Simon Dyson Archives - Golf Digest Middle East https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/tag/simon-dyson/ Golf Instruction, Equipment, Courses, Travel, News Tue, 05 May 2020 07:36:08 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.2 https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/gd-favicon.ico Simon Dyson Archives - Golf Digest Middle East https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/tag/simon-dyson/ 32 32 ‘World’s Biggest Golf Lesson’ bringing more than 500 coaches together at a time when instructors are hurting for business https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/worlds-biggest-golf-lesson-bringing-more-than-500-coaches-together-at-a-time-when-instructors-are-hurting-for-business/ https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/worlds-biggest-golf-lesson-bringing-more-than-500-coaches-together-at-a-time-when-instructors-are-hurting-for-business/#respond Tue, 05 May 2020 07:36:08 +0000 https://golfdigestme.com/?p=35355 Most American golfers wrapped up in the drama of courses opening or not in their own regions wouldn’t know it, but all of the United Kingdom is still in a golf lockdown.

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]]> By Tod Leonard
Most American golfers wrapped up in the drama of courses opening or not in their own regions wouldn’t know it, but all of the United Kingdom is still in a golf lockdown. There is hope that will soon change with forthcoming governmental decisions, but just as in the U.S., the COVID-19 pandemic has throttled golf club finances and those who teach the game.

A few instructors were lamenting that development three weeks ago when they decided to do something about it. As Gavin Greville Wood, a London-based coach with the Leadbetter Golf Academy put it, “It’s a dire situation. We were just trying to find ways to engage coaches and get them off the couch, to reach out to their clients and customers.”

A little idea became something massive. On Tuesday, May 5, at 9 a.m. ET, more than 500 golf instructors from around the world will use their own Instagram accounts to provide a putting lesson. In turn, golfers who participate are asked to make a donation to the charity of the instructor’s choice—with all of them designating an organization that is involved in COVID-19 aid or relief. They’re calling it the “World’s Biggest Golf Lesson.”

Among the instructors scheduled to participate: David Leadbetter, Suzy Whaley, Chris Como, Simon Dyson and Catriona Matthew. Other teachers can be found by searching instructors being followed on the World’s Biggest Golf Lesson Instagram account.

“It’s been a fantastic victory for teamwork and collaboration,” Greville Wood said over the phone on Monday. “This is what we wanted out of this—to help people.”

British golfers, and those who cherish the courses of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, are anxiously awaiting word from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson about a path forward in golf. Johnson reportedly will make an announcement on Sunday, with the expectation being that golf will resume with heavy restrictions.

Greville Wood noted that his native Isle of Man opened its courses for play on Monday, requiring golfers to walk and play as singles.

“Kind of typical of my nation,” he quipped.

 

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]]> https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/worlds-biggest-golf-lesson-bringing-more-than-500-coaches-together-at-a-time-when-instructors-are-hurting-for-business/feed/ 0 European Tour pros get into heated (and random) Twitter spat over rules controversy from 2013 https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/european-tour-pros-get-into-heated-and-random-twitter-spat-over-rules-controversy-from-2013/ https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/european-tour-pros-get-into-heated-and-random-twitter-spat-over-rules-controversy-from-2013/#respond Thu, 17 Jan 2019 06:39:05 +0000 https://golfdigestme.com/?p=23434 Another tweak by golf’s governing bodies wound up causing a heated—and random—Twitter spat between two European Tour winners on Wednesday.

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]]> Simon Dyson marks his ball on the 15th hole during the second round of the 2013 BMW Masters. (Andrew Redington)

By Alex Myers
The ability to leave the flagstick in while putting and taking drops from knee height have drawn the most attention of the new rules of golf that went into effect on Jan. 1. However, another tweak by golf’s governing bodies wound up causing a heated—and random—Twitter spat between two European Tour winners on Wednesday.

The fun started when Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, following his first round of 2019 at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Wednesday, commented on the new rule that allows players to repair spike marks on the green and said, “it will take some time to get used to it.” Before adding this jab out of left field: “Unless you are Simon Dyson and you have been doing it for years.”

Shots. Fired. Of course, Simon couldn’t hear those shots, which were a reference to Dyson being fined and suspended by the European Tour in 2013 for illegally tapping down spike marks in an event eventually won by Fernandez-Castano, because he wasn’t tagged in Gonzalo’s tweet. But it turns out Fernandez-Castano, 38, had a good reason for that, one which also indicated that bad blood between these two golfers who have combined to win 13 European Tour titles is nothing new.

Fernandez-Castano doubled down on dragging up the incident from more than five years ago a little later:

Eventually, word got to Dyson, who responded with a series of tweets indicating he’s moved on from the controversy:

Dyson, 41, is not playing in Abu Dhabi or things could have really gotten awkward on Thursday.

 

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