Author: David Wellenbrock

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PGA Tour

Players Championship Video: Different kind of entertainment at 17

At the Players Championship 2022 on the PGA Tour, hardly any golf can be played because of the weather. So there will be other ways to pass the time. (Photo: Twitter/@PGATOUR)
At the Players Championship 2022 on the PGA Tour, hardly any golf can be played because of the weather. So there will be other ways to pass the time. (Photo: Twitter/@PGATOUR)

On the second day of the Players Championship 2022, hardly any golf could be played due to the weather. Continuous rain and thunderstorms ruled the stage in Florida, where the tournament with the highest prize money in golf is supposed to be played. In fact, even after two days, almost 50 players have not yet finished the first round and the flagship event of the PGA Tour will not be decided before Monday.

Players Championship: Entertainment at 17

The persistent rain made the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass non-playable, but it could be used for fun of a different kind. At the 17 with the spectacular island green, it was not the players who put on a show for the fans this time. The wet terrain was turned into a sliding area.

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PGA Tour

Weather chaos at the Players Championship: Here’s how the second day is planned

Dark clouds over the TPC Sawgrass: This is how it will probably look on the second day of the Players Championship 2022 on the PGA Tour. (Photo: Getty)
Dark clouds over the TPC Sawgrass: This is how it will probably look on the second day of the Players Championship 2022 on the PGA Tour. (Photo: Getty)

Patience was needed on the first day of the Players Championship 2022. Due to a large rain and thunderstorm front, the golfers on the PGA Tour first had to wait an hour for their starting times and eventually pass the time in an interruption lasting over four hours. As a result, many players had not yet finished their first round, while others had not even started. Therefore, on Friday, for which rain is again forecast, the first round will be finished first before the players start on their second round.

Players Championship Video: Ian Poulter in a race with darkness

The start times for the first round are scheduled for 07:15 local time (12:15 p..m. GMT). Only 69 players have already handed in their scorecards, twelve players had not even started yet. The last groups will start from the first and 10th tees on Friday morning at 7:26 a.m. local time (12:26 p.m. GMT) on the Players Stadium Course.

The second day of the Players Championship on the PGA Tour

The second round of the Players Championship is scheduled to start on Friday at around 11 a.m. local time (4 p.m. GMT). Whether everything can go ahead as planned will only become clear in the further course of the day. Interruptions are also to be expected on the second day on the PGA Tour, as the worst weather conditions of all tournament days are forecast for the day.

The weather at the Players Championship 2022: Is a Monday Finish looming?
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PGA Tour

Tiger Woods with emotional speech at Hall of Fame induction

Tiger Woods received the World Golf Hall of Fame award from his daughter Sam. (Photo: Getty)
Tiger Woods received the World Golf Hall of Fame award from his daughter Sam. (Photo: Getty)

On Wednesday evening the time had finally come: After a slight delay – the ceremony was postponed due to the Corona pandemic – Tiger Woods was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. His daughter Sam gave the presentation speech at the event at the PGA Tour headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach on the evening before the Players Championship and handed over the trophy to her father, who was honoured for his achievements and credits in golf. Woods himself looked back on his life in an emotional speech.

Laudation by daughter Sam

The introductory speech was given by Woods’ daughter Sam, who looked back on some moments in her life with Tiger Woods. “In 2007, my dad found himself in a position to make an 18-foot putt to force a U.S. Open playoff, which he missed by a foot,” Sam recounted in her speech. “He then had to rush to the airport, fly from Pittsburgh to Orlando, and drive to the Winnie Palmer Hospital. Within five minutes of walking into the hospital room, still wearing his red golf shirt, on June 18, I was born. He may have lost that day, but he won the greatest gift of all.”

The 14-year-old also shared anecdotes from Tiger Woods’ life as a father, recounting holidays, violin concerts and football matches. Above all, however, the work ethic “train hard, fight easy” had determined the life of the now 46-year-old. This was also the case a good year ago, when he had to train “harder than ever”. Sam spoke of the “scariest moments” of her life as not being clear about the superstar’s health. “You’re not only going to be conducted into the Hall of Fame, but you’re standing here on your own two feet,” Sam said, explaining why her father deserved it. “You’re a fighter,” she said, describing the milestones of the 15-time major winner, who became the first black golfer to win a major tournament and won his fifth Masters in 2019 after an incredible comeback.

