Author: Alexandra Caspers

Categories
European Tour

DP World Tour Championship: This is how much prize money Rory McIlroy gets for his double victory

Prize money at the DP World Tour Championship. (Photo: Getty)
Prize money at the DP World Tour Championship. (Photo: Getty)

The DP World Tour Championship is the grand finale of the DP World Tour season and therefore also the last Rolex Series tournament of the year. While the other four Rolex Series events each offer nine million dollars, the season finale will see a full ten million dollars divided among the 50 participants. Three million dollars will go to the winner, who this week was Rory McIlroy. With a final score of 15 strokes under par, he won the season finale ahead of Rasmus Hojgaard.

Prize Money at the DP World Tour Championship

Rank Player Score Prize Money
1 Rory MCILROY -15 $3,000,000
2 Rasmus HØJGAARD -13 $1,270,000
T-3 Shane LOWRY -11 $554,333.33
T-3 Adam SCOTT -11 $554,333.33
T-3 Antoine ROZNER -11 $554,333.33
6 Tyrrell HATTON -10 $316,000
T-7 Robert MACINTYRE -9 $209,625
T-7 Keita NAKAJIMA -9 $209,625
T-7 Joaquin NIEMANN -9 $209,625
T-7 Jesper SVENSSON -9 $209,625
T-11 Matt WALLACE -8 $143,000
T-11 Tom MCKIBBIN -8 $143,000
13 Adrian OTAEGUI -7 $128,000
T-14 Sam BAIRSTOW -6 $117,000
T-14 Laurie CANTER -6 $117,000
T-16 Tommy FLEETWOOD -5 $105,250
T-16 Johannes VEERMAN -5 $105,250
T-16 Paul WARING -5 $105,250
T-19 Romain LANGASQUE -4 $89,900
T-19 Jorge CAMPILLO -4 $89,900
T-19 Jordan SMITH -4 $89,900
T-19 Ewen FERGUSON -4 $89,900
T-19 Guido MIGLIOZZI -4 $89,900
T-24 Andy SULLIVAN -3 $78,875
T-24 Alex FITZPATRICK -3 $78,875
T-24 Min Woo LEE -3 $78,875
T-24 Thorbjørn OLESEN -3 $78,875
T-28 Darius VAN DRIEL -2 $72,125
T-28 Rikuya HOSHINO -2 $72,125
T-30 Adrian MERONK -1 $65,375
T-30 Matteo MANASSERO -1 $65,375
T-30 Thriston LAWRENCE -1 $65,375
T-30 Ugo COUSSAUD -1 $65,375
T-34 Matthew JORDAN PAR $54,500
T-34 Justin ROSE PAR $54,500
T-34 Julien GUERRIER PAR $54,500
T-34 Nacho ELVIRA PAR $54,500
T-34 Yannik PAUL PAR $54,500
T-34 Frederic LACROIX PAR $54,500
T-40 Joe DEAN 1 $47,750
T-40 Niklas NORGAARD 1 $47,750
42 Sebastian SÖDERBERG 2 $45,500
43 Daniel BROWN 3 $44,000
44 David RAVETTO 4 $42,500
45 Francesco LAPORTA 7 $41,000
46 Dan BRADBURY 8 $39,500
47 Billy HORSCHEL 9 $38,000
48 Angel HIDALGO 10 $36,500
T-49 Connor SYME 11 $34,250
T-49 Aaron COCKERILL 11 $34,250

A total bonus pool of six million dollars was offered for the final standings in the Race to Dubai. Rory McIlroy will receive a share of two million dollars, bringing his total earnings for the weekend to five million dollars. In second place, Rasmus Hojgaard receives one million dollars after a strong final round of the season.

Race to Dubaie bonus pool

A total bonus pool of six million dollars was offered for the final standings in the Race to Dubai. Rory McIlroy will receive a share of two million dollars, bringing his total earnings for the weekend to five million dollars. In second place, Rasmus Hojgaard receives one million dollars after a strong final round of the season.

