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Travel

Verdura Resort Unveils New-Look East Course reopens with a master redesign.

Verdura East Course, in Sicily, Italy

One of Europe’s top golfing destinations, Verdura Resort in Sicily, has returned to 45 holes with the reopening of the spectacular new-look East Course following a major redesign.

Globally acclaimed golf architect Kyle Phillips returned to the site of his original creation to upgrade the 18-hole championship layout and has spent the last three years reworking his magic at Verdura Resort, a Rocco Forte Hotel. The much-anticipated revamped course was unveiled to the golfing world earlier this month.

The premium layout to all visitors

The extensive renovation has seen a number of new features added and modifications made to the routing of the East Course and the neighbouring West Course. The reordering of hole numbers has allowed for the restoration of former favourite holes and brings exciting new additions, while the planting of fescue grasses throughout the course gives the layout added definition.

Phillips said: “We have certainly made the most of the terrain available to us. The drama of the coastline has been improved and we’re proud of what has been achieved. It is new and fresh, the result is great and I think it will be really well received. It has definitely reached the level we were striving for.

“One of the big differences is with the routing. With the previous layout, you would cross the other course and they would weave through each other a little at times. Now they are more clearly defined.

“The course now starts near the practice range on an existing hole, has 14 new holes in between and then finishes on three existing holes back to the clubhouse. This will make the East Course a par-73 course and the West a par-70.

“They will both be good challenges. Naturally, with any new course, it takes time to take shape and we’re expecting it to continually improve throughout the winter months so that golfers will enjoy even better playing conditions in 2022.”

How the new East Course brings joy to the community.

The reopening of the new East Course adds to the extensive selection of exceptional facilities available at Verdura Resort. Home of the European Tour’s Rocco Forte Sicilian Open, Verdura is nestled in 230 hectares of stunning Mediterranean landscape on Sicily’s southern coast. The courses and facilities combined have established Verdura as one of the world’s elite golf and lifestyle destinations.

A member of the exclusive European Tour Destinations network, the resort is famous for offering guests an unforgettable five-star golf experience in one of the most beautiful settings in world. Verdura Resort was recently named as a recipient of Golf Digest magazine’s coveted ‘2021 Editors’ Choice Award for the Best Resorts in Continental Europe’ for the sixth successive year.

Press Release by The Azalea Gropu

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European Tour Ladies European Tour PGA Tour PGA Tour Champions

Weekly Previews: Scouting the Scandinavian Stars

Anna Nordqvist will tee it off in New York this week. (Foto: Getty)

PGA TOUR: The CJ Cup at Summit

The top 60 available players from the 2019-20 final FedExCup Points list will be playing this week on the tour. The Scandinavian players to play at the PGA Tour event include, Alex Noren (Sweden) teeing off at 16:32(CET), Viktor Hovland (Norway) teeing off at 21:06(CET), and Rasmus Hojgaard (Danemark) teeing off at 21:18(CET).

PGA Tour CJ Cup at Summit
Course The Summit Club, Las Vegas, Nevada (USA)
Prize Money 9.8 Mio US-Dollar (8.4 Mio EUR)
Defending Champion Jason Kokrak (USA)
Scandinvian  players Viktor Hovland, Alex Noren, Rasmus Hojgaard
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 12: A scenic view of the 1st hole during a practice round prior to THE CJ CUP @ SUMMIT at The Summit Club on October 12, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images for CJ Cup @ Summit)

European Tour: Andalucía Masters

The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters is being played in Sotogrande, Spain at the Real Club Valderrama. The tournament starts on Thursday, October 14th and ends on Sunday, October 17th 2021. The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters is part of the European Tour season 2021. In 2021 all players competing for a total prize money of 3 Mio. EUR. The course for the tournament at Real Club Valderrama plays at Par 71. Scandinavian highlights are Jeff Winther (Danemark) who will start the day off at 8:40am. Next up to tee off in the morning is Alexander Björk from Sweden. He currently only holds one European tour win so maybe he can score another at this tournament.

