The Magical Kenya Ladies Open is taking place in Kenya this week. After Moving Day, Sweden’s Linnea Strom is in first place. Her 3-under-par gives her a two-stroke lead over second-placed Luna Sobron Galmes. The third place is shared by the two Germans Esther Henseleit and Sophie Hausmann with even par. Everything is still open for tomorrow’s final.
A strong end to 2021 kept the annual number of rounds of golf played in Great Britain ahead of 2020 and 2019.
As expected, there was some drop off against the peak months in 2020 when lockdowns ended and golf reopened to a groundswell of pent-up demand. In October and December 2020 rounds played were well above equivalent levels in previous years. Although in 2021 quarter four could not maintain the strong 2020 demand levels, it still outperformed previous seasons. When compared against the pre-pandemic period, 2021 surged past equivalent figures from 2019. Against Q4 2019, for example, 2021 was up 40%, contributing to a year-end 17% rise in rounds played against 2019.
While it is hard to make exact comparisons with 2020 because of course closures and the subsequent rush for tee times, the comparisons with 2019 do suggest an enduring uptick in the popularity of golf in the UK.
Taking a longer-term view, rounds played have now risen for four consecutive years. 2021’s annual rounds were up 12% against 2020 and 17% against both 2019 and 2018.
Richard Payne, Director of Sports Marketing Surveys welcomed the figures, while noting the potential impact of rising living costs in the year ahead.
“First and foremost, it’s great to see rounds played growing, proving that demand for golf is strong as we head into an exciting 2022. Rising costs and inflation are likely to put pressure on leisure budgets this year and so, particularly for those who came into golf during the pandemic, the key question now is how embedded has it become in their sporting and lifestyle DNA. Is it a core hobby that they will continue to play even if the costs of access and equipment rise in line with inflation in other areas of the economy? The strong results for Q4 do suggest golfers continuing to play through the inclement winter months, and so we are optimistic that people will stay in the game.”
Phil Anderton, Chief Development Officer at The R&A, welcomed the results. He said: “We have seen full-length course user golf participation rise to over 66 million worldwide in 2021 and almost 11 million in Europe. The rounds played for Great Britain in 2021 continue to support the evidence that more golfers are playing more often and realising the benefits of the sport for their physical and mental health. Golf, however, cannot become complacent as a sport and the industry must grasp the opportunity to maintain this interest by offering new and returning golfers the opportunity to stay in the sport and enjoy it at all levels – from traditional forms to new formats.”
Sports Marketing Surveys has been tracking rounds played in Great Britain for over 20 years but the monitor continues to evolve. For that reason, Sports Marketing Surveys is formalising a partnership with the Revenue Club to track online golf bookings, and ensure the rounds played monitor gathers as much data from as many different sources as possible.
(Text: Sports Marketing Surveys)
Nicolai Højgaard returns to Al Hamra Golf Club this week for the Ras Al Khaimah Classic and, following a stunning display which yielded a four-stroke victory last week, the big-hitting Dane is feeling confident he can claim back-to-back titles in the United Arab Emirates. “I’m feeling pretty good. It was a grind out there and I had to dig deep so it felt really good and I’m really looking forward to teeing up again on Thursday.”, Nicolai said.
That impressive win at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship presented by Phoenix Capital only strengthened the 20-year-old’s reputation as one of golf’s brightest young stars – alongside his twin brother Rasmus.
Nicolai needs one more win to equal his sibling’s tally of three DP World Tour titles and, following a performance which – barring a stumble midway through the final round – was nigh on perfect, he feels he is in with a great chance of claiming wins in successive weeks. “The phone has been buzzing the last few days so I haven’t talked or texted anyone yet, I’m trying to get into tournament mode now and focus on the week ahead, and hopefully play some good golf again.” the Dane told the reporters.
“For me the most important part of this victory was that I was struggling quite a bit before coming here and then I struggled around 9 to 12. I had to dig deep, two shots behind with six to play. From there on I played some really good golf and that gave me some confidence. I think I can use that quite a bit in the future.”
Jordan Smith, meanwhile, has enjoyed a strong start to his 2022 campaign, with a top ten at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, a tie for 12th at the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic and then coming close to a second career victory last week – only to finish runner-up. “Really pleased with my start to the season. Been asked the question a few times, and there have obviously been some changes from previous years. I knew something needed to change and we had a look back at stats and performances and how I was feeling. We weren’t sure how it was going pan out this year but it’s worked out really well, I’m really happy with how everything is with the game and off-course.”, Smith said after the last weekend.
