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European Tour

DP World Tour Tee Times: Horschel and Wiebe Tee Off at Olympic Golf Club

Billy Horschel and Gunner Wiebe will tee off at olympic Golfclub Le Golf National. (Photos: Getty)

As the DP World Tour continues its European swing, all eyes turn to Le Golf National in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France, for the historic Open de France. Known for its challenging par-71 layout and infamous closing holes, this prestigious event is set to deliver four days of top-tier golf, with a lucrative prize pool of €3.25 million on offer.

Defending champion Ryo Hisatsune returns, hoping to build on his impressive triumph last year, but he’ll face stiff competition from a world-class field. Fans can catch all the action live on Sky Sports, with coverage beginning on Thursday and Friday at 13:30, Saturday at 13:00, and Sunday at 12:30.

DP World Tour Tee Times: Star-Studded Pairings

American Gunner Wiebe kicks off his Open de France campaign early on Thursday, teeing off at 08:35 alongside Italy’s Edoardo Molinari and England’s Marco Penge. Wiebe will look to make a strong start before his second-round tee time at 13:00 on Friday.

Billy Horschel, a fan favorite and DP World Tour regular, will bring plenty of flair to his opening round at 09:05. He’s paired with fellow major champion Justin Rose and France’s own Romain Langasque. Horschel’s second round will see him tee off at 13:30 on Friday.

Another notable American in the field, Sean Crocker, starts his tournament at 09:45 on Thursday, playing alongside Japan’s Yuto Katsuragawa and French Hugo Le Goff. Crocker will be back in action on Friday afternoon with a 14:10 tee time.

Johannes Veerman will begin his challenge at 09:55, partnering with Germany’s Alexander Knappe and Austria’s Lukas Nemecz. Veerman will round off his second day with a 14:20 tee time on Friday.

Rounding out the American contingent, Jordan Gumberg tees off at 13:00 on Thursday, joining France’s Romain Wattel and England’s Callum Shinkwin. Gumberg will be looking to take advantage of his early Friday tee time, set for 08:25, to make a move up the leaderboard.

RoundStart TimePlayer 1 NamePlayer 2 NamePlayer 3 Name
Round 108:35Gunner WiebeEdoardo MolinariMarco Penge
Round 109:05Billy HorschelJustin RoseRomain Langasque
Round 109:45Sean CrockerYuto KatsuragawaHugo Le Goff
Round 109:55Johannes VeermanAlex KnappeLukas Nemecz
Round 113:00Jordan GumbergRomain WattelCallum Shinkwin
Round 213:00Gunner WiebeEdoardo MolinariMarco Penge
Round 213:30Billy HorschelJustin RoseRomain Langasque
Round 214:10Sean CrockerYuto KatsuragawaHugo Le Goff
Round 214:20Johannes VeermanAlex KnappeLukas Nemecz
Round 208:25Jordan GumbergRomain WattelCallum Shinkwin
Categories
Equipment

WITB: Tyrrell Hatton Wins with Ping in St. Andrews

Tyrrell Hatton's golfbag at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. (Image: Getty)
Tyrrell Hatton's golfbag at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. (Image: Getty)

For his third victory at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, Tyrrell Hatton puts a mixture of popular Ping models from recent years and the current season in his bag. With the latest wedges and irons, he impresses on the fairways, from the tee he relies on the G430 series from last year. A look inside the Tour winner’s bag.

A Look Inside Tyrrell Hatton’s Bag at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

Tyrrell Hatton relies on the latest woods and irons from Ping. The Englishman seems happy with the driver and woods from the G430 series and delivers first-class performances time and time again. The G430 LST driver has a slightly lower moment of inertia than the Max models and a smaller club head for less spin off the tee. As a fairway wood, Hatton then switches to the G430 Max versions to enjoy a little more forgiveness. As with the drivers, the face of the woods is designed with different thicknesses to compensate to a certain extent for miss-hits outside the sweet spot.

On the fairways and par 3s, Hatton then uses the Ping i230 irons from iron 3 to 6. The Players Distance irons are slightly wider in the sole and have a lower weight than the brand’s blades. Thanks to Mirco Grooves and a light cavity back, the irons still promise good trajectory control, which is always helpful for Scottish links golf. From the 7 iron to the pitching wedge, Hatton then uses the new Blueprint S irons from Ping. This classic cavity-back iron is said to have an improved sound compared to its predecessor and impress with its particularly high level of control.

