Category: European Tour

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McIlroy commits to Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic 2022

Rory McIlroy commits to Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic.(Getty Images)

Four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy is returning to Emirates Golf Club in January 2022 in a bid to win his third Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic title. McIlroy will be looking to add to his impressive record in Dubai. This will be the second Rolex Series event of the 2022 DP World Tour season.

The Northern Irishman returns at the event for the first time since 2018. Then, he came close to adding to the titles he won in 2009 and 2015. McIlroy finished just one shot behind winner Li Haotong. Rory has an enviable record over the Majlis Course with a further six top-ten finishes in 11 previous appearances.

The 32-year-old has enjoyed many memorable moments in Dubai throughout his illustrious career, winning the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in 2012 and 2015. Furthermore, he topped the season-long DP World Rankings three times – in 2012, 2014 and 2015.

McIlroy adds further star power to an elite field at the 2022 Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic, which includes World Number Two and newly-crowned DP World Rankings winner Collin Morikawa. Also, fellow Major winner and 2017 Dubai Desert Classic winner Sergio Garcia, and defending champion Paul Casey.

About the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic

Slync.io, the logistics technology provider that is revolutionising the way global logistics works, will debut its new title partnership of the iconic event in 2022. This is also the first year the Dubai Desert Classic will climb up to Rolex Series status. Therefore, the event becomes part of the DP World Tour’s premium series of events.

The 2022 Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic will be the second of back-to-back Rolex Series events in the region, following the season-opener in Abu Dhabi. These tournaments in January form part of the traditional ‘Desert Swing’ and attract the sport’s leading players.

“I’m looking forward to getting back to Emirates Golf Club for the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic in 2022.” – McIlroy.

“I have so many wonderful memories from playing in Dubai over the years, and particularly over the Majlis Course. I’ve been able to win twice there. I look forward to coming back to Dubai and aiming to get my hands on that incredible trophy again.”

“As a fan of golf, it’s important that we bring a field that other fans will enjoy.” – Chris Kirchner, Chairman and CEO of Slync.io stated. “Rory is one of my favourite players. I’m thrilled to have him as part of the inaugural title partnership for Slync.io.”

Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic Executive Board welcome their new star McIlroy

Simon Corkill, Executive Tournament Director, Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic, added: “The addition of Rory McIlroy to an already strong field emphasises the pedigree of this golf tournament. As one of the most talented golfers in the world, he brings plenty of energy and excitement to the historic event. We look forward to seeing Rory battle it out with Collin Morikawa, Sergio Garcia, Paul Casey and others in a truly world-class field at this year’s event.”

Organisers confirmed that general entry to the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic will be free to all over the four days. Corkill continued: “With the UAE set to celebrate its Golden Jubilee… We are delighted to announce that entry will be free for everyone over the duration of the tournament.”

“We made the decision in recognition of this special moment in the UAE’s history. While also giving something back to sports fans near and far. What better way to celebrate than through a truly global sporting event which everyone can enjoy.”

A little bit of history about it…

Founded in 1989, some of golf’s greatest names won the event. Including Major Champions Seve Ballesteros, Ernie Els, Fred Couples, and Jose Maria Olazábal. Also, Mark O’Meara, Tiger Woods, Henrik Stenson, Rory McIlroy, Danny Willett, Sergio Garcia and Bryson DeChambeau.

The winner’s circle over the past 32 years has also featured Ryder Cup stars. Mark James, the inaugural champion in 1989, Eamonn Darcy, Colin Montgomerie, David Howell, Thomas Bjørn, Miguel Angel Jiménez, Rafa Cabrera Bello and Stephen Gallacher.

The tournament is now set for an even brighter future with the support of Slync.io and Rolex.

Grab your tickets to the event today at www.slyncdubaidesertclassic.com

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European Tour

JOINT STATEMENT FROM THE SUNSHINE TOUR AND THE DP WORLD TOUR

The DP World Tour in South Africa (Photo: Getty)
The DP World Tour in South Africa (Photo: Getty)

The Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour today announced changes to the current Summer Swing of co-sanctioned tournaments in South Africa as a result of the country being placed on the travel red list of several countries following concerns around a new COVID-19 variant, and the effect this will have on the participation of professional golfers.

The Joburg Open, currently being played at Randpark Golf Club, will go ahead as planned and will finish on Sunday as scheduled as a full co-sanctioned tournament between the two tours.

