Worldwide Golf January 2014. Issue 155

M I D D L E E A S T ’ S N U M B E R O N E G O L F M A G A Z I N E . E S T. 1 9 9 9

Worldwide

Official magazine to the European Tour in the Middle East

JANUARY JANUAR RY 2014, 20 20 ISSUE 155

ABU DHABI

CHAMPION JAMIE DONALDSON ON HAS THE MAGIC TO MIX IT WITH TIGER AND D RORY Y 2014 MIDDLE DLE NG EAST SWING CHRIS WOOD TALKS ALKS DING ABOUT DEFENDING HIS CROWN IN QATAR AND WE LOOK BACK AT 25 AI DESERT YEARS OF DUBAI RIES CLASSIC MEMORIES

MEGA GOLF F 013 AWARDS 2013 THE WINNERS ARE RE ANNOUNCED AT THE REGION’S LARGEST ST GOLF AWARD CEREMONY NY

PLUS

TIPS TO T IMPROVE YOU YOUR BUNKER SKILLS RORY McILROY ROR SWING ANALYSIS

BY PETE PE COWEN

G GOLF STYLE S Fro the latest From mu must-have items to cel celebrities on course

Official magazine of the EGF

ISBN 978-9948-15-427-3

The 9-time Major Champion and 9-time Senior Major Champion who has witnessed and been a part of some of the most historic and memorable g golfing occasions refl reflects on the game tod today

INTRODUCTION Worldwide Golf Executive Editor Since 1999

Player Gary

My own personal tribute to Nelson Mandela

I

WOULD like to pay my own personal tribute to Nelson Mandela, who sadly passed away at the age of 95 last month.

The first time I met Madiba I got down on my knees and kissed his feet. It was a very tearful first encounter for me. I had been invited to meet the beloved former South African President and Nobel laureate in Johannesburg after his release following his 27 years in prison.

I said to Madiba, ‘I have never kissed anybody’s feet before in my life - I have so much admiration for you.’ I said to him: ‘It is remarkable, how can you not have revenge?’ He replied: ‘You have got to start a new life and forgive and go ahead.’ His ability to inspire people and the compassion he had, always amazed me.

It was very tearful for me because, when you think of a man who has gone to jail for all those years for doing the right thing, not the wrong thing, it’s hard to comprehend that a man can come out and be like that. He was an exceptional man. I was fortunate to meet Nelson Mandela many times and I worked with the President on a number of charity projects. For many years we worked together to raise money for the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund through the Nelson Mandela Invitational charity golf tournaments that I hosted.

I try to better my yself I remember when he landed by helicopter at the Nelson Mandela Invitational at Pecanwood Golf and Country Club. As I opened the door of the helicopter to greet him, he said: ‘Good morning, Gary, do you still remember me?’

Of course, I could never possibly forget, but he was so humble and did not make any assumptions of his own greatness.

I can’t recall whether he ever actually swung a golf club, but he certainly realised the value of sport and he told me he followed my career even while he was imprisoned. He said to me:

2 | WorldwideGolf - January 2014

I went to the Callaway factory in Carlsbad, California, recently and I saw this new Big Bertha and the Big Bertha Alpha driver. I gave them a try and they are absolutely amazing clubs. They are so forgiving. I can see them being a massive sale. Everyone will want them. golf as an easy game I’ve never regarded rega to play but with wi clubs like these, golf much easier game. It’s not becomes a mu golf I first knew. the game of g

‘When I was in jail, I used to watch you playing.’ He was always very complimentary. He always spoke of love and he was a great lover of sport. I will never forget when Madiba spoke of the importance of sport: “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire, it has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope, where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than governments in breaking down racial barriers. It laughs in the face of all types of discrimination.”

While sport has the power to change the world, Madiba certainly also made the world a better place. I have learned through Madiba that it does not matter what our past holds, but we should always focus on the good, the love, and the promise that we have in our lives.

Despite the turbulence there is in South Africa I hope that Nelson Mandela’s legacy of love and respect will not be in vain.

On the golf front I was so delighted to see Thomas Björn win the Nedbank Golf Challenge last month at the Gary Player Country Club at Sun City. He played phenomenal golf and he seems to get better the older he gets. He’s also a nice guy and he deserves all the success he is enjoying.

It seems that Henrik Stenson is another player who’s on top of his form. He had the year of his life in 2013 and he looks like he’s heading the same way in 2014. He’s come from 230th place in the World Ranking to number three in the last two seasons and last year he dominated the US PGA Tour and The European Tour. I regard him as the best striker of the ball in the world right now.

I wish you all a successful New Year. Q

sales@prosports.ae Tel: +971 4 3477737

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CONTENTS 26

68

Callaway XHot v X2Hot C

At home with Jamie Donaldson Worldwide Golf Editor Alex Gallemore talks exclusively at home with his friend and Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf %JCORKQP CPF Æ“PFU QWV YJ[ JGÅ©U DGEQOG C IQNH superstar in his late 30s.

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33 Chris Wood

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39 Classic Memories

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65 Branden Grace

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19 Middle East Golf Awards

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70 X2Hot driver tested

FEATURES

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INSTRUCTION

STYLE

BUNKER SPECIAL 58 Master those 50-80 yard bunker shots

88 Ecco President Dieter Kasprzak

By Wayne Johnson, Jumeirah Golf Estates

. 61

Become the sand man

By Alistair Brown, Emirates Golf Club

61 Control distance with your pitch shots

By Martin Steel, Abu Dhabi Golf Club

An exclusive interview with the man who invented VJG J[DTKF IQNH UJQG

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6 | WorldwideGolf - January 2014

K E E P E V O LV I N G

INTRODUCING

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Our new 18 hole Pearl Putting Course means the whole family can now try their hand at golf.

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For further details and reservations call 04 205 4666, email areservations@dubaigolf.com or visit www.dubaigolf.com

Worldwide Golf

Contents

Big names arrive in full force for the Middle East Swing THE Christmas break is over and the players are in town getting all geared up to bag some early confidence and, hopefully, some precious silverware.

With the big names showing good early form, the Middle East Swing promises to be another real cracker!

For this issue I managed to track down an old friend and current Abu Dhabi HSBC Champion, Jamie Donaldson, at home to give you an insight to why he’s found the best form of his career in his 30s.

I also caught up with the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters Champion, Chris Wood, who I had the pleasure of playing with in the DP World Tour Championship Pro-Am. He talked about the relief that bagging his first European Tour title brought him in Doha last February.

Finishing off our Middle East Swing features we look back over 25 years of the event that kicked off the whole thing in the Middle East, the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. Seeing all the old pictures you quickly forget the number of Major champions, World No.1s, Ryder Cup legends and rising stars who have lifted the iconic Classic trophy. With Tiger back in town, along with the past champions, the golfing world will get the showdown they’ve been waiting for – Tiger, Rory and Henrik. It’s just a shame Big Phil can’t stay on from Abu Dhabi. That would have been the icing on the ultimate celebration cake.

Testing the latest clubs has been a blast and an eye opener. Just when you thought clubs can’t hit the ball any further, the leading manufacturers prove you wrong. The latest X2Hot from Callaway is just ridiculous. Hitting a 6 iron 190+ yards is what you would expect from a pro not a weekend warrior like myself. But having spoken to Pete Cowen and Gary Player, the club I’m itching to get in front of the TrackMan is the highly anticipated Big Bertha Alpha driver. Pete said the X2Hot was unbelievable but the Big Bertha will be the buzz club in 2014. We will be giving this a huge test next month to see exactly what all the hype is about.

Alex Gallemore Editor ISSUE No. 155, JANUARY, 2014 Published by: Worldwide Sporting Publications Ltd +44 1663 719926

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

Editors: Todd Staszko, James Reeves, Tabitha Florence Design Manager: Joanna Eardley Technical Manager: Mark Collinge

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

Senior Editor: Richard Bevan

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

Printed by: Raidy, Dubai

Worldwide Golf specifies that post-press changes may occur to any information given in this publication and takes no responsibility for goods or services advertised.

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

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

WorldwideGolf - January 2014 | Ɵơ

THE STARTER

12 | WorldwideGolf - January 2014

DANGEROUS ROUGH!

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HE players at last month’s Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City, won by the evergreen Thomas Bjorn, may have found accuracy at a premium on the Gary Player Golf Course, but they should thank their lucky stars they weren’t playing on sister course, the Lost City Course.

Also designed by The Black Knight, the Lost City Course features a hazard with a difference on the 180-yard par-3 13th – a pit of razor-toothed man eating crocodiles!

Any tee shot mishit or under-clubbed will ƓPF KVU YC[ KPVQ VJKU IWNNG[ QH FQQO YJGTG attempting to enter to ‘play it where it lies’ is highly unadvisable.

The idea for the croc hole came from Player himself who said: “Whenever I design a course I like to keep as much PCVWTCN ƔQTC CPF HCWPC CU RQUUKDNG

Of course there are many crocodiles VJTQWIJQWV #HTKEC 6JG RKV CNUQ ƓVU KP YGNN with the Lost City theme.”

The unique hole also features a green sculpted in the shape of the African continent and has different coloured sand in each of the bunkers.

“The whole complex at Lost City was FGUKIPGF VQ UJQYECUG VJG ƓPGUV GNGOGPVU of Africa,” said Player, “and this is why I thought it appropriate to shape the green that way. I hope it will be seen as a sign of respect for this great continent. As for the different coloured sands, they represent the variety of Africa’s ethnic groups, each with a rich and colourful history.”

WorldwideGolf - January 2014 | 1Ơ

AIRLINE EXPANDS ITS EUROPEAN TOUR PORTFOLIO FOR THE NEXT FOUR SEASONS On a day when Emirates Airline became the Official Airline of The European Tour it also announced that it would extend its investment across an additional ten European Tour events until the end of the 2017 season.

The announcement was made by Nigel Hopkins, Executive Vice President Service Departments, Emirates Group and George O’Grady CBE, Chief Executive of The European Tour, during a press conference in London.

“Golf is one of the most popular sports in the world, and as a global sponsorship platform it has been immensely successful for us. Emirates’ increased investment in The European Tour is a natural move which will expand our global reach to golf enthusiasts across Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia,” said Nigel Hopkins.

“Engaging with our customers and fans through sport has been part of Emirates’ brand strategy since our early days. It makes sense for us - as an airline that connects the world - to align our brand with prestigious golf tournaments where the world’s most talented players come together. We will continue to work with our partners to celebrate the value of sport and deliver meaningful experiences for golf fans,” he added.

George O’Grady commented: “Last month we were delighted to announce the extension of The Race to Dubai at Jumeirah Golf Estates through to the end of the 2017 and the commitment of Emirates was very much part of the reason we were able to make that announcement.”

PHATLUM ON SONG IN DUBAI PORNANONG Phatlum saved her best for last as a final-hole birdie saw her clinch the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters by one shot from former World No.1 Stacy Lewis.

The 24-year-old stunned the American with a superb wedge approach over the lake which left her with a simply two-footer for victory.

“I am very excited. I just played my own game and stayed calm under pressure,” said Phatlum after the receiving the winner’s trophy from Raynald Aeschlimann, vice president, International Sales Director of Omega and Mohamed Juma Buamaim, vice chairman and CEO of golf in DUBAi and representatives of the sponsors. “I have learned how to stay focused through meditation which I practice with my brother, who caddies for me.”

STENSON NAMED EURO GOLFER OF THE YEAR HENRIK Stenson added another title to his growing collection after being voted The European Tour’s player of the year.

The Swede began the year just outside the top 50 but heads into 2014 with just Adam Scott and Tiger Woods ahead of him, such was his upturn in performances on course. Stenson finished runner-up at the Houston Open which earned him a spot in the Masters and from there both his physical and mental performances went from strength to strength. He was runnerup at The Open, the WGC-Bridgestone and the Scottish Open before he won twice in September on American soil to win the

14 | WorldwideGolf - January 2014

FedExCup. He then closed a stunning season by wrapping up The Race to Dubai with victory at the DP World Tour Championship. ““It is a big honour to be voted European Tour golfer of the year,” said Stenson. “It just reflects the stellar year I have had. You can call it a dream season, the year of my life, whatever you want.

It has been an unbelievable year and I’m delighted to win the award especially as I’m the first Swede to do so.

"You look at the past winners of the award and most of the greats of European golf are on there which just adds to the prestige of winning it.”

A CHANGE...FOR THE BETTER? STARTER

W

The silly-season is upon us. Players across the Tours will be coming out from Winter hibernation with some fancy new gear having switched manufacturers for a lucrative pay day, but will it work? It took Rory McIlroy the best part of a year to win with his new Nike clobber and he’ll now be looking to kick-on and get back to regular winning ways after his win Down Under last month.

Nike HQ will be wanting to see much more of this in the future: McIlroy with the 2013 Australian Open trophy.

McIlroy with Titleist

McIlroy with Nike

McIlroy romped home in the US Open in 2011 as if it was the easiest thing in the world and then clinched a second (with another 8-shot winning margin) at the 2012 US PGA. He topped the money lists on both sides of the Atlantic that year including a seasonending win at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai before he made the switch to Nike...

Despite saying all the right things upon the change in equipment (head to toe in Nike and all Nike clubs in the bag) it took him a while to get comfortable. Missed cuts, course walk offs and a constant battle with the media about his form started to take its toll. He found his game again towards the back end of 2013 and won the Australian Open after Adam Scott faltered down the stretch. The people at Nike breathed a huge sigh of relief.

LETS TAKE A LOOK AT A FEW EQUIPMENT MOVES THAT MOMENTARILY PUT THE BRAKES ON PROMISING CAREERS. Payne Stewart:

Graeme McDowell:

Nick Watney:

The late Payne Stewart already had two Majors under his belt and had finished 6th on the PGA Tour money list in 1993 when he switched his allegiance from Wilson to Spalding in a deal with $7m. He finished the 1994 season with a stroke average of 71.33 and 123rd on the money list as he struggled with the change – which included his ball to a two-piece Top-Flite.

Stewart did win in 1995 in Houston but couldn’t find a level of consistency. After his contract ran out he went on to win a final Major in 1999 with no manufacturer’s contract before his tragic death.

Hot off a career year in 2010 following a momentous win at the US Open at Pebble Beach and then a starring role in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor, Graeme McDowell switched from Callaway to Srixon/ Cleveland Golf. It took him a while to get back to his best and after a barren patch in 2011 and a few near misses in 2012 he finally broke the drought with three wins last year.

Both Watney and McIlroy moved from Titleist to Nike for the 2013 season and Watney – a 5-time PGA Tour winner – faired little better than the Ulsterman.

He had an up-and-down year with four top tens, seven missed cuts and not much else in between. Disappointingly his run of at least one win per season since 2011 came to an end.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom. At the close of the 1999 season Vijay Singh ended his 17 year relationship with Wilson and moved to Cleveland Golf. Singh had won the 1998 US PGA Championship with his Wilson Staffs and on his first trip to Augusta National with his new Cleveland bats he left with a stylish new Green Jacket.

RUNNING THE RULE STUART MCMURDO GOLF OPERATIONS MANAGER JEBEL ALI GOLF RESORT

Dicey decision for Dyson

As much of the golfing world will know Simon Dyson was disqualified from the BMW Masters in October for a breach of rule 16-1a which says you ‘cannot touch the line of intended putt on the green.’ There are numerous breaches of rules that happen on Tour and penalties are awarded, but if they are a serious breach then a panel is convened to assess the situation and deem proper punishment. In this case the videos blatantly show Dyson flattening a spike mark with his ball in hand right in front of his marker – in line with the hole.

In the end, the panel decided on a fine of £30,000 and a two-month suspended ban for 18 months from The European Tour.

The big question here is whether this punishment is fair or not. I feel that irrespective of his intention, which is impossible to determine, he has breached a serious rule and a serious punishment should have prevailed.

My personal feeling is that the fine will have no real consequence to Dyson as his career earnings are touching €10 million with 2013 earnings of over €400,000. An actual ban would have a had a much greater effect not only for Simon Dyson but for all fellow competitors to remind them that if they breach a serious rule there will be serious consequences, thus maintaining the high moral standing of the game, as it becomes more competitive and lucrative.

WorldwideGolf - January 2014 | 15

WORLDWIDE GOLF

Emirates Golf Federation Looks to grow further in 2014 MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS ')( OGODGTU DGPGĆ“V HTQO UKIPKĆ“ECPV ITGGP HGG FKUEQWPVU HTQO RCTVKEKRCVKPI 7#' %NWDU +P UJQTV KH [QW RNC[ GKIJV TQWPFU QH IQNH CV VJG ')( TCVG [QWT OGODGTUJKR UWDUETKRVKQP KU RCKF ĹĽ VJGTGCHVGT UCXKPI [QW OQPG[ GCEJ TQWPF [QW RNC[ ')( OGODGTUJKR GPVKVNGU [QW VQ CP QHĆ“EKCN INQDCNN[ TGEQIPKUGF JCPFKECR YJKEJ CNNQYU [QW VQ RCTVKEKRCVG KP NGIKVKOCVG EQORGVKVKQPU CPF OQTG KORQTVCPVN[ YKP RTK\GU %NCKOKPI VQ JCXG CP QHĆ“EKCN JCPFKECR YJGP [QW FQPĹŠV KU C DTGCEJ QH VJG 4 # 4WNGU QH )QNH

THE Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) was formed in 1996 and is the Governing Body for Amateur Golf in the United Arab Emirates and administers the USGA handicap system.

O Currently, the EGF represents more than 7,000 members, both directly through the EGF and also the 20 golf clubs throughout the UAE.

O The EGF is overseen by a Board of Directors under the General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare and is aďŹƒliated to the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, the USGA, the IGF, the Asia-PaciďŹ c Golf Confederation, the GCC Golf Committee and the Arab Golf Federation.

O The EGF sanction the four main professional tour events in the UAE each year: the Dubai Desert Classic, the Dubai Ladies Masters, the season-ending DP World Tour Championship and the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.

O 2014 is being looked upon as a year of growth for the EGF, whereby a number of new membership categories have been added to recognise societies and groups of golfers who may not be members of a golf club but choose to play competitive golf.

O As with any governing body the EGF’s primary goal is to grow the game and increase the number of players. So if you want to play competitive golf and win prizes an oďŹƒcial handicap is required – the EGF facilitates and manages all registered players’ handicaps.

