Category: Tour News

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LPGA Tour

LPGA: 14-year-old qualifies for an event in the tournament series for the third time in a row

Gianna Clemente qualifies for an LPGA Tour tournament for the third time at just 14 years old. (Photo: Getty)
Gianna Clemente qualifies for an LPGA Tour tournament for the third time at just 14 years old. (Photo: Getty)

It’s an incredible story. At just 14 years old, Gianna Clemente has already qualified for a tournament on the LPGA Tour for the third time. In the past two weeks, she already secured a place at the LPGA Tour events through the “monday qualifier”. Now she has achieved this feat for the third time.

“It’s definitely crazy” – Clemente qualifies for LPGA Tour event again

It’s probably the summer of her life. For the third week in a row, 14-year-old Gianna Clemente has secured entry to an event on the LPGA Tour via Monday qualifying. The high school student from Ohio played some of her best rounds of golf in the past three weeks. The American qualified for the CP Women’s Open as well as the Dana Open in the past two weeks, and now she also managed to qualify for the upcoming tournament in Cincinnati. At the Kroger Queen City Championship, the 14-year-old will once again compete with the likes of Gaby Lopez, Meghan Khang and Caroline Masson.

For the amateur, it’s a great opportunity to showcase her skills again on a big stage. While other girls her age are still enjoying the last days of summer at the lake, it’s off to Kenwood Country Club for the up-and-coming golfer. It’s an experience she’s already more than grateful for. “It’s definitely crazy,” Clemente said. “But just super lucky for this opportunity.”

Will Clemente make the cut this time?

In her previous appearances, the young golfer had to pack her bags after just two rounds. This time, of course, the American wants to avoid an early departure, but with the strong field, it will probably be difficult again. The 14-year-old is nevertheless looking forward to the pros: “It’s super inspirational,” Clemente said. “I think I’ve obviously watched all of them on TV, and it’s super special to just be out here like watching, but let alone to play is such an amazing experience.”

Even though she has failed to make the cuts so far, the amateur will again give everything this week to keep up with her idols, such as Lexi Thompson. It remains to be seen how far Clemente will make it this week, but as we all know, good things come in threes…

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DP World Tour

Prep for the Ryder Cup: DP World Tour brings team match play tournament

Luke Donald is looking forward to a new match play team tournament on the DP World Tour. (Photo: Getty)
Luke Donald is looking forward to a new match play team tournament on the DP World Tour. (Photo: Getty)

In the week leading up to the DP World Tour’s (formerly European Tour) flagship tournament – the BMW PGA Championship, which also kicks off Ryder Cup qualifying – the European circuit has announced a new tournament format. The Hero Cup in January 2023 will be played in team match play as a sort of replacement for the Seve Trophy last held in 2013. Captain Luke Donald is enthusiastic and hopes to prepare for the Ryder Cup.

DP World Tour: New team match play format

“One of the first things I was keen to do when I was appointed as Ryder Cup Captain was to reinstate a team match play contest to give playing and leadership experience to future Ryder Cup players, vice-captains and Captains,” the leader of the European Ryder Cup team for the 2023 continental competition in Rome is quoted as saying in a DP World Tour press release. The Hero Cup, scheduled to take place at Abu Dhabi Golf Club from 13-15 January 2023, will feature two ten-man teams made up of British/Irish and Continental European golfers.

Donald will be in charge of the event and will assemble both teams in consultation with their respective captains, who are yet to be announced. The competition will consist of a fourball, a foursome and a singles round, each involving all 20 players. Who will be allowed to compete in the new tournament format will be announced after the season ends with the DP World Tour Championship 2022 in Dubai. The performance of the past season will also be taken into account in the selection.

Luke Donald with plenty of influence

“I spoke to a number of former Ryder Cup Captains who were strong advocates of how similar events in the past have benefitted players who were pushing to make Ryder Cup teams, as well as their own captaincy journey,” Donald, who was appointed skipper just a few weeks ago, said of the reasons for the new format.

