By Kent Gray
The inaugural Golf in Dubai Championship proved a tale of Andy Sullivan’s speedy start and Antoine Rozner’s fast finish.

Sullivan did his best to win the new $1.2 million event wire-to-wire at Jumeirah Golf Estates after a sizzling start on Fire with his Wednesday 61.

But the game of catch me if you can proved irresistible to Rozner even if the 27-year-old Parisian admitted after securing his maiden European Tour title with a closing 64 that he had no idea where he stood on the leaderboard until the 72nd hole.

“It means a lot,” said Rozner who became the 14th first time winner on the 2020 Race to Dubai in his 24th appearance in a stellar rookie year. “It’s been such a strange year, we have been through so much all over the world and to be able to get it done in such nice fashion, eight under, it’s amazing.

“I’m going to be very honest with you, the first time I saw I was in the lead was when I was on the 18th green so I didn’t really look at the leaderboards.”

Winning in style @Workday #GolfInDubai

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) December 5, 2020

You had to feel for Sullivan who did little wrong all week. The only danger was a low final round from one of the 11 players who started Saturday’s final round within five strokes, especially if the Englishman stalled.

There was no hint of that when Sullivan birdied the 1st for the fourth successive day, this time with a drive, baby wedge approach to within four feet. Indeed, he still led with six holes to play as anticipated challenges from Matt Wallace and Renato Paratore crashed and burned in a flurry of double bogeys.

Rozner came close to his European Tour breakthrough when he and Paratore were pipped in a playoff at the Mauritius Open last December by Rasmus Hijgaard. But few saw him seriously challenging on Fire even after his three birdies in an outward nine played in 33 strokes.

But the Frenchman ‘s name when up in lights when he completed a hat-trick of birdies with a brilliant shot on the 261-yard par-3 11th which rolled ever closer off the left-hand camber of the green.

That’s how you use the contours ?

Rozner moves within one of the leader.#GolfInDubai pic.twitter.com/WwC9EN9dkX

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) December 5, 2020

His decisive move came on the 13th when a slightly pushed approach to the par-5 took a friendly hop off the fringe and set up an eagle putt he duly drained. There was a hiccup with a bogey in 15 but an immediate bounce-back birdie on 16 and a tap-in for another gain on 18 saw Rozner finish on -25.

We have a new leader ?

And what a way to do it @AntoineRozner.#GolfInDubai pic.twitter.com/c0YgDyNCQ0

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) December 5, 2020

Mike Lorenzo-Vera, who played some magnificent shots in a closing 65, finished in a four-way share of second on -23 with Sullivan, Wallace and Italian Francesco Laporta.

“Catch me if you can.”

The moment that secured @AntoineRozner‘s maiden Tour victory ?#GolfInDubai pic.twitter.com/vHnN4ESdMv

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) December 5, 2020

“I knew the game was there. I didn’t know it was that good but I’m excited. I knew I was in the final [next week’s DP World Tour Championship] already, it’s just a good way to finish the season. The biggest tournament of the year.

“I didn’t play any Rolex Series events this year so to be able to play such a big tournament will be a big thing for me, so I’m excited.”

The Race to Dubai deciding DP World Tour Championship begins on the neighbouring Earth course at JGE on Thursday.

Goal = @AntoineRozner‘s win secured his place in the season-finale next week.#GolfInDubai pic.twitter.com/aNk6FctZAP

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) December 5, 2020

Rasmus Højgaard
Lucas Herbert
Min Woo Lee
Sami Välimäki
Joël Stalter
Sam Horsfield
Collin Morikawa
Romain Langasque
John Catlin
Garrick Higgo
Callum Shinkwin
Robert MacIntyre
JB Hansen
Antoine Rozner

Rozner becomes the 14th first time winner this season.#GolfInDubai pic.twitter.com/viNROmTEiH

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) December 5, 2020

The post Parisian Antoine Rozner powers to maiden European Tour title on Fire appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Brian Wacker
While most of the sports world remains shut down due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, professional golfers are slowly making their way back in various forms.

On Monday, the European Tour announced that Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer are among a group of players who will compete in a virtual golf series dubbed the “BMW Indoor Invitational powered by TrackMan.”

The five-tournament series begins May 9 on the Old Course at St. Andrews, with other iconic European courses to be featured. Using TrackMan simulators, the players compete against each other in a stroke-play format from Monday through Wednesday. Play will then be shown on the European Tour’s social media channels each Saturday, and each tournament winner will receive $10,000 towards his chosen charity or relief fund.

Other players scheduled to compete include Bernd Wiesberger, Joost Luiten and Mike Lorenzo Vera.

“While the absolute priority for all of us has been and continues to be public health and well-being, we also recognize that golf fans are missing watching the leading players compete,” said Rufus Hack, the European Tour’s chief content officer. “Hopefully, the ‘BMW Indoor Invitational powered by TrackMan’ can help fill the void and provide our fans with some entertainment across the next five weeks whilst also benefitting charities or relief funds which have been so essential in the battle against coronavirus.”

After the first event at the Old Course, the next virtual tournament will be played at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, where Shane Lowry won the Open Championship last summer. Other courses to be featured are Golfclub München Eichenried in Germany, which annually hosts the BMW International Open; Spain’s Valderrama, site of the Andalusia Masters; and England’s Wentworth, home to the European Tour’s flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship.

The European Tour’s announcement about virtual tournaments comes after two televised live events in the U.S. have been set: TaylorMade Driving Relief on May 17, featuring a skins match between Rory McIlroy-Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler-Matthew Wolff, and The Match: Champions for Charity in late May, with Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning taking on Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady.

The post European Tour’s answer to golf’s downtime: two-man virtual tournaments on iconic courses appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
For the second straight year, Tommy Fleetwood had to endure another of those awful waits in the scorers’ hut to find out if he would be European No.1 again. Ditto last year when Ryder Cup pal Francesco Molinari snuck over the line, it ended in humble heartbreak once again as Jon Rahm did the Dubai double.

Spare a thought also for poor Mike Lorenzo-Vera, the courageous nearly man of European golf. It really is a cruel game the majority of the time.

When the anticipated final round charge from Rory McIlroy strangely failed to materialise, it was up to Lorenza-Vera and Fleetwood to put some pressure on after Rahm’s electric start, five birdies in the opening seven holes.

Just when it looked like the DP World Tour Championship and the order of merit title were locked up, Fleetwood hinted at back-to-back titles after coming back from six shots to win last week’s Nedbank Challenge.

The Englishman rattled off five birdies in a brilliant back-nine of 31 to sign for a 65 and the clubhouse lead at -18. But Rahm, with a closing birdie from the sand on 18, slammed the door shut, winning the DPWTC title for the second time in three years, and his first Race to Dubai title, by a single stroke.

“You know, there’s always going to be a little bit of disappointment there, but for the most part, I got myself back in it, and I am very proud of the way I played on that back nine,” Fleetwood said afterwards.

“You know, Jon’s time, Jon’s moment, he’s played unbelievable this year, and you know, fair play. Great birdie down the last …”

How do you stomach a second successive Race to Dubai silver medal?

