Tag: European Tour

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European Challenge Tour

Challenge Tour announces 2023 global schedule

Challenge Tour schedule 2023. (Photo: Getty)
Challenge Tour schedule 2023. (Photo: Getty)

The European Challenge Tour today announced its global 2023 Road to Mallorca schedule, featuring a record overall prize fund and a minimum of 29 tournaments, staged across three continents in 18 different countries.

Players will compete for total prize money of €8,200,000 on the 2023 Road to Mallorca, which will begin with the Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open in February, the first of four co-sanctioned events with the Sunshine Tour in South Africa.

India returns as a host country for the first time since 2013 with two events in March, the Duncan Taylor Black Bull Challenge followed by The Challenge presented by KGA.

The Challenge Tour also returns to the United Arab Emirates in April for the first time since 2018 with back-to-back events, including the Abu Dhabi Challenge, as part of the European Tour group’s long-term partnership with the Emirates Golf Federation.

The Challenge Tour will head to Spain in May for the Challenge de España, which will kick-start a run of 20 tournaments in 22 weeks and see the Road to Mallorca travel through 15 countries in Europe, including Italy for the Italian Challenge at Golf Nazionale, the venue which will then host the first two days of the 2023 Junior Ryder Cup in September.

The 2023 season will conclude with the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final supported by The R&A, at Club de Golf Alcanada from November 2-5, as the top 45 players on the Rankings battle it out for one of the life changing 20 DP World Tour cards.

Those 20 players who benefit from this formal pathway to the DP World Tour will then be eligible for the DP World Tour’s Earnings Assurance Programme, guaranteeing them minimum earnings of $150,000 for the 2024 season if they play in 15 or more events.

The top five graduates will also benefit from the John Jacobs Bursary, similarly designed to provide security and a strong platform for their first season on the European Tour group’s top tier.

Jamie Hodges, Head of Challenge Tour, said: “Our expansive global schedule gives our members the opportunity to play for a record total prize fund and benefit from our formal pathway to the DP World Tour, as we continue to provide an incredible platform for the next generation of golf’s superstars.

“I would like to thank the integral support of our promoters, national federations, and tournament sponsors, who have helped make this possible. The fact that 20 of our current national federations and promoters have extended their support through to next year is testament to their commitment and the strength of our Tour heading into 2023.

“We are also very grateful for the commitment of Rolex, The R&A, and DP World through their title partnership of the DP World Tour, all of whom have helped us to provide this comprehensive global schedule for some of the brightest talents in world golf.”

In 2022, 25 former Challenge Tour players won on the DP World Tour – including 2021 graduates Ewen Ferguson and Yannik Paul, while five finished inside the top ten on the DP World Tour Rankings in Partnership with Rolex. Sean Crocker became the 200th former Challenge Tour player to win on the DP World Tour when he secured a wire-to-wire victory at the Hero Open, while the total number of wins by Challenge Tour alumni is now 544.

The full 2023 Road to Mallorca International Schedule can be viewed below or by clicking here.

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Live

DP World Tour: G4D Tour announces expanded 2023 schedule

Sweden's Rasmus Lia won his first title at the season finale in Dubai. (Photo: Getty)
Sweden's Rasmus Lia won his first title at the season finale in Dubai. (Photo: Getty)

Launched in 2022 with an initial seven-event schedule, the G4D Tour sees the world’s best golfers with a disability compete on the same course, the same week, as professionals on the DP World Tour.

The 2023 season will see additional uplifts to the G4D Tour, including the introduction of a season-long Order of Merit to crown the Number One player.

