Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut fired an opening five-under-par 66 to take the lead in the Asian Tour’s International Series England at Close House, near Newcastle, as some of LIV Golf’s big names lurked near the top of the leaderboard.

He fired six birdies and one bogey in nasty conditions on the Colt Course, to finish the day one in front of American Liv-er Jason Kokrak and Jaewoong Eom from Korea.

Germany’s Dominic Foos and Suradit Yongcharoenchai from Thailand returned 68s, while LIV Golf and Ryder Cup star Ian Poulter was in group of 10 players on 69.

Sarit played a practice round here with countryman Pavit Tangkamolprasert before last year’s England event, which was played at a different venue, and said: “Maybe that helped a little bit today, there was more rain that time.”

He started on the back nine on Thursday, and birdied 10, and 14 before a brilliant two on the 18th — a difficult 185-yard par-three, that could be the scene of much drama come Sunday. He dropped a shot on the second, but recovered with gains on three, six and eight.

“I have been hitting it really well,” he said. “Today was just about the putting, it is all about the putting. Still need to fix my long putting, I might practice that.”

Sarit triumphed for the first time on the Asian Tour last year, at the season-ending Indonesian Masters, but has struggled this year, until a top-10 finish in the Indonesia Open two weeks ago.

“I had an injury at the beginning of the year, at first it was a back injury, then I got sick, I got Covid, I also had neck and wrist problems,” said the 25-year-old, who was also laid low by Covid last year.

“I took a lot of time off to repair my body, to not get into trouble with injury again, I think that’s worked.”

Kokrak, a three-time winner on the PGA Tour including two in 2021, finished strongly with birdies on 16 and 17.

“Very happy with that,” said the 38-year-old. “I thought I was going along well but not really making any putts. I was hitting it well but thought I should be more under par. Made a couple there at the end, happy with it.

“The course is wet and super long. I would love to see this place really bouncy.”

Ian Poulter. Asian Tour

Englishman Poulter was happy to get in the clubhouse among the leaders after a rough second half.

“Damage limitation,” said Poulter. “Obviously, three-under through nine and cruising but bogeyed the first hole which is my 10th, a par five, is suicide, frustrating to do that. I shanked it down four which is not ideal, nearly made par, and had another bogey on the par three with a pulled eight iron, I was in the middle of the fairway there. Dropping three shots on that nine was poor.”

His son, Luke, an amateur, started well with a 72 although made costly mistakes with the short stick.

Poulter Sr said: “He’s one over, he had four three putts. He will probably slap himself around the head, so he has obviously played good golf, and he has not done his job on the putting green. He is a good golfer, and great he is in the field this week.”

His compatriot, fellow LIV Golfer and playing partner Lee Westwood, who is the Touring Professional for Close House, also looked set to be among the front runners but made a double on his third from last hole and came in with a 70.

American Andy Ogletree, who currently leads the Asian Tour and International Series Order of Merits, signed for a 72, while Thailand’s Nitithorn Thippong, who claimed the Mandiri Indonesia Open two weeks ago, shot 73.

The post Sarit’s super 66 secures first-round lead In International Series England as LIV Golf’s top guns lurk appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

If you scroll down to the tee times below you may see a duplication of two of England’s most famous golfing surnames.

Nope, it’s not a typo.

I guess it shows that time flies when you are having fun as both Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood will welcome their sons to the field for the Asian Tour’s International Series event at Close House, just outside Newcastle this week.

Luke and Ian Poulter. Stuart Franklin

Having both caddied for their dads at previous events, Luke Poulter and Sam Westwood are now both in the 156-strong field in their own right contending for the $2 million prize money.

There will be 2 Poulter’s in the field for the @intseriesgolf at @CloseHouseGolf this week, excited to experience it with Luke??????

Grab your tickets now: https://t.co/p9hPUCcETu pic.twitter.com/zw9B69TwBI

— Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) August 14, 2023

Last year, the senior Poulter spoke to Golf Monthly about Luke’s chances on tour. “I’m holding him off at the moment, but it will happen one day,” he said. “When he does win I know his celebrations will match anything you’ve ever seen from me. And I will plaster it all over social media, because I’ll be more proud than disappointed.”

