By Matt Smith
After a decade-long absence, the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) will return to Amata Springs Country Club in Thailand.

The 13th edition of the AAC will be held at the Chonburi venue from October 27-30, the R&A has announced.

This will be the first time since 2012 that Amata will host the competition, with last year’s tournament being held at Dubai Creek Golf Club in the UAE, in collaboration with the Emirates Golf Federation.

Created in 2009, the AAC was established to further develop amateur golf in the Asia-Pacific region. The champion will receive an invitation to compete in the 2023 US Masters and 151st Open Championship, while the runner(s)-up will gain a place in final qualifying for The Open.

“We look forward to bringing the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship back to Amata and gathering the region’s top players at this exceptional venue once again,” said Taimur Amin, Chairman of the Asian Pacific Golf Confederation, Fred Ridley, Chairman of the Masters Tournament, and Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, in a joint statement.

“This year will be a special opportunity to build on the growth we’ve seen in amateur golf over the last 10 years since the event was last held in Thailand. We are grateful to our hosts in the region as we work together to promote the game’s development and provide pathways for talented amateurs across the Asia-Pacific.”

Notable past competitors include 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, a two-time winner of the AAC, and Cameron Smith, who won The Players in March and is currently the fourth-ranked player in the world. Collectively, AAC alumni have gone on to win 21 tournaments on the PGA Tour to date.

“We are thrilled to once again host the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship,” said Andrew Yau, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Amata Spring Country Club. “Amata Spring is excited to present a challenging test for the best amateur golfers across the Asia-Pacific region.”

The 13th @AAC_golf will return to Amata Spring Country Club in Chonburi, Thailand, October 27-30, 2022.

Read more ? https://t.co/FBWnpj9DJs pic.twitter.com/pXyGqbLKCj

— Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (@AAC_Golf) May 11, 2022

Amata Spring Country Club was designed by Lee Schmidt and established in 2005. In addition to previously hosting the AAC in 2012, the course has provided the backdrop for prestigious events such as the LPGA Thailand, the Thailand Golf Championship and the Royal Trophy team event.

“Hosting the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship is a unique opportunity to support the game of golf in Thailand as the talent in our country continues to grow,” said Rungsrid Luxsitanonda, president of the Thailand Golf Association. “We are proud to invite the top amateurs from across the region back to Thailand and Amata Spring and look forward to another exciting edition of the AAC.”

Over the AAC’s 13-year history, the Championship has served as a springboard to some of the world’s top players, including future PGA Tour winners Matsuyama, CT Pan, Smith, Cameron Davis, Lucas Herbert, Si Woo Kim, Satoshi Kodaira and Kyoung-Hoon Lee.

Last November at the Dubai Creek, Japan’s Keita Nakajima came out on top, and Dubai’s own Rayhan Thomas was runner up to Takumi Kanaya in the 2018 edition.

You might also like:
Dubai golfer Amelia McKee going pro
eGolf changing the game in the UAE
New twist in LIV Golf tale
Sensational finish at Dubai Golf Trophy
Sergio Garcia ‘can’t wait to quit PGA Tour’
Westwood and ‘many more’ request release to play LIV Golf Invitational Series
Look: Phil Mickelson spotted on golf course
Tiger Woods plays Southern Hills ahead of PGA Championship
LIV Golf Invitational Series continues to take shape
Trump to host LIV finale

The post Following on from Dubai Creek success, Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship returns to Amata Springs appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Joel Beall
AUGUSTA, Ga. — The father had not seemed worried. A father who is worried about his son does not have the stomach for an ice cream sandwich, and the father must have been at ease because he decided to down a second. And why not? After a week of unseasonable cold and unwelcome wind it was 70 degrees, sunny and calm, and his namesake was warming up 20 feet ahead of him. Through three days that son’s only struggle was his sweater vest, fighting with a sleeveless pullover on Saturday like it was a strait jacket, and that son was 18 holes away from immortality. You’re damn right the father was going to have another ice cream sandwich. If you can’t enjoy this, what’s the point?

But that was an hour before and this was now. Augusta National had just reminded the son, Scottie Scheffler, who had looked more machine than man through 54 holes at the Masters, that no one goes the full 72 without their pride bruised and psyche tested. Scheffler’s three-shot lead was down to one after two holes and promised to disappear at the third, a duck-hook drive and chunked chip leaving him in a bad position at an inauspicious time. Only then Scheffler decided he had his fill of humility and haymakers and resolved to strike back. He sent his ball skidding into the hillside, the ball pulling out a map mid-air to check directions, landing on the green to run and run and run some more and stopping only when it fell to the bottom of the cup. When the ball went down the patrons arms went up, the son shook his fist and the father let out a sigh. Scottie was back on the path in his march to history, a destination he ultimately reached by becoming the 2022 Masters champ.

