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Omega European Masters: Morrison hits new heights in Crans Montana

James Morrison of England plays his tee shot to the 6th hole during Day One of The Omega European Masters at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.

Round One Report

James Morrison climbed to the summit of the Omega European Masters leaderboard with an impressive ten under par round of 60, setting both a new course record and his lowest round on the European Tour.

The Englishman took full advantage of the glorious morning conditions at Golf Club Crans-sur-Sierre to open up a three shot lead after round one, and admitted he had the second 59 on Tour in his sights, following his countryman Oliver Fisher’s record round at the 2018 Portugal Masters.

The solidarity bogey
All eyes were on the two-time European Tour winner as he got to seven under par through 15 holes on the par 70 Severiano Ballesteros Course. He duly recorded back to back birdies on the seventh and eighth – his 16th and 17th – but left himself too much to do with an eagle chip on the last, and settled for his ninth birdie of the day, alongside an eagle and a solitary bogey.

Fellow Englishman Marcus Armitage and Robin Sciot-Siegrist of France recorded seven under par rounds of 63, with Armitage finding inspiration for his bogey-free effort upon his return to the site of his engagement four years ago. It was also a memorable day for Sciot-Siegrist, who recorded his best round of the season, with a bogey on the first the only blemish on his card.

His countryman Andy Sullivan and Dean Burmester of South Africa are one shot further back on six under par, with Belgian pair Nicolas Colsaerts and Thomas Detry, Frenchman Julien Guerrier, Renato Paratore and amateur Pietro Bovari of Italy and American Paul Peterson on five under par.

Player Quotes

James Morrison: “We were the first group out at 7.40am and the greens were absolutely perfect this morning, with no wind. You know you’ve got to take advantage, but doing it is another thing. Holed a couple of good putts, chipped in at 11, and it just snowballed from there. Bogied the 18th, my ninth, to be four under par through nine, but it was just a good, solid start. Hit the right shots when I had to and made a few putts.

“It was funny, after I bogied 18 I went to the first – which is probably the hardest hole on the course – and made birdie there, my caddie said “Come on, I think we can shoot 59 here”. I had eight holes to go and you use that as more of a mental push to keep going forward.

“Had a really good look on the last (the chip for eagle) and thought, just try to make this. The minute your focus goes like that, you chip it stiff, make birdie and shoot ten under par. I was trying to hole that shot on the last, but next time maybe.”

Robin Sciot-Siegrist: “I’m feeling good right now. I’ve been working a lot on my game, mostly my putting, and I’ve been putting well the last few weeks. I’ve had a couple of good rounds the last few weeks so that gives me confidence and I’m playing better at the moment.

“It’s a very tricky course, things can go sideways a bit. You just need to get what you can. I had a good stretch on the front nine and on the back nine I just stuck to my strategy. If things go well, you take it. I don’t know if the course fits my game but you really need to be strategic and I like courses like that. You still need to play well. I just like the set up and it’s beautiful out there.”

Marcus Armitage: “I enjoy the feeling of being here again. I’ve only been here once before and that was when I got engaged four years ago. Unfortunately, Lucy isn’t with me, but just great feelings here, and a couple of weeks off (before this week) have paid dividends.

“Sometimes you can look at a score like that (Morrison’s 60) and try to put the foot down. Then if you don’t start off well you can get frustrated with your own game. This is very much a patience golf course, so even if you see someone like James with ten under – which is an amazing score – you’ve just got to be patient, take your time and construct a round.

“I’m patient in a lot of things. Golf is a massive part of my life, I just love golf so much I can get a little bit frustrated with it, but with a few weeks off it’s calmed me down a bit and I can just enjoy it and be patient. Just excited for the next few weeks and the rest of this week.”

Round One Scores

60 J MORRISON (ENG),
63 M ARMITAGE (ENG), R SCIOT-SIEGRIST (FRA),
64 A SULLIVAN (ENG), D BURMESTER (RSA),
65 P BOVARI (AM) (ITA), R PARATORE (ITA), N COLSAERTS (BEL), T DETRY (BEL), J GUERRIER (FRA), P PETERSON (USA),
66 J HARDING (RSA), S SODERBERG (SWE), M LEE (AUS), M SIEM (GER), D VAN TONDER (RSA), J MCLEOD (AUS), D FICHARDT (RSA),
67 B HEBERT (FRA), A BJ?RK (SWE), M KAWAMURA (JPN), J GONNET (FRA), M JORDAN (ENG), S JAMIESON (SCO), R SABBATINI (SVK), B WIESBERGER (AUT), G MIGLIOZZI (ITA), J DONALDSON (WAL), A CHESTERS (ENG), K MOON (KOR), D VAN DRIEL (NED), R KARLBERG (SWE),
68 J CATLIN (USA), J CAMPILLO (ESP), A PAVAN (ITA), M KAYMER (GER), A JOHNSTON (ENG), V PEREZ (FRA), C HILL (SCO), A OTAEGUI (ESP), R MCGOWAN (ENG), R KLEU (AM) (SUI), R H?JGAARD (DEN), S SHARMA (IND), V DUBUISSON (FRA), D HORSEY (ENG), F ZANOTTI (PAR), J JANEWATTANANOND (THA), J VEERMAN (USA), R LESTER (IRL), A SADDIER (FRA), R ROUSSEL (FRA),
69 W ORMSBY (AUS), A ROZNER (FRA), N ELVIRA (ESP), L BJERREGAARD (DEN), A LEVY (FRA), R RAMSAY (SCO), R SANTOS (POR), Y CHANG (KOR), H ELLIS (ENG), B MACPHERSON (AUS), C GUGLER (AM) (SUI), C SORDET (FRA), M ANTCLIFF (AUS), J HANSEN (DEN), J WALTERS (RSA), R BLAND (ENG), M JIM?NEZ (ESP), N BERTASIO (ITA), D GAVINS (ENG), P LARRAZ?BAL (ESP), S HEISELE (GER),
70 G COETZEE (RSA), R MCEVOY (ENG), T PIETERS (BEL), M LORENZO-VERA (FRA), R LANGASQUE (FRA), J CALDWELL (NIR), M KINHULT (SWE), S HEND (AUS), L SLATTERY (ENG), L VAN MEIJEL (NED), H LEON (CHI), G PORTEOUS (ENG), M PAVON (FRA), C PIGEM (ESP), A CA?IZARES (ESP), D DRYSDALE (SCO), S V?LIM?KI (FIN), D WILLETT (ENG), D HOWELL (ENG), J WINTHER (DEN), O WILSON (ENG), A MERONK (POL),
71 M WARREN (SCO), J KRUYSWIJK (RSA), H STENSON (SWE), S CROCKER (USA), W BESSELING (NED), A COCKERILL (CAN), N LEMKE (SWE), S CHAWRASIA (IND), G HAVRET (FRA), T OLESEN (DEN), K SAMOOJA (FIN), M KORHONEN (FIN), E PEPPERELL (ENG), J STALTER (FRA), B DREDGE (WAL),
72 D LAW (SCO), F MOLINARI (ITA), J SURI (USA), G STORM (ENG), W NIENABER (RSA), S KJELDSEN (DEN), S GALLACHER (SCO), R FISHER (ENG), R JACQUELIN (FRA), O FISHER (ENG), F LAPORTA (ITA), S BROWN (ENG), O FARR (WAL),
73 B EASTON (RSA), R DE SOUSA (SUI), S KIM (USA), M SOUTHGATE (ENG), L GAGLI (ITA), B STONE (RSA), A ARNAUS (ESP), T PULKKANEN (FIN), E MOLINARI (ITA), M BALDWIN (ENG), S YONGCHAROENCHAI (THA), R ROCK (ENG), S GARCIA RODRIGUEZ (ESP), C SHARVIN (NIR), D WHITNELL (ENG),
74 M EGGENBERGER (SUI), S HORSFIELD (ENG), Z LOMBARD (RSA), G GREEN (MAS), P FIGUEIREDO (POR), C SYME (SCO), M SCHLIESING (AM) (SUI), J LIMA (POR), J SENIOR (ENG),
75 J LAGERGREN (SWE), G FORREST (SCO),
76 C PAISLEY (ENG), D PERRIER (FRA),
77 H PORTEOUS (RSA), T LEE (KOR),
78 T TREE (ENG), B POKE (DEN),
83 M GILARDI (AM) (SUI),

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European Tour Top Tours

European Tour: Willett amongst Major winners is ready to battle 1500 metres above sea level in the Swiss Alps.