The Westwoods have previously played in the same tournament — the 2022 Indonesian Masters, when Westwood Jr made his debut as a professional. “He started playing the game very late,” Westwood told Golf Monthly of his son. “He only took up the game seriously at age 16 and he is 21 now. I don’t really have any expectations for him this week. I just want him to enjoy himself.”

Excited to tee it up at @CloseHouseGolf with Sam this week for the @intseriesgolf eventhttps://t.co/05m2ciKXOd pic.twitter.com/TTF6MNZy0X

— Lee Westwood (@WestwoodLee) August 14, 2023

However, if the Englishmen want to make history and make it a family affair in the same group, first they will have to make the cut as, while the dads are paired together for Rounds 1 and 2, the young guns have been split across the field.

Oh, if that wasn’t enough, a youngster named Davis ‘Dru’ Love IV is also in the line-up. Yep, that will be the son of 1997 PGA champ Davis Love III.

Maybe a glimpse of the next generation is on the cards at Close House…

International Series England Tee times and pairings
Thursday
Hole 1
7.00 Kyson Lloyd, Runchanapong Youprayong, AJ Batty
7.10 Shahriffuddin Ariffin, Natipong Srithong, Luke Joy
7.20 James Wilson, Taewoo Kim #1468, Settee Prakongvech
7.30 Rattanon Wannasrichan, Micah Lauren Shin, Yikeun Chang
7.40 Denwit Boriboonsub, Luke Poulter (a), Angelo Que
7.50 Prom Meesawat, Ben Campbell, Sam Westwood
8.00 Jbe Kruger, Tom Power-Horan, Michael Maguire
8.10 Andrew Dodt, Trevor Simsby Chikkarangappa S
8.20 Hung Chien-yao, SSP Chawrasia, Poom Saksansin
8.30 Pawin Ingkhapradit, Ajeetesh Sandhu, Kyongjun Moon
8.40 Siddikur Rahman, Jaco Ahlers, Bjorn Hellgren
8.50 Josh Younger, Seungtaek Lee, Carlos Bustos
9.00 Alex Ching, Dominic Foos, Lloyd Jefferson Go

Hole 10
7.00 David Puig, Pavit Tangkamolprasert, Taehee Lee
7.10 Abraham Ancer, Chan Shih-chang, Brendan Steele
7.20 Hideto Tanihara, Sarit Suwannarut, Matt Jones
7.30 Ian Poulter, Nitithorn Thippong, Lee Westwood
7.40 Eugenio Chacarra, Steve Lewton, Scott Hend
7.50 Hudson Swafford, Travis Smyth, Peter Uihlein
8.00 James Piot, Chase Koepka, Tomoharu Otsuki
8.10 Simon Robinson, Chanat Sakulpolphaisan, Kartik Sharma
8.20 Danthai Boonma, Honey Baisoya, Ian Snyman
8.30 Gunn Charoenkul, Richard T Lee, John Lyras
8.40 Kevin Yuan, Lee Chieh-po, Bai Zhengkai
8.50 Jack Murdoch, Nicolas Paez, Faisal Salhab
9.00 Will Marshall, Jean Bekirian, Rory Franssen

Hole 1
12.00 Chanmin Jung, Taichi Kho, Jediah Morgan
12.10 Miguel Tabuena, Andy Ogletree, Wade Ormsby
12.20 Richard Bland, Sadom Kaewkanjana, Graeme McDowell
12.30 Anirban Lahiri, Phachara Khongwatmai, Jason Kokrak
12.40 Sebastian Munoz, Kieran Vincent, Dean Burmester
12.50 Pat Perez, Danny Lee, Sihwan Kim
13.00 Brendan Jones, Jaewoong Eom, Shiv Kapur
13.10 Chonlatit Chuenboonngam, Jack Harrison, Davis Love IV
13.20 Ben Jones, Nicholas Fung, Suradit Yongcharoenchai
13.30 Itthipat Buranatanyarat, Viraj Madappa, Yongjun Bae
13.40 Jyoti Randhawa, Jack Thompson, Nick Voke
13.50 Rhys Thompson, Chen Guxin, Matt Sharpstene
14.00 Terry Pilkadaris, Suteepat Prateeptienchai, Matthew Cheung