Tiger Woods with emotional acceptance speech

“I inducted you into the Dads Hall of Fame a long time ago,” Sam finished her speech, “but today I am so proud to present my dad, Tiger Woods, into the World Golf Hall of Fame.” With these words, the daughter, dressed in red, presented the award to her father, who thanked her in an emotional speech. In doing so, the 82-time PGA Tour winner significantly overstayed his seven-minute speaking time, talking about his family, racism and his work ethic in a total of 17 minutes. Woods began his journey through time 40 years ago when golf took hold of him at the tender age of six. He told how he secretly sneaked onto the golf course with his father because he was still too young, how he collected golf balls and earned his first money putting, how he was not allowed into some clubhouses as a black youth and how he only had two questions: “Where is the first tee? What’s the course record?”

At the age of 14, his family was at a crossroads and made a “tough decision.” His parents took out a second mortgage so the 14-year-old Woods could continue playing golf. His mum stayed at home while Tiger travelled with his father Earl to play the AJGA (American Junior Golf Association) Tour. It all wouldn’t have been possible “without the sacrifices from mom and dad,” said an emotionally moved Woods, who was finally able to pay off the mortgage with his first big sponsoring deals. He said his father, who died in 2006, instilled in him the work ethic. “If you don’t go out there and put in the work, if you don’t go out and put in the effort – one, you’re not going to get the results, and two, and more importantly, you don’t deserve it. You need to earn it,” Woods said. “So that defined my upbringing. That defined my career.”

In that career, Tiger Woods has broken countless records and taken golf to a new level. For this, he has now been inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. In addition, Tim Finchem, former commissioner of the PGA Tour, four-time major winner Susie Maxwell Berning and the late golf course developer Marion Hollins were also honoured on the evening for their achievements in golf.

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PGA Tour

Tiger Woods wins the PGA Tour’s Player Impact Program

Can look forward to eight million US dollars: Tiger Woods is ranked first in the PGA Tour's Player Impact Programme. (Photo: Getty)
Can look forward to eight million US dollars: Tiger Woods is ranked first in the PGA Tour's Player Impact Programme. (Photo: Getty)

The top 10 of the Player Impact Programme for 2021 have been announced – and Tiger Woods walks away with eight million US dollars. The superstar leads the ranking just ahead of Phil Mickelson, who had already claimed the title on Twitter, and Rory McIlroy, the PGA Tour announced on Wednesday. The objective bonus programme is designed to reward players who generate positive interest in the PGA Tour, with the top ten players being paid a total of 40 million US dollars.

Tiger Woods: No tournament on the PGA Tour, still winner

The fact that the winner of this ranking is Tiger Woods comes as a surprise only because the 46-year-old was seriously injured in a car accident a year ago and has not played an official tournament since. But the PNC Championship at the end of last year may have been the deciding factor, when Woods came second with his son Charlie, played amazingly good golf again and thrilled the masses – NBC Sports reported 53 percent more viewers than the year before. It is precisely this attention that is rewarded in the Player Impact Programme, which is made up of a total of five categories: Google searches, Meltwater mention (mentions in the global media), MVP Index (reach in social media), Nielson Score (visibility during TV broadcasts of the PGA Tour on tournament weekends) and the Q-Score, which indicates the general level of awareness.

