and Trade operates across eight countries and employs over 5000 staff, has rapidly grown in the last decade.

marketing and offline activations.

“Post Covid we felt that our customers were experiencing Digital Fatigue and once again started to value in-person contact and relationships,” said Rohan Nathan- Group CEO Nathan & Nathan. “This shift has caused us to rebalance our efforts in marketing and advertising to reflect a larger presence and ad-

vertising spend in offline and more traditional marketing channels.”

The Nathan Group’s Annual Golf Day is an event that brings together employees, clients, and friends of the company for a day of networking, relaxation and friendly competition on the greens. This year’s first event will be held at the beautiful Els Club, Dubai where participants will enjoy a picturesque 18-hole course along with various on course activations and prizes sponsored by different businesses in the group.

Participating group entities include, Nathan HR, Nathan Digital and 3D Hub among others. Playing an individual Stableford format, the day will be welcoming both male and female players of all skill levels to battle out for the top scores.

The group has recently entered Saudi Arabia through a Joint Venture partnership between the retail behemoth Fawaz Al Hokair holdings. Their regional marketing ambition is to use golf as a key element to promote their businesses and bring visibility across their business operations.

Nathan Digital, which is the newest business in the group’s stable, has rapidly grown and acquired customers for their enterprise software suite that range from multinationals, large local corporates and some government entities. Nathan Digital has developed systems in CRM, Accounting, HR, Logistics and Warehousing along with an industry leading Business Intelligence suite.

The software arm of the group has expanded to serve customers across the MENA

region, and it has recently opened its newest customer experience centers in Riyadh and Kenya.

Outside of software, the group’s investment holding company, which is located in the DIFC, has been actively making investments into startups in the region. They have funded and taken majority position into the UAE’s largest 3D printing facility, 3D HUB and a fitness mobile application, Challenge.FIT amongst other investments.

As golf continues to grow in popularity, the Nathan Group plans more involvement in the golfing community in the UAE and beyond.

Carmen Meyburgh, Deputy Manager, Nathan & Nathan

Golf has kept the January blues at bay!

January has been an exciting month in the Middle East with the Desert Swing in full swing across the United Arab Emirates. With four back to back DP World Tour events, we have been treated to a true festival of golf. It has certainly helped to keep the January blues at bay!

The Hero Cup was the first event on the calendar, kicking off the 2023 season at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. This tournament was introduced to give more players experience of a matchplay team tournament style. Tommy Fleetwood captained the Great Britain and Ireland team, with Francesco Molinari leading the troops for Continental Europe. The 2023 Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald worked alongside the two team captains to form the two ten-man teams. On Sunday, Continental Europe beat GB&I to win the inaugural tournament. It was an exciting few days in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi National Golf Club is also the home of Chicks With Sticks in the capital. It was great to see so many ladies come out and enjoy the golfing festivities.

The Hero Cup players didn’t have far to travel to their next tournament. The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links was next on the calendar for the DP World Tour. With great

initiatives like Family Day and Ladies Day, the tournament had that real festival feel. It was great to see an emphasis on encouraging junior golfers to try out the game with the ‘Future Falcons’ initiative, hopefully some youngsters gained inspiration from the day. The course was in immaculate condition, the fairways said to be rolling like your average putting green! With a nail-biting Sunday of golf at Yas Links, it was victory for Frenchman Victor Perez, claiming the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship title. Perez shot a six under par in the final round to claim his third DP World Tour win. What a showcase of golf! I was invited to play at the sponsors day at Yas the day after the tournament. The day was simply magic. It was a great experience to play the course just after such a big event. Yas Links is a fantastic course, one of the best I have ever played and now my favourite course in the UAE!

As I’m writing this, the first round of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic has been suspended due to the bucket load of rain that hit the UAE on Wednesday and Thursday morning! The tournament has always been a personal favourite of mine, largely due to the fact that my golfing hero and fellow

countryman Rory McIlroy usually starts his season there. Watching Rory play is electric, especially under the Dubai skyline. Here’s hoping the rain clears up over the next few days so we can go and catch the World No.1 in action right on our doorstep!

The LPGA tour kicked off the 2023 season with the LPGA Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona in Florida. All the stars of the female golfing world were in attendance, Nelly Korda and Charley Hull being two of my personal favourites. With perfect weather conditions in Orlando the golf on show from the ladies was just superb. In the end it was Brooke Henderson who claimed her 13th LPGA win. The Canadian finished off the tournament with an incredibly impressive 16 under par. Ladies professional golf is continuing to go from strength to strength.

Alas, The Ras Al Khaimah Championship will be the last professional golf event in the Emirates for a while. I’m going to be bringing some girl power to the event as I tee it up with the pros in the Pro-Am. Fingers crossed I get paired with one of my Irish golfing heroes, so stay tuned for next month’s column for more updates!