“It feels pretty good. I don’t know what to say to be honest with you guys,” Scheffler said after authoring a final-round 71 for a 278 score and three-shot win. “I’m just really thankful to be in this position.”

What Scheffler lacks in self analysis he compensates for in his game. On a tour not short on talent the former Longhorn All-American is among its most skillful, possessing the might and precision and touch that allows for few if any holes in his arsenal. He casts an imposing shadow, his 6-foot-3 height, wide frame and no-nonsense glare making him look like the guy who comes knocking on your door when rent is three months late.

However, his physicality and frame belies an undercurrent of cool. It is there, forever and always, and saved him Saturday when anything less would have released his grip on this Masters. Scheffler was leading by four when he tugged his 18th tee shot into underbrush, promising to shrink that lead to two and possibly one. Instead Scheffler keenly used the rules to his advantage (albeit with penalty) and walked away with one of those oxymorons usually reserved for the U.S. Open: a good bogey.

“Even when he makes mistakes, he’s stone-cold,” one reporter whispered to another Saturday night as Scheffler made his way off the course. “I don’t think he’s human.”

Still, that bogey kept the final round a competition rather than coronation, and any thoughts otherwise were erased immediately Sunday afternoon. Scheffler’s drive at the first started left and stayed left. His punch shot sprinted through the green. He made a nifty pitch and saved par but Cameron Smith—the Players champ and ostensibly Scheffler’s only opponent at three shots back—rolled in a 10-footer for birdie. Scheffler’s advantage was down to two, then down to one after he made 5 to Smith’s 4 on the second. Then Scheffler’s drive at the third was so bad it was good, receiving relief from the towering leader board that blocked his line to the green. He chunked the approach and in that second it sure felt like the wheels were coming off.

Only Smith also left his approach short, his ball coming to rest next to Scheffler’s. Scheffler went first and delivered one of those shots that sent roars reverberating off the pines.

“I would say what is most pivotal was getting that ball up-and-down. To have it go in was obviously off the charts, but my main goal was just to get up-and-down, and see it go in was definitely special,” Scheffler said. “After that I kind of just started cruising.”

Give Smith this: the man battled. He matched Scheffler shot-by-shot, keeping the red carpet from being rolled out on the forever green property. And a 3 at the 11th to Scheffler’s 4 elicited one of the day’s biggest roars. It’s not that the gallery was anti-Scheffler; they were just pro-drama, and Scheffler’s lead was preventing the histrionics that make this place so special. But Smith went first at the par-3 12th, and though his ball was lost in the shade cast by the towering loblollies Smith’s one-arm, head-down finish let the patrons know where the ball was headed.

“Take that kielbasa off the grill,” a patron said, shaking his head. “He is cooked.” Well, technically wet, but you get the gist. Smith walked away with a triple and walked out of the proceedings, ultimately finishing in a tie for third.

Adam Glanzman

Scheffler had another bad miss, this time long and left, but his short game came to the rescue by getting his chip on the putting surface and converting a 10-footer for par. The victory march was almost on.

We say almost because a person remained in the machine’s path, and that person was Rory McIlroy. The Ulsterman began his day 10 shots back of Scheffler but went out in 32 and chipped in for birdie at the 10th. Now, for all of McIlroy’s prowess and accomplishments, there is the perception that the four-time major winner has a penchant for playing his best when his best doesn’t matter, so much so that his back-door finishes have become a running joke on social media. But after that birdie at the 10th there were no laughs, just shouts and cheers and encouragement from the gallery, doing what they could do to help McIlroy do the unthinkable.

McIlroy eagled the 13th to move to six under, four back of Scheffler, and for the briefest moment the patrons—a very, very pro-Rory contingent—seemed to be collectively wishing the dream into existence. But … well, one of the best parts about being at Augusta National is the shots you don’t see, the club’s no-cellphone policy heightening your senses. You watch with your ears and the scoreboards confirm what went down. It was quiet at Amen Corner as the patrons turned their heads from the most famous landscape in golf, waiting for some type of sonic boom to emit from the 15th where Rory was at. It never came. The scoreboard operator removed the white blank board next to McIlroy’s “6” at the 14th hole and in its place went another “6.” McIlroy had made 5 when he needed 3. The grandstands groaned. There may be a day when McIlroy’s Masters dream comes true, but it won’t be this day.

