Category: Panorama

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European Tour Knowledge

R&A Report Shows Golf Participation In Sweden Has Increased To 600K

New official reports highlight great golf participation growth across Europe. According to the EGA (European Golf Association) reports, there are currently 10.6 Million golfers playing the sport among The R&A’s European Affiliates and in the EGA members’ markets, a healthy increase from the 7.9 million last monitored for 2016.

Since the pandemic, the sport fans had to get used to follow their favorite sports through the screen. Teams and organizers suffered the hard consequences economically speaking because of the decreasing number of affiliates. However, golf has come out stronger, and the reason is simple – The players are outside, it is easy to keep the social distance at all times, and it reconnects you with the world after a global lockdown.

Golf Participation Growth in Sweden

Markets with a greater proportion of registered golfers include Spain and Sweden (10% independent / 90% registered). “We believe that counting independent golfers together with those who are registered as club members gives a more accurate view of the total number of golfers playing on a full-length course each year and reflects how the sport is being consumed from country to country.” – Phil Anderton, Chief Development Officer at The R&A.

Since 2019, Swedish golf participation increased by 54.6k golfers. Reports situate Sweden 3rd in the leaderboard of countries with the highest number of new registered golfers. Nowadays, there are 600,000 golfers in Sweden and 650 courses. Due to the rapid increment of new participants, the course demand has also grown. This is a gap to cover that could potentially pump up the National federations and Organizations to continue to expand the interest in golf among the Swedish population.

Women’s and Junior Participation – The biggest increment

Regarding women’s golf, there’s also a clear increase in Europe. Only in Sweden, the female participation increased by 27%, which translates into 129,949 new golfers. The sport of golf almost benefit from the global Covid-19 pandemic. Moreover, there’s no denying that this is an unique opportunity to mediatise women’s golf and make more visible the quality among women golfers.


The Swedish are well-known for inculcating sports education in children from an early age. There’s also a reflection of that on the new reports by the R&A. Sweden leads the top of the list of European countries that has increased the number of junior participation. The junior enrolment has risen by 11%, or in other words, 61,839 new kids practice now the sport of golf. Junior participation is specially important because it represents the quarry of the future national teams.

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European Tour Fun

The fastest European Tour golfers who broke GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title at Valderrama

Wilco Nienaber, Sean Crocker, Min Woo Lee and Nicolai Højgaard at the Real Club Valderrama. (European Tour Images)

Sean Crocker, Nicolai Højgaard, Min Woo Lee and Wilco Nienaber broke a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the ‘Fastest hole of golf by a team of four’

Second Hero Challenge of 2021 saw previous record broken by over three seconds, the record stood at 27,88 seconds. New record was set at Real Club Valderrama, Spain ahead of the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters. In this case, hole 4 was the lucky one to witness these players facing the speed challenge. It is a par 5 of 501 yards that receives the name of “waterfall”.

The hole consisted on a fairly straight hole with a narrow fairway. However, there seems not to be much danger off the fairway, specially on the right side where the field opens a little more. Closer to the hole, there is a bunker on the right, just before the water that side-hugs the green. They planned out the entire strategy to play fast and safe. The key was to keep the eye on the pin and to hit the ball “bounce and stop” in order to reduce the timing from any slow back-spin.

Ready, set, go!

Wilco Nienaber was on the tee box to hit the first shot with his driver, aiming towards Sean Crocker. Nienaber hit an enormous 361-yard drive off the tee which gave Sean Crocker, positioned on the fairway and prepared with his two irons on his hands, 140 yards for his second shot which he hit to four feet. Crocker had to think fast to calculate the distance and pick the right club to get it into the green. There, both Min Woo Lee and Nicolai Højgaard were at the flag waiting to tap it in and become the new Guinness World Record winners.
At 5:55pm, two hours later, they set the New Guinness World Record at 24,75 seconds.

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Europe Panorama Travel

Dundonald Links: Luxury Lodges complete latest phase of £25M investment in the cradle of golf, Scotland.

Dundonald Links Course, in Irvine, Scotland.

Dundonald Links has entered an exciting new era with the opening of 18 luxury lodges, the latest phase of a £25m investment transforming the esteemed Scottish venue into one of the UK’s most modern new golf resorts.

Investing in the full golfing experience, Dundonald Links is becoming the dreamt golf destination.

