Belgian Knockout Archives - Golf Digest Middle East

Guido Migliozzi, 22, wins Belgian Knockout, second European Tour win in 20 starts

Golf Digest Middle East — Mon, 03 Jun 2019 05:08:38 +0000

ANTWERPEN, BELGIUM – JUNE 02: Guido Migliozzi of Italy celebrates his victory on the final green on the final day of the Belgian Knockout at Rinkven International GC on June 02, 2019 in Antwerpen, Belgium. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

By John Huggan
In truth, Guido Migliozzi looked more and more like the winner of the second Belgian Knockout as soon as the 22-year old Italian took out last week’s winner in Denmark, Bernd Wiesberger, in the quarter-final of this hybrid stroke-play/match-play event. A solid 11th in the 36-hole qualifying, world No. 203 Migliozzi — already a winner at the Magical Kenya Open in March — was under par in each of his six nine-hole matches at the 6,924-yard Rinkven International club near Antwerp en route to his second victory in only 20 European Tour starts.

In the last of those, Migliozzi was a comfortable four-stroke winner over Challenge Tour player Darius Van Driel, who celebrated this 30th birthday with a best-ever finish on the main Old World circuit. Former Walker Cup player Ewen Ferguson from Scotland took third-place with a bogey-free four-shot victory over Frenchman Gregory Havret (runner-up behind Graeme McDowell in the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach) in the playoff for third and fourth places.

“I’m feeling very good,” said Migliozzi, whose clinching victory was marked by a series of enormous drives that were lacking in accuracy only on the final hole. “I managed my game very well this afternoon, all the shots. It’s been great playing like this with such great players. I’m playing solid and I will try to continue this quality in the future. He (Van Driel) played very solid. We played together on the Challenge Tour and it’s been a great match. He’s a good player.”

The immediate financial reward for the new champion was the biggest share of the $1.12 million, but surely more important for the big-hitting Migliozzi will be moving inside the top 100 on the world rankings — just the latest stepping stone in a career that has long shown enormous promise. Before turning professional in 2016, the former Italian Boys champion represented his home nation in the World Amateur Team Championship and the Continent of Europe in the St. Andrews Trophy match against Great Britain & Ireland.

In the three years since the Vincenza native left the amateur ranks, he has achieved multiple wins on the satellite Alps Tour, become the first client of pop star Niall Horan’s Modest Golf management group, claimed the 16th card at last year’s European Tour Qualifying School and has now moved up to 21st place on the Race to Dubai. Only one rookie, another two-time winner in American Kurt Kitayama, is ranked higher. Heady stuff indeed. With, no doubt, more to come.

The post Guido Migliozzi, 22, wins Belgian Knockout, second European Tour win in 20 starts appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Muscat event added to 2018 European Tour schedule as the Desert Swing is split in two

Kent Gray — Fri, 29 Sep 2017 11:19:59 +0000

By Kent Gray
The European Tour’s traditional early-season Desert Swing has become Desert Swings with Muscat one of three new events added to the tour’s 2018 schedule.

The $1.75 million NBO Golf Classic will be played Feb.15-18 at Almouj Golf (pictured) amid The Wave Muscat development the week proceeding the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters at Doha GC (Feb.22-25).

The Doha tournament was traditionally sandwiched between the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and $3 million Omega Dubai Desert Classic but the two UAE events, as has been widely reported, are now scheduled back-to-back from Jan. 18-21 and 25-28 respectively.

For the past four seasons the NBO Golf Classic has been a European Challenge Tour event, the last two the secondary circuit’s season-ender and climax to the “Race to Oman” series. There is yet no word on a replacement decider or season-long “Race” for the Challenge Tour although it raises the prospect of Ras Al Khaimah, currently the circuit’s penultimate event, stepping up.

Muscat joins the Philippines Golf Championship (March 15-18) and the Belgian Knockout (May 17-20) as new events on the 2018 European Tour which will visit 30 countries and again include eight Rolex Series event, each with a minimum prize fund of US$7million. Morocco’s The Trophee Hassan II in Rabat, which enjoys close links with the MENA Tour, is scheduled for April 19-22.

With Abu Dhabi and Dubai proceeded by the Jan. 12-14 EurAsia Cup (an important Ryder Cup rehearsal) and leading into the Maybank Championship (Feb. 1-4), also in Malaysia, elite fields are again assured. It will be tougher for Muscat and Doha to attract the same calibre of players however as they are sandwiched between the ISPS Handa World Super 6 Perth, a popular addition to the schedule last season, and the $10 million WGC-Mexico Championship which makes a second early season sojourn to the Middle East unlikely for higher ranked players.

The 2018 Race to Dubai will again climax at Jumeriah Golf Estates where the $8 million DP World Tour Championship will celebrate its 10th anniversary from Nov. 15-18.

Keith Waters, the European Tour’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “We are delighted to be able to announce three new events as part of the 2018 European Tour schedule, providing vital playing opportunities for our members.

“It also combines diversity, visiting 30 different countries on the Race to Dubai, and innovation, through varied formats such as the new Belgian Knockout and GolfSixes alongside more traditional strokeplay events, including the eight Rolex Series tournaments.”

See the full 2018 European Tour schedule here

The post Muscat event added to 2018 European Tour schedule as the Desert Swing is split in two appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.