Both Annika Sörenstam and Henrik Stenson will tee up at a mixed European Tour event in Sweden (Photo: Getty)
Annika Sörenstam has announced she will tee it up on home soil for the first time in 13 years alongside fellow tournament host Henrik Stenson at the Scandinavian Mixed Hosted by Henrik and Annika at Vallda Golf & Country Club in Gothenburg from June 10-13, 2021.
During her 16-year Hall of Fame career, Sörenstam amassed 89 victories worldwide, including ten Major Championships before retiring in 2008 to start a family. The 50-year-old was initially announced as a non-playing host alongside Stenson for the inaugural edition of the event, scheduled to take place at Bro Hof Slott Golf Club in Stockholm in 2020, however it was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“I’m excited to tee it up at the Scandinavian Mixed and to be back playing competitively in my home country of Sweden for the first time in 13 years,” said Sörenstam.
After 13 years away from professional golf, Sörenstam made the cut in February this year at her first competitive outing at the Gainbridge LPGA at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Florida and will now return to action in Sweden this June following her last appearance on home soil at the 2008 Scandinavian TPC in Stockholm.
The eight-time Solheim Cup player’s decision to join the field of 78 men and 78 women brings a new level of excitement to the innovative mixed tournament co-sanctioned by the European Tour and Ladies European Tour.
With a prize fund of €1,000,000 for the entire field and Official World Ranking points on offer for both Tours, plus Race to Dubai and Ryder Cup points for European Tour members, and Race to Costa del Sol and Solheim Cup points for the Ladies European Tour.
“It’s going to be a great week and I’m sure a real thrill for all of the players in the field to have someone of Annika’s stature playing in the tournament”, Henrik Stenson added. “I can’t wait to see the dynamics of having both men and women going head-to-head for the same trophy and putting it all on the line come Sunday afternoon.”
The European Tour today announces its 2021 schedule which will feature a minimum of 42 tournaments in 24 countries, as golf’s global Tour resumes a full international programme.
Running from January to November, the schedule also features 18 returning tournaments which were either postponed or cancelled in 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
The 2021 season is headlined by a refined Rolex Series which now features the European Tour’s four premium events spread across key points in the global golfing calendar, each one enhanced by a prize fund increase, elevated Race to Dubai points and enriched media, content and broadcast coverage.
Launched in 2017, to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Rolex’s enduring partnership with the European Tour, the Rolex Series highlights the Swiss watch manufacturer’s ongoing commitment to the sport at the highest level.
The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (January 21-24), the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open (July 8-11) and the BMW PGA Championship (September 9-12) will each now have a prize fund of US$8million – an increase of $1million. They will also all have 8,000 Race to Dubai points available, the same as on offer at the four World Golf Championship events.
There will also be new opportunities for all players to qualify for both the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open and the BMW PGA Championship with three places now available from respective mini orders of merit based on a series of European Tour events leading up to them. Full details of these will be announced in due course.
The prize fund for the fourth and final Rolex Series event of the season – the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai – also increases by US$1million to US$9million. The European Tour season-ending finale will also continue to feature the largest winner’s cheque in the world of golf – US$3million – with, additionally, 12,000 Race to Dubai points available, some 2,000 points above those on offer at the four Major Championships.
While not in a position to announce the prize funds for all 2021 tournaments at this stage, some key points are:
Prize funds for all four UK Swing events in July / August will be increased
The second event of the UK Swing (July 29-Aug 1) – whose details will be announced early next year – will be co-sanctioned with the LET/LPGA
The UK Swing will have a Bonus Pool for the players in addition to a charity element
Prize funds for the new tournaments in Tenerife and Gran Canaria in April will each be €1.5million. The Portugal Masters, which follows these two events, will also increase to €1.5million
Prize fund for the Betfred British Masters hosted by Danny Willett will rise to €2million from €1.25million
Prize funds for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open and the Italian Open will each rise to €3million, from €1.25million and €1million respectively
In addition to increased prize fund levels, the 2021 European Tour season also offers considerable playing opportunities across the 11 months with a schedule intended to reduce travelling wherever possible.
Illustrating that point, in addition to the traditional group of tournaments in the Middle East at the start of the year, the schedule also includes the return of the Iberian Swing in April and the UK Swing in July and August, which follows on from the run of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open and The Open Championship. Also next to each other on the schedule are the Open de España and the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters in Spain in the first two weeks of October followed by the Trophée Hassan II in Morocco the following week.
