THE #1 GOLF PUBLICATION
HERO DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC
35th anniversary of the oldest event in the Middle East
WOMEN WANT GOLF Amy Condon is growing the female game in Abu Dhabi
THE DEFENDING OPEN CHAMPION HAS HIS SIGHTS SET ON DUBAI
HARMAN IS HERE
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION
JA N UA RY 2 0 2 4 AED20 KD1.7 OR2.1 SR20 BD2.1
GOLFDIGESTME.COM
JANUARY 2024
MAJLIS AWAITS
All 7,301 yards is ready for the 35th Hero Dubai Desert Classic
4 Editor’s Letter It’s set to be the busiest year on record for golf in the region.
14 Need a Fourth? Jerry Rice Wants In Crashing weddings and Bay Area golf groups.
66 Lucky Break How an instructor’s side gig exploded after Rory used his training aid.
22 Historic Heroes A milestone year in the Middle East’s longest serving tournament.
34 Bahrain Beckons A welcome return after 13 years back to the Kingdom.
by harry grimshaw
by alex myers
by matthew rudy
by harry grimshaw
by harry grimshaw
Features
COVER STORY
36 Qatari Quintuple The five event swing finishes up at Doha Golf Club.
majlis: egc • harman: david cannon/getty images
The Starter 6 The Timeless Majlis Created in 1988, the Majlis has stood the test of time. by harry grimshaw
Mind / Body
38 Bigger is Better eGolf Megastore expands in Middle East. 60 One Size Doesn’t Fit All Club building, fitting and elite coaching.
16 Ko For The Trio Lydia is going for a third Aramco Saudi Ladies International.
28 Harman’s Here The Open Champ bolsters Hero Dubai Desert Classic field. by harry grimshaw
by harry grimshaw
8 Journeys Joshua Grenville-Wood
62 Swing Sequence S.H. Kim’s three keys for better drives.
18 Ready, Swing, Go The DP World Tour’s desert swing has five stops in the GCC.
with harry grimshaw
by dave allen
by harry grimshaw
10 Women’s Golf Amy Condon is growing the game in Abu Dhabi as the only female pro.
64 Tuck Away Your Slice Try this drill to stop coming over the top.
20 “By Invitation Only” Exclusive chat with tournament host Abdulla Al Naboodah.
32 Back in RAK Al Hamra Golf Club set for the DP World Tour.
by harry grimshaw
by davis riley
by harry grimshaw
by harry grimshaw
cover photograph by charlie crowhurst/r&a/getty images)
by harry grimshaw
40 The Best Short Games on the LPGA Tour These stars know how to scramble. by madeline macclurg
48 ‘I Made Serious Mistakes’ Two-time major winner Angel Cabrera speaks for the first time after 30 months in prison. interview by luis fernando llosaw
january 2024
golfdigestme.com
3
EDITOR’S LE TTER
Seasons Greetings
If you thought 2023 was a busy year in golf, this one looks to be even bigger
H
APPY NEW YEAR! – Here’s to hoping you received plenty of golfing related gifts and have managed to squeeze in a few rounds of golf in over the holiday season, wherever you might have been celebrating. Well, as we look ahead to 2024 it looks like another exciting year in the world of golf. Who said golf was boring?! Scottie Scheffler and Lilia Vu currently start the year leading their repsective rankings as the best male and female golfers in the world. Scottie with two victories to his name including The Players Championship and Lilia four which include two major titles. But will they still be at the summit of the game in 12 months time? Especially with the current questions being asked over the Official World Golf Rankings points systems across the Tours. Let’s start things off on the professional side of the game, as we have got quite a few events for you to book mark in your calendar that we will be covering in the region in 2024! First up is the newly branded ‘International Swing’ on the DP World Tour in 2024. We have five, yes five, tournaments on the bounce in the Middle East commencing in January. Starting us off we have the inaugural Dubai Invitational at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club, followed by the 35th edition of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club, The Ras Al Khaimah Championship at Al Hamra Golf Club is up in RAK, before a return to the Kingdom of Bahrain after 13 years for the maiden Bahrain Championship, while we end the swing with the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters – and breath! Don’t you worry, all the big guns will be in town making an appearance over the five weeks; World Number Two Rory McIlroy, Dubai residents Tommy Fleetwood and Adrian Meronk, Kiwi 4
golfdigestme.com
january 2024
Ryan Fox, Ryder Cup winning Captain Luke Donald, four-time Rolex Series winner Tyrrell Hatton, Danes Nicolai Højgaard and Thomas Bjørn, plus Americans Brian Harman and Cameron Young are set to make their first appearances in the UAE. There’s plenty more to read all about that inside. The Ladies European Tour have announced their season schedule which sees them returning to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on two separate occasions. In February we have the US$5,000,000 Aramco Saudi Ladies International Presented by PIF before they return in November to Riyadh Golf Club for the Aramco Team Series Presented by PIF.
JON GONE Reigning Masters Champion, Jon Rahm, has joined LIV Golf
LIV Golf having revealed their 14-event schedule which includes LIV Golf Saudi Arabia on March 1st - 3rd, with newly signed Jon Rahm as the headline act for the season ahead. He joins the tour containing Cameron Smith, Brooks Koepka, Talor Gooch, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and Dustin Johnson. We are very much looking forward to bringing you all the action from that event and the rest of the LIV Golf 2024 season.
On the Asian Tour Tour, an initial schedule of 20 events across 12 countries has been announced. Including seven world-class destinations confirmed as part of their International Series which is part of its 10-tournament schedule for the 2024 season. Of local note we have three coming to the region; International Series Oman, International Series Qatar and the Saudi Open presented by Public Investment Fund. Finishing off proceddings, we have the Challenge Tour returning to the UAE thanks to their collaboration with the European Tour group and the Emirates Golf Federation, with back-to-back events in April at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club followed by Saadiyat Beach Golf Club in Abu Dhabi as the players compete on the season long Road to Mallorca. We will as always be closely following the UAE National Team as they compete across both the professional and amateur circuits, in what is set to be their biggest year to date. Plus, we have you covered with the newest clubs and equipment on the market and golf course reviews with plenty of enhanced video content coming your way along with exclusive features from all the biggest names in the game. All of this available online at Golf Digest Middle East and across our social media channels. So, if you haven’t already, what you waiting for? Give us a follow for all local golfing news in the region. You might even see a feature on yourself winning the monthly medal at your local club!
harry.grimshaw@motivate.ae @harrygrimshaw / @golfdigestme
rahm: scott taetsch/liv golf • vu: dougl as p. defelice/gettyimages
By Harry Grimshaw
Lilia Vu The American enters 2024 as the Number One player in the world editor-in- chief Obaid Humaid Al Tayer managing partner & group editor Ian Fairservice editor Harry Grimshaw art director Clarkwin Cruz editorial assistant Londresa Flores instruction editors Conor Thornton, Scott Edwards, Alex Riggs chief commercial officer Anthony Milne publisher David Burke gener al manager - production S. Sunil Kumar production manager Binu Purandaran t h e g o l f d i g e s t p u b l i c at i o n s editor-in- chief Jerry Tarde senior director, business development & partnerships Greg Chatzinoff international editor Ju Kuang Tan golf digest usa editor-in- chief Jerry Tarde gener al manager Chris Reynolds editorial director Max Adler executive editor Peter Morrice art directors Chloe Weiss Galkin managing editors Alan P. Pittman, Ryan Herrington pl aying editors Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson
head office Media One Tower, PO Box 2331, Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 427 3000; Fax: +971 4 428 2266
dubai media cit y SD 2-94, 2nd Floor, Building 2, Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 390 3550; Fax +971 4 390 4845 Email: motivate@motivate.ae
abu dhabi 14th Floor, Office 1406, Makeen Tower, 9th Street, Al Zahiyah, PO Box 43072, Abu Dhabi, UAE Tel: +971 2 677 2005; Fax: +971 2 657 3401 Email: motivate-adh@motivate.ae
saudi ar abia Regus Offices No. 455 - 456, 4th Floor, Hamad Tower, King Fahad Road, Al Olaya, Riyadh, KSA Tel: +966 11 834 3595 / +966 11 834 3596 Email: motivate@motivate.ae
london Motivate Publishing Ltd, Acre House, 11/15 William Road, London, NW1 3ER, UK Email: motivateuk@motivate.ae
GOLF DIGEST and HOW TO PLAY, WHAT TO PLAY, WHERE TO PLAY are registered trademarks of Discovery Golf, Inc. Copyright © 2021 Discovery Golf, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. Volume 72, Issue 2. GOLF DIGEST (ISSN 0017-176X) is published eight times a year by Discovery Golf, Inc. Principal office: Golf Digest, 1180 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N.Y., 10036. Discovery Golf, Inc.: Alex Kaplan, President & GM; Gunnar Wiedenfels, Chief Financial Officer. Periodicals postage paid at New York, N.Y., and at additional mailing offices.
golfdigestme.com /GolfDigestME january 2024
golfdigestme.com
5
The Timeless Majlis
A feast for the eyes - the Majlis Course is set to celebrate its 36th year in March
B
ack in 1988, you wouldn’t believe how Dubai and the site of Emirates Golf Club looked (right). Emirates Golf Club even then used to be referred to as the ‘Desert Miracle’ when it opened as the first grass golf course in the Middle East. 36 years on, it is home to the DP World Tour’s oldest event in the Middle East, the Hero Dubai Desert Classic which celebrates its 35th edition. Alongside the everchanging skyline of Dubai, Emirates Golf Club has developed in tandem with the city, from its birth as an 18-hole Championship course, the club now includes its sister course the Faldo, it’s Par 3 Academy course and even Topgolf Dubai. Dubai may have changed over time, but the Majlis layout year after year still remarkably looks similar as to how it was when Karl Litten completed his design in 1988. From what was just a 175-acre site of pure sand dunes, it now has had the likes of Tiger Woods, Severiano Ballesteros, Ernie Els and Rory McIlroy walk it’s fairways and collect that coveted Dallah trophy. Who knows what the next 36 years will bring for both Dubai and the Majlis. –harry grimshaw
6
golfdigestme.com
january 2024
Emirates Golf Club
United Arab Emirates
photographs courtesy by emirates golf club
MIND / JOURNEYS
‘It was just brutal - mentally, it just killed me’ I was then in a position to move out to Dubai full-time, and I haven’t looked back since. By Joshua Grenville-Wood with Harry Grimshaw
I
think I must have first picked up a club when I was one and a half to two years old. My dad was a golf professional and he was playing a bit back then. We lived in the middle of London and I first started playing at a place called the London Golf Centre, which I believe is closed down now, but that’s where it all started. I fell in love with the game and my Dad used to take me to the range when he would go to work and I would just whack balls all day thinking it was the best thing in the world. I was just having fun and enjoying it and I just kept going from there.
●●●
My first two years as a pro was very very tough, I was on the verge of quitting many times. I threw myself in the deep end and dropped out of University in the states after three months as I didn’t like it. Turned pro and moved back to the UK and played a couple of events on the EuroPro Tour and then came out here in 2017. It was my first time to Dubai and I played on the MENA Tour which I thought it was amazing! ●●●
Sadly, then the MENA Tour didn’t have any events in 2018, so I went to go play golf in the Philippines. It was fun and a great experience, but it was a struggle. Just trying to adapt to professional golf and everything that comes with it, it was just brutal. Mentally it just killed me. Looking back on it now, I learned so much from those early days. ●●●
In 2019 I was then in a position to move out to Dubai full-time, so I packed up and moved out here and haven’t looked back since! When I am in Dubai my time is spent practicing at The Els Club and the Claude Harmon Academy which is where Joe my coach 8
golfdigestme.com
january 2024
is. I have been there since I first came to Dubai really and they have always been supportive and have always been very understanding with what I’m doing and trying to accomplish. ●●●
The way my UAE citizenship came about was back in May, after the Challenge Tour events in Abu Dhabi, discussions started with the Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) and it came out of the blue really as I never thought this would happen – it was a shock to me then and I am still trying to believe it. ●●●
It’s been three months now representing the UAE and the EGF and it’s been amazing. The EGF are so supportive and they have an incredible plan in place for the future of golf in the UAE and for what is going to happen going forward. It’s been great to represent a country and federation that has given me their full support and it’s been nice to have that and feel really wanted. ●●●
Being a UAE citizen means I can help the next generation of golfers from the UAE, and for my golf it’s instrumental as well. At the start of next
JOSHUA GRENVILLE-WOOD UAE NATIONAL PLAYER DP WORLD TOUR CHALLENGE TOUR AGE 25 LIVES DUBAI, UAE
season, I will be playing on the DP World Tour in the events in the Middle East. Even the Hero Dubai Desert Classic which has been a dream of mine since forever. It has been one of the most iconic events in professional golf so who wouldn’t want to play in that? Playing in that, for my home country, in the country I represent is special. To be able to get myself into those bigger events to prove myself against the best players in the world. It’s huge, it means everything to me. PHOTOGRAPH BY ROSS KINNAIRD/GETTYIMAGES
●●●
I have grown up with ADHD and it’s a tough one because it can hurt you, but it can also help you a lot. I like to see that it helps me more than it doesn’t. I think that’s how people who have ADHD should look at it. It’s close to me and is close to my heart as it impacts my everyday life. I can’t change it, I’ve got it, it’s there and I can’t get rid of it so I have to embrace it and have learned to move with it. That’s all you can do, just absolutely own it. It’s close to my
heart and my family’s heart that I represent the ADHD foundation as an ambassador and can help out other people as well with ADHD. Everyone has their struggles and I would like to think that the experiences I have had I’ve learned a lot about myself and how things work which has been really good. ●●●
Surprisingly, 2023 has strangely been tough. Results wise I don’t feel like I’ve done well. But equally I have been playing on a much higher level
than I was. The previous years I had a lot more top five and top 10 finishes, whereas this year I feel like I’ve had two or three top 10’s – but equally those top 10’s have been huge and in big events on the Challenge Tour and the DP World Tour. When you have off weeks, it looks a lot worse but it’s not actually that far off and it still is quite good. In the end though, you could say it is my most successful year because it has put me in a good position for next year. january 2024
golfdigestme.com
9
M
MIND / WOMEN’S GOLF
Women Want Golf
“I’ve always said I wanted to promote golf and involve more women - the programme came at a perfect time” By Harry Grimshaw
10
golfdigestme.com
january 2024
“There’s nothing stopping women taking up this sport” Amy didn’t know then, that would be the start of her career in golf. “In secondary school, when I was 15, we were told to go and do some work experience. It was then I decided to try and get a spot in Newlands Golf Club in the Professional Shop working under Head Professional Karl O’Donnell. I was also in the Darren Clarke School doing a ‘Transition Year’ (TY) golf program so it coincided with that. “Karl ended up keeping me on and I did weekend work or ‘the grave yard’ shifts that no pros want to do! “So back to when I was 18 doing my degree, as I initially wanted to be a Biol-
ogy or PE Teacher, I was still working in Newlands from the age of 15. Karl then asked me how I was getting on in college and I was open and honest with him. I was unhappy and he said well why don’t we work together on your golf and get your handicap down. “I was off 12 at the time and he said I can start the PGA and train under him. “That’s when I decided to drop out of college, be the first at the golf course and then last to leave. My girl friends back home strongly disliked the fact I put my social life on hold because I didn’t go out and socialise much, I didn’t go travelling with them because I wanted to prove to myself and everyone that I wanted and could go down the PGA route.” The hard work paid off for Amy, she was awarded golfer of the year at Newlands, and she won the Ladies Leinster Alliance while also shooting the ladies course record in Newlands back-toback, so the results started to show.
