Worldwide Golf Summer 2017

Worldwide Golf The Middle East’s No.1 Golf Magazine

ALEX NOREN

HOW LESS WORK AND MORE PLAY TURNED ME INTO A WORLD BEATER

SUMMER 2017, ISSUE 194

ROYAL BIRKDALE

MAGICAL MEMORIES ON MERSEYSIDE

OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP SPECIAL

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW AHEAD OF GOLF’S OLDEST MAJOR

TIPS BEAT THE HEAT

INDOOR DRILLS

Major

Pressure HENRIK STENSON ON WHY HE’S NOT READY TO GIVE THE CLARET JUG BACK!

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Executive Editor

Gary Player The Open is where it began for me

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rying to pick the winner of Major championships these days is an impossible task.

It’s not long ago that I was predicting the emergence of a new Big Three – on the lines that IMG’s Mark MacCormack created with Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and myself back in the fifties, sixties and seventies. Between 1959 and 1980 the three of us collectively won 33 Majors championships (Nicklaus – 18; Player – 9; Palmer – 6) and The Open Championship was won eight times between us from 1959 to 1978.

When I stated a couple of years ago that Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Jason Day would become the new Big Three, I was way off course. They have won seven Majors between them since 2014 and just one Open. It’s a remarkable statistic that since the 2015 US PGA Championship, won by Jason Day, we have seen a first-time winner of each of the four Majors. The Claret Jug has been lifted by eight different players since Padraig Harrington won The Open in successive years

in 2007 and 2008. Maybe it’s a lack of consistency or just the fact that there are so many more talented players around since our day or the Tiger Woods era. It’s not unusual for many of the leading players to win a tournament one week and miss the cut the following week.

EDUCATION I visited Royal Birkdale in June at the invitation of the R&A and gave a talk about The Open Championship to schoolchildren from the town of Southport which is close the famous golf club.

What a thrill it was. Having 22 grandchildren and six children myself, talking to youngsters is something that I enjoy immensely.

I always said that if I hadn’t become a professional golfer I would have been a school teacher because education to me is so very, very important.

Coming to The Open, where it all began for me internationally, winning the first of my three Opens at Muirfield in Scotland, is the most important and best tournament in the world. I started my overseas career in Britain at

The Open and it’s been a very important and prevalent thing in my life.

To win Major championships you’ve got to have a mind that is different from anybody else in the tournament. I cannot tell you why and how. I really can’t define it it’s called ‘IT’.

Everyone would like to tell you what ‘it’ is, but they can’t. Over the years I’ve played against many people who were way better than me, but when the starting bell went – I beat them. Why or how?

Nobody knows.

EMPHASIS ON LENGTH I think there is too much emphasis put on length by today’s media. Length is not the reason why people win tournaments. It’s putting and how you play from 100 yards in that matters most. If you were to place Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson among the top 30 players of all time, they would be 29th and 30th in terms of accuracy off the tee. Yet they were consistently at the top of the World Ranking for much of their careers.

So the old adage is perfectly true ‘Drive for show, putt for dough’.

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So who do I think will win The Open? Sergio Garcia or Jordan Spieth! I was so pleased when Sergio won the Masters in April after so many years of coming close to winning his first Major.

Now that he’s got a Major under his belt he could go on to win more and he’s got everything he needs. He’s hitting the ball accurately and he’s got a good, solid short game. He has a great record in The Open and I’d love to see him win at Birkdale.

Another leading player who has the game to win is Jordan Spieth.

Birkdale will suit him down to the ground. He’s one of the best putters in golf. Sergio and Jordan are my two likely favourites.

GREAT LAUGH I was also delighted to meet a man at the golf club who has attended every one of the previous nine Opens at Royal Birkdale. I was greeted on the driving range by 102-year-old Wilf Cockburn. We had a great laugh about life and longevity. He certainly made my day. But I was a bit upset when he said: “I’ll come to your funeral!” You don’t want to hear that from a 102 year old. ■

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Summer 2017

CONTENTS

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Cover feature: Henrik Stenson – Major Moment

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The Starter

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Defending Open Champion Henrik Stenson has had a memorable 12 months looking at the Claret Jug on his coffee table every day. This year he’s reluctant to give it back and he promises to take the Jug sky-diving is he defends the title this year...

This month’s focus is the oldest tournament in the world – The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. We take a look at the course, a look back at Padraig Harrington’s Major breakthrough at Carnoustie ten years ago and whether any of the plethora of recent Major champions can add another to their CV.

Alex Noren – The Silent Assassin

After such a breathtaking season last year Alex Noren kicked on with a superb victory at the BMW PGA Championship in May – his fifth in a 12 month span. We speak exclusively with the Swede who reveals how a settled family life has helped the former workaholic creep into the world’s top 10 almost unnoticed.

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Pete Cowen

Columns

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Tour News

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A round-up of the recent events on the European, PGA Tour and Challenge Tour.

PGA Master Professional Pete Cowen talks about practising without consequence and how this year’s Open could be won by just about anyone in the field.

David Howell

European Tour veteran David Howell looks back to the time he held the clubhouse lead at the 2008 Open at Royal Birkdale and who he’s tipping to win this year’s Open.

Rafa Cabrera Bello

Ryder Cup star Rafa Cabrera Bello goes surfing in Munich and loves every minute. But it’s back to business as he targets a strong showing at Royal Birkdale in the Major he covets above all others.

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Summer 2017

CONTENTS INSTRUCTION

4

WIND IT UP THIS SUMMER

Stephen Deane, Head Golf Professional at Emirates Golf Club reveals a drill that can be performed indoors or just about anywhere to improve your swing mechanics.

PRO TIP: CHIPPING COMPLETION DRILL

European Tour player Chris Hanson demonstrates a great drill to help you improve your touch and accuracy around the green.

UNDERSTAND IMPACT NUMBERS TO CONTROL BALL FLIGHT

Michael Bolt, PGA Professional at Trump International Golf Club, Dubai explains how to interpret your Trackman in order to improve impact position and ball flight.

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PGA Tour star Bryson DeChambeau discusses the merits of one length irons and how he found the perfect home at Cobra Puma Golf.

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ARABIAN GOLF

All the latest goings on around the region.

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THE ALBATROSS GOLF RESORT

The latest in our series of European Tour Destinations, the Albatross Golf Resort on the outskirts of Prague, Czech Republic, comes into focus.

FIVE THINGS: SHANE LOWRY

Here’s what you didn’t know about the big Irishman…

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Editor’s Letter

By Alex Gallemore

Golf is a fickle game...

I

t was not so long ago we were heralding the arrival of the Big Four. Spieth, McIlroy, Day and Johnson had found a way to separate themselves from the field at the top of the golfing tree.

But golf is a fickle game and form can turn quicker than an ocean tide. Spieth is still able to win, as he proved at this year’s Travelers Championship; McIlroy is missing cuts; Day has lost his way; and ever since Johnson’s wet sock incident at Augusta he’s failed to find the unstoppable form he showed coming into the year. So what has gone wrong?

Too Much Pressure

ISSUE No. 194 SUMMER 2017.

Published by: Worldwide Sporting Publications Ltd.

the back end of the season so you just don’t know what’s around the corner, especially with someone with his talent.

Jason Day has had a lot to deal with this year. From personal injury to finding out that his mother had been diagnosed with cancer, the same illness that took his father from him when he was only 12 years old. So I can understand why the former World No.1 has missed four cuts and pulled out of one tournament. His mind in 2017 will not be where it was in 2015 and 2016. He’s a fighter and he’ll be back but he needs a season under the radar to reset his life, both physically and mentally.

Hard Work Paying Off

Spieth is still playing great golf and lies fourth on the PGA Tour’s greens in regulation stats and fourth on the FedEx Cup, so he’s hardly having a shocker. He’s 33rd in putts per

Dustin Johnson looked to be blowing the golfing world apart coming into this season and I thought he could win all

round, averaging an impressive 28.6, and yet back in 2015 when he took the world by storm, he dominated this vital statistic with 27.82 and that’s all that is preventing the World No.3 from taking the top spot once more.

McIlroy has just missed the cut at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, an event that is hosted by the Rory Foundation, but are the pressures too much for him this year? Signing $200 million contracts is a great position for anyone but when companies spend that amount of money on a sport star they expect that athlete to perform.

Rory is only human and when you chase something so fervently it rarely pays off. Last year was huge for the young Irishman and once he finds a way to relax and get away from the pressures he’s under I’d expect him to be winning Majors again.

He can do it. He missed the cut at the Irish Open in 2015 and yet went on to win the DP World Tour Championship later that year. Rory has a habit of running into form at

four Majors in 2017. Out of all these guys he has the most natural talent and with hard work paying off on his short game he looked unstoppable.

Although, after his slip, on the eve of the Masters Tournament things just haven’t been the same. He tied second at the Wells Fargo Championship in May but since then he hasn’t made the top 10 and even missed the cut at the U.S. Open.

He’s still World No.1 and on the FedEx Cup but it will be interesting to see where his game is, coming into the Open Championship, as that’s the one Major this year I thought he could dominate.

Players of his calibre can’t sustain year-long form. Only Tiger Woods managed that once, but with golf becoming so fiercely competitive, and the rise of new stars such as John Rahm, who won the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open by six shots, keeping fresh and managing their pressures away from the course is vital if they hope to clinch more Majors. ■

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Published in Dubai by: Prografix, PO Box 24677, Dubai, UAE. (Tel) +9714 340 3785.

Editor-in-Chief: Mike Gallemore.

Executive Editor: Gary Player.

Editor: Alex Gallemore. alex@wspglobal.com.

Publisher: Mike Gallemore. mike@wspglobal.com.

General Manager Dubai: Richard Bevan: rick@wspglobal.com.

Editors: Todd Staszko, Scott Grayston, Ashraf Ahmed.

Production/Design Editor: Thameem Rayyan.

Editorial Panel: Gary Player, Mike Gallemore, Alex Gallemore, Richard Bevan, Todd Staszko.

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

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STARTER: OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP SPECIAL

Royal Birkdale's Roll of Honour 2008 Padraig Harrington 1998 Mark O’Meara

The Course The Open heads to Royal Birkdale for the tenth time.

T

he best players in the world will arrive in Southport this month as Royal Birkdale hosts The Open Championship for the tenth time, and the winner will join a list that reads like a Who’s Who of golf as past champions at the historic venue.

The famous art-deco clubhouse was built in 1935 and stands as one of the most eyecatching buildings among the links courses on The Open rotation. It overlooks the 18th green and can also be seen coming up the ninth fairway (pictued above). The course is similar to Muirfield in that the holes

meander in different directions, making it tough to play on a windy day. At the classic loops of holes at St. Andrews if the wind is consistent it will blow one way for nine holes and then the opposite way for the back nine but the opposite is true at Royal Birkdale as the holes snake this way and that across the rugged dunes just south of the town of Southport.

Prior to the 2008 Open some changes were made and only holes 12 and 7 were not modified to some degree. Most of the changes were designed to make the players think about the way they plotted the course.

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1991 Ian Baker Finch 1983 Tom Watson 1976 Johnny Miller 1971 Lee Trevino 1965 Peter Thomson 1961 Arnold Palmer 1954 Peter Thomson Many bunkers were moved or redesigned and 20 new ones were added with 14 removed. New undulations were added to the surrounds of several greens for the benefit of spectators while the 17th green was moved back and completely overhauled.

Six new tee boxes added 155 yards to make the overall length 7,173 yards – modest by today’s standards. But if the weather plays its part (as it should) then scoring should be tough and Harrington’s winning score of 3-over from 2008 is a testimony to that. No major changes have been made since those alterations before the last Open at Birkdale.

2017: it's wide Open

Will there be yet another first time winner or will someone finally make the leap from one Major to two?

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hey say winning a Major is the hardest thing in golf, but it seems in the modern game that a second win after you’ve got that first is even harder. The expectation levels go up a notch for a player that clinches one of the big four and with the heightened interest they often struggle to replicate their Major winning form. Since Jason Day collected his first Major at the 2015 US PGA Championship, all six Majors since have been won by firsttimers, leaving players like Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer, Phil Mikelson and Justin Rose still searching for more to

add to their collection. Danny Willett hasn’t yet managed to kick on after he sauntered to a three-shot win at Augusta National last year and 2016 US Open winner Dustin Johnson looked (and was, for three successive tournaments) unbeatable earlier this year but a freak injury saw him miss The Masters and he stumbled in his US Open defence, missing the cut after failing to learn the intricacies of Erin Hills.

Indeed, the leaderboard at Erin Hills was full of players hunting for their first Major – any one of those finshing in the top ten

would have been a first-time winner, it just so happened to be Brooks Koepka’s week.

It seems that predicting a Major winner is harder now than it ever has been, and with players such as Rickie Fowler, Alex Noren, Lee Westwood, Hideki Matsuyama, Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Patrick Reed, Thomas Pieters, Matt Kuchar and Rafa Cabrera Bello all waiting to pick up their first, the depth of talent in the men’s game is there for all to see.

With that in mind, lets take a look at all the players who have won a Major since 2010 but have yet to add to their Grand Slam cabinet…

Louis Oosthuizen – 2010 Open Ran away with the Claret Jug by seven shots seven years ago at St. Andrews and almost clinched a second in 2015 but lost the four-hole play-off at the same venue to Zach Johnson. Also finished runner-up in a play-off to Bubba Watson at the 2012 Masters and runner-up at the 2015 US Open at Chambers Bay. A silky swinger on his day but needs to win more to cement his standing in the game.

Charl Schwartzel – 2011 Masters Came from nowhere to win at Augusta with birdies on the final four holes (unprecedented) but has barely contended since. A recent third place finish at Augusta represents his best Major performance since. A steady winner in South Africa and still only 32 but is still far from reaching his full potential.

Darren Clarke – 2011 Open A Major was the only thing missing from Clarke’s CV and it seemed fitting that the stoic 42-yearold should be last man standing in what seemed like a minor hurricane at Royal St. Georges. He won The Open at the 20th attempt and unsurprisingly hasn’t won since as his playing schedule took a back seat with the Ryder Cup Captaincy and offers for media work coming thick and fast.

Graeme McDowell – 2010 US Open A consistent performer and Ryder Cup stalwart in 2012 and 2014, McDowell only has three Major top tens since his Pebble Beach breakthrough, the last of which was a share of ninth at The Open in 2014.

He didn’t qualify for this year’s Masters.

Keegan Bradley – 2011 US PGA Seemingly set for big things after winning on his first Major start, Bradley’s career never really took off and the anchoring ban of 2016 has further hampered his progress.

A Ryder Cup qualifier in 2012 and a Captain’s Pick in 2014, Bradley has two top tens in Majors since 2011 and three PGA Tour victories.

Finished 64th on the money list in 2015 and 114th last year.

Webb Simpson – 2012 US Open Winning the US Open in San Francisco remains his only top ten finish in a Major.

Has four wins to his name on the PGA Tour and like Bradley was a Ryder Cup qualifier in 2012 and a Captain’s Pick for Gleneagles. Another affected by the anchoring ban.

Adam Scott – 2013 Masters The first Major Champion to win with a broom-handle putter anchored to his chest, Adam Scott is a regular feature on leaderboards at the Majors but is still to step through the door again after his 2013 breakthrough. He finished third at the 2013 Open, starting the day two strokes ahead of eventual winner Phil Mickelson (who won by three). A fifth place finish at the 2014 Open came courtesy of a final round 66 (he started the day 11 strokes back) and he was six behind at the start of the final round of the 2015 US Open, moving up to a share of fourth with a 64. Scott was three behind Garcia and Rose at this year’s Masters but a final round 73 curtailed his chances.

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Jason Dufner – 2013 US PGA

Justin Rose – 2013 US Open

Had a better record in the Majors before he won at Oak Hill.

Dufner hasn’t contended since and a T8 at last year’s US Open at Oakmont that came thanks to a final round 70. A five-time winner on the PGA Tour and Ryder Cup player in 2012.

Like Nick Faldo before him, Rose attempts to peak for the Majors and has a stellar record in the Grand Slam events. His 14-under total for second place at the 2015 Masters would have won at Augusta most years (but for Jordan Spieth’s having the week of his life) and he was runner-up again earlier this year to Garcia in a play-off. He was third heading into the weekend at the 2015 US PGA but was lapped by eventually winner Jason Day and had to settle for fourth. Started the final round of the 2015 Open three back (level alongside eventual winner Zach Johnson) but couldn’t

Danny Willett – 2016 Masters

find his mojo and finished T6.

Missed the cut in the last two US Opens but his Gold Medal at the Olympics ranks highly on his own personal list of achievements.

Jason Day – 2015 US PGA A career littered with top tens, Day finally broke through in 2015 at Whistling Straits.

He’d had nine top tens (including three runner-up finishes) prior, and has three top tens since, including runner-up to Jimmy Walker last year in his defence of the US PGA Championship. Surely he has more Major wins in him?

Dustin Johnson – 2016 US Open

Shocked the world with his maiden Major title (won impressively as Jordan Spieth collapsed) but has struggled ever since. A five-time European Tour winner, Willett qualified for last year’s Ryder Cup but made little impact as USA defeated a rookie-heavy European side.

Missed the cut in his Augusta defence by one stroke and withdrew during last month’s US Open with a back injury after an opening round 81.

STARTER

Had ten top tens (inc. two runner-up) before his Oakmont breakthrough.

Finished ninth at Royal Troon last year after being fifth, five back, heading into the weekend. Johnson is the undoubted World No.1 after three wins in succession this year but needs a good summer after a wobbly patch in June. Will fancy his chances at the US PGA at Quail Hollow.

Henrik Stenson – 2016 Open Romped to an historic, record-breaking win over Phil Mickelson at Troon last year but has struggled to get it going this year, missing the cut at both The Masters and the US Open. His record isn’t great at Augusta (T14 represents his best ever finish at Magnolia Lane) and he always seems to do better in summer as the season gets into full swing. Contended at last year’s US PGA as he looked to win back-to-back Majors but fell away late on after being two back at the start of play.

Jimmy Walker – 2016 US PGA Admittedly he’s not had much time to build on his first Major which came at a wet and cold Baltusrol.

Had three top tens in the Majors in 2014 and was a Ryder Cup player that year and 2016.

Missed the cut at Erin Hills and has been suffering the effects of Lyme Disease this year.

Sergio Garcia - 2017 Masters

Brooks Koepka - 2017 US Open

Finally broke through in style at Augusta. Finished T21 at Erin Hills but never got into contention. As a Major champion, Garcia has the freedom to attack and with his natural talent should be a good fit for Royal Birkdale.

A comfortable victory in Wisconsin, Koepka was the best player in the field from tee to green and if he can replicate that on the biggest stages it wont be long before he adds another Major to the cabinet.

In summation...

W

ith such an array of talent on display from all four corners of the globe it's getting harder and harder to predict who will win a Major and this year's Open Championship is no exception.

Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth have been relatively quiet in the biggest events since their last Major triumphs. During that time door has been open and players have duly stepped up when it mattered. Heading into Royal

Birkdale plenty of players are in form, but the nature of links golf in Great Britain means a player's chances of victory could be dealt a blow before they even tee off, given the sometimes volotile and changable weather. With

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that being said, Spieth is in form having won twice this year and his short game is as good as it gets. If he's patient, keeps it in play off the tee and doesn't let a bad bounce affect his mental strength he will be a factor.

