FRIDAY
JANUARY 29, 2021
ROUND 2
Sterne’s topsy-turvy journey In just his fifth start since wrist surgery, Richard Sterne stormed to the summit of the quality OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic leaderboard
By Kent Gray – Editor, Golf Digest Middle East
WITH 54 HOLES still to play and a leaderboard dotted with so many pedigreed names, Richard Sterne has a long way to go before he can even contemplate hoisting the fabled Dallah trophy. Even so, the 39-year-old South African feels closer to victory than he has in an awfully long time after opening the 32nd OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic with a sizzling eight-under 64. He’ll take a one stroke lead over American Kurt Kitayama into Friday’s second round and hope that a title drought spanning eight long years might soon be over. Mind you, 2017 champion Sergio Garcia and Justin Harding are tied third after 66s and Paul Casey (67), Tommy Fleetwood (68) and Lee Westwood (69), among decorated others, lurk ominously. “It’s always good to get off to a good start. It helps you for the rest of the week,” said Sterne who has history at Emirates Golf Club, a runner-up finish to Stephen Gallacher in 2013, to draw further inspiration from.
Daily Draw Sheet & Course Map Navigate Emirates Golf Club with your guide to the second round groups.
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“I haven’t had many chances going into weekends for a long time, so it would be nice to get through tomorrow and place myself well and see how the weekend goes.” The last of Sterne’s six European Tour titles came at the 2013 Joburg Open. He managed just seven starts last season, partly due to the pandemic but mostly because of wrist surgery. “I played the last few events last year, which I actually played pretty decently considering I had not played for so long. And then finishing 25th last week gave me a lot of confidence. I’m just trying to watch my back, so I haven’t put much preparation into this week. Just got nine holes in Tuesday and I didn’t even come to the course yesterday. “When I was in trouble [today], I got out of it and made some good par putts and kept the round going. I hit a lot golf shots, as well, made quite a few birdies.” Nine of them in fact. A few more on Friday will ensure a fun weekend awaits. ◼
Super Sergio
The 2017 champion’s opening round was a Majlis masterclass. PAGE 2
Jetlag? What jetlag?
Paul Casey’s first ODDC round since 2014 got off to a flying start. PAGE 8
Caddie Confidential
Helen Storey takes us inside the ropes with Lee Westwood. PAGE 12
@OmegaGolfDubai #MadeForGreatness #TimeToMakeHistory
OM E GA D U BA I D E S E RT C L A SS I C 28–31 JANUARY
NEWS
2
LEADERBOARD Rank Name
Country Par
1 STERNE, Richard
RSA -8
2 KITAYAMA, Kurt
USA -7
3 HARDING, Justin
RSA -6
GARCIA, Sergio
ESP -6
5 CASEY, Paul
ENG -5
OTAEGUI, Adrian
ESP -5
DETRY, Thomas
BEL -5
MACINTYRE, Robert SCO -5
Editor-in-Chief Obaid Humaid Al Tayer Managing Partner & Group Editor Ian Fairservice Editor Kent Gray Correspondent Joy Chakravarty Art Director Clarkwin Cruz Images Getty Images, Supplied by Falcon Associates Chief Commercial Officer Anthony Milne Publisher David Burke General Manager – Production S. Sunil Kumar Assistant Production Manager Binu Purandaran
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Vintage Sergio
C
onsider, for a moment, that Sergio Garcia made his first cut on the European Tour aged just 15. Now ponder the fact that momentous occasion, way back at the 1995 Turespaña Open Mediterranea, was two years before reigning U.S. PGA champion Collin Morikawa was born. Don’t worry, we feel old too. We also felt a little for Morikawa (and a lot for Tyrrell Hatton) after Garcia, now 41, handed the Californian, just 23, a lesson in longevity on Thursday to put himself in the conversation for a second Dallah trophy triumph in four years. The dual 2017 OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic and Masters champion produced a ball-striking masterclass on the Majlis, signing for a six-under 66 and his 11th round of 67 or better in the ‘Major of the Middle East’. Garcia outgunned debutant Morikawa (71) by five strokes and the third member of the event’s marquee threeball, Hatton (76), by 10. You’ve been out here for more than 550 events. With all the success you’ve enjoyed – including 16 European Tour wins – what fuels the desire to keep on keeping on? “I really enjoyed playing with Collin today, but you know, obviously my focus, it’s a little bit different than it [once] was with family and getting married and having kids and stuff,” Garcia said. “But that doesn’t mean that I’m not a competitor. I still love to compete. I love to practice, try to get better and that’s what I try to do all the time. So it’s nice to see rounds like the one today, because it shows that I’m putting some good work in there and just got to keep doing more of that.” When Garcia won the Sanderson Farms Championship for his 11th PGA Tour title last October, he declared the old Sergio back. He credits comfort with his equipment for that and showed why in the first round. There was an exquisite pitch to set up birdie on the 2nd (his 11th) and a delicate repeat over a bunker to a short-sided pin in the par-5 next for another gain. But the undisputed highlight was a 8-iron he very nearly holed for eagle on the Majlis’ tricky 6th. “I’m a lot happier with the equipment that I have now because I feel like I can shape shots and I can do a little bit more