Player Impact Progamm Preisgeld
1. Tiger Woods 8 Mio. US-Dollar
2. Phil Mickelson 6 Mio. US-Dollar
3. Rory McIlroy 3,5 Mio. US-Dollar
4. Jordan Spieth 3,5 Mio. US-Dollar
5. Bryson DeChambeau 3,5 Mio. US-Dollar
6. Justin Thomas 3,5 Mio. US-Dollar
7. Dustin Johnson 3 Mio. US-Dollar
8. Brooks Koepka 3 Mio. US-Dollar
9. Jon Rahm 3 Mio. US-Dollar
10. Bubba Watson 3 Mio. US-Dollar

Looking at the more detailed breakdown of the individual scores, it is noticeable that the 15-time major winner leads the Google Searches, Meltwater Mention and Q-Score categories (and thus 3 out of 5 categories). This is not surprising, as Woods is the poster boy of golf and has repeatedly been a topic in the media, especially due to his serious accident. The record PGA Tour winner was “only” 43rd in the Nielsen score, which is quite remarkable in view of the fact that he only played one tournament.

Koepka and DeChambeau cash in

In this category, ” broadcast time”, Bryson DeChambeau is the leader, the 28-year-old also lands in third place in Meltwater mentions. So the “Brooks-Bryson-feud” seems to have paid off for the “Mad Scientist” and Brooks Koepka, as both stars land in the top 1o of the ranking and get a few extra bucks.

Surprisingly, Bubba Watson also made it into the top ten of the PIP. The 43-year-old wins the MVP Index category, i.e. has the greatest reach in social media, and does really well in Q-Score as third, compensating for the weaker categories. (The top 9 in each of the categories Google Searches and Meltwater Mention also occupy the first nine ranks in the PIP.) Collin Morikawa has already won quite a lot at the age of 24, but narrowly misses the top 10 in this ranking in eleventh place.

Player Impact Program: Payout tied to conditions

However, the stars of the PGA Tour only receive the money under two conditions: First, they have to participate in a “sponsor’s function”, such as an interview, Q&A session, dinner or similar, and second, they have to play an agreed tournament on the PGA Tour in order to collect the money. According to these regulations, the winner of the Player Impact Programme, Tiger Woods, only gets the money if he competes in a PGA Tour tournament that he has not played in the last four years. It is not known whether there is an exception for the superstar because of his special circumstances. For the coming year, the prize money pool has been increased by another ten million, so there will be a total of 50 million US dollars for the idols of golf.

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Panorama

Portrait: Sepp Straka – first Austrian-born winner on PGA Tour

Sepp Straka 2016 in his first year as a professional (l.) and after his historic victory on the PGA Tour 2022. (Photo: Getty)
Sepp Straka 2016 in his first year as a professional (l.) and after his historic victory on the PGA Tour 2022. (Photo: Getty)

Sepp Straka is one of the few Austrian professional golfers currently playing on the world’s major tours. At the Honda Classic he achieved something that no Austrian had ever done before: he left the rest of the field behind him at a PGA Tour tournament and climbed to the top of the leaderboard. In the world rankings, he thus moved into the top 100. What is behind the sympathetic Austrian and his path to becoming a professional golfer?

Sepp Straka crossed the Atlantic at an early age

Sepp Straka was practically born to play golf. His American mother and his Austrian father met while buying golf gloves in Salzburg, Austria. On 1 May 1993, Josef “Sepp” Straka was born – two minutes after his older twin brother Sam. The two boys initially spent their childhood in Austria mainly on the football pitch, with Sepp beeing the goalkeeper. When the two took part in a one-week golf camp at the age of eleven, no one imagined that this would be the start of an impressive career. Big brother Sam decided for himself and Sepp that they would play a bit of golf from then on. But it soon turned out that the Straka boys had talent. At the Fontana Golf Club in Oberwaltersdorf, they evolved into hard-working golfers who played their way into the junior national team of Austria.

When the sons were 14, the family decided to move to America. Here the basis for Straka’s career on the PGA Tour was laid. Besides finishing school and studying business administration in the US state of Georgia, Sepp and Sam continued to swing their golf clubs eagerly. Sepp initially remained in his brother’s shadow for years. While Sam Straka was then unable to gain a professional career, Sepp applied to the Q-School of the Korn Ferry Tour and European Challenge Tour, which offered him a suitable platform for the switch to the PGA Tour.