STARTER

pin a k T

he finale of the 2007 Open Championship at Carnoustie was almost as memorable as the last time The Open was held there in 1999 when Jean Van de Velde famously took a dip in the Barry Burn as he squandered his chances of victory.

Padraig Harrington, who won the Order of Merit the year before, started the final day from six strokes back and signed for a 67 and then defeated Sergio Garcia in a four-hole aggregate play-off. But that far from tells the whole story. Harrington was on a huge charge and by the time he eagled the 14th he was 6-under for the round and level with Garcia on 9-under par.

Garcia bogeyed 15 to fall behind but Harrington put two balls in the Burn on the 18th in scenes reminiscent of Van de Velde and wound up with a double to drop to 7-under. Garcia needed to par the last to win and after escaping from the greenside bunker his putt from 8 feet had too much pace and grazed the edge. So they went to

the play off (holes 1, 16, 17 and 18). Garcia bogeyed the first and Harrington made birdie to take a two-stroke lead.

Garcia hit a superb shot to the par-3 16th which hit the pin and rolled away from the cup. Both made par. They again matched each other on the 17th and with a two stroke advantage still intact Harrington made a two-putter for bogey to win by one with Garcia already in for par. The Claret Jug was the Irishman’s and Garcia’s long wait for a first Major continued.

Above: Garcia misses his par putt in regulation to win outright.

Left: Harrington shakes hands after winning the play-off.

I a om a on a. n I tu n o I ou a s tt o omin a ou n man. It s n at to nam as som on o ou in a ma o . o a tua o an o it I on t no at to t in .

a ai

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o mnist

Pete Cowen The Open hampionship it s

T

HIS has got to be one of the most wide open editions of The Open Championship for a great many years. As I’ve always said with links golf, the unfortunate thing is it’s luck of the draw that can decide who wins. Sometimes you can be playing well going into the tournament, get the wrong side of the draw and face ferocious weather and be knocked out by no fault of your own. The usual suspects will always be up there on the leaderboard but the luck of the draw will come into it somewhere – it always does.

The weather plays a major part in the outcome. I’m not a betting man but I wouldn’t even consider choosing a winner of The Open.

Golf coaches are as notoriously bad as horseracing jockeys at tipping anybody to win. My guess is it’s between 20 players, take your pick.

Potential Open Champion Obviously, I’d like to see the players I coach do well. Henrik Stenson was phenomenal in defeating Phil Mickelson at Royal Troon last year and when he’s defending anything he always seems to play well. Padraig Harrington may be in the autumn of his career but he’s got a chance. Padraig always has a chance because he’s a battler.

Bruce Koepka the US Open Champion must be a potential Open Champion. Rory McIlroy missed the cut in his own event, the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Hosted by the Rory Foundation, and he’s clearly carrying an injury so he’s unlikely to be able to resurrect his form for Royal Birkdale.

Tom Pieters says he’s in a poor place, mentally, at the moment.

He’s struggling to find the motivation to come out week in week out and consequently he’s not playing enough. He can win anything on his day but it’s finding the mindset that’s going to kick-start him into action. It might be that the Major setting does the trick as it did at Augusta. He also played pretty impressively at the US Open but putted so badly in the first two rounds that he missed the cut.

Professional golfers can be affected by a multitude of things.

i e Open

When I was playing I used to hope I’d been paired with someone I liked. If I was then I’d think it was going to be a good day, and it usually was. If I played with someone who was particularly slow or who you didn’t like much then I knew it was going to be a tough day. It definitely affects them. Some will ask not to be partnered with certain players. There’s nothing that can be done about the selections – but they still ask.

Driven By Success Winning a Major can affect players in different ways. You look at some players and question was it the right thing for them to win a Major that early in their careers. They might consider that a Major is the pinnacle of their career. They may say, ‘well, I’ve won one and it would be nice to win another. Whereas somebody like Tiger Woods was completely driven by success.

“I once said to Tiger, ‘you’re not playing many tournaments this year, why’s that?’ He replied, “if it was up to me, I’d play just four a year – the Majors.” For Woods one Major wasn’t much good, whereas to a lot of players one Major is like climbing Everest. They breathe a sigh of relief at the top and that almost takes them down. It can be very difficult when you’ve shot a round of 62 or 63 to then immediately follow it with another one.

It’s the same with Majors - it’s tough to win another one. But, obviously, Woods was able to do it.

To most players, they would rather swap 20 big titles for one Major. It’s like having five silver medals in the Olympics. Would you exchange all those for one gold?

Of course you would. A Major is the pinnacle, certainly amongst all my players. ■

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l

ist

David Howell Weather always plays a part at Birkdale

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he locker room, 2008 at Royal Birkdale and Greg Norman had just turned up to casually pull on his rain gear, pop on his spikes and

Wentworth with a final round 62. Anything is possible for Noren.

head out to do battle against the elements and, of course, Padraig Harrington. I had just stepped foot into the same locker room looking

Of the Americans I rate Fowler’s chances the best if the weather is poor. He’s a great putter, and he’s won the Scottish Open so he knows how to play links golf and what to expect. He keeps on giving himself

like a drowned rat having just missed a six-foot putt on the last for a 66.

chances at the Majors, much like Sergio has done. Fair enough, he has

Greg had noticed my nice round and took the time to congratulate me on my good day’s work. I wished him well, took a shower, dressed and hopped into my car to drive back to Surrey. It was when I reached the

not taken his chances of an early Major victory but, rest assured, one will come along before long. I could see Rickie becoming a bit of an

south side of Birmingham that I realised I was coming to a point of no return. I was listening to the radio broadcast on the car radio and, amazingly, I still held the clubhouse lead. Every time someone came close to jumping ahead of me they faltered. Glued to the radio commentary I started to slow down. Here I was with two hours of play left and I’m now far enough away to not be able to get back in time for the prizegiving.

Awkward to say the least.

Ian Poulter finally put me out of my misery a few minutes later with a 69 to finish second before Harrington made an eagle on 17 to come home in 4-under par to retain his title.

Open Championship specialist in the future.

Dropping down the ranking just a little, the name Justin Rose hits me in the face. Can you remember the scenes in 1998 when as a 17 year old kid he pitched in at the last to finish in fourth place. Just imagine the feel-good-factor that must come along with that. Rose is a Major player now. Much like Faldo, he bases all his efforts around being up for the Majors. I played with Justin in round three of last year’s Open and was astonished to learn that he had spent the whole of the previous week playing and practicing at Troon. It didn’t pay off but it does show how single-minded he is about the biggest events. If Justin is fit he may well be a force to be reckoned with.

So what’s the point of this little anecdote, you’re thinking? Royal Birkdale is tough, Harrington won with plus 3; O’Meara ten years before with level par. Sure, both times the elements played their part but that’s the whole point of The Open isn’t it? It’s a battle against the course, the wind, the rain, or even occasionally, dusty burnt-out fairways, so let’s

If you fancy an outsider, why not take a chance on Chris Wood. The Englishman has run close twice in The Open, finishing in sixth place at Birkdale in 2008 and missing a play-off with Tom Watson and Stuart Cink at Trump Turnberry by one. Not many know just how good Chris Wood is on an Open Championship course.

Finally, it will be interesting to see how Harrington fares. He’s had surgery this year, and

hope for the latter next month!

Who do I fancy to go well? If I look at the top ten players in the world, three would jump out at me, and not the top three, interestingly. Garcia,

is not in the form of his life for sure, but Greg Norman gave him a run for his money last time, so maybe Paddy can turns the tables on the

now that he’s broken his Major duck, I could easily see holding aloft the Claret Jug. He’s a great shaper of shots who’s in superb touch with the short game, and with green speeds that are not scary fast, I could see it happening.

Alex Noren, presently eighth in the World Ranking, with the best scrambling stats on the European Tour, has got to be a prime candidate.

youngsters himself this time. Now wouldn’t that be enthralling viewing.

As for me, at the time of writing, I won’t be at this year’s event. However, with three more Rolex Series events to come and a few spots in all of them up for grabs I am still hoping to make my 15th appearance. If

One thing you need to be at Birkdale is a scrambler. Strong as an ox and coming off an amazing victory at the BMW PGA Championship at

I’m there I will have a huge smile on my face, and will hope to finish with a flourish just like I did in 2008. ■

‘Battle against the course’

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Available at eGolf Megastore & Select UAE & GCC On-Course Facilities.

Columnist

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nner it s r ng that s a rst

S

OME of you may know that in my spare time, when I’m not playing golf or working on my game, my favourite thing to do is to surf.

It’s a passion that began 10 years ago when I was 23 years old and in Bali having a week’s break before we played a European Tournament in the region. It’s impossible to go to Bali and not surf so I decided to give it a go. The first time I tried it was much harder than I thought it was going to be but I kept trying and by the end of the first day I was able to stand up on the board. I was also hooked for life.

I got some lessons and got better, re-visiting Bali whenever I could so that I could do more surfing. In the end, I was visiting to regularly I decided to buy a holiday home there where I now keep a couple of my boards. The feeling you get when you catch a good wave and ride it well is, in my mind, similar to when you’ve smashed a big drive or holed

Stationary Wave Riding Champion and it was a really fun and unique experience. It was really tricky at first, as I’ve only ever surfed on ocean waves, but Tao was really helpful and gave me some pointers and I eventually got the hang of it. It’s not every day you can say you’ve been ‘inner city surfing’. BMW really does great work around the tournaments they sponsor, they organise a lot of extra activities for players and our partners so it’s really good fun.

a really long putt.

Germany and had another go!

I’m currently preparing for The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale and have just competed in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open which was very special as I was able to meet up with my good friends Colm and Breeda McLoughlin and there were also many other guests and friends from Dubai attending.

I’m often asked which Major I would like to most win? For me it is the Open Championship because of its tradition and the success of Seve winning multiple times and paving the way for Spanish and European players.

It will be my first time playing at Royal Birkdale which is steeped in history having such great winners in Arnold Palmer, Peter Thompson, Lee Trevino, Johnny Miller, Tom Watson, Mark O’Meara and Padraig Harrington. ■

Man-made River As well as Bali, I’ve surfed all over the world in places like Indonesia, Costa Rica, Australia, (Hawaii is still on my bucket list) and even my home city, Dubai! But I never expected that I would ever surf in Germany and even less so in the land locked city of Munich!

But that’s exactly what I did when I visited the city recently to play in the BMW International Open. BMW arranged for me to visit a beautiful big park in the city called the ‘English Gardens’.

There’s a man-made river inside the park that has a stationary wave, kind of like the ones you’d see in a water park like Wild Wadi in Dubai.

I went there with a guy called Tao Schirrmacher who is the European

11-time World Surf Champion Kelly Slater (11-time World Surf Champion), who is a friend, was shown the video clip of me surfing in Munich (you can check out the video here: https://www.europeantour.com/en/europeantour/ tournaments/2017/bmw-international-open/rafa-goes-surfing) and gave me some tips so I went back to the English Gardens before I left

Visit golfindubai.com to enter a competition to win a VIP golf trip to Dubai including a place in the Pro-Am of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

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RAFA CABRERA BELLO IS A JA RESORTS & HOTELS AMBASSADOR.

TOUR NEWS

Blanca Rivollier, winner of the 2016 Luckiest Ball on Earth Series is pictured with European Tour star Bradley Dredge (right) and her playing partners in the Rolex Pro-Am ahead of last year's DP World Tour Championship.

AMATEURS TO COMPETE FOR DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP PRO-AM SPOT IN 2017 LUCKIEST BALL ON EARTH SERIES

A

mateur golfers in the UAE are licking their lips in anticipation ahead of the September launch of the 2017 DP World Tour Championship ‘Luckiest Ball on Earth’ competition. The innovative series gives local players the chance of a ‘money can’t buy’ golfing experience alongside the stars of the European Tour at the Race to Dubai’s grand finale in November.

A total of 22 qualifying events will take place at 21 golf clubs across the UAE with the winner of each event taking their place in a Grand Final at Jumeirah Golf Estates on Sunday 22 October.

UAE NATIONAL GOLF TEAM Two members of the UAE National Golf Team will also be invited through the Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) to compete in the Grand Final, making a total of 24 players.

The winner of that event will be awarded a once in a lifetime opportunity to play alongside the likes of defending champion, Matt Fitzpatrick, and reigning Race to Dubai winner, Henrik Stenson, in the Rolex sponsored Pro-Am which takes place on the Earth course two days before the Race to Dubai’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship gets underway from Thursday 16 November to Sunday 19 November.

“We are hopeful that many more than 1,000 golfers from all over the UAE will again take part in 22 events at 21 clubs this Autumn to be in with a chance to play with one of the top players on the European Tour. This is the seventh edition of the Luckiest Ball on Earth initiative and it is exciting that the engagement with local golfers continues to grow. We especially thank the Emirates Golf Federation for sanctioning this local golf project,” said Nick Tarratt, Director

European Tour International, Dubai Office.”

The DP World Tour Championship sees the top 60 players on the European Tour’s Race to Dubai competing for a prize fund of US$8 million plus a Bonus Pool of US$5 million split between the top 10 finishers on the Race to Dubai following the conclusion of the tournament.

The Luckiest Ball on Earth competition has proven to be a hit with the UAE’s amateur golfers since the initiative was first launched in 2011. The annual competition is open to all golfers aged 18 or over who hold an Official Club Handicap recognised by the EGF (maximum 28 for men and 36 for ladies).

MASTERS CHAMPION Arabian Ranches Golf Club member Kevin Barrett of Northern Ireland won the inaugural Luckiest Ball on Earth competition and played alongside Ryder Cup star Edoardo Molinari in the Pro-Am before Italy’s Ornella Parigi of Saadiyat Beach Golf Club became the first female winner in 2012 and lined up with Australia’s Marcus Fraser.

In 2013, former Dubai Creek Lady Captain Maureen Platt earned a place alongside Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen in the Pro-Am while in 2014 Dipesh Makwana came out on top against almost 1000 hopefuls to be teamed up with Race to Dubai runner-up, Danny Willett, who went on to win last year's Masters Tournament.

In 2015, Jairaj Gorsia from Meydan Golf was victorious and was given an unforgettable experience in the Pro-Am playing with England’s James Morrison.

Last year’s winner was another Saadiyat Beach Golf Club member, Blanca Rivollier, who played with Bradley Dredge.

2017 LUCKIEST BALL ON EARTH QUALIFYING EVENTS – VENUES AND DATES: VENUE EMIRATE DATE Dubai Creek Golf Club Dubai 2 September & Yacht Club Dubai Abu Dhabi City Golf Club Abu Dhabi 8 September Abu Dhabi Golf Club Abu Dhabi 8 September Sharjah Golf and Sharjah 8 September Shooting Club Al Ghazal Golf Club Abu Dhabi 15 September Jumeirah Golf Estates Dubai 15 September Al Dhafra Golf Club Abu Dhabi 15 September Saadiyat Beach Golf Club The Track Meydan Tower Links Golf Club Emirates Golf Club – Ladies Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa Emirates Golf Club – Men Sharjah Wanderers Golf Club The Address Montgomerie Dubai Al Hamra Golf Club Al Zorah Golf Club Arabian Ranches Golf Club Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club Trump International Yas Links The Els Club

22 September 23 September 23 September 25 September

Dubai Dubai Sharjah

28 September 29 September 29 September

Dubai

6 October

Ras Al Khaimah Ajman Dubai Al Ain

6 October 6 October 6 October 6 October

Dubai Abu Dhabi Dubai

6 October 6 October 7 October

For Hospitality tickets call +971 (0) 56 735 9852 or email HOSPITALITY@DPWTC.COM For more information, contact Claire Badger at cbadger@europeantour.com dger@europeanto +971 (0) 55 158 58 8380

YOUR CHANCE TO PLAY IN THE DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

PRO-AM

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Abu Dhabi Dubai Ras Al Khaimah Dubai

Tour News

Jenni Hoskins is pictured to the immediate left of 2016 DP World Tour Championship winner Matthew Fitzpatrick, along with her faithful band of volunteers. You could join her this year for an unforgettable experience.

JENNI’S GLOBAL BAND OF VOLUNTEERS

W

hile the cream of the European Tour compete to make the top 60 on the Race to Dubai and earn their place in the DP World Tour Championship, Chief Marshal Jenni Hoskins is quietly gathering her global band of marshals to ensure the tournament is another overwhelming success.

She is the lady responsible for the recruitment and management of the volunteers for the tournament who have proved vital to the success of the most prestigious and long-awaited event of the year.

“This will be the ninth year that I have been working to put together this great team of ours, since its inauguration in 2009,” says Jenni.

“Now is the time of year to put the call out to our happy family of helpers.

'GROWN YEAR ON YEAR' “Our army of marshals has grown year on year and it becomes increasingly evident that most of our travelling band are coming from all over the world, not just from the Middle East.

It’s not surprising that our volunteers regard the event as an annual reunion of old friends.

It’s a huge opportunity to be part of and to contribute to one of the greatest tournaments in world golf. Word continues to spread that this is an event that brings excitement and great satisfaction to all involved.

“The spectator numbers increase year by year and produce a wonderful, friendly atmosphere for players and volunteers alike.

By the final day the air is electric with emotion and expectation.”

The Tournament has earned the reputation for being one of the best run and most enjoyable events on the Tour and the ambience throughout the four days is always full of fun which is down to the input of the volunteers.

“Once the majority of the team has been recruited, the exciting part for me is meeting up again with all those who have supported me from one year to the next. Watching them greeting each other again and seeing the camaraderie that exists amongst them is a joy to behold.

'PRIDE IN PARTICIPATING' “Working together as a team and inspiring confidence in each other brings huge pride in participating in such a vital job in a variety of roles from crowd management to player movement, to scoring and assisting TV crews, and many more duties.

“The overseas volunteers make a special effort to come to Dubai for the whole of the week’s event, whether they are also visiting family or friends, and at the same time encouraging their hosts to join them.

“These regular volunteers are particularly important to me as they bring great continuity to the tournament. They are able to contribute so much more due to their experience and involvement. They are able to foresee a possible problem before it happens. As a volunteer, initiative is a great skill which adds value to any team, together with their willingness to adapt and assist anywhere that is needed at short notice.

“Every year, from the completion of the

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last tournament, I receive enquiries for the following year. By the time I start to chat to everyone, I already have a long list of prospective marshals, keen to come and join our happy band.

“I and my office team care very much for every volunteer and make sure each one feels part of the team, feels confident in the work they are doing and remains happy throughout their time with us. Everyone of them is important.

“We ask that each volunteer commits to the tournament and to each other and ensures they handle all spectators with respect while at the same time keeping each part of the course under control in a friendly manner, thus ensuring everyone has a great time.

“My aim is to put an initial team of 300 together to allow for changes in work commitments, last minute family events or illness, etc (hopefully none) as at least a few of these situations are inevitable in a large group of people. Mutual communication is paramount from the start of the recruitment campaign until the final day of the tournament.

I expect all volunteers to keep in touch with me constantly as I will do with them.