what I used to do,” said Garcia whose driver cooperated fully on Thursday too. “That obviously has been a process, it comes down to confidence and I’m very happy to see where I’m heading. “So I think that it’s a big year, and hopefully I can be in good shape because I want to be a part of a lot of things this year.” On the evidence of Thursday, Garcia certainly looks set to give his 2021 goals a decent nudge. “Yeah, I felt comfortable out there for sure,” he said after the bogey-free start. “I felt like I hit a lot of good shots. April, 2018, the Conditions obviously were good, but they end of Sergio were tricky. The greens are a little patchy Garcia’s run of 453 consecutive when it comes down to firmness. Some weeks in the spots are really firm and some spots top-10 of the you can definitely spin it. So it’s just a Official World matter of getting the right hops there. Golf Ranking. “But other than that, I felt like it was a good, solid day.” –kent gray
22
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I still love to compete. I love to practice, try to get better...”
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QUICK KURT KURT KITAYAMA, the Pocket Hercules of the European Tour, bombed his way to a seven-under par 65, good enough for second place, one shot behind solo leader Richard Sterne. The 28-year-old American is known for fast starts. After all, he holds the record for the fastest player to win his second title on the European Tour when he triumphed at the Oman Open last year. That was just his 11th start. His first win was at the 2018 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open in only his third start after qualifying for the main tour that year. At just 5ft 6in, the Californian may not look like a modern-day longhitting golfer, but he packs a punch. On Thursday, he averaged 335.5 yards off the tee – the longest in the field, which averaged 294.2 yards. The round was even more impressive because Kitayama had shut down his disappointing 2020 season (just one top-10 finish) in October after the BMW PGA Championship, where he had missed a third straight cut. He returned only in the New Year for the Abu Dhabi
HSBC Championship and had a mediocre outing, finishing tied 35th. “I just played as many games as I could back home and tried to feel the pressure of being under the gun like in tournament conditions. That’s pretty much kind of how I tried to stay sharp,” said the world No. 143 who made just one bogey on the 14th hole. “I haven’t played this well in a while, so it’s nice to get a round like this.” The highlight of Kitayama’s round, which was played in the afternoon, was the eagle on the drivable par-4 17th, where he chipped in from the fringe. “It was a bit tricky playing in the afternoon. The greens got really crusty, and certain holes felt like you could tap the ball down the grain, and it made it really tricky,” he added. “The wind picked up a little bit, too. So downgrain downwind, those putts were kind of dicey. “The 17th was playing slightly into the wind. I hit it just short of the green in the fairway. It was just pretty standard chip up into the grain and I just holed it. It was nice.” –joy chakravarty
QUOTE, UNQUOTE
4
They said it... “I hit it really good. I was hoping that it was going to have a chance and when I got up there and saw it was quite close -- I’ve only had one hole-in-one my whole life, so I’m not exactly prone to hitting a lot of hole-in-ones but a two on that hole is really good.” – Leader RICHARD STERNE after nearly holing his tee shot on the 15th
“When I was in trouble, I got out of it and made some good par putts and kept the round going and I hit a lot golf shots, as well.” – STERNE leads after a 64
“It was during the first lockdown in France and we were stuck at home and I was like, okay, let’s try to do something good for [the] working guys who are in tough situations. I decided to buy some meals in the Bubble Café in Juan les Pins, a good friend with me, we work this thing. It was a tough period because it was closed at this time. So I buy some meals and then we deliver for one week in a different hospitals around the town. We just tried to make everybody happy and to give a smile a little bit in this tough period.” – COVID-19 survivor ROMAIN LANGASQUE “I’m really pleased with the round. I’ve got [into] a lot of birdie positions and I stayed really patient and I made a few putts. It was a good round. I mean, the greens are tough to read because they have a lot of grain, so you have to be really patient, but I think my long game was the key.” – LANGASQUE again after an opening 68
5
“Robert was really good today. I met him in the lift yesterday and he said, “Oh, we’re keeping an eye on you.” - ROBERT MACINTYRE on playing with European Ryder Cup vice-captain Robert Karlsson Thursday, after being paired with captain Padraig Harrington last week “But at the end of the day they are playing partners. They are selecting teams, fair enough, but I have to make sure if I’m on that team, there’s no picks happening. I’m just focused on my golf and attacking pins and holing putts.” – MACINTYRE again after a 67
“I haven’t played this well in a while, so nice to get a round like this.” – KURT KITAYAMA is second after a 65
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PICTURE THIS
6
Matthew Fitzpatrick, Adri Arnaus & Lee Westwood took part in a ‘Quick 9’ challenge at Topgolf Dubai. Arnaus won with an incredible score of 344. The benchmark has been set.
