The star performer of the week at Finca Cortesin in Spain was stand-out home hero Carlota Ciganda, who won all four of her matches and took down world No. 3 Nelly Korda 2&1 with some stunning play on the Sunday along the way.

Ciganda marked her sixth appearance in the biennial contest between the best women golfers in Europe and the US in front of a (very) patriotic Spanish throng peppered with friends and family

“It was an amazing experience playing in Spain with all my family there and in front of a home crowd,” Ciganda said in a chat with Golf Digest Middle East on Thursday, having had a few days to let her achievement sink in. “It was such a fun week. The Solheim Cup is one of my favourite events, and to play for Suzann [Pettersen, the Team Europe captain], playing in Spain, it was really special and I am so happy how it ended up and it is a moment I won’t ever forget.”

While Sunday will long stay in the memory of both Carlota and her many fans, she pointed back to a moment on the Friday as a key to how events unfolded as she shared lunch with Ryder Cup legend — both as a captain and as a player with ‘Spanish Armada’ cohort Seve Ballesteros — Jose Maria Olazabal.

“Jose was with us,” Ciganda said. “He came to the opening ceremony with us and we had dinner with him, where he made a speech. I wasn’t playing on Friday morning so I stayed with Jose. He told us stories about Seve playing in the Ryder Cup and that was very inspiring. His message to all the girls was: ‘Never give up. If you still have a chance, just try your best. That’s what Seve used to say and do. Don’t give up and play until the end.’ That was really nice. He also sent he a message after we retained the Cup and it was very special to me to receive that.”

Next up for Ciganda is a trip to Hong Kong to play in the penultimate Aramco Team Series event ahead of the finale in Riyadh at the end of the month, and she hopes to put her now vast experience in team events to good use.

“I have never been to Hong Kong, but I have seen the course and it looks amazing,” she said. “The Aramco always plays quality courses and hopefully I can go and get another win there.

“Playing for a team means you are playing for something bigger than yourself. I think when you play for Europe in the Solheim Cup, or for Spain, or in the Aramco Team Series where you have teammates, you are just trying to help them and bring the best out of them. For me it is a fun week.”

The 14-14 draw in Spain has sparked a bit of debate and division among fans and players, many of whom have suggested some sort of a playoff to decide the winner should the scores be level after three days of play in both the Solheim and Ryder Cups. Ever the diplomat, Ciganda kept a foot in both camps.

“It was always been the way that they have been doing it throughout history [a tie means the previous event’s winner retains the trophy],” she said. “I think if you have 14-14 many years in a row it would be nice to see a winner but it doesn’t happen often so I think it is fine. I think the spectators want to see a winner — especially after three days of competing — so I understand and respect both sides… I don’t know. I think whatever is good for the golf, I am happy with that.”

So, with the men up next at Marco Simone in Italy, who does Carlota think will win that one?

“Ooooof. I’m gonna go with 15-13 for Europe,” she said after a moment of pondering. “I think the Americans are favourites with the players they have, but I think the course and the set-up and we are playing well, so I think we have a good chance. But I think it is going to be a competitive and close Ryder Cup.”

We need to wait for one more Sunday to see how that unfolds, too.

Main image: Carlota Ciganda. Angel Martinez

The post Carlota Ciganda reveals how Olazabal’s Ryder Cup tales of Seve inspired Team Europe to Solheim Cup success in Spain appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

With that in mind, let’s take a tour through history and revisit the 15 best captain’s picks ever made, based partly on record and partly on circumstance. Keep in mind that although the Ryder Cup has been around since 1927, Europe didn’t start using captain’s picks until 1979 (and took a year off in 1983), while the US didn’t make its first captain’s picks until 1989.

15: Jose Maria Olazabal, 1987
Record: 3-2-0
3-2-0 is the worst record of any player on this list, but the reason Jose Maria makes the No. 15 spot is that Tony Jacklin had the wits to take him as a rookie, and then to pair him with Seve Ballesteros in a duo that never accomplished much … except to become, by far, the greatest twosome in Ryder Cup history. Here, they won their first three matches, with Olazabal sinking a bevy of clutch putts as Ballesteros guided him around the course. He lost his final two matches, but it was enough to give Europe their first win on American soil, and to launch the Spanish Armada that would give the Americans fits for years.

14: Sergio Garcia, 2021
3-1-0
In the “glory amid a stomping” department, we offer Garcia, who won all three pairs matches with Jon Rahm in the latest installment of the Spanish Armada at Whistling Straits. The end result of the event was an historic 19-11 drubbing by the Americans, but Garcia came through for Padraig Harrington and managed to defeat players such as Brooks Koepka and Jordan Spieth twice each.

Jose Maria Olazabal and Seve Ballesteros. David Cannon

13: Jose Maria Olazabal, 1991
3-1-1
Three Spanish players in a row? That’s right, we’re going right back to Olazabal. For Bernard Gallacher, it didn’t take a lot of brains to pick Olazabal, who was next in line on the points rankings and literally ranked second in the world, so this one is more about performance than surprise. In any case, he teamed with Seve yet again to win 3.5 points in four matches, and also dealt Paul Azinger two Friday losses that remain among the most memorable — not to say bitter — of his career. The post-script here, though, is that Azinger got his revenge with a win against Olazabal in Sunday singles, and the Americans squeaked out an important win at the “War by the Shore.”

