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European Tour

Pádraig Harrington selects Garcia, Lowry and Poulter to complete Team Europe

European Captain Pádraig Harrington tonight selected Sergio Garcia, Shane Lowry and Ian Poulter as his three picks to complete his 12-player team for the 2020 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, in Wisconsin, from September 21-26.

The trio join the nine automatic qualifiers – Paul Casey, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Viktor Hovland, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Lee Westwood and Bernd Wiesberger – who earlier today confirmed their spots in the team at the conclusion of the extended qualification campaign at the BMW PGA Championship, the European Tour’s third Rolex Series event of 2021.

Garcia and Poulter have been central to Europe’s recent success in the biennial contest, with a combined total of 15 previous Ryder Cup appearances between them, collectively contributing an impressive 40½ points to the European cause. Meanwhile, Lowry, the 2019 Open Champion, will be making his Ryder Cup debut, joining Hovland and Wiesberger as the three rookies in Team Europe.

“I’m really happy with my team,” said Harrington. “It’s a great team for foursomes and fourball play, a lot of good ball-strikers and it’s a team going to Whistling Straits that is well-suited to the golf course. It’s a strong, well rounded, and very balanced team.”

Spaniard Garcia will be hoping to extend his record as Europe’s all-time leading points scorer when he makes his tenth Ryder Cup appearance. The 2017 Masters Champion made his Ryder Cup debut in 1999 and, aside from 2010, has been a constant presence in the blue of Europe.

He claimed three points at Le Golf National, Paris, in 2018 to take his career tally to 25½ points, surpassing Sir Nick Faldo’s previous benchmark of 25.

“It feels amazing,” said Garcia. “Obviously it’s been a good year and I think a lot of solid play on my part. Unfortunately I fell a little short of making it by myself but I’m so happy to have the confidence of the vice captains, of Captain Harrington, and I can’t wait to see the guys and just get going.”

Like Garcia, Englishman Poulter also boasts a formidable Ryder Cup record. Poulter will make his seventh Ryder Cup record appearance at Whistling Straits and he is undefeated in the Singles, having contributed 15 points overall. He was part of the European Teams which triumphed on American soil in 2004 at Oakland Hills and Medinah in 2012.

“To be standing here with the trophy in front of me to know we’re going to go again is amazing,” said Poulter. “Seven Ryder Cups is stuff that you can only dream of. It’s incredible. This trophy has meant a lot to me through the years.

“For Paddy to call me today and say I want you as part of my team, it’s emotional. It’s a stacked team. I’m excited. I’m proud. My chest has been getting work the last few weeks, trying to do as many press-ups as I possibly can and hole as many putts as I possibly can to bring as many points as I can to this team.”Irishman Lowry just missed out on automatic qualification at the BMW PGA Championship and will make his first appearance for Team Europe. He previously represented his continent in the 2016 EurAsia Cup, and in addition to the Claret Jug he won two years ago at Royal Portrush, his five European Tour wins include the 2015 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in America, as well as a Rolex Series event, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

“For me it’s been a career-long goal to get to the Ryder Cup,” said Lowry. “I remember sitting in the media centre here at Wentworth after I won The Open when the points started for this Ryder Cup team and I said, that’s my number one goal and it has been now for the last two years.

“There’s no point going over just to make up numbers. We want to go over and win and I have that in my head. I’ve said that all year, I don’t want to be there just to say I’ve played the Ryder Cup. I want to go and I want to make it count.”Harrington’s European Team travel to Whistling Straits aiming to retain the Ryder Cup which they reclaimed at Le Golf National in 2018 by a margin of 17½-10½. For further updates in the build-up to the contest, visit RyderCup.com.

Press Release from EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

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European Tour

Shane Lowry is waiting for a special call

VIRGINIA WATER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 12: Shane Lowry of Ireland walks off the 18th hole during Day Four of The BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Golf Club on September 12, 2021 in Virginia Water, England. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Q. You have given everything to try and qualify for this Ryder Cup Team automatically and it’s just got away from you. Just give us your reflections on the day?

SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, look, obviously I’m disappointed with my day today to be honest. You know, it was very gettable out there. There was no wind all day and the golf course was playing very gettable.

Bit of a struggle in the middle of the back nine. You know, I felt like I gave myself a few chances around the turn again and I didn’t really do it around the turn all week. That’s where I fell back. I played the 15th hole at 15 over for the week which is obviously not good enough. I only birdied the 12th hole once.

So just a couple, I was quite close this week. Disappointing to not be in the team automatically but I’m obviously hoping that they will pick me. I don’t normally talk myself up but I think I’ve played the golf good enough and I think I deserve to be on that Cup but that’s up to them.

Q. You’ve shown good form this year, you have a proven track record, you’ve proved you can handle the ultimate pressure. How strong a case do you think you’ve put forward for a pick?

SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, I think I’ve put forward as strong a case as you can put forward to be honest. Like I said, it’s up to the lads. Obviously spoke to G-Mac there at four o’clock to sit and talk with for the afternoon. Just have to go out and see and hope for a nice phone call whenever it is.

Q. 1-under for the day. How do you reflect on that out there today, given all that was at stake?

SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, it wasn’t really good enough today. Was golf course is pretty easy today. I just had a bad two holes on the back nine and that kind you.

To be honest I felt like I was more in the tournament than I was. The scoreboards were broken out there. I think I didn’t get to see a scoreboard until 14 and I’m a scoreboard watcher, and I didn’t even know how I stood. That was disappointing. I’m not sure it would have changed anything or how I played because I’m quite an aggressive player anyway.

Yeah, then bad 3-putt on 14 and bad tee shot on 15. Small margins in this game. I played nicely again today and I played nicely every day, so yeah, it is what it is.

Q. You’ve played some really good golf this week. A little back drop of The Ryder Cup, at the moment it’s not an automatic pick as things stand. What do you feel in your heart of heart as you look at The Ryder Cup and the big decisions P�draig has to make tonight?

SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, Rosey has shown a good round today. But look, I feel like I’ve done enough but it’s up to him. It’s up to them. You know, I feel like my golf has been as consistent as anybody on the European Team over the last number of months, so I feel like I can bring a lot to The Ryder Cup and I feel like I bring a lot to the European Team, and there will definitely be good craic in the team room and hopefully I can go and play good golf if I get picked. Obviously have to wait for a nice phone call this evening and — hopefully it’s a nice phone call.

Interview Transcript from Asap Sports

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European Tour

Justin Rose: “From my point of view, you can only blame yourself if you don’t get picked”

VIRGINIA WATER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 12: Justin Rose of England walks down the 18th hole during Day Four of The BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Golf Club on September 12, 2021 in Virginia Water, England. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Q. Came in this week wanting to make noise, 65 to close, what do you make of that?

JUSTIN ROSE: It was a fun Sunday. Really had the opportunity to go low today. I forced myself to go low today. I played match play against the golf course, good to get into the spirit of match play. I set a target and actually achieved my target today. Look back at, it left a few out there.

Not as good as it could have been and obviously trying to win a tournament, I needed everything to kind of go my way today from mid-range. A few slipped buy, missed one on 14, check.

Q. P�draig wanted to find guys with the form and you don’t have anymore form than 18. Talk us through?

JUSTIN ROSE: Thomas just gave me a great look and I had a lot of club in my hand. Forced myself to kind of go ahead and hit a positive, smooth draw. A smooth draw is not an easy shot, you want a hard draw sometimes, and it just came out perfectly. I heard how close Thomas’s was. I’ve never had an albatross either. Amazing couple shots there and great to make the most of the crowd at 18.

Q. Do you feel like you’ve done enough for a pick?

JUSTIN ROSE: I would say I’ve given it a shot. If it doesn’t go my way, I’ll say good luck to the boys and cheer them on anyway. I actually don’t know the permutation, I really don’t. I don’t know who I’m up against. Difficult to make a call. But I have a very good record and I have achieved some things in the game that stand me in good stead. I think from that point of view, I’ve given myself a great chance.

Q. 65 to close, you came in need to go make some noise for P�draig Harrington, and appears to have happened. How pleased are you with what you have done?

JUSTIN ROSE: Great to make some literal noise at 18 in the amphitheater. Fun way to finish. I’ve enjoyed the crowds this week. Made a little noise today. Set myself a pretty positive target. I played match play against the course today in case I might need it in a couple of weeks and I managed to achieve the goal I wanted to but if I look back at the round there were some opportunities that slid past. Putter was average I think at best but fortunately I didn’t need it too much today. Obviously the iron play was pretty good and got a lot out of the round from that point of view.

Q. One of the reasons he set up the double points this week is he wants to find guys with form. What have you found this week that’s encouraging you with how you’re playing right now?

JUSTIN ROSE: If I look back at Greensboro, I had a great chance to win there, as well. That’s kind of what you want, or that’s what I want, anyway. I want that consistency coming back and I feel like I’m beginning to play what feels like my natural game in a sense. I’ve gone back to what’s easy for me and been working hard on my short putt. I saw that today. I made some great up-and-downs on the back nine there. So some of the work I’ve been putting in has been coming to fruition and sometimes you have to be patient with that. For me it’s nice to get back on the leaderboard. It’s nice to feel that little bit of flutter in the heart on Sunday and yeah, it’s obviously, listen, whatever happens in the next hour now, I’ve given it a decent run for sure.

Q. We know what you’ve done as an individual and for Team Europe. Do you feel you’ve done enough to warrant a pick?

JUSTIN ROSE: I think it will be hard for him not to pick me but I had that opportunity with Monty, as well, and went a different way. Obviously Paul Casey was seventh in the world. Who knows what the bigger plan is, and if he has a bigger plan, 100 percent good luck to the boys and I’ll be cheering as the rest of you will.