“I thought if I could shoot 63 today, it would give me a chance,” said McIlroy, who holed-out a bunker shot on the 18th for a 64, finishing second by three shots. “That was sort of my number today. I didn’t quite get there, but I gave it a good shot. Again, all I wanted to do was just—I’ve been in that position, and I’ve had the lead on the back nine here and haven’t been able to get it done. I just wanted to try and put a little bit of pressure on and I feel like I did that.”

Instead this day belonged to Scheffler, who birdied the 14th and 15th to earn a stress-free walk up the big, big hill on 18. For the sake of posterity it did not end in flair, Scheffler four-putting the final green for a double.

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

“I tried not to look up. I tried to keep my head down and just keep doing what I was doing because I didn’t want to break my concentration,” Scheffler said on playing with a lead. “The minute I did was on 18 green when I finally got on there and I had a five-shot lead and was like, all right, now I can enjoy this. And you saw the results of that.”

Scheffler said it with a laugh, but no need for self-deprecation. This was a week that had high winds and cold temperatures and firm greens, that saw a par 5 play over par one day and a number of players never breaking into red. Save flair for fashion. Besides, he’s leaving with a jacket that never goes out of style.

Now, when a young player with such highly touted prospects like Scheffler wins this tournament, and wins in this manner, it’s easy to wonder what it says about who he is and where he’s going and what it means. With four wins in his last six starts Scheffler is no longer on the precipice of stardom; he is perched on its cliffs, listening to his name echo off the canyon walls. That is all well and good, and on this Sunday night in Augusta it certainly feels true.

Conversely, stardom can be fleeting. Perhaps this is not the start of a new era but merely a heater like so many hot golfers have enjoyed, and lost, before him. As this sport’s past continually reminds us, the present is no guarantee of the future.

For what it’s worth, Sheffler has no appetite for conjecture and rumination. He’s a man who lives in the moment. “I’ve never been a guy that likes to look too far into the future,” Scheffler said. “So for me just staying present has always been what works best for me.” So what matters right now is this moment, the one he spent a lifetime trying to earn. Afterward, Scheffler admitted the gravity of what could be was too much to handle Sunday morning, stressing him out to the point where he “cried like a baby.”

“I didn’t know what to do. I was sitting there telling [wife] Meredith, I don’t think I’m ready for this,” Scheffler said.” I’m not ready, I don’t feel like I’m ready for this kind of stuff, and I just felt overwhelmed.

“She told me, Who are you to say that you are not ready? Who am I to say that I know what’s best for my life? And so what we talked about is that God is in control and that the Lord is leading me; and if today is my time, it’s my time. And if I shot 82 today, you know, somehow I was going to use it for His glory. Gosh, it was a long morning. It was long.”

Scheffler eventually calmed down. He didn’t shoot 82. He did what he didn’t think could be done. But the exchange proved Scottie Scheffler is not a machine. He was too vulnerable and scared for that. Instead he’s a man, with the heart to prove it.

• • •

MORE MASTERS 2022 STORIES
Every Tiger Woods Masters record
The entire field at Augusta, ranked
The history of honorary starters 
Now comes the hard part for Tiger
How will the amateurs get on at Augusta?

The post Masters 2022: Scottie Scheffler continued the ride of his life straight into a green jacket appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Dan Rapaport
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Scottie Scheffler’s mind didn’t wander because Scottie Scheffler’s mind doesn’t wander. But admit it—yours did. He’d just nipped another perfect wedge into the par-5 13th, hearted another birdie putt, tacked one more shot onto an already healthy lead, and you wondered if we’d officially entered the Scottie Scheffler Era.

Dramatic wording aside, it was a fair question. It still is, even after that exhausting bogey at 18. Big picture, the facts haven’t changed. Scheffler still has won three of his last five starts, all against loaded fields. He still entered this week as the World No. 1, perfectly content with ceding the spotlight to Mr. Woods. He’s still riding an all-time heater. He still shot under par on a day when the scoring average veered toward 75. And he still carries a sizeable lead into the final round of the Masters.

Each shot in a golf tournament counts the same as the next, even if the next one’s 19 hours away. But our brains have never quite been able to grasp that concept, and so Scheffler’s closing bogey, which means he’ll sleep on a three-shot lead instead of four, has turned a coronation into a battle between the two hottest golfers on the planet. Maybe the two calmest, too.