On PGA Tour since 2019

In 2019, Straka became the first Austrian to qualify for the PGA Tour. Since then, he has been trying to compete against the best golfers in the world. His biggest successes here so far have included a third-place finish at the 2019 Barbasol Championship and several other top-10 finishes. In 2021, Sepp Straka represented the country of his birth, Austria, at the Olympic Games. His brother Sam supported him as a caddie at his side. With a record round on day 1, Straka initially took the lead in Tokyo, but then finished the tournament in tenth place.

February 2022: Straka makes history on PGA Tour

For Sepp Straka, a long-cherished dream came true at the Honda Classic in February 2022: It is not only the first victory on the PGA Tour for him personally, but also the first victory ever by an Austrian on the PGA Tour. In Florida, he not only received fame and honour, but also 1.44 million US dollars in prize money, a place in the top 100 of the world rankings for the first time and an invitation to The Masters 2022. In the winner’s interview, Straka described his appearance at the Major tournament in Augusta as a “lifelong dream”.

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Panorama

Ryder Cup 2023: Zach Johnson named captain of the USA

Zach Johnson is captain of the USA at the 2023 Ryder Cup. (Photo: Getty)
Zach Johnson is captain of the USA at the 2023 Ryder Cup. (Photo: Getty)

It’s been an open secret for a long time, but now it’s official: Zach Johnson was named captain of the USA for the 2023 Ryder Cup on Monday at the PGA of American headquarters in Palm Beach Garden, where the PGA Tour hosted the Honda Classic. At the continental competition of the world’s best golfers, the new team captain will be aiming to defend the title and win for the first time on European soil at Marco Simone Golf Club in Italy.

Zach Johnson captains USA

“Taking over as captain and leading the United States Ryder Cup team overseas – after what we accomplished at Whistling Straits last year – is simply the greatest honour of my professional career,” said Zach Johnson, who won the 2007 Masters and 2015 Open Championship, and has been a member of the USA team at the Ryder Cup five times. However, the 46-year-old has a big task ahead of him, as the last time the American team flew home victorious was in 1993. Back then, the USA won 15-13 against Europe in The Belfry. “As exciting as this is for my family and myself, it’s also sobering to understand the magnitude of our challenge in Rome because we haven’t won away from home in three decades,” Johnson knows of his task. “I’m just looking forward to leading these guys.”

Ryder Cup 2023 in Italy

Johnson takes over from Steve Stricker, who led his team to a record victory on home soil last year. Like his predecessor, the new captain will have six captain’s picks at his disposal next year, while the other half of the team will qualify via the points list. Who will take over the captaincy of the Europeans has not yet been decided. Lee Westwood, Luke Donald or Henrik Stenson are considered favourites. The Ryder Cup 2023, the 44th edition of the team competition, will be played from 29 September to 1 October at the Marco Simone Golf Club in Italy.

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European Challenge Tour

Challenge Tour: Ritchie makes it back-to-back wins in Durban

JC Ritchie wins back-to-back on Challenge Tour. (Photo: Sunhine Tour)
JC Ritchie wins back-to-back on Challenge Tour. (Photo: Sunhine Tour)

The ten-time Sunshine Tour winner posted a one under par final round of 71 at Durban Country Club to reach 26 under par and claim his second victory in as many weeks after successfully defending his Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open title last week.

Ritchie admitted he found it much tougher today but remained resilient to record two closing birdies and finish six shots clear of Belgium’s Christopher Mivis, who at one stage came within touching distance of the lead, reducing Ritchie’s advantage to two after an eagle at the 14th hole.

“It was tough out there today,” he said. “I’ve never played this golf course with this much wind before so I knew it was going to be different and the golf course showed its teeth today. I found it tough early on but luckily towards the end of the round I was able to figure it out and get the job done.

Challenge Tour: Birdie-birdie-finish for the win

“My girlfriend came up to me after the 14th hole and asked me if I wanted to know the scores,” he added. “She told me Mivis was 22 under and that surprised me. I had a game plan for the last three holes for the week and that was to make par at 16 and run, I felt like I could create a birdie opportunity at 17 and then 18 owed me one. I wanted to birdie it yesterday but found a bad lie in the bunker. Getting two birdies on the way home made it extra special.”

