Worldwide Golf

Issue 118, SEPTEMBER 2010

MIddle east’s No .1 Golf MaG azINe

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ISBN 978-9948-15-427-3

Monty’s team boasts two reigning Major champions but can he snatch the Cup from american hands?

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PLAYER

GARY

PLAYER INTRODUCTION

Tiger working hard on the practice range at Whistling Straights during the PGA Championship.

Tiger’s backswing is The key

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T’S good to be back home on the farm with my horses and the family. There’s no better place in the world for me. It’s my favourite time of the year. It’s also a fascinating time of the year in the world of golf, particularly with The Ryder Cup coming up.

We’ve had a busy year with our Gary Player Design company and we’ve got an even busier time in prospect next year. Despite the difficult global economy, by the end of the year we will have opened five new golf course design projects all around the world.

I couldn’t be more proud of the golf courses we’ve created. Saadiyat Beach at Abu Dhabi is an outstanding course in a spectacularly beautiful setting, which has received rave reviews since it opened.

I am also delighted with the outcome of the other four courses we have opened: Mazagan Beach Resort in Morocco; Donnafugata Golf Resort & Spa in Italy; Hidden Tiger Golf Club in China and CostaBaja Resort & Spa in Mexico.

Next year we’re involved with a number of projects in Mendoza, Colombia, Mexico, Uraguay, Belize and several Caribbean islands. With golf returning to the Olympic Games in Brazil in 2016, South America is now showing signs of emerging on the golfing front and various projects are being discussed.

I KNOW there has been a lot of speculation about whether Corey Pavin will have Tiger in his Ryder Cup Team. How can he not have the World No.1 in his team? I appreciate that Woods’ record in The Ryder Cup may not be as good as many people expected it to be but for the man who’s been the most outstanding player over the last decade I would certainly want him in my team.

It could be that The Ryder Cup is the big occasion where Woods gets it all right and becomes the inspiration for

the US Team to hold on to the Cup. Tiger is no stranger to coming out on top when the pressure is really on.

It was sad to see Tiger Woods shoot the lowest score in his professional career at the World Golf ChampionshipsBridgestone Invitational at Akron, Ohio. His 18-over-par total of 298 left him next to last, just two shots ahead of last-place Henrik Stenson.

His disappointing performance came on a course where he had previously won seven of the 10 tournaments he had played on the famous Firestone layout. He won his first World Golf Championships event at the NEC Invitational there in 1999, the year he won eight times, including his second Major at the PGA Championship at Medina.

I appreciate that his personal life makes it very difficult mentally for him to produce his best form of previous years and it remains to be seen how the recent news of his divorce will affect his performances but if he’s going to get his game back he really does have to sort out his backswing.

He’s not going to start driving the ball the way he used to until he gets his backswing together. Ben Hogan, who I believe had the best swing I’ve ever seen, had a fast backswing but he had total control over it.

I’ve always said that if you’re going to play at the highest level you need to understand your swing. If you’ve got a problem with it you have to be able to cure it yourself. You have to stay away from swing coaches and get it right on your own.

I’ve always said that players today are prone to contracting paralysis of analysis where they are coached to such an extent that they can’t figure out for themselves what they are doing wrong.

If Tiger were to ask me, or Jack Nicklaus, or Arnold Palmer or Lee Trevino about his backswing he’d get four different versions. The cure is down to him. I’m sure that time will heal his personal problems but only he can heal his swing. n www.wwgolf.biz

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Over 100 destinations worldwide

Contents

Bernhard Langer

Ryder Cup

The Greatest

SHOW IN GOLF

Martin Kaymer

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Co

MontgoMe ri lin

y Core Pavin

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Double major-winning langer just

cool, calm Kaymer joins the

Major League

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ASTEN your seatbelts because the greatest show in golf is upon us once more. The 2010 Ryder Cup at The Celtic Manor Resort in Wales is set to provide the most captivating spectacle seen at The Matches in years. It’s just too close to call.

On paper Monty’s men should have it in the bag. They’ve got the home advantage and with the likes of Lee Westwood, Graeme McDowell, Rory McIroy and Martin Kaymer, not to mention Worldwide Golf’s Columnist Ross Fisher in the ranks the European Team has strength in depth like never before.

But as Europe found out to their cost at Valhalla two years ago, when they went into the tournament as strong favourites coming off the back of two consecutive record breaking victories, the game isn’t played on paper.

Pavin’s USA are the team in possession. They

US PGA ChAMPIoNShIP AT WhISTlING STRAITS

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ARTIN KAyMeR displayed all the clinical efficiency we’ve come to expect from German sports stars as he stayed cool and calm to clinch his maiden Major at the US PGA Championship at Whistling Straits.

The 25-year-old maintained his composure to defeat American Bubba Watson in a three hole play-off and guarantee his debut berth in The Ryder Cup next month.

The pair ended 72 holes on 11-under-par but it was the German who edged home after Watson fell foul of the treacherous 18th, double bogeying after finding the creek, leaving Kaymer to seal the deal with a two-putt bogey from 12 feet.

“In the final round I felt a lot of pressure, especially on the last four or five holes,” said Kaymer, who had five European Tour titles to his name prior to his Major triumph. “In the play-off I was very calm and confident. I just thought, ‘don’t make any stupid mistakes’.

“It was an amazing feeling on 18, having two putts to win – that felt pretty cool. I haven’t realised what has just happened – I’ve just won my first Major and I have only been on The European Tour for four years. I have goosebumps.”

Watson, who won his first US PGA Tour title earlier this season at the Travellers Championship, was disappointed but insisted that finishing runner-up and qualifying for his first outing in The Ryder Cup more than made up for it. “I made the Ryder Cup, so that’s all I care about,” said the tall Floridian who carded a 4-under 68.

Fellow American Dustin Johnson had a putt to win outright on the 18th but failed to take his opportunity. However, he later learned that he would have missed out on a place in the playoff anyway for being docked two strokes for grounding his club in sand earlier on the 18th hole. The unfortunate Johnson finished with a

“The Majors are the biggest tournaments we play and just knowing that I can win one gives me huge confidence for any other tournament I will play for the rest of my career,” – Martin Kaymer www.wwgolf.biz

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ERnIE ELS cOLumn GOLdEn TIckET QuaLIFIERS FOR THE InVITaTIOnaL HOSTEd By aBduLLaH aL naBOOdaH EuROpEan TOuR nEWS GREG nORman cOLumn cLuBHOuSE QuIckIES dRIVInG RanGE: audI R8 SpydER dIVOTS OFFIcIaL WORLd GOLF RankInG GaRy pLayER cOLumn RacE TO duBaI WORLd ROund-upS cLaudE HaRmOn III SWInG anaLySIS TROOn TuTORIaL

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WOmEn’S GOLF mIddLE EaST

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Quinta da Marinha Resort

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Travel

Rom the mountains of sintra take a trip to the seaside resort of Cascais and the Quinta da marinha Resort. Part of the ‘onyria Golf Resorts’ group, which also has a new development in Palmares on the Algarve and another in Turkey, Quinta marinha is an immaculate quality, modern establishment that manages to effortlessly combine what so many resorts around the world struggle to achieve – both a business hotel and a holiday resort. For the business traveller there are 11 fully equipped meeting rooms, banqueting facilities as well as team building and incentive packages but unlike many business hotels there is a happily relaxed and unpretentious atmosphere around the pool, bar and leisure areas.

The rooms are clean and spacious, many with beautiful views over the golf course, while the service throughout the resort is first class with all of the staff warm, welcoming and helpful.

The aforementioned pool area is one of the highlights of the resort with a beautiful infinity pool which offers a stunning vista out onto the golf course while the on site health club and spa offer the perfect place to recharge the batteries.

The 18-hole golf course was designed by the Penha Longha creator’s father, the legendary Robert Trent Jones senior and while it offers a

Ritz Carlton Penha Longa Golf Resort & Spa

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The most spectacular views imaginable with ocean and mountains combining to make a vista beyond compare

his resort is situated in the breathtakingly beautiful sintra region with its myriad of spectacularly opulent palaces built over the years by Portuguese Royalty and aristocracy, nestling amid the never-ending tree-lined mountains.

The Penha Longa Resort delivers 5-star luxury against the backdrop of this magical fairytale-like setting with the regal palazzo-style hotel, sitting in a valley surrounded by rolling hills which create their own micro-weather patterns, namely wind, adding an extra snarl to a golf course which already has plenty of bite.

The immaculate 18-hole Championship layout is home to The European Tour’s Portuguese Open. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jnr, the Atlantic Course is ranked among the top 30 courses in Continental Europe and players are treated to an experience that is both thrilling and enchanting, making full use of the beautiful natural landscape. Playing this course on foot will definitely keep you fit as it winds its way up and down the rocky hillsides on which it sits, making the uphill holes a particularly tough proposition but also ensuring that players are treated to some of the most spectacular views imaginable with ocean and mountains combining to make a vista beyond compare. Plentiful

trees and some wholly unforgiving rough, as well as a myriad of bunkers and water hazards, await to swallow up any wayward shots so accuracy is at a premium on the Atlantic Course, which is easier said than done with that mountain wind doing its best to wreck your scorecard. There’s also a lovely little 9-hole ‘Monastery’ course as well as a driving range, practice putting green and well stocked pro-shop.

The resort itself is a sight to behold. A frequent retreat for royalty and Portuguese dignitaries, the origins of the site can be traced back to the 14 century when a Monastery which still stands today was first built there.

Historical monuments and relics are visible throughout the sprawling estate which is framed by some exquisite gardens. The rooms in the hotel are roomy and stylish with a host of mod-cons such as a large plasma screen television, Bose i-pod docking station and Nespresso coffee machine. The bathrooms are beautiful, complete with double sinks, luxurious baths and separate showers you could stay in for hours.

The food at Penha Longa is some of the best you’ll find anywhere in Portugal. Sumptuous never-ending breakfasts can be enjoyed in the elegant dining room which becomes the AssaMassa restaurant in the evening, serving the best in authentic

Portuguese cuisine. Japanese restaurant, Midori, offers a mindboggling variety of sushi, tempura, teppanyaki and noodle dishes prepared by expertly trained chefs in a chic but casual environment. Next to the golf course is the uber-trendy Arola where famous Spanish chef Sergi Arola has designed a mouthwatering menu of contemporary ‘tapas with a twist’ as well as a range of a la carte options. There’s also the Serra pool bar serving tasty Mediterranean food cooked on an open grill.

To work off all that food there is a fully equipped gym and a choice of indoor and outdoor pool while the Six Senses Spa is a delightful sanctuary where a team of skilled therapists await to work away the aches and pains from a tough day on the golf course. www.penhalonga.com

very different challenge, it is an equally tantalising proposition. The big difference to the Penha Longa layout is the terrain – Quinta da marinha is built on a flat landscape, making it slightly kinder on the legs and generally less harrowing off the tee but the fairways and greens are equally pristine.

The course gently winds its way down to the sea and players are again treated to some spectacular scenery of both the Atlantic ocean and the sintra mountains, which form a dramatic backdrop. An abundance of trees, lakes and bunkers combine to set an enjoyable challenge on a course that will keep you coming back for more throughout your stay.

After working up an appetite on the course you can end a perfect day with a delicious meal in the trendy Rocca a la carte restaurant, followed by a nightcap in the wonderful Trent Jones piano bar – or you might want to venture down to the seafront for an oceanic feast you’ll never forget at the delightful monte mar. www.quintadamarinha.com

A beautiful infinity pool which offers a stunning vista out onto the golf course while the on site health club and Spa offer the perfect place to recharge the batteries.

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11 THE RydER cup: The greatest golfing

show on earth is almost upon us. Worldwide Golf talks to the two Captains hoping to lead their teams to glory at The Celtic Manor Resort in Wales.

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The R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro combines breathtaking performance with the experience of open-top driving. The 525 hp V10 engine accelerates the high-performance sports car with the lightweight cloth top to 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds on its way to a top speed of 313 km/h. The 5.2-litre engine produces 530 Nm of torque at 6,500 rpm and 525 hp at 8,000 rpm. Each hp only needs to move 3.3 kilograms of weight.

The engine offers amazing thrust and hangs tenaciously on the throttle in every situation accompanied by that unmistakable ten-cylinder Audi sound.

Colin Montgomerie

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Monty is without a doubt the best player never to win a Major.

During his prime, there was no one who hit the ball straighter and truer. Colin always fades the ball, hitting his shots exclusively from left to right.

In doing so, he eliminates the left side of the golf course, making his swing very easy to repeat.

His Ryder Cup record makes him a perfect choice as Captain for this year’s matches in Wales.

16 maRTIn kaymER joins the Major League with victory in the US PGA Championship.

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21 WGc-BRIdGESTOnE InVITaTIOnaL: Hunter Mahan books his spot on the US Ryder Cup team with victory at Firestone CC. 22 ROSS FISHER: The Worldwide Golf columnist gives us the inside track on his stunning victory at the Irish Open.

MId d l e ea s t’ s N o. 1 G o l f M a Ga z IN e

25 BERnHaRd LanGER: The German legend shows he’s still a class act with phenomenal back-to-back transatlantic Senior Major triumphs.

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34 TRaVEL FEaTuRE: Worldwide Golf

aSSISTInG amELIa

his Senior Major duck with successive victories at The Senior Open Championship at Carnoustie and the US Senior Open in Seattle where he overcame home favourite Fred Couples to win by two strokes.

Langer defeated Corey Pavin by one shot at Carnoustie to put the two runner-up finishes he had at The Open Championship in 1981 and 1984 behind him before jetting off to the West Coast of America to overcome another American Ryder Cup star in Couples at Sahalee Country Club.

Before going into another Senior Major in the United States, the Jeld-Wen Tradition, he’s once more leading the Money List, with earnings so far this season of $1.7million.

His victory in the Senior Open Championship still has him at the top of the European Senior Tour Order of Merit. Now, on the eve of The Ryder Cup, Europe’s Captain, Colin Montgomerie, even talked about the possibility of making Langer one of his wild card picks for Celtic Manor.

Golfing Riches on the Estoril Coast OLF tourists are literally spoilt for choice on Portugal’s Estoril and sintra Coast. The area won the award for Established Golf Destination of the Year from the international Association of Golf Tour operators in 2003 and with a startling array of top quality layouts to choose from and a good year-round climate it’s easy to see why.

Along the relatively small stretch of coastline, also known as the Lisbon Golf Coast, there are no fewer than 13 18-hole Championship courses with many more in the surrounding Lisbon region.

Visitors can choose to stay on site at one of the many stunning golf resorts along the coast or in the magical sintra mountains – or, alternatively, you can make your base in the country’s vibrant capital city, Lisbon, which will put you in easy striking distance of all the courses.

Public transport in the area is very good and taxis are relatively inexpensive but the way to get the best out of a golf trip to the Estoril Coast is definitely to hire a car, which will give you the flexibility to fit in as many rounds as possible (see info bar for Hertz Portugal contact details).

Features

GaRy pLayER InTROducTIOn

OR Bernhard Langer life really has begun again at 50. In a glittering career spanning almost three decades on The European Tour Bernhard Langer won 42 times, including two Masters in 1985 and 1993.

He won more than €12million between 1974 and 2009 but since turning 50 in August 2007 the German has already earned over $6m as a Senior golfer, thanks to his two back-to-back Senior Major wins and 13 Senior titles.

He’s right on course for a third successive Arnold Palmer Award for topping the Money List on the U.S. Champions Tour and nail a hat-trick of Jack Nicklaus Awards for Player of the Year.

In his first full season on the Champions Tour in 2008 he won three times and carried off the Jack Nicklaus Player of the Year Award, the Arnold Palmer Award, the Byron Nelson Award as scoring leader, and the Rookie of the Year Award, with three victories.

In 2009 he had four wins and this year he broke

takes a look at the golfing riches on offer along Portugal’s Estoril Coast.

aRaBIan GOLF

Issue 118, SEPTEMBER 2010

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9-under-par total and a share of fifth place.

Johnson held a one-shot lead as he went down the 18th but he drove his tee shot well right into a tiny patch of sandy grass where the crowds had been gathered. He grounded his club, thinking it wasn’t deemed to be a trap but was told after completing the hole that all sand was considered a hazard. ”Walking up there, seeing the shot, it never once crossed my mind that I was in a sand trap,” Johnson said. “It’s very unfortunate. The only worse thing that could have happened was if I had made that putt on the green to win.”

Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy posted a level-par 72 to finish one stroke behind the leaders on 10-under-par, alongside 2007 Masters Champion Zach Johnson. The Ulsterman had a birdie putt on the last to get to 11-under but it slid past the hole and he had to settle for par. McIlroy, who was third at last year’s US PGA Championship and also came third at The Open at St Andrews in July, hit three birdies and three bogeys for his 72.

“It was just a weird day,” said the World No.7.

“I’ll take the positives from it. It wasn’t the result I wanted, but it’s a learning experience.”

For Kaymer the result was everything. “The Majors are the biggest tournaments we play and just knowing that I can win one gives me huge confidence for any other tournament I will play for the rest of my career,” he smiled.

wants to have fun F

became a true unit for the first time in years in Kentucky and they played with the kind of camaraderie usually associated with European teams. Their side isn’t shaping up too shabbily either and Phil Mickleson, Jim Furyk and Steve Stricker are all players more than capable of match-winning performances while as Hunter Mahan, Boo Weekley, J.B. Holmes and Anthony Kim showed two years ago, the rookies should never be underestimated.

With the balance so finally weighted the job of the Captains is going to be tougher than ever and their ability to motivate their troops and make tricky tactical decisions under pressure could be the difference between death and glory.

WWG caught up with the two men charged with directing the cast in the greatest golfing drama of them all.

FISHER SMILING IN IRELAND LANGER MAKING MILLION$ DUBAI WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP NEWS THE INVITATIONAL SWING TIPS EUROPEAN TOUR NEWS ARABIAN GOLF DESERT ISLAND DOUBLE 2

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ISBN 978-9948-15-427-3

Monty’s team boasts two reigning Major champions but can he snatch the Cup from american hands?

LOckER ROOm

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Editor-in-chief: Mike Gallemore Executive Editor: Gary Player

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FROnT cOVER: Ryder cup captain colin montgomerie.

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ISSUE No. 117, SEPTEMBER, 2010 published by: Worldwide Sporting Publications Ltd, 54 Alderley Road, Wilmslow, Cheshire, England, SK9 1NY

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Editor: Alex Gallemore publisher: Mike Gallemore Senior Editor: Richard Bevan Editorial assistants: Todd Staszko, James Reeves, Tabitha Florence design manager: Mark Frain Technical manager: Mark Collinge Editorial panel: Gary Player, Mike Gallemore, Alex Gallemore, Richard Bevan, Todd Staszko

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WWGcolumnist

ErniE Els is the most successful south African golfer of his generation. Els, nicknamed ‘The Big Easy’ due to his easylooking swing, has won three Majors and seven World Match Play Championships during a career that spans close on two decades. Els has two Us Opens to his name and won The Open Championship at Muirfield in 2002.

I’m Going for Glory in the Play-offs

S

INCE I last wrote I’ve played the Bridgestone Invitational at Akron, Ohio, and the US PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, Wisconsin. To be honest, having played very poorly in Europe either side of The Open Championship I felt a real sense of urgency – you know, a desire to find some form. I had two weeks off after The Open, which was just what I needed, and then put in some intensive practice going into these two events. As it turned out, both weeks it was a case of nearly, but not quite.

The Bridgestone is an event that i’ve never done too well in over the years, which is strange because i like the golf course. i played a lot of really good golf this time around, though.

My swing felt pretty comfortable, i was in control of my golf ball, especially on Friday and saturday, and i started to get the putter going as well. i just had a horrible day on the greens on sunday. it was very frustrating, but i wasn’t going to let one bad round dampen my spirits. i just put it behind me and focused on the positives, because there were plenty. i guess you could say i rolled all those positives into a great first round at the following week’s Us PGA

Championship, shooting a bogey-free 68 to end the day just one shot off the lead. i played really well. in fact, it was probably one of my best rounds of the year in terms of how my swing felt, my all round ball striking and the feeling of being in control of my golf game. After that, though, i just wasn’t as sharp, overall, as i was in that first round.

For anyone who watched the coverage on television, you could see that Whistling straits is the type of golf course where you’re going to miss greens, especially on the final day when the wind blew stronger than it had all week.

Pleased for Kaymer On courses like that you need to scramble well and then capitalise on your birdie opportunities. i managed the second part of that, but there were a few too many bogeys thrown into the mix for me to challenge for a win. Every time i took two steps up the leaderboard, i seemed to straight away take another step back down.

That was the story of my last two rounds. it meant the best i could do was progress to 4-under-par for the tournament and into a tie for 18th place. i was pleased for Martin

“I’m very keen to do a lot better thIs tIme around and, as I wrIte thIs column In the few days leadIng up to the fIrst playoff event, the barclays In new york, I couldn’t be In a stronger posItIon. I’m ranked no.1 In the fedex cup poInts’ lIst and rarIng to go.” – ErniE Els 4

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Kaymer, though. He’s said some very nice things about my golf since he turned professional and i’ve always been happy to return the compliment. i first played with him a couple of years ago in one of the tournaments during the Desert swing and i remember saying to everyone at that time, ‘you have to watch this kid play, he’s really going to be something’.

Primary goal i wouldn’t be at all surprised if he goes on to win several Major championships. He’s got the game and, crucially, he’s got the perfect temperament to go with it.

For me, it wasn’t far off being a very good week and i wasn’t disheartened by my play, although, obviously, i’m disappointed not to have won any of this year’s four Majors, which is my primary goal at the start of every season.

There is still a lot to play for this year, though, especially with the FedEx Cup Play-offs. Before this was introduced by the Us PGA Tour in 2007 a lot of players used to lie low and take a break, but not now. in fact, what used to be a quiet time of the year has a lot more buzz to it and you have to applaud the Us PGA Tour for that. Any system that gets the best players in the world competing in four tournaments over a five-week period has to be seen in a very positive light.

The first three years we played the FedEx Cup it all kind of came and went without me making much of an impression on things. i was 19th the first year in 2007, 13th in 2008 and 16th last year. Obviously, i’m very keen to do a lot better this time around and, as i write this column in the few days leading up to the first Play-off event, The Barclays in new York, i couldn’t be in a stronger position. i’m ranked no.1

ELS’ TABLE TOPPING FORM

Ernie Els rose to the top of the FedEx Cup Rankings prior to the first event of the Play-offs, The Barclays, due to his consistent form during the season and two victories in key events.

He was a winner in the big money WGC-CA Championship and Arnold Palmer Invitational tournaments and racked up a further four top 10s including third place at the US PGA Championship.

Above: Ernie Els tees off during last year’s Tour Championship, the final event of the PGA Tour Play-offs for the FedEx Cup. Right: Ernie Els in action during the second round of this year’s US PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, Wisconsin.

in the FedEx Cup Points’ list and raring to go. My long game has been in good shape for a while now, but that’s not been matched by the quality of my short game and really that’s what’s been hurting the consistency of my scoring over the summer months. i spent a large part of the week prior to The Barclays trying to put that right.

What is certain is that i really need to step it up to stand a chance of winning this thing. The points won in these Play-off events are worth five times as much as the points accumulated in the majority of regular Us PGA Tour events, so things can change very quickly. Have a couple of mediocre weeks and your name can take a serious tumble down the points list. i feel extremely motivated. i started this year on the Us PGA Tour on a high note and i want to finish it in the same fashion.

By the time you read my next column it will probably be all wrapped up and all the questions will have been answered. Hope the answers are positive. Wish me luck! n www.wwgolf.biz

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GRAY WINS GOLDEN TICKET FOR INVITATIONAL

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ngLISHMAn Steve gray has bagged a golden ticket for the golfing trip of a lifetime to play with the stars of the European tour in the Invitational hosted by Abdullah Al naboodah at Yas Links in Abu Dhabi next year after winning the UK Qualifier held at Heythrop Park Resort in oxfordshire. the event proved to be a roaring success with a full field of competitors, including Radio Five Live presenter Spoony turning out to play for the sensational prize. the Heythrop Park Resort course was in wonderful condition and players could scarcely believe that the layout is less than 12 months old. the event was played in an 18-hole strokeplay format with full handicap allowance and there was some terrific golf on display. It was tight at the top of the leaderboard and when the scores were calculated three players – Pete Brady (5), Ed Kelly (5) and Steve gray (12) – were tied on net 70 so a return trip down the par-5 18th was needed to find a winner.

With so much on the line, tensions were understandably running high and all three players made six but Steve took the spoils after receiving a shot on the stroke index 11 hole. Steve will now join the likes of Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Ross Fisher and graeme McDowell at Yas Links next January to compete in the prestigious ‘invite only’ event. the Invitational has been held in Dubai for the past four years but next year will see it make its Abu Dhabi debut and Yas Links general Manager, Chris White is relishing the prospect of what promises to be a proud moment in the club’s short history. “the vision of Aldar properties in the planning and development of Yas Links was to create a unique and unseen golf course in the region that would add value to Yas Island as the region’s leading leisure destination,” says White.

“For Yas Links to be chosen as the venue to stage the Invitational hosted by Abdullah Al naboodah is testament to the unique design and quality of Yas Links. the Invitational has, like Yas Links, established a great reputation in a very short period of time and is considered as one of the best charity sports events in the region with one of the strongest fields you will see in any one day pro-am.”

For more information, visit www.theinvitational.com

The golden route to compete in one of the finest pro-am tournaments in world golf tees off in abu dhabi in october: Yas Links GC, Abu Dhabi

Tuesday, 26th october, 2010, at 1.00pm.

Entry fee: AED495, adults – AED195, Juniors.

Faldo Course at Emirates GC, Dubai

Monday, 22nd november, 2010, at 5.00pm. (floodlit) Entry fee: AED495, adults – AED195, Juniors.

Arabian Ranches GC, Dubai

Monday, 15th november, 2010, at 8.00am.

Entry fee: AED495 (Ladies only – Women’s golf Middle East event).

Al Hamra GC, Ras Al Khaimah

Thursday, 9th december, 2010, at 1.00pm.

