Kalle Samooja (Finland) clinched victory, concluding the day at eight under par with impressive rounds of 65 and 71 in Sunday’s marathon finish. This triumph marked a historic moment as Samooja became the first Finnish player to secure a place on the league.

After his remarkable day of golf, Samooja shared, “It means a lot. That’s why we’re all here. We all knew there are three spots available, three cards, and everyone was after those cards. My only mission was to make it to Sunday and then give it all I have, and we’re standing here.”

KALLE SAMOOJA IS OUR LIV GOLF PROMOTIONS 2023 CHAMPION ?

He’ll be part of the LIV Golf League in 2024 ?#LIVGolf pic.twitter.com/SxUIeOeeNA

— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) December 10, 2023

Reflecting on the impact of this achievement and its significance in his native Finland, Samooja remarked, “It’s going to be massive, I think. Golf is booming back home in Finland. We have guys, one guy on PGA TOUR, European Tour (DP World Tour), now LIV Golf, so it’s going to be massive for Finnish golf.”

Samooja gets greeted off 18 green by Greg Norman #LIVGolf pic.twitter.com/JSJzaVJXFa

— Golf Digest ME (@GolfDigestME) December 10, 2023

The pursuit of the remaining two spots on LIV Golf transformed into an intense battle as three players finished Sunday’s 36-hole contest tied at seven under par. This deadlock led to a playoff to determine the two qualifiers for the league between Jinichiro Kozuma, Kieran Vincent and Laurie Canter.

After two playoff holes, conducted under the recently installed floodlights on Abu Dhabi Golf Club’s 18th hole, Japanese player Kozuma and Zimbabwean Vincent emerged victorious. It was heartbreak for Canter, who missed out on his guaranteed place in the LIV Golf roster in 2024 after a three-putt on the first playoff hole and a double bogey on the second hole handed the remaining two spots to Kozuma and Vincent.

Jinichiro Kozuma, the sole Japanese player in the LIV Golf League in 2024, expressed his elation saying, “Last year when I played in a spot in LIV Golf, I said that I wanted to come back again for sure, and to be real now, it’s like a dream. I was in good shape with my golf, so I knew that I had a chance to make it if I made good three rounds. But it’s just a dream come true. I didn’t try to be in the best three, but I made it.”

Jinichiro Kozuma secures his spot on the LIV Golf League for 2024 ?

The first player from Japan to have a full spot ?#LIVGolf pic.twitter.com/3zh3iWFb8q

— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) December 10, 2023

Kieran Vincent, forming the only brother duo on the LIV Golf league in 2024 alongside his brother Scott Vincent of the IronHeads GC, shared his excitement. “I think it’s awesome. Obviously, he’s a great player and someone I’ve looked up to for pretty much my whole life. To be playing alongside him again is going to be awesome, but just to learn from the rest of the guys I think is something I’m looking forward to the most.”

Kieran Vincent slams the door ?

He’ll be part of the LIV Golf League in 2024 ?#LIVGolf pic.twitter.com/f8cwoOU3oX

— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) December 10, 2023

Reflecting on the week’s events, LIV Golf CEO and Commissioner Greg Norman summarised the intense competition and historic moments. “What we witnessed today, and the last three days is something very unique and special to the game of golf, one that I’m extremely proud of and one my entire team on LIV Golf Worldwide is extremely proud of.”

The LIV Golf League is owned and operated by LIV Golf Investments whose vision and mission is centered around making holistic and sustainable investments to enhance the global golf ecosystem and unlock the sport’s untapped worldwide potential.

Main Image: LIV Golf

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Nacho Elvira will make his first major start at The 151st Open as he was joined by Kalle Samooja and Marc Warren in qualifying through their performances at the Made in HimmerLand.

Spaniard Elvira missed out on winning his second DP World Tour title in Denmark on Sunday as he lost in a playoff to the already exempt and home favourite Rasmus Højgaard.

Finn Samooja will also make his debut in golf’s oldest Major at Royal Liverpool, while Scot Marc Warren is returning to The Open for the first time since 2016 when it was held at Royal Troon.