images supplied
A
my condon is the only female PGA Professional in Abu Dhabi. Having based herself at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club Academy, the Ireland native is making it her goal to grow the female game in the emirate in what she says, is a male dominated industry. Having come from a sporting family in Dublin, Ireland, Amy was influenced by her father to play every sport under the sun growing up. Her father was quite traditional in that sense. A successful career in primary school with Camogie, a national sport in Ireland, took Amy to represent her school St Pius at Croke Park, an 82,000 seater stadium. That was her biggest achievement as a youngster and has fueled her onto where she is today. Soon after she moved into secondary school at “Our Lady’s”, a well know Hockey school. Amy was a hockey player more than anything which was where she figured out that she had the handeye coordination from a fairly young age, just lacked the patience part. On an off chance, her then principal at the time Grainne Friel, who was a member of South County Golf Club, organised the class to go up to the golf course after school for coaching with Ramie Burns and Cormac Hennessy every Friday evening. It was then she become hooked. Transitioning from hitting tennis balls on the hockey pitch one Friday afternoon, Amy then became a member of South County Golf Club, and eventually Junior Girls Captain at the age of 14.
Amy then decided to turn professional and moved over to Elm Park to work under Peter Morgan for three years which is where her passion for ladies and junior development really came to light. “When I was younger and playing golf in Newlands there was only three girls out of 30 boys who played regular. So when I was in Elm Park, one of my goals was to increase the girls junior section, so I increased girls group coaching and from that Elm Park had more girls apply for membership and take up the game.” After making the jump over to the UAE, it was Kieran Pratt, the then Director of Golf, who persuaded Amy to move from Dubai after a year down to Abu Dhabi. A familiar face in Thomas Gracey from back home in Ireland was already at Abu Dhabi Golf Club (ADGC) so it made sense. “Taking the job here at ADGC is possibly the best decision I’ve ever made.
Abu Dhabi in general is beautiful. The golf club itself is just out of this world. We have our club house in the shape of a falcon! Where else in the world would you find that?” “I just feel Abu Dhabi itself is more breathable. The pace of life is way more relaxed. You have time to breathe here and we’re like one big disfuntual family here at The Falcon Performance Institute!” Being the only female PGA Professional in Abu Dhabi, Amy is able to
“Times are changing, and more women are realising that you can take up this sport”
take what she learnt back in Ireland and treat it is a type of ‘challenge’ to get more females involved in the game. “It’s a great challenge, but it’s also something that I’ve always wanted to try and do. Being a female professional in such a male dominated industry is like, why not take on that challenge and try change it? “There’s nothing stopping women taking up this sport. There’s nothing to say women can’t enojoy golf like men do. If anything, I want to showcase the game of golf and show that its fun and enjoyable and that’s why I joined the R&A’s Women In Golf Charter. “I want to try and break those barriers and show that golf is fun, that women can play and that there’s no stigma attached to playing on the golf course. “I recently created an event where I transformed our nine hole garden course into a par three and all the ladies went and played. It was in line with Pink October, so everyone dressed in pink, it wasn’t competitive and there was on the spot prizes for the best dressed, the most decorative golf ball etc. We called it the ‘The Ladies Fun Golf Event’. I organised a special rate, they all got golf carts, there was no course rules, super relaxed and fun. “One of the ladies messaged me after and said ‘It was the best event! I felt more comfortable than expected and had a blast playing on the course for the first time. Looking forward to the next event on course’. It couldn’t of gone any better!” As touched upon, the help Amy has received by taking up The R&A’s Women in Golf Charter Programme has been the support system she has needed to grow the game within the region. “There’s definitely more to offer now which is great and golf clubs are more aware and are willing to support female participation and involvement. Golf Ireland are doing their upmost back at home with training panels and supporting all golf clubs along with girls events and then The R&A here in the Middle East are massively supporting female and all professionals like me to try and spread the love and involvement of the game amongst women. “I’ve always said I wanted to promote golf and involve more women so the programme couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. january 2024
golfdigestme.com
11
M
MIND / WOMEN’S GOLF
“It also comes down to my own experiences taking up golf and there being very few girls, so it’s always been something I’ve wanted to try and encourage amongst women and I feel with being in the position that I’m in and being the only female professional in the whole of Abu Dhabi, why not use that to my advantage and try and grow the game?” A familiar female golf programme already picking up steam in Dubai and Abu Dhabi is ‘Chicks With Sticks’ (CWS). This is something Amy has also managed to take control of alongside the Ladies Development Programme at the club. In what is more ammunition into her growing plethora of Ladies golfing activities. “I was given ‘Chick With Sticks’ to look after when I first arrived at ADGC. I work extremely close with Jen Hennessy who I got to know from back home in Ireland to try and involve more women my age but also all ages into the game. “We currently have a great group of girls in CWS mainly from the beautiful Emerald Isle but also from the UK. “For me personally it’s been so much fun getting to know the girls and I’ve made some really good friends through teaching the program. CWS is brilliant for the girls who have just moved out here as it helps everyone get to know one another while sharing, enjoying and learning a new skill over a five week period. “I also was given the Ladies Development Program. The women are the 12
golfdigestme.com
january 2024
Supported by The R&A’s Women in Golf Charter Programme absolute best and they’re brilliant craic to teach. It’s eight weeks long and it includes on course lessons also so again it ties in perfectly with the Women In Golf Charter as the ladies are acquainted with the golf course from lesson one. “We currently have 30 plus ladies in the program. I had to start it from scratch this year, so to have 30 ladies who have an interest in golf and are itching for term two it’s so encouraging to see. “They’re even talking about buying their own golf clubs and playing other courses in Abu Dhabi. Once the ladies enjoy and learn about golf that’s all I want. Seeing them finish their sessions and the smiles as they say thanks and go on about their evening its incredibly refreshing. It’s non-stop for Amy, she still has goals and ambitions for developing golf participation in Abu Dhabi, and show ladies in the emirate that golf is accessible and it’s not what it used to be like decades ago.
“My main goals for developing golf and participation in Abu Dhabi is to showcase the game of golf and demonstrate that this game is not what it was 30 years ago. It’s nowhere near as strict as it was. It’s become more colloquial and with the environment here at ADGC its calm, its relaxed, it’s fun. “Times are changing, and more women are realising that you can take this sport up as a social activity or you have the choice to go down the more serious route and here, we can accommodate for both. We cater for absolutely everyone. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, who you are, you’re accepted here and always will be and you will learn a new skill in a fun, comfortable and exciting environment. Why wouldn’t you want to take it up?! “In line with the Women In Golf Charter we have also created an all girls golf session to have that option. I created this last year in our Junior Falcon Program and the girls loved it. The friendships that were created around learning and improving their game was just unfathomable. So, for this season we will continue with that. “I also want to do a monthly lady’s fun golf day. This was a massive success and the women thoroughly enjoyed it. Again, it will be fun, enjoyable and it will help break those barriers and stigmas on course. Whether you want to play it socially or competitively, we have the option have for both.”
HERO DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC CLUBHOUSE EXPERIENCE 18TH - 21ST JANUARY 2024 SPIKE HOSPITALIT Y PACKAGES Thursday, 18th January
AED 880 per person
Friday, 19th January
AED 880 per person
Saturday, 20th January
AED 940 per person
Sunday, 21st January
AED 940 per person
SE ASON PASS (4 days)
AED 3,100 per person
PACKAGE INCLUDES: CLUBHOUSE UPPER TERRACE
Breakfast
8.00am - 10.30am
Lunch Service
12.00pm - 3.00pm
High Tea
3.30pm - 5.00pm
Free Flowing Beverages
12.00pm - 5.00pm
Inclusive of 3 house beverages at Royal Majlis on the 8th green and the Majlis Garden on the 5th and 11th greens.
BOOK NOW
For enquiries, please contact: emiratesdining@dubaigolf.com 04 417 9999
Prices are incluvise of 5% VAT
M
MIND / THE FRINGE
Need a Fourth? Jerry Rice Wants In The NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver crashes weddings and Bay Area golf groups
By Alex Myers
J
erry rice became a legend on the American football field, and, oddly enough, that’s also where he took his first golf swings. Rice was in the middle of a workout during his second season as a San Francisco 49er when he noticed that trainer Raymond Farris had a golf club and a few balls with him. Rice had never stepped foot on a golf course, but once his workout was over, he couldn’t resist taking on an unfamiliar challenge. “It was the weirdest thing ever because I don’t think we had ever talked about golf,” Rice says. “This stationary ball is right in front of me, and I’m supposed to be this supreme athlete, and I couldn’t hit the ball.” That would change quickly as Rice became “obsessed with trying to get better at golf,” applying the same dedication he had to catching footballs. He soon began a different kind of two-adays, going to the range before and after team practices and meetings. He started calling Tuesday, the one day NFL players usually get off during the season, “Golf Day,” eventually playing against teammates for a weekly trophy that came with plenty of bragging rights during his time with the Oakland Raiders. He and fellow Hall of Fame wide receiver Tim Brown were so competitive that they couldn’t ride in the same golf cart. “It hurt him to say ‘good shot’ to me,” Rice says with a laugh. Although golf wasn’t always relaxing, Rice enjoyed playing a noncontact, individual sport. “I feel like this is the greatest game ever,” Rice says, “because it’s one of those games where you can’t blame anyone else. If Joe Montana throws a pass, and it’s not in the right area, I’m gonna blame it on Montana.” Of course, that didn’t happen often as Rice and Montana forged one of the greatest pairings in sports history—matched only by the tandem of Rice and Steve Young.
14
golfdigestme.com
january 2024
If records are meant to be broken, good luck doing that as a wide receiver. Among his long list of accomplishments that includes three Super Bowl titles and 10 First-Team All-Pro selections, Rice holds NFL records for career receptions, receiving yards and total touchdowns. Most of these marks aren’t close, even in this pass-happy era of football. These days, you might catch Rice on Bay Area golf courses, including Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club, his home club in Menlo Park. In fact, there’s a chance you will even be paired with him. “If I don’t have a round of golf with friends, I’ll just join up with people,” says Rice, who has five holes-in-one. “They’re looking at me like, ‘Oh, my God, are you serious? You’re Jerry Rice, and you wanna play golf with us?’ and I’ll say, ‘Yeah, let’s go play golf and have a good time.’ ” During Golf Digest’s video shoot with Rice this spring, we witnessed something similar. Always a player who prided himself on pleasing the fans, Rice posed for photos and engaged with golfers on the range at Baylands Golf Links, a Palo Alto, California muny. The scene meshed with his penchant for crashing weddings at courses in the area—and showing off some of the moves that once made him a runner-up on “Dancing with the Stars.” “It’s all about making memories, right? I feel like I’m in a very fortunate position where I can make someone’s day, and I don’t take that for granted,” says Rice, who came from humble beginnings in Starkville, Mississippi, where he spent childhood summers helping his dad lay bricks. “Once the music starts, I’ll dance with the bride and with everybody in that circle. I have fun with it.” We also witnessed Rice’s strong golf game up close. Currently a 1.2 Handicap Index, he shot one under par during three holes with our Hally Leadbetter for
STYLE AND GAME
“Appearance is everything, and it was the same way when I played football.”
an “On The Tee” episode. The 61-yearold did sprints and push-ups between shots, exhibiting athleticism and energy that would impress even Gary Player. “I’m always giving 100 percent. I’m always one speed,” says Rice, who still works out daily and looks like he could help any NFL team. “Even during walkthroughs, I’m running.” That passion is apparent in everything Rice has done throughout his playing career and now through two decades of retirement. Once a plus-2 Index, Rice competed in the Korn Ferry Tour’s San Francisco event, the Stonebrae Championship, from 2010 to 2012. For the ultra-competitive Rice, those high scores and missed cuts weren’t satisfactory results, though he was pleasantly surprised to learn that he edged a future multiple-time PGA Tour winner, Brendon Todd, by a stroke in PHOTOGRAPH BY RC RIVERA
his debut. “No, come on. I didn’t beat anybody,” Rice says when told of the feat. “Are you serious? Oh, my Gosh.” If Rice could have one mulligan, though, it probably wouldn’t come in any tournament but rather when he turned down an offer to play with a Stanford undergrad named Tiger Woods nearly three decades ago. Still a developing golfer at the time, Rice didn’t want to embarrass himself in front of the future superstar. Now he says his dream foursome includes Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, who once sought him out in the crowd at Augusta National during the Masters Par 3 Contest. “[Palmer] came over and he said hello to me,” Rice recalls. “I could have died.” Unfortunately, that group can’t happen in this lifetime, but Rice says he’d still love to play with Woods, who is a
big Raiders fan. In the meantime, Rice will continue playing golf two times a week with friends, and, well, anyone he gets paired with. When Rice isn’t on the course—or crashing weddings—he works as executive chairman of an energy drink company, the aptly-named G.O.A.T. Fuel, which he co-founded with his daughter, Jaqui. In a funny twist, one of the drink’s newest endorsers, current Dolphins star wideout Tyreek Hill, made news last summer when he left Rice off his list of the top five wide receivers of all time. Although Hill was born the year before Rice won his third and final Super Bowl in San Francisco, it was a ridiculous snub of the man many people regard as an NFL GOAT. It clearly doesn’t bother Rice, who will never claim that title himself, even though he’s well aware of where he stands in the league records.
