Worldwide Golf June 2013 by Worldwide Golf

MASTER THE DRAW TO KNOCK IT CLOSE ISSUE 149

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Â» Ian Poulterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s love of all things Ferrari

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PETE COWEN GARY PLAYER GREG NORMAN

THE RACE TO DUBAI STARTS TO HEAT UP

BRETT RUMFORD The Aussie reveals how

he turned his life and game around to become a double winner this year

Official Publication of The Emirates Golf Federation & The Arab Golf Federation

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E A S T â&#x20AC;&#x2122; S

N o . 1

G O L F

M A G A Z I N E

NEWS FROM THE LEADING CLUBS INSTRUCTION TRAVEL LOCKER ROOM MEAT LOAF EUROPEAN TOUR NEWS THE STARTER

ISBN 978-9948-15-427-3

INTRODUCTION

Worldwide Golf Executive Editor Since 1999

Player Gary

The 9-time Major Champion and 9-time Senior Major Champion who has witnessed and been a part of some of the most historic and memorable golfing h occasionss reflects on the day game today

Thracian Cliffs is the only golf course I’ve played where you can see the ocean from every hole as you play along the majestic white cliffs overlooking the Black Sea.

S a proud five-times winner of the historic World Match Play Championship at the Wentworth Club between 1965 and 1973 I’m so pleased that the event has been able to serve as the ideal showcase for last month’s spectacular venue, Thracian Cliffs Golf and Beach Resort, in Bulgaria. When I designed the course I described it as one of the most spectacular golf courses on the planet and I’m happy to stand by that statement now that it is finished and has hosted the prestigious Volvo World Match Play Championship. We’ve designed more than 300 golf courses worldwide and I’ve got to say that in my 60 years playing career Thracian Cliffs is probably the most visually stunning course I’ve ever seen. It’s the only golf course I’ve played where you can see the ocean from every hole as you play along the majestic white cliffs overlooking the Black Sea. People talk about Pebble Beach being golf’s most

picturesque course but the millions of golf fans who watched the action in the Volvo World Match Play Championship on television might have a different opinion now. It’s good for the game of golf that a newly established project can have the opportunity to show just how good their course is to a worldwide audience through hosting a European Tour event. Volvo and IMG must be congratulated for taking this famous Championship to Bulgaria. It’s a wonderful country with friendly, welcoming people, excellent food, a great climate and so much fascinating history. And now it is a golf destination that should be on your bucket list. Up until now it may have been a previously little known destination for golf fans, but I suspect that is going to change very soon. It was good to see four South Africans in the field and two making it to the semi-finals but my congratulations go to Graeme McDowell (below) on his well deserved victory. Q

What the players said CHAMPION GRAEME McDOWELL: “It’s beautifiul, a truly stunning location. I watched a video on the website and Gary Player was waxing lyrical about the many golf courses he’s done around the world and just how special the location is here. I’m inclined to agree with him. I came in by helicopter which was pretty special. It’s a really well designed golf course – a fantastic match play layout and it must have looked extremely good on TV. It will certainly be a great advertisement for golf in Bulgaria.” CARL PETTERSSON: “It’s a spectacular golf course for match play. If it were a strokeplay event, I would be a little nervous before teeing off but this course is very well suited for match play. I can’t think of any course like this that we’ve played. It really is beautiful.” GEOFF OGILVY: “It’s a stunning piece of land. I don’t know if I’ve been in a place as impressive, a bit like Torrey Pines when you’re out on the cliffs. There are some extreme golf holes out there. It’s perfect for match play.” NICOLAS COLSAERTS: “It’s an unbelievable setting for an unbelievable tournament.” BRETT RUMFORD: “This is a phenomenal golf course. It’s incredible, breathtaking. On some holes it just makes your feet tingle.” THORBJØRN OLESEN: “Thracian Cliffs is perfect for match play. Risk and reward. You have done well, Gary.” GONZALO FDEZ-CASTAÑO: “Thracian Cliffs is some masterpiece. I’m sure Gary Player had a great time shaping such an amazing piece of land. It’s a great course.” RICHARD STERNE: “The course is very beautiful! Not something you see every day!”

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CONTENTS LET’S GET BACK TO GOLF FEATURES IT’S a crazy world we live in. The crowds immediately setting off up the fairway the moment Tiger Woods has hit his tee shot has been the case ever since Tiger-mania first struck. It’s not new. It’s very distracting for Tiger’s playing partners but it’s been going on for years. It’s distracting for the players when there’s a mad exodus from around the tee as the galleries stampede, shouting inanities like, ‘in the hole!’ and ‘you’re the man!’ Sergio Garcia’s original comment to Tiger about the crowd disruption at The Players Championship was harmless enough. Many players have made similar comments to Tiger over the years. It usually results in a shrug of the shoulders from Woods and a shake of the head from his playing partners. But this innocuous incident was blown out of all proportion with the media encouraging the pair, who have never been the greatest of friends, to speak ill of each other. Now it’s become a multi-million dollar issue. True, Sergio was ill-advised to comment in the first place. His complaint certainly wasn’t going to change anything. But then he put both feet in it by making a remark about inviting Tiger round to dinner and serving him ‘fried chicken’ during the US Open. It was extremely naive of the Spaniard, particularly within the context of similar comments made by Fuzzy Zoeller after Woods had won the 1997 Masters to look back on. As a result Zoeller lost his major sponsor Kmart and several million dollars for his ill-judged words. It was unfortunate timing that Sergio answered a light-hearted question in a joking manner to spark the controversy at The European Tour’s Players’ Awards Dinner on the eve of the Tour’s flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship. Seeing how devastated Sergio looked in his ‘apology’ press conference the following day, there’s no doubt that there was no racist intent on his part but it’s a sign of the times in which we live that any unwitting remark made by the players will be seized upon and suddenly, as Rory McIlroy has said, molehills become mountains. Let’s hope that Sergio’s words don’t end up costing him millions in lost sponsorship revenue. He’s a genuinely nice guy who often wears his heart on his sleeve. He’s one of the most honest, approachable and entertaining players in the game. He’s struggled to get his game back on track in recent months. I only hope that this totally unnecessary diversion doesn’t derail his battle to get back in the top flight, where he belongs. I’m pleased the USGA have finally come out in favour of the R&A’s stance over banning the long-handled anchored putter. But I’m saddened that certain players are now talking about taking legal action against the ban. Our Executive Editor and Columnist Gary Player has been campaigning through Worldwide Golf that the long-handled anchored putter takes the guts out of the game and is fundamentally unfair and that the R&A and the USGA have administered the Rules of Golf from the beginning and that the players should respect that. Roll on the US Open so we can get on with watching some top class golf instead of talking about nonsense. As the man who tipped Adam Scott to win the Masters I’m going for Tiger Woods to take the US Open. Not exactly a long-shot but who’s going to beat him? Not Sergio I suspect.

Alex Gallemore Editor

38 THORBJØRN OLESEN

Q European Senior Tour star Bill Longmuir is relishing his participation in the National Bank of Oman Golf Classic on October 24 - 27.

Q The Danish star talks about his life growing up in frosty Hareskov near Copenhagen and reveals that his \QML [Q`\P XTIKM ÅVQ[P QV PQ[ [\]VVQVO Masters debut has made him hungry for Major success.

BRETT RUMFORD

Q The down-to-earth Aussie reveals how he went about rebuilding his game and his career from top to bottom resulting in back-to-back European Tour victories that have put him right in the hunt for The Race to Dubai.

ISSUE No. 149, JUNE, 2013 Published by: Worldwide Sporting Publications Ltd +44 1663 719926 Published in Dubai by: Prograﬁx, PO Box 24677, Dubai, UAE (Tel) +9714 340 3785

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THE STARTER

The Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Most Dangerous Golf Course, Sergio v Tiger, Vijay Singh, Tour news and more...

US OPEN

LOCAL SCENE

28 10

Mark Tupling, agronomist at Jumeirah Golf Estates explains the course set-up for the DPWTC.

The Els Club General Manager, Chris Brown, talks about the mulitude of facilities at the new Clubhouse.

INSTRUCTION THE ACADEMY AT EMIRATES GOLF CLUB

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best to start with an open face and keep it open throughout the swing. If the face angle changes midswing, either closes on the backswing or turns over through impact, judging distance and direction becomes tough. No consistency. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a nice visual demonstration. First, I pour sand on the face of my sand wedge. Then, I take some slow swings above the sand, keeping the face open so the sand stays in place, both back and through. It requires resistance in the hands and forearms. If you close the face going back or roll it coming through, you dump the sand.

DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T SPILL THE SAND Keep your hands and forearms quiet in the bunker

Use this image of keeping the sand on the face. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll help you maintain loft and bounce the club through the sand.

FACE UP: The idea of keeping sand on the clubface will help your bunker swing. Some players hit great little soft bunker shots using a lot of hand and wrist action. But the average golfer would be more consistent with a less wristy swing. The big issue in the sand is controlling the clubface, because that determines the loft at impact and how the club head bounces through the sand.

Summer Packages with The Academy at Emirates Golf Club

The US Open at Merion Golf Club looks like Tigerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to lose, but then these things seldom go according to plan do they?

Give your bunker KWVĂ&#x2026;LMVKM a boost.

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La Reserva de Sotogrande has joined Valderrama as one of the pearls of Spainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Costa del Sol.

BY- Bryan Smyth, Golf Professional at Emirates Golf Club

Rhys Beecher Director of Instruction The Academy by Troon Golf at The Address Montgomerie Dubai

UPHILL LIE ď&#x161;ť PITCH SHOT An upslope lie has the eďŹ&#x20AC;ect of making your left side longer, which can tip you back and lead to poor contact. To compensate, drop your left foot away from the target line and bend your left knee more. Opening your stance like this pre-sets your turn through the ball. You will need the help, because the upslope makes it tough to rotate toward the target. Another beneďŹ t of setting up open is that it promotes an out-to-in swing, which is steeper and gets the club head through the grass and under the ball.

In my view, one of the most challenging aspects of golf is an area we consider the least during practice. At The Address Montgomerie Dubai, we are fortunate to have excellent practice facilities. That being said, having completed one or two hours practice on a perfectly ďŹ&#x201A;at practice tee, we must consider that â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Golf is not a level playing ďŹ eldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;!

REMEMBER ď&#x161;ť Why do you need to turn through the ball? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Because you need power to pitch up hill; the slope adds loft, so you will tend to leave the ball short. If you have a longer shot, you may want to consider taking a less lofted club (48/52 degree wedge for example).

The best way to handle severe breaking putts is to ďŹ nd the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;apexâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of the curve. This is the highest point of the curve and is a great spot to align towards. To pick the Apex you should read your putt backwards as it is important to know what your ball will do as it slows down on its approach to the hole. This is where your ball will break the most.

GOLF IS NOT A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD

STYLE

View of the shot being played.

BREAKING PUTT

The golf course is full of undulation and slopes. Even if you negotiate these tricky situations, you may ďŹ nd a daunting putt awaits you on the green!

It is also important to appreciate that there can be more than one Break Point to a putt. The key to all breaking putts is in understanding that the amount of break is determined by the speed of the ball. The slower your ball is travelling, the more it will break.

REMEMBER ď&#x161;ť The middle of the cup on breaking putts is not on a straight line from the ball to the hole The true centre of the hole changes on each putt.

P Perfect your putting stroke, master those uphill and downhill lies, and and learn how to up manage severely breaking putts. m

IINSTRUCTION NST wayne w ayne jo johnson DIRECTOR OF INSTRUCTION PGA jumeirah golf estates

HOW TO UUTILIZE THE DRAW TO TTACKLE PINS TA

the DP World Tour Championship BY- Bryan Smyth, Golf Professional at Emirates Home GolfofClub

Far too often I see players taking on a shot to a diďŹ&#x192;cult pin position and if not executed perfectly will often leave their ball in a poor position with a diďŹ&#x192;cult recovery shot required.. Instead of taking dead aim at the ďŹ&#x201A;agstick which is protected by a deep bunker front left, learn to move the ball in ďŹ&#x201A;ight from right to left giving you more margin for error if not perfectly executed. If we execute the shot correctly the ball will move in towards the ďŹ&#x201A;ag avoiding the trouble in front of the green, if we push the shot we will still be on the right hand side of the green and in a good position to make a par.

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

Senior Editor: Richard Bevan

TRAVEL

INSTRUCTION

COLUMNISTS

Publisher: Mike Gallemore

News and results from the golf clubs around the Middle East.

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With some taunting mounds around the greens at The Address Montgomerie Dubai, it is unlikely you will ďŹ nd errant approach shots on a ďŹ&#x201A;at playing surface.

Editor-in-Chief: Mike Gallemore Executive Editor: Gary Player Editor: Alex Gallemore

INSTRUCTION Stephen Deane Head Academy Professional

ARABIAN GOLF

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

Wayne Johnsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s qualiďŹ cations and coaching expertise are unquestionable having worked at the highest level as a golf teacher and coach, spending four years working as Director of Instruction for the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s foremost golf teacher Butch Harmon at his schools in the USA, Bahamas and Macau having worked closely & assisted Butch in many of his coaching sessions with such notable tournament professionals as Tiger Woods, Adam Scott, Mark Calcavecchia, Lee Westwood, Darren Clarke and Jose Maria Olazabal. Wayne ďŹ rst came to Dubai in 2002 and was responsible for the creation of the Academy by TROON GOLF at the internationally recognized ďŹ ve-star Montgomerie Dubai, quickly becoming the Middle eastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading golf instructional facility. Wayne is currently Director of instruction for the Jumeirah Golf Estates Tour Academy, home of the DP World Tour Championship.

Here we look at how to shape a shot and maiximise the natural contours of the hole to give you the best results. A Aim the clubface squarely at the intended target. B Build your stance, feet, knees, hips and shoulders aiming to the right of your target. Swing the club back parallel to your body line.

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Utlilizing the draw to attack those hard to reach pins.

Rock â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n Roll star Meat Loaf talks golf, Locker Room, Ian Poulterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ferarri FF and LPGA star Brooke Pancake.

Advertising & Marketing Director: Rasha Siriani rasha@wspdubai.com Designer: Sarah B. Mahmood

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

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PERFORMANCE IS

PERFORMANCE IS THE NEW PRO V1® AND PRO V1x.™ PERFORMANCE IS FOR EVERY PLAYER.

SOFTER FEEL AND MORE DISTANCE.

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

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

FOR EVERY PLAYER.

MORE DISTANCE AND PERFORMANCE.

PERFORMANCE IS LONGER LASTING.

The 2013 Pro V1x, featuring a new, very soft ZG process center within its dual core, delivers even more distance with a lower, more consistent ball flight. Its deep downrange peak trajectory, tight ball flight and proven short game scoring performance make it our most advanced Pro V1x ever.

An improved Urethane Elastomerâ&#x201E;˘ cover system has a new cover formulation, and a new paint system that provides significantly better durability to retain its out-of-the box appearance longer. The Pro V1 and the Pro V1x. The best choices for all golfers looking to shoot lower scores. Visit titleist.co.uk to learn more.

Learn more at titleist.co.uk

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THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS GOLF COURSE CAMP BONIFAS, SOUTH KOREA YOU think you’ve got it tough trying to avoid that nasty rough down the 10th or the water hazard on the 16th? Try attempting to keep your ball away from a multitude of landmines while being overlooked by trigger happy North Korean soldiers peering down from gun towers. Oh, and if that doesn’t faze you there’s also an array of deadly wild animals such as Korean tigers, wild boar and water deer (sometimes known as ‘vampire deer’ due to their big fangs!) to contend with. That’s what you would be faced with if you teed it up at Camp Bonifas Golf Course in South Korea. Known as the ‘world’s most dangerous’ golf course, Camp Bonifas turns our usually fairly serene game into an extreme sport. Situated just 400 metres south of the DMZ on the North Korean border Camp Bonifas was formerly known as Camp Kitty Hawk before being renamed in honour of a United Nations Company Commander who was bludgeoned to death there by axe wielding North Koreans for attempting to prune a tree! Quite why the American and South Korean military decided to build a golf course there is anyone’s guess but, in 1972, that’s exactly what they did. Golf ‘course’ is perhaps something of an over-statement considering that the Camp Bonifas layout consists of just one hole – a 192-yard par three with an Astroturf green. But what the hole lacks in quality it more than makes up for in hazards. It’s flanked by barbed wire fencing while the landmines lie on three sides of the putting surface. Players entering the greens are greeted by a sign that reads, ‘Danger! Do not retrieve balls from the rough; live mine fields.’ As well as the tigers, boars, vampire deer, and gun-toting soldiers you might even be lucky/unlucky enough to encounter an almost mythical creature known locally as the ‘man-bear-pig.’ So next time you’re cursing your luck as you try to hit one out of the thick stuff, just keep telling yourself….’It could be a lot worse! It could be Camp Bonifas.’

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THE STARTER

WOODSV GARCIA OK so I think we all get the picture – Tiger and Sergio… not the greatest of friends! The gloves were well and truly off at The Player’s Championship as the pair tore verbal strips off each other and the row didn’t die down in the following weeks either, culminating in Sergio’s linecrossing outburst at Wentworth. Here’s how the action unfolded… Sergio blamed Woods for a sliced shot he hit on the second hole during the third round at Sawgrass, when the crowds began screaming for the World No.1. ..

Garcia: “Well, obviously Tiger was on the left and it was my shot to hit. I wouldn’t say that he didn’t see that I was ready, but you do have a feeling when the other guy is going to hit. I was in the top of the backswing and I think he must have pulled a fivewood or a three-wood and obviously everybody started screaming. So that didn’t help very much. I think that I try to respect everyone as much as possible out there. I try to be careful what I do to make sure it doesn’t bother the other players.” Reporter to Woods about Sergio’s comment: Did he talk to you about it? Tiger: “We don’t do a lot of talking. It’s not really surprising that he’s complaining about something.” But things got a whole lot more heated when Garcia was asked about the fact that he would not be paired with Woods in the final round. Garcia: “He’s not my favourite guy to play with. He’s not the nicest guy on Tour. So it will be good for both us not to play together again. We don’t like each other. It doesn’t take a rocket engineer to figure that out. He

is who he is. I am who I am. It’s best we’re not playing together again.” Reporter: Tiger’s just told us that it’s not surprising to hear you complaining about something? Garcia: “That’s ﬁne, at least I’m true to myself. I know what I’m doing and he can do whatever he wants. “ Woods then gave a blunt response when, at a media day for the AT&T National Championship, reporters asked if he planned to call Garcia to clear the air. Tiger: “No”. Garcia was equally bristling when quizzed prior to the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth about his Tiger quotes from the Players Championship. Garcia: “I did nothing wrong and don’t have anything to say to him. I don’t have his number and he wouldn’t pick up the phone anyway. But that’s okay, I don’t need him as a friend. I don’t need him in my life to be happy. There are people you connect with and people you don’t, it’s pretty much as simple as that.” But then came the low blow that transformed

TOP READ

Your 15th Club: The Inner Secret to Great Golf We all know that what goes on in the space between your ears is just as important as anything you do with your golf clubs. Your mind can be your worst enemy or your best friend on the golf course and top sport psychologist Dr Bob Rotella reveals how to unlock your inner-Tiger in this cracking book.

Extreme Golf – the world’s most unusual, fantastic and bizarre courses From the world’s highest course, 2 miles above sea level, to The World Ice Golf Championships, Extreme Golf brings together some of the most geographically challenging, dangerous and uniquely designed courses imaginable. If you think golf is for the feint-hearted you’re in for a shock.

the whole aﬀair from amusing sideshow to media storm. While at The European Tour Players’ Awards Dinner at Wentworth, Garcia was asked (jokingly), if he was planning to invite Tiger round for dinner during the US Open. Everyone expected a straight, ‘NO’ but instead Sergio delivered the damaging line: “We will have him round every night. We will serve fried chicken.” WHAT seemed like a harmless retort has now sparked one of the biggest player-to-player controversies since Fuzzy Zoeller said a similar thing back in 1997 when Tiger won his ﬁrst Masters title. Anything involving Tiger makes headlines and there’s no chance of this blowing over for Sergio. Despite adidas/TaylorMade instantly distancing themselves from Sergio’s remarks with a press statement, they will be monitoring the situation very closely, as many are calling for them to pull their sponsorship of Garcia. Whatever happens it’s going to get messy!

Dave Pelz’s Short Game Bible A book every golfer should own. Dave Pelz’s short game bible will teach you how to drastically improve your scoring by mastering those crucial shots from inside 100 yards. There’s a lot of science in the book and some interesting stats to back up Pelz’s claim that 80% of shots golfer’s lose to par are determined by these short shots and yet it’s the least practiced part of the game.

Golf My Way What better way to learn the game than by gaining the insight of a man who has won more Majors than any other golfer. ‘Golf My Way’ reveals Jack Nicklaus’s approach to golf both mentally and physically. The steps outlined are very easy to follow and this book will improve your game no matter what level you’re at.

WIN A TRIP FOR 2 TO THE ABERDEEN ASSET MANAGEMENT SCOTTISH OPEN in association with

2013 SCOTTISH OPEN GOLF TRIP COMPETITION

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2 X EMIRATES AIRLINE TICKETS TO GLASGOW FROM NS ANY OF EMIRATES AIRLINEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S 100+ WORLDWIDE DESTINATIONS 5 X NIGHTS ACCOMMODATION 2 X ROUNDS OF GOLF 2 X SEASON PASSES TO THE 2013 SCOTTISH OPEN ENTRIES CLOSE ON JUNE 24th, 2013 All entrants must hold a valid passport and be over the age of 18. Accommodation based on two people sharing. Transportation will be supplied from Glasgow to Inverness. The winners will be responsible for all additional costs. For full terms and conditions email competitions@wwgolf.biz

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THE STARTER

OHDEERVIJAY

TIANLANG AND THE YOUNG GUNS

THE Vijay Singh deer antler spray controversy has got whole of golf talking. First he was suspended, then he was exonerated, now he’s suing the US PGA Tour for banning him in the first place before carrying out the proper checks to see if he had actually broken any rules regarding prohibited substances. Oh, and he just so happens to live in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, virtually on the course at TPC Sawgrass – home of the US PGA Tour HQ….awkward! The big Fijian has achieved some spectacular things in his career and he’s come a long way from the small remote Pacific island he grew up on, where he used to crawl through a stinking pipe to get to the rundown local golf course where his fascination with the game began. Three Majors, three spells as World No.1, three money list titles, a FedExCup, the honour of becoming golf’s first single season Ten Million Dollar Man in 2004 and a place in the World Golf Hall of Fame make him one of the most successful players in the game. But controversy has never been far from his door….

