And yes, people rolled their eyes at Earl Woods when he predicted Tiger would win 14 majors before he even turned pro, but guess what? Woods actually won FOURTEEN majors. So far, the biggest news surrounding any of LaVar’s overexposed offspring is that one got arrested for shoplifting in China. Maybe it’s time to cool it on those prognostications.

Anyway, as you can see, LaVar is featured prominently in our video, “The Biggest Sports Turkeys Of 2017,” but we’re sticking to golf here because there’s plenty to chew on as we head into Thanksgiving. Let’s dive in.

WE’RE BUYING
Austin Cook: This former Monday qualifying sensation finally has a full season to impress on the PGA Tour and wasted little time with his maiden victory at the RSM Classic. It’s tough to play much better than Cook, who only missed 12 greens all week and got up-and-down on 11 of those occasions. “Yeah, I slept terrible last night,” Cook said of having the 54-hole lead. Well, he can rest easier knowing he’s basically got three more seasons of fully exempt status. Although falling asleep in Augusta this April might be a challenge.

John Rahm: So much for that “controversy” surrounding Rahm being named European Tour Rookie of the Year. By winning the tour’s season finale, he jumped to No. 3 on the season-long Race to Dubai list and to No. 4 in the Official World Golf Ranking. All this just a week after turning 23. Combine Rahm’s season with what Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth have done in recent months and it’s not a stretch to say that the three best golfers in the world right now are all 24 or younger. Also, congrats to Tommy Fleetwood for hanging on to win the Race to Dubai. Good thing he got one of those under his belt, because at 26 he’s practically a fossil.

Lexi Thompson’s 2017: The numbers don’t lie, this was the best year of Thompson’s career so far. She “only” won twice, but she claimed the Vare Trophy for best scoring average on the LPGA and she also captured the season-long Race to the Globe title thanks to a runner-up at the season finale. But. . . Yeah. . .

WE’RE SELLING
Lexi Thompson’s final par putt of 2017: That was rough to watch. A (maybe) two-footer for likely the win and the honor of LPGA Player of the Year and. . . well, you know. Of course, you also know what happened to her at the season’s first major when a belated four-shot penalty cost her that title. Those are two pretty rough things to happen in one year to the same person. The $1 million bonus should soften the blow a bit, though.

Sam Greenwood

Unfortunately, the whole situation short-changed Ariya Jutanugarn, who birdied four of her final six holes, including draining the winning 25-footer moments after Lexi’s miss. As excited as we are about the sub-25 stars in men’s golf, the women’s game has even more.

This “ban golf” piece: Criticizing someone else’s writing is risky if you don’t have any Pulitzers to your name, but Joel Beall did a nice job here deconstructing this terrible column that trashes golf. Golf is by no means perfect — and neither is the writing of Joel or myself — but if you’re going to knock an entire sport and all those who play it without any facts and by drawing absurd parallels to serial killers, you deserve to be ripped.

Brandt Snedeker’s new diet: We’re happy Snedeker is back after an extended break due to a rare (for a golfer) sternum joint injury, but we’re saddened by the new diet he’s been advised to obey. His two main eating rules now are no sugar and no carbs, which means there’s not a single food in the world he can enjoy anymore. “A miserable, kind of boring diet to say the least,” Snedeker told reporters at the RSM Classic. Poor bastard.

ON TAP
The PGA Tour heads to. . . wait a minute, the PGA Tour is off! And so is the LPGA! Despite just wrapping up its season finale, though, the European Tour gets cranking on its next season right away with the UBS Hong Kong Open. The Race to Dubai never stops!

Random tournament fact: Miguel Angel Jimenez became the oldest Euro Tour winner ever at this event in 2012. And then he broke his own record the following year at 49 years, 337 days. What a stud.