The 28-year-old was delighted to record back-to-back Challenge Tour victories and after finishing 24th on the 2021 Road to Mallorca Rankings, he understands the importance of getting an early advantage over his competitors.

“It feels special to win back-to-back on the Challenge Tour,” he said. “Playing the whole of last year on the Challenge Tour, I know how tough it is and you could rock up thinking that five under par will be enough to win and someone will shoot 20 under par. To beat these guys means everything to me and shows how far I’ve come.

“This gives me a lot of confidence for the season. I have always felt my game was good enough to win in Europe and take the next step.”

Mivis back-to-back runner-up

Mivis posted a six under par round of 66 to claim second place for the second consecutive week, one shot ahead of Iceland’s Haraldur Magnus who claimed third place on 19 under par. Englishman Ross McGowan and South African duo Jaco Prinsloo and Keenan Davidse shared fourth place on 16 under par.

Northern Irishman Tom McKibbin shared seventh place with Frenchman David Ravetto on 15 under, while England’s Steven Tiley, Swede Mikael Lindberg and South African Hennie Otto finished in a tie for ninth place on 14 under par.

Ritchie on top of the Road to Mallorca

Ritchie moves to the top of the Road to Mallorca Rankings following back-to-back victories, while Alexander Knappe occupies second position following his victory at the season-opening Dimension Data Pro-Am. Mivis moves into third on the Rankings, while Daniel Hillier and McKibbin complete the top five.

The Road to Mallorca now heads to Bloemfontein for the Mangaung Open, taking place at Bloemfontein Golf Club and Schoeman Park Golf Club from March 3-6, 2022.

(Text: Press release Challenge Tour)

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PGA Tour

PGA Tour: Phil Mickelson no longer hosts the American Express

The PGA Tour is ending its partnership with Phil Mickelson to host the American Express. (Photo: Getty)
The PGA Tour is ending its partnership with Phil Mickelson to host the American Express. (Photo: Getty)

After his controversial and insulting statements about the PGA Tour and a possible Saudi Golf League, Phil Mickelson is facing severe consequences. Although the 51-year-old had apologised and announced a break from professional golf, several long-time partners of the six-time major winner ended their partnership. Now the PGA Tour has also announced that it will end its cooperation as host of the American Express.

PGA Tour: Phil Mickelson no longer host

As the “Desert Sun” reports, the PGA Tour has confirmed that Phil Mickelson will no longer return to La Quinta, California, as host in 2023. In addition, the Mickelson Foundation, which was established in 2019 specifically for the American Express, will no longer be part of the tournament. This is the PGA Tour’s way of responding to “Lefty’s” statements, with which he had taken a tough stand against the American professional tour. Mickelson and his foundation had been the official host of the American Express since 2020 and were originally supposed to hold that role until (at least) 2024. Who will take over this role from next year has not yet been decided.

Sponsors cut ties

Previously, personal sponsors had also cut the ties and ended or paused their cooperation with Mickelson. Callaway, the equipment manufacturer of the 45-time PGA Tour winner declared to pause the partnership. “Callaway does not condone Phil Mickelson’s comments and we were very disappointed in his choice of words — they in no way reflect our values or what we stand for as a company,” it said in a statement to golf.com. “Phil has apologized and we know he regrets how he handled recent events. We recognize his desire to take time away from the game and respect that decision. We recognise his desire to take time out from the game and respect that decision.” After this unspecified time off, the partnership will be re-evaluated, the statement added.

However, other sponsors of the superstar came up with even harder consequences. KMPG, Workday and Amstel Light (Heineken) have all ended their cooperation with the World Golf Hall of Famer. “At this time, Workday and Phil Mickelson have mutually and amicably agreed to not renew our brand sponsorship that ends this March,” a Workday spokesperson told Golf Digest on Friday. KPMG had also “mutually agreed” to part ways with Mickelson, he added. Similarly, Heineken, the parent company of Amstel Light, announced that it was going “separate ways”.