“I feel fine. Couldn’t have done much more, really. You know, some of the putts they hit, some of the shots they hit coming down the stretch, it started looking like I could get back in it or might have a chance.

“Proud, really, of the way I played the last few holes. Proud of the end of the season, and these two weeks make the season just seem in a different light than it did would weeks before we started.

“Fair play to Jon. That’s a cracking birdie down the last when you have to make it. I’m absolutely fine.”

At least Fleetwood has a Race to Dubai title, not to mention five tour victories and a cool $2.08 million for finished second in both this event and the overall season, to nurse him to sleep. There’s no such luck for Lorenzo-Vera who eventually finished solo third on -17 and added so much to this week, standing tall in the cauldron that was Sunday on Earth. And yet, he will cruelly depart Jumeirah Golf Estates as the guy that’s gone 0-194 on the European Tour.

Thoughts on the finish, Mike, after coming so close and yet so far from a record $3 million payday, just two strokes shy of Rahmbo?

Lorenzo-Vera plays out of a bunker on the 17th at Earth on Sunday. Photo: Andrew Redington/Getty Images

“Yeah, disappointing. He [Rahm] looks like a bomber and he was hitting bomber on my head in the beginning with his putter. There you go,” said Lorenzo-Vera who stilled banked $592,500 for the best week’s work of his life.

“I was too far after seven holes [six strokes back]. Even if I try to come back, he gave me some help. You never know you can do this as long as you not do it. If you do it, you know exactly. I know I can be around and golf one day will give it to me.

“But it’s like a huge championship guys around me this week, Tommy and Rory and Jon. I did not expect anything else than what happened today. I knew if I was going to be 20-under, I had my chance. 17 was too short. That’s it.”

The post For Fleetwood and Lorenzo-Vera, there’s differing levels of Dubai heartache appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
For a player who is 0-193 on the European Tour and has openly admitted he doubts his ability to win, Mike Lorenzo-Vera sure is faking the consummate front-runner role surprisingly well on Earth.

The Frenchman has a chance to become the DP World Tour Championship’s first wire-to-wire champion after backing up his sizzling opening 63 with a pair of 69s to share the 54- hole lead with Jon Rahm.

Lorenzo-Vera braced himself for the “big dogs to bite me” on moving day at Jumeirah Golf Estates but held his nerve – all the way to the 54th hole and his water ball off the tee at least – to keep himself atop the leaderboard.

The 34-year-old knows the blowtorch will intensify Sunday as the finish line of the Race to Dubai season, and its final, record $3 million purse, comes into view. Tied at the top on -15 after a 66, Rahm has not only done what Lorenzo-Vera has never done before, he’s done it here at JGE for one of his three Rolex Series titles and five European titles in all. Suddenly atop the projected Race to Dubai standings, the Spaniard won’t lack any motivation and is clearly the type of closer Lorenzo-Vera would love to become.

Rory McIlroy, bouncing back from his Friday 74 with a bogey-free 65 despite his own closing hole hijinks on Saturday, knows a thing or 27 (worldwide titles) about winning too, meaning the odds are stacked against the unheralded world No. 96. 

But the calculated way he negotiated Earth on Saturday, save for another last hole bogey, hints at Lorenzo-Vera perhaps, just maybe, getting over the finish line for the biggest moment of his career.

With 18 holes to go ?#DPWTC #RolexSeries

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 23, 2019

Nearly 200 events on the European Tour, four times a runner-up. What’s the most important thing you’ve learnt that you can use tomorrow?

“That you don’t control anything except your mind. That’s the only thing you can control tomorrow, so I just hope for the same game plan and let’s see if the golf wants to give me something.”

Good luck with that. Even Lorenzo-Vera can’t block all those greenbacks from his mind, as much as a thus far elusive win would probably mean as much.

“It is in my mind for sure. I mean, maybe tomorrow you shoot like six-under and then you put your family out of any trouble for the rest of your life. So of course it’s going to add some pressure. But I don’t know, man, I’ll really try to focus on the game. We’ll see. Hopefully I’ll be shaking for the good reasons.”

Lorenzo-Vera promised not to push too hard on moving day and did that with smart, playing mistake-free golf all the way up to the 18th tee. There was ample quality too, three birdies on the final four holes of the outward nine bolstering a steady start before a bonus birdie on 14 via the rough and a partially televised call of nature further in the bushes up the right-hand side of the par 5.

A nice surprise ?

Did you think that was missing @MikeMlv?#DPWTC #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/IDvI1Zycb0

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 23, 2019

The bogey on 18 wasn’t quite the momentum he was looking for going into Sunday, a three-putt after he’d found the green in three despite his wet tee shot souring what had otherwise been a composed afternoon’s work.

Wire-to-wire winner? @MikeMlv has the chance to become the first in tournament history. #DPWTC #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/EuA9Q70k0W

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 23, 2019

“I think we messed up a bit with the choice of club off the tee on 18. That was not driver. It was a bit too aggressive, but, well, that’s the game and I tried my best. We know at least tomorrow in this wind it won’t be the driver on 18.

“Otherwise I think that I played better today than yesterday. Some better shots all day long.”

Lorenzo-Vera did play well but will surely struggle to sleep all night long with what is at stake.

“That’s one of the things I think about the most, to win in Dubai, only big names do it, and that would be really awesome for me for my confidence and my career to achieve that tomorrow would be really an awesome achievement.”

Few will give Lorenzo-Vera much of a chance, especially not with Rahm and Rory lurking. Maybe you can play like you’ve got nothing to lose? 

“ Well, I still have around 3 million to lose, maybe a little bit less. Yeah, mind-set is going to be the same. I’m going to try to be the most relaxed as I can, even if I won’t be, it’s going to be really a tough round.

“The guy [Rahm] has a collection of Rolex Series trophies and Rory and some other guys, if he shoots 7-, 8-under tomorrow, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone does it.”

The post How do you beat Rahm and Rory? For Mike Lorenzo-Vera it’s about not beating himself    appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
If it’s not another otherworldly addition to his own personal highlights reel on Earth, it’s another moment that makes Rory McIlroy seem, well, almost, mortal.

Mix it all together and the 30-year-old is still very much in the hunt for his fifth win of 2019 and third DP World Tour Championship title in six years. At -13 , the Northern Irishman lurks ominously just two strokes adrift of 54-hole co-leaders Jon Rahm and Mike Lorenzo-Vera.

The ‘shot of the year’ 3-wood he hit into 18 Thursday en-route to an opening 64, or the nearly as impressive eagle repeat he conquered up with a 5-wood to the 7th in a Saturday 65 will be hailed if McIlroy does go on to win.

Another amazing McIlroy 3-wood!

Another eagle. Now just two back.#DPWTC #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/byjcn5OByI

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 23, 2019

But it could just as easily be several what-ifs that are scrutinised if he falls just short come Sunday evening.

What if McIlroy hadn’t of inexplicably backed up his 64 with a score 10 strokes worse on Friday. Where did that come from? Perhaps even more puzzling was the world No.2’s decision to pull the trigger on a 5-wood from the semi-rough on his 54th hole Saturday when he was in two minds about the risky over water shot. Champions don’t genuinely take those half-hearted risks, not on Saturday evening.

