Category: Top Tours

Categories
Highlights Tours PGA Tour

Matthew Wolff wins the Aon Risk Reward Challenge, and speaks up about mental health: “Knowing that I had to get out of bed and just like not being able to.”

Matthew Wolff was named the 2020-2021 Aon Risk Reward Challenge winner

Jersey City, New Jersey, USA

Liberty National Golf Club
Press Conference

THE MODERATOR:We’re going to go ahead and kick things off. We’re going to do the first five to ten minutes recognizing your award as the Aon Risk Reward Challenge winner, and then we’ll get into the tournament press conference questions.

So we’re excited to make a big announcement for you today. You are the 2021 champion of the Aon Risk Reward Challenge with a $1 million prize for the PGA TOUR. To turn it over and welcome you and thank you and congratulate you, I’d like to introduce Eric Andersen, president of Aon, who’s joining us today.

ERIC ANDERSEN: Thanks, Laura. It’s great to be with you all today.

First off, Matthew, congratulations. We’re so happy to have you as our Aon Risk Reward Challenge champion. It’s been inspiring for all of our colleagues around the world to watch you compete on the challenge holes, especially as the competition got tight and started to really become very competitive as we went down the stretch.

Watching you play, seeing your strategy, using your team, how you put yourself in a position to make the decisions that really — it really speaks to what we’re also trying to do with our clients, and it’s incredible to see that your approach has paid off in the way that it has. So really congratulations. Really excited about it.

MATTHEW WOLFF: Yeah, first off, it’s nice meeting you, Eric. I appreciate you for what you do and for Aon and putting everything on and allowing me to do what I do and making the best decisions and getting rewarded for that. So I appreciate that, first and foremost.

Secondly, yeah, it’s an honor to be the 2020/2021 Aon Risk Reward Challenge champion. It’s a season long race and felt like a really long season this year. It was great. I just think, like you were saying, making the best decisions, and especially coming down on those holes. Those are the holes when usually they’re later in the round, and like the risk reward, it’s just you take on that risk and you can get rewarded, but it can also go the other way. I wouldn’t be sitting here if it went the other way. So I’m glad I got the reward along with the risk.

ERIC ANDERSEN: For sure.

THE MODERATOR: Matthew, your approach allowed you to birdie over 54 percent of the Aon Risk Reward Challenge holes. Your par-5 at over 45 percent. Go for the green success rate, 16 percent higher compared to the field. So many amazing stats throughout your season. Are there any Aon Risk Reward Challenge holes and specific decisions that stood out to you throughout the season?

MATTHEW WOLFF: I think one of my favorite Aon Risk Reward holes is 15 at Travelers. I just think it’s such a good hole. It’s coming down the stretch. What I love about it is I love those drivable par-4s that are those Aon Risk Reward holes because it’s just — it’s set up so perfectly to where, if you take on that risk, that you will get rewarded because par-4s are not supposed to be driven, but if you have the ability to and you’re willing to take on that risk and try to step up and hit that shot, you can get rewarded.

But I also feel like, if you don’t pull off that shot, it could definitely — you know, like it’s a break your round or maybe even tournament if you’re trying to go for the lead, and I think that’s what is so amazing about this hole — or this challenge is because it makes you really step up and hit the shot and commit and take on that risk.

It just shows that there’s much more to going about golf than just hitting the shot. It’s about preparing and looking at the statistics and seeing everything, where people make birdies from, where people make bogeys from, pulling all that together, and on top of that, just your feel of what you feel like you should be doing and putting all those factors together and making the best decision, it’s not always easy, but at the end of the year, it seems like I made the right ones.

THE MODERATOR: Absolutely you did. Players on the PGA TOUR obviously have very different approaches. Can you talk about how you build your strategy specifically to these challenge holes?

MATTHEW WOLFF: Yeah, I think I’m a very aggressive player. I feel like there’s a lot of times when I try to take on that risk. You’ll see that in a lot of players, such as Brooks Koepka, who I know was last year’s Aon Risk Reward Challenge winner. I think just being that aggressive mindset, knowing that you can pull of that shot, or feeling that confidence that you can pull off that shot, it really helps me when I get to these holes because, even though the shot may require a little more skill or a little more kind of thought going into it, I feel like at the end of the day I have that confidence and I have that ability to pull off those big shots when they’re not easy.

To me, it was just really knowing that I could — you know, having the confidence in myself and knowing that I could step up on those hard holes and take a risk and know that it was going to be — or I had a good chance of getting rewarded, which was don’t always feel that way, but it was a nice feeling.

THE MODERATOR: I have a last question, and that goes toward both of you. This is the third year of the Aon Risk Reward Challenge across the PGA TOUR and the LPGA TOUR. Eric, you launched this in 2018 and made the decision to support the challenge across both tours and anchored it with the $1 million for each winner.

Can you first tell us, Eric, about the significance of the program and gender equality in sports, and then, Matt, we’ll talk about what it means to you to have this challenge across both those tours as well.

ERIC ANDERSEN: Sure, Laura. Listen, the Aon Risk Reward Challenge for us, we really wanted to do something that really showed our commitment to what we were trying to do around inclusion and diversity both within our firm but also within our communities.

The winners of this Risk Reward Challenge, how they approach the shots, as Matt was saying before, really has nothing to do with gender. It’s around skill. It’s around preparation. It’s around working with your teams. It’s about using that right risk reward balance that’s so important to winning like you have.

For us, it was an easy decision that we wanted to back up our challenge with a financial commitment that was equal across both the women’s tour and the men’s tour. We’re really excited about it. We’ve gotten great feedback from it, not just from our own colleagues who were excited, but also our broader community. So we’re really excited about Matt for sure and also who’s going to join him in November with the LPGA TOUR winner.

THE MODERATOR: Matt, what does it mean to you to have this program launched across both the LPGA and the PGA TOUR?

MATTHEW WOLFF: Yeah, I think just kind of echoing what Eric just said, it’s more than just the gender or the skill that you have. It’s about the decision-making and the thought process going into it and also the hard work. No matter what gender you are, no matter what skill level you play at, at the end of the day, taking those extra steps and looking at the statistics and going out there and getting a feel for the hole is — that’s what an athlete does.

