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European Tour Ladies European Tour Ladies Tours Live LPGA Tour PGA Tour

Joachim B. Hansen wins his second European Tour victory at the AVIV Dubai Championship 2021 – One shot makes the difference

PGA Tour: Houston Open

The Houston Open was held in Houston, Texas at the Memorial Park Golf Course. From November 11th-14th of 2021. Our Scandinavian players struggled to make birdies, the pars kept them with high chances of passing the cut after the second round. However, the lack of birdies and sand saves put Henrik Stenson out of the competition after two rounds of (72-76).

On the other hand, his mate Henrik Norlander, currently ranked 139th of the OWGR, made it through the four rounds of the Houston Open. Norlander finished last on the leaderboard with rounds of (71-69-72-78). It was not his best performance at the PGA Tour this season. They will soon have another chance to drop some putts and climb up on the leaderboard next week at the RSM Classic, on Nov. 18th.

PGA Tour Houston Open
Course Memorial Park Golf Course- Houston, TX, USA
Prize Money 7.5 Million Dollar
Champion Jason Kokrak
Scandinavian players Henrik Norlander (T67), Henrik Stenson (CUT)

LPGA Tour: Pelican Women’s Championship 2021

Nelly Korda wins her 4th LPGA victory of the year after battling a 4-way PlayOff at the Pelican Womens Championship, at the Pelican Golf Club, Belleair. “I never won in front of my parents until earlier this year and I did it twice now, and in a playoff. My dad said I’m going to give him a heart attack, so that was nice before the playoff. I was like, Okay, good.” – Korda

Lydia Ko, Lexi Thompson, and Sei Young Kim are the other three great golfers who attempted for the trophy.

Scandinavia plays all their chances to bring home the gold medal. Sweden, Finland, and Denmark were represented by the best golfers at the moment.

Madelene Sagstrom (SWE) was the best Scandinavian player. Sagstrom finished T33 after four rounds of 6-under par. Clearly, the ladies set the standards very high this weekend. Sagstrom took some of her birdie opportunities to lower her scores. The amount of up & downs was low and therefore, it was a struggle to avoid some bogeys here and there. Her putting was good but the greens were not easy. The Swedish golfer was consistent and now she is ready to come back stronger next weekend.

LPGA Tour Pelican Women’s Championship
Course Pelican Golf Club, Belleair – Belleair, FL
Prize Money 1.7 Million Dollars
Champion Nelly Korda
Scandinavian players Madelene Sagstrom (T33), Matilda Castren (52), Nanna Madsen (CUT),

European Tour: AVIV Dubai Championship 2021

Dubai hosted the AVIV Dubai Championship, at the Fire Course, Jumeirah Golf Estates. Denmark tasted the glory with the victory of Joachim Hansen (DEN), after four solid rounds of golf (63-67-67-68) for a total of 23-under par.

Not too far down, his mate Thorbjørn OLESEN (DEN), and Kalle Samooja (FIN) also made the Top 10, finishing 8th at the end, 4-shots behind the leader. The Scandinavian golfers tend to play better in the European Tour due to a matter of statistics. There are always more Scandinavian participants playing there than in the PGA Tour.

EU Tour Aviv Dubai Championship
Course Fire Course, Jumeirah Golf Estates – Dubai, UAE
Prize Money 1.5 Million Dollar
Champion Joachim B. HANSEN
Scandinavian players Joachim Hansen (Winner), Thorbjørn OLESEN (T8), Kalle Samooja (T8), Alexander Björk (T19), Marcus Kinhult (T24)

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European Tour Ladies Tours Live LPGA Tour PGA Tour Top Tours

The Scandinavians aim towards the European Tour this weekend – AVIV Dubai Championship

PGA Tour: Houston Open

The Houston Open will be held in Houston, Texas at the Memorial Park Golf Course. From November 11th-14th of 2021, the best male golfers around the world will compete for a total prize money of $7,500,000.

On our spotlight, we find Henrik Stenson (SWE), and his mate Henrik Norlander, currently ranked 139th of the OWGR. Sweden is the only Scandinavian country that will be representing at the PGA Tour this weekend. Not too risky to say that Viktor Hovland is tired of always winning in the PGA events and now he is leaving some for others to try.

PGA Tour Houston Open
Course Memorial Park Golf Course- Houston, TX, USA
Prize Money 7.5 Million Dollar
Defending Champion Carlos Ortiz
Scandinavian players Henrik Stenson (SWE), Henrik Norlander (SWE)

LPGA Tour: Pelican Women’s Championship 2021

The LPGA is back! The Ladies will tee off at the Pelican Womens Championship in Belleair, FL at the Pelican Golf Club, Belleair. The tournament starts on Thursday, 11th of November and ends on Sunday, 14th of November 2021. The Championship is part of the LPGA Tour in the season 2021. In 2021 all players competing for a total prize money of 1,75 Mio. US-Dollar.

Scandinavia plays all their chances to bring home the gold medal. Sweden, Finland, and Denmark will be represented by the best golfers at the moment. Unluckly, there will not be any participant from Norway to make a full.