2000

Vijay Singh and Retief Goosen beat Tiger Woods and Notah Begay III in the Saturday fourballs in The Presidents Cup at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club at Gainsville, Virginia, and the following day Vijay’s caddie takes to the course wearing a hat with the slogan ‘TIGER WHO?’ emblazoned on the back.

1985

Just three years after turning pro 22 year old Vijay is suspended and subsequently given a lifetime ban from the precursor to the Asian Tour for allegedly altering his scorecard from 1-over to 1-under in order to make the cut in the Indonesian Open. He retreats to Malaysia where he works for a period as a golf club pro. In 1987 he travels to Edinburgh in Scotland a couple of months before his attempt to qualify for The Open at Muirﬁeld and takes a job as a nightclub bouncer in order to make ends meet. Around the same time as his Asian Tour ban, Singh is also reportedly banned from the Australian PGA for alleged non-payment of debts in the form of loans, long distance telephone call charges etc, accrued while playing there in the 1980s.

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2003

When Annika Sorenstam is invited to play on the men’s Tour in the Bank of America Colonial, Singh creates a media storm when the Associated Press quote him as saying: “I hope she misses the cut. Why? Because she doesn’t belong out here.” He also threatens to withdraw if he’s paired with the Swede. The AP reporter later admits that the quotes were taken out of context.

2005

Singh confronts Phil Mickelson in the locker room at the Masters accusing the American’s spikes of messing up the Augusta greens. The pair reportedly have to be separated by onlookers. Ironically, they are paired together in the ﬁnal round. Woods wins the Masters in a play-oﬀ.

2006

After being out-driven and outscored by Mickelson for two days at the FBR Open, Singh demands that lefty’s driver be tested. It passes!

2012

At the Sony Open Rory Sabbatini’s caddie Mick Moran carelessly walks over Singh’s putt-line sparking a profanity-laced tirade from the Fijian which in turn leads to Sabbatini wading into to the verbal jousting.

Singh admits during

2013 an interview with

Sports Illustrated that he regularly uses deer antler spray, which contains small amounts of the growth hormone IGF-1 substance which appears on the US PGA Tour’s banned list. Singh claims to have been unaware that the spray contains a prohibited substance but is suspended by the US PGA Tour. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules that the product does not contain suﬃcient quantities if IGF-1 to break any rules and Singh is cleared of any wrong doing. The day before the Tour’s ﬂagship event, The Player’s Championship, begins at TPC Sawgrass Singh launches a law suit against the Tour for unfair treatment and damage to his reputation.

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OFFICIAL 2013 RACE TO DUBAI THE 2013 RACE TO DUBAI RANKING  AS AT MAY 20, 2013 Pos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

Name Graeme McDOWELL Brett RUMFORD Sergio GARCIA Richard STERNE Thorbjørn OLESEN Angel CABRERA Thongchai JAIDEE Charl SCHWARTZEL Scott JAMIESON Louis OOSTHUIZEN Branden GRACE Thomas AIKEN Kiradech APHIBARNRAT Stephen GALLACHER Chris WOOD Jamie DONALDSON Ian POULTER Mikko ILONEN Felipe AGUILAR Justin ROSE Marcus FRASER George COETZEE Darren FICHARDT Marcel SIEM Ricardo SANTOS Alexander NOREN Gonzalo FDEZ-CASTAÑO Raphaël JACQUELIN Lee WESTWOOD Pablo LARRAZÁBAL Nicolas COLSAERTS Steve WEBSTER Victor DUBUISSON Tim CLARK Peter HANSON David HORSEY David HOWELL Padraig HARRINGTON Martin KAYMER Peter WHITEFORD Edoardo MOLINARI Matteo MANASSERO Francesco MOLINARI Rafa CABRERA-BELLO Henrik STENSON Ernie ELS Maximilian KIEFFER Dawie VAN DER WALT Garth MULROY Peter UIHLEIN

Nationality

No. of events

Prizemoney

Pos

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

4 9 6 8 8 1 9 6 12 7 11 11 6 10 7 7 4 8 11 5 8 9 9 7 11 8 8 9 4 12 5 11 8 4 6 10 12 6 5 14 10 9 8 11 7 6 11 1 10 7

€1,029,186 €863,632 €774,009 €702,606 €682,899 €662,627 €655,429 €635,994 €630,426 €590,806 €587,128 €579,819 €554,466 €537,870 €508,964 €498,512 €471,966 €468,050 €453,864 €437,977 €416,083 €414,481 €407,044 €396,936 €385,761 €382,795 €373,640 €348,787 €343,929 €330,357 €329,982 €324,809 €322,192 €319,459 €315,403 €286,576 €283,663 €277,624 €273,689 €265,378 €264,374 €263,830 €262,401 €261,129 €252,560 €252,485 €242,818 €237,750 €237,476 €230,230

51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100

Name Grégory BOURDY Andy SULLIVAN Gaganjeet BHULLAR Paul LAWRIE Kristoffer BROBERG Shane LOWRY Rory McILROY Robert-Jan DERKSEN Tommy FLEETWOOD Julien QUESNE Joost LUITEN Anders HANSEN Danny WILLETT Carl PETTERSSON Wen-chong LIANG Thomas BJÖRN Luke DONALD Romain WATTEL Bernd WIESBERGER Paul CASEY David DRYSDALE Jeev Milkha SINGH Lee SLATTERY Richie RAMSAY Peter LAWRIE Magnus A CARLSSON Andreas HARTØ Jbe KRUGER Jaco VAN ZYL Paul WARING Morten Ørum MADSEN Lorenzo GAGLI Emiliano GRILLO Matthew BALDWIN Marc WARREN Craig LEE Keith HORNE Mark FOSTER Ricardo GONZALEZ Mark TULLO Björn ÅKESSON David LYNN Robert ROCK Justin WALTERS Eduardo DE LA RIVA Seuk-hyun BAEK Jorge CAMPILLO Adilson DA SILVA Eddie PEPPERELL Gary LOCKERBIE

Nationality

No. of events

Prizemoney

FRA ENG IND SCO SWE IRL NIR NED ENG FRA NED DEN ENG SWE CHN DEN ENG FRA AUT ENG SCO IND ENG SCO IRL SWE DEN RSA RSA ENG DEN ITA ARG ENG SCO SCO RSA ENG ARG CHI SWE ENG ENG RSA ESP KOR ESP BRA ENG ENG

11 13 6 8 12 6 4 10 12 11 9 6 6 4 5 8 4 9 8 7 13 9 11 7 12 9 12 12 7 9 8 13 12 14 11 11 11 10 9 7 9 3 10 12 10 3 15 8 12 11

€229,970 €228,397 €214,195 €212,277 €212,174 €207,037 €201,558 €192,277 €190,360 €188,715 €187,818 €186,827 €179,424 €178,062 €164,652 €162,626 €160,276 €159,654 €158,551 €151,463 €151,147 €150,643 €149,886 €148,931 €146,345 €142,822 €141,719 €138,878 €138,842 €138,032 €137,678 €133,754 €129,091 €128,170 €125,548 €124,868 €123,415 €114,993 €113,401 €110,947 €102,392 €101,056 €98,049 €90,176 €88,509 €88,304 €86,710 €86,355 €83,347 €82,896

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

166

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DIVOTS NEWS MCGINLEY OPTS FOR THREE RYDER CUP PICKS EUROPEAN Captain Paul McGinley has announced he will have three wild card selections for next year’s Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, bringing it inline with Tom Watson’s number of picks of the USA team. “I’ve kept the qualification list order the same as Olly had it for Medinah, the only difference being that I’ve increased the number of picks from two to three,” said McGinley. “I’ve done that to give myself a little bit of extra flexibility when it comes to making my selections. Hopefully this will ensure that I have the right players to face the examination paper that Gleneagles will set out next September.”

Anchoring to be banned GOLF’S governing bodies, The R&A and the USGA, have announced that the anchored putting stroke will be banned in competition from 1 January, 2016. The two organisations ﬁrst unveiled the plans in November last year and a 90-day consultation process was allowed for consideration of comments and adjustments. The US PGA Tour were said to be against the initial proposals but The European Tour supported the notion. Rule 14-1b has now been given ﬁnal approval by the R&A and the USGA after extensive reviews and it prohibits the anchoring of the putter in making a stroke. “We recognise this has been a divisive issue but, after thorough consideration, we remain convinced this is the right decision for golf,” said Peter Dawson, chief executive of the R&A. “We took a great deal of time to consider this issue and received a variety of contributions from individuals and organisations at all levels of the game. “The report gives a comprehensive account of the reasons for taking the decision to adopt the new rule and addresses the concerns that have been raised.” The USGA president Glen Nager said: “The new rule upholds the essential nature of the traditional method of stroke and eliminates the possible advantage that anchoring provides, ensuring that players of all skill levels face the same challenge inherent in the game of golf.” A full report, entitled Explanation of Decision to Adopt Rule 14-1b, can be found at www.RandA.org/ anchoring or at www.usga.org/anchoring

World Cup returns to Australia THE World Cup of Golf is to return to Australia for the ﬁrst time since 1988 when the event is played at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club from November 21-24 this year. The move will also see the event revert to an individual stroke-play format carrying a purse of US$8 million with a team component (adding the total scores of two-man teams) for US$1 million). Up to four players from the same country can qualify if they are in the top 15 of the Oﬃcial World Golf Ranking with the highest ranked two players making up that country’s team. Outside the top 15 on the Ranking a maximum of two players from each country are eligible. “We’re thrilled that the World Cup will return to Australia, bringing this historic event to a venue, city and country that have hosted the biggest and best international sporting events for many years,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem on behalf of the International Federation of PGA Tours. “The Presidents Cup 2011 was the best in event history, thanks in no small part to the welcome provided to us by the incredible Australian sports fans, the Victorian government and the Victorian Major Events Company. With all of those ingredients still in place, and added to them Adam Scott’s win at the Masters

Tournament in April, there is tremendous momentum and excitement for the World Cup 2013.” The Royal Melbourne Golf Club, which hosted the 2011 Presidents Cup, will also host the Australian Masters, the week before the World Cup, with Adam Scott returning as defending champion.

YE WOCHENG, 12, MAKES EUROPEAN TOUR HISTORY CHINA’S Ye Wocheng, 12, became the youngest player in history to tee it up on The European Tour when he competed in last month’s Volvo China Open. The schoolboy, who earned his spot in the event fair and square through a qualiﬁcation tournament, shot two rounds of 79. “Ye looked a bit nervous but I settled him down,” said his English coach David Watson.

EUROPEAN TOUR RETURNS TO DENMARK THE European Tour is set to include an event in Denmark for the ﬁrst time in over 10 years when the inaugural ‘Made in Denmark’ takes place from August 14-17 next year. The tournament will be held at the Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort in North Jutland where a prize fund of €1.5 million will be up for grabs, with €270,000 for the winner. The will be played at the North Jutland venue from 2014-2016.

ONEASIA ANNOUNCES TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT IN CHINA THE OneAsia Tour will stage a $2 million Tour Championship at the end of the year at Mission Hills in Shenzen, China. Commissioner and chairman Sang Y Chun revealed that the Mission Hills Group will host Dec. 5-8. “The OneAsia Tour Championship will be a fitting conclusion to what is already turning out to be a thrilling season,” Chun said.”Last year, any one of four players could have won the Order of Merit title by winning the final event of the season in Australia. It will be even more exciting to go down to the wire at a traditional Tour Championship in China.” OneAsia is offering nearly $15 million in prize money this season, which concludes in December with the Dongfeng Nissan Cup, a team event which pits China against an AsiaPacific select side. www.wwgolf.biz

TOUR NEWS Date: May 02 – 05 Event: Wells Fargo Championship Venue: Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte, North Carolina Winner’s Cheque: $1,206,000

Date: May 02 – 05 Event: Volvo China Open Venue: Binhai Lake Golf Club, Tianjin, China Winner’s Cheque: €407,906

DEADLY DEREK DOWNS LYNN TO WIN PGA TOUR rookie Derek Ernst won his first title after a play-off victory over Englishman David Lynn at the Wells Fargo Championship. Ernst was the fourth reserve and after a spate of withdrawals due to the poor state of the greens at Quail Hollow he got the call that he was in. Having played beautifully all week Ernst hit the shot of the championship to birdie the 18th in regulation and tie Lynn before defeating him with a par on the same hole in the first hole of the play-off.

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Country USA ENG USA ENG SWE

To Par -8 -8 -7 -6 -6

R1 67 71 68 70 69

R2 71 68 67 68 72

R3 72 71 73 72 69

R4 70 70 73 72 72

Total 280 280 281 282 282

RUMFORD GOES BACKTOBACK BRETT Rumford became the first Australian to clinch back-to-back victories on The European Tour since Jack Newton in 1972 by sealing a confident four-stroke victory over Finland’s Mikko Ilonen at the Volvo China Open. Rumford signed for a final round 4-under 68 to win his fifth European Tour title and surge into the lead on The Race to Dubai.

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Country

To Par

R1 R2 R3 R4

Total

1 2 3

AUS FIN FRA

-16 -12 -11

68 67 69 68 69 63 73 71 71 72 66 68

272 276 277

Brett Rumford Mikko Ilonen Victor Dubuisson

Date: May 09 – 12 Event: The Players Championship Venue: TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida Winner’s Cheque: $1,710,000

WOODS EASES TO WIN NO.4 OF THE YEAR TIGER Woods collected his fourth victory of the season at The Players Championship with a two-stroke victory over Kevin Streelman, Jeﬀ Maggert and David Lingmerth. Sergio Garcia was level alongside Woods and stood on the 17th tee as the World No.1 was making his way down the 18th. However, the Spaniard went after the pin on the island green but came up short and found the lake. He then put his next shot in the water and got wet again oﬀ the tee on 18 to compound his miserable end to the championship leaving Woods to ease to victory.

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Pos. Name 1 T2 T2 T2 T5 T5 T5 18

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Tiger Woods Kevin Streelman Jeﬀ Maggert David Lingmerth Martin Laird Henrik Stenson Ryan Palmer

Country To Par R1 R2 R3 R4 Total USA USA USA SWE SCO SWE USA

-13 -11 -11 -11 -10 -10 -10

67 69 70 68 71 68 67

67 70 71 68 67 67 69

71 71 66 69 73 71 70

70 67 70 72 67 72 72

275 277 277 277 278 278 278

Date: May 16 – 19 Event: Madeira Islands Open – Portugal – BPI Venue: Santo Antonio da Serra, Madeira, Portugal Winner’s Cheque: €100,000

Date: May 16 – 19 Event: HP Byron Nelson Championship Venue: TPC Four Seasons Resort, Irving, Texas Winner’s Cheque: $1,206,000

COOL UIHLEIN MAKES HIS BREAKTHROUGH

BAE HOLDS OFF BRADLEY FOR TEXAN TRIUMPH

AMERICAN Peter Uihlein wrapped up his maiden professional title in superb fashion after a ﬁnal round 4-under-par 68 gave him two-stroke victory over Morten Ørum Madsen and Mark Tullo at the Madeira Islands Open. The 2010 US Amateur Champion was made to work for his victory as Tullo hit a hole-in-one and Madsen pushed him all the way with a ﬁnal round 5-under 67 but Uihlein showed the steely resolve of a seasoned pro to clinch the title.

SANG Moon Bae secured his first US PGA Tour title at the expense of Keegan Bradley after an engaging final-round tussle at the HP Byron Nelson Championship in Texas. The American shot an opening round course-record 10-under-par 60 and entered the final round with a one-stroke lead over Bae. The Korean opened up a four-stroke lead with a birdie blitz on the front nine but Bradley crawled back level by the 15th. Bae holed a five-footer for birdie on the 16th and Bradley failed to match it from inside four feet. Bradley then bogeyed the 17th to compound his misery.

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Peter Uihlein Morten Ørum Madsen Mark Tullo Craig Lee

USA DEN CHI SCO

-15 -13 -13 -12

72 72 67 67

64 69 69 68

69 67 68 70

68 67 71 71

273 275 275 276

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Country

To Par

R1 R2 R3 R4

Total

1 2 3

KOR USA RSA

-13 -11 -10

66 66 66 69 60 69 68 72 63 70 69 68

267 269 270

Sang-Moon Bae Keegan Bradley Charl Schwartzel

Date: May 16 - 19 Event: Volvo World Match Play Championship Venue: Thracian Cliﬀs Golf & Beach Resort, Kavarna, Bulgaria Winner’s Cheque: €800,000

MCDOWELL ON TOP OF THE WORLD IN BULGARIA GRAEME McDowell fought back from 2-down early on to defeat Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee 2&1 and win the Volvo World Match Play Championship, one year after losing the final to Nicolas Colsaerts. McDowell had got off to a string of fast starts as he made his way to the final but found himself 2-down to Jaidee through four holes in the afternoon final. He was still 1-down at the turn but a run of three wins in four holes turned the match around. At 2-up with two to play, McDowell sealed the victory when Jaidee could only make par on the short 17th.

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Championship Match: Graeme McDowell (NIR)

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Thongchai Jaidee (THA) 2&1

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Thomas Aiken (SAF) 3&2 Branden Grace (SAF) 3&2

Semi Finals: Thongchai Jaidee (THA) Graeme McDowell (NIR)

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UAE GolďŹ ng Scene Set For Further Growth

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HILE many may have thought it illogical to consider Dubai and golf a winning combination 30 years ago, today the two are inexorably linked and enjoy a healthy and ongoing relationship. Ever since the first seeds were planted for all-grass championship courses in Dubai back in the 1980s, the growth of golf has been phenomenal. The emirateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s progress as a centre for business and tourism has seen its global public profile grow enormously, while the development of eye-catching golfing venues â&#x20AC;&#x201C; some among the finest in the world â&#x20AC;&#x201C; has been welcomed by those very same booming industries of commerce and tourism. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s little argument that the golf scene in Dubai has never been stronger. Jumeirah Golf Estatesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Earth and Fire courses, Emirates Golf Clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Majlis and Faldo and the Creek Golf & Yacht Club, The Address Montgomerie Dubai, Arabian Ranches, Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa, Al Badia Golf Club, The Els Club and The Track Meydan all attract and entertain in equal measures as local and visiting golfers get to grips with a game now ďŹ rmly established in the region. Recent ďŹ gures show that in 2012 the number of rounds played on Dubaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s courses increased by 7% over the previous year with more than 365,000 rounds played, while the ďŹ rst four months of 2013 have also seen an increase in the number of total rounds played over the same period in 2012 (ďŹ gures courtesy of BDO Chartered Accountants & Advisors, Dubai). With the popular winter months ahead, golf traďŹ&#x192;c in Dubai is expected to rise yet again. Currently, international business accounts for around 12% of Dubaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s golďŹ ng income and continues to rise year on year. Meanwhile, two recent announcements have again put Dubai into the global travel and tourism spotlight and bode well for future golf visitors. The development of Trump International Golf Club, Dubai â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a 7,205-yard, par 71 course at the heart of the 28 million square foot development, known as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Akoya by DAMACâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is now underway with a predicted launch date some time in 2014, while last month the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) announced a major tourism initiative to boost visitor numbers and income to the region. DTCM Director General Helal Almarri said Dubai is aiming to triple its annual income from tourism to AED 300 billion (US$82 billion) by 2020 with the number of hotel rooms set to double by the end of the decade. DTCM ďŹ gures show that the number of visitors to Dubai rose by 9.3% in 2012 over the previous year to 10.16 million â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and with a target of 20 million visitors by 2020, Dubaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s golďŹ ng sector will be looking to take full advantage of this burgeoning market. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The key industry challenge is to take the massive awareness of Dubaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s golďŹ ng properties and convert it to rounds of golf,â&#x20AC;? says Nick Tarratt, European Tour International Director Dubai OďŹ&#x192;ce.

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Available throughout the GCC. Contact your nearest Golf Shop.

“Currently, in the rounds mix of the golf clubs in Dubai, around 11-12% are international visitors with collective key markets of Europe, Africa and the GCC region. I’m sure the industry anticipates a faster increase in international rounds over the coming few years, which is why these recent announcements are positive news for the business in this part of the Middle East.” In the golfing industry, Dubai has become an award-winning destination in its own right. European Tour stars continue to take advantage of the facilities and the weather to enjoy downtime in the city, while players such as Thomas Björn, Henrik Stenson, Branden Grace and David Howell have made the city their home at some time in their careers. In addition, the influx of visiting golf parties and international amateur competitions that have chosen Dubai as the venue for their ‘grand finals’ continues to grow, while The European Tour is no stranger to the UAE, having enjoyed a presence in the emirates since 1989 with now three ‘Desert Swing’ events on the International Schedule. In the UAE capital, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship tees off the ‘Desert Swing’ in January before the Omega Dubai Desert Classic celebrate its 25th anniversary at the Emirates Golf Club in 2014 with defending champion Stephen Gallacher the latest name on a roll of honour that includes legends such as Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Seve Ballesteros, Colin Montgomerie, Fred Couples and Mark O’Meara. Meanwhile, the DP World Tour Championship – now in its fifth year – will again bring down the curtain on The 2013 Race to Dubai in November with McIlroy having won the title in 2012 following in the spike marks of former winners Lee Westwood, Robert Karlsson and Alvaro Quiros. With a massive worldwide TV audience, the tournaments staged in Dubai have certainly helped highlight and widen the international reputation of the emirate. I’s not just the players who have helped spread the word with their title-winning performances – golf course design and coaching facilities also play a part in the global promotion. Nick Faldo, Greg Norman, Colin Montgomerie, Ernie Els, Thomas Björn, Ian Baker-Finch and Peter Harradine have all brought their golf course design flair to Dubai, while coaching gurus Butch Harmon and Pete Cowen both have well established academies in Dubai. In November 2012, Dubai was named IAGTO’s Golf Destination Of The Year for

Dubai reaches another thrilling climax on the Greg Norman-designed Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates from 14-17 November where, once again, The European Tour’s top 60 players will do battle for one of the most prestigious titles in world golf and a share of the $8 million prize money and The Race to Dubai Bonus Pool.