Emirates Golf Club and the OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic have come a long way from humble beginnings. Topgolf Dubai is now part of the incredible vista.
Thomas Pieters tees off on the 15th
Jayden Schaper
7 A misty start to the 32nd ODDC, seen here from beyond the 17th green
Greenkeepers prepare the Majlis as fog delays play during Day One Best seat in the house for man’s best friend
FAST START
8
Classic Casey
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and European Open double in 2019 but did was clearly intent on finish second to Collin Morikawa at August’s making up for lost time early PGA Championship in San Francisco. Thursday in his first OMEGA Dubai He went off the boil for the remainder of Desert Classic start since 2014. 2020 but has made a fast start to the new The 43-year-old Englishman year including a T-8 finish at the PGA Tour’s only landed from the U.S. late on Tuesday but American Express championship last week. showed no signs of jetlag as he sensationally A tweak to his usual routine has given Casey birdied his opening four holes and five of his fresh perspective. first seven after starting on the Majlis’ 10th tee. “Yeah, feel lucky because golf courses are Casey eventually signed for a five-under 67 open in Arizona. Even various other places to be right in the mix. He’s now played 26 of across the state line, they are not. I feel for his 30 rounds at Emirates G.C. in a combined everybody in the U.K. where golf courses are 81 under par and is seemingly set to extend closed right now. his record of not having missed a cut in seven “To be honest I took advantage of it. I spent previous Dubai starts. His share of 4th in 2009 a lot of time playing. It’s maybe might even be in danger although the something I’ve not done as much of Majlis layout is a different beast now. over the last few years. I put a new “This is a difficult golf course,” driver in the bag the last couple of Casey said after his “great start”. “The weeks as well. last time I played here was seven years “Just small little changes. I mean, ago. It was difficult then [but] it’s Casey’s Official 2020 -- let’s just move on. I feel grown some teeth in the last few years, World Golf optimistic this year. We’re still in the some new tees. It’s difficult to read the Ranking. middle of a pandemic, things are still greens and make putts around here. The Englishman difficult around the world. We are They have always been tricky, a bit of got to as high very lucky that we’re playing golf and grain in there. But yeah, very happy.” as 3rd in 2009. I feel in that sort of fortunate place Casey is chasing a 15th European He has won 14 that we’re in, I feel that I’m going to Tour title to go with his three PGA European Tour titles. take advantage of that, while I’m out Tour wins. He hasn’t won since his here, make hay.” –kent gray Valspar Championship (PGA Tour) aul casey
27
DRAW SHEET
9
Order of Play FRIDAY
JANUARY 29, 2021
