Worldwide Golf February 2017

Worldwide Golf The Middle East’s No.1 Golf Magazine

MARTIN KAYMER

GOLF’S MR QUIET MAKING WAVES IN DUBAI

February 2017, ISSUE 189

SWING FOCUS WITH COWEN

WHY CAN DUSTIN JOHNSON LAUNCH IT 428 YARDS?

DAVID HOWELL

TIGER FACTOR STILL A MAJOR FORCE

Thomas

Bjørn FROM BEATING TIGER TO BECOMING EUROPE’S LATEST RYDER CUP CAPTAIN

TIPS

LEARN GOLF THE

LEADBETTER WAY

HOW TO LAUNCH YOUR DRIVES BY

PETE

COWEN UNDERSTAND THE

S E T- U P

SCIENCE GEAR

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INSIDE LOOK

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

Executive Editor

Gary Player All set for Second Invitational Success

I

’m really looking forward to our Gary Player Invitational at the award-winning Saadiyat Beach Golf Club we designed in Abu Dhabi. I’m understandably proud of the stunning oceanfront layout and we can rely on the course being in immaculate condition as ever.

I’m honoured to be involved in the tournament and our beneficiary, the Zayed Higher Organisation for Humanitarian Care and Special Needs, is a very worthy cause.

The Invitational, held in conjunction with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, takes place on Monday, February 6, under the Patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarek Al Nahyan .

I’m indebted to the many professional golfers, sportsmen and women, celebrities and businessman who have given up their valuable time to support the event.

Last year’s inaugural tournament was a huge success and we aim to make this Gary Player Invitational an even bigger occasion for the UAE Year of Giving.

This time last year the tournament joined our other five established Gary Player Invitationals in the UK,

USA, China, SA and Japan, which have helped our Player Foundation raise more than $63 million for charities worldwide. Our aim is to achieve $100 million by 2025.

Among the Pro Tour players who have confirmed to play are Darren Clarke, Chris Wood, Joost Luiten, Victor Dubuisson, Jason Scrivener, Thomas Aiken, Trevor Immelman and fellow Worldwide Golf Columnist, David Howell, along with Lady Professionals, Beth Allen, winner of last year’s inaugural Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open, plus Georgia Hall, Caroline Martens, Emma Cabrera Bello and Victoria Lovelady.

Celebrities and Legends Celebrities and sporting legends include cricketers Ricky Ponting and Brian Lara, rugby great Victor Matfield, model and television personality Jodie Kidd, Keith Duffy, Brian McFadden and comedian Ali Al Sayed.

Saadiyat Beach Golf Club is the ideal location for our Invitational and with the generosity of the UAE community we are able to build upon the good work of the 2016 event and I know that all the participants will have great fun in supporting such a great cause.

South African Open success What an amazing event the South African Open turned out to be.

Rory McIlroy attracted huge galleries throughout the week at Glendower Golf Club and what a show he put on for them.

He was hitting the ball better than I’ve ever seen him hit it. The crowd was simply mesmerised.

It’s a pity that a rib injury put him out of action for Abu Dhabi and the Dubai Desert Classic Rory has such charisma about his game these days but who would have expected Graeme Storm to score 69-63-67-71 and then defeat Rory on the third hole of a playoff to win his first Tour event for 10 years.

It was even more of a surprise for Graeme who believed he had lost his European Tour playing card when he missed a par putt at the Portugal Masters, leaving him outside the top 111 on the ranking, only to be handed a reprieve by Patrick Reed .

The American had opted not to play the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai which meant Reed did not play the required number of European Tour events for the season and was removed from the Race to

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Dubai ranking, allowing Storm to move up one place and retain his playing privileges.

Equal matters I DON’T know what all the fuss was about with the European Tour’s announcement that Europe’s Ryder Cup Captain, Thomas Bjørn, can make four wildcard picks at the 2018 event in Paris. I still don’t understand why the two teams have ever had the option of choosing whether the Captain is allowed two, three or four wildcards. Whatever the rules are they should be the same for both sides.

Justin time CONGRATULATIONS to American 23 year old Justin Thomas who put in a phenomenal performance last month to win back-to-back tournaments in Hawaii. Thomas won the SBS Tournament of Champions at Kapalua and then went on to shoot an opening round 59 at the Sony Open.

Following this he rewrote the US PGA Tour record books with scores at 36 and 72 holes – a 27 under par score and a sevenstroke victory. ■

IN T ROD UCING

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February 2017

CONTENTS 30 26 16

21 23 25

Cover feature: Thomas Bjørn

We talk exclusively with Europe’s next Ryder Cup Captain about his plans to wrest the trophy back from the United States in France next year and look back at his history in the biennial event – which dates back to 1997 – as both a player and a vice-captain.

Tour News

Qualification changes to The Ryder Cup announced and Ireland’s Des Smyth looks ahead to next month’s Sharjah Senior Golf Masters presented by Shurooq.

The Starter

The European Tour breaks tradition with the new ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth – a dual format event which takes place at the stunning Lake Karrinyup Country Club later this month. Plus all the latest happenings in the game and a look at what equipment Tiger Woods is using this season.

Pete Cowen Column

PGA Master Professional Pete Cowen gives us the lowdown on the European Tour season so far and how the players he’s working with are shaping up.

David Howell Column

European Tour veteran David Howell talks this month about Tiger Woods’ return to action at Torrey Pines and the Desert Classic.

Rafa Cabrera Bello Column

The Spanish Ryder Cup star has been working closely with coach David Leadbetter and announces he has a new caddie as he begins a split schedule with a few more tournaments on the US PGA Tour in his sights.

36 43 49 Worldwide GOLF 10

Martin Kaymer feature

WWG catches up with two-time Major winner Martin Kaymer to talk about a memorable 2016 campaign, which included playing in the Olympics and a fourth Ryder Cup, and how he plans on achieving his goals for 2017.

Graeme Storn feature

Life moves pretty fast on the European Tour – just ask Graeme Storm. The Englishman was without his playing rights one minute, gained a last gasp repreive when Patrick Reed reneged on his commitment to the Tour and then defeats Rory McIlroy in South Africa to earn himself a two-year exemption.

Thomas Detry

There’s been a boom in Belgium’s golf productivity over the past few years with Nicolas Colsaerts and Thomas Pieters both becoming established players on the European Tour – and you can now add Thomas Detry to that list after the youngster earned his card after his excellent season on last year’s European Challenge Tour.

WWG meets Belgium’s Boy Wonder.

CONTENTS GEAR

64

BEHIND THE SCENES AT PXG

We talk to eGolf Megastore’s CEO Dean Cheesley about his recent trip to the Parsons Xtreme Golf headquarters in Arizona.

ON THE HORIZON

Jason Ashley, Custom-fit Specialist at eGolf Megastore gets to grips with the TaylorMade M2, the Callaway Big Bertha Epic and the Cobra King F7.

EPIC BY NAME...

An in-depth look to see whether Callaway’s new Big Bertha Epic can live up to its name.

PING I200 - THE BEST EVER?

We test the new Ping i200 irons to find out just how good they really are.

INSTRUCTION

53

DUSTIN JOHNSON’S SWING

Pete Cowen gives us a blow-by-blow breakdown of the reigning U.S. Open champion’s imperious mechanics.

LETS WORK IT UNDER!

Stephen Deane, Head Professional at Emirates Golf Club, talks about hand position at impact and how it affects your shots.

GET MORE HEIGHT WITH YOUR DRIVER

Pete Cowen corrects some common faults that will help you launch your tee shots into orbit.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE SET-UP

Lewis Caseley, PGA Teaching Pro at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, takes us on a step-by-step guide through the perfect set-up position.

LEARNING THE LEADBETTER WAY

We meet David Leadbetter, the man who taught Sir Nick Faldo and Greg Norman during their prime, about the work he is currently doing with WWG Columnist Rafa Cabrera Bello.

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ARABIAN GOLF

84

LONDON GOLF CLUB

We talk to Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club’s Director of Golf Martin Duff to get the lowdown on their preparations ahead of hosting the Sharjah Senior Golf Masters Presented by Shurooq; the success of the Qatar Internationa Golf Club’s Pearl Coaching Programme, plus all the latest news from the leading golf clubs in the Middle East.

The latest in our series of European Tour Destinations, the London Golf Club in Kent – the Garden of England – features two Jack Nicklaus signature courses and is just a short drive from London.

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Abu Dhabi Golf Club

Editor’s Letter

By Alex Gallemore

ISSUE No.189 FEBRUARY, 2017.

Published by: Worldwide Sporting Publications Ltd.

Tiger’s Comeback is Big Business for All

T

IGER WOODS missing the cut in his first real comeback outing at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines came as no real surprise.

The huge relief was that he came out of it injury-free and full of positive comments about his game.

Dubai might have taken a hit from Rory pulling out due to his rib injury sustained in South Africa but imagine the consequences if Tiger tweaked his back and withdrew from the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. It just goes to show that the game still needs Tiger and, to be honest, we don’t really care too much if he wins – just having him in the field is good enough. Watching the US PGA Tour events over the past few years, and especially the Majors, the tournaments just felt like something was missing … and they were – Tiger.

For Dubai to attract Tiger back to the Classic is a huge coup and good business, even if it has allegedly cost $3milllion to get him to tee it up at the Majlis. Sounds like a lot but the bigger picture for Dubai is huge. Hotels are full and ticket sales are up more than 30 per cent. That, in itself, is worth millions to the Dubai economy even before you factor in the huge boost in TV audiences worldwide.

The Tiger factor is what the game needs, not just in Dubai but around the globe. Everyone is trying to find ways to speed up the game, introduce music on the tee boxes and even switch to matchplay into the final round of a strokeplay event. The game has to evolve but Tiger injects enthusiasm and excitement unlike any other player – and

that’s what brings spectators back in droves. Ironically, when Tiger hit a speed bump in his private life and was then plagued by injury the number of American golf club members dropped. Some will argue that it was merely coincidence and down to the economy stalling. But in a country where golf is cheaper than anywhere else in the world it had more to do with Americans falling out of love with the game. No one admires a winner more than the Americans and now Tiger is back it will be interesting to see if the numbers start to pick up in what is by far the largest golf market in the world.

What was equally interesting regarding Tiger, after Nike’s decision to pull out of the golf hardware sector is what will he have in the bag? Pete Cowen seems to have got it right in last month’s issue when he said Tiger would shift to TaylorMade. Like many leading pros on Tour he seems to have gelled well with the TaylorMade M2 range. He seems to be sticking to the old Nike irons until TaylorMade produce a custom-built set but the excitement came when he returned his trusty Scotty Cameron putter to the bag. He’s won 63 times with the Scotty, 13 Majors and the Grand Slam! Makes you wonder why he ever took it out.

But it’s not all about TaylorMade at the moment.

Callaway has been the talk on the range with their new Epic drivers and fairway metals. I’ve yet to put one to the test but when the likes of Rory put them straight in the bag you know it’s the real deal. We spoke to the Callaway developers to find what’s so special about their new drivers and what ‘Jailbreak’ technology is all about.

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

Editor-in-Chief: Mike Gallemore.

Executive Editor: Gary Player.

Editor: Alex Gallemore. alex@wspglobal.com.

Publisher: Mike Gallemore. mike@wspglobal.com.

General Manager Dubai: Richard Bevan: rick@wspglobal.com.

Editors: Todd Staszko, Scott Grayston, Ashraf Ahmed.

Production/Design Editor: Thameem Rayyan.

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

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

Printed by: Raidy, Dubai Distributed by: Al Nisr Distribution LLC PO Box 6519, Dubai, UAE Worldwide Golf specifies that post-press changes may occur to any information given in this publication and takes no responsibility for goods or services advertised.

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The Course

Lake Karrinyup Country Club Host venue for a new type of professional golf

A

NEW format comes into play on the European Tour this month in the form of the ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth at the stunning Lake Karrinyup Country Club in Western Australia.

In what will be a unique configuration for the golfing world, the tournament will combine 54 holes of strokeplay over the first three days, with a knock-out match play format on the fourth and final day.

The tournament is trisanctioned between the European Tour, Asian Tour and the PGA of Australasia, brining a global feel to proceedings.

Keith Waters, Chief Operating Officer of the European Tour is hopeful that both the alliance and the format will make the event a success.

“We are delighted to join two of our long-standing partners in trisanctioning a tournament which further emphasises the success of our Strategic Alliance with the Asian Tour and our strengthening relationship with the ISPS HANDA PGA of Australasia,” he said.

“The European Tour and its members are hugely supportive of innovative new ways to bring the game to bigger audiences and they are very excited about the prospect of battling it out in a six-hole match play format on Sunday, which is sure to capture the imagination of sports fans globally.”

United States Ryder Cup hero Patrick Reed is confirmed to play as is four-time winner on last year’s European Tour, Alex Noren. n

Lake Karrinyup Country Club has previously hosted four events on the European Tour. Pictured here is American Bo Van Pelt en route to victory at the 2013 ISPS HANDA Perth International.

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STARTER HISTORICALLY HIGH CUT AMID HIGH WINDS

BERNHARD LANGER KEEPS WINNING Bernhard Langer won his 30th title on the US PGA Tour Champions at the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Hawaii to sit in outright second place on the all-time winners list, 15 wins behind Hale Irwin. The event was shortened to 36 holes due to exceptionally high winds but for the two days that were played the conditions were ideal and Langer shot 64-65 to win.

R&A AND USGA CONSIDERING BIG RULE CHANGES According to sources at the Golf Channel, big changes could be made to the Rules of Golf, including reducing the search time for lost balls from 5 to 3 minutes and allowing players to repair spike marks on the greens. It is reported that both governing bodies have been mulling over these developments for 3 years and they could come into play in 2019.

With winds whipping around at 40mph at the Web.com Tour's Bahamas Great Exuma Classic the scoring was higher than usual. Indeed, scoring was so high that the halfway cut was a Tour-record 11-over par, with Greg Eason claiming he’d lost 32 balls during his rounds of 91 and 95 (he missed the cut).

KNOX TO KEEP EUROPEAN TOUR MEMBERSHIP Despite falling just short of a Ryder Cup berth last year, Scotland’s Russell Knox will maintain his European Tour membership. “It’s hard to play the minimum number of events because you don’t want to be flying all around the world like a maniac like I have been,” said the World No.20.

“I will play the Scottish and Irish Opens and then we’ll see what happens. I want to keep my membership but my schedule will be different.”

McILROY SAYS NO TO 2020 OLYMPICS

Four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy says he is unlikely to play in the 2020 Olympic Games in Japan because of the conflict it causes him to declare to be part of Ireland or Great Britain.

"More likely than not I won't be going to the Games because of my personal feelings." said McIlroy. "The Olympic Games are fantastic and I think golf's inclusion is fantastic, but for me it's something I don't want to get into. That's a personal choice and hopefully people will respect that decision.”

AUGUSTA EXPANSION QUICKENS Augusta National Golf Club has bought up two nearby shops as it looks to increase its land mass so it can improve its facilities.

Jay’s Music Centre was bought for $5.3m late last year and earlier this year a Pep Boy’s auto repair shop was bought for $6.9m. It is believed the club has spent over $50m since 1999 to buy 100acres of land around the club, which has been used for car parks, hospitality an improved practice facility and a larger media centre, which is due to open at this year’s Masters.

Q U O T E S “The hard part is tapping back into it, and also when your mind is not right and your body doesn't feel very good. It's hard to snap into that.” – Patrick Reed on trying to play every event like he's in the heat of Ryder Cup battle.

O F

T H E

M O N T H

“I am anxious to get started and recapture the momentum we enjoyed at Hazeltine last year, both in the team room and on the golf course. It’s been a long, long time since we’ve won in Europe (1993) and I am looking forward to the challenge.” – Jim Furyk after being named U.S. Ryder Cup Captain for the 2018 matches in Paris.