Danny Willet is looking froward to recreating his victory at the 2021 Omega European Master in Crans Montana, Switzerland.

Tournament: Omega European Masters
Race to Dubai: Tournament 30 of 39 events
Venue: Golf Club Crans-sur-Sierre, Crans Montana, Switzerland

Tournament Preview

Danny Willett is hoping to recreate his special 2015 victory when he tees it up in “one of the best stops on Tour” at the Omega European Masters.

The Englishman secured the third of his seven European Tour victories at the picturesque Golf Club Crans-sur-Sierre seven years ago, and his subsequent victories include the 2016 Masters Tournament. After an up and down year, he is hoping that his knowledge of the course that sits 1500 metres above sea level in the Swiss Alps – and where he has recorded two further top five finishes – will pay dividends.

The 33 year old is joined in the field by defending champion Sebastian Soderberg and fellow Major winners Francesco Molinari and Henrik Stenson, who are making welcome returns to the event after eight and nine years respectively.

Soderberg sealed an impressive play-off victory in Crans Montana in 2019 – prevailing over Rory McIlroy, Andres Romero, Lorenzo Gagli and Kalle Samooja in a play-off to claim his first European Tour title – and is aiming to build on his first top 20 finish of the season in last week’s D+D Real Czech Masters.

His fellow Swede and 2016 Open Champion Stenson is also looking to carry over his form from last week, with an impressive putting performance leading to a tied fourth finish and his best result on the European Tour this season. While the man who lifted the Claret Jug two years later is focusing on staying pain free after an injury-plagued season, Molinari hopes that a long-awaited return to the venue where his finished in second place back in 2006 will help to kick start a good run leading into the end of the season.

Player quotes

Danny Willett: “We always say the place makes a week for us, and this is one of the best stops on the European Tour, if not any Tour, up here in Crans. We’ve had some pretty nice results around here. That week (his win in 2015) was very special. My mum and dad were there, the first time they had seen me win for a while. It’s just nice to come back to a place with great memories.

“You’ve got to control distance here. Notoriously small greens, tricky to putt, tricky to chip around. The guys who do well around here control the ball flight well, control the numbers into these small greens at altitude to give themselves birdie putts. It’s a real precise second shot golf course. There are a lot of chances out there so you just need to stay patient.”

Sebastian Soderberg: “It’s wonderful to be back, this course is special. Playing at this altitude with all of the upslopes and downhills, it’s a different experience and it’s definitely nice to be back.
“I finally feel like I’ve finally played some good golf (this season). I don’t think it was great for me to be leading last week in Czech Republic heading into this event. I haven’t played the weekend since May, so I had to deal with a few more emotions than I have in a while. I was a little rusty there I would say, but as much as you can put yourself in that position and gain from the experience the better. I’m definitely happy feeling those things coming into this week.”

Henrik Stenson: “It’s one of the iconic stops on the European Tour, it’s a beautiful week. Once you have made the climb to get up here it’s super easy – you can walk to golf course, restaurant, hotel, it’s got a great atmosphere. It’s bringing back some great memories from the early days on Tour as well.

“Last week in Czech Republic, putting was probably as good as it’s ever been over four days. I kept it super tidy on the greens and that’s where I made up a lot of ground. Kept it tight in terms of bogies as well. Other than a plugged ball on a fairway trap in the third round, I was more or less bogey free for three days. That’s a statement to how well we managed to play around the golf course on short game and putting.”

Francesco Molinari: “It’s very nice to be back here in Crans – it’s been a while. It’s a spectacular place, challenging and nice course, and a fun event to stay in town and walk around. First and foremost I want to be healthy and playing pain free, be more consistent without having to stop every other week. It would be nice to progress through the weeks and have a strong end of the season so next year can be different from this one.

“It’s a ball striking course, quite tight off the tee. If you go off line with the trees it is hard to score well. With the altitude, distance control is quite important. That’s something that I did well in the past and I need to do well again this week.”

Press Release by the European Tour Communications

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Knowledge Live Top Tours

Official World Golf Ranking: Jon Rahm holds on to first place

Jon Rahm leads the Official World Ranking one more week, after the 2021 Northern Trust, in New Jersey.
The latest from our concise analysis, to brief you on how the key events of the last week have effected the official world golf rankings.

Top 5 OWGR Leaderboard

# Name Nationality Points Total Points Gained Events
1 Jon Rahm ESP 486.08 279.31 48
2 Dustin Johnson USA 374.33 123.75 43
3 Collin Morikawa USA 444.23 312.25 52
4 Xander Schauffele USA 348.07 210.59 47
5 Justin Thomas USA 369.26 181.55 52
Jon Rahm leads in the official world golf ranking this week. The Spaniard’s points average is 10.1267 at the time of publication. Rahm’s rank has not changed since the last count. ​ Next up on the official world golf ranking list is Dustin Johnson, 37 years old, at rank 2. The American has, in comparison to last week, not gone up or down in the rankings. Coming in third this week is Collin Morikawa, 37, with a points average of 8.5428. Michael Hirmer has made the biggest leap this week in the official world golf rankings. has managed to jump 580 places in the world ranking list, and is now sitting at 765 rank. The German started last week at rank 1345, with a current point average of 0.13. The No.1 Englishman in the official world golf rankings is currently Tyrrell Hatton, in place 13 and has remained unchanged since last week.
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European Tour

Wiesberger and Perez eyeing Ryder Cup run at Cazoo Classic

Bernd Wiesberger, from Austria, concentrates all his forces in the Cazoo Classic 2021

Tournament Preview

Bernd Wiesberger and Victor Perez will tee it up in this week’s Cazoo Classic at London Golf Club, both harbouring hopes of staking a late claim to secure a place on Pádraig Harrington’s European Ryder Cup team.

Both players are well and truly in the mix as the race for qualification concludes at the end of next month’s BMW PGA Championship, before Team Europe journeys to Whistling Straits in Wisconsin two weeks later in an attempt to retain the famous trophy they lifted in Paris three years ago.

Austrian Wiesberger currently lies in seventh position on the European Points List, helped by an eighth European Tour victory earlier this year at Made in HimmerLand presented by FREJA, while Frenchman Perez sits just outside the cut-off mark on the World Points List behind Irishman Shane Lowry.

Wiesberger has enjoyed a three-week break since making the cut at The Open and returns to Kent feeling fresh and ready for the challenge. Perez, meanwhile, played last week’s WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational in Memphis and is now targeting a return to the kind of form which earned him a fourth place finish in March’s WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.