Hole 10
12.00 Naraajie Ramadhanputra, Meenwhee Kim, Saud Al Sharif
12.10 MJ Viljoen, Marcus Fraser, Othman Almulla
12.20 Turk Pettit, Jeev Milkha Singh, Neil Schietekat
12.30 Mardan Mamat, David Drysdale, Veer Ahlawat
12.40 Chapchai Nirat, Rahil Gangjee, Matt Killen
12.50 Miguel Carballo, Yoseop Seo, Zach Murray
13.00 Berry Henson, Tirawat Kaewsiribandit, Ben Leong
13.10 Jarin Todd, Gaganjeet Bhullar, Atiruj Winaicharoenchai
13.20 Todd Sinnott, Chang Wei-lun, Kosuke Hamamoto
13.30 Dodge Kemmer, Wang Wei-hsuan, Rashid Khan
13.40 Douglas Klein, Khalin Joshi, David Hague
13.50 Harrison Gilbert-Wong, Shergo Al Kurdi, Karandeep Kochhar
14.00 Laird Shepherd, Ye Wocheng, Sangpil Yoon

The post Bring your son to work day? Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood to tee up alongside sons Luke and Sam at International Series England appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

On Monday morning, a pair of English tour pros, Lee Westwood and Eddie Pepperell, got into a testy Twitter spat over LIV with Pepperell eventually pointing out that Westwood got paid £100,000 last week for “playing like a turnip.” Here’s how it went down.

First, Westwood chimed in on the latest edition of the Official World Golf Ranking, which still doesn’t recognise LIV events because they don’t meet the ranking system’s requirements:

#OWGR update after week #32

1Scottie
2Rory
3Rahm
4Cantlay
5Viktor
6Xander
7Homa
8Harman
9CamS
10Fitz
11Clark
12Spieth
13BK
14Hatton
15Tommy
16Keegan
17Young
18TomKim
19Finau
20Collin
27Im
29Henley
30Glover?
32Rose
36Sahith
43Schenk
45Moore
49CamDavis
57Hadwin
99Tosti?

— Nosferatu (@VC606) August 14, 2023

That’s when Pepperell, never one to shy from Twitter spats, jumped in with his first jab:

I’ll tell you what’s a joke Lee; you earning 3X the average annual UK salary in one week for shooting +20 over 3 rounds.

— Eddie Pepperell (@PepperellEddie) August 14, 2023

Westwood responded by pointing out the PGA Tour has added some new ways to get more money in its players’ pockets as well. To which Pepperell responded with the “turnip” dig:

It’s all laughable. From you earning £100k last week for playing like a turnip to the TGL/PIP.

Pro golf has degraded itself to being just about the money. Maybe it always has been and I’m just naive, but it isn’t doing much to improve the sport and genuinely ‘grow the game’.

— Eddie Pepperell (@PepperellEddie) August 14, 2023

But it wasn’t over. The two exchanged a few more jabs, including Pepperell claiming pro golf would be in a better place if players like Westwood hadn’t jumped to LIV Golf and getting a “Mean Girls” line in there.

Not from the top I’m not!

But pretty sure professional golf would be in a better spot if a few of you stuck instead of twisted.

But money and all that… sure is alluring whatever the implications for the sport.

You go Glen Coco.

— Eddie Pepperell (@PepperellEddie) August 14, 2023

Westwood eventually hit Pepperell with a classic Simpsons GIF:

@PepperellEddie pic.twitter.com/ZfDz4gWeG1

— Lee Westwood (@WestwoodLee) August 14, 2023

And Eddie seemed to agree that he shouldn’t have said anything.

As Ricky Gervais would say; “I should’ve left it”

??