"I want to have a lot more fun. I want to smile more on the golf course.

I want to just feel like I’m really enjoying the process of playing and living out my dream.” – Former World No.1 Jordan Spieth on one of his goals for 2017.

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TIGER WOODS

2017 CLUBS

APPAREL: Nike CLUBS: TaylorMade* PUTTER: Scotty Cameron BALL: Bridgestone

"With the irons, we're going to take our time and build up an iron that I like – not only in the playing position but how it feels and how it performs," Woods said at his season-opening event at Torrey Pines. "So there's no rush on that. I'll be playing my current Nike irons and the blades I've been using for years for right now until TaylorMade builds me the irons that I want."

*For the time being Tiger Woods is still using his Nike irons and will wait for TaylorMade to make some that he feels comfortable with.

Woods has played with a mixed bag before. In 1997 he had a King Cobra driver, Mizuno irons and Cleveland wedges.Oh, and a trusty Scotty Cameron putter.

Tiger used TaylorMade for many of his earliest milestones, including the 1994 and 1995 US Amateur.

Back with the trusty Scotty Woods is unlikely to stray from his trusted Scotty Cameron – so let's look at some of Woods' stats from its debut at the 1999 Byron Nelson Championsship through to the 2010 Open Championship. $87m in earnings 13 Majors 63 Wins 4 consecutive Majors won

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Columnist

Pete Cowen Golf needs Tiger more than ever

I

T’S been a hectic few weeks following the Desert Swing tournaments, first at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, then the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters and now the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. It’s been pretty much non-stop.

I’ve been working with the guys and they’re looking good. Henrik Stenson, in particular, is hitting the ball well. I think if anyone can beat Henrik at the Omega Desert Classic, they’ll win. He’s in such great shape. He’s fresh after his break and he’s raring to get the new season off to a flying start. He wants to make a point to everyone and when he’s in that mode he’s difficult to beat.

It was good to see Graeme McDowell playing better at Doha Golf Club. He’s still a good player and he’s starting to believe in himself again. That first round 66 and final round 69 in the Qatar Masters will do him a lot of good. I haven’t coached GMac since last year but I’d like to see him getting back to his old form.

I worked with Kiradech Aphibarnrat in Qatar. I really like the way he hits the ball. He puts a lot of pressure on the ball. He’s a nice guy. He’s a proper golfer and a really good player. I was pleased with his share of ninth place at Doha.

Dominant figure

The Omega Dubai Desert Classic is shaping up well. I’m interested to see how Sergio Garcia goes on. He’s starting to play well again. He’s another player who’s got a point to prove.

But all eyes will be on Tiger. Everyone would like to see him play well and win again – even the doubters. The game needs him to win.

Golf is not in such a healthy state that many people are trying to pretend it is. Golf needs a dominant figure like Tiger and we need him to get back to something like his old form again. He missed the cut at Torrey Pines by four shots but he was happy with his fitness.

It was his first official US PGA Tour event since August 2015 and this week marks his first appearance in Dubai since 2014. He’ll want to play well in the Classic as part of his preparation for the Masters, having already won four times at Augusta.

There’s nobody who has dominated the game like Tiger has. We hoped that Rory might do it, or maybe Jason Day. But it just hasn’t happened yet. Rory was disappointed at missing the Classic. With Tiger in the field he really wanted to play. A player like Tiger doesn’t happen every generation. He’s a once-in-a-lifetime legend. There’s no one to take his place, as yet. The game globally is suffering. There are

a number of golf clubs around my home town of Sheffield that are struggling to stay in business and I believe 300 courses in the United States closed down last year. I’m told that 120 courses in China have also closed. Australia, too, is experiencing a drop in the number of players.

The European Tour is doing everything they can to improve the appeal of golf, particularly to the younger generation. Music on the range is different but once it happens the players and the spectators will soon get used to it. It won’t bother the players. Mixing strokeplay with matchplay in the forthcoming Perth event will also be interesting.

The Rolex Series seems a good thing but I don’t think everyone understands how it works. It was the same with the FedExCup in the States, which took the players a couple of years to understand.

Bjørn was the only man for the job

I was pleased to see Thomas Bjørn get The Ryder Cup captaincy. He deserved it. It was an obvious choice and he was clear favourite for the job from the start. I’m sure he’ll do a great job and if he can get the course set-up the way he’ll want it, so that it suits the European players, we’ll have a good chance of getting the Cup back.

Le Golf National is a tight course where you can’t afford to spray the ball around. Thomas will want to put the emphasis on fairways and greens. Hazeltine National was set up to favour the Americans’ putting strength. They turned it into a putting competition and that’s why they won last year’s Ryder Cup. Thomas is a very thorough character and he’ll make sure he has Vice-Captains who are also thorough. It’s good that he’s got four captain’s picks. If I were captain I’d want 12 picks but that’s never going to happen. I think the Russell Knox and Paul Casey situation was the main reason they made the change in the selection process. Casey was in superb form at the time with his world ranking improving week on week and deserved a place in the team, so it was little wonder that he had a grievance.

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Columnist

David Howell When to Watch – and When to Look Away

T

iger Woods took the Dubai Desert Classic to his heart back in the early 2000s playing some remarkable golf year on year, drawing huge galleries to the Emirates Golf Club and, as he did in those days, making the event the biggest event in world golf every time he pitched up.

I can remember watching from the Clubhouse in 2001 when Thomas Bjørn took Tiger on for all four rounds and beat him. When he stormed into the Clubhouse and rang the bell signalling free drinks all round you have never seen so many happy people. A classy thing to do from a classy guy, more of whom I talk about later on.

My closest encounter with Tiger in Dubai came in 2004. I was in the second to last group on Sunday and I joined the world’s greatest player alongside Joakim Haeggman. Our task was to chase down Paul McGinley and Mark O’Meara. It felt like the whole world was watching.

It was certainly going to be an exciting and intimidating afternoon. The excitement I could handle, intimidation I didn’t need so much. I just needed a plan, and fast.

So I teed it up and received my introduction as a former winner of the Dubai Desert Classic (1999), which is always a good start to any day, then managed to find the first fairway with my drive. It was then that my plan suddenly came to me. Whilst thousands were straining their necks to get a view of Tiger, it dawned on me to do the exact opposite. So very discreetly I turned away from the legend standing just a few feet away from me and decided there and then that I just wouldn’t watch him swing.

I wouldn’t be rude. I would, of course, take an interest as to where his ball would go, but to watch him swing with all that power and grace I decided would do me no favours at all. I soon saw Tiger striding into the rough on the right-hand side of the fairway, whilst I stood in prime position in the middle. One up to me I thought. And so it continued. With the best view in the house of Tiger in action, I didn’t watch a single swing until the tenth. At that point we were neck and neck and going well. The plan was working and my confidence had grown.

On hole ten I made a mistake. I had hit the green with my 3 iron on the par five and, as Tiger had hit his 3 wood right next to my drive, I thought now was the time to take it all in and watch the man in action.

Was this a mistake? Absolutely. He hit a five iron that came off the club like a nine iron, landing 220 yards on the rock-hard green like a

piece of putty, stopping 10 feet from the front hole location. To this day it was one of the most impressive golf shots I have ever witnessed.

I could go on to describe how we both holed our eagle putts, and how I managed to stay ahead of him to finish third on my own behind the eventual winner O’Meara. But that would be stealing their limelight. The point is Tiger was way ahead of everyone in those days with his ball striking ability. The top lads have caught him up since then but it will forever stick in my mind just how good he was during those pre-injury years.

I mention this because Tiger is due to join us once again this year at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club and he will be welcomed with open arms. I’m intrigued to see how much of a fanfare he will create all these years later. If I were a betting man I would say his hiatus will only have heightened the anticipation. The difference between now and then is that I vow that if I happen to be drawn with him this year I will watch every single swing.

Strong feeling of pride

Thomas Bjørn has had his ups and downs since those days, too, but his commitment to the European Tour has earned him the honour of becoming Ryder Cup Captain for 2018.

Having taken on the Captaincy, Thomas has decided to relinquish his Chairmanship of the Tournament Committee, after ten years at the helm. His last job on the Committee was to put forward a name as his successor. After a vote, Yours Truly was chosen to take up the position of Chairman of the Tournament Committee.

I have had occasion to be proud a number of times over the years, but none more so on having the backing of my peers to try and fill the void left by Thomas. The list of previous Chairmen is impressive.

It includes Jamie Spence, Mark James and, of course, the legendary John Jacobs, who so sadly left this world just a few weeks ago.

To be joining these names as Chairman is something I couldn’t be more proud of. Living up to the standards they set will be no easy task. However, I’m thrilled to have the chance. I’ll certainly try my best. n

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Columnist

Rafa Cabrera Bello

WORKING WITH DAVID TO BRING OUT MY ‘A’ GAME

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T’S been great being back in the UAE and getting to spend some time at home for the Desert Swing. I love living in Dubai with the great weather, lots of things to do and, of course, its amazing golf courses I was lucky enough to get some face time with my coach David Leadbetter at Jebel Ali Golf Resort before the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. I’ve known David for almost 20 years now and am good friends with his son, Andy, who is exactly my age. I’ve been going to the USA with my brother and sister for many years when we were juniors. I happened to play with Andy at one of the tournaments and David was there so we met and have been friends ever since.

When I started working more seriously with him, about five years ago, my swing was a bit loose and the synchronisation between my arms and my body was not as consistent as it is now, it was a bit wider. Now we’ve made it more compact but we’re still working on it to try to make it better.

On a week-by-week basis we don’t do much. I visit him a few times a year and we spend three to four days working hard, bringing up ideas and creating a routine that I can use for the next couple of months. I’m able to keep in touch with him during the season due to the joys of modern technology! I send him videos of my practice sessions on my phone which he can send feedback on, so we are always communicating.

I take a lot of elements from David’s ‘A Swing’ technique in my swing. I do don’ follow the book word-by-word as he actually didn’t give me permission to read it – he doesn’t want me to get too technical! But the basic principle of being steeper on the backswing and shallower on the downswing are there in my swing and I do believe the fundamentals of The ‘A Swing’ have helped me.

A big change for me this season is that I have changed caddies. It was a hard decision to switch as my previous caddie, Mike Batty has been

with me for five years and we had a great season last year. It was just the fact that I’m going to be playing in more events on the US PGA Tour and not knowing the courses I’m going to play there very well was a disadvantage. Mike didn’t know about the US courses either so I really felt that I needed someone who had the experience with courses from both tours. Colin Byrne, my new caddie, has the experience and the personality to push me forward, especially in the US, and I feel confident that this year will be a great for us. I hope I’ve made the right decision and his knowledge could be the difference for me.

New caddie, same intentions Playing on both tours is a challenge because it’s easy to overload your schedule with events. It puts pressure on me as I want to play well in all the events. But I’m confident because I’ve been playing in the US more and more over the last five years.

The Desert Swing has been great as always and I can’t wait for the grand finale at the Omega DubaiDesert Classic. For me the Emirates Golf Club has the best course in the region and I’m not saying that because I won on it!

The Majlis is a complete course, and it is in excellent shape as always .

Every time I walk into the course and see my name on the Desert Classic trophy it brings a positive feeling. Tiger Woods is making his return this year and it’s great for the tournament and great for him to be fit and getting his career on the go again. It is great for the sport to have him back but I still hope I beat him at Emirates Golf Club!

RAFA CABRERA BELLO IS A JA RESORTS & HOTELS AMBASSADOR.

Worldwide GOLF 25

TOUR NEWS

EUROPEAN TOUR CHANGE MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA AND RYDER CUP QUALIFICATION PROCESS FOR 2018

T

HE European Tour last month announced a change to its membership regulations for the 2018 season, with players required to compete in a minimum of four European Tour sanctioned tournaments outside the Major Championships and the World Golf Championships next season.

The change, ratified by the Tour’s Tournament Committee before the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championshiop, continues to recognise the global nature of the European Tour, acknowledged for the 2016 season when the number was reduced to five tournaments outside the Majors and WGCs.

'Loyal to the Tour'

It is also designed to help players plan their schedules even more effectively as the European Tour continues to grow and expand.

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour, said: “The change to our minimum tournament requirement will help many of our members who play around the world but who, at the same time, wish to remain loyal to the European Tour.

“It will enable them to remain in membership in what are extremely exciting times for the European Tour with the advent of the Rolex Series, one of the most important and significant developments in our 44-year history.”

In addition to the change to the Tour’s membership regulations, the Tournament Committee also approved three important changes to the qualification process for Europe’s 2018 Ryder Cup team.

1: Greater weighting for points earned in tournaments in the latter stages of the process to help ensure the European Team reflects those players in form nearer the time of The Ryder Cup itself. Race to Dubai points and World Ranking points earned in these tournaments will be multiplied by 1.5 for the two respective qualification lists with the first counting event in the 2018 season being the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

With the 2018 schedule not as yet finalised, the last counting event for the 2018 Ryder Cup is not confirmed, but the starting point will be the D+D Real Czech Masters rom August 31 – September 3, 2017.

2: Following the introduction of the Rolex Series, no Ryder Cup qualification points will be available from tournaments staged anywhere in the world played in the same week as these events in both 2017 and 2018.

3: The change means that fewer qualification points will be available globally outside of these tournaments, hence Captain Thomas Bjørn will have an extra wildcard pick The 12-man European Team will comprise the first 4 players from the European Points List,

DATE FOR YOUR DIARY DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP:

Worldwide GOLF |26|

followed by the leading 4 players from the World Points List, completed by 4 wild cards.

The Tournament Committee upheld the current general stipulation that a player must be a European Tour member to be eligible to play for Europe in Thr Ryder Cup. The Committee introduced a new regulation that players cannot be a European Ryder Cup Captain or Vice-Captain if they decline membership of the European Tour or fail to fulfil their minimum event obligation in any season, from 2018 onwards.

'Considerable Benefit'

Bjørn said: “I am delighted that the Tournament Committee passed these regulations which I believe will considerably benefit the European Ryder Cup team in 2018 without compromising the strength or importance of the European Tour.

“In my role as Chairman of the Tournament Committee for the past ten years and now as Ryder Cup Captain, I fully appreciate the need to balance both of these essential elements, and I think we have managed to do that."

In recognition of the demands on his time as Ryder Cup Captain, Bjørn stood down as Chairman of the Tournament Committee – a position he has held since 2007 – with former Ryder Cup player David Howell unanimously voted as his successor.

NOVEMBER 16-19, 2017 EARTH COURSE AT JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES

SMYTH RELISHING UAE RETURN FOR SHARJAH SENIOR GOLF MASTERS PRESENTED BY SHUROOQ

A

s Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club prepares to host the first European Senior Tour event to be played in the emirate, the legends of the game are limbering up for next month’s Sharjah Senior Golf Masters presented by Shurooq.

Ireland’s Des Smyth, an eight-time winner on the European Tour and a five-times winner on the Senior Tour, has been back in action in the sunshine of Barbados, playing in a Pro-Am in readiness for the big event on March 16-18.

Smyth held the record as the oldest winner on the European Tour at the age of 48 years and 34 days when he won the Madeira Island Open during his 28th consecutive season on the European Tour in 2001, until Miguel Angel Jiménez took the title from him.

The Ryder Cup stalwart, who played in the Ryder Cup in 1979 and 1981, and was a ViceCaptain to Paul McGinley in the 2014 victory at Gleneagles, has been a frequent visitor to the Middle East for many years, winning the Arcapita Senior Tour Championship at The Royal Golf Club in Bahrain in 2005.