Andy Sullivan is a man who has already experienced the Ryder Cup, having played in 2016, and the Englishman’s most recent European Tour win came almost exactly a year ago on home soil, so he will be hoping to feed off the memories of his 2020 English Championship triumph this week.

Player Quotes

Bernd Wiesberger: “I have not played a massive amount of golf in my time off to be honest, that’s why I’m feeling nice and fresh and enjoy hitting a few balls. I played 18 holes today for the second time since Sunday at The Open.

“So they were short golfing days for me back at home, but I’ve been up to all sorts of things, tried three weeks off tournament golf, but it’s time to switch on again and get a few good weeks going this week at London Golf Club.

“I’m not the youngest anymore so I need to conserve my energy and I feel good. I had a lovely time yesterday with Titleist up at the new facility at Woburn and got everything nicely dialled in and played 18 practice holes because it’s my first time at London Golf Club.

“The course looks like, I feel like it’s really a golf course that suits my game and that’s always good, to come to a place that does that. I feel fresh, eager to get going again and I’m looking forward to the week.

“Well there’s really only one target for me over the next four events I’m playing, four of the next five. After that fourth week there is a big cut-off so that’s the big target and just try and enjoy these four weeks and free up for them, give everything in those events and try get the best outcome possible. We’ll see if we reach that goal.”

Victor Perez: “Obviously I didn’t have the best of weeks last week, I felt like some parts of the game worked for me and some parts of the games were poor and it’s just a case of putting it all together. There were some good stretches which has been the case for a long time in the last five or six months where it’s been good for a little bit, bad for little bit and not consistent enough.

“So it’s just a matter of putting it all together. The course looks great and I’m excited for the week. It’s part of the game where you look and think a 67 should be a 72 and it works both ways so you just have to be grateful for the times it works and be patient for the times when it doesn’t work.

“Sometimes you shoot 71 and you feel like you’re so close to a 68 and getting the rounds going and equally sometimes you shoot 67 and you get away withy a lot, so it’s a matter of perspective really.

“It’s a big puzzle and it’s just a matter of figuring it out, the right balance oif it all. Sometimes it works and you don’t know why and you keep risding that wave. Then something gets a little off and it’s just a matter of putting the pieces together where you’re comfortable enough to just play. It’s always so easy when it works and equally it can be very difficult.

“It can happen so quickly, you get off to a great week. You get a win and then all of a sudden you’re straight back into the conversation so with the double points and the way it’s turning out to be, it’s going to come all the way down to the final week at Wentworth – being a Rolex Series event with double points. I think at the end of the day it’s just all about playing well, giving yourself chances and hitting good shots.”

Andy Sullivan: “I feel like the game is good, I’ve been playing nicely without doing anything special, just not being getting up and down around the greens enough in honesty.

“I’ve been going along nicely, not getting up and down and you come back a couple of shots or a shot and it just completely zaps all momentum in the round so I’ve been doing a bit of work the last couple of weeks on that, trying to get that tighter, but the game feels in good shape.

“I’m loving the greens this week, the greens are really quick which is a lot more down my alley so without having too much form coming in here I’m actually feeling quite confident my game.

“We’re all out here to be competitive, aren’t we, and when you’re not it is frustrating and there’s no hiding that. I’m not going to stand here and say I’m really happy I finished 50th the last two weeks because I’m not. I’m fuming with it, it’s not nice, so in all honesty finishing 50th the last two weeks is massively frustrating and I want to be at the top end of the leaderboard. It’s not nice going into Sunday’s and not really got much to play for so try and rectify that this week and make sure the short game is tight.”

Press Release by the European Communication Team

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Top Tours

Popert storms to EDGA Hero Open 2021 victory

Kipp Popert holding the plate of victory at the EDGA Hero Open 2021

Tournament Report

Kipp Popert carded a stunning bogey-free final round of 66 to win the EDGA Hero Open at Fairmont St Andrews, the third event of the 2021 EDGA European Tour season.

The Englishman, who has cerebral palsy affecting his lower body, continued his recent fine form from the English Open for Golfers with a Disability, which he won in June, as he improved on his first round score by 11 strokes to sign for a one under par total.

Popert made the turn on Sunday two under par and then finished with a flourish as he made four further gains on the back nine, with birdies on the 17th and 18th holes.

“I’m speechless,” said Popert. “I’ve been training for this my whole life, I knew I had it and just let it happen. It’s so satisfying. I’ve been training at my home club Wildernesse, I used to tell everyone I’d do something like this – I don’t think they believed me it at the time.

“If you find your passion, follow it with everything you’ve got. I was very fortunate to have two amazing parents who have supported me all the way. Give everything you’ve got, if you do that and stay committed to what you want to do, you’ll get there.”

With victory, Popert has secured a place at the EDGA Dubai Finale, which will be held alongside the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai – the final Rolex Series event of the year – at Jumeirah Golf Estates in November.

Popert finished ten strokes ahead of American Chris Biggins and Belgium’s Adem Wahbi. They will be hoping to secure one of the three remaining places in Dubai at the end of the season, with the top three aggregate points scorers from the EDGA Hero Open and next week’s EDGA Cazoo Classic at London Golf Club also earning a place.

The European Disabled Golf Association (EDGA) initiative is taking place under the umbrella of the European Tour’s Golf For Good initiative – the Tour’s overarching Corporate Social Responsibility programme.

Scoring for the remaining EDGA tournaments will feature on the European Tour’s website and App for fans to follow, while the tournament world feed broadcast will also feature updates across the weekend, with the winners also part of the main prize-giving ceremonies.

‘Golf for Good’ is the umbrella name for the European Tour’s overarching Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme. It involves three main pillars:
Support for Worthy Causes: Which embraces all the charitable activity of the original 2020 Golf for Good initiative
Sustainability: Which embraces the Green Drive focus around our tournaments
Inclusivity and Health: Which embraces our Golfers with Disability and golf for all messaging, in addition to promoting the wider health benefits of the game.

EDGA European Tour Schedule
EDGA Cazoo Open – The Celtic Manor Resort (July 24-25) – won by Brendan Lawlor
ISPS HANDA World Disability Invitational presented by Brendan Lawlor – Massereene and Galgorm Castle (July 31 – August 1) – won by Brendan Lawlor
EDGA Hero Open – Fairmont St Andrews (August 7-8) – won by Kipp Popert
EDGA Cazoo Classic – London Golf Club (August 14-15)
EDGA Dubai Finale – Jumeirah Golf Estates (November 19-20)

Press Release by the European Tour Communications

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European Tour

Vierumäki Finnish Challenge: Helligkilde Secures Title

Marcus Helligkilde of Denmark poses with the price check after winning Vierumaki Finnish Challenge. (Photo: Getty Images)

Round four report

Marcus Helligkilde recorded a season-low 23 under par total as he went wire-to-wire to claim his maiden European Challenge Tour title at the Vierumäki Finnish Challenge..

Starting the day with a five-stroke lead, the 24-year-old was in control in Finland as he picked up shots on the ninth and 12th holes.

A double-bogey on the 16th brought Sweden’s Jesper Svensson into contention, but a birdie on the last sealed a two-stroke victory as he signed for a one under par final round. Svensson settled for second place on 21 under par, his best result in four Challenge Tour appearances.

Helligkilde surpassed Craig Howie’s 22 under par 266 aggregate total from the Range Servant Challenge by Hinton Golf, where he finished runner-up to the Scotsman.

The Dane, who climbs 22 places to eighth on the Road to Mallorca Rankings, was overjoyed at securing his maiden title in such dominant fashion and believes managing his mental game played a vital role in his triumph.