Plan your day watching your favourite players with this guide to the groupings and tee times.
1. TIME 07:10 • HOLE 1 ◼ Richard MCEVOY (ENG) ◼ Mikko KORHONEN (FIN) ◼ Chris WOOD (ENG)
+6 -2 -1
2. TIME 07:20 • HOLE 1 ◼ Min Woo LEE (AUS) ◼ Marcus KINHULT (SWE) ◼ Pablo LARRAZÁBAL (ESP)
+3 -2 -2
3. TIME 07:30 • HOLE 1 ◼ Victor DUBUISSON (FRA) ◼ Wade ORMSBY (AUS) ◼ David HORSEY (ENG)
E -4 E
4. TIME 07:40 • HOLE 1 ◼ Robert ROCK (ENG) ◼ Richie RAMSAY (SCO) ◼ Dean BURMESTER (RSA)
+3 -1 E
5. TIME 07:50 • HOLE 1 ◼ Julian SURI (USA) ◼ Zander LOMBARD (RSA) ◼ Masahiro KAWAMURA (JPN)
E +1 -1
6. TIME 08:00 • HOLE 1 ◼ Edoardo MOLINARI (ITA) ◼ Sean CROCKER (USA) ◼ Maximilian KIEFFER (GER)
+4 -1 +4
7. TIME 08:10 • HOLE 1 ◼ Paul WARING (ENG) ◼ Julien GUERRIER (FRA) ◼ Kurt KITAYAMA (USA)
+3 E -7
8. TIME 08:20 • HOLE 1 ◼ Matthieu PAVON (FRA) ◼ Matthew SOUTHGATE (ENG) ◼ Alvaro QUIROS (ESP)
9. TIME 08:30 • HOLE 1 ◼ Karim EL HALI (MAR) ◼ Richard STERNE (RSA) ◼ Jayden SCHAPER (RSA)
+3 +2 +3
+10 -8 -2
10. TIME 08:40 • HOLE 1 ◼ Jordan SMITH (ENG) ◼ Lorenzo GAGLI (ITA) ◼ Joakim LAGERGREN (SWE)
11. TIME 08:50 • HOLE 1
-1 +2 -2
◼ Connor SYME (SCO) E ◼ Curtis KNIPES (ENG) +7 ◼ Gavin GREEN (MAS) +1
12. TIME 07:10 • HOLE 10
23. TIME 11:30 • HOLE 1
13. TIME 07:20 • HOLE 10
24. TIME 11:40 • HOLE 1
14. TIME 07:30 • HOLE 10
25. TIME 11:50 • HOLE 1
15. TIME 07:40 • HOLE 10
26. TIME 12:00 • HOLE 1
16. TIME 07:50 • HOLE 10
27. TIME 12:10 • HOLE 1
17. TIME 08:00 • HOLE 10
28. TIME 12:20 • HOLE 1
18. TIME 08:10 • HOLE 10
29. TIME 12:30 • HOLE 1
19. TIME 08:20 • HOLE 10
30. TIME 12:40 • HOLE 1
20. TIME 08:30 • HOLE 10
31. TIME 12:50 • HOLE 1
21. TIME 08:40 • HOLE 10
32. TIME 13:00 • HOLE 1
22. TIME 08:50 • HOLE 10
33. TIME 13:10 • HOLE 1
◼ Nacho ELVIRA (ESP) ◼ Søren KJELDSEN (DEN) ◼ David HOWELL (ENG) ◼ John CATLIN (USA) ◼ Ross FISHER (ENG) ◼ Ross MCGOWAN (ENG)
◼ Stephen GALLACHER (SCO) ◼ Garrick HIGGO (RSA) ◼ Thomas BJØRN (DEN)
-1 E +1
+2 -4 +4
+2 +4 +2
◼ Robert KARLSSON (SWE) E ◼ Robert MACINTYRE (SCO) -5 ◼ Thomas PIETERS (BEL) -1 ◼ Shane LOWRY (IRL) ◼ Danny WILLETT (ENG) ◼ Graeme MCDOWELL (NIR)
◼ Matthew FITZPATRICK (ENG) ◼ Victor PEREZ (FRA) ◼ Henrik STENSON (SWE)
-2 +2 +4
-2 E +2
◼ Matt WALLACE (ENG) -1 ◼ Christiaan BEZUIDENHOUT (RSA) +2 ◼ Miguel Ángel JIMÉNEZ (ESP) +2 ◼ Ernie ELS (RSA) ◼ Aaron RAI (ENG) ◼ Martin KAYMER (GER)
◼ Wilco NIENABER (RSA) ◼ Jorge CAMPILLO (ESP) ◼ Eddie PEPPERELL (ENG)
◼ Alexander LEVY (FRA) ◼ David LIPSKY (USA) ◼ Andrew JOHNSTON (ENG) ◼ Jeff WINTHER (DEN) ◼ Justin WALTERS (RSA) ◼ Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND)
+1 E -4
+2 +5 +2
-2 E +1
-3 E +5
◼ Romain LANGASQUE (FRA) ◼ Kristoffer BROBERG (SWE) ◼ Renato PARATORE (ITA) ◼ Chris PAISLEY (ENG) ◼ Callum SHINKWIN (ENG) ◼ Fabrizio ZANOTTI (PAR) ◼ Andy SULLIVAN (ENG) ◼ Jason SCRIVENER (AUS) ◼ Haotong LI (CHN)
◼ Paul CASEY (ENG) ◼ Rasmus HØJGAARD (DEN) ◼ Ian POULTER (ENG)
◼ Justin ROSE (ENG) ◼ Rafa CABRERA BELLO (ESP) ◼ Lucas HERBERT (AUS) ◼ Sergio GARCIA (ESP) ◼ Collin MORIKAWA (USA) ◼ Tyrrell HATTON (ENG)