Around the greens, Hatton uses the brand new wedges from Ping. The s159 wedges will succeed the Glide series in 2024 and impress with a mix of popular technologies and new innovations. Ping offers plenty of spin and different sole grinds. Hatton relies on the “S” grind, which offers plenty of bounce and versatility thanks to a heel and trail edge relief. On the green, the Englishman also uses a “vintage model”. The Ping Vault Oslo putter was first launched on the market in 2016 and, after some back and forth, still seems to be a favorite in Hatton’s bag. He uses the Titleist Pro V1x as his golf ball.

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Rules

DP World Tour: Dog Steals Gareth Bale’s Golf Ball from the Green

Gareth Bale's ball was stolen by a dog at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. (Photo: Getty)
Gareth Bale's ball was stolen by a dog at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. (Photo: Getty)

Gareth Bale experienced a little furry disturbance at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. On Saturday, on his third round together with Daniel Brown at the DP World Tour Pro-Am tournament, Bale was chipping his ball onto a green on the Carnoustie Golf Links when a small enthusiastic four-legged friend came running up, grabbed the ball and then ran off with it towards the spectators.

Rules of golf: When an animal moves the ball

Whilst this only happens now and again at professional tournaments, there are plenty of animals on local golf courses that could become too interested in the small white balls. So what should you do in this case? The video shows that the ball stops on the green just before the dog reaches the ball and removes it from its spot. The rules situation is therefore simple. According to Rule 9.6, the ball is simply returned to the place from which it was removed. If it is not quite certain where the ball was, the location is simply estimated.

The rule text reads as follows:

“If it is known or virtually certain that an outside influence (including another player in stroke play or another ball) lifted or moved a player’s ball at rest:
– There is no penalty, and
– The ball must be replaced on its original spot (which if not known must be estimated).“

But what happens if the ball is picked up by an animal while it is still moving? This case is clarified in the clarifications to Rule 11.1b. The ball is then considered to have ‘come to rest on the animal’ and the player must claim penalty-free relief from the point at which the animal picked up the ball.

“If an animal picks up a ball in motion, the ball has come to rest on the animal and free relief must be taken using the point where the animal picked up the ball as the reference point.

For example, a ball played from the fairway is picked up by a dog while it is still in motion. The ball has come to rest on the animal at the point where the dog picked up the ball.
– If the ball was picked up on the fairway, a ball must be dropped within one club-length of and no nearer the hole than the point where the ball was picked up by the dog in the general area.
– If the ball was picked up on the putting green, a ball must be placed on the putting green on the estimated spot where the ball was picked up.”

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Panorama

Viktor Hovland Out for the Rest of the Year Due to Injury

Viktor Hovland at the 2024 Tour Championship. (Source: Getty)
Viktor Hovland at the 2024 Tour Championship. (Source: Getty)

As bunkered.co.uk reports, Viktor Hovland will have to take the rest of the season off due to injury and will not compete in any more tournaments this year. His injury has not been specified and no further details are known. Although he is therefore short of the required minimum number of four DP World Tour tournaments, he will probably not have to worry about losing his tour card thanks to an exemption.

Viktor Hovland 2024 With a Mixed Season

Hovland had already cancelled his participation in the BMW PGA Championship in Wentworth in September. He was last seen at the Tour Championship, the final of the PGA Tour‘s FedEx Cup, which he finished in a tie for twelfth place. He had crowned his successful 2023 season with victory at this tournament.

However, the Norwegian was unable to build on his success in 2024: he went the whole year without a win, missed the cut in three of the four majors and only reached the top 10 in two tournaments, including the PGA Championship.

Due to his injury, the eight-ranked player in the world will no longer be able to compete in the Race to Dubai. He will miss both the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and the DP World Tour Championship in November.

Hovland’s Ryder Cup Eligibility Probably Not Jeopardised

For European players, membership of the DP World Tour is a condition of participation in the 2025 Ryder Cup, which can only be maintained by playing at least four tournaments on the DP World Tour. Although Hovland is now unable to play the required number of tournaments due to his injury, this is unlikely to be his undoing: The DP World Tour announced that an exception could be made due to the medical reason and that Hovland would be exempted from the playing obligation.