Matilda Castren (FIN), Nanna Madsen (DEN), and Madelene Sagstrom (SWE) are some of the main players to follow up with this weekend in Florida. They are coming strong, and Castren had not fear in showing it to everyone else.

LPGA Tour Pelican Women’s Championship
Course Pelican Golf Club, Belleair – Belleair, FL
Prize Money 1.7 Million Dollars
Defending Champion Sei Young Kim
Scandinavian players Matilda Castren (FIN), Nanna Madsen (DEN), Madelene Sagstrom (SWE)

European Tour: AVIV Dubai Championship 2021

This weekend Dubai takes over The U.S. hosting the AVIV Dubai Championship, at the Fire Course, Jumeirah Golf Estates. The tournament starts on Thursday, 11th of November and ends on Sunday, 14th of November 2021.

In 2021 all players competing for a total prize money of 1,5 Mio US-Dollar. The course for the tournament at Fire Course, Jumeirah Golf Estates plays at Par 72.

From Finland, Tapio Pulkkanen comes ready to show his better game after he missed two cuts in a row at the Alfred Dunhill and the Open de España. He finished T25 at the Andalucia Masters and T17 at the Portugal Masters last week. Pulkkanen is the first Scandinavian to tee off at 7:10am (GMT). Joakim Lagergren (SWE), Sami Välimäki (FIN), Joachim Hansen (DEN) are paired up together at 7:20am (GMT). The number of Scandinavian participants is less than the usual, but yet the highest out of all the other Tours.

EU Tour Aviv Dubai Championship
Course Fire Course, Jumeirah Golf Estates – Dubai, UAE
Prize Money 1.5 Million Dollar
Defending Champion Antoine Rozner
Scandinavian players Joakim Lagergren (SWE), Sami Välimäki (FIN), Joachim Hansen (DEN), Marcus Kinhult (SWE)
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Ladies Tours Live

LPGA golfer Sei Young Kim: “Run toward your fear, knowing that you will never catch it.”

RUN TOWARD YOUR FEARS 

By: Sei Young Kim


I started golf at age nine. My father loved the game and took me to a local driving range in Korea where I spent many hours hitting balls. Even at home, I swung a club all the time in the house. But golf wasn’t my only sport. It wasn’t even my first one.

By the time I picked up the club for the first time, I was already advanced in taekwondo. My father is a grand master who ran a martial arts studio near our home. He taught hundreds of people, including me. By the age of five, I was spending time with Dad working on numerous techniques, learning the physical discipline and artistry of taekwondo. By age 12, I was a third-degree black belt.

From third-degree black belt to LPGA Top player

Martial arts taught me many things that made me a better golfer. The physicality of taekwondo translated well into the motions of the golf swing. Flexibility, leverage, balance, speed in the right spot, and controlling yourself as you strike an object: these are all crossover disciplines. Knowing your body and understanding the importance of being in the right position at the right time are imperative in breaking a board with your foot as well as in hitting a driver into the fairway. By learning one, you appreciate the other.

Taekwondo also emphasizes bringing all muscles to bear on a strike, concentrating your area of impact into as small an area as possible. The same is true in golf where you use every muscle and lever to bring as much controlled force as possible into the back of a stationary ball.


What I didn’t appreciate at the time were all the other lessons that my dad taught me. For example, I can’t remember a time when I didn’t perform in front of a crowd. In taekwondo, whether in a series of tests or exhibitions, I was always challenged in front of my peers, my instructors and spectators. So, when I drew a crowd in golf, I already knew the feeling.

The greatest advice comes from her dad: “You must never lose to fear.”

More than any other gift, though, my father taught me that the biggest opponent I would ever face, in sports and in life, was fear. In martial arts, the person attacking you is your foe. But your enemy is fear. Dad would always say, “Despite your instincts, you have to run toward that which you fear the most. You must face your opponent. You might lose a fight, just as you might lose a golf tournament. But you must never lose to fear.”

By my teenaged years, I had devoted myself fulltime to golf. But I still wasn’t sure I wanted to play competitively. My nerves weren’t great in tournaments. No matter how much I employed the techniques I’d learned in taekwondo – breathing, focus, control – I let the big moments overwhelm me. In my first year of high school, Dad pulled me aside and said, “Sei Young, you have to decide what you want to do. If you want to play golf for fun, that’s fine. But you will need to devote yourself to school so you can find another career path. If you want to be a competitive golfer, that’s fine, too. But you must overcome your nerves and learn to perform under pressure.”

Sei Young Kim, the youngest-ever winner of the Korean Women’s Amateur Championship.

I knew that my parents would support me either way. And that was all I needed. I poured myself into golf. At age 16, I became the youngest-ever winner of the Korean Women’s Amateur Championship.

Two years later, I turned professional and played the Korean LPGA Tour where I won five times. Two of those wins came in playoffs, where I was able to control my nerves and defeat my fears.

