Worldwide Golf Bubba Watson Masters Special

Middle east’s No.1 Golf MaGaziNe

Watson in the pink Bubba’s stopped crying after winning the Masters and silencing certain critics who said he’d be selling cars by now

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EUROPEAN TOUR NEWS l DIVOTS l EQUIPMENT l WORlD ROUND-UPS Official Publication of The Emirates Golf Federation & The Arab Golf Federation

Worldwide Golf Executive Editor Since 1999

GARY PLAYER The nine time Major Champion who has witnessed and been a part of some of the most historic and memorable golfing occasions reflects on the game today

Many years ago I had a similar putt as Louis had on that 18th hole but mine was only half the length. Mine broke at least an inch. Louis hit the most perfect putt but it never turned a hair’s width. It was one of the most unlucky putts I’ve ever seen.

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AST month we had the privilege of being treated to one of the most exciting Masters Tournaments I have ever seen. It was a battle of David and Goliath proportions and it just goes to show that the swing is not necessarily the thing.

This years Masters proved that it’s what’s inside that matters. Obviously, everyone has got to have a certain amount of talent otherwise they wouldn’t be playing Augusta National the first week of April. But what people don’t always realise is that it’s what’s in the brain box that really counts.

Louis Oosthuizen took the initiative with a magnificent albatross two at the par-five second hole which projected him into a commanding lead.

That second shot brought the galleries to their feet and set the scene for a roller-coaster final day which climaxed with high drama on the 18th and even

higher drama on the second play-off hole, the 10th.

Many years ago I had a similar putt as Louis had on that 18th hole but mine was only half the length.

Mine broke at least an inch. Louis hit the most perfect putt but it never turned a hair’s width. It was one of the most unlucky putts I’ve ever seen.

When Louis and Bubba Watson went down the 10th in the play-off the drama was even more electric.

Louis looked favourite to win but it didn’t work out that way: Bubba takes his driver and puts his ball into the trees. Louis goes back to a threewood. He knows he has to find the fairway but he, too, hits his ball into the trees.

However, Louis is fortunate. His ball comes down nicely and he has a perfect line into the green. But he fails to get his ball onto the green.

Watson has a very difficult shot to the green.

Had he been a right-hander he would have had no chance at all but you can hook a ball much further than you can cut it. He also has a gap to the green so he goes for it. They both had a bit of luck. Louis had a good lie and Bubba, being a lefty, had a gap.

Bubba takes the advantage and puts his ball on the green. Louis comes up short with his approach, then hits past the hole and ends up with bogey. Bubba makes par and wins the Green Jacket.

Watson showed just how much it meant when he broke down in tears after winning his first Major.

It was an emotional moment for him.

Louis showed great composure and took his disappointment on the chin. He had the chance but it didn’t happen for him. But I’m sure he’s got plenty more Major opportunities ahead of him. n www.wwgolf.biz

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Bubba could save golf!

BUBBA Watson showed that you can still power your way to victory at Augusta. The course has been lengthened over the years from the original layout mapped out by Robert Trent Jones in an effort to ‘Tiger Proof’ it. But it’s still not ‘Bubba Proof’. When you can consistently smash the ball over 320 yards you can pretty much take out the trouble other guys will have to negotiate or lay up short of.

As Pete Cowen highlights in this issue, Bubba generates a huge amount of power and spins the ball a long way in his own unique style, but if he doesn’t match his movements it can all go horribly wrong!

Thankfully, as he showed at Augusta, he’s got a great touch around the greens and great recovery skills. I guess when you launch it that far you’re used to negotiating your way back to the green so you get pretty good at it. It’s great that he’s broken his Major duck and given the American golf fans a new character who will hopefully fill the void left by Tiger.

Woods, in his prime, had non-golf brands lining up to be associated with the sport and the huge TV figures it generated. During the recession sport sponsorship has become harder to come by and companies quite rightly want their money to go further. When the viewing figures take a dive Stateside the global game feels the effect so we need characters like Bubba to keep people interested. You might argue that Rory is the man to step into Tiger’s shoes, but he’s not American.

Bubba can appeal to the huge American market. Who knows, Kleenex might become the next huge Tour sponsor!

We recently caught up with Robert Rock, who was in Abu Dhabi taking some time off and relaxing at the Emirates Palace. It doesn’t seem too long ago that I interviewed him during the British Masters at the Forest of Arden in 2004 when his main aim was keeping his Tour card. ‘Rocky’ is a very easygoing, fun-loving guy away from the course but it took him until last year to bring that mind-set to his game. There aren’t many people who would want to go toe-to-toe with Tiger during the final round of a huge tournament with so much at stake like Robert did in Abu Dhabi. Likewise, there aren’t many pros who would spend $1,000 on a taxi fare to get to the course on time as he did to get last year’s US Open at Congressional .

I was glad to see that The Track at Meydan has risen from the ashes of the old Nad Al Sheba course.

I really hope it can entice many more people to take up the game. Prior to it’s closure to make way for the glamorous Meydan Grandstand and Hotel, Nad Al Sheba was the place to go if you wanted a social evening with the family, a few drinks and a quick nine with friends or just to chill out on your own to get away from things. I hope that the spirit of the old Nad Al Sheba Club is still alive at The Track and that the brave move in making it the first non-member play-and-play course in the region appeals to Dubai residents who would like to take up the game but find the private clubs too intimidating.

I’m off to Finca Cortesin in Spain to sign up our new columnist at the Volvo World Match Play Championship. I’m not going to let the cat out of the bag too soon but he will be a big hit with all our readers in the Middle East!

ROCK SOLID

RobeRt Rock, who announced his aRRival on the woRld stage by upstaging tigeR woods and RoRy McilRoy with a life-changing win at the abu dhabi hsbc golf chaMpionship in JanuaRy, talks to Mike galleMoRe at the luxuRious eMiRates palace hotel, which Recently announced a two-yeaR sponsoRship agReeMent with the englishMan.

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HEN Robert Rock won the BMW Italian Open last year it ended a nine-year wait for his first European Tour win and paved the way for his outstanding victory in Abu Dhabi and for four fantastic days that turned his life around. “It was by far the greatest achievement of my career so far,” says Rock.

“It’s amazing what can happen in such a short space in time,” says Robert. “I’ve come from being a guy who worked in a driving range in Staffordshire, England, to being a struggling European Tour player fighting to keep his card year on year, to someone who beat the world’s best in one of the game’s biggest events.

“Here I am now, enjoying life, living in the lap of luxury staying at one of the finest hotels in the world, talking to you at the Emirates Palace Hotel about how it all happened to me. It’s unreal. I was so fortunate to be offered this sponsorship and to be associated with such a prestigious hotel as the Emirates Palace.

“I was lucky enough to stay here during the Championship and then received an invitation to stay for a week after my victory, which made it an excellent added bonus to what was already a pretty special week for me.

“It’s an unbelievable place here. I’ve stayed at many

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leading hotels around the world playing on the Tour but the Emirates Palace is out on its own. It’s got everything, including nice peaceful areas where you can relax, and the service is second to none.”

Hitting the big-time came as something of a surprise for Robert but he had served his apprenticeship. It’s tough being a rookie playing on The European Tour, trying to find a way to keep your Tour card by consistently staying in the money while at the same time trying to win tournaments and making a name for yourself.

“It was hard-going battling to stay on Tour but there had been a few milestones prior to winning in Italy and then here in Abu Dhabi which certainly moved my confidence up a few fractions. In the early days I had been really struggling to keep my Tour card and that’s no fun.

It was a constant battle trying to improve my game and wondering why I was only just creeping into the top 10 while not seriously threatening to win.

“Then I put in a really good performance in the 2009 Irish Open only to lose in a play-off to Shane Lowry, who was still an amateur at that stage. It was the first time I had putted really well for all four days of a tournament. My putting had always held me back. Before the Irish Open I’d

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Mike Gallemore talks exclusively to the man who went toe-to-toe with Tiger and came out on top. quick 9 with Samuel l. JackSon WWG: You didn’t take up the game until you were 50, why so late?

SLJ: Golf came into my life at a time when I needed some focus. It gave me a place where I could let my thoughts go and just hang out. Believe me, I needed that. I would have saved myself a lot of grief if I’d learned to play golf when I was younger. It’s my peace of mind for the day: when I’m off work I’m on the golf course by 6.30 in the morning.

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WWG: Who gives you the toughest competition on the celebrity circuit?

SLJ: It has to be Kenny G. He used to have a golf studio in his house. He had all these cameras taking pictures of himself.

You won’t see the King of Cool Samuel L Jackson throw his wedge in the greenside lake any time soon.

WWG: Is there a celebrity golfer so bad he doesn’t belong on a course?

SLJ: I don’t want to embarrass anybody. I want to keep them playing the way they are so I can keep taking their money.

WWG: What are your ambitions within the game?

SLJ: I just want to be able to say that I was scratch for at least one month in my life so that when people see the certificate in its frame on my wall they’ll say, ‘You played off scratch?’ And I can say, ‘Yes. I. Did!’ When that happens, I’m gonna stop practising. When that happens, I’m done.

WWG: You’re lucky enough to have played many of the finest courses in the world alongside the likes of Tiger Woods and Arnold Palmer – is there anything left on your golfing ‘To Do’ list?

SLJ:Yeah. I want a Green Jacket!

WWG: Your home course is MountainGate Country Club in Los Angeles, what do you like about that place?

SLJ: It’s my kinda club. There’s no pomp or circumstance. I mean, there are golf clubs out there that won’t let you wear shorts even when it’s 100°F. WWG: Do you have any tips for our readers?

SLJ: Try swinging at 75 per cent. Guys see players like Bubba, Dustin Johnson and Tiger going after the driver, but you’re never going to hit as far as they can.

Instead, aim for great contact. Too many people just want to kill it. Sure, you can let the big dog eat, but the big dog can only eat what you feed it.

WWG: What about curing first tee nerves in tournaments? You always come across as a pretty cool character in your movies.

SLJ: I’ve never suffered from first-tee nerves. What’s to feel nervous about? Nothing. Just take a club you feel comfortable with and swing it like you do on your home course. Don’t think about the gallery. Just play your game.

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Belen

Spanish beauty Belen Mozo is making waves on the LPGA Tour. WWG asks the questions….

MOZO

Where are you from and how have you ended up on the LPGA Tour in America?

BM: I’m from Cadiz in Spain. I started playing golf when I was eight and I moved to America when I was 18. I studied at the University of Southern California and my golf coaches there have helped me immensely in turning professional.

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Who were your golfing idols as a child?

BM: Growing up I looked up to Lorena Ochoa and Greg Norman.

They were not only known as great golf players but they have done a lot of good things outside the ropes too which they will also be remembered for!

Apparently people in the states seem to think you resemble a global superstar, tell us about that…

BM: Yeah, a lot of people over here think I look like Shakira. I can’t sing like her but I think that I can dance like her!

What are you goals on the LPGA Tour?

BM: My ultimate goal is to win on the LPGA Tour. I love to compete and hope that one day I’ll be able to cross the line.

If you weren’t a pro golfer what do you think you’d be doing?

BM: I’d either a sports agent or a clothes designer.

How important is fashion to you?

BM: I like to look good both on and off the course, it’s important to be comfortable as well. I do put a bit of thought into what I wear but being comfortable while playing is the most important. I’d like a perfect blend of both!

What mistakes do you most spot in amateurs?

BM: They don’t warm up before playing! It’s so important to stretch and warm up before playing.

The LPGA Tour never looked so good. Fact.

You’re dating a current tennis pro Robert Farah - what is it about golfers dating tennis players?

BM: In my case I met my boyfriend at Southern Cal. Golfers like tennis and tennis players like golf – it’s interesting I guess, we’re interested in each other’s lives and professions!

Tell us something most people don’t know about you?

BM: As soon as I hear a beat I start dancing - no shame!

ISSUE No. 136, AprIl, 2012 Published by: Worldwide Sporting Publications Ltd +44 1663 719926

Alex Gallemore Editor 6

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

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

bubba watson

INstructIoN

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Hubba bubba

TUTORIAL By: Rhys BeecheR – PGA PROFessIONAL, seNIOR GOLF INstRuctION mANAGeR the AcAdemy By tROON GOLF At the AddRess mONtGOmeRIe duBAI

The Scoring

Zone

Most research shows that the ‘Scoring Game’ made up of Wedge Play, Pitching, Chipping, Bunker Play and Putting accumulates to 60-65% of the number of shots on the average score card. Further to this 80% of the strokes lost on the course occur within 100yards of the green.

This makes the short game as important (if not more) than hitting driver after driver on the practice range. At The Address Montgomerie Dubai, we have a fantastic 9hole Academy course, with distances ranging from 45-105yards. Facilities such as this exist at many clubs within the region and are perfect for developing the shots that count for the most when playing the course.

Today we have three different golfers playing the course, all of which are benefiting from the experience of rehearsing and developing the essential short game skills.

Many golfers view a ‘par 3 course’ as being beginner course, however when your consider the importance of the short game, playing and practicing your ‘scoring zone’ is just as crucial for the seasoned golfer as it is our up and coming players.

From small-town country boy to masters champion, todd staszko charts the rise and rise oF america’s latest golFing phenomenon, bubba watson, who has beaten the world’s best without having a single Formal golF lesson

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T takes years of practice, dedication and effort to realise your dreams. The problem for Bubba Watson was that in his slumbers as a youngster he never crossed the finish line. “I dreamt of winning The Masters but in my dreams I never actually holed the winning putt,” he said as the proud new owner of the Green Jacket following his spectacular Easter Sunday grand finale at Augusta National.

“I’ve never had a dream go this far, so I can’t really say it’s a dream come true,” Watson shrugged with a sheepish smirk. “I don’t even remember what happened on the back nine out there. I know I made bogey on 12 and then I birdied four holes in a row. I was nervous on every shot, every putt. I went into a play-off. I got in these trees and hit a crazy shot that I saw in my head – and somehow I’m here talking to you with a Green Jacket on.”

That quick-fire summation just about sums Watson up. Like John Daly’s famous ‘I just grip it and rip it’ quip, Watson’s mantra seems to be, ‘if you’ve got a swing at it, take the shot on.’ He doesn’t dwell on the ball for a moment longer than he needs to, unlike the long, drawn-out deliberations of certain Tour pros. He steps up, weighs up the shot and gives it everything he’s. Then moves on.

It was business as usual for Bubba throughout his final round 68 at Augusta which culminated in him winning a sudden-death play-

off against 2010 Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen with the most remarkable shot in the most critical of circumstances.

Wielding his pink driver he was like a magician, weaving his ball around the plush Augusta greens with unnerving precision and huge distance. After conjuring up a succession of gasps from the galleries Bubba saved his best for last. He coolly took on a highly dangerous shot that only a left-hander could contemplate and nailed it. Following his monstrous drive down the tenth Watson’s ball finished on some nicely trampled pine needles about 140 yards from the green but deep in the trees to the right of the fairway. A right hander would have had to take his medicine and chip out. Lucky Watson’s a lefty.

“I hit a 52-degree wedge, hooked it about 40 yards, about 15 feet off the ground until it got under the tree and then it started rising,” Watson smiled. “Pretty easy.”

Like any magic trick the end result always looks easy but it was a ‘death or glory’ escape. Thanks to Watson’s brilliantly exuberant finish at one of the biggest and most-watched golf tournaments in the world a new star of American golf had been born.

Growing up in Bagdad, a small suburb of Milton situated on the Florida Panhandle about 50 miles south of the border Alabama border, Watson played out of the nearby Tanglewood Country Club. The course meanders around roads named ‘Trevino Drive’ and ‘Nicklaus

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Todd Staszko charts the rise of Bubba Watson from the backwaters of the Florida pan handle to Masters glory.

regulars

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Perfect your short game and start scoring.

TUTORIAL

the draw

local sceNe

GARY PLAYER INTRODUCTION PETE COWEN COLUMN SWING SEqUENCE: BUBBA WATSON qUICK 9 WITH SAMUEL L JACKSON DIVOTS NEWS ITEMS WORLD ROUND-UPS GREG NORMAN COLUMN GARY PLAYER COLUMN TROON TUTORIAL DUBAI GOLF TUTORIAL TNT TROPHY JOEL NEALE COLUMN LOCAL SCENE ARABIAN GOLF EqUIPMENT LOCKER ROOM IN THE BAG: JOANNE BATES BELEN MOZO q&A

MEEt tHiS MontH’S tEaM GEnt: JoE Grocock, Handicap 12 LadY: SibYLLE MuELLEr, Handicap 36 Junior: taYMour kabESH, no Handicap

For a rigHt HaNded golFer tHe Ball Will start rigHt oF tHe target, turNiNg leFt iNto tHe target.

Perfect Practice SerieS SHOt SHaPiNG

CRAIG WADDEL PGA TEACHING PROFESSIONAL GOLF & yACHT CLub By: craiGbywaddell, GOlf PrOfeSSiONal, duBai creekDubAI GOlfCREEk & yacHt cluB

We have all seen how the ability to maneuver the ball in different directions can be extremely effective, with Bubba Watsons recent Masters victory. However many golfers are still unclear on how to intentionally create these shots. Moving on from our awkward lies series, Craig Waddell will now talk you through how to help shape the ball with some simple tips and basic understandings of what is required to create side spin. Not only will this improve your recovery game and help shape different shots into tight pin positions, but it will also give you an insight into how you can merge these techniques into your practice session to gain a finer understanding of how the swing works.

the fade For a rigHt HaNded golFer tHe Ball Will start leFt oF tHe target, turNiNg rigHt iNto tHe target.

this is maybe the more favored shape for many players as it can be slightly easier to play. as with the draw shot, we will not be changing the swing but adapting the set up position. start by aiming the clubface directly at your target line and then aim your feet and body alignment left of the target (open position at address). By swinging along the line of your body, you will get the sensation that the backswing has become slightly steeper and more to the ‘outside’. as the club enters the impact zone, the feeling should be that it is cutting into the ball with a slightly steeper angle of attack. this will encourage clockwise spin on the ball, which will move the ball from left to right.

PLaYer’S tIP:

JOEL NEALE PLAYING EDITOR WORLDWIDE GOLF TALKS TO:

BILEL BELAID

LOCAL SCENE

How does it feel to be crowned the EGF Junior Order of Merit Champion 2011-2012?

It’s always a great feeling to be rewarded for the hard work put in during the season. This win is very special to me as it is my last year before graduating and going to university so it definitely feels great.

You’ve grown up in the UAE – do you feel this has been an advantage to you in improving your golf due to the weather and facilities?

Absolutely, we ‘re privileged to be able to play and practice almost 12 months out of 12 in top notch conditions especially on great courses such as the Majlis at Emirates Golf Club and great practice facilities such as Saadiyat Beach Club.

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What age did you start playing golf?

The family were into tennis at first and then shifted to golf. I came along during that shift and chose to take golf more seriously at the age of 5. Looking back, I’m grateful to have decided to take up golf.

What do you think you could improve on?

Well I could definitely improve my ball shaping as the fade is not my natural shot. I’m trying to work on my putting as well as that’s 50% of the game.

What aspirations do you have in golf?

You always try to find your best game and see how far you can improve. Being able to participate in a Tour qualifying event and making the cut would be a great start to test my game going forward.

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EQuipmEnt

What plans do you have once you have finished School?

I plan to pursue my studies in London where I intend to study maths at Imperial College of London.

Combining golf with education is still an option to be considered but it’s very difficult at this stage to know how that will end up. Golf in the USA and Europe is far more developed than here and the difference is pretty big when it comes to the competitive game so it might be difficult!

Describe a typical day in your shoes.

A typical weekend day would start by going to the Club at around 10am, physical warm-up for 30mins, hit balls for an hour combining long game and short game with 20 mins on the putting green. I’d then play a round of golf (18 holes) before returning to the range to focus

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FiNaL tHOUGHt:

n as with many aspects of the game, how you set up to the ball can determine how you swing, this is no different when setting up for a draw shot. adapting your stance and body alignment will directly affect your swing path and ball flight.

on whatever elements of my game did not work on the course. I’d finish with a 25 min gym session. Then I’d shower, eat and hit the sack. On a weekday, it would typically involve an hour on the range followed by studying.

What’s the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to you on a golf course?

This is a true story. I fell in the lake alongside the 15th hole at Saadiyat Beach Club but don’t mention it to Paul Booth!

How old were you when you first broke par?

I was 16 years old, shot 68 around The National.

What is your nemesis hole?

Hole 18 at the Creek, there is water everywhere and I don’t feel comfortable hitting a big draw as it might end up in the lake and the second shot isn’t easy.

Who Inspires you the most?

Definitely Tiger, the guy won 14 Majors, has 72 wins on Tour and hits phenomenal shots such as the chip he holed on the 16th in the final round of the 2005 Masters.

If you didn’t play golf, what other sport would you play?

I enjoy horse riding and tennis as a good way to escape a bad day on the course.

What’s your favourite course and Why? the national in abu dhabi. i find it challenging and beautiful Which makes it enjoyable even When you are having a tough time out there.

Enjoy Exclusive Rates on Midweek Rounds at Dubai Creek this Spring UAE residents AED 420, EGF members AED 399 38

• Rates are for 18 holes inclusive of cart fee and range balls • Valid from Sunday to Thursday until 31st May 2012 For reservations please contact +971 4 380 1234 or email golfbooking@dubaigolf.com www.dubaigolf.com

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4/19/12 3:03 PM

Learn the art of shot shaping with Dubai Golf.

Which tournament in the golfing calendar do you look forWard to the most and Why? the abu dhabi men’s open and dubai creek men’s open. they’re played on my favourite courses in the country, if not the Whole region. they alWays get strong fields and are alWays Well organised.

PETE COWEN COLUMN www.wwgolf.biz

Joel Neale talks to EGF Junior Order of Merit Champion Bilel Bilaid.

By practicing to shape the ball through the air, not only will you learn more about the relationship between the path of the swing and club face angle, you will gain ‘feel’ – an aspect of the game that can only truly be learned through experience.

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Who would you pick to play in your dream foursome?

Tiger Woods, Luke Donald and Michael Jordan – three sporting icons.

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PETE COWEN PGA MASTER PROFESSIONAL

You can’t shoot the sort of scores Lee’s been getting if You’re a bad putter. he’s actuaLLY a great putter but it gets highLighted onLY because he’s put himseLf in the position to have those putting chances

Most players will have, say three good putting chances and they Miss one. nobody says anything about that. say, lee has nine good chances and he Misses three. so then they say he can’t putt.

I said in last month’s issue of Worldwide Golf that I thought that both Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel would do well in the Masters. I’d been working with them both prior to Augusta and I knew they were both hitting their best form at just the right time.

As defending Masters Champion, Charl didn’t do himself justice but Louis looked like a winner throughout the final day, particularly after he got that albatross two on the second hole. What you’ve got to remember, though, is that the back nine at Augusta is tough. It’s easy to drop shots even when you think you’ve hit a good shot. A good shot can suddenly become a disastrous shot if the ball takes an unlucky wrong turn and rolls away into the distance – or water.

They’ve made the home stretch deliberately difficult so that challengers can go at the leaders. A four shot lead is often not enough. There are always a lot of players who can win it over the closing holes, like Charl did last year with four straight birdies.

You’re never certain until the last putt drops. You can say that Louis had his chance to win on the 18th and got another shot at it in the play-off when Watson hit it into the trees. Bubba was amazingly lucky. Being a lefty he had a shot to the green with a big 50-yard hook and a nice gap to play through. A right-hander couldn’t have faded the ball that far.

That’s how it goes. The Masters is not my favourite tournament and Augusta National’s not my favourite course. There’s too much luck involved for my liking.

Yet the players love it. If you play a really tough golf course and you’ve got to finish with five pars, it shows whether you’ve got the game. It’s different at Augusta. You could see what happened on 17 where Watson hit it so far off line and yet he still had a shot to chip it onto the green. That was outrageous really.

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Practice time

For a golfer who has particular faults in the swing, practicing the draw or fade shot can be highly useful. Many of my students who suffer from the ‘out to in swing’ path (will mostly cause the dreaded slice), can benefit from practicing the draw shot. this will encourage them to get the shaft on a more inside path and deliver the club face to the ball more squarely. on the other hand, the golfer who struggles with getting the club stuck behind their body and on an inside path, can benefit from feeling that they are setting their body to hit the fade shot. this will keep the club more outside the body on the down swing and allow the shaft to fall into a slightly steeper plane.

n to successfully turn the ball right to left, start by aiming your clubface directly towards your target. after you have done this, aim your feet slightly right of your target line (closed position at address). Your body alignment should also be parallel to your feet. in doing this, you should gain the feeling of a swing which turns more behind the ball, working the club head more to the ‘inside’. this will encourage a shallower angle of attack into the ball and help start the ball to the right, spinning back to the left. it is important to understand that you are not adapting your swing too much, but simply altering your set up.

What’s your favourite European Tour event in the Middle East and why?

The Abu Dhabi Golf Championship as it is played in my home club and it is always exciting to witness how the top players, such as Tiger and Luke, play around your home course. They’re also getting the best fields at the moment and the event keeps growing year on year.

Where would you say your strengths are?

My strength is my short game – more precisely chipping – and the ability to hit a draw. That’s why my nickname is “hooker”!

an additional suggestion here; would be to get the feeling of holding the clubface slightly open through impact. this is known as ‘holding off’ and will again help the ball flight curve to the right.

PLaYer’S tIP: another tip (which to be honest, for most golfers could be applied throughout their game!), would be encouraging a lighter grip pressure. this will help you release the club through impact and create a feeling of the right hand turning over the left. if you can visualize one of tennis’s all time greats roger Federer, blasting a top spinning forehand over the net – then this would give you good idea on how the right hand rotates through impact.

Louis was understandably disappointed afterwards but he wouldn’t show it. He quickly picked himself up, flew halfway round the world and won the Maybank Malaysian Open with ease. But Louis is that sort of lad. He’s a great lad to work with. He doesn’t let things get to him. He’ll be back home on his farm in South Africa now driving around on his tractor without a care in the world. He won’t be thinking about golf. He’s got a fantastic temperament. He’s a tremendous player. He’s 12th in the world right now and he deserves to be up there with the best.

Lee’s a great putter Lee Westwood is doing well. He was only two shots away from making the play-off. His putting could have been better and with a bit of luck more of those puts could have dropped.

But golf fans should look at it a different way. Most players will have, say three good putting chances and they miss one. Nobody says anything about that. Say, Lee has nine good chances and he misses three. So then they say he can’t putt.

It’s the same thing. You’re bound to have more misses if you create more chances – it’s the law of averages. You can’t hole them all. Most players miss one in three. It might look as though Lee’s putting badly but he’s not. You can’t shoot the sort of scores Lee’s been getting if you’re a bad putter.

He’s actually a great putter but it gets highlighted only because he’s put himself in the position to have those putting chances.

I admired Lee for heading straight from Augusta to Jakarta to defend his CIMB Indonesian Masters title. He certainly gave himself plenty of chances and holing plenty of putts in shooting 65, 68, 65 to take an 8-shot lead into the final round. Despite having to play the last 32 holes on the Sunday in exhausting

weather conditions he still held on to his title by two shots for his 38th Tour win.