The Ryder Cup captain thus continues to influence the design of the Continental Cup, which will be held in September 2023 at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club outside Rome. Most recently, Donald, together with his vice-captains, had adjusted the qualifying criteria and given himself more leeway by selecting a larger number of picks. Now the aim is to increase competitiveness again through playing practice in team competition and in man-to-man battles after they went down in the “Waterloo of Wisconsin” against an overpowering American team in 2021.

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PGA Tour

These golfers are nominated: Election of the “Player of the Year” of the PGA Tour

Can be voted "Player of the Year" on the PGA Tour: Rory McIlroy (left), Scottie Scheffler (center) and Cameron Smith. (Photo: Getty)
Can be voted "Player of the Year" on the PGA Tour: Rory McIlroy (left), Scottie Scheffler (center) and Cameron Smith. (Photo: Getty)

Today, the PGA Tour announced the contenders for the Jack Nicklaus Award, given to the “Player of the Year,” and the Arnold Palmer Award, given to the “Rookie of the Year.” Three players each were nominated by PGA Tour player directors and Player Advisory Council members. A member vote will be held through Sept. 9: PGA Tour members who have played in at least 15 official FedExCup events during the 2021/22 season are eligible to vote.

Nominated for the PGA Tour’s “Player of the Year” are:

Rory McIlroy

The 33-year-old Northern Irishman competed in 16 tournaments and walked away victorious three times: at The CJ Cup@Summit, the RBC Canadian Open and the TOUR Championship. Rory McIlroy’s victory at the TOUR Championship made him the winner of the FedExCup. He is the first player ever to win the PGA Tour’s season standings three times. He also led the PGA Tour in scoring average (68.670), the lowest on Tour since Tiger Woods in 2009 (68.670). He made 14 cuts and totaled 10 top-10 finishes.

Scottie Scheffler

Scottie Scheffler won a total of four times in 25 tournament appearances, winning the World Cup Phoenix Open, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play and the US Masters. He finished the season ranking of the PGA Tour in second place. Overall, the 25-year-old from Texas posted 11 top-10 finishes with a scoring average of 69.293 on 21 made cuts.

Cameron Smith

The third of the bunch, Cameron Smith, is from Australia and is 29 years old. He participated in a total of 18 tournaments and won the Sentry Tournament of Champions, the Players Championship and the Open Championship. Smith finished 20th in the FedExCup with an average score of 69.203, second best on the tour. He missed the cut only three times, while finishing in the top 10 seven times.

These players are eligible for “Rookie of the Year”:

Tom Kim

Tom Kim is a 20-year-old player from South Korea. In his first season on the PGA Tour, he competed in eleven tournaments. He walked away victorious at the Wyndham Championship and placed in the top 10 at two other tournaments (Genesis Scottish Open (3rd) and Rocket Mortgage Classic (7th)). He capped a total of six top-25 finishes and ten mastered cuts with 35th place in the FedExCup.

Sahith Theegala

The 24-year-old Californian competed in 32 tournaments and posted five top-10 finishes, including a T2 at the Travelers Championship and a T3 at the World Cup Phoenix Open. He qualified for the TOUR Championship and finished 28th in the FedExCup. Overall, he collected 11 top-25 finishes and 26 placings to his credit.

Cameron Young

The last player to be selected as Rookie of the Year is 25-year-old Cameron Young. He competed in 25 tournaments and had seven top-10 finishes, including five second-place finishes: Young finished second at the Sanderson Farms Championship, the Genesis Invitational, the Wells Fargo Championship, the Open Championship and the Rocket Mortgage Classic. He tied for 19th in the FedExCup, earning a total of 12 top-25 finishes with 18 made cuts.

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Tour News

Qualification Process Confirmed for the 2023 European Ryder Cup Team

Ryder Cup Europe today announced the qualification process for the 2023 European Ryder Cup Team. (Credit: Getty)

Ryder Cup Europe today announced the qualification process for the 2023 European Ryder Cup Team to compete against the United States at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, Italy, from September 25 – October 1, 2023.

