The duo signed for a betterball net 62 to capture the fifth round qualifier at Abu Dhabi Golf Club with the lowest winning score of the 2017 XCGC season thus far.

They edged Mike Parks and Chris Ross who in turn beat Ghazi Arungazeb and Nicholas Hymas and Kevin Jamieson and Duncan Piercce on a countback after all three teams carded 63s on The National course which hosts the European Tour’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship each January.

All four teams will now contest the 19th XCGC Grand Final at Jumeirah Golf Estates on December 16-17 with Parks and Ross to tee it up in the new City Tower Real Estate Cup after also producing the lowest gross score around ADGC, an impressive 70.

RELATED CONTENT: Watch our video from the recent Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club qualifier here:

The XCGC now heads to Johannesburg and Cape Town with other qualifiers earmarked for the Seychelles and Nairobi, Kenya. Doha Golf Club hosts the next Middle East qualifier, round 10, on September 8.

The two remaining UAE qualifying rounds are scheduled for Al Zorah in Ajman and Trump International Golf Club, Dubai on November 9 and December 7 respectively.

There are also chances to qualify in Kuiwait, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

Visit www.xeroxcgc.com for the next qualifier in your area.

The post Korean duo win XCGC <br> qualifier at Abu Dhabi appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The 33-year-old Spaniard negotiated The National’s four par 3s in a combined seven under par over the first 36 holes three years ago en-route to his victory by a solitary stroke over Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson.

He’s repeated the feat this week, a tardy par on the 15th Thursday the only time he hasn’t gained a stroke in eight trips to a par three tee.

Friday’s four twos were the backbone of a 67 which shot the five-time European Tour winner up the leaderboard into a share of six with Henrik Stenson, Tyrrell Hatton and reigning Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Jeunghun Wang at -9, three shots shy of Martin Kaymer’s 36-hole lead.

Larrazábal, well aware of the par 3 comparison as he spoke with reporters afterwards, described it as “something special” and reward for an off-season when he didn’t take a break from the range.

“Yes. Yes, the same kind of feelings. I’ve been working very hard over the winter, and we were looking forward to this week and we’re doing exactly the things we planned,” he said.

“My iron play has been superb. I’m holing a few putts, so very happy. The only thing I’m being a little bit rusty with is my short game. I think out of six times, three in par 5s, between yesterday and today, and three missed greens, I only up-and-downed once.

Really? “Yeah, it is. You know, after I’m going to go to the chipping green to see if I remember how to do it, and I will be in form for the weekend.”

The post Pablo’s Abu Dhabi purple patch appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

In an exclusive interview with Golf Digest Middle East, the 28-year-old world No.13 discusses his preparation ahead of the Desert Swing opener from January 19-22 which features Danny Willett, Dustin Johnson and Henrik Stenson, the respective reigning Masters, US Open and Open champions.

The Cobra-Puma star also goes off-piste to share his thoughts on some of the most pressing issues facing golf today including Tiger Woods’ comeback, computer gaming’s impact on junior golf , that elusive major and why he’ll forever favour Orange on Sundays.

Many players swear off golf during the holidays. What constitutes a great vacation for Rickie Fowler?
2016 was such a busy year with the Olympics and the Ryder Cup so I took a few weeks off with my family but I was still be working on my swing with Butch and playing some golf with my buddies when possible so I’m ready to defend my title at the National Course.

How important is this period of recharging?
Travelling can be tiring but it’s all part of being a professional golfer. I love my job and I worked hard for years before turning professional to make this my career and I love travelling to new parts of the world. Last year was only my second time in the Middle East and I enjoyed it so much I came back for a third year running. I’ll take some time out during the holidays to recharge but I’ll be back swinging early January so that I’m ready to defend my title in Abu Dhabi.

How tough is it to defend a title given all the extra fuss around your already heavy PR workloads?
I’m used to doing media at most events so it isn’t too much extra to me. I really enjoy talking to media, especially when it’s at a place where I have good memories because I’ve won there.

A stellar cast has been assembled for the 12^th edition of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship. It’ll be the first time many will see Dustin Johnson in the flesh. Give us an inside the ropes insight into the character behind those booming drives:
Dustin is one of the coolest guys on Tour and he’s so chilled out when he’s on the course. I love travelling to European Tour events and I’m excited that Dustin is coming over to join me as an American on European Tour soil. The National Course has seen a few big hitters over the last 11 years but I’m sure he’ll be driving his ball to some places that not many players have been to before.