PGA Tour Andalucía Masters
Course Real Club Valderrama (Spain)
Prize Money 3 Million EUR
Defending Champion John Catlin
Scandinvian  players Jeff Winther, Alexander Björk, Nicolai Hojgaard
CADIZ, SPAIN – OCTOBER 13: Nicolai Hojgaard of Denmark plays in the pro am ahead of The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucia Masters at Real Club Valderrama on October 13, 2021 in Cadiz, Spain. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

Ladies European Tour: Aramco Team Series

Across the Atlantic the Ladies European Tour is competing in New York after a week off from playing. Glen Oaks Club plays host to the event and with a stellar field assembled. Marianne Skarpnord from Norway, who secured her fifth LET win at Centurion Club is ready to proudly represent the ladies Scandinavian golf skills. Sollheim Cup star Anna Nordqvist (Sweden) will also be playing this week.

EU Ladies Tour Aramco Team Series
Course The Glen Oaks Club, New York (USA)
Prize Money 800,000 USD (692,076 EUR)
Defending Champion /
Scandinvian  players Krista Bakker, Nicole Broch Estrup, Anna Nordqvist, Lina Boqvist, Maja Stark,Emily Kristine Pedersen
 
 
 
 
 
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Champions Tour: SAS Championship 2021

The SAS Championship is being played in Cary, North Carolina at the Prestonwood CC. The tournament starts on Friday, the 15th of October and ends on Sunday, the 17th of October 2021. The SAS Championship is part of the Champions Tour in the season 2021. In 2021 all players competing for a total prize money of 2,1 Mio. US-Dollar. The course for the tournament at Prestonwood CC plays at Par 72. Robert Karlsson will be the only Scandinavian player representing Sweden on the course. He and Henrik Stenson hold the record for most European Tour wins by a player from Sweden, with 11. Last week he landed T31 at the Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS event with 3 under par.

PGA Tour CJ Cup at Summit
Course Prestonwood Country Club Cary, North Carolina (USA)
Prize Money 2.1 Mio US-Dollar (1.8 Mio EUR)
Defending Champion Ernie Els (South Africa)
Scandinvian  players Robert Karlsson
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European Tour Ladies European Tour Ladies Tours Live PGA Tour PGA Tour Champions Top Tours

Weekly preview: What’s the panorama like for the best English golfers on Tour

Tommy Fleetwood and Danny Willett of England walk from the 1st tee during Day Three of The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at The Old Course (Getty Images)

PGA Tour: The CJ Cup

Las Vegas never dissapoints and this weekend is no exception. The Summit Club will hold the CJ Cup and the best players around the world will join the event to play their best cards for the victory. Although the great majority of participants are from the U.S. the Englishmen come strong to win the trophy. Ian Poulter and Paul Casey are playing revenge on Las Vegas after missing the cut last weekend at the Shriners Children’s Open. Justin Rose is ready to come back to the field one month after his last tournament appearance, at the BMW PGA Championship. Tommy Fleetwood tees off at 6:37pm (CET), and his fellow teammate Tyrrell Hatton is starting at 8:42pm (CET). Hatton came close to a win during his last event at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, and he is ready to shake off the bitter taste of second place.

PGA Tour The CJ Cup
Course The Summit Club, Las Vegas, Nevada (USA)
Prize Money $9,750,000 US-Dollar
Defending Champion Jason Kokrak
Headliner Collin Morikawa, Brooks Koepka, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas
English players Ian Poulter, Paul Casey, Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton

European Tour: Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters


Continuing with the Spanish weeks on the European Tour, eyes stay on world number one Jon Rahm seeking for the local player tricks. This weekend Valderrama Golf is venue to the Estrella Damn N.A. Andalucia Maters. The south always brings sunny days and good vibes on and off the course to create the perfect atmosphere to enjoy the game of the greatest European Tour golfers. A few English stars to get a chance at this year’s tournament include, Richard Bland, Daniel Gavins, and Matthew Fitzpatrick.

EU Tour Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters
Course Valderrama Golf Course, Andalucía, Spain
Prize Money 3 Mio EUR
Defending Champion John Catlin
Headliner Jon Rahm, Rafa Cabrera Bello
English players

David Horsey, Graeme Storm, Andy Sullivan, James Morrison, Chris Paisley, Laurie Canter, Paul Waring, Robert Rock, Richard Bland, David Howell, Ross McGowan, Matthew Southgate, Eddie Pepperell, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Richard Mcevoy, Chris Wood, Jack Senior, Ross Fisher, Callum Shinkwin, Jordan Smith, Steven Brown, Marcus Armitage, Oliver Wilson, Oliver Fisher, David Horsey, Graeme Storm, Chris Paisley, James Morrison, Paul Waring, David Howell, Robert Rock, Ashley Chesters, Aron Rai, Daniel Gavins, Andrew Johnston, Laid Shepherd

LET Tour: Aramco Team Series – New York

Moving into the ladies tours, this weekend the Ladies European Tour receives full attention since the LPGA cancelled the Shanghai tournament due to covid. The best female golfers around the world come together to play at the Glen Oaks Club, in New York, entering the top 5 to last events of the season.