Qualification for Team Europe will begin at the 2022 BMW PGA Championship, the fourth Rolex Series event of the current season, which takes place at Wentworth Club from September 8-11.

It will conclude on September 3, 2023, a full three weeks ahead of the Ryder Cup week, when the six players who qualify automatically will be confirmed. These six automatic qualifiers will comprise the three leading players on the European Points List followed by the three leading players on the World Points List.

European Captain Luke Donald will then select a further six Captain’s Picks to complete his 12-man team to face the United States.

Another change, agreed by Captain Donald, Vice Captains Thomas Bjørn and Edoardo Molinari and the DP World Tour Tournament Committee, sees a modification in the points allocation for the European Points List.

In previous years, the ratio between the highest and lowest ranked events on the DP World Tour exhibited a factor of 6:1 (12,000 points v 2,000 points). Under the new system, this is reduced to a factor of 4:1 (6,000 points v 1,500 points) as outlined in the table below.

RYDER CUP EUROPEAN POINTS LIST

Majors / DP World Tour Championship: 6,000 points
Other Rolex Series events / World Golf Championships: 5,000 points
Events of US$5 million or over: 3,500 points
Events of US$2 million or over: 2,500 points
Events under US$2 million: 1,500 points


One element which has not changed however, is that no points will be available from any tournament played anywhere in the world scheduled against a Rolex Series event on the DP World Tour.

Captain Donald said: “These changes to the qualification process for Team Europe follow in-depth analysis with the team at Ryder Cup Europe and with Thomas and Edoardo. I’m delighted that when we presented our thoughts to the Tournament Committee, they were 100% behind them.

“The revised overall process removes the need for points multipliers in the last few months of the qualifying period, and the six picks give me flexibility to ensure we have the strongest line-up at Marco Simone in terms of in-form players, players with Ryder Cup experience, and potential pairings.

“As far as the European Points List is concerned, modifying the points allocation will give an improved chance for DP World Tour members playing predominantly on the DP World Tour to make the Ryder Cup team through one of the now three spots available from that list.

“We have also moved the end of the qualification period forward to give the players the right amount of preparation time once they have made the team.

“A lot of work has already happened behind the scenes, but in many ways the start of the qualification campaign represents the true beginning of the Ryder Cup journey, so I am delighted to confirm these details today. We are all focused on reclaiming the Ryder Cup in Rome next September and this qualification system gives us the best opportunity of doing just that.”

“We are delighted with the details of the qualification process”

Guy Kinnings, European Ryder Cup Director, said: “We are delighted with the details of the qualification process for the 2023 European Ryder Cup team announced today. Luke has already proven himself to be a strong and resolute Captain with firm ideas on how to get the best out of Team Europe.

“He proved that throughout this consultation and analysis period and I think the fact that our Tournament Committee were fully behind his thoughts and ideas illustrated how much respect they have for him.

“Every single member of the Team Europe backroom team is excited by today’s announcement and very much looking forward not only to the start of the qualification campaign at the BMW PGA Championship, but also the full 12 month campaign leading up to Rome next September.”

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PGA Tour

PGA Tour: Tricky rules situation – Cam Smith penalized shortly before final round

Cameron Smith penalized on PGA Tour. (Photo: Screenshot Twitter/@ PGA Tour)
Cameron Smith penalized on PGA Tour. (Photo: Screenshot Twitter/@ PGA Tour)

Just before the final round at TPC Southwind, the bitter news reached Cameron Smith. The reigning Champion Golfer of the Year was within striking distance of the lead after three rounds in the first tournament following his British Open triumph, but lost two strokes before the final round on the PGA Tour. So it came down to the tricky scene:

On Moving Day of the FedEx St. Jude Championship, Cameron Smith had sunk his tee shot in the water on the par-3 4th hole. After the subsequent drop, his chip remained just a few centimeters from the hole and the number 2 in the world recorded a bogey. So far, everything seemed normal. The Australian finished his round with 67 strokes and could have attacked the top on Sunday with only two strokes behind. By the way, with a win in Memphis, he would have taken over the top spot in the FedExCup and the world rankings.