Smyth was one of four European Senior Tour players who played in the Sharjah Senior Invitational Pro-Am presented by Shurooq last March, along with his Senior Tour colleagues Paul Broadhurst, Ronan Rafferty and Malcolm

Mackenzie. “It was great fun to play in the curtain-raiser for the main event last year and it was good to support a Senior Tour event in the UAE again,” he said.

“This is the first time the European Senior Tour has played an event on a 9-hole course but I found it an excellent layout and with the extra teeing ground it will be an interesting tournament with such a variety of tee boxes.

"We certainly had lot of fun with the amateurs and they seemed to enjoy the experience. I know that my fellow Pros, Paul, Ronan and Malcolm are looking forward to renewing those friendships next month.

'Healthy Competition'

“Over the many years I’ve been coming here, the UAE has become a golfer’s paradise and it’s remarkable how much the game of golf has developed in the region. The whole area has become a hub for international golf. The ProAms are a lot of fun and I feel that the Senior Tour Pros seem to be able to interact with the amateurs to give a lot more back than the regular tour players do.

“I believe there has been healthy competition in the qualifiers for the National Final, which takes place at Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club on February 12 where the top

Worldwide GOLF |27|

three will qualify to play in the first two days of the Sharjah Senior Golf Masters Pro-Ams. I would certainly encourage senior amateurs to get involved. They are in for a great experience and a lot of fun. Senior Tour Pros know how to enjoy a day out on the golf course and are always happy to help players with their teaching expertise and share their long career experiences with them.

“This is a huge step forward for Sharjah and it would be a wonderful scenario if it were to lead to two or three consecutive Senior Tour events in the Middle East. I think it could revitalise the European Senior Tour. I can’t wait to tee off in Sharjah and get the ball rolling.”

The Sharjah Senior Golf Masters presented

by Shurooq takes place at Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club from March 16-18. Those wishing to enjoy a unique experience working as a volunteer at the event can sign up by visiting: surveymonkey.com/r/SharjahSGMvolunteers There are also multiple opportunities for amateur and professional golfers to qualify to play in the event or one of the two pro-ams taking place.

For more information, please visit: www.st.golf/Sharjah

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Tour News

WORLD ROUNDUPS Date: Jan 12 - 15 Event: BMW SA Open hosted by City of Ekurhuleni Venue: Glendower Golf Club, Gauteng, South Africa Winner’s Cheque: €164,408

Date: Jan 12 - 15 Event: Sony Open in Hawaii Venue: Waialae CC, Honolulu, HI Winner’s Cheque: $1,080,000

STORM DEFEATS McILROY IN SA

THOMAS ROARS TO RECORD WIN Justin Thomas opened up with a 59 and then set new US PGA Tour records for 54 and 72 hole scores as he compiled a 27-under-par total to win the Sony Open in Hawaii. With the field merely playing for second place as Thomas took the course apart, England’s Justin Rose finished on 20-under-par with Jordan Spieth taking third place on 19-under.

"I was really nervous before the final round. I just had a hard time getting in a comfortable mind frame. I felt like I was doing what I needed to do and making some pars."

Pos. Name 1 2 3

Justin Thomas Justin Rose Jordan Spieth

Country USA ENG USA

-27 -20 -19

Graeme Storm defeated Rory McIlroy in a play-off to win the BMW SA Open hosted by City of Ekurhuleni just 84 days after he thought he had lost his European Tour card. He made the very most of his second chance at Glendower Golf Club, overcoming World Number Two McIlroy on the third extra hole after an enthralling final round.

"This is a dream come true, especially after what happened to me last year with my card and everything. I really took a lot from that experience."

R1 R2 R3 R4

Total

Pos. Name

59 64 65 65 66 64 66 64 65 67 66 63

253 260 261

1 2 3

Date: Jan 19 - 22 Event: Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship Venue: Abu Dhabi Golf Club, United Arab Emirates Winner’s Cheque: €421,139

Graeme Storm Rory McIlroy Jordan Smith

Country ENG NIR ENG

R1 R2 R3 R4 -18 -18 -17

69 67 67

63 67 71 68 67 68 68 68 68

Total 270 270 271

Date: Jan 19 - 22 Event: CareerBuilder Challenge Venue: Stadium Course, La Quinta, CA Winner’s Cheque: $1,044,000

FLEETWOOD FINDS THE FALCON Tommy Fleetwood shot a superb final round back-nine of 31 to clinch his second European Tour title at the expense of reigning US Open winner Dustin Johnson and Pablo Larrazábal at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. Fleetwood, who last won in 2013, began the day one-shot back but held his nerve on a day of tough scoring to shoot 67 and lift the iconic Falcon trophy.

SWAFFORD COMES BACK FOR FIRST WIN Hudson Swafford made three consecutive birdies and then tapped in for par on the 72nd hole to earn his first US PGA Tour victory with a one-shot win in the CareerBuilder Challenge. Canada's Adam Hadwin, who held the overnight lead after a superb third-round 59, fell back into second place after closing with a 70.

"The only thing on my mind was 'let's get a win' and, you know, you keep knocking on the door and it will come. I didn't really think it would be this week. It just shows a lot can happen in golf."

"This is a dream come true. I really didn't get ahead of myself, didn't really look at leaderboards, didn't really know where I was."

Pos. Name 1 Tommy Fleetwood T2 Dustin Johnson T2 Pablo Larrazábal

Country ENG USA ESP

-17 -16 -16

R1 R2 R3 R4

Total

Pos. Name

67 67 70 67 72 68 64 68 68 67 69 68

271 272 272

1 Hudson Swafford T2 Adam Hadwin T2 Brian Harman

Worldwide GOLF 29

Country USA CAN USA

-20 -19 -18

R1 R2 R3 R4

Total

65 65 71 67 71 69 59 70 67 65 69 69

268 269 270

B Worldwide GOLF 30

FEATURE

THOMAS BJØRN

Bjørn

Thomas

to Bring Back

the

Ryder Cup IT CAME as no surprise to the golf world when Thomas Bjørn was announced Captain of Europe’s 2018 Ryder Cup team. Having spent ten years as Chairman of the European Tour Tournament Committee he had demonstrated his strength of character, his wisdom and his total commitment to the Tour and become one of its most invaluable assets. His involvement as a Ryder Cup player and vice-captain also made him a convincing candidate for the job.

ALL SMILES WITH THE COVETED RYDER CUP: Thomas Bjørn is not only the most successful Danish professional golfer, he was also their first countryman to play in The Ryder Cup.

B

jørn understood the intensity of The Ryder Cup as a 26 year old rookie the moment he and Ian Woosnam defeated the reigning Open Champion Justin Leonard and Brad Faxon in the Saturday morning fourballs at Valderrama in 1997. Bjørn went on to halve his Sunday singles match with Leonard to contribute further to Europe’s one-point victory. There began the first chapter of the Danish debutant’s Ryder Cup story.

After earning two more Ryder Cup team appearances plus four vice-captaincy appointments, the 45 year old has finally reached the summit. The competitive edge still lingers within the 15-time Tour winner, despite back problems that have plagued him in recent years.

Yet in 2014 he produced some of his finest golf to win on the European Tour, triumphing at the Nedbank Golf Challenge, 18 years after his first Tour victory at the Loch Lomond World Invitational in 1996. Bjørn’s

Worldwide GOLF 31

career got off to a blistering start in 1995 on the European Challenge Tour, racking up four victories, the first of which came at the Himmerland Open in his native Denmark. The promise of that impressive 12 months came to fruition further into the 1990s. He followed his maiden European Tour win in Scotland and then reeled off six more European Tour victories between 1998 and 2002.

It was in 2001 when Bjørn dominated the sports headlines around the world in defeating Tiger Woods at the Dubai Desert Classic in an epic final round duel. Bjørn commented: “At the time of winning it was certainly my biggest win on the European Tour and to beat Tiger down the stretch, having played with him in all four rounds when he was enjoying the best form of his life, is something I will always remember and treasure.

“I’m pleased that Tiger is playing the Desert Classic. He’s still one of the most powerful influencers in golf and wherever he decides to play there’s always going to be a positive effect on the tournament.”

“I’m pleased that Tiger is playing the Desert Classic this year. He’s still one of the most powerful influencers in golf and wherever he decides to play there’s always going to be a positive effect on the tournament. Tiger took the game to a different level, which led to others raising their game and I’m excited to see how he gets on.”

Although Major Championship success has so far eluded Bjørn, a tie for second at The 2000 Open Championship at St Andrews could be fairly explained by a young Tiger Woods running away with the title by an eight shot winning margin.

His pursuit of the Claret Jug led to a heartbreaking encounter with a greenside bunker at Royal St George’s in 2003. A double-bogey at the 16th on Sunday opened the door for Ben Curtis to claim the trophy and consigned Bjørn to another share of second place. “I get asked about that bunker a lot,” says Bjørn, “but I always say the same thing – I played great that week and put myself in a great position to win but it didn’t quite happen.’ That’s the nature of the game and it’s why we play it.” However, Bjørn entered Thomas Bjørn shakes hands with Justin Leonard after they halve their singles match at the 1997 Ryder Cup at Valderrama, when Europe defeated the USA by a single point.

Worldwide GOLF 32

the Major record books courtesy of a 63 at the 2005 US PGA Championship. No one has bettered a round of 63 in a Major, although 28 others have matched it. His share of history wasn’t enough to beat Phil Mickelson to the Wanamaker trophy.

By that point Bjørn had already cultivated the vice-captaincy skills that would be used as a trusted foundation by three future Ryder Cup captains. Acting as one of Bernhard Langer’s right-hand men at Oakland Hills Country Club in 2004, Bjørn helped oversee Europe’s crushing 18.5 - 9.5 victory. Ahead of The 2010 Ryder Cup, Bjørn, acting as Vice-Captain for the second time, was in no doubt as to what was required from a second in command.

“I think you need strong people, you need people who the team respects,” he said. “When they walk in a room they almost give a captain’s feeling.”

As a player, Bjørn is as competitive as ever yet well aware of the demands of Ryder Cup captaincy. “Throughout my career I’ve seen my game go through a few changes which have partly come with age,” he says, “but until very recently I’ve still managed to get the results I’ve wanted and I find it hard not to focus on my game and care about how I’m playing. It’s been my job for more than 20 years so to just stop competing isn’t going to happen. Having said that, I’m taking The Ryder Cup role seriously and it’s an honour to captain Team Europe!

“I’ve worked with four Ryder Cup captains in my time

FEATURE

THOMAS BJØRN

on the Tournament Committee and over the years as a player and vice-captain, so I have an idea of the sort of things I want my vice-captain’s to bring to the table for next year, including experience, knowledge, communication and passion. In terms of wild card picks, I think the new rules will play into our hands because we’ll now be able to counteract a player doing well somewhere else in the world by having an extra pick.

“I’m looking forward to Le Golf National in Paris. Not only have our guys played the course over the last few years at The French Open, the home advantage is also going to be a huge factor for us. The crowd is like the 13th man in the team and the French crowd will be particularly strong, especially if a Frenchman were to qualify for the team!”

Above Thomas Bjørn is presented with the iconic Dubai Desert Classic trophy by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai, after the Dane defeated Tiger Woods in an epic final round duel, having played with him in all four rounds.

GYM BALANCE IS KEY Asked whether the younger players are over-emphasising the importance of the physical side of golf, Bjørn replied: “It’s definitely something for the guys coming through to think about and I’m sure their respective trainers are making sure they get the balance right. The sport has clearly gone in the direction of the gym being important to the game but the interesting thing is, what works for one golfer, doesn’t always work for another. It isn’t an exact science. Each player has to find out what works for him and, in theory, anyone can still compete on Tour, regardless of how much gym work they do.”

As a former Chairman of the Tournament Committee for

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David Howell in Praise of Tournament Chairman Thomas Bj0rn

IT’S a great honour for me to follow in the footsteps of Thomas Bj0rn as Chairman of the European Tour Tournament Committee. His dedication to the European cause has been repaid with the highest honour there is for a European Tour player, that of becoming Ryder Cup Captain.

It’s a role that comes to the right man at the right time and I have every faith that Thomas will be a super captain, and that he will have a very strong team to do battle with the Americans in 2018 at the fantastic Le Golf National just outside Paris.

Having taken on the Captaincy, Thomas decided to relinquish his Chairmanship of the Tournament Committee after ten years at the helm. He has overseen a series of seismic changes at executive level and in the direction the Tour is taking. He deserves a hard-earned break from the politics of Tour life.

Thomas has always been a big character both on and off the course and, I can confirm, in the boardroom, too.

He has shown great strength of mind and leadership.

He has had the essential ability to listen to other people’s views throughout those years. The Tour, and more importantly the players, have been well served by the great Dane.

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FEATURE

THOMAS BJØRN

European Tour Chairman

Thomas Bjørn with Tiger Woods.

David Williams talks about Thomas Bjørn’s contribution to the European Tour:

10 years Bjørn is aware of the innovations being introduced, such as music on the driving range. “It was really interesting to see the sort of things that companies like HSBC are trying to do to bring the sport to newer audiences and engage with them a little bit more at an event,” he says. “There are so many ideas coming out on what will get the younger generation into golf, from playing fewer holes to playing to zones on greens and even speeding up play, but I genuinely don’t know the answer. As a player, if we are able to start the ball rolling by inspiring the next generation with something we do on the course, or by giving back via a junior clinic, then, hopefully, they would be ideas that would appeal to the kids.”

On the subject of Dubai as a possible future Ryder Cup venue Bjørn says: “It’s amazing to see how golf has grown, not just in Dubai, but in the Middle East as a whole,

and how well established the Middle East Swing has become as one of the strongest sections of the European Tour season.

“I guess, you couldn’t rule out hosting the Ryder Cup in Dubai as there are no rules to say you can’t host it outside of Europe but there are still quite a few countries, including those in Continental Europe, who I think would love to host the event, too.

“As a Dane I’d love for Denmark to one day host a Ryder Cup. As far as the 2022 Ryder Cup goes Italy were deserving of having the opportunity to host the event. The Italian bid was extremely strong and I can’t wait to see The Ryder Cup being played there in 2022.”

Thomas Bjørn’s Ryder Cup Captaincy has been many years in the making. Yet it is universally accepted that his experience and leadership qualities will serve Europe well.

There couldn’t be a better time for Bjørn to face up to his greatest challenge yet. n

Thomas Bjørn Career Timeline 2003

Finishes runner-up at The Open at Royal St. George’s after some bunker bother.

1995 1996

Wins four times on the European Challenge Tour.

Wins Scottish Open in his rookie year on the European Tour at Loch Lomond.

1997

2001

Wins the Dubai Desert Classic by two shots ahead of Tiger Woods.

Becomes the first Dane to play in The Ryder Cup.

2005 2013 2011 2016 2006 Finishes runner-up at the US PGA Championship behind Phil Mickelson.

Wins the Irish Open.

Wins three times on Tour but misses out on 2012 Ryder Cup.

Wins twice and qualifies for 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles – his third appearance as a player.

Named Ryder Cup Captain for the 2018 edition in France after being a Vice-Captain for the fourth time at Hazeltine National.

Worldwide GOLF 35

I

don’t think many people really understand the depth to which Thomas has been involved in the wider management of the European Tour. As Chairman of the Tournament Committee, he held a very important position for the past decade but he also possesses a deep understanding of the Tour and all that it stands for. As a result, he was able to advise us, to help us, and to contribute to some of the key decisions we have made in the last two years. I am delighted a man of his experience is remaining on the Tournament Committee having stepped down as Chairman.

Over the past couple of years I have discovered that elite sportsmen are special and I would genuinely say that Thomas is a very special person.

What he has done for the European Tour over recent years, while still competing at the very highest level, is hugely impressive. We have made a number of significant changes in that time, not least that I joined as Chairman and Keith Pelley took on the role of Chief Executive. Thomas has been with us all the way during that time. Support such as that is enormously important.

