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European Tour

DP World Tour set for another exciting new chapter in Ras Al Khaimah

Al Hamra GC in Ras Al Khaimah is going to welcome the DP World Tour. (Photo: Getty)
Al Hamra GC in Ras Al Khaimah is going to welcome the DP World Tour. (Photo: Getty)

Danny Willett, Bernd Wiesberger and Nicolai and Rasmus Højgaard will lead the field when the inaugural Ras Al Khaimah Championship presented by Phoenix Capital heralds another exciting new chapter on the DP World Tour.

The Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah will host a DP World Tour tournament for the first time from February 3-6, when some of the Tour’s biggest stars battle it out at the spectacular coastal venue of Al Hamra Golf Club, which has previously hosted three Challenge Tour events.

Danny Willst is looking forward

Willett, who triumphed at Augusta National when he won the Masters Tournament in 2016, is a two-time winner in Dubai, just 100 kilometres southwest of Ras Al Khaimah along the Persian Gulf, and is looking forward to visiting a new Emirate next month.

“I have some great memories from my time in the United Arab Emirates,” said the Englishman, who won his eighth title at the 2021 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, on his 34th birthday. “It’s a place I’ve always enjoyed visiting and I’ve obviously won twice in Dubai, so it’s exciting that we have a new region to visit and a new golf course to play on this year.

“We always receive a warm welcome when we play in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and I expect it’ll be the same when we visit Ras Al Khaimah in a few weeks’ time.”

Bernd Wiesberger: “I really enjoy playing golf in the Middle East”

Like Willett, Wiesberger will start his 2022 campaign with consecutive events in the United Arab Emirates, starting with the back-to-back Rolex Series events in Abu Dhabi and Dubai before playing in Ras Al Khaimah for the first time.

The eight-time European Tour winner made his Ryder Cup debut last September at Whistling Straits, becoming the first player from Austria to represent Team Europe.

“Last year was a great year for me, with the win in Denmark and then making my Ryder Cup debut,” said Wiesberger. “I’ve worked really hard since returning from injury in 2019 to compete at the biggest events in golf and I want to continue pushing myself as we start an exciting new era on the DP World Tour.

“I really enjoy playing golf in the Middle East, the only thing I’m missing there is a victory, so I hope to have a strong start to my season in the UAE.”

Twin power by Nicolai and Rasmus Højgaard

Last year, twins Nicolai and Rasmus Højgaard made history by becoming the first brothers to win in back-to-back weeks on Tour. Rasmus earned his third DP World Tour title at Omega European Masters and Nicolai won the DS Automobiles Italian Open the following week.

Also joining the field in Ras Al Khaimah are former Ryder Cup Captains Thomas Bjørn, who led Europe to victory at Le Golf National in 2018, eight-time European Number One Colin Montgomerie and three-time Major Champion Pádraig Harrington.

Al Hamra Golf Club previously hosted the European Challenge Tour from 2016 to 2018, with the Challenge Tour Grand Final taking place in 2018. The Peter Harradine-designed layout will host the DP World Tour in back-to-back weeks, with the Ras Al Khaimah Classic also taking place at Al Hamra Golf Club from February 10-13.

(Text: DP World Tour)

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Equipment Knowledge Panorama Products Tips

What golf ball fits you best to achieve your goals – Performance or Distance

Don't forget the golf ball - enough pros call it the most important part of the bag. (Photo: Getty)

“I only ever play balls that I find in the rough”, this statement sounds familiar to you or you could be behind this statement yourself? In any case, this behaviour is deadly for consistent shots. You wouldn’t play with different golf clubs every time, would you?

Play with one ball

Golf balls can be vastly different from each other. This means that consistent reproducibility of shots is impossible if you use different golf ball models over and over again. Some balls are designed for distance, some deliver more spin – with one and the same movement there is then a difference of 10 to 15 metres in the hitting distance. Therefore, it is best to choose only one golf ball.

Performance golf balls

All professionals play performance golf balls. The manufacturers pay the most for these models, but they deliver the total package of playing advantages. Spin in the short game, distance on long shots, stop function on shots into the green, long durability and pleasant feel – all combined in one golf ball.