The South African Open Championship, set to be played at the Gary Player Country Club at Sun City from 2-5 December, will also still be played as scheduled. However, it will go ahead as a solely Sunshine Tour event with a prize fund of US$500 000.

The Alfred Dunhill Championship, which was scheduled to be played at Leopard Creek Country Club from 9-12 December, has after lengthy consultations with Alfred Dunhill, unfortunately been cancelled due to the adverse effect the travel restrictions will have on the field.

(Text: DP World Tour)

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European Tour

New ISPS HANDA – CHAMPIONSHIP becomes first DP World Tour Event in Japan

The ISPS HANDA - Championship is going to be on the PGM Ishioka Golf Club. (Photo: DP World Tour)

The tournament – which will be played at PGM Ishioka Golf Club in Omitama from April 21-24, 2022 – will be the first regular tournament in history to be co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and the Japan Golf Tour. Previously, the only event on Japanese soil to feature on the DP World Tour schedule was the Olympic Men’s Golf Competition at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Saitama last summer.

The vision of the ISPS HANDA-Championship

The 2022 ISPS HANDA – CHAMPIONSHIP will have a US$2 million prize fund and is the first event in a three-year agreement. It also deepens the European Tour group’s long-standing relationship with ISPS HANDA, the organisation founded by Japanese philanthropist Dr Haruhisa Handa in the belief that sport has the power to inspire, transform, and unite people and communities across social, racial and socio-economic barriers.

Keith Pelley, European Tour group Chief Executive, said: “The DP World Tour is a global tour and, as a result, we relish opportunities such as this to break new ground; in the process creating exciting golf tournaments for our fans worldwide and wonderful opportunities for our players and stakeholders alike. We recognise the continued vision and commitment of Dr Handa himself and thank everyone at ISPS HANDA for once again partnering with us, while we also welcome our new partners at the Japan Golf Tour. The ISPS HANDA Vic Open in Australia was the first ever tournament for men and women with an equal purse, a commitment to equality that we furthered with the ISPS HANDA World Invitational in Northern Ireland this year, which, co-sanctioned between the DP World Tour, LPGA, and Ladies European Tour, not only offered equal prize money to both men and women, but also hosted a disability golf tournament in tandem.”

Founder and Chairman of ISPS HANDA is proud and looking forward

Dr Haruhisa Handa, Founder and Chairman of ISPS HANDA, said: “ISPS HANDA is honoured and proud to be title sponsor of the first ever DP World Tour and Japan Golf Tour co-sanctioned event, and my sincere thanks go to the CEO of the European Tour group, Keith Pelley, and his team, and also to Chairman Isao Aoki and his team at the JGTO. ISPS HANDA has deepened its partnership with many tours around the world, but our relationship with the DP World Tour has become special in that we share the passion of using the power of sport in pioneering many ground breaking initiatives. We are excited to bring this partnership now to Japan, where we feel that our shared goals and visions in the power of sport will make a difference in my own country and beyond.”

Isao Aoki sees a great opportunity for the Japanese golf

Isao Aoki, Chairman, Japan Golf Tour Organization, said: “I am very happy that we will be able to hold a co-sanctioned tournament with the DP World Tour in April 2022, which was our long-cherished desire, and we can’t wait to hold it from now on. I am deeply grateful to the International Sports Promotion Society for their full support of the tournament. This is the first time a tournament which is co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour has been held on Japanese soil, which the JGTO, all of our stakeholders, and golf fans in Japan have been waiting for. I am sure that the skill of the players who compete on the DP World Tour will not only attract Japanese golf fans but also stimulate the members of the Japan Golf Tour. On the other hand, the members of the Japan Golf Tour will have a great opportunity to perform in front of the world with this tournament as a foothold, and I’m sure our members will take advantage of this opportunity as much as possible. We are making various preparations for this great event in six months – please stay tuned.”

(Text: DP World Tour)

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Weekend Recap: Scandinavians left their footprint at the European Tour Grand Final.

Alexander Bjork of Sweden with his caddie Erik Frost at the 12th hole during Day Four of The DP World Tour Championship 2021(Getty)

PGA Tour: RSM Classic

The RSM Classic took place in Georgia, at the Sea Island Seaside Course. The tournament ended on Sunday, 21st of November 2021. The RSM is part of the PGA Tour in the season 2022. All players competed for a total prize money of 7,2 Mio. US-Dollar.