2023 G4D Tour schedule

Dec 2-4, 2022Australian All Abilities Championship @ ISPS HANDA Australian OpenVictoria Golf Club, Australia
Jan 13-14, 2023G4D Tour @ Hero CupAbu Dhabi Golf Club, Abu Dhabi
Feb 6-7, 2023G4D Tour @ Singapore ClassicLaguna National Golf Resort Club, Singapore
TBCEvent TBCTBC
Jun 5-6, 2023G4D Tour @ Volvo Car Scandinavian MixedUllna Golf & Country Club, Sweden
Jun 26-27, 2023G4D Tour @ Betfred British MastersThe Belfry,
England
Aug 14-16, 2023G4D Tour @ ISPS Handa World Invitational presented by AVIV ClinicsGalgorm Castle Golf Club, Northern Ireland
Sep 11-12, 2023G4D Tour @ BMW PGA Championship, a Rolex Series EventWentworth Club,
England
Nov 10-11, 2023G4D Tour @ DP World Tour Championship, a Rolex Series EventJumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai

Each G4D Tour event is open to amateurs and professionals players of all eligible impairments, men and women. For 2023, players will be able to qualify from both their ranking on the gross division of the World Ranking for Golfers with a Disability (WR4GD) and events on the European Disabled Golf Association (EDGA) Tour, ensuring an international pathway to reach the G4D Tour. The European Tour group pays the expenses of players as they travel around the world, to ensure that the Tour is open to all players regardless of their financial circumstances.

To be eligible, all players must have a World Ranking for Golfers with a Disability and an EDGA Player Pass. Since the G4D Tour launched earlier this year, applications for a World Ranking and Player Pass have reached record levels, with 20% of all passes secured in 2022 alone – showing the impact the G4D Tour is having on raising awareness and increasing participation. The DP World Tour will continue to utilise its social media channels, and relationships with global broadcasters, to showcase the G4D Tour on a range of media platforms throughout the 2023 season.

This year’s inaugural season, which had its finale at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, saw England’s Kipp Popert win four G4D Tour titles and regain his position as World Number One on the WR4GD. The other tournament winners were England’s Mike Browne, Italy’s Tommaso Perrino and Sweden’s Rasmus Lia. Players from ten different nationalities competed, showing the international reach of the Tour.

The Australian All Abilities Championship, starting on Friday December 2, will be the first event of the 2023 G4D Tour season, with World Number One Popert leading the field of 12 competitors teeing it up at Victoria Golf Club. The Australian All Abilities Championship forms part of a festival of golf on Australia’s world-renowned sandbelt, taking place concurrently with the ISPS HANDA Australian men’s and women’s Opens.

“Tremendous success”

The tournament will be played across three rounds at Victoria Golf Club, with World Number Two Brendan Lawlor and Spaniard Juan Postigo Arce, ranked fourth on the WR4GD also competing. World Number 12 Geoff Nicholas leads the home charge, having made history in 2019 as the first amputee golfer to qualify for The Senior Open presented by Rolex at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

Speaking about the enhanced 2023 schedule Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour group, said: “The G4D Tour has been a tremendous success since it launched earlier this year. We have seen unprecedented numbers of golfers with a disability enquire about playing on the Tour and getting a World Ranking, thanks to the ability for these inspirational players to play Tour level courses next to the best players on the DP World Tour.

“We have developed a very close relationship with EDGA and the European Tour group will continue to support the association in its focus on developing capacity within the golf industry, through a variety of education and development activities. I firmly believe that golf has the potential to be the most inclusive sport in the world and the G4D Tour is a major step in realising this ambition.”

Tony Bennett, President of EDGA, added: “The G4D Tour is the visible manifestation of EDGA’s development of golf for the disabled – a process that started 22 years ago. Since our first collaboration with the European Tour group and DP World Tour, there has been exponential growth at all levels. The G4D Tour has created greater awareness and resulted in a cascade effect with more tournaments at every level, more national federations building accessible activities, and of course, more grassroots programmes than ever before. The support that the European Tour group and DP World Tour provide to EDGA helps make all of this possible.”

(Text: Press release DP World Tour)

Categories
European Tour

DP World Tour: Teams unveiled for Hero Cup in Abu Dhabi

Luke Donald is the captain of Europe at the 2023 Ryder Cup. (Photo: Getty)
Luke Donald is the captain of Europe at the 2023 Ryder Cup. (Photo: Getty)

European Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald has announced 18 players, including an exciting mix of Ryder Cup stars, Major Champions and the most promising young players in world golf, to make up the Continental Europe and Great Britain and Ireland teams for next year’s Hero Cup in Abu Dhabi from January 13-15.

