Trevor Immelman Archives - Golf Digest Middle East

Presidents Cup 2022: Trevor Immelman has some spicy words for International team critics shorn of LIV Golf stars

Matt Smith — Mon, 26 Sep 2022 11:37:25 +0000

By Evin Priest
Trevor Immelman has dealt with a few headaches in the two-and-a-half years since being picked to captain the International team in the Presidents Cup.

First there was the COVID-19 pandemic, which pushed back the entire event a full year. Then there was the emergence of LIV Golf and the uncertainty around whether potential team members would move to the circuit and make them ineligible to play at Quail Hollow. The team’s talent level was dealt a substantial blow when Cameron Smith, Joaquin Niemann and Abraham Ancer joined the rival league. Smith, who ranked first among the automatic qualifiers for the International team, was a particularly devastating considering he outstanding debut in the event at Royal Melbourne in 2020, and his victories this year at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, Players Championship and Open Championship at St Andrews.

Toss in the general sniping about the International team’s chances this week — in media reports and even more loudly on social media — and it’s understandable, then, that 2008 Masters champion Immelman took aim at critics Sunday night after the Internationals mounted a hearty comeback, pushing the star-studded American team until late in the day before the home side officially claimed the Cup clinching point

“We showed a lot of guts to fight back,” Immelman said in the post-Cup press conference after their 17.5-12.5 defeat. “At some point this afternoon, I thought there was still a chance. And when you consider that we were 8-2 down on Friday evening, this team is no joke, and I’m sick and tired of it being spoken of as a joke. We love this event, and we love our team, and we cannot wait to run this back and have another shot.”

Assistant captain Mike Weir, the only Canadian in history to win the Masters (2003), said the International team would consider small tweaks to the rest-of-the-world side before the Cup heads to his native Canada in 2024. Weir is expected to be the captain at Royal Montreal. But he stopped short of any talk that there would be consideration for LIV golfers and how they could qualify for the Internationals.

“I don’t think there’s anything we can do about [LIV],” Weir said. “I think we have a great core here, and we’ll be discussing ways to continue to make our team better and continue to evolve.”

Adam Scott, who made a record 10th appearance for the Internationals at Quail Hollow, said the team had cemented their new identity after 2019 captain Ernie Els rebranded the team with a unified logo and took steps to unify the group. The 2013 Masters winner said the US would be in for a fight at the 2024 Cup.

“This team’s got plenty of heart, and that’s thanks to everything Trevor’s put in the last couple years,” Scott said. “He’s bled for this [International team] shield that we now talk about, and it’s just the beginning for this team. I think you’re seeing a lot of guys here who will be returning on the next one. I think the US team’s really going to be in for a helluva fight.”

The post Presidents Cup 2022: Trevor Immelman has some spicy words for International team critics shorn of LIV Golf stars appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Presidents Cup International captain Trevor Immelman ‘LOLs’ at good luck message from LIV Golf’s Greg Norman

Matt Smith — Sat, 24 Sep 2022 12:49:07 +0000

Matt Smith
With the depleted International team facing another Presidents Cup thrashing at the hands of the US at Quail Hollow this weekend, visiting captain Trevor Immelman allowed himself a chuckle after receiving well-wishes from LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman.

The rest-of-the-world side are 8-2 down after the opening two days, and are struggling as LIV Golf players are ineligible to compete in the PGA Tour-ran Presidents Cup due to a ban.

Players absent include Australian Open Champion Cameron Smith and Norman tweeted a good-luck message to the Internationals, with Immelman replying with a simple: “LOL.”

Outside of all this angst – golf is golf, competition is competition; something every golfer thrives on. As a former player & Captain of the International Team, I wish @TrevorImmelman & his entire team the very best in repeating our only 1998 @PresidentsCup success in Melbourne. pic.twitter.com/iwdELJpHfE

— Greg Norman (@SharkGregNorman) September 22, 2022

The International team has only beaten the US once in 13 previous Presidents Cups, with Norman leading them to their only victory in 1998.

