Tag: Professionals

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

Lucas Bjerregaard of Denmark tees off on the 13th hole during the final round of the Portugal Masters at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course(Getty Images)

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 Challenge Tour Live Satellite Tours

What the European Challenge Tour rankings and the Grand Final mean – Road to Mallorca

Craig Howie of Scotland plays his tee shot on the 1st hole during Day One of the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final (Getty Images)

First things first, for those who are not very familiar with the different Tours, the European Challenge Tour is the male subcategory of the Main European Tour. Since its inception in 1989, the Challenge Tour has developed into a proven training ground, where the champions-in-waiting compete across the globe for a place on the European Tour. Many players who have progressed from the Challenge Tour have gone on to become Major Champions. Including Brooks Koepka, Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose, Martin Kaymer and Louis Oosthuizen. In addition to Ryder Cup stars Ian Poulter, Tommy Fleetwood and Alex Noren.

Walking the path towards the Main Tour.

Professional golfers usually start their career playing in smaller Tours such as the Alps Tour, or the Q-School. It stands for European Tour Qualifying School. The Q-School is the thoughest test in golf. Held between September and November each year. Only the top 25 players at the end of the six-round Final Stage will earn the direct pass to the European Tour for the following season.

Behind the Scenes. The Challenge Tour from first hand.

The competitiveness is so high that most golfers tend to go step by step, qualifying from one Tour to the next. Currently ranked #1 of the Challenge Tour, the Spanish golfer Santiago Tarrio explains:

“The Alps Tour is so sacrificed due to the traveling expenses, and the low money prizes. Best case scenario, your bank account finishes Par-even at the end of the season. But that is only possible if you constantly win the events. If otherwise, you are continuiously losing money to play.”

This humble golfer talks about his personal experience. Santiago worked as a waiter for five years to save up some money before he could get back to the golf fields. He claims that the sponsors don’t know you yet, and it is hard to find one that invest in you, which hinders financial support. Tarrio and his team missed some cuts at first. They depended on a loan to keep playing before they finally earned the full card to the Challenge Tour. It was then, when the economic struggle decreased.

Delving into The Grand Final.

This week, the European Challenge Tour celebrates its last tournament of the season, the Grand Final. It takes places from November the 4th-7th, 2021 at the T-Golf & Country Club, in Mallorca, Spain. The Top 45 players of the Challenge Tour season will make it to the Grand Final. However, only the best 20 of the Ranking will earn a pass to the European Tour for next year.

To throw some light over the reality of what these golfers go through. The Grand Final offers the highest monetary prize of all year, 450,000€ to spread between the 45 participants. The last position will collect 2,000€, compared to an average of 8,000€ that any player pockets on a regular European Tour event for making the cut.

From Czech Republic, Ondrej Lieser is the winner from last year. He is currently 310th of the OWGR. This year, all eyes were on the Spanish pro golfer Santiago Tarrio as he finished second in 2020. However, the results gave a 180º degrees turn. He shot 1-over (72 shots) in the opening round to situate himself at the end of the leaderboard.

Santiago Tarrio of Spain plays his tee shot on the 1st hole during Day One of the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final. (Getty Images)

The second round has already started and apparently he was only starting engines yesterday. Tarrio climbed up 30 postions after the second day. He shot a total of 4-under par (67 shots) for a Top 10. There is a small chance that he will not close the year as number one. Tarrio and his caddy Noelia will surely give it all to bring the trophy home.

After a year of empty stadiums, fields, and pavillions, Borja Ochoa – General Manager of the T Golf & Country Club is excited to welcoming the public again. “Happily, we are returning to normality and this year will be able to welcome you all without restrictions.” People deserves to watch this show.

A greenside leaderboard is seen at the end of the Day Two of the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final. (Getty Images)
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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.

Joachim B. Hansen and Jeff Winther of Denmark pose for a portrait during Day One of the GolfSixes at Oitavos Dunes, in 2019.(Getty Images)

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 Tour Fun

The fastest European Tour golfers who broke GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title at Valderrama

Wilco Nienaber, Sean Crocker, Min Woo Lee and Nicolai Højgaard at the Real Club Valderrama. (European Tour Images)

Sean Crocker, Nicolai Højgaard, Min Woo Lee and Wilco Nienaber broke a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the ‘Fastest hole of golf by a team of four’

Second Hero Challenge of 2021 saw previous record broken by over three seconds, the record stood at 27,88 seconds. New record was set at Real Club Valderrama, Spain ahead of the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters. In this case, hole 4 was the lucky one to witness these players facing the speed challenge. It is a par 5 of 501 yards that receives the name of “waterfall”.

The hole consisted on a fairly straight hole with a narrow fairway. However, there seems not to be much danger off the fairway, specially on the right side where the field opens a little more. Closer to the hole, there is a bunker on the right, just before the water that side-hugs the green. They planned out the entire strategy to play fast and safe. The key was to keep the eye on the pin and to hit the ball “bounce and stop” in order to reduce the timing from any slow back-spin.

Ready, set, go!