In the end, there was no great harm done with McIlroy gritting out a par after taking a drop from the creek that winds its way up Earth’s closing hole. It also helped that Lorenzo-Vera bogeyed the last after getting wet off the tee to come back to the field and more specifically Rahm and McIlroy. But the decision not to trust his wedge game and impressive putting means McIlroy knows he probably let a birdie slip on the 54th hole. The way he looked ruefully to the heavens after his five-wood bounded into the water hinted at exactly that. You don’t win tournaments on Saturday evening. McIlroy will just hope he didn’t lose this tournament there.

“I wasn’t quite comfortable over the 5-wood on the second shot,” McIlroy said afterwards.

“It was in the semi-rough and I was thinking it could come out with no spin and if it did, the wind wouldn’t touch it and it would go long and that’s tricky, as well. So I was sort of in two minds of how the ball was going to come out and I didn’t really commit to it.

“Great up-and-down, and it was nice to see the ball slide in the right side and go bogey-free today was nice.”

That could be big for Rory…

He saves par on 18. Currently three back.#DPWTC #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/gE9WlQpSHs

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 23, 2019

It’s perhaps a little unfair isolating the 18th hole in what was a blemish-free day, on the scorecard if not from a course management standpoint. There was more short game wizardry and stroke-making like this that could have turned out much better:

Straight off the flag!?

Rory’s dialed-in ?#DPWTC #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/hFZAxc1P6X

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 23, 2019

But it’s not the first time McIlroy, who can make this maddening game look easy at times, has made a mental blopper like the rest of us regularly do. What he clearly does better than most is learn from his mistakes, as he did after Friday’s blowout to a 74 in the wind.

“Sometimes when I hit a lot of shots into the wind, I get a bit too much on my left side on the way down, and my left knee starts to go forward. My arms get too deep in the downswing and then I start missing it left, basically.

“So on the range last night, just trying to really feel like my left knee gets out of the way so my arms can come down in front of me a little bit more and I can start the ball a little bit more online. I just worked on that and thankfully it wasn’t as windy today. Still, I missed a couple of iron shots but I hit some good ones on the way in, which was pleasing.

“I think not just golf, but that’s what life is all about. It’s learning from what you do and being of a present mind so that you can learn as you go. As I said, I sort of figured out what I did wrong yesterday, and I was able to rectify it somewhat today and get myself back in the tournament.”

Fourth #DPWTC round of 65 or better for Rory

Nobody has more. pic.twitter.com/nJNE931DOR

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 23, 2019

Perhaps McIlroy will reflect on the 18th overnight as he prepares for his final round of the year.

“It would be really cool, especially with the guys that are up there around the lead. You’ve got Rahmbo is playing great. Tommy, obviously Mike is holding steady up there. I’ve got to play another really good round of golf tomorrow to have a chance, but yeah, it would be awesome to win around here again, and obviously cap off what has been a great 2019.”

The post McIlroy poised after lucky late escape in Saturday 65 appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Mike Lorenzo-Vera has a handy lead with just two laps of Earth to run in this Race to Dubai season despite a late stumble on Friday evening. All he’s got to figure out now is how not to completely trip over with the finish line begging at Jumeirah Golf Estates, a code he’s yet to crack in eight full seasons on the European Tour.

It’s tough enough with Tommy Fleetwood on your heels and suddenly in pole-position to become European No.1 for the second time in three years, much less with the three-starred Rolex Series event specialist Jon Rahm hanging tough in the season-long battle despite taking the last six weeks off. The Frenchman can also count on Rory McIlroy (74) dusting himself off after a thoroughly frustrating Friday and making a run for his fifth title of 2019 and third DP World Tour Championship.

But it’s not three of the game’s biggest names that will really worry Lorenzo-Vera after he  backed up his opening 63 with a topsy-turvy 69 to move to -12 at the halfway stage of the season decider, three shots clear of Fleetwood (68) and Rahm who closed out his 69 with an impressive eagle. Arguably the scariest name on the leaderboard is, well, Lorenza-Vera.

Scores after 36 holes in Dubai ?#DPWTC #RolexSeries

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 22, 2019

After 193 starts across 13 on and off seasons on tour, the 34-year-old is still searching for a maiden European Tour win. He admitted as recently as the Qatar Open in March that he was guilty of getting in his own way with self-doubt half the time.

“I had a great chat … with my psychologist, she’s been kicking my ass because I don’t believe in me and don’t believe in the fact that I can win,” Lorenza-Vera said at the time.

Almost as if on cue while in a position to win, he had to settle for a share of second place at Doha Golf Club, the first of two runner-up finishes this season after he also finished runner-up at the Andalucía Masters in June. The close calls are frustratingly rare – he was second at the 2008 China Open and lost a playoff to a Joakim Lagergren birdie at the Sicilian Open last season – and that only adds to the anxiety. In total, he can count a total of just 20 top-10s in his near 200 starts, a quarter of them this season.

To add a little more pressure over the final 36-holes, Lorenzo-Vera will be chasing the largest first place cheque in golf, all $3 millions of it, which could come close to doubling his career earnings of $4.77 million on the European Tour.

Did we mention the Frenchman is also struggling with a lingering lung infection picked up at the Nedbank Challenge last week?

No pressure then, Mike?

“I’ve got three shots lead and it’s better than three shots behind,” the world No.96 said after leading by as many as seven strokes on Friday only for dropped shots on the 16th and 18th, the latter courtesy of that tentative three-putt, to bring the fast-finishing Fleetwood and Rahm right back into it.

Not the finish MLV was after…

But another good round & the Frenchman leads.#DPWTC #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/Ew33myzEkF

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 22, 2019

“It’s just going to be stressful because it’s big dogs behind me that are going to try to bite me, so it’s going to be interesting.”

Lorenzo-Vera, coached by former Dubai, now U.S.-based instructor Justin Parsons, still believes despite the scary prospects for the weekend.

63-69 @MikeMlv ties the lowest 36 hole #DPWTC score. #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/RZis8GYNDW

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 22, 2019

“Tactically, I know what I have to do, and I know that the winds are going to be different this weekend. I’m not going to push more than what I’m doing now. I’m trying to trust my putter 100 per cent and that’s what I can do.”

What he can take into the weekend is the knowledge he outplayed world No.2 Rory McIlroy (74) by five shots on Friday.

Do you thrive in those situations, playing with the biggest of the big guns?

“Obviously I don’t have the energy to enjoy that [due to the after effects of the lung infection]. I’m just really trying to focus and just commit to the shots and let’s see what happens,” he said.

“I’ve played with him [McIlroy] a few times in competition and I struggled with him in the beginning because I over play. That was the game plan today. Don’t look at him. He’s going to hit bombs. He’s going to hit incredible iron shots sky high and stuff, and that’s not my game. Actually, I wasn’t too far from him all day long, so I was pretty happy about that.

“I played with him at the PGA Championship last year. That was some crowds and stuff, much louder than here. Feels like I’m getting used to play with him. That’s fine.”