Rank Player Bonus
1st Rory McIlroy $2,000,000
2nd Rasmus Hojgaard $1,000,000
3rd Thriston Lawrence $750,000
4th Tyrrell Hatton $550,000
5th Paul Waring $450,000
6th Billy Horschel $350,000
7th Tommy Fleetwood $300,000
8th Adam Scott $250,000
9th Robert MacIntyre $200,000
10th Jesper Svensson $150,000
Categories
Travel

The Two Faces of Golf in South Korea

Two faces of golf in South Korea. (Photo: Getty)
Two faces of golf in South Korea. (Photo: Getty)

Golf in South Korea is a sport of contrasts. Golf is both ubiquitous and accessible to everyone and at the same time the exact opposite. On the one hand, golf is everywhere, on the other hand, golf club membership is hardly affordable. Almost ten per cent of Korea’s population play golf, but the majority play in golf simulators rather than out on the course. A look at both sides.

Digital and nearby: golf for everyone in a confined space

The South Koreans’ love of golf is particularly evident in its capital Seoul. Every few metres one comes across the sport in one form or another. Golf simulators and screen golf facilities are plentiful, even more than Starbucks locations, which can be found on every corner in Korea. Green nets in and around the city reveal where driving ranges are hidden. But because lack of space is a persistent problem in Korea, you can even find them in unexpected places, on top of hotels, for example, or even on top of parking garages.

A golf range in the middle of the city. (Photo: Golf Post)

The provider Golfzon alone operates over 5,000 golf simulator locations in Korea, where 94 million rounds are said to have been logged in 2023, almost twice as many as rounds played outside on golf courses. Korea’s technological progress does not stop at golf and the simulators work with increasingly realistic graphics, hitting surfaces and training aids.

This wide range of golf possibilities makes the entry barrier to the sport very low. An evening in a golf simulator has a similar status to an evening of karaoke. For only about 20 dollars a round, you get a nice evening with friends, beer and no long journeys out of town.

Golf, an inspiration in difficult times

As a result, one in ten Koreans plays golf. The golf boom in South Korea was triggered by Seri Pak. At the age of just 20 and in her rookie season on the LPGA Tour, she won the US Women’s Open in a 20-hole play-off in 1998.

‘We’ve had other players in history, but she was a Korean Tiger Woods. Basically, she created this culture,’ explained James Jaewoo Suk, Head of Brand Communication BMW, Brand Experience, who is responsible for communication around the BMW Ladies Championship, Korea’s biggest golf tournament, among other things. ‘We had an economic crisis in 1998 and people needed some kind of inspiration. Sport gave that to the people. We felt that anything is possible, not just in golf, but in life.’ Pak’s victory inspired a whole generation, especially of female golfers, who, with the help of the competitive sporting spirit of South Koreans, carried on the success on the LPGA Tour in the decades following Pak’s victory and fuelled the golf boom in the country.

Exclusivity on the green: golf courses as a luxury good

The golf boom has also multiplied the number of golf courses in South Korea. According to the R&A’s Global Participation Report 2023, there are 844 18- and 9-hole courses in the country. 200 of those are said to be around Seoul alone, even though space is a precious commodity in the mega metropolis. High real estate prices mean that golf club memberships are also extremely expensive. Memberships at many private golf clubs start at 25,000 dollars and can run into the millions.

But playing golf without a membership is neither cheap nor straightforward. Tee times are often only reservable by flights of four, and individual players find groups in online forums. Green fees start at 100 – 200 euros per person, plus often another 100 euros for a mandatory caddie and around 70 euros for a cart. High taxes on golf, especially for private golf clubs, drive prices up.

For golf tourists, if they are not put off by the high prices, the fact that a Korean telephone number is often required to make a reservation and a lack of Korean language skills often complicates the process – the golf industry is largely geared towards locals rather than golf tourists. Golf rounds, unlike golf simulators, are not a quick pastime but rather a formal affair with a strict dress code and are often used to conduct business or for networking.

Many Koreans are prepared to spend a lot of money on golf. The Korean golf market is the third largest golf market in the world after the USA and Japan. More golf equipment and, above all, golf fashion is sold in Korea than anywhere else in the world. Companies produce their own collections just for the Korean market and sell them there at hefty prices. Korean companies have acquired major golf brands such as TaylorMade and Titleist and spend a lot of money on sponsoring PGA Tour tournaments.