Justin discusses his round

Q. You must be pleased with the round?

JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, it’s been obviously a great week. It’s been a week where I’ve had to work hard and there’s been a lot riding on the week as well, trying to play well in this tournament and win the tournament. Ryder Cup is coming down and it’s all coming to a head. Yesterday’s round, a little disappointing. Still felt like I had an opportunity to win. I set myself a very positive target of trying to play match play against the course, started six down and I tried to beat the golf course today. With that hot finish, I managed to win 1-up in my head.

I didn’t know what the leaders were going to do today but I felt that might give me an outside chance and I played well enough to be two or three better than that today. The putter just let me down on occasion but very happy with how I played and more importantly how I went about it today.

Q. What was the motivation? Obviously you want to win the tournament and get that feeling of being in the winner’s circle again but with the additional side of The Ryder Cup, what gave you motivation?

JUSTIN ROSE: I wanted to test myself under pressure and wanted to stand up with the toughest shots and have that mindset of trying to play the right golf shot, be 100 percent focused out there and not distracted by the outcomes and what ifs. I was pleased how I played the last two holes because they were birdie opportunities. I was probably, for me, how I stepped up and committed to those last couple of tee shots is what I’m most proud of in the day. There’s enough riding on it where I had the butterflies and I could feel it. You know, when you haven’t been playing that well, you don’t get many opportunities to test yourself under a little bit of pressure, so it was good today.

Q. I believe P�draig has been unusually quiet this week when it comes to discussing what he might do this evening. In your heart of hearts, given what you’ve done this week and today and if it’s not an automatic selection, what do you feel your Ryder Cup looks like?

JUSTIN ROSE: Two or three weeks ago it looked fairly straightforward and Bernd played great and forced his way on the team and there’s a scenario with Shane and Westy and that probably changes that dynamic, too. He’s probably at the 11th hour, a lot to think about.

From my point of view, you can only blame yourself if you don’t get in and don’t get picked, because obviously I’ve never had a pick for The Ryder Cup. I’ve always played my way on to the team which is what the goal always is to do. If you leave it into someone else’s hands, you know, we’ll see, but if I don’t get picked, good luck to the lads.

Interview Transcript from Asap Sports

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European Tour

Viktor Hovland: “It’s a beautiful place and the weather so far is unbelievable”

VIRGINIA WATER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 08: Viktor Hovland of Norway talks to the media during Previews ahead of The BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Golf Club on September 08, 2021 in Virginia Water, England. (Photo by Luke Walker/Getty Images)

Virginia Water, Surrey, England

Wentworth Golf Club

BRIONY CARLYON: We welcome Viktor Hovland, thank you for joining us. You’ve only been here once before, and just your thoughts at being back at Wentworth and what you’re looking forward to this week.

VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, I can’t believe it’s already been two years since I was last year. It’s a beautiful place and the weather so far is unbelievable. Look forward to having a great championship.

BRIONY CARLYON: Just a word, as well, about your form and where you are at the moment. It’s obviously been a busy year for you but a lot of success both in America and coming back over to Europe where possible. How is the game at?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, it’s been a lot of traveling the last two or three months. Definitely feeling it just moving around all the different time zones, but I’ve been loving it, every second of it and I feel like my game is trending in the right direction.

Had a great week last week, and yeah, put a different set of irons in the bag which I played earlier in the year, and I had a great week with the irons. I feel like I’m still hitting the irons pretty good. If I can just hit the ball in the fairway I’m going to give myself a lot of chances to make birdie.

Q. Most of your good performances have been in America, some great performances, but you made a point to come over to Europe wherever you can, Dubai and here a couple of times. How important has that been in terms of The Ryder Cup and bonding with the other players just to get to know people?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, obviously it’s a whole different world in the States when you play there every single week. So this feels more like home, what I’ve grown up with, and it’s nice to see some of the players that I’ve been watching on TV for so long that are still here, and I get to talk to them, get to play with them, so that’s great.

I just really enjoy travelling. So for me, it’s just kind of the best of both worlds. I get to play in the United States where I live and then at the same time I get to travel to Dubai, England, Germany, all over the place. So it’s been a cool experience.

Q. Among the Europeans, who have you got particularly friendly with, maybe the players that are going to be playing many Wisconsin, who is your pal, for instance?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: I wouldn’t say I have a best friend on the team but definitely played some with Rory and Shane’s been over in the States a lot the last few months, and see Lee Westwood a lot. Poults I played some practise rounds with. They are all really good guys, and I think we’re going to have a blast in a couple weeks’ time.

Q. Can I ask you about becoming the first Norwegian to play The Ryder Cup and what that means to you? On a list of top Norwegian sports stars, where do you think you would be on that list?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: Obviously Ryder Cup is a big thing, and Norway doesn’t have a very long-standing tradition in the event. So for me personally, it’s going to be a huge honor to wave the Norwegian flag alongside the European flag. So it’s going to be a cool experience. I talked to Robert Karlsson actually last night and we were talking about basically the same thing, and how many Swedes have played in The Ryder Cup and he’s lifting names I haven’t even heard of, which is pretty impressive. So it’s about time that us Norwegians kind of try to keep up.