— Eddie Pepperell (@PepperellEddie) August 14, 2023

Anyway, should make for an awkward moment the next time these two are paired together, whatever the tour. Unless they keep the conversation to pop culture references.

The post Lee Westwood, Eddie Pepperell get into testy Twitter spat appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Nestled in the countryside in the northeast of England is a true gem of a course — Close House, the venue for the fifth stop on the Asian Tour’s International Series. The $2 million tournament will be played from August 17-20, with a strong field including Lee Westwood looking to emulate Scott Vincent’s triumph in this event last year just down the road at Slaley Hall. 

Situated just outside Newcastle on the banks of the River Tyne, Close House’s Colt Course was opened in 2011 by then world No. 1 Lee Westwood (he is the club’s Attached Touring Professional) and it will be used for the International Series event. 

The Scott Macpherson-designed track is a par-71 layout that measures just under 7,000 yards and incorporates historical features, including sunken ha-ha walls and ancient woodland. It is one of two courses at Close House, with the other being the Lee Westwood Filly course. It features plenty of undulations to provide challenging uphill and downhill lies, while also testing players’ fitness levels. “I am sure that the players will relish the challenge of the Lee Westwood Colt Course along with enjoying a very warm welcome from the members and guests,” said Close House owner, Sir Graham Wylie.

The post Close House set to host some stellar International guests  appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Lee Westwood began his star-studded career back in 1993 and the former world No. 1 has 44 tour wins and an incredible 11 Ryder Cups under his belt. Following his move to LIV Golf to captain the Majesticks team alongside fellow Team Europe legends Ian Poulter and Henrik Stenson, the Englishman is now preparing for an event and venue close to his heart. 

The Englishman is returning to Close House — the club where he is the Attached Tour Professional — to compete in the Asian Tour International Series England event, where he will be lining up against a stellar field that includes 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed, 2010 US Open winner Graeme McDowell and this year’s PIF Saudi International victor Abraham Ancer, plus some of Asia’s most promising talent like Gunn Charoenkul, Chonalatit Chuenboonngam, Sadom Kaewkanjan and Phachara Khongwatmai.

Following a globe-trotting career spanning four decades, Westwood is relishing teeing it up close to his home just outside Newcastle in the north-east of England. 

“I think it’s an area of the country that doesn’t get much world-class golf,” he exclusively told Golf Digest Middle East “Obviously, we had the British Masters, and they played the International Series at Slaley last year but it’s nice to see a tournament coming to Close House. 

“They’ll get a great field, a lot of world-class players that everybody will know and recognise. I expect it to be a good turnout and the fans will love it. It’s in August, mid-summer, the course will be in great condition and nice weather hopefully.”

Despite having played the Colt Course at Close House several times, Westwood knows he and the rest of the field are in for a challenge. 

“The elevation changes are tricky at Close House, there are a lot of shots uphill and downhill with big elevation changes so clubbing becomes more difficult,” he said. “The greens have got some severe slopes on them as well in certain places, that’s another defence of the golf course. It can get breezy up here as well.”

The International Series was launched last year through a historic investment by LIV Golf that created a premier level of events to develop the next generation of stars and offer pathways to top competition in the LIV Golf League. 

At the end of the 2023 10-event season, the player in the No. 1 position will book a spot in the lucrative 2024 LIV Golf League, while the next 31 will secure entry into the LIV Golf Promotions Event to vie for three further places up for grabs.

“I like it [the International Series],” Westwood said. “I think it gives people an opportunity to play their way onto LIV. It’s 10 events, there’s an Order of Merit from them and if you play well, you get a chance to play on LIV which is very lucrative. We’ve seen Asian Tour players like Andy Ogletree play well in The International Series events and then come out and play well on LIV when he’s had an opportunity. He stood in for me in Tulsa and shot 62, eight-under, and then again he stood in for Paul Casey and I think he ended up finishing top 10. It shows the strength of the players playing the International Series and on the Asian Tour.”

With a career that goes back all the way to the early 1990s, Westwood knows he is not getting any younger at 50, and these days he is just enjoying his time on the course and reflecting on highlights like his 2009 victory in Dubai that propelled him to the No. 1 spot in the world, and his most recent title at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in 2020.