Entry fee: AED450 adults – AED150, Juniors.

To pre-register please email goldenticket@theinvitational.com

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EUROPEAN TOUR NEWS INTRODUCING A NEW EUROPEAN TOUR EDITORIAL PAGE AS PART OF THE COLLABORATION WITH WORLDWIDE GOLF AS OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNER MIDDLE EAST TO THE EUROPEAN TOUR.

the raCe tO Dubai heaDs tOwarDs the final furlOng WITH three Major Champions and six players from the top ten of the Official World Golf Ranking currently inside the first 12 places in The Race to Dubai, the contest to be crowned Europe’s No.1is looking more competitive than ever before.

Martin Kaymer climbed to a career-high of fifth place in the World Ranking and to the very top of The Race to Dubai following his victory at last month’s U.S. PGA Championship – and the German will be doubly determined to remain at the head of affairs after a go-karting accident he suffered this time last year effectively ended his hopes of becoming the first winner of The Race to Dubai.

Lee Westwood cruised to victory at the inaugural Dubai World Championship but the Englishman, who is currently third in both the World Ranking and The Race to Dubai, recently suffered a blow to his hopes of retaining his crown when he sustained a calf injury.

However, Westwood, who is bidding to become only the ninth player in European Tour history to retain the Harry Vardon Trophy, is fully expected to have recovered in time to take his place in the field at Jumeirah Golf Estates for the second edition of the $7.5million Dubai World Championship in November.

Sandwiched between Kaymer and Westwood at the top of The Race to Dubai is U.S. Open Champion Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland, who currently trails the German by €198,483.

The third 2010 Major winner in the top six of The Race to Dubai is Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen, who is directly preceded in the money list by his fellow South Africans Ernie Els (fourth on €1,771,118) and Charl Schwartzel (fifth with €1,694,738).

Els is joined in the top ten by World No.7 Rory McIroy of Northern Ireland (currently 11th in The Race to Dubai), World No.9 Paul Casey of England (8th in The Race to Dubai), and his compatriot and World No.10 Luke Donald (12th in The Race to Dubai).

McIlroy and Casey finished second and fifth respectively in The 2009 Race to Dubai, but with a further

12 counting events – including the money-spinning Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, and the even more lucrative WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai – between now and the Dubai World Championship, there is still ample opportunity for both men to succeed Westwood as Europe’s No.1.

The Race to Dubai, which climaxes at the Dubai World Championship, comprises 48 tournaments played in 26 different destinations, meaning there are now 12 tournaments remaining.

The second Dubai World Championship will again feature the No.1 to 60 players in The Race to Dubai – the season-long competition for the world’s leading golfers – and will be managed and delivered by The European Tour.

Prize money for the Dubai World Championship and The Race to Dubai remains at US$7.5million each, making a total purse of US$15million. First prize for the Dubai World Championship is US$1.25million, and the winner also receives a five-year exemption to The European Tour. First prize in the The Race to Dubai Bonus Pool, which the 15 top ranked players share, is US$1.5million, with the No.1 player also receiving a seven-year exemption and The Harry Vardon Trophy.

wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions. Players, caddies, officials, staff and fans alike turned out in purple attire to support the cause.

Through the partnership of 3 and the Tour Players’ Foundation, the charitable arm of The European Tour and its players, along with a number of the event sponsors, several fundraising initiatives were undertaken in the run up to and throughout the tournament which took place over the Irish August Bank Holiday Weekend, helping raise €39,034.98.

initial 2011 eurOPean tOur sCheDule annOunCeD After the second Race to Dubai winner has been crowned at Jumeirah Golf Estates this November it’s right back to work for the cream of The European Tour as the early stages of the 2011 Schedule has been announced.

Dec 09 - Dec 12 Alfred Dunhill Championship Leopard Creek CC, Malelane, South Africa Dec 16 - Dec 19 South African Open Championship Durban Country Club, Durban, South Africa Jan 06 - Jan 09 Africa Open East London GC, East London, Eastern Cape, South Africa Jan 13 - Jan 16 Joburg Open Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club, Johannesburg, South Africa Jan 20 - Jan 23 Abu Dhabi Golf Championship Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Winner of the 3 Irish Open, Ross Fisher, sporting a purple shirt during the second round of the Championship.

Charity hits PurPle PatCh at the 3 irish OPen TITLE sponsor of the Irish Open, '3', and the Tour Players Foundation have announced that almost €40,000 was raised for the Make-A-Wish Foundation at the 3 Irish Open in Killarney.

Make-A-Wish, the chosen charity of this year’s 3 Irish Open, helped turn the Killarney Golf and Fishing Club purple on the Friday of competition in order to raise awareness of the charity’s work of granting

Jan 27 - Jan 30 Volvo Tournament of Champions The Royal Golf Club, Kingdom of Bahrain Feb 03 - Feb 06 Commercialbank Qatar Masters 2011 presented by Dolphin Energy Doha GC, Doha, Qatar Feb 10 - Feb 13 Omega Dubai Desert Classic 2011 Emirates GC, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Feb 23 - Feb 26 WGC - Accenture Match Play Championship 2011 Ritz-Carlton GC, Dove Mountain, Marana, USA

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Ryder Cup

The Greatest

SHOW IN GOLF l Co

nt in Mo goMeri

F

e

ASTEN your seatbelts because the greatest show in golf is upon us once more. The 2010 Ryder Cup at The Celtic Manor Resort in Wales is set to provide the most captivating spectacle seen at The Matches in years. It’s just too close to call.

On paper Monty’s men should have it in the bag. They’ve got the home advantage and with the likes of Lee Westwood, Graeme McDowell, Rory McIroy and Martin Kaymer, not to mention Worldwide Golf’s Columnist Ross Fisher in the ranks the European Team has strength in depth like never before.

But as Europe found out to their cost at Valhalla two years ago, when they went into the tournament as strong favourites coming off the back of two consecutive record breaking victories, the game isn’t played on paper.

Pavin’s USA are the team in possession. They

y Core Pavin

became a true unit for the first time in years in Kentucky and they played with the kind of camaraderie usually associated with European teams. Their side isn’t shaping up too shabbily either and Phil Mickleson, Jim Furyk and Steve Stricker are all players more than capable of match-winning performances while as Hunter Mahan, Boo Weekley, J.B. Holmes and Anthony Kim showed two years ago, the rookies should never be underestimated.

With the balance so finally weighted the job of the Captains is going to be tougher than ever and their ability to motivate their troops and make tricky tactical decisions under pressure could be the difference between death and glory.

WWG caught up with the two men charged with directing the cast in the greatest golfing drama of them all. www.wwgolf.biz

11

– Colin Montgomerie “It’s most unfortunate this

particular year that I’m going to have to leave out winners, and this is possibly the first time any European Captain has had to do that.”

Ph

WWG: Your team is taking shape with eight players already qualified, but what kind of characteristics are you looking for in the players as you prepare to make your four Captain’s picks?

COREY PAVIN: I think in general, what I’m looking for in a player is the ability to play well in The Ryder Cup in Europe. It’s not a matter of whether they’ve played 10 Ryder Cups or six Ryder Cups or none. It’s going to be kind of a gut feeling of who I think can handle the pressure the best over there.

It doesn’t matter what age they are. That’s going to be part of my decision-making and that’s part of my job as Captain. It’s going to be a pretty incredible process, and one that I’m looking forward to quite a bit. For me, and I think my assistants, the really the fun part of it all is putting the team together and figuring out what we are going to do.

WWG: Would you have any doubts on picking a rookie for their first Ryder Cup overseas – and how will you make such a tough call?

COREY PAVIN: Again, it’s kind of a gut feeling. Obviously, there are many factors that are involved in Captain’s picks and part of that is how the four complement the eight who are already on the team. There’s a lot of parameters that I’m going to be looking at and one will be – do I think they can handle the pressure over there?

WWG: This is the strongest looking European Ryder Cup Team in years with

12

www.wwgolf.biz

many established stars missing out – how do you feel about how the Team has taken shape over recent months?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: I had a number of top-20 players in the world not in the automatic places. It’s a headache and it’s a nice headache to have.

It’s the first time that a European Captain has had such a strong team, if you like, that hadn’t quite qualified as yet. I will be discussing with my three vice captains and going through every scenario and pairings and locker rooms and all sorts, and we’ll get that situation right.

It’s most unfortunate this particular year that I’m going to have to leave out winners and this is possibly the first time any European Captain has had to do that.

Looking at this two years ago, you wouldn’t have thought that in 2010 Sergio García, Padraig Harrington, Paul Casey, Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson and Robert Karlsson wouldn’t be on the Team as automatic qualifiers, just as you wouldn’t have thought that Tiger Woods wouldn’t be an automatic qualifier on the American Team. So it’s amazing how things change within sport. Five minutes in sport is a long time, never mind two years.

WWG: Paul Azinger almost played on the fact that the Americans were underdogs last time out and it worked to his advantage at Valhalla – is that a tactic you are going to employ this year?

COREY PAVIN: I think we are going to have a pretty darned good team but it’s hard to play

Il MICkElSoN

– Corey Pavin “There’s a lot of parameters that I’m going to be looking at and one will be – do I think they can handle the pressure over there? ”

Ryder Cup

oD

– Corey Pavin

lEE

ST WE

W

o

overseas. We are over in Europe, playing in their conditions and Colin is going to have the luxury of setting up the golf course the way he wants it – just as Paul Azinger had the luxury of setting up Valhalla the way he wanted it.

Obviously, there’s also going to be a much larger contingent of European fans there, as well. The last time we won overseas was in 1993. That’s a long time ago. So there are a lot of things that we have to overcome as a Team.

I know that we are capable of doing it, but I suspect that we are underdogs going in.

WWG: lee Westwood picked up an injury at the WGC-Bridgestone and had to sit out the US PGA Championship and take four or five weeks off but he will be back to hitting balls two weeks prior to the Ryder Cup – how do you feel this forced spell on the sidelines will affect him and the Team?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Lee is our topranked player and our Ryder Cup Team would be greatly weakened if he didn’t make it. So I’m delighted that he is going to hit balls with a couple of weeks to prepare.

He pulled out of the US PGA Championship which was a blow for him, personally, but I’m I’m glad he’s hitting balls in time for the Ryder Cup. He wants to play in the preceding event, at The Vivendi Cup, and I would be glad to see him play there, but otherwise, if he doesn’t, I’m sure three practice rounds around Celtic Manor will be good enough for Lee.

“It’s going to be my judgment whether I pick Tiger or not. He’s the No. 1 player in the world so obviously I’m considering him highly, no doubt about it. ” not as good as his individual record has been, which has been extreme. We just look forward to welcoming him to Wales if Corey makes that decision. It’s his decision, of course, but we welcome anybody that Corey selects, and look forward to The Matches.

WWG: how do you feel about the state of Woods’ game at the moment?

COREY PAVIN: I think a couple of things have happened recently that I’m pleased about. Obviously, he played better at the US PGA Championship than he did in the Bridgestone Invitational. He’s working on some things that seem to be improving his game. So I was pleased to see that happen.

HUNTER MAYHAN

WWG: Do you think the American team will be as strong with Tiger Woods in the team despite his poor recent form and his record in The Ryder Cup? johNSo COLIN MONTGOMERIE: STIN N DU Tiger’s record in The Ryder Cup isn’t that bad. He’s only lost one singles, back in 1997. There are very, very few players who haven’t lost any singles!

COREY PAVIN: That was a leading comment there Mr Montgomerie! At the same time, I agree his record is not as bad as people make out. It’s just

www.wwgolf.biz

13

Ryder Cup

N

– Corey Pavin

jE

V FF o

ER

To

“The players will have a chance to reach 18 in two. There will be some very serious decisions that have to be made on that hole. I’m sure the course will be in fantastic shape.”

His comments to the press and the media are very positive. I think we have all seen that.

He wants to play, he wants to be a part of the team. But it’s going to be my judgment whether I pick him or not. He’s the No.1 player in the world so, obviously, I’m considering him highly, no doubt about it.

And the 18th hole is a very tough risk/reward par-5 with water short of the green. The players will have a chance to reach it in two.

There will be some very serious decisions that have to be made on that hole. The good thing is that I’m sure the course will be in fantastic shape.

WWG: You played the course at Celtic Manor together last year, what are your thoughts on the course ahead of teeing off next month?

COREY PAVIN: I think Celtic Manor is going to be a pretty good venue for The Ryder Cup. It’s a very straightforward golf course but I think it’s going to be set up with a lot of rough.

One of the neatest things about the golf course is the finishing holes – the 15th is a reachable par-4 and I can see a lot of matches will swing on what happens there.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: I’d like to second that, obviously. Our players have more experience of the course having played The Wales Open there for the last three Y McIlRoY years. This year, I must admit, RoR that although we had a fantastic winner in Graeme McDowell, followed hotly

by Luke Donald, the winner of this year’s Wales Open was the golf course. It stood the test and it was in tremendous condition.

The weather was set fair, and I think the course has matured into a very, very good match-play golf course, which is what it was built for. n

JiM FURYk

– Colin Montgomerie “This year, I must admit, that although we had a fantastic winner in Graeme McDowell, followed hotly by Luke Donald, the winner of this year’s Wales Open was the golf course.”

GRAEME McDowEll

www.wwgolf.biz

15

“The Majors are the biggest tournaments we play and just knowing that I can win one gives me huge confidence for any other tournament I will play for the rest of my career,” – Martin Kaymer 16

www.wwgolf.biz

Martin Kaymer

cool, calm Kaymer joins the

Major League US PGA ChAMPIoNShIP AT WhISTlING STRAITS

M

ARTIN KAyMeR displayed all the clinical efficiency we’ve come to expect from German sports stars as he stayed cool and calm to clinch his maiden Major at the US PGA Championship at Whistling Straits.

The 25-year-old maintained his composure to defeat American Bubba Watson in a three hole play-off and guarantee his debut berth in The Ryder Cup next month.

The pair ended 72 holes on 11-under-par but it was the German who edged home after Watson fell foul of the treacherous 18th, double bogeying after finding the creek, leaving Kaymer to seal the deal with a two-putt bogey from 12 feet.

“In the final round I felt a lot of pressure, especially on the last four or five holes,” said Kaymer, who had five European Tour titles to his name prior to his Major triumph. “In the play-off I was very calm and confident. I just thought, ‘don’t make any stupid mistakes’.

“It was an amazing feeling on 18, having two putts to win – that felt pretty cool. I haven’t realised what has just happened – I’ve just won my first Major and I have only been on The European Tour for four years. I have goosebumps.”

Watson, who won his first US PGA Tour title earlier this season at the Travellers Championship, was disappointed but insisted that finishing runner-up and qualifying for his first outing in The Ryder Cup more than made up for it. “I made the Ryder Cup, so that’s all I care about,” said the tall Floridian who carded a 4-under 68.

Fellow American Dustin Johnson had a putt to win outright on the 18th but failed to take his opportunity. However, he later learned that he would have missed out on a place in the playoff anyway for being docked two strokes for grounding his club in sand earlier on the 18th hole. The unfortunate Johnson finished with a

9-under-par total and a share of fifth place.

Johnson held a one-shot lead as he went down the 18th but he drove his tee shot well right into a tiny patch of sandy grass where the crowds had been gathered. He grounded his club, thinking it wasn’t deemed to be a trap but was told after completing the hole that all sand was considered a hazard. ”Walking up there, seeing the shot, it never once crossed my mind that I was in a sand trap,” Johnson said. “It’s very unfortunate. The only worse thing that could have happened was if I had made that putt on the green to win.”

Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy posted a level-par 72 to finish one stroke behind the leaders on 10-under-par, alongside 2007 Masters Champion Zach Johnson. The Ulsterman had a birdie putt on the last to get to 11-under but it slid past the hole and he had to settle for par. McIlroy, who was third at last year’s US PGA Championship and also came third at The Open at St Andrews in July, hit three birdies and three bogeys for his 72.

“It was just a weird day,” said the World No.7.

“I’ll take the positives from it. It wasn’t the result I wanted, but it’s a learning experience.”

For Kaymer the result was everything. “The Majors are the biggest tournaments we play and just knowing that I can win one gives me huge confidence for any other tournament I will play for the rest of my career,” he smiled. www.wwgolf.biz

17

“This victory was very important for me to get my Ryder Cup ticket.”

– Martin Kaymer Growing up in Dusseldorf, Kaymer was a sports fanatic but decided to focus on golf ahead of football. “I played soccer when I was young and golf from the age of 10 but when I was 15 my parents told me I was spending too much time doing both so I had to decide what I wanted to do.

“Obviously, football is bigger in Germany than golf but I just loved to be out on the golf course early in the morning by myself with nobody disturbing me. That is still one of the nicest moments for me. That’s why I chose golf instead of football.”

It turned out to be a wise choice. Kaymer excelled as an amateur, winning the German Amateur Stroke Play and Match Play Championships in 2005 before turning professional later that year with a plus-5 handicap. A year later he won five times on the Satellite EPD Tour – shooting a 59 in one tournament – before joining the European Challenge Tour in August that year.

He capped an impressive debut year as a pro by winning two of his eight events on the Challenge Tour and earning his card for The 2007 European Tour by finishing fourth on the final ranking.

The biggest event I can play

His rise to stardom continued. He was voted the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year in 2007 after five top-ten finishes and he won his first European Tour title on his first outing in 2008 with a wire-to-wire win at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship.

A second victory followed on home soil at the BMW International Open but it wasn’t enough for the youngster to win a place on Nick Faldo’s Ryder Cup team at Valhalla, missing out on automatic qualification by just one place. However, Faldo invited him to Kentucky to experience the week and it was something that made him even more determined to secure his place on this year’s team in Wales. “Before that I never really

Martin Kaymer

Martin Kaymer and girlfriend Allison Micheletti.

appreciated what The Ryder Cup was all about,” he said. “I thought it was a good tournament with a lot of spectators, a good course and two teams playing against each other. Now I know it’s more about the spirit and honour of playing for Europe and the biggest event I can play as a golf professional.

“I was very happy that Nick Faldo gave me the invitation to go out there and have a look and get a feel for it because he told me he’s pretty sure that I’m going to be there one day, and now I will be in Wales this year. This victory was very important for me to get my ticket.”

Kaymer continued to improve in 2009. He scored sensational back-to-back victories at two of The European Tour’s biggest events in July – the Open de France Alstom in a play-off with Lee Westwood and a week later he took The Barclays Scottish Open by two strokes. His performances confirmed his standing as one of the hottest new talents in the game and he went on to finish third on The Race to Dubai.

Unfortunately those wins didn’t count towards his Ryder Cup qualifying campaign for Celtic Manor but he quickly made his mark at the beginning of this season with his fifth European Tour victory on familiar territory at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship.

Top tens followed at the U.S. Open and The Open Championship before his win at Whistling Straits cemented his place on Colin Montgomerie’s team next month and he’s

looking forward to locking horns with the likes of Johnson and Watson again.

“It’s great for the game and great for Europe and America that there are so many young and aggressive players out here,” he said. “Just look at The Ryder Cup this year and see how many young players are playing against each other. I’m really looking forward to seeing Rory, Bubba, Dustin Johnson and all of those guys competing at Celtic Manor. It’s just fantastic, and I think we will have a lot of young Major winners in the next five or six years.” n

Reader’s View EAGLED-EYED Worldwide Golf reader Terry Vaughn of Arabian Ranches GC got in touch with us to point out that while Johnson may well have felt hard done by over the two-stroke penalty he incurred at the final hole for grounding his club he may well have found himself a further two shots down for a breach of Rule 14.2a which states: “In making a stroke a player must not accept physical assistance or protection from the elements.”

Terry Vaughn writes: “As Johnson was preparing to play his shot, beams of sunlight were shining around and over his ball due to the light passing through the assembled gallery as they bobbed and weaved to get a good view.

I understand how annoying that can be. He discussed this with people in the crowd and although I didn’t hear anyone ask him whether to block the light or allow the light, I did clearly hear him say “block it”. The gallery complied and the sunlight over the ball was blocked.

If, like Terry, you spot any similar rule infringements or if you have any opinions to share on any of the goings on in the world of golf please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us via our website: www.wwgolf.biz

McIlroy laments another miss. Consolation for Johnson after his penalty.

Watson congratulates Kaymer. www.wwgolf.biz

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Hunter Mahan

HUNTER MaHaN oN RydER cUp TRack aT THE BRidgEsToNE iNviTaTioNal

H

UNTER Mahan won the biggest title of his career at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational at Akron, Ohio, after a final round 6-under 64 gave him a two-stroke victory while Tiger Woods faltered to his worst ever professional score.

Mahan posted a 12-under-par total to finish ahead of overnight leader Ryan Palmer by two and Retief Goosen and Bo Van Pelt by three, securing his second consecutive Ryder Cup berth in the process.

“I felt great, I knew I had a chance and to not make any bogeys on a Sunday gives you a great platform to win,” said Mahan, who earlier in the year won the Waste Management Phoenix Open with a final round 65. “On the last few holes I just told myself to make pars – I didn’t want to open the door to anyone.

“The best players in the world are out here, it’s a beautiful golf course and it means a lot to me. It feels great. I knew I had it in me but to do it feels unbelievable.

leaderboard 1 2 T3 T3 5 T6 T6

USA USA RSA USA USA USA USA

Hunter Mahan Ryan Palmer Retief Goosen Bo Van Pelt Sean O’Hair Jim Furyk Jeff Overton

-12 -10 -9 -9 -8 -7 -7

71 70 67 67 67 72 67

67 68 66 68 70 68 70

66 63 73 69 64 69 67

64 69 65 67 71 64 69

268 270 271 271 272 273 273

“The last couple of weeks, my game has been good. I knew it was there. I just had to keep going and keep trusting it.” – Hunter Mahan “The last couple of weeks, my game has been good.

I knew it was there. I just had to keep going and keep trusting it. This weekend, I definitely just kind of let everything go and had some fun.”

Mahan’s victory put him second in the US Ryder Cup rankings system behind Masters Champion Phil Mickelson, and while Mahan was left celebrating the “huge honour” of representing the USA in The Ryder Cup, Woods was left lamenting a final round 77 for an 18-over par 298 total. It was his worst professional score and his share of 78th place out of the field of 80 was his worst ever finish – only Sweden’s Henrik Stenson finished lower.

Prior to teeing off Woods’ record at the WGCBridgestone Invitational was superb, with seven wins out of his last nine starts at Firestone Country Club where he had not shot an over par round since 2006. However, he was clearly out of sorts carding rounds of 74, 72, 75 and 77 for an 18-over par total.

Almost six hours after Woods finished his final round of tournament, Mahan was in great shape as he reeled off five birdies on the front nine to wipe out Palmer’s four shot lead. He then played solid golf on the back nine with a birdie on 13 and a string of clutch par putts which resulted in a blemish-free card for his first WGC title. “This is one of the bigger tournaments we play all year,” smiled Mahan, “and it’s definitely the best win of my career.”

Mickelson had a chance to replace Woods as World No. 1 with a fourth place finish or better but sprayed his ball all over the place and wound up with a 78 for a 3-over-par total and 46th place, dropping a total of 30 places from his overnight position. n www.wwgolf.biz

21

WWGcolumnist

Everything just clicked into place!

A

FAIR bit has happened in my life since my last column and I’m pleased to say that it’s all been very positive!

I was over the Moon to win my fourth European Tour title at the 3 Irish Open last month. Any time you win is great but to do it in Ireland was very special. It’s a huge tournament and one where I’ve played well in the past.

Obviously, with my management company, Horizon, being Irish it was extra special and holding off the challenge of an Irish competitor like double Major-winning Padraig Harrington down the stretch made it even more special.

In one sense it tested my nerve over the closing holes, hearing the cheers from the huge partisan crowd when Harrington was making a charge, but I actually felt quite at home at Killarney.

A lot of support My wife, Jo, was out there with our daughter Eve and her mum and dad and I also felt a lot of support for me – as well as for Harrington - from the crowds. The Irish fans are very appreciative of good golf no matter where you’re from, so it’s always really nice playing in front of them.

I didn’t really get much time to celebrate because I had to get a flight back home and then leave for the World Golf ChampionshipsBridgestone Invitational at Akron, Ohio, the next day but I did find time to have the traditional winning Chinese takeaway that we’ve had after all of

my victories! It’s just something we’ve always done and funnily enough, I said to myself on the final day, “if you don’t win we’re not going to have a Chinese tonight, so you’ve just got to win!” I kind of felt under a little bit more pressure, not for myself, but because I knew all the guys wanted a Chinese!

It was also my new caddie Phil ‘Wobbly’ Morbey’s birthday so that made me even more determined to win. It was all good fun – and it was a nice added pressure. The Irish Open was the first tournament I’d played with Phil after parting company with my long-time caddie Adam.

Unbelievable response I just felt that it was time for a change. Adam and I had been together for four-and-a-half, maybe five years. We’d had a good spell together but I just felt the relationship had gone a little bit stale towards the end and I needed something fresh.

As soon as word got out that Adam and I had split there was an unbelievable response from people saying that they’d love to work with me, which I was quite taken aback by.

I chose Phil because of his experience.

He’s been there, done it and got the T-shirt. He’s won a Major with Woosie and caddied for some great players, and participated in many Ryder Cups. Going from a young, youthful inexperienced caddie to an older very experienced one was a big change but I thought that it could give me the extra boost I needed – and it

paid off very quickly! I was a little bit disappointed with my opening round of 69 to be honest. I felt like I’d played better than that. But it was a solid enough start and a good place to build from.

Obviously, the fireworks started in the second round when I shot a course record 61, which was the lowest round of my professional career. I had a great chance of shooting 59 but it wasn’t to be.

Started really well I’ve been saying for a while that I felt I had a really low round in me if I could just get the putter working and it all just clicked into place in Ireland. I hit some really good shots and holed some long putts so it was one of those days where everything seemed to go right for me.