Prep for the Ryder Cup: DP World Tour brings team match play tournament

In consultation with the respective Hero Cup Captains Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari, who will both compete as playing Captains, Donald confirmed the teams for next year’s match play contest at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, with one remaining position for each team to be allocated at the conclusion of the DP World Tour calendar year.

Match Play Tournament on the DP World Tour

Donald and Molinari have constructed a strong mix of proven winners with Sweden’s Alex Noren and Belgium’s Thomas Pieters bringing Ryder Cup experience to the Continental Europe ranks one week before the Belgian defends his Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship title at Yas Links.

Molinari’s team will be completed by a host of exciting young players including Austrian Sepp Straka, who won his maiden PGA TOUR title at The Honda Classic in 2022, three-time DP World Tour winner Rasmus Højgaard, two-time winner Victor Perez and Adrian Meronk, who became the first Polish player to win on the DP World Tour when he claimed the 2022 Horizon Irish Open.

Belgium’s Thomas Detry has also enjoyed a strong start to his rookie PGA TOUR season finishing in the top-12 in three of the five events played – including second place in the Butterfield Bermuda Championship – and has six top-15 finishes on the DP World Tour. He is joined by three-time DP World Tour winner Guido Migliozzi, who claimed the biggest victory of his career in September at the Cazoo Open de France.

The Great Britain and Ireland team, led by two-time Ryder Cup player Fleetwood, boasts 2019 Open Champion Shane Lowry and four-time Rolex Series winner Tyrrell Hatton amongst its ranks.

They will be joined by a stream of Ryder Cup hopefuls including Irishman Séamus Power, who has enjoyed a stunning start to the 2023 PGA TOUR season and currently leads the FedEx Cup Standings, and DP World Tour winners Ewen Ferguson, Robert MacIntyre, Callum Shinkwin, Jordan Smith and Matt Wallace.

Luke Donald wants to “combine experience and youthfulness”

Donald, the 2023 European Ryder Cup Captain, said: “Having worked closely with Tommy and Fran on building the two teams, I’m delighted with the mix of players who will be on show at Abu Dhabi Golf Club in January.

“We all thought it was important to combine experience and youthfulness and I think we have found that balance with a mixture of Major Champions and Ryder Cup players, alongside guys who are hoping to secure a spot in Rome next year.”

Prep at the highest level

Molinari, the Continental Europe Captain and 2018 Open Champion, said: “Our team is packed full of exciting players who all have the attributes to excel in a match play contest and I’m excited to lead them into the Hero Cup next year.

“Some of our younger players have already shown incredible maturity in high-pressured situations and proved they can perform in big moments, so giving them the opportunity to compete on this stage alongside the likes of Alex Noren and Thomas Pieters will be really important at the beginning of what could be a big year for them.”

Fleetwood leads the island Europeans

Fleetwood, who combined with Molinari to collect four points from four matches at the 2018 Ryder Cup in France, said: “I am really pleased with the players who will form the Great Britain and Ireland team next year.

“Having the experience of Shane and Tyrrell will be invaluable for the rest of the team in a match play environment but I think we are really strong throughout the team. We have proven winners in some of the biggest DP World Tour events and it will be great to have Séámus with us following his excellent start to the season in America.”

Dr Pawan Munjal, Chairman and CEO, Hero MotoCorp, said: “We are delighted to see the best of emerging talent from Europe together with established Major Champions and Ryder Cup stars at the upcoming Hero Cup in January. It is going to be a fantastic week of top class golf and a keen tussle on the course between these two strong teams.”