The Englishman is riding a wave of confidence, having won in Ras Al Khaimah on the Challenge Tour in 2016, and is hoping he can emerge victorious once again at Al Hamra. “Coming back I had good memories from 2016, obviously from winning here. So I came here with good memories and thoughts and I feel really comfortable around this course, don’t know what it is about it. It’s just nice and relaxed and a bit quieter than Dubai, I love the place.”
Text: DP World Tour
What is not written about fitness, which promotes our golf game, about what golf can do to us. The list of health benefits of golf is endless, the golf cosmos is full of medical treatises and gymnastic instructions. Who wouldn’t know that golf is a sport played primarily between the ears? The mental component affects the constitution. And vice versa. “Mens sana in corpore sano”, a healthy mind in a healthy body: this is mutually dependent.
There are enough studies on this. The Swedes found that golfers who play regularly – about twice a week – live on average five years longer than non-golfers. The Karolinska Institute analysed the lifespan of around 300,000 active golfers who were born after 1920 and started playing golf before 2001. Ageing through play, in other words. Who doesn’t wish for a longer healthy life? You’re only one club away to achieve so.
“Moderate physical activity, such as golf, increases life expectancy,” says Dr Andrew Murray, head of the Golf & Health Project at the University of Edinburgh. The sport supports the prevention and treatment of more than 40 major chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, breast and colon cancer. It also helps with psychiatric conditions such as depression and dementia, and simply promotes health and well-being.
The reasons are as obvious as they are plausible. “Golf is a mental sport with aerobic and thus healthy exercise in the fresh air and in the green – and that for several hours. It doesn’t get any better than that,” says Hamburg preventologist Andrea S. Klahre, who, as a therapist for mind-body medicine and prevention coach, is professionally concerned with the coherence of body and mind.
For the therapist, the game is pure Zen beyond its “swing-technical, anatomical, physiological and also preventive aspects”. “Golf, played alone, is a kind of movement meditation and, like sitting meditation, changes the brain waves in centres that are responsible for attentional performance and the ability to cope with stress,” clarifies Klahre. “In addition, the autonomic nervous system is regulated, in the sense of a relaxation reaction.”
It is precisely this combination of flexibility, endurance and alertness that makes golf the ideal form of training for many existing ailments, from exhaustion syndromes to respiratory diseases. Or simply as a school for concentration, “as long as holistic health awareness can be promoted at the same time,” adds Klahre.
The key data of the time- and above all age-less game are well known, but cannot be repeated often enough: an 18-hole round burns at least 1,200 calories, five to ten kilocalories per minute. In contrast to other ball sports, such as football or tennis, golf burns mainly fats. This lowers blood fat levels, especially LDL cholesterol, which is harmful to the cardiovascular system. A skilful swing also tenses 124 of a total of 434 muscles. So training from head to toe.
Golf is a passion for many people. Some go to the range five times a week, others only twice a month – but all golfers have one thing in common: the fun of hitting the little white ball. Golf takes place in the fresh air, in nature. You move around a lot, you are often out for 4-5 hours. “Golf is good for your health,” some say. “Golf ruins your back,” say others.
What does golf actually do to our psyche? The series “Golf and Health” deals with these questions and statements and helps to get a better insight into the health of our beloved sport.
When people think of golfers, they no longer think of overweight gentlemen with cigars in their mouths. The sport has become more athletic, thanks in part to Tiger Woods. Young junior golfers therefore train specifically and holistically – also to prevent injuries. The series “Golf and Health” deals, for example, with whether and how the modern golf swing is related to back problems. The amateur golfer also gains interesting insights, e.g. why golf is a health sport and offers the perfect relaxation for the mind.
However: “Healthy golfing has nothing to do with the pursuit of a better handicap, but is the pursuit of an individual, but also healthy golf swing,” Prof. Dr. Eduard David, physiologist at the private university of Witten-Herdecke, said years ago.
More than any other sport, golf is suitable for everyone, young and old. And with optimal interaction, the game is the perfect sport for brain, heart, soul and all other systems. Golf should be available on prescription!
Two-time major champion Stacy Lewis has been named captain of the 2023 USA Solheim Cup Team. Lewis, a four-time member of Team USA, will lead a team of the top 12 American female golfers as they work to reclaim the Solheim Cup from Team Europe at Finca Cortesin in Spain on Sept. 22-24.
“To be named captain for the USA Solheim Cup Team is an incredible honor and I’m beyond grateful to the Committee for choosing me,” said Lewis. “I have so many amazing memories from my years on the team and the two opportunities I’ve had to work alongside the team. I absolutely love the Solheim Cup and I want 2023 to be as great an experience for my team as my years wearing Red, White and Blue have been for me.”