“I’m lost for words,”

he said “It feels so nice and I am very happy. I think my success was down to a combination of things; the biggest factor was my mental game and how I managed myself around the course.”

Helligkilde was delighted with his all-round display as he took advantage of the few penalty areas present at Vierumäki Resort, enabling him to hit 17 greens despite sometimes being out of position off the tee on day four in Vierumäki.

“I hit my driver a lot as there were not so many penalty areas out there and if it was in the trees I could still chip towards the green. Good course management and conservative approach play into the greens was key.”

“The first three rounds everything was just perfect and I was striking the ball so pure. Today was more difficult because I hit 17 greens but only managed to one-putt once and that was at the 18th. I love being here in Finland, especially Vierumäki, this is an amazing place to play golf.”

Belgium’s Christopher Mivis finished third on 17-under-par, while three-time Challenge Tour winner Espen Kofstad’s nine under par round of 63 was enough to share fourth place with Frenchman Ugo Coussaud. Englishman Joe Long, Denmark’s Niklas Nørgaard Møller and Swedish duo Pontus Nyholm and Jesper Kennegard share sixth place on 15 under par.

The Road to Mallorca now visits Helligkilde’s motherland for the Danish Swing, with the Made in Esbjerg Challenge – Presented by Freja & TotalEnergies taking place from August 11-14, followed by the Sydbank Esbjerg Challenge from August 17-20.

Scores after round four:

265 M HELLIGKILDE (DEN) 61 67 66 71, 
 267 J SVENSSON (SWE) 66 67 66 68, 
 271 C MIVIS (BEL) 68 69 69 65, 
 272 E KOFSTAD (NOR) 69 69 71 63, U COUSSAUD (FRA) 66 68 70 68, 
 273 J LONG (ENG) 70 65 73 65, P NYHOLM (SWE) 66 67 73 67, N M?LLER (DEN) 66 69 68 70, J KENNEGARD (SWE) 66 65 71 71, 
 274 J FREIBURGHAUS (SUI) 70 71 70 63, T CLEMENTS (ENG) 64 67 71 72, 
 275 J KO (FRA) 69 68 72 66, A GARCIA-HEREDIA (ESP) 65 69 74 67, T WIDING (SWE) 64 72 70 69, D HUIZING (NED) 70 68 68 69, 
 276 B HUTCHINSON (ENG) 66 67 73 70, 
 277 R KAKKO (FIN) 69 70 71 67, O HUNDEB?LL (DEN) 64 68 77 68, D FOOS (GER) 68 68 72 69, J K?LBING (GER) 69 69 68 71, 
 278 J AXELSEN (DEN) 67 74 68 69, B NEIL (SCO) 69 67 73 69, N REGNER (AUT) 68 67 73 70, 
 279 J DANTORP (SWE) 65 75 69 70, 
 280 J YATES (IRL) 72 66 73 69, T BALTL (AUT) 70 71 69 70, R VAN WEST (NED) 70 71 70 69, E FERGUSON (SCO) 71 66 73 70, N JOHANSSON (SWE) 70 71 70 69, H ARKENAU (GER) 70 69 73 68, H ELLIS (ENG) 72 68 72 68, C BERARDO (FRA) 70 67 72 71, L NEMECZ (AUT) 68 68 71 73, 
 281 M CARLSSON (SWE) 68 69 74 70, J MURPHY (IRL) 68 72 71 70, T BESSA (POR) 69 69 72 71, R PETERSSON (SWE) 70 71 72 68, 
 282 P KUEST (USA) 67 73 70 72, V MEYER (GER) 68 70 72 72, M GRADECKI (POL) 67 73 72 70, O LINDELL (FIN) 69 71 74 68, A PENDARIES (FRA) 69 72 74 67, A ARIZABALETA (COL) 66 72 68 76, 
 283 F MORY (FRA) 67 70 73 73, R DAWSON (IRL) 64 73 75 71, R CONRADIE (RSA) 65 74 76 68, 
 284 P MCBRIDE (IRL) 68 70 73 73, C BLOMSTRAND (SWE) 69 68 75 72, C ROSS (SCO) 69 70 74 71, B VIRTO (ESP) 68 69 77 70, C CANNON (ENG) 70 70 74 70, I CANTERO GUTIERREZ (ESP) 70 71 73 70, M LINDBERG (SWE) 69 71 75 69, 
 285 F BERGAMASCHI (ITA) 71 66 76 72, J SUGRUE (IRL) 72 69 72 72, P EDBERG (SWE) 72 68 69 76, M FENASSE (FRA) 69 72 74 70, J BEKIRIAN (FRA) 69 72 74 70, A LINTUNEN (AM) (FIN) 70 68 79 68, 
 286 T MURRAY (ENG) 68 69 74 75, 
 287 D LANGLEY (ENG) 65 76 73 73, A AHOUA (FRA) 71 70 75 71, 
 288 C O’ROURKE (IRL) 73 66 79 70, 
 289 M HONKALA (FIN) 70 69 76 74, H DU PLESSIS (RSA) 75 66 76 72, 
 291 B PETURSSON (ISL) 73 68 77 73, M SVENSSON (SWE) 70 71 77 73, 
 292 M ROHWER (RSA) 69 71 79 73, 
 293 A PLANT (ENG) 71 68 77 77, 
 294 M WIEGELE (AUT) 67 72 79 76, 
 **
 OUT S HENRY (SCO) 68 73 79 RT, 
 **
 142 D KEMMER (USA) 73 69, S GANDON (FRA) 72 70, J GIRRBACH (SUI) 71 71, K ULENAERS (BEL) 71 71, K KOIVU (FIN) 69 73, L SCALISE (ITA) 66 76, T TETAK (AM) (SVK) 71 71, C SAHLSTROM (SWE) 71 71, L CIANCHETTI (ITA) 67 75, J MAICAS (ESP) 72 70, Y PAUL (GER) 66 76, P MEJOW (GER) 73 69, R KARLSSON (FIN) 68 74, 
 143 A TOSTI (ARG) 70 73, I SAULO (FIN) 73 70, G KRISTJANSSON (ISL) 72 71, D QUINONES (USA) 72 71, M BREMNER (RSA) 75 68, O GILLBERG (SWE) 68 75, A HIDALGO (ESP) 69 74, L RUUSKA (FIN) 68 75, B GILL (ENG) 71 72, F SCHOTT (GER) 68 75, H GODDARD (ENG) 67 76, S FORSSTR?M (SWE) 67 76, 
 144 B MACPHERSON (AUS) 72 72, S GREGORY (ENG) 77 67, S GROS (FRA) 73 71, N HELLBERG (FIN) 71 73, J FLOYDD (ENG) 70 74, M EGGENBERGER (SUI) 72 72, G BLOOR (ENG) 72 72, 
 145 A KLUIBENSCH?DL (AUT) 70 75, J JONES (CAN) 73 72, A JOHN (GER) 72 73, A BJORNSSON (ISL) 72 73, D CAREY (IRL) 74 71, M ELVIRA (ESP) 71 74, F JORDANSSON (SWE) 73 72, M LUNDBERG (SWE) 73 72, P L?NGFORS (SWE) 71 74, M ORTOLANI (ITA) 71 74, S FERNANDEZ (ESP) 73 72, T ROSENM?LLER (GER) 70 75, 
 146 M BELTRAN (ESP) 74 72, F DAUX (FRA) 77 69, G CASTAGNARA (ITA) 68 78, V PASTOR (ESP) 74 72, E ISOMETSA (FIN) 72 74, A AHOKAS (FIN) 71 75, E JOHANSEN (NOR) 72 74, D RAVETTO (FRA) 76 70, E LIPPARELLI (ITA) 73 73, 
 147 M ORRIN (ENG) 73 74, M HIRMER (GER) 71 76, 
 148 J SAAREKS (AM) (FIN) 72 76, C SIMBERG (FIN) 72 76, ? ZACH (CZE) 74 74, A HIETALA (FIN) 72 76, P BAEK (DEN) 74 74, P EROFEJEFF (FIN) 77 71, J GRIS (FRA) 72 76, 
 149 T SALMINEN (FIN) 77 72, J LANDO CASANOVA (FRA) 70 79, J KAHLOS (FIN) 75 74, S WORTELBEOR (SUI) 77 72, B HELLGREN (SWE) 74 75, S SANTALA (FIN) 76 73, V VISKARI (AM) (FIN) 73 76, M GALIANO AGUILAR (ESP) 74 75, 
 150 N KRISTENSEN (DEN) 78 72, A MYLLYMAKI (FIN) 75 75, M LUOMA (AM) (FIN) 77 73, 
 151 E MYLLYMAKI (FIN) 75 76, J JOLKKONEN (FIN) 74 77, 
 152 D BORDA (ESP) 72 80, 
 153 I SCHEZ-PALENCIA (ESP) 76 77, M LAMPERT (GER) 76 77, H SHERIDAN – MILLS (ENG) 77 76, E HAAVISTO (AM) (FIN) 70 83, 
 154 A KOPP (AUT) 78 76, 
 155 H WOAN (ENG) 77 78, 
 156 M VEIJALAINEN (FIN) 77 79, 
 159 A CUENCA (ESP) 74 85, 
 163 H HILBURGER (AM) (GER) 84 79, 