12: Xander Schauffele, 2021
3-1-0
Let’s go right back to Whistling Straits, where Schauffele cemented the brilliance of his partnership with Patrick Cantlay by winning two foursomes matches — including a statement drubbing of Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter in the anchor match of the first session — and also won a fourball match with Dustin Johnson before getting a deserved rest on Saturday afternoon. He got beat by McIlroy on Sunday, but at that point, it didn’t matter. The lead was so massive that the Americans couldn’t lose, and Schauffele played an integral role in getting them there.

11: Ian Poulter, 2008
4-1-0
It’s so easy to forget that anything good happened for the Europeans at Valhalla, but one of the most sneakily significant lines on Poulter’s Ryder Cup résumé is that even in the face of an American annihilation, he was brilliant. After a narrow 1-down Friday loss, he proceeded to win four straight matches, teaming with Justin Rose twice, Graeme McDowell once, and then beating fellow captain’s pick Steve Stricker in singles. The Postman always delivers, even when the rest of his continent is shut down.

Dustin Johnson. Jim Watson

10: Dustin Johnson, 2012
3-0-0
In a lot of ways, this was really the perfect use of a captain’s pick by Davis Love III. He had a “role player” vision for DJ, and it worked to perfection. He teamed with Kuchar to win a match in both fourball sessions, including a win over the tough Rose/Kaymer win on Day 1, and then dusted Nicolas Colsaerts in singles — a rare bright spot in one of the worst days in Ryder Cup history. Love doesn’t get enough credit for how well he managed the team those first two days, and the way he used DJ is the shining example of a strategy gone right.

Jesper Parnevik. David Cannon

9: Jesper Parnevik, 1999
3-1-1
Everything I just wrote about DJ has a slight echo with Parnevik’s 1999 campaign, right down to the massive comeback by the other team on Sunday. Mark James tried a renegade strategy of benching a shocking number of players before Sunday singles, hoping to establish a big enough lead in pairs by avoiding his weakest players in order to safeguard against a Sunday collapse, and it almost worked. A key part of that plan was Parnevik, who teamed with Sergio Garcia four times in the first two days to earn 3.5 points. Among his victims were Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk, and if things had gone differently at Brookline on Sunday, he’d be remembered as one of the most important cogs in a brilliant plan by James.

8: Thomas Pieters, 2016
4-1-0
Speaking of valiant efforts in losing causes, it’s easy to forget how brilliant Pieters was at Hazeltine National, becoming just the second player after Ian Poulter (twice) to claim four wins. His first match with a struggling Lee Westwood was disastrous, but after that, he teamed with Rory McIlroy to beat anyone the Americans could throw at them, including the powerhouse Dustin Johnson/Brooks Koepka team on Saturday afternoon. He went on to beat JB Holmes in singles, but this was America’s Cup to win.

Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke. Jamie Squire

7: Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood, 2006
DC: 3-0-0/LW: 3-0-2
This was the height of European power in the Ryder Cup, and though they may not have strictly needed this famous Ryder Cup pairing to beat the Americans at The K Club, they nevertheless added to their collective legacy by winning two fourball matches together and then grabbing another win in singles. Westwood added two halves and, considering that they were the only two picks allotted to captain Ian Woosnam that year, it’s hard to imagine how it could have gone any better.

6: Luke Donald, 2010
3-1-0
Celtic Manor goes down as one of the strangest Ryder Cups in recent memory, due to weather more than anything else. Donald, a former World No. 1, got the nod from captain Colin Montgomerie, and as the format was changed to accommodate the many delays, he won two sessions on Saturday and beat Jim Furyk in an early singles match on Monday. This Cup ended with a one-point win for the Europeans, and with all the small margins making such a difference, Donald justified Montgomerie’s faith.

5: Sergio Garcia and Henrik Stenson, 2018
SG: 3-1-0/HS: 3-0
Somewhere, you can find an article I wrote back in 2018 questioning Thomas Bjorn’s captain’s picks, and his tactic of going with veteran leadership over players on better form. I refuse to link it, but it exists out there. Boy, was I wrong! Paul Casey and Ian Poulter performed admirably, but it was these two picks, Garcia and Stenson, who really lit it up. Stenson teamed with Justin Rose to reprise their fantastic Gleneagles pairing and win both fourball matches, then smashed Bubba Watson in singles, while Garcia teamed with Alex Noren and Rory McIlroy to win two pairs matches, then beat Rickie Fowler in a crucial singles match. Sorry, Thomas!

Hunter Mahan. Sam Greenwood

4: Hunter Mahan, 2008
2-0-3
Paul Azinger didn’t tell anyone he was doing it until after, but part of his revolutionary pod system in 2008 was that the pods of three players who qualified automatically would get to choose their own captain’s pick. That means that this pick actually came down to Phil Mickelson, Anthony Kim and Justin Leonard, who chose Mahan as a group. In the end, Mahan played all five sessions — extremely rare for a captain’s pick — and came away with two wins and three halves. Session after session, he was setting the tone, and his 3.5 total points were crucial in spurring the Americans to a massive win.

3: Raymond Floyd, 1993
3-1-0
Context: This year’s American team will be trying to win in Europe for the first time in 30 years, and the last time they made it work was in 1993. Tom Watson was captain, and though American fans have bad memories of him operating on gut instinct many years later in Gleneagles, in ’93 he made the controversial choice to pick the 51-year-old Floyd — who had actually been a captain four years earlier! — as his final pick. This was the ultimate instinct pick, because Floyd had won just once in the last seven years, and never in ’93. But after getting blanked in one match Friday, he won twice with Payne Stewart on Saturday and beat Jose Maria Olazabal in what turned out to be the clinching match. All things considered, this wild pick couldn’t have turned out any better.