2023 Hero Cup Teams

Continental Europe Great Britain & Ireland
Francesco MOLINARI (C) Tommy FLEETWOOD (C)
Thomas DETRY Ewen FERGUSON
Rasmus HØJGAARD Tyrrell HATTON
Adrian MERONK Shane LOWRY
Guido MIGLIOZZI Robert MACINTYRE
Alex NOREN Seamus POWER
Victor PEREZ Callum SHINKWIN
Thomas PIETERS Jordan SMITH
Sepp STRAKA Matt WALLACE
Player TBC Player TBC

(Text: Press release DP World Tour)

Categories
European Tour

DP World Tour: Thriston Lawrence wins Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award

Last season's best rookie on the DP World Tour: Thriston Lawrence from South Africa. (Photo: Getty)
Last season's best rookie on the DP World Tour: Thriston Lawrence from South Africa. (Photo: Getty)

Thriston Lawrence has become the first South African to be crowned Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year, after a breakthrough season on the DP World Tour that included two wins, six further top tens and a Major debut.

DP World Tour: Lawrence celebrated two victories in debut season

A previous winner on the Sunshine Tour, the 25 year old made the perfect start to the 2022 season with victory in the opening tournament – and the first since the European Tour became the DP World Tour – at the co-sanctioned Joburg Open, where he is defending his title this week.

His breakthrough victory not only secured a DP World Tour exemption, it also led to his first appearance in a Major as part of The Open Qualifying Series, and he went on to finish inside the top 50 at the historic 150th Open at St Andrews.

A first professional victory on European soil followed in August when he secured the Omega European Masters title in a play-off triumph over England’s Matt Wallace at the iconic Golf Club Crans Montana in Switzerland.

That win led to another landmark, as he moved inside the top 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in his career.

“A dream come true”

Lawrence racked up six further top tens, including a tied second finish at the Magical Kenya Open presented by Absa and third place at the Horizon Irish Open, on the way to finishing 14th in the DP World Tour’s season-long rankings.

“It’s a dream come true. If you look at the names on the trophy, it’s incredible. A year ago I didn’t even have a category, so when I started off with a victory, it came to mind straight away to go for this award. To have accomplished it is an incredible feeling – I’m very grateful and honoured,” said Lawrence.

“It was very special to get the first win at the Joburg Open. This was where my life changing dream started, and I’m honoured to be defending here this week.

“That win opened up so many doors for me. It gave me a winner’s category, gave me the chance to play big events like the Rolex Series and my first Major at St Andrews, where golf started.

First South African as Rookie of the Year

“Winning twice was incredible, and it’s not where I want to end. It’s a balance between being strict on yourself, sticking to your routine, having good support behind you. It’s not just me, it’s a whole bigger team. Onwards and upwards from here.”

Keith Pelley, the DP World Tour’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “I would like to congratulate Thriston on being named Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year after a truly memorable debut season.

“Our Tour has been graced by many fantastic players from South Africa over the years, which makes it even more special that Thriston is the first of his countrymen to win this award and join the prestigious list of international winners. We look forward to watching his career unfold on the DP World Tour in the years ahead.”

“He didn’t take his foot off the gas”

David Howell, Chairman of the Tournament Committee, said: “Thriston is a worthy winner of the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award and, on behalf of the Tournament Committee, I would like to congratulate him on a fantastic season.

“Winning the first event of the season opened up so many doors for him, but he didn’t take his foot off the gas, and it was a great achievement to follow that up with another win in such a historic event just a few months later.

“I’m sure there is more to come, and I look forward to seeing Thriston on Tour in the coming seasons.”

(Text: Press release DP World Tour)

Categories
European Tour

Gallacher among Ryder Cup stars seeking DP World Tour Q School redemption at INFINITUM

Stephen Gallacher at the European Tour Q-School. (Photo: Azalea)
Stephen Gallacher at the European Tour Q-School. (Photo: Azalea)

Stephen Gallacher is hoping to gain instant redemption and secure a 27th consecutive season on the DP World Tour as the Scot tees it up at INFINITUM this week for the return of the Qualifying School Final Stage.

The six-round marathon of golf will be played for the first time since 2019 and tension is building for the 156 players in the field, all of whom will battle it out for the 25 spots on offer to compete in the 2023 DP World Tour season.