O The EGF is a non-proďŹ t making organisation charged with the responsibility for increasing awareness and participation in golf.

It actively conducts championships, junior development programmes and trains and develops the National teams working closely with UAE clubs to help shape the future of golf in the emirates.

The Emirates Golf Federation looks forward to continuing to grow the game with UAE golfers’ support and registration, and invites all to join the biggest golf club in the UAE – the Emirates Golf Federation.

16 | WorldwideGolf - January 2014

2014 Emirates Golf Federation Membership Offer 2014 Membership Rates

* Affiliate membership must be renewed as EGF Direct in second year.

Your EGF membership entitles you to a vast range of benefits including: -

An official USGA handicap recognized worldwide Ability to enter in club events and competitions requiring an official handicap An online handicap management system - Golferscard.ae Discounted green fees at UAE Golf Clubs - for the full list of rates please visit our website at http://emiratesgolffederation.com/Contents/Rates.aspx Membership Benefits Program with special offers from partners of the EGF, for the full list of offers please visit our website at http://emiratesgolffederation.com/Membership/Benefits.aspx Golfer’s Insurance - all members are covered by third party and property damage insurance EGF bag tag Insider volunteer opportunities and special ticket offers at Professional Golf Tournaments held in the UAE.

WORLDWIDE GOLF

T

International Dubai Office and Peter he achievements of the Harradine, one of the region’s foremost golf golf industry in the region course architects, were jointly named Golf were recognised in the Business Personality of the Year. most fantastic manner Nick Tarratt has played a key role on Wednesday the 11th in managing sponsorship and vital of December 2013 in a operational aspects of the DP World sparkling function at the One & Only Tour Championship, the season-ending Royal Mirage Amphitheatre, where tournament of the European Tour’s Race to the inaugural Middle East Golf Awards Dubai.

(MEGAs) were handed out in 18 He has also been instrumental in categories. bringing the region’s first Challenge Tour In front of a sold-out audience more than event to Muscat 300 guests were part of the earlier this year, and MEGAs, which recognised “I remember once I the people behind some of was six-under par through in the Challenge Tour Grand Finale moving the biggest tournaments in 16 holes when the course record was 66 and the to Dubai Festival City’s the world, and those who course was a par-72. I Al Badia Golf Club. work in the background to needed to par the last two Just how ensure that golf courses and holes to match it, but I important Harradine’s allied facilities in the region made a bogey on the 17th contribution to the set the standards for others. and a double on the 18th.

But it is that kind of a hole. game in the region Three men who have Anything can happen can be gauged by been part of the UAE’s there. It’s a tough closing the fact that all four incredible journey since the stretch we have at Creek.” short-listed golf first green golf club was Alan McKenzie courses in the ‘Best inaugurated way back in Director of Golf at Dubai Golf Course Under 1988, were honoured with Creek Golf & Yacht Club Dhs400 Green Fee’ the individual awards. award were designed Mohammed Juma

by Peter Harradine. Even though he is well Buamaim, CEO and Vice-Chairman of ‘golf known as the designer of the Abu Dhabi in DUBAi’, organisers and promoters of the Golf Club and Doha Golf Club – longOmega Dubai Desert Classic, Dubai Ladies time host venues of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Masters and the MENA Tour, was honoured Golf Championship and the Commercial for his Outstanding Contribution to Golf.

Bank Qatar Masters – he is a firm believer Nick Tarratt, Director of European Tour

in making the game cheaper for players through building nine-hole and pay-andplay municipal courses.

The golf course awards were won by Yas Links (Best Golf Course of the Year – Over Dhs400 Green Fee) and Al Hamra (Best Golf Course of the Year – Under Dhs400 Green Fee). The par-4 18th hole of Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club was named the ‘Hole of the Year’.

Chris White, General Manager of Yas Links, said: “This is just amazing for us. This is a result of the hard work put in by the brilliant team that we have at Yas Links.”

Simon Mees of Al Hamra was delighted with the honour and said: “This is the first award that we have won and hence this is extremely special.”

There will be a double celebration this week in Las Vegas with the Butch Harmon School of Golf at The Els Club winning the ‘Best Academy of the Year.’

Clausde Harmon, Butch’s son and the man responsible for setting up the Academy, was married last month.

The Address Montgomerie was adjudged the golf course with the ‘Best Practice Facilities,’ while Mark GregsonWalters’ much acclaimed Kellogg’s Grass Roots programme, where he has reached out to 14 schools and initiated more than 200 children to the game, was named ‘Youth Initiative of the Year’ The DP World Tour Championship was named the ‘Best Professional Tournament.’

WorldwideGolf - January 2014 | 19

TOUR NEWS Date: 21 – 24 Nov Event: South African Open Venue: Glendower GC, Ekurhuleni, South Africa Winner’s Cheque: : €174,350

MADSEN BREAKS THROUGH IN STYLE DENMARK’S Morten Orum Madsen clinched his maiden European Tour title after four rounds in the 60s gave him a 19-under-par total and a two stroke victory over home favourites Jbe Kruger and Hennie Otto at the South African Open.

Madsen, who finished 81st on The Race to Dubai in his rookie season of 2013, moved inside the top 120 on the Official World Golf for the first time thanks to the win.

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Country To Par R1 R2 R3 R4 Total

1 Morten Ørum Madsen DEN 2 Jbe Kruger SAF Hennie Otto SAF

Date: 28 Nov – 01 Dec Event: Alfred Dunhill Championship Venue: : Leopard Creek GC, Malelane, South Africa Winner’s Cheque: €237,750

BJORN BATTLES BACK

CHARL Schwartzel successfully defended his title at the Alfred Dunhill Championship with a four-stroke victory over England’s Richard Finch. The win was his third in the tournament and followed a sublime 12-stroke win last season and a play-off win over Neil Cheetham for his breakthrough on The European Tour in 2004.

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SAF ENG ENG

-17 -13 -10

68 68 67 68 68 70 67 70 72 69 70 67

22 | WorldwideGolf - November 2013

67 66 69 67 269 65 70 71 65 271 72 66 65 68 271

Date: 05 – 08 Dec Event: Frys.com Open Venue: CordeValle GC, San Martin, CA, USA Winner’s Cheque: $900,000

SCHWARTZEL DEFENDS AT LEOPARD CREEK

1 2 3

-19 -17 -17

271 275 278

Thomas Bjorn stormed through the leaderboard with back-to-back weekend rounds of 65 to win the NedBank Golf Challenge by two shots from Sergio Garcia and Jamie Donaldson. It was the Dane’s 15th victory on The European Tour and the prize money almost certainly guarantees his spot in the DP World Tour Championship at the end of the season.

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Country DEN SPA WAL

-20 -18 -18

R1 67 66 67

R2 70 73 66

R3 66 66 67

R4 65 65 70

Total 268 270 270

Date: 05 – 08 Dec Event: Hong Kong Open Venue: Hong Kong GC, Fanling, Hong Kong Winner’s Cheque: €333,330

JIMENEZ MAKES IT FOUR IN HONG KONG Miguel Angel Jimenez broke his own record as The European Tour’s oldest winner with his fourth career victory at the Hong Kong Open. Jimenez, who was aged 48 and 337 days, wrapped up his 20th European Tour title after rolling in an 18ft birdie putt on the first hole of a play-off with Stuart Manley and Prom Meesawat.

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Pos. Name

Country To Par R1 R2 R3 R4 Total

1 Miguel Angel Jimenez 2 Prom Meesawat Stuart Manley

Date: 05 – 08 Dec Event: Northwestern Mutual World Challenge Venue: Sherwood CC, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA Winner’s Cheque: $1,000,000

ZACK Johnson came from four strokes back with eight holes to play to deny Tiger Woods victory at the Northwestern Mutual World Challenge – a tournament that the World No.1 hosts. Johnson holed an unlikely pitch to save par on the final hole of regulation after he dunked his ball in the water and then defeated Woods on the first play-off hole at Woods missed a 5-footer for par. The win moved Johnson into the top ten on the World Ranking for the first time in his career.

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Zach Johnson Tiger Woods Bubba Watson Matt Kuchar

Country USA USA USA USA

-13 -13 -9 -9

-12 -12 -12

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

268 268 268

Date: 11 – 14 Dec Event: The Nelson Mandela Championship presented by ISPS Handa Venue: Mount Edgecombe CC, Durban, South Africa Winner’s Cheque: €158,500

JOHNSON STEALS IT FROM WOODS

Pos. Name

SPA THA ENG

R1 R2 R3 R4

Total

67 71 70 68

275 275 279 279

68 62 70 68

72 72 69 76

68 70 70 67

VAN DER WALT SEALS THE DEAL South African Dawie van der Walt handled his emotions to win his second European Tour title the day before the funeral of former President Nelson Mandela. In the rain-shortened 54-hole Championship the 30-year-old was on level terms with England’s Matthew Baldwin after both had shot 67, 62 in the first two rounds. But an eagle at the 12th put the Springbok ahead and he went on to win by two shots.

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Country

Dawie Van Der Walt Matthew Baldwin Jorge Campillo

RSA ENG ESP

-15 -13 -13

R1 R2 R3

Total

67 62 66 67 62 68 70 59 68

195 197 197

WorldwideGolf - November 2013 | 23

GOLF PROPERTY DUBAI

Olive Point and Sienna Lakes

EXPO BOOM! Property developer, MASOUD SANGI, who has created the much sought-after villas on the Earth and Fire courses at Jumeirah Golf Estates, says that Dubai EXPO 2020 has raised investors’ EQPƓFGPEG VQ CP all-time high

24 | WorldwideGolf - January 2014

WWG: The property sector was already on an upturn in Dubai and the UAE but has the 2020 EXPO announcement made the situation even more promising?

MS: We felt the impact of winning the bid for Expo 2020 almost immediately. The number of buyers and interested investors for our villas at Sienna Lakes and Olive Point has substantially increased. We can also feel the confidence the win has brought to all the Emirates and, in particular, to Dubai. There has been a very strong performance in the Dubai property market throughout 2013. With the new government regulations on the registration fees, as well as the Central Bank’s new cap on mortgage rates and the impact of Dubai Expo 2020 the investors’ confidence is at an all-time high. I forecast a stable and sustainable growth in the property market of Dubai in 2014.

WWG: What visible signs are there that property is booming?

MS: Dubai Expo has motivated developers into introducing several new projects. Investors have more confidence and a brighter outlook into the future

of property development. My team is very busy in responding to investors’ interest in our villas at Sienna Lakes and Olive Point.

WWG: You started the handover of the villas process in November. Has that continued to increase?

MS: We have handed over several villas at Sienna Lakes and Olive Point and more homeowners are getting ready to move into their new homes . We estimate to complete the handover by the end of this month.

WWG: Are the new occupants pleased with their new homes?

MS: They are all pleased with the quality of the finishings at Sienna Lakes and Olive Point and the services provided. My team at the site offer their expertise and assistance to the homeowners even after the handover. We are eager to complete the handover of all the villas on the basis that the more people we have at our development the quicker the sense of community will be created.

Have any of the homeowners asked for a particular view over the golf course from their villa?

MS : We have many avid golfers as

homeowners at Olive Point and Sienna Lakes and they were very conscious of the location of the villas on the golf course when they were selecting their homes. The view from the villas over the beautiful landscape and natural environment has been highlighted by all the homeowners.

WWG: Are any of the new homeowners golfers or have they shown an interest in taking up golf now they reside on a world class golf course?

MS: We do have golfers among our homeowners. At the time of handover one of the most common questions is membership to the golf club. The homeowners are also excited about the opening of the golf and tennis academy at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

Homeowners are very proud to live in a community that hosts the DP World Tour

Championship – one of the most prestigious golf tournaments in the world. This year’s DP World Tour Championship will be very special to us as the developer, and to the homeowners, as this will be the first year where the Olive Point and Sienna Lakes residents will be living in their villas during the tournament. The homeowners can finally say that their home is where the DP World Tour Championship is hosted.

WWG: Is there anything special about the design of the interior of the villas?

MS: We have used the highest quality in interior finishings, with such household names as

Versace tiles, Villeroy Boch, Miele appliances, Poggen Pohl kitchen cabinets, B&O sound systems etc. The design and the finishings are what sets us apart.

WWG: Are the interiors designed in a bespoke manner to the instruction of the homeowners?

MS: My team have created a wide selection of different colours and designs for the finishings for the homeowners to select the colors of their wardrobes, tiles, kitchen cabinets , etc.

They are invited to get involved in the process of choosing the finishings and the interiors for their home from the very beginning. Q

WorldwideGolf - January 2014 | 25

STAR MOODFEATURE Words by Alex Gallemore· Photos by Joanna Eardley

Why so serious?

Jamie Donaldson is the kind of character that is hard to find in the super-serious world of professional golf. In this exclusive interview he tells old friend Alex Gallemore about how a seven handicapper grew up to win the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.

AG: You grew up in the North of England with its notoriously bad weather conditions, which is not exactly ideal for an aspiring young golfer – how did it all begin for you?

JD: I started playing golf when I was 12. I joined Macclesfield Golf Club, in Cheshire, where I’m still a member. By the age of 16 I had got down to a handicap of seven. It was around then that I decided I wanted to play golf for a living, although I knew that I needed a handicap much lower than that before I could start thinking of a career in golf. But it was all I wanted to do – so that’s what I did. I worked ridiculously hard from the age of 16 to 21 and by the time I turned pro at 24 I was off plus 4. I guess it all started happening for me in my twenties and it’s still happening later for me in my career now.

AG: I’ve played Macclesfield many times and it’s a hilly course – not a top Championship course.

What skills did learning to play there give you?

JD: As you know, there are many very good golf courses in the area but not many good golfers come from big Championship golf courses because they’re so difficult. Macclesfield is a 5,800-yard par 70 track and as I was growing up and starting to improve, all I was trying to do was drive the greens. That helps your driving skill because you’re aiming at small targets and to shoot low scores all you’re doing is chipping and putting. It emphasises the main aspects of scoring well – driving it straight and chipping and putting well. That’s all I learnt, really, as opposed to playing Championship courses where you’re drilling 2 irons into par 4s and you think you’ve had the round of your life shooting 72 as opposed to shooting 61! Getting used to scoring low scores is just a frame of mind.

26 | WorldwideGolf - January 2014

AG: What was it like in the early days on the Tour? You explained you were older than most golfers in getting on to the Tour. How did you find the pressures of all of a sudden having to make a living out of the game?

JD: It wasn’t so bad at the start. I was so excited about getting my Tour card. I’d gone to Qualifying School at the end of 2000 and hadn’t got my card but I’d signed with a management group who enabled me to get the chance to play on the European Challenge Tour. At that time I had no official exemption category because I’d gone out of Q-School at the second stage. So I played the Challenge Tour for a year and also played a few European Tour events as an invitee. I managed to earn my European Tour card after playing just seven tournaments. It all seemed quite easy at the beginning. That was in 2001. I played a full season on The European Tour in 2002 and finished about 90th on the Order Of Merit. The following year I finished 50th or 60th. So the first three years weren’t too bad and at least I was up and running.

Then in 2004 I suffered a back injury and it really slowed things down.

AG: How did the back injury come about?

JD: It was a case of too much practice and not enough stretching. Looking back now, practice and neglect were the two things that made my back chronically bad. It happened purely through hitting so many balls, just trying to become a better player. My routine of hitting all those balls, then getting straight into the car, driving home, sitting on the sofa and watching TV was the problem. I made the mistake of not doing any stretching or any other exercises. It was merely a simple case of battering balls until there was no light left in the day.

WorldwideGolf - January 2014 | 27

STAR FEATURE

Jamie Donaldson AG: How did you come through the back problem and come out the other end?

JD: In 2004 I spent a year in the gym and didn’t really play any golf. I didn’t pick up a club for seven months. I was told not to. I did a lot of core stability stuff for seven or eight months, which got me back to normality. At my worst I’d been getting pain just stepping up a curb. By the time I came back to playing golf, after all my exercises, I felt like a gymnast. The difference was just incredible. I had to learn to do things differently from then on, although I did spend a little too much time in the gym. In 2006 I lost my card on The European Tour for the first time. I was no more than average. I was putting a lot into my game but I wasn’t getting anything out of it. I was getting annoyed by the fact that things weren’t going as well as I’d hoped they would and the results weren’t matching the work I was putting into it.

In 2006 I didn’t play well at all, so in 2007 I was back on to the Challenge Tour. That was a big eye opener for me. I finished around 30th in the first two events in South America, having played quite well. I looked at my pay cheque and I’d lost money! I thought, ‘if I don’t start playing well and getting something out of it, I’m going to have to get another job!’ I just wasn’t playing well enough and as a business I wasn’t making money. I was in no position to support a family or live a decent lifestyle. It just wasn’t enough.

that I was going to have to do something else. For reasons I can’t explain, I won the following week in Guatemala. After that, I never looked back.

I played well for the remainder of the season, finished fourth on the Challenge Tour and got my European Tour card back. That was a successful conclusion to 2007. The following year was all about getting used to playing on The European Tour again. I kept my card and I’ve got gradually better every year since.

AG: Your improvement meant that a win was on the cards but what did your victory in the 2009 Irish Open mean to you, financially and emotionally?

JD: It meant a lot. The two years previously I’d had about 17 top 10s, which was great in terms of playing consistent golf but I hadn’t quite been doing enough to win. It was always a case of ‘nearly but not quite.’

Then the Irish Open came around and we were playing practice rounds thinking, ‘this course is really difficult.’ We were trying to imagine what sort of score would win it. My caddie and I both said it was going to be about level par because it played so tough in practice. Then I went and shot 19-under in the tournament and played really good golf from the word go. It just happened to

AG: When did it start to turn around for you?

JD: By my third week in South America I’d given myself a reality check and it had suddenly hit me

Modern day golfers are often accused of taking themselves too seriously...Jamie isn’t one of them!

28 | WorldwideGolf - January 2014

be my week. Everything went perfectly. Starting it off with a hole-in-one on the sixth in the opening round was a wonderful way to begin a real ‘Cinderella’ week.

AG: Did that increase your belief that you could mix it with the best in the world?

JD: I always believed I could compete at the highest level but I hadn’t been playing well enough until my Irish Open breakthrough.