I started really well again in the third round with four birdies over my first seven holes. I was playing so steadily and had everything under control but then I made a double bogey on the eighth, which really shook me

“I saId to myself on the fInal day, ‘If you don’t wIn we’re not goIng to have a ChInese tonIght, so you’ve just got to wIn!’ I kInd of felt under a lIttle bIt more pressure, not for myself, but beCause I knew all the guys wanted a ChInese!” – Ross FisheR 22

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In the know wIth RoSS FISheR

Ross claimed his fourth European Tour title at the 3 Irish Open at Killarney Golf & Fishing Club by two strokes from Padraig Harrington, shooting rounds of 69-61-71-65 for an 18-under-par 266 total.

The victory earned him €500,000, taking his 2010 season’s prize money earnings in The Race to Dubai to €1,035, 893, and making him the sixth Englishman to win on The European Tour this season.

Below, left: Ross is congratulated by his new caddie, Phil ‘Wobbly’ Morbey. Below, right: Ross, wife Jo and daughter Eve, celebrate with the trophy.

and I never really recovered from it. I dropped a few shots on the back nine and the tournament could have got away from me so in the end I did well to finish level-par and keep myself one in front of Francesco Molinari and Chris Wood.

I was really pleased to close out the tournament with a 65. I didn’t get off to a great start but I sank an 18-footer for eagle on the seventh, which was huge, and then to birdie 9 and 10 around the turn was massive.

I put a bit of breathing space between myself and the rest of the field with birdies on 15 and 16 when Padraig was catching up, which was really satisfying and it meant I could enjoy it a little bit over the last two holes. Mind you, I came very close to dropping a shot on 17, which would have made things interesting, so holing an eight-footer there for par was a big moment.

Winning title every season Walking up 18 with a two-shot lead was a great feeling and I was thrilled to be able to keep this little record I have going of winning a tournament for each of the last four seasons!

You always want to win a title every season you play. I left it pretty late last year with my Volvo World Match Play Championship victory so it was nice to do it a bit earlier this time to allow

“I thInk our team looks great – obvIously It’s dIsappoIntIng to see westy Injured but, hopefully, he Can get over that and get baCk to full fItness In tIme for the ryder Cup.” – Ross FisheR

then you’ve got the guys like myself, Ian Poulter and Francesco Molinari who have all had a solid year, so it’s great for European golf. There’s a lot of talk at the moment as to whether or not Corey Pavin will pick Tiger Woods but to be honest it doesn’t bother me if he plays or not – I’m just happy that I’ve made the Team and we’ll all be focussing on trying to win the Cup back for Europe. n

me to enjoy the rest of the season. A massive goal of mine this year was to get into The Ryder Cup Team so I’m absolutely delighted that my win in Ireland helped me do that. It’s always been a dream of mine to play in the tournament so I can’t wait.

I think our team looks great.

Obviously, it’s disappointing to see Westy (Lee Westwood) injured but, hopefully, he can get over that and get back to full fitness in time for The Ryder Cup. You’ve got Rory (McIlroy) playing well; GMAC (Graeme McDowell) who’s a Major Champion; Martin Kaymer, another Major Champion; www.wwgolf.biz

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Bernhard Langer

Double major-winning langer just

wants to have fun F OR Bernhard Langer life really has begun again at 50. In a glittering career spanning almost three decades on The European Tour Bernhard Langer won 42 times, including two Masters in 1985 and 1993.

He won more than €12million between 1974 and 2009 but since turning 50 in August 2007 the German has already earned over $6m as a Senior golfer, thanks to his two back-to-back Senior Major wins and 13 Senior titles.

He’s right on course for a third successive Arnold Palmer Award for topping the Money List on the U.S. Champions Tour and nail a hat-trick of Jack Nicklaus Awards for Player of the Year.

In his first full season on the Champions Tour in 2008 he won three times and carried off the Jack Nicklaus Player of the Year Award, the Arnold Palmer Award, the Byron Nelson Award as scoring leader, and the Rookie of the Year Award, with three victories.

In 2009 he had four wins and this year he broke

his Senior Major duck with successive victories at The Senior Open Championship at Carnoustie and the US Senior Open in Seattle where he overcame home favourite Fred Couples to win by two strokes.

Langer defeated Corey Pavin by one shot at Carnoustie to put the two runner-up finishes he had at The Open Championship in 1981 and 1984 behind him before jetting off to the West Coast of America to overcome another American Ryder Cup star in Couples at Sahalee Country Club.

Before going into another Senior Major in the United States, the Jeld-Wen Tradition, he’s once more leading the Money List, with earnings so far this season of $1.7million.

His victory in the Senior Open Championship still has him at the top of the European Senior Tour Order of Merit. Now, on the eve of The Ryder Cup, Europe’s Captain, Colin Montgomerie, even talked about the possibility of making Langer one of his wild card picks for Celtic Manor.

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Mike GAlleMORe TAlkS TO BeRNHARD lANGeR – TRiUMpHANT RyDeR CUp CApTAiN iN 2004 – ABOUT THe RyDeR CUp AND HiS CONTiNUeD SeNSATiONAl SUCCeSS AS A SeNiORGOlFeR ON BOTH SiDeS OF THe ATlANTiC

Q: Winning one Major is hard enough – but two in successive weeks and with such a huge time difference and subsequent jet-lag to overcome is an outstanding feat. How highly do you rank your victories at The Senior Open Championship and the U.S. Senior Open?

A: It’s hard to believe I won back-to-back Majors with an eight-hour time change in between on two very challenging golf courses.

I probably played some of the best golf of my career during those two weeks from tee-to-green, as well as on the green.

To win The Senior Open Championship ranks very highly. It’s always fantastic to win a Championship on an Open Championship course like Carnoustie, which is rated by many players as the toughest in golf. It was very special. I have always wanted to win an Open Championship.

I know this is not THE Open Championship, but it’s the same thing at Senior level. Winning it comes pretty close to my two Masters wins and some of my Ryder Cup achievements. It’s definitely in my top ten. It was a real thrill to finally win that replica Claret Jug. Q: How much of a challenge was it playing against home favourite Fred Couples in America – did you have to draw on your past experiences in The Ryder Cup to help cope with the situation?

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A: It’s never much fun playing against a home favourite in the United States – but I’ve had to do it before. The galleries were definitely against me and totally for Freddy.

When you play in the same group with Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus or Arnold Palmer or any of the big names in America, it’s tough. In fact, as an international golfer, whenever you play in the U.S. it’s always a challenge.

I played five times in The Ryder Cup on American soil and it doesn’t get any tougher than that. So playing against Fred, I knew what was coming, although it still doesn’t make it any easier. When you play against Fred you have to stay focused and play quality golf, play solid shots and, hopefully, make some putts – and I did just that.

Q: What has the transition been like from the regular Tours to Senior golf – did you expect so much success so quickly?

A: Playing Senior golf is good for me. It suits me. The Champions Tour is a lot of fun because I’m in contention on a regular basis – not just three or four times a year. When I joined the Tour I was hoping to be one of the dominant players.

I was trying to win tournaments. That’s what we practice and work for – to have a chance to win the golf tournament on the Sunday.

Winning never gets old. Life on Tour is still

Bernhard Langer and fellow countryman Boris Becker at the 2009 Mercedes-Benz Championship. Langer, a Mercedes-Benz Ambassador, has won the Championship four times and the German Open five times.

very similar to playing The European Tour and the PGA Tour – it’s very competitive.

We play slightly shorter courses and the layouts on the Champions Tour seem to suit my game. There’s no half-way cut and only three competitive rounds. It’s easier for me to plan my life and my travel schedule so I can often return home from the tournament on Sunday night.

Q: Topping the money list for two seasons running is quite an achievement. What’s the secret to your success on the Champions Tour?

A: Well, on any given day, when you look at the statistics I’m right up there in the driving stats and up there, too, in hitting greens in regulation – which helps. I’m even up there in the putting stats and other things.

So if you’re fairly good at everything, you should be eliminating some bad scores. I think that’s one of the reasons I’m having a lot of success and I’m finishing in the top 10 a lot. I’m pretty consistent in all those key areas.

Q: you have always kept yourself very fit but are there limitations when you pass the age of 50?

A: I’ve always been a strong believer in preparing very well. If you don’t prepare, you can’t expect to win anything. I have high expectations, so I try to prepare accordingly.

I‘m not working as hard as I did in my 20s and 30s because my body can’t take it. I can’t handle pounding balls for four or five hours a day any more.

I’ve spent a little bit more time on my short

Bernhard Langer Q: looking back on your career, what would you say the highlights are?

A: I’ve had such a long and wonderful career and so many good things have happened to me since I joined The European Tour in 1976 it’s difficult to name them all.

Obviously, my two Masters wins were the highlight of my career, next to The Ryder Cup. Every professional golfer wants to win Majors and to have won the Masters means I’m invited back for the rest of my life.

To be introduced on the first tee as a U.S .Masters Champion and to be in an elite group of people who have achieved that feat is something that will always stay with me and something I will always be known for.

It also had a big financial impact on my life.

I became known around the world once I won a Major and people recognised me a lot more than before.

Winning my own tournament (the MercedesBenz Championship, formerly the German Masters) four times and the German Open five times is also very special for me.

Q: looking ahead, 2018 will see The Ryder Cup return to a Continental european destination, 21 years since it was held at Valderrama in Spain. Do you think it’s about time mainland europe hosted the event again?

A: It has been a long time. As we always talk about The European Tour as being part of the

Bernhard Langer kisses the replica Claret Jug after winning the Senior Open Championship at Carnoustie. “I know it’s not THE Open Championship but it’s the same thing at Senior level – It was a real thirll to finally win that replica Claret Jug.” – said Langer.

“I still feel nervous a little bit, but i’m at the stage in my career where I really want to enjoy my golf. I just want to have fun and enjoy the few more years that I have on Tour.” – Bernhard Langer game and in the physio truck working out and stretching, which seems to work for me. Mind you, I’m not Gary Player. In terms of fitness, for a 74 year old to be as fit as Gary and play golf like he does is phenomenal.

Q: Do you ever suffer from nerves when you’re playing in the bigger events on the Senior tours?

A: I still feel nervous a little bit, but I’m at a stage in my career where I really want to enjoy my golf. I just want to have fun and enjoy the few more years that I have on Tour.

I don’t feel I need to grind away like I used to. I have nothing to prove any more.

I’ve been very blessed. I’ve won a lot of golf tournaments and achieved a lot of my goals, so now I just try to have fun.

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Bernhard Langer

“I was one of the leading, dominant players for a number of years, and, obviously, I got a lot back from golf – but I’ve also given a lot back to European golf.” – Bernhard Langer Q: How pleased are you with the rise to prominence of Martin kaymer after his Major triumph at the US pGA Championship last month – how far can he go in the game?

A: It’s great to see we have some youngsters who can hopefully take on the torch for golf in Germany in the future.

I played with Martin for the first two rounds at the BMW International Open in 2008, which he went on to win, and I told him, ‘you’re very aggressive but you’re smart at the same time, like Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson’.

Martin has already got an old head on young shoulders. I really don’t think there are any limits for him.

whole of Europe – I think that it’s high time that The Ryder Cup came back to the Continent because it is truly a European event and not just a ‘Great Britain and Ireland’ event.

Q: Do you think Germany has a good chance of hosting The Ryder Cup in 2018?

A: I think it’s great that The Ryder Cup Committee has already made the statement that they will definitely come to the Continent with the tournament next time.

I think if we get The Ryder Cup in Germany in 2018 then it will be down to the fact that we had a very strong bid and we really want The Ryder Cup. I would like to think that we might get the nod because I’ve been involved in The Ryder Cup ten times as a player and once as Captain; I was one of the leading, dominant players for a number of years, and, obviously, I got a lot back from golf – but I’ve also given a lot back to European golf.

Bernhard Langer proudly holds the U.S. Senior PGA Championship trophy aloft after clinching his second Senior Major on each side of the Atlantic i the space of two weeks.

Q: There is talk of Ryder Cup Captain Colin Montgomerie picking you for the team as a wild card at Celtic Manor, what are your thoughts on that?

A: I’m flattered. Had he really wanted me on The Team I would have definitely considered it. He is in a similar situation to me when I was Captain at Oakland Hills in 2004. He was a borderline pick at the time but I felt he brought a lot of experience and the right spirit into the team room – and he played well, contributing three points in our glorious 18.5-9.5 victory. n

QUICKFIRE Q&A Q: Who would make up your dream Foursome?

A: Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Tiger Woods and myself – that would be perfect.

Q: What is your favourite club in the bag?

A: I try not to have one! I like to keep

them neutral so there are no negative thoughts in my mind. If my swing works then so does the club!

Q: Outside the ropes what do you like to do in your spare time?

A: I like most sports. I enjoy cycling, playing table tennis, snow skiing and going to church.

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WWGcolumnist

I can sympathise with Colin Montgomerie and Corey Pavin

H

AVING had the honour of being Captain of the International Team at The Presidents Cup last year, with Freddie Couples leading the United States Team, at Harding Park, San Francisco, I can sympathise with Corey Pavin and Colin Montgomerie in choosing the right players as their wildcard picks for The Ryder Cup. It’s an agonising ordeal that only the Captains can decide. I think this will be a fascinating Ryder Cup. The two teams seem evenly matched, each with a combination of youth and experience.

The Europeans have enjoyed huge success this season, winning two of the four Majors – with South african louis oosthuizen winning The open – and a bunch of titles on the U.S. PGa Tour. although Germany’s Martin Kaymer won the U.S. PGa Championship last month at Whistling Straits I had to feel for dustin Johnson, who had come close to winning the U.S. open at Pebble Beach in June and might have won the U.S. PGa Championship but for an infringement of the Rules.

I rang him to say that the quicker he lets go of the incident the better for him – just move on and go win the next tournament.

The PGa of america made the right decision in giving him a two-shot penalty for grounding his club in a ‘bunker.’ The Rules of Golf are the Rules of Golf. The bottom line is that it’s the responsibility of the player and of his caddie. But at the end of the day it was a sad day for dustin, a sad day for golf and a sad day for the PGa of america. at least dustin had the compensation of making the U.S. Ryder Cup Team and he’s capable of making a significant contribution. I’ll be watching with great interest.

I’M vERy proud that The allegria Golf Course in Egypt is beginning to gain widespread recognition. We designed the 7,217 yard, par-72, Championship course to blend with the high-quality golf community development under the ownership of SodIC. Set in a spectacular 30

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location near Sheikh Zayed City in West Cairo the Signature course opened for play on July 1 and, although this is the hottest time of the year in the Middle East, it is already being highly acclaimed.

With views of the Pyramids at Giza it really is a unique setting. We utilised the natural streams, rock features, vegetation and well established trees, which we’ve used as attractive features, and enhanced the undulating fairways and greens. although we created the course as a Championship standard layout we’ve introduced a number of different teeing options, which provides an enjoyable challenge to all levels of golfer.

I’m pleased that we managed to make the most of the natural features of the site and its magnificent views, while making sure it was in keeping with the

luxurious residential and commercial amenities within the acres of pristine parkland.

There’s also a driving range and an excellent, well-equipped golf academy.

Egypt is a developing region and although golf has been well established in the country for many years it is experiencing something of a resurgence.

I had a loT of fun at Mission hills last month working with the youngsters on our new Junior development Programme there. The aim is to cultivate a wider pool of talented, young Chinese golfers in preparation for golf’s return at the olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

I was able to work with around 40 youngsters aged between 11 and 15

GreG NormaN champioNs Golf academies Greg Norman champions Golf academy was created to meet the needs of top golfers at every stage of their amateur and professional development. for more info visit: www.gncga.com

“at the allegria we utilised the natural streams, rock features, vegetation and well established trees, which we’ve used as attractive features, and enhanced the undulating fairways and greens.”

– GreG NormaN

The Allegria Golf Course, Cairo – spectacular Signature course in a unique setting in view of the Pyramids.

who had been selected by China’s provincial golf associations. I firmly believe that for golf to attain its full potential in China, juniors must be identified and moulded at an early age.

The programme we have introduced is free to all participants and designed to grow a deeper pool of golf talent in the country. laST MonTh I was at one of my favourite places, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to launch our Greg norman Champions Golf academy. Myrtle Beach is a great place. I designed the private Reserve Club at Pawleys Island and the norman Course at Barefoot Resort.

We have a restaurant at Barefoot landing and the academy will become the headquarters of our East Coast operations.

The academy will offer golf instruction; academic schooling in on-site classrooms and housing for high-school-age students; gap-year programmes for golfers before they enter college and advance training for college players and touring professionals. In addition to that we’ll also have teaching for adults and juniors.

This is a great opportunity because I’ve seen what the game of golf can do for an individual.

I’M looKInG forward to going back to the Grange Golf Club in adelaide later this year to continue the planning for the redesign of their East Course, which was where it all began for me.

I was there in June and it was like stepping back in time – apart from a few minor changes the course looked just like it did in 1976 when I won the West lakes Classic there.

I took a 10 shot lead into the final round, facing a tough field of U.S. and australian players, and went on to win my first professional Tour event.

Wonderful memories just came flooding back. I was only 22 years old and I’ll always regard that victory as the highlight of my career – because that’s what launched my professional career. adelaide has some quality golf courses, particularly in the sand belt region. It will be good to work on the East Course and produce a redesign we can all be proud of.

Above: Greg Norman has fun working with 40 young Chinese golfers at Mission Hills Golf Club, Shenzhen, China, as part of his new Junior Development Programme there.

ThE WavE MUSCaT is taking shape in more ways than one. The shaping of 75 per cent of the back nine holes is now complete, the pumpstation installation is well under way, along with the mainline irrigation to holes 14, 15 and 16 with the lateral irrigation to hole 14 now completed. lake 1 has been fully lined, 2km of cart paths have been completed and the harvesting of native grasses and the transplantation to the nursery is going well. So it’s all happening and well on schedule. n

The stunning Hole 2 at The Allegria Golf Course in Egypt.

“i’m looking forward to going back to the grange golf club in adelaide later this year to continue the planning for the redesign of their east course, which was where it all began for me with my first win in 1976.” – GreG NormaN www.wwgolf.biz

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clubhouse quickies

PLAYER quotEs JokEs woRd of thE month CARtoons

Scratch Golfer Two women golfers who had never met before were paired together as partners in the club tournament and met on the putting green for the first time.

After the introductions, the first golfer asked: “What’s your handicap?” “Oh, I’m a scratch golfer,” the other replied.

“Really!” exclaimed the first woman, suitably impressed that she had been awarded the honour of playing with such a quality player.

“Yes, I write down all my good scores and scratch out the bad ones!” replied her new partner.

Good Trade A golfer ran into a friend he not seen for many years at the driving range one day.

They talked about their games, their swings, and all sorts of things. Eventually, one of them said: “How’s the family?” The other replied, “Oh, pretty good. I got a new set of clubs for the wife the other day!” “Hey, good trade!” replied his friend.

CaN yOu COuNt? A golfer called one of the caddies at his local club and asked, “I need a caddie who can count and keep the score. What does three plus four plus five come to?”

“10” said the caddie.

“Great, you’ll do perfectly!”

“Bob Hope’s swing? I’ve seen better swings on a condemned playground.” – Bing Crosby

Fred Basset (of The Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday) now appears in a new series of books. This cartoon has been reproduced (with permission) from Fred Basset for Golf Lovers which is published by Summersdale and is available through all good bookshops and internet booksellers.

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WORD

OF the MONth...

Woodpecker: A wayward shot into the woods that cannons off several trees making a knocking noise similar to that of the bird bearing the same name.

DiD yOu

"“ Those who the gods seek to destroy first learn how to play golf.“” – Leslie Nielsen

kNOW?

While giving a clinic to a group of amateurs Tommy Bolt tried to show his softer side by involving his 14-year-old son in the lesson. “Show the nice folks what I taught you,” said Bolt. His son obediently took a 9-iron, swore, and hurled it into the air!

“Golf is like acting in that both require concentration and relaxation at the same time. In acting, you can’t push emotion. You have to let it rise from you naturally. Same thing in golf. You have to have a plan and a focus; but then you need to just let it happen and enjoy the smooth movement of the swing.” – Actress and golf lover Jane Seymour

“To play well you must feel tranquil and at peace. I have never been troubled by nerves because I felt I had nothing to lose and everything to gain.”

– Harry Vardon

Know the rules…

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Back straight, knees bent, feet shoulder width apart.

Form a loose grip.

Keep your head down.

Avoid a quick back swing.

Stay out of the water.

Try not to hit anyone.

If you are taking too long, please let others go ahead of you.

Don’t stand directly in front of others.

Quiet please ... while others are preparing to go.

Don’t take extra strokes.

Now, that’s very good. Flush the urinal, go outside, and tee off.

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Golfing Riches on the Estoril Coast G

OLF tourists are literally spoilt for choice on Portugal’s Estoril and sintra Coast. The area won the award for Established Golf Destination of the Year from the international Association of Golf Tour Operators in 2003 and with a startling array of top quality layouts to choose from and a good year-round climate it’s easy to see why.

Along the relatively small stretch of coastline, also known as the Lisbon Golf Coast, there are no fewer than 13 18-hole Championship courses with many more in the surrounding Lisbon region.

Visitors can choose to stay on site at one of the many stunning golf resorts along the coast or in the magical sintra Mountains – or, alternatively, you can make your base in the country’s vibrant capital city, Lisbon, which will put you in easy striking distance of all the courses.

Public transport in the area is very good and taxis are relatively inexpensive but the way to get the best out of a golf trip to the Estoril Coast is definitely to hire a car, which will give you the flexibility to fit in as many rounds as possible (see info bar for Hertz Portugal contact details).

Ritz Carlton Penha Longa Golf Resort & Spa

T

The most spectacular views imaginable with ocean and mountains combining to make a vista beyond compare

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his resort is situated in the breathtakingly beautiful sintra region with its myriad of spectacularly opulent palaces built over the years by Portuguese Royalty and aristocracy, nestling amid the never-ending tree-lined mountains.

The Penha Longa Resort delivers 5-star luxury against the backdrop of this magical fairytale-like setting with the regal palazzo-style hotel, sitting in a valley surrounded by rolling hills which create their own micro-weather patterns, namely wind, adding an extra snarl to a golf course which already has plenty of bite.

The immaculate 18-hole Championship layout is home to The European Tour’s Portuguese Open. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jnr, the Atlantic Course is ranked among the top 30 courses in Continental Europe and players are treated to an experience that is both thrilling and enchanting, making full use of the beautiful natural landscape. Playing this course on foot will definitely keep you fit as it winds its way up and down the rocky hillsides on which it sits, making the uphill holes a particularly tough proposition but also ensuring that players are treated to some of the most spectacular views imaginable with ocean and mountains combining to make a vista beyond compare. Plentiful

trees and some wholly unforgiving rough, as well as a myriad of bunkers and water hazards, await to swallow up any wayward shots so accuracy is at a premium on the Atlantic Course, which is easier said than done with that mountain wind doing its best to wreck your scorecard. There’s also a lovely little 9-hole ‘Monastery’ course as well as a driving range, practice putting green and well stocked pro-shop.

The resort itself is a sight to behold. A frequent retreat for royalty and Portuguese dignitaries, the origins of the site can be traced back to the 14th century when a Monastery which still stands today was first built there.

Historical monuments and relics are visible throughout the sprawling estate which is framed by some exquisite gardens. The rooms in the hotel are roomy and stylish with a host of mod-cons such as a large plasma screen television, Bose i-pod docking station and Nespresso coffee machine. The bathrooms are beautiful, complete with double sinks, luxurious baths and separate showers you could stay in for hours.

The food at Penha Longa is some of the best you’ll find anywhere in Portugal. Sumptuous never-ending breakfasts can be enjoyed in the elegant dining room which becomes the AssaMassa restaurant in the evening, serving the best in authentic

Travel

Quinta da Marinha Resort

F

ROM the mountains of sintra take a trip to the seaside resort of Cascais and the Quinta da Marinha Resort. Part of the ‘Onyria Golf Resorts’ group, which also has a new development in Palmares on the Algarve and another in Turkey, Quinta Marinha is an immaculate quality, modern establishment that manages to effortlessly combine what so many resorts around the world struggle to achieve – both a business hotel and a holiday resort. For the business traveller there are 11 fully equipped meeting rooms, banqueting facilities as well as team building and incentive packages but unlike many business hotels there is a happily relaxed and unpretentious atmosphere around the pool, bar and leisure areas.

The rooms are clean and spacious, many with beautiful views over the golf course, while the service throughout the resort is first class with all of the staff warm, welcoming and helpful.

The aforementioned pool area is one of the highlights of the resort with a beautiful infinity pool which offers a stunning vista out onto the golf course while the on site health club and spa offer the perfect place to recharge the batteries.

The 18-hole golf course was designed by the Penha Longha creator’s father, the legendary Robert Trent Jones senior and while it offers a

very different challenge, it is an equally tantalising proposition. The big difference to the Penha Longa layout is the terrain – Quinta da Marinha is built on a flat landscape, making it slightly kinder on the legs and generally less harrowing off the tee but the fairways and greens are equally pristine.

The course gently winds its way down to the sea and players are again treated to some spectacular scenery of both the Atlantic Ocean and the sintra mountains, which form a dramatic backdrop. An abundance of trees, lakes and bunkers combine to set an enjoyable challenge on a course that will keep you coming back for more throughout your stay.

After working up an appetite on the course you can end a perfect day with a delicious meal in the trendy Rocca a la carte restaurant, followed by a nightcap in the wonderful Trent Jones piano bar – or you might want to venture down to the seafront for an oceanic feast you’ll never forget at the delightful Monte Mar. www.quintadamarinha.com

A beautiful infinity pool which offers a stunning vista out onto the golf course while the on site health club and Spa offer the perfect place to recharge the batteries.

Portuguese cuisine. Japanese restaurant, Midori, offers a mindboggling variety of sushi, tempura, teppanyaki and noodle dishes prepared by expertly trained chefs in a chic but casual environment. Next to the golf course is the uber-trendy Arola where famous Spanish chef Sergi Arola has designed a mouthwatering menu of contemporary ‘tapas with a twist’ as well as a range of a la carte options. There’s also the Serra pool bar serving tasty Mediterranean food cooked on an open grill.