2: Sandy Lyle, 1987
3-1-0
The record may not be as spectacular as some, and he didn’t win his singles match, but it’s important to keep in mind here that in ’87, Europe were attempting the seemingly impossible task of winning for the first time on American soil. In the first session, Bernhard Langer teamed with Ken Brown, but lost, and Tony Jacklin needed a partner for his German star. He went to Lyle, who proceeded to win three straight pairs sessions with Langer and lead Europe to a 10.5 -5.5 lead. Even better for the Europeans, they beat the pairing of Lanny Wadkins and Larry Nelson twice on Saturday, a team that had been among America’s best historically. They needed every bit of that lead, too, because America trounced them in singles, almost erasing the entire deficit. But Lyle’s three wins with Langer helped Europe establish a cushion that was too much to overcome, and that’s how they made history.

Ian Poulter. Getty Images

1: Ian Poulter, 2012
4-0-0
Call me biased if you want, but the Medinah Ryder Cup was the first tournament I ever covered, and I will absolutely never forget Poulter’s brilliant one-man stand in fourball as Saturday afternoon became Saturday night (this video is Ryder Cup 101), which I’m still convinced infused the Europeans with the energy to stage the brilliant comeback on Sunday … a comeback in which Poulter played an integral role, beating Webb Simpson, 2-up, in the second match. All in all, he finished a perfect 4-0-0, and despite the fact that picking Poulter was painfully obvious for Jose Maria Olazabal, it still goes down as the greatest performance by a captain’s pick in the history of this event.

Main image: Golf Digest montage

The post The 15 best Ryder Cup captain’s picks ever made appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Luke Donald has opted for more experience on the sidelines at the 2023 Ryder Cup in Italy by naming José María Olazábal as his fourth Vice Captain for the showdown with the US at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club from September 26 – October 1.

The 57-year-old Spaniard a Ryder Cup legend, having played for Europe on seven occasions from 1987 to 2006, has been a Vice Captain on three further occasions, in 2008, 2010 and 2014, and, of course, was Captain for the most famous European comeback victory of all time at Medinah in 2012.

In his seven Ryder Cup appearances as a player, which yielded three wins and a tie in 1989 which saw Europe retain the trophy, Olazábal played 31 times, winning 18 of those matches and returning 20.5 points in total for the European cause. His partnership with the late, great Seve Ballesteros still stands head and shoulders above any other pairing in the contest’s history, the Spanish duo winning 12 points from their 15 outings together.

Outside of the Ryder Cup arena, Olazábal has notched up 33 professional wins worldwide, including 23 on the European Tour from 1986 to 2005. But he is best remembered for his two Masters triumphs at Augusta National — in 1994 and 1999 — the second being especially emotional as it came in the wake of fears that rheumatoid arthritis might mean he would never play professionally again.

Luke Donald and Jose Maria Olazabal. Ryder Cup

Olazábal joins the successful European Ryder Cup Captain of 2018, Denmark’s Thomas Bjørn, in Luke Donald’s backroom team, alongside Italian Edoardo Molinari, a winner with Team Europe in 2010, and Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts, a member of Olazábal’s winning Medinah team alongside Donald in 2012.

Olazábal said: “With my previous experiences in the Ryder Cup I am obviously thrilled to be back involved once again. I am really looking forward to feeling that special adrenaline flow, the intensity and the electricity that only the Ryder Cup can bring — I’m really excited to be part of it all again.

“It was a very nice surprise to be asked by Luke. I didn’t expect it but I was delighted when the call came. My role will be the same as the rest of the Vice Captains, namely to support and help Luke and the 12 players in any way we can, so they can perform at their best and be able to win that trophy back.

“I have no doubts that Luke will be a great Captain. He has played in the Ryder Cup four times and won four times and he therefore knows what is required to perform well in the match.

“He is great on detail and how important things like team spirit are. On top of all of that, he is still very much a competitive player playing at a high level. Because of that he is close to the players and he knows what they will need to perform to their best. My job as Vice-Captain will be to help him achieve that.”

Captain Donald said: “When you think of José María Olázabal, you immediately think of the Ryder Cup. He brings amazing passion and I couldn’t be more excited to have him on board.

“He was my Captain when I last played in the Ryder Cup — at Medinah in 2012 — and I thoroughly enjoyed playing for him that year. He picked me to play number one in the singles and that was hugely gratifying.

“To know he had that respect and confidence in me to go out and lead Europe in such a pressurised last day environment meant a lot and this feels, perhaps, that I am returning that favour a little bit, as I have a huge amount of confidence in him.

“Just his mere presence brings energy to any Ryder Cup environment and I saw that first hand when I asked him to be involved in the Hero Cup we staged in Abu Dhabi at the beginning of this year.

“He was such a big part of that week, being with the players and sharing stories with them of just what the Ryder Cup is all about. People notice when José María walks into a room and you could see at the Hero Cup how much everyone respected him and admired him for all he’s done in the game. I could not be more excited to have him on my team.”

The post Team Europe’s Luke Donald goes for vital experience by naming José María Olazábal as Vice Captain for Ryder Cup appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Jose Maria Olazabal, the second Spaniard to win the Masters after the late, great Seve Ballesteros, recognised the poetry in his protégé Jon Rahm triumphing at Augusta National on Sunday. The final round of the 87th Masters came on April 9, meaning Ballesteros, a five-time major champion, would have been celebrating his 66th birthday that same day had he not succumbed to brain cancer in 2011.

