Tag: DP World Tour

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European Tour

English duo birdie eight of nine holes to win Hero Challenge

Daniel Gavins and Callum Shinkwin claimed the Hero Challenge title. (Photo: Getty)
Daniel Gavins and Callum Shinkwin claimed the Hero Challenge title. (Photo: Getty)

Daniel Gavins and Callum Shinkwin claimed the Hero Challenge title at Al Hamra Golf Club in Ras Al Khaimah after the English duo teamed up to card eight birdies in the nine-hole Texas Scramble event for a winning eight under total.

Team competition for variety

The innovative team event was broadcast on television around the globe as well as on YouTube and social media, where fans could watch the stars of the DP World Tour in a more relaxed atmosphere – chatting regularly to on-course commentators and with some players miked up throughout their round.

In a classic better-ball scramble format, birdies were key and Gavins and Shinkwin looked unstoppable from the word go, birdieing every one of the first seven holes to storm into the lead. A par at the eighth briefly stunted their progress but a four at the par five 18th hole laid down the gauntlet early on.

Many teams tried, but none could get within touching distance of the Englishmen, who earned a two-stroke victory over the field with an eight under score of 28.

Second place was shared by nine teams on six under par, including that of winning 2018 Ryder Cup Captain Thomas Bjørn and his team-mate James Morrison, and in-form Englishman Richard Bland who teamed up with former Ryder Cup player Oliver Wilson to card four birdies and an eagle two.

Callum Shinkwin: “It feels fantastic!”

“It feels fantastic, it was a great fun today. I’m glad that the Tour and Hero put this up for us today because we’re here for two weeks, it was great fun to play and obviously Dan is good friend of mine, so it was great.”, Callum Shinkwin said after the competition. “One of our caddies said ten under was going to win but thankfully he was wrong!”

Daniel Gavins used the Hero Challenge for his preparation, “For me it was a little bit about getting out to see the course because I didn’t play here last week so I hadn’t seen it. It was a lot of fun though, it was nice to get out and have a laugh. We were actually a little bit annoyed to par the eighth, we wanted to birdie every hole, but it was nice to win.”

Text: DP World Tour

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European Tour

Ras Al Khaimah Team Challenge to debut on the DP World Tour

Al Hamra Golf Club will host the DP World Tour event. (Photo: Getty)
Al Hamra Golf Club will host the DP World Tour event. (Photo: Getty)

The DP World Tour’s commitment to innovation in the game of golf will be apparent once again next month when a new special event – the Ras Al Khaimah Team Challenge – takes to the fairways.

26 teams compete in scramble format

The one-day exhibition event will be played on Tuesday February 8 at Al Hamra Golf Club, in between the two tournaments already scheduled at the UAE venue; the Ras Al Khaimah Championship presented by Phoenix Capital (February 3-6) and the Ras Al Khaimah Classic (February 10-13).
 
The event will be shown live in the UK and Ireland on Sky Sports – who on Monday announced a two-year extension to their current agreement with the DP World Tour – and around the globe via the Tour’s expansive World Feed network. It will also feature across the Tour’s digital platforms.
 
The Ras Al Khaimah Team Challenge will feature 26 teams of two professionals per team in a stroke play event playing over nine holes in a classic Scramble format; ie: each team selecting the best drive and both players playing from there, then selecting the best second shot and both players playing from there until the hole is completed.

Keith Pelley expects a successful debut

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the DP World Tour, said: “As well as celebrating the tradition of 72 hole tournaments within golf’s current ecosystem, we are always looking to do something different to continue to broaden golf’s appeal to fans around the world, and the fun exhibition that is the Ras al Khaimah Team Challenge will do just that. Most people who play golf will have played the Scramble format with their friends at their local clubs at some point, and I’m sure they will be intrigued to tune in to see how our professionals cope with this different and unique challenge.”
 
Following last week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links, the DP World Tour this week moves to neighbouring Dubai for the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic, the second consecutive $8 million Rolex Series event to start the 2022 calendar year.