Golf as a mirror of Korean society

Golf is booming in South Korea, despite its cost. However, there is no particularly committed junior program, on the contrary: children are not welcome many of the private golf clubs. Only 2,178 juniors are registered according to the R&A, golf being too expensive a sport to simply let children play it for fun. Those who take up the sport at a young age do so with professional ambitions. This makes the work that golf simulators do to appeal to a young target group all the greater, with easier accessibility, a more relaxed environment and entertaining emojis.

But wether people play on simulated courses or real greens, the two facets of golf in Korea are growing hand in hand. Over 60 per cent of golfers say they play both forms. All this makes golf in Korea more than just a sport. It shapes the culture and the economy and is a mirror of Korean society: characterised by modernity, competition and innovation.

Categories
PGA Tour

PGA Tour: Joel Dahmen Penalized for Carrying Too Many Clubs

Joel Dahmen makes a costly mistake on the PGA Tour. (Photo: Getty)

In a turn of events at the Shriners Children’s Open on the PGA Tour, Joel Dahmen was hit with a costly penalty during the first round. The American golfer found himself in violation of the rules for carrying too many clubs in his bag, resulting in a four-stroke penalty on Thursday.

The mistake came to light on the fourth tee, when Dahmen realized he had been playing with more than the allowed number of clubs. After spotting the infraction, he promptly called for a rules official to address the issue.

The leaderboard for the Shriners Children’s Open

Joel Dahmen Penalized for Exceeding Club Limit on the PGA Tour

According to the official rules of golf, a player is allowed a maximum of 14 clubs during a round.

The rule in question, Rule 4.1c(1), specifies:

If a player discovers they are in breach of this rule by carrying more than 14 clubs, they must remove the excess club(s) from play before making their next stroke.

  • If the player started the round with more than 14 clubs, they may choose which club(s) to declare out of play.
  • If the extra club(s) were added during the round, they must be declared out of play immediately.

The penalty for this violation is two strokes for each hole where the breach occurred, with a maximum of four penalty strokes applied for the round (two strokes added to each of the first two holes where the breach was discovered).

As a result, the pars Dahmen made on holes 1 and 2 were adjusted to double bogeys. He promptly removed a 4-iron from his bag to comply with the rule.

PGA TOUR Communications confirmed the penalty on social media, noting the severity of the infraction for the seasoned player.

The timing of the penalty couldn’t be worse for Dahmen, who is currently ranked 124th in the FedExCup standings. With his Tour card for next season on the line, he must finish within the top 125 to retain his status. So far, his FedExCup Fall campaign has been underwhelming, with finishes of T50, a missed cut, and T40 last week. After the penalty-laden first round, Dahmen posted a five-over 76, placing him in a tie for 131st.

Categories
Panorama

Augusta After Hurricane Helene: Masters is Safe, Five Million for Those Affected

All clear for the 2024 Masters Tournament in Augusta.(Photo: Getty)
All clear for the 2024 Masters Tournament in Augusta. (Photo: Getty)

All-clear: Augusta National Golf Club has taken stock after Hurricane Helene and announced that the 2025 Masters (10 to 13 April) is not at risk and will go ahead as usual. ‘The course was really hit, as was the rest of the community, and there was severe damage,’ explained club boss Fred Ridley. But we have a lot of people working hard to get us back up and running. The Masters will go ahead – on the planned date.’ The famous Magnolia Lane in particular has been affected, with several of the mighty old trees bent or having lost part of their crowns.

However, the grandees in green are not only thinking about their refuge and their tournament, but also about the affected communities in the surrounding area, as Ridley repeatedly emphasises in his statements. Augusta National has therefore donated five million dollars to the Hurricane Helene Community Crisis Fund, which has been set up to help those affected.

 
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Ein Beitrag geteilt von The Masters (@themasters)

Helene was a category 4 hurricane and the most violent storm to hit the USA in 19 years. The hurricane’s rage on the south-east coast claimed over 200 lives and rescuers are still searching for survivors in the rubble.

