2011_Worldwide_Golf_March

MIDDLE EAST’S No.1 GOLF MAGAZINE

Issue 124, MARCH 2011

Official Media Partner Middle East

DONALD WINS THE WGC MATCH PLAY, WHILE KAYMER RISES TO WORLD No.1 GMAC SWING TIPS

ARABIAN GOLF

WORLD CORPORATE GOLF CHALLENGE WWG DOUBLES AT ABU DHABI & RAS AL KHAIMAH ISBN 978-9948-15-427-3

JHONATTAN HITS THE JACKPOT

Charity News

ELS

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9 789948 154273

NEWS & VIEWS

Official Publication of The Emirates Golf Federation & The Arab Golf Federation

DAY 1 at Yas Links Golf Club

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WWG Desert Island Double

Two days of golf on two of the UAE’s newest world-class desert island courses and a night of luxury accommodation for just AED1,495

DAY 2 at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club Date: Thursday, 7th - Friday 8th April 2011 Venue: Yas Links Golf Club & Saadiyat Beach Club Format: 36 Holes Stableford Full Handicap Allowance; Tees: Men – Blue, Ladies – Red; Entry Fee: AED1,495. The field will be filled on a first come, first served basis.

THE WWG Desert Island Double 3 will see competitors play Yas Links Golf Club and Saadiyat Beach Club on Thursday 7th and Friday 8th April respectively with a night of luxury accommodation at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi on September 23rd and breakfast the following morning.

The entrance fee also includes access to the practice facilities

and locker rooms, shared golf carts, range balls, plus barbecues at the end of each days’ play and tournament prizes (beverages are at individuals’ expense). A non-playing guest can come along for the nominal additional fee of AED 100 and family rooms or extra Friday night accommodation can be arranged on request.

To enter please visit www.wwgolf.biz and download your entry form or email to Teresa.Norman@RadissonBLU.com FAX: 02 656 2629. Credit card details will be required to reserve the booking and payment will be taken. Cancellations must be made before 31st March qualify for a refund. If cancellations are received less than 48 hours prior to the event credit card will be charged for the full amount.

For more details on the event please see the latest issue of Worldwide Golf, out now and available to read online at www.wwgolf.biz

GARY PLAYER INTRODUCTION

Academy member Boris Becker and his wife Sharlely pose in front of a Mercedes SLS AMG at the 2011 Laureus World Sports Awards at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi.

DEDICATION, PASSION AND DESIRE

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T was good to be back in Abu Dhabi for the 2011 Laureus World Sports Awards and to host the Laureus Golf Challenge played at the magnificent Saadiyat Beach Golf Club we designed.

Can you imagine that there were 47 world champions all in the same room at the Prizegiving Dinner at the luxurious Emirates Palace Hotel.

I was in awe to be in the company of so many world champions, amazing people with so much dedication, passion and desire. It was a wonderful feeling to see them all there, giving up their valuable time to make a difference to help others fulfil their dreams.

The Golf Challenge was a huge success with 100 competitors taking part. I was very impressed at the standard of the golf. Even a giant of a man like the Ukrainian Heavyweight Boxing World Champion, Wladimir Klitschko, had a nice golf swing.

I teed off at the 17th hole with each of the groups taking part and Wladimir holed a very nice putt –

he’s obviously been taking lessons from a golf pro.

The Laureus Golf Challenge presented by Mercedes-Benz contributed $300,000 of the $500,000 raised by the occasion and I was honoured to hand over the cheque for the magnificent sum of half-a-million dollars to the legendary American athlete, Edwin Moses, Chairman of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.

The winning team was led by Argentine rugby union fly-half, Hugo Porter whose four-man team scored 100 points, 20 points ahead of the runnersup led by Australian rugby union World Cup winner Michael Lynagh I was impressed with the tee shot of former Manchester United footballer Dwight Yorke on the 17th, landing his ball just two-feet seven-inches from the hole to win the Nearest the Pin prize.

I was also impressed with the fitness of former tennis legend Boris Becker, who brought huge applause from the guests for his chin-up exercises.

I was delighted that Martin Kaymer was there

to receive the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award. Golf was further represented with the victorious European Ryder Cup Team being voted the Laureus Spirit of Sport Award.

I was pleased to see France’s Zinedine Zidane receive the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award and Rafael Nadal presented with the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award.

The entire event was a spectacular occasion and a rare gathering of so many sporting legends and superstars. The Laureus World Sports Awards benefit and underpin the work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation which supports 83 community sports projects around the world. Since its inception it has raised more than $40 million to help improve the lives of more than one-and-a-half million youngsters.

Gary Player Worldwide Golf, Executive Editor www.wwgolf.biz

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Over 100 destinations worldwide

CONTENTS Join the EGF and WIN!

MEMBERSHIPS CONDITIONS: 1.Available to UAE citizens and residents only; 2. EGF Handicap scheme/Affiliate memberships open to non-UAE golf club members only (UAE golf club members are automatically affiliated);3. Memberships are not transferable between individuals4. Membership fee is non-refundable CATEGORIES: "ĂśMJBUF t #FHJOOFST NFNCFSTIJQ t "ĂśMJBUF NFNCFST will not receive an officially registered handicap (ie., not accepted for tournament play). )BOEJDBQ 4DIFNF t &OUJUMFT NFNCFST UP BO PĂśDJBMMZ SFHJTUFSFE IBOEJDBQ t /FX NFNCFST XIP XJTI UP USBOTGFS UIFJS QSFWJPVT handicap must submit signed certificate with latest adjusted handicap not older than 6 months, issued by an affiliated golf club or GFEFSBUJPO 4PDJFUZ OPO BĂśMJBUFE IBOEJDBQ SFDPSET OPU BDDFQUFE t To register a new handicap, 3x18 holes scores must be registered on the system. This includes 9 hole combined games.

VALIDITY: EGF membership duration will be January – December. #&/&'*54 t 1SJWJMFHFE SBUFT PO HSFFO GFFT BU 6"& HPMG DMVCT t Discounted rate on entry passes to Professional Golf Tournaments IFME JO UIF 6"& t 'SFF DPQZ PG 8PSME 8JEF (PMG NBHB[JOF t (PMGFST Insurance – All members are covered by third party & property damage insurance (note – Written claims to be submitted to EGF office within 24 hours of the incidence – Conditions Apply.

Emirates Golf Federation: P.O.Box 31410, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Tel: +971 4 3684988 Fax: +971 4 3684974.

Email: info@ugagolf.com

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Regulars

Features

1

GARY PLAYER INTRODUCTION

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ARABIAN GOLF

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ERNIE ELS COLUMN

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EMIRATES GOLF FEDERATION

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QUICK 9: WITH MICHELLE WIE

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EGYPTIAN GOLF FEDERATION

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GREG NORMAN COLUMN

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LOCKER ROOM

11 RAK CHALLENGE: Dhs795 WWG Ras Al Khaimah Challenge at Tower Links GC and Al Hamra GC– two day event with one night stay at Acaci Hotel, – Apl 21-22.

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DIVOTS NEWS ITEMS

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GROOM ROOM

12 UAE NATIONAL TEAM STRIKE GOLD: The Senior

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DRIVING RANGE: VOLVO XC60

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8 EMIRATES AIRLINE INVITATIONAL 2011 Hosted by Abdullah Al Naboodah raises the roof for charity as the grand total passes the AED1.47 million mark.

and Junior UAE Teams find glory at the 15th GCC Golf Championship at The Royal Golf Club, Bahrain.

IN THE BAG: CLUB PRO

14 DONALD’S DAY IN THE DESERT: Luke Donald defeats Martin Kaymer in the final to win the WGCAccenture Match Play Championship in Arizona.

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ROSS FISHER COLUMN

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CLUBHOUSE QUICKIES

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OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING

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GARY PLAYER COLUMN

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RACE TO DUBAI

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EUROPEAN TOUR NEWS

DONALD WINS THE WGC MATCH PLAY, WHILE KAYMER RISES TO WORLD No.1

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WORLD ROUND-UPS

ARABIAN GOLF

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WOMEN’S GOLF MIDDLE EAST

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TUTORIAL WITH RHYS BEECHER

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CLAUDE HARMON III: Graeme Mcdowell

Issue 124, MARCH 2011

Official Media Partner Middle East

MIDDLE EAST’S No.1 GOLF MAGAZINE

16 ACE QUIROS NETS CLASSIC: Spain’s Alvaro Quiros nails a hole-in-one in the final round to win the Dubai Desert Classic by one shot.

20 BJÖRN SUPREMACY: Denmark’s Thomas BjÜrn returns to form to win the Commercialbank Qatar Masters by four shots from Alvaro Quiros.

25 SNOOPER: WWG takes a look at golf GPS manufacturer Snooper’s latest Shotsaver additions.

GMAC SWING TIPS WORLD CORPORATE GOLF CHALLENGE WWG DOUBLES AT ABU DHABI & RAS AL KHAIMAH

27 ROCKS TO RICHES: Big-hitting Jhonattan Vegas becomes the first Venezuelan to play on the US PGA Tour and the first to win with victory at the Bob Hope Classic.

ISBN 978-9948-15-427-3

JHONATTAN HITS THE JACKPOT

Charity News

ELS

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PLAYER

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NORMAN

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FISHER

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9 789948 154273

NEWS & VIEWS

Official Publication of The Emirates Golf Federation & The Arab Golf Federation

ISSUE No. 123, MARCH, 2011 Published by: Worldwide Sporting Publications Ltd, 54 Alderley Road, Wilmslow, Cheshire, England, SK9 1NY mike@wspglobal.com alex@wspglobal.com Tel: +44 01625 535081 Fax: +44 01625 537487 Editor-in-Chief: Mike Gallemore Executive Editor: Gary Player

FRONT COVER: Martin Kaymer and Luke Donald

Editor: Alex Gallemore Publisher: Mike Gallemore Senior Editor: Richard Bevan Editorial Assistants: Todd Staszko, James Reeves, Tabitha Florence Design Manager: Joanna Eardley Technical Manager: Mark Collinge Editorial Panel: Gary Player, Mike Gallemore, Alex Gallemore, Richard Bevan, Todd Staszko

Published in Dubai by: Prografix, PO Box 24677, Dubai, UAE (Tel) +9714 340 3785 Advertising & Marketing: David Burke davidb@wspdubai.com (009715) 05519363 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.

33 WORLD CORPORATE GOLF CHALLENGE: Entries are open for the UAE leg at Yas Links GC, Abu Dhabi.

Printed by: Raidy, Dubai

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BPA Worldwide Audited Average Monthly Qualified Circulation 14,636 (July-Dec 2010)

WWGCOLUMNIST

ERNIE ELS is the most successful South African golfer of his generation. Els, nicknamed ‘The Big Easy’ due to his easylooking swing, has won three Majors and seven World Match Play Championships during a career that spans close on two decades. Els has two US Opens to his name and won The Open Championship at Muirfield in 2002.

HEAD OVER HEELS FOR SPORTING ACTION!

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’M a big sports fan and being at ABOVE: Wayne Rooney home for a month has given me the sinks Manchester City with opportunity to catch up on some of a spectacular overhead kick my favourite sport on television. for Manchester United in the Football is one. It wasn’t much fun derby match at Old Trafford. to see my beloved Reds (Manchester OPPOSITE PAGE LEFT: Green United) lose for the first time this season in the UK Premier League, but they Bay Packers quarterback bounced back with a win in the derby Aaron Rodgers hoists the Lombardi Trophy after the match against Manchester City, where Packers beat the Pittsburgh Wayne Rooney scored surely the goal of Steelers to win the the season!

Superbowl.

As I write this we’re still top of the table and I’m confident Sir Alex and the OPPOSITE PAGE RIGHT: South boys will get the job done and Man Africa take on Australia in a United will win their fourth League title warm up game for the ICC in five years.

World Cup. 4

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I also enjoy watching a different kind of football – the American gridiron kind – and this year’s Super Bowl was another incredible sporting spectacle. Honestly, you just cannot believe how huge this event is here in the United States. This year’s final was a great game and it’s always nice to see a tight finish.

As most people know, I’m a big cricket fan, too. It’s a shame the World Cup couldn’t have started a month earlier because I’d have been at home to watch it, but wherever I am in the world I’ll try to get in front of a television for a few of South Africa’s games, especially the group match against England on March 6. We have an interesting mix of youth

and experience in our squad this year.

Hopefully, we can have a good run.

This period I’ve had away from tournament golf also meant that I could hop over to the Bahamas and pay a visit to Albany. Even though I’ve made something like 15 golf course site visits there in the last three or four years, it is still a treat every time I set foot on the resort.

It’s a very special place. We have a new house overlooking the ocean and I’m very much looking forward to coming here with the family in the years to come. I know we’ll have some very happy times here.

The Ernie Els Design golf course at

“THIS YEAR’S SUPER BOWL WAS ANOTHER INCREDIBLE SPORTING SPECTACLE. HONESTLY, YOU JUST CANNOT BELIEVE HOW HUGE THIS EVENT IS HERE IN THE UNITED STATES. THIS YEAR’S FINAL WAS A GREAT GAME AND IT’S ALWAYS NICE TO SEE A TIGHT FINISH.” – ERNIE ELS .

Albany, which opened for play at the end of last year, looks fantastic. The crisp-edged bunkering and sculpted greens’ complexes are partly inspired by the Australian sand-belt classics such as Royal Melbourne, which is one of my top-three favourite courses in the world.

Already the course looks very natural, like it belongs in its environment, and that’s impressive for such a new layout.

Overall, I’d say it has a links-like quality to it, with each hole framed by sand dunes. With the ocean breeze switching direction from summer to winter, the golf course plays very different from one season to the next. I like that.

The short game and practice areas that we’ve developed at Albany are also very impressive. In fact, just in the last few months I’ve spoken to quite a few top Tour professionals who say that they’ll use Albany as a base for their Major tournament preparations. Praise

doesn’t come any higher than that.

The practice facilities at the Bear’s Club in Florida, where we have our home, are also up to Tour standard and you can happily spend hours working on your game.

Struggled

It’s one of the many great things about having our family based here now. It’s quite a contrast to what I’d be experiencing in England if we were still based at Wentworth.

As much as I love it there, I’d have struggled to play much golf at all over the past two months and, in terms of practising, it would have been very difficult, not just because of the weather but also the turf conditions at this time of the year, which are far from ideal.

I’ve played a fair bit of social golf, too. Not all Tour pros do this away from the tournament scene, but for me it’s

something I’ve always enjoyed and always will. But as much as I love my time at home with the family, I always look forward to getting back into the swing of competitive golf. I was due to do that mid-February at the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club in Los Angleles, another favourite course of mine, but I had a sore neck and doctors advised me to rest it for the week. That was disappointing, but you really can’t take any chances with injuries.

Anyway, as I write this column I’m focussing on getting myself 100 per cent physically fit and ready for the run of big tournaments leading up to the first Major championship of the year, the Masters.

It’s amazing how quickly that comes around and obviously all the top players are gearing up for Augusta National. Any time you win a Major it’s automatically a great year, whatever else happens. ■ www.wwgolf.biz

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EMIRATES AIRLINE INVITATIONAL

RAISES THE ROOF

The world’s finest one day Pro-Am raises over $400,000 (AED1.47m) for charity FOLLOWING the overwhelming success of the 2011 Emirates Airline Invitational (EKI) at Yas Links Golf Club, Abu Dhabi, the wide-ranging extent of the benefits it has brought to the charities involved is beginning to come to light.

The $500,000 Professional Prizefund included a charity portion of $150,000. The professional/charity breakdown was awarded to the top four professional and ties as follows: 1 T2 T2 T4 T4 T4

Retief Goosen Henrik Stenson Thomas Levet Graeme McDowell Matteo Manassero John Bickerton

$75,000 $31,250 $31,250 $4,166.66 $4,166.66 $4,166.66

At the Gala Dinner, the generosity of the tournament partners, guests and the amateur and professional players who took part in the event, was magnificent. The Live Auction at the Gala Dinner raised an astonishing Abdullah Al Naboodah (above, left) gives a congratulatory hug to 12-year-old Dhruv Nair. $220,000 for the three benefiting charities, The Future Centre for Special Above, right: Dhruv thanks David O’Leary for giving him the prize of playing with Graeme Needs, Abu Dhabi; the Make A Wish Foundation UAE; and the cancer McDowell and Ross Fisher at St. Andrews, Scotland, prior to the Dunhill Links Championship. charity, Brest Friends, UAE. The auction included the following pieces: ● 2010 Ryder Cup Player’s shirt signed by Graeme McDowell ● Collection of signed drivers by some of the players ● EKI Unique signed custom golf bag, courtesy of Abdullah ● Guaranteed invite to play in EKI 2012, including flight and hotel ● Round of golf with Ross Fisher and Graeme McDowell ● Hani Rashed Painting, courtesy of Farbod Dowlatshahi ● Paintings by Students of the Future Centre for Special Needs

$11k $10k $30k $10k $45k $25k $3k

Five additional lots were added on the night: ● Harold Riley Artworks, courtesy of Harold Riley ● Graeme McDowell’s personal guest at the US Open 2011 ● Mont Blanc Mahatma Ghandi Pen, courtesy of The National ● Zainab Mirza Painting, courtesy of Zainab (wife of Miki Mirza) ● Queenwood $10k Challenge Match

$5k $40k $9k $15k $16k

The Silent Auction bonus ALL the professionals donated a signed piece of golf memorabilia to the Silent Auction, including a signed US Open flag donated by Retief Goosen, which brought in a further $5,115. The Jude Brady Foundation UK, of which amateur player, DJ Spoony, is a Patron, will be the beneficiary of the total amount. The foundation which raises money for Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity, is an organisation that offers support when a baby dies during pregnancy or after birth.

Voss Foundation VOSS Water, Official Water Partner of the 2011 Emirates Airline Invitational has allocated $20,000 to sponsor a well project in Africa to provide fresh drinking water, named after the Emirates Airline Invitational.

Additional significant gestures THERE were other wonderful gestures from many generous supporters of the Emirates Airline Invitational who expanded on the spirit of the Amateur players Rob Hersov and Kevin Lecocq will compete against winning bidder Sean McGeough and colleague Allan Stanton in a fiercely Invitational’s goal in making a difference.

Gerard Senehi, the Experimentalist who captivated the guests from the contested challenge match at Rob’s home club, Queenwood, England, stage at the Gala Dinner, donated half of his fee to his preferred charity, with the losers paying a further $10,000 to the charity pool.

‘Enlighten Next’.

Retief Goosen made his personal donation to The Retief Goosen Websites of the benefitting charities: www.future-centre.com; www.brestfriends.org; www.makeawish.ae; www.thevossfoundation.org; Charitable Foundation. Henrik Stenson made his donation to the Henrik Stenson Foundation. www.judebradyfoundation.co.uk.

Emirates Airline Invitational 2011 Charities

The unique custom EKI 2011 Golf Bag signed by all 54 professionals, and which was sold for $30,000 to amateur player Billy Dewsall.

Graeme McDowell takes to the microphone to announce his auction prize.

The Experimentalist, Gerald Senehi, donated half his fee to the ‘Enlighten Next’ charity.

Henrik Stenson (above) who won the live auction bid with $25,000 for the Hani Rashed painting, generously donated by Delwood Managing Director, Farbod Dowlatshahi (below).

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Download your entry from WWW.WWGOLF.BIZ

AED795

Two days of golf 36 holes Thursday 21st & Friday 22nd April Includes Hotel Accommodation

DAY1

DAY2

RAS AL KHAIMAH

CHALLENGE

Worldwide Golf brings readers another first with exceptional value

SCHEDULE ■ 1pm Shotgun on Thursday 21st April, Al Hamra Golf Club, Ras Al Khaimah.

■ Thursday night stay at Acaci Hotel Ras AL Khaimah with breakfast.

■ Friday 22nd April 1pm Shotgun at Tower Links Golf Club Ras, Al Khaimah.

THE WWG RAK Challenge will see competitors play Al Hamra Golf Club and Tower Links Golf Club on Thursday 21st and Friday 22nd April respectively with a night of luxury accommodation at the Acaci Hotel, Ras Al Khaimah on April Thursday 21st April and breakfast the following morning.

The entrance fee also includes access to the practice facilities and locker rooms, shared golf carts, range balls, and tournament prizes (beverages are at individuals’ expense).

Friday night accommodation can be arranged on request.

Categories: Mens and Ladies divisions: A0-14 – B15-28 Scoring: Stableford with 3/4 handicap allowance Prizes: There will be a prize presentation after each day’s play and an overall presentation at the end of the second day where accumulated points from both rounds will be tallied to crown the Overall Divisional Winners. www.wwgolf.biz

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15th GCC Golf Championship at

UAE GOLF TEAMS STRIKE GOLD

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HE UAE Senior and Junior Golf Teams produced their finest performances in the 15th GCC Golf Championship at The Royal Golf Club, Bahrain.

Sohail Al Marzouqi and Hassan Al Musharrekh combined magnificently to inspire the UAE Junior Team to a brilliant gold medal victory in the Junior Division of the Championship.

Sohail, who plays off a 10 handicap, shot solid rounds of 81 and 78 while Hassan (3 handicap) chipped in with an 83 and a 78 as the UAE posted a gross total of 320 to beat their nearest challengers, Qatar by four strokes.

Faisal Al Marzouqi was the other member of the Team that did the Emirates proud by going the full distance to improve upon their runners-up finish last year.

Sohail also had the distinction of finishing second in the individual division with a gross 158, just one shot behind gold medal winner Ali Al Bishi of Qatar and one ahead of thirdplaced compatriot Hassan.

The UAE Senior Team, comprising Ahmed Al Musharrekh, Khalid Yousuf, Abdulla Al Musharrekh and Faris Al Mazroui, hit top form as they finished runners-up to Bahrain in the Senior Division.

Championship

The UAE Team, who finished third in last year’s Championship, posted a gross score of 701 to Bahrain’s 683. Saudi Arabia were third with a gross score of 753. Khalid Yousuf (75-7884) and Abdulla Al Musharrekh (81-79-79) were major contributors to the UAE Team’s score.

According to the format of the Championship, the top three scores were counted towards the total in a team of four in this 54-hole strokeplay event.

Ahmed Al Musharrekh, who followed up his gross 76 and 77 in the first two rounds with a superb level-par 72, was later declared winner of the Individual Gold Medal with a total of 225, two ahead of Bahrain’s Nasser Yacoob Salah and four clear of Hamad Afnan, also of Bahrain.

With one Team Gold, one Individual Gold, one Individual Silver and a runners-up place under their belt, the UAE had every reason to feel proud about the performance of the boys at the Championship which attracted six GCC teams.

Khalid Al Mubarak, Manager of the UAE Team, congratulated all the members of the Team for producing good scores when it mattered most, saying: “The boys stayed 12

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MEDAL MAN: Ahmed Al Musharrekh with the trophy for winning the Senior Division of the 15th GCC Golf Championship with a gross score of 225 (76-77-72) and his other medals. focussed on the job at hand and delivered the results expected of them.

“Their overall performance during the Championship also reflects on the growing standards of the game among UAE Nationals.

The aim is to keep getting better and better every year,” said Mubarak, who also thanked

UAE National Team sponsors Emirates NBD, Al Naboodah and Callaway/Cutter&Buck for their valuable support to the Team.

“Last but not least, I would to like congratulate National Coach Chris Vallender for all the hard work he has devoted in honing the competitive edge of the boys,” he said. ■

The Royal Golf Club, Bahrain

“THE BOYS STAYED FOCUSED ON THE JOB AT HAND AND DELIVERED THE RESULTS EXPECTED OF THEM. THEIR OVERALL PERFORMANCE DURING THE CHAMPIONSHIP ALSO REFLECTS ON THE GROWING STANDARDS OF THE GAME AMONG UAE NATIONALS. THE AIM IS TO KEEP GETTING BETTER AND BETTER EVERY YEAR.” – Khalid Al Mubarak, Manager of the UAE Team

RESULTS SENIOR DIVISION: Team scores: 1 Bahrain (gross 683); 2. UAE 701; 3. Saudi Arabia 753; 4. Kuwait 806); 5. Oman 807; 6. Qatar 877.