What better way for Rahm to honour the greatest golfer to have come from his homeland than to don Augusta’s green jacket on the 40th anniversary of Ballesteros’ second Masters triumph in 1983?

“It’s amazing how things work out,” Olazabal, the 1994 and 1999 Masters champion, said Sunday night. “Sometimes the stars align for a wonderful script.”

Happy Birthday, Seve.

Jon Rahm wins the Masters on what would have been the legend's 66th birthday. pic.twitter.com/vLopj0PmAA

— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) April 9, 2023

Part of that script was apparently written last Tuesday during a practice round Olazabal played with Rahm and Sergio Garcia, the other Spanish player to win at Augusta. Garcia’s victory in 2017 also coincidentally came on April 9.

“Funnily enough, we talked about Sunday being Seve’s birthday and how nice it would be to for one of them to win it on such a special day like today,” Olazabal said.

There was a bit of Seve present in Rahm all week. When Rahm four-putted his first hole of the tournament on Thursday for a double-bogey 6, he thought about a famous quip from Ballesteros when a reporter had asked him how he could have four-putted. “I miss, I miss, I miss, I make,” Ballesteros joked.

Olazabal predicted Rahm, 28, could become one of the greats of the game.

“Jon has the full package. A great long game, a great short game … if there are no injuries were seeing Jon win for a number of years to come,” Olazabal said.

Olazabal choked back tears as he was asked about the connection between Ballesteros and Rahm.

“I’m a little bit emotional, yes,” he said. “I first met Jon as a 14-year-old at a junior event for [Olazabal’s long-term apparel sponsor] Lacoste, in Spain. I didn’t believe he was 14. He was taller than me. He was stronger. He hit it a bloody mile. He had a strong temperament, but it was what impressed me the most. To see him become a Masters champion, the way he was so patient today, is really special.”

It was special. For the country of Spain, and for its favorite golfing son, Ballesteros.

“This one was for Seve,” Rahm said. “He was up there, helping.”

The post Masters 2023: The sign that had Jose Maria Olazabal convinced Jon Rahm was going to win this week appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Matt Smith
We all know that a vast number of footballers are avid golfers — but this is the stuff of dreams for anyone who likes both sports.

Education City Golf Club — home of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters — has begun to establish itself as one of Qatar’s top golf courses since its opening in 2019.

And as far as backdrops go, this club has one of the best in the Middle East. 

The 7,300-yard, José María Olazábal-designed layout is a stone’s throw — or short chip — away from the 40,000 Education City Stadium, one of the eight arenas hosting matches across Qatar at the Fifa 2022 World Cup this winter. With the likes of Denmark, Uruguay, South Korea, France, Portugal, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia set to play a number of matches at the stadium – right through to the tournament quarter-finals in December — Education City is a perfect venue for fans travelling to Doha for the World Cup who also want to squeeze in 18 holes, too. 

BE AT 1 SERIES:
Tame ‘Sea View’, stroke index 1 at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club
Tame the 15th, stroke index 1, at The Els Club Dubai
Tame the 5th, stroke index 1, at Tower Links Golf Club
Tame the 15th, stroke index 1, at Yas Links Abu Dhabi
Tame the 7th, stroke index 1, at Dubai Hills Golf Club
Tame the 12th, stroke index 1, at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club
Tame the 13th, stroke index 1, at Al Zorah Golf Club
Tame the 10th, stroke index 1, at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club
Tame the 5th, stroke index 1, at Abu Dhabi Golf Club
Tame the 5th, stroke index 1, at Arabian Ranches Golf Club

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The post Fifa 2022 World Cup in Qatar can be quite an Education for football and golf fans alike appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Jack Nicklaus leaves Younger Hall after receiving the Freedom of St Andrews, with his wife Barbara prior to the 150th Open at St Andrews Old Course. Oisin Keniry/R&A

By John Huggan

In Britain, the natives have long been accomplished in the arts of both pomp and circumstance. Ceremony too, as was the case when the University of St Andrews and the Royal Burgh of St. Andrews Community Council hosted a wee get-together on Tuesday to give out five honorary degrees and make Jack Nicklaus — already Dr Nicklaus in their academic eyes — an honorary citizen of the Auld Grey Toon.

Watched by a packed audience in the Younger Hall on North Street — which included PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, USGA executive director Mike Whan and Augusta National president Fred Ridley among others — Catriona Matthew, Jose Maria Olazabal, Sandy Lyle, Lee Trevino and Bob Charles all emerged as ‘Doctors of Law’. Previous recipients include Gary Player, Colin Montgomerie, Seve Ballesteros, Peter Alliss, Nick Faldo, Peter Thomson, Charlie Sifford, Renee Powell, Tom Watson, Padraig Harrington, Arnold Palmer and Paul Lawrie.

All of which added another unforgettable chapter to the story of the place where, 64 years earlier, Bobby Jones had famously accepted the Freedom of St Andrews. He, Benjamin Franklin and now Nicklaus (with the modern equivalent) are the only three Americans so honoured.

This time was just as emotional, especially for 82-year-old Nicklaus. Back at the Home of Golf for the first time in 17 years, the 18-time major champion — two of which he won at the Old Course — was at times unable to continue. Just as he had done back in 1966, when he completed the career Grand Slam with victory in the Open Championship at Muirfield, the Golden Bear took refuge in the same phrase: “Do you mind if I just pause and enjoy this for a minute?”