The collection of two, four and six-bedroom lodges opened to widespread acclaim in August and have been custom-designed with golfers in mind, with bag storage and drying areas, en-suite bathrooms, large living spaces and fully equipped kitchen and dining facilities.

Darwin Escapes has already invested £1m in upgrading Dundonald Links’ Kyle Phillips-designed 18-hole championship course, including the addition of a new halfway house, and more is set to follow this autumn with the imminent opening of a new clubhouse and 22 hotel rooms.

Ian Ferguson, club manager, said: “The opening of the new lodges is the start of an exciting new chapter for Dundonald Links, and we’re thrilled with the initial feedback that we have received from guests.

Dundonald Links meets every need for the golfers and their loved ones.

“It’s been wonderful to see all the investment plans come to fruition over the last year and even more is to come in the next few months. With the opening of the new clubhouse and hotel rooms, not only will the resort boast some of the finest golf accommodation facilities in the UK, but it will also become the perfect base for golfers and their families to experience everything that this famous part of Scotland has to offer.”

Golf influencer Peter Finch, who has more than 400,000 followers on YouTube and who recently stayed in the lodges, said: “The biggest compliment I could pay is that I would love to live there!”

Boasting a striking contemporary design, the new two-storey clubhouse will feature large balconies overlooking the course and panoramic views to the Isle of Arran. Facilities within the clubhouse will include a pro shop, restaurant, bar, whisky tasting room and outdoor dining terrace, as well as a gym, sauna, steam room and extensive changing facilities.

Set amongst the picturesque Ayrshire countryside, the clubhouse has been created from natural materials and finished with local whinstone and a grass roof. This not only helps it to blend seamlessly with the rugged landscape and surroundings but also reinforces Dundonald’s long-term commitment to sustainability, conservation and nature.

In addition, the resort is also set to cut the ribbon in the coming months on a range of new hotel rooms, which are situated beside the clubhouse for ease of access to the restaurant and club facilities.

Already a well-respected test for bucket-list golfers from across the world, Dundonald Links has hosted many major professional golf events since 2008 – including the Ladies’ Scottish Open in 2015, 2016 and 2017 and the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open in 2017.

The resort is one of three golf venues operated by Darwin Escapes, in addition to The Springs Resort & Golf Club in Oxfordshire and Kilnwick Percy in East Yorkshire. For more details and to book a golf break at Dundonald Links, please visit dundonaldlinks.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/DundonaldLinks
Twitter: www.twitter.com/DundonaldLinks
Instagram: www.instagram.com/dundonaldlinks
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYx8sB_G2kuwoFrRRTfEOvw?view_as=subscriber

Press Release by Azalea in behalf of Dundonald Links

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Fun Professionals

Black Friday Battle Between Brooks & Bryson

(Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

It’s on! Finally, these two will dish it out on the green and only one will come out on top. No more social media scruffs or side eyeing each other at tournaments. The duo will square off in a 12-hole match on November 26 at the Wynn Golf Course, the only golf course on the Las Vegas strip. 

Bryson Dechambeau (28) and Brooks Koepka (31) are both pro American golfers who are stars on the PGA Tour. With their recent success at the Ryder Cup, all spectators have their eyes on these two. However, not only for their golf game. Fans have been sitting on the edge of their seat to see where the drama will lead between the two men. Is one golfer truly better than the other? Is this a fight over skill or over fame? Where did it all begin?

The Beginning

The feud began in 2018, when Koepka criticized how slow DeChambeau was playing. “I just don’t understand how it takes a minute and 20 seconds, a minute and 15 to hit a golf ball; it’s not that hard,” Koepka said at the time. DeChambeau hit back by digging at Koepka’s physique, claiming he didn’t have any abs.

Koepka then took to social media to retilate..

Then when Dechambeau was paired with Aaron Rogers  for “The Match” against Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady, Brooks sent a “I’m sorry bro” tweet to Aaron Rogers.  Dechambeau gracefully responded with,

Meme moments

After that, everything came to a head when Koepka became a meme at the PGA Championship. Koepka broke during a post-round conversation with the media when DeChambeau walked past, making a point of making as much noise on the pavement as he could with his spikes.

No, there was no beef at the Ryder Cup.

The two were fortunately not paired and were able to focus on gaining the win for the US team. There were no side eyeing, no tweeting, and no one was called Brooksy. They even seemed to enjoy each other’s presence and sat next to each other during the press conferences.

