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DP World Tour pro has great response to round of 83 including four lost balls, three double bogeys and two penalties

Golf Digest Middle East — Tue, 09 May 2023 08:22:29 +0000

Julien Brun. Kate McShane

We have nothing but respect from DP World Tour pro Julien Brun, who had a weekend from hell, admitted it afterward and roasted himself in winning fashion.

Julien Brun shot 83 yesterday but had this brilliant response ?#DS80OpendItalia pic.twitter.com/yUBxufvApJ

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) May 7, 2023

Brun’s takeaway from the DP World Tour’s Italian Open was that he “sucked,” and we can’t really argue with the results, which featured a Saturday 83 highlighted by four lost balls, three double-bogeys and two penalties. The 31-year-old Frenchman bogeyed 1 and 4 and 6 and 7 and went on to double bogey 11 and 12 and 14 and then for good measure bogeyed 15 and 17. Oh, also, he found the water on four different holes … so, yeah, what a Saturday.

He did have three birdies which slowed down the bleeding (a bit), but they weren’t going to save Brun from a no-good, very bad day.

Perhaps the most memorable gaffe (or haunting depending on the individual) was a rules miscommunication for Brun. The Texas Christian star either missed the memo or just forgot that players could no longer “lift, clean and place” over the weekend despite being able to the first two rounds. That led to two penalty strokes on the first six holes, the final straw to cement a lousy weekend.

There’s not a player in the world that would be happy with that showing, Brun included, but the golfer put on a happy face and posted his way through it as all the greats do.

A bit better today! No penalty strokes…we improved ? https://t.co/OBUSvL0cUw

— Julien Brun (@JulienBrun06) May 7, 2023

Brun improved on his disastrous Saturday with a non-eventful (in a good way) final-round 75. A lesson for all golfers out there: Take any positives, because it’s often rare.

So, this will be one to forget for Brun as he finished the Italian Open 28 shots back of the eventual winner due to a medley of screw-ups, but he “laughed a lot” and went viral. Isn’t that really all that matters?

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There are timely wins, and then there’s what this Ryder Cup hopeful pulled off at the Italian Open

Golf Digest Middle East — Mon, 08 May 2023 12:29:15 +0000

The collection continues. Already Irish Open and Australian Open champion, Adrian Meronk added the Italian Open to his growing cluster of national titles with victory on Sunday at the Marco Simone Country Club just outside Rome. The big-hitting Pole’s 13-under-par 275 aggregate over the course that will host the 44th Ryder Cup matches in September was one shot better than runner-up Romain Langasque. Another Frenchman, Julien Guerrier, was third on 10-under.

The basis for Meronk’s victory — his third on the DP World Tour — and his closing round of 69 was a front-nine filled with narrow escapes. A chip-in at the second for par was closely followed by a precarious birdie at the drivable par-4 fifth, where the eventual champion’s tee shot finished inches from the water hazard left of the putting surface. Three holes later, a lengthy putt for par disappeared into the cup on the difficult par-4 eighth. Things were definitely going the 29-year old’s way as a birdie on the par-5 ninth gave him a one-stroke edge over Langasque.

Huge putt to save par on 17 for @AdrianMeronk ?#DS80OpendItalia pic.twitter.com/oddTskBqkS

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) May 7, 2023

Meronk continued on his mildly erratic way on the back nine. Yet, illustrating the potential match-play nuances of the course, his stuttering progress was mirrored by his closest challengers. Langasque was ultimately undone by three dropped shots in four holes from the 13th, although his chip-in birdie on the 17th brought with it late hope of victory that was eventually dashed by a wild tee-shot off the 18th tee. And Guerrier, albeit the steadiest of the trio, made his last birdie on the 12th.

As it turned out, the champion’s even-par inward half, three birdies, three pars, three bogeys, was good enough, the curling 20-foot putt he made for par on the penultimate green the true clinching moment. Still, Meronk’s two-putt birdie on the par-5 18th turned out to be required as Langasque made a long putt for one last birdie, albeit the overall result was already settled.