“I am currently in the process of contacting my regular and loyal volunteers now. If you are interested in becoming a member of our worldwide team of hard-working, passionate golfers and non-golfers, then please get in touch with me as soon as possible at jengolfdxb@hotmail.com”

Race to Dubai movers and shakers THE European Tour is just past the half-way point of this year's Race to Dubai and players are vying for position, some looking to work their way into the top 60 to claim their place in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates while others have slightly loftier ambitions. South Africa's Dylan Frittelli is having a superb season on Tour and he picked up his maiden victory at the Lyoness Open in Austria. Fritelli, who graduated from last year's Challenge Tour, held his nerve to win by one from England's David Horsey, South Africa's Jbe Kruger and Mikko Korhonen of Finland and collect 166,660 points. With the victory he moved up from 25th on the Race to Dubai to 17th, all but securing his spot in the season finale. Kruger, Korhonen and Horsey gained 74,570 points for their share of second place, with Kruger moving from 129th to 84th in the Race to Dubai, Korhonen progressing from 64th to 52nd and Horsey jumping from 97th to 71st.

England's Richard McEvoy finished in fifth to win 42,400 points and move from 216th to 155th, while Sweden's Johan Carlsson finished one shot behind in sixth place and claimed 35,000 points to move from 128th to 102nd.

Austria's Sepp Straka, Denmark's Lucas Bjerregaard and Holland's Joost Luiten were all tied in seventh place and each gained 25,800 points. Bjerregaard moved from 98th to 92nd while Luiten solidified his place in 39th.

TOMMY Fleetwood put himself out in front of the European Tour’s Race to Dubai after firing a final round 66 to win the HNA Open de France and claim a staggering 1,040,824 points in the second Rolex Series event of the season points to up his season tally to 3,521,078 and open up a gap 819,449 over Masters Tournament winner Sergio Garcia. American Peter Uihlein finished alone in second with Mike LorenzoVera of France, Alexander Bjork of Sweden and Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark tied for third.

Uihlein gained 693,880 points and jumped 34 positions in the Race to Dubai rankings, moving from 42nd to eighth to book his place in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.

Bjork, Olesen, and Lorenzo-Vera each won 322,657 points with Bjork progressing from 49th to 22nd, Olesen moving from 64th to 25th and Lorenzo-Vera advancing from 52nd to 24th.

The Race to Dubai trophy Tommy Fleetwood celebrates his win in France

Andres Romero took full advantage of a sponsor's invite as he clinched his first European Tour title in 10 years and regain his playing privileges on Tour. In addition he earned 333,330 Race to Dubai points to place him 45th on the ranking and in with a chance of qualifying for the DP World Tour Championship for the first time in his career. Romero won by one ahead of Sergio Garcia, Thomas Detry and Richard Bland who each collected 149,140 Race to Dubai points for sharing the runner-up spot.

Bland made the biggest jump up the rankings from 176th place to 79th while Detry, who finished 16th in last season’s Road to Oman on the European Challenge Tour, took his season tally to 303,062 after moving from 88th to 53rd and Garcia took his points total to 2,701,628.

Andres Romero

Dylan Frittell For all DP World Tour Championship hospitality enquiries please contact Julie Letherby – Hospitality Manager: jletherby@europeantour.com; +971 5673 59852

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Road to Oman hits a busy spell

– American Julian Suri leads the way from Aaron Rai THE 2017 Road to Oman is taking shape after a busy month with 12 of the 31 events now completed.

Oscar Stark birdied the last to clinch a memorable first win on the Challenge Tour with a two-stroke win over Dominic Foos, Victor Perez and Adrien Saddier at the Made in Denmark Challenge – presented by Ejner Hessel at Royal Oak Golf Club.

His victory took him to seventh in the Road to Oman and the 28-year-old admitted that he wasn’t aware of his position on the leaderboard until he sank his final putt. “I didn’t really know how I was standing out there,” said the Swede. “I made a long birdie putt on 15, that was huge, but I managed to keep it together over the last few holes and I knew I would be close.

“I was trying to take it shot by shot and just breathe out there, focus on every shot and try to ignore anything else going on around me – I knew birdieing the last was then enough.”

Richard McEvoy claimed his second European Challenge Tour title in style by carding a five under par 66 to triumph at the SSE Scottish Hydro Challenge hosted

by Macdonald Hotels & Resorts.

McEvoy, who won his first Challenge Tour title at the Panasonic Panama Open in 2004, eased home to finish four ahead of his nearest challenger James Heath.

“I never stopped believing I could win again,” he said. “I’ve been playing a lot of good golf this year. I came really close to winning in Austria on the European Tour last month, so I came into this week in really good form.”

McEvoy made a huge move up the Road to Oman rankings from 59th to fifth place thanks to his victory.

Martin Wiegele claimed a first Challenge Tour win for seven years when he triumphed at the KPMG Trophy. The 38-year-old collected his fourth career title on the Challenge Tour with a one-troke win over Spain’s Pedro Oriol and with it he moved from 195th into the top ten on the Road to Oman rankings.

A late charge from home favourite Julien Guerrier saw him clinch his first Challenge Tour title in dramatic scenes at the Hauts de France Golf Open. Starting the day with a share of the lead with Jack Doherty, Guerrier and the Scot exchange the lead at various points during play and a birdie on the par-3 17th saw the Frenchman pull level. As they strode down the 18th fairway a play-off looked the likely outcome but Doherty struggled to get out of the rough and a regulation par from Guerrier was enough to take the title.

Julian Suri continued his dominance of this year’s Road to Oman with a first victory of the season at the D+D REAL Czech Challenge.

The American regained the top spot on the ranking and continues to lead the way after a third place finish the following week at the Swiss Challenge.

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Joel Girrbach gave himself every chance of making the top 15 on the ranking with a two-stroke victory at the Swiss Challenge. The win moved the home player up inside the top 10 on the Road to Oman from 87th.

TOUR NEWS

UAE AMATEURS IN SEARCH OF A COVETED ‘GOLDEN BALL’ AHEAD OF RAS AL KHAIMAH 2017 GOLF CHALLENGE

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mateur golfers across the UAE will be hoping to get their hands on a coveted ‘Golden Ball’ which will grant them entry to the Pro-Am for the Ras Al Khaimah 2017 Golf Challenge, taking place at Al Hamra Golf Club from October 25-28.

28-25.

All 22 clubs in the country have been invited to stage a qualifying event for the 2017 Golden Ball series which will see players battling it out to win a much sought after spot in the Grand Final set to take place at Al Hamra Golf Club in Ras Al Khaimah on Thursday October 5th, 2017.

5, 2017.

TOP THREE FINISHERS The top three finishers at the Grand Final will then be treated to a once in experience a lifetime byby unique competing alongside the stars of the European Challenge Tour in the Ras Al Khaimah 2017 Golf Challenge Pro-Am, back at Al Hamra GC on Tuesday October 24th.

24.

“The Golden Ball Series is a wonderful initiative giving local golfers in the region a once in a lifetime opportunity of rubbing shoulders with the next generation of professional golf stars on the European Challenge Tour,” said Haitham Mattar, CEO Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority.

“As the penultimate event on the Challenge Tour calendar the RAK Golf Challenge is a pivotal tournament for players as they bid to end the season in the top 15 on the Road to Oman Rankings and gain promotion to the European Tour.

“The amateurs who make it through the

Golden Ball qualifying series and win a spot in the RAK 2017 Golf Challenge Pro-Am will enjoy an unforgettable experience playing alongside some of the best players in the game in a fun yet competitive environment.

“The championship course located in the idyllic lifestyle village of Al Hamra will take them around natural lagoons in a stunning setting – allowing them to get a feel for the natural beauty of Ras Al Khaimah. We wish all of the competitors the best of luckand luck andlook look forward to welcoming them to what is sure to be a fantastic tournament in October.”

JORDAN SMITH Running at the spectacular Al Hamra Golf Club from October 25-28, 28-25, this year’s Ras Al Khaimah Golf Challenge, the northern emirate’s largest ever international sporting event, will feature a 105-strong field of leading European Challenge Tour talents mixed with a sprinkling of local qualifiers and sponsors invites.

Having stormed to victory in the inaugural Ras Al Khaimah 2016 Golf Challenge en route to securing his first European Tour card for the 2017 season, England’s Jordan Smith – who, as per tour rules, is ineligible to defend his title, said: “I obviously have only good memories of the event because I won it but it was a great week - I loved everything about it. The course was awesome, really nice but tricky in places. It’s quite wide and open which is nice but there are also lots of water hazards; you’ve also got the

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last hole running along the water which added to the pressure going down the last. It was a new event on the calendar but everyone really enjoyed it. It’s so convenient from Dubai but we stayed in Ras Al Khaimah near the course, right on the beach and it was beautiful. It was a great place to be and a great week for me.”

The Challenge Tour’s tagline is ‘where heroes are made’ and rightly so. Among its former members are Major champions Henrik Stenson, Martin Kaymer, Brooks Koepka, Justin Rose, Louis Oosthuizen, Trevor Immelman and Michael Campbell. The 2018 European Ryder Cup Captain Thomas Bjorn also cut his teeth on the Challenge Tour as did such luminaries as 2016 DP World Tour Championship winner Matthew Fitzpatrick, 2012 Omega Dubai Desert Classic champion Rafa Cabrera Bello not to mentioned likes of Ian Poulter, mention thethe likes of Ian Poulter, Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnson, Branden Grace, Byeong Hun An, Thomas Pieters, Brandon Stone and Thomas Detry.

The 2017 Golden Ball series gives amateur golfers the chance to play alongside the history makers of the future.

Look out for information information about about the the Golden Golden Ball series at your golf club or email jen@wspdubai.com.

For more information on the Ras Al Khaimah 2017 Golf Challenge and The Road to Oman 2017 visit www.europeantour.com/ challengetour.

o

ew

Date: May 25 - 28 Event: Dean and Deluca Invitational Venue: Colonial CC, Fort Worth, Texas

Date: June 1 - 4 Event: Nordea Masters Venue: Barsebäck G&CC, Malmö, Sweden

KISNER DENIES SPIETH FOR FIRST WIN

PARATORE HOLDS ON FOR MAIDEN TITLE

Keven Kisner held off a spirited charge from Jordan Spieth to win his second US PGA Tour title at the Dean & Deluca Invitational.

Kisner, who was twice a runner-up last year, birdied the first three holes on the back nine to take the lead and then hold a clutch par putt on the 18th to seal the victory ahead of Speith, Sean O’Hair and Jon Rahm.

Italy’s Renato Paratore clinched a narrow one-stroke win over Chris Wood and defending champion Matt Fitzpatrick at the Nordea Masters for his first victory on the European Tour. The 20-year-old set the club house target at 11 under par but Ryder Cup star Wood only needed to par the last to force a play-off. However, Wood hit a wayward drive and made a bogey to hand Paratore the title.

Pos. Name 1 Kevin Kisner T2 Jordan Spieth T2 Sean O'Hair

Country

Total

Scores

Total

Pos. Name

USA USA USA

-10 -9 -9

67 67 70 66 70 68 68 65 67 68 70 66

270 271 271

1 2 3

Date: June 1 - 4 Event: The Memorial Tournament Venue: Muirfield Village, Dublin, Ohio

Country

Renato Paratore Matthew Fitzpatrick Chris Wood

ITA ENG ENG

Total

Scores

Total

-11 -10 -10

68 72 71 70 73 70 71 68 74 68 68 72

281 282 282

Date: June 8 – 11 Event: Lyoness Open powered by Organic+ Venue: Diamond CC, Atzenbrugg, Austria

DUFNER MEETS JACK WITH MEMORIAL WIN

FRITTELLI ANOTHER FIRST-TIMER

Jason Dufner clinched his fifth title on the US PGA Tour with a superb three-stroke victory at the Memorial Tournament. Dufner had to endure two rain delays on a hectic Sunday as he closed with a 68 to deny Rickie Fowler and a charging Anirban Lahiri. Dufner had shot a third round 77 but bounced back in impressive fashion to seal the victory.

South Africa’s Dylan Frittelli continued the run of first-time winners on the European Tour with a one stroke victory at the Lyoness Open thanks to weekend rounds of 68-67 and a 12-under-par total.

Frittelli saw off England’s David Horsey, compatriot Jbe Kruger and Finland’s Mikko Korhonen to that the title.

Pos. Name 1 Jason Dufner T2 Anirban Lahiri T2 Rickie Fowler

Country

Total

Scores

Total

Pos. Name

USA IND USA

-13 -10 -10

65 65 77 68 74 70 69 65 70 66 72 70

275 278 278

1 2 3

Dylan Frittelli David Horsey Jbe Kruger

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Country

Total

Scores

Total

RSA ENG RSA

-12 -11 -11

70 71 68 67 75 64 73 65 69 73 68 67

276 277 277

O Date: June 8 - 11 Event: FedEx St. Jude Classic Venue: TPC Southwind, Memphis, Tennessee

O Date: June 15 – 18 Event: US Open Venue: Erin Hills, Erin, Wisconsin

BERGER DEFENDS IN MEMPHIS

KOEPKA BREAKS THROUGH IN STYLE

Daniel Berger successfully defended the FedEx St. Jude Classic after a superb 4-under-par 66 gave him a one-stroke victory over Charl Schwartzel and Whee Kim. Berger tamed the fast and firm layout to win his second US PGA Tour title and become the fourth back-to-back champion of the event.

Brooks Koepka clinched his maiden Major title in impressive fashion with a 16 under par total and a four-stroke victory over Hideki Matsuyama and Brian Harman at Erin Hills. Koepka entered the final day one behind Harmon but fired a superb 67 to take the title while Harman shot a 72. Matsuyama charged up the leaderboard with a 66 to clinch his best result in a Major.

Pos. Name 1 Daniel Berger T2 Whee Kim T2 Charl Schwartzel

Country

Total

Scores

Total

Pos. Name

Country

USA KOR RSA

-10 -9 -9

70 68 66 66 69 66 69 67 65 66 74 66

270 271 271

1 Brooks Koepka USA T2 Brian Harman USA T2 Hideki Matsuyama JPN

Total

Scores

Total

-16 -12 -12

67 70 68 67 67 70 67 72 74 65 71 66

272 276 276

Date: June 22 - 25 Event: BMW International Venue: Golfclub München Eichenried, Munich, Germany

Date: June 22 – 25 Event: Travellers Championship Venue: TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, Connecticut

ROMERO COMES IN FROM THE COLD

SPIETH HOLES OUT TO WIN

Andres Romero win his first title in almost a decade with a gutsty one-stroke win over Sergio Garcia, Richard Bland and Thomas Detry at the BMW International Open. Romero, who was 837th in the Official World Golf Ranking and playing on a sponsor’s invite, clinched the title with a superb final round 65 and immediately regained his playing rights on the European Tour.

Jordan Spieth hit one of the shots of the year – holing out from a deep greenside bunker – to win his second title of 2017 at the Travellers Championship and deny Daniel Berger. Spieth had tied with Berger after a final round 70 which saw him drop two late shots. However, he came up with the moment of magic when it mattered to clinch his 10th US PGA Tour title at the age of 23.

Pos. Name 1 2 3

Andres Romero Thomas Detry Richard Bland

Country

Total

Scores

Total

Pos. Name

ARG BEL ENG

-17 -16 -16

67 71 68 65 65 71 70 66 67 69 67 69

271 272 272

1 2 3

Jordan Spieth Daniel Berger Charley Hoffman

Worldwide GOLF |33|

Country

Total

Scores

Total

USA USA USA

-12 -12 -10

63 69 66 70 68 67 66 67 69 67 68 66

268 268 270

Stenson not ready to

Give the Claret Jug Back!

I

T'S been a pretty hectic year for former Dubai resident Henrik Stenson. The Swede wrapped up his first Major at The Open at Royal Troon in stunning fashion last July at the age of 40 and has his sights set on defending his title at Royal Birkdale.

“It’s been a pretty nice feeling to see the Claret Jug on my coffee table every day,” said Stenson, two-times a DP World Tour Championship winner. “I don’t know if it needs to be much more adventurous than that, although we did take it on a jet-ski journey last year. I haven’t taken it sky diving yet. Maybe if I defend at Birkdale I might take it sky diving? That could be good, right?”

Stenson’s outgoing nature and rock-solid game have endeared him to fans from all around the world and the manner of his victory in last year’s Open will go down in history as one of the classic duels in golf.

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FEATURE

STENSON'S MA JOR MOMENT

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Stenson and 2013 Champion Phil Mickelson exchanged birdie upon birdie before Stenson put his foot on the gas and ran out the winner by three shots on 20-under-par, the lowest winning score in Major championship history.

“I’m really looking forward to going back to Birkdale. I played there in 2008 and played well,” said Stenson, who finished in a share of third, six shots behind winner Padraig Harrington that year. “It’s one of my favourite Open venues. It’s a straightforward links, in that if you hit a tee shot down the fairway it is more likely to stay in the fairway.

“I hope I can give it a good shot to try and hang on to the Jug. I’m sure it’s going to be a sad moment when we have to give it back.

“Being European, The Open Championship was some of the first golf events I ever watched on television when I was a young kid, just starting to play the game.

With the personal history that comes with that, of course, it makes The Open maybe just a little bit closer to my heart than any of the other Majors. Having said that, all four Majors are wonderful in their own right and I hope I can give myself a chance to win a few of them.”

Stenson has been one of the finest players in the game since his first Race to Dubai win back in 2013 and his Major triumph validates the work he’s put in with coach Pete Cowen over the years.

“Of course, it gives you a little bit of a long-term confidence boost when you achieve something like that and play as well as I did,” said Stenson. But has the result changed him? “Not really.

Other than being a whole lot more busy off the golf course, I’m kind of the same. Same dry sense of humor.”

Speaking of being busy, how is Stenson’s game feeling this year?

“I feel like I’m heading in the right direction,” he said. “I put a fair amount of work in. You can always throw a couple of

different thoughts on why things don’t work out the way you want to – life is full of ups and downs and golf certainly is.

“Moving houses, a long season, not much rest in between seasons, and trying to carry forward momentum. Eventually, I think you tend to run out of steam a little bit.”

Stenson has posted some solid results so far in 2017 with a runner-up finish at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and a third place finish at the BMW PGA Championship, but his indifferent record at Augusta continued with a missed cut in April (he has never posted a top ten in The Masters).

However, he was a happy viewer as he settled to watch the weekend action in front of the TV and was delighted with how the tournament played out for his long-time friend Sergio Garcia.

“In some ways it was a little tough because I’m sitting there watching two of my good friends battle it out,” he said of the Sunday showdown between Garcia and Justin Rose. “But, of course, I was very happy for Sergio. I went to his charity event the day after I won The Open last year. He had his foundation day in Switzerland, and I know how close he has been on a couple of occasions before – and then there I was standing with the Claret Jug and getting all the congratulations for it!

“I gave him a little inspirational chat at that point, and he wasn’t slow to mention that when I saw him in the locker room at The Players Championship this year. I was delighted for him to win The Masters.”

The cream generally rises to the top at The Open and Royal Birkdale is one of the finest courses on the R&A’s rotation of venues. If this year’s Open is anything like Stenson and Mickelson’s duel at Royal Troon then the spectators and watching world are in for another treat. ■

“I’m really looking forward to going back to Birkdale. I played there in 2008 and played well, It’s one of my favourite Open venues. It’s a straightforward links, in that if you hit a tee shot down the fairway it is more likely to stay in the fairway.