Yeah, it’s a dream come true and it’s going to be really, really cool.

Q. Current sports stars?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: To be honest I don’t keep track too much. If someone does something great it pops up on my social media and I try to read a couple articles here and there, but I spend really long days on the golf course and I’m just tired at the end of the day and I just scroll through YouTube or watch some shows. I don’t really keep track too much. But I wouldn’t be obnoxious enough to put myself at the top. I know there’s plenty of other talented superstars in Norway that are killing it, so it’s cool to watch.

Q. How much does it mean to you to play in front of big crowds? I know you didn’t play last year when they in front of no one. What are your feelings about the crowd?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah in, amateur golf which wasn’t a very long time ago, I basically only played in front of a couple families here and there and then it’s just in front of your playing competitors, so I’m very used to that.

Kind of when COVID hit, when we started back up again in the States, I mean, I can’t remember how many weeks we played but it was, I mean, almost a year basically where you’re just playing in front of nobody, which to me, is what I’m used to. You know I’m used to going out, practising by myself, playing tournaments by myself essentially.

So for me it was pretty relaxing, really. I had so much extra energy and time to do other things after the round. But I did notice when I made the winning putt at Mayakoba to win the tournament, there was a decent crowd on the last hole because everyone is gathered up on 18, but I was thinking about, man, it would be really cool if there were thousands of people around that 18th hole, and especially the last couple weeks and we got to see at the British Open earlier in the summer, that was amazing. Just make one putt on the 13th hole on a Thursday, and you’re middle of the pack and people still go nuts. That’s a pretty cool feeling.

Transcript from Asap Sports

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PGA Tour

Hatton excited for return of home fans to Wentworth

(Photo: Getty Images)

Tournament Preview

Tyrrell Hatton will tee it up alongside European Ryder Cup Captain Pádraig Harrington as the Englishman defends his BMW PGA Championship at the third Rolex Series event of the 2021 Race to Dubai.

The 30-year-old will no doubt receive a hero’s welcome this week at the prestigious Wentworth Club, where fans will return in their droves after last year’s event was played behind closed doors due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

He will be one of a popular trio teeing it up on Thursday afternoon, joined by three-time Major winning Irishman Harrington and Norwegian Viktor Hovland, who will make his Ryder Cup debut at Whistling Straits.

Another player hoping to be in Wisconsin in two weeks’ time, on the opposing side, is American Billy Horschel as the former FedEx Cup Champion plays the BMW PGA Championship for a second time.

Player Quotes

Tyrrell Hatton: “It kind of feels surreal being back and being defending champion here. Firstly, it’s amazing to see the stands back and all the players this week, obviously looking forward to welcoming fans back and I’m sure they will create a great atmosphere for us to play in this week. The course is in great shape and yeah, it’s just nice to be back here.

“I guess I’ve been lucky to play well during these big events. I certainly don’t try and change my routine or anything like that. They have fallen on good weeks for me and obviously I’m very thankful for that.

“It’s obviously good memories coming back here. To be honest I only live sort of 25, 35 minutes away anyway. Been lucky enough to play here numerous times when I’ve been back here in the UK to the point where it almost feels a bit like a second home course.

“I feel pretty comfortable out there, and hopefully I can have a good week this week. I know my form’s not been that great for the last sort of three or four months maybe. But hopefully I can find something this week that if I make the Ryder Cup team, certainly hopefully I can help the team out.”
 
Pádraig Harrington: “It’s an interesting week. There’s obviously a number of players who are 100 per cent qualified (for the European Ryder Cup team) at this stage, Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Paul Casey, Tommy Fleetwood and Viktor Hovland, so they are all in 100 per cent, with a few more players that are virtually there.

“I’m told Tyrrell Hatton is not 100 per cent, if he’s not in on Sunday, so many things must have happened that it would be something strange. So, he’s virtually there and Matt Fitzpatrick is virtually there and Lee (Westwood) is right up there as well.

“But there are a number of players who can push their way into the team and a lot of points to play for this week. We wanted a bit of drama at the end and a bit of excitement, so yeah, it’s going to be an interesting week.”
 
Billy Horschel: “As I said (last time I played here) two years ago, I grew up watching this event on TV. It was the first week we were out of school and European Tour comes on early, so I was up early watching it and absolutely loved what I saw on TV from the course to the crowds and just the history of the event.

“I’ve always wanted to get over here and I was planning on getting over earlier than 2019, but it just didn’t happen and when I came here in 2019, it was everything it lived up to be and more. It was just a blast. I’m looking forward to another great week.

“Knowing no American was won the Race to Dubai, it would be cool to do that. Also being a FedEx Cup Champion, I would love to be able to do that. I have to play well here this week and play well in two weeks, three weeks when I play Dunhill and at the end of the year at the DP World.”
 