I knew I had the ability to win tournaments but I’d progressed steadily every year since I’d lost my card and I believed it was just a case of staying as patient as I could to enable the golf to keep growing.

So winning in Ireland was like a natural progression for me.

AG: The next step was Abu Dhabi, where you were up against the likes of Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and a host of world-class players. What was your game plan?

JD: You have to have a game plan, where you know exactly where you want to hit the ball. It was a top-class field and the best finish I’d had at Abu Dhabi was the previous year when I was11th.

I felt like that was the best I could possibly achieve

Jamie proudly holds the trophy aloft after claiming last year’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship by one stroke from Justin Rose and Thorbjørn Olesen.

in that event. I found the golf course very difficult because if you miss the fairways it’s very hard to make pars. So you’ve got to drive it brilliantly all week, if you don’t you’re in trouble. In the Pro-Am it was blowing a gale.

I went out on the Thursday morning thinking ‘this course is just so difficult.’ Then off I went. I shot a good opening round and just kept going.

I stayed patient. It was amazing to win on a golf course that I considered brutally difficult.

AG: Did beating such a star-studded field make you even more determined to be up there on a regular basis?

JD: It was a great win to start the season but I’m not going to lie, I didn’t play great for a while afterwards.

After Abu Dhabi I played in Dubai and played average golf. I then went to America and played quite a few tournaments over there.

So in 2013, as well as being by far my most successful season, it was also quite a learning curve.

I didn’t play well in the States but then I hadn’t played any regular tour events over there.

I hadn’t played the WGC- Accenture World Match Play before.

In fact, I hadn’t played match play golf since turning pro. So, many elements of 2013 were new to me and it felt like starting again in a lot of respects.

AG: Did you have to adapt your game to playing in the States?

JD: No. My game is good enough to win in America but the greens were firmer, the fairways were tighter, the rough was thicker – everything was slightly more exaggerated than it is in Europe. So it took time to acclimatise to the different conditions.

AG: Did the Abu Dhabi course set-up mirror what you found in the States?

JD: Yes., it did. The Abu Dhabi course is more like an American course – firmer, faster, perfect greens. A lot of elements in Abu Dhabi were very similar to America.

AG: If last year was a learning curve in terms of playing a global schedule – what does 2014 hold for you? What are your goals and how do you keep yourself fresh for a 12-month schedule?

JD: I’ve started the 2014 season already with the Nedbank Challenge at Sun City counting on 2014 schedule and the WGC-HSBC Champions counts towards the US PGA Tour money list.

So I’ve already had quite a good start, finishing tied second in the Nedbank and tied eighth in the HSBC Champions. I’ll play a lot of the same events in America that I played in 2013 but because I’ve played them all now I’ll know what to expect and what I have to do to play better.

2013 was like a warm-up and it’s set up for a bigger and better year in 2014.

FAMILY MAN AG: Being in your 30s, and starting a family, having built a wonderful home in the UK, do you have to juggle your family life with your career? How do you balance the two?

JD: I’m lucky because I’ve got a great partner in Katherine. When I’m away she understands that I’m working. We met nine years ago in Macclesfield when I was out of action with my back injury. I wasn’t playing any golf and it was a bit of a Cinderella lifestyle. We’d known each other for years – we went to school together – but I was off for seven or eight months when we got together. After that I started playing golf again and she knew that things were obviously going to be very different. She accepted that was just way things were and it’s never been any

IT’S TEA TIME I spent many weekends mountain biking with Jamie during the time he was struggling to find form and battling back from injury. It was plain to see that he was a fiercely competitive sportsman and wanted to be at the front of the group. But what stood out the most was when he was having an off-day it didn’t bother him. He’d just laugh, smile and say: “I’ll have you next time.”

Ironically, he normally did! –AG WorldwideGolf - January 2014 | 29

STAR FEATURE

Jamie Donaldson Not a bad trophy cabinet: The historic Irish Open trophy (left) sits aside Jamie’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship winner’s trophy (right).

different. Consequently, she’s very supportive and having kids was pretty natural.

I’m away for probably half the year and when I’m away I’m working, but when I’m at home I’m with the family. It doesn’t leave too much time for anything else but it works really well. It’s a perfect balance.

AG: Do the family come to any events you play in?

JD: They come to about four or five events a year.

Baby number two is due so I don’t know how much they’ll be coming out short term but long term they will be.

AG: Having a family gives you a well grounded home life – but how do you treat yourself after a win?

JD: When you’re 26 and starting to play professional golf, all you’re interested in is fast cars and going out partying and having a laugh – living the lifestyle of a young professional sportsman. But as you get older those things become less important, which probably helps you play better! The more important things revolve around the family. All these self-indulgent things go by the wayside and you concentrate on making sure you’ve got somewhere nice to live and the kids can go to a nice school– everything is geared towards that.

There will be, in my 40s, a ‘mid-life crisis’ car bought no doubt! At the moment, everything is geared up towards playing golf.

My focus is more golf related. Basically, what I’m

saying is the older you get, the more boring you become!

stayed in Le Tousserok and hotels like that and it’s a magical place.

AG: Where is your perfect family getaway?

JD: We’ve been to Mauritius quite a lot. There’s a small tournament over there, the Mauritius Open, which kindly looks after a lot of the golfers, so we play there. It’s a great family environment. We’ve

AG: When you are in the UK how do you practice during the bad weather in the winter?

JD: We play so many tournaments throughout the season that to be honest when I come home, we’ve got so little time off, I don’t play much golf.

If I’ve got two weeks off I might play a few times during the second week with my mates, but that’s about it. For the first week, I won’t pick up a club.

AG: You live in football territory in the north of England – do you go to many games?

JD: I’m a big Liverpool supporter so when I’ve got time I’ll go to games. When my lad gets older he’ll come along. There’s so little time to go to watch them that when I do get a chance, I’ll go.

AG: Do you want your little lad, Max, to take up golf?

JD: If he wants to play, he’ll play but I’m not going to force him into it. My first child and my second – they’ll do whatever they want to do. I’m not going to push them into anything. That’s how I was brought up; it’s more a case of helping them to do whatever they want to do rather than trying to get them to do something you want them to do. Q

30 | WorldwideGolf - January 2014

Meetings...

Golf... Weddings...

Events...

Dining...

Kayaking...

Tournaments...

Team Building...

Shopping...

Lessons...

Parties...

Swimming...

Membership...

Yas Links Abu Dhabi...

One club, endless possibilities.

Contact info@yaslinks.com or call 02 810 7710

Interview by Richard Bevan 路 Pictures by Mizuno and Getty Images

BACK FOR MORE Chris Wood talks about winning in Qatar, playing with Tiger, and how an Olympic icon has become his own personal back injury consultant.

WorldwideGolf - January 2014 | 33

Chris Wood lets the relief pour from him after claiming last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Commercial Bank Qatar Masters

What is the key to playing well at Doha Golf Club?

I think out of the three desert EQWTUGU YG RNC[ FWTKPI VJG /KFFNG 'CUV 5YKPI 3CVCT JCU VJG OQUV ITCKP QP VJG ITGGPU +VÅ©U RTQDCDN[ KP VJG VQR VJTGG QT HQWT UVTQPIGUV ITCKPU YG RWVV QP CNN UGCUQP + FKF C NQV QH YQTM QP VJG ITGGPU VJCV YGGM ;QWÅ©XG IQV VQ RKEM [QWT NKPG CPF VTWUV that the grain will take it because KV KU UQ UVTQPI VJCV KV YKNN OQXG VJG DCNN # NQV QH IW[U FQPÅ©V NKMG VJCV CPF IGV HTWUVTCVGF DWV + VJKPM VJG OQTG RTCEVKEG [QW IGV QP VJGO VJG DGVVGT [QW IGV +VÅ©U FGÆ&#x201C;PKVGN[ VJG MG[ VQ UEQTKPI YGNN CTQWPF VJCV EQWTUG

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HRIS Woodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reaction on the 18th green at Doha Golf Club last year told you everything you needed to know about YJCV JKU Æ&#x201C;TUV 'WTQRGCP 6QWT VTKWORJ OGCPV VQ JKO 6JG VQYGTKPI 'PINKUJOCP stood stock still, hands held aloft, before RWORKPI JKU Æ&#x201C;UV KP LWDKNCVKQP CU VJG TGNKGH RQWTGF QWV QH JKO 9JCV C YC[ VQ YKP [QWT Æ&#x201C;TUV VKVNG CHVGT VQR U CPF VJTGG TWPPGT WR URQVU Å¥ C [CTF UKZ KTQP KPVQ VJG VJ ITGGP HQNNQYGF D[ C UKNM[ HV RWVV HQT GCING CPF C QPG UVTQMG XKEVQT[ QXGT 5GTIKQ )CTEKC CPF )GQTIG %QGV\G +V FQGUPÅ©V IGV OWEJ DGVVGT 6JG [GCT QNF Æ&#x201C;TUV DWTUV KPVQ VJG NKOGNKIJV CV VJG 1RGP %JCORKQPUJKR YJGP JG Æ&#x201C;PKUJGF KP Æ&#x201C;HVJ RNCEG CU CP amateur to win the Silver Medal. He turned pro and was PCOGF 'WTQRGCP 6QWT 4QQMKG QH VJG ;GCT KP CHVGT C stellar season that saw him again shine at The Open with C VJKTF RNCEG Æ&#x201C;PKUJ $WV CU OCP[ DGHQTG JKO JCXG HQWPF out, The European Tour is littered with great players who

34 | WorldwideGolf - January 2014

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Chris Wood COMMERCIAL BANK QATAR MASTERS

I was lucky that they’d moved the tee forward on the last day. I hit a 6-iron into the green but was the fact that I really got hold of my drive that allowed me to do that. That really set the hole up for me because a lot of guys were bailing out right into the rough and having to lay up. But in that situation you’ve just got to take the shot on, trust your swing, and try to hit as good a shot as you can. Fortunately, I did all of those things. It’s more a mental process than producing a good swing technically.

You really have got to just get into your shot and let it go.

That’s what I did and it set me up for the next shot and then I managed to sink the putt from there.

THE SHOT THAT SEALED THE DEAL: Chris Wood lets rip with a 202-yard six iron to set up his winning eagle putt at Doha Golf Club last year.

WWG: You must have been thrilled to win your first European Tour title in the manner that you did, with an eagle on the final hole?

CW: Yeah, it was pretty special. On that course if you make any kind of mistake you can find yourself one, or two, or three shots behind, having started the day three clear like I did. For me the key was not to pay any attention to things like that. I didn’t look at leaderboards.

I’ve looked in the past when I’ve been leading tournaments and found it’s done me no good so it helped me not to look. I got to the last hole and knew I was there or thereabouts but didn’t actually realise what I needed to do until I walked onto the green, just before I hit my putt.

WWG: Having lost leads in the final round before, did any doubts start to creep in when you were two down at the turn?

CW: I’d be lying if I didn’t say that doubts entered my mind at some point. All I was trying to do that day was stay in my own game, regardless of what anyone else was doing. I’d done it before, when I start thinking, ‘if he makes birdie there, I’ve got to make birdie’ or ‘if he drops a shot, maybe I’ll be leading’ and it does you absolutely no good. Not knowing so much about how everyone else was doing helped me. I had a

decent following walking round with me and I could sense that I was there or thereabouts – you’ve just got to keep going until the end.

WWG: You must’ve been proud to have shown such mental resilience to come back and win after losing your lead?

CW: That was what pleased me more than anything else. I played the last five holes in 3-under. I hit a bad shot on the 15th – my second shot missed to the right of the green and found the rough. But I made a great up and down for par and from there I didn’t miss a shot on the last three holes coming in. I played great.

That was a big positive for me. It was as much pressure as I’ve been under on a golf course, so to get all of those shots off the way I did was really pleasing.

WWG: Having come so close so many times it must have been something off a ‘monkey off your back’ to finally get that win under your belt?

CW: Absolutely. I actually felt the weight lift off my shoulders when that ball disappeared into the hole and you could say that it certainly showed in my reaction at winning on The Tour at last! It was a lot of work to get to that point and it

was the first one of many, hopefully.

WWG: You were always good enough to win, but the Tour is full of great players and the margins between winning and coming up just short are very small aren’t they?

CW: Yes. You see that every week, a guy makes a bogey on the 13th, and someone else makes a birdie and that’s enough to lose them the tournament. It’s really tough!

WWG: You won the Thailand Open in 2012, how much did that help you in Qatar?

CW: It helped a lot because it’s the same feelings.

Maybe Thailand was a smaller tournament, on the OneAsia Tour, but you still have the same feelings. I was leading by one or two going into the last round and you still have the same thoughts. You’ve still got to deal with players coming at you – I think one guy shot 10-underpar in Thailand on the last day, he was just making birdies for fun. Like I said earlier, you’ve got to try not to look at leaderboards and just try and concentrate on your own game. I shot 5-under and won by two in the end. It was great practice for Qatar.

WWG: People talk about the length of the desert courses, does this suit you?

WorldwideGolf - January 2014 | 35

Chris Wood COMMERCIAL BANK QATAR MASTERS

CW: Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re pretty used to playing long courses now â&#x20AC;&#x201C; these days theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re pretty much all long! Qatar has got some interesting holes with the rocks and the sand. Someone mentioned something interesting to me in Dubai â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all the desert courses ďŹ nish with a par 5. Obviously, I beneďŹ tted from that last year in Qatar!

coming up to me on the Sunday night after Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d won and saying what a great way it had been for the tournament to ďŹ nish, and that it was one of the best ďŹ nishes theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d seen, which was nice of him. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll always remember the Qatar Masters as my ďŹ rst win on The European Tour so for me itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to be one my favourite events for the rest of my career.

WWG: What has your overall experience of the tournament been like in terms of the way the players are welcomed and treated?

CW: Ever since I started going there in 2010 Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve looked forward to it every year. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got a great hotel, which is only 10 minutes from the golf course, so we stay right in the middle of the city.

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got the mall and restaurants just across the road. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re always well looked after over there. I remember John Anthony from Commercial Bank

WWG: How do enjoy the Middle East Swing in general?

CW: Without those three events at the start of the year, our Tour would be so much weaker.

The players and caddies always say what a great start to the year we have. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s January and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s absolutely perfect weather. We have three great tournaments on three really strong courses and you always get three really good ďŹ elds. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good atmosphere, decent crowds, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just the

Chris Wood chats ZLWK ̧YH WLPH Olympic rowing gold medallist, Sir 6WHYH 5HGJUDYH DW the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

::* ,V LW WUXH WKDW 6LU 6WHYH 5HGJUDYH JDYH \RX VRPH DGYLFH DERXW \RXU EDFN WURXEOH" CW: Yes. I played with him in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship about three years ago so we sort of knew each other. Then this summer, when I had my back trouble again and couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t play, we started emailing each other a little bit. I just wanted to pick his brains because he was told at 23 that heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d never row again, and obviously he went on to do OK. So I thought, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;what a great person to speak toâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and at last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dunhill, we met up and he sat with me for about two hours in the Old Course Hotel. He told me loads of stories and spoke about what had helped him, and what hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. I sat with him and my coach, Paul Mitchell, whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been with me for 12 years, so he knows me as well as anyone. We both came out pretty shattered just from listening so intently. But we both said how much it TGCHĆ&#x2019;TOGF VJG YQTM YG YGTG FQKPI VQ OCPCIG O[ DCEM +V YCU really helpful.

36 | WorldwideGolf - January 2014

perfect way for The European Tour to start the year.

The tournaments are all building their own unique histories now, which is good for the event.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great news that The Race to Dubai has been extended for another four years and that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll continue to end the season in Dubai, too. Golf has got so big in the Middle East now. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done golf days out there and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m always amazed at how many people play golf. You go to the courses and you can see it getting bigger every year.

WWG: Do you set yourself targets and goals at the start of the season?

CW: Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got your own idea in your mind of where you want to be. For me itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about getting into the top 50 in the world. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot harder to get in than it is to stay there. When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re there, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in all these big events and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re guaranteed World Ranking points. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re collecting points all the time whereas if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re 55th, and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re playing one of the smaller events youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not earning the vital Ranking points you need to have.

WWG: How did you find the experience of playing with Tiger in the Bridgestone Invitational at Akron?

CW: It was a bit surreal. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve watched him play since I was 10 when he won his ďŹ rst Masters so for me, he is golf. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a global megastar. Stuart Cage from my management company, ISM, said to me that it reminded him of the ďŹ rst time he played with Seve. He had the same feelings of being a bit nervous and not knowing what to expect. But Henrik Stensonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s caddie, Gareth Lord, gave me some great advice.

He said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;You want to go out and watch him but you want to learn at the same time. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to just watch, but do your own thing and learn from him at the same time.â&#x20AC;? That sort of stuck with me. It would be so easy for me just to be in awe of him for 18 holes, watch what heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s doing and then forget to be into my own game. That really helped me. I was proud to shoot level par that day and go on to ďŹ nish tied seventh. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a tough golf course, and it was my ďŹ rst time there. Bridgestone is basically Tigerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s backyard isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it?

WWG: Are you looking forward to getting back to Qatar to defend your title?

CW: Absolutely. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have a couple of tournaments under my belt by then. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m starting my season in Durban at the Volvo Golf Champions and then playing in Abu Dhabi so it comes at a perfect time, schedule-wise. Last year in Abu Dhabi I felt quite rusty. I made the cut but ďŹ nished dead last! The four rounds helped me quite a lot for the following week so this year, going back to Qatar, will be my third week in a row, which is spot on really.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the start of the season so everybody is going to be pretty fresh. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be my ďŹ rst title defence in the spotlight and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be another big test for me.

Obviously, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to win but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got to be realistic.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to give a really good account of myself. I went back to Thailand to defend, and ďŹ nished fourth, so that was pretty good. I know the Doha course suits me and if the wind blows, you never know. I think Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be there or thereabouts. Q

Tournament dates: 22 - 25 January 2014 Tickets available at: Chris Wood 2013 Champion Title Sponsor

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25

WorldwideGolf

YEARS OF DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC MEMORIES

Dubai has grown immeasurably since the inaugural Dubai Desert Classic back in 1989, when the stunning Majlis course at Emirates Golf Club was a green oasis in the middle of a vast sandy expanse. The tournament has grown, too, and this year marks the 25th anniversary. To celebrate, all the past winners of the tournament have been invited to play. That means Woods, McIlroy, Stenson, Couples, Olazábal, O’Meara, Ballesteros and Montgomerie among many others, will be gracing the Majlis course and taking part in the tournament’s celebrations. To get us in the mood, let’s take a trip down memory lane...