LET Tour Aramco Team Series – New York
Course Glen Oaks Club, New York (USA)
Prize Money 200,000 EUR / 800,000 EUR (TEAM)
Defending Champion –
Headliner Nelly Korda, Jessica Korda, Lexi Thompson
English players

Bronte Law, Trish Johnson, Charley Hull, Alice Hewson, Annabel Dimmock, Meghan MacLaren, Felicity Johnson

PGA Tour Champions: SAS Championship

The new century began celebrating the SAS Championship for the first time in 2001, and survived through a global pandemic in 2019, when it turned out to be one of the few events that took place regardless. The PGA Tour Champions is where the legends play and the show must go on. This year, they all come together at the Prestonwood Country Club in Cary, North Caroline. Furthermore, the European Team Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington is also entered. Paul Broadhurst is the only English player in the tournament.

PGA Tour Champions SAS Championship
Course Prestonwood Country Club – Highlands Course
Prize Money
2,100,000 US-Dollar
Defending Champion Ernie Els
Headliner
Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Bernhard Langer
English players Paul Broadhurst
Categories
Highlights Tours

Legends Tour Announces The JCB Championship for 2022

(Photo: Venue)

The Legends Tour, formerly known as the European Senior Tour and most recently the Staysure Tour, is the men’s professional golf Tour for members aged 50 and older. Five years after the first edition of The Senior Open, won by Neil Coles in 1987, more than 60 professionals called for a formally-structured Tour, which was then created in 1992. Many of the pioneering champions who played on the European Tour during the 1970s, 80s and 90s make up the Legends Tour’s active membership.

JCB Championship for 2022

JCB’s Golf and Country Club is set to realise its vision as a major international tour destination when the English venue hosts The JCB Championship on the Legends Tour International Schedule from July 29-31, 2022.

Some of the biggest names in the sport will descend on the course for a star-studded competition at the prestigious Staffordshire club – the brainchild of JCB Chairman Lord Bamford.

The event will take place in the week after The Senior Open at Gleneagles and will offer a prize fund of €600,000. The JCB Championship will be hosted by Ryder Cup and European Tour legend Darren Clarke and profits will be donated to JCB’s NSPCC Platinum Jubilee Appeal.

Anthony Bamford, Chairman of JCB, said: “When JCB set out to create a world class golf and country club, it was always our ambition to attract an international tour event, so it really is wonderful news that the course has been selected to host such a prominent competition.”

The Chief Executive is thrilled with the news,

Graeme Macdonald, Chief Executive Officer of JCB, added: “The JCB Golf and Country Club has already successfully hosted the Rose Ladies Series tournament and our inclusion in the Legends Tour’s international schedule really is the next step in fully realising our aspirations for the course. We are thrilled by the news.”

Darren Clarke, the 2011 Open Champion, said: “I’m extremely proud to be hosting The JCB Championship. Knowing JCB as a company and having been fortunate enough to visit JCB’s Golf and Country Club, you can be certain that this will be a fantastic event and I’m very much looking forward to it.”

Spanning 240 acres of rolling countryside, the JCB Golf and Country Club has been hailed as a masterpiece in contemporary course design since it opened in 2018. It was designed and built using industry-leading technology to create aesthetically appealing tee shots, wide, sweeping fairways and interesting, yet fun, green complexes.

Phil Harrison, Chief Executive of the Legends Tour, said: “We are thrilled to have secured the first international event to be held at JCB Golf and Country Club. It is truly a world-class venue, and this is an opportunity for us to help showcase it to the world.

“We are thankful to the venue, as well as Chubby Chandler and International Sports Management (ISM), for their help in bringing this event to fruition and we are looking forward to working alongside them in the coming months.”

This course has hosted many famous tournaments before

ISM has a rich history of promoting tournaments and past events include the British Masters, Turkish Airlines Open and the Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Open.

