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.”
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.”
Q.Welcome to the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open. You’ve been out and played your first 18 holes on the course how was it?
GEORGIA HALL: Really nice, not a lot of wind. I don’t think I’ve experienced it like proper yet but the conditions are really good. It looks like no one’s even played on it.
Q.What’s your sort of impressions, what kind of course is it? One you’re going to go for it, being patient?
GEORGIA HALL: I think there could be some drivable par 4s and on the weather, I mean, it depends what it is but I think it could be a fairly low-scoring course from what I’ve seen.
Q.And lots of risk and reward holes?
GEORGIA HALL: Yes. It depends what they do with the tees. There’s quite a few options which will really change a hole especially with the wind. There are definitely some risk/reward tee shots out there.
Q.And obviously you’re a girl that loves links, having won the women’s British Open on it, and this is a very important time of year for you. So coming in, is there an extra skip in your step?
GEORGIA HALL: Yeah, I’m so happy to be here and it feels like I’m at home and always my two favorites events of the year pretty much are these two, so I look forward to playing tomorrow.
Q.Looking at your results, it seems to be trending that you are doing your traditional-second-half-of-the-year-is-stronger. Do you feel good about your game and where you’re at?
GEORGIA HALL: Yeah, really good. I mean, since like week before KPMG, I finished sixth, good result at the Evian. I’m confident and relaxed going into the next few weeks.
Hall discusses not having her dad on the bag
Q.Playing at home is one of your favorite things to do but there is a big change for you in the fact that you don’t have your dad on the bag. Can you talk about that? We usually see him come out and shake off his smelly socks.
GEORGIA HALL: Harry caddied in The Open last year and he hasn’t done it for a couple years, but I think he’s more going to just watch now. Just, like, I don’t know, he’s coming next week, so it’s really nice for them to come and watch. I really enjoy that. At the end of the day, that’s what matters for me.
It would be nice for them to come and watch again because they haven’t been able to because of COVID. They watched one round in London at the team series event but since then I think it was Solheim at Gleneagles.
Q.Anything else you’re working on this week?
GEORGIA HALL: Not really. It’s just nice to have my own car and some comforts, especially you have to stay in the hotel, kind of thing. Nice to have British food.
Official World Golf Ranking Governing Board announces updates to the Ranking System
Modified system for the 23 Eligible Golf Tours to go into effect Week Ending 14th August 2022.
London, United Kingdom – The Governing Board of Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) today announces enhancements to the Official World Golf Ranking. The updated system will incorporate modern statistical techniques which will allow all eligible players and events to be more accurately evaluated relative to each other.
Over the last three years, OWGR has coordinated an independent analysis of the Ranking and its system to ensure it is meeting its key objectives of publishing a transparent, credible and accurate ranking based on the relative performances of participating players. The results of this analysis have led to the changes announced today, including distribution of Ranking Points to all players making the cut to provide greater differentiation of performances; and use of a Field Rating calculation based on a statistical evaluation of every player in the field, rather than just those in the field among the current Top-200 of the Ranking.
Major Championships will continue to award 100 First Place Points, while THE PLAYERS Championship will award 80. All other tournaments will award Ranking Points according to the strength and depth of their fields, with a maximum of 80 First Place Points.
“The Official World Golf Ranking owes a massive debt of gratitude to founders Mark H McCormack and Tony Greer, whose vision has done so much to shape the competitive landscape of men’s professional golf over the past 35 years”, said Official World Golf Ranking Chairman Peter Dawson. “Since 1986, the Tours eligible for inclusion have grown in number from 6 to 23 and the rankings have been continuously modified to accommodate this expansion and to improve accuracy. We are confident the further enhancements announced today will best position OWGR for the years ahead.”
Following a 12-month notice period, implementation is set for Week Ending 14th August 2022 at which point all future eligible tournaments will utilize the updated system. There will be no recalculation of past events, meaning the impact of the new methodology will be gradual.