Senior division (Individual): 1 Ahmed Al Musharrekh gross 225 (76, 77, 72); 2. Nasser Yacoob Salah 227 (74, 79, 74); 3. Hamad Afnan 229 (75, 76, 78).

ABOVE RIGHT: The jubilant UAE Teams with Manager Khalid Al Mubarak (standing, extreme left) Saeed Albudoor, EGF General Manager (standing, second left) and Chris Vallender, UAE National Team Coach (standing, second from the right).

ABOVE: Adel Zarouni (fourth from left) with EGF officials and the victorious UAE players.

JUNIOR DIVISION: Team scores: 1. UAE gross 320; 2. Qatar gross 324; 3. Bahrain gross 331; 4. Oman gross 355; 5. Saudi Arabia gross 1285.

Junior Division (Individual): 1 Ali Al Bishi (Qatar) gross 158 (79, 79); 2. Sohail Al Marzoqui (UAE) 159 (81, 78); 3. Hassan Al Musharrekh (UAE) 161 (83, 78). www.wwgolf.biz

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Donald’s

Day in the Desert

L

UKE Donald defeated the newly crowned World No.1 Martin Kaymer in the final of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona after a week of sublime golf earned him his first WGC title.

“I can’t describe it – I’m close to tears,” said Donald after he defeated his Ryder Cup teammate 3&2 in the 18-hole final. “It feels 14

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amazing. I’ve put a lot of work in over the last five years and it’s nice to see it pay off.

“Hopefully it will open the gates. I’m not a modern-day player because I don’t hit it that far and that makes it harder for me, but this is great win and I hope there are more to come.”

Donald’s victory was a triumph for the thinking man’s golfer. It was brains rather than brawn that won out in the Arizona desert as

Luke Donald poses with the Walter Hagen Cup alongside wife Diane and daughter Elle after beating Martin Kaymer 3&2 in the final of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Arizona.

“He’s definitely one of the most consistent players on the Tour and I think he’s probably the best in the world in the short game at the moment.” – Martin Kaymer

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3 the Englisman’s unwavering accuracy and sublime short game saw him reach the final in the fewest holes ever in the event’s history as he despatched of Charlie Hoffman, Edoardo Molinari, Matteo Manassero, Ryan Moore and Matt Kuchar in just 73 holes on his way to the Championship match with Kaymer. He never had to play the 18th hole and he only had to play the 17th once.

Edged Donald didn’t trail at any stage of any of his matches and he got off to a flier against the German, moving 3up through five holes. Kaymer bounced back by winning the sixth, eighth and ninth holes and looked set to take the lead when Donald found trouble on the10th. The 33-yearold’s approach to the 493-yard par-4 came up short of the green in a waste area, but his short game rescued him as his pitch from the damp sand left him a simple 3-footer for a halve.

On the following hole Donald edged back ahead, sinking a putt from nine feet before Kaymer missed from six and the gap increased when Kaymer failed to get up-and-down from a bunker at the 12th.

Kaymer then missed a short putt on the 15th to drop three back and with Donald 3up with three to play he found the green on the par-3 16th and took the title after Kaymer’s lengthy

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4 birdie putt failed to drop. “My goal every year is to win tournaments. It’s a long time since I’ve tried to play for money, you know,” said Donald, who had undergone a five-year drought on US soil and had been accused of a lack of determination to win by some sections of the US media. “My first couple of years, maybe, as a rookie, you think about making your Tour card and making cuts and making enough money to play the next year. But it’s been a long time since that.

“You always have doubts and the wheels were coming off a bit, so the up-and-down on the 10th was huge and to have three birdies in the last six holes was special.”

Kaymer, who rose to World No.1 as a result of Lee Westwood failing to progress past the second round, was full of praise for Donald’s performance.

“He’s definitely one of the most consistent players on the Tour and I think he’s probably the best in the world in the short game at the moment,” he said. “I have played with Phil Mickelson a few times and it is unbelievable – but what Luke is doing at the moment is a joke.

Wherever he is, you know that he will make the up-and-down if he doesn’t hole it!”

In the third and fourth place play-off Matt Kuchar defeated his Ryder Cup teammate Bubba Watson 2&1.■

5 1: Ian Poulter becomes the first defending champion in nine years to go out in the first round when Thomas Björn beats him at the 19th hole.

2: Tiger Woods’ woes continue as he too exits after a 19th hole defeat by Stewart Cink in Round 1.

3: Lee Westwood loses his World No. 1 ranking with his failure to progress past Round 2 coupled with Martin Kaymer’s surge into the final.

4: Matt Kuchar claims third place after defeating Bubba Watson in the consolation match.

5: Martin Kaymer congratulates Luke Donald on a stunning performance.

Donald’s Route to Victory

1st round: def Charley Hoffman 6&5 2nd round: def Edoardo Molinari 2&1 3rd round: def Matteo Manassero 3&2 QF: def Ryan Moore 5&4 SF: def Matt Kuchar 6&5 Final: def Martin Kaymer 3&2

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SWING

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Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

United Arab Emirates Golf Club, February 10-13

ACE QUIROS NETS CLASSIC B

IG hitting Spaniard Alvaro Quiros beat a world-class field to claim victory in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. Quiros, who made a sensational hole-in-one on the par-3 11th, edged out Denmark’s Anders Hansen and South African James Kingston by a stroke after a captivating day at the Emirates Golf Club.

The 28-year-old had a bizarre up-and-down day but eventually signed for a 4-under-par 68 and an 11-under-par total to claim his fifth European Tour title and the biggest win of his career to date.

“I was lucky with some putts around the turn and then a threequarters wedge on the 11th – it was a perfect shot – once a year it happens,” said Quiros, who also overcame a right-arm strain in Dubai. “It was like the last piece of a happy birthday cake. It gave me the chance to win the tournament.”

Eagle Quiros began the day in sublime fashion with an eagle at the 351-yard par-4 second hole and then picked up birdies on holes 3 and 5 to race into an early lead. However, a wayward drive on the eighth saw his ball end up lodged in a palm tree and he ran up a triple bogey seven to drop back. Quiros picked up a shot on the following hole before his sensational hole-in-one on the 11th. Pars followed on 12 and 13 before he gave a shot back at the par-4 14th but he bounced back again with a birdie on the 16th and hung on to his lead with back-to-back pars to seal the victory. It was the continuation of a blossoming love affair with the Middle East for Quiros, who won the Qatar Masters in 2009 and was runner up there both this year and last. He also took sixth place at last year’s Desert Classic, third at the Dubai World Championship and eighth at this year’s inaugural Volvo Golf Champions in Bahrain.

“When I play here in the Middle East I always think I can win one week,” said Quiros. “This year we played four weeks here.

Normally we have three – Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Dubai – and they are three golf courses that I love. Obviously you have to play well and you have to be lucky to win. But in Qatar, I finished second last week; last year, too and three years ago I won.

“In Abu Dhabi it’s always the same story – we’re coming back 4 www.wwgolf.biz

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“The first long putt I made all week was on the 14th. I haven’t played my best, and had a chance, with two holes to play, to post a total that would have been probably half-decent I guess – 10-under – if I could have birdied the last two holes, which, you know, is fine. So there’s plenty to take out of it.” – Lee Westwood from the winter break and it’s difficult for me to make really good or important scores. Dubai is actually a course that doesn’t suit me because it’s not a typical course for fade players like me but at the same time I know I have a good advantage with my length if I’m able to put the ball in the fairway.

“After today everything is going to start again.

Obviously I’m very happy with my win but it’s difficult for me to expect to win all the time.

Probably for the No. 1 player in the world it’s not that difficult but I’m a normal guy – winning one per year is great for me.”

Misfortune The man who was at that time in possession of that No.1 ranking, Lee Westwood, looked in good shape for a shot at his first European Tour title since the 2009 Dubai World Championship when he got to within one stroke behind Quiros with four holes to play. But the Englishman suffered a similar slice of misfortune that endured by the Spaniard when he hit his ball into a tree on the 17th, resulting in a double bogey, which he followed with a bogey at the last to sign for a level-par 72 and a share of 15th place at 5-under.

“The positives are I had a chance to win,” said Westwood, who was to be replaced as World No. 1 by Martin Kaymer at the WGC-Accenture World Match Play Championship. “The first long putt I made all week was on the 14th. I haven’t played my best, and had a chance, with two holes to play, to post a total that would have been probably half-decent I guess – 10under – if I could have birdied the last two holes, which, you know, is fine. So there’s plenty to take out of it.”

Rory McIlroy, who won his maiden and only European Tour title so far in Dubai two years ago, led for much of the tournament, shooting 65-68 to open up a one-shot advantage before dropping into a three-way tie for the lead with a 75 on the Saturday and slipping back into 10th place at 6-under with a closing 74 in the final round.

“It was a very disappointing final day and to shoot a 74 was a tough pill to swallow,” said McIlroy who had finished runner-up at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship.

Above: Tiger Woods tees off at the eighth during the final round at the Emirates Golf Club.

Left: Mohamed Juma Buamaim Vice Chairman and CEO of ‘golf in Dubai’ presents Tiger Woods and Mark O’Meara with the trophy for winning the Challenge Match prior to the Dubai Desert Classic.

Inset: Alvaro Quiros takes aim during the Dubai Desert Classic Pro-Am. “(But) two top 10s in the Middle East Swing should be good in anyone’s book so overall I have to be pleased.”

Searching Tiger Woods, who was in hot water for spitting on the 12th green during the final round, is still searching for his first victory in 15 months after a 3-over-par 75 saw him drop 16 places and into 20th place. The former World No. 1, who was fined for the unsavoury incident, used his Twitter account to apologise to fans.

“The Euro Tour is right – it was inconsiderate to spit like that and I know better,” he said. “I just wasn’t thinking and want to say I’m sorry.” Former World No.2 Sergio Garcia, who is now down at 79th in the World Ranking, also looked good for a

first win since the HSBC Champions in November 2008, getting in the hunt with rounds of 67-6775 before moving into a share of the lead with a 35-foot putt for birdie at the first hole in the final round. But it was to be the highlight of the Spaniard’s day as he went on to suffer a triplebogey seven on the ninth and closed for another 75 to join playing partner Woods – who he barely exchanged a word with all day – at 4-under.

So it was left to Garcia’s countryman Quiros to take the spoils after Kingston (67) and Hansen (70) both missed long birdie putts at the last to take the contest to a play-off.

“I am very proud of myself,” said Quiros, whose win netted him €301,353 to move him briefly to the top of the Race to Dubai Ranking. “I think I managed very well with difficult situations.” ■

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Commercialbank Qatar Masters Dohn, Qatar February 3-6

Björn

SUPREMACY

T

HOMAS Björn carded a final round 3-under-par 69 to win the Commercialbank Qatar Masters by four strokes and leap into the top 60 on the Official World Golf Ranking. The Dane began the final round with a one-stroke lead over Austrian Marcus Brier and set out his stall in windy conditions with 14 pars in a row before birdies on holes 15, 16 and 18 sealed victory at 14under 274. Brier posted a 1-over 73 to drop into a share of third place with Raphael Cabrera-Bello while 2009 winner Alvaro Quiros shot a 4-under-par 68 to finish outright runner-up on 10-under.

“It’s a big win for me and hopefully it can push me on to bigger things now,” said Björn after giving himself the perfect early birthday present prior to turning 40 less than a fortnight later. “When I play golf like this I know I can be up there with the best in the world. I’m going to hit 40 but I’m sure it won’t affect my golf too much. I’ve got to stay fit and healthy but I feel I’m playing well.

“There was a lot riding on today and it’s great to get back up into the top 60. I can start looking up rankings again now.”

Chances The then World No.1 Lee Westwood missed the cut leaving Martin Kaymer needing to finish second or higher to take the No.1 spot from the Englishman. However, Kaymer could only manage a final round 71 and admitted his chances of overhauling Westwood in Doha – not his happiest hunting ground – were always going to be slim. “I was in a position to finish in the top 10, but the greens are not my friends here in Qatar,” he said after finishing 28th. “Today I played my best golf all week even with a double bogey at the 12th hole. It’s just that the putts didn’t drop and while it’s a disappointing thing on one hand, I am looking forward to going to Dubai and leaving this tournament behind.” The German hotshot wouldn’t have long to wait as he went on to clinch the World’s top spot not in the desert of Qatar or Dubai, but in Arizona three weeks later.

Spaniard Quiros was Björn’s nearest challenger, starting the final round in a share of fifth place, five shots off the lead, before defying the blustery conditions with six birdies for a closing 68 and a 278 total. The 28-year-old, who went on to win the Desert Classic the following week, had his chances to reel Björn in. He missed a five-footer for par at the 15th before the leader birdied the same hole and then dropped another shot at the 17th when he misjudged his tee shot. In reality, he always had his work cut out with Björn in such imperious form.

“Yesterday I was thinking I was going to finish top five and I’m going to finish second by myself,” said Quiros who shot 75-69-66 and 68.

“Unfortunately I made three putts on 15, and I made a stupid bogey on 17. So after that, it’s going to be tough to reach him. But anyway, I’m very pleased to be where I am.”

Retief Goosen – winner in 2007 – set the early pace with a 3-under 4 www.wwgolf.biz

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“I kept the ball in play and holed a few really long putts and that obviously makes the difference between a good and a very good round. I didn’t make mistakes.”

– Markus Brier

Below: Spain’s Alvaro Quiros, who went on to finish runnerup, sizes up the job during the final round at Doha Golf Club.

Bottom: Thomas Björn poses with the Pearl Trophy trophy alongside (left) Andy Stevens (Group CEO Commercialbank) and (right) Hassan Al Naimi (President Qatar Golf Association) after winning the Commercialbank Qatar Masters.

69 in the opening round to lead defending champion Robert Karlsson, 2003 winner Darren Fichardt, England’s Richard Finch and Sweden’s Niclas Fasth by one when play was finally finished on the Friday morning after bad light had stopped proceedings the night before.

Goosen, searching for his first win for almost two years, was happy to put a decent score on the board in testing conditions.

“I drove it nicely, but it was tough to get the ball close to the flags and when you were putting you were getting blown all over the place,” he said. “It wasn’t easy. I putted well in these conditions, made a few putts and par saves and that kept my score together.”

Brier made his move in the second round with a flawless 66 to lead Fichardt, who shot 68, by one while Björn put together a best-of-the-day 7-under 65 to surge up the leaderboard into third place, joining Karlsson (69) and Finch (69) at 5-under.

“I could see in the morning it was a little less windy and so obviously the opportunities were there,” said 47-year-old Brier who had to make a trip to Qualifying School to regain his European Tour card for the 2011 season. “I kept the ball in play and holed a few really long putts and that obviously makes the difference between a good and a very good round. I didn’t make mistakes.”

Birdies Björn finished a spotless third round in blistering fashion with four birdies over the last five holes to complete a 6-under 66 and move to 11-under, one ahead of Brier, who was disappointed to finish both the outward and inward nine with bogeys. Karlsson was two strokes back at 8-under while Thomas Aiken was at 7-under.

“When you finish a round with four birdies in the last five, you have to walk off very happy,” said Björn whose previous victory came at last year’s Estoril Open de Portugal. “I played fantastic yesterday to shoot that 65 and felt comfortable this morning and good with the way my golf is.

I’m feeling quite comfortable on the golf course considering it’s been a while since I’ve been in that situation.”

With the scores so close the stage was set for a captivating final round and things got even more interesting when Brier birdied the opening hole to draw level. But it was to be the last shot he picked up on the front nine as his 22

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putter deserted him and bogeys on the second, fourth, sixth and eighth holes cost him dearly. He managed to get it going again on the back nine with birdies on 11 and 16 but he had left himself with too much to do.

“We had a very difficult start on the front nine – my short game wasn’t where it should have been,” he reflected. “I always had chances for par but missed 10-footers or eight footers and in that wind you can’t do that because you’re not going to hit a lot of fairways. The back nine was good. I made two birdies and so third place is not bad.”

Björn’s solid nerveless play proved to be the secret to his success as he kept his cool despite Quiros getting to within one stroke with a birdie at the 14th. The Spaniard gave a shot back at the 15th before Björn hit a wonderful six iron approach to set up a birdie at the same hole

which extended his lead to two before he put the finishing touches to a wonderful round with another birdie at the next hole and a final flourish at the last.

“I said yesterday it was going to be one of those days where it’s a question of hanging in, and that’s all I did earlier on,” said Björn.

“I didn’t play particularly well for at least the first six holes. I was really struggling and didn’t hit any fairways, and just kept holing a few putts for pars.

“I knew it was going to be a tough day, but from there on I started playing a lot better and got more control over the ball and just kept making pars. I stood on the 10th tee with a four shot lead and I knew it was going to be difficult, if I parred every hole on the back nine, it’s going to be difficult for them to catch me.” ■

JUMEIRAHGOLFESTATES.COM

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The S400 is able to pick up the flag even with other large objects directly behind it, using Pole Position technology and a powerful 6x optical zoom for maximum precision. The device is also able to pick out other objects such as bunkers,

bushes and trees from up to an impressive 400 yards away.

The S400 is designed to be an easy-to-use aid to golfers, helping them to select the best club and swing power for any given distance. No subscription or downloads are needed to use the device, so it can be used on course straight from the box, providing reliable and precise distances to every part of the golf course anywhere in the world.

The S430 GPS Shotsaver is available from £249.99 (approx US$392.99), and the Shotsaver S400 Laser Range Finder is available from £149.99 (approx US$239.49), at www.SnooperUK.com.

S430 GPS SHOTSAVER Snooper has also launched the new S430 GPS Shotsaver, a premium rangefinder with the largest screen on the market and a huge 14-hour battery life.

The new ultra high-visibility Shotsaver not only boasts a 3.5 inch touchscreen, but comes at a lower price than its nearest rivals. The S430’s size also makes it ideal for attaching to a golf trolley, with the use of an additional golf trolley bracket.

As with all Snooper’s GPS Shotsaver products, the S430’s GPS tracking system allows golfers to record the distance each ball is hit and which club was used.

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JHONATTAN VEGAS

Riche$ Rocks to

TODD STASZKO CHARTS THE SENSATIONAL SUCCESS OF BIG-HITTING ROOKIE JHONATTAN VEGAS – THE FIRST VENEZUELAN TO PLAY ON THE US PGA TOUR AND NOW, THE FIRST TO WIN.

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“BUT I ALWAYS KEPT MY GOAL IN FRONT OF ME. I KNEW THAT I WANTED TO DO THIS. THAT’S WHY I ALWAYS STAYED POSITIVE, WORKED HARD AND KEPT GETTING BETTER.” – JHONATTAN VEGAS

A

S a youngster Jhonattan Vegas imitated his father’s golf swing by hitting rocks with a broomstick on a remote Venezuelan oil camp. In 2002 at the age of 17 he uprooted from his homeland and set off to the USA, armed with a few clothes, a set of golf clubs and just 10 English words in his vocabulary. Fast forward nine years and, in only his second start as an official US PGA Tour player, and his fifth overall, he’s a winner.

The 26-year-old Jhonattan Vegas from Maturin in Northern Venezuela has taken the States by storm and become a multiple record breaker in the process. He shot to worldwide acclaim in January by winning the Bob Hope Classic in California. Nobody from his homeland has ever played on the PGA Tour before – let alone win.

It came as a big surprise to everyone on the circuit, not least Jhonattan himself. “It’s been a long, hard journey to get on to the PGA Tour but to go from a rookie just starting out as a PGA Tour member to becoming a winner in my second event is a huge step,” smiled Vegas, who collected a cheque for a cool $900,000 for the win.

Crazy

“It’s been a dream come true for me just to think about myself winning so early on the PGA Tour. I mean, it was always a possibility, but to see it happen so quickly, it’s crazy.”

The glitzy glamour of the Arnold Palmerdesigned PGA West in La Quinta is a far cry from the oil drilling camp in his homeland and the short 9-hole course where his love affair with the game began.

“I guess life for me hasn’t always been the best,” he said. “I’ve had to fight to get where I am. Just coming from Venezuela all the way here, not knowing the language, having to go to school, not knowing anyone, having to fight to graduate and then get on to the PGA Tour has been a tough ride. But I’m a fighter. If set a goal in front of me, I’m going to fight hard to accomplish what I set out in my mind.”

As a youth Jhonattan would cycle from school to his local golf course to play with the

other kids. He became good enough to win the 2001 Venezuela Junior title. The victory earned him an invitation to the Junior World Championships at Torrey Pines in California where he finished sixth. During that trip Jhonattan and his father, Carlos, travelled to Houston to visit the youngster’s old swing coach, Franci Betancourt. Franci had moved from Venezuela to Texas to teach alongside former pupil, Kevin Kirk, an American who had lived in Venezuela with his father who worked in the oil industry.

A year later, with Carlos’ blessing, Jhonattan moved to Houston with his clubs, some clothes and a handful of English words, to live with Franci in the hope that his golfing career would take off.

“There were times, especially during the

holidays when I missed my family, my friends, and everything about my home and my country,” he said. “But I always kept my goal in front of me. I knew that I wanted to do this.

That’s why I always stayed positive, worked hard and kept getting better.”

Graduated

Jhonattan enrolled at the University of Texas after passing his SAT exams and his golf game flourished. He graduated in 2008 with a degree in General Kinesiology but his heart was still set on the professional golf circuit and he duly turned pro in October that year. The youngster set out on his rookie year on the Nationwide Tour in 2009 with his best finish coming at the Wichita Open, where he finished tied fourth, and despite letting the tournament slip away

JHONATTAN VEGAS

from him with some late errors he developed an instant liking for the place. The following year he returned to Wichita and carded a bogey-free 7-under-par to win by a stroke. That turned out to be the catalyst for a run of form that helped him graduate to the PGA Tour.

“The Nationwide Tour makes you improve your short game and that’s what I needed to do if I wanted to be successful,” he said after finishing seventh on the money list at the Nationwide Tour Championship. “I’m going to go out to the PGA Tour and enjoy myself, work hard and see what I can do out there.”

Things didn’t begin too well for Vegas at the start of this year as he missed the cut in his opening event, the Sony Open in Hawaii.

But, showing that he had the grit required to become a champion, he bounced back a week

later, carding rounds of 64-67-67-66 and 69 before sinking a 13-foot par putt to win a threeman, sudden-death play-off at the Bob Hope.

In the immediate aftermath of victory he was quick to thank his parents, who had travelled to California to watch him compete, for their role in helping him realise his dream.

Support

“It was special to have them watch me at my first win,” he said. “I guess that God put all the elements together for this to happen. That’s kind of the way I see it. They were a great support to me throughout the week. I saw my mom praying and crying and just going crazy, and that’s the kind of emotion that I think I get from them. They came out at the end of last year to enjoy the graduation from the Nationwide Tour.

“This was only their second time at a PGA Tour event and what better way for them to be here and see me win?”

The victory has opened up a whole world of possibilities for the 6’2” powerhouse. He’s already earned an invite to the Masters in April and with an average driving distance of 315 yards he’s a threat to golf courses around the globe. As he knows only too well – anything is possible if you put your mind to it.

“It’s possible to get here to the PGA Tour and win,” he said, “I’m proof of that and I hope people all over the world realise that. A positive mindset has been the key for me. I don’t let things put me down. Even when things get as bad as they sometimes do, I always try to look at the positives. I’ve proved to everyone, including myself, that it works.” ■ www.wwgolf.biz

29

AESGC Mens Golf Open 2011 Friday 15th and Saturday 16th April

Tournament Format

Entry Fee AESGC Gold Member 250 AED AESGC Silver Member 300 AED EGF 500 AED Visitor 575 AED Junior (under 16) 250AED



36 hole Individual Aggregate Stroke Play



Open to All Amateur Men with a valid handicap certificate



A valid handicap certificate must be presented prior to the first round of the tournament



The R & A rules of golf apply along with the local rules of the Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club



All competitors will play from the AESGC Mens Tees



In event of a tie for Overall Gross a playoff will be used on hole 18, all other ties will be decided by count back

Entry Fee Includes 2 rounds of golf, shared golf cart, range balls, gift pack and prizes, Day 1 lunch and Day 2 prize presentation lunch.

To Register

Hilton Al Ain Hotel Partner for the event

Please return the Entry Form below to AESGC Reception, Email to golf@palmsportsresort.com or Fax to 03 7683 331 Closing date for the event will be Thursday 7th April, players will be notified of their participation after the closing date.

