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European Tour Satellite Tours

Andy Sullivan: “You’d be surprised that probably a few of the men learned a lot from the ladies.”

Andy Sullivan on the ISPS HANDA World Invitational 2021

July 28, 2021

Andy Sullivan

Northern Ireland

Galgorm Castle & Massereene Golf Club
Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Andy, it’s great to have you at the ISPS Handa World Invitational. First of all, you played the Open Championship a couple of weeks ago, put yourself in the mix in the first couple of days. It wasn’t your best result at the Open, but did it feel like a kind of a week, maybe your best performance at an Open where you really put yourself in the mix at Royal St George’s?

ANDY SULLIVAN:

Yeah, I think it was one of them where, as I said out there, I didn’t have any expectations going in because I got in last minute and I felt like it was just all right. I almost took it as a normal tournament. It was laid back that week. I played nine holes Tuesday, nine holes Wednesday, so I wouldn’t say I had the best preparation going into it, but I felt really relaxed. I was playing nice golf leading up to it. In a way I felt probably more relaxed than I’ve ever been going into a major. It was quite refreshing, and obviously the first two days was amazing. Obviously with the crowds there and being with Blandy on the first tee, hitting the first tee shot, it’s always good fun.

Yeah, it was an amazing week. Obviously it didn’t pan out quite the way I wanted to at the weekend, probably got at little bit cold, but I felt like I almost come of age a little bit, in like mental-wise I felt like I was really patient, really disciplined when normally I get a little bit frustrated at the weekend and try and chase things down. I really stuck to my game plan, and I think going forward that’s probably massive for me.

Q. You obviously got a good reception down in Sandwich but you’re kind of a fan favorite here on the island of Ireland, as well, and you’ve played well here a couple of times, notably in 2019 at Lahinch but also you played well at Royal County Down a number of years ago, as well. Are you looking forward to playing in front of the Northern Irish crowds this week and hopefully give them something to cheer about?

ANDY SULLIVAN:

Yeah, definitely. I don’t know, it maybe is my last name, Sullivan, maybe they just take me as one of their own. But I always get a great reception here, and it’s brilliant. I love the fact you come to Ireland or Northern Ireland and the banter they throw at you on the golf course, I love feeding off it. I really enjoy it, always really enjoy it. Like you said, I’ve always seemed to play quite well in Ireland and Northern Ireland so it’s actually nice to come back to places where you feel comfortable and it feels like home. No, it’s good.

Q. I know you’re a big supporter of inclusivity in golf and you do a few things off the golf course in that regard, but are you proud to be part of an event such as this where male and female players are playing for equal prize funds and over the same golf courses and are you enjoying the atmosphere this week with the various tours?

ANDY SULLIVAN:

Yeah, it’s fun. I did a golf day on Monday with Alice Hewson and obviously she’s fourth in Sweden, and she was just saying how much she learnt from playing with the men, and I said to her, I said, you’d be surprised that probably a few of the men probably learned a lot from the ladies, as well. I think it’s great that we can have these events, and we all get together and we can sort of learn different things off each other because I love it. I think it’s great, and I think it’s the way things should be where we’re playing for equal prize funds and going against each other.

At the end of the day we’re all competitors. We all want to beat each other. It doesn’t matter if you’re disabled, lady, male, we want to win.

Q. I think it was four tournaments in a row culminating with the Open and obviously being up there for the first couple of days at Sandwich, how much does that take out of you and did you have a good week off last week to top off the energy levels?

ANDY SULLIVAN:

Yeah, I was quite lucky in the sense of sort of managed my time really well, so I wasn’t at the event the whole week, sort of a full seven days. I felt like I managed my time really well at the event knowing I was going to play three on the spin and then going into the Open I felt pretty good going into the Open energy levels wise. I didn’t feel tired at any point. I felt like I managed my time really well.

Had a good week off last week, yeah, enjoyed being back with the kids, back with the missus, seeing a few of my mates and stuff, and picked up the practice sort of the end of the weekend and did a golf day on Monday. No, it was good, and obviously just looking forward to getting this UK swing on the road. Absolutely love playing back in the UK. It’s always a pleasure, and like I said, the crowds and the fans are amazing, so it’s good.

Q. You’re the top ranked player in the men’s tournament this week. Does that bring any extra pressure or is it just internal pressure on yourself to do well?

ANDY SULLIVAN:

Again, I’ve got no expectations of myself. I feel like my game is in good shape. I feel like me and Rich have come up with a game plan and we’re just going to stick to that game plan like we did at the Open, and I feel like when we do get the game plan right, it’s going to be our week. I think it’s just a matter of biding our time and we will get it right at one event.