The next test is to see how he fares in the company of Fleetwood in Saturday’s final two-ball. The answer to whether Lorenzo-Vera can cope with the name Lorenzo-Vera atop the leaderboard for the third straight day will become apparent from 12.45pm onwards.

Shots like this will help:

Magnifique, @MikeMlv! ??

Chip-in birdie. Leads by SEVEN.#DPWTC #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/hg6yHFISLb

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 22, 2019

And this:

Allez ?@MikeMlv off to the perfect start. #DPWTC #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/xpBRfGIbYj

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 22, 2019

The post Leader Lorenzo-Vera, wary of ‘big dogs’ out to ‘bite me’ expects a stressful Saturday on Earth appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
The second round of the 11th DP World Tour Championship is underway. Ahead of the final two-ball of leader Mike Lorenzo-Vera (-9) and Rory McIlroy (-8) heading off at 12.50pm, we gather the thoughts of the headline grabbers from Thursday’s final round to get you up to speed for Friday’s circumnavigation of Earth at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

RELATED: McIlroy – “I feel like the whole package is working pretty well”

JON RAHM (Solo 3rd after a 66)
Q: 66, give us your thoughts, no bogeys on the card?
RAHM: Really good, even though I tried my best to mess it up on the last hole. Really good round. Six weeks of not competing, out of all those six weeks, most of the five were not touching a club. Pleased with the way I’m performing. I could tell how rested I was mentally because on some holes — I never lost patience, I never really got down on myself and stayed with that positive attitude. I’m hoping I can keep playing solid and keep it for the next three days.

Q: What is the biggest challenge when you come back after six weeks?
RAHM: Honestly it was hard to kind of stop golf for a while, and then after a certain time, it was hard to pick it up again. So it was hard to get into that routine again. But once I came to the tournament, kind of switch, you get to the tournament, you get to grinding. I think it’s just getting the feel of putting, chipping, so I spent a lot of time doing that, a lot of short game, putting. The swing, I was feeling good, so all I had to do was make sure my pace was fast greens was good. So far it’s been good.

Q: Have you been looking at the leaderboard and stuff like that?
RAHM: Not really. The only time that it matters is when the last putt is made. Up until then it’s all possibilities and probabilities. Just try to look at what I have coming up the next three days, that’s about it. Get some good rest today and hopefully I can keep it going tomorrow.

[divider] [/divider]

BERND WIESBERGER (T14 after a 70)

Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Q. Thoughts on 2-under 70.
WIESBERGER: I put myself in tricky positions today. Had a lot of sand off the tee, unfortunately, and couldn’t attack, even though conditions were a little bit windy, but it’s still gettable. There’s low scoring. Again like last week, I came off a sloppy start and we hung in there and shot a couple under par, so that’s a positive.

Q. You start the event with your closest rival (Tommy Fleetwood), and he holes his first shot and birdies the second, what are you thinking at that stage?
WIESBERGER: You go out there, and feels a little bit like a Sunday for some reason, but it’s only the first day. Three more rounds of golf. We are going to get our momentum and we are going to have that, as well. It’s still a long week ahead but it definitely feels if you go out there, No. 1 and 2, it feels like you’re in a Sunday shootout in a way, but it’s not. There’s still 54 holes ahead of us and a lot can happen, and try to take the good with the bad and hopefully we get a couple golf breaks and score low the next few days.

Q. Tommy told us in 2017, the pressure was different from contention pressure because it’s an opportunity you might not get in your career. How was it for you?
WIESBERGER: It’s good. I try to cherish it as much as I can. I’m just thinking 72-hole tournament this week. I’m not trying to look at what is happening. I can’t control what Tommy, Matt, Shane and Jon are doing or any other of the 49 guys. So whatever is in my control, I try to do as good as possible, and I’ve done pretty well with that this year and no reason to change that. I’m trying to play for a tournament here and I’m trying to play for The Race to Dubai title, and if I do my very best to finish this tournament as high as possible, that’s all I can do. We’ll add it up at the end.

[divider] [/divider]

TOMMY FLEETWOOD (T4 after a 67)

David Cannon/Getty Images

Q: First person ever to eagle the first hole. Describe that from your point of view?
FLEETWOOD: Very nice start. Hit a great drive and then I actually didn’t expect the 9 to reach the pin. I knew it would be so close — a good shot. Can’t see it, so you just take people’s reaction, but it was the perfect start.

Q: 18 off the rocks, back in the fairway, these things don’t happen when you’re playing poorly.
FLEETWOOD: Well, the rocks are around the green — I played a couple of weeks ago and on the back nine, same thing. I’ll try and avoid that. Just take it as it comes and luck was on my side for a little bit today and last week, so just ride it while it’s there.

Q: In the wider context of hunting down Bernd Wiesberger, he saw how well you played today, but that’s a good platform and that’s what you’ve given yourself, isn’t it?
FLEETWOOD: Yeah, you can only put yourself out of it on day one. There’s a lot more to do. There’s 54 holes now. There are great players up there and all I can do is do my stuff. I’ve got three days of work left, really, until the end of the year. Just make the most of them. Stay very present. Keep doing my best on every golf shot and see how we can get on. I would love to be up there come Sunday but that’s a very long way away. I’ve got a little bit of practice tonight, have dinner and on to tomorrow.

[divider] [/divider]

ROBERT MacINTYRE (T21 after a 71)

David Cannon/Getty Images

Q: Thoughts on a 71?
MacINTYRE: I actually played good. Just got the wind wrong on a couple of occasions and I can’t hit my normal drive with right-to-left wind. It’s been like that since I was a wee boy. I try and hit the draw and it ain’t coming back when it starts out left. Just got the wind wrong a couple of times. My iron play is as good as it’s been. It doesn’t really normally let me down. Overall, positive.

Q: Much chat between you and fellow rookie of the year contender Kurt Kitayama out there?
MacINTYRE: Not too much. I wasn’t in the right frame of mind after the start on the back nine. Me and Greg were having a little chat to ourselves most of the way around. I try and get the chat going but a lot of the time, guys don’t want to, you just get the hint that they are not wanting to talk.

Q: Do you think this is going to go to the wire on Sunday?
MacINTYRE: I feel if I can get my game in shape tomorrow, I can get back in the golf tournament. Right now, happy enough to walk off 1-under par.

[divider] [/divider]

MIKE LORENZO-VERA (Leader after a 63)

Getty Images

Q. 63, tell us how you’re feeling and what’s going on with you?
LORENZO-VERA: Honestly I’m not the feeling well at all. I have no energy. I was down; I had say big lung infection in South Africa and a big treatment, and really feel bad on top of that.

Q: A 63, even though you’re feeling under the weather. Tell us about that?
LORENZO-VERA: Just one of those days where you try to put the ball in play. I played four holes yesterday as practise, and I felt that if I really relaxed a lot, just swing it, like 70 per cent or maybe less, ball was still flying pretty well. It’s like, all right. Relax. Try to be pretty clever and not too aggressive, and then the putter got hot. So that worked.

Q: What will you do to get ready tomorrow?
LORENZO-VERA: Nothing. Go in the room and have a nap and wait for tomorrow.