Hurricane Helene also destroys John Daly’s house

Homeless: Another member of the golfing world has become a victim of Hurricane Helene. As John Daly announced recently, his house in Clearwater/Florida was completely destroyed: ‘It’s devastating. It’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen. Besides the damage, it’s the memories that are lost with such devastation.’ Speaking on the sidelines of Constellation Furyk & Friends on the PGA Tour Champions circuit, the 58-year-old said that parts of his family and close friends were also affected by the hurricane. ‘I hope everyone is safe. We will have to rebuild three or four houses,’ said Daly, who lives mainly in Arkansas.

 
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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Golf Digest (@golfdigest)

Categories
Rules

DP World Tour: Dog Steals Gareth Bale’s Golf Ball from the Green

Gareth Bale's ball was stolen by a dog at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. (Photo: Getty)
Gareth Bale's ball was stolen by a dog at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. (Photo: Getty)

Gareth Bale experienced a little furry disturbance at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. On Saturday, on his third round together with Daniel Brown at the DP World Tour Pro-Am tournament, Bale was chipping his ball onto a green on the Carnoustie Golf Links when a small enthusiastic four-legged friend came running up, grabbed the ball and then ran off with it towards the spectators.

Rules of golf: When an animal moves the ball

Whilst this only happens now and again at professional tournaments, there are plenty of animals on local golf courses that could become too interested in the small white balls. So what should you do in this case? The video shows that the ball stops on the green just before the dog reaches the ball and removes it from its spot. The rules situation is therefore simple. According to Rule 9.6, the ball is simply returned to the place from which it was removed. If it is not quite certain where the ball was, the location is simply estimated.

The rule text reads as follows:

“If it is known or virtually certain that an outside influence (including another player in stroke play or another ball) lifted or moved a player’s ball at rest:
– There is no penalty, and
– The ball must be replaced on its original spot (which if not known must be estimated).“

But what happens if the ball is picked up by an animal while it is still moving? This case is clarified in the clarifications to Rule 11.1b. The ball is then considered to have ‘come to rest on the animal’ and the player must claim penalty-free relief from the point at which the animal picked up the ball.

“If an animal picks up a ball in motion, the ball has come to rest on the animal and free relief must be taken using the point where the animal picked up the ball as the reference point.

For example, a ball played from the fairway is picked up by a dog while it is still in motion. The ball has come to rest on the animal at the point where the dog picked up the ball.
– If the ball was picked up on the fairway, a ball must be dropped within one club-length of and no nearer the hole than the point where the ball was picked up by the dog in the general area.
– If the ball was picked up on the putting green, a ball must be placed on the putting green on the estimated spot where the ball was picked up.”

Categories
Fun

DP World Tour Crazy Hole in One Challenge With Tom Holland

Tom Holland and his brothers try to make an ace. (Screenshot: DP World Tour)
Tom Holland and his brothers try to make an ace. (Screenshot: DP World Tour)

Actor Tom Holland and his brothers can almost be considered regulars at the BMW PGA Championship Pro-Am. Last year, they took part in the first celebrity version of the DP World Tour’s ‘Chase The Ace’ challenge and want to give it another go this year.

Tom Holland and his brothers face “Chace the Ace” again

Categories
Top Tours

PGA of America Gives LIV Golfers Ryder Cup Clearance

PGA of America allows Ryder Cup participation by LIV Golfers. (Photo: Getty)
PGA of America allows Ryder Cup participation by LIV Golfers. (Photo: Getty)

The PGA of America officially reinstates LIV Golfers to its ranks. LIV Golf has been added to the list of tours whose players are eligible for membership in the PGA of America. This means that LIV Golf League players are officially eligible to play in the Ryder Cup and the PGA Championship. The LIV players who have competed in the PGA Championship and, like Brooks Koepka, the Ryder Cup in recent years were allowed to do so on a grace period basis, which allowed them to retain their membership status until 2024.

PGA of America accepts LIV Golf

“Going forward, all LIV Golf players are eligible for the PGA Championship and any American player who qualifies for the Ryder Cup on points or is added to the U.S. team as a captain’s pick is eligible to compete,2 said the PGA of America. Kerry Haigh, Chief Championships Officer and interim CEO of the association, also told Golf Channel that it was more of a clean up. “The LIV players had previously been [PGA of America] members but had we not done this they would have had to go through more requirements which no other tour members are asked to do.”

