#DPWTC Archives - Golf Digest Middle East

LOOK: The final line-up for the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates

Matt Smith — Mon, 14 Nov 2022 07:40:14 +0000

By Matt Smith
With the DP World Tour finale getting set to tee off at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai this week, there is plenty to play for.

Besides the fight for the final title of the 2022 season — the $10 million Rolex Series DP World Tour Championship — there is also the season-long DP World Tour Rankings race to be decided.

Ahead of Thursday’s first round, where a a host of players including Ryan Fox, Matt Fitzpatrick and Tommy Fleetwood look to chase down Rory McIlroy, here is a look at the final field taking part over the Earth Course this week, in order of their rankings.
Rory McIlroy
Ryan Fox
Matt Fitzpatrick
Tommy Fleetwood
Viktor Hovland
Shane Lowry
Adrian Meronk
Jordan Smith
Thriston Lawrence
Adrian Otaegui
Ewen Ferguson
Jon Rahm
Robert MacIntyre
Rasmus Højgaard
Richie Ramsay
Pablo Larrazábal
Yannik Paul
Callum Shinkwin
Tyrrell Hatton
Richard Bland
Victor Perez
Thorbjorn Olesen
Hurly Long
Shubhankar Sharma
Guido Migliozzi
Gavin Green
Adri Arnaus
Antoine Rozner
Alex Noren
Connor Syme
Oliver Bekker
Min Woo Lee
Kurt Kitayama
Matieu Pavon
Sam Horsfield
Ashun Wu
Oliver Wilson
Sebastian Soderberg
Rafa Cabrera Bello
Max Kieffer
Richard Mansell
Eddie Pepperell
Marcel Schneider
Joakim Lagergren
Jorge Campillo
Fabrizio Zanotti
Romain Langasque
David Law
Paul Waring
Haotong Li

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DP World Tour Championship set to be one of the region’s most sustainable golf tournaments

Golf Digest Middle East — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 12:41:47 +0000

By GolfDigestME.com
This year’s DP World Tour Championship, to be held at Jumeirah Golf Estates from November 17-20, promises to be one of the greenest golfing events yet, with sustainability a key focus of this year’s final Rolex Series tournament of the year.

The DP World Tour is looking for members of the public to become ‘green’ volunteers to help promote the sustainability efforts at the final event of the 2022 season.

The volunteers will encourage fans to use the on-site recycling points and help direct spectators to free water stations installed throughout the venue.

As part of DP World Tour Championship’s alliance with the Dubai Can initiative, which aims to reduce single use plastic water bottle waste in the emirate by encouraging people to use refillable water bottles and have access to free and safe drinking water, they have installed water stations around the tournament grounds so fans can hydrate and refill their reusable water bottles when needed.

The stations have been set up as part of DP World Tour’s partnership with Oceantee and No More Bottles to provide alternatives to single use plastic water bottles at the DP World Tour Championship, as part of their mission to reduce the amount of plastic in our oceans.

Oceantee’s stainless steel Oceanic drinks bottles will be sold onsite with all proceeds going towards providing free, fresh drinking water for fans to fill up with, courtesy of No More Bottles.

Implementing sustainable practices is part of the European Tour group’s commitment to Driving Golf Further in an environmentally and socially sustainable way, ensuring the DP World Tour has a positive long-term impact on the courses, countries and the communities it visits.

The European Tour group became the first professional golf Tour to pledge towards net-zero carbon emissions when they signed the United Nations Sports for Climate Action Framework, and the Framework’s Race to Zero pledge — requiring all signatories to commit to reducing direct emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 and achieving net zero by 2040.

This move followed on from last year’s efforts, which saw an increased focus on sustainability initiatives at DP World Tour events across the UAE and around the globe. Both the 2021 DP World Tour Championship and the 2022 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship were paperless events with single use plastic bottles removed from the venues.

