DAVID HOWELL

Oh my, what a year 2022 has been for professional golf, LIV Golf, the World Ranking, law suits, business decisions, friendships tested, loyalties shown, or not as the case may be. President Putin mentioned in a golf press conference, thats surely a fi rst, Scottie Scheffl er, growing the game, shot gun starts, The Open, Tom Kim, the two Cams, Smith and Young, Matty Fitz, big strong John Rahm and Rory, sat at the top of the pile, after everything that has gone before, is Rory.

One thing is for certain, to my eyes Rory has never been more determined to sit atop the golfi ng world and prove that he is the dominant player. He may or may not be able to achieve this over the next few seasons, but as his life has progressed I get the feeling he has doubled down on trying to etch his name into the pantheon of the greats that have come before.

Of course he can only do this with Major Championship victories, but FedExCup and DP World Tour Championships and the World Number One spot at year end feels like a giant springboard to supercharge the next fi ve years of his career. His game has never been better, he’s never been fi tter, I get the feeling as he ages that there is an urgency towards his career that maybe drifted for a couple of years as life outside the ropes rightly took shape.

Seeing Tiger, his now great friend with his best years and health sadly now behind him, has I think reminded Rory that time waits for no man, however many Major Championships he is going to end up with is all about now, the next fi ve years, 20 majors to be fought and battled for, won and lost. I sense an almost old fashioned world view coming from Rory, with his fortune already made, his focus is Majors, his legacy, his fi nal resting place in the list of the greats, thats driving him on and I sense it’s a powerful force. Of course the next Major title is the all important one, it will be the hardest one for him to win, but once he does, and the damn bursts then watch out.

One man more than any other standing in his way could be Jon Rahm, after a more subdued season, taking somewhat of a backseat throughout the off course dramas that were thrust upon us this year, it feels like Jon has a point to prove. A fantastic end to his season with wins in Madrid and Dubai sends Jon into rest mode with a pep in his step. He looks like a man with an axe to grind, I sense a rivalry with Rory is forming, much like Seve and Faldo vied for top billing in their contrasting ways. Pure rivalries are great things for sport, there is nothing better, Jon seems to have that spirit deep within him, he could prove to be a thorn in Mcilroy’s side.

As the Masters comes around and the LIVS and the LIV nots congregate once more down Magnolia lane, all vying to don the green jacket, it is going to be electrifying to watch. Some spice has been added to the mix, how it will taste we have yet to see, but in April we might just see the new dawn, old world versus new, some might fi nd it easier to win Major now they are rich beyond their dreams, some might be burdened by the magnitude of what victory means for their legacy, but one thing is for certain, its gong to be one heck of a start to the Major season.

Of course by April the World Ranking changes will have started to take effect, some will miss out on playing The Masters due to choosing a monster pay day and a new work life balance that they decided was important, so don’t sympathise too much on their behalf, and others will miss out, some will gain entry because of the changes to the ranking system itself. My take on the new system? It’s worse than the old system, it seems to be saying that beating 50 players ranked 50th to 100th in the world is harder that beating 5 of the top ten players in the world, I think if you asked any tour pro they would disagree with this sentiment. Also I dislike the fact that the new system discourages top players from playing in smaller events with weaker fi elds, something the old system protected against to some degree, my gut feeling is the changes have been negative, hence some changes might be needed in time.

And fi nally how will the golfi ng landscape continue to evolve over the coming years, will we see a coming together of LIV Golf and the PGA Tour? Quite frankly, in the near future I cant see it happening, simply put, right now there has never been a better time to be a professional golfer, with options galore and money aplenty, but sadly perhaps perversely, never a worse time to be a golf fan, thats a very sad thing to say, but diluted fi elds on every tour was not what was needed, it will change in time, compromise will most likely eventually come but that time is not yet I fancy, the lines in the sand have only just been drawn, the battle for domination will continue on for a while yet.

One good shot followed by one bad shot sound familiar? Master PGA Professional, Pete Cowen, explains why playing golf is like playing a piano.