Then I qualified for the LPGA Tour in 2015, which presented a new set of anxieties. I arrived in America thinking I knew enough English to get by, at least for a while. Rarely have I been so wrong. I couldn’t understand anyone. I couldn’t read a sign; couldn’t order food; couldn’t watch television or find a book to read. Local rules sheets were useless and the instructions from officials went right past me. I nodded as if I understood what was being said. But in truth, I had no idea.

Sei Young Kim of South Korea speaks at a press conference after reacts after round 3 on Day 6 of Blue Bay LPGA 2015 at Jian Lake Blue Bay golf course

After the first event of my rookie year in Ocala, Florida, where I didn’t play well, I phoned my dad and said, “I think this was a mistake. Everything here is so hard. I can’t understand anything going on around me. Maybe I should come home and make a career on the KLPGA.”

To his credit, Dad listened without interrupting me. Then he said, “Are you afraid?”

I didn’t answer at first. I knew what he meant. Then he said, “Why don’t you give it one more week. See how you do. Then we’ll talk again.”

The next week, the LPGA Tour played the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Course on Paradise Island. That February Sunday, in a fierce wind, I shot 68 to finish 14-under par, good enough to land in a playoff with Ariya Jutanugarn and Sun-Young Yoo, which I won. Two months later, I chipped in on the final hole of the LOTTE Championship in Hawaii to force a playoff with Inbee Park. Then I hit the best 8-iron of my life, a shot that one-hopped into the hole for an eagle on the first extra hole. It was my second win in my first four months on the LPGA Tour.

Sei Young Kim of South Korea celebrates after chipping in on the 18th green to force a playoff with Inbee Park during the final round of the LPGA LOTTE Championship, in 2015

My English did not improve overnight. I still had trouble checking into a hotel and reading a restaurant menu. But I no longer feared my decision. I had found my home on the LPGA Tour.

I was honored to be the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year in 2015. And in 2020, I captured my first major championship, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. I also won the Pelican Women’s Championship in Florida, a title I will defend this week. And I captured the Rolex LPGA Player of the Year award. Throughout it all, I have remembered my father’s words.

Sei Young Kim of Korea poses with the trophy after winning the Pelican Women’s Championship at Pelican Golf Club, in 2020

Run toward your fear, knowing that you will never catch it. Because fear always vanishes in the face of the bold.

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European Challenge Tour European Tour Ladies European Tour Ladies Tours Live PGA Tour

Viktor Hovland and Markus Helligkilde win at the PGA and Challenge Tours – Scandinavian finished on a high note

PGA Tour: World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba

Viktor Hovland, from Norway came to defend his title this weekend and succeeded. Hovland signed four rounds of 67-65-62-67 to achieve a new tournament record of 23-under par. The young star wins his third title on the PGA Tour at the age of 24. Fourteen clubs were too many for him. Hovland let Danny Lee use his driver on the range, and he wracked it. The Norwegian played his best golf with a borrowed driver.

The first Scandinavian names on the leaderboard shows at T45. Henrik Norlander and Alex Noren finished with a total of 8-under par.

PGA Tour World Wide Tech Championship
Course Riviera Maya, Mexiko at the El Camaleon Golf Club.
Prize Money 7,200,000 US-Dollar
Champion Viktor Hovland
Scandinavian players Henrik Norlander and Alex Noren (T45)

LET Tour: Aramco Saudi Ladies International

Emily Pedersen, from Denmark, tried to defend champion in Saudi Arabia, but after four rounds of (73-71-67-71), the trophy slipped through her hands. Pedersen finished T17 on the leaderboard with a total of 6-under par. The best Scandinavian performance comes from Sanna Nuutinen (FIN). Nuutinen made a T9 with rounds of (71-65-73-69) for a total of 10-under par. This weekend, the Finnish player pocketed the amount of $19,452.11. Linnea Strom (SWE) and her mate Anna Nordqvist (SWE) wrapped up the event with totals of 9-under and 6-under par respectively.

The Swedish made a Top 20. Those 3 strokes difference mean a couple of thousand dolars. Strom collects $16,426.22 for a T13, while Nordqvist will take home the amount of $14,048.75 for a T17. The Aramco Saudi was not the best tournament for the Scandinavian, but that could easily change for the upcoming ones. 

LET Tour Aramco Saudi Ladies Tournament
Course Royal Greens Golf Club – Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Prize Money 1 Million Dollars
Champion Lydia Ko
Scandinavian players Sanna Nuutinen(T9), Linnea Strom(T13), Anna Nordqvist(T17), Emily Kristine Pedersen(T17), Caroline Hedwall(T28)

European Tour: Portugal Masters 2021

Denmark must be proud. Two of their golfers showed on the top of the leaderboard. Both hand by hand, Nicolai Hojgaard and Lucas Bjerregaard shared the silver medals with a total of 17-under par. What a crazy performance these two had this weekend in Portugal. Only Thomas Pieters of Belgium climbed up one more spot to win the European Tour tournament. Pieters finished 2 strokes ahead of the Danish, with a total of 19-under par.