Press Release by European Tour Communications

Categories
PGA Tour

Previewing the PGA BMW Championship with Fleetwood

(Photo by Luke Walker/Getty Images)

Q. Just describe how big a tournament this is for English players?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Home crowd, I think Wentworth has always had an amazing atmosphere. It’s Europe’s stand-out event and I think for us being from the U.K., being from England, just another opportunity to have such a home crowd on your side everything and. I’ve always loved playing here and playing in front of crowds and having moments that get the crowd fired up, especially at this time, as well, as things are starting to come back and sporting occasions are getting more and more people it’s exciting to be back playing in front of everyone.

Q. Give us a sense how much the players miss crowds, especially in event?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, you’ve got guys that have just got on TOUR and have played for nearly two years without people and they have had not had some of the amazing experiences that you can have. Sport in general, crowds are such a huge part of it, the ebbs and flows, the riding the wave or having people to pick you up and carry you over the line or push you forward. So managing those tough moments where you know there’s thousands of people that are feeling it with you. I think it is a big part of sport and just extra element, extra motivation, it’s great.

Q. Your 10th start here. What memories do you have?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I was excited, Flagship Event, one of those events that you always watch. I think the list of winners, it’s always been such an amazing field of players, really, and the list of winners is amazing and it’s one of them trophies that you want to be on, and not on, it not been that close, either, but I’ll keep trying.

There’s a lot of events that being a golf fan as a kid and growing up that you always watched and you always sort of soaked up the atmosphere, even on TV, and it’s easy to take it for granted. Like you said, it’s my 10th time playing, so it’s easy for it to become the norm but you must always appreciate the fact that it’s a huge event and enjoy it.

Game still needs to improve. Last week hit a lot of good golf shots. It was great to be up at the right end of the leaderboard and have a chance and be in contention. I hit a couple of wrong shots at the wrong time and didn’t quite get over the line. I think just whether I finish second, first, third, 30th, it didn’t sort of change the things that I need to improve on to get back to where I want to be and push on further. So the game, obviously it’s good. I had a chance of winning. You have to realise how well you did play together but I know there’s still improvements, there’s still things that I can improve in my game and improve my confidence and I’ll still keep doing that.

But I’ll take the confidence last week when I felt at certain times when I hit certain shots and pulled the shots off and the good things that I did do down the stretch and take that into this week. I’m obviously moving in the right direction and keep going better and see where we go.

Q. Do you feel it’s close?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, a shot here or there and I win last week. You’ve won a Tour event, you’re playing well. You’re doing really, really well. Like I say, look at it on a big scale know there’s things that I want to do better and that I’m working towards but for sure my game is good enough to compete in the events at the moment and I have to, that’s what I have to do. You know, keep working, go out there and hopefully play, perform how I’m practising, take that on to the course and get the results.

It’s there. Game is obviously there. Like if it wasn’t, I wouldn’t have been able to be in that position last week. I’ve got to make sure that I keep telling myself that and stay positive whilst keeping improving and there’s never a bad week to play well or turn it on.

And the run of events coming up, just to finish the year is massive with The Ryder Cup in there as well which is obviously a very special week and hopefully keep going and do my bit.

Q. One of the highlights, 2015, fourth hole?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: That was a good shot, back left pin, 7-iron, spun it in the hole. I think it’s amazing to have your little moment in events and I think always do. You always remember like something that you’ve done at an event but something like Wentworth that you see some of the highlights over the years and people show the highlight reels of Top-10 shots or something in the event and I think it’s cool to have one of them and it’s my only ever albatross and it’s a special place to do it. I think having something like that just your little piece of tournament history or something that will be shown all the time is very cool. It’s very special, and something that people always want to talk about which is great.

Interview from Asap Sports

Categories
PGA Tour

Rory Mcllory: “Winning is different in golf..”

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 05: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays his shot from the fifth tee during the final round of the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club on September 05, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Q. How would you summarize your season?

RORY McILROY: Some good. Some bad. It started — it started okay. Well, actually, didn’t. I got some decent results at the start of the year but it never felt really comfortable. And then there was that transition period when I started working on some new stuff. Struggled a bit in the springtime, sort of PLAYERS, Match Play, Masters, but after that it got pretty good. The win in Charlotte was nice.

Yeah, I guess I didn’t feel like my game was consistent at the start of the year, in the middle of the year, it’s certainly more consistent than it has, been which is good. Still feel like I have a few things to work on. Overall I feel like it’s been a work-in-progress from April onwards, but I think it’s been going in the right direction.

Q. You’re one of the few guys who has won majors, PLAYERS, WGCs and FedExCups. Where above do you think the FedExCup ranks?

RORY McILROY: I think it’s a big deal. You could come in here 100th in the FedExCup in the first Playoff event and have the best three weeks of your life and end up winning the FedExCup. So I get that it mightn’t be — it mightn’t be like the benchmark of consistency that it used to be.