We’ve got o to a yer … again!

What a start to 2023. I was unsure about the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship moving to Yas Links, but back-to-back wins has removed any uncertainty. I will certainly be buying Kyle Phillips a drink when I bump into him.

It was a shame that Thomas Pieters failed to make the cut, but he’d put himself under unnecessary pressure to win. He hadn’t played competitive golf for three months and just welcomed a new child to the family before Christmas. Then he arrives in Abu Dhabi to see his face plastered on billboards and posters, he was featured heavily in here as well, so he felt pressurized to perform. His game wasn’t there that week and the more he chased it, the more it came undone, but that is golf. A few more tournaments and he will be match fit, as he’s been working hard over the winter, he just needs to more competitive rounds under his belt.

Thomas might not have been firing on all cylinders in Abu Dhabi, but I was delighted to see Victor Perez win. You never know how your players will start the year having had a month’s break, but he looked great during the Hero Cup, picking up 3.5 points out of 4. So, when I caught up with him on the range at Yas Links, I wasn’t surprised to see him swinging it well.

He’s now focused on breaking into the top 50 and if he wins in Ras Al Khaimah then he stands a good chance. His biggest threat will come from Padraig Harrington.

I’ve been in this game more than half a century and during that time I’ve never seen a senior player hit it further than when they were on the main tour, until now! Harrington broke the mould. He’s playing some of the best golf of his life right now and the huge success he’s had on the Champions Tour has certainly put him on a high.

At Abu Dhabi Padraig was driving it further than well known big hitters half his age, so when you add in his experience and confidence, he’s going to be a huge threat on the main tours this season.

Why I think Harrington should make the Ryder Cup

I’d even expect to see him play his way into the Ryder Cup in Rome. Even now I can only think of seven players that might out-qualify him and he’s going to be playing all the Rolex Series events, three Majors and the Irish Open. Those events carry huge Ryder Cup points and with a fourth-place finish in Abu Dhabi he’s racking them up already.

It was great to have such as short journey from Abu Dhabi to Dubai for the Desert Classic. I’m on medication for my vertigo and things are easing, it’s a huge relief to be an hour’s drive away and not needing to fly. Thankfully I packed my waterproofs before I left home. With global warming these days anything can happen, and it is rainy season in the UAE right now. But in all the years I’ve been coming to Dubai I’ve never seen

flooding to those levels around Emirates Golf Club.

It was good to catch up with my players in the UAE and regardless of half of them being associated to LIV Golf the atmosphere was fine. No matter what Tour they play on, professional golfers are still competing as individuals and just focus on themselves. That is the best and worst thing about being a professional golfer.

It will be interesting all the same to see how the court case plays out between LIV and the DP World Tour over the coming months. If LIV win, it could still be a good thing for the DP World Tour, as the quality of field would improve and regardless of the politics, it can only be good for golf fans.

Another major talking point is the Official World Golf Ranking. I completely understand Jon Rahm’s frustration in not moving up the ranking, as he’s the best player in the world right now and his form is unquestionable. I know they are constantly working to improve the ranking, but it remains a points system accumulated over time and not on current form. Having said that, the points available on the PGA Tour are far too high compared to tournaments on other tours. How can Victor Perez move from 111th to 63rd having won a Rolex Series event and Davis Thompson rockets from 169th to 59th by finishing second in at the American Express at La Quinta? This is where things need seriously looking at. ■

Harrington delights the fans at Yas Links and Perez’s victory means Pete Cowen has coached back-to-back winners of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

A GOLF AWAITS ADVENTURE

2-5 FEB 2023

AL HAMRA GOLF CLUB, RAS AL KHAIMAH

Luke Donald will have the upmost faith in his players after Hero Cup showing

Team golf has been in the headlines somewhat in recent times and there’s no doubt that it has a part to play in the professional game, in a bigger way than we’ve seen in recent years. I can’t envisage the day when the Ryder Cup is knocked off its perch as the preeminent match, with its ability to reach beyond the usual golfing audience. But it was heartening to watch the first instalment of the Hero Cup played in Abu Dhabi just after the New Year celebrations.

Twenty players from Europe battling it out in intense competition was a tremendous way to start the season and I was fortunate to get a bird’s eye view from the commentary box. The golf was scintillating.

Francesco Molinari led his team to a hardwon victory over Tommy Fleetwood’s men with all sorts of fairly new faces coming to the fore. Luke Donald and his team of Vice Captains were in town to cast an eye over proceedings and I’m left with no doubt that, come September, when the golfing world stops to watch the Ryder Cup in Rome, he will have the upmost faith in all his players - whether they be rookies or seasoned campaigners.

