Nicolas Colsaerts suffers from a rare kidney disease. (Photo: Getty/ Instagram @nicolascolsaerts)
Nicolas Colsaerts is known to many golfers through the “Miracle of Medinah”, the Ryder Cup 2012. The Belgian golfer now shocked his fans with bad news via Instagram. He has fallen ill with a rare kidney disease. This was noticed by swollen ankles and blood clots in his lungs.
Nicolas Colsaerts: “You can imagine what could have happened”
Already a few weeks ago, the Belgian noticed the first symptoms and decided to make an appointment with his doctor. However, the diagnosis of this rare disease took about a week. As Colsaerts wrote on Instagram, it was one of the worse weeks of his life. “I looked my wife in the eye and said I wasn’t ready to go,” he revealed in a short video from his room at the hospital. Upon closer examination, the doctors also found blood clots in his lungs. Fortunately, they caught it just days before he was supposed to take a flight. “You can imagine what could have happened if I had flown,” he commented. Finally, the diagnosis seems to be primary membranous nephropathy. It is a chronic inflammation of the kidney corpuscles and causes him to lose a lot of protein, in addition to the previous symptoms. The course of the illness could even go as far as to a complete kidney failure.
For Nicolas Colsaerts, the long road to recovery begins today. The treatment takes up to several months. Also, he has to take immunosuppressants to improve the chances of success of the therapy. Therefore, his immune system is weakened in a controlled way. Especially in times of the Covid 19 pandemic, the risk becomes higher than usually. According to Nicolas Colsaerts, however, the treatment has worked so far and he is confident that the health conditions of Nicolas will improve in a few months at the latest. On the other hand, his wife Rachel Colsaerts also keeps a positive attitude from the hospital: “I hope this day is the beginning of the end and we are on the road to recovery!
Honorary Starter Lee Elder of the United States (L), honorary starter and Masters champion Gary Player of South Africa and honorary starter and Masters champion Jack Nicklaus
It’s not always “peace, joy, pancakes”. Snotty professionals, aggressive slips or inappropriate actions also find a place in golf. There has definitely been reason for excitement this year – one or two situations will definitely stick in the memory. If not, here is a summary of the biggest upsets in golf of 2021.
Justin Thomas’ homophobic gaffe
Justin Thomas kicks things off. He slipped out a homophobic insult at the Tournament of Champions in January. Not against a teammate, not against a referee – but against himself. He was angry about a missed 2-metre putt. Immediately after the round, Thomas apologised in an interview and on his social media channels for his ill-considered curse. Nevertheless, the slip had consequences for the golfer: his sponsor Ralph Lauren parted ways with him. His apology was acknowledged, but the statement could not be reconciled with the values that the company represents.
Tyrrell Hatton goes one better
Things did not go as hoped for Tyrrell Hatton at the British Open in July 2021. A spectator interfered with Hatton’s bogey putt on the 11th hole, whereupon the Englishman recorded a double bogey. Hatton promptly took his displeasure out on the spectator: He received a raised middle finger and the words “Absolutely fucking bollocks!” The spectator was not the only one to suffer on this day. At the 18, Hatton’s bat had to be destroyed.
The fans also fire verbally
The beef between Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka is unlikely to have passed anyone by this year. Shouts also play a role in this dispute: Bryson DeChambeau, for example, was distracted by “Brooksy” shouts from Koepka fans in a tournament. Koepka, not present at the tournament himself, promptly responded to the extraordinary support of his fans and promised them free beer as a thank you. This story is just a small drop in the ocean in the dispute between DeChambeau and Koepka, who fought out their feud in “The Match V”.
*link dispute review
Every year again: Respect is a foreign word for American Ryder Cup fans
The Americans not only celebrated their own team at the Ryder Cup by cheering and applauding, but also tried to upset the opposing Europeans by disrespectful booing and insults. They cheered failed shots, shouted in the swing between them and wished the blue team balls in the water. Despite Steve Stricker’s appeal to the Americans to greet the Europeans with respect, the hosts’ fans did not mince their words. Unfortunately, not an isolated case at the Ryder Cup!