“If they break my records, I’ll be the first one to congratulate them,” Rice says. Then he grinned and added, “but they’re always going to be chasing me.” Besides, Rice is too busy chasing another kind of ball—and different numbers—these days. “Yesterday I was four under through nine, and now you’ve got all these things in your head and mistakes start happening,” Rice says with a sigh. “I ended up fighting back to finish one under, which is good, but then you think about how you were four under, so there’s always more. There’s always more.” Alex Myers’ greatest Super Bowl accomplishments involve eating chicken wings.
january 2024
golfdigestme.com
15
FOR THE TRIO THE LET IS RETURNING FOR THE FIFTH TIME TO THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA FOR THE USD$5 MILLION ARAMCO SAUDI LADIES INTERNATIONAL By Harry Grimshaw
L
ydia Ko will be looking at making it a trio of trophies at the Aramco Saudi Ladies International at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club, as it has been announced that the event will be making a return to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the Ladies European Tour. It was first introduced to the Kingdom back in 2020, making it the first professional women’s golf event ever in Saudi Arabia and in 2023 the event saw an increased prize fund to USD$5 million which aligned the prize money alongside the Men’s PIF Saudi International, putting an emphasis on the ambition to attract the best golfers in the world to compete in the Kingdom, as well as inspiration for the next generation of golfers within the Kingdom. The bolstered prize money made it the third most lucrative event on the Ladies European Tour (LET) and the biggest outside of the majors. Due to 16
golfdigestme.com
january 2024
the success of the event and the Ladies First Club, which provides free golf across the country, 2024 is looking to be another fruitful year. 12 months ago, major champion and then world no.1, Lydia Ko emerged victorious despite the best efforts of nearest challengers Aditi Ashok and Lilia Vu. Ko secured career win number 26 and her second Aramco Saudi Ladies International. Numerous top global players will be teeing it up at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club including all of the Golf Saudi Ambassadors; Chiara Noja, Bronte Law, Pia Babnik, Carlota Ciganda, Alison Lee, Olivia Cowan, Emily Pedersen, Anne Van Dam, Marianne Skapnord, Stephanie Kyriacou, Lindsey Weaver-Wright, Camilla Lennarth and Amy Boulden.
Royal Greens Golf & Country Club 15th – 18th February 2024
PREVIOUS WINNERS 2020: Emily Kristine Pederson 2021: Lydia Ko 2022: Georgia Hall 2023: Lydia Hall PRIZE FUND $5,000,000
4 BAHRAIN
5
READY, SWING, GO QATAR
2024 DESERT SWING
18
LEG 1
LEG 2
LEG 3
LEG 4
LEG 5
DUBAI INVITATIONAL
HERO DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC
RAS AL KHAIMAH CHAMPIONSHIP
BAHRAIN CHAMPIONSHIP
COMMERCIAL BANK QATAR MASTERS
Jan 11 – 14
Jan 18 – 21
Jan 25 – 28
Feb 1 – 4
Feb 8 – 11
Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club
Majlis Course, Emirates Golf Club
Al Hamra Golf Club
Royal Golf Club
Doha Golf Club
Dubai, UAE
Dubai, UAE
Ras Al Khaimah, UAE
Kingdom of Bahrain
Doha, Qatar
$2.5million
$9million (Rolex Series)
$2.5million
$2.5million
$2.5million
Inaugural Championship
Defending Champion
Defending Champion
Inaugural Championship
Defending Champion
golfdigestme.com
Rory McIlroy
january 2024
Daniel Gavins
Sami Välimäki
3
ARABIAN GULF 1 2
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
it’s the busiest time of the year in the professional golfing calendar, here in the Middle East, as we welcome the DP World Tour for their usual stint in the desert. The number of tournaments held has varied year by year with the destinations and courses changing along with the landscape. ▶ But it’s come a long way from the maiden Karl Litten Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club, Dubai in 1989. The Middle East Swing, or Desert Swing as it is also known, has previously collaborated with Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Ras Al Khaimah over the past three decades growing the game of golf in all regions. ▶ The 2024 edition sees us kick off the five-week swing with the inaugural Dubai Invitational at the Creek, before moving down the road for the Hero Dubai Desert Classic at the Majlis Course. Ras Al Khaimah then welcomes the Tour for the third consecutive year at Al Hamra Golf Club. The swing then heads across to the Kingdom of Bahrain after a 13year hiatus. ▶ With winners in this part of the world spanning from Tiger Woods, Seve Ballesteros, Colin Montgomerie, Rickie Fowler, Ernie Els, Adam Scott, Fred Couples and Rory McIlroy, the list goes on, it’s safe to say that more memories will be drawn in the sand. –harry grimshaw january 2024
golfdigestme.com
19
“By Invitation Only” WITH ABDULLA AL NABOODAH
T
he opening event on the DP World Tour’s ‘International Swing’ will see the Tour make a long-awaited return to Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club for the Dubai Invitational. Golf Digest Middle East exclusively caught up with Non-Executive Director at the European Tour group and Tournament Host, Abdulla Al Naboodah, as he explained how the Invitational became an official DP World Tour event.
signed the Framework Agreement with the PGA TOUR and the PIF at the beginning of June, so it’s certainly been an important time in terms of governance. There is a huge amount of experience on the Tour’s Board and the Executive Leadership Team, and I’m pleased to give the Middle East a voice and contribute with my own experience.
Abdulla, it’s been eight months in your new position as NonExecutive Director at The European Tour Group, how has it all been? It’s been very busy, but enjoyable. I had worked closely with many people at the European Tour group for a number of years prior to joining the Board, but it has been great to meet some new people and take on a more formal role alongside those who I did know already. I started in April, shortly after the Sports Resolutions decision, and we
Golf in the UAE just seems to be getting bigger and better every year in both the professional and at an amateur level, what do you think that is down to? There has been a sustained, longterm commitment from many different partners working together. The Tour has been coming to the UAE since 1989 and the transformation has
20
golfdigestme.com
january 2024
been massive since then, especially in terms of golf courses, tourism and domestic participation. Having so many of the world’s best players compete in the region has undoubtedly increased awareness and interest in golf, but it is important that you then have the structures in place to develop the game at grassroots and junior level. The work of Emirates Golf Federation has been crucial in this sense, and it was another important step to formalise the EGF’s relationship with the Tour last year which will help to develop golf in the United Arab Emirates until at least 2031. We had two Challenge Tour events in Abu Dhabi earlier this year which were a great success, and they will be an important part of our strategy going forward, helping to create playing opportunities and provide a pathway for Emirati golfers. ‘The Invitational’ Pro-Am you previously hosted at Al Badia, Dubai Creek and Yas Links. Where did the initial idea for it come from? I took up golf in 2006 and it quickly became a big part of my life. It is such a unique sport, where players of different abilities and ages can play alongside each other and enjoy the game together. The Invitational began a year later in 2007 as we thought it was a great opportunity to do something different in the UAE. Pro-Ams have been very popular around the world for a long time, giving amateurs from across business, sport and entertainment the chance to play alongside some of the world’s best players in a relaxed but competitive team format. The Invitational has provided extensive networking opportunities since it began, but above all it has raised a significant amount of money for charity, which was the main objective when we started 16 years ago.
As is it developed over the years, if you were to pick some golfing highlights and key moments, what would they be? It’s always hard to pick out particular moments, but for me the satisfaction has been from raising so much money for charity, first and foremost, and then seeing the enjoyment it has brought to people who have played in it. Our amateur guests have played alongside Major Champions and Ryder Cup players. In which other sport would you be able to do that? You are host of this year’s ‘Dubai Invitational’ on the DP World Tour, the opening event on the ‘International Swing’, how excited are you for both the event and especially the Pro-Am team event being played simultaneously? We felt for few years now there was potential to make the Invitational into an official event on the DP World Tour. I’m delighted we have now been able to do that, with a four day, 72-hole stroke play tournament for the 60 professionals, played concurrently with a three-day 54 hole team Pro-Am, featuring the 60 amateurs each paired with a pro partner to make a team. The team score will be the aggregate of the lower of the two team members score on each hole over three rounds from Thursday to Saturday, with only the professionals playing the fourth and final round for their Pro Individual Competition. The plan is to hold the Dubai Invitational every other year, alternating with the Hero Cup which was also a big success when it was played in Abu Dhabi at the start of 2023. It will start five consecutive weeks in the Middle East on the DP World Tour with the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, the Ras Al Khaimah Championship, the Bahrain Championship and the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters. This is a new chapter for the Invitational event and I hope it will bring even greater awareness in the UAE to the Pro-Am format which, as I mentioned earlier, is such a unique selling point for golf. With Rory McIlroy set to headline the field, can you give us an insight to the amateurs taking part? I was delighted that Rory committed so early to the event. He has such a strong history with Dubai, having lived here early in his career and had so much success, including his first Tour victory in 2009. He won his fifth Race to Dubai crown last month and he will defend his Hero Dubai Desert Classic title the week after he plays in the Dubai Invitational. We also have Nicolai Højgaard, who won the DP World Tour Championship last month, and Ryan Fox, meaning three of the top five on the 2023 Race to Dubai are in the field. Overall, we have 60 fantastic professionals for the 60 amateurs to play alongside at Dubai Creek Resort. We are just in the process of finalising and announcing the amateur field, but we have a strong mix from the world of sport, entertainment, business and from across the golf industry. It will be a great networking opportunity and I am sure it will be a great way to start the 2024 calendar year and a new chapter for this event. What is it about the Pro-Am part of the game that draws you to it and makes it so enjoyable for both professionals and amateurs? The format really makes it such a great experience for the amateurs. Not only do they get the to watch the professionals play up close, they also get to compete alongside them as part of a team. The handicap system means their score can count on a hole and contribute to the team’s total. In the Dubai Invitational, the amateurs will also get the chance to play with a different professional each day, which further enhances the overall experience for them. The Pro-Am format can also be beneficial for the professionals too as they are able to enjoy a Team element, unlike the purely individual pursuit that professional golf is for the majority of the time. january 2024
golfdigestme.com
21
by har ry g ri m sh aw
McIlroy aims to create history at the 35th edition by becoming the first four-time winner of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic
C
elebrating its 35th edition, and still able to claim it’s status as the longest running event on the DP World Tour outside of continental Europe, the Hero Dubai Desert Classic has now hit the anniversary milestone known around the world as “Jade”. ▶ Often a representational meaning of longevity and successfulness – it’s a perfect representation of the event. ▶ Looking back to 1989 the UAE, and the world, appeared to be a very different place. That same year the world wide web was invented, Japan aired the first broadcast of high-definition television and who could forget, Mark James winning the then Karl Litten Desert Classic after a play-off victory over Peter O’Malley. ▶
22
golfdigestme.com
january 2024
DaviD Cannon/Getty imaGes
Historic Heroes
Couples (1995), José Maria Olazábal (1998), Mark O’Meara (2004), Tiger Woods (2006, 08), Rory McIlroy (2009, 15, 23), Henrik Stenson (2007), Danny Willett (2016), Sergio Garcia (2017) and Bryson DeChambeau (2019). Between them, they have won 35 Major championships, adding to the history of the event.