– Stenson

Henrik Stenson career highlights

2000

2001

2006

2007

2009

Tops the Challenge Tour with three wins

Wins his first European Tour title at The Belfry

Wins twice on Tour and qualifies for The Ryder Cup where he seals the winning point

Clinches the WGC-Match Play in Arizona

Wins The Players Championship at Sawgrass

Worldwide GOLF |36|

FEATURE

STENSON'S MA JOR MOMENT

2012

2013

2014

After a dip in form he returns with victory in South Africa

Has a stunning year, topping the Race to Dubai and winning the PGA Tour’s FedExCup

Successfully defends the DP World Tour Championship and makes his third Ryder Cup appearance

Worldwide GOLF |37|

2016 Takes the Claret Jug after a titanic battle with Phil Mickelson, and later tops the Race to Dubai again

2016 Wins silver medal for Sweden at the Rio Olympics

M A G I C A L

M A J O R

M E M O R I E S O N

W

M E R S E Y S I D E

E CAN BARELY CONTAIN OUR EXCITEMENT AS GOLF’S OLDEST MAJOR BECKONS AT ROYAL BIRKDALE IN SOUTHPORT, MERSEYSIDE FROM JULY 20!23. IT’S A MAGICAL VENUE WITH A STORIED HISTORY HAVING HOSTED THE OPEN ON NINE PREVIOUS OCCASIONS, THROWING UP SOME UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS OF DRAMA AND PRODUCING WINNERS OF THE CALIBRE OF THE LIKES OF PETER THOMSON, ARNOLD PALMER, LEE TREVINO AND TOM WATSON. MORE RECENTLY, IRISHMAN PADRAIG HARRINGTON CLAIMED THE FIRST OF HIS BACK TO BACK CLARET JUGS ON ITS FAMOUS WINDSWEPT LINKS AND IF THIS YEAR’S EVENT IS A FRACTION OF THE SPECTACLE OF THOSE THAT CAME BEFORE IT, WE’RE IN FOR ANOTHER ROYAL BIRKDALE BONANZA. WORDS:

RICHARD

B E VA N

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OMSON S REI N E INS

HAVING

OPE N E D I N 1 889 A N D U N DE RGON E EXTE NSIVE RE NOVATION AN D

RE DESIG N I N 1 9 2 2 , BI RKDALE WAS ORIG I NALLY PRI M E D TO HOST TH E 1 94 0 OPE N BUT TH E SM ALL MAT TE R OF TH E OUTBREAK OF WWI I PUT TH E KI BOS H ON THOSE PL ANS. I N 1 9 5 4 , 1 4 YEARS L ATE R, TH E SOUTH PORT COU RSE’ S BIG MOM E NT FI NALLY CAM E AN D SO TOO DI D IT COM E FOR AUSTRALIA’ S PETE R THOMSON, WHO BEGAN A SPE LLBI N DI NG LOVE AFFAI R WITH GO LF ’ S OLD EST MA JOR BY WI N N I NG TH E FI RST OF FIVE CL ARET J UGS WITH A ON E !STROKE VICTORY OVE R BOBBY LOCKE, DAI RE ES AN D SYD SCOT T. TH E CRUCIAL MOM E NT I N TH E FI NAL ROU N D WAS A BRI LLIANT APPROACH SHOT FROM A STE E P SLOPE D LI E I N A BU N KE R ON TH E 1 6 TH, WH ICH H E H IT WITH H IS EYES CLOSE D ON LY TO OPE N TH E M AN D SE E TH E BALL HAD L AN DE D J UST I NCH ES FROM TH E PI N. “ THAT WON IT FOR M E, NO DOU BT, ” H E SAI D. “ HAD I MADE A M ESS OF THAT ON E, I’ D HAVE BE E N A GON E R. ” TH E AUSSI E WE NT ON TO WI N TH E N EXT T WO O PE NS, BECOM I NG TH E ON LY PL AYE R I N TH E MODE RN E RA TO WI N TH E TOU RNA M E NT TH RE E TI M ES ON TH E TROT.

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E IN E S IS IS

THE

SECON D OPEN TO PLAYED AT ROYAL BIRKDALE AGAI N YI ELDED A FI RST!TI M E WINNER, THIS TIM E I N TH E SHAPE OF TH E BEST GOLFER ON THE PLAN ET AT THAT TI M E, ARNOLD PALMER. TH IS WAS THE ONE HE REALLY WANTED HAVING ALREADY CLAI M ED TWO MASTERS TITLES AND THE US OPEN. H E’ D MADE H IS DEBUT I N TH E TOURNAMENT THE PREVIOUS YEAR AT ST AN DREWS AND FINISHED RUN N ER!UP TO AUSTRALIA’ S KEN NAGLE, WHICH ON LY I NCREASED H IS DETERM I NATION TO WIN. RELATIVELY BEN IGN CON DITIONS PREVAI LED ON THE SOUTHPORT COAST DURI NG TH E OPEN I NG ROUND BUT ON DAY TWO 50 M PH WI N DS BLEW TH E PLAYERS OFF COURSE. PALM ER, DESPITE CALLI NG A PENALTY ON HIMSELF WH EN TH E WI N D MOVED H IS BALL " WH ICH NOBODY ELSE HAD SEEN " CARDED THE SECOND!BEST ROUN D OF TH E DAY WITH A 73 .

HE DELIGHTED THE GALLERI ES BY DEFYI NG TH E CONDITIONS AND GOING ON THE AT TACK, USING A ON E IRON TO GREAT EFFECT, H IT TI NG LOW SHOTS UN DER THE WIND WITH ENOUGH BACKSPI N TO HOLD ON TH E SOFT GREENS. THEN TH E RAI NS CAM E AN D TH E R & A THREATENED TO ABAN DON TH E TOURNAM ENT. BUT THE GOLFING GODS WERE KI N D TH E FOLLOWI NG DAY AND THE WEATHER CLEARED UP ENOUGH TO FI N ISH THE THIRD AND FOURTH ROUN DS. WITH PALM ER’ S MAIN RIVAL, GARY PLAYER, WITH DRAWI NG DUE TO A STOMACH BUG, THE AMERICAN RALLIED TO A ON E! STROKE VICTORY, WITH DAI REES, AGAI N PLAYI NG BRIDESMAID. "I WANTED THIS CHAMPIONSHIP MORE THAN ANYTHING IN MY LIFE," SAID PALMER, WHO WON THE OPEN AGAIN THE FOLLOWING YEAR AT TROON AND WENT ON TO BAG A TOTAL OF SEVEN MAJORS, “BUT ANYTHING YOU WANT REAL BAD IS AWFULLY HARD TO GET."

EO O R ERS

ROYAL

BI R KDAL E PROVI DE D A F IT TI NG VE N U E FOR TH E 1 0 0 TH O PE N CH A M PIO NS H I P A N D WITH TH E SU N SH I N I N G ON M E RSEYSI DE , T WO EQUALLY BRIG HT CH A RACTE RS BAT TL E D IT OUT FO R TH E CL ARET J UG. L E E TR EVI N O, R E I G N I N G T WO !TI M E US OPE N CHAM PIO N WAS KN OWN A ROU N D TH E WO R L D AS ON E OF TH E BEST PL AYE RS A N D M OST CO LOU R FU L PE RSONALITI ES I N TH E GA M E . BUT TH E M A N WH O DU E LLE D WITH H I M DOWN TH E STR ETCH FO R TH E TITL E

OMSON DE IES E RI I S

SEVEN

YEA RS A FTE R H I S L AST O PE N VICTORY AT ROYA L LYTH A M A N D ST A N N ES, A N D 1 1 YEA RS S I N CE H I S F I RST TRI U M PH AT ROYAL B I R KDA L E , PETE R TH O M SO N D E F I E D TH E CR ITI CS WH O H A D CO NTI N UA L LY ASS E RTE D TH AT H I S RU N OF DO M I N A N CE I N TH E TOU R N A M E NT H A D CO M E DU R I NG A PE R I O D WH E N TH E B EST PL AYE RS F RO M A M E R ICA HAD B EG U N TO WA N E I N TH E I R E NTH U S I AS M TO TRAVE L SO FA R F RO M TH E I R HO M E L A N D TO CO M PETE . A GAL AXY O F STA RS L I KE A R N O L D PA L M E R , JACK N I CKL AU S, TONY L E M A A N D GA RY PL AYE R N OW DO M I N ATE D GA M E BUT TH E 3 5 YEAR O L D THO M SO N PROVE D H IS E N DU R I N G TA L E NT FO R LI N KS GO L F BY OUTDO I N G A L L O F TH E M TO WI N H IS FI FTH AN D FI N AL O PE N. “ I H AVE N O H ESITATIO N I N CA L L I NG TH E 1 9 6 5 OPE N BY FA R TH E G R EATEST OF MY SUCCESSES, ” H E SA I D L ATE R . “ I H AVE ACH I EVE D A G R EAT A M B ITI O N BY WI N N I N G WITH TH E A M E R ICA N BIG TH R E E ! PAL M E R , N ICKL AU S AN D L E M A " I N TH E FI E LD. "

I N TH E F I N A L ROU N D, TH A I L A N D ’ S LU L I A N G H UAN, WAS A N U N KN OWN QUA NTITY. WITH H I S U N U S UA L PO RK PI E H AT, WH I CH H E DOF F E D WITH A S M I L E TO A L L H E M ET, A N D H I S U N E R R I N G TA L E NT, “ M R LU ” QU I CKLY BECAM E A FAVOU R ITE O F TH E GA L L E R I ES. TR EVI N O L E D BY ON E F RO M TO NY JACKL I N A N D LU GO I N G I NTO TH E FI NAL ROU N D A N D WE NT OUT L I KE A ROCKET, WITH FOU R B I R D I ES OVE R TH E F I RST FOU R H O L ES. BY TH E TU RN H E H A D O PE N E D U P A S IX STRO KE L EA D BUT LU BEGAN PI CKI N G U P S H OTS A N D WH E N TH E A M E R ICA N MADE S EVE N AT TH E 1 7 TH, TH E R E WAS O N LY O N E S H OT I N IT H EA D I N G DOWN TH E L AST. BOTH PL AYE RS M A DE BI RD I E BUT LU ’ S WAS A N U N CO M FO RTA B L E O N E , CO M I NG VIA KN OCKI N G OUT A F E M A L E S PECTATO R WITH H I S SECON D S H OT. A F I RST O PE N CH A M PIO N S H I P VI CTO RY WE NT TO TR EVI N O, WH O WE NT O N TO R ETA I N TH E CL A RET J UG AT M U I RFI E L D TH E FO L LOWI N G YEAR.

Worldwide GOLF |40|

FEATURE

MAGICAL MA JOR MEMORIES

MI ER INIS ES S S SE E RRI ES IN

1976 , WH EN JOH N NY M I LLE R WAS ON H IS GAM E, TH ERE WAS NOBODY ON TH E PLAN ET WHO COULD MATCH H I M. BUT FOR TH E FI RST TH RE E DAYS, IT APPEARED THAT NOBODY HAD TOLD A RE LATIVE LY UN KNOWN SPAN IARD BY TH E NAM E OF SEVE RIANO BALLESTEROS. TH E FI E LD AT ROYAL BI RKDALE ALSO I NCLUDED SUCH ESTE E M E D LU M I NARI ES AS JACK N ICKLAUS, GARY PLAYE R, ARNOLD PALM E R, TOM WATSON AN D TONY JACKLI N. BUT TH E 1 9 !YEAR OLD FROM PEDRENA DELIG HTE D TH E GALLE RI ES WITH H IS FEARLESS AN D AU DACIOUS PLAY. SEVE SHOT 69 TO SHARE LEAD WITH CH RISTY O’ CON NOR J N R AN D NORIO SUZUKI AFTE R ROU N D ON E AN D RE PEATE D TH E SCORE ON DAY TWO TO GO OUT I N FRONT ON OWN, TWO SHOTS CLEAR OF M I LLE R. A TH I RD ROU N D 73 FROM TH E FRONT TWO I N BLUSTE RY CON DITIONS SAW TH E GAP AT TH E TOP RE MAI N TH E SAM E BE FORE SEVE WENT OUT AN D BI RDI E D TH E OPE N I NG HOLE OF TH E FI NAL ROUN D TO LEAD BY TH RE E. BUT H E HAD A WOBBLE OVER TH E N EXT 1 0 HOLES WH ICH I NCLU DE D A DOUBLE BOGEY AT TH E SIXTH AN D A TRI PLE AT TH E 11 TH AS M I LLER FOU N D H IS RHYTH M. WH E N TH E AM ERICAN FOLLOWE D A BI RDI E AT TH E 1 2 TH WITH AN EAGLE AT TH E 13 TH H E LOOKE D OUT OF SIG HT. SEVE DUG DE EP WITH BI RDI ES AT 1 3 AN D 1 4 AN D AN EAGLE OF H IS OWN AT 1 7 BUT M I LLE R RE FUSE D TO RAT TLE AN D BI RDI E D TH E FI NAL TWO HOLES TO ADD TH E CLARET JUG TO H IS 1 973 US OPE N WI N. SEVE STI LL MADE SURE THAT H E LE FT TH E CROWD WITH SOM ETH I NG TO REM E M BE R H I M BY, PRODUCI NG ON E OF TH E MOST ICON IC MOM E NTS I N OPE N H ISTORY WITH A CH EEKY CH I P AN D RU N I N BETWE E N TWO BUN KERS PROTECTI NG TH E 1 8 TH G RE E N TO SET U P A CLOSI NG BI RDI E WH ICH SECU RE D A SHARE OF SECON D PLACE ALONGSI DE JACK N ICKLAUS.

I TOM

SON S I E

WATSO N CE M E NTE D H I S R E PUTATI O N AS ‘ KI N G O F TH E L I N KS ’ BY WI N N I N G H I S S ECO N D CO N S ECUTIVE O PE N CH A M PI O N S H I P WH ICH WAS H I S TH I R D I N FOU R YEA RS A N D F I FTH OVE RALL. H I S O N E STRO KE VI CTO RY OVE R A N DY B EA N A N D H A L E I RWI N M A DE H I M TH E F I FTH PL AYE R TO WI N TH E CL A R ET J UG O N F IVE OCCAS I O N S A N D TH E FI RST S I N CE PETE R TH O M SO N I N 1 9 6 5 . IT A LSO M AR KE D A B I G I M PROVE M E NT O N H IS L AST S H OWI N G AT ROYAL B I R KDA L E S EVE N YEA RS EA R L I E R WH E N H E ’ D M ISS E D TH E 5 4 !H O L E CUT. WATSO N L E D BY A STRO KE FRO M CRAIG STAD LE R A N D N I CK FA L DO A FTE R 5 4 H O L ES BUT D RO PPE D T WO S H OTS O N TH E F RO NT N I N E AS FA LDO B R I E F LY TOOK TH E L EA D. TH E D E F E N D I N G CH A M PI O N GOT IT GOI NG DOWN TH E BACK N I N E , M A KI NG B I R D I ES O N 1 1 , 1 3 AN D 1 6 B E FO R E PRO DUCI NG O N E OF TH E F I N EST S H OTS I N O PE N CH A M PI O N S H I P H ISTO RY AT TH E L AST. N E E DI NG A PA R TO WI N, TH E A M E R I CA N FOU N D H I M SE L F WITH 21 8 YA R DS STI L L TO GO I N O R D E R TO R EACH TH E G RE E N AFTE R H IS TE E SHOT. OUT CAM E TH E 2 !I RON A N D WITH NO D E L AY, H E FAS H IO N E D A N I M PECCABLE SWI N G TO SE N D TH E BA L L SOA R I N G O NTO TH E G RE E N, 2 0 F E ET FRO M TH E PI N. T WO PUT TS L ATE R H E WAS O PE N CH A M PI O N FO R TH E FI FTH TI M E A FTE R WI N N I NG TH E E I G HTH A N D F I N A L M A JOR O F A STO R I E D CARE E R. A N OTH E R M E M O RA B L E M O M E NT O F TH E 1 983 CAM E WH E N I RWI N WH I F F E D A PUT T F RO M A N I N CH ON TH E 1 4 TH I N TH E TH I R D ROU N D. H E LOST OUT TO WATSON

BY A S H OT.

Worldwide GOLF |41|

FEATURE

MAGICAL MA JOR MEMORIES

BAKER-FINCH I S Y DIR AUSTRALIA’S

IAN BAKER!FI NCH WAS TWO! OVE R PAR AT TH E HALFWAY POI NT AN D LYI NG I N A SHARE OF 2 8 TH PLACE I N TH E 1 991 OPEN CHAM PIONSH I P. BUT H E WE NT OUT AN D SET A N EW ROYAL BI RKDALE RECORD WITH A STU N N I NG 64 I N TH E TH I RD ROUN D, WH ICH FEATU RE D A FRONT N I N E OF 2 9 , TO SHOOT TO TH E TOP OF TH E LEADE RBOARD ALONGSI DE FELLOW AUSSI E, M I KE HARWOOD AN D AM E RICAN MARK O’ M EARA. IT WAS A SHORT!LIVE D COU RSE RECORD AS JODI E M U DD WENT OUT TH E FOLLOWI NG DAY AN D SHOT A 63 BUT BAKER!FI NCH WASN’ T OVERLY CONCERN ED " H E GOT TH E CLARET JUG I NSTEAD AFTE R A CLOSI NG 66 GAVE H I M A TWO!STROKE VICTORY OVE R HARWOOD. H E’ D ON LY WON ONCE ON TH E EU ROPEAN TOU R AN D ONCE ON TH E PGA TOUR AN D HAD FI N ISH E D I N TH E TOP 1 0 TH RE E TI M ES I N MAJORS PREVIOUSLY. H IS WI N ON M E RSEYSI DE WAS TO BE TH E LAST OF H IS CARE E R.

O ME R S DRE M YE R ON IN ES

MARK

O’MEARA MADE HISTORY IN 1998 BY BECOMING, AT 41, THE OLDEST PLAYER EVER TO WIN TWO MAJORS I N THE SAME YEAR. HE’D BIRDIED THE LAST HOLE AT AUGUSTA TO WIN TH E MASTERS IN APRIL AN D HE ADDED THE CLARET JUG IN JULY BY BEATI NG UNHERALDED BRIAN WATTS, WHO WAS THE SURPRISE LEADER AFTER THE SECOND AND THIRD ROUNDS, IN A FOUR!HOLE PLAY! OFF. O’MEARA’S YOUNG FRI EN D, TH E 21 !YEAR OLD TIGER WOODS, WHO HAD ALREADY WON TH E MASTERS TH E PREVIOUS YEAR, ALMOST JOINED THE PLAY!OFF AFTER BIRDIEING THREE OF ROYAL BI RKDALE’ S FI NAL FOUR HOLES. THE 1998 OPEN WAS ALSO NOTABLE FOR TH E MANNER IN WHICH 17 YEAR OLD AMATEUR JUSTI N ROSE ANNOUNCED HIMSELF TO TH E GOLF WORLD. H E SHOT A 66 IN THE SECOND ROUN D TO EQUAL TH E LOWEST ROUN D OF AN AMATEUR IN THE EVENT BUT IT WAS H IS CH I P I N FROM THE ROUGH AT THE LAST TO SECURE FOURTH PLACE, TH E BEST RESULT BY A BRITISH AMATEUR SI NCE 1921 , WH ICH REALLY MARKED HIM OUT AS A STAR OF TH E FUTURE.