And being able to — you know, for Aon and everyone, just forget about gender and make everyone equal because, at the end of the day, I put in all the work that I do in order to make the best decisions and play the hole — not only the Aon Risk Reward holes, but every hole as well as I can, and they do the same thing. They put in just as much work. They put in just as much time. They go through the statistics and try to make that best decision, and they should be rewarded just the same as we are.

I think that it’s really important for other athletes, especially female, to see that and know that, you know, to keep working hard because people will realize that, and Aon is one of the first to do it.

I’m sure there are plenty of others that have the same rewards and stuff like that, but not many that I’ve heard of. So it’s really cool what Aon’s doing, and I’m excited as well to see who’s going to join me in November with that trophy.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Matthew. Thank you, Eric. We’re going to turn it over to our media here at the Northern Trust, but congratulations again on your award this year and all your hard work.

MATTHEW WOLFF: Thank you. Thanks again, Eric. I really appreciate it.

ERIC ANDERSEN: You got it. Well done.

Q. You’ve now played, I think, six times since you came back at the U.S. Open. Just wondering how are you doing mentally and personally? How are you handling life on TOUR differently than you were before?

MATTHEW WOLFF: Yeah, it’s still a grind. I’m doing a lot better. I am. I feel like I’m starting to feel like the results based — or the performance doesn’t so much affect the person that I am, and I can still be friendly to fans and talk to people and smile and have fun out there and enjoy all the hard work that I’ve put in to be where I am today.

Sometimes I definitely take that for granted, and it’s hard when you’re out there working really hard and feel like you’re ready for a tournament and then going out and not performing, it takes a toll on you, especially when you’re not playing well in that moment, and it might happen over and over again.

But I just feel like I’ve really got to stick to what I’ve been working on. I trust the people that are on my team, and it’s definitely getting better. You know, I can’t say by huge amounts really quickly, but I know incrementally the scores might not be better, but I’m feeling better. I’m happier. And I’ll look to keep on being happy.

Q. And with what happened with Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles, it does feel like there’s a momentum to addressing these mental health issues in sports. Do you feel like there’s momentum in that way, and did you notice support from other guys on TOUR for stepping away the way you did for a little while?

MATTHEW WOLFF: Absolutely. I feel like stuff is starting to go that way. What you said about Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles and stuff, I want to move that to what Rory said. He was at the Olympics, and they asked him about Naomi and Simone, and I think his quote on that was so powerful and so true. It was mental illness or not being happy, that’s an injury, and people don’t look at it as that. People look at it as, oh, you’re not happy, or you’re a little screwed up in the head or you’re just playing bad. It’s like get over it, keep on working.

But it’s more than that. It’s more than just how you play. It’s about enjoying yourself. There’s so many guys out here that have such good attitudes, and even when they’re not playing good, they’re going out there, having fun, talking, laughing. They’re enjoying themselves out there.

If you don’t feel right, if you don’t feel like you want to be out there and you feel like — some of the feelings that I had were like getting up in the morning knowing I had to get out of bed and just like not being able to, being like I don’t want to get out of bed. I just want to stay in my bed and not be in front of everyone and not screw up in front of everyone, and I think that what he said was really powerful because, if you don’t feel a hundred percent right, no matter if it’s physical or mental, it is an injury, and you should be able to rehab and take your time in order to get to a place where you need to be.

I feel like I had that time, and I’m looking forward to this off-season to working on it a little bit more.

Q. Hey, Matt, this is where you had your first playoff appearance two years ago. When you look back at two years ago, is there something you’re possibly trying to recapture or kind of those feelings you talk about? Did you have those in 2019? I guess how would you — what are the things that 2019 Matthew Wolff, you want to get back in 2021 Matthew Wolff?

MATTHEW WOLFF: Yeah, I think just how free I was. Obviously, I made the cut here, but I didn’t have that good of a tournament. I think just the aggressiveness and the go for it attitude and the everything — not everything’s going to be all right, but I’m taking on that risk, and if it doesn’t always happen the way I want it to, not getting frustrated because I know there’s going to be times when I do take on those risks or I play how I used to in 2019.

Just I would say more fearless if anything. It was going up and getting after every round and being like I’m going to go out and shoot 62 today and not being like I hope I shoot under par, and I just think that little mindset is something that I’ve been working on.

Yeah, playing here always helps even if it’s only one time. You see guys out here, they’ve been playing for 15, 20 years, and they show up on Wednesday morning or Tuesday night, and they just play the Pro-Am and they’re ready to go because they’ve seen it before.

It is nice knowing that I’ve seen this course before, and maybe subtle things on the greens or lines on tee shots that I can feel a little more confident with this time as opposed to the first time I played here. But I think at the end of the day, I’m just going to stick to my game plan and try to have a good time out there.

Q. With the fall, do you feel like you’ll use that as a time to step away again and work on the things you talked about? Or is that a time, because you had a break, you could maybe play a little more than you would have attended if you played the fall season? I guess how do you view what you possibly want to try to accomplish in the fall?

MATTHEW WOLFF: Yeah, I think that my fix or what I’m working on isn’t a quick thing to fix. It’s not something that is a choice. It’s not, oh, just be happy because if I’m working really hard and my results aren’t good, it’s hard to stay positive. The most important thing for me is to keep on working on it and make sure that negative results or bad days don’t take away from the overall product of what I’m trying to do.

I think that I’m definitely going to take as much time as I can off in the fall to work on that and work on my game as well as my mental side and just being happy, but I do think that I’m ready to go in the fall. I think I’ll have a couple months off, and that will be a good time to reset and work on what I need to work on. Or my bad, a couple weeks off, and then play the fall, and then I’ll have a couple months off.

It’s a long season. The PGA TOUR, they play a lot of tournaments, and just like any other professional athlete, you play a lot of games in any sport that you play, and any down time that you can get is really important, and I think that’s one thing that I’ve learned since I’ve been out here.

In junior golf and when you’re younger, you feel like your motor always goes. As soon as you get out here and travel week to week and play a bunch of weeks in a row, you feel like your motor kind of wears out quicker than it usually does. Rest is just as important as practice, in my opinion.

Press Release by ASAP Sports

Categories
PGA Tour

Ian Poulter is literally on his way to the Play Offs

Ian Poulter makes it to the FedexCup Play Offs and he shares the excitement in social media.