What most impressed me was not only the quality of the golf but also the passion that was shown by both teams in the search for victory. Names like Rozner, Meronk, Ferguson and Smith, new to the top level of the game, showed off just what they’re made of. Nicolai Hojgaard, the last man into either side showed both power

and poise on his way to an unbeaten record, and best of all Guido Migliozzi reminded us that Molinari is not the only Italian with the credentials to tee it up in Rome. What a boost for the Ryder cup it would be too have one, if not two, home boys in the team.

One star from team Continental Europe was undoubtedly Victor Perez, a player who showed as much commitment to the cause as anyone. It didn’t surprise me in the least that it was he that went on to take the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship just across the road, at Yas Links, a week later.

A thrilling finish to say the least saw Sebastian Soderberg and Min Woo Lee give Victor the fight of his life to lift his first Rolex Series trophy. In the end it took the shot of his life, a holed green side bunker shot on the penultimate hole to get him across the line. Victor himself described how you need a little luck to actually win, and spinning a bunker shot back into the hole after the tiniest of miss hits was what it took. Perez deserved his luck, his play was sublime from start to finish, and in the end, it took a cool head when facing some last hole drama to seal the deal. Both experiences, the high of the hole out and then the despair of finding a water hazard in two at the last, will only strengthen his chances of taking one of the world’s great prizes in the future.

Soderberg will leave satisfied that, bar a disastrous triple bogey from the green’s edge on Saturday, his play was better than anyone’s, and

Min Woo Lee won’t be too upset. Remember he has just finished in the top 12 of his last seven tournaments! It’s safe to say there’s plenty of game being shown by the new generation of DP World Tour players.

I was also amazed once again whilst watching the players of the G4D Tour go about their business in Abu Dhabi. If you haven’t watched any snippets of the golf for disabled tour then I encourage you to take a look. Golf is about getting the ball in the hole and nothing else. Take heart that there are many ways to do this, I’ll say no more so I don’t spoil the surprise!

On a sad note, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the passing of Barry Lane - one of England’s finest golfers. I grew up watching Ryder Cups in my teenage years and vividly remember watching Barry at The Belfry in 1989. There seemed to be an ease to the way in which Barry played. It all looked so natural to me and his short putter was something I adopted as I made my own way in the game.

I can honestly say it was a treat the first time I played with him. That’s one of the cool things about getting on tour - you get to play with players you have looked up to and Barry was one of them for me. When he kindly chose to mention, years later, that I always scored well when I was in his company, I couldn’t have thanked him enough. The truth was perhaps that I was always trying to impress him, just like he always had me. Rest in peace Barry, rest in peace.

1

The Set Up

Adopt a narrower stance with your left foot slightly flared out. This ensures we can rotate properly through the entire shot and doesn’t restrict our body’s natural momentum when swinging the club. Ensure the hands are in line with the ball to help with the consistency of the strike.

Tempo

Smooth rhythm - especially in the takeaway - is essential in getting the ball to drop nicely onto the green and rolling out towards the hole. Use the club as a pendulum and let the weight of the club do most of the work. Learning to trust the loft on a club is an important aspect of playing decent golf.

2 Worldwide GOLF 47

Hip to Hip

On the backswing, the butt of the club should be pointing towards the right hip. On the way through, it should be pointing at the left hip with the weight of the club extending towards the hole. This helps control speed and enables the correct trajectory every single time by eliminating excessive wrist movements.

LOOK OUT FOR THE VIDEO AT WorldwideGolf Worldwide.Golf

SUCCESS

Firstly, gripping the putter in the palm of the hand is important in creating a consistent and reliable stroke. This firm grip ensures we putt with smooth rhythm, helping to eliminate as many ‘moving parts’ as possible. The moment the wrists start collapsing and arms move off-line is when putting becomes even more difficult than it already is.

Next, stand over the ball with a straight back with your eyes looking directly down the target

line. This helps to keep everything lined up correctly. Combine this with a shoulder-width stance and the stable grip, then we are good to go. One smooth motion, back and through.

It’s also important to have realistic expectations when on the green – unfortunately not every putt is going to drop. Professionals on the DP World Tour average around 30 putts per round which is a statistic to keep in mind and a possible target when out playing.

the fundamentals when it comes to putting is crucial in maximising your performance on the greens. I’m going discuss how to properly set up to the ball before explaining a brilliant drill to help you start sinking more putts!