“ALL TH E TI M ES I DI DN’ T GO ON AN D WI N MADE M E STRONG E R, ” H E SAI D. “TODAY E RASES ALL THOSE M E MORI ES. JUST TO PLAY I N TH E OPEN IS FANTASTIC, TO WI N IT IS A DREAM. ” TH E 1991 OPE N ALSO FEATU RE D A DE BUT FOR A LIT TLE! KNOWN AMATEUR BY TH E NAM E OF PH I L M ICKE LSON AND T H E C U R TA I N C A L L O F 1 9 7 6 C H A M P I O N J O H N N Y M I L L E R I N THE EVENT

A

RRIN E DO

ON E

BLUSTERY ROYAL BIRKDALE FINALLY WITNESSED A EUROPEAN WINNER WHEN DEFENDING OPEN CHAMPION PADRAIG HARRINGTON USED ALL OF HIS KNOWLEDGE OF LINKS GOLF TO MAKE IT TWO!IN!A!ROW IN 2008. UNLIKE THE PREVIOUS YEAR AT CARNOUSTIE WHEN THE IRISHMAN HAD TO ENDURE A NERVE SHREDDING PLAY!OFF AGAINST SERGIO GARCIA TO GET HIS HANDS ON THE CLARET JUG, THIS TIME HE HAD THE LUXURY OF ENJOYING THE WALK UP THE 18TH AFTER A SENSATIONAL 5!WOOD FROM 249 YARDS SET UP AN EAGLE ON THE 17TH TO HELP HIM TO A FOUR!STROKE VICTORY OVER ENGLAND’S IAN POULTER. “I’M HOLDING ON TO THIS,” HE SAID CLUTCHING THE TROPHY. “I HAD A GREAT YEAR AS OPEN CHAMPION, SO MUCH SO I DIDN’T WANT TO GIVE IT BACK.” ANOTHER LINKS MAESTRO IN THE SHAPE OF 53 YEAR OLD GREG NORMAN LOOKED LIKE HE MIGHT PULL OFF THE UNTHINKABLE WHEN HE SHOT 72 IN GALE!FORCE WINDS IN THE THIRD ROUND TO TAKE A TWO!STROKE LEAD INTO THE FINAL DAY. ALAS, HE FALTERED WITH EIGHT BOGEYS EN!ROUTE TO A CLOSING 77 BUT STILL FINISHED A HIGHLY IMPRESSIVE SHARE OF THIRD PLACE WITH SWEDEN’S HENRIK STENSON.

Worldwide GOLF |43|

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Alex Noren

The TheSilent Silent

Assassin Assassin WORDS:

I

RICHARD

B E VA N

F winning four times on the European Tour in 2016 in what was a truly breakout season for Sweden’s Alex Noren didn’t catch the eye of 2018 Ryder Cup Captain Thomas Bjorn, shooting a final round 62 over the notoriously tricky West Course in what he said was “probably the best round of my life” to win the flagship BMW Championship at Wentworth in May, certainly did.

The mild-mannered and instantly likeable 34-year-old has quietly crept into the world’s top 10, which is quite a feat considering that he was floating around the 100 mark before his sensational run of victories began at last year’s Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, continuing with the Omega European Masters, the British Masters supported by Sky Sports and the Nedbank Golf Challenge Hosted by Gary Player. More remarkable still is the fact that despite his electric form over the last 12 months, which has also seen him finish top five in the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play and top 10 in The Players Championship, most American golf fans still don’t know who he is.

Wentworth Wonder

Bjorn was one of the first to relay his congratulations after Noren notched his eighth – and biggest – European Tour title at Wentworth, saying: “A 62 final round on the West Course to with BMW PGA Championship is beyond impressive! Congratulations Alex Noren – quickly turning into one of the world's best!”

But typically, despite being almost nailed on to make the Dane’s team, the understated Oklahoma State University Graduate isn’t getting ahead of himself.

“I just try to improve my game and work on all areas,” he says. “If that makes me qualify for the team it would be a dream come true.”

You see, Noren doesn’t like to feel too comfortable. A certain

amount of uncertainty is healthy and he’s been happy enough to “fly under the radar”. It’s the kind of subtle assault on the top table that the likes of Luke Donald and Matt Kuchar pulled off to great effect in the past. But with significant scalps like the Scottish Open, British Masters and now PGA Championship in his possession, he’s now beginning to feel comfortable among golf’s elite and he’s now eyeing up the biggest prizes the game has to offer.

Major ambitions

“Golf is a difficult game so I'm never high on confidence and I like to feel some anxiety to stay on top of my game. But every tournament you do well in improves your confidence and you raise your own bar of what you can achieve so I definitely aim to do better in the Majors,” says Noren whose solitary top 10 in the Grand Slam events came at the 2012 Open Championship. “I love to compete and the better the tournament the more fun it is.”

Breaking the Wentworth course record to win the biggest event in Europe outside The Open, against a world-class field, was a fairly emphatic way for the 2006 Challenge Tour graduate to raise the bar.

“I think this tournament in my mind compares a lot with a Major,” he said after beating Italy’s Francesco Molinari by a stroke. “The only thing I've tried to do is to play better against a better field on better, tougher courses. And I view this as a very difficult course against a very tough field.”

He proved his skill on the links of Castle Stuart when he beat Tyrrell Hatton to the Scottish Open title last year and Noren has a great opportunity to follow it up by putting his name in lights at Royal Birkdale this summer.

“I love links golf,” he says. “You have to be creative and it makes

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FEATURE

ALEX NOREN

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time off now and think less about golf off the course.

Before I took up too much time practicing and it drained my energy and focus.”

– Alex Noren

Noren celebrates after winning the 2017 BMW Championship at Wentworth after closing with a field shattering 62 to clinch the historic title and bag more than 1 million Race to Dubai points.

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FEATURE

ALEX NOREN you a better player. The turf is so nice and firm as well so it’s a lot of fun to play. It’s more that I enjoy it than it being particularly suited to my game so I’m really looking forward to The Open.”

The business and marketing graduate believes the secret to his staggeringly rapid rise over the past 12 months has been finding balance between his life on and off course life.

Previously he was guilty of working too hard on his swing – a fact that was borne out when he missed most of the 2014 season due to tendinitis in his wrists caused by over-practice.

His strong work ethic remains but life with his soon-to-be wife Jennifer, and the birth of their daughter Iris, has given him a focus away from the course that enables him to feel physically and mentally refreshed when he tees it up.

“For me it's the biggest reason why I have done better recently,” he says. “I take a lot more time off now and think less about golf off the course. Before I took up too much time practicing and it drained my energy and focus.”

Noren’s ‘silent assassin’ act has already yielded supreme results but you can bet that he won’t remain “off grid” on the global golf landscape for long if he keeps terrorizing the game’s biggest events in the manner that he’s been doing this past year. ■

– what a year 2016 Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open

n o i p m a h C

NOREN QUICKFIRE WITH WORLDWIDE GOLF Worldwide Golf: Two wins in the British Isles last year and now a win at Wentworth – what is it about the British crowds and courses that brings out your best?

Alex Noren: I like British crowds. They’ve always been nice to me and the courses are great.

They have a lot of variation and Brits take golf seriously which makes it nice!

WWG: You’ve broken into the top ten on the World Ranking by sticking to a European Tour schedule, what kind of message does that send to other players on the Tour?

AN: I don't know if it sends a message but the European Tour is strong now and getting even stronger so it's great for us players and fans. I like playing in America too so I'll try to come up with a good schedule.

WWG: There has been a strong Swedish presence on the European Tour for the past couple of decades, growing up who were your idols and how does it feel to have two Swedes in the top ten on the World Ranking with yourself and Stenson?

AN: I grew up watching Jesper Parnevik on TV and tried to imitate him and some other international players but I was also lucky to have a few older guys at home that were good to practice with. It feels great for me to be up there and Stenson has been there for so long and deserves it. I think it's good for Swedish golf that swedes are doing well.

WWG: Away from the golf course – how do you like to relax when you have some time off?

n pio am Ch 2016 Nedbank Golf Challenge

n pio am Ch 2016 Omega European Masters

AN: Now when I have a little kid I just like being home around the house and hang out with the family. I do enjoy cars and other stuff but don't have much time because of a lot of travel.

WWG: Gym work is obviously an important factor for your improvement, what specific exercises do you target and why?

AN: I just try to be overall healthy and a little bit stronger than I have been to give myself the right opportunities to perform like I want to. So, it's very general gym stuff but more specific when it comes to golf.

WWG: You played a few US PGA Tour events earlier this season in Florida and North Carolina, how was your experience in the United States?

AN: I like the States and the golf there is great.

The golf courses are set up differently with very firm greens and they’re tricked up a little bit more. It's been great for me this year to mix it up between Europe and the US.

WWG: Obviously three of the four Majors are in the USA – do you plan on playing a few more

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n pio am Ch 2016 British Masters

events over there as preparation for those?

AN: I'd like to play a few more events over there. It's great to have the mix. I do love Europe though and my kid will spend a lot of time at home in Sweden.

WWG: If you were allowed to only play one golf course for the rest of your life, which would you pick and why?

AN: I'd pick Sunningdale’s Old Course. I think it has everything - peace and quiet and so much fun to play.

WWG: What is your favourite stop on the European Tour and why?

AN: I love Crans-Sur-Sierre (home of the Omega European Masters which Noren won last September). It has the best feeling to a tournament ever. A great fun course and a super nice town.

WWG: Who would you say are your closest friends on Tour?

AN: I spend a lot of time with the Swedes and also Mikko Ilonen. ■

EQUIPMENT

eGOLF MEGASTORE

DRIVING SUCCESS

I

t’s almost two years since former lawyer, Dean Cheesley, took the plunge, quitting his ‘day job for good’ to add a huge retail facility in Dubai’s Al Quoz to his burgeoning online golf equipment business. The 6,400 square foot eGolf Megastore stocks just about every brand and product a golf nut’s heart desires and its fair to say that growth has been rapid.

Last year Cheesley added a second facility in Al Wasl and the young ‘golfentrepreneur’ shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Worldwide Golf caught up with the eGolf Megastore Founder and CEO to find out how his new life as a main player in the UAE golf retail game is treating him.

Worldwide Golf: Great to talk to you again Dean, how’s the golf equipment business treating you since we caught up last summer?

Dean Cheesley: Business is great. We’ve had a very positive past 12 months with some healthy growth. When we opened the Al Quoz Megastore in September 2015 we were a team of five and have grown at present to 29. We’ve added a lot of club builders, custom fitters and PGA Professionals and we also opened our Al Wasl Sports Club store which is thriving.

WWG: Sounds like it’s going well. What have been the pillars of eGolf’s success?

DC: We’ve kept our business model very simple

with a key focus on our customers. Following which we back our customer service up with expertise and depth in product range. You can find every major golf brand here, its not just the likes of Callaway, Cleveland, Titleist, Ping, Cobra, TaylorMade, Srixon and Mizuno, the major brands you’d expect to find in a golf store. We also provide the consumer with access to brands like PXG, Miura, Epon, XXIO, Bettinardi, Edel and SeeMore to complete their retail experience. We also have a great culture amongst the staff here, we like to consider it more of a family than a workplace.

They are the ones that drive the business forward.

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When you’re fitting golf clubs day after day and you have all brands at your disposal, you quickly get a sense of whether any new product introduced stacks up against the competition.

The fitting data tells the entire story. Our fitters use GC2, Flightscope, and Trackman 4 across our stores as well as the incredible X-Golf simulator technology.”

GOLF GEAR

WWG: You’re almost two years on from your departure from the legal profession to become a full time “golf-entrepreneur”. Do you miss the profession?

DC: I have to say no but at the same time I was extremely fortunate! I had 13 thoroughly enjoyable years practicing law and it provided me with a strong commercial and legal foundation to grow a business. Ultimately golf has always been my passion and I’m obsessed with golf equipment, so to fuse my passion with entrepreneurship is very exciting for me.

WWG: What excites you the most?

DC: Definitely all the new product releases.

Behind the scenes the brands are working hard to bring fresh innovations to the market and the frequency at which they do that is fascinating. I’m also a bit of self-confessed golf shaft tragic.

Fujikura, Graphite Design, Mitsubishi Rayon, Oban, Veylix and Aerotech are some of my favourites but there are so many more. It took months to fine-tune our shaft wall matrix, but in the summer of last year we got it right.

WWG: We’ve just crossed the midway point of the year. From a performance perspective, what products have been the leaders in 2017 to date?

DC: That’s a great question as there are so many great products right now to choose from. Headto-head, the Callaway Epic and TaylorMade’s M1 and M2 models have dominated driver sales and performance in 2017. The Srixon 565 Driver, World No.2 Hideki Matsuyama’s gamer, was the No.1 ranked driver on MyGolfSpy.com’s annual driver test and is definitely worth a look.

For all round distance and dispersion performance, TaylorMade M1 and Cobra F7 Fairway Woods lead the way. The most versatile from a shot making perspective has to be the Titleist 917, a fantastic club off the tee and the deck.

For the hybrid category, the standout performer is the Ping G. TaylorMade’s M2 is a close contender as the head alone is extremely hot and forgiving. The key with the M2 is to get professionally fitted with the correct shaft as it can require some dialing in.

WWG: How about the irons, wedge and putter

categories, what have been the standout performers?

DC: Parsons Xtreme Golf leads iron category performance with their 0311 irons. Looks, materials, distance and forgiveness there is not a product which ticks all the boxes quite like PXG. It makes them expensive for a reason. The Mizuno JPX-900 Tour irons are a quality forging and perform incredibly well for the low handicapper. For the mid to high handicapper, the TaylorMade M2 irons deliver on performance and retail at a price point which is the lowest in the market.

The Cleveland RTX-3 and Titleist SM6 wedges are best in category in terms of performance and demand. The versatility and considerable number of bounce and grind options with the SM6 means there is a wedge for every golfer, irrespective of their angle of attack. The RTX-3, especially the new tour raw finish, produces incredible amounts of spin.

Putters are very much a personal preference. Local demand wise, the TaylorMade Spider putter leads the way.

Rory, DJ, Sergio, Jason Day, John Rahm and several others have it in play and is currently the number 1 single putter model on the PGA Tour. Scotty Cameron’s Newport Select and Futura models incorporate stunning looks and feel.

WWG: How do you measure equipment performance?

DC: When you’re fitting golf clubs day after day and you have all brands at your disposal, you quickly get a sense of whether any new product introduced stacks up against the competition. The fitting data tells the entire story. Our fitters use GC2, Flightscope, and Trackman 4 across our stores as well as the incredible X-Golf simulator technology.

WWG: Speaking of X-Golf, we hear the name increasingly throughout the Middle East, what makes it so good?

DC: X-Golf simulators utilise a unique balance of impact sensors, laser and camera systems to track more ball data points than a traditional launch monitor. X-Golf not only allows us to carry out fittings in typical driving range environment, but we utilise it to

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put our customers directly on to the course to test their soon-to-be purchase under a pressure situation.

WWG: How does it sound standing on the 18th tee at Pebble Beach, with water left and bunkers right?

DC: X-Golf allows us to simulate that, so from a club-fitting perspective it’s a pretty serious piece of artillery.

WWG: You talk a lot about after sales service.

What exactly does that mean in the context of fitting golf clubs?

DC: It comes back to the customer service I mentioned before. The customer experience doesn’t end at the point of fitting and purchasing a club. If he or she is struggling with their equipment post-purchase, we always encourage them to come back so their fitter can fine-tune their settings. We offer other after sales services like hot melting. Some customers want to add weight, create a bias or dampen the sound and feel of their driver after purchase.

Hot melt does the trick.

WWG: Anything exciting on the horizon for our readers for the remainder of 2017?

DC: The new Callaway Epic and Titleist C16 irons were just released and based on our early Trackman testing we’re expecting these to be indemand products. Ping has an exciting launch coming at the end of this month with the all new the G400 range. In September, Odyssey finally drops their long awaited Toulon range of putters and Cobra debuts their new game improvement iron, the F-Max. In the premium category, PXG just released their new 100% milled Sugar Daddy, Romeo, Zulu, Sierra and Darkness wedges. Lots to look forward to, that’s for sure.

EQUIPMENT

DRIVER

SRIXON

Z565 DRIVER IF YOU’RE STRUGGLING FROM THE TEE OR FANCY A CHANGE, SRIXON MAY JUST HAVE THE ANSWER. SRIXON MIDDLE EAST’S STUART BARBER HIGHLY RATES THE NEW SRIXON Z565 DRIVER AND A QUICK CRUCH OF THE NUMBERS REVEALS WHY. THE PERFORMANCE AND APPEARANCE OF THIS DRIVER, ALONG WITH AN ATTRACTIVE PRICE TAG, MAKES IT A GREAT OPTION AND HERE’S WHY STUART THINKS IT WILL BE A WORTHWHILE SWITCH WITH THIS SRIXON OPTION.

S

RIXON’S NEW Z565 DRIVER REALLY IS A GENUINE OPTION AGAINST SOME OF 2017’S TOP DRIVERS. A RECENT REVIEW BY MYGOLFSPY RATED THE 565 AS THEIR ‘MOST WANTED DRIVER’ OF THE SEASON. THE MOST WANTED DRIVER TEST IS THE LARGEST UNBIASED, DATA!BASED TEST CONDUCTED IN THE GOLF MEDIA INDUSTRY. BASED ON THEIR THOROUGH RESEARCH OF PLAYER DATA FOR ALL DRIVERS SUBMITTED, THE SRIXON Z565 PROVED TO OFFER THE BEST OVERALL PERFORMANCE IN THE STUDY. THEIR INDEPENDENT TESTING IS CARRIED OUT BY REAL CLUB HANDICAPPED GOLFERS FROM PLUS HANDICAPS TO NEAR BEGINNERS AND OFFERS REAL WORLD UNBIASED ADVICE ON PERFORMANCE.

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Srixon Middle East’s Stuart Barber

GOLF GEAR

THE 565 FEATURES THREE PIECES OF TECHNOLOGY THAT TOGETHER MAKE THIS STEREOTYPICALLY UNASSUMING DRIVER ONE OF THE HOTTEST ON THE MARKET. IT USES A UNIQUE STEPPED DESIGN IN THE SOLE PLATE THAT THEY CALL THE POWER WAVE SOLE. WHAT THIS DOES IS ALLOW THE SOLE TO FLEX ON IMPACT WHICH HAS THE EFFECT OF INCREASING THE COR OF THE CLUB, ESPECIALLY IMPACTS LOWER IN THE FACE. IN TESTING, WE FOUND THAT BALL SPEEDS WERE MAINTAINED AND SPIN RATES KEPT LOWER THAN OTHER MANUFACTURERS OFFERINGS RESULTING IN LONGER STRAIGHTER DRIVES EVEN ON SLIGHT MISS-HITS. IT IS WORTH NOTING ALSO THAT THE BALL SPEEDS IN GENERAL, WHEN COMPARED TO OTHER MAJOR MANUFACTURES, WERE VERY IMPRESSIVE KEEPING UP WITH ALMOST ALL OF 2017S CURRENT MODELS. THE SECOND TECHNOLOGY FEATURE IS THE STRETCH FLEX CUP FACE. WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO IS TO EXTEND THE FACE OF THE DRIVER INTO THE CROWN, HEEL AND TOE AREAS WHICH HAS THE EFFECT OF INCREASING THE SIZE OF THE SWEET SPOT BY A CLAIMED 10%.

THE THIRD AND FINAL TECHNICAL NOTE IS THE LIGHT WEIGHT CROWN. MATERIAL HAS BEEN TAKEN AWAY FROM NONSTRESS AREAS SAVING WEIGHT WHICH IS THEN REDISTRIBUTED LOWER AND DEEPER INTO THE HEAD TO LOWER THE CG (CENTER OF GRAVITY) AND ENHANCE THE MOI.