WorldwideGolf - January 2014 | 39

25

YEARS OF DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC MEMORIES

AN OASIS IN THE DESERT An aerial view of Emirates Golf Club circa 1990.

Dubai’s first 18- hole grass course was a burst of green in the middle of a sandy expanse.

1989

1990 1992

DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC 1996

1993

Early Days 1989 JAMES GETS THE BALL ROLLING England’s Mark James took the spoils at the inaugural Desert Classic with a cool play-off victory over Australia’s Peter O’Malley on the Majlis.

1990 DARCY GOES WIRE TO WIRE There was a definite Irish feel to the Classic as Ireland’s Eamonn Darcy claimed the title on 12-under-par ahead of David Feherty with Des Smyth in a share of third place alongside Seve Ballesteros.

1999

1992 SEVE GETS HIS OWN BACK Seve wrapped up the Classic with a play-off win over Ulsterman Ronan Rafferty with David Feherty settling for third alongside Mark James.

1993 WESTNER ON SONG TO DENY SEVE South Africa’s Wayne Westner was the surprise victor as he pipped Retief Goosen and Seve to the title.

1994

1994 ELS DOMINATES The Big Easy sealed the win after shooting a tournament record 11-under 61 in the first round and went on to win by six from Greg Norman.

1995 COUPLES GOES LOW Freddie ‘Boom Boom’ Couples cruised to victory as four rounds in the 60s saw him win on 20-under beating Colin Montgomerie by three.

1995

1996 MONTY BOUNCES BACK Montgomerie clinched the Classic with weekend rounds of 67 and 68 for a one-shot win over Spain’s Miguel Angel Jiménez.

1997 GREEN PRODUCES AN UPSET Lefty Richard Green downed Major winners Greg Norman and Ian Woosnam with a gutsy birdie in a sudden-death play-off.

1990

40 | WorldwideGolf - January 2014

1998 OLAZÁBAL OUTLASTS THE FIELD Spaniard José María Olazábal was the only player to break 70 on all four days as he wrapped up the title in convincing fashion.

1999 HOWELL WINS AT THE CREEK England’s David Howell won his first European Tour title with a four-stroke victory over Lee Westwood, the first time the event had been played at Dubai Creek.

Classic Numbers LOW CUT: 141 (-3), 2001, 2007, 2013 HIGH CUT: 149 (+5), 1989 24 Holes-in-one.

FOUR play-offs SIX – biggest winning margin FIVE wire-to-wire winners -22 lowest winning score (Björn ’01, Gallacher ’13) 19 – age of youngest winner Rory McIlroy (2009)

Tiger years 2000 COCERES IN CONTROL José Coceres clinched the Classic with a 14-under par total, two clear of Paul McGinley and Patrik Sjoland, played at Dubai Creek for only the second time in the tournament’s history.

2001 BJÖRN OR BUST Thomas Björn downed Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington by two to wrap up a memorable Classic with a mammoth 22-under-par total, back at the Majlis course at Emirates Golf Club.

2002 ELS DOUBLES UP Ernie Els romped to a comfortable four-stroke victory for his second Desert Classic title.

2003 DERKSEN DENIES ELS Dutchman Robert-Jan Derksen shot a final round 65 to deny Ernie Els a successful defence of his title.

2004 O’MEARA SHOWS HIS EXPERIENCE American Mark O’Meara became the Classic’s oldest winner at the age of 47 with a one-shot win over Paul McGinley.

2005 ELS SEALS HIS HATRICK The Big Easy was fast becoming synonymous with the tournament, when, in 2005, he won for the third time by one from Stephen Dodd and Jiménez.

2006 WOODS DOWNS ELS Woods finally wins his first Desert Classic by virtue of a play-off win over that man Ernie Els. 2007 STENSON STEPS UP Henrik Stenson pips a stellar field – including Woods and Els, to win the Classic.

2008 WOODS STORMS TO WIN NO.2 Woods comes from four strokes back with a final round 65 – including a sensational birdie at the last – to win for the second time.

2009 McILROY MAKES HIS MARK Rory McIlroy completes his first win as a pro with a solid one-stroke victory over Justin Rose.

2010 JIMÉNEZ DOWNS WESTWOOD After so many near misses, the evergreen Spaniard downs Lee Westwood in a play-off to win.

2011 QUIROS ACES HIS WAY TO VICTORY A stunning hole-in-one on the 11th propelled Alvaro Quiros to the title by one stroke.

2012 CABRERABELLO ‘S SPANISH HATTRICK Youngster Rafa Cabrera-Bello sealed a third successive Spanish victory with a 19-under-par total.

2013 THE EAGLE HAS LANDED FOR GALLACHER Five eagles during the week – including two on par-4s – saw Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher take the spoils.

WorldwideGolf - January 2014 | 41

2,013 WORLDWIDE WINS AND STILL COUNTING...

There are 2,013 golf balls on this page and each represents a win with a Pro V1® golf ball earned by players on the worldwide professional tours since Pro V1 was first introduced thirteen years ago. There have been thousands of other victories as Pro V1 and Pro V1x™ are trusted by the overwhelming majority of players at every level of competitive golf. A heartfelt thanks to all the golfers who place their trust in Titleist. Performance is 2,013 worldwide wins and still counting.

Learn more at titleist.co.uk Source: Darrell Survey, Sports Marketing Surveys Inc. Northmountain International. Based upon results through 22/09/2013 on the U.S. PGA, U.S. LPGA, Champions, Web.com, South African, Asian, Korean, OneAsia, Australasian, Japan, Canadian PGA and PGA European Tours.

www.prosports.ae

WORLDWIDE GOLF COLUMNIST <<

IAN

POULTER

AFTER A SOLID YEAR I’M RARING TO GO FOR 2014!

I

T was great to spend some time with my family over Christmas and I’m feeling fresh and raring to go for 2014 after a solid year in 2013. Hopefully, I can get off to a good start like I did last year when I finished fourth at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.

My season slowed down slightly after that until the summer when I played fantastically well at The Open Championship where I finished tied third. I rallied on the Sunday at Muirfield and got myself into contention and gave myself a chance to win.

Then I had a huge back end to the year. I played great in the Final Series and pushed Henrik right to the end of the line to finish second on The Race to Dubai. I couldn’t quite catch him. There was just a little bit too much to do.

I said to him on the driving range at Jumeirah Golf Estates that I would catch him and I tried my best. I came back really hard, played some fantastic golf, but he was just a little bit too strong at the finish. It was certainly a great month of golf and I take my hat off to Henrik for how he played.

Brought out the best in me I would have loved to win the DP World Tour Championship and seal The Race to Dubai – that’s always been a goal of mine. Trying to achieve that in Dubai certainly got me fired up and brought out the best in me. It just wasn’t to be but 2013 was certainly a good year for me.

The DP World Tour Championship has always been a great tournament since it started in 2009 and I enjoy playing on the Earth course. I’ve had some success there in the past and now have two runner-up finishes, so I’m looking forward to getting myself in that position again this year and try to win our Tour Championship. The course suits my eye and they run a fantastic tournament so I can’t wait to get back there.

The new Performance Institute at Jumeirah Golf Estates is a fantastic facility. I used it every day during the tournament for my warm-ups. It’s fully equipped to look after every type of player, which is great. It’s a fantastic experience for players of all levels and it’s situated at a great golf course, so it’s perfect.

I think the news that the ‘Race to Dubai’ format of The European Tour has been extended by four years is fantastic. As players, it’s always important that we have a strong end to the year and the

DP World Tour Championship certainly gives us that, so congratulations to the Tour for securing that agreement. My goals for 2014 are, as always, based around producing my best performances in the Majors and the World Golf Championships events and, of course, there’s the small matter of The Ryder Cup this year.

The next step for me in my career is to win a Major so I gear my entire season towards trying to achieve that. I get inspired every year to keep working harder.

I try to better myself My inspiration doesn’t come from any one person but I just try to better myself every season.

I’ll continue to work ever harder in the gym, on the range, and mentally, to become stronger and give myself the best chance of winning the game’s biggest events.

Away from the course, it’s no secret that I’m a massive Ferrari fan. I enjoy buying them and have seven now and counting! I use them as investments. They’re rising significantly up in value

which is a good thing! I love my cars so I manage that ‘business’ very well and it’s something that I enjoy very much. As you probably know, I’m also a huge Arsenal FC supporter and I’m loving the season so far as we’re up around the top of the English Premier League! I didn’t enjoy us losing 6-3 to Manchester City last month but we’re still playing well and I’m very happy about that.

Hopefully, we can kick on and continue to stay up there and be at the top at the end of the season.

Our IJP Design fashion business is going from strength to strength. We release two new collections each year and they’ve been doing really well. The team back in the UK work incredibly hard and I love the new colours and styles that we’ve created.

The ladies stuff is looking really good and it’s a line that we want to expand going forwards.

The golf fashion market is a tough and extremely competitive one but, hopefully, we can continue to grow and improve each year and get our clothes on more and more people’s backs. That’s all from me until next time! Q

WorldwideGolf - January 2014 | 45

WORLDWIDE GOLF COLUMNIST <<

Greg

NORMAN BACK IN ACTION AND BACK WITH COBRA

I

WILL be playing in my first official PGA Tour event in quite some time, when I tee it up later this month at the Humana Challenge.

I played the Humana Challenge back in 2012 and I was really impressed with the new direction for the event.

It became very obvious that President Clinton’s leadership and vision was going to re-energise this tournament and take it back to its once iconic state. I’m looking forward to coming back in 2014, nd support and I consider it an honour to play and ation and the Humana President Clinton, his Foundation Challenge. n into 2014, I am very As we transition ce my new golf excited to announce equipment partner, Cobra Golf. We will formally launch the Cobra relationship nge and the PGA A at the Humana Challenge Merchandise Show this month and turning to I’m looking forward to returning the brand where it really allll started for me.

As most of you know, I wass part owner of Cobra in the 1980s and the brand and nd the equipment have a special place in my heart. rt.

In the early ‘80s I made the transition ansition from Spalding to Cobra. As part of the deal, I would endorse the Cobra products, become me an equity partner in the company and receivee a seat on the board of directors. While my current relationship with Cobra Golf is not quite as involved d as my d to come former relationship with them, it’s good e deal of home to the brand where I enjoyed a great my success on the golf course.

This year the Franklin Templeton Shootout celebrated its 25th anniversary of the tournament as well as our 13th year at Tiburón Golf Club at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort at Naples.

I’m very proud of this event as over the years we have raised more than $12 million for a variety of worthy charities, most notably CureSearch for Children’s Cancer, which is leading the fight against childhood cancer.

This year the event showcased some of the world’s finest golfers, including seven of the top 20 ranked players in the world, winners of nine PGA Tour events this year and several Presidents Cup participants.

As a group, these players have amassed 146

46 | WorldwideGolf - January 2014

(Above) Greg Norman presents Harris English and Matt Kuchar with the 25th annual Franklin Templeton Shootout trophy.

(Left) Greg Norman assisted Cobra in launching their first forged iron back in 1991, try hitting that one iron!

PGA Tour vic victories in their respective careers.

TThe event was won in record-tying fashion as the team of Harris English and Matt Kuchar tied the tournament 54-hole scoring record with a 34-under-par 182 and ran away from the field, posting a record seven-stroke victory in the 25th annual Franklin Templeton Shootout.

Retief Goosen and Freddie Jacobson finished second at 27-under-par 189. English and Kuchar split $770,000 with the victory. Jonas Blixt and I finished Tied 8th, but had a great time in the process.

Aussie Golf and Looking Forward to 2014 Last month I was hoping that Adam Scott would complete the calendar year Aussie Slam by winning the Emirates Australian Open but despite shooting a first round 62, unfortunately for Adam, that did not come to fruition, as Rory McIlroy returned to form and won his first event of 2013.

While I was hoping that Adam would complete the Slam, I was very happy to see Rory bounce back with a victory to finish his 2013 season on a high and I am excited to see what Rory will do in 2014.

This might be the year that Jason Day breaks through and joins the ranks of Adam Scott by winning his first Major. Also I’d like to see Adam back up his first Major victory with another Major in 2014. Anyway you look at it, the future is bright for Australian golf.

Two in One Week Last month I wrote about both the PGA Tour and The European Tour competing on Greg Norman- designed courses. The PGA Tour event was at Mexico’s Riviera Maya and Cancun region for the OHL Classic at El Camaleón Golf Club; The European Tour’s season-ending DP World Tour Championships was played on the Earth Course I designed at the Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Q

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WORLDWIDE GOLF COLUMNIST <<

David

Howell

LOOKING FORWARD TO A REALLY CLASSIC CLASSIC!

I

T was nice to have Christmas and New Year off ahead of the new season, although I won’t say that it was completely restful. My wife, Emily, gave birth to twin boys, Charlie and Sam, in December so they’ve been keeping us busy! It was a different experience having a family Christmas in England – we’ve not done that for a few years as we were living in Dubai.

What with the sleepless nights from the boys I’m not sure how much actual rest I got but it was certainly nice to have a little break from golf. It’s an allyear-round schedule nowadays and your mind needs a rest as well as your body, so you’ve got to take your breaks when you can get them.

Having two new additions to the family does make it slightly harder to leave them and go out on Tour.

When you’re looking at your schedule, all of sudden a three-week run of tournaments that wouldn’t have previously seemed that long, looks like an awful lot of time to be away from your family.

That’s not to say that I won’t do any three week stretches. We’re professional golfers and you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do but it does pull on your heartstrings that little bit more when you become a family man. Life as Tour player is full of pros and cons – it’s not like we’re going off to war for six months but at the same time, we don’t get to come home to our families every night.

Unfinished business at Qatar I’m starting my 2014 schedule at the Volvo Champions in South Africa then I’ll be in the Middle East for the Desert Swing. Those three events at the start of the season generate a lot of excitement these days. Abu Dhabi was a course that for the first few years I couldn’t get to grips with whatsoever.

Then, last year, I had a great chance to win it with nine holes to go but had an unfortunate incident on the 13th when I four-putted for a triple-bogey seven!

I still finished in my highest position there, tied sixth, and I really think that I’ve started to get the measure of Peter Harradine’s lay-out. The first couple of years I couldn’t see my way around it at all and couldn’t see how guys were shooting 67 but I now look forward to the tournament and I feel like I’ve got some unfinished business there.

The Qatar Masters is a tournament I’ve played numerous times and I’ve usually done quite well. I always enjoy the tournament and I feel like I know the Doha course very well now. You know what you’re going to get in Qatar – it’s going to be a bit windy and the conditions always seem to suit me.

This year is of course the 25th Anniversary of the Dubai Desert Classic. They’re pulling out all the stops

and obviously for me, as a past winner, that’s great.

We’ve got a Champions tournament on the Tuesday so that’s going to be great fun. Tiger is playing and that always brings the crowds out. People are spoilt for choice in terms of top level sport in Dubai but Tiger Woods always seems draw the crowds so it really should be classic Classic this year!

I’ve got very fond memories my Desert Classic victory at the Dubai Creek in 1999. I’d just come back from an injury having sprained my ankle playing tennis in England right after winning my first professional tournament at the Australian PGA Championship at the end of 1998.

I was high on confidence but short of game time. I played my comeback event in Asia the week before, then got to Dubai and the course at the Creek was playing really difficultly with six inch high rough that you could only hit a wedge out of.

Talked myself through it But I went out and played beautifully. It was a convincing win in the end, beating Lee Westwood by four shots. The thing I remember quite vividly is walking onto the 18th tee with a five shot lead.

There’s water everywhere on the 18th at the Creek and I literally talked myself through everything that could go wrong and realised that I could hit in the water twice, get it onto the green, three putt and still win it.

At that stage I started to feel confident that I could do it! But you still have a lot of nerves closing a tournament out even with such a lead, strangely enough. Once I was on dry land, on the green, I

realised I’d won my first European Tour event – in Dubai, of all places to win it. I couldn’t quite take it all in. It was a bit overwhelming.

You never know how your career is going to go when you turn pro. I turned pro in 1996 so it was only three years in and I’d won my first event – and it was a big one at that! It was far ahead of anything I’d dreamed of when I joined The European Tour, so it was a bit of disbelief and a whole lot of satisfaction.

Without wanting to sound like I’m gloating, I haven’t won an awful lot but the five European Tour events I’ve won have all been quite big events so I’ve been very fortunate on that front.

I’ve sat down with my coach and set out some goals for 2014. Obviously, it’s a Ryder Cup year and I’d dearly love to make the Team but I see things a little differently than I did when I made the teams in 2004 and 2006.

The way the rankings are done now you’ve got to play some really great golf in some big events and win a lot of ranking points; or you’ve got to win an awful lot of money over the season playing in lots of events around the world.

There are only four spots off the European Points List up for grabs so it’s not something I lie awake at night thinking about. What I really want to do this year is continue my progress from 2013, win again, hopefully more than once, and move up The European Tour Race to Dibai and World Rankings. If I can do that it’ll be another really good year. Q WorldwideGolf - January 2014 | 49

WORLDWIDE GOLF COLUMNIST <<

Pete

COWEN

IT’S GOOD TO SEE BILLY BACK ON THE BAG FOR LEE

I

T’S good to see Billy Foster back on Lee Westwood’s bag following Billy’s freak knee injury that had put him out of action for most of 2012 and half of 2013. Billy caddied for Thomas Björn and Branden Grace towards the end of the season but he finally made his return to Lee in the United States at Tiger Woods’ tournament and then did Greg Norman’s Shark Shoot-out.

Billy’s aiming to pick up where he left off with Lee when Lee was at his best. He feels that by getting back to basics he can make a difference to Lee and Ibelieve it won’t be too long before he starts to help Lee get back on track.

Billy reckons that with Lee it’s all about how Lee approaches his practising and how he approaches the course. It’s all down to reassuring Lee and keeping him calm. When you hit a bad shot you don’t want your caddie saying, ‘don’t worry about it.’

Billy is likely to say, ‘come on now, let’s get on with it.’