THE SPIRAL DRILL

This really is a great one and helps us all to practice with a purpose by adding an element of pressure. Place five tee pegs - or as many as you like - around one hole on the practice putting green. The first one

The drill helps to improve consistency over short putts with added pressure. The mixture of distances which incorporate different angles and slopes help to replicate the scenarios on the course. This set-up is common on the practice greens at any DP World Tour or PGA Tour event, so ideal for amateurs to use in their practice sessions too. Feeling confident over three foot putts is a great feeling when chasing a low score!

should be 50cm away from the hole and the furthest one as far away as you like. I’m a fan of going up to two metres to try and perfect those medium to long-range putts. The goal of the drill is to hole a putt from every tee peg consecutively without missing.

Check out the video for a more in-depth view of the drill. Or if you want to improve your swing, why not visit the team at the academy who can assist with all your golfing needs.

For example, start at the closest tee first and only move on once you’ve holed it. If you miss, you have to start the spiral again. This helps to add some pressure to every shot which is more like a real situation out on the golf course.

LOOK OUT FOR THE VIDEO AT WorldwideGolf Worldwide.Golf

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Stuart Taylor - General Manager Prosports International

CALLAWAY

2023 TITLEIST PROV1 OUT NOW!

THE

FULL REVIEW IN NEXT MONTH’S ISSUE

BY ALEX GALLEMORE

TITLEIST TSR2 & TSR3 HYBRIDS

Deeper, more forgiving CG and high inertia body:

In TSR2, Titleist engineers pushed the CG deeper while keeping it low, making high-launching and soft-landing approaches with maximum forgiveness even easier. TSR3 hybrids are more stable due to a higher inertia body, preventing deflection and twist when playing from difficult conditions

I remember putting a hybrid in the bag back in 2001 and my fellow peers laughing at me for having the inability to hit a three iron and, to be honest, the four iron was only left in for effect. Fast forward two decades and see how many golfers carry a three iron! I’m not claiming to be a trend setter but if I can do anything to make this game easier I will. That mindset is also shared by the professionals on the DP World and PGA Tours these days, as many have opted for hybrids over long irons.

Taking on greens over water from 240 yards out is something a three iron could rarely deliver. The hybrid market on Tour was once dominated by Adams but having looked at the bag count data over the past decade Titleist has been the most played. We all know their ProV1 ball is number one but they seem to keep these other top honours unpublicised for some reason.

Titleist has just launched their latest TSR2 and TSR3 hybrids that range in lofts from 18 to 24 degrees so you can gap your long distances with ease.

“Players can choose between the more classical shape and high launch of the TSR2 or the refined profile and adjustability of the TSR3. Both clubs provide a fast, forgiving and high-launching longiron alternative that gives the golfer the confidence to pull off any shot,” said Tom Bennett, Titleist Principle Product Manager –Fairways & Hybrids.

Faster through the rough

Added sole relief pockets on both TSR2 and TSR3 are designed to move the club faster through all rough conditions, heavy or light. Less surface area means less friction and less chance to drag or grab, also resulting in smooth turf interaction from the fairway.

TSR3

A flatter trajectory and a refined shape inspired by popular predecessors. Highly adjustable, featuring a new 5-position SureFit Adjustable CG Track System that allows players to dial in their ideal setup. Tailored to players seeking workability and precision, the TSR3 hybrid has a refined tour-inspired shape that gives players the confidence to hit any shot.

* Enhanced 5-position SureFit CG Adjustability

*Features head weight adjustability (same as TSR3 driver/fairway)

*RH and LH Lofts: 19°, 21°, 24°

TSR2

A high launching, mid-low spin, forgiving long-iron replacement, best-suited for players that deliver the club in a sweeping motion. An extended blade length, a deeper CG, and a reimagined sole shape bring even better forgiveness and improved turf interaction than its popular predecessors, all packed into a classic hybrid profile.

*Features head weight adjustability (same as driver/fairway)

*RH and LH Lofts: 18°, 21°, 24°

TITLEIST NEED TO START SHOUTING ABOUT THEIR CLUBS JUST AS MUCH AS THEIR BALLS!

GEAR TEST

SCOTTY CAMERON

2023 SUPER SELECT LINE COMING SOON!

BY ALEX GALLEMORE

I’ m one of the many of Scotty Cameron putter fans out there, so when he announces a new Select line up it feels like Christmas all over again, even though it’s January. Some of you might think I’m sad about getting excited over a putter but it’s all about the craftmanship and detail. To be honest I doubt the 2023 Super Select Series will make me hole more putts than my 2010 Newport 2 but that isn’t the point. We all get excited over new things: cars, watches, clothes and bags come to mind. Mine just happens to be putters!

Scotty Cameron has built upon his tourproven success of 2020’s Special Select line and will be introducing 10 new Super Select models in 2023, which will be launched in two worldwide releases – the first in March and the second in May

Scotty has pushed his blade and mid-mallet designs even further with better performance, new milling techniques, refined shapes, improved multi-material construction and cutting-edge weight distribution to deliver a Select line superior to any before it. The result – Super Select.