The most successful balls in history are the Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x. No other balls have won so many tournaments. (Photo: Titleist)

This mixture of advantages is made possible by a multi-layer construction. This is known as 3-piece, 4-piece or even 5-piece construction. Several core and cover layers are combined under the shell to cover as many playing characteristics as possible. Performance golf balls therefore score above average in every discipline, which is why they are played by all the stars.

What also unites performance balls is the last layer, the shell. This is made of urethane, which kills several birds with one stone. The durability is increased, the feel is softer and more spin is made possible. The latter happens because the soft urethane is easier to press into the grooves of the clubs, resulting in more friction and more spin. As a rule, every golf ball manufacturer has a performance ball in its product range. Contract players then use these balls.

Professionals use performance golf balls. (Photo: Getty)

The one-ball rule

In almost all professional tournaments, this rule applies, which prohibits the playing of different golf ball models. For example, Martin Kaymer plays with the white 2019 TaylorMade TP5x golf ball. For the entire tournament, he is only allowed to use balls of exactly this model type. He is not allowed to use the TP5, a coloured TP5x or a TP5x golf ball from 2017. Professionals would not change balls anyway because they rely on the consistent results of their preferred ball model, but it is still prohibited.

Distance golf balls

Three guesses as to what sets Distance balls apart. The technologies used are designed to get the maximum distance out of a shot. However, this is at the expense of other game advantages, such as spin. In direct comparison to the higher-priced performance golf balls, distance balls rank in the lower price segments.

Distance golf balls are usually available in colourful models in addition to the classic white. (Photo: Titleist)

A large core serves as the motor for fast golf balls, which is why distance balls often consist of “only” two layers. This leaves more room for only the one large core. Furthermore, the spin generated is lower on all shots, so that the balls still roll out after impact. The problem with distance golf balls is the short game. There is significantly less spin delivered and the feel is harder. If distance is the most important thing for you, distance golf balls are just right for you.

To clear things up.

In summary, it can be said that Performance golf balls deliver the total package. These balls perform in every aspect of the game. Due to the multi-layer construction and the urethane shell, which is expensive to produce, the balls are more expensive than distance golf balls. The latter convince with a lower price and provide you with more length. Between the two extremes (distance and performance), there are an almost infinite number of other options on the market that offer a middle ground between the two worlds.

However, you should only trust one golf ball model to bring consistency into your game. It is up to you to decide which advantages you want and how much money you want to spend. Whether it is a low-priced distance ball, a high-end performance ball or a golf ball from the mid-range segment – the main thing is that you choose a golf ball.

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European Tour

The DP World Tour and Sky Sports Extension Broadcast Partnership in the UK & Ireland

The two Sky Sports presenters Nick Dougherty(r.) and Paul McGinley. (Photo: Getty)
The two Sky Sports presenters Nick Dougherty(r.) and Paul McGinley. (Photo: Getty)

Press Release

Today the DP World Tour and Sky Sports have announced an extension to their broadcast partnership in the United Kingdom and Ireland, with Sky Sports remaining the home of the DP World Tour until 2024 and the Ryder Cup until 2025.

The deal will see all DP World Tour events broadcast live exclusively across Sky’s platforms, including both its linear and on demand services. That means Sky Sports customers will be able to enjoy a minimum of 32 live events each season across the Tour’s global tournament schedule.

Fans will also be able to enjoy new featured group coverage for the Tour’s flagship Rolex Series events, and the Tour will also be working closely with Sky’s VIP loyalty programme to offer access to a selection of UK and ROI tournaments. Sky Sports customers will also enjoy a range of golf programming across both linear and digital platforms, including masterclass sessions with former DP World Tour winners, behind the scenes access ahead of the world’s biggest events, and much more.

The deal will also see Sky Sports broadcast both the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, and the 2025 Ryder Cup in New York, to its UK and Ireland customers on a dedicated Sky Sports Ryder Cup channel.

This agreement extends an already successful partnership between the Tour and Sky Sports that stretches back almost 30 years. Sky Sports’ award-winning golf analysis is provided by some of the biggest names in golf, including former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley, Butch Harmon, Laura Davies and Nick Dougherty.