The pattern of the movement is either wrong or can’t be completed in the same way every time. Think of it like playing the piano, you can hit all the notes in the right order but it still sounds terrible. You’ve got the sequence right, so why does it still sound bad? It’s due to the timing between the notes being wrong.

So, how does the piano relate to the golf swing? You’ve got all the swing movements in the right order, but it’s still not producing the perfect strike.

You need the correct biomechanics to ensure the appropriate muscle structures are moving at the right time. This is best understood at first without swinging a golf club. Then, we can keep making those structured movements until it’s perfect. There has to be a movement within the muscle structure that can be repeated!

Golfers have always been taught to hit the ball with a club, not to move the muscle structure to move the club.

One group of players that have become so good at this are the Korean ladies on the LPGA. They are getting closer to the correct muscle activation that can be repeated time and time again.

How do the muscles work when utilised correctly and what muscles drive the machine to keep it working perfectly?

In theory, the golf swing is not a very complicated movement because we are stood on solid ground with a ball that is stationary. It should be easy to maintain balance and repeat the movement, unlike a gymnast that has to perform a perfect double somersault and land on a four inch wide bar that’s three feet in the air. If they can perfect that movement then why can’t we perfect a simple golf swing?

The answer is simple, we don’t move the muscle structure correctly. I’ve always said the movement in golf is a simple spiral of the body:

The three dimensions of the swing are: up and down; lateral and rotation but one has to be in charge. It has to be the up and down because it happens before the other two and drives the others.

When the spiral is completed on the backswing, the muscles are loaded properly and you are now in a position to use the correct driving force while maintaining balance.

Now you can add the two correct punch movements – punching down to punch up. Or as most people say shift your weight onto the right side then to your left. To transfer your weight efficiently it has to be through muscle activation. So you need to build the correct repetitive movement.

How much weight do I shift ? At what time do I shift it? Does it go back into my heal on the backswing, then to my instep on the downswing, then to the outside of my left foot? How can you do all these things in a millisecond?

Constantly hitting balls and trying to improve the previous shot all the time is not going to build the correct repetitive movement. If you want a repetitive powerful movement in the golf swing, relative to the shot you intend to play, what should you do?

Don’t just hit more balls with an inconsistent movement hoping it gets better. Good luck with that one because I’ve tried and it doesn’t work. All that happens is your hand eye coordination gets better but not your mechanics.

Poor practice precedes poor performance. Focus on building the correct muscle movement, NOT your hand and eye coordination. That is why the top professionals are so consistent.

DRIVER IRON

BY JAMIE COUGHLIN

PGA PROFESSIONAL, TOPGOLF, DUBAI golfprojamie

At Topgolf we have golf clubs for everyone. From toddler and junior clubs, to men’s and ladies right or left-handed golf clubs.

In each of the bays you’ll fi nd both men’s and ladies golf clubs. The men’s have a silver shaft and the ladies have a blue shaft. The ladies’ clubs are an inch shorter and have a lighter shaft than the men’s for comfort.

You’ll fi nd even clubs in the even bays and odd clubs in the odd bays. I recommend using an eight iron to get started.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CLUBS?

1)Longer clubs come with more leverage and therefore create more speed. Typically, a lengthier club results in further distance, but they are usually more diffi cult to hit fl ush. You need to stand further from the ball with a longer club to allow space to swing through. 2)The other major factor to consider when selecting your club is angle of the clubhead. Less loft results in more distance. Increased loft on the clubhead, such as with a nine iron, means a higher shot with increased spin. However, it won’t travel as far.

The fi ve iron has a long shaft with around 21 to 27 degrees of loft on the clubface. The ball goes a long way when solid contact is made, but it’s diffi cult to hit well. The recent DP World Tour Rankings winner Rory McIlroy smashes his fi ve iron 225 yards.

The eight iron has a shorter shaft in comparison to a fi ve, while it also typically has 38 degrees of loft. Tour pros, such as New Zealander Ryan Fox, can average over 170 yards with their eight irons which is pretty impressive.

With the long shaft and large head, the driver is designed to pump the ball as far down the driving range as possible. The average 10 handicap men’s player drives the ball around 240 yards, while the likes of Viktor Hovland is capable of consistently hitting it over 300 yards with this club.

