Just under ten months after being seriously injured in a car accident, Tiger Woods has confirmed his participation in the PGA Tour’s upcoming family tournament, the PNC Championship. Tiger will play in with his son Charlie. At the time, the 45-year-old Woods suffered serious leg injuries and his comeback to the Tour was far from becoming a reality.
PNC Championship kept Woods’ tournament place free
In mid-November, Tiger Woods reported back via Instagram with a swing video and wrote that he was “making progress“. More and more swing videos came after that and, in mid-November, the news suprised the fans once again for good. Tiger Woods and his son Charlie would count with a spot in the limited tournament field of the PNC Championship. As host of the Hero World Challenge, the 15-time major winner also showed up on the driving range several times. Contrary to the previous videos, the social media witnessed Tiger hitting his driver. That is for sure one way to know that the grind continues.
During an interview, he confirmed that he plans to return to professional golf, but ruled out a full-time comeback on the PGA Tour. “I think it’s realistic to play on the Tour one day. Never full-time again, but just selectively, like Mr [Ben] Hogan did. You pick a few events a year and play around them.” Tiger explained. It was an “unfortunate reality” but one that he understood and accepted.
Tiger concludes a challenging year
After a long healing process, Woods finally decided to make his comeback to the golf stage at the PNC Championship, a family tournament in Florida. The 45-year-old shared his decision on Twitter. Woods said that although it has been a “challenging year” for him, he is “excited to end it by playing in the PNC Championship.” Also, he added that he will be playing the tournament as a “Dad and he couldn’t be more excited and proud.” His teammate Bryson DeChambeau as well as many other fellow golfers also wanted to show happiness for Tiger’s great news.
Matti Schmid has become the second German to be crowned Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year, after Martin Kaymer in 2007. Also following a breakthrough season during which the 24-year-old secured his status for the DP World Tour in 2022 just three months after turning professional.
The same year Schmid also earned the Silver Medal as the leading amateur at the Open Championship in July, turning professional directly after his performance at Royal St George’s and instantly going on to prove his worth in the paid ranks.
Matti Schmid, who also claimed a top 15 finish as an amateur at the BMW International Open in June, made the cut in his first two professional appearances on the European Tour. He really made his mark with a runner up finish at September’s Dutch Open, finishing three strokes back from winner Kristoffer Broberg.
That went a long way in securing his status for the 2022 season, before a top ten finish at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, and a tied eleventh place finish at the Mallorca Golf Open rubber-stamped his membership. Schmid finished 114th in the final Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex.
Matti Schmid continues to accomplish goals.
Schmid becomes just the second German to be crowned Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year after being selected by the Tour’s Tournament Committee. In 2007, Kaymer claimed the prestigious award before going on to become a World Number One golfer, two-time Major Champion and Ryder Cup legend.
“It feels incredible to be named the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year for 2021,” said Schmid. “It was a very intense year, but I am delighted with my start to life as a professional.
“To win the Silver Medal at The Open Championship was a very special achievement but going out into the professional ranks is a different challenge. I think that I am capable to compete at the very highest level which gives me the confidence for the future.
“To secure my card on the DP World Tour in just seven starts is something I am proud of and to win this award is just a wonderful bonus and a nice reward for the hard work I have put in.”
Keith Pelley, the European Tour group’s Chief Executive Officer.
“I would like to extend my sincerest congratulations to Matti for being selected as the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year.
“It was clear from his record as an amateur and his performance at the 2021 Open Championship that Matti Schmid is a special talent, but to come out and perform as he did in his first few outings in the professional ranks proves that he is surely destined for big things.
“Many great players from Germany have graced our Tour down the years and to join Martin Kaymer as the only other German to win this award is a special achievement. We look forward to following Matti’s progress.”
David Howell, Chairman of the Tournament Committee
“I would like to congratulate Matti, on behalf of the Tournament Committee, for his wonderful performance in the 2021 season which made him a worthy winner of the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award.
“The transition from amateur to professional golfer can be a daunting one at times and his Silver Medal award at the Open Championship could have increased the pressure on him, but he handled it incredibly and proved straight away that this is where he belongs.