◼ Bernd WIESBERGER (AUT) ◼ Tommy FLEETWOOD (ENG) ◼ Lee WESTWOOD (ENG) ◼ Antoine ROZNER (FRA) ◼ Matthias SCHWAB (AUT) ◼ Padraig HARRINGTON (IRL) ◼ Sami VÄLIMÄKI (FIN) ◼ Joachim B. HANSEN (DEN) ◼ Adrian OTAEGUI (ESP)
◼ Joost LUITEN (NED) ◼ Raphaël JACQUELIN (NED) ◼ Scott HEND (AUS) ◼ David HAGUE (ENG) ◼ Laurie CANTER (ENG) ◼ Brandon STONE (RSA)
-4 E +2
+1 +3 -1
-2 +3 E
-5 E +4
-1 +1 +2
-6 -1 +4
+1 -4 -3
-2 -2 -1
-1 E -5
+2 +7 -3
+3 -2 -2
34. TIME 11:30 • HOLE 10 ◼ Shergo AL KURDI (AM) (JOR) ◼ Ashley CHESTERS (ENG) ◼ Takumi KANAYA (JPN)
+4 E -2
35. TIME 11:40 • HOLE 10 ◼ Eduard ROUSAUD (AM) (ESP) ◼ Sebastian HEISELE (GER) ◼ Justin HARDING (RSA)
+1 -1 -6
36. TIME 11:50 • HOLE 10 ◼ Guido MIGLIOZZI (ITA) ◼ Alexander BJÖRK (SWE) ◼ Steven BROWN (ENG)
-1 -1 E
37. TIME 12:00 • HOLE 10 ◼ Mike LORENZO-VERA (FRA) ◼ Sebastian SODERBERG (SWE) ◼ David LAW (SCO)
+6 +2 E
38. TIME 12:10 • HOLE 10 ◼ Andrea PAVAN (ITA) ◼ Shubhankar SHARMA (IND) ◼ George COETZEE (RSA)
RT -2 E
39. TIME 12:20 • HOLE 10 ◼ David LANGLEY (ENG) ◼ Ryan FOX (NZL) ◼ Benjamin HEBERT (FRA)
E +1 E
40. TIME 12:30 • HOLE 10 ◼ Haydn PORTEOUS (RSA) ◼ David DRYSDALE (SCO) ◼ Adri ARNAUS (ESP)
+4 +1 -4
41. TIME 12:40 • HOLE 10 ◼ Nicolas COLSAERTS (BEL) ◼ Ashun WU (CHN) ◼ Scott JAMIESON (SCO)
-2 -1 -2
42. TIME 12:50 • HOLE 10 ◼ James MORRISON (ENG) ◼ Kiradech APHIBARNRAT (THA) ◼ Tapio PULKKANEN (FIN)
+3 -4 E
43. TIME 13:00 • HOLE 10 ◼ Nino BERTASIO (ITA) ◼ Oliver WILSON (ENG) ◼ Thomas DETRY (BEL)
+3 +4 -5
44. TIME 13:10 • HOLE 10 ◼ Oliver FISHER (ENG) ◼ Grant FORREST (SCO) ◼ Kalle SAMOOJA (FIN)
-1 +2 -4
10
COURSE GUIDE
11
SPECTATOR GUIDELINES Please follow play by walking behind the ropes at all times and use the crossing places where indicated. Please stand still and be silent while players prepare to hit their shots. Please observe the requests of the Marshals. All handheld devices, including mobile phones, must be switched to silent.
SCORE CARD HOLE YARDS PAR 1
469
4
2
351
4
3
601
5
4
180
3
5
451
4
6
485
4
7
186
3
8
459
4
9
488
4
OUT 3670 35 10
549
5
11
169
3
12
476
4
13
550
5
14
434
4
15
190
3
16
436
4
17
359
4
18
564
5
IN
3754 37
TOTAL 7424 72
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INSIDE THE ROPES
Caddie Confidential
It’s no coincidence that Lee Westwood’s stock has risen ever since fiancée Helen Storey started looping for the 47-year-old. The 25-time European Tour winner was at it again on Thursday with a crafty 69 to be right in the mix after the opening round of the 32nd OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic. Storey takes us inside the ropes with the reigning Race to Dubai champion.
westwood and storey in action during last year’s oddc; (above right) the duo combined for a three under 69 yesterday
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mirates Golf Club is always a lovely venue to come back to. It is a really nice part of the world. I think all the golf courses here are lovely and the lads really like them as well. Lee is very happy with his game on the Majlis, all of his ducks are in a row.