If it’s your fi rst time at Topgolf, start with a mid-iron for comfort and ease of play. If you want to hit those back targets, then a driver would be your best option. However, bear in mind that the longer the club gets, the harder it can be to hit the ball. THINK… THE LOWER THE NUMBER ON A GOLF CLUB, THE FURTHER THE GOLF BALL SHOULD GO!

If you need a little more help getting game-ready, visit topgolfdubai.ae/academy or contact academy@topgolfdubai.ae to fi nd out more about the lessons and classes we have on off er. Whether you’re serious about your game, or just looking for some great fun, our lessons cater to all needs, ages and abilities and we welcome anyone of any skill set.

WorldwideGolf Worldwide.Golf

You don’t have to be a golf geek to know that the best putters in the world are design by Scotty Cameron. They dominate the stats on the Tours and have sank more Major putts than John Daly has beers! But these delightful short sticks are also valued as collectors items. In 2020, Tiger Woods’ back up Scotty Cameron putter sold for $393,000 but for decades amateurs and professionals alike have been collecting Scotty Cameron’s signature putters - not to improve their game but their bank balance. So we caught up with Henry Byrne, the Scotty Cameron representative on the DP World Tour in Dubai to fi nd out why these putters are so desirable and what models make ideal investments.

BY ALEX GALLEMORE

Scotty Cameron has developed and grown an unbelievable brand and we’ve got collectors all over the world. Similar to classic cars, our putter’s often grow in value over time. We release limited edition putters as one-offs which appeals to the collectors.

Putters which are very rare or have an association with a particular player tend to carry the most value. Collectors are drawn to fi ne details such as welds, hand milling, stamping which highlight the craftsmanship that’s gone into them. Having said that, the one that gets the most hits with our social media fan base is the 009 model as used by Jordan Spieth. It’s a very classic shape, soft edges, and beautiful classic putter that seems to be the one that most people gravitate towards.

very limited in numbers and that’s a rarity that helps to keep the value up and all 009 models are not the same. Some have unique elements, such as lines and dots but they also come in different fi nishes. We produce the 009 in stainless steel and carbon steel, and GSS German stainless steel. These different materials also mean different values.

Collectors have their own taste, just like people have with cars and paintings. So, there isn’t a real ‘holy grail’ as such, but for me the 009 and particularly if you can get one with GSS would be as close as it gets.

Some collectors will gravitate to original Classics, Del Mar or Napa style which is a very minimalist putter. Very clean look and design, not very forgiving but collectors can opt for the look and rareness rather than purely performance .

When you see these sort of prices collectors pay, it makes those Scotty Cameron putters in you local golf shop seem a bargain! pinnacle of performance because we’re always striving to improve on the product that we’ve just launched. That’s one of my key areas of working with the best players in the world, we access and use those players for R&D and get their feedback on specifi c models. How can we improve on them in terms of the visual aesthetic or the feel, and how it’s going to affect the ball roll. So, for example, with our special Select Line, Scotty scaled down the head so it’s slightly narrower, lower profi le, and thinner. This saving enables us to enhance the heel to toe weighting to make the classic shape very forgiving. That’s an example of how we’re trying to innovate and improve on our offerings.

We get great feedback from elite players which can lead to rolling model changes. Working with players like Brett Rumford over the years has been an eye-opening experience and education for me. He is a renowned short game wizard & the way his mind works is aligned with our R&D philosophy. Some of his ideas are off the wall & don’t get implemented but some stuff we do try to incorporate. Another example of how this dynamic in action came when Justin Thomas visited the Putter Studio to work with Scotty and the result was the introduction of the Phantom X5.5 with jetneck, which is a very popular model on our range. This highlights how Tour infl uences retail & what you’re seeing on your shop fl oors & on display units globally.

I’m in a privileged position to visit the Cameron Studio a couple of times a year and meet with Scotty and the team. When you work with Scotty, it’s just so motivational and he’s infectious. He’s very hands on and more importantly approachable. You can meet with him and the team over a launch and talk at length, about any of his putter designs or shapes. His enthusiasm hasn’t waned at all and he’s just as hands-on now he’s ever been. That gives me extra motivation when I come back out on the road to do my job and represent him and all the guys at the studio to the best of my ability.

As part of my role, I do test models and methods. Over the years, we’ve seen guys with belly putters, armlock putters, with a claw grip, or a cack-handed grip. So part of my role is to test all the different methods in order to give players my feedback and how a certain technique is going to work with a certain style of putter and make sure that we get the best combination for player. As for what is in my bag. It will come as no surprise that I play a 009, but not the GSS model, that remains something for me to work towards in the future…

Scotty Cameron Representative DP World Tour

For close to 20 years Roger Duthie had front row seats to major sporting events with Emirates Airline valuing sport as the perfect platform to establish its brand name across the globe. Today you would be hard pressed to fi nd a premier sporting event that is without the iconic brand on a shirt or advertising hoarding. In 2020 Roger left the company to set up a sports consultancy fi rm, so you could imagine my surprise to see the former Head of Sponsorship for Emirates Airline promoting a new line of caps at last month’s DP World Tour Championship. The golf mad Canadian was quick to point out that he wasn’t trying to take on the likes of Nike and adidas, but merely fulfi ll a burning passion he’d always wanted to pursue.

None. What I do know is two important things in business:

Bring in good people who you trust and who know the business better than you and don’t’ be afraid to listen to them. Just because I own the business does not mean I know everything. My family has a long history in retail and fashion, and I’ve been counting on them for support in North America. I’ve taken on board several key advisors from the sports fashion world who provided valuable insight and guidance.

I know what I like and I feel there are enough people out there who appreciate top quality and interesting colours. Sport should be fun, and golf is a wonderful game of exhilarating and frustrating shots. If someone is wearing something that can lighten up the mood with some bright colours, why not. It’s okay to laugh during a round of golf, especially at yourself.

The BearFish Sports Apparel Brand comes under the BearFish Sports Group. We launched the apparel brand recently, but we really are a Sports Marketing Consultancy service. I’ve grown the business to where I can now focus a little bit more of the apparel side of my company, but we are far from done. The apparel business was a passion of mine that quickly turned into a proper business pillar. With padel, golf, tennis and the healthy lifestyle of Dubai, I am hoping my caps will protect everyone from the sun while they enjoy their favourite outdoor activity.

I am fully dedicated to the BearFish Sport Marketing Consultancy and BearFish Sports Apparel 100%. I love working with brands, teams, leagues and other businesses to impact some of the expertise I gained over 25 years in the business.

We have several investors now looking to help fund to expand into the USA, Canada, Europe and eventually Asia and Australia, touching the entire world. I’ve always been a global guy working for the best global airline (Emirates) in the world, so naturally I like to think big. Bottom line is I am still the day-to-day contact with my global clients who I consult for. That’s my real passion and area of expertise.

I wanted to differentiate our product with every other cap that’s on the market. Our material, design and attention to detail will challenge any cap on the market in terms of quality but what really sets us apart is that you get a free travel case that comes with the hat which will fi t comfortably in a suitcase or golf bag protecting your cap and therefore making the cap last longer. I can’t compete against the big brands and that’s not my goal. We are a small boutique Dubai brand aiming to showcase to the world what Dubai designers can do for the active outdoor sport enthusiast.

I am not too worried about the corporate world. Probably not in all honestly and that’s okay. It doesn’t mean we can’t service corporates if they are interested.

We are in phase one of a fi ve-year business strategy which is the caps and travel cases. We are about to move into phase two where we are in discussions with Italian designers to create the coolest matching golf belts which will fi t into our travel cases as well. Phase three is play dry shirts and hoodies and that’s it. We will grow the business locally and globally in years four and fi ve and take it from there. We can customise and logo but it will only appear on the side of the cap. I am sticking true to my brand.

I always wanted to start my own sports marketing consultancy, but I did not want to name the business after myself. Instead, I wanted to name my company after my children, however nothing seemed to fi t with the names Ollie and Isabella. I then thought of my wife’s nicknames for my kids which is OllieBear and IssyFish for no apparent reason therefore BearFish is really a tribute to my kids. I hope my story will resonate with consumers who are bored of the big corporate brands.