Brooks Koepka also had to contend with rebellious fans this year
Only a few weeks after a knee operation, Brooks Koepka competed at the PGA Championship. He was in the last flight together with Phil Mickelson and on his way to the 18th green. The fans, who naturally wanted to be especially close to their idols, scared Koepka. He was worried about his recently operated knee. The spectators came so close to the golf star that it was not easy to get through to the green. The American even suspected some fans of deliberately targeting his knee.
Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s ex-lawyer, shocks with sexist remark
In 2014, Rudy Giuliani won a charity tournament with Ernie Els alongside Michelle Wie. Seven years later, in 2021, he is reviving memories of the tournament. Not in a good way, though. In a podcast, Giuliani revealed that he noticed the “stunning” Michelle Wie’s panties as she putted that day. The paparazzi, he said, went crazy for a photo of them. Wie reacted quickly to this sexist remark: with a strong statement on Twitter she condemned the inappropriate remark and got support from the USGA and LPGA. Definitely one of the biggest upsets in golf, and the least proud moments for missing the essence of sport at its fullest.
Banned from Augusta? Gary Player’s son knows the drill
There was another upset at the opening ceremony at the 85th Masters. Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Lee Elder were invited as honorary starters. The latter had to take part in the welcoming ceremony sitting down for health reasons. Standing diagonally behind him was Gary Player’s son and caddie, Wayne. He shamelessly took advantage of the moving ceremony: He held the inscription of a badge into the camera for several minutes – obviously this could not be a coincidence. What followed? A ban from Augusta. Wayne Player’s explanation of the situation? More than strange.
Player Impact Programme – Even more money for those with the most money
This year, a bonus programme was launched on the PGA Tour, the principle of which is rather questionable. It is not meant to reward a good playing performance, but to be a prize for special media impact. Players with this special media impact – for example Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson or Rory McIlroy – are to receive a reward for drawing the crowds and increasing golf’s audience. A total sum of 40 million dollars is to be awarded to the stars. Even more money for those who already have the most? This causes incomprehension.
NRW Health Minister Laumann causes outrage
Recently, NRW Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann caused an uproar in the German health system as well as in the German golf market. In the wake of rising Corona numbers, he called on family doctors to invest more time in vaccination. His choice of words was more than daring. “Instead of golf on Saturday, vaccinate on Saturday,” were his words, with which he not only stepped on the toes of people from the health sector, but also of golfers. DGV President Claus Kobold did not take the flippant remark lying down for long and promptly responded with a quick-witted statement.
Cameron Smith wins the PGA Tour Tournament of Champions. (Photo: Getty)
Cameron Smith started the new tournament year with a bang. He wins the PGA Tour’s Sentry Tournament of Champions on Maui with 34 strokes under par, one shot ahead of Jon Rahm. It is the lowest under-par score in PGA Tour history and marks Smith’s fourth win on Tour. Previously, Ernie Els held the record with 31 strokes under par.
Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith started the fourth round with a five-stroke lead, but that didn’t mean they could rest on it as Matt Jones came from behind with a round of 61, the course record set the day before by Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm. Jones eliminated the lead and ended up third, just one stroke behind Jon Rahm.
PGA Tour: Cameron Smith beats world No. 1
Smith and Rahm went head-to-head on Moving Day at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, and the final was to be no less exciting. Smith gained a small lead over Rahm on the first nine, which could have been null and void on the last holes if Rahm had been able to hole his eagle attempt on the 18th from 15 metres, which he did not do, or if Smith had not been able to follow up with the birdie. But with a sure hand he sank his putt on the 18th green against the world No 1. “Rahm is the best golfer in the world and there are a lot of reasons why,” Smith said after his round. “He puts the ball on the flag and seems to sink every putt he looks at. It was nice to top that and hit it back.”
Smith had been in the lead since the start of the tournament, alone for the first two rounds, then sharing the lead with Rahm. “Being the leader is not easy. Sleepless nights. I spent a lot of time this week staring out of bed at the ceiling. I never had that before. But it was nice to see that my game is on par with the best players in the world.”