Lewis is a 13-time LPGA Tour winner, earning major titles at the 2011 Chevron Championship and the 2013 AIG Women’s Open. She spent 264 consecutive weeks from 2011-16 ranked in the top 10 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, including 25 weeks at No. 1, and was the 2012 and 2014 Rolex LPGA Player of the Year. In 2016, Lewis was a member of Team USA at the Summer Olympics in Brazil, finishing tied for fourth.
Lewis represented the USA on the 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017 Solheim Cup Teams. In 2019, Lewis served as an unofficial assistant captain under Juli Inkster after withdrawing from competition due to injury, and she worked in that role in an official capacity under Pat Hurst in 2021. At 38 years, 7 months and 6 days old on the first day of competition in 2023, she will be the youngest American captain in Solheim Cup history and the second-youngest captain for either side. Patty Sheehan was 45 when she served as USA captain in 2002, while Catrin Nilsmark was 36 when she was the European captain in 2003.
“I have learned so much from the past captains on the Solheim Cup Committee, and the fact that they chose me to lead this team is one of the proudest moments of my career,” said Lewis. “Juli gave me my first taste of captaincy when she asked me to help her with the singles lineup in Germany in 2015. Being an assistant captain for Pat was honestly the most fun week I’ve had at a Solheim Cup. I’m more than ready to step into this role.”
Prior to joining the LPGA Tour, Lewis enjoyed a standout amateur career as a four-time All-American at the University of Arkansas, taking the NCAA Division I national title in 2007 as one of her 12 titles. She graduated in 2008 with a degree in finance and accounting, the same year she became the first player in Curtis Cup history to go 5-0 during a 13-7 USA victory over Great Britain and Ireland on the Old Course at St Andrews.
Lewis is married to Gerrod Chadwell, the head women’s golf coach at Texas A&M University, and has a 3-year-old daughter, Chesnee. She currently serves as a Player Director on the LPGA Board of Directors.
The 2023 Solheim Cup will be held at Finca Cortesin in Spain on Sept. 22-24, with Suzann Pettersen serving as captain for Team Europe. Information on ticket options and prices is available at solheimcup2023.eu.
Text: LPGA
Grooves is the English term for the golf club face lines. These are mainly responsible for the spin that a club achieves over the ball. It is important that the ball sticks to the club face for a long time at impact to create as much friction as possible. The grooves grip the outermost shell of the ball, creating a lot of spin. That’s why balls with a soft urethane coating, for example, deliver significantly more spin than a hard range ball.
Hitting a ball out of the rough, or slightly higher turf in general (can also happen on the fairway), is often unpredictable if there’s a lot of dirt or turf between the club and the ball. Grooves help enormously to make these shots more predictable by moving water, turf and dirt away from the contact point during the swing.
In order to provide the ideal spin conditions for each club, the grooves usually adapt to the respective wedges. A gap wedge, which typically predominates in full shots, has narrower and deeper grooves that allow for slightly less spin. Too much of the backspin would not be useful for this club.
For a lob wedge – where there can never be enough spin – wide and shallower grooves are the norm. These deliver plenty of spin even on small swings, which is ideal for chips or pitches. Due to the different requirement profiles, changes in the club or groove characteristics are accordingly desirable and helpful.
After hitting a shot, you should always take the time to clean the equipment during the round, and with especial focus on the golf club grooves to keep the hitting surface in great shape. With a clean club you will achieve significantly more spin, which can only be an advantage with wedges. It’s not without reason that you see caddies on the pro tours busily rubbing the club grooves free with a towel and club brushes.
Consistency will make the difference also in the quality life of your equipment, that is why it is just as important to know how to clean them after playing too.
The trend of micro-grooves is becoming increasingly popular. Between the actual grooves, other smaller additional grooves are placed on the clubface. This only enhances the effect of gripping the cup and increases the spin. Manufacturers have different approaches to this issue. Whether fancy angles, raised grooves or shapeless grooves – there are and will be hardly any limits to creativity.
Besides the thought: “Higher, faster, further”, which is admittedly very tempting, you should always but especially in the short game place more emphasis on consistency. Of course, it is fun if you let the ball roll back with a few metres of backspin just like the pros. However, it makes much more sense if each of your shots produces the same result.
Spin is good, spin helps you play around the greens. However, it is much better if you can consistently retrieve your clubs over and over again. Therefore, don’t lose focus on the essentials. Being close to the flag again and again will save you strokes. Not if the ball rolls back a few metres after it hits.
Daniel Gavins and Callum Shinkwin claimed the Hero Challenge title at Al Hamra Golf Club in Ras Al Khaimah after the English duo teamed up to card eight birdies in the nine-hole Texas Scramble event for a winning eight under total.