Justin Rose (T12)

As it was mentioned in the previews, the appearance of European Tour players in the PGA event is less notorious that in the previous tournaments. The Scandinavian were equally unlucky and neither one of them four made the cut last weekend at the RMS Classic. However, they have one last opportunity to make up for it next weekend at the Hero World Challenge, hosted by Tiger Woods.

PGA Tour RSM Classic
Course Sea Island Seaside Course Georgia, USA
Prize Money $7,200,000
Champion Talor Gooch
Scandinavian players Henrik Norlander(CUT), Alex Noren(CUT), Ludvig Aberg(CUT), Jonas Blixt(CUT)

LPGA Tour: CME Group Tour Championship

The LPGA is over! The CME Group Tour Championship meant the end of the season for the women. Tiburon Golf Club – Gold Course hosted the last event of the LPGA calendar for the year. The season reached its end, and it is time to reconnect from the scratch to a better season next year.

From Sweden, Nordqvistand together with Nanna Koerstz Madsen, from Denmark finished with a total of 14-under par to tie at T12. Madelene Sagström closed the LPGA season with a total of 11-under par to finish T22. The women kept the excitement throughout the weekend. Unluckly, the last event wasn’t the best of the year for the Scandinavian. “Well, I’m just really happy with my season, being in contention, really in contention down 18, so I’ve learned a lot that year that I can take on to next year..” – Madsen explains.

LPGA Tour CME Group Tour Championship
Course Tiburon Golf Club – Gold Course
Prize Money $5,000,000
Champion Jin Young Ko
Scandinavian players Anna Nordqvistand(T12), Nanna Koerstz Madsen(T12), Madelene Sagström(T22), Matilda Castren(T55)

European Tour: DP World Tour Championship

It’s a wrap! The European Tour celebrated the Race to Dubai Grand Final at the georgeous golf course of Jumeirah Golf Estates – Earth Course, in Dubai. This time, only the Top 50 of the Race to Dubai Rankings competed at the Final.

Alexander Björk (T2)

The Swedishman Alexander Björk finished T2, while Collin Morikawa made history becoming the first American to win the European Tour’s season-long contest. Björk was in a good possible winning position coming into the last day. However, the fourth round didn’t go with his will. The Swedish golfer missed some putts that placed him 3 shots behind the leader at the end.

Nicolai Hojgaard (T4) & Joachim B. Hansen (T9)

Next from Denmark on the leaderboard was Nicolai Hojgaard. With rounds of (68-71-69-67), Hojgaard finished T4, only 4 shots from the leader. After a second round of 1-under par, the Danish golfer caught up the pace and played some good consistent golf during the last two days. His mate, Joachim Hansen finished with a round of even-par, a little harmful to his final position, but that’s golf. What matters the most is that both of the Danish golfers are playing some solid golf, and now it is time to reconnect and set the new goals for next season.

EU Tour DP World Tour Championship
Course Jumeirah Golf Estates – Earth Course Dubai, UAE
Prize Money $9,000,000
Champion Collin Morikawa
Scandinavian players Alexander Björk(T2), Nicolai Hojgaard(T4), Joachim B. Hansen(T9), Jeff Winther(T21), Rasmus Højgaard(T27), Joakim Lagergren(T27), Tapio Pulkkanen(T52)

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British Weekend Recap: Matt Fitzpatrick and Charley Hull gave it all at the European and LPGA Tour.

Matthew Fitzpatrick of England and his caddie Billy Foster walk off the 18th green during Day Four of The DP World Tour Championship 2021(Getty)

PGA Tour: RSM Classic

The RSM Classic took place in Georgia, at the Sea Island Seaside Course. The tournament ended on Sunday, 21st of November 2021. The RSM is part of the PGA Tour in the season 2022. All players competing for a total prize money of 7,2 Mio. US-Dollar.

Justin Rose (T12)

As it was mentioned in the previews, the appearance of European Tour players in the PGA event is less notorious that in the previous tournaments. Justin Rose started off strong, shooting a first round of 5-under par at the RMS Classic.

Rose completed a second day free of bogeys, but two birdies were not enough to climb in the leaderboard as much as he expected. After the third round, Justin Rose fell some positions. However, that did not stop the Englishman to give it all during the last day, when Rose made a comeback with 5-under par to finish T12.

Aaron Rai (T16)

Aaron Rai played four consistent rounds of (68-67-68-68) for a tota of 11-under par, only one stroke behind Justin Rose. Nevertheless, golf is the way it is, and one shot makes a big difference. Rai finished the RMS Classic in a T16 position.