His goal for the year, to make it into the world’s top 10, has also been taken care of.
Just under ten months after being seriously injured in a car accident, Tiger Woods has confirmed his participation in the PGA Tour’s upcoming family tournament, the PNC Championship. Tiger will play in with his son Charlie. At the time, the 45-year-old Woods suffered serious leg injuries and his comeback to the Tour was far from becoming a reality.
PNC Championship kept Woods’ tournament place free
In mid-November, Tiger Woods reported back via Instagram with a swing video and wrote that he was “making progress“. More and more swing videos came after that and, in mid-November, the news suprised the fans once again for good. Tiger Woods and his son Charlie would count with a spot in the limited tournament field of the PNC Championship. As host of the Hero World Challenge, the 15-time major winner also showed up on the driving range several times. Contrary to the previous videos, the social media witnessed Tiger hitting his driver. That is for sure one way to know that the grind continues.
During an interview, he confirmed that he plans to return to professional golf, but ruled out a full-time comeback on the PGA Tour. “I think it’s realistic to play on the Tour one day. Never full-time again, but just selectively, like Mr [Ben] Hogan did. You pick a few events a year and play around them.” Tiger explained. It was an “unfortunate reality” but one that he understood and accepted.
Tiger concludes a challenging year
After a long healing process, Woods finally decided to make his comeback to the golf stage at the PNC Championship, a family tournament in Florida. The 45-year-old shared his decision on Twitter. Woods said that although it has been a “challenging year” for him, he is “excited to end it by playing in the PNC Championship.” Also, he added that he will be playing the tournament as a “Dad and he couldn’t be more excited and proud.” His teammate Bryson DeChambeau as well as many other fellow golfers also wanted to show happiness for Tiger’s great news.
The European Tour group’s Golf for Good raised a total of £125,000 for UNICEF through its season-long ‘Every Birdie Counts’ campaign. The campaign, supporting UNICEF’s work as part of the COVAX Facility, raised sufficient funds to help the children’s charity. The did so by delivering 50,000 vaccines to some of the world’s most vulnerable and hardest-to-reach nations.
‘Every Birdie Counts’ is an integral part of the European Tour group’s overarching CSR Programme ‘Golf for Good’ during the 2021 season. Also, it raised a minimum of €1 for UNICEF for every single birdie made during the campaign, with €10 donated for every eagle and €1,000 for every albatross.
DP World Tour Championship boosted up the total.
The season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai gave a significant ‘Birdie Boost’ to those numbers. Then, the European Tour group’s Golf for Good pledged €75 for every birdie made at the final Rolex Series event of the season. This was to mark UNICEF’s milestone 75th anniversary as well as World Children’s Day, which coincided with day three of the prestigious tournament.
There was a total of €77,451 raised prior to the finale at Jumeirah Golf Estates, thanks to 57,641 birdies, 1,681 eagles and three albatrosses across a season which began with January’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
The DP World Tour Championship, meanwhile, yielded 862 birdies and 19 eagles, raising a total of €66,550 in a brilliant week for Collin Morikawa. Morikawa claimed the title in a dramatic fashion, becoming the first American golfer in the history of the DP World Tour to top the season-long rankings.
The European Tour group’s Golf for Good rounded up the total from approximately £121,250 to £125,000. Of course, the full amount will support UNICEF’s work as part of the COVAX Facility, and its aim of delivering three billion vaccines globally.
Supporting the UNICEF work.
UNICEF is leading the end-to-end supply of vaccines, as well as providing tests and treatments, in low-and middle-income countries. For instance, UNICEF focuses the aim to deliver three billion doses of vaccines in 2021 for frontline health workers, social workers, teachers and those at highest risk.
UNICEF
The commitment of Paul Casey with the cause.
Paul Casey, a 15-time DP World Tour winner and UNICEF USA Supporter, said: “It’s unbelievable what the European Tour group and Golf for Good have done. So much is talked about what we do on the golf course, but I don’t think enough is mentioned about what goes on for every community and country we visit.”