Adam Glanzman

Scottie Scheffler vs. Cameron Smith is golf’s version of a heavyweight title fight, but this is about as far from Fury-Wilder as is possible. A chill-as-hell Texan vs. an easygoing Aussie. Neither seems the least bit phased by circumstance or concerned with narrative. There will be no social media back and forth, no showmanship, no histrionics—just two men with a chance to win their first major championship on golf’s grandest stage. And, in the process, snag some breathing room in the best-in-the-world conversation.

“Should be a great fight tomorrow,” Scheffler said. “Obviously Cam is a tremendous player, and he’s got a fantastic short game, and he’s coming off a huge win. Both of us are in good form, so I’m definitely looking forward to the challenge of playing with him tomorrow.

“Little bit of different conditions on the golf course. I’m sure they will keep the greens nice and firm, but the wind will be a little lighter. I’m not sure how much lighter it will be, but I think we are both looking forward to the test and the challenge. Playing in the final group is always so much fun, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Both Scheffler and Smith won their last starts—Scheffler at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, Smith at the Players Championship. Both entered the week among the favorites, and both opened with rounds in the 60s. Their paths diverged from there. Smith’s piping-hot putter went cold on Saturday en route to a 74. Three groups behind, Scheffler pounced on a lull in the wind and raced to a 67 that gave him a five-shot head start over everyone else and a six-shot edge on Smith.

But Smith steadily chipped away on Saturday with a four-under 68 that was the best round of the day by two shots, and confidence is dripping from his mullet and wispy mustache. This is the same gritty short-game genius who shot 34 under to beat Jon Rahm in Maui in January, then took down the best field in golf two months later at TPC Sawgrass.

“It just means I can get it done, I guess, when I’m up against the best guys in the world,” Smith said. “It’s a good feeling to have. It’s earned. It’s not given to you.

“So, I’m going to have to go out there tomorrow and play really good golf again, probably similar to today. Hopefully everything just falls into place. I can’t control what anyone else is going to do tomorrow. So, yeah, just go out there and really focus on myself.”

Scheffler preserved his five-shot lead for most of the day before a late wobble. He bogeyed 14 from the middle of the fairway and three-putted 15 from 30 feet to drop another. A birdie at 17 was offset by a most adventurous bogey at the 18th. Scheffler hit his worst drive of the week, a vicious pull that kicked off a tree into lord knows where.

“We saw the guy with the flag that always finds the balls kind of panicking,” Scheffler sdid. “I was like, ‘oh, crap, wonder what’s going on here.’”

A search party located his ball, and a drop after declaring an unplayable lie left him 255 yards uphill. He ripped a driving iron directly past the flag, and two strokes with the putter completed a masterclass in damage control—the rare momentum-maintaining bogey. Scheffler was returning to his rental house for yet another Saturday night in the heat of contention. This one, however, is different. Winning the WM Phoenix Open is great. The Arnold Palmer Invitational, too. The Match Play, awesome. Scheffler’s blistering spring caught the golf world’s attention; winning the Masters grabs the world’s attention.

Scheffler appears wholly unconcerned with the ramifications of Sunday. He’s not thinking about the green jacket or next year’s Champions Dinner. The great ones have a knack for narrowing their focus. One shot at a time. Or, in this case, one episode of “The Office” at a time.

“Tonight, I’m looking forward to just chilling,” Scheffler said. “I think we are like two episodes into Season 4. I’m just looking forward to sitting back and giggling a little bit and eating some good food.”

What, you thought he’d be nervous?

• • •

MORE MASTERS 2022 STORIES
Every Tiger Woods Masters record
The entire field at Augusta, ranked
The history of honorary starters 
Now comes the hard part for Tiger
How will the amateurs get on at Augusta?

The post Masters 2022: Scottie Scheffler’s big year has the chance to become historic on Sunday at Augusta appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

How, then, did Tiger Woods have perhaps the worst putting round of his career: four official three-putts, two others from just off the green and a four-putt on Saturday at Augusta National?

“I just could not get a feel for getting comfortable with the ball,” Woods said after a six-over 78, his highest score in 93 competitive rounds at the Masters, that left him at seven over after 54 holes and outside the top 40. “Posture, feel, my right hand, my release, I just couldn’t find it.

“Tried different things, trying to find it, trying to get something, taking practice strokes and just trying to feel the swing and the putter head, trying to get anything, and nothing seemed to work. Even as many putts as I had, you’d think I’d have figured it out somewhere along the line, but it just didn’t happen.”