Keith Pelley (Photo: Getty)
Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour, said: “I am incredibly proud to announce our 2021 global schedule today, one that once again sees us journey through continents and across the world.
“With the pursuit of Ryder Cup points beginning again in January for our European members; qualification spots now available for our Rolex Series events; a sustained pursuit of innovation and a continued celebration of our wonderful heritage, it is understandable that our overarching narrative for this season is that: ‘Every Week Counts.’
“There is no question that the challenge of reshaping our 2020 season in many ways informed our approach to 2021. One of the key learnings was to group events together in terms of their geographical location to create a more travel friendly season for our members. That is reflected in numerous concentrations of event locations.
“Another was to continue to enhance our Rolex Series events at strategic points in the global golfing calendar when the European Tour will be the focal point of golf on the world stage. This is one of the many aspects we will continue to develop in our Strategic Alliance discussions with the PGA Tour, following our historic partnership announcement last month.
“Our events in the initial part of the 2021 season will continue to operate under the guidelines of our world-class Health Strategy, which will evolve aligned to the latest medical advice.
“However, with the incredible progress that has been made in recent months in terms of a vaccine, we look forward to hopefully welcoming the gradual return of the fans we’ve so dearly missed, whilst at the same time continuing to entertain viewers at home through our unrivalled World Feed TV output and across our award-winning digital platforms.”
Christmas is coming. As a passionate golfer, we see a bunch of gifts coming, for which we still have to thank somehow: the small pen golf bag for the desk (which will never make it there), the ugly lamp made from an old 7 iron (hidden somewhere in a dark corner) and if you are really lucky, you’ll get at least a dozen balls of a brand that you’d actually play. And even if it’s the new driver you wanted so badly for months, we still have to wait all winter for the golfing season to come. And golf travels aren’t a smart idea either in these pandemic times. We have a few nice last-minute ideas with which you can make the winter a beautiful one by yourselves (because those giving presents will hardly read here) and transform your home discreetly and tastefully into a stylish understatement clubhouse. Whether all of this will arrive before Christmas is an open question, but winter is (unfortunately) still long – that’s why you should make yourself nice at home.
The Golfer’s Journal
In my honest opinion this is the world’s best golf magazine. You won’t find any product tests of the 30 best drivers of 2021, home stories with a DJ and tips for better putting here. Instead, there are stories about interesting places and people you’ve most likely never heard of (a 97-year-old pro, slum golfer in Mumbai or a man who for almost 20 years has built a full 18-hole course with his son every day after work on his property etc.), Trivia, entertaining and really readable articles in short and long form, rich and well illustrated with great photographs in a good layout and with very little advertising. I devour every issue from cover to cover. Single issue for $ 20 or subscription from $ 60 via golfersjournal.com
Evan Schiller – Photo Prints
Evan Schiller not only seems to have traveled to pretty much all the relevant courses on earth, he also took impressive photos of them. Almost every photo by him creates the desire to be there immediately. You can order each of your photos as art prints in various sizes on photo paper or metal from $ 95 in his shop – as seen here the 15 in Tralee. Of course, everyone should have our Golf Post calendar, but there is nothing against ordering Evan Schiller’s one as there is also a calendar with his best pics on evanschillerphotography.com
Evalu18 – Old Course Fine Art Print
A good selection of photos by various photographers, but also many graphic art prints, colored course maps and views of individual world-famous tracks are available at Evalu18. Playing the course is certainly more desirable for most, but hanging the Old Course on Hahnemühle museum paper over the couch or behind the desk, as in this example, also has something and is after all for less than the price of one To get green fees. Various designs and sizes from € 83.95 (including shipping) on shop.evalu18.com
Good Boy Originals – Match Play Poster
This idea is almost more charming for wall hanging: the Match Play poster from Good Boy Originals. The signature match boxes of the Top 10 (Golf Digest) courses, i.e. Pine Valley, Cypress Point, Sand Hills and others, combined on a fine art print on approx. A3 size, so it looks good in a 40 x 50 cm frame. Fits great in the smoking area. But actually on every wall. In addition to many other beautiful motifs available for $ 100 via goodboyoriginals.com
Hazard Golf – Mullet Poster
A bit for the funnier ones: John “Long John” a.k.a. “Wild Thing” Daly, the chain-smoking, game-addict and beer-drinking white trash version of the pro golfer who, despite all his trashy appearnce, somehow amiable mullet wearer, here abstracted to the essentials, on a poster of approx x 30 cm. Something for the true fans. Available for $ 25 on hazardgolf.co