Interview transcript by European Tour Communications

Categories
European Tour

Hero Open: Forrest cuts down the competition

Grant Forrest celebrating his triumph at the Hero Open. (Photo: Getty Images)

Final Round Report

Grant Forrest became the first Scotsman to win on home soil in nearly a decade as he triumphed at the Hero Open at Fairmont St Andrews.

The 28-year-old started the final round in a share of the lead with compatriot Calum Hill and the pair traded blows on the front nine as they both made the turn in 33 shots. The turning point of the afternoon came on the tenth hole as Hill double-bogeyed the par four, with Forrest making birdie for a three-shot swing.

Forrest then birdied the 11th to move to 23 under par and he was joined on that number by Englishman James Morrison who made a late charge with a nine under par round of 63. Forrest lost the lead after a bogey on the 16th, but he recovered with a birdie on the 17th and left himself two feet for birdie – and victory – on the 18th.

Forrest tapped in the putt in front of the home fans, signing for a six under par round and a 24 under par total, also securing the first Scottish win on home soil since Paul Lawrie triumphed at the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles in 2012.

Morrison finished second, two strokes ahead of Spain’s Santiago Tarrio who continued his incredible recent form with a 21 under par round. Hill and compatriot David Law shared fourth place on 20 under.

Player Quotes

Grant Forrest: “So many emotions. To do it in front of everyone who has come up to support me, the last year and a half has been a real challenge on and off the course. I’m delighted, it’ll take a while to sink in.

“I hit a poor shot into 16 and tried to be a bit too safe and three putted, I saw the scoreboard and knew what I needed to do. The big thing all day was one shot at a time, just keep hitting shots. I hit a great nine iron into 17, nice and close, that really helps. And two great shots into 18, it was a great way to finish.

“It means so much. We’ve been through quite a lot as a family. To do it here, it’s what I’ve always dreamed of, winning a European Tour event. I can’t believe it.

“It’s one thing doing well in amateur golf but turning pro and doing it week-in, week-out on different golf courses. I’ve had to make a lot of improvements and changes to my game to get to this point. It’s just really fulfilling to see it come off this week.

“Golf’s a funny game, you never know when it’s going to click and when it’s going to be your week. Last week was the complete opposite – things didn’t go our way at all. You keep doing the right things, trusting that and fortunately this week was our week.”