But saying that, I think if you put yourself in position in the FedExCup enough times, like sooner or later you’re going to get over the line and get it done. And that’s what I’ve been most proud of is the, whatever, 12 years that I’ve been on TOUR, I’ve put myself in position enough times to win it that I’ve gotten the job done a couple of times.

One FedExCup is great, and you know, a lot of guys have done that, but putting yourself in position year after year to try to win it like DJ has and got his eventually last year, that’s the benchmark and that’s what we’re all trying to do.

On the Georgia Bulldogs..

Q. Harris said you were either going to love or hate the Georgia Bulldogs. What are your thoughts?

RORY McILROY: I know their slogan or motto at this point. It’s better. I played with J.T. here last year and all I heard was “Roll Tide.” I feel like Georgians don’t have quite the accent that the people from Alabama do. “Go Dawgs” is a little easier on the ears.

Q. How do you handle the barking?

RORY McILROY: It’s okay. Obviously Georgia had a good win last night, so everybody is amped up and excited for the season.

Q. You’ve heard worse at The Ryder Cup?

RORY McILROY: Yeah.

Q. Does this prepare you for The Ryder Cup in any way?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, it’s not as if you’ve got anyone else to focus on, and especially when you’re playing with them right there, and it’s been that way for the last three days basically.

I think Jon’s playing next week in Napa, so I was going to say, last competitive start before The Ryder Cup, so at least they are getting used to the way it’s going to be. But yeah, it’s compelling viewing. It’s going to be really interesting these last few holes.

Q. When is the first time you saw Jon —

RORY McILROY: I didn’t play with him until Irish Open 2017, first two days at Portstewart I think was the first time I played with him and I didn’t really know much about him until when he won Torrey Pines, held that putt on the last green. I don’t think I had heard of him before that. I thought, oh, this guy seems pretty good. He’ll be a good Ryder Cup player in the future. That was the first time.

What’s it been, four years since then? He’s just went up the levels.

Q. Can you see it as a player in someone else —

RORY McILROY: No, first time I played with Jordan Spieth was the first two days at Valero San Antonio in 2013 and he didn’t play well and he missed the cut. I said to whoever it was, I said, I don’t know what the big deal is about this guy (laughter) and Jordan ends up going and nearly winning every major in 2015.

So it’s hard to know — Phil obviously played enough golf with him over the course of his time at Arizona State that he was like, no, this guy is going to be really good. I just had two rounds of not so stellar play by Jordan to go off and I made a pretty bad assumption.

Will Rory get a chance to rest before the Ryder Cup?

Q. What’s your schedule like between now and The Ryder Cup?

RORY McILROY: Two weeks at home. First week I’ll relax. It’s been — this is like eight out of ten weeks and it’s been Europe, Japan, back here, a lot of travel, a lot of time without the family.

So I’ll go home and be a husband and a dad for a week, and then I’ll start to ramp it back up and get prepared for going up to Wisconsin.

Q. I was going to ask the ramping up. Do you feel like you have a good sense of the rhythms to make sure you’re peaking for The Ryder Cup?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, and it’s even — we all get in Monday, and even from Monday to Friday morning, it’s a long time. I tell the rookies not to do much in the start of the week because that’s driving range itself, the practice rounds, the press conferences, the Opening Ceremony and everything else that goes along with it. Try to conserve as much energy as possible.

Q. On paper, the Americans look to be the favorite, but as one of the leaders in the European Team what do you feel like the attitude or feeling should be toward the Americans?

RORY McILROY: I think all you need to do is look at the Solheim Cup this week to look at the favorite on paper versus — I don’t know how this afternoon went, but Europe got off to a pretty good start. And I don’t even know, do they have one in the Top-20 in the world? Look, on paper is just that. It’s on paper. We’ve been underdogs in these things enough the last few years to know that doesn’t really matter. Especially match play over 18 holes, anything can happen.

But over the course of the three days, I think the better team is always the one that comes out on top, and I guess we just have to look at our track record over the last ten Ryder Cups that have been played. We’ve won eight of them, and that’s a pretty good record.

Q. Should people be looking at history?

RORY McILROY: It could play a part, I guess but in golf you have to go off form, and form would say that the Americans are playing very, very well at the minute. But it’s a collective effort.

Again, we see it all the time in the Match Play, even in Austin, it’s a top five player in the world will go out against somebody ranked 60 and they will lose.

It’s not, to make the analogy of tennis and the US Open, yes, there’s a couple upsets yesterday, but more often than not, the top seed always wins. In golf, it doesn’t quite work that way for whatever reason. The Top-50 in the world are so tightly bunched, you line up the Top-50 players in the world on that range and you wouldn’t be able to tell who is 1, would is 27, who is whatever. The margins are so fine in this game.

Q. Naomi was talking about — inaudible — have you ever been there?

RORY McILROY: No, because winning — it’s different in golf, right. Yeah, look, there’s certainly been times when I haven’t enjoyed the game as much as I would want to. But I think that’s still — I’ve tried really hard and I spoke about this quite a lot in 2019 about separating who I am as a golfer and who I am as a person and trying to not let that define me, and it seems what Naomi is going through at the minute is that same thing. How can I play tennis and enjoy it and not let the results define who I am.

I think that’s her — I think that’s what she’s going through right now and I think everyone just needs to let her have time to figure that out. And she seems like a really smart girl, and hopefully she’ll be able to do it and come back and start enjoying the game just like when she picked the racquet up when she was a little girl, because that’s — doing it as a job or for a living, and that’s when the joy goes out of it and that’s when you lose your innocence and that’s when you lose — there’s a part of that that goes the further along you get in this professional career, and the more you can hold onto that joy and innocence of remembering what it was, the reason why you picked up a golf club and why you picked up a tennis racquet, that’s the important thing.

Interview by Asap Sports

Categories
European Tour Top Tours

Portugal Masters added to 2021 European Tour schedule

View of the venue of the 2021 Portugal Maters, Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course, in Portugal.

Press Release

The European Tour today added the Portugal Masters to its 2021 schedule, with the rearranged tournament now set to take place at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course, in Vilamoura, from November 4-7.

It will be the 15th consecutive edition of the event which became part of the European Tour in 2007. The €1.5million event was originally due to take place at the end of April but was postponed due to travel difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It has now been rescheduled for November 4-7, replacing the Volvo China Open which, due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic, will be played as a national event only this year and will not be sanctioned by the European Tour.

South African George Coetzee claimed the title when the Portugal Masters was last played in September 2020, finishing two shots clear of Englishman Laurie Canter to secure his fifth European Tour title.
He joined a list of champions that includes Lee Westwood (2009), Shane Lowry (2012) and Pádraig Harrington (2016).

Press statements from the Executive board of The European Tour Communications and Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course.
Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour, said: “We are delighted to confirm the rescheduled Portugal Masters as we continue to reshape the end of our season following yesterday’s announcement of the Mallorca Golf Open.

“Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course has been a popular venue with our players, and it has produced plenty of drama, so we are very pleased to be able to return for the 15th year in a row. We are grateful to the venue for accommodating us at a busy time of the year and to Turismo de Portugal for their long-term support of this tournament.

“Naturally, it is disappointing we are unable to sanction the Volvo China Open again this year, but we have long-standing relationships with Volvo and the China Golf Association, and we look forward to that event returning to our schedule in 2022.”

Stefano Saviotti, Chairman of Dom Pedro Hotels & Golf Collection “The Portugal Masters is an incredibly important showcase of golf in The Algarve and we are delighted to once again welcome some of the world’s finest golfers to the Dom Pedro Victoria Course.

“After a difficult period, the European Tour’s return to our facilities enables us to demonstrate why Vilamoura and Dom Pedro Hotels & Golf Collection has a reputation as one of Europe’s most sought after golf destinations. We look forward to hosting such a prestigious event and crowning the 2021 champion.”

Luis Araújo, President of Turismo de Portugal, said: “The Portugal Masters is of great importance for the tourism sector in Portugal, providing great media exposure of the whole country. It confirms that Portugal continues to be an excellent destination for all golfers, and an international presence in terms of major sporting events. This is a very prestigious competition, and it will be an important moment to showcase the international prestige of our country.”

Dom Pedro Victoria is one of five golf courses within the Dom Pedro Hotels & Golf Collection. For more information visit: www.dompedrogolf.com.

The European Tour Communications Team

Categories
European Tour Top Tours

Tour returns to Mallorca for the first time since 2011. The European Tour added the Mallorca Golf Open added to the 2021 schedule

View of Golf Santa Ponsa, in Mallorca, Spain

Press Release

The European Tour will return to Mallorca for the first time in ten years when Golf Santa Ponsa hosts the Mallorca Golf Open from October 21-24, 2021.

With a prize fund of €1million, the Mallorca Golf Open will be played in the week vacated by the cancellation of the Trophée Hassan II, creating a three-tournament Iberian Swing with the ACCIONA Open de Espana (October 7-10) and Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters (October 14-17).

The tournament will be played on the par 72 Golf Santa Ponsa I, designed by Folco Nardi in 1977, which has hosted European Tour events on six previous occasions.

Spanish legend Seve Ballesteros claimed the Open de Baleares title on the first of those in 1988, winning again in 1992, with Sweden’s Ove Sellberg (1989), South African Gavan Levenson (1991) and Englishman Jim Payne (1993) also victorious, while New Zealand’s Greg Turner triumphed at the venue’s other 18-hole course, Santa Ponsa II. Another Spanish great, Miguel Angel Jiménez, won the Turespana Masters Open Baleares at Santa Ponsa I in 1998.