If any players would like to receive more information on the Hilton Special offer then please indicate below

Prizes Overall Gross Winner, Runner up and Third, Overall Net Winner, Runner up and Third , Division A and B Net Winners and Runners up Daily Special Event prizes Full name __________________________________________

Handicap __________________

Home Club _______________________________________________ Email Address _____________________________________________ Shirt Size

Small

Please charge my

Visa

Medium

Telephone _______________________

Large

Mastercard

Diners Club

Credit Card Number AESGC Gold Member

X Large Other ________________ Expiry

AESGC Silver Member

I would like information on the Hotel offer Signature _____________________________

EGF

Visitor

I do not require any information

Junior

QUICK 9 WITH MICHELLE WIE

A QUICK 9 HOLES WITH…

MICHELLE WIE 1) What’s the key to starting the day on the right foot?

Have a great breakfast! I love oatmeal with fruit and protein powder to get myself jump-started.

2) If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be?

Barack Obama. We went to the same high school in Hawaii and it would be cool to see life through his eyes for a day…just one day though, his job is far too stressful!

3) Tell us something strange about yourself.

I am allergic to butter, milk, cheese and pineapple! (kind of crazy for a Hawaiian girl to be allergic to pineapples, right?).

4) What was your first job?

Golfing! It’s the greatest job in the world.

5) What is your favourite activity you do when you want to relax?

Sleep, listen to music, and catch up on TV show series and movies.

6) What other sport would you like to be good at?

Tennis! Most people don’t know this, but tennis was actually my first sport of choice when I was younger.

7) Do you have any hobbies away from sport?

Yeah I’m really artistic. I love drawing and spray-painting. I love art and artistic endeavours.

8) Is there anything you’re particularly bad at?

Karaoke. I’m so bad. I sang “Dancing Queen” once.

It’s a fairly high-pitched song, and it was basically me screeching.

9) Tell us a joke.

Did you know that when Chuck Norris does pushups he doesn’t push himself up, he pushes the world down!

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31

PERFORMANCE BY DESIGN

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Greg Norman and the Greg Norman Collection logo are registered of GreatGOLF White ESTATES Shark Enterprises Inc. GREGNORMANCOLLECTION.COM t ABUDHABI CITY GOLF CLUB t KATAMEYA HEIGHTS – EGYPT t DIRAB GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB, RIYADH, KSA. t TABA HEIGHTS GOLF CLUB & RESORT, EGYPT t ROLLING HILLS GOLF CLUB, DHEHRAN, KSA. t GREG NORMAN SHOP, DUBAI MALL. t TOWER LINKS GOLF CLUB, RAS AL KHAIMAH

ENTRIES OPEN FOR UAE LEG OF

WORLD CORPORATE GOLF CHALLENGE

World Final in South Africa beckons for lucky winners

A

TRIP to South Africa could be just one round away for aspiring golfers taking part in this year’s World Corporate Golf Challenge.

The local leg of the annual tournament, which sees scores of UAE golfers taking each other on for a place in the World Final, will take place on Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at the stunning Yas Links, Abu Dhabi with a 1.0pm shotgun start.

The format of the tournament will be Stableford with a ¾ handicap allowance and to enter, participants must have a current registered EGF handicap, form a two-ball and pay the entry fee of Dh900 per person (which includes a prize-giving barbecue).

Winners of the UAE competition will go on to represent the UAE at the World Final which takes places from May 3-8, 2011 and will bring together players from over 20 countries at the spectacular Simola Golf & Country Estate, in the Garden Route district of South Africa – the venue which hosted the Danish team during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Challenging This is the first Jack Nicklaus Signature course on the Garden Route, reflecting the Golden Bear’s philosophy of attuning the layout and design to the natural lie of the land. The course offers challenging and rewarding golf amidst spectacular scenery. Every hole boasts exceptional views; either out across the Knysna Lagoon or over the picturesque Knysna River as it twists and turns through the valley below.

The World Final has been played at many distinct locations around the world including: Jamaica (Half Moon Bay), Mauritius (One & Only Le Touessrok), Malaysia (Saujana Golf & Country Club), Spain (La Manga Club, Murcia) and South Africa (Fancourt and Oubaai).

“This is a wonderful opportunity for golfers in the UAE, not only to compete for a unique chance to represent the UAE in one of the most

prestigious corporate golf events in the world, but also to take part in a great day out which always provides plenty of networking and business opportunities,” said Donal Kilalea, CEO of Promoseven Sports Marketing, the franchise owner of the World Corporate Golf Challenge for the Middle East.

“Over one million business executives across the globe have participated in the World Corporate Golf Challenge since its inception in

1993 and as Promoseven Sports we are thrilled to once again be a part of this exceptional event,” added Kilalea. ■

Bookings for the UAE event can be made online through www.bizgolfuae.com or for more information on the World Corporate Golf Challenge, contact Jane Sloan on jane@promoseven.com or Joanita Colaco on Joanita@promoseven.com or (04) 321 0008.

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33

WWGCOLUMNIST

We must solve this fixture congestion

J

ohnson Wagner won his second title on the US PGA Tour with his win at the Mayakoba Golf Classic last month. It was a dramatic finish with Wagner defeating Spencer Levin at the first hole of a suddendeath play-off after both players had closed on 17-under-par 267 in regulation.

I was very impressed with the condition of the El Camaleon course and the praise it received from the players.

Everyone agreed that it was a course where you needed to drive straight and hit quality iron shots into the green.

When I designed the El Camaleon course, in Playa Del Carmen, Quintana Roo, which first hosted the Mayakoba Golf Classic in 2007, the first and still the only PGA Tour event in Mexico, we were delighted to be working with a natural landscape in such a spectacular setting overlooking the Caribbean Sea in a country I have always loved.

Adored To have Lorena Ochoa present at the event and playing in the Pro-Am was a big boost to the occasion. Lorena, who retired from the game last year as the World No.1, is universally adored throughout the country and is one of the reasons why golf is so strong in Mexico.

It’s exciting for me to be working with Lorena in designing a second golf course at the Mayakoba ecotourism complex with the Spanish conglomerate OHL, who have invested incredible time, energy and capital into the region with three hotels in operation and two more under construction.

‘Boost our bid’ Lorena and I are hopeful that our work together at Mayakoba will help boost our bid to design the golf course that will host the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

While we had a solid contingent of players, the Mayakoba Golf Classic is run as an opposite field event with the Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona.

Trying to avoid overlap among Tour events, or in this case within the same 34

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Tour, has always been a challenge for golf’s governing bodies. There’s no simple solution but this was the fifth anniversary of the Mayakoba Golf Classic with considerable prize money on offer – Johnson Wagner collected $666,000 for his win.

It’s difficult to sustain or to build on an event like this when you know that the top 64 players in the world are going to be competing elsewhere.

The tournament has proved itself over the past five years and deserves a date on the PGA Tour schedule that isn’t overshadowed by another Tour event

played at the same time. The Mayakoba Golf Classic is an interesting case study for the PGA Tour and The European Tour interest in developing professional golf events in South America.

The PGA Tour has virtually ceded the higher ground to The European Tour in recent years in the Middle East, Asia and South Africa.

By virtue of being there from a very early stage and cementing relationships with the Asian Tour, The European Tour has virtually created an international schedule that encompasses most of the golfing – and non-golfing – world.

THE PERFECT ROLE MODEL Above: Former women’s World No.1 Lorena Ochoa, who has helped grow the game of golf enormously in her Mexican homeland, is joined by former men’s World No. 1 Greg Norman at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational at Guadalajara Country in Guadalajara.

South America seems to be the last untapped market, particularly with the re-introduction of golf for the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

Both Tours are making overtures in South America and it will be a fascinating on-going head-to-head to see who emerges as the dominant Tour.

The Mayakoba Golf Classic gives the PGA Tour a solid foundation from which to grow, hence the importance of giving the tournament an unencumbered date.

Enthusiastic The Americans can no longer boast the better players with The European Tour currently having the first four players in the World Ranking and six out of the top ten, while the PGA Tour has just eight players in the World top 20.

The European Tour players have also demonstrated a much more enthusiastic approach to playing tournaments all around the world, whereas the Americans have shown a marked reluctance to travel outside the US. The Presidents Cup, to be played at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club, Australia, from November 17-20, has some scheduling challenges as well, with a potential clash with the European Toursanctioned South African Open.

Significant part The South African players always play a significant roll in The Presidents Cup Team and with players of the calibre of Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, Tim Clark,

TOP: A view of the 18th hole and the El Camaleon Golf Club clubhouse during the Mayakoba Golf Classic at Playa Del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico. MIDDLE: Lorena Ochoa is surrounded by members of the media a during the Lorena Ochoa Invitational.

Trevor Immelman, Rory Sabbitini, Richard Sterne, Thomas Aiken and James Kingston all in the running to play, it would be a huge loss if they were not available due to conflicting schedules. If the International Team is going to be able to take on the Americans fair and square and make a serious contest of the challenge, as Captain I need the strongest team

and want Ernie and the best of the South African players available to play.

Clearly something will have to be done to prevent this from happening but it’s certainly an on-going problem that needs careful examination.

It requires the powers that be on the major Tours to work closely with each other for the greater benefit of the game globally. â–

BIG PLANS ON THE HORIZON ABOVE LEFT: Greg Norman and Lorena Ochoa announce their proposal to co-design a golf course that would act as a host venue for the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil.

ABOVE RIGHT: Johnson Wagner holds the trophy aloft after winning the Mayakoba Golf Classic. www.wwgolf.biz

35

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DIVOTS RULES EXPLAINED by Stuart McMurdo, Golf Operations Manager at Jebel Ali GR & Spa

TREE TROUBLE AT THE MAJLIS ONE of the more common ruling situations in the Middle East compared to the rest of the world revolves around the many palm trees dotted around the courses and the frustrating amount of times golf balls seem to get stuck up them!

This was evident at last month’s Dubai Desert Classic.

We saw several occasions where balls were stuck up palm trees. There are a few differing scenarios for the players when this happens and a key point: Can the player positively identify the ball up the tree?

Even if the player is 100 per cent certain that the ball is up there is his, if he cannot identify the ball as his, the ball is lost and the player must proceed under rule 27-1. This happened on the 17th at the Majlis on numerous occasions, with a number of palms located short of the green for any

player trying to make the par 4 with their tee shot. It happened to World No.1 Lee Westwood in the final round, resulting in a long walk back to the tee.

Alvaro Quiros was unfortunate when his ball lodged up a tree on the 8th hole in the final round, but with the same breath he was extremely fortunate that he could still see it and more importantly see his distinctive markings on the ball.

This key point meant that Alvaro could drop a ball under the “Ball Unplayable” rule 28 using the point directly below where the ball is lodged in the tree on the ground. He then dropped within two club lengths of that point and was able to get a good lie in the hard sand where he struck his next shot onto the green.

Had he been unable to identify his ball up the tree, he would have had to drop his ball in the soft sand where he last played from.

This may have changed his whole afternoon and perhaps the name on the trophy…

TWO PICKS FOR CAPTAIN OLLY JOSÉ Maria Olazábal will revert to the old system of two Captain’s wildcard picks when he selects his European Ryder Cup Team for the 2012 Matches at Medinah Country Club in Chicago – down from the three Colin Montgomerie requested for his captaincy at Celtic Manor last year. Olazábal also opted to switch the qualification primacy of the World Ranking and Race to Dubai Ranking with the top five players from The European Tour money list now gaining the first five spots and then the top five from the World Ranking not all ready qualified. “I felt this would give the Team the best chance to keep The Ryder Cup – that’s what we all want,” said Olazábal. “I looked over the last few qualification processes, going back to 2004, and was satisfied that my proposal would give me the strongest team on paper. At the end of the day, it is the players who are the stars and it’s the players who hit the shots and win the points to win The Ryder Cup. I’d like to thank the Committee for their support and I hope that this is the first step towards retaining The Ryder Cup.” The qualification process will begin at the Omega European Masters at Crans-Sur-Sierre this September and end after the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles in 2012.

DUBAI GOLF HOSTS KPMG FORUM KPMG has announced the Park Hyatt Dubai as the venue of the two-and-a-half day Golf Business Forum, April 17-19, which brings together leading players from the golf, real estate, finance and tourism sectors. The forum, now in its 8th year has become the most important golf industry event in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.

On behalf of the event’s title sponsor, Dubai Golf, Chris May (left), General Manager, said: “We are proud to host the global golf industry’s foremost business forum in Dubai – a world-class golfing and business destination of distinction.

“Dubai Golf, as the most experienced regional golf and leisure management company and the owner-operator of two of the premier golf clubs in the Middle East, is already looking forward to welcoming the event.”

YANI TSENG BECOMES No.1 YANI Tseng of Chinese Taipei became the new women’s World No.1 after a 4-stroke victory at the Australian Ladies Masters. The 22-year-old, who replaced South Korean Shin Ji-yai at the top of the Rolex Ranking, is the youngest World No.1 since the ranking system began in 2006. “It’s so soon, I wasn’t expecting it as quickly as this,” said the three-time Major winner.”

STATMASTER

ROUND OF THE MONTH

Australian Aaron Baddeley’s victory in the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club, California, marked the first time a player had won the tournament with four rounds in the 60s since Charles Howell III achieved the feat in 2007. It was Baddeley’s first Tour win in four years.

Thomas Björn shot a sizzling round of 65 in testing conditions in the second round to set up victory at the Commercialbank Qatar Masters at Doha Golf Club. The Dane’s stellar round included five consecutive birdies from holes 2 to 6. A bogey on 7 was his only blemish and he went on to pick up three more shots on the back nine.

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NEWS SNIPPETS FROM AROUND THE GOLFING GLOBE

THOMAS BJÖRN BACKS MENA TOUR

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

THOMAS Björn has thrown his weight behind the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Golf Tour set to tee off later this year. The MENA Golf Tour, an initiative by the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation will be open to all MENA National and International Professional and Amateur golfers.

The tour is aimed at nurturing the potential of golfers in the region and growing the game in the Middle East.

“As more leading events come to the region, bringing stiffer competition, the knock-on effect has been a rapid improvement in the quality of players,” said Björn, a golf in DUBAi Ambassador and former European Tour Players Committee Chairman.

“The standard of golf in the region has risen to such an extent that I believe it’s just a matter of time before a real champion emerges. There is still a lot of room for the game to grow, particularly with golf being in the 2016 Olympics to drive interest. I see a very bright future for the game in the MENA region.”

The tour, which will be affiliated to the R&A and the Arab Golf Federation, will initially have four events, each carrying a minimum prize fund of US$75,000 and valuable World Amateur ranking points.

Mohamed Juma Buamaim, Vice Chairman and CEO of golf in DUBAi, said: “We are organising the tour primarily to expand tournament golf, and provide a much-needed springboard for both amateurs and professionals to take their game to a new level. There is no shortage of talent in the region and the facilities are second to none, but the players lack regular exposure to high-class competition and the tour, hopefully, will create the right environment to develop their skills. By working together with the Arab Golf Federation, the tour will deliver better events and golf will be seen as more serious and more credible.

One day, we are hoping that the MENA Tour can slot two events into the European Challenge Tour.”

CAPTAIN PERSSON JOINS IN THE FUN AT AL BADIA PUTTING practice is the order of the days for Captain Mattias Persson and members of the crew of the magnificent Royal Caribbean International cruise liner, Brilliance of the Seas, who will join in the fun at the Worldwide Golf Invitational event at Al Badia Golf Club on Sunday, March 13. Following the 18-hole golf match – tee times between 11.0am and 12.50pm – the 48 VIPs and their spouses/partners are invited to attend a reception on board the Brilliance of the Seas, docked in Dubai, followed by a tour of the ship and Dinner.

OBERHOLSER BLASTS RANKING SYSTEM AMERICAN Arron Oberholser took a swipe at the current Official World Golf Ranking system by saying that it was biased against PGA Tour players. “If you’re going to make so much ride on those top 50 or 60 spots you have to make it legit,” said Oberholser. “Get rid of the ‘Home Tour’ bonus, get rid of appearance fees, get rid of the two-year rotation, up the purses in Europe and see where the guys want to play. If you want a legitimate ranking, that’s what you would have to do.” His off-the-wall outburst came after the USGA announced that being in the World’s top 50 would now form a more important part of the criteria for qualification to the US Open Championship. Since its launch the criteria used to determine the Official World Golf Ranking has been universally accepted as the most accurate means of calculating the Ranking.

SHOT OF THE MONTH Spain’s Alvaro Quiros hit a three-quarter wedge in the final round for a hole-in-one at the par-3 169 yards 11th hole at the Majlis Course at Emirates Golf Club straight off the back of a triple bogey on the 10th to get his title charge back on track at the Dubai Desert Classic. The big-hitter went on to win by one shot from Anders Hanson and James Kingston.

‘My ambition is to become the star again in my own household.’

– European Tour player Nick Dougherty, who recently married golf commentator Di Stewart, taking a self-deprecating view of his current situation that sees him home most weekends after missing the cut while his wife is still working at the golf tournament.

NEWS FORUMS COMPETITIONS TRAVEL READ ONLINE VIDEOS & MORE...

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39

S A A D I YAT B E A C H G O L F C L U B - A P L A C E T O B R E AT H E

Nearly all golf courses feature bunkers.

Ours brings you an appointment with miles of beautiful

beach...

We are proud to introduce the Saadiyat Series which is a series of individual events. There are four rounds and the next round will be held on Saturday, 26 March 2011, tee times are available from 12.30pm and the format is Individual Strokeplay (Full Handicap). Monthly on-course prizes “Saadiyat Breeze” – Par 3, 236 Yards sponsored by Radisson BLU Hotel Abu Dhabi Yas Island.

Entry fee for each round is: • • • •

AED 550 per EGF Member / UAE Resident AED 415 per Troon Advantage / Executive Card Holder AED 415 per SBGC Passport Holder Guest Complimentary per SBGC Passport Holder

Above-mentioned includes: 18 holes golf, shared golf cart with GPS, bottled water in golf cart and use of practice facility prior to play. Terms & Conditions: Credit card details will be required to reserve your entry.

For reservations contact us on +971 2 557 8000 or info@sbgolfclub.ae

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DRIVING

RANGE

RIDE COMFORT PERFORMANCE SPACE BRAKING Worldwide Golf’s Sallie Taylor test drives the Volvo XC60: “I was lucky to drive the top of

the range Prestige model which was packed full of useful features – and all in all I was very impressed. I would recommend the XC60 to anyone who has been put off by the idea of a huge gas guzzler but is looking for something more hardy yet sleek than a saloon car.”

FROM the moment you set eyes on the new Volvo XC60 you know you’re looking at something special. Its sleek, sporty curves set it apart from other vehicles in its class and make it equally attractive and appealing to both men and women, who, as we know, often look for different things in a car.

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41

DRIVING

RANGE

RIDE COMFORT PERFORMANCE SPACE BRAKING

DRIVING THE XC60 IT’S clear when you first sit behind the steering wheel of the XC60 that you are about to experience a great drive. I was lucky enough to test drive the top of the range Prestige model which had more than its fair share of creature comforts, from twin-coloured leather upholstery, electric adjustable front seats (which ensures your optimal driving position), and automatic braking system, City Safety technology (more on these later). All the dials and controls are within easy reach of the driver, with a plethora of steering wheel-mounted buttons.

The Satellite navigation system was surprisingly good, given the changing state of some of Dubai’s roads. It even showed me a couple of very useful short cuts I wasn’t aware of! When you first touch the throttle of the 3-litre 6 cylinder turbo engine you realise that under the bonnet is all the power you will need. With excellent acceleration you are able to deal with all the challenges driving on the UAE’s roads entail, including those drivers who love to switch lanes at the last minute on roundabouts! Likewise the Ready Alert Brakes are also more than capable of dealing with the sudden breaking that is required, without any loss of control.

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FACTS AND FIGURES: The Prestige XC60 has advanced all-wheel drive, with plenty of ground clearance, and big 18-inch alloy wheels, more than enough to deal with some light off-roading (always useful in the UAE), but it is on the roads where it really shows its class. The ride is very smooth, dealing with holes and speed humps effortlessly. When cornering there is little body roll and the steering is very responsive, making it corner extremely well.

PERFORMANCE: The XC60 comes with a choice of either the aforementioned 3.0 litre turbo-charged engine or a new 2 litre turbo version. The engine output ranges from 203hp to 285bhp and delivers power to the road via a 6-speed Geartronic transmission.

SAFETY & SECURITY: The XC60 has front and side airbags, cabin-length window airbags, antiwhiplash front head restraints and City Safety technology. City Safety technology is a fantastic system which means that at speeds of 30km/h or less, sensors will tell you if you are going to hit the car in front, at which point an audio signal is given, and if you fail to respond, the XC60 brakes for you (although given that I was only borrowing the car I was not prepared to test it myself for obvious reasons – despite the pleas of my children!).

INSIDE There is plenty of leg and headroom in the XC60 and it will seat adults in the rear seats comfortably. The rear seats can also be laid flat, giving an envious amount of space for your everyday needs.

GREAT FEATURES I HAVE long known (and more so since driving in Dubai) that driving can be a dangerous business. It requires you to be alert at all times, but after driving the XC60 it’s clear that you can never get too much assistance with your own senses. The XC60 offers such fantastic functions as key-less entry; BLIS (Blind Spot Information System); front and rear parking sensors and City Safety technology. The BLIS system has a great warning light by each of the side view mirrors, which warns you when there is a vehicle in your blind spot. The rear parking camera was amazing, showing with great clarity the view behind, together with coloured guide lines to enable smooth parking. Given the rear audio sensors and cameras I would defy anyone to hit something when reversing.”

The cabin has a really luxurious feel. From the leather upholstery to the brushed aluminium dash it has a real feel of quality, luxury and durability. In addition, the XC60 offers all the safety features you would traditionally expect and associate with a Volvo and also some really great touches, such as a mirror with a light in both the passenger and driver’s sun visor. One of the first things I noticed was the lack of noise. When I first switched the engine on I really thought it had not started, it was so quiet! Even when driving, there is very little road noise, which enables you to fully enjoy the Dolby Pro Logic II surround sound system, with premium sound provided by Dynaudio.

The Electronic Climate Control offers independent settings for both the driver and front passenger. It’s amazingly quick to cool, which is always something to bear in mind in the UAE..

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WWGCOLUMNIST

A BUSY BUT EXCITING TIME

I

T was great to finish off the Middle East Swing on a positive note with a top-10 finish at the Desert Classic.

It’s the event in the Swing that I always enjoy the most and I love going back to Dubai.

My first experience there was four years ago when I shot 65-65 over the first two rounds to lead the tournament and everybody said, “Hold on a minute, who’s this guy?” It was really were I first made an impact on the Tour so I’ve always had good memories of the event.

I love the Majlis course – I feel like it fits my eye and it’s a track I can definitely play well around. The worst position I’ve finished in the five times I’ve played the Classic is 13th, which is a pretty good record, so before my career’s out I’d love to win it more than once.

It was nice, after a poor first round of 73, to shoot a solid round of 69 on the Friday and then play steady over the weekend when the conditions were tough. While a lot of people were going south I was going north and climbing up the leaderboard with two decent scores. If things had gone a little bit better they could have been real good scores.

Capitalise I finished 6-under and 11-under was the winning score so if a couple more putts had dropped – because I hit a lot of good shots that I didn’t capitalise on – the two 70 scores could have easily been 68s or 67s so there were definitely a lot of positives to take from the week.

It was great to spend some time with Eve and Jo after a hectic few weeks out there in the Middle East and ahead of another busy period in the USA. Jo is expecting our second baby, which is due in April, so we’re really excited and looking forward to that.

I flew out to Arizona for the WGCAccenture Match Play in Arizona where unfortunately my good mate Graeme McDowell knocked me out in the second round! Now I’m back in our house at Lake Nona in Florida getting ready for the Honda Classic. After that I’ll play the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral and the Tavistock Cup before flying back to the UK for a week at

home and then returning to the US for the Shell Houston Open and of course the Masters. So it’s a busy time but very exciting. I’m feeling good about my game. I’ve been doing some good work with my coach Denis Pugh and my short game coach Mark Roe – just trying to firm everything up because my swing has never been a million miles off.