Thomas absolutely wants the European Tour to succeed. He has a very clear agenda and one of the reasons he has been so involved in some of the key decisions we have made is because he wants to see us flourish. He wants to see the European Tour as a powerful, stand-alone Tour, providing increased prize funds and more playing opportunities for the Members. He keeps out of the way of the day to day workings but is there as a friend and as an advisor when we need him. He is very driven to see us be as professional outside the ropes as he is inside them.

I can pick up the telephone at any time to Thomas to seek his advice, ask his opinion, or tell him what we are doing so I can get his input. He is always available, which is very much appreciated.

As Chairman of the European Tour, I can’t tell you how grateful I am for that support and I know Keith Pelley feels the same way.

I have had a number of personal, as well as business discussions with Thomas and he is all over all the issues. To put it simply, he gets the European Tour. Right now he is focused on his Ryder Cup captaincy, and quite rightly so, but I have absolutely no doubt that if we look into the future, he is a man who, if he wants to, could turn his hand to management and leadership matters as he is, unquestionably, a commanding presence. I have no doubt that whatever he does, he will be successful.

Desert

King Kaymer H

back in town!

e didn’t manage to win it for an astounding fourth time but our favourite German, Martin Kaymer, was right in the hunt again at last month’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, finishing tied fourth, just two shots off Tommy Fleetwood’s winning score of 17 under. We caught up with Kaymer to talk to him about an eventful 2016 which saw him play in the Olympics and The Ryder Cup and found out just what he likes so much about Abu Dhabi!

Worldwide GOLF 36

FEATURE

DESER T KING K AYMER BACK IN TO WN!

Worldwide GOLF 37

FEATURE

DESER T KING K AYMER BACK IN TO WN!

“I like to go to the Wild Wadi waterpark in Dubai every once in a while, especially when I have Mondays off after the Desert Swing tournaments.”

KAYMER CONGRATULATES TOMMY FLEETWOOD ON WINNING THE ABU DHABI HSBC CHAMPIONSHIP.

Worldwide Golf: Tell us about the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, what it means to you and why you are so suited to it?

Martin Kaymer: First of all, Abu Dhabi was my first European Tour win back in 2008 and I remember in 2011, I only carded one bogey in four rounds. I don’t know if I have ever done that before! I gain a lot of confidence on the greens because I putt fairly well there. After HSBC got involved it became an even better event, so it’s the perfect start to the season for us. I usually practice over the winter in Phoenix, Arizona, which is in the desert as well and so the golf course here is very similar. I feel good physically this season and did some good practice before the Desert Swing.

WWG: What do you like to do, personally, in the region away from the golf course?

MK: I like to go to the Wild Wadi waterpark in Dubai every once in a while, especially when I have Mondays off after the Desert Swing tournaments.

WWG: What is your general impression of the UAE in terms of the range of activities and the experience of being here?

MK: The people here are always very welcoming and their hospitality is very warm. They are happy to see us come and play the game. The region might not have many golf courses but the existing ones available are top notch. The quality of life in Dubai is amazing and I always enjoy my stay here whenever I visit.

WWG: When we spoke to you this time last year you were very much looking forward to the Olympics. Now that you have competed there what are your reflections on the experience.

MK: It was very hard to know what to expect but, overall, the experience was overwhelming and it took me time to comprehend it. I had some difficulty focusing on the tournaments due to the magnitude of it all, so I thought that I

Worldwide GOLF 39

WWG: How do you feel about last season in general?

MK: I thought I played fairly consistently, but I didn’t win. I have won many events and a couple of Major championships, so obviously the expectations are really high on me to win every year. Unfortunately, I haven’t won any tournaments since 2015.

I’m putting in more effort now and I am training hard to be fully prepared for the upcoming season.

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FEATURE

DESER T KING K AYMER BACK IN TO WN!

“I first went to Bali to reflect on my last season’s performances and then I got back home for a week as we had a long break, almost seven weeks.

Then I travelled to the US for three weeks to properly practice the whole time, and afterwards I went back home to relax and get ready for the Desert Swing.” – MARTIN KAYMER LEFT: MARTIN KAYMER TEES OFF AT LAST YEAR’S DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIOSNHIP AT JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES. BELOW: KAYMER CELEBRATES WINNING HIS SECOND MAJOR TITLE AT THE 2014 U.S. OPEN AT PINEHURST.

should take it more as a life experience than a sporting one. I learned a lot about sports in general, how committed the athletes are and how much work they put in.

WWG: People were pleasantly impressed with golf’s impact at the Games. Do you think it will take a similar path to tennis which was initially in doubt as to whether it should be included in the Olympics – but now it is one of the key events?

MK: I hope so. In order for golf to grow in the Olympic Games the best players have to feature. Involving golf’s elite players is vital and if that happens then the game will certainly evolve in this prestigious event.

WWG: You mentioned that you have been working hard during the winter, talk us through your routine and how you are feeling now.

MK: I first went to Bali to reflect on my last season’s performances and then I got back home for a week as we had a long break, almost seven weeks. Then I travelled to the US for three weeks to properly practice the whole time, and afterwards I went back home to relax and get ready for the Desert Swing.

WWG: The European Tour has announced changes to the membership criteria with players now only required to compete in a minimum of four European Tour sanctioned tournaments outside the Major Championships and WGC events. Do you think it is a positive step for the European Tour in terms of acknowledging the global nature of the game?

MK: I think it is a positive approach because

you have to move forward with the modern era that we live in now. It should be easier for certain players who are living in the US but also want to compete on the European Tour.

So it is a very good decision for all parties involved.

WWG: At this time of the year there are always new product launches. You’re not one for changing your clubs too regularly as you tend to stick with what you have. Have you tried the new M1 and M2?

MK: I changed my clubs in November, just a couple of weeks before the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. I changed to the M2 Driver and M2 and 3-woods and I am very happy with them both – so I will stick with those for now.

WWG: Lastly, we have got some big news for this region as Tiger Woods is returning to Dubai for the first time in a while. What do you think he will bring to the game in Dubai?

MK: Tiger is such a popular figure in golf and he will not only bring more people to the golf course but his presence will excite everyone interested in the game. We know how important he is to the sport. As players, we have competed with him and we have seen how he plays. We didn’t have the chance to watch the likes of Jack Nicholas and Arnold Palmer play, but we were lucky enough to witness Woods’ rise. He is the best in the game in our era and he brings attention to golf tournaments everywhere he goes. No one has risen to his level of success yet. ■

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GRAEME STORM A L L S M I L E S T H A N K S T O PAT R I C K R E E D

E

Happy being back in day to day actionNGLAND’S Graeme Storm has been on an emotional rollercoaster the likes of which not many European Tour players can have experienced.

Back in October a missed putt at the Portugal Masters seemed to have consigned Storm to 112th place on the Race to Dubai – missing out on automatic retention of his European Tour card by just one place. However, a few weeks later he was handed a reprieve when Patrick Reed was removed from the Race to Dubai for not playing a sufficient number of European Tour events. Then, with his status secured for a 12th successive campaign, he played some of his finest golf and wrapped up the second win of his career at the BMW SA Open in January – defeating Rory McIlroy in extra time. The win earned him a two-year exemption on Tour. Worldwide Golf caught up with the likeable Liverpool FC fan on his return to the Middle East.

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golfer in the world, if not the best. So I was just happy to get the win. It really means everything to me to be in the winner’s circle again. Rory is a global superstar of the game, but he was an absolute gentleman on the course. I’ve known him for 10 years now, although we’ve never played with each other. So it was a new experience for me to be inside the ropes playing not merely with him but against him. It doesn’t get any bigger than that.

WWG: Would you rate this as the best win of your career?

GS: It’s got to go down as my most memorable victory. From where I was at the end of last season to beating Rory in a playoff for the South African Open is an amazing achievement.

I have been to Hell and back over the last year and a half, especially after what happened to me with my European Tour card and everything. When I got home from Portugal it was my son’s birthday so that helped me take my mind off losing my card. I was just praying that everything would go my way – and it did. It was good to receieve a lot of really nice messages of support, which I really appreciated. I took a lot from that experience and told myself to try and grasp the opportunity of getting my livelihood back with both hands – and I have now done that. It’s been an absolute rollercoaster ride.

Worldwide Golf: That was a wonderful result in South Africa.

Talk us through your performance and how you felt?

Graeme Storm: I was speechlees. It was an incedible victory and I couldn’t quite believe it. It really was a surreal moment.

The whole week was going really well but although I didn’t play my best stuff in the final round I knew that if I could just hang in there I might get my chance – and, thankfully, it came.

To cap it off with defeating Rory on the third hole of the playoff was a dream come true.

WWG: How confident did you feel going into the play-off?

GS: I was very confident about my prospects. I stuck solidly to my strategy and played the 72nd hole the same way I had played the 18th hole throughout the tournament. I wanted to give myself more chances by playing well and was almost hoping that Rory might make a mistake. He was hitting driver off the tee to try to make the hole narrower. For me, I knew I couldn’t do that, so I stuck to my game plan of taking 5-wood and playing from the fairway.

WWG: How did it feel walking down the stretch with Rory?

GS: There were certainly more chants for Rory than there were for me, which is understandable as he is the second best

ABOVE: Graeme Storm kisses the trophy after his playoff win over Rory McIlroy in the 2017 BMW South African Open Championship.

McIlroy commented: “It was disappointing for me to finish like that but Graeme played well all week and what a story it is for him. I’m delighted for him.”

TOP RIGHT: Despite shooting a final round 67 at the Portugal Masters Storm missed retaining his European Tour card by just €100!

That changed when Patrick Reed failed to play the required number of events in 2016 and Storm became the last man in on the Race to Dubai ranking.

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WWG: There’s been a big change in your game between last season and now – is that all down to confidence?

GS: I’m certainly much more relaxed with my game than I have been in recent years. My aim at the Glendower Country Club was to go out there and enjoy the game, rather than putting too much pressure on myself. There was certainly plenty of pressure during the final round but it’s not the sme sort of pressure as trying to keep your European Tour card. That’s real pressure and it’s something I don’t want to experience again for a long time. Instead of creating goals to aim for, I just focused on playing golf and I think that was the key to my success.

WWG: What are your objectives now after this win?

GS: My card is secured for two years so I don’t need to worry about qualifying. Now I want to just enjoy my golf and see where it takes me. If I play well enough for the rest of the season I might be back in the winning circle sooner than I was last time around.

WWG: Is a place in The 2018 Ryder Cup a possibility?

GS: No. I’m certainly not thinking about that at all. I’m not setting any targets for myself. I’m just going to have fun with what I’m doing at the moment, and take a ‘whatever will be will be’ approach to my game. My only aim is to try to take each week as it comes. As I’ve said, I’m just trying to enjoy my golf, no goals, no targets. I’ll be happy to just go out there each week and play well. n

1999 European Walker Cup team

Simon Dyson

Graeme Storm

Luke Donald

Graeme Storm Factfile: Introduced to the game aged 11 by his grandfather.

Wins the British Amateur Championship in 1999 and plays in the Walker Cup. Turns professional in 2000 but struggles to make an impact on the European Tour.

Graduates from the Challenge Tour in 2004 with two wins.

Wins his first European Tour title in 2007 at the Open de France ALSTOM with a final round 66 for a one-stroke win over Soren Hansen.

Wins a BMW i8 after his holein-one at the 2014 Omega European Masters.

Coached by Mike Walker, who has just won the John Jacobs Award for Teaching & Coaching at the PGAs of Europe’s Annual Congress Gala Awards supported by Rolex.

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Paul Casey

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FEATURE

BELGIUM’S BOY-WONDER

BELGIUM’S BOY-WONDER C

HOCOLATE, waffles and beer are not the only things that Belgium is renowned for anymore. These days, producing world class golfers is another trademark for a country that has limited heritage in the sport. More than six decades ago their greatest player, Flory Van Donck, was twice a British Open runner-up but now Belgian boy-wonder Thomas Detry is another countryman who is starting to make waves on the European Tour.

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F FEATURE

BELGIUM’S BOY-WONDER

FROM 2011 the ‘Belgian Bomber’ Nicolas Colsaerts cannoned the country back into prominence with two victories on the European Tour but it was in 2014 when the 34-year-old really made a name for himself.

Not only did he make arguably the greatest Ryder Cup debut imaginable when he singlehandedly beat Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker in a fourballs match with Lee Westwood at Medinah, he also made the headlines when he recorded the longest drive on the European Tour – a 447-yard monster at The Celtic Manor Resort.

Since then another prodigious Belgian athlete has stepped into the spotlight earning himself Darren Clarke’s final wildcard pick in last year’s Ryder Cup.

‘MATTER OF TIMING’ Thomas Pieters rose to the occasion, and boy did he not disappoint. The 25-year-old set the European rookie record for most points and wins in a single Ryder Cup. Now there’s a new kid on the block who is also shattering records. Thomas Detry’s 12-shot triumph at the Bridgestone Challenge last season was the largest victory margin in European Challenge Tour history, which helped pave the way towards his European Tour card.

Now the self-assured 24-yearold has bigger objectives on his mind as he aims to make the “top 10 in the world” in five years’ time.

“I knew my game was ready and it was just a matter of circumstances and timing,” says Detry, reflecting on his Challenge Tour graduation.

“My first Challenge Tour event was in Belgium and I finished

sixth in front of my home fans. I was second the week after and that kick-started my career.

Those first two weeks were key to my whole season giving me confidence in realising I had a good chance of winning at this level. I ended up finishing 15th and getting my Tour card which is pretty cool.”

There is huge expectation on this young man’s shoulders after graduating in remarkable style in his maiden season. He was victorious at Bridgestone and tied-second at the Najeti Open, but the most impressive stat is that he didn’t miss one cut all season.

“Consistency is my biggest strength,” he says. “I hit a lot of fairways and greens in regulation and I don’t make many bogeys.

Long may this continue.”

Just over seven months ago the 6’2” Detry was ranked 1,802nd in the Official World Golf Rankings.

Now he finds himself in the top 200. This meteoric rise wasn’t expected to happen in such a short time.

“I didn’t think I could earn my European Tour card in my first season. We set up a plan with my coach and my team for it to take up to three years to be ready for the top grade – we ended up doing it in six months. That was amazing.”

‘OLDER BROTHER’ Comparisons with his compatriot Pieters are inevitable when watching and evaluating Detry’s game. Not only are they both two of the brightest talents in the game, they are also best pals. Detry treats Pieters like an ‘older brother’. They were childhood friends who played for their country as schoolboys

before going on to becoming teammates at the University of Illinois. Now they will be going toe-to-toe on Tour. “It was only four years ago when I was with Thomas in college living together and playing golf,” says Detry reflecting on their companionship.

“We were both amateurs grinding it out and working hard. Now he’s representing Europe in The Ryder Cup! It’s awesome to see him at the top of the world and it inspires me

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to try and do the same. I knew Thomas was going to be very good from a young age. He has won three times already but I wasn’t expecting him to do it all so quickly. Playing in The Ryder Cup after three years on Tour is phenomenal. What a special talent.”

All the hype has been about Pieters, and now Detry, but it was their mentor, Colsaerts, who really got the ball rolling for the country. He played an integral role in helping the

“My first Challenge Tour event was in Belgium and I finished sixth in front of my home fans. I was second the week after and that kick-started my career.” – THOMAS DETRY young Belgians’ golf aspirations become a reality. “Nicolas gave us both a big boost,” syas Detry. “His performance at Medinah in 2012 was unbelievable. We don’t have a lot of players in Belgium but we have three players now on Tour and two of them have played in The Ryder Cup. That’s huge for our country.”

FLYING START Detry has started his maiden season on the European Tour with a bang. He came third in his first tournament, the Alfred Dunhill Championship, earning him €82,040 – only €7,120 less than he made in 14 events on the European Challenge Tour last year. This has set him up nicely for the remainder of the campaign.

