Worldwide Golf Magazine June 2022

T H E M I D D L E E A S T ’ S N O .1 G O L F M A G A Z I N E

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Worldwide Golf

2022

JU N E

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1999

JUNE

Annika Sörenstam

Inspiring the next generation

Jamie Camero

Future looks bright after OOM win

Olivia Jackson

Makes historic Dubai Golf Trophy debut

W FEATURE

FOCUS

ONDERFUL OMEN

DANNY WILLETT

SHEFFIELD SHOWMAN REFLECTS ON HOSTING THE BRITISH MASTERS

Worldwide Golf is the Official Media partner to the DP World Tour in the Middle East and the official magazine of the Emirates Golf Federation

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VOICE OF THE TOUR KEITH PELLEY,

Chief Executive, DP World Tour Keith Pelley took up his seat as CEO of the European Tour group in August 2015 and since then has overseen a period of exciting innovation and change, driving the creation of the modern, global Tour it is today.

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hen the Genesis Scottish Open returns to the Renaissance Club this July, it will feature one of the strongest fields the DP World Tour has ever assembled on European soil.

An impressive eight of the world’s top ten players will tee it up in our third Rolex Series event of 2022, including all four of the current Major Champions – Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa, Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas, the recent winner of the US PGA Championship.

Aside from its stellar line-up, this year’s Genesis Scottish Open is also a hugely significant tournament for us for many other reasons.

For a start, it has a new title sponsor this year in Genesis, the luxury automotive brand from South Korea which also sponsors the Genesis Invitational on the PGA TOUR. It will also be the first time Scotland’s national Open has been co-sanctioned with the PGA TOUR, with players able to earn points on both the DP World Tour Rankings and the FedExCup. That has undoubtedly led to the incredible strength of field for this year’s event, with the composition split between DP World Tour members and PGA TOUR members.

Simultaneous to the Genesis Scottish Open, 50 of our members will also be playing in the Barbasol Championship in Kentucky, the first time the DP World Tour has co-sanctioned a PGA TOUR event in America.

The following week, we will then have the same number of members playing in the Barracuda Championship in California.

Both tournaments will provide terrific playing opportunities for DP World Tour members and should one of our members be victorious, they will also earn an exemption to play on the PGA TOUR as well as the DP World Tour.

These three tournaments are tangible examples of what we have achieved in just a short space of time through our Strategic Alliance with the PGA TOUR,

which we jointly announced in November 2020.

The intention behind that Alliance was to further enhance and connect the ecosystem of men’s professional golf through a number of areas, including global scheduling, prize funds and playing opportunities for the respective memberships.

Since signing that historic agreement, we have also announced a Strategic Alliance with the Sunshine Tour in South Africa, as well as an extension to our existing partnership with the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia, both of which reaffirm the strength and collaboration that exists within golf’s global ecosystem.

Australia’s Min Woo Lee, who will be the defending champion at the Renaissance Club, is a wonderful example of how this ecosystem operates. He initially earned an exemption on the DP World Tour by winning the 2020 ISPS Handa Vic Open, when we co-sanctioned the tournament with the PGA Tour of Australasia, and he went on to win his first Rolex Series event in Scotland last year before finishing the 2021 season in sixth position on our rankings.

Another great example is Min Woo’s compatriot Lucas Herbert, who will defend his title in the Horizon Irish Open the week before the Genesis Scottish Open.

Like Min Woo, Lucas also started out on the PGA Tour of Australasia before winning the Dubai Desert Classic in 2020 and triumphing at Mount Juliet last year. He then went on to win his maiden PGA TOUR title in the Butterfield Bermuda Championship last October and he is now established as a top 50 player on the Official World Golf Ranking.

The success of both Min Woo and Lucas demonstrates the clear pathways which are created by golf’s global ecosystem.

Through our long-term partnership with the Emirates Golf Federation, which we announced earlier this year, we ultimately hope one day a player from the UAE will embark on a similar trajectory, climbing golf’s pyramid to eventually become a winner on the DP World Tour or the PGA TOUR.

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CONTENTS 24

U.S. OPEN

DANNY WILLETT

The third Major of the men’s schedule gets underway this month with The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts welcoming golf’s biggest names for the fourth time in U.S. Open history.

Sheffield’s showman gives us an insight into hosting a golf event after a second stint of putting on a show at the Betfred British Masters last month.

FEATURES

28 ANNIKA SÖRENSTAM As an icon of the game with no gender prefix required, 51-year-old Sörenstam looks ahead to hosting the ground-breaking Scandinavian Mixed for a second time.

32 JAMIE CAMERO The young Filipino star is loving the sweet scent of success after her Order of Merit victory.

36 DUBAI GOLF TROPHY

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The professional team give us their thoughts on finally stopping the rot after getting their hands on the Dubai Golf Trophy once again following a dramatic finale at Emirates Golf Club.

42 HENRIK STENSON

Regarded as the Scandinavian trailblazer after becoming the first Swedish male to win a Major Championship at The Open in 2016, Henrik Stenson wants to help his country’s next-gen of golfers ahead of the Scandinavian Mixed.

49 PETE COWEN

The Master PGA Professional believes it’s only a matter of time before Matt Fitzpatrick wins a Major Championship after his near-miss at last month’s PGA Championship.

51 JENNY HENNESSY

The Chicks With Sticks founder talks of the wise words her father gave her which made her a more competitive golfer no matter what the weather.

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CONTENTS

WWG SOCIETY SHOWDOWN II

The second instalment of the Worldwide Golf Society Showdown took place at sunny Al Hamra Golf Club last month with a bulging field of 96 golfers bidding to secure bragging rights as the nation’s No.1 society.

INSTRUCTION

GEAR

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MASTER AN UPHILL SLOPING LIE Giovanni Losso, PGA Professional at MyGolf Dubai, teaches us how to counteract the close clubface at impact when facing an uphill sloping lie.

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JONDO - HDR FOR YOUR EYES Never heard of Jondo before? We hadn’t either until last month, but they could potentially be the best pair of sunglasses you ever purchase for the golf course.

KJUS - LUXURY GOLF APPAREL KJUS has become one of the most premium brands available to golfers thanks to innovative, highperformance material with a distinctive, clean design.

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UPGRADED PRO SHOP AT ADGC

FOCUS ON DISTANCE CONTROL Jamie Coughlin, PGA Professional at Topgolf, Dubai, explains how important it is to fully take in your environment using your senses to feel the desired golf shot.

The recently renovated Pro Shop at Abu Dhabi Golf Club is your one-stop-shop in the Emirate for the latest equipment, apparel and state-of-the-art custom fitting service.

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SUMMER LOOKING GOOD AT YAS ACRES

The UAE’s newest club has a new fleet of buggies and some tantalising summer offers to enable golfers to experience its spectacular championship standard floodlit 9-hole layout during the hotter months.

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Celebrating the ladies

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omen around the world will celebrate Women’s Golf Day on June 7 with a host of initiatives aimed at promoting the game to the female population by offering them various routes into the sport through taster sessions, leagues and a multitude of other activations.

Some women still find golf a daunting prospect, believing it is a man’s game, which isn’t helped by the fact that some clubs still discriminate against females. It was only in 2016 that Muirfield Golf Club lost its place on the Open Championship roster after members voted against allowing women to join the club. The decision was reversed a year later, but it wasn’t until 2019 that they welcomed women members to the club for the first time in their history. It beggars belief that this can be allowed to happen in this day and age.

Thankfully, in the UAE, we have been supportive of women’s golf for a long while, welcoming the stars of the Ladies European Tour to Emirates Golf Club since 2006 while the Emirates Golf Federation and clubs up and down the country offer plenty of sessions and initiatives to get women into the game.

In this month’s Editor’s Letter, I wanted to shine the spotlight on three fantastic ladies who are at the forefront of the game in the UAE, not just by introducing women to the game, but keeping them in it.

Olivia Jackson In October 2020, the UAE PGA welcomed a female to the winner’s circle for the first time in its history courtesy of Olivia Jackson’s triumph at Emirates Golf Club. The LPGA Professional at Emirates Golf Club was the only female in the field but managed to beat her male counterparts after shooting a three under par round on the Faldo course – the only player to break par in the event. Since then, Jackson has gone on to create more history by becoming the first female to compete in the Dubai Golf Trophy, picking up 1.5 points to help the professionals end a run of six successive defeats in the prestigious event.

April Varney Since 2019, April Varney has been coaching the women’s and girls’ National Teams. She and the Emirates Golf Federation have led the women’s team to a silver in the Arab Championship, followed by a gold in the GCC Golf Championship. Varney has also been at the forefront of the EGF’s National Ladies Program, which has attracted over 100 female players, particularly young women, from different emirates, as part of the game’s Women in Golf efforts.

Jenny Hennessy Our columnist Jenny Hennessy only moved to the UAE in September 2020 but in that time has introduced over 450 women to the game through the all-girls golfing group Chicks With Sticks. Hennessy’s motto is ‘Growing the game, one chick at a time’ and she certainly did that in Dubai at the Els Club since the first 30 members took part in an introduction session last year. The growth of the group has been so rapid that Hennessy has recently launched sessions in Abu Dhabi, combining coaching sessions with social events.

Time for celebration Those three are the first that came to my mind, but there are plenty more shining lights paving the way for female golfers.

In this issue you’ll find articles celebrating the women’s game as we shine the spotlight on arguably the greatest female golfer to ever play the game, Annika Sörenstam, and Jamie Camero, who was recently crowned EGF Order of Merit champion. Hennessy gives us her latest insights into the game while we also hear from Jackson on her historic outing at the Dubai Golf Trophy. Play well, ladies.

Thomas W ragg

ISSUE No.247 JUNE 2022 • Published by: Worldwide Sporting Publications Ltd • Published in Dubai by: Prografix • PO Box 24677 • Dubai, UAE (Tel) +9714 340 3785 Editor-in-Chief: Alex Gallemore • Editor: Thomas Wragg (tom@wspdubai.com) Publisher: Mike Gallemore (mike@wspglobal.com) • General Manager Dubai: Richard Bevan (rick@wspglobal.com) Editors: • Production/Design Editor: Thameem Rayyan • Editorial Panel: Mike Gallemore, Alex Gallemore, Richard Bevan, Thomas Wragg • Photography: Getty Images • June 2009 SSN 1- 46805671 • Approval UAE National Media Council: Ref.816 30/5/2007 Trade Licence No. 1/104375/15280 • 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.

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Printed by: Raidy, Dubai Distributed by: Al Nisr Distribution LLC, PO Box 6519, Dubai, UAE

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COU U U M M A N N AQ GREENLAND GOLF 5 0 0 M I L E S N O RT H O F T H E A RC T I C C I RC L E , U U M M A N N AQ G R E E N L A N D G O L F I S H O M E T O T H E D RA M B U I E WO R L D I C E G O L F C H A M P I O N S H I P , A T WO D AY , 3 6 - H O L E T O U R N A M E N T T H AT I S P L AY E D B Y 3 6 G O L F E R S W H O T R AV E L F R O M FA R A N D W I D E T O C O M P E T E O N C O U R S E M A D E E N T I R E LY O F I C E .

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he death-defying tournament has been held annually since 1997 but, unsurprisingly, has been cancelled multiple times due to poor weather.

Playing golf on a frozen seascape is not the only challenge facing the thrill seekers who decide that playing golf on ice is a good idea. Coping with extreme temperatures, which can fall to minus 50º C with the wind-chill factor, challenges players both physically and mentally. Special

kit is an absolute essential and players are briefed on how to spot frostbite at an early stage and how to deal with snow blindness in a bid to avoid serious consequences.