“My goals are just to keep enjoying playing and enjoying playing on LIV,” he said. “I’m having a great time out there it has given me a second lease of life. After 30 years of playing tournament golf all being kind of the same tournaments, LIV is very different and I’m enjoying the change.”

He can also enjoy some home comforts when the International Series comes to town.

The post A ‘homecoming’ for Westwood as International Series heads for Close House appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Ten LIV Golf players are set to join up with their Asian Tour counterparts to take on Close House just outside Newcastle for the $2 million International Series England from August 17-20.

Lee Westwood, the former world No. 1 with 44 career victories — including eight on the Asian Tour — spearheads the LIV contingent for the test on the banks of the River Tyne.

Despite being born and raised in Worksop, and an ardent Nottingham Forest fan, ‘Westy’ moved north to the region a number of years ago and struck up a long-standing partnership with Close House as its Attached Tour Professional.

“I’ve had the privilege of playing at home in tournament situations before, and there is truly nothing quite like it,” Westwood said. “Local excitement is building nicely with some of the players confirmed.

“I’ve been embraced by the people of Northumbria since I set up home there. Their passion for sport is unrivalled and the full field will feel that during the tournament week — the atmosphere will be tremendous.”

Abraham Ancer. Saudi International 2023/Neville Hopwood

Joining the Majesticks team co-captain are 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed, 2010 US Open winner Graeme McDowell and this year’s PIF Saudi International victor Abraham Ancer. Like Ancer, whose most recent win netted a share of the $5 million purse in Saudi Arabia, McDowell will be looking to improve on a single Asian Tour career victory, which came back in 2008 in South Korea.

Seven-time Asian Tour winner and LIV Golf player Anirban Lahiri will also make his second International Series appearance of the year, following an impressive runner-up finish at the Vietnam event back in April. On that occasion it was Kieran Vincent who emerged victorious, somewhat following in the footsteps of older brother Scott, who earned a place in the 2023 LIV Golf League by topping The International Series 2022 Order of Merit.

Eugenio Chacarra. LIV Golf

Spaniard Eugenio Chacarra and American Jason Kokrak also make International Series returns after teeing it up in the first event on the Asian Tour’s 2023 schedule in Oman. Meanwhile, England’s Richard Bland, Brendan Steele of the United States and South Africa’s Dean Burmester will make their debuts.

Signalling the halfway point of The International Series 2023 season, the event at Close House will be pivotal for players looking to climb The International Series OOM, currently led by the only two-time International Series winner, Andy Ogletree.

As expected, there is already fierce competition to finish within the top 32 places come the end of the season. At that juncture, the player in the No.1 position will punch his ticket directly to the ultra-lucrative 2024 LIV Golf League, while the remaining 31 players will secure entry into the LIV Golf Promotions Event to vie for three further places up for grabs.

Phachara Khongwatmai. Asian Tour

Among those leading the charge to dethrone the current number one are several of the Asian Tour’s brightest stars, including a quartet of Thai golfers: Gunn Charoenkul, Chonalatit Chuenboonngam, Sadom Kaewkanjan and Phachara Khongwatmai. All currently sit within the top 10 of The International Series OOM and are looking to secure their first International Series wins.

Head of The International Series, Rahul Singh, said: “Having the likes of Lee Westwood, Patrick Reed, Abraham Ancer and other LIV stars confirmed for International Series England is demonstrative of the growing strength of The International Series and the allure of the fabulous Lee Westwood Colt Course at Close House.

“We are returning to England’s north-east after being made to feel so welcome last year, despite restrictions imposed by the pandemic. We are ready to renew the fervour this year and welcome spectators to what stands to be the biggest International Series event yet.”

The post Westwood and Reed set to take on the ‘Toon’ with star field at Asian Tour’s International Series England appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

In turn, they are now all ineligible to compete in this year’s Ryder Cup, ending any late hopes that somehow they could play for Team Europe in Rome this September.