“It’s huge getting points on the board this early,” he says. “It shows me that I can do it and it makes me very excited for the rest of the season. My first objective this season is to gain experience and learn

because it’s still all new for me. Before becoming a pro, I thought I’d be able to play 15 weeks in a row but it’s actually not even close to that. I can play a maximum three or four weeks, then I have to take a week off. My main objective is to try and keep my European Tour card. My other target is to win an event!”

The last time Detry won, he was a staggering 29-under par in recordbreaking style at Bridgestone with only a single bogey. If he can replicate that sort of form, we could soon be seeing the third Belgian to represent his country in a Ryder Cup. It’s an upwards spiral for the talented youngster. It’s a case of anything his pal Thomas Pieters can do, he can do. Maybe one day the two Thomases will be teeing it up together.

Detry has been named the European Tour’s number one player to watch in 2017. That’s certainly not surprising. n

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ABOVE: THOMAS DETRY PICTURED FAR RIGHT AT THE 2010 JUNIOR RYDER CUP AT GLENEAGLES, SCOTLAND.

Heroes Tiger Woods Watching him on TV was incredible when I was growing up.

Nicolas Colsaerts I’ve always looked up to him.

INSTRUCTION IMPR O VE YOUR GAME WITH THE BEST COACHES IN THE BUSINESS

Swing

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SWING SEQUENCE BY PE TE CO WEN

1

2

5

6

Dustin Johnson

“Dustin Johnson is a bomber off the tee but he’s accurate. He’s a great athlete and he leads the US PGA Tour’s driving average with 319.4 yards. I would love to be hitting from where Dustin lands his ball with a driver. The scary thing is, he has the ability to go even longer when he wants to and last year he recorded the longest drive on Tour with a 428 yard tee shot! He has a great technique and in this swing sequence I will explain where that power and distance comes from” – Pete Cowen, Master PGA Professional

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1. Looking at the first picture he has a great posture. He is a tall, athletic guy with long levers, so the hang of the arms and the club looks almost spot on.

2. In the second image he has a wide take away, nice wind up.

3. Third frame, he’s loading his shoulder and sitting his right arm down. Left wrist bows a little bit and it appears that a lot of people are upset about the bowing, but it does not bother me because there is no rotation through impact.

4. So then at the top, when I look at the classical position it is: left arm, right arm and then the bow on the left wrist sits on the right hand – it might look as though the clubface is shut but it is not.

5&6. In these two images you can see the squeeze down into

3

4

7

8

the ground and a great athletic movement to the change of direction. His hips open up quickly but the shoulders closely follow so the club would not get trapped behind on the downswing as the left wrist is holding position.

7&8. Dustin is really solid through impact. He deloads his club a little bit and that is why he gets a little bit more stretch leverage with a nice balanced end to the swing.

Conclusion Dustin’s left wrist and right hand position does not concern me, although it might concern others. By using downforce he is going to stop excessive rotation and therefore he hits it very straight and very easily, even from a strong grip.

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HEIGHT 6 ft, 4in WEIGHT 190 lbs BIRTHDAY 06/22/1984 TURNED PRO 2007 CLUBHEAD SPEED 122.02mph

INSTRUCTION

LET’S WORK IT

UNDER!

BY STEPHEN DEANE,

HEAD PROFESSIONAL, EMIRATES GOLF CLUB

THIS month we focus on the desired hand position during impact. In particular, we will discuss the left hand position relative to the left shoulder for a righthanded golfer and vice versa for a lefty.

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HOW YOUR LEFT HAND SHOULD OPERATE AS YOU APPROACH IMPACT

1

2

Image 1 shows a good starting position with the left hand sitting nicely below the left shoulder.

By simply trying to focus on throwing the left hand under the left shoulder during impact you can create an extremely desirable, consistent and strong impact condition.

Image 2 is a solid impact position with the left hand back under the left shoulder as the hips open naturally due to the downforce of the hands and arms working underneath the body.

4

3

UNDESIRABLE LEFT HAND POSITIONS AS WE APPROACH IMPACT

Image 3 shows the left hand working away and getting in front of the left shoulder causing the shoulders to come over the top and across the desired swing path.

Image 4 shows the left hand lagging behind and inside the left shoulder creating a very unstable lateral move as we approach impact.

PLEASE TRY THIS THE NEXT TIME YOU ARE ON THE COURSE OR THE RANGE AND YOU’LL SOON NOTICE AN IMPROVEMENT IN YOUR GAME. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO IMPROVE PLEASE WATCH THE VIDEO OR CONTACT THE DUBAI GOLF ACADEMY TO FURTHER ENHANCE YOUR LEARNING AND YOUR GAME.

THROW IT UP

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THROW IT UNDER

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“After extensive testing I chose the best golf ball for my game�

INSTRUCTION

WHY CAN I NEVER GET ANY HEIGHT WITH MY DRIVER?

BY PGA MASTER PROFESSIONAL PETE COWEN

A

common fault among amateurs is that they use their shoulder muscles incorrectly during the downswing. l Players turn their body in order to make the ball go forward instead of letting the shoulder muscles throw the arms and the club around to make the club go forward. l So when you start your downswing, the shoulder muscle needs to be turning the club down and not around, because as soon as you go around you drag the club, there’s no loft on the face and then you don’t get any height in the driver. l The shoulder muscles take the club back, and then turn them down to create the correct flow of the club to give you the height that everybody’s seeking from the tee.

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INSTRUCTION

SCIENCE BEHIND THE SET-UP

BY LEWIS CASELEY

PGA TEACHING PROFESSIONAL – SAADIYAT BEACH GOLF CLUB

THE SET-UP

A

CONSISTENT POW E R F UL G OLF SWING IS ONLY ACH I E VA B LE I F IT HAS A SOLID BASE TO CON T R OL T H E BO DY’S MOVEMENT. T H I S A RT IC LE W I LL ID ENTI FY HOW THE BODY SH OULD B E SE T U P D URING THE GOLF SW ING A ND W H Y IT IS C RUCIAL TO HIT T ING B E T T E R G OLF S HOTS. A G OLF CLUB, WHEN SW UN G W I T H M INIMUM TENSION IN T H E H A ND S, CA N G ENERATE A TREMEN D OUS A M OUNT OF S P EED. THE SET- U P P R OVI D ES A P LATFORM TO ALLOW A F R E E-F LOW I NG , EF F ICIENT GOLF SWIN G . ON C E T H I S SE TU P IS ACHIEVED ALL E LE M E N TS OF T H E BO DY SUCH AS LEGS, F E E T A N D H I P S W ILL P R OV IDE A STAB LE AN D BA LA N C E D BASE .

LIKE THE GOLF SWING WE WILL GO THROUGH THE SET-UP FROM THE GROUND UPWARDS.

FOOT POSITION:

WE need our feet to be slightly turned outwards – this allows us to pivot while generating a strong and powerful relationship with the ground. If the feet are both pointing forwards or towards the ball at set-up they will have nowhere to go as we take the club back, causing an immediate loss of posture. This can result in a sliding movement or the tilting of the torso which will alter many aspects of the normal swing dynamics. The next factor to consider is the width of the stance.

If we have our feet too close together (narrow stance) this will provide us with

Worldwide GOLF 60

a large amount of mobility allowing you to rotate. However, there will be a lack of stability causing you to loose balance.

The alternative is the feet too far apart (wide stance). We will have a great deal of stability but a lack of mobility, so it is important to find that balance between the two. For longer clubs such as a driver you will want a wider stance than for shorter irons and wedges, as you require more stability during the explosive movement of the swing. A key tip when increasing the width is to ensure that we maintain the same centre of gravity.

WATCH THE VIDEO AT WorldwideGolf

THE LEG POSITION You should allow your knees to follow the angle generated by your feet to perform a squatting movement and should feel as if there is tension on the inside of your legs.

We need to make sure that the position we are now in is an athletic position and feel as if we have a comfortable, solid stance.

SPINE ANGLE The key to generating the correct spine angle is to tilt forward from the hips while keeping the spine straight with a slight curve at the top of our neck. It is noticeable with a large number of amateurs that they will have a curved spine with their head pointing towards the ground (the old keep your head down tip!). This causes a lack of rotation on the backswing and will cause a loss of posture during the swing. A good thing to relate to is a weightlifter during a deadlift; you will notice that they have a straight spine angle. The reason for this is to prevent injury and allow the body to use the larger muscles to lift the weight.

This can be related to the golf swing as we always say that power is generated from the ground up, so if we have one element of the posture out of place we

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are instantly losing energy and power during the swing.

SHOULDER ANGLE The way that we set up to a driver will be different to the way in which we set up to a wedge in terms of the angle of our shoulder. As we need an upwardssweeping motion when hitting the driver it is important to have your leading shoulder higher than your trail shoulder.

You can relay this to an airplane taking off; in order to take off from the ground the nose of the plane needs lo lift.

ARM POSITION We take the arm position last and once we are in our correct posture the arms should hang down at a 90degree angle to the ground. It is important not to point the arms to the ball, as this will alter many key factors in the backswing, such as our wrist hinge. It is important to keep the arms connected to the body so feel as if you are squeezing the chest with the upper arms at set-up.

Once you follow these steps you will give yourself a better opportunity to improve your ball striking, and ultimately, your enjoyment for the game.

INSTRUCTION

Learning the

LEADBETTER

WAY

DAVID LEADBETTER has coached some of the biggest names in the game including Sir Nick Faldo, Greg Norman and Ernie Els. These days he’s got one of the game’s fastest rising talents under his wing in the form of Spanish hotshot and Worldwide Golf columnist Rafa Cabrera Bello. We caught up with David during a recent visit to JA Jebel Ali Golf Resort to talk about the work the pair have done, including his renowned ‘A Swing’ technique.

WWG: How did your relationship with Rafa come about and how does he compare with some of the major talents you have worked with?

David Leadbetter: I originally met Rafa when he was 15 at a junior tournament in America because he is the same age as my eldest son and they became friends. I’ve always known of Rafa and when he turned professional, I followed his career with great interest. About five years ago he asked for some help with his game to get to the next level so I accepted. In the last few years I have slowed down a little bit in terms of how much I coach. Back in the day I was working with up to a dozen Tour players a year which was a lot because I was travelling all over the world. So I wanted to slow down a little bit. I always felt that Rafa had something special about him. I believed that my expertise and experience in some small way could help him.

WWG:What kind of work did you do with him to help him create this amazing level of consistency that he has?

DL: Rafa’s always had a swing that has been pleasing to the eye and sometimes that covers up a few mistakes. Technically, I felt that Rafa was a bit inconsistent, especially with the driver. He’s certainly long enough but it was a matter of tidying things up and making his game more efficient. I want players to own their own swing.

Rafa now has a greater understanding of what he has to do because we have simplified his swing. Now he doesn’t have many poor ball-striking days and his statistics have improved year after year, so that’s why his results have been so consistent. He’s at a point now where he didn’t win this last season but he came very close. So if he keeps knocking, the door will open.

Rafa’s now a world-class player who performed brilliantly in The Ryder Cup and well in America. These experiences are not something you can buy or work on. He’s got some great stuff in store for him. Although he seems like a late bloomer in today’s game (32 years old), in the old days people didn’t even think about getting to their peak until their mid-30s. He turned pro fairly late

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David Leadbetter has coached some of the game’s biggest stars including Sir Nick Faldo, Greg Norman, Ernie Els and now Rafa Cabrera Bello.

and went to university for three years.

But every year he has got better and better. He’s a far better player now than when he won the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in 2012. It’s just a matter of when, not if, for Rafa. Once he wins a tournament, the floodgates will open and there is a distinct possibility in the next couple of years of winning a Major or two because he’s a very smart player. He also has a new man on the bag – Colin Byrne, who has a lot of experience with the likes of Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, so having that sort of team out there will only help bolster his game. Things are looking good.

I’ve worked with a lot of tremendous Major winners throughout the years like Sir Nick Faldo, Nick Price and Ernie Els. You can tell when these players were ready. I see some great things in Rafa’s game and I think he is really starting to believe in himself now. He is a young guy who has a lot of balance in his life away from golf which helps him because when he comes back to golf from skiing or surfing etc. he is fresh and that’s the key. Look at someone like Jack Nicklaus whose

career panned over four decades.

Henrik Stenson played his best golf at around the age of 40 so Rafa has still got plenty of time. He also has the experience, talent and confidence to really go on and do some fantastic things.

WWG: What are the fundamentals of the ‘A Swing’ technique and the philosophy behind that?

DL: The ‘A Swing’ is just a commercial name that we have used that sounds cool and intriguing. ‘A’ stands for ‘Alternative’ because for many years people thought the golf swing was one plane that goes up and down, but it doesn’t work that well in my opinion. I’ve always in some form or shape taught the ‘A Swing.’ It’s an evolution of a technique I’ve been teaching for a while – not an epiphany!

In golf, particular with amateurs, the biggest problem they have is

making a backswing because they are so worried about it they never get into the downswing and they continue that for their whole golfing life. We’ve simplified the backswing to make it a steeper and shallower downswing because for people who slice the ball come outside-in, so this technique makes your body work better as the club is on the right plane.

The key is in golf is to make the two main components (your body and arms/hands) work in sync. If you only work with your body, your club will get out of position and vice versa.

We’ve had some tremendous results this last year since the ‘A-Swing’ came out because people found it easier to repeat. It’s not a method, it’s an approach and Rafa has a form of the ‘A Swing.’ Everybody has various degrees of it. I liken it to a curry. You get the extreme version that very few players can actually handle, which is

“I’ve worked with a lot of tremendous Major winners throughout the years like Sir Nick Faldo, Nick Price and Ernie Els. You can tell when these players were ready. I see some great things in Rafa’s game and I think he is really starting to believe in himself now.”

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Coach David Leadbetter with Rafa Cabrera Bello at the JA Jebel Ali Golf Resort.

like the vindaloo. Then there’s the mid version that Rafa has.

I’ve always been a believer of having a steeper backswing and a shallower downswing. Ever since I taught Nick Faldo, you can look at his swing and look at Nick Price’s and even the great Jack Nicklaus’s. They all have a swing like this.

The swing is a little bit like a baseball swing in the way that the bat is held high then it changes plane as it moves to hit the ball. That’s the whole principle behind the ‘A Swing.’

Ultimately, if your arms and body are synchronised together, that’s all that counts in the swing and the ‘A Swing’ for most people really helps them to do that. We’ve found that people can practice less and get quicker results.

WWG: Any thoughts or plans to open up a golf academy here in the future?

DL: We have 34 academies in 14 countries now and this is an area we should be in. This is my first visit to Dubai so I’m hoping to make some good contacts because I know my system and approach has helped thousands of golfers around the world. We also have a great system for training coaches to help grow the game at grass roots level. We’d love to set up here with the beautiful golf courses, weather and great people so we are looking forward to possibly having the opportunity to come back again. So watch this space.

Behind the scenes at

Headquarters eGolf Megastore’s Founding CEO, Dean Cheesley, recently got the chance to travel to Parsons Xtreme Golf ’s new 35,000 square foot headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona. The ‘no expense spared’ PXG brand has gone from being a relative outsider to one of the hottest brands in the market over the past couple of years so we were eager to find out what Dean made of the experience.

Worldwide Golf: Tell us about PXG HQ? Dean Cheesley: They’ve got an incredible team of people there. There’s an energy and excitement about the place because they know they’ve made a genuine breakthrough in equipment technology. You can quickly understand from engaging with the various departments that they recognise they’re disrupting the golf equipment industry.