No change to the qualification criteria

What has not yet changed for LIV golfers are the qualifying criteria for the PGA of America events. There is still no additional way for LIV golfers to secure a place in the PGA Championship and for the Ryder Cup they only have the opportunity to collect points at major tournaments. Bryson DeChambeau, for example, is currently third in the American qualifying list for the 2025 Ryder Cup after his outstanding performance in major tournaments this year.

LIV Golf and the Ryder Cup have also recently been a topic of discussion on the DP World Tour. The minimum requirements for LIV golfers at the Ryder Cup would be to maintain DP World Tour membership by playing at least four tournaments away from the majors and paying the penalty for illegal participation in LIV tournaments. Jon Rahm, who was an important member of the European Ryder Cup team in previous events, does not want to pay the fine. By appealing against the fine, however, he is buying himself some time to at least fulfil the requirements of Tour membership.

Jon Rahm and the Ryder Cup Question
Categories
LIV Tour

How Does the LIV Golf Team Championship Work?

How does the LIV Golf Team Championship format work? (Photo: Getty)
How does the LIV Golf Team Championship format work? (Photo: Getty)

Even if the starting situation of professional athletes on the LIV Golf League could hardly be more different from that of the classic amateur golfer, they do have one thing in common. The golf season is gradually drawing to a close. For the professionals on LIV Golf, this means the Team Championship. The finale of this year’s season will take place at the Maridoe Golf Club in Dallas. The 13 teams of four players will compete for overall victory in this team event over three days from 20 to 22 September.

LIV Golf Team Championship: total prize money of 50 million dollars

In an explosive tournament system in which teams meet each other in direct duels, prize money from a pool totalling 50 million dollars will be played off. The decisive factor for the starting position of the teams going into the Team Championship is the course of the season to date. The teams have already been able to collect points in the previous events. Places 1 to 3 in the current ranking automatically qualify for the second day. The remaining ten teams will face each other on Friday for a place in the semi-finals, with the best teams, starting with the fourth-placed team, choosing their opponents one after the other.

Quarter-finals: Friday, 20th September

On the first day of the tournament, the ten teams that finished 5th to 13th in the season rankings will face each other. All 32 players will compete simultaneously in a cannon start. The teams face each other in a direct duel. A winner is determined by two individual matches and one foursome match, which is played in alternate shot mode. One point is awarded for each of the three matches. There must always be a winner for each match, i.e. matches that are split after 18 holes will continue to be played until one team wins a hole. The teams that score two points move on to the next round.

Semi-finals: Saturday, 21st September

Saturday basically follows the same schedule as Friday. The directly qualified and therefore better-placed teams on the ranking list decide on their opponent for the day, with all 32 players opening the tournament day simultaneously, as on Friday. The teams of four will again play against the opposing team in the same modes to decide a winner. Once again, points cannot be shared. This means that two points are enough to reach the final.

Final: Sunday, 22nd September

The four teams that have reached the final will compete in a round of 18-hole counting play. All individual scores are added together to form the team score. The teams that have previously been eliminated will also compete in the final round. However, teams that have already been eliminated can no longer win. Those who have already been eliminated on the first day will compete for 9th to 13th place, while the teams that have made it to the second day will compete for 5th to 8th place. The team with the lowest cumulative daily score among the finalists will be crowned LIV Golf Team Champion 2024.

Categories
Ladies Tours

Team USA Wins 2024 Solheim Cup

Team USA wins the Solheim Cup 2024. (Photo: Getty)
Team USA wins the Solheim Cup 2024. (Photo: Getty)

Team USA wins the Solheim Cup 2024. After starting the final Sunday with a 10-6 lead, the Americans did not let up on Sunday. After Team Europe had successfully claimed the trophy in the last three Solheim Cups, it was Stacy Lewis‘ team that broke the Europeans’ winning streak in Virginia. Team USA put the pressure on early on, but the Europeans fought and kept their chances alive. But the Americans’ lead was too big and in the decisive phase, they got closer to victory with every match they shared. In the end, Lilia Vu scored the decisive half point in her match against Albane Valenzuela.