The timing of the resignations is no coincidence. The players had 30 days from the date of the Sports Resolution UK panel decision (April 6) to either pay the aforementioned fines or relinquish their memberships.

In a statement, the DP World Tour thanked the players for their contributions they have all made to the tour, especially those of Garcia, Poulter and Westwood (all three are lifetime honourary members) for “the significant part they have played in Europe’s success in the Ryder Cup over the years”. Those contributions — which added up to 28 appearances collectively — as well as any prospect of future captaincies, can now be assumed to be at an end.

“Their resignations, however, along with the sanctions imposed upon them, are a consequence of their own choices,” the DP World Tour statement underlined. “As we have consistently maintained throughout the past year, the Tour has a responsibility to its entire membership to administer the member regulations which each player signs up to. These regulations are in place to protect the collective interests of all DP World Tour members.”

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Westwood revealed that he had actually paid his fine, one that was applied to 17 players in total, prior to submitting his resignation.

“This is a sad day, but I could not really see any other option with all the punishments hanging over me,” said the 50-year-old former World No. 1. “I don’t agree with the direction [chief executive] Keith [Pelley] and his board have taken and I want to move on.”

A further update on other members sanctioned will be released on Thursday. It is understood that some, like Westwood, have already paid their fines; others have not. By way of example, the presence of Adrian Otaegui in the field for this week’s Italian Open presumably means that the Spaniard who has participated in multiple LIV events but none since last September has already settled his debt with the DP World Tour.

Interestingly it was Otaegui who helped set the arbitration case in motion in the first place. Following the DP World Tour’s fine and suspension of 17 members who fled to the fledgling Saudi-backed circuit last June for the inaugural LIV Golf event in London, a group of players led by Otaegui, Poulter and Justin Harding filed an appeal against the DP World Tour. The LIV members were granted an injunction to enter the Genesis Scottish Open, pending a full hearing before the arbitration panel in February, in which LIV players like Westwood and Patrick Reed testified.

Garcia, Poulter and Westwood were a part of the 2021 Ryder Cup, which the United States won soundly at Whistling Straits. Garcia, the all-time points leader for Team Europe, was the only player of the four that resigned that was likely to garner any serious consideration for this year’s match in Rome.

The post Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter among foursome of LIV golfers to resign DP World Tour memberships appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Lee Westwood wasn’t exactly sure of his plans to celebrate his 50th birthday on Monday. Travel from Adelaide to Singapore for the next LIV Golf League event will take up most of the time.

“Probably go out for dinner, won’t we?” he asked his wife [and caddie] Helen.

“I might treat,” she smiled. “Again.”

In truth, the couple had already celebrated Westwood’s 50th with a recent week-long ski trip in the French Alps in Val d’Isère. The party included 20 of their friends. “That was great,” Westwood said. “We had a really good time.”

It’s been all business since then for Westwood and his Majesticks. The former world No. 1 is the first of the team’s three co-captains to reach 50. Ian Poulter will reach that milestone in January of 2026, and Henrik Stenson follows three months later.

Their immediate goal is to get the Majesticks back into competitive shape after a tough start to the 2023 LIV Golf League season. The team found the podium in three of the first four tournaments during the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational Series in 2022 but haven’t returned since then. Their best finish is a sixth place in Orlando, and they currently sit at the bottom of the team standings after Adelaide.

In terms of playing shape, though, Westwood is already there.

He utilised LIV Golf’s extended off-season to not only focus on his physical condition but also to shed some weight. He went from 105 kgs to 94 — that’s a drop of approximately 24lbs. He made sure none of the weight loss was muscle, working with his long-time trainer Steve McGregor.

“As you get older, you lose muscle naturally, don’t you?” Westwood said. “But I managed to retain and actually put on a little bit. Really pleased with that.”

Compared to 20 years ago, Westwood noted that he’s in much better shape now. He didn’t begin focusing on his fitness until he was 32, while trying to work his way out of a slump. The approach eventually paid off. In the years leading to his 40th birthday, Westwood won 10 times and climbed to world No. 1. He was 90 kgs (under 200lbs) but carrying plenty of muscle.