THE Z565 DRIVER BLENDS CLASSIC CLEAN LOOKS WITH IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE THANKS TO SOME UNIQUE TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN FEATURES.

IN TERMS OF THE ADJUSTABILITY, THERE IS NO ADJUSTABLE WEIGHT BIAS BUT THERE ARE 12 DIFFERENT LOFT, LIE AND FACE ANGLE OPTIONS THAT CAN BE DIALED IN VIA SRIXON’S QUICK TUNE SYSTEM. AT FIRST IT MAY SEEM A LITTLE CONFUSING BUT ALL THE OPTIONS ARE EASILY RECOGNISED AND CAN OFFER SOME REAL PERFORMANCE BENEFITS.

THE LOOK OF THE DRIVER MASKS ITS POTENT PERFORMANCE, AN UNFUSSY PEAR SHAPED PROFILE WITH THE TITANIUM FACE FRAMED AGAINST A BLACK HEAD GIVE A CLEAN PURPOSEFUL LOOK BEHIND THE BALL. THE MIYAZAKI SHAFT OFFERINGS COME IN A WIDE RANGE OF WEIGHTS, FLEX’S AND PROFILES THAT ALLOW GOLFERS OF ALL ABILITIES TO EXTRACT MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE.

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ALTOGETHER, IF YOU ARE IN THE MARKET FOR A NEW DRIVER AND WANT SOMETHING THAT BLENDS SIMPLE CLEAN LOOKS AND PACKS SOME SERIOUS PERFORMANCE THEN THE SRIXON Z565 IS DEFINITELY ONE THAT SHOULD BE ON THE LIST. AVAILABLE AT EGOLF MEGASTORE AND SELECTED GCC ON COURSE LOCATIONS.

EQUIPMENT

IR ONS

EG

SCIEN IS F ollowing on from last month’s review of Cobra’s King F7 One Length Irons we talk to the man who inspired their creation – America’s intriguing PGA Tour star Bryson DeChambeau.

The 23 year old first hit the headlines here in the Middle East when, still an amateur, he outdid his esteemed professional colleagues to take the early lead in the 2016 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship with a stunning 8-under 64 before finishing tied 54th. He went on to beat another stellar field at Yas Links two weeks later by shooting 65 in the Abu Dhabi

Invitational but was ineligible for the AED 92,000 first prize due to his amateur status and by the time he arrived at the OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic, where he notched a top 20 finish, the media spotlight was well and truly on him.

It wasn’t just the precocious talent of the then reigning US Amateur Champion that had everyone talking.

His preference for an on-course look which harked back to days gone by with a Ben Hogan style flatcap was certainly catching the eye. The fact that he was a college physics major was also gaining a fair few column

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inches and contributed to him gaining the moniker ‘The Golf Scientist’. But it wasn’t only his curricular specialism which led to the nickname, it was his scientific approach to the game, which included using one length irons for greater consitency and it was this, more than anything else, which had us all fascinated.

DeChambeau went to finish tied 21st as low amateur in his Masters Tournament and turned pro the following week. He was snapped up

by Cobra Puma Golf who immediately went to work creating their King F7 One Length Irons.

GOLF GEAR

Worldwide Golf: What was the inspiration for playing one-length irons?

Bryson DeChambeau: I discovered the single length irons in 2011. I worked with my Coach, Mike Schy, to build and spec out my first set. We went out and tested them and were amazed at how I hit the ball. I looked at him and said, this could be a game changer. I still believe that.

Using single length irons allows me to have the same swing no matter the situation. That decreases the variables, allowing me to hit the ball more consistently. The benefit is greater shot consistency, better performance and more on-centre hit consistency.

Bryson DeChambeau pictured at the 2016 Abu Dhabi Invitational where he shot the round of the day with a 65 but was ineligibe for the cash prize due to his the amateur status.

“THE KEY BENEFIT FOR ME IS CONSISTENCY AND PREDICTABILITY. DIALED IN DISTANCE. LESS VARIABLES, ALLOWING ME TO HIT THE BALL MORE CONSISTENTLY.”

WWG: How long did it take you to find the proper specs that work for you?

BC: I worked with Ben Schomin, Cobra’s Tour Manager for a few months to find the perfect fit for my game. The team at Cobra has been instrumental in getting me dialed in to the right specs with my King Forged Tour irons.

WWG: What kind of input did you have with the design of Cobra’s ONE irons?

BC: I worked with Ben and Cobra’s research and development team on a few prototypes, to determine the best size and specs for my game. I’ve spent a lot of time in Cobra’s headquarters in Carlsbad, working with the engineers, testing products on the range, learning from them and providing feedback.

I truly believe the single-length approach can help make the game easier and more enjoyable, not just for me, but for golfers of all levels. I’m extremely proud to have worked with Cobra to bring two really great one length sets to golfers around the world.

WWG: Cobra has said the ONE irons perform particularly well with the short irons. Where have you found they help your game most?

BC: The key benefit for me is consistency and predictability. Dialed in distance. Less variables, allowing me to hit the ball more consistently. That gives me a lot more confidence. One swing means you’re going to hit more greens more often – who doesn’t want that?

WWG: How did you finally determine the most comfortable length (37.5 inches) for the irons?

Bryson went on to take a share of 18th place in the 2016 Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

BC: We tested a few different lengths and it just seemed to be the best length for me.

WWG: You have been chosen a particular look that reminds to great players like Ben Hogan and Payne Stewart. Why did you started playing with flat cap and did you have any special reason?

BC: I like my style to be a little different. I started wearing the hat when I was about 13 after I saw one at a junior event. The first time I saw it, I asked my dad to buy it for me. I loved the unique look and that Ben Hogan and Payne Stewart used to wear it. Then I went out and won the tournament in it. I have worn one ever since.

WWG: Which was your best moment lived on a golf course up to now?

BC: I’ve had a few really great moments.

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Winning the U.S. Amateur, the NCAA Championship and playing in my first Masters with my family present was really something special..

WWG: Who is Bryson DeChambeau away from the golf course? Do you have any kind of passions/hobbies?

BC: I have started to fish recently and I enjoy it.

I just love working on my game and continuing to improve each and every day.

WWG: Did you have anyone who inspired you in the game of golf and who is in your opinion the best player at the moment and why?

BC: My dad put me in the basket of a golf cart when I was two years hold. I have been hooked ever since! There is no question that my idols are Ben Hogan and Bobby Jones. They were such gentleman of the game.

EQUIPMENT

IR ONS

TaylorMade P750 and P770 irons

T

aylorMade’s P750 and P770 irons are designed for the elite players out there such as Rory McIlroy, Jason Day and Justin Rose. However, it doesn’t just have to be the Tour players that benefit from their immense design and technical capabilities. We headed down to eGolf Megastore’s newest shop on Oud Metha Road in Al Wasl, Dubai to get custom fit specialist Jason Ashley’s feedback on the clubs after he put them through their paces on the instore X-Golf Simulator.

Here’s what the technical whizz-kid had to say…

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Both these TaylorMade irons have been inspired by the Tour professionals which you can identify straight away from their looks because they are sleek, with less offset and classic design. They have a slightly thinner sole and top line than your regular iron.

They’re designed specifically for players that are better and more consistent ball strikers.

GOLF GEAR

Taking a closer look at this iron, one of the key features is the tungsten bar that runs across the bottom of the cavity that helps lower the centre of gravity.

TaylorMade are claiming that this also increases the Moment of Inertia, which therefore helps with the forgiveness of a more advanced player’s club. As well as this it has a CNC precision-milled face that helps control spin and distance.

Forged from 1025 carbon steel, the forging incorporates a new multi-step process using a 2-ton press, three times more forceful than a standard press, ensuring perfect head shaping with minimal hand polishing. The result is a pure players’ iron with soft but solid feel.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Looks phenomenal at address with its sleek design.

The top line is a bit thicker than a better player’s club which inspires confidence.

Good ball speeds.

Fantastic feel.

We see many similarities between this club and the P770 in terms of design. It still has the tungsten from the 3 iron to the 7 iron but there’s a lot less weight in this compared to the P770. This gives the club a more compact shape.

The head on the P750 is extremely sleek and the sole of the golf club and top line are significantly thinner than the P770. This thin and sleek shape is designed for the elite ball strikers. The P750 also has the CNC precisionmilled face to help with the spin and distance control.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Looks superb at address The feel on this iron is remarkable Not very forgiving

HAVING TESTED THESE TWO CLUBS OUT I CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT THE P770 IS SURPRISINGLY FORGIVING FOR HOW SLEEK AND THIN IT IS AND HAS VERY CONSISTENT SPIN RATES. THE P750 LOOKS OUTSTANDING BUT IS MORE CHALLENGING TO USE BUT THE FEEL IS TERRIFIC IF YOU HAVE THE BALL STRIKING EXPERTISE TO USE THEM. IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR MORE PRECISION AND WORKABILITY WITH YOUR IRONS, THESE TWO DEFINITELY FIT THAT BILL. YOU COULD MAKE A COMBINATION SET WITH THESE TWO IRONS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF BOTH THEIR FEATURES SO YOU’D HAVE THE P770 IN THE LONG IRONS AND THE P750 IN THE SHORT IRONS.

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HEAD DOWN TO EGOLF MEGASTORE TO TEST THE CLUBS OUT FOR YOURSELF.

INSTRUCTION

WIND IT UP THIS SUMMER!

BY STEPHEN DEANE, HEAD PROFESSIONAL, EMIRATES GOLF CLUB WITH SUMMER CONDITIONS TREMENDOUSLY HOT AN D HUM I D, TH E LAST TH I NG YOU’ RE INCLINED TO DO IS SPEND TIME ON TH E RANGE ! TH IS MONTH, I'LL SHOW YOU A SIMPLE DRILL WHICH YOU CAN EASI LY PRACTICE I N DOORS WH ETH ER AT HOME, WORK OR I N THE GYM TO I M PROVE YOUR SWI NG M ECHAN ICS.

Summer Packages with The Dubai Golf Academy at Emirates Golf Club Worldwide GOLF |58|

Now let your arms hang directly under your shoulders From here, stretch your hands slightly apart to create some tension and get the muscles working.

Simply use an exercise elastic and get yourself into correct swing posture by tipping forward from your hip line.

WE WANT TO SET THE WRISTS, FOLD THE ELBOW AND LOAD THE SHOULDERS TO CREATE CONSISTENCY IN THE HAND, ARM AND CLUB MECHANICS. THIS EXERCISE ALLOWS US TO PRACTICE THIS PROCESS PERFECTLY.

SET THE WRISTS

FOLD THE ELBOW As you come down, hold the tension and throw the hands and arms directly underneath the body. Repeat this for 5 minutes each day and you’ll be amazed at the positive effect it has on your game.

LOAD THE SHOULDERS

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS DRILL PLEASE WATCH THE VIDEO AND, FOR MORE HELP WITH YOUR GAME, PLEASE VISIT THE DUBAI GOLF ACADEMY AT EMIRATES GOLF CLUB AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR EXCLUSIVE SUMMER PACKAGES.

WATCH THE VIDEO AT

• Enhance your game with a range of summer lesson packages • Prices start from AED 250 • Available until 1st October 2017 Please call +971 4 417 9845, email emiratesacademy@dubaigolf.com or visit www.dubaigolf.com

emiratesgc

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WorldwideGolf

INSTRUCTION

UNDERSTAND IMPACT NUMBERS TO

CONTROL

BALL FLIGHT WITH PGA PROFESSIONAL MICHAEL BOLT, TRUMP INTERNATIONAL GOLF CLUB, DUBAI

F

REQUENTLY DURING GOLF COVERAGE ON THE TELEVISION, WE HEAR PLAYERS TALKING ABOUT TIGHTENING THEIR ‘NUMBERS’. MORE AND MORE WE ARE SEEING TOP PLAYERS USING TECHNOLOGY SUCH AS TRACKMAN TO ANALYSE THEIR IMPACT POSITION AND WORK TOWARDS IMPROVING THEIR NUMBERS TO MANIPULATE THEIR BALL FLIGHT. IN THIS ARTICLE, I USE TRACKMAN AND SOME SIMPLE FIGURES TO EXPLAIN WHERE THAT UNWANTED CURVATURE IN FLIGHT COMES FROM AND HOW TIGHTENING YOUR IMPACT NUMBERS CAN IMPROVE YOUR CONTROL OVER YOUR BALL FLIGHT.

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SPIN AXIS When speaking with golfers who complain about suffering with slices, hooks or generally controlling the golf ball, the statistic we often start with is ‘spin axis’. Spin axis simply represents the amount of curvature there is during a golf shot.

FLIGHT PATH The spin axis can be associated to the wings of an airplane. If the wings of an airplane are parallel to the ground, this would represent a zero-spin axis and the plane would fly straight. If the wings were tilted to the left, this would represent a negative spin axis and the plane would bank/curve to the left, and vice versa if the wings are tilted to the right.

THE BELOW DIAGRAMS SHOW THREE SHOTS I HAVE HIT WITH A 6 IRON TO DEMONSTRATE HOW A CHANGE IN SPIN AXIS HAS AFFECTED THE BALL'S MOVEMENT IN FLIGHT. 200

150

Spin Axis

+12.0

deg

Carry 100 80 60

176.3

yds

Club Path

-8.4

40 20

deg

Face to Path

+6.2

Spin Axis Tilted Right

200

150

deg

Spin Axis

-0.7

deg

Carry 100

188.2

yds

80

Club Path

60

-0.1

40 20

Face to Path

+0.2

Spin Axis = 0

200

150

SLICE

100 80

NEUTRAL

60 40

HOOK

20

Spin Axis Tilted Left

In this instance the spin axis was manipulated through changing the club path (effectively cutting across the ball or swinging more from the inside) and changing the clubface's aim in relation to the path the club is travelling on when making contact with the ball. If you are somebody who suffers with a slice or a hook, altering your clubface aim in relation to your swing path during impact can help reduce/ control your spin axis.

In general, a spin axis of -2 to +2 would see very little curvature on the ball in flight.

The higher the spin axis number, the more you will see your golf ball move from left/ right or right/left. The Trackman figures above illustrate this, showing as spin axis changes the ball takes a completely different flight pattern, from a slice to a hook and finally a straight shot.

By identifying your spin axis numbers you will be able to look at the factors contributing to the flight, with the ultimate aim of getting the number much closer to 0 or in some cases even turning that dreaded slice into a draw!

deg

Spin Axis

-20.9

deg

Carry

188.5

yds

Club Path

+7.3

deg

Face to Path

-2.6

WATCH THE VIDEO AT WorldwideGolf

IF YOU EXPERIENCE ANY OF THE ABOVE BALL FLIGHTS AND WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUR IMPACT NUMBERS AND HOW TO CONTROL OR MANIPULATE CURVATURE ON THE GOLF BALL, WE WOULD BE DELIGHTED TO SEE YOU AT THE TRUMP INTERNATIONAL GOLF CLUB, DUBAI ACADEMY SOON.

Worldwide GOLF |61|

deg

deg

INSTRUCTION

CHIPPING COMPLETION DRILL

BY CHRIS HANSON, ENGLISH EUROPEAN TOUR PRO

WHAT’S NEEDED?

• Three balls • Three different flags on a practice green • Sand wedge/ pitching wedge

DRILL

This is a great drill for improving your accuracy and touch around the greens.

I pick three flags on the practice green then select a distance (how far from the flag I should finish) for each pin. If it’s a difficult shot I might say 6ft, then the rest are 3ft. Therefore, that makes the proximity of the three shots 12ft in total. I take the three chips and see if I have passed the test by having a combined distance of under 12ft from each hole.

Once you have completed the drill you can alter the pin positions or distance and even lower the proximity so the completion drill is even more testing.

KEY TIPS

• Try to perform the same routine that you would do out on the course and visualise the shot in a similar way to put more pressure on yourself.

• Don’t cheat yourself!

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ARABIAN GOLF News from the leading clubs in the region

Madinat Jumeirah, one of the many world class projects DSA Architects have worked on across the UAE.

DESIGNING

A BETTER FUTURE THROUGH GOLF D

ubai-based, DSA Architects International, is getting behind the amateur and professional game in the emirate in a big way, as well as playing a key role in raising funds and awareness to help the fight back against one the world’s deadliest diseases, by supporting two significant upcoming events at Emirates Golf Club in September in the shape of the DSA Open and the Road to Mongomo Qualifier hosted by DSA. First up is the DSA Open on the stunning Majlis course, home of the famous Omega Dubai Desert Classic, on Thursday, September

14th. The hotly anticipated amateur tournament is the penultimate event in the hugely popular 2017 Swing Against Cancer Golf Series and it promises to be one of the biggest yet with interest already reaching fever pitch among the local amateur golf circuit.

The Swing Against Cancer Golf Series, which, is open to amateurs and professionals, and is being run by Worldwide Golf in partnership with Sixteen10, has gained significant momentum since launching at Sharjah Golf & Club with the Worldwide Golf Open in April. Since then there have been events at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, The

Worldwide GOLF 63

Els Club and Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club with the region’s corporate and golfing communities coming together in increasing numbers to raise funds and awareness for local cancer charity, Friends of Cancer Patients while having a unique day and event of golf and laughter at some of the region’s finest clubs.

As well as some outstanding on course side contests with fabulous prizes and activations from golf’s elite brands such as Titleist and Ping, each of the qualifiers sees one pro and one amateur win through to the Swing Against Cancer Golf Series Grand Final, the star-

“Golf is a great platform to bring people together for whatever reason.”

- Steve Kelshaw

DSA’s Managing Director Steve Kelshaw is a one-handicapper who has been playing golf since he was 10 years old.

Players enjoying the Scotty Cameron putting contest at the DHL Open at The Els Club in May, the third event in the 2017 Swing Against Cancer Golf Series.

studded Mike Clark Golf Day taking place on the Fire Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates on October 26th. There they will get the chance to tee it up alongside some top-notch sporting icons such as former England rugby captain Mike Tindall as they compete for ‘pinch me for I must be dreaming’ prize that would give any golf lover palpitations.

The winner of the 2017 Swing Against Cancer Golf Series will get to tee it up alongside the likes of Rory McIlroy, Henrik Stenson and Matt Fitzpatrick in the Rolex Pro-Am for the DP World Tour Championship. They will also

The world-famous Emirates Golf Club will be the venue for the DSA Open, September 14th and the Road to Mongomo Qualifier presented by DSA, September 21st.

receive hospitality tickets to the tournament, an invitation to the players’ beach party, a two-night stay at Atlantis, The Palm – where the Race to Dubai’s top 60 players will also be staying - and a golf lesson with renowned coach to the stars, Pete Cowen – the technician behind the swings of multiple Major winners!

The pros, meanwhile, will play for an AED 5,000 cash prize plus a 5-star golf holiday worth AED 10,000.

Having supported last year’s Mike Clark Golf Day, which featured former England football aces Teddy Sheringham and Trevor Stevens

as well as Tindall, by buying a table for the company at the Gala Dinner as well taking part in the golfing action, S ha e ta en it a step further this year by coming on board as Platinum Sponsors of the Swing Against Cancer Golf Series and hosting their own event, the upcoming DSA Open.

“Dubai has been our home for 30 years now so we feel part of the DNA within the community and have supported this event from its conception,” said Managing Director Steve Kelshaw. “Being able to give back to those in need through this great initiative is something that all of us at DSA believe in.”