BOOMING: The distinctive majlis-style clubhouse at the recently refurbished Emirates Golf Club, recognised around the golfing world, with the skysraper buildings of Jumeirah in the background

Entrance to the event, which last year attracted more than 50,000 spectators, is completely free of charge to the general public. For tickets please register at www.dpwtc.com These are busy and exciting times in the Middle East where Dubai’s portfolio of golﬁng venues is literally stunning. With 11 world-class grass courses to its name and another eight within an hour’s drive of the city, Dubai – as a global golﬁng destination – is on a par with the best, and on course for a truly bright future. Q

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Mike Gallemore talks to five times winner on The European Tour, BRETT RUMFORD, about his backto-back victories in the Far East – his first titles on The European Tour for six years – that catapulted the 35 year old Aussie into the lead in The Race to Dubai before Graeme McDowell’s Volvo World Match Play Championship edged him ahead. Having won the Ballantine’s Championship in South Korea in spectacular style with an eagle three at the first hole of a three-way play-off Rumford gave a short game masterclass at Binhai Lake, Tianjin, to cruise to a four-shot win at the Volvo China Open. In an exclusive interview Rumford tells Worldwide Golf what changed his fortunes... www.wwgolf.biz

Brett Rumford THE inspiration for my two consecutive wins came from Adam Scott’s magnificent Masters triumph. I’ve known Scotty since we were teenagers and it was fantastic to get a text message from him after my win in China. It said: “I woke up this morning and saw the results and I’m just thrilled to bits. I’m really proud of you – it’s inspiring stuff.” The great thing about Scotty is that despite all his success it hasn’t changed him. He’s still the same down-to-earth nice guy he’s always been. He’s a typical Australian and he represents everything that we are as a county. There couldn’t be a better Ambassador and he and Greg Norman are an inspiration to us all. Jason Day and Marc Leishman should also be congratulated for their performances at Augusta. To have three Aussies in the top ﬁve at the Masters is phenomenal. It was a great honour for me to become the ﬁrst Australian since Jack Newton and Graham Marsh in 1972 to win back-to-back tournaments on The European Tour and it’s fantastic that my consecutive wins in the Far East have put me in such a strong position in The Race to Dubai. It also means that I can now plan my schedule for the season in the run up to the DP World Tour Championship.

BACK-TO-BACK: Brett Rumford of Australia clings on to the winner’s trophy as he’s buried beneath the enthusiastic army of volunteers after winning his second successive European Tour event, at the Volvo China Open at Binhai Lake Golf Course on May 5 in Tianjin, China.

Preperation I’ve changed a number of things that have contributed to my recent success. I’ve changed my caddie, changed my coach and started working with Kevin Duffy on my fitness. So it’s really down to hard work and taking a more holistic approach to my game. It’s all about getting my preparation right, along with my nutrition and my body. It’s an honour to win on the Tour at any time and it’s getting harder and harder to win with so many young guys coming through with big games. The face of golf is changing with the new technology and the fitness of the players and the ball going so much further. I’ve had my opportunities over recent seasons but I haven’t taken them. In 2010 I was runner-up twice and had four more top 10s but I just couldn’t finish them off. Then our twin girls were born on May 7, 2011, and my life changed dramatically. It was a real eye opener. I couldn’t maintain my work ethic to compete out there. Two days after winning in China it was the girls’ second birthday so it was a case of flying around the world between then and the Volvo

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SILVERWARE: Prior to his current double success, Brett Rumford had won three times on The European Tour, including the Omega European Masters at Crans-Sur-Sierre Golf Club in 2007 in a play-off.

World Match Play Championship in Bulgaria. It’s been diﬃcult for me and particularly my wife, Sally, to get through the last couple of years and adapting to a total change in our lifestyle. Sally has been a tremendous support to me and I’ve been trying to help out and be the best father I can. Now the girls are at a much more manageable age and with my schedule in my own hands, we can plan for the future. Everything has come together now. I was pleased with my performances in the Ballantine’s Championship and then in the Volvo China Open – two completely different propositions. Winning with an eagle in the playoff in Korea was something special and my four-shot victory in China was something to be proud of. I played pretty solid throughout the Volvo

China Open. Every up and down seemed doable. I was so locked into the moment I didn’t realise it until afterwards. I must be learning how to peak at the right time. It’s all down to being in the right frame of mind and enjoying it, wanting to be there, wanting to win. I didn’t feel my game was in particularly great shape – but I can take that as a positive. I’ve been working with my coach Pete Cowen since the Middle East Swing and I’ve put a lot of hard work into my short game and my understanding of certain lies and shot selection. I know how important it is to work out what to play and when to play it. Pete’s got a wealth of knowledge and experience. He’s coached a lot of good players. You can have a golf swing that looks pretty on the driving

range but doesn’t work on the course. Pete’s a very clued-in guy. He keeps his explanations understandable and very playable. What’s good about Pete is that he keeps the technique functionable. Everyone’s got their own golf swing – their own blueprint – and you can work from that. You’ve got to stick with your own game and make your game work, and play to your strengths. I have to thank Pete for a bit of long-distance advice in Korea. After regulation play I rang Pete in the UK on my mobile and had a chat, before the play-oﬀ started. I hit a few shots and got a quick swing thought, which obviously helped in winning the play-oﬀ. I can now utilise the team I’ve got around me and give myself a chance. Getting my preparation and my schedule on the right lines is working for

me. I’m becoming a bit more selective. I realise that I wasn’t giving myself a chance before. From here on in I’m just going to keep on working hard on my game day by day. To be realistic, when you win twice in successive weeks you feel, ‘This isn’t a hard game, why can’t I do this every week.’ But I know I can’t play like that every week. I’ve got my targets but I don’t want to fall into the trap of thinking I can maintain that success every week. I’ve got to stay patient. I’ve played to my potential. Now my schedule has changed completely. I’ve got to stay realistic and keep it going and look forward to having a tilt at winning the DP World Tour Championship and The Race to Dubai. If I can score back-to-back wins, who knows what I can achieve?

BACK TO WINNING WAYS: Brett Rumford poses with the trophy after winning the Ballantine’s Championship at Blackstone Golf Club in Icheon, South Korea, with an eagle at the first extra hole of a three-way play-off.

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WWG TALKS TO MARK TUPLING – AGRONOMY MANAGER, JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES

ARK Tupling is the man charged with getting the Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates in tip top condition ahead of the starstudded DP World Tour Championship in November. The Yorkshireman is the Agronomy Manager for the course and what he doesn’t know about grass isn’t worth knowing. The son of former European Tour player Peter Tupling, Mark found his way into agronomy at the tender age of 18 after deciding that he wasn’t good enough to follow in his father’s footsteps onto the pro golf circuit. He fell in love with greenkeeping whilst working at Gleneagles during an internship from college and hasn’t looked back since, working at some of the ﬁnest courses in the world including Royal Melbourne in Australia and The K Club in Ireland, where he gained valuable tournament experience preparing the course for several European Opens before having the honour of being on the agronomy team for The 2006 Ryder Cup Matches. He moved to Dubai in 2007 to help build Jumeirah Golf Estates and along with The European Tour’s Director of Tour Operations David Garland and Deputy Director of Tour Agronomy Graeme MacNiven, Tupling works throughout the year to ensure that when The European Tour’s top 60 players hit Dubai for the season-ending showcase, the Earth course provides a layout worthy of their world class talents.

WWG: Was the fact that you pursued a career in the golf industry down to your father’s inﬂuence or was it something you wanted to do anyway? MT: I think it was probably more down to my father. I had to make a decision when I was 16 – ‘Do I want to pursue a career as a professional golfer.’ After watching how he’d struggled and seeing all the juniors I’d known trying to progress through the ranks at Sand Moor Golf Club near Leeds where I grew up, I knew I was never going to make the grade as a Tour pro. The other option would probably have been to get into being a teaching pro, like my dad eventually did. But the opportunity to get into agronomy came up and I went to Gleneagles and was hooked! To have the opportunity to see golf courses every day and to work on them, is just fantastic. WWG: As far as preparing the Earth course for the DP World Tour Championship goes, how does your relationship with David Garland and Graeme MacNiven work? MT: It works very well. I think I’ve got a great relationship with the Tour in general. My goal is to present a golf course to the Tour for the week of the tournament in the best condition possible. Graeme’s there to make sure that from an agronomy point of view the Tour’s requirements are covered and also that the course is presented as tournament ready. Then David and his team come along and they set the course up from a playing and rules perspective, everything from rope lines and hazards to tee and pin placement. 28

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Above: Mark Tupling inspects the greens on the Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

WWG: Do the three of you get together after the event and discuss what worked and what could be improved on for the next event? When does the preparation for the next year’s Championship begin? MT: The preparation for the following year starts when Graeme arrives about 10 days before the event. We look at two things – what we need to do now, to get the course ready for the event at hand and also the event in 12 months’ time, and what we could do to make it better, because we’re always trying to raise the bar. Then as the tournament progresses David will let us know if he has any concerns or things that he’d like to see diﬀerent for the following event. There are a few things we’ll do this year that are planned for summer to alter the course for this year’s event.

WWG: There’s been some talk that there may be changes to the sixth and seventh greens this year, is that true? MT: Yes. We’re going to raise the back of the sixth green. The ﬁrst couple of years there was a tiny little ledge there, which was a bit dodgy for putting a pin on. Our idea was to move the tee up and let them hit a wedge or a 9-iron in and if they don’t get the right bounce, they’re in trouble. But David was a little uneasy on that. We raised the green in 2011, but not quite enough, so we’re redoing it in order to create more pin positions. The seventh is the same, we want to raise it so that that we can get more pin positions in. WWG: Do you also look at the overall scores after the event and use that as a marker to determine if the course was too easy?

MT: That’s certainly something David does, but it’s not something that I want to get involved in. As I said before, I just try to present the best possible product for the tournament and then t he Tour can decide if they want to push the tees forwards or back, or change the pin positions. WWG: What sort of work goes into getting the rough just right? MT: Discussions will begin in August on the height of the cuts for the event. In standard European Tour events you have four diﬀerent heights of cut from the fairway to the outer rough and in the DP World Tour Championship we try and mow within the ropes all week to try and keep the scoring consistent and keep it a fun event. The last thing you want for the last event of the season is guys complaining about how diﬃcult it is! www.wwgolf.biz

MARK TUPLING

WWG: What was the most rewarding feature of last year’s event for you? MT: A lot of people commented that Justin Rose’s brilliant mammoth putt on the 18th proved how good the

greens were. I think they were the best they’ve ever been and that putt proved it, the way it ran and ran. If you have good greens it’s easier for these guys to hole putts and make the ball go where they want it to go. We had the combination of sweeping undulations and great true surfaces, so we saw some excellent putting. That was my proudest moment, seeing those guys playing so well on those greens. WWG: It must be a good feeling for you when you hear the players complementing the condition of the golf course? MT: Yes it’s always fantastic – that’s why we do what we do. It’s nice to hear praise, whether it’s from a tournament player or a member. WWG: Does Greg Norman’s Earth course fulfill everything you need it to be for the tournament? MT: Yes it does. I think it’s one of a kind in Dubai. It’s surrounded by desert but when Greg designed it he didn’t want to see any sand anywhere apart from in the bunkers and I think the way the trees have matured over the years has really made it stand out as a unique design in this region. When you’re playing it people always comment that you could be anywhere in the world. The summers are obviously tough because of the heat but the winters are fantastic, with blue skies and great temperatures for playing golf. WWG: Do you have any way of protecting the golf course from the effects of the heat in the summer? MT: We try and get the irrigation right and we make sure that we keep full grass cover over the summer. That’s very important, especially with the tournament so early on in the winter. If you don’t get good grass coverage coming out of the summer, you won’t catch up in time. We also do a lot of our aeration in the summer – we’ve got one in June and one in August, when it’s at its hottest. We really get into the agronomy side of it to make sure the course can recover by the end of September when the temperatures start to drop. The more you aerate the grass the more it keeps the drainage channels open and helps the irrigation, which keeps it alive. WWG: Anything you want to improve? MT: I want to improve on the fairways and approaches. They turned out OK last year but they could be better. For this year’s event we won’t be overseeding them, giving a different perspective again. David would like to see more errant shots rolling off the greens and away down the slopes so not overseeding should help that. Q

Above: Mark Tupling (centre) is ﬂanked by The European Tour’s Director of Tour Operations David Garland (right) and Deputy Director of Tour Agronomy Graeme MacNiven (left) prior to last year’s event. www.wwgolf.biz

Muscat Hills Golf and Country Club.

The new 18-hole grass course at Ghala Valley Golf Club.

Senior Star Longmuir to Play in NBO Golf Classic

European Senior Tour eight times winner Bill Longmuir pictured with His Highness Kais Al-Said.

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BILL LONGMUIR’S long association with Oman Golf has been recognised by the National Bank of Oman with an invitation to play in the National Bank of Oman Golf Classic at Almouj Golf The Wave, Muscat, on October 24-27. The Scot was a stalwart of The European Tour for 16 years but it was as a Senior golfer that he rwally made his mark. In his rookie year on the European Senior Tour in 2003 he won twice, was second twice and had three further top-10 finishes, ending his opening campaign runner-up on the Money List with 253,000 euro. His love affair with Oman began in the early 1980s when he met His Highness Kais Al-Said. They became lifelong friends and together they created the re-sited Ghala Wentworth sand course and later, the 18-hole grass course at Muscat Hills Country Club. “What Mohammed Mahfoud Al Ardhi and the National Bank of Oman have done for Golf in Oman is remarkable,” says the eight times winner on the European Senior Tour. “To bring a professional golf tournament to Oman so soon in the short time golf has been introduced to Oman is a huge feather in the cap for the Sultanate. “To make it possible for the stars of the future of The European Tour to play a Challenge Tour event at the Greg Norman-designed Almouj

Golf is an outstanding achievement and the first major milestone in Oman’s golfing progress. The National Bank of Oman has stuck its neck out and taken a huge step in improving the Sultanate’s future economy through golf in sponsoring this tournament. “They have also made HH Kais’s Impossible Dream come to fruition. All the people I have met over the past 30 years of visiting Oman have fallen for the place. It’s such a friendly, relaxed environment, a natural, traditional magnet for tourists – once they are made aware of its existence – and this tournament will help to open their eyes to what the Sultanate has to offer.” Mohammed Mahfoud Al Ardhi commented: “Bill Longmuir is one of the most respected golfers on The European Tour and Senior Tour and a great friend to golf in Oman. “It is fitting that Bill has accepted our invitation to play in our National Bank of Oman Golf Classic. He will be a fine Ambassador for the tournament and I’m sure our juniors will benefit from the golf clinics he has offered to hold for the youngsters.” Through his lifetime friendship with HH Kais AlSaid, Bill Longmuir certainly started the ball rolling in Oman. “I met Kais in the mid-1980s at Newmarket racecourse when Kais had horses in training with a good friend of mine, Gavin Hunter,” said Longmuir.

NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN GOLF CLASSIC The Greg Norman-designed Almouj Golf The Wave, Muscat.

“Kais and I became ﬁrm friends and I guess I was responsible for getting him out of horses and into golf. He had a great sense of humour. He became hooked on golf and we were soon playing in proams and various events all around the UK.” Bill went out to Oman and HH Kais showed him the 9-hole sand course at Ghala Wentworth Golf Club, which was then taken over by the Government, who built a hospital on the site. “Kais was given another piece of land to rebuild the course,” says Bill. “Kais and I weighed the job up, I scratched out the design on the back of a cigarette packet, literally, got hold of a couple of bulldozers and with the help of a few volunteers we created a new sand course in the space of around 12 days. We had no budget – just a wealth of enthusiasm. “It’s now the 18-hole grass course, renamed Ghala Valley Golf Club, and it has become a thriving, popular place to play. After Ghala, Kais then turned his attention to Muscat Hills Country Club. I helped with the routing for the holes after we had secured the involvement of golf course designer Paul Thomas from the Dave Thomas design company in the UK. “We created a unique layout by working our way through the dry river wadis. We put in a lot of hard work but it was worth it. The end product was

brilliant. I was absolutely delighted that Kais was there to see his dream come true but saddened that he couldn’t get to play it, due to being confined to a wheelchair by then. “I’m really looking forward to coming back to Oman and seeing the Ghala Valley course, Muscat Hills Country Club and, of course, Almouj Golf The Wave, created by my very good friend Greg Norman, one of the best golf course designers in the business. “I’ve heard so many good things about The Wave, I can’t wait to play it. The three courses couldn’t be more different. It’s a wonderful thing for Oman to have three unique golf courses, which all complement each other. “Oman is different to Dubai, where very few nationals play golf. The Omanis are keen to take up golf and I’d love to see a junior tournament in the Sultanate one day, perhaps in memory of Kais. “Oman is not just a nice place to visit, it’s fabulous. It has so much to offer the golf tourist. The National Bank of Oman Golf Classic will provide the perfect opportunity to show the world what a wonderful place it is.” Certainly, Oman’s first professional tournament could not wish for a more appropriate ambassador than one of the most respected professionals in the game, Bill Longmuir, who has played a pivotal part in the Sultanate’s golf success story. Q

“KAIS AND I BECAME FIRM FRIENDS AND I GUESS I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR GETTING HIM OUT OF HORSES AND INTO GOLF. HE HAD A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOUR. HE BECAME HOOKED ON GOLF AND WE WERE SOON PLAYING IN PRO-AMS AND VARIOUS EVENTS ALL AROUND THE UK.” – BILL LONGMUIR

Bill Longmuir holds the crystal trophy aloft after winning the 2007 English Seniors Open.

Bill Longmuir with Dr. Handa after winning the 2010 ISPS Handa Senior Masters.

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US Open ...is it Tiger’s to lose?

HE US Open always makes fascinating viewing and it’s always notoriously impossible to predict. It’s a war of attrition that traditionally comes down to the last man standing; the rest swallowed up by unplayble deep

rough. But predicting the outcome this year could be sightly easier than usual, thanks to the re-emergence of a certain Tiger Woods. The World No.1 has been Major-less since the 2008 US Open but all the signs are pointing to an end to that barren run. Woods lost to Y.E. Yang down the stretch at the US PGA in 2009 and just a few months later his personal life unravelled before the watching world. His game followed suit and he was so out of form that he dropped to a low of 58th on the Official World Ranking in August 2011. It took him until last year before

he got back to winning ways but still he flopped in the Majors. A third place finish at last year’s Open might sound good, but it should have been better. To use Tiger’s terminology, weekend rounds of 70 and 73 “don’t’ get it done”. From 2009 the Grand Slam events were anybody’s to win. When Rory McIlroy won his second Major at last year’s US PGA Championship it put an end to a run of 14 different Major winners (12 of whom were first-timers) which started with Lucas Glover unexpectedly winning the US Open at Bethpage in 2009. It looked as though the days when Woods would go home with one or two Majors each year were long gone, but if his recent performances are anything to go by he could well be about to reassert his dominance on golf’s biggest stages.

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2013 US OPEN PREVIEW

IGHT NOW Tiger is exactly where he wants to be. His is the name on everybody’s lips following his fourth win of 2013 at The Players Championship. While he had won three events at three of his favourite layouts earlier this season – Torrey Pines, Bay Hill and Doral – it’s his victory at TPC Sawgrass which makes him the obvious favourite for the US Open. Why? Because since Woods ﬁrst won The Players in 2001 he had managed just one top-10 ﬁnish there prior to last month’s triumph. To win over a course he’s not fond of bodes well for a tilt at his country’s national Open at Merion Golf Club in Pennsylvania this month. His win on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass not only showed how far his game has come over the past couple of years since his personal problems erupted in the full glare of the media spotlight but it also showed that his aura of invincibility is back. His presence at the top of the leaderboard forced some of his rivals to push themselves too far – the obvious example being Sergio Garcia’s collapse at the island green 17th and then again on 18 having previously looked in full control of his game. Back when Tiger was in his pomp this kind of intimidation was commonplace. The chasing pack would think they needed to pull it out of the bag, perhaps

Torrey Pines

Bay Hill

Doral

produce some magic of their own, in order to beat Tiger. In effect they ended up beating themselves and leaving Tiger with the trophy. Woods will play once more prior to the US Open in defending his title at another of his favourite events – the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village, two weeks before the second Major of the campaign. Another win at Jack Nicklaus’s place in Ohio and it’ll be difficult to look past anyone but Woods for the US Open

ABOVE: World No.1 Tiger Woods’ four victories so far this season at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral, the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill and the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass – The American is dominating the US PGA Tour once again.

A LONELY FIGURE: Sergio Garcia cuts a forlorn figure as he watches his ball – and his chances of victory – sink at the 17th at Sawgrass 36

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TPC Sawgrass title. Regarding Garcia, he needs to take a leaf out of Adam Scott’s book. The Aussie knows all about bouncing back from adversity. Following his disappointment at last year’s Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes he won this year’s Masters in hugely impressive fashion. Garcia could easily do the same following his Players meltdown. He has all the tools to compete with the best. He ﬁnally trusts his putting stroke and so far this season he’s had four top 10s,

including third place at the WGC-Cadillac Championship. In seven starts on US soil he hasn’t finished outside the top 20. Scott is another player who has found his touch on the greens. The Masters Champion finally realised his huge potential when he donned the Green Jacket and everything is in place for him to become a regular contender at the Majors for many years to come. The European charge has failed to ignite so far this season. Rory McIlroy’s campaign has been more miss than hit as he continues to get to grips with his new ball and equipment while Luke Donald has stuttered his way through the first half of the season with just two top 10s to his name. Lee Westwood hoped his move to the USA would help him get over the line more often, but it hasn’t happend so far and he’s always in danger when he misses the green in the lush, thick rough which is prevelant Stateside. Following The Ryder Cup last year the European Team members won in their droves. Peter Hanson and Ian Poulter won in China and Rory McIlroy won the DP World Tour Championship. Yet so far this season they’ve drawn a blank – all apart from 2010 US Open winner Graeme McDowell who won The Heritage at Hilton Head in April and last month’s Volvo World Match Play Championship in Bulgaria. If the form book is anything to go by McDowell and Garcia are the

THE USGA’s VIEW

two most likely Europeans to do well at Merion. One player who is desparate to impress is defending champion Webb Simpson. “I tell people it’s my favourite golf course in the world,” he said. “What it demands from the players is so diﬀerent to most courses which are evolving into a bomber’s paradise. Every par-4 is 500 yards, and you hit a driver on every hole. Merion is the opposite.” Simpson is one of few US PGA Tour players to have played the course when he competed in the 2005 US Amateur so he’ll have a slight advantage over the ﬁeld when play gets under way. Q

TOP: Webb Simpson proudly hoists the trophy after winning the US Open in San Francisco last year. ABOVE: Can Sergio Garcia (right) bounce back from disappointment like Adam Scott (left) did in the Players Championship earlier this year?