EU Tour Portugal Masters 2021
Course Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course – Vilamoura, Portugal
Prize Money 1.5 Million Euro
Champion Thomas Pieters
Scandinavian players Nicolai Hojgaard(T2), Lucas Bjerregaard(T2), Kristoffer Broberg(T12)

Challenge Tour: Challenge Tour Grand Final 2021

The Challenge Tour Grand Final was played in Mallorca, Spain at the T-Golf & Country Club. Markus Helligkilde brought all medals home. The Danish player not only won the tournament, but also the Challenge Tour Ranking.  Helligkilde added enough points to move up to #1 after the Grand Final. His mate, Niklas Nørgaard MØLLER (DEN), signed excellent rounds of (72-69-69-70) for a total of 4-under par and a T8 position. Also tied for the 8th place, Jesper KENNEGARD (SWE).

The Grand Final tested the steel nerves of most of the players that were competing to earn their pass to the European Tour next season. The environment was great, and the ceremony ended with a group picture of all 20 classified to the Main Tour.

Challenge Tour Challenge Tour Grand Final
Course T-Golf & Country Club Poniente – Mallorca, Spain
Prize Money 450,000 Euro
Champion Markus Helligkilde
Scandinavian players Markus Helligkilde(1), Niklas Nørgaard MØLLER(T8), Jesper KENNEGARD(T8)

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European Tour Ladies Tours Live LPGA Tour PGA Tour PGA Tour Champions Senior Tours Top Tours

Scandinavia increases their chances at the European Tour this week. What to expect from the PGA, LPGA, and Champions Tours events.

PGA Tour: ZOZO Championship

The PGA Tour makes another stop in Japan right at the beginning of the season for the ZOZO Championship.
The ZOZO Championship is being played in Chiba, Japan at the Accordia Golf Narashino CC at Par 72. The tournament starts on Thursday, 21st of October and ends on Sunday, 24th of October 2021.

With another strong field of participants, we can look forward to top-class golf this week. Narrowing the focus on the Scandinavian golfers, the participation is lower than usually. Only two players will represent the Scandinavians, including Alex Noren and Henrik Norlander, both from Sweden. They did not performed their best last week, but this is a new week with full chances for them to bring Sweden the glory.

PGA Tour ZOZO Championship
Course Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club (Japan)
Prize Money 9,950,000 US-Dollar
Defending Champion Patrick Cantlay
Skandinavian players Alex Noren(SWE), Henrik Norlander(SWE)

European Tour: Mallorca Golf Open.

Back at it. The tournament will be played on the par 72 Golf Santa Ponsa I, designed by Folco Nardi in 1977, which has hosted European Tour events on six previous occasions. The opening round is on Thursday, 21st of October and the last day is on Sunday, 24th of October 2021. This is not only special for the players, but even the Executive board did not see the time for Golf Santa Ponsa to host an European Tour tournmanet once again. It has been 23 years since last time this course served as venue to a European Tour event, and 10 are the years since the last time Mallorca welcomed one.

The presence of our Scandinavian golfers is getting more and more noticeable, starting off with Jeff Winther from Denmark, who will tee off at 9:15am(GMT+2). Coincidence is that there will be no two Scandinavian players together playing in the same group. The audience must keep an eye in all different holes to stay tuned.

European Tour Mallorca Golf Open
Course Golf Santa Ponsa- Mallorca, Spain
Prize Money 1 Mio EUR
Defending Champion N/A
Skandinavian players Alexander Björk(SWE), Jeff Winther(DEN), Sebastian Soderberg(SWE), Søren Kjeldsen(DEN), Niklas Lemke(SWE), Marcus Kinhult(SWE), Philip Eriksson(SWE), Jens Fahrbring(SWE), Joel Sjöholm(SWE), Kristoffer Reitan(NOR), Benjamin Poke(DEN), Lucas Bjerregaard(DEN), Rikard Karlberg(SWE), Joachim Hansen(DEN)

LPGA Tour: BMW Ladies Championship.

After a week break in the schedule, the LPGA return to the field, and they do so at the International Busan Golf Course, in South Korea, where the women will fight at the BMW Ladies Championship. Does this mean that the winner also becomes the golfer who likes to drive the most…? One thing is clear, these women drive the fairway better than most.
Matilda Castren(FIN) is kicking in strong already with a hole in one during the practice round, maybe her 6iron keeps her lucky throughout the weekend too. Castren will tee of on Thursday, 22nd of October at 8:33am(GMT+9), and Nanna Madsen(DEN) will open the first round at 9:55am(GMT+9) from hole 10.

LPGA Tour BMW Ladies Championship
Course International Busan
Prize Money 200,000,000 US-Dollar
Defending Champion Hana Jang
Skandinavian players Matilda Castren(FIN), Nanna Madsen(DEN)

PGA Tour Champions: Dominion Energy Charity Classic

The tournament starts on Friday, the 22nd of October, and ends on Sunday, the 24th of October 2021. Making birdies is key for the players to have bigger chances to win. However, at the Dominion Energy Charity Classic, the outcome of playing good goes far and beyond. People can contribute to the Charity through flat donations or based on the number of “birdies” made by PGA TOUR Champions players. Robert Karlsson, from Sweden will fight every shot in representation of the Scandinavian Area, as he is the only participant from there.