David Skinns (T29)

Our third best golfer from England was David Skinns. Skinns began with a top free-bogey round of 6-under par, and followed up with a good second day of 3-under par. The last two rounds did not come along well and Skinns dropped some positions in the leaderboard. The Englishman finished T29 with a total of -8.

Luke Donald and Callum Tarren did not make the cut last weekend. They have one last opportunity to make up for it next weekend at the Hero World Challenge, hosted by Tiger Woods.

PGA Tour RSM Classic
Course Sea Island Seaside Course Georgia, USA
Prize Money $7,200,000
Champion Talor Gooch
English players Luke Donald, Callum Tarren, David Skinns, Matt Wallace, Justin Rose, Aaron Rai

LPGA Tour: CME Group Tour Championship

The LPGA is over! The CME Group Tour Championship meant the end of the season for the women. Tiburon Golf Club – Gold Course hosted the last event of the LPGA calendar for the year.

Charley Hull (T15)

Our English golfers kept the excitement throughout the weekend. When the hard work was not showing up as it should, Charley Hull made a 180 degree turn. Hull was even-par after the second round, but giving up was never an option. The English lady re-emerged to finish T15 with an incredible last round of 8-under par, eagle included. Now, it is time to have some rest and set the goals for the upcoming year. “Just sometimes struggle in my rounds, but, yeah, good form going on to next year.” – Hull explains.

Georgia Hall (T24)

On the other hand, Georgia Hall struggled to save the pars. Hall finished T24 with a total of 10-under par. Hall sinked some middle-long putts for birdies, but yet that was not enough to catch up with the top leaderboard. From the amount of bogeys, her long game was not at its finest, and the English golfer found some difficulties to make up & down successfully. The season reached its end, and it is time to reconnect from the scratch to a better season next year.

LPGA Tour CME Group Tour Championship
Course Tiburon Golf Club – Gold Course
Prize Money $5,000,000
Champion Jin Young Ko
English players Georgia Hall, Charley Hull

European Tour: DP World Tour Championship

It’s a wrap! The European Tour celebrated the Race to Dubai Grand Final at the georgeous golf course of Jumeirah Golf Estates – Earth Course, in Dubai. This time, only the Top 50 of the Race to Dubai Rankings competed at the Final.

Matt Fitzpatrick (T2)

The Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick finished T2, while Collin Morikawa made history becoming the first American to win the European Tour’s season-long contest. Fitzpatrick tied the last round with Morikawa with a round of 6-under par. Unlucky to the Englishman, that was not enough to defend Champion, and Fitzpatrick stayed 3 shots behind the leader at the end. ” I was really pleased with the way I played and it was nice to make some putts compared to the first couple days.” – Fitzpatrick explains.

Ian Poulter (T6)

Next from England on the leaderboard was Ian Poulter. With a total of 12-under par, Poulter finished T6, only 5 shots from the leader. After an opening round of 1-over par, the English golfer caught up the pace and played some good consistent golf during the last three days.

Other English players within Top 20

Paul Casey and Sam Horsfield tied at T9 with a total of 11-under par. Neither one of them had it easy last weekend, but they fought like warriors. Nevertheless, Casey played very consistent, while Horsfield dropped some positions after the last day. Marcus Armitage and Tyrrell Hatton struggled to hole in more putts, and finished T16 with a total of 9-under par.

EU Tour DP World Tour Championship
Course Jumeirah Golf Estates – Earth Course Dubai, UAE
Prize Money $9,000,000
Champion Collin Morikawa
English players James Morrison, Sam Horsfield, Marcus Armitage, Ian Poulter, Danny Willett, Laurie Canter, Tommy Fleetwood, Richard Bland, Paul Casey, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton

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European Tour Ladies Tours Live LPGA Tour PGA Tour Top Tours

Scandinavians are fighting until the end. Last call for the LPGA and European Tour Finals.

Alexander Bjork of Sweden plays his tee shot to the 1st hole during Day One of The DP World Tour Championship 2021 (Getty Images)

PGA Tour: RSM Classic

The RSM Classic is being played in Georgia, at the Sea Island Seaside Course. The tournament starts on Thursday, 18th of November and ends on Sunday, 21st of November 2021. The RSM is part of the PGA Tour in the season 2022. All players competing for a total prize money of 7,2 Mio. US-Dollar.