Four-time DP World Tour winner Gallacher is one of four former Ryder Cup players in the field at the acclaimed Spanish venue, which will host the famous event from November 11-16. He is joined by fellow former Team Europe stars David Howell, Jarmo Sandelin and Chris Wood, forming an experienced quartet which boast 17 DP World Tour titles between them.

Gallacher: “You have to handle it like any other event”

The most recent of Gallacher’s four attempts at Qualifying School came 13 years ago, when he earned the third card on offer to bounce straight back after a disappointing 2009 season. He will be hoping he can repeat that feat this week at INFINITUM, a venue he has already played this year when the ISPS Championship in Spain was staged in April.

“You’re here for a reason and you’ve just got to handle it like any other event,” Gallacher said.

“You want to finish in the top 25, you want to win it and work your way around it. It’s six rounds and it’s a big mental battle more than anything, physically too. But I’ve done it three times and I’ve got my card three times so hopefully that trend continues.

“It’s been a whirlwind since 2009, I’ve reached my career goal with the Ryder Cup, I’ve had three wins, one of them with my son, and I’ve had my lows as well. But that’s golf, I got my card for the first time at Qualifying School in 2005, so it’s 27 years. You’re going to have your ups and downs, so I wouldn’t change anything.

“It’s a different chapter and you never know, you win here and you could win again next year – it could be the catalyst to work harder or figure out something.”

The tournament will be held over INFINITUM’s two 18-hole Championship courses, the Hills course and the Lakes course, both of which provide completely different challenges. Gallacher has been extremely impressed by the Tarragona resort and thinks it is a perfect fit for Qualifying School Final Stage.

“The Lakes is a great track and they’ve obviously reseeded it, changed it aesthetically as well, it looks really good and the greens are fantastic on both courses,” he said. “At the Hills, you’ve got to plot your way around, hit it in certain positions and it’s a lot tighter with more trees, whereas the Lakes is windier and dead flat.

“They pose very different challenges and you’ve got to adapt to both of them really. I quite like that; you’ve got to think all the time. They’re both challenging golf courses and you have to use your head.

“It’s exactly what you want for Qualifying School, it’s a great finish at the Lakes too. The 13th is a driveable par four, then you’ve got a good par three and then a couple of tough holes into the wind and then a reachable par five at the end. It’s got all the drama and everything you need, and I’ve no doubt the best players will get through at the end on this six-round format.”

Final Stage qualifying is the last opportunity for hopefuls to win their DP World Tour playing rights for the 2023 season and follows INFINITUM’s hosting of the ISPS Handa Championship in Spain earlier this season, over the Lakes course.

The 90-hole qualifying marathon has provided the platform for some of golf’s most famous names to go on to worldwide success, with Major champions José María Olazábal, Retief Goosen and Sandy Lyle among the list of previous winners since it was first held in 1976.

Final Stage qualifying was first played at INFINITUM in 2017, with England’s Sam Horsfield claiming victory to regain his Tour card along with 32 other players.

A year later, Spain’s Alejandro Cañizares and Zander Lombard, from South Africa, headed a list of 27 players who won their playing rights. Denmark’s Benjamin Poke topped the leaderboard in 2019 – with another 27 joining him in qualification – before the Covid-19 pandemic forced the postponement of the event.

Set to the west of the beautiful city of Tarragona on the Costa Dorada, INFINITUM is regarded as one of Europe’s most popular golf and lifestyle facilities in an area of natural beauty, and the 156-strong line-up will face two very different golfing tests next month.

The venue’s Lakes course was designed by Greg Norman and runs around the wetlands of the Sequia Major. As its name would suggest, water is the layout’s chief defence, testing players and their positional play on no fewer than 14 holes, while players will find the course in outstanding condition following extensive maintenance work this summer to upgrade the fairways from Rye grass to the more sustainable Bermuda Tifway grass.