Rule violation: Playing from the wrong place

Instead, however, the rules officials noticed a possible violation of the Rules of Golf. The ball had still touched the red line of the side water hazard after said drop when Smith put the ball back in play. In doing so, he violated Rule 14.7 (“Playing from the Wrong Place”) after dropping under Rule 17.1 (“Ball in Penalty Area”). The problem was that after the drop, the ball had rolled back towards the penalty area and just touched the red line.

That officially put the ball back in the penalty zone and it wasn’t dropped appropriately. So Smith should have dropped again; had the ball rolled back into the penalty area, he would have been allowed to put the ball down. The three-time season winner was unaware of the issue and played the ball from the wrong spot, which is penalized with two strikes.

Disagreement among the referees

But why was the Players Champion sanctioned so late? PGA Tour Chief Referee Gary Young explained that the possible rules violation was noticed as early as Saturday during the television broadcast, but was not investigated further because “the camera angles were awkward and he was dropping in a really tight area. We were confident at that point that he was familiar with the rule.” The official on the lap was too far away to assess the situation, he said, and had not been called in by the player. “It was such a quick look that we had at that point that we decided it wasn’t worth pursuing,” Young added. “It’s something the players do every day”.

PGA Tour’s Cam Smith admits unwitting violation

But after the round, he said, they took a closer look at the scene and wanted to make sure there was no violation of the rules. That’s why Young said he spoke to the player about an hour before his start time on the final day. “I thought it was just a situation where I ask Cameron the question and he tells me he’s sure the ball was outside the penalty area,” Young said. “Unfortunately, when I asked him the question, he told me, ‘No, the ball definitely touched the line.’ So at that point, there’s no turning back.” Smith accepted the penalty very calmly and matter-of-factly, he said. “His response to me was, ‘The rules are the rules,'” Young said.

So just before his tee time, Cameron Smith was penalized two strokes back, his score on hole 4 adjusted to a triple bogey. Instead of being two strokes behind, it was four. Whether burdened by this situation or not, the 28-year-old only played an even-par round and fell back to T13 in the final standings.

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PGA Tour

PGA Tour: BMW Championship 2022 with world-class field

BMW Championship 2022. (Photo: BMW)
BMW Championship 2022. (Photo: BMW)

This week, the US state of Delaware will host a tournament on the PGA TOUR for the first time – and Wilmington Country Club welcomes an absolute highlight of the golfing calendar for this premiere: the BMW Championship, the penultimate tournament in the FedExCup Playoffs, and four-time “PGA TOUR Tournament of the Year”. Only the top 70 players in the end-of-season standings are eligible to tee off at the BMW Championship, with just 30 of them progressing to the season finale – the TOUR Championship. Professional golf does not get any higher quality or more intense than this.

BMW Championship 2022 with world-class field

This is underlined by the field. Will Zalatoris (USA) tees off as number one in the FedExCup ranking. Patrick Cantlay (USA), Rory McIlroy (NIR) and Justin Thomas (USA) are three former champions looking to regain their crown. They will be joined by major winners Matthew Fitzpatrick (ENG), Cameron Smith (AUS), Jordan Spieth and Collin Morikawa (both USA). The entire top ten in the world rankings will tee off, led by number one Scottie Scheffler (USA).

The tournament week begins on Wednesday 17th August with the traditional BMW Championship Gardner Heidrick Pro-Am, which sees the likes of former basketballer and two-time NBA champion J.R. Smith, former NFL footballer Victor Cruz, and BMW Motorsport works driver Connor De Phillippi (all USA) tee off on the championship course.