Yet Lee does get frustrated sometimes when he doesn’t finish the job off. Nicholas Coelsaerts was in the same situation when people called him a bad putter years ago. He said, ‘I take that as a positive because I’m giving myself more chances, which means the more chances I have, the more the chances are that I’m going to win more golf tournaments.’ That’s logical. Same with Lee. Padraig Harrington is shaping up well. Like Lee he just wants to start holing a few more putts. But he’s happy with the way he’s hitting the ball. He’s got no real problems.

I’m pleased with Henrik Stenson. He’s playing much better and he’s going well. I’m off to work with Henrik in the Bahamas after I’ve been to Florida to do some work with Graeme McDowell.

To say Bubba Watson has a strange swing is an understatement. There’s matching movement in the golf swing. It needs all those components to come together at the right time for the right result.

Great players have great timing. It wasn’t there for Bubba when he played at Doral. He was knocking it all over the place. Yet it was there in the Masters.

Carl Petterson is playing out of his skin right now.

He’s moved up to 35 in the World Ranking and by rights, the way he’s playing he should be in the Ryder Cup Team but because he never plays on The European Tour I guess that won’t happen.

Paul Casey and Justin Rose missed the 2010 Ryder Cup and didn’t get the nod from Monty such was the quality of the Europeans. I think that competition for places this year is going to be even tighter. This is going to be one of the toughest Ryder Cup Teams of all time to get into. It’s going to be an interesting few months. n

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35

Lee Westwood is getting an unfair rap over his putting at the moment according to Pete Cowen.

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

Playing Editor: Joel Neale Design Manager: Joanna Eardley Technical Manager: Mark Collinge

Publisher: Mike Gallemore

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

Senior Editor: Richard Bevan Editors: Todd Staszko, James Reeves, Tabitha Florence

By Pete Cowen PGA MASteR PRoFeSSIonAL the ACAdeMy At eMIRAteS GoLF CLUB in Association with Pete Cowen

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Augusta isn't as tight as you may think and when you can drive the ball consistantly over 320 yards like Bubba you have a massive advantage over the rest of the guys, as he can just take a lot of the trouble out of play. To be able to do this he has to match his movements as you will see in the sequence below.

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

Matching movements is what Bubba's swing really highlights. If your body moves in one direction and your arms move in another direction you've got to pair them together. Here it looks like the club falls behind him but as he's aiming 40 yards right it doesn't fall behind – it falls on plane! change of dIrectIon: What you're probably unaware of is Bubba has very broad shoulders. He lets them become hypermobile to allow his wrists to load late, enabling him to pull through hard with his body to generate massive leverage from those shoulders.

16

Bubba's starting to pick the club up here to load his wrists later.

Here's he's continuing to load his wrists

Wrists and shoulders are still in a good position

Impact: Here (below, right) you can see Bubba's right heel off the ground at impact .

I'd much rather a player be stable through impact but this is where he generates a lot of power and with all the forces coming down, the body has to equalise the downforce.

Summary: Bubba knows how to match his body up to his arms. If he were to stand square at address the club would get so far behind him the problems would be endless!

www.wwgolf.biz

World renowned coach Pete Cowen dissects the unconventional but effective swing that won Bubba the Masters.

Advertising & Marketing Director: Rasha Siriani rasha@wspdubai.com June 2009 SSN 1- 46805671 Approval UAE National Media Council: Ref.816 30/5/2007 Trade Licence No. 1/104375/15280 BPA Worldwide Audited Average Monthly Qualified Circulation – 15,401 www.wwgolf.biz

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bubba watson

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Hubba bubba From small-town country boy to masters champion, todd staszko charts the rise and rise oF america’s latest golFing phenomenon, bubba watson, who has beaten the world’s best without having a single Formal golF lesson

I

T takes years of practice, dedication and effort to realise your dreams. The problem for Bubba Watson was that in his slumbers as a youngster he never crossed the finish line. “I dreamt of winning The Masters but in my dreams I never actually holed the winning putt,” he said as the proud new owner of the Green Jacket following his spectacular Easter Sunday grand finale at Augusta National.

“I’ve never had a dream go this far, so I can’t really say it’s a dream come true,” Watson shrugged with a sheepish smirk. “I don’t even remember what happened on the back nine out there. I know I made bogey on 12 and then I birdied four holes in a row. I was nervous on every shot, every putt. I went into a play-off. I got in these trees and hit a crazy shot that I saw in my head – and somehow I’m here talking to you with a Green Jacket on.”

That quick-fire summation just about sums Watson up. Like John Daly’s famous ‘I just grip it and rip it’ quip, Watson’s mantra seems to be, ‘if you’ve got a swing at it, take the shot on.’ He doesn’t dwell on the ball for a moment longer than he needs to, unlike the long, drawn-out deliberations of certain Tour pros. He steps up, weighs up the shot and gives it everything he’s. Then moves on.

It was business as usual for Bubba throughout his final round 68 at Augusta which culminated in him winning a sudden-death play-

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off against 2010 Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen with the most remarkable shot in the most critical of circumstances.

Wielding his pink driver he was like a magician, weaving his ball around the plush Augusta greens with unnerving precision and huge distance. After conjuring up a succession of gasps from the galleries Bubba saved his best for last. He coolly took on a highly dangerous shot that only a left-hander could contemplate and nailed it. Following his monstrous drive down the tenth Watson’s ball finished on some nicely trampled pine needles about 140 yards from the green but deep in the trees to the right of the fairway. A right hander would have had to take his medicine and chip out. Lucky Watson’s a lefty.

“I hit a 52-degree wedge, hooked it about 40 yards, about 15 feet off the ground until it got under the tree and then it started rising,” Watson smiled. “Pretty easy.”

Like any magic trick the end result always looks easy but it was a ‘death or glory’ escape. Thanks to Watson’s brilliantly exuberant finish at one of the biggest and most-watched golf tournaments in the world a new star of American golf had been born.

Growing up in Bagdad, a small suburb of Milton situated on the Florida Panhandle about 50 miles south of the border Alabama border, Watson played out of the nearby Tanglewood Country Club. The course meanders around roads named ‘Trevino Drive’ and ‘Nicklaus

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9

SHOT

MASTER Bubba Watson witnessed one of the greatest shots in Masters history when fellow PING pro Louis Oosthuizen made a final-round double eagle on Augusta National Golf Club’s 2nd hole. But it was Bubba’s electrifying escape from the trees on the second play-off hole with Oosthuizen that most agreed was the shot of the day and earned him the title of Masters Champion. Congratulations on your first major title, Bubba, from all your friends at PING.

Learn more at ping.com © 2012 PING P.O. Box 82000 Phoenix, AZ 85071 GW412

bubba watson

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Lane’ where club members who knew Watson, watched him hone his skills. They were in no doubt that Bubba could pull off such an amazing shot despite the pressure of a play-off.

Hiram Cook, Head Pro at Tanglewood, said Watson had to learn to hit a lot of creative shots around its tight design. Narrow and generously lined with trees, Tanglewood (seems like an apt name?) is a practice ground for making miraculous escapes.

“You miss the fairways at Tanglewood and you’re in the trees either on pine straw or sand,” said Cook.

“When Bubba was learning to play the game, the course was so short and tight, you had to learn to work balls around trees and run shots up onto greens.”

Fellow US Tour pros Boo Weekley and Heath Slocum also grew up in Milton and the three of them, dubbed the ‘Milton Mafia’ all made their Masters debuts in 2008.

“Where we grew up, at Tanglewood, we had to learn that shot Bubba hit because the trees are real tight,” smiled Weekley, himself a two-time winner on

OLD FRIENDS: It didn’t come as a shock to find out that Bubba grew up playing golf with Boo Weekley at Tanglewood Golf Club. Imagine taking them on in the Club’s men’s pairs event. You’d definately get wooped – but what a laugh it would have been.

“Where we grew up, at Tanglewood, we had to learn that shot Bubba hit because the trees are real tight. If there’s anybody out there who’s gonna do it, he’s gonna do it every time.”

– Boo Weekley the PGA Tour and Ryder Cup player in 2008. “If there’s anybody out there who’s gonna do it, he’s gonna do it every time.”

Watson is a myriad of contradictions. He goes by the nickname Bubba after the American Football star-turned Police Academy actor Bubba Smith.

He’s actually named after his late father, Gerry. He’s well dressed and has that sweeping hairstyle more akin to a pop star but he’s as redneck as they come.

He’s never been tested for

the condition but Bubba believes he might have ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) admitting that he can’t ever sit still. He’s a Twitter addict and says that, just like his friend Boo, he just wants to have fun on the golf course. Yet Bubba is a serious professional with serious ambitions and a serious golf game.

Back in 2008 when he was a boom-and-bust newcomer with no wins on the PGA Tour he was involved in a very public spat with 1995 US PGA Champion Steve Elkington. The TV cameras caught Watson complaining about Elkington walking around while Watson was playing his shots at the New Orleans

Classic but Watson recently admitted that the tiff went deeper that. Earlier that year Elkington had told him that younger players, “don’t care about winning, they just care about the money.”

“He looked dead at me,” Watson said, “and said, ‘In two years, you will be selling cars.’ I took that to heart – it really upset me.” Bubba didn’t need that sort of incentive to prove Elkington wrong but maybe it helped.

The fact is that two years after that, Watson was well on his way to securing his debut Ryder Cup place at Celtic Manor thanks to his first win at the Travelers

“He looked dead at me,” Watson said, “and said, ‘In two years, you will be selling cars.’ I took that to heart – it really upset me.” Bubba didn’t need that sort of incentive to prove Steve Elkington wrong but maybe it helped. www.wwgolf.biz

11

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bubba watson Strong partnership: Bubba’s wife Angie has been his rock behind the scenes. She’s helped him master his inner demons and now with their son, Caleb, Bubba has the family foundation to add more Majors to his trophy cabinet.

m www.wwgolf.biz

GettinG to know BuBBa watson Championship. His spot on the team was sealed when he finished runner-up to Martin Kaymer at the US PGA Championship at Whistling Straits.

Two wins followed in 2011 before his Major moment this year fell on Easter weekend – a perfect coincidence for the born-again-Christian.

“A few years ago, I was living the wrong way,” Watson admitted. “Every golf shot was controlling how mad I got and how I acted on the golf course. But off the golf course, outside the ropes, as soon as I signed my scorecard, I didn’t really care if I shot 90 or 60. I was the original fun, goofing-around kid, joking with everybody.

“My wife, Angie, finally sat me down and talked some sense into me along with my caddie and my close friends. They all told me that I was going the wrong way. If I’m going to live my life as a Christian – in 2004 I gave myself to the Lord – you can’t live your life that way. So I knew I had to change.

“My caddie said he was going to quit even though he knew I was a good player. He said he would walk away because he didn’t want to see a good friend go through that struggle. It hit home. It’s a slow process but I’ve been working hard on it.”

In addition to his battle with his inner demons Watson had been on a four-year quest to adopt a child with Angie and their wish finally came true when they were blessed with Caleb, a one-month-old boy, just two weeks before The Masters.

“On the first date Angie and I ever had, she told me she was going to have to adopt because she couldn’t have kids. I said, ‘that’s fine. If God tells us he wants us to adopt, we’ll adopt’.

“Four years ago we started the process. On Monday night at Bay Hill before the Arnold Palmer Invitational

we got turned down. The next morning we made a call to an organisation called Chicks in Crisis in California and on Tuesday night they said, ‘We have one for you if y’all are willing to accept’.

“I finished fourth at Bay Hill and then on Monday morning we were down to south Florida, picking up little Caleb.”

It’s no surprise that Bubba blubbed as he tapped in the winning putt in extra time for Masters glory on the tenth green last month. He hadn’t seen Angie or Caleb in a week and he couldn’t wait to see them – whether he won or lost. That’s the great thing about Bubba – he knows that his golfing exploits won’t change him or the way he plays.

Unbelievable “I just play the game as it is – the game that I love,” he says. “I guess it’s a bit like Seve played. He hit shots that were unbelievable. If you watch Phil Mickelson, he goes for broke, too.

“I attack. I always attack. I don’t like to go to the centre of the greens. I want to hit the incredible shot.

Who doesn’t? That’s why we play the game of golf – to pull off the amazing shot.

“We don’t know the future, we don’t know anything.

Hopefully, I’ll keep having the passion to play golf, cry, and just keep on doing what I’m doing.”

We are all well aware that Bubba Watson is the biggest hitter on the US PGA Tour with an average of 313 yards so far this season, but now he’s box office.

He reckons he has never had a formal golf lesson in his life. He says he’s taught himself how to play golf and how get his life back on track. Now we can sit back and watch and wonder at one of the most natural talents to emerge for many years. n

first car: a 1979 Mercedes benz 300 diesel in sky blue.

Current car: the general lee! a 1969 Dodge Charger as featured in the Dukes of Hazzard. i bought that for $110,000 a couple of years ago. twitter: It’s hard at a golf tournament to talk to fans so I got into twitter to shoot back some quick answers and have some fun with making videos for them, goofing around and what not. It’s just fun.

Downtime? Play video games, I love playing Call of Duty online with everyone. best friend on tour: Rickie Fowler. I like to do the same things as Rickie, shoot stupid videos, poke fun at each other and stuff like that. Our friendship started randomly.

We were at an outing together, spent five hours on a plane together and became friends pretty quick. We both like to goof around. It’s great. I bought a flat-brim hat to look like Rickie but I don’t wear it. I prefer a bucket hat or visor. training aids: I don’t use ‘em, I don’t believe in them, they take the feel out of it all. The only one I’ve got is a ball-returning putting mat, about 7 feet long. I bought that at a tournament because it rained so much it was too wet to putt! best golf tip: Never get a lesson and just have fun learning it yourself.

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13

PETE COWEN PGA MASTER PROFESSIONAL

Most players will have, say three good putting chances and they Miss one. nobody says anything about that. say, lee has nine good chances and he Misses three. so then they say he can’t putt.

I said in last month’s issue of Worldwide Golf that I thought that both Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel would do well in the Masters. I’d been working with them both prior to Augusta and I knew they were both hitting their best form at just the right time.

As defending Masters Champion, Charl didn’t do himself justice but Louis looked like a winner throughout the final day, particularly after he got that albatross two on the second hole. What you’ve got to remember, though, is that the back nine at Augusta is tough. It’s easy to drop shots even when you think you’ve hit a good shot. A good shot can suddenly become a disastrous shot if the ball takes an unlucky wrong turn and rolls away into the distance – or water.

They’ve made the home stretch deliberately difficult so that challengers can go at the leaders. A four shot lead is often not enough. There are always a lot of players who can win it over the closing holes, like Charl did last year with four straight birdies.

You’re never certain until the last putt drops. You can say that Louis had his chance to win on the 18th and got another shot at it in the play-off when Watson hit it into the trees. Bubba was amazingly lucky. Being a lefty he had a shot to the green with a big 50-yard hook and a nice gap to play through. A right-hander couldn’t have faded the ball that far.

That’s how it goes. The Masters is not my favourite tournament and Augusta National’s not my favourite course. There’s too much luck involved for my liking.

Yet the players love it. If you play a really tough golf course and you’ve got to finish with five pars, it shows whether you’ve got the game. It’s different at Augusta. You could see what happened on 17 where Watson hit it so far off line and yet he still had a shot to chip it onto the green. That was outrageous really.

14

www.wwgolf.biz

Louis was understandably disappointed afterwards but he wouldn’t show it. He quickly picked himself up, flew halfway round the world and won the Maybank Malaysian Open with ease. But Louis is that sort of lad. He’s a great lad to work with. He doesn’t let things get to him. He’ll be back home on his farm in South Africa now driving around on his tractor without a care in the world. He won’t be thinking about golf. He’s got a fantastic temperament. He’s a tremendous player. He’s 12th in the world right now and he deserves to be up there with the best.

Lee’s a great putter Lee Westwood is doing well. He was only two shots away from making the play-off. His putting could have been better and with a bit of luck more of those puts could have dropped.

But golf fans should look at it a different way. Most players will have, say three good putting chances and they miss one. Nobody says anything about that. Say, Lee has nine good chances and he misses three. So then they say he can’t putt.

It’s the same thing. You’re bound to have more misses if you create more chances – it’s the law of averages. You can’t hole them all. Most players miss one in three. It might look as though Lee’s putting badly but he’s not. You can’t shoot the sort of scores Lee’s been getting if you’re a bad putter.

He’s actually a great putter but it gets highlighted only because he’s put himself in the position to have those putting chances.

I admired Lee for heading straight from Augusta to Jakarta to defend his CIMB Indonesian Masters title. He certainly gave himself plenty of chances and holing plenty of putts in shooting 65, 68, 65 to take an 8-shot lead into the final round. Despite having to play the last 32 holes on the Sunday in exhausting

weather conditions he still held on to his title by two shots for his 38th Tour win.

Yet Lee does get frustrated sometimes when he doesn’t finish the job off. Nicholas Coelsaerts was in the same situation when people called him a bad putter years ago. He said, ‘I take that as a positive because I’m giving myself more chances, which means the more chances I have, the more the chances are that I’m going to win more golf tournaments.’ That’s logical. Same with Lee. Padraig Harrington is shaping up well. Like Lee he just wants to start holing a few more putts. But he’s happy with the way he’s hitting the ball. He’s got no real problems.

I’m pleased with Henrik Stenson. He’s playing much better and he’s going well. I’m off to work with Henrik in the Bahamas after I’ve been to Florida to do some work with Graeme McDowell.

To say Bubba Watson has a strange swing is an understatement. There’s matching movement in the golf swing. It needs all those components to come together at the right time for the right result.

Great players have great timing. It wasn’t there for Bubba when he played at Doral. He was knocking it all over the place. Yet it was there in the Masters.

Carl Petterson is playing out of his skin right now.

He’s moved up to 35 in the World Ranking and by rights, the way he’s playing he should be in the Ryder Cup Team but because he never plays on The European Tour I guess that won’t happen.

Paul Casey and Justin Rose missed the 2010 Ryder Cup and didn’t get the nod from Monty such was the quality of the Europeans. I think that competition for places this year is going to be even tighter. This is going to be one of the toughest Ryder Cup Teams of all time to get into. It’s going to be an interesting few months. n

PETE COWEN COLUMN You can’t shoot the sort of scores Lee’s been getting if You’re a bad putter. he’s actuaLLY a great putter but it gets highLighted onLY because he’s put himseLf in the position to have those putting chances

www.wwgolf.biz

15

B u B B A WAT S O N

SWING

Augusta isn't as tight as you may think and when you can drive the ball consistantly over 320 yards like Bubba you have a massive advantage over the rest of the guys, as he can just take a lot of the trouble out of play. To be able to do this he has to match his movements as you will see in the sequence below.

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

Matching movements is what Bubba's swing really highlights. If your body moves in one direction and your arms move in another direction you've got to pair them together. Here it looks like the club falls behind him but as he's aiming 40 yards right it doesn't fall behind – it falls on plane!

Change of direCtion: What you're probably unaware of is Bubba has very broad shoulders. He lets them become hypermobile to allow his wrists to load late, enabling him to pull through hard with his body to generate massive leverage from those shoulders.

Bubba's starting to pick the club up here to load his wrists later.

By Pete Cowen PGA MASteR PRoFeSSIonAL the ACAdeMy At eMIRAteS GoLF CLUB in Association with Pete Cowen

Here's he's continuing to load his wrists

Wrists and shoulders are still in a good position

impaCt: Here (below, right) you can see Bubba's right heel off the ground at impact .

I'd much rather a player be stable through impact but this is where he generates a lot of power and with all the forces coming down, the body has to equalise the downforce.

Summary: Bubba knows how to match his body up to his arms. If he were to stand square at address the club would get so far behind him the problems would be endless!

www.wwgolf.biz

49

Luke Donald

Lee Westwood

Rory McIlroy

Adam Scott

Steve Stricker

#1 PERFORMANCE CHOICE. PGA EUROPEAN TOUR BALL COUNT 2011

PGA TOUR BALL COUNT 2011

4,060

3,729 NEAREST COMPETITOR

NEAREST COMPETITOR

541

1,354

Gary Woodland

810

NATIONWIDE TOUR BALL COUNT 2011

CHAMPIONS TOUR BALL COUNT 2011

NEAREST COMPETITOR

LPGA TOUR BALL COUNT 2011

1,738 NEAREST COMPETITOR

CANADIAN TOUR BALL COUNT 2011

935

2,707 NEAREST COMPETITOR

271

Bill Haas

394

Stacy Lewis

199

NEAREST COMPETITOR

Rickie Fowler

TRUSTED BY MORE PLAYERS AROUND THE WORLD. Join Team Titleist at titleist.co.uk Source: Darrell Survey, SPORTS MARKETING SURVEYS INC. Based upon results through 22/11/2011 on the U.S. PGA, U.S. LPGA, Champions, Nationwide, South African, Asian, Korean, OneAsia, Australasian, Japan, Canadian PGA and PGA European Tours.

155

Geoff Ogilvy

K.J. Choi

Nick Watney

#1 IN WORLDWIDE PLAYERS 2011

Yani Tseng

Webb Simpson

#1 IN WORLDWIDE WINS 2011

21,533 NEAREST COMPETITOR

ASIAN TOUR BALL COUNT 2011

3,485

NEAREST COMPETITOR

252

JAPAN TOUR BALL COUNT 2011

Cristie Kerr

651

NEAREST COMPETITOR

27

ONE ASIA TOUR BALL COUNT 2011

898 NEAREST COMPETITOR

164

AUSTRALASIAN TOUR BALL COUNT 2011

941 NEAREST COMPETITOR

NEAREST COMPETITOR

Kyung-Tae Kim

202

Bubba Watson

77

SOUTH AFRICAN TOUR BALL COUNT 2011

924

1,277 NEAREST COMPETITOR

175

KOREAN TOUR BALL COUNT 2011

1,262

Ian Poulte

1,150 NEAREST COMPETITOR

Matteo Manassero

354

Zach Johnson

quick 9 with Samuel l. JackSon WWG: You didn’t take up the game until you were 50, why so late?

SLJ: Golf came into my life at a time when I needed some focus. It gave me a place where I could let my thoughts go and just hang out. Believe me, I needed that. I would have saved myself a lot of grief if I’d learned to play golf when I was younger. It’s my peace of mind for the day: when I’m off work I’m on the golf course by 6.30 in the morning.

WWG: Who gives you the toughest competition on the celebrity circuit?

SLJ: It has to be Kenny G. He used to have a golf studio in his house. He had all these cameras taking pictures of himself.

WWG: Is there a celebrity golfer so bad he doesn’t belong on a course?

SLJ: I don’t want to embarrass anybody. I want to keep them playing the way they are so I can keep taking their money.

WWG: What are your ambitions within the game?

SLJ: I just want to be able to say that I was scratch for at least one month in my life so that when people see the certificate in its frame on my wall they’ll say, ‘You played off scratch?’ And I can say, ‘Yes. I. Did!’ When that happens, I’m gonna stop practising. When that happens, I’m done.

WWG: You’re lucky enough to have played many of the finest courses in the world alongside the likes of Tiger Woods and Arnold Palmer – is there anything left on your golfing ‘To Do’ list?

SLJ:Yeah. I want a Green Jacket!

WWG: Your home course is MountainGate Country Club in Los Angeles, what do you like about that place?

SLJ: It’s my kinda club. There’s no pomp or circumstance. I mean, there are golf clubs out there that won’t let you wear shorts even when it’s 100°F. WWG: Do you have any tips for our readers?

SLJ: Try swinging at 75 per cent. Guys see players like Bubba, Dustin Johnson and Tiger going after the driver, but you’re never going to hit as far as they can.

Instead, aim for great contact. Too many people just want to kill it. Sure, you can let the big dog eat, but the big dog can only eat what you feed it.

WWG: What about curing first tee nerves in tournaments? You always come across as a pretty cool character in your movies.

SLJ: I’ve never suffered from first-tee nerves. What’s to feel nervous about? Nothing. Just take a club you feel comfortable with and swing it like you do on your home course. Don’t think about the gallery. Just play your game.

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NEws DIVOTs SEVE’S SON OFF THE MARK

THE late great Seve Ballesteros’s son, Javier, finished in a tie for 14th on 4-underpar in his first professional tournament – the Alps Tour’s Peugeot Alps de Barcelona at Sant Cugat, the same event where his father’s career started back in 1974. “I came away satisfied, I will gain a lot of confidence from playing here,” said the 21-year-old amateur, who is a law student. “I like playing with the pros as I play better, it motivates me, it helps me improve.”

Pablo Larrazabal won the event with a 16-under-par total.

US OPEN ATTRACTS FOURTH-HIgHEST ENTRy TOTAL

THIS year’s US Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco has attracted the fourth highest number of entries in the event’s history. The USgA revealed that it has received a total of 9,006 entries – a number only eclipsed by the 2009 US Open at Bethpage Black (9,086 entries), the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach (9,052) and the 2005 US Open at Pinehurst (9,048). “It is always gratifying to see how many golfers, worldwide, are interested in playing our National Open Championship,” USgA Executive Director Mike Davis said. “The great appeal of the US Open is that anyone can enter, provided they meet the handicap index standards.” Players wishing to compete at the US Open must be a professional of have a handicap of 1.4 or better.

LEWIS EDgES THOMPSON IN ALABAMA

STACEy Lewis survived a final round charge by 17-year-old Lexi Thompson to capture the LPgA Classic at the RJT golf Trail Crossing Course in Mobile, Alabama.

Lewis took a two-stroke lead into the final round but Thompson, five back at the start of play, fired off a sensational 65 to tie the lead. But a birdie on the 16th proved enough to secure Lewis a one-stroke victory after a closing 69 gave her a 17-underpar total.

MOBILES PERMITTED AT THE OPEN

THE R&A have confirmed that mobile phones will be allowed at this year’s Open Championship at Royal Lytham and St Annes after relaxing the ban that has been in place since 2006. The change in stance is thought to be down to the increasing popularity of smart phones and the potential for tournament apps to add to the overall experience of attending The Open. Making or taking calls will be restricted to designated areas such as the Tented Village. “There is no denying the attachment people feel to their mobile phones both in terms of gathering information and staying in touch with family and friends,” R&A chief executive Peter Dawson said.

“We understand this and allowing their use at the Championship will enrich The Open experience.”

BUBBA FAN gETS CLOSE UP VIEW OF FAMOUS HOOK

MASTERS Champion Bubba Watson gave one of his fans a close up view of his famous ‘hook’ shot when he fired his tee shot into the gallery at the Zurich Classic in New Orleans and into the face of 52-year-old Radd Leonard. The accident actually worked out in Watson’s favour as his ball rebounded off Leonard’s face and back onto the fairway. “I saw Bubba’s ball coming and it looked like it was hooking right at my direction,” said Leonard who received a signed golf glove from Watson for his trouble. “I wanted to see that big Bubba hook and I got to see it close up. I turned and ducked and it still hit me.”

JOSé TO MAKE WALES DEBUT EUROPEAN Ryder Cup Captain José Maria Olazábal will make his IsPs Handa wales Open debut at this year’s event, which takes place at the Celtic Manor Resort from May 31-June 3.

The two-time Masters champion will return to the scene of Europe’s dramatic 14 ½ - 13 ½ 2010 victory to run the rule over some of his potential team members ahead of this year’s showpiece at Medinah.

“I am looking forward to going back to Celtic Manor where I have many fond memories from the last Ryder Cup,” said Olazábal.

