Romain Langasque Archives - Golf Digest Middle East

Romain Langasque had no idea how low he was going at St Andrews until tying course record

Golf Digest Middle East — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 07:18:36 +0000

By John Huggan
It’s been done before, at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship of course. But only once. Five years after Ross Fisher’s breathtaking 11-under-par 61, the former Ryder Cup player is now just the joint record holder for lowest 18-hole score over the Old Course at St Andrews. Starting from the 10th tee during Thursday’s first round of the DP World Tour event, and one-over after only two holes, Romain Langasque played his next 16 holes in 12-under, making eight birdies and two eagles. Even more remarkably, the 27-year-old Frenchman made his last par on the third hole. From the fourth tee to the ninth green he was seven-under par.

So yes, the weather was close to pristine, only a slight breeze blowing from the north. And yes, the pin positions in this pro-am event are less than severe in order to get the amateurs round in something less than six hours. But come on. Such a score over the most famous 18 holes on the planet is something to be savoured. So no wonder Langasque seemed slight stunned by the enormity of what he had achieved.

“I didn’t feel that I shot a number today,” he said. “I was having a good round, but just five, six [under], was the way I was thinking of it. But the end of the course was amazing. I holed a few long putts. The game was great, but no, I didn’t feel I shot 11-under. I never think I will have the course record in St Andrews, and I think now my name is going to be on this board. So yeah, I’m really happy about this. But it’s only the first round, so I’m also going to stay really focused for the next few days.”

In truth, while such a low score was always on the cards given the conditions — another Frenchman, Frederic Lacroix, shot 10-under at Kingsbarns and yet another, Antoine Rozner, complied a 63 over the Old Course — not many pundits would have picked Langasque as the man to get the job done. A one-time winner on the DP World Tour circuit at the 2020 Wales Open, the former British Amateur champion arrived in Scotland on the back of a missed cut in his own national Open, his third weekend off in his last five starts.

Still, dotted within Langasque’s record on tour this year are as many as five top-10s, the most recent at the BMW International Open in June. And bursts of low scoring have long been part of his golfing DNA. Playing in the 2016 Masters as a result of his British Amateur victory the year before, Langasque nipped round the back nine at Augusta National in 31 shots, tying the record for an amateur in the Masters. Clearly, when he gets it going, he sometimes finds it hard to stop.

Which is how it went over the Old Course.

“I was playing good on the front nine but just didn’t make any long putts or whatever,” Langasque said. “I know that the front nine was easier for me, so with the right-to-left wind. So I was just trying to make some opportunity to myself, and this is what happened. I holed a few long putts that makes the round better. I’m so happy, the last three holes were really fun and I made long putts. It’s amazing. I didn’t realise that I have the course record here now and I think it’s something I will remember for rest of my life.”

Next up for Langasque in the three-course rotation that forms this AT&T National Pro-am format, is Carnoustie on Friday, a place where the Grasse native also has good memories. It was over the fearsome Angus links that he won his Amateur Championship seven years ago. That is not to say that another really low score is on the cards. With a near horrendous weather forecast looming, tournament organisers have ordered an 8.30am shotgun start.

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FORE! Wilco Nienaber is bringing his ‘nuke’ powered driver to the Desert Classic

Kent Gray — Mon, 18 Jan 2021 07:15:22 +0000

By Kent Gray
Move over Bryson DeChambeau. Wilco Nienaber is in the yard.

The big-hitting South African teen has been confirmed for the $3.25 million OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic alongside reigning European Tour Rookie of the Year Sami Välimäki and four other first time winners from 2020: Robert MacIntyre, Romain Langasque, Min Woo Lee and Rasmus Højgaard.

Why should you care? Take a wee peak at this video from November’s Joburg Open:

Wilco Nienaber’s 439 yard drive ?#JoburgOpen pic.twitter.com/AY6NNgPVUM

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 19, 2020

Sure, Randpark G.C. is more than 5000 feet above sea level but a 439-yard NUKE on a 597-yard par 5… sheesh.