(Text: DP World Tour)

Categories
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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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)

Categories
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

Categories
European Tour

DP World Tour and ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australia announces extention to strategic alliance

PGA Tour of Australasia and the DP World Tour expand their alliance. (Photo: Getty)
PGA Tour of Australasia and the DP World Tour expand their alliance. (Photo: Getty)

The DP World Tour and ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia (PGATA) are delighted to jointly announce an extension of their Strategic Alliance through until 2026 and to announce that the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship will be returning to Brisbane’s Royal Queensland Golf Club as part of the DP World Tour in late 2022. 

A cooperation with many advantages


The existing strategic partnership from 2017, has provided a range of benefits for PGATA Members including important pathways to global golf tours. PGATA members will benefit from this extension through additional opportunities that strengthen current pathways such as two additional tour cards and a range of other additional exemptions on the DP World Tour. This agreement also reaffirms a joint commitment to the growth of the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia as will show through an increase in prize money for a range of tournaments.
 
The announcement happened on the eve of this week’s Fortinet Australian PGA Championship in Brisbane, an event which will also take place later in 2022 when it will be co-sanctioned by the PGATA and the DP World Tour, having last featured on the DP World Tour’s schedule at the start of the 2020 season due to the global pandemic. It will be part of the DP World Tour’s 2023 schedule with a larger prize fund of AUD$2million – up from AUD$1million for this week’s event – underlining the event’s position as Australasia’s richest golf tournament and providing playing opportunities for both memberships.   

Australasian golf is also successful worldwide


Five Australasian players finished 2021 inside the top 50 on the Official World Golf Rankings, with Australians Lucas Herbert and Min Woo Lee winning back-to-back events in July on the European Tour – now named the DP World Tour – the former claiming the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open and the latter securing his first Rolex Series victory at the abrdn Scottish Open.  

Looking forward to the larger cooperation


 
The PGA TOUR, the DP World Tour’s Strategic Alliance partner and long-time friend of the PGATA, also fully supports this strategic partnership and the positive benefits it will bring to global golf.
 
Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour group, said: “Our Tour has a strong historical association with Australasia, and I feel proud this extension to our Strategic Alliance with the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia will build upon that heritage.
 
“Alongside our partnerships with the PGA TOUR and the Sunshine Tour, this new agreement will continue to strengthen the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia and the region’s place in global golf’s ecosystem, providing clearly defined routes for players from Australasia to compete on the biggest stage as well as playing opportunities for DP World Tour members.”
 
Rodger Davis, Chairman of the PGA of Australia, said: “This partnership is a great acknowledgement of the contribution that our members have made to the overall growth of global golf.
 
“We are delighted to continue our association with the DP World Tour and provide greater opportunities for our players.  Australasia has produced exceptional golfers over a long-sustained period of time and we are happy to play our part in continuing this legacy on global tours through the development of players from our region.”

Australia and the PGA Tour join forces to improve the development of the sport of golf


 
Gavin Kirkman, CEO of the PGA of Australia, said: “We are excited to extend our relationship with the DP World Tour and provide a range of great benefits and opportunities for our members and fans.
 
“Australasian players currently hold over 110 tour cards outside of our region and play an important role in the success of global golf tours. This partnership ensures these all-important development opportunities for players on the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia. Also, it means that Australasian golf fans can continue to support and cheer their homegrown players on the world stage.”
 
PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan said: “The PGA of Australia has been a great partner of the PGA TOUR and has been instrumental in the success of the three playings of the Presidents Cup in Australia to date. We look forward to actively working to further cultivate and promote professional golf with this partnership going forward.”
 
The DP World Tour will recommence its 2022 season later this month with back-to-back Rolex Series events, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links, Abu Dhabi from January 20-23 and the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club from January 27-30.

Text: DP World Tour

Categories
Panorama

PGA Tour: Year-end performance review

Rory McIlroy's year-end performance review. (Foto: Youtube/@PGA Tour)
Rory McIlroy's year-end performance review. (Foto: Youtube/@PGA Tour)

The stars of the PGA Tour around Rory McIlroy are asked performance reviews – and still have plenty of room for improvement for the upcoming year.

As the year draws to a close, it’s time for the annual performance reviews. This is also the case on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, where the stars like Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa and Co. are called into office for the year-end performance reviews.

PGA Tour: year-end performance reviews

Actor John C. McGinley, known as Dr. Perry Cox from the hospital series “Scrubs”, sits in front of them and sums up the performance of the professionals in the past year with many allusions. Rory McIlroy, for example, looks back on two wins in 2021 and considers himself his harshest critic, “but that could all change.”