Course: eGC
LAST YEAR THE EVENT BECAME THE FIRST GOLF EVENT IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND FIRST WITHIN THE DP WORLD TOUR ROLEX SERIES TO ACHIEVE GEO CERTIFIED TOURNAMENT STATUS.
left: McIlroy on the way to his third Dallah trophy in 2023. bottom: The Majlis has stood the test of time as the oldest grass course in the region
Throughout the years, this historic event has become more than just a golf tournament for fans to come and watch. Last year the Hero Dubai Desert Classic became the first golf event in the Middle East and first within the DP World Tour Rolex Series to achieve GEO Certified® Tournament status. The distinction is awarded and assured by the international non-profit GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf, and is based on the strength of commitment, breadth and depth of action, and range of tangible measured impacts across a broad sustainability agenda. Obtaining GEO Certified® status has become a notable achievement showcased by many of the world’s most renowned golf venues and events. Commenting on the achievement, Simon Corkill, Executive Tournament Direc-
Since then the event has had some momentous moments; Rory McIlroy won his first professional event in 2009, aged just 19. Stephen Gallacher became the only back-to-back winner (2013 & 2014). Bryon DeChambeau set the lowest winning tournament score (-24, 2019). Colin Montgomerie hit the “best shot in my career” with his driver off the deck on the par five 18th hole in 1996 en route to victory. Tiger Woods is a two-time champ himself (2006 & 2008) and is 87-under-par for the 29 rounds that he has played on the Majlis course. The roll of honour also includes 11 different Major champions. They are: Seve Ballesteros (1992), Ernie Els (1994, 02, 05), Fred january 2024
golfdigestme.com
23
from top to bottom: Solar pannels installed. Water stations are dotted around the course. Junior Dubai Desert Classic.
tor for the Hero Dubai Desert Classic said, “We are delighted that the Dubai DesertClassic is the first golf event in the Middle East to achieve this important distinction, and milestone. “It speaks to our strong dedication to tackling priority environmental and social issues, as we strive to deliver meaningful net positive impacts through the event. With the wide reach that the tournament has, we hope this achievement will help to raise awareness and inspire other events, businesses, and individuals across the region and beyond.” For the 35th edition, several key initiatives are being applied to help deliver its most eco-friendly event yet. The measures will aim to reduce waste and emissions, water consumption and conserve energy in an important year for the UAE as the UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan declared 2023 as the ‘Year of Sustainability’. The UAE Government is at the forefront of driving change having recently hosted the COP 28 Climate Change Conference held in December. The Hero Dubai Desert Classic is now focused on becoming a carbon neutral event, following DP World Tour’s announcement that all five of its Rolex Series 24
golfdigestme.com
january 2024
(3) egc
THE 2024 EDITION IS HAVING SEVERAL KEY INITIATIVES BEING APPLIED TO HELP DELIVER ITS MOST ECO-FRIENDLY ONE YET
events will adopt sustainable approach to help reduce carbon footprint and advance climate mitigation. Ahead of the 35th edition of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, the Junior Dubai Desert Classic will also return with it’s second edition, providing a unique opportunity for young aspiring golfers in the UAE and beyond to gain competitive experience. Hosted by Hero Dubai Desert Classic in collaboration with Emirates Golf Federation, the youth tournament, which is open to players aged 18 and under, will take place just a few days before golf’s top stars take to the greens of the Majlis course. As part of the 36-hole tournament, golf’s next generation will each play one round on the famed Faldo and Majlis courses, giving junior amateurs an opportunity to experience what it is like to be a professional at an elite tournament with access to the courses, driving range, locker rooms and lounges. What an experience! Moving along to the main event! The Hero Dubai Desert Classic, as always, brings with it an A-Class hit-list of global players who visit the emirate. The 2024 edition has a top lineup of stars for the nine million USD event. World Number Two Rory McIlroy, Open Champion Brian Harman, Dubai resident Tommy Fleetwood, fellow World Top 20 player Tyrrell Hatton and PGA TOUR star Cameron Young are all set to tee it up at the iconic Emirates Golf Club for the first Rolex Series event of the 2024 Race to Dubai.
1 8 T H - 2 1 S T J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 4 | E M I R AT E S G O L F C L U B
A TOURNAMENT LIKE NO OTHER L I M I T E D P R E M I U M H O S P I TA L I T Y PAC K AG E S & FREE G E N E R A L A D M I S S I O N T I C K E T S AVA I L A B L E DUBAIDESERTCLASSIC.COM TITLE SPONSOR
FOUNDING PARTNER
OFFICIAL PARTNERS
#DesertClassic #RolexSeries OFFICIAL PATRONS
top: Tommy will be playing in his 13th edition in a row. right: World Number Two, Rory McIlroy, pipped Patrick Reed to last years title.
26
golfdigestme.com
january 2024
came out on Tour. I look forward to playing in front of friends and family again in January.” Hatton, the current World Number 12, will be seeking a record-equalling fifth Rolex Series win when he tees it up in Dubai once again. Hatton said: “It’s always a great tournament and I’ve played well in the past. I’m
“I LOVE COMING TO DUBAI AND THE SUPPORT WE GET FROM THE FANS IS ALWAYS SPECIAL. I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING BACK TO EMIRATES GOLF CLUB IN JANUARY.” while also seeing the return of Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton again. “They have all achieved great success in their careers so far and their rankings speaks for itself of how competitive they are. By lining up for the tournament not only makes the field stronger but it also solidifies the Hero Dubai Desert Classic’s position as one of the best golf tournaments in the world and presents a fantastic opportunity for fans to watch the best stars in action.” The Hero Dubai Desert Classic is truly an international tournament with winners coming from 14 different nations across six continents. Let’s hope the next 35 years are as unforgettable and electrifying as the past.
fleetwood: Andrew redington/getty imAges • mcilroy: KArim sAHiB/AfP/getty imAges
McIlroy will be aiming to create history once more and become the first four-time winner of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic by adding another Dallah trophy to his cabinet after his victories in 2009, 2015 and 2023. “It meant a lot to lift the Dallah trophy for a third time. I’ve enjoyed a lot of success at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic over the years, so adding another title was the perfect way to start the year (2023). “I love coming to Dubai and the support we get from fans is always special. I look forward to getting back to Emirates Golf Club in January, and hopefully creating a bit of history.” Reigning Open Champion Harman sealed his maiden Major title at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in July during a stellar season which saw him notch up six further top tens – including two runner-up finishes – on the PGA TOUR and still managed to find time to make his Ryder Cup debut in Rome in September. Six-time DP World Tour winner and Jumeirah Golf Estates resident Fleetwood is making his 13th consecutive appearance at the event. The 2017 Race to Dubai champion rounded out a memorable 2023 season – which included his second Ryder Cup win for Team Europe – with a runner-up finish in Dubai at the DP World Tour Championship, and he is aiming for further success in the United Arab Emirates, following his back-to-back victories in Abu Dhabi in 2017 and 2018. “This an event that I love, I’ve played the Hero Dubai Desert Classic every year since I
looking forward to getting back to Emirates Golf Club and hopefully adding to my success in the region.” American Young will join his fellow countryman Harman in making his Hero Dubai Desert Classic debut. The 26-yearold, who was named PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year for the 2021/22 season, enjoyed five top ten finishes that season, including runner-up at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play and T7 at the Masters, adding to his top three finishes at the US PGA Championship and The Open in 2022. “I’m looking forward to getting over to the Hero Dubai Desert Classic for the first time. I’ve heard many great things about both Dubai and the event. It’ll be a fun week of competition to help kickstart my year” said Young. Simon Corkill again commented on the excitement of the players teeing it up, “We are delighted to confirm Rory will return to defend his title and will be striving for a historic fourth win. Our Roll of Honour features an illustrious cast of golf’s most notable names, and I am sure we will have a worthy champion to join this star-studded list and lift the Dallah trophy. “We’re thrilled to be welcoming Brian Harman and Cameron Young for the first time to the Hero Dubai Desert Classic 2024
Harman’s Here
with h a rry g r i ms h aw
Four Americans have lifted the Dalah trophy, will Brian Harman be adding his name into the sands of time?
T main: Tracy Wilcox/GeTTy imaGes • harman: charlie croWhursT/GeTTy imaGes • Woods: david cannon/GeTTy imaGes
Brian, how much are you looking forward to coming to Dubai for the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, and what have you heard about the city and the United Arab Emirates? “I’ve admired the event from afar for years and I’m really excited to compete against a great field, on a championship course in an area of the world I’ve wanted to visit. “My swing coach, Justin Parsons ran the Butch Harmon School at the Els Club Dubai for seven years and has constantly told me what a magnificent place Dubai is. I’m really looking forward to the golf and experiencing the city with my wife.”
Fred Couples, Mark O’Meara, Tiger Woods and Bryson DeChambeau are the only Americans who have lifted the trophy in its 35-year history, what would it mean to
(including 2023 Open Championship)
add your name amongst theirs? “Well first it would mean I played my absolute best and topped an incredible Rolex Series field of players. I play to win golf tournaments; I won a global event in 2023 at the Open Championship and I’ve felt an immense sense of pride with being the champion of arguably the best golf tournament in the world. “I want to build on that win and my success last year and that means being successful not only on the PGA Tour, but around the world against the world’s best.”
he reigning Champion Golfer of the Year, Brian Harman, has announced that he will tee it up at the 35th anniversar y edition of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club in January. Golf Digest Middle East exclusively spoke to the current World Number Nine, about what his expectations are of the UAE and how life has been for him over the past six months.
What have you heard about the history of the event and its importance in the Middle East? “The best players of the last 30 years have been champions of this event. Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson, Ernie Els amongst others. I noticed a number of those guys also won the Claret Jug! So it would be fun to bag that duo like them. “I’ve also heard from peers of mine that have played how central golf is to the region and this event has been a massive part of the sport in Dubai and it’s growing success over the last 30 years.”
d.o.b. January 19th 1987 place of birth Georgia, USA turned professional 2009 pga tour wins 3
What do you know about the challenges that the Majlis course will offer, do you think it will suit your game? “From what I know, the weather is generally good, as is scoring. Finding fairways and accuracy is a great strength of mine, so I hope this will allow me to hit plenty of drivers and be aggressive. “There are good scoring opportunities, particularly on the back nine where there are three par fives. My fairway wood play is also generally a strength, so I am hoping to take advantage of those.”
BELOW: Tiger Woods is one of four americans to have previously won the event
BEING THE OPEN CHAMPION HAS BEEN A GREAT BLESSING january 2024
golfdigestme.com
29
MY STRATEGY ON BERMUDA GRASS IS TO ALWAYS SELECT THE CORRECT SHOT AND I AM GENERALLY COMFORTABLE INTO OR DOWN GRAIN AS I AM USED TO IT
most comfortable with what we are familiar with. I grew up in the South, never moved and then went to the University of Georgia. “My strategy on Bermuda is to always select the correct shot and I am generally comfortable into or down grain as I’m used to it, I can alter the delivery of the club or my interaction with the grass which is always one of my feels that I bring around the greens.”
DaviD Cannon/Getty imaGes
The greens were re-modelled a few years ago with Bermuda TifEagle, with that being used across the Southern States in America, that must be a plus for you? Can you also explain what it is about that grass that is so specific? “I love Bermuda grass. I think I speak for most professional golfers in that we’re
30
golfdigestme.com
january 2024
above: The Majlis greens have been re-modelled with Bermuda TifEagle
majlis: egc • harman: Dyl an Buell/getty images
we were the happiest two guys in the rain Sunday at Hoylake.”
Looking back to last summer and your maiden major title at the Open Championship, how did you approach the final day with a fiveshot lead? “I tried to approach things the same way I did for the previous three rounds. I played some good golf the week prior on the DP World Tour at the Genesis Scottish Open and found myself in contention starting Sunday. But we had some poor weather and I didn’t handle that situation well. I believe that helped me seven days later though. “I couldn’t help but feel like time stood still Saturday and Sunday, playing later in the day, a lot of time to think and a lot of time between shots, your mind wants to speed things up and I wasn’t perfect, but I fought those outcome thoughts and handled early adversity both days on the weekend. “It’s cliché, but my process had built a five shot lead through three rounds and I was not going to allow myself to stray from what got me into that position.”
I LOVE HAVING THE PUTTER IN MY HAND WHEN IT MATTERS MOST! Hopefully the weather won’t be as damp in Dubai as it was on that Sunday at Royal Liverpool, how much of a challenge was that on the final day? “It was as much of a challenge as you will allow it to be. I knew the conditions were going to be miserable, I was ready for that and played in some pretty heavy rain on Tuesday. No different than avoiding thoughts of what could happen, etc. “I tried not to get too caught up in the weather and how it affected us versus the field, those thoughts are not productive. “I knew it would be hard for someone to go out and shoot a real low one on Sunday, so I felt a sense of control over doing my job and things taking care of themselves. My caddie Scott Tway and I were under that umbrella a lot in our own little world, and
You put on a putting masterclass throughout not only the final day but the whole week, is that the most confident part of your game? “I have always been confident with the putter in my hands, I’ve enjoyed some big moments on the greens throughout my career, junior golf, amateur golf, and those moments stay with you forever. “Playing the week before at the Genesis Scottish Open helped me get acclimatised, it’s not just green speed and contours, it’s getting used to the wind blowing every putt, etc. “I was comfortable when I got on the greens at Hoylake during my practice rounds with the speed, I was seeing the lines well and that never changed throughout the week. “I don’t know if it’s the most confident part of my game, but I love having the putter in my hand when it matters most!” You seem like a relaxed guy – how has your life changed since the Open win? “I’m reminded of the win every single day, and I embrace every aspect that has come with the Claret Jug! Being the Open Champion is the greatest professional responsibility of my career thus far, and it’s been a great blessing. “Fans have been amazing, I’m noticed in places and I’m not used to it, I’ve signed more flags than I can count, but the ultimate reward has been the recognition & respect from my peers.” The Hero Dubai Desert Classic takes place on 18th-21st January and free general admission tickets are now available on dubaidesertclassic.com january 2024
golfdigestme.com
31
Back in T RAK Al Hamra Golf Club host for the third consecutive time to the Ras Al Khaimah Championship By Harry Grimshaw
32
golfdigestme.com
january 2024
he Ras Al Khaimah Championship is returning for the third time to the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah and specifically Al Hamra Golf Club from January 25-28, 2024. The coastal venue, designed by Peter Harradine, first made waves by staging three European Challenge Tour events which included the Ras Al Khaimah Challenge Tour Grand Final in 2018, claimed by Dubai resident Adri Arnaus. Now a regular DP World Tour tournament venue, it broke it’s duck on the
main stage in 2022 with the inaugural staging of the Ras Al Khaimah Championship, followed the week after by the Ras Al Khaimah Classic. In 2022 Al Hamra Golf Club set the stage for the Danish Ryder Cup star, Nicolai Højgaard, who won his second DP World Tour title in the emirate. Fast forward a year, Englishman Daniel Gavins also prevailed for his second DP World Tour title. Chris Atkinson, Championship Director of the Ras Al Khaimah Championship, said: “This event has grown
year on year to become established as an exciting fixture of the DP World Tour’s run of Middle East events. “We can’t wait to welcome fans back to the beautiful Al Hamra Golf Club once again to see stars of the DP World Tour battle it out for an early victory on the 2024 Race to Dubai.” Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, said: “We are thrilled to be welcoming back some of the world’s best golfers to the emirate for the third year in a row. “We are confident that the upcoming
Ras Al Khaimah Championship will be bigger and better than ever and look forward to showing our visitors what the emirate offers both on and off the golf course.” Benoy Kurien, Group CEO of Al Hamra, owner of the host venue, Al
Ras Al Khamiah Championship will be bigger and better
Hamra Golf Club, said: “We are privileged to have the opportunity to once again host the DP World Tour for the Ras Al Khaimah Championship. Our relationship with the European Tour group has gone from strength-tostrength since hosting our first event in 2016 on the European Challenge Tour and we look forward to seeing this partnership develop. “We are also looking forward to once again working alongside our partners at RAKTDA to showcase the best of the emirate for local and international golf fans.”