It will be a marvel to see how the 19-year-old attacks the Majlis layout at Emirates Golf Club where DeChambeau, not yet at his bulky best, won with a record 24-under-par (264) total, low final round (64) and record winning margin – seven shots over Matt Wallace – in 2019.

“Last year went beyond my expectations and I can’t wait to see what 2021 has in store,” said Nienaber who went on to finish runner-up in Joburg after a 4th place finish at the English Championship after receiving a last-minute place in the field as an alternate.

“I’m really excited about being able to tee it up in events like the OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic for the first time, hopefully I’ll be able to play my best and write my name alongside some of the game’s greatest players who have won this famous event.”

Nienaber, 46th in last season’s Race to Dubai standings, will hope to emulate illustrious compatriot Ernie Els by winning his maiden European Tour title at Emirates Golf Club from Jan. 28-31.

The ‘Major of the Middle East’ boasts a roll call of champions including Tiger Woods, Seve Ballesteros and Colin Montgomerie and is also breeding ground for upcoming talent, with Els (1994) and Rory McIlroy (2009) breaking through on the Majlis.

2020 Sir Henry Cotton Rookie-of-the-Year Sami Välimäki

Välimäki’s ascent, meanwhile, has been rapid. After earning his European Tour card through Q-School in November 2019, he won on his sixth start on Tour at last year’s Oman Open and went on to finish 11th in the Race to Dubai.

Earlier this month he was named the ‘Breakthrough Athlete of the Year’ at the Finnish Sports Personality of the Year awards.

“Last season I achieved the main goal I had, which was to win and get a better category on Tour, and now I can’t wait to make my OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic debut this year,” said the 22-year-old from Finland.

“To be able to progress to this point after only turning professional in 2019 is something I’m very proud of and I want to keep going and keep improving. I know this is an important event in the world of golf when you look at some of the past winners and it would be amazing to join them.”

MacIntyre was named the 2019 Rookie of the Year after he had three runner-up finishes and he broke through late on in 2020 with victory at the Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Showdown. Now the 24-year-old is ready to kick-on and underline his status as one of Europe’s rising stars.

Bob MacIntyre

“I finished eighth in my OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic debut last year and felt good on the Majlis course throughout the week,” said the left-hander from Scotland.

“As a whole, last year was up-and-down for me on the golf course, but I’m looking forward to a clean slate this year and hopefully making some more progress – and this will be a great test against a world-class field and I’m excited to return.”

Højgaard was one of the in-form players when the Tour resumed after the initial halt to the 2020 season to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The young Dane posted four top-10s in succession during the UK Swing last summer, ending that run with his second victory of the campaign at the ISPS Handa UK Championship.

“My debut at the OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic last year didn’t quite go as planned as I missed the cut but I enjoyed the tournament and the experience,” said Højgaard, 19, who was born a week after his compatriot Thomas Bjørn won the 2001 Dubai Desert Classic.

Rasmus Højgaard

“The golf course was hard but playable and now I know what to expect when I return so I’m looking forward to getting back there again.”

Australia’s Lee sealed his first victory on home soil at last year’s ISPS Handa Vic Open and he will be hoping to follow in his elder sister’s footsteps as a winner in Dubai after Minjee won the OMEGA Dubai Moonlight Classic in November.

Min Woo Lee will look to emulate his sister as an Emirates Golf Club champion

“Watching Minjee win in Dubai last year was special and I can’t wait to get out there and try and emulate her,” said Lee. “It felt great to get my first win early in the year and I’m feeling good about the new season and making my debut in the OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic.”

Frenchman Langasque, who clinched the prestigious Amateur Championship at Carnoustie in 2015, won his first European Tour title with two-stroke win over Välimäki at the ISPS Handa Wales Open at Celtic Manor last August. Prior to the victory, the 25-year-old has posted nine top tens on Tour including a runner-up finish at the 2019 South African Open.

