Author: Kirsten Ross

Categories
European Tour

Hatton chasing desert double in Dubai

All eyes will be on Tyrrell Hatton in Dubai as he aims for a desert double. (Image: Getty)

Tournament Preview

Tyrrell Hatton arrives at this week’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic with a spring in his step as the Englishman targets back-to-back victories in the Middle East, following his triumph last week in Abu Dhabi.

The 29-year-old climbed to a career-high fifth in the Official World Golf Ranking courtesy of his four-stroke win, for his third title in just under a year on both the European Tour and PGA Tour.

Tyrrell Hatton had this to say following his Abu Dhabi win: “The win last week still feels a little bit surreal, alongside with where we’ve moved up to in the World Rankings. It doesn’t feel like it was me who won the tournament. Looking forward to this week. It’s nice to be back here in Dubai, I missed the event last year because I was still recovering from wrist surgery. I’ve had some good finishes in the past and I’m hoping I can have another good week this week. I played the Pro-Am, the game still felt pretty good.  

“I wouldn’t say I’m uncomfortable with the position I’m in, I just don’t see myself as anything different. It’s not something that I really worry about. I’m just trying to play good golf and the World Rankings take care of themselves if you’re able to do that. Fortunately for me, the last 14 months, I’ve been on a really good run and I’m hoping that continues.”

Hatton has a strong record at Emirates Golf Club in Dubai, including a pair of top three finishes and another top ten, so he is feeling confident of a title challenge in the second event of the 2021 Race to Dubai.

The man just ahead of Hatton in the world rankings, World Number Four Collin Morikawa, makes his debut at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic but enjoyed his last visit to the Emirate – clinching a top ten at last year’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.

Ryder Cup stars Paul Casey and Sergio Garcia, meanwhile, make their first appearances of the European Tour campaign as they target crucial qualification points with a view to making it onto Padraig Harrington’s European side for the September showpiece at Whistling Straits, Wisconsin.

(Text: European Tour Communications)

Categories
Brands

TRAVISMATHEW Signs Max Kieffer

Maximilian Kieffer of Germany prepares to tee off on the fourth hole during the second round of the Estrella Damm N. A. Andalucia Masters at Real Club Valderrama on September 04, 2020 in Sotogrande, Spain. (Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images)

On the eve of this week’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic, TravisMathew has unveiled Max Kieffer as a new ambassador on the PGA European Tour.

The young German, who tees it up tomorrow on Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis Course, joins last season’s Scottish Championship winner, Adrian Otaegui, representing TravisMathew throughout the 2021 season.

Commenting on the new signing, Stewart Clare, TravisMathew Regional Sales Manager EMEA: “As our brand continues its rapid rise in popularity in the USA, we are also hugely excited about expanding the European business. Having Max as part of our team will undoubtedly support us as we further develop distribution through a select number of retail partners.”

As the official apparel brand of the European Tour, TravisMathew takes its inspiration from Southern California culture and style, blending perfect performance and functionality, on and off the golf course, with innovative design.

For the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, Max will be wearing the ‘THE ZINNA, a design TravisMathew calls ‘The Perfect Polo’, due to its lightweight, ultra-soft fabric that offers enhanced stretch and wrinkle-resistance, while benefitting from quick-drying and moisture-dispersing qualities.

On joining the team, Max said: “It’s great to be part of the TravisMathew family. I’m a huge fan of the apparel, both in terms of comfort and performance, and I look forward to working with the European team throughout the season.”

In addition to Adrian Otaegui, Max sits alongside a host of golf ambassadors representing the brand on The PGA Tour – Jon Rahm, Keegan Bradley, Will Gordon, Joel Dahmen, Joseph Bramlett, Tyler McCumber and Seamus Power.

(Text: Callaway Press Release)

Categories
European Challenge Tour

Challenge Tour Unveils 2021 International Schedule

This year's Challenge Tour Grand Final is set to take place at T-Golf and Country Club, Mallorca, Spain (Image: Getty)
This year's Challenge Tour Grand Final is set to take place on Nov 4th-7th at T-Golf and Country Club, Mallorca, Spain.(Image: Getty)

• Challenge Tour returns with 25 tournaments in 15 countries

• Road to Mallorca returns to the Netherlands for the first time since 2009

• New events to take place in the UK and Germany

• Top 20 on the Road to Mallorca Rankings will graduate to the European Tour

The European Challenge Tour today announces the 2021 Road to Mallorca International Schedule, which will comprise 25 tournaments in 15 different countries around the world.