In line with the UAE government’s mission to divert 75 per cent of waste from landfills and Abu Dhabi’s plan to stop sending waste to landfills by 2071, DP World Tour has teamed up with Averda, a sustainable waste management company in a bid to eliminate nearly all of the landfill waste from the tournament – 70 per cent of the waste is expected to be recycled.

Since most waste is generated from food waste, there will be an on-site composting machine, as well as a food waste digester placed around the kitchen areas to safely compost all of the kitchen food waste.

Averda has a number of waste preventing operations in place during the entire week of the DP World Tour Championship, including collecting used cooking oils, which will be turned into European grade biofuel to be sold for road use across the region.

On the course itself, hydrogen generators have been installed which have zero carbon emissions unlike their diesel counterparts, while additives will be added to any fuel consumed, turning it into a renewable substitute biofuel.

The DP World Tour Championship village and all of the spectator venues will be built by Dubai based temporary infrastructure company Wicked, who advocate sustainable building practices. All of their equipment is rented, and structures will be reused multiple times over in the future and are fully insulated to reduce the amount of energy used for AC cooling. Wicked have also banned all single-use plastics from its work sites.

As part of the DP World Tour’s commitment to saving water, this year the golf course will not be overseeded as part of the usual tournament preparations, achieving an estimated 20 million litres in water savings.

For fans who really want to get in on the action, they can help to collect stray golf balls during breaks in play. These golf balls will be stored in the large DP World on-site container and will be given a second lease of life when they are redistributed to grassroots organisations that champion the game of golf – in a bid to make golf accessible to all.

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The reasons why Lucas Herbert isn’t defending his title in Bermuda include a date with Dubai

Golf Digest Middle East — Thu, 27 Oct 2022 10:41:06 +0000

By Evin Priest
There are two simple reasons why Lucas Herbert will not defend his title at the PGA Tour’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship this week: He’s a member of the wedding party for a close friend who is getting married in his native Australia, and he’s also taking some rest before a last-minute bid to make the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

Herbert won last year’s Bermuda event at Port Royal Golf Club, holding off a late-charging Patrick Reed. It was Herbert’s maiden tour PGA Tour win after two career wins on the DP World Tour.

“I had my friend’s wedding, and I was in the groom’s party, and that was it for me in the US this year. I’m not going to head back to the States until the new year,” Herbert told Golf Digest over the phone from his hometown of Bendigo. “I would have loved to have defended. Hopefully I get back there in years to come.”

Herbert won the Irish Open on the DP World Tour in 2021 before transitioning to the PGA Tour, where he earned his card through Korn Ferry Finals before winning quickly in Bermuda in the autumn. But Herbert has only played five DP World Tour events this year, including the Open Championship in which he finished tied for 15th, and so his Race to Dubai ranking has dropped to 60th. As such, Herbert will head to South Africa next month to compete in the Nedbank Golf Challenge in a bid to climb inside the top 50 who qualify for the DP World Tour finale in Dubai a week later. Herbert has a good record in Dubai, having won the Dubai Desert Classic in 2020, albeit on a different course.

“Those two tournaments are really special. I love playing the Nedbank, and Dubai is a great place to play,” he said. “It means a lot to be among the best 50 DP World Tour players who make that final. I’ll probably need a really good result at the Nedbank to jump inside the top 50, but I’m confident I can do it.”

Should Herbert qualify for the DP World Tour finale, the 26-year-old will head straight back to Australia to contest the Australian PGA Championship the next week, at Royal Queensland in Brisbane. Then he’ll tee up in the Australian Open, which will be held across two iconic Melbourne Sandbelt courses, Victoria Golf Club and Kingston Heath in early December.

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G4D Tour: Perrino prevails at Galgorm for maiden title, books spot at DPWTC in Dubai in November

Matt Smith — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 07:23:02 +0000

By Matt Smith
Tommaso Perrino eased to a maiden G4D title at the ISPS Handa World Invitational presented by AVIV Clinics.

The 38-year-old Italian held a one-stroke lead over wolrd No. 1 Brendan Lawlor at Galgorm Castle Golf Club in Northern Ireland after an opening four-under 68, and a colsing two-under 70 clinched a five-stroke victory.