ISM Chief Executive Officer Chubby Chandler said: “As a member of The JCB Golf and Country Club I’m very proud that ISM is involved in what is sure to be a memorable tournament. Darren is also excited to be involved and is sure to bring a few friends to the JCB Championship with him. We have some great plans for the tournament and, befitting JCB and its incredible venue, we’re looking forward to helping produce something unique and very special.”

The JCB Championship will take place from July 29-31, 2022. The full 2022 Legends Tour International Schedule will be revealed later this year.

Press Release from European Tour Communications

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European Tour Ladies European Tour Ladies Tours Live LPGA Tour PGA Tour Top Tours

The UK performance: European Tour golfer Jack Senior places a T6 at the ACCIONA Open de España

Richard Bland of England on the 2nd tee during the final round of The Open de España at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid. (Getty Images)

PGA Tour: Shriners Children’s Open

Shriners Hospitals for Children is the sponsor and benefactor of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. They are changing lives every day through innovative pediatric specialty care, world-class research and outstanding medical education. The Shriners Children’s Open provides with the chance to contribute to the cause and to create awareness of it.
The venue for the tournament is the TPC Summerlin, since 1983, a Par-72 course played as Par-71 in Las Vegas, NV, USA. Players will receive a total of 7 Mio. US-Dollar will be awarded to the players. The winner receives 1,26 Mio. US-Dollar.
Harry Hall is the only British golfer to make the Top 10 last weekend at the PGA Tour event. Hall rounds off the tournament in T8 position. The Englishman showed four great rounds of 66-65-68-68 at TPC Summerlin. With a total score of -17 he finished 7 shots behind the leader. Hall showed very solid game with a total of 22 birdies and 1 eagle in the opening round on hole 9, par 5. The professional golfer from England found some trouble to maintain a bogey-free round, which hurt his daily rounds by few shots that held him back from winning.
“If you give me a T-8 at the start of the week I would have taken it. At this point with my weekend without my best stuff and felt like I could have produced some better numbers out there today.”-Harry Hall explaining the overall feeling after his performance.
Matt Wallace, who is currently 77th in the official world golf ranking, finishes the tournament in T14 position. The Englishman posted a final round of 66 at TPC Summerlin. With a total score of -15 he finished 9 shots behind the leader.
Danny Willett, 101st in the official world golf ranking, finishes the tournament in T21 place. after a last round of 3-under par (68) at TPC Summerlin. With a total score of 14-under par, the Englishman finished 10 shots behind the leader.

PGA Tour Shriners Children’s Open
Course TPC Summerlin, Las Vegas, Nevada (USA)
Prize Money 7,0 Mio US-Dollar (6,0 Mio EUR)
Tournament winner Sanje Im
English players Harry Hall (T7), Matt Wallace (T14), Danny Willet (T20)

European Tour: Open de España

Moving into the European Tour, Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, in Spain witnessed a real sports show from some the best European professional golfers in the world. It was the ACCIONA Open de España that took place last weekend, and although Spain has been considered one of the critical areas for COVID-19 cases in the world ever since the pandemic started, things finally aligned well for the Spaniards and they were able to receive a great crowd that definitely made the event more intense.

European Tour Open de España
Course Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, Spain
Prize Money €1,500,000
Tournament winner Rafa Cabrera Bello
English players Jack Senior (T6), Richard Bland (T9), Jordan Smith (T20)

Jack Senior finishes the tournament in T6 place. The Englishman played four rounds of 67-67-65-69 for a total of 16-under par at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid. Senior came close, only 3 shots behind the leader Rafa Cabrera. He was Top 5 in the percentages of Diver accuracy, and he almost signed bogey-free scorecard in round 3, where he had 1 bogey on hole 5 par-4, 1 eagle on hole 14 par-5 and 5 birdies.

Richard Bland also makes the Top 10 and finishes the tournament in T9 position. At the age of 48, Bland fights every shot as if he was in his 20s. The Englishman played two first rounds of 2-under par and 3-under par (69-68), to bounce back with a superb result of 7-under par (64) in his third round. The last day, Bland maintained the
good golf but a doble bogey got in his way on hole 6 par-4 and could not go lower than 3-under par for a total of 15-under, only 4 strokes behind the leader. Bland seems excited off to the next European Tour event, Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters at the Golf Course of Valderrama that will take place in Oct 14th-17th.