“Matti clearly has a great golf game and a strong mentality to boot, so I have no doubt he will be a force to be reckoned with in the years to come. I look forward to seeing him out on Tour.”
Press Release by the European Tour Group Communications
The European Tour group’s Golf for Good raised a total of £125,000 for UNICEF through its season-long ‘Every Birdie Counts’ campaign. The campaign, supporting UNICEF’s work as part of the COVAX Facility, raised sufficient funds to help the children’s charity. The did so by delivering 50,000 vaccines to some of the world’s most vulnerable and hardest-to-reach nations.
‘Every Birdie Counts’ is an integral part of the European Tour group’s overarching CSR Programme ‘Golf for Good’ during the 2021 season. Also, it raised a minimum of €1 for UNICEF for every single birdie made during the campaign, with €10 donated for every eagle and €1,000 for every albatross.
DP World Tour Championship boosted up the total.
The season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai gave a significant ‘Birdie Boost’ to those numbers. Then, the European Tour group’s Golf for Good pledged €75 for every birdie made at the final Rolex Series event of the season. This was to mark UNICEF’s milestone 75th anniversary as well as World Children’s Day, which coincided with day three of the prestigious tournament.
There was a total of €77,451 raised prior to the finale at Jumeirah Golf Estates, thanks to 57,641 birdies, 1,681 eagles and three albatrosses across a season which began with January’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
The DP World Tour Championship, meanwhile, yielded 862 birdies and 19 eagles, raising a total of €66,550 in a brilliant week for Collin Morikawa. Morikawa claimed the title in a dramatic fashion, becoming the first American golfer in the history of the DP World Tour to top the season-long rankings.
The European Tour group’s Golf for Good rounded up the total from approximately £121,250 to £125,000. Of course, the full amount will support UNICEF’s work as part of the COVAX Facility, and its aim of delivering three billion vaccines globally.
Supporting the UNICEF work.
UNICEF is leading the end-to-end supply of vaccines, as well as providing tests and treatments, in low-and middle-income countries. For instance, UNICEF focuses the aim to deliver three billion doses of vaccines in 2021 for frontline health workers, social workers, teachers and those at highest risk.
UNICEF
The commitment of Paul Casey with the cause.
Paul Casey, a 15-time DP World Tour winner and UNICEF USA Supporter, said: “It’s unbelievable what the European Tour group and Golf for Good have done. So much is talked about what we do on the golf course, but I don’t think enough is mentioned about what goes on for every community and country we visit.”
“In this case, it’s the global reach – partnering with UNICEF and £125,000 will go so far in assisting UNICEF’s work as part of the COVAX Facility, rolling out COVID-19 vaccines around the world. I couldn’t be more proud. Things like this make me proud of being part of the DP World Tour.”
“As a father, children are my primary focus when it comes to charity. It was World Children’s Day on Saturday during the final tournament, so I think this is very timely. You have a right as a human being to have access to certain things and children are always the most vulnerable. I tip my cap to all of those involved in getting this off the ground.”
The European Tour shows full support with the most vulnerable.
Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour group, said: “We are proud to have partnered with UNICEF in their 75th anniversary year, by supporting their work as part of the COVAX Facility though our ‘Every Birdie Counts’ campaign.”
“As a global tour we committed to supporting communities and worthy causes around the world. Therefore, to that end, this donation is a fitting end to our 2021 Golf for Good campaign. It will provide enough funding to help deliver 50,000 vaccinations to some of the most vulnerable and hardest-to-reach nations on earth.”
“It was also fitting that the ‘Every Birdie Counts’ campaign should finish with such a flourish at an event sponsored by our new tour title partners DP World. They have been supporting UNICEF in the logistics and delivery of the vaccine globally. Our sincerest thanks to UNICEF, DP World and of course all of our players who, through their wonderful golf all season, helped make this happen.”
UNICEF is one step closer to accomplish its mission.