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK
— Miguel Angel Jimenez is cutting anything out of his diet in 2018: 1 MILLION-to-1 odds
— Tiger Woods will win a major in 2018: 20-to-1 odds (Actual odds)
— Brandt Snedeker would cry at the sight of a delicious deep-fried turkey: LOCK

PHOTO OF THE WEEK
Sorry Lexi, but we still can’t believe you missed this putt:

Tim Bradbur

OK, that’s it. No more Lexi or LaVar talk for the rest of this post. Moving on to happier things. . .

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK
The European Tour continues to pump out incredible video content, this time convincing a foursome of players to try to hit a two-yard-wide fairway set up in the middle of the Dubai desert. We don’t feel bad blowing the ending and telling you Ross Fisher managed to hit the sliver of green turf, because you should watch anyway:

The Two Yard Fairway ? pic.twitter.com/DjsW8oWv0z

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 17, 2017

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK (TERRIFYING DIVISION)
When turkeys attack on the golf course:

If you golf during the week of Thanksgiving, do so at your own risk! ?: @daaavidfried

A post shared by Golf Channel (@golfchannel) on Nov 20, 2017 at 7:02am PST

QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“I feel there’s a huge gap between us. I don’t know whether it’s a lack of practice or whether I lack the strength to keep playing well. It seems there are many issues to address.” – Hideki Matsuyama on Brooks Koepka, who won the Japan Tour’s Dunlop Phoenix Open by nine shots. Deep breaths, Hideki. You’re still only 25. And you’re still ranked fifth in the WORLD.

THIS WEEK IN PGA TOUR PROS LIVING THE LIFE
Here’s Justin Thomas and girlfriend Jillian Wisniewski sitting in court-side seats at a Chicago Bulls game:

2017 @PGATOUR Player of the Year @JustinThomas34 in the house! pic.twitter.com/9MaawkaQIP

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) November 18, 2017

And Thomas might get asked back soon after the Bulls scored 40 points in the fourth quarter to beat the Hornets 123-120, just their third win of the season.

Y’all were great hosts.. Thanks for showing @jillian_grace3 and I a great time. Heck of a game too! https://t.co/GXIx9TvXeJ

— Justin Thomas (@JustinThomas34) November 18, 2017

We’re guessing JT will also be at the big Alabama-Auburn football game this week. Winning a major championship has its perks.

THIS WEEK IN DUSTIN JOHNSON-PAULINA GRETZKY BELEN MOZO-ROBERT FARAH PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION
Remember that one-week social media break Belen said she was taking? Well, it lasted all of five days. Mozo shared these photos of her and boyfriend, professional tennis player Robert Farah, frolicking on a beach:

In our free time we are acrobats ??‍- currently applying for cirque de soleil - – – – – #mexico #puertoescondido #beach #fitnessmotivation @robertfarah

A post shared by Belen Mozo (@belenmozo) on Nov 17, 2017 at 4:23pm PST

Easy to see who wear the pants in the relationship… Se vé fácil quien lleva las riendas en la relación… ? credit, the one & only: @stephan_ach Special effect daddy credits to : @ptorres @robertfarah @casainspiracion @eberjey ? – – – – #girlboss #athletes #couplegoals #mexico #puertoescondido #casainspiracion #fit #fitcouple

A post shared by Belen Mozo (@belenmozo) on Nov 19, 2017 at 1:55pm PST

Cool visual effect. Also, this is strictly a hunch, but these two probably will eat a little healthier than I do on Thanksgiving.

THIS AND THAT
Roger Federer moved ahead of Tiger Woods on Forbes’ ranking of the all-time prize money earners in an individual sport. Of course, Woods has still made over $1 BILLION more than Federer in total earnings, so we’re guessing he’s not too upset about it. . . . A photographer who fished Andrew “Beef” Johnston’s 3-wood out of a watery grave at the RSM Classic was told he could keep it by the affable Brit. Christmas come early! . . . Country music star Jake Owen has accepted a sponsor’s invite to play in next year’s Nashville Golf Open on the Web.com Tour. Good luck topping Stephen Curry’s pair of 74s at the Ellie Mae Classic, Jake. . . . And finally, I attended my first Knicks game in some time and was especially excited to see this new option at MSG concession stands:

Sure, the cup cost $9.25, but free refills?! For the entire game?! What a great night. Oh yeah, the Knicks also won.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER
— How much does Fred Couples miss the Skins Game?
— What’s Tiger’s favorite Thanksgiving side?
—  Do I have a soda problem?