“In this case, it’s the global reach – partnering with UNICEF and £125,000 will go so far in assisting UNICEF’s work as part of the COVAX Facility, rolling out COVID-19 vaccines around the world. I couldn’t be more proud. Things like this make me proud of being part of the DP World Tour.”
“As a father, children are my primary focus when it comes to charity. It was World Children’s Day on Saturday during the final tournament, so I think this is very timely. You have a right as a human being to have access to certain things and children are always the most vulnerable. I tip my cap to all of those involved in getting this off the ground.”
The European Tour shows full support with the most vulnerable.
Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour group, said: “We are proud to have partnered with UNICEF in their 75th anniversary year, by supporting their work as part of the COVAX Facility though our ‘Every Birdie Counts’ campaign.”
“As a global tour we committed to supporting communities and worthy causes around the world. Therefore, to that end, this donation is a fitting end to our 2021 Golf for Good campaign. It will provide enough funding to help deliver 50,000 vaccinations to some of the most vulnerable and hardest-to-reach nations on earth.”
“It was also fitting that the ‘Every Birdie Counts’ campaign should finish with such a flourish at an event sponsored by our new tour title partners DP World. They have been supporting UNICEF in the logistics and delivery of the vaccine globally. Our sincerest thanks to UNICEF, DP World and of course all of our players who, through their wonderful golf all season, helped make this happen.”
UNICEF is one step closer to accomplish its mission.
Steven Waugh, Interim Executive Director of the UK Committee for UNICEF said: “If we have learned anything from the coronavirus crisis, it is that our lives are interconnected. COVID-19 does not respect borders. At UNICEF, we know that if we only protect high-income countries, life will not return to normal. If COVID-19 is spreading anywhere, it’s a risk to people everywhere.”
“As part of COVAX, UNICEF is leading the biggest health and logistics operation in history to procure and deliver vaccines. A total of 3 billion vaccines around the world by the end of 2021. In order to achieve this historic mission, we need the help of our supporters and partners.”
“I would like to share my sincere thanks to everyone at the European Tour group, who have helped raised an incredible amount for UNICEF’s work around the world. Your support means that we can help deliver 50,000 vaccinations in low- and middle- income countries around the world.”
Press Release by the European Tour Group Communications Team.
Rory McIlroy commits to Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic.(Getty Images)
Four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy is returning to Emirates Golf Club in January 2022 in a bid to win his third Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic title. McIlroy will be looking to add to his impressive record in Dubai. This will be the second Rolex Series event of the 2022 DP World Tour season.
The Northern Irishman returns at the event for the first time since 2018. Then, he came close to adding to the titles he won in 2009 and 2015. McIlroy finished just one shot behind winner Li Haotong. Rory has an enviable record over the Majlis Course with a further six top-ten finishes in 11 previous appearances.
The 32-year-old has enjoyed many memorable moments in Dubai throughout his illustrious career, winning the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in 2012 and 2015. Furthermore, he topped the season-long DP World Rankings three times – in 2012, 2014 and 2015.
McIlroy adds further star power to an elite field at the 2022 Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic, which includes World Number Two and newly-crowned DP World Rankings winner Collin Morikawa. Also, fellow Major winner and 2017 Dubai Desert Classic winner Sergio Garcia, and defending champion Paul Casey.
About the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic
Slync.io, the logistics technology provider that is revolutionising the way global logistics works, will debut its new title partnership of the iconic event in 2022. This is also the first year the Dubai Desert Classic will climb up to Rolex Series status. Therefore, the event becomes part of the DP World Tour’s premium series of events.
The 2022 Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic will be the second of back-to-back Rolex Series events in the region, following the season-opener in Abu Dhabi. These tournaments in January form part of the traditional ‘Desert Swing’ and attract the sport’s leading players.
“I’m looking forward to getting back to Emirates Golf Club for the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic in 2022.” – McIlroy.
“I have so many wonderful memories from playing in Dubai over the years, and particularly over the Majlis Course. I’ve been able to win twice there. I look forward to coming back to Dubai and aiming to get my hands on that incredible trophy again.”