“It is such a relief,” Meronk said. “This was a tough day. I didn’t play as well as previous days off the tee. So I had to scramble a little bit. But I’m super-happy to come out on top. And very proud of myself. The putt on 17 was huge. I left myself an almost impossible chip so I was just trying to get it as close as possible. And holing the putt was such a big moment going to 18.”

Inevitably, the Ryder Cup came up, too.

“Winning today is a solid statement,” Meronk said. “It is a brick into the wall, but it is far from over, I know that. But I’m excited. Making the team is one of my big goals this year. It would mean a lot to me, and I’ll keep pushing. Today helps a little bit.”

The victory jumped Meronk to fifth on the European points list, with the top three earning automatic spots on Luke Donald’s European squad. And even if he weren’t to qualifying automatically, a win on the course that’s hosting the Ryder Cup would seem like an intangible that Donald wouldn’t ignore in making his captain’s picks.

Lower on the leaderboard, for those harbouring even outside chances of making their own Ryder Cup debuts come September, the four rounds produced a mixed bag, success and relative failure in almost equal measure. Defending champion Robert MacIntyre surely left most disappointed. The left-handed Scot, whose World Ranking has slumped over the last 18 months or so, withdrew citing a back strain following a mediocre opening-round 73. Denmark’s Rasmus Højgaard did make the halfway cut, but a 47th-place finish was a poor return for one so talented. Likewise, home player Guido Migliozzi did little to attract Donald’s attention. The Italian broke par only once and finished in a distant 57th place, well off the Ryder Cup radar.

On the other hand, Rasmus’ identical twin, Nicolai, 2020 champion here, confirmed his liking for the course with a T-5 finish highlighted by a closing 65. France’s Victor Perez also did himself no harm with a solid T-9 finish highlighted by three rounds in the high 60s. Spain’s Jorge Campillo, winner of the recent Magical Kenya Open, recorded his fifth top-10 in succession when he pulled up in a tie for seventh. And, perhaps not incidentally, Eddie Pepperell finished in an encouraging tie for ninth in what was the Englishman’s first competitive appearance in three months.

Superb win for @AdrianMeronk. Some solid golf played all week and came up with the right shots when he needed them most, starting to make winning a habit. Well done Adrian ?

— Luke Donald (@LukeDonald) May 7, 2023

Elsewhere, and less importantly for European prospects come September, Donald and his three vice captains, Nicolas Colsaerts, Edoardo Molinari and Thomas Bjorn, all failed to make it through to the weekend in a playing sense. But Donald was still making positive noises about a visit he called, “busy and productive”.

“I think the green staff here have done an amazing job with the condition of the course and trying to get it in a place that will be quite similar to the Ryder Cup in five months time,” said the Englishman. “We always like to have a little bit of rough when we get to play the Ryder Cup in Europe. I also had a nice dinner with the vice captains, where we did a lot of work behind the scenes. We will look at the statistics at the end of the week and look how everyone played, how the course played, and whether we need to make any tweaks. But if there are changes, they would be pretty minor I think.”

Less encouraging from a European point of view is the lingering thought that this week is likely to be typical going forward on much of the DP World Tour. Already, huge periods of the circuit are marked by the absence of the biggest names such as Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Matt Fitzpatrick, Victor Hovland, Shane Lowry, Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton, a situation that is unlikely to improve with the innovation of the PGA Tour’s “designated” events.

So it was that, with just about every star player otherwise occupied at Quail Hollow and the PGA Tour’s Wells Fargo Championship, Meronk at 63rd was the highest-ranked member of this generally undistinguished Italian Open field. Only nine others in the top-100 (eight of those 87th or lower) were present. All of which only adds to the speculation on what the DP World Tour board might announce with its schedule for 2024 and how the strategic alliance between the two circuits will, in the end, come to benefit the tour on this side of the Atlantic.