“It was an honour to be called into the Team room as a Vice Captain when Colin felt he needed another set of eyes with additional matches out on the golf course. The fact that it turned out to be such a dramatic and emotional victory made it all the more special.

“I now look forward to playing the challenging Twenty Ten Course myself in the IsPs Handa wales Open. It will be a good chance to see how some of the players vying for a place in this year’s Ryder Cup are performing just three months before the team is selected.”

FILM MADE TO HONOUR JACK’S FIRST MAJOR

A ONE-HOUR documentary has been made by the USgA to honour the 50th anniversary of the first of Jack Nicklaus’s record 18 Major Championship victories – the 1962 US Open. PgA Tour rookie Nicklaus beat the People’s Champion, Arnold Palmer, in a play-off and when Jack won his second US Open five years later at Baltusrol the runner-up was Palmer, once again. The film will be shown on Britishbased Sky Sports the week before this year’s US Open at the Olympic Club with US channel NBC Sports airing it before their final round coverage. ‘’I was a 22-year-old kid with blinders on,’’ Nicklaus said. ‘’People ask me about playing in Arnold’s backyard, at Oakmont PA, which was just 35 miles from Arnold’s home at Latrobe.

As for the noise from Arnold’s gallery, I never heard it. All I was doing was playing golf and trying to win a golf tournament. I looked back and said, ‘Wow! Look what happened.’ It’s amazing that was my first win. Arnold treated me great. He couldn’t have been nicer. He’s always been that way with me.’’

22

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SHOT OF THE MONTH

Louis Oosthuizen’s albatross at the par-5 second during the final round of the Masters comes a close second – it was only the fourth in Masters history. But it has to be ‘that’ hook from Bubba Watson to set up his emotional victory in the play-off at Augusta – what a shot! Not a lot of players would even have attempted it. True, being a lefty helped him out, but it was still an audacious shot to attempt.

STATMASTER

Bubba Watson’s Masters victory made him only the fourth left-handed Major Champion – the other three are America’s Phil Mickelson, Canadian Mike Weir and New Zealander Bob Charles.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH “Quit playing golf-swing and just hit shots; just say to himself, I’m gonna hit a low fade, and I don’t need anybody to tell me how to do it, I’m just gonna feel it.”

- Butch Harmon gives his advice on what Tiger Woods needs to do.

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23

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Tour NEws Event: Shell Houston Open 1 2 3

Name Hunter Mahan Carl Pettersson louis Oosthuizen

Date: Mar 29 – Apr 01 Venue: Redstone GC, Humble, Texas Winner’s Cheque: $1,080,000 Country To Par R1 R2 R3 R4 Total USA -16 69 67 65 71 272 SWe -15 65 70 67 71 273 RSA -14 67 66 66 75 274

MAHAN PUTS HIS MIND TO IT IN TexAS SCRAMble HUNTeR Mahan became the first player to win twice on the US PGA Tour this year with a composed performance at the Shell Houston Open that saw him get over the line one stroke clear of Sweden’s Carl Pettersson. His first win of 2012 came with his victory over Rory McIlroy at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona.

Mahan kept his cool throughout a final round tussle in Texas with the Swede and South Africa’s louis Oosthuizen to secure the victory which took him to the top of the FedexCup Standings.

“I had to have a lot of patience. I had to really be present, one shot at a time. I couldn’t start thinking too far ahead. There are too many good players up there you know, so it feels nice to kind of to win it with my mind today.’’

Date: Mar 29 – Apr 01 Event: Sicilian Open Venue: Vendura Golf & Spa Resort, Sicily, Italy Winner’s Cheque: €166,660

Date: Apr 12 – Apr 15 Event: Maybank Malaysian Open Venue: Kuala lumpur G&CC, Kuala lumpur, Malaysia Winner’s Cheque: €314,700

OleSeN HANGS ON FOR FIRST WIN

lOUIS SHOWS HIS MeTTle

“It feels amazing to win at last. I had three seconds on The Tour last year, so to finally get my first win is great.”

“I thought I was going to be a lot more tired. It was a long journey to get here and I have to be honest and say that I didn’t expect to play this well because of the tiredness.”

DeNMARK’S Thorbjørn Olesen did the hard work in securing his maiden european Tour title in the third round, with a stunning 67 in windy conditions at the Sicilian Open. That gave him a three-stroke victory heading into the final round and he needed it as he hung on with a 69 which was just good enough to fight off the challenge of the rampaging Chris Wood, who closed with a sensational 64.

1 2 3 3

Name Thorbjørn Olesen Chris Wood Nicolas Colsaerts Soren Kjeldsen

Country To Par DeN -15 eNG -14 bel -12 DeN -12

R1 68 67 67 65

R2 69 71 71 72

R3 67 72 69 71

R4 69 64 69 68

Total 273 274 276 276

SOUTH Africa’s louis Oosthuizen showed his strength of character to bounce back from the disappointment of missing out to bubba Watson at the Masters with a stunning three-stroke victory at the Maybank Malaysian Open.

Oosthuizen, who had travelled 10,000 miles in three weeks, defied the affects of jet lag to seal the win after carding four rounds in the 60s.

Name 1 louis Oosthuizen 2 Stephen Gallacher 3 Rafael Cabrera-bello 3 David lipsky 3 Danny Willett

Country To Par RSA -17 SCO -14 eSP -12 USA -12 eNG -12

R1 66 67 67 70 69

R2 68 68 72 67 69

R3 69 69 66 69 67

68 70 71 70 71

www.wwgolf.biz

Total 271 274 276 276 276 25

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Tour NEws Date: Apr 19 – Apr 22 Venue: binhai lake GC, Tianjin, China Winner’s Cheque: €398,595

Event: Volvo China Open Name 1 branden Grace 2 Nicolas Colsaerts 3 Richard Finch

Country To Par RSA -21 bel -18 eNG -17

R1 67 68 67

R2 67 67 73

R3 64 66 65

R4 69 69 66

WAGNeR’S

Total 267 270 271

bRANDeN’S GRACeFUl HATRICK bRANDeN Grace became only the third player to win three european Tour titles in the same season the first year after qualifying from QSchool with a remarkable victory at the Volvo China Open.

A third round 64 gave him a three stroke lead over defending champion Nicolas Colsaerts and he never looked like being caught throughout his closing round of 69.

“I thought my first win was around the corner (this season). To have three before May is literally unbelievable, but I’ve been playing well so I’ve been feeling like I can win and I’ve been giving myself opportunities.”

Date: Apr 19 – Apr 22 Event: Valero Texas Open Venue: TPC San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas Winner’s Cheque: $1,116,000

Date: Apr 12 – Apr 15 Event: RBC Heritage Venue: Harbour Town Golf links, Hilton Head, South Carolina Winner’s Cheque: $1,026,000

PeTTeRSSON WAlKS THe WAlK

CURTIS THe COMebACK KING

AFTeR finishing runner-up in Houston Sweden’s Carl Pettersson continued his blistering form by storming to a five-stroke victory over Zach Johnson at the RbC Heritage. The 34-year-old’s fifth US PGA Tour victory drew him level with Jesper Parnevik for the most wins ever by a Swede on the US PGA Tour.

Although his win took him to 34th in the World Ranking, as a non-european Tour Member he is not eligible for europe’s Ryder Cup Team at Medinah.

FORMeR Major Champion ben Curtis, who was playing on the US PGA Tour with only a partially exempt status, secured his full card for the next two years after winning his first title since 2006, at the Valero Texas Open. The 2003 Open Champion hadn’t won since his victory at the 84 lumber Classic six years ago but a solid performance saw him win his fourth title by two strokes from Matt every and John Huth.

“Ultimately, just cause you don’t look like an athlete doesn’t mean you’re not an athlete. We’re not running a marathon out here, we’re walking 18 holes.”

“I’m very relieved to win for the first time. If you want to win you need to make putts on the final day and I did that.”

Name 1 Carl Pettersson 2 Zach Johnson 3 Colt Knost

Name 1 ben Curtis 2 Matt every 2 John Huth

Country To Par SWe -14 USA -9 USA -8

R1 70 71 67

R2 65 68 66

R3 66 66 69

R4 69 70 74

Total 270 275 276

Country To Par USA -9 USA -7 USA -7

R1 67 63 77

R2 67 74 68

R3 73 73 67

R4 72 71 69

Total 279 281 281

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ROCK SOLID

RobeRt Rock, who announced his aRRival on the woRld stage by upstaging tigeR woods and RoRy McilRoy with a life-changing win at the abu dhabi hsbc golf chaMpionship in JanuaRy, talks to Mike galleMoRe at the luxuRious eMiRates palace hotel, which Recently announced a two-yeaR sponsoRship agReeMent with the englishMan.

W

HEN Robert Rock won the BMW Italian Open last year it ended a nine-year wait for his first European Tour win and paved the way for his outstanding victory in Abu Dhabi and for four fantastic days that turned his life around. “It was by far the greatest achievement of my career so far,” says Rock.

“It’s amazing what can happen in such a short space in time,” says Robert. “I’ve come from being a guy who worked in a driving range in Staffordshire, England, to being a struggling European Tour player fighting to keep his card year on year, to someone who beat the world’s best in one of the game’s biggest events.

“Here I am now, enjoying life, living in the lap of luxury staying at one of the finest hotels in the world, talking to you at the Emirates Palace Hotel about how it all happened to me. It’s unreal. I was so fortunate to be offered this sponsorship and to be associated with such a prestigious hotel as the Emirates Palace.

“I was lucky enough to stay here during the Championship and then received an invitation to stay for a week after my victory, which made it an excellent added bonus to what was already a pretty special week for me.

“It’s an unbelievable place here. I’ve stayed at many

leading hotels around the world playing on the Tour but the Emirates Palace is out on its own. It’s got everything, including nice peaceful areas where you can relax, and the service is second to none.”

Hitting the big-time came as something of a surprise for Robert but he had served his apprenticeship. It’s tough being a rookie playing on The European Tour, trying to find a way to keep your Tour card by consistently staying in the money while at the same time trying to win tournaments and making a name for yourself.

“It was hard-going battling to stay on Tour but there had been a few milestones prior to winning in Italy and then here in Abu Dhabi which certainly moved my confidence up a few fractions. In the early days I had been really struggling to keep my Tour card and that’s no fun.

It was a constant battle trying to improve my game and wondering why I was only just creeping into the top 10 while not seriously threatening to win.

“Then I put in a really good performance in the 2009 Irish Open only to lose in a play-off to Shane Lowry, who was still an amateur at that stage. It was the first time I had putted really well for all four days of a tournament. My putting had always held me back. Before the Irish Open I’d

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29

have, say, three good putting rounds followed by one bad putting round. I always seemed to have one round in the tournament where my putting let me down. That Irish Open play-off defeat taught me that I could actually putt well for all four days if I put my mind to it. The following year I had another mini milestone, finishing seventh at The Open at St Andrews.

“The same happened in the BMW Italian Open last year. I wasn’t at my best tee to green but my putting was great and I stayed in the lead from my opening round 64 until I was caught and passed in the final round by Thørbjorn Olesen, who shot a fourth round 62. Suddenly, I found myself four or five shots behind. I thought, ‘I’ve got to shoot 4 or 5-under to win’ - so I just got on with it and closed with a 5-under 67 to win by a stroke from Thørbjorn and Gary Boyd.”

That maiden victory changed Robert’s philosophy and his mindset. It can become a vicious circle playing on The Tour when you have to concentrate on finishing in a good position on the leaderboard to earn the money you need to keep playing and stay on the Tour, rather than taking a few risks and going for the win. A huge burden is removed when you get your first victory and you can afford to change your game from safety first mode to attack mode.

“All of a sudden, with my exemptions for being a winner, I didn’t have to play all the tournaments I previously had to play,” says Robert. “I could pick and choose. After years of having to play almost

‘I had to take a taxI from the aIrport to the golf course at Bethesda, whIch cost me $1,000.’ every event to keep my card I could suit myself. I played the tournaments I wanted to play in South Africa and took a break before Abu Dhabi.

“For the first time I was able to take a slightly more relaxed approach to playing a tournament.

It really does make a big difference. I realised that you don’t have to constantly consider whether you’re earning enough money to keep your card and you can go out and play to win – that’s really what it’s all about.

“When I won in Italy, after nine years playing on The European Tour I came to the realisation that my approach was too timid and I knew that playing safe was not going to work. On one particular hole I played a weak-ish putt and made par but I thought to myself, ‘I’m never going to win anything if I keep doing this.’ I thought I may as well go for it and if I don’t win, at least I’m going down fighting. I changed my tactics. Luckily it went my way and I knew what I had to do from

ROCK SOLID

that moment on.” In addition to his maiden victory an achievement considering the circumstances. It Robert enjoyed another new experience last year was a good experience and all part of the learning when he played in the US Open at Congressional process.” for the first time. But having qualified for the Another milestone for Robert came when he tournament he almost didn’t make it there. competed against the cream of The European “I had qualified at Walton Heath but it created Tour at the Dubai World Championship and shot the craziest few days of my life,” he says. “I was still 11-under to finish in eighth place. on a high after my maiden Tour win but I had to “I hadn’t played Greg Norman’s Earth course sort out my visa for the States. I was in constant before and I thought it wasn’t really a layout that contact with Richie Ramsey telling him to get would suit me,” he says. “But I played well and that ready as the next eligible player because I didn’t was another confidence booster that helped set think I could get my visa sorted out in time. me up for what was to come the following month.

“Eventually, I picked up “In the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf my visa on the Wednesday Championship I remember on ‘suddenly, I realIsed the third day I was playing well afternoon, three days after winning in Italy, and went and looking at the leaderboard I wasn’t scared of straight to the airport, I thought, ‘keep going and you arriving in New York at could be playing with Tiger around 4.00am on Thursday tIger. I was actually in the last group in the final morning, and teed off at round – that could be quite lookIng forward to something, watching him win.’

Congressional in the first round at around noon. I Then I immediately bogeyed playIng wIth hIm.’ had to take a taxi from the the 15th which put me back airport to the golf course at and made me think, ‘I’m not Bethesda, which cost me $1,000. playing with him now.’ Then I thought if I can birdie “Despite all that, I played really well but by two out of the last three holes I could still do it. I Saturday the events of the previous few days gave myself that challenge and birdied 17 and 18 started to take their toll, although shooting a to make the final group on Sunday. final round 68 after a 76 on Saturday, was very “That gave me so much confidence on the final pleasing. I could have finished a little better than day. Suddenly, I realised I wasn’t scared of Tiger. I 1-over but to take a share of 23rd place was quite was actually looking forward to playing with him.

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ROCK SOLID It became another test for me to take him on. I’ve often wondered what it’s like to play with him and why it doesn’t often work out. You put too much pressure on yourself to want to play well. But it’s not anything that Tiger does that causes it. It’s your perception of him and his reputation.

“You’re aware before you start, that he’s won 14 Majors and 100 or so tournaments. I noticed the crowds moving when I was playing with Tiger.

‘playIng wIth tIger Is somethIng I’ll always rememBer. I not only played wIth hIm, I Beat hIm. It was quIte an experIence – not Bad for an old drIvIng range pro lIke me.’

Movement among the galleries is something that bothers me. On one occasion on the Sunday I was about to say something to the crowd when Tiger was lining up to play his shot but I realised that he was in a world of his own. He had shut them out. It didn’t bother him.”

Shutting out the crowd was a technique which Rock immediately adopted and one which helped fuel his astonishing victory against all the odds.

“I thought that if he can do that then I’m going to have to do the same. Playing with Tiger is something I’ll always remember. I not only played with him, I beat him. It was quite an experience – not bad for an old driving range pro like me.”

The win proved to Robert that he could mix it with the best and come out on top. His newfound self-belief helped him knock Adam Scott out of

the star-studded World Golf ChampionshipsAccenture Match Play Championship in the opening round and Robert now knows he’s capable of winning every time he tees it up.

“I’ve gone from being the guy who couldn’t win a golf tournament to being the guy who’s capable of playing some decent golf,” he says. “I got into the Accenture by virtue of being in the top 64 in the world. Now I need to get into the top 50 – and stay there.

“I’ve got to accept that I’m not going to produce my best golf all the time. I know I have to play to win, and I’ve got to hole those putts. It’s all about giving yourself a chance to win. You can’t be afraid of taking a punt over the last few holes.

“In my earlier career I took the view that if you take a chance a bogey could drop you right down the field. If you took the risk you might drop from a top three position to 10th or worse and the money dropped considerably. But now I can appreciate that the rewards for attacking the ball are miles more. Taking the risk is worth it. There’s a big gap.

But the people who go for it tend to win.”

As Robert now knows, the rewards for those who win big are plentiful.

“Winning such a prestigious tournament as Abu Dhabi opened a lot of doors for me and sitting here at the Emirates Palace makes me feel very grateful for the benefits that success has brought me. I’m looking forward to taking my game to the next level and being part of the Emirates Palace family for the next two years.”

Next on Robert’s agenda is the Spanish Open in Seville followed by the Volvo World Match Play Championship at Finca Cortesîn in Andalucia and then the European Tour’s flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship at the Wentworth Club in Surrey.

“I’m giving myself a break before those events and I’ll see where I am after the PGA Championship. I’ll know then whether I need to try to qualify for the US Open in San Francisco

and The Open Championship at Royal Lytham. It’s going to be an exciting few months for me. Who knows what the rest of this year will bring.”

Whatever lies around the corner Robert appreciates what he’s achieved in the last nine months and he’s well aware that he now has to take this opportunity and use the momentum of his Abu Dhabi triumph to continue to challenge the best in the world – and beat them. It’s going to be a fascinating month of May for the likeable Robert Rock – and maybe a magical year. n

‘wInnIng such a prestIgIous tournament as aBu dhaBI opened a lot of doors for me and sIttIng here at the emIrates palace makes me feel very grateful for the BenefIts that success has Brought me. I’m lookIng forward to takIng my game to the next level and BeIng part of the emIrates palace famIly for the next two years.’

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Putting life back into world golf W

HAT an exciting finish to the 2012 Masters where we got to see Bubba Watson win his first Major and take home the Green Jacket after a twohole play-off with South African Louis Oosthuizen, who won the 2010 Open Championship at St. Andrews.

Bubba came close at the US PGA Championship in 2010 where he lost in a play-off to Germany’s Martin Kaymer, so perhaps that experience worked to his advantage.

His ability to shape shots and work the ball really paid off for him after he got into trouble with his tee shot on the second play-off hole. It’s nice to see the art of shot-making in the game of golf.

I visited Augusta National earlier in the week and did some work with the Golf Channel. While I was there I was reminded just how special the Masters really is. As I’ve said before, it’s just pure golf. No corporate tents – just a great golf course and a great event. n I’m very excited about my new ambassadorial relationship with Pacific Links and last month we announced the new Champions Tour event, the Pacific Links Hawaii Championship, which will be held on September 10-16 later this year.

The tournament takes place on Oahu at Kapolei Golf Course which is owned and operated by Pacific Links Hawaii. This will give Hawaii two Champions Tour events and, even more importantly, it will help fill a void in the month of September for the Champions Tour.

Pacific Links is taking a very creative 24

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approach to their business where they have been acquiring properties in the United States and putting some much needed energy back into the golf industry.

Following the development of their portfolio of golf courses, they will then develop and market an international membership, focusing primarily on Chinese nationals.

I’m intrigued by this business model which seems to be quite a bit more sustainable than the Japanese models of the late 1980s and, who knows, perhaps we will be marketing these memberships to the Middle East in the near future.

The Pacific Links plan is to acquire up to 20 properties in the United Sates. They are off to a great start, having already acquired eight golf courses: Southern Highlands Golf Club in Las Vegas, Nevada; The Golf Club at South Shore and Lake Club in Henderson, Nevada; the Royal Hawaiian Golf Club in Kailua, Hawaii; Makaha Golf Club West in Waianae, Hawaii; Makaha Valley Country Club East in Waianae, Hawaii; Kapolei Golf Club in Kapolei, Hawaii; the Pete Dye Golf Club in Bridgeport, West Virginia; and The 27 Club in Tianjin, China.

My golf course design company recently began the planning and documentation phases of a major redesign for Pacific Links on the Makaha Valley West Course in Waianae, Hawaii. I’ll have more on that in the coming months. n I’ll be working on my game this month as I anticipate playing in the first Major of the year on the Champions Tour early next month.

The Regions Tradition will be held

The AT&T Oaks Course at the TPC at San Antonia, Texas.

at Shoal Creek in Alabama in what should be a great venue for the first Senior Major of the year. n The Valero Texas Open was just played on a course I designed, The AT&T Oaks Course at the TPC at San Antonio, Texas. Congratulations to Ben Curtis, who managed to earn his third victory on the PGA Tour after holding off Matt Every and John Huh in an exciting finish coming down the stretch.

The course provided a challenging test and made for some exciting golf.

It was an intriguing course to build, a very complex piece of property subsurface-wise. Some areas we had rock just below the surface which presented some unique challenges when building the course.

That being said, it also had some beautiful specimen oak trees and

good terrain that you look for in a golf course site. Throw on top of that, the fact that the PGA Tour asked us to build the golf course to professional standards requiring high quality shotmaking in order to accommodate the PGA Tour event and you have one heck of a golf course.

It’s always fun to build a course when you know that it is going to be used for a PGA Tour tournament and the best players in the world are going to play the course. At the same time we knew the course was going to get resort play throughout the year so it had to be playable for the average golfer from the shorter tees.

We must have accomplished this goal because the golf course is always booked and you can hardly get a tee time. It was also voted the fourth best public golf course in all of Texas. n

GREG NORMAN WORLDWIDE GOLF COLUMNIST

The 18th green at The Wave Mucat

Looking across the 17th green from the 18th tee, with the 10th and 16th holes in the background

THE Wave Muscat, Oman, continues to progress at pace. All 18 holes are now complete with holes 1 and 9 being grown in. The Club, Almouj Golf, opened 14 holes for provisional play at the beginning of last month in two loops of seven holes incorporating six new holes, which includes holes 11, 12 and 13 which run directly adjacent to the Arabian Sea. It really is a spectacular golf course and when it is finished later this year I’m sure it will be highly acclaimed as one of the best courses in the Middle East. www.wwgolf.biz

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GARY PLAYER WORLDWIDE GOLF COLUMNIST

No to Masters playoff

A

ugusta National is a special place which is why I don’t believe that for a tournament as prestigious as the Masters there should be a sudden-death play-off. Bubba and Louis both won the Masters. The tournament is advertised as a 72-hole event. They should have shared the victory.

If two horses cross the line together in the Derby it’s called a dead-heat. They share the victory. They don’t decide to have a dash down the Epsom straight to decide it. If they have a tie in the Olympic Games they don’t have a 30-yard sprint to decide it. If you have a draw in a boxing match they don’t go another round to find the winner.

The Masters is too important to a man’s career.

I’ve been fortunate to win the Masters three times but I was also second twice – once in a play-off with Arnold Palmer and Dow Finsterwald in 1962, having won the my first Green Jacket the year before, beating Arnold and Charlie Coe by a shot. But nobody remembers who came second. As they say, only your wife and your dog remember you being runner-up.

What’s the difference if we had two Masters Champions? Opportunity often only knocks once and you’ve got to take your chance when it comes.

Louis Oosthuizen may never get to wear the Green Jacket in his career.

What’s the difference if we had two Masters Champions?

Opportunity often only knocks once and you’ve got to take your chance when it comes.

Louis Oosthuizen may never get to wear the Green Jacket in his career.

important to stay fit

Louis incredibLe achievement One of the things that really pleased me was how Louis reacted to his disappointment. It was a great example to young golfers. I was also impressed that Louis could then hop on a plane to Malaysia to compete in the Maybank Malaysian Open. He had to contend with a 30-hour flight, the time difference, the change in weather conditions and a completely different golf course at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club, but he won the event by three shots from Stephen Gallacher. That takes some doing.

It’s an incredible achievement. Louis has the ideal temperament for golf. He doesn’t allow anything to bother him. He also has a fine coach in Pete Cowen.

I’ve known Pete for many years and he’s one of the best.

Bubba Watson is a very different player from everyone else. I’m not sure about his claim that he’s never had a golf lesson in his life. His golf swing is certainly unusual. He was described to me as the only golfer whose swing ends up with him standing in his

big difference to the crowds and to the TV ratings for Tiger to be chasing more Major titles.

Lee Westwood had another great Masters, finishing just two shots off the play-off in a tie for third. He’s by far the best player in the world tee to green but he just wasn’t having any luck with his putter. Lee showed his class in retaining his Indonesian Masters title with a two-stroke victory over Thaworn Wiratchant and I still believe he’ll win a Major this season. When he does, he’ll be one of the most popular winners our there.

As one of the Honourary Starters at Augusta National I was really pleased to outdrive Arnold (Palmer) and Jack (Nicklaus) in the traditional ceremonial tee shot at 7.40am on the first tee on Thursday to get the Masters underway. I expected to outdrive Arnold but it was good to see my ball go sailing past Jack’s. I joked with Jack saying that he’ll have to start taking a bit more exercise otherwise I’ll drive it even further past him next year.

It was a fun occasion and the galleries clearly enjoyed seeing three guys who had 13 Green Jackets between them back in action. It was good that Phil Mickelson turned up on the tee to shake our hands. Augusta National will always be a special place for me, having played in 52 consecutive Masters Tournaments.

own divot. But he’s a refreshing change and it’s not surprising that he’s won so many fans in the U.S. I was surprised to see that Rory McIlroy wasn’t in contention at the Masters as I had picked him to win.

It’s completely up to Rory and his management but I still can’t believe that he didn’t play any golf prior to the Masters. You need to play right up to the last minute. He’s got to do what he believes is best but I don’t think it works. He could have taken a couple of weeks off and then played the week before.

It’s a bit like a businessman taking time off work and not going to the office. When he gets back to the office he’s got to start catching up with everything. Well you can’t play catch up at Augusta National.

It was disappointing to see Tiger Woods getting so frustrated with himself at the Masters at not being able to find his form. He’s too important to the game not to be in contention. Golf needs him to be up there competing with the best. It makes a

I’m still going strong and I’d like to think that I can set a good example to the younger players of how important it is to stay fit, strong and healthy. I teamed up with fellow South African Simon Hobday at the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf tournament at Savannah last month and managed to shoot 10 under may age. That’s not bad to shoot an individual 66 for a 76-year-old as Simon and I scored 68, 61 to finish tied fifth in the Demaret Division.

I’m pleased to see Branden Grace playing so well and it was great to see him win the Volvo China Open last month. Having won the Volvo Golf Champions event earlier in the year at The Links at Fancourt, in South Africa, a course I designed, he pulled off a remarkable Volvo double.

We’ve got so many good South African players coming through at the moment, although it’s not surprising considering the great tradition of Springbok Major winners over the years. Given our climate, golf courses and weather it’s the ideal place to play the game. n www.wwgolf.biz

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Björn bags the Bahrain Invitational “Events like this are important for Bahrain, not just in a sporting sense but also economically and socially – and politically, although some people don’t like to use that word, but it’s true. In the 1970s a table tennis match between the US and China was instrumental in the two countries re-opening communications with each other. Sport provides a common ground between countries and a way to open channels.”

– His Highness, Sheikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa 38

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BAHRAIN INVITATIONAL THE ROYAL GOLF CLUB

D

enmark’s Thomas Björn won the Bahrain Invitational at the Royal Golf Club in a play-off shoot out with Paul Casey. The Englishman, who won the Volvo Golf Champions event in Bahrain last year, had the consolation of taking the team prize together with American Football legend Joe Montana.