To work off all that food there is a fully equipped gym and a choice of indoor and outdoor pool while the Six Senses Spa is a delightful sanctuary where a team of skilled therapists await to work away the aches and pains from a tough day on the golf course. www.penhalonga.com

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Shotsaver

Boost your game with upgraded Shotsaver S320

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EADiNG satellite navigation brand, snooper, has upgraded its best-selling golf sat-nav product, the shotsaver s320, to help golfers improve their game even further.

The S320, which is widely regarded as the best value GPS unit on the market, now has more than 4,500 EU golf courses pre-loaded onto the system to make it as easy as possible for users, and has enough memory for a further 20,000 courses.

Up to 100 courses can be stored on S320 at any one time, and these can easily be swapped and updated from Snooper’s list of over 4,000 courses across Europe, which are available free of charge.

The Shotsaver S320’s inventive use of GPS technology allows golfers to record the distance each ball is hit and which club was used, meaning performance can be improved at every level.

Tim Maxwell, PGA Professional at Mottram Hall Championship Course in Cheshire, England commented on the device: “I like to use this device when teaching, as it is incredibly simple to use and the accuracy is fantastic – when you take the guesswork out of the distance you need to cover then you can concentrate all your efforts on your swing.”

Simply record the position of your ball, take your shot and then record the position where it lands.

Shotsaver will provide you with details of the longest and shortest distances you hit with each club and will also keep a running average.

Performance Products Managing Director, Steven Ballard, added: “Keen golfers can also keep track of how they are doing with an electronic scorecard that records the score of the user and up to three other players in their group.

“Other fantastic features include a long-life 12 hour battery, super-bright display and high-quality graphics, as well as larger on-screen icons and a waterproof casing. The device’s pre-loaded course maps mean that users can get on with their game straight away, instantly accessing thousands of maps without waiting for them to download individually. The Shotsaver really is a must-have product for any golfer.”

Shotsaver provides golfers with distances to the front, back and middle of the green and lets you know the location of bunkers, fairways, streams, lakes and other hazards.

Satellite navigation facilities for roads in the UK, Ireland or even Western Europe can be added to the device to maximise usability. n

“The ShOTSaver reaLLy iS a muST-have prOducT FOr any GOLFer.” The Shotsaver is £199.99 (approx US$311.12) and is available from www.SnooperUK.com

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Travel

Sheraton Lisboa

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O trip to the Estoril Coast is complete without a stay in Lisbon, one of the most cosmopolitan and engaging cities in the world. Portugal’s capital is perfectly placed to allow visitors to combine a golf trip with a city break with all the courses on the Golf Coast accessible by car in less than an hour.

The Sheraton Lisboa is right in the heart of the city within easy walking distance of all the main sights. The hotel is the height of modern chic, a triumph in design with truly 5-star service to match the quality visible at every turn.

Immaculate rooms feature glass-walled bathrooms where music from the state of the art Bang and Olufsen television and sound system can be remotely controlled.

The Sheraton Sweet Sleeper beds make it a struggle to want to get up and sample the delights of Lisbon while the push of a button activates wirelessly controlled blinds which raise to reveal a truly stunning view of the city.

Diners at the exquisite Panorama Restaurant on the top floor are treated to the best vantage point for this magnificent view while guests on the Club Level on the 24th and 25th floors also have a fantastic view as well as gaining access to the exclusive Club Lounge where complimentary drinks and food are available throughout the day.

The Sheraton Lisboa is one of the few hotels in the heart of the city to feature an outdoor swimming pool, perfect for cooling off after a day of golf and sightseeing, while the Spirito Spa and Fitness suite offers the ultimate in relaxation and rejuvenation. www.sheratonlisboa.com

The hotel is the height of modern chic, a real triumph in design with truly 5-star service to match the quality visible at every turn.

Lisbon Eats

100 Maneiras siTuATED in the heart of the bustling Bairro Alto region of the city and tucked away down a side street is a hidden gem – 100 Maneiras.

Blink and you’ll miss it but open the unassuming wooden door and you’ll step into a hive of atmosphere and activity. Food is served as a 10 course ‘taster menu’ which changes periodically according to the ingredients available and the hugely talented head chef, Ljubomir stanisic’s creative whims.

The food is wonderfully inventive and stanisic uses local culture and history as inspiration to come up with fun dishes like ‘codfish chips on a clothesline’ that not only tastes great, they also come with a story delivered by the hugely knowledgeable staff. www.restaurante100maneiras.com

Bocca BOCCA is a trendy yet unpretentious eatery tucked away in Lisbon’s business district and yet never short of custom due to its burgeoning reputation as one of the best restaurants this gastronomic wonderland of a city has to offer.

The food is deliciously creative, with head chef Alexandre silva delivering a choice of tasty dishes that fuse traditional Portuguese elements with the best modern international cuisine. There is a real personal touch to the service at Bocca from the warm welcome each and every guest receives from instantly likeable manager, Pedro, to the astoundingly knowledgeable sommelier who never fails to select the perfect wines to accompany your dinner choice. www.bocca.pt

Portugal Worldwide Golf’s car hire was booked through hertz Portugal. The company has 60 locations throughout Portugal and a fleet of around 6,000 vehicles, ranging from small scooters to the ‘sportive’ range of Porsches, Mercedes and BMWs. www.hertz.pt Reservations: + 351 808 202 038

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WWG WHEELS

DRIVING

RANGE

RIDE COMFORT PERFORMANCE SPACE BRAKING New Audi

R8 Spyder unleashed in the Middle East

//A

highly appealing open top high-performance sports car, first seen at Frankfurt Motor Show last September, the Audi R8 Spyder is the latest addition to Audi’s regional line-up and will be available in showrooms across the Middle East and levant this month.

The R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro combines breathtaking performance with the experience of open-top driving. The 525 hp V10 engine accelerates the high-performance sports car with the lightweight cloth top to 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds on its way to a top speed of 313 km/h. The 5.2-litre engine produces 530 Nm of torque at 6,500 rpm and 525 hp at 8,000 rpm. Each hp only needs to move 3.3 kilograms of weight.

The engine offers amazing thrust and hangs tenaciously on the throttle in every situation accompanied by that unmistakable ten-cylinder Audi sound.

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DRIVING

RANGE

RIDE COMFORT PERFORMANCE SPACE BRAKING

New Audi

R8 Spyder unleashed in the Middle East

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T

hE R8 Spyder 5.2 FSi quattro captivates from the very first glance. its lines offer a unique interpretation of the dynamics and emotion of a high-performance sports car.

Two distinctive silver cowls, into which the large air intake openings are integrated, give the long back a powerful profile.

Unlike the Coupé, the R8 Spyder has classic air intakes behind the doors. The rear side panels and the large cover over the storage compartment for the cloth top are made of a carbon fibre composite.

The R8 Spyder 5.2 FSi quattro sports a cloth soft top in classic Audi style. The soft top’s approximate weight is a mere 42 kilograms; it thus keeps the vehicle’s total weight and centre of gravity low. When closed it melds harmoniously into the design line – it ends in two slim fins that extend toward the rear and have a contour similar to that of the Coupé hard top.

Mid-mounted V10 engine producing 525 hp and exceptional performance

The top is suitable without restriction for high-speed driving and is quiet. With the standard electrohydraulic motor, the top opens and closes within 19 seconds, even while driving at speeds up to 50 km/h. The heated glass window is integrated separately into the bulkhead and can be raised and lowered via a switch with the soft top up or down. Audi also provides a wind deflector that can be installed in just two steps.

The bulkhead includes integrated rollover protection in the form of two pretensioned plates. The aluminum Audi Space Frame (ASF) body of the R8 Spyder is reinforced at important locations, yet it tips the scales at a mere 216 kilograms – just six kilograms more than the Coupé.

Equipped with a manual transmission, the high-performance sports car weighs only 1,720 kilograms.

WWG WHEELS AT A GLANCe Convertible top and body – lightweight cloth soft top weighing only around 42 kilograms – Electrohydraulic motor, opens and closes in 19 seconds, even while driving at speeds up to 50 km/h – ASF aluminium body, excellent rigidity and a weight of only 216 kilograms engine – 5.2-litre V10, FSi gasoline direct injection and dry sump lubrication – Outstanding power: 386 kW (525 hp), 530 Nm of torque – Breathtaking performance: 0 – 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds, top speed 313 km/h

drivetrain – Six-speed manual transmission, optional R tronic sequential transmission with shift paddles on the steering wheel and launch Control function – quattro permanent allwheel drive with strongly rear-biased power distribution Chassis – Aluminum double wishbone suspension like in motorsport – Audi magnetic ride adaptive damping standard – high-performance brakes, with carbon fibreceramic discs available as an option – 19-inch wheels for high lateral acceleration and strong grip

Comfort: interior, equipment and trim The open-top two-seater features a generously spacious interior. The ring of the leather-wrapped, multifunction sports steering wheel is flattened at the bottom, and the power seats guide and support the body perfectly. Quality of fit and finish is extraordinary; the controls are clear and logical; and the driver information system includes a lap timer. The rear bulkhead includes a storage compartment with three bins, and the luggage compartment at the front of the car can hold 100 litres of luggage, more than enough for a couple of sets of golf clubs!

Equipment highlights include an excellent sound system from Bang & Olufsen, deluxe automatic air conditioning and heated seats. The leather seat coverings are specially pigmented to reduce heating as a result of the sun’s rays. The standard navigation plus system with MMi control logic features impressively high resolution and fast route calculation.

Also included standard in the Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 FSi quattro are the all-lED headlights – lightemitting diodes are used for the low beams, the high beams, the daytime running lights and the turn signals. The lED headlights not only look like technological works of art, they also offer substantial practical advantages with their excellent light distribution, long service life and extremely low energy consumption.

Available as a standard on the new R8 Spyder 5.2 FSi quattro is the innovative seatbelt microphone for the hands-free unit, which makes it possible to make telephone calls even with the top down on the highway. integrated into each of the two belts are three small microphones; a fourth is mounted on the windshield frame. n

R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds on its way to a top speed of 313 km/h

equipment and trim – generous list of standard equipment, including navigation system plus, sound system from Bang & Olufsen, power leather seats and deluxe automatic air conditioning – innovative all-lED headlights standard – innovative seatbelt microphone comes as a standard – Audi parking system with review camera as standard

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DIVOTS IT’S OFFICIAL: WOODS IS DIVORCED

TIGER Woods and Elin Nordegren are officially divorced. Nine months after the car crash outside his Florida home that sparked a media storm when details of his multiple extra-marital affairs emerged, the World No.1’s marriage to Swedish ex-model Nordegren was declared over in a hearing that lasted just 10 minutes at Bay County Circuit Court in Panama City, Fla. A joint statement, issued the through their attorneys said: “We are sad that our marriage is over and we wish each other the very best for the future. While we are no longer married, we are the parents of two wonderful children and their happiness has been,

and will always be, of paramount importance to both of us. Once we came to the decision that our marriage was at an end, the primary focus of our amicable discussions has been to ensure their future well-being. The weeks and months ahead will not be easy for them as we adjust to a new family situation, which is why our privacy must be a principal concern.”

Woods will be hoping that the divorce will now draw a line under the sensational story, which has seen his life and golf game disintegrate under the strain.

The terms of the divorce where not revealed but it was stated that Woods and Nordegren would “share parenting” of their two children, 3-yearold daughter, Sam, and an 18-month-old son, Charlie.

Asian Tour to help promote blind golf with Dr Handa International Sports Promotion Society Chairman, Dr Haruhisa Handa is passionate about blind golf and hopes that the Asian Tour’s Handa Singapore Classic will raise awareness and encourage more people to take up the sport.

The tournament will be held at the Orchid Country Club from 9-12 September and will be preceded by a Pro-Am tournament on September 8 which will field a team of blind golfers showcasing the appeal of sport.

“Spreading the message of blind golf is very important to me,” said Dr Handa. “Golf has been accepted in the Olympics at Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and we hope that blind golf can be accepted into the Paralympics in due course as well.”

Arjun Atwal makes history ARJUN Atwal became the first Indian to win on the US PGA Tour with a superb one-stroke victory over David Toms at the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina and the Asian Tour’s Executive Chairman Kyi Hla Han was one of the first people to congratulate him. “The Asian Tour played an instrumental role in shaping Atwal’s career during his playing days here,” said Han. “Even though he’s now based in Florida, his success will serve as an inspiration to many.”

Ill Stenson struggling for form SWEDEN’s Henrik Stenson has admitted his recent poor performances have been down to ill health as he closes out what has been a tough season on the US PGA Tour.

“I’d been lying in bed for two weeks with fever, coughing,” he said before he propped up Tiger Woods in dead last at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. “I’ve had chest x-rays.

It seemed to be some sort of chest infection. Now I’m on double antibiotics.”

Stenson missed the cut at the Wyndham Championship and missed out on a spot in the Play-offs for the FedEx Cup. He hopes to play in three events in the Fall Series to retain his membership in America for 2011. “It’s been a bad year,” he said, “but hopefully we can still turn it around.”

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News sNippets from arouNd the golfiNg globe

Wyndham Championship allows fans to use mobile phones TOURNAMENT officials at the US PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship allowed fans to use mobile phones at Sedgefield Country Club – as long as the devices were kept in silent mode and with calls made only in designated areas around the course.

“We were kind of the guinea pig tournament on allowing this,” said Tournament Director Mark Brazil. “People are always going to sneak phones in anyways, I feel like if you let them actually bring them out there, they’ll probably respect the fact that you let them have it and actually go use the designated areas a lot more.”

mickelson admits to suffering from arthritis MASTERS Champion Phil Mickelson has confirmed he has been battling psoriatic arthritis which has caused stiffness, pain and lack of movement in his joints. However, the 40-year-old said treatment for the disease is working. “It is very treatable and the medicine I’ve been taking has been very helpful,” he confirmed. “I feel about 90%. About five days before the US Open in June I woke up and had some intense pain in some areas of my body, some joints and tendons and so forth. I ended up going and seeing a doctor and went back to the Mayo Clinic right after the Open to get a second opinion.

“Everything is fine now. I have been having treatment and things have been great.”

PGA Tour pros to raise money for nashville flood victims NASHVILLE resident Brandt Snedeker and fellow Tour pro and friend Lucas Glover will join forces with the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl later this year to raise money and awareness for the continued problems facing flood victims in the Nashville area.

The event will see a four-ball Ryder Cup/ Presidents Cup style competition between teams captained by Snedeker and Glover and will take place on October 17 and 18 at The Golf Club of Tennessee near Nashville.

Funk serves up a major treat FRED Funk won his second JELD-WEN Tradition and third Senior major with a one-stroke victory over Michael Allen and Chien Soon Lu after a final round 69 gave him a 12-under-par total.

“Nobody was taking off. I thought that Tom Lehman or Bernhard Langer would make a charge and get to 13 or 14-under, but nobody did,” said Funk. “I guess it was testament to how tough the golf course was playing.”

Langer, attempting to become the second player in Champions Tour history to win three consecutive Majors, shot a 73 to tie for 10th on 8-under.

STATmASTER Dustin Johnson played in the final group at both the US Open and the US PGA Championship this season but came away with nothing both times.

Over the last decade, only three other players have been in the last group of a Major twice in the same year without winning – Ernie Els (2004), Phil Mickelson (2001) and David Duval (2000).

16-year-old makes two aces in a round HOUSTON resident Aubrey Phillips made two holesin-one in the same round at the Greater Houston Junior Championship qualifying tournament at Cypresswood Golf Course in July. The first ace of the day – his first ever – came after a perfectly struck 9-iron at the 155-yard fifth hole. Phillips decided not to pocket the Slazenger golf ball after the shot and continued playing with it, hoping it would bring him luck during the rest of the round.

At the 160-yard 16th hole, lightning struck twice as Phillips scored another ace with the same lucky ball and the same club.

CHOkER OF THE mOnTH This month’s choke came from Nick Watney. The Californian headed into the final round of the US PGA Championship with a three-stroke lead but shot an 81 to finish 18th. Ouch.

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Official World Golf Ranking As of MoNDAY AUGUsT 23, 2010

a r o u n d t h e w o r l d o n t h e e u r o p e a n t o u r & u. s . p g a t o u r

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

tiger woods phil Mickelson lee westwood steve stricker Martin Kaymer Jim Furyk rory McIlroy ernie els paul Casey luke donald Ian poulter hunter Mahan graeme Mcdowell anthony Kim Zach Johnson retief goosen robert allenby padraig harrington louis oosthuizen sean o’hair edoardo Molinari Justin rose Matt Kuchar dustin Johnson Bubba watson Camilo Villegas tim Clark ross Fisher nick watney lucas glover robert Karlsson henrik stenson Charl schwartzel rickie Fowler Y.e. Yang geoff ogilvy stewart Cink Francesco Molinari Miguel a Jimenez peter hanson Kenny perry Bo Van pelt angel Cabrera adam scott ryan Moore Jeff overton alvaro Quiros Ben Crane K.J. Choi scott Verplank

usa usa eng usa deu usa nir saf eng eng eng usa nir usa usa saf aus Irl saf usa Ita eng usa usa usa Col saf eng usa usa swe swe saf usa Kor aus usa Ita esp swe usa usa arg aus usa usa esp usa Kor usa

Pts. Avg

Tot. Pts

Events

9.40 9.14 8.76 7.43 6.75 6.73 6.00 5.66 5.62 5.26 5.05 4.88 4.78 4.52 4.47 4.35 4.19 4.18 4.07 4.00 3.93 3.92 3.92 3.89 3.78 3.73 3.73 3.72 3.54 3.50 3.49 3.46 3.43 3.35 3.29 3.26 3.23 3.20 3.14 3.08 2.96 2.95 2.94 2.85 2.83 2.83 2.81 2.78 2.70 2.55

375.88 383.95 438.02 304.68 344.40 302.97 341.96 316.68 241.80 252.59 232.32 244.01 258.39 203.49 228.00 239.21 234.39 221.40 219.87 196.03 208.10 211.81 195.76 194.63 177.77 194.16 201.18 185.76 184.10 175.12 142.98 166.07 198.75 133.82 187.54 159.83 151.86 179.16 175.74 160.10 144.92 170.95 141.31 133.84 149.80 161.08 159.96 144.80 137.49 122.37

40 42 50 41 51 45 57 56 43 48 46 50 54 45 51 55 56 53 54 49 53 54 50 50 47 52 54 50 52 50 41 48 58 40 57 49 47 56 56 52 49 58 48 47 53 57 57 52 51 48

Pts. Gained 69.75 226.59 273.95 167.10 250.02 178.43 205.29 233.22 156.17 201.16 132.11 177.44 198.55 149.19 140.26 140.40 130.47 102.22 193.96 99.11 141.46 172.63 153.41 151.36 151.67 148.84 146.05 89.86 112.71 72.30 119.98 60.66 163.53 124.29 96.89 76.92 63.77 111.66 135.25 113.34 48.19 142.46 57.51 70.18 89.05 136.75 119.78 123.15 119.81 74.27

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

J.B. holmes sergio garcia rhys davies ryo Ishikawa Jason day david toms Kevin na Yuta Ikeda heath slocum ricky Barnes ryan palmer Michael sim thongchai Jaidee liang wen-Chong oliver wilson Bryce Molder Kim Kyung-tae simon dyson Brian gay Jason dufner Fredrik andersson hed toru taniguchi hiroyuki Fujita søren Kjeldsen stephen Marino tetsuji hiratsuka Vijay singh Brian davis stephen gallacher søren hansen Brandt snedeker anders hansen rory sabbatini davis love-III stephen ames shane lowry Justin leonard Jason Bohn david horsey Chris wood Bill haas Fredrik Jacobson danny willett Marc leishman stuart appleby simon Khan ross Mcgowan darren Clarke Chad Campbell Koumei oda

usa esp wal Jpn aus usa usa Jpn usa usa usa aus tha Chn eng usa Kor eng usa usa swe Jpn Jpn dnk usa Jpn Fji eng sco dnk usa dnk saf usa Can Irl usa usa eng eng usa swe eng aus aus eng eng nir usa Jpn

Pts. Avg

Tot. Pts

2.45 2.44 2.43 2.32 2.29 2.20 2.20 2.14 2.11 2.10 2.09 2.09 2.07 2.07 2.02 2.02 1.99 1.97 1.95 1.94 1.92 1.89 1.87 1.84 1.84 1.84 1.84 1.83 1.81 1.79 1.78 1.78 1.78 1.77 1.74 1.74 1.71 1.70 1.70 1.68 1.68 1.66 1.65 1.62 1.61 1.60 1.60 1.58 1.56 1.56

122.60 127.13 141.06 134.55 105.32 107.96 116.69 104.86 122.39 113.37 110.65 91.86 120.27 95.14 105.07 106.98 101.59 114.10 112.96 106.60 90.20 81.30 104.74 97.73 106.82 106.68 84.43 106.04 75.96 93.07 94.57 89.15 103.40 92.21 80.25 69.59 88.68 78.13 88.21 82.36 92.40 76.57 72.52 93.81 93.66 84.85 84.71 86.94 82.84 80.90

Events Pts. Gained 50 52 58 58 46 49 53 49 58 54 53 44 58 46 52 53 51 58 58 55 47 43 56 53 58 58 46 58 42 52 53 50 58 52 46 40 52 46 52 49 55 46 44 58 58 53 53 55 53 52

107.62 58.15 113.13 48.44 80.78 52.33 70.25 38.59 70.14 95.72 111.22 41.68 70.54 55.82 51.62 69.07 61.32 37.55 52.62 52.45 77.30 56.57 56.53 34.08 65.70 78.52 56.78 76.78 74.92 39.10 64.29 25.90 59.92 60.47 39.73 44.69 41.38 57.14 77.24 50.16 76.77 54.55 50.64 53.32 64.50 75.88 23.62 62.12 38.19 31.25

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Gary Player is a true leGend of the Game. the south african is one of only five Players to have won a career Grand slam of all four majors. he has won a total of nine majors and nine senior majors, amonG 167 tour events worldwide.

The Fascination of The Ryder Cup

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WAS hugely impressed with the performances of two up-andcoming young men who have recently produced outstanding performances to earn their places in The Ryder Cup. i telephoned hunter mahan to congratulate him on his magnificent final round six-under-par 64, which won him the world Golf championshipsBridgestone invitational at firestone country club last month, the biggest individual win of his career. although he’s in his late twenties this victory could put him on the road to even greater glories. he was the united states’ best player in the ryder cup at valhalla in 2008, contributing three-anda-half points out of a possible five in their 16.5-11.5 victory over the europeans. it was the usa’s first ryder cup success since 1999 at Brookline. the confidence of another successful performance at celtic manor in wales could project mahan to further victories. the other player who made a big impression on me was martin Kaymer who appeared to be the coolest man at whistling straits in winning the us PGa championship. he shot a final round of 2-under 70 to finish level with the big-hitting Bubba watson on 11-under 277 and then defeated the american on the last hole of a three-hole play-off with a bogey five when watson found the water. i was pleased to see rory mcilroy continue his progress in the world game, finishing tied for third with Zach johnson, but i had every sympathy for the plight of dustin johnson who incurred a two-shot penalty for grounding his club in a bunker. it was unfortunate because clearly the ‘bunker’ had been trampled on by the crowd and it was not obvious that it was a bunker.

But the players had been warned and notices had been displayed in the locker

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Left: Hunter Mahan proudly displays the Gary Player Cup after his stunning victory in this year’s World Golf ChampionshipsBridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club, Ohio.

Below: Deciding whether or not to include threetime Major winner Padraig Harrington in his team will be among Monty’s toughest jobs as European Ryder Cup Captain.

room so there was no denying that it was a penalty. although that two-shot penalty cost him a place in the play-off the way dustin took his punishment was exemplary. he had to settle for a share of fifth place but he deserves great credit for the manner in which he accepted the situation and admitted that it was entirely his fault. Good for him.

Commendable he’s a talented golfer, he’s got the right mental attitude and considering his tied eighth in the us open i’m sure his day will come before very long. the consolation for dustin was that his commendable performance at whistling straits booked his place in the ryder cup team. for martin Kaymer to become the first German player to win a major since Bernhard langer won the second of his two masters titles in 1993 is a great step for golf and, of course, for his country.

he’s also the first German golfer to play in the ryder cup since Bernhard played in europe’s 15.5-12.5 victory at the Belfry in 2002. it was interesting to hear that colin montgomerie was considering making Bernhard one of his wildcard picks for celtic manor, following Bernhard’s amazing double senior major victories. to win the senior open championship at carnoustie, on one of the toughest courses in golf, then immediately fly from scotland to seattle, on america’s west coast was quite a feat.

Bernhard also had to keep his composure throughout the final round as the us galleries at sahalee

“It wIll be a fascInatIng encounter between two very evenly matched teams. both have a combInatIon of ‘old hands’ and ‘new boys.” – GARY PLAYER country club cheered their hero and playing partner freddie couples every step of the way as Bernhard went on to win by three shots.

Bernhard’s performance underlines what i’ve been saying for some time that the standard of senior golf is very close to the quality of golf played on the regular tours. having captained the rest of the world team against the usa in the Presidents cup i know how europe’s captain colin montgomerie and the usa captain corey Pavin must feel right now about their wildcard picks.

Above: Bernhard Langer pumps his fist on the sixth hole en-route to victory during the final round of the US Senior Open Championship at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Washington.

Top: Dustin Johnson plays his infamous ‘bunker’ shot from the 18th during the final round of the US PGA Championship at Whistling Straights, Wisconsin.

Tough decision monty has three picks to make but with Peter hanson’s victory last week in the czech open pushing Paul casey out of the automatic last place prior to the final counting european tour event at Gleneagles, it’s going to be difficult. with Peter hanson, miguel angel jiménez, simon dyson, alvaro Quiros, ross mcGowan and edoardo molinari all competing in scotland for a place in the ryder cup team, with the likes of Paul casey, luke donald, justin rose and Padraig harrington playing in the Barclays in new jersey on the us PGa tour, along with ian Poulter and rory mcilroy, who have already secured their automatic places in the team, it will be a tough decision for monty to make. i’d love to see both molinari brothers make the team. with monty having only three wildcard picks to Pavin’s four picks he’s faced with a tough choice. i would have thought that Paul casey and justin rose would be

straightforward picks but choosing between luke donald and Padraig harrington is not easy. donald has won on the european tour this season and had five top 10s in the states but harrington has yet to win, although he finished runnerup in the 3 irish open. By the time you read this column the big scotsman will have made his choices so i guess we’ll know which way he’s decided to go.