This weekend, many of the players that classified between the Top 50 of the Race to Dubai Rankings will be playing in Dubai for the Final. Therefore, the appearance of European Tour players in the PGA event is less notorious that in the previous tournaments.

The Scandinavians usually playing at a disadvantage because they are less, and therefore the odds to win also decrease. The RMS Classic begun in 2010, and it is always an American golfer who puts the crown one year after year ever since, except for 2017, when Canadian Mackenzie Hughes overcame them. Maybe this year, in 2021 the Scandinavian players break with the routine and cross with the title to the other side of the ocean. Henrik Norlander will tee off at 9:40am (Local Time) from the first tee, while his mate Alex Noren will simultaneously start the first round from the 10th tee box.

PGA Tour RSM Classic
Course Sea Island Seaside Course Georgia, USA
Prize Money $7,200,000
Defending Champion Robert Streb
Scandinavian players Henrik Norlander, Alex Noren, Ludvig Aberg, Jonas Blixt

LPGA Tour: CME Group Tour Championship

The LPGA is wrapping up the season! The Ladies will tee off one last time for this season on Thursday Nov. 18th at the CME Group Tour Championship. Tiburon Golf Club – Gold Course will serve as venue this weekend. The tournament finishes on Sunday, 21st of November 2021. The Championship is part of the LPGA Tour in the season 2021.

All players competing for a total prize money of 5 Mio. US-Dollar. This is the third highest price compensation after the U.S Open and the AIG Women’s Open. The difference from the men’s tours is still very large, but hopefully it narrows down in the upcoming years.

From Finland, Matilda Castren goes solo, representing the blue and white of her flag. Anna Nordqvistand, Madelene Sagström,both from Sweden are bringing the highest participation rate from Scandinavian. Denmark also got lucky, since Nanna Koerstz Madsen will fight to climb up some positions this weekend. Madsen ranks 38th on the CME Rankings, but she is only 218pts far behind from finishing within the Top 30. Although the Scandinavian ladies rank in the CME Rankings too far behind the leader Jin Young Ko, the four of them plan the weekend knowing that they have nothing to lose and giving up is never an option.

LPGA Tour CME Group Tour Championship
Course Tiburon Golf Club – Gold Course
Prize Money $5,000,000
Defending Champion Jin Young Ko
Scandinavian players Matilda Castren(FIN), Anna Nordqvistand(SWE), Madelene Sagström(SWE), Nanna Koerstz Madsen(DEN)

European Tour: DP World Tour Championship

This upcoming weekend, the European Tour celebrates the Race to Dubai Grand Final at the georgeous golf course of Jumeirah Golf Estates – Earth Course, in Dubai. This time, only the Top 50 of the Race to Dubai Rankings will compete at the Final.

Norway is missing its best asset playing the European Tour Grand Final, Viktor Hovland. The first Scandinavian player that we can spot on the Race to Dubai Rankings is the Danish golfer Nicolai Hojgaard. Hojgaard ranks 16th, but although the situation is not ideal for any of them, nothing holds them from trying their best to win on Sunday and to add such a honor to their careers and countries, including also Finland and Sweden.

EU Tour DP World Tour Championship
Course Jumeirah Golf Estates – Earth Course Dubai, UAE
Prize Money $9,000,000
Defending Champion Matt Fitzpatrick
Scandinavian players Joachim B. Hansen(DEN), Tapio Pulkkanen(FIN), Alexander Björk(SWE), Jeff Winther(DEN), Rasmus Højgaard(DEN), Joakim Lagergren(SWE), Nicolai Hojgaard(DEN),

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European Tour Live LPGA Tour PGA Tour

The LPGA and European Tour seasons are ending – Fitzpatrick is defending Champion at the Grand Final

Matt Fitzpatrick of England speaks at a virtual press conference during the Pro-Am at The DP World Tour Championship(Getty Images)

PGA Tour: RSM Classic

The RSM Classic is being played in Georgia, at the Sea Island Seaside Course. The tournament starts on Thursday, 18th of November and ends on Sunday, 21st of November 2021. The RSM is part of the PGA Tour in the season 2022. All players competing for a total prize money of 7,2 Mio. US-Dollar.

This weekend, many of the players that classified between the Top 50 of the Race to Dubai Rankings will be playing in Dubai for the Final. Therefore, the appearance of European Tour players in the PGA event is less notorious that in the previous tournaments.