It’s more about tightening up the loose shots so that they become OK shots.

Dividends The main thing for me is just trying to get out there and start holing some putts because I know that if I hit the ball nicely and I drive the ball nicely I’m going to give myself a lot of chances. I know that to be the best player in the world you’ve got to capitalise on those chances so I’ve been working hard with Roey on my putting. We’ll see when we get back out there if it pays dividends.

I’m disappointed to see where I am in the World Ranking. I feel I belong higher up so I need to get some good performances under my belt in the US – there’s some really big events coming

up leading in to the first Major of the season so it’s all to play for. I’ll be making time to pay a visit to Augusta with Denis and my caddie, Wobbly, just to check it all out. You still get the ‘Wow Factor’ every time you go there so I want to kind of get that out of the way, get a feel for how the course is playing and see if there’s anything I need to work on.

Hopefully I can get some good results heading into the big one!

I’ve heard there’s been some debate in the media recently about whether the way the world rankings are worked out is fair but to be honest I’ve given up trying to figure out how they’re actually worked out! I just try and go out and play good golf but it can be confusing sometimes. One week I might play well and move up the rankings, the next I can play well but move down then the week after I can not play at all but move up!

But at the end of the day consistency is rewarded – if you’re consistent and play good golf you will move up that World Ranking so that’s what I’ve got to try and do. ■

IN THE KNOW WITH ROSS FISHER ROSS SHOT ROUNDS OF 73 6970 AND 70 FOR A 6UNDERPAR TOTAL OF 282 AND A SHARE OF 10TH PLACE IN DUBAI. HIS PREVIOUS RESULTS IN THE DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC ARE: 2010  11TH; 2009 13TH; 2008 10TH; 20075TH. ROSS IS CURRENTLY 37TH ON THE OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING.

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45

PLAYER QUOTES JOKES WORD OF THE MONTH CARTOONS

Top

weets

‘Back home in Portrush after six weeks on the spin! A very big thanks to Etihad for another £400 excess baggage charge for my clubs last night!

- New Twitter recruit Darren Clarke lets off steam after his flight back from the Dubai Desert Classic

KNOW

?

125,000 golf balls a year are hit into the water at the famous 17th Island Hole of the Pete Dye-designed Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

WORD OF THE MONTH JELLY LEGS: A DISABILITY THAT AFFLICTS NERVOUS GOLFERS.

– Baby of the pack, Rory McIlroy responds.

‘You should know by looking at me that I don’t use a treadmill. My arms are so sore I can’t get the biscuit tin open!’ – Lee Westwood.

‘I guess Tiger had some sinus problems in Dubai on Sunday!’ – Graeme McDowell comments on the ‘Tiger spitting incident’ at the Desert Classic.

‘I’m not crazy about the calorie info being on the menus. You should be able to request no-calorie if you want.’ – Stewart Cink bemoans the trend for health

conscious menus in restaurants.

Green Balls A blonde golfer goes into the pro shop and looks around frowning.

Finally, the pro asks her what she wants.

“I can’t find any green golf balls,” the blonde golfer complains.

The pro looks all over the shop, and through all the catalogues, and finally calls the manufacturers and just to make sure that, sure enough, there is no such thing as green golf balls.

As the blonde golfer walks out of the door in disgust, the pro asks her: “Before you go, could you tell me why you want green golf balls?”

“Well, obviously, because they would be so much easier to find in the sand traps!”

“

MY ULTIMATE AMBITION IS TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO RETIRE FROM THE GAME BECAUSE IT DRIVES ME BERSERK.

“

DID YOU

‘My kiddies clubs must be really light, they didn’t charge me anything!’

– DAVID FEHERTY

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47

OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING AS OF MONDAY FEBRUARY 28, 2011

AROUND THE WORLD ON THE EUROPEAN TOUR & US PGA TOUR

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

Martin Kaymer Lee Westwood Luke Donald Graeme McDowell Tiger Woods Phil Mickelson Paul Casey Rory McIlroy Steve Stricker Matt Kuchar Jim Furyk Ernie Els Ian Poulter Dustin Johnson Bubba Watson Retief Goosen Robert Karlsson Francesco Molinari Hunter Mahan Miguel A Jimenez Louis Oosthuizen Alvaro Quiros Tim Clark Edoardo Molinari Charl Schwartzel Robert Allenby Geoff Ogilvy Adam Scott Justin Rose Rickie Fowler Nick Watney Kim Kyung-Tae Zach Johnson Anthony Kim Peter Hanson Padraig Harrington Jason Day Ben Crane Ross Fisher Ryan Moore Ryo Ishikawa Martin Laird Y.E. Yang K.J. Choi Yuta Ikeda Camilo Villegas Bill Haas Bo Van Pelt Vijay Singh Mark Wilson

Deu Eng Eng Nir USA USA Eng Nir USA USA USA Saf Eng USA USA Saf Swe Ita USA Esp Saf Esp Saf Ita Saf Aus Aus Aus Eng USA USA Kor USA USA Swe Irl Aus USA Eng USA Jpn Sco Kor Kor Jpn Col USA USA Fji USA

Pts. Avg

Tot. Pts

Events

8.36 8.16 6.64 6.44 6.32 6.23 6.02 5.65 5.49 5.20 5.16 4.96 4.77 4.47 4.37 4.36 4.34 4.27 4.23 3.86 3.80 3.80 3.77 3.61 3.60 3.45 3.36 3.32 3.26 3.26 3.26 3.18 3.18 3.13 3.07 3.06 2.98 2.97 2.95 2.91 2.83 2.75 2.70 2.64 2.63 2.62 2.62 2.56 2.50 2.40

409.49 375.35 345.08 347.91 252.80 274.19 270.92 305.26 236.28 270.19 247.85 277.89 247.95 219.00 209.55 244.32 190.79 230.73 228.33 216.22 197.51 208.90 188.55 202.39 194.34 193.07 167.87 169.40 179.53 140.33 169.57 165.56 165.48 146.90 147.16 171.18 127.95 157.33 150.65 151.30 158.70 148.39 151.41 137.21 147.16 138.92 146.77 143.12 120.11 134.45

49 46 52 54 40 44 45 54 43 52 48 56 52 49 48 56 44 54 54 56 52 55 50 56 54 56 50 51 55 43 52 52 52 47 48 56 43 53 51 52 56 54 56 52 56 53 56 56 48 56

Pts. Gained 105.76 8.68 76.00 48.48 6.30 45.24 52.03 44.02 26.03 57.70 11.25 10.06 13.48 27.98 75.53 30.34 22.54 17.48 48.66 41.39 25.90 90.23 28.13 9.74 38.25 17.34 17.40 5.18 25.41 18.85 35.42 2.05 7.59 18.67 28.55 3.25 18.73 20.20 12.74 30.11 2.05 24.57 23.16 18.28 2.05 3.39 40.34 8.05 59.69 102.42

Pts. Avg 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100

Anders Hansen Hiroyuki Fujita Matteo Manassero Sean O’Hair Stewart Cink J.B. Holmes Ryan Palmer Kevin Na Jeff Overton Charley Hoffman Richard Green Thomas Bjorn Noh Seung-yul Brendan Jones Jonathan Byrd Heath Slocum Toru Taniguchi Henrik Stenson Stuart Appleby Stephen Gallacher Jhonattan Vegas Liang Wen-Chong Jason Dufner Aaron Baddeley Thongchai Jaidee Simon Dyson Tetsuji Hiratsuka Lucas Glover Stephen Marino Angel Cabrera Fredrik Andersson Hed Sergio Garcia Rhys Davies D.A. Points James Kingston Danny Willett Scott Verplank Brian Davis Thomas Aiken Brandt Snedeker Robert Garrigus Ricky Barnes Chris Wood David Toms Michio Matsumura John Senden Bryce Molder Carl Pettersson Marc Leishman Oliver Wilson

Dnk Jpn Ita USA USA USA USA USA USA USA Aus Dnk Kor Aus USA USA Jpn Swe Aus Sco Ven Chn USA Aus Tha Eng Jpn USA USA Arg Swe Esp Wal USA Saf Eng USA Eng Saf USA USA USA Eng USA Jpn Aus USA Swe Aus Eng

2.37 2.36 2.36 2.34 2.29 2.27 2.27 2.27 2.24 2.16 2.13 2.11 2.11 2.11 2.10 2.09 1.99 1.96 1.95 1.91 1.90 1.88 1.87 1.87 1.86 1.83 1.81 1.81 1.81 1.81 1.78 1.72 1.71 1.71 1.67 1.65 1.62 1.62 1.60 1.60 1.60 1.58 1.55 1.54 1.54 1.53 1.51 1.50 1.48 1.48

Tot. Pts

Events

Pts. Gained

125.56 132.44 94.56 116.81 109.68 118.18 127.08 122.35 121.18 114.55 100.06 109.91 95.05 84.34 111.24 116.92 87.48 90.30 109.42 85.87 91.31 82.89 101.09 100.87 104.42 102.21 101.56 90.51 101.31 77.62 88.94 82.59 95.93 95.86 90.26 77.59 71.36 90.55 89.85 84.99 80.06 78.99 79.10 78.68 79.97 85.83 78.37 84.25 82.92 78.24

53 56 40 50 48 52 56 54 54 53 47 52 45 40 53 56 44 46 56 45 48 44 54 54 56 56 56 50 56 43 50 48 56 56 54 47 44 56 56 53 50 50 51 51 52 56 52 56 56 53

34.42 2.05 14.35 3.75 7.12 35.25 20.85 34.69 8.13 7.98 7.82 54.42 13.19 2.05 55.68 4.40 0.00 3.81 15.77 24.58 55.90 1.32 33.94 73.19 7.04 2.32 0.00 3.52 37.54 1.24 10.10 11.51 2.87 57.15 42.05 1.25 0.00 5.32 32.31 13.48 31.39 0.00 19.87 5.52 0.00 6.56 8.80 14.71 12.77 7.89

Over 100 destinations worldwide

WWGCOLUMNIST

GARY PLAYER IS A TRUE LEGEND OF THE GAME. THE SOUTH AFRICAN IS ONE OF ONLY FIVE PLAYERS TO HAVE WON A CAREER GRAND SLAM OF ALL FOUR MAJORS. HE HAS WON A TOTAL OF NINE MAJORS AND NINE SENIOR MAJORS, AMONG 167 TOUR EVENTS WORLDWIDE.

GREAT GATHERING OF CHAMPIONS Martin Kaymer, who was confirmed as the new World No.1 at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, picks up the award for Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Abu Dhabi.

A

FTER the Middle East Swing, world golf continues to gather momentum towards the first Major of the season, the Masters.

I’m not one to make predictions and I don’t know what’s inside Rory McIlroy – I guess you’ll never know – but I do think he’s destined to win a Major championship this year, perhaps at the Masters.

His game has improved month on 50

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month and he’s become a formidable competitor. He’s risen to No.8 on the Official World Golf Ranking and he’s still only 21. He was runner-up to new World No.1 Martin Kaymer in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship and finished 10th in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, the tournament that gave him his first win on The European Tour, in 2009.

With the experience of playing in all the big events, including

the Majors and the World Golf Championships, plus last year’s sensational Ryder Cup, McIlroy is now a hardened Tour professional.

Last year he finished tied third at The Open Championship at St. Andrews, tied third at the US PGA Championship at Whistling Straights and won his first event on the US PGA Tour at the Quail Hollow Championship. So he’s honed his skills at the highest level and he’s

ready to beat the best. I was pleased to see Paul Casey win the inaugural Volvo Golf Champions at The Royal Golf Club in Bahrain, the second event in the Middle East Swing. He’s gone 20 months without a win and he was unfortunate to miss out on playing in last year’s Ryder Cup. Casey is a very nice young man and I’ll never forget the gesture he and Ian Poulter made at the live auction at our Saadiyat Beach Classic, Abu Dhabi, in January when they both spent a considerable amount of money in the cause of charity. It was something I really appreciated. I know players nowadays earn a lot of money but Casey and Poulter were prepared to put something back.

Crown Prince Doubled Donation The evening at the Emirates Palace Hotel was made all the more memorable when the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi matched the amount raised at the auction with his donation and doubled the total. That was a night I’ll remember for a long time.

It’s one of the most gratifying things about this game of ours that so many people will give up their time and money to help others in need.

Another of The European Tour players who supported the Saadiyat Beach Classic, Thomas Björn, returned to winning ways at the Commercialbank Qatar Masters. I was so tickled to see Thomas win his first event for some time.

I’ve always been a fan of Thomas and I hope this is the start of a great season for him.

Thomas certainly showed he’s a man in form when he knocked Tiger Woods out of the World Golf ChampionshipsAccenture Match Play Championship at Dove Valley, Arizona, in the first round.

Although it went to the 19th hole Thomas kept his composure while Tiger hit a wayward drive into the bushes and that ended the match.

Above (l-r): The winning team of KarlHeinz Riedle, Gerard Tsobanian, Academy member Hugo Porta, Dr Joachim Schmidt and Thomas Berthold at the Laureus Golf Challenge played at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, Abu Dhabi.

Left: Footballer Zinedine Zidane, alongside wife Veronique, receives the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award.

Tiger’s Confused I know that Tiger has said that he is rebuilding his swing but I think the real problem is that there is too much confusion surrounding his swing. He’s not going to improve his game until he gets rid of this confusion. I hope he’s working on the right things and I hope he’s getting the right advice.

He’s still an important player and a big crowd-pleaser and the game needs him.

The sooner he gets himself sorted out the better for everyone.

I was delighted to see Aaron Baddeley win his third career title at the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club, California, by two shots from Vijay Singh. I

Above left: Tennis World No.1 Rafael Nadal receives the Laureus Sportsman of the Year Award.

Above right: Gary Player, a member of the Laureus Academy, on-stage with high jumper Blanka Vlasic. played with Aaron when he was a young amateur in Australia at the Australian Open. When I came off the course I was so impressed with his performance I said he was better than Jack Nicklaus at the same age. Aaron was the best junior I’d seen play anywhere in the world. He was phenomenal.

He was playing well on Tour and then for some reason he started to change his swing and his game went backwards.

Now he’s returned to his old golf swing he’s beginning to get back to the form

he showed as a youngster. If he can use this win as a confidence-booster and continue to play his natural game he can gather some momentum and win many more tournaments.

It was a fitting gesture by The European Tour to bestow Lifetime Membership to Lee Westwood. Lee richly deserves that recognition of his achievements. Not only has he been a great ambassador for The European Tour around the world, he’s been a great representative of the game of golf everywhere he’s played. ■ www.wwgolf.biz

51

RACE TO DUBAI

As of February 28, 2011

THE EUROPEAN TOUR R ACE TO DUBAI R ANKING Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

Name Luke DONALD Martin KAYMER Alvaro QUIROS Charl SCHWARTZEL Miguel Angel JIMÉNEZ Thomas BJÖRN Paul CASEY Rory McILROY S S P CHOWRASIA Thomas AIKEN Retief GOOSEN Louis OOSTHUIZEN James KINGSTON Anders HANSEN Rafael CABRERA-BELLO Ernie ELS Peter HANSON Graeme McDOWELL Robert COLES Y. E.YANG Robert KARLSSON Pablo MARTIN Jean-Baptiste GONNET Stephen GALLACHER Grégory HAVRET Chris WOOD Matteo MANASSERO David HOWELL Markus BRIER Robert-Jan DERKSEN Pablo LARRAZÁBAL Ross FISHER Gareth MAYBIN Scott STRANGE Seung-yul NOH Alvaro VELASCO David LYNN Edoardo MOLINARI Ricardo GONZALEZ Thorbjorn OLESEN Lee WESTWOOD Francesco MOLINARI Robert ROCK Robert DINWIDDIE Richard FINCH Darren CLARKE Manuel QUIROS Søren HANSEN David DRYSDALE Johan EDFORS

Country

Tournaments Played

Prize Money

Rank

ENG GER ESP RSA ESP DEN ENG NIR IND RSA RSA RSA RSA DEN ESP RSA SWE NIR ENG KOR SWE ESP FRA SCO FRA ENG ITA ENG AUT NED ESP ENG NIR AUS KOR ESP ENG ITA ARG DEN ENG ITA ENG ENG ENG NIR ESP DEN SCO SWE

1 4 5 6 5 5 4 3 3 8 5 6 8 5 7 2 5 2 6 1 3 6 6 4 5 4 4 7 6 5 5 4 5 5 5 6 4 4 4 6 4 3 8 5 6 6 2 6 8 4

€1,027,923 €987,332 €591,417 €489,679 €391,450 €381,876 €377,239 €324,146 €300,000 €286,753 €281,067 €273,289 €270,271 €238,285 €232,156 €228,252 €224,159 €215,752 €213,419 €198,242 €196,393 €181,789 €159,962 €159,281 €157,193 €143,525 €140,278 €132,297 €124,290 €119,997 €118,073 €117,064 €114,637 €112,874 €112,447 €111,532 €111,395 €104,738 €104,419 €100,150 €98,813 €97,752 €95,832 €94,838 €93,519 €92,488 €92,100 €89,434 €83,891 €80,214

51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100

Name

Country

Jbe KRUGER Anthony MICHAEL Bradley DREDGE Anthony WALL Richard GREEN Sergio GARCIA Justin ROSE Alexander NOREN Jamie ELSON Mark FOSTER Steven O’HARA Fredrik ANDERSSON HED Tano GOYA Thongchai JAIDEE Kenneth FERRIE Floris DE VRIES Keith HORNE Richie RAMSAY Scott JAMIESON Brett RUMFORD Victor DUBUISSON Mark F HAASTRUP Raphaël JACQUELIN Jamie DONALDSON Romain WATTEL Ian POULTER Carlos DEL MORAL Tjaart VAN DER WALT Jeev Milkha SINGH Jaco VAN ZYL Rafa ECHENIQUE Chinnarat PHADUNGSIL Oliver WILSON Branden GRACE Nicolas COLSAERTS Ross McGOWAN John PARRY Michael HOEY Marc WARREN Henrik STENSON Phillip PRICE Joost LUITEN Fabrizio ZANOTTI Richard STERNE Maarten LAFEBER Oscar FLOREN Martin WIEGELE David HORSEY Padraig HARRINGTON Hennie OTTO

RSA RSA WAL ENG AUS ESP ENG SWE ENG ENG SCO SWE ARG THA ENG NED RSA SCO SCO AUS FRA DEN FRA WAL FRA ENG ESP RSA IND RSA ARG THA ENG RSA BEL ENG ENG NIR SCO SWE WAL NED PAR RSA NED SWE AUT ENG IRL RSA

Tournaments Played 6 4 4 7 4 3 1 5 4 5 6 4 4 5 8 7 7 6 5 5 3 3 5 4 6 4 4 3 5 3 4 1 4 3 3 6 6 6 6 4 6 4 4 6 5 4 6 5 3 6

Prize Money €78,092 €77,767 €76,333 €74,126 €72,934 €70,513 €69,752 €69,426 €67,930 €67,820 €65,510 €63,737 €61,878 €60,286 €59,126 €58,472 €58,342 €57,034 €56,819 €56,801 €56,261 €55,841 €55,275 €54,675 €54,151 €54,127 €53,855 €53,332 €52,409 €51,233 €50,048 €49,500 €49,486 €49,190 €47,963 €47,418 €47,206 €45,417 €45,270 €44,677 €43,754 €42,914 €42,219 €42,080 €40,989 €40,526 €40,284 €38,660 €38,480 €38,218

E X P L A N AT I O N O F T H E E U R O P E A N T O U R R A C E T O D U B A I 2 0 1 1 The Race to Dubai on The 2011 European Tour International Schedule will feature 50 tournaments in 29 destinations, including new events in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Malaysia and Sicily, culminating in the Dubai World Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The curtain came down on The 2010 Race to Dubai with Sweden’s Robert Karlsson finishing the year in style by winning the Dubai World Championship presented by DP World while Martin Kaymer secured The Harry Vardon Trophy by finishing European Number One ahead of Ryder Cup colleague Graeme McDowell. The third edition of The Race to Dubai will again conclude with the Dubai World Championship and will again carry a prize fun of $7,500,000 while The Race to Dubai Bonus Pool remains at $7,500,000 to be divided between the leading 15 players at the conclusion of the season.

THE RACE TO DUBAI BONUS POOL BREAKDOWN 1 US$ 1,500,000 2 US$ 1,125,000 3 US$ 750,000 4 US$ 600,000 5 US$ 525,000

6 US$ 450,000 7 US$ 412,500 8 US$ 375,000 9 US$ 337,500 10 US$ 300,000

11 US$ 262,500 12 US$ 243,750 13 US$ 225,000 14 US$ 206,250 15 US$ 187,500

NEWS BRAEMAR GOLF MANAGING MUSCAT HILLS, OMAN BRAEMAR GOLF have signed a two-year management agreement with Muscat Hills Golf and Country Club, Oman, after a successful sixmonth technical advice period.

“We are delighted to bring in the commercial expertise and services of Braemar Golf to aid with the management and development of Muscat Hills G&CC,” said Her Highness Sayyida Susan Al Said, Chairperson of Muscat Golf Course Project (MGCP), the owners of Muscat Hills G&CC. “They quickly responded to our initial requests during the middle part of 2010 and have assembled a strong management team for us.”

Braemar Golf is responsible for the business performance of the golf club, offering advice on agronomic matters, developing a high performing team and instigating the five-year business plan they developed last year on behalf of the owners.

“It has been a privilege to be invited by MGCP to be involved with Muscat Hills G&CC,” said Michael Braidwood, Braemar Golf’s Operations Director, who is responsible for the management contract.

“We see many similarities with this project as the ones we have been involved with throughout the region and we feel our experiences will help Muscat Hills realise its enormous potential.”

Ray Stopforth whi became the Club’s Director of Golf last July added: “It has been a very rewarding job so far and we have achieved many milestones. The condition of the course has improved dramatically and we have just launched our membership, which has been very well received by the local golf community. Our targets are being met and we are seeing a great demand for golf, which is very encouraging.” ● Muscat Hills G&CC forms part of the phase 1 development at Muscat Hills which also comprises 145 completed residential properties. Muscat Hills is situated in the middle of Muscat’s rapidly growing new central business district and is only five minutes from Oman International Airport, which is currently undergoing major expansion. The Muscat Hills phase 2 development is about to commence and will include construction of a new clubhouse and golf resort hotel plus more residential properties.

BRAEMAR GOLF SIGN UP WITH BAHRAIN IGCC BRAEMAR GOLF have signed a strategic consultancy agreement with Bahrain International Golf Course Company (BIGCC) the owners of The Royal Golf Club, the recent venue for the Volvo Golf Champions European Tour event. This continues Braemar Golf’s relationship with BIGCC which began back in 1996. “We are delighted to continue our relationship with BIGCC who we have worked with over many years,” said Michael Braidwood, Operations Director of Braemar Golf, who was formerly BIGCC’s General Manager from 1998-2010. “Having formerly been involved in managing the golf club in Bahrain I am proud that the club is now owner-operated and well established to the extent that it no longer needs a full time external management operator,” added Michael, pictured above at The Royal Golf Club with Braemar Golf Managing Director, Keith Haslam .

“The team on the ground, led by General Manager Susan Stevenson, are doing an excellent job in the continued business growth of the club and golf in general in the Kingdom and we are delighted to support them on certain strategic projects,” he added. BIGCC’s General Manager, Susan Stevenson, said: “We are very pleased to have the continued support of Braemar Golf to help us with our ongoing strategy. Our number one focus is our customers and growing the golf club’s business, so it is great to have a strategic relationship that helps us look into the future.” BIGCC is the owner of The Royal Golf Club, Bahrain and also has an investment interest in the Riffa Views Development, a boutique Landscaping Business and Cart Fleet Business.

Braemar Golf is an international golf services company head-quartered at the Home of Golf in St Andrews, Scotland. They construct, support and manage high quality golf developments in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

For more information contact – Michael Braidwood: michaelbraidwood@braemargolf.co.uk

RYDER CUP 2018 CANDIDATES SIGN CONDITIONAL AGREEMENTS RYDER Cup Europe has announced that all five nations bidding to stage The 2018 Ryder Cup have now signed Conditional Host Agreements, in advance of the official announcement to name the 2018 Host Nation for the biennial match between Europe and the United States.