The Open it just didn’t quite pan out for us, but I was really proud of how disciplined I was and how much I stuck to my guns with it and it’ll be the same this week. Like I said, I felt like it was a bit of a coming of age for me at the Open. It’s been a long time where it’s time for me really to take in and not be ultra aggressive and be a bit more patient, be a bit more diligent of what I’m doing, and it really paid off.

Again, that will be probably one of the reasons why I didn’t feel so tired is mentally it takes it out of you when you’ve got so much going on and you’re trying to push. I felt like, yeah, I felt good all week, so it’ll be more of the same this week.

Q. Just what are the sort of goals and ambitions for the rest of the season?

ANDY SULLIVAN:

I haven’t any really. Literally just working towards my stats and trying to improve them, all of them. I don’t know if I can edge in the areas that are not quite up to the standard that I want them to be. That’s going to be give me the best chance of winning. Not really expectations or any goals set in terms of outcome, just trying to work on the process, even though it sounds ultra really boring and not much for you to write about. Unfortunately that’s what I’ve got to stick to, trying to keep myself sane for as long as possible.

Q. You talked about the game plan and stuff, so what do you think the secret to good scoring is this week?

ANDY SULLIVAN:

I walked the other course, I walked it yesterday. I didn’t play it. Seeing how fiery it was on the fairways, greens were still quite soft, though. For me it will just be about getting it in the fairway. I forgot what the other track is called now.

Q. Massereene?

ANDY SULLIVAN:

Massereene. I think just getting it in the fairway around there is key. It’s going to give yourself the best chance of getting it right and as soon as you start putting it in the rough you’re bringing in fliers and all sorts. Fairways are going to be key, which might not necessarily be driver everywhere at a tight golf course. That seemed to be what came out of yesterday.

Then you’ll have to ask me that question later because I haven’t actually played this course yet, so we’ll find out later.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Andy. Have a great week.

Interview transcript by ASAP Sports

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European Tour Satellite Tours

Olivia Cowan: “Playing alongside the men will push the women’s golf.”

Olivia Cowan on the ISPS HANDA World Invitational 2021

July 27, 2021

Olivia Cowan

Northern Ireland

Galgorm Castle & Massereene Golf Club
Quick Quotes

Q. The pandemic postponed this a year, but we’re finally at Galgorm in the ISPS Honda World Invitational. What is it like to be finally at this tri-sanctioned event?

OLIVIA COWAN:

Yeah, it’s great to be back. Obviously I was here two years ago in 2019, and it was a really fun event then. It’s really fun to be back. Obviously it’s great playing with the men here, as well. It’s great to see them practice and just chat, as well, because we don’t see them that often. So yeah, it’s good to be back.

Q. What makes an event like this where you’ve got a men’s group, you’ve got a women’s group, kind of alternating each round, what makes it unique and special when you’re competing?

OLIVIA COWAN:

Well, I played the Vic Open a few times, and it’s basically the same format, so I think it’s just cool to mix. I think it’s great for fans, as well. Obviously you can watch the men and you can watch the women at the same time. I think that’s really good.
I think it’s good for women’s golf, as well, because I think obviously us playing alongside the men, it will push the women’s golf, as well, so I think that’s a great thing, as well.

Q. You’re a Modest Golf ambassador, client. What’s it like to have been working with them and when did you first start working with them?

OLIVIA COWAN:

So I started working with them last year, and it’s been really good, to be fair. I’m really happy with Modest Golf. The team is amazing. They put a lot of work into helping me become the best, and yeah, they’re just all in all really great.

Q. When you looked at signing with them, what was it about the organization that made you feel comfortable or maybe some values that they had that align with yourself?

OLIVIA COWAN:

What I really liked about Modest is that they weren’t just trying to help their players but they were in general trying to do more for golf, more for women’s golf, which I really liked. They obviously tried to always help in some aspect somewhere, obviously putting on these events, and just supporting us really well, like all the players. That’s what I really liked.
And then just talking to them, like they’re all really friendly, and yeah, it was just like a no-brainer really.

Q. Does being a part of the Modest Golf family make this week even more special for you?

OLIVIA COWAN:

Yeah, definitely, because it’s basically like playing at home kind of because you’ve just got all the support. Yeah, I definitely feel very comfortable here.

Q. I talked with Angel Yin earlier today and she mentioned the story of how she got in touch with you and how you convinced her to join the team. Can you take us through your side of the story, just kind of how Angel became involved with Modest, as well?

OLIVIA COWAN:

So basically she sent me a message on Instagram — obviously when I announced that I’m now with Modest, she then sent me a message straight away and said, “take me with you.” I then basically said, Yeah, what’s happening with your management, and I basically said you should get in touch with Modest, and she did, and Modest were interested, and that’s how it basically came about, so now we’re sisters, same management.

Q. Have you ever been to Northern Ireland besides two years ago?

OLIVIA COWAN:

I think I’ve played an amateur event here, as well.