BY ISMAEEL RANDEREE

CUSTOM FIT SPECIALIST - EMIRATES GOLF CLUB

There are three different driver models to choose from – Max, LST and SFT - with a design for every type of player. For example, the LST edition comes in a smaller head profile (445cc) for players who struggle with too much spin while the SFT is crafted for straighter shots. All three models come with a moveable weight system for maximum customization with up to eight different settings to influence shot shape. You are sure to find one to suit your own game. These highly-anticipated clubs also come with upgraded technology such as the VFT face in the woods. This means the face is six percent thinner and promotes greater ball speed gains. Along with this forged face, the clubs feature internal ribs to help reduce vibrations which in turn aid the sound and feel of the club at impact. The fairway woods and hybrids also utilize a Carbonfly Wrap which saves weight from the top of the head to allow for better weight distribution. This combines with PING’s new Facewrap which is a steel face merged into the sole and crown. This technology gives more flex to the face which subsequently improves launch and speed. Further down the chain and the irons are equally as impressive. The face throughout the set is three percent thinner than previous models. This promotes faster ball speed by two miles per hour on average while also creating a larger sweetspot with more forgiveness. The new PureFlex cavity allows more face flex across seven zones to improve acoustics.

With variations for all types of players, the new G430 should be on the top of your demo list. Contact me on ismaeel@prosports.ae and come down to Emirates Golf Club to get fitted now.

AL HAMRA GOLF CLUB

Jungil Lee held off a large fi eld of 60 players to secure the 16th edition of the Harradine Cup at the DP World Tour venue after fi nishing with an impressive 60 points in the individual Stableford event.

SHARJAH GOLF & SHOOTING CLUB

Paul Nancarrow topped the pile at the Orient Monthly Medal after a solid round of golf which included four birdies and just two dropped shots. Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club Scratch League team member Sami Butt fi nished runner-up, beating his father Shaheen Butt by a single shot.

Hanief Sallie produced the golf of his life in the monthly Dimas Stableford competition, winning by six shots after carding four birdies and only dropping two shots to fi nish on a gross score of two under par and 45 Stableford points. In Division A, Stuart Cassidy topped the leaderboard while Naresh Khurana sealed Division B with 39 points.

EMIRATES GOLF FEDERATION

At the 2022 Nomura Cup in the Philippians the Asia-Pacifi c Golf Confederation (APGC) announced that Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) Vice Chairman, General Abdallah Alhashmi had been appointed as a new member on the Board of Directors of the APGC. “It is an honor to be appointed as a member of the Board of Directors for the Asia-Pacifi c Golf Confederation (APGC)”, said General Abdallah Alhashmi. “This nomination is a direct refl ection of the UAE and Emirates Golf Federation’s relations with the APGC member countries and delegates. This is the fi rst time a delegate from the EGF has been appointed to the Board of the APGC. One of my fi rst duties assigned to me is to actively bring the Arab Nations into the fold for the promotion of amateur golf and use the Middle East as a platform to host more elite-level amateur championships. The UAE and the Middle East host several top professional events, we now need to host top amateur championships”.

TRUMP INTERNATIONAL GOLF CLUB, DUBAI

Craig Vance set a new course record during the November Medal, which was proudly sponsored by TaylorMade. Vance had a brilliant run of four consecutive birdies from the third to kick start his round and he picked up another on the eighth. Birdies at 10 and 11 were followed by another at the par 5, 13th. It wouldn’t be a perfect round as a bogey came on the 15th but Vance bounced back to birdie the 16th before fi nishing with two pars to shoot 63 for an 8 under total, beating the previous record of 65.

JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES

Last month the DP World Tour announced a new ten-year agreement with Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai, that will see the venue remain as host venue of the season ending DP World Tour Championship until 2031. Speaking about the extended agreement Guy Kinnings, Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Commercial Offi cer of the DP World Tour, said: “We have always had extremely positive feedback from players and spectators about the facilities at Jumeirah Golf Estates and the 18th hole on the Earth Course, an intimidating par fi ve surrounded by water, has become an iconic backdrop for our season fi nale. “This new long-term deal allows us to plan ahead and make sure that future editions of the DP World Tour Championship continue to set new standards in fan engagement. The Tour’s links to the Emirate of Dubai date back to 1989, and this announcement further solidifi es a relationship that continues to place Dubai as a central destination in the sporting calendar each year.” Mustafa Al Hashimi, Chief Hospitality Offi cer, wasl Hospitality and Leisure, commented: “Dubai Golf is delighted to extend its longterm partnership with the DP World Tour at Jumeirah Golf Estates through to 2031. Golf is a loved sport in the emirate, and Dubai has become renowned for hosting world-class events, including the season-ending DP World Tour Championship taking place on the iconic Earth course.”

Stuart McMurdo, Director of Sports at JA The Resort, was planning to visit last month’s DP World Tour Championship like the many other thousands of golf fans who descended on Jumeirah Golf Estates for the sold-out season-ender on the DP World Tour – as a spectator. But he ended up attending in a much more important capacity when he received a last-minute call up from JA Resort Ambassador Rafa Cabrera Bello who asked the Englishman to caddy for him, as he tells us below…

As l was working away in the offi ce at JA The Resort on the Thursday evening, l had a missed call from Rafa, which was strange as l knew he had played that day in the DP World Tour Championship and normally we don’t hear from him during tournament weeks.

He had spent a week practicing with us prior to going to South Africa for the Nedbank Golf Challenge so l thought it may be something to do with that week or the coming week as he was staying in Dubai to train with us after the event. I was astonished when l messaged him back as he asked if l would caddy for him for the last three days at Jumeirah Golf Estates following a split from his caddy!

‘What an amazing opportunity,’ l thought, but at 6pm on a Thursday night and a full schedule on Friday at JA l had work to do to clear my schedule. Obviously, l agreed and said I would meet him early Friday morning for our 9:10am tee time.

I’ve caddied before for friends at European Tour Qualifying School and Open qualifying but not on the main tour since l was 15 years old at the Dubai Desert Classic for Swede Niclas Fasth back in the early 90s.

I met him early Friday morning and fortunately, having known Rafa for nine years as a JA Ambassador, he put me at ease and we went to the practice ground. We worked well together that fi rst morning, checking yardages and club selections although l had no clue how far he hit his irons so l was mainly reinforcing and being positive to his suggestions! We shot a solid 71 on Friday moving up a few slots. Rafa putted fantastically well on Saturday and we got off to a fast start, reaching 3 under for the fi rst seven holes. With a few errors coming in on the back nine we went round in 70 to move back to par for the tournament, again moving in the right direction.

He was hitting the ball well after working hard on his game with coach Jerome and we got off to a solid start on Sunday, the main highlight being his 30-yard fl op shot off a tight lie over a trap on the seventh hole with no green to work with and fi nishing stone dead on the lip for an easy birdie.

A few dropped shots after the turn meant we had work to do but three birdies on the 13th, 14th and 15th rescued the scorecard and we fi nished on level par for the day and for the tournament in a tie for 34th overall.

What an amazing experience it was for me completely out of the blue, although my legs and shoulders were on fi re all week and l have some brownie points to make up for with my wonderful family as l missed another weekend at home!

Favourite Ryder Cup you’ve caddied at? 2006 at the K Club. I caddied for Darren Clarke six weeks after his wife had passed away.

Hardest course to caddie at? Augusta National just because of the elevation changes. It teases you all the time with the wind. The margins for error are so small. Favourite golf course? Royal Dornoch in Scotland.

Favourite golf course in Dubai? The Majlis at Emirates GC.

Did you think when you started as a caddie you would still be here today? Absolutely not. How many more years left as a caddie? I’d probably say how many more holes have I got left than years!

How often do you play? I’ve played once this year.

Best shot you’ve ever seen live? Seve Ballesteros behind the wall in Switzerland at the 1993 European Masters.

Proudest achievement? Matt Fitzpatrick winning the U.S. Open and Lee Westwood getting to Number One in the world.