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European Tour

DP World Tour: Bland back for Betfred British Masters defence

Bland became the oldest first-time winner in European Tour (now DP World Tour) history at The Belfry last year. (Photo: Getty)
Bland became the oldest first-time winner in European Tour (now DP World Tour) history at The Belfry last year. (Photo: Getty)

Richard Bland can’t wait to return to the scene of his maiden DP World Tour (former European Tour) win when he defends his Betfred British Masters hosted by Danny Willett title at The Belfry from May 5-8.

The Englishman ended a 22-year wait for his first win as he defeated Italy’s Guido Migliozzi in a play-off at the former Ryder Cup venue on his 478th start, with Bland carding a six under par round of 66 to force extra holes after starting the final round three strokes off the lead.

DP World Tour: Oldest first-time winner

He became the oldest first-time winner in the Tour’s history at the age of 48 years and 101 days and was also given the honour of striking the first tee shot at The 149th Open Championship at Royal St George’s just two months later. Bland is soon set to become the 44th player in the Tour’s history to reach the milestone of 500 appearances, making 496 to date.

With the Betfred British Masters hosted by Danny Willett being played at The Belfry for the second consecutive year, Bland is looking forward to returning to the site of his famous first victory.

“The last few months since the win have been such a whirlwind, but I’m very excited to return to The Belfry to defend my title,” said Bland. “It’s still difficult to put into words how much getting that first win means to me. The main feeling I still have is one of satisfaction.”

“I had a text from my coach Tim Barter on the Sunday morning saying that I had to shoot a 66 if I was going to win, so to actually go out and shoot that number and then get it done in the play-off is something that I’ll never forget. To do it at a venue like The Belfry is something that makes it even more special.”

“It’s such a significant venue in the history of European golf. There have been some great moments and some great champions there. I’m very proud to have added my name to that list and I can’t wait to get back there in May. It’ll be great to have spectators with us this time round, I think that’s something we’re all looking forward to.”

Career-high on the DP World Tour Rankings

Since his victory, Bland has shown no signs of slowing down as he achieved five further top five finishes and two top tens during the 2021 season, finishing a career-high 11th on the DP World Tour Rankings.

Last month he came within a whisker of a second DP World Tour title as he finished runner-up at the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic, the second Rolex Series event of the season, losing to rising-star Viktor Hovland in a play-off at Emirates Golf Club. He is currently third on the DP World Tour Rankings after four appearances this season.

The Betfred British Masters hosted by Danny Willett is the first of a four-tournament mini-series, with the top ten aggregate points earners, not otherwise exempt, from the British Masters, Soudal Open, Dutch Open and Porsche European Open earning a place at the U.S. Open at The Country Club, Brookline. Last year’s British Masters runner-up Guido Migliozzi earned a place at Torrey Pines after his performance in the 2021 mini-series and would go on to finish in a share of fourth in just his second Major Championship appearance.

(Text: Press release DP World Tour)

Categories
European Tour

DP World Tour and EDGA expand global reach of Golf for the Disabled with launch of G4D Tour

Tony Bennett, Mike Jones, Kipp Popert and Keith Pelley (Photo: Getty)
Tony Bennett, Mike Jones, Kipp Popert and Keith Pelley (Photo: Getty)

The DP World Tour (former European Tour) has reinforced its commitment to inclusivity in the game of golf with the launch of the newly named G4D (Golf for the Disabled) Tour, which incorporates an expanded 2022 schedule and a transformational package of financial, commercial and media support for the European Disabled Golf Association (EDGA).

DP World Tour: Commitment to EDGA

As part of the agreement, the 2022 G4D Tour’s international schedule will feature a minimum of seven tournaments – increased from five in 2021 – with new events taking place at the Betfred British Masters hosted by Danny Willett, the Porsche European Open, the Horizon Irish Open, the BMW PGA Championship and the Estrella Damm N.A Andalucía Masters.

The DP World Tour, through the European Tour group’s Golf for Good initiative, has also committed to a financial support package which will see EDGA move from a volunteer led organisation to a semi-professional one.