[divider] [/divider]

JUSTIN ROSE (T8 after a 69)

Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

Q. A round of 69 to start. 9-under is the lead in the clubhouse but how pleased are you with your performance?
ROSE: I mean, yeah, 9-under is a hell of a round. There’s enough wind to make it difficult. It was kind of a very un-Dubai like day, a bit grey and even a spotting of rain there for a little bit. But I played a bit more like Justin Rose today than I have done for a long time to be honest with you. Done some good work this last week on my week off and kind of got to the bottom of a couple moves that I’ve been doing really poorly. Drove the ball unbelievably well today. Felt like I left quite a few out there to be 3-under. So from that point of view, very, very happy with my start. Obviously score-wise, could be better, but I think I’ve been sort of out-scoring how I’ve been playing. So today for the first time in a long time, I kind of feel I’ve come off the golf course, feel like I’ve left a ton out there which is in some ways actually a more encouraging feeling.

Q. You’re no stranger to a big cheque, having won the FedExCup before, and you’ve also won this event, or its equivalent, when it was at Valderrama, and the winner of The Race to Dubai, as well. Did you ever think in that space of time since 2007 that you would be teeing it up with a first-place prize on The European Tour of $3 million?
ROSE: No, I think it’s fantastic. It’s a nice kudos for The European Tour to have a winner’s cheque that’s bigger than anything on the PGA Tour, but I know the FedExCup, the way they have arranged it now, it feels like a first place sort of prize money. But it’s still like the year’s-long bonus, is the way I still see it. Really, really cool and kudos to The European Tour for set things up like that in the playoffs, all this Race to Dubai run. Obviously last week Tommy pulled in a pretty good cheque and the week before Tyrrell. All the lads are smiling to be honest, and it would be nice to get in on the action.

[divider] [/divider]

TOM LEWIS (T4 after a 67)

Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Q: Great start, 67. How was that for you?
LEWIS: Yeah, really happy with that. Played really well all day. I holed an eagle putt on the last, made it extra special and hopefully I can just carry on playing the way I’m playing, thinking the way I’m thinking and if the putts drop, then you never know what’s going to happen on Sunday.

Q. Going back to the eagle on 18, after a dropped shot on a very difficult 17th to get your mind back on it?
LEWIS: Yeah, it’s a difficult hole. It’s an accessible hole. Today there’s going to be a lot of birdies — not a lot but there’s going to be a few birdies. I sort of chickened out and went a little bit right and sort of cost me. That’s probably the only shot I didn’t really commit to and sort of served me right a little bit. But if I can go out there and hit the shots I’ve been hitting and commit to everything I can, there should be plenty of birdies out there.

[divider] [/divider]

FRANCESCO MOLINARI (T8 after a 69)

David Cannon/Getty Images

Q: Your thoughts on that 69?
MOLINARI: Yeah, previous starts, my first rounds the last few weeks haven’t been great, so it’s nice to start the week better. Yeah, it was pretty tricky the first few holes. Breeze was up and then it seemed to calm down and then it’s kind of picking up again. I love is this place. It’s a great course. I think it’s a great challenge, especially when the wind is up. So looking forward to tomorrow.

Q. You said recently that you’ve not felt quite yourself since the Masters. You know, unfortunate to miss out there, Tiger Woods ended up winning that one. What have you learnt in that journey from then till now and how close do you feel to being back where you were, because it was an amazing year last year.
MOLINARI: Yeah, the first few months of this season were equally as good. Yeah, I mean, what I was trying to say, really, was it would be silly not to say that the results have been different. Unfortunately, I can’t quite point out the reason why, but yeah, there’s definitely some technical issues I think in the swing that it’s a bit uncharacteristic maybe for me. But I’ve hit some pretty poor shots in the last few months, and so yeah, we are working on it. You know, golf takes time, unfortunately, to figure out what exactly is going wrong. But yeah, in the meantime, I feel like my putting and my chipping are improving. I think there are signs that things are trending in the right direction. I’ve had a few good rounds in the last few weeks. Obviously, yeah, the consistency throughout the week is not quite there yet, and I think that’s down to the misses. If the misses are too bad off the tee, especially, which I’m not used to, I’m not very good at playing out of the rough and bunkers and stuff like that, so I need to get it back in the fairway.

The post They said it…The best quotes ahead of the second round of the DPWTC appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Engrave Rory McIlroy’s name on the DP World Tour Championship trophy for a third time and lock in Tommy Fleetwood for a second Race to Dubai title in three years.

There’s still an awful lot of golf to be played at Jumeirah Golf Estates and plenty of combatants fighting for other outcomes but at least the first of those two scenarios look likely after the big names fired on Earth Thursday.

Struggling with a lung infection picked up in South Africa last week, Mike Lorenzo-Vera owns the first round lead after a 63 that added credence to the age-old cliché that warns all to be wary of the sick golfer. The Frenchman’s nine-under-par circumnavigation of Earth could have been even better but for a bogey on the par-3 4th which took some of the gloss of a par-eagle-birdie start.

But the story of the opening day of this 11th European Tour season-decider at JGE belonged to McIlroy who sensationally capped a 64 with an eagle on 18 courtesy of a 291 yard three wood to five feet from a hanging lie. It was McIlroy’s 10th score of 66 or better on Earth and the way the Northern Irishman is driving his TaylorMade TP5, it will come as no surprise to see him add to his 2013 and 2015 wins come Sunday evening.

World class @McIlroyRory!#DPWTC #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/N0RL22CsCY

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 21, 2019

Lorenzo-Vera and the likes of Jon Rahm, the 2017 champion here who opened his week with a six-under 65 to sit solo-third overnight, aren’t about to concede the DPWTC to McIlroy just yet but will know that McIlroy’s opening salvo included a bogey on 12 and a couple of birdie putts that lipped out on the slippery greens.

Fleetwood, meanwhile, signed for a 67 to share 4th alongside English compatriot Tom Lewis, a shot better than Dubai–resident Rafa Cabrera Bello and Swede Marcus Kinhult.

While McIlroy ended strong, Fleetwood started fast, holing out for an eagle on the par-4 1st and then getting up and down from a front bunker on the second for birdie. The Englishman, one of four players still in the hunt to edge Bernd Wiesberger for the Race to Dubai title, was six under par through 10 holes but traded two bogeys and a birdie over the closing holes to lose some of his early momentum. Fleetwood couldn’t book-end his round a birdie but will take his pa on the 18th and run after his drive hit the rocks and bounced onto terra firma.

Luckiest bounce of the year?@TommyFleetwood1 ?#DPWTC #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/Juy25TKjre

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 21, 2019

Wiesberger showed grit after spending plenty of the early part of his opening round in sand. Three times the Austrian fought back from one over the card, a birdie on 18 eventually seeing him settle for a two-under 70 and a share of 14th overnight. It helped holing bombs like this:

Uphill left to right
Downhill right to left

The Race to Dubai leader holes a monster ?#DPWTC #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/v6BVczzNye

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 21, 2019

The beauty for Wiesberger is that he has time and plenty of Race to Dubai points on his side although he will be well aware of the fast starts from Rahm and Fleetwood, half of the quartet capable of eclipsing him to become European Tour No.1 for 2019.