Speaking about the extended partnership Managing Director of Sky Sports, Jonathan Licht said; “As we kickstart a record-breaking year of golf on Sky, we are thrilled to be extending our long-term partnership with the DP World Tour, further cementing Sky Sports as the home of golf in the UK and Ireland.

“This year our customers can enjoy the DP World Tour alongside our live coverage of all four men’s majors, all five women’s majors, the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour, all whilst they countdown the days to next year’s Ryder Cup in Rome, live exclusively on Sky Sports.”

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour group, added: “Sky Sports have been a trusted partner to our Tour as we continue to grow and transform, ensuring that fans of our sport in the UK and Ireland remain as close to the action as possible – with comprehensive live coverage of our events, world class analysis, and behind the scenes features. We’re delighted that our partnership will continue until the end of the 2024 season for the DP World Tour and will continue until 2025 for the Ryder Cup. As a Tour, we are focused on giving fans innovative and insightful content, so we’re excited about what is to come in collaboration with the talented team at Sky.”

(Text: DP World Tour)

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Equipment Knowledge Panorama Products Tips

The Golf ball – New out of the box or recycled from the lake?

Spoilt for choice - which golf balls are hidden behind Lakeballs, X-Out, Refinished and Practice. (Photo: Getty)

When it comes to golf balls, opinions differ. While some golfers simply play the balls they find in the rough, others rely exclusively on brand new balls out of the box. The pros exemplify the latter, because completely new balls deliver the consistency and quality that are crucial in the game of millimetres.

New balls are the optimum

This much in advance: New golf balls fresh out of the box are the best in terms of quality, consistency and performance. Whether the high price justifies these characteristics for one’s own golf game is something everyone has to decide for themselves. However, if you only look at the performance, this is where you will find the best golf balls. It would be ideal if you always played the same ball model from one manufacturer. That’s what all the professionals in the world do. Coincidence? Hardly!

The same manufacturer, the same model – professionals always rely on just one golf ball model. (Photo: Getty)

Lakeballs – the solution to the problem?

The main problem with lake balls is the uncertainty of how good the ball really is. It borders on a lottery whether you get good balls or they are of inferior quality. Depending on how long a golf ball has been in the water, it takes more or less damage. Here it also depends on the temperature, the substrate and the water – all factors that are impossible to determine when the balls are fished out of a pond.

After a certain amount of time, the water penetrates the golf balls, causing damage to the cover layers and/or cores. How extensive this is is anyone’s guess. Usually, lake balls are classified into different categories that are supposed to reflect the quality. However, optical parameters such as markings, shine and abrasion are emphasised here. Sometimes a distinction is also made as to whether there are cuts in the shell. What the inside of the golf ball looks like, however, is not taken into account.

How damaged a ball is out of the water cannot be determined. (Photo: Getty)

When it comes to lakeballs, you can get lucky and get your hands on a high-quality or flawless ball at an unbeatable price. However, this can backfire just as badly – you simply don’t know. For those who see the price factor as the decisive criterion, this alternative is ideal if you are prepared to accept compromises in quality.

Refinished with new lacquer

Some lakeballs receive a refinish before they are sold. In the refinishing process, the ball is repainted and a new logo is applied. However, since the balls were originally intended by the manufacturers with a different paint finish, which then influences the dimple depth, refinished golf balls cannot be compared with the original golf balls. Often, the new coating is not even enough because it is applied to golf balls that have already been used.

Without wanting to offend the manufacturers of the refinished golf balls – but there are indeed some black sheep here. A name of an expensive golf ball is simply printed on cheap golf balls to suggest higher quality. For example, you buy a Pro V1x Refinished and underneath is a cheap two-piece ball. Therefore, you should always keep your eyes open or your fingers off Refinished golf balls.

Practice and X-Out balls

There are also Practice and X-Out balls. These have either small defects in the colour, the markings or the ink, so that they do not quite meet the quality standards of the ball manufacturer 100%. Sometimes there are also minor physical deviations, so that the performance is reduced, even if only very slightly. This is why they are labelled Practice or X-Out, while some manufacturers simply destroy these balls and they do not even enter circulation.