He is looking forward to the season. Obviously, with things being rubbish back home, doing this is amazing. He is in a good place with his body, his mind and his game and he’s excited about it. We are so lucky to have this opportunity and in this bubble, and I do joke that it is a bit like a posh prison but I feel really privileged to be here and enjoying it. It’s quite bizarre actually, we did not know what was going on in 2020 when we came off the course [Earth] until one of the guys put their head over the top and said ‘did you know that you could be in it for the Race to Dubai?’ and I was like ‘No?!’ and Lee didn’t know either. It wasn’t until after that we found out that he was in contention. I don’t help him with anything technical. I don’t pull clubs out, I don’t do orders, I don’t do anything like that, but if I can see that he is starting to think about the tournament or if he is in the mix then I try and distract him from thinking how important it is to him. I start talking about any odd random stuff, stuff going on at home, the kids, decorating the house or whatever, just to take his mind off golf basically.
THE WESTY
file
Westwood is playing his 26th OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic. Only Paul Lawrie and Miguel Ángel Jiménez with 27 apiece, boast more Dubai appearances.
He’s enjoyed 10 top-10s at the ODDC and is a three time runner-up: in 1999 to David Howell, 2010 to Jiménez and 2012 to Rafa Cabrera Bello
We could be talking rubbish the whole way around and then his mind would be weighing on his chances, and about using the right club, so his mind would be fried with golf one minute and I would distract him a lot the next minute. It depends on the occasions, everyone builds up the majors for example, but its just another big green field to me and it should be to everyone else. I try not to make it too big of a deal.
My experience at Topgolf Dubai was really good. Lee was super impressed with it as well, he just loved it. We will be back to Dubai after the Saudi International for a couple of weeks so we will definitely come back. Lee is taking things week to week, the schedule is all planned out and he knows where he is at but he tries not to put too much emphasis on certain tournaments, just take one tournament at a time and just enjoy it. ◼
HEIR APPARENT
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Superstar in training Takumi Kanaya
has showed once again why he is widely considered as the heir apparent to Hideki Matsuyama as the next superstar of Japanese golf. After an agonising wait of more than 10 minutes on the 1st tee as early-morning mist hugged the fairways, the former amateur world No1 started his maiden European Tour round with birdies on his first two holes. He then overcame a stutter, four bogeys in five holes from the 5th, with a brilliant return to the clubhouse played in four-under par 33 to sign for a two-under 70. Kanaya is one of the tournament invitees this year, continuing the OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic’s tradition of featuring some of the finest young names in the game each year. The 22-year-old from Hiroshima possesses a stupendous CV. He first served notice by finishing second in the 2017 Japan Open, a tournament that is regarded by many as tougher than the U.S. Open given how the golf course is set up for the week. Kanaya turned professional in October last year after playing in the U.S. Open and also featured in the Masters and the Open
55
The number of weeks the Japanese player spent at the summit of the amateur world rankings.
Championship in 2019 by virtue of winning the 2018 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship. He also won a title on the Japan Golf Tour (the 2020 Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters) as an amateur and was awarded the 2020 Mark McCormack Medal for occupying the No1 spot on the World Amateur Golf Rankings for 55 weeks. Within five weeks of joining the paid ranks, Kanaya won the flagship event of the Japan Golf Tour – the Dunlop Phoenix Open – and has made rapid strides to rise to 124th in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). “I am happy with the start. It looked like things were getting out of my hands in the middle but I am proud of the way I pulled it back,” said Kanaya, who is graduating from Tohoku Fukushi University in March this year. His idol and go-to person for golf and life advise, Matsuyama, is also an alumni there. “I am very thankful to the Omega Dubai Desert Classic for giving me an invite. I am also playing in Saudi Arabia next week, and then there will be a big gap as I will wait for the JGTO Tour to start in April. So, it is very important for me to do well this week. “My immediate goal is to break into the top-100 of
the world rankings so that I get to play in the PGA Championship later this year. That’s the only major that I have not played so far in my career, so that would be nice. Of course, if I get into the top-50 somehow before April and make it to Augusta National, that won’t be too bad either.” His first trip to Dubai has been a bit of a disappointment, but that has nothing to do with his performance on the golf course. “I had heard so much about Dubai and I wanted to go and see a few places. However, we are in a bubble and we cannot even step out of the hotel. It’s a bit of shame and hopefully, I can come back when things are normal,” said Kanaya. Iron play and putting are the strongest part of Kanaya’s game but even they could not help him recover from errant drives in the middle of the round. “I drove very poorly in that stretch. I was in the left rough on the 5th, then right rough in the 6th, then in the right desert on the 8th and right rough on the 9th…all with my drives. The lie on 5th was so bad that I needed to chip out safely,” explained Kanaya, who trains with Australian Gareth Jones, Japan’s National Team coach. “Thankfully, I managed to sort out my issues with the driver on the back nine. Hopefully, I can do even better tomorrow and get into contention by Sunday afternoon.” –joy chakravarty
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Justin Time Justin Harding could do no wrong as he soared from one high to another in 2018 and 2019. And then came the 2019 Korn Ferry Tour Finals. With one foot wedged into the door of opportunities called the PGA Tour, he slipped… rather badly. On the verge of getting into the top-50 of the world rankings, the 32-year-old from Cape Town missed the cut at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship and also missed his PGA Tour card by the narrowest possible margin of .025 points. It has been a steady fall since then. A couple of third place finishes on the European Tour’s truncated 2020 schedule notwithstanding, Harding is now ranked 179th. On the opening day of the OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic, Harding finally seemed to have turned the corner. He started with a bogey, but compiled a brilliant six-under par 66, which included an eagle two on the par-4 2nd hole, that put him firmly on the first page of the leaderboard. The genial South African turned professional
i t a l m o s t f e lt l i k e
I could see myself making mistakes in crucial moments.”