Some caddies are frightened of saying the wrong thing. Billy knows what to say to Lee to get the right response.

He’ll go over everything with Lee in detail. On the course he’ll have a smile and a joke about things and get him relaxed. Billy will want to go through the routine with Lee that worked when Lee was the great player he was and do precisely what he did best when he played his best golf.

It might take a few tournaments but I’d like to see Lee winning tournaments again with Billy’s help and support.

Taking is easy As for me I’m happy with Henrik Stenson and Graeme McDowell and the others I coach. There was a time when I had 17 players on my books, and I looked after them all by myself. That was when I was on my own, before Mike Walker joined me. I remember walking out on the range at Loch Lomond during the Scottish Open and all 17 players were on the driving range. I thought then, this is just too much. It nearly killed me. I didn’t need all that aggravation.

I suddenly realised I had bitten off more than I could chew. I knew that I had to reduce the numbers, although I’ve never left a player, occasionally they’ve left me. Where a player might have said that he’s not happy at how things are going I’d say, ‘OK – that’s fine.’ I wouldn’t make any attempt at keeping them. Now I’m trying to slow down, not in terms of specific players but in terms

50 | WorldwideGolf - January 2014

of the number of players. The difficulty with my job is that you don’t always get the credit you deserve.

It may be that all the hard work you’ve put in with a player doesn’t come to fruition until three months or more after that player has left to work with another coach.

Mike Walker is building his own reputation and he’s doing very well. He’s been working with Thomas Björn and they’ve been getting results.

Most of what Mike does has been down to the techniques he’s learned working with me over the years.

If anyone wanted to work with Mike, I certainly wouldn’t stand in his way. In this job you’ve got to have a mentor with plenty of experience and Mike has learned his craft well. You may have a doubt within yourself which you need to work out with your mentor and that’s essential.

But you can’t have any doubts in working with the players. They’ve got to feel totally secure in

what you’re doing. You need to have someone to bounce ideas and problems off. If there’s any doubt in what you’re saying to the player then the players will soon doubt you. You’ve got to have the experience of someone like me to help work it all out.

I’m pleased that I’ve been invited to the dinner for the 25th anniversary of the Dubai Desert Classic.

Played in the first Desert Classic Oddly enough, I played in the first Dubai Desert Classic back in 1989 won by Mark James. I’d only just got my European Tour playing card at the time and I missed the cut. I think they invited me because they needed a few more players to make up the numbers.

The Desert Classic has achieved a lot for golf in the Middle East. You can’t forget that it was the Classic that first brought Tiger Woods and so many big name players to Dubai. Q

Swing

THE ACADEMY AT EMIRATES GOLF CLUB in Association with PETE COWEN

RORY MCILROY 1

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3

7

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9

PETE COWEN PGA MASTER PROFESSIONAL and coach to the stars, such as McDowell, Harrington, Kaymer, Stenson... if Pete doesn’t know it, it isn’t worth knowing!

The one thing everybody likes about Rory’s swing is the way it flows. He creates rhythmical, effortless power and that power all comes from the ground, but he doesn’t put any unnecessary strain on his body making him less prone to back, wrist and knee injuries.

52 | WorldwideGolf - January 2014

1 2

Rory has good solid posture, you can see that his legs are almost planted.

3

Here he’s stretching it even more. His shoulders are stretching and his wrists haven’t set fully.

Look how little his feet have moved and yet the club has moved about three foot so he’s already loading those shoulders and getting the wrists set in a plane where it’s easier to elevate the club.

Pete looks at how Rory’s swing can drive golf courses to their knees!

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5

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4&5

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8&9

He’s pushing into the ground as his right hip has gone up. You can see his body becomes fully coiled. All of his trouser creases and shirt creases angle all the way up to the top. He’s pushing down from the waist at the same time as he’s pulling his upper body up and around.

The transitional movement. People always think that Rory drops his head back but he doesn’t. He pushes all his weight down and left. The down force has moved his hips laterally. He’s still retained the upper body loading.

6

The lag in his left arm and shaft is retained but there’s still huge ground force – he’s still pushing massively into the ground. His right leg is going down as it’s going forward.

He’s starting to stretch here but his wrists are in a position where they can release down.

Between 8 and 9 there is no rotation of the hands, it’s just down force. Then he gets a perfect stretch on No.9, up that left side –left hip, left shoulder –with no hand manipulation at all. The clubface is neutral.

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10–12

He continues the stretch to the end. As I said, that’s why people like his swing.

It’s a young athletic golf swing but for me it’s a swing that can stand the test of time as it’s not putting any unnecessary strain on the lower back or knees. These are the notoriously vulnerable areas when golfers get older.

WorldwideGolf - January 2014 | 53

INSTRUCTION WAYNE JOHNSON DIRECTOR OF INSTRUCTION PGA JUMEIRAH MEIRA GOLF ESTATES

QUICK TIPS CLEARING THE LIP Some of the hardest shots in golf, even for the Pros, are bunkers shots from around 50 yards – 80 yards. Too far to splash a conventional sand iron shot and too near to play a typical fairway bunker shot. Here we take a look at a way to play this stroke successfully.

B A Take a less lofted club. A 7 or 8 iron is a good choice for this type of shot and distance control.

C

Open the face, allowing the bounce of the club to skim through the sand at impact. Create a firm base. The lower body should remain stable throughout the swing.

Ball position more centred in the stance.

a long and lazy D Take swing (Ernie Els tempo) aiming to strike ball and sand simultaneously.

WorldwideGolf - January 2014 | 55

INSTRUCTION ALASTAIR BROWN PGA PROFESSIONAL EMIRATES GOLF CLUB

THE CORRECT SET UP FOR SUCCESSFUL BUNKER SHOTS The bunker shot is the weekend golfer’s most feared of all short game shots, but the Tour Pro much prefers this shot than an awkward pitch.

Having no fear of the bunkers will also allow you to play more pressure-free iron shots.

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THE CLUB I am using a 60 degree sand wedge and would recommend a minimum of 58 degrees. The standard SW in your set is 55/56 degrees. Those extra few degrees make all the diďŹ&#x20AC;erence.

I want you notice how when the shaft of the club leans forward (which positions your hands in front of the club head) the sharp leading edge is the lowest point of the club which will result in the club digging too deep into the sand. Place the shaft in a neutral position (the club head directly under the handle) which will get the back edge as the lowest point this will also give the club better loft and will result in the club sweeping through the sand.

SET YOUR STATION The set up is the most important part of this shot. The old school method (left) is to stand with the body open, the club face open loft and put the ball position forward. This leads to a swing path that moves along the line of the body and too much to the left of the target which creates sidespin to the right and also makes it diďŹ&#x192;cult to propel the ball forwards usually leaving the ball in the trap. The correct way as with all other shots is to set your body square to your target line so that you can deliver the power through the sand to throw the ball forward with no sidespin. In practice I draw two parallel lines to help with my alignment (right).

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INSTRUCTION ALASTAIR BROWN EMIRATES GOLF CLUB

I want you to see that I have turned my front open around 60 degrees but my toe is still on the parallel line, this in turn opens my knee which points over the toe and will help with my rotation around the left knee to the ďŹ nish. The ball is opposite my left heel helping it feel more forward. Again draw a line with your club from your heel to ensure the correct ball position. My sternum (centre of chest) position is on top of the ball focusing on the ball. This is going to be where I will strike deepest in the sand. Also notice the neutral handle and clubhead relationship.

Having your weight lowered into the sand through your legs and feeling forward on your left side is important.

Stay on your sternum line during the back swing rather than move oďŹ&#x20AC; the ball.

The energy is moving around you, rather than your body mass excessively moving.

I like to feel the arms and club doing the work here. Focusing on rotating around the sternum line allows you to positively accelerate through impact.

WorldwideGolf - January 2014 | 59

INSTRUCTION MARTIN STEEL PGA TEACHING PROFESSIONAL ABU DHABI GOLF CLUB

PITCHING LIKE CLOCKWORK The biggest difference between Professional golfers and amateur golfers is the ability to control distances with less than full swings, commonly called the pitch shot. Many golfers try to “feel” the distance rather than “quantify” the distance by controlling their swing length. Here are some simple tips to improve your pitching and distance control which will have you pitching like clockwork in no time.

WorldwideGolf - January 2014 | 61

INSTRUCTION MARTIN STEEL PGA TEACHING PROFESSIONAL ABU DHABI GOLF CLUB

1

IF YOU KNOW THE LENGTH OF YOUR SWING, YOU CAN CONTROL YOUR DISTANCE!

Take a look at the three photos above. As you can see, the three swings depict three different swing lengths. If you imagine your golf swing as a clock face, you can see that you can control the length of your backswing if you know what time to stop at. The key here is to make sure that you start practicing three different length swings as this will help you to control your distance.

Now notice the follow through to the right. There are two keys that will help everyone achieve the correct follow through.

1 The follow through length should correspond with the backswing length (maybe a little more, as shown on the picture with the tick). For example, 7 o’clock on the backswing will roughly go to 5 o’clock on the follow through.

2 Chest and belt buckle faces the target with the weight on the front foot.

MARTIN’S TIP: If you can tap your right toe three times on your follow through, you’ve successfully transferred your weight and to your lead leg.

62 | WorldwideGolf - January 2014

2

IF YOUR TEMPO IS CONSISTENT, YOU CAN CONTROL YOUR DISTANCE!

EQUAL TEMPO FOR ALL THREE SWINGS. A common problem for any golfer trying to control the distance of their shot is a tendency to change the speed of their swing. They base this on how hard they want to hit the ball which leads to inconsistent strikes and inconsistent distance. The key to maintaining tempo is understanding that the tempo stays the same regardless of the swing you have made. For example: If it takes you one second to make the 7 o’clock swing, it should take the same amount of time to complete the 11 o’clock swing.

CLUB Lob Wedge 60 degrees

Sand Wedge 56 degrees Pitching Wedge 48 degrees

SWING LENGTH

CARRY DISTANCE

7 o’clock

20 yards

9 o’clock

40 yards

11 o’clock

60 yards

7 o’clock

25 yards

9 o’clock

50 yards

11 o’clock

75 yards

7 o’clock

30 yards

9 o’clock

65 yards

11 o’clock

90 yards

SO HOW DO WE CONTROL THE DISTANCE?

Most golfers carry two to three wedges, a lob wedge (60 degrees), a sand wedge (56 degrees) and a pitching wedge (48 degrees). By utilizing the different lofts with the different length swings, it is now possible to note the distance that the ball carries (always note the carry distance, NOT the final distance as surfaces will react differently from course to course). For example, the table on the right shows that the three different clubs and the three different length swings equate to nine different CARRY DISTANCES!

CONCLUSION: So there you have the ultimate guide to distance control, easy as clockwork!

If you can remember three swings and one tempo, you are on your way to pitching like a pro.

WorldwideGolf - January 2014 | 63

WORDS: RICHARD BEVAN

PICTURES: HELEN SHIPPEY AND GETTY IMAGES

BRANDEN GRACE ‘THAT DIFFICULT SECOND ALBUM’ How do you follow a smash hit? It’s a problem that has dogged countless rock n roll bands over the years and it’s something that South Africa’s Branden Grace had to get his head around in 2013.

WorldwideGolf - January 2014 | 65

WORLDWIDE GOLF EXCLUSIVE

G

race had a multi-platinum record-breaking kind of a 2012 season. Having gained his card at the 2011 Qualifying School he racked up an astonishing four European Tour titles.

Victories at the Joburg Open, the Volvo Golf Champions, the Volvo China Open, and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship saw him become the first Q-School graduate ever to win four times the year after graduation and the first player in European Tour history to win their first four titles in the same season.

His prize money of €2,502,501 was also a record for a Q-School graduate while he threw in a victory on the Sunshine Tour’s Vodacom Origins Golf Final for good measure, giving him a sensational total of five victories worldwide.

It was always going to be a tough act to follow and with the added curveball of playing more events in the US – with invites and eligibility to Majors, WGC events and other big tournaments increasing dramatically due to his new status a World top 50 player – wins proved harder to come by last season.

That’s not to say there weren’t some good moments. There’s no shame in losing to Phil Mickelson in a play-off for the Scottish Open, or to eventual winner Graeme McDowell in the semi-final of the Volvo World Match Play Championship. He was also fifth in Abu Dhabi, sixth in Qatar, and finished in the top 20 in his Masters debut. Not a bad season by any stretch of the imagination, just not quite the dizzy heights of 2012. Here Branden talks exclusively to Richard Bevan about the challenges of producing ‘that difficult second album’.

WWG: You had a phenomenal season in 2012. It was always going to be tough to follow but how do you feel 2013 went for you in comparison?

BG: Any season in which you have a couple of wins is going to be a tough one to follow up. But I still thought 2013 was good. I felt a bit thrown in at the

1

THE VOLVO GOLF CHAMPIONS IS GREAT TOURNAMENT TO START MY YEAR OFF AND HOPEFULLY I CAN DO THE SAME THING AS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND TICK OFF THE WIN THERE TO KICK-START THE SEASON. WWG: Were the challenges of adapting to life in the States culture-related or golf-related?

BG: It was more golf-wise. The golf courses are different. Everything is narrower, the greens are smaller, they’re quicker and it’s just really tough to adapt to. When you come to Europe, you play great golf courses, they’re always in great nick, but the green speed differs, whereas in America

THEY DO EVERYTHING FULL ON OUT HERE, THERE ARE NO HALF MEASURES! deep end again – in 2012 I really felt like I settled in and found my feet in Europe, and it was the same last year in Europe. But I headed out to the United States on a more regular basis for the first time to experience it and see what it was like. It was tough; it was a big thing to adapt to but I still think there was a lot to be positive about. There were some not-sosolid performances but I still had a couple of close calls such as losing to Phil Mickelson in a play-off for the Scottish Open and missing out to Graeme McDowell in the semi-final of the Volvo World Match Play Championship. I always came across a tough competitor! But it was good, it was still a solid year.

66 | WorldwideGolf - January 2014

you’re always putting on greens that are 14 on the stimp and it’s something that I’ve not really felt that comfortable with so far. That’s something that you really need to adapt to.

WWG: Are you planning a similar ‘global’ schedule this year?

BG: Probably yes. I want to be one of the best in the world and to become one of the best in the world you have to compete against the best in the world, wherever that may be. I think that’s the only way you can do it.

WWG: Have the experiences you had and the things you learned in 2013 set you up for a better run in 2014?

BG: Definitely. I feel that my golf has really improved again, it’s on a good note now, so if keep going with that progress I’m sure when I get back to the States again I’ll be motivated even more to succeed after what I experienced in 2013.

WWG: You won the Volvo Golf Champions on home soil at Fancourt two years ago – is that the perfect tournament to kick-start 2014?

BG: Yes I think so. It’s a bonus that it’s at home in South Africa, it’s the same course in Durban as last year, where I had a sixth place finish, and obviously I’ve got the nice memories from winning the tournament the year before. It’s a really great tournament to start my year off and hopefully I can do the same thing as a couple of years ago and tick off the win there to kick-start the season.

WWG: What is the key to doing well at Durban Country Club?

BG: It really depends on the weather. We’re fortunate that it’s being played in January when the weather is usually really good. You get the odd shower but that’s not too bad. You really just have to keep the ball in the fairways and then if you can be the guy that putts a little better than the others, you should come out on top.

PHOTO: Helen Shippey & Getty Images WORDS: Richard Bevan

2

In the bag

WWG: How much have you enjoyed your experiences of coming out to play in the Middle East?

BG: The Middle East has been great, I’ve really enjoyed coming out to play in the region. We’ve got four events here now in the season, which is great. They’re all pretty much on the same type of golf course except when we go to Qatar.

Qatar is a little bit different – it gives me a bit more of a ‘desert’ feeling. The other three are all very long, always in great condition and the weather’s always very good. But the main thing you have to adapt to is the heat.

The four events we play in the Middle East are some of the biggest on our schedule. It’s always good here, you get the crowds coming out and there’s a wide range of nationalities among

3

4

them so everybody gets good support. They do everything full on out here, there are no half measures!

It’s also great that the Challenge Tour now has a Grand Final in Dubai – it’s a great golfing destination and I would really recommend to anyone to come here to play golf. I’m sure if they put on more events here the guys would all come and play them.

2012 European Tour trophy haul: 1. Volvo Golf Champions.

2. Joburg Open at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club.

3.Volvo China Open at the Binhai Lake Golf Course.

4.The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at The Old Course, St. Andrews. really have the opportunity to be at home much last year – I’d only been home twice before Christmas so it was great to go back and put my feet up for a while. Q

WWG: How did you spend the Christmas break?

BG: I put the clubs down for maybe a week or so. I’m not really a guy that can put the clubs down for a long period. I took a month off after the Nedbank Golf Challenge with around a week without any golf – just relaxing. I didn’t

Branden Grace

Driver: Callaway X Hot Pro Loft: 8.5 Degrees (Dual COG Hosel) Shaft: Fujikura Fuel 65 X-Flex 3 Wood: Callaway X Hot Pro Loft: 15 Degrees Shaft: Fujikura Fuel 75 X-Flex Hybrid: Callaway Diablo Edge Pro Loft: 18 Degrees Shaft: Mitsubishi Rayon JavlynFX S Irons: Callaway X Forged (3-PW) Shafts: Royal Precision Rifle Project X 6.5 Wedges: Callaway X Forged (52, 58 and 60 Degrees) 52 Degrees Loft with 12 Degrees Bounce 60 (Bent to 58) Degrees Loft with 9 Degrees Bounce 60 Degrees Loft with 9 Degrees Bounce Putter: Odyssey Versa 1W Grip: SuperStroke

WorldwideGolf - January 2014 | 67

570AED PER CLUB

HEAD2HEAD Callaway XHot v X2Hot WORDS: ALEX GALLEMORE

The 2013 Callaway XHot was one of the best selling irons of the year and for good reason – it went miles and was very forgiving. Callaway claim the updated 2014 X2Hot model is even longer and more accurate! Time for Alex Gallemore and Ben Todd to give them a good old fashioned shoot out on the range.

Trajectory

Ben Todd | Dec 17, 2013

02 40 30

60

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20

60

40

20

80 80

100 100

150 150

200

200

20 10

X Hot Pro X2Hot Pro © 2013 TrackMan | MyTrackMan.com

Multi Group Report

The TrackMan data shows the X2Hot in yellow and the numbers don’t lie... it’s not only longer but more accurate!