The post Lexi Thompson’s painful miss, Justin Thomas’ sweet seats, Belen Mozo’s bikini barrage, and the most terrifying turkey attack ever appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The animal loving 28-year-old grasped the chance at Atlantis, The Palm Dubai either side of the serious business of finishing the Ladies European Tour (LET) season-ender T35, good enough to secure 16th place on the money list with €84,601 from just six starts.

Mozo, whose Colombian boyfriend Robert Farah reached the mixed doubles final at Wimbledon last summer, sat down with LET head of communications Bethan Cutler after her splashing good time to discuss her new found love of tennis, the sadness of leaving her beloved pooch Coco back in Spain and how she intends to building on her LPGA and LET form next season.

15 Questions for Belen Mozo

The UAE is new to you in 2016. What were your favourite memories from your first visit to the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters?
This was my first time in Dubai and my second in the UAE, after I played in Abu Dhabi a few weeks ago. I wanted to come to this part of the world, because there are many sceptics out there who jump to conclusions about the culture and religion and I wanted to make an impression of my own. I also wanted to make my own arguments about the people, their city, their culture and their religion. So far, in both emirates I have been to, it breathes tolerance and with how much controversy there is right now with the Muslim world, it gives me hope. I have met some wonderful, kind-hearted people that will remain my friends forever. So far, if I had to choose one thing from Dubai, it wouldn’t be the Burj Khalifa, the Marina or the nightlife, but the warmth of the people: that is what captivated me.

We understand that you love animals. How did this come about?
I love animals. I absolutely do. I am so naive about some of them actually being wild animals that whether it’s a dog, a tiger or a camel, I will go straight up and pet them, without being aware that they might attack me! One day I might get bit wiser. I guess I love animals because they speak the truth with their eyes, especially dogs. They only understand love and loyalty. And it doesn’t get any better than that in life!

Tell us about your dogs and how often you get to spend time with them?
I got so obsessed with wanting to go to pet stores with my boyfriend to play around with puppies after long periods of time on the road, that one day we came back home with one of them. Her name is Coco. She is a toy version of an Aussie Shepherd. I used to travel with her for almost nine months: she was my shadow and my best friend. She gives me so much peace and love when travelling on my own. It was one of my best seasons when I first had her, but she created this intense bond with me and became so dependent on me that every time I left for the golf course, she thought I was abandoning her. Because of her suffering, I brought her to my mom’s in Spain, where we have a big house with big gardens and she is very happy there and making my parents extremely joyful. I see her only once or twice a year and it’s very frustrating, but she’s still my shadow every time I go back.

What else do you love to do when you get time out from golf?
I love learning and reading. When I am not playing I will be reading and when I am not reading  I am either doing exercise indoors at the gym or outdoors like hiking, stand up paddle boarding or any physical activity. Of course I love shopping, but which woman doesn’t?

You are known as a talented and attractive golfer. How do you manage your reputation?
Reputation? The talented golfer one is hard to maintain because there are so many avid young golfers on tour these days that is hard to keep up, but I guess I will always be known for my hard work and dedication, regardless of my performance: you will always find me grinding it out the next day. The attractive side of it is all about controlling how you want people to know you. I like my fans to see the real Belen, not just Belen the golfer. So when fans get to know my personality a little bit better, is when they will find me attractive I guess. I have a great sense of humour!