Woods four-putted the fifth hole from 65 feet, missing a six-footer for par then rushing and horseshoeing a two-footer for bogey. And it actually worsened as the round wore on—Woods three-putted each of his last three holes before limping off the 18th, his surgically rebuilt right leg screaming for a rest. Woods will never let on how much pain he’s in; all we can go off are context clues. After he talked to a group of reporters, Tiger embraced agent Mark Steinberg as he walked back uphill toward the clubhouse—half a sign of affection, half using him as a human cane.

After 14 months of rehabilitation and only a few weeks of walking 18-hole rounds, Woods has now trudged through 81 hilly holes in six days at Augusta. Pure adrenaline made a one-under 71 on Thursday possible, and he drained the energy reserves to salvage a 74 after an awful start on Friday. But Saturday always looked a tough task, with temperatures in the low 50s and an ever-present breeze combining for a shiver-worthy afternoon.

Warmth is Woods’ best friend these days. Humidity, too. It’s no coincidence he lives in South Florida. Warmth lubricates his 46-year-old joints and his fused back, and there was none of it on Saturday. But there lies the funny part—if the cold would claim a victim, you’d think it’d be the ball-striking. A stiff back produces a stiff swing. But Woods was satisfied with his move on Saturday. He gained roughly 1.5 shots from tee-to-green but lost nearly five with his Scotty.

“It’s just been blustery all day. You add in the temperature difference, it was cold starting out. The ball wasn’t going very far. I thought it was tough. Some of the other guys may not say that, but for me I had a tough time. I felt like I didn’t really hit it that bad. … I mean, it’s just like I hit a thousand putts out there on the greens today. Obviously it’s affected the score. You take those away and I have normal two-putts, I’m even par for the day. I did what I needed to do ball striking-wise, but I did absolutely the exact opposite on the greens.”

Woods entered this week believing, somehow, that he could win a sixth green jacket should things fall his way. He wouldn’t have teed it up if he felt otherwise. Saturday’s round will force even the most ardent optimists to abandon any hope of that dream. And it had nothing to do with his body.

• • •

MORE MASTERS 2022 STORIES
Scottie Scheffler’s big year has the chance to become historic on Sunday at Augusta
Every Tiger Woods Masters record
The entire field at Augusta, ranked
The history of honorary starters 
Now comes the hard part for Tiger
How will the amateurs get on at Augusta?

The post Masters 2022: The surprising reason Tiger Woods’ comeback week stalled on Saturday appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By John Huggan
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Yes, he continues to trail longtime leader Scottie Scheffler by three shots, but there are a number of legitimate reasons to think Cam Smith might just become only the second Australian to finish first in the Masters.

We’re talking here about the sixth-best golfer on the planet, if the World Ranking is to be believed. Just three weeks ago, Smith won the biggest event of 2022 so far, the Players Championship, against what is, statistically at least, the strongest field in golf. Two months before that, he saw off the then-World no.1, Jon Rahm, to win the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii.

And there’s more, specific to the Masters. Only a year-and-a-half ago, Smith tied for second place in the 2020 “toonamint,” in the process becoming the first man to break 70 in all four rounds. And his latest effort, a third round 68 that was the best of the day by two shots, was compiled in conditions best described as “brutal.”

When it comes to Augusta National, this 28-year-old Queenslander knows how to get things done. No matter what.

Which leaves one obvious question: Can Smith finish the job and take out Scheffler, currently the hottest golfer on the planet? For all his fine play so far, the 25-year-old Texan did play the last five holes of his third-round 71 in a stuttering two over par to give credence to the notion that this event is far from over. What was once a procession is now a legitimate pursuit. Add that little nugget to all of the above and the man in second place would be less than human if he didn’t sense the merest hint of blood in the frigid air.

Along with the rest of the well-wrapped-up competitors—the hardest part of the round was, Smith felt, “keeping my hands warm”—the two-time Australian PGA champion was at pains to point out just how difficult the scoring had been. But not impossible. On a day when the field averaged in excess of 74.5, Smith’s six-birdie haul was all the more impressive.

“It was really tough out there today,” confirmed Smith. “With this west wind there’s not many holes you get straight downwind or straight into the wind. There are lots of crosswinds, which makes it tricky into the greens. Controlling distance was pretty difficult, especially when there are so many uneven lies around here as well. There are so many things to really think about.

“You have to hit different shapes and try to judge the wind as well. But I did a good job of just staying within myself, staying patient with the course. I did hit lots of quality iron shots. And today the putts went in as well.”