“It’s a bit sour right now,” said Elvira after the play-off defeat in Farsø, “but it’s sweet knowing I’ll be playing my first major.

“I’ve played at Hoylake before and I loved it so I couldn’t be more happy.”

Elvira, who claimed his first DP World Tour in the Cazoo Open supported by Gareth Bale at Celtic Manor two years ago, lost out to Højgaard on the sixth play-off hole after both players finished tied for first place on 13 under par.

Provided a world-class playoff
? Shot 69/62/66/70
? Climbed 131 spots in the R2DR@nachoelvira87 appreciation tweet ??#MIH23 pic.twitter.com/rqdD03eSwP

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

Samooja shot 64-67 over the weekend to finish at 11 under as he was joined by Warren in a tie for fourth alongside the exempt Alexander Björk and Robert MacIntyre.

“It’s been one of my goals this year,” said the 2018 European Challenge Tour graduate.

“I’ve never played Hoylake before, but I’ve watched it on TV enough so I know quite a few holes.”

Warren, a four-time DP World Tour winner, returns to play in The Open for the first time since 2016 when it was held at Royal Troon.

The Scot, who finished tied 39th when it was last held at Royal Liverpool in 2014, said: “I’ve not had many great results recently, so to just pluck one out of the bag and take one of the last spots in The Open is an amazing achievement.

“Going out there today that was the main thing; it wasn’t even a finish, it was just trying to qualify for The Open.”

This week’s Genesis Scottish Open – the third Rolex Series event of the season – represents the final opportunity for players to book their place in the field as the Open Qualifying Series comes to an end.

The leading three players, not already exempt, who make the cut at the Renaissance Club will feature in the final Major of the year, from July 20-23.

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A bogey-free, seven-under 64 allowed the Scot to equal his lowest European Tour round on Thursday afternoon and leapfrog early clubhouse leaders Kalle Samooja and Richard McEvoy by a stroke at Education City Golf Club. Italian Nino Bertasio and South African Hennie Du Plessis later joined Samooja and McEvoy tied for second at six-under.

Law is off the 10th at 7.25am (Doha time) on Friday and will be hoping to kick-on from his impressive start, just the second time in four European Tour starts this season he’s signed for a round in the 60s.

“It was a good score. I played really well. Conditions were quite easy but I was happy with my iron play and I holed some putts, which was nice,” said the The 2019 ISPS Handa Vic Open champion of his opening round.

7 birdies in 15 holes.@DavidLawGolf takes the solo-lead.#QatarMasters pic.twitter.com/swlpF4U0lX

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) March 11, 2021

“I’ve been guilty over the last few weeks when I’ve had decent rounds going of not finishing them off. I was semi-conscious of sticking with it and trying to go low.

“I was really happy with how I stuck to my routines, my processes and I came out of it with a good score.

“I’m a lot more focused on my targets rather than my golf swings. Over the last couple of seasons I’ve been guilty of asking myself why I’ve been hitting bad shots, instead of just going on to hit the next one.

“Over the break we had I sat down with my coach Alan McCloskey and Paul Lawrie, we discussed it and it’s all about getting the ball in the hole now, trusting that you’ve done the hard work and the work’s done.”

Having a morning tee time Friday is a bonus too.

“It’s a nice draw. I’m looking forward to getting back out there tomorrow. It’ll be different,” said Law.

“Although it was hot and muggy it was calm, it’s never normally like that here. Tomorrow will be a bit more like normal, a bit of wind and it’ll be testing. I’m looking forward to it.”

Defending champion Jorge Campillo opened with a 68 to be four strokes back entering Friday. Jordanian amateur Shergo Al Kurdi fired a fine 68 for a share of 21st place overnight.

The post Scot David Law determined to cash in on fast Doha start appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By John Huggan
The 54-foot putt Callum Shinkwin holed across the 18th green at Aphrodite Hills meant a lot of things to the 27-year-old Englishman. An eagle 3 on the 538-yard par 5. A back-nine of 29. A closing 63, low round of the week in the European Tour’s inaugural Cyprus Open. A total of 20 under par. And most importantly, a one-shot lead at that moment over Kalle Samooja.