One of those legally binding contracts will be activated as soon as the identity of the successful candidate is known, following the public announcement and Press Conference on Tuesday, May 17, 2011 at Wentworth Club in Surrey, England.

Ryder Cup Director, Richard Hills, said: “We would like to express our gratitude and congratulations to the representatives of France, Germany, Holland,

Portugal and Spain, who responded so professionally and diligently to Ryder Cup Europe’s bidding criteria.

All five countries have responded positively to the conditions that we laid out, giving us confidence that each one would be well positioned to host a memorable 2018 Ryder Cup.” The official announcement on May 17 comes at the conclusion of the first formal bid process undertaken

by Ryder Cup Europe, which commenced at the end of 2008 and involved a comprehensive examination of bids submitted by France, Germany, Holland, Portugal and Spain, one of whom will follow Ireland in 2006, Wales in 2010 and the 2014 Host Nation, Scotland, by securing the right to stage the contest in 2018.

www.europeantour.com

EUROPEAN TOUR NEWS

WORLD FAB FOUR CONTINUE EUROPEAN TOUR DOMINANCE EUROPEAN players hold the top four positions on the Official World Golf Ranking as a new world order starts to take shape.

Martin Kaymer became the new World No. 1 for the first time after reaching the final of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship while his conqueror, Englishman Luke Donald, rose to a career-high No.3, and with Lee Westwood second and Graeme McDowell fourth it means that Americans Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have to settle for fifth and sixth place respectively. Donald’s win in the

blizzard-swept Arizona desert means that European Tour players have won four of the last five World Golf Championships events and the last three Major championships.

In the previous six editions of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship only one American has triumphed – Tiger Woods (2008), while Australian Geoff Ogilvy has won twice (2006, 2009) and there have been victories for European Ryder Cup stars Henrik Stenson (2007), Ian Poulter (2010) and now Donald. Six of the top ten on the Official World Golf

Ranking are Europeans with England's Paul Casey and Ireland's Rory McIlroy occupying seventh and eighth, place while ten of the top 20 in the world are European. South Africans Retief Goosen and Ernie Els – both European Tour players – also sit in the top 20, in 12th and 16th place respectively. There are just eight Americans currently in the top 20.

Kaymer’s rise to World No.1 sees him become only the sixth European to get the summit, following his countryman Bernhard Langer, Seve Ballesteros, Ian Woosnam, Sir Nick Faldo and Westwood.

LEE WESTWOOD GETS LIFETIME EUROPEAN TOUR MEMBERSHIP

PAUL CASEY WINS EUROPEAN TOUR SHOT OF THE MONTH

WORLD No.1 Lee Westwood has been granted Lifetime Membership of The European Tour after 17 successful years on the circuit.

The Worksop Wonder was handed the award prior to February's Dubai Desert Classic where he played the first two days in a group of the World's Top Three players, with Martin Kaymer and Tiger Woods, the man whom he replaced at the top of the Official World Golf Ranking last November.

Westwood finished tied 15th on the Majlis course; Woods was tied 20th and Kaymer tied 31st.

Before the Desert Classic Westwood was No.1; Woods was No.3 and Kaymer was No.2. After the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona last month Kaymer was No.1; Westwood was No.2 and Woods was No.5.

“I have always loved The European Tour. It has played a huge part in my life and I will cherish this honour for the rest of my life,” said Lee..

Westwood is third in European Tour’s all-time money list, behind Ernie Els and Colin Montgomerie, with tournament earnings of £20.25m, and has picked up 19 points while playing in the last seven Ryder Cups.

The 37-year-old is the 37th player to receive the coveted honour, joining names such as Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer and Arnold Palmer.

PAUL Casey claimed the first European Tour Shot of the Month of 2011 for his outstanding five wood approach to the par five ninth hole in the opening round of the inaugural Volvo Golf Champions at the Royal Golf Club in the Kingdom of Bahrain Despite being protected by a wellsited greenside bunker, the 33-year-old Englishman took dead aim at the flag from 265 yards and flew his ball over the bunker, landing it 8-feet from the cup, earning him Shot of the Month Award for January.

Casey said: “This is the third time I’ve won Shot of the Month and it’s always great to win these awards – especially as this one was voted for by the public. I couldn’t have hit it much better. I knew right away there was a fair chance it would finish close to the hole. But it was only a great shot because I rolled in the birdie putt – if I’d missed, it would’ve undone all my hard work.”

BOB KNOTT, CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT JGE EARTH COURSE DIES AT 65 BOB Knott, who died suddenly last month aged 65, was a champion golfer and international course designer who was construction manager of the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates which hosted the Dubai World Championship presented by DP World as the finale to The Race to Dubai on The European Tour International Schedule.

Knott, who lived in Devon, was associated with Churston Golf Club for most of his life and in 2005 he headed out to the UAE to work for Leisurecorp, the company developing Dubai’s leading residential golf community at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

George O’Grady, Chief Executive of The European Tour, said: “Bob Knott was a lovely man who became a wonderful friend of The European Tour and we offer our sincere condolences to

his wife, Sue, and their children, Alex and Ben. Bob was at the forefront of the design and development of the Earth Course with Greg Norman and his team, and the course has now played host to two wonderful Dubai World Championships.”

Knott, who won 11 Churston Club Championships and played off scratch for more than 40 years, captured the Devon Open – a competition open to professionals and amateurs – in 2003. Brian Huggett, the 1977 Ryder Cup captain, said: “Bob was a terrific guy and a good friend. He worked for me as a project manager on several courses including Orchard Leigh in Somerset and The Lakes Course at Hawkstone Park in Shropshire. He will be sadly missed by all who knew him and my condolences go to his wife Sue and their family.” www.wwgolf.biz

55

Tournament: Waste Management Phoenix Open

03 – 06 Feb 2011

Venue: TPC Scottsdale, Arizona, USA

WINNER: MARK WILSON CHEQUE: $1,080,000

WILSON DOWNS DUFNER IN PHOENIX MARK Wilson continued his fine form on the US PGA Tour with a play-off victory over Jason Dufner in the Arizona desert at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Wilson picked up his second title of the 2011 season so far with a birdie on the second extra hole after both players finished level on 18-under-par in regulation.

“I’m just enjoying the ride here and that’s just kind of the way I’m going to look at the year here, just ride this train as long as I can,” he said.

The tournament woke up to frost and frozen greens each morning and the subsequent delays meant a Monday finish. After opening rounds of 65 and 64 Wilson was well positioned for a charge over the weekend but a third round 68 saw the chasing pack gain some ground.

When play resumed on Monday Wilson still held the lead by two strokes and closed with six straight pars for a 2-under-par 66 to match Dufner who shot a 66 which included late birdies on holes 16 and 17. Wilson, the winner of the Sony Open in early

January, sank a nervy 4-footer on the first play-off hole to extend sudden death and then won on the par-4 10th, setting up the deciding putt with a superb 7-iron approach from the middle of the fairway.

“That was an easy putt,” Wilson said.

“Just thankfully, I started it on line and knocked it in.”

Dufner was facing a 7-foot par putt when Wilson ended the play-off with his birdie.

“I came out and made a couple birdies to put maybe a little heat on Mark, and he played great,” said Dufner.

“Great two-putt on the first play-off hole from 70-plus feet and then makes birdie on the next hole.”

Fijian veteran Vijay Singh finished in a share of third place on 16-underpar, after a 5-under-par 66, alongside Scotland’s Martin Laird who moved up 15 places thanks to his best-of-theday 65.

Americans Nick Watney, J.B. Holmes and Gary Woodland finished in a share of fifth place one stroke further back.

IN THE BAG Driver: Fairway Wood: Hybrids: Irons (4-pw): Wedges: Putter: Ball:

10 – 13 Feb 2011

Ping i15 (8º; Grafalloy Tour X shaft) Cleveland HiBore XLS 3-wood (13º; Aldila NV 95 shaft) Ping i15 (17º and 20º; Graphite Design YS 85 shafts) Ping i10 Ping Tour (52º and 60º) Ping Karsten Anser Titleist Pro V1x

WINNING SCORE: 18-UNDER-PAR – 266 (65,64,68,69) RUNNER-UP: JASON DUFNER 266 (DEFEATED IN PLAY-OFF)

FACT FILE

Mark Wilson’s play-off record on the US PGA Tour is, played two, won two and his play-off win at the 2011 Phoenix Open is the third sudden-death finish in the last four tournaments (2008, 2009, 2011).

Tournament: AT&A Pebble Beach National Pro-Am Venue: Pebble Beach Golf Links, Monterey Peninsula, California, USA

WINNER: D.A. POINTS CHEQUE: $1,134,000

POINTS WINS PRIZES AT PEBBLE BEACH D.A. POINTS won for the first time on the US PGA Tour at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am alongside Caddyshack star Bill Murray with a ‘Hollywood’ performance of his own.

Points played with Murray for the week and found his own performance went quietly under the radar alongside his movie-star playing partner, and that suited him down to the ground as he clinched a two-stroke victory over Hunter Mahan.

“It totally took me out of the moment for just enough to kind of help bring me back to life a little bit,” Points said of Murray’s influence after sinking a crucial par putt on the 16th to stay two shots clear. Points sealed the victory with

pars on 17 and 18 to win as his main challenger Steve Marino choked down the stretch.

“It’s a dream come true,” he said. “To win on the PGA Tour, and especially at Pebble Beach, and especially with Bill Murray ... I don’t think I could dream this up.”

Mahan had earlier signed for a 6-under66 to set the clubhouse target at 13under-par but both Points and Marino moved clear of this by the 15th. However, Marino, who was playing in the last group, made par on 17 and, after going for broke on the 18th, wound up with a triple bogey thanks to a poor tee shot and a third shot which found the Pacific.

He limped over the line in 74 strokes to drop into a share of fourth place.

WORLDROUND-UPS Tournament: Avantha Masters

17 – 20 Feb 2011

Venue: DLF Golf and Country Club, New Delhi, India

HOME JOY FOR CHOWRASIA HOME favourite SSP Chowrasia kept England’s Robert Coles at bay to secure a narrow one-stroke victory at the Avantha Masters in New Delhi after closing with 67 for a 15-under-par total of 273.

“I had one bad tee shot on the 16th today – besides that it was an outstanding round,” said Chowrasia after landing the €300,000 first prize.

“Even after the 16th I knew I had a chance to make birdies on the last two holes.

“However, when the birdies didn’t come my way, I was confident of taking it to a play-off. But fortunately for me, the play-off was not required.

“I am now ready to go back on The European Tour and have a real go at succeeding in Europe. That is my goal now, to succeed in Europe because I really struggled there in my first season – with the swing problems and also on the mental side of things.

“I am now going to sit down and rework my schedule so that I can have the best chance of success. I have a little more experience in Europe now and that is so important because I know the golf courses and know the

cultures. It’s a really exciting time for me.”

The Indian’s victory, his second in the event, was a tough blow for Coles who was chasing his maiden European Tour title. A double-bogey from Chowrasia on the 16th gave Coles an opportunity but he failed to make a single birdie on the back nine and missed two great chances on the 15th and 17th holes before an agonising bogey at the last, where he thinned his chip onto the green 20 feet past the hole, left him in second place.

“The ball was really far below my feet with a bit of grass in between it and it was just a really awkward shot,” said Coles, who closed with 70 for a 274 total, of his thinned approach on the 18th.

“I really needed to get underneath to get it up in the air as soon as I could but the ground was rock hard and it just kind of flew on me a bit.”

Frenchman Gregory Havret finished in outright third place on 13-under-par while Dutchman Robert-Jan Derksen took fourth. Spaniard Pablo Larrazábal shot a 72 to finish on 11-under-par in fifth place alongside Sujjan Singh.

IN THE BAG Driver: Fairway Wood: Fairway Wood: Hybrid: Irons 3-pw): Wedges: Putter: Ball:

WINNER: SSP CHOWRASIA CHEQUE: €300,000

Ping i15 (9.5º) Callaway FT-i Squareway 3-wood (15º) TaylorMade R9 5-wood (17º) TaylorMade Rescue 09 TP (19º) Ping i15 Titleist Vokey Design Spin Milled (54º and 60º) Ping Scottsdale Anser 2 Titleist Pro V1x

WINNING SCORE: 15-UNDER-PAR – 273 (70,69,67,67) RUNNER-UP: ROBERT COLES 274

FACT FILE

With his victory SSP Chowrasia became the first Indian to win on The European Tour since Jeev Milkha Singh at the 2008 Austrian Golf Open and his win was the eighth by an Indian on The European Tour.

Tournament: Northern Trust Open

17 – 20 Feb 2011

Venue: Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades, California

WINNER: AARON BADDELEY CHEQUE: $1,170,000

BADDELEY ENDS LENGTHY DROUGHT AARON Baddeley won his first US PGA Tour title in just over four years with a gritty two-stroke win over Vijay Singh at the Northern Trust Open with fan favourite Fred Couples in close proximity.

The 51-year-old two-time winner at Riviera (1990 and ’92) birdied the opening three holes to take the lead but the Australian dug deep and after Couples faltered down the closing holes Baddeley signed for a 2-under 69 to take the title.

“I thought Freddie was going to be tough today because winning is a skill, and Freddie has been winning quite often recently,” Baddeley said. “When he got off to a good start, I was like, ‘Freddie looks like he’s going to have one of those days where he’s going to play great.’ I was still

just trying to focus on my game, and try to do what I needed to do.”

Couples bogeyed two of the last three holes and shot a 73 to end in a share of seventh place as his bid to become the oldest PGA Tour winner in over 35 years ended while Singh closed with a 69 to post his best finish in over two years.

“I’m a golfer, so I’m disappointed,” Couples said.

It was the third career PGA Tour win for Baddeley, whose game had dipped so much that he had dropped outside the top 200 on the Official World Golf Ranking. His win didn’t get him back into the top 50 but he can look forward to a trip to Augusta for the Masters next month. www.wwgolf.biz

57

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Sandy Meyer’s

Women's Golf Middle East

PROFESSIONAL TIP PLAYING LONG SHOTS FROM THE SAND

WITH the design of golf courses in and around the UAE – grass or sand courses – we are often faced with having to hit recovery shots from sandy lies. This could mean anything from sandy waste areas, to defined fairway bunkers. Iff the ball is lying fairly well (hopefully, not in someone’s footprint) the shot is usually very easy to play.

Here are a few tips to help: a) Take a club that is safe, depending on the situation. If you are in a fairway bunker with a high lip, remember to take a more lofted club to get the ball up and out – getting it out of the trap is paramount.

With sandy wastes you can take any club, even up to a rescue or lofted fairway wood, depending on the distance and the lie. b) Address the ball as normal but make sure you hold the club slightly off the surface of the sand – if you ground your club in a bunker you will incur a penalty. Remember to check the local rules for a ruling on waste areas. The key is to try and hit the ball “clean” and to take as less sand as possible. c) Grip slightly down on the club and hold the club with a little bit more tension than normal. This helps to alleviate any excessive wrist flex during the swing, as too much wrist hinge can cause the club to dig into the sand. d) Stand as normal and watch you don’t over-flex your knees. Keep your legs fairly straight but don’t get too rigid. e) Stand with a slightly wider stance and place the ball just left of centre, relative to your feet position. f ) Your swing should be controlled more with the arms and shoulder turn, so try and swing approximately three quarters back to keep control. Any excessive turn of the hips or legs can cause your feet to slip and any lateral movement will again cause the club to dig into the sand. Try to control the swing more with your upper body.

Close call at The Els Club

UPCOMING EVENTS

A COUNTBACK was needed to separate the top two teams at the WGME Texas Scramble event at The Els Club in late January and it was the foursome of Pauline Wallace, Anne Baxter, Wendy Clayphan and Julie Piechowiak who prevailed by just one stroke over the back nine.

Their score of a net 62.8 was matched by the team of Natalie Lucas, Riette Cuciurean, Suzanne Eveleigh and Tjarda Van Epen but they could only record a gross 38 over the back nine to slip into second place.

In third place with a score of 68.5 was the team of Terri Stewart, Lynn Camino, Jo Docherty and Judi Cahill while Wendy Calyphan, Riette Cuciurean and Natalie Lucas won the individual on-course events.

Nine Hole Evening Golf –March 9th at Emirates Golf Club Faldo Course.

DATE: VENUE: TIME: COST:

Wednesday, 9 March 2011.

Emirates Golf Club – Faldo Course.

6.30pm – 7:30pm.

AED 215 including cart fee and range balls.

* WGME’s Golf Professional will be on hand to help with any tips round the course.

WEEKEND TEAM EVENT – 12th March at Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club DATE: VENUE: TIME: FORMAT: FINISH: LUNCH: HANDICAP: PRIZES: COST: LEFT TO RIGHT: The winning team of Pauline Wallace, Anne Baxter, Julie Piechowiak, Betsy Brock and Wendy Clayphan.

Saturday, 12th March 2011 Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club 08.00am Shotgun 18 Holes – Four player team Stableford Play is expected to finish around 2.30pm After the conclusion of the tournament.

Official EGF Handicap / PC Players will play off a 36 Handicap 1st, 2nd and 3rd AED 345 WGME Members / AED 415 non-members

(No Green Fee Charges applies for Golf Club Members)

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TUTORIAL GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT USING YOUR HEAD, TO LOWER YOUR SCORES!

ONE of the differences between a good player and an average player will often have little to do with the quality of shots they hit. Good players visualise clearly where they want the ball to go, but just as importantly, where theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re willing to miss. Playing good golf is as much about having playable misses, as it is about hitting high quality golf shots.

A solid round is a collection of strong positioning decisions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one at a time. First, you see where you want to hit the ball, and you pick a starting point, shot shape and trajectory. Then, you think backward from the green and find the spot where a miss leaves you with the easiest next shot.

Today I am on the 9th hole at The Address Montgomerie Dubai, which is a very strong par-5. Good decision making is pivotal here in achieving your best score. I am going to show two ways of tackling this challenging hole, by making good decisions and sticking to the game plan!

2

Safe Play.

1

Aggressive Play .

Brought to you by

BY RHYS BEECHER, PGA PROFESSIONAL, SENIOR GOLF INSTRUCTION MANAGER, THE ADDRESS MONTGOMERIE, DUBAI

1. Aggressive Play – Tee Shot

2. Safe Play – Tee Shot

MANY players don’t take the care they should about aiming, especially from the tee. Instead of looking out at the fairway and thinking anywhere out there is fine, you need to have more of a plan, and more of an aiming point.

Here, I am going for an aggressive play around the corner of the dogleg. I like to start by picking a landmark on the horizon that’s on the line I want my ball to travel. There are plenty of tall buildings to aim at in the Dubai skyline!

Once I’ve picked that landmark, I find a spot on the tee or in the fairway a few yards ahead of my ball, on the same line. That way, I’ve got a much closer frame of reference when I actually set up over the ball.

Remember making good decisions is not just about playing safe.

Although I am taking an aggressive line I have teed my ball on the far left of the tee box. By doing this I am hitting away from the water on the left (just in case the shot doesn’t come off as planned) and away from the worst miss.

SOMETIMES, the aggressive shot is simply not worth the risk. If you see no benefit from taking an aggressive line, par or even birdies can still be made from playing more conservatively.

My second play will take both the water and the sand out of play, by hitting hybrid from the tee.

This will widen my fairway as the bunkers on the right are now out of reach. By playing a hybrid I am reducing the chances of making a big number on this risk reward hole.

www.wwgolf.biz

61

TUTORIAL

Brought to you by

GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT USING YOUR HEAD, TO LOWER YOUR SCORES!

1. Aggressive Play – Second Shot I am now in a position to take advantage of the drive. The draw has positioned me tight to the left hand side of the fairway, leaving the shortest possible second shot.

Again, I am looking to play a draw, aiming at the greenside right hand bunker and turning the ball back towards the green. This way, if the ball doesn’t draw I should still have a reasonable third shot. Remember – When taking on a shot like this, ensure you maintain your routine and your tempo.

2. Safe Play – Second Shot MY second shot, having hit a hybrid from the tee, has left a long way to the green. This doesn’t mean hitting your longest club, but working out the best place to play your approach from. Having consulted the GPS, by hitting a 4-iron I should have 150 yards for my third shot.

Remember – don’t be greedy! Having decided to play safe from the tee, you should stick to your plan. I could try and leave a shorter third shot, but this would be risky and bring the water more into play.

3. Safe Play – Approach Shot I’M not sure why, but amateur golfers seem to be wired to aim at the flag on middle-and short-iron approaches. Everybody likes to make birdies, but many players don’t realise just what kind of risk they’re taking when they aim that way.

Here I am sticking to my plan of playing the hole more conservatively and I’m aiming at the middle of the green. With the pin tucked so close to the right greenside bunker, aiming towards the centre gives me the best chance of making par.

Remember – You could always hole a long putt for birdie!

www.wwgolf.biz

63

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F R A M E B Y F R A M E A N A LY S I S O F S O M E O F T H E B E S T S W I N G S I N P R O F E S S I O N A L G O L F

By Claude Harmon III

LAST season was a career year for GMac. He notched his first Major, winning the US Open at Pebble Beach, and helped Team Europe to victory in The Ryder Cup. Graeme is a bit of an old school player. He's certainly not in the 'bomber' category of long hitters, yet when he is at his best he hits the ball very straight. Working closely with his coach, Pete Cowan, GMac has vastly improved his wedge game. He has improved his distance and trajectory control from inside 120 yards, which has seriously helped lower his overall scoring average. If you want to improve your scores, practice with your wedges!

www.wwgolf.biz

65

F R A M E B Y F R A M E A N A LY S I S O F S O M E O F T H E B E S T S W I N G S I N P R O F E S S I O N A L G O L F

GMac lets his chest move the club away from the ball. His arms and hands stay very quiet during his initial takeaway move. The clubhead stays low to the ground during this move which allows him to get good extension off the ball.

Once again, the big muscles are controlling the swing. GMac is hitting the ball with his chest here, and the arms and hands are basically just along for the ride. As with during the takeaway, there is very little hand action here. If you want to improve your wedge game, try using more body and less arms and hands for these shots.

SWING Notice how the wrists have set the club up here. The shaft and the arms form an â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lâ&#x20AC;? shape. When the left arm is parallel to the ground, the bottom end of the grip should be pointing down to the ground. The legs here have very little movement, as they stay strong and solid. The single biggest mistake I see players make with wedges is excessive leg movement for short shots.

Notice the length of backswing, well short of parallel. By making a short, tight backswing Graeme can accelerate the club through impact. Speed is vital to hitting good crisp wedges from inside 100 yards. Most players over-swing and lose speed. Think about your hands staying below your shoulders.

www.wwgolf.biz

69

EGF card holder benefits 15% OFF Dinner A’la Carte Menu Food Bill – valid from Saturday till Wednesday.

10% OFF Dinner A’la Carte Menu Food Bill – valid on Thursday & Friday.

20% OFF Lunch A’la Carte Menu Food Bill – valid from Sunday till Thursday.

All above offers not valid with any other discounted offer or on set or promotional menus.

All above offers not valid on Xmas, Boxing Day, New Year Eve, New Year Day & Thanksgiving.

ARABIAN GOLF MARCH 2011 WORLDWIDE GOLF CLUBS DUBAI Emirates Golf Federation Emirates Golf Club Al Badia Golf Club Arabian Ranches Golf Club Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club Jumeirah Golf Estates

EGYPT Egyptian Golf Federation

SHARJAH Saif Zone Golf Society League Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club

AL AIN Al Ain Equestrian Shooting & Golf Club

ABU DHABI

AL BANA A MODEL OF CONSISTENCY MOHAMMED Al Bana turned in a consistent performance to win the UAE National Monthly Tournament at Arabian Ranches in late January.

Playing off an 11 handicap, Al Bana strung together his game effectively to score an impressive 39 points, taking the honours two shots ahead of Mohammed Darwish and Abdullah Muhrami.

Both Darwish and Muhrami scored the same 37-point total but it was Darwish who scored the better back nine (20 points) to finish runner-up on a countback.

