The timing couldn’t have been better. Koepka had just won the PGA Championship in May for his fifth career major victory. If ever there was a time to bet on a horse’s name, this was it.

“I’m like, mate, this is a perfect horse for you,” McDowell said about the sales pitch. “You just won your fifth and this boy’s called Givemefive.”

On Tuesday, McDowell and Koepka became partners again – this time on a turf more suited to their own abilities, as G-Mac signed a contract to join Koepka’s Smash GC for the 2024 LIV Golf League season.

McDowell, the 2010 U.S. Open champion, fills the vacancy left by Koepka’s brother Chase, who was among four LIV golfers relegated after finishing the 2023 season ranked 45th or below in the season-long Individual points standings (otherwise known as the Drop Zone).

The move ends McDowell’s time with Cleeks GC, the team he played for in his last 20 LIV Golf starts dating back to the third event of the inaugural beta-test 2022 season. McDowell’s contract expired after the 2023 season, and since he finished in the Open Zone as the 42nd-ranked player, he entered free agency with some uncertainty.

“It’s been a difficult time the last couple of months, obviously being out of contract and looking at the rankings and doing the math and realizing there wasn’t really going to be a lot of open opportunities and open slots within LIV for me to be able to slot into,” McDowell said. “Being able to have relationships and have respect levels from guys like Brooks was really, really important. …

“I was disappointed that the Cleeks wanted to move in a different direction, didn’t want to pick me up. But I guess sometimes things happen for a reason. I couldn’t be happier than I am right now.”

Unlike Chase, G-Mac isn’t family, but Koepka’s caddie Ricky Elliott is practically an older brother, the two having grown up in Portrush, Northern Ireland, and now living near each other in Orlando, Florida. G-Mac even helped Elliott land Brooks’ bag. They’ve been together for pivotal moments in each other’s lives.

McDowell was careful not to lean too heavily into his friendship with Elliott to land the Smash roster spot, but … well, it never hurts to chat with a fellow Ulsterman over a pint.

“I obviously didn’t want to put Ricky in a tough situation with Brooks and kind of be an advocate for me coming to Smash next year,” McDowell said, “but certainly there were plenty of whispers in the ears over a few beers, trying to kind of say, Hey, listen, how cool would this be? Can you put a good word in for me with the chief?”

Just as instrumental – if not more so – is that McDowell and Koepka have been close friends for many years, bonding over their shared competitive mindset. They fall into the same category of golf’s grittiest performers despite the disparate ways they attack the golf course off the tee.

Although Koepka won the individual title at LIV Golf Orlando and finished in a bonus-paying third position in the season-long standings, his Smash team fell short of expectations, finishing eighth in regular-season points and failing to advance out of the quarterfinals at the Team Championship.

Adding the 44-year-old McDowell should pay dividends not only inside the ropes but also in the team room. If the 33-year-old Koepka needs a sounding board or help for organizational matters, he can lean on G-Mac.

“He likes great competitors,” G-Mac said of his new captain. “I think that’s why we’ve always had a little bit of mutual respect for each other. He sees a little bit of himself in me, and vice-versa. …

“I feel like I bring that little bit of experience and that little bit of grit and determination and hopefully can help Brooks carry some of the load and carry some of the water and give him the opportunity just to go and be the best he can be. Help him handle some of the team logistics and the team media stuff and whatever it is he needs me to be, I’m certainly ready and willing to be that guy for him. And obviously first and foremost, play as hard as I can and see if I can go and be competitive next season and win a tournament.”

Koepka’s wager is that McDowell will produce improved results with his new team. In 20 stroke-play LIV starts, McDowell remains without a top-10 points finish; his best result in 12th. He’s finished inside the points-producing top 24 just five times – three in 13 regular-season starts in 2023.

A classic U.S. Open-type 72-hole grinder, G-Mac acknowledged the difficulties of adjusting to LIV’s 54-hole tournaments that generally require a fast start out of the gate and a shorter backstretch to make up ground. A poor round is severely penalized with the reduced competition timeframe.

He’s worked on changing his style, playing more aggressive – and he thinks the fresh start with Smash and teaming up with Koepka will generate better finishes.

“I know what I’m still capable of,” McDowell said. “I really feel like I’ve started to play great the last few months and I’m just missing that little bit of X factor – and I feel like the X factor’s going to come from the pressure of trying to hang with a guy like Brooks Koepka, who’s one of the best players in the world, the intensity and the mentality that he brings. I think it’s just what I need for myself to see if I can produce the golf that I know I’m still capable of.