Björn fired an excellent round of four-under-par 68 that was matched by Casey after he had made a crucial birdie three on the testing, closing hole.

The individual event had to be decided by a Nearest the Pin shootout with a return to the final hole. Björn fired just beyond the pin from 140 yards while Casey came up short. But he was further away from the cup than Björn and the trophy went to the Dane.

The Bahrain Invitational featured four of Europe’s most respected professional golfers in the shape of Paul Casey, Thomas Björn, Colin Montgomerie and Suzann Pettersen, as well as sporting stars Tim Henman, Joe Montana, Gianluca Vialli and Ruud Gullit.

The event was played in a true sporting spirit and, although there was a significant degree of competition between the players, the atmosphere was light-hearted and relaxed. It was a great opportunity for spectators to get close to the players and to witness some spectacular golf.

In the team event the pairs played three separate matches, each over six holes. In the first set of matches, Björn and Vialli saw off Montgomerie and Henman while Casey and Montana got the better of Pettersen and Gullit.

Over the second six holes Casey and Montana

beat Björn and Vialli while Monty and Henman halved with Pettersen and Gullit. That looked to have secured the team prize for Casey and the legendary NFL Quarterback, but when Björn and Vialli beat Pettersen and Gullit, and Casey and Montana lost out to Henman and Monty, the teams were tied on two wins each.

Welcome Change The title went to Casey and Montana though, as they had triumphed in their match with Björn and Vialli. Although there was a stiff breeze throughout the day, conditions were good for the tournament. It was a welcome change from the previous day when an incredible sandstorm, then thunderstorm forced the pro-celebrity-am event to be cut to 16 holes.

Before the event His Highness, Sheikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Chief Executive of the Bahrain Olympic Committee, spoke of how pleased he was to welcome this event.

“We want to attract the best of the best events to Bahrain and we are very proud to have these sporting legends in the country,” he said. “Events like this are important for Bahrain, not just in a sporting sense but also economically and socially – and politically, although some people don’t like to use that word, but it’s true.

“In the 1970s a table tennis match between the US and China was instrumental in the two countries re-opening communications with each other. Sport provides a common ground between countries and a way to open channels.” n

Far left: Paul Casey lived up to the reputation of being one of the fastest golfers on four wheels as he won the celebrity karting challenge.

Left: Guess who? ....Yep, Monty and Thomas were pretty easy but it’s Tim Henman in the middle!

Below: The international golf and sports celebrities line up for a group photo with His Highness, Sheikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa (centre).

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TUTORIAL By: Rhys BeecheR – PGA PROFessIONAL, seNIOR GOLF INstRuctION mANAGeR the AcAdemy By tROON GOLF At the AddRess mONtGOmeRIe duBAI

The Scoring

Zone

Most research shows that the ‘Scoring Game’ made up of Wedge Play, Pitching, Chipping, Bunker Play and Putting accumulates to 60-65% of the number of shots on the average score card. Further to this 80% of the strokes lost on the course occur within 100yards of the green.

This makes the short game as important (if not more) than hitting driver after driver on the practice range. At The Address Montgomerie Dubai, we have a fantastic 9hole Academy course, with distances ranging from 45-105yards. Facilities such as this exist at many clubs within the region and are perfect for developing the shots that count for the most when playing the course.

Today we have three different golfers playing the course, all of which are benefiting from the experience of rehearsing and developing the essential short game skills.

Many golfers view a ‘par 3 course’ as being beginner course, however when your consider the importance of the short game, playing and practicing your ‘scoring zone’ is just as crucial for the seasoned golfer as it is our up and coming players.

MEEt tHiS MontH’S tEaM GEnt: JoE Grocock, Handicap 12 LadY: SibYLLE MuELLEr, Handicap 36 Junior: taYMour kabESH, no Handicap

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PuttING: Keep on the high side Managing a putt with severe break is one of the hardest situations to handle on a putting green. In this situation Sibylle has aimed for the highest point of the break. Keep in mind that when faced with a severe break it is important to focus on the apex of the curve and align to this point. This way you will ensure to start your ball on the line chosen when initially reading the green.

It is important to view where the ‘middle; of the hole would be after the break has been taken. A straight line view of the ‘middle’ of the hole will often lead to putts missed on the ‘low’ side (this happens to be where 90% of amateur golfer miss).

Our advice is always to play a little more break than you think!

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TUTORIAL PItchING FROm the ROuGh The pitch shot is one of the hardest short shots experienced, as it is typically less than a full swing. Here Taymour is faced with a short pitch and displays great control over his length of swing and speed.

When faced with a pitch shot remember the key swing though is to – Turn your chest until it faces the target. Keep the lower body movement to a minimum and maintain your weight at 60% on your left side. From this situation Taymour elected to use his most lofted golf club. This allows for maximum height and minimum roll.

This is critical for shots covering rough or other obstacles leaving little green to work with.

At The Academy we recommend players carry a Pitching Wedge, Gap Wedge and Sand Wedge within your set of golf clubs. This will ensure your ‘half shots’ are kept to a minimum. Some players will add a lob wedge to their sets; however we suggest mastering the pitching, gap, and sand wedges before adding the lob wedge.

With such a high percentage of your round being played from within 100yards of the green, it is important that a large portion of your practice be spent covering the area that counts the most!

hOw tO NeGOtIAte the chIP & RuN To negotiate these testy shorter shots, position more weight (70%) into your leading side (left foot for right handed golfer) and imagine yourself swinging with a pendulum style swing. Most mistakes with chipping come from increasing hand action. Here Joe has kept his left side firm and prevented the right hand working under the shaft of the club. This will maintain your clubface position and encourage a consistent strike.

A ‘Chip and Run’ shot should be played when you have substantial amounts of green to work with; this allows you to run the ball towards the hole. www.wwgolf.biz

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PLANET GOLF

bay joins dunes at Costa navarino C

osta NavariNo is the prime, sustainable destination in the Mediterranean, located in the Greek region of Messinia in the southwest Peloponnese, which recently introduced its second signature golf course.

The addition of The Bay Course created a new luxury golf destination to complement The Dunes Course, designed by Bernhard Langer.

Golf at Costa Navarino offers unrivalled course conditions and spectacular views all yearround. The Bay Course, overlooking the historic bay of Navarino and the town of Pylos, joins a long list of world-class facilities, including the two 5-star Starwood-managed hotels, The Romanos, Costa Navarino, a Luxury Collection Resort and The Westin Resorts, and a wide range of other activities, making this a complete destination for everyone and every season.

Legendary course architect Robert Trent Jones Jr. commented: “The Bay Course is sculpted out of earth and rock much like the marble statues of ancients Greece. Those deities were noble and graceful, and the golf course now reflects the same sense of beauty.

“This golf experience will stand the test of time and be loved and enjoyed by all who come to play the golf course.”

Troon Golf, the world’s largest luxury-brand golf management, development and marketing company, manages both courses at Costa Navarino. With a layout offering panoramic sea

and mountain views, a unique feature of The Bay Course is its proximity to the water, enjoying several holes along the historic Bay of Navarino with its breathtaking sunsets. The 18-hole, par-71 Bay Course, measuring 5,760 metres from the back tees and featuring four sets of tee positions, provides golfers of all levels with an intriguing challenge. Its world-class on-course amenities, include extensive practice facilities, lessons and coaching sessions for those who wish to learn or improve their skills as well as the ability to host full-service group and tournament events.

Set in a diverse, already mature landscape The Bay Course offers holes which interchange between three distinct environments of seaside, canyon and grove views, creating striking

contrasts, blending seamlessly into the natural environment. The grove holes take in the olive trees dating back several centuries.

Both courses enjoy the region’s excellent climate, blessed with balmy summers, mild winters and overall pleasant temperatures, making it ideal for golf visitors throughout the year. As with The Dunes Course, strict environmental protection guidelines have been applied to The Bay Course, in order to achieve sustainable golfcourse management.

Costa Navarino: +30 27230 97000 info@costanavarino.com www.costanavarino.com www.costanavarinogolf.com www.wwgolf.biz

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TUTORIAL

the dRAw For A riGHT HANDeD GolFer THe BAll Will STArT riGHT oF THe TArGeT, TurNiNG leFT iNTo THe TArGeT.

peRfect pRActice seRies shot shAping We have all seen how the ability to maneuver the ball in different directions can be extremely effective, with Bubba Watsons recent Masters victory. However many golfers are still unclear on how to intentionally create these shots. Moving on from our awkward lies series, Craig Waddell will now talk you through how to help shape the ball with some simple tips and basic understandings of what is required to create side spin. Not only will this improve your recovery game and help shape different shots into tight pin positions, but it will also give you an insight into how you can merge these techniques into your practice session to gain a finer understanding of how the swing works.

PLAyeR’s tIP: Another tip (which to be honest, for most golfers could be applied throughout their game!), would be encouraging a lighter grip pressure.

This will help you release the club through impact and create a feeling of the right hand turning over the left. if you can visualize one of Tennis’s all time greats roger Federer, blasting a top spinning forehand over the net – then this would give you good idea on how the right hand rotates through impact.

n As with many aspects of the game, how you set up to the ball can determine how you swing, this is no different when setting up for a draw shot.

Adapting your stance and body alignment will directly affect your swing path and ball flight. n To successfully turn the ball right to left, start by aiming your clubface directly towards your target. After you have done this, aim your feet slightly right of your target line (closed position at address). Your body alignment should also be parallel to your feet. in doing this, you should gain the feeling of a swing which turns more behind the ball, working the club head more to the ‘inside’. This will encourage a shallower angle of attack into the ball and help start the ball to the right, spinning back to the left. it is important to understand that you are not adapting your swing too much, but simply altering your set up.

Enjoy Exclusive Rates on Midweek Rounds at Dubai Creek this Spring UAE residents AED 420, EGF members AED 399 46

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I-6010 Worldwide Golf Banner.indd 1

CRAIG WADDEL PGA TEACHING PROFESSIONAL GOLF & yACHT CLub By: cRAigbywAddell, golf pRofessionAl, duBAi cReeKDubAI golf CREEk & yAcht cluB

the FAde For A riGHT HANDeD GolFer THe BAll Will STArT leFT oF THe TArGeT, TurNiNG riGHT iNTo THe TArGeT.

This is maybe the more favored shape for many players as it can be slightly easier to play. As with the draw shot, we will not be changing the swing but adapting the set up position.

Start by aiming the clubface directly at your target line and then aim your feet and body alignment left of the target (open position at address). By swinging along the line of your body, you will get the sensation that the backswing has become slightly steeper and more to the ‘outside’. As the club enters the impact zone, the feeling should be that it is cutting into the ball with a slightly steeper angle of attack. This will encourage clockwise spin on the ball, which will move the ball from left to right.

PLAyeR’s tIP: An additional suggestion here; would be to get the feeling of holding the clubface slightly open through impact. This is known as ‘holding off’ and will again help the ball flight curve to the right.

FiNaL tHOUGHt:

Practice time

For a golfer who has particular faults in the swing, practicing the draw or fade shot can be highly useful. Many of my students who suffer from the ‘out to in swing’ path (will mostly cause the dreaded slice), can benefit from practicing the draw shot. This will encourage them to get the shaft on a more inside path and deliver the club face to the ball more squarely. on the other hand, the golfer who struggles with getting the club stuck behind their body and on an inside path, can benefit from feeling that they are setting their body to hit the fade shot. This will keep the club more outside the body on the down swing and allow the shaft to fall into a slightly steeper plane.

By practicing to shape the ball through the air, not only will you learn more about the relationship between the path of the swing and club face angle, you will gain ‘feel’ – an aspect of the game that can only truly be learned through experience.

• Rates are for 18 holes inclusive of cart fee and range balls • Valid from Sunday to Thursday until 31st May 2012 For reservations please contact +971 4 380 1234 or email golfbooking@dubaigolf.com www.dubaigolf.com www.wwgolf.biz

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4/19/12 3:03 PM

Call UAE: 800 4333; Bahrain: +973 17349199; Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: 800 244 2222; Kuwait: 222 64 222; Jordan: 06 593 1966 to find out more.

FALDO GOLF SERIES MIDDLE EAST

ALL SMILES: J.W. Choi (third from left) proudly holds the trophy at the prizegiving with (left to right), Ben Oakley, who finished second, John Allen, third, and Bryan Moulds, Managing Director for TNT Express Middle East.

Al Bishei wins Faldo Series Middle East Championship

Qatar National team player ali abdulla al Bishei claimed top spot in the prestigious Faldo Series Middle East Championship at the royal Golf Club on a weekend which bore witness to some superb The TNT Trophy QualifyiNg eveNTs golf on the Club’s challenging Montgomerie Championship course. n Dubai Creek February 24 Al Bishei topped the multinational field of 44 n Jumeirah Golf Estates Earth course March 10 contestants aged 21 and under, representing a n Al Badia Golf Club April 14 staggering 16 different nationalities, with rounds of 71 n Emirates Golf Club Majlis course May 26 and 73 respectively. He fired an impressive 9 birdies n Jumeirah Golf Estates Fire course September 7 during the 36-hole strokeplay event, finishing on level n Arabian Ranches Golf Club September 21 par 144 for the tournament. n The Address Montgomerie, Dubai September 28 Ebrahim Esbai (centre) with category winners Georgia Coughlin, Although the 17-year-old held the lead from start to Ebrahim Esbai with overall winner Ali Abdulla Al Bishei Julia AlHemoud, Ali Abdulla Al Bishei and Jakub Hrinda. finish, he only knew for sure that the title would be his n Yas Links ‘Grand Final’ October 5 when he reached the treacherous 15th hole on the final categories for the next three years, they are definitely Results: day with a great chip-in birdie which he calmly followed names to watch for the future in this worldwide event.

Overall winner: Ali Abdulla Al Bishei (QA). with three solid pars. This gave Al Bishei a comfortable The action-packed weekend also featured a 9-hole Boys under-21: Winner – Ali Abdulla Al Bishei (QA 71 & 73 – 144), six shot cushion from his nearest competitor and playing event on the Club’s Wee Monty par 3 course for younger Runner-up – Oscar Spolander (SE 73 & 77 – 150). partner, Oscar Spolander. Spolander, who finished on a players. Khalifa Al Habal won with 33 leaving Ali Ehab in J.W. Choi150, confirmed his spot the TNTgolf Trophy notrunner-up made it to thewith finals far,shot thisseparating is your them. the Grand Final at Yas Links on October 5th. six over also displayed someinfantastic over the have the spot justsoone Boys under-16: – JakubatHrinda (SK 81Golf & 78 – 159), Grand Final toultimately be played onundone October at and twochance Tournament to enter another TNT TrophyFlannery event before James Shippey, ClubWinner Manager Al Badia weekend but was by a5th treble Director Cormac of the Royal Golf Runner-up – Kim Jung Bin (KOR 83 & 80 – 163).

Yas Linksbogies by scoring 40two points to win the third the Summer Club added: “It was great to welcome the TNT double over the rounds, which proved Clubcomes. said: “It” was a fantastic weekend of golf with some qualifying round held on April 14 at Al Thegreat hotlyscoring. contested will 12 qualifiers Al under-21: Badia Golf Club. A fun day was had vital difference between theSaturday two players.

It wasseries nice to seesee a good showing fromTrophy toGirls Winner – Georgia Coughlin (GB 78 & 83 – 161), Badia Golf Club, boys’ Dubai. each of the seven rounds compete at the going by all andRunner-up congratulations Choi.

We wish The under-16 category was won by Slovakia’s from our own juniors which will give them confidence – Tabea Lutz to (DE J.W. 95 & 90 – 185).

John Allen in toofclaim Final.

Theevents. next qualifying roundopportunity is to be for young him all the best for the Grand Final.”

Jakub Hrindaduly whostepped shot rounds 81 andsecond 78 for a total of Grandinto future This was a good Girls under-16: Winner – JuliabyAl TaylorMade, Hemoud (KW 78 & 78 – 156), place on awas countback while Coakey and of Tony Saturday, of Maytoon the Majlis The TNT Trophy is supported 159. This enough to fendBen off the challenge South held on golfers around26th the region experience competitive play Runner up – Deanna (SIN 84Gallery, & 86 – 163).

Billingham the third and fourth course Emirates Tour Golf standard Club. course and I wish them 7allDays, Performance You,Ngo Crystal and Korea’s Kimwere Jungpushed Bin whoto finished on 163. onata European Inrespectively. the girls’ section, Britain’s Georgia Coughlin won thethe best in their budding careers. ” returns spots After Summer, the TNT golf Trophy series Worldwide Golf, as official Co-sponsors. the under-21 category with an overallfor score Thewith prizes Bryan Moulds, Managing Director TNTof 161 while to action thewere fifthpresented qualifier to onthe thewinners Fire by the the under-16 was won by “The Kuwait’ s talented Royal Golf Club’sGolf 2012Estates Captainon Ebrahim Esbai and all the Express Middlecategory East commented: next course at Jumeirah September Interested golfers can register for any TNT youngsterround Julia Alhemoud with outstanding competitors enjoyed lunch afterwards in the Club’s Majlis qualifying is going to bean the last beforescore of 7, followed

by Arabian Ranches on September Trophy series event, apart from the Grand 156.

Withfor both girls eligible to compete their function room at the end of the day’Address s play. we break Summer and come back in with a respective21 and the last of the qualifiers at The Final, whether a member or a guest simply by bang with three rounds in September. So if you Montgomerie Dubai on September 28, leading to applying directly to the host Golf Club.

J.W. Choi earns spot in GranD Final

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85 49

Heinz Presents tHe stella Di Mare international Pro-aM 2012

STUART MANLEY BEATS TOP CLASS FIELD IN STELLA SHOWPIECE W

ELSHMAN Stuart Manley took the spoils in one of Egypt’s most prestigious events after a thrilling sudden-death play-off against his close friend and compatriot Ryan Thomas at the $40,000 star-studded Heinz Presents the Stella Di Mare International Pro-Am 2012.

It was certainly a stellar achievement against a field that included former Ryder Cup stars Ronan Rafferty, defending champion Paul Broadhurst and Steven Richardson; current European Tour player Andrew Marshall; Sion E. Bebb, who held a Tour card in 2010, and European Senior Tour player Roger Chapman.

“It’s always nice to win, but it’s even better when there are players of the calibre of the Ryder Cup boys, Marshy, Roger, Ryan and Bebby in the field,” said Manley, who held a full European Tour card last year. “The event has been superb. It’s a great location, the weather is fantastic and the resort is perfect. The Stella team did a fantastic job – the whole set-up was excellent. I hope I can kick on from this and regain my European Tour card. I will definitely be coming back next year to defend my trophy.”

End of a Wonderful Week After 54 holes of tournament golf around the Championship links at Stella Di Mare, there was nothing separating Manley and Thomas as they tied on 10-under-par in regulation.

Thomas had gone into the final round of the three-day event one stroke clear at the top of the leaderboard after rounds of 5-under 67 and 68.

However, a bogey on the par-4 14th and a lip-out chip shot on 17 followed by another close miss on 18 proved costly and his final round of 1-under 71 wasn’t quite good enough as Manley closed the gap with a 2-under 70.

The players headed down the par-4 18th again for the play-off and both hit superb tee shots. Under such immense pressure Thomas proceeded to hit his wedge close but his ball unfortunately spun off the green which left Manley free to take full advantage and hit his wedge to eight feet. Thomas missed by inches and Manley rolled his putt in to claim the title and the $6,000 winner’s cheque.

It was the end of a wonderful week for Manley, who had also won the $500 Longest Drive contest on the Thursday with a monster hit of 318 yards on the 10th.

The Heinz Presents the Stella Di Mare International Pro-Am was a huge success, largely 50

www.wwgolf.biz

Paul Broadhurst entertains guests and spectators in the Heinz Tomato Ketchup Shot. due to the fantastic field of top class Professionals as well as more than 100 amateurs from across the world.

Competitors came from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Nigeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Cyprus, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Sweden and Holland, in addition to the local golfers in Egypt. The team of Matt Stanford, Paul Watson, Jim and Vonnie Brown won the Team Prize with a magnificent total of 63-under-par, beating Team Rawlinson by eight strokes.

the Heinz Tomato Ketchup Shot challenge with Steven coming out on top by skimming his ball across the water and smashing the target of an assortment of Heinz Tomato Ketchup bottles. The video will soon be available on YouTube as well as coverage of the event itself.

Entertainment The event attracted some of Europe’s top golfing superstars and a lot of attention was on the three former Ryder Cup players as they provided entertainment for the guests in participating in a fascinating Question and Answer session.

Ronan, Paul and Steven gave the audience the chance to ask any question whilst providing them with a great insight into what it is like to participate in The Ryder Cup, on The European Tour and in Major Championships. The trio also competed in

Please send any enquiries for the International Pro-Am 2013 or Stella Di Mare in general to golfoffice@stelladimare.com.

For more information look out for updates here in Worldwide Golf and on the Stella Di Mare golf website: www.stelladimaregolf.com.

leaDerBoarD Manley (-10) 68, 68, 70 Thomas (-10) 67, 68, 71 Marshall (-8) 70, 71, 67 Bebb (-8) 72, 68, 68 Belch (-7) 68, 68, 73 Keenan (-6) 70, 70, 70 Richardson (-5) 72, 68 71 Broadhurst (-5) 72, 69, 70

Top: Winner of the Heinz Presents the Stella Di Mare International Pro-Am 2012, Stuart Manley, receives the trophy and a prize cheque for $6,000 from Stella Di Mare Director of Golf, Josh North.

Middle: The winning team of Matt Stanford, Paul Watson, Jim and Vonnie Brown with their prizes.

Bottom: The second placed Team Rawlinson receive their consolation prizes. www.wwgolf.biz

51

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Joel Neale WWGPLAYINGEDITOR

THE collective amateur seasons have all come to a climactic finish as we approach the steamy summer. Michael Harradine, the man on fire for most of the season, duly ran away with the Men’s Order Of Merit title, finishing on the podium in nearly all of the events he played and racking up a fine tally of 268.8 points, with nearest competitor Craig Forrest on 187.5.

It’s all eyes on the Annual Dubai Golf Trophy now, where the top 16 from the Emirates Golf Federation’s Amateur Order of Merit go head-to-head with the top 16 Emirates PGA professionals in a 54-hole Ryder Cup-like format – a tournament not to miss!

The local Juniors have been busy too and Abu Dhabi Golf Club’s Bilel Bilaid held his nerve to edge past Eoin Cunniffe of Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club and win the Emirates Golf Federation’s Junior Order Of Merit title in the Boys Gross category. A picture of consistency during the six-month long season, Belaid tallied 148.25 points, edging past Cunniffe by just five points. The winner of the Yas Links Abu Dhabi Junior Open, Belaid featured in all of the seven events which carried Order of Merit points and to top it off finished inside the top 16 in the Men’s to qualify for the Dubai Golf Trophy.

Sana Tufail cemented her position as the No.1 lady golfer in the UAE when the young prodigy won the Emirates Golf Federation’s Ladies Order of Merit titles in both Gross and Net divisions with consummate ease.

Representing Yas Links Abu Dhabi, Tufail won 10 of the 11 events on the Order of Merit to tally an impressive 324 points, well ahead of Kavita Sehmi of Emirates Golf Club who finished second with 229 points. Tufail, who featured in the 2011 Omega Dubai Ladies Masters on a sponsor’s invitation, also reigned supreme in the Net division, winning the title with 183.5 points, ahead of EGF’s Anastasia Bakal on 174 points.

meydan opens It’s great to see that The Track, Meydan Golf is finally open for play. The 3,700 yard 9-hole layout is designed by Peter Harradine, who was responsible for the courses at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Doha Golf Club, Jebel Ali and Sharjah among others, so you know that it’s going to be a quality golf course. The course has been constructed around a series of natural lakes which add a great challenge and it couldn’t

Harradine double

I’m still battling back from my injury but my new Titleist clubs are giving me added incentive to get back out their.

be in a better location as far as getting a perfect view of the Dubai skyline and the iconic Meydan Racecourse goes.

I think The Track will offer a good challenge for players of all abilities and it’s great that after all of this time Dubai finally has a pay-to-play golf course. It will offer casual golfers and beginners an environment where they can go and play without feeling intimidated so it’s got to be good for the development of the game in the region. There’s also going to be a fully equipped clubhouse with golf shop, locker rooms, restaurant and sports bar so it’s definitely one to add to your schedule in the next few weeks.

Injury hampers my progress Unfortunately I haven’t been able to play an awful lot of golf recently due to a torn meniscus in my left knee, not exactly ideal as a right handed golfer!

I had planned to get back into practise much sooner as the injury occurred just before Tour school, the first week of January, but only really became a problem in February.

By the time I’d seen a series of physios and taken their advice to rest on board another 4-5 weeks had passed, taking me into March, and still no improvement. After playing back-to-back tournaments in Abu Dhabi on the local circuit I was in a lot of discomfort and it was clear that it wasn’t getting any better.

It’s now six weeks since I played a round of golf and I’ve had six weeks of relatively intense physio but it’s all just part and parcel of the game.

I’m back in light practise so I’m just itching to get back out there on the ADT (Asian Development Tour). www.wwgolf.biz

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JOEL NEALE PLAYING EDITOR WORLDWIDE GOLF TALKS TO:

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BiLEL BELAid

LOCAL SCENE BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

How does it feel to be crowned the EGF Junior Order of Merit Champion 2011-2012?

It’s always a great feeling to be rewarded for the hard work put in during the season. This win is very special to me as it is my last year before graduating and going to university so it definitely feels great.

You’ve grown up in the UAE – do you feel this has been an advantage to you in improving your golf due to the weather and facilities?

Absolutely, we ‘re privileged to be able to play and practice almost 12 months out of 12 in top notch conditions especially on great courses such as the Majlis at Emirates Golf Club and great practice facilities such as Saadiyat Beach Club.

What age did you start playing golf?

The family were into tennis at first and then shifted to golf. I came along during that shift and chose to take golf more seriously at the age of 5. Looking back, I’m grateful to have decided to take up golf.

What’s your favourite European Tour event in the Middle East and why?

The Abu Dhabi Golf Championship as it is played in my home club and it is always exciting to witness how the top players, such as Tiger and Luke, play around your home course. They’re also getting the best fields at the moment and the event keeps growing year on year.

Where would you say your strengths are?

My strength is my short game – more precisely chipping – and the ability to hit a draw. That’s why my nickname is “hooker”!

What do you think you could improve on?

Well I could definitely improve my ball shaping as the fade is not my natural shot. I’m trying to work on my putting as well as that’s 50% of the game.

What aspirations do you have in golf?

You always try to find your best game and see how far you can improve. Being able to participate in a Tour qualifying event and making the cut would be a great start to test my game going forward.

What plans do you have once you have finished School?

I plan to pursue my studies in London where I intend to study maths at Imperial College of London.

Combining golf with education is still an option to be considered but it’s very difficult at this stage to know how that will end up. Golf in the USA and Europe is far more developed than here and the difference is pretty big when it comes to the competitive game so it might be difficult!

Describe a typical day in your shoes.