Jordan Smith finishes the tournament in T20 position. His fellow teammates Andrew Johnston and Ross Mcgowan, 199th and 372nd in the official world golf ranking respectively, round off the tournament in T24 position. The Englishmen wrap up the Open de España with a total score of 11-under par to finished 8 strokes behind the leader. Chris Paisley and Ross Fisher were first in the list of players who missed cut, by 2 shots.

LPGA Tour: Founders Cup

The women showed what good golf is out there in New Jersey at the Mountain Ridge Golf Course. Since 2014, four of the last five winners have come from Korea, the most recent being Jin Young Ko in 2019.
Running into the fifth to last of the tournaments of the season, Georgia Hall has finished in T33 position. The English woman did not have her best performance but yet she managed to cut some positions over the leader on her last round with a 2-under par, to collect four rounds of (69-71-72-69) to end 15 shots behind the winner, Ko Jin-young.

Charley Hull walked out of Mountain Ridge Country Club as 42nd on the leaderboard, and Mel Reid concluded her performance at T68 for a final money prize of $6,146. Now they are warming up their engines for the next LPGA event BMW Ladies Championship in Oct 21st-24th at the LPGA International Busan, in Republix of Korea.

LPGA Tour Founders Cup
Course Mountain Ridge Golf Course, New Jersey (USA)
Prize Money $3,000,000 US-Dollar
Tournament winner Ko Jin-young
English players Georgia Hall (T33), Charley Hull (T42)
Categories
Live

Official World Golf Ranking: Timo Vahlenkamp jumps way up the board.

(Photo by Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images for TOYOTA Junior Golf World Cup)
Keep up with our straight-talking analysis, getting straight to the point on the developments in the last week and changes in the official world golf rankings.

Top 5 OWGR Leaderboard

# Name Nationality Points Total Points Gained Events
1 Jon Rahm ESP 492.37 342.51 48
2 Dustin Johnson USA 354.32 147.35 41
3 Collin Morikawa USA 407.43 315.33 52
4 Patrick Cantlay USA 305.73 242.87 41
5 Xander Schauffele USA 338.46 238.03 47

 

Jon Rahm takes the lead in the official world golf ranking this week. The Spaniard’s points average is 10.2577 at the time of publication. Rahm’s rank has not changed since the last count. ​ Behind him on the official world golf ranking is Dustin Johnson, 37 years old, at rank 2. The American has, compared to last week, not moved in the rankings. Ranked third this week is Collin Morikawa, 37, with a points average of 7.8351. Timo Vahlenkamp has made the biggest leap this week in the official world golf rankings He has managed to jump 572 places in the world ranking list, and is now sitting at 783 rank. The German jumped in just one week from rank 1355, with a current point average of 0.1301. The highest ranked Englishman in the official world golf rankings is currently Tyrrell Hatton, in place 17 and has, since last week, not changed in the rankings.

Jon Rahm disappointingly didn’t defend his title at the Open de Espana this weekend on the European Tour. However, he played a great game and his fans still met him with an outpour of support. He still is the number one ranked golfer.

MADRID, SPAIN – OCTOBER 10: Jon Rahm of Spain reacts with the crowds during the final round of The Open de Espana at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid on October 10, 2021 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Categories
European Tour

The European Tour 2022: Ras Al Khaimah Championship

Image of Al Hamra Golf Club's third hole (Photo: Getty Images)
  • Tournament will be part of the European Tour’s ground-breaking five-week ‘Middle East Swing’
  • Inaugural tournament will be played at Al Hamra Golf Club from February 3-6
  • European Challenge Tour previously visited the Emirate from 2016-2018

Press Release 
 
The European Tour will visit Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates for the first time in 2022 when the inaugural Ras Al Khaimah Championship presented by Phoenix Capital is played at Al Hamra Golf Club from 3rd – 6th February.
 
The $2million tournament will be the third of five consecutive events in the Tour’s ground-breaking early season ‘Middle East Swing’, following back-to-back Rolex Series events in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and preceding the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters and one other tournament in the region which will be announced in due course.
 
Al Hamra Golf Club previously hosted the European Challenge Tour over three consecutive years from 2016 – 2018. It was initially the venue for the Ras Al Khaimah Golf Challenge in 2016 and 2017, before hosting the Ras Al Khaimah Challenge Tour Grand Final as the final stop on the Road to Ras Al Khaimah in 2018.
 