They’ve got very ambitious growth plans, and you can bank on them making some pretty big moves in 2017. Bob Parsons is one of America’s most successful entrepreneurs and there is a noticeable entrepreneurial spirit running throughout the organisation, which is interesting because it’s not something you would normally associate with major club manufacturers.

WWG: What is the PXG R&D department like?

DC: I spent some time with PXG’s Chief Product Officer, Brad Schweigert and Director, Mike Nicolette. They are both extremely fascinating guys. Mike is a former PGA Tour player and previously spent 23 years designing clubs for Ping. He and Bob are long-time friends and were kicking around the idea of building clubs together for years. One day, according to Bob, it just made

sense to get started. So Mike and Brad set about designing the finest golf clubs money could make.

WWG: How did they go about achieving that?

DC: Bob simply demanded from his designers what most golfers dream about: a sexy set of irons that look like blades, launch higher, go further, feel softer, and as Bob refers to it, “have a sweet spot the size of Texas.” The designers were given a mandate to use the best processes and the best materials. They were told there were no limits whatsoever – no cost limits, no time limits, just go out there and design the best golf clubs possible. Armed with that mandate, Mike and Brad went through a long process of exploring new materials and new technologies that would deliver performance and feel like nothing else.

WWG: What is it then, that sets PXG apart from the other leading brands on the market?

DC: In the case of the irons, the 0311 irons feature the thinnest face on the market today. It is actually so thin, that without the internal supporting Thermo Plastic Elastomer (TPE), the face would deform on

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impact. In the early prototypes, the TPE is where the engineers had their “Eureka!” moment, because the TPE was originally injected into a hollow-bodied iron to help produce a better feel, which it does incredibly well. The unexpected side benefit of the TPE they discovered was that it provided structural stability to the ultra-thin face. That’s PXG’s secret sauce, a combination which allows the ball to travel faster and longer, with a distinct soft, buttery feel like no other golf club in the business.

eGolf Megastore on Tour

WWG: What else did you do while at PXG HQ? DC: I spent a good amount of time with the Tour Department. At present, they have a number of top athletes on their staff, including Major champions Charl Schwartzel and Zach Johnson, Billy Horschel, Ryan Moore and more. World No. 1 Lydia Ko recently switched to PXG, along with Christina Kim and several more from the LPGA Tour. With the exception of Charl, they haven’t targeted the European

Tour players yet, but that is expected to change over the next 12 months when they open the doors to their European operations.

I would say that by the time the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Qatar Masters and Omega Dubai Desert Classic rolls around in 2018, we can expect to see some big name European Tour players playing PXG. WWG: How can our readers test out the product?

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DC: It’s available for fitting with a certified PXG fitter. We have certified fitters in our stores, and commencing this month they will be hosting PXG Fitting Experience Days at several of the top golf courses in the region to offer an outdoor fitting experience.

EQUIPMENT

On the horizon

EGOLF MEGASTORE

I

t’s an exciting time for equipment junkies and social golfers alike, with the eagerly awaited release of numerous drivers and fairway woods from the top manufacturers. So why am I so excited? New product launches are frequent these days and true innovation seems to be coming in the form of slight changes to an already good product. But there are a few drivers that have caught my attention from an innovation perspective. This month’s article looks at the three new releases that I’m most thrilled about.

By Jason Ashley Custom-fit Specialist at eGolf Megastore

TaylorMade M2 Firstly, the new TaylorMade M2, with the success of its predecessor the new M2 has many golfers in eager anticipation.

So, what’s new and how have they built on the success of the M2?

The new technology is called Geocoustic Technology, which is basically a sunken sole shape in the toe which extends to the back of the sole (see images to get a better idea). This allows for a larger clubface and larger head, in turn creating a bigger sweet spot and more stable head.

It also has an improved feel and sound due to the ribs on the sunken sole. Along with that, they have a deeper speed pocket, which helps ball speed on off-centered hits.

Summary It’s meant to be more forgiving and have higher ball speeds on off-centered hits than the original M2. I am looking forward to testing it personally and with a variety of different golfers.

We have all the drivers at eGolf Megastore so come down and put them to the test and see which technology benefits you the most.

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Callaway Big Bertha Epic

GOLF GEAR

Secondly, and probably the driver with the most amount of hype in the marketplace, is the Callaway Big Bertha Epic and Big Bertha Epic Subzero.

If the hype is correct, golfers are seeing a substantial increase in ball speed. So why the hype and potential gain in ball speed?

It’s due to a new face technology called ‘jailbreak.’ Simply put, it involves two rods that are inserted just behind the face that connect the crown and the sole of the club, which stops unwanted crown crown bulge dramatically improving energy transfer.

I would recommend watching the video that goes into detail to explain the technology.

I have seen some early numbers from the initial testing with Callaway Tour players and the results are impressive. Again, this is a club I am really looking forward to testing.

Cobra King F7 Lastly, the new Cobra King F7 and F7+ with the Cobra-Connect technology.

Each Cobra-Connect driver features a sensor in the grip, paired with an app on your smartphone it turns your phone into a handheld GPS rangefinder as well as tracking all your drivers and giving an analytical breakdown of the stats.

This provides the players to have the ability to see the strengths and weaknesses off the tee and to manage their way around the course better.

The driver also features a great deal of adjustability to help fine tune flight and shape.

With all that innovation, you can see why I am excited to get these clubs in store.

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GOLF GEAR

Callaway Epic living up to its name

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he Callaway Big Bertha Epic driver is currently the most talked-about club in golf with an array Technology of top players switching over to use it. Its innovative technology helps players improve their ball speeds dramatically and therefore strike the ball further – so we spoke to the Callaway team to find out why their new drivers are so Epic and how the models differ.

Callaway Great Big Bertha Epic Sub Zero

Callaway Great Big Bertha Epic

Your latest driver comes in two models but how will consumers know if they should choose an Epic or an Epic Sub Zero Driver?

The majority of people will require some sort of left-right shot shape correction. One of the two models focuses on that performance metric very heavily, so we would expect that element to be the primary fitting tool for the majority of golfers. However, there are a large number of people who may not value that form of adjustability quite so much, or may not need it – they already hit the ball well – and they may require help controlling backspin on the golf ball.

The second version of Epic, the Sub

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Zero, is for them.

In most drivers, that low spin characteristic usually comes at the disadvantage of having low forgiveness (low MOI) but for the first time ever, the Epic Sub Zero Driver does not suffer this drawback. This is a huge performance benefit.

Each Epic Driver genuinely has different performance characteristics but both clubs are equally forgiving, and that has never been done in a fitting system.

There is now much more capability across the two Drivers to cover the performance requirements of an entire spectrum of golfers like never before.

How would you compare Epic to the Big Bertha Fusion driver?

Epic is a more complete design in that it has more adjustable dimensions. There is more opportunity to get dialled in to whatever form of performance a golfer is struggling with, whether it be left/right or any of the other types of issues you might face.

Epic also has Jailbreak Technology so it will have a ball speed advantage for everybody. However, Fusion exists because it has an enormous MOI number, whilst at the same time having other characteristics that are different from Epic that you can adjust.

What is Jailbreak and how was it created?

We witnessed something we had never seen before with Jailbreak.

It was a phenomenon whereby utilising vertical rods in the head of a driver would potentially encourage the body and face to react very differently on impact with a golf ball.

Our research from early prototypes demonstrated a clear ball speed enhancement, whilst still adhering to the current CT rule, and it was at this stage our senior management team got involved in the project.

Our findings showed that Jailbreak (it wasn’t named at this point!) was a potential future ingredient for a driver.

The next stage was to understand how we could manufacture this particular piece of technology in a driver head so that it survived impact with a golf ball. We also had to consider how we could add it into our already hugely advanced driver production processes that involved carbon, titanium and several other things.

What performance advantages will golfers see in using an Epic Driver?

In early golfer tests we have seen significant ball speed gains across the board, whether it’s a Tour pro hitting a ball or a mid-handicapper.

Some people will see circumstances where the ball speed gain is much, much bigger, by marrying all the adjustable elements together, so we are hugely encouraged by this.

“

Worldwide Golf spoke to Ian Dryden, a Callaway Tour Supervisor, at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship to see what makes the product so appealing and popular.

“We received the product just before Christmas to start cherry-picking to put in our staff players’ hands. Since then we have started working with it and the experience has got better each time. We had a really good impetus in Johannesburg, South Africa. However, in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship it was slightly different as we have met with higher ranked players who have been in great

form and therefore hesitant to change too much. However, once they try the new product, feel what is it like, and see the numbers on Trackman then we can change their minds pretty quickly. We have factual data like spin tightness and robustness, ball speed increase and forgiveness. Then we had anecdotal comments from players like “Unbelievable!” “Awesome!”

“Sensational!”.

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Here’s what the professionals had to say about the Epic

Branden Grace: I think that the newest Callaway driver has really improved. It has a great-looking head which I love.

I’m normally a guy who plays a low-spinning driver and a small head but the transition from the 440 head to the 460 head has been pretty easy. I couldn’t be happier with it.

Rikard Karlberg: This club is fantastic. They recreated the feel of the Callaway FT-3 where you know exactly how the ball is going to react when you hit it. It is very easy to control this driver. The ‘Jailbreak’ technoliogy feels like you hit the middle of the face even if you are a little bit off, and you don’t see as much dispersion.

Pete Cowen The deflection of the head as you hit the ball is less and they have put the stabiliser behind the face so that the actual head doesn’t compress. The energy transferred from that is much more efficient than ever before. It is yet another innovative club from Callaway. It had a great last year, obviously with Henrik Stenson and Danny Willett and Phil Mickelson.

The players are getting a little more speed with the new driver but the deviation of the shot is the key. This game is not about how good your good shot is, it is how good your bad shot is. The ‘Jailbreak’ technology can make your bad shots better and give you a better chance to eliminate the errors.

Danny Willett has been trying it out for the past few weeks and the first time, he hit it perfectly. You can tell within six shots whether you like the driver. You don’t want to make the driver work, you want the driver to fit you.

GOLF GEAR

Could the Ping i200 be their best ever iron?

BY ALEX GALLEMORE

W i200 Spec Handicap Range: Low/Medium Golfer: Men Hand Availability: Left, Right Manufacture: Cast Material: Steel Swing Weight: D1, D2 Shaft: AWT 2.0 (Steel), CFS Graphite Shaft options: Steel, Graphite Shaft Flex: Regular, Stiff, X Stiff Head Design: Cavity Back Set: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, PW Additional Clubs: 3, GW

E recently tested the new Ping iBlades and were very impressed with the feel and forgiveness of their iBlade design – but it was a club aimed at the category 1 golfer.

Now Ping have released their latest iron – the i200 – in order to try and bridge the gap between the iBlade and the G range. It’s targeting the low-to-medium handicap player with a mid-sized progressive head but with more forgiveness than the outgoing Ping I iron.

The look Looking at the Ping S55 and lastest iBlade irons you can see where the i200 inspiration has derrived from.

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The Ping i200 is a classy looking club that is marketed to players who pretty much want a club that does it all. But can it really deliver style, workability, distance, feel and forgiveness? It’s a big ask of any club. On the style front it resembles a larger version of the Ping S55 with an enhanced muscle-stablising bar, positioned behind the impact points. The size, paired with a slight offset and medium top line, build confidence without crossing the line into ‘game improvement’ territory.

Distance

Distance is a key selling point of the club.

The Ping i200 isn’t excessively long but the gapping between the clubs is one of the best I’ve played. Some manufacturers strengthen their lofts to add distance but this can result in a 7-iron playing only 10 yards shorter than its matching 5-iron. The i200 lofts are gapped 3.5° from 3- to 7-iron and 4° from 7-iron through to PW. Normally you would run a 3° split from 3- to 7-iron, but by weakening the lofts Ping has managed to not only gap the distances between each club more effectively, but also the flight.

The new face design, which has a thicker top and thinner lower portion, has dropped the centre of gravity to boost ball speed and give a higher launch. If you find the high launch flight too much there is a Power Spec Loft option which strengthens the lofts from 4-iron to wedge. So a 7-iron would be taken down from 33° to 31.5°.

Feel

If you are a player who likes to work the ball now and again but don’t find the sweet spot every time this club will look after your scorecard. The soft 431 stainless steel and the concealed soft elastomer insert give great feel, even when you strike the ball close to the neck, and the loss in distance I found to be around five yards. The face is 30% thinner than the outgoing model to create a faster hitting surface but you are only talking about the gain of the odd yard or two. But the face is consistent and contributes to the great gapping and distance control.

Shaft

The clubs I tested came with the Ascending Weight (AWT) shafts that get heavier as the clubs get shorter.

It’s a great idea to get more speed into the longer irons and more feel with the shorter clubs, but if you are after a consistent weight through all your irons there are seven other steel shafts available.

A WORD FROM THE BOSS

“The i200 iron is engineered for golfers who want an iron with a clean look that delivers exceptional feel, distance and forgiveness, while providing the trajectory control they need to play with precision. It’s a shotmaker’s iron by design, but it will fit a lot of golfers because it’s so easy to play. This iron will exceed their expectations in every way, especially the feel.”

– John A. Solheim, PING Chairman & CEO

Verdict

I think Ping has nearly delivered on all aspects they promised, apart from the trajectory control. I wish I could have tested the i200 with the Power Spec option as I found the standard lofts kicked a little too high. But the standout features were the gapping and the feel. The classic look with a modern feel is a great selling point as they will make both your bag and your scorecard look better. With the stronger lofts and KBS Tour X-Stiff shafts I think these would edge out the iBlade as my favourite Ping irons. A bold claim as the iBlade was arguably the best iron in 2016.

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N E W VO K E Y D E S I G N S M 6 W E D G E S .

PROGRESSIVE DESIGN. PRECISION PERFORMANCE.

HIGH CG: 58°-62°

MID CG: 54° AND 56°

LOW CG: 46°-52°

PROGRESSIVE CG FOR SUPERIOR DISTANCE CONTROL AND FEEL. Precision in your wedge game requires precise technology in your wedges. New Vokey SM6 wedges feature an innovative, progressive center of gravity that’s placed in the optimum position for each loft to provide players with more consistent distance, trajectory control and better feel. Learn more about new SM6 wedges at Vokey.com

46 – 52 – 56 – 60 –

JORDAN SPIETH

08 F Grind 08 F Grind 10 S Grind 04 L Grind

52 – 12 F Grind 56 – 14 F Grind 60 – 12 K Grind

JASON DUFNER

48 – 08 F Grind 54 – 08 M Grind 60 – 04 L Grind

JIMMY WALKER

N E W S

F R O M

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L E A D I N G

C LU B S

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R E G I O N

Arabian Golf

PHOTOGRAPH OF THE ELS CLUB

BY DAVID CANNON

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EVENT

SHARJAH SENIOR GOLF MASTERS PRESENTED BY SHUR OOQ

DATE MAR CH 16-18, 2017

SHARJAH SET TO SHOWCASE MARTIN DUFF is the innovative Director of Golf at Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club. He introduced the hugely popular Golf Society League which has brought the members of the Club and the companies who contest the leagues closer together in a friendly yet competitive atmosphere. Here he talks to Worldwide Golf about the Sharjah Senior Golf Masters Presented by Shurooq (SSGM) ahead of the forthcoming European Senior Tour event on March 16-18. With the legendary golfer, Jack Nicklaus, advocating the benefits of nine-hole golf, it’s highly appropriate that Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club will be able to showcase their Peter Harradine-designed course to the world.

WWG: This is the first time the European Senior Tour has played in Sharjah and the first time the Tour has taken an event to a nine-hole course. Why did the Club opt for a Senior Tour event?