The neighbouring Hills course poses an altogether different test; several elevated tees and tight landing areas are surrounded by mature, natural pine trees

Categories
European Tour

The DP World Tour and Emirates sign partnership extension

DP World Tour and Emirates extend their partnership. (Photo: Getty)
DP World Tour and Emirates extend their partnership. (Photo: Getty)

As part of the agreement, Emirates will benefit from highly visible branding across 21 DP World Tour tournaments and the Tour’s media and digital platforms, as well as enjoying access to the Tour’s premium hospitality services and exclusive Pro-Am experiences. Emirates will also have Official Tournament Partner status at 14 events on the DP World Tour calendar each season. Emirates will continue to be a partner of the Tour’s Virtual Eye, which is an animated graphics system delivered through live television broadcasts, providing real-time positioning and information about player performance and statistics. In addition, a new Emirates Fly Better Moments content strand will showcase exciting moments from tournaments for fans via the Tour’s digital platforms.

DP World Tour & Emirates: Partnership since 30 years

Emirates is one of the world’s largest international airlines connecting customers to more than 130 destinations across six continents via Dubai with its modern fleet of Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 aircraft. The partnership between Emirates and the DP World Tour stretches back over 30 years, after Emirates became Title Partner of the Dubai Desert Classic in 1989. Emirates then became a Partner of the season ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai in 2009, and became an Official Tour Partner and Official Airline of the Tour in 2014.

Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline, said: “We’re delighted to extend our partnership with the DP World Tour. The tour continues to grow in prominence, attracting the best international golf players and providing us a platform to engage with golf fans on a global scale. Fittingly, the DP World Tour Championship culminates in Dubai, bringing visitors and global attention to Emirates’ home city which has also grown to become one of the world’s leading golfing destinations.”

Since 2009, the airline has carried more than 600 professional golfers to Dubai to play in the season ending DP World Tour Championship, bringing together more than 200,000 golf enthusiasts to watch the exciting tournament.

Guy Kinnings, Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Commercial Officer of the European Tour group, added: “Emirates are one of our longest serving partners and I’m delighted that they have decided to extend our partnership until the end of the 2024 season. As an airline that connects the world, they continue to benefit from aligning their brand with a truly global Tour – and our footprint continues to expand into new countries each season. We also benefit from Emirates’ extensive sports partnerships experience and proven track record in connecting sports fans to their passion.”

(Text: European Tour Group Communications)

Categories
European Tour

DP World Tour Enjoys Record Ticket Sales Across Key Summer Events

Shane Lowry at the DP World Tour BMW PGA Championship 2022. (Photo: Getty)
Shane Lowry at the DP World Tour BMW PGA Championship 2022. (Photo: Getty)

The DP World Tour has enjoyed record ticket sales across its key summer events in 2022, as fans have flocked to watch the world’s best compete for some of the oldest and most prestigious titles in golf.

Across four of the Tour’s most historic tournaments – Rolex Series events the BMW PGA Championship and the Genesis Scottish Open, in addition to the Betfred British Masters hosted by Danny Willett and the Horizon Irish Open – the DP World Tour has enjoyed a record 20 sold out days for general admission tickets and premium hospitality. Key tournament highlights include:

  • The 2022 BMW PGA Championship saw a 30% increase in ticket sales compared to the previous year, with three of the four competition days fully sold out in a tournament that was cut to 54-holes following the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
  • The 2022 Genesis Scottish Open in June, co-sanctioned with the PGA TOUR for the first time and with 14 of the top 15 players in the world rankings competing, saw a 12% increase in ticket sales compared to comparable pre-COVID sales in 2019.
  • The 2022 Horizon Irish Open in July saw a 40% increase in ticket sales compared to 2019. Weekend tickets sold out for the first time in the tournament’s history.
  • The 2022 Betfred British Masters hosted by Danny Willett in May enjoyed a sold-out final day, with a 4% increase in ticket sales compared to 2019.
  • Attendance figures across all four tournaments stood at 271,000.
  • Premium hospitality packages enjoyed complete sell-outs across all days at the Genesis Scottish Open, the BMW PGA Championship and the Horizon Irish Open.