Pavin doesn’t seem to be fazed by his ordeal, despite having a number of rookies in his team who have qualified automatically. it will be a fascinating encounter between two very evenly matched teams. Both have a combination of ‘old hands’ and ‘new boys.’ Pavin has the experienced Phil mickelson, jim furyk, anthony Kim and steve stricker, plus first-timers jeff overton, matt Kuchar, dustin johnson and Bubba watson. monty has the experienced lee westwood, coming back from his injury, ian Poulter and Graeme mcdowell, along with exciting debutants like young rory mcilroy and ross fisher so it’s going to be a quite some contest. we’ll just have to see who rises to the occasion. n

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47

Race to Dubai

As of Monday August 23, 2010

tHe european tour r aCe to DuBai 2010 Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

Name Martin KAYMER Graeme McDOWELL Lee WESTWOOD Ernie ELS Charl SCHWARTZEL Louis OOSTHUIZEN Ian POULTER Paul CASEY Miguel Angel JIMÉNEZ Edoardo MOLINARI Rory McILROY Luke DONALD Rhys DAVIES Alvaro QUIROS Peter HANSON Ross FISHER Francesco MOLINARI Padraig HARRINGTON Simon KHAN Fredrik ANDERSSON HED Retief GOOSEN Camilo VILLEGAS Stephen GALLACHER Grégory HAVRET Robert KARLSSON Darren CLARKE David HORSEY Alejandro CAÑIZARES Sergio GARCIA Y. E.YANG Thongchai JAIDEE Henrik STENSON Danny WILLETT Seung-yul NOH Marcus FRASER Robert ROCK Anthony KIM Chris WOOD Raphaël JACQUELIN Oliver WILSON Brett RUMFORD Peter LAWRIE James MORRISON Simon DYSON Anders HANSEN Gareth MAYBIN Søren HANSEN Gonzalo FDEZ-CASTAÑO Shane LOWRY Richie RAMSAY

Country

Tournaments Played

Prize Money

Rank

GER NIR ENG RSA RSA RSA ENG ENG ESP ITA NIR ENG WAL ESP SWE ENG ITA IRL ENG SWE RSA COL SCO FRA SWE NIR ENG ESP ESP KOR THA SWE ENG KOR AUS ENG USA ENG FRA ENG AUS IRL ENG ENG DEN NIR DEN ESP IRL SCO

16 17 11 12 17 19 11 12 20 21 12 11 22 18 17 15 19 9 19 19 9 10 22 19 14 20 21 21 11 10 17 13 19 14 19 23 7 18 21 18 18 21 18 19 17 18 20 20 22 22

€2,254,400 €2,055,917 €1,822,738 €1,771,118 €1,694,738 €1,676,896 €1,478,118 €1,438,864 €1,240,670 €1,230,656 €1,184,019 €1,143,424 €1,121,173 €1,094,182 €1,091,332 €1,076,423 €992,477 €983,155 €925,843 €897,727 €841,664 €826,043 €819,163 €800,874 €784,058 €737,196 €706,569 €680,599 €655,660 €655,347 €616,636 €596,267 €574,597 €568,753 €568,519 €555,020 €550,447 €539,409 €515,729 €513,573 €468,040 €460,505 €458,009 €446,011 €435,119 €431,736 €430,522 €426,865 €421,327 €399,816

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

Name

Country

Richard FINCH Damien McGRANE Jamie DONALDSON Richard BLAND Richard GREEN Grégory BOURDY Bradley DREDGE Andrew DODT Thomas BJÖRN Robert-Jan DERKSEN Thomas AIKEN Joost LUITEN Ignacio GARRIDO Adam SCOTT Oliver FISHER Tim CLARK James KINGSTON Søren KJELDSEN Johan EDFORS Peter WHITEFORD Ross McGOWAN Gary BOYD Paul LAWRIE Nicolas COLSAERTS Stephen DODD Mikko ILONEN Wen-chong LIANG Angel CABRERA Rafa ECHENIQUE Graeme STORM Marcel SIEM David DRYSDALE Pablo MARTIN Richard S JOHNSON Mark FOSTER Robert ALLENBY Anthony WALL Geoff OGILVY Rafael CABRERA-BELLO Vijay SINGH Michael HOEY Alex CEJKA Pablo LARRAZÁBAL Jeev Milkha SINGH Trevor IMMELMAN Peter HEDBLOM Niclas FASTH Paul WARING Mark BROWN Shiv KAPUR

ENG IRL WAL ENG AUS FRA WAL AUS DEN NED RSA NED ESP AUS ENG RSA RSA DEN SWE SCO ENG ENG SCO BEL WAL FIN CHN ARG ARG ENG GER SCO ESP SWE ENG AUS ENG AUS ESP FIJ NIR GER ESP IND RSA SWE SWE ENG NZL IND

Tournaments Played 23 21 18 22 16 20 17 14 20 19 19 19 21 8 23 7 17 18 17 22 20 20 16 19 16 19 9 8 21 21 21 24 18 2 20 6 17 9 22 8 19 3 20 9 5 18 20 18 23 22

Prize Money €396,340 €395,484 €392,844 €388,264 €382,163 €380,679 €375,984 €372,084 €363,913 €361,917 €359,836 €350,751 €349,996 €346,388 €345,577 €345,077 €331,966 €331,958 €324,526 €324,103 €322,740 €318,925 €316,764 €316,492 €307,533 €290,542 €286,137 €285,820 €282,820 €281,257 €279,466 €273,498 €267,408 €266,660 €265,942 €262,959 €253,837 €243,860 €241,988 €241,407 €241,064 €235,810 €229,699 €221,743 €217,489 €213,338 €199,434 €198,872 €197,542 €196,392

e x p l a n at i o n o f t H e e u r o p e a n t o u r r a C e t o D u B a i 2 0 1 0 The Race to Dubai on The 2010 European Tour International Schedule will feature a minimum of 47 tournaments, including six new events, culminating in the Dubai World Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The 2010 European Tour International Schedule launched with four events in South Africa and will travel through four continents before building to a thrilling climax in Dubai from November 25-28, 2010. The curtain came down on The 2009 Race to Dubai with England’s Lee Westwood finishing the year in style by winning the Dubai World Championship presented by DP World and securing The Harry Vardon Trophy by finishing European Number One. The second edition of the Dubai World Championship will again carry a prize fund of $7,500,000 while The Race to Dubai Bonus Pool remains at $7,500,000 to be divided between the leading 15 players at the conclusion of the season.

The Race To Dubai bonus Pool bReakDown 1 US$ 1,500,000 2 US$ 1,125,000 3 US$ 750,000 4 US$ 600,000 5 US$ 525,000

6 US$ 450,000 7 US$ 412,500 8 US$ 375,000 9 US$ 337,500 10 US$ 300,000

11 US$ 262,500 12 US$ 243,750 13 US$ 225,000 14 US$ 206,250 15 US$ 187,500

Tournament: Nordea Scandinavian Masters

Date: 22 – 25 July 2010

Venue: Bro Hof Slott GC, Stockholm, Sweden

JohnSon SealS home title RICHARD S Johnson birdied the final hole to win the Nordea Scandinavian Masters by one stroke from Argentina’s Rafa Echinique in front of home support in Stockholm.

The Swede sank a 30-foot birdie putt on the 407 yard par-4 closing hole to become just the second home winner and win his second European Tour title eight years after his first.

“This is one of the sweetest things I’ve ever done,” said the 33-year-old, whose last European Tour title came at the 2002 ANZ Championship. “Just to come up the 17th and 18th is magical. This is a huge tournament to win for a Swede and I’m speechless right now.

It’s epic.”

Johnson carded a 1-under-par 71 for an 11-under-par total to hold off Echinique who shot a 69 for second place, with Italian Edoardo

Winner: richard S JohnSon

Winner’s Cheque

€266,660

Molinari claiming third place on 9-under-par after a 69.

Joint overnight leader KJ Choi suffered a quadruple bogey nine on the 15th after driving out of bounds and then finding the water twice and carded a 78 to finish 13th.

Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen finished fourth after a disappointing 73. “I didn’t play well,” said Oosthuizen. “I didn’t drive well and it put everything under pressure.

“I had to push it at the end, but Richard played brilliantly. I’m a bit disappointed, but after last week (at St Andrews) I was hoping to make the cut and I finished fourth, so I’m happy.”

Robert Karlsson carded the round of the day – much to the delight of the Swedish galleries – as he came home in 5-under-par 67 to move 12 places up the leaderboard into seventh place.

Tournament: RBC Canadian Open

Date: 22 – 25 July 2010

Venue: St. George’s Golf & Country Club, Toronto, Canada

PetterSSon SWooPS to canadian title CARL Pettersson shot a third round 60 on his way to winning his fourth US PGA Tour title at the Canadian Open by one stroke from Dean Wilson.

Pettersson only made the cut by one stroke after opening rounds of 71 and 68, but his third round 10-under-par 60 saw him shoot into contention.

He then sank six birdies in eight holes on the final day on his way to a 3-under-par 67 for a 14-under-par total and his first win since the 2008 Wyndham Championship.

“I still can’t believe I won the tournament,” said Pettersson. “I know it’s difficult to shoot another low one after a round like that, so I was just trying to downplay it. I just tried to stay calm and say to myself ‘whatever happens today, happens.’”

Pettersson started the final day sluggishly with bogeys on holes 4 and 7 but bounced back with back-to-back birdies on 8 and 9 before he picked up another shot on the 11th and then three in a row from the 13th.

Wilson, who was playing on

a sponsor’s invite, opened with three straight 65s to take a four stroke lead into the final round but dropped shots on holes 12 and 14 to hand Pettersson the lead. The Swede could afford the luxury of a bogey on the 18th to take the title, leaving Wilson to reflect on what could have been.

“If you would have told me before the week that I could be second alone, I would have been tickled,” said the American.

“Being in the position that I was, I’m a little disappointed. But still, lots of positives.”

England’s Luke Donald finished third outright on 12-under-par after a 4-under-68 while nine players finished on 10-under-par for a share of fourth place.

“I probably didn’t putt well enough to win,” said Donald.

“I gave it a try. It’s nice to be in contention on Sunday but I need to win more tournaments. Just contending isn’t good enough if you want to be the best. You gotta go out there and beat the best continually, which I haven’t done in the last few years.”

INTHEBAGINTHEBAGINTHEBAGINTHEBAGINTHEBAG Driver: 3-wood: Hybrid: 4-iron: Irons (5-PW): Wedges: Wedge: Putter: Ball:

nike Vr Tour 11.5° TaylorMade Burner 14.5° Mizuno hi Fli CLK 20° nike Pro Combo nike Vr split Cavity nike Vr Blade 49°, 55° nike Vr V-rev 60° Odyssey White hot XG #7 Long nike One Tour

Winner: carl PetterSSon

Carl Pettersson’s third round courserecord 60 included two eagles and seven birdies. He dropped a shot on the second hole but went out in 3-under 31 and came back in just 29 blows for a 10-under-par 60.

Winner’s Cheque

$918,000

Winning Score: 14-under-par – 266 (71,68,60,67) runnerS-up: dean WilSon – 267

WorldrouNd-ups Tournament: 3 Irish Open

Date: 29 July – 01 Aug 2010

Venue: Killarney Golf & Fishing Club, Co Kerry, Republic of Ireland

PeerleSS FiSher baGS iriSh oPen ENGLAND’S Ross Fisher showed nerves of steel and the class of a true champion as he saw off all comers to claim his fourth European Tour title with a recordequalling 18-under 266 at the 3 Irish Open in Killarney.

With three-time Major champion and local hero Padraig Harrington breathing down his neck, Worldwide Golf columnist Fisher kept his composure to equal Colin Montgomerie’s tournament low score set nine years ago, winning £415,973 and propelling himself into the automatic spots for Monty’s Ryder Cup team in the process.

“It just feels great to come out on top against such a world-class field,” said Fisher.

“I could hear the roars and knew Padraig was making a charge. I just tried to stay patient and this is what we play for – we want to give ourselves a chance and I am no different. A Ryder Cup debut has been my goal this year so I’m thrilled.”

Fisher, with new caddie Phil ‘Wobbly’ Morbey on the bag for the first time, had taken the lead when he came close to becoming the first person to shoot

Winner: roSS FiSher

59 on The European Tour with a blistering 10-under 61 in the second round to open up a threestroke lead over Italian Francesco Molinari.

It looked like it was going to be plain sailing when he extended his advantage to six shots after four birdies from his opening seven holes in the third round. But a double bogey on eight followed by a stuttering back nine opened the door to a host of challengers as he signed for 71 to lead by one from Molinari and Englishman Chris Wood. Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano was one stroke further back on 10-under with Harrington lurking ominously in a group on 9-under.

It seemed like the whole of Ireland had turned out to cheer Harrington on in the final round and he responded with some wonderful play. Four birdies over a flawless front nine put him right in the mix and he drew level with Fisher when he sunk a 10-foot eagle putt on the 16th. But Fisher stayed cool and responded with back-to-back birdies on 15 and 16 before closing out a memorable victory with two pars for a 65.

INTHEBAGINTHEBAGINTHEBAGINTHEBAGINTHEBAG

Driver: Fairway Wood: Hybrid: Irons (3-9): Wedges: Putter: Ball:

Titleist 910D3 prototype (7.5°) Titleist 909F2 3-wood (13.5°) Titleist 909h (17°) Titleist 695 MB Titleist Vokey Design (48°, 54° and 60°) scotty Cameron Titleist Pro V1x

Ross Fisher’s win at the 3 Irish Open takes his run of consecutive winning years on The European Tour to four, dating back to the 2007 season and it saw him pass the €1m mark in season earnings for the third consecutive year.

Winner’s Cheque

€500,000

Winning Score: 18-under-par – 266 (69,61,71,65) runner-up: padraig Harrington – 268 Tournament: The Greenbrier Classic

Date: 25 July – 01 Aug 2010

Venue: The Old White Course, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia

aPPleby ShootS 59 to Win

Winner: Stuart aPPleby

AUSTRALIAN Stuart Appleby became the fifth player – and the first non-American – to shoot a 59 on the US PGA Tour on his way to winning the Greenbrier Classic in West Virginia.

Appleby carded nine birdies and an eagle on the 12th in the final round, which saw him come from seven shots back at the start of play and beat Jeff Overton by a stroke. The feat came less than a month after Paul Goydos posted a 59 during the opening round of the John Deere Classic.

“We spend so much time trying to have rounds like today,” said Appleby. “Forget whether it’s a 50-something, you’re just trying to have rounds where you’re scaring the hole. And when you do and they drop, it’s a pleasant feeling. You just never seem to get enough of them.”

Appleby was three groups ahead of overnight

Winner’s Cheque

$1,080,000

leader Overton but posted the clubhouse target of 22-under-par and Overton could only post a 67 to finish one stroke behind.

“I did the math. I was chasing Jeff, who was heading toward the finish line,” Appleby said. “At the same time I was playing well and I thought if I could keep making birdies ... I knew I was going to run out of holes but there was plenty of birdie chances coming in.”

Appley birdied the final three holes – including sinking a putt on the par-3 18th to hit the magical 59 mark and win his ninth US PGA Tour title. Zimbabwean Brendon de Jonge finished in third place on 17-under-par after a closing 5-under 65 while Americans Woody Austin, Paul Stankowski, Roger Tambellini, Jimmy Walker and D.A. Points finished on 15-under and in a share of fourth place.

Tournament: Czech Open 2010

Date: 19 - 22 Aug 2010

Venue: Prosper Golf Resort, Čeladná, Czech Republic

hanSon SecureS czech oPen to booSt ryder hoPeS SWEDEN’S Peter Hanson secured the Czech Open by defeating Gary Boyd and Peter Lawrie in a play-off to boost his hopes of a debut Ryder Cup berth.

Hanson sunk an 18-foot birdie putt on the second extra hole to take home the €333,330 first prize cheque and move into eighth place on the European Ryder Cup team rankings with just one qualifying event left remaining.

“It was a really tough day and I was a bit tense coming out,” he said. “It turned out in the end that both myself, Miguel (Angel Jiménez) and Simon Dyson who had so much to play for didn’t play our best, but I managed to scrape it round the back nine and make that birdie on 16 to get into the play-off.”

Hanson carded a 2-over-par 74 to finish on 10-under-par, level with Boyd and Lawrie who had carded superb rounds of 68 and 66 respectively. The trio replayed

1795 RED

50% Black

the 18th and all secured pars before Hanson rolled in his birdie putt on their second trip down the closing hole. “It means so much to get in the top nine. Coming here on a late invitation and coming here on Monday,” said Hanson. “I knew if I was going to have any chance I needed to win and it is so hard knowing that you have to win.”

European Tour rookie Boyd put in the best performance of his career with weekend rounds of 68 to get to 10-under while Irishman Lawrie produced the round of the day with his 6-under 66 to get to the same total.

Ryder Cup hopefuls Dyson and Jimenez, who entered the final round hoping to propel their own chances of securing a spot in the European team, couldn’t mount a serious challenge. Dyson only made one birdie and one bogey and finished with a levelpar 72 for an 8-under-par total while the Spaniard carded a 73 for seventh place on 7-under-par.

Winner: Peter hanSon

Eventual winner Peter Hanson went on a run of 29 holes without dropping a shot prior to his final round but then made three bogeys in a row from the second hole. He hit 43 out of 56 fairways during the week.

Winner’s Cheque

€333,330

Winning Score: 10-under-par – 278 (67,70,67,74) runner-up: gary Boyd, peter laWrie – 278 (defeated in play-off)

WorldrouNd-ups

Tournament: Wyndham Championship

Date: 19 - 22 Aug 2010

Venue: Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro, North Carolina

atWal makeS hiStory in north carolina ARJUN Atwal won his first US PGA Tour title in stunning fashion at the Wyndham Championship, defeating David Toms by one stroke after posting a 20-underpar total.

Atwal, who only qualified for a place in the field on the Monday prior to the tournament, became the first ever Indian to win on the US PGA Tour and earned his playing privileges until the end of the 2011 season.

“I told my caddie, ‘we’ve got nothing to lose this week. Just go out there and try and win it,’” said Atwal. “Guys are going to be out there trying to secure their FedExCup spots or whatever.

We’ve got nothing. I don’t have a card. I don’t have anything. Just go out there and free-wheel it, and that’s what I did this week.”

Atwal opened up with a stunning 61 and after rounds of 67 and 65 he entered the final day with a three-stroke lead.

After two early birdies Atwal extended his lead but a run of

pars around the turn saw his lead gradually diminish as the chasing pack caught up. Toms birdied three of the last four holes to post a clubhouse total of 19-under with Atwal still on the course.

However, the Indian birdied the par-3 16th to regain the lead and then held his nerve on the final two holes to seal the wire-to-wire victory.

“I’m pretty sure it’s going to be huge back home,” he said. “My in-laws called my wife and said the coverage was just unreal with me leading.”

India’s Sports Minister Manohar Singh Gill said: “It is truly a remarkable achievement and puts Indian golfers on an even higher level internationally.”

Americans John Mallinger, John Rollins and Justin Leonard shared third place alongside Australian Michael Sim on 18-under-par with 2009 US Open champion Lucas Glover alone in seventh place on 17-under-par.

Winner: arJun atWal

Consistency was the key to Arjun Atwal’s historic victory. He was third in the Driving Accuracy ranking over the four days with an 80.4% average and topped the Putts Per Round stats with an average of 27.3.

Winner’s Cheque

$918,000

Winning Score: 20-under-par – 260 (61,67,65,67) runner-up: david tomS – 261

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SWING Brought to you by

Colin Montgomerie Monty is without a doubt the best player never to win a Major.

During his prime, there was no one who hit the ball straighter and truer. Colin always fades the ball, hitting his shots exclusively from left to right.

In doing so, he eliminates the left side of the golf course, making his swing very easy to repeat.

His Ryder Cup record makes him a perfect choice as Captain for this year’s matches in Wales.

www.wwgolf.biz

55

SWING

1 Monty always played fast. He would stand up to the ball, take one look at the target and fire. Monty stared at the target and glanced at the ball. Most amateurs glance at the target and stare at the ball. I like how Monty wasted no time over his shots. Try to use this in your game, pick out your target, aim, and fire!

Brought to you by

2 Although Monty had a very long and loose backswing, he made this move every time.

He was blessed with natural rhythm and timing. If you have a long backswing, you need to make sure you hit lots of balls to try and groove your movement. Make sure you know where the club is at the top of your backswing. Here you can see Monty’s iron swing is just short of parallel, yet his hips have turned strong and powerful during his backswing. Just a slight hint of the left heal being off the ground here, a classic “Old School” move for more shoulder turn.

3 Monty almost exclusively faded the ball, from left to right. Here you can see a classic fader’s follow through. There is very little hand action through impact. The toe of the club is pointing to the sky post impact and both the right and left hand are working together through impact.

Monty has great extension through the ball with his arms, yet his wrist action is minimal. If you want to fade the ball, make sure you feel as if your hands don’t release the club head through impact.

PRO LOOK

4 A great angle here to see the rotation on the lower and upper body.

Monty always hit the ball almost dead straight during his prime.

Here you can see how both the upper and lower body have turned through impact and are starting to face the target yet the arms are still working down his target line. A great downswing thought is to turn your hips and chest through impact and try to shake hands with your target.

WIN 1 dozen Titleist ProV1s

When was the last time the US won the Ryder Cup on European soil?

A)1993 B)1997 C)2002 For more information on how to enter visit www.wwgolf.biz

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57

By Claude Harmon III

Brought to you by

mas the s ter lope s T HE single b struggle iggest thing I see with is co amateurs nsiste the g I see every olf ball in the air. ntly getting Th ball or to day are either hit e two misses pping the ting behin ball. d the Sadly, fo are cause r most players, th ese db In an effo y the same thing. two misses rt to get to golfers sh ball to if the down t their weight bac go up, most s k the ball u wing. They try to wards during p. fall back and lift This robs importan you of power bu t tl gain a co y it will make it ve more nsistently ry solid strik difficult to For begin e on the ba n ers, learn contact is the most ing to make a go ll. master to importan od aid their t improvem aspect to ent.

To explain th is in more to use a d deta o how to m wnward slope to il, I am going h ake prop er impac elp illustrate t.

balance Here I am standing on a down slope, with almost of all my weight on my leading leg.

www.wwgolf.biz

59

TUTORIAL My weight is set forward, going down the slope and my shoulders are matching the angle of the slope.

Many amateur golfers shift their weight backwards as they come into impact in an effort to swing up on the ball and get it airborne.

As the weight goes back, the clubhead overtakes the hands and body, which will cause a weak strike at impact. Here you can see the club swinging up, as my body has gone back. Notice the ball flight, thin and off the bottom of the club. The left wrist has collapsed causing me to top the ball.

Brought to you by

PRO LOOK

Try this drill to help you get a better feeling at impact . l Stand on a down slope, place your weight forward and try to get your shoulders level to the slope. The feeling you want is that you are going to swing down the slope. The swing you will make will be mainly with your arms and shoulders, about waist-high back and waist-high through. l Make sure you hit the ground as you hit your shot. As you can see at impact, hitting the ground causes the ball to go up. If your weight goes back or you try to swing up on the ball, the slope will either cause you to hit the ball fat or thin. l This is a great drill to help create a sold impact position and you will be amazed at how solid you can hit the ball if you swing down the slope.

WIN

1 Dozen Titleist NXT Tour Balls

Which Titleist ball player recently won Wyndham Championship on the PGA Tour?

A) Peter Hanson B) Rory McIlroy C)Arjun Atwal For more information on how to enter visit www.wwgolf.biz www.wwgolf.biz

61

In the

SWING

with

AmelIA

Claude harmon III, dIreCtor of InstruCtIon, butCh harmon sChool, dubaI sports CIty

f

e r

y

balance We start our lesson with some basic balance work. Having good balance during your golf swing is a vital skill that helps with consistency. Many junior golfers struggle with their balance as they swing the golf club. It is very important at a young age to teach juniors balance. The key to having good balance is learning how to control your body. Amelia is doing drills here to help her gain overall control of her body. She works on balancing on both her left and right legs as she makes different arm movements. Next she uses a fitness ball and tries to use her core strength to help her stabilise the ball and learn how to balance without using her arms. Lastly, she stands on a balance pad and tries to control her body on a very unstable surface. These balance drills will help her gain better control of her muscles and also help her mind focus better.

62

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mcKee

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMELIA from all at Worldwide Golf. It’s hard to believe but after capturing our attention as a 10-yearold, Amelia turned 11 on September 2nd.

strength Next, we go to work on Amelia’s leg and shoulder strength.

We have her crawl like a spider. Learning how to crawl sounds easy, but very few juniors can do the exercise properly. It tests her leg and shoulder strength, but also her ability to coordinate her body parts. We also have Amelia do spider walks in reverse, which again forces her to use her legs and shoulders correctly as she tries to move backward. For leg strength, Amelia is pushing a 15kg weight plate along the ground and around various cones.

She does this two ways. First she is asked to weave around the cones in different patterns in many different directions.

She must learn to control her body but must also use her brain to remember which directions she has been asked to go. Then she is asked to push the plate as fast as possible around the cones, working on explosive speed, leg strength and endurance.

control Here we are working with Amelia on her object control.

She is doing an underarm tennis ball toss into small buckets. We do this to targets of various different distances.

We are working on her “feel” in these drills. By learning to toss the tennis ball, she is using her eyes to try and gauge the distance needed for each toss. These types of “feel” drill will help her short game skill on the golf course.

focus Lastly, we spend some time on the putting green. We set up three two foot putts, with five balls at each spot. The object of the drill is to hole all 15 putts in a row. I see many juniors three putt because they miss short putts. This drill will also help her focus on making short putts and help build confidence.