HANDS ON DSA have proven to be just about as ‘hands on’ as you could hope for a title sponsor of a golf event to be. The company’s directors have pooled their efforts in reaching out to their considerable network of business contacts in the emirate to invite and encourage them to get behind the event. The result is a raft of additional sponsors for the DSA Open including EW Cox, Prosperity, WME Consultants, Al Futtaim Automall, Afridi & Angel, Clarke Samadhin, Al Tayer Stocks, WATG, Nikki Beach Resort, Trump International Golf Club Dubai and Fairmont, The Palm.

“DSA is a one-stop-shop,” said Kelshaw.

“In other words, we provide complete design solutions for our clients. This therefore requires us to work with and beside amazing professionals that we will either sub-contract or be recommended by.

“It is this team spirit of delivering architectural projects with like-minded people that results in all our success.

“It seemed a great opportunity therefore, that

ARABIAN GOLF LOCAL NEWS P65

“Being able to give back to those in need through this great initiative is something that all of us at DSA believe in.”

- Steve Kelshaw

when we decided to support again this year’s Swing Against Cancer Golf Series that our ‘wider team’ of colleagues and friends would be willing to take part too. So we reached out to them and of course they stood up to the challenge.

PLATFORM “Having our clients at our event also gives us all a chance to connect on a different level.

They say ‘people do business with people’ and sometimes we all get caught up in the business bubble, so it’s good to take time out to re-connect on a different level. Our DSA Open provides that platform”.

With some amazing on course prizes such as fi e star hotel sta s at i i each, o enpic and Fairmont, The Palm and state of the art golf equipment up for grabs in addition to the chance to qualify for the Mike Clark Golf Day and an evening of fun, food and drink following the day’s play, Kelshaw believes the local golf community are in for a treat at the DSA Open while playing a vital role in supporting a worthy cause.

“Participants can expect a sensational day on a truly marvelous golf course, but moreover we will be having fun raising as much money as we can to try and play our part in eradicating this disease,” said Kelshaw. “It’s also a wonderful

feeling seeing so many people supporting on the day.”

Following hot on the heels of the DSA Open, Steve and his team will be back at Emirates Golf Club on Thursday, September 21st for an event which has got the professional golf community in the UAE extremely excited. For the second year in succession, the architectural firm ill host the oad to ongomo ualifier presented by DSA’. This event will be played on the Faldo course which is currently in immaculate condition and it offers a sensational pri e to the top three finishers. hose that finish in the podium places ill be o n to quatorial uinea in ecember to compete in the 3e Actuaries Open, an event featuring a US$150,000 prize fund which attracts players from the Sunshine Tour, MENA Tour, LPGA, LET and last year even featured the PGA Tour’s Charlie Wi and a couple of players from European Tour. The event has such a high profile ithin the host countr that the President and First Lady of Equatorial Guinea attended to conduct the official opening ceremony. he oad to ongomo ualifier presented

by DSA is a unique professional event for the region, open to both MENA Tour players and local club pros, male and female. e sponsored the first e ent at l adia

last year without really knowing what to expect,” said Kelshaw. “But it was an absolutely fantastic e ent. he qualit of the field is er high with lots of the Mena Tour players taking part, but it’s the fact the local club pros are involved which makes it really special – these guys have the chance of a lifetime to qualify for an event in Equatorial Guinea with a very big prize fund which attracts some top players.

So there’s a very real opportunity for one of our local players to go to Africa and make a name for themselves. It really could be life changing and that’s what makes this event so exciting.”

Kelshaw, a former Al Badia member and onehandicapper, was sad to see his old club shut down earlier this year, but in Emirates Golf Club, he believes the event has found a more than worthy home.

“It has a great history within the Emirate being the first grass course in the area, a s mbol of success and one that we can relate to at DSA,” he said before revealing why golf makes such an ideal sport for DSA to get involved with.

“Golf is a great platform to bring people together for whatever reason,” he said. “You get the chance to connect on the same level. These golf events also enhance that model of working with like-minded people…. golfers generally work hard and play hard.”

For more information or to register your interest in competing in the DSA Open on September 14th or the Road to ongomo ualifier presented b S (professionals only) please email: info@ worldwidegolfme.com with the relevant event in the subject bar.

EQUATORIAL GUINEA

GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

ROAD TO MONGOMO

UAE QUALIFIER PRESENTED BY DSA

Date: Thursday September 21, 2017 Venue: Emirates Golf Club, Faldo course Time: 1pm shotgun

CALLING ALL UAE PROFESSIONAL GOLFERS! Here’s your chance to win an all-expenses paid trip to Equatorial Guinea to compete in the 2017 3e Actuaries Open taking place at the Presidential Golf Course in Mongomo December 14-17, 2017 for a prize fund of US$150,000 for men and US$100,000 for ladies. The top three finishers from the UAE qualifier will be flown to Equatorial Guinea in December and put up in the five star Grand Hotel Djibloho for the tournament week.

To register your interest for the road to Mongomo UAE qualifier presented by Worldwide Golf, taking place at please contact info@worldwidegolfme.com / Tel: +971 (0) 4 340 3785 (Worldwide Golf). Entry fee is AED 195. All entrants must be registered professionals.

ARABIAN GOLF LOCAL NEWS P67 E M I RATES GOLF FED ERATIO N

DP WORLD AND EMIRATES GOLF FEDERATION NURTURE GOLF’S NEXT GENERATION

T

he title sponsor of the European Tour’s prestigious season-ending event, DP World, is to play a key role in developing the UAE’s next generation of golf stars by supporting the Emirates Golf Federation’s UAE National and Foundation Squads.

Known around the world as key supporters of the Race to Dubai’s grand finale, the DP World Tour Championship, taking place at Jumeirah Golf Estates from November 16-19, the company also places a significant emphasis on grassroots initiatives which help to grow the sport among the Arab population in UAE, working towards the goal of one day seeing an Emirati playing at the top professional level.

Last year witnessed the beginning of a process aimed at increasing the number of Emirati children playing golf when a DP World funded initiative, led by the Emirates Golf Federation, saw specialist coaches from Golf DXB going into local schools and giving introductory lessons to over 3,000 students.

Around 90 children showed a strong interest for the game and were taken under the wing of the Emirates Golf Federation where their talent is being nurtured on the National Junior

Development Programme before they take the next step by joining the EGF’s Foundation Squad and then eventually representing the UAE as part of the National Team.

DP World’s support of the Foundation and National Squads will be vital in ensuring that the children are exposed to the very best coaching and facilities available.

Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, DP World Group Chairman and CEO, said: “We are delighted to be able to support this major initiative and to play a part in the development of our UAE National Golf Teams.

“Supporting grassroots golf is central to our involvement in the sport and something we care very passionately about. The growth of the game in the region is extremely important to us and giving local golfers access to facilities such as the world-renowned European Tour Performance Institute at Jumeirah Golf Estates offers them the opportunity to reach their fullest potential.”

Khalid Mubarak Al Shamsi, Secretary General of the Emirates Golf Federation said: “We’re grateful for the support of DP World in helping us to provide our Foundation and

National Squads with the best training, equipment and facilities possible.

“Our vision is to create as many Emirati golfers – girls as well as boys - as possible and to see them compete with the best players from around the world on the international stage. We began a very exciting journey last year by introducing the game to so many children at schools around the region and we were delighted at how many of them, most of whom had never hit a golf ball before, showed a strong interest. With DP World’s support, we can now take those children on the next stages of their golfing journey.”

Nick Tarratt, Director European Tour - Dubai added: “The UAE has become a focal point for the top level of the professional game with some of the biggest events on the European Tour, including the DP World Tour Championship, and the Ladies European Tour, being hosted here. But of equal importance to key stakeholders such as DP World is the development of the game at grass-roots level and initiatives such as the one being driven by the Emirates Golf Federation are playing a key role in achieving that goal.”

POISAT AND JONES WIN EGF SUMMER PAIRS OPEN

NATIONAL TEAMS EMBARK ON GERMAN SUMMER CAMP THE UAE National Junior and Ladies teams recently embarked on a 14-day summer camp in Fleesensee, Germany, which was funded by the Emirates Golf Federation. The course was set up to help the players practice their fundamentals in a different environment with a view to helping them prepare for future international competitions.

“Taking these kids from the Foundation Squad on this summer camp is an important part of the junior development process for the EGF. These kids will benefit from this tremendously. Having the chance to really focus on the fundamentals and the basics of golf will push these kids to the next level,” said EGF Secretary General, Khalid Mubarak Al Shamsi.

NIC Poisat and Justin Jones came out on top after a compiling a huge score of 112 points over two days at the EGF Summer Pairs Open supported by StayPrime at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club.

A total of 21 teams took to the course and Poisat and Jones top performed, scoring 45 points on day one in the Better Ball Stableford format and then 35 from Poisat and 32 from Jones on day two in the Individual Pairs format. Their 112 tally saw them win by two points ahead of Ben Mulvaney and Nic Hymas with third place going to Theuns Webb and Craig Hanson on 109 points.

E M IRATES GOLF C LUB UAE AMATEURS RETAIN DUBAI GOLF TROPHY THE TOP AMATEURS OF THE UAE prevailed over their PGA professional counterparts for the second consecutive year after coming out on top in the Dubai Golf Trophy – a Ryder Cup-style showdown – over two days at Dubai Creek and EGC. This was the 18th staging of the popular match-up with the Amateurs coming out on top by 17-15 points.

After day one at Dubai Creek the Amateurs, led by captain Bayhaan Lakdawala held a one-point lead but the professionals came out of the blocks fast on day two over the Majlis course. After the opening seven games, four points went to the professionals as Callum Nicoll, Alex Nicholson, Shane Peakcock and Mike Bolt all won their matches to level the overall scores.

However, in the middle matches, strong performances and convincing victories for amateurs Mike Mezei, Aryan Chordia, Max Burrow and Arjun Gupta put the Amateurs back in pole position, and a win on the 18th green for Chris Rahm in one of the latter matches confirmed their victory.

JIGNESH SANGANI WINS THE OMA MEDAL

E M I R AT E S G O LF C LU B

JIGNESH SANGANI scored a superb six-under par net 66 to win the OMA Emirates May Monthly Medal, and in addition to the overall prize he also won Division ‘B’ ahead of Komal Sharma.

A very strong field of 91 players turned out for the tournament and coming out on top in Division ‘A’ was Imran Qayyum with a 69, one ahead of Cody Isles with Christian Klynge in third.

With a very solid round of 4-over-par, 76 gross, Tony Azoulay won the best gross prize on the day while Sekhar Reddy won Division ‘C’ with a fantastic score of net 68.

JUM EIRAH GOLF ES TATES LOW SCORES IN THE END OF SEASON CHALLENGE CLUB members signed off on the 2016-17 season with a friendly team event and coming out on top with a superb score of 56.6 was the fourseom of Joshua Hill, Toby Bishop, Max Cashmore and Ben Zietara.

Taking second place with a net 59 was the team of Werner Rooseboom, Albertus Preturious, Jim Patla and Mitsuko Emmerson with third place going to Paul Craig, Craig Laidlaw, Sam Moxon and Mike Broadhead with net 59.7.

TIGHT AT THE TOP AT RAMADAN OPEN THIS year’s Ramadan Open saw 48 pairs take to the Earth course and coming out on top after a back nine countback was Adam Pryor and Jess McGuirk. Taking second place was Michael Herb and Adam Botha while in third place on 44 points, one point behind the winning tally, was David and Conor Lynch.

ANAND LAKHIANI WINS THE TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS ANAND LAKHIANI clinched the 2017 Tournament of Champions after a superb score of net 67 on the Majlis course gave him a two-stroke win over Dalip Tripathi. Three players carded a net 71 and taking third place after a better final six hole countback was Jignesh Sangani, with Yasser Refai and Russell Yeomans missing out on a place on the podium.

The stellar field included all the players who had won tournaments at EGC during the season and Suvanash Arora shot the best gross score on the day with a 2-over-par 74.

P69 ARABIAN GOLF LOCAL NEWS P69 MONGTOMERIE DUBAI

A R A B IAN R A N C H E S LANE AND MCKELVEY ON TOP IN RIVOLI MEDAL PETER Lane shot a gross 72 and Adele McKelvey shot an 80 to win the Men’s and Ladies Gross Divisions respectively in the recent Rivoli Monthly Medal. Lane won by two from Steve Bennett while McKelvey’s margin of victory was six clear of Emma Rooms. In the Men’s Net Division Mark Gathercole shot a 69 to win by five from Matthew Derrick while Denies Alcock shot a 71 to win the Ladies Net Division by two from Anne Hainey.

LOW SCORES IN THE END OF SEASON CHALLENGE

C R EEK PATRICK MORROW WINS THE 24TH DUBAI DUTY FREE GOLF CUP

CRAIG Jones compiled 46 points to win the opening event in the Major of the Monty Summer Series to take an early lead on the Order of Merit. Winning Division ‘A’ was Darren Schofield on 41 points, one clear of Simon Ford while Jones’ 46 was good enough for a four-point win over David Daniels in Division ‘B’.

The Ladies Division was won by Sakura Fachiri with 39 points after she defeated Kerry Fitzpatrick by four points.

PATRICK Morrow came out on top of a strong field of 97 players to win the 24th staging of the Dubai Duty Free Cup recently. Morrow scored 44 Stableford points to come out on top by four strokes while in the Men’s Division Paul Khoo scored 40 points for a two-stroke win over Stephen Barker and Ara Nakhnikian In the gross competition it was scratch team member, and the ever consistent, Edoardo Galeppini who shot a 71 to claim the lowest gross while the Ladies Division was won by Lady Captain Kristi Sealey with a 36-point haul, well clear of Glory Xavier and Sheila West. The Senior Division was won by Alok Pant with 39 points while Adam Savage won the Junior Division with 35 points.

T H E TRACK MEYDA N

TRINLER AND CHAUDRY CLINCH THE PAIRS MATTHAIS Trinler and Fahd Chaudry rode their momentum as the last pair to qualify by going on to win the Grand Final of the 2017 Links Group Pairs Champions with a two-point victory over Matthew Pike and Jamie Hosie. Trinler and Chaurdy compiled an excellent 44 point total for victory, with third place going to John Fellingham and Mike McGinley.

NIELSON WINS IN STYLE CHANG HITS TWO-IN-A-ROW TO WIN

MARKUS Nielsen clinched the fifth and final Junior Medal Championship before the summer break with a gross 33 (2-under) while Aarnav Nath won the gross category after a level par score of 35.

In the boy’s category Sandro Wulff scored 35.5 to win by 2.5 shots from Nikhil Bhatia while Hannah Alan won the girls category courtesy of a better last six holes Ailsa Brannock Ailsa Brannock completed the medal winners in the Non-Member category with a score of 37.

WOODY Chang won a fun golf challenge event at The Track recently by hitting two consecutive shots through football goals positioned 100 yards away.

Twenty players took part in the event at the Driving Range during Rivoli Hour (8am-9am) with the aim of hitting as many shots through the target in a row as possible. Players got one try and as soon as they missed – they were out. Woody prevailed to take the spoils.

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YAS LINKS ABU DHABI AED 78,000 RAISED AT CAPTAINS DAY YAS Link’s Club Captains Alan Sheepwash and Helen Griffiths Griffiths hosted the annual Captains Day 4-Person Scramble Tournament recently and in the process raised a total of AED 78,000 for the Make a Wish Foundation. ‘’I want to say a really big thank you to everyone who contributed to the day which, far exceeded our expectations,” said the Captains.

Captains.“It “It was a fun day and a great success for the charity. We are both so proud to be Captains of such a great club and are humbled at the generosity and support that the members and sponsors have given to this event.”

SANTER WINS FIRST JUNIOR OPEN CHRISTIAN Santer won the inaugural Junior Club Championship recently with an excellent gross score of 82 while Austin Banks clinched the Net prize with a 71, two shots clear of Alex Hambleton.

For non-members and youngsters enrolled on the Junior Development Programme there was a sidecontest on the Academy course and winning with a score of 31 was Luis Hernandez.Taking Hernandez. Taking second place was Maya Gaudin with Corey Forsyth in third.

SHARJAH GOLF AND SHOOTING CLUB

SHARMA MAKES A WINNING RETURN

AIR ARABIA MATCHPLAY COMES TO A DRAMATIC CLOSE ABDUL Moiz Khan was crowned the Air Arabia Match Play champion for 2016-17 after a superb season-long battle that culminated in him defeating Ben Mulvaney in the semi-final semi-final and then Vice Captain Mutki Rai in the final. final.

Director of Golf Martin Duff and CEO of Orient Travel, proud club sponsor, Asim Arshad won the Net Doubles title after seeing off Club Captain Vivian Verma and newly appointed Captain for the 2018/19 season Sanjoy Das in the semi-final semi-final and then the husband and wife team of K.J. Lee and M.Y. Cho in the final. final.

The Gross Individual final final was a battle between two-time Club Champion Paul Nightingale and

HURRICANE HASSAN SWEEPS UP THE MEDAL AND ORDER OF MERIT HASSAN Yazdi shot a two-over 74 to win Round 8 of the Orient Travel, Malaysia Truly Asia Monthly Medal by one stroke from Vice Captian Mukti Rai and Sinar Suraj.

Over the course of the season there has been 265 rounds of golf played in the Malaysia Truly Asia Net and Gross Order of Merit supported by Emirates to reach the season ending climax and Hassan’s points haul from his victory saw him win the Order of Merit.

The battle for second place was unbelievably close with 0.2 of a point dividing the two competitors. M.Y. Cho was just able to hold onto second place despite her disappointing close in the final final round. Namir Al Naimi picked up third

Ramli Sulaiman, and it was Nightingale who put the finishing finishing touches on a superb season with the victory. Finishing third was Namir Al Naimi after he defeated this year’s Club Champion Nathan Fisher in the third-place play-off.

Following a successful introduction of the Gross Singles Plate division the 2016/17 season saw the second addition. The Plate division allows the first first round losers to play0off for an addition Gross title. This year saw Jonathan Jeffery take the Championship as he overcame tough opposition in the semi-final semi-final in the form of S.S. Son and then dispatched Tony Bang in the final final to win the Plate Division Championship.

In the Gross Double section Paul Nightingale and Adam Smith defeated Nathan Fisher and Tristan Webster to take the title. place in the Net and also found himself at the top of the gross division after he dominated round eight’s gross contest, beating out Nathen Fisher and Mike Robson to become the 2017 Gross Champion.

PURNA Sharma posted 17 points in his return to competitive action following surgery to win the Centro Sharjah Stableford event recently. Playing partner Sinar Suraj pushed him all the way – and indeed scored the same tally – but eventually had to settle for second place following a countback.

The gross prize on the day went to Deepak Neupane with 14 points, clear of Namir Al Naimi and Tony Bang.

2017 Champion Samuel Joseph with General Manager of Centro Sharjah Michael Kasch (right) and iPro Sports Managing Director, Vic Bussey (left).

SAMUEL JOSEPH CLINCHES RAMADAN OPEN IN FINE STYLE NEW member Samuel Joseph made a winning start to life at SGSC as he won the eighth staging of the Ramadan Open last month. Playing in his first competition he compiled 37 points to take the first title by one from Mukti Rai, who in turn won the spoils in Division ‘A’.