The innovative team event was broadcast on television around the globe as well as on YouTube and social media, where fans could watch the stars of the DP World Tour in a more relaxed atmosphere – chatting regularly to on-course commentators and with some players miked up throughout their round.
In a classic better-ball scramble format, birdies were key and Gavins and Shinkwin looked unstoppable from the word go, birdieing every one of the first seven holes to storm into the lead. A par at the eighth briefly stunted their progress but a four at the par five 18th hole laid down the gauntlet early on.
Many teams tried, but none could get within touching distance of the Englishmen, who earned a two-stroke victory over the field with an eight under score of 28.
Second place was shared by nine teams on six under par, including that of winning 2018 Ryder Cup Captain Thomas Bjørn and his team-mate James Morrison, and in-form Englishman Richard Bland who teamed up with former Ryder Cup player Oliver Wilson to card four birdies and an eagle two.
“It feels fantastic, it was a great fun today. I’m glad that the Tour and Hero put this up for us today because we’re here for two weeks, it was great fun to play and obviously Dan is good friend of mine, so it was great.”, Callum Shinkwin said after the competition. “One of our caddies said ten under was going to win but thankfully he was wrong!”
Daniel Gavins used the Hero Challenge for his preparation, “For me it was a little bit about getting out to see the course because I didn’t play here last week so I hadn’t seen it. It was a lot of fun though, it was nice to get out and have a laugh. We were actually a little bit annoyed to par the eighth, we wanted to birdie every hole, but it was nice to win.”
Text: DP World Tour
The Saudi International 2022 is underway and surprisingly many stars from the US and Europe are taking part in the $5 million event. Follow Dustin Johnson, Tommy Fleetwood, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia and all the others in our LIVE BLOG. Latest updates are posted here regularly. Refresh the page to see the latest posts.
The tournament is controversially discussed. While many international stars are taking part in exchange for high entry fees, many media outlets are pointing out the human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia. The organisers are accused of “sport washing” to distract from the country’s bad image. The golf pros largely ignore the debate.
FIND ALL NEWS ON THE TOURNAMENT HERE.
13:30
Harold Varner III scores even better and holes his eagle putt on the 18th hole. He wins the Saudi International 2022.
13:25
Varner shots a birdie on hole 17. If he manages to score another one on his last hole there will be a playoff between him and Bubba Watson.
13:10
Bubba Watson takes the lead with a stunning birdie-eagle finish. He is now at -12 and holds a two shot lead before Varner. Varner has still two holes to play.
12:30
Harold Varner III faced some difficulties at the 14th hole and scored a doublebogey. He falls back at -11 but remains on position number one.
Tommy Fleetwood is at -9 after another bogey on hole 14, he is one shot in front of Englishman Steve Lewton, who is at -2 for the day (-8 for the tournament) and made his way up the leaderboard.
11:50
Bubba Watson falls back at -3 for the day and the shared 4th position with Matthes Wolff at -9 overall score.
11:30
Adri Arnaus maybe can’t withstand the pressure and falls back to -11 with three bogeys in a row and a share of 2nd place with Tommy Fleetwood, two strokes behind Varner.
11:00
Frustating doublebogey for Bubba Watson makes him fall back at T5 and -9.
Adri Arnaus bogeys as well and is now again in a shared lead with Varner at -13.
10:40
Bubba Watson takes off, with five under par on the front nine he is only three strokes behind Adri Arnaus, who moves back to the top of the leaderboard with an eagle on hole 7.
Matthew Wolff is just one shot behind Watson at T4 with Tommy Fleetwood.
Dustin Johnson falls back with two consecutive bogeys on hole 8 and 9. He is now at +1 on the shared 13. rank.
10:10
With a bogey from Adri Arnaus and a Birdie from Harold Varner III the leader changes once more. Varner is now again in the lead at -13.
Defending champion Dustin Johnson is at -1 at T8 after starting strong with a birdie, followed with a bogey on the 3. hole and a second birdie on hole 4.
09:40
Adri Arnaus takes the solo lead with a birdie at the 4. hole. He is now at -13. Tommy Fleetwood scored a birdie as well and is now at -11 on third position.
09:20
Adri Arnaus has a strong start. With a birdie on the second hole he ties first place with Varner at -12.
Phil Mickelson is on a good run as well. With three birdies within seven holes he is currently at T10 with a six under par total score.
Defending champion Dustin Johnsons starts with three pars in a row and sits at ninth position with -7.