photograph by courtesy by the club
Royal Golf Club returns to DP World Tour after 13 years By Harry Grimshaw
34
golfdigestme.com
january 2024
extensive upgrades with a number of greens on the front nine having been redesigned to welcome the DP World Tour stars. “We are pleased to host the Bahrain Championship on the DP World Tour in the Kingdom of Bahrain,” said His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Hamad Al Khalifa. “This championship, which forms part of what is an elite professional golf tournament series, is organised in cooperation between the Royal Golf Club, the
royal golf club
Bahrain T Beckons
he fourth event on the Middle East’s ‘International Swing’ sees a return to The Kingdom of Bahrain on the DP World Tour for the first time in 13 years, with the Bahrain Championship at Royal Golf Club from February 1-4, 2024. Held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and with a prize fund of $2.5 million, the Royal Golf Club course measures over 7,000 yards and has undergone
General Sports Authority, the Bahrain Olympic Committee, and the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority.” Evidence of the Kingdom’s drive to grow the game of golf domestically is born out through the initiative between the Bahrain Olympic Committee and the DP World Tour which is seeing local golfers awarded spots to compete in the tournament via the Bahrain Amateur Open, claimed by Khalid Attieh and Royal Golf Club member, Fahad Al Hakam.
Additionally, Ahmed Al-Zayed, who was the leading Bahraini player in the King Hamad Trophy, and winner of the event, Cole Madey, will both also tee it up alongside the DP World Tour professionals in the Bahrain Championship. Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the DP World Tour, said: “I would firstly like to thank His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Hamad Al Khalifa for welcoming us to the Kingdom of Bahrain
as we launch a new event on our International Schedule. “The Bahrain Championship will mark the DP World Tour’s return to the Kingdom of Bahrain for the first time since 2011 and helps form part of our International Swing of events. “We are excited to return to Bahrain in February as we continue to showcase our diverse array of tournaments in different countries and cultures across the world.” january photograph 2024 by golfdigestme.com courtesy by the club 35
COMMERCIAL BANK QATAR MASTERS
Qatari Quintuple
Doha Golf Club 2024 Edition 8th – 11th Feb 2024 DEFENDING CHAMPION
Sami Välimäki
Doha Golf Club is the fifth and final ‘International Swing’ venue in the desert
NOTABLE WINNERS 2015 & 2016
By Harry Grimshaw
2014
Branden Grace Sergio Garcia 1999 & 2012
Paul Lawrie
36
golfdigestme.com
january 2024
turns to its traditional date in the early part of the year with the field competing for the US$2,500,000 prize pool. The event has been a staple on the DP World Tour schedule for over 25 years, with the first edition being won by Scotland’s Andrew Coltart in 1998, with a host of names having engraved their names on the pearl trophy such as two-time winners Paul Lawire, Adam Scott and Branden Grace.
2011
Thomas Bjørn 2002 & 2008
Adam Scott 2007
Retief Goosen 2006
Henrik Stenson 2005
Ernie Els PRIZE FUND
US$2,500,000
fp-studios
T
he 27th Edition of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters will mark the fifth event on the bounce in the Middle East, and the fifth of eight events in the ‘International Swing’ on the 2024 Race to Dubai. The tournament, which was won by Finland’s Sami Välimäki in 2023, will take place from February 8-11, 2024 at the Peter Harradine designed Doha Golf Club, as it re-
Play oceanfront golf in Oman Exclusive stay and play packages Ultra luxury oceanfront accommodation
From AED 7,960 ++
From AED 3,434 ++
Greg Norman Signature design
Luxury 5-star accommodation included with rounds of golf and luxury spa discounts and food and beverage.
To book your package, please call: The Chedi: +968 2452 4401 / reservation@chedimuscat.com Kempinski: +968 2498 5000 / reservations.muscat@kempinski.com
Ranked #2 course in the MENA region
eGolf Megastore expands even further across Ras Al Khaimah and Bahrain, totalling 13 stores in the region
Bigger is Better A
fter another bumper year for the largest golf retailer in the Middle East, Golf Digest Middle East caught up with eGolf Megastore, Chief Executive Officer Dean Cheesley to tell us about what he has in store for 2024.
Dean, congratulations on 2023. How would you evaluate what has been another successful year at eGolf Megastore? 2023 was a year of good fortune for the organization. We witnessed expansion in the retail division which opened four new locations in 2023, while our wholesale division grew from 24 to 33 global golf brands under management since the beginning of the year. Several new brands came about organically in our wholesale portfolio after bringing them to the region for the first time, and other brands became part of the portfolio after acquiring a local distributor DG Golf. We also merged in six brands from its portfolio which included L.A.B Golf and SuperStroke Golf, among others. Additionally, our e-commerce has been re-launched with a new interface that provides a well overdue upgraded and enhanced user experience on the platform.
38
golfdigestme.com
january 2024
Our concept introduced radical changes that re-shaped the club fitting and club building standards in the Middle East
What is the focus looking like as we start 2024? A central objective for 2024 is maintaining our position as a global front runner in custom club fitting and club building services. Personally, it’s hard to believe nearly a decade has passed since our concept introduced radical changes that re-shaped the club fitting and club building standards in the Middle East. Our challenge now is to continue with the pioneering spirit that eGolf was founded upon and consistently deliver innovative retail, club fitting and club building solutions that keep our operations at the forefront of global industry trends. At your largest location in Al Quoz, you have undergone an expansion. Was this a development you had always envisioned? The expansion of our original and largest store was well overdue for some time as we had simply outgrown it, importantly it was preventing us from introducing new brands at Al Quoz. We have doubled the size of our ground floor spaces, giving way for Hugo Boss, Galvin Green, Travis Matthew and several more apparel brands to join us. We even have a new club building studio codesigned with the TaylorMade Tour department
what the future of golf holds in Ras Al Khaimah, which we anticipate will see a significant upsurge in the number of tourist rounds in the emirate after the Wynn Casino opens in 2027.
offering a ‘Tour Truck’ experience which will also be unveiled at the start of 2024. You have recently opened a new store at Al Hamra Golf Club, just in time for the DP World Tour event in January. The new store at Al Hamra Golf Club allows us to serve our loyal customers based in the Northern Emirates. Our decision to invest now at Al Hamra Golf Club envisages a forward-looking approach of
We currently have more than 38,000 sq. ft of retail space across the Middle East and a total of 13 stores in the region in the UAE, Oman and Bahrain.
And even a new store in Bahrain, another exciting addition to the portfolio. Exactly, the new store and club fitting studio we have established at Royal Golf Club Bahrain is an excellent opportunity presented to us by the new management and board who have sparked major changes at the facility since their arrival, which includes securing the DP World Tour event once again. I’m delighted that the board and management were aligned with our vision of what needed to be brought to Bahrain from a club fitting and retail standpoint. The club fitting studio has also allowed nearby golfers in Saudi to cross over the causeway to get a master fitting with access to every shaft and equipment brand not previously available. With all of your stores in region, how much sq. ft of retail will you now operate within the UAE and Middle East? We currently have more than 38,000 sq. ft of retail space across the Middle East and a total of 13 stores in the region in the UAE, Oman and Bahrain. Retail is such a complex business and we have more than 115 brands and stores which vary from small to large. The expertise lies in curating a specialised product assortment to fit the varying age, playing ability and consumer spending demographics that exist from country to country across the region. Tell us about some of your new products you have coming out in 2024? 2024 sees the introduction of the new TaylorMade Qi10, Callaway AI Smoke and new release products from PXG, Cobra, Titleist, Honma BERES and PING. In general terms, the 2024 products take a step away from the traditional brand product launch stories each year promising greater distance and focuses more upon new innovations in forgiveness, particularly in the driver lineups. Most notably, TaylorMade and Ping are bringing to market products which focus on the highest Moment of Inertia or MOI in a driver ever (MOI stands for the measure of a clubhead’s resistance to twisting when a ball is struck away from the sweet spot), which in theory will lead to straighter drives without compromising ball speed loss. As ever, those theories are still yet to be proven on golf courses across the Middle East, but either way Q1 is definitely shaping up for another exciting year of new product releases in the region.
january 2024
golfdigestme.com
39
CELINE BOUTIER LEADS A GROUP OF TALENTED PLAYERS WHO KNOW HOW TO SCRAMBLE
BY MADELINE MACCLURG PHOTOGRAPHS BY DOM FURORE
When examining just how good the golf is on the LPGA Tour, it’s likely you’ll notice how far Maria Fassi drives the ball or how many birdies Atthaya Thitikul makes in a round. On closer inspection, however, there’s also a lot of skill being demonstrated around the greens. To put it one way, many of these women wield wedges and putters with the dexterity of a major-championship trophy engraver. With that in mind, Golf Digest sought to identify and honor the best of the best in various shortgame skills on the LPGA Tour. To accomplish this, we sifted through scores of statistics, including new ones provided by KPMG Performance Insights, as well as enlisting the opinions of dozens of pros and their swing coaches (polled at tournaments this fall). The result is honorees in six categories, led by six-time LPGA Tour winner Celine Boutier, plus honorable mentions. (It was a challenge to pick winners in many of these categories.) From distance wedges to putting, from bunker play to touch, the following are the LPGA’s elite scramblers and what you can learn from them. 42
golfdigestme.com
january 2024
BEST OVERALL
CELINE BOUTIER During the 2023 season, Boutier won four times, including an impressive sixshot victory in the Amundi Evian Championship, her first major. What set this year apart? Among many statistical improvements, she jumped 129 spots in the LPGA stat of strokes gained/around the green. She also leads the tour in scrambling—getting up and down better than two out three attempts—and is fifth in sand saves. “My short game really took off when I began working with my current coach,” Boutier says of Cameron McCormick, who also works with the PGA Tour’s Jordan Spieth. “Cameron really helped improve my ability to read the lie and select the shot based on how the ball is sitting. We also focused on smoothing out my tempo, as I can get a little quick in my backswing. “But by far the biggest adjustment in my short-game transformation was
honing in my distance control—and it’s something amateurs should focus on.” As you might expect, Boutier spends a lot of time on her short game, but she says the average amateur can improve in a lot less time if they adjust the way they practice. The key is to continually vary the goal. It can be selecting a new target from one ball to the next or trying to execute a different type of shot to the same target. The variance builds touch, especially for golfers who can’t get to the short-game area often. “I’ll place tees or balls on the green to serve as targets or landing zones and then I try to land my shots at each target. I like this drill because I can get creative and land balls in the same spot with different trajectories to see how they react on the greens. Practicing this way gives me a lot of insight into how to play from various spots on the course.” Honorable mentions: Cheyenne Knight, Minjee Lee, Lydia Ko
LEE : DYLAN BUELL / GETTY IMAGES • CIGANDA : ANGEL MARTINEZ / GETTY IMAGES
BEST DISTANCE WEDGES
MINJEE LEE Minjee Lee is at the top of the LPGA Tour in strokes gained/approach in each of the past two seasons, and is perennially among the best in the greens-in-regulation stat. “I focus on maintaining a quiet lower half,” Lee says of her ability to consistently hit solid wedge shots.
“That’s about as technical as I get.” With distance wedges, Lee says she likes to put more pressure in her lead leg than she would for a full iron shot, and that pressure increases as she gets closer to the green. The reason? Weight shift isn’t nearly as important in shorter shots as it is when you’re swinging from farther
BEST TOUCH
distances. The priority is making clean contact to control distance. Her tip for you? “For consistency, use lower-lofted clubs into greens and shorten your swing,” she says. Also, make sure the clubface is square at impact. You’ll control direction, spin and trajectory much better. Honorable mention: Jin Young Ko
CARLOTA CIGANDA Carlota Ciganda’s touch is often mentioned by other tour players and caddies as being in the same area code as that of another famous Spaniard, the late Seve Ballesteros. Although humbled by the comparison, she says she’s more of a student than a professor of his technique, along with those of other great Spanish players. “I’ve watched a lot of videos of Seve, Olazábal, Sergio and Rahm,” Ciganda says. “Like them, once I see the lie and the green, the shot I want to hit comes to me. I follow my instincts.” Natural talent aside, Ciganda says you can’t truly tap into feel or touch without first having solid mechanics, and that’s where amateur golfers should start: “Having the technique clear in your mind is what gives you confidence—especially under pressure.” Her basic technique is simple to copy, she says: Start the club back mainly with your arms and hands, but swing through with a rotation of the body. The hands should remain fairly inactive in the through-swing until this motion becomes easy to repeat—then you can experiment with some hand-and-wrist action to alter what the ball does. Honorable mentions: Ashleigh Buhai, Gabby López, Leona Maguire Patty Tavatanikit, Ruoning (Ronnie) Yin.