The schedule features a mixture of long-standing and new events in a season which will run from April to November as the next crop of golfing stars compete for one of the 20 cards on offer for the 2022 European Tour season – an increase of five from the 15 spots available at the end of the last full Challenge Tour season in 2019.

New additions to the schedule include a trip to The Dutch, the three-time host venue of the KLM Open on the European Tour, for the B-NL Challenge Trophy as the Challenge Tour returns to the Netherlands for the first time since 2009. New events in the United Kingdom and Germany also make their debuts on the schedule, with all three events taking place consecutively in August and September.

Several long-standing events such as the Hauts de France – Pas de Calais Golf Open, the Swiss Challenge and the Rolex Trophy will all return to the Schedule in 2021, with the latter celebrating its 30th anniversary at Golf Club de Genève as the top 40 players on the Road to Mallorca Rankings tee it up alongside amateur guests in the Pro-Am format.

The 2021 season will begin with the Limpopo Championship in April, the first of three co-sanctioned events with the Sunshine Tour in South Africa, and end almost seven months later at the Challenge Tour Grand Final in Mallorca in November.

All events on the Challenge Tour schedule will be played under the auspices of the European Tour’s health strategy which will continue to evolve in line with Government guidance in the countries where tournaments are played.

Jamie Hodges, Head of Challenge Tour, said: “I am thrilled to be able to unveil our global schedule for 2021 which sees us return to the number of events we had prior to last season.

“There were 20 wins by former Challenge Tour players on the European Tour in 2020, which shows how important our Tour is in preparing the next generation of stars for the biggest stage and we’re excited to give our current Membership more opportunities to follow in their footsteps.

“We are now at the beginning of the third year of our partnership with the Federación Balear de Golf and we are looking forward to working closely again with them in 2021, culminating in our second trip to T-Golf & Country Club for the Challenge Tour Grand Final.

“I would also like to extend our thanks to those events that have been a part of the Challenge Tour Schedule for many years – we are grateful to them for their continued partnership. Finally, I would like to thank all our promoters and the various national Federations who are so integral to the success of the Challenge Tour; as well as the many tournament sponsors and partners who make our Road to Mallorca International Schedule possible.”

(Text: European Challenge Tour Press Release)

Categories
LPGA Tour

Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions: Round 4 notes

Jessica Korda plays a shot on the seventh hole during the final round of the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions at Tranquilo Golf Course at the Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club on January 24, 2021 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (Image: Getty)

JESSICA KORDA WINS IN A PLAYOFF WITH DANIELLE KANG

American Jessica Korda drained a 25-foot birdie on the first sudden-death playoff hole to defeat Danielle Kang and win the 2021 Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions. Korda shattered the tournament scoring record with a four-day total of 24-under 260, besting the previous mark of 14-under 270 set by Eun Hee Ji in 2019. The win also came the day after Korda shot the fifth 60 in LPGA Tour history.

“I didn’t have great numbers all day. I was in between shots all day. It was just frustrating because I wanted to be aggressive, but then I wasn’t,” said Korda, who shot 66 on Sunday. “And then kind of just said, You know what? Forget about it. Just stick to your process and be aggressive when you can and take those opportunities.

But having those putts roll in definitely helped.”

After starting the day two strokes behind Kang, Korda’s birdie at the par-3 16th pulled the pair into a tie at the top. The duo swapped birdies at No. 17 and both players left their birdie putts short on the par-3 18th.

Going back to the 18th tee for the playoff, Korda and Kang both hit the center of the green. Korda hit first and punctuated the long birdie putt with an emphatic fist pump reminiscent of a classic Tiger Woods moment. Kang’s birdie attempt tracked left from the moment she hit the putt, giving Korda her sixth LPGA Tour victory and fourth in her season-opening event.

“Everyone says low expectations, but I always expect, I don’t show up to a tournament just to show up,” said Korda, who earned her first victory with her parents, retired tennis stars Petr Korda and Regina Rajchrtová, in the gallery. “I’m too old for that. This is my 11th year. I know I’ve won a lot first week out.”

Korda again displayed her absolute mastery of the second nine at Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club Orlando, carding Sunday birdies at 13, 14, 16 and 17 for a four-day total of -22 over the closing nine holes. But when asked what it was about those nine holes that suits her, Korda could not come up with an answer.

“Honestly, I have no idea. I wouldn’t be able to tell you other than I hit it close and dropped some putts,” she said.

Korda’s younger sister Nelly Korda shot Sunday’s low round of 7-under 64 and finished third at -22. Defending DRTOC champion Gaby Lopez tied for 11th at -11.

In the celebrity competition, former tennis player Mardy Fish ran away with the tournament, earning an 11-stroke victory at +158. Wounded Warrior Chad Pfeifer was second at +147, while two-time MLB All-Star pitcher Mark Mulder was third at +145.

“Super happy with the way I played. I don’t know what I won by, but it was tough to sort of follow along. It was nice,” said Fish, who could have the Kordas younger brother Sebastian Korda, an up-and-coming tennis pro, on his Davis Cup team. “Just sort of kept going along today and playing our balls instead of theirs and worrying about where they are and stuff. Just trying to get it in as quick as possible and see where we were on the back nine.”

Two-time defending celebrity champion John Smoltz finished seventh at +138 and 72-time LPGA Tour winner Annika Sorenstam was ninth at +134. The celebrity competition is played under a Modified Stableford scoring system.

DANIELLE KANG LEARNS FROM A TOUGH TOURNAMENT END

After battling two brushes with the COVID-19 virus over the holidays, Danielle Kang came to Central Forida knowing that her game was not exactly where she wanted it. Early tournament success seemed to have her heading toward an unexpected win, after setting the tournament’s 36-hole and 54-hole scoring records. However, on Sunday, she just never seemed to find the same groove that she’d enjoyed all week. Kang carded her first bogey of the tournament on Sunday’s 15th hole and her 3-under 68, while certainly a good round in most regards, was just not quite enough to stay ahead of a surging Jessica Korda.

But for the player who focuses on the mental just as much as the physical, there are always moments of learning to take from even the hardest moments.

“I’m not disappointed in that I didn’t win. It’s not about winning and losing for me. It’s about being able to execute when I want to and having a feeling when I feel like I can’t do something is something I don’t like,” said Kang, who quickly called her family and her coach Butch Harmon for a pep talk before the playoff. “But I already knew coming in that I wasn’t really prepared, and so I played great. I had a lot of fun. I got quite a bit of friends playing in it and they came out and watched and I love that, so I take a lot of positives from this week as well. But it’s something to build on and work on and get back at it.”

NELLY KORDA WON EITHER WAY WITH BIG SISTER’S WIN

After a roller coaster of a final round at Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club Orlando, the Korda sisters each found themselves with something to smile about. For older sister Jessica, it was a sixth LPGA Tour victory to share with the family. For 22-year-old Nelly, it was returning Sunday’s lowest round with a 7-under 64 and getting a confirmation that her game is still strong.

“I hit it solid, putted well, tried to get as close as I could to them, but I started really far back,” said Korda of how she thought she played. “But I gave it a good chance and I’m happy that Jess played well and she’s in a playoff. So hopefully keep my fingers crossed for her.”

Growing up in Florida, the Korda sisters did not necessarily get to play a lot of amateur golf together given their five-year age difference. But now, years later, they’re keeping the competition going with both sisters dominating on the LPGA Tour. Though five years apart in age, they are best friends and even bigger supporters, which was evident during Sunday’s final round.

“It’s pretty cool. She’s been playing well. She made some really good putts today coming in, so she deserves it,” said Nelly, moments before Jessica clinched the win. “Hopefully comes out in her favor.”

A FAMILY AFFAIR AT DIAMOND RESORTS TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

In her sixth career win, Jessica Korda finally cried. But the emotions had nothing to do with how she won the season-opening Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions – a final-round 66 to reach 24-under and a 25-footer for birdie on the first playoff hole to beat third-round leader Danielle Kang. Nor did the tears have anything to do with the grit she showed all week, bouncing back from a lackluster Friday round with a 16-under par weekend.

Jessica’s eyes only welled when asked what kept her motivated through the downtimes, which, in the last few years, have included a crippling hand and wrist injury and major jaw surgery to relieve migraines.

“My family,” Korda said without hesitation, her lower lip beginning to tremble. “They’re always there to pick me up when I’m down. Let me tell you, I’ve been down. My family is everything. They’re my biggest support system. They believe in me more than I believe in myself.”

(Text: LPGA Press Release)

Categories
European Tour

Hatton storms into five shot lead in Abu Dhabi

Hatton takes over McIlroy's lead in Round 2 (Image: Getty)

Round Two Report

Tyrrell Hatton has a fourth Rolex Series victory in his sights after opening up a commanding five shot lead on day two of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

The World Number Nine recorded an eagle – his third of the week – four birdies and a single bogey in the first 13 holes of his second round before play was suspended due to fading light just before 6pm local time.

Tyrrell Hatton: “I’m obviously in a great position at the moment. It was certainly tough out there, so I’m really happy to be five under. Holed some nice putts and there was a couple par putts toward the end of my round, nice to hole them and keep a bit of momentum going.”

The Englishman, who triumphed on home soil at the BMW PGA Championship in September for his fifth European Tour title and his third Rolex Series victory, will re-start his round at 7.30 am on Saturday as he aims to hold off a chasing pack that includes four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy.

The overnight leader slipped back to seven under par with four holes left to play of a rollercoaster second round, to sit in a tie for second alongside Jason Scrivener, Jazz Janewattananond, and Romain Langasque, who will also return to complete the round on Saturday morning.

Jason Scrivener: “It was hard work this afternoon. Had to hole a few nice par putts to keep the round going but happy with it. Put in a lot of work over the off-season and it’s nice to see it pay off this early, and yeah we look forward to the weekend.”

Two time Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship winner Tommy Fleetwood is amongst a group of ten players at six under par after a bogey-free five under par round of 67.

Tommy Fleetwood: “I think yesterday, I struggled, like I walked off and sat there last night and talked to Finno and Tommo, and I think I just forced it a little bit.

“It was really windy going out there in tough conditions and I think I tried to force a few golf shots playing in the wind, trying too hard to hit good golf shot and didn’t do the things that we work on, really. So that was just something that we spoke about.”

(Text: European Tour Press Release)

Categories
European Tour

McIlroy off to a perfect start in Abu Dhabi

McIlroy is trying for his first win in Abu Dhabi (Image: Getty)

Round One Report:

Rory McIlroy got his season off to the perfect start as the Northern Irishman carded a stunning eight under 64 in the opening round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, the first Rolex Series event of the 2021 Race to Dubai.

The four-time Major winner is still chasing his maiden victory at the prestigious tournament, despite a remarkable record which includes four runner-up finishes, three third place finishes, a top five and a top 15. But his opening 64 was his lowest ever round in 11 appearances at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

McIlroy carded two birdies in the opening three holes, having teed off at the par five tenth which he duly birdied, and coasted to six more in a flawless round which left him one stroke clear at the top.

McIlroy: ” I knew 65 is the best I’ve shot here and I’ve shot it a few times, so I thought let’s try to go one better on the next nine and I was able to do that. Maybe played slightly better on our front nine, but I holed some really nice putts coming in for birdie s. It was obviously a lovely way to start the year.

Leading the chasing pack was three-time Rolex Series winner Tyrrell Hatton, who signed for a seven under 65 which included a pair of eagles in his first nine holes – opening his account for the season with a three at the tenth before picking up another eagle at the ninth.

Paraguay’s Fabrizio Zanotti was a shot further back on six under, while Frenchman Romain Langasque and Rafa Cabrera-Bello of Spain shared fifth place on five under. Defending champion and reigning Race to Dubai champion Lee Westwood opened with a three under 69.

Play was suspended due to darkness with round one set to restart at 7:40am local time.

(Text: European Tour Press Release)

Categories
International

Quinta Do Lago 2021 Breaks Offer Golfers the Benefits of Nature

Many of us are looking forward to the prospect of travelling again this year (Image: Getty)

Enjoy savings of 21% on stays of two nights or more

After all the stresses of the Covid pandemic, who isn’t dreaming of their next summer holiday and Quinta do Lago is teeing up a treat for golfers and families in 2021, including savings of 21 per cent on breaks of two nights or more at the luxury Portuguese resort this year.

Europe’s premier golf, leisure and lifestyle family resort is offering an array of discounts when staying at its boutique The Magnolia Hotel over the coming months including Easter and summer, with reductions of more than a fifth on short-term stays.

Savings of up to 30 per cent on holidays of two weeks or more are also available while guests will have complete peace of mind when they book, with Quinta do Lago’s ‘Flexi-booking’ option offering guests the opportunity to change their booking to another date within a 12-month period without any charge.

Taking time out to relax in natural surroundings has never been more important following an extended period of lockdowns. Nestled within the privacy and security of the Algarve’s Ria Formosa Nature Reserve, Quinta do Lago is the ideal place to unwind, with its five-star facilities including three 18-hole championship golf courses, a premier sports hub, a golden sandy beach and a plethora of first-class bars and restaurants.

The resort’s relaxed vibe extends to its boutique Magnolia Hotel, with facilities including a saltwater pool, colourful restaurant and cocktail bar, cinema, gym and spa, plus a schedule of iconic poolside events to keep guests of all ages entertained.

Bed-and-breakfast breaks of two nights or more start from €77 per night for a double room while the resort’s extended holiday packages, which are perfect for families and are bookable throughout 2021 except July and August, cost from €68 per night staying in one of The Magnolia Hotel’s vintage-cabin style cottages.

A range of attractive three, five and seven-night golf stay-and-play packages are also available at the Magnolia Hotel, which also feature the resort’s ‘Flexi-booking’ option.

Located just 15 minutes away from Faro airport, Quinta do Lago is regarded as Europe’s premier golf and lifestyle resort and was one of the first to be awarded Clean & Safe approval by the Portugal Tourist Board after the Covid-19 lockdown.

The award-winning venue boasts a combination of world-class golf and lifestyle facilities and has invested a further €7m in a recent golf-course improvement programme, including a major overhaul of its famous South Course and the reopening of its main golf clubhouse following a modern and sophisticated makeover.

As well as three renowned golf courses – the North, South and Laranjal – and outstanding practice facilities, guests can stay in shape at The Campus, a world-class sports hub designed for professionals and amateurs alike to keep fit.

Complementing the facilities is a choice of 12 first-class bars and restaurants that deliver a range of delicious world cuisines, including the acclaimed Bovino Steakhouse and recently-opened Dano’s Sports Bar & Restaurant, and accommodation at the boutique The Magnolia Hotel.

For more information about Quinta do Lago’s 2021 offer and to book, go to https://www.themagnoliahotelqdl.com/special-offers/21-off-for-2021

www.quintadolago.com

(Text: Azalea Group Press Release)

Categories
LPGA Tour

Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions presented by Insurance Office of America

Gaby Lopez tees off at the final round of the 2020 KPMG Women's PGA Championship (Source: Getty)
Gaby Lopez tees off at the final round of the 2020 KPMG Women's PGA Championship (Source: Getty)

GABY LOPEZ OUT TO DEFEND TITLE AT #DIAMONDLPGA

At the 2020 Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions, Gaby Lopez knocked in a 25-foot birdie putt on the seventh playoff hole to capture her second career LPGA Tour victory. After Inbee Park fell out of the playoff with a bogey on the third hole, Lopez and Nasa Hataoka needed four more holes to decide the victor, waiting overnight to Lopez to capture the win on a chilly Monday morning.  

One year later, the Mexico City native cannot help but have a smile on her face as she looks back to her win, with big hopes of doing it all over again.

“It’s very special to me to be able to come back to Orlando, to be able to come back and share with the celebrities,” said Lopez, who will tee off No. 1 at 9:50 a.m. alongside World Golf Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam and two-time DRTOC celebrity winner and MLB Hall of Famer John Smoltz. “I think we have an amazing opportunity to learn from huge minds that we don’t get to ever speak to directly this often.”

This year, Lopez comes to Central Florida in perhaps the best shape of her life. It is a marked difference from 2020, where Lopez competed in the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions battling through chronic neck pain.

“I feel probably the strongest I’ve ever felt in my career, so that’s probably the biggest advantage in me,” said Lopez, who also contracted COVID-19 in July 2020. “So to me, that has been tremendous. To have this year healthy, stronger, and a little faster in my club swing I think is such a blessing as well.”

SOPHIA POPOV A BRIGHT STAR IN A CELEBRITY FIELD

It’s her kind of event. Not only has Sophia Popov never met a stranger, she is the kind of magnetic media starlet who causes other celebrities to stop and pay attention. At the practice area at the Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club on Wednesday, Popov putted for just under an hour, greeting a plethora of MLB stars as if they were old friends, even though she quite clearly had no idea who they were. Then she waited in front of a Golf Channel camera for what seemed like an eternity to do a Golf Today hit with Shane Bacon and Damon Hack. She aced it like a veteran television host, which she has been in her native Germany at various times in her career

Then there was practice, a pretty intense session next to former NBA great Grant Hill who seemed far more starstruck and intimidated by Popov than she did by anything going on around her. Even Larry the Cable Guy riding his pitching wedge like a hobby horse up and down the range couldn’t rattle the 2020 AIG Women’s Open champion. One big infectious smile and she was back at it.

AIG noticed. The multinational insurance company is a Popov sponsor now. Others are on the way.

Personality makes up a big part of her appeal. As she joked in her Wednesday press conference with the media (after the practice and other obligations), “Yeah, so as you can tell, I’m a really anti-social person. I don’t talk a lot at all.” Another huge smile and laugh, the kind that makes you lean in. “No, I talk a lot as it is in regular tournament play – sorry to all my fellow competitors out there; beware.”

BROOKE HENDERSON AIMING TO START NEW WINNING STREAK

Looking purely at the statistics, the Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club Orlando seems to be the perfect set-up for Canadian superstar Brooke Henderson. The nine-time LPGA Tour winner is a combined -20 here over the last two seasons. And while her low scores haven’t yet translated to victory (T4 in 2020 and T6 in 2019), she still loves it when she steps foot on the property.

“It’s just a really great week. It’s a great golf course,” said Henderson. “Just getting to know some of the celebrities and playing with them, they’re really great golfers. It’s just a great way to start the season.”

The 23-year-old has lots to be excited about in her seventh year on Tour, one that will hopefully be more normal when compared to 2020. Henderson has historically played in as many events as she possibly could, absolutely relishing the opportunity to compete. The COVID-19 pandemic altered her plans in 2020, leading her to skip more events than she would have liked. It also ended her streak of consecutive seasons with a win at five. So starting a new winning streak? That’s one of her big priorities for 2021.

“It was a really huge change for me, normally playing almost 30 events to only play 10,” said Henderson. “I’ve sat down with my dad, who is also my coach, and looked through the schedule. It’s hard to say right now, especially with COVID. Hopefully I’ll be able to compete in many more tournaments and hopefully get back on to my winning streak.

(Text: LPGA Press Release)

Categories
European Tour

McIlroy aiming to get the job done in Abu Dhabi

Rory McIlory begins his 2021 season with high ambitions. (Photo: Getty)

Four-time Major Champion Rory McIlroy hopes to continue his strong run of form at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship as he starts his 2021 season at the first Rolex Series event of the year.

In ten appearances  the Northern Irishman has finished runner-up three times and third on three further occasions, admitting that he has done “everything but win” around Abu Dhabi Golf Club. The 31-year-old is no stranger to success in the Middle East, claiming four of his 14 European Tour titles in the United Arab Emirates as well as winning the Race to Dubai three times.

McIlroy will begin his campaign in the company of defending champion and reigning European Number One Lee Westwood, and  World Number Three Justin Thomas. The 2017 US PGA Championship winner admits he has been an avid viewer of the tournament in the past as he prepares to make his first appearance in the Middle East.

Former champion Tommy Fleetwood will go in search of a third win in the space of five years at this event. After a near three and a half year wait for his second European Tour title, Fleetwood won the 2017 edition which he then successfully defended the following year. In 2020, he finished runner-up to Westwood.

Rory McIlroy: “It’s good to be back. I started my season in Abu Dhabi from 2008 to 2018 and it’s worked well for me. It’s a golf course I’ve done well at and played well on. I’ve done everything but win here and yeah, I’ll try again and see if I can get the job done.

“I enjoy playing in the desert, this style of golf. Obviously last year was a different year and I really didn’t travel back over this part of the world and play at all. But now with things, it’s still obviously not where we want it to be, but I think we know a little bit more about what’s going on in terms of how the virus is and how it affects you or how it doesn’t affect you in many cases and feel a little more comfortable traveling.

“It’s great to be out here and playing. It’s a great way to start the year. It’s a big event. Got some great players here. Obviously J.T. has made the trip over, as well. The start of our Ryder Cup points starting again, so a lot of guys will want to start well and get themselves off to a fast start in regards to that, too.”

Justin Thomas: “I’m very excited. This is a tournament and a place that I’ve watched on TV many times back home and it’s an unbelievable place. You know, it’s even nicer being on a Troon property for me, a partner that I have and I’m very close with, and it’s an unbelievable course. It’s in immaculate shape.

“It definitely is going to help driving it well. It seems like a course that if you’re driving the ball well, you have the opportunity to make a lot of birdies. The greens are pretty soft and they are in very good shape to where if you put the ball in the right place on the greens, you can make a lot of putts and really go low. That’s kind of been our priority here this week is just figuring out lines, figuring out shots and what I want to hit off the tees.”

Tommy Fleetwood: “I think it’s a great way to start the year. Everybody seems to like coming out to the Middle East just after Christmas and New Year, do some practise, and you come out here and you have some great tournaments to start the year.

“It was never really a course that gave me much pleasure, really. I missed a lot of cuts to start off with and all of the sudden in 2017, things kind of turned around and I started hitting good golf shots around the golf course. I’ve been on a lovely run in this event.”

Text: European Tour Press Release

Categories
Brands

Wilson Announces its Strongest Tour Line-up for 2021

Wilson announces what's in store for their brand in 2021 (Image: Getty)

European Ryder Cup Captain & Major winners in biggest line-up for over a decade

Wilson Golf, the brand with more Major wins with its irons than any other, has announced its strongest Advisory Staff line-up in more than a decade, with three Major winners and several Tour champions playing its latest clubs on a global basis this season.

In total, they boast no fewer than 42 victories between them on the European and PGA Tours.

Three-time Major champion Padraig Harrington, who is set to lead Europe into Ryder Cup battle at Whistling Straits in September, has signed another multi-year deal with Wilson – making it his 23rd year with the brand and one of the game’s longest running partnerships.
Paul Lawrie, the last Scotsman to win The Open Championship in 1999, also continues his long association with Wilson. He is the first Advisory Staff member to switch to the advanced 4-piece Urethane Staff Model ball, which he will play on the PGA Champions and Legends Tours.

Gary Woodland, who captured the US Open title shortly after signing with the brand in 2019, will be playing and promoting Wilson on the PGA Tour with the irons he made famous at
Pebble Beach.

The increasing Wilson presence on the European Tour sees six other players signed to multi-year deals. They include 2018 Nordea Masters Champion Paul Waring, who has played Wilson clubs since 2015 and rose to a career high 66th in the world rankings last year.
Frenchman Benjamin Hebert joined Wilson in 2019 and had a breakthrough season, rising to a world ranking of 89. Last year, he finished T3 in the ISPS Handa UK Championship and earned a top-20 finish in his first WGC event in Mexico.

Swede Joakim Lagergren, a winner during his rookie season with Wilson in 2018, has renewed his contract along with Scotland’s David Law, who also won during his debut season with Wilson clubs at the ISPS Handa Vic Open in Australia in 2019.

Following impressive performances during the 2020 season, Englishmen Richard Mansell and Jack Senior will also continue to play Wilson clubs. Mansell joined Wilson straight from U.S. College and secured a place in the top tier of European golf after finishing fourth on the Challenge Tour Order of Merit. Former Walker Cup player Senior had four top-20 finishes on the European Tour last year after earning his card the year before.

Playing Wilson clubs alongside Gary Woodland on the PGA Tour once again will be Brendan Steele, Kevin Streelman and Kevin Tway, using a mixture of Staff Model irons and wedges carried in the distinctive Wilson red Tour bag.

(Text: Wilson Golf Press Release)