DP World Tour sets ticket sales records

This ticketing success has led to a 32% increase in ticketing and hospitality revenue for these four tournaments in 2022 compared to 2019 – the last normal season before the pandemic. These tournaments have also enjoyed strong growth on social media for their dedicated tournament channels, with a 66% growth in follower numbers since 2019.

The DP World Tour also continues to deliver unforgettable experiences to fans, with attendees rating their overall event experience an 8.5/10. This benchmarks above UK major sporting event industry averages. The majority also expressed a desire to attend again and would strongly recommend the events to family and friends.

The fan base is also increasingly diverse, with a 39% increase in the number of female ticket purchasers for DP World Tour events this season compared to 2019.

This ticketing success has also been driven by the creation of Tour Consumer Experiences – a joint venture with industry-leading sports marketing and data technology company Two Circles. This is seeing the DP World Tour utilise Two Circles’ insights into sports fan behaviour and technology-driven sales and marketing capabilities.

New fans due to pandemic circumstances

Speaking about the record year Keith Pelley, Chief Executive Officer of the European Tour group, said: “Golf has enjoyed a significant boom in popularity since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic with its outdoor nature allowing an earlier return to action than most sports – helping to attract new fans to the game. The DP World Tour has worked hard to make sure that we utilise this momentum and find innovative ways to attract new fans to our tournaments.

“We have enjoyed a record summer of golf, with big name players competing for record prize funds and spectators have turned out in record numbers to watch. The DP World Tour has never been in such a strong position, and we expect this momentum to continue into the final few months of the 2022 season with November’s DP World Tour Championship in Dubai already enjoying record registrations to attend.”

Register here to receive the latest news and information, and to be the first to be notified when general admission tickets and premium experience packages go on sale.

Text: DP World Tour

Categories
European Tour

DP World Tour: BMW PGA Championship will resume on Saturday

The play at the BMW PGA Championship on DP World Tour has been suspended. (Photo: Getty)
The play at the BMW PGA Championship on DP World Tour has been suspended. (Photo: Getty)

Following the immediate suspension of play on Thursday evening and the complete cancellation of all day’s play on Friday, both actions taken in memory of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and out of respect for the Royal Family, the DP World Tour today confirmed the BMW PGA Championship will restart on Saturday morning. The decision by the DP World Tour has been taken in accordance with Official National Mourning guidance and in consultation with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

There will be a two-minute silence at 9.50 am on Saturday across the venue to commemorate the life of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, with the proclamation of King Charles III being shown on the television screens in the Championship Village from 10 am. While catering facilities will be open to spectators, the two concerts on Saturday and Sunday will be cancelled along with other entertainment on the Show Stage. Across the weekend, black ribbons will be made available for people to wear.

The BMW PGA Championship will now be contested over 54 holes with the intention to finish on Sunday as scheduled. The second round will resume at 6.40 am on Saturday and all original second-round tee times will remain the same. Those players who are yet to complete their first round will do so from 7.30 am onwards from the place on the golf course where they stopped on Thursday afternoon.

On behalf of all our employees in the UK and around the world, the BMW Group’s deepest sympathies and condolences continue to be with The Royal Family.

(Text: BMW Group)

Categories
European Tour

Celebrity Pro-Am opens 2022 BMW PGA Championship

Niall Horan (left), Mark Noble (above), Tom Felton and Lando Norris (below) are just a few of the numerous celebrities in attendance. (Photo: BMW Group)
Niall Horan (left), Mark Noble (above), Tom Felton and Lando Norris (below) are just a few of the numerous celebrities in attendance. (Photo: BMW Group)

The flagship event on the DP World Tour, the BMW PGA Championship, kicked off on Wednesday with the traditional Celebrity Pro-Am. A host of well-known sport, film and music stars reached for their golf clubs and joined the professionals on the iconic West Course at the Wentworth Club.

When golf stars meet actors, athletes and pop stars

Tyrrell Hatton, the 2020 BMW PGA Champion teed off alongside Formula 1 driver Lando Norris and actor Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter films. James and Oliver Phelps also rose to fame through these blockbuster films, as Weasley twins Fred and George. They played in the Pro-Am alongside major winner Justin Rose and pop star Niall Horan (formerly of ‘One Direction’ fame).