All revenues from the sale of Pro-Am places – along with all other proceeds from the BMW Championship – will support the Evans Scholars Foundation, which provides full tuition and housing scholarships for hardworking young caddies. Since the tournament’s inception 16 years ago, The BMW Championship has raised over $40 million for the Evans Scholars Foundation and helped send 3,300 caddies to college. For the upcoming school year, a record 1,100 Evans Scholars will attend 22 leading universities nationwide, including one caddie from Wilmington Country Club.

BMW of North America will contribute a four-year Evans Scholarship, a full tuition and housing grant, in the name of the first PGA TOUR player to record a hole-in-one on any hole during the 2022 BMW Championship. To date, five such Hole-In-One Scholarships have been awarded. It is also worth hitting an ace for the professionals, although it must be on the 15th hole. The first player to hit a hole-in-one on this hole during a tournament round will be rewarded with a fully-electric BMW i7 (combined power consumption, acc. WLTP: 19.6 – 18.4 kWh/100 kM; CO2 emissions: 0 g/km; specifications acc. NEDC: -). As the world’s first thoroughbred luxury limousine with 100% electric drive, the BMW i7 brings innovative driving pleasure to the streets with a range of more than 600 kilometres.

The BMW Group’s transformation towards electromobility will also be visible and perceptible at Wilmington Country Club. At the heart of the BMW exhibition at the course will be the fully-electric BMW iX, BMW i4 and BMW i7 models.

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Tour News

England Sweep the R&A Boys’ and Girls’ Home Internationals

England had a clean sweep of the R&A Boys' and Girls' Home Internationals at Downfield, Scotland. (Credit: The R&A)
England had a clean sweep of the R&A Boys' and Girls' Home Internationals at Downfield, Scotland. (Credit: The R&A)

England not only made history by winning the first ever combined team format for boys and girls in the R&A Home Internationals, they swept all three competitions, winning the combined event and the boys’ and girls’ competitions too.

England topped the combined final leaderboard with a perfect three points from three wins, Ireland was second with two points, Wales and Scotland took half a point each, with the Welsh side finishing third thanks to more matches won.

Already in pole position heading into the final day and just needing to defeat Scotland to top the points table, England made sure of victory right from the start with a 6-1 win in the foursomes. England then dominated the singles too with an 11-3 advantage to beat the home team 17-4.

“We got out fast today,” England captain Stephen Burnett said. “We changed things around for the foursomes and they smashed it this morning. They did this afternoon too. The team bats deeps, and in a way the format favours us because the more players there are the better it is for us, but they still had to go out there and do it. I couldn’t be prouder of them to win all three trophies. The team was fantastic, they prepared well, played well and it’s a great result.”

Ireland assured themselves of second place with a 12½-8½ win over Wales. The Welsh provided strong resistance early on by splitting the foursomes session 3½-3½. However, the Emerald Isle players proved too strong in head to head play, taking the singles 9-5.

“I couldn’t have asked for anything more from my players over the last three days, especially the last two,” Irish captain Peter English said.

“It was a fantastic performance. We’ve got quite a few debutants, players that are available next year and the year after. It shows we’re on the way up and we have a lot to build on for next year. We haven’t had the exposure for the last couple of years, and it’s critical they do get this exposure. It gives them important international experience for their development.”

Welsh skipper Llew Matthews also left Downfield feeling immensely proud of his team.
“We played well in the foursomes this week and this morning to split the session, but the Irish came out fighting this afternoon and played a lot of good golf,” the 2007 Walker Cup player said.

“We played good golf throughout the tournament which perhaps doesn’t show up in the scores, and I’m proud of them. There’s been great camaraderie, great togetherness. It’s been a great learning experience for them, and they have something to build on for the future.”

While it’s perhaps unfair to pick out one player from the 64 on show, one deserves special mention. Scotland’s Niall Shiels Donegan was the only player to emerge with a 100% record from his six matches.

“Niall was brilliant this week,” Scottish captain Susan Jackson said. “He’s been a real leader, he’s led the team, he’s confident and he’s had great team work with his team mates. To win six matches out of six is very impressive.”