You moved up to No.4 in the OWGR after your win in Abu Dhabi last January and it seemed, following your stellar 2015, it was going to be another barn-storming year, only for your form to fizzle out a little. With the beauty of hindsight, what do you put that down too and how do you rate 2016 overall?
It’s easy in golf to think your next good result is just around the corner, only for your form to fade. 2016 wasn’t the first time in my career where I fizzled out a bit during the season and it won’t be the last so I’ll continue doing everything I can to get better and comeback stronger. I played a lot of golf in 2016 so maybe I was a bit tired but overall I feel like I’m swinging it well and I’m looking forward to 2017. I still see 2016 as a successful year though, I won the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, played my third Ryder Cup and represented my country in the Olympics.

You game has flourished under the guidance of Butch Harmon but we presume it is still a work in progress? What do you need to do to regain that 2015 consistency?
I’m always working to get better and I don’t think anyone could say they’ve finished tinkering with their swing, there is always something to work on. I have a ton of positives to take from last year and it’s great to be back in Abu Dhabi at a venue where I have fond memories.

After Abu Dhabi, everyone was saying it was only a matter of time until you won a major, not if you’d win one. How do you feel now some say you’ve entering that bitter-sweet territory as one of the best golfers in the world not to win a major?
There are a lot of good players not to win a major and I know I’ve come close but I still see myself as one of those guys trying to win a golf tournament, just like any other week. I don’t really think about whether I should have won one or not but instead just try and put myself in a position to win and learn from previous years and experiences.

The renowned British photographer David Cannon, recalling your ball striking during the third round at Royal St. George’s in 2011, believes an Open Championship is part of your destiny. Do you feel like the Open is your best shot at a big?
I certainly enjoy the Open Championship and everything that comes with it. I love links golf and the variety of shots you have to play so if I were lucky enough to lift the Claret Jug, I’d be a happy man.

Fowler battles the elements during the 3rd round of the 2011 Open Championship at Royal St. George’s – Getty Images

David wants to know if you regard that 68, etched out of miserable conditions en-route to a T5, as one of the best rounds of your career?
I couldn’t even open my umbrella that day at St George’s and shot a score that put me in contention on the final day so at the time, as a young professional without any wins on Tour, it was the best round of my career. I’ve had a couple of other stand out rounds since though, not least my final round of 69 last year at the National Course to win my first Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. That round was up and down all the way and went right down to the wire which was tense. Chipping in on the 17th was particularly memorable because is put me in position to close out the Championship.

What’s your take on the venues for this year’s major championships? Any one in particular you fancy?
It goes without saying that I love teeing it up at Augusta but beyond that, they all look great and I’m excited for the year ahead. I won my first PGA TOUR event at Quail Hollow so with the US PGA Championship heading there for the first time, that’ll be interesting and one where I’ll hopefully be able to channel my good memories.

We all see you on the range preparing for tournaments but can you take us behind the scenes of a typical tournament day, the stuff we don’t see. What rituals do you follow? Are you superstitious?
I don’t really have any superstitions, that’s if you don’t include wearing orange on Sunday of course. My manager is usually with me at events to help me with all of the off-course stuff but I also like travelling with my friends. There’s a few of us on the PGA Tour that have a fun time together and it can be exciting going to each tournament together. In terms of dealing with the off-course demands, I don’t see it being too much of a problem because I have some really cool sponsors like Puma and Red Bull and we do some exciting things. I’m a real adrenaline junkie so if I can combine sponsor demands with fun, that’s perfect.

You do great stuff with all your charity work and always seem to be pushing the youth angle. From your vantage point, is enough being done to foster the junior game?
I think the game is always doing its bit to try to nurture new talent and gets kids playing golf. The USGA certainly run a number of good initiatives, as do the R&A, so hopefully between them and myself and others on the professional golf circuit, we can inspire kids to get in to golf and then keep them there once they start.

We’re seeing online gaming tournaments televised now by the likes of ESPN. From someone who knows about both past-times, how do we get kids off their computers and onto the course?
I don’t know about converting kids that play video games but with the growth of social media and the sort of things we as professionals and bodies such as the European and PGA Tours can showcase on those channels, hopefully that’ll give them an idea of what they are missing out on. You’re never going to get everyone out there in to golf. This is the same for other sports too but if we can showcase golf as a fun and exciting option, that will help us move kids from their computer to the course or driving range.