During the Ras Al Khaimah Challenge Tour Grand Final, Spaniard Adri Arnaus finished one shot clear of France’s Victor Perez, with the pair ending the season in second and third position on the 2018 Challenge Tour Rankings behind Denmark’s Joachim B. Hansen. All three players are now firmly established on the European Tour.
 
Keith Pelley, the European Tour’s Chief Executive, said: “For decades the Middle East has been a hugely important region for the European Tour and today’s announcement further illustrates that. We are delighted to take our Tour to a new Emirate, Ras Al Khaimah, for the first time.
 
“Our traditional spell in the Middle East at the start of each calendar year is always very popular and these five consecutive events in early 2022 will provide fantastic playing opportunities for our entire membership.
 
“I would like to thank our presenting partner Phoenix Capital and their Chairman Abdullah Al Naboodah for his personal vision and commitment; the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority for their support of this new tournament, as well as everyone at the Al Hamra Golf Club. All our staff who worked on our Challenge Tour events there have told us what a special venue it is, and we look forward to enjoying the unique Ras Al Khaimah hospitality next February.”
 
Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, said: “We are honoured to host the inaugural Ras Al Khaimah Championship presented by Phoenix Capital at the prestigious Al Hamra Golf Club and showcase our nature-based Emirate to players and spectators.
 
“Building on our impressive credentials in staging global sporting events, this prestigious tournament is the latest addition to Ras Al Khaimah’s ever-growing golfing portfolio, further highlighting its growing popularity as a leading lifestyle and sporting destination in the Gulf region.”
 
Abdullah Al Naboodah, Chairman of investment company Phoenix Capital, said. “I’m delighted to support this new European Tour event in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. Golf in the UAE and the European Tour is dear to the Al Naboodah businesses having supported the Dubai Desert Classic and Abu Dhabi Golf Championship in past years.
 
“Indeed, our company built the Emirates Golf Club which opened in 1988, the first grass golf course in the Middle East. This will be a great event, sitting in a run of tournaments along with Abu Dhabi and Dubai. It is a terrific showcase for global golfers to visit the UAE and the Middle East as a whole.”
 
Benoy Kurien, Group CEO of Al Hamra, owner of Al Hamra Golf Club, said. “We are delighted to partner with the European Tour, RAKTDA and Phoenix Capital to bring the first European Tour event to Ras Al Khaimah and the Northern Emirates. This partnership strengthens Ras Al Khaimah’s strategy to attract global events to the Emirate and showcase the unique offering to current and potential visitors.
 
“Located within a largescale integrated tourism destination with picturesque views of the Arabian Gulf and the Hajjar Mountains, Al Hamra Golf Club is the ideal setting for this world-class event. We look forward to hosting this tournament and showcasing Ras Al Khaimah to the global audience of the European Tour.”
 
The European Tour will conclude its 2021 season with a fortnight in the UAE next month, with the AVIV Dubai Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates Fire course (November 11-14) followed by the final Rolex Series event of the year, the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, on the venue’s Earth course (November 18-21).
 

Categories
PGA Tour Professionals

Ryder Cup: Viktor Hovland is wise beyond his years

KOHLER, WISCONSIN - SEPTEMBER 26: Viktor Hovland of Norway and team Europe speaks to the media after Team United States defeated Team Europe 19 to 9 during the 43rd Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits on September 26, 2021 in Kohler, Wisconsin. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

The European Pro golf team took a hard hit this year at the Ryder Cup. As a result of COVID cancelling it last year, it was the most anticipated golf event of the year. Europeans were sure to bring back home the trophy. However they fumbled on US soil. The 24 year old Norwiegen player offers an insightful outlook on the loss during the preview round of Shriner’s children open.

Who is Viktor Hovland?

Hovalnd comes from Oslo, Norway and has been playing golf since he was 11 years old. His father brought back a club from his working trip in the states and the rest is history. He went to play golf at Oklahoma State University and played three seasons there where he had a stella Soon he reached the No. 1 spot in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

He quickly turned pro in 2019 and didn’t disappoint. He became known for making history as the first Norwegian player to win the U.S. Amateur (2018) and the first player from Norway to compete in the Masters (2019).

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 14: Low amateur Viktor Hovland of Norway celebrates with the Silver Cup during the Green Jacket Ceremony after the final round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 14, 2019 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

His 2021 Ryder Cup performance

Hovland was the first Norwegian to represent the EU team at the Ryder Cup. Sadly, It was a quick defeat against the young golfer. In the five matches played he scored one point. His overall record was 0-3-2.