Final Scores:
 264 G FORREST (SCO) 68 68 62 66, 
 265 J MORRISON (ENG) 69 66 67 63, 
 267 S TARRIO (ESP) 67 65 67 68, 
 268 D LAW (SCO) 67 67 66 68, C HILL (SCO) 63 68 67 70, 
 271 C HANNA (USA) 65 68 69 69, M JORDAN (ENG) 67 66 68 70, 
 272 N KEARNEY (IRL) 71 69 66 66, J WALTERS (RSA) 68 64 71 69, 
 273 S KIM (USA) 69 65 73 66, B EASTON (RSA) 67 69 71 66, C PAISLEY (ENG) 66 72 69 66, G PORTEOUS (ENG) 69 69 68 67, B HENSON (USA) 67 67 67 72, L BJERREGAARD (DEN) 67 62 71 73, 
 274 M KAWAMURA (JPN) 73 68 69 64, A QUIROS (ESP) 66 69 73 66, S SHARMA (IND) 67 67 73 67, H LEON (CHI) 67 70 70 67, C SHINKWIN (ENG) 69 68 69 68, T TREE (ENG) 67 68 69 70, M FORD (ENG) 70 66 68 70, 
 275 Y CHANG (KOR) 70 67 72 66, C HOWIE (SCO) 75 65 67 68, R MCEVOY (ENG) 70 66 70 69, D HILLIER (NZL) 69 70 67 69, J SMITH (ENG) 68 68 66 73, 
 276 E DE LA RIVA (ESP) 68 67 74 67, R RAMSAY (SCO) 67 69 71 69, 
 277 W BESSELING (NED) 72 71 66 68, O FARR (WAL) 71 69 68 69, J CALDWELL (NIR) 64 70 70 73, 
 278 M SOUTHGATE (ENG) 72 68 74 64, 
 279 R FOX (NZL) 74 69 69 67, J CAMPILLO (ESP) 72 70 70 67, J DONALDSON (WAL) 73 67 70 69, N VON DELLINGSHAUSEN (GER) 66 72 69 72, 
 280 L SLATTERY (ENG) 68 74 73 65, D GAVINS (ENG) 71 72 70 67, A OTAEGUI (ESP) 67 70 75 68, A LEVY (FRA) 69 74 68 69, G BHULLAR (IND) 76 67 68 69, M ARMITAGE (ENG) 72 69 70 69, D DRYSDALE (SCO) 71 67 73 69, T KOIVISTO (USA) 69 71 71 69, B DREDGE (WAL) 75 67 68 70, R SCIOT-SIEGRIST (FRA) 65 68 71 76, 
 281 G MOYNIHAN (IRL) 70 73 70 68, L VAN MEIJEL (NED) 76 67 70 68, A CHESTERS (ENG) 71 71 71 68, D PERRIER (FRA) 72 68 73 68, A SULLIVAN (ENG) 73 67 73 68, 
 282 D YOUNG (SCO) 75 68 72 67, K REITAN (NOR) 67 73 73 69, D VAN DRIEL (NED) 71 67 74 70, 
 283 M BALDWIN (ENG) 75 67 74 67, C PIGEM (ESP) 74 69 72 68, M SIEM (GER) 70 73 72 68, J HANSEN (DEN) 74 68 72 69, S HEND (AUS) 72 69 71 71, R FISHER (ENG) 65 75 70 73, R PARATORE (ITA) 75 67 66 75, 
 284 K BROBERG (SWE) 77 66 75 66, F KENNEDY (AM) (ENG) 72 71 73 68, A KARLSSON (SWE) 72 70 72 70, R SANTOS (POR) 72 69 72 71, P FIGUEIREDO (POR) 68 71 74 71, 
 285 D WHITNELL (ENG) 73 68 74 70, M KINHULT (SWE) 71 71 68 75, 
 286 A CA?IZARES (ESP) 73 70 73 70, J MCLEOD (AUS) 75 67 72 72, 
 289 G STAL (FRA) 69 74 74 72, A BAUTISTA (AUS) 72 70 74 73, R ENOCH (WAL) 72 69 71 77, 
 296 S CHAWRASIA (IND) 76 67 75 78, 
 **
 144 J SURI (USA) 75 69, A SANDHU (IND) 77 67, T GANDY (IMN) 78 66, N ELVIRA (ESP) 71 73, R LUMSDEN (SCO) 73 71, S JAMIESON (SCO) 71 73, O WILSON (ENG) 76 68, D COUPLAND (ENG) 76 68, C SYME (SCO) 73 71, S GARCIA RODRIGUEZ (ESP) 73 71, S KJELDSEN (DEN) 74 70, G STORM (ENG) 76 68, D VAN TONDER (RSA) 74 70, A ZEMMER (ITA) 71 73, L GAGLI (ITA) 73 71, N H?JGAARD (DEN) 75 69, P ERIKSSON (SWE) 74 70, M SIMONSEN (DEN) 76 68, 
 145 G FDEZ-CASTA?O (ESP) 75 70, C WOOD (ENG) 75 70, B HEBERT (FRA) 76 69, P PETERSON (USA) 77 68, L SHEPHERD (AM) (ENG) 73 72, P WARING (ENG) 71 74, B RITTHAMMER (GER) 72 73, S KAPUR (IND) 72 73, 
 146 F LAPORTA (ITA) 71 75, O FISHER (ENG) 76 70, E PEPPERELL (ENG) 74 72, C SORDET (FRA) 79 67, H LI (CHN) 77 69, L JOHNSTON (SCO) 78 68, J SANDBORG (SWE) 74 72, B EVANS (ENG) 71 75, D DIXON (ENG) 74 72, 
 147 P DUNNE (IRL) 79 68, N LEMKE (SWE) 77 70, P O’HARA (SCO) 75 72, H PORTEOUS (RSA) 73 74, 
 148 S YONGCHAROENCHAI (THA) 75 73, M WARREN (SCO) 78 70, R WILLIAMS (ENG) 75 73, E CUARTERO BLANCO (ESP) 72 76, C SHARVIN (NIR) 73 75, 
 149 R ROCK (ENG) 76 73, D LAWSON (AUS) 78 71, 
 150 G FOX (SCO) 74 76, J KASKE (FIN) 73 77, M SCHMITT (GER) 77 73, 
 151 J WRISDALE (ENG) 80 71, S GALLACHER (SCO) 80 71, M SCHMID (GER) 80 71, A COCKERILL (CAN) 80 71, J GEARY (NZL) 76 75, D PAPADATOS (AUS) 72 79, 
 152 J WINTHER (DEN) 79 73, R MCGOWAN (ENG) 80 72, D HORSEY (ENG) 81 71, D HOWELL (ENG) 77 75, E WALKER (SCO) 79 73, B POKE (DEN) 81 71, A SADDIER (FRA) 75 77, 
 153 T MCKIBBIN (NIR) 79 74, P ANGLES (ESP) 79 74, 
 154 R WATTEL (FRA) 78 76, 
 161 C DOAK (SCO) 90 71, 
 162 J BOLTON (ENG) 83 79, 
 **
 OUT J STALTER (FRA) 83 WD, 

Interview transcript by European Tour Communications

Categories
European Tour

English Open 2021. Home hopefuls excited for special week in St Andrews

Richie Ramsay looks forward to playing at home in Scotland at the English Open 2021

European Tour
Tournament: Hero Open
Race to Dubai: Tournament 27 of 42 events
Venue: Fairmont St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland
Prize Fund: €1,250,000
Hashtag: #HeroOpen

Tournament Preview

Richie Ramsay is delighted to be teeing it up on home soil once again as the European Tour returns to Scotland for its second of three events on the 2021 Race to Dubai at this week’s Hero Open at Fairmont St Andrews.

The 38-year-old recorded his best result at the Scottish Open in five years last month, finishing in a share of 15th, and hopes to carry that momentum into this week’s event in the historic town of St Andrews.

Ramsay is one of 17 Scotsmen in the field, joined by the likes of 2014 Ryder Cup player and winner of the 2019 Hero Indian Open Stephen Gallacher and fellow European Tour winners Scott Jamieson, David Law and Marc Warren.

The next generation of Scottish stars are also well represented this week in Fife, with Grant Forrest, Calum Hill, Liam Johnston and Connor Syme among those going in search of maiden victories on the European Tour

Returning to the site of his Scottish Championship presented by AXA victory last year is Spaniard Adrian Otaegui, who carded rounds of 62-70-70-63 to win his first strokeplay title on the European Tour by a margin of four shots.

Player Quotes

Richie Ramsay: “I’m really happy with how I’ve been playing. The start of the season was a bit slow, but I showed a lot of patience and perseverance. It was easy to get frustrated with the form at the start, but I took the view that I need to be the best I can be every day and just try and stick with that and enjoy that process.

“I’ve reaped the rewards of that in playing well at the Irish and Scottish. A steady week in Wales. I just need to watch the expectations don’t get too high and I stay in that nice, patient process where I’m positive. The three Ps. Try and get into the mix on Sunday and put myself there or thereabouts and have a shot to win.”

David Law: “I’m feeling good. I’m excited. It’s always nice to play in Scotland. It was the first time we came to this golf course last year and I really enjoyed it. The weather is a little different to what it was last October, hopefully it’ll continue like this.

“You need to putt well. There’s plenty of chances out there if you give yourself the opportunity. It’s more of a second shot golf course, iron play needs to be good. There’s a couple of tough tee shots, but it’s not overly demanding off the tee, it suits the guys who are good iron players and good putters.”

Connor Syme: “I’ve been up here quite a few times and had a few looks at the course over the course of the year. My friend Jordan is a member up here as well, we’ve managed to come up for a few knocks which is nice. It’s always nice to play at home and I’m in my own bed.

“The scoring was really low last year, I thought it would be 16 or 17 under but Adrian ended up shooting 23 under which is an amazing score. I don’t think it’s quite as firm and the rough isn’t quite as thick as last year, but it still has the same challenges around the greens. It’s very much off the tee, as the case is with most links courses, just getting in play off the tee and you’ll have some chances. The course is setting up well.”

Adrian Otaegui: “I have really good memories and feelings. With this weather it’s a dream to be back and very nice to get the feeling back from playing the course, walking the holes again. Awesome views today with this good weather. I’m very happy to be back here at the Fairmont.

“It was very satisfying, the way the whole week went, the way I managed it. A very, very good first round. The second and third rounds were very important, they were only two under rounds, but that was key. I didn’t play my best, as good as Thursday and Sunday, but I still managed to shoot under par, keep up there on the leaderboard and a very good final day gave me the win. I was very pleased with the way I played and the way I managed the week.”

European Tour Communications

Categories
European Tour

Clements rejuvenated ahead of Vierumäki Finnish Challenge

(Photo: Getty Images)

Tournament preview

Todd Clements is feeling revitalised ahead of the Vierumäki Finnish Challenge, which takes place at Vierumäki Resort from August 5-8.