MIKE DAVIS, Executive Director of the USGA, believes that this year’s US Open will be a birdie-fest. “There’s going to be more birdies made at this US Open than any we have seen in recent history,” he said. “There’s just some holes out here that lend themselves to it, which is wonderful, but then there are some holes that are very tough. “Merion will play at 6,996 yards and the last Major that was under 7,000 yards was Shinnecock Hills for the 2004 US Open. “This will be the shortest Major since Southern Hills hosted the US Open in 2001 at 6,973 yards.”

The players most likely to to be in contention

GRAEME McDOWELL Loves the US Open. Won in 2010 and was runner-up last year. Hadn’t won anywhere since 2010 until he pounced at Hilton Head two months ago – a tight course that requires precision. A bit like a US Open. A win at the Volvo World Match Play in Bulgaria last month confirmed he’s the in-form European and he’s also fifth in the Driving Accuracy ranking. Q

ZACH JOHNSON

MARC LEISHMAN

KEVIN STREELMAN

HENRIK STENSON

Merion is made for a tactical golfer and Zach Johnson won his one and only Major to date plotting his way around Augusta in the very toughest of conditions in 2007. Not long (Merion isn’t either) and a great putter, Zach will know that brain over brawn should triumph and that could play into his hands. Q

This Aussie is in hot form. He’s posted top 10s at three of the toughest tracks – Augusta, Sawgrass and Hilton Head – which he puts down to his muchimproved mental attitude. A first-time winner at the Travelers Championship last year which was also the place where 2011 Masters Champion Bubba Watson broke through on Tour. Q

Currently in the middle of a career-best year he won his first Tour title at the Tampa Bay Championships and bounced back from a missed cut at the Masters with third place at Hilton Head, sixth at Quail Hollow and second behind Woods at The Players. A real gritty player, Streelman led after the first round of the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines. Q

Sweden’s top golfer is second on the US Tour’s Driving Accuracy chart with 72.02% of fairways hit. That’ll help around Merion where the rough will be the thickest of any tournament all year. If he keeps it in play and hits the greens he’ll give himself a chance. Knows what it’s like to win big at the 2009 Players and the 2007 WGCAccenture Match Play. Q

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The

Man Cometh By Richard Bevan HE’S one of the hottest names in golf and he’s the man everyone is talking about right now but Thorbjørn Olesen, the 23-year-old Danish star, is taking it all in his stride. Olesen only turned pro in 2008 but his career has been on a rapid upward trajectory since then that shows no sign of slowing down. Three wins in the third tier Nordic League in 2009 earned him promotion to the second tier Challenge Tour the following year but it was clear he was destined for bigger things when he claimed six top 10s including victory in The Princess Open to spring straight up to The European Tour for the 2011 season. He made an immediate impact, taking the runner-up spot at the opening event of the season, the Alfred Dunhill Championship, and adding another two second-place finishes in a stellar debut season that ended with a 19th place finish in his DP World Tour Championship debut for 48th position on The Race to Dubai. Another new experience saw him represent Denmark alongside Anders Hansen in the World Cup for the first time as the pair tied for 13th. His European Tour breakthrough followed last season when he beat Englishman Chris Wood by a stroke to win the Sicilian Open title before putting his name in lights at Royal Lytham and St Annes where he took a top 10 in only his second Open Championship appearance. It was a sign of things to come as Thorbjørn announced himself to US golf fans last month with a stunning performance in his maiden outing at the Masters, closing with consecutive 68s to take a share of sixth place, five back from Adam Scott and Angel Cabrera’s finishing score of 9-under 279. Only an opening 78 stopped him becoming only the fourth player ever to win a Green Jacket at the first attempt. He grew up in the frosty town of Hareskov, just outside Copenhagen, where snow-covered courses during the winter meant practice was nearly impossible for four months of the year but this cool customer undoubtedly looks ready to set the world on fire. www.wwgolf.biz

Thorbjørn Olesen WWG: Have you been surprised by the rapid speed of your progress in just over two years playing on The European Tour? TO: In a way yes but I’ve been working really hard also. I’ve been a pro for just over ﬁve years now so I’ve learned a lot. I’ve felt for quite a while that my game has been good enough to compete at the top level but I’ve still got a lot more to learn. Golf is one of those games where you’ll never stop learning so you’re always trying to improve. WWG: You had an excellent result at the Masters – describe the experience. Was it everything you imagined it would be and what is the secret to doing well at Augusta? TO: The experience was amazing. I loved it. It’s a special place. Driving down Magnolia Lane and then into the clubhouse, there is so much history surrounding you. The people there go out of their way to do everything for you, too. The facilities, the condition of the course, the crowds, the par 3 course, everything, it’s just incredible. It was great to be a part of it. I’m not sure if there is a secret to doing well there, although it’s really important to be able to shape the ball I think and to know where not to miss it. The greens are really complex, too, and it was diﬃcult to learn them so quickly.

WWG: Describe the step up from the Challenge Tour – is the gap big? What are the main differences and challenges you need to overcome? TO: I don’t think the gap is really big but there is certainly a noticeable difference, there’s no doubting that. Everything on The European Tour is just on a bigger scale – more crowds, more TV cameras, more courtesy cars, bigger hospitality areas and so on. As for the golf itself, the main tour has more strength in depth. Almost anyone on The European Tour can win an event, which is not the case on the Challenge Tour. The courses are a little tougher, too.

WWG: You could have won if it wasn’t for your first round – that’s pretty mind blowing isn’t it? Does it give you the confidence to know you can go back next year and have a real go at it? TO: That’s the way golf is. I was able to play fairly relaxed golf over the weekend as I felt lucky to have made the cut. I was thankful for Jason Day not making birdie on the last two holes. However, you’re right, I know I have played well there so, hopefully, that will stand me in good stead for 2014. I’d love to win it. WWG: You had a great result at last year’s Open Championship, describe the experience of playing with Tiger in a tournament the size of The Open – were you nervous? TO: I loved it. I had a 25 foot birdie putt on the 18th on Friday evening and knew if I holed it I would be playing with Tiger, having looked at the huge leaderboard. I was nervous for the ﬁrst few holes but then settled down and played some really good golf. The crowd was huge but that is what I want to be part of. WWG: How big a goal of yours is it to become the first Dane to win a Major and how do you rate your chances of achieving it? 40

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TO: The Majors are what golf is all about for me. I really want to win a few. If I’m the ﬁrst Dane to win one, great, but it’s not that important if someone else beats me to the title of ‘ﬁrst Dane to win a Major.’

Enjoying the moment: A relaxed Thorbjørn Olesen weighs up his options during the Masters tournament where he finished tied sixth on his highly impressive debut, shooting 68-68 at the weekend.

WWG: Do you think that Denmark should have had a Major champion by now, it’s been close at times! TO: Golf is a funny game and no one has a right to win a tournament. There have been a lot of great players who have had great chances over the last 10 years or so. Thomas (Björn) had a great chance in 2003 at Royal St George’s but it didn’t

happen for him, sadly. I’m sure our time will come some day. WWG: What are your other ambitions in the game and do you have a time scale on how quickly you want to reach those goals – you’re already progressing at a very fast pace. TO: I’d love to be winning Majors and playing in Ryder Cups. I’d love to be part of that Team but, more importantly, be part of a winning team. I don’t really have a time frame. You can’t rush these things and as I said, you don’t have rights over tournament wins, so I’ll be patient

and take my chances when they come, hopefully. WWG: How does your game feel ahead of the US Open and how confident are you that you can do well at that event? TO: Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still a little way oďŹ&#x20AC; yet and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve plenty of preparation to do between now and then. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be preparing as best as I possibly can to make sure Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m ready, though. WWG: What are the main challenges that the US Open throws up in comparison to the other Majors?

TO: This will be my US Open debut so Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not exactly sure what Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be facing but from what Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen, it appears to be a lot tighter than the other Major set ups. So you certainly need to be straight oďŹ&#x20AC; the tee. The rough is usually quite long around the greens, too, so thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s another big diďŹ&#x20AC;erence but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m getting more used to diďŹ&#x20AC;erent conditions around the world. WWG: Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had some great results in the Middle East â&#x20AC;&#x201C; what are your thoughts on the region in general and why do you think your game is suited to the courses here?

TO: I have indeed. I like it there. The weather is amazing. It never rains there really and is usually in the mid 20s when we visit, which is perfect. The condition of the courses are great, too. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s necessarily the type of courses there that suit me but I certainly enjoy playing there. There is a great buzz in the emirates.

First of many to come: ThorbjĂ¸rn Olesen holds the trophy after winning his first European Tour title, at the Sicilian Open at Verdura Golf and Spa Resort. He finished 15th in last seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Race to Dubai.

WWG: How did you become involved in golf and what made you believe you could make a career out of it? TO: My dad took me to my local course when I was seven. I got hooked on it right away. I guess it was my mid teens www.wwgolf.biz

© 2 0 1 2 G R E G N O R M A N C O L L E C T I O N . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D . G R E G N O R M A N A N D T H E G R E G N O R M A N C O L L E C T I O N L O G O A R E R E G I S T E R E D T R A D E M A R K S O F G R E AT W H I T E S H A R K E N T E R P R I S E S I N C .

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Thorbjørn Olesen

that I realised I could maybe give it a go professionally. My coach, who has coached me from the age of 10 and still coaches me to this day, made me believe I had what was required to make a success of myself. WWG: Who were your golfing heroes when you were growing up? TO: Tiger Woods. WWG: What is your favourite memory of watching or playing golf as a youngster? TO: There are so many! I loved the summers as a boy just being out there playing golf. I look back on those days and realise how lucky I was. I loved watching Thomas Björn play and there were so many memorable moments watching Tiger winning tournaments. WWG: Who has had the biggest impact in terms of you getting to where you are today and why? TO: There are a lot of people who play a part in my life, even if it’s just a tiny bit, but they all make a diﬀerence. My parents and my coach, though, are mostly responsible for where I am today. I owe a lot to them.

WWG: Did your parents have to make sacrifices so that you could follow your dreams to make it as a professional golfer? TO: They did for sure. They spent so much of their time taking me to the club or to junior events all over the place and that meant sacriﬁcing what they maybe wanted to do. You take that for granted at the time but now I know how lucky I was to have the loving parents that I do. WWG: Did they agree with you turning pro when you did – was there a ‘plan B’ if golf didn’t work out? TO: (Smiling) No! They wanted me to wait and study a little more. However, my coach convinced them that we knew what we were doing and that I’d be okay. It was tough at the time but I think they’re ok with it now! A bit late anyway! WWG: The winters can be pretty cold and snowy in Denmark – what effect did that have on your practice and development in the game? TO: It was horrible. If you wanted to hit balls you either had to go abroad or hit indoors into a net! However, it helps

create balance in your life where golf isn’t everything so I had plenty of other things to keep me occupied over the winter months. It was good for me really. I love all sports so I was never bored.

Driver - Nike VRS Covert 9.5 ° 3 Wood - Nike VR Pro 15 ° 5 Wood -Nike VR Pro 19 ° Irons - Nike VR Pro Blades Wedges - Nike VR Pro 46, 54 ,58 ° Putter - Nike Method 001 Ball - Nike 20XI

WWG: What’s your favourite way to spend time away from golf? TO: I love my movies and sports. When you’re on the road you have time to kill and need to relax so that is what I like to do. When I’m home, I love being with my friends and family where possible. It helps get me back to the reality in life and keep my feet on the ground. WWG: You’re a big football fan and a Manchester United supporter – what have you made of the news that Sir Alex Ferguson is stepping down? TO: It’s a sad day but a day to celebrate, too. He’s been amazing for Manchester United and he will be remembered forever. He has put so many great systems in place at the club which should see it achieve success for many years to come. His youth development programmes especially were impressive. I hope he enjoys his retirement, he certainly deserves it. www.wwgolf.biz

GARY PLAYER I see so many errors among the leading players. Tiger’s not hitting the ball much better than anyone else but his course management is so much better. He always works on the basis that he’s got to give himself a chance with his next shot.

AVING watched The Players Championship I’m sending out a plea to golfers everywhere, ‘Forget length’ – I’ll take the player who can putt well and has got good course management every time. This unhealthy obsession we’ve got with hitting the ball further and further is ruining our game. Length is the most overrated thing in the game. People often tell me how good their son is going to be because he can hit the ball 300 yards. I tell them, ‘I don’t want to hear that.’ For proof of my argument, just look at Tiger Woods. Sure, he can hit the ball far, but his course management, short game and putting are what have got him back to the top of the game. You’ve got to take your hat off to Tiger. When many golf commentators were writing off a Tiger comeback after he’d picked up his career again I warned them that you couldn’t discount a player of his all-round ability and mental strength. Well he’s back on top of the World Ranking again with clear space between him and his rivals after four wins already this year and with the US Open looming at Merion Golf Club, Pennsylvania, it looks as though there’s nobody to touch him. He’s back on the Major trail for sure. We all thought that the previous leader in The Race to Dubai, Sergio Garcia, would take on Tiger at The Players Championship but when the opportunity arose he failed to take it. Deliver the goods when it matters With Woods and Garcia level and with the Spaniard on the tee at 17 in the final round at TPC Sawgrass, Sergio put two tee shots in the water – with a wedge! Then on the 18th he hooked his tee shot into the lake and finally finished six shots off the winner, Woods. Sergio did the same thing in the British Open at Carnoustie in 2007. He needed a par on the 18th to win and had been driving the ball so well all day but for some reason he took an iron off the tee and ended up with a bogey to fall into a play-off with Padraig Harrington who took his chance and won the Championship. It was a strange decision by Garcia – when you’re in that position you’ve got to go for the win. Tiger is always so positive. He delivers the goods when it matters most. It’s good to see him back on top as World Number One. He’s good for the game and good for the sponsors. Tiger brings in the crowds and increases the television ratings. He’s still the game’s best box office star. I wonder how many players today would have gone on in my youth in the days of apartheid in South Africa, despite being one of the biggest campaigners against apartheid. I had to put up with all sorts of noises and distractions, threats, jostling – everything the crowd could do to put me off my game. Even when I played against my great friend Arnold Palmer the crowd were screaming on every shot I played – off the tee, on the fairway, on the green. It was non-stop. I’ve always got on very well with Sergio and have no doubt that he will bounce back strongly from The Players Championship disappointment. But what I don’t understand is why people make so much noise about how

far a player can hit the ball. It’s not length that wins golf tournaments and Majors it’s mind control, a good short game, solid putting and good course management. You’ve got to have the right thought process. If that had been me standing on the tee at 17 instead of Sergio I would have taken a completely different approach. I would have said to myself, ‘I don’t need a par at this hole I need a birdie’ and gone for it. Nobody remembers who finished second in a tournament. On the 18th hole, player after player aimed their tee shots down middle and ended up 40 yards into the rough on the bank to the right. You’ve got to take a chance on that hole and hook it towards the water to give yourself a shot into the green. Tiger didn’t go right. He took a chance and got his par. You’ve got to have a gamble if you’re going to win. You’ve got to go for the cheese. I see so many errors among the leading players. Tiger’s not hitting the ball much better than anyone else but his course management is so much better. He always works on the basis that he’s got to give himself a chance with his next shot. Woods isn’t bothered by booming the ball off the tee. When he won The Open at Royal Liverpool in 2006 he barely took his driver out of his bag. He was content to use an iron or a three wood off the tee. What matters most is winning golf tournaments and the way to do it is with clever course management, a solid short game and good putting. The player who has those attributes will beat the big hitter every time. That’s what makes a winner. Q

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GREG NORMAN GET RID OF GREY AREAS REGARDING DRUG TESTING THE deer antler spray controversy has merely strengthened my belief that the PGA Tour needs to improve upon their current drug testing policy. The rules that are in place really need to be crystal clear and there needs to be a proper foolproof way of testing in order to enforce those rules. That should apply to all sports, not just golf. To me, you have to find the best possible and most scientifically infallible testing system – and adding blood testing seems to be the best practical solution available today. The “Athlete Biological Passport” developed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which uses both blood and urine analysis to build an individual, electronic biological record for each athlete, is a great way to protect athletes around the world. It makes sure that clean athletes can show they’re clean. The ones who want to step on the other side of the line and try to tempt fate will be exposed. I’d like to see the “Athlete Biological Passport” used in all sports, including golf, going forward. In golf we currently only have urine testing and it’s not enough. There are millions and millions of dollars to be played for out there in our sport, and everybody’s trying to get an advantage over somebody else. It’s like beta blockers 20 years ago, when everybody thought they could calm their nerves down by taking beta blockers to get through a very nervous round of golf on a Sunday. It’s no different; it’s an outside agency that increases your chance of performing and taking advantage over other players and there is no place for it in the game of golf, or any other sport for that matter.

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ON MY TRAVELS MY RECENT BUSINESS TRIPS have taken me to China, Vietnam, and my home country, Australia. The trips to Vietnam and Australia were to check on the status of two new golf course design projects I’m working on, both of which are on stunning sites. The Bluffs Ho Tram, in the Ba Ria-Vung Province along the southern Vietnam coastline, is one of only two pieces of land of such quality and character I’ve ever been given to work with – the other being Doonbeg in the south of Ireland. It really is a breathtakingly beautiful setting on a seaside bluff with undulating natural sand dunes and dramatic ocean views. Construction has been underway for several months now and it’s coming along nicely. I think The Bluffs Ho Tram will become a links course to rival any in the world and as the name suggests, the onshore winds there will create a fantastic challenge for golfers, as will the layout of the course, which rises from sea level to almost 50 metres at its highest point. I also visited the site for our course on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia which will form part of a really exciting resort development at the spectacular Great Keppel Island, off central Queensland in Australia. Over the past several years, the tourism

TOP: The spectacular Great Keppel Island on the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland in Australia where Greg Norman Design is creating a resort course. LEFT: Xiongyi Zhao, one of the stars of the Chinese National Golf Team, made it through to the next stage of US Open Qualifying after a stellar round of 67 at Shingle Creek Golf Club in Orlando, Florida.

market in Australia has really been hit hard and we have the opportunity to be very much at the forefront of bringing it back, which is fantastic. People talk about Great Keppel Island being a great place for Australia, but it’s actually one of the best islands in the Southern Hemisphere. It’s just quietly sitting there and I think everybody will be extremely proud of what can, and will happen there in the coming years. While in China I did some work with Pacific Links and the China Golf Association. I helped Pacific Links launch their golf membership programme to Chinese Nationals at three major cities with over 800 attendees at each venue. I was joined on the trip by a fellow Pacific Links Ambassador, Annika Sorenstam, and by all accounts the launch was a huge success. After my work with Pacific Links, my position as the exclusive Advisory Coach with the China Golf Association took me to Nanshan, where I got a chance to review the training programmes they currently have in place and examine the facility at their headquarters. The China Golf Association (CGA) is really making a great push to improve their golfers in the lead up to the 2016 Olympic Games in

Rio and I must say I was hugely impressed with the facilities, staff and training regimen they already have in place. They’re extremely serious about growing the game of golf in China and have set out to give the National Team every chance of success in Rio. Hopefully, I can help them achieve their goals by improving upon their programme and passing on some of the knowledge and experience I have amassed during my career as a professional golfer. After my visit to the CGA Headquarters I travelled back to the United States and attended the US Open Qualifier practice round that was taking place at Shingle Creek Golf Club in Orlando, Florida. Three of the Chinese Golf Team members were attempting to qualify for the US Open over the next day, so I drove up to Orlando to work with them and show my support prior to their bid to qualify for the Open. I worked very closely with these three players and I am pleased to say that an extremely talented prospect by the name of Xiongyi Zhao finished second with a wonderful round of 67 to make it through to the next stage of qualifying. In the coming months, I will continue to update you on the progress of the Chinese Olympic hopefuls on both the men’s and ladies’ side. Until next time. Q

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PETE COWEN With the way he’s playing at the moment I can’t see anybody beating Tiger Woods but the likes of Graeme McDowell could challenge him. GMac is playing really well and his victory at Thracian Cliffs in the Volvo World Match Play Championship was well deserved and another example of GMac’s class as a match player. He’s won one Major and his main priority in the game is to win more.

T was great to see Brett Rumford winning back to back European Tour titles at the Ballantine’s Championship and the Volvo China Open after a six year spell out of the winner’s circle. I’ve been working with Brett since the Middle East Swing and his game’s really come together. After play had finished in regulation and just before the play-off began at the Ballantine’s in South Korea he rang me up for a quick lesson over the telephone. Luckily, I was at home in Yorkshire and it was 6.30 in the morning! Brett was panicking because he was hitting everything on the back nine miles right, even though he’d tied for the lead to get into the playoff. He didn’t know how to stop, so I just gave him a quick two-minute lesson and told him something simple to think about in order to avoid one side of the course. I give those little lessons on the phone quite a lot. I know most of our players’ swings so well that it’s easy to do it over the phone if they just describe the situation and what the problem is. It’s even better if they have a TrackMan as I can analyse the numbers in relation to their swing direction, angle of attack, clubface to path, spin, ball flight etc. Unfortunately, it does mean that I get calls at all hours of the day and night, though!