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Adrian Meronk wins in Rome after thrilling finale

Golf Digest Middle East — Sun, 07 May 2023 16:06:15 +0000

Adrian Meronk held his nerve in a breathless back-nine battle to win the 2023 Italian Open.

The Pole kept his composure to hold off French duo Romain Langasque and Julien Guerrier at Marco Simone Golf & Country club.

Meronk, who holed the winning putt at the Hero Cup in January, lifted his third DP World Tour title and boosted his hopes of qualifying for the Ryder Cup, which will take place at this course later this year.

Meronk and Langasque duelled on the back nine, while overnight leader Guerrier kept in touch with them in a thrilling finale.

The Pole edged ahead on the 16th hole with his fifth birdie of the day and holed a par putt from the edge of the green on the 17th.

Langasque’s challenge had appeared to have faltered with a bogey on the 16th, but he stunningly chipped in for a birdie on the penultimate hole to keep the pressure on.

But the Pole was not to be flustered and birdied the 18th to finish one shot clear of Langasque, with Guerrier a further two back.

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WATCH: This might be the slowest-developing hole-in-one in golf history

Golf Digest Middle East — Sat, 06 May 2023 13:14:20 +0000

It was a rough two days overall for Thriston Lawrence at the Italian Open, but at least his appearance contained one glorious — albeit, meandering — 20-second highlight.

That’s our unofficial time of what has to be one of the slowest-developing holes-in-one in golf history. Lawrence aced Marco Simone Golf Club’s par-3 seventh hole on Friday and it took his golf ball that long to get all the way back to a back pin some 242 yards from the tee.

Check it out as Lawrence’s tee shot lands in the middle of the green and just crests a ridge. It then takes a slowwww journey down the slope before eventually finding the bottom of the cup for the three-time DP World Tour winner.

? HOLE IN ONE ?@ThristonL aces the 7th and wins a DS4 car! ?#DS80OpendItalia | @dsitalia pic.twitter.com/qEf685KnWl

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) May 5, 2023

As you can see in the clip, Lawrence, who had a rough day otherwise (five-over 76) at the future Ryder Cup venue had long stopped watching when the crowd erupted. Pretty wild.

We’re sure this 20 seconds can be topped, but for comparison, we looked at some of the aces made at Augusta National’s 16th hole with the traditional Sunday pin that golf balls funnel to. Stewart Cink’s from 2020 takes an eternity as well, but we have it clocking in at a slightly quicker 19 seconds:

?HOLE IN ONE AT THE MASTERS

Stewart Cink with the ace at the 16th.pic.twitter.com/4Zuxi86j9d

— BroBible (@BroBible) April 8, 2022

In any event, an ace is an ace, and we’re sure Thriston will take it (as well as a new car). He just might not enjoy picking up tonight’s bar tab — especially after missing the cut.

We’ve got that one at 28 seconds, including nearly 10 seconds where Fuzzy’s golf ball seemingly came to rest on the fringe. Amazing. OK, so this is the slowest-developing hole-in-one in golf history. At least, until someone on social media remembers something else.

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Leader Matthieu Pavon achieves personal milestone on day one in Rome at Italian Open

Golf Digest Middle East — Fri, 05 May 2023 07:18:12 +0000

Matthieu Pavon. DP World Tour

Matthieu Pavon fired the lowest round of his DP World Tour career on Thursday as a stunning 63 saw him open up a two-shot lead at the 2023 Italian Open.

The Frenchman has a lot to play for at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club this week, with a maiden DP World Tour title and the chance to capture European Captain Luke Donald’s attention on this year’s Ryder Cup course.

And he did his chances no harm in a sensational opening round, carding nine birdies and a single bogey to reach eight-under.

Pavon turned in 29 after reeling off six birdies on the front nine before adding three more gains and one bogey down the stretch.