08:30
Strong start for Bubba Watson and Matthew Wolff. Watson played back to back birdies on his first two holes and is climbing the leaderboard with -8 in total. Wolff is at -2 as well and sits one shot behind Watson on T6.
08:20
This, or something like it, is how the pros prepared for the final day of the Saudi International. Xander Schauffele starts his round with a birdie.
The last flight with Fleetwood, Arnaus and Varner III is about to start the exciting last round at the Royal Greens Golf & Country Club.
World No. 8 on the range ?
Every shot of @XSchauffele’s session.#SaudiIntlGolf #SeeItAll pic.twitter.com/cpu3SsibSt
— Saudi International | السعودية الدولية (@SaudiIntlGolf) February 6, 2022
14:53
And that’s it! Harold Varner III manages to birdie the 18th, Arnaus plays par and so the American goes into Sunday with a one stroke lead and a total score of -12.
But behind the leading duo lurk a number of top stars. Tommy Fleetwood (-10), Cameron Smith (-9) and Dustin Johnson (-7) will do everything they can to catch Varner III.
That’s it for today from the Saudi International! We’ll be back for them tomorrow when the title is on the line!
14:25
Defending champion Dustin Johnson finished today’s round with a birdie and is currently tied for fifth place.
14:05
And directly the next bogey for the Spaniard and thus Harold Varner III is again in the solo lead with three holes to go.
13:41
Two bogeys at the top. Both Arnaus and Varner III have to accept a stroke loss at the 14th hole and are now only two strokes ahead of the first chasers.
13:08
Fleetwood runs hot! With back-to-back birdies on holes 12 and 13, the Englishman is now knocking at the top of the leaderboard. He is still two shots behind the leading duo, but with five holes to go, it looks like Fleetwood will be in a good position for tomorrow.
12:50
The two players in the last flight don’t give each other anything today! While Varner III has to accept a bogey on the 11th, Arnaus plays the first two holes of the back nine birdie and already both are back on top at -12, with seven holes to go.
12:20
Half time on Moving Day! The top players start their back nine. Harold Varner III is now two strokes ahead of the first pursuers Adri Arnaus and three strokes in front of Cam Smith.
11:59
That’s what we call good content: Range session with Bubba Watson, you gotta love it!
Bubba Golf ? Coming tonight.#SaudiIntlGolf #SeeItAll pic.twitter.com/uen5ORG76g
— Saudi International | السعودية الدولية (@SaudiIntlGolf) February 5, 2022
11:50
What an up and down. Cam Smith corrects his bogey on the sixth with a birdie on the eighth and moves past Arnaus into second place. The Spaniard Arnaus had to accept his second bogey at the eight and falls back.
There is also a lot happening on the places behind. Tommy Fleetwood seems to have found his momentum. The Englishman is now in a strong fourth place.
11:36
While Harold Varner III and Adri Arnaus are back at the top of the leaderboard, we have already collected the first pictures of the day for you! Click here!
11:07
The first players are already back in the clubhouse. By now, the best round of the day is played by Paul Casey (64/-6). The Englishman shows a top performance on the back nine, plays five birdies and sits on a shared 16th place.
11:05
Not bad at all!
Fans ? Enjoying the incredible view from the 16th @RoyalGreens_KSA!#SaudiIntlGolf #SeeItAll pic.twitter.com/3RU0XQdaxn
— Saudi International | السعودية الدولية (@SaudiIntlGolf) February 5, 2022
10:52
Harold Varner III strikes back! After a bumpy start, the American seems to have caught himself and plays an eagle on the fourth hole. With this he passes Arnaus/Smith again and is now in the solo lead.
10:34
Cameron Smith moved to the top of the leaderboard. After three holes, the Australian is at -1 and also benefits from the slips of Arnaus and Varner III, who are both one over par after three holes. Slowly, the Moving Day is really starting to move!
10:13
Henrik Stenson also gets off to a good start. The Swede plays three consecutive birdies at the holes 4, 5 and 6 and catapults himself to the shared tenth place.
The two leaders Adri Arnaus and Harold Varner start the moving day with a par.
9:22
What a start from Ian Poulter. The Englishman seems to have set his sights high for today and plays the first six holes three under par. At the moment that means a shared 20th place for Poulter.
Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson are now also on the course and both played a birdie on the first hole!
8:50
The last two players on the moving day are on their way. Who can make up places today, who can keep the connection to the top group? Now in the live ticker!
05.02.2022 – Moving Day
15:10
The second round of the Saudi International 2022 is finished. The cut was made at four over par and 75 players are going into the weekend.
14:40
Dustin Johnson finishes the second round with a par. This puts him in 14th place overall at -4. In good company with Phil Mickelson and Tyrrell Hatton.