KOHLER, WISCONSIN – SEPTEMBER 23: Bryson DeChambeau of team United States and Brooks Koepka of team United States attend the opening ceremony for the 43rd Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits on September 23, 2021 in Kohler, Wisconsin. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Anticipating November

So whether the beef is over, was never real, or the two still hate each other, it could all get resolved this November. Hopefully they both don’t eat too much Turkey the day before and give all their best, regardless if they have abs or not.

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Highlights Tours Knowledge Top Tours

REVAMPED MARCO SIMONE FORMALLY WELCOMES FIRST MAJOR EVENT AHEAD OF HOSTING THE 2023 RYDER CUP

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club today was formally introduced as the venue that will host the 2023 Ryder Cup.

·Venue will host Italy’s first Ryder Cup from Sept 29-Oct 1, 2023
·This week, it welcomes the European Tour’s DS Automobiles Italian Open
·Venue on the outskirts of Rome will also host the Italian Open in 2022 and 2023

Press release

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club today formally welcomed its first major event following extensive renovation work as the venue on the outskirts of Rome continues its preparations ahead of hosting the 2023 Ryder Cup.

Representatives from Ryder Cup Europe, the Federazione Italiana Golf and Marco Simone Golf & Country Club gathered outside the clubhouse for a ribbon cutting ceremony to acknowledge the occasion on the eve of this week’s DS Automobiles Italian Open on the European Tour.

Major events hosting in the history of Marco Simone Golf & Country Club
It is the second time Marco Simone has hosted Italy’s national open, having previously done so in 1994, and this week represents another important milestone for the venue, built and owned by the Biagiotti family who run global businesses in fashion and fragrance, as it showcases its significant redesign to a global audience for the first time.

Italian Ryder Cup player Francesco Molinari who entered the history books by winning a maximum five points in Europe’s victory at Le Golf National in 2018, is among the first players to take on the spectacular course, which underwent 18 months of renovation work including the redesign of all 18 holes.

The new layout and the focus view of the project at Marco Simone. What it was thought to be meant for.
The redesign project at Marco Simone, led by European Golf Design in co-operation with Tom Fazio II, focused creating a golf course specifically with the drama of match play in mind, with the previous layout rerouted not only to provide numerous risk and reward opportunities for the world’s leading players, but also to maximise the natural rolling countryside terrain.

It means spectators will have unrivalled vantage points of the on-course action as well as distant views of the famous Eternal City, including spectacular views of St Peter’s Basilica and of the Castle of Marco Simone which together will provide the backdrop to golf’s greatest team contest.

The unique and charming golf course that will not only attract the Italian crowd, but all fans around the world.
Franco Chimenti, President of the Federazione Italiana Golf, said: “With the first Italian Open at the new Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, the path to the 2023 Ryder Cup comes alive. A sustainable golf course, representing international excellence, it is our pride not only for golf but for all Italian sport. The unique charm of Rome, combined with the adrenaline of the match between Europe and the USA will make the Italian edition unique. I thank all the institutions, Ryder Cup Europe and Marco Simone Golf & Country Club for supporting the development of the project.”

Guy Kinnings, European Ryder Cup Director, said: “With just three weeks until this year’s Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, today marks another significant step in Italy’s own journey toward hosting its first Ryder Cup in two years’ time.

“The redesign project at Marco Simone is spectacular and we are delighted to showcase it to a global audience at this week’s Italian Open, giving fans a glimpse of what to expect when the venue welcomes golf’s greatest team contest in 2023.

“The global pandemic has restricted our opportunities to share several key moments in the reopening process, so we are also delighted to be able to join Lavinia Biagiotti and her team today, along with Franco Chimenti, Gian Paolo Montali and everyone at the Federazione Italiana Golf for this significant occasion which is the culmination of months of hard work and collaboration.”

Lavinia Biagiotti, President of Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, said: “After 27 years Marco Simone Golf & Country Club is excited to host the prestigious Italian Open and we are delighted to welcome the world’s best golfers to our newly renovated course. We are proud to showcase our unique destination to a global audience and we hope to inspire the next generation of Italian golfers as we look forward to hosting our national open and the 2023 Ryder Cup in the coming years.

“I would like to thank the Federazione Italiana Golf and its visionary President Franco Chimenti, along with Gian Paolo Montali, CONI and their President Giovanni Malagò, the European Tour and Ryder Cup Europe, the Biagiotti Group, our local and national institutions, Marco Simone’s CEO Emilio Carbonera, and the dedicated Marco Simone team that are all part of this incredible journey.”