Professionals use practice balls on the driving range and pitching greens. (Photo: Getty)

Due to the minor defects, the sales price naturally drops, which is why money can be saved here. But watch out! Not every practice or X-Out ball is officially approved and complies with the rules. For tournaments, it is therefore better to play it safe and use the “normal” golf balls. However, for practice and fun rounds as well as for training on the pitching green, these balls offer a quality alternative at lower prices.

To conclude

With Practice and X-Out balls you can save money and get new golf balls in high quality that have only minimal deviations from the standard – ideal for practice rounds. With lake balls or refinished balls, you run the risk of getting poorer quality balls that could have a negative impact on your golf game, but this is where your wallet will be the happiest. If you want to invest more money, brand new golf balls are the best choice.

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Equipment Products Tips

How to look after your clubs – Cleaning tips for golfers

If only one also had the luxury of a professional golfer and a caddy. (Image source: Getty)

The golf clubs are still dirty from the last round in bad weather? The mud sticks to the clubs and the grooves are barely recognisable. In the meantime, a dusty brown tone has settled over the clubs. But how do you get your clubs clean again and what should you keep in mind? Who hasn’t experienced it when the ball on the course is full of mud, but has to be played as it lies? You get annoyed because the shot becomes a lottery.

The mud on the ball influences the ball flight immensely and this is also the case with dirty clubs. In a game where centimetres or even millimetres matter in some situations, you don’t want to leave your good scores up to fate. Spoiler alert: taking care of your golf clubs is a factor that should not be underestimated.

Household products fight dirt

To rid the clubs of simple dirt, it is often enough to go over the dirty area with a toothbrush or a simple brush. In tougher cases, where cleaning with water is no longer sufficient, a conventional household remedy can be used to help.

Try to clean your clubs after every round played, preferably after every single shot – even the grips need regular care. (Photo: Getty)

Dishwashing liquid not only cleans your cutlery, plates and cups at home, but also your golf clubs in the future. To do this, simply pour some dishwashing liquid into a bucket full of water. Then, just immerse the golf club in it so that the clubface is no longer visible. It is important not to immerse the hosel, as the club is glued there and the glue is not resistant to the dishwashing liquid.

In general, you should try to clean the rough dirt off your golf clubs after each use to avoid consequential damage. Also make sure that you clean the grips with a cloth. Usually, machines for cleaning clubs are not the best option from numerous experiences, as they contribute to the detachment of the glue on the golf club.

Cleaning grooves as the key to more spin?

Surely, every golfer knows that millimetres are important in golf. That’s why you should leave nothing to chance and give the ball the best possible spin by cleaning the face of your clubs. But when cleaning the grooves, you must make sure that you do not make them deeper. For instance, it can happen with conventional tools that the grooves then change in such a way that they no longer comply with the regulations.

Miracle cure for flash rust

Have you not cleaned and cared for your clubs properly over the winter? A light rust film has already formed. But you can get rid of it quickly with simple remedies. To begin with, you should try using a wet cloth, as it is possible that the rust can be removed by this means. If this is not the case, you will have to resort to harder solutions.

A familiar sight for professionals: After each shot, the clubs are cleaned of dirt. (Photo: Getty)

Pour vinegar essence into a glass and rub it over the clubface again and again so that the flash rust goes away. Many golf coaches rely on a real miracle remedy in the fight against rust on golf clubs. A little sewing machine oil is said to work wonders. By the way, the latter is also suitable as a thin protective layer for putters to prevent rusting.

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Panorama

Does slow play worsen the result on the golf course?

Hideki Matsuyama waiting for his turn. (Photo: Getty)
Hideki Matsuyama waiting for his turn. (Photo: Getty)

Slow play is a daily topic of discussion in golf. A considerable number of top stars and amateurs criticize this playing behavior. For instance, Bryson DeChambeau makes the difference on and off the course for different reasons: his physicist mind, the power on his driver shots, and last but not least his slow playing. Kevin Na used to also be part of the slow players team for a while. Although Na managed to speed up his routine, the American golfer is back on the spotlight again. Every person has their pet peeves, and slow playing is definitely one of the most popular ones among golfers, which also shows in their opponents attitude. In fact, it results irritating and harder to focus for the other players in the group. The sport of golf is very mental, and the long waits play against that. Therefore, one slow player has the capacity to influence the performance of the opponents.