A typical weekend day would start by going to the Club at around 10am, physical warm-up for 30mins, hit balls for an hour combining long game and short game with 20 mins on the putting green. I’d then play a round of golf (18 holes) before returning to the range to focus

on whatever elements of my game did not work on the course. I’d finish with a 25 min gym session. Then I’d shower, eat and hit the sack. On a weekday, it would typically involve an hour on the range followed by studying.

What’s the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to you on a golf course?

This is a true story. I fell in the lake alongside the 15th hole at Saadiyat Beach Club but don’t mention it to Paul Booth!

How old were you when you first broke par?

I was 16 years old, shot 68 around The National.

What is your nemesis hole?

Hole 18 at the Creek, there is water everywhere and I don’t feel comfortable hitting a big draw as it might end up in the lake and the second shot isn’t easy.

Who Inspires you the most?

Definitely Tiger, the guy won 14 Majors, has 72 wins on Tour and hits phenomenal shots such as the chip he holed on the 16th in the final round of the 2005 Masters.

If you didn’t play golf, what other sport would you play?

I enjoy horse riding and tennis as a good way to escape a bad day on the course.

What’s your favourite course and Why? the national in abu dhabi. i find it challenging and beautiful Which makes it enjoyable even When you are having a tough time out there.

Which tournament in the golfing calendar do you look forWard to the most and Why? the abu dhabi men’s open and dubai creek men’s open. they’re played on my favourite courses in the country, if not the Whole region. they alWays get strong fields and are alWays Well organised.

Who would you pick to play in your dream foursome?

Tiger Woods, Luke Donald and Michael Jordan – three sporting icons. www.wwgolf.biz

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SWING ANALYSIS BY

Ben DerByshire head Golf Professional sharjah Golf & shooting Club

1

2

3

Bilel initially sets up with the driver in a relatively closed position and with his feet,

A superb takeaway position with lots of width and the clubface angle remaining parallel to his spine angle.

therefore, aiming to theinright of target (right foot positioned back of his left foot) and Michael has hugely improved his address position the past 12 months.

From being withover a slight C-posture in his spine. rather hunched over the ball he now adopts a lovely athletic position with excellent spine and leg angles.

A tremendous amount of lag ready to be released into the golf ball.

6

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Bilel creates an aggressive in-to-out approach into the golf ball where he is hopeful to hit a powerful right-to-left flight.

7 7

8

A very upright shaft exit plane as a consequence of the in-to-out swing path.

9

LOCAL GAME WITH BILEL BELAId

5

4

6 A large torso rotation with the shaft in a slightly laid-off position and great maintenance of posture through to the top of his backswing.

A well balanced finishing position with his shaft in a nice parallel-to-eye-line position.

9 10

11

12

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57

THE TRACK MEYDAN GOLF open for Preview Play

LOCAL SCENE

Mike Gallemore talks to Troon Golf General Manager at The Track Meydan Golf about the opening for Preview play of the long-awaited first pay-and-play facility in the Middle East, which is quickly making its mark on the UAE golf scene.

On the Right Track F

OR those seasoned golfers who have already sampled the delights of The Track Meydan Golf they may have expected a case of déjà vu.

But the Peter Harradine-designed course is a completely different proposition to the old Nad Al Sheba layout that was so popular before it was closed when Meydan was created.

Although the new 9-hole course is in the same vicinity as the original Nad Al Sheba course, the similarity ends there. Yet in the manner in which Nad Al Sheba provided good value golf and a vibrant, welcoming clubhouse, The Track is taking the experience to a new level.

The new pay-and-play course fills a void that has been long-awaited in the UAE since the Emirates Golf Club first opened. There’s no membership required at The Track. It’s simply a case of booking a tee time and turning up. For the current introductory period you can play a 9-hole Preview round for AED 300 or continue and play 18 holes for no extra cost.

In typical Peter Harradine style The Track was designed to suit all levels of golfer. It’s a good test for players of all ages and abilities with a variation of tee boxes to cater for everyone. The course opens for play at 6.30am and will soon be playable until midnight when the floodlights are switched on for the summer.

General Manager, Troon Golf, Paul Dennis is excited at the prospect of putting The Track on the Middle East golfing map. “We’re aiming to provide a high end experience but not at high end prices,”

he says. “There’s still a lot for us to do to get up to Troon Golf standards but the course itself is fantastic. Everyone who’s played it so far has been full of praise for it. Peter Harradine has certainly done a great job.

“Some of the golfers who have played The Track, who played at Nad Al Sheba Club, said they had a strange feeling of knowing roughly where they were but couldn’t associate that with the new course layout. That’s understandable and they accept that Peter’s design has made it a totally different proposition.”

In the original plans it was considered that there was enough room to be able to extend the 9-holes to 18-holes and that could still happen. “Peter has done a routing plan to accommodate another 9-holes and it’s my job to prove the viability of making this an 18-hole golf course,” says Paul. “It’s something that we’ll be looking closely at as we progress.

“Apart from the golf course itself we’re very proud of our new sports bar, Qube. It’s situated on the first floor of the Clubhouse with the restaurant below, which is akin to a spike bar but with fabulous food. It has a terrace with great views overlooking the Marina, which will eventually connect to the canal. Qube is already making a name for itself as the best sports bar in Dubai.

“We’re all looking forward to offering fantastic value and a brilliant all-round experience. We’re

gearing up for the summer period and when the season starts again we’ll be ready to welcome golf societies and corporate groups. With the Meydan Hotel, the Racecourse and the tennis academy and all the facilities they have, we can also appeal to the international market. “ Paul, who spent a number of years with Troon Golf at one of England’s most prestigious golf venues, The Grove near London, which hosted the 2006 World Golf Championships-American Express Championship, which Tiger Woods won by eight shots, has been in Dubai for four years, and in Abu Dhabi for 18 months before that.

“I believe the key to our success at the Track Meydan Golf will be to provide great value for everyone without sacrificing the excellence of the Troon Golf experience. We want golfers to enjoy playing the course but we want them to spend the day with us and bring their families and enjoy all the things we have to offer here. It’s going to be a fun place to be.”

It looks as though The Track Meydan Golf is right on track to provide excellent play-and-play golf at an affordable price on an interesting Peter Harradine course along with the fun atmosphere of the new Clubhouse and Qube sports bar. n

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LOCAL SCENE

‘Host Cities’ set to welCome worldwide sporting leaders to dubai summit

S

PORTS leaders from across the globe will gather in Dubai in December for the first time to discuss the hot topic of emerging nations hosting the world’s biggest sporting events.

Host Cities presented by Emirates Airline, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of the Executive Council for Dubai Government and Chairman of Dubai Sports Council, will take place in Dubai on December 4 and 5.

The subject of emerging nations hosting major world-class sports events for the first time is at the top of the sporting agenda following Russia and Qatar’s successful FIFA Football World Cup bids for 2018 and 2022, respectively.

Elsewhere, the emerging cities of Doha, Istanbul and Baku in Azerbaijan are locked in a five-way bid for the 2020 Olympic Games, along with Madrid and Tokyo, with the host city being announced in September next year.

Representatives from golf’s European Tour, the US Tennis Association, the International Cricket Council and Emirates Airline – whose sport sponsorship portfolio includes the FIFA World Cup, the DP World Tour Championship Dubai, the IRB Rugby World Cup, the Dubai World Cup and numerous professional football clubs – will be among those supporting the event.

Host Cities is being organised by Streamline Marketing Group, specialists in launching landmark live events such as the recent Global Aerospace Summit in Abu Dhabi.

Maurice Flanagan, Executive Vice Chairman Emirates Airline and Group, said: “Emirates has been a major supporter of global sports for many years.The breadth of our sports sponsorships spans many disciplines and covers numerous continents.

We have long recognised the benefit of investing in sponsorship and have witnessed at firsthand the staggering changes that holding a worldwide sporting event can imbue on the host country.

“In our role as official airline for many worldwide sporting events we have gained an innate

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Maurice Flanagan, Executive Vice Chairman Emirates Airline and Group

“In our role as official airline for many worldwide sporting events we have gained an innate understanding of the commitment that it takes to win the rights to host an internationally recognised event and we look forward to imparting this knowledge during Host Cities later this year.”

understanding of the commitment that it takes to win the rights to host an internationally recognised event and we look forward to imparting this knowledge during Host Cities later this year.”

Global desitination Dr. Ahmed Saad Al Sharif, Secretary General of the Dubai Sports Council, said: “Dubai is always looking at various ways and means to position itself as a global destination for a variety of sporting events. Host Cities will further strengthen the pulling power of Dubai, the UAE and the Gulf region.

“Dubai has fast become a destination of choice for some of the biggest and most important sporting and tourism events in the world and this summit will further consolidate its position as a sporting capital of the Middle East.”

The UAE’s development can be seen in sport through the hosting of events such as the prestigious world-class horseracing event at the

magnificent Meydan Racecourse, the Dubai World Cup; the Formula 1 Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi; the FIFA Club World Cup football; the Pakistan international cricket fixtures; the climax to The European Tour International Schedule, the DP Wold Tour Championship Dubai, and The European Tour’s international season-long order of merit, The Race to Dubai.

Richard Hills, golf’s Ryder Cup Director, said of the summit: “Dubai and the Gulf region have been key in the global growth and development of The European Tour from the inaugural Dubai Desert Classic in 1989 up to the present day with Dubai hosting the climax of the season-long Race to Dubai - the DP World Tour Championship Dubai at Jumeirah Golf Estates – for the fourth consecutive season in November.

“We are really delighted to be involved in ‘Host Cities’ and look forward to outlining The Ryder Cup 2018 bidding process and sharing our experiences with the other sporting bodies,” added Hills.

Lew Sherr, Chief Revenue Officer at the US Tennis Association, will be attending Host Cities and said: “There is little that can rival major sporting events in galvanising entire communities and impacting on local economies.

“The US Open annually breaks through New York’s hyper-competitive marketplace and energises sports fans, the business elite and members of the media. The Host Cities Summit will be the perfect place to learn how to leverage sporting events to benefit your community.”

The two-day event will involve a conference, featuring high profile speakers from former host cities and organising committees, panel-led case study explanations, practical workshops and informal networking and learning opportunities for prospective hosts.

The summit will aid potential host cities by offering them an opportunity to develop their understanding of what it takes to be a host nation,

and work as a base for sporting administrators, brands and broadcasters to seek out new hosts and partners.

The International Cricket Council’s Head of Commercial Operations, Campbell Jamieson, said: “The short and long-term benefits for cities in hosting major sporting events are well recognised.

The successful staging of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 in 13 cities across Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka clearly demonstrates that delivering world class sporting events is no longer the preserve of countries in North America or Europe.

“However, just as each sport has unique qualities and attributes, staging each major sports event requires a unique approach and cannot be undertaken without risks.

“This summit will enable officials from international sporting federations and cities from emerging markets to meet and exchange ideas that will help identify and reduce those risks.” n

“Dubai and the Gulf region have been key in the global growth and development of The European Tour from the inaugural Dubai Desert Classic in 1989 up to the present day with Dubai hosting the climax of the seasonlong Race to Dubai – the DP World Tour Championship Dubai at Jumeirah Golf Estates – for the fourth consecutive season in November.

– Richard Hills, Ryder Cup Director

www.wwgolf.biz

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MENA Golf Tour

LOCAL SCENE

Shaikh Fahim bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Arab Golf Federation and Chairman of the Emirates Golf Federation, Mohamed Juma Buamaim, Chairman of the MENA Golf Tour, and Khalfan Al Kaabi, a board member of the Emirates Golf Federation, with the MENA Golf Tour trophy.

putting emerging talent on tHe patH to suCCess The MENA Golf Tour fits perfectly into the grand scheme of things if the region’s players, includingthose in the UAE, are to realise their ambitions of competing on the bigger stage, especially in the Asian Games or even the 2016 Olympics where the sport is making a comeback after a 112-year absence.

The MENA Tour, now in its second year, has assumed a special significance with the UAE National Olympic Committee (NOC) officially endorsing golf in its portfolio of sports, thus clearing the way for the country’s leading players to start working on achieving the “biggest moments of their careers.”

‘Top Flight Golf’ “There are hundreds of young golfers in the region who would be proud to represent their country and it would be an honour for anyone who plays this game to be part of the Asian Games and Olympic Games,” said Mohamed Juma Buamaim, Chairman of the MENA Golf Tour.

“Hard work and exposure to high-intensity competition are vital ingredients to preparing the players for top flight golf, and the MENA Golf Tour has the strength in depth to provide competition that would challenge the players and fine tune

their skills required to compete at this level.

“Our intention is to develop amateurs who represent their country through this Tour because we feel they are the ones who will encourage more people to take up golf – and not the Woods and the Westwoods,” he said.

“The added incentives, of course, are the spots that we offer to top golfers on the Order of Merit – three professionals and one leading amateur -- to compete in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

“We have created a springboard for the players to benefit from it and, hopefully, they will set new standards,” said Buamaim, who thanked the UAE NOC for its initiative in recognising golf, which is fast becoming popular among the Emiratis.”

The MENA Golf Tour, he explained, is not specific. to the UAE. “The Tour is meant to create playing opportunities for all those keen on playing at the top level or planning on making a career out of golf. It’s a stepping stone to the exciting world of international golf.”

The second edition of the MENA Tour, which is scheduled to tee off in September this year, will have a true regional flavour with stops in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and possibly, Morocco. With more tournaments and more prize money on offer, the Tour is expected to attract strong fields with

players who have featured on Challenge Tour and Asian Tour events adding to its strength.

If a MENA Golf Tour player goes on to establish his credentials on the international circuit, it will be a sign of the times in an ever-changing world.

“The Tour encourages us to join hands, group our efforts together and set off to make this dream come true,” he added.

Initiative The Middle East and North Africa Tour was the initiative of the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation.

The inaugural four-tournament MENA Golf Tour season began last September at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, Abu Dhabi, with the second event held at Tower Links Golf Club, Ras Al Khaimah and the third at Al Badia Golf Club in Dubai in October.

The Tour Championship, hosted by Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club, was won by Jake Shepherd after a sudden-death play-off with Sean McNamara.

Shepherd, the 21-year-old professional from England also won the Tour’s Order of Merit.

Morocco’s leading amateur, Ahmed Marjan won the Amateur Order of Merit. Each tournament received official R&A recognition with World Amateur Ranking points. n www.wwgolf.biz

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LOCAL SCENE

Iain McInally, General Manager The Address Montgomerie Dubai

Mike Gallemore talks to IAIN McINAlly, who has recently taken over the reins as General Manager at The Address Montgomerie Dubai, about his background, his views and his plans for the future.

innovation is key to

Growth Q: Where were you born and brought up and what were your earliest memories of golf?

A: I was born in Glenrothes in Fife, Scotland – the maternity hospital at the time was in St. Andrews at Craigtoun, part of The Dukes course that I managed at one point in my career, but a lack of transport meant I was born at home. It would have been nice to say I was born in St. Andrews, but I’m still proud to be a Fifer! I was brought up in Alton in Hampshire where we moved shortly before my 3rd birthday due to my Dad’s job.

My parents still live there now. My earliest memories of golf were playing pitch & putt in Camperdown Park in Dundee with my family when visiting during the summer holidays, but I never started playing golf until I was 15 when I joined Alton Golf Club as a junior, and was 16 before I really put any effort into it.

Q: Where have you worked prior to coming to Dubai?

A: Most recently I was in Portugal at Monte Rei Golf & Country Club in the Algarve, and before that at nearby Quinta do Lago. I have worked in England at Worplesdon, The Wisley and Hanbury Manor and in Scotland at

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The Old Course Hotel and at Fairmont St. Andrews – and in Barbados at Royal Westmoreland. This is my 5th country and 3rd continent!

Q: What are your impressions of Dubai and the UAE and how do you regard the future?

A: My first impressions of Dubai and the UAE are that it is an incredibly progressive, competitive, and vibrant place. There is a tremendously diverse population here that brings expectation and skills from all around the world. You can literally feel the energy here.

Q: Did you have any knowledge of the UAE, Dubai or The Montgomerie prior to taking up your new position?

A: Like everyone within the hospitality industry I was extremely aware of the UAE and of Dubai, and as a golfer I was very aware of The Montgomerie as a product but had only visited for a day prior to taking up the role. Dubai has a reputation within the hospitality industry, and in particular the golf element, as having created a culture of service, quality of product, and commercial success that is both envied and respected.

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

A: It’s not really a funny story, but I remember playing with a good friend who had a hole in one on the 4th hole at Worplesdon GC, and another ace a day later on the 12th at Alton GC using the exact same club and ball. He then, against my advice, insisted on continuing to use that ball – and lost it with his very next shot into a cow field!

Q: What are your most memorable moments of either playing or watching golf?

A: I am still a member of the PGA, although my roles for some time have not encompassed any of the traditional responsibilities of a PGA golf professional. I turned pro and went through my apprenticeship at Worplesdon Golf Club in Surrey when I was 19, having only played golf for three or four years. I really became engaged with the game after watching Seve win The Open at St. Andrews in 1984, shortly before my 16th birthday.

Seve was truly inspirational and watching the way he played and all passion and emotion that went with every shot, made me want to be part of the wonderful game. My Dad took me to St. Andrews a week or so after that Open when we were in Scotland on holiday, and I remember standing at the back of the 18th green with the grandstands still in place and feeling every hair on my body stand on end.

Any golfer who has visited St Andrews will know that feeling, the sense of history, and the amazing beauty of the place. My birthday present a couple of months later was a Ping Anser putter, the same model as Seve had used to win, and which I still have today!

Q A

: Do you think it is possible for a golf club to be viable without including an hotel, or real estate, or both? : For a developer to receive a positive return on investment from purely a golf offering is possible, and there are good examples in the UK with The Wisley, Queenwood and Kingsbarns all being very successful, independently. However, golf courses will more often be used as a means of leveraging other higher yielding aspects, such as real estate, where golf can add a huge increment to the price of adjacent plots and properties, and can also accelerate sales. Many studies have shown how real estate within golf resorts constantly outperforms the market while also being far more resilient against any downturn. Golf will also be used as a means of adding diversity to the business mix of a resort or hotel, and when managed correctly can complement the traditional business patterns by filling rooms during the difficult periods. One aspect that makes golf challenging to operate independently is the relatively high ongoing operational costs, which are primarily fixed and only vary fractionally according to volume of play. This leaves the operation very exposed to changes in the market, and even adverse weather, so developers usually cover this risk by making the main source of revenue Membership based – usually giving a form of equity in return. While this can recover much of the initial investment, and if structured well can cover the operational exposure, the guarantees given to make this type of membership sufficiently attractive can be extremely limiting on the ability to generate additional revenues.

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Dirab Golf & Country Club is the first certified grassed 18-Hole Par-72 championship and 9-Hole Par 27 Academy golf course in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Located 45 kms south west of Riyadh City and nestled in the picturesque Tawfig valley, the club features lush tree-lined fairways and perfectly manicured greens. Open all year round, the course offers a driving range and practice facilities- 9holes are floodlit, enabling play after sundown.

Having hosted the 1st Saudi Arabian National Amateur Championship in 2001, 10th Annual GCC Golf Championship in 2002, BMW World Qualifier Tournament in 2004, Dirab Pro-Am Golf Tournament in 2005, 28th Pan Arab Golf Tournament in 2008 and Saudi Oger Amateur Golf Championship in 2009, Dirab Golf & Country Club is equally suited for seasoned golfers and for those wishing to learn the sport.

Iain McInally, General Manager The Address Montgomerie Dubai

Q: Other than Seve, who are your golfing heroes – and why?

A: Outside of my family and friends Seve was the one who inspired me to want to play, and after watching him play on TV I desperately wanted to get to the course and copy everything he had done. I was extremely fortunate to play a few holes with Seve at The Wisley when I worked there in the early 90s, and have an amazing set of photos taken by Dave Cannon which shows an entire swing sequence of me hitting a 6 iron, with Seve standing next to me leaning on his club watching closely - with a reasonably-sized gallery in the background! Those photos are currently in a container on a boat heading this way. They would be the items I’d be most upset about losing if the boat sinks! Other golfing heroes would include Sandy Lyle because, as with Seve, there was always drama and a knowledge that anything could happen. He was also the best Scottish golfer of that time. Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have to be included in my list also due to the tremendous impact they have had on the game and their unique achievements.

Q: Do you have any other hobbies or past-times?

A: Working in the hospitality industry takes up a huge amount of time. My family are the most important part of my life, and over the past few years

spending every moment possible with my daughter is what I want to do most. I enjoy all sports but football has always been a strong passion, and I follow Southampton – newly promoted to the Premier League - whose youth programme I was part of in my teens before being released.

Q: Do you have a family?

A: I have a wife, a 2½ year old daughter, and an English Bulldog called Molly who is very much part of the family!

Q: What are your goals and aims for The Montgomerie Dubai?

A: I believe that The Montgomerie has made a positive progression over the past few years, and I see the future as a continuation of this trend. I don’t believe there’s any need for dramatic change, just a continual evolution of all aspects of the operation. The golf course conditioning, the academy, the restaurants, the banqueting and events, the bedrooms and our service standards all need to reflect the brand of The Address. We need to continually improve our offering through innovation and creativity, as well as ongoing investment into the physical assets.

Q: What is your view of the golfing scene in Dubai and the UAE? A: Golf within the UAE is viewed with tremendous respect within the industry

Seve was an inspiration to generations of social, club and professional golfers the world over. Above he’s pictured on his way to winning the 1979 Open Championship at Royal Lytham. It might be 32 years since that epic win but that heroic shot he played out of the car park during the final round will never be forgotten.

LOCAL SCENE

due to its commercial success and high profile. From a golfer’s perspective, it’s losing the ‘the new kid on the block’ tag and very quickly developing a credible history and prestige – thanks primarily to the strong tournament support and the strength of fields that are attracted to the Tour events staged here. I believe that this will only become stronger, and golf will continue to assist the UAE’s phenomenal development.

Q: Do you have any ideas for creating more golfers in Dubai or attracting more golfing tourists?

A: The UAE has played a massive role within world golf over the past decade, and has contributed directly to the success and growth of The European Tour in particular. This investment and strategy is rewarded by the fact that it has established a reputation as a genuine 5-star golf destination in a very short period of time. As a result, the golf courses run at a higher occupancy than most golf tourism destinations. Dubai is undoubtedly amongst the busiest golf destinations in the world, offering a genuinely top-end golf product and service. To continue this incredible growth within the market, the golf offering needs to continue to be innovative, continue to focus on the quality of product and service, and continue to predict market demands. n

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Middle East’s Leading Golf Resort

Dubai’s Leading Golf Resort

OMEGA DUBAI LADIES MASTERS

LOCAL SCENE

HRH PRINCESS HAYA EXTENDS HER PATRONAGE HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has extended Her patronage to the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters for another two years, reaffirming Her support of the premier women’s golfing event in the region.

Promoted and organised by ‘golf in DUBAi’, the €500,000 (Dh 2.45 million) Ladies European Tour’s season-ending event has grown in stature and popularity since its inception in 2006, showcasing the talent of the world’s leading players in what is regarded as the ‘Ladies Major of the Middle East.’

HRH Princess Haya’s kind gesture of extending Her patronage to the 2012 and 2013 Omega Dubai Ladies Masters is a fitting recognition to the role played by the event in promoting women’s golf in the region and is part of a longterm Dubai goal to become a solid foothold for all sports worldwide.

“It is indeed a great honour and privilege for all of us at golf in DUBAi to have HRH Princess Haya extend Her patronage to the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters,” said Mohamed Juma Buamaim, Vice Chairman and CEO of golf in DUBAi. “A former Olympic athlete, humanitarian, member of the International Olympic Committee,

HRH Princess Haya presents the winner’s trophy to Denmark’s Iben Tinning, the 2010 Omega Dubai Ladies Masters champion, as Mohamed Juma Buamaim, Vice Chairman and CEO of golf in DUBAi, looks on at the Emirates Golf Club

“The patronage of HH Princess Haya has certainly raised the profile of our event and we will strive to do everything possible to raise the bar for future events befitting Dubai’s image as the region’s sporting capital.”

– Mohamed Juma Buamaim, Vice Chairman and CEO of golf in DUBAi. UN Messenger of Peace and President of the International Equestrian Federation, HRH Princess Haya is a woman of substance who has inspired many people with Her strong values and forceful conviction.”

Sporting Culture “Her patronage has certainly raised the profile of our event and we will strive to do everything possible to raise the bar for future events befitting Dubai’s image as the region’s sporting capital.

“Every international sporting event hosted in Dubai has its own appeal and aura, reflecting on the Emirate’s dynamic and innovative sporting culture,” he added. The 2011 Omega

Dubai Ladies Masters, the first event to be held under patronage, generated tremendous media coverage around the world.

The independent facts provided by the Ladies European Tour show the event, won by US teenage prodigy Alexis Thompson, generated international media exposure worth Dhs383 million hrough 380 broadcasts worldwide. ‘golf in DUBAi’ is backed by Omega as the title sponsor and Dubal (Dubai Aluminium) as the sponsor. The co-sponsors are: CNN, Emirates NBD, Gulf News, Jumeirah, Mercedes-Benz and wasl, while Dubai Duty Free, Carpetland and Motivate are the Patrons in golf in DUBAi’s drive to showcase the emirate’s vibrant golfing scene to a worldwide audience. n www.wwgolf.biz

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LOCALNEWS

A R A B I A N SKAIKS DOMINATE PAR-THREE LEAGUE EVENT FAST-IMPROVING Ahmed Skaik and his cousin Mahmood Skaik once again turned in impressive performances to win their respective divisions in the National Par-3 League event at the Yas Links Golf Club in Abu Dhabi.

Ahmed carded a gross 32 over nine holes to take the honours in Division A, just one stroke ahead Ahmed Albudoor while Mahmood fired a gross 26 over six holes to beat his nearest challenger Obaid Al Heloo by four shots in Division B. The two brothers have kept the momentum going since winning the opening two events of the league, which is presented by the Emirates Golf Federation to give young Emiratis who are enrolled with the National Junior Programme or members of the Development Programmes at different clubs in the UAE, a feel for competition.

In total 32 players competed in the fourth and penultimate league event with the competitors divided into two divisions, each comprising 16 players.

Young Saeed Al Balooshi also made it to the podium, winning the Nearest to the Pin prize.

Saeed Albudoor, General Manager of the Emirates Golf Federation, said: “Once again we had a good response to the event. The very fact that it attracted players from Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi shows the league is gaining in popularity all over the country.

“Ahmed and Mahmood have just been fantastic from the beginning.

They have improved with every event and, hopefully, their performance will encourage other newcomers to the game to work hard.”

STEADY MARGHOOB WINS UAE NATIONALS MEDAL JAMAL bin Marghoob played with the consistency of a seasoned golfer to win the UAE Nationals Monthly Medal, organised by the Emirates Golf Federation, at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club.

The fast-improving Emirati golfer scored on all holes to tally 42 points, beating his nearest challenger by Faisal Al Sayegh by a good three points. Sultan Ali settled for third following a countback with 36 points. Khalid Yousuf, a member

of the UAE national team, also made his presence felt, winning the prestigious gross prize with a solid level-par score of 70.

Abdul Wahed Al Qasem walked away with the honours in Division A with 34 points while Mohammed Al Musharrekh, the overall winner of the first two events of the medal series, reigned supreme in Division B, taking the title with 36 points.

Ahmed Skaik scored a fantastic 52 points in the junior division.