Next, we set up four poles about two feet apart half way along a 30 foot putt. This gives three different lines to the same hole location. The drill is to hit three different putts through the two foot lines. In order to do this, Amelia has to take into account the different breaks and speeds needed to roll the ball through the different poles.

It helps teach Amelia there are different ways to play the same putt. www.wwgolf.biz

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DUBAI CREEK GOLF ACADEMY

ladies coffee mornings

Whether you are a regular player or a complete beginner, the golf professionals at Dubai Creek Golf Academy would like you to join them for a morning’s golf. If you are looking to improve your skills or take up a new sport, then why not take the opportunity to learn golf in a warm, friendly, and relaxed atmosphere, before sitting back to reflect on your progress over coffee and biscuits in the Golf Academy.

Weekly Package Includes:

• 8 x 1 hour group lessons • Groups limited to 6 ladies • Equipment hire • Free use of driving range Sundays to Thursdays before 3 pm • Coffee and biscuits

Package Cost:

AED 945 (members) • AED 995 (non-members)

kindergarten golf Kindergarten golf at the Creek is the perfect way to start your child’s golfing career. If your son or daughter is between four and seven years old, why not enrol them in the junior golf classes at the Dubai Creek Golf Academy, where they will be guided through every aspect of the game from technique to basic rules? Your child will enjoy a weekly lesson in a fun and friendly environment under the watchful eye of the academy’s dedicated golf professionals, whilst making new friends.

Package Includes: • 8 x 1 hour weekly group lessons • Unlimited use of academy facilities for the duration of the package • Equipment use • Certificates of achievement

Package Cost:

AED 700 (members) • AED 800 (non-members) For further information and bookings please contact Academy Reservations T: +971 4 295 6000, E: areservations@dubaigolf.com, www.dubaigolf.com

Women's Golf Middle East

Looking ahead to the new season Women’s Golf middle east have some exciting events planned for the new season with dubai, abu dhabi, sharjah, Ras al Khaimah and al ain all hosting different tournaments and gatherings. the season opener will take place at sharjah Golf & shooting Club on sunday 19th september (full details in the panel on the right) and events will continue throughout the season at different courses in the region.

WGme will also be incorporating a Par-3 Golf series which will be taking place at arabian Ranches Golf Club alongside additional evening nine-hole events and some weekend days to accommodate the working ladies.

WGme want to encourage as many beginner ladies who have completed their training and would like to progress to getting their handicap, to take part in these fun and enjoyable golf days. these competitions provide ladies with a platform to gain experience, learn the rules and etiquette of the game as well as improving their golf to gain a handicap. the events will have a variety of formats, which will include individual competitions and team competitions, as well as hosting a few days designed specifically for the single figure handicap player. included in the schedule will be ‘Rules evenings’ which will give ladies an opportunity to come along and take part in an informative and fun evening designed to explain the basic rules of golf. this always proves very beneficial to golfers of any standard. the WGme website will be able to provide access for you to see the full schedule of tournaments until may 2011 and you will be able to register online for any of these events up to two months in advance. also on the WGme website you will be able to find all the tournament results and photographs of past events.

Membership 2010-11 WGME will be launching Membership schemes from the 1st September 2010 to August 2011. You can join this Membership at any time and by doing so you can take advantage of reduced rates at their partner golf clubs, a full events schedule, Membership card, Membership shirt and a chance to be able to participate in events all around the UAE. WGME will also be able to provide you with flexi-benefits which will allow members to avail of discounts at various hotels, spas, retail outlets etc.

WGME are looking forward to launching our online shopping, which will include brands for clothing and golf equipment. Please visit the new WGME website WWW.WoMEnsGolfME.coM

Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club – WGME Event Date: Tee Times: Competition Format: Handicap: costs: Dhs 285 Dhs 260 Dhs 85

Sunday 19th September 2010 9.0 am to 10.0am 18 Holes Individual Stableford P.C. and Handicap Holders

WGME frEE MEMbEr – incluDEs lunch, GrEEn fEE, sharED Golf cart, ranGE balls Prior to Play WGME PaiD MEMbEr - incluDEs all thE abovE. sG&sc club MEMbEr - incluDEs all thE abovE.

sandy Meyer’s

Professional TiP Keeping the pitch shot simple For many ladies, pitching (any length of shot between 25 and 50 yards) proves to be one of the more difficult shots to play and control. this length of shot requires an immense amount of feel and confidence. here are some basic tips to help make your approach to the shot simple and clear.

On your set-up make sure to take the following steps: • Check to see that the majority of your weight is on your leading leg – work on about 60 to 65 per cent.

• Push your hands forward so they are opposite the inside of your leading leg.

With the ball position in the centre/back of the stance this creates the necessary angle for the club to impact the ball correctly.

During the Swing: • as you take your backswing, make sure you do not convert your weight from your leading leg to your back leg. make sure that your weight remains on the leading side.

• Use your arms and shoulders to move the club back.

• try to get the feeling that your shoulders are doing most of the work.

• try and take the wrist hinge completely

• • •

• •

out of the shot. this causes many problems, especially with ladies who are trying to scoop the ball up in the air by using their wrist movement. firm up the wrists.

Push the club back with your left shoulder to about waist height or slightly more on the backswing.

Pull the club through the shot with your shoulders and arms to about waist height or slightly more than that on the followthrough.

Keep your hands firm and working as one unit. do not break this relationship. due to the length of the swing you will be able to use sufficient acceleration through impact with the ball.

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ArAbiAN

WWG LOCAL FOCUS

Golf Clubs in September 2010 Worldwide Golf Al Badia Golf Club Al Hamra Golf Club Arabian Ranches Golf Club Dirab Golf Club Doha Golf Club, Qatar Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club Egyptian Golf Federation Egyptian Open Emirates Golf Club

Emirates Golf Federation Emirates Golf Federation Golf Club Rates Maritim Jolie Ville Golf & Resort Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club The Address Montgomerie Dubai The Royal Golf Club, Bahrain: Faldo Series Middle East Championship; The King Hamad Trophy Tower Links Golf Club

NEWS FORUMS COMPETITIONS TRAVEL READ ONLINE & MORE... visit;

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JUNIORS IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Attieh creates history in the U.S. Junior Amateur

K

HALID ATTIEH made history this summer by becoming the first Arab player to compete in the 62-year history of the prestigious U.S. Junior Amateur Championship.

The 15-year-old from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (pictured right), teed it up at the appropriately named Egypt Valley Country Club in Michigan in late July and performed admirably. He finished in a tie for 35th place after two rounds of strokeplay on 2-over-par 146 (76,70) to qualify for the match play stages but was knocked out in the second round by the eventual runnerup Justin Thomas, who scored a 5&3 victory.

Attiah’s Canadian-based coach Brett Saunders said: “Today was a quick lesson. Justin played great golf and showed how good you have to be to compete at this level. He’s just going to improve his skill level.”

The Junior Amateur is one of 13 national championships conducted by the USGA, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs. Attieh qualified by finishing runner-up to Carl Jonson Bainbridge during the 36-hole qualifying event at Gold Mountain (Olympic Course) in Bremerton, Washington. Attieh totalled 149 and Jonson 144.

‘Good enough to compete’ The US Junior Amateur is among the most prestigious but most difficult of all USGA championships to win because of the age limit and the huge number of fine young players who enter each year. Only one player, Tiger Woods, has won the Junior Amateur more than once (1991, 1992 and 1993. In fact, only five players have reached the final twice.

When he began taking lessons from Saunders in 2007, Attieh was a 20-handicapper. “The first 12 months was spent improving his lifestyle – nutrition, fitness level and his work ethic,” Saunders said. “That took 12 months. For the last 12 months we’ve focused on improving his skill level.”

Attieh has since shone brightly over the summer months and admits he can take “a lot of positives” from his first U.S. Junior Amateur appearance.

“Now that I’ve been here and made the matchplay format, I know that I’m good enough to compete and play,” he said. “My goal this summer was first, make it to the U.S. Junior and then make the match play. Hopefully, I’ll get better and make it even further next time.”

Joel and Jim in English Amateur WHILE Khalid Attieh was competing in the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, UAE-based players Joel Neal (pictured above, right) and Jim Prescott were in the UK taking part in the English Amateur Championship at the Little Aston and Sutton Coldfield Golf Clubs in the Midlands.

The format was similar to the U.S. event with two rounds of strokeplay defining who qualified for the 64-man match play phase. Unfortunately, both Joel Neale and Jim Prescott didn’t make the 2-over-par 146 or better score needed to make it through to the later stage with Neale shooting a 159 total and Prescott 161.

SUMMER RATES 2010 CLUBS

UGA RATE (AED)

NON UGA RATE (AED)

Abu Dhabi Golf Club From: 1st June 2010 To : 30th September 2010

18H

Weekend 350 After 2.30pm - 265

Weekday 245 After 1.30pm - 175 After 4.30pm - 140 Rates inclusive of shared cart and range use

Weekend 390 After 2.30pm - 290

Al Badia Golf Club From: 1st June 2010 To : 30th September 2010

Holes 18H

Weekday/Weekend 295 Twilight - 225

Weekday/Weekend 395 Twilight - 275

Weekday/Weekend 75 50

Weekday/Weekend 95 60

Al Ghazal Golf Club From: 1st May 2010 To : 31st August 2010

18H 9H

Al Hamra Golf Club From: 1st June 2010 To :30th September 2010

18H 9H

Peak Off Peak 225 190 135 115 Rates inclusive of shared cart and range balls

Peak 250 150

Off Peak 210 125

Arabian Ranches Golf Club From : 1st June 2010 To: 30th September 2010

18 H 9H

Fri - Sat 265 160 All rates include range balls only

Sun - Thu 195 110

Fri - Sat 340 205

Sun - Thu 285 170

Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club From : 1st June 2010 To : 30th September 2010

18 H 9H

Fri - Sat 360 220 Rates include cart & range balls

Sun - Thu 270 165

Fri - Sat 400 240

Sun - Thu 300 180

Emirates Golf Club – Majlis From : 1st June 2010 To : 30th September 2010

18 H 9H

Fri - Sat 380 240

Sun - Thu 360 220

Fri - Sat 400 275

Sun - Thu 400 250

Emirates Golf Club – Faldo From : 1st June 2010 To : 30th September 2010

18 H 9H

Fri - Sat Sun - Thu 290 260 230 220 Rates includes golf cart hire & practice range balls.

Fri - Sat 300 240

Sun - Thu 300 220

Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa From: 1st June 2010 To : 30th September 2010

18 H 9H

Thu - Sat Sun - Wed Thu - Sat 260 220 275 185 160 195 Twilight - Dhs. 115 Rate inclusive of shared cart or trolley hire and a bucket of range balls prior to play

Sun - Wed 235 170

Palm Sports Resort From: 1st June 2010 To : 18th September 2010

18 H 9H

Peak Off Peak 200 185 130 100 Rate inclusive of cart hire and driving range

Peak 230 150

Off Peak 210 120

18 H

Peak Off Peak 350 250 Twilight (after 3pm) Weekend Dhs. 290 Weekday Dhs. 175 Rates inclusive of shared cart and range balls prior to play

Peak 425

Off Peak 300

18 H 9H

Peak Off Peak 435 (2 players) 370 (2 players) 240 (2 players) 215 (2 players) Rates inclusive of shared cart and range balls

Peak 465 (2 players) 260 (2 players)

Off Peak 395 (2 players) 230 (2 players)

Whole week 385

Whole week 450

Saadiyat Beach Golf Club From: 1st May 2010 To : 30th September 2010 Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club From: 1st May 2010 To : 30th September 2010 The Els Club From : 2nd May 2010 To : 31st July 2010

18 H

The Montgomerie Dubai From : 1st June 2010 To: 30th September 2010

18 H

Mid-day Dhs. 285 (10am - 1pm) Twilight Dhs. 285 after 3 pm and Super Twilight Dhs. 185 after 5 pm Rates inclusive of cart and range balls Weekend 325

Weekday 250

Weekday/Weekend 395

Twlight - After 1 pm - Dhs. 350 Rates Inclusive of Cart and range balls

Tower Links Golf Club From:1st June 2010 To: 30th September 2010

18H 9H

Peak Off Peak 195 180 110 110 Inclusive of shared cart and basket of range balls prior to play

Peak 220 125

Off Peak 200 120

Yas Links Abu Dhabi From:1st June 2010 To: 31st August 2010

18H 9H

Peak Off Peak 399 299 200 150 Inclusive of golf cart and practice facilities

Peak 499 250

Off Peak 399 200

Note Peak/Weekend rates are applicable on Public holidays as well Rates subject to change at clubs’ discretion

68

Weekday 325 After 1.30pm - 225

www.wwgolf.biz

ArAbiAn Golf Emirates Golf Federation

McCarthy Makes his Mark at the eGF Medal MARK McCarthy and Ralf Stahl kept their cool in the searing heat to walk away with honours in the Handicap Scheme Monthly Medal, organised by the Emirates Golf Federation, at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club.

McCarthy shot a tidy net 70 to win the Division ‘A’ title while Stahl carded a creditable 37 points to emerge victorious in Division ‘B’ where he beat his nearest rival, Andrew Kenning, by one point.

With a full field braving the tough conditions, the tournament, which was a part of the EGF Summer Series, produced a close competition in all the divisions.

One of the highpoints of the tournament was the presence of a number of lady golfers in the field. In the end it was Katrin Wilke who made it to the podium, winning the ladies division with 33 points.

Xander de Wet made his presence felt with some solid golf to win the prestigious Best Gross prize.

The event – the second of a four-event summer series – had been oversubscribed, which forced the organisers to make additional tee times to accommodate as many players on the waiting list as possible.

“It’s good see to so many players, including

lady golfers, responding enthusiastically to our Medal event despite the hot weather conditions,” said Saeed Albudoor, General Manager of the Emirates Golf Federation.

“We at the EGF are committed to making the game more accessible. We are really grateful to all the clubs in the UAE for their support in

helping us to put together these Handicap Scheme events.”

The Medal events are exclusively for EGF members and offer a great opportunity to players to improve on their respective handicaps while playing a round of golf at very reasonable rates.

will be Dubai World Championship shirts, caps, tournament passes, car parking and either an invitation to the Volunteers’ Appreciation Golf Day, played over the Earth course, or a green fee voucher.

ply to be a V To ap olu nt

DUBAI-based Buddy Morin has been named the Chief Marshal for the forthcoming Dubai World Championship at the Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai, from November 25 – 28.

The second Dubai World Championship will again feature No.1 to 60 in The Race to Dubai, The European Tour’s season-long competition for the world’s leading golfers.

Morin, a 6-handicapper and a member of both Emirates Golf Club and Jumeirah Golf Estates and a certified R&A Rules Referee, who headed the Volunteer Marshal operation in 2009, said: “We attracted more than 400 volunteer marshals from Dubai, the UAE, the region and many from overseas for the 2009 Dubai World Championship.

“Attendance figures exceeded all our expectations, so at least that number of volunteer marshals will be needed again this year. We look forward to welcoming back last year’s volunteers as well as new volunteers who want to enjoy the tournament from a totally different perspective.”

Included in the Volunteer Marshal benefits

Volunteers Required for Race to Dubai finale

nteers@eim.ae volu wc

dubai world championship chieF marshal, buddy morin, calls For more volunteers to ‘enjoy the tournament shal e-mail Bud dy: Mar r e d e From a totally diFFerent perspective’

www.wwgolf.biz

69

THE NEW STANDARD IN ACCURACY AND DISTANCE. INTRODUCING THE COBRA S2 IRONS. OUR MOST ADVANCED HIGHEST PERFORMING IRONS YET.

Dust off your pitch mark repair tool, because you’re going to need it. Cobra’s new S2 Irons feature multi-material construction and optimised heel-toe weighting that takes MOI to new heights delivering more distance and ultimately helping you hit more greens consistently. And thanks to a urethane sole insert and back cavity plate, we did it all without sacrificing our legendary feel.

For more information about Cobra S2 Irons, including our new high-performance, Forged model, visit COBRAGOLF.CO.UK.

Multi-Material Design improves launch, accuracy and distance.

Mid-Width Stepped Sole promotes superior turf interaction.

Enhanced Heel/Toe Weighting maximises forgiveness.

Pro Sports International, PO Box 26723, Dubai, UAE . Sign up to SnakeBytes,our free e-newsletter at snakebytes.info

ArAbiAn Golf Emirates Golf Federation

EGF MEMbErship bEnEFits • • • • • • •

Reduced green fees at All UAE Golf Clubs.

Special rates on range balls at selected golf clubs in the UAE. Discounted tickets for European Tour events held in the UAE. In addition to the above privileges, Handicap Scheme members receive an official handicap (conditions apply) administered along the guidelines of the USGA handicap system, which is accepted worldwide for handicap purposes.

Member will be covered by third party and property damage insurance. (Full details to be obtained from the EGF or UAE Golf Clubs).

Monthly Tournaments for HCP Scheme Members at reduced rates.

Free copy of Worldwide Golf magazine monthly delivered free of charge.

UAE NAtiONAL OrdEr OF MErit 1 2 3

SAEED MALIK (DCGYC) 43 ABDULLA AL MUSHARREKH (DCGYC) 34a Ahmed Al Musharrekh (DCGYC) 33

Emirates Golf Federation Awards for the 2009/2010 season Boys Order of Merit Awards presented by Saeed Al Budoor, General Secretary of the EGF and Nigel Benstead, VP Pepsi Middle East and North Africa

1st Daniel Hendry

2nd Philip Urasch

3rd Tom Green

Daniel was also awarded the Junior Golfer of the Year prize by the Junior Development Programme.

Ladies 2009-2010 order of Merit results

1st Nasha Sarkari

2nd Lindsay Brown

3rd Sana Tufail

Nasha is a product of the EGF’s Junior Development Programme, who started playing golf in the JDP around 12 years ago at the age of six.

Girls 2009-2010 Order of Merit (Net).

1st Shloka Desai with 119 points

2nd Boushra Dalile with 74 points

3rd Diya Chopra with 113 points

Sholka Desai was also awarded the Most Improved Junior Golf prize.

www.wwgolf.biz

71

WHICH NEW IRON FITS YOUR GAME� Are you looking for maximum forgiveness or do you like to work the ball? The large, perimeter weighted G15 provides higherlaunching, longer carrying shots and the accuracy to hit more greens. The i15 is a mid-sized head that offers workability with cavity-back forgiveness. It’s engineered as a progressive set to deliver forgiveness in the long irons and more control in the mid- and short-irons.

Find the right fit for your game at an authorized PING Fitting location or visit ping.com. ©PING 2009

egyptian gOLF FeDeRatiOn neWS

NATIONAL TEAM ANNOuNCEd WOrLd AMATEur TEAM ChAMPIONshIP

E

GYPTIAN National Team Manager Ghassan Kabbani and National Coach Anne Le Coniat have announced the team to compete for Egypt in the 2010 World Amateur Team Championship in Argentina from October 23rd to 30th. the team of three competing for the eisenhower trophy will be taymour abou el Khier and Mike adly (Katameya Heights) and issa abou el ela (alexandria Sporting Club). the first alternate has been named as abdel Monem el Shafei (gezira Sporting Club).

“taymour and Mike have had outstanding seasons, with taymour winning the egF Order of Merit and Mike securing his first Open win and performing well over the season,” said Kabbani. “issa is clearly one of our outstanding junior talents for the future and the experience he will gain from competing this year will make a him a real competitor in 2012. the team will prepare for the event with the 54 Hole egyptian amateur Open and with a structured coaching program with the national Coach prior to departure. they will travel to the Championships with the goal of finishing in the top 30.

NEW LOOK EGYPTIAN AMATEur OPEN

d

ETAILs for the 2010 Egyptian Amateur Open have been announced with Katameya heights confirmed as the host venue for the event which will be held from september 29th to October

2nd. the tournament will be played over 54 holes with entries coming from regional and international players.

For the first time in the event’s impressive history, R&a official world ranking points will be awarded and the top five competitors will be awarded invitations to the 2010 egyptian Open.

Confirmed the participation this year are four of the finest young talents from South africa and Scotland. nineteen-year-old Riekus nortje is currently a plus 2 handicapper at george golf Club. He represented South africa this year at Zone Vi and in a test match against Scotland at Leopard Creek.

He is currently ranked seventh in the country. Riekus also represented Sa as a junior and played has played for Southern Cape in numerous inter provincials. eighteen-year-old thabo Maseko is a plus 2 handicapper at Country Club Johannesburg. He represented South africa at the Zone Vi tournament in 2010 and will represent Central gauteng at the upcoming inter provincial in September. He is the 2010 northern amateur Champion

which is the third biggest amateur tournament in South africa.

Coming from Scotland will be 16-year-old grant Forest the reigning Scottish Boys Champion and plus 1 handicapper is a Scottish international and looking to not only earn valuable R&a World amateur ranking points but also finish in the top five to claim a spot in the egyptian Open. Forest’s colleague and fellow Craigielaw golf Club member greg Smail recently finished top five in the Faldo Series final and is also the Captain of the reigning Scottish team Champions side. Smail, age 18, is also looking to secure one of those top five places and play alongside the top players from the european Challenge tour.

Both players are aiming for a career in golf and plan to go to the US on golf Scholarships. pictured right is 2009 champion amr abou el ela with egF Chairman ayman Hussein.

Katameya Heights

www.wwgolf.biz

73

M C ILROY, MANASSERO

ADD STARDUST TO EGYPTIAN OPEN

I

T may be making its full European Challenge Tour debut but the 2010 Egyptian Open looks set to boast one of the finest line-ups of the year, following the news that Italian teenage prodigy Matteo Manassero will join World No.7 Rory McIlroy in Cairo next month.

To be staged at the JW Marriott, Mirage City Golf Club from Wednesday 20 to Saturday 23 October, the penultimate round of the Challenge Tour calendar gives players one last chance to qualify for the Apulla San Domenico Grand Final in Italy the following week, while a prize fund of $250,000 has also helped attract a powerful field.

Among them, 17-year-old Italian Manassero – considered by many to be ‘the new Seve’ – will continue his climb through the professional ranks when the Middle East’s oldest golf event takes on Challenge Tour status.

Last month, Manassero (pictured below, right) edged closer to his first professional title taking second place at the Rolex Trophy in Switzerland, while Northern Ireland’s 21-year-old McIlroy – who has accepted an invite to make his Cairo debut – continued his meteoric rise to the top with joint third place at the U.S. PGA Championship, which was won by Challenge Tour graduate Martin Kaymer.

“These are exciting times for everyone connected with the Egyptian Open,” said Egyptian Golf Federation Chairman Ayman Hussein. “There is little doubt that Rory McIlroy (pictured below, left) is one of the most popular and talented players in the game, while Matteo Manessero has lit up the sport of golf with his talent at such a young age. It’s a great way for us to announce Egypt on the Challenge Tour stage.”

Manassero shot to prominence by winning the Silver Medal as a 16-year-old amateur at last year’s Open Championship before becoming the youngest player to make the cut at The Masters. In addition, the Italian has an even better record as an amateur than McIlroy, having won more and at an earlier age, including the British Amateur Championship at just 16.

In 2009, Manassero was only four shots behind eventual winner Stewart Cink and Tom Watson in The Open and his elevation to

74

www.wwgolf.biz

the professional ranks will see the teenager aiming to match the achievements of fellow Challenge Tour former stars like Kaymer and last year’s Challenge Tour champion Edoardo Molinari who has gone on to reach No. 21 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

“The Challenge Tour is a great place to develop your game as the competition is so fierce,” said Manassero, who made his professional debut at the Italian Open in Turin just three months ago. “When you look at the success of players such as Martin Kaymer and Edoardo Molinari you can see the quality involved.

“I was in a good position to win in Switzerland but it was my first time in that situation. While I was not able to claim victory, it was a positive learning experience for me and I look forward to having the opportunity again soon.”

He added: “To win on my first appearance in Cairo would be amazing but the field will be one of the strongest of the year and with Rory in the line-up it’s going to be even harder to win. I’m looking forward to it.”

If Manassero were to hold off McIlroy and win his maiden professional title in Egypt, he will also have thwarted one of the strongest fields of the year which includes – at the time of going to print – 13 title winners from 2010.

David Vanegas, Robert Dinwiddie, Charlie Ford, Sam Walker, Floris De Vries, Lee Slattery, George Murray, Alvaro Velasco, Thorbjorn Oleson, Bernd Weisberger, Alessandro Tadini, Daniel Gaunt and Mark Tullo will all tee off at the JW Marriott, Mirage City Golf Club, while other big names packing their clubs for Egypt include ex-Ryder Cup player and former Qatar Masters champion Andrew Coltart, 2004 BMW PGA winner Scott Drummond and European Tour winners Miles Tunnicliffe and Paul Eales.

With 23 of the top 24 players on the Challenge Tour rankings confirmed, it’s an impressive field and one that will help Cairo continue its march on well established European Tour venues in the region such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha.

EGYPTIAN OPEN

Meanwhile, Worldwide Golf takes a closer look at the 2010 Egyptian Open and discovers that golf is a numbers game in more ways than one…

1

The 2010 Egyptian Open will be the first time the tournament has been on the European Challenge Tour. In 2009 it was merely supported by the Challenge Tour.

3

Position Rory McIlroy finished in both The 2010 Open Championship and the 2010 U.S. PGA Championship. McIlroy will lead the field in Cairo in October.

5 12 13 16

October 5, the closing date for entries for the 2010 Egyptian Open.

Number of times the Egyptian Open has been won by Amr Abou Ella.

Number of 2010 Challenge Tour Champions in the 2010 Egyptian Open field.

Position host golf professional Calle Carllson (Mirage City Golf, JW Marriott, Cairo) finished in the 2009 Egyptian Open after rounds of 66, 73, 72 and 76 to finish 1-under 287.

20

Number of players from the final 2010 European Challenge Tour Ranking who will obtain full playing rights to the 2011 European Tour International Schedule.