PGA Tour Champions Dominion Energy Charity Classic
Course Country Club of Virginia- Richmond, Virginia (USA)
Prize Money
2,000,000 US-Dollar
Defending Champion Phil Mickelson
Skandinavian players Robert Karlsson(SWE)

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European Challenge Tour European Tour Ladies European Tour Ladies Tours Live PGA Tour PGA Tour Champions Top Tours

How the best Scandinavian golfers came out from last week’s events

Last week the LPGA took a break, and the LET Tour received all the attention for the ladies tours. On the men’s side, the CJ Cup tournamnet was a pure show that brought Rickie Fowler (USA) back to the upper part of the leaderboard. Rory McIlroy overtook the top American players, on American soil. The participation of the Scandinavian golfers was not the highest of the year so far. However, Sebastian Söderberg(SWE) and Alexander Björk(SWE) brought some glory home. Söderberg finished T2 at the European Tour tournament of Esterlla Damm Andalucia Masters in Valderrama Golf Course, and Björk made an incredible T4. The best golfers from Denmark, Finlad, Norway, and Sweden are now having some rest to give it all next weekend at the PGA, European, LPGA, and Let Tours.

PGA TOUR: The CJ Cup at Summit

The Irish golfer Rory McIlroy won his 20th tour victory at the PGA Tour event. McIlroy made the exemption to a top 5 on the leaderboard strongly taken by the American players. Viktor Hovland made the Top 20, finishing T18 with a total of 18-under par. Hovland started strong with a bogey-free round of 65 (7-under par), but the luck didn’t last and didn’t manage to push more birdies in. Alex Noren (T59) and Rasmus Hojgaard (63rd) managed to make few birdies along their rounds, but could not lower down the amount of bogeys per round, which made it difficult to rise up on the leaderboard. Noren and Hojgaard signed totals of -10 and -9 respectively.

PGA Tour CJ Cup at Summit
Course The Summit Club, Las Vegas, Nevada (USA)
Prize Money 9.8 Mio US-Dollar (8.4 Mio EUR)
Champion Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland)
Scandinvian  players Viktor Hovland (T18), Alex Noren (T59), Rasmus Hojgaard (63rd)

European Tour: Andalucía Masters

The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters was played at the golf course of Real Club Valderrama, which plays at Par 71. To the surprise of the Scandinavian field, Sebastian Soderberg shocked the public coming out of the blue with scores of 70-69-72-70 to finish T2, only 3 shots behind the leader, Matt Fitzpatrick. Also from Sweden, his fellow teammate Alexander Björk made a T4 with a total of 2-under par. Real Club Valderrama was in perfect shape, definitely set up for professional golfers of high calibre. Other players from Denmark such as Thomas Bjorn, Nicolai Hojgaard, and Lucas Bjerregaard did not make the cut this time. Thomas Bjorn was in first line after the last player who moved forward into the last two rounds.

European Tour Andalucía Masters
Course Real Club Valderrama (Spain)
Prize Money 3 Million EUR
Champion Matt Fitzpatrick
Scandinvian  players Sebastian Soderberg (T2), Alexander Björk (T4), Joachim B. Hansen (T15)

Ladies European Tour: Aramco Team Series

Across the Atlantic the Ladies European Tour competed in New York after a week off from playing. Glen Oaks Club hosted the event and had a stellar field assembled. Marianne Skarpnord from Norway, together with the Sollheim Cup star Anna Nordqvist (SWE) finsihed T7 with a total of 5-under par. Krista Bakker (FIN) finished T17. Bakker started with a round of even-par (72), Bakker improved in her second round playing under par (70), but the nerves of the last round did not allow her to climb higher on the leaderboard, as she closed up the Aramco Team Series with a scorecard of 1-over par (73).

EU Ladies Tour Aramco Team Series
Course The Glen Oaks Club, New York (USA)
Prize Money 800,000 USD (692,076 EUR)
Champion Charley Hull (ENG)
Scandinvian  players Anna Nordqvist (T7), Marianne Skarpnord (T7), Krista Bakker (T17)
 
 
 
 
 
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Champions Tour: SAS Championship

The SAS Championship was held in Cary, North Carolina at the Prestonwood CC. The SAS Championship is part of the Champions Tour, where the legends play. The sport of golf has not always been popular in the Scandinavia Area (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden). However, it is slowly becoming more of an interest for the younger generations. For that reason, there are not yet many golfers that participate with the legends. However, Robert Karlsson (SWE) is a pioneer on the Scandinavian golf. During his first round, Karlsson signed a scorecard with more birdies than pars on it, but a couple of bogeys limited his result to 6-under par. The following two rounds, the Swedish player finished 4-over par and even-par on the last, for a total of 2-under par (66-76-72).