“Outside of all this angst, golf is golf, competition is competition; something every golfer thrives on,” he wrote on Twitter.

“As a former player and captain of the International Team, I wish Trevor Immelman and his entire team the very best in repeating our only 1998 Presidents Cup success in Melbourne.”

Immelman added in response: “I’m an extremely open and honest person. I pretty much say it exactly as I’m thinking it. What I said was exactly what I was doing when I read that tweet. I was laughing out loud.”

Other international stars missing from the biennial invent include Chilean Joaquin Niemann, Mexico’s Abraham Ancer, South African Louis Oosthuizen and Smith’s fellow Australian Marc Leishman, and Immelman has handed eight players debuts as a result.

The post Presidents Cup International captain Trevor Immelman ‘LOLs’ at good luck message from LIV Golf’s Greg Norman appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Presidents Cup 2022: Yes, there’s a chance the International team pulls off an upset at Quail Hollow. Here’s how

Golf Digest Middle East — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 07:59:37 +0000

By Evin Priest
On paper, the mismatch this week between the International team and the United States seems greater than any of the 13 previous editions of the Presidents Cup. The biennial match-play competition has been largely a lopsided affair since it was first held in 1994, with the Internationals claiming only one win (1998) and one tie (2003). But the loss of talented stars Cameron Smith, Joaquin Niemann and Abraham Ancer to LIV Golf from a roster that the road team was hoping to roll out at Quail Hollow Club has many predicting a heavy loss to the Americans.

At this point, International captain Trevor Immelman knows it is going to be difficult to intimidate an American team boasting World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, to name a few. What would intimidate Team USA on home soil? Sungjae Im’s laser-like iron play? Taylor Pendrith’s driving distance? Adam Scott’s chiselled good looks and polished Australian accent?

“I’m not blessed with the physical gifts Adam Scott has,” Immelman said through laughter. “From his good looks to the way he swings the golf club, I’ve never lived that life. I don’t know what kind of power it has. But I will say this, my team is ready for a fight.”

MORE: Five ways to improve the Presidents Cup
Every player at the 2022 Presidents Cup ranked and rated
Davis Love finds his voice — thanks to LIV

Immelman had already faced plenty of questions on how his squad could possibly steal victory from the Americans even before losing Smith, Niemann and Ancer. But while knowing his team is up against it, the 42-year-old South African also knows his side boasts plenty of talent and Cup experience in its qualifiers — Scott, Im, Hideki Matsuyama, Joohyung ‘Tom’ Kim, Corey Conners and Mito Pereira — as well as captain’s picks of Pendrith, KH Lee, Si Woo Kim, Cameron Davis, Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Sebastian Munoz.

Many are pointing out that Matsuyama is the best-ranked International player at 17th while the average ranking of the American team is 11.6. Yet Immelman is quick to note that in 2019, Scott was the top International at 18th while the US average was 12.2, and the Americans just squeaked out the victory.

“Yeah, it’s a huge mountain to climb,” Immelman said. “But there’s been so many sporting events I’ve seen over the years where you’re convinced of a particular result and then something else happens.”

Immelman is trying to keep things light as he tries to identify ways for his group to pull off the upset at Quail Hollow. Warren Little

How then can the Internationals engineer an upset? Scott, whose record number of appearances for the Internationals will increase to 10 this week, says there is a magical formula. It begins by carefully picking combinations that can keep up with the Americans through the foursomes (alternate shot) and four-ball sessions. Then, hopefully, you send out all 12 Internationals for the Sunday singles with a belief that they are the best players in the world.

“Obviously, the first thing we need to execute is have all 12 of us come out and let go of our inhibitions and light the course up,” Scott said. “But let’s look at Melbourne [in 2019]; we were heavy underdogs and we led going into the singles. It shows that tactics and pairings are where we can have an advantage. It’s the singles where we are up against it. We’ll have to almost use Jedi mind tricks on our team and throughout the week so that by Sunday every individual is a hero in their own mind. We’re going to have to take ourselves to a place where we ignore the World Ranking and play ruthless match play.”