Jordan Spieth has to face the interview without his caddie Michael and is “very nervous” about it, and Justin Thomas has to answer for his beer action at the Ryder Cup. Justin Rose, Tyrrell Hatton, whose height and emotional nature are always a topic, Henrik Stenson, Scottie Scheffler and Collin Morikawa also have to make an appearance. The latter is “by any estimate, perfect” but that’s where the danger lies, the interviewer said.

McGinley, who plays management consultant Bob Slydell in the film “Office Space,” analyzes the stars and their performances. In the process, it also becomes clear that many stars have no plan B up their sleeves in case their golfing career should come to an end overnight. Finally, the interviewer himself is taken for a ride.

Watch the funny sketch here:

Categories
European Tour

New ISPS HANDA – CHAMPIONSHIP becomes first DP World Tour Event in Japan

The ISPS HANDA - Championship is going to be on the PGM Ishioka Golf Club. (Photo: DP World Tour)

The tournament – which will be played at PGM Ishioka Golf Club in Omitama from April 21-24, 2022 – will be the first regular tournament in history to be co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and the Japan Golf Tour. Previously, the only event on Japanese soil to feature on the DP World Tour schedule was the Olympic Men’s Golf Competition at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Saitama last summer.

The vision of the ISPS HANDA-Championship

The 2022 ISPS HANDA – CHAMPIONSHIP will have a US$2 million prize fund and is the first event in a three-year agreement. It also deepens the European Tour group’s long-standing relationship with ISPS HANDA, the organisation founded by Japanese philanthropist Dr Haruhisa Handa in the belief that sport has the power to inspire, transform, and unite people and communities across social, racial and socio-economic barriers.

Keith Pelley, European Tour group Chief Executive, said: “The DP World Tour is a global tour and, as a result, we relish opportunities such as this to break new ground; in the process creating exciting golf tournaments for our fans worldwide and wonderful opportunities for our players and stakeholders alike. We recognise the continued vision and commitment of Dr Handa himself and thank everyone at ISPS HANDA for once again partnering with us, while we also welcome our new partners at the Japan Golf Tour. The ISPS HANDA Vic Open in Australia was the first ever tournament for men and women with an equal purse, a commitment to equality that we furthered with the ISPS HANDA World Invitational in Northern Ireland this year, which, co-sanctioned between the DP World Tour, LPGA, and Ladies European Tour, not only offered equal prize money to both men and women, but also hosted a disability golf tournament in tandem.”

Founder and Chairman of ISPS HANDA is proud and looking forward

Dr Haruhisa Handa, Founder and Chairman of ISPS HANDA, said: “ISPS HANDA is honoured and proud to be title sponsor of the first ever DP World Tour and Japan Golf Tour co-sanctioned event, and my sincere thanks go to the CEO of the European Tour group, Keith Pelley, and his team, and also to Chairman Isao Aoki and his team at the JGTO. ISPS HANDA has deepened its partnership with many tours around the world, but our relationship with the DP World Tour has become special in that we share the passion of using the power of sport in pioneering many ground breaking initiatives. We are excited to bring this partnership now to Japan, where we feel that our shared goals and visions in the power of sport will make a difference in my own country and beyond.”

Isao Aoki sees a great opportunity for the Japanese golf

Isao Aoki, Chairman, Japan Golf Tour Organization, said: “I am very happy that we will be able to hold a co-sanctioned tournament with the DP World Tour in April 2022, which was our long-cherished desire, and we can’t wait to hold it from now on. I am deeply grateful to the International Sports Promotion Society for their full support of the tournament. This is the first time a tournament which is co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour has been held on Japanese soil, which the JGTO, all of our stakeholders, and golf fans in Japan have been waiting for. I am sure that the skill of the players who compete on the DP World Tour will not only attract Japanese golf fans but also stimulate the members of the Japan Golf Tour. On the other hand, the members of the Japan Golf Tour will have a great opportunity to perform in front of the world with this tournament as a foothold, and I’m sure our members will take advantage of this opportunity as much as possible. We are making various preparations for this great event in six months – please stay tuned.”

(Text: DP World Tour)