25

Number of countries represented in the 2010 Egyptian Open entry list – Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, England, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Wales.

45

Number of players who will qualify for the season-ending €300,000 Apulia San Domenica Grand Final in Italy (Wednesday 27 – Saturday 30 October) from the European Challenge Tour Ranking after the 2010 Egyptian Open.

65 114 153 265 275 1921 7,108 250,000 1,184,019 328,401,814

Best score of the week at the 2009 Egyptian Open by Carl Suneson (Spn).

Size of the field for the Egyptian Open.

Score that made the cut in the 2009 Egyptian Open.

Number of players on the current Challenge Tour Ranking.

Final winning score by Steven Tiley (Eng) in the 2009 Egyptian Open.

The year the first Egyptian Open was staged.

Total yardage for the golf course at JW Marriott, Mirage City Golf Club.

Prize-fund in US$ for the 2010 Egyptian Open.

Prize money in Euros earned by Rory McIlroy in the 2010 Race to Dubai as at Monday 16th August 2010, prior to the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.

Number of households that will receive TV footage of the 2010 Egyptian Open. www.wwgolf.biz

75

TNT Order Of MeriT WiNNers eNJOY scOTTish TOur

N

OW in its third year of competition since its inception in 2007, the TNT Order of Merit has become something of an institution for its 200 registered players.

The culmination of the eight-month competition has previously been a place in a pro-am at a prestigious event on the European Senior Tour. This year, continuing the tradition and in close co-operation with Worldwide Golf, it was decided to target the Home of Golf – Scotland and the Senior Open Championship at Carnoustie.

The three winners; Shabir Yakub, Xavier Farrington and Tony Dougherty had fought through the eight qualifying rounds at Arabian Ranches Golf Club and after some stellar performances rightfully earned their place on what turned out to be the golfing trip of a lifetime.

Arriving in Scotland, with six world-class courses ahead of them, expectation levels were high.

After a scenic drive from the West to East of Scotland, traveling across the Firth of Forth, they checked into the comfortable surroundings of Lathones, just 10km from historic town of St Andrews.

The following morning Kingsbarns was the first course on the schedule – an absolute jewel on the East coast of Scotland overlooking the North Sea. This was to be the first time that anybody in the party had walked a course for some weeks, so, with trolleys fully loaded they headed out on to the classic Links.

Four and a half hours of fun, sunburn and several ‘should have/could have been’ moments later and it was a welcome return to the ‘19th hole’ for refreshments and a lively discussion to see who had won.

The frantic schedule meant staying in a number of different hotels with the next stop coming at The Old Course Hotel, St Andrews, an opulent 5 star facility which overlooks the ground on which the ancient game was born.

An early start at The Duke’s was up first on day two – a challenging championship course which measures 7271 yards, the first heathland course in the historic St Andrews golfing area.

After taking in the wonderful sights that The Duke’s had to offer the team were back on the coach for the short trip to Crail for a 17:00pm tee time.

Beautiful Crail is renowned for being the seventh oldest course in the world and its par 4 fifth hole, which stretches out 447 yards, is aptly named Hell’s Hole.

Sam Torrance refers to it as the hardest par-4 in Scotland and the players couldn’t find any reason to disagree!

The following morning saw another transfer north to Perthshire to the next base at Murrayshall Hotel, a beautiful sandstone manor house with two golf courses – Lynedoch and Murrayshall.

If you want to play two very different courses in one day then head for Murrayshall, they’re both woodland 18-hole layouts but differ in so many ways. The Lynedoch is an undulating 5400-yard course which has numerous natural hazards while the neighbouring Murrayshall is a much longer affair – but as it was a busy Saturday play was off the yellow tees and ‘only’ measured 6,043 yards.

After drying off and enjoying dinner the next stop was Carnoustie.

(l-r) Bryan Moulds, Country GM TNT UAE, Xavier Farrington, Bernhard Langer, Tony Dougherty and Martin Wright,GM TNT Bahrain.

Arriving in Carnoustie the scene was set for the final round, but prior to our big event there was the small matter of the final round of The Senior Open Championship which was won in fine fashion by Bernhard Langer (pictured above with members of the TNT party), who, with backto-back Senior Major victories, put himself in with a chance of a wildcard pick for the upcoming Ryder Cup. The sun rose the next morning and the stage was set to play the Championship course at Carnoustie. Home to seven previous Open Championships and officially 6,941 yards in length, there is little more to say about the history or playability of this course that hasn’t been said before. If you ever get a chance to play it, do so.

It was a hard week of golf even for the low handicapped winners of the Order of Merit – Shabir, Xavier and Tony but it was a fitting end to the season after eight hard rounds in Dubai. n

(l-r) Tony Dougherty, Xavier Farrington and Shabir Yakub pose on the Swilken Bridge on the Old Course at St Andrews.

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77

DUBAI CREEK gOLF & YACHT CLuB

Kondath Claims maiden win

Haridas Kondath receives the BMW trophy from David Gray, Golf Services Manager at Dubai Creek.

HARIDAS Kondath won the overall prize and the Men’s Division ‘B’ at the BMW August Medal with a great score of net 70.

Kondath had one disastrous hole – a 10 on the tricky sixth – but he recovered well and held his nerve for the rest of the round and claimed his maiden medal win.

In the Men’s Division ‘A’ Teejan Fadlu Deen claimed the spoils with a consistent net 72 with Bayhan Lakdawala finishing alone in second place with on 75.

Joy Lirio won the Ladies Division with a net 74 to finish once again in the prizes.

The overall lowest gross score for the day was a superb level par round of 71 by the recently crowned Summer Open Champion Ahmed Al Musharrekh while Serifa D’Souza scored the best net of the day – a 69 – to win the junior Division by seven shots.

Judges reign supreme THE father and son duo of Vikram and Aditya Judge scored a superb betterball Stableford score of 41 points to win the August Carpetland Monthly Open by two points from their nearest rivals.

A great outward nine of 21 points with four gross birdies set them up nicely to return in 20 points and take the title by a clear margin from the husband and wife team of Robert and Maureen Platt. Mitesh Desai and Vivian Verma also scored 39 points but had to settle for third place after the Platt’s better back nine score.

The top three winning pairs have secured places in the fifth consecutive Grand Finals to be held in George Joshua, Assistant Marketing Manager for Aqili Furnishings and David Gray, Golf Services May.

Manager at Dubai Creek present Vikram and Aditya Judge with their trophies.

Chapman blows away the field THE Dubai Golf Summer Series supported by Etihad continued at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club recently with the second fixture sponsored by Ping and it was Chris Chapman from the EGF who took control with a huge haul of 41 Stableford points.

A field of 60 players turned up to bear the heat and windy conditions and Chapman faired best in the conditions with nines of 20 and 21 to win by five points from Peter Shaw (DCGYC).

While Shaw missed out on the overall prize he did win the best gross prize for the day from Serifa D’Souza who scored 34 points.

Annie Browne finished off the gross podium places with a 32 point haul.

LEADERBOARD after two rounds

78

NAME

HCP

CLUB

Shloka Desai Peter Shaw Mark McCarthy Patrick Morrow Nicholas Hymas Serifa D’ Souza

11 3 9 10 18 17

DCGYC DCGYC EGF DCGYC TBA DCGYC

www.wwgolf.biz

FIXTURE 1 FIXTURE 2 TOTAL FALDO DCGYC 38 31 34 32 32 28

31 36 31 31 30 34

69 67 65 63 62 62

The Emirates Golf Club winning team Right to Left: David Gray, Golf Services Manager at Dubai Creek, presents Chris Chapman with a Ping putter alongside other prize winners Serifa D’Souza and third placed Annie Browne.

ArAbiAn Golf Location: deira, opposite deira City Centre. contact: Tel : + 9714 295 6000 dcgyc@dubaigolf.com Book online tee times at www.dubaigolf.com info: First Open 1993, redesigned in 2005.

Course: 18 holes, par 71, 6,857 yards, Championship course.

Original designer: karl Litten. redesign: european golf design in association with Thomas Björn.

a fond farewell for rommel STAFF at Dubai Creek staged a par-3 competition for themselves in early August with 59 members of staff competing for honours and it was Rommel Del Rosario who topped the pile with a superb performance.

Del Rosario scored a fantastic gross score of 2-under-par for a net 21.4 to win by a net difference of 1.4 from Noel Decena.

Del Rosario fired two birdies on holes 8 and 9 and the day proved to be a wonderful farewell for Rommel as he recently decided to head back home to be with his family.

The overall winner in the beginners’ section was Jerald Serdania with a gross 33 while the Ladies champion was Nhully Millado with a wonderful gross score of 34.

“A big thank you to Patrick Morrow, Kuttan Malattiri, S.G Nair, Sajid Mahmood and Vivian Mascarenhas who generously donated the crystal trophies for the staff to play for – I know it was greatly appreciated by all the staff that played,” said David Gray, Golf Services Manager. “It was great to see all the staff enjoy a fun day on the par-3 course and in the Academy afterwards.”

AL musHArrekH sTeALs THe sHOw AHMED Al Musharrekh romped to a six shot victory at the Summer Open in August after shooting a sizzling gross 3-under-par 68.

The UAE National Team member displayed one of his most consistent performances to date as he hit all 18 greens in regulation with his first birdie coming at the par-5 13th hole.

He finished his round off in style by birdieing the last two holes to collect his winning prize of the latest Ping G15 driver.

“A big thank you to David Stevenson from Prosports for sponsoring the event with such fantastic Ping prizes,” said Al Musharrekh. “Thank you also to David and Alan at the Creek for organising another great event.”

Abdullah Al Musharrekh, Ahmed’s

older brother, finished alone in second place with a solid gross 3-over 74 to continue the familiar sight of the talented brothers at the top of the leaderboard.

Dubai Creek’s reigning Seniors Open Champion Ivan Lawson continued his good from to finish in third with a gross 6-over 77. Lawson’s level-par back nine helped him secure the podium finish on a countback from Peter Shaw, who also carded a 77.

In Division ‘A’ Nestor Labis’ net 71 claimed the first prize of a Ping putter with Will Jarvis finishing in second place on net 73 by virtue of his better back nine.

In Division ‘B’ Serifa D’Souza’s net 70 saw her finish top of the pile with Joy Lirio taking second place with a 73.

Left to Right: David Gray, Golf Services Manager at Dubai Creek with winner Ahmed Al Musharrekh, David Stevenson of Prosports, runner-up Abdullah Al Musharrekh and third placed Ivan Lawson.

All the Dubai Creek and Emirates Golf Club Staff prior to play.

CreeK staff white wash the emirates 12-0 THE first leg of the annual staff tournament between Dubai Golf’s sister clubs, Dubai Creek and Emirates, teed off at Dubai Creek recently and the home team took full advantage, romping to a 12-0 victory.

Twelve elite pairs from each club were chosen to battle it out on the golf course in a pairs scramble format and after the first leg the Creek team hold an astonishing lead over the Emirates.

“It was great to see another superb turn out from both clubs for the staff event and this year a wonderful result for the Creek,” said David Gray, Golf Services Manager.

“The staff at both clubs all work hard during the busy golfing season in Dubai and it is good to give the courses back to them for their own exclusive event.

“Most importantly the day is to let them have some fun out on the course and which I am sure they all had.”

A total of 90 staff took to the course in the pairs competition as Rudy Monzaga and Nick Gardiola (DCGYC) scored a net score of 62.6 to take the first place prize.

Paolo Borlongan and Romulo Cunanan (DCGYC) missed out by only 0.2 to finish alone in second place. Olan Arceta and Ryan Maquiling (DCGYC) finished third with a net 64.2.

Results from the second leg at Emirates Golf Club will be carried in the next issue of Worldwide Golf

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arabian ranches Golf Club

Bennett seals July Monthly Medal STEVE Bennett (3) returned a gross 2-over-par 74 to win the July Rivoli Monthly Medal supported by Ecco.

Bennett swept aside the competition with a brilliant performance in perfect summer conditions. A regular competitor in the Monthly Medal, Bennett managed to defeat a strong field with consistent nines of 38 and 36 and won by virtue of a countback over Hayden Parker who recently joined the club as a Junior member.

Bennett said: “We appreciate the support from Rivoli making this the premier event for the members to compete in every month. The front nine was tricky but I managed to keep the bogeys off the card and limit the damage to a 38.”

The Division “A” Net title belonged to Hayden Parker (5) who posted a brilliant Net 69 to edge out Kevin Barrett by one shot while in Division “B” Frank Doyle (15) posted a brilliant Net 70 to beat Nigel Fenwick by three shots.

In the Ladies division, Louise Doyle (17) posted a brilliant gross 87 to win her first Rivoli Gross title by two shots while Lady Captain, Fortuna Dougherty (18) posted a net 74 which proved just enough to take the Net title.

Club Captain John Hainey said: “I want to thank Rivoli as well as Ecco for their generous support in one of the Club’s monthly flagship events.”

b a x t e r ta k e s e C C o m o n d ay ladIes soCIal ANNE Baxter scored a fantastic haul of 43 Stableford points to win the Ecco Monday Social in late July by a huge ten-point margin.

Baxter played great golf and shot nines of 21 and 22 points to leave second placed Margaret Stocks trailing in her wake.

Caption: Club Captain John Hainey and Lady Captain Fortuna Dougherty with the winners.

Poole romPs to IndIvIdual s ta b l e f o r d t I t l e ANDREW Poole (14) posted a brilliant 43 Stableford points to win the Individual Stableford event in late July.

Poole took full advantage of a perfect day for scoring to post an outward half of 22 points with five net birdies and two net eagles and he kept his cool on the back nine where he posted a further 21 points with his only real blemish coming at the 17th where he managed only one point.

Poole’s back nine score of 21 gave him the win by countback from runner-up Richard Hall (10) who scored the same amount of points but had nines of 23 and 20.

In the Ladies division Janet Sanderson posted 39 points to claim the title by two points from Sheila Alban. Alban did lead the field with a superb opening nine of 21 points, however Sanderson took control on the back nine with a brilliant score of 23 points to secure the title.

“We thank all the Members for their continued support during 2010 and hope that we can provide an even better golfing experience for them during the rest of the season,” said Francois Wolfaardt, Golf Manager.

atherton and Barker drive off with the lexus BetterBall honours ANDY Barker (16) and Graham Atherton (10) scored 45 Stableford points to win the Lexus Betterball of Partners event recently after combining brilliantly over the Arabian Ranches layout.

Having started on the third hole in the shotgun format their front nine holes included four net birdies for a 21 point total. The pair then continued their steady play on the back nine where they did the bulk of their scoring with six further net birdies on their way to posting a 24 point nine hole haul for their winning total.

The pair were closely pursued by a trio of teams tied on 43 points with the runner-up spot going to Julien Arnolda and Thimal Perera because of a stronger back nine of 23 points.

In the Ladies/Mixed Division Tony (14) and Ksenia Grayling (26) took the spoils with a great performance of 47 Stableford points to top the table.

Graham and Sheila Alban were runners-up on 43 points and moved into

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second place in the Order of Merit. “Its great to see so many competitors at each event,” said Club Captain John Hainey. “Thanks go to Al Futtaim for their continued support of the ARGC Tournament calendar.”

This was the sixth event in the current Al Futtaim Motors Order of Merit series with Andre Coetzee leading the Order of Merit on 62.5 points.

foster & Callaghan CoMBine perfeCtly to take the toyota golf day

The duo of Steve Foster and Shane Callaghan scored +7 Modified Stableford points to win the Toyota Golf Day held at Arabian Ranches.

The format for the event was a Combined Modified Stableford, each player received full handicap allowance and points were awarded as follows, 8 Pts – Net Albatross, 5 Pts – Net Eagle, 2 Pts – Net Birdie, 0 Pts – Net Par, -1 Pt for a Net Bogey and -3 Pts – Net Double Bogey. Both players individual scores were combined together at each hole of play to determine the team total.

Both Foster and Callaghan made valuable contributions at

crucial times during the round with both players scoring net birdies at the same hole on four occasions.

The consistent scoring allowed the team to post their winning total with the duo carding an inward half of -1 and an outward half of +8 Their score of +7 was two better than the pair of Frank Doyle and Bryan King who took the runners-up spot with five.

In the Ladies/Mixed Division the husband and wife combination of Phil and Denise Alcock posted the best score of the day to win their division with a score of +13. Both Denise and Phil played exceptional golf and capped their performance with two eagles, one by Phil on the 15th hole and a net eagle by Denise on the fifth.

Francois Wolfaardt, Golf Manager, commented at the prize giving: “We try to keep the events interesting by providing our Members and their guests with a variety of formats; this combined Modified Stableford proved to be great fun as both players had to be on top of their game and perform well throughout the round to stand a chance of winning.

“We thank Toyota for all their support and encouragement in helping us create a quality event to our Membership, homeowners and their guests.”

ArAbiAn Golf Location: emirates road (311) in the heart of arabian ranches. contact: tel : +971 4 366 3000 tel : +971 4 366 3355 info: arabian ranches Golf Club opened its doors in february, 2004 and was built as a true 18 holes, par 72 desert-style grass course, a signature course designed by Ian bakerfinch in association with nicklaus design. course: Championship Course 7691-yard par 72.

All the results of the tournament and details of club activities can be found on the club website – www.arabianranchesgolfdubai.com

bennett and sInClaIr rIse to the oCCasIon STEVE Bennett (3) returned a gross 5-over-par 77 to win the Ashworth Men’s Summer Open supported by TNT in July while Don Sinclair secured the Net prize with a 70.

The tournament attracted a field of 84 golfers and was an 18 hole strokeplay event played in tough conditions with deep rough and lightning fast greens.

Defending champion Bennett posted nines of 40 and 37, including an impressive four gross birdies, to clinch the Gross title.

Having started on hole 10, he got off to a disastrous start with a triple bogey and then followed it with a double bogey to leave him 5-over through two holes. However, he went on to close out his opening nine with four excellent birdies to post a 37.

He maintained his composure over the back nine but stumbled a little towards the end with four bogeys for his round of 77 which saw him win by one stroke from Club Champion and two-time Summer Open winner John Mills.

The score of Mills was tied by fellow Scratch League teammate Tony Dougherty and John’s son Calum Mills and it was the better back nine of Mills Snr that secured him the runner-up position.

In the Net Division Sinclair (9) claimed the title with a brilliant Net 70 which turned out to be the only score in red numbers on the day.

Sinclair won by a clear two strokes from a host of players on 72, including Tony Stroud, Richard Hall and Paul Barbone, and it was Stroud who took second place thanks to his better back nine performance.

Sinclair managed his game brilliantly on a day when scoring was very difficult he posted two gross birdies on his way to a 79 for a net 70.

“We appreciate the support we receive from the players for this event especially in the height of summer in testing conditions,” said Golf Professional Francois Wolfaardt. “We are very proud of this event being

one of our Majors at ARGC and it has produced great champions in the seven years that we have hosted it. We also thank the main sponsor Ashworth and in support TNT who contribute to the success of the tournament.”

Steve Bennett is congratulated by Club Captain John Hainey.

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81

Faldo Series Middle East Championship 2010 Venue: The Royal Golf Club, Kingdom of Bahrain Date: Friday 8th - Saturday 9th October 2010

TOURNAMENT DETAILS:

Practice round: 7/10/2010 Tournament rounds: 8-9/10/2010 Format: Gross stroke play

PARTICIPANTS:

Amateur golfers aged 12-21 Boys and girls born 1989-1998 Nationality: Middle East nationals and expatriate residents Handicap limit: Boys 18, Girls 28

ENTRIES:

Hotline: +973 17 750 777 golfevents@theroyalgolfclub.com www.theroyalgolfclub.com

Six-time Major winner Sir Nick Faldo brought the Faldo Series to Asia in 2006 following its success in Europe since 1996.

Former Faldo Series winners include European Tour stars Rory McIlroy and Nick Dougherty, Ladies European Tour rookie of the year Melissa Reid and LPGA Major winner Tseng Ya-ni.

Talented golfers aged 12 to 21 are invited to follow in the footsteps of these famous golfers and take part in the Faldo Series Asia 2010.

For further details visit www.nickfaldo.com or email asia@nickfaldo.com

ArAbiAn Golf royal golf club bahrain

FALDO SERIES mIDDLE EASt REtURNS tO tHE ROyAL gOLF CLUB TOP young golfers from across the Middle East will once again compete for a place in the prestigious Faldo Series Asia Grand Final when the second Faldo Series Middle East Championship tees off at the Royal Golf Club in the Kingdom of Bahrain on October 8-9.

Last year’s inaugural Middle East Championship in Bahrain was a huge success, with boys and girls aged 12 to 21 attending from six different countries in the Gulf region.

Local Bahraini children aged 11 and under were also invited to compete in a Faldo Mini Series event on the Royal Golf Club’s par-3 course.

This combination of opportunities for talented young players and grass-roots golfers alike will once again be a feature of the Middle East Championship where England’s Daniel Owen (pictured right on his way to victory at last year’s event) will defend his title on the course that will host The European Tour’s inaugural Volvo Tournament of Champions in January 2011.

Owen, aged 21 and a resident of Bahrain, is expected to face stiff competition from a field of more than 50 talented young golfers, up to five of whom will qualify for the fifth Grand Final next March – an R&A World Amateur

Golf Ranking event hosted by six-time Major winner Sir Nick Faldo at Mission Hills Golf Club in China. Further to the success of the Faldo Series Europe, launched in 1996, the Faldo Series Asia was established in 2006 to expand its search for tomorrow’s champions. More than 30 tournaments now take place in over 25 countries across the UK, Europe, South America, the Middle East and Asia. Former Faldo Series winners include Rory McIlroy, Nick Dougherty, Marc Warren, Melissa Reid, Florentyna Parker and Yani Tseng, all of whom have since won on Tour.

The 2010/2011 Faldo Series Asia schedule features a record 17 tournaments in 12 different countries, including six in mainland China, plus others in The Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Bahrain, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Japan, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia and Thailand.

Location: Situated just 20 minutes drive from bahrain’s capital, manama, the royal golf club boasts the country’s only 18hole grass golf course which forms the stunning centrepiece of riffa Views, a residential lifestyle community. contact: Tel: +973 17 750777

King hamad Trophy confirmed for december

David Park poses with the impressive trophy after winning the second King Hamad Trophy, in 2009.

September eventS at the royal Golf Club Date

Event

Time

Open to

Every Mon

Monday Madness Night Golf Series

6.30pm shotgun

All

Every Wed

Ladies eclectic league

8.00am shotgun

All ladies

Thur 2nd & 9th

Crest Link PowerPlay Ramadan Night Golf Series (9 holes)

7.30pm shotgun

All

Sun 12

Adults & Juniors Family Match

from 1.30pm

All

Thur 16th

Midweek Stableford

until 2.00pm

All

th

Thur 23

Midweek Stableford

until 2.00pm

All

Thur 30th

Royal Ryder Cup (singles)

All day

All

rd

For further information on the above, please contact the Golf Events team on golfevents@theroyalgolfclub.com

THE third edition of the King Hamad Trophy Golf Championship will be played at the Royal Golf Club in Bahrain from December 9-11 with the overall winner receiving an invitation to compete in The European Tour’s Volvo Tournament of Champions in January 2011.

The King Hamad Trophy is a counting event for the R&A’s Amateur World Ranking and last year Scottish club professional David Park won the tournament after a superb come-from-behind victory.

Park entered the final round in eighth position, four shots behind the second round leader Ali Saleh of Bahrain but the Scot produced an even-par 72 to win the prestigious trophy and finish one shot clear of Zamal Hossain from Bangladesh and Nasser Yacoob of Bahrain. Ali Saleh finished eighth after a disastrous final round 80.

The first King Hamad Trophy was held in 2007 and Irishborn professional Graham Spring from Doha Golf Club won the tournament with a level par 216, while Sultan Abdulla of Bahrain Golf Club came second and Rachid Akl from the Golf Club of Lebanon came third.

Competitors this year will have the added incentive of playing for a spot alongside the elite of The European Tour as the winner will earn a place in the inaugural Volvo Tournament of Champions, held at the Royal Golf Club from January 27-30.

The King Hamad Trophy is open to professional and amateur golfers with a playing handicap of 5 or below and is played over three days with 18 holes of strokeplay allocated for each day. All players will play the opening two rounds and a cut will be made after the second round. The leading 42 players and tied qualify for the final round. www.wwgolf.biz

83

Greg Norman Collection - “The Grove”, near the Ice Rink, Dubai Mall, Tel (+9714 339 8117)

Greg Norman Collection apparel now available at our flagship store in Dubai Mall and our on course partners & retail specialists : Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, Emirates Golf Club, The Els Club, Golf House, Go Sports, Dubai Duty Free and Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

ArAbiAn Golf the address montgomerie DUBAI

tailor-made ladies and junior programmes to take off in october THIS October The Academy by Troon Golf, located at The Address Montgomerie Dubai, will be offering tailor made Ladies and Junior Coaching Programmes over an eight-week period.

The Ladies Coaching Programme, which will be held at nine different time slots throughout the week, is split into three different categories: ‘Beginner’ – introducing key fundamentals to the game; ‘Intermediate’ – enhancing skills and swing improvement, and ‘Lady Golfers’ – aiding swing development, practice skills

and golf course strategy. The Junior Development Programme, designed to enhance the skills of our next generation of golfers, is split into four different categories: ‘Rugby’ – six to eight years of age; ‘Emerald’ – eight to ten years of age; ‘Sapphire’ – ten to 12 years of age; and ‘Black Pearl’ – 12 to 16 years of age.

For more information and registration details please contact Rhys Beecher, Head of Instruction, on 04363 1240 or email: rbeecher@themontgomerie.ae

Location: Just off the 5th Interchange of Sheik Zayed Road towards Emirates Hills.

Follow signs for Emirates Hills and then follow signs for The Address Montgomerie, Dubai. contact: Tel: +9714 390 5600 Fax: +9714 360 8981 info: Opened October 2002 course: 18 hole Championship 7,308 yard par 75 from the Black Pearl tees; 6,753 yard par 72 from the Sapphire tees; 6,172 yard par 69 from the Emerald tees; 5,401 yard par 71 from the Ruby tee 9-hole Academy Course Designer: Colin Montgomerie

aL Badia GOLF CLUB

Hot weekend of tournaments in august AUGUST was an intense month in terms of both heat and competition at the Al Badia Golf Club with both the Officeland Monthly Series and the Monthly Medal taking place during the first week.