“I’m hoping ‘24 is going to be the comeback season for me. Compete, try and win an event or two. Like I say, perfect timing for me right now.”

Even more perfect timing – Givemefive may be running his first hurdles race on Saturday at Newcastle Racecourse in England. After months of training, it’s time to compete as a hurdler during the United Kingdom’s winter jump season when the track is a bit softer. The multi-race program – that includes a distinguished Grade 1 hurdle race called The Fighting Fifth – could make for a nice coming-out party for the horse.

“He’s a two-miler plus,” McDowell said. “So he’s a little grinder as well.”

Sounds like another terrific fit for the Smash stable.

Image: LIV Golf

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McDowell, the 2010 US Open champion, triumphed in the shootout with fellow LIV Golf star Patrick Reed and Andy Ogletree, the latest name confirmed on the LIV Golf roster after securing his place by being crowned the Order of Merit champion on The International Series for the 2023 season.

Hole In One rooftop challenge island pictured at the Wynn Palace hotel on 13 November, 2023

The trio were shooting it out in a fun nearest-the-pin competition from the Wynn Palace rooftop, 28 floors high, aiming at a floating pontoon par-three green 197 yards away in the hotel lake. Despite some windy conditions, McDowell fired a 7 iron to within just inches of the flag for the nearest of the pin.

The activation was held ahead of a press conference at the Wynn Palace to announce the International Series Macau presented by Wynn, which will take place from 14-17 March 2024 at the Macau Golf & Country Club – a new destination on The International Series schedule. It is the first International Series event to be confirmed for 2024.

McDowell said: “That was fun, it’s always enjoyable to have a bit of a challenge and banter. And what a stunning setting for a nearest the pin. It’s been a wonderful couple of days, I do love coming to this part of the world and this hotel is exceptional. The players on next year’s International Macau are in for a real treat, and their presence will help to further develop golf in the region.”

Images: Asian Tour

The post McDowell flying high in Macau after first ever Hole in One rooftop challenge at Wynn Palace appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Patrick Reed, the 2018 Masters winner, and 2010 US Open winner Graeme McDowell join LIV Golf headliners Harold Varner III and Belgian Thomas Pieters for the long-running tournament, first held in 1959, which has a boosted prize fund of $2 million this year thanks to its new status as an International Series event on the Asian Tour.

Other big-name players including 2022 Open Championship winner Cam Smith, two-time Hong Kong Open champion Wade Ormsby, Hong Kong Asian Games gold medallist and the first local player to win an Asian Tour title at the World City Championship in March, Taichi Kho. LIV Golf ‘s 2023 Individual Champion Talor Gooch and Eugenio Chacarra are also already confirmed in the field for the first Hong Kong Open to be contested since 2020.

For Varner and Pieters, the Fanling date means a chance to re-connect with close friend and RangeGoats teammate Gooch.  Gooch has acknowledged his relationship with HV3 as a key factor in his switching from 4 Aces to RangeGoats on LIV Golf this season.

“HV3 and I first met in college golf. We just hit it off right away and have been close ever since. Then we had a bunch of time together on the PGA Tour, and now on LIV — and now we are teammates so it is fun, and it is a cool opportunity,” said Gooch, who has made history this season as the first player to win three LIV Golf events and won the overall Individual Championship points race on Sunday at LIV Golf Jeddah.

Varner also has some history behind his name. The 33-year-old is only the second American player to win the Australian PGA Championship.  He added a first LIV Golf victory in Washington DC in May and also won the PIF Saudi International last year.

Gooch is confident that Varner and his teammate Pieters are going to quickly become fan favourites at the Hong Kong Open.

“HV is about as fun of a dude that you are going to be around, but he is also a great player. He hits the ball a long ways, and he has a great short game. He plays well all over the world. He is my teammate, but I hope that I whip him that week,” added Gooch.

Pieters has seven wins since turning pro in 2013 and has represented Belgium and Europe in numerous team events including the 2016 Ryder Cup — when he led Europe with four points.

Talor Gooch. LIV Golf

“Thomas is truly one of the great talents that we have in the game,” said Gooch. “You look at him and think why are you not playing a different sport. He looks like a Greek god. He is 6ft, 5ins and a big dude that hits the ball a country mile. Great short game, great hands, just a great player. He truly has the potential to be one of the best players in the game on any given week.”

From friends to friendly rivals, the Hong Kong Open is set to welcome the return of two Fanling — and Ryder Cup — legends in Reed and McDowell.

Reed is no stranger to the excitement surrounding the Hong Kong Open — the nine-time PGA tournament winner having finished T-3 at Fanling on his debut in 2015, behind winner Justin Rose and Lucas Bjerregaard. The 33-year-old Reed has returned twice since then (2016, 2018), and was named in the field for the 2021 tournament, which was cancelled due to the pandemic.

The Texan has also had five top-five finishes on LIV Golf this season. He had a similar showing at this year’s Masters at Augusta, a venue where Reed will forever be remembered for his heroics in 2018, when he shot 15-under-par to win by a stroke.

Northern Irishman McDowell is also no stranger to Fanling — or Reed — as the pair have been part of rival Ryder Cup camps down through the years, representing Europe and America, respectively.

The 44-year-old McDowell counts four top-20 finishes among his previous efforts at the Hong Kong Open, to add to 15 career wins on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour in his career. He has also been an ever-present player on the LIV Golf series.

The Hong Kong Open is the penultimate event of this season’s International Series, 10 marquee tournaments on the Asian Tour calendar. What happens in Fanling could have real bearing on the final standings for the International Series Order of Merit, the year-long race which will guarantee one spot for the overall leader in next season’s LIV Golf League.

Main image: Patrick Reed. LIV Golf

The post LIV Golf’s Reed, McDowell, Varner and Pieters join Cam Smith and Talor Gooch in Hong Kong Open cast appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Still, whatever issues his colleagues may have with commenting on an event they all distinguished themselves in with their play, Graeme McDowell is happy to tell the world where and how he will take in the Ryder action. The Northern Irishman, who holed the cup-clinching putt at Celtic Manor in 2010, the same year he won the US Open, is based in Orlando so will rise in the middle of the night to watch an event close to his heart.

“It’s been something I’ve thought about,” McDowell says. “And it’s an interesting argument. Do I bury my head in the sand and wait for it all to be over and not say anything? Or do I be supportive? There are no sour grapes on my end. I understand why I’m not involved. I was texting with [European vice-captain] Edoardo Molinari the other day, telling him how much I wish I could be in Rome. I genuinely feel that.

“I love the Ryder Cup,” McDowell continues. “It is special to me. And it always will be. I’m very much trying to put the small bit of bitterness I feel to the side. It’s not bitterness towards anyone. It’s bitterness that I am not part of the eco-system. But I’m trying not to let that get in the way of what my true feelings are. I’ve had some of the greatest experiences of my life with my Ryder Cup teammates. And I enjoyed my two vice-captaincies. But this year it’s a little bittersweet for me. I just have to remember how cool it all is.”

All of which is not to say McDowell had any notions of playing in what would have been his fifth Ryder Cup. Quite apart from the fact that he is no longer a member of the DP World Tour, and so ineligible, his form on the course has come up a long way short of what might have been considered by European captain, Luke Donald. This past weekend at the LIV Golf event in Chicago, McDowell finished tied for 32nd, 11 shots back of winner Bryson DeChambeau. On the season McDowell’s best finish is T-11.

“I’m not sure, aside from maybe Sergio Garcia, who of the LIV players could have made the 12,” McDowell says. “Maybe Paul Casey, if he had been fully fit. Myself, Lee and Ian haven’t played well enough. The schedule we’ve played hasn’t helped either. Henrik is still a really good player. But would any of us been in the 12? I don’t think so. Maybe a pick if the world was a different place, but certainly not me. I wouldn’t be close. I’d love to have been part of the vice-captain squad and help Luke out. But it is what it is. I’m accepting of where we are in the world right now.”

Still, with his intimate knowledge of what goes on behind the scenes as well as on the course, McDowell will surely be one of the most “intelligent” viewers those time round. And he has his views on what we can expect to see at a venue new to him.

“I know nothing about the course,” he acknowledges. “I’ve never played there. I texted with Ricky Elliott, who caddies for Brooks Koepka, and asked him about it. He tells me the rough is very thick and the place has a flavour of Paris 2018 about it. That was a great recipe for European success so why wouldn’t you try to replicate it? Edoardo did say they might give it a little bit of a trim before the weekend. So that you can actually find balls.

“I’ll be curious to see how often the picks on both sides actually play early on,” McDowell continues. “Do you get the rookies out there early and give them a game? Or do you keep them up your sleeve, see how Friday plays out and stay with your big guns? There is always that argument. I’ve seen captains go both ways on that. You can be damned if you and damned if you don’t, depending on what happens.”

Ah yes, the captaincy. McDowell is of the opinion that too much weight is put on the shoulders of both captains, which is a fair point. Neither will actually hit a shot.

“All the captains can do is create a good environment for the guys, create a good narrative around what they are trying to achieve and inspire them by having the culture correct.”

McDowell recalls fondly his early partnership with Rory McIlroy in 2010 as they successfully helped win the Ryder Cup together at Celtic Manor. Sam Greenwood

But what about the pairings, the one area where the captains can have a huge influence over the proceedings? Here is a subject worthy of discussion and serious consideration.

“Pairings can pick themselves sometimes because of the ball players use, or when you have guys who get on especially well,” McDowell says. “I used to go with the theory that, in foursomes, you went with one long-hitter and one short. But statistically that doesn’t necessarily work. There’s a shelf life on these things, too. I think of Rory and myself. He was always going to be a superstar. it was just a case of when. And when he was inexperienced that ‘big brother-little brother’ thing worked great for a while. At Celtic Manor in 2010, he was a rookie and he hadn’t won his majors yet. He wasn’t quite the player he would become, although some of the shots he hit were unbelievable.

“But eventually little brother has to leave home and do his own thing,” he continues. “Eventually, our partnership didn’t work as well. He was the man and he needed to be an integral part of the team. Our personal relationship was irrelevant at that point. He had to go away and be Superman for Team Europe.”

All of the above racing through his active mind, McDowell will be sitting at home in Orlando, his body more than 5,000 miles from the action, but his heart right there at Marco Simone.

“I had a scary thought I was going to be in a plane to Asia,” he says. “But I don’t fly until the Sunday night of the Ryder Cup. So I’ll maybe wake up early and watch the singles. Who am I kidding? I’ll watch every shot, every day.”

Once a Ryder Cupper, always a Ryder Cupper. No matter what.

Main image: Eric Feferberg

The post ‘I’ll watch every shot, every day’: LIV Golf’s McDowell can’t quit Ryder Cup even if he’s bitter about not being able to participate appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Two major champions highlighted a field of US Open hopefuls Monday in Dallas with one advancing via a 36-hole qualifier and the other falling just short.

Sergio Garcia, the 2017 Masters champion, shot consecutive rounds of 66 at Bent Tree Country Club and Northwood Club to tie for fourth place and advance at nine-under total. Graeme McDowell, the 2010 US Open champion, played his last 11 holes in three-over at Northwood to tie for 12th place and miss out on a playoff by one shot.

Eight players advanced to the US Open at Los Angeles Country Club. There was a five-for-two playoff for the remaining two spots.

A course record 6️⃣2️⃣ to secure a spot @USOpenGolf ?

Carson Young shoots a combined 16-under to win the U.S. Open Final Qualifying in Dallas. pic.twitter.com/yZ3Fz17W9H

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 23, 2023

Carson Young demolished the field shooting 63-62 for a 16-under-par total. He made 19 birdies and three bogeys during 36 holes. The 28-year-old finished his morning round at Bent Tree with six straight birdies, then opened his afternoon round at Northwood with six birdies in his first eight holes. He then started the back nine with five birdies in a six-hole stretch. His best finish on the PGA Tour this year is a third-place tie at the Puerto Rico Open. He’s finished inside the top 20 in three of his last four events.

Austin Eckroat finished in second place, five shots behind Young. Eckroat, who tied for second place two weeks ago at the AT&T Byron Nelson shot 64-66. Brent Grant was third, a shot behind Eckroat.

Garcia tied for fourth place at nine-under with Paul Haley and Robert Sloan. Both Garcia and Sloan birdied the 36th hole to avoid having to participate in a playoff. Garcia made news last week by not playing in the PGA Championship at Oak Hill. It was the first time he was not eligible to play in a major championship since 1999. He missed the 2020 Masters because he tested positive for Covid but was eligible to play at Augusta National as a past champion.

Hank Lebioda and Jacob Solomon solidified the last two positions when both made birdie on the first playoff hole in a five-way playoff with Trent Phillips, amateur Brian Stark and Michael Kim. Lebioda birdied his last five holes in a row just to get into the playoff, then advanced via the playoff birdie. Solomon, who missed the cut last week at the Korn Ferry Tour event outside Kansas City, hit a 54-degree wedge from 127 yards to two feet in the playoff for a kick-in birdie.

Other notables playing but failing to advance were Ryan Palmer, Ryan Moore, Brandon Wu, Doug Ghim, Martin Laird, CT Pan, Russell Knox, JB Holmes, Davis Riley and Branden Grace.

The post Sergio Garcia in, Graeme McDowell out of US Open as Carson Young blitzes Dallas qualifier appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The American six-time major winner has been in the spotlight in recent times for his misguided comments aimed at the PGA Tour, and he chose to step away from the game — until this week as he took part in the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series at Centurion Club outside London.

Following a media grilling on Wednesday, Mickelson was glad to just get out on course on a cloudy Thursday, and posted a solid one-under to sit in tied-seventh alongside Dustin Johnson, four strokes back from first-round leader Charl Schwartzel.

There was yet another bombshell from the PGA Tour on Thursday as they announced their 17 players who have taken part on the LIV Series were banned.

“I feel happy to be back out playing again,” Mickelson said, clearly insisting on distancing himself from the fallout from the States. “It has been a long time. I just got off the golf course and as I said yesterday in the press conference, any PGA Tour matters I’m not going to discuss publicly at this time.

“I really enjoyed today. It was fun for me to get back out playing. I struck the ball really well and didn’t putt very well. I really struggled with the putter the front, the first six, seven holes but I played really well and fought back after a double on 9 to shoot 1-under and get myself right in it on the first day.

Referencing the three-day team format in the LIV Series, he added: “With the short format it’s important to have that good first day. It’s harder, you don’t have as many days to catch up but I needed a good day. I’m playing well and I feel like having my first competitive round now being back after a few months, I feel like I’m ready to relax and put it together and let it happen and not force it and really have a good round tomorrow. I feel like I’m playing well and the putter started to feel better the second half of the round.

“It’s a very cool energy here. You know, it’s been a while since I’ve played. It seemed awfully fun. The people were terrific and it was fun to hit some good shots and get in a competitive frame of mind again. I really enjoyed it.

“I really enjoyed playing with DJ (Johnson). Scott (Vincent) was terrific. I am going to play all eight LIV Golf events this year and all 10 next year, that much I can tell you.”

Sergio Garcia, the Spanish champion of the 2017 Masters, also distanced himself from the PGA Tour developments on Thursday.

“I resigned about a week ago, so I am not banned,” he said. “I am happy where I am and this was a real fun day. Whatever the PGA do is not up to me.

“One of the reasons I resigned is because I do not want any legal battles. I can enjoy my golf, spend more time with my family and I am very excited about the future.

“It would be nice for everyone to get along, but some don’t want to. But I am happy where I am.”

Sergio Garcia

Graeme McDowell, the 2010 US Open champ who resigned from the PGA Tour just ahead of his tee off at Centurion, added: “The PGA Tour needs to do what it thinks it has to do. But we have a situation. It is disappointing, but there is not a lot we can do about it. We are here knowing the potential consequences, but LIV have done a great job and they will stand by us through this all. It is not about the PGA Tour being bad, it is about furthering opportunities for myself.”

Schwartzel kept his focus on the action, with $25 million on the line, alongside his Stinger teammates and fellow South Africans Branden Grace, Louis Oosthuizen and Hennie Du Plessis.

“I was more worried for my team,” he said. “I had a poor start with a five-footer for bogey, but we all got going and we pulled for each other and we are now in a really good place.”

With the four South Africans in one team, it was no surprise that the Stinger team marched out to a nine-under lead, with Mickelson’s Hy Flyers second on three-under along with Peter Uihlein’s Crushers.

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The post Phil Mickelson is smiling again as LIV Golf Series gets off to a sensational start appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Tod Leonard
These days, it usually takes going exceptionally low to win on the PGA Tour, and it’s apparently no different in qualifying for the US Open.

In the first final qualifier played in North America on Monday at two courses in Dallas, 11-under for 36 holes was the number to be the medallist — and there were four players who achieved that — while seven-under was the score that got players into next month’s major at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts.

In a qualifier that featured numerous PGA Tour pros, the top 13 out of 98 entrants advanced, and a six-man playoff was required for the final two spots. Those positions went to Davis Shore and Roger Sloan, while Adam Hadwin and Austin Cook were the first and second alternates, respectively.

The day’s low score was a 62 fashioned by Matthew NeSmith, who made nine birdies in the morning round at Royal Oaks Country Club. NeSmith, a third-year PGA Tour player who has competed in only one major, shot 69 in the second round at Lakewood Country Club and joined Americans Kurt Kitayama (65-66) and Sean Crocker (64-67), and Japan’s Jinichiro Kozuma (68-63) at 11-under.

Among the notables not advancing were 2010 US Open champion Graeme McDowell, Matt Kuchar, Aaron Baddeley, Rory Sabbatini and James Hahn.

The other more recognisable names to advance were Canadians Mackenzie Hughes (nine-under) and Nick Taylor (nine-under) and American Scott Stallings, who was solo 11th at eight-under.

There was one amateur who reached from this final: University of Texas junior Travis Vick, who shot nine-under. Vick was a semi-finalist at last year’s US Amateur at Oakmont.

The remaining nine final qualifiers — eight in the US and one in Canada — will be contested on Monday, June 6.

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The post US Open 2022: These scores were ridiculously low, even in a US Open qualifier appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

South Korean Joohyung Kim, last season’s No. 1, former US Open champion Graeme McDowell and Thailand’s 15-year-old wonderkid Ratchanon “TK” Chantananuwat and the current top 10 in the Asian Tour rankings will compete in the $2 million tournament – which will take place at Slaley Hall Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort, near Newcastle, from June 2-5.

The ground-breaking event will mark the first time the Asian Tour has sanctioned a tournament in the UK and the exciting opportunity will mean a full turnout of the Tour’s membership – for what will be the ninth event of the 2022-23 season and the second International Series event.

Sihwan is leading the way on the Tour at the moment thanks to two victories for the American — including at the first-ever International Series event, played in Thailand in March — and has earned close to half a million dollars, but Slaley Hall will also see a wealth of other in-form players competing.

Korean Bio Kim, who is second on the Merit list, and third-ranked Phachara Khongwatmai from Thailand will compete having both recently recorded their first wins on the Asian Tour, following its restart in November last year after a two-year COVID-19 enforced break.

And Joohyung Kim, who at 19 years of age became the second youngest winner of the Merit title in January, has picked up where he left off from last season with top-10 finishes in his last three events to sit in fourth place on the rankings. Joohyung and Bio will make their way over to the UK after competing in this week’s US PGA Championship in Oklahoma. Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana and South Africa’s Justin Harding, also in action at the season’s second Major Championship, will also be making the trip across the Atlantic.

Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond, the 2019 Merit champion and six-time winner on Tour, Malaysian Gavin Green, the 2017 No. 1, and Australian Scott Hend – the most successful international player on the Tour with 10 victories and the 2016 Merit list winner will also be looking for strong performances in the North of England.

As will Chinese-Taipei’s Chan Shih-chang, a two-time winner on the Tour since last year’s restart, and Thailand’s Nitithorn Thippong, also a winner this season.

“The International Series England is a landmark event for the Asian Tour which provides our members with a great opportunity to compete internationally in an exciting, new location,” said Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO, Asian Tour.

“An incredibly strong field with assemble for the tournament, which is a reflection of the appetite our members have for the International Series and will also allow us to showcase the Asian Tour’s depth in world-class talent to European fans. We have also received enormous interest from international players wanting to be part of the Asian Tour having seen our steady growth over the past few months.”

A host of Asian Tour legends will be in attendance, in particular Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant – the winner of a record 18 Asian Tour titles – and India’s Jeev Milkha Singh, who like Thaworn, has claimed two Merit list titles.

In addition, a number of high-profile players have been extended invites including McDowell, the 2010 US Open champion, New Zealand’s Michael Campbell, who claimed the US Open in 2005, England’s Lee Slattery, Wu Ashun from China, Jovan Rebula from South Africa, Americans Peter Uihlein and Andy Ogletree, both former winners of the US Amateur Championship, and rising Australian stars Blake Windred and Louis Dobbelaar.

Some of the games’ leading amateurs have been invited, most noticeably Ratchanon, who has taken the Tour by storm with some brilliant performances, including winning the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup in Thailand in April to become the youngest male player to win on one of the game’s major Tours.

Exciting young amateurs England’s John Gough, the reigning English Amateur Champion, and Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho will also play.

The event also features twelve dedicated spots for professionals from the United Kingdom, which include various rising stars such as Sam Broadhurst, son of six-time European Tour winner and Ryder Cup player Paul Broadhurst, as well as seasoned professionals such as Welshman Stuart Manley.

The International Series England is promoted by LIV Golf and will be followed by eight more International Series events this season.

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The post Asian Tour: Stellar field for landmark tournament in England appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

With early morning fog delaying play by 30 minutes, a decision was made to amend the format of the Challenge Match to a Texas scramble format with Team Hull going up against Team Rafa.

Team Hull, led by 3-time Ladies European Tour winner and 5-time European Solheim Cup player Charley Hull from the UK, shot an impressive 14-under par to take the win. Joining Hull was 2010 US Open Champion and 2021 European Ryder Cup vice-captain Graeme McDowell from Northern Ireland; and Asian Tour player and one of Pakistan’s leading professionals, Humza Amin.

Team Rafa, led by 2021 Spanish Open winner and 4-time DP World Tour winner Rafa Cabrera Bello from Spain, trailed by just 2 shots. Cabrera Bello’s teammates included 17-year-old amateur, Humna Amjed – one of Pakistan’s most promising female golfers; and PAK Pro Tour #2 ranked player, Ahmed Baig also from Pakistan.

Flanked by a large crowd of fans, the players made their way around Sir Nick Faldo’s latest architectural masterpiece, with fireworks coming early on in the 7,533-yard, par-72 RUMANZA course.

“We got off to a fast start with an eagle on Two. We were very fortunate to have Charley driving the ball extremely well, allowing us to go into some par-5’s with short irons. Team Rafa and his crew kept it close, and it was nice to come up the last with a 1-shot lead to see what we could do. It was a lot of fun.” commented Graeme McDowell.

 The RUMANZA Inaugural trophy made of stunning blue pottery unique to Multan was presented to the winning team by representatives from event sponsors ZAHID Mahmood (Zonal Manager at Bank Al Habib), Mohsin Ali (Regional Business Head of Bank Alfalah), Sohaib Bodla (CEO of Bodla Builders) and Iqbal Khokhar (Project Manager at HRL).

 The RUMANZA Golf & Country Club, developed by the DHA Multan, marks Sir Nick Faldo’s first venture in South Asia and the most ambitious course construction project in Pakistan’s history. The international players shared their thoughts on the course during a post-event press conference.

Spain’s Rafa Cabrera Bello said: “It’s a great course – everyone is very impressed. It’s fairly forgiving off the tee, but makes you think a lot on the second shot in. The greens have lots of movement. Some really deep links-style bunkers around the greens protect some hidden pins. Nick has always been a fantastic strategist and the beauty of this course is that he makes you think about every single shot you hit.”

McDowell added: “This golf course has certainly not disappointed us this week – congrats to DHA Multan and team Faldo on what they’ve produced. It’s a world-class facility – beautiful driving range, beautiful practice facility, and the golf course is fantastic.”

A key objective of the RUMANZA development is to provide the facilities and expertise required to develop and nuture local talent. Alongside the 18-hole Championship course, the RUMANZA Golf and Country Club has a double-sided driving range and a short-game practice area with putting greens, chipping greens, and eco bunkers. These state-of-the-art facilities are a first for golf in Pakistan.

Hamza Amin, one of Pakistan’s leading pro golfers with 8 pro tour wins under his belt, talked about the importance of facilities such as RUMANZA: “I’ve been a pro for 10 years, and there’s been a lot of progress in Pakistan during that time. The PAK Pro Tour now hosts 20 to 25 events each year, prize money is increasing, and the player fields are growing. Adding facilities like the RUMANZA Golf course to the existing infrastructure here in Pakistan can only add to that progression. I’m excited to see the development of the next generation of Pakistani golfers.”

McDowell added: “One of things I’ve felt this week is the passion and the intensity for wanting success in Pakistan golf. What DHA Multan has done in creating the first world-class facility here in Pakistan is that it gives these players the opportunity to play on the type of course that they can expect to see on the Tours. Having had the chance to spend time with the young talent here in Pakistan, it’s only a matter of time until these guys move to the next level.”

Charley Hull, who is the youngest ever Solheim Cup player, spoke about 17-year-old Pakistani amateur Humna Amjed’s potential: “Humna putted really well and hit some great chips. She’s a very good player and so young – there’s a lot of potential there.”

RUMANZA is located in Pakistan’s 5th largest city, Multan, famed for its rich culture, heritage, history and stature. Speaking about the warm welcome of the city, McDowell said: “As golfers we go to some beautiful places around the world, but we don’t often get the time to sample the culture. Sport is a great way to bring people to Pakistan and really show them what a country like this has to offer. We didn’t have time to sample much of Multan this weekend outside of the course, but we certainly sampled some great food and hospitality, and I can’t wait to come back.”

The RUMANZA Inaugural weekend was jam-packed with action, both on and off the golf course. Day 1, Friday 25 February, included a Gala Dinner evening complete with a fireside Q&A, a live musical performance from world-famous Pakistani singer, Atif Aslam, while awe-inspiring fireworks lit up the course.

On Day 2, Saturday 26 February, the action moved to the brand-new RUMANZA Golf Course – following a ceremonial opening tee shot by course designer and 6-time Major winner Sir Nick Faldo – a field of 60 players, split across 15 teams, took to the course for the Pro-Am competition. Sir Nick’s wife, Lady Lindsay Faldo took the win with her team of Pakistani professionals Khalid Khan and Shahid Javed Khan, and amateur player Mr. Usman Akram, carding a score of 51 points.

Saturday afternoon saw the star players take part in clinics, open to spectators, with the weekend wrapping up on Sunday 27 February with the star player Challenge Match.

RUMANZA is the centre-piece of the aspirational DHA Multan residential community which includes high-end apartments and villas, a five-star hotel, commercial retail space, multiple sports and lifestyle facilities, state-of-the-art education facilities, health care services and extensive F&B outlets. It is one of Pakistan’s most advanced residential developments.

Project Director DHA MULTAN Brigadier Shoeb Anwar Kayani, SI(M) closed the event by saying: “What a cherish-able and fantastic weekend, to officially launch the RUMANZA Signature Golf & Country Club onto the global golfing scene. The interest in the event from players, media and sponsors alike, indicates the tremendous potential of RUMANZA & DHA MULTAN project would have on Pakistan’s Economy, Sports Tourism and talent development. Welcome to a new era of Golfing Excellence here in Pakistan!”

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By Joel Beall
Two major winners, and Ryder Cup stalwarts, were added as European vice-captains Wednesday morning.

European captain Padraig Harrington announced Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell will join Luke Donald and Robert Karlsson as assistants for his staff at this year’s biennial event at Whistling Straits.

“They have both contributed winning points in Ryder Cup history, have been there and done it, and the other players look up to them,” Harrington said in a statement. “They both have that aura and responsibility in that what they say will have meaning.”

A former World No. 1, Kaymer won his first major at Whistling Straits at the 2010 PGA Championship, defeating Bubba Watson in a playoff to earn the Wanamaker Trophy. Kaymer, 36, has played in four Ryder Cups, three of which were wins for Team Europe, highlighted by Kaymer sinking the clinching putt to complete the “Miracle”—or depending on your rooting interests, “Meltdown”—at Medinah in 2012.

Kaymer said he still hopes to make the team as a player, although he’s currently listed 36th in team rankings. But no matter his role Kaymer asserted he wants to be a part of the Ryder Cup experience.

“I admit it took me a while to say yes, because it’s a responsibility and if I do something I want to do it properly, so we talked about the role,” Kaymer said. “I’m not the type of guy who is into numbers and statistics. I’m more the person talking to the guys, more of the personal stuff, a bit more of the mental side. I feel like I’m a fairly calm person when I’m playing golf and through my experience I know what they all go through, whether that’s the guys that might be playing the Ryder Cup for the first time or guys that I have played Ryder Cups with before, so I think I understand the feelings quite well.”

Added Harrington: “Martin is somebody I wanted as a vice captain because he has a great personality and brings a calmness, a European element, and a lot of confidence with him.”

McDowell will be making his second stint as an assistant, helping out Thomas Bjorn at the 2018 Ryder Cup. The former U.S. Open champ has also played in four Ryder Cups, three of them European victories, scoring nine points in 15 matches. He also cliched the winning point at the 2010 Ryder Cup.

“I knew Padraig wanted me as part of the staff and it’s a huge honor,” McDowell said. “Padraig is one of my heroes and such an iconic figure in Irish golf. To have him captaining a Ryder Cup team is fantastic for Europe.”

The 2021 Ryder Cup begins Sept. 25. The Europeans are the defending champs.

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