You played the third round with Tiger in his comeback at the Hero World Challenge. He’s still the biggest draw and so important to the game isn’t he?
Tiger Woods is arguably the best golfer that has ever-lived so whenever I get a chance to tee it up with him, I’m excited. You’ve only got to look at the TV figures during the week to know that Tiger still draws the biggest crowd and golf is in a better place when he plays. It’s good to have him back and it’d be awesome if I got the chance to go toe-to-toe with him some time in the near future on the back nine Sunday.

Rickie Fowler and Tiger Wood’s during last month’s HERO World Challenge in the Bahamas. – Getty Images

You and Kiwi professional Danny Lee are renowned for pranking each other in public. It’s certainly lightened the stuffy reputation of the game…is the goofing about a conscious PR effort or just boys being boys? And who is going to have the last laugh?
It’s quite simply boys being boys. anny is a funny guy but I’ve got to say I’ll have the last laugh just in case he reads this.

With time to reflect, what did the Ryder Cup win at Hazeltine National mean for Team USA, especially in light of your tough time at Gleneagles in 2014? It must be nice to bury the “they don’t have our chemistry” talk?
I always love playing for my country and we had a blast at Hazeltine. The team really gelled together and it was one of my major goals last year to make the team and play in front of a home crowd. It was nice to dispel the feeling or talk that we aren’t a team but we weren’t thinking of it like that. We were just doing everything we could to win the Ryder Cup and bring it back to America!

Do you ever wish you’d chosen a different colour than orange for Sunday’s?
I couldn’t possibly choose another colour, I’m orange to the bone! I’m so proud to have been at OSU [Oregon State University] and love that I can honour them every Sunday.

Tell us one thing we don’t know about Rickie Fowler?
My middle name is Yutaka – after my grandfather Taka Tanaka.

What’s one thing you’d like to do that money can’t buy? Family

The post VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: The Big Interview – Rickie Fowler appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Extensions to the greens on the par 3 7^th and par 4 9^th holes are the most notable “refinements”, as Abu Dhabi Golf Club agronomy chief Clinton Southorn describes them, set to greet the 126-player field from January 19-22.

The 7th green has been extended on the right-hand side, increasing the putting surface by 25 percent to open up space for more testing pin positions. The 9th green has also been extended in similar fashion, bringing the large green side bunker into play.

Elsewhere, a small alteration of the contours on the 4^th green add to the difficulty of the par 3 with any shot landing to the right of the pin in danger of feeding off the putting surface and down the tightly mowed fringe to find the water hazard. Additionally, all the bunkers will revert back to having broomed faces with the bottom areas raked to enhance the presentation and make for more consistent lies.

Kaymer, who claimed his maiden European Tour title on The National in 2008 and went on to add the famed Falcon Trophy to his resume in 2010 and 2011 (the latter with a championship record -24 total), praised the tweaks to the Peter Harradine-designed course.

“A few changes have been made over the last two or three years and I think it’s one of those golf courses where you see that those were good changes,” said Kaymer, a two-time major champion.

“Sometimes these days, they change golf courses just to make them longer, but longer doesn’t always mean better or more difficult.”

One hole the German is happy things have been left alone is The National’s iconic par 5 18^th.

“My favourite hole has to be the 18th; I think it is one of the best par-fives that we play, especially for my type of game,” Kaymer said.

Kaymer escapes the sand on the 9th hole during the first round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship at the Abu Dhabi Golf Cub on January 21, 2016. – Getty Images

“The tee shot fits my eye perfectly and my ball flight very well. I can aim at that left hand bunker and just let the ball fade into the fairway and then the second shot is a great one towards the long, large green.”

Tournament director Peter German echoed Kaymer’s praise.

“The changes we have made for 2017 aren’t major, but each of them has been strategically implemented to provide a different and new challenge for the players by enhancing the degree of difficulty,’ German said.

“The Championship course is renowned for providing a tough but fair test and we look forward to watching the world’s best, including first-timers such as US Open Champion Dustin Johnson, take it on in January.”

The 12^th edition of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is headlined by reigning U.S. Open champion Johnson. The big-hitting American is joined by defending champion Rickie Fowler, world No.2 Rory McIlroy, Open champion Henrik Stenson, Masters champion Danny Willett, defending Qatar Masters champion Branden Grace, Alex Noren, Thomas Pieters, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Lee Westwood, Thongchai Jaidee and the newly announced Team Europe Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn.

Visit www.abudhabigolfchampionship.com for ticket information.

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