Sweetens Cove – Stash Box
Sweetens Cove, the pearl of the Appalachians. After a unique renovation, this run-down and almost bankrupt goat track became a must-play destination for many within a few years, a course that made it into the bucket list of the very big ones with only nine (!) holes (ranked 21st place in the Best Courses You Can Play in the US, Golfweek). Now the very sympathetic owners also have a small line of really nice shirts, caps, prints and other accessories in their shop. And since we have already presented a lot of art for the wall, we go for the wooden stash box. It comes with an engraving and 100 logo tees. We’ll use the tees out in the fields upcoming season and then we use it for the love letters, keys, smoke wear, souvenirs, the scorecard collection, whatever. Pretty. For $ 120 from sweetenscovegolfclub.com
Caddie Magazine – Lofted „Remarkable & Farflung Adventures for the Modern Golfer“
Unfortunately I couldn’t grab a copy of this 1.5kg hardcover tome from Caddie Magazine called “Lofted”. But since the Australian Caddie Magazine is my personal No. 2 of the best golf magazines and the best articles from the first eight issues are collected here and displayed on more than 260 pages, it should be worth every penny. The photos in the magazine, which is more specialized in travel destinations, have always been unique and make you wanna crawl into the mag. € 24.99 on amazon
Tight Lies – Kingsbarns Golf Links Poster
Back to the walls: Tight Lies has a great collection of beautiful and graphically fine crafted course maps as prints. Reduced to the essence, in minimalist colors, these maps of the great courses of the world are real eye-catchers. Carnoustie, Machrihanish, Bandon Dunes or, as here, Kingsbarns Golf Links as A3 posters for £ 25 (unframed) available from tightlies.club
Course Maps – Tobacco Road Poster
Similarly reduced, but different, based more on classic monochrome course maps, there is a large selection of well-known course classics with a greater focus on the states. Kiawah, TPC Sawgrass, Oakmont, Erin Hills, Royal Dornoch or here Mike Strantz’masterpiece in North Carolina, Tobacco Road. All with course information and selectable basic colors. Without frame for $ 45, with frame for $ 94 via course-maps.com
Lie + Loft – Quiet Pennant
Also cool: not only on the wall, but you can also hang it on your bag or cart if that one flight partner really annoys – the Quiet Please pennant. Of course, it fits just as well on the desk if you really have to concentrate in a shared office space. Or on the coffee table during the next tournament broadcast. Understatement for golf fanatics, available for $ 24.99 at lieandloft.com
The International Golf Federation Board convened a virtual meeting yesterday focused on long-term strategic planning and progress toward next summer’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Originally scheduled for the Olympic House in Lausanne but moved online due to the continued impact of COVID-19, the Board was addressed by International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach on the status of the Olympic movement and then followed by IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell, who provided updates and answered questions regarding preparations for Tokyo. The overarching message was one of determination and confidence that the Olympic competition will proceed as scheduled with particular focus on health, safety and the simplification and reduction of the complexity of the Games. The Board expressed support and a shared commitment to deliver the golf competition with safety for the athletes and all involved a top priority.
During his presentation at the beginning of the meeting, Bach recognized and thanked outgoing IGF President Peter Dawson for his 10 years of leadership and service. Dawson notified the Board that he would not seek reappointment when his current two-year term expires at the end of the year.
In light of Dawson’s decision, the IGF Board has elected Annika Sorenstam as the IGF President, effective January 1, 2021.
“It has been a great pleasure and privilege to serve as IGF President,” Dawson said. “Golf’s reinstatement to the Olympic programme was a landmark for our sport and it was a true thrill to witness our return at Rio 2016. Our Olympic status has been a strong catalyst for increasing cooperation and coordination between the major organisations in golf and has significantly strengthened the bonds between the IGF and our National Federations.
“My thanks go to so many people in golf and in the Olympic family for their support over the past 10 years,” he added. “Their help and goodwill have been invaluable. I wish my successor, Annika Sorenstam, every success. The IGF could not be in better hands.”
IGF Board Chairman Jay Monahan commended Dawson for his decade of service with the IGF.
“On behalf of the IGF Board, I want to extend our sincere gratitude to Peter for the outstanding job he has done over the past decade on behalf of the IGF, including helping to assure golf’s highly successful return to the Olympic Games,” said Monahan, Commissioner of the PGA TOUR. “Peter has had a distinguished career dedicated to the growth of golf and the IGF has been fortunate to have him as such a strong advocate.