The world No. 7 is a prolific winner on the golf for the disabled circuit and had made steady improvements during the 2022 G4D Tour season, and a six-under total on Tuesday gave him a comfortable win ahead of Lawlor and two-time G4D Tour winner Kipp Popert.

“When I dreamed, I thought about this moment — this shows dreams can come true,” said Perrino. “Galgorm is one of my favourite courses, but it’s the house of Brendan, he’s the best player. But today I played perfectly. I missed some putts, but I controlled my game, this is unbelievable.

“Brendan is always competitive in every tournament and I knew it would take hard work to stay in front of him, but I started fast and remained in control at the finish. There was some pressure on the way in, dropping two shots, but it finished perfectly for me.”

Perrino was congratulated on the 18th green by his fellow competitors as he secured his first win on the G4D Tour.

“That was really important,” said Perrino. “I’m friends with all the players who I play with. I try to enjoy every moment of every day, and it’s important for me that we’re all friends. There’s not a bad word said between any of us.”

The Italian is one of three competitors who have now secured their place at the end-of-season G4D @ DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai in November. Perrino joins Popert and Mike Browne.

The next G4D Tour event will take place ahead of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club from September 5-6.

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Inaugural Golf in Dubai Championship field takes shape but where’s Patrick Reed and Tommy Fleetwood?

Kent Gray — Wed, 18 Nov 2020 07:17:31 +0000

Of the players confirmed for the inaugural Golf in Dubai Championship, Lee Westwood has the most to play for.

By Kent Gray
Is Race to Dubai pole-sitter Patrick Reed Jumeirah Golf Estates-bound? Will 2017 European Tour No.1 Tommy Fleetwood return as well to chase more Harry Vardon Trophy glory?

Those were the key unanswered questions as some of the pieces of the coronavirus-complicated puzzle that is the European Tour’s end-of-season Dubai double-header fell into place on Wednesday.

A media release, reiterating what was already available on the European Tour website, promoted two-time Race to Dubai champion Lee Westwood and major champions Martin Kaymer and Danny Willett as the headline acts for the inaugural Golf in Dubai Championship presented by DP World.

The new $1.2 million event will be staged on the Fire course at JGE from Nov.2-5, a week before the traditional season-ending DP World Tour Championship on Earth.

Given the players will be in a bio-secure bubble for both JGE events, it’s not a stretch to wonder if Reed, Fleetwood or any number of players in the Race to Dubai top-10 would tee it up on both Fire and Earth.

A top-10 at last week’s Masters strengthened Reed’s grip atop the Race to Dubai standings ahead of Fleetwood and U.S. PGA Champion Collin Morikawa. Few expect Morikawa to tee it up in the Nov. 10-13 DPWTC but there is hope, if no official word yet, that Reed and Fleetwood (who has placed no worse than third in the R2D standings in the last three seasons) will play to give this season like no other a decent climax.

Of the players confirmed for Fire, Westwood will have the most to play for. European No.1 in 2000 and 2009, the first year of the Race to Dubai/ DPWTC, the 47-year-old Englishman is currently fourth in the R2D points race.

A strong showing on Fire would boost Westwood’s chances of bookending 2020 in style at the DPWTC after he captured the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in Jan.

Martin Kaymer

Westwood and Willett will be joined in the Golf in Dubai Championship field by fellow Rolex Series winners Aaron Rai of England, Austrian Bernd Wiesberger and Spain’s Rafa Cabrera Bello. Aussie Lucas Herbert, who made his European Tour breakthrough at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in Jan., will tee it up alongside other Dallah Trophy winners Li Haotong, Stephen Gallacher and Thomas Bjørn.

Danny Willett.

The field will also include a number of winners on the 2020 Race to Dubai, including rising Danish star Rasmus Højgaard, American John Catlin and young Englishman Sam Horsfield – all of whom have two titles to their name this season – Spanish pair Jorge Campillo and Adrian Otaegui, Finland’s Sami Välimäki, Italian Renato Paratore and 2019 Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the year Robert MacIntyre.