Q. Do you remember the amateur event at all?

OLIVIA COWAN:

It might have been like a British Open.

Q. Am?

OLIVIA COWAN:

British Ladies Am.

Q. You won this year on the LET, the inaugural Aramco in London?

OLIVIA COWAN:

Yeah.

Q. Take us through your team and just kind of the excitement of that event and how you found your way to the top of the leaderboard.

OLIVIA COWAN:

Yeah, so I was actually really lucky that I could pick one of my friends, so my strategy this time was just a lot different. I wasn’t going on who was playing well. I was just basically I just wanted to pick a friend and just have a good time out there, and it worked out, so I picked Serena, Serena Schmidt, who’s one of my good friends, and then we just got really lucky with our third pick, as well, Diksha. She’s obviously a great player, and we just got on really well as a team, and I think that’s what really helped us win. We weren’t thinking about the individual event, we were all just trying to help each other win the team event, and it helped out.

Q. Was there an individual aspect to it or just a whole team?

OLIVIA COWAN:

There is an individual event besides the team event, but the team event is the bigger event. Yeah, we were just going out there to have some fun and basically just try and win the team event.

Q. How does an event like that or a win like that help you as the season goes on?

OLIVIA COWAN:

I think it’s helped massively. I think it’s given me some confidence, as well. Obviously I’ve been close on the LET for a few times now over the past five years, and yeah, I think coming down that stretch we needed to obviously score some more birdies, and yeah, I think that’s definitely helped winning that, as well, building up my confidence going forward.

Q. Speaking of confidence, I would imagine you have some having competed in a major championship last week. What was it like to be at Evian, to play in the Evian Championship, and how did that boost the engines for this event?

OLIVIA COWAN:

Yeah, obviously it was my first Evian major, so that was really cool. The weather was amazing, so that helped. Definitely made the week good.

Yeah, it was just a really good experience, obviously, to play with the LPGA girls and just basically see how they set it up. Obviously they would set it up very different to how we would play it on the LET, which I think was — it was difficult in some places, but it was a challenge for sure, and it was just really cool to play there.

Press Release by ASAP Sports

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European Tour Satellite Tours

Niall Horan: “We want change.. and having everyone here this week, men, women, disability..that’s what it’s about really..”

Niall Horan at the 2021 ISPS Handa World Invitational. (Photo: Getty Images)
ISPS HANDA WORLD INVITATIONAL: Galgorm Castle & Massereene Golf Club

Q. So you’ve got European Tour, LET, LPGA, EDGA. How proud are you to have that and to be part of it?

NIALL HORAN: When you list off the names of governing bodies, we’re doing all right. It’s a nice little the way it sort of turned in the last 18 months from just a Challenge Tour event to now having all of those listed is pretty cool. It’s pretty — it’s an amazing feeling actually, yeah.

Q. You’re very much changing the dynamics. It’s all about inclusivity. You’re very dynamic in that world. What does it mean to be bringing more and more people into the game that you love?

NIALL HORAN: Yeah, I think it’s got obviously a perception of maybe not being the most inclusive sport, but that’s what we want to change, the perception, and having everyone here this week, men, women, disability, we’ve got everything here, and that’s what it’s all about really. If I can move the needle a couple of percent I’ll always try and do it.

Q. I’ve seen you at the Ryder Cups, and I’ve seen you at the Open with the men and they’re booming it. What have you learned from ladies when they play because they’ve got some fine skills, haven’t they. They play a little bit differently but they’ve got great skills.

NIALL HORAN: Oh, yeah. Some of the — I’ve noticed a lot smoother swings on the ladies tour, and obviously the putting is exceptional. They don’t need to bomb it like Bryson every time, but they’ve got the — drive for show and putt for dough, and the girls have got some amazing putters out there.

Q. There’s one little girl that we saw last night that we’re going to meet again. Talk about how special that is.

NIALL HORAN: Yeah, meeting Amy was brilliant. She was just a bundle of joy is the phrase you’d use. The fact that she’s — we’ve flown her over from America, and she seems to be having a great time — I just seen her poking her head out there somewhere a few minutes ago, and I think she’s going to make an appearance on the back nine maybe to play a few holes with us.

But yeah, she’s just superstar, and the whole — when she went viral the first time, it was outside of golf. She kind of broke the barrier of just a golf story. It was a real sporting moment. Hopefully we can make more memories for her this week.

Interview transcript by asapsports.com

Categories
European Challenge Tour

Manley triumphs in Austria to secure third Challenge Tour title

Stuart Manly wins the Challenge Tours Euram Bank Open. (Photo: Getty Images)

Stuart Manley claimed his third Challenge Tour title in dramatic fashion after recording a birdie on the last hole to secure a one-stroke victory at the Euram Bank Open.