Another two big names from the music scene, Brian McFadden (formerly of ‘Westlife’) and Keith Duffy (formerly of ‘Boyzone’), teamed up with Max Kieffer. Defending champion Billy Horschel, a self-professed West Ham United fan, took to the course together with Mark Noble, the former captain of the Premier League side.

Other successful sports stars who jumped at the opportunity to play in the BMW PGA Championship Pro-Am included John Terry (football), Jason Roy, Sam Curran, Kevin Pietersen (all cricket), Will Greenwood (rugby), James Guy (swimming), Eve Muirhead and Vicky Drummond (both curling).

The competition of the Morning Starters was won by Tommy Fleetwood, Rahul Yadav, Jayant Nanda and Shirish Saraf with a score of -31. Victory in the afternoon went to the team led by Belgian Thomas Detry (-26).

On Thursday, the focus switches to the battle for one of the most coveted titles on the DP World Tour. Given the high-class field, this ought to be both intensive and exciting. The spectacular top trio of defending champion Billy Horschel (USA), FedExCup winner Rory McIlroy (NIR) and U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick (ENG) tees off at 08:30 local time. They are followed onto the West Course by Shane Lowry (IRL), Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood (both ENG). In Jon Rahm (ESP), Viktor Hovland (NOR) and Tyrell Hatton (ENG), another very attractive group will take to the course at 12:40.

Luke Donald (ENG), the 2023 European Ryde Cup captain, and four Germans – Max Kieffer, Matti Schmid, Hurly Long and Nicolai von Dellingshausen – will also be in action at the 2022 BMW PGA Championship.

(Text: BMW Group)

Categories
European Tour

Prep for the Ryder Cup: DP World Tour brings team match play tournament

Luke Donald is looking forward to a new match play team tournament on the DP World Tour. (Photo: Getty)
Luke Donald is looking forward to a new match play team tournament on the DP World Tour. (Photo: Getty)

In the week leading up to the DP World Tour’s (formerly European Tour) flagship tournament – the BMW PGA Championship, which also kicks off Ryder Cup qualifying – the European circuit has announced a new tournament format. The Hero Cup in January 2023 will be played in team match play as a sort of replacement for the Seve Trophy last held in 2013. Captain Luke Donald is enthusiastic and hopes to prepare for the Ryder Cup.

DP World Tour: New team match play format

“One of the first things I was keen to do when I was appointed as Ryder Cup Captain was to reinstate a team match play contest to give playing and leadership experience to future Ryder Cup players, vice-captains and Captains,” the leader of the European Ryder Cup team for the 2023 continental competition in Rome is quoted as saying in a DP World Tour press release. The Hero Cup, scheduled to take place at Abu Dhabi Golf Club from 13-15 January 2023, will feature two ten-man teams made up of British/Irish and Continental European golfers.

Donald will be in charge of the event and will assemble both teams in consultation with their respective captains, who are yet to be announced. The competition will consist of a fourball, a foursome and a singles round, each involving all 20 players. Who will be allowed to compete in the new tournament format will be announced after the season ends with the DP World Tour Championship 2022 in Dubai. The performance of the past season will also be taken into account in the selection.

Luke Donald with plenty of influence

“I spoke to a number of former Ryder Cup Captains who were strong advocates of how similar events in the past have benefitted players who were pushing to make Ryder Cup teams, as well as their own captaincy journey,” Donald, who was appointed skipper just a few weeks ago, said of the reasons for the new format.

The Ryder Cup captain thus continues to influence the design of the Continental Cup, which will be held in September 2023 at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club outside Rome. Most recently, Donald, together with his vice-captains, had adjusted the qualifying criteria and given himself more leeway by selecting a larger number of picks. Now the aim is to increase competitiveness again through playing practice in team competition and in man-to-man battles after they went down in the “Waterloo of Wisconsin” against an overpowering American team in 2021.