“With Peter’s impending departure, we are thrilled to have someone as accomplished and universally respected as Annika Sorenstam to move into the role as IGF President. As a generational talent in women’s golf, Annika played a prominent role in golf’s successful Olympic bid by serving as a Global Ambassador with Jack Nicklaus and since retiring from competition, has been dedicated to promoting women’s golf at all levels through her foundation. She is the ideal person to succeed Peter in this role.”
“Peter did a great job the last 10 years as IGF President and I am humbled and honored to have been asked to succeed him,” Sorenstam said. “As an international player, having golf back in the Olympics means so much to me and to our sport. I very much look forward to working with the Board, the IOC and the governing bodies of golf in their efforts to continue to grow the game globally.”
In addition to naming Sorenstam as the new IGF President, the Board appointed PGA TOUR executive Ty Votaw to another term as IGF Vice President.
The European Tour and PGA TOUR today heralded a significant new era for global golf with an historic announcement of a Strategic Alliance.
The landmark agreement will see golf’s two major Tours explore all facets of collaboration, working together on strategic commercial opportunities including collaborating on global media rights in certain territories.
This will come through part of the agreement which sees the PGA TOUR acquire a minority investment stake in European Tour Productions (ETP), the European Tour’s Media Production company, which produces and distributes content internationally.
The Tours will also work in partnership on a number of other areas including global scheduling, prize funds and playing opportunities for the respective memberships. Further details of these areas will be announced in due course.
One element of the partnership which can be confirmed today is the fact that PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan will take a seat on the Board of the European Tour.
Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour, said: “This partnership is an historic moment for the game of golf and is a fantastic opportunity for both the European Tour and the PGA TOUR to explore ways to come together at the very pinnacle of our sport and work in unison for the benefit of the men’s professional game.
“Today’s announcement is the formalisation of a closer working relationship between the Tours in recent years. It was one which was crystalised earlier this year when both Jay and I were part of the working group containing representatives of the four Majors and the LPGA, a group which helped shape the remainder of the golfing calendar for 2020 during unprecedented times.
“We shared the challenges of working through a year neither of us could have ever imagined and we found definite synergies in many areas of our respective Tours. That gave us the impetus to move forward together and arrive at this momentous announcement we are making today.”
Jay Monahan, Commissioner of the PGA TOUR, said, “We are thrilled to announce this further strengthening of our partnership with the European Tour, and we look forward to working together for the benefit of the men’s professional game and for golf fans around the world.”
Race to Dubai leader Patrick Reed will return to the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai from December 10-13, hoping to become the first American to be crowned European Tour Number One at the fourth Rolex Series event of the 2020 season.
The Ryder Cup star, who won the 2018 Masters Tournament, currently leads the Race to Dubai Rankings Presented by Rolex by more than 450 points from 2017 Harry Vardon Trophy winner Tommy Fleetwood, who will also be heading to Jumeirah Golf Estates next month along with US PGA Champion Collin Morikawa, Lee Westwood and Victor Perez, who complete the top five.
The 30-year-old has made no secret of his aim of winning the Race to Dubai since first taking up European Tour membership in 2015.The current World Number 11 finished runner-up to Danny Willett in 2018 on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates and has also recorded two top tens in four appearances in the Race to Dubai finale.
Reed returned to the top of the Race to Dubai Rankings after finishing in a share of third place at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, the penultimate Rolex Series event of the 2020 season. He topped the standings earlier in the year after his victory at the WGC-Mexico Championship in February, his second World Golf Championship title.
“Winning the Race to Dubai and the European Tours’ Order of Merit has always been a goal of mine. I came close in 2018 and you can bet I will do my best to earn the Number One spot,” said Reed.
“The DP World Tour Championship is an event I’ve been looking forward to since the rescheduled season was announced and it will be a great way to end 2020. Being a worldwide player is certainly at the forefront of my mind as a professional. Experiencing new cultures and playing in different conditions ultimately helps me become a more well-rounded golfer and person.
Patrick Reed: “It would be an honor”
“I enjoy meeting new fans and traveling to different parts of the world to help grow the game of golf, and I truly enjoy the different cultures and countries that we visit and to be able to play at some of the best courses around the world, is such a gift, and something that I am truly grateful to be able to do.
“It would be an honour to become the first American to win the Race to Dubai and I’m really looking forward to the challenge of competing at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.”