Romain Langasque

An elite field has been assembled for this year’s OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic, with a host of Major champions and Ryder Cup stars including Collin Morikawa, Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Tommy Fleetwood and Ian Poulter all set to mix it with the stars of tomorrow.

In what is the 32nd staging of the tournament, attendance will be for invited guests only but the action will be beamed to a worldwide audience on mainstream broadcast sports networks, and highlights and exclusive content will be shared on the OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic social media channels.

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Dubai-domiciled MENA Tour champ MG Keyser a Fire starter after late COVID withdrawals

Kent Gray — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 00:27:17 +0000

Getty Images.
MG Keyser will make his fourth European Tour start at JGE.

By Kent Gray
Reigning MENA Tour No.1 MG Keyser has earned an 11th-hour start in the European Tour’s new Golf in Dubai Championship after positive COVID-19 tests forced the scratching of three players overnight.

In a statement released in the early hours of Wednesday, the European Tour said it had withdrawn Frenchman Romain Langasque, England’s Tom Lewis and Czech Ondrej Lieser from the $1.2 million event which begins on the Fire course at Jumeirah Golf Estates today.

“Langasque, Lewis and Lieser have not exhibited any symptoms and were tested upon arrival to the tournament bubble in Dubai as part of the pre-tournament screening process,” the European Tour said.

“They will now remain in self-isolation managed in accordance with the Dubai Health Authority and will be supported throughout that period by the European Tour’s medical and event staff.”

Jumeirah Golf Estates-attached, Dubai-based South African Keyser – MG is short for Mathiam Gerhard – and Malaysia’s Nicholas Fung were named as replacements.

The Golf in Dubai Championship will Keyser’s fourth European Tour start and third in 2020. He earned a European Tour best €6,031 payday for a share of 66th place at the OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic in January despite a blowout final round of 82 on the Majlis. The start at Emirates Golf Club his reward for winning the MENA Tour’s 2019 Order of Merit title.

He later missed the cut at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters but owns a two-for three cuts made record after finishing T-51 at the 2019 D+D Real Czech Masters.

Keyser sprung to prominence on the MENA Tour with back-to-back wins at the Dubai Creek Open and Golf Citizen Classic in 2017. His third and most recent win on the COVID-stalled Pro-Am circuit was at the Troon Series-Dubai Open at Dubai Hills in 2019.

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Horsfield among 10 European Tour players granted exemptions to 2020 U.S. Open

Golf Digest Middle East — Mon, 24 Aug 2020 23:08:09 +0000

Richard Heathcote

By Joel Beall
The USGA announced Monday that 10 players have earned exemptions into the 2020 U.S. Open through their performance in the European Tour’s U.K Swing.

The USGA’s flagship event, which will be comprised solely of exempt players due to the cancellation of local and sectional qualifying in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, invited the top 10 aggregate point earners from the Euro Tour’s five restart events who weren’t already in the Winged Foot field. The 10 are Sam Horsfield, Thomas Detry, Andy Sullivan, Rasmus Hojgaard, Renato Paratore, Romain Langasque (who won the Wales Open on Sunday), Sami Valimaki, Dubai-based Adrian Otaegui, Connor Syme and Justin Harding.

Horsfield, 24, has won twice in August, capturing a breakthrough victory at the Hero Open and returning to the winner’s circle two weeks later at the Celtic Classic. Detry, 27, finished runner-up to Horsfield at both events. This marks Horsfield’s fourth appearance in the U.S. Open with Detry—a former Big Ten Player of the Year at Illinois—making his major championship debut.

Sullivan, 33, a former member of the European Ryder Cup team, is making his first U.S. Open start since 2016 at Oakmont. Harding, 34, was in the mix through 36 holes at the 2019 Masters and will be making his second consecutive U.S. Open start.

