Rory McIlroy signing an Autograph for a very keen young fan in Abu Dhabi, 2013. (Image: Getty)
It’s Friday and January 2021 is almost over. Woohoo! Between the pandemic and the lockdowns, it’s been a long and hard winter so far.
So, despite all that, we wanted to give you something that might make you smile for a second. At Golf Post, we’re dipping our toes in to the wonderful (and at times, terrifying) world of meme culture.
We’re a little late to the game with this one, but here we go with our favourite European Tour players’ throwbacks. These hilarious pictures are perfect if you need a little cheering up.
A look at the current situation regarding Covid-regulations throughout Europe.
The numbers of Covid infections in Europe have been rising drastically for weeks now, which has led to new rules and guidelines. It is not easy to keep track of in which country golf can still be played. Here is a little overview over the respective regulations that currently apply in several European countries.
In Germany there are currently contact restrictions which only allow golf flights with an maximum amount of 2 people. However, this means that the golf courses will remain open. Decisions are ultimately taken by the regional authorities, which means that stricter regulations can still come in German states with high infection numbers.
In Spain, there is a nationwide nighttime curfew and almost all of Spain’s regions have imposed regional border closures to prevent long-distance travel. Within Spain, however, it is still permitted to travel. Concerning golf, the central government has empowered the individual regions to take further decisions. So it depends on where exactly you are in Spain and what the local authorities decide.
In England there will be a country-wide lockdown coming into effect on Thursday, the 5th of November, which will last until December the 2nd. The Government has confirmed that golf courses and driving ranges will be among the businesses and venues ordered to close when the country begins a month-long shutdown. Ireland and Wales are in a two-week lockdown since the 23rd of October. Golf is also affected by this, as the courses are currently all closed. In Scotland the golf courses are not affected and golf can still be played.
Despite stricter regulations in some regions of Sweden, golf courses may remain open and golf can be played when keeping distance.
While all indoor activities must be stopped in Austria with the new lockdown in November, the golf courses will remain open.
In France, the situation has been declared by the French Golf Association, who published a notice giving details of new restrictions. These have a direct impact on the golf sector and will result in a temporary closure of French golf clubs throughout the country from Thursday, the 29 of October to the first of December.
In the Netherlands, golf can still be played in accordance with the distance rules. Under certain conditions even tournaments are allowed
The respective guidelines are constantly changing and are appointed according to the current situation of infections. What is currently valid may already be out of date by tomorrow. If you are unsure whether you can currently play in your region, you should check with your golf club in advance.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 06: Jason Day of Australia reacts to his tee shot on the fourth hole during the first round of the 2020 PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park on August 06, 2020 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Co-leader Jason Day talked to the media after his first round at the PGA Championship 2020 at TPC Harding Park.
PGA Championship 2020: Interview with Jason Day
JOHN DEVER: Welcome back to the 2020 PGA Championship. Pleased to be joined by 2015 PGA Champion Jason Day. It’s been five years, but today you opened with a terrific 65, 5-under, no bogeys. Tell us about the no bogeys and how you saw your round go today.
JASON DAY: Yeah, it was good. I got off to a great start. Got a little bit lucky between the bunkers on 10, but got to take the luck when it comes by.
Today I drove it really nicely, and when I was out of position, I left myself on the right side of the fairways to be able to at least get somewhere around the greens, and if I did miss the greens I left it in the right spot.
Yeah, pretty sound the whole way around. I hit a lot of good-quality iron shots coming into the greens. Wasn’t overly aggressive. And there was a couple of shots on 9 and 17 where I hit it pretty tight, but overall it was very solid.
Q.Do you feel some momentum coming in, and then can you take us through the birdie at 9, what you hit in?
JASON DAY: Yeah, so there was definitely a lot of momentum coming in off the previous finishes that I’ve had, three top 10s, which has been nice. The game feels like it’s coming around. I’m pleased with it.
I’m not like excited — I shouldn’t say I’m not excited. I am excited to come out and play every day, but I know that I can improve, and mainly my putting can improve a little bit more.
I feel like I’ve been working very hard in the off-weeks and especially when I come to a tournament to be able to get my putting back to where it is because it’s always been a strength of mine, and I feel like the game is slowly coming around, the confidence is coming around because I’m starting to see the results, which has been good.
But getting back on 9, I hit a nice drive down the left-hand side, had 211 yards, and there’s a black triangle tower at the back of the green, I was trying to go at that, and I kind of just blocked it a little bit, but it was a 5-iron from 211, landed it pretty much on about 203 yards and then bounced up to the pin, and it was a very dead straight putt, so it was very hard to miss that one.
Q.I’m just curious your thoughts on the challenges of the rough. I know it’s patchy in certain areas. Could you talk about the challenges of playing from the rough here.
JASON DAY: Yeah, I mean, fortunately I wasn’t in too much of it today, and then when I did hit into it, I got lucky. Like you said, it’s very patchy. Actually when I was doing the interviews, I was watching Xander hit up 9. You obviously can tell how hard it is, and he was just off the fairway.
Looking back on it, on today, I think — I would think that the shorter guys would have a little bit more trouble out there just because if they just miss the fairways then they’re laying up, whereas if you can just kind of get up there and bomb it as far as you can, you can gouge something up towards the green. But it is very thick and patchy in some parts of the golf course.
Q.We spent a lot of time talking early in the week about Tiger and his back and the cold weather and everything. You’re kind of in a similar situation. The first three days when it’s cold, and everything that’s going on, are you a little bit more cautious?
JASON DAY: Yeah.