The RMS Classic was first celebrated in 2010, and the winner crown goes to an American golfer year after year ever since, except for 2017, when Canadian Mackenzie Hughes took the trophy home. Maybe this year, in 2021 the English players break with the routine and cross with the title to the other side of the ocean. David Skinns will tee off at 10:30am (Local Time) from the first tee, while his mate Callum Tarren will simultaneously start the first round from the 10th tee box.

PGA Tour RSM Classic
Course Sea Island Seaside Course Georgia, USA
Prize Money $7,200,000
Defending Champion Robert Streb
English players Luke Donald, Callum Tarren, David Skinns, Matt Wallace, Justin Rose, Aaron Rai

LPGA Tour: CME Group Tour Championship

The LPGA is wrapping up the season! The Ladies will tee off one last time for this season on Thursday Nov. 18th at the CME Group Tour Championship. Tiburon Golf Club – Gold Course will serve as venue this weekend. The tournament finishes on Sunday, 21st of November 2021. The Championship is part of the LPGA Tour in the season 2021.

All players competing for a total prize money of 5 Mio. US-Dollar. This is the third highest price compensation after the U.S Open and the AIG Women’s Open. The difference from the men’s tours is still very large, but hopefully it narrows down in the upcoming years.

There are two golfers represetning England, Georgia Hall and Charley Hull. Hall makes the honors teeing off in the first group at 07:27 AM (Local Time). Charley Hull goes off one hour after, at 08:51 AM. Although they are ranked in the CME Rankings too far behind the leader Jin Young Ko, the two Englishwomen plan the weekend knowing that they have nothing to lose and giving up is never an option.

LPGA Tour CME Group Tour Championship
Course Tiburon Golf Club – Gold Course
Prize Money $5,000,000
Defending Champion Jin Young Ko
English players Georgia Hall, Charley Hull


Charley Gilmore is ready to hit some bombs.

European Tour: DP World Tour Championship

This upcoming weekend, the European Tour celebrates the Race to Dubai Grand Final at the georgeous golf course of Jumeirah Golf Estates – Earth Course, in Dubai. This time, only the Top 50 of the Race to Dubai Rankings will compete at the Final.

The Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick is defenfing Champion, while Collin Morikawa and Billy Horschel seek to become the first Aemrican to become winner of the European Tour’s season-long contest.
Paul Casey is currently ranked 6th, followed up by his mate Richard Bland. The situation is not ideal for them, but there is nothing that will hold them from trying their best to win on Sunday and to add such a honor to their careers.

Fitzpatrick could be the only golfer to win this Final in three different occasions, since he previously conquered the Dubai crown back in 2016 and 2020. The English golfer feels confident with his game, and says that the course favors the best long irons hitters, which is a strengh of him. Nevertheless, it would be silly to forget how golf works, and that any of these players only need one great week to bring the victory home.

EU Tour DP World Tour Championship
Course Jumeirah Golf Estates – Earth Course Dubai, UAE
Prize Money $9,000,000
Defending Champion Matt Fitzpatrick
English players James Morrison, Sam Horsfield, Marcus Armitage, Ian Poulter, Danny Willett, Laurie Canter, Tommy Fleetwood, Richard Bland, Paul Casey, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton

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European Tour Live

The European Tour Final has arrived – Race to Dubai Preview

Matt Fitzpatrick of England plays his tee shot at the 9th hole during the Pro-Am at The DP World Tour Championship.(Getty Images)

The DP World Tour Championship, Dubai is the climax of the European Tour – Race to Dubai. The Final will take place at the Earth Course, Jumeirah Golf Estates – Dubai, UAE. Over a hundred of the best European Tour players have been fighting like warriors throughout the season.

However, from Nov. 18th-21st of 2021, only the Top 50 European Tour players will compete for the ultimate golden brooch. The money price tag amounts to $9 million, one of the highest rewards of the year. Also, the weather conditions will be warm all weekend, but not too hot that shocks our British and Scandinavian pros. The participants will embrace the sun to stay dry and tan all throughout the week.

Defending Champion: Matt Fitzpatrick (ENG)

The eyes are on the Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick, because he defends Champion. Fitzpatrick is currently 6th in the Race to Dubai Ranking, and 28th in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). He sums up a total of 7 victories in the Tour, and looking forward to bringing home the 8th trophy.