Short but intense histoy of Mallorca hosting major events in the past decades.
The Balearic Island of Mallorca also hosted a further seven tournaments at Pula Golf Club between 2003 and 2011, with Major Champions Sergio Garcia and José María Olazábal among those to win the Mallorca Classic (in 2004 and 2005 respectively). Darren Clarke then triumphed in the Iberdrola Open on the European Tour’s most recent visit to the Mallorca in 2011, just two months before the Northern Irishman lifted the Claret Jug at Royal St Georges.

Keith Pelley, the European Tour’s Chief Executive expresses what this means after major pandemic restrictions.
“We are delighted to add the Mallorca Golf Open to our 2021 schedule as part of a three-week swing in Spain this October.”

“Despite the ongoing international travel challenges caused by the global pandemic, we are fully committed to providing a full schedule of playing opportunities for our members, replacing any events which have been cancelled and minimising travel for them where possible.

“Today’s announcement is another example of that, and we are grateful to Golf Santa Ponsa, promoter eMotion and the Oficina de Turismo de Mallorca for their support.”

Rocio Nigorra Cobian, President of Golf Santa Ponsa, said: “At Golf Santa Ponsa we are thrilled to have a European tour event back after so many years. It is now 23 years, since 1998, that the venue held a European event for a seventh time, with winners like Severiano Ballesteros, Miguel Angel Jiménez and Ove Selberg. We feel this is a particularly important time to do our part in bringing this great international event back in Mallorca for everyone to enjoy. We are very happy to welcome all players, volunteers and sports lovers to take part and enjoy with us the great game of golf at its best. We believe this could be another step in the success story for golf in Mallorca.”

Edwin Weindorfer, CEO of the e | motion group, said: “Following the inaugural ATP Mallorca Championships we are very proud that we have succeeded in bringing another premium sporting event to Mallorca.

“The Mallorca Golf Open will be hosted in October in Santa Ponsa/ Calvia and we are confident that this event will become a long-term success on the European Tour schedule.

“This was only possible because of the great partnership with the European Tour, the support of the local authorities, including the Government of the Balearic Islands, the Council of Mallorca and the City of Calvia and the support of the Balearic Golf Federation and the Santa Ponsa Golf. With this tournament, one of the most beautiful golf locations on the island is once again the focus of global sporting interest.”

In addition to hosting the Mallorca Golf Open, the Balearic Island also marks the final destination on the Challenge Tour’s Road to Mallorca when T-Golf & Country Club hosts the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final supported by The R&A from November 4-7.

Press Release by the European Communicarions Team.

Categories
PGA Tour

Viktor Hovland: “I’m coming into this year feeling like my best golf is good enough”

Viktor Hovland of Norway looks over a shot on the 15th hole during the first round of the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club

Q. Because of the way the strokes-based system works out, do you feel different going into today’s round than you did last year starting in a much different position?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, I mean, obviously being seven shots behind is a little better than 10 shots behind. But I feel like the main thing is that I’m coming into this year feeling like my best golf is good enough to make those shots up.

Last year I was kind of struggling with my swing a little bit and it’s not fun knowing you have to kind of hack it around a little bit and grind out maybe at best a couple under par each round when you’re 10 shots behind D.J. at the time. So a little bit different mentality coming in this year.

Q. What was mentality coming in? What did you feel like you had to do to climb up the leaderboard?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah. I’ve been driving it great the last couple weeks. I actually didn’t drive it very good today, I thought. But my iron game has kind of been lacking a little bit. It’s been a little inconsistent. It’s been really good on the good days and not so good on bad days.

But I felt like I put a kind of old set in the bag that I played earlier in the year and those irons just go dead straight. You can’t curve it. So, yeah, every time I had a decent opportunity, I just hit it really close and if I can keep doing that I’ll have a good shot.

Q. Rory was in here earlier saying that there’s players lining up to play with you at the Ryder Cup, which means your dance card’s going to be full. How do you feel about that and have you thought about it at all who you want to play with? Have you talked to Padraig about it at all?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: I think we’re just starting to get into those kind of conversation. It’s awesome to hear that. There’s a bunch of obviously good players on that team, but also great guys as well, so I would love to play with any of them. I think we’re going to have a blast.

But I’m a rookie and I don’t really know how these things work and I don’t want to go out there and say, Okay, I have to play with this guy or, you know. I’m pretty flexible in that way. Whatever Padraig and the other guys want me to do I’ll step up.

Q. What are your plans between this week and the Ryder Cup? Will you go home? Will you play in Europe at all?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: I’m going to Wentworth next week, so it will be a lot of golf and a lot of traveling, but after that week I’ll come back home to Oklahoma and spend one week at home and get ready for Ryder Cup.

Q. What have your conversations been like with Padraig so far?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, just kind of, he gave me a quick kind of you summarization of how the week goes, the media, and the practice rounds and just kind of going through some of his experiences and just kind of getting to know each other a little bit so that we can try to work out the personalities that maybe fit with some other players, so just pretty basic stuff for now.

Transcript from Asap Sports