Scores after 18 holes in Dubai ?

If things stay the same Bernd Wiesberger would win the Race to Dubai. #DPWTC #RolexSeries

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 21, 2019

The other half of the contending foursome have much work to do with Matthew Fitzpatrick in a share of 21st place after a one-under 71 and Open champion Shane Lowry struggling to an one-over 73.

Danny Willett’s title defence is off to a three-under start while honours are even in the two-horse race for the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie-of-the-Year after former MENA Tour winner Robert MacIntyre and reigning Oman Open champion Kurt Kitayama signed for 71s to sit alongside Fitzpatrick.

The post Lorenzo-Vera leads with 63 but all eyes on McIlroy after sensational eagle finish appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
The UAE’s highest profile teaching professional has accepted a plum role at a prestigious club in the United States that boasts five PGA Tour players, including major champions David Love III and Zach Johnson, among its membership.

Justin Parsons will join Sea Island Golf Club on St. Simons Island in Georgia in February after establishing himself as one of the game’s most promising teaching talents during 14 years in Dubai.

The 42-year-old Northern Irishman will finish up as Director of Instruction at the Butch Harmon School of Golf, Dubai at The Els Club on Nov. 30 after opening the facility with Claude Harmon III in 2008-09.

RELATED: The rise and rise of Justin Parsons

The move will allow him more regular access to major champions Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel and star-in-waiting Peter Uihlein. Parsons is currently working with the trio at the CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges, the latest PGA Tour stop in Korea. He will also continue working with leading Dubai amateur Rayhan Thomas who is headed to Oklahoma State University next year, as well as European Tour Frenchman Mike Lorenzo-Vera.

Parsons announced the appointment, a long held secret among the UAE golf industry, on Twitter Thursday:

I am thrilled to announce that I will be joining the instruction team at The Sea Island Golf Performance Center in 2019. @seaislandgpc @SeaIslandResort pic.twitter.com/DMriKJNQay

— Justin Parsons (@JParsonsGolf) October 18, 2018

Bryan Harman and Patton Kizzire, both two-time winners on the PGA Tour, and Keith Mitchell, 67th in last season’s FedEx Cup standings, are also attached to Sea Island G.C., where Love’s father, Davis Milton Love Jr, was one of the first teaching professionals.

Love III boasts the 1997 PGA Championship and two Players Championships among his 21 PGA Tour wins while Johnson won the 2007 Masters and 2015 Open.

That Parsons is an indirect replacement at Sea Island for Billy Horschel’s coach Todd Anderson speaks volumes of the Dubai instructor’s growing reputation in the U.S.

Anderson reportedly departed the Sea Island Golf Performance Centre team in 2016 and Sea Island have waited for the right fit as a replacement. Parsons was alerted to the potential opportunity via a Titleist contact and after initially meeting Titleist Performance Institute co-founder and golf fitness guru Randy Myers, flew to Georgia with his wife Cheryl for an interview learning centre manager Craig Allan just before the U.S. Open in July.    

“It’s a very, very tough decision to leave Dubai,” Parsons told Golf Digest Middle East from chilly Jeju Island in South Korea. “It’s been our home, a wonderful place to raise our family and has given me the opportunity to grow and do things that I could never have done anywhere else and I’ll be forever grateful for that. 

“But having made the amounts of trips I’ve made this year as my career has kind of progressed to the PGA Tour, I was looking for something that would allow me to maintain that growth and also give me a base to work from.

“The guys at Sea Island have certainly said that’s what they want. They want somebody who is a good full swing golf coach who can try and get close to what Todd had done there as well as travelling on the PGA Tour and representing what is a very prestigious facility.”

Parsons, who got his break in Dubai at The Address Montgomerie Dubai, admitted leaving the high-profile Harmon network was a massive call. His replacement at The Els Club, Dubai training centre has yet to be formally unveiled but is understood to be a coach with a global profile.

“Obviously I opened up with Claude in 2008 [at the Els Club, Dubai], in 2009 we opened the Golf School [Butch Harmon School of Golf, Dubai], so I’ve been there since the inception,” Parsons said.

“So although I’m not with the Harmon family anymore, I’ll always be part of the Harmon family and their framework.

“Career wise it allows me to continue to develop my own instruction on the PGA Tour. I’m getting more use to what the players need, I’m getting more use to the pressures they have to deal with and how to assist them day to day, not only with their swing but the linkage with their physical therapists, their medical teams, their caddies. I’m becoming better at being able to do all of that.

“I’m really thankful for the opportunity Dubai has given me to grow and obviously this ongoing opportunity.”

We are excited to announce that Justin Parsons @JParsonsGolf is joining our Instruction team in 2019.
A native of Northern Ireland, Justin will bring the skills and knowledge he shares with students such as @CA_Schwartzel @Louis57TM @PeterUihlein @SeaIslandResort pic.twitter.com/rH3fEjC6tw

— Sea Island GPC (@seaislandgpc) October 18, 2018

The post UPDATED: Parsons lured to prestigious Georgia club where Davis Love III launched his World Golf Hall of Fame worthy career appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Welcome to the first edition of The Sand Trap, where we scour the worldwide inter-web for the Middle East’s best golf news before expertly splashing it out with absolutely no (okay, sometimes a little) spin. Call it old school polishing (reporting) of today’s social media overload, a light-hearted take on everything that is great about golf in the game’s hottest destination.

We’re unapologetically Middle East centric – our colleagues at Golf Digest H.Q. in New York will continue to update you on the best global goings on via ‘The Grind’ and the ‘Dew Sweeper’ – so if it has even a tenuous link to the game here, we’ll be all over it.

If you win a title and your club does the needful online, check in here – you might just feature (remember to smile and share!) alongside the region’s more high profile players. Don’t be shy to share that viral worthy post either. A trick shot or a laughter educing whiff from one of your golfing pals perhaps? Simply tag us @GolfDigestME and we’ll do the rest. Who knows, you really could go global with the assistance of Golf Digest.

With that, enjoy this, your first escape from with the Sand Trap, which we coincidently launch just as the year’s final major is about to take the starter’s orders in St. Louis. Enjoy.

THIS WEEK IN THE INCREDIBLE RISE AND RISE OF JUNIOR PHENOM JOSH HILL

Before we head to Bellerive Country Club for the 100th staging of the U.S. PGA Championship, divert your attention, Dear Sand Trappers, to Royal Dornoch where they’ve apparently been golfing since 1616. That’s 402 years ago according the abacus at Media One Towers, or 388 years since Josh Hill was born right here in Dubai. The drawn out connection here is that Hill is set to tee it up at Dornoch on Tuesday as England opens the defence of its Boys Home Internationals title. And that’s as stunning as the fabled Scottish highlands links land hosting the matchplay event where each team faces the other over three days in five morning foursomes and 10 afternoon singles matches each day.