Khalid Mubarak produced a tidy gross 79 to walk away with Best Gross prize while Hassan Al Suwaidi won the Division ‘A’ title, beating his closest rival on a countback. Al Suwaidi tallied 34 points, including 20 on the back nine. Jamal bin Marghoub topped Division ‘B’, winning the title with a solid score of 35 points.

Part of an ambitious Emirates Golf Federation drive to create more playing opportunities for Emirati golfing enthusiasts, the event turned out to be a big hit with nearly 30 players competing for honours.

The presence of H.E. Shaikh Fahim bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of the EGF, and other Members of the Board itaking part in the event further added to the competitive atmosphere.

Saeed Albudoor, General Manager of the EGF, thanked the players for making the event such a great success. “We are committed to creating and running more events for UAE nationals,” he said. “The very intention is promote the game among the Emiratis. Events like this – which are designed exclusively for UAE nationals – provide the players with a great environment in which they can hone their competitive edge and improve their skills.

“We have a separate Order of Merit for these monthly tournaments and that encourages our Nationals to do better. We are grateful to all the golf clubs in the UAE for their support in organising these events on a regular basis.”

The next UAE National Monthly Tournaments will be played at Jebel Ali Golf Resort and Spa in March and at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club in April.

Abu Dhabi Golf Club Al Ghazal Golf Club Yas Links Golf Club

SAUDI ARABIA Dirab Golf & Country Club The Palms Golf Club

RAS AL KHAIMAH Al Hamra Golf Club

QATAR Doha Golf Club

OMAN Muscat Hills Golf & County Club

THAILAND Banyan Village, Resort & Golf International Pairs Winner Mohamed Al Bana (right) at the presentation with Saeed Albudoor, General Manager of the EGF. www.wwgolf.biz

69

The Resort Course at Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa Quality Golf at an affordable Price Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa Midweek Golf Package and Daily Specials available until 31st March 2011 at its award winning Resort Course:

Straight Shot Sunday 9 or 18-hole green fee includes electric cart or trolley and bucket of 50 range balls (excluding public holidays), plus 20% food and beverage voucher for use in the Sports Café: Ê UÊ iÊÀ>ÌiÊ qÊ AED 160 per person Ê UÊ£n iÊÀ>ÌiÊqÊ AED 235 per person Offer available every Sunday except public holidays.

Wednesday Ladies Special Rate 9 or 18-hole green fee includes electric cart or trolley and bucket of 50 range balls (excluding public holidays), plus 20% food and beverage voucher for use in the Sports Café: Ê UÊ iÊÀ>ÌiÊ qÊ AED 160 per person Ê UÊ£n iÊÀ>ÌiÊqÊ AED 235 per person Offer available every Sunday except public holidays.

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Offer includes unlimited golf from Sunday to Thursday (excluding public holidays), electric cart or trolley hire, unlimited range balls, 12-day tee time booking privilege, plus 20% food and beverage voucher for use in the Sports Café: Ê UÊÓ Ì Ê«>V >}iÊ qÊ AED 1,495 per person

For more information or Tee Time reservations, please contact the Golf Reception on 04 814 5023, 04 814 5058 or the Golf Office on 04 814 5046 E-mail: golf.teetimes@jaihotels.com www.jebelali-international.com *Rates include 10% municipality fee and are valid until 31st March 2011. Tee times and all packages are subject to availability. Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa reserves the right to charge normal green fee rates for failure to cancel a tee time at least 48 hours in advance. Offers are not valid in conjunction with any other promotions or offers. Terms and conditions apply.

WWG LOCAL FOCUS

EMIRATES GOLF FEDERATION

THE FUTURE OF FALCOM PROGRAMME SUCCESS THE Future Falcon Programme develops junior golf at every level. The Emirates Golf Federation have introduced this new initiative to give Emirati and expat children the opportunity to experience golf for the first time.

This introduction phase encompasses the Abu Dhabi Golf Institute visiting the schools and running an Introduction to Golf class.

Of the youngsters who show an interest in taking up the sport – and there have been many – the schools are encouraged to bring them to the golf club so that they can get a better idea of what the golf experience is all about.

Currently we have two schools bringing two classes per week and one of these classes is an all-Emirati girls’ class.

Special thanks have to be given to The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority and TDIC our two main sponsors, and Darwish Al Qubaisi from ESNAAD and the EGF for setting up the meetings which enabled the EGF to get more involved with some of the schools.

Without their support base none of this work could be achieved.

Uptake and feedback from the schools is vital to the Programme’s success THE EGF is proud to say that more than 400 – and counting – new kids have got involved in golf since September last year.

It’s important that kids get the right message about how wonderful the game of golf really is and the schools have played a vital part in allowing the EGF to become a part of their community.

The Importance of developing National golfers both boys and girls There is no doubt in my mind that the initiatives that are shown now will pave the way for future generations of National boys and girls to enjoy golf.

If you take away the golf aspect from our programme we develop other life skills that have immense benefits to any child’s life.

Learning to play golf encompasses physical skills, but also discipline, rules and etiquette, honesty and integrity. Most of all we have fun!

Danny Jakubowski Abu Dhabi Golf Club

Abdullah Al Qubaisi If you could play with any group of golfers who would it be?

I’d have to say Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and my Dad! What is your favourite golf course in the region?

Yas Links – but not all the time.

What do you like to do away from the golf course?

I enjoy playing on my PlayStation.

AGE: 13

FROM: Abu Dhabi GOLF CLUB: Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

Abdullah is a part of the Future Falcon Programme in the Elite Class.

How long have you been playing golf?

I’ve been playing golf for roughly three years.

Who is your favorite golfer?

Rory McIlroy.

Abu Dhabi Golf Club Coach Danny Jakubowski’s opinion Abdullah is great fun and good company on the golf course. He loves a challenge.

In fact, that’s the only way to get him going. He doesn’t know it yet but his biggest challenge soon may be to beat his sisters who have also taken up golf!

Abdullah’s family is very pro-active to his development and encourages him to play with different people frequently and exercise regularly.

LABIS, RIVERA AND McGREGOR RUN RIOT AT THE RANCHES LORENZO Rivera and Alaistair McGregor produced some solid golf to take their respective divisional honours in the Emirates Golf Federation’s Handicap Scheme Medal at Arabian Ranches, while Nestor Labis took the overall Gross prize.

Rivera shot a tidy net 72 to win the Division ‘A’ title, while McGregor carded an outstanding 39 points to emerge victorious in Division ‘B’ which followed the individual Stableford format.

McGregor, who also walked away with the Nearest the Pin prize on hole 2, dominated the proceedings in his division, finishing six shots ahead of his nearest challenger, Paul Stump.

Nestor Labis also made his presence felt in the event, winning with a fine 81 while Julia Alhemoud also made it to the podium after taking the ladies division title with 33 points. The handicap scheme

Gross winner Nestor Labis with a fine 81. medal events are part of the Emirates Golf Federation’s initiative to provide golfers who are not members of any club with inviting playing opportunities to hone their competitive edge and improve their handicaps.

Saeed Albudoor, General Manager of the Federation, was pleased with the response to the event, saying: “We had a good turn-out and that reflects on the growing popularity of the event.

We are grateful to Arabian Ranches Golf Club for providing all their assistance in successfully putting the event together.” www.wwgolf.biz

71

EGYPTIAN GOLF FEDERATION

Mark Tullo, (centre) Egyptian Open 2010 Champion, with Youssef Hammad (left), Chief Operating Officer, SODIC, the 2010 Presenting Sponsor and EGF Chairman, Ayman Hussein.

EGYPTIAN JUNIOR SQUAD PREPARE TO GO INTERNATIONAL THE Egyptian National Junior Squad are working hard and will be competing in local competitions in the coming months to earn a spot to compete in the first overseas events of the year.

The African Junior Team Championships will take place in Namibia from April 2-9.

The Egypt team will be decided both from the Order of Merit and player selections and as the most important event in the region the juniors will be eager and highly motivated to earn a spot in the team.

The EGF will also send juniors to the ‘US Kids European Championships’ in Scotland in May. This event has international recognition and is played in every age category. It’s an ideal opportunity for

younger players to measure their ability against golfers from around the world.

The National junior squad gathered together in January to work on their game ahead of a series of junior and senior club Open tournaments with EGF Manager Gerard Bent.

With the junior club Open events counting towards the EGF Junior Order of Merit and selection for the Egypt Team, the juniors practiced on all aspects of their game. The morning session was spent on individual technical improvement.

The afternoon was devoted to course management sessions working on all areas of course strategy. The top two Junior players on the Order of Merit will

be automatically selected for the fourplayers Egypt Team for the Africa Juniors and the remaining two players decided

by National Coach/selections committee picks.

GRASS ROOTS PROGRAMME GROWS FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH WITH all the member-based clubs now actively involved in the EGF Grass Roots Programme, 2011 will see the Egyptian Golf Federation focus on Alexandria and Gezira Sporting Clubs where significant numbers of prospective golfers can be introduced to the game due to the clubs’ considerable numbers of existing members. For the Junior Development

programme there will be a greater focus on schools and other sports and social clubs to build on the success of 2010.

With further support from the clubs, schools and volunteers, the EGF intends to help create, retain and develop as many as 400 youngsters during 2011.

BUSINESS AS USUAL MESSAGE FROM

EGYPTIAN GOLF FEDERATION CHAIRMAN, AYMAN HUSSEIN THE World has witnessed some phenomenal events across Egypt over the last month, which will undoubtedly lead to many changes in the country.

However, the march towards a brighter future for the country will be as swift and as peaceful as the movement that instigated the massive changes that have occurred.

I would like to extend our wishes of safety and well-being to all our members and look forward to welcoming them back to a full schedule of tournaments and Egyptian Golf Federation golfing initiatives as soon as possible and continue the great progress that has been made in development of the game of golf in Egypt.

Since the recent events we are seeing a new era emerging, where enthusiasm, eagerness to work, and freedom of speech is spreading across Egypt.Life

is very quickly getting back to normality with the usual hustle and bustle returning to Egyptian streets, with many of our historical landmarks and tourist sites now reopening and returning to normal.

It is amazing that within just three weeks, a country of 85 million people has changed completely for the better – what a great country, great people, and a great civilization.

I am sure that there will be many changes taking place in the coming weeks and months, but at the same time we should all look to the future in the most positive and proactive way.

As far as the Egyptian Golf Federation is concerned, we are committed to supporting the events and initiatives that have been our focus for the last 18 months, and move forward in developing the game in Egypt and beyond.

PRIME POSITION FOR EGYPTIAN OPEN 2011 WITH the dates now confirmed as October 19th to 22nd 2011, the Egyptian Open once again enjoys the prime week on The European Challenge Tour schedule.

The Egyptian Golf Federation is currently in discussion with the golf clubs to decide the best venue for the 2011 event.

The EGF is also in the process of talking to the game’s leading lights to see which of golf’s superstars would come to Egypt for this year Egyptian Open, following the appearance of Ryder Cup star and World No.7 Rory McIlroy at last October’s event and 2010 Ryder Cup Captain Colin Montgomerie the previous year.

With the current situation in Egypt effecting the valuable tourism initiatives, there is every expectation that The Egyptian Open 2011 will play its part in helping to return confidence to the country.

Ireland’s rising star, Rory McIlroy, with his Caddie J.P. Fitzgerald, takes time out to enjoy a visit to the Pyramids, while competing at the Egyptian Open 2010. www.wwgolf.biz

73

BROWN AND HANEL WHIP UP A STORM TO QUALIFY

A

GALE force shamal was not enough to deter Nathan Brown and Andrew Hanel who emerged victorious in the recent Tech Access International Pairs UAE Qualifying event played at Al Ghazal Golf Club in Abu Dhabi.

Making its first of two visits to the UAE sand courses, the fifth International Pairs event of the season started in immaculate conditions before a huge sand storm swept across the course, reducing visibility to less than a hundred yards.

Undeterred, the hardy members of Al Ghazal GC played on, all bidding to win a coveted berth in the inaugural International Pairs UAE National Final in May. Despite the windy conditions Brown and Hanel returned a commendable score of 38 points in the better-ball Stableford format to comfortably book their passage to the Final.

Their five-point margin of victory demonstrated the pair’s dominance but perhaps a little surprisingly, it was not Scotsman Hanel who handled the wind better but his partner Brown who stepped up to the challenge. He made two gross birdies and four net birdies which proved critical, particularly on the back-nine where they compiled an impressive 22 points.

The battle for second place was more intense as

BRADY AND NEAL CLINCH VICTORY AT A WINDY JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES

O

N a day when high winds made for tough scoring conditions, Gerry Brady and Geoffrey Neal qualified for the inaugural International Pairs UAE National Final by the narrowest of margins last month after a 39 point haul secured them a one-point victory at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

It was the series’ second visit to a European Tour venue following December’s event at Abu Dhabi Golf Club and play took place over the Fire Course, sister course to the Dubai World Championship’s Earth Course.

With three teams finishing on 38 points in the better-ball format, a countback was required to separate them and determine the runners-up but with 39 points, Brady and Neal sealed victory and an invitation to the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club and Park Hyatt Dubai for the National Final in May where they will compete with 17 pairs from every club in the UAE for a place in the

a countback over the final six holes was required to separate Rob and Ming Brown from Pat and Emily Gordon and it was the Gordons who prevailed by just a single stroke.

Completing the prizes was the team of Bernie Blanchard and Richard Whiteside, who, despite opening their account with only eight points in their first five holes, finished strongly to take fourth place.

Nathan Brown and Andrew Hanel, winners of the Tech Access International Pairs UAE Al Ghazal Golf Club Qualifier, pictured with Al Ghazal Lady Captain, Pauline Jeynes.

Jeff Neal who battled the high winds at the Fire Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates with partner Gerry Brady to qualify by just one point.

International Pairs World Final in October.

The countback on 38 points saw Brian Kenny and Duncan Smith’s storming back-nine of 21 points secure second place but they were left to rue their bogey-bogey start to the round which caused them to miss out on the top spot.

Third place was taken by the lowest handicapped pairing to participate in the 201011 International Pairs UAE series as Christopher Wilmot (3) and Bilbo Perrot (0) followed a flawless front-nine with a steady inward nine but they couldn’t quite recover from bogeys at holes 11 and 12. www.wwgolf.biz

75

LOCATION:

BANYAN VILLAGE, RESORT & GOLF

Banyan Village, Resort & Golf, Hua Hin, Thailand 68/34 Mooban Hua Na, Tambol Nong Gae, Hua Hin, Prachuabkirikhan 77110.

CONTACT:

Club: +66 (32) 616 200 reservations@banyanthailand.com Resort: +66 (32) 538 888 booking@banyanthailand.com

THAI PHYSICIANS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA BANYAN Village, Resort & Golf welcomed the Thai Physicians Association of America (TPAA) last month. A team of 70 volunteers visited the resort to play golf and view Banyan’s prestigious real estate development during a trip back home.

TPAA was founded in 1978 by Thai physicians, who pursued their higher medical education and training in the US and decided to live and practise throughout the 51 states in America. The association, which currently has a total of 900 doctor families, annually organises a group of volunteer physicians to return to their homeland and perform free medical and health volunteer work in upcountry villages.

ASIAN TOUR EXECUTIVES VISIT BANYAN GOLF CLUB ASIAN Tour Executive Chairman Kyi Hla Han, (pictured second from right) and Eric Lynge, Senior Director, Commercial & TV, (far right) met Golf Club Manager Stacey Walton (second from left) and Stuart Daly, Director of Operations (far left) during a recent inspection trip to the Club with a view to Banyan Golf Club potentially becoming a host venue for an Asian Tour event in the future.

Han and Lynge were said to be extremely impressed with the golf course layout, the conditions and the Clubhouse.

ASIAN TOUR Q-SCHOOL IN HUA HIN BRAZILIAN Lucas Lee overcame a nervy closing five holes to win the Asian Tour Qualifying School Final Stage at Springfield Royal Country Club.

Lee, who held a five-stroke lead going into the final round, bogeyed three of the last five holes for a final round 2-over-par 74 and a four-day total of 17-under-par 271 to defeat Australia’s Tim Stewart (68) and Scotland’s Ross Bain (70) by one stroke.

The cut was set at 6-under-par 282 and total of 43 players from the 316 that entered earned exclusive playing privileges on the 2011 Asian Tour.

BANYAN BUILDING PROGRESSING THE site of the private villas at Banyan Village is now being cleared and levelled. Temporary roads have been created to provide easier access to the plots and the whole area is starting to look much tidier. All the empty plots will be grassed in the near future to give the site another new look. Last December two villas were handed over to the owners of plots 54 and 56A. Plot 54 has become a beautiful villa that is complemented by the great job the owners have done to their property and garden. They were pleased to be able to enjoy their two-week Christmas holidays in their new house. The villa at plot 56A is set to be landscaped in the near future.

MICHEL ROUX PLAYS BANYAN GC LEGENDARY Michelin starred chef Michel Roux put his golfing skills to the test on a recent visit to Banyan Golf Club.

Le Gavroche has become one of the UK’s finest restaurants since Albert and Michel Roux opened it in 1967, marking a revolution in London’s dining scene.

GOLF SOCIETY NEWS

NAIL-BITING FINISH IN FINAL GROUP STAGE OF SAIF ZONE GOLF SOCIETY LEAGUE A CONSISTENT week of golf in the SGSC and Worldwide Golf Leagues saw every single match finish with one win and one loss and the even spread of points meant that there were no changes in the positions at the top of the leaderboards, resulting in Sharjah Golfing Buddies and Dubai Divots qualifying from The SGSC League.

The Worldwide Golf League remained the same with MASIN Golf Society finishing five points clear of three societies tied for the all-important second place. Following tournament rules, a countback meant that as Dubal scored the most points in the penultimate fixture, they were the ones to qualify ahead of Filipino Golfers in the Middle East and the Filipino Golf Society.

In the SAIF Zone and BMW Leagues the results went down to the wire but the four teams battling through to the semi-finals were the Dubai ExPutts 1, Gulf Rock, KEGS 2 and last year’s winners, The Indian Golfers Society. In the SAIF Zone League KEGS 2 secured their

SAIF  ZONE LEAGUE

safe progression through with two impressive 3&2 wins against KEGS 1 while the Indian Golfers Society secured second place despite one loss and a draw against Darjeeling.

Mott MacDonald 1 lost both their matches against Mott Macdonald 2 to leave them at the bottom of the table with just eight points. The 2010 Semi-finalists Gulf Rock strengthened their lead in the BMW league with two wins over Halcrow. Dubai ExPutts 1 won both their ties with Dubai ExPutts 2 to send them into the next phase while Dubai ExPutts 2 remained bottom. Etihad Pilots Society lost their position at No.2 in the table with one win and what proved to be a costly draw against The TOILers.

Claire Badger, SGSC Golf Business Development and Sales Manager said: “It’s sad to say goodbye to many of the societies but we look forward to welcoming them back to compete for one of the qualifying spots next year!”

PLAYED

WON

LOST

KEGS 2

10

7

3

0

21

Masin Golf Society

10

7

3

0

21

Indian Golf Society

10

5

2

3

18

DUBAL Golf Society

10

5

4

1

16

KEGS 1

10

5

2

3

18

FIGME

10

5

4

1

16

Darjeeling Golf Society

10

3

6

1

10

Filipino Golf Society

10

5

4

1

16

Mott MacDonald 2

10

3

6

1

10

Korean Golf Society

10

4

5

1

13

Mott MacDonald 1

10

2

6

2

8

The Lions

10

2

8

0

6

PLAYED

WON

LOST

PLAYED

WON

LOST

Gulf Rock

10

7

3

0

21

Sharjah Golfing Buddies

10

8

2

0

24

Dubai ExPutts 1

10

6

2

2

20

Dubai Divots

10

5

4

1

16

Etihad Pilots Golf Society

10

5

2

3

18

Women’s Golf Middle East

10

4

5

1

13

Halcrow Golf Society

10

3

6

1

10

WedgeHogz

10

4

6

0

12

TOILers

10

2

4

4

10

EPC Hole Diggers

10

4

6

0

12

Dubai ExPutts 2

10

1

7

2

5

Lebanese Golf Society

10

4

6

0

12

BMW LEAGUE

TIED

TIED

POINTS

POINTS

WORLDWIDE GOLF LEAGUE PLAYED WON

GOLF SOCIETY LEAGUE

SGSC LEAGUE

LOST

TIED

TIED

POINTS

POINTS

ALAN LINDSEY WINS JGE BMW AGMC MEN’S OPEN ALAN Lindsay (JGE) shot a gross 77 over the Fire course to add to his first round 80 over the Earth course to win the inaugural Jumeirah Golf Estates Men’s Amateur Open sponsored by BMW AGMC during the last weekend of February. Lindsay, playing off his one handicap, was in second place after Friday’s first round, just one shot behind leader Ramsey Yasin (EGF). Lindsay went to the turn in round two in a gross 37 to Yasin’s 39 to reverse the one stroke lead. The back nine was a nailbiting affair with Yasin retaking the lead with par on holes 10 and 11 against Lindsay’s two bogeys. It was a two-horse race between Lindsay and Yasin, playing partners in the final pairing of the day.

Holes 12, 13 and 14 proved crucial as Lindsay managed a three-hole par run of 4, 5 and 3 against Yasin’s three bogeys. A double bogey on 16

by Lindsay and 2 pars on the last two holes were good enough to see him home as Champion by just a single shot. Both Lindsay and Yasin played their back nines in matching gross 40s although, remarkably, only holes 15 and 18 were halved.

In the net divisions Sidney D’Souza (11) (EGF) took the overall net title with rounds of 71 and 68 in addition to finishing in third placed gross.

Carlos Garcia (28) (EGF) scored 145 to win Category B (12.5-24) and Sean Drury (9) (JGE) won Category A (12.4 and under) with a two round total of 146. The 36 hole event attracted a field of 69 players.

Thanks were given by the club to all the participating players and to BMW AGMC for their continued support. www.wwgolf.biz

77

LOCATION: Dubai Festival City, Al Badia, Dubai

ARABIAN GOLF

AL BADIA GOLF CLUB

COURSE: Par 72 Championship Course with four teeing options.

CONTACT: el: +971 (0) 4 601 0101 Fax: +971 (0) 4 601 0102, Email: albadiagolf@ichdfc.ae

FANTASTIC FOUR CHET Riley, John Allen, Marco Boni and Michael Smith prevailed at the Member’s Open last month with a superb score of 57.6 from their ¾ handicap allowance.

The foursome are considered veterans of Al Badia Golf Club and their experience showed as they beat the team of Ian Milligan, Giles McDevitt and Peter and Corrine Martin by 0.4 shots.

The team of Mike Groves, Steve Kilshaw, and Kieran and Jacqui O’Connor proved themselves worthy of the honours after grasping third place as they narrowly missed out on second place after a card countback.

The 2009 Club Champion, Madhu Pillai, claimed the Nearest the Pin on hole 11, while a superb tee shot by Lynn Cimino saw her claim the Longest Drive prize on hole 9. Left to right: Marco Boni, John Allen, Michael Smith, Chet Riley, and Academy Head Professional, Luke Miller.

JOHN ALLEN SECURES GROSS VICTORY JOHN Allen led a strong field to claim the winner’s trophy with a respectable gross score of 79 points at the February Members Monthly Medal.

Both ‘A’ and ‘B’ Divisions are well represented with a series of close encounters and Lynn Cimino beat her male rivals by winning in the ‘A’ Division with a net 71. Three strokes behind Cimino in second place was David Moore while in the ‘B’ Division Phil Evans took the honours with a countback victory over John Wartig after both players signed for a net 73.

The on-course competition winners on the day were Brett Armstrong, who secured the Longest Drive, and John Wartig who shot Nearest to the Pin.

Winner John Allen (l) is pictured with Academy Professional Jamie Anton.

VICTORY FOR VANDREY AND FARDON THE Al Badia Golf course was no match for club member Jan Vandrey and his playing partner Andy Fardon as they took home the overall winners’ title in the February Officeland Monthly Open.

Following a two-player team Stableford format, Vandrey and Fardon carded a magnificent score of 44 points which was matched by Al Aqili Furnishing’s Mark Bryant and Terry Martin but after a card countback they were rightfully crowned the champions.

Mark Adams and Iain Milligan also scored 44 points but had to settle for third place on the podium.