An opening round to remember for @mattpavon ?#DS80OpendItalia

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) May 4, 2023

Maximilian Kieffer was alone in second on six under after making an eagle, five birdies and one bogey in his 65.

France’s Julien Guerrier and China’s Wu Ashun were another shot back on five under after posting 66s in the morning.

Afternoon starter Pavon began his round with a birdie at the first, holing from 28 feet before saving par from even longer range on the second hole.

After birdieing the third, the 30-year-old then reeled off a hat-trick of gains from the fifth to grab a share of the lead on five under.

Pavon hit the front on his own with a seven-foot birdie putt at the ninth before back-to-back birdies on the 11th and 12th took him three shots clear of his nearest challengers.

The Frenchman gave himself another good chance at the 13th but sent his birdie effort racing four feet past the hole before tidying up to remain bogey-free.

Despite missing the 14th green, Pavon managed to get up and down for an important par before missing his close-range birdie try on the 16th.

A bogey followed at the short 17th but he bounced back with a closing birdie.

Pavon said: “All in all it was just great playing.

“Nothing bad to say about today. I was really, really solid off the tee, probably only missed two fairways today – and every time it was by a few inches.

“The putting was amazing also. I dropped a lot of putts. I think I probably made nine putts on my front nine, which is quite funny. Everything was just excellent today.

“I was not really sure about a low, low score like this. I knew I could do great, but that great (63), I’m a bit surprised.”

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Here’s hoping next year’s Ryder Cup finish at Marco Simone is as exciting as the end of this week’s Italian Open

Golf Digest Middle East — Mon, 19 Sep 2022 13:18:27 +0000

By John Huggan
At first glance, the leaderboard after three rounds of the 79th Italian Open made predicting the identity of the new champion pretty straightforward. At 10 under par, US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick was at the top after 54 holes at Marco Simone Country Club. One shot back was Rory McIlroy, the newly minted FedEx Cup champion fresh off a runner-up showing at the BMW PGA Championship.

The end result, then, seemed fairly clear. One of those high-profile guys would surely follow the likes of Greg Norman, Bernhard Langer, Billy Casper, Tony Jacklin, Peter Thomson, Francesco Molinari, Sandy Lyle and Henry Cotton — major champions all — in etching his name onto the historic trophy. Right?

Wrong.

While no one did beat Fitzpatrick’s 72-hole total of 14-under 270, the Englishman didn’t win. Instead, it was Robert MacIntyre claiming the historic title and the biggest share (€510,000) of the €3 million prize money payout after making a birdie 4 on the par-5 18th, the first extra hole of their sudden-death playoff, to beat Fitzpatrick.

En route to what is his second DP World Tour victory — but easily the most significant — the 26-year-old Scot made 11 birdies over the course of an endlessly eventful final day. Alongside a host of challengers that included Frenchman Victor Perez (third), Australian Lucas Herbert (T-5) and Englishman Aaron Rai (T-5) as well as McIlroy (fourth), Fitzpatrick and MacIntyre filled the gap between expectation and realisation with excitement, drama and plot-twists that augur well for next year’s Ryder Cup between Europe and the United States.

In what is hopefully a prelude to the sort of entertainment we will experience during the transatlantic tussle 12 months from now, a little bit of everything transpired less than 12 miles from the centre of Rome. Just outside the ‘Eternal City’, the ever-uncertain outcome perfectly fit the game of golf’s inherent randomness — and underlined the notion that stroke-play only becomes truly interesting when it morphs into match play.

Confirming that theme, MacIntyre’s final-round numbers over the 7,268-yard layout were startling. In transforming a generally disappointing year that had seen him “double” his World Ranking from 55th to 110th, the lefty had twice as many birdies (10) while shooting a closing 64 as he did pars. That’s the sort of golf that wins tournaments and, perhaps just as significantly, matches.