“As a fan of golf, it’s important that we bring a field that other fans will enjoy.” – Chris Kirchner, Chairman and CEO of Slync.io stated. “Rory is one of my favourite players. I’m thrilled to have him as part of the inaugural title partnership for Slync.io.”
Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic Executive Board welcome their new star McIlroy
Simon Corkill, Executive Tournament Director, Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic, added: “The addition of Rory McIlroy to an already strong field emphasises the pedigree of this golf tournament. As one of the most talented golfers in the world, he brings plenty of energy and excitement to the historic event. We look forward to seeing Rory battle it out with Collin Morikawa, Sergio Garcia, Paul Casey and others in a truly world-class field at this year’s event.”
Organisers confirmed that general entry to the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic will be free to all over the four days. Corkill continued: “With the UAE set to celebrate its Golden Jubilee… We are delighted to announce that entry will be free for everyone over the duration of the tournament.”
“We made the decision in recognition of this special moment in the UAE’s history. While also giving something back to sports fans near and far. What better way to celebrate than through a truly global sporting event which everyone can enjoy.”
A little bit of history about it…
Founded in 1989, some of golf’s greatest names won the event. Including Major Champions Seve Ballesteros, Ernie Els, Fred Couples, and Jose Maria Olazábal. Also, Mark O’Meara, Tiger Woods, Henrik Stenson, Rory McIlroy, Danny Willett, Sergio Garcia and Bryson DeChambeau.
The winner’s circle over the past 32 years has also featured Ryder Cup stars. Mark James, the inaugural champion in 1989, Eamonn Darcy, Colin Montgomerie, David Howell, Thomas Bjørn, Miguel Angel Jiménez, Rafa Cabrera Bello and Stephen Gallacher.
The tournament is now set for an even brighter future with the support of Slync.io and Rolex.
The golf fanatics keep up with the news that relate to what happens on and off the course. Luckly, October and November brought some happiness not only to the golf fans, but to all the sport lovers. Beginning of October, Tiger Woods was first spotted without a walker after his terrible car accident back in February. Woods has one of the greatest reputations as an athlete and people claim to see him back in action on the golf course.
The recovery progress was always upward and recently, Tiger surprised his Instagram followers by showing himself making a full swing with his club for the first time since the accident. Tiger swinging a short iron to its fullest fueled significant hype and speculation on a return. However, reality goes one step ahead and it often doesn’t match the popular desires.
No reason not to prepare for a few events in the future.
GolfDigest had the opportunity to interview with him and ask him about his future golf career. The popular opinion tended to be optimist but not so much. Many thought that the professional career of The Goat was over, but at the same time all wished otherwise. Tiger Woods announced the exclusive that it would be realistic to think that he could return to compete on the PGA Tour, but on a part-time basis.
The 15-time major winner has previously proved his stregnth by overcoming several back and knee injuries before. Woods stood back up every time after falling, and the American star will not give up now. However, Woods just confirmed that he is taking his foot off the gas in the future and will not attempt to play golf full time ever again.
How Tiger Woods faces the next phases
Practicing correctly is key after the accident. Tiger Woods sees the light at the end of the tunnel, he has come off surgeries before and why not returning to the field once again: “I’ve come off long layoffs and I’ve won or I’ve come close to winning before. I just gotta get to a point where I feel comfortable enough where I can do that again.” – Tiger states in the PGA Press Conference.
The professional golfer knows that there is still a long way ahead to reach full recover. Nevertheless, Woods feels happy to see his unstoppable progress. Although, his physical shape has exponentially improved, he might not be tournament sharp in the sense of he hadn’t played tournaments, but a right practice plan could drive him back to the part-time competition.
The European ladies did it again! They proved once more that women’s golf can get as wild as the men events. Hundreds of people witnessed the Andalucia Spanish Open, and surrounded the fairways of Los Naranjos Golf Course, following their favorite players. The Spanish Open doubled its money prize from the previous year in 2019. The winner, Carlota Ciganda (ESP) pocketed a total of 90,000€. Ciganda started with a round of 70(-2), but she never let the guard down. The Spaniard shot rounds of (70-66-70-67) and took the trophy home with a total of 15-under par, finishing with a birdie on Hole 18 and having all the eyes on her.