EGF Board member Darwish Al Qubaisi presents the Junior Division winner Ahmed Skaik with his prize.

The talented youngster, whose handicap will come down significantly after his superb performance, also took the Longest Drive prize in his division.

Saeed Albudoor, General Manager of the Emirates Golf Federation, thanked all the players for making the event a great success.

“Scores were impressive in each division which shows the course was in great condition as always,” said Albudoor.

Jamal bin Marghoob accepts his prize from Darwish Al Qubaisi.

SANA TUFAIL WINS EGF LADIES ORDER OF MERIT TITLE WITH EASE SANA Tufail cemented her position as the No.1 lady golfer in the UAE when the young prodigy won the Emirates Golf Federation’s Ladies Order of Merit titles in both Gross and Net divisions with consummate ease.

Representing Yas Links Abu Dhabi, Tufail won 10 of the 11 events on the Order of Merit to tally an impressive 324 points, well ahead of Kavita Sehmi of Emirates Golf Club who finished second with 229 points. Anastasia Bakal of EGF settled for third.

The major highlight of Tufail’s impressive run was

her 10 victories on the trot – a staggering statistic that outlines her complete domination during the season which kicked off in October with the Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club Ladies Open and ended with the Emirates Golf Club Ladies Open on April 13.

Tufail, who featured in the 2011 Omega Dubai Ladies Masters on a sponsor’s invitation, also reigned supreme in the Net division, winning the title with 183.5 points, ahead of EGF’s Anastasia Bakal (174 points). www.wwgolf.biz

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SAIF-Zone GOLF SOCIETY LEAGUE

Contact: Tel : +971 6 548 7777 info@golfandshootingshj.com

www.golfandshootingshj.com

GOLF SOCIETY LEAGUE

Left: The victorious Dubai ExPutts 1 Golf Society accept their prize for winning the 2012 Saif-Zone Golf Society Leagye from Chris Turlik from WWG (left) and Vivek George from SNTTA (right).

SECOND TIME LUCKY FOR DUBAI EX-PUTTS 1 THE Dubai ExPutts 1 bounced back from their runner-up finish in 2011 to win the 2012 SAIF Zone Golf Society League in a tense final against Mott MacDonald B last month.

The opening match between Phil Sharpe (11) and Mark Cunningham (10) of the Dubai ExPutts 1 and Ian Plant (5) and Westley Burke (15) of the Mott MacDonald B was a nervy affair but the ExPutts stood firm as they closed out a 3&2 victory.

Sharpe and Cunningham went 1up with a birdie on the opening hole but they were back to all-square after the second when Plant made a lengthy par putt.

The ExPutts found themselves in the ascendency again with a great up-and-down from Cunningham on the fifth and they got to 2up when Sharp made a 20-footer for birdie on hole 8. By the 14th they were 3up but were pegged back by a birdie from Burke on 15. Cunningham then got a birdie of his own on the 16th to seal a comfortable 3&2 victory.

The second match was much closer as Marc Edwards (10) and Greg Donaghy (9) of the ExPutts defeated Rory Thomson (12) and Rob Russell (17) 1up on the 18th green.

Great spirit At the presentation dinner Phil Sharpe thanked all of the sponsors and organisers. “The best and overriding factor of the day was the great spirit in which the final was played,” he said. “The Motts lads played some excellent golf, fighting all the way to the end and running the final very close.

“They were great company on the course, and some great laughs were had, irrespective of who was winning or losing. We’re delighted to have won the competition after coming so close last year. We came through a tough group stage and then through some tense knockout matches to finally win the title.”

The third/fourth place play-off didn’t start well for the reigning champions MasSin 2. They were down in both their matches against the Sharjah Golfing Buddies after four holes but they clawed their way back into it and won both matches to seal third place.

Running alongside the SAIF Zone Golf Society League fixture was a Captains’ and Sponsors’ Stableford which was won by Alastair Seivewright (IT-Serve.com) with 39 points. Azhar Syarawi (MasSin) took second with 38 points and Dan Alforte (Dubal) finished third on 36 points (O.C.B).

Claire Badger, Golf Business Development and Sales Manager commented: “It was great to invite back the Captains from all of the societies and the Sponsors for a complimentary season ending golf day. This whole tournament would not have been possible without the support of the Captains and of course our Sponsors, SAIF Zone, SNTTA, BMW and Worldwide Golf, so it is nice to be able to show our appreciation “It’s sad to have reached the end of the series but judging by the positive feedback we have received from participating societies this year, they’ll all be back to battle it out again next season!”

The 4th edition of the SAIF Zone Golf Society League will start from October 2012.

Above: The runner-up team of Mott MacDonald B are pictured with Worldwide Golf’s Chris Turlik (left) and Vivek George from SNTTA (right).

Below: All the participants of the final and the third/ fourth place play-off are pictured before play.

Tech access INTERNATIONAL PAIRS

Presented by Cadillac

International-Pairs-Uae

www.golffrontiers.com

Yas Links Golf Club, venue for the final of the 2012 Tech Access International Pairs UAE on June 8th.

All set for thrilling Finale THE 2012 edition of the Tech Access International Pairs UAE Presented

by Cadillac is heading towards another tight finish as teams from 14 clubs around the UAE have already secured their berths in this year’s National Final.

Only Dubai Creek and Al Ain Equestrian, Golf & Shooting Club remain to be played in this season’s Qualifying schedule, after which, a final field of 16 pairs will prepare for the Grand Finale at one of the UAE’s most prestigious venues, Yas Links, in Abu Dhabi.

This is the second year of International Pairs UAE after a successful first season that saw Ian Kelly and Denver Farrell from Arabian Ranches Golf Club go through to the International Pairs World Final in Scotland.

Yas Links will provide a stern test of golf and this year’s winners will have to produce their best golf on June 8 when high temperatures add an additional challenge to Kyle Phillips’s tough layout.

In contrast to the inaugural National Final in 2011, juniors will potentially play a prominent role in 2012 as 16-year olds Ronan

National Final Qualifiers Arabian Ranches Golf Club: Bob Fletcher & Andy Grayling Abu Dhabi City Golf Club: Hasan Mousa Al Qamzi & Sami Ghandour The Els Club: Mark Thompson & Gerhardt Pretorius Yas Links: Walter & Ronan Hall Emirates Golf Club: Trevor Varri & Conor Keegan Al Hamra Golf Club: Phil Mallinson & Ivan Kraemer Tower Links Golf Club: Johan & Manilyn Buxmann The Montgomerie Dubai: Tom & Pia Johansson Al Ghazal Golf Club: Ramesh Emmanuel & Rene Valencia Al Badia Golf Club: Keith Nann & Colin Gow Jumeirah Golf Estates: Giordano & Tania Gelasini Emirates Golf Federation: Peter Menelaou & Garreth Estment Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club: Jin Man Lee & Young Park Sharjah Wanderers Golf Club: Dave Summerson & Paul Napper Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club

Friday April 27

Al Ain Equestrian, G&S Club

Friday May 4

Hall and Conor Keegan look to emphasise the ongoing success of junior golf across the country.

Both players boast low handicaps and both play most of their golf on courses renowned for their level of difficulty.

Ronan, who qualified at Yas Links with his father, Walter, will hope that home advantage is key while Conor’s experience on the Majlis Course at Emirates Golf Club will be invaluable as he and partner, Trevor Varri enter the fray.

The distinct advantage held by ladies will also come to the fore as the teams from The Montgomerie Dubai, Tower Links, Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club and Jumeirah Golf Estates are all mixed pairs.

As well as competing in the National Final, the winning pair from each Qualifier will stay at one of the UAE’s newest resorts, the stunning Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi, which will also host the International Pairs UAE Awards Dinner that evening, which will be attended by sponsors and invited guests. This beautiful

resort, which is positioned on a nine-kilometre stretch of environmentally protected beach, opened in November 2011 and has exceeded expectations already.

With 306 rooms, suites and villas Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi is suited to both leisure and business travellers. With such an illustrious partners as Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi, Tech Access International Pairs UAE Presented by Cadillac leads the way in competitive amateur golf in the country.

General Manager of Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi, Stuart Deeson commented: “We are very excited about our partnership with International Pairs UAE. Being a golfer myself, I could not have hoped for a better location for our hotel, facing the Saadiyat Beach Golf Club course, surrounded by the majestic wild beauty of a natural island.

“We are looking forward to welcoming the winning pairs and will ensure that everyone enjoys a memorable stay in our resort.” n Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi

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Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club www.dubaigolf.com

DubaiCreekGolf

Contact: Tel : +971 4 295 6000 e-mail: dcgyc@dubai.com

dubaicreekgolfandyachtclub

Ajay Goel secures the April Medal AJAY Goel shot a magnificent net 64 on a windy course and in unusually slick conditions to win the April BMW-Rivoli Medal.

After receiving his price Goel said: “I focused on keeping the round simple and to avoid extreme scores on some of the trickier holes. The course is in excellent condition and I am glad to have a clean card on this sunny afternoon.

The trophy looks good, many thanks to BMW for sponsoring this excellent event.”

Other winners for the afternoon were Jean Hendrickx and Alok Pant in the Men’s Division ‘A’ and Mohamed Al Musharrekh and Aziz

Al Hakim in the Men’s Division ‘B’.

The Ladies winner for the day was H H Choi with a score of 66 whilst Adam Savage kept his winning streak going shooting a fantastic 70 to win the Junior Division.

Head Professional at the Dubai Creek, Stephen Hubner commented: “It’s great to see yet another successful monthly medal and some fantastic scores. I would like to thank our sponsors BMW and Rivoli for their continued support in making this monthly event such a success.”

Creek member and 2012 Men’s Open champion Dino Varkey won the overall gross prize for the day.

Left to right: Club Captain Ara Nakhnikian, April winner Ajay Goel and Head Professional Stephen Hubner.

Harini White seals the ladies strokeplay

Left to right: Lady Captain Mego Han, Craig Waddell (Dubai Creek, Golf Professional), Y. Inoue, Harini White and Paula Savage.

LOW scoring was the order of the day as April’s Ladies Strokeplay sponsored by the Park Hyatt got underway and Harini White didn’t disappoint as she took the spoils with a superb net 70.

Regular contender Y. Inoue took second with a 72 and was left to rue two late triple bogeys while finishing third with a 73 was Paula Savage.

Savage capped her day by winning the Nearest the Pin prize on hole 14 while Lady Captain Mego Han struck the Longest Drive down the 12th fairway.

Salem and Shammas secure the honours COMPETITION was fierce in April’s Carpetland Monthly Open as this was the last chance to qualify for May’s Grand Final and in gusty winds and a slight drizzle Abdel Aziz Salem and Hisham Shammas took the spoils with a Stableford score of 48.

Finishing second, six points further back, was the duo of Neil Taylor and Shreyans Khemka while Fardeen Meeran and Jai Bhalla took third with 41 points. Taking fourth place after losing a countback were H.S Shin and H.Y Lee but despite finishing outside

the podium places they still earned a place in the Grand Final. As always the Group Marketing Director of Al Aqili Furnishing, Shahriar Khodjasteh, was on hand to present the prizes. “It’s been wonderful to have yet another full field and I thank each and every one of you for coming along and supporting the series,” he said. “Your participation today alone has helped us raise over AED 10,000 for The Friends of Cancer Patients Charity which really is fantastic. We look forward to seeing you all here for the Grand Final next month.”

Shahriar Khodjasteh (Group Marketing Director, Aqili Furnishing) is pictured with Abdel Aziz Salem, Hisham Shammas and Stephen Hubner (Head Golf Professional, Dubai Creek).

Barbone secures the Al Naboodah Order of Merit

Paul Barbone receives the 2012 OOM Trophy from Gary Wells, CEO of the Al Naboodah Construction Group.

THE fifth running of the Al Naboodah Golf Series finished at Dubai Creek last month and after eight rounds Paul Barbone topped the Order of Merit with 148 points. The series commenced in October and each of the events had two formats – best two from four team competition and an individual Stableford.

Barbone won for the second consecutive year and with it he qualifies for the Golden Ticket Grand Final to be held in January 2013, giving him plenty of time to sharpen his game and have a chance of playing in the Emirates Airline Invitational next year.

Each of the eight events was sponsored by one of the main companies within the Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group and the entry fee for all members

and guests was AED200 per event. 100% of the entry fee is collected and the total amount of AED66,000 will be donated to Dubai Centre for Special Needs.

“This is a fantastic achievement and just goes to show that contributing a little can help a cause like the Dubai Centre for Special Needs greatly,” said Al Naboodah Construction Group Chairman, Abdullah Saeed Al Naboodah.

In the penultimate event of the series at Yas Links James Bowring, Tournament Director of the Invitational hit his first ever hole-in-one on the par-3 13th to complete a superb back nine of 32 strokes.

“I have waited a long time for a bar bill like that but it was worth it,” he joked afterwards.

Emirates Golf Club www.dubaigolf.com

Contact: Tel : +971 4 380 2222

EmiratesGolfClub

Tufail Impresses over the Majlis to win the Ladies Open SANA Tufail hit top form last month as she triumphed in the Emirates Ladies Amateur Open by a 12 shot margin.

The 15-year old, representing Yas Links, produced two excellent rounds of golf over the Faldo and Majlis courses. She opened up with a 1-under par 72 on the Faldo and backed that up with an equally as impressive 71 over the Majlis.

Tufail, who made her debut in the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters in December last year,

was delighted to break par around the Karl Litten designed Majlis layout. The win caps an outstanding season for the youngster who has now won 10 Order of Merit events in a row.

Kavita Sehmi, from Emirates Golf Club, claimed the runnersup place with rounds of 79 and 76 while Sharon Hall signed for rounds of 79 and 76 to clinch third place.

The other highlight of the day was a hole-in-one by Emirates member Nina Larm on the

15th hole which helped her to secure a best gross of 84 for the final round. The prize for best gross on day one went to Yuko Tsukiori from Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club. Aashaka Desai, also from Dubai Creek, won the prize for the overall best net score with excellent rounds of 68 and 74 for a 3-under-par 142 total. The best net score on day one went to Carolyn Thompson following a 70 and Martha Wong took the equivalent prize over the Majlis with a net 68.

2012 Emirates Ladies Amateur Open Champion Sana Tufail receives the trophy from Lady Captain Caroline Jones.

THOMPSONS SECURE EPIC DOUBLE IN HANKOOK GREENSOMES

Left to right: Surrender Kandhari (Al Dobowi), B.H Kim (Hankook), Carolyn Thompson, Nigel Thompson, Caroline Jones (Lady Captain) and Mike Sim, (Club Captain).

CAROLYN and Nigel Thompson clinched the Hankook Greensomes Championship to seal and awesome double following their win in the Emirates Mixed Amateur Open sponsored by Al Dobowi back in October.

The Emirates Golf Club husband and wife combination found themselves in the final group over the Majlis course following an opening 4-under par 69 on the Faldo. The pair combined perfectly and they certainly benefited from the experience gained last year. No more so than on the famous 18th hole of the Dubai Desert Classic layout.

The pair of Maajid Mushtaq Madni and Haneef Rabbani had posted a 10-under

Kapoor and Odhrani triumph

Lady Captain’s team too strong LADY Captain Caroline Jones led her team to a convincing victory against Glynis Hendry and her Vice Captain’s team in the recent pairs match play event. Jones and her charges secured an emphatic 7.5-2.5 victory which included a personal 3&2 win alongside former Lady Captain Jenny Ayres against Jones and Barbara Head.

Lady Captain Caroline Jones receives the trophy from Lady Vice Captain Glynis Hendry.

par tally and held the clubhouse lead as the Thompsons teed up on their final hole.

The format allows the pair to pick the best drive and play alternate shots until holing out. Nigel hit his approach shot on the 18th to about 40 feet right of the pin leaving Carolyn a difficult birdie chance. A good approach putt left Nigel a six-foot putt up the hill for glory which he duly holed with nerves of steel. A final round 65.5 gave them a 134.5 total and a 10.5-under-par championship score.

Maajid Mushtaq Madni and Haneef Rabbani settled for the runners-up place with Kevin Roy and Saeem Rehman in third.

Event Co-founder and past Club Captain, Surender Kandhari and Rekha Bandopadhyay Presenting Emirates Golf Club Manager, Andrew Whitelaw with a cheque for Aed 20,000 on behalf of the golf clubs Junior staff.

ANAND Kapoor and Ashok Odhrani combined superbly for a better ball Stableford score of 49 to win the 20th edition of the annual Indian Invitation Golf day.

In the runners up spot on 48 points was the pair of Anvita Kapoor and Suneel Aggarwal as they combined well while Stathis Stathis and Yasser Refai took third place with 44 points.

After play a raffle was held and over AED20,000 was raised for the junior staff.

© PING 2011

Al Badia golf club www.albadiagolfclub.ae

Contact: Tel : +971 (0) 4 601 0101 Fax: +971 (0) 4 601 0102

Email: albadiagolf@ichdfc.ae

AlBadiaGolfClub

AlBadiaGolfClub

Steve Kelshaw and Lynn Cimino 2012 Club Champions STEVE Kelshaw claimed the fourth Club Championship at Al Badia after he won a mammoth battle with defending champion Brett Armstrong.

The pair were tied after day one and remained all square after the opening nine of day two,

giving the back nine a match-play type feel to proceedings. The two were playing superb golf and Kelshaw took the lead on the 12th. However, Armstrong fought back and as they stood on the 16th tee he found himself one shot to the good.

But that was as good as it got as his tee-shot

Ladies Club Champion Lynn Cimino with the Al Badia Golf Club team.

The Els Club www.elsclubdubai.com

Club Champion Steve Kelshaw with Al Badia Golf Club team.

Contact: Tel: +971 4 425 1010 golf@elsclubdubai.com

TheElsClubDubai

Dunn lifts the Men’s Open SIMON Dunn secured the 2012 Mens Open at The Els Club recently with a superb score of 142 over two days. In Division ‘A’ Paul King topped the pile with a 147 while taking the net honours was Mazen Nubani with a 138, five clear of second placed Kory Thompson with Carlos Ramirez taking third on 144.

Simon Havers took the spoils in Division ‘B’ with a net 146.

Short game kings announced EMMA Manikas took the spoils in the recent Troon Short Game Challenge with a superb score of 19.65. Finishing second was Brian Stewart on 21.03 with James Manikas taking third with 21.55.

Left to right: Winner Emma Manikas, Brian Stewart and James Manikas collect their prizes.

Cheesley and Adams win the March Medal DEAN Cheesley and Louise Adams took the spoils in their respective divisions in the March Monthly Medal with some superb play.

Cheesley took home the gross prize after coming home in 79 blows while Adams secured the net honours thanks to an

found the water and he wound up with an eight.

Kelshaw made steady pars on 16 and 17 and then rolled in a four-footer for victory on the 18th.

Lynn Cimino secured the Ladies Club Championship after she held on to her overnight lead to clinch the title ahead of Sharon Moore.

excellent 68. David Maltman finished second behind Adams on 70 while Martin McDonald took third place with a 73.

Nearest the Pin on hole 2 was secured by Judi Cahill while Adams capped a memorable day by taking home the Longest Drive challenge.

Walton takes home the Stableford IAN Walton secured April’s Members Stableford title with a haul of 37 points, one clear of Paul Hawkins, with Abdul Kadir Hussain finishing third on 35 points.

ARABIAN RANCHES GOLF CLUB www.arabianranchesgolfdubai.com

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Burrow and Fullerton crowned club champions

Club Captain Andy Scanlan and Lady Captain Catherine Hut with the 2012 Men’s Club Champion Max Burrow.

Club Captain Andy Scanlan and Lady Captain Catherine Hut with Adrienne Fullerton, 2012 Ladies Club Champion.

THE eighth edition of the Arabian Ranches Club Championship lived up to the pretournament hype and delivered two days of outstanding play on a course that would have tested the resolve and skill of the best players in the game.

On a weekend where the weather was as unpredictable as the Golf Max Burrow emerged as Men’s Champion and Adrienne Fullerton won her second Ladies Championship as a field of 129 players competed for honours.

Burrow headed into the final day on level par with a one shot lead over Charlie Simpson and he very quickly made his intentions clear with and outward half of 35, stretching his lead to four.

Simpson and Gary Swan battled hard but could not sustain the pressure and birdies were followed by bogeys as they struggled to keep up with Burrow. Holes 10, 13 and 14 were pivotal as Burrow hit several wayward shots – none more so than a bunker shot on 14 that flew the green and left him with an

impossible recovery from the sand behind the putting surface. He went on to play the shot of the tournament, gently rolling the ball to two feet and tapping in for bogey to avert what could have been a disaster. Burrow finished like a true Champion with birdies on holes 16 and 18 to win by five shots from Simpson with defending champion Swan in third place.

The Ladies Division was not outdone for drama when Beatrice Galeppini went out on day one and shot 83, her best gross round to date, which left her with a six-shot lead from Haide Wright and Adrienne Fullerton. The trio held their nerves over the first couple of holes during the final round before disaster struck when Galeppini took back-to-back double bogeys on holes 5 and 6 and she closed out her front nine with an eight. A seven followed on the 11th and Fullerton took the lead and didn’t let go again. Erik Hartzuiker won the Junior Championship with a gross 87 while the Junior Net Title was won by Gleb Fenwick with 74.

Burrow, Watts, Van Wyk and Parkin clean up THE four-player team of Max Burrow (0), Jonathan Watts (6), Pieter Van Wyk (8) and Tobias Parkin (7) returned a score of 65.9 to win the Marble Renewal & Speed Cleaning “Scramble” Team event held last month.

Taking second with a 66.8 score was the team of Paul Clark, Ken Campbell, Tom Free and Paul Hubner while in third with a 68 tally were Simon Doyle, Lise Slane, Daniel Doyle and Graham Tickell.

McLennan and McKelvey team up for memorable win THE team of Doug McLennan and Adele McKelvey were crowned Gross Champions in the Dubai Duty Free Mixed Greensomes Strokeplay last month.

The duo started their round on the par 4 10th hole and got off to a solid start with two birdies and two bogeys to close out their opening nine holes on even par.

Their outward nine got off to a rocky start with a double bogey on hole 1 but they showed great determination and came back with two birdies to recover and post a total of 73 to win by three from Simon Doyle and Adrienne Fullerton.

Dubai Duty Free’s Vice President of Marketing, Sinead El Sibai said: “We had a wonderful event at the Arabian Ranches

Burrow and McKelvey secure the Rivoli April Medal MAX Burrow returned a gross two-under-par 70 to win the April Rivoli Monthly Medal supported by Speed Cleaning, two weeks before he triumphed at the Club Championship.

Burrow went round with nines of 34 and 36 – with four birdies and two bogeys – as he completed a one-stroke win over Gary Swan. Charlie Simpson finished third with a 74 with Steve Bennett taking fourth place after coming home in 75 blows.

The net round of the day belonged to Division ‘A’ Champion Ian Wallace who shot a gross 77 for a net 66 and a four-stroke win over Edoardo Galeppini. Division ‘B’ was secured by John Hainey as his net 67 gave him a five-stroke win over JC Hut. The Ladies Division was dominated by Adele McKelvey who won the gross title with a 79. Maureen Onuonga won the ladies net prize with another brilliant performance when she posted a five under par 67, one clear of Haide Wright.

Golf Club. We take this opportunity to thank everyone who participated in the seventh Dubai Duty Free Mixed Greensomes, and look forward to seeing you all next year.”

The pair of Nick and Rea Tarratt went one better this year by winning the Net Division by three strokes, one year after missing out on the title by one shot. www.wwgolf.biz

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Jumeirah golf estates www.jumeirahgolfestates.com

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Perrot and Worral crowned Club Champions BILBO Perrot showed superb composure to win the 2012 Jumeirah Golf Estates Club Championship by five shots from Craig Forrest while Young K Worral won the Ladies Championship.

The Championship courses of both Fire and Earth managed to create a stern test of golf for all participants over every division and by the final day’s play, two worthy champions were crowned.

Round one produced a close fight in both the ladies’ and men’s contest without any obvious front runners appearing.

Scores of 70 and 71 from Perrot and Craig Forrest

respectively indicated a high calibre of golf as they emerged as the early pace setters in the Men’s Division whilst the Ladies Division was tied with matching scores of gross 86 by participants Worral and Sun Le Rim. The final day’s play was contested over the formidable Earth course and experience proved priceless in the Men’s Division with Perrot triumphing over the field after returning a 3-over-par 75 for an overall gross total of 145 to win by five from Forrest who showed his grit and determination to the very end by taking sole second place with an overall gross total 150

from his scores of 71 and 79. Worral was crowned the Ladies Champion after she drew on the confidence gained from day one to post a second round 94 for a gross 180 and a four-stroke win over Rim. Zuzana Pourova took home the overall Net Prize for the ladies with a superb 135 after scores of 68 and 67 while, with net rounds of 69 and 72 in the Men’s Division ‘A’, Omar Iqbal Khan took first place with a 141 total.

In Division ‘B’ William Gerantonis collected the prize, winning by a margin of two shots after he signed for a 147 total with net rounds of 73 and 74.

TNT Corporate Challenge off to a flyer THE first round of the 2012 TNT Corporate Challenge got off to a flying start over the Earth course as the format of a three-person team Stableford made for an exciting finish.

Winning with a score of 71 points in a besttwo-from-three format, three clear of their nearest rivals, were Suad Ghalib, Shabir Yakub and Huzaifa Mohammed.

Ghalib contributed 37 points while Mohammed scored second best with a 34 to make up their team’s score and seal the win ahead of Shane Callaghan, Denver Farrell and Kevin Barrett.

SWEENEY BREAKS HIS MEDAL DUCK IN STYLE ADAM Sweeney won his first medal at Jumeriah Golf Estates with a superb 2-under-par net 70 to top Division ‘A’ by two strokes from Ayaz Afridi.

Division ‘B’ was also a close affair as Ashok Galogtia secured the honours by just one shot in a countback against Ernie Barratt

and Geoffrey Neal after all three players had signed for a net 72.

Julia Sykes continued her strong performance in strokeplay events recently by winning the Ladies Division with a creditable score of net 75, five shots clear of Glenys Hughes in second place.

JUMEIRAHGOLFESTATES.COM

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That includes full, seven-day access to the Fire and Earth championship courses.

Seven day advance tee time booking. A free golf lesson. Enrolment in selected members’ events throughout the summer. Member’s guest fees for your playing partners and complimentary use of a shared golf cart. And if you pay for your Summer Membership during May, you’ll enjoy special green fees right through to 1 June.

Plus you’ll enjoy use of our practice facilities with unlimited range balls, 10% discount on food and beverages and on selected apparel in our well stocked retail shop.

Don’t miss out on this exclusive offer – make the most of this summer by emailing membership@jumeirahgolfestates.com, or call +971 4 375 9999 today.

T H E R I YA D H G O L F C O U R S E . . .

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P.O. Box 84329 Riyadh 11671 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia www.riyadhgolfcourses.com In for m at io n a n d t e e -t i me s c a l l : + 9 6 6 592315787 or e - ma il: r gc .re c e pt ion@ hot ma il.c om

The Address Montgomerie dubai www.themontgomerie.com

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DUNGARWAL AND MOHAMMADI BANK STELLAR WIN

KING SECURES PLAY-OFF WIN PAUL King secured victory in the 2012 AGMC BMW Men’s Open after a thrilling play-off with James Yeomans.