That is the sort of formula Smith will have to repeat over the closing 18 holes if he is to follow compatriot Adam Scott into the champion’s locker room. But with the weather forecast to be less windy and certainly a bit warmer, there will also be a need for more aggression amidst the requisite perseverance required to win at this elite level. To that end, Smith—a compulsive leader board watcher—will continue to pay attention to anything and everything going on around him.

“I believe in looking at what you need to do,” he said. “The goal today was to keep making birdies. I could see Scottie was making a few, so I was just trying to keep up.”

Still, amidst his inherent modesty, perhaps Smith’s biggest asset going forward is the confidence that has grown and flourished amidst his many recent successes. In that respect, he is the only rival to Scheffler’s three-win run over the last few weeks.

“My play this year has shown me I can get it done when I’m up against the best guys in the world,” said Smith. “It’s a good feeling to have. It’s earned. It’s not given to you. So, I’m going to have to go out there tomorrow and play really good golf again, probably similar to today. Hopefully everything falls into place. I can’t control what anyone else is going to do tomorrow. So, I’ll go out there and really focus on myself.”

• • •

MORE MASTERS 2022 STORIES
Scottie Scheffler’s big year has the chance to become historic on Sunday at Augusta
Every Tiger Woods Masters record
The entire field at Augusta, ranked
The history of honorary starters 
Now comes the hard part for Tiger
How will the amateurs get on at Augusta?

The post Masters 2022: Cam Smith seems like just the right player to overcome a big Sunday obstacle appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Enjoy an alternate history of Augusta National Golf Club in the latest edition of Golf Digest Middle East, plus a deep-dive on the most famous greens in golf and learn the secret to defending champion Hideki Matsuyama’s swing – and no, it’s not that pause at the top. Jim ‘Bones’ McKay explains why the first major of the year is the hardest event on caddies and Jim Nantz recalls Tiger’s epic 1997 victory.

Looking for a new fairway wood/hybrid? We have you covered in the latest instalment of Golf Digest’s 2022 Hot List. We also recap Georgia Hall’s runaway Aramco Saudi Ladies International victory and get a sneak peek of the Kingdom’s Safaa Golf Club, a place where golf and education happily co-exist.

All this and much more in the April 2022 edition of Golf Digest Middle East.

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

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

The post Get our special Masters preview edition of Golf Digest Middle East FREE here in both English and Arabic today! appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Throw in the tricky par-5 13th with the island green beforehand, and the par-4 15th hole after with no space to go left, and it is a stretch of holes that can be a scorecard deal-breaker towards the end of your round.

The 14th has water defence around the front and right side of the green with three bunkers dotted up the left to the back of the putting surface, leaving very little room for error. The wind predominantly plays slightly into and from the left-to-right, bringing that water into play and even more so if you slightly miss-hit your tee shot.

My advice is to favour the left side of the green when picking a target line. This portion of the green plays much deeper, so you have a larger area to hit.

Another reminder is that when it’s breezy, swing easy! Don’t feel stupid picking a club or two more, which will launch the baller lower and with less spin, thus helping that ball travel straighter with less effect from the wind. Good luck and enjoy the battle for the green jacket.

[divider] [/divider]

Matthew Brookes is a PGA teaching professional and golf-specific fitness trainer at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club’s Peter Cowen Academy Dubai.

The post How to play Dubai Creek’s answer to Augusta National’s famed par-3 12th appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Joel Beall
On Monday a man was sentenced to more than two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to a scheme involving badges for the Masters Tournament.

Stephen Freeman, 42, appeared last year in front of U.S. District Court to admit to a charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. From 2013 to 2017, the Freeman and his family obtained names from a bulk mailing list to create fake accounts within the Masters badge lottery, according to court documents. The Freemans created fake email addresses for these individuals, and when they won badges, false identities—using driver licenses, utility bills and credit card statements—would be used to contact Augusta National officials to send the tickets to a different address.

“These profiteering con artists thought they had succeeded in hijacking the Augusta National’s generous ticket lottery system to satisfy their own greed,” said U.S. Attorney Bobby Christine, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, in a statement.

The Freemans would then sell the badges through secondary markets for profit.

“The Masters is one of the world’s great sporting events, and tickets to the tournament are cherished by their fortunate recipients,” Christine said last year. “Using fraud and deceit to circumvent the Augusta National’s generous lottery system is despicable, and those who follow the rules in hopes of winning tickets deserve better than to have their chances diminished by profiteering con artists.”

Freeman’s sentence calls for 28 months in federal prision. His sister and parents pleaded guilty to the same crime. However, their pleas called for no jail time. The four will have to pay more than $275,000 in restitution, according to a release from Christine.