General Director, Gian Paolo Montali exposes the latest and last details about this project.
Gian Paolo Montali, General Director of the Ryder Cup 2023 Project, said: “We are very proud to inaugurate the new Marco Simone Golf & Country Club golf course, venue of the 2023 Ryder Cup, with a great international tournament like the Italian Open. As promised, the golf course is ready thanks to the tremendous effort and coordination between the Italian Golf Federation, Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, Ryder Cup Europe and European Golf Design. The journey continues.”

The redesign of Marco Simone Golf and Country Club began in August 2018, with the back nine completed and reopened in October 2019 followed by the full 18 holes in October 2020.

In addition to the extensive work to the golf course, the clubhouse is currently undergoing further renovation which will be completed in 2022, and a new practice ground which will be constructed in the spring of 2022.

Part of the European Tour Destinations network, Marco Simone will host two further editions of Italy’s national open in 2022 and 2023, before becoming the third venue in continental Europe to host the Ryder Cup following Valderrama in Spain (1997) and Le Golf National in France (2018).

Press Release by the European Tour Communications

Categories
Equipment Fun

Matthew Fitzpatrick: Did Corona crush his clubs?

Matthew Fitzpatrick (Photo: Getty Images)

No, it wasn’t the virus that ripped off the head of one of Fitzpatrick’s clubs, but instead just faulty luggage handling on his Delta Airline flight. However he took to twitter to express his frustration with the airline, but just tagged “Delta” so some of his followers were questioning the culprit of the damage. Jokingly of course..

Eddie Pepperell poked at the fun as well, replying to Fitzpatrick’s tweet with his own frustration of Delta.  

There is no update whether Delta Airlines contacted Fitzpatrick regarding his club damage. It seems that the golfer is one club down and we are hoping it wasn’t his favorite!

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European Tour Live Panorama PGA Tour Top Tours

FedEx Cup Rankings: Collin Morikawa ahead, this week's updates

Collin Morikawa is on the lead for the week of the FedEx Cup Ranking
Weekly analysis from Golf Post of the FedEx Cup Rankings. With Collin Morikawa still at number one, find out what else is happening on the European Tour this week.

Top 5 FedEx Cup Leaderboard

# Name Nationality Points Total Points Gained Events
1 Collin Morikawa USA 2171 xxx 20
2 Jordan Spieth USA 2139 xxx 22
3 Patrick Cantlay USA 2056 xxx 21
4 Harris English USA 2039 xxx 23
5 Jon Rahm ESP 2003 xxx 19
Collin Morikawa leads in the most recent FedEx Cup ranking table. The American’s points average is xxx. ‘s rank has not changed since the last count. ​ Ranked second is Jordan Spieth, with a points average of . The American has not changed positions in the rankings compared to last week. The American jumped from position 69 to 29, and now has a points average of xxx.
The No.1 Englishman in the FedEx Cup rankings is currently Paul Casey, in place 45 and has remained unchanged since last week.
Of everyone playing this week, the biggest winner is Kevin Kisner. has managed to jump 40 places in the ranking list.
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Knowledge Live Top Tours

Official World Golf Ranking: Jon Rahm holds on to first place

Jon Rahm leads the Official World Ranking one more week, after the 2021 Northern Trust, in New Jersey.
The latest from our concise analysis, to brief you on how the key events of the last week have effected the official world golf rankings.

Top 5 OWGR Leaderboard

# Name Nationality Points Total Points Gained Events
1 Jon Rahm ESP 486.08 279.31 48
2 Dustin Johnson USA 374.33 123.75 43
3 Collin Morikawa USA 444.23 312.25 52
4 Xander Schauffele USA 348.07 210.59 47
5 Justin Thomas USA 369.26 181.55 52
Jon Rahm leads in the official world golf ranking this week. The Spaniard’s points average is 10.1267 at the time of publication. Rahm’s rank has not changed since the last count. ​ Next up on the official world golf ranking list is Dustin Johnson, 37 years old, at rank 2. The American has, in comparison to last week, not gone up or down in the rankings. Coming in third this week is Collin Morikawa, 37, with a points average of 8.5428. Michael Hirmer has made the biggest leap this week in the official world golf rankings. has managed to jump 580 places in the world ranking list, and is now sitting at 765 rank. The German started last week at rank 1345, with a current point average of 0.13. The No.1 Englishman in the official world golf rankings is currently Tyrrell Hatton, in place 13 and has remained unchanged since last week.
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Knowledge