14:10
Patrick Reed finishes his round with two consecutive birdies to move to -1 for the day and -5 for the tournament. He sits at the 9. rank.
14:00
Dustin Johnson and Matteo Manassero take steps back and up the leaderboard by scoring a birdie each. Johnson moved to the 14. rank and Manassero is back at 9. position.
13:40
Xander Schauffele manages a very good finish. On hole 17 and 18 he plays a bogey each and climbs up to the shared ninth rank.
Meanwhile, Matteo Manassero continues to go downhill. He adds two more bogeys on the second nine to the two bogeys on the first nine. He is currently on his 15th hole.
Dutsin Johnson takes another bogey. Currently only the 16th rank for him.
13:00
Adri Arnaus catches up with Harold Varner III! With a birdie at the 17 he raises his score today to 4-under-par and draws level with the leader.
Our leader @HV3_Golf showing everyone how it’s done ?#SaudiIntlGolf #SeeItAll
— Saudi International | السعودية الدولية (@SaudiIntlGolf) February 4, 2022
12:40
Only three holes left for Adri Arnaus. He is just one stroke behind leader Harold Varner III and still has a chance to take the lead.
12:30
Matteo Manassero currently falls back to 6th place. With two bogeys and no birdie, his front nine did not go as desired. Maybe he can now turn the tide on his second nine.
11:40
The wind is picking up, not making it easier for the players of the afternoon session.
Conditions très musclées cet aprem au @SaudiIntlGolf Le vent est puissant mais bien établi (20 noeuds a vue de nez) @v_perez2 à 2 coups d’un cut très provisoire #golf #SaudiIntlGolf pic.twitter.com/zQLogRow0D
— ?????? ??????? (@MartinCoulomb) February 4, 2022
11:20
Adri Arnaus making a move. The Spaniard is currently the only player on the course to get closer to Harold Varner III. He is two shots off the lead. Meanwhile “DJ” drops a shot at the 8 hole and falls back to 5 under.
10:40
Tommy Fleetwood has finished his second round at -7. The Englishman stays in contention three shots behind the current leader.
10:17
Harold Varner III sets the new club house target at 10 under par. After an opening 64 (-6) he posts a 66 (-4) on day 2 of the Saudi International 2022.
A big ? for @HV3_Golf as he bumps @ManasseroMatteo from the top.
He ends the round -10.#SaudiIntlGolf #SeeItAll pic.twitter.com/jW6hhI03rk
— Saudi International | السعودية الدولية (@SaudiIntlGolf) February 4, 2022
09:50
Over night leader Matteo Manassero kicks off his second round with a par on hole 10. Can he remain on top of the leaderboard? The Italian felt pretty comfortable after the first round, stating: “It was one of those days in which everything was going my way. I was playing really solid, giving myself a lot of birdie chances, a lot of really short ones, as well. So just got the round going and just felt comfortable. That’s the right word, I guess.”
08:45
Fan favorite Phil Mickelson hitting “bombs” in his unique style.
We could watch this all day ?#SaudiIntlGolf #SeeItAll
pic.twitter.com/GQY3BaElXe— Saudi International | السعودية الدولية (@SaudiIntlGolf) February 4, 2022
07:56
Earlier today it was announced that Bryson DeChambeau has withdrawn from the Saudi International 2022 due to an injury of his left wrist and hip. The US Open winner has mentioned problems with his left wrist continously over the last couple of weeks.
07:32
Round 2 Ready ✅ @RoyalGreens_KSA.#SaudiIntlGolf #SeeItAll pic.twitter.com/0Qbb5UDObB
— Saudi International | السعودية الدولية (@SaudiIntlGolf) February 4, 2022
Well, there you go. At least Jason Kokrak has the guts to freely explain why he is taking part in the Saudi International. Kokrak is very open to a Super Golf League financed by the Kingdom of the Persian Gulf: “I want to make as much money as possible in as short a time as possible. Cash is king.” Blunt, unsparing, thank you! Finally someone says it. He doesn’t hide behind phrases and empty words. He does not disguise with either defiant coarseness or convoluted reasons why for millionaires money is more important than morals.
The fourth edition of the sports-washing spectacle called Saudi International has just begun. It takes place at the Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in the test-tube King Abdullah Economic City. Since 2019, this special week in the desert has become high time for hypocrites.
Every year, Dustin Johnson and his fellow players hire themselves out for horrendous entry fees as willing puppets of the Riyadh regime to add glitz and glamour to golf and wash the ugly stains of murder, human rights violations and multiple abuses off the waistcoat of Saudi Arabia’s international reputation.