Obviously a disheartening play, but Hovland hasn’t been sulking over his poor performance. Instead he has commented on how thankful he was to even have the opportunity. “Just some great memories, just being around my teammates,” he said. “Being on that team I’m surrounded by legends of European golf the last 20, 25 years. So that was just incredible.”

Did Hovland accept this defeat?

When asked how one gets over a big loss such as that he responded with, “we got beat just by the better team and that’s how it goes sometimes. I just obviously it sucked, but I try to learn from kind of everything that happens and try to turn it into something positive” showing that Hovland can accept a loss just as well as he can accept his wins.

PGA TOUR: Shriners Children’s Open

Hopefully Hovland is keeping this humbleness, as he barely missed the cut this weekend coming in at T44. His head seems to be in the right direction and his performance just needs to catch back up. Stay focused Hovland!

Categories
PGA Tour

Shriners Children’s Open: Who is Harry Hall?

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 10: A view of the leaderboard on the 18th hole during the final round of the Shriners Children's Open at TPC Summerlin on October 10, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)

The PGA Tour event, Shriners Children’s open hosted in Las Vegas, Nevada saw a lot of great pro players this weekend. Someone who unexpectedly climbed the leaderboard this week was Harry Hall. A young golfer from England who finished the event at T8.

Here’s an exclusive interview with Hall after the tournament.

Q. Great week. What’s just your general overall feeling about the whole week?

HARRY HALL: If you give me a T-8 at the start of the week I would have taken it. At this point with my weekend without my best stuff and felt like I could have produced some better numbers out there today.

Q. Yeah. If I would have talked to you on Wednesday and said 17-under, would you have said, I’m glad to have that and I’ll go home?

HARRY HALL: No, because the conditions you never know what they’re going to be like and 17-under might have been T-30 or T-25 or something like that.

Q. But it is top-10, which means you’re getting into Bermuda, correct?

HARRY HALL: Correct.

Q. And you’re planning to play, I would think?

HARRY HALL: Yeah, I’ll be there.

No card, but still capable

Q. Does this week give you confidence that even though you didn’t get your card this year that you’re capable of playing with anybody?

HARRY HALL: Yes, it’s given me a lot of confidence and I’m happy with the way I’m trending, just through my game and through my career at the moment. And it’s my first year as a professional, really, or second now, and hopefully I have many more to come.

Q. How did it feel on 18 hearing everyone in the bleachers yelling your name and having the support of the local people?

HARRY HALL: Very nice. I can’t wait to be back next year hopefully.

Q. You’ve had five minutes to reflect, so what’s the first thing that comes to your mind about this week for you?

HARRY HALL: I’m still caught up in how I’ve just finished, and I shot 3-under today, but I felt like I could have produced some better golf this weekend for sure and given myself a better finish. But it looks like I probably wouldn’t have won anyway. Sungjae is 24-under, I think, and shooting the lights out today and hopefully I can do that soon.

Q. Have you let your mind wander about trying to get top-10 for next week, and if, so what does it mean to you about getting in in a couple weeks in Bermuda?

HARRY HALL: It’s just another tournament, at the end of the day. I’m pretty confident that I’ll be on the PGA TOUR, whether it’s through this or through the Korn Ferry next year, and no matter what, I’ll continue to get better and find success in the little things that I do on a day-to-day basis and hopefully that will, I’ll look back in 30 years, and hopefully this will be a little bit insignificant.

Will he continue to improve?

Q. And you talked about you left a few strokes out there. What’s the first thing that comes to your mind about what you’ll do to kind of, maybe not fix those things, but what were some of those moments and how will you improve off those?

HARRY HALL: I hit an amazing 5-iron out of the 9th bunker onto the green and I thought I could produce the same thing on 13, but I left it in the bunker.

So off the tee, if I could have just drove it a little bit better on the back nine today I might have prevented a couple of strokes, which works out to a lot of points. But, yeah, I’ll reflect and figure out what to do better next time.

Q. Just talk about Las Vegas in general, what UNLV, what Las Vegas means to you and your journey to this point.

HARRY HALL: Las Vegas is very close to my heart now, and I’ve spent six years here and don’t plan on leaving anytime soon and can’t wait to play in front of this crowd for many years to come. Very grateful for the exemption they gave me and I know a lot of people in town were rooting to have me in the field, which means the world.