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European Tour

DP World Tour: 14 LIV Golfers Participate in Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

LIV golfers Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton (Photo: Getty)
LIV golfers Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton (Photo: Getty)

The 2024 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, one of the most prestigious tournaments on the DP World Tour, is drawing significant attention this year due to the participation of 14 golfers from the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf League. This raises the question: Why are so many LIV golfers allowed to compete in an event of the DP World Tour, especially since many of them are not members of the tour?

Tradition and prestige of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is the only tournament held annually at the famous Old Course in St. Andrews, as well as at Carnoustie and Kingsbarns. This unique event attracts the best golfers in the world, including Ryder Cup stars like Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm. Despite the rivalry between the DP World Tour and the LIV Golf League, fueled by Saudi Arabia’s financial involvement in golf, several LIV players have found a way to participate in this tournament.

Invitations and Special Provisions on the DP World Tour

A key factor allowing many LIV golfers to compete in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is the invitations extended by the tournament committee. The organizers, particularly South African billionaire Johann Rupert, who has been organizing the event for a long time, view this as a way to unite the best golfers worldwide. Rupert has repeatedly emphasized that the future of golf lies in the collaboration of different tours, as demonstrated by the invitation of LIV players.

One example is US American Brooks Koepka, who says the Old Course is one of his favorite places in the world and was invited despite being part of the LIV Golf League. Other players such as Louis Oosthuizen, Talor Gooch and Branden Grace also received invitations from the committee. Other LIV players, however, such as Patrick Reed, have received their starting places through good placings in other tournaments.

Exceptions through appeals

Some LIV golfers who are still active members of the DP World Tour can only take part due to ongoing appeal procedures. Players such as Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton have appealed DP World Tour sanctions imposed on them after competing in LIV events. While these appeals have not yet been finalized, the players will be allowed to continue competing in DP World Tour events while the proceedings are ongoing.

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Live

OWGR: Fleetwood Closes in on Top 10, Rahm Gains Points

Tommy Fleetwood Aims for Top 10 in OWGR. (Photo: Getty)
Tommy Fleetwood Aims for Top 10 in OWGR. (Photo: Getty)

The latest World Golf Ranking presents some notable shifts among British golfers. Rory McIlroy remains the highest-ranked golfer from the UK, holding the 3rd position with no change from last week, and an average point score of 8,64. Tommy Fleetwood, improving his rank from 12th to 11th, remains the second-highest British golfer, with an average point score of 4.25.

See the complete Official World Golf Ranking here

Robert MacIntyre and Other UK Golfers in the World Golf Ranking

Robert MacIntyre from Scotland retains his 16th place, maintaining his position from the previous week with an average point score of 3.76. Aaron Rai, currently ranked 20th, also holds his position from last week, with an average point score of 3.32. Matt Fitzpatrick experienced a slight drop, moving from 28th to 29th in the World Golf Ranking, and holds an average point score of 2.82.

Top 10 in the World Golf Ranking

Scottie Scheffler remains the leader of the World Golf Ranking, sustaining his 1st position. Xander Schauffele follows in the 2nd spot, with no changes from last week. Rory McIlroy, the highest-ranked British player, is in 3rd place. Collin Morikawa, Ludvig Aberg, and Wyndham Clark also maintain their positions from last week, ranked 4th, 5th, and 6th, respectively. Hideki Matsuyama holds steady at 7th place. Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay, and Bryson DeChambeau complete the Top-10, all retaining their ranks from last week. Behind the Top-10 Jon Rahm notably gains points in the OWGR apart from a major tournament with his second place at the Open de Espana.

Position Player Name Nationality Ranking Last Week Average Points
3 Rory McIlroy NIR 3 8.64
11 Tommy Fleetwood ENG 12 4.25
16 Robert MacIntyre SCO 16 3.76
20 Aaron Rai ENG 20 3.32
29 Matt Fitzpatrick ENG 28 2.81
Categories
Panorama

Jon Rahm Announces Birth of Third Child

(Photo: Getty)
(Photo: Getty)

Professional golfer Jon Rahm’s third child has been born. Rahm was therefore able to compete in his first DP World Tour tournament of the season.