Stronger physically Another one of our players who’s starting to play much better is Henrik Stenson. You never know what’s going to happen with Henrik – he’s an enigma. He’s brilliant one minute and then he can’t play the next, which is outrageous, but it’s a thought process, a mental thing. He’s got his Swedish psychologist, who he worked with previously for a few years, back on board and I think that’s calmed him down a bit. He’s playing pretty well and he seems happy enough. His ﬁtness is much better, too, which also helps a lot. He’s got a lot stronger, physically, and that can make a big diﬀerence on the golf course. It was a shame to see what happened to Sergio Garcia at The Players Championship when

he put two balls in the water on the 17th when he was tied with Tiger for lead. To be fair he was playing so well, he only had a wedge in his hand so he wasn’t going to play away from the flag with the first shot. Then he could’ve taken his next attempt from the drop zone, which is a lot nearer, but then you’re going right across the green to a flag that’s nearly off the other side of the green. He probably did the right thing trying hit off the tee where he’s got more control of the ball – you don’t know what sort of lie you’re going to drop it in do you? As I said, it was only a wedge, and any other day he’d probably have knocked it stiff – it was just one of those things. A lot has been made of the spat between Garcia and Woods but I think that Sergio’s comments about the crowd that follows Woods on every hole making too much noise when he was about to swing and putting him off, were fair enough. Tiger is only interested in one person and that’s Tiger himself but he ought to look at what other people have previously claimed, too, because, to be fair, the crowd do react

to him and he’s got to understand that. I’m looking forward to having about 10 days at home after the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth and then I’m oﬀ to America for the US Open. With the way he’s playing at the moment I can’t see anybody beating Woods but the likes of Graeme McDowell could challenge him. Gmac’s playing really well and his victory at Thracian Cliﬀs in the Volvo World Match Play Championship was well deserved and another example of GMac’s class as a match player. I’d be upset if he wasn’t up there in the US Open. He’s won one Major and his main priority in the game right now is to win more Majors. He’s won plenty of tournaments and plenty of money so now, winning Grand Slam events is his main goal. He always prepares very thoroughly for every tournament he plays but I think that maybe he just focuses that bit harder when it comes to the Majors. He needs to be completely on top of himself and his game, as do all of us around him – we all need to be on top of our game to give him the best chance of succeeding. Q www.wwgolf.biz

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INSTRUCTION

Q Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t spill the sand and improve your bunker play. Q Learn to master the slopes. Q Bring pins into play by mastering the draw.

QUICK RULES TIPS

By: Stuart Fee, Golf Professional, Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa

BOTTLING A FLOWING STROKE A lot of golfers take the putter too far inside or outside the line during their putting stroke. To help keep your stroke on a better track try placing an empty water bottle under your left arm and maintain the pressure between your left arm and chest. This helps to get the shoulders, arms and chest working together more, meaning your stroke will be more reliable as you are now using the bigger muscles in the upper body.

To watch the video go to Facebook/WorldwideGolf and go to the video section.

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INSTRUCTION Stephen Deane Head Academy Professional

THE ACADEMY AT EMIRATES GOLF CLUB

DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T SPILL THE SAND Keep your hands and forearms quiet in the bunker FACE UP: The idea of keeping sand on the clubface will help your bunker swing. Some players hit great little soft bunker shots using a lot of hand and wrist action. But the average golfer would be more consistent with a less wristy swing. The big issue in the sand is controlling the clubface, because that determines the loft at impact and how the club head bounces through the sand.

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INSTRUCTION Rhys Beecher Director of Instruction The Academy by Troon Golf at The Address Montgomerie Dubai

UPHILL LIE  PITCH SHOT With some taunting mounds around the greens at The Address Montgomerie Dubai, it is unlikely you will ﬁnd errant approach shots on a ﬂat playing surface.

In my view, one of the most challenging aspects of golf is an area we consider the least during practice. At The Address Montgomerie Dubai, we are fortunate to have excellent practice facilities. That being said, having completed one or two hours practice on a perfectly ﬂat practice tee, we must consider that ‘Golf is not a level playing ﬁeld’!

GOLF IS NOT A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD

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BY- Bryan Smyth, Golf Professional at Emirates Golf Club

An upslope lie has the eﬀect of making your left side longer, which can tip you back and lead to poor contact. To compensate, drop your left foot away from the target line and bend your left knee more. Opening your stance like this pre-sets your turn through the ball. You will need the help, because the upslope makes it tough to rotate toward the target. Another beneﬁt of setting up open is that it promotes an out-to-in swing, which is steeper and gets the club head through the grass and under the ball.

REMEMBER  Why do you need to turn through the ball? – Because you need power to pitch up hill; the slope adds loft, so you will tend to leave the ball short. If you have a longer shot, you may want to consider taking a less lofted club (48/52 degree wedge for example).

The best way to handle severe breaking putts is to ﬁnd the ‘apex’ of the curve. This is the highest point of the curve and is a great spot to align towards. To pick the Apex you should read your putt backwards as it is important to know what your ball will do as it slows down on its approach to the hole. This is where your ball will break the most.

View of the shot being played.

BREAKING PUTT

The golf course is full of undulation and slopes. Even if you negotiate these tricky situations, you may ﬁnd a daunting putt awaits you on the green!

REMEMBER  The middle of the cup on breaking putts is not on a straight line from the ball to the hole The true centre of the hole changes on each putt.

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INSTRUCTION Bryan Smyth, Golf Professional Emirates Golf Club Rhys Beecher Director ofBYInstruction The Address Montgomerieat Dubai

DOWNHILL LIE  IRON SHOT

View of the shot being played.

The main reason for the difficultly with this particular lie, being that golfers will attempt to ‘rock’ or ‘lean’ backwards in an effort to add loft to their shot; the effects being a very shallow impact and the most likely outcome being either a heavy or thin contact. I have made a few key alternations to my set-up and followed a general rule, which will help you tackle the downhill slopes. My spine is ‘perpendicular’ to the slope. This has the effect of ensuring your shoulders, hips and knees are parallel with the surface you are hitting from. This will ensure your backswing and through swing works along the slope. Second I have followed the general rule for the uphill and downhill lies, which is for the weight to position on the lower foot and the ball moves back in position towards the higher foot. Take a more lofted club to compensate for the decrease in trajectory created by the down slope.

Keep in mind the following rule for downhill and uphill slopes

SWING THOUGHT – On a severe downhill slope step forward and walk down the hill to re-establish balance

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INSTRUCTION wayne johnson DIRECTOR OF INSTRUCTION PGA jumeirah golf estates

HOW TO UTILIZE THE DRAW TO TACKLE PINS

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the DP World Tour Championship BY- Bryan Smyth, Golf Professional at Emirates Home GolfofClub

Far too often I see players taking on a shot to a difficult pin position and if not executed perfectly will often leave their ball in a poor position with a difficult recovery shot required.. Instead of taking dead aim at the flagstick which is protected by a deep bunker front left, learn to move the ball in flight from right to left giving you more margin for error if not perfectly executed. If we execute the shot correctly the ball will move in towards the flag avoiding the trouble in front of the green, if we push the shot we will still be on the right hand side of the green and in a good position to make a par.

Wayne Johnson’s qualifications and coaching expertise are unquestionable having worked at the highest level as a golf teacher and coach, spending four years working as Director of Instruction for the world’s foremost golf teacher Butch Harmon at his schools in the USA, Bahamas and Macau having worked closely & assisted Butch in many of his coaching sessions with such notable tournament professionals as Tiger Woods, Adam Scott, Mark Calcavecchia, Lee Westwood, Darren Clarke and Jose Maria Olazabal. Wayne first came to Dubai in 2002 and was responsible for the creation of the Academy by TROON GOLF at the internationally recognized five-star Montgomerie Dubai, quickly becoming the Middle east’s leading golf instructional facility. Wayne is currently Director of instruction for the Jumeirah Golf Estates Tour Academy, home of the DP World Tour Championship.

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GREG N ORMAN COLLECTION.

ALL R IGHTS R ESERVED.

GREG N ORMAN AND THE

GREG N ORMAN COLLECTION LOGO ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF

G R E AT W H I T E

S HARK E NTERPRISES

I NC.

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INSTRUCTION the DP World Tour Championship Bryan Smyth, Golf Professional at Emirates Home GolfofClub wayne johnson DIRECTORBYOF INSTRUCTION P.G.A. jumeirah golf estates

C Complete a full shoulder turn with the backswing. D Lower body rotation initiates the downswing. E Extend your right arm fully on the through swing.

G Complete the swing with a balanced finish. By learning how to work the ball in this fashion you will increase your shot making ability around the course and allow you to take on difficult pin positions playing to the safer side of the green and shaping the ball in towards the flagstick.

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Els Club delights all CHRIS BROWN, General Manager, talks to Mike Gallemore about The Els Club Clubhouse, which has received rave reviews from members and visitors alike.

HE Els Club course has been extremely well received since day one and continues to receive praise each year from some of the best golfers in the world, which is pleasing for both the owners and Ernie himself. We have been operating from the new clubhouse since November 2012 and, of course, this has improved the overall experience of our members and guests. There is a small section of the clubhouse still to complete that consists of the Big Easy Signature restaurant, the Private Members Lounge and the ‘Overlook Lounge’ which is on course for completion through the summer months. The 60,000 sq ft structure reflects the look and feel of the surrounding community (Victory Heights) with its Mediterranean-style villas and has become a focal point for the local residents as we find more and more residents utilising the Club’s facilities. The recent infrastructure improvement around Dubai Sports City has allowed us to encourage an increasing footfall from other communities as far afield as the Marina, Jumeirah Beach Residence and the 62

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Springs/Meadows area. As far as temporary clubhouses go we had one of the most impressive temporary structures in this part of the world back in the early days but it was certainly time to vacate and upgrade into our permanent clubhouse. The amenities we now oﬀer our members and guests are more in line with the original vision of the Club, with 532 lockers, Saunas, Steam Rooms, Jacuzzis, spacious showers, three conference rooms, and the Country Club-style pro-shop. We are now in a position to oﬀer more than just an exceptional golf course experience as we look to expand the membership-base of the Club. In order to facilitate this expansion we have launched a new membership initiative through the summer months to showcase our new facilities. The benchmark of golf facilities in the UAE is exceptionally high across the board and we are very fortunate to be managed by Troon Golf, who are universally regarded as the leader in upscale golf club management worldwide, which has enabled us to tap into resources that have produced a facility that can position itself with the very best in the UAE and the

The hugely impressive majestic Clubhouse at The Els Club, with its extensive facilities, looks out imperiously over the golf course.

Middle East. However, we certainly can’t aﬀord to be complacent and as such we are continuing to look at various ways to improve the member and guest experience. Ernie is certainly very proud of what the team have achieved thus far at the ﬁrst Els Club here in Dubai and is passionate about the project at large.

COURSE FOCUS THE ELS CLUB

CHRIS BROWN: “We have hosted a number of prestigious events at The Els Club in our first five years of operation and as we continue to improve our offering who knows, maybe one day we can place the Club on the world stage.” www.wwgolf.biz

Traveller WORLDWIDE GOLF

A gem on the Costa del Sol to rival nearby Valderrama

La Reserva Golf Club DESPITE its tender age, La Reserva Golf Club in Sotogrande has become one of the most prestigious sought-after courses in Spain and \ISM[ Q\[ XTIKM IUWVO -]ZWXM¼[ \Z]M PW\ OWTÅVO destinations.

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esigned by Cabell Robinson and opened in 2004, La Reserva is situated in a spectacular location on Spain’s Costa Del Sol which offers stunning views of both the nearby ocean and the mountains.

The golf course is located within two valleys which eventually join at a point to form a “Y” shape. When the site was ﬁrst developed, all the trees and plants that were to be kept were moved to a nearby nursery before being replanted in their original positions and they now lend the course a rich, natural covering of foliage. La Reserva measures almost 7,400 yards from the Championship tees but the fairways provide fairly large targets meaning you can give it that little bit extra when driving the ball. The putting surfaces are also large and lightening quick but if you can ﬁnd the middle of each green in regulation you should have a good chance of a birdie. Water is dotted about the course and visible on at least six of the holes adding an extremely aesthetically

pleasing element to La Reserva and also creating a stern challenge, particularly on the par-4 17th where a lake runs right up the entire right-hand side. There are also plenty of big wide bunkers awaiting any wayward shots. In 2007 the course was given the ‘Madera Verde’ award for environmental responsibility after setting a superb example of how to run an institution with a high level of respect for the environment. The Clubhouse is a bold looking mansion with facilities to suit both the members and guests in equal measure. It offers five multifunctional rooms with an English-style bar, two dining rooms, a meeting room, TV room, fitness centre, a wide terrace overlooking the golf course for non-members and two members-only terraces with equally stunning views. The central courtyard entry has clear echoes of ancient Arabia and the insides have a rustic yet refined feel. A true Spanish gem that’s well worth a visit during a golf holiday on the Costa Del Sol.

La Reserva Golf Club, Av La Reserva, s/n, 11310 San Roque, Cádiz, Spain T: +34 956 78 52 52 | E: lareserva@sotogrande.com | W: www.sotogrande.com

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Book a Four Ball and Only Pay for Three

As a UAE Resident enjoy an 18 hole round of golf with friends or colleagues at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club on weekdays and for each four ball booked the fourth golfer plays for free! OĆ¤er is Ualid for UAE residents from 2unday to Thursday until 1 th October 2013 eWcluding public holidays. The complimentary green fee will be the lowest applicable rate among the four players is not Ualid for group bookings and cannot be used in conjunction with any other oĆ¤er or promotion.

For tee time bookings please contact Dubai Golf on +971 4 380 1234 or email golfbooking@dubaigolf.com www.dubaigolf.com

LOCAL NEWS

ARABIANGOLF

June’s selection of local news ARABIAN RANCHES GOLF CLUB YAS LINKS GOLF CLUB EMIRATES GOLF CLUB DUBAI CREEK GOLF & YACHT CLUB TECH ACCESS INTERNATIONAL PAIRS SHARJAH GOLF & SHOOTING CLUB JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES THE ADDRESS MONTGOMERIE DUBAI ARABIAN RANCHES GOLF CLUB ABU DHABI GOLF CLUB SAADIYAT BEACH GOLF CLUB

68 73 74 76 78 79 80 80 81 82 83

84 84 85 85 86 86 87 87 88 89 89

AL AIN EQUESTRIAN SHOOTING & GOLF CLUB AL GHAZAL GOLF CLUB YAS LINKS GOLF CLUB ABU DHABI CITY GOLF CLUB AL HAMRA GOLF CLUB TOWER LINKS GOLF CLUB DIRAB GOLF CLUB INTERCONTINENTAL RIYADH ALMOUJ GOLF THE WAVE, MUSCAT, OMAN MUSCAT HILLS GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB THE ROYAL GOLF CLUB, BAHRAIN

AJYAL JUNIOR LEAUGUE CONCLUDES WITH EXCELLENT SCORING

ENTRIES OPEN FOR DUBAI GOLF SUMMER SERIES Entries for the 2013 Dubai Golf Summer Series, sponsored by Pro Sports, are now open. Challenge yourself in what is guaranteed to be an exciting competition over four fixtures on the championship courses at Emirates Golf Club and Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club.

FIXTURES Fixture

Location

Date

Time (shotgun)

Dubai Creek

Saturday 8th June

13.30

Emirates Golf Club – Faldo

Friday 12th July

18.00

Dubai Creek

Friday 23rd August

13.30

Emirates Golf Club – Majlis

Saturday 31st August

13.30

Open to all golfers with a valid handicap, the competition is an individual Stableford with full course handicap allowance. Participants are able to enter just one event or all four, however to compete for the overall prize a minimum of three scores must be recorded, individual prizes supplied by Ping, Greg Norman, FootJoy and Titleist will also be awarded at each event. The player with the highest points tally over their best three rounds wins the series.

Tournament fees per event Visitor AED 375 EGF AED 275 Junior AED 125

To register for the 2013 Dubai Golf Summer Series please contact: golfoffice@dubaigolf.com or call +971 4 380 1752

THE Ajyal Golf Championship National Par-3 League concluded with its sixth and final event at Emirates Golf Club recently with 30 youngsters teeing it up under the patronage of the children of Sheikh Diab bin Sair Al Nahyan. Players were divided in three divisions throughout the series and played in an individual format at different Par-3 courses throughout the UAE. Khaled Al Mutawa of Division ‘A’ and Khalil Kashwani from Division ‘B’ both improve on their second place finish at the previous event by taking the honours after some superb play. Al Mutawa scored a gross 38 over the nine holes which saw him complete a one-stroke win over the Order of Merit champion Mahmood Skaik while Kashwani won his first event with a gross 22 over six holes, four strokes clear of Abdulraham Rashid. The introduction of an all-girls division saw Rouda Rashid take the honours with a six-hole gross score of 25 for a four-stroke win over the previous month’s winner Tara Al Marzouqi who sealed second place outright on a countback from Maryam Al Marzouqi. “We are pleased to introduce these events for our youngsters who are on the programme already and I am sure this is going to be the beginning of many more events that will be organised in the future for our young Emiratis,” said Khalid Al Shamsi, Secretary General of the Federation. “With a competitive atmosphere to the game, we will soon be seeing some of these players making it to National Team levels. “I am sure with the continued support from the Al Nahyan family and parents, the league will continue to grow bigger and better. We are also grateful to all participating clubs who help in making our league a success.”

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ARABIAN RANCHES GOLF CLUB www.arabianranchesgolfclubdubai.com

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ARABIAN RANCHES – THE JEWEL IN THE DESERT Arabian Ranches Golf Club located in the heart of the Arabian Ranches opened its doors in February, 2004 and was built as a true 18 holes, par 72 desert-style grass course, a signature course designed by 1991 British Open Championship winner,Ian Baker-Finch in association with Nicklaus Design.

RANCHES CLUBHOUSE THE luxurious Spanish Colonial Clubhouse was the first in the region to open guest rooms within the Clubhouse, 11 in total. The Clubhouse hosts a fully stocked Pro-Shop, with all the latest golf apparel and Hardware available, a Grand Lobby, and the Baker-Finch Room complimented by a Terrace and the Birkdale Bar, a most exclusive venue to entertain your guests in a striking, luxurious location. At the Arabian Ranches Golf Club, the Clubhouse boasts the Ranches Restaurant and Bar with the Terrace hosting panoramic scenic views over the 9th and 18th holes. It’s a great place to meet and try the new International Menu, which also includes the launch of a sumptuous Friday Brunch.

THE ACADEMY Arabian Ranches Golf Academy is the ideal environment to achieve the golf you may have always dreamed about playing. The Academy incorporates areas designed specifically for practising the varied skills of the game with individual practice areas for putting, short game and swing technique. The Par-3 Academy course will further enhance your skills as a player. The length of the course is ideal to gain confidence in playing as a beginner or as an accomplished golfer to test your short game distance control. The Par-3 course is also ideal for a quick nine holes to finish off the day. Our P.G.A. 68

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Qualified Golf Professionals have a selection of coaching programmes designed to meet your golfing needs, whether you are a beginner taking your first steps in the game or an established golfer looking to improve your skills. Alternatively, speak to our P.G.A. Professional staff and they will construct a programme specifically designed for your requirements to improve your all round golfing ability. Inside the Academy we have a selection of the latest golf equipment from top brands for demonstration and, on request, can arrange a custom fitting session for you to enhance your performance with the latest in equipment technology.

Contact one of the Golf Professionals for your personal evaluation. Call the Academy on 04-3664704/5 or e-mail Golfacademy@arabianranchesgolf.ae

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

Meeting and Event Facilities ARABIAN Ranches Golf Club is now a recognised preferred meeting and events venue, with three indoor function rooms and an outside terrace, accommodating, separately and collectively, from 30 to 300 guests. Set in the ideal location in the centre of the Arabian Ranches community within the Golf Clubhouse, with ample daylight, these facilities are not only ideal for corporate and social functions but the venues provide the perfect environment for team-building exercises. There are also suitable ‘break-out rooms’ set within the golfing atmosphere for existing as well as non-golfers. The 11 accompanying well appointed Guest Rooms also add considerable value to this ideal function venue.

Dining / Meeting and Function Facilities RANCHES RESTAURANT

THE RANCHES RESTAURANT AND BAR at Arabian Ranches Golf Club has a popular, well-positioned Terrace with spectacular panoramic views over the 9th and 18th holes. The Restaurant offers a tantalising array of international cuisine created by Chef Shibu and his team. Hours of operation are 6: 30am to 10:30pm for last food orders with the licensed bar closing at midnight. FRIDAY & SATURDAY LATE BREAKFAST Open from 10: 00 am to 2: 00 pm. Weekend mornings are best spent at the idyllic Ranches Restaurant, with panoramic vistas over the golf course. Be spoilt for choice with the lavish international breakfast buffet and tempting live food stations. AED 99.00. THE RANCHES RESTAURANT THEME NIGHTS Tired of the same old, same old? The Ranches Restaurant is releasing new exciting theme cuisine nights and entertainment to get you through the week. TUESDAY QUIZ NIGHT Unleash the quiz whiz in you once a week at the Ranches Restaurant Quiz Night for a chance to win prizes on offer, while helping yourself to an impressive British buffet.

WEDNESDAY BBQ RIBS & CHOPS NIGHT Enjoy a selection of sizzling meats and succulent seafood straight oﬀ the grill and cooked to your liking on BBQ Night.

SUNDAY CHEESE & GRAPE NIGHT Enjoy the company of friends and Family with the best Cheese & Grapes on offer.

THURSDAY MEDITERRANEAN NIGHT Enjoy exquisite Mediterranean cuisine every Thursday night at the Ranches.

Birdies Sports Lounge is located within The Academy building at Arabian Ranches Golf Club. This venue has been specifically designed to accommodate sports fanatics who appreciate a relaxing, comfortable lounge in which to enjoy watching their favourite sports on the large screens. Sample favourites from the sportsthemed menu specially created for half time! Hours of operation 6: 30am - 10: 30 pm last food orders with the licensed bar closing at midnight.

BIRDIES SPORTS LOUNGE

FRIDAY INDIAN NIGHT Enjoy the traditional taste of India every Friday! SATURDAY MEXICAN NIGHT Mexican Night provides the ideal comfort food and a great way to bring the weekend to a close.