No one did. One of the great things about the greatest game in the land where it began is the deep affection the Scots have always had for the truly great American players. As Nicklaus has more than once noted, he, Jones, Palmer and Ben Hogan have almost enjoyed more popularity in Scotland than in the United States.

Nicklaus was typically modest during his short address, drawing on a quote from the late, great American journalist Grantland Rice that ends with the line that even the most famous are “replaced by others and soon forgotten.” There was also time to remember the four shots Jack expended in Hell Bunker en route to a quintuple-bogey 10 on the Old Course’s par-5 14th hole during the 1995 Open. “I don’t want to go to hell again,” he said with a smile.

No one in the room was having any of that, of course. As Nicklaus wound up by thanking the people of St Andrews, “for remembering me and allowing me to be one of you”, everyone rose in what turned into a prolonged ovation. All of which again evoked memories of 1958, when a nearly disabled Jones noted that he “could take out of my life everything except my experiences at St Andrews and I would still have a rich, full life.” The only thing missing this time was a poignant rendition of the old Scottish song, “Will ye no come back again?”

Earlier, the graduation rituals — immaculately hosted by University Principal and Vice-Chancellor Sally Mapstone — provoked only occasional emotion from the recipients, although Olazabal was moved to tears by the presentation read by the university’s head of development operations, Louise Taylor.

Lee Trevino during a procession after Jack Nicklaus has been made an Honorary Citizen of St. Andrews. Ross Parker

There were laughs too. How could there not be with Trevino in the room? After telling the next man up, Charles, to get comfortable in his seat as he was going to talk “for a while”, the two-time Open champion made a typically witty speech. Inevitably, he found space for an old favourite among his many jokes.

“I have trouble getting to sleep,” he said. “Because I can’t wait to get up and hear what I have to say in the morning.”

And of course, the Merry Mex was moved to pay tribute to Nicklaus, an old friend as well as rival. Back when the Senior Tour first came into being, Trevino sent a dozen red roses to Barbara Nicklaus every week she kept husband Jack at home and “off the tour”. In 1990 that added up to 31 dozen flowers.

In conclusion though, even Trevino was serious. This is a man who has travelled further than perhaps any other golfer. Humble does not begin to describe his start in life. The first paragraph of his history in the programme says it all:

“Lee Buck Trevino was born in a three-room shack with no plumbing on a cotton farm in Garland, Texas, in December 1939 and raised by his mother, Juanita, and grandfather, Joe, a gravedigger. At the age of three he was picking cotton, at six helping irrigate the cemetery at night. The family moved to falls next to the then Glen Lakes GC, where Trevino learned to play on a makeshift three-hole dirt course in the caddie yard.”

“This is the greatest honour I’ve ever had,” he said. “This place is truly special.”

As was this ceremony. “No sport celebrates its heroes better than golf,” was Olazabal’s verdict. “And no country does it better than Scotland.”

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The post Open Championship 2022: ‘No country does it better than Scotland’ as Jack Nicklaus receives honour at emotional ceremony in St Andrews appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

We’ve studied the 12 former winners spanning 14 Opens and 127 years at Royal St George’s and drawn an extremely long bow to select our long-shot winner for ‘Sandwich’ (golf is hard and picking winners of majors even harder!). We’ve even dug up a James Bond link to the famous Kent coast linksland.

Elsewhere, we get the inside oil on the Emirates Amateur Golf League’s Mini-Series at Jumeirah Golf Estates, visit the José María Olazábal-inspired golf resort in the Maldives and bring you all the shenanigans from Golf Digest Middle East’s inaugural Play & Stay at Trump Dubai and Radisson Hotels Dubai DAMAC Hills.

Russell Hill, the osteopath father of Middle East amateur No.1 Josh Hill, explains how to avoid falling into a perpetual injury cycle (and how to get out if you’ve already fallen) while Dubai Creek teaching professional Matthew Brookes shows you a simple way to nail your set-up for every full-swing shot.

Don’t miss our Playing Through feature which offers a fascinating insight into the future of the royal and ancient game and pick your next fairway wood weapon in the latest instalment of our Hot List equipment guide.

All this and much more in the July 2021 edition of Golf Digest Middle East.

The issue is again free to our loyal audience. You can scroll through the ISSUU link provided or download the bumper July 2021 issue FREE 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 July 2021 issue of Golf Digest Middle East FREE today! appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By GolfDigestme.com
SPONSORED CONTENT – There is golf and then there is golf in paradise.

Welcome to Velaa Private Island, home to a truly breath-taking golf experience sculpted by two-time Masters champion José María Olazábal.

For a golf getaway like no other, Velaa has it all in a sumptuous package. There’s all the luxury you’d expect from an archipelagic escape to nirvana including lavish over-water accommodation, impossibly white sandy beaches, warm Indian Ocean water sports, indulgent dining and all those dreamy views to drink in.

Visit Velaa Private Island

For the serious golfer though, Olazábal’s wee masterpiece perhaps trumps it all. Wonder at the Spaniard’s clever 7-hole layout complete with nine tee boxes to continually mix things up and cater to both the beginner and to the professional golfer.

“The Maldives. A vacation paradise, and space for golf? Of course,” says Olazábal. “But forget 7500 yards, five hour rounds and think entertainment and fun, think game improvement, think family time enjoying excellent facilities tailored to the individual.”