Attendance at both JGE events will be for invited guests only with Dubai Sports channel to provide daily broadcasts.

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Stenson a showman to the end

Golf Digest Middle East — Sun, 20 Nov 2016 20:42:05 +0000

Jumeirah Golf Estates (Earth Course)

Henrik Stenson was pleased to let his golf game do the talking Sunday but typically saved the punchline till after he’d sealed the year of his glittering career and a handy $1.25 million Christmas bonus.

The Swedish showman made light of clinching a second European Tour Player-of-theYear title at Jumeirah Golf Estates and with it the lion’s share of the tour’s $5 million bonus prize pool – three seasons after clinching his first Race to Dubai crown.

“I’m very pleased because I’ve got two [2013 and 2014] DP World Tour Championships and I’ve got two Race to Dubai titles. I have my home in Sweden and I have my home in America, so I can spread it out and make it look good in both places,” The Open champion said after a classy closing seven under 65 around Earth to finish in a tied for ninth.

He mightn’t be the best golfer in the world – not that No.4 is a ranking to be sneezed at – but few in the pro ranks are funnier than Stenson when it comes to interaction with the media, and by association, the game’s all important fans.

The 40-year-old has every reason to be jovial, too, after a 2016 in which he’s secured the Claret Jug, an Olympic silver medal, the BMW International and the Harry Vardon Trophy as the European Tour’s order of merit champion.

“I’m very pleased to get my name on this trophy once again. It’s been a great year, the best year of my career,” said Stenson, delighted his name now twice adorns a trophy inscribed with Ballesteros, Langer, Faldo and Montgomerie, among other legends of the European Tour.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BNB6UBEj4eb/?taken-by=europeantour&hl=en

“I’ve always thought it was going to be hard to top 2013, but I think I’ve done that this year. Maybe not to the level of golf over six months [in 2013], but certainly with the highlights of winning The Open, the Olympics and managed to win The Race to Dubai again. So it’s been a great year and it feels lovely to finish in this way.”

Stenson never threatened the leaders in this absorbing 8^th edition of the DP World Tour Championship but he did sign off the season ender in style with eight birdies and a solitary bogey, his 65 Sunday matched by playing partner Rory McIlroy who also finished -7, 10 shots behind winner Matthew Fitzpatrick.

Together the Ryder Cup pals produced some scintillating golf – 15 birdies and McIlroy’s eagle three at the 7^th prompting TV commentator Sam Torrance to ensure viewers they weren’t dreaming.

“This isn’t highlights we’re showing you. This is what is happening live. Amazing!” Torrance said.

It surely was. By the seventh hole, Stenson was five under for the final round and a combined 10 under for his last 15 holes around Earth after saving his Saturday with five birdies in his last seven holes.

McIlroy even pulled within two shots of the lead after going out in 30 strokes but ultimately left himself with too much to do after his sloppy opening 75 on Thursday.

“It was nice to shoot a good score out there and redeem myself a little bit [after] a very slow start this week,” the world No.2 said.

“Looking back on the week, that’s the day [Thursday] that I’m going to rue, I guess. You know, the last two starts of the year for me have been slow starts, with China a few weeks ago, started slowly there, and if I had not of done that, I would have maybe had a chance, or half a chance.”

Like all the players, McIlroy is looking forward to a golf free break with fiancée Erica Stoll, starting with Thanksgiving next week. There’ll also be a bit of R&R and just a little business in Dubai too.

“It’s a big deal in our household now. Thanksgiving in New York, and then back home to Northern Ireland for a couple of weeks,” McIlroy said.

“Going to come back out here to Dubai for maybe eight or nine days in the middle of December to test some equipment, and then back home again for Christmas. And then back out here on the 28th of December for New Years and then I’ll head down to South Africa at the start of next year; the South African Open, that’s where I’ll take it back up again.” – Kent Gray

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Last night today: What they said on the eve of the Race to Dubai’s final round

Golf Digest Middle East — Sun, 20 Nov 2016 06:34:06 +0000


Jumeirah Golf Estates (Earth Course)

Victor Dubuisson takes a one shot into the final round of the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates on Sunday.