This enhanced support is part of the pledge to drive positive community impact made by the European Tour group and DP World last November at the launch of the DP World Tour.

It will further strengthen EDGA’s commitment to broaden opportunities for individuals to get involved with golf, develop new markets, and enhance the player pathway from sampling to competition.

Also included in that package will be accommodation and travel support for players, as well as increased commercial support and media exposure through the DP World Tour’s communications and social media channels.

Seven Events in six different countries

The 2022 G4D Tour schedule features seven events in six different countries. The stars of G4D will tee off their season at The Belfry in England, from May 2-3, ahead of the Betfred British Masters hosted by Danny Willett.

The Tour will then land in Germany for the first time ahead of June’s Porsche European Open, before Mount Juliet Estate plays host ahead of the Horizon Irish Open. The ISPS Handa World Invitational Presented by Modest! Golf Management will once again welcome the G4D Tour from August 8-9 at Galgorm Resort in Northern Ireland.

For the first time, the G4D Tour will visit Wentworth Club ahead of the prestigious BMW PGA Championship – a Rolex Series event – from September 5-6, before taking on Spain’s famous Real Club Valderrama for the first time from October 10-11, ahead of the Estrella Damm N.A. AndalucĂ­a Masters.

Once again, the season will culminate at the G4D Dubai Finale ahead of the final Rolex Series event of 2022, the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, where the qualifiers from the previous six events will battle it out at Jumeirah Golf Estates from November 14-15.

The Golf for Disabled initiative was first launched at the 2019 Betfred British Masters at Hillside Golf Club. Within the programme, the European Tour group and EDGA committed to holding events on the same golf course and during the weeks of DP World Tour events for leading golfers from the gross World Ranking for golfers with a disability (WR4GD). Since the 2019 announcement, seven events have already been held, with players from 15 countries on five continents competing. The 2022 qualifiers will continue to showcase the inclusive nature of golf while encouraging others to take up the sport.

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour group, said: “We are committed to ensuring inclusivity in the game of golf – one of the key pillars of our business – and this is another chapter in the evolution of our fantastic relationship with EDGA.

“As has been proven in the two years since we began this partnership, Golfers with Disabilities are deserving of the same exposure and adulation as our DP World Tour players – they are incredibly talented golfers and great ambassadors for our sport. When you watch these golfers play, you immediately talk about their ability rather than their disability.

“That is the reason why we are pushing for golf to be included in the Paralympics, and our enhanced support of the G4D Tour is undoubtedly another important step on that journey.”

Tony Bennett, President of EDGA, said: “For 50 years the European Tour group has been at the forefront of golf performance, and today’s announcement is a game changer that will inspire individuals with disability across the globe to try golf for the first time or continue their participation in the game. We are delighted to further strengthen our partnership with The European Tour group.

“Golfers with a disability at all levels will benefit from this support. Together we will accelerate the development of systems, programmes and tools that build capacity in the golf industry, expand delivery of coaching education and outreach sessions in traditional and non-traditional golf venues, and open golf to individuals with a disability.”

Mike Jones, EDGA Player Representative, said: “The new G4D Tour is a huge step for golfers with a disability globally. Our incredible elite players have inspired us all by opening new pathways for golfers with a challenging condition, and in the process helping raise the profile of our sport to a whole new level. With this boosted level of support from the European Tour group and an even closer association with its flagship DP World Tour, it really is the best time for anyone with a disability to pick up a club and play golf. There’s a whole new exciting world of opportunities out there, so come and get involved.”

Kipp Popert, the number one ranked player in the gross World Ranking for Golfers with a Disability, said: “The EDGA has been doing amazing work for more than 20 years and this new collaboration with The DP World Tour will create opportunities for more golfers with a disability to showcase their talents and compete on a global stage. Golf is unique in that it can be a fully inclusive sport. It is my aim to capitalise on every opportunity throughout my career, in the hope that I can help inspire more people with disabilities to take up golf and enjoy its benefits. The G4D Tour is an exciting initiative which will benefit many.”

(Text: Press releaser DP World Tour)