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in 2009 but had nothing more than a couple of Sunshine Tour wins to show until 2018. That was the year he decided to rededicate himself to the game, and the move paid rich dividends. Starting the year ranked 716th, two wins on the Sunshine Tour, followed by two on the Asian Tour, quickly catapulted him into the top-100. In 2019, he continued the rich vein of form with a win at the Qatar Masters and a tied 12th place at the Masters. “I made a few tweaks in my swing last year, just because I thought the consistency was missing. I could see myself making mistakes in crucial moments,” said Harding, who does not have a permanent coach. “Those changes took more time to settle down that I thought it would. I started well in Abu Dhabi, and then did not have a good weekend. I have now started well here, and let’s see how it turns out after four days.” On his round, which he closed with three birdies in his last four holes, Harding added: “I really played nicely. I managed my game quite well. If I got out of position, I played to the middle of green. That is something that wasn’t happening a whole lot lately. “Made a bogey from the rough on the 1st, but then holed my pitch from 50 yards for an eagle on the second. And whenever that happens, it just kind of lifts you.” –joy chakravarty
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STAT ATTACK
Majlis Memories All the key OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic facts and figures to enhance your viewing pleasure.
MOST WINS
3
Ernie Els1994, 2002, 2005
CHAMPIONS 1989 - Mark James 277 (-11) 1990 - Eamonn Darcy 276 (-12) 1992 - Seve Ballesteros 272 (-16) 1993 - Wayne Westner 274 (-14) 1994 - Ernie Els 268 (-20) 1995 - Fred Couples 268 (-20) 1996 - Colin Montgomerie 270 (-18) 1997 - Richard Green 272 (-16) 1998 - José Maria Olazábal 269 (-19) 1999 - David Howell 275 (-13) 2000 - José Coceres 274 (-14) 2001 - Thomas Bjørn 266 (-22) 2002 - Ernie Els 272 (-16) 2003 - Robert-Jan Derksen 271 (-17) 2004 - Mark O’Meara 271 (-17) 2005 - Ernie Els 269 (-19)
2006 - Tiger Woods 269 (-19) 2007 - Henrik Stenson 269 (-19) 2008 - Tiger Woods 274 (-14) 2009 - Rory McIlroy 269 (-19) 2010 - Miguel Angel Jiménez 277 (-11) 2011 - Alvaro Quiros 277 (-11) 2012 - Rafa Cabrera Bello 270 (-18) 2013 - Stephen Gallacher 266 (-22) 2014 - Stephen Gallacher 272 (-16) 2015 - Rory McIlroy 266 (-22) 2016 - Danny Willett 269 (-19) 2017 - Sergio Garcia 269 (-19) 2018 - Li Haotong 265 (-23) 2019 - Bryson DeChambeau 264 (-24) 2020 - Lucas Herbert 279 (-9)
CONSECUTIVE WINS Stephen Gallacher 2013 and 2014
WIRETO-WIRE WINNERS
Eamonn Darcy, 1990 Seve Ballesteros, 1992 Ernie Els, 1994; José Coceres, 2000 Rory McIlroy, 2009 Sergio Garcia, 2017
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PLAYOFFS
Lowest 18-hole score 61 (-11), Ernie Els, 1994
Lowest first 18-hole score
61 (-11), Ernie Els, 1994
Lowest first 36-hole score
195 (-21), Stephen Gallacher, 2013
Lowest 72-hole score
Miguel Angel Jiménez 4th Hole, Rnd 2, 1990 Chris Moody 11th Hole, Rnd 3, 1990
1989
Mark James beat Peter O’Malley
128 (-16), Tiger Woods, 2001
Lowest first 54-hole score
HOLESIN-ONE Mark McNulty 11th Hole, Rnd 3, 1990 José Coceres 7th Hole, Rnd 2, 1992
1992
Seve Ballesteros beat Ronan Rafferty
264 (-24), Bryson DeChambeau, 2019
Lowest under par winning score 264 (-24), Bryson DeChambeau, 2019
Lowest final round by a winner 64 (-8), Bryson DeChambeau, 2019
139 149 LOW CUT (-5), 2018
Wayne Westner 7th Hole, Rnd 1, 1995 José Coceres 4th Hole, Rnd 1, 1996
1997
Richard Green beat Greg Norman and Ian Woosnam
Roger Wessels 7th Hole, Rnd 2, 1996
2006
Stuart Cage 8th Hole, Rnd 1, 1999
Tiger Woods beat Ernie Els
2010