“It really could have gone either way.”, Captain Stacy Lewis said. “It’s crazy there at the end kind of how it all unfolded. I was just hoping and praying it went our way. Just proud of the team, and Lilia’s finish there was unbelievable. That’s what you expect from one of the best players in the world.”

Singles Results on Sunday at the Solheim Cup 2024

Europe vs USA
11,5 14,5
Europe EResult USA
Charley Hull  6 & 4 Europe Nelly Korda

Charley Hull won the first point of the Sunday for Europe. With a clear 6&4 victory, she faced the world number one Nelly Korda. Korda was able to win a single hole, while Hull played five birdies and ended the match with an eagle on hole 14.

‘I knew I had to go out there and get a low score,’ Hull said after her round, ’and Suzann said to me that they always knew I would be up against Nelly first and if anyone could beat her, it would be me. So that gave me a lot of confidence. Yesterday I played 8 under with my own ball and today I was 7 under after 14 holes. I know I have what it takes to play against Nelly and I feel like I missed a few shots as well, a few putts, but it was a good match and I felt like we gave the crowd what they wanted to see.’

Europe Result USA
Emily Pedersen  6 & 5 USA Megan Khang

Megan Khang scored the first point for the USA. In a demonstration as clear as Hull’s against Korda, Khang ended her match against Pedersen on the 13th hole. Khang put the pressure on from the first hole, while Pedersen made several mistakes. Khang’s performance means she remains unbeaten this week, having also gone unbeaten last year. ‘The atmosphere is just electrifying. I really enjoyed getting the crowd so involved,’ she said after her victory. ‘It’s just like that – you get the crowd going, they go with you, they’re there to lift you up. I’ve enjoyed this week and tried to play my best golf, not just for myself but for my team-mates, my captains, the fans and our country, and I’ve tried to take it one game at a time, like Captain Lewis said.’

Europe Result USA
Georgia Hall  4 & 3 Europe Alison Lee

Georgia Hall also made her mark for Europe after losing her first two matches on Friday and Saturday. After two early bogeys from Alison Lee, Hall took an early 2 up lead on Sunday. Hall extended the lead to 3 up and after another bogey from Lee, she had a 4 hole lead before the back nine. Lee tried to fight back on the second nine, but Hall stood her ground. After her round Hall said: ‘I played really solid and didn’t let her get into the game. It was just a good day, but hopefully I can go on and cheer the team on.’

Europe Result USA
Carlota Ciganda  6 & 4 USA Rose Zhang

Carlota Ciganda, who scored the decisive point for Europe last year, was beaten 6&4 by Rose Zhang. Ciganda tried to control the match early on, but Zhang took the narrow lead right back from her and went 3 up within three holes. The American held on to this lead until the back nine, where she then built up the pressure again and improved to 5 up with birdie-par-birdie. Zhang sealed the deal with an eagle to counter Ciganda’s birdie on 14.

Europe Result USA
Anna Nordqvist  4 & 3 USA Allisen Corpuz

Allisen Corpuz prevails against the experienced Solheim Cup player Anna Nordqvist. Corpuz held a narrow lead over eleven holes, but Nordqvist did not let her pull away. An eagle on the par-5 12th from Corpuz took her to 3 up for the first time, winning the 14th and finishing the match on the 15th. ‘Anna is a great player,’ Corpuz said of her rival. ‘I grew up watching her play. We both played really well. She holed an eagle on 5 and it was just a great match.’

Europ3 Result USA
Esther Henseleit Tied Andrea Lee

Esther Henseleit ends her first appearance at the Solheim Cup with half a point in the singles. She fought a tough match against Andrea Lee and held a narrow lead for long stretches. But Lee stepped up a gear again, while Henseleit’s putts just wouldn’t drop. The match dragged on until the 18th, where the German had another chance to win a whole point for Europe with a birdie, but this putt didn’t drop either.

Europe Result USA
Celine Boutier  1 Up Europe Lexi Thompson

Celine Boutier denies Lexi Thompson a dream farewell from the Solheim Cup. When the two opponents came all square on 18, Thompson still had the chance to score the decisive point for Team USA with a long birdie putt. But Boutier had hit a sensational shot to the flag and what Thompson couldn’t convert, she sank. The Frenchwoman scored an important point for Europe after already being 3 under.