Last weekend at the 2021 Wyndham Championship was stressful at the least for some remarkable players such as Rickie Fowler or Justin Rose, among others. However, the Britishman Ian Poulter was ranked 79th in the FedExCup ranking, within the Top 125 of the Northen Trust, making the cut for the Play Offs by a 189pts difference with Justin Rose, who goes first on the list of players that have missed the cut.

Ian Poulter has made three Top 10 during the 2021 season. He finished T3 at the Charles Schwab Challenge, T9 at the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play, and T10 at the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, which played an important role to classify for the Play Offs.
Poulter initiated his professional golf career back in 1995, and him and his always colorful looks in the golf course do not think of hanging their spikes any time soon. The golfer Ian Poulter wants to continue achieving great things, and he shares such intentions with his fans in a funny way, always keeping his unbroken sense of humor.
HEAD-SUP
Ian Poulter makes it to the FedexCup Play Offs and he decided to get going already. Poulter is so exciting that just got in the car and he is now on his way to give it all. Stay Tuned!

Categories
PGA Tour

Justin Rose is “gutted” over his PGA season being over

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - AUGUST 15: Justin Rose of England lines up a putt on the 18th green during the final round of the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club on August 15, 2021 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Despite his successful year, Rose failed to qualify for the FedEx Cup for the first time in his PGA career.

His current season highlights include finishing T8 at the PGA Championship, his second consecutive top-10 at the event and fifth in his career. Led the field in Strokes Gained: Putting (2.932 per round). During the Masters, he shot a first-round 65 and took a four-stroke 18-hole lead before finishing solo-seventh.

The FedExCup is a season-long points competition which culminates with the FedExCup Playoffs, a series of three events to determine the FedExCup Champion. The top 125 players in the FedExCup standings are eligible for the FedExCup Playoffs with the three events featuring a progressive cut with fields of 125, 70 and 30. Justin Rose currently ranks at 126 which leaves him out of the running for this season’s championship. Despite missing out this year, Rose seems to be holding his head high for his fans.

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Justin ROSE (@justinprose99)

Player’s Career Highlights from the official PGA website

Categories
Knowledge PGA Tour Team UK Top Tours

Justin Rose is named the 2021 recipient of the Payne Stewart Award

Justin Rose named recipient of the 2021 Payne Stewart Award

Justin Rose, the englishman golfer who is a 11-time PGA winner, as well as the 2013 U.S. Open winner and 2016 Olympic gold medalist in Rio, was named the 2021 recipient of the Payne Stewart Award, which is presented annually by the PGA Tour to the golfer who best exemplifies character, charity and sportsmanship.

Stewart, a three-time major champion, perished in a 1999 plane crash as the reigning U.S. Open champion. A year after that fatal date, the PGA created this award to honor his name and character.
Rose, turned professional in ’98, a year before Payne died, and was able to have a few brief interactions with Payne long before Rose held a trophy in his honor. The 2021 recipient definitely remembers the kind words that Steward had with him at The Open Championship in ’98, when Rose was just hitting balls on the range and Payne stopped by to compliment his swing: “Oh, that’s how it’s done.”

The Payne Stewart Award is specially meaninful because it goes beyond the golfing skills, but instead this prize recognizes the characteristics that define a great role model for the rest of the world, without any descriminations.
Some of the most recognizable players have won this Award in the past as well, such as Ernie Els (2015), Gary Player (2006), Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer both in (2000).
It is a chance for the recipient to bring the world matters back to the spotlight and to create awarness through their actions or foundations. Justin Rose and his wife founded The Kate & Justin Rose Foundation in Florida, which helps members of the community with lack of sources and money to fulfill their plates and to enrich their minds, raising more than $3 million and providing “500,000 hunger-free weekends” and 300,000 books.

“Justin Rose embodies everything the Payne Stewart Award represents,” PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said. “Like Payne, he has been one of the premier players of his generation while using his platform to better the lives of those around him.”

Categories
European Tour

Wiesberger and Perez eyeing Ryder Cup run at Cazoo Classic

Bernd Wiesberger, from Austria, concentrates all his forces in the Cazoo Classic 2021

Tournament Preview

Bernd Wiesberger and Victor Perez will tee it up in this week’s Cazoo Classic at London Golf Club, both harbouring hopes of staking a late claim to secure a place on Pádraig Harrington’s European Ryder Cup team.

Both players are well and truly in the mix as the race for qualification concludes at the end of next month’s BMW PGA Championship, before Team Europe journeys to Whistling Straits in Wisconsin two weeks later in an attempt to retain the famous trophy they lifted in Paris three years ago.

Austrian Wiesberger currently lies in seventh position on the European Points List, helped by an eighth European Tour victory earlier this year at Made in HimmerLand presented by FREJA, while Frenchman Perez sits just outside the cut-off mark on the World Points List behind Irishman Shane Lowry.

Wiesberger has enjoyed a three-week break since making the cut at The Open and returns to Kent feeling fresh and ready for the challenge. Perez, meanwhile, played last week’s WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational in Memphis and is now targeting a return to the kind of form which earned him a fourth place finish in March’s WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.

Andy Sullivan is a man who has already experienced the Ryder Cup, having played in 2016, and the Englishman’s most recent European Tour win came almost exactly a year ago on home soil, so he will be hoping to feed off the memories of his 2020 English Championship triumph this week.

Player Quotes

Bernd Wiesberger: “I have not played a massive amount of golf in my time off to be honest, that’s why I’m feeling nice and fresh and enjoy hitting a few balls. I played 18 holes today for the second time since Sunday at The Open.

“So they were short golfing days for me back at home, but I’ve been up to all sorts of things, tried three weeks off tournament golf, but it’s time to switch on again and get a few good weeks going this week at London Golf Club.

“I’m not the youngest anymore so I need to conserve my energy and I feel good. I had a lovely time yesterday with Titleist up at the new facility at Woburn and got everything nicely dialled in and played 18 practice holes because it’s my first time at London Golf Club.

“The course looks like, I feel like it’s really a golf course that suits my game and that’s always good, to come to a place that does that. I feel fresh, eager to get going again and I’m looking forward to the week.

“Well there’s really only one target for me over the next four events I’m playing, four of the next five. After that fourth week there is a big cut-off so that’s the big target and just try and enjoy these four weeks and free up for them, give everything in those events and try get the best outcome possible. We’ll see if we reach that goal.”