PGA Tour CJ Cup at Summit
Course Prestonwood Country Club Cary, North Carolina (USA)
Prize Money 2.1 Mio US-Dollar (1.8 Mio EUR)
Champion Lee Janzen(USA)
Scandinvian  players Robert Karlsson (T34)
Categories
European Tour Ladies European Tour Ladies Tours Live PGA Tour PGA Tour Champions Top Tours

Weekly preview: What’s the panorama like for the best English golfers on Tour

PGA Tour: The CJ Cup

Las Vegas never dissapoints and this weekend is no exception. The Summit Club will hold the CJ Cup and the best players around the world will join the event to play their best cards for the victory. Although the great majority of participants are from the U.S. the Englishmen come strong to win the trophy. Ian Poulter and Paul Casey are playing revenge on Las Vegas after missing the cut last weekend at the Shriners Children’s Open. Justin Rose is ready to come back to the field one month after his last tournament appearance, at the BMW PGA Championship. Tommy Fleetwood tees off at 6:37pm (CET), and his fellow teammate Tyrrell Hatton is starting at 8:42pm (CET). Hatton came close to a win during his last event at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, and he is ready to shake off the bitter taste of second place.

PGA Tour The CJ Cup
Course The Summit Club, Las Vegas, Nevada (USA)
Prize Money $9,750,000 US-Dollar
Defending Champion Jason Kokrak
Headliner Collin Morikawa, Brooks Koepka, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas
English players Ian Poulter, Paul Casey, Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton

European Tour: Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters


Continuing with the Spanish weeks on the European Tour, eyes stay on world number one Jon Rahm seeking for the local player tricks. This weekend Valderrama Golf is venue to the Estrella Damn N.A. Andalucia Maters. The south always brings sunny days and good vibes on and off the course to create the perfect atmosphere to enjoy the game of the greatest European Tour golfers. A few English stars to get a chance at this year’s tournament include, Richard Bland, Daniel Gavins, and Matthew Fitzpatrick.

EU Tour Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters
Course Valderrama Golf Course, Andalucía, Spain
Prize Money 3 Mio EUR
Defending Champion John Catlin
Headliner Jon Rahm, Rafa Cabrera Bello
English players

David Horsey, Graeme Storm, Andy Sullivan, James Morrison, Chris Paisley, Laurie Canter, Paul Waring, Robert Rock, Richard Bland, David Howell, Ross McGowan, Matthew Southgate, Eddie Pepperell, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Richard Mcevoy, Chris Wood, Jack Senior, Ross Fisher, Callum Shinkwin, Jordan Smith, Steven Brown, Marcus Armitage, Oliver Wilson, Oliver Fisher, David Horsey, Graeme Storm, Chris Paisley, James Morrison, Paul Waring, David Howell, Robert Rock, Ashley Chesters, Aron Rai, Daniel Gavins, Andrew Johnston, Laid Shepherd

LET Tour: Aramco Team Series – New York

Moving into the ladies tours, this weekend the Ladies European Tour receives full attention since the LPGA cancelled the Shanghai tournament due to covid. The best female golfers around the world come together to play at the Glen Oaks Club, in New York, entering the top 5 to last events of the season.

LET Tour Aramco Team Series – New York
Course Glen Oaks Club, New York (USA)
Prize Money 200,000 EUR / 800,000 EUR (TEAM)
Defending Champion
Headliner Nelly Korda, Jessica Korda, Lexi Thompson
English players

Bronte Law, Trish Johnson, Charley Hull, Alice Hewson, Annabel Dimmock, Meghan MacLaren, Felicity Johnson

PGA Tour Champions: SAS Championship

The new century began celebrating the SAS Championship for the first time in 2001, and survived through a global pandemic in 2019, when it turned out to be one of the few events that took place regardless. The PGA Tour Champions is where the legends play and the show must go on. This year, they all come together at the Prestonwood Country Club in Cary, North Caroline. Furthermore, the European Team Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington is also entered. Paul Broadhurst is the only English player in the tournament.

PGA Tour Champions SAS Championship
Course Prestonwood Country Club – Highlands Course
Prize Money
2,100,000 US-Dollar
Defending Champion Ernie Els
Headliner
Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Bernhard Langer
English players Paul Broadhurst
Categories
European Tour Ladies European Tour Ladies Tours Live LPGA Tour PGA Tour Top Tours

The UK performance: European Tour golfer Jack Senior places a T6 at the ACCIONA Open de España