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ARABIAN RANCHES GOLF CLUB www.arabianranchesgolfclubdubai.com

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

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On-Course Improvements WHEN the golf course opened in 2004 it quickly gained a reputation as the toughest course in the Middle East. In order to protect the manicured greens, tees and fairways from sand been blown across them more than 500 plants had been brought in from the desert to form a type of wind barrier. However, following the completion of the surrounding homes and the Arabian Ranches Community the golf course is not as exposed as it once was. This meant that the extra plants brought in prior to the course opening needed to be removed as they could not be maintained properly. They had grown so much so much that they began to make playing the course extremely difficult. The Golf course was renamed Arabian Ranches Golf Club in 2006 and during the 2005/06 season work began on clearing the bushes after feedback from the membership and golfing population of the UAE. As the bushes were removed from the sand alongside the fairways and around the greens

THE 13th Hole at Arabian Ranches Golf Club before the removal of the offending ballgobbling bushes (right) and now with clear sandy spaces to play your second shot (far right).

The View from the 8th tee before the long grasses and bushes were taken out (right) and now with its welcoming wide open spaces.

THE 3rd Hole before, with its many bushes ready to eat up any misplaced shot (right) and now with its clean, open sandy area enticing the golfer to go for their shots (far right).

the grass was encouraged to grow out into these areas to create wider, less penal playing areas. Many of the desert bushes are trimmed on a regular basis as they grow very quickly, particularly during the summer months as they thrive on moisture from the humid conditions. Plants can grow in excess of 8ft tall and 5ft wide and in some areas the can reache 18ft high and 10ft wide. Their removal has greatly enhanced playing conditions and the homeowners’ views of the golf course. One of the complaints that troubled the staff at Arabian Ranches was that these plants gobbled up so many balls and some grew so tall that players unfamiliar with the course could not see where they were playing towards. Now, thanks to the removal of these bushes views from the tee boxes have improved and balls that run out of fairway are no longer lost in the prickly bushes, meaning approach shots to

the green can be played from the sandy areas and don’t have to be hacked out sideways back into play. Course designer Ian Baker-Finch is delighted with how the maintenance has developed saying the course is now back to how he first created it and is playable by any standard of golfer. “I am pleased with the recent progress at Arabian Ranches,” says Baker-Finch. “The course is so much more enjoyable for all levels of play and it has enhanced the look and playability. “The course is meant to be a wide, enticing layout with firm, fast fairways and greens like any great links and now, any balls that run out of fairway and into the desert areas can be hit cleanly towards the green. “The original problem came with the irrigation system first installed with 360deg. directional heads instead of a hard line or 180deg. set of heads on the rough lines. The desert areas grow prolifically when watered which was never my intention with my original design plan.”

It’s Back Yas Links 2013 Amazing Summer Passport

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For more information please contact info@yaslinks.com or call 02 810 7710 Terms & conditions apply Passports are subject to availability

EMIRATES GOLF CLUB www.dubaigolf.com

EmiratesGolfClub

MASSIVE TURN OUT FOR CAPTAIN’S DAY CLUB Captain Moshe Kohli raised the bar for Captains Day at Emirates Golf Club by hosting a shamble tournament over both the Faldo and Majlis courses which attracted a staggering 232 players. The remarkable turnout reflected the strength of the membership at Emirates Golf Club as well as the popularity of Captain Kohli. The starting field was split into two groups with Group ‘A’ playing the ‘front nines’ of the Faldo and Majlis and Group ‘B’ competing on the back nine holes. On paper the front nine holes are usually the toughest but this was not reflected in some fantastic scoring with the quartet of Gerard Kehoe, Selma Kehoe, David Richardson and Jenny Richardson signing for a superb score of 29-under-par 113 to take first place. The competitors experienced some excellent hospitality on the course including food and beverage stations and even the luxury of a massage station, sponsored by Midcom. The Midcom team also enjoyed the format as the team of Vikram Arora, Anand Kapoor, Anvita Kapoor and

Moshe Kohli and His Excellency Sanjay Verma, Consul General of India, hand out the prizes to three members of the winning team from Group B – Andrew Robinson (second from left) and Janet and Bob Curtis (right). Akash Kumar combined to card a tally of 114 to claim second place while third place in Group ‘A’went to Maura Duggan, Frank Duggan, Paul Byrne and Saeed Fahim after signing for a 115 tally. Group ‘B’, which played the back nines on both courses, was also closely contested with two shots separating the top three teams and coming out on top with a 116 total were Trevor Hardwick, Bob Curtis, Janet Curtis and Andrew Robinson. Two teams carded a score of 118 and after a countback the team of Anand Lakhiani , Nelly Amarnani, Ishu Rupani

and Jamshed Batliwala claimed second place ahead of Mike Pearce, Lesley Pearce, Kevin Thorp and Liz Thorp. The day started with the traditional Captain’s drive-in and Captain Kohli

couldn’t match his season-opening tee shot of 281 yards as the 230 spectators may have added a little pressure and he pulled his tee shot before it settled 230 yards from the tee.

SERIFA DE SOUZA LANDS THE EMIRATES LADIES AMATEUR OPEN

Mego Han receives her prize from Lady Captain Glynis Hendry and Cragg Martch from sponsors Maui Jim.

HAN TAKES SPOILS IN GLYNIS HENDRY’S LADY CAPTAINS DAY IN an ironic twist of fate it was Dubai Creek’s Lady Captain Mego Han who won the main tournament on oﬀer at Glynis Hendry’s Lady Captains Day at EGC recently. Han put together an impressive haul of 50 Stableford points to take the prize by one from Lynne Whitelaw who in turn defeated Carol Harris after a card countback. In addition to the main prize there were many side competitions including an intriguing Nearest the Pin contest on hole 7 which was judged by who could throw the ball the closest. Winning that contest was Lorraine Main while other prizes went to Rekha Bandopadhyay (Nearest the Pin on holes 1 and 11), Mimi Hosking (Longest Drive on hole 3), Ninu Smith (Nearest the Pin on hole 9), Clare Hand (Nearest the Pin on hole 12) and Noemy Bertuol (Nearest the pin on hole 15). 74

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SERIFA De Souza carded a gross 5-over-par 77 to win the coveted Ladies Emirates Amateur Open Championship by one stroke from Julia Alhemoud over the Majlis course recently. The youngster, who plays out of Dubai Creek, had a shaky start with bogeys on holes 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 but she rallied with back-to-back birdies on holes 7 and 8. She picked up further strokes on holes 11 and 16 but they were intertwined with bogeys which threatened to scupper her chances of victory before it was revealed her nearest challenger Alhemoud came up just short. Taking third place with an 82 was Kavita Sehmi while in the Net category Aashaka Desai took the spoils with a 69 ahead of H.H Choi and Josie Tracey who took second and third place respectively.

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

YOUSUF TRIUMPHS IN DUBAI DUTY FREE UAE NATIONALS CUP KHALID Yousuf benefited from his vast experience of the Nick Faldo designed course at Emirates Golf Club to fire a gross 73 for a Stableford tally of 36 points to clinch the Dubai Duty Free UAE Nationals Cup recently. The star of the UAE National Team started very strongly, picking up birdies on holes 1 and 3 to see him out in 2-under par. Five straight pars followed from the 10th however a trio of bogeys from the 15th cost him three shots but it proved academic as he clinched a two-point win over a handful of players who finished with on 34. After a three-way countback it was Tariq Al Suwadi who took second place outright thanks to his better back nine with third place going to Faisal Al Sayegh. Saif Thabet missed out on a place on the podium and had to settle for fourth place but his gross score of 76 saw him clinch the gross prize because Yousuf had already won the overall prize. The Junior trophy was taken by Abdulla Al Qubaisi with a 29-point haul while Mohammed Darwish and Ahmed Al Mazrui also took home prizes after they won the Nearest the Pin and Longest Drive challenges respectively. “The annual Dubai Duty Free UAE Nationals Cup has been running for 19 years and the tournament has grown quite popular with junior Emirati golfers as well,” said Salah Tahlak, Senior Vice President – Corporate Communications

Dubai Duty Free Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications, Salah Tahlak and Sinead El Sibai, Vice President for Marketing present Khalid Yousuf with the trophy. of Dubai Duty Free. “Thanks to my team at Dubai Duty Free and to the Emirates Golf Club, I hope to see you all again for the tournament’s 20th year celebration.”

The winning Scottish team of Lady Captain Glynis Hendry and Vice Lady Captain Barbara Head receive their prize from Academy Professional Mark Bruce.

MONTGOMERIE DEFEAT EGC IN THE INAUGURAL QUAICH MATCH THE Montgomerie Dubai, captained by John Brash triumphed over Moshe Kohli’s Emirates team in the inaugural ‘Quaich’ interclub match recently as they came out on top in a Ryder Cup-style event between 20 members from each club. The winning team in each of the 10 matches claimed a point for their respective side and for those matches ﬁnishing early; the remaining holes were played for an additional half point. EGC’s Kohli and Turlik secured 1.5 points in the lead oﬀ match against Brash and Pitman but The Montgomerie’s Nick Hymas and Juan

Pujana defeated Dick Purchase and Drummond Welsh 2&1. The third match also went to the visitors with Alex Kuk and Cedric Fevre beating Amr Salem and Lalu Mahtani 4&3 but Gurinder Singh and Nishith Patel claimed a 1 hole victory for the hosts over Anthony Clarke and Myung Kyu Shi. The best performance of the day came from Alex Andarakis and Stephen Styen as they claimed a 5&3 victory for team Montgomerie. Peter Pavy and Sanjeev Gheewala and Anand Lakhiani and Vijay Devnani secured points for Emirates but the last three pairings for Montgomerie

HENDRY AND HEAD WIN THE LADIES NATIONS CUP FOR SCOTLAND

all clinched narrow matches including John McMenemy, John Aslett, Debbie Murray, Jo Higgins, Kerry Fitzpatrick and Jane Gray. The end result saw Montgomerie scoring 7.5 points to Emirates’ 6 to grant them the title. The return ﬁxture will be staged at the Montgomerie Dubai later this year.

THE Scottish team of Lady Captain Glynis Hendry and Lady Vice Captain Barbara Head scored a stunning 52 betterball Stableford points on the Majlis course to take home the Ladies nations Cup. Finishing in second place just one point back was the Danish team represented by Claudia Ballerslev and Helle Larsen while in third place with 49 points was the Argentinean team of Sandra Broedelet and Maggie Neil. www.wwgolf.biz

DUBAI CREEK GOLF AND YACHT CLUB www.dubaigolf.com

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From left: Alan MacKenzie (Director of Golf, Dubai Creek), Maureen Platt (Lady Captain, Dubai Creek), Brigitta Dagostin (Managing Director, Mona Emirates Trading LLC), Parth Goel (Junior Champion), Ryan Riley (Men’s Champion), Nasha Sarkari (Lady Champion), George Horan (Captain, Dubai Creek), Rashid Hamood (Asst. Golf Experience Manager, Dubai Creek).

RILEY AND SARKARI ARE CROWNED CLUB CHAMPIONS RYAN Riley and Nasha Sarkari were crowned the Club Champions last month after two days of solid play around the Dubai Creek course. Riley held his nerve to see off defending champion Bayhaan Lakdawala by three strokes while Sarkari clinched her fourth successive Club Championship crown four strokes ahead of H. H. Choi. Riley fired a superb 3-under-par 68 on day one which opened a three-shot gap over two-time DCGYC Club Champion Jay Varkey, who recorded an excellent 71 while defending champion Bayhaan Lakdawala made a 2-over-par 73 to be drawn with Riley and Varkey in the final group on the second and final day. Riley played solidly on day two and held a three-shot lead over Lakdawala and a six shot lead over Varkey as they stepped onto the tee of the final hole of the championship and he duly held on to sign for a 1-under-par, two-day total of 141 to take the title. “It is an honour to win such a great event at such a great club,” said Riley. “I would like to thank all of the staff here at the Creek and also the sponsors for putting together such a great tournament. Also a very big thank you to my playing partners across both days for making this event such a memorable one.” With Lakdawala taking outright second place it was Paul King who sneaked

into third place courtesy of his strong finish as he won a countback over five-time winner Vikram Judge and Varkey. In the Ladies Championship it was Sarkari who took top honours as she made a third successive defence of her title. Despite a hand injury, Sarkari made two solid performances and finished with a two day total of 179 to win from H. H. Choi while Joy Lirio fired a net 72 on day one and went one better on day two to take the Ladies Net title with a 143 total. Ladies Vice-Captain Paula Savage finished runner-up with a net 145. In the Men’s Net division it was Ishwar Jodha who was triumphant after two rounds of net 68 and net 71 gave him a 139 total and a two-stroke win over Haroon Mahmood. The Junior Championship was a very closely contested affair with reigning champion Rayhan Thomas, Aryan Chordia and Parth Geol all finishing with a net 151 and instead of a countback to settle the scores they went back out onto the course to battle it out in a sudden death play-off. Prevailing on the third extra hole was Geol after he birdied the par-4 third hole while Dhruv Nair added another win to his growing list of achievements as he took the junior net division with a two-day total of 138, one clear of Fardeen Meeran.

MURNAGHAN SEALS THE MARK FAHY MEMORIAL TROPHY IN FINE STYLE OVER ﬁfty members of the Dubai Irish Golf Society (DIGS) took part in the annual Mark Fahy Memorial Trophy sponsored by Dubai Duty Free and coming out on top to win the overall prize was Paul Murnaghan with a fantastic score of 38 Stableford points. The event is organised in memory of Mark Fahy who was a prominent ﬁgure in the Irish community in Dubai before he passed away from cancer. As well as being a tribute to Mark the event also raises funds for various cancer charities with the help of long term sponsor Dubai Duty Free. 76

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The winner of the Men’s Division had to be decided on a countback and it was Andrew Glover who took the top spot with a stronger back nine over John Call with both players locked on 35 points. Brendan O’Connor collected third place while the overall Gross prize went to DIGS Captain Tom Hoban with 26 points. In the Ladies Division it was Maura Duggan who came out on top with a 32-point haul, one clear of Margaret Breen who had to settle for second place. “This annual golf event has grown quite popular seeing new members

Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman of Dubai Duty Free presents the trophy to overall winner Paul Murnaghan alongside George Horan, President and Sinead El Sibai, Vice President – Marketing, Dubai Duty Free along with this year’s Captain, Tom Hoban. playing every year,” said Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman of Dubai Duty Free. “Thanks to the new Captain Tom Hoban, my team at Dubai Duty Free and to Dubai Creek

Golf & Yacht Club for making this year’s event so enjoyable. I am glad the competition was so closely contested and that a fun day seemed to have been had by all.”

LOCAL NEWS CONTACT: Tel : +971 4 295 6000 E-mail: dcgyc@dubaigolf.com

GLORY FOR XAVIER IN GOLD CUP THE second edition of the Mashreq Gold Cup in association with BMW and Harvey Nichols took place last month and taking the spoils to win her first victory in the series was Glory Xavier with a superb net 62. “It’s an honour to win this event and I would like to express my happiness and gratitude to be able to be part of it, also, to be part of such a great club,” said Xavier, who made a big move up the Order of Merit thanks to her win. “Everything came together in my game today and this is thanks to the continued support of my fellow players and my teaching professional. I would also like to thank my playing partners for their high levels of sportsmanship and etiquette”. Kennon Rider also picked up his first win of the series as he fired a solid net 72 to take top spot in Men’s Division ‘A’ by one from John Fellingham who in turn defeated Jamal Saab on a countback to take second place outright. A superb net 67 from Janish Khurana saw him clinch the Men’s Division ‘B’ title by two shots over Russell Hill while this event marked the introduction of the Senior’s category and taking the honours was the Club Captain George Horan with a solid net 77. H. H. Choi was also among the winners as she carded a solid 1-over par net

Club Captain George Horan (left) and Director of Golf Alan Mackenzie (right) are pictured with winner Glory Xavier. 72 to take the Ladies Division title while Dino Varkey ﬁnish level par to claim the overall gross prize. Junior member Montgomery Stapleton put in his best performance of the year to take the junior division with a superb net 66.

CREEK TAKE THE LADIES INTERCLUB EVENT

All the winners are pictured alongside golf professionals Kenny Monaghan and Cyril Rozes.

CREEK JUNIORS DOMINATE THE DUBAI GOLF PAR 3 SERIES ON HOME SOIL THE ﬁnal event of the Dubai Golf Par-3 Series recently took place at Dubai Creek and the home players took full advantage as the winner in each division came from the Creek. Over 70 juniors from the both the Creek and Emirates Golf Club participated and as well as the divisional prizes on the day the ﬁnal Order of Merit standings also had to be settled. Taking the top spot in the Masters Division was Joshua Hill thanks to a score of 26 while a 25 gave Eshna Bhargava the honours in the Gold Division. Coming out on top in the Silver and Bronze Divisions were Veer Judge and Hoshi Yadav with scores of 34 and 35 respectively while in the Cadet Division Krishna Kakar topped the pile with a 53. Over the series of seven events points have been tallied to form an

Order of Merit within each Division and again it was Dubai Creek juniors who dominated, winning all ﬁve. Dhruv Nair won the Masters OOM while the Gold and Silver honours went to Mekayl Majid and Toby Bishop respectively. Mikhil Yadav won the Bronze Order of Merit while the Cadets award went to Syraat Arghandiwal. “This was the ﬁrst year of the Dubai Golf Par 3 Series and in total we have had 113 children competing in the events from both Dubai creek and Emirates Golf Club,” said Dubai Creek golf professional Kenny Monaghan as he handed out the prizes. “I am sure these events will grow from strength to strength, the talent on show has been incredible I am already looking forward to getting the children started again next season.”

AFTER an epic battle between 11 teams from across the Emirates it was the Dubai Creek team – playing on home soil – who triumphed in the Rayhaan Rotana Ladies Interclub Championship Final last month. The Final took place between three teams as Arabian Ranches, Sharjah and Northern Emirates and the Dubai Creek team all teed it up with a chance of victory. With the format being individual Stableford and the best eight scores to count from a 10-man team, all clubs knew the importance of gaining valuable points to help their team’s overall score. By the end of a tense day the hosts, led by Lady Captain Maureen Platt, took the honours with a 16-point win over Sharjah and Northern Emirates. “We have had such a nice day today and to take the title home was the icing on the cake,”smiled Platt after the victory. “I’d like to thank all Dubai Creek’s golf operational team for the smooth running of today and my ﬁnal thank you is to all the ladies who competed. This event is truly special and one that ladies from all over the Emirates look forward to each year.” The best individual score on the day went to The Montgomerie Dubai’s Elsie Bruce with 38 points, two clear of Dubai Creek duo Yuko Tsukiori and Mego Hann. The Best Club performance on the day came from the Ladies of Abu Dhabi Golf Club as they totalled and impressive 248 points.

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Ishwar Jodha and Ashok Ahuja are pictured with Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club Lady Captain Maureen Platt.

ISHWAR AND ASHOK IN THRILLING LAST-MINUTE CREEK WIN ISHWAR Johda and Ashok Ahuja left it late but a net birdie by Jodha on their ﬁnal hole ensured victory and their place as the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club representatives in the 2013 Tech Access International Pairs UAE Presented by Cadillac National Final next month. With 39 points and safely in the clubhouse, it appeared that Ashok Kumar and Suresh Shewakramani had the win secured but Jodha and Ahuja were in the last group to ﬁnish and, with 40 points, clinched the top

LARRY Benson used his experience to guide his younger partner, Chris Moore to the 2012-13 International Pairs UAE National Final after an impressive 46-point haul. Benson, who qualified for the Final in the series’ inaugural year, knew what it would take to reach the next stage. After a late night preparation session with Moore, Benson set the stall out early by birdieing their opening hole for a net eagle and followed that with four net birdies in the next six holes. Despite their impressive total it was not a runaway victory as three teams chased them down and finished on 45 points. Ultimately it was their playing partners, Michelle Sandford and Sara Donovan who took the runners-up prize as their quest to become the first all-lady pairing ever to reach an International Pairs UAE Final came up one point shy. Some superb play saw them in with a chance to the end but ultimately bogeys on holes 1 and 8 cost them victory. Third place was taken by David Miles and Jim Doig as they defeated Marja Kohn and Anne McCarthy on a countback.

prize. The husband and wife pairing of Warren Panting and Vanessa North completed the podium line-up after a steady day on the course. Their 37 points was a creditable tally but they were never going to mount a serious challenge as they made too many early bogeys. Veteran Creek contender, Jamal Saab, won the Nearest the Pin prize on hole 5 while 2010-11 International Pairs UAE National ﬁnalist K.J. Singh took the honours on the 14th. Larry Benson and Chris Moore are pictured with AESGC Director of Golf, Gavin Chappell.

TEAMS SET FOR A CLASSIC FINAL AT YAS LINKS THE third International Pairs UAE National Final will take place at Yas Links on Friday 7th June as one of the finest courses in the world hosts the Final for the second consecutive year with 16 pairs from around the UAE gearing up for what will undoubtedly a hotly contested event. Sixteen clubs have played qualifiers which were open exclusively to their members over the season with one pair winning through to take part in the National Final. The winners of this will then proceed to the International Pairs World Final in Scotland where they will compete with teams from over 30 countries. With only 15 pairs to beat, all teams will fancy their chances of victory and it is difficult to pick a clear favourite. Last year, juniors featured in the UAE Final but with none in the field this year and six mixed teams in the draw, perhaps this year will see the first lady to represent the UAE. Of these, Elizabeth Campbell will play 78

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on her home course alongside Bill Lisgo but the ever-dangerous Alan and Soumaya Salem will be keen to add yet another big win to their tally. Two qualiﬁers were played within two months of the National Final so if current form is to be used as a yardstick, Ishwar Jodha and Ashok Ahuja from Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club may start amongst the favourites as well as Larry Benson and Chris Moore from Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club. Big things are expected from Rene Valencia and Ramesh Emmanuel of Al Ghazal Golf Club who are make their second consecutive appearance in the ﬁnal. However, Yas Links has a reputation

for being a tough course requiring patience as well as perseverance and with youth and solid handicaps in their favour the teams from Al Badia Golf Club and Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club will probably be the ones to beat. Antony Su and Zhendong Tan who boast the lowest handicaps in the ﬁeld (3.5 & 3.6) cruised to a comfortable win in the Al Badia event while Westley Burke and Mark Dupree travel well and both have experience around the UAE, particularly Burke who is will defend his Ras Al Khaimah Ramadan Open title this summer. It’s all set up to be a classic winner-takes-it-all battle on the links.