Thank you for all the birthday messages, officially hit the half century ? 50* pic.twitter.com/rG8QHT4zCt

— Lee Westwood (@WestwoodLee) April 25, 2023

In the ensuing decade, he’s maintained a strict regimen on what he calls his “engine room”. It’s not always easy.

“I’m constantly battling my weight,” he said. “I have to look at my diet. Put cardio into my program. Calorie-burning. I do a lot of training. It’s more about being disciplined.”

He has no choice. Westwood wants to remain competitive at the elite level well into his 50s. He knows what’s needed.

“I think as you get older, you have to,” he said. “The young kids are so fit and strong. When you’re young … you don’t necessarily have to work hard at it. Whereas when you get to our age, you have to work harder. It probably becomes more important than standing on the range hitting balls.”

That’s why during his most recent off-season, Westwood put the clubs away for 13 of the first 14 weeks. The only time he dusted them off was to play the Indonesian Masters on the Asian Tour. It was an impressive week, as he finished ninth.

“The problem with golf is there are so many different aspects to work on,” Westwood explained. “Long game, short game, bunker play, putting. There’s also the mental and physical sides as well. If you kind of just put the golf to one side for a while and just work on the physical aspects of maintaining the engine room, it makes it a lot easier to train and kind of time-manage your game better.”

Westwood has taken inspiration from fellow LIV Golf member Phil Mickelson, captain of HyFlyers. In 2021, Mickelson become the oldest winner of a major, claiming the PGA Championship at age 50. Earlier this month, at age 52, he shot a final-round 65 to tie for second at the Masters.

“He’s done incredibly well, hasn’t he?” Westwood said. “Won a major. Second in a major. He’s clearly still competitive at the highest level. He keeps himself in shape. He’s probably as lean right now as he’s ever been.”

Westwood currently isn’t exempt into any of the remaining three majors, but he is eyeing the Senior Open at Royal Porthcawl in Wales in late July. It comes the week before LIV Golf Greenbrier.

“Might play that,” he said. “Not sure.”

If he does, he may be the youngest player in the field. In the LIV Golf League, he’s the third oldest behind Mickelson and fellow Englishman Richard Bland, who turned 50 in February.

But age is just a number, right? As Westwood has gotten older, he’s learned the importance of enjoying his time as a competitive golfer. Staying in shape may be more of a challenge, but mentally, he’s never been in a better place. The smile never seems to leave his face.

“I treat it for what it is, really,” Westwood said. “Just a game. It all gets too serious when you’re younger.”

The post Age is just a number for revitalised Lee Westwood ahead of LIV Golf Singapore appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

You just knew it was coming. And LIV Golf did not disappoint.

Moments after reports broke regarding the PGA Tour’s plan to make its designated events limited fields with no cuts in 2024, a certain league currently running events with limited fields and no cuts wasted little time taking a swing.

“Imitation is the greatest form of flattery,” the LIV Golf League Twitter handle wrote. “Congratulations PGA Tour. Welcome to the future.”

Imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Congratulations PGA Tour. Welcome to the future.#LIVGolf

— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) March 1, 2023

LIV Golf’s inaugural season featured eight 54-hole events with 48 players and no cuts. This year the Saudi-backed circuit transitioned to a full league with 14 54-hole events with 48 players and no cuts. Last week Charles Howell III won the first LIV event of the year at Mayakoba in Mexico by four shots.

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan sent a memo to players Wednesday announcing a Designated Event Model, where in 2024 select designated events will feature between 70-80 players with no cuts and opportunities for players who are not eligible to qualify.

RELATED: PGA Tour’s plan to tweak designated events

“Together, this approach provides a schedule that is cohesive, compelling, consequential and with clarity for fans, players and sponsors alike,” Monahan said in the memo.

pic.twitter.com/dsJ1nDp1QT

— Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) March 1, 2023

Two of the most vocal LIV Golf players, like the Twitter handle of the league that they play for, took to Twitter to nudge the PGA Tour.