Birth causes a slight change in plans

After Jon Rahm was unable to take part in the LIV Golf Team Championship last week due to ‘severe flu symptoms’, according to LIV Golf, his participation in this week’s acciona Open de España was uncertain as well. In fact, Rahm’s arrival was delayed by one day: instead of arriving at the Club de Campo Villa in Madrid on Tuesday as planned, he arrived on Wednesday and thus missed the Pro-Am tournament. However, the reason for his delay appears to be a happy one: The Spanish newspaper ‘Marca’ reports that his wife Kelley Cahill gave birth to their third child a day earlier, on Tuesday.

The couple announced the pregnancy on Instagram in March 2024. The post shows Rahm and his wife Kelley holding their two sons, Kepa (3) and Eneko (2), in their arms. Rahm wrote ‘Officially moving to zone defense, baby Rahm #3 coming soon!’.

 
Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an
 

Ein Beitrag geteilt von Jon Rahm Rodriguez (@jonrahm)

At an Open Championship 2024 press conference in July, Rahm hinted at complications with the pregnancy, but did not elaborate.

Now the new baby is born and Rahm is competing at the Open de España with the aim of reclaiming his title. The 2018, 2019 and 2022 winner has the chance to win the trophy in his home country for the fourth time this week.

Jon Rahm’s participation relevant for Ryder Cup eligibility

Rahm’s participation in the DP World Tour tournament is also important for his potential Ryder Cup participation in 2025: only European players who are members of the DP World Tour can represent Europe in the Ryder Cup. The prerequisite for membership is playing at least four DP World Tour tournaments.

After Rahm switched to the LIV Tour in December 2023, he no longer took part in any DP World Tour tournaments. As the Olympic golf tournament also counts, the Open de España is Rahm’s second of four necessary tournaments. Next week he is on the list of participants at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland and in October he would like to play the Andalucía Masters in Spain.

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European Tour

DP World Tour Tee Times: Patrick Reed and American Players at acciona Open de España

DP World Tour Tee Times: US players (Image: Getty)
DP World Tour Tee Times: US players (Image: Getty)

The DP World Tour Tee Times for the upcoming acciona Open de España held at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid in Spain have been announced. Part of the DP World Tour, this prestigious event boasts a par-71 course and a prize purse of $3,250,000. Last year’s title was claimed by Matthieu Pavon. Here, we delve into the tee times and partners for all American players in the tournament.

DP World Tour Tee Times for American Players

Patrick Reed will tee off for his first round on Thursday at 13:40 from Tee 1. His playing partners are Adrian Otaegui from Spain and Rikuyo Hoshino from Japan. On Friday, their second round begins at 08:50 from Tee 10.

Jimmy Walker starts his first round on Thursday at 13:30 from Tee 1 alongside Alfredo Garcia-Heredia from Spain and David Ravetto from France. Their second round begins on Friday at 08:40 from Tee 10.

Johannes Veerman is scheduled to tee off on Thursday at 13:30 from Tee 10. He will be joined by Gavin Green from Malaysia and Nick Bachem from Germany. Their second round will start on Friday from Tee 1 at 08:40.

Chase Hanna will play his first round at 14:10 on Thursday from Tee 10. His partners for the day include Alexander Knappe from Germany and Jack Davidson from Wales. The second round for this group starts at 09:20 on Friday from Tee 1.

Jordan Gumberg tees off on Thursday at 09:30 from Tee 1. Playing alongside him will be Jens Dantorp from Sweden and Julien Guerrier from France. Their second round is set to begin on Friday at 14:20 from Tee 10. Gumberg’s inclusion in the DP World Tour Tee Times highlights his pivotal role.

Round Time Player Partner 1 Partner 2
Round 1 08:50 James Nicholas Oliver Bekker (RSA) Josh Berry
Round 1 09:20 Sean Crocker George Coetzee (RSA) Matthew Southgate (ENG)
Round 1 09:30 Jordan Gumberg Jens Dantorp (SWE) Julien Guerrier (FRA)
Round 1 14:10 Chase Hanna Alexander Knappe (GER) Jack Davidson (WAL)
Round 1 13:30 Jimmy Walker Alfredo Garcia-Heredia (ESP) David Ravetto (FRA)
Round 1 13:30 Johannes Veerman Gavin Green (MAS) Nick Bachem (GER)
Round 1 13:40 Patrick Reed Adrian Otaegui (ESP) Rikuyo Hoshino (JPN)
Round 2 08:40 Jimmy Walker Alfredo Garcia-Heredia (ESP) David Ravetto (FRA)
Round 2 08:50 Patrick Reed Adrian Otaegui (ESP) Rikuyo Hoshino (JPN)
Round 2 09:20 Chase Hanna Alexander Knappe (GER) Jack Davidson (WAL)
Round 2 14:20 Jordan Gumberg Jens Dantorp (SWE) Julien Guerrier (FRA)
Round 2 14:10 Sean Crocker George Coetzee (RSA) Matthew Southgate (ENG)
DP World Tour Tee Times
Categories
European Tour