2013 INTERNATIONAL PAIRS FINALISTS ARABIAN RANCHES GOLF CLUB Rania Hage & Graham Atherton ABU DHABI CITY GOLF CLUB Sid Elday & CJ Niver YAS LINKS Elizabeth Campbell & Bill Lisgo EMIRATES GOLF CLUB Alan & Soumaya Salem THE ADDRESS MONTGOMERIE DUBAI Michael Thompson & James Haupt AL HAMRA GOLF CLUB Anthony Cashman & Li Min Ma TOWER LINKS GOLF CLUB Alistair Purves & Jeﬀ Glasgow AL GHAZAL GOLF CLUB Rene Valencia & Ramesh Emmanuel AL BADIA GOLF CLUB Antony Su & Zhendong Tan JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES Mark & Ingrid Harris EMIRATES GOLF FEDERATION Alan Penford & Martin Hunt SHARJAH WANDERERS GOLF CLUB Alan & Josie Bushnell ELS CLUB Manish Joshi & Satyamurthy Srinivasan SHARJAH GOLF & SHOOTING CLUB Westley Burke & Mark Dupree DUBAI CREEK GOLF & YACHT CLUB Ishwar Jodha & Asjok Ahuja AL AIN EQUESTRIAN, SHOOTING & GOLF CLUB Larry Benson & Chris Moore

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RAVI COMES OUT ON TOP IN INAUGURAL CAPTAINS DAY THE first Captain’s Day at SGSC saw A.E. Ravi take the spoils with a superb haul of 46 Stableford points around an amended course with numerous challenges and bonus points up for grabs throughout the 18 holes. Ravi produced 25 points on his front nine which included a power-play birdie for six points on hole 3 and a net eagle on the shortened sixth hole. Another four points were claimed on hole 12 and he went on to win ahead of second placed Anil Sukhia with Scratch League member Sunny Ramadas in third. The day’s on course challenges, laid out by the Clubs Captains, included blindfolded tee shots, tee shots from off a plastic cup and taking swings with a swiss ball between your legs. Numerous other prizes were provided courtesy of the two Captains with prizes distributed to Anita DeForce, Maureen Platt (guest), Gary Langthorne, Nicola Milton and Joe Marshall. At the presentation Men’s Captain Mel Stewart addressed the full field of 56 players thanking them for their support both on the day and over the past season.

A. E. Ravi proudly holds the Stewart Trophy, flanked by Club Captains Mel and Jacqui Stewart and other winners on the day. Stewart expressed what an honour it had been for him and his wife to be asked to be the club’s ﬁrst Captains and also wished their successors Jean Pierre Simon and Susie Cottam the best for their tenure when it starts in October.

RAMADAS WINS WITH A FLOURISH MALAYSIAN Sunny Ramadas destroyed the ﬁeld in the recent Coral Beach Resorts Midweek Stableford after a hugely impressive 21-point haul saw him home by two clear points. The Division ‘1’ prize went to Englishman Rory Thomson after he downed Korea’s B.J Kim in a countback with both players scoring a level-par 18 points while Choon Choi netted 19 points over the nine holes to take the honours in Division ‘2’.

VERMA AND DAS AMONG THE PRIZES AGAIN THE deadly duo of Vivien Verma and Sanjoy Das were once again amongst the prizes in the pairs BMW Members & Guests Social last month, continuing their winning ways from the previous month. Having won the betterball format in the April edition they combined even more successfully this time around to pick up the overall prize with a highly impressive net score of 61.8. Winning the front nine Texas Scramble format was the Indian duo of Abdul Moiz Khan and Tariq Deenah with a score of 30.8 while the back nine betterball format went to the father and son pair of Mohammed Bin Idris and Zubair Bin Firdaus after they scored an incredible net 25. The winners were joined on the stage by Tim Wade who managed to scoop both the Nearest The Pin and Longest Drive awards for the ﬁrst time in the competition’s history.

KIM TAKES THE CBR MIDWEEK BOGEY KOREAN J.J Kim proved victorious in the recent Coral Beach Resorts Midweek Bogey after a narrow countback win over Salim Shaikh and Kavit Paucha. All three players ﬁnished 2up on the course but it was Kim who prevailed thanks to his stronger ﬁnish. Despite missing out on the overall prize Shaikh and Paucha both ended up victorious as they topped the pile in Divisions ‘1’ and ‘2’ respectively.

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PASCAL AND WALSH CROWNED CLUB CHAMPIONS GRAHAM Pascal overturned a two-shot overnight deficit to be crowned the 2013 Club Champion while the Ladies Championship went to Michelle Walsh as she cruised to a 15-stroke victory. After a tense first day over the Fire course Pascal found himself behind Guy Walker but during the second day on the Earth course he made his move and signed for an 8-over-par 152 total to win head of Nick Lloyd with defending champion Bilbo Perrot third after a countback win. Sadly for Walker he failed to capitalise on his opening day momentum and fell out of contention to finish down the leaderboard. Ladies winner Michelle Walsh opened up with a 79 and followed it with an 85 to post a gross 164 and seal a 15-stroke win ahead of Noorath Thongdee. The Ladies Net Division also saw a dominant figure emerge as Zuzana Pourova extended her first day lead to win with a 127 total. The Men’s Net category was a very close affair with both Lars Nielson and

The gross and net Club Champions are pictured with their trophies. Aamer Zaidi in the clubhouse with a 7-under-par net 137 total and both gearing themselves up for a card play-oﬀ. However, they needn’t have bothered as they were both usurped at the top by Hisham Shammas who returned a net 2-under-par 70 on day two to sign for a 136 total and snatch the top prize. As it turned out Nielsen took second place outright ahead of Aamer after their inward nines were compared.

BRANNAN AND RICHARDSON SHOOT LOW TO TAKE THE PAIRS TROPHY GAVIN Brannan and Paul Richardson closed out a solid victory in the recent Fairmont The Palm Pairs Trophy which was played over two days on ﬁrst the Fire course and then the Earth course last month. The duo took a three-shot lead ahead of JGE members Jon Parsons and Nigel Sterling-Smith into the second day after a superb gross 75 gave them a net 62 while Peter and Anne Bauer were in third place heading into the ﬁnal day with a 67.

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The winners collect their prizes from Club Captains Kerry Fitzpatrick and John Brash.

SIMPSON AND HIGGINS CROWNED CLUB CHAMPIONS CHARLIE Simpson clinched the Men’s Club Championship title thanks to an excellent level-par 144 total while Jo Higgins was crowned the Ladies Champion after she downed Angela Calvert in a play-oﬀ. Higgins and Calvert couldn’t be separated after 36 holes so 80

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One team made their move early on day two as Peter West and David Robinson recorded a superb score of 65 to rise up the leaderboard and post a clubhouse target of 136. Stuart Cameron and Mathew Board also shot an excellent 65 and they moved into the lead – albeit briefly – on 135. However, both of these late moves were to be denied by the overnight leaders as Brannan and Richardson posted a final round greensome score of 62 to cross the finish line in first place.

sudden-death was required to decide a winner. The pair replayed the 18th but both made par and after they holed out it was decided that the play-oﬀ couldn’t continue due to bad light. They returned the following morning and it was Higgins who

provided the killer blow on the ﬁrst hole of the day. Calvert may have missed out on the gross prize but she did take home the ladies Net title. In the Men’s Net section Dave Russell and Matt Bradley won their respective Divisions to etch their name on the Roll of Honour.

GREAT WIN FOR WOOLER IN BMW PHILLIP Wooller captured the Men’s Division ‘A’ title in the recent BMW Stableford with an excellent haul of 37 points while Mark Gillings was the victor in Division ‘B’ with 40 points. The ladies section saw Frances Westwood and Veronique Brouwers each win their respective divisions to round out the prizes.

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RAIN DOESN’T DAMPEN THE 2013 BARCLAYS TEAM CLASSIC ON a day when rain threatened to dampen spirits at the inaugural Team Classic sponsored by Barclays the team of Chris Miller, Ron Murphy, Austin Hurlbut and Ian Byers emerged from under their umbrellas with a score of 55 to win by 1.6 shots. The event was a four-player scramble and produced magniﬁcent competition amongst the 88 teams who teed it up and the eventual winner’s scorecard consisted of an outward gross 27 and an inward 31. Max Burrow, Andre Coetzee, Paul Clark and John Mooney were early Clubhouse leaders when they posted 56.7 but they were soon relegated to second place and then down to third after being edged out by the winners and the second placed team of Brian Banner, Nick Cates, Gary Swan and Ed McDonald who scored 56.6.

BUGGY TALK AROUND THE TURN I was playing a round of golf recently, on one of those days when the wind was up and we were playing through a haze of dust and sand. It was 'around the turn' when my buggy partner and friend, Mark, took out his blue inhaler and used it for the fourth or fifth time. He had been coughing and wheezing throughout the round but didn’t seen too bothered by how he sounded. When he saw me looking at him, concerned, he said, "My asthma is always like this when the dust gets up. It only lasts a few days, then I'm back to normal." I asked him how often he used his inhaler normally, to which he replied, “a couple of times most days.” I then asked him if he used any inhalers to prevent him getting like this to which he replied, "I think I've got an old one at home somewhere but it never seemed to help much. I like this inhaler; it always makes me feel better and pretty quickly too.” "Mark!" I exclaimed, "I never realised just how poorly controlled your asthma is. How long have we known each other? I'm ashamed!" "You know me,” he replied, shrugging his shoulders, "I'm not very sporty or active. Sitting in a golf buggy is as active as I get, so wheezing and coughing a bit during the day or night is something I've just got used to.” "You sound like an old pair of bellows. It may not bother you, but it's putting me off my game. Look at my score! You're seeing your doc tomorrow and no buts." Mark did see his doctor and when I saw him a few weeks later he was like a new man."I'm even thinking about buying a bicycle and getting fit, now that I can breathe," he smiled, "Thanks!" Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition which produces reversible narrowing of the small airways in the lungs, characterised by cough, wheeze, shortness of breath and a tight chest. It requires regular daily medication to relieve the symptoms, and if managed properly it should have little or no impact or restrictions on normal daily activities. There can be many triggers including allergens like dust, animals and pollens, irritants like smoking and strong smells, weather, exercise and illnesses. There are now excellent medications, both inhalers and tablets, which control the symptoms and allow the sufferer to lead an entirely normal life. Some of the world’s most successful sports men and women have asthma and, despite this, have achieved great things. Asthma can no longer be used as an excuse not to participate fully in life.

GALEPPINI CRUISES TO MEDAL VICTORY EDOARDO Galeppini returned a gross level-par 72 to win last month’s Rivoli Medal by six strokes from Tobias Parkin and Valentin Teyssedre who took second and third respectively after a countback. “I’m happy with my performance today and to be able to consistently be in contention and win,” said Galeppini. “My thanks go out to the sponsors for their support and congratulations to all today’s winners.” Winning the Net title in Division ‘A’ was Bryan Banner as his 69 gave him a one-stroke victory over Peter Borland. The best scoring on the day came from Division ‘B’ where John Onuonga posted a superb net 64 to win by one from Jamie Rooms. The Ladies Division was once again dominated by Adele McKelvey as she posted a gross 76 to add another medal to her collection and also make it back to back victories. April’s Net winner Haide Wright tied with Adrienne Fullerton on net 71, however this time it was Fullerton who took the spoils after a countback.

Winners Matthew Derrick and Nigel Fenwick are pictured alongside Lady Captain Anne Hainey.

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TIGHT AT THE TOP MATTHEW Derrick and partner Nigel Fenwick won the La Veranda Outdoor Concepts and Designs Golf Day recently after they downed Ron Murphy and Austin Hurlbut in a card countback. The two pairs were locked at the top of the leaderboard with a tally of 47 points but it was Derrick and Fenwick’s better back nine of 23 points that secured them the victory. Andy Scanlan and Jett Smith took third place after they also score 47 points but only managed a back nine of score of 21.

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CORMORANT TEAM CLINCH THE ABU DHABI SCHOOLS AND CLUB LEAGUE TITLE IN STYLE KIDS from the Cormorant team from the British School Al Khubairat (BSAK) secured the Abu Dhabi Schools and Club League (ADSCL) final recently after some superb golf. The afternoon Stableford saw 36 junior golfers from nine schools and clubs tee off with hopes of pulling back the nine-point lead BSAK Cormorant team had leading into the final. However, Darren Hall, Nathan Loveridge, Emily Siegel and Tariq El Chaib from the BSAK Cormorant team continued their solid form through to finish with a total of 52 to take their league score to an impressive 306. Great league “It feels great to have won the league and I’m glad we all managed to play well enough as a team to win this season,” said Hall. “The league is great because to win you have to play well across all the tournaments, so it shows how good and consistent you have to be. I love golf because it’s fun and it teaches you life lessons.” The hard-fought efforts of Dane Standford, Daniel Whittaker, Leah Holden and Eion Cuniffe saw the Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club team take second place with a score of 47 points in the final, taking their final league score to 292. Gustav Adestrom from Abu Dhabi Golf Club carded the lowest score of the day, winning him the Best Stableford Score, while Ryan Hunter from Al Yasmina School won the

Nearest to the Pin competition. Hunter also won the Ambassador’s Award, which recognised his consistent performances and commitment to the ADSCL, along with his leadership skills. The 2013 ADSCL, which has seen over 50 children battle it out on the UAE’s courses since it first teed off in November last year, was sponsored by Rosewood Abu Dhabi and spearheaded by Saadiyat Beach Golf Club’s junior golf expert P-J Van Merch. This was the league’s second season, which saw participation more than double from its inaugural year. The ADSCL is an initiative developed by Troon Golf Abu Dhabi and is aimed at encouraging more junior golfers to play competitively. With over 500 juniors enrolled in coaching programmes across Abu Dhabi, very few were competing in tournaments. The ADSCL was established to fill this gap. “We have been delighted with the success of the ADSCL which has grown quickly in stature in just two years,” said Van Merch. “The league allows children to play on some of the UAE’s top golf courses for free and acts as a springboard for a potential professional golf career. ADSCL is not purely aimed at the best players in Abu Dhabi, but gives youngsters an opportunity to enhance their game, develop friendships and gain a broad range of life skills along the way.”

Mohamed Badawy Al-Husseiny, a parent of one of the players, said: “As soon as my son heard about the league he woke me up in the morning to tell me that he needed to get involved. It’s exciting, I might add, for the parents as well as the children, to see them get so involved in their golf and to gain the opportunity to compete.” Competitive energy Announcing the winners after the ﬁnal on the hawksbill restaurant terrace at SBGC was Roddy Gordon, Director of Marketing at Rosewood Abu Dhabi, and Van Merch. “We have loved being involved in the ADSCL as it incorporates our same brand values,” said Gordon. “We initially got involved after meeting P-J and immediately sensed his passion and enthusiasm for using golf as a tool to make a positive diﬀerence in children and the community. “We have witnessed the excitement and competitive energy amongst the kids, and know that they went home delighted to participate in something that was worthwhile, and which we were extremely pleased to have been a part of.” After the success and growth shown in 2013, the ADSCL will continue next year, aiming to enrol a record number of 80 junior golfers in 2014.

KELLIE DOMINATES THE ROSEWOOD BOWL LAST month saw Joanne Kellie completely dominate the ﬁeld to pick up her ﬁrst Rosewood Bowl title. Kellie posted a mightily impressive score of net 64 to win by eight shots. It was the battle for the position of second place that saw the tightest competition, resulting in a three-way tie with George Vanderheyden, Eiji Maki and Justine Kutlay each carding an impressive net score of 72. There was no countback after play meaning the trio each shared second place

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All the winners on the evening (left to right) Mark Hayman, Kevin Darroch, Martin Sutherland, Bernie Blanchard, Lady Captain Kate Davies, Herman Groenewald, Ming Brown, Phil Wilkes, Anina Bester, Captain Rupert Evans, Julian Hawlitzky, Lizette and Jaco Breytenbach.

TROPHIES HANDED OUT AT THE END-OF-SEASON CAPTAIN’S BASH CLUB Captains Rupert Evans and Kate Davies held their End of Season Texas Scramble and evening bash last month and coming out on top at the end of the 12-hole competition with a net 33 was the team of Jaco and Lizette Breytenbach, Martin Sutherland and Anina Bester. Finishing second with a score of 34.6 was the team of Rob Brown, Chris DeBeaufort, Ramesh Emmanuel and Bob Malone while the Nearest the Pin prizes went to Ming Brown and Jaco Breytenbach and the Longest Drive prizes were

taken by Anina Bester and Phil Wilkes. In addition to the day’s prizes the end of season Golfer of the Year and Match Play trophies were handed out by the two Captains. The Ladies and Men’s Golfer of the Year honours went to Ming Brown and Vernon Whaanga respectively while the Men’s Match Play title went to Phil Wilkes. The Men’s Pairs Match Play title was handed to Bernie Blanchard and Richard Whiteside while Mark Hayman and Angela Scurr won the Mixed Pairs prize.

Club Captain Rupert Evans congratulates the Men’s Golfer of the Year, Vernon Whaanga and Ladies Golfer of the Year Ming Brown collects her trophy from Lady Captain Kate Davies

DICKMAN WINS THE FIRST SUMMER MEDAL IN FINE STYLE

Winners on the day Paul Carrahar, Alan Dickman, Vernon Whaanga and Chaya Kinder are pictured with Club Captain Rupert Evans (centre).

THE first of the Summer Monthly Medals was played last month with Alan Dickman taking the honours with an impressive 67, one-stroke clear of runner-up Phil Wilkes. Taking third place in the Men’s section was Paul Carraha with a 69 while Chaya Kinder took the spoils in the Ladies section. Normally, prizes are awarded to each division, but as the official winter season is over all the divisions are joined together and the winners are those who have the lowest net score off Blue tees for men and red tees for ladies. Club Captain Rupert Evans also announced that the 9-hole Summer Texas Scramble Hit ‘n’ Giggles will feature a new trophy for members and guests to play for.

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NEW ZEALAND TRIUMPH IN ANZACS DAY AESGC Held the third edition of the Anzacs match between a New Zealand side captained by Lyndel Christensen and an Australian Side captained by Peter Forrester to commemorate Anzacs Day and it was Christensen’s Kiwis who came out on top after an epic battle. The lead game featured both Captains as Forrester and Dane Sandford Jnr took on Christensen and Perry Broxson and it ended up being a very one-sided aﬀair which resulted in three points for the Kiwis – one point each for winning the front and back nines and one point for the game overall. This fast start from the New Zealand side continued throughout the day with New Zealand winning ﬁve out of the seven matches on the golf course as they ran out winners by a 15-10 margin. In addition to the overall team prize there were four individual Nearest the Pin competitions and these were won by Mike Erwin, Morgan Ashford, Larry Benson and Perry Broxson. Captains Peter Forrester and Lyndel Christensen are pictured with the Anzacs Day trophy. 84

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ADINA AND NICHOLAS CAMERON STEAL THE SHOW IN AUDI EVENT A TREMENDOUS haul of 51 Stableford points saw Adina and Nicholas Cameron take the spoils in the recent Abu Dhabi Audi quattro Cup. The pair won ahead of the Dirk Bruwer and Schalk Liebenberg by four points and will now go on to battle it out with the winners of the Dubai tournament for a place in the World Final at Trump National Golf Course in California. The Nearest the Pin contest was claimed by Ian Harvey while the Men’s and Ladies Longest Drive awards went to Stephen Flanagan and Murial Gosselin respectively. Mark Austin, Acting General Manager of Audi Abu Dhabi said: “Congratulations to the winners Adina and Nicholas. Overall, the Audi quattro Cup is a great opportunity for Audi fans to get together and enjoy a sport that’s as much about precision as our cars.”

CLOSE CALL IN ETIHAD STABLEFORD

Left to right: Liam Cregan, William Royce, Teresa Sheepwash and Wanni Jefferson.

FAMILIAR FACES WIN THE MIXED OPEN DESPITE a surprisingly soggy morning the shotgun start for the Mixed Open got underway right on cue at 8:00am and taking the honours after a steady round together were William Royce and Wanni Jefferson with 40 points. Royce is no stranger to the Yas Links leaderboard and he and Jefferson were at their best as they secured a three-point victory over Walter and Sharon Hall. Royce and Jefferson won the Men’s and Ladies Nearest the Pin prizes on holes 4 and 8 respectively while the Men’s and Ladies Long Drive challenges were won by Alan Sheepwash and Stephanie Wilson

JONATHAN Craig took the spoils in last month’s Etihad Open Stableford but he had to rely on a countback after he and Ian Haywood tied at the top of the leaderboard with a haul of 38 points. Craig prevailed thanks to his better performance over the closing holes while in Division ‘B’ the top prize went to Stephen Paul Burnell thanks to his excellent score of 42. Taking second place in Division ‘B’ was John Thompson with 35 points with Walter Hall relegated to third after losing a countback to Thompson.

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Stephen Nash, Jonathan Craig, Teresa Sheepwash and Stephen Paul Burnell.

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STARS OF THE FUTURE CHAVAN AND MOHINDRA CROWNED JUNIOR CHAMPIONS LAST month saw the culmination of the season-long Beach Rotana Junior League with 38 keen youngsters teeing it up in the hope of glory. After everybody’s scores were recorded the final Order of Merit standings were announced in the two separate divisions – the 3 Hole and the 8 hole sections. Coming out on top with a tally of 133.5 points in the 3-Hole Order of Merit was Pallav Chavan as his commitment to improving at each session shone through with an 11-point win over Kai Bhullar. Taking third place with a 101 total was Alicia Pan with Lara El Chaib fourth with 99.5 points and Bader Mohammed fifth with 98 points. In the 8-Hole Order of Merit it was Advay Mohindra who took the spoils with a 130 total, 9.5 points clear of second placed Thenuka Karunasekara. Finishing third with 116 points was Palash Chavan, narrowly edging out Chantal El Chaib to the final place on the podium by 0.5 points. Christopher Stamp took fifth place with a haul of 95.5 points.