“Sounds somewhat familiar,” Ian Poulter wrote. “Now I can’t wait to hear all the back tracking of comments from the last 7 months.”

Familiar, maybe? But still not the same. The league Poulter competes in plays 18 holes less than the one he left.

I’ve spent the last year reading how good full fields and cuts are! ?

— Lee Westwood (@WestwoodLee) March 1, 2023

Said Lee Westwood: “I’ve spent the last year reading how good full fields and cuts are!”

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Almost three decades later, much has changed, both for golf and for Westwood. His meagre first cheque was the forerunner of DP World Tour earnings that today sit at almost €35 million. En route, 25 victories, 171 top-10s and 102 missed cuts have been recorded and 11 Ryder Cups have been played in.

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The rise of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

Throw in his worldwide travels over the years and Westwood has finished first in 44 events, seeing off the likes of Tiger Woods and Greg Norman down various late-Sunday stretches. So the now 49-year-old from Worksop has done rather well, both for himself and, one has to think, for the tour he still calls home.

“There have been so many highlights,” says Westwood, who has long-ago caddie, Mick Doran, back on his bag this week. “Hey, Mick, the late 1990s were good weren’t they? I won eight tournaments in a year twice. Six on the tour both times. To be honest, it’s a bit of a blur to me as well. Winning was just a habit. It was the fearlessness of youth. Mick says that when I was on the leaderboard, I won. It was like for that for Monty and, of course, Tiger. Their names went up on the leaderboard and guys would say: ‘Oh no it’s him’ and back off. Made it easier.

“Beating Tiger in Germany was special,” he continued. “But beating Tiger anytime is special isn’t it? I won around that course twice. One year there I wasn’t really in it until I shot an 11-under 61 on the Saturday morning and flew into contention. Then I shot 66 on the final day and won. That’s how it was back then. Great days.”

Lee Westwood in action at Liv Golf

At this stage then, Westwood should be something of a revered statesman on the DP World Tour. But he isn’t, of course. His lucrative switch to LIV Golf last summer has, perhaps forever, soured what should be a relationship founded on mutual admiration and respect. This week at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship — what will be Westwood’s 588th start on the DP World Tour — he is in the field but has been confined to after-thought status. He did not have a spot in Wednesday’s pro-am and is part of a non-descript three-ball group with Ross Fisher and Victor Dubuisson.

“Why not let us [LIV players] tee-up in the pro-am this week? Why would you not have, for instance, me and Poults [Ian Poulter] playing. That doesn’t do the sponsors much good. Why with the [arbitration between LIV and DP World Tours] hearing coming along would you change the routine? Why not treat us the same until there’s a decision?”

That snub, however, wasn’t what is energising Westwood’s mind most when the subject inevitably turns to the DP World Tour in 2023.

“I’m not sure where the European Tour is now,” he says. “If you’d have told me that I’d be playing in a $9 million tournament on tour I’d struggle to believe you. But then if you also told me there would only be one member of the world’s top-20 in the field, I’d think you were mad.

“I’ve had a lot of people come up to me here this week and saying: ‘Thanks for playing this week and giving us your support,’” he continued. “But the PGA Tour is forcing the hands of the top players. The FedEx Cup is structured around making every player play every week, which doesn’t leave much left for any other tour. And with the World Rankings as they are now, it’s a double whammy.”

Things may be a little clearer after the five-day arbitration hearing (February 6-10) that will determine whether Westwood and his fellow LIV players can continue to play on the DP World Tour.

“With the hearing, there is going to be some sort of line drawn in the sand,” Westwood said. “There will be clarity, although whether there is as much clarity as everyone is saying, well let’s see.

“If I do get banned, I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. I’m not going to play a guessing game. I love the European Tour. I’ve played on it for 30 years and like to think that I’ve supported it more than anybody. When I had the chance to take up my PGA Tour card in 1998 and again in 2010, I didn’t. I’ve only taken up my American card sporadically, when it became obvious that was the only way to protect my ranking. But even when I was a member of both tours I’d always say that I was a member of the European Tour first and foremost. I don’t want that to change.”

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