DP World Tour Tee Times: Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood and More at the acciona Open de España

DP World Tour Tee Times: Tyrrell Hatton and other players. (Image: Getty)
DP World Tour Tee Times: Tyrrell Hatton and other players. (Image: Getty)

The DP World Tour Tee Times for the upcoming acciona Open de España presented by Madrid have been announced. The tournament takes place at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid in Madrid, Spain. The course has a par of 71. It is part of the DP World Tour, with a prize fund of $3,250,000 and the current defending champion being Matthieu Pavon.

DP World Tour Tee Times

England’s Tyrrell Hatton is in a group with Italian Matteo Manassero and Spaniard Jorge Campillo. They will start their first round at 09:00 and their second round at 13:50.

English golfer Tommy Fleetwood will start his first round at 09:10, paired with Shane Lowry from Ireland and Nacho Elvira from Spain. Their second round will start at 14:00

Scottish golfer Stephen Gallacher will begin his first round at 08:40, paired with South Korean Sung-hoon Kang and Austrian Matthias Schwab. Their second round will start at 13:30.

Richie Ramsay, another Scottish player, will tee off at 08:40 in the first round with German Yannik Paul and Spanish Jose Luis Ballester. The group will start their second round at 13:30.

Ewen Ferguson from Scotland will join Spaniard Adri Arnaus and English Alex Fitzpatrick, beginning their first round at 09:20 and their second round at 14:10.

Marc Warren from Scotland will tee off at 10:20 alongside Norwegian Kristian Krogh Johannessen and Carlos Sanchez Molina from Spain. Their second round is scheduled for 15:10.

Player Nationality Round 1 Time Round 2 Time Playing Partners Nationalities
Stephen Gallacher SCO 08:40 13:30 Sung-hoon Kang, Matthias Schwab KOR, AUT
Richie Ramsay SCO 08:40 13:30 Yannik Paul, Jose Luis Ballester GER, ESP
Tyrrell Hatton ENG 09:00 13:50 Matteo Manassero, Jorge Campillo ITA, ESP
Ewen Ferguson SCO 09:20 14:10 Adri Arnaus, Alex Fitzpatrick ESP, ENG
Marc Warren SCO 10:20 15:10 Kristian Krogh Johannessen, Carlos Sanchez Molina NOR, ESP
Tommy Fleetwood ENG 09:10 14:00 Shane Lowry, Nacho Elvira IRL, ESP
DP World Tour Tee Times
Categories
European Tour

Rory McIlroy and the Next Narrow Defeat: “Golf Tests My Resilience”

Rory McIlroy with another close second at the BMW PGA Championship. (Image: getty)
Rory McIlroy with another close second at the BMW PGA Championship. (Image: getty)

Just missed is also over: Rory McIlroy’s year of missed successes continued at the DP Word Tour’s flagship tournament in Wentworth. “The game is testing my resilience right now,” said the Northern Irishman after losing the play-off at the BMW PGA Championship to Billy Horschel, who had success over the regular distance on his hands when his ball rolled just millimetres past a winning hole-out eagle on the 72nd hole.

The BMW PGA Championship leaderboard

Rory McIlroy: “I’m Playing Well”

“It’s golf and I’m playing well,” McIlroy tried to maintain a stoic attitude: ”These things just happen. The game is challenging me a bit more than it has in the past, but that’s fine. If you look at my career as a 30-year journey, this is just one year in that journey. And anyway, there have certainly been years where I’ve felt worse.” However, the 35-year-old also admitted that he had become too accustomed to disappointment. No wonder, given the missed chances at the US Open, the Olympic Games and a week ago Sunday at the Irish Open home event at Royal County Down. McIlroy: “There are still quite a few years left on my journey and sooner or later the tide will turn if I keep playing like this.” The next opportunity will come at the Dunhill Links Championship; and in any case, everything looks as if “Rors” will secure the DP World Tour Order of Merit again at the end of the season – for the sixth time.