Wilco Nienaber was on the tee box to hit the first shot with his driver, aiming towards Sean Crocker. Nienaber hit an enormous 361-yard drive off the tee which gave Sean Crocker, positioned on the fairway and prepared with his two irons on his hands, 140 yards for his second shot which he hit to four feet. Crocker had to think fast to calculate the distance and pick the right club to get it into the green. There, both Min Woo Lee and Nicolai Højgaard were at the flag waiting to tap it in and become the new Guinness World Record winners.
At 5:55pm, two hours later, they set the New Guinness World Record at 24,75 seconds.

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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

Sebastian Soderberg of Sweden walks with his caddie on the 16th hole during Day Four of The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucia Masters at Real Club Valderrama (Getty Images)

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)
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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

Tommy Fleetwood and Danny Willett of England walk from the 1st tee during Day Three of The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at The Old Course (Getty Images)

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

Richard Bland of England on the 2nd tee during the final round of The Open de España at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid. (Getty Images)

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.”

Georgia Hall of England walks the fairway on the 2nd hole during the first round of the Cognizant Founders Cup at Mountain Ridge Country Club. (Getty Images)

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

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European Tour Live

European Tour: Ross McGowan goes low to lead in Madrid at the ACCIONA Open de España after the first round.

Ross McGowan of England tees off on the 18th hole during Day One of The Open de Espana at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid. (Getty Images)

Thursday October 7, 2021

Tournament: ACCIONA Open de España presented by Madrid
Race to Dubai: Tournament 35 of 40 events
Venue: Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Prize Fund: €1,500,000

Round One Report

Ross McGowan produced more magic in Madrid to fire a course record 61 and lead the way after round one of the 2021 ACCIONA Open de España presented by Madrid but World Number One Jon Rahm was just two shots back on home soil.

Englishman McGowan claimed his first European Tour win in the Spanish capital 12 years ago at the Madrid Masters but had to wait 11 years to seal a second at last season’s Italian Open.

A third round 60 in his victory at Centro Nacional de Golf represents his lowest ever European Tour round and his opening effort this week is his second lowest as he moved to ten under at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid.

Home favourite Sebastian Garcia Rodriguez was his nearest challenger but all eyes were on Rahm, who was at eight under as he seeks a third consecutive victory at his home open.

The U.S. Open Champion took huge crowds with him after this event was cancelled last season due to the coronavirus pandemic but it was McGowan who stole the headlines as he carded eight birdies and an eagle.

Dutchman Wil Besseling, Welshman Jamie Donaldson and Scot David Drysdale were at seven under, a shot clear of another Scot in Grant Forrest, Kiwi Ryan Fox, Swede Joakim Lagergren and Frenchman Robin Sciot-Siegrist.

Forrest recorded the 31st hole-in-one of the 2021 Race to Dubai, holing an eight iron from 181 yards at the ninth.

Player Quotes

Ross McGowan: “First out this morning, it was a bit chilly on the range and the first four or five holes the ball wasn’t really travelling but got away with a really good birdie on three and the par five on four as well, and after that it started warming up and I started finding my range with the irons, so holed a couple of putts and hit it close so went well.

“I think a few things have clicked. Some work I have done with the coach and some of the covid restrictions somewhat easing off, I find mentally I am in a better place, so I think it is a combination of the two.

“I always seems to putt pretty well here and last time I played quite well here too, so looking forward to tomorrow.”

Jon Rahm: “It was a really good start. Played eight flawless holes and then a bit of a stumble from 18 through three, I didn’t hit my best shots and was able to save a couple pars to minimise the damage. After that I was able to play some good golf coming down the stretch, giving myself some chances, but obviously we saw what Ross McGowan shot this morning – ten under is a heck of a round out here.

“I played good enough to maybe do it, but you have to play flawless and make the putts, hit the right shots and on a golf course like this that is a little bit more old school, it is a little narrower and targets are smaller, so it is easier to end up out of position. Overall, very happy with my round.

“I have a better understanding, but it doesn’t compare to Centro Nacional de Golf, it was my home course for two years. Nobody in that field in 2018 had played it more than me, I knew it inside and out. Last time I played here was the first time on the golf course, but it didn’t take long to learn. You have to hit it really well off the tee, if I drive like I did early on and at the end when I was hitting it long and straight, wedges into every hole, then it is a doable score.”

“There are quite a few fans out here and they are rather enthusiastic, they have been cooped up for too long and they have the chance to come out and watch me play, which I haven’t played on Spanish soil since this event two years ago, so they are golf hungry, and they were great. From the beginning, every single shot and every single putt I made they were really supportive, and every time I missed a shot, they were extremely supportive as well, so that always helps.”

Sebastian Garcia Rodriguez: “My start is fantastic, it’s in my mind. I remember so many years ago playing the Open de España and it was a great moment, plus Jon Rahm is near the front and I am very good friends with him, we played a lot together, and it is fantastic. So many fans, my friends and family are here. My dream!

“There were so many friends and family watching, this is my home, it is ten minutes from here, but it has been an incredible week so far.”

Press Release by the European Tour Communications

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

Joakim Lagergren

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.