The 24-year-old opted to take a four-week break from the European Challenge Tour and has therefore not played since the Kaskáda Golf Challenge at the start of July where he missed his sixth cut of the season.

Clements admitted that a break was needed due to the unremitting nature of the Tour and believes it has given him time to reset before an important run of events.

“The Challenge Tour is a grind,”

he said. “It’s relentless week-in-week-out and you’re just having a go at finishing at the top because it’s top 20 or nothing really. It’s a brutal Tour but really enjoyable in other ways.

“I took a few weeks off, so it has been nice to take a bit of a break from the game and just enjoy being at home for a little while which has been quite refreshing. I’m buzzing to get back out, see a few of my friends and hopefully play some good golf.”

The Englishman is inspired by fellow countrymen on the European Tour, including close friend Richard Mansell who finished fourth on the Road to Mallorca Rankings last season and is hoping that a strong performance in Finland can ignite an upturn in his form.

“Seeing the English boys do well gives you so much belief,” he said. “Obviously Rich being a good friend of mine and seeing what he’s done in such a short period of time gives me great inspiration and allows me to believe that if I’m on my game and get things together I can really press on.

“I’ve got the main goal of wanting to finish in the top 20 and gain my European Tour card, but I set myself intermediate goals of how I need to progress and what I need to work on in my game. I just need to take it week by week and keep making small adjustments to improve. I’ve had some really good spells where I’ve played some great golf but then some poor spells, so I just need to find that consistency and eliminate those bad spells.”

Clements believes accuracy off the tee will be crucial this week and is looking to take advantage of the soft greens at Vierumäki Resort.

“Strategically you have to be good off the tee. The greens aren’t the biggest, so you have to be quite accurate with your second shots and controlling your distances is very important with the greens being quite receptive.”

This week acts as the starting point of a nine-week stretch of back-to-back events on the Road to Mallorca International Schedule, following last week’s hiatus after a run of 14 consecutive events.

The action in Finland gets under way at 7:30am local time, with Clements teeing it up alongside Germany’s Dominic Foos and Frenchman Sebastien Gandon at 1:00pm.

Interview transcript by European Tour Communications

Categories
Top Tours

PGA TOUR and European Tour Announce Details of Historic Strategic Alliance

(Photo: Getty Images)

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

Key Takeaways:

  • As part of Strategic Alliance, Genesis Scottish Open, Barbasol Championship and Barracuda Championship will be included in both FedExCup and Race to Dubai, while Irish Open will see a significant increase in prize money
  • PGA TOUR’s schedule of 48 events includes the move of the first FedExCup Playoffs event to TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, sponsored by FedEx

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida, USA, and VIRGINIA WATER, Surrey, England – The PGA TOUR and European Tour today unveiled new details around their Strategic Alliance, with the PGA TOUR also releasing its 2021-22 PGA TOUR Season schedule.

The landmark agreement, announced in November 2020, further enhances and connects the ecosystem of men’s professional golf through a number of areas, including global scheduling, prize funds and playing opportunities for the respective memberships.

In terms of scheduling, the most significant piece of collaboration is the fact that three tournaments will be co-sanctioned in 2022 and therefore count on both the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup and the European Tour’s Race to Dubai next season: the Barbasol Championship; the Barracuda Championship; and the Genesis Scottish Open.

A New Sponsor for the event


The latter event also has a new title sponsor in Genesis, the luxury automotive brand from South Korea, who will now title sponsor two tournaments on the PGA TOUR, with the Genesis Scottish Open joining The Genesis Invitational, which Genesis has titled since 2017; The Genesis Invitational will once again be played at The Riviera Country Club next year (February 14-20).

The Genesis Scottish Open (July 4-10), which is part of the European Tour’s Rolex Series, retains its place in golf’s global calendar the week ahead of The Open Championship (July 11-17), a date confirmed through to 2025. The player field will be a split between members of both Tours.

The tournament will also benefit from the continued commitment of the Scottish Government, managed by Visit Scotland – the agreement also running through 2025.

“We are delighted to welcome Genesis as a title sponsor of a European Tour event for the first time,”


said European Tour Chief Executive Keith Pelley. “Genesis has a strong history of sponsorship on the PGA TOUR through The Genesis Invitational, and their commitment to the Scottish Open will further enhance one of our premier events of the season.

Although it will be on the PGA TOUR’s official schedule for the first time, the Genesis Scottish Open has a rich history on the European Tour, appearing in the Tour’s first two official seasons (1972 and 1973) and as part of the Tour’s International Schedule since 1986. It has also been part of the Rolex Series – the European Tour’s premium series of events – since the Series’ inception in 2017.

“Adding an existing, strong title sponsor in Genesis to our Strategic Alliance in the form of the Genesis Scottish Open – to be sanctioned by both Tours – is a significant step for the global game,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “Coupled with their support of The Genesis Invitational at Riviera, we’re incredibly proud to forge a deeper relationship with this premier brand across the global game.”

Genesis will take over the title sponsorship of the event from abrdn, who are exploring ways for the decade-long partnership with the European Tour to continue moving forward. The venue for the 2022 Genesis Scottish Open will be confirmed at a later date.

“We are extremely excited to become title sponsor of the Scottish Open at this historic moment, as the PGA TOUR and European Tour announce details on their Strategic Alliance,” said Jay Chang, Global head of Genesis. “Genesis and golf share a culture centered on respect, mutual admiration and innovation. We will continue to strengthen our partnership with both Tours to deliver this spirit to golfers, communities and individuals around the world through successful tournaments.”

Paul Bush, Director of Events at VisitScotland, said, “We are thrilled the European Tour and PGA TOUR have identified the Genesis Scottish Open to further develop their Strategic Alliance, and there is no more fitting stage than Scotland, the Home of Golf, on which to embark on such a historic journey.”

In addition to the Genesis Scottish Open being co-sanctioned, there will also be access for 50 European Tour members to each of two PGA TOUR events in 2022 for the first time – the Barbasol Championship, which will be played concurrently with the Genesis Scottish Open, and the Barracuda Championship, which will be played alongside the following week’s 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews. Both events will be added to the Race to Dubai for European Tour members.

It was also confirmed today that as part of the Strategic Alliance and collaboration between the two Tours, the Irish Open will see a significant increase in prize money for its annual European Tour event – to $6 million, starting in 2022 – nearly double the amount on offer at Mount Juliet last month. In addition, the PGA TOUR will continue to work with the European Tour on commercial opportunities across the Tour.

“When we announced the Strategic Alliance at the end of last year, we said it was a landmark moment for global golf’s ecosystem that would benefit all members of both Tours,” said Pelley. “Today’s announcement underlines that promise, with further enhancements to the Genesis Scottish Open, a strengthening of the Irish Open for our members, and direct access for European Tour members to two PGA TOUR events.

“There has been considerable collaboration behind the scenes between our two Tours since November’s Alliance was unveiled, and we are delighted to share these initial developments, which demonstrate our commitment to working together for the betterment of our sport globally.  We will have more to announce in the coming months – this is most definitely just the beginning.”

“With today’s news, I am pleased to say that the PGA TOUR and the European Tour are both stronger than at any time in our history, as we are positioned to grow – together – over the next 10 years faster than we have at any point in our existence,” said Monahan. “We are committed to continuing to evolve and adapt, and with our ever-strengthening partnership with the European Tour, to take the global game to the heights we all know it is capable of.”

PGA TOUR Schedule Highlights:


The 2021-22 PGA TOUR Schedule includes several significant enhancements and features a total of 48 official events – 45 during the FedExCup Regular Season along with three 2022 FedExCup Playoffs events. 