Think a stunningly beautiful place to hone your game, especially with the Velaa Golf Academy by Olazábal at the heart of the property.

Renowned for his silky wedge work, Olazábal has designed the only short-game academy in the Maldives with an unequalled backdrop to enjoy and develop your game.

“This is truly practising in paradise, it doesn’t get any better than this,” Olazábal continued. “Having a facility like this is actually a plus. When you go to a driving range, you stand there and you hit balls, you hit a driver, you hit long shots and all you do is just hit shots. But here you have to create shots, you have to create different feelings, you have to picture things, you have to see things and in that regard it is a facility that is a great tool to improve your game. “

Olazábal’s Academy boasts a studio offering one-on-one tuition with fully-qualified PGA professionals and prides itself in tailoring golf lessons to suit the individual, focusing on the areas required for improvement.

An indoor teaching studio allows guests to practice or take a lesson regardless of the weather. With the studio’s retractable doors, players are able to enjoy hitting from an air-conditioned area whilst still playing to the greens outside. The academy also holds swing analysis software with the latest technology including a Trackman simulator. A putting green and tailor-made tuition programmes make the Velaa Golf Academy an experience for the whole family to enjoy.

If you still need convincing, check out this video of the Velaa Golf Academy by Olazábal:

We told you it was spectacular but don’t take out word for it. Trust Olazábal, the World Golf Hall of Famer and Ryder Cup hero.

“To be here at Velaa Resort is just extraordinary. It’s fantastic, it’s amazing, you’re surrounded by water in a beautiful island, it’s peaceful, quiet, the whole place is just for your soul.”

For more information and special packages, click here to visit Velaa Private Island.

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By Alex Myers
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Moments after Patrick Reed had pushed his drive on No. 2 and unsuccessfully pleaded with his golf ball to stop short of that cavernous fairway bunker, Jose Maria Olazabal hit one on a similar line. This time, however, there was no begging, because the two-time Masters champ knew there was no chance he was reaching the popular target.

Such is life when you’re the oldest player to make the cut at the Masters. Augusta National plays longer than it does for the young whippersnappers. But that doesn’t mean a 55-year-old still can’t get it around.

Minutes later, it was Olazabal—and not the man who won a green jacket nearly two decades after the Spaniard last did—who made birdie on the par 5. And Olazabal would remain in red figures until a four-over stretch on holes 15-17.

But just the fact that he was playing in Saturday’s third round at all was somewhat of a miracle—one that was inspired by the late great Seve Ballesteros.

“Well, yesterday was a special day. Yesterday was his birthday,” said Olazabal, who wore navy and white on Friday to pay tribute to his close friend on what would have been his 64th birthday. “I had that in my mind. In those days, they’re always special when you experience moments like I have close with him at the Ryder Cup, big events, the way he treated me all through the years, you know, those days are truly special. And I miss him, I have to say, especially around here, because I know that he would be enjoying every part of being here.”

A fellow short-game magician, Ballesteros would have enjoyed watching Olazabal put on a scrambling clinic during his 75. The score doesn’t seem all that impressive until you consider how many times he had to hit fairway woods into par 4s and even the par-3 fourth.

Olazabal had 245 yards for his approach to No. 11 and 220 on No. 14, but wound up getting up and down for par on both. For the round, he hit only six greens in regulation, bringing him down to 40 percent for the week, by far the lowest in the field.

That said, Olazabal wasn’t all that surprised he’s been able to post solid scores given his experience at Augusta National—highlighted by winning green jackets in 1994 and 1999.

“I know there’s certain holes that I’m not going to hit greens most probably, but this is Augusta,” Olazabal said on Friday. “If you know where to hit it, at least you have a chance to save par. In these conditions, par is not a bad score.”

Olazabal grinded to two over through 36 holes, making the cut while other stars like World No. 1 and defending champ Dustin Johnson and four-time major winner Rory McIlroy went home. Because of golf’s volatile nature, we see surprising results like that on a weekly basis, but Olazabal sticking around was downright shocking.

It wasn’t that he came in with poor recent form, it’s that he arrived with no form whatsoever.

Olazabal’s last competitive rounds came at the last Masters when he missed the cut by 14 shots. And he said he only started playing practice rounds within the last three weeks.

Even crazier? Olazabal last made the cut at Augusta National in 2014. And it had been more than six years since he played the weekend anywhere, which is why he admitted that just advancing to the weekend felt “like winning the tournament.” His friends and family apparently felt the same way.

“I think they were all in a state of shock, I have to say, most of them,” said Olazabal of his well wishers. “Nobody expected it, and that’s why I got so many messages.”

Of course, sadly, none of those messages were from Seve, who died almost a decade ago. But Olazabal knows how his friend would have felt about his performance this week.

“I think Seve would be happy,” he said. “I miss not having him here for a big hug.”

The post How Jose Maria Olazabal’s guile—and some inspiration from Seve—produced the most unlikely made cut in years appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By John Huggan
This is a story about proud men, men with something to be proud of. Every April, they attend one of the sports world’s most exclusive gatherings. Every April, they are allowed to don a special and distinctive green garment, one worn by only a few. Every April, as past winners of golf’s most important tournament, they can play in the Masters at Augusta National. That is their privilege, one allowed them for as long as they choose to take advantage of their bygone victory. Any discretion is theirs and theirs alone.