The Welshman had three holes to play this morning after the third round was suspended on Saturday night due to thunderstorms and heavy rain and trailed 54-hole leader Matias Honkala by one stroke.

After playing his first nine holes in level par after two birdies and a double bogey, he made his move at the turn after posting four consecutive birdies from the tenth hole. Tied for the lead with Scotland’s Ewen Ferguson on the par three 18th tee, he fired his tee shot to 15 feet and rolled the putt in for an 18 under par total and his third victory on the Challenge Tour.

The 42-year-old, who last won on the Challenge Tour in June 2018 at the Hauts de France Golf Open is delighted to be back in the winners’ circle once again.

“It feels amazing,” he said. “It’s been a tricky year with an injury just before South Africa, I almost thought the season was going to be over and to be here now with the winner’s trophy is amazing.

“I could feel the adrenaline pumping (on the 18th). I chose a six iron, I had 200 yards – a six iron doesn’t quite go 200 yards – but I thought just hit it firm and hit it harder, the adrenaline will take over. It landed right by the pin and went about 15 feet past, so it was a great opportunity. I knocked it in and I’m over the moon.”

Manley who has played at Golfclub Adamstal many times admits that it is suited to his game but says that he had to be patient throughout in order to have the outcome that he did.

“I had to have patience and really good management on my game,” said Manley. “I didn’t hit it amazing, but I hit it pretty solid. I made a lot of putts, my chipping was spot on, everything was pretty good I didn’t hit in trouble all week, so just the patience and short game was really good.

“The golf course is amazing, probably the most scenic golf course I’ve ever played and the condition it was in today after we had all that rain yesterday was amazing, so yeah I really like the golf course.”

“It is tough, physically more than anything, I got off the golf course just before nine o’clock and then you’re trying to find a restaurant to eat and then you need your sleep and your rest but then you have to be back at the golf club for about six this morning..”

Ferguson recorded his fourth top-four finish of the season with his runner-up result, matching his performance at this event in 2019.

In a share of third on 16 under par were South African Oliver Bekker, ranked fifth on the Road to Mallorca Rankings, and Honkala.

Hinrich Arkenau of Germany finished fifth on 15 under, with Chase Hanna and Federico Maccario sharing sixth place after rounds of 66.

With his victory, Manley jumps to 20th place on the Road to Mallorca Rankings after his third event of the season. Spain’s Santiago Tarrio still leads on 110,993 points, with Frenchman Julien Brun and German Marcel Siem occupying second and third place, respectively.

The Road to Mallorca continues next week in Italy, with the Italian Challenge at Margara Golf Club, from July 22-25.

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Satellite Tours

Alexander Knappe: “I think I can win on this course”

Alex Knappe is looking forward to playing the Euram Bank Open Tournament at the Challenge Tour

Alexander Knappe is looking to build on the solid foundations he has put in place on the Road to Mallorca as he tees it up in the Euram Bank Open at Golf Club Adamstal this week.

The German has four top 20 finishes to his name in 2021, including a tie for sixth at the Challenge de Cádiz along with a share of eighth place at the Open de Bretagne last month.

Knappe, who won twice on the European Challenge Tour in 2016, is targeting a return to the winner’s circle for the first time in almost five years and believes this week’s venue offers him an opportunity to do so.

“I think I can win on this course,” he said. “I am just preparing well now to give myself the best shot, to maybe this time win a bigger tournament.

“I want to finish inside the top 20 on the Road to Mallorca Rankings and to do that, I want to get a win. It’s always nice to get that winning feeling, being the best and then we can take it from there, so that’s my goal, winning a tournament.”

The 32-year-old finished in a tie for third place at Golf Club Adamstal in 2020 when the Euram Bank Open was dual-ranked by the European Tour, however he is conscious of the varying obstacles he must overcome due to the courses features and also the ever-changing weather.

“It is always nice to come back to a place where I did well, and especially this place,” he said. “It’s one of my favourite places due to the scenery. Being in the mountains, it’s really calm being with nature, so I love it here, It’s great.

Knappe comments on the weather

“I looked for the forecast and it was saying it is going to be really rainy over the weekend, so maybe it’s going to play really soft, so we always have to adjust but that’s what is special about this place.

“Every day is like a new day here. In the morning it’s cold, the ball is not travelling that far and, in the afternoon, it’s flying further, because we’re high up so it’s really special.”

Joining Knappe in Ramsau this week is Road to Mallorca Number One Santiago Tarrio, who has twice tasted victory on the 2021 Road to Mallorca, along with highly ranked Scotsman Craig Howie, who occupies fifth place on the Rankings following his victory at the Range Servant Challenge by Hinton Golf earlier this year.

The action gets under way at 7:30am local time, with Knappe teeing it up alongside American pairing Chase Hanna and Paul Peterson at 8:10am.

Interview transcript by European Tour Communications