Martin Duff: Being a nine-hole course it would be difficult to accommodate a regular Tour event but it’s great to see a European Senior Tour (EST) event in the region, which shows that we are offering something different. We have many truly great men’s and ladies’ events in the UAE but the EST offers a much more personable and up-close experience than some of the other events. There won’t be anything like a ‘them and us’ feel to the SSGM. I believe that people enjoy watching a style of golf they can relate to and most of us know we’ll never hit the ball 350 yards, but the seniors make the game look easy in a different sort of way. The spectators and the amateurs playing in the Pro-Ams can relate to the Senior pros and they play to enjoy the game.

WWG: What sets Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club and the tournament apart from other clubs in the region?

MD: Without doubt I can say that the diversity in facilities are unparalleled, certainly at any other golf clubs in the UAE. Golfing wise the playability of the course, its outstanding value and being a floodlit facility, which allows 40 percent more playing hours per year with play until 11:30pm daily, is something we are proud of. The Pro-Am’s on the Tuesday and Wednesday will start at 3:00pm and the last hour or so of play will be under lights, which will be a unique experience for the Pros and one that will be proudly featured in the daily TV highlight packages.

WWG: What changes have been made to the course in preparation for the Senior Tour players?

MD: Orient Irrigation have committed to SSGM sponsorship in the form of barter towards course improvements. Year one we’ve

concentrated mainly on cart paths and irrigation work, as well as some additional machinery and ongoing practices to improve the general condition of the golf course leading up to, during and after the event. Year one hasn’t been about new tees, bunkers or redesigning greens, it’s been about getting things done that needed doing and improving further what we already have. We have reshaped a few fairways and rough lines around greens but the fundamental layout changes, if any, will be made once we get feedback from the players after year one.

WWG: Which holes will provide the biggest challenge and why?

MD: The closing stretch, 14 – 18 makes up the teeth of the course. The EST won’t play all the holes from the back tees but the closing five holes will play very tough and ensure a worthy champion emerges on Sunday. If I were to pick out one hole to watch it would be the par 5, 15th.

It is stroke index one for the members but the Pros will be playing from one of the forward tees so it measures just over 500 yards. This will be very reachable, but a brave tee shot is required as the lateral water very much comes into play.

The tighter you are to the water the shorter and easier the second shot is. I have a feeling on the final day we’ll see some bogeys and a few eagles on the 15th and, considering where in the round it comes, it could prove pivotal to the outcome of the event.

WWG: What’s the secret to mastering the course?

MD: The player who makes the fewest mistakes on the closing five holes will probably be crowned champion. The course is fairly forgiving from the tee but there are a few must-make shots with few bail out areas over those closing holes. I would imagine anyone who can play those 10 holes (over the two loops) in maybe four or five under the card over the three days of the tournament will be well positioned to take

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advantage of the other eight. Ronan Rafferty, at the event’s launch last March, said he reckoned 13 – 14 under par would win. It will be interesting to see if he’s right!

WWG: How do you see the exposure of the event benefiting the club in the long term?

MD: The local and international coverage is certain to lift the profile of the Club worldwide.

Previously we’ve haven’t focused much on international rounds but hosting an event of this stature will give us a genuine foothold in that market and help us achieve some of our other long-term goals which I’ll go into a little more later.

WWG: Are there any plans to make the course 18 holes?

MD: There are no plans. Interestingly, our Managing Director Sheikh Mohammed Al Thani got all the club’s managers together recently and asked us to list five and 20 year goals for our respective facilities. To be an established international venue was my five year goal but to be the most famous nine hole golf course in the world was what I put down as our 20 year goal.

9 HOLE GOLF TO THE WORLD

This, as the SSGM grows and establishes itself, I believe is achievable. To be the most famous 18-hole course realistically could never be acheived, so we’re happy working with what we have and, hopefully, making these realistic goals. The upsurge in popularity of 9-hole rounds, endorsed by Jack Nicklaus, should also help us gain further stature.

WWG: How is the club looking to attract new golfers?

MD: This is something we’ve always committed time to, be it through our junior programmes, free bi-weekly TryGolf clinics or our very popular Learn Golf in a Week classes. We’ve introduced thousands of people to the game in the 9 years we’ve been open. Many are still members and many I know are still golfing in other parts of the world or on other courses in the UAE, which is really great to know.

WWG: Do you have any comical memories of playing with any of the Senior Tour players?

MD: Last year the four guys we had present for the launch for the event were brilliant hosts.

Paul Broadhurst, Ronan Rafferty, Des Smyth

and Malcolm MacKenzie we’re all great fun and definitely not short of a story or two. When you’ve played on Tour for over 20 years, played in Ryder Cups, Major golf championships you sure to have a tale or two – and there were plenty of very entertaining ones here last March!

WWG: What does it mean both locally and internationally to have Peter Harradine associated with the course?

MD: Peter’s name is synonymous with the now famous Middle East Desert Swing with his courses at Abu Dhabi and Qatar hosting two of the three events. The Challenge Tour event in Ras Al Khaimah is also on one of Peter’s courses and this makes four, which really is quite incredible considering the number of signature architects that have courses here. Peter is a personal friend of mine and I know he’s delighted, both for the club and for the emirate of Sharjah, that we are holding the event. I’m sure he’ll be here with us most of the week.

WWG: How has the tournament been received by the members?

MD: They are genuinely excited, especially

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our low handicap members aged over 50 who are going to try and qualify on February 12th.

Apart from having the honour of witnessing some of the best players ever to play the game and plot their way around our course, hopefully setting a few new records along the way, the course will remain open until the Saturday (11th) before the tournament week and will open to them (and the public) the Sunday (19th) after – it won’t close either side of the tournament week unlike a lot of other tour venues. The only difference for them will be that we are taking the carts off, midweek, from February 12th which they all seem to be looking forward to.

WWG: Have many of the society league teams got involved with the event?

MD: As Worldwide Golf knows we host a lot of society golf at SGSC, be it their own private visits or through the Golf Society League. Many have circulated tournament promotional material within their databases and many are all set to volunteer as marshals, scorers or caddies, which is great as we require around 80 per day.

FEATURE

QATAR INTERNATIONAL GOLF CLUB (QIGC) PEARL COACHING PR OGRAMME

PEARL COACHING PROGRAMME PROVES HUGH SUCCESS

T

HE Qatar International Golf Club (QIGC) Pearl Coaching Programme is celebrating its first successful year in taking the game of golf to the schools. The educational initiative to stimulate interest and enjoyment of golf amongst schoolchildren in Qatar, is thriving one year after its launch, due to an innovative and unique approach to golfing education.

Unlike previous traditional junior training programmes, which focus on select youngsters, the Pearl Coaching Programme begins with training physical education teachers in schools across Qatar to enable them to teach golf to a new generation of youngsters.

Launched in November 2015, the first phase of the programme introduced golf as part of the physical education curriculum, or as an after-school activity, within four schools – Qatar Academy; Qatar Academy Sidra; Al Markhyia Independent Girls School; Awsaj Academy. The golf teaching programme was directly introduced to more than 4,000 children.

Developing the game further

Six new schools have since been added during 2016 with expansion made possible by the overwhelming success of the unique ‘Teach the Teacher’ method, a golf certification course designed to provide physical educators with the required skills to plan and deliver their own golf coaching sessions.

To date, 79 physical education teachers have now completed the training, returning to their institutions with exciting ideas in developing the game further from the grassroots up.

Provided with basic clubs and equipment by the QIGC, children taking part in the Pearl Coaching Programme are coached in a safe learning environment using light equipment and balls that are similar, yet slightly smaller than tennis balls.

Having developed the basic skills, youngsters progress to smaller, heavier equipment after understanding the fundamental golf movement skills, whilst being introduced to the wider game. For the QIGC,

however, the Pearl Coaching Programme is not a stand-alone commitment. It is an overall golfing education that spans everything they do and encourages learning in a wide variety of innovative ways. In 2016 students taking an assortment of subjects and courses were welcomed to the facility to study the unique sustainability measures taken by the QIGC, along with the environmentally conscious practices that golf creates.

Inter-league competition

In addition, QIGC have developed an interleague competition which begins this year.

This will enable the golf students to compete in regional and international golf SNAG (Starting New At Golf) competitions, where course layouts can be designed by children to further develop their numeracy and literary education.

It is the ambition of the club to host a global SNAG tournament in the near future, with Qatar becoming the host nation. The Pearl

“IT IS WORKING SO SUCCESSFULLY BECAUSE WE ARE TAKING A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO THE TRADITIONAL METHOD OF GOLFING EDUCATION, BY PUTTING THE RESPONSIBILITY INTO THE HANDS OF TEACHERS AT LOCAL LEVEL RATHER THAN TRYING TO DELIVER EVERYTHING OURSELVES. ”–QIGC ACTING GENERAL MANAGER, MOHAMMED AL-NAIMI Coaching Programme and the wider desire to drive a pioneering approach to golfing education is supported extensively by the QIGC’s acting General Manager, Mohammed Al-Naimi. Holding a diploma in Physical education from the University of Semmelweis in Budapest, Hungary, Al-Naimi is certain that the reason why the programme has become such a huge success is because of the QIGC’s foresight in empowering local teachers to teach golf.

“Qatar International Golf Club’s Pearl Coaching Programme is truly changing the way golf is taught, and I am incredibly proud to be a part of that journey,” says Mohammed

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Al-Naimi. “The initiative has been designed to encourage participation and, most importantly, to make golf fun and accessible for everyone, particularly children of school age.

“It is working so successfully because we are taking a different approach to the traditional method of golfing education, by putting the responsibility into the hands of teachers at local level rather than trying to deliver everything ourselves. The team at QIGC share this ambition to spread our knowledge and love of golf across Qatar and we look forward to continuing our impact in 2017 and beyond.”

The programme is progressing across a number of Doha schools, particularly at Qatar

Academy, as PE teacher and golf coordinator Oliver Blundell explains: “Our partnership with the Qatar International Golf Club has provided new and exciting opportunities for all our students who, along with the teachers involved, have been inspired by the initiative, vision and SNAG learning method.

Premium attraction

“We are all looking forward to the future of the Pearl Programme as the fledgling golf culture continues to grow.”

The unrivalled combination of a premium golfing, leisure and sports education facility in one location, Qatar International Golf Club

About Qatar International Golf Club

(QIGC) is truly unique to the region and the world. The project proudly embodies the Qatar 2030 vision for human, social, environmental and economic development by providing a framework to grow the game of golf in Qatar with a focus on making the sport fun and accessible for all.

With demand for additional golf facilities in Doha soaring, the destination is also expected to make a valuable economic contribution to Qatar’s luxury leisure and hospitality industry.

It will become a major draw for residents as well as inbound golf visitors, and will offer an exciting addition to Qatar’s blossoming tourist attractions. n

Qatar International Golf Club is a new world-class golfing destination in the heart of Education City, Doha, that embraces the principles of education, sustainability, innovation, research and development.

Aligned with Qatar’s 2030 vision and inspired by the principles of the Qatar Foundation, the revolutionary facility will be the first of its kind anywhere in the world.

It has been designed to grow the game of golf, introduce the sport to new generations and further grow the game in Qatar.

A holistic approach to golf will guide and support people of all ages

and abilities through a complete golfing journey from the golf-themed Family Park with Adventure Golf activity and the state-of-the-art driving range facilities, right through to the world-class 18-hole championship course.

The addition of a Clubhouse to reflect Qatar’s heritage with the facilities of tennis courts, gymnasium, spa and dining options will ensure Qatar International Golf Club becomes Qatar’s premiere leisure destination for all the family to enjoy, and a globally renowned golf tourism destination.

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EGF Benefits - USGA handicap - Ability to enter to play in club events and competitions requiring an official handicap - An online handicap management system - Golfer's Insurance - Insider volunteer opportunities and special ticket offers at Pro Golf Events in the UAE - Membership Benefits Program with special offers from partners * Only for new adult memberships

ARABIAN GOLF LOCAL NEWS P79 D U B AI CREEK GO LF CL UB

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EMIRATES GOLF CLUB

SUPERB SCORING ON CAPTAINS DAY THIS season’s Captains Day tournament, which celebrated the term of Patrick Morrow and Vanessa North, saw Mark McCarthy and Elizabeth Agha dovetail beautifully to an 11-under winning score of 60.

Two teams finished with an 8-under 63 and taking second place by virtue of a countback were Arshad Waheed and Parvez Merchant with Ashok Ahuja and Robin Rodricks taking third place.

As well as being a celebration for the Club Captains this event is also when the Junior Colleague Fund is presented. The Colleague Fund initiative was started five years ago by the then Club Captain Joseph Andrade to recognise the fantastic job that all of the junior colleagues do at the club on a daily basis. This year, thanks to many successful events and kind donations, a staggering AED 145,000 was raised.

LIGHTS OUT IN NEW YEAR SCRAMBLE Club Captains Vanessa North and Patrick Morrow are pictured with winners Mark McCarthy & Elizabeth Agha.

THE 2017 season got off to a great start as the team of Achal Ghai, Jugwinder Brar, Natalii Gupta and Arjun Gupta shot the lights out with a 16-under-par net 56 over the Faldo course to win the New Years Scramble.

Scoring throughout the day was superb and taking second place on 15-under was the team of Bhupesh Sharma, Sameer Joshi, Naresh Bhambhaney and Avinash Pangarkar while third place went to Andrew and Wendy Robinson and Jon and Jane Vail on 14-under.

LOW SCORES IN MEDAL GRAND FINAL

MAX BURROW WINS OMEGA AMATEUR OPEN IN STYLE Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht club hosted the first EGF order of merit event of 2017 in the form of the prestigious Omega Men’s Amateur Open and coming out on top after a superb two-day display was Max Burrow. The Creek member opened with a superb 4-under 67 and closed the door with a 73 for a 140 total and a five-stroke win over Martin Fernandez with defending champion Bayhaan Lakdawala finishing third on 146. In the net category Bilal Belaid was crowned the winner with a 143 total after rounds of 70-73.

FISAS WINS JUNIOR MEDAL JACOBO Fisas clinched the recent Junior Medal with a score of 33.5 while Aashaka Desai sealed the gross title with a 38. The Boy’s winner was Samuel De Souza with a 37.5 while Shreyas Bawkar came second. A score of 34.5 saw Hyeonji Kang win the Girl’s title while Reema Al Heloo was the lowest scoring non-member with 34.

MOHAMMED Al Musharrekh clinched a narrow one-stroke win over Marcus Wallman to win the OMA Emirates 2016 Medal Championship Grand Final recently.

Al Musharrekh shot a superb net 70 over the Majlis course to win ahead of Wallman with EGC Club Captain Vipen Sethhi taking third place with a 72.

The top 36 players on their respective order of merits qualified for the tournament and topping the standings at the end of play were Joe Smith (EGC table) and Ashok Sindhu (Dubai Creek table). The gross prize on the day went to Edoardo Galeppini with a 75.

AUSSIE MARK BURRELL WINS OMEGA EMIRATES OPEN PANTING AND NORTH THE TOP PAIR THE 4th edition of the newly-launched Links Group Pairs event took place last month with a betterball Stableford format and coming out on top was the team of Warren Panting and 2016 Lady Captain Vanessa North.

The top three pairs on the day all qualified for the Grand Final, held in May, meaning that runners-up Edoardo and Beatrice Galeppina and third placed Tejan Fadle-Deen and Jamel Shallop no longer have to worry about qualification. North and Pantin won with a score of 40 points.

TOBIAS PARKIN OFF TO A FLIER SCRATCH Team member Tobias Parkin clinched the opening OMA Emirates Medal of the new year with a fine round of 4-under par 67, picking up some valuable order of merit points in the process.

Mark Jolliffe topped the pile in Division ‘A’ after a countback win over Adonis Nasr while Club Captain Mansour Khodjasteh stormed to a threeshot win in Division ‘B’ with a net 69. The best gross prize on the day went to Adam Savage with a 74 while the Senior Division went to Navneet Chopra (77) and the Ladies Division went to Kristi Sealey (75).