Q.And then when you see the sun come out today do you kind of smile a little bit?
JASON DAY: No, it’s still pretty cool. I mean, obviously it was nice to be able to have the sun for a change. I mean, it’s been kind of overcast and gray here.
But it has been cool — you’ve got to be careful. It is a lot colder; 50 degrees pretty much to be precise from last week. So it was nice to play in the hot weather last week and then this week you’re always cautious of doing certain things, bending over.
But I pretty much lather up in Deep Heat and I go — I mean, I try and burn the skin off my back, to be honest. And I feel pretty good, so I’ve been fine.
Q.Sorry, lather up with what?
JASON DAY: Deep Heat.
Q.Any examples of how strange it felt in a major to not have fans? An introduction? When you made birdies? Was there any moment where you thought, where’s the noise?
JASON DAY: Yeah, I mean, it’s — I think we’re on 11 — sorry, hold on. We’re on 12 —
Q.12 is by the road.
JASON DAY: Yeah, 12 tee, and they’ve cut the blue tarp or the actual screen that we have up, and they’re watching through the actual fence. It is unfortunate that we can’t have fans.
I actually miss playing in front of fans because you obviously work off that, especially in a major championship. You work off that energy. Usually it’s buzzing, and it happens from Monday all the way through to Sunday. It’s just a lot of people here. There’s a big buzz going around the golf course.
And today, we’re used to it by now, but it’s still not the same. I know that we are playing the PGA Championship. It’s a major championship. It’s the first one of the year. It’s still just not the same.
Q.Is it more awkward in a major and not just a regular event?
JASON DAY: You can definitely feel the difference in intensity. I know the intensity, it was a little bit more quieter on the range than it has been in previous starts that we’ve had on the Tour, and guys know that, but it just doesn’t feel right.
Q.You talked about your confidence and gaining that, but how happy are you to actually have your mental strength back, because clearly that’s out there now.
JASON DAY: Yeah —
Q.9 is an example. You missed the putt on 8 —
JASON DAY: Missed the putt on 7, missed the putt on 8 —
Q.And then you came out and did that on 9.
JASON DAY: Once again, I finally had enough of feeling sorry for myself, and it’s easy to do that in this game because it is so mentally tough. You can start blaming everything else but yourself. Sometimes you’ve just got to pull your pants up and just move on, you know.
I feel like the momentum that I’ve had over the last three starts has kind of seeped into this week. I’m excited about — the funny thing is that every day I’m excited to go back to the golf course and play, whereas before I was struggling to get up and going, oh, do I want to kind of put myself through this again. To be honest, I’m excited to get out and play every week now.
The new logo of the Ladies European Tour.
(Photo: Twitter.com/LETgolf)
The Ladies European Tour (LET) has launched a fresh logo, new website and tag line, Raise Our Game, capturing the ambition of the new LPGA-LET joint venture partnership and a shared desire to keep moving women’s golf forward.
The brand refresh includes a short film created in-house, capturing the passion and potential of the LET players, celebrating their hard work, dedication and perseverance.
Narrated by Solheim Cup star Suzann Pettersen and with a script written by multiple LET champion Meghan MacLaren, it focuses on the hard work and determination it takes to achieve goals, inspiring women and girls to pursue their passion and realise their potential through the game of golf.
Talented writer Meghan MacLaren, who wrote the script, said: “I loved working on this project and it was great to play an active role in the new direction of our Tour. This is an exciting time for the LET and for women’s golf and to see the growth potential as we look ahead to the future for the next is very fulfilling. I’ve always worked hard to raise my game and I’m proud to be a Member of a Tour which gives us the opportunity to raise our game further.”
Meghan’s script focuses on thefierce commitment required to compete at the highest level and highlights the importance of the friends, family and wider community of tournament promoters, sponsors and media who together lay the path to drive women’s golf forward:
It starts with something we can’t define.
It’s a dream, but we’re too young to know what it is, where it might take us.
Our family, coaches, friends… they know. On cold winter mornings and warm summer nights, they help us shape it into something we believe in.
Sometimes we lose it. Sometimes we stop believing. Sometimes we wonder if it’s all really worth it… but we don’t stop.
Because in every new city that embraces us and every new partner who invests in us, on every Monday that promises and every Thursday that threatens to take away – we have a chance to find it again. A chance to believe again. A chance to make each moment our own.
But it’s yours too, because you’re there by our side, guiding the way. You helped create it.
So it’s time to believe, in all of our dreams.
Together, let’s raise our game.
Suzann Pettersen, one of the most iconic European golfers of all time, who holed the winning putt at the 2019 Solheim Cup, said: “I wouldn’t be where I am without the LET and I’m excited about the next chapter of the Tour’s history as it looks to provide even more opportunities for women and girls in the game. I’m thrilled to narrate this inspirational video, re-branding the new LET. The future is bright for the LET and its Members.”
LET Chief Executive Alexandra Armas said: “This brand refresh expresses our excitement about the LET and its future, how passionate and proud we all are to represent this strong new brand and that we are in this journey together with our partners, determined to create greater opportunities for the women who play golf today and for the ones that will follow in the future.
“It has been an unprecedented and eventful start to the new decade. In January, we announced a record-breaking schedule and we were extremely excited about the 2020 season. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, it has been a challenging time for us of late, but we are now focused on the long term.
“This is not only the time to preserve tournaments in 2020 but to build the future that we’re so excited about moving forward for women’s golf. 2020 is a building block to a bigger and better 2021, 2022 and beyond. Together, let’s do all we can to raise our game.”