Miguel Angel Jiménez beat Lee Westwood
Peter Hedblom 15th Hole, Rnd 2, 1996
6 SHOTS
Biggest final round comeback by a winner: Lucas Herbert, 2020
2020
Lucas Herbert beat Christiaan Bezuidenhout
Henrik Bjornstad 7th Hole, Rnd 4, 2002 Brad Kennedy 4th Hole, Rnd 2, 2004 Yasin Ali 7th Hole, Rnd 1, 2005
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño 4th Hole, Rnd 2, 2007 Miguel Angel Jiménez 7th hole, Rnd 1, 2008 Louis Oosthuizen 11th hole, Rnd 2, 2009 David Howell 7th hole, Rnd 1, 2011 Keith Horne 4th hole, Rnd 2, 2011 Raphaël Jacquelin 7th hole, Rnd 3, 2011
YOUNGEST WINNER
Mark O’Meara, 47 years and 54 days, 2004
(Dubai Creek)
Stephen Gallacher 4th Hole, Rnd 4, 2005
(+5), 1989
OLDEST WINNER
Peter Downie 16th Hole, Rnd 1, 2000
Nobuhito Sato 15th Hole, Rnd 1, 2005
HIGH CUT
Rory McIlroy 19 years and 273 days, 2009
(Dubai Creek)
Alvaro Quiros 11th hole, Rnd 4, 2011 Stephen Gallacher 15th hole, Rnd 1, 2012 Martin Kaymer 7th hole, Rnd 2, 2012
LARGEST WINNING MARGIN 7 shots, Bryson DeChambeau, 2019
Alvaro Quiros 4th hole, Rnd 4, 2015 Grégory Bourdy 11th hole, Rnd 3, 2017 Matthew Southgate 7th hole, Rnd 2, 2018 Alexander Levy 5th hole, Rnd 3, 2018 Kristoffer Broberg 7th hole, Rnd 1, 2019 *All at Emirates G.C. unless noted
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PRO-AM
HARRINGTON LEADS EGA TO PRO-AM GLORY conventional wisdom has it that the reigning European Ryder Cup captain will see his own form dip, especially in the season of the biennial matches against Team USA. Pádraig Harrington is determined to buck that trend in the countdown to September’s 43rd edition at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin. The Irishman might be in the cusp of 50 but he’s determined to keep the whippersnappers on their toes for as long as possible. You don’t suddenly lose the competitive edge that carried you to three major titles just because you hold the privileged captaincy. “Obviously I’m 50 years of age this year and I’ll have to make a decision at that stage about where I’m going to play my golf, so I’ve been trying to be serious about my game and go out there and play as well as I can with the idea that if I can compete with these young guys, then I want to try to stay competing with them,” he said. “So, in the next eight or nine months, if I can contend to win a tournament or win a tournament, or if I feel like I have a chance of contending in a major or win a major, well, then I’ll stick at it. If not, it’s time to move on.” So far this season, there’s few signs of Harrington moving on. He made the cut in Abu Dhabi and started the 32nd OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic with a one-under 71 Thursday, albeit with two frustrating late bogeys. Harrington gave hint of his form in the second of the European Tour event’s two Pro-Ams, leading the EGA III team of Abdulla Al Musharrekh, Sohail Al Marzouqi and EGF marketing manager Robert Fiala to victory with a -25 total in the Tour Shambles format on Wednesday. EGA III edged the OMEGA I team of Collin Morikawa, Ryan Smith, Andrew Wood and Barry Simpson by two strokes with the OMEGA IV quartet of Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Iswar Jodha, John Nitties and Paul Murnaghan third on -21. –kent gray
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We would like to thank the following for their invaluable support of the 2021 OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic, held at Emirates Golf Club from January 28 - 31
European Tour
Dubai Health Authority
Dubai Police
Dubai Golf
Roads and Transport Authority
Dubai Civil Aviation Authority
Dubai Sports Council
Dubai Civil Defence
Dubai Tourism & Commerce Marketing
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