Study by Arccos: Slow play has a negative impact on the game result

Furthermore, slow play can have even worse consequences. For instance, there exists a study, the tracking platform Arccos Golf, which claims that slow play can even have a negative impact on scores, reports Golf Monthly magazine. The following chart shows the average scores measured by Arccos broken down by handicap strength and round time.

Arccos study on slow play (Photo: Arccos Golf)

Analyzing the data to conclude: Slow play has more downs than ups.

The data in the graph shows that the number of strokes increases as the golf match lasts longer. If the players needed 78.7 strokes for 3-3.5 hours of play, this number increased to 80.0 strokes for a golf match of 4.5-5 hours. These figures refer to the results of golfers with a handicap between 0 – 4.9. Also, the higher the handicap more strokes the players needed. For example, amateurs with a handicap between 15 – 19.9 had an average of 1.7 strokes more than their flight partners, who were two hours faster.
The data suggest that a more time-intensive game leads to a worse score. However, the reasons for this cannot be deduced from the statistics. Golf Monthly speculates that the main reason could be loss of concentration over that long time. If you think back to the reactions of Brooks Koepka to the slow play of Bryson DeChambeau, this explanation actually makes sense.

How meaningful is the study really?

The size of the dataset from which Arccos extracts these results, the time period over which they were collected or the gender and age distribution are unkown. The data probably comes from the rounds that Arccos recorded with their tracking tools. It would also be interesting to find out how this data differs, for example, when they differentiate between slow-play causers and slow-play sufferers. One thing is certain, however: the data is exciting for golf and it shows that speeding up your game surely pays off!

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European Tour

Hatton and McIlroy ready for Abu Dhabi return

Rory McIlroy feels confident about his golf game for the upcoming tournament.(Image: Getty)

Tournament Preview

Tyrrell Hatton returns to defend his title at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, joined by four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy who also begins his 2022 DP World Tour campaign at the opening Rolex Series event of the season.

Hatton claimed a record fourth Rolex Series title last year in Abu Dhabi, with a four-stroke victory, but will defend on a different course as the stunning Yas Links hosts the tournament for the first time. The Englishman will nevertheless be in confident mood as he targets a fourth successive winning season on the DP World Tour.

McIlroy, meanwhile, has come close to victory in Abu Dhabi on multiple occasions and boasts four victories in neighbouring Dubai, so the Northern Irishman will be hopeful of challenging for the title come Sunday.

His Ryder Cup team-mate Shane Lowry finished 2021 strongly, with a top five at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and a top ten at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, so the Irishman is excited to get going again at an event of which he counts himself a former champion.

Player Quotes

Tyrrell Hatton: “It is strange, normally going back to a place where you’re defending you have great memories from the year before but the fact that it’s a new venue in many respects doesn’t feel like defending, and this week is going to be a new challenge for everyone. No one has played it before.

“So you don’t know how the scoring is going to be and things like that. It’s going to be a challenge. But I’ll try my best and we’ll see what happens.

“I’ve tried to treat every event the same, and not get too work up in my own mind. Obviously I kind of do that enough on the golf course. Going into it, I just need to try and treat everything the same and that’s what I’ve done throughout my career.

“This week is a new course for everyone, so it’s hard to kind of know what the rough winning score generally is. I know we’ve got a lot of wind forecast for Friday and that’s going to obviously be a challenging day for everyone. But we’ll go out there. We’ll give it our best and see what happens.”

Rory McIlroy: “(My game) feels good. I think there’s always excitement and anticipation about a new year coming around and wanting to get off to a good start.

“I’ve been playing well in practise. I’ve been practising well. I’ve done some good work over the really sort off-season that we had. But yeah, it feels good. It’s nice to come out here and have these run of events be the first events of the year. It’s perfect weather.

“It might be a little windy for the week but you can get some good practise in and you still want to do really well in the tournament but it’s a bit like, you know, just to see where your game is and see what you need to work on going into obviously the meat of the season in a couple months’ time.

“I definitely feel like I turned a corner after The Ryder Cup. I think anyone that was paying attention saw I played better those few events did I play after The Ryder Cup and it’s just trying to continue on what I’ve been working on since then.