Daan Huizing, from the Challenge Tour, looks forward to play again in Denmark at the Made in Esbjerg Challenge 2021.
Daan Huizing is looking forward to back-to-back events in Denmark as he attempts to return to winning ways in the Made in Esbjerg Challenge Presented by FREJA & TotalEnergies.
The Dutchman has competed in 12 tournaments out of 16 on the 2021 European Challenge Tour schedule securing five top 20 finishes. That record includes victory at the Irish Challenge in May after producing a sensational round carding a four under par round of 67, beating Eduard Rousaud in a play-off to secure his third European Challenge Tour title.
Huizing is looking to rekindle that kinds of form in the next event of the Challenge Tour in Denmark this week.
“I think points wise it’s huge,” he said. “I also think for my own progression and development as a player. I think I’ve matured a lot in the last two, three years and showing really good improvement towards the European Tour.”
“Of course you want to win and I thought Ireland was beautiful I loved the place, I loved the whole week, even walking on the last hole or walking in the play-off I said to myself wow, I love it here, how beautiful is this? That was a great state of mind to be in and then you play your best golf and now it’s a challenge to get those ingredients back again and put it all together again so I can win again.”
Huizing said playing back-to-back events can be challenging at times but is looking forward to being back in Denmark after finishing a solid tied 12th place at the Vierumäki Finnish Challenge last week.
“All I’ve heard is that it’s really good, so yes I am definitely looking forward to it,” he said. “The courses I have played in Denmark have all been good, the greens have always been very nice, last week in Finland was also top notch.”
“I did it one time in Spain (playing back-to-back events) and I actually thought it was quite challenging because the course gets a little mind numbing, maybe it’s different here because it’s a tougher course and maybe they can do more with the course, but I think for them to have the events in the first place is a really great achievement. I don’t mind it and especially on a great golf course like this I am actually looking forward to it.”
The 30-year-old is currently in ninth position on the Road to Mallorca but is focused on climbing the rankings in order to secure a return to the European Tour.
“I have my goal which is to finish in the top five of the Rankings, then you will have a better category for next year, so week in week out you try and give your best, get results and get more points on the board.”
Huizing is joined in the field for the Made in Esbjerg Challenge by last week’s Vierumäki Finnish Challenge winner Marcus Helligkilde and Italian Challenge and four-time European Challenge Tour winner Ricardo Gouveia.
The action in Denmark gets under way at 7:30am local time, with Huizing teeing it up alongside Denmark’s John Axelsen and Englishman Andrew Wilson at 13:20.
Nanna Koerstz Madsen of Denmark poses for a portrait. She is set to play at the Scottish Ladies Open 2021.
(Photo: Getty Images)
The Ladies Scottish Open will be taking place at a brand-new venue in Dumbarnie Links from 12-15 August. Nanna Madsen will be teeing off tomorrow at 10:09am (Central European Time). The Danish golfer updates her Instagram followers by giving us a practice swing on the course. The course lies 9 miles from St. Andrews and gives a stunning view of the water from each hole. It was designed by Ryder Cup player Clive Clark and even named ‘Development of the Year 2020’ by Golf Inc. Magazine. Madsen, who just finished T9 in the Golf Olympics 2021 seems eager to play on the new course. She secured a season-best finish of T5 at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open last year. Let us see what this new Links Course has in store for her this year.
Nanna Madsen is a 24 year old Danish Golf Player with an impressive biography. A two time Olympian with incredible career highlights including..
–2019: Recorded two top-10 finishes and tied her career-highest finish of second at the Indy Women in Tech Championship
–2018: Recorded a season-best T15 result at the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic
–2017: Three-time winner asa Symetra Tour rookie led her to become the 12th player in Tour history to earn a “Battlefield Promotion” to the LPGA Tour, playing in three events between late August and early September and led the Tour in scoring average (69.69)
Career Highlights from the official LPGA website
Madsen also enjoys going to the gym, shopping, watching movies and traveling. She regularly updates her fans through social media on her golfing highlights and hobbies.