DANIELLE KANG to a conversion rate of about 90 percent. If her shots were instead stopping about 10 feet away, the rate drops to 40 percent. “The wedge feels like an extension of my arm,” Kang says of her touch. “When I know how the club’s bounce is going to react through the grass, that’s all I’m looking for to get the best feel for the shot in front of me.” To improve your contact like Kang, “stand no more than a foot from the ball,” Raflewski says. “This gets your club’s shaft more vertical, promoting solid chips and distance control.” Honorable mentions: Carlota Ciganda, Patty Tavatanakit, Ruoning Yin
KANG : HARRY HOW / GETTY IMAGES
She might put herself in some dicey situations, but never count Danielle Kang out of a hole. Dozens of LPGA players and several swing coaches on tour agree that she has an amazing knack for getting up and down. One of Kang’s secrets is that she actually misses greens on purpose during practice rounds to get more comfortable trying to save par. It also doesn’t hurt that she has ranked no lower than fifth on tour in putting average the past three years. Kang says her coach, Butch Harmon, has advised her to bump-and-run the ball whenever possible, because it’s such a high-percentage play. However, she can pull off virtually any shot around the greens because her quality of contact is so good. She’s leaving wedge shots in the five-foot range from the hole, says noted shortgame coach Gareth Raflewski, and that leads
BEST SCRAMBLER
XXX golfdigestme.com 44 GOLF DIGEST ISSUE X 2023 january 2024
PHOTOGRAPH BY NAME SOMEONE
INBEE PARK Although she’s on maternity leave from the LPGA Tour, it would be tough not to call Inbee Park the best putter in women’s golf. She’s often considered one of the best of all time. Before taking her break, there was a stint on tour in which she was making nearly half of her putts in the 10-foot to 15-foot range (49.4 percent). The PGA Tour average is 31 percent. “When I stand over it, when I feel confident with the line, I feel like even if this misses, it’s probably very obvious that everyone misses this length of putt. That kind of nopressure mind-set helps,” she says. But it’s not just mind-set, says short-game coach Gareth Raflewski: “If you watch the way the ball rolls into the hole when she putts, the ball doesn’t smash against the back of the hole or lip in. It’s always the right speed. “We call it capture speed, which basically measures the size of the hole at the speed the ball is traveling toward it. The hole is 4.25 inches wide, so if the ball were to travel and get to the hole with zero speed, the full size of the cup would be utilised. But if the ball were travelling with one foot of extra speed, the hole in effect shrinks to 2.7 inches wide. For two feet of speed, it shrinks to 1.9 inches wide. What this means is that her distance control is so good, most of her second putts are within a foot.” Honorable mentions: Ashleigh Buhai, Yaeeun Hong, Danielle Kang, Leona Maguire 46
golfdigestme.com
january 2024
LYDIA KO Lydia Ko finished first, third and fourth on the LPGA Tour in sand saves from 2020-’22 and is top 15 again this season. Her formula for success begins at setup but includes a blend of good technique and the right attitude: “I try to stay aggressive and use a lot of bounce in the bunker,” Ko says, referring to the bulge on the back side of a wedge that helps skim the clubhead through the sand. Ko says her setup is key: “I always put my weight on the lead side. From there I can be super aggressive with my swing into the sand.” She picked up this technique from former coach Sean Foley. “He described it as insurance to be as aggressive as I can,” she says. “Then I just feel like my clubhead is moving past my hands, and the bounce lets the club splash the ball out with some sand.” One of her favorite ways to practice in bunkers is by using this simple drill: Draw a line about an inch behind a ball in the bunker. Hit a bunker shot trying to enter the sand as close to the line as possible. Keep repeating this over and over, trying to hit the line but also making swings that are less and less restrictive. Let it go. She says you also can use the line to determine if you’re delivering the club consistently in the same spot. That accuracy is crucial to getting a predictable result from the sand, including height and spin. Honorable mentions: Ashleigh Buhai, So Yeon Ryu
BEST PUTTER
KO : STUART FRANKLIN / GETTY IMAGES • PARK : CHARLIE CROWHURST / GETTY IMAGES
BEST BUNKER PLAYER
Two-time major winner Angel Cabrera speaks for the first time after 30 months in prison Interview by Luis Fernando Llosa Photographs by Irina Werning
EDITOR’S NOTE: Professional golf finds itself in more uncharted ethical terrain. Never has a player of supreme accomplishment been associated with such abhorrent activity. Over the past three years, the downfall of Angel Cabrera has been hard to follow—extradited, tried and sentenced in Argentina on domestic-abuse charges. His release in August, after serving 30 months in prison, raises more questions, namely, should the administrators of elite tournaments let him play while his competitive window still has daylight? The 2007 U.S. Open and 2009 Masters champion, now age 54, says that is his wish. Do we, the fans, offer our second chance? Boxing has a history of stars who successfully resumed careers after incarceration for violent crimes against women, and football and basketball have had their felons, but golf’s arena has traditionally kept a higher standard. Being a pro golfer comes 50
golfdigestme.com
january 2024
with a special veneer of respectability, and so perhaps one condition of Cabrera’s reinstatement should be to donate meaningful time and money to programs that prevent and treat domestic abuse. Surely, some will feel that is not enough. There is no comfortable answer. Cabrera has apologised to his former partners in the courtroom and privately paid significant settlements to forestall civil suits. If or to what degree these women accept his apology, we do not know. Micaela Escudero, age 42, now living in Italy and whose relationship with Cabrera was briefest, declined comment to Golf Digest through her lawyer, Federico Pizzicari Bordoy. “As far as she is concerned, that stage of her life is over,” Pizzicari relayed. Cecilia Torres Mana, 38, did not respond to multiple attempts at contact by Golf Digest but did publish an essay in 2021 on the first-person news website Orato. “What started as a normal relationship quickly turned into physical and psychological submission,” she wrote, stating she was abused, hit and locked in a closet. Allegations Cabrera continues to deny. With gender-based crimes, it can feel especially problematic to parse conflicting he said/she said statements and mete appropriate punishments. Speaking out immediately against all minor offenses must be encouraged as a way of preventing dangerous behaviors from escalating. A careful reading of the cases against Cabrera paints a picture of an emotionally disabled alcoholic. To be sure, he is guilty of terrorising two women, was found guilty and admits it. A brief history of Cabrera’s romantic relationships begins at 18, when he started living with Silvia Rivadero, then 30. She brought four children to the household and together they had two more. Never married, they separated in 2012. Torres Mana, a police officer, made first contact with Cabrera via direct message in 2016. They started dating, and that same year she filed a complaint of abuse supported by video evidence. Two years later she filed a second complaint that Cabrera stole her phone, threw it at her and injured her scalp. While their relationship lasted about five years, neither charge was ever withdrawn, and they were set to expire in October 2020. By neglecting to notify authorities of his travel
to the United States for a PGA Tour Champions event in August 2020 and thus missing a related court hearing, Cabrera triggered an Interpol Red Notice, which alerts police worldwide to international fugitives. This was costly. Cabrera’s manager, Manuel Tagle, believes judiciaries regarded the unexcused absence as the hubris of a famous man who thought he could avoid lecture in their courts and ultimately led to extraordinary sentencing. Even Pizzicari agrees. “I’m not a judge, but it’s my understanding that his sentence would have been much lighter. In fact, he may have received a conditional sentence and not served time in jail.” Even if coupled with the charges later added by Pizzicari’s client, which included threatening harm, pushing Escudero from a parked car and biting her lip at a nightclub to which Cabrera pled guilty? “Probably. His time in jail would’ve been much shorter, eight months at most,” Pizzicari says. In all, Cabrera served two and a half years in three jails in two countries for both causing minor injuries and intimidation in a gender-violence context. One set of lesser charges on his record remains unsettled and concern heated phone calls with Rivadero that violated a restriction of no-contact. Although these might seem mitigated transgressions, Cabrera’s entanglements reflect “conduct unbecoming a professional” of the PGA Tour. The primary purpose of the following interview is not to relitigate details but to know the experience of a once celebrated champion who went to prison. Judge the veracity of his contrition for yourself. For this interview, Golf Digest assigned investigative journalist and award-winning author Luis Fernando Llosa, who established himself as an expert on Spanish-speaking golfers while reporting for Sports Illustrated in the mid-2000s. Llosa followed Cabrera to Cordoba shortly after his onestroke U.S. Open victory over Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk at Oakmont and discovered a man irrevocably shaped by his parents’ abandonment, impoverished childhood and sixth-grade education. Such facts should not elicit sympathy but do inform a life that returned as if by gravity to the lowest of circumstances. This interview was translated from Spanish. —MAX ADLER
Angel Cabrera, photographed on Oct. 3, 2023, at El Terron Golf Club in Mendiolaza, Argentina.
DECEMBER january 2023/JANUARY 2024 2024 golfdigestme.com GOLF DIGEST XXX 51
Why were you in prison? I was in jail because I went through a very bad time in my life in which I made many mistakes. ●●●
Are you guilty? That’s the way the judge saw it, and I believe so, too. What she determined was correct. ●●●
Specifically, what are you most sorry for? The lowest moment I can recall is throwing a cellphone at my partner’s head. Although I deeply regret all of my wrongdoings and harming the people I care for the most, I can’t rewind time and make amends. [Editor’s note: Cabrera continues to undergo medical treatment to combat alcohol addiction, including daily pills that cause sickness if alcohol is ingested. He says he intends to stay sober for the rest of his life.]
‘THERE WERE NIGHTS I LAY IN MY CELL THANKING GOD FOR MY IMPRISONMENT. WHAT I HAD BEEN DOING WAS SO CRAZY.’