That last part is nothing new for MacIntyre, of course. Before turning professional, the lad from Oban on Scotland’s west coast won the 2015 Scottish Amateur and was a finalist at the 2016 British Amateur at Royal Porthcawl. During the 2017 Walker Cup at the Los Angeles Country Club, he emerged unbeaten from two singles matches with now three-time PGA Tour winner, Cameron Champ. When it comes to head-to-head play, Macintyre has a pedigree.

“This victory means everything,” he said. “I was down-and-out about two or three months ago. I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t know where to go. But I spoke to the right people and started working with [swing coach] Simon Shanks. I’ve hit two perfect shots into the last hole there. So much hard work has gone into this. My approach play has gone up a notch. And that showed today.”

That last part was certainly in evidence during MacIntyre’s outward 29. None of the four birdies he made in five holes involved holing a putt more than two feet long.

“I felt so in control of my ball this week, with my wedges and my long irons … and even the hybrid that only came into the bag last week,” he admitted.

Indeed, it was ball-striking of the highest order, even if there were understandable stumbles to follow before victory was clinched. Fitzpatrick’s eagle-birdie burst on the 11th and 12th, combined with the eventual champion’s brace of bogeys on the 14th and 15th meant there was never a dip in the interest level. (Fitzpatrick would finish with a 67 that included a birdie on the 18th to force extra holes.) McIlroy, too, was a contender after fighting back from an opening double bogey, but only until a badly pushed tee shot at the drivable par-4 16th found water and led to a momentum-killing dropped stroke before finishing with a 68.

“I definitely heard the roars from behind,” said MacIntyre, who will rise from 73rd to 15th on the DP World Tour standings. “I hit a terrible shot on the 15th, which put my back against the wall. But I dug in. I’ve got a dogged attitude. I never give up. When I get punched, I punch back. The birdies coming in were massive and thankfully I got one more in the playoff.”

Inevitably, the champion’s mind turned to what might lie ahead of him and his European mates 12 months from now.

“My main goal, my only goal for the next year, is to make the Ryder Cup team,” Macintyre said. “So I’ve done this on the right golf course. At the start of this week, I didn’t think this was going to be the one, not with the style of play needed on this course and the way I was playing. But we worked on a few things Tuesday and Wednesday.”

And by Sunday he had them all just about right.

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MacIntyre holds off US Open champ Fitzpatrick to win Italian Open and stake claim for Ryder Cup spot

Matt Smith — Mon, 19 Sep 2022 05:29:28 +0000

By Matt Smith
Robert MacIntyre made a big statement for inclusion in Europe’s Ryder Cup team by claiming the Italian Open on the same Marco Simone course where Luke Donald’s men will take on the US next September.

The Scotsman defeated US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick in a play-off to capture his second DP World Tour title.

MacIntyre started the final day three strokes off the pace, but raced into contention as he cleared the front nine of next year’s Ryder Cup host venue in six-under par. The 26-year-old carded four birdies and three bogeys on the back nine, signing for a seven-under 64 as he set the clubhouse target at 14-under.

A nervous wait followed as Fitzpatrick was also 14-under with two to play but dropped a shot on the par three 17th. Frenchman Victor Perez then missed the opportunity to draw level with MacIntyre on 14-under as a short-range birdie putt on the 18th slipped past the hole, settling for third place in Rome.

Fitzpatrick, who was bidding for his ninth DP World Tour title, recovered with a birdie on the 18th to force extra holes, signing for a four-under par 67.

After finding trouble with his drive and then subsequent recovery shot, Fitzpatrick made a par on the first sudden death hole. MacIntyre, on the other hand, was just off the green with his second shot, hit it close with his third and then rolled in a birdie putt from three feet for victory.

The win is MacIntyre’s first in regulation strokeplay, having won his maiden DP World Tour title at the 2020 Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Showdown – winning the title in a final-day shoot-out format.

DP World Tour Rankings leader Rory McIlroy finished fourth on 12-under, while Lucas Herbert and Aaron Rai shared fifth on 11-under.