Following a Stableford format, first place in the opening Officeland event was awarded to the team of Al Badia Members, Charles Kinniburgh and Saul Neiger, who finished with an excellent 43 points.

Mark McCarthy and Bayer Khan followed in second place one point behind, while Tina Hasper and Jan Vandrey had to settle for third place on 40 points.

The Member’s Monthly Medal saw Jan Vandrey crowned the overall winner after carding a score of net 66. Consistency was the key for Brett Armstrong who took the gross prize as he finished his round in 75 blows.

Above right: (left to right) Winners Charles Kinniburgh and Saul Neiger flank by Officeland representative Mark Bryant.

Right: Monthly Medal Gross Winner, Brett Armstrong (right) is pictured with Academy Professional Jamie Anton. www.wwgolf.biz

85

ArAbiAn Golf

Sharjah golf & shooting club

Location: 2km from tasjeel Auto Village behind Emirates Road.

A five minute drive from university city.

NAM DEMOLISHES COURSE IN CORAL BEACH BOGEY

contact: tel: +971 6 548 7777 info@golfandshootingshj.com

FOURTEEN handicapper Kyo Nam brought the nine hole championship course to its knees in the July Coral Beach Resort Sharjah Midweek Bogey as he finished 6-up en route to a two-hole winning margin over Imsany Hasrat (20). J. W. Choi (16) is a regular winner of this event but he had to settle for third place this time, 2-up against the course.

Meanwhile, SGSC have announced the renewal of the sponsorship of the Midweek Madness event by Coral Beach Resort. The nine-hole competition, held bi-weekly on a Monday or Tuesday evening has been very well supported with all participants enjoying a relaxed evening of golf under the floodlights.

Due to the success of this event over the 2009/10 season, the Coral Boutique and Coral Al Khoory (both Hotel Apartments based in Al Barsha, Dubai) have joined the Coral Beach Resort (Sharjah) in their sponsorship of the Midweek Madness. This event will now be known as, ‘The Coral Hotels and Resorts Midweek Madness’.

info: A 9 hole fully floodlit course designed by Peter harradine.

Played twice results in a par-72 layout in excess of 7,300 yards.

KYO NAM proudly holds his prize after winning the Coral Beach Resort Sharjaj Midweek Bogey event.

two foRMAts of fun At July sociAl THE pairings of Jeffry Lui and Jay Gurung and Paul Abouchara and Purna Sharma triumphed in the July edition of the Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club’s BMW Members and Guest Social event.

July’s event featured a front nine Betterball Medal format and a back nine Shambles format and in addition to the main prizes Erik Roeterdink struck the Longest Drive and Paul Abouchara added a Nearest the Pin prize to what was a very successful debut outing.

• INtRODUCING CLAIRE BADGER sgsc recently announced the appointment of Mrs claire badger, who joins the club as golf business Development & sales Manager.

Q: When did you come to the UAE? A: 12 July, 2010, Q: What is your background and where is home to you?

A: I worked as a solicitor at a law firm just outside London but did not like that working environment. I have always had an interest in watching golf and my family have always played golf so I wanted to make a career move into a golfing environment. Having enjoyed a very similar role to this one at Maidenhead Golf Club it was time to progress my career elsewhere, which is what brought me to the UAE and Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club. I consider my home to be Windsor in Berkshire, England.

Q: What is your interest in golf – do you play?

A: My brother is a pro golfer and my dad is a golf obsessed amateur so it has always been in the family. I have been playing golf for just over a year and wishing I’d listened to my dad when he said I should take it up years ago!

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Q: How do you like the UAE and Sharjah G&SC? A: I really like the UAE and am very happy at SGSC. I already feel very settled and everyone has been very kind and welcoming to me. The role seem like it is going to be both challenging and rewarding.

Q: What do you think should change to improve golf in Sharjah and in the UAE? A: Cooler summers!!!

Q: Do you have any ambitions for Sharjah G&SC? A: To increase the Membership and numbers of visitors we receive. Also to encourage our golfing Members to try our other lifestyle facilities such as the pool, gym, spa, tennis, basketball etc! Similarly, to encourage our lifestyle Members to attempt to play golf either in one of our golf clinics or our ‘Learn To Play Golf in 7 Days’ programmes.

Q: What can be done to attract more people to play golf in the UAE? A: Perhaps more deals which would include a hotel package as well as a number of green fees to sample some of the great courses in the UAE, ranging from Abu Dhabi through to Ras Al Khaimah. People would definitely come to the UAE if it was made easier and more affordable to book a holiday which included a round at the courses which have held famous tournaments such as the Dubai Desert Classic and Dubai World Championship. I’m sure avid golfers would love to be able to play the same courses as the pros they watch on TV!

ArAbiAn Golf DOha golf club

Location: situated in the exclusive west bay area.

COOL MURRAY StAYS CALM IN tHE HEAt A FULL field of intrepid golfers braved the hot and windy conditions to participate in the fifth event on the Vodafone Qatar Summer League calendar and it was Mike Murray (pictured left) who took home the honours in Division ‘A’ with a +5 score for a two-stroke win over John Galt.

In Division ‘B’ Pratyush Jain took first place for the second week in a row with +11 with Katzumi Ikeda finishing in second place with +8.

contact: tel. +974 4496 0777 fax. +974 4483 4790 info@dohagolfclub.com www.dohagolfclub.com info: first opened: 1997 course: 18-hole, 7,374 yard, Par 72 championship course 9-hole, 2,808 yard, floodlit Academy course DESiGnER: Peter harradine

READ ONLINE and more at:

www.wwgolf.biz

McgoVERn, PlEtchER AnD tA s n i M tA k E t h E s P o i l s RiCk McGovERN and Eric Pletcher ran away with the winner’s titles in their respective divisions in the July Guardian Wealth Monthly Medal.

McGovern took the title in Division ‘A’ with a net 71 ahead of John Hughes who finished with a net 74, while Pletcher finished his round with a net 70 as he beat Lai Chee Cheong by two strokes in Division ‘B’. in the Ladies Division Tasnim kazi finished first with a net 70.

DAGLESS DUO CLEAN Up At AUGUSt MUG KELLY and Susie Dagless put on a performance of immaculate golf as they triumphed over Doha’s Championship Course at the August InterContinental Monthly Mug. Kelly recorded 40 points to take home the Division ‘A’ title while Susie (pictured below) won the Ladies Division with the same score.

Steve Schwin came out on top in Division ‘B’ with 38 points with second place going to Dong Chul Cha with 36 points.

MichAEl cox clAiMs bogEy EVEnt by two IN taxing conditions a score of +5 was good enough to win Flight ‘A’ in the Vodafone Qatar Summer League Bogey event as Michael Cox (pictured right) was crowned the champion by two strokes from Gregg Krahulec.

Flight ‘B’ was won on by Pratyush Jain as his +7 score saw him triumph by five strokes from Roger Bromley.

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ArAbiAn Golf

AL HAMRA GOLF CLUB

Location: Just off e 11, 12 miles south of ras al khaimah

SucceSS for Kim and GamblebereSford in barracuda SerieS THE Barracuda Beach Resort-sponsored Floodlit Series came to its conclusion in early August after six weeks of superb golf in the balmy evenings under the spotlight.

Each week the series rewarded the top three performers with a voucher to redeem at the Barracuda Beach Resort Store and the opportunity of bettering their score in the overall eclectic series. On the evening of the final Barracuda Series event, the congratulations went to Eun-Jae Kim after his superb score of 20 Stableford points gave him the top spot.

In second place was Ivan Kraemer, who also recorded 20 points but unfortunately lost out on a countback over the last six holes, while third place went to Terry Belton of Tower Links who coolly reeled in 19 points.

In the Eclectic Series it was Peter Gamble-Beresford who claimed the crown following a string of tremendous displays which gave him a final net total of 28. The victory made it two in a row for Gamble-Beresford who had previously won the Selector Series title.

Patricia Mottershead continued her impressive form as she solidified second place with a strong finish in the final week of the series to post a 30 net.

Completing the champions in the winners circle was John Howell who also finished with a much deserved net 30 but narrowly missed out on second win by warrant

contact: tel : +971 7 244 7474 Fax : +971 7 244 7423

of a card countback. “Al Hamra Golf Club is proud of its new relationship with the Barracuda Beach Resort who have sponsored what has proved to be a very successful, exhilarating and exciting Series,” said Alasdair DansonWebster at the prizegiving presentation.

“Our congratulations this evening must go to Peter Gamble-Beresford for another string of splendid performances which have seen him crowned the Barracuda Eclectic Series Champion.”

info: Built along the arabian Gulf, the course is complimented by a large open lagoon with four inter-connected lagoons. course: 7,267 yard, par 72 18 hole course with additional par-3 academy Course.

Designer: peter Harradine

maiden Victory for newell in Hamra HotelS open

N a i r ta k e s r O U t e - 4 4 iN ramadaN OpeN WITH the summer temperatures still soaring and an absence of the usual breeze off the Arabian Gulf, life was made very tough for the competitors during the 2010 Ramadan Open but despite the conditions Rajeev Nair took the honours with an emphatic 44 Stableford points.

Nair’s superb tally around a toughly setup Al Hamra course was made up of an outward nine of 20 points and an inward nine of 24 points as he let loose over the closing six holes with a barrage of three-pointers.

Finishing two points further back was Dubai Creek member Serifa D’Souza as she rekindled her form ready to take forward into the new season. Sergy D’Souza made it a family finish on the podium. His very steady card of 19 points on the front nine and 21 on the back earned him a total of 40 points to put him head and shoulders ahead of the remaining field to finish third.

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ICE-cold lemonade was the order of the day as temperatures soared into the midforties at the Hamra Hotels Open Stableford last month. But despite the heat Gary Newell kept his cool to put in a superb performance and took the honours after a three-way card countback.

Newell finished level at the top of the

leaderboard with Hermes Frare and Joe Madin of Tower Links Golf Club on 37 points.

However, it was Newell’s better back nine total of 19 points that secured him the title by one point from Madin. Frare, who was playing in his first tournament, came third following his back nine of 14 points.

ArAbiAn Golf

TOWER LINKS GOLF CLUB

mira yoo SizzleS in Summer Social WITH glimpses of her old form returning, Mira Yoo triumphed in a countback over Andy Jubber in the ‘bisque bogey’ format of the Summer Social series event held in mid July.

The pair finished with a very competitive score of 3-over par in the new format but it was Yoo’s solid finish to her round that sealed the win.

A countback was also required to settle the race for third place and it was Anupma Kotwal who prevailed as she fended off Richard Mawson and Kathy Richardson to claim her first podium finish for several months.

Location: ras al khaimah. the course meanders through a mangrove reserve with the Hajar mountains serving as a backdrop. contact: tel : +971 7 2279939 (reservations desk) golf@towerlinks.com info: First Open: may 2004 18 holes Championship course. Floodlit back-nine holes.

Designer: Gerald Williams

W ONderFUL paUL WiLLiams WiNs par-3 sOCiaL staBLe FOrd PAUL Williams was victorious in the social par-3 Stableford challenge in late July after scoring a 22 Stableford points to win by one from Ruurd Abma.

It could have been so much better for Dutchman Abma but he will rue his tee shot on the 16th where he carded only one point – his low point of the back nine.

The evergreen Terry Belton finished third on a countback with Shinjiro Hino as both finished with 20 Stableford points.

Hino should have put Terry out of contention but he spoiled a solid performance on the 15th where a poor tee shot followed by some poor chipping sealed his fate and left Belton to steal third place. Ashutosh Shukla really struggled with his game in the humidity as he was crowned the ‘SPOONER’ on the night with his tally of just 11 points.

DIRAB GOLF & COUNtry CLUB

lee and jane KirK win Second round of tHe XeroX Golf cHallenGe THE husband and wife team of Lee Kirk and Jane Kirk won the Saudi leg of the Xerox Corporate Golf Challenge on countback from John Morris and Matt Martin after both pairs had tied on 62 in the two person best ball medal pairs with three-quarter handicap allowance.

One shot back in third place were the pair of Richard

Gaas and Flore Bouzanne with Patrick Kennedy and Liz Kennedy finishing fourth on 64. Rabie Fares and Korean M..S. Kim rounded out the top five with a 65. The awards for Longest Drive went to George Mackay and Georgia Coughlin for men and ladies respectively while the Nearest the Pin trophies went Paul Thunder and Talal Sarieddine.

WaLker aN d diCkeNsON ON tOp at diraB Ladies FUN d ay THERESA Walker and Barbara Dickenson shot the top score of 185 gross in the Pairs Stroke Play held in June to beat the pair of Yurika Hoshino and Gudrun Barden while Madele Burger and Evelyn Jensen finished third.

The tournament marked the commencement of the season for the Dirab Ladies group for 2010 and the winners of the individual prizes were Paromita Mukherjee and Madele Burger who won the Best Gross and Net prizes respectively.

Location: Nestled in the picturesque dirab Valley below the tuwaiq escarpment, just 30 minutes drive from the diplomatic quarters of riyadh, take the makkah national road and turn left to dirab. the golf course is situated just off the dirab road. contact: tel : +966 1 498 0017/8 dirabgolf@yahoo.com info: Opened in 1991, dirab GC is the only grassed Championship golf course in saudi arabia with 9 of the 18 holes floodlit for night golf.

Right: Best Gross winner Paromita Mukherjee.

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ArAbiAn Golf Jolie Ville GOLF & RESORT

DOUBLE AWARD GLORY THE MARITIM Jolie Ville Golf & Resort enjoyed a fantastic evening at the 12th running of the prestigious World Travel Awards held in Johannesburg, South Africa this summer.

For the second year running the resort picked up the coveted gong for Egypt’s Leading Golf Resort, beating off competition from JW Marriott Hotel Cairo; La Residence de Cascades, Soma Bay; Mena House Oberoi; Sheraton Soma Bay Resort and The Steigenberger Golf Resort.

“Winning an award for the first time is far easier, than to do it again, as winning it again means that we are not only maintaining our performance but actually improving it,” says Mootaz Soliman, General Manager, MARITIM Jolie Ville Golf & Resort. “If we didn’t improve on our performance we would fall back for sure as other resorts are always trying to catch and pass us and they won’t wait for us!”

Mootaz believes that it is the sustained effort the MARITIM Jolie Ville Golf & Resort staff put into ensuring the quality of every aspect of their guests’ experience at the resort that gives them the advantage over their competitors.

“It’s a combination of hardware and software,” he says. “The golf course and the hotel are the hardware, which we always maintain and, whenever possible, add improvements. The software is our level of service and this is always under improvement via the introduction of new services and outlets and improving our team’s abilities through training. The most important thing is keeping our link with our guests and partners, and this is where I believe we have gone the extra mile from other resorts in Egypt.”

It was a night to remember for the resort when Mootaz was called to the stage for a second time to receive the award for Egypt’s Leading Convention Resort.

“To win one award was exciting enough but two was just incredible,” said Mootaz. “I hope we can continue to lead the way in these two categories for years to come.”

For more information or to book a tee time at MARITIM Jolie Ville Golf & Resort please contact: golfreservations@sgr-maritim-jolieville.com

The ceremony was attended by around 1,200 senior industry leaders with thousands of travel professionals around the world voting online to determine the award winners.

Graham E. Cooke, Founder and President of World Travel Awards commented that in addition to the prestige for their respective companies and destinations, the winners gain considerable commercial benefit from their deserved success.

“Because of their global reach and reputation, World Travel Awards are unique and regularly referred to as the ‘Oscars’ of travel and tourism,” said Cooke.

“This means that consumers are increasingly using our portfolio of winners as a reliable and independent guide when booking their vacation.”

MARITIM JOLIE VILLE GOLF & R E S O R T G A I N S I S O C E R T I F I C AT I O N THERE was yet more good news for the MARITIM Jolie Ville Golf & Resort when it gained ISO9001-2008 certification in July.

ISO certification means that the resort has consistently met the very highest of standards in customer service, guest satisfaction and management systems.

Visitors to both the Golf & Resort and its sister hotel the Royal Peninsula rarely have a bad word to say about their experience when visiting for business or pleasure so the ISO recognition is a just reward for the hard work that has been done in maintaining the high level of quality.

“The ISO9001-2008 certification was the result of 16 months of effort by all our team members,” says Mootaz Soliman, General Manager, MARITIM Jolie Ville Golf & Resort. “There were 14 external audits, three internal audits, and two certification international audits not to mentioned months of preparation and training. The process actually helped us to improve and develop ourselves in our commitment to the highest level of guest satisfaction – anticipating their needs and exceeding their expectations.”

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EVERYTHING YOU WOULD WANT IN YOUR LOckER... AND MORE!

SAMSUNG GALAXY S THE Galaxy S is the latest entrant to the ultra-competitive smart phone market and Samsung’s rival to the market leading iPhone 4. Now, we here at Worldwide Golf certainly aren’t technology experts but we do know a good gadget when see one and the Galaxy S is certainly that.

The first thing that strikes you is how similar to an iPhone it is both in appearance and usability. It is a very sleek little number, thin and really lightweight and the screen resolution is incredibly sharp. The 16GB Galaxy S runs on Google’s Android operating system, which is super fast, and all the functions are simple to get your head around. The phone is packed full of apps with many more downloadable and there’s a super-sharp 5 megapixel camera, which admittedly doesn’t have a flash, but it does take a mean picture.

The Galaxy S also allows video calling and unlike the iPhone it is compatible with any other video phone. Another noticeable difference between the Galaxy S and the iPhone is the price with the Samsung coming in at a fraction of the cost of its illustrious rival. www.samsung.com

IdApt I4 IT’S a problem we’ve all encountered many times: too many devices to charge and not enough plug sockets. You end up adding multiple, multi-plug adapters and leave your wall looking like a plate of spaghetti. The Idapt i4 is a universal 4-way charger that solves this problem. You can charge four devices at once and it’s compatible with over 4000 gadgets including iPhones, blackberrys, Nintendo DS, digital cameras and Bluetooth products. Plus you’ll never have to worry about finding all those chargers again! www.idaptweb.com

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KRAMSKI pUttERS KRAMSKI Putters offer high precision tooling and fitting from Germany to produce a product with the very highest specification. Kramski is not only a putter but an entire philosophy about the “game” of putting and Kramski’s theories are based on research through engineering and bio-mechanical principles. The Kramski Middle East Putting Academy will begin operations in the UAE from October and will be headed by Solheim Cup Winner and Ladies European Tour Player Elisabeth Esterl. “Lisl” will be offering seminars and private tuition to those golfers in the region wishing to know what Kramski Putter fitting and Kramski’s techniques can do for their performance on the greens. Those interested can contact Elisabeth directly through PROMOSPORT on 04-3385450 for information on venues, prices and courses available. www.kramski-putter.com

tIGER wOOdS pGA tOUR 11 THE latest instalment of the greatest golf video game ever made is upon us. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 has all the old favourite elements plus rafts of new features such a Ryder Cup option where you can opt to be Colin Montgomerie or Corey Pavin and pick your team for the showdown at Celtic Manor then take your place in the squad as one of the players and compete for the Cup. You can play through a season on the PGA Tour and earn XP points for hitting fairways and greens or completing skills challenges. These can then be cashed in for a range of game-improving attributes. The graphics and gameplay are stunning while the game can be enjoyed online with up to 24 players taking part in Ryder Cup mode! www.easports.com

thE NEGOtIAbLE GOLf SwING

OpERA S5 THESE stylish lightweight wireless headphones sit discreetly behind your neck allowing you to enjoy music on the go with the utmost freedom. Great for when you’re in the gym and don’t want to be obstructed by wires, the Opera S5 – specially designed for iPod, iPhone and iPad – is based on Kleer ultra low power wireless technology and the sound quality is out of this world. The unit features a remote control volume adjuster on the headphones while changeable ear buds ensure the highest level of comfort for everyone. www.dipecomm.eu

THIS is the book that all us weekend hackers have been waiting for. The premise of The Negotiable Golf Swing

by Joseph Laurentino is that a golf swing does not have to be picture perfect to be effective – there’s more than one way to skin a cat and this book will teach you how to make the best of the natural swing characteristics you already have in place.

Certain elements of the swing are non-negotiable – these are the basic building blocks – but if you can learn the negotiable parts and understand why they are negotiable you’ll be on the way to creating your own effective swing. www.wwgolf.biz

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300 years in the making...

... and now you’re invited.

18 Hole Tom Mackenzie designed course

State of the art Health Club

Decléor Spa

heythrop park resort

18th Century Main House

enstone oxfordshire t: 01608 673333 e: info@heythroppark.co.uk w: www.heythropparkresort.co.uk

Crowne Plaza Heythrop Park – Oxford 18th Century Elegance, 21st Century Style Opens October 2010

For further information call 01608 673497, email sales@heythroppark.co.uk or visit www.heythropparkresort.co.uk

H E Y T H R O P PA R K - O X F O R D

A f t e r A l o n g d Ay o n t h e c o u r s e , i t ’ s A lw Ay s g o o d t o tA k e t i m e o u t t o f r e s h e n u p

DOnnA KArAn CAshMere MIsT

CArOLInA herrerA 212 VIp

KeVIn MurphY nIGhT rIDer

the new women’s fragrance from carolina herrera, 212 ViP, is inspired by the creative young people of new york. it is a floral ensemble with accords of rum and passion fruit and notes of musk, gardenia, vanilla and tonka bean. the gold, feminine looking bottle which houses the perfume adds to the overall impression that 212 ViP is an exclusive scent for the modern woman about town.

cashmere mist is a sheer floral fragrance, combining the essences of moroccan jasmine, lily of the valley and the freshness of bergamot against a warm background of sandlewood, amber and musk. it’s a very soft and intimate scent intended only to be smelled by the wearer and those closest to her. technical jargon: top notes – bergamot, orchid flower. Heart notes – lily of the valley, jasmine, helitrope.

Base notes – sandalwood, amber, musk.

kevin murphy night rider is a strong hold, matte textured paste. it is a pliable product with a setting time of about 60-90 seconds. night rider gives a sleek, stylish look and with essences of boronia, pink grapefruit and tangerine, it also smells great.

esTee LAuDer sensuOus estee lauder sensuous is a warm, luminous and feminine fragrance that radiates confidence and elegance. A rich core of molten woods and amber, surrounded by atmospheric florals, warmed by a hint of pepper and a touch of honey. technical jargon: top notes – ghost lily accord, magnolia, jasmine. middle notes – molten woods, amber. Base notes – black pepper, mandarin pulp, honey.

Groom Room

LACOsTe essenTIAL spOrT fresh, invigorating and masculine are the three words that spring to mind when describing lacoste’s essential sport. this eau de toilette is the perfect pick-meup after a tough session on the course, court or pitch. technical jargon: top notes - pink grapefruit, bergamot, frosted ginger, tangerine. heart notes - nutmeg, juniper, geranium, green splash accord. Base notes - white musk, vetyver, amber, patchouli.

D R I V E R - f A I R W AY- H Y B R I D - I R O N S - W E D G E S - P U T T E R - B A l l

in THE

BAG GeorGe Kasparis TEACHING PRO, DUBAI CREEK GOlf & YACHT ClUB

Q&A Q: When did you first start playing golf?

A: After moving from Cyprus to Paisley in Scotland at the age of 10 I witnessed my first golf shot. A group of kids were firing golf balls from a nearby park at some high-rise flats that were waiting to be demolished. After I got over the shock of what was actually happening, I looked into the game with a bit more detail. My mother then bought me a Wilson 7-iron from a car boot sale and I started knocking a ball around the park on a make up course using my jacket as a target!

Q: How long have you been in Dubai and what has been your most memorable golfing moment during that time?

A: I am just coming up to three years here in Dubai and I have so many valuable golfing memories. To see the world’s greatest players battle it out over the Majlis Course every year and lee Westwood’s triumph last year at the Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates is just awesome. from a playing perspective it was one afternoon on the Creek with my colleague Cyril Rozes – I birdied six holes in a row (a very rare occurrence indeed) and then drove in after making par on the 8th. Why did I give up the chance to par the 9th for a front nine 29? Because Cyril was teaching in an hour and wanted some lunch!

Q: What was your first set of clubs?

A: My first set of clubs were a half set of Malibu irons and a matching 3-wood which were bought from an Argos superstore.

Obviously, my trusty Wilson 7-iron got thrown in there and I eventually saved enough money to buy my first driver a few months later, a graphite shafted Malibu Jumbo edition. I’m not sure whether the Malibu brand ever made it to the Middle East.

Q: Who is your golfing hero and why?

A: I have to go with Sir Nick faldo. The first U.S. Masters I ever watched was in 1996 and faldo came from six shots behind Greg Norman to win by five, an 11 shot swing! As an 11-yearold I obviously didn’t take into account that Greg Norman suffered the greatest final round collapse in the history of The Masters. I was instantly addicted to faldo’s work ethic and total commitment to being the best throughout his entire career.

Q: If you were the head of the R&A, what rule would you change?

A: I think the R&A have had a hard enough job creating that Rule Book but if I had an input, I would look into the rules regarding spike marks/imperfections on the line of your putt. As it is, you can repair pitch marks and remove loose impediments on the line of your putt, but you can’t tap down spike marks.

Not only is it a bit confusing but it seems a little unfair. Courses nowadays are very busy and greens can get pretty churned up during the course of a day. I believe you should be able to fix any imperfections on your line of putt.

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Driver: 3-wood: Hybrid: Irons (3-PW): Wedges: Putter: Ball:

Ping i15 9° UST Mamiya Tour Stiff Shaft Ping g10 15.5° UST Proforce V2 Stiff Shaft Ping g10 18° UST Proforce V2 Stiff Shaft Ping i10 AWT stiff, 2° upright ¼ inch longer Ping Tour W, 52°, 56° YES C-Groove Callie, 34 inch Titliest Pro-V1