To set the scene for what shapes as a fitting finale to the European Tour season with 16 players within six shots of the 27-year-old Frenchman, here’s a recap of all the best quotes following at extraordinary Saturday on Earth.

THEY SAID IT…

“Obviously I knew I needed a low one obviously to catch up with the leaders. I mean, I didn’t expect it this low. I have posted really low rounds here, as well, so I know how to do it. I just played great today, and the putts dropped in. So that was really the difference.” – Rafa Cabrera-Bello (pictured) on the Saturday 63 that has him a shot back of Victor Dubuisson going into Sunday’s final round.

“It’s been a very good year, as you said, for me. I pretty much accomplished every single goal, many of my childhood dreams, as well. So just trying to get the third win, and really happy to have put myself in a position hopefully to do so tomorrow. So hopefully yes.” Cabrera-Bello again on whether he is saving his best golf of a memorable season till last.

“It was a long one. It was going down the green into the next tee I think if it missed the hole. Fortunately smashed the hole and went right in the middle. Yeah, I was glad for obvious reasons that it went in,” Matthew Fitzpatrick on his 78ft eagle putt on the par 5 7^th which briefly gave the Englishman the lead Saturday. “it’s just been a great day and hopefully another one of them tomorrow. Hopefully it will be enough but we’ll see.”

”I think I just need to do the same thing. Maybe avoid a little mistake here and there, but if I keep playing the way I’ve been playing the last three rounds, and it kind of falls into place, I think most people are aware of what I’m capable of.” – Nicolas Colsaerts who is just a shot back after two eagles, six birdies and four bogeys in his 66 Saturday.

“I was raging that I missed that birdie putt, and I walked off the green, thinking that is my first par. But it was just one of those starts I guess. Just happy to shoot a good score in the end,” Tyrrell Hatton after missing a birdie putt on the 8^th for his first par in a third round of 67 which also sees him a shot off the pace.

“I feel really comfortable on this golf course and hopefully I get off to a slightly better start or more consistent start tomorrow, but throw in a few birdies. We’ll see…I’m in a good position going into the final round,” Hatton again.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BNBJ8HejgAp/?taken-by=europeantour&hl=en

“Well, I’m 11-under par, 13 is leading, so I’ve got a good chance. That’s what we were talking about after the first day, 66. Yeah, it’s a good position to be in. Really looking forward to tomorrow and hopefully getting off to as fast as a start as I did today,” Lee Westwood starts Sunday two shots back after a 69 Saturday.

“Yeah, I’m still very confident. I played well today. I think 2-under is not a very truthful score of the way I played. Hopefully I’m keeping some of the birdies for tomorrow.” – Italian Francesco Molinari also two back of leader Dubuisson.

“Yeah, I’ve just got to go out and try to play a solid round tomorrow. I know if Alex finishes second on his own, I’ve got to be inside the top eight, so that’s kind of the scenario that I’m trying to achieve.” – Order of Merit pole-sitter Henrik Stenson on his game plan for Sunday as he eyes closest challenger Alex Noren…and a $1.25m bonus for winning the Harry Vardon Trophy.

“Much tougher than this. I wasn’t quite expecting some of the questions that came up, but it was all in good fun. Yeah, I definitely had to put my thinking hat on a couple of times and try to wiggle out of a couple of them as best I could (laughing). “ – Rory McIlroy when asked, after his third round 68, how he found his pre-tournament interview with nine-year-old European Tour ‘presenter’ Billy, a video that has since gone viral.

“It’s just a course I like. It’s long. You have to carry the ball long. It’s target golf. Long game is very important, putting. I just like the way it sets up.” – overnight leader Victor Dubuisson has the last word after his 64 Saturday sees him take a one shot lead into Sunday.

Let the final round fun begin. – Kent Gray

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