When looking for new golf shoes I had a hard time finding the right ones. The big names like Nike, Adidas, Puma, FootJoy and so on were mostly disappointing. They bored me. It seems like there’s just three types of golf shoes out there: 1. unstylish, dull and uninspired shoes for the masses, 2. super technical shoes that try to look like they’re from outer space (and sometimes are close to what the hipsters call “dad shoes”), shoes that might get you easier into Berghain Club than into a club house 3. the super traditional ones that have had basically the same look for over fifty years now. Some even in the “kiltie” style. I mean, to each his own, it’s ok to have any of them, like them, wear them, but it’s just not for me. So I was checking for the underdogs again and well there is more than you might think, definitely more than most of us know of. There’s Tomo Shoes, Goatlane, True Linkswear, Cuater, Jack Grace, Canoos, Back9, Payntr, Straight Down and in the far east there’s Admiral, Beams and Daily Grass. And then there’s Golfkicks. Never heard of any of them? Now you did. I couldn’t go through all of them, but tested a few of these promising brands’ models on various courses and in different conditions and I have to say: next time you’re looking for a good pair of golf shoes you definitely don’t need to make the big names bigger, they already have enough money. Check out these smaller brands, give back to the scene, check the ones run by golfers for golfers. They’re all worth it!
(Just in case you’ll wonder about the „Putting POV“ in my ratings – it actually means that the look straight down on my shoes while putting does [believe it or not] affect my putting ability. What might sound like a rare disease to some of you is really a thing to me and I’m probably not the only visually sensitive person on this planet „suffering“ from this.)
True Linkswear – True Knit II
Appearance and material:
It’s a nice, clean, lightweight and spikeless sock fit sneaker for the summer in a modern look without trying to be futuristic, more like a clean running shoe. As the name implies it’s knitted – 90% Polyester and 10% Spandex, means they’re very flexible. When the package reached me in the office (including a shoe bag, nice!), I immediately put them on, walked around a while and, honestly, I totally forgot to take them off again for the rest of the day. They don’t even feel like a golf shoe. Actually they’re so comfty and light, flexible yet with a proper support that I’m even thinking about taking them on my summer vacation to the greek islands for hiking. Not kidding!
On the course:
Nice: once you get on the club’s parking lot, you don’t have to squat in the car seat or open trunk to put on your shoes as you just slip into them – even unlaced as they’re sock fit. Extra nice: you actually don’t even HAVE to change shoes – they’re suitable for driving (as a good bunch of spikeless golf shoes are). And as I just said, they’re super comfy, flexible, extremely lightweight (coming in at less than 300 g) with a soft walking sole and a proper grip. I didn’t test them in a rainy situation on wet grass, but that’s probably not the conditions you’d wear them anyway – the True Knit II is a summer shoe for the dry and warm rounds of golf from (northern hemisphere’s) April to October. The material actually IS water repelling, but the tiny holes of its knitted fabrics don’t really call for being a rainy day pick. What I really liked is its flexibility of its one-piece shell that makes it comfortable no matter what your feet are shaped, hence with its flex it probably won’t even matter if you’ve bought them slightly too small. You basically don’t feel anything, nothing squeezes, presses, pokes or scratches. I wore them on an 18 hole round on Wilkendorf’s Sandy Lyle course which is an uneven walk with lots of up- and downhill (compared to other Berlin area courses) and after finish I absolutely didn’t have the urge to take them off. While I’m generally cautious with new shoes, usually just take them on a 9-holer or carry a worn-in pair in my bag to change whenever my feet call for it, without a doubt I’d take these directly on 18 holes or more. Note: I can imagine that its flex might be too much for some people that need a really firm stand. They twist and flex and do whatever your feet are up to. Some people don’t like that. I do. We instantly became friends. Me, my feet and the true Knit II. Recommend!