Westwood will aim to become just the third English golfer in history to win the Harry Vardon Trophy on three occasions alongside Bernard Hunt and Peter Oosterhuis, who went on to top the rankings for a fourth consecutive year in 1974, while Fleetwood could emulate Westwood and Nick Faldo’s achievements if he were to win his second Race to Dubai title in the space of four seasons.
Westwood said: “I’ve had some success in Dubai over the years and it is somewhere I always enjoy playing golf, so it will be great to end the year with two tournaments there. I’m in a good position on the Race to Dubai and hopefully I can play well in both weeks and finish the year strongly.
“It’s a big honour for any player to be crowned the European Tour’s Number One. I’ve done it twice before so it’s great to have another chance again this year.”
Fleetwood added: “Winning the Race to Dubai was one of the proudest moments of my career so far and I’m looking forward to being back at Jumeirah Golf Estates in a few weeks’ time with the chance to become European Number One. I’ve gone close the past two years in Dubai, finishing second and third in the Rankings, and another Race to Dubai title would be very special to me, so I’m fully focused on the task ahead at the DP World Tour Championship.”
Set to make his first start in a regular European Tour event, Morikawa will hope to cap an incredible season with a strong performance at the DP World Tour Championship. The 23-year-old became the third-youngest golfer to win the US PGA Championship when he triumphed at TPC Harding Park and set a new scoring record for the final 36 holes of the tournament with 129 strokes on what was just his 28th start as a professional golfer.
“I’m excited to travel to Dubai and play there for the first time. I’ve had the opportunity to play outside the United States a few times, which I think is important to experience early in my career, and I’m looking forward to playing in a new environment in the Middle East,” said Morikawa. “The opportunity to win the Race to Dubai is a thrill and it would be a great way to end an unforgettable year.”
Currently fifth on the Race to Dubai Rankings, Frenchman Perez will go in search of a second European Tour title when he returns to Dubai, alongside his 2019 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship success.
The 28-year-old has enjoyed an impressive 2020 campaign with runner-up finishes at two of the four Rolex Series events of the season, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and BMW PGA Championship.
“I’m in a great position on the Race to Dubai and it would be an honour to finish the year as European Number One,” said Perez. “I really enjoyed my first experience of the DP World Tour Championship last year, so I’m looking forward to returning with a chance of winning the Race to Dubai. The Rolex Series events are the highlights of our season, and everyone seems to raise their game for them; I’m excited for the challenge.”
The DP World Tour Championship, Dubai is the fourth and final Rolex Series event of the reshaped 2020 Race to Dubai, following on from the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open and BMW PGA Championship. The Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai has hosted the season-ending event every year since 2009. This year, Jumeirah Golf Estates’ Fire course will also host the Golf in Dubai Championship presented by DP World, which takes place the week before the season-finale.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Nov. 16, 2020 – The LPGA and LET today announced that the Solheim Cup, the world’s leading match-play competition for female professional golfers, will move to even years starting in 2024. The 2021 and 2023 competitions will be held in their previously announced dates and locations in Ohio and Spain, respectively, with back-to-back playings in 2023 and 2024.
The Solheim Cup Committee approved the change to even years following the announcement that the Ryder Cup will move to an odd-year schedule, after the 2020 competition was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The specific dates and location for the 2024 Solheim Cup, which will be held in the United States, will be announced in the future.
“With the world sporting schedule changing so much due to current difficulties, we felt it was in the best interest of the Solheim Cup to return to an off-year rotation with the Ryder Cup,” said Dennis Baggett, Executive Director of the Solheim Cup. “When the competition returns to the United States in 2024, I have no doubt fans will have an incredible opportunity to celebrate the best women golfers from the United States and Europe as they represent their home countries.”
The 2021 Solheim Cup will take place Sept. 4-6 at Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio. USA Captain Pat Hurst, along with Assistant Captains Angela Stanford and Michelle Wie West (a third assistant captain will be named in 2021), will lead the best players from the United States as they look to reclaim the Solheim Cup on home soil. Europe will once again be helmed by Captain Catriona Matthew, with Vice Captains Laura Davies, Kathryn Imrie and Suzann Pettersen by her side. Pettersen ended her playing career in style at the 2019 Solheim Cup at Gleneagles in Scotland, scoring the winning point in the final putt of the final match and announcing her retirement at Team Europe’s celebratory post-win press conference.
The 2023 Solheim Cup will be held Sept. 22-24 at Finca Cortesin in Andalucia, Spain. One week later, the Ryder Cup will be held in Italy, giving European sports fans a rare two-week spectacle of competition and patriotic fervor.