Steven Waugh, Interim Executive Director of the UK Committee for UNICEF said: “If we have learned anything from the coronavirus crisis, it is that our lives are interconnected. COVID-19 does not respect borders. At UNICEF, we know that if we only protect high-income countries, life will not return to normal. If COVID-19 is spreading anywhere, it’s a risk to people everywhere.”
“As part of COVAX, UNICEF is leading the biggest health and logistics operation in history to procure and deliver vaccines. A total of 3 billion vaccines around the world by the end of 2021. In order to achieve this historic mission, we need the help of our supporters and partners.”
“I would like to share my sincere thanks to everyone at the European Tour group, who have helped raised an incredible amount for UNICEF’s work around the world. Your support means that we can help deliver 50,000 vaccinations in low- and middle- income countries around the world.”
Press Release by the European Tour Group Communications Team.
New official reports highlight great golf participation growth across Europe. According to the EGA (European Golf Association) reports, there are currently 10.6 Million golfers playing the sport among The R&A’s European Affiliates and in the EGA members’ markets, a healthy increase from the 7.9 million last monitored for 2016.
Since the pandemic, the sport fans had to get used to follow their favorite sports through the screen. Teams and organizers suffered the hard consequences economically speaking because of the decreasing number of affiliates. However, golf has come out stronger, and the reason is simple – The players are outside, it is easy to keep the social distance at all times, and it reconnects you with the world after a global lockdown.
Golf Participation Growth in Sweden
Markets with a greater proportion of registered golfers include Spain and Sweden (10% independent / 90% registered). “We believe that counting independent golfers together with those who are registered as club members gives a more accurate view of the total number of golfers playing on a full-length course each year and reflects how the sport is being consumed from country to country.” – Phil Anderton, Chief Development Officer at The R&A.
Since 2019, Swedish golf participation increased by 54.6k golfers. Reports situate Sweden 3rd in the leaderboard of countries with the highest number of new registered golfers. Nowadays, there are 600,000 golfers in Sweden and 650 courses. Due to the rapid increment of new participants, the course demand has also grown. This is a gap to cover that could potentially pump up the National federations and Organizations to continue to expand the interest in golf among the Swedish population.
Women’s and Junior Participation – The biggest increment
Regarding women’s golf, there’s also a clear increase in Europe. Only in Sweden, the female participation increased by 27%, which translates into 129,949 new golfers. The sport of golf almost benefit from the global Covid-19 pandemic. Moreover, there’s no denying that this is an unique opportunity to mediatise women’s golf and make more visible the quality among women golfers.
The Swedish are well-known for inculcating sports education in children from an early age. There’s also a reflection of that on the new reports by the R&A. Sweden leads the top of the list of European countries that has increased the number of junior participation. The junior enrolment has risen by 11%, or in other words, 61,839 new kids practice now the sport of golf. Junior participation is specially important because it represents the quarry of the future national teams.
Rory McIlroy commits to Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic.(Getty Images)
Four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy is returning to Emirates Golf Club in January 2022 in a bid to win his third Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic title. McIlroy will be looking to add to his impressive record in Dubai. This will be the second Rolex Series event of the 2022 DP World Tour season.
The Northern Irishman returns at the event for the first time since 2018. Then, he came close to adding to the titles he won in 2009 and 2015. McIlroy finished just one shot behind winner Li Haotong. Rory has an enviable record over the Majlis Course with a further six top-ten finishes in 11 previous appearances.
The 32-year-old has enjoyed many memorable moments in Dubai throughout his illustrious career, winning the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in 2012 and 2015. Furthermore, he topped the season-long DP World Rankings three times – in 2012, 2014 and 2015.
McIlroy adds further star power to an elite field at the 2022 Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic, which includes World Number Two and newly-crowned DP World Rankings winner Collin Morikawa. Also, fellow Major winner and 2017 Dubai Desert Classic winner Sergio Garcia, and defending champion Paul Casey.
About the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic
Slync.io, the logistics technology provider that is revolutionising the way global logistics works, will debut its new title partnership of the iconic event in 2022. This is also the first year the Dubai Desert Classic will climb up to Rolex Series status. Therefore, the event becomes part of the DP World Tour’s premium series of events.