Other U.S. Open exemptions still to be handed out will be the top-five point earners from the three-event 2020 Korn Ferry Tour Series as well as the top five in the final FedEx Cup standings who are otherwise not exempt.

The 120th U.S. Open begins on Sept. 17 at Winged Foot Golf Club West Course in Mamaroneck, N.Y. Gary Woodland is the defending champ.

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A timely win gives young Frenchman his maiden Euro Tour title and a spot in the U.S. Open

Golf Digest Middle East — Sun, 23 Aug 2020 22:38:49 +0000

Warren Little
Romain Langasque closed with a bogey-free 65 and to win the Wales Open on Sunday, his first European Tour title.

By John Huggan
He won the 2015 British Amateur at Carnoustie. A month later, he made the cut in the Open Championship at St. Andrews. And the following April he did the same in the Masters at Augusta National. Then he turned professional. Ever since, however, it is fair to say that Romain Langasque hasn’t exactly lived up to his promise.

Until now.

With a bogey-free six-under-par 65 on Sunday over the 2010 Course at Celtic Manor, Langasque came from five shots back to win the Wales Open. In claiming his maiden European Tour title, the 25-year-old Frenchman emerged from a congested leader board to finish at eight-under 276, two shots ahead of Finland’s Sami Valimaki.

Still, it wasn’t Valimaki who had the eventual champion most worried as the final group reached the par-5 18th. Needing a birdie to tie Langasque and with a wedge in his hands, Sebastian Soderberg spun his third shot back into the water fronting the putting surface. End of tournament. That the Swede eventually made a triple-bogey 8—only one shot more than overnight leader Connor Syme—was both sad and irrelevant to the final result. But there was more torture to come. As well as a pile of cash and world ranking points, his late disaster cost Soderberg one of the 10 spots available in next month’s U.S Open through the “mini Order of Merit” that concluded in Wales.

“I was playing really good since the start of the week,” said Langasque, who made two of his six birdies in the last four holes. “I was focusing on my own thing, shot-by-shot. That was the only objective. Despite being tied for the lead as early as the turn, I didn’t really feel the pressure. I’m so satisfied with the way I played the back nine. … I had so many birdie opportunities. The second shot on 16 and the tee shot on 17 were my two best swings of the week. I did hit my 4-iron second shot on the last too close to the water. So that was not easy. But I even enjoyed the 25-minute wait for the other guys to finish. I’m very happy.”

As he should be. Given his past propensity for (relative) success in his first visits to major championships, the former Spanish Amateur champion is understandably looking forward to the U.S. Open at Winged Foot.

“Everything is now happening so quickly,” he said. “I’m really happy. This is where I want to be. I have some good opportunities coming up now. I’m can’t wait to get to my first U.S. Open. There will be no public so there will be less pressure, I think. I’m proud of myself.”

Langasque will be joined at Winged Foot by Sam Horsfield, Thomas Detry, Andy Sullivan, Rasmus Hojgaard, Renato Paratore, Valimaki, Syme, Adrain Otaegui and Justin Harding.

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European Tour stars host watch collectors and golf aficionados at Audemars Piguet Invitational

Kent Gray — Tue, 26 Nov 2019 12:50:09 +0000

Golf Time (from left to right): Matt Wallace, Adri Arnaus, Lee Westwood, François-Henry Bennahmias CEO of Audemars Piguet, Danny Willett, Bernd Wiesberger, Andy Sullivan, Henrik Stenson, Tyrrell Hatton, Piers Ward, Romain Langasque and Andy Proudman

By Kent Gray
Another season was consigned to history at the DP World Tour Championship but there was a little more fun to be had for some of the European Tour’s biggest names on Monday.

Major champions Henrik Stenson and Danny Willett and former world No.1 Lee Westwood were among nine Audemars Piguet ambassadors who teed it up in the Swiss watchmakers annual Golf Invitational at The Els Club Dubai

They, along with 72 watch collectors and golf aficionados from around the world, were hosted by the Swiss Haute Horlogerie manufacturer’s CEO François-Henry Bennahmias.