68 | WorldwideGolf - January 2014

T

o conduct the most accurate test using the TrackMan system we needed to make sure the tester could deliver a consistent strike, a task I could only dream of achieving, but thankfully Ben Todd, PGA Professional at The Address Montgomerie, Dubai was on hand.

The large, thin face of the XHot iron made for faster ball speeds and a high launch due to low centre of gravity and on average we were about a club longer than the other clubs on test in 2013. As a six handicapper I found there was little feel and the offset meant I couldn’t work the ball like I can with my forged irons. But that wasn’t a bad thing as these days I’d take a straight, long ball flight all day long.

The X2Hot claimed to be even longer but offer more feel.

I’ve heard all the ‘sales talk’ before and there was only one way to find out.

Jason Ashley, Custom Fit Specialist at The Address Montgomerie was in charge of monitoring the comparison and his findings proved that it wasn’t marketing hype. ” It was great to have Ben Todd from The Address Montgomerie, as we could get some very consistent readings and build a very accurate picture of how the two performed,” says Ashley.

"The numbers speak for themselves as Ben's average ball speed with a 6 iron was 123.1mph with the XHot and 125.6mph with the X2Hot. This gave the X2Hot an additional average carry gain of 4.9 yards and average distance of 193 yards ... with a 6 iron! This was just with stock clubs you could buy off the shelf. With a custom fitted, stiffer and heavier shaft we could have tightened the grouping even further and added a couple more yards on both clubs as the spin rate was too high for both.”

The distance claim was true but the feel test is purely down to the individual. Ben thought the X2Hot gave great feedback for a cast iron and I have to agree. For players wanting the blend of distance with feel the X2Hot is right up there with the Ping S55. The Ping offers slightly more feel but the X2Hot is a good half a club longer.

These days I only look for feel with the short irons, so a great blend would be the X2Hot 3 to 9 iron, and forged wedges. Q

TrackMan average stats Attack Angle Club Path Ball Speed Club Speed Launch Angle Spin Rate Carry Total Height Face Angle

Callaway XHot Pro Callaway X2Hot Pro -2.3 -2.3 -4.7 -5.1 123.1 mph 125.6mph 87.6mph 87.7mph 16.4o 16o 5315 rpm 5188 rpm 177.7 yards 182,6 yards 187.7 yards 193.0 yards 91.9 Feet 92.9 Feet 3.8o 1.8

PERFECT FIT

Ben Todd PGA Professional The Address Montgomerie

Jason Ashley Custom Fit Specialist The Address Montgomerie

WorldwideGolf - January 2014 | 69

Fo ollow owing g on fro om the e XH Hot iron ba back ck to o ba ack k wi with th the he X2H Hott it was onl nly lyy fitt ttin ng we looke ked d att how w the dri r ve erss sttack ked d up up. In na sho ortt te est we e fou und an additio iona nal 14 ya ard ds, but u we’ e’d lik ke tto o pu ut thiss 2014 14 X2H Hot up p aga gainsst the e muc ch ant n icip ipa ated ed B g Be BI ert r ha Alp pha in n th he ne new ye yea ar.

1795AED PER CLUB

710AED 7 10AE ED PE P PER ER CL CLUB LU UB B

Callaway X HOT WORDS: ALEX GALLEMORE

The XHot driver was one of the leading performers and top sellers in 2013 so how do you make it better in less than 12 months?

The big change is visual. The initial XHot had a round head that made 5% larger club it look bulbous at address. The 2014 face helps gain X2Hot driver has reverted back to a 1.5mph ball more traditional pear-shaped head speed along with outline alignment graphics.

The X2Hot changes aren’t all about looks, Callaway have used Hyper Speed

X2Hot gets a traditional pear shaped clubhead

70 | WorldwideGolf - January 2014

Face Technology to increase the face a further four percent without increasing the weight of the 460cc head. The larger face has improved forgiveness and Callaway claims it produces, on average, a 1.5 mph ball speed increase over the 2013 XHot. Lofts are available in 9, 10.5 and 13.5 degrees with a progessive draw bias increasing with the high lofts but compared to the XHot, the X2Hot has reduced the amount of bias and incorporated Callaways’ OptiFit hosel system.

This gives golfers an option to reduce duce loft by one or increase it by two degrees grees from the factory setting. So a 9 degree degree X2Hot can become either 8 or 11 degrees. egrees.

What hat this all means is that the X2Hot driver dr can be dialed in to maximise distance dis ce and forgiveness. But what does do this is mean when the two go headto-head to on the TrackMan system?

From 10 shots, the average driver ball ba speed with the 2013 XHot was 152mph 15 but ut the spin rate was topping 3,500rpm 3,5 with a height of 94 feet.

Unfortunately, Un ly, we couldn’t reduce the spin sp and the longest ongest drive was just 267 yards, ya even with th a near perfect smash

factor reading. The X2Hot certainly looked and felt better at address. We were able to reduce the loft to 8 degrees and with the diminished draw bias the spin rate was lowered to 2,800rpm and from 10 balls we managed to record an average ball speed of 154mph and the longest drive was 281 yards.

Verdict The X2Hot definitely improved ball speed but the main gains we found were in the set up options over the XHot. Not many mid to high handicap golfers would want 8 degrees with a natural draw bias!

With comparable spin rates expect to see realistic gains of around 8 yards.

Poor

S55 Distance S55 Forgiveness S55 Adjustment S55 Value

Excellent

CLUB TESTER “The JPX EZ is going to turn you into a player who can take risks – someone who can take the shot on and not think about the danger. You’re going to ou’ve never hit shots that you’ve been able to hitt before.”

Chuck Couch Director of Product, duct, Mizuno

2850 50AED PER SET

Mizuno JPX EZ

It does whatt it th he n na ame ame e imp pliess – EZ Z! The e mom omen nt you u gett the em out u off the e boxx you e stra tra aightt offf thatt the ese are desig gned to be fo orgivving,, launch high h an nd go o long! can see WORDS: ALEX GALLEMORE TRADITIONALLY Y Mizuno has been associated as an iron brand for the better golfer and d their MP series does just that.

But they are also o aware that a vast number of golferss demand the same thing – more forgiveness, iveness, more distance and assistance tance to get the ball airbourne.

Mizuno were close ose with the JPX 825 but there was something missing.

Don’t get me wrong g they are a good iron but compared to the likes of

Offset straightens out th those slices and hooks

Confidence inspiring thick top line

the Callaway XHot they just seemed to come up short on distance and forgiveness.

For club geeks like myself the one thing that strikes you with the JPX EZ is the traditional Mizuno blue colour inserts have been replaced with a bright orange. The change in colour does nothing to the clubs’ performance but is more of a radical statement from Mizuno.

If the company set their stall out to deliver more distance and forgiveness, they succeeded. On the TrackMan I hit 20 balls with a five iron and found them, on average, seven yards longer than the previous model at 198 yards but the spin rates were noticably high.

Out of the 20 balls, five shots were poor strikes and even those ones managed to reach the 175 yard marker.

The dispersion rate was tight, as you would expect with an offset improvement iron, but there was little feedback from the cast clubface, even with it’s feel and sound-tuned cavity frame design.

If you are looking to shape the ball then try the forged version with reduced offset, as the EZ just likes to travel straight ... and long!

Verdict A great iron set for the mid to high handicap golfer and a great performance / forgiveness club especially for the price and a good rival to the Callaway XHot. Players who don’t need as much distance and forgiveness should try the forged version as they offer that missing feel and workability.

Poor

Excellent

S55 Performance S55 F Forgiveness i S55 workability S55 Feel S55 Value

WorldwideGolf - January 2014 | 71

Arabian Golf GOLF HOLE OF THE YEAR

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EMIRATES GOLF CLUB www.dubaigolf.com

EmiratesGolfClub Dermot Davitt receives his prize from Dubai Duty Free Executive Vice Chairman Colm McLoughlin, President George Horan, Vice President Corporate Communications Salah Tahlak and Vice President Marketing Sinead El Sibai, along with Irish pro golfer Des Smyth.

DERMOTT DAVITT TAKES 21ST DUBAI DUTY FREE GOLF WORLD CUP THE 21st edition of the renowned Dubai Duty Free Golf World Cup took place at The Emirates Faldo and Dubai Creek recently and taking the spoils ahead of a field of more than100 players was Dermott Davitt with a score of 78 Stableford points.

“It has been a wonderful couple of days and I would like to say a huge thank you to Dubai Duty Free for looking after us so well once again,” smiled Davitt.

“This event really is the highlight of the year for everyone in our industry. I have been coming to Dubai to play in the DDF Golf World Cup for 15 years and I am extremely proud to have won.”

Davitt sealed a one-point victory over Creek member Michael McGinley who scored 42 points on day one on the Faldo course but could only manage 35 on his familiar home course at the Creek to finish second.

The runner-up in the Men’s category was Antoine Breen with 75 points and the second runner-up prize went to Nick Midwood with a haul of 71 points. The prize for best international male went to Dan Kongsted who also scored an excellent total of 71 points.

In the ladies international category it was Nancy Miller who collected first prize with a fantastic 67 points for a four-stroke win over over Jaclyn Wampler. In the Local Division, Dubai Creek member Naema Maya successfully defended her title scoring a total of 61 points while the Senior Division was won by another Creek member, Bayar Khan, who used his home course advantage to shoot 40 points in the second round for a total of 75 and finish six points ahead of past winner Steve Flanagan. In the Super Senior Division it was the popular Sandy McPherson who was crowned champion with 59 Stableford points.

Commenting on the success of the 21st hosting of the tournament, Dubai Duty Free Executive Vice Chairman Colm McLoughlin said: “This tournament has gone from strength to strength since we launched it in 1993. Many of the players this week have been coming here for 20 years, many others for 12 or 13, and most of them have said they’ll be back next year. Thanks to our wonderful team at Dubai Duty Free, who I believe are the best in the world, and to the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club and the Emirates Golf Club for making this year’s event so enjoyable.”

BAXTER TAKES THE PLAUDITS

Matthew Baxter is pictured With Club Captain Dick Purchase and Parag Tikekar from Mashreq Bank.

MATTHEW Baxter topped the pile in Division ‘A’ of last month’s Masheq Monthly Medal with an excellent score of net 70.

Finishing two strokes back were Humayun Shahryar and Johnny Aldridge but, after a card countback, second place was awarded to Shahryar, with Aldridge settling for third. In Division ‘B’ David Formas took the spoils with a 71 which included a gross birdie on the 17th. Formas defeated Ishu Rupani on a countback to take the top spot with third place going to Haris Michaelides with a 72.

Marc Charlet won Division ‘C’ with a net 77 while the overall Gross prize on the day went to Ross Hopwood with a 73. Although Ashok Ahuja didn’t finish in the prizes, he did have a memorable day due to his superb hole-inone on hole 11.

LADIES CHRISTMAS SCRAMBLE MORE than 100 ladies teed it up in the annual Ladies Christmas Scramble last month and taking the top prize with a score of net 60.9 was the team of Jenny Ayres, Rosemary Turlik, Catherine Clark and Gillian Black.

The team scored seven birdies to claim victory ahead of Jane Jones, Movana Sadek, Judi Ashcroft and Mimi Hosking as they made four birdies and finished with a net score of 61.7 for second place.

Third place, just 0.2 shots behind, was the team of Lynne Dickinson, Martha Wong, Naema Maya and Najla Bertette while the prize for the Best Dressed team went to Lady Captain, Barbara Head, Glyins Hendry, Carolyn Thompson and Stephanie Wilson, thanks to their special ‘Santa and his Reindeer’ theme. Sita Mahabier won both the Longest Drive prize on hole 3 and the Nearest the Pin prize on hole 2, while Sandra Broedelet won the Straightest Drive prize on hole 10 and Catherine Clark received the award for Nearest the Pin on hole 12.

74 | ArabianGolf - January 2014

The team of Jenny Ayres, Rosemary Turlik, Cathetine Clark and Gillian Black receive their prize from lady Captain Barbara Head and Vice Lady Captain Mitsuko Emmerson.

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

CLARK SEALS THE HERITAGE CATHERINE Clark emerged at the top of the pile in the annual Heritage Trophy after two days of play over the Faldo and Majlis courses.

Clark fired 42 Stableford points on day one over the Faldo and then followed it with 38 on the Majlis to cement her win by three points from Ashley Anderson with Mimi Hosking third, one point further back.

Hosking had it all to do after a day-one score of 35 and fought valiantly on the Majlis, scoring 42 points. However, it wasn’t enough as Clark completed victory.

Catherine Clark and Lady Captain Barbra Head.

DUBAI CREEK GOLF AND YACHT CLUB www.dubaigolf.com

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GLORY GIVES HERSELF A GIFT

FADLU-DEEN MASTER CLASS SEALS THE FINAL MASHREQ MEDAL THE YEAR

GLORY Xavier gave herself an early Christmas present as a superb net 72 gave her the honours in the final JW Marriott Marquis Dubai Ladies Medal of the year.

Scoring was very low in the blustery conditions and Xavier completed a three-stroke win over Haide Wright with Lady Vice Captain Paula Savage taking third after losing out to Wright on a countback.

“I’m so happy to win here today and my thanks go to all Creek staff, golf professionals, lady captains and fellow players,” said Xavier. “I came second in the October medal so it really was a great finish to my year.”

Single figure handicapper Veronique Rosset scored a gross 83 to win the overall Gross prize while the on course prizes went to Lida Hoekstra and Harrini White for their Nearest the Pin efforts and Rosset rounded off her day with the Longest Drive prize.

CLUB Vice Captain Tejan Fadlu-Deen took top honours in the final Mashreq Medal of 2013 with a superb 2-under-par 69.

“It was great to get a win today,” smiled FadluDeen after play. “I played very steadily and was happy with my game. I must say a big thanks to all the staff and sponsors who make this event possible. The quality of the field is always high which makes the victory even sweeter.”

Rayhan Thomas showcased his talent again to win the Men’s Division ‘A’ title with a solid level-par 71, two shots clear of Imran Qayyum and Edward Fearn who took second and third place respectively after a countback.

A card play-off was also needed in Division ‘B’ as Roman Navea was awarded the victory over Haridas Kondath thanks to his stronger inward nine while H,H Choi, who was just edged out of the

Glory Xavier is pictured with Dubai Creek Lady Captain, Maureen Platt and Dubai Creek Golf Professional Craig Waddell.

Stephen Hubner (Head Golf Professional, Dubai Creek), Mark Hughes (Gold Cup Winner), Parag Tikekar (Head of Proposition, Mashreq Gold), Patrick Morrow (Mashreq Order of Merit Champion), Tejan Fadlu-Dean (December Medal Champion & Vice-Captain, Dubai Creek) and Alan Mackenzie (Director of Golf, Dubai Creek).

overall prize by Fadlu-Deen, finished top of the pile in the Ladies Division with a 2-under-par 69.

The Gross Prize went to Max Burrows with a 73 while David Gowans won the Senior Division with a 1-over-par 72.

Pat Morrow’s performances throughout the year and a solid performance at the previous event saw him go into the final round with a comfortable lead over the rest of the field.

He managed to finish the December event strongly and was crowned the Mashreq Medal Championship Order of Merit winner 2013. Mark Hughes was another champion on the day as he was presented his trophy as the Mashreq Medal Championship Gold Cup winner 2013. Hughes and Morrow, along with the other top 34 players in the Order of Merit, will now go head to head in the grand final on January 24.

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

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NATIONAL DAY OPEN TRIUMPH FOR KELLY AND FEENIE STEVE Kelly and Mags Feenie collected the top awards in the National Day Open last month with Kelly securing the Gross prize with a score of 75 and Feenie securing the Net prize with a 67.

Feenie produced her best ever round and recorded her first victory thanks to a 35 on the front nine and a 32 on the back which included two net eagles and seven net birdies. Feenie’s margin of victory was three strokes clear of Simon Sinclair and Greg Maddox who posted rounds of 70 and had to await the results of a countback to see who clinched second place. The subsequent card play-off saw Sinclair take the runners-up prize after recording the best back nine.

Kelly, who was the lowest handicapper in the field, topped the Gross pile with a huge 11-stroke win over Mike Dunn. The two Nearest the Pin prizes were scooped

by Kelly on hole 11 and Eric Engelbrecht on hole 4.

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PERFECT PAT IN CONTROL ANDY AND MARK CLINCH THE CUMULATIVE STABLEFORD ANDY Cormack and Mark Smith played flawless golf in a recent weekly social to sit at the top of the pack with a masterful haul of 40 Stableford points in the two-player cumulative Stableford.

Hot on their heels were the dynamic duo of J.I. Park and S.P. Hong, one stroke back, while third

place saw a battle between Andy Prescott and Sammy Crooks and Blair Smith and his partner.

Taking the final place on the podium after a countback were Prescott and Crooks. The Nearest the Pin winners on the night were Mizu on hole 12 and Paul McCullough on the 16th.

PATRICIA Mottershead defeated a quality field to take the spoils in the midweek social bogey competition recently. Mottershead score +2 in the format which awards people a plus or negative depending on their net score to par.

The two Nearest the Pin prizes were up for grabs on holes 12 and 16 and taking the spoils were Joe Wivou and Archie Gemmell respectively.

ANDY AND ARCHIE ACHIEVE GREAT THINGS ANDY Prescott and Archie Gemmell played flawless golf in the weekly Social two-player scramble to post their first-ever win together at Tower Links. Staring the shotgun from hole 18, they began in steady fashion, posting six straight pars with numerous birdie putts grazing the cup but failing drop.

After a booming drive on hole 15 from Gemmell, Prescott displayed the precision of a professional with a pitch that secured their first birdie of the night. They quickly followed that with another on their closing hole – the 17th – which proved decisive as they signed for a score of 32.18.

Taking second place were Leo D’Sousa and Paul Williams with a 32.52 while third went to Hugo Toledo and Peter Mitias with 33.13. The Nearest the Pin winners were Steve Finn and Mark Regan for their efforts on holes 12 and 16 respectively.

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

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ROOMS AND TICKELL PLAY IT BLIND JAMIE Rooms and Graham Tickell found themselves on the winner’s podium at last month’s Speed Cleaning Golf Day after they were drawn together in the Blind Partners format.