The post Man sent to federal prison for Masters ticket scheme appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Alex Myers
Augusta-area adults who count on the economic impact from the Masters each year are hopeful the annual golf tournament is held in November as planned. Regardless, the region’s kids will have a great time that week.

Aiken County on Tuesday became the latest area to modify its school schedule to accommodate the Masters by announcing the creation of a new fall break the week of Nov. 9, according to the Augusta Chronicle. Students will have that Monday through Friday off, although many will probably work at the tournament. This also allows families the opportunity to go away for the week and rent their homes to patrons without their kids missing any school.

Aiken followed the lead of Richmond County, where Augusta National Golf Club is located. Last month, the Augusta Chronicle reported the Richmond County Board of Education unanimously approved a new fall break that week as well, a testament to the importance of the tournament to the area.

In both cases, there are obviously scheduling tradeoffs. Those attending Richmond public schools will return from their summer break three days earlier and have a shortened Thanksgiving break. In Aiken, the extra time has been added to the end of the school calendar.

The Masters, originally scheduled for April 9-12, was postponed due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. Augusta National has been closed to its members during this time.

“In collaboration with the leading organizations in golf, Augusta National Golf Club has identified November 9-15 as the intended dates to host the 2020 Masters,” said Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley in a statement last month. “While more details will be shared in the weeks and months to come, we, like all of you, will continue to focus on all mandated precautions and guidelines to fight against the Coronavirus. Along the way, we hope the anticipation of staging the Masters Tournament in the fall brings a moment of joy to the Augusta community and all those who love the sport.

“We want to emphasize that our future plans are incumbent upon favorable counsel and direction from health officials. Provided that occurs and we can conduct the 2020 Masters, we intend to invite those professionals and amateurs who would have qualified for our original April date and welcome all existing ticket holders to enjoy the excitement of Masters week.”

The post Augusta-area schools make major changes to schedule to accommodate November Masters appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Tod Leonard
In the dizzying string of press conferences, announcements and cancellations in golf this week as the COVID-19 pandemic was declared a national emergency by President Donald Trump, there were many questions surrounding the game still to be answered. Not the least of which: When might it be safe enough for the pro tours to start playing tournaments again? We won’t have a real grasp of when that might be for a while—golf is hardly a priority as communities come to grips with trying to stop the spread of the virus. But there are a handful of other lingering queries for the sport that are worth exploring—and that can provide a pleasant distraction as we ponder them.

When will they play the Masters?

It will be with a bit of melancholy and an emptiness in our gut when we awake on April 9 and aren’t able to tune into the ceremonial drives of Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player that signify the start of the Masters. This was going to be a special one, too—the return of champion Tiger Woods, if his body was willing.

Augusta National Golf Club made it official on Friday that it was postponing the Masters to a future date this year. For an organization that has the reputation for being staid and set in its ways, there may not be another team in golf that could adapt to the crisis better. The club owns the course, has the financial wherewithal to be flexible and seemingly can get anything done. (They do, after all, buy up entire neighbourhoods and build tunnels under city streets.)

A view of the 12th hole at Augusta National Golf Club. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Public conversation about possible Masters dates has focused on two time periods that avoid the brutal heat of the Georgia summer. The first is in May, the last month the course is available before it closes for the summer. That might be enough time for coronavirus concerns to have subsided, and the Augusta National the course would present itself close to what it would be in April. Having it then also would mean the Masters results could be part of the FedEx Cup championship race, Olympic and Ryder Cup qualifying.

The problem is that the PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco is scheduled for May 14-17, and there are other marquee PGA Tour events at popular venues, including Colonial and Quail Hollow.

Choosing May also seems like taking an unnecessary risk. We’re in the early stages of the spread of the coronavirus in the U.S., and no one can guarantee that PGA Tour play will have resumed by then.

RELATED: Tour pros react to unexpected layoff

More likely for the Masters is a date in September or October. The FedEx Cup Playoffs are scheduled to conclude at the Tour Championship on Aug. 30, and there are a couple of gap weeks before the wraparound schedule begins in mid-September. ANGC would have to be mindful of the Ryder Cup, which is set for Sept. 25-27 at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin. The European Tour also hosts some of its bigger events, including the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, in September.

October, the month that the club traditionally re-opens for member play, brings more fall PGA Tour events, and one of them could be played concurrently with the Masters if the need arises. Let’s not forget that CBS will have some say in this, considering its sizable commitment to college and pro football in the fall.

A Masters in October, without the dogwoods and azaleas in bloom? It would be a little strange, to be sure, but still better than one played with no spectators, or not at all.