The 2022 Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic will be the second of back-to-back Rolex Series events in the region, following the season-opener in Abu Dhabi. These tournaments in January form part of the traditional ‘Desert Swing’ and attract the sport’s leading players.
“I’m looking forward to getting back to Emirates Golf Club for the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic in 2022.” – McIlroy.
“I have so many wonderful memories from playing in Dubai over the years, and particularly over the Majlis Course. I’ve been able to win twice there. I look forward to coming back to Dubai and aiming to get my hands on that incredible trophy again.”
“As a fan of golf, it’s important that we bring a field that other fans will enjoy.” – Chris Kirchner, Chairman and CEO of Slync.io stated. “Rory is one of my favourite players. I’m thrilled to have him as part of the inaugural title partnership for Slync.io.”
Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic Executive Board welcome their new star McIlroy
Simon Corkill, Executive Tournament Director, Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic, added: “The addition of Rory McIlroy to an already strong field emphasises the pedigree of this golf tournament. As one of the most talented golfers in the world, he brings plenty of energy and excitement to the historic event. We look forward to seeing Rory battle it out with Collin Morikawa, Sergio Garcia, Paul Casey and others in a truly world-class field at this year’s event.”
Organisers confirmed that general entry to the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic will be free to all over the four days. Corkill continued: “With the UAE set to celebrate its Golden Jubilee… We are delighted to announce that entry will be free for everyone over the duration of the tournament.”
“We made the decision in recognition of this special moment in the UAE’s history. While also giving something back to sports fans near and far. What better way to celebrate than through a truly global sporting event which everyone can enjoy.”
A little bit of history about it…
Founded in 1989, some of golf’s greatest names won the event. Including Major Champions Seve Ballesteros, Ernie Els, Fred Couples, and Jose Maria Olazábal. Also, Mark O’Meara, Tiger Woods, Henrik Stenson, Rory McIlroy, Danny Willett, Sergio Garcia and Bryson DeChambeau.
The winner’s circle over the past 32 years has also featured Ryder Cup stars. Mark James, the inaugural champion in 1989, Eamonn Darcy, Colin Montgomerie, David Howell, Thomas Bjørn, Miguel Angel Jiménez, Rafa Cabrera Bello and Stephen Gallacher.
The tournament is now set for an even brighter future with the support of Slync.io and Rolex.
The golf fanatics keep up with the news that relate to what happens on and off the course. Luckly, October and November brought some happiness not only to the golf fans, but to all the sport lovers. Beginning of October, Tiger Woods was first spotted without a walker after his terrible car accident back in February. Woods has one of the greatest reputations as an athlete and people claim to see him back in action on the golf course.
The recovery progress was always upward and recently, Tiger surprised his Instagram followers by showing himself making a full swing with his club for the first time since the accident. Tiger swinging a short iron to its fullest fueled significant hype and speculation on a return. However, reality goes one step ahead and it often doesn’t match the popular desires.
No reason not to prepare for a few events in the future.
GolfDigest had the opportunity to interview with him and ask him about his future golf career. The popular opinion tended to be optimist but not so much. Many thought that the professional career of The Goat was over, but at the same time all wished otherwise. Tiger Woods announced the exclusive that it would be realistic to think that he could return to compete on the PGA Tour, but on a part-time basis.
The 15-time major winner has previously proved his stregnth by overcoming several back and knee injuries before. Woods stood back up every time after falling, and the American star will not give up now. However, Woods just confirmed that he is taking his foot off the gas in the future and will not attempt to play golf full time ever again.
How Tiger Woods faces the next phases
Practicing correctly is key after the accident. Tiger Woods sees the light at the end of the tunnel, he has come off surgeries before and why not returning to the field once again: “I’ve come off long layoffs and I’ve won or I’ve come close to winning before. I just gotta get to a point where I feel comfortable enough where I can do that again.” – Tiger states in the PGA Press Conference.
The professional golfer knows that there is still a long way ahead to reach full recover. Nevertheless, Woods feels happy to see his unstoppable progress. Although, his physical shape has exponentially improved, he might not be tournament sharp in the sense of he hadn’t played tournaments, but a right practice plan could drive him back to the part-time competition.