All good things, though, have a natural shelf life. So it is that a less attractive decision-making process represents perhaps the only disappointing aspect of that sumptuous package of Masters goodies: When to stop playing in golf’s so-called “rite of spring?”

When does the fall in performance that is the inevitable consequence of age lead to discreet retirement?

When is it time to give up the opportunity of a lifetime and get out of the way?

When does embarrassment supersede excitement?

What scores are too high, too much of a blow to that well-earned pride?

When, then, is it time to sit back on the clubhouse veranda and watch younger men perform?

The timetables and motivations may vary, but every one of those questions leads to the same destination. And the eventual conclusions, as ever, depend on who you ask. The common factor, however, is not staying too long, as 1970 champion Billy Casper did when he shot 105 in his last Masters round in 2005. Which is easier said than done. The temptation is always there. The mind of a champion can be a wondrous thing.

“I remember Gary Player coming into the locker room a few years ago,” says two-time Masters champion Bernhard Langer. “He told me he had made the biggest mistake of his life. I was a bit taken aback as you can imagine. I asked him what was going on. He told me he had announced his retirement from the Masters that year but he had just shot 78 and thought he might still be competitive.”

Still, most players announce their intention to make one last curtain call and so enjoy the adulation of the patrons as they tour the hills and dales of Augusta National for a final time. Some, like Arnold Palmer, change their minds and do it twice (2002 and 2004). Others, 1988 champion Sandy Lyle but one example, simply change their minds and keep playing.

Then there is Ian Woosnam. In 2016, he was apparently done with the tournament he won in 1991. “It’s just getting really tough,” said the Welshman at the time. “That’s my last go. I am not fit enough to play with my bad back. Every time I play this course it just seizes on me, and I can’t swing the club properly. I am in pain all the way round, so it’s time to say ‘bye bye’ really.”

But he continued on. Then, three years and three more missed cuts later (his last made cut came in 2008), Woosnam basically repeated himself.

“I think this is going to be my last time playing here,” he sighed in 2019. “I’m just in too much pain. And it happens every time I get here. It must be the hills because I’ve been playing and hitting a lot of balls recently with no ill-effects. But as soon as I get on this course my back bothers me.”

Next week, Woosnam, at 63, is scheduled to make his 32nd appearance at Augusta, one he feels might be his swansong. Then again maybe not.

“I don’t know if this will be my last Masters,” he says, having skipped playing last November. “I just want to see how I go. Given the condition of my back, I can never say for sure. I know I’ve said before that I’m finished, but I also said that could change if my back improved. And it has. Plus, I don’t want to go out that way. My real objective is to get round pain-free. I would enjoy that. I’ve been in pain for the last 20 years really.”

So it’s tough to say goodbye. But with age comes deterioration. Even Fred Couples, who has recorded 11 top-10 finishes in 35 Masters appearances can see the end of the road, or should we say Magnolia Lane. The 1992 champion his missed the cut three times in his last five starts after making it in 28 of his first 30 appearances.

“This is a course I think I can play,” says Couples, 61. “If that’s not good enough to compete at a semi-certain level, I don’t want to do that. I don’t know when that’s going to be, but I’m not going to come out here and wave and tell everyone it’s my last round.”

“Each year it became harder and harder to break 80,” agrees two-time winner Ben Crenshaw, who retired from Masters competition amidst much pomp and ceremony in 2015 at 63. “I’m part of a bygone era when it comes to distance. I was beating my head against a brick wall. I just felt like I didn’t belong out there anymore. We’re all 2 down to father time. I was out of presses.”

Jamie Squire
Ben Crenshaw announced his retirement ahead of time in 2015 and received standing ovations throughout his final round.

Others wait until the eve of their last round to tell the world, “enough.” Craig Stadler (at 60), Fuzzy Zoeller (57) and Ray Floyd (66) all chose that route to retirement.

“People ask me why I don’t play in the Masters any more,” says Zoeller, who called it quits in 2009, three decades on from his 1979 victory and after missing the cut in 10 of his last 11 Masters starts. “I’m just not competitive. If I’m not competitive, I can’t do it. I don’t have an ego. And I knew it was time. Golf is a game to me, a hard game, but still a game. And there are 18 hard games on that course. On some you’ll be fine but others are going to kick your butt. And too many were doing that to me. I didn’t feel that I had a chance. That’s a terrible feeling. And the time when you know it is time to step aside and let the young guys have at it.”

The biggest factor in the demise of many past champions is the length of the examination they are asked to take these days. When Jose Maria Olazabal won the first of his two green jackets in 1994, Augusta National measured 6,925 yards. This year the course will be 550 yards longer. Combined with the fact that the Spaniard is 28 years older, chances are he’s going to struggle to keep up. Which he has. Since finishing T-3 in 2006, the now 55-year-old has missed seven cuts in 10 starts.

“Time is a handicap, no question,” he says. “Every year the course seems to get longer. Last year I hit a lot of 5-woods and 3-irons to the par-4 greens. So I have to be very sharp, especially with the short game. But it is just a matter of how you feel, whether you continue to play or not. We all have the right to do so, and I will do so as long as I don’t feel like I am embarrassing myself in front of people. The bottom line is the score. As long as I can get round in a decent number I will play.”

That is a common theme. As is motivation. As is the depressing thought that the limit of an aging past champion’s ambition is to make the halfway cut. One who rebelled at that notion, even while feeling like he is capable of making it to the weekend, is O’Meara. The 1998 champion made his Masters bow in 2018.