Furthermore, Matt Fitzpatrick prepares the strategy knowing that he could become the only golfer to win the event three times: “Why it suits me is because there’s a few more long irons, and apparently on paper I’m a bit better with my long irons than my mid irons and short irons.” – Fitzpatrick during the European Tour Press.

American Golfers want to make history.

Collin Morikawa sits top of the Race to Dubai Ranking ahead of the season final. Morikawa will play alongside second placed Billy Horschel at 12:45pm on the first round. The two men are in contention to become the first American to win the Race to Dubai title, but only the best will bring the glory home. Horschel sets hight expectations, because he could pottentially claim the crown in Dubai, for instance.

Race To Dubai Final – Predictions

In October, Rory McIlroy won his 20th PGA Tour victory at the CJ Cup in The Summit Club, LA, and he could not be more pumped up. After being crowned winner of the CJ Cup, the Irishman claimed that “Being me is good enough.” Although McIlroy is too far behind from leader Collin Morikawa, his mindset defines him as one of the big fighters at the Final.

Rory is confident and he will leave everything of the field to finish the year on the highest note. “I got some confidence from the win in Vegas. I’ll have a good chance this week. I don’t feel like I need to do anything too special to give myself a chance on Sunday.” – explains during the European Tour Press.

Nevertheless, Tyrrell Hatton, Min Woo Lee, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Paul Casey have the best chances of success this weekend. The are currently ranked 4th – 7th respectively. The Spanish golfer, and 3rd classified on the Ranking leaderboard, Jon Rahm, announced that he will not be competing at the Final, which increases the odds for the other players.

Hatton, Lee, Fitzpatrick, and Casey need a victory at the DP World Tour Championship to stand any chance of winning the Race to Dubai. Meanwhile, Horschel needs to overcome his compatriot Morikawa by 237pts if he is to become the first American to win the European Tour’s season-long contest.

Best of luck everyone!

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Joachim B. Hansen wins his second European Tour victory at the AVIV Dubai Championship 2021 – One shot makes the difference

Joachim B. Hansen of Denmark celebrates with his family on the 18h green after the final round of The AVIV Dubai Championship.(Getty Images)

PGA Tour: Houston Open

The Houston Open was held in Houston, Texas at the Memorial Park Golf Course. From November 11th-14th of 2021. Our Scandinavian players struggled to make birdies, the pars kept them with high chances of passing the cut after the second round. However, the lack of birdies and sand saves put Henrik Stenson out of the competition after two rounds of (72-76).

On the other hand, his mate Henrik Norlander, currently ranked 139th of the OWGR, made it through the four rounds of the Houston Open. Norlander finished last on the leaderboard with rounds of (71-69-72-78). It was not his best performance at the PGA Tour this season. They will soon have another chance to drop some putts and climb up on the leaderboard next week at the RSM Classic, on Nov. 18th.

PGA Tour Houston Open
Course Memorial Park Golf Course- Houston, TX, USA
Prize Money 7.5 Million Dollar
Champion Jason Kokrak
Scandinavian players Henrik Norlander (T67), Henrik Stenson (CUT)

LPGA Tour: Pelican Women’s Championship 2021

Nelly Korda wins her 4th LPGA victory of the year after battling a 4-way PlayOff at the Pelican Womens Championship, at the Pelican Golf Club, Belleair. “I never won in front of my parents until earlier this year and I did it twice now, and in a playoff. My dad said I’m going to give him a heart attack, so that was nice before the playoff. I was like, Okay, good.” – Korda

Lydia Ko, Lexi Thompson, and Sei Young Kim are the other three great golfers who attempted for the trophy.

Scandinavia plays all their chances to bring home the gold medal. Sweden, Finland, and Denmark were represented by the best golfers at the moment.

Madelene Sagstrom (SWE) was the best Scandinavian player. Sagstrom finished T33 after four rounds of 6-under par. Clearly, the ladies set the standards very high this weekend. Sagstrom took some of her birdie opportunities to lower her scores. The amount of up & downs was low and therefore, it was a struggle to avoid some bogeys here and there. Her putting was good but the greens were not easy. The Swedish golfer was consistent and now she is ready to come back stronger next weekend.

LPGA Tour Pelican Women’s Championship
Course Pelican Golf Club, Belleair – Belleair, FL
Prize Money 1.7 Million Dollars
Champion Nelly Korda
Scandinavian players Madelene Sagstrom (T33), Matilda Castren (52), Nanna Madsen (CUT),

European Tour: AVIV Dubai Championship 2021

Dubai hosted the AVIV Dubai Championship, at the Fire Course, Jumeirah Golf Estates. Denmark tasted the glory with the victory of Joachim Hansen (DEN), after four solid rounds of golf (63-67-67-68) for a total of 23-under par.