The last bit didn’t last though. Samooja’s two-putt birdie on that same 18th hole gave him a second consecutive 64 and carried the 32-year-old Finn into his second European Tour playoff. At last year’s European Masters in Switzerland, he was one of four to fall (Rory McIlroy another) to eventual champion Sebastian Soderberg.

This playoff didn’t take long either. Shinkwin’s up-and-down birdie from sand behind the green was followed by three-putts from the unfortunate Samooja, his second effort from four-feet lipping out. It was, to say the last, something of an anti-climax after the drama that had gone before.

“I was as shocked as anyone,” said Shinkwin, in reference to the epic putt that eventually led to that extra hole and then to his maiden Euro Tour title. “I was 18 under par at the time and 19 was leading. So I wasn’t really thinking about winning. Holing from there was one-in-a-million really. My aim was just to get down in two, but it went in.”

From 54 feet ?

Callum Shinkwin sets the clubhouse lead at 20 under with an eagle on the 18th. #CyprusOpen pic.twitter.com/q9QBI9y2aa

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 1, 2020

Eschewing the normal protocols in such situations, Shinkwin retired to the clubhouse restaurant rather than the range to await his fate. A number of players other than Samooja, had chances to ruin his day but all came up short. Jamie Donaldson, six years on from recording the trophy-clinching point for Europe in the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, tied for third alongside a pair of left-handers, Scotland’s Robert Macintyre and South Africa’s Garrick Higgo.

“I was starving,” said Shinkwin with a smile. “All I’d had to eat all day was a protein shake and a banana. And I guess all the adrenaline I was feeling made me even more hungry. Then again, eating is one of my favourite things to do.”

All of which was in sharp contrast to the 2017 Scottish Open and its aftermath. Needing only a par 5 on the 18th hole at the Dundonald Links, Shinkwin missed the green left with his second shot, found an unfortunate lie, then took four more shots to get his ball in the cup. In the playoff a birdie from Rafa Cabrera-Bello was enough to claim an unlikely victory. Clearly affected by that loss, Shinkwin recorded only one more top 10 that season and, by the end of 2018, had lost his card.

“I was back [for a third time] at the qualifying school, not wanting to be there,” he said. “I had only just missed my card, by three spots and only a very small amount of prize money. Looking back, I missed three cuts by one shot. And I had a lot going on at home at the time, which distracted me without me really realizing. But it all worked out as I got through OK. It was maybe just the kick up the backside I needed.”

In 2019, it was a year of further resurrection. Five top 10s were the highlights, taking the former English Amateur champion (he beat current World No. 19 Matt Fitzpatrick in the final in 2013) to 100th spot on the money list and full playing rights this season. The memory of Dundonald was fading.

“You can always say I deserved what I got back in 2017,” Shinkwin said. “It happens if you deserve it. But this time was so different. To win when I wasn’t actually expecting to do so is amazing. My form has been up and down all year, too. Although I played well in Scotland a couple of weeks ago. For a while anyway. I was one shot off the lead playing the last hole in the third round and made triple. So my form was there.”

The biggest difference has come on the greens, long an issue for the 2013 Walker Cup player. But armed with a new caddie, friend and former teammate in the English amateur squad, Sam Robertshawe, another corner has been turned.

Ross Kinnaird
Shinkwin celebrates with his caddie, Sam Robertshawe, on the first playoff hole after capturing the Cyprus Open title.

“I’ve been out here since 2016, and in the time I’ve only had three caddies,” said Shinkwin, who earned €160,650 for the win. “The first two were very experienced, which was great. But after a while it became clear I needed someone to help me with the thing I needed to work on, which was holing more putts. Sam has always been a decent putter. And when he stopped playing at the end of last year I offered him the job. His ability to read greens has shown me that I can do the same. He’s made me so much more confident.”

And, more than three years on from the biggest disappointment of his life, a winner on the European Tour.

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