Victor Perez: “Obviously I didn’t have the best of weeks last week, I felt like some parts of the game worked for me and some parts of the games were poor and it’s just a case of putting it all together. There were some good stretches which has been the case for a long time in the last five or six months where it’s been good for a little bit, bad for little bit and not consistent enough.

“So it’s just a matter of putting it all together. The course looks great and I’m excited for the week. It’s part of the game where you look and think a 67 should be a 72 and it works both ways so you just have to be grateful for the times it works and be patient for the times when it doesn’t work.

“Sometimes you shoot 71 and you feel like you’re so close to a 68 and getting the rounds going and equally sometimes you shoot 67 and you get away withy a lot, so it’s a matter of perspective really.

“It’s a big puzzle and it’s just a matter of figuring it out, the right balance oif it all. Sometimes it works and you don’t know why and you keep risding that wave. Then something gets a little off and it’s just a matter of putting the pieces together where you’re comfortable enough to just play. It’s always so easy when it works and equally it can be very difficult.

“It can happen so quickly, you get off to a great week. You get a win and then all of a sudden you’re straight back into the conversation so with the double points and the way it’s turning out to be, it’s going to come all the way down to the final week at Wentworth – being a Rolex Series event with double points. I think at the end of the day it’s just all about playing well, giving yourself chances and hitting good shots.”

Andy Sullivan: “I feel like the game is good, I’ve been playing nicely without doing anything special, just not being getting up and down around the greens enough in honesty.

“I’ve been going along nicely, not getting up and down and you come back a couple of shots or a shot and it just completely zaps all momentum in the round so I’ve been doing a bit of work the last couple of weeks on that, trying to get that tighter, but the game feels in good shape.

“I’m loving the greens this week, the greens are really quick which is a lot more down my alley so without having too much form coming in here I’m actually feeling quite confident my game.

“We’re all out here to be competitive, aren’t we, and when you’re not it is frustrating and there’s no hiding that. I’m not going to stand here and say I’m really happy I finished 50th the last two weeks because I’m not. I’m fuming with it, it’s not nice, so in all honesty finishing 50th the last two weeks is massively frustrating and I want to be at the top end of the leaderboard. It’s not nice going into Sunday’s and not really got much to play for so try and rectify that this week and make sure the short game is tight.”

Press Release by the European Communication Team

Categories
Top Tours

Popert storms to EDGA Hero Open 2021 victory

Kipp Popert holding the plate of victory at the EDGA Hero Open 2021

Tournament Report

Kipp Popert carded a stunning bogey-free final round of 66 to win the EDGA Hero Open at Fairmont St Andrews, the third event of the 2021 EDGA European Tour season.

The Englishman, who has cerebral palsy affecting his lower body, continued his recent fine form from the English Open for Golfers with a Disability, which he won in June, as he improved on his first round score by 11 strokes to sign for a one under par total.

Popert made the turn on Sunday two under par and then finished with a flourish as he made four further gains on the back nine, with birdies on the 17th and 18th holes.

“I’m speechless,” said Popert. “I’ve been training for this my whole life, I knew I had it and just let it happen. It’s so satisfying. I’ve been training at my home club Wildernesse, I used to tell everyone I’d do something like this – I don’t think they believed me it at the time.

“If you find your passion, follow it with everything you’ve got. I was very fortunate to have two amazing parents who have supported me all the way. Give everything you’ve got, if you do that and stay committed to what you want to do, you’ll get there.”

With victory, Popert has secured a place at the EDGA Dubai Finale, which will be held alongside the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai – the final Rolex Series event of the year – at Jumeirah Golf Estates in November.

Popert finished ten strokes ahead of American Chris Biggins and Belgium’s Adem Wahbi. They will be hoping to secure one of the three remaining places in Dubai at the end of the season, with the top three aggregate points scorers from the EDGA Hero Open and next week’s EDGA Cazoo Classic at London Golf Club also earning a place.

The European Disabled Golf Association (EDGA) initiative is taking place under the umbrella of the European Tour’s Golf For Good initiative – the Tour’s overarching Corporate Social Responsibility programme.

Scoring for the remaining EDGA tournaments will feature on the European Tour’s website and App for fans to follow, while the tournament world feed broadcast will also feature updates across the weekend, with the winners also part of the main prize-giving ceremonies.

‘Golf for Good’ is the umbrella name for the European Tour’s overarching Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme. It involves three main pillars:
Support for Worthy Causes: Which embraces all the charitable activity of the original 2020 Golf for Good initiative
Sustainability: Which embraces the Green Drive focus around our tournaments
Inclusivity and Health: Which embraces our Golfers with Disability and golf for all messaging, in addition to promoting the wider health benefits of the game.

EDGA European Tour Schedule
EDGA Cazoo Open – The Celtic Manor Resort (July 24-25) – won by Brendan Lawlor
ISPS HANDA World Disability Invitational presented by Brendan Lawlor – Massereene and Galgorm Castle (July 31 – August 1) – won by Brendan Lawlor
EDGA Hero Open – Fairmont St Andrews (August 7-8) – won by Kipp Popert
EDGA Cazoo Classic – London Golf Club (August 14-15)
EDGA Dubai Finale – Jumeirah Golf Estates (November 19-20)

Press Release by the European Tour Communications

Categories
European Tour

Vierumäki Finnish Challenge: Helligkilde Secures Title

Marcus Helligkilde of Denmark poses with the price check after winning Vierumaki Finnish Challenge. (Photo: Getty Images)

Round four report

Marcus Helligkilde recorded a season-low 23 under par total as he went wire-to-wire to claim his maiden European Challenge Tour title at the Vierumäki Finnish Challenge..

Starting the day with a five-stroke lead, the 24-year-old was in control in Finland as he picked up shots on the ninth and 12th holes.

A double-bogey on the 16th brought Sweden’s Jesper Svensson into contention, but a birdie on the last sealed a two-stroke victory as he signed for a one under par final round. Svensson settled for second place on 21 under par, his best result in four Challenge Tour appearances.

Helligkilde surpassed Craig Howie’s 22 under par 266 aggregate total from the Range Servant Challenge by Hinton Golf, where he finished runner-up to the Scotsman.