“Unbelievable,” said MacIntyre. “I didn’t think it was going to come again. I’ve struggled the last year and just felt like my game wasn’t quite there. I made a lot of changes the last three months and in my iron play today, this week, has been absolutely brilliant and thankfully got over the line at the end.

“I thought if I get through the front nine in somewhat par we can kind of make a move after that. When I got off to such a hot start, was just thinking, keep pushing, one shot at a time and stay aggressive. Obviously I dropped on 14 and 15 was a terrible bogey. I play aggressively, so got no option but for me to play at pins and stay aggressive and thankfully it paid off this week.

“I started doubting myself. The (Cyprus) Showdown was like today, it was just a shoot-out. But a 72-hole golf tournament, standing over the putt in the playoff, I’m shaking like a leaf thinking how am I going to get the ball in the hole. I just trusted everything that I’ve been working on, everything I do, it’s just one of them things and it went my way this week.

“We are well away from The Ryder Cup obviously, and you know what…might as well say it: it’s my number one priority. I was close last time, and I went to try to get my PGA Tour card, didn’t work out, both sides. But this is what I want. This is my only goal for the season is to make that Ryder Cup Team. I think I’ve made a good start.”

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DP World Tour: Fitzpatrick swings Italian Open back to his advantage over McIlroy

Matt Smith — Sun, 18 Sep 2022 07:59:19 +0000

By GolfDigestME.com

Matt Fitzpatrick will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Italian Open after producing a stunning 69 in challenging conditions at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club.

The reigning US Open Champion got up and down for a closing birdie to move to 10-under par and edge one stroke clear of nearest challengers Rory McIlroy and Aaron Rai.

Fitzpatrick started the day a single shot behind his Ryder Cup teammate and halfway leader McIlroy but turned in 36 after carding one bogey and no birdies on the front nine as strong winds made things difficult.

The Englishman opened his birdie account at the 10th before rolling in for another on the 12th green to get to nine under, and after saving par at the 17th, he birdied the last to take the outright lead.

World No. 2 McIlroy, who last month won the FedExCup on the PGA Tour and currently leads the DP World Tour Rankings, also finished his round with a birdie to post a level-par 71 which contained three birdies and three bogeys.

Rai, meanwhile, fired two eagles and two birdies in a flawless 65 to make a huge move up the leaderboard. France’s Victor Perez, American Kurt Kitayama and Australian Lucas Herbert were in a three-way tie for fourth on eight under.

“I am really pleased with today. We had the wind switch on nine and the golf course just completely changed. It was a wind we had not played in all week. To me, I just felt like if I could just hang on and just avoid bogeys, I would put myself in good position. Managed to pick up a few on back nine. Delighted to be going into tomorrow with the lead.”

McIlroy added: “The wind got up there when we turned, I struggled with the putter all day but I think especially when the wind got up, I struggled just to sort of commit to reads, and do I play the wind, do I not play the wind. I holed a couple of nice ones coming in but missed a lot of opportunities there at sort of the start of the middle of the round. Sort of thankfully I’m still in it. Still only one shot back. I think I’ll be in the final group tomorrow.”

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DP World Tour: Matt Fitzpatrick edges clear of McIlroy and co at Italian Open

Matt Smith — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 05:11:22 +0000

By Matt Smith
Matt Fitzpatrick and Rory McIlroy gave European Ryder Cup captain the perfect start at the dress rehearsal of sorts for next year’s clash with the US team as his two superstar players forged to the top of the Italian Open leaderboard.

The English US Open champion led by one from a group containing FedEx Cup champion McIlroy when fading light stopped play at the same Marco Simone Country Club course where Europe will aim to wrest back the Ryder Cup trophy from the States next September.

Fitzpatrick picked up shots on the second and seventh holes on his front nine and then posted three consecutive birdies on the 11th, 12th and 13th holes to move to five under par, before having to pause his round on the 16th tee.

McIlroy — out early and starting from hole 10 — recovered from a one-over opening nine to come back in 30 shots and sign for a round of 67.