“My last good Masters [2015] was when I was 58 years old,” he says. “I made the cut when the course was dry. I tied for 22nd. After that, I missed every cut. I’d shoot in the mid-to high-70s. So when I turned 62 I felt like that was going to be it for me. I wasn’t enjoying it as much. I didn’t want to go out there and have to play my tail off just to make the cut. I didn’t want that to feel like something special. It just felt like my time had come and gone. I didn’t make a big statement about it. I was tired of finishing on Friday and having the media ask me if I was done. I didn’t say anything at the Champions Dinner on Tuesday evening. I just walked away.”

Jamie Squire
Jose Maria Olazabal says that as past champions age, they have to get more creative in the way they approach playing the course.

OK, let’s talk specifics. Are there holes that have become just too long, just too tough, for men who are routinely 60-70 yards behind their younger brethren off the tee? A few come immediately to these experienced minds.

“The seventh hole is a classic example,” Olazabal says. “I used to hit a 3-wood or a 1-iron off that tee. Then have an 8- or 9-iron to the green. Now I am hitting a solid drive and still having a 4- or 5-iron left. To a green that is elevated and very shallow for those clubs. It is virtually impossible for the ball to stop on the green. That is a great example of how the course has changed for us over the years.”

Other holes stick out, too.

“The 11th, 14th and 17th are also very difficult for us now,” says 1987 champion Larry Mize, who shot an eye-opening 70 in last year’s first round at age 62. “The tees have been moved back so far. I’m hitting a long iron or a hybrid into both now. Last year, I hit a 5-wood into 17 on Day 1. We are hitting right into the hill off the tee. The kids fly over that and get some roll. But our drives hit and stop.”

The fifth is yet another brute. In 1993, when Langer won for his second time, the par 4 measured 435 yards. Last year, when the then 63-year-old German became the oldest man to make the halfway cut, it was a whopping 495 yards. Every day, he needed a 3-wood to reach the green with his second shot.

“I am hitting a lot of 2- and 3-hybrids on holes where the younger guys are hitting 8- and 9-irons into the greens,” Langer says with a smile. “So it’s a big challenge for me.”

Not an insurmountable one though. In the final round last November, Langer was paired with the longest hitter on the PGA Tour, Bryson DeChambeau—and out-scored him by two, 71-73.

Rob Carr
Despite Bernhard Langer being 36 years Bryson DeChambeau’s senior, he was able to outduel the U.S. Open champion, 71-73, in the final round at Augusta last November.

“There is a definite advantage from playing that course 100 times or more,” Langer says. “I know how all the putts break. I’ve seen all the pin positions. I understand what each means. I know that when the pin is in position X, I can’t miss in position Y. Sometimes it is better to be 20 yards short than three feet above. I know too, how certain winds affect shots. I’ve seen. I’ve watched. And I’ve experienced so much. Add it all up and it is a definite benefit.

“It often comes down to a matter of inches. When I was paired with Bryson he got very frustrated. He made mistakes you just can’t make. He missed in the wrong places. More than once he almost hit a good shot, but it wasn’t. Then he would make bogey and sometimes double bogey.”

So experience counts for a lot around Augusta National, maybe more than anywhere else in the world other than the Old Course at St. Andrews. In turn, the more senior members of the Masters field have begun using a common refrain when describing their course strategy, noting the need for “intelligent missing.”

“I have to think about where I am going to miss, about where I will have the best chance to get down in two more shots,” says Olazabal, the owner of one of golf’s most potent short games. “It doesn’t matter how aggressive I was when I was at my peak, these days I am standing over shots knowing I have virtually no chance to finish close to the hole. So I think of the best area, the one where I will have a relatively easy chip-and-putt. Or two putts. I think more about making pars than birdies.”

All of which sounds a lot like hard work. But still these old champions keep coming back. There is, after all, much to enjoy about a week at Augusta National when you don’t have to worry about such things as making the cut, breaking 80 or reaching an increasingly distant par 4 in fewer than three shots.

“Mentally, I approach the Masters differently now. I go there knowing that making the weekend is already a success,” Olazabal says. “But I go there for many reasons. Every time I set foot on the property I have so many positive memories. Just being part of the tournament is fantastic, with things like the champions dinner. Being able to watch the new generation and how they play the course is a fascination for me. So many positives, although it is hard to think of those things when you are struggling. But it is part of life. And the game prepares you for that in the sense that, even at your peak, you are successful only a very small percentage of the time.”

Jamie Squire
Larry Mize knows that at age 62, he’s down to his last handful of Masters starts.

The last word, however, belongs to Langer, whose T-29 last year represented a phenomenal feat for a man in his 60s. While he has no immediate plans to quit playing, the 41-time PGA Tour Champions winner knows that day will inevitably arrive. He is just happy that he—along with his fellow champions—is allowed to leave on his own terms.

“Last year I asked the chairman how long I am allowed to compete,” Langer says. “I wasn’t sure. I didn’t know if there was an age limit. [The club briefly instilled one in 2002 at 65, but scrapped the plan before it went into place in 2004 after blowback from fans and past winners.] But he told me I am welcome to play as long as I like and that I will know when to stop. That was reassuring. My plan is therefore to play a few more years. When I can’t reach par 4s, or when I’m shooting high numbers, that will be the time to stop playing.”

Until, then, of course, we get to enjoy these proud men, who can still give us a taste of a time when professional golf was more “smooth” than “smash.”

The post When should a past champion call it a career at Augusta National? appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.