The Dane, who climbs 22 places to eighth on the Road to Mallorca Rankings, was overjoyed at securing his maiden title in such dominant fashion and believes managing his mental game played a vital role in his triumph.

“I’m lost for words,”

he said “It feels so nice and I am very happy. I think my success was down to a combination of things; the biggest factor was my mental game and how I managed myself around the course.”

Helligkilde was delighted with his all-round display as he took advantage of the few penalty areas present at Vierumäki Resort, enabling him to hit 17 greens despite sometimes being out of position off the tee on day four in Vierumäki.

“I hit my driver a lot as there were not so many penalty areas out there and if it was in the trees I could still chip towards the green. Good course management and conservative approach play into the greens was key.”

“The first three rounds everything was just perfect and I was striking the ball so pure. Today was more difficult because I hit 17 greens but only managed to one-putt once and that was at the 18th. I love being here in Finland, especially Vierumäki, this is an amazing place to play golf.”

Belgium’s Christopher Mivis finished third on 17-under-par, while three-time Challenge Tour winner Espen Kofstad’s nine under par round of 63 was enough to share fourth place with Frenchman Ugo Coussaud. Englishman Joe Long, Denmark’s Niklas Nørgaard Møller and Swedish duo Pontus Nyholm and Jesper Kennegard share sixth place on 15 under par.

The Road to Mallorca now visits Helligkilde’s motherland for the Danish Swing, with the Made in Esbjerg Challenge – Presented by Freja & TotalEnergies taking place from August 11-14, followed by the Sydbank Esbjerg Challenge from August 17-20.

Scores after round four:

265 M HELLIGKILDE (DEN) 61 67 66 71, 
 267 J SVENSSON (SWE) 66 67 66 68, 
 271 C MIVIS (BEL) 68 69 69 65, 
 272 E KOFSTAD (NOR) 69 69 71 63, U COUSSAUD (FRA) 66 68 70 68, 
 273 J LONG (ENG) 70 65 73 65, P NYHOLM (SWE) 66 67 73 67, N M?LLER (DEN) 66 69 68 70, J KENNEGARD (SWE) 66 65 71 71, 
 274 J FREIBURGHAUS (SUI) 70 71 70 63, T CLEMENTS (ENG) 64 67 71 72, 
 275 J KO (FRA) 69 68 72 66, A GARCIA-HEREDIA (ESP) 65 69 74 67, T WIDING (SWE) 64 72 70 69, D HUIZING (NED) 70 68 68 69, 
 276 B HUTCHINSON (ENG) 66 67 73 70, 
 277 R KAKKO (FIN) 69 70 71 67, O HUNDEB?LL (DEN) 64 68 77 68, D FOOS (GER) 68 68 72 69, J K?LBING (GER) 69 69 68 71, 
 278 J AXELSEN (DEN) 67 74 68 69, B NEIL (SCO) 69 67 73 69, N REGNER (AUT) 68 67 73 70, 
 279 J DANTORP (SWE) 65 75 69 70, 
 280 J YATES (IRL) 72 66 73 69, T BALTL (AUT) 70 71 69 70, R VAN WEST (NED) 70 71 70 69, E FERGUSON (SCO) 71 66 73 70, N JOHANSSON (SWE) 70 71 70 69, H ARKENAU (GER) 70 69 73 68, H ELLIS (ENG) 72 68 72 68, C BERARDO (FRA) 70 67 72 71, L NEMECZ (AUT) 68 68 71 73, 
 281 M CARLSSON (SWE) 68 69 74 70, J MURPHY (IRL) 68 72 71 70, T BESSA (POR) 69 69 72 71, R PETERSSON (SWE) 70 71 72 68, 
 282 P KUEST (USA) 67 73 70 72, V MEYER (GER) 68 70 72 72, M GRADECKI (POL) 67 73 72 70, O LINDELL (FIN) 69 71 74 68, A PENDARIES (FRA) 69 72 74 67, A ARIZABALETA (COL) 66 72 68 76, 
 283 F MORY (FRA) 67 70 73 73, R DAWSON (IRL) 64 73 75 71, R CONRADIE (RSA) 65 74 76 68, 
 284 P MCBRIDE (IRL) 68 70 73 73, C BLOMSTRAND (SWE) 69 68 75 72, C ROSS (SCO) 69 70 74 71, B VIRTO (ESP) 68 69 77 70, C CANNON (ENG) 70 70 74 70, I CANTERO GUTIERREZ (ESP) 70 71 73 70, M LINDBERG (SWE) 69 71 75 69, 
 285 F BERGAMASCHI (ITA) 71 66 76 72, J SUGRUE (IRL) 72 69 72 72, P EDBERG (SWE) 72 68 69 76, M FENASSE (FRA) 69 72 74 70, J BEKIRIAN (FRA) 69 72 74 70, A LINTUNEN (AM) (FIN) 70 68 79 68, 
 286 T MURRAY (ENG) 68 69 74 75, 
 287 D LANGLEY (ENG) 65 76 73 73, A AHOUA (FRA) 71 70 75 71, 
 288 C O’ROURKE (IRL) 73 66 79 70, 
 289 M HONKALA (FIN) 70 69 76 74, H DU PLESSIS (RSA) 75 66 76 72, 
 291 B PETURSSON (ISL) 73 68 77 73, M SVENSSON (SWE) 70 71 77 73, 
 292 M ROHWER (RSA) 69 71 79 73, 
 293 A PLANT (ENG) 71 68 77 77, 
 294 M WIEGELE (AUT) 67 72 79 76, 
 **
 OUT S HENRY (SCO) 68 73 79 RT, 
 **
 142 D KEMMER (USA) 73 69, S GANDON (FRA) 72 70, J GIRRBACH (SUI) 71 71, K ULENAERS (BEL) 71 71, K KOIVU (FIN) 69 73, L SCALISE (ITA) 66 76, T TETAK (AM) (SVK) 71 71, C SAHLSTROM (SWE) 71 71, L CIANCHETTI (ITA) 67 75, J MAICAS (ESP) 72 70, Y PAUL (GER) 66 76, P MEJOW (GER) 73 69, R KARLSSON (FIN) 68 74, 
 143 A TOSTI (ARG) 70 73, I SAULO (FIN) 73 70, G KRISTJANSSON (ISL) 72 71, D QUINONES (USA) 72 71, M BREMNER (RSA) 75 68, O GILLBERG (SWE) 68 75, A HIDALGO (ESP) 69 74, L RUUSKA (FIN) 68 75, B GILL (ENG) 71 72, F SCHOTT (GER) 68 75, H GODDARD (ENG) 67 76, S FORSSTR?M (SWE) 67 76, 
 144 B MACPHERSON (AUS) 72 72, S GREGORY (ENG) 77 67, S GROS (FRA) 73 71, N HELLBERG (FIN) 71 73, J FLOYDD (ENG) 70 74, M EGGENBERGER (SUI) 72 72, G BLOOR (ENG) 72 72, 
 145 A KLUIBENSCH?DL (AUT) 70 75, J JONES (CAN) 73 72, A JOHN (GER) 72 73, A BJORNSSON (ISL) 72 73, D CAREY (IRL) 74 71, M ELVIRA (ESP) 71 74, F JORDANSSON (SWE) 73 72, M LUNDBERG (SWE) 73 72, P L?NGFORS (SWE) 71 74, M ORTOLANI (ITA) 71 74, S FERNANDEZ (ESP) 73 72, T ROSENM?LLER (GER) 70 75, 
 146 M BELTRAN (ESP) 74 72, F DAUX (FRA) 77 69, G CASTAGNARA (ITA) 68 78, V PASTOR (ESP) 74 72, E ISOMETSA (FIN) 72 74, A AHOKAS (FIN) 71 75, E JOHANSEN (NOR) 72 74, D RAVETTO (FRA) 76 70, E LIPPARELLI (ITA) 73 73, 
 147 M ORRIN (ENG) 73 74, M HIRMER (GER) 71 76, 
 148 J SAAREKS (AM) (FIN) 72 76, C SIMBERG (FIN) 72 76, ? ZACH (CZE) 74 74, A HIETALA (FIN) 72 76, P BAEK (DEN) 74 74, P EROFEJEFF (FIN) 77 71, J GRIS (FRA) 72 76, 
 149 T SALMINEN (FIN) 77 72, J LANDO CASANOVA (FRA) 70 79, J KAHLOS (FIN) 75 74, S WORTELBEOR (SUI) 77 72, B HELLGREN (SWE) 74 75, S SANTALA (FIN) 76 73, V VISKARI (AM) (FIN) 73 76, M GALIANO AGUILAR (ESP) 74 75, 
 150 N KRISTENSEN (DEN) 78 72, A MYLLYMAKI (FIN) 75 75, M LUOMA (AM) (FIN) 77 73, 
 151 E MYLLYMAKI (FIN) 75 76, J JOLKKONEN (FIN) 74 77, 
 152 D BORDA (ESP) 72 80, 
 153 I SCHEZ-PALENCIA (ESP) 76 77, M LAMPERT (GER) 76 77, H SHERIDAN – MILLS (ENG) 77 76, E HAAVISTO (AM) (FIN) 70 83, 
 154 A KOPP (AUT) 78 76, 
 155 H WOAN (ENG) 77 78, 
 156 M VEIJALAINEN (FIN) 77 79, 
 159 A CUENCA (ESP) 74 85, 
 163 H HILBURGER (AM) (GER) 84 79, 

Interview transcript by European Tour Communications

Categories
PGA Tour

Niall Horan confirmed for BMW PGA Championship Pro-Am

Niall Horan during the BMW PGA Championship Pro-Am at Wentworth Golf Club on September 18, 2019. (Photo: Getty Images)

Press Release

Niall Horan, who rose to global fame during his time as a member of boyband One Direction, is the first in a series of A-list celebrities to be confirmed for this year’s BMW PGA Championship Celebrity Pro-Am, taking place at the prestigious Wentworth Club on Wednesday, September 8.

The Irishman, who has since become a successful solo artist with his band, The Slow Hands, is no stranger to the star-studded Celebrity Pro-Am, the traditional curtain-raiser to the BMW PGA Championship, the European Tour’s third Rolex Series event of the 2021 Race to Dubai.

As a member of Wentworth Club, the 27-year-old is familiar with the challenging West Course. However, the hugely popular event attracts a considerable crowd and performing in front of thousands of fans on the golf course is very different to performing up on stage.

Horan, who plays off a handicap of nine, said: “I’ve sung in front of thousands of people; performed concerts all around the world, but when you hear your name called out on the first tee at Wentworth, and you step out in front of that crowd onto the tee box…it’s nerve wracking! We’ve done okay over the years though – I think we’ve won it twice – and it’s pretty cool getting to play with the pros. 

Niall Horan also states,

“It’s a proper family day out and a great atmosphere before the actual tournament and serious stuff kicks off. The celebrity turn out is amazing. You have all sorts of actors, singers, sports stars and TV personalities. I just love it. It’s my home club and it’s always a great day.”

The tournament itself gets underway on Thursday September 9, when Tyrrell Hatton will return to defend his BMW PGA Championship title. The Ryder Cup star leads a host of home hopefuls aiming to make it three English victories in a row at the Rolex Series event.

Hatton will be joined by fellow Ryder Cup stars Tommy Fleetwood, Ian Poulter and Justin Rose, as well as the 2020 Race to Dubai Champion Lee Westwood.

The 2019 BMW PGA Championship winner and 2016 Masters Tournament champion Danny Willett will also tee it up at the Surrey venue, as will World Number 22 Matt Fitzpatrick and four-time European Tour winner Matt Wallace.

They will all be hoping to impress in front of the home crowd at Wentworth Club, which will host some of the biggest stars of world golf in the final qualifying event for the European Ryder Cup team. Pádraig Harrington and his team will attempt to retain the famous trophy against the United States two weeks later at Whistling Straits, in Wisconsin.

Kit Gartrell, Championship Director of the BMW PGA Championship, said: “The BMW PGA Celebrity Pro-Am has become a real highlight of the week, offering fans the chance to see some of world golf’s biggest names tee it up alongside stars of the stage, screen and sport. The players receive a wonderful reception from the huge crowds that come to watch. It promises to be another fantastic day.

“With live concerts returning as well, there will be a real festival atmosphere to this year’s BMW PGA Championship. Rock trio Feeder will be performing on the Saturday, and then Global hitmakers Clean Bandit will headline on the Slingsby Show Stage on the Sunday.

“We cannot wait to welcome everyone back to Wentworth to enjoy five days of world-class golf and entertainment in a relaxed and fun environment.”

Tickets for the BMW PGA Celebrity Pro-Am Day start at £25 for adults (complimentary tickets for children aged 13 and under). Prices for the BMW PGA Championship start at £15 for Tuesday’s practice round. Concessions are available for OAPs and students.

Interview transcript by European Tour Communications

Categories
European Tour

Hero Open: Forrest cuts down the competition

Grant Forrest celebrating his triumph at the Hero Open. (Photo: Getty Images)

Final Round Report

Grant Forrest became the first Scotsman to win on home soil in nearly a decade as he triumphed at the Hero Open at Fairmont St Andrews.

The 28-year-old started the final round in a share of the lead with compatriot Calum Hill and the pair traded blows on the front nine as they both made the turn in 33 shots. The turning point of the afternoon came on the tenth hole as Hill double-bogeyed the par four, with Forrest making birdie for a three-shot swing.

Forrest then birdied the 11th to move to 23 under par and he was joined on that number by Englishman James Morrison who made a late charge with a nine under par round of 63. Forrest lost the lead after a bogey on the 16th, but he recovered with a birdie on the 17th and left himself two feet for birdie – and victory – on the 18th.

Forrest tapped in the putt in front of the home fans, signing for a six under par round and a 24 under par total, also securing the first Scottish win on home soil since Paul Lawrie triumphed at the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles in 2012.

Morrison finished second, two strokes ahead of Spain’s Santiago Tarrio who continued his incredible recent form with a 21 under par round. Hill and compatriot David Law shared fourth place on 20 under.

Player Quotes

Grant Forrest: “So many emotions. To do it in front of everyone who has come up to support me, the last year and a half has been a real challenge on and off the course. I’m delighted, it’ll take a while to sink in.

“I hit a poor shot into 16 and tried to be a bit too safe and three putted, I saw the scoreboard and knew what I needed to do. The big thing all day was one shot at a time, just keep hitting shots. I hit a great nine iron into 17, nice and close, that really helps. And two great shots into 18, it was a great way to finish.

“It means so much. We’ve been through quite a lot as a family. To do it here, it’s what I’ve always dreamed of, winning a European Tour event. I can’t believe it.

“It’s one thing doing well in amateur golf but turning pro and doing it week-in, week-out on different golf courses. I’ve had to make a lot of improvements and changes to my game to get to this point. It’s just really fulfilling to see it come off this week.

“Golf’s a funny game, you never know when it’s going to click and when it’s going to be your week. Last week was the complete opposite – things didn’t go our way at all. You keep doing the right things, trusting that and fortunately this week was our week.”

Final Scores:
 264 G FORREST (SCO) 68 68 62 66, 
 265 J MORRISON (ENG) 69 66 67 63, 
 267 S TARRIO (ESP) 67 65 67 68, 
 268 D LAW (SCO) 67 67 66 68, C HILL (SCO) 63 68 67 70, 
 271 C HANNA (USA) 65 68 69 69, M JORDAN (ENG) 67 66 68 70, 
 272 N KEARNEY (IRL) 71 69 66 66, J WALTERS (RSA) 68 64 71 69, 
 273 S KIM (USA) 69 65 73 66, B EASTON (RSA) 67 69 71 66, C PAISLEY (ENG) 66 72 69 66, G PORTEOUS (ENG) 69 69 68 67, B HENSON (USA) 67 67 67 72, L BJERREGAARD (DEN) 67 62 71 73, 
 274 M KAWAMURA (JPN) 73 68 69 64, A QUIROS (ESP) 66 69 73 66, S SHARMA (IND) 67 67 73 67, H LEON (CHI) 67 70 70 67, C SHINKWIN (ENG) 69 68 69 68, T TREE (ENG) 67 68 69 70, M FORD (ENG) 70 66 68 70, 
 275 Y CHANG (KOR) 70 67 72 66, C HOWIE (SCO) 75 65 67 68, R MCEVOY (ENG) 70 66 70 69, D HILLIER (NZL) 69 70 67 69, J SMITH (ENG) 68 68 66 73, 
 276 E DE LA RIVA (ESP) 68 67 74 67, R RAMSAY (SCO) 67 69 71 69, 
 277 W BESSELING (NED) 72 71 66 68, O FARR (WAL) 71 69 68 69, J CALDWELL (NIR) 64 70 70 73, 
 278 M SOUTHGATE (ENG) 72 68 74 64, 
 279 R FOX (NZL) 74 69 69 67, J CAMPILLO (ESP) 72 70 70 67, J DONALDSON (WAL) 73 67 70 69, N VON DELLINGSHAUSEN (GER) 66 72 69 72, 
 280 L SLATTERY (ENG) 68 74 73 65, D GAVINS (ENG) 71 72 70 67, A OTAEGUI (ESP) 67 70 75 68, A LEVY (FRA) 69 74 68 69, G BHULLAR (IND) 76 67 68 69, M ARMITAGE (ENG) 72 69 70 69, D DRYSDALE (SCO) 71 67 73 69, T KOIVISTO (USA) 69 71 71 69, B DREDGE (WAL) 75 67 68 70, R SCIOT-SIEGRIST (FRA) 65 68 71 76, 
 281 G MOYNIHAN (IRL) 70 73 70 68, L VAN MEIJEL (NED) 76 67 70 68, A CHESTERS (ENG) 71 71 71 68, D PERRIER (FRA) 72 68 73 68, A SULLIVAN (ENG) 73 67 73 68, 
 282 D YOUNG (SCO) 75 68 72 67, K REITAN (NOR) 67 73 73 69, D VAN DRIEL (NED) 71 67 74 70, 
 283 M BALDWIN (ENG) 75 67 74 67, C PIGEM (ESP) 74 69 72 68, M SIEM (GER) 70 73 72 68, J HANSEN (DEN) 74 68 72 69, S HEND (AUS) 72 69 71 71, R FISHER (ENG) 65 75 70 73, R PARATORE (ITA) 75 67 66 75, 
 284 K BROBERG (SWE) 77 66 75 66, F KENNEDY (AM) (ENG) 72 71 73 68, A KARLSSON (SWE) 72 70 72 70, R SANTOS (POR) 72 69 72 71, P FIGUEIREDO (POR) 68 71 74 71, 
 285 D WHITNELL (ENG) 73 68 74 70, M KINHULT (SWE) 71 71 68 75, 
 286 A CA?IZARES (ESP) 73 70 73 70, J MCLEOD (AUS) 75 67 72 72, 
 289 G STAL (FRA) 69 74 74 72, A BAUTISTA (AUS) 72 70 74 73, R ENOCH (WAL) 72 69 71 77, 
 296 S CHAWRASIA (IND) 76 67 75 78, 
 **
 144 J SURI (USA) 75 69, A SANDHU (IND) 77 67, T GANDY (IMN) 78 66, N ELVIRA (ESP) 71 73, R LUMSDEN (SCO) 73 71, S JAMIESON (SCO) 71 73, O WILSON (ENG) 76 68, D COUPLAND (ENG) 76 68, C SYME (SCO) 73 71, S GARCIA RODRIGUEZ (ESP) 73 71, S KJELDSEN (DEN) 74 70, G STORM (ENG) 76 68, D VAN TONDER (RSA) 74 70, A ZEMMER (ITA) 71 73, L GAGLI (ITA) 73 71, N H?JGAARD (DEN) 75 69, P ERIKSSON (SWE) 74 70, M SIMONSEN (DEN) 76 68, 
 145 G FDEZ-CASTA?O (ESP) 75 70, C WOOD (ENG) 75 70, B HEBERT (FRA) 76 69, P PETERSON (USA) 77 68, L SHEPHERD (AM) (ENG) 73 72, P WARING (ENG) 71 74, B RITTHAMMER (GER) 72 73, S KAPUR (IND) 72 73, 
 146 F LAPORTA (ITA) 71 75, O FISHER (ENG) 76 70, E PEPPERELL (ENG) 74 72, C SORDET (FRA) 79 67, H LI (CHN) 77 69, L JOHNSTON (SCO) 78 68, J SANDBORG (SWE) 74 72, B EVANS (ENG) 71 75, D DIXON (ENG) 74 72, 
 147 P DUNNE (IRL) 79 68, N LEMKE (SWE) 77 70, P O’HARA (SCO) 75 72, H PORTEOUS (RSA) 73 74, 
 148 S YONGCHAROENCHAI (THA) 75 73, M WARREN (SCO) 78 70, R WILLIAMS (ENG) 75 73, E CUARTERO BLANCO (ESP) 72 76, C SHARVIN (NIR) 73 75, 
 149 R ROCK (ENG) 76 73, D LAWSON (AUS) 78 71, 
 150 G FOX (SCO) 74 76, J KASKE (FIN) 73 77, M SCHMITT (GER) 77 73, 
 151 J WRISDALE (ENG) 80 71, S GALLACHER (SCO) 80 71, M SCHMID (GER) 80 71, A COCKERILL (CAN) 80 71, J GEARY (NZL) 76 75, D PAPADATOS (AUS) 72 79, 
 152 J WINTHER (DEN) 79 73, R MCGOWAN (ENG) 80 72, D HORSEY (ENG) 81 71, D HOWELL (ENG) 77 75, E WALKER (SCO) 79 73, B POKE (DEN) 81 71, A SADDIER (FRA) 75 77, 
 153 T MCKIBBIN (NIR) 79 74, P ANGLES (ESP) 79 74, 
 154 R WATTEL (FRA) 78 76, 
 161 C DOAK (SCO) 90 71, 
 162 J BOLTON (ENG) 83 79, 
 **
 OUT J STALTER (FRA) 83 WD, 

Interview transcript by European Tour Communications

Categories
PGA Tour

Poulter makes fast start in Memphis

Ian Poulter of England plays a shot on the ninth hole during the first round of the World Golf Championship-FedEx St Jude Invitational. (Photo: Getty Images)
Poulter makes fast start in Memphis

Harris English made the most of a lightning start to card a 62 and take the first round lead ahead of two time World Golf Championships winner Ian Poulter at the WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational.

The American went out in 28 to match the lowest nine holes on the 2021 Race to Dubai and while he dropped two shots early on the back nine, a strong finish moved him to eight under at TPC Southwind.

Englishman Poulter carded a blemish free 64 to sit two shots back alongside European Tour affiliate member Carlos Ortiz and American pair Jim Herman and Matthew Wolff.

Major Champion Bryson DeChambeau was then at five under with fellow American Scottie Scheffler and Australian Marc Leishman for company, a shot clear of four home favourites in Daniel Berger, Sam Burns, Max Homa and Will Zalatoris.

English is a four-time winner on the PGA TOUR, including at this event in 2013 and twice this season, but his victory in Memphis came before the tournament had World Golf Championships status, and he is still seeking a WGC breakthrough.

Player Quotes

Harris English: “Birdieing the first four holes is good all the time. It was just one of those rounds where you’re hitting it where you’re looking.

“Everything was working, you just kind of get in the zone. All you’re thinking are positive thoughts, you’re hitting good shots and hitting good putts so you just try and keep the gas pedal down.

“I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing. It’s my seventh time playing this course and this tournament so I feel I’ve got a good strategy.

“I’ve been working hard at home so I feel I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing, keep hitting fairways and greens and see what happens.”

Ian Poulter: “Just steady golf, to be honest with you. I’m coming off two weeks off and you never know when you’ve been at home for two weeks whether you’ve done enough practice. Practice at my home course was great fun, great to see family and friends.

“Today was one of those days where I tried to fill myself in the tournament, feel my way in and obviously I think I did that really nicely. No bogeys, clean card. Had plenty of chances, a couple of outside looks which kind of sniffed the hole, so all in all it’s a great start.

“I don’t see it as any different to any normal tournament I’m going to play in the whole season. The only thing I’m focused on is playing as well as I possibly can. I’m not high enough up in the FedExCup, I need to obviously move up in that. I’ve got two opportunities this week and the first FedEx event, so I need to move forward. Not only that, I need to pick up some points for the Ryder Cup team. So I don’t look at this as a WGC, I don’t look at that in any way, shape or form. It’s a good tournament, a course I like, so hopefully I can just continue on that.”

Interview transcript by European Tour Communications