Hill’s selection to the U-18 England team – remember he’s 14! – continues a meteoric rise. It wasn’t that long ago he was posing with Ryder Cuppers Andy Sullivan and Rory McIlroy as a wide-eyed 12-year-old having just played the DP World Tour Championship Pro-Am at JGE, coinsidently where he trains.

That was late 2016. Fast-forward to early 2018 and Hill marked himself as the hottest prospect in UAE golf since the emergence of Rayhan Thomas, courtesy of eight wins in a magical three month stretch to April. It will be fascinating to see how Hill fares in the pressure-filled matches against Scotland, Wales and Ireland as England aim for a title three-peat. Whatever happens at Dornach, Dubai looks to have unearthed a genuine gem. Best wishes to Josh and kudos to his supportive parents Russell and Jo and Butch Harmon School of Golf Dubai instructor Joe Marshall. All can be justifiably proud of the unexpected international call-up.

JP ON THE ROAD (AGAIN) TO THE 100th PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

Talking of the BHSG Dubai, the stock of the Els Club Dubai-based academy’s Director of Instruction, Justin Parsons, continues to rise. ‘JP’ has been criss-crossing the globe recently working with former major champions Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen who are now firmly ensconced in a stable that also includes Peter Uihlein, Frenchman Mike Lorenzo-Vera and the aforementioned Rayhan Thomas. The Northern Irishman was in Akron last week and departed for the PGA Championship thoroughly encouraged by Schwartzel’s storming finish to the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, a 63 at Firestone Country Club propelling the former Masters champion up to a share of 31st with, among others, Tiger Woods.

Great to watch @charlschwartzel get it going today- 63 to finish the week strong. Firestone is a great venue and will be missed, glad I saw the last one. On to the @pgachampionship

A post shared by Justin Parsons (@jparsonsgolf) on Aug 5, 2018 at 1:07pm PDT

Here’s more of JP’s recent handiwork (scroll through the Insta post to see Oosty and Schwartzel in practice at Firestone).

Great to be in Akron for the WGC!!

A post shared by Justin Parsons (@jparsonsgolf) on Jul 31, 2018 at 6:12pm PDT

Parsons was headed to Bellerive (Schwartzel, Oosthuizen, Uihlein and Lorenzo-Vera are all in the field) overnight via a road trip with International Sport Management (think Chubby Chandler’s company) player manager Louis Martin in an RV.  (FYI, Oosthuizen and Uihlein are ISM clients).

So the NFL Hall of Fame is here, flights are full. This legend and I are taking a road trip from Akron-St Louis in an RV. Story to follow- seems like a good idea ????? @ Firestone Country… https://t.co/PtJyDK0xQT

— Justin Parsons (@JParsonsGolf) August 5, 2018

It’s a pretty epic sounding trip – all 900km of it – and we do hope JP shares some footage as promised. What we can guarantee, cough, cough, splutter, splutter, is that it’s not the final destination for the UAE’s best known coach. Again, watch this space.

Related: Woods, Rory and WGC-Bridgestone champion Thomas paired for PGA

TALKING OF GLOBE-TROTTING UAE PROS

With the mercury at sizzling point and the UAE’s driving ranges relatively empty as a result, it’s an ideal time for the UAE’s hard working PGA teaching professionals to grab some well-deserved R&R. And some, like Trump International Dubai head pro Sven Nielsen, are doing it better than most as these epic pictures from Scotland highlands illustrate.

Some breathtaking views at @carnegielinks with the guys yesterday!! Great to play in 20 degrees again. #summergolf #golf #golfer #greatgolfcourse #views #unreal

A post shared by Sven Nielsen (@svennielsenpga) on Aug 3, 2018 at 11:17am PDT

The Carnegie Club at Skibo Castle is a private club “offering limited tee times to non-residents”. As a former pro at Trump Turnberry, we’re guessing Nielsen didn’t have too much trouble getting on. He certainly had little trouble playing his Tiger-esque stinger:

Little 2-iron stinger here!!! ???? Amazing day at @carnegielinks with @msweenie_golf @rob.satterley.golf and @calsatterley what a phenomenal golf course and experience!! Thanks for having us!!! #golf #golfer #golflesson #golfcoach #greatcourse #greatgolfcourse

A post shared by Sven Nielsen (@svennielsenpga) on Aug 2, 2018 at 4:55pm PDT

Nice shot, Sven. But perhaps not quite as flush as your recent ace at Trump.

?HOLE IN ONE? today for me while playing with one of my clients. 145yards PW. ???? #golf #golfer #holeinone #golfcoach #golflesson @trumpgolf @trumpgolfdubai

A post shared by Sven Nielsen (@svennielsenpga) on Jul 20, 2018 at 11:52pm PDT

We’re genuinely happy for the hard-working South African but won’t be so generous if the Springboks show as much class in the upcoming Rugby Championship. Did we mention the team behind the Sand Trap are ardent supporters of the All Blacks?

LUKE’S PRO V1 JOY

Just like the mighty All Blacks, we love golf swag at the Sand Trap, especially swag of the, well, you know, free kind. Check out the booty MENA Tour player Luke Joy has just recieved from a couple of well-known sponsors.

Huge thanks to @GOLFPRINCIPLES @callawaygolf @Callaway_Mat for all the help with getting the new X- Forged irons set up ?Awesome service and superb product come as standard! Many thanks guys?#golfprinciples #lukejoygolf #callaway #rogue #trackman pic.twitter.com/erN0cnP3Nj

— Luke Joy (@JoyBoy59) July 28, 2018

Always great to get a delivery from @titleistukireland / Africa Thanks @titleist for keeping me stocked up… I use the Pro V1 X Ball and Players glove?. #1 #1ballingolf #prov1x #golf #titleist #golfball #lukejoygolf

A post shared by Luke Joy – ‎ليوك (@lukejoygolf) on Aug 3, 2018 at 10:48am PDT

Nice. We’re guessing these shiny new spheres will travel a little further than the tee shot of Joy’s brother Ollie during a recent social round.

So bit of social golf today with my Bro @ollie_joy85 and Cousin at Queens Park GC… Both didn’t make it past the ladies tee… Rules are Rules ? #queenspark #sunshine #pantsdown #golf #keepingitfun #ladiestee #familygolf #family #priceless #bournemouth #england #funinthesun #chef #aussie #lukejoygolf

A post shared by Luke Joy – ‎ليوك (@lukejoygolf) on Aug 2, 2018 at 1:55pm PDT

Rules are rules but enough of those shenanigans. The Yas Links-attached Englishman is just back from a steady 12th place finish in last week’s Sunshine Tour stop in Kenya, an encouraging bounce-back after playing like a complete plonker – his words, not ours – in Open Championship qualifying. 

Joy still has designs on a European Tour card via Q-School ahead of a series of starts on the Sunshine and Asian Tours towards the end of 2018 “with the end goal of punching a ticket to secure European Tour status or at least have some events with a full playing category on the Challenge Tour”.

“I’m working hard with Matt Parker down at Yas so all seems to be working towards the ET for the coming years.”

Here’s hoping, although don’t be surprised if you see more off the course action on JoyBoy59’s twitter feed in the coming weeks; the 30-year-old Dorset pro is getting married at the end of the month. We’re sure fiancée Lauren-Leanne Bellows wouldn’t mind a prolonged honeymoon following hubby to some of the European Tour’s more exotic locales.