A tough first day saw King, Klaas Boon and Sam Hajri share the lead with matching rounds of level-par 72 before King and Yeomans pulled away on day two to tie the lead on 4-over-148.

With no clear winner, both players returned to the treacherous 18th for the play-off. Yeomans elected to take an iron from the tee while King selected a three-wood. Both drives were safely in play and both hit good second shot lay-ups. Yeomans had a longer approach to the green of about 160 yards straight into the breeze, which he hit onto the front fringe about 20 feet from the pin. King hit his third shot to about 18 feet left of the hole. Yeomans putted first and missed by five feet while King knocked his within a foot for an easy par. Yeomans missed his second putt and the title was King’s.

In the Net Division Valery Zabrodin shot a net 134 to defeat Hyun Suk Jung by two shots.

MANEESH Dungarwal and Nadir Mohammadi put in a sterling performance to come out on top in the 2012 Standard Chartered Bank Tradition.

A full field of 96 competitors gathered to tackle the Montgomerie course in four separate formats with two person teams battling it out over two days.

Day one saw Keith Stacey and Douglas McLennan jump out with a net 65 to take the lead in Division A. The Division B lead was held by Paul Kistner and Sehra Rattandeet who shot a 64 before going on to shoot another excellent score on day two to win the B division by six shots over Michael Brennan and Mark Gilligan.

Stacey and McLennan couldn’t hold on to their lead in Division A on day two with Dungarwal and Mohammadi coming from five shots back to snatch victory by one over Richard Barron and Oliver Kent. Director of Golf Patrick Wynn said: “The Standard Chartered Bank Tradition was another excellent member/guest event which is made possible by the support of our sponsors. The tournament was attended by a large number of golf lovers including Standard Chartered’s Priority Banking customers.”

ALL TIES AT THE TOP THE April edition of The BMW Stableford saw ties for first place in all but one of the categories. The only division not tied was the Men’s A Division which saw Qamar Rasheed shoot a solid 41 Stableford points to defeat three others tied on 40 points.

In the Men’s B Division Robert Phillips defeated Christopher Green on a countback after both scored an excellent 46 points. In the Ladies A Division Rita Walker beat Debbie Murray on a countback to take home the victory while Sam Salem and Fiona Linn both shot 44 points to tie in the Ladies B Division with Sam winning the back 9 countback.

Paul Kistner runs away with ECCO Medal THE April ECCO Medal saw Paul Kistner shoot an excellent net 60 to win the Men’s B Division by six shots over Aziz Majid.

Ailsa McMenemy shot the second best net score of the day, coming in with a net 64, beating Fiona Linn by three shots. Annie Brown was able to capture the ladies gross division over Rita Walker by four shots.

The Men’s A division saw Joon Eun take a three shot win over Alex Andarakis and Steve Pyle. New member Chris Alderman shot a gross 74 to beat Qamar Rasheed by two shots. www.wwgolf.biz

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al ain equestrian Shooting & Golf Club www.aesgc.ae

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Golfin Alain

Abu Dhabi GC take Ladies Inter-club challenge final Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club hosted the 2011/2012 Inter-Club Challenge Grand Final which saw nine clubs from around the Emirates represented.

Abu Dhabi GC, The Emirates and The Address Montgomerie Dubai were the three league winners.

The ladies team from Abu Dhabi came out on top with a total of 254 points from Muriel Gosselin, Be Williams, Fiona Berry, Shawn Lunday, Anna Lisa Hirst, Michelle Larter, Anne Hornby, Denise Hayward, Mary O’Conner and Tricia Trevaskis

Dubai Creek triumphed over the rest with Annette Carstanjen, G.A. Cho, Berthe Reinke, Maureen Platt, Mego Han, Naema Maya, Najla Bartette, Yuko Tsukiori, Paula Savage and Chikako Inoue combining to score 251 points.

The top three individual scores on the day were made by Lyndel Christensen (AESGC) 39 points; Mary O,Conner (ADGC) 38 points; and Ingrid Lind (SGSC) 38 points.

Special event winners included Glynis Hendry, Helena Cornish, Somjit Whittaker, Anne Hornsby, Najla Bartette and Naima Maya.

Aussies pip kiwis to Anzac Day Victory in pool table shoot-out

Al Ain’s Peter Forrester (right), the Australian team captain, receives the ANZAC Day Trophy from New Zealand captain Clement Mustchin.

AESGC held the second annual ANZAC day match last month between Australia and New Zealand and the Aussies came out on top in a unique pool table play-off..

The event was a shotgun start betterball match play format in which points were available for the front 9, back 9 and game as well as 4 points for Closest to the Pins.

The match got underway with both captains driving off the first hole down the left rough which eventually ended in a half. This set the scene to what was a very close encounter as the opening match was won on the 17th hole by the Kiwis. As matches started to come in

abu dhabi city golf Club www.adcitygolf.ae

off the course it was clear that it would be very close. The 10 matches were eventually tied at 15-15 along with the four Nearest the Pin events tied at 2-2 giving the final score a tie at 17-17.

After consuming the ANZAC Day buffet it was decided by both captains that a winner should be found and this would be settled in a pool table play-off.

Australia eventually came out on top to lift the ANZAC Day trophy 2012. David Wilkinson (Aus) won the Nearest the Pin challenges on holes 7 and 15 while Peter Scootz (Aus) was closest on hole 4 and Lyndel Christensen (NZ) struck it closest on hole 17.

Contact: Tel : +9712 445 960

Abu-Dhabi-City-Golf-Club

Vilaroya and Prince seal Club Championship honours JAMES Prince and Tolosoa Ana Vilaroya were crowned the Peugeot Club Champions for 2012 after two days of wonderful golf.

Prince secured the Men’s title with gross rounds of 71 and 77 for a 148 total and a one-stroke win over Robert Smith. Prince’s victory was made all the more sweeter as he clinched it with a birdie on the final hole. Vilaroya took home the Ladies title with a gross 182 total after rounds of 85 and 97.

Conditions over the two days were

tough as hot and windy weather meant firm, quick greens and scoring was difficult.

In the Net Divisions Chris Thomson took the overall prize with rounds of 66 and 64 for a 130 total while the Ladies Net champion was Elizabeth Campbell after she shot rounds of 74 and 76 for a 150 total.

Division ‘A’ was won by Jonathan Craig with a net 137 while Tariq El Chaib secured Division ‘C’ with the same tally. Vijay Ganju took home Division ‘B’ with a 139 total.

Junior League in full swing THE Abu Dhabi City Golf Club Rotana Junior League is in full swing and last month’s event saw 75 keen youngsters tee it up in a fun-filled day of competition.

Two Hole champions Farah Hamani and Varun Parekh came out with 18 and

13 shots respectively, while the Three Hole champions included Safa Muhammed and Connor McDonald. Eight Hole Girls Champion went to Mathilde Biensant with 14 points with Bernard Kobersky taking the boy’s competition with 20 points. www.wwgolf.biz

83

SAADIYAT BEACH GOLF CLUB

Contact: Tel : +971 2 557 8000 Fax: +9712 557 8001

info@sbgolfclub.ae www.sbgolfclub.ae

First ever ADCB Golf Classic a roaring success Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) hosted their first ever golf day recently at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club and a field of more than 70 players took to the course.

Finishing top of the pile was the foursome of Rahul Oberoii, Craig Muir, Robert Morris and Andrew Harvey who scored 101 points.

His Excellency Mubarak Hamed Al Muhairi, the Director General of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, was a special guest and presented prizes to the winners. He also received an award in recognition of his participation in the event.

Sporting elite joins PIC DeVere Charity Golf Day OVER 100 guests took part in the recent PIC DeVere Charity Golf Day to raise funds for Just Giving Cancer Research UK, including past and present football stars Trevor Sinclair, Lee Sharpe and Lucas Neill and European Tour professional Ross McGowan.

Four champions were crowned at the end of the event and after play a Q&A session with Trevor, Lee and Ross was held – and a charity auction also took place.

abu dhabi golf Club www.adgolfclub.com

Contact: Tel : +971 2 558 8990

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Belaid and Cunningham seal Club Championship BILAL Belaid followed in the footsteps of his elder brother, Rami, by winning the Abu Dhabi Club Championship with a three-stroke victory. Bilal signed for a steady two-round tally of 150 to beat the 2010 Champion Bill Farrell and join Rami, who won in 2004, on the honours board.

In the ladies section Pauline Cunningham made up for her play-off defeat to Cathy Feron

in 2011 by taking the title this year in impressive fashion – 15 strokes clear of Emily Siegel.

In the Net prizes Aart Lehmkhul sealed Division ‘A’ while Greg Trevaskis clinched top spot in Division ‘B’.

Siegel made up for her runner-up finish in the main event to win the Ladies Net title in what was her first ever Club Championship appearance.

Lyons tames the National LUKE Lyons shot an impressive net 68 – the best of the day – to top Divison ‘B’ in April’s Monthy Medal by five strokes from Greg Trevaskis and Rob Lowe.

Kevin Jamieson posted a 71 to take the top spot in Division ‘A’ by three shots from Tim Kelly while Shawn Lunday sealed the Ladies Net Division with a 73.

The Low Gross score of the day in the Men’s Division went to Ricus Lehmkuhl, who took home the title, following the disappointment of missing out on retaining the Club Championship the previous week, with an excellent score of 74.

Left to right: Ricus Lehmkuhl, Luke Lyons, Club Captain Mike Larter and Shawn Lunday.

Al Ghazal Golf Club www.alghazalgolf.ae

Contact: Tel : +971 2 575 8040 Fax : +971 2 575 8041

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Majali and scurr crowned 2012 Club Champions RIAD Majali and Angela Scurr were crowned the Mens and Ladies Club Champions respectively last month after an enthralling two day’s golf.

Majali had past champion Alex Charawani breathing down his neck and after nine holes of day two they were level-pegging.

However, Majali pulled clear with a birdie on the

par-3 16th and closed out a two-stroke victory with a 155 total. Mark Hayman was also in contention but finished third after losing out to Charawani on a countback on 157.

Scurr shot gross rounds of 84 and 70 for a 163 total and a 19-stroke victory over Lady Captain Deborah Castle, with Emily Gordon taking third

Angela Scurr receives her prize for winning the Club Championship from Walid Nicholas Harouni, Hotels Division Director, Danat Hotels and Resorts with Club Captains Peter McManus and Deborah Castle.

place on 187. The Ladies best net was won by Ming Brown on 153 from second and third placed Bobo Bradley and Kate Davies on 154 and 157 respectively.

Adda Haouara topped the pile in the Net Division with a 141 on countback from Alan Dickman, with third place going to Rob Brown on 142.

Riad Majali accepts the trophy from Walid Nicholas Harouni of sponsors Danat Hotels and Resorts. with Club Captains Peter McManus and Deborah Castle.

Emmanuel and Valencia mix well RAMESH Emmanuel and Rene Valencia compiled a total of 150 to win the seventh staging of the Slim’ n Lite Amateur Mixed Open.

Their final round score of 74 secured them victory by five shots from first round leaders Chaya Kinder and Bernie Blanchard who only managed a 79 on day two.

Valencia eagled the par-4 ninth to establish a lead ahead of the pack and they never looked back.

Kinder and Blanchard scored 38 on the front nine and 41 on the back and had to settle for second place with a total of 155, one shot ahead of Korean duo Inki Kim and S.J. Hwang.

Betterball Match Play finalists: Rob Jennings and Mark Hayman are pictured with Vinod Arya and Chandan Vaidya, shortly before their tee-time.

Left to right: Club Captain Peter McManus with Rene Valencia, Sponsor Hany Abdelnour, Ramesh Emmanuel and Lady Captain Deborah Castle.

Whiteside wins the april medal RICHARD Whiteside recorded a net 67 to top Division ‘A’ of the April Monthly Medal, two shots clear of Mark Hayman.

The tournament was the last of the ‘Golfer of the Year’ events and the series has been closely fought amongst the men’s category.

Hayman gained 16 points for his second place finish and with it he took home the title of ‘Golfer of the Year for 2011/12.

The Division ‘B’ medal went to Vernon Whaanga with an impressive 68, with David Parkinson three shots back, while in Division ‘C’ Adda Haoura took the spoils with a 71, five shots clear of David Tait.

Bobo Bradley secured the Ladies Division with a 73 on countback from Kate Davies. The Ladies ‘Golfer of the Year’ title went to Ming Brown as she pipped Lizette Breytenbach with a 69 point tally.

Jennings and HAyman secure the match play title ROB Jennings played through the pain barrier to partner Mark Hayman to victory in the recent Men’s 4-ball Betterball Match Play final.

Suffering from back spasms throughout play, Jennings soldiered on and together he and Hayman secured a 4&3 victory over Vinod Arya and Chandan Vaidya.

Both pairs had fought hard to get through and the final was predicted to be a Battle of The Titans having both shown good form throughout.

However, on the day the experienced partnership of Jennings and Hayman proved too strong despite Arya and Vaidya getting five shots each from Rob Jennings.

Jennings and Hayman were 2-up by the turn and kept the pressure on despite Jennings’ injury and it was all over on the 15th green.

The Subsidiary Hidden Holes Stableford competition, played in conjunction with the Match Play final, was won by Vernon Whaanga with 19 points on countback from Captain Peter McManus.

Third place went to Anina Bester with 18 points on countback from Alan Dickman, Steve Patterson, Jaco Breytenbach and Murray Brown.

YAS LINKS Golf Club yaslinks.com

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YAS LINKS CELEBRATES 2ND BIRTHDAY YAS Links celebrated its second birthday with a well attended Texas Scramble event which was won with a sensational net score of 54.2 by the team of Abdulla Al Marzooqi, Ahmed Al Minhali, Christine Khan and Lora Al Marzooqi.

In second place with net 55.4 were Joe Howell, Brian McClure, Alex Barclay and David Fox while completing the podium places was the team of Roman Hawczak, Justin Westcott, Sami Hajri and Alex Iapichino with a score of 58.1. Marzooqi had another reason to smile when he won the Longest Drive contest while Hajri was the victor in the Nearest the Pin challenge.

Following play all members and guests took to the Yas Links club lawn for a highly enjoyable evening function.

MARZOOQI TAKES MEDAL ABDULLA Al Marzooqi continued his fine run of form with victory in the Members Medal.

With a strong field of 32 taking part in the event competition on the Championship course was fierce but Marzooqi blew the field away with a superb net 67.

In second place in the net category with 71 was William Lisgo while Brian McClure finished third with 71. As a side competition each player was paired with a professional taking part in the Masters Tournament at Augusta, with the member’s gross score added to the pro’s round two score to give a team total. Marzooqi was again the victor with his score combining with Gary Woodland’s 67 for a 138 total.

TIGHT SCORING IN TEXAS SCRAMBLE THE Member’s Texas Scramble witnessed some incredibly tight scoring with the team of Joe Howell, Brian McClure, Alex Barclay and David Fox securing victory with a net score of 58.4 to edge out Emanuel Ostojic, Justin Westcott, Chris Cook and David Domanksi by just one decimal point, with the runners-up finishing on 58.5.

ALEX ON SONG AGAIN

AFTER combining with Elwood Hyden to win the Peugeot RCZ Cup, Alex Iapichino continued his strong form with victory in the latest Member’s Stableford.

With 25 members participating and only a light breeze in the air scoring was as close and competitive as ever but Alex played beautifully to win with 40 points. Also continuing his fine form was Kang Ho Rho was took second place on 37 points while again making the top three, in third place, was Brian McClure with 36 points.

CHITTENDEN DOWNS THE 3 CLUB MASTER

NICK Chittenden was smiling from ear to ear after winning the 3 Club Challenge by edging out the three club master David Harvey on a countback after the pair both finished on 27 points. www.wwgolf.biz

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Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club www.golfandshootingshj.com

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DUMOULIN AND FISHER WIN MALAYSIA TRULY ASIA CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP NATHAN Fisher and Claudette Dumoulin won the Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club’s 4th Men’s & Ladies Malaysia Truly Asia Club Championship supported

by Orient Travel albeit in very contrasting styles.

At the close of the first day George Liu led the pack after a 3-over-par 75 gave him a one-shot lead over Fisher and South African compatriot Ricky Dominguez. Englishman Charlie Wilcox sat a shot further back on 5-over-par after a strong finish to his first round pulled him back into contention.

Day two started in a cagey fashion with the leading trio trading blows and Wilcox, in the penultimate group, also keeping up with the pace, recording three birdies and a bogey in his opening four holes. As the day progressed the Championship slowly became a two-horse race between Fisher and Wilcox. Dominguez turned in 41 to more or less fall out the running while Liu turned in 38 and at the

time remained in the lead. However, a horrid spell through holes 14 – 17 saw him drop six shots and also effectively fall out of contention. Wilcox’s tee shot on the final hole, off the back of a birdie two on the 17th which gave him a one shot lead, found the water resulting in a bogey, meaning Fisher required a birdie at the last to take the converted title.

A wedge to 15 feet gave the South African a putt to win on the final green, but his birdie chance slipped agonisingly wide and the pair tied on 10-over-par1 52. The duo then returned to the 18th tee for the first play-off in the event’s history. Wilcox’s hooked drive left him a difficult angle to approach the green and his 8-iron found an awful lie in the greenside bunker. Playing from almost the same spot in the 18th fairway as he had done minutes earlier Fisher’s approach found the green. Wilcox left his first bunker shot in the sand and could only record a double

bogey 6 as the eventual champion calmly two putted from 50 feet to lift the title to rapturous applause from the dozens of spectators gathered on the Clubhouse terrace.

Earlier, in the Ladies Division, Claudette Dumoulin had more or less engraved her name on the trophy after the first round. A seven-shot overnight lead was never seriously threatened by defending champion Diana Brown, who despite returning a 36-hole total of 191, which would have won any of the three previous Ladies Club Championships, found herself a staggering 16 shots off the pace in second place as Dumoulin added a second round 85 to her first round 90.

Dumoulin’s 175 total smashed the Championship’s previous best, set by Carol Green in 2009 by a staggering 20 shots as she became the fourth different winner in the event’s four-year history.

RABBANI AND MADNI CROWNED SAIF ZONE ULTIMATE PAIR THE pairing of Haneef Rabbani and Maajid Mushtaq Madni of the EGF were crowned the second SAIF Zone Ultimate Pairs Champions recently by virtue of a stellar display in the event’s fourth and final round.

The pair were tied for the overnight lead with the father and daughter combination George and Georgina Lui on net 3-under-par having negotiated the Texas Scramble and Greensomes formats in net 32 and 37 respectively.

On day two the format changed to Betterball and Foursomes and the Luis were in strong contention until the last few holes and Rabban and Madni showed signs of nerves when they missed all the greens and fairways over their last three holes. But some inspired chipping by Rabbani and clutch putting by Madni saw them home in 140 for a three-shot triumph.

Qureshi seals Powerplay victory THE final qualifying round of the Serco Northern Emirates Powerplay Series at Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club saw Moizuddin Qureshi take the spoils.

It was the final opportunity for players to accumulate Order of Merit points to reach the top 12 and qualify for the final at Tower Links on April 14th. Ten-year old junior Qureshi, playing in his first adult competition, carded an amazing 32 points to win the by six points. The professionals at SGSC hope Moiz is the first of a host of young talent coming through the Junior Development Programme at the club.

Michael Conneely was second overall but claimed the Best Division 1 prize with 26 points.

Jinman Lee also scored 26 points and won the Best Division 2 score. Moizuddin’s father, Waseem Qureshi, scored 24 points but it wasn’t quite enough to knock Young Park from the top of the Serco Powerplay Order of Merit.

PERFECT CONDITIONS FOR LOW SCORING IN APRIL SOCIAL THE April edition of the BMW Members and Guests Social played at Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club produced the competition’s best ever turnout with 40 golfers (20 pairs) teeing it up.

The conditions were perfect for scoring and the partnership of Leon Gifford and Domonic Zaffino were outstanding over the first nine holes, returning a 10-under score of 28 points to claim the better-ball Stableford prize by four clear points.

The back 9 prize went to the steady Eddie pairing of John Gould and his father-in-law Mike O’Neill who produced a fine back 9 in the Texas Scramble format, managing to finish 3-under gross with a net score of 31.95.

The other notable winners for the day were Kader Tazerout and Diana Brown who won the BMW Nearest The Pin and Longest Drive awards respectively.

Baisong clinches Medal with a 68 THE sixth round of the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s ‘Road To Thailand’ Order of Merit and Orient Travel – Thai Airways Monthly Medal belonged to Gan Baisong who fought off over 20 other golfers top claim top prize with a net score of 68.

Baisong, who plays off a 17 handicap, had an extremely steady round with a gross 42 and 43 on the front and back nine respectively and carded five gross pars on the trot from holes 10 to 14. Finishing runner-up, four strokes behind, was Zhang Guoqing with a 72 while third place went to the ever-consistent Vivian Verma who returned a net 74. The Best Gross award for the day went to scratch golfer Ramsey Yassin who certainly didn’t have his best of day with a gross 80, but it was good enough to claim the prize by four strokes.

All Monthly Medal prize winners received commemorative plaques courtesy of the Medal sponsor Orient Travel - Thai Airways plus pro shop vouchers to be used at SGSC. With the sixth round of the Medal finished, and only two rounds to go before the season ends and the top three on the ‘Road to Thailand’ are announced, a number of golfers are still well within reach of the third place position. The Order of Merit winner will win a trip to Thailand, a golfer’s paradise, courtesy of the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Thai Airways.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT FOR SUKHAI A RECORD field showed up at Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club throughout the day for the Kempinski Hotel Ajman midweek medal. With nearly 30 golfers taking part competition was fierce and the results turned out to be extremely tight.

Leading the way with a net score of 4-under 32 was SGSC member 14-handicapper Anil Sukhia whose recent hard work on the practice range paid off with a superb nine holes of golf which included six gross pars to help bolster his finish.

Finishing one shot adrift were Pete Boylan and Y.W Kim who both scored a 33 net, however with a superior last six holes Boylan picked up the Division 2 prize. Abdul Moiz Khan continued his fine form of late by clinching the Division 1 prize with an extremely steady nine holes only being let down by a gross six on the par 4 fifth hole. www.wwgolf.biz

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Tower links Golf Club www.towerlinks.com

Contact: Tel : +971 7 227 8555 membership@towerlinks.com

Tower-Links-Golf-Club

Jones breaks an eightyear winless streak GRAHAM Jones finally cracked the big time at Tower Links as he ended an eight-year winless run by taking the Individual Bogey competition after a three-way card countback.

Jones, who was a prolific winner of no less than 37 wooden spoons, finally stood on the podium for the right reason after defeating Andy Lewis and Gerry Gibson with all three finishing with a score of 2-over on the night.

Rick Wilson took home the wooden spoon while the Nearest the Pin winners were Hugo Toledo on hole 16 and Yuki Pellerine on the 12th.

Pictured from left: Rick Wilson, Andy Lewis, Gerry Gibson, Yuki Pellerine, Graham Jones and Hugo Toledo.

The Kotwal train keeps on rolling

Pictured from left: Andy Lewis, Andy Cormack, Jeff Glasgow, Claire Carlick, Simon Turner, Anupma Kotwal, Andy Klein, Ajay Kotwal and Paul Williams.

Riyadh Golf Courses

AJAY and Anupma Kotwal combined together splendidly in the betterball Stableford last month as they shot 27 points to take the top prize.

Hot on their heels in second place were Andy Cormack and Andy Lewis as they scored 25 points while finishing third was the husband and wide duo of Simon Turner and Claire Carlick on 24 points.

Taking the wooden spoon on the night were the out of form duo of Paul Williams and Any Klein as they could only muster a meager 13 Stableford points while the Nearest the Pin prizes went to Jeff Glasgow on hole 12 and Zenia Wivou on hole 16.

Contact: Tel : +966 592 3157 87 info@riyadhgolfcourses.com

www.Riyadhgolfcourses.com

Riyadh Golf courses progressing with new academy facilites THE new Golf Academy facilities at Riyadh Golf Courses will assist the Club in developing golf in Riyadh and will use the latest technology including, FlightScope® – the World’s 1st Doppler Radar ball tracking product for the

Golf industry; V1 Pro – the World’s leading video analysis software in sport and SAM PuttLab – the World’s leading puttertracking product.

The Academy will also have a new par-3

course, a driving range of 44 floodlit bays, with the latest golf hardware plus a pro-shop.

The Golf Academy will be staffed by PGA Professionals who can provide custom-fitting and golf instruction to all levels of golfers.

Al Hamra golf club www.alhamragolf.com www.alhamragolf.com

AlHamraGolfClub

Contact: Tel : +971 7 244 7474

Al-Hamra-Golf-Club

Cornish Claims Three-Way Playoff VICTORY SENIORS from all over the UAE descended on Ras Al Khaimah for the inaugural RAK Seniors Classic and Helena Cornish took the spoils after defeating Dave Clark and Mohammed Bindang in a play-off.

Day one at Tower Links saw players take to the course in testing, windy conditions but scoring was exceptional as 14 players scored 36 points or more.

Yuki Pellerine carded a best-of-the-day 40 points to pick up the Ladies prize for day one while Angelos Kondes scored 39 to win the Men’s prize on the opening day.

Day two at Al Hamra was played in glorious conditions and the scoring reflected this as Jane Lee top-scored with 44 points.

However, the main prizes were settled after the scores from both days were added together and finishing in a share of the lead were Cornish, Clark and Bindang after they all scored 77 points.

All three had performed better at Al Hamra and the tension was high as they played the 18th again to decide a winner. With the rest of the competitors

gathered round the 18th green to give their support, it proved to be Cornish’s day as she kept out of trouble, plotting her way down the fairway and picking up the title after clinching two points for her par.

After finding water with his second shot and an unfortunate three putt, Clark had to settle for the runners-up prize with one point for his bogey.

Mohammed finished third after he also struggled down the last, finding two bunkers which left him unable to score on the hole.

As she picked up the 2012 RAK Seniors Open Champion trophy Helena said: “I’ve had a fantastic weekend of golf here in RAK. I really didn’t expect to do this well and when I turned out to be in the play-off I was shocked. I thought the event was fantastically run and I’m sure i’ll be back for the next event in 2013.”

This was the first event of its kind to take place in the UAE and along with the generous sponsorship of RAK Gas and Ras Al Khaimah Tourism it proved a huge success.

Engelbrecht and Smith in Monthly Medal Victory LAST month’s Monthly Medal was the penultimate Medal of the season and with only a few events left all competitors were keen to gain as many Order of Merit points as possible.

There were four prizes up for grabs – two gross and two net – along with the top six places picking up the vital Order of Merit points.

Mike Smith carded a solid 71 to win the Net Division by one stroke from Ian Broom while in the Gross Division Rita Engelbrecht carded an 84 to take the honours by one shot from Steve Rayment.

Al Hamra celebrates five years in style AL HAMRA Golf Club celebrated its fifth birthday in style as members and guests teed it up in a four person Texas Scramble.

In only five years Al Hamra has become one of the top golf courses in the UAE and it continues to get better and better year on year.

Eight of the original founding members who all joined back in 2007 teed it up and it seemed written in the stars that two of the long-serving bunch, Phil and Karen Mallinson, would take the event’s top prize.

The Mallinsons were accompanied by father and son duo Dewald and Chris Lubbe and between the four of them they posted a great score of 60.6 to finish top of the pile. It also seemed fitting that Phil and Karen cut the birthday cake as members and staff reminisced over the years gone by at Al Hamra.