“The players should be aware that they are taking bloody money,” wrote the “Washington Post” some time ago, directly affected by the murder of its employee Jamal Khashoggi*. He received attacks on Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the man behind the machinations.
Not only the pampered protagonists don’t care. Moreover, there are more helpers from the PGA and DP World Tour this year than ever before. To go far and beyond, the chorus of excuses almost becomes a cacophony. At the top of the hit list of lazy phrases is “I’m not a politician”, alternatively “I’m not here for politics, I’m here to play golf”.
As if the decision in favour of the tournament alone were not a political statement. “Sport is always political,” says Prof. Dr. Carlo Masala, Chair of International Politics at the University of the Federal Armed Forces in Neubiberg. Dr. Masala explains it in the ARD documentary “Spiel mit dem Feuer – Wer braucht noch dieses Olympia?” (engl. Playing with Fire – Who Needs the Olympics?). Under this title, the former slalom star and today’s TV alpine skiing expert Felix Neureuther asked active athletes, scientists and officials on the occasion of the Winter Games in Beijing. The Winter Games 2022 begind tomorrow and they are not less controversial.
Bryson DeChambeau, for one, loves the “I’m not a politican” slogan. So does Shane Lowry, who moreover drags his family into his excuses: “I’m just trying to take care of them as best I can. This is part of that.” One almost wants to feel sorry for the Irishman who is obviously plagued by existential needs.
Even Kokrak, who incidentally has made it to a career prize money of just over $19 million so far, a million more than Lowry, sugarcoats his relentless bluntness: “I’ll take any advantage I can to give my kids a good start in life.”
Of course, the reference to the contribution to the development of golf cannot be omitted; “Growing the Game” is number two on the scale of tried and tested euphemisms. The aforementioned Jason Kokrak has therefore let himself represent Golf Saudi as an ambassador. The media asked about his attitude to the grievances. However, Kokrak explains in all seriousness that he is not a government ambassador, so he has nothing to do with it. “I am paid to grow the game on a global level, not to represent the government or similar institutions.”
Are you serious? As a reply, Martin Klein, representative for international sports policy of the association “Athletes Germany”, is quoted here: “Human rights apply universally. That has little to do with politics.” And: “Being politically neutral does not mean tacitly accepting human rights violations […] and even legitimising them with this silence.” With passivity and ignorance, one “possibly makes oneself a collaborator.” Klein expressed this to Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) and others also in connection with the Olympics and the role of the IOC, but stressed the fundamental “human rights responsibility of sport”.
Now some will cry again and insist that athletes do not necessarily have to be role models, and point the finger at other sports in a fine “whataboutism”. These are neither shy nor scrupulous about getting involved with questionable friends from the totalitarianism and autocracy department – see IOC and China, FIFA and Qatar or Formula 1 and Riyadh. And that such things are commonplace nowadays anyway and result hard to avoid.
Even Rory McIlroy admits the problem: “We are all long past the point where moral issues alone are the deciding factor. What you do, where you go and who you meet – aligning everything with morals and principles makes life extremely difficult,” muses the Northern Irishman. “There is not only black or white, but also a lot of shades of grey. I’ve thought about it a lot and wrestled with myself for a long time: If you only take the hard line, you will hardly be able to do what you want to do.”
Nevertheless, he says no to the Saudi International and to a Super Golf League of Saudi Arabia’s dollar grace, “because I don’t like where the money comes from”. Just like the British tennis star Andy Murray, by the way, who refuses all opulent offers for show matches for the same reason. See Washington Post and “bloody money”. It works.
But if solid players like Paul Casey, Sergio Garcia or Xander Schauffele don’t have the backbone to resist the siren song of the Saudis… How about at least making a clear announcement? Why not simply address the grievances as a mature athlete?.
Formula One hero Lewis Hamilton did it during the PS circus’ recent visit to Saudi Arabia: “I don’t feel comfortable here because I really believe that everyone should have human rights, freedom of speech and freedom of movement, and this is one of the places where that is not allowed. However, unfortunately I don’t have a choice because motorsport has now chosen this scenario.”
Or – even better – actually donate part of the fee to golf development, let deeds speak instead of permanently singing the mantra that has long been used ad nauseam. “Grow the Game”: Ideally with the establishment or promotion of a training academy for girls. That would be something. As if a million or two mattered to the already saturated stars.
Didn’t Bryson DeChambeau recently say that he had enough money anyway, that he could stop playing golf and do something else that he enjoyed? We have an idea, and we’d like it to be scientific. Maybe DeChambeau didn’t do the math right this time at the Saudi International of how much harm they cause.