“With the new Super Select putters, the name just fits. I’ve been creating putters for a long time, and after each line rolls out and gets played, new ideas emerge. There’s always a better way. I try to make all the refinements I can to bring more performance to players, to give them more confidence and, in the end, hopefully more success. Key to the 2023 Super Select family are the new ‘Plus’ models, which I introduced on Tour last year, then crafted into a few limited release models to really showcase this new higher-MOI blade design. Now, we have three new ‘Plus’ options in a few of our most popular designs. Additionally, I’ve brought back the GOLO name and shape in a new size. Familiar models like our Newport, Newport 2, Squareback 2, Fastback 1.5 and Del Mar all have our new dual-milling for a great feel off the face that combines the feel of a deep mill with the consistency across the face of mid-mill. Inspired by putters made for tour professionals, I have introduced new I-beam necks and various cosmetic upgrades to the finish and graphics. I’ve tried in every way to make these Super Select putters live up to their name.”

– SCOTTY CAMERON

It’s driver season again... where the brands flood the market with campaigns to entice your hard earned cash for the quest of extra distance. The driver that has been making the most noise leading up to the 2023 PGA Show has been Callaway and their latest line up called Paradym.

Callaway threw down the gauntlet in 2017 with the Epic driver, which housed their breakthrough Jailbreak technology. Two vertical bars behind the face provided not only performance but face stability. Callaway added artificial intelligence to create a more forgiving face in their Flash model and this paired with modified Jailbreak technology has been the tech backbone of their drivers. So they needed to find something different as things were starting to look very similar just disguised with clever marketing. It’s hard for manufacturers to push the envelope each year to deliver a new driver that outperforms its predecessor as the

regulations set by the R&A and USGA are tight to say the least, especially with the outcry that Tour pros are making classic courses look like pitch and putt golf due to their ever increasing driving average. I bought the Epic when it came out in 2017 and it remains the benchmark driver I test all the others against. As you would expect, all the models since then have got slightly better but not one has been able to tempt me to upgrade … until now! Having listened to the Callaway sales pitch on the Paradym I was thinking, ‘here we go again, more clever sales and marketing but no real tech breakthrough’. Until they showed the 360

carbon one-piece body design!

I’m a golf nerd when it comes to tech and really appreciate the challenges manufacturers face when it comes to club design. Making a driver appeal to all abilities is a science and art-form in one. The key tool is weight distribution. Saving weight in certain areas and adding it to other spots can dramatically affect the performance. That is why I woke up during the presentation when I saw the artificial intelligence-designed 360 carbon body. Callaway can now move essential weight in the most precise way possible to enhance the characteristic of the club.

NICOLAI HØJGAARD

Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond 10.5°

Fairways: Callaway Rogue ST Triple Diamond 16.5° HL, Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond 18°

Irons: Callaway 2023 MB Proto 4-10

Wedges: Callaway JAWS Raw 50°, Callaway JAWS Full

Toe 56° & 60°

Putter: Toulon Design Chicago

Golf Ball: Callaway Chrome Soft X

“The driver is the most important club in my bag. I still want distance but dispersion is more important and that’s where I’ve found the Paradym delivers over other drivers.”

PARADYM PARADYM X PARADYM

Engineered for players of all skill levels, this club promotes high launch and low spin characteristics along with a neutral ball flight. It’s the best combination of distance, forgiveness and adjustability.

PROFILE: DISTANCE & ADJUSTABILITY

ADJUSTABILITY:

15G SLIDING WEIGHT

LAUNCH: MID -HIGH

SPIN: LOW

FLIGHT: NEUTRAL BIAS

HEAD SIZE: 460 cc

LOFTS: 9°, 10.5°, 12°

Built for a high launch with high MOI, along with a generously stretched profile at address. This model is best suited for golfers seeking extreme forgiveness and a slight draw bias from their driver.

PROFILE: DISTANCE & FORGIVENESS

ADJUSTABILITY: 5G BACK WEIGHT

LAUNCH: HIGH LAUNCH

SPIN: MID-LOW SPIN

FLIGHT: SEMI-DRAW FLIGHT BIAS

HEAD SIZE: 460 cc

LOFTS: 9°, 10.5°, 12°

A compact, 450cc shape designed for better players who want to work the ball. It’s the lowest spinning and lowest launching Paradym model with a neutral ball flight.

PROFILE: DISTANCE & WORKABILITY

ADJUSTABILITY: INTERCHANGEABLE WEIGHTING

14G BACK WEIGHT, 2G FRONT WEIGHT

LAUNCH: LOW LAUNCH

SPIN: LOWEST SPIN

FLIGHT: NEUTRAL FLIGHT BIAS (WORKABLE)

HEAD SIZE: 450 cc

LOFTS: 8°, 9°, 10.5°

NEW JAILBREAK A.I.

The new A.I. designed Jailbreak system provides stability in both the horizontal and torsional direction. Now with a 33% lighter weight design, Callaway has enhanced stability for fast ball speeds.

savings is repositioned for higher MOI and increased forgiveness.

NEW A.I. DESIGNED FACE

An all-new A.I. face optimization enhances speed, launch and spin, and now downrange dispersion. This is the world’s most advanced driver face designed by artificial intelligence.

THE VERDICT THE TEST

For all the distance golfers, yes, it is long. But that isn’t why I’m finally swapping out my Epic for a Paradym. It’s the dispersion that sold it. The grouping from 20 tee shots on the range at Emirates Golf Club during the media day was tighter than my five iron!

My poor shot is close to the heel and the drop off in performance compared to a pure strike was only eight yards of carry but it was still on line. Normally the heel strike would result

in a weak fade but not on this occasion. Don’t impulse buy make sure you get fitted correctly. I was impressed first off with the Paradym X with a setting of 9 degrees and could have easily have put that in the bag, but ended up with the low spinning Triple Diamond with 10 degrees of loft. Both were as tight on dispersion but the Triple Diamond optimised my spin and launch and with a ball speed average of 157mph I was carrying 274 yards consistently.

The classic head shape and eye catching carbon finish will have most golfers reaching for their credit card. Once you hit it, there will be no doubt you’ve made the right purchase decision. I know it’s pricey but worth every penny.

GEAR TEST

TAYLORMADE STEALTH 2.0 THE DISTANCE

KING ADDS MORE FORGIVENESS

BY ALEX GALLEMORE

This time last year the buzz was the TaylorMade Stealth driver. All their staff players such as Woods, McIlroy and Morikawa put it straight in the bag and it wasn’t hard to miss. That bright red 60 layer carbon face stood out like Patrick Reed’s did during the Dubai Desert Classic ‘teegate’ scandal.

All that attention resulted in huge demand and it was one of the best-selling drivers in 2022, so what is new for 2023?

I remember my first club test for Worldwide Golf being the TaylorMade R580 driver and it was the first time they managed to break the 400cc head size. My lasting impression was it was long and forgiving. Ever since then TaylorMade have managed to produce some of the longest drivers but where they have been inconsistent is in the forgiveness department. Their 2014 SLDR driver was all the rage on Tour but miss the centre and you were punished as the drop off was huge. Then two years later they release their iconic M1 and M2 drivers that many people still have in their bags today. Last year the Stealth was giving the pros distance gains and it was the longest driver I tested. With a swing speed average of 106mph my ball speed with the Stealth was 3mph faster than any other driver. So why didn’t I put it in the bag?

Like most amateur golfers I tend to spray it over the face and I found that the Stealth didn’t provide enough consistency. There was no arguing it performed but it didn’t help when I was having an off day. This was something TaylorMade were hearing throughout 2022 and, given their history, it wasn’t the first time a new driver needed tweaking in this way.

MORE CARBON THAN EVER BEFORE

Compared to the original Carbonwood, Stealth 2 features nearly twice the amount of carbon. It is constructed using a new Carbon Reinforced Composite Ring and collectively utilizes more of the lightweight material than any driver in TaylorMade history. All this carbon weight saving allows for the redistribution of mass for more forgiveness and stability.

STEALTH 2 PLUS STEALTH 2

FORGIVENESS: HIGH

LAUNCH: MID

SPIN: LOW

FLIGHT: NEUTRAL BIAS

HEAD SIZE: 460 cc

LOFTS: RH: 8 – RH/LH: 9, 10.5

GUIDO MIGLIOZZI

FORGIVENESS: HIGHEST

LAUNCH: MID - HIGH

SPIN: MID - LOW

FLIGHT: NEUTRAL BIAS

HEAD SIZE: 460 cc

LOFTS: RH: 12 – RH/LH: 9, 10.5

NEW 60X CARBON TWIST FACE

It was already fast. Now, TaylorMade claim to have made it more forgiving. Building on the speed producing success of the original 60X Carbon Twist Face™, the new design features an enhanced version of Inverted Cone Technology to help maintain ball speed on off-centre strikes and increase forgiveness.