The rules are pretty much the same as a standard round of golf, except the holes are shorter, the cups are larger, and everything is frozen - including the golfers. Other factors to consider are that the ‘green’ is white, the ball is fluorescent orange and there is a possibility you could risk losing a ball to a polar bear!

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URSE

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EXTRAORDINARY

ENDINGS T horbjørn Olesen produced one of the most dramatic climaxes to a golf tournament at last month’s British Masters with a stunning eagle-birdie finish to return to the winner’s circle for the first time in four years.

The 32-year-old Dane entered the final round at The Belfry with a threestroke lead but that soon disappeared after a two over par front nine, before another pair of bogeys at the 14th and 15th left the prospects of a first title for four years unlikely.

However, Olesen holed a 28-foot eagle putt on the par five 17th hole to draw level with Sebastian Soderberg, who had earlier set the clubhouse target at nine under par, before going one better on the 18th as he converted a 35-foot birdie putt in front of a packed grandstand to seal victory and send the 15,000-strong English crowd into raptures.

To celebrate the monumental ending, we’ve picked our favourite greatest finishes in golf since the turn of the millennium.

CHARL SCHWARTZEL’S MASTERS BIRDIE BLITZ C

harl Schwartzel realised his dream of winning a Major Championship in 2011 after producing one of the most memorable conclusions in recent memory over the hallowed turf of Augusta National.

The South African, who at the time was ranked 29th in the world, was making only his second appearance at The Masters having finished 30th on his debut outing in 2010. But the Johannesburg-born player looked as comfortable as a seasoned veteran as he started the final day tied second alongside three players on eight under, four strokes off Rory McIlroy’s overnight lead.

McIlroy looked destined to seal his first Major title having led for all three rounds but

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a back nine meltdown led to a closing eightover-par 80 which threw the tournament wide open. Schwartzel grabbed the bull by the horns and shot an electric 66, which included a birdie blitz on the last four holes, to seal a two-stroke triumph over Australian duo Jason Day and Adam Scott.

“Rory got off to a poor start but I got off to a great start – and so did Tiger,” Schwartzel told us. “But by the time we were a couple of hours into the final round there was a group of players within two or three shots who all could have won the tournament. And to have that finish, with that electrifying feeling of making all those birdies with the crowds going wild, all over the golf course – I get goosebumps now talking about it.”

EXTRAORDINARY ENDINGS

HENRIK AND PHIL’S 2016 ‘DUEL OF THE ‘SONS’ C

ompared to the classic ‘Duel in the Sun’ between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus almost 40 years before it, Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson produced one of the greatest final day battles in golf history at the 2016 Open Championship.

Stenson began the day a shot ahead on -12, only to lose the lead by the end of the first hole, as he bogeyed and Mickelson birdied. Stenson responded with five birdies in his next seven holes to edge one clear of Mickelson who managed one birdie and eagle.

The pair would be level again after Stenson bogeyed the 11th but the Iceman pulled two ahead for the first time after successive birdies on 14 and 15, the latter a monster 45-foot putt across the green. A third successive birdie on the 16th was matched by Mickelson and the American then rolled in a par-saving putt on the 17th to stay two adrift going down the last.

But Stenson picked up a fourth shot in his closing five holes to sign for a

stunning 63 and a three-stroke victory over Mickelson, who posted a highly impressive 65. The Swede’s -20 total matched Jason Day’s record which he had set at the previous year’s PGA Championship while his 63 beat twotime Open champion Greg Norman’s 64 at Royal St George’s in 1993 as the lowest final round by a champion.

“When you’re fighting as hard as I have done out there today and against Phil for a number of days now, it’s just relief when you’re coming off the 18th and you know it’s done,” said Stenson after the round.

“It was great, in a small way it makes it easier because you know he is not going to back away, I know I need to play at my very best and I’m just so happy I managed to do that and get over the finish line.”

Mickelson added: “I’m happy with the way I played, but disappointed it wasn’t enough. I played a bogey-free round and shot 65 in the final round of a Major, usually that’s good enough to do it. And I got beat.”

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SPIETH’S BIRKDALE BOUNCEBACK

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nother thrilling finish from the Open Championship saw Jordan Spieth and Matt Kuchar lock horns in an enthralling back nine battle at Royal Birkdale in 2017.

Spieth blew a three-shot overnight lead by the turn and trailed Kuchar after dropping a shot with a wild drive on the 13th. Although he surrendered the lead, Spieth’s recovery from the driving range to the right of the 13th was one of the greatest bogeys ever made and seemed to be the catalyst for his third Major victory, the American having already won the Masters and U.S. Open in 2015. Spieth’s blocked drive was 120 yards right of the fairway and went into the deep rough. After long discussions and debate with R&A rules officials, he eventually took a penalty drop and played a 3-iron from the driving range, more than 20 minutes after he struck his drive. The incredible shot landed just short of the green on the extremely difficult par-4, before Spieth got up and down in two for the most important bogey of his career.

Many would have fallen apart following the drama but Spieth switched into a different gear to wrestle back the lead with a run of birdie, eagle, birdie, birdie, par to finish on -12 and finish with the three-shot advantage he had begun the final day with...and, of course, the coveted claret jug.

“This is absolutely a dream come true,” said Spieth at the time. “I drank some wine from the claret jug when Zach Johnson won it two years ago and people said that was bad luck. I started to believe them too after nine holes today.”

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EXTRAORDINARY ENDINGS

BUBBA WATSON’S MASTERS MANOEUVRE

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ne of the greatest shots in the history of the game?

Everybody remembers Bubba’s brilliance at the 2012 Masters with the American picking up his first Major Championship trophy courtesy of a moment of magic on the second play-off hole at Augusta National.

Following four consecutive birdies starting at the 13th hole during an eventful final day, Bubba finished regulation with a 68 and tied for the lead with Louis Oosthuizen at -10. The duo traded pars on the first extra hole at the 18th before making their way to the downhill 10th hole.

That’s where it all looked to have gone wrong for Bubba after he pulled a mammoth drive into the trees right of the par-4. With little debate with his caddie and no

view of the green, Watson pulled off an extravagant hook to within 15 feet of the cup. Two putts later and Bubba Watson was the 2012 Masters champion. It was a shot for the ages and one arguably only Bubba could have produced.

“The first time I ever worked with my caddie, Boston, six years ago, I told him, ‘if I have a swing, I’ve got a shot’,” said Watson. “So, I’m used to the woods. I’m used to the rough. We were walking down and I said, ‘we were here already.

We hit it close here already today’, because I was in those trees. I got there. I saw it was a perfect draw, a perfect hook.”

Not many people remember the brilliant birdie blitz to force his way into a play-off, but nobody will ever forget that miraculous hook from the woods.

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U.S. OPEN FACTS & FIGURES

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he third Major of the men’ schedule gets underway this month with The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts welcoming golf’s biggest names for the fourth time in U.S. Open history.

The USGA have a habit of setting up U.S. Open courses to be extremely punishing – often pushing players and fans to their limit - and if history is anything to go by The Country Club will be offer another stern test for the game’s elite. When Francis Ouimet won there in 1913 he finished with a total of +13 while Julius Boros signed for a +9 on his way to victory in 1963. Curtis Strange reversed the trend with a -6 closing round

as he emerged victorious over Nick Faldo in 1988.

The course will look very different next month with the USGA confirming it will play 250 yards longer at 7,264 yards and to a par of 70, having been a par-71 for the previous two editions and par-73 in 1913. This year’s championship course will also add the 11th hole from the main course, a par 3 at 131 yards, and lose No. 4.

The 10th hole has been shortened from a 515-yard par-5 to a 499-yard par-4. The 14th, previously 450 yards, is now 619 yards and will play as a par-5.

Here, we take a look at some facts and stats from the tournament’s history.

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Jack Nicklaus started 44 consecutive U.S. Opens, starting as a 17-year-old amateur in 1957 and finishing as a 60-year-old, four-time winner in 2000.

TIGER WOODS

won by a whopping 15 strokes with his score of 272 at Pebble Beach in California in 2000. This is also the record winning margin across all four Major Championships.

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Arnold Palmer has the greatest comeback in U.S. Open final round history - he came back from seven strokes off the lead in the final round to win the 1960 edition at Cherry Hills.

Rory McIlroy holds the record for the lowest aggregate score in 2011 at 268. McIlroy and Brooks Koepka share the record for the lowest score in relation to par with their winning scores of -16.

10,127

A record number of 10,127 golfers entered into qualifying for the 2014 championship at Pinehurst No. 2.

GRAEME MCDOWELL BECAME THE FIRST EUROPEAN WINNER OF THE EVENT IN 40 YEARS AT PEBBLE BEACH IN 2010. FOUR MORE EUROPEANS HAVE WON SINCE

THEN: RORY MCILROY, JUSTIN ROSE, MARTIN KAYMER AND JON RAHM.

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The event began as a one-day 36-hole tournament played on the nine-hole course at the Newport Golf and Country Club in Rhode Island. Only 10 professional golfers and one amateur teed it up for the inaugural event.

1933 An amateur, John Goodman wins the tournament. No other amateur has won since.

19 1946 10,127

Ray Ainsley, who played in the 1938 U.S. Open, holds the record for highest score on one hole –19 strokes on a par-4.

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The original U.S. Open trophy was destroyed in 1946. Lloyd Mangrum, winner of that year’s U.S. Open, took the trophy home to show off in the clubhouse of his home course, Chicago-area Tam O’Shanter. The clubhouse burned to the ground and the 51-year-old trophy with it.

FOUR GOLFERS HAVE WON THE U.S. OPEN FOUR TIMES:

Willie Anderson, Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus.

THE WINNER OF THE FIRST U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP IN 1891 WAS HORACE RAWLINS WHO WON $150, A GOLD MEDAL AND THE TROPHY.

THE WINNER IN 2022 WILL EARN UPWARDS OF $2M.

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The Country Club of Buffalo held the 1912 U.S. Open and featured the only par-6 in the event’s history.

John McDermott played the 606yard par-6 10th hole at six-under for the tournament.

U.S. OPEN F SHBACK: 2021

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on Rahm got his hands on Major silverware for the very first time with arguably one of the greatest finishes in U.S. Open history at last year’s tournament.

On a breathless final day at Torrey Pines there were five players tied for the lead and as many again one stroke behind at one point on the front nine. But then the back nine bit back and boy did it bite hard.

Rory McIlroy, who had started the round two shots off the lead, looked to be a danger throughout until a double bogey on the 12th put paid to his chances while Bryson DeChambeau saw his hopes flounder after dropping four shots in three holes from the 11th before taking eight shots on the par-4 17th. The duo were joined by many others who saw their tee shots became increasingly wayward and birdies evermore scarce as a series of errors by those near the top of the leaderboard changed the scene dramatically.

That left Rahm and Louis Oosthuizen battling for the title. After successfully navigating the treacherous back nine with seven straight pars, Rahm canned

a 25-foot birdie at 17, much to the delight of the packed galleries to move him level with the South African.

Rahm repeated his heroics on the last, sinking an 18-foot birdie putt to claim the lead and close in four-under 67 to edge Oosthuizen by one stroke and end a streak of six consecutive American winners in the event.

The victory was made even sweeter by the fact that Rahm had been leading the Memorial Tournament two weeks prior by a commanding six strokes before a positive coronavirus test kept him out of the final round.

“I’m a big believer in karma and after what happened a couple of weeks ago, I stayed really positive knowing that big things were coming,” said Rahm.

“I didn’t know what it was going to be but I knew we were coming to a special place. I got my breakthrough win here and it’s a very special place for my family.