Europe Result USA
Leona Maguire  4&3 Europe Ally Ewing

Leona Maguire, in only her second match at this year’s Solheim Cup, took a point against Ally Ewing after losing 6&4 to Nelly Korda and Megan Khang on Friday. Ewing kept taking the lead from her at the start of the match, but she took control at the end of the front nine and brought the match home safely on 15.

Europe Result USA
Maja Stark  Tied Lauren Coughlin

Maja Stark held her nerve and kept Europe’s chances alive. She had the upper hand for a long time against Lauren Coughlin, who levelled the match on 14. The two went on in lockstep until the 18th, where Maja Stark sent a monster putt on its way in an attempt to prevent a European defeat. The ball went a few metres beyond the hole, but Lauren Coughlin also failed to sink her putt. With the second putt gifted to the Americans, however, it was up to Stark to make her back putt. She did justice to this task, even if her hands were visibly shaking afterwards.

Europe Result USA
Albane Valenzuela  Tied Lilia Vu

Lilia Vu takes the decisive half point against the Americans in her match against Albane Valenzuela. Valenzuela turned the match around in the closing stages after Vu had been ahead for a long time, but in the end a split match was enough for the Americans to decide the match. ‘That meant a lot to me because I really felt like I wasn’t doing anything for the team today and I don’t see any light at the end of the tunnel if I let myself go like that,’ explained Vu after the win. ‘And then I was two shots behind, and on 16 I made an up-and-down save, and then I was able to birdie 17 and 18. I don’t know how. It just happened. I know I looked at the leaderboard on the fairway and saw we were at 14, so I wanted to get that half point for us.
Yeah, I hit the ball from about a metre and a half and it worked.’

Europe Result USA
Madelene Sagstrom 1 Up Europe Sarah Schmelzel

1 Up was enough for Madelene Sagstrom to score a point for Europe. She also put blue on the leaderboard for a long time in her duel against Sarah Schmelzel. Schmelzel forced the match back to all square. But a bogey by the American on 17 gave Sagstrom an advantage again, which she saved for the clubhouse, even though the cup was already lost at this point.

Europe Result USA
Linn Gran 2&1 USA Jennifer Kupcho
Categories
Ladies Tours

Solheim Cup 2024: Empty Grandstands on the First Tee

Long lines and empty seats at the Solheim Cup 2024. (Photos: X.com/@fried_egg_golf und @lori_schreiner)
Long lines and empty seats at the Solheim Cup 2024. (Photos: X.com/@fried_egg_golf und @lori_schreiner)

The first tee shot at a continental competition is an unrivalled experience. Fans get up in the middle of the night to sit on the first tee at dawn and create a great atmosphere, eagerly awaiting the first flights. The Solheim Cup is usually no exception.

Spectators miss the first tee shot at the Solheim Cup 2024

On the first day of the Solheim Cup 2024 at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, however, many fans were denied this joy. The reason: too few buses to take spectators from the car park to the golf course. Fans report on X (formerly Twitter) that they have been waiting at the car park for over an hour and still have ‘1000’ people in front of them in the huge queue that has formed. A queue that is not moving as the first tee shot approaches.

‘The first tee on Friday morning of a Solheim is typically the best atmosphere of the year. For the fans to not be here is an absolute travesty.’ writes Beth Ann Nichols of Golfweek.

Just before the first tee shots, much of the grandstand on the first tee was still empty.

blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”>

First tee shot goes in the air at 7:05 (in 25 minutes) and there are so many empty seats. Serious transportation issues going on this morning. Wish they could push back tee times but too much golf to get in. pic.twitter.com/VMSK9V2bh0

— Beth Ann Nichols (@GolfweekNichols) September 13, 2024
Solheim Cup 2024 Live Scores

With only four flights, the spectacle is not only over quickly, but with so many people waiting, it is foreseeable that many will also miss a large part of the morning session. “Complete disaster”, writes Nichols who covers the issue on X.

The transport problems were already becoming apparent the day before, when it took a very long time after the opening ceremony before all the spectators could be transported back.