STEALTH 2 HD

FORGIVENESS: HIGHEST

LAUNCH: HIGH

SPIN: MID

FLIGHT: DRAW BIAS

HEAD SIZE: 460 cc

LOFTS: RH: 12 – RH/LH: 9, 10.5

THE VERDICT

The is no denying that the Stealth 2.0 is a great looking driver, though I would have preferred if they had not glossed the crown. The matt finish of the 2022 model was ideal for the bright light in the Middle East. From the short test we carried out on the range the dispersion was tighter than the original Stealth though that low heel face strike was getting punished. Just as I was starting to lose heart, the following drive carried 288 yards and I didn’t flush it. TaylorMade has kindly allowed me to use the Stealth 2.0 for a long term test I can sense already it’s going to be a love hate relationship.

“I’ve moved over to TaylorMade this year as I’m trying to more than prioritising my distance now, and the Stealth 2.0 driver gives me exactly that.”

MATSUYAMA

IN THE BAG

Driver: Srixon ZX5 MKII LS prototype (10.5 degrees)

3-wood: TaylorMade SIM2 Titanium (15 degrees)

5-wood: Cobra King RadSpeed

Irons: Srixon Z-Forged (4-9 iron)

Wedges: Cleveland RTX Forged Prototype (46, 52, 56 and 60 degrees)

Putter: Scotty Cameron Newport 2 GSS

Ball: Srixon Z-Star XV

BY ALEX GALLEMORE

MAJOR FORCE SRIXON ZX MKII DRIVERS

Considering it is driver season and the battle this time of year normally rages between the marketing departments of Callaway and TaylorMade, I thought to throw another option in the mix, the Srixon ZX MkII. They might not have the largest PR voice but when you find them in the bags of three Major winners - Brooks Koepka, Shane Lowry and Hideki Matsuyama - I needed to find out more.

Models

First off the model range is easy to understand. The ZX5 is the most forgiving and therefore the highest spinning with a slight draw bias. The ZX5 LS (Low spin) shares the same profile but with the forward weighting it isn’t as forgiving, although the lower spin rate will appeal to those with a higher swing speed. The final model is the ZX7 which has a shallower face and longer crown with a slight fade bias.

The key features

Rebound Frame: Rebound Frame’s Dual Flex Zones focus more energy into the golf ball at impact, creating a purer energy transfer that instantaneously increases ball speed and distance on every strike.

Star Frame Crown: A complex series of ridges and latticework provides the structural integrity necessary to feature a remarkably thin titanium crown and to place discretionary mass where it best suits each ZX Mk II drivers ideal launch and spin characteristics.

Variable Thickness Face: An intricate variable thickness pattern expands the high COR area across the entire driver face. These unique ridges enhance high COR from heel to toe by improving how energy reflects into the ball on off-centre shots.

The adjustments

The ZX5 models come with a single 8g weight, but you can purchase additional weights ranging in two gram increments

from 2g-14g. So, if you need more forgiveness and spin in the standard ZX5 head, swap the 8g weight for the heavier 10g-12g weight or the 14g if things are needing to get serious. Likewise if you are looking to drop the spin rate further in the ZX5 LS add more weight, but be careful as adding weight to the front of the face will also reduce the forgiveness.

For players that like to play around with the heel and toe weighting there are two ports on the ZX7 head, so you can dial in the face to your desired shot shape using counter balancing weights to either slow or speed the toe angle through impact. The hosel adjustment allows -1 to +1 loft options and -2 to +2 degree face angles, so before you start playing around with additional head weights, it might be worth starting trying to dial in your fitting with the hosel options.

THE VERDICT

The classic head shape and matte black finish will always grab my attention and the quality is excellent. These are still a premium driver and though slightly less expensive than some of the other leading brands they will hold their own when it comes to performance. They are naturally a very forgiving driver, especially the ZX 5, but keep an eye on the spin rates. I always try to launch the ball between 12 and 14 degrees with a spin rate of close to 2,300rpm but I struggled to get the ZX5 LS MKII to below 2,780rpm. I didn’t have access to the 10g weight or slightly firmer shaft. Once I adjusted the hosel to one degree open my grouping was tight and it reminded me just how easy this club was to adjust on the fly. The feel from the face is one of the best on the market and I can see why Lowry opted for this driver. Although I appreciate that drivers mainly focus on distance and dispersion, I fear that the feel is being over looked. As a golfer that learned to master a Persimmon wood as junior, that feeling in your hands of flushing a drive remains priceless.

"Trusted

"Trusted

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Brilliant Bell claims Emirates PGA Pro-am triumph

Jumeirah Golf Estates’ Jackson Bell got his hands on the Emirates PGA Pro-Am professional title after pipping Matt Rice, Louis Gaughan and Marlon Swartz by a single shot. In the team competition, Louis Gaughan, Dorin Mateiu, Anca Pirvu and Masoud Sobati claimed victory on 121 points followed by the team of Bell, Mounzer Joujou, Anthony Steele and Andrew Partridge on 119 Points.