●●●
At the beginning of your prison sentence, you were defiant. Did you really believe that the women that you were convicted of assaulting were at fault for what happened? I wasn’t in a very good mental state then. I thought I had been unjustly detained and didn’t deserve to be imprisoned. I blamed everyone else for what was happening to me. I believed that the women I’d harmed were to blame, that they had harmed me. ●●●
How do you feel now? I am repentant and embarrassed. I made serious mistakes. I refused to listen to anyone and did what I wanted, how I wanted and when I wanted. That was wrong. I ask Micaela for forgiveness. I ask Celia for forgiveness. They had the bad luck of crossing paths with me when I was at my worst. I wasn’t the devil, but I did bad things. I’ve apologised to them both in court, and I do so again now. I am deeply embarrassed because I disappointed the people closest to me—and everyone who loves me through golf. Golf gave me everything, and I know I will never be able to repay the debt I owe this sport. ●●●
When did you begin your mandated prison therapy? [After his arrest in Brazil in January 2021, Cabrera was interred in Placido de Sa Carvalho prison in Brazil for five months, then transferred to Carcel de Bouwer in Argentina.] When I got to Bouwer, I had a session every 15 to 20 days for the entire time I was there. At first, I was 52
golfdigestme.com
january 2024
closed and blocked. I believed everyone else was at fault for everything that had happened. I blamed my manager, my lawyer, the press, my kids, all my friends. I felt they hadn’t taken care of me properly, but that wasn’t true. They tried. Manuel would tell me, “You are doing bad things,” and I’d say, “Yes, yes, yes. I know.” But 10 minutes later I’d be at a bar drinking another beer. I was in my own world. I listened to no one. Over time, I realised that I was the guilty one. The psychologist succeeded in getting the best out of me. In the first session she asked me, “How are you?” “How do you think I am? I’m terrible. I’m in prison.” So she sent me back to the main hall. The same thing happened the second time. “How do you think I am? I’m imprisoned!” I told her. But she kept insisting. Soon I began to realise that I was not well because everything I’d done had led me here. ●●●
When did things start to go wrong? I would say 2012. I struggled to compete with the younger players on the PGA Tour, and a nagging shoulder injury made it difficult for me to play the way I wanted to. When I realised I couldn’t win, I started to lose interest. I was OK while I was competing, but whenever I returned to Cordoba, my life would unravel, and I’d end up hanging out in the wrong places with the wrong people. I started to separate myself from the good folks I’d met in the golf world. As I surrounded myself with unsavory types, things got worse until it was me
and nobody else. If you weren’t useful to me, it was over. Ciao. I’d become so full of myself. I didn’t have to go in that direction, but I did. That’s why I feel so bad. I did all this to myself. But it’s done. I can’t erase how I acted. All I can do is move forward and do something different. [In his last eight years on the PGA Tour, Cabrera had four top-10 finishes, missing 54 cuts in 128 appearances— his two bright performances being a playoff loss to Adam Scott at the 2013
Masters and a victory at the Greenbrier Classic in 2014.] ●●●
You’ve mentioned that prison gave you a renewed sense of freedom. That’s the truth. It’s given me a new perspective. I don’t look for people to blame anymore. While I was detained, I realised that if I had still been out—and behaving the way I had been—I would probably not be alive now. There were nights when I lay in my cell thanking God for my impris-
onment. What I had been doing was so crazy that I could have ended up— I can’t talk about the things I did. I can’t tell people about them because I feel so awful and am so embarrassed. If I’d called him [points to his decades longfriend and manager, Manuel Tagle] at 3 a.m. or him [points to his longtime lawyer and friend Marcelo Lozada] at 6 a.m. in the morning and told them to go buy me a case of booze, they’d have told me I was crazy and hung up on me, but the people I had around me did whatever
I told them to, and that was totally unhealthy for me. I created that. ●●●
You were in three different jails. Talk about life in each. I had a really hard time in Brazil. I was stuck there for five months in a pavilion with 19 other inmates. Most were foreigners who were there for drug trafficking— Germans, Brits and Americans. I was awaiting extradition with a Chilean and another Argentinian. Ten cells, two prisoners per room, but it was january 2024
golfdigestme.com
53
pretty quiet because none of us had much contact with each other. For five months I slept on concrete with a few rags. The bad part was when they bussed us to the hospital infirmary. I was taken there every 15 days at the behest of the consulate to ensure that I was physically healthy. ●●●
Were you scared? Not on the bus because we were all tied up. The problem was later, when we got to the hospital. They would jam us in one large cage, which was nerve-wracking, but I made sure to stay at the margins, away from everyone. We were stuck there in the hot sun with nothing to eat from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. But what can I say? I was in jail. They would lock us in our cells at 4 in the afternoon and keep us there until 9 the next morning. Me and my Paraguayan cellmate were stuck in a space that was about three yards long and three yards wide. At 8:30 in the morning they’d bring us coffee and a little piece of bread. They would let us go to the main hall at 9, then they would lock us back up at noon. For the first 10 to 15 days, I didn’t worry too much. I figured I’d be there for less than a month and then get sent to Argentina, but after a month passed, I was still stuck in Brazil, and I started to get worried. I stopped eating and became depressed. I pleaded to be sent to Argentina. You know, when you’re like that, a lot of bad thoughts get stuck in your head. I thought, I’ll never get out of here alive. I’m going to die thrown down this well. I’m never going to see my family, my people again. I’ll never return to my country. ●●●
What was your experience in Bouwer? I arrived on June 12 and spent 18 days in quarantine. The cell block I was placed in is known as one of the best. Compared to all the other lockups, it was the most peaceful. There were no killers. It was mostly older inmates who had committed fraud— primarily white-collar criminals. During my last three months at Bouwer, they brought in inmates who had been jailed for serious offences, but they had all been in prison for many years. Only inmates with excellent conduct records were mixed in with us. When they got there, things got a little more tense, but I kept to myself. I never got into trouble with anyone while I was at Bouwer. 54
golfdigestme.com
january 2024
Did the guards and prisoners know you were a famous golfer? Yes. Golf is not at all like soccer in Argentina, but they knew who I was, what I’d done and why I was in prison. For the first few days they were friendly and careful around me, but within a couple of weeks, you were just another prisoner, another number. You’re stuck there, and you have to live under the same restrictions as everyone else. ●●●
Did you have a job? When I got to Bouwer, I asked if I could do physical work and take classes. I wanted to work and finish primary school, but they refused. “We cannot mix you in with the general population,” they told
me. “Something bad could happen to you.” They were worried about having to deal with headlines and bad press if I got into trouble. I guess, in that sense, being a celebrity worked against me because there was a lot to do there. There was a bakery. There was a workshop. There were maintenance crews and even a vegetable garden. But the prison director wouldn’t let me do any of that. The only work I was assigned was cleaning the main hall once a day, which took 10 minutes. For the rest of the day, I remained there or in my cell. ●●●
What did you do all day? I read a lot. Manuel’s dad brought me eight or nine golf magazines at a time. I was alone in
my cell most of the time because my cellmate worked all day. During my last six months at Bouwer, I was completely alone because he got released and no one replaced him. I thought a lot about tournaments I played in, especially when I read about myself in the magazines. The older ones had photos of me playing in the U.S. Open and the Masters, as well as in the President’s Cup, which I played in four times. I’d get nostalgic, but it helped me pass the time. I remember nearly every stroke of that Sunday I won the Masters and would replay it in my mind: the playoff, the famous shot I made through the trees. ●●●
Did you have contact with anyone from the golf world while you were in prison? Some of my old tour friends —Retief Goosen, K.J. Choi, John Daly, Pat Perez—sent me messages of support through my neighborhood friend, Cordovan caddie Angel Monguzzi. When Gary Player was in Buenos Aires, he gave Andres Schonbaum, the president of the Argentina Golf Association, a letter to pass on to me. It read, “Compadre, I will be happy to see you again. Tienes huevos grandes. You are a CHAMPION.” It gave me a big boost. I have great memories of Gary, who I became good friends with when he was my captain during the Presidents Cups of 2005 and 2007. However, the truth is that I kept to myself. I didn’t want people to see me while I was in jail. Eduardo Romero, who was an important figure in my golfing career, asked several times if he could come visit me. He had been a mentor to me since I turned professional in 1989 and a longtime companion on the then European Tour. But I kept telling him, “No, just wait. I’ll be out soon. Don’t come.” The truth is that I was not well emotionally. I was anxious, and I didn’t want people to see me there. I’d say, “We’ll see each other when I get out.” Unfortunately, it was not meant to be because Romero died while I was at Bouwer. I felt the loss deeply. All I’m left with is great memories of the times I spent with him. ●●●
Who visited you in prison? My partner Yamila, my manager, Manuel Tagle, his father, Manuel Senior, my lawyer, Marcelo, my two sons, and my lifelong friend Marcelo Mor-
oldo, who caddied for me back when I played on the Argentine tour. ●●●
Were you able to do anything remotely like golf while incarcerated? Not really. From time to time we would get to go out to a soccer field, and I’d find a stick or broom handle and take some swings, just to practice the movement. There was nothing there that I could hit. ●●●
What was your transition from Bouwer to Monte Cristo like? My last three months at Bouwer were terrible. I was exhausted and got really depressed. Nothing ever changed there, and that got to me. Monte Cristo was completely different. No one
‘MY GOAL IS TO PLAY ON THE CHAMPIONS TOUR. GOLF IS EVERYTHING TO ME. IT’S MY LIFE. I HAVE TO CONTINUE.’ watched over you. No one controlled you. Eighty inmates shared 90 hectares of farmland. They were all there because they had attained high marks for conduct and been transferred near the end of their prison sentences. There were no bars on the windows, no locks on the doors, just nature. When I got there the director said, “See that there? That’s the door. If you want to go, leave. We aren’t going to look for you.” You could walk out at any time, but, of course, if you did, you’d end up somewhere much worse. ●●●
What did you do at Monte Cristo? I worked in the nursery taking care of plants. I enjoyed working two and a half hours each morning, watering and
sorting plants, setting the bad ones aside and picking out the bigger ones that were ready to be transplanted. It was a good job physically because I got to move around, and it kept me busy mentally. I focused my mind on taking good care of the plants. I would go to the nursery in the morning and to school in the afternoon. Unlike at Bouwer, where it was too risky to attend classes, I was able to work toward finishing sixth grade. I didn’t get to complete the year because I still had two months of school left when I was released from prison in August. ●●●
Do you plan to continue studying? No. I’m going to focus on golf. ●●●
What if not for golf? I don’t know. I’m not a fortuneteller, but golf is what presented itself. I started going to the club and caddying when I was 9. By age 11 I’d quit school and spent all my time working at Cordoba Country Club. I was supposed to finish my sixth-grade assignments to get into seventh. Instead, I told my grandmother, “I’m never going back to school.” “That’s fine,” she said, “but you’re going to get up at 7 a.m. like I do and work all day and return at 6 p.m. like me.” I was happy with that. I knew there was no way I would be able to afford a university education. I’d learned to read and write and that was enough. I didn’t feel I needed anything else. I began to believe I could make a living playing the game. In 1989, the year I turned pro, my oldest son, Federico, was born. I realised I had to figure out a way to support him and that if golf didn’t work out, I didn’t have any other good options. I’d have to live off the game one way or another, as a player, a greenkeeper or whatever. So I worked and worked and worked. Most of the guys I played with then—some of whom were better than me—didn’t make it, but I kept at it because golf was it for me. ●●●
Who picked you up the day of your release? My partner, Yamila. She was my guardian the entire time I was at Monte Cristo. She had signed me in and out the four times I’d already been out on day passes. But that day was a special day. I got home at noon. Everything seemed a bit strange and knowing that I didn’t have to go back actually made me nervous. When I’d been out on the january 2024
golfdigestme.com
55
‘I REMEMBER NEARLY EVERY STROKE OF THAT SUNDAY I WON THE MASTERS AND WOULD REPLAY IT IN MY MIND.’ want to get better, so I can to be there for him and help him grow and become a good person. ●●●
TWO FOR ARGENTINA Cabrera won the 2007 U.S. Open at Oakmont (top). In 2009, he won
the Masters (bottom) in a playoff. He’s the first from South America to win either major.
day passes, I’d spend every last second I could at home. I’d stay as late as possible and rush back to get to prison at five minutes to 11. That night when the clock struck 10, my only thought was, Now I get to sleep in my own bed. ●●●
What was it like to be home with your new son, Felipe? [At Bouwer, well-behaved inmates were permitted two-hour visits with partners every 15 days. In November 2022, Yamila Alvarez, Cabrera’s partner of four years, gave birth to their son, Felipe. They were 56
golfdigestme.com
january 2024
married in October 2023, two-months after his release.] It was incredible. I spent very little time with my older children. When they were growing up, I travelled a great deal for work. I was away seven to eight months a year, so I didn’t have much contact with them. The technology back then wasn’t at all what it is now, so I couldn’t video call them. Felipe’s arrival helped me a lot, and I enjoy being with him every day. I’m able to watch him grow. The other day he started to walk. Experiencing all this makes me stronger, makes me
When did you first hit balls on a golf course? The first time I played golf was here at El Terron Golf Club in Mendiolaza, 25 days after my release. German Tagle, who is the president of the club and my manager Manuel’s brother, invited me. I’d been racked with self-doubt—wondering how well I would hit, or even if I would be able to hit the ball at all. So much time had passed. I was scared I would get frustrated—that after two or three bad hits I’d throw my clubs down in disgust and quit golf forever. For the entire drive to the club, I obsessed about how my first drive would turn out. But the truth is I hit it beautifully. First, some short shots with a lob wedge on the practice range. That went well. Then a little farther with a 9-iron. Everything looked and felt good. When I hit my first few drives, they sailed 300 yards. That got me excited. To be on a golf course again after three years, to walk 18 holes again, it felt like a rebirth. Since then, my old teacher Charlie Epps has come to visit and brought me new clubs. ●●●
How are your physical capabilities? I was really worried when I got out because I lost a lot of muscle mass in prison. I had no idea how my body would respond to playing, let alone rigorous training. The only exercise
REGISTER YOUR OUTLET FOR THE REGION’S FAVOURITE RESTAURANT, LEISURE & ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS SCAN TO VOTE
WhatsOn.ae
Sponsor
Printing Partner
SCAN TO REGISTER
WhatsOnAbuDhabi
Beverage Partner
Vote Processing Partner
#WOAwards
Presented By
I was able to do during my last seven months—at Monte Cristo—was walk the grounds. I was also concerned about my left wrist. I had it operated on in October 2020—and I had not held a golf club once since then—because I was doing rehab in Houston in November and December, and by January 2021 I was in jail in Brazil. ●●●
What about your wrist now? I still feel a little irritation, but I’m doing physiotherapy twice a week, working out at the gym three times a week and playing 18 holes several times a week. ●●●
How do you think what’s happened will affect your legacy? I made serious mistakes, but I’ve also paid my debts. I’m going to work as hard as I can to clean up my image. I want to recover the stature I had as an athlete. 58
golfdigestme.com
january 2024
Would you return to Augusta National next April? It’s my dream to return to that prestigious place and walk the course that gave me so much joy and satisfaction. I played at Augusta for almost 20 years in a row. It’s like a second home to me. It would be a great privilege to return and to attend the Champions Dinner with so many of the golf world’s greatest players. [Augusta National declined to comment on the status of Cabrera’s invitation. The past two editions of the Masters have featured conspicuous absences related to LIV Golf. Chairman Fred Ridley denied the rumor Phil Mickelson was disinvited in 2022 but confirmed the club asked Greg Norman not to attend in 2023 to limit distraction. The PGA Tour, which does not discuss disciplinary matters, intimated that Cabrera is not banned for life, though he may have
more hurdles to clear before he is allowed to compete in its sanctioned events.] ●●●
Do you plan to make a professional comeback? I’m going to try. I thought about making a comeback the entire time I was in prison, but I got worried about how my body would respond, whether my wrist could take it or my back would hurt too much. I had no idea what I would do if things didn’t work out. I didn’t play a single round of golf for three years, but before that I played for 40. I started hitting balls with a mini-club when I was 10, and that’s something you never forget. My goal is to prepare and play on the Champions Tour. When I’m out there competing, that’s when I’ll truly know if I can handle it physically at that level. Mentally I’m already there. Golf is everything to me. It’s my life. I have to continue.