The best juniors in Great Britain and Ireland will convene at Lindrick Golf Club, the 1957 Ryder Cup venue, for the 2023 R&A Boys’ and Girls’ Home Internationals.
Press Release by The R&A

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Tour News

Up 26%: R&A announces prize fund for AIG Women’s Open 2022

The AIG Women's Open 2022 is held in Muirfield, England. (Credit: Getty)
The AIG Women's Open 2022 is held in Muirfield, England. (Credit: Getty)

The R&A and AIG continue to increase the prize fund for the AIG Women’s Open with the winner set to receive USD 1.095 million.

The R&A announced that the total prize fund for the AIG Women’s Open, played from 4-7 August 2022 at Muirfield, will be USD7.3 million, a 26% increase on 2021.

With the support of title sponsor AIG, the prize fund for the Championship has grown by 125% since 2018, the year before AIG’s partnership with The R&A commenced.

Follow the AIG Women`s

Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said, “Last year we took a very bold step to substantially increase the prize fund of the AIG Women’s Open. This year at the AIG Women’s Open, the players will be competing for $7.3 million, which is an increase of 26% on last year and also sees the total investment into the prize fund increase by just over $4million or 125% since The R&A and AIG began our partnership in 2019.

“In AIG, we have the support of a deeply trusted partner, as we look to continue to elevate the AIG Women’s Open.”

Peter Zaffino, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of AIG said, “We are proud to be the title sponsor of the AIG Women’s Open and to serve as allies to women in golf, business and the communities where we live and work. Thanks to our great partnership with The R&A we continue to make progress on pay equity while raising the profile of women’s golf and showcasing the tremendous talent of the elite women athletes competing in this iconic Championship.”

How the AIG Women’s Open prize fund has grown

2022 – $7.3million
2021 – $5.8million
2020 – $4.5million
2019 – $4.5million (beginning of The R&A and AIG partnership)
2018 – $3.25million
The prize fund for the 2022 AIG Women’s Open

Place USD

1 1,095,000
2 720,028
3 521,498
4 402,734
5 323,565
6 264,183
7 220,638
8 192,929
9 173,135
10 157,299
11 145,419
12 135,522
13 126,813
14 118,898
15 111,771
16 105,438
17 99,899
18 95,147
19 91,190
20 88,019
21 84,857
22 81,686
23 78,524
24 75,353
25 72,584
26 69,815
27 67,037
28 64,268
29 61,499
30 59,123
31 56,747
32 54,371
33 51,995
34 49,619
35 47,645
36 45,662
37 43,687
38 41,705
39 39,722
40 38,141
41 36,560
42 34,978
43 33,389
44 31,808
45 30,620
46 29,432
47 28,244
48 27,056
49 25,868
50 24,680
51 23,893
52 23,099
53 22,304
54 21,517
55 20,723
56 19,928
57 19,142
58 18,347
59 17,560
60 16,766
61 16,372
62 15,971
63 15,578
64 15,184
65 14,783
66 14,390
67 13,996
68 13,595
69 13,202
70 12,808
71 9,559
72 9,338
73 9,117
74 8,896
75 8,675
76 8,454
(Press Release by R&A)

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Tour News

Luke Donald named 2023 Ryder Cup Captain

Luke Donald named Ryder Cup Captain. (Image: Getty)
Luke Donald named Ryder Cup Captain. (Image: Getty)

Luke Donald has been named as the European Captain for the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, Italy from September 25 – October 1, 2023.

Donald represented Europe in the Ryder Cup four times as a player, being part of a winning team on all four occasions, including in 2012 when he led Team Europe out in the Singles, securing the first blue point on the board in the ‘Miracle at Medinah’. 

He also has served as a Vice Captain in the last two editions of the biennial contest, under Thomas Bjørn in 2018 and Pádraig Harrington last year.