Garvey and O’Shea dovetail to perfection

Fergal O’Shea and Padhraic Garvey dovetailed to perfection to post a net score of 62.7 to top the leaderboard at the recently held Captain’s Day hosted by Paul Bryson. Jordan Ryan and Bryson finished just behind in second place on 63.3 while Gary Swan and Neil Flemming completed the top three on 63.7.

Krasnenkov cruises to victory

Boris Krasnenkov booked his spot in the Grand Regional Final of the Race to Georgia after finishing four shots clear of the field at Jumeirah Golf Estates. Three players finished on 36 Stableford points in second place, but it would be Shane Hart-Jones who joined Krasnenkov in the Grand Regional Final courtesy of a countback.

With a combined score of 146 over Emirates Golf Club’s Faldo and Majlis courses, Sam Mullane was crowned Emirates Amateur Open champion. Mullane built upon his first-round two-stroke lead by navigating his way around the Majlis course without many errors, with birdies on the 10th and 11th setting him on his way for a second round 77 and a one-shot triumph over Oliver Ravenscroft. In the Overall Net competition, Dorin- Mirel Mateiu posted 145 to beat Keith Crowley by one shot.

On a day characterized by a very strong winds and a course set up of thick rough and strong winds, the January Ladies Monthly Medal witnessed a very close race with three ladies tied at the top of Division A with a net score of 73. By virtue of back nine countback, the Silver A champion was Arathi Appaiah, pipping Nonita Chand and Yulia Golubeva. Yulia to the tile. In the the Silver B Division, Deirdre Kemp came out on top after carding five net birdies to finish with a net 70, while Kellie Gachaga navigated the Majlis course in a total of 76 for the Best Gross score of the day.

Laila Aghabi was crowned Ladies Open champion at Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club after posting a level par 72, which included a very impressive front nine of two under par 34. Jamie Camero finished in second, just one shot off the lead, after dropping a shot on her penultimate hole, while third spot went to Sara Engsig, who also scored 73 but lost out on second due to a countback.

Ghandi enjoys round of her life

Mitra Ghandi, who according to fellow member players had the game of her life, banked 41 Stableford points on the way to topping the Race to Georgia qualifier at the Montgomerie. Neil Maidment also made it through to the Grand Finale after finishing second with both players vying for the opportunity to qualify for the Grand Final in Georgia, USA, and to also attend The Masters 2023.

Craig Vance moved a step closer to the Race to Georgia World Final after shooting 35 Stableford points to win the qualifying event at Trump International Golf Club, Dubai. Hisham Sultan narrowly missed out on top spot by one point but will join Vance in the finale, while Ruvelin Govender had a day to remember after sinking a hole in one on the 17th.

Jae Wong Lee, Mi Young Kim, Il-Ung Hwang, and Jung Hee Lee teamed up superbly on Christmas morning to post a score -17 and claim the Al Hamra Golf Christmas Scramble, which saw members dress for the occasion.

Christmas fun in RAK

AL HAMRA GOLF CLUB

ARABIAN RANCHES

JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES

MONTGOMERIE

SHARJAH GOLF & SHOOTING CLUB

TRUMP INTERNATIONAL GOLF CLUB, DUBAI

EMIRATES GOLF CLUB

Mullane claims prestigious title

Laila Aghabi crowned Ladies Champion

Vance one step closer to World Final

QUICK NINE

DWIGHT YORKE

Football Legend

Favourite course in the UAE?

Dubai Creek

Would you swap your Champions League medal for a Green Jacket?

Probably!

Worst part of your game?

I think impact – sometimes I get a bit late so I work hard on that because I want to be a good ball striker and sometimes it’s a bit inconsistent.

Fantasy fourball?

Messi, Ronaldo (R9) and Roberto Carlos.

Best golf movie?

Tin Cup, it’s the only one I’ve seen!

Footballer you’ve played with who is worst at golf?

Most fun tour pro you’ve played with?

Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and Sergio Garcia.

Best pro-am experience?

The Abdullah Al Naboodah Invitational at Yas Links

Best round of your life?

I’ve shot two or three under a couple of times, one of them at the Creek. There’s a couple of tough finishing holes there with water on both sides!

I’ve shot a couple of good scores at Jumeirah Golf Estates too.

It must be Mark Bosnich. He was terrible. No clue whatsoever!

Dwight Yorke is bringing to life exclusive Manchester United experiences available to members of Marriott Bonvoy on its experiential platform Marriott Bonvoy Moments. Marriott Bonvoy is the Club’s o cial hotel loyalty partner. To bid on exclusive Marriott Bonvoy Moments’ experiences such as Marriott Hotels Suite of Dreams and the Ultimate European Away trip go to moments.marriottbonvoy.com

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