The Northern Irishman, who is making his first professional appearance in Italy, kick-started his round with an eagle two on the third hole after holing out from 115 yards. He then picked up further shots on the fifth, eighth and ninth.

The four-time major champion was among the morning players whose rounds were delayed by an hour due to lightning, with Malaysia’s Gavin Green and Spain’s Dubai-based Adri Arnaus also joining him in the clubhouse on four-under. Scotland’s Scott Jamieson, France’s Antoine Rozner and Englishman Eddie Pepperell also carded rounds of 67 in the afternoon, with Spaniard Alvaro Quiros and Dutchman Joost Luiten also on four-under through 16 holes and 13 holes respectively.

European Ryder Cup captain Donald himself eagled the 12th hole and is in a share of 14th place on two-under through 14 holes before play was suspended just after 7pm.

“I played well in patches,” reflected Fitzpatrick. “I’ve been lucky off the tee probably three times today. Just had a lie and got myself back in position and made a par, which I feel like looking at the scoring over the day, pars have been good scores. So yeah, to be honest I’m taking my chance when is I’ve had them, which is great. But just need to sharpen the driver.

“I was trying to push us on as fast as possible but the rest of the field are obviously playing a bit slower. Especially when you’re having a good round, you just want to keep going but it is what it is. Come back out tomorrow.”

McIlroy added: “I Felt like I was still half-asleep playing that first nine. I think that eagle obviously ignited something and sort of kick-started my round a little bit. I played some really good golf on the way in. I can’t complain, I played the more difficult nine well and the easier nine not so well, so it probably evened out. Just need to tidy up a few things going into the next few days.

“I think as the week goes on, I’ll hopefully get more and more comfortable on this golf course, and hopefully on Sunday, I have another good chance to win.”

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DP World Tour: Italian Open set for a band of brothers

Matt Smith — Tue, 13 Sep 2022 12:21:38 +0000

Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard

By Matt Smith
As the DP World Tour prepares for a 2023 Ryder Cup dress rehearsal of sorts at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club this week, there is one unique sideshow that could produce the headline act.

Not one, not two, but three sets of brothers will line up in the stellar field in Rome — a first for the DP World Tour.

First up is defending champion Nicolai Hojgaard and his sibling Rasmus. These identical twins like to do things together — including winning. Nicolai won his first DP World Tour title at the Italian Open last time around, only a week after Rasmus claimed Omega European Masters in Switzerland, becoming the first brothers to win back-to-back events on Tour.

The victory was part of a strong end to the 2021 season as Nicolai went on to finish runner-up at the Portugal Masters and tied fourth at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, helping him close out the season eighth on the season-long rankings. Since then, the 21-year-old has gone to win his second Tour title with a four-shot victory at the Ras al Khaimah Championship in the UAE in February.

Edoardo (left) and Francesco Molinari have become Ryder Cup stars. Adrian Dennis

Next up are the elder statesmen Molinaris, famed for their band-of-brothers exploits in the Ryder Cup for Team Europe and a collective 20 top-flight titles between them — including Francesco’s famous Open Championship triumph at Carnoustie in Scotland.

From two of the most recognisable brothers in world golf to one of the newest kids on the block. No, not Matt Fitzpatrick, the reigning US Open champ, but his little bruv Alex, who just turned pro in June at the Irish Open. A breakthrough DP World Tour victory for Alex this week would see the Fitzpatricks become the fifth pair of brothers to have both earned at least one victory.

Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick. David Cannon

It won’t be easy for the rookie as, apart from his brother and those other multiple-title-winning siblings, he will also have to contend with the likes of FEdEx Cup champion Rory McIlroy, world No. 10 Viktor Hovland, former Italian Open winners Tyrrell Hatton and Thorbjorn Olesen and a hosts of DP World Tour winners in a stacked field.

But you cannot beat a bit of sibling rivalry.

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