Second place went to Victor Hails, Jim Chapman, Paul Tipping and Sekhar Thodla as they finished just 0.7 behind the winners, still posting a very respectable team score of 61.3.

Muscat hills golf club www.muscathills.com

MuscatHills

Muscat-Hills-Golf-Country-Club

major milestone for muscat

IHG Signs Latest Development Deal at the 2012 Arabian Hotel Investment Conference HH Rawy Kais Al-Said signed a landmark agreement with Inter Continental Hotels Group (IHG) last month in reaching a major milestone in the rapidly progressing future of Muscat Hills Golf and Country Club.

IHG, the world’s largest hotel group by virtue of the number of hotel rooms, and Muscat Golf Course Project LLC concluded a 20-year management agreement for the luxury InterContinental Muscat Hills Golf Resort in Muscat, Oman.

The signing ceremony took place at last month’s Arabian Hotel Investment Conference in Dubai.

The hotel will form part of the Muscat Hills Golf and Country Club in a 1.2 million square metre development. The hotel will be set in the unique hillside location of Muscat Hills, with spectacular panoramic mountain and sea views over the Gulf of Oman. The Intercontinental Hotel will be the ideal facility to complement the Muscat Hills development, with its upscale residential villas and apartments, and its excellent 18-hole all-grass championship golf course and country club.

InterContinental Muscat Hills Golf Resort will have a total of 250-rooms plus four food and beverage outlets, a fitness centre, spa and swimming pool.

The InterContinental team will also manage the golf Club House, located next door to the hotel. The $90 million hotel and Club House is due to open in 2015.

His Highness Rawy Kais Al-Said, owner of the Muscat Hills Golf and Country Club, commented: “When choosing a hotel partner we were looking for a top international brand that would add real

value to the development and development pipeline, which when help us to compete with the opened will nearly double the best golf resorts in the world. number of rooms in the country InterContinental Hotels & under IHG’s brands.

Resorts were exactly the right fit, IHG has 110 hotels across bringing the quality standards India, the Middle East and and first class management Africa, operating under the skills we are looking for. With the InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, InterContinental team on board I Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express have every confidence the resort and Staybridge Suites brands. The will continue to go from strength company has a further 96 hotels in to strength.” the region’s development pipeline Jan Smits, IHG’s Chief Executive which are due to open over the for Asia, Middle East and next three to five years.

Africa, said: “The Muscat Hills Muscat Hills Golf & Country development is already proving Club, situated on the outskirts a great success and we were of Muscat, is the first green golf eager to become a part of it. course in Oman, designed by the InterContinental Muscat Hills internationally acclaimed golf – His Highness Rawy Kais Al-Said Golf Resort will be a new type course designer, Paul Thomas, of of resort for Muscat, offering David Thomas Associates. Built in guests a range of sporting facilities in a spectacular its own distinct corner of Muscat’s rugged hills and setting. This hotel will be a fantastic addition to our etched by canyon-like wadis, the 18 holes have been growing portfolio in Oman and we look forward to designed to complement all of the natural features, its opening in 2015.” while the lush green fairways and greens provide a There are 170 InterContinental Hotels & Resorts startling contrast to the rugged desert terrain. in more than 60 countries around the world, with Muscat Hills Golf & Country Club offers excellent an additional 58 hotels in the global development practicing facilities, a floodlit driving range, a pitch pipeline. IHG currently has four hotels in Oman: and putt area and a world-class Golf Academy. Since InterContinental Muscat, the Crowne Plaza Muscat, its opening in 2009 the resort has been a preferred the Crowne Plaza Sohar and the Crowne Plaza place for living among the locals and the expat Salalah. The company has three further hotels in the community.

“When choosing a hotel partner we were looking for a top international brand that would add real value to the development and help us to compete with the best golf resorts in the world. “

Contact: Tel : +968 245 14080 Fax: +968 245 10277

Senior Tour Player Bill Longmuir pays tribute to HH Kais Al Said in Memorial EUROPEAN Senior Tour player Bill Longmuir, a close friend of His Highness Kais Al Said, took part in the Memorial Tournament at Muscat Hills Golf Club, which marked the first anniversary of his death.

After the prizegiving ceremony Longmuir paid tribute to His Highness, saying: “I miss His Highness tremendously, he was a very good friend of mine. A year has gone now and I feel honoured to be part of this day. I know he would have been overwhelmed with this experience today.

“It was always his dream to build this golf course and to see so many happy faces around the club enjoying the facilities, which he worked hard to achieve, makes me feel good. The underlining message here is that I miss him badly and I know other people share the same feeling. He had such a wit, such a great humour. It was hard to lose him”.

More than 100 golfers entered the event in memory of the founder of Muscat Hills, an avid golfer and

member of the Oman Royal family.

After 18 holes played in a four- ball alliance with a multiplier Kamal Daud, Jameela Daud, Mathew Gumba and Norina Utot took first place with 118 stableford points.

They received Muscat Hills’ prizes and gift baskets from Mijnas gift shop. HH Rawi Kais Al-Said, Muscat Hills CEO and son of HH Kais, presented art works from Bait Muzna Gallery to the second placed team with 112 points – Tony

Email: booking@muscatgolf.com www.muscathills.com

His Highness Rawy Kais Al-Said (below) presents the prizes at the Memorial Tournament with Ray Stopforth (pictured left).

Carpenter, Rachel Conners, Vince Conners, Yahya Rambly. Suresh Virmani, Rani Virmani, Jam Soonawala and Puli Sharma were third with 110 points, receiving prizes sponsored by FALCOM. Sue Pattison and Gale Woods won Nearest the Pin and Longest Drive respectively in the ladies category and Ali Said and Harpreet Singh won Nearest the Pin and Longest Drive in the Men’s category. Prizes were presented by Bait Muzna Gallery.

European Senior Tour player Bill Longmuir at the Memorial Tournament at Muscat Hills.

peter Bell and shirley Prescott win first BMW Golf Cup A TOTAL of 105 golfers battled it out in the first BMW Golf Cup in Oman with Peter Bell taking Division A (0-14/18) with 40 Stableford points and Shirley Prescott winning Division B (15-28/36) with 42 points after a countback.

The players competed in an 18-hole Individual Stableford Event divided in two categories according to their handicap. Bell and Prescott were awarded with an exclusive BMW Golf Cup Trophy and BMW Golfsport golf bags for their victories.

Second and third places in Division A were taken by Amanvir Atwal and Danny Byrne while in Division B Sanjeev Nagpal and William Welsh were runners-up up after a countback on 42 points.

Nearest the pin went to Mukesh Sawhney while Amanvir Atwal won Longest Drive and Subba Rao achieved the Straightest Drive. The organisers, Al Jenaibi International Automobiles, exclusive importer for BMW and Mini in Oman, hope to stage a qualifier for the International BMW Golf Cup next year following the success of the event.

Oman National Golf Team Coach wins the 39th Muscat Open by a distance

Jay Townsend joins in the celebrations after winning the 39th Muscat Open at Muscat Hills Golf and Country Club.

JAY Townsend, PGA Tour Professional and coach of the Oman National Golf Team won the 39th Muscat Open by a massive 15 strokes with a two-round total of 4-under par 140.

Dubai-based Ed Edwards had a good second day which earned him second place with 155, while last year’s Champion, Puli Sharma, was third with 157, one shot ahead of fourth-placed Ali Hameed.

Two strokes further back in fifth was European Senior Tour Professional Bill Longmuir’s son, Callum, playing the event for the first time. In the net competition, Ras

Al Hamra GC Captain, Richard Chia, came first with a net 144.

Thomas Varghese was second on a countback, followed by Andy Coutts, Graham Hutchinson and Kevin D’Amours. Ray Prescott emerged winner of the Plate Division, closely followed by Don Gray.

The event is the longest-running Open tournament in Oman and this was the first edition to be played on a grass course as 100 of the best golfers in the Sultanate, with an 18 handicap limit, battled it out for the title in a strokeplay format over two days.

www.wwgolf.biz

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The perfect place. Fly in. Drive off.

Almouj Golf. Inspired by Oman. Designed by Greg Norman.

World-class golfing has never looked better: the 18-hole Almouj Golf links course is set between the stunning Hajar Mountains and tranquil Indian Ocean.

It’s also never been more convenient: thanks to its location just minutes from Muscat Airport and close to The Wave, Muscat, enjoying its 5-star facilities will fit in perfectly with your business schedule. You can even use our golfing equipment – with our compliments. Should your meeting run late, fit in a round or practise your swing at our floodlit 9-hole par-3 course and driving range. Afterwards, make your way to our fully-equipped clubhouse and enjoy the culinary delights prepared by our top chefs.

For more information about Almouj Golf and its facilities, or to make a booking visit www.almoujgolf.com; alternatively, call our reservation team on +968 22 00 59 90 who will be happy to help with any questions you may have.

THE GOLF COURSE

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THE ACADEMY www.almoujgolf.com

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5 STAR FACILITIES

almouj golf the wave muscat www.almoujgolf.com

Contact: Tel : 00968 22005990 email : info@almoujgolf.com

facebook.com/almoujgolf

The Marylebone Cricket Club Golf Society swings into Almouj Golf.

MArylebone put to the test ALMOUJ Golf played host to the Golf Society from Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) at Lords in London, England, as part of their Middle East Tour. The friendly exchange showcased superb iron skills from power shots to backswings with the Almouj Golf team winning by a margin of 5 points to 2. However, the score seemed relatively insignificant in comparison to the spirit that the match was played.

Almouj Golf Joins Earth Hour INSPIRED by the millions who support the Earth Hour initiative, Almouj Golf joined global citizens with a unified message to create a more sustainable planet. Candles were distributed and lit at The Academy Restaurant & Lounge and the Pro-Shop in a united stance against climate change which also served as a reminder to everyone present on the importance of environmental preservation.

Mercedes Benz Matchplay

Masters Medal Magic EACH player in the Masters Medal drew an actual Masters competitor whose scores on holes 1, 9, 10 and 18 in the first round of the Masters tournament at Augusta National counted along with the Almouj golfers’ net scores on the corresponding holes of the Championship course. It was Ed Daly who took the honours in the Gross Division with a fine round of 3-over-par 59. The unadjusted 14-hole net score was won by Nick Smith with a net 59, while Adrian Bain was the winner of the Masters Medal combined score.

Golf welcomed 22 students aged 13 to 17 Students get in the swing ALMOUJ years old from the Al Amal School for the Deaf to experience the 18-hole Championship course. The students were introduced to the world of golf as a friendly, competitive sport that can be played at any age, despite their hearing impairments.

During the visit, the Almouj PGA professionals showed the students the different facets of golf, helping them recognise the diversity of the sport as well as instilling principals of good sportsmanship, discipline and fair play that are associated with the game. They also had the opportunity to hit a few balls on the driving range, and the practice putting green as well as enjoying a tour around the Greg Norman designed golf course.

MEN’S SINGLES William Welsh and Chuck Sargent booked their places in the semi-finals with a stellar showing in the Mercedes Benz Matchplay. Sargent squared up against Danny Renihan in a tight encounter that was tied after 18 holes.

It took three additional play-off holes before Sargent hit his approach shot close on hole 4 to seal victory.

Welsh got the better of pretournament favourite Aaron O’Hara, who, despite playing well was beaten by the ultra-consistent Welsh.

LADIES SINGLES Henny Saanen made it to the semi-final stage but had to make the difficult decision to give the match to her opponent Kim Davis, due to injury.

Joining Kim in the final will be the winner of the semifinal between Sarah Morris and Catherine Shackleton.

PAIRS MATCHPLAY The semi-finals will be an all-male affair with Aaron O’Hara and playing partner Iain Liversage hoping to overcome the strong pairing of Mark O’Flynn and Anthony Huson while Steve Morris and Edward Daly are up against Chris Green and John Medhurst in their pursuit of a place in the final.

Course update

THERE are now 14 holes available for play; 7 on the front nine – holes 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8; and seven on the back nine – holes 17, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16.

Holes 1, 9, 10 and 18 are not yet ready for play and but will be introduced over the coming weeks. All construction on these holes has been completed and the Club is hoping that Mother Nature can speed up the process so they can soon become available to play. The floodlit Par 3 course is also well on its way to opening. Five of the nine holes will be available for play this month. The final construction touches are being done on the remaining four Par-3 holes and they are expected to be finalised later this month. www.wwgolf.biz

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the royal golf club bahrain www.theroyalgolfclub.com

RoyalGolfCLub

Contact: Tel : +973 17 750777

TheRoyalGolfClub

Online Tee Time Booking Goes Live

Date set for Mixed Open

THE online tee-time booking service at The Royal Golf Club has gone live, meaning that members and guests can now book their golf via the worldwide web. The software, supplied by BRS Golf, is one of Europe’s most successful golf tee time booking systems and allows golfers to view tee time availability and book their preferred time instantly.

THE father and daughter combination of Reinhold and Tabea Lutz will be aiming to retain the Royal Golf Club’s Mixed Open crown in this year’s tournament which is set to take place on Friday 11th and Saturday 12th May. 2011 Mixed Open Champions Reinhold and Tabea Lutz

special meals Delivery for Riffa Views Residents RESIDENTS of the Riffa Views community can now order a delicious selection of food from the award-winning Royal Golf Club for delivery direct to their homes.

The Club’s delivery menu comprises of a number of tempting pasta and pizza dishes from the newly opened Prego Italian restaurant as well as some favourite soups, salads, burgers

May Sporting Events at the Royal Golf Club Date

Event

04 May PING Seniors Open – for the over 50s and sandwiches from the popular Links menu.

11 & 12 May Royal Golf Club Annual Mixed Open There are even a couple of a number of Every Saturday Wee Monty Family Day sinful desserts and kids’ options available, all to be

Every Sunday Ladies TaylorMade Stableford enjoyed in the comfort of your own home. The new delivery

Every Monday Ecco Monday Stableford service is available daily from

A&E Monday Madness Night Series 4.00pm to 11.00pm and meals will be delivered within Riffa Views in

Every Wednesday Ladies Golf Competitions – different formats style – in a London taxi cab!

dirab golf club

Time

Open to

from 7.30am

All

from 10.00am

All

10.00am-2.00pm

All

8.30am shotgun

All ladies

1.00pm shotgun

All

6:30pm

All

8:30am shotgun

All ladies

Contact: Tel : +966 1 812 6671 Email: info@dirabgolf.com

www.dirabgolf.com

Hawthorn leads his team to victory THE quartet of Spencer Hawthorn, Pamela Hanway, Richard Ball and Christine Buchner won the 19th edition of the ABGR-AmEx Open ahead of the team of Adam Clark, Tony McManus, Duncan Smith and Grant McGregor.

Third place went to the team of

John Dunning, Phil Pannel, Paul West and Regina Jung.

The awards for the Men’s and Ladies Longest Drive contest went to Robert Ruuth and Pam Hanway respectively while Closest to the Pin was won by Roman Tirambulo and Karen Corrigan.

The winning team of Spencer Hawthorn, Richard Ball, Pamela Hanway and Christine Buchner.

Georgia lifts Marriott prize GEORGIA Coughlin was the toast of the Dirab Ladies group after taking home Best Gross honours at the recent Marriott Monthly Medal.

Monika Schiffer secured the Best Net prize while in the sub-divisions Mira Jung came out top of the pile in Division ‘A’ and Li Ni took the spoils in Division ‘B’ The first three winners of the ‘Omega’ Division were Martine Himmesoete, Wendy M and Fauzia Shamim while Christine Bell took home the Nearest the Pin prize.

gerry Davis and hitesh Valla take the spoils GERRY Davis won Best Gross in the recent Saudi Hollandi Bank Open while Hitesh Valla secured the Best Net prize.

Omar Hariri topped Division ‘1’ after a countback win over Mark Campbell, with Edwin Anonuevo finishing third.

Declan White finished top of the pile in Division ‘2’ with Sean Boyd second

and Kevin Hanlon third, while in Division ‘3’ Phil Pannel pipped Lance Jones to the top spot. Ruby Klawikowski was crowned the top Lady on the day and she also launched the Longest Drive.

Abdullah Hussain nabbed the Men’s Long Drive award while Eric Liquigan won the Nearest the Pin prize.

Doha golf club www.dohagolfclub.com

Contact: Tel : +974 4496 0777 info@dohagolfclub.com

Doha-Golf-Club

Byrne Golf Day a roaring success THE ever-popular Byrne Corporate Golf Day returned for another edition last month as a full field took to the course in what was a hugely fun yet fiercely competitive tournament.

Finishing on top after 18 holes was the team of Chris Myers, Chris Downey, Danny

Waiter and Howard Kitson with a net 60.5, just 0.4 ahead of second placed Ian McInerney, Colin McInerney, Alex Belarmino and Rajendra Rajbahak.

Third place with, net 61.2, went to Jim Anderson, Michael Maynard, Tony Crane and John Adams.

Al Bishi and Al Mohannadi win a place in the Xerox Grand Final ABDULRAHMAN Al Bishi and Abdul Aziz Al Mohannadi won the ninth round of the Xerox Corporate Golf Challenge to qualify for the Grand Finale at Jumeriah Golf Estates in Dubai. The duo scored a net 64 and will now have the chance to win a trip to The Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes if they win the Final. Finishing second, one stroke back, were Saleh Al Kaabi and Ali Al Bishi who in turn defeated Akihiko Yoshiba and Katsumi Aok on a countback.

GREAT SCORES IN JOTUN PAINTS GOLF CHALLENGE

Hrinda takes the Mug

THE 7th Jotun Paints golf tournament proved a huge success for all golfing participants and guests as the team of Steve Reid, Frank Harrigan, Tami Al Hajiri and Adnan Rashid added their names to

JAKUB Hrinda won the third Vodafone Mug of the season recently with a superb haul of 43 points. In Division ‘B’ Mohammed Nasser Al Kaabi topped the pile with 41 points while Andrew Vye secured the honours in Division ‘C’ with 38 points. The Ladies Division was won by Valerie Dalton with 36 points.

the Hall of Fame with a net 59.8.

Finishing second in this annual 4-man Texas Scramble event with a net 61.7 was the team of Chris Duffy, Alan Crozier, Ian Waddell and Millie Rojas.

Junior Kim seals April Medal JUNIOR member Jung Bin Kim was in excellent form during the April Guardian Wealth Monthly Medal as he secured first place in Division ‘A’ with a superb score of net 66. In Division ‘B’ Akihiko Yoshiba also fired a 66 to win while in Division ‘C’ Ian Butcher topped the pile with a 66.

Laila Hrinda took the spoils in the Ladies Division with a net 70.

Morale high at the Tadmur Trading and Daikin Golf Day TOUGH gusts of wind shot through the course during the 2012 Tadmur Trading and Daikin Golf Day but that didn’t deter Thibaud Peniguet and Manny Obinque as they scored a 71 for a countback victory.

Finishing second by the narrowest of margins were Albert Dalton and Suresh Rebello while the team of Brian Goosh and Adrian Bake sealed third. www.wwgolf.biz

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It’s a sports styled shoe in a waterproof, Japanese synthetic upper, with a full Mizuno Infinity Wave® plate for extra cushioning and stability.

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PING are to release 5,000 limited-edition G20 drivers, inspired by the one used by Masters Champion Bubba Watson, and will donate 5% of the proceeds to its fundraising campaign, “Bubba Long in Pink. Driven by PING.” As part of PING’s campaign, the company made a $10,000 upfront donation and gives $300 for every drive Watson hits 300 yards or farther (up to 300 drives). To date, $61,600 has been generated. All funds raised will go to Phoenix-area charities, chosen by PING with Bubba’s support.

Callaway HEX BlaCK TOUR: This golf ball strikes the perfect balance of Tour performance for both the distance-seeker and the control freak.

Engineered with a highly durable Urethane cover, this ball is designed for Optimised Tour Performance. HEX Black Tour promotes low spin off the tee for more distance in your long game and high spin on approach shots for total control and aggressive stopping power into the green. From powerful ball speeds to a penetrating ball flight and soft feel, this golf ball offers the ultimate blend of Tour Distance with Tour Control. www.wwgolf.biz 99

Play where the Pros Play experience the best egypt has to offer with Maritim Jolie Ville Hotels in egypt. Play golf or simply relax at the beach or by the pool. there is no better place to do that than at the Maritim Jolie Ville Golf & Resort and the Maritim Jolie Ville Royal Peninsula Hotel & Resort, both offer 5 star accommodation and combined they have more than 20 different restaurants and Bars which include: thai, sushi, Japanese, Chinese, lebanese, Italian and International themed buffets. with some of the largest and most luxurious rooms in sharm set amidst beautifully landscaped gardens, these two resorts are the best the red sea riviera has to offer.

Maritim Jolie Ville Golf & Resort Phone: +2069 3603 200 Fax: +2069 3603 225 info@sgr-maritim-jolieville.com www.jolieville-hotels.com www.maritim.com

Maritim Jolie Ville Royal Peninsula Hotel & Resort Phone: +2069 3604 200 Fax: +2069 3603 199 info@srp-maritim-jolieville.com

Locker room

cool stuff

roLeX oYSTer

PING LAUNCH NEW IPING PUTTER APP TO TARGET GAME-IMPROVEMENT

PerPetuAl eXPlorer II THE Oyster Perpetual Explorer II is the watch of choice for the adventurous of spirit and those who appreciate the finer things in life.

The robust watch features an additional 24-hour hand so that you can distinguish between daytime and nighttime hours when you’ve been out on the golf course too long! The Explorer II can also be used to display the time in two different time zones using the 24-hour hand by adjusting the graduated bezel to the desired time.

Chromalight hour markers and hands are coated with a luminescent material emitting a long-lasting blue glow and making it easy to tell the time in fading light conditions while, with a guaranteed water proof depth of 100 metres, you won’t need to take it off when you go diving in the water hazard for you missing ball! www.rolex.com

canon

Powershot sX 260 hs

THE Canon PowerShot SX 260 HS, with its 20x optical zoom, full HD movie capability and GPS location tracking function, is the ultimate travel companion.

The nifty little compact features a 25mm wideangle 12.1 megapixel lens while the HS System allows it to take great shots in low level lighting and Intelligent IS combats camera shake to ensure all your photos and videos are sharp and detailed. There’s even an optional waterproof case that protects it up to 40m. www.canon.com

SonY s tABlet Pc

THE tablet market is getting evermore crowded as more and more developers try to come up with their version of the iPad. Some are good, some are bad and some are downright ugly but Sony’s S Tablet PC, which uses the Android 3.1 operating system, is a cracking alternative to the famous Apple device. Among the standout features is the ‘throw’ function which enables you to grab music, video and pictures from the device and ‘throw’ them to a nearby Sony television for playback on a bigger screen.

You can also download and play PlayStation 3 games on it while there’s a 5mp camera and built in web-cam along with 16GB of storage space. www.sony.com

SHUre se535 heADPhoNes THESE SE535s from Shure are some of the best in ear headphones currently on the market. Sure (excuse the pun) at around Dhs 1,790 they’re expensive but they look, feel and sound it too! The sound quality is incredible while the Kevlar reinforced detachable and replaceable cable means they’re going to last longer than your average headphones and you won’t need to replace the whole thing if they break. They’re also really comfortable and the Sound Isolation technology, originally used so rock stars could hear their own music onstage, means you’ll be completely at one with your tunes using these babies! www.shure.com www.wwgolf.biz

101

in the bag Driver:

TayylorMade RBZ 10.5 degrees regular shaft

3 Wood:

TaylorMade RBZ 15 degrees regular shaft

Joanne Bates Assistant Golf Professional, Al Badia Golf Club

irons (4-SW):

What age did you start playing golf and where and what is your golfing background?

I started playing golf at the age of 13 at Ely City Golf Club in Cambridge.

TaylorMde R11 Graphite M flex shafts ( all set half inch shorter than mens regular size)

What were your first set of golf clubs and how did you get them?

A ‘Tour Model’ ladies half set with a Lynx driver and an Acer 5 wood.

Putter:

TaylorMade Rossa – Monte Carlo (with personalised pink grip)

Who is your golfing hero and why?

Michelle “Mickey” Walker OBE (a founding member of the Ladies European Tour). I had lessons with her when I first started playing and she really gave me passion and inspiration to take my golf further.

What would you do to promote and expand golf?

Encourage all ladies to come down to Al Badia Golf Club and enroll on my Ladies Beginner Programme. We are seeing a real boost in numbers now as everyone involved is having a really great time, learning a new sport and making new friends.

Wedge:

TaylorMade ZTP 56 degree

What rule change would you change and why?

I would clarify the water hazard rule as I believe it to be a bit hazy. I would make it simpler so everyone is clear on the rules and playing on a level playing field.

What do you think can be done to help promote the game of golf to juniors in Dubai?

I think we need to target schools in Dubai.

I think schools need to make physical education more of a priority in today’s world.

Golf is a great way to exercise and have fun at the same time. If you offer this kind of programme to schools in Dubai, kids will be more keen to the idea of trying the sport and there will be an increase in the junior programmes for years to come.

What’s your favourite golfing moment?

Becoming a fully qualified Golf Pro back in 2004 after 4 years of hard work studying and being dedicated to my game. .

What’s the funniest thing you’ve seen in golf?

When I took a beginner lady out on the course for the first time in a playing lesson and she got a hole-in-one on the first par 3 on the course!

Who would be your dream fourball and why?

Harry Redknapp – As I am a massive Spurs fan and need to ask him about the club and getting us back into the Champions League.

Lee Westwood – As he is my favourite tour player at the moment.

Samuel L Jackson – As I met him when I worked at Royal Birkdale. He was playing golf while filming the ‘51st State’. He was really nice.

www.wwgolf.biz

103

Belen

Spanish beauty Belen Mozo is making waves on the LPGA Tour. WWG asks the questions….

MOZO

Where are you from and how have you ended up on the LPGA Tour in America?

BM: I’m from Cadiz in Spain. I started playing golf when I was eight and I moved to America when I was 18. I studied at the University of Southern California and my golf coaches there have helped me immensely in turning professional.

Who were your golfing idols as a child?

BM: Growing up I looked up to Lorena Ochoa and Greg Norman.

They were not only known as great golf players but they have done a lot of good things outside the ropes too which they will also be remembered for!

Apparently people in the States seem to think you resemble a global superstar, tell us about that…

BM: Yeah, a lot of people over here think I look like Shakira. I can’t sing like her but I think that I can dance like her!

What are your goals on the LPGA Tour?

BM: My ultimate goal is to win on the LPGA Tour. I love to compete and hope that one day I’ll be able to cross the line.

If you weren’t a pro golfer what do you think you’d be doing?

BM: I’d either be a sports agent or a clothes designer.

How important is fashion to you?

BM: I like to look good both on and off the course, it’s important to be comfortable as well. I do put a bit of thought into what I wear but being comfortable while playing is the most important. I’d like a perfect blend of both!

What mistakes do you most spot in amateurs?

BM: They don’t warm up before playing! It’s so important to stretch and warm up before playing.

You’re dating a current tennis pro Robert Farah – what is it about golfers dating tennis players?

BM: In my case I met my boyfriend at Southern California University. Golfers like tennis and tennis players like golf – it’s interesting I guess, we’re interested in each other’s lives and professions!

Tell us something most people don’t know about you?

BM: As soon as I hear a beat I start dancing – no shame!

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