But no, instead the mongrels wrote the muzzle directly on their hay licence and rake in as much dough as they can get. Hush money, that is. Or: What goes around comes around.
And then Phil Mickelson comes along yesterday and even tries to give the obvious a legal basis. He said he was looking around for other competition opportunities. Mickelson felt short-changed with regard to his media rights, the right to his own image. “It was the disgusting greed of the PGA Tour that opened the door to all the recent deviant efforts,” rants the man who is worth around 800 million dollars, not least because it was the PGA Tour that commissioned his appearances and thus made him and himself attractive to sponsors.
For decades, this was part of the deal, “Lefty” played along happily, recently even claimed the lion’s share of the popularity bonuses offered as part of the Player Impact Program – and now the self-employed entrepreneur Mickelson is stylising the Tour as an exploitative villain because all this is suddenly supposed to have a bad taste. Really? What an absurd alibi.
If the six-time major winner is so interested in personal rights, he should think hard about not jumping out of the frying pan into the fire with the Saudis. But at least he doesn’t have to worry about the rights of his wife Amy and his daughters. They certainly won’t move to Riyadh just because daddy might soon make his pockets even fuller in the Formula 1 format and will have to dance to Greg Norman’s tune. So much for crooked enemy stereotypes.
It is simply ridiculous what the professionals use to justify their greed for money. Some of them seem to have lost their compass for moderation. Or are they simply puppets of their managers who are responsible for making money?. Anyway, what can you expect from people who show solidarity with crude minds like Novak Djokovic or sympathise and party with nefarious bullies like Donald Trump.
In contrast, Lee Westwood almost becomes likeable again, who confesses with simple frankness: “If someone my age offers me 50 million dollars for a few more years of tournament golf, then I don’t rack my brains about it for long.” For this chance, the 48-year-old Englishman would even throw overboard his ambitions to be European Ryder Cup captain, “because even in the medium term I still see my future on rather than off the fairways”.
Bubba Watson’s drivel, on the other hand, is downright unbearable. He travels to Saudi Arabia in order to enjoy God’s beautiful creation in this corner of the world, the professed Christian babbles. The only question is whether this also includes the rubble with which adulterers or homosexuals are stoned to death in the name of Sharia law. The man from Baghdad – in Florida – is so religious that his spirit and his sanctimonious claptrap are enough for two deities: the All-Father above in heaven and the idol Mammon here on earth. Bi-god, that is.
For Bubba, who is a Bible-believer, the Old Testament was obviously not enough. He would do well to read the part of the “Exodus” in the Second Book of Moses that deals with Moses’ wrath and Yahweh’s retribution because the people strayed from the right path and danced around the golden calf at the brightly blazing fire (fed by oil?).
To conclude with the end of Giovanni Trapattoni’s famous rage speech: Habe fertig! (engl: I am finished)
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*Saudi Arabian “Washington Post” journalist Jamal Khashoggi, critical of the regime, was executed and his body dismembered by a hit squad in Saudi Arabia’s Istanbul embassy on 2nd October 2018. According to findings by the US Foreign Intelligence Agency (CIA), the murder order came directly from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
This week, the Asian Tour hosts the Saudi International in Saudi Arabia. Lured by big entry fees, some high-profile players like Phil Mickelson and Xander Schauffele are competing at the Royal Greens Golf & Country Club. Now the Asian Tour, funded by LIV Golf Investments, is announcing an international tournament series for 2022/23. A tournament will also be held in England.
The “International Series” consists of ten tournaments and will start in Thailand next March. In June, the tournament series will even move to England to the Centurion Club, which is located near London. The tournament series is financed by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund and is to receive a total subsidy of 300 million dollars from this fund. This info was announced by former world number one Greg Norman at the Saudi International this week, and he is also rumored to be the chairman for the “International Series.”
This week’s Saudi International and the accompanying high entry fees for participants already caused unrest on the other tours. While the DP World Tour finally allowed the participation for its members, the PGA Tour set up obligations to be met in case of participation. Thus, some well-known players, including players such as defending champion Dustin Johnson or Phil Mickelson will start in Saudi Arabia. The “International Series” could also cause conflicts between the professional tours. The tournament in England will take place just one week before the start of the US Open, which could possibly lead to preparation difficulties for participants should they wish to take part in both tournaments.
LIV Golf Investment is also behind the planned Saudi Super League. The $300 million partnership with the Asian Tour indicates that plans for this Super League are becoming more concrete, with the tournament series on the Asian Tour as a possible initial test run. Such a “Super League,” as well as participation in the Saudi Internationals, has been heavily criticized publicly because of Saudi Arabia’s very poor human rights record.