Summary:
Looks – 7.5/10
Comfort – 10/10
Traction – 8.5/10
Waterproof – 5/10
Innovation – 8/10
Putting POV – 8/10
Colors – 4 (black, grey, dark blue, off white)
Price – 140,- $
truelinkswear.com/products/true-knit-ii
truelinkswear.com
Jack Grace – Innovator
Appearance and material:
They have a very classic golf shoe look yet not being „traditional“ or even outdated. In a sleek and dressy aesthetic that resembles a bit of the Callaway Swami 2.0 – except for the saddle -, a spikeless, stylish traction sole in white and rubber and well crafted leather upper material, they’re light and feel durable and quality made, coming in a slick box with extra laces and a shoe bag. Actually you can wear these shoes on a wedding and nobody would recognize (just in case you have to hurry from the course to your best friend’s wedding). The absolute killer feature: interchangeable saddles. There’s dozens of extra saddles (+ laces) in various colors you can buy and simply change and fine tune your dress.
On the course:
Had some little rain on my test turf, the Arnold Palmer course in Bad Saarow, but my feet stayed dry and the sole still had a firm grip. It took me a while to break into them, as my wide foot needs lots of room but after some 9 holers they were worn-in. Looking down at these while putting gave me confidence, leaving me with a putting score below two (which is good for my mediocre level). I’d love to say that the red saddle I got with them (and which I put on for a round) made me feel like Tiger on those black shoes, but, well, it didn’t. I am not Tiger. Not the shoe’s fault, but I put back on the black saddles. Looks cleaner anyway. But I really, really like the idea of the interchangeable extra saddles you can get for this shoe. What a simple but great innovation! There’s three dozen colors and pattern variations for the saddles and with the three basic models and colored laces there’s so many options that it sometimes might be hard to decide. Hmm, the green saddles matching to the belt, the yellow ones to the polo’s embroidery, the grey ones to the cap, the blue ones to the bag and the black ones to the car… darling, would you help me? I’m deeply stuck in decision…
Summary:
Looks – 7/10
Comfort – 7/10
Traction – 8/10
Waterproof – 8.5/10
Innovation – 9/10
Putting POV – 8/10
Colors – 3 basic models (black, grey, white) and a truckload of saddle colors and designs, too many to count
Price – shoes 129,- $/ saddles 20,- to 35,- $ depending on color, design, material
Oh boy, what a stylish piece of work these are! It can’t get more classier than this one and style wise they’re exactly what I was looking for. In the clean and timeless look of the simplistic sports shoes era of the 70s like Adidas Stan Smith, Puma Suede, Cons Pro Leather or Nike Classic Tennis this Swedish newcomer shoe brand is delivering superior leather craftsmanship. All shoes are made in Portugal with Italian leather. And if someone knows a thing or two about leatherwork then it’s the Italians and the Iberians, thus its first impression was matchless: high quality genuine leather, nicely crafted and sewn, the spikeless traction sole doesn’t even look like a traction sole from the side as its hidden by the outsole that closes with the ground, making the shoe look even more like a casual everyday sports shoe – lovely. Love at first sight. Its super clean look is all I want from a golf shoe. A clean and stylish packaging with an included shoe bag and extra laces completes the whole thing and as an add on you’ll get a small bag with a bunch of Goatlane-green tees. Nice.
On the course:
I took them on a round at Bad Saarow’s Arnold Palmer and some rounds at my home club, Semlin Golf Resort, and as it usually does with handmade leather shoes it also took a little to break into them, but once they’re worn-in they’re comfortable friends. They’re waterproof, so a little rain won’t shock you and the traction sole still grips on wet turf. Looking down on them while putting: I felt like a Tour Pro, it helped my putting. Didn’t even wanted to follow my ball’s line as can’t get enough of looking at those shoes. Felt a bit like Sergio Garcia’s closed eyes putting, but just looking at the shoes.
By the way: my friends also couldn’t. Whenever any of my friends saw them (all kids of the 70s/ early 80s era), they were like “Whoa, nice ones! But they’re not golf shoes, right?”. Indeed, they are! They were blown by their clean Stan Smith-look and were asking for the name (nobody knew – that has to change!) and price tag (not the cheapest, but worth it!). Now they know, now you know. Go, get some Goatlanes!
Actually I like them so much now that I’m even wearing them off the course every now and then.
Summary:
Looks – 10/10
Comfort – 7.5/10
Traction – 8/10
Waterproof – 8.5/10
Innovation – 5/10 (which is not to be meant as a mediocre rating here – they’re just classy and clean and as these attributes are missing with a lot of golf shoes this could also mean a 10 tbh)
Don’t let the aroma of Chinese kids toys’ plastic distract you – these shoes are great (and the smell is gone soon). They look a bit bulky at first sight and aesthetically they probably won’t win a Red Dot Award, but from just even looking at them you know you can take them basically anywhere – dry fairways, moist roughs, dusty waste areas, rainy bunkers, November mud, winter rounds. No visible seams holding its pieces together, it’s either all glued or it’s a one-piece shoe, so there’s no chance for any water, mud or dust to creep inside them on your round of golf. They look absolutely waterproof. It’s the only shoe of this test series with a real spiked sole which gives an impression of a stable base. And yes, even though it doesn’t look lightweight at first, they absolutely are! Another big bonus is their reasonable price tag.
On the course:
When I talked to Peter, the Irish founder of Back9, he told me he started the company as he had some bad foot pain and couldn’t find a shoe comfortable enough to walk 18 holes, so Back9 was born. Easy, right? That’s how you start a company! And yes, I think he solved the problem. Walking 18 on a rainy day was pure delight! No wet feet, a super firm and stable grip even on wet downhill lies and the breathable mesh upper kept my feet dry and cool as if I just took a short walk around the block on a sunny day. Even standing in soaking wet rough or stepping into puddles they kept my feet dry. Easy to clean, all mud and sand was easy to get off. Even though they’re breathable they will probably not be my first choice on hot summer days, but whenever the forecast might show some shower for the day, these will be my option and I know by now this will be my number one pair of shoes for the off season, which, living in the middle of Europe, can be cold and wet, so you definitely need a shoe you can rely on. These are my choice from mid October to March.
A bit outside of the rating in this test, as these aren’t shoes, but still they definitely need to be mentioned here. And tested. Golfkicks is a start-up that probably has the greatest but simplest idea in the golf shoe game ever: they’re not selling shoes, they just sell the grip. A traction kit consisting of 20 soft spikes that you can screw into your favorite non-golf shoe and make them a golf shoe. Easy as that. And what may sound like a makeshift idea from the DIY-store is actually a pretty well thought out and technically full working kit. (See full how-to and test in my blog section – sorry, it’s all in german: https://www.golfpost.de/blogposts/206/) The plastic spikes with a Metallic core screw come in a nice little package the size that resembles a pack of three golf balls. It includes a sharpie to mark the spots on your soles before mounting, a hex hand tool to install the cleats into the soles, a hex bit if you chose the machine to do the work and some shoe goo to dab on the threads before mounting so the cleats and sole get an even tighter connection. Also two ball markers included. So, how great is that? Just pick a shoe you always wished to be a golf shoe, just make sure its soles aren’t some fancy air cushioned ones (the cleats might ruin those) or are whose soles are too thin, watch a mounting video on the Golfkicks page and within about 20 minutes of work – voila! – there they are: your new golf shoes!
I did that on some Vans Eras, a shoe I really like and always wished to have these for golfing.
On the course:
No need to talk about the shoes itself as I know them. I probably had 50 pairs over the years and I definitely know their simple comfiness and with its light canvas outer material for me it’s the timeless perfect summer shoe. I mounted seven spikes in each sole and I was more than curious if it works, if the spikes stick in there, how the grip might be, how it feels. Even though Taylor, the guy running Golfkicks from Denver, states that Vans probably aren’t the perfect shoe for mounting these as its soles are comparatively thin, there’s absolutely no regrets from my side having done so. On the course my Vans have a super stable grip and I was walking 45 holes over three days in a row in them and didn’t feel a thing. Sure, walking on the cart path or on the club house terrace you feel the spikes, but that’s a usual thing with spiked golf shoes. But do they stick? Yes. I didn’t lose any of them or had to tighten them again and by now I’ve probably walked around fifty kilometers in those Golfkicks-Vans and I’m satisfied. Also, the plastic of these spikes is extremely durable. I used to have some spiked Nikes some years ago whose spikes wore out faster than these. So it’s definitely a big recommendation! If by any chance none of these above mentioned and tested sneakers aren’t for you, just get a pair of non-golf shoes you really like, get the Golfkicks kit and build your own! Love this idea, love my Golf-Vans!
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)
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
Abraham Ancer holding his championship trophy at the FedEx St. Jude Invitational 2021.
(Photo: Getty Images)
Press Release
Abraham Ancer became the first Mexican to win a European Tour title after defeating Sam Burns and Hideki Matsuyama in a play-off at the WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational.
The 30-year-old carded a 68 to finish at 16 under after 72 holes at TPC Southwind, with Matsuyama and Burns storming through the field on day four with rounds of 63 and 64 respectively.
Matsuyama almost won it on the first trip back up the last as he lipped out from 20 feet but Ancer put his approach to six feet at the second attempt before Burns incredibly got inside him.
Ancer piled on the pressure by making his putt and when Burns missed with his effort, Ancer had his first World Golf Championships win and moved to seventh in the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex.
American Harris English had entered day four with a two shot lead at 18 under but fired a 73 to finish a shot out of the play-off, one clear of countryman Daniel Berger, England’s Paul Casey and Australian Cameron Smith.
Smith had been in line for a play-off place but a double bogey on the last saw him sign for a 72 and slip back alongside Berger, who finished with a 66, and Casey, who carded a 67.
DeChambeau’s 74 left him at 12 under alongside fellow American Will Zalatoris, a shot clear of England’s Ian Poulter and former World Number One Dustin Johnson.
Abraham Ancer:
“I was trying to kind of let it all sink in there in the ceremony on 18. It was really surreal, something that I’ve been working for since I was a little kid. Definitely a dream, a dream come true to win on the PGA TOUR, and to do it on a big stage like a WGC event was really, really cool, man. It was a crazy round. I thought I was going to need a really low one to have a chance today, but it just worked out that it was like pretty much survival mode on the back nine.
“I felt really good the whole week and I’ve been feeling good for a long, long time. I just needed to be patient and just keep putting myself in good positions to win the tournament. Today, obviously the guys had to come back for me to have a chance there with being at 16 under, but like I said before, there’s some tournaments I felt that I played good enough to win and had a great round and things just didn’t go my way and I ended up not winning the tournament. So you’ve got to get lucky times to win events and I’m happy things went my way this week.
“I was probably more nervous of the trophy presentation than in the actual play-off or during the tournament. I felt really calm, I felt like I was ready, I felt like he was there with me. I know he (father) busted his butt his whole life to just get me to tournaments and just have a chance to compete and get better. He definitely would be extremely proud. I know he is extremely proud and having a big old party up there, man.
“I think it’s huge. I know Mexico is in a better spot than some years prior, right now, Mexican golf, but I think it’s getting a lot better. Hopefully this week will inspire some kids to get out there and play golf and learn about the game and just grow the game in general. I’m really pumped where things are headed in my country. Carlos (Ortiz) has been playing some really good golf as well. I feel like we’ve done a really good job. There’s a lot more to come.”