A breakdown of the most famous golf players from around the world

Tiger Woods is one of the most famous golf players around the world. (Photo: Getty)
Tiger Woods is one of the most famous golf players around the world. (Photo: Getty)

From fan favorites to golfing legends, professional golfers have many accolades that place them in the eyes of the world. This sport has been around for decades, so it can be tough to compare some old greats to the new pros. But that’s what we’re here to do!

Do you know the top golfers? If you don’t, keep reading. We’ve focused on the most famous golfers worldwide to keep you up to date on the sport. We’ve got all the information you need, from big wins to championship players.

What are the most famous golfing tournaments?

If you’re interested in famous golfers, we’ll quickly cover the most famous golfing tournaments. Many famous golfers have won big at these events, so make sure you’re up to date with all the big tournaments.

Top professional golf events:
● The US Open
● The Masters Tournament
● The British Open
● The Ryder Cup
● The PGA Championship
All golf fans tune into these annual events for a chance to see history in the making. If you’re into golf, use sites such as WSN.com to keep track of the latest events and games, so you don’t miss a thing! Many golf fans like to enhance their involvement in the sport by keeping up with the latest predictions and odds for upcoming games and tournaments. This can help when placing bets but can also keep you informed of the latest stats regardless.

Top famous golf players of all time

Ready to learn some core golf facts? Here are some of the most famous golfers from all over the world.

Tiger Woods
Since April 1997, Tiger Woods has been one of the best. In his first Masters as a professional, Woods impressed the world with a record 18-under par total. From this moment on, Woods has been one of the most well-known golfers globally. Whether you’re a fan of the sport or not, this is a golfer that you will recognize.

Sam Snead
Though Sam Snead never won a US Open, he’s still regarded as one of the best golfers of all time. Snead won three different masters, including the memorable 1954 playoff against Ben Hogan. Snead also won a British Open and three PGA Championships, cementing him as a legend in the sport.

Jack Nicklaus
Considered the best of all time for some, Jack Nicklaus has an impressive achievements resume. Nicklaus won’t be forgotten anytime soon, having earned 18 major championship wins and 37 top twos in main events. This golfer was mainly known for his skill, mental strength and meticulous accuracy on the course.

Arnold Palmer
Do you recognize the name Arnold Palmer? One of the best players in the 1960s, this golfer is known worldwide. Though his swing wasn’t the most beautiful, he still went on to win seven major championships, 60 PGA Tours and he went 15 consecutive years with at least one win. He was also
the PGA Tour money champ four times. Now, how many of us can say we can beat that?

Ben Hogan
Known for being broody and focused, Ben Hogan was another famous golfer from 1950 to 1970. With nine majors, 64 PGA Tours and countless other achievements, Hogan is still a legend. Also, Hogan is still the only player to win the British Open and the US Open in the same year. Talk about double trouble!

Bobby Jones
Finally, have you ever heard of Bobby Jones? New fans of the sport may not know the earlier players, but Jones is a player to note! This golfer was the leading name in the game from 1923 to 30. In the end, Jones walked away from golf at the young age of 28 since there were no more Championships for him to win. Jones finished his career in 1930 as he won the British Open, US Open and the British Amateur. However, he never stopped playing friendly golf as he got older.

Do you know your golf?
Did you recognize these players? If you’re a player or a fan of this sport, make sure your knowledge of the greats is up to date. Knowledge is power, on and off the green!
Who’s your favorite player? Let us know in the comments.

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Fun

Ian Poulter has that Friday feeling

Ian Poulter of England (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

English professional golfer, Ian Poulter celebrates it finally being the weekend on his Instagram. Although entertaining, we think Poulter should stick to golfing… However, it is not surprising seeing this kind of behavior from Poulter as he known for having an extroverted sense of humor. He is very active on social media and portrays his outgoing personality regularly.

When he isn’t trying to make it as the next TikTok influencer, Poulter leads in the golf world with career highlights such as 3 PGA Tour victories and 12 International victories. He just finished T10 at the FedEx St. Jude Invitational 2021. He currently ranks 50th on the World Golf Ranking.

Check out his moves below: