Given his fair complexion, Sepp Straka would never pass a Hollywood audition for the part of “tall dark stranger”. But there is no doubt the 30-year-old Austrian is, at least within the team room, the least known member of the European Ryder Cup side that will attempt to wrest the trophy from American hands later this month.

While much has been made of other Ryder Cup rookies such as Ludvig Aberg and Nicolai Hojgaard since captain Luke Donald added Straka and five others to the six automatic qualifiers, the University of Georgia graduate — hence the southern twang — has gone pretty much under the radar. But, as he was at pains to confirm after completing an opening two-under 70 at Wentworth in the BMW PGA Championship, he definitely does not feel in any way neglected.

And there is certainly nothing approaching resentment from his teammates with regard to where Straka played most of his golf. This week marks just the 20th DP World Tour start in his professional career.

“I do spend the majority of my time on the PGA Tour,” Straka acknowledged. “But if the team wanted to have the best players, I am one of those. So there has never really been any issues. To make the team, you just have to make sure you’re one of the 12 best players. And I felt like I did that.”

Apart from anything else, Straka made his desire to be part of the biennial match known early in the qualifying process. In January, he made the epic trip from Hawaii to Abu Dhabi to be part of the Continental Europe team that would defeat their Great Britain & Ireland counterparts in the Hero Cup. Straka emerged from that victory with a 2-2-0 record that included a final day 5&4 victory in singles.

The following two weeks at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and the Hero Dubai Desert Classic were less successful — Straka missed the cut in both. But he had made his intentions clear with regard to the Ryder Cup: he wanted in. Eventually anyway. Sitting in the plane halfway between departure and arrival in the UAE, a little doubt did creep in.

“Two days into the trip, I was thinking, why am I doing this?” he says. “But then when I got there it was a lot of fun. It was great. We don’t get to play that type of golf very much. Not in a team environment, playing foursomes and four-balls. Plus, I thought it was invaluable for me to get some people to know me. At that point I was I was kind of on the outskirts of the radar. But it was so early. Really, I was just trying to get to know some guys.”

If they didn’t know him then, they surely do now. And ever since Donald made his picks, no one’s come close to questioning the two-time PGA Tour winner’s claims for inclusion. Not with a victory at the John Deere Classic, a runner-up spot in the Open Championship and a T-7 finish at the PGA Championship on his recent résumé.

“Sepp gets along great with everyone,” says European assistant captain Nicolas Colsaerts. “He gels into the group really easily. And he’s a ball-striking machine. Who wouldn’t want to play with Sepp Straka? I know there will be a lot of guys putting their hands up to be paired with him.”

In that regard, it would seem logical and likely, as Colsearts hinted, that Straka will feature in both foursomes sessions, the “alternate shot” format a good fit with his consistency tee-to-green. Plus, back in his amateur days he represented his country in European Team Championships, both events featuring foursomes play.

“My game does seem to fit in foursomes,” Straka said. “I’ve always felt pretty comfortable in that format. We do like a little Ryder Cup style match in Birmingham with all the pros. And I’ve always felt at ease in foursomes there. It’s just a very comfortable environment for me.”

Straka’s ball-striking prowess makes him well-suited to compete in foursomes later this month at the Ryder Cup. Richard Heathcote

Helping Straka in that department is caddie Duane Bock, who switched from his long-time employer, Kevin Kisner, to join the Vienna native back in July. In preparation for the matches, the American-born Bock has already dispensed with the patriotic red-white-and-blue cover on his yardage book.

“It was a great move for me,” Straka said. “First it was just supposed to be temporary. But we quickly realized we had something going. He’s one of the best caddies out there and he’s really helped my game a lot.”

That trend will likely have to continue this week the DP World Tour’s flagship event. By mid-afternoon on a day made for golf, Straka’s 70 was six shots off the pace set by Denmark’s Marcus Helligkilde.

“I’m very happy with the way I hit the ball,” was Straka’s initial verdict. “And very happy with the way I played overall. But my chipping was terrible today. I don’t know that I got a single ball up and down. So I left a lot out there.”

Still, no matter. Whatever happens, this week and next and especially the week after that, Straka is clearly going to have bigger things on his mind.

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We also look ahead to the LIV Golf League season-opener in Mexico and catch up with Lydia Ko ahead of her trip to Royal Greens Golf & Country Club for the Saudi Ladies International. 

James Piot talks about how the LIV Golf opportunity was too big to pass up and we take you through 2023’s must-have drivers in Part One of our Hot List.

All this and much, much more in the February 2023 edition of Golf Digest Middle East.

The issue is again free to our loyal audience. You can scroll through the ISSUU link provided here or download to your favourite device for later. Alternatively, pick up a copy at your favourite club. Whatever option you take, we hope you enjoy the read.

The post Get the February 2023 edition of Golf Digest Middle East FREE here today! appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The momentum shifted throughout Sunday’s singles session at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, with GB&I’s decision to front-load in a bid to overturn their two-point deficit appearing to pay off as they made a strong start, before Continental Europe built up commanding leads in some of the later matches to turn the tide in their favour.

With 12.5 points already in the bank for Continental Europe, Poland’s Meronk sank his birdie putt from more than 30 feet on the 18th green to seal the deal.

Francesco Molinari’s team won six of the day’s 10 matches, with the other four going GB&I’s way.

The Italian said: “Amazing, amazing. I can finally relax — the last couple of hours have been tense after finishing my game.

“But yeah, it’s been great all week, super happy for the guys. Like I said all week, it’s been very, very easy leading them and being a captain for them.”

Molinari struck the first blow as he finished strongly to beat Shane Lowry 3&2 in a high-quality top match which could have gone either way.

It was then GB&I’s turn to put some points on the board as Tommy Fleetwood beat Thomas Pieters 3&2 and Tyrrell Hatton thumped Antoine Rozner 5&4.

But with Continental Europe boasting healthy advantages in many of the remaining matches, GB&I had a mountain to climb if they were to reach the 13 points required to secure the win.

Their hopes rested on the tight matches in the middle, with Séamus Power only one down against Nicolai Højgaard with two to play and Callum Shinkwin tied against Meronk in the closing stages of their contest.

Irishman Power had a chance to tie his match at the 17th but missed a seven-foot putt to guarantee the impressive Højgaard half a point and move Continental Europe one step closer to victory.

Matt Wallace closed out a 2&1 win against Thomas Detry to secure a third point for GB&I, but things then started to unravel as Sepp Straka eased past Ewen Ferguson, winning 5&4, and Højgaard beat Power 1-up to make the score 11.5-9.5 to Continental Europe.

Victor Perez inched his side closer to the title with a 4&2 win against Jordan Smith, holing a fantastic putt to clinch the victory.

Robert MacIntyre gave GB&I something to cheer as he enjoyed a comfortable 5&3 victory over Alex Noren but it was only a matter of time before Continental Europe got over the line, as Meronk headed to the 18th with a one-hole lead over Shinkwin.

And they did so in Match Six as Meronk produced fireworks on the last to win by one hole.

Guido Migliozzi then beat Richard Mansell 4&3 in the anchor match to finish things off.

Meronk was delighted with his contribution. He said: “I didn’t hole a lot of putts today so it was great to have this final putt on the last. With the team all around me, a special feeling.

“Winning as a team is just much more fun because you have these guys supporting you, playing with them and just being as a team — it’s just more fun and it’s more enjoyable for me, for sure.”

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More substantively, European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald came away pleased to see the spirits high for the 20 participants, particularly that of a former Ryder Cup hero.

Italy’s Francesco Molinari famously went 5-0 for Team Europe at the 2018 Ryder Cup in France. But his recent form — he’s fallen to 164th in the world from a high of fifth back in the summer of 2018 and he’s currently 40th on the World Ryder Cup Points list — has left many wondering if the 40-year-old’s game had already hit its peak. Overseeing the Continentials this past week, Molinari seemed inspire, winning 3.5 points for his squad in his role as playing captain.

That included beating Shane Lowry, 3 and 2, in their Sunday singles match, leading to a 6-4 victory for the Continentials in the final session.

“It’s a great motivation for me,” Molinari said of the Ryder Cup being played for the first time in his home country. “It’s a long way away and there’s a lot of golf to play. I need to focus on my game, which is much better than it has been. Being in Rome would be incredible.”

Another Italian shined this past weekend as Guido Migliozzi joined Molinari, as well as France’s Victor Perez and Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard, in earning 3.5 points.

Perhaps most beneficially for the long-term outlook of Team Europe winning back the Ryder Cup in September, Poland’s Adrian Meronk managed to secure the final winning point, making this 25-foot birdie putt to defeat Callum Shinkwin, 1-up.

.@AdrianMeronk with the putt that secured victory ?#HeroCup pic.twitter.com/qqF6GKLvQk

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) January 15, 2023

Meronk is 14th on the European points list and looks to be a likely first-time participant for Donald’s team come September.

“I didn’t hole a lot of putts today so it was great to have this final putt on the last. With the team all around me, a special feeling,” Meronk said. “Winning as a team is just much more fun because you have these guys supporting you, playing with them and just being as a team … it’s just more fun and it’s more enjoyable for me, for sure.”

The post A past Ryder Cup hero just offered hope he’s got fireworks saved for Rome this September appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The Irishman has lived in the United States for many years since playing college golf at East Tennessee State University and won his second PGA Tour title at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship in October.

RELATED: Fleetwood ready for a fight with old pal Molinari
A Hero’s welcome in Abu Dhabi

He joined the DP World Tour as an affiliate member last season and secured two top 10 finishes as he looks to establish himself more on his home continent, and this week is surrounded by 19 of the Tour’s best at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

Power and his nine Great Britain & Ireland teammates will go up against 10 players representing Continental Europe in five sets of four-balls, 10 sets of foursomes and 10 singles matches, with every player competing in every session across three days.

The relaxed build up has meant the 35-year-old has got to spend time with both his own team and those from the continent, and he is happy to build relationships as he aims for a Ryder Cup debut later this year.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” he said. “We don’t play much (matchplay) obviously anymore. A lot of the stuff we played growing up was matchplay and it’s a different game. Everything just feels a little different.

“It is my first time being part of a team for a long time so really looking forward to the experience. Even the last day has been a lot of fun, getting to meet fellas I wouldn’t have known particularly well. It’s been great so far and looking forward to the week.

“The team-room set-up has been fantastic. Last night was a little different. Both teams were together. Today we have been kind of separate all day. It’s been good, though. I know some of the guys but getting to know some of the other guys.

“It really is good. We don’t really get many opportunities like this in golf. You’re always playing for yourself. So something like this, it’s going to be totally different.”

Power’s countryman and teammate this week Shane Lowry made his Ryder Cup debut in the last contest at Whistling Straits and is delighted to see a host of Europe’s rising stars try to make an impression this week.

“The two best players in the world are European players at the minute I feel with Jon (Rahm) and Rory (McIlroy). It’s up to us, the rest of the lads to get our game to a level where we are good enough to win the Ryder Cup at the end of the year.

“It’s great for the younger lads that are here this week to be around the likes of Francesco (Molinari) and Tommy (Fleetwood) and myself and Tyrrell (Hatton) and lads like that.

“I feel like we have the bonds of a very strong team come September and I hope that we all step up when it comes to it.

“One of my main goals this year is to win the Ryder Cup and I hope to be a part of that team and hoping to there and hopefully win it back.”

The post Seamus Power making himself at home at Hero Cup in Abu Dhabi appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The Englishman will lead his 10-strong team as a playing skipper against a Continental Europe side helmed by great friend Francesco Molinari, alongside whom he famously claimed four points out of four as part of ‘Moliwood’ at the 2018 Ryder Cup.

All players will play all sessions across the three days of competition, with five sets of four-balls on Friday, tens sets of foursomes on Saturday and ten singles matches on Sunday.

Introducing Team GB&I ?#HeroCup pic.twitter.com/E6D3GZoSzS

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) January 10, 2023

And while the atmosphere has so far been relaxed among 20 players who play together on the DP World Tour most weeks, Fleetwood insists they will be all business inside the ropes.

“If we’re not going to be competitive, what’s the point?” he said. “I would love to be a winning captain and there’s no better feeling than winning with your team-mates. I’m sure both sides are going to be really up for it. As soon as you get out there those competitive juices start flowing and everybody will give it 100 per cent for their teammates.

“We all play within the spirit of the game and we all play against each other week in, week out, this is just slightly different that we’ve got a bunch of us playing against another bunch.

“Every week we play and compete we’re playing against the same people. We all have a shared love for the game, a shared passion for chasing our dreams and you can only respect and appreciate that.

“You just go out there and be yourself and try and win, that’s all you’ve got to do, and at the end of it we’ll shake hands and have a good time after.

“I’ve been on winning teams and I’ve been on losing teams and as long as you look everybody in the eye at the end of it and everybody has given 100 per cent for themselves and each other then that’s all you can ever ask for. That’s all I would ever ask for from anybody.

“I’ve enjoyed the weeks that we’ve lost and I’ve enjoyed the weeks that we’ve won. Winning is way better but equally these times that we get to share with team-mates, playing as a team and coming together, those things stay with you forever and we’ll just give it 100 per cent and go from there.”

Fleetwood is no stranger to team competition, having twice played in the Ryder Cup and in many other events both as a professional and an amateur.

Former Ryder Cup skippers Paul McGinley and Thomas Bjørn, along with current captain Luke Donald, spoke to both teams on Tuesday night and Fleetwood feels he has learned from all his previous leaders as he looks to guide his own team to victory.

“It’s different role for me, getting the chance to experience being a captain,” he said. “It’s very, very cool and something that I’ll hold in high regard whatever happens in my career.

“I’ve played team events as a professional and as an amateur and I’ve always tried to take everything in on that I thought particular captains did well, how our teams performed best together and the environment that you try to create.

“There’s a generation of players and a group of players that are coming through. I’m not an old person, I’m 31, but the younger guys are 20, 21, 22, 23. I’ll share some of my experiences.

“I definitely am still going to be growing into it throughout this week. I think the most important thing is to read the players and make sure they are comfortable as possible and make sure that if there’s anything you can do to help them be in the best possible place individually to perform at their best, then that’s all you can do.”

The post Tommy Fleetwood ready for battle against old pal Molinari at Hero Cup in Abu Dhabi appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

New Event

The Hero Cup is a new team matchplay contest that is making its debut on the DP World Tour. Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood, both multiple-time winners on Tour, serve as playing Captains of the respective Continental Europe and Great Britain & Ireland teams. Molinari and Fleetwood have worked in close conjunction with Luke Donald, who will oversee the event in his capacity as 2023 European Ryder Cup captain, to select the teams. Performance on the season-long Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex last year was a key factor in the player selection process.
The Hero Cup contest will serve as the start of back-to-back events in Abu Dhabi and the first of four consecutive events in the UAE. After this week’s matchplay contest, there will be back-to-back Rolex Series events with the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. Following that, the Ras Al Khaimah Championship will be the final event in the region, taking place at the start of February.

The Captains have arrived ?#HeroCup pic.twitter.com/OBNajlY8fq

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) January 10, 2023

The Format

The Hero Cup takes place over three days from January 13-15. The two ten-man teams will go head-to-head across one session of fourballs on Friday from 11.05am, two sessions of foursomes on Saturday with the morning session getting underway at 07.35am and the afternoon at 12.20pm. Finally, one session of singles matches will take place on Sunday from 10.35am.
All 20 players from both teams will be involved in each session. One point is offered to the winner of each match, with half a point given to each team in the case of a tied match. In total, there are a possible 25 points on offer.

Abu Dhabi Golf Club. DP World Tour

The Venue

Abu Dhabi Golf Club is no stranger to the DP World Tour, having previously hosted the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship for 16 consecutive years from 2006. The clubhouse is striking, designed in the shape of a falcon with its wings outstretched. The 7,642-yard par 72 National Course features a quartet of par fives, with the shortest being the closing 562-yard 18th which is played over water and sure to provide a dramatic finish to matches which go the distance.
Three members of the Great Britain & Ireland field have fond memories of previous visits to the National Course. Fleetwood is a two-time course winner after he won the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship back-to-back in 2017 and 2018, before Lowry triumphed in the first staging since the event was elevated to Rolex Series in 2019. Hatton was the last victor at the venue after a dominant performance saw him secure a fourth Rolex Series triumph in 2021.

Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari

The Stars

Across the two ten-man teams, there are two Major Champions, four different Rolex Series winners and 17 DP World Tour winners. Molinari, the 2018 Open Champion, boasts proven winners in his Continental Europe side with Alex Noren and Thomas Pieters, who will defend his Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship title next week.
They are joined by Sepp Straka, already a winner on the PGA Tour, and Guido Migliozzi, who ended a three-year wait to win his third DP World Tour title at the Open de France in September. Continental Europe also have Poland’s first DP World Tour winner, Adrian Meronk, and fellow two-time Tour winners Victor Perez and Nicolai Højgaard, who was a late replacement after his twin brother Rasmus withdrew due to injury. Thomas Detry is also featuring after the Belgium’s strong start to his rookie PGA Tour season, while Antoine Rozner secured the final spot on the back of winning his third Tour title in as many years at the Mauritius Open in December.
Great Britain & Ireland playing captain Fleetwood, who sealed his sixth DP World Tour victory at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in November, will be able to count upon fellow Ryder Cup stars Shane Lowry and Tyrrell Hatton. Alongside them are Irishman Séamus Power, who leads the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup standings, and DP World Tour winners Ewen Ferguson, Robert MacIntyre, Callum Shinkwin, Jordan Smith and Matt Wallace. Richard Mansell rounds off their line-up after a breakthrough year in 2022 which saw the Englishman register six top 10 finishes.

DP World Tour statement on Rasmus Højgaard ?#HeroCup pic.twitter.com/g9NSMjuYFz

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) January 9, 2023

G4D Tour

The expanded second season of the G4D Tour (Golf for the Disabled Tour) continues this week with the G4D Tour @ Hero Open taking place on Friday and Saturday. World Number Two Brendan Lawlor — who was the first All Abilities player to compete in a DP World Tour event — headlines the 10-person field. There are a further five of the top 10 in the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability competing, with Tommaso Perrino and Mike Browne aiming to replicate their triumphs during the inaugural G4D Tour season last year.
This year’s season features an expanded calendar of eight events in six countries, with the introduction of a season-long Order of Merit to determine the Np. 1 player. England’s World No. 1 Kipp Popert, who won four titles in the inaugural campaign, claimed his fifth G4D Tour win at the season-opening Australian All Abilities Championship in December.

The post Hero Cup – Five Things to Know appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The Hero Dubai Desert Classic brings together Hero MotoCorp, the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles, and the DP World Tour’s longest-running event in the Middle East. The tournament returns to Emirates Golf Club on January 26-29 for its 34th edition and will once again boast a stellar field headed by world No. 1 and two-time Dubai Desert Classic winner Rory McIlroy.

The tournament was elevated to Rolex Series status in 2022 and will once again form part of the traditional ‘Desert Swing’, which annually attracts golf’s leading players to the region. The four-week series of events begins with the Hero Cup — a new team matchplay contest aimed at giving European players experience in the format ahead of the 2023 Ryder Cup — followed by back-to-back Rolex Series events in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and concluding at the Ras al Khaimah Championship.

RELATED: Watch the Dubai Desert Classic in style
Stage set for Junior Dubai Desert Classic

The new agreement extends Hero MotoCorp’s long-term relationship with the DP World Tour which began in 2015 at the Hero Indian Open. Since then, Hero has also supported the Hero Challenge — a series of fast-paced showpiece events and short form social and digital content, which have taken golf to new audiences — as well as the Hero Open, which featured on the DP World Tour schedule from 2020 to 2022.

Hero MotoCorp will be title partner of three events on the 2023 DP World Tour International Schedule — the Hero Cup, Hero Dubai Desert Classic and Hero Indian Open.

Dr Pawan Munjal, Chairman & CEO, Hero MotoCorp, said: “We continue to have a long-term partnership with the DP World Tour, and the Hero Dubai Desert Classic is an extension of this engagement. We are delighted to be associated with this iconic event and will now be supporting two much-awaited marquee tournaments in the Middle East — the Hero Cup and the Hero Dubai Desert Classic — as part of the traditional Desert Swing. It surely promises to be an exciting start to the season, and we look forward to seeing world-class golf on display.”

Simon Corkill, Executive Tournament Director – Hero Dubai Desert Classic, said: “We are delighted to welcome Hero MotoCorp as the new title partner of the Dubai Desert Classic as we once again prepare to host a global field at Emirates Golf Club.

“Hero have been supportive of golf, and particularly innovation in the game, for a number of years and we look forward to working together to continue the evolution of the tournament as we enter our second year as part of the Rolex Series.”