The 44 year old Englishman’s impressive individual playing career includes holding the position of Number One on the Official World Golf Rankings for a total of 56 weeks, and in 2011 he became the first player in history to top the money lists on the European Tour (now the DP World Tour) and the PGA TOUR in the same year. 

Donald said: “I am incredibly proud to be named European Ryder Cup Captain for 2023. It is truly one of the greatest honours that can be bestowed upon a golfer, to lead a team of your peers and be an ambassador for an entire continent. 

“I feel extremely privileged to have been given that responsibility and it is a responsibility I do not take lightly. 

“Some of my best experiences in golf have been in the Ryder Cup and I would not swap those for anything. It is an event like no other and I cannot wait to create more special memories in Italy next year. 

“I love everything the Ryder Cup embodies, from the camaraderie and companionship of being part of a team, to the history of the contest, but most of all playing for something bigger than yourself. 

“Rome will be a fantastic host city, and I have always enjoyed spending time there. It is a city rich in history and hopefully we can create some of our own in 14 months’ time.”

Guy Kinnings, the European Ryder Cup Director, said: “Luke is a former World Number One who possesses a superb Ryder Cup record, so he undoubtedly has the credentials required to be a successful European Captain. 

“He is hugely respected by the players and by the wider support team at Ryder Cup Europe who have already done an immense amount of work behind the scenes to give him a strong platform for the remaining 14 months before the match gets underway.

“We have continued the tradition of moving forward with players in the role of Captain who have excelled in the Ryder Cup arena; and in terms of Luke, we are combining that experience with strong leadership and a meticulous approach. On behalf of everyone at Ryder Cup Europe, we look forward to fully supporting him in the quest to reclaim the Ryder Cup next year.”

Donald has wasted little time in ensuring continuity in the key backroom area of Team Europe, confirming that both existing Vice Captains – Thomas Bjørn and Edoardo Molinari – will continue in their respective positions.

“In my opinion, it was essential that Thomas and Edoardo remained part of the team. They were the first two calls I made once I got the nod to be Captain and I’m delighted that they are fully on-board.

“Nobody needs any explanation of how important Thomas is to the Ryder Cup – one glance at the history books will show you that. He has lived and breathed European golf for the past 30 years and having his know-how behind me, not least as a winning Captain, will be vital.

“Furthermore, Edoardo has blazed an impressive trail for himself in the world of stats and his knowledge in this area with the players who will be on the team, in addition to extra-special Italian element he will bring to the entire occasion, is an extra bonus for Team Europe.”

Donald boasts a formidable playing record in the Ryder Cup, contributing 10½ points from his 15 matches. 

He made his debut as part of Bernhard Langer’s record-breaking team at Oakland Hills Country Club in 2004, halving his opening match with Paul McGinley against Chris Riley and Stewart Cink, before teaming up with Sergio Garcia in the foursomes to defeat Cink and Kenny Perry 2&1 on the Friday, followed by a 1 up Foursomes victory with Garcia against Jim Furyk and Fred Funk on the Saturday.  

Donald claimed a maximum three points from his three matches at The K Club, in Ireland, in 2006 under the captaincy of Ian Woosnam as Europe retained the Ryder Cup with a second consecutive 18½-9½ victory. He once again teamed up with Garcia in the Foursomes, defeating Tiger Woods and Furyk 2 up on the Friday, then Phil Mickelson and David Toms 2&1 on the Saturday, before exacting revenge on Chad Campbell for his loss in the Singles two years earlier with a 2&1 victory. 

His next appearance came at The Celtic Manor Resort in 2010 when he contributed a further three points from his four matches, partnering Ian Poulter to defeat Bubba Watson and Jeff Overton 2&1 in Foursomes, before teaming up with Lee Westwood to beat Steve Stricker and Woods 6&5 in the same format. Donald then defeated Furyk on the final hole of their Singles match as Europe claimed a memorable 14½-13½ win in Wales. 