Not too far down, his mate Thorbjørn OLESEN (DEN), and Kalle Samooja (FIN) also made the Top 10, finishing 8th at the end, 4-shots behind the leader. The Scandinavian golfers tend to play better in the European Tour due to a matter of statistics. There are always more Scandinavian participants playing there than in the PGA Tour.

EU Tour Aviv Dubai Championship
Course Fire Course, Jumeirah Golf Estates – Dubai, UAE
Prize Money 1.5 Million Dollar
Champion Joachim B. HANSEN
Scandinavian players Joachim Hansen (Winner), Thorbjørn OLESEN (T8), Kalle Samooja (T8), Alexander Björk (T19), Marcus Kinhult (T24)

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The Scandinavians aim towards the European Tour this weekend – AVIV Dubai Championship

Henrik Norlander of Sweden talks with his caddie on the second tee during the first round of the World Wide Technology Championship(Getty Images)

PGA Tour: Houston Open

The Houston Open will be held in Houston, Texas at the Memorial Park Golf Course. From November 11th-14th of 2021, the best male golfers around the world will compete for a total prize money of $7,500,000.

On our spotlight, we find Henrik Stenson (SWE), and his mate Henrik Norlander, currently ranked 139th of the OWGR. Sweden is the only Scandinavian country that will be representing at the PGA Tour this weekend. Not too risky to say that Viktor Hovland is tired of always winning in the PGA events and now he is leaving some for others to try.

PGA Tour Houston Open
Course Memorial Park Golf Course- Houston, TX, USA
Prize Money 7.5 Million Dollar
Defending Champion Carlos Ortiz
Scandinavian players Henrik Stenson (SWE), Henrik Norlander (SWE)

LPGA Tour: Pelican Women’s Championship 2021

The LPGA is back! The Ladies will tee off at the Pelican Womens Championship in Belleair, FL at the Pelican Golf Club, Belleair. The tournament starts on Thursday, 11th of November and ends on Sunday, 14th of November 2021. The Championship is part of the LPGA Tour in the season 2021. In 2021 all players competing for a total prize money of 1,75 Mio. US-Dollar.

Scandinavia plays all their chances to bring home the gold medal. Sweden, Finland, and Denmark will be represented by the best golfers at the moment. Unluckly, there will not be any participant from Norway to make a full.

Matilda Castren (FIN), Nanna Madsen (DEN), and Madelene Sagstrom (SWE) are some of the main players to follow up with this weekend in Florida. They are coming strong, and Castren had not fear in showing it to everyone else.

LPGA Tour Pelican Women’s Championship
Course Pelican Golf Club, Belleair – Belleair, FL
Prize Money 1.7 Million Dollars
Defending Champion Sei Young Kim
Scandinavian players Matilda Castren (FIN), Nanna Madsen (DEN), Madelene Sagstrom (SWE)

European Tour: AVIV Dubai Championship 2021

This weekend Dubai takes over The U.S. hosting the AVIV Dubai Championship, at the Fire Course, Jumeirah Golf Estates. The tournament starts on Thursday, 11th of November and ends on Sunday, 14th of November 2021.

In 2021 all players competing for a total prize money of 1,5 Mio US-Dollar. The course for the tournament at Fire Course, Jumeirah Golf Estates plays at Par 72.

From Finland, Tapio Pulkkanen comes ready to show his better game after he missed two cuts in a row at the Alfred Dunhill and the Open de España. He finished T25 at the Andalucia Masters and T17 at the Portugal Masters last week. Pulkkanen is the first Scandinavian to tee off at 7:10am (GMT). Joakim Lagergren (SWE), Sami Välimäki (FIN), Joachim Hansen (DEN) are paired up together at 7:20am (GMT). The number of Scandinavian participants is less than the usual, but yet the highest out of all the other Tours.

EU Tour Aviv Dubai Championship
Course Fire Course, Jumeirah Golf Estates – Dubai, UAE
Prize Money 1.5 Million Dollar
Defending Champion Antoine Rozner
Scandinavian players Joakim Lagergren (SWE), Sami Välimäki (FIN), Joachim Hansen (DEN), Marcus Kinhult (SWE)