Keith Pelley, CEO of the DP World Tour, said: “It is my pleasure to welcome Hero MotoCorp as the new title partner of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. We are proud to further develop our long-term relationship with Hero MotoCorp and thank Dr Pawan Munjal for his continued support of golf in general and the DP World Tour in particular.

“January promises to bring yet another memorable edition of this historic event, as we once again welcome some of the best players in the world to Dubai for the second Rolex Series event of 2023, two weeks after an exciting season-opener in the new Hero Cup.”

The Dubai Desert Classic was the DP World Tour’s first event in the Middle East region in 1989, with former champs including major winners Seve Ballesteros, Ernie Els, Fred Couples, Jose Maria Olazábal, Mark O’Meara, Tiger Woods, Henrik Stenson, McIlroy, Danny Willett, Sergio Garcia and Bryson DeChambeau.

The post Hero MotoCorp announced as title partner of Dubai Desert Classic for 2023 appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Opening the 2023 UAE Swing will be the Hero Cup from January 13-15 at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, the famous National Course welcoming back professional golf after the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship moved to Yas Links in 2022.

RELATED: Cream of European golf heads to Abu Dhabi
Rozner and Mansell lock up final Hero Cup spots

The inaugural event is essentially a resurrection of the old Seve Cup that ran from 2000 to 2013 — pitting 10 Great Britain & Ireland players against some of the best Continental Europe has to offer — and the 20-man field has been named.

Tommy Fleetwood will be the playing captain for GB&I, and he will be up against his old pal Francesco Molinari, who will skipper the Europeans for the three-day matchplay event.

Foursomes, four-balls and singles will be played over the three days, and all 20 players will take part each day.

While the likes of Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland and US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick will be absent, star names from Europe’s “core group” of Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton and Shane Lowry will be competing.

For Europe, Molinari will be joined by two Belgians in Thomas Detry and 2022 Abu Dhabi HSBC champion Thomas Pieters, Austria’s Sepp Straka, Italy’s Guido Migliozzi, Adrian Meronk of Poland, Rasmus Hojgaard from Denmark, France’s Victor Perez and Antoine Rozner, and Alex Noren from Sweden.

For GB&I, Fleetwood has five fellow Englishmen in the line-up — Hatton, Matt Wallace, Callum Shinkwin, Richard Mansell and Jordan Smith — two Scots in Robert MacIntyre and Ewen Ferguson, and Ireland’s Lowry and Seamus Power.

Donald had a hand in the selection of both teams, keen to take a look at ‘fringe’ players to see how they handle the team environment. “Having worked closely with Tommy and Fran on building the two teams, I’m delighted with the mix of players who will be on show,” he said. “We all thought it was important to combine experience and youthfulness, and I think we have found that balance with a mixture of major champions and Ryder Cup players, alongside guys who are hoping to secure a spot in Rome next year.”

Fleetwood and Molinari famously combined for four points from their four matches together during Europe’s 17.5-10.5 win at the 2018 Ryder Cup at Le National in Paris, to create the ‘Moliwood’ bromance. Now on opposite sides of the fence, both are eyeing the win, but keeping the main objective in focus: to help Donald’s selection process for Rome in September. He has six picks to go along with the six automatic qualifiers for Team Europe.

“Our team is packed full of exciting players who all have the attributes to excel in a matchplay contest,” Molinari said. “Some of our younger players have already shown incredible maturity in high-pressure situations and proved they can perform in big moments, so giving them the opportunity to compete on this stage alongside the likes of Alex Noren and Thomas Pieters will be really important at the beginning of what could be a big year for them.”

Fleetwood added: “Having the experience of Shane and Tyrrell will be invaluable for the rest of the team but I think we are really strong throughout.”

With the ranking averages for the two teams only slightly favouring Team GB&I, the Ryder Cup warm-up is in the balance as to who will emerge as the Heroes.

The post A Hero’s welcome in Abu Dhabi appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

All this and much, much more in the January 2023 edition of Golf Digest Middle East available in both English and Arabic.

The issue is again free to our loyal audience. You can scroll through the ISSUU link provided here or download to your favourite device for later. Alternatively, pick up a copy at your favourite club. Whatever option you take, we hope you enjoy the read.

See below for the fifth issue of the Arabic edition of Golf Digest Middle East.

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