Spaniard Ciganda held off the Czech Republic’s Klara Davidson Spilkova for her first trophy of the season and seventh Ladies European Tour title overall after a nervy final-round 73.

The Trump International course was baring its teeth as the winning score at with two-under and only Ciganda and Spilkova finishing under par.

World No. 3 Lydia Ko and Germany’s Olivia Cowan finished tied for third on even par.

“To win is always special. It’s not easy to win nowadays, there is a lot of good players and a lot of youngsters coming in very strong,” Ciganda said, “so yeah to come here and win, I think it’s big also with the likes of Lexi [Thompson], Lydia, and Alison [Lee]. It feels very special.”

The challenges of the par-72 layout were the talk of the weekend and Ciganda alluded to the winning formula. “Patience was the key for this week,” she said. “I think it’s a very tricky golf course. Pretty much every hole has a creek or a lake or a hazard. It’s a great ball striking course, you have to hit it to the right spot so I just wanted to be patient and try to give myself birdie chances.”

The win secures Ciganda vital Race to Costa Del Sol points during a Solheim Cup year, which is due to take place in her home country of Spain in September. The Spaniard has previously played a vital role in Team Europe 2013, 2019, and 2021 victories.

Spilkova came up just shy of securing her third LET victory with one of the best back nines of the day to put her in contention. Birdies on 13 and 15 lifted the Czech to second place but she couldn’t find another on the tricky final hole to force a playoff. The 28-year-old said after the round: “It was difficult, mentally quite a difficult golf course. I think the first day was my best day, I was in a nice flow and hitting a lot of pars.

“The last two days were like a real roller-coaster but I fought back on the back nine today. It was good and I felt really good. After a tough first nine today, I was very proud of myself, that other one shot or two would have been nice but I’m happy.”

Cowan tied the low round of the day, a four-under 68, to climb 15 places and set the clubhouse lead at level par. “I managed to get a few birdies out there today, I don’t know what was going on,” she said. “I guess we were getting the right lines today and hitting it quite close. I gave myself a lot of chances and rolled the putts nicely.

“We had a lot of fun this week and it was nice to have my friend on the bag to support me.”

Earlier in the day the team championship concluded with Team Roussin rising to the top to win by two securing France’s Pauline Roussin’s back-to-back victories in the Aramco Team Series after she won the individual title in Singapore earlier in the year.

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There are still 39 players to complete their first round after a storm interrupted play in the afternoon in Miami, and Iturrioz is the one to catch.

She finished her round with an eagle, birdie finish to take her to five-under, ahead of Gustavsson, who still has five holes to play in Round 1.

“The environment with Pauline [Roussin] and the team was very nice,” Iturrioz, a three-time Ladies European Tour (LET) winner, said. “I loved it. I played with her in Singapore, so good memories. I’m trying to do the same as her.”

The 27-year-old is referring to her teammate’s success winning the first Aramco Team Series event in Singapore earlier this year. Roussin won the individual event in Singapore, at just 22-years-old, by four shots over Danielle Kang and two-time major winner Lydia Ko. This week the duo teamed up alongside Englishwoman Trish Johnson and amateur Michael Bickford, and produced a dominant round one to take a three-shot lead over Team Ko and Team Alexander.

Among the big names lurking are Alison Lee, who is three back in a tie for fifth, while world No. 7 Thompson carded a one-under-par 71 to sit in a tie for eighth.

“Overall, a very good day,” said Thompson. “Pretty steady one. We had beautiful weather teeing off at 7.27am, we didn’t have too much wind, thankfully, and kind of beat the heat,” the major winner said after the round, “But overall had a very steady day and enjoyed playing alongside my teammates.”

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The No. 2 player in the world, Lydia Ko will be competing in the second event of the 2023 Aramco Team Series at Trump International Golf Club, West Palm Beach. The second installment of the ATS takes place from May 19-21, and will see the best players from professional women’s golf compete for the $1 million prize fund in Florida.

Ko is relishing her return to the Aramco Team Series and is hoping to improve on her debut performance in Singapore which saw her finish in third place behind eventual winner Pauline Roussin. “After playing my way into contention in Singapore, I’m looking to build on my success in the Aramco Team Series this time in Florida. I really enjoyed this format when I played in my debut, and the team element of the event adds a new dimension and a bit of additional pressure where you’re playing for your teammates as well as for yourself.”

The New Zealander’s form is trending in the right direction heading into Florida, having already enjoyed victory this year at the Aramco Saudi Ladies International in February. It was the 26th victory of Lydia Ko’s career, and her second in the Saudi event thanks to a four-under final round of 68 which gave her a 21-under total at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club near Jeddah.

“It was great to get the win in Saudi Arabia in my first start of the year,” Ko said. “It’s always great to get your season off to a winning start especially when you’re competing against a strong field on a great course.

“The addition of the Aramco Team Series and Saudi Ladies Invitational events have accelerated the growth of the Ladies European Tour with some of the best players in the world now competing in these high-profile events. If you look at the previous winners of the Aramco Team Series, I’ll definitely have to bring my best game heading into Florida.”

The ATS on the Ladies European Tour is competed across five global destinations throughout the year. After kicking off in Singapore, the series moves on to Florida, London and Hong Kong before concluding in Riyadh in October. May’s event consists of 36 teams comprising one amateur and three professionals who compete for a $1million prize fund. Aside from the team event, there is a three-day individual stroke play competition contested among the professionals which contributes to both Race to Costa del Sol and Rolex World Ranking points.

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Following a memorable league launch in Mayakoba, Mexico, won by Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers and individual champion Charles Howell III, the LIV Golf League saw an exhilarating finish in Tucson, Arizona. Fireballs, featuring captain Sergio Garcia, Abraham Ancer, Eugenio Chacarra and Carlos Ortiz, captured the team win while Danny Lee of Iron Heads sank a thrilling birdie putt on the final round’s third playoff hole to claim the individual title.

Now, 48 of the world’s best golfers travel to Orange County National in Florida for the league’s third event of the season, LIV Golf Orlando, this week.

Showcasing many of the sport’s biggest names, LIV Golf’s 12 teams include reigning Open Champion Cameron Smith, World Golf Hall of Famer Phil Mickelson, two-time major winner Dustin Johnson and four-time major winner Brooks Koepka. More than a quarter (13) of the league’s star-studded, international field are major champions, with 24 crowns between them. The field represents 16 different nations, includes 18 Olympians, and has made 125 combined appearances in the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, with more than half of the league having competed in the biennial team events. In total, LIV Golf League players have amassed 530 worldwide wins across multiple tours, and four players have held the title of World No. 1.

This is the first official season of the LIV Golf League, with a 14-tournament schedule being hosted in seven different countries at some of the world’s top courses.

Players are in pursuit of the 2023 LIV Golf Individual Championship and 2023 Team Championship, and after two events, Charles Howell III sits atop LIV Golf`s individual standings with 56 points. The team standings, which decide seeding for the season-ending Team Championship, are currently led by captain Dustin Johnson’s 4 Aces (48 points).

LIV Golf Orlando will air from 1pm to 6pm ET (9pm UAE) on Saturday and Sunday on The CW Network’s linear and digital platforms and LIV Golf Plus, with Friday’s round carried on The CW App and LIV Golf Plus. This season, all eight US-based tournaments and six international events are being broadcast across the US and streamed live to The CW App, which has been downloaded over 92 million times and is available on all major platforms. In addition, LIV Golf tournaments are carried on more than a dozen international broadcast partners, delivering league broadcasts in over 160 territories to more than 380 million homes worldwide.

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In talking to local reporters on Sunday, Jack Nicklaus shed a little light regarding what he believes the future holds for the Honda Classic at PGA National, which is losing Honda as its title sponsor after a 42-year relationship with the PGA Tour event.

Nicklaus and his wife Barbara live in the Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., area and have long had ties to the tournament as the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation has been a charitable beneficiary of the tournament for the last 16 years.

Some in the South Florida area are concerned about the long-term prospects for the event as none of the top 17 players in the Official World Golf Ranking was in this week’s field. That was largely due to the fact that the two tournaments proceeding Honda on the schedule were among the tour’s “designated” events (with lucrative $20 million prize money payouts), and the two events that follow it—the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Players Championship—also come with the new moniker. So it was that several top players skipped this week to get some rest.

Still, the Golden Bear thinks there is a chance for the PGA National stop to eventually become as strong as ever. And it may not take as long as some have predicted, as Nicklaus relayed what he says the PGA Tour has told him about changes to the 2024 schedule that will give his beloved event a chance at attracting a better field.

“Next year’s schedule … Pebble and L.A. are their elevated tournaments,” Nicklaus said. “Phoenix is not. Then they go to Mexico, then they come here. So, we will have players next year. And then they’ve got Bay Hill and Players.

“The tournament’s going to be just fine. The tournament’s just fine anyway. Look at how this town has supported this event without having a great field. They stayed with it and supported it. I think they’ve done great.”

A patron holds a sign during Sunday’s final round of the Honda Classic at PGA National. Honda is ending its title sponsorship of the event in 2024 after 42 years. Sam Greenwood

If the schedule changes next year, as Nicklaus suggests, top players will have the option to take a week off before the Genesis Invitational at Riviera, then there will be an event in Mexico before the tour comes to the Honda Classic—with a new name—followed by the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Players Championship.

PGA Tour officials, however, are reportedly still working out details of the schedule and are not expected to officially announce their plans until later in the summer.

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We are in awe at the size of that lad (or lady, not sure which and we sure as hell aren’t getting close to find out). Whether it’s the biggest we’ve ever seen is up for debate. Many locals in the comments agree that if it’s not, it’s close. Other contenders in the category include the Beast of Buffalo Creek …

… Ol’ “Hunchback” …

This truly massive alligator was spotted casually walking across a path in Central Florida. The locals call it "Hunchback." pic.twitter.com/4F4zvoaeV3

— CNN (@CNN) January 17, 2017

… and, of course, Jevon Kearse.

So there you have it. Another day, another veritable dinosaur on a Florida golf course.

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The 27-hole, Naples, Florida golf complex is going through quite an ordeal when it comes to the regional wildlife. Squirrels in the area are being nuisances in all sorts of ways, and it’s beginning to force the hand of the Wyndemere higher-ups.

“We are looking into the issue to determine the best outcome for both the squirrels and our members’ safety after receiving numerous reports of aggressive behaviour by the animals around several golf tee boxes,” said Wyndemere CEO Ryan Cozzetto. “At this point, there are no traps on our property, and we are in the process of determining next steps of which we will update you on soon.”

SWFL Golf News: Wyndemere Country Club probes relocation options for 'aggressive' squirrels. I've played the golf course a lot. I would say the squirrels are persistent. If you leave open food containers in your cart, they will help themselves. https://t.co/8Zn6UNZ6Db pic.twitter.com/aWwSEOWHaG

— Naples Golf Guy (@naples_matt) February 11, 2023

What makes this all even more complicated is that the club is part of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Programme which protects the environment, including wildlife.

When the idea of relocating the squirrels arose, many locals and nature lovers in the area immediately expressed their disapproval. Experts have also stated that relocating can ultimately be destructive for the animals that have to fight for space and coexist with new animals.

“Relocating our native grey squirrels is absolutely absurd,” said Naples resident Brittany Hubbard. “To say they are aggressive is a complete excuse. You have to say that to justify your ridiculous behaviour.”

Wyndemere Country Club has yet to announce its plans yet for the squirrels, but the squirrely behaviour appears to have already begun.

The post ‘Aggressive’ squirrels forcing Florida country club to consider relocation options appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The fourth hole at West Course at Fountains Country Club in Lake Worth, Florida, is a 387-yard straight-away par 4. An irrigation canal runs all the way up the right side. Out-of-bounds looms on the other side of the canal, although there is a ribbon of land between the water and the stakes.

RELATED: Tour makes incredible par save from alligator-infested water

After a triple-bogey at the par-3 second hole, Carmel came to the fourth tee at three-over. Because the event was only 18 holes, he needed to make something happen. Fast! But his 3-wood shot started right and faded from there. The good news was that Carmel believed his ball might have landed on the dry land between the canal and the OB. There was one problem. The canal runs the length of the course boundary. There is no way across.

Despite signs warning about lurking alligators, Carmel decided to try to find his ball. He said his father, who died last year, always told him: “If you can find the ball, you play it, no matter what.” His father was his best friend, so Carmel wasn’t about to let a couple of gators stop him. The plan was for his playing partner and friend Shoji Fujita to toss him a club after he got to the other side. Carmel removed his shoes, socks and pants and traversed the muddy water in his boxers and golf shirt. Things didn’t go as planned.

He jumped in and began his swim. Carmel was a competitive swimmer until he was a teenager, so he quickly made it to the other side with his limbs intact. However, he was missing an essential item: His boxers had fallen off as he made the plunge and were now at the bottom of the gator-infested waters. From there, things only got worse. With his shirt pulled down to serve as a mini-skirt, Carmel looked high and low for his ball, without success.

Then as he swam back across the canal, Carmel felt a bite or a scrape on his foot. “It was like a snake or a baby alligator or something,” he said later. When he climbed out of the water, his foot was gushing blood. There would be time to deal with that later; he had a shot to play. Carmel towelled off, got dressed, took a drop and hit a wedge to 10 feet. He missed the putt and tapped in for bogey. Most people would have WDd at that point, but Carmel refused, finishing the round with a bleeding foot.

Carmel shot 79 and finished well outside of the money. After the round he went home and wrapped his foot. Despite his ordeal, he was thrilled he got the opportunity to play. He teaches full-time now and hadn’t played 18 holes in more than three months. Carmel was on the waiting list for the event and got a last-minute call after a spot became available. Eight of his students were in the field, so he decided to play despite the lack of preparation.

His 79 will quickly be forgotten, but the bogey he made on the fourth hole surely won’t.

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By Matt Smith
The allure of the dollar signs and glitz of the PGA Tour has always drawn the best of Europe’s talent across the pond since well before the days of Seve, Nick, Tony, Berhard, Woosie and Sandy, but never before have I felt such a need for the golfers who hail from outside the States to get back and trudge the courses in Europe rather than the sunny climes of southern America.

Pretty much every top DP World Tour player has property in or around Jupiter (‘Fla.’) — the go-to residential haven for the cream of golf since Tiger Woods set up shop there in the 1990s. You only have to look at the Brits on the Masters leaderboard to see some of Jupiter’s finest residents (none of them in first position).

But the stage is set and the draw too strong. As such, the likes of Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Shane Lowry are far from ‘home’, and forgotten are the surroundings that took them to the greatness and the riches that come along with such accomplishments.

Europe’s most recent major champs are no longer in Europe. Pure and simple. And they are paying a price.

With the exception of Spain’s Rahm — who, let’s face it, comes from a country with weather and courses a lot more like those in (‘Fla.’) than the rugged, heather-ridden acres in the UK and beyond in northern Europe — the European cream are just not cutting it on the world stage, and stand in the shadow of their American rivals.

Scottie Scheffler

US flags dominate the majors and the big events. Where they don’t, we see a Japan standard and an Australian pennant.

Granted, Spain’s Rahm is still the defending US Open champion and among the favourites for the three remaining majors this year, but he now lives in ‘Fla.’ — away from his kids and true home comforts — and there is a true lack of European players calling home ‘home’ these days.

No one else who does not have stars on their flag can realistically claim they have a serious chance at the PGA or the US Open. Rory is thinking more of Hollywood rather than his birthplace of Holywood in Northern Ireland. The Europeans are struggling — just ask Padraig Harrington and the Ryder Cup boys.

How to recover without compromise? Get dirty.

Sure, follow your dreams and make sure you and your loved ones are comfortable and looked after well after college fees, but always remember how you got there.

The manicured lawns of the southern states of the US are a far cry from community courses and Northern Ireland and the UK where young Rory, Justin and Shane hacked away in their youth.

Beat the college boys the way you know: graft, umbrellas and sideways winds — a la Carnoustie or Portrush.

Here is the picture now.

Lee Westwood, McIlroy, Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell, Lowry and Rose are among Europe’s best, but their first residence is no longer a drive away from the club where the grew up. Now it is a transatlantic flight away.

Rose made his name as a 17-year-old as a T-4 best amateur at the Open Championship. He went on to win the US Open in 2013 as a pro. Now he lives in the Bahamas and has faded since claiming gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics. At the age of 41, it is fair to say his best golfing days may now be behind him and he deserves a beach-front property away from the wind and rain of Putney in England, where he grew up.

The same cannot be said of McIlroy and the current crop. Rory, for all his achievements, is only 32, and that makes him a senior in comparison to the young pups setting up camp in the US and forgetting their original footsteps.

After a torrid Ryder Cup — and with future selection in mind -— maybe they should all look closer to home rather than follow the herd.

Guys, if you want to win: get basic and get back to your roots.

MORE
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Chantananuwat clings on to lead at Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup
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Tiger confirms he will play Open at St Andrews
Scottie Scheffler continues the ride of his life

The post Back to roots: Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry and co should look closer to home to dig out another major after another failure at Masters appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Christopher Powers
The PGA Tour makes its second-to-last stop of the season in Florida this week for the Arnold Palmer Invitational, held at Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando. Tiger Woods is back in action for a second straight week, making his first start at Bay Hill since 2013 when he won the event for a remarkable eighth time. The combination of that past history and a strong showing at the Valspar Championship has made Woods an overwhelming favourite to win the tournament for a ninth time.

To do it, he’ll have to take down one of the stronger fields this season, featuring 10 of the top 20 players in the world, including fellow countrymen Jason Day and Marc Leishman, the last two winners at Bay Hill. It’s difficult to think of either player as a “darkhorse”, but with all the attention on Woods, the Aussie duo cannot be ignored this week. In five starts this year, Day has a victory at Torrey Pines, a T-2 at Pebble Beach and a pair T-11s at the CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges and the WGC-HSBC Champions. As for Leishman, he’s made seven of his eight cuts, including a solo second at the CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges and a T-8 at Torrey Pines.

Also in the field this week is Rory McIlroy, whose struggles on the PGA Tour have carried over into 2018 despite a strong start to his European Tour campaign. Perhaps this could be the week he gets back on the right track. In his three starts at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, McIlroy has finished T-11, T-27 and T-4.

TV Coverage

In the UAE, OSN Sports 3 HD will carry live coverage each day, Thursday through Sunday, from 9pm.

Leaderboard

Follow all the action from Orlando on the Golf Digest PGA Tour leaderboard.

Thursday Tee Times (all times ET). NOTE: UAE time is 8 hours ahead of Orlando time. 

No. 1 Tee

7:35 a.m. (3.35pm UAE time) — Nick Taylor, Beau Hossler, Satoshi Kodaira

7:47 a.m. — Hunter Mahan, Sung Kang, Sam Saunders

7:59 a.m. — Kevin Streelman, John Huh, Whee Kim

8:11 a.m. — Ted Potter, Jr., Kyle Stanley, Padraig Harrington

8:23 a.m. — Mackenzie Hughes, Jimmy Walker, William McGirt

8:35 a.m. — Patton Kizzire, Kevin Kisner, Brian Gay

8:47 a.m. — Grayson Murray, Brian Stuard, Vaughn Taylor

8:59 a.m. — Ryan Moore, Charley Hoffman, Shane Lowry

9:11 a.m. — Chesson Hadley, Martin Laird, Sean O’Hair

9:23 a.m. — Jason Kokrak, Anirban Lahiri, Tom Hoge

12:20 p.m. — Keegan Bradley, Francesco Molinari, Kevin Tway

12:32 p.m. — Kevin Na, Martin Piller, Yuta Ikeda

12:44 p.m. — Camilo Villegas, Louis Oosthuizen, Jamie Lovemark

12:56 p.m. — Henrik Stenson, Adam Scott, Tommy Fleetwood

1:08 p.m. — Marc Leishman, Rickie Fowler, Rory McIlroy

1:20 p.m. — Charl Schwartzel, Emiliano Grillo, Ernie Els

1:32 p.m. — Austin Cook, Hudson Swafford, Danny Willett

1:44 p.m. — Brian Harman, Davis Love III, Tyrrell Hatton

1:56 p.m. — Scott Brown, Bud Cauley, Peter Uihlein

2:08 p.m. — Aaron Wise, Sam Horsfield, Doc Redman

No. 10 Tee

7:35 a.m. — Robert Gamez, Brandon Harkins, Matthew Fitzpatrick

7:47 a.m. — Danny Lee, Alex Cejka, Tyrone Van Aswegen

7:59 a.m. — Scott Piercy, Ian Poulter, HaoTong Li

8:11 a.m. — Bubba Watson, Justin Rose, Patrick Reed

8:23 a.m. (4.23pm UAE time) — Jason Day, Hideki Matsuyama, Tiger Woods

8:35 a.m. — Brandt Snedeker, Graeme McDowell, Zach Johnson

8:47 a.m. — Ryan Armour, Si Woo Kim, Cameron Smith

8:59 a.m. — Russell Knox, Billy Hurley III, Alex Noren

9:11 a.m. — Ben Martin, Patrick Rodgers, Byeong Hun An

9:23 a.m. — Donny Lee, Curtis Luck, A.J. McInerney

12:20 p.m. — Paul Goydos, C.T. Pan, Kiradech Aphibarnrat

12:32 p.m. — Robert Streb, Scott Stallings, Tim Herron

12:44 p.m. — Harris English, Stuart Appleby, Ollie Schniederjans

12:56 p.m. — James Hahn, Smylie Kaufman, Chris Kirk

1:08 p.m. — D.A. Points, Matt Every, Charles Howell III

1:20 p.m. — Bryson DeChambeau, Luke Donald, Vijay Singh

1:32 p.m. — Billy Horschel, Cody Gribble, Sang-moon Bae

1:44 p.m. — Kevin Chappell David Lingmerth, Stewart Cink

1:56 p.m. — J.B. Holmes, Lucas Glover, Luke List

2:08 p.m. — Talor Gooch, Sam Burns, Collin Morikawa

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