PGA Tour: Shriners Children’s Open

Shriners Hospitals for Children is the sponsor and benefactor of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. They are changing lives every day through innovative pediatric specialty care, world-class research and outstanding medical education. The Shriners Children’s Open provides with the chance to contribute to the cause and to create awareness of it.
The venue for the tournament is the TPC Summerlin, since 1983, a Par-72 course played as Par-71 in Las Vegas, NV, USA. Players will receive a total of 7 Mio. US-Dollar will be awarded to the players. The winner receives 1,26 Mio. US-Dollar.
Harry Hall is the only British golfer to make the Top 10 last weekend at the PGA Tour event. Hall rounds off the tournament in T8 position. The Englishman showed four great rounds of 66-65-68-68 at TPC Summerlin. With a total score of -17 he finished 7 shots behind the leader. Hall showed very solid game with a total of 22 birdies and 1 eagle in the opening round on hole 9, par 5. The professional golfer from England found some trouble to maintain a bogey-free round, which hurt his daily rounds by few shots that held him back from winning.
“If you give me a T-8 at the start of the week I would have taken it. At this point with my weekend without my best stuff and felt like I could have produced some better numbers out there today.”-Harry Hall explaining the overall feeling after his performance.
Matt Wallace, who is currently 77th in the official world golf ranking, finishes the tournament in T14 position. The Englishman posted a final round of 66 at TPC Summerlin. With a total score of -15 he finished 9 shots behind the leader.
Danny Willett, 101st in the official world golf ranking, finishes the tournament in T21 place. after a last round of 3-under par (68) at TPC Summerlin. With a total score of 14-under par, the Englishman finished 10 shots behind the leader.

PGA Tour Shriners Children’s Open
Course TPC Summerlin, Las Vegas, Nevada (USA)
Prize Money 7,0 Mio US-Dollar (6,0 Mio EUR)
Tournament winner Sanje Im
English players Harry Hall (T7), Matt Wallace (T14), Danny Willet (T20)

European Tour: Open de España

Moving into the European Tour, Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, in Spain witnessed a real sports show from some the best European professional golfers in the world. It was the ACCIONA Open de España that took place last weekend, and although Spain has been considered one of the critical areas for COVID-19 cases in the world ever since the pandemic started, things finally aligned well for the Spaniards and they were able to receive a great crowd that definitely made the event more intense.

European Tour Open de España
Course Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, Spain
Prize Money €1,500,000
Tournament winner Rafa Cabrera Bello
English players Jack Senior (T6), Richard Bland (T9), Jordan Smith (T20)

Jack Senior finishes the tournament in T6 place. The Englishman played four rounds of 67-67-65-69 for a total of 16-under par at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid. Senior came close, only 3 shots behind the leader Rafa Cabrera. He was Top 5 in the percentages of Diver accuracy, and he almost signed bogey-free scorecard in round 3, where he had 1 bogey on hole 5 par-4, 1 eagle on hole 14 par-5 and 5 birdies.

Richard Bland also makes the Top 10 and finishes the tournament in T9 position. At the age of 48, Bland fights every shot as if he was in his 20s. The Englishman played two first rounds of 2-under par and 3-under par (69-68), to bounce back with a superb result of 7-under par (64) in his third round. The last day, Bland maintained the
good golf but a doble bogey got in his way on hole 6 par-4 and could not go lower than 3-under par for a total of 15-under, only 4 strokes behind the leader. Bland seems excited off to the next European Tour event, Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters at the Golf Course of Valderrama that will take place in Oct 14th-17th.


Jordan Smith finishes the tournament in T20 position. His fellow teammates Andrew Johnston and Ross Mcgowan, 199th and 372nd in the official world golf ranking respectively, round off the tournament in T24 position. The Englishmen wrap up the Open de España with a total score of 11-under par to finished 8 strokes behind the leader. Chris Paisley and Ross Fisher were first in the list of players who missed cut, by 2 shots.

LPGA Tour: Founders Cup

The women showed what good golf is out there in New Jersey at the Mountain Ridge Golf Course. Since 2014, four of the last five winners have come from Korea, the most recent being Jin Young Ko in 2019.
Running into the fifth to last of the tournaments of the season, Georgia Hall has finished in T33 position. The English woman did not have her best performance but yet she managed to cut some positions over the leader on her last round with a 2-under par, to collect four rounds of (69-71-72-69) to end 15 shots behind the winner, Ko Jin-young.

Charley Hull walked out of Mountain Ridge Country Club as 42nd on the leaderboard, and Mel Reid concluded her performance at T68 for a final money prize of $6,146. Now they are warming up their engines for the next LPGA event BMW Ladies Championship in Oct 21st-24th at the LPGA International Busan, in Republix of Korea.

LPGA Tour Founders Cup
Course Mountain Ridge Golf Course, New Jersey (USA)
Prize Money $3,000,000 US-Dollar
Tournament winner Ko Jin-young
English players Georgia Hall (T33), Charley Hull (T42)
Categories
Ladies Tours Live LPGA Tour

LPGA Tour Georgia Hall: “Happy with my long game, so I think just focus my short game in a minute.”

COGNIZANT FOUNDERS CUP

October 7, 2021

Georgia Hall

West Caldwell, New Jersey, USA

Mountain Ridge Country Club

Q. Georgia Hall, 69 here today in round one. You got off to a solid start starting your day on the back with four birdies, but some struggles coming in. What changed at the turn?

GEORGIA HALL: Yeah, I think the front nine, so it was my back nine, I think it’s playing a bit tougher actually, a bit longer with some tricky pins.

Yeah, I just got my two bogeys from two wedge shots, which was a little bit disappointing, and missing a seven foot on the last to go 3-under.