Head Vs. Heart.
Carlota Ciganda feels loved at home but always returns to the LPGA Tour.
The Ladies European Tour struggles to offer high monetary rewards due to the lack of external support. The audience increased a little more since LPGA players take part in the Saudi Arabia events in New York that are part of the LET Tour. The sponsorships also reflect the big gap between LET Tour and LPGA.
The women players in Europe find it harder to find sponsors than the American players. The winner, Carlota Ciganda studied in the United States, and as much as she loves her country and to play for Spain, Ciganda remains in the LPGA leaderboards because of the economic benefits, among other things.
The leading players overcame all obstacles to finish on a high note.
Los Naranjos welcomed us with sunny days but yet some strong wind came through during the third round specially. Not to mention the perfomance of one of the referees towards the leading group. He made the time the protagonist instead of the players. Regardless, the scores didn’t show much red numbers except for Jessica Karlsson(SWE) who shot 68(-4), the best Scandinavian score of the day.
The last round started off calm and steady, until the wind picked up again half way through. However, the players faced it as what they are, professionals. Ursula Wikstrom(FIN) played in the second to last group fighting for the podium. Wikstrom had a strong long-distance game throughout the tournament, however her putting was not on her side and it hurt the scores by few strokes. The Finnish golfer finished 4-under par for a 7th position.
The Swedish, Maja Stark was 5-under par after round three, and she slipped into the leading group of the Andalucia Spanish Open. Stark was only 1 shot ahead from the fourth player, the Spaniard Fatima Fernandez Cano. At the end, Stark sped up and finished with a total of -11, only four shots behind the lead, and a 3-shot advantage over the third position. The Spaniard, Fatima finished strong in a 4th place after a great performance. She recently earned the LPGA card, but yet Cano behaves as if she had been competing in the Main Tour for many years now.
Ladies European Tour
Andalucia Costa del Sol – Open de España
Course
Los Naranjos Golf ClubMalaga, Spain
Prize Money
600,000€
Defending Champion
Carlota Ciganda (ESP)
Focus players
Alice Hewson, Felicity Johnson, Gabriella Cowley, Hannah Burke, Maja Stark, Ursula Wikstrom
Brooks Koepka signs equipment-deal with Srixon/Cleveland. (Photo: Getty)
Brooks Koepka, one of the world’s top golfers is off the equipment market. After five-plus-years without an equipment-sponsor “Brooksy” joins the Srixon/Cleveland-Team just a week before “The Match” against his nemesis Bryson DeChambeau. After Nike stopped their club production in 2016 Brooks Koepka, a four-time-major-champion was a wanted man. Just like his former Nike-colleagues Rory McIlroy or Tiger Woods, who quickly joined other Brands. The signing was teased by Srixon in a highly cryptical Twitter post earlier this week.
Koepka joins Masters Champion Hideki Matsuyama, Shane Lowry and Graeme McDowell in the Srixon staff. “I’ve been an equipment free agent for the past few years,” Koepka said in a release, “so it will be fun to be involved with a company on a daily basis and be able to contribute to the development of their future equipment.”
He starts his Srixon/Cleveland journey with the Srixon ZX5 driver, ZX7 irons and Cleveland RTX ZipCore Tour Rack wedges. Along with the Prototype of a new Srixon golf ball, the Srixon Z-Star. He will carry a Srixon Tour Staff bag as well, known for being one of the biggest marketing spots for tour pros. Other than that, there is no more information about Koepka’s future paychecks and financial details.
Srixon’s vice president Rodney McDonald said, “We’re extremely proud to have Brooks come on board as our newest staff member.” He goes on, “Brooks is one of the best players in the world and brings his major championship pedigree and validation to our brands. We’re excited for Brooks to join the Srixon and Cleveland Golf family and look forward to supporting him out on tour.”