The 2022 portion of the schedule will kick off the PGA TOUR’s new, nine-year domestic media rights agreements with ViacomCBS, Comcast/NBC and ESPN. As part of the agreement, all three 2022 FedExCup Playoffs events will be broadcast domestically on NBC network television, beginning a rotation that continues with CBS hosting all three events in 2023.

Headline news includes the change in location and venue for the kickoff of the FedExCup Playoffs to TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, starting in 2022, replacing the Regular Season event that has been held in Memphis since 1958. FedEx will serve as the title sponsor of the event, to be known as the FedEx St. Jude Championship (August 8-14), replacing existing title sponsor Northern Trust after this year’s playing of THE NORTHERN TRUST at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey.

“FedEx is excited that the first event of the 2022 FedExCup Playoffs will be hosted in our hometown of Memphis, Tennessee,” said Raj Subramaniam, President and Chief Operating Officer of FedEx Corporation. “We are proud of our history and the community impact we’ve had since becoming title sponsor of our hometown TOUR stop in 1986. We look forward to the impact it will bring to our local community and will continue to use it as a platform to showcase the groundbreaking work being done by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to golf fans around the world.”

“Since the inception of the FedExCup in 2007, we have made a number of changes to enhance the quality of the FedExCup Playoffs for our players, fans and partners,” said Monahan. “Thanks to the continued support from FedEx as the TOUR’s umbrella partner, we’re proud to bring the start of the FedExCup to Memphis and a course loved by our players. Not only will it be a great test worthy of Playoff golf, but we also anticipate tremendous enthusiasm from a community that has steadfastly supported the PGA TOUR for more than 60 years. And, of course, the important work of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital will continue to be front and center.

“In totality, the 2021-22 PGA TOUR Schedule, combined with the momentum we have with our now-entrenched partnership with the European Tour, puts the PGA TOUR in a position of strength within professional golf like never before. We’re confident this schedule will give the world’s best players the opportunity to do what they do best – inspire and entertain our fans around the globe while helping our tournaments make a significant impact in their respective communities.”

The 2022 FedExCup Playoffs will continue to include the BMW Championship (August 15-21), which rotates next year to Wilmington Country Club in Wilmington, Delaware, and the FedExCup Playoffs finale, the TOUR Championship (August 22-28), once again slated for East Lake Golf Club.

The PGA TOUR’s flagship event, THE PLAYERS Championship (March 7-13), will anchor a true Florida Swing in 2022, which features four consecutive events through The Sunshine State in the spring, including the Valspar Championship, which was played in April/May this past year. THE PLAYERS will be in year three of its March date and as a kickoff to the Season of Championships, with Justin Thomas returning as defending champion.

The Memorial Tournament presented by Workday (May 30-June 5) enters the first year of a 10-year agreement in 2022 with new presenting sponsor, Workday. Founded in 1976 by golf legend Jack Nicklaus and held annually at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, the tournament partners for the first time with three-time NBA champion and two-time MVP Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, and Ayesha Curry, an entrepreneur, host and New York Times bestselling author.

After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the RBC Canadian Open (June 6-12) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, returns to the schedule in 2022 at St. George’s Golf and Country Club. Rory McIlroy won the last RBC Canadian Open, played in 2019.

Other notable items and changes to the 2021-22 PGA TOUR Schedule include (in chronological order):

2021

  • As previously announced, the Fortinet Championship (September 13-19), with new title sponsor Fortinet, kicks off the 2021-22 FedExCup Regular Season at Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa, California.
  • The Ryder Cup will be played the week following the Fortinet Championship, with nine official events played during the balance of 2021 for a total of 10 events to be played in the fall.
  • The reconfigured Asia Swing will begin with THE CJ CUP @ SUMMIT (October 11-17), which moves to the United States for the second year in a row and will be staged at The Summit Club in Las Vegas, Nevada, delivering back-to-back weeks of PGA TOUR golf in Las Vegas, as the Shriners Children’s Open will be contested October 4-10.
  • Following THE CJ CUP @ SUMMIT will be the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP and World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions, with additional details to be available in the near future.
  • As previously announced, World Wide Technology embarks on its first year of title sponsorship of the TOUR’s original event in Mexico, the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba (November 1-7).

2022

  • The Sentry Tournament of Champions – a PGA TOUR winners-only event – leads off the 2022 calendar year (January 3-9).
  • The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (January 31-February 6) and the Waste Management Phoenix Open (February 7-13) trade spots in the schedule, as the TOUR’s event at TPC Scottsdale remains in its traditional date of Super Bowl week.  
  • The Puerto Rico Open (February 28-March 6) will be played as an additional event alongside the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard.
  • The Corales Puntacana Championship (March 21-27), in its first year under an extended term, will be played as an additional event alongside the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play.
  • The Mexico Championship (April 25-May 1) returns to the calendar as a PGA TOUR co-sponsored event, no longer under the World Golf Championships umbrella. With the field of 132 players, there is an anticipation of additional Mexican golfers in the field to help in inspire and grow the game in one of golf’s key emerging markets.
  • With the biennial Presidents Cup being held at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte in 2022, the Wells Fargo Championship (May 2-8) will be contested for one year at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm in Potomac, Maryland.
  • The John Deere Classic (June 27-July 3), traditionally played the week prior to The Open Championship, moves one week earlier.
  • Following The Open Championship, the 3M Open (July 18-24), Rocket Mortgage Classic (July 25-31) and Wyndham Championship (August 1-7) close out the FedExCup Regular Season.

The European Tour will announce the initial portion of its 2022 schedule later this month, with the full season announcement to follow in due course.

ABOUT EUROPEAN TOUR
The European Tour is ‘Driving Golf Further’ through our guiding principles of being innovative, inclusive and global. 

Innovative: The European Tour is driving innovation in golf through the creation of award-winning content, pioneering tournament formats and the use of the latest technology and inventive fan engagement. We have recognised the need for golf to modernise for future fans and we are committed to engaging new audiences whilst respecting the tradition of our sport. 
Inclusive: We are committed to include all who share a love for the game of golf. We are passionate about a closer collaboration with the women’s game, disability golf and promoting the health benefits of playing golf. 
Global: Since the European Tour was formed in 1972, players from 36 different countries have won tournaments, while our live broadcast reaches more than 490 million homes in more than 150 countries every week, generating in excess of 2,200 global broadcast hours for each event. We also enjoy the support of many of the world’s leading business brands with Rolex, BMW, Callaway, DP World, Emirates, Workday and Zoom as Official Partners.The European Tour also manages the developmental Challenge Tour and the Legends Tour (formerly known as the Staysure Tour) which is the men’s professional golf tour for members aged 50 and older. The European Tour is also the Managing Partner of Ryder Cup Europe, the body which, alongside the PGA of America, administers golf’s greatest team contest, the Ryder Cup.

ABOUT PGA TOUR
By showcasing golf’s greatest players, the PGA TOUR engages, inspires and positively impacts our fans, partners and communities worldwide.

The PGA TOUR, headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, co-sanctions tournaments on the PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, Korn Ferry Tour, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada, Forme Tour and PGA TOUR Series-China. Members on the PGA TOUR represent the world’s best players, hailing from 29 countries and territories outside the United States (96 international members). Worldwide, PGA TOUR tournaments are broadcast to 216 countries and territories in 28 languages. Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations to maximize charitable giving, and to date, tournaments across all Tours have generated more than $3.2 billion.