In Division ‘B’ Sandeep Singh scored 36 points to take the honours while in the gross event Nathan Fisher scored 34 to win. The Ladies title went to Satnam Kaur with a 29-point haul.

P71 ARABIAN GOLF LOCAL NEWS P71 AL HAMRAH GOLF CLUB

AL AIN EQUESTRIAN, SHOOTING & GOLF CLUB WONDERFUL WHITTAKER JOINS THE 59 CLUB DAN Whittaker shot a gross 79 for a superb net 59 to win Division ‘C’ in the recent Monthly Medal by a massive ten shots from Katen Gladish with former Lady Captain Hye Sook Jee in third.

Jeff Glasgow hit top form to win Division ‘A’ with a gross 75 for a net 66 while in Divison ‘B’ a countback was needed as Barrie Van Zyl came out on top against Johan Potgieter and Alex Tinson. The Best Gross on the day went to Eric Smith who returned an excellent Gross 71.

Whittaker carried his momentum forward as he later won the Stableford prize in Division ‘B’ of the following event with a haul of 44 points, well clear of the Men’s Net Club Champion Doug Angus.

HARRISON AND LITTLEWOOD SIZZLE IN SUMMER OPEN PAUL Harrison survived a countback scare to win Division ‘A’ of the Summer Open while James Littlewood compiled a Stableford haul of 72 over two days to win the overall prize by four points from Grace Chang.

Harrison tied with Byung Jin Woo after both players fi finished nished with 74 points but it was Harrison’s better second-day score of 74 that saw him take the spoils. Rob Kennedy fi finished nished third with 72 points.

DOHA GOLF CLUB

BELL AND GRANT’S DOUBLE DELIGHT STUART Bell and Mark Grant won back-to-back Night Golf events recently to head into the summer period with smiles on their faces. The duo followed their win in the April event with a narrow 0.25 shot victory in May ahead of Anton Van Schalwyk and Ian Horbury.

SHARPSHOOTER FRAZER WINS BY TWO FRAZER Cockburn compiled 39 points to win Division ‘1’ in last month’s Infi Infiniti niti US Open competition by two strokes. On a hot day in mid June, over 130 players took to the course and the scoring was superb as 18 players played below their handicap.

The overall winner on the day was was Vietnam Ambassador to Qatar Nguyen Hoang with a 44-point tally while in Division ‘2’ Alan Rockley also scored 44 to take the title.

A countback was required in the Ladies Division as Manon Marselis eventually prevailed over Nguyen Thi Chan Anh thanks to her stronger back nine fi finish. nish.

AESGC TEAM LEAVES IT LATE TEAM AESGC did it the hard way after eventually prevailing on the third and fi final nal day of the 2017 Tri-Series tournament. The AESGC players opened up a massive 21.5 – 8.5 lead after day one at Al Hamra Golf Club but after day two at Tower Links Golf Club the RAK team clawed back the deficit deficit to make it 31 – 29.

Day three was as much more tightly contested affair and with just two groups left to finish finish the RAK team held a three point lead. The penultimate pair of Captain Harry Van Wyk and Jo Carlton managed a 3-0 victory to leave the scores and the fi final nal duo of Bader and David Miles, who had been strong performers throughout the event, clinched a 2.5 – 0.5 victory to seal victory for AESGC by two points.

AYLA GOLF CLUB COLEMAN HAS THE POWER

DENBY HITS TOP FORM AT US OPEN MEDAL

BEN Coleman clinched last month’s Primepower Medal with a two stroke victory in Division ‘1’.

Coleman carded an excellent gross 75 in dusty conditions for a net 70 to seal the win while in Division ‘2’ Jean Paul Arcidiacono shot a net 66 to win by fi five ve from Terence Maguire. In Division ‘3’ Stephen Evans earned a five-shot five-shot win with a net 70 while the Ladies Division went to Teresa Gow with a 72, two strokes clear of Manon Marselis with Uzma Mir in third.

STEVE Denby was the worthy winner when Ayla Golf Club hosted a US Open Medal, sponsored by the Movenpick Resort & Residences. The 18 handicapper put in a fi fine ne performance for a net score of 77 to win a dinner for two at the Palm Court Restaurant courtesy of the Movenpick, Denby In second place was Rob Snow (Hcp 19) with a score of net 82. For his runner-up position, Snow won two Beach facility passes at the Movenpick Hotel.

Steve Denby presented his prize by Walid Abu Elsamid – AGC Golf Ops Supervisor

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CHANCE OF A LIFETIME EQUATORIAL GUINEA

GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

FOR LOCAL PROS IN ROAD TO MONGOMO QUALIFIER PRESENTED BY DSA

The five players who qualified at the Road to Mongomo Qualifer at Al Badia included Craig Hinton (centre) who went on to win the US$24,000 first prize in Equatorial Guinea.

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he professional golf community in the UAE is gearing up for one of the most exciting golf events on the calendar.

Following the hugely successful inaugural DSA Architects Road to Mongomo Qualifier Presented by Worldwide Golf at Al Badia Golf Club in Dubai last year, the event returns, and with a new home on the immaculately conditioned Faldo course at Emirates Golf Club on Thursday September 21st.

The Road to Mongomo Qualifier presented

by DSA is a unique event open to all professional players, which leads to a field made up on an intriguing blend of MENA Tour players and local club pros. As well playing for a small prize fund on the day, the real draw is the unforgettable experience and opportunity bestowed upon the top three finishers.

The three that finish top of the pile will be flown, all-expenses paid, to compete in the Equatorial Guinea Golf Championship, the 3e Actuaries OPEN in Mongomo, for a prize fund of US$150,000 for men and US$100,000 for ladies among a top class international field assembled from around the world.

Last year’s event included PGA Tour player Charlie Wi and a host of talented golfers from the Sunshine Tour, MENA Tour, Tour de las Americas, LPGA, LET and some-time European Tour players.

England’s Craig Hinton grabbed the last available qualification spot at Al Badia last year and went on to win the main event in Equatorial Guinea, as well as topping the MENA Tour Order of Merit. With the 3e Actuaries Open having grown yet further since last year, the 2017 Road to Mongomo Qualifier Presented by DSA is set to be an even greater spectacle.

Worldwide Golf caught up with 3e Actuaries OPEN organiser Olawale Opayinka to discuss what’s in store for 2017.

Worldwide Golf: Tell us how the concept of the 3e Actuaries OPEN first came about?

Olawale Opayinka: The 3e Actuaries OPEN, which is the Equatorial Guinea Golf Championship, emerged as the result of a number of factors. One, we are PanAfrican in our view and we are always keen to find ways to project what is good about sub-Saharan Africa and the uncelebrated

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success stories. Equatorial Guinea had the infrastructure required to stage an international golf tournament with a good airport, excellent highways, a magical golf course, wonderful five star hotels and unparalleled hospital of the citizens.

This, we felt, was an opportunity we had to seize upon and we did. The idea was to leverage on all that was good about the central African country to inspire the next generation of African golfers, harness the benefits of golf as a platform to draw investment into Africa, and celebrate all that is good about humanity by bringing professional golfers from all around the world together to create special moments while providing the merited rewards for the best golfers.

WWG: Local golfers in the UAE, as well as those who compete on the Mena Tour, are very familiar with the event due to the inaugural qualifier at Al Badia in Dubai last year. You must’ve been thrilled with the event, especially as the player who grabbed the last qualifying spot went on and won the main event in Equatorial Guinea?

e simp want to reate o r own where fri an go fers an ha e the opport nit to ompete with professiona go fers from a aro n the wor - Olawale Opayinka OO: Yes, Craig Hinton of England was the epitome of all we are trying to achieve, demonstrating the limitless boundaries of what people can achieve with a little bit of ambition and courage. We did not know what to expect when we embraced the idea of staging the first qualifier in Dubai last September and to think the last man in, who got through by a play-off, went on to win the 2016 tournament in Mongomo is what dreams are made of. We were all over the moon – players, we as the curators of the event and our hosts, the people of Equatorial Guinea. This has spurred us on to greater things in 2017 with more countries stepping forward to stage qualifying events for the 2017 ‘Road to Mongomo’.

WWG: The region is set to host another qualifier this year continuing the close association with the UAE – give us your thoughts on that?

OO: You can never have too much of a good thing and the 2016 qualifier with local partners DSA Architects was a huge success. It is also important for us as Equatorial Guinea to establish a mutually

beneficial relationship between UAE investors who can embrace investment opportunities in Equatorial Guinea and sub-Sahara Africa. We are looking to add an investment forum to future qualifiers.

WWG: The Dubai qualifier is set to be held at the world-famous Emirates Golf Club this year, give us your thoughts on that?

OO: Dubai is increasingly a big part of the strategic development of the Equatorial Guinea Golf Championship - 3e Actuaries OPEN, staging the 2017 qualifier at the Emirates Golf Club is a great development and one that excites us. The EGC is the paramount golf venue in Dubai and it is only right that it should be the host of our qualifier. We look forward to this event and greater partnerships going forward.

WWG: You mentioned that since last year’s Dubai qualifier you’ve grown the concept even more around the world– tell us about that?

OO: Yes, the Dubai experience in 2016 was a good shot in the arm and this success story has led to qualifiers in Sao Paulo

Brazil, Ibadan Nigeria, Cape Town South Africa and Los Angeles USA amongst others. It will grow more to establish the ‘Road to Mongomo’ series. We believe the 3e Actuaries OPEN is a platform that has a huge potential for the development of the game of golf in sub-Saharan Africa outside South Africa as well as bringing corporate executive golfers together in an environment that can help generate and stimulate ideas on how we can take the continent of Africa forward.

WWG: What can the players who qualify expect from the experience in Equatorial Guinea?

OO: We had 67 male and female professional golfers join us from 29 countries in Mongomo last December. Every golfer left with an amazing experience, each with a lovely story to tell. This year we are looking to build on the success of the last four years.

It can only get better. The golfers can look forward to an all-expenses paid trip to Mongomo, Equatorial Guinea. A challenging and beautiful golf course, a wonderful hotel in the Grand Hotel Djibloho, our unrivalled hospitality and warm welcome. We believe our professional golfers who come to ply their trade in Mongomo should be treated as kings and queens and we will stop at nothing to continue to reinforce our ambition. 2017 will only be better.

WWG: You’ve made remarkable progress in just a few years, what’s your long-term vision for the event?

OO: The Equatorial Guinea Golf Championship – 3e Actuaries OPEN will be the African Major. We are not competing with nor comparing ourselves to other golf majors or Tours like the PGA Tour or European Tour. We simply want to create our own where African golfers can have the opportunity to compete with professional

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ARABIAN GOLF ROAD TO MONGOMO P75

Abu Dhani based Mena Tour player Luke Joy enjoys some time out with the local children who work as volunteers at the event.

The President and First Lady officially opened the 2016 3e Actuaries Open.

LPGA player Paz Echeverria smiles in the rain after winning the ladies event in Mongomo.

golfers from all around the world. An event where the best golfers in the world would want to compete, both for its unique offering and competitive purse. We are in the early stages of our ambition but we revel in the joy of building year on year until we attain our ambitious goals.

WWG: Tell us about your history of involvement in the game and what made you choose Equatorial Guinea as a venue to host an event?

OO: I am firstly a sports enthusiast, I am also a firm believer in the power of sports and its power to bring people together without any of the usual bias that we as human beings use to divide ourselves. I first came into close contact with golf in 1993 when I convinced myself that I had to be a golfer in order to secure my position with a Scottish employer. I then had the opportunity to attend a tournament at the Home of Golf - St Andrews. This, and my passion for the history of the game, influenced my conviction about the importance of golf. As one who has, in the last fifteen years, been working to raise investment for various investment opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa, and as an actuary who has the discipline of always taking a long-term view, I believed golf could be the requisite

England’s Craig Hinton poses with the 2016 3e Actuaries Open trophy.

spring board that I could use to influence and contribute to the continent that I love.

Equatorial Guinea had all I need to stage the international golf championship without having to build anything. All I needed was available as well as the political support in Equatorial Guinea to embrace the sport of golf all the way to the top. The President of Equatorial Guinea, His Excellency Obiang Nguema Mbasogo is an amazing man with an eye for the future. He built golf courses because he believed and had a vision. I came to Malabo by passing, I saw what they had and I was impressed. There is no better venue in sub-Saharan Africa outside South Africa that could be more appropriate.

Equatorial Guinea has the total package in Mongomo.

WWG: The feedback from the players about the Presidential Course in Mongomo was fantastic – what can players expect from it?

OO: The Presidential Golf Course in Mongomo is a hidden gem. We are making improvements to the greens to make them even better. We had a player shoot a course record 8-under 64 in 2016. It is a course that is as difficult as it is rewarding. We are passionate about what we do and that includes our passion to present a golf course that continues to test the best golfers in the World.

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e ha ma e an fema e professiona go fers oin s from o ntries in ongomo ast e ember er go fer eft with an ama ing e perien e ea h with a o e stor to te - Olawale Opayinka

Destinations LE GOLF NATIONAL FRANCE

LIGHTHOUSE GOLF & SPA RESORT BULGARIA

THE DUTCH THE NETHERLANDS

TROIA RESORT PORTUGAL

MAXX ROYAL BELEK GOLF RESORT TURKEY

SAUJANA GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB MALAYSIA

BLACK MOUNTAIN GOLF CLUB & RESORT THAILAND

CONSTANCE BELLE MARE PLAGE MAURITIUS

MOUNT JULIET ESTATE IRELAND

MARCO SIMONE GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB ITALY

DIAMOND COUNTRY CLUB AUSTRIA

LONDON GOLF CLUB UNITED KINGDOM

PGA CATALUNYA RESORT SPAIN

TERRE BLANCHE HOTEL SPA GOLF RESORT***** FRANCE

JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

GOLF CLUB ST.LEON-ROT GERMANY

Courses LINNA GOLF FINLAND QUINTA DO LAGO PORTUGAL

ALBATROSS GOLF RESORT CZECH REPUBLIC BOM SUCESSO PORTUGAL

Destination Under Development ROSSINGTON HALL UNITED KINGDOM

ESTONIAN GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB ESTONIA KUNSÄNGEN GOLF CLUB SWEDEN

Host of the D+D REAL Czech Masters on the European Tour

Aug 31 - Sept 3

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VERDURA RESORT, SICILY ITALY FINCA CORTESIN HOTEL, GOLF & SPA SPAIN

www.europeantour.com/destinations

Albatross Golf Resort

A world-class golfing facility just 30 minutes away from the historical city of Prague in the Czech Republic.

About European Tour Properties EUROPEAN TOUR PROPERTIES is a network of world class golf venues, all of which have a close relationship with the European Tour, one of the game’s leading global sporting organisations.

Our internationally-recognised network currently spans Europe, the Middle East, Africa and South East Asia.

We are proud to present a collection of Member Venues that all boast the hallmark of tournament quality and which offer extensive off-course facilities guaranteed to provide a memorable golfing experience for members and visitors alike.

Many of them are close to famous cities and all offer a wealth of golf, leisure and accommodation choices. For those seeking the ultimate golfing lifestyle, a number of our Member Venues offer elegant and secluded real-estate opportunities.

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www.europeantour.com/destinations

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he Albatross Golf Resort located in the Czech Republic in the heart of Europe, is part of the exclusive European Tour Properties network of world class golf venues.

It is a 30-minute drive from the centre of the country’s capital, Prague, and just 20 minutes from Prague’s Vaclav Havel International Airport. Opened in 2009, the resort was created by owner and investor Dr. Jirí Šimáne, whose vision was to build a course that could stand up to international standards and match the quality of the best golf courses in Europe, blending natural surroundings with both challenge and enjoyment. In its short history, Albatross Golf Resort has hosted a number of high-profile tournaments, including the Ladies European Tour’s Raiffeisenbank Prague Golf Masters in 2011 and 2012. Since 2014, the resort has been home to the D+D Czech Masters on the European Tour and the event will remain there until 2020.

The first edition in 2014 saw Jamie Donaldson win by two shots and secure his place in Europe’s Ryder Cup team for the Match at Gleneagles, where some five weeks later the Welshman clinched the winning point for Europe’s victory. Since opening, the course has been considered one of the best-prepared courses on the European Tour (2014 and 2015).

In addition to its 18-hole Championship course, the Albatross Golf

than 1,500 newly planted mature trees, the Albatross course presents a scenic, target golf challenge that makes great use of the region’s rolling hills. The course is laid out in two loops of nine, both of which return to the clubhouse via daunting water-strewn fairways. For many, the signature hole is the par-3 16th, featuring a water hazard running on the left side up to the green. It has proved the most popular hole with spectators during European Tour events, although the tough 18th, with a creek right of the fairway and a lake left of the green, makes a fittingly merciless finale. At 420m metres (1377.95 feet) above sea level the course benefits from a micro-climate and enjoys a long golf season. A measure of the course’s conditioning is the attention paid to grasses used. Greens are seeded with the highest quality creeping bent grass ‘A4+A1’ mixture. “Aurora Gold” fescue grass has been used in the areas with thick rough, with a special mixture of fine fescue and creeping bent grasses on the closely mown fairways and tees.

These features help present quality playing surfaces all year round and have placed it among the European Tour’s best-conditioned courses. ■

Resort features a state-of-the-art academy with covered driving range and a superb clubhouse with a pro shop, restaurant and conference facilities.

Every Level of Player The Albatross Golf Course is situated on a hillside bordering the Cesky kras (Czech Karst) Nature Reserve, more than 1,000ft above sea level.

It is a par 72 with a USGA Course rating of 75.1 and a slope rating of 147 off the white tees. Each hole offers four or five tees, making it enjoyable for every level of player. There are also 10 holes that have separate black tees, extending the layout to 7,538 yards, which makes it one of the longest courses played on the European Tour. With 10 water hazards and more

www.albatross.cz

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5

FIVE THINGS

THINGS YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME…

S hane Lowry I LOVE COF F E E ! I A M ACT UA LLY VERY LUCK Y B ECAU S E I N DUBLIN WE H AV E Q UA L I T Y COF F EE SHOP S.

AGE: 30 FROM: CLARA, IRELAND TURNED PROFESSIONAL: 2009 PROFESSIONAL TOUR WINS: 3

I A M A B I G S P O RTS FA N . I U S E D TO P L AY E V E RY T H I N G W H E N I WAS A K I D S U C H AS G A E L I C FO OT BA LL A N D S O C C E R . M Y FAVO U R I T E T H I N G TO D O D U R I N G T H E W E E K E N D S I S TO G O A N D WATC H M Y LO CA L T E A M PL AY FO OT BALL .

T H E O N LY T I M E I H AV E B E E N STAR ST R U C K I N M Y L I F E WAS W H E N I WAS WATC H I N G A T EST I M O N I A L A N D I WAS S I T T I N G R I G H T B E H I ND P R I N C E W I LL I A M .

PEOPLE MAY SEE ME AS A HA PPY-G OLUCKY AND UPBEAT PERSON BUT WHEN I AM ACTUALLY ON THE COURSE I CAN B E QUITE MOODY AND I AM SURE MY CADDI E WI LL VOUCH FOR TH AT.

T H E B EST R O U N D O F G O L F I H AV E S E E N WAS W H E N R O S S F I S H E R N E A R LY S H OT A R EC O R D - B R E A K I N G R O U ND O F 5 9 I N T HE I R I S H O PE N I N 2 0 1 0 B U T J U ST M I S S E D O U T A N D F I N I S H E D W I T H 6 1.

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14th September

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