But I played really, really well. My long game was great. Probably one of the best it’s been all year, so I look forward to tomorrow.

Q. You’ve had three Top 10s this season. What would be a satisfying close as we get into the final stretch of the year?

GEORGIA HALL: Obviously I’d love to win this event. I mean, it’s a fantastic golf courses, one of the best we’ve played all year. I really look forward to playing it tomorrow.

But, yeah, I mean, I just have a really good week and play well.

Q. What will you work on now heading into round two?

GEORGIA HALL: I think a little bit of putting and then maybe a bit of chipping. Happy with my long game, so I think just focus my short game in a minute.

Interview Transcript by ASAP Sports

Categories
European Challenge Tour European Tour Highlights Tours Ladies European Tour Ladies Tours Live LPGA Tour PGA Tour Professionals Satellite Tours Top Tours

How the Skandinavian professional golfers raise up their national pride. A weekend filled out with golf.

Last weekend hosted events for all professional tours, and this is an overview on the performance of the golfers from Finland, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. There are not many players from these countries. However, some of their names are getting more and more noticed within the golf world.

European Tour: Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

Starting of with the European Tour, the Swedish golfer Joakim Lagergren, was close to bring home the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship trophy. He signed four rounds of (67-72-67-66) to finish with a total of 16-under par, for a silver medal only two shots behind the winner, Danny Willett. Lagergren showed a very solid game throughout the entire tournament, being two and six the average of bogeys and birdies per round respectively. Kristoffer Broberg finished strong with a fourth round of 7-under par (65) for a T9, coming close to the end one of his best seasons in the European Tour.
To round out the Swedish crew, Alex Noren came in T12 with a total of 11-under par (70-68-70-69). Noren is currently ranked 59th in the OWGR, and he is one of the players from Sweden with the most number of European Tour wins, a total of 10, only one victory behind Robert Karlsson and Henrik Stenson.
Nicolai HØJGAARD and Jeff Winther, from Denmark also had a good performance that placed them both at T14, finishing with a total score of 10-under par.

Joakim Lagergren of Sweden tees off on the 5th hole during Day Four of The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at The Old Course. (Getty Images)

Challenge Tour: Swiss Challenge

Moving on to the Challenge Tour which consisted of the Swiss Challenge hosted at Golf Saint Apollinaire, Michelbach-Le-Haut, France. Denmark leaves a mark within the Top 10 finishes, bringing the first and second place trophies home. Marcus Helligkilde was proclaimed winner after he signed a total of 25-under par (65-67-62-69). Helligkilde is currently 3rd in the Challenge Tour, and ranked 143rd in the OWGR. All signs point at him playing the Main Tour next season. Only one shot behind at the Swiss Challenge, his fellow national teammate Nicolai Kristensen completed a four-round performance with scores of (65-67-65-67) for a total of 24-under par and a T2. Kristensen improved his Challenge Tour Ranking (CTR) by 28 positions last weekend, although that will not be enough to get the main card just yet.
Niklas Nørgaard MØLLER, also from Denmark, made a Top 5 at Golf Saint Apollinaire, shooting a total of 20-under par, and Lauri Ruuska came in T8 for Finland, only one shot behind of 19-under par.

LPGA Tour: Shoprite LPGA Classic

Looking at the LPGA, we can focus on the Swedish professional golfer Anna Nordqvist. She recently came in at T12 at the Shoprite LPGA Classic with a total of 9-under par and rounds of (69-69-66). Nordqvist currently holds 9 Career victories and 75 Career Top 10. Her solid game shows in the Rolex Ranking, where she is placed 16th. Anna felt at home during the Shoprite LPGA Classic and that is how she wanted to transmit it through social media: “No place like home but some weeks on the road are a little better than others… thank you @borgataac and my @mgmresortsintl family for making me, my clubs and my caddy feel “home” this week during @shopritelpga” published Anna on her Instagram account after the tournament.
Few positions below, her fellow Swedish player Madelene Sagstrom, and the professional golfer from Finland, Matilda Castren finished 6-under par for a T27 position.

Ladies European Tour. LET: Estrella Damm Ladies Open

The Estrella Damm Ladies Open took place last weekend 1st-3rd of October 2021, in Club de Golf Terramar, in Spain. Maja Stark from Sweden, took a 2-shot lead and brought the tophy home after three rounds of nonstop improvement (74-69-65) that drove her to be first with a total of 8-under par.
With a difference of four strokes, Krista Bakker (FIN) came in T4 and Linda Wessberg (SWE) T6 with a total of 3-under par. Sweden showed some golf power as Jessica Karlsson also made a Top 10 on the leaderboard with rounds of (71-70-73).

PGA Tour: Sanderson Farms Championship

Lastly the PGA tour where the Sanderson Farms Championship was played at the Country Club of Jackson, in Jackson, Mississippi. Henrik Norlander sits on the spotlight as he was the only player from the Skandinavian area to make the cut. Norlander left the standards high with a T4, only 2 shots behind the leader Sam Burns, from the U.S.