The European ladies did it again! They proved once more that women’s golf can get as wild as the men events. Hundreds of people witnessed the Andalucia Spanish Open, and surrounded the fairways of Los Naranjos Golf Course, following their favorite players. The Spanish Open doubled its money prize from the previous year in 2019. The winner, Carlota Ciganda (ESP) pocketed a total of 90,000€. Ciganda started with a round of 70(-2), but she never let the guard down. The Spaniard shot rounds of (70-66-70-67) and took the trophy home with a total of 15-under par, finishing with a birdie on Hole 18 and having all the eyes on her.
Head Vs. Heart.
Carlota Ciganda feels loved at home but always returns to the LPGA Tour.
The Ladies European Tour struggles to offer high monetary rewards due to the lack of external support. The audience increased a little more since LPGA players take part in the Saudi Arabia events in New York that are part of the LET Tour. The sponsorships also reflect the big gap between LET Tour and LPGA.
The women players in Europe find it harder to find sponsors than the American players. The winner, Carlota Ciganda studied in the United States, and as much as she loves her country and to play for Spain, Ciganda remains in the LPGA leaderboards because of the economic benefits, among other things.
The leading players overcame all obstacles to finish on a high note.
Los Naranjos welcomed us with sunny days but yet some strong wind came through during the third round specially. Not to mention the perfomance of one of the referees towards the leading group. He made the time the protagonist instead of the players. Regardless, the scores didn’t show much red numbers except for Jessica Karlsson(SWE) who shot 68(-4), the best Scandinavian score of the day.
The last round started off calm and steady, until the wind picked up again half way through. However, the players faced it as what they are, professionals. Ursula Wikstrom(FIN) played in the second to last group fighting for the podium. Wikstrom had a strong long-distance game throughout the tournament, however her putting was not on her side and it hurt the scores by few strokes. The Finnish golfer finished 4-under par for a 7th position.
The Swedish, Maja Stark was 5-under par after round three, and she slipped into the leading group of the Andalucia Spanish Open. Stark was only 1 shot ahead from the fourth player, the Spaniard Fatima Fernandez Cano. At the end, Stark sped up and finished with a total of -11, only four shots behind the lead, and a 3-shot advantage over the third position. The Spaniard, Fatima finished strong in a 4th place after a great performance. She recently earned the LPGA card, but yet Cano behaves as if she had been competing in the Main Tour for many years now.
Ladies European Tour
Andalucia Costa del Sol – Open de España
Course
Los Naranjos Golf ClubMalaga, Spain
Prize Money
600,000€
Defending Champion
Carlota Ciganda (ESP)
Focus players
Alice Hewson, Felicity Johnson, Gabriella Cowley, Hannah Burke, Maja Stark, Ursula Wikstrom
The Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour today announced changes to the current Summer Swing of co-sanctioned tournaments in South Africa as a result of the country being placed on the travel red list of several countries following concerns around a new COVID-19 variant, and the effect this will have on the participation of professional golfers.
The Joburg Open, currently being played at Randpark Golf Club, will go ahead as planned and will finish on Sunday as scheduled as a full co-sanctioned tournament between the two tours.
The South African Open Championship, set to be played at the Gary Player Country Club at Sun City from 2-5 December, will also still be played as scheduled. However, it will go ahead as a solely Sunshine Tour event with a prize fund of US$500 000.
The Alfred Dunhill Championship, which was scheduled to be played at Leopard Creek Country Club from 9-12 December, has after lengthy consultations with Alfred Dunhill, unfortunately been cancelled due to the adverse effect the travel restrictions will have on the field.
Brooks Koepka signs equipment-deal with Srixon/Cleveland. (Photo: Getty)
Brooks Koepka, one of the world’s top golfers is off the equipment market. After five-plus-years without an equipment-sponsor “Brooksy” joins the Srixon/Cleveland-Team just a week before “The Match” against his nemesis Bryson DeChambeau. After Nike stopped their club production in 2016 Brooks Koepka, a four-time-major-champion was a wanted man. Just like his former Nike-colleagues Rory McIlroy or Tiger Woods, who quickly joined other Brands. The signing was teased by Srixon in a highly cryptical Twitter post earlier this week.