TAE AT THE TOP BANG Jong Tae led the way in the ﬁrst event of the Peugeot Order of Merit last month as he came out on top of a full ﬁeld of 70 players with a superb tally of 39 Stableford points. www.wwgolf.biz

AL HAMRA GOLF CLUB www.alhamragolf.com

AlHamraGolfClub

CONTACT: Tel : +971 7 244 7474 E-mail: enquiries@alhamragolf.com

AlHamraGolfClub

OVER AED50,000 RAISED FOR MACMILLAN CANCER SUPPORT CHARITY THE ﬁfth annual Greg Smith Macmillan Cup and the Dawn to Dusk Part 2 Challenger were held recently and over 200 golf enthusiasts played their part in raising over AED50,000 for the ‘WE ARE MACMILLAN CANCER SUPPORT’ charity. First up was the Greg Smith Macmillan Cup which saw 112 golfers ﬁll 28 teams and a few days later the club hosted their second ‘Dawn to

Dusk Challenge” from 7am to 7pm which was led by General Manager Simon Mees and PGA Pros Andrew Pilfold, Ross McArthur and Karl Rowe. The foursome played a vigorous 12 hours of golf and after rushing from one hole to the next they broke last year’s record with a total of 159 holes completed. They went round in 60-underpar but lost 28 balls on their way which set

another record. “The ﬁrst Dawn to Dusk challenge left us wanting to set a new record and with this year’s performance we have done just that,” said Mees. “Team spirit, encouragement from our colleagues, residents and donors really kept us going and we were exhilarated to have raised over AED50,000 for ‘WE ARE MACMILLAN CANCER SUPPORT’.”

LIGHTNING FINISH SEES LORI TAKE THE STABLEFORD LORI Handsel produced one of the best back-nine scores ever to win the penultimate Open Stableford of the season by one point. Handsel opened up with an outward nine of 13 points but came home with an astonishing 25 points on the back nine – which included two net eagles and two net birdies – for a winning total of 38 points. This was just enough for her to snatch the title ahead of Andy Spavin and PJ Marriott who were both in the clubhouse with a 37-point haul. After a card countback between the two it was Spavin who took second place outright with a score of 17 on the back nine ahead of Marriott’s 16.

CONTACT: Tel : +971 7 227 939 Email: membership@towerlinks.com

TOWER LINKS GOLF CLUB www.towerlinks.com

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DE SOUZAS AND PELLERINE COME OUT ON TOP SERGIO De Souza and Yuki Pellerine were crowned the winners in their respective divisions at the 2013 RAK Ports Trophy thanks to two excellent displays. De Souza was in hot form as he posted a solid 18 Stableford points on the opening nine and then dominated the back nine, scoring 22 on his way to a 40-point total for a comfortable

victory. Pellerine has had a stunning season and she capped it oﬀ with a victory in the Ladies division thanks to a 31-point haul while youngster Samuel De Souza topped Division ‘B’ .

There were four Nearest the Pin prizes on oﬀer with Peter Gutteridge, David Faulker, Derek Fisher and Sergio De Souza winning on holes 4, 8, 12 and 16 respectively.

ANDY CORMACK STORMS SOCIAL ANDY Cormack prevailed in the Social Individual Stableford recently after a superb haul of 21 points gave him a one-point win over Mark Regan. Cormack kept his rhythm to shoot six pars over nine holes, helped by the fact that he managed to have a 86

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magical run of four in a row. Regan, who is a regular winner at Tower Links, had to settle for second place and he did so thanks to a countback win over Paul Williams. Dewald Lubbe won the Nearest the Pin on the 12th and Justin Clarke won the same prize on the 16th.

AHMED AND SMITH FINALLY TASTE SUCCESS REGAN Fiyaz Ahmed and Gary Smith have ﬁnally found their way into the winners’ circle after they shot a gutsy 23 points in the two-player better-ball social Stableford last month. The pair, who are regular social competitors, dovetailed to perfection on the night as they were pushed hard by Derek Fisher and Simon Payne who fell just shy in the countback. Joe Wivou and Ray Labonte ﬁnished on 22 points for third place while the Nearest the Pin winners were Smith on hole 12 and Justin Clarke on the 16th.

LOCAL NEWS

DIRAB GOLF CLUB

CONTACT: Tel : +966 1 812 6671 E-mail: info@dirabgolf.com

www.dirabgolf.com

DONALD TEAM WINS INAUGURAL CANADIAN OPEN GOLF TOURNAMENT THE Canadian Community of Riyadh organised the Canadian Open Golf Tournament over two days recently with the quartet of James Donald, Clare Hunter, Ian Wells and Don Murray taking home the trophy after combining nicely together in sublime weather conditions. The winning team put together a sparkling net score of 53 in the four-ball Texas Scramble format competition from a gross score of 64. Donald and Co. banked on a mind-boggling front nine score of 29 to steer clear of the pack in an incredible seven-birdie binge that saw Hunter and Wells each sinking three birdies and Donald making one. They bogeyed the difficult 10th but birdied holes 11 and 13 courtesy of Donald and Murray to be 1-under 35 coming in. The tournament attracted 30 teams and 120 players and at the end of play Canadian Ambassador Thomas Macdonald handing over prizes to the winners. In second place, two strokes back on 55 from a gross of 62, was the team of DGCC Golf Manager Bouchaib El Jadiani, Majed Sorour, Juan Rosado and Shaun Temple. Two other teams actually matched the score of El Jadiani’s team but lost out on a countback. The quartet of Declan White, Mario Marimon, Gordon Rees and Joan Stacey claimed third place ahead of the foursome of Raghe Hassan, Craig Gordon, Moretti Orazio and Gary Richardson. Rounding out the first five winners were John Spitz, Nigel Gover, Tariq Javed and Macdonald who tallied a 56 from a gross 67. The Longest Drive award for the men and ladies went to Faisal Salhab and Susan Tessier respectively while the Nearest the Pin prizes were won by Les Pilkington and Ruby Klawikowski.

TREADGOLD AND GUNN SEAL XEROX ROUND SEVEN DAVID Treadgold and Graham Gunn bested the field to win the seventh round of the 2013 Xerox Corporate Golf Challenge at the Dirab Golf & Country Club recently. The pair put together a superb winning net score of 57 in the two-person best ball event for a six-stroke win over Rana Irfan and Mohamad Shafiq. With the win Treadgold and Gunn qualified for the 15th Xerox Corporate Golf Challenge Grand Final to be held at the Emirates Golf Club in Dubai on October 23rd. Saudi national players Abdulrahman Almansour and Faisal Salhab took the third position on countback over the New Zealand pair of John Palalagi and Julian Bennett after the sides tied on 64. Palalagi and Bennet in turn

PALMS GOLF CLUB, INTERCONTINENTAL RIYADH www.intercontinental.com

clinched fourth from Shakeel Said and Khaleel Al Jabbar, the third team to score 64. Irfan claimed the award for Longest Drive on the day with Asad Hameed and Susan Tessier winning the men’s and ladies Nearest the Pin prizes respectively. Jean-Marc Delpondevaux, President of Olayan Group and Halim Ammoura, Marketing Director Xerox Saudi Arabia, handed over prizes to the winners while Saudi Golf Federation President and golf course owner Khaled I. Abunayyan and Dirab Golf Committee Chairman Tariq Javed also attended the prize giving.

CONTACT: Tel : +966 (01) 465 5000

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MAHMOOD TRIUMPHS IN TOUGH WEATHER CONDITIONS KHALID Mahmood from Pakistan was the last man standing at the 2013 BMW Intercontinental Championship recently as he walked away with the trophy thanks to a superb 3-under-par total of net 53. The two-day event was beset by harsh weather but that didn’t deter Mahmood as his dedication saw him win ahead of a ﬁeld of over 100 players of 15 diﬀerent nationalities. “Golf is an important activity to our marketing strategy that comes from the direction that BMW follows on the global level,” said Stavros Paraskevaides, Managing Director of BMW Group at Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors. “It is in line with the BMW brand’s position in terms of exclusivity and luxury, which characterizes the sport of golf and its followers’ lifestyles.” Defending Champion Resty Siburg missed out on the overall prize to Mahmood with a net 55 but did take solace in the fact that he won the

Division ‘A’ title while Alex Arellano ﬁnished in second place with a 58. In Division ‘B’ two Koreans were battling it out for the top spot and coming out on top with a score of 57 was T.W Kim who defeated Chang Yeol Kim by a single stroke while in Division ‘C’ Sweden’s Rashid Anas topped the pile with a 55 with Korean Sam Moon Kim second with a 61. Sigrid Thorhallson won the Ladies title ahead of Jin Soon Kim while the two Nearest the Pin prizes on oﬀer were collected by Abdulaziz Kridis and Einar Thorhallson. www.wwgolf.biz

STYLE

Supercar-crazy IAN POULTER was among the first in line to get his hands on the innovative 4-seater, 4-wheel drive Ferrari FF. OLD ROCKER MEAT LOAF is still selling around 200,000 copies of his Bat Out of Hell album, 35 years after its release. LOCKER ROOM has the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Deep Sea, Cannon Legria HF R48 and the ECCO BIOM Zero Minimalist Shoe. BROOKE PANCAKE, the LPGA Tour Rookie with the name, the looks and the golf game to eat up her rivals.

IAN POULTER is used to shooting the lights out on the golf course. He’s also renowned for sporting his trademark tartan trousers at every opportunity. Now he not only wears tartan trousers, he drives them. The roof interior of his latest supercar, the Ferrari FF, has a tartan pattern and there are various other personalised tatran traits throughout the car. Another ÅZ[\ NWZ \PM ÆIUJWaIV\ []XMZ[\IZ · \PM ÅZ[\ appearance of tartan in a Ferrari!

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STAR GOLFER

WWG STYLE

MEATLOAF 0-Âź; OW\ WVM WN \PM UW[\ UMUWZIJTM VIUM[ QV ZWKS V ZWTT IVL 5MI\ 4WIN Q[ UWZM KWUUWVTa SVW_V NWZ JMTTW_QVO W]\ classics like Bat Out of Hell and I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Do That). The larger than life rocker is one of the most successful recording artists of all time _Q\P \PM *I\ 7]\ WN 0MTT ITJ]U KTWKSQVO ]X UWZM \PIV million sales worldwide and still selling around 200,000 KWXQM[ XMZ aMIZ aMIZ[ IN\MZ Q\ _I[ ZMTMI[ML *]\ _PMV PMÂź[ VW\ JMT\QVO W]\ IV\PMU[ PM KIV JM NW]VL WV \PM OWTN course and is a regular at Pro-Ams like the PGA Tourâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 0]UIVI +PITTMVOM NWZUMZTa \PM *WJ 0WXM +TI[[QK

Q: How were you introduced to golf? A: I was on a movie in 1987 with Michael Keaton (â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Squeezeâ&#x20AC;?), and one day Michael and his brother said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to play golf.â&#x20AC;? I said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oh, Michael, can I come?â&#x20AC;? and he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Have you ever played?â&#x20AC;? I said no, so I just kind of drove the cart around. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really know what I was doing. Q: When did you start playing consistently? A: I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t play again for a year-and-a-half, when I was paired with Lee Trevino in a celebrity event at Half Moon Bay. I had to buy clubs, so I think I went to WalMart or Kmart and bought a set. I showed up to the event and put my bag in the cart, and I came back later and the clubs are gone. Lee comes up and introduces himself to me, and I said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Somebody took my clubs!â&#x20AC;? He said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;No, I threw them in the lake. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not going to play with anybody whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got those kind of clubs.â&#x20AC;? He got me some Callaways for free. Q: Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your handicap? A: I had it down to a 16, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s probably about a 21. Q: Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the strangest thing youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen on the course? A: One time I was playing with [Westlake Villageâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s] Steve Pate, and I made him laugh so hard. I teed off and hit a rock about 50 yards down the fairway and the thing bounced all the way back over our heads, 50 yards backwards. Steve was on the ground laughing; he said it was one of his most fun rounds ever. Q: Including yourself, who would make up your ultimate foursome? A: Jim Furyk, because I really like the way he plays. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be stupid not to put Tiger Woods in there. And Colin Montgomerie, because heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really cool and funny. I like Nick Faldo, too.

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LOCKER ROOM Rolex Oyster Perpetual Deep Sea DESIGNED to meet the most vigorous demands of professional divers the Rolex Deep Sea is robust and hardwearing, waterproof to a depth of 3,900 metres and capable of withstanding pressure to a weight of three tonnes. The watch also features a helium escape valve, a rotatable 60-minute graduated scratchproof bezel, chromalight display and self-winding mechanism. One of the most highly functional watches Rolex make, it also has that unmistakable luxurious style. www.rolex.com

Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover THIS IS a great accessory for your iPad – a stylish, protective cover that is also a Bluetooth wireless keyboard! Made from lightweight but strong and hard-wearing aluminium, the keyboard ﬁts seamlessly with the tablet, allowing you to type quickly and accurately. It’s also available in white, especially for the white iPad. www.logitech.com

Canon LEGRIA HF R48 BRING out your inner Steven Spielberg with the LEGRIA HF R48 from Canon. You can get closer in full HD with 53 x Advanced zoom and keep your footage steady with Optical Intelligent IS. There’s 32GB of internal storage capacity while the camera is also hooked up for Wi-Fi and supports MP4 format. The picture quality is superb and it performs well even in low lighting. Perfect for helping your better half capture your ﬁnest moments on the golf course! www.canon.com

ECCO BIOM Zero Minimalist Natural Motion Shoe DANISH shoe brand ECCCO has launched BIOM Zero, its most minimal golf shoe to date. Offered as a limited edition style in two colours and available at GOLF HOUSE shops in U.A.E., BIOM Zero weighs less than 10 ounces, making it the lightest golf shoe ECCO has produced. Featuring the popular Street outsole first made famous by Fred Couples the BIOM Zero offers terrific flexibility and an exceptionally low profile whilst also providing full length support. BIOM Zero lowdown: BIOM Technology – Anatomical shoe last that promotes a natural foot position Low-Profile – Closest to the ground of any ECCO golf shoe Caldera Leather Uppers – Full grain, stain resistant and easy-to-clean Hydromax™ – Premium, tanned-in water-resistant treatment guaranteed to last Second Skin Leather Lining – Wicks moisture while creating a rich, supple interior Direct Injected Midsole – A process, unique to ECCO in golf, that provides superior cushioning, stability and comfort via a one-piece shoe built without glue or stitching www.ecco.com

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WWG STYLE

Ferrari FF 1)6 8W]T\MZÂź[ TW^M WN KIZ[ Q[ TMOMVLIZa [W Q\ _I[ VW []ZXZQ[M _PMV TI[\ aMIZ PM JMKIUM \PM Ă&#x2026;Z[\ =; ZMKQXQMV\ WN .MZZIZQÂź[ Ă&#x2026;Z[\ NWZIa QV\W \PM NW]ZĚ&#x2030;[MI\MZ NW]Z _PMMT LZQ^M UIZSM\ Âˇ \PM MaMĚ&#x2030;KI\KPQVO .. 7N KW]Z[M 8W]T\[ _W]TLVÂź\ JM 8W]T\[ QN PM LQLVÂź\ WZLMZ PQ[ VM_ \Wa _Q\P [WUM XMZ[WVITQ[ML \W]KPM[ WN JTQVO <PM Ă&#x2020;IUJWaIV\ -VOTQ[PUIVÂź[ _PQ\M .. Q[ Ă&#x2026;\\ML _Q\P I Âť;IJJQIÂź \ZQXTMĚ&#x2030;TIaMZML QV\MZQWZ _Q\P JTIKS 8WTW\ZWVI .ZI] TMI\PMZ <PMZM IZM IT[W \IZ\IV IKKMV\[ \PZW]OPW]\ \PI\ UI\KP \PM Ě&#x2030;aMIZĚ&#x2030;WTLÂź[ \ZW][MZ[ Âˇ Q\Âź[ \PW]OP\ \W JM \PM Ă&#x2026;Z[\ \QUM \IZ\IV PI[ JMMV ][ML QV I .MZZIZQ THE revolutionary FF oďŹ&#x20AC;ers a completely new take on the sporting Grand Tourer theme. It is not only the ďŹ rst Ferrari with four-wheel drive, but, more signiďŹ cantly, a model that hails a major break with the past, eďŹ&#x20AC;ortlessly melding extreme sports car performance with the versatility and usability of a genuine GT and boasting an extremely innovative design. Every single area of the FF brims with innovation, not least its engine, the ďŹ rst GDI V12 to be coupled with the sevenspeed F1 dual-clutch gearbox. The V12 unleashes a massive 660 CV at 8,000 rpm, and maximum torque of 683 Nm at 6,000 rpm with 500 Nm already available at just 1,000 rpm. This ensures the performance ďŹ gures of an extreme sports car, with the 0-100 km/h sprint covered in 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 335 km/h. EďŹ&#x192;ciency has been signiďŹ cantly boosted too, with fuel consumption now standing at just 15.4 litres per 100 km, and CO2 emissions at 360 g/km, a 25 per cent reduction compared to the previous V12s, thanks, in part, to the HELE (High Emotions- Low Emissions) System which incorporates Stop&Start technology. Exceptional Performance Uniquely, the FF also guarantees this exceptional performance on terrain with very low grip coeďŹ&#x192;cients, thanks to Ferrariâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own patented 4RM four-wheel drive system. Torque is still delivered by the rear wheels, but the PTU (Power Transfer Unit) ensures that as much as is required is also transferred to the front wheels when necessary on low grip surfaces. The FF intelligently distributes torque to each of the four wheels individually, thanks to the fact that all of the dynamic vehicle controls (E-DiďŹ&#x20AC;, F1-Trac and PTU) have been integrated into a single CPU. Exceptional sporty driving is guaranteed by the FFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s transaxle architecture (mid-front engine with gearbox over the rear axle) and the positioning of 53% of weight to the rear of the car. Meticulous attention has been taken in lightening the engine (new castings), bodyshell (new aluminium alloys and production processes) and a host of other components. The interior has also been optimised through the use of high-tech materials such as magnesium for the seats. Third generation Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes are now lighter and longer-lasting, with virtually negligible wear during normal use on the road. All of these innovations have combined to produce an absolutely exceptional weightpower ratio of 2.7 kg/CV, a new benchmark for this kind of car. Styled by Pininfarina, the FFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lines eďŹ&#x20AC;ortlessly reďŹ&#x201A;ect its signature uncompromising balance of sportiness and versatility. It can comfortably accommodate four in its body-hugging seats and spacious cabin. Its 450 litre boot can also be extended to 800 litres as the rear seats fold down independently. This means that the FF oďŹ&#x20AC;ers more luggage space not only than any other car in its category, but also many four-door saloons, too. Everything aboard the FF is tailored speciďŹ cally to the needs and tastes of its driver with a choice of six exclusive colours and the ďŹ nest Frau aniline leathers specially treated to enhance their natural softness. The FFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exceptional speciďŹ cation enhances in-car enjoyment for all four occupants. Features include a new rear-seat infotainment system with two screens for watching TV and DVD and a 1,280 Watt, 16-channel stereo system with Quantumlogic Surround Sound.

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DRIVING RANGE Ferrai FF Facts ENGINE Type Total displacement Bore and Stroke Maximum Power Maximum Torque Speciﬁc Output Maximum revs per minute Compression ratio

V12 - 65° 382.13 cu in (6262 cc) 3.70 x 2.96 in (94 mm x 75,2 mm) 486 kW - 660 CV at 8.000 rpm 683 Nm - 504 lbft( 70 kg)m at 6.000 rpm 77 kW/litre - 105 CV/litre 8000 rpm 12.3:1

PERFORMANCES Maximum speed 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) 0-124 mph (0-200 km/h) 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) Dry weight/power ratio

208 mph (335 km/h) 3.7 sec 11 sec 114.8 ft (35 m) 2.7 kg/CV

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WWG STYLE

Brooke Pancake ;0-¼; OW\ IZO]IJTa \PM JM[\ VIUM QV OWTN IVL \PM JM[\ XIZ\ WN Q\ Q[°*ZWWSM 8IVKISM IK\]ITTa LWM[ TQSM pancakes and, yes, Pancake really is her real name! Currently in her rookie year on the LPGA Tour after securing her card through Q-School, Brooke was a star of collegiate golf and last year she helped \PM =VQ^MZ[Q\a WN )TIJIUI \W [MK]ZM \PMQZ ÅZ[\ NCAA National Championship, sinking the winning putt and also claiming runner-up in the individual M^MV\ ;PM IT[W \ZI^MTTML \W 6IQZV /WTN +T]J QV Scotland to compete on the US Curtis Cup Team against Great Britain and Ireland. WWG: What’s the favourite part of your game you enjoy to practice and what is your basic routine? BP: I love to practice hitting wedge distances. I always set up targets / cones and practice hitting yardages between 40-100 yards. WWG: Do you have a favourite golf club in your bag? BP: I’ve got two favourites – my 52º wedge and my 8 iron. WWG: What’s the most memorable moment of your career so far? BP: Competing on the US Curtis Cup Team at Nairn Golf Club in the Scottish Highlands last year. WWG: Do you have any nicknames? BP: Yes, I’ve got plenty – Brookie, Cakes, Waffles and even my real name, Pancake WWG: Are you an avid reader? If so, what’s the last book you read? BP: Yes. The latest book I’ve read is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy (The Millennium Trilogy). WWG: What would we find in your bag besides golf clubs? BP: Food. WWG: What is your favourite meal off the course? BP: Grilled chicken, corn casserole, green beans. WWG: What movie do you watch again and again? BP: Sweet Home Alabama. WWG: Do you actually like pancakes? BP: Yes, I love them!

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Brooke’s grandfather, Jimbo, introduced her to golf when she was 8. The course where she won the NCAAs was right next to the little par 3 course she learned to play the game.

INTRODUCING TOUR-PROVEN PERFORMANCE IN A LIGHTER, MORE STABLE FJ SPORT

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Leading Tour players have trusted the high-performance , lightweight FJ SPORT for years . And now, thanks to an enhanced , Tour-preferred , four-cleated heel and external stabiliser , it performs even better. Available in a wide variety of colors and options , including both cleated and spikeless outsoles ,

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FJ SPORT exceeds its own standard of excellence

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