Mark Bryant impressed the crowd by winning the Longest Drive on hole 12, which is considered to be one of the more difficult holes on the course, while Tarek Damerji took the prize for shooting Nearest the Pin on hole 7.

Andy Fardon (l) and Jan Vandrey (r) are pictured with Mark Bryant of Al Aquili Furnishing

Q&A WITH AL BADIA’S GOLF CLUB MANAGER

JAMES SHIPPEY WWG: How did you first get involved in playing golf?

JS: I was around 12 years old. My father played at Flamborough Golf Club. I showed an interest so my father enrolled me in a course of lessons at nearby Filey Golf Club, where I played as a junior and later became assistant professional before moving to Dubai.

WWG: What were your first experiences of golf in Dubai and how did you enjoy your time in Egypt?

JS: I came to Dubai in 1999 to take up a coaching position Emirates Golf Club. My first golfing experience was playing golf on the then Wadi Course with EGC Members Allan Kidd and Franck Johnson, a very enjoyable round with two great characters. Working in Egypt was a great experience with fantastic colleagues and a very friendly culture of people who are genuine and helpful. My time at Taba Heights was very enjoyable. I went from being involved with members’ clubs to a resort facility, a very different business mix, which gave me great insight into both aspects of the golf business.

WWG: What has been your best moment in playing or watching golf?

JS: I have so many great memories playing golf – unfortunately, not enough of winning tournaments.

I always revert to Sandy Lyle playing the last round of the 1988 Masters Tournament – the 1-iron off the tee into the fairway bunker then the 7-iron shot onto the green that spun down the slope and finally the winning putt to claim the Green Jacket.

WWG: You have played in numerous pro-ams – which is your favourite?

JS: This has to be the Al Badia Pro-Am which we will host during 2011 – fantastic course, great camaraderie, without doubt this will be the most enjoyable Pro-Am on the golfing calendar. So watch this space for more details.

WWG: Who is the most interesting and entertaining golfer you’ve ever met?

JS: Luckily I have had the opportunity to meet and play with some real characters. A couple who come to mind are Christopher Lee (the actor famous for his role as Dracula and more recently in the Lord of the Rings movies). He was a very competitive golfer and full of very interesting stories from his distinguished career. Another has to be Frankie Dettori. I have known Frankie for several years and played many rounds of golf with him. He recently made a visit to Al Badia Golf Club for a quick round of golf. He has a real passion for golf and exudes so much energy you can’t fail to soak up. During our rounds we have had some great competitions along with some very entertaining moments.

WWG: What are your plans for Al Badia?

JS: Al Badia is a fantastic facility with a great membership. Our goal is to enhance the club atmosphere and develop a real Member’s Club feel, through golf events and social activities, delivering the finest golfing experience to our Members and guests.

WWG: What do you think should be done to increase the number of resident golfers in the UAE and increase the number of ‘golfing tourists?’

JS: Since the management takeover of the Al Badia Golf Club in July 2009, InterContinental Dubai Festival City has significantly increased its offering within the leisure segment. We actively promote Dubai as a tourism destination, and Dubai Festival City as a leisure hub for a fantastic golfing holiday. Al Badia GC with InterContinental Dubai Festival City has put together an excellent ‘Stay and Play’ package deal, where your room with breakfast and rounds of golf (or a spa treatment as an alternative) are included This has been a very successful package, and we’ve generated a lot of bookings from the European markets through this all-inclusive deal. We also offer the only TaylorMade Performance Lab in the region, and a fantastic ‘in the know’ unique experience for all our guests wanting to dramatically improve their swing. All guests at the InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, and InterContinental Residence Suites in Dubai Festival City can take advantage of the preferential rates we have in place for in-house guests. Our golf academy packages are extremely popular, and with our resident female golf professional now on the team, we’re seeing an increase in the numbers of female golfers taking to the greens.

WWG: Why should hotels and green fees be so much more expensive than places like Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, Florida etc?

JS: The UAE offers some stunning facilities that are unmatched in other regions. The award-winning Al Badia Golf Clubhouse houses three signature dining restaurants and bars, luxurious locker room facilities, access to the health club and pool at the InterContinental Residence Suites, privileges across all of the Dubai Festival City hotels with room rates and dining discounts – not forgetting the Championship 18-hole golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones II. We are confident in offering

something truly special, and a truly unique golfing holiday.

WWG: What’s your favourite golf course – apart from Al Badia – in the UAE, the Middle East and elsewhere in the world?

JS: I’ve been lucky enough to play some amazing golf courses around the world, but some of my best memories are playing golf as a junior at Flamborough Golf Club on the east coast of Yorkshire, where my parents are still active members.

WWG: If you could choose your favourite fourball who would it be?

JS: Ben Hogan, Nick Faldo, my wife and I. WWG: If you could change any rule in the golfing book what would it be?

JS: Playing from a divot in the fairway. This has to be one of the most frustrating rules of golf.

WWG: What do you think the future holds for golf in the UAE and the Middle East?

JS: As golf in the region continues to develop, I see the game becoming more accessible to people from all walks of life. I’d love to see more UAE Nationals taking up the game and hope to see someone from the region compete on a major Tour and win Tour events on a regular basis.

WWG: What’s the funniest thing you’ve ever seen on a golf course?

JS: Playing a Pro-Am in Greece a few years ago, one of my team members, still a Dubai resident, hit a shot from the rough close to the green that had a few rocks as hazards. He hit the shot, the ball rebounded and hit him on his sunglasses. Thankfully, he was wearing sunglasses or he may have been injured. My team and I laughed about that all week.

In fact, we still do when we talk about it. www.wwgolf.biz

79

LOCATION: Deira, opposite Deira City Centre.

ARABIAN GOLF

CONTACT: Tel : + 9714 295 6000 dcgyc@dubaigolf.com Book online tee times at www.dubaigolf.com

DUBAI CREEK GOLF & YACHT CLUB

INFO: First Open 1993, redesigned in 2005.

Course: 18 holes, Par 71, 6,857 yards, Championship course.

Original Designer: Karl Litten.

Redesign: European Golf Design in association with Thomas Björn.

RED-HOT BRAR SHOOTS NET 63 TO TAKE MEDAL JUGGIE Brar lit up the course with a solid golf swing as Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club welcomed their new Club Captain Joseph Andrade with the traditional drive in during the BMW Monthly Medal.

Playing his first medal event of the year, the ever-popular Juggie fired a stunning net 63 to the take the medal, six shots ahead of second placed Arshad Waheed and he attributed his victory to a positive mindset.

“I didn’t do anything different,” he said. “The plan was the same: Hit it straight, hit it on the green, and make putts. Luckily, it worked on that day. Simple as that.” In the Men’s Division

‘A’ John Thomas (net 71) took the spoils from Patrick Morrow on a countback while Serifa D’Souza triumphed in the Ladies Division with a great net 68 for a four-stroke win over Ashaka Desai. Charlie Stephenson produced the lowest gross score on the day with a 3-over-par 74.

The day, however, belonged to Andrade.

He received a rapturous welcome from all the members and Dubai Creek’s senior management staff and he struck a mighty drive into a strong right to left wind 228 yards down the left hand side to start off his captaincy in style.

Overall winner Juggie Brar receives his BMW trophy from DCGYC Captain Joseph Andrade.

MIRZA AND KING TAKE ROUTE 66 TO THE GRAND FINALS

Shahriar Khodjasteh, Group Marketing Director for Al Aqili Furnishings and David Gray, Golf Services Manager at Dubai Creek, present Miki Mirza and Paul King with their trophies.

MIKI Mirza and Paul King won the Carpetland Monthly Open in January with a superb 5-under-par 66 betterball net score to take a direct route to the Grand Finals held in May. Brothers Anthony and Paul Saad took second place with a 67 by virtue of a countback over the past three holes ahead of past winners Ashok Kumar and Suresh Shewakramani All top three pairs will now be invited back to compete at the Grand Final with now only three more qualifying events left.

Patrick Morrow won Nearest the Pin on hole 8 with a sweetly struck iron to seven feet while Anthony Saad won the Longest Drive for the day on the 12th hole.

Shahriar Khodjasteh, Group Marketing Director of Al Aqili Furnishings said: “As you are all aware we have launched our charity initiative and for every player that plays we will donate DHS 100 to The Friends of Cancer Patients Charity and my father Mansour will contribute to double the total amount raised each month. It was great to see a full field and means we have risen from you all playing today over DHS 10,000.”

MIRZA SEALS HIS HAT-TRICK MIKI Mirza was crowned Dubai Creek Men’s Club Champion for the third time last month after rounds of 71 and 79 gave him a 150 total and a sixstroke victory over his nearest competitors.

Paul King finished runner up with his 156 total after rounds of 76 and 80 while Francisco Giles finished third with a 159 thanks to solid tee to green play over the two days.

“Thank you to the club for a great two days of golf and the conditions were tough with the wind,” said Mirza afterwards. “Thank you to J.Lindeberg and Chervo for their support and to Rob, the Director of Golf Course Maintenance, as the course was in great condition.”

Janish Khurana was crowned the Net Champion with a 147 total after rounds of 68 and 79 gave him

Mustafa Al Hashimi Club Manager, Brigitta Dagostin from J. Lindeberg, Nasha Sarkari Ladies Champion, Miki Mirza Men’s Champion, Paul Saad Junior Champion and Joseph Andrade Club Captain. a one shot win over last year’s Net winner Arshad Waheed.

Nasha Sarkari made it back-to-back Club Championships by successfully defending her Ladies title with two consistent rounds of gross

80 and 81 for a 161 total while Yuko Tsukiori was crowned Ladies Net Champion.

Paul Saad won the Junior Club Championship with gross scores of 80 and 84 and Serifa D’Souza the Junior Net Prize with rounds of 77 and 70. www.wwgolf.biz

81

LOCATION: Emirates Hills, Interchange 5 Sheikh Zayed Road, opposite the Hard Rock LOCATION: Café.

Dubai Festival City - Al Badia – Dubai

ARABIAN GOLF

EMIRATES AL BADIA GOLF GOLFCLUB CLUB

CONTACT: CONTACT: (04) 380 2222 Tel: +971 (0) 4 601 0101 egc@dubaigolf.com Fax: +971 4 601 Book (0) online tee0102, times at Email:www.dubaigolf.com albadiagolf@ichdfc.ae

INFO: Majlis Course – 1988 Faldo Course – 1996, re-designed in 2006 COURSE: Courses: Majlis – 18 holes, Par 72, 7,211 72 Championship Course with yards,Par Championship course. teeing options.

Faldofour Course – 18 holes, Par 72, 7,433 yards.

DESIGNERS: Majlis Course – Karl Litten Faldo course – Sir Nick Faldo

Joel Neale receives the trophy from Mike Sim, Vice Captain, Emirates Golf Club.

NEAL FIRES 68 TO TRIUMPH IN EMIRATES AMATEUR OPEN JOEL Neale fired a superb final round 68 over the Majlis course to triumph in the Emirates Amateur Open.

Joel, representing Emirates Golf Club, started the day five shots off the overnight leader Michael Saunders but the familiar surrounds of his home course enabled him to produce a superb 4-under par tally over the same layout that Spaniard Alvaro Quiros had triumphed on the previous weekend.

Fantastic golf by Neale got him to 1-under-par for the tournament as he teed up on the famous par-5 18th and he sank a memorable 10-foot birdie putt to post a clubhouse lead of 2-under par.

His closest rivals, Khalid Attieh (Arabian Ranches GC) and Harry Diamond (Belvoir Park GC), also teed off on the 18th at 1-under-par for the Championship but both players hooked their tee shots into the trees. Diamond’s challenge ended when he took two more shots to find the fairway while Attieh pitched out sideways and 200 yards from the flag.

A superb shot gave him a 30-footer to force a play-off but his putt failed to drop which handed Neale the title. Attieh settled for second place on 1-under-par 216 while Diamond wound up with a bogey to finish a shot back in third.

Michael Saunders (Dartford GC) finished fourth on 5-over-par 222 while two strokes further back was Ronan O’Reilly (Els Club) and the in-form Miki Mirza from Dubai Creek finished sixth with a 225 total.

The overall Net prize went to Nasser Saleh (Bahrain Golf Federation) as he defeated Billal Isamil from Shanklin and Sandown Golf Club with a countback after both players signed for a 54-hole tally of 226. Last year’s Net champion, Hamed Afnan (Bahrain Golf Federation) clinched third one shot further back.

The other highlight of the day was a hole-in-one by Mark Williams on the par-3 11th, six days after Quiros achieved the same feat in his Omega Dubai Desert classic victory.

CHAMPION: Joel Neale (EGC)

R1

R2

R3

Tot

76

71

68

215

2 :

Khalid Walid Attieh (ARGC) 72

72

72

216

3RD:

Harry Diamond (BPGC)

74

72

71

217

4TH:

Michael Saunders (DFGCE) 71

71

80

222

5 :

Ronan O’Reilly (TEC)

74

73

77

224

6TH :

Miki Mirza (DCGYC)

76

74

75

225

ND

TH

NET OVERALL OVER 54 HOLES BEST NET:

Nasser Y. Saleh (BGF)

226

SECOND NET: Billal Ismail (S&SGC)

226

THIRD NET:

227

Hamed M. Afnan (BGF)

www.wwgolf.biz

83

Membership details are listed on our web site www.katameyadunes.com contact: simon.duffield@katameyadunes.com New Cairo, Egypt

LOCATION: Off Emirates Road (direction Sharjah), after the Green Community roundabout, exit on the right side.

ARABIAN GOLF

CONTACT: Tel: +971 4 390 3333 Fax: +971 4 367 9584 www.jumeirahgolfestates.com/golf/

JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES

INFO: The first two of four courses – Fire and Earth – opened for play on December 1st 2009.

Greg Norman designed both courses with Earth playing host to The European Tour’s final tournament on The Race to Dubai – The Dubai World Championship.

WAKEHAM WINS THE FEBRUARY MEDAL

The winning team pose with their prizes.

LOW SCORING ON A PERFECT DAY AT THE BMW AGMC MEMBERS AND GUEST THE first BMW AGMC Members and Guest event of the year took place over the Fire course and it was the team of Karsten Due, Rune Rasmussen, Morten Post and Thomas Wiperb who took advantage of the perfect conditions to shoot a superb net 58.3 and take the title.

In second place with a commendable score of net 60.9 was the team of Dave Allan, Giordano Gelasini, Tania Gelasini and Bjorn Qwinth.

ARABIAN RANCHES GOLF CLUB TONY DOUGHERTY AND ASHLEY ANDERSON TAKE THE FEBRUARY HONOURS TONY Dougherty returned a gross 2-over-par 74 to win the February Rivoli Monthly Medal supported by Speed cleaning and Ecco shoes in what were cold and windy conditions.

Dougherty, who is also a member of the ARGC Scratch League team, is one of the Club’s most consistent performers and was delighted to win the second Rivoli Medal of 2011.

He was steady from tee to green and posted two birdies with a couple of bogeys to secure a well deserved victory. “It’s always a great feeling to win and the best preparation I could have had for the upcoming league match at ADGC,” he said.

ROGER Wakeham’s gritty gross 84 proved too strong for the rest of the field as he won the Gross title by one shot at the February Monthly Medal ahead of Shawn Drury.

Despite an up-and-down outward nine of 44 Wakeham grinded out a solid back nine score of 40 in the strengthening wind to take the honours.

In the Net Division Brian Kenny blew away the other competitors as he returned a score of net 71. The highlights of Kenny’s round were six gross pars and two superb birdies which he recorded on the par-3 14th and par-5 18th holes.

Second place had to be decided via a card countback between Victor Collins and Shawn Drury who both returned net 75s and it was Collins who prevailed after he completed the back nine in three fewer strokes.

Collins also took home the Nearest the Pin prize on hole 8 while Dave Allan fizzed his ball right at the flagstick to win the Nearest the Pin prize on hole 11.

LOCATION: Emirates Road (311) in the heart of Arabian Ranches.

CONTACT: Tel : +971 4 366 3000 Tel : +971 4 366 3355

INFO: Arabian Ranches Golf Club opened its doors in February, 2004 and was built as a true 18 holes, par 72 desertstyle grass course, a signature course designed by Ian Baker-Finch in association with Nicklaus Design.

COURSE: Championship Course 7691-yard par 72.

The Division “A” Net title belonged to Alain Delacourte with a net 72 after a countback with Chris Redley thanks to his better back nine.

In Division “B” Valentin Teyssedre continued his run of good form by posting a net 70 and looked likely to win, however the eventual Champion Matthew Derrick also posted a net 70 and went on to win the title by the smallest of margins after another countback. In the Ladies Division Ashley Anderson celebrated her return to competition by winning the Ladies Gross title with a score of 86 while the net title was claimed by Tracy Karai who posted a 71.

KARAI, DOUGHERTY, PARSONS AND EVERINGHAM TAKE LADY CAPTAINS DAY THE four-player team consisting of Tracy Karai, Fortuna Dougherty, John Parsons and Iain Everingham returned a score of 95 Stableford points to win Adrienne Fullerton’s Lady Captains Day held late last month.

The format for the event was the best two Individual Stableford scores from the team to be recorded at each hole of play but each player was only allowed to use seven clubs to navigate their way around the ARGC layout.

The winning team took full advantage of the format and played fantastically well as a team with all four members contributing throughout the round. They never scored worse than four points on any given hole and

posted six points or better on nine occasions.

Their wining total of 96 comprised of an outward half of 49 followed by an inward half of 47 and they racked up a two-point victory over the team of Adele McKelvey, Rebecca Ward, Rob Sherman and Mark Evans with Deep Marwaha, Alan Kelly, Leigh Kendall and Chris speller taking third with 91 points.

Adrienne Fullerton commented: “I thoroughly enjoyed the day, thanks to all the Members for supporting the event. Congratulations to all the worthy winners we always have a great time at ARGC and with a turnout of over 90 Golfers at each event the tournaments are always great fun. www.wwgolf.biz

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LOCATION: Situated on Yas Island, Yas Links Abu Dhabi features an 18-hole course, a 9-hole academy course, golf academy and floodlit practice facilities which

ARABIAN GOLF

YAS LINKS ABU DHABI

are all set against dramatic views of the Arabian Gulf.

CONTACT: Tel: +9712 810 7777 www.yaslinks.com

MIRZA ROMPS TO MEN’S OPEN TITLE MIKI Mirza secured the honours at the Men’s Open in January with a superb gross 71 around Yas Links to win by two strokes from Ahmed Al Mussharekh.

The strongest amateur field ever assembled in Abu Dhabi descended on Kyle Phillips’ masterpiece as more than 100 local and international hopefuls teed it up in the quest for glory and valuable UAE Order of Merit ranking points.

Taking third place in the Gross Division was Joel Neale, winner of the recent Emirates Amateur Open, while James Cook finished fourth with a gross 75.

Juan Carlos Alfonso went home with the net honours after a superb 66 off his 13 handicap which gave him a five-stroke win ahead of Michael Talbot and Dustin Goodman who had to be separated by a countback. Talbot secured the silver medal thanks to his better back nine.

In a special raffle held after play the one-armed golfer Trevor Belcher was a lucky recipient of a signed Manchester City shirt.

Commenting on the first Men’s Open 2011 at Yas Links, Chris White,

General Manager of Aldar Golf, said: “It has been an honour to host such an accomplished group of players. It has been a very exciting period for Yas Links, hosting the illustrious Emirates Airline Invitational Tournament

which attracted some of golf’s topranking players, including World No.1, Lee Westwood, reigning US Open Champion, Graeme McDowell, and two-time World Golf Championship winner, Darren Clarke, as well as

AL AIN EQUESTRIAN SHOOTING & GOLF CLUB ‘GOLDEN’ BROWN IN OPEN SUCCESS LINDSAY Brown fought off tough competition to defend her Ladies Open title at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club after two days of solid golf.

The 36-hole stroke play format was used for the event and after the opening day Sana Tufail (Abu Dhabi Golf Club) was the leader after a fine 74 with Brown one shot behind and Nasha Sarkari (Dubai Creek) a further three shots adrift.

With the competitors teeing off in score order for day two the final group was the threeball of Sarkari, Brown and Tufail and after the opening three holes Brown had overturned the deficit to lead by one thanks to two pars and a birdie on the par-5 third hole.

Tufail then dropped a shot at the short fourth hole to fall two shots behind but picked up a shot at the next when her 1586

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foot birdie putt found the bottom of the cup.

Pars followed at the next two holes for the group before Tufail and Brown both made birdies on hole 8 but Brown then took a six at the following hole to Tufail’s four and the youngster’s overnight advantage was restored.

By hole 12 both players were level again but after a disastrous double bogey by Tufail at the par-3 13th Brown had victory in her sights.

Her lead became three strokes after another slip saw Tufail’s hopes fade.

Brown signed for a 147 total to win by three from Tufail with Sarkari posting a 155 to take third place.

In the net section Nadia Belaid added a 68 to her opening day 67 to make her the Overall Net Champion with a total of 135 with Shawn Lunday second four strokes back.

LOCATION: Al Ain PO Box 1471 United Arab Emirates CONTACT: Tel : +971 3 7026400 Fax: +971 3 7683331 golf@palmsportsresort.com

some keen, famous amateurs from the worlds of entertainment, commerce and sport, including former England cricketer, Allan Lamb, and ex-international footballers Jamie Redknapp and Ruud Gullit.”

INFO: The Championship Golf Course offers a picturesque and challenging experience for all golfers. The professionally designed par 71 course measures 6612 yards from the black tees and 6129 from the blue tees.

CONTACT: Tel : +9712 558 8990

ARABIAN GOLF

ABU DHABI GOLF CLUB

INFO: The 27 hole championship course, managed by the world-renowned Troon Golf, weaves through undulating terrain that features palms, ornamental trees and shrubs, as well

as seven spectacular saltwater lakes.

The experience provides a tough-but-fair challenge, with lush fairways, strategically placed bunkers and generous greens.

Designed by Peter Harradine, planting had begun way back in 1992, accounting for the well-established look the Club presented even on the day of its inauguration.

IMPRESSIVE KUFFLER TAKES CLUB ANNIVERSARY CUP SUCCESS ABU Dhabi Golf Club celebrated its 11th Anniversary last month by hosting the Club Anniversary Cup for the seventh time.

The event was last played in 2008 and defending champion Kevin Jamieson was amongst the 83-player field to defend his title.

The low score of the day and winner of the Ladies Division went to Donna Kuffler who posted an impressive score of 40 points to win by six points from Cathy Feron and take the honours, becoming only the second lady to win the title.

In the Men’s Division ‘A’ (0-14) category, Charles Parks scored an impressive 36 points to beat his nearest rival Atique Daneshmend by two while Kamal Belaid was the winner of the Men’s Division ‘B’ (15 +) with a score of 35 points.

Belaid held off strong competition from Tim Kellie who scored 34 points and took second place outright after a winning on a back nine countback.

MORGAN, CHOI AND MCQUATTIE STORM TO FEBRUARY RIVOLI SUCCESS WITH the wind whipping through the course the February Rivoli Stableford Competition became a battle of attrition and it was Chris Morgan who took the Men’s Division ‘A’ title with an excellent score of 36 points. Faris Al Azzawi took second place, one point back, while in Division ‘B’ Pyoung Chul Choi took the title on a countback over Graham Bellwood after both signed for a 34.

Shelley McQuattie finished on top in the Ladies Division with a respectable score of 32 points, two shots clear of Vice Captain Pascale Michel.

KEN KOSAK EARNS ACCOLADE FROM TROON GOLF ABU Dhabi Golf Club’s Ken Kosak was named the General Manager of the Year by Troon Golf recently.

“It is an honour to receive this award, ahead of a number of other esteemed colleagues at Troon Golf,” remarked Kosak.

“To be associated with Abu Dhabi Golf Club, which represents one of the Middle-East’s most luxurious and dynamic leisure facilities, is an absolute pleasure. Blessed with some of the finest staff in golf, I accept this award with gratitude to all of those who have aided my work here over the years.”