Koepka joins Masters Champion Hideki Matsuyama, Shane Lowry and Graeme McDowell in the Srixon staff. “I’ve been an equipment free agent for the past few years,” Koepka said in a release, “so it will be fun to be involved with a company on a daily basis and be able to contribute to the development of their future equipment.”
He starts his Srixon/Cleveland journey with the Srixon ZX5 driver, ZX7 irons and Cleveland RTX ZipCore Tour Rack wedges. Along with the Prototype of a new Srixon golf ball, the Srixon Z-Star. He will carry a Srixon Tour Staff bag as well, known for being one of the biggest marketing spots for tour pros. Other than that, there is no more information about Koepka’s future paychecks and financial details.
Srixon’s vice president Rodney McDonald said, “We’re extremely proud to have Brooks come on board as our newest staff member.” He goes on, “Brooks is one of the best players in the world and brings his major championship pedigree and validation to our brands. We’re excited for Brooks to join the Srixon and Cleveland Golf family and look forward to supporting him out on tour.”
Not so big changes for Brooks Koepka
Although Koepka needs to get along with a new driver, new wedges and a completely new golf ball he is comfortable using the ZX7 irons. He started playing these in January and got along quickly, proving the equipment decision right by winning the Phoenix Open 2021 two weeks later.
BMW wants to remain title sponsor of the BMW Championship. (Photo: BMW Group)
The BMW Championship will continue as the penultimate tournament in the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Playoffs, featuring 70 of the world’s best players competing for the 30 places at the season-ending TOUR Championship. Before BMW came on board as title sponsor, the tournament was known as the Western Open and was first held in 1899, making it one of the longest-running events on the PGA TOUR.
BMW Championship supports Evans Scholar Foundation with millions of dollars
“For the past 15 years, we have worked with our partners at the PGA TOUR and the Western Golf Association to host the top 70 players in the world at what has become one of the best, and most exciting events on the golf calendar,” said Sebastian Mackensen, president and CEO, BMW of North America. “The BMW Championship is not only a great way to showcase our brand and engage customers, but also a wonderful opportunity to raise money for the Evans Scholars Foundation and help so many young students to follow their dreams.”
Each year, proceeds from the BMW Championship benefit the Evans Scholars Foundation, which provides full tuition and housing scholarships for hard-working young caddies. Over the past 15 years, the BMW Championship has raised more than $40 million on behalf of the Evans Scholars Foundation and has helped send more than 3,000 students to college. This academic year, a record 1,070 caddies are attending 21 major colleges and universities on Evans Scholarships.
“Since 2007, BMW has been our valued partner and a steadfast supporter of both our championships and the Evans Scholars Foundation,” said John Kaczkowski, WGA president and CEO. “As title sponsor, BMW has fully embraced our mission, helping us transform the Evans Scholars Foundation into a truly national program. We’re excited and grateful for the opportunity to continue working together to change the lives of youth caddies nationwide.”
PGA Tour don’t want to miss the support of BMW
PGA TOUR commissioner Jay Monahan added: “We would like to express our sincere thanks to BMW for their continued support of the PGA TOUR and the Western Golf Association through 2027. The BMW Championship played an incredibly impactful role in launching the FedExCup in 2007 and BMW’s commitment to presenting a best-in-class event each year continues to elevate the FedExCup Playoffs.”
By extending its role as the title sponsor of the BMW Championship, BMW also strengthens its worldwide commitment to the sport of golf. This year, the company was Worldwide Partner of the Ryder Cup for the first time, and BMW will continue in this role when Marco Simone Golf & Country Club (Rome, Italy) hosts the Ryder Cup in 2023. The premium automobile manufacturer will also continue to organise the BMW International Open in Munich (Germany), and remains title sponsor of the BMW PGA Championship in London (England) and the BMW Ladies Championship in Busan (South Korea).