AUSTRALIAN Mark Burrell clinched the 28th staging of the Omega Emirates Amateur Open with a one-stroke win over Christopher Rahm (JGE) last month.

Burrell, from Links Hope Island Golf Club in Queensland, shot a 148 total over the Faldo and Majlis courses and earned himself an invite to the Ras Al Khaimah 2017 Golf Challenge in October.

Having opened with a 78, Burrell found himself six strokes behind the overnight leader Ahmad Skaik (EGF) but he came roaring back on day two with a superb 70 on the Majlis to take the spoils.

Third place went to Thomas Strandemo with a total of 150.

E M I R ATES GOLF F EDER ATIO N

ARABIAN RANCHES GOLF CLUB DANIEL WHITTAKER WINS BY ONE THE fourth event of the Dodge Challenge Junior Series was won by visiting player Daniel Whittaker thanks to an impressive 2-under-par total of 25.

The youngsters were greeted by a strong wind but the scoring was good as Victor Charpentier took second place on 1-under par to move into the lead on the Order of Merit.

The Under-11s section was won by Zak Rafique with a net 20 while a net 23 saw Luke Machen win the Under-16s section.

THE ELS CLUB UAE NATIONAL GOLF TEAM TEST DRIVES TRUMP INTERNATIONAL AHEAD of the grand unveiling of Dubai’s first new golf course in seven years, members of the UAE National Team took to the Trump International Golf Club, Dubai, to put the course’s undulating greens and fairways to the test.

The nation’s top senior players were joined by EGF board members and coaching staff as they got a sneak preview of the Gil Hanse-designed layout.

“On behalf of the Emirates Golf Federation and the UAE National Team we would like to thank Trump International Golf Club, Dubai, for hosting the National Squad and EGF Board Members,” said Khalid Mubarak Al Shamsi, EGF Secretary General.

“The course and golf facilities exceed expectations and will fit perfectly with the quality of golf clubs within the UAE. With forgiving fairways and tough undulating greens, this golf course will be a great test for any golfer.

“The EGF will be looking forward to working with Trump International Golf Club, Dubai, and will be excited to welcome their new members into the UAE golf community.”

The club’s General Manager, Andrew Whitelaw, said: “We were delighted to welcome the UAE national team to our golf course. We believe that it’s vitally important to support the nation’s exciting sporting talent.”

FAISAL AL SAYEGH CLINCHES 2017’S FIRST NATIONAL MONTHLY MEDAL OVER 30 local Emiratis gathered to compete in the first National Monthly Medal of the 2016-17 EGF season at Jebel Ali Golf Resort and coming out on top with a Stableford haul of 36 points was Faisal Al Sayegh.

Saleh Al Ameri took second place with 34 points with Jalal Al Abassi one point further back while in the gross section Khalid Yousuf took the spoils with a 4-over par round of 76.

In Division ‘A’ (hcp 0-14) Mohamed Al Hajeri took the spoils on 29 points and in Division ‘B’ (hcp 15-24) Sultan Al Ali scored 32 points to top the pile.

The top junior player on the day was Reema Al Heloo with 35 points, four clear of Alia Al Emadi.

PAUL MOIR AND LISE SLANE CROWNED CLUB CHAMPIONS STRONG winds blew throughout this year’s Club Championships but they didn’t knock Paul Moir or Lise Slane off their stride as they etched their names onto the honours board with some superb play. Moir shot a two-round tally of 154 to win by five strokes from Philip Wirz to become Men’s Champion while Slane shot a 184 to win by a massive 20 strokes from Mercedes Sheen to take the Ladies title.

In the Men’s Handicap division Ian Lister shot 151 to win by two from Kevin Black while Dori Gantt won the Ladies Handicap division with a 149 score, four shots clear of Karen Lister.

THE TRACK, MEYDAN GOLF

SAADIYAT BEACH GOLF CLUB

ACES GALORE AT THE TRACK NO fewer than three players made a hole-in-one on the par-3 Sixth Hole Supported by Rivoli last month and they all received a little prize for their impressive feats. Khaled Ghaleb, Thierry Froment and Shazid Javaid aced the 156-yard hole and all three received a Mont Blanc Pen for their efforts.

As is now customary, their names will be engraved on the honours board for all to see.

PING LI WINS STABLEFORD BY ONE Ping Li clinched last month’s Stableford competition with a haul of 37 points, one clear of Kevin Moore. Blanca Rivollier took third place with 35 points and also won the Nearest the Pin prize while Alberta Lagorio-Serre won the day’s Long Drive competition.

YAS LINKS ABU DHABI

JONATHAN SELVARAJ BEATS WIND TO TAKE ETIHAD OPEN STABLEFORD JONATHAN Selvaraj produced some solid golf amid extremely blustery conditions to compile 38 points and win Division ‘A’ of last month’s Etihad Open Stableford. Selvaraj clinched a four-point win over Mike Langan who finished

in second place ahead of Afi Taylor after a card countback. In Division ‘B’ Ahmed Ali Al Menhali scored 34 points to win by one stroke from Lora Al Marzooqi with Phil James in third place, one point further back.

ARABIAN GOLF LOCAL NEWS P81 JUNIORS SHOW THEIR SKILLS

THE recent event in the Grand Millennium Monday series saw Ahmed Siddiqi squeeze to a narrow countback victory over Kyle Lloyd and George Khalil after a three-way tie at the top. The trio all returned scores of 38 points but Siddiqi’s stronger finish saw him crowned the winner.

TERO KILPELA KICKS OFF HIS NEW YEAR IN STYLE TERO Kilpela produced some astonishing golf in the first competition of the year as he won the New Years Cup with a countback victory over Callum Bird. Kilpela carded 38 Stableford points – which included an excellent 10-point haul on hole 3 – and defeated Bird by virtue of

his stronger finish. James Littlewood finished one point further back in third place while the two on-course prizes went to Richard Cuddihy and Danny O’Brien.

DOHA GOLF CLUB

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CLOSE CALL IN MILLENNIUM MONDAY

THE third round of the ADCGC Junior Golf League saw 76 enthusiastic youngsters competing across nine divisions and there were some excellent performances on display.

Coming out on top in the 6-hole competitions were Gabriel McGurk (gross) and Paul Rezko (net) while the 3 hole winners were Iqradiaz Arifin (boys) and Sheikha bint Diab Al Nahyan (girls). In the 2-hole competition Nayhan bin Diab Al Nahyan finished in the top spot with Shaahen Ziam in second place.

AL HAMRA GOLF CLUB

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ABU DHABI CITY GOLF CLUB

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SHARJAH GOLF AND SHOOTING CLUB ROLLERCOASTER RIDE FOR RAMESH

KIM WINS ON COMEBACK KOREA’S K.S. Kim clinched last month’s Orient Travel Monthly Medal with a fine net 68 and a three-stroke win over Vice Captain Mukti Rai. In a field of 43 players spread across morning and afternoon shotguns six other players finished between 73 and 75 with M.Y. Cho, Max Hibbert, Mike Robson and Hassan Yazdi collecting net prizes and significant points towards the Malaysia Truly Asia supported by Emirates Airlines. Gross prizes also went to new member Thomas Murdoch (76) and Ramli Sulaiman (79).

RAMESH Wijeratne emerged from a congested leaderboard after an up-and-down 18 holes to win the first Unitechnik Stableford event of the year. Wijeratne made a slow start but fired three net birdies and an eagle in a five-hole stretch that catapulted him into contention. He then closed with eagle-double bogeyeagle-double bogey and found, to his surprise, that his 38-point tally was good enough for a one-point win over Scratch League Captain Mike Robson.

AL AIN EQUESTRIAN, SHOOTING & GOLF CLUB

in Division ‘C’ with a net 67, one clear of Karen Gladish with Gerry Madden in third. The best gross on the day came from Robert Horridge who signed for an excellent 69 after nines of 33 and 36.

MADDEN GOES LOW TO WIN CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS THE new layout at AESGC saw its first sub-60 round as Gerry Madden compiled an impressive net 59 to win the 2016 Medals Final event.

The tournament saw all of last year’s medal winners tee off to find a ‘Champion of Champions’ and in the gross section the Club Champion Wajahat Chaudhry emerged victorious

PIERRE Verlarar Jr of the Netherlands shot three successive rounds of 70 over the Champonship course at Doha GC to win the 2017 WAGR – Qatar Open Amateur Golf Championship

with a 210 total, three clear of home player Saleh Ali Al-Kaabi. Sweden’s Christofer Rahm took third place on 215 (75-67-73) while American Thomas Standemo finished fourth.

GOLF DXB

CALLING ELITE JUNIOR GOLFERS!

RICHIE COMES OUT ON TOP

RICHIE Kelly clinched the honours in Division ‘A’ of last month’s Medal after coming out on top of a three-way countback.

Kelly, Mihail Bucataru and Jeff Glasgow all returned scores of net 67 but it was Kelly who prevailed thanks to his stronger 6-hole finish with Bucataru second and Glasgow third.

The best score on the day came in Division ‘B’ as Pip Hoe waltzed to victory with a stunning 63, one clear of Jose Miguel Santos who shot a net 64 from his 15 handicap.

Charmaine Bakker topped the pile

VELAAR JR WINS THE WAGR QATAR AMATEUR

with an excellent 73, three shots clear of Robert Horridge.

It is a very exciting time of year for golf in the Middle East with three major tournaments back to back in Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Dubai.

Since returning to golf late in 2016, the last minute announcement that Tiger Woods will be returning to the Omega Dubai Desert Classic really puts the icing on the cake for the Middle East Swing.

It can’t be denied that having Woods in the field completely changes the dynamic of any golf event and the early February showdown at the Emirates Golf Club will be no different.

If you’ve been inspired by the pros over the last few weeks we have something for all of you golf enthusiasts in 2017.

The second International Golf Junior Championship, which takes place in March at Arabian Ranches Golf Club, is a must for anyone looking to follow in the footsteps of the pros.

The first ever IGJC was held in September 2016 with the final in November and was a big success, offering a great opportunity for the UAE’s elite juniors between the ages of 6-18.

With the course set up with modified tees it gives children a

taste of the competitive golf that they can expect to experience playing other high profile events such as the US Kids Golf Championship and the Wee Wonders.

As well as being the most competitive junior event in the region, participants will also have the opportunity to win free scholarships for the 2017 golf season from Golf DXB’s elite performance coach Jordan Patmore.

For more info please visit www. internationalgolf.info For adults or juniors more on the beginner level looking for tuition or social golf please get in touch with us here at Golf DXB. From our base at The Track, Meydan Golf we have the UAE’s No.1 junior programme, group adult classes available every day of the week, private coaching for the serious golfer looking to fine tune their game or a fastrack to success.

There are also tournaments available on both 9 and 18 hole courses so there is certainly something for everyone!

Contact: mike@golfdxb.com Tel: +97156 464 4175

CONARES GOLF SOCIETY LEAGUE

Conares League Indian Expats South African Golf Society KEGS-1 Vikings GTI

Played

Won

Lost

Tied

Points

6 4 4 4 6

4 4 4 2 1

1 1 4 4 5

1 1 0 0 0

13 13 12 6 3

BMW League White Rose Golf Society Sport 2 Business-1 ASEAN GODS Gulf Rock SNTTA Travel League

CRUNCH TIME IN CONARES GOLF SOCIETY LEAGUE

Naboodah SGB Sport 2 Business -2 Happy Hookers KEGS - 2 DKN Law

THE Conares Golf Society League is hotting up with just one round of fixtures remaining before the knockout stages of this year’s tournament.

The Indian Expats and South African Golf Society (SAGS) lead the way in the Conares League on 13 points with the KEGS-1 one point further back. The Vikings sit on six points with GTI on three, and with one fixture remaining the GTI will need to win their matches and hope the Vikings slip up in order to avoid elimination from this year’s competition.

With the bottom team in every league knocked out before the play-offs begin it looks bleak for the Gulf Rock team who prop up the pile in the BMW League

Played

Won

Lost

Tied

Points

6 6 8 6 6

4 4 3 2 1

1 2 4 3 4

1 0 1 1 1

13 12 10 7 4

Played

Won

Lost

Tied

Points

8 6 6 6 6

7 3 3 2 1

1 3 3 4 5

0 0 0 0 0

21 9 9 6 3

on four points from six fixtures. They will need a big performance in the final round in order to overtake the GODS and advance to the play-offs. The White Rose Golf Society, Sport 2 Business-1 are assured of progressing while it would take an astonishing turn of events for ASEAN not to move forward.

The Naboodah SGB have dominated proceedings so far in the SNTTA Travel League with seven wins from their eight fixtures for a haul of 21 points. The four remaining teams could all suffer elimination with only six points separating second place from last place, so anything could happen in the league’s final fixtures of DKN Law vs Sports 2 Business-2 and Happy Hookers vs KEGS-2.

MEET THE TEAMS

Gulf Rock Another founding team from the first staging of the GLS, Gulf Rock are this year captained by Lars Linden and are two-time quarter-finalists without ever getting any further.

GTU The GTU team are competing in their third successive GSL and are captained this year by Andrew Thom.

Happy Hookers Al Naboodah SGB The Al Naboodah SGB are one of the stalwarts of the GSL as they are currently in the middle of their fifth successive year. Initially, they had two teams but captains Andy Karacinski and Joe Farina came together and merged them into one society.

The Happy Hookers, captained this year by Martin Kirby, have been competing in the GSL since 2014 with mixed levels of success and are hoping to make a dent in the latter stages of the competition this year.

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Offering 36 holes of Jack Nicklausdesigned Championship golf in impeccable condition all year round, an award-winning clubhouse, first-class hospitality and exceptional service, this venue has earned a reputation as one of the UK’s premier member, visitor and corporate golf venues.

Stretching across the peak of Kent’s North Downs, The International and The Heritage courses are consistently presented in immaculate condition and the greens in particular are renowned for their speed and trueness.

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The close proximity to London and easy access from overseas have helped establish Kent as one of England’s premier golfing destinations. Aside from golf, the area around London Golf Club is full of distinctive, contrasting attractions, from romantic stately homes and historic houses, to

Distinct Characteristics Both courses have their own distinct characteristics. The International course presents fast, undulating fairways that allow you to chase the ball into position, punctuated with exciting risk and reward tee shots over water that really get the heart pumping.

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3

FIVE THINGS

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Martin Kaymer

AGE: 32 FROM: DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY TURNED PROFESSIONAL: 2005 PROFESSIONAL TOUR WINS: 17

SINCE 2007 I STA RT E D COLLECTING ONE DOLLA R BILLS – D ON ’ T ASK M E WHY! IT JUST STA RT E D ONE DAY WH E N I DID NOT WA NT TO SPE ND A SINGLE D OLLA R BILL . E V E N W H E N I TIP I WOULD R AT H E R G IV E F IV E D O LLA R S. A ND NO, FOR THOSE OF YOU W HO A RE THIN KING IT, I DO NOT COLLECT T H E M FOR STRIP CLUBS!

I AM A V E RY G OO D B U N K E R R AK E R. C R AI G , M Y CAD D I E , ALWAYS SAYS THAT I WO UL D B E A G REAT CAD D I E I F I T O NLY CAM E D OW N TO B U N K E R R AK I N G .

S O N E X T T I M E YO U S E E M E PL AYI NG I N T HE PR ACT I CE R O U N D, C HEC K T HE B UN K E R S AF T E RWAR D S AND I AS S UR E YO U T HAT YO U W I LL BE I M PR ES S E D !

I H AV E A 5 9 ON M Y GOLF BA LL . I SH OT A 5 9 IN 2 0 0 6 IN A GOLF TOU R NA M E NT IN T H E E P D TOU R IN GE R M A NY.

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