And UNLV golf was fantastic. I met so many great people and they have all been around this week. And MGM Resorts and Spanish Trails and Finley Chevy, everybody that supports me in town, Nevada State Bank, I wouldn’t be here top 10 without them and I wouldn’t be in the field, so yeah, Vegas means the world and I look forward to producing some, lots of wins, lots of trophies along with the Knights and the Raiders for many years to come.

Interview Transcript from Asap Sports

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LPGA Tour Top Tours

Scandinavian Golfers: Last Week’s Highlights

GALLOWAY, NEW JERSEY - OCTOBER 03: Nanna Koerstz Madsen of Denmark hits her tee shot on the 2nd hole during the final round of the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer on the Bay Course at Seaview Golf Club on October 03, 2021 in Galloway, New Jersey. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Last weekend hosted events for all professional tours, and this is an overview on the performance of the golfers from Finland, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. There are not many players from these countries. However, some of their names are getting more and more noticed within the golf world.

European Tour: Open de España 2021

An exciting weekend for European golfers alike, the Open de Espana was hosted at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid in Madrid, Spain. The top golfer, Jon Rahm surprisingly didn’t even make the top ten. Looking at our‎ Scandinavian highlights, they also didn’t manage to get very high on the leaderboard but still played a great tournament.

Players including Lucas Bjerregaard, a Danish golfer who came in before the powerful Jon Rahm at T12. Finnish golfer Mikko Korhonen placed in T20 right behind Rahm. Other notable leaderboard makers were Joachim B. Hansen (Denmark) a T24 and Kalle Samooja (Finland) at T34, the last Scandinavian to make the cut.

EU Tour Open de España
Course Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, Madrid, Spain (USA)
Prize Money 1.5 Mio EUR
Champion Rafa Cabrera-Bello
Scandinavian players Lucas Bjerregaard, Mikko Korhonen, Joachim B Hansen, Kalle Samooja 

PGA Tour: Shriners Children’s Open 2021

Shriners Children’s Open was hosted in Las Vegas, Nevada at TPC Summerlin. Although far from home, there were some Scandinavian faces on the course. Most notably, Viktor Hovland of Norway who came in at T44. He started off rocky, but then on the 18th hole his 156 yard approach to 12 feet he set himself up for the birdie on the hole. This moved Hovland to 3 under for the round. Two Swedish Players, Henrick Norlander and Jonas Blixt made the cut at T65.

PGA Tour Shriners Children’s Open
Course TPC Summerlin -Las Vegas, Nevada
Prize Money 7,0 Mio US-Dollar (6,0 Mio EUR)
Champion Im Sung-jae
Scandinavian players Viktor Hovland, Henrick Norlander, Jonas Blixt
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 09: Henrik Norlander hits an approach shot on the 18th hole during round three of the Shriners Children’s Open at TPC Summerlin on October 09, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)

LPGA Tour:Founders Cup 2021

The Ladies also represented the Scandinavian countries well this weekend by making the leaderboard at the LPGA Tour. It was hosted at Mountain Ridge Golf course in northern New Jersey. Anna Nordqvist and Madeline Sagstrom both came in at T42. Unfortunately, other favorites such as Nanna Koerstz Madsen and Matilda Castren failed to make the cut.

PGA Tour Cognizant Founders Cup
Course Mountain Ridge Golf Course, New Jersey 
Prize Money 3,0 Mio US-Dollar (2.5 Mio EUR)
Champion Ko Jin-young
Scandinavian players Anna Nordqvist, Madeline Sagstrom, Nanna Koerstz Madsen
WEST CALDWELL, NEW JERSEY – OCTOBER 08: Anna Nordqvist of Sweden hits her tee shot on the 11th hole during the second round of the Cognizant Founders Cup at Mountain Ridge Country Club on October 08, 2021 in West Caldwell, New Jersey. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS 2021

Robert Karlsson was the only Scandinavian pro golfer on this tournament and managed to land on the leaderboard at T31. The Champions Tour was won by Phil Mickelson and played at Timuquana Country Club, Jacksonville, Florida. It was Mickelson’s third win in his fourth start on this tour. What a record for the American golfer.

Champions Tour Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS
Course Timuquana Country Club- Jacksonville, Florida 
Prize Money 2,0 Mio US-Dollar (1.5 Mio EUR)
Champion Phil Mickelson
Scandinavian players Robert Karlsson