Andy Sullivan and former world No.1 Lee Westwood

Golf Youtubers Me and My Golf also joined the fun and helped the watch enthusiasts to improve their skills.

Audemars Piguet has assembled one of the world golf’s finest ambassadorial teams. In addition to the nine ambassadors present in Dubai, the collective includes Wesley Bryan, Patrick Cantlay, Bud Cauley, Darren Clarke, Paul Dunne, Branden Grace, Emiliano Grillo, Viktor Hovland, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Andrew Johnston, Renato Paratore, Ian Poulter, Xander Schauffele, Vijay Singh, Kiwi trick-shot specialist Tania Tare and Peter Uihlein.

Earlier this year AP also brought together nine of its pro golfers and rising DJ/Producer Max Styler with the mission to redefine the sound of golf. Gathered in a colourful studio, Bryan, Cantlay, Grace, Grillo, Hatton, Schauffele, Singh, Tare and Willett played together as one band to create a unique track by using their wide range of shots and tricks. You can watch the “Harmony & Mastery” movie, released earlier this year on Audemars Piguet’s website here and on the AP Golf Instagram account @audemarspiguetgolf.

Matt Wallace and Henrik Stenson

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An emotional Louis Oosthuizen wins South African Open for the first time

Golf Digest Middle East — Sun, 09 Dec 2018 20:31:33 +0000

Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

By Ryan Herrington
Louis Oosthuizen was already the winner of a historic Open title, but on Sunday he claimed arguably a more meaningful one to the 36-year-old. With a closing 67 at Randpark Golf Club in Johannesburg, Oosthuizen posted a runaway six-stroke victory over France’s Romain Langasque at the South African Open, his home country’s oldest tournament.

“I wish the family was here,” said a tearful Oosthuizen, ending a nearly three-year winless drought. “The crowd was great this whole week, it was nice to do it for them.”

It was Oosthuizen’s eighth career European Tour triumph, four of which have come in events in South Africa. But this was the first time he’s won his country’s Open after playing in the event for the first time since a third-place finish in 2010.

? Louis Oosthuizen’s final round in 3 minutes.#SAOpen pic.twitter.com/yw5Zc5HSLP

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) December 9, 2018

With the victory at home, combined with his British Open triumph at St. Andrews in 2010, Oosthuizen became the sixth golfer to win both titles in their career, joining Bobby Locke, Gary Player, Bob Charles, Ernie Els and Henrik Stenson.

“I knew today was either going to be very special or heartbreaking. I know there’s only a few that have won the Open and the S.A. Open, so I’m very chuffed to have my name on this.”

Oosthuizen put himself in prime position for victory after an opening-round 62, his best score in a European Tour event in more than four years. While countryman Charl Schwartzel passed him after 36 holes, Oosthuizen’s Saturday 67 allowed him to re-claim a three-stroke lead entering Sunday’s final round. Bogeys on the second and third holes saw the lead shrink to one stroke, wayward tee shots looking like they might be Oosthuizen’s undoing. But he regrouped with birdies on the fifth, sixth and seventh holes. Another birdie after driving the green on the par-4 ninth hole let him make the turn with a comfortable five-stroke edge.

“We had a tough start today and my caddie just told me, ‘You’re swinging it well, just go for it.’ I just got back to basics, to try and hit fairways and greens. I know I’m putting well, I just needed to give myself putting opportunities for birdie.”

Watch Oosthuizen’s post-round interview and we bet you’ll wind up getting a little choked up yourself.

“Great family and friends, they’re always with me.”

An emotional @Louis57TM reflects on his win pic.twitter.com/RsBj0Tvdij

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) December 9, 2018

Told you.

While Oosthuizen walked off with the title, runner-up Langasque earned a spot in next year’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush with his finish, as did Schwartzel and Oliver Wilson, who tied for third.

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