How do you balance your time between sport training and practice and other commitments?
Time management is the hardest for me because I never want to cease learning, I am constantly attracted to trying new things. From reading a lot of books, to studying French on my own, to learning how to do a proper headstand, to being creative in my gym workouts, to learning about nutrition and hydration… to name the last couple of things I have been up to for the last week. The trick is learning to prioritise, what is essential and what can wait and build your schedule around it. The most important thing I have learned when applying this, is to include resting periods, some Belen time, in this scheduling. I didn’t do that before.

Are there any words that you live by, or advice that you have received, which has really helped you?
I live by never giving up. Your performance may not reflect the hard work you put it and how well you might be playing, so that’s why you can never cease the fight and when your time comes, you are ready to shine.

You were born and raised in Cadiz in Spain, a beautiful part of the world. Why did you decide to go to the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and what did you study there?
I always wanted to go to college. I knew I was a great golfer after a fantastic amateur career, but I always knew that there was much more to me than golf. Pursuing a college degree was always something I wanted to do. I studied International Relations. Nowadays, kids don’t do that. You see them playing their best years on tour, which makes sense economically, because for me, my best years were from age 17-21, when I was fearless and had no pressure.

Why did you decide to move to Bogota in Colombia?
My coach. I decided to work with him two years ago, and in my weeks off I was flying there all the time, so I was never spending time at my home in Florida.

How much of a tennis fan are you?
Now a lot, but I wouldn’t know how to go down the ranking naming players. I am getting to be more into it because of Robert [Farah/pictured below] of course. But I do love going to watch him play and supporting him at his events. I am an amazing cheerleader and the funniest thing is that deep in me, I believe I coach him very well when I go out with him on tour. 

What have you enjoyed the most from the last few months of 2016, playing in LET events in Germany, India, Abu Dhabi and Dubai?
I didn’t have a good year on the LPGA. Performance-wise, it wasn’t good, however I saw a lot of improvement from last year and played the lights out much better. But the tour is getting harder and harder these days. My season on LPGA ended early, after Evian. And because I knew I was playing so much better and I lost the fear of competing again; I knew I needed to get out there to prove to myself that I could do it. I decided to accept a couple of invitations on the LET and that happened to be the best decision I made in 2016. Out of four events, I finished second twice and had two top 35s. So it did give me the confidence that I was lacking to keep working even harder. So kudos to me!

Can you tell us about your 2016 season… are you happy with it and is there anything you would have liked to have done better?
I have worked really hard, and things didn’t go my way at all, but I love how much stronger I have become against adversity because of all the setbacks I have had this year. I wouldn’t change any of those bad weeks if the end result is the new and better version of the Belen I am right now.

What are your plans for the Christmas break and New Year?
There are not going to be any breaks for me this off season. In December I will be in Cartagena de India, Colombia, doing some strong pre-season training with my physical trainer Jayson Mathiou. Robert, my boyfriend, will also be there. He is getting ready for the start of his season, which will be the Aussie Open. Then in January I will be non-stop with my golf coach Pedro Russi in Bucaramanga, Colombia.

What will you be working on during the off-season?
There are a couple of things I still need to polish in my swing. When one sees my swing, they see a flawless swing with no imperfections, but trust me, there are, especially when I get loose because of negative thoughts and doubts. Building a more connected swing is my top priority. I will work on shortening the swing. I lost confidence with my driver two years ago, and it is taking me that long to put it in play during competitive rounds. On the driving range, it is perfect, but once they announce my name on the first tee, things get very shaky for me.

What are your plans and ambitions for 2017?
I have high expectations for myself for 2017 that I need to tone down. It’s not good to pressurise yourself that much, but I have been watching my improvements day in, day out, and I cannot wait to get out there and redeem myself. My biggest ambition is to conquer my driver again and make it my favourite club in the bag. I also want to become a top five best putter on tour. With those two things, I will manage to do quite alright on tour next year!

The post Being Belen Mozo appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.