LOCATION: Just 400 metres from Abu Dhabi Airport by road

ARABIAN GOLF

AL GHAZAL GOLF CLUB

CONTACT: Tel : + 971 2 5758040 Fax: +971 2 5758041

CLUBHOUSE BAR Tel: +971 2 5758044 ACADEMY DIRECT Tel: +971 2 5758185 www.alghazalgolf.ae Email: golfclub@emirates.net.ae

HAYMAN AND SCURR SECURE SLIM’ N LITE MIXED OPEN MARK Hayman and Angela Scurr teamed up to win the sixth edition of the Slim‘N Lite Mixed Amateur Open after a two-round score of 153 gave them a one-stroke victory over Bernie Blanchard and Richard Whiteside.

The winning duo posted an opening round 74 to take a lead into round two but they limped across the finish line on the second day with a 79 to secure the title by the narrowest of margins.

Taking third place was the team of Lizette Breytenbach and Daniel Van Dyk who returned scores of 77 and 78 for a 155 total.

Lady Captain Pauline Jeynes announced the winners and Hany Abdelnour of Slim’n Lite Health & Diet Food Centre was on hand to present the prizes.

The winners on the day with Sponsor Hany Abdelnour.

GORDON WINS WITH SUB 60 SCORE

All the day’s winners are pictured with their prizes.

EMILY Gordon joined the elite sub 60 gang with an amazing score of 58 in the AGGC’s February Monthly Medal. Gordon took first prize in the Ladies section and received a considerable handicap cut for the privilege after she beat Lizette Breytenbach by nine strokes.

‘B’ Division’s Kevin Darrock scored the best men’s score of the day with a 66 to beat second placed Eddie Brown by 10 shots while ‘A’ Division was once again dominated by Rene Valencia with a 68 as he defeated Martin Sutherland who in turn beat Mark Hayman on a countback.

Xavier Carrie won Division ‘C’ with a 71 from Adda Haouara who shot a 78.

DOHA GOLF CLUB

LOCATION: Close to West Bay Lagoon, 8km north of central Doha.

CONTACT: +974 4496 0777 info@dohagolfclub.com

INFO: 18-hole 7,374-yard par-72 Championship course accompanied by a floodlit 9-hole Academy Course with spectacular views of the West Bay Lagoon.

Designed by Peter Harradine.

COLIN SEWELL TAKES FLIGHT COLIN Sewell wrapped up first place in Flight ‘A’ of the February Medal with a superb net 65 from his 14 handicap while Gary White (19) took the honours in Flight ‘B’ with a 67. Mubarak Al Kuwari and Fred Yurkiw took second place in Flights ‘A’ and ‘B’ respectively and it was Kimberly Stiegler (31) who took the top spot in the Ladies Division with a net 72.

DANCE STEALS THE SHOW SHORTLY after the cream of European golf took to the course to compete for the Commercialbank Qatar Masters, 60 winners from the 2010 Guardian Wealth Monthly Medals teed it up in the hope of being crowned the Champion of Champions.

After a closely contested 18-hole Stableford competition it was Warren Dance who emerged victorious after tallying 45 points for a one-point win over Pratush Jain. Phil Whyte took third place while in the Ladies Division Paula Martin took the honours with 40 points.

ARABIAN GOLF

DIRAB GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

LOCATION: Nestled in the picturesque Dirab Valley below the Tuwaiq escarpment, just 30 minutes drive from the diplomatic quarters of Riyadh, take the Makkah national road and turn left to Dirab.

The golf course is situated just off the Dirab Road.

CONTACT: Tel: +966 1 498 0017/8 Email: dirabgolf@yahoo.com

INFO: Opened in 1991, Dirab GC is the only grassed Championship golf course in Saudi Arabia with 9 of the 18 holes floodlit for night golf.

COURSE: 7,420 yards par 72 Championship Course with driving range and practice facilities.

SALHAB CONTINUES TO IMPRESS AISAL Salhab started 2011 the way he ended 2010 – with a win – as he captured overall Best Gross honours in the Qatar Airways Golf Tournament held recently after a countback win over Morgan Mead It was the second straight tournament victory for Salhab after he won the 2010 Wartsila Golf Championship. Both he and Mead posted matching cards of 78 but the former scored the better back nine to claim the big prize. A 3-handicapper, Mead settled for second place in the First Division (0-9 handicap) with a 75 behind winner Kamran Khan (6), who shot a gross 80 for a net 74.

Third place went to Gordon Bennie who compiled 76 from a gross 83 off his 7 handicap.

After going out with a 38, Salhab got the birdie he needed on the par-4 14th to arrest a slide following a triple bogey on hole 10 and then a bogey on 11. He dropped another stroke on 18

but signed for a 40 over the back nine which proved decisive as Mead came in with a 43.

Casey Blatch shared centre stage with Salhab when he won the overall Best Net title on 69.

Riyadh Abouba and Lennart Enstrom clinched the first two places respectively in the Second Division (10-18) via the countback after they both returned 70s while Norman Baillie took third place one stroke back.

Mohammed Benamar, general manager at Radisson Blu Riyadh Hotel, was another winner by countback for the Third Division crown over Lance Jonce after they too tied on 70 with David Treadgold taking third with a 73.

The Ladies Division winners were Liz Kennedy 70, Sile McIlroy 72 and Ruby Klawikowski 79.

Nico Els and Paromita Mukherjee nabbed the longest drive awards for men and ladies while Khan took home the closest to pin.

SHERATON LADIES GOLF CUP THE first Sheraton Ladies Cup was held recently and it was Denise Holding and her team of June Hee Kim, Myungoak Hwangbo and Martine Himmesoete who took the honours after a superb gross 74 gave them a three-stroke victory over Paromita Mukherjee, Roselyne De Parcevaux and Saida Oihabi.

Holding was also in the prizes in the on-course competitions as she launched the Longest Driver down the opening fairway while Liz Dugan shot Closest to the Pin on the 11th hole.

THE PALMS GOLF CLUB CHAPLOW, KNUT, BENJAMIN AND ANNE RULE POWER HORSE MONTHLY MEDAL

Top: Fahad Abunayyan, Deputy GM Abunayyan Group, is pictured with Ebraham Rasool, Qatar Airways Area Manager, Best Gross Winner Faisal Salhab, Dirab Golf Committee Chairman Naseer Uddin Siddiqui and Dinker Dasaur, Sales Manager Qatar Airways.

Below: Best Net Winner Casey Blatch is pictured with Fahad Abunayyan, Ebrahim Rasool, Naseer Uddin Siddiqui and Dinker Dasaur.

LOCATION: Located on Al Maather Street in the centre of Riyadh, the Palms Golf Club at Intercontinental Riyadh is open for play from 6am until 10pm.

CONTACT: Tel: +966-1-4655000 Fax: +966-1-4657833 COURSE: Info: 9-hole, fully grassed and floodlit course.

Golf Professionals are available for coaching.

RIYADH golfers gathered again at the Palms Golf Club InterContinental Riyadh for the inaugural tournament of the year. The Medal, sponsored by the Power Horse energy drink, was a great success in terms of the participation of the players as well as the support of the sponsor.

American golfer Ray Chaplow (6) won the ‘A’ Division (hcp 0-6) Championship with a haul of 35 Stableford points, which is 1-over-par in the 18-hole full handicap event. Pakistani golfer Kamran Khan could mark only 31 points to finish second in the same division while Kiwi golfer Julian Bennett bagged third place with 30 points.

In the ‘B’ Division (hcp 7-12) Norwegian golfer Knut Bjornstad scored a 1-under-par 37 points to bag the Championship ahead of Mark Davies who came in with 34 points while Ali Hernandez took third place.

In the ‘C’ Division (hcp 13-18) Filipino golfer Benjamin Santuyo took first place with 33 points while his compatriot Robert Mariano was two points back in second place with Arnold Rosal third on 29.

In the Ladies Division nobody could catch Norwegian Anne Bjornstad as she scored 35 points to take first place while two Korean golfers – Jin Soon Kim and Nak Yong Kim – took second and third place respectively.

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LOCATION: 2km from Tasjeel Auto Village behind Emirates Road. A five minute drive from University City.

ARABIAN GOLF

SHARJAH GOLF & SHOOTING CLUB

INFO: A 9-hole fully floodlit course designed by Peter Harradine.

Played twice results in a par-72 layout in excess of 7,300 yards.

CONTACT: Tel: +971 6 548 7777 info@golfandshootingshj.com

BOUSHRA DALILE LIFTS THE INAUGURAL SAIF ZONE CROWN BOUSHRA Dalile (22.7) of the Emirates Golf Federation won the inaugural Sharjah Airport Free Zone Sharjah Cup courtesy of two steady 38-point rounds for a 76-point total and a one-stroke victory over her younger sister, Line (27.1).

Over 60 players competed on day one but only 52 progressed to the second round after a halfway cut.

Line set the pace after day one with a 41-point haul but struggled during day two – opening up with two bogeys. She bounced back to make the turn in 17 points and after losing the lead to her sister she clawed her way back level after the 14th.

However, Dalile re-established her lead with a birdie on the 15th and went on to secure three pars over the closing stretch to secure the victory.

Mark Dupree replicated his first round score of 33 points for a 66point total and third place overall.

Boushra Dalile with the trophy.

AL HAMRA GOLF CLUB ARABIAN GOLF

LOCATION: Just off E 11, 12 miles south of Ras Al Khaimah

course is complimented by a large open lagoon with four inter-connected lagoons.

CONTACT: Tel: +971 7 244 7474 Fax: +971 7 244 7423

COURSE: 7,267 yard, par 72 18 hole course with additional par-3 Academy Course.

INFO: Built along the Arabian Gulf, the

DESIGNER: Peter Harradine

SUPERB SANA STORMS TO LADIES OPEN SUCCESS

DUNNAGE AND McGUIRE PREVAIL IN MEDAL MADNESS CRAIG McGuire proved his quality as he blitzed the field to claim the winner’s spot in the gross section of the February Monthly Medal. His impressive score of 74 gave him an astonishing nine-stroke win over second placed Rita Engelbrecht with her husband Eric taking third place with an 85.

It was a similar story in the net division as Steve Dunnage shot a tremendous net 67 to finish eight shots ahead of Chris Stanbrook’s net 75 – which was just good enough to beat Kevin Loughlin in a card countback for second place.

WATCH OUT BEADLE’S ABOUT NIGEL Beadle produced one of his bestever rounds to win the Tombstone Classic recently after being pushed all the way by his playing partner Cindy Rials who had to settle for second place with Vickie Rogers taking third.

All the winners on the day with their prizes.

WITH day one of the Ladies Open cancelled due to storms and high winds it was the superbly talented youngster Sana Tufail who put together an impressive 18-hole total of 77 to claim the fifth RAK Ladies Open.

Her playing partners pushed her all the way with all three players featuring in the prizes. Last year’s winner Nasha Sarkari put up a superb defense of her title but was pipped at the post

by Tufail after signing for a gross 78. Lindsay Brown finished third with a 79. In the Net Division both Cindy Rials and Lesley Mullen thought they were in with a chance after shooting superb 74s but they were both outdone by Sandra Grenet who rallied well to card a 73 – even after receiving a three-shot penalty on the second hole. After a card countback Mullen was awarded second place with Rials third.

LOCATION:

ARABIAN GOLF

MUSCAT HILLS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

Muscat Hills Golf & Country Club is located near Muscat International Airport and Oman Air’s main office. Within minutes from major shopping areas, first class restaurants, hospitals, international schools and Muscat’s main Central Business District.

CONTACT:

Club: +968 245 100 65 Fax: +968 245 10277 Email: ray@muscatgolf.com Web: www.muscathills.com

SEVENTH OER CEO GOLF 2011 AN ASTOUNDING SUCCESS THE OER CEO Golf 2011 made history yet again with corporate Oman’s leading businessmen going head-to-head in friendly competition in an event that combines golf and networking.

The seventh edition of the one-day OER CEO Golf, was held on Feb 3, under the auspices of HE Ali bin Masoud al Sunaidi, Minister of Sports Affairs.

More than 350 of the country’s most respected CEOs and A-list guests competed in the event, backed by some of the Sultanate’s most popular brands. Nawras Business Solutions was the Presenter of the tournament while INFINITI was the Associate Presenter. Rolex was the official timekeeper while Times of Oman and Al Shabiba were the publicity partners. The event got off

to Royal start with HH Sayyid Tarik bin Shabib, performing the inaugural tee-off.

Michael Lenarduzzi, CEO, The Wave Muscat, was crowned Champion while Martin Champion, Director of Operations of Eight Services was the runner-up. Sachin Bawa, CFO, Shanfari Group, was third. Ajay Ganti, CEO, SARCO won a Rolex watch as the “Most Promising Golfer-to-be for 2011.” More than 60 prizes were won by golfers, aspiring golfers and guests at the evening function.

While the professionals took part in a super fast session of Golf Power Play, the greenhorns enjoyed a fun game of SNAG. Then the participants were treated to an exhibition by Trick Shot specialist, Jeremy Dale, who finished runner-up in the 2005

FREE OGC JUNIOR GOLF EVENT SUPPORTED

BY QALHAT LNG Muscat Hills hosts a free-of-charge Junior Golf competition organised by the Oman Golf Committee and supported

by Qalhat LNG on Friday 4th March from 15.30-17.30 The objective is to introduce as many new children to the game as possible.

Three private Muscat schools have already been invited and it is expected that at least 50 juniors will be there on the day. The format will provide children with a general overview of golf, giving them an opportunity to participate in the different aspects of the game.

A new concept recently introduced at Muscat Hills, will be used on the day, SNAG, which stands for “Starting New At Golf”. It’s a fun game that’s easy to learn and can be played anywhere, such as school sports halls or playgrounds.

SNAG involves all the elements of golf but in a modified form. Falling somewhere between miniature golf and regulation golf, SNAG allows for full shots, pitching, chipping, and putting.

It is a proven learning and training tool for entry-level golfers. Any age group

World Golf Trick-Shot Championships. In the evening a glittering dinner under the stars took place with prizes galore and a show-stopping performance by the all-girl string quartet, Asteria. It was an occasion to remember.

Media sponsors included Hi, and Al Youm Al Sab’e. Prize partner was Samsung. The Category partners were Muscat Hills G&CC (Host venue) Signature (Luxury) and AXA (Insurance), Reach (Activation), Oman Printers & Stationers (Printing), OUA (Beverage), Infoline (Call Centre) and Aggreko (Energy). Prize partners were Samsung, Micromax Mobiles, Damas; Millennium; Shangrila Bar al Jissah, Travel City, Graphic International Centre. Zahrat al Rose extended Décor support for the event.

DAVID WHITE JOINS AS GOLF OPERATIONS MANAGER

can play and it’s perfect for inexpensive family fun! The game has its own simplified rules and terminology that adds fun to the learning and playing experience.

Following on from this event on Wednesday 23rd March Muscat Hills will also be hosting the Junior Oman Open.

This is primarily for those children who have some golfing experience and there will be three different categories to cater for different ages and abilities.

“We are delighted to be getting involved with the Oman Golf Committee on their grass roots golf programme,” said Muscat Hills Head Professional Alex Day. “We introduced SNAG golf to Oman late last year and it has been tremendously popular for our Junior clinics. I am confident that this new initiative will help us generate more interest in golf among Omanis.”

PGA Professional David White has joined Muscat Hills G&CC as Golf Operations Manager.

Born in Manchester, England, White ran his own golf coaching company in the UK, DWGolf Coaching, specialising in junior golf coaching at schools.

Prior to that he worked at Shrewsbury Golf Club in Shropshire and Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast in Australia. It was in Australia where he obtained his Health Science and Sport Management degree. Following that he returned to the UK to complete his PGA Diploma. David spent part of his childhood in Bahrain and Dubai.

One of his highlights was winning the Bahrain Junior Open in 2002.

He will be responsible for the management of the golf operations at Muscat Hills and with introducing high service standards that are expected in the region. He will also be responsible for managing the busy fixture list and the delivery of top quality events.

“I am delighted to be back in the Middle East and I’m excited about the opportunity of developing Muscat Hills Golf and Country Club into one of the premier clubs in the region,” he said.

David is the latest appointment to the golf operations team at Muscat Hills, led by Director of Golf Ray Stopforth and managed by Braemar Golf, St Andrews. “I am pleased to welcome David to our team,” said Ray. “His regional knowledge and Arabic language skills are a big plus for us in developing our Omani golf operations team.

With David’s participation we will see the service levels at our club go from strength to strength.” www.wwgolf.biz

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LOCKER ROOM

WIN

We’re giving you lucky Worldwide Golf readers the chance to win an i-Station SoundBar by answering the following question: Who won last month’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic?

Please visit www.wwgolf.biz and click ‘Competitions’ to submit your answer.

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TITLEIST S82 AND S83 STAFF BAG NEW for the 2011 season from Titleist are the 10.5” S82 and 9.5” S83 staff bags. These dashing bags combine contemporary styling and materials with a range of tour-proven features and benefits. The flagship billboard bags are focused on meeting the needs of the serious player which is why you’ll see them being carried by caddies of the top pros the world over.

I-STATION I-STATIONSOUNDBAR SOUNDBAR THE sleek looking new i-Station SoundBar from Logic3 is a cracking addition to your home entertainment system. The unit is both a docking station and speaker unit for your iPod or iPhone and a sound system for your television. There are also two aux inputs for external devices which can be connected to your TV, meaning you can view video content (composite or component) from your iPod or iPhone on your television screen. The i-Station SoundBar, which can be wall mounted, features a powerful 30RMS speaker system which combines two 2-inch mid-range drivers and 2.8 inch sub woofers. There’s also an FM radio, adjustable mood backlight, graphic equaliser, two passive bass radiators and a remote control.

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www.elliotrhodes.com

ELLIOT RHODES BELTS LONDON designers Elliot Rhodes have produced some absolutely stunning belts that are sure to get tongues wagging and heads turning in the golf world. The belts are all hand made in Spain and Italy and as well as full grain high quality leather there are also a range made from exotic skins such as python, ostrich and crocodile. All the belts and buckles are interchangeable and the company will also custom fit them to your precise measurements. Players such as Retief Goosen and David Lynn have already taken a shine to them and we’re sure it won’t be long before others follow suit.

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EVERYTHING YOU WOULD WANT IN YOUR LOCKER... AND MORE! CLUBS

BALLS

CLOTHING

BAGS

COOL STUFF

NIKE RUGBY STRIPE POLO NIKE Golf’s Spring/Summer 2011 range of apparel has some wonderfully stylish offerings like this women’s Rugby Stripe Polo. The shirt features a ribbed collar and foldover hem complete with the Nike logo. Made with cooling cotton and polyester.

ASPINAL OF LONDON MEN’S MANICURE SET THIS manicure set from Aspinal of London is the perfect luxury travel accessory. Handmade in lovely Amazon mock croc calf leather and lined in soft stone suede, the set comes with a full complement of four finest quality Swiss made manicure instruments. With this in your luggage you need never have untidy nails again!

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SCOTTY CAMERON STUDIO SELECT THE Laguna 2 is a cracking new addition to Scotty Cameron’s Studio Select range for 2011. This model has already been given the vote of confidence by many of the world’s top players and it’s easy to see why. The usual Scotty trademarks are there such as the high toe and the sole which squares up beautifully at address.

With its full shaft offset, the Laguna 2 sets up taller for players who prefer less toe flow and the mechanical, precise alignment of the plumbing neck. It feels great, it looks great. What more could you want!

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GROOM ROOM

AFTER A LONG DAY ON THE COURSE, IT’S ALWAYS GOOD TO TAKE TIME OUT TO FRESHEN UP

ARAMIS IMPECCABLE Impeccable from Aramis is aimed at the mature, sophisticated and confident man. It was created as a ‘blacktie fragrance’ and the bottle and box design certainly fits this image. The scent fits the bill too with fine ingredients like Moroccan cedar wood, black pepper, juniper berries and citrus zest combining to produced a refined and distinctive fragrance.

212 SEXY MEN 212 Sexy Men, as the name would suggest, is enigmatic, seductive and…sexy.

Technical jargon: Top – citric fresh, bergamot, mandarin, Greenleaf. Heart – spicy sensuality, cardamom, flower petals, pepper. Base – woody oriental, sandalwood, vanilla, Bois de Gaiac, musk, amber.

BLACK XS Black XS is a fresh, sensual, woody fragrance that brings out the rock star in you. It’s a fruity little number with a lovely woody undertone.

Technical jargon: Top – Calabrian lemon, kalamanzi, tagete and sage. Heart – cinnamon, tolu balm, black cardamom, praline. Base – palissandre wood, black amber, patchouli, ebony wood.

212 POP BY CAROLINA HERRERA 212 Pop is a brand new limited edition version of Carolina Herrera’s 212 fragrance.

Available in men’s or women’s versions 212 Pop is inspired by Pop Art and as its look suggests, it is a fresh, modern zesty scent.

Men’s version technical jargon: Top– mint.

Heart – sweet mandarin. Base – woods.

PACO RABANNE LADY MILLION SOLID PERFUME This ultra glamorous solid perfume version of Paco Rabanne’s smash hit Lady Million is the perfect accessory for any lady’s handbag.

Vibrant, fresh, floral and woody, Lady Million is an exotic and intoxicating scent. The handy 2 oz solid perfume pendant, which could easily be attached to a golf bag also houses a vanity mirror. Technical jargon: Top – bitter orange, raspberry. Heart – neroli. Base – Arabian jasmine, patchouli, honey.

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DRIVER - FAIRWAY - HYBRID - IRONS - WEDGES - PUTTER

IN THE KIM BOULDEN

BAG

Q: How long have you been in Abu Dhabi and what has been your most memorable golfing moment during that time?

A: I have been in Abu Dhabi for nearly four months now and I love it here. I have been fortunate to have many memorable moments here at Abu Dhabi Golf Club already. The Junior Development Programme has been a highlight for me. It’s so good to see so many Juniors in our clinics and it’s fantastic to see so many girls on our programme.

I’ve had the opportunity to go into some of the local schools here in Abu Dhabi introducing golf to children from ages 5-12 years. Most of these children have never played golf before so it was great to see them all having fun using our SNAG equipment.

Also, meeting so many different people from all over the world has been a great experience for me.

Q: What was your first set of clubs?

A: My first set of clubs was a set of Fazer Firepower irons. I had them as a Christmas present and I loved them. Then as I took to the game more seriously I had a set of Cobra Irons.

Q: Who is your golfing hero and why?

A: Jack Nicklaus. He has won 18 Major championships over 24 years and 73 PGA Tour victories and is regarded as one of the best golfers of all time. He is an asset to the game on and off the golf course and I respect him for his golf course design, charity work and also his book writing. He also runs his own tournament on the PGA Tour, ‘The Memorial Tournament’ and his golf course design company is one of the largest in the world. For someone to have such amazing career achievements is an inspiration to me.

Q: If you were the head of R&A, what rule would you change?

A: I think I would change the rule about not letting women into the clubhouse of a golf club, for example at Muirfield. I got an invitation to play at Muirfield about three years ago and after the round the women were not allowed to enter the main clubhouse.

We had to eat dinner in the ladies lounge. I just don’t understand why men are more important than women when it comes to golf.

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TaylorMade Superfast Driver 10.5º ladies matrix shaft

PGA PROFESSIONAL ABU DHABI GOLF CLUB

Q: When did you first start playing golf?

A: I come from a golfing family as my dad is a PGA Professional at Maesdu Golf Club in Llandudno, North Wales. My younger sister Amy is a very good golfer who has represented Wales at Junior and Senior level and quite recently played in the Junior Ryder Cup team. I took up the game at the age of 10 when my dad gave me a lesson on the practice ground and from then on I had the fantastic opportunity of playing for my club, county and country at both junior and senior level. I loved the sport so much that I wanted to make it my career.

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DRIVER

3-WOOD TaylorMade Superfast 3W 15º ladies matrix shaft

HYBRID TalylorMade Superfast 3 rescue 19º ladies matrix shaft

IRONS (4-sw) TaylorMade R9 Irons ladies matrix shaft

PUTTER TaylorMade Rosa Daytona Ghost Putter – 33 inch

WEDGES TaylorMade XFT Wedges 52º & 58º steel shaft

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Available at leading Golf Clubs and ECCO Shops in UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain & Egypt. Tel:+971-4-299 3885 Ext-101 Fax:+971-4-299 3886 Email: ae.golf@ecco.com Web: ecco.com/golf