The two were drawn together while they were out on the course and Rooms posted the best score of the day with a 40-point haul and that, coupled with Tickell’s 34, gave them 74 which saw them take the spoils by three from Shahid Mir and Andy Barker while third place went to Astri Poulsson and Tom Freer on 70.

IRELAND CLAIMS THE BAKERFINCH TROPHY IN STYLE

MCLENNAN CLEANS UP IN RIVOLI MEDAL DOUG McLennan returned a 3-over-par gross 75 to win the December Rivoli Monthly Medal supported by Speed Cleaning by one stroke ahead of three players.

Eddie Ramage, James Sayer and Gary Swan all signed for a 76 but after a card countback it was Ramage who was awarded second place with Sayer third and Swan missing out on a place on the podium.

In Division ‘A’Tom Freer secured the honours with a net 70, one stroke clear of Andre Coetzee while in Division ‘B’Thomas Stumpp topped the pile with a 70, three clear of Axel Poulsson.

The Ladies Division saw Adele McKelvey continue her dominance as she posted an 81 to win the Gross prize while the Net Division was won by Rania Hage as she shot a 70 to win by one from Emma Rooms.

THE annual Baker-Finch Nations Team Trophy took place recently as a field of 88 players in four-man teams battled it out in a ‘best two from four’ format.

Although only one of the 22 teams represented Ireland it was they who stormed to the title with a haul of 94 points, six clear of the England team of Steve Bennett, Karen Evans, Rania Hage and Simon Williams with another English quartet – Mark Herman, Andy Barker, Adele McKelver and Rebecca Ward - taking third.

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ROUTE 66 FOR HOWLAND WITH the Championship Course in immaculate condition and the weather at its best, the field at last month’s Chedi Muscat Medal took to the links with the aim of adding their names to the roll of honour and gaining valuable OGC Order of Merit points to book their spots in the 2014 Chrysler Cup squad.

The net division of the Monthly Medal was hotly contested with many players beating the level par mark of net 72.

Taking the top spot with a stunning net 66 was Tony Howland as he won by two from Greg Andreasen with third place going to Danny Renihan with a 69.

The Gross Division was wide open and taking the honours was Alan McInnes with a fine 80, two clear of Kevin D’Amours while in the Ladies Net Division Sarah Morris stole the show with a 78, three clear of Lady Captain Kim Davis.

Chedi Medal December Monthly Medal winners. Left to right: Kim Davies Ladies Captain, Sarah Morris, Tony Howland, Alan McInnes, William Welsh Men’s Captain.

A FIRST FOR ALMOUJ GOLF THE inaugural Oman Golf Committee Parent and Child Fourball took place last month to help promote the family and social aspects of golf for young and old.

With a very impressive score of 39 Stableford points the team of Jeff Campbell and Hamood Al Harthy were victorious ahead of Lee and Matthew O’Donoghue after a back nine countback.

ArabianGolf - January 2014 | 77

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REJMAN’S EARTHLY POWERS THE final places in the Rivoli Medal Finals were up for grabs in the recent Medal on the Earth course with the layout getting toughened up ahead of the European Tour’s DP World Tour Championship.

Mattias Rejman secured the honours in Division ‘A’ with a solid 2-over-par net 74 for a four-stroke victory over Estasham Uddin who won a play-off to take second place outright.

In the Gross Division Graham Pascal fired an 80 to claim the top spot. Pascal benefited from his early start in the slightly cooler conditions to post what turned out to be the winning score.

Division ‘B’ witnessed of the best medal round this year as Aqeel Noorali took the title with a gross 86 for a net 69. Noorali was the only player to break the net 70 barrier and will no doubt see his handicap tumble as a result. Despite a tough finishing stretch second place went to playing Noorali’s partner Graeme Doy with a round of net 73 whilst closely followed into third spot was Hisham Shammas with a 74.

Pernelle Nielsen was crowned the November Ladies Medal winner with a score of net 81, three clear of Sun Le Rim with Suad Ghalib settling for third after losing a countback to Lim. The three Nearest the Pin prizes on the day went to Nigel Pinto (hole 17), Hisham Shammas (hole 6) and Sun Le Rim (hole 13).

Division ‘B’ winner Ageel Noorali collects his prize.

TIGHT SCORES AFTER OPENING ROUND Round One of the 2013/14 JGE Team Stableford Series got off to a flying start with the majority of the field remaining within touching distance of each other at the close of play.

The Earth course maintained its toughened set up following the DP World Tour Championship and only four pairs managed to break par through 18 holes.

Taking top spot were Annie and Peter Bauer as they compiled a 40-point haul to lead by one with numerous groups coming in with 39 points. Card countbacks were required to settle second and third place and taking the silver medal position were Avinash and Anagh Pangarkar with third place going to Hisham Shammas and Haiyan Mujarkech.

THE TRACK, MEYDAN www.meydangolf.com

CONTACT: Tel : +971 4 381 3733 E-mail: info@meydangolf.com

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ALHEMOUD RETAINS THE LADIES OPEN WITH FINE PERFORMANCE FOURTEEN-year-old Julia Alhemoud retained The Track’s Ladies Open title last month with a stunning performance.

The young Kuwaiti shot an even par 72 which included a hole-in-one on hole 6. A front nine of 35 and a back nine of 37 ensured she lifted the trophy and after collecting the silverware in the clubhouse she said: “I am delighted to have won. I played I played some of my best golf and everything seemed to come together at the right time. The competition was tough once again, but I just concentrated on my game and it was enough. The hole-in-one was my first ever and it was a great moment – they don’t come around very often by all accounts!”

Alhemoud dominated the prize-giving as she also won the Nearest the Pin prize – courtesy of her ace – and the Longest Drive competition.

Head Golf Professional at The Track, Thomas Rourke, said: “It’s about as complete a performance as I’ve ever seen here. She is a real talent.

Congratulations to her, she thoroughly deserves it.”

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ABU DHABI

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CONTACT: Tel : +971 2 557 8000 Email: info@sbgolfclub.ae

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BELAID SHOWS HIS CLASS IN ‘MOVEMBER’ FUNDRAISER

TYSON TAKES ON THE BOYS AND WINS LINA Tyson was the only female in the field at last month’s Rosewood Bowl Medal and she took the top spot thanks to an impressive round of 70 for a four-stroke victory. There was a share of second place between Ken Johnstone and Alok Kakar with both players home in 74 blows.

BILAL Belaid sealed the ‘Movember’ fundraiser with a score of 37 points while Michelle Larter took the Ladies prize with a haul of 38.

The event saw all proceeds go to the annual ‘Movember’ charity for prostate and testicular cancer.

In addition to the Men’s and Ladies competition and a number of on course events there was a ‘Beat the pro’ competition, where participants got the chance take on Saadiyat Beach Golf Club professional, PJ Van Merch.

In the first of the day’s on course events, Belaid proved his power by winning the men’s longest drive competition and then went on to ‘Beat the pro’ with a hole-in-one.

Thomas Wood’s effort in the Nearest the pin competition eventually brought Belaid’s winning streak to an end.

In the ladies on course events, Lina Tyson bombed the Longest Drive of the day while Alberta Lagorio won the Nearest the Pin contest. The event successfully raised AED 1865 the Movember charity.

AL AIN EQUESTRIAN SHOOTING AND GOLF CLUB www.aesgc.com

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VISITORS SEAL THE NATIONAL DAY GREENSOMES PAUL Spinks and Tim Varagis from Abu Dhabi Golf Club came out victorious at the National Day Greensomes last month with a stunning net 62. The event, which celebrated the UAE’s 42nd National Day, was sponsored by Emirates Airline and the winners sealed the title ahead of the home pairing of Martine and Stephen Garbutt.

Third place was a battle between Haridas Kondath and Vijayesh Haridas and Alan and Soumaya Salem. With both pairs locked on net 64, a countback was needed to separate them. Taking the spoils after their cards were compared were Kondath and Haridas thanks to their better back nine while the Best Mixed prize on the day went to Brett and Margie Sloan with a 65.

The Gross Division was won by home players Jason Neese and Eoin Cunniffe with a 72, four strokes clear of the chasing pack. The Longest Drive prizes were

won by Margie Sloan and Dane Sandford Snr while the Nearest the Pin prizes were sealed by Paul Spinks and Vijayesh Haridas.

SHARJAH GOLF AND SHOOTING CLUB www.golfandshootingshj.com

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RECORD-BREAKING HARRADINE WINS THE R^&M MIHAEL Harradine prepared for his assault on Asian Tour Qualifying School in stunning fashion as he broke the course record with a second round 68 to seal the sixth staging of the Men’s Open last month.

Harradine led after an opening round 1-under 71 and went on to destroy the field with a second round that included five birdies and a solitary bogey. Finishing six strokes back in second spot was youngster Rayhan Thomas who returned rounds of 73 and 72 for a 145 total.

The 14-year-old was praised by his fellow competitors after his display, which was one stroke better than Sharjah Professional Trevor Marshall.

Harradine’s second round bettered the previous Amateur course record which was held by Nathan Fisher and Harradine’s 36-hole total of 139 bettered the winning tally by one, a record previously held by Andrew Marshall in 2008.

AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST TEAM READY FOR BATTLE OF THE CONTINENTS GRAND FINAL THE African and Middle Eastern team is all set for the Battle of the Continents Grand Final on Friday January 17 after their recent qualifier at Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club. With only eight spots on the team there was a strong turnout and tough competition for places.

After surprising the other continents in last year’s inaugural Battle of the Continents Grand Final where Team Africa & Middle East were just pipped to the title by a strong Asian team they are keen to try and go one better this time around and pick up the trophy.

Team Captain Leroy Durward was in high spirits after the eight qualifiers were announced with quality in both the gross and net divisions of his team.

With all four continents having had their respective qualifiers the stage is set for another epic NMT Battle of the Continents Grand Final. With live scoring also available via the SGSC Facebook page all members will have the opportunity to keep abreast of all the current standings in all of the matches, making the event all the more interactive.

Africa & Middle East Gross Qualifiers: Hassan Yazdi – 29 Pieter Van Wyk – 27 Salim Shaikh – 26 Gross Reserve – Roy Homes - 22

OSMAN ON FIRE IN BOGEY COMP DAUD Osman produced some scintillating golf in the recent Coral Beach Resorts Midweek 9 Hole Bogey competition as he finished 5up against the course to take the overall title.

Three pars and no scores worse than bogey proved critically important as he sealed the win by one from Rizal Ibrahim. Despite losing out on the overall prize Ibrahim did take home the honours in Division ‘2’ with Saifulnizam Saion finishing second – his first time on the winner’s podium at Sharjah. In Division ‘1’ Alastair MacGregor topped the pile with a score that was par to the course with Alban De Brest second, 1 down to the course.

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Africa & Middle East Net Qualifiers: Simon Mmutle – 34 Jet Milford – 34 Leon Gifford – 31 Hanief Sallie – 31 Mohammad Shafiq – 30

TULI TOO GOOD ARUN Tuli sealed last month’s Unitechnik Monthly Stableford tournament thanks to a return of 37 points.

Taking the spoils in Division ‘1’ was Ramli Sulaiman with a 36 points haul, one clear of his Malaysian counterpart Firdaus Bin Idris while in Division ‘2’ Gil Nam Yang also scored 36 points to finish top of the pile.

Despite missing out on the Division ‘1’ prize, Bin Idris didn’t walk away empty handed as he scooped the Best Gross prize.

ROYAL GOLF CLUB www.theroyalgolfclub.com

CONTACT: Tel : +973 17 750777

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BUGGY TALK AROUND THE TURN

VIVA public relations representative Jamal Al Sayed, runner-up David Wales, Royal Golf Club Captains Hanne Hansen and Ebrahim Esbai. Overall winner Simon Brebner could not attend the prize giving ceremony.

BREBNER TRIUMPHS AGAIN SIMON Brebner narrowly claimed victory in the Royal Golf Club’s prestigious annual VIVA Captains’ Day for the second consecutive year with a score of 37 points.

Brebner was victorious ahead of Davis Wales thanks to his better back nine after both players finished on the same total while Paddy Gallagher took the honours in the Second Category with a score of 36. Sanjay Lal won Category Three with a massive 38 points, five clear of Phil Dixon.

The two Nearest the Pin prizes went to Essa Ebrahim on hole 2 and Rebecca Fisher on hole 7 while the Longest Drive prizes went to Ali Jassim on hole 8 and Fisher on hole 4. Ronan Armstrong holed the Longest Putt on the 15th while the final Nearest the Pin prize on hole 16 went to Dave Martin.

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RILEY SIGNS OFF IN STYLE CHET Riley marked his last tournament at Al Badia with a victory as he won the TaylorMade Series Final with an impressive gross score of 76. The Net prize on the day went to youngster Leo Kawakami as he continued his hot streak with an excellent 66.

After over 18 months of “Buggy Talk Around The Turn” this is to be the final chapter. As many of you and your medical ailments have been the “star” of each episode, it is perhaps only right and fitting that you get to know a little bit about me before I sign off.

Firstly, I have passed the ‘50 not out’, always an important landmark on the way to ‘a ton’. I am a little greyer, a yard or two slower down the ‘100’ and perhaps a little wider now than those who knew me 20 years ago will remember. Mentally, thankfully, I remain somewhere in my late teens or early 20s, full of potential, aspiration and hope for the future.

I am as passionate today about my work as a family doctor as I was 20 years ago. The detection of ill health has always been an important part of my work but the concept of the promotion of healthy living and the positive images it evokes has been even more rewarding. To encourage people to take responsibility for their own health and to make good life and health enhancing choices remains my daily goal.

I have been married for nearly 25 years and yet my wife, Jacqui, is still able to surprise me. Recently, Jacqui announced that she would like to take up golf and to this end signed up for a week long introductory course at The Creek- and loved it.

Our two wonderful daughters, Charlotte and Emma, are away at university studying hard (so they tell me) and now Jacqui and I have found a new common sporting interest which should take us happily through the next 25 years. I cannot think of anybody I would rather share a buggy and a round of golf with than my wife and I can only see mutual health and financial benefits (when we’re golfing we won’t be shopping!) stretching way into the future. It now only need my girls to pick up their clubs again and we have my perfect fourball.

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Club Captain Tony Billingham and Custom Fit Specialst Matt Allanson are pictured with winner Chet Riley.

Paul Batson (left) is congratulated by Club Captain Tony Billingham.

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BATSON CELEBRATES A RARE ACE PAUL Batson fired a hole-in-one on the 11th hole during the first ever Seniors Open at Al Badia last month.

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www.mediclinic.ae

ABU DHABI CITY GOLF CLUB www.adcitygolf.com

@adcitygolf

CONTACT: Tel : +971 2 445 9600 Fax : +971 2 443 225

adcitygolf

EX CAPTAIN STEVE WINS ROUND 6 FORMER Club Captain Steve Davies took the spoils in Round 6 of the Peugeot Order of Merit last month thanks to an impressive display.

MUNNERLYN SEALS THE MEDAL THE inaugural Turkish Airlines Monthly Medal took place last month and coming out on top in Division ‘A’ was Club Captain Tim Munnerlyn with a steady net 72.

The Ladies Division saw Lady Vice Captain Susan Falconer storm to victory with a stunning net 65 while the overall Gross prize went to Nigel Gales thanks to his round of 80.

The Men’s Division ‘B’ title went to Vice Captain Hassan Ahari with a 67 while a net 73 was good enough for Robert Macloed to take the honours in Division ‘C’.

BATTLE OF THE IRISH IN NATIONAL DAY TOURNAMENT THE annual UAE National Day Tournament took place last month for the seventh successive year with a total of 56 players participating across 13 teams. Coming out on top was ‘Team Ireland 2’ as they denied ‘Team Ireland 1’ the victory.

CONTACT: Tel : +971 2 558 8990 E-mail: info@adgolfclub.com

ABU DHABI GOLF CLUB www.adgolfclub.com

@ADGolfClub

abudhabigolfclub

KEVIN JAMIESON ON SONG AT CAPTAIN’S DAY COMPETITION was tight for the annual Captain’s Day with 52 members entering the race for the title on the National Course and coming out on top was Kevin Jamieson as he fired a superb score of 40 points to top Division ‘A’.

Jung Bin Kim took second place, two points back, while Joseph Jasienowski finished third with 37 points.

In Division ‘B’ Shamal Karim sealed the honours with a 34-point haul,

one clear of Mark Jefferson and Bob Lunday who were second and third respectively after a countback.

Gunda Lampe Schneider topped the pile in the Ladies Division with a solid score of 39 points with Karen Black second on 35 and Lina Tyson third a stroke further back. The incoming Captains Donovan Joseph and Debbie Betts were delighted with how the day went.

CONTACT: Tel : +971 2 810 7777 E-mail: info@yaslinks.com

YAS LINKS GOLF CLUB www.yaslinks.com

YasLinksGC

YasLinksGolfClub

The overall winners are pictured with Yas Links Committee member James Cook (centre).

MONEY RAISED FOR MOVEMBER CHARITY MEMBERS at Yas Links were out in force for an event held to raise funds for the ‘Movember’charity, which promotes men’s health awareness of both prostate cancer and testicular cancer.

The format was a four-man Stableford with the

best two scores counting on both Par-5s and Par-4s and then all four score counting on the important Par-3s.

Scoring was extremely close the team of Mike Knox, Afi Taylor, Scott Townsend and Glenn Sulphin shooting 98 points to win by one from

the team of James and Chris Cook, Manny Ostojic and William Royce.

James Cook, Yas Links committee member and Movember ambassador thanked all of the players for taking part and raising nearly AED 5000 for the charity through a great afternoon of golf.

COOK TOPS THE LOT A RECORD-breaking number of entrants for last month’s Etihad Open Stableford as 96 players headed out onto the course in a quest for honours.

Taking the spoils in Division ‘A’ was James Cook as he fired 42 points to win by three ahead of Chris Connerton with David Symington third with 38 points.

In Division ‘B’ Elizabeth Campbell topped the pile with 42 points, one clear of Charles Garrison with Fun Yin Hoong third with a haul of 40 points.