• • •

What’s the update on the other majors?

Before all of the cancellations last week, there were reports that the PGA of America was exploring potential backup sites for the PGA Championship should it have to move from San Francisco. The venue most mentioned was TPC Sawgrass, because the PGA Tour could accommodate staging a major on short notice.

But the nervousness seemed a bit overwrought, and the PGA of America affirmed it was committed to Harding Park. In reality, there doesn’t seem to be a plausible reason to leave San Francisco. Yes, it is as major city with a larger population and potentially more coronavirus cases, but June’s U.S. Open is scheduled for Winged Foot in the greater New York metropolitan area, and there hasn’t been much discussion about moving it to another venue.

The USGA, which has championships that run April through September, said on Friday it has not made any decisions about its schedule. It has the luxury of breathing room, as does the R&A, which is scheduled to hold the Open Championship at Royal St. George’s in Sandwich, England, in mid-July. The concern for the Open should probably be if any further travel restrictions are made, and if players will be comfortable making the trip overseas by then.

Given all this, all eyes will be on the PGA of America in the next few weeks as to whether the association will have to follow the lead of Augusta National and push back the PGA at Harding Park until later in the year.

• • •

What happens to the world rankings for men and women?

It might seem trivial to consider at this point, but the rankings do have an effect on players’ tournament access and livelihood. Though there has been no statement from those who oversee the Official World Golf Rankings or the Women’s Rolex Rankings, one possible option might be to freeze in both until play resumes.

Not having more opportunities to compete and thus influence the rankings could put some notable players in a tough spot. Phil Mickelson, for example, currently ranks No. 63 in the OWGR, and thus is outside the top 60 status that would qualify him for the U.S. Open. Depending on schedule choices when play resumes, Mickelson might have only a few chances to change his fortune; otherwise, he’s looking at Sectional Qualifying, because he’s said he won’t take a special exemption.

Chris Trotman/Getty Images

Tiger Woods, on the other hand, could be saved from taking a big rankings tumble from his current No. 11 spot if the rankings were frozen. His stunning 2019 Masters victory was due to be reduced from his points bank come mid-April.

• • •

Can the players expect further economic support from the tour?

Simple answer for now: no.

In an age of incredibly high sports salaries, it’s sometimes forgotten that golfers are independent contractors. There are the elite who earn more with a smile on a TV ad than they do with their swing, but the vast majority make their living by grinding week in and week out on the tour.

Even in these circumstances, there is no plan to change that model, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said on Friday.

As many Americans are experiencing in this crisis, losing a chance to earn a paycheck is painful. Take the example of Martin Trainer. He has played 14 times on the tour this season. That’s 14 weeks of travel, hotels, food, caddie pay, etc. His earnings thus far: $89,482. Or $6,391 a week, before his expenses.

Losing tournaments is more dire for competitors on the Korn Ferry Tour. Those players had three events taken away in Friday’s announcement of cancelations, and they last played a competitive round on March 1. Mito Pereira tops the money list with $181,883 in four events, but at No. 50, Greg Yates has earned what has to be a disheartening $23,166 in six starts. There are many players who have entered every event this season and have less than $10,000 to show for it.

The LPGA has had the toughest draw of all. They haven’t competed since the Women’s Australian Open in mid-February, and with an announcement on Friday they lost the three events on the domestic calendar, including the first major of the year, the ANA Inspiration. On the upside, the tournaments were postponed and not canceled, but there will be logistical issues to work out. For the Kia Classic, which was to be held in late March in Carlsbad, Calif., the tournament course at Aviara Golf Club is scheduled to be shut down for six months for renovation, so a new venue may have to be secured.

• • •

Where is Sungjae Im going to live and play?

Ben Jared

We chuckle (and ask this one mostly tongue in cheek) because when you know the talented 21-year-old’s circumstances, you realize what a strange time this is going to be for him.

The South Korean who grabbed his first PGA Tour title at the Honda Classic two weeks ago mentioned in a recent interview with Golf Digest’s Daniel Rapaport that he doesn’t have a home base in the United States. Instead, he lives in hotels with is parents as he travels to each tour stop. So where the heck is he going to settle for now? Warm climes seem likely and he was already in Florida. He’s going to have to find a place to practice, of course, but competing—that’s the real challenge. The guy is a golf-playing machine, having played eight of nine weeks on tour since the first of January. He’s going to have to find an outlet. Any men’s clubs need a ringer?

The post 5 lingering pro golf questions in the wake of the coronavirus appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.