With a full week of action set to take place at the 2021 Solheim Cup, fans can purchase various ticket and hospitality packages to enjoy every activity in Toledo at Inverness Club. New in 2021 is the Solheim Pavilion, which will give ticketholders a 300-degree view of the surrounding holes, upgraded food and beverage options and much more. Information on ticket options and prices is available at SolheimCupUSA.com.
About The Solheim Cup:
The Solheim Cup combines the tradition and prestige of the game of golf with passion for one’s country and continent. This biennial international match-play competition features the best U.S. players from the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour and the best European players from the Ladies European Tour (LET).
The Solheim Cup is named in honor of Karsten and Louise Solheim, founders of Karsten Manufacturing Corporation, which makes PING golf equipment. In 1990, the Solheim family, in conjunction with the LPGA and the LET, developed the concept and became the title sponsor for the Solheim Cup. Today, the Global Partners of the Solheim Cup are PING, Rolex and Marathon Petroleum.
Held every two years, the event has grown into the most prestigious international women’s professional golf team event. The 2021 Solheim Cup will be held at Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio, on Sept. 4-6. In 2019, Team Europe took a thrilling 14.5-13.5 victory at Gleneagles in Scotland, a thrilling win that came down to the final putt. Team USA leads Team Europe, 10-6, all-time in Solheim Cup competition.
Question: If you could wave a magic wand, what area of your game would you improve overnight? RORY McILROY: My iron play. Yeah, my iron play hasn’t been great since coming back from the lockdown. It sort of goes right through the bag. It goes from wedges all the way through to the long irons. I had two 5 irons from the fairway on 10 and 11 today, for example, and just didn’t hit great shots. It’s something to there’s always stuff to work on, but definitely something to work on going into the off season that we have here, and try to come out a little better in 2021.
Q: As you’ve had a little more time to reflect on what happened Thursday, what went wrong? RORY McILROY: Again, I said yesterday, I just got a little careful, a little tentative, a little guidey, just didn’t trust my swing, didn’t commit to what I was doing, and again, this course more than any other can make you do that at times. That was really what it was. The first day I actually did okay. I was even par. It wasn’t even par through 9 here is not that bad, and then just that second morning I just didn’t quite have it. I guess I need to take the positives, and played the last 54 really well and only made two bogeys in that 54 hole stretch, which is probably the best run of golf I’ve played here.
Rory McIlroy: “I miss the fans a lot”
Q: What did you miss the most this week, just the difference of playing in November? RORY McILROY: Yeah, the atmosphere, the crowds, the patrons, the feelings that you normally have here that you didn’t quite have. More than any other week of the year I feel like you’re nervous a little more often, and it didn’t quite have that. Not saying it’s a bad thing; I loved the feeling of being relaxed out there and it’s something I probably need to try to adopt going into five months’ time.
Q: Do you think there’s any advantage to coming right back here in April? RORY McILROY: Yeah I mean, look, I hope the course is much different in April than it is now. It’s very soft. It’s very I feel like there’s a lot of shots I hit this week where I hit my number and it would spin back off a green or it just wouldn’t do what you expect it to do, so I’d love to get another shot at it in April and have the course play maybe more what we’re accustomed to.
Q: You’re obviously a multiple major champion. What do you think this is going to mean to Dustin? RORY McILROY: Yeah, he’s been knocking on the door so long, and I think, again, since coming back out of sort of back in June, the lockdown, he has been by far the best player in the world. He’s won a few times, won a FedExCup, had a chance at Harding Park. And I think, yeah, it validates what he did at Oakmont a few years ago and he’s had so many chances and hasn’t quite been able to close the deal, but his resume speaks for itself, how many times he’s won on the PGA TOUR, how consistent he’s been. I played with him the first two days here. He’s got the ball on a string. It was really impressive.
Q: What are you going to do this off season to kind of get away from golf and reboot? Any TV shows you’re going to catch up on? RORY McILROY: Yeah, not particularly. I don’t know. I’m just going to be a man of leisure for a couple months. It’s going to be nice. Lie by the pool a little bit, get back on the bike, get back on the Peloton. I’ve sort of given that a bit of a miss over the last few months. Yeah, just some stuff. Obviously watch my daughter grow up a little bit and have fun with that. But yeah, I’ll try to get away from it, but yeah, as I said before, there’s certainly some stuff in my golf game that I want to work on before next year.
Q: Is there anything in DJ’s personality from your close interaction with him or traveling with him that you’ve seen of him that maybe we don’t that maybe you could share? RORY McILROY: He’s smarter than you think.