To be fair, Joy will need to keep winning to continue to afford experiences like this watching his beloved England in the World Cup.

Thanks for an amazing few weeks @England … You got a whole nation believing, dreaming and singing! Gutted yes, but the future looks very promising for this young side ???????#threeloins pic.twitter.com/BarrHQw8br

— Luke Joy (@JoyBoy59) July 11, 2018

JoyBoy indeed!

FRIENDLY REMINDER #1

It’s not long now until the climax of the European Tour season at JGE. In fact, it’s 99-days until the DP World Tour Championship. Follow the prompt for free tickets, Sand Trappers.

Only #100daystogo until the #greatestplayersonearth return to @JumeirahGolfEst for the #dpwtc. Register for free general admission now #racetodubai pic.twitter.com/MOX8le3aOw

— DP World Tour Championship (@DPWTC) August 5, 2018

DUBAI TROPHY BLAST FROM THE PAST

Former head pro Malcolm Young is clearly in a nostalgic space as he packs up after 10½ years at Arabian Ranches to take up a new posting in Hong Kong. Or perhaps he just found this picture as he was clearing out some clutter.

Either way, it’s a cool rewind to the 2010 Dubai Golf Trophy which the professionals snuck by a solitary point. The Pros will miss Young’s talents next winter as they try to avert a fourth straight loss to the EGF’s best amateurs, but not half as much as the quietly spoken Scot’s old clientele at Ranches. Dubai’s loss is the Jack Nicklaus Academy of Golf’s gain. Yup, that’s how highly rated Young is.

ANOTHER SAD FOND FAREWELL

There are leaving dos and then there’s the way Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club do the leaving do. Stick with us here.

How about honouring New Zealand-bound course superintendent Marty Brown with his own golf tournament.

Marty Brown, our Golf Course superintendent is leaving (after 12 years service). Come down and join us on his farewell golf day on 10 August.#golf #sharjah #sharjahgolf #golfindubai #farewellgolf pic.twitter.com/KpYl2d4qRF

— Sharjah Golf & SClub (@SharjahGolf) August 2, 2018

A classy move from a club that is making a habit of doing classy things and best of all, there’s still time to farewell Brown by entering the event.  The Kiwi leaves huge steel-capped boots to fill after presenting SGSC in pristine condition for the last two Staysure Tour (formerly European Senior Tour) Sharjah Senior Golf Masters events. Go well Marty. Oh, and I’m sure you’ll join us in wishing the Mighty All Blacks all the best as well. We did warn you!

TODAY’S TEAR-JERKER

Okay, here’s the Sand Trap’s first tenuous Middle East link. Sure Justin Thomas hasn’t played in the Desert Swing yet – perhaps the American will be the star draw at January’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship or even the OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic? – but we just couldn’t ignore his win in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational overnight. More to the point, we loved that JT’s grandparents were on hand to see his third win of the season at Firestone.

What a day for the family

A post shared by Justin Thomas (@justinthomas34) on Aug 5, 2018 at 7:59pm PDT

What a keepsake that pic will be. And now on to Bellerive with Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy set to push Thomas all the way in his defence of the Wanamaker Trophy. Golf is deep. Really, really deep as this 72nd hole drive from JT shows. And to think McIlroy hit a 400+ yarder in the final round at Firestone.

JT’s 394 yards drive at the 18th is the second longest drive ever hit on the final hole at Firestone (396, Tiger in 2003). ・・・ #WGCBridgestone Repost #europeantour

A post shared by Golf Digest Middle East (@golfdigestme) on Aug 5, 2018 at 9:54pm PDT

GEORGIA ON OUR MINDS

The newly-minted Ricoh Women’s British Open champion has been a perennial contender at the OMEGA Dubai Ladies Classic is recent years so there’s a genuine Middle East link to this snippet.

Stunning moment @RICOHWomensBrit #champion @georgiahall96 and a crowd of very #excited youngsters just shows what a young #homegrown #talent can do for #golf #congratulations #georgiahall @ricoheurope @CallawayGolfEU @goodwood_golf #berenberg @RandA @GettySport pic.twitter.com/gw0NORULmW

— David Cannon (@Cannonball63) August 5, 2018

And these stunning pictures are from our favourite golf photographer too, UAE regular David Cannon. Enjoy.

David Cannon

David Cannon

David Cannon

David Cannon

THE GULF CLUB

How about the play of David Baldwin and Leighton Johnson in capturing the EGF’s Summer Pairs Open sponsored by Golf Superstore. Check out all the action in his post from Al Ain Equestrian Shooting and Golf Club:

Looks like they were having fun in the sun (okay, blistering heat) at Abu Dhabi and Saadiyat Beach Golf Club too in annual Troon Executive Card Summer Series.

We had fantastic TEC Summer Series over the weekend at Abu Dhabi Golf Club and Saadiyat Beach Golf Club. Thank you all for your participation and congratulations to the winners! #playgolf #troongolf

A post shared by Saadiyat Beach Golf Club (@saadiyatbeachgolfclub) on Aug 5, 2018 at 4:58am PDT

We had fantastic TEC Summer Series over the weekend at Abu Dhabi Golf Club and Saadiyat Beach Golf Club. Thank you all for your participation and congratulations to the winners! #playgolf #troongolf

A post shared by Abu Dhabi Golf Club (@abudhabigolfclub) on Aug 5, 2018 at 5:01am PDT

The winners were grinners in the fourth round of the Summer BMW X5 Series Open Social at Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club too.

Aurn & Vivian win. The fourth round of the Summer BMW X5 Series Open Social was hosted on the 4th August 2018. The format was Betterball medal on the front nine and a Texas Scramble Medal on the back nine. The duo returned net 35 (1 under par) in the betterball & net 30 (6 under par) in the nine hole Texas Scramble format. Giving the pair a combined score of 65, 7 under par. Congratulation to both! @bmwmiddleeast #golf #sharjahgolf #sharjah #greatprizes #summergolf #winners

A post shared by Sharjah Golf (@sharjahgolf) on Aug 5, 2018 at 5:38am PDT

WE. CAN’T. STOP. WATCHING.

Finally, if you’re not already following us on Instagram, here’s a couple of recent posts that should entice you to sign-up at golfdigestme:

Father and son weekend goals. ?‍?

A post shared by Golf Digest Middle East (@golfdigestme) on Aug 2, 2018 at 1:38pm PDT

Talk about father-son goals.

And then there is this in the latest installment of Phil Being Phil, just in case you missed it (quite how that is possible is beyond us).

In My Philings ???

A post shared by Golf Digest Middle East (@golfdigestme) on Aug 2, 2018 at 9:35pm PDT

We don’t know what Lefty’s Dad dance is so weirdly alluring. But… We. Can’t. Stop. Watching. At least it was better than his running putt in the U.S. Open. But lets move on, maybe by watching again. Until next time…Wow Phil. Just wow.

The post Welcome to the ‘Sand Trap’, a social media take on all things Middle East golf appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.