“I think trying to eliminate the big miss off the tee, those destructive shots where you make doubles from, reign that in a little bit and getting more effective with the scoring clubs. If I do drive the ball well I give myself so many opportunities. It’s about hitting new shots that maybe go to 15 or 20 feet or inside ten feet and all of a sudden you start to hole some and get a bit of confidence there.

“There’s not much I need to work on but there’s a couple of key aspects, and I think if I can get them down early in the year, I could be in for a good season.”

Shane Lowry: “It’s obviously along the coast here, and it’s going to be quite windy, links-style, but it’s fairly tricky around the greens, and so it’s going to require a lot of good iron play. And decent with the short game if you miss the greens.

“I’m confident with my game and going into it I’d be really, really bullish about this week. But I’ve had two months without tournament, and I’m always a bit anxious on a week like this about how I’m going to be playing going into it. It’s a course I feel like would suit me.

“I won the tournament at Abu Dhabi Golf Club but I haven’t actually had much more success. I’ve missed a lot of cuts there.

“That’s your typical parkland with nice pristine fairways and greens and thick rough, whereas here is kind of a bit more linksy style. The course here is in incredible condition, probably one of the best-condition golf courses you’ll see fairways and greens and around the greens.”

(Text: Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship)

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European Tour

Morikawa returns in search of more Desert glory

Collin Morikawa is excited for start of the DP World Tour Season 2022 (Photo: Getty Images)
Collin Morikawa is excited for start of the DP World Tour Season 2022 (Photo: Getty Images)

Morikawa’s first time at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

Collin Morikawa makes his Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship debut at the opening Rolex Series event of the 2022 DP World Tour season this week, the American hoping to begin this campaign as he ended the last – with victory.

The 24-year-old’s maiden Rolex Series win at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai in November meant he became the first American to top the Tour’s Rankings.

As Morikawa returns to the Desert this week, the reigning Open Champion will be hoping to use his experience of links courses to master the coastal Yas Links Abu Dhabi – which hosts the prestigious event for the first time.

Two-time Abu Dhabi HSBC Champion Tommy Fleetwood, meanwhile, is relishing the challenge of a new venue and the Englishman will be hoping to return to winning ways at a tournament he loves, his last victory having come at the 2019 Nedbank Golf Challenge.

Morikawa is looking forward to the start of the DP World Tour 2022

Collin Morikawa: “Feels great (to be back on the DP World Tour). You know, I’ve been announced for a handful of months now as the Champion Golfer of the Year, but this is the first time someone brought that up of being the reigning Race to Dubai Champion, and there’s a lot of weight that’s on your shoulders right now.

“It’s a great weight to have and I want to come back as strong as ever. I want to start these first two weeks off on a real high note and hopefully come out with a couple trophies.

“There’s a lot that’s been going on, I’d say even since I’ve turned pro. It’s a very unusual two and a half years in professional golf, obviously with covid and a lot of other things in the world. “It’s just embracing being in the present, I think that’s the biggest thing, how do I enjoy the time wherever I am in the world, be with family, friends, whoever it maybe, and it’s just really fun. Just travelling to these place and meeting people.

“It’s a very good golf course. Coming from Kapalua where the fairways are about a hundred yards wide, this looks pretty narrow.”I think the conditions are going to prove tough. We’re going to have a lot of wind this week, a lot of different winds from what we are seeing on Monday and Tuesday compared to what the tournament is going to be. A lot of slopes in these greens, a lot of undulations and a lot of run-offs.”

Two-times champion Tommy Fleetwood: ready for the new venue

Tommy Fleetwood: “It’s going to be a completely different test. I think I’ve played this course once, maybe twice. But being honest, it was a friendly round, I remember very little about it.”The course is a different test. But I think you obviously draw on the fact I’ve had success in the area. First event of the year that it’s been for the last few years, and you never quite know what to expect. I always feel very aware that I haven’t played a tournament for a while and you feel rusty. “I think once you get going and once you get into, you start to pick up things about your game and you feel a lot more in the flow of things. I  just need to draw on all the good experiences I’ve had in this event, and take the next two days to learn about the course and start again.