Q: How so? RORY McILROY: He’s switched on, more so than he lets on, more so than everyone in the media thinks. I’ll just put it that way.
Question: Why is this so meaningful to you? DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, just growing up so close to here, it’s always been a tournament that since I’ve been on Tour, since I played my first Masters, it’s been the tournament I wanted to win the most. You know, being close the last couple years, finishing second last year to Tiger, this one was just something that I really wanted to do. Obviously starting today with a four shot lead, you know, I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. I knew I was going to have to play well if I wanted to win, and you know, still, played probably better than especially from really 7 into the clubhouse, I played really, really solid. Hit a lot of great shots. But it was still hard. I mean, I was nervous all day, but I felt like I controlled myself very well. Controlled the golf ball very well in difficult conditions. I felt like the wind was really tricky. The course, the greens were a little bit faster. Felt like you really had to be careful around here today.
Q: On 7, did you do what you were trying to do? Were you trying to hit into that front bunker? DUSTIN JOHNSON: I was. I didn’t have a shot. I was just in the right first cut, the tree limbs there. I was trying to run it up in between the bunkers, but if I was going to favor one side, it was the left bunker. Hit a really good shot right in the front bunker where I wanted to and made a really easy 4.
Brother support given
Q. Austin said that on 18, as you’re walking up, he asked you where you stood. Did you not know? DUSTIN JOHNSON: I did not. Not exactly. I mean, I assumed I had the lead, but I didn’t know by how many. I mean, that was kind of my goal. I kind of looked at the leaderboard a little bit early, and after that, I just, you know, told myself, don’t worry about what anybody’s doing. Just play as good as you can. You know, so I didn’t look at the leaderboard at all from probably 7, 7 on. I tried not to. I just tried to play my game. When I felt comfortable with the wind and the number that I had, I would play aggressive. If not, I would try to play just to the fatter side of the green, and pars are a good score on a lot of these holes, especially when you’re 9, 10, 11, 12, take par all day on those holes, especially with the wind, the way it was blowing today.
Q. Did you have that attitude because you knew if you played well, a 68 would get it done today no matter what anybody else did? DUSTIN JOHNSON: I did. I knew if I played well, especially from 8 to the house, that I was going to put myself in a good position and have a chance to win. I just didn’t want that to affect the way that I played. I just didn’t look at it. I played I took what the course gave me and hit the shots I felt I could hit.
Q. Could you speak to your growing relationship with your brother and what it means to win when he’s by your side? DUSTIN JOHNSON: It’s unbelievable having my brother on my bag. You know, but he’s a big help, too. He does he reads the greens a lot for me. He does a great job reading them. I read them, too, myself, but I like to he definitely helps. He’s really good at it. I just love experiencing all these moments with him. I wouldn’t want it any other way.
Q. And was there any extra special meaning, the fact that Tiger put that jacket on you? DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yes. But I mean yeah, obviously having Tiger put it on was awesome and unbelievable and, you know, you couldn’t you wouldn’t want it any other way. But any guy could put it on me and I’d be just fine (laughter).
Q. You won THE TOUR Championship in September and now you’ve won the year’s last major in November. It’s been a strange season. Can you compare how that moment and this moment, maybe each felt like the end of a season? DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I mean, for me, we don’t really have an end of the season because there’s just so many golf tournaments and we play pretty much all year long. But you know, winning the FedExCup was huge. It was something that I really wanted to do in my career. And then obviously coming here and winning Augusta was probably is on the very top of the list for sure. I know 2020 has been a really strange year, but it’s been good to me. I’ve played some good golf. You know, I can’t thank Augusta enough for just having the Masters. Obviously when it canceled in April, none of us knew if we were going to be able to play in it. I was just happy to be here playing, and it worked out okay for me.
Q. The emotion you showed in those interviews right after winning, is that more of the man the public has not seen over the years? You’re so calm and even keel out on the course. DUSTIN JOHNSON: Absolutely. On the golf course, I’m pretty good at controlling my emotions, you know, because I’m out playing golf. But yeah, I had a tough time there speaking with Amanda on the putting green. Just because it like I said, it means so much to me. It means so much to my family, Paulina, the kids. They know it’s something that I’ve always been dreaming about and it’s why I work so hard. You know, I put in a lot of work off the golf course, on the golf course, and I think it’s just you know, it’s something that you push yourself for. That’s why I work so hard is to be in this position. And you know, to finally have the dream come true, I think that’s why you see all that emotion.