REGISTER YOUR OUTLET FOR THE REGION’S FAVOURITE RESTAURANT, LEISURE & ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS SCAN TO VOTE
SCAN TO REGISTER
WhatsOn.ae
Sponsor
Printing Partner
WhatsOnDubai
Culinary Partner
Beverage Partner
Vote Processing Partner
#WOAwards
Presented By
SPONSORED CONTENT
Club Lab Golf:
One Size Doesn’t Fit All Nestled in Jumeirah Lake Towers Dubai, Club Lab Golf presents an unparalleled experience by seamlessly integrating club fitting and building, as well as professional coaching, to enhance the golf culture and knowledge in the region. THE CLUB FITTING & BUILDING PROCESS
Upon entering Club Lab Golf for a club assessment, the initial focus is on understanding the client’s objectives - whether it be improving distance, control, or lowering their handicap. The process begins with measuring the blueprint of the customer’s current clubs, where the specifications of loft, lie, flex (CPM vs. length), length, grip size, and swing weight are carefully documented. Essential to the assessment is a thorough warm-up, followed by data collection through high-speed cameras and Foresight Sports’ GC Quad. The Master fitters at Club Lab Golf then analyse the data to identify whether the client’s golf clubs are suited to their swing and optimised for them to play their best game. What sets Club Lab Golf apart is that each client is fitted to their unique swing characteristics, considering factors such as transition, tempo, release, strength, speed, hand size, and wrist-to-floor measurements. If a re-build is recommended, Club Lab Golf meticulously removes and reconstructs club heads with the correct shaft, matching flex, length, weight, and bend profile. The club’s loft and lie angles are adjusted with precision within a quarter of a degree, even surpassing some of the tightest tolerances of professional tour trucks. Upon getting custom-fitted clubs, the primary review often involves the lie angles. Whether prompted by significant swing change or on a biannual basis, it is advised for golfers to revisit Club Lab Golf for a brief 10-minute assessment. This ensures a meticulous check of the lie angle, which undergoes more fluctuation due to the swing path change than is commonly perceived.
60
golfdigestme.com
january 2024
WATCH THE VIDEO Misconceptions in golf swing ◼ Correct Grip, Stance and Posture ◼ Importance of Swing Path ◼ Club Face at Impact ◼ Early Extension
Misconceptions in club fitting and building
◼ Big or small grip sizes aren’t necessarily related to how active your hands are ◼ Shafts Launch angles do match spin rates – e.g. high launch = high spin ◼ Club Brand doesn’t change your distance – it’s just the lofts being strengthened ◼ Irons don’t need to be D2 swing weight – focus on feel weight rather than swing weight ◼ Spinning or Puring a shaft means there is less deflection on the shaft
Scan the QR code to see what Club Lab Golf has to offer
Club Assessment Process Step 1 – The Interview Step 2 – Blueprint of your current set Step 3 – Warm Up Step 4 – Analysis of Golfer Step 5 – Conclusion / Recommendation Step 6 – Build Process
Technology Used ◼ Foresight GC Quad ◼ Golf Mechanics ◼ MR3 Design ◼ Golf Works ◼ Swing Catalyst
ELITE COACHING
“At Club Lab Golf, we assist and benefit the beginner to the average player more than the professional golfer.” –reg van rooyen - co-founder and pga professional, master fitter & club builder
As part of its coaching mantra, Club Lab Golf places the utmost importance on understanding the clients’ goals. The coach relies on what comes naturally to the client and builds on the foundation of what comes naturally to the player in order to fortify and enhance their approach. In instances where methods fall short, the coach will assess and refine his teaching techniques to better align with the needs of the client. Personalised one-on-one training allows precise lesson structuring and accelerates goal achievement. Essentially, extended time with PGA Professionals leads to optimal results. Mastering the golf setup, whether an amateur or professional player, entails three essential elements: grip, stance, and posture. At Club Lab Golf, the unique blend of traditional coaching and modern technology including Foresight Sports and Swing Catalyst, replaces guesswork with precise visual analysis, presenting facts, numbers and data for a comprehensive learning experience. january 2024
golfdigestme.com
61
BODY / SWING ANALYSIS
SHAPE YOUR TEE SHOTS S.H. Kim’s three keys to take charge of your drives By Dave Allen
62
golfdigestme.com
january 2024
off the tee, south korean S.H. Kim was a full 10 yards longer than his more famous countrymen, Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim, in 2022-’23. Yet the PGA Tour rookie doesn’t equate the top drivers by who hits the ball the longest or the straightest, but by who controls the shape and trajectory better than anyone else. “There are countless players whose swings I admire,” says the 5-foot-11, 180-pound Kim, who ranked 36th on the PGA Tour in driving distance (308.7 yards) and 27th in strokes gained/off the tee through mid-October. “I particularly like Adam Scott’s and Rory McIlroy’s
swings. Lately, though, I’ve been more into Rory’s swing. He’s great at shotshaping. He can control almost any shot he draws up in his mind.” Although Kim, the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour Rookie of the Year, will be looking to improve his accuracy (56.5 percent or 126th on tour) off the tee next season, he’ll be spending much of his offseason practicing various ball-shaping techniques. He believes that improving this skill will help him earn his first PGA Tour title. Kim nearly broke through in mid-September, finishing only two shots back of Sahith Theegala at the Fortinet Championship. PHOTOGRAPHS BY J.D. CUBAN
“I don’t have a particular ball flight that I consider my best,” Kim says. “It really depends on the situation, like being able to control the trajectory of the ball when I’m facing a hole that is uphill or downhill and shaping shots when I see a dogleg left or right. Whenever I can hit a drive exactly how I drew it up, that is my best drive.” There are several keys to hitting a fade or draw, Kim says. For a fade, he sets his feet and shoulders more open, or pointed left of his target at address (above, first image), which promotes an out-to-in swing path through impact. With a draw, his stance is more
closed, or pointed right of the target, encouraging an in-to-out path. When Kim wants to hit the ball hard or sling it around the corner of a dogleg, he looks to generate more rotation in his upper body on the backswing, turning his lead shoulder until it’s almost even with his trail foot at the top. With a fade, the shoulders rotate just slightly short of his right foot (above, fourth image). For both shots, Kim suggests that you turn your upper body until your back faces the target at the completion of your backswing—a frequent checkpoint of his—because the driver requires the most rotation of any shot.
“I don’t necessarily think about this too much, but with continuous practice it has become a natural habit,” Kim says. As for the finish, Kim says it’s vital that his eyes and chest face the target (above, eighth image). For a fade, his hands will finish more in front of his torso, and for a draw, a little more around his body. On the range, practice to an imaginary fairway, shaping the ball based on what the hole demands. This kind of real-time training is super helpful to curving your shots on command. Interviewed with help from S.H. Kim’s translator and agent Danny Oh. january 2024
golfdigestme.com
63
B
BODY / TOUR TECHNIQUE
TUCK AWAY YOUR SLICE Try this handy drill to stop coming over the top By Davis Riley
Like mANY GOLFeRS, i HAVe a tendency to lift my arms too much during the backswing. This forces my arm plane to get too high and steep, often causing me to swing down with the club outside my target line. That’s how you turn a baby cut into a high, weak slice. To plug this major power leak, I’ll often start my range sessions by hitting balls with a golf glove tucked under my trail armpit (right). This helps exaggerate the feel for the backswing I want, which is one in which my arms stay connected to my body and the shoulders move more level to the ground. It’s the only way you can swing the club to the top and keep the glove in place. If the arms get too vertical, the
64
golfdigestme.com
january 2024
glove drops. Provided my arms swing back on plane, I can shallow my club’s path into the ball (below) much more easily and rotate as hard as I want for some extra pop. I don’t waste valuable time and speed having to reroute the club. If you slice a lot, give my glove trick a try. You can also use a headcover or make backswings with your shirt tucked under your armpit (something I often do during play). Shallow out your backswing, and you’ll turn that ugly slice into a reliable fade or draw—and vastly improve your distance off the tee. —witH dAVe ALLeN DAVIS RILEY teamed with Nick Hardy
to capture his first PGA Tour title at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in July.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY DOM FURORE
january 2024
golfdigestme.com
65
M
MIND / LUCKY BREAK
Mr. Fix It
How a golf instructor’s side gig exploded after Rory used his training aid
By Matthew Rudy
V
ertical integration isn’t a term you hear much in the golf-instruction business, but Martin Chuck has nearly every step of the process covered. Chuck manages golf schools that are sold out months in advance at the Tour Striker Golf Academy at Raven Golf Club in Phoenix. Those students are the test subjects for the popular array of Tour Striker teaching aids that Chuck has been inventing and selling for more than a decade. Even if you don’t know Chuck’s training aids by name, you’ve probably seen one if you’ve been to a PGA Tour driving range. Chuck’s Smart Ball—a squishy, plush grapefruit-sized ball attached to a strap that goes around your neck— went viral in 2017 when Justin Rose and more recently Rory McIlroy used it on the practice tee at events. The candid, unpaid social-media posts worked better than any organised advertising campaign and changed Chuck’s business model. “I don’t know Justin Rose and have never met him, and I look up and see posts of him using it,” Chuck says. “Then tour reps started calling and asking for a box of them so that they could hand them out when people ask. When Rory started using it and somebody posted about it, the interest literally broke our website.” Chuck’s standard order from one of his worldwide manufacturing partners is 5,000 units. After the McIlroy post, his sales volume increased 100 times. “It went from 5,000 a year to 5,000 a month—and then we’d have weeks where we’d sell that many.” That explosive success made training aids much bigger than a side gig. Chuck’s wife, Stacey, now runs the business side of Tour Striker, and she fulfills orders with the help of two fulltime employees at a small warehouse in nearby Gilbert, Arizona. “[Stacey] likes the business side, and I like the
66
golfdigestme.com
january 2024
creative side, so we make a good pair,” Chuck says. The Smart Ball helps to keep the chest and arms synchronised in the swing. The player holds the ball between the forearms and hits shots while trying to keep the ball in place until after impact. “I didn’t invent the concept of putting something between a player’s arms. I just built a better mousetrap,” Chuck says. “I got tired of chasing a ball down the range when a player would drop it, so I added my own strap. It was born out of laziness.” Before the Smart Ball, Chuck created the Tour Striker Training Club, which gets players to swing through with the hands ahead of the clubface, and the PlaneMate, which uses a belt and rubber straps to pull players into better positions through the swing. Currently, Chuck’s test subjects are using two experimental training aids that typically hit the market eight to 18 months after testing. “The ideas start from the place of What can help me?” says Chuck, who
played mini-tours in Canada before switching to coaching in the mid-1990s. “I still love to play, and I love to hit the center of the face. What kind of tricks are out there to make that happen?” If earning more than 250,000 customers and selling a freighter’s worth of $47 Smart Balls wasn’t enough market validation, the Chucks got the ultimate bit of positive feedback on a recent vacation in Rome. Martin and Stacey took in a day of Ryder Cup action as spectators. When they got to the grandstands at the Marco Simone practice area, four players, including Rose and 2022 U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, were using Smart Balls to warm up. “So cool,” Chuck says. “It makes me want to come up with the next one.” Matthew Rudy will never, ever hit shots with headcovers stuck under his armpits.
ILLUSTRATION BY GRETA SAMUEL
LUXURY CARTS, is the authorized distributor for Club Car in the GCC region. Club Car is renowned for its commitment to providing sustainable mobility solutions. The golf carts are not only designed for performance and durability but are also at the forefront of environmental responsibility. With electric-powered options, Club Car contributes to reducing carbon footprints, making it a preferred choice for those who value eco-conscious transportation. The LUXURY CARTS team is dedicated to ensuring that every customer enjoys a seamless and worry-free experience, from maintenance to troubleshooting and upgrades. ،اﺳــﺘﻤﺘﻊ ﺑﺘﺠﺮﺑــﺔ ﺗﻨﻘــﻞ ﻓﺎﺧــﺮة وﻣﺴــﺘﺪاﻣﺔ ﻣــﻊ اﻟﻌﺮﺑــﺔ اﻟﻔﺎﺧــﺮة اﻟﻮﻛﻴــﻞ اﻟﻤﻌﺘﻤــﺪ ﻟﻜﻠــﻮب ﻛﺎر ﻓــﻲ ﻣﻨﻄﻘــﺔ ﻣﺠﻠــﺲ اﻟﺘﻌــﺎون ، ﺗــﻢ ﺗﺼﻤﻴــﻢ ﻋﺮﺑــﺎت اﻟﺠﻮﻟــﻒ ﻟﺘﺤﻘﻴــﻖ اﻷداء واﻟﻤﺘﺎﻧــﺔ.اﻟﺨﻠﻴﺠــﻲ .ﺑﺎﻹﺿﺎﻓــﺔ إﻟــﻰ ﺟﻌــﻞ اﻟﻤﺴــﺆوﻟﻴﺔ اﻟﺒﻴﺌﻴــﺔ ﻓــﻲ ﺻــﺪارة أوﻟﻮﻳﺎﺗﻬــﺎ ﺗﺴــﺎﻫﻢ ﻛﻠــﻮب ﻛﺎر ﻓــﻲ ﺗﻘﻠﻴــﻞ اﻟﻜﺮﺑــﻮن ﻣــﻦ ﺧﻼل اﻟﺨﻴــﺎرات ﻣﻤــﺎ ﻳﺠﻌﻠﻬــﺎ اﻻﺧﺘﻴــﺎر اﻟﻤﺜﺎﻟــﻲ ﻟﻠﻌــﻤﻼء اﻟﺬﻳــﻦ،اﻟﻜﻬﺮﺑﺎﺋﻴــﺔ ﹰ ﹰ ﻣﺘﺨﺼﺼــﺎ ﻟﻀﻤــﺎن ﺗﺠﺮﺑــﺔ ﺳﻠﺴــﺔ وﺧﺎﻟﻴــﺔ ﻣــﻦ اﻟﻤﺘﺎﻋــﺐ ﻓﺮﻳﻘــﺎ اﻛﺘ ـــﻒ. ﻣــﻦ اﻟﺼﻴﺎﻧــﺔ إﻟــﻰ اﻟﺘﺼﻠﻴﺤــﺎت واﻟﺘﺤﺪﻳﺜــﺎت،ﻟﻠﻌﻤﻴــﻞ
A m ember of Green Valley Holdin gs
Acceleratin g th e future