Not so big changes for Brooks Koepka
Although Koepka needs to get along with a new driver, new wedges and a completely new golf ball he is comfortable using the ZX7 irons. He started playing these in January and got along quickly, proving the equipment decision right by winning the Phoenix Open 2021 two weeks later.
Alexander Bjork of Sweden with his caddie Erik Frost at the 12th hole during Day Four of The DP World Tour Championship 2021(Getty)
PGA Tour: RSM Classic
The RSM Classic took place in Georgia, at the Sea Island Seaside Course. The tournament ended on Sunday, 21st of November 2021. The RSM is part of the PGA Tour in the season 2022. All players competed for a total prize money of 7,2 Mio. US-Dollar.
Justin Rose (T12)
As it was mentioned in the previews, the appearance of European Tour players in the PGA event is less notorious that in the previous tournaments. The Scandinavian were equally unlucky and neither one of them four made the cut last weekend at the RMS Classic. However, they have one last opportunity to make up for it next weekend at the Hero World Challenge, hosted by Tiger Woods.
PGA Tour
RSM Classic
Course
Sea Island Seaside CourseGeorgia, USA
Prize Money
$7,200,000
Champion
Talor Gooch
Scandinavian players
Henrik Norlander(CUT), Alex Noren(CUT), Ludvig Aberg(CUT), Jonas Blixt(CUT)
LPGA Tour: CME Group Tour Championship
The LPGA is over! The CME Group Tour Championship meant the end of the season for the women. Tiburon Golf Club – Gold Course hosted the last event of the LPGA calendar for the year. The season reached its end, and it is time to reconnect from the scratch to a better season next year.
From Sweden, Nordqvistand together with Nanna Koerstz Madsen, from Denmark finished with a total of 14-under par to tie at T12. Madelene Sagström closed the LPGA season with a total of 11-under par to finish T22. The women kept the excitement throughout the weekend. Unluckly, the last event wasn’t the best of the year for the Scandinavian. “Well, I’m just really happy with my season, being in contention, really in contention down 18, so I’ve learned a lot that year that I can take on to next year..” – Madsen explains.
LPGA Tour
CME Group Tour Championship
Course
Tiburon Golf Club – Gold Course
Prize Money
$5,000,000
Champion
Jin Young Ko
Scandinavian players
Anna Nordqvistand(T12), Nanna Koerstz Madsen(T12), Madelene Sagström(T22), Matilda Castren(T55)
European Tour: DP World Tour Championship
It’s a wrap! The European Tour celebrated the Race to Dubai Grand Final at the georgeous golf course of Jumeirah Golf Estates – Earth Course, in Dubai. This time, only the Top 50 of the Race to Dubai Rankings competed at the Final.
Alexander Björk (T2)
The Swedishman Alexander Björk finished T2, while Collin Morikawa made history becoming the first American to win the European Tour’s season-long contest. Björk was in a good possible winning position coming into the last day. However, the fourth round didn’t go with his will. The Swedish golfer missed some putts that placed him 3 shots behind the leader at the end.
Nicolai Hojgaard (T4) & Joachim B. Hansen (T9)
Next from Denmark on the leaderboard was Nicolai Hojgaard. With rounds of (68-71-69-67), Hojgaard finished T4, only 4 shots from the leader. After a second round of 1-under par, the Danish golfer caught up the pace and played some good consistent golf during the last two days. His mate, Joachim Hansen finished with a round of even-par, a little harmful to his final position, but that’s golf. What matters the most is that both of the Danish golfers are playing some solid golf, and now it is time to reconnect and set the new goals for next season.
EU Tour
DP World Tour Championship
Course
Jumeirah Golf Estates – Earth Course Dubai, UAE
Prize Money
$9,000,000
Champion
Collin Morikawa
Scandinavian players
Alexander Björk(T2), Nicolai Hojgaard(T4), Joachim B. Hansen(T9), Jeff Winther(T21), Rasmus Højgaard(T27), Joakim Lagergren(T27), Tapio Pulkkanen(T52)