Q. First, sitting in that hotel room in Vegas a month ago or so, you had a lot of time to think. Did you ever think that maybe this chance was slipping away a little bit while you were in quarantine? DUSTIN JOHNSON: No, I didn’t. That never I knew I was going to play the Masters for sure, so that was a bonus, because I had already, you know, had gotten COVID and had to quarantine. So I knew there was no chance of me missing the Masters, so that kind of gave me a little bit more of a drive to practice. I knew I was playing well. Granted, you sit in the hotel room for two weeks, it doesn’t do a lot for the golf game. But I put a lot of work in last week at Houston, and this week. Fortunate that I was able to keep the game in good form, and played well last week in Houston, even though I didn’t if you had asked me on Wednesday what was going to happen, I probably would have told you I was going to miss the cut and I would be here at Augusta practicing because I really had not played much, and even through my first few days of practice, things weren’t going very well. But ended up working out okay for me there. And then coming into this week, I had had some rounds, and that was the reason I was playing there was just to get some more reps in tournament conditions it. Really helped out this week.
Dustin Johnson: “I wanna win a lot of Majors”
Q. You talked about dreaming of winning the Masters. Do you also dream of winning seven, eight, nine majors? DUSTIN JOHNSON: I do. I do.
Q. Do you have a specific number? DUSTIN JOHNSON: I want to get to No. 3 first, but I do. I dream of winning a lot of majors. Just hadn’t quite happened yet. Hopefully this one will help, though, give me a little spring.
Q. The weekend seemed pretty laid back on the course. Did you feel like not having Patrons helped you or did it hurt you as you were playing the last two rounds? DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, I like the Patrons. I think they bring a lot of excitement and a lot of, you know it just they make the Masters, really. But I would say if I had to say one way or the other, probably made it a little easier to get it done today without having all the fans or however many thousands that are here. But for me, all the tournaments we’ve played this year and the ones that I’ve won, looking back to before when we had fans, I mean, I feel the same way, whether the fans are here or not. I like having them here. They bring excitement, especially when they are cheering for you, they can pull you along. I miss them, and hopefully we get to see them in April.
Question: Not having a crowd out there, you mentioned it, there was no way you could tell what was happening. JUSTIN THOMAS: No. I mean, I had no idea. Yeah, that’s the weird part is you know what the guys are doing in front of you from whenever you see your watch. If you happen to turn around and see what the guy’s shots are, but with no crowd, yeah, you have no idea what’s going on.
Q: How would you assess your week as a whole? JUSTIN THOMAS: I mean, it was far from my best stuff. So to finish fourth, it looks like it’s going to be, with that is a positive. I mean, I keep getting better. I’m very confident I’m going to win around this place at some point. I just don’t know when or if it will happen. I’m very comfortable. I just need to execute a little bit better. This week with the conditions being softer, the course knowledge didn’t come in play as much. You still had to leave it in the right spots, but not near as much when it was this soft. So I wish the tournament in April started tomorrow. I’ll just say that.
Q: A little bit of a slow start today. JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, a little bit of a slow start is an understatement. Yeah, I hit four great golf shots on 1 and made par. Yeah, I mean, you just can’t bogey two in the scenario I was in. No, I didn’t hit the ball very well to start, and any time I had a birdie chance, I didn’t hit a very good iron shot. Then I found a little bit of rhythm on the back nine. It’s just one of those weeks. Stuff didn’t go my way. Kind of ended the week, my ball landed on the fairway, and it’s my first ever mud ball in a fairway bunker on 18. So it was just one of those weeks.
Justin Thomas :”I hit it really solid”
Q: Ball striking‐wise, it seems like you had a very, very good week. Are you going to take that from this week as far as going forward? JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, sure. I did a little bit of everything. I didn’t hole anything the last three days, but I hit the ball beautifully yesterday. Like I hit it really solid. I didn’t hit it really close to the hole a lot, but the shots that didn’t go where I wanted, they still were hit really well, and I felt like they were good shots. But it was just the fact of the matter today, I had so many bull pins and so many pins that I needed and I should have hit close to, that I hit to 30 feet. I guess the long way to answer your question, yes, I did hit it well this week.
Q: After a week of seeing it this soft, would you like to see it firm and fast in April? JUSTIN THOMAS: 100 percent. I’ll take firm and fast over soft any day.
Q: You see D.J. at 20. What do you think? Pretty incredible? JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, it is. I don’t think it will ever happen in April, but if we have another pandemic and it plays in April, I think it’s in play.