Donald was also an integral part of another dramatic European victory two years later in Illinois, the State where he studied at Northwestern University. Partnering Garcia in the Saturday afternoon Fourballs against Woods and Stricker, his stunning tee shot inside Woods’ on the elevated par three 17th hole was a pivotal moment in the Miracle at Medinah, as the pair went on to win their match on the final hole, shortly before Ian Poulter and Rory McIlroy reduced the deficit to four points with their victory against Zach Johnson and Jason Dufner. 

Captain José María Olazábal then handed Donald the responsibility of leading Europe out in the Sunday Singles against Bubba Watson, and Donald duly set the tone for one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the Ryder Cup, winning his match 2&1. 

Donald had entered the record books of his own accord a year previously when in 2011 he became the first player to top the season-long money lists on both sides of the Atlantic, winning the Player of the Year award on the PGA TOUR and Golfer of the Year in Europe in the process. 

His four victories that season included the WGC-Accenture Match Play, defeating Ryder Cup teammate Martin Kaymer in the final to reach World Number One for the first time. 

He also won the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart and the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, a title he successfully defended in 2012 to take his total of victories on the DP World Tour to seven. 

Donald returned to the Ryder Cup arena in 2018 when he was selected as a Vice Captain by Thomas Bjørn at Le Golf National in Paris, a role he also performed last year at Whistling Straits under Pádraig Harrington. 

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DP World Tour

BMW PGA Championship 2022 with Rory McIlroy, Billy Horschel, Matt Fitzpatrick and Jon Rahm.

Billy Horschel and Rory McIlroy, previous winners of the BMW PGA Championship. (Photo: BMW)
Billy Horschel and Rory McIlroy, previous winners of the BMW PGA Championship. (Photo: BMW)

The BMW PGA Championship is one of the most prestigious, atmospheric pro golf events in Europe. More than 100,000 spectators come to the Wentworth Club near London each year to experience the “Festival of Golf”. The tournament with a prize fund of eight million US dollars has a top-class field once again this year, headed up by world number three Rory McIlroy. The four-time major winner is returning to compete on the iconic West Course for the first time since 2019.

Previous tournament winners in the field at the BMW PGA Championship

McIlroy won the BMW PGA Championship in 2014 and narrowly missed out on his second title four years later, when finished runner-up behind Francesco Molinari. This year, the man from Northern Ireland is one of the top favourites. McIlroy is in excellent form, as shown by his second place at the Masters and third place at The Open. “I look forward to competing at the BMW PGA Championship again,” McIlroy said. “It’s an event I always love playing – the West Course has been good to me in the past, and the fans are incredibly supportive.”

Billy Horschel will be making the journey from the USA to defend his title. The 2014 FedExCup winner came top of the field last year after an excellent final round (7 under par) and afterwards said that this victory was a dream come true. Horschel, currently number 14 in the world rankings, is also in superb form. He won his seventh title on the PGA TOUR at the Memorial Tournament in June.

McIlroy (2012) and Horschel (2014) have also both won the PGA TOUR playoff event BMW Championship. Spain’s Jon Rahm (2020) has as well, but he has not managed to win the BMW PGA Championship as yet. The world number five is hoping to change that this year, after finishing second behind England’s Danny Willett in 2019. “I cannot wait to return to the BMW PGA Championship. It really is an incredible event – a huge attendance of knowledgeable and supportive fans, a world-class golf course and it’s a historic championship,” said the Spaniard. “I’m aiming to bring my best game in September and challenge for the title once again.”

For the first time since winning the U.S. Open, Matt Fitzpatrick will contest a tournament in his home country of England. No doubt the world number ten will be given a suitably enthusiastic reception. The 27-year-old is highly motivated to finally taste success at the Wentworth Club as well. “I’ve always played well there but never quite challenged, so I’m hoping with the form that I’m in, I can change that this year and maybe be there or thereabouts on Sunday afternoon.”

With Tyrrell Hatton and Danny Willett, the BMW PGA Champions of 2020 and 2019 will also be trying to win one of the world’s most important professional golf titles once again in front of their home crowd.