“The fact my parents were able to come, I got out of Covid protocol early, I just felt like the stars were aligning.”

“THIS IS DEFINITELY FOR SEVE - I KNOW HE TRIED A LOT, I KNOW HE WANTED TO WIN THIS ONE MOST OF ALL.” – JON RAHM

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nd

LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN’S RUNNER-UP RESULT WAS THE SIXTH TIME HE HAD FINISHED SECOND IN A MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIP.

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DANNY WILLETT SHEFFIELD’S SHOWMAN

DANNY WILLETT

IS NO STRANGER TO PUTTING ON A SHOW. OVER THE YEARS THE ENGLISHMAN HAS WOWED FANS WITH SPELLBINDING PERFORMANCES TO WIN SOME OF THE GAME’S BIGGEST EVENTS, INCLUDING THE MASTERS TOURNAMENT, DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP, DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC AND BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP. SO, IT CAME AS NO SURPRISE TO SEE THE 34-YEAROLD BECOME JUST THE SECOND MAN, AFTER LEE WESTWOOD, TO HOST THE BRITISH MASTERS FOR A SECOND TIME LAST MONTH. LIKE EVERYTHING THAT COMES HIS WAY, WILLETT TOOK IT IN HIS STRIDE AND DIVED INTO THE DEEP END TO ENSURE A FANTASTIC EXPERIENCE FOR FANS AND PLAYERS ALIKE AS THE TOURNAMENT WELCOMED BACK SPECTATORS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2019.

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DANNY WILLETT

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ere, Willett gives us an insight into the preparation that goes on behind the scenes into hosting a tournament, why he seems to be the man for the big occasion and his Ryder Cup ambitions for Rome 2023.

Worldwide Golf: As host of the British Masters on two occasions what have you learned about the preparation that goes into putting on a tournament of this stature?

Danny Willett: As a host you have a real behind the scenes overview of things and some of the biggest things I learned last year was what the tournament directors do, what the green staff do, how much prep goes in to getting a golf course ready for a tournament in May. I had some really good chats with Mike Stewart (Tournament Director) and the agronomy team at The Belfry. They made a few changes for this year’s tournament with my help to make things a little tougher – giving a golfer’s view of how we see things on a course and why we’d hit certain shots. It was nice to see how it was done last year and I really got my teeth stuck in this year to help make the event a special one.

WWG: How do you sum up last month’s edition?

DW: The weekend was amazing. I think we probably had 30,000 people over the weekend which made for an amazing atmosphere around The Belfry. I had a lot of chances and didn’t quite make them. I think all in all, everyone will say that it was a really successful week.

Betfred are donating 19,000 to Prostate Cancer UK. Once again, an amazing contribution. Their help over the week was phenomenal and it’s nice to actually get the guys in and watch some golf live and have some interaction with fans. It was a really special week.

WWG: I believe you don’t live too far away from The Belfry– what memories do you have, if any, of the three Ryder Cups that have been hosted there since you were born?

DW: I live around an hour and 20 minutes from there. My first memory was The Ryder Cup in 2002, we went to practice with my PGA professional at the time Peter Ball. He took a group of four or five of us to give us a taste of what it was. We

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went to the Wednesday practice and it was chaos, there were so many people it was so loud. To have experienced a Ryder Cup there was really cool, with tens of thousands of people around such an intimate venue. We were stood at the back of the 10th and near the practice green watching guys coming through, that was one of my first memories.

WWG: Henrik Stenson will be captain of the European side next year in Rome. What are your thoughts on that appointment and how much of a goal is it for you to make that team?

DW: A great captain has been appointed.

The guys last year came up against one of the strongest American teams ever and watching it as a spectator just made me

DANNY WILLETT want to be in the team in Rome that little bit more. They are going to have a great team for a few years now because a lot of them are young and are hungry. Going forward that’s a big part of what I want to do in the next 18 months. Hopefully I can keep my head down, play some good golf and qualify for the team.

WWG: You seem to be the man for the big occasion with three of your last four wins coming in Rolex Series events and a major. You also won the Dubai Desert Classic in 2016 which is now a Rolex Series event. What is it about these big events that makes your game thrive?

DW: It does seem that I enjoy big events.

When you get great crowds on great golf courses and with great fields, it gets the juices flowing when I’m in contention or helps me concentrate more when I’m not on my game and dig in a little deeper.

Sometimes you struggle, sometimes it comes off. I’m pretty happy in my ability to perform under pressure and perform against anyone in the world.

That’s why I’ve had such good runs in big events at times. If I go there with my game in good shape, I’m happy to go up against anyone in the world.

WWG: You’ve got history with DP World having won the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in 2018.

How integral have they been for the European Tour group in expanding the game with bigger prize pots and more tournaments across the globe?

DW: The collaboration with DP World can only help a lot of the younger lads at the tour in many ways. The ability to put more money into the tour to give us minimum prize funds of US$2million is great. It’s been a tough couple of years for the tour with Covid-19 and the logistics of playing around the world, so this collaboration is one that I think will favour a lot of people. I’m playing on both the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour so to come back to Europe and play for good prize funds is a bonus, but it gives the guys who are starting out the opportunity

to play golf around the world and make a living from that. It’ll be interesting to see what the next few years bring.

WWG: You enjoyed another fine outing at the Masters earlier this year with a T12 finish. What’s the feeling like going back to Augusta Natioanl as a past champion with the Champions Dinner, Green Jacket and all the glitz and glamour that comes with it?

DW: Augusta was brilliant this year: having all the patrons back, the golf course was in brilliant condition, a really good test, fast greens, wind whipping. It was my best result there since I won in 2016. I went there with my game in a nice place and it was nice to compete and be on that leaderboard all week. We had a few putts slip the edge on those last six holes, otherwise we could have had a nice push and a big finish. T12 around there, it’s such a special week for me to go back, driving down Magnolia Lane gives me goosebumps. It’s a reminder of why we practice so hard and what we do it for.

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WWG: Obviously, Tiger made a miraculous return – did you get an opportunity to speak to him at all at the Champions Dinner?

DW: Tiger playing this year was amazing.

The atmosphere was epic. He was three groups behind me on Thursday and Friday. The buzz around the place when Tiger’s back is exceptional. For him to be nicely placed after two rounds was so impressive after what he’s been through.

I spoke to him in the locker room a couple of times after each day, he was struggling a little with the walking. His golf game is in a good place but the walk is a tough one. For him to compete in all four rounds, after a 16-month turnaround from what would have been a career-ending injury for a lot of people, I think a lot of people were impressed by that. It was just a brilliant week for everyone involved.

WWG: What does your schedule look like over the next few months?

DW: Busy. We headed straight back to Dallas after the British Masters and I will basically have to play a hell of a lot in America until the end of the FedEx to kind of keep the points up there and stuff like that. I’ll come back for The Scottish Open and The Open and kind of have a little re-jig after the end of July, really, and see where we are at, and like I said, into the FedEx, see where you finish and then no one really knows the back half of the season.

Depends on the event, if the PGA Tour0 are playing the Fall Series the same as normal or if you’re going to come back and do what I usually do and play the nice little run from kind of Crans onwards, which I’ve always really enjoyed obviously with the family and the results we have had in the back half of the season in Europe. ■

Annika Sörenstam

INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION Annika Sörenstam’s Instagram handle - @annika59 - serves as a modernday reminder of legendary deeds past, the bio beneath it as a pointer to legacy enhancing exploits that remain passionate works in progress.

“H

appy wife and mother. Cherish life and its opportunities.”

As an icon of the game with no gender prefix required, 51-year-old Sörenstam has long worked at expert level when it comes to loving life and living it to the full.

Since 2009, the 10-time Major champion has shared the rich journey as wife to second husband Mike McGee, the son of former PGA Tour player Jerry. Together they’re raising daughter Ava, 12, and golf-mad son William, 11 – all the while inspiring countless others from the next-gen as the famous frontwoman and dutiful CEO respectively of the ANNIKA Foundation.

Sörenstam might be hailed for her World Golf Hall of Fame career including 89 victories worldwide, but today it is family life and the development of young female golfers from around the world that truly fulfils the Swede.

Indeed, it was Ava and Will who inspired Mum to dust off her sticks and make a return to the LPGA Tour in January last year – 13 years after stepping away from top-flight golf.

Despite being north of 50, Sörenstam made the cut at the Gainbridge LPGA near her home in Orlando, Florida. Better was to come seven months later at the U.S. Senior Women’s Open at Brooklawn Country Club in Fairfield, Conn.

“I’d only ever seen these highlights of her playing really good, and I wanted to see that in person,” said Will of his mother’s debut in the senior Major.

With hubby Mike on the bag and Ava and Will following along in the galleries,

Sörenstam delivered in trademark fashion, winning wire-to-wire. By eight strokes.

It earned an invite to the 77th U.S. Open to be played at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club from June 2-5. It will be Sörenstam’s 16th U.S. Open, a title she has captured three times previously including at Pine Needles in 1996 when she waltzed to victory by six shots.

“Teeing it up in the greatest championship in women’s golf, at a venue that has so many incredible memories for me, and to be able to do so with my family means a lot to us,” Sörenstam said.

“I’m sure Peggy Kirk Bell [Hall of Fame inductee and longtime Pine Needles owner] is looking down and smiling at how this all came together.”

So will we see more of Sörenstam inside the ropes?

“This is not necessarily about me trying to do a comeback,” she said “It was more about the family. They wanted

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me to play, so it’s very special.”

Family values will also underpin another tournament dear to Sörenstam’s heart. She won’t have long between the U.S. Open and the €2 million Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed hosted by Henrik and Annika either - the co-hosted and co-sanctioned event will take starter’s orders at Halmstad Golf Club from June 9.

While a doubling of the prize purse will be big news for the 78 DP World Tour and 78 Ladies European Tour (LET) players involved, for former Solheim Cupper Sörenstam and her 46-year-old, Ryder Cup captaining co-host Henrik Stenson, throwing the gates open to fans in Tylösand is even more significant.

It will make a welcomed change from the inaugural event which was initially delayed by the pandemic and then played sans galleries in Gothenburg 12 months ago.

“I’m excited for the next edition of the Scandinavian Mixed and to be playing at Halmstad Golf Club, a course that hosted the Solheim Cup and the ANNIKA Invitational Europe a few years ago, I know it will be a great week for everyone involved,” said Sörenstam.

It will be a chance to inspire star-starved youngsters and continue to push the ANNIKA Foundation’s over-arching remit of nurturing children into healthy and active adults. You can bet too that Sörenstam will take any opportunity to convince LET players, those current or aspiring, that golf is a game where both genders can compete, and win, on an equal footing.

“Bringing women and men together in a combined professional tournament was a huge success and we learned a lot from

ANNIKA SÖRENSTAM

the event [last] year. Henrik and I want to bring our game to the younger generation in Sweden and we can’t wait to have fans back to enjoy the special atmosphere.”

In or outside the ropes, there will be no one in Tylösand with the star appeal of Sörenstam who has just been the subject of a documentary on Golf Channel.

“Becoming Annika” chartered her rise from shy young Swede, to the tireless, dedicated accumilator of 72 LPGA Tour titles. Among the film’s many highlights is reference to the number affixed to her Insta handle. The 59 she shot at 2001 Standard Register Ping remains the only time a woman has shot golf’s mythical number in competition.

Incredibly, Sörenstam finished the 2001 season with eight wins, kicking off a five-year stretch where she won 46 of the 124 LPGA events she entered.

In 2003, she received a sponsor’s invitation to the Bank of America Colonial.

Some fans, and even players, didn’t agree with Sörenstam becoming the first female in 51-years to tee it up in an official PGA Tour event. Despite mis-guided howls from the likes of Vijay Singh and eventually missing the cut by four strokes, the sweet-swinging Swede left Fort Worth with her reputation only enhanced.

Sörenstam subsequently turned down further PGA Tour invites but thankfully the game has moved on in the intervening 19 years, as evidenced by the events such as the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed.

As ever, Sörenstam is at the pointy end of change as the co-host of a mixed event co-sanctioned by one of the big male circuits. She’s even got a Insta account to prove it. ■

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SWING SEQUENCE BY PE TE CO WEN

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The Best Golf Swing?

Golf coaching has got far too complicated by studying static positions in the swing, where the key is to keep it simple and understand the body movement. There is no better swing to showcase this than with Annika Sorenstam. The best golf swings are the ones that win the most tourmaments, so you can’t argue with the fact that Jack Nicklaus and Annika have the best swings in the history of golf.

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Annika’s swing is based around consistency of positions and movement like a metronome, which is why she has won so many events throughout her career. She can just repeat the same movement with ease, her swing is so effective and does not change.

If you can repeat this delivery position timeafter-time, the ball is not going to be far offline and this was the key factor to Annika’s impressive Major collection.

Annika’s other skill is course management.

She thinks her way round a course brilliantly and

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when paired with one of the simplest but most effective swings ever to grace the game, it’s easy to look back and see how she rewrote the record books.

If you look at Annika’s swing positions, they are all very good, but it is all about how it moves that creates the perfect golf swing.

Looking at Annika’s swing in still photographs does not do it justice, it deserves more credit.

Her body action is so good in the fact it does not change. If you are not sure what I mean about the right body action watch my video (The Spiral

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Staircase) where I explain the spiral, where you move from the left foot to right shoulder and spiral around the centre.

People try to achieve static positions in a golf swing, where you should be focusing in on creating the correct movement, as there are no static positions in a swing. The swing is based on technical efficiency, and I could not illustrate this better than showcasing Annika’s swing.

Learn from Annika to lower you scores by keeping the swing simple and work the body correctly as a movement.

SUCC Jamie Camero

S W E E T

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JAMIE CAMERO

CESS S C E N T

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O F

Camero and Liang Wei Lui took on Lea Pouillard and Ginger Delacretaz in the Ladies Challenge Match at the Dubai Golf Trophy

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t’s been quite a year for the women’s game in the UAE. The all-girls group Chicks With Sticks has gone from strength to strength, Oliva Jackson became the first female to compete in the Dubai Golf Trophy while clubs across the country will celebrate Women’s Golf Day this month on June 7.

With women’s golf rightly in the spotlight, we caught up with rising Filipino sensation Jamie Camero, who was recently crowned Emirates Golf Federation’s Ladies Gross Order of Merit champion, to find out more about her blossoming game.

Described as the ‘Pocket Rocket’ for her almighty distance off the tee despite her short stature, the 16-year-old +1 handicapper has taken the game in her stride since picking up clubs the age of seven with an impressive roll of honour that includes a host of Ladies Open triumphs as well as three World Amateur Golf Ranking titles in the last year.

I was honoured to play in the Dubai Golf Trophy this year. It’s a completely difference experience to playing a Ladies Open mostly because of the pressure of competing as part of a team and winning a point for your team. There’s a lot of people following you around the course and every shot matters.”

CAMERO ON BEING INTRODUCED TO THE GAME My grandfather was an avid golfer and he introduced the game to my father, who then took me an open day at Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club when I was seven. I started playing a lot with my dad for fun and then moved onto tournament golf when I was around nine, that’s when I started taking the game more seriously. I got a handicap, started playing handicap tournaments.

From there I got involved with the EGF Junior Opens, where I was able to compete against juniors who were at a higher level than me so that motivated me to take my game to the next level. I love how hard the sport is, you can hit hundreds of bad shots but then you hit that one sweet one and it compels you to play another one. When I first started I got a lot of praise for my swing but it was just me feeling a good shot that got me really into the game.

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CAMERO ON REALISING SHE HAD TALENT I’d say probably around three years ago when I started winning tournaments consecutively, but it was mostly my parents who praised me and told me how good I was. I think I seem a better golfer to them than I actually am! But it’s because of them that I’ve got my handicap to where it is thanks to their motivation and praise when I play well. My dad used to play sports at a high level so he knows talent is something that you aren’t given, it’s something you have to get yourself.

CAMERO ON HER COACH JOE MARSHALL When I first started playing golf Joe Marshall was my coach at Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club and then he moved to Al Badia and then Montgomerie so I kind of followed him. Now he’s down at the Els Club and I’ve been a member there for a couple of years so it’s worked out nicely. He’s seen my very first swing and my most recent swing, he’s been on this whole journey with me. He’s been a great support to me, helping me raise my game to another level.

CAMERO ON WINNING THE EMIRATES GOLF FEDERATION ORDER OF MERIT It was so special to finish in top spot on the Order of Merit, it was the first time I had achieved that. A couple of years before that I had finished as low as 12th so the

JAMIE CAMERO progression in the last few years has been great. My rounds became a lot steadier compared to the previous years which I was pretty proud of, especially after the havoc covid caused with playing sports.

CAMERO ON COMPETING AGAINST HER FRIENDS The great thing about golf is that we all want to beat each other out on the course, but away from it we are really good friends.

When I play with the likes of Hannah Cheryl Alan, Lara El Chaib, Liang Wei Liu and Natalii Gupta I see them as friends which helps me enjoy the game more, but we still keep that competitive spirit between us and want to win. Having them as friends motivates me more to beat them!

CAMERO ON COMPETING IN THE LADIES CHALLENGE MATCH AT THE DUBAI GOLF TROPHY I was honoured to play in the Dubai Golf Trophy this year. It’s a completely different experience to playing a Ladies Open mostly because of the pressure of competing as part of a team and winning a point for your team. There’s a lot of people following you around the course and every shot matters.

It was great to have the Women’s Challenge Match as part of that event, it’s a big step for women’s golf. Having said that, it’s a huge goal of mine to make the main amateur team next year. It’s going to take a lot of hard work but if I can play my game and keep steady I believe I can achieve that.

CAMERO ON HER GOLFING ROLE MODEL My biggest role model would be Lydia Ko. I’ve seen her play terrible rounds and great rounds, but you wouldn’t be able to tell which was which as she acts the same way no matter what she is scoring. She’s able to keep that cool mojo which is a great talent and something I could definitely use in my game. I also really enjoy watching Bubba Watson, he’s a really exciting player – I’d love to watch him in person one day.

CAMERO ON HER BIGGEST STRENGTH AND WEAKNESS My biggest strength is probably my distance off the tee, I average around 255 yards.

It’s something that I’ve been working on a lot and I’ve seen a lot of progress over the last few years. My biggest weakness is probably my putting, it’s something I’m working on to become a better player and I’m definitely on the right track.

CAMERO ON THE FUTURE OF HER GAME I’m dead set on playing college golf out in the States after I have finished my studies in the UAE. I’ve had that in mind for quite a while and I think the college golf route is an exciting one that can help me raise the level once again. Ahead of that I’m not sure, I don’t like looking too far ahead in the future.

Camero secured the Ladies Gross Order of Merit title last season

CAMERO ON HER INTERESTS OUTSIDE OF GOLF I like baking and watching TV shows. My specialty would be a crème brûlée, that’s

my favourite and it’s quite easy to make – I also love baking cakes and cupcakes. My favourite TV show is probably the Office and I’ve just started watching Peaky Blinders.

A big thank you to Dubai Miracle Gardens for inviting us down to take photos at the world’s largest natural flower garden.

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PROS END SIX YEARS OF HURT AT

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DUBAI GOLF TROPHY

ACE ALERT

Nathan Kernaghan scored a superb hole-inone on Dubai Creek’s 14th hole during the first day fourballs en route to a 4&3 victory with Jackson Bell over Craig Vance and David Guinee.

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fter six long years the PGA Professionals of the UAE finally got their hands back on the Dubai Golf Trophy after one of the most dramatic finales in the event’s 23-year history.

Starting the final day singles with a onepoint advantage and hoping to prevent a seventh successive defeat, the UAE pros got off to a slow start with the EGF amateurs picking up three points in the opening four matches on the Majlis at Emirates Golf Club.

Yash Majmudar and Hugo Garcia both added red to the scoreboard while Craig Vance and Max Burrow halved their matches as the amateurs looked set to extend their recordbreaking run in the Ryder Cup-style matches.

The pros quickly retorted with 4.5 points from the next five matches to wrestle back control with Graham Forbes, Tom Buchanan, Thomas Oglive and Ryan Smith all securing a point apiece while Olivia Jackson, who made history by becoming the first female to participate in the Dubai Golf Trophy, sealed a half against the talented Sam Mullane.

Toby Bishop, David Guinee, Tom Nesbitt and Jonathan Selvaraj kept amateur hopes

alive by adding four points to the scoreboard while Oscar Yeomans and Louis Gaughan added two more for the pros.

With every match finished bar one, the pros were back to where they started the final day – a point ahead. Step forward Barry Pavic and Purna Sharma.

With a 1up lead through 15 and knowing only a full point would salvage a draw for the amateurs, the ball was in Pavic’s court. But Sharma superbly pulled level on the 16th before both players made birdie on the 17th.

The 2022 Dubai Golf Trophy would be settled on the last hole of the very last match.

With every other player finished the duo were followed down the last on the Majlis by a cavalcade of carts with one estimate putting the figure at 60.

“Wow there were 60?” said a shocked Sharma.

“I saw a lot of carts but didn’t know there were that many. I felt like a bit nervous but also great at the same time. I just knew I had to focus on the game.”

With every set of eyes on the duo, Sharma knew he had to at least match Pavic’s score

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on 18 to get professional hands on the trophy once again. He did just that, brilliantly holding his nerve to finally stop the rot and secure one of the most dramatic victories that Emirates Golf Club has ever witnessed.

LADIES CHALLENGE MATCH ENDS IN A DRAW

Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) Order of Merit stars Liang Wei Lui and Jamie Rosalyn Camero secured empathic victories in the fourballs and foursomes on the opening day at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club but pros Lea Pouillard and Ginger Delacretaz fought back for a draw after winning both singles matches at Emirates Golf Club.

The pros pipped the amateurs by one point in an enthralling contest at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club and Emirates Golf Club

JACK WOODS – VICE CAPTAIN Having played my first Dubai Golf Trophy back in 2016 when the amateur team started their run of victories, finally getting to be on a winning side this year was extra special. This event is the peak of our season and something we work towards all year. As usual the amateur team played some amazing golf and the spirit in which the match was played was fantastic.

Captain Mikey Major has done an amazing job this year and it will be tough to follow but I am already looking forward to the challenge.

MICHAEL MAJOR - CAPTAIN The Dubai Golf Trophy is a showcase of all that is good about golf in the UAE. It does indeed raise the profile of the game in the region and once again the success of this year’s competition shows that we are in good hands as both professional and amateur golfers.

It’s been a long bumpy road these last six years, every year thinking this is the year...only to just fall short on a number of occasions.

I have no doubt that the amateur team will come back stronger than ever and even more determined to win back the trophy next year. We look forward to that.

In the meantime, I’d like to congratulate everyone in our professional team on a hard-fought victory and finally getting the trophy back. Every year the trophy is an amazing couple of days spent with colleagues and friends, superb camaraderie on two outstanding golf courses.

Obviously, the entire team played well, but I’d like to mention some noticeable achievements. Purna - unbelievable, coming down the stretch and gaining the final half point we needed to secure the trophy with a pretty big crowd watching. Liv Jackson the first female to qualify and play in the 16-person DGT. Ryan Smith - Mr. Consistent, Three points from three. Graham Forbes three points as well, what a performance.

Also won the UAE PGA Matchplay this year.

What a match play record this season.

Finally, my vice-captain, Jack Woods. Jack has been amazing since the day I choose him to be my No.2. I wish Jack all the best in his captaincy next year. He’ll do a great job and I look forward to trying my best to qualify for his team.

Finally, I would like to say how proud I am to have been, not only the professional captain this year, but to be a winning captain. It’s got a nice ring to it!

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MICHAEL BOLT The Dubai Golf Trophy really is the pinnacle of our season. This was my sixth event and to be on the winning side for the first time was special. This team was a really fantastic group and I’m delighted for our captain Mike Major who sadly missed most of the year through injury. His leadership brought everyone together and I could not have wished to have shared this experience with a better group.

SUJJAN SINGH Having played 14 years of pro golf where we represent ourselves, the DGT has been a novel experience and has quickly become an event I look forward to the most. This edition was no exception. To be in the lead match and taking on the best players in the amateur team was a challenge I enjoyed.

This year was my first win in three years and the feeling was indescribable. I will be working hard to qualify for next year’s team and hopefully contribute to another win.

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OLIVIA JACKSON My first DGT was definitely one for the books. Being the first female to compete was an honour and gave me pride knowing I was flying the flag for the girls. Going into the week, we knew how much it meant to every single one of the guys who have played throughout the years. Every shot, every putt and every positive comment mattered. I don’t think I stopped shaking after my putt on 18 on the final day. Captain Mikey made sure the group chat was full of team spirit and that we had all we needed to succeed.

I couldn’t have asked for a better captain or a better team to share this experience with.

Coming out top was just the cherry on top of the cake.

LOUIS GAUGHAN As soon as I arrived in Dubai and joined the Emirates PGA, all the pros would talk about was the Dubai Golf Trophy event at the end of the year. It sounded like a fantastic event that I had to try be a part of and they were right. I have loved taking part each year for the last four years. However, finally winning made the experience that much sweeter. We had a fantastic team with a great attitude and confidence amongst everyone this year. Captain Major, Jack Woods and Phil Waine did a fantastic job as always and it seems fitting to have a Dubai Golf, Director of Golf regain the DGT after six long years.

Participation levels were extremely high for our PGA events this season and with the tour hopefully moving from strength to strength, ending the season as a winning team seems a great end to a brilliant year for the Emirates PGA.

Olivia Jackson became the first ever female to compete in the prestigious event

TOM OGILVIE It’s without a doubt the event I look forward to most all year. Having played as an individual all year, the idea of being in a team with my friends and colleagues for this amazing event is an experience I really enjoyed. I played in my first DGT last year with this year’s captain Mikey. I could tell how much it meant to him when we walked off the Majlis this year as winners. I was very proud to represent Dubai Creek and the pro team and I’ll be doing my best to tee it up again next year.

OSCAR YEOMANS Since arriving in November, the anticipation amongst the pros to overturn an abysmal run in the Dubai Golf Trophy was greatly felt, and so for it to fall to the last game on the last hole was hugely dramatic. There

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was a great atmosphere within the team headed up by the captain Mikey Major and vice captains, Jack Woods and Phil Waine.

It was a credit to be a part of and they motivated us to make this year our year.

All of the pros have been great fun to play with throughout the year in a jam-packed schedule playing golf at excellent courses around the UAE, and after such a great couple of days I’m keen to keep working on my game and make sure I’m back to do it all again next year.

RYAN SMITH Another great weekend of the Dubai Golf Trophy and a privilege to be part of this group. Winning back the trophy means so much to each professional, and the way that it was won coming to the last hole was something very special and a moment to be remembered for a long time.

Purna Sharma held his nerve on the 18th to stop a rot of six successive defeats for the pros

PURNA SHARMA I was very relieved to secure that half point on the 18th. I was still shaking coming off that last green. I am very glad that we did it after so many years. I wasn’t even going to be a part of the Dubai Golf Trophy at one point as I had planned a trip back home, but after chatting with captain Mike Major I changed my plan. I’m glad I stayed back and got the chance to play an important role for the win. I would like to thank our captain Mike and the full team for the camaraderie shown. Also, thanks to all involved in the DGT as well as Pro Sports International.

JACKSON BELL Monday was the best day of the golfing season. What a team performance from start to finish. Everyone contributed. I felt the team was really strong this year and personally I was delighted to make the team after a long spell out with injury. We had a real team bond this year and I think that showed and got us over the line. We knew how strong they were so we really had to dig deep. Six years in the making. Hopefully we can hold on to it now. Great end to the season.

STEVEN MUNRO I’ve played many a DGT over the years although I’ve only played once in the last six years when the amateurs started taking over and been more successful. It’s always an honour to play in the team and we strive throughput the year to qualify for the team.

It’s the most enjoyable weekend we have throughout the season and over the years it has become more and more competitive but still played in great spirit. I was absolutely delighted to be part of the team this year and to be able to help contribute to our first win in the last seven attempts.

I was so happy the event went down to the last hole of the last game and delighted for Purna to grab the winning half point for the team. The camaraderie is fantastic within this team and I’m already looking forward to taking on the amateurs again next year and in years going forward.

NATHAN KERNAGHAN I’d watched the Dubai Golf Trophy last year but as a rookie coming in to play I didn’t quite know what to expect. When you’re inside the ropes playing and getting the full experience it’s an unbelievable couple of days. I had a great partner in Jackson

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Bell for the first two rounds and we gelled extremely well. We played some great golf and to not have to go past the 15th hole for two rounds was unbelievable and to finish the match with a pretty nice hole in one topped off the best day I’ve ever had on a golf course. It was probably the best shot I’ve ever hit as well. To see the trophy come down to the last hole on Monday was dramatic and quite fitting for a great event.

A lot of lifelong memories with the great team and hopefully we can do it again next year.

LUKE PLUMB What a fantastic weekend of golf we had.

I’m extremely privileged to be able to play with my friends and my peers against the amateurs. It was pretty special for all of us, I think we are all still on a high. I’ve played in 10 Dubai Golf Trophies now and obviously the first three years we won while the last six years ended in defeat so I had kind of forgot that feeling of winning with the team. This DGT was certainly my favourite, getting that win again and the fact that it came down to the last game – it was a fantastic feeling. I’m so glad we did

DUBAI GOLF TROPHY

The two teams went head-to-head over two days of thrilling action in the 23rd staging of the event

it for captain Mikey and everyone on the team. I can’t wait to play again next year and hopefully we can win again.

TOM BUCHANAN The DGT, as always, was a wonderful event.

It’s one weekend, we as pros, look forward to competing against our amateur peers.

Day one was very tight with lots of good golf and to be one point ahead gave us a slender advantage. The second day singles didn’t look very good for us at one stage.

We were struggling early doors with lots of red on the scoreboard but towards the end we swung it around and were looking very comfortable. Then again, as so often happens in many of these trophies, it swung towards the amateurs after they secured a couple of points and won some big holes late on, but thankfully for us Purna got the job done at the end and allowed us to secure the victory after six long, hard years of losing. It’s always a pleasure and Dubai Golf always put on such a great show, without them the event just doesn’t happen so a massive thankyou to them.

GRAHAM FORBES It’s fantastic to finally get the win... I know the guys have been waiting a long time for this. My second Dubai Golf Trophy after losing out last year, which was a sore one to take so it felt amazing to bounce back this year. I thought the pairings made a big difference – both partners I had, Olivia Jackson and Steven Munro, were absolutely brilliant and we meshed well

together to get the business done and bring home the points. In the singles, I played young Jay Mullane, who is a very talented player so it was good to get another win against him. I think he’ll go on and do things in golf. Cannot wait to get going next year and trying to make two in a row.

SAM MACLAREN The Dubai Golf Trophy is always the highlight of the season. It’s great having something to play for at the end of the season and this has definitely been the most difficult in my time to get into the squad. Last year I qualified fairly comfortably with less points than I ended up with this year, which shows the standard of the professional game has gone up in the region. I think all the pro team were pretty much in agreement that in terms of strength and depth this was one of the strongest teams we’ve had in a long time, definitely since I’ve been here. When you looked down the list of players you knew everyone was going to go out and do a job – there wasn’t any weak players or pairings.

Me and my partner Purna on the first day halved both of our matches and you don’t think too much about it at the time but then you look at the narrowest of margins that we won by, it’s literally one putt here or there. It’s always a brilliant two days put on by Dubai Golf with both courses in superb condition. It just makes me want to keep my game sharp to try and make the team next year. Disappointingly I lost my singles match but I would have happily lost

Worldwide GOLF 41

that had I known that we would go and get the trophy back. It was definitely the best DGT I’ve been a part of especially with the camaraderie and team spirt shown. Lastly a big thanks to Michael Major, who did a great job and his picks were brilliant because of everyone contributed to the win.

GINGER DELACRÉTAZ To be part of the ladies team at the DGT was an unbelievable experience. To be given this opportunity really took me out of my comfort zone but also made me realise how lucky I was to play golf with such great teammates and incredible competitors.

Nothing equals the feeling of winning a point for your team and that was what motivated each one of us as an individual to give our ultimate best. I’m looking forward to many more winning years from the professional team.

LEA POUILLARD First year for me in the pro team of Dubai Golf Trophy, and what a year. I enjoyed the process of this competition, qualifying during our PGA events all year. It reminded me of playing amateur team golf competitions. I loved this part of my golfing career and have missed it since turning pro.

It was so refreshing to be a part of a team again, especially with such an amazing team! It was a pleasure to play for captain Michael Major and Jack Woods, they led the team well to victory. I look forward to hopefully playing in this great event again next year and future years to come.

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HENRIK STENSON

Scandinavian HENRIK STENSON

TRAILBLAZER W

hen Henrik Stenson edged Phil Mickelson in the fabled ‘Duel of the ‘Sons’ to capture the 2016 Open Championship at Royal Troon, he proudly accepted the mantle of Scandinavian trailblazer.

“I’m really proud to have done that, and it’s going to be massive for golf in Sweden,” he said after becoming just the second Swede, after Annika Sörenstam, and first Scandinavian male, to win a major.

Fast-forward less than a month and Stenson continued his summer of silver, from the claret jug to the runner-up medal at the Rio Olympics behind future Ryder Cup partner Justin Rose.

Much later, Stenson admitted Rio was perhaps an even more seminal moment for Swedish golf than winning the game’s oldest major championship.

“We’re reaching out to a broader audience and certainly back home in Sweden, there were many more people watching me go headto-head with Justin for the gold than seeing me win the Open Championship,” Stenson said.

“It’s great for the growth of the game on a worldwide scale. We had messages afterwards from people saying ‘I’ve never tried golf and never really watched it but I watched the Olympics and I want to go out now to try the game’.

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HENRIK STENSON Skip ahead to this past March and the ‘Iceman’ experienced genuine “goosebumps” after being named the first Swede, and just the fifth player from Continental Europe, as European Ryder Cup captain.

“When I started out as a professional golfer, it was beyond my wildest dreams that, one day, I would follow in the footsteps of legends of the game such as Seve and be the European Ryder Cup captain. But today proves that, sometimes, dreams do come true.”

Stenson clearly enjoys being the purveyor of dreams for Swedish golf’s next-gen. It’s why he combined with Sörenstam to launch the €2 million Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed hosted by Henrik and Annika which is set for its second staging at Halmstad Golf Club from June 9-12.

“We are in it for the long run and our hope is that through the Scandinavian Mixed, Annika and I can help inspire the next generation of golfers in Sweden and around the world. Our game is inclusive in so many ways and this tournament continues to highlight that fact on a global stage.”

The first edition of the DP World Tour (ex European Tour)-Ladies European Tour (LET) co-sanctioned event was won by Northern Irishman Jonathan Caldwell at Vallda Golf & Country Club 12 months ago.

Stenson is looking forward to the shift to Halmstad, a former Solheim Cup venue, but not half as much as welcoming fans to Tylösand.

“I have played some junior events at the course but never at this level, and I think it will be an excellent host venue... both in terms of golf course and the whole setup within the region.

“It was a lot of fun to host the tournament with Annika [last] year but the only thing missing for us was the crowds not being able to attend. We are both looking forward to welcoming back the Swedish fans for an even bigger and better event.”

Another hope for Stenson is a long overdue return to form. After reaching as high as No.2 in 2014, the 46-year-old has drifted out to 234th in the OWGR on the back of a frustrating 50 months. Since the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March 2020, Stenson has missed 22 cuts in 45 starts, withdrawn from two other events and finished inside the top-20 just five times.

REBUILDING HIS SWING His last victory came at Tiger Woods’ Hero World Challenge in December 2019 and the last time he seriously contended was when he finished T-4 and 3rd respectively at the D+D Real Czech Masters and the Omega European Masters last August.

Peter Cowen started rebuilding Stenson’s swing a year ago and the sometimes Dubai-based coach was confident then of a return to glories past.

“I’ve gotten him out of deep (stuff) twice,” Cowen told AP at the time.

Indeed, Stenson has twice recovered from slumps, the first where he made only eight cuts in 26 starts in 2002-03 and slid to 621st in the OWGR. There was another barren spell not long after Stenson won The Players Championship in 2009 and tumbled from fifth to 230th.

Cowen’s biggest concern a year ago

“When I started out as a professional golfer, it was beyond my wildest dreams that, one day, I would follow in the footsteps of legends of the game such as Seve and be the European Ryder Cup captain. But today proves that, sometimes, dreams do come true.”

HENRIK STENSON

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was Stenson’s driver, or rather the lack of one. The Swede’s trademark 3-wood strike is other worldly but the young guns have upped the ante off the tee since Stenson was at his dominating best.

“He’s got to be able to hit driver,” Cowen told AP’s Doug Ferguson.

“Without that, he’s got to play better than the rest just to compete. That’s the difficult part at the moment.”

As recently as last month, Stenson acknowledged the widening gap but entered the 104th U.S. PGA Championship with hope.

“We see the younger generation, the kind of firepower they have off the tee and the distances, but there’s more to it than just distance,” Stenson said.

“No matter what your age, if you play your best game and you use all that experience and mental abilities and everything else, you can certainly be up there and win even at a later age and maybe when you don’t have quite the same distance as the 23-year-olds of today.”

For the record, Stenson missed the cut after negotiating the opening 36-holes at Southern Hills in five-over.

Perhaps the 11-time DP World Tour winner will draw more confidence from his T33 finish at the inaugural Scandinavian Mixed, albeit at a different venue and a distant 11-strokes behind Caldwell.

What is guaranteed is a co-host with the most when it comes to media centre humour.

When a reporter asked Stenson on the eve of Southern Hills whether Mickelson’s victory at age 50 at the 2021 PGA Championship was inspirational for the old blokes, he offered one of his off-the-cuff retorts.

“I’ve got four more years to prepare, I guess.”

The Iceman is the owner of far funnier oneliners but perhaps isn’t done with building his legacy inside the ropes. Those set to line the fairways at Halmstad Golf Club will hope so but not half as much as European fans hoping for Ryder Cup redemption at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club near Rome next September-October. That might, just possibly, top every achievement thus far. ■

WORLDWIDE GOLF SOCIETY SHOWDOWN II

PROVES A REAL HUM-DINGER!

T

he second instalment of the Worldwide Golf Society Showdown took place at sunny Al Hamra Golf Club last month with a bulging field of 96 golfers taking to the Peter Harradine designed course in Ras Al Khaimah in a bid to secure bragging rights as the nation’s No.1 society.

It was another hotly contested affair but coming out on top with a sensational combined Stableford score of 97 points was the Dingers team of Dan Crumplin, Tom Bright, Jack Ticehurst and George Agius.

“Thanks to Worldwide Golf and Al Hamra Golf Club for another great event,” said team captain Crumplin. “Slightly hot out there today but we had a feeling it was going to be our day when one of our team members (George Agius) chipped in on the second hole.

“The man continued to play well and ended up playing a blinder. His back was slightly sore from carrying the team on the front 9 but thankfully the three of us found some form on the final stretch. All in all, a fantastic day.

Already looking forward to the next event and th defence of the title.”

The format for the day saw the best two

scores from four on each hole counting towards the team total and in second place with a still very impressive 92 points was the local RAK team from the Al Puza Golf Society of Donovan Wood, Theuns Holtzhausen, Francois Du Toit and Jean Cilliers who, despite coming up just short of the top prize, definitely won the WWG vote for best golf society shirts!

“There just is no other event which so perfectly encompasses the sport of golf, its players and the experience on the day as the Worldwide Golf Society Showdown,” said Al Puza Captain Wood. “Al Puza Golf society look forward to the fun of participating in many more to come!”

Completing the podium places with a score of 88 was one of the four Abu Dhabi Golf Society teams which comprised Mark Field, Wayne Merrick, Ian Templeton and Chris Lawson.

There were nearest the pin competitions on all four par 3s. Irem Aksay from The Ill-Eagles scooped the honours on hole 4 while Dingers lead man Dan Crumpin was again in the prizes on hole 7 with Fabian Baird of Al Puza going closest on 11 and Paul McNeil from The Lots on hole 15.

Worldwide GOLF 46

The activation on the 11th was a particularly creative one, sponsored by Jondo sunglasses that feature AmplifEYE technology which enhances colour perception much more than polarised lenses (see pg 57). Players had to wear the sunglasses while taking their shot with Baird receiving a nice new pair of shades for his winning effort.

MyGolf, Dubai sponsored a longest drive on hole 17 which was won by the highly impressive 11 year old Sophia Zbiri from the Sport2Business society.

After the golf it was back to the clubhouse terrace where the drinks flowed and the friendly rivalry continued into the evening with a longest drive competition on a MyGolf Dubai simulator which proved very popular!

“MyGolf was thrilled to be a part of the Worldwide Golf Society Showdown and sponsor the 17th hole as well as providing some entertainment in the evening on our mobile simulator,” said MyGolf Dubai Founder and CEO Michael Zhao. “The turnout was exhilarating. We thoroughly enjoyed the event with our team and are looking forward to being part of the latest initiatives to bring UAE golfers an all-new golfing experience in the

WORLDWIDE GOLF SOCIETY SHOWDOWN II

PHOTO GALLERY

The Ill-Eagles

KEGS The winning Dingers team of George Agius, Dan Crumplin, Tom Bright and Jack Ticehurst with Worldwide Golf’s Rick Bevan

summer with real course adventures as well as MyGolf’s simulators. Here’s to the positive disruption of the Dubai golf ecosystem in the coming months!”

The party continued back at the Official Hotel, the new Radisson Resort on Marjan Island, before the assembled throng finally retreated to their luxurious bedrooms in the wee small hours with the second Worldwide Golf Society Showdown well and truly completed in style.

“We were so honoured to be part of the Worldwide Golf Society Showdown 2022 and to have the chance of welcoming lots of golfers from Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other emirates to

experience Radisson Resort our wonderful beachside property on the stunning Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah,” said Anees Awwad Hotel Manager.

If you’re interested in registering a 4-player team or society for the next instalment of the Worldwide Golf Society Showdown (details to come…), or would like to sponsor the event please email: events@worldwidegolfme.com

We took part in the last event and one of our teams won. Even though it took us two hours to get here today due to an accident we’re out here having an amazing time, the tournament is always fun but we’ll have more fun on the 19th hole!”

You meet amazing people at these golf days, it’s a great networking event and it also promotes the sponsors. We’ve had a fantastic day so a big thank you to Worldwide Golf, Al Hamra and Radisson for putting the event on.”

Joseph Andrade Shank Addicts/ Indian Golf Society

Keith Elliot The LOTS (Lads On Tour)

Desert Rose

Al Puza (and their glorious shirts)

The Helmets

We’ve had a wonderful day. This is the second time the Desert Rose Golf Society has played this event and we’re very happy to support the organisers.”

The event is great fun.

It’s our first time playing and we’ve had a wonderful time, thankyou. Al Hamra Golf Club is one of our favourite courses to play at.”

Su Taylor Desert Rose Golf Society

Kerry Potgieter The Ill-Eagles

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PETE COWEN COLUMN

Tiger set for historic roar H

aving just returned from the USPGA I can honestly say it wasn’t a great Major for my players, thank goodness for Matt Fitzpatrick. Too many big names got the wrong side of the draw for the opening two rounds, which is why the usual contenders were not there over the weekend. The best example of this was Scottie Scheffler who missed the cut by one and he’s the most in form player of the moment.

But the story had to be Justin Thomas, who like Matt, managed to get on the right side of the draw but to be eight shots back with just 10 holes to play on Sunday was a remarkable achievement.

Matt was understandably disappointed to miss out at Southern Hills but it was his first outing in the final group of a Major, which shows all his hard work is trending in the right direction.

He is leading the Tee to Green stats on the PGA Tour right now and we all know how good he is under pressure with the putter, so it’s only a matter of time before Matt lands his first Major title. Many people easily forget he is still only 27 and ranked 15th in the world, so he should be one of the favourites going into Majors.

Matt’s left hand below right chipping technique is something Mike Walker and I have been advocating for years. It doesn’t imply he has a floored technique or got the yips, it’s just a better technique. I remember when people started putting left below right and it was questioned for the same reasons, now most players putt left hand low. Chipping in this manner allows the club to get under the ball easier, especially on the softer shots.

Matt studies everything in the quest to

improve his game and lower his scoring. The left hand low chipping change illustrates that, as he was a very good chipper using the conventional method, but he switched to save even more shots around the green.

Ever since he was a kid, he logged every shot he played. That’s not just yardages but all the other Fitzpatrick variables such as wind switch and grass conditions. So, things up he would have done the calculations prior to switching hand positions based on shot efficiency around the greens.

One person that I’ve not seen too much off but really impressed me at the PGA Championship was Cameron Young. He’s another fearless talent that has the whole package. It’s not just about hitting the ball colossal distances off the tee anymore, as all these young lads are long, but the latest wave of college stars appear to have the full skill set but paired with a fearless mindset. They couldn’t care less about the big stars they are up against; their focus is on low scores and winning.

Just look at the US PGA Championship leaderboard on Sunday. Who would have thought Young, Zalatoris and Pereira would be in the top three, the talent pouring out of the Korn Ferry Tour and college system is relentless and winning tournaments is just going to get harder. This will supercharge Jack’s and Tiger’s legacies as their records will go unmatched. Winning Majors is now a young man’s game, players with no fear and no emotional scars or baggage.

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Hopefully there might be one exception to that last statement. I shared a buggy with Tiger at Southern Hills going from the range to the clubhouse, as we are both struggling with rehab, although Tiger’s ankle is in worse shape than my aging knees. He is a remarkable individual and the fact he made the cut on Friday was some feat. The long walk round Southern Hills is hard going for most people, let alone a player battling to come back from a severe ankle injury. But things are looking better for him as The Open at St Andrews is flat and that ankle will not take the same pounding as it’s had to endure walking around the hills of the last two Major venues.

Tiger has been working around the ankle issue and he’s obviously been focusing hard on his upper body strength, as his ball speed is still up in the 180mph region.

Sometimes fate is written in the stars. This year The Open celebrates it’s 150th anniversary at the Home of Golf and 17 years since Tiger went wire-to-wire to lift his third Claret Jug. So, in front of 300,000 fans, you know that the greatest golfer of modern era will probably do the unthinkable and send the golfing world into melt down. I know that is what he will be planning, as he is all about the winning and beating Jack’s Major haul.

Winning The Open is all about the luck of the draw in terms of weather. If the weather stays calm for all four rounds expect records to tumble and a player might break 60 for the first time! ■

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JENNY HENNESSY

Playing in different weather conditions makes you a stronger competitor

G

reetings golfing world. Welcome to my June column, updating you on all things golf here in the Middle East and further afield.

Temperatures are continuing to rise here in the UAE, it is almost time to swap the desert heat for the cooler Irish summer.

The links courses of Ireland await! Naturally biased, Ireland remains my favourite place to golf, but I am enjoying the experience of playing the world class courses the UAE has to offer, each so different to the courses across Europe. At home in Ireland we have both parkland and links style courses.

Parkland courses are mostly tree lined and sometimes feature water hazards. Links courses are located beside the sea.

They have hard, bouncy, sand-based fairways, with the thick marram grass preserving the natural links dunes adding a level of difficulty like no other, particularly with regular windy conditions. In the Middle East, you will find your ball flying much further through the warm, thin air. This was certainly a welcome surprise and confidence booster when I first arrived in the UAE. I found myself clubbing down a lot to adjust to the new playing conditions, whilst also enjoying

the noticeable gains off the tee. Playing golf in Ireland, you become accustomed to playing in a multitude of weather conditions; wind, rain, sometimes sunny, you name it! I almost don’t know what to do with myself on a calm day when there is no strong wind blowing sideways at me!

Although we don’t have strong winds and rain to contend with here in UAE, playing in the heat certainly brings its own challenges. I think learning to play in different weather conditions is a great thing, it definitely makes you a stronger competitor and a more adaptable golfer. Playing junior girls tournaments growing up, I would often feel disheartened when I would wake up to wind and rain on competition day.

My dad often provided me with his words of wisdom: “One third of the field are not prepared as they don’t have the right equipment for the challenging weather, and another third don’t have the right attitude – they don’t want to be out in the rain, so you’re competing with the last remaining third today.”

To this day I think of those words when the weather conditions aren’t to my liking. Mental strength and resilience are so important in

Worldwide GOLF 51

golf. Golf is definitely more appealing to people in a warmer climate, I don’t think quite as many Chicks With Sticks would be flocking to the driving range every week if we were factoring in wind and rain. I’m grateful for the sunny and dry climate that we live in as it is the perfect playground for golfers, whatever the age and whatever the ability level. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, golf is a sport for everyone!

On the ladies front, June 7th will mark Women’s Golf Day, an event hosted in many golf clubs worldwide to celebrate girls and women playing golf. In Dubai, you can celebrate Women’s Golf Day at the Gil Hanse designed course at Trump Golf Club. Get in touch with the club to check out their great offers for this day! As for the pro’s, all eyes will be on the Women’s US Open at The Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in North Carolina on June 2-5. I look forward to seeing who will lift the trophy, it should be an epic showdown of golf.

Jenny, Founder of Chicks with Sticks

FOCUS ON THE TARGET FOR DISTANCE CONTROL BY

JAMIE COUGHLIN

PGA PROFESSIONAL, TOPGOLF, DUBAI

golfprojamie

W

e rely on our instincts for many things we do in everyday life, especially when generating power and accuracy. At times, with the golf club in our hands, we have a tendency to make it more complicated than it needs to be.

What we see from the world’s best golfers is that they are intuitive when it comes to their movement, they’re ‘in the shot’. They fully take in their environment using their senses to feel the desired golf shot.

TEE UP YOUR SUMMER

BOOK THE BEST COURSES AT THE BEST RATES Worldwide GOLF 52

INSTRUCTION

We can enhance our feel, thus improving our distance control, by doing the same. Simply look at the target on practice swings, feeling the club swing back and forth. The back-and-forth nature will allow you to create a more natural rhythm and tempo. See the target and imagine where the ball will first bounce. There’s no set number of swings, rather swing the weight until you feel the correct length/ speed that will allow the ball to fly as far as the landing spot. A handy reference is to think of how you throw a ball. Give it a go and get back to a more natural way of playing golf.

If you want to learn golf in a fun and relaxed environment then book in for a lesson at Topgolf Dubai.

Tel: +971 4 371 9960 | Email: academy@topgolfdubai.ae www.topgolfdubai.ae

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Worldwide GOLF 53

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MASTER AN UPHILL SLOPING LIE I

n this article, I’m going to teach you how to counteract the closed clubface at impact when you’re facing a uphill sloping lie.

A general rule of thumb, when you find yourself with a sloping lie, is to try and create as much balance as possible throughout the swing. Wherever the slope takes you, try to address yourself in a position where your bodyweight is going against the slope.

The great thing about our simulators at MyGolf, Dubai, is they slope into different angles to allow you to practice ball above feet and ball below feet – this isn’t possible at a normal driving range.

Worldwide GOLF 54

BY

GIOVANNI LOSSO

PGA PROFESSIONAL, MY GOLF DUBAI.

INSTRUCTION

THE DO’S 2. Counter the gravity by placing your body weight on the opposite side of the slope. Place your weight fully on your tip toes. As you can see my heels are raised from the ground for this severe slope. It’s very important to do this to counteract the lie angle of the club, which at the moment of strike may cause the club face to immediately shut.

1. Grip the club shorter to allow the wrists to properly release the club and promote a more ‘armsy’ swing.

3. Promote a stable ‘armsy’ swing and try not to fall.

THE DON’TS 2. Do not place your body weight like you would when hitting off a flat lie. If you do, you will probably duck hook it!

3. Don’t swing if you aren’t sure.

1. Do not grip the club high up the handle like you would with a normal shot. This is perfect if you want to hit the ground a mile before the ball!

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Worldwide GOLF 55

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JONDO GOLF SHADES

HDR FOR YOUR EYES….

BY RICHARD BEVAN

D

uring our recent Worldwide Golf Society Showdown at Al Hamra, the golf club arranged a hole sponsorship from a sunglasses brand we’d never heard of before – Jondo.

As well as keeping our guests refreshed with complimentary drinks before they took on the daunting long par 3 11th over water, the activation involved inviting the players to don a pair of Jondo shades while they played the hole and compare what they were seeing to the view they had through their regular sunglasses.

Now, I play golf in the UAE wearing shades made by a very well-known and respected brand, which feature polarised lenses.

They’re pretty good…or so I thought. The vision produced by the Jondo glasses was another level. POW! The colours of grass, water and sky all popped immediately. It was like going from black and white to glorious technicolour in an instant. And just like that, my polarised sunnies seemed second rate.

Developed by South African ATP tennis

star Michael De Jongh and optometrist Pieter Naude, the secret to Jondo’s outstanding clarity and colour perception lies in the patented amplifEYE technology which works by using advanced spectral filtration to produce wonderfully vivid shades of red, green, and blue and virtually eliminate glare and haze. They also offer a high level of protection for your eyes in a variety of extreme conditions and are lightweight, durable and best of all, incredibly cool looking!

The reason we hadn’t heard of them before, and the reason you won’t find them adorning the shelves of every pro shop in the land is that they are not mass produced.

Each and every pair is custom fitted with these unique high contrast lenses. Care and attention goes into every pair and the results speak for themselves.

Don’t believe us? Proof is in the pudding as they – try a pair, you’ll see what we mean.

The AmplifEYE range retails at AED 600 per pair and there’s also a polarised range at AED 300 but Worldwide Golf readers can avail a 10% discount by quoting the following code: JONDOWWG10%

To purchase a pair of Jondo sunglasses call 055 496 0469 or 052 459 0663, email: Info@jondo.ae or Instagram: Jondo_uae and don’t forget your WWG discount code: JONDOWWG10%

Worldwide GOLF 57

KJUS D

espite the company being founded a day after a round of golf, Kjus and Serena originally made performance apparel for skiing, before the brand expanded over a decade later to bring technical innovation to golf apparel, attracting industry attention.

“Through my career I won 16 medals at the Olympics and World Championships,” said Kjus. “I achieved the overall World title twice. My greatest achievement was founding the brand KJUS.” After attracting widespread acclaim for the quality of their products, the brand was acquired by Acushnet Company, owner of high-end golf brands such as Titleist, Footjoy and Scotty Cameron.

“What an honour to partner with Acushnet.

I remain very much involved, especially with input on the products. I have always believed that the products must have top performance to earn a K logo,” added Kjus.

The brand’s award-winning golf collection, which includes polos, trousers and rain jackets, are developed by passionate sports

Innovating with every seam, fabric and detail

experts and tested by professional athletes.

They also boast ambassadors on the professional circuit with the likes of Branden Grace and David Lipsky wearing the iconic K logo while competing across the world.

“I am fascinated by the design, quality and functionality of the product. KJUS gives me a large variety of on- and off-course apparel and accessories,” said Grace.

The products continue to enable golfers to focus on the experience and perform at their maximum potential. Driven by an enthusiasm for sports and an uncompromising vision, KJUS continues to push farther, innovating with every seam, fabric and detail.

SHOP THE LATEST RANGE OF KJUS PRODUCTS AT GOLF SUPERSTORE MALL OF THE EMIRATES

Worldwide GOLF 58

STATE-OF-THE-ART CUSTOM FITTING

at Abu Dhabi Golf Club’s new Pro Shop If you’ve been down to Abu Dhabi Golf Club in the last six months you may have noticed the Pro Shop looks a little different.

T

he store, which is managed by Pro Sports International, has undergone an impressive renovation, which has seen it almost double in size compared to its predecessor while boasting a bespoke look compared to other stores in the region.

That has allowed more space for some of the hottest products on the market, including the Titleist Vokey Design SM9 Wedges and PING G425 driver as well as an extensive range of premium and fashionable apparel from brands such as Ralph Lauren, Footjoy, Peter Millar and KJUS. “We’re really happy with how the store looks, a lot of work went into expanding and giving a bespoke feel to it,” said Tom Hanson, Retail Manager and Custom Fit Specialist, Abu Dhabi Golf Club. “It’s certainly been successful in helping promote brands such as PING, Titleist and Callaway in terms of fitting.”

Hanson himself is new to the UAE having only moved over at the beginning of the year, but he brings a wealth of experience to the role, previously working with one of the world’s leading equipment brands.

“I was previously a custom fit specialist for PING Europe back in the UK, covering the South West of England and Wales for three years,” he said. “Before that I was at a golf club in Devon where I started my PGA training before I moved into the fitting route and using

equipment technology to try and help golfers improve their game.”

For golfers looking to take advantage of Hanson’ state-of-the-art custom-fitting service, you’ll be invited down to the recently opened Falcon Performance Institute, which is located on the floodlit driving range and has a dedicated bay for club fitting.

“The Falcon Performance Institute is a really exciting development for golfers looking for a world-class custom fitting experience,” he said. “We offer a state-of-theart custom fitting using the latest technology,

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including TrackMan 4 and the brand’s fitting equipment that we’re provided with. We really try and hone in the golfer’s needs in terms of equipment technology to help them play their best.”

To book a custom-fitting with Tom or to learn more about the products on offer at Abu Dhabi Golf Club please send him a message on Instagram.

FalconFitterGolf

SUMMER LOO AT YAS ACRES GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

I

t’s fair to say that golf in the UAE can be a challenging undertaking during the summer months. It’s more than a little sweaty out there and nobody wants to be walking the golf course when the mercury is at its peak. Therefore, the arrival at Yas Acres Golf & Country Club of 45 brand spanking new golf carts couldn’t have come at a better time.

Not only that, the UAE’s newest club has unveiled some exceedingly tantalizing summer offers to enable golfers to experience its spectacular championship standard floodlit 9-hole layout. From June to September there are a choice of Summer Bundles at the club starting from just AED 75 per round!

The state-of-the-art carts form part of the club’s strategy of implementing widespread best practice across the entire leisure and lifestyle facility.

Each cart is fully equipped with the

latest Club Car Connect GPS system, allowing golfers to have accurate yardages to the pin as well as offering access to a host of other features.

James Durkin, Golf Operations Manager at Yas Acres Golf & Country Club said: “We are delighted to have received our fleet of carts and to be able to add value to our members and guests experience. Whilst we have seen a fantastic reaction to “walking only” throughout our soft opening, we recognise that we are fast approaching the summer months and a golf cart is a necessity to make the most of this fabulous 9-hole course. Our partners at Luxury Carts and Club Car have worked tirelessly to deliver the fleet of golf carts in time for the summer, for which we are very grateful, and will allow our members and guests to get the most out of their summer golf”.

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Durkin continued: “Moving forward, the cart fee will be included in the price of the green fee, and as we come out of the summer season, we will be giving golfers the option to walk in non-peak times to allow golfers to continue to enjoy the health benefits that have been enjoyed by many. The fleet vehicles are equipped with all the amenities that you would expect, including the latest GPS system through Club Car Connect allowing all golfers to view yardages with pinpoint accuracy”.

Simon Lupton, Sales Director at Luxury Carts, added: “We are delighted to supply a fleet of Club Car golf carts to Yas Acres Golf & Country Club, who are one of the region’s most prestigious new golf courses. We are committed to providing the highest level of service and support to the club in order to deliver a premium experience to all their golfers”.

YAS ACRES GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

OKING GOOD

SUMMER BUNDLES Rounds

Members AED

TEC/TAD AED

VISITORS AED

10

950

2,025

2,200

15

1,350

2,850

3,150

20

1,500

3,500

4,000

For more information on Yas Acres Golf & Country Club: www.yasacresgolf.com Worldwide GOLF 61

RACE TO MALAYSIA

RACE TO MALAYSIA HEATS UP

O

ne of the most prestigious amateur series in the world has been furrowing its path through some of the UAE’s favourite golf courses since April with the Emirates NBD Race to Malaysia powered by Thriwe making its debut in the country in conjunction with Sport 2 Business, Dubai Sports Council and the Emirates Golf Federation.

The series will see 17 qualifying events take place over seven consecutive months culminating in a grand final at Al Hamra Golf Club in Ras Al Khaimah on October 1st where the winners across five different categories will be selected to represent the UAE in the World Final from November 12-19 in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, competing against 46 other countries over six rounds on Malaysia’s finest courses (www.worldgolfers.com).

The 2022 Race to Malaysia commenced at the Montgomerie Golf Club, Dubai, on April 10 and has since taken in events at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, Yas Links, Arabian Ranches, Saadityat Beach Golf Club, Trump International Golf Club, Dubai Hills, Abu Dhabi Golf Club and Ja The Resort Golf Course (see www.racetomalaysia. golfgenius.com for results and highlights) with upcoming events at Emirates Golf Club, Al Hamra, Els Club, Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club and Al Zorah.

“We are delighted to work with Emirates NBD and Thriwe to bring this established global event to the UAE,” said Russell Yeomans, Founder of Sport2Business events.

“This is an amazing and unique opportunity to offer UAE amateur golfers a superb ‘Olympic’ style experience to represent the UAE in the world final in November. With flag-raising events, tourist experiences and a bonanza style presentation ceremony,

it will quite simply be a money cannot buy experience of a lifetime for the UAE team.

“More importantly, this is another opportunity to highlight the world-class golfing assets of the UAE as we work with the UAE Tourism teams to potentially bring the World Finals to UAE in 2023 and 2024.”

He added: “Opportunities like this cannot exist without great sponsors, so we are really enjoying working with Emirates NBD and Thriwe to create more memorable experiences for the amateur golfers of Dubai.

We are also delighted to now have AARO, AGMC (BMW), Athletic Drive, Accuracy, Suited & Booted, Msangai Adventures, WeTel TV, Landhouse Properties, Papa Johns, eGolf Megastore and Terra Virtua supporting our Gold Sponsor Emirates NBD – all helping enrich the amateur golfers experience.

Marwan Hadi, Executive Vice President and Head of Retail Banking, Emirates NBD said: “As a leading bank in the region, we are happy to be a part of one of the most prestigious golf events in the UAE, reiterating our commitment to encouraging sporting activities in the region. In line with the bank’s commitment to engage the wider Dubai community in the great game of golf, we have sponsored many golfing events in the UAE over the years including the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic, an event that we have been supporting for over 30 years. Staying true to our “Passion for Sport” strategy and through our GolfLan (Thriwe) programme, we continue to offer our customers access to attractive golfing privileges and benefits.”

Dhruv Verma, Founder and CEO, Thriwe, said: “Thriwe has always supported golf in the region and will continue to do so. We are thrilled to have entered into strategic partnership with Sport2Business via the

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Race to Malaysia tournament and we’re geared up to imbibe the newer trends around the game. Via this amazing podium, we are looking forward to building strong colossal synergies that will enhance the golfing ecosystem and make it a new networking platform to connect business enthusiasts across the globe through golf.”

The sanctioning body, Emirates Golf Federation through Director General, Akram Skaik, said: “We are delighted to support an amateur series like this adhering to the World Handicap System (WHS) and EGF guidelines so amateurs at all levels can enjoy local and global competition knowing handicaps are monitored and respected. We see this as one of a growing number of EGF sanctioned events adding value to the ever increasing number of EGF members as golf continues to prosper as a sport in the UAE.” The golf clubs of the UAE have embraced this simple concept and are instrumental in running successful member events to send their best golfers to represent their club in the National Final at Al Hamra in October.

There are a total of 1400 qualifying events globally, and over 50,000 amateur golfers will aspire to reach the World Final in Malaysia in November - who will be the five UAE representatives?

For golfers wishing to enter the events, please www.racetomalaysia.golfgenius.com to see the schedule (you can enter through your club or through the EGF).

For sponsors, this series provides a unique opportunity to engage with the amateur golfing population of the UAE (Please contact Russell.yeomans@aaro.ae or visit www.racetomalaysia.golfgenius.com to find out how to get involved.

ARABIAN GOLF SHARJAH GOLF & SHOOTING CLUB

Quartet cruise to a fourpoint triumph

Sulaiman and Kaleem flying high

Maruf Kahn, Asim Khan, Marghoob Khan and Humayun claimed a four-point victory at the Raddison Blu Ajman Midweek Special after producing some excellent golf on the night. With a score of 44 on the front nine the team of Shoab Khan, Asif Khan, Ajaz Ahmed and Vakar Mustafa topped the front nine leaderboard, while Director of Golf Sam McLaren, Diman Rai, Tim Craig and Nicolas Reincke claimed best back nine with a brilliant score of 45 points

Ramli Sulaiman and Humayun Kaleem were the big winners of the Air Arabia Matchplay after the duo were crowned Gross and Net singles champions respectively. The pair, along with the other winners and runners up in the other categories, were award trophies and return tickets to any of Air Arabia’s 70+ worldwide destinations for their efforts.

Sensational Sulaiman wins again Ramli Sulaiman has had the season of his life and he finished it in style claiming the final Unitechnik – Dimos Monthly Stableford of the season. A solid round of golf, which included four birdies, saw him pick up yet another trophy this season. Former club captain Mukti Rai scored an impressive 38 points to top Division A, while Jumadi Bin Husani’s 35 points secured the Division B title.

JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES

YAS ACRES GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

Shana’ah banks more WAGR points

Joy for McIlroy, Chadwick and de Vries

Mousa Shana’ah got his hands on the latest GEM International Amateur Golf Tour trophy after rounds of 71, 72 and 73 saw him seal a resounding seven stroke triumph over Jonathan Selvaraj in the 54-hole World Amateur Golf Ranking sanctioned event.

Sheila McIlroy, Sara Chadwick, and Jacqueline de Vries scored 79 points to secure the recently held Park Hyatt Dubai Ladies on the Fire course. The trio dovetailed brilliantly during the Cha-cha-cha format event, which saw teams use the best score on hole one, best two scores on hole two, best three scores on hole three, back to best score on hole four and so on. Trudi McMullan, Rim Sun Lee, and Anna Abbott finished second on a card playoff , two points behind the leaders.

TRUMP INTERNATIONAL GOLF CLUB

Singh shines at Emirates PGA Championship

Sujjan Singh won the first ever Emirates PGA Championship to be held on Gil Hanse-designed layout at Trump International Golf Club, Dubai after shooting consecutive 69s in the 36-hole event.

After opening up a two-shot lead after the first round, Singh extended his lead to four at the end of the final round despite the difficult conditions with holes 14, 16 and 17 all playing into the wind. Olivia Jackson came home in second after mastering the conditions to shoot the lowest round of the tournament with an impressive 67, while Steven Munro completed the top three. Louis Gaughan was crowned the Order of Merit Champion for 2021/22 following the tournament with six wins to his name across the season.

Trump retain Scratch League title Young amateur stars Josh Hill and Toby Bishop signed off from the UAE golf scene in style after the Trump International Golf Club, Dubai Scratch Team retained their Scratch League title with a 4.5-3.5 victory over The Els Club in the final. After a 2-2 result away from home, the Trump team secured the 2.5pts required the following morning thanks to a birdie on the 17th hole from Craig Vance in the final match.

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I N

T H E

B A G

W I T H

JAMIE CAMERO Favourite club in the bag and why?

That would be my 9-iron – it has the best wear marks!

Favourite player?

Lydia Ko, she’s an inspiration for female golfers

Fantasy fourball?

Tiger Woods, Lydia Ko and Tom Holland

Course you’d love to play but haven’t?

Pebble Beach

Favourite par 3 hole in the UAE? 17th at Jumeirah Golf Estates

Item you never leave behind on your travels?

A pillow

What’s in the bag?

Driver: TaylorMade SIM2

Bryson or Books?

Bryson! He’s a nice guy

Woods: TaylorMade SIM2 3 wood Hybrids: TaylorMade M4 Irons: TaylorMade P790 5 - PW Wedges: TaylorMade Hi-Toe 50°,TaylorMade Milled Grind 54°, TaylorMade Tour Preferred 60° Putter: TaylorMade Spider Mini

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PACKAGE VALUE

AED 2250

WWG PACKAGE • 5 times (1) hour use of Open and Semi-Private Bays; for up to 3 people • One (1) hour private session with a PGA coach • Two (2) Group lessons • One Free 18 hole game • One Free Green Training on simulator 100% REFUND POLICY Timings: Weekdays: 10 AM to 10 PM Weekends: 10 AM to 3 PM

Terms & Conditions Apply* Need to finish the package to be entitled for the refund

AED 1000 VALID FOR 6 WEEKS +971-58-174-1983

Worldwide GOLF 66 membership@mygolfdubai.com

www.mygolfdubai.com