“It’s got a lot of great players playing. I’ve been saying it for a while, no matter where you play now, the standard of golf now is so high, the margin for error is so small, and no matter where you are you’re not going to get away with playing mediocre, really. You have to turn up and give it some form of your best or highest level to compete with everyone out here. “So there’s not really any sort of easy weeks off time off, if you like. But that’s great. It’s great for the sport and it’s great for this event to have so many great players here, and I’m always excited to come back. I love playing over here. I love golf over here. I love how popular it is.”But I’ve had success here, so there’s a lot of good things going for me and for this week, and I’m just excited to get going.”

Text: DP World Tour

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European Tour

Update on the early 2022 DP World Tour schedule

The DP World Tour has to change their schedule. (Photo: Getty)
The DP World Tour has to change their schedule. (Photo: Getty)

The DP World Tour today announced a change to its early 2022 schedule due to ongoing restrictions associated with the global Covid-19 pandemic.

Longer stay in the UAE instead of continuing to Qatar

The Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, scheduled for February 10-13, has been postponed until later this Spring and will be replaced by a second US$2million tournament in Ras Al Khaimah.

The Ras Al Khaimah Classic will follow the Ras Al Khaimah Championship Presented by Phoenix Capital (February 3-6), with both events taking place at Al Hamra Golf Club.

DP World Tour: The Middle East swing remains

Those back-to-back tournaments mean the DP World Tour’s Middle East swing remains at four events, with the Ras Al Khaimah double-header preceded by the first two Rolex Series events of 2022 – this week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (January 20-23) and the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic (January 27-30).

Text: DP World Tour

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Panorama

“This Djokovic situation is a joke” – Golfers defend unvaccinated tennis star

Eddie Pepperell defends Djokovic. (Photo: Getty)
Eddie Pepperell defends Djokovic. (Photo: Getty)

Novak Djokovic is currently dominating the headlines of sports magazines and the news broadcasts, but not in a positive sense. The exceptional Serbian tennis player decided not to get vaccinated against Covid-19, and he doesn’t seem to be willing to change his mind in the future. This creates some difficulties for him trying to enter the hosting countries of the tournaments.

There also exist opponents to the vaccination on the golf tours. Actually, more than one professional golfer supports Djokovic in his decision.

What happend in Australia?

Novak Djokovic was originally granted the special permission to enter the country by the Australian Tennis Federation, due to the vaccination requirements. This was based on Djokovic’s words, when he ensure that he had tested positive back in December, and therefore, less than six months ago. However, the diagnosis only came from the testimony of a single doctor. Accordingly, the immigration authorities revoked Djokovic’s visa, but Djokovic’s lawyer appealed. The case became a major problem and politics even considered it a social and safety matter. The Immigration Minister Alex Hawke intervened, and the official court has concluded: Djokovic must leave the country. A similar situation is said to have happened to two other players, but they left without a fuss.

Golfers take Djokovic’s side

There are also unvaccinated professionals in golf. In November 2021, there were already tournament cancellations in golf due to vaccination status. For instance, some players were not allowed to travel to the Bermuda Championship because they didn¡t meet with the Corona regulations. One of the top golfers, Bryson DeChambeau made his pointn clear last summer. He defended that there was no need to vaccinate because he was athletic. Only a few weeks later, he missed the Olympic Games after testing positive in Covid, and lost 4.5 kg.

Sadly, DeChambeau is not the only golf athlete against the vaccine.


Other golfers also critize the vaccination and the pandemic situation in general, and two of these players are now rushing to Djokovic’s defence. Eddie Pepperell, in fact, tweeted: “I know there are some out there who are still feeling hysterical about Covid, but this Djokovic situation is a joke. He’s no danger to anyone (in the non tennis sense). Let’s just get on with our lives again. It’s pathetic.”

On his Twitter page, there are also some posts with a clear tendency towards the side of the opponents of vaccination. Pepperell is of the opinion that vaccinations do not mitigate the general pandemic situation.
Support for Djokovic also comes from Australian golfers, Scott Hend emphasises on the social network: “It doesn’t matter if you like Novak Djokovic or not. He did nothing illegal.”