DUGGAN DIGS DEEP DOWN THE STRETCH JIM Duggan closed with a back nine of 39 to win last month’s Cadilac Medal by virtue of a countback over Paul Prince. Prince, Duggan and Lora Al-Marzooqi all carded a net 71 but it was Duggan who clinched the deal thanks to his superior finish with Prince

taking second ahead of Al-Marzooqi.

In the Gross prizes it was Toman Hawczak who took the honours thanks to his 76. Hawczak outscored his fellow scratch team players Manny Ostojic and Mike Pugliese who had to settle for second and third respectively.

CONTACT: Tel : +66 (32) 616 200 E-mail: reservations@banyanthailand.com

BANYAN GOLF CLUB Banyan-Golf-Club-Hua-Hin

www.banyanthailand.com

RAMON WRAPS IT UP PAUL Ramon shot a stunning net 66 at Banyan Golf Club to win the Thailand GOLF CITIZEN Open Series Grand Final, an event organised by ‘golf in DUBAi’ as part of their drive to encourage golf enthusiasts to become members of the fast-expanding golf reservation website.

Supree Khomsanit finished in second place, three shots back, with Beet Nara Kim taking third after firing a 71.

As a result of their success the top three have been awarded an all-expenses paid trip to Dubai to play in the 2014 Omega Dubai Desert Classic Pro-Am alongside elite professionals as the longest-running European Tour event in the region celebrates its 25th anniversary.

In addition, the top three will also received VIP hospitality invitations to the landmark event, which will feature Tiger Woods, Henrik Stenson and Rory McIlroy and other past champions, in a tournament that will probably boast the best field in a regular European Tour event for the 2014 season.

The grand final was preceded by five qualifying events held at different courses in Thailand with the winners from each event making the cut for the finale.

Mohamed Juma Buamaim, Vice Chairman and CEO of golf in DUBAi, promoters and organisers of

Above: Prizewinners of the Thailand GOLF CITIZEN Open Series Grand Final with Mohamed Juma Buamaim, Vice Chairman and CEO of ‘golf in DUBAi’. the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, presented the prizes and announced that 2014 will see an expansion of the series to allow more golfers the chance to participate.

“Since the launch of GOLF CITIZEN in 2011, it has steadily grown in popularity with many new courses joining its network. Our aim is to have every single golf course in the UAE, Thailand and across the region join the GOLF CITIZEN booking engine where one can book multiple tee times in one go,” said Buamaim.

Overall winner Paul Ramon.

THE ADDRESS MONTGOMERIE DUBAI

CONTACT: Tel : +971 4 390 5600

2014 Advertising Rates & Specifications REGULAR POSITIONS Full page colour: 1/2 page Double page spread

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PREMIUM POSITIONS Inside front cover spread (2 pages) Outside back cover Inside front cover Page-1 Inside back cover Double page spread (after contents)

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Distribution UAE Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Qatar Bahrain Oman Jordan Egypt Thailand United Kingdom

Distribution Channels Golf Clubs Direct Mail to Emirates Golf Federation Members Emirates Airline Business and First Class in flight areas Etihad business, first class and private jet lounges Emirates Airline Business and First Class lounges European Tour sponsors Region’s European Tour tournaments Retail outlets Sponsored copies

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SIMPSON WINS BACK TO BACK THE BMW Stableford is becoming fast becoming Charlie Simpson’s favourite tournament after he won December’s edition to follow his triumph in November.

Simpson compiled a haul of 37 points to top the pile in Division ‘A’ by two from Philip Wooller and Richard Smith.

In Division ‘B’ Keith Hutcheson won with 36 points, one ahead of Kim Sung while the Ladies Division ‘A’ saw Debbie Murray take the honours with a 33-point haul, one clear of Sam Salem and Ji Won Bae. Juangok Youn followed her win in November with another victory, this time by 10 points, in the Ladies Division ‘B’ thanks to her score of 35 points.

TUFAIL IN CONTROL SANA Tufail secured the AGMC Ladies Open recently thanks to a superb gross 74. The Net champion on the day was Peggy O’Dea with a 69 while the Individual Stableford winner was Satnam Kaur with a superb haul of 47 points.

BURROW WINS CAPTIVATING MEN’S OPEN MAX Burrow sealed a hard fought Men’s Open recently after a two-day tally of 147 gave him a one-stroke victory over James Yeomans and Bayhaan Lakdawala. A countback was needed to separate second and third position and it was Yeomans who

was awarded the runner-up spot outright thanks to his better performance on the final day.

The Net winner was Saif Thabit after he scored 146 to win by one from Nicholas Reinecke with Barnaby Crompton third on 148.

ArabianGolf - January 2014 | 85

GOLF

JE ESSICA KORDA The young Solheim Cup and LPGA star maintains her family’s sporting legacy.

DRIVING RANGE Win a Porsche Panamera 4 with Dubai Duty Free.

Dieter Kasprzak ECCO’S President set the trend by designing the first hybrid golf shoe. He talks to Worldwide Golf about his passion for the game and why the famous Danish footwear brand decided to branch out into the golf market.

WorldwideGolf - January 2014 | 87

ECCO GOLF

Dieter Kasprzak THE MAN WHO TOOK THE SPIKES

88 | WorldwideGolf - January 2014

WORLDWIDE GOLF

DIETER Kasprzak is one of the most influential people in the footwear industry today. The President and CEO of Ecco was this year named in the prestigious Footwear News Achievement Awards Top 100.

Kasprzak is a shoe designer by trade and after working for Ecco on a freelance basis throughout the 1980s he joined the Danish shoe firm full time as Executive Vice President of Product Development in 1991 before working his way through the upper ranks to be handed the top job in 2004. He’s married to Hanni Toosbuy Kasprzak, daughter of the late Karl Toosbuy who founded Ecco in 1963 in the small town of Bredebro, just north of the German border and helped grow it into a multinational company which now, with Kasprzak at the helm, employs 19,426 people and sells shoes in 85 countries.

The company has long been known for innovation and technological advancements in shoe-making.

Their motto is, ‘the shoe must follow the foot’

and they spend a great deal of time perfecting the ergonomic quality of their designs as well as controlling every aspect of the production process ‘from cow to shoe’, including owning their own tanneries so that only the best leather makes it into their products.

So it was natural that they would find success in the golf market. But it was actually Kasprzak, himself a keen golfer, who prompted the move into golf in 1996 after being unable to find suitable shoes to wear and being convinced Ecco could produce a superior product than currently existed. Several years later Kasprzak again played a vital role in creating the company’s history when he designed the first hybrid golf shoe, the ‘Golf Street’ made famous by Freddie Couples at the 2010 Masters and in the process sparked a revolution in the golf shoe industry that has seen every other manufacturer race into the hybrid market as golfers of all levels ditch the spikes.

WWG: What sets Ecco golf shoes apart from other golf shoes in the market?

First of all it’s about comfort. We build all of our shoes, and especially our golf shoes, around comfort. The shoes have to fit the feet – if you imagine how many miles players walk during their careers I think it’s as important as the clubs they use that they have good shoes that feel good during their rounds.

WWG: So you really think shoes can have a big impact on a golfer’s performance?

Everybody knows that if you walk a lot and you have bad stability, or not enough support in your shoes, after a while you’ll have problems with your knees or your hips. This is what has been discovered in many studies – having the right shoes on your feet when you’re walking so many miles is hugely important.

WWG: Ecco’s philosophy is ‘the shoe must follow the foot’ – what exactly does this mean and why is it important?

We’ve spent 40 years studying human feet to work out the best fit possible. When you’re mass producing shoes it’s impossible to make shoes that fit everybody’s feet perfectly but to get as close as possible is the goal. It’s about studying what our feet need when we walk and then going from there. The leathers are also very important.

I believe that the best shoe is a leather shoe. Today there are a lot of technical fabrics that are good in their own way but leather is still the

WorldwideGolf - January 2014 | 89

ECCO GOLF

Fred Couples was at the forefront of the hybrid shoe revolution.

90 | WorldwideGolf - January 2014

WORLDWIDE GOLF

“We had developed them and brought them to market before that but really when Freddie Couples wore them it was a revolution with the idea of spikeless, hybrid shoes and it’s been a fantastic success’ – Dieter Kasprzak best fabric for us to have around our feet. This is where we have an advantage because we have our own tanneries so we can develop the leathers especially for golf shoes, or running shoes, outdoor shoes, or walking shoes. This is a huge advantage for us.

WWG: So has it always been important that you make your own leather?

Yes, to be sure that we get that we get what we want and it allows us to study it and develop it so that we can make advancements in our shoes.

WWG: Since the company started life in the early 1960s Ecco has forged a reputation for innovation in shoe design and technology.

How much are these principles central to Ecco’s golf shoe designs in the present day?

The principles are still the same. But in the beginning it was just great shoemaker knowledge, there was no science behind it, no studies. Today we have a huge a science behind it, studying feet all over the world – in Europe, America and Asia, where you have different types of feet. We believe that this is the advantage we have and it will help us to continue to improve.

WWG: Ecco were already a successful shoe company. Why did you want to enter the extremely competitive golf market with some very well established, dominant brands?

I started playing golf very late and I discovered that there was no shoe on the market really fitting to the sport. I played for a couple of years trying different brands and eventually came to the decision that we

needed to start making our own golf shoes. As we were already shoe makers I think that gave us a great platform – it wasn’t a marketing tool, or hot air, just real shoe making. We tested it out for two or three years and then decided to go for it and enter the market big time. The time came when I decided that I wanted to create something that was different from the normal golf shoes and that’s when we brought out the hybrid shoes. That really gave us a boost. I believe that 80% of golfers don’t need to wear spiked shoes. I agree there are some professionals that have footwork issues and believe in spiked shoes more. I accept that and we still have some spiked shoes too but I think the spikeless, or hybrid, shoes are the future.

We’re now seeing lots of players winning with spikeless shoes. I agree completely that in rainy conditions with mud and so on, there is a need for spikes, but in those cases I would say that metal spikes are best. Otherwise I believe that in the future 80% of all golfers will wear hybrid shoes.

WWG: Fred Couples was probably the first to really bring the spotlight on your hybrid shoes when he wore a pair of Golf Street at the Masters a few years ago wasn’t he?

We had developed them and brought them to market before that but really when Freddie Couples wore them it was a revolution with the idea of spikeless, hybrid shoes and it’s been a fantastic success, I have to say.

WWG: How often do you play and how is your game?

I don’t play often enough! My handicap is around 9 or 10. I wish I could play more often but it’s time consuming and I still have

to do my job. But I play a little if I’m travelling around. I’ve played some really nice courses and have played with some of the professional players – Thomas Björn and our other Ecco Ambassadors. It’s a nice perk of the job!

WWG: How much has your share of the golf shoe market grown since the release of the Golf Street?

Golf is a relatively small part of our business. We started as what we call ‘brown shoe makers’ and we’re now worldwide, selling in 85 countries. The golf community is relatively small, so even though we have a good golf shoe business, selling around one million pairs each year, it’s a relatively small part of our overall business when you imagine that we’re making around 21 million pairs of shoes a year. But there is high value in golf shoes and it’s also an image lifter for the company. We’ve had a lot of golf customers who didn’t know that Ecco made other shoes too and have discovered that part of our business due to knowing our golf shoes. Golf is a very good market for us.

WWG: What new innovations does Ecco have in the pipeline?

There’s something cooking all the time!

You have to remember that we’re now working on our 2015 collections. I’d like to tell you about everything but I can’t! For 2014 we will be releasing an improved version of our ‘Golf Street’ collection which has a shank that will allow a bit more stability in the back part of the shoe while retaining the flexibility in the front part. There’s also something new for 2015 but I can’t tell you about that! We are continuously developing new innovations. Q

WorldwideGolf - January 2014 | 91

POWER & PRECISION

DRIVING RANGE

PER RFORMANCE The efficient 3.6-litre naturally aspirated V6 engine with four overhead camshafts benefits from a lightweight construction. A balance shaft reduces vibrations and ensures excellent smooth running. Direct fuel injection (DFI), VarioCam Plus and integrated dry-sump lubrication are fitted as standard. A coasting function and auto start/ stop function are also provided.

RE EAR SEATS The rear compartment has two fully independent seats with plenty of leg- and headroom, even for taller passengers. They provide good lateral support, even during fast cornering, with no compromise on comfort. Between the seats is a folding armrest with a handy storage compartment. The backrests fold down individually with a ratio of 40:60 to increase storage capacity or to accommodate larger items.

With the optional large centre console, the backrests can still be folded separately while the console itself remains fixed in position.

PA ARKA ASSIST ParkAssist is standard in all Panamera models. With four sensors in the rear end, the system audibly alerts the driver to the presence of obstacles detected behind the vehicle. An intermittent warning tone increases in rapidity as the obstacle is approached. An enhanced version of ParkAssist, which includes six sensors in the front end, is fitted as standard in the Panamera Turbo and available as an option in the other models. The audible alert is supplemented by a visual warning in the central display screen which provides a graphical representation of the vehicleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proximity to obstacles.

92 | WorldwideGolf - January 2014

The engine generates a power output of 228 kW (310 hp) at 6,200 rpm and a maximum torque of 400 Nm at 3,750 rpm. The result is a top speed of 259 km/h and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.3 seconds in the new Panamera and a 257 km/h top speed and 6.1 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h in the new Panamera 4

THE Porsche Panamera brings sports car performance and untraditional styling to the full-size premium luxury sedan class.

The Panamera is offered in eight versions: The rear-wheel drive 2 and S; and the all-wheel drive 4, 4S, 4S Executive, GTS, Turbo and Turbo Executive. The 2 and 4 models come with a direct injected 3.6-litre 310-hp V-6 engine. The S/4S each get a 420-hp twin-turbo 3.0-litre V-6, the GTS sports a 4.8-litre V-8 making 440-hp, while the Turbo adds twin turbos to the V-8 to make 520-hp. The Porsche PDK double-clutch gearbox is standard on all models, and all are equipped with an auto start-stop feature for increased urban fuel economy. The body appears to be a four-door sedan but with a coupe-like profile and a power liftgate, rather than a typical trunk, for access to the spacious luggage area. Standard safety features include 10 airbags, adaptive bi-xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights, rain sensing wipers, full LED rear lighting, four belt pretensioners and electronic traction and stability control. A small sample of optional tech features includes a 6-disc CD changer, Bose surround sound, Burmester surround sound, front and rear ParkAssist, an electronic logbook and voice control.

WorldwideGolf - January 2014 | 93

LPGA STAR

Jessica Korda was always destined to make a career out of sport. Her parents, Petr Korda and Regina Rajchrtova, were both professional tennis players and Petr became a Grand Slam winner when he claimed the Australian Open in 1998.

She played in the Junior Solheim Cup 09 and then as an amateur HM RGD ĆĽMHRGDC QTMMDQ TO at the US Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Amateur and played the Curtis Cup same year, ADENQD STQMHMF OQN @MC ĆĽMRGHMF RDBNMC @S 0 2BGNNK @S SGD @FD NE just 17, making her eligible for the 2011 LPGA Tour season.

She mirrored her fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s achievement when she claimed GDQ ĆĽQRS SHSKD @S SGD 6NLDMĹ&#x2014;R Australian Open in 2012 and showed her ruthless side last year when she sacked her caddie Jason Gilroyed halfway through the third round of the US Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Open and replaced him with her boyfriend!

94 | WorldwideGolf -January 2014

WORLDWIDE GOLF

Jessica

KORDA In the bag DRIVER TAYLORMADE (1; R1 (TITA) Both of your parents were pro tennis players and your dad won a Grand Slam â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Australian Open â&#x20AC;&#x201C; how did you find your way into golf?

JK: My parents moved to the Bradenton area in 1992 when my dad was practicing there. When I was around four or ďŹ ve they opened the David Leadbetter Golf Academy in the area and my mom took me out to see what it was all about because I was trying out a lot of diďŹ&#x20AC;erent sports at the time. That was one of the sports that I picked up.

Has it helped you that both of your parents were athletes and how much has your dadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s support helped you with your golf game and in competition?

JK: It deďŹ nitely helps. Even though itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s two completely diďŹ&#x20AC;erent sports thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so many similarities â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and both of my parents, because they were such great athletes, contribute so much to my golf game. Not even just my golf game â&#x20AC;&#x201C; everything else around it as well.

You had a hugely successful amateur career before you turned pro â&#x20AC;&#x201C; what was the transition like when you joined the LPGA Tour?

JK: It was deďŹ nitely hard for me. I struggled a lot at ďŹ rst, trying to ďŹ nish high school, and being out on Tour trying to juggle everything. It was a really tough transition â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I

had huge expectation. I was expecting my golf game to be a lot stronger than it was but it was a great learning experience and it deďŹ nitely made me work a lot harder in the oďŹ&#x20AC;season.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s it like being a professional golfer so early life â&#x20AC;&#x201C; having finished high school, joined the Tour, and won a title in such a short space of time?

JK: Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not very diďŹ&#x20AC;erent to other people my age. I still enjoy doing the same things I did before, having fun hanging out with my friends and stuďŹ&#x20AC;. But I deďŹ nitely have a lot more obligations now â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a lot more grown up in certain areas than most of my friends but I love it, I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have it any other way. I would love to see what itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like to be in college and have the college experience but I love where Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m at and I love what Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m doing so I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be happier.

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BALL TAYLORMADE; LETHAL

What was the deal with sacking your caddie at the US Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Open?

JK: We had a couple of disagreements here and there, and I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t in the right state of mind and I was more consumed on what was going on, which is just not my way.

I knew I needed to switch and just have a little bit more fun out there. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a US Open! Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tough out there and it just wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t working out.

WorldwideGolf - January 2014 | 95

Tee e brea ak with h Director of Dessign,, Ma aide Golf

Ian Velardi How did you come up with the name Maide Golf?

We wanted to pay homage to the history of golf while still having the name translate to our customer.

We thought a tie to Scotland was appropriate since the game originate in there. From there we came up with Maide, which is the Gaelic word for “club”. It’s the perfect blend between old and new, much like the brand itself.

Model is wearing: ‘The Berwick” polo in green The Highland” pant in navy

96 | WorldwideGolf - January 2014

Maide Golf is part of the Bonobos fashion label, why branch into golf wear?

There’s an authentic passion for the game of golf among members of our company that inspired this product. Maide was launched to fill a void in the marketplace; it’s the answer to what we see missing in the golf world as it relates to fit, style and functionality. www.maidegolf.com

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