One edge the Internationals can certainly lean on when deciding the pairings is ball-striking. Among the top-six players in strokes gained/ball-striking (combining off the tee and approach) since July 1 who are at the Presidents Cup, four are on the International team (Pendrith, Conners, Im and Tom Kim) and only two are on the American team (Scheffler and Finau).

Duncan Carey is the independent data analyst who Immelman has retained to help formulate the pairings. Carey worked with Ernie Els in 2019 at Royal Melbourne, when the Internationals led by two going into the singles. He also worked for Europe on the 2016 and 2018 Ryder Cups, as well as the 2017 Solheim Cup. Carey told Golf Digest on Tuesday that the parameters he would use were course set-up, how the players match as a pairing and how they compound the other pairings in a session. “I separate statistics for four-balls and foursomes so that we get the right players in each format.”

This means being willing to move away from employing “geographical pods” to help determine the two-player teams that will have the most success. “The work we’ve put in over the last four or five years with the squad is to get over that (pod system of nationalities playing together),” Immelman said. “That type of thinking was pulling the handbrake on our team, thinking Koreans had to play together and South Africans had to play together. We really weren’t coming up with the strongest possible teams and putting them together.”

The Internationals will have to remind themselves of their best performances on golf’s biggest stages. Scott has won 14 times on the PGA Tour, while Matsuyama’s eight victories includes the 2021 Masters. Kim, a 20-year-old South Korean, just became the second-youngest player to win a PGA Tour event since the Second World War with his triumph at the Wyndham Championship in August. Pereira is the only qualifier without a PGA Tour victory but finished tied third at the PGA Championship in May, one shot outside a playoff Justin Thomas eventually won.

Scott has backed close friend Immelman to extract that self-belief from his players. He says Immelman, a two-time member of the International team in his playing days, has used his role as lead golf analyst for CBS to get to know players deeply while on the road at PGA Tour events. “Trevor has put more work in than he’d ever tell people. He’s digging deep into people’s set-ups and finding out what makes them tick,” Scott said.

Adam Scott hopes to share his veteran experience in the Presidents Cup with the rookies on the International team. Warren Little

Added Immelman: “I’ve been able to observe how these players handle adversity and how they play under pressure, and I made my picks based on these observations.” Immelman specifically points to Si Woo Kim as an example. “I picked [him] because I have amazing respect for his ability,” Immelman said. “I think he has truly untapped potential on the PGA Tour. He’s already shown us by winning [the 2017] Players Championship at a very young age. I’m taking it upon myself to pump him up for that week.”

That puts a fair amount of pressure on Immelman’s shoulders but he believes that combining his instincts with data analytics will allow him to find the right combinations to succeed.

“You’ve got to be smart with the way you team players up when we make the pairings,” Immelman said. “The beauty of the Presidents Cup, where I think it’s better than the Ryder Cup, is the two captains units can go back and forth on putting teams out and you can create match-ups. So you’ve got to be smart. I’m 100 per cent confident in the fact that I’ve done my homework.”

Immelman has seen bigger upsets in sports than what he hopes can happen this week. He aims to use them as inspiration in his pep talks in the team room. No doubt his players will hear plenty about the 1995 Rugby World Cup held in Immelman’s native South Africa, the first time his country was back in the event after the end of Apartheid.

“Our country had just gotten through all the negative stuff and had become a true democracy,” Immelman said. “But we weren’t quite sure how our rugby team would perform because they hadn’t played that much international rugby until that point. But South Africa were in the final against the mighty All Blacks [New Zealand]. We weren’t supposed to win that match-up, but they did in overtime.

“I believe my International players [are capable of a similar upset]. These guys are all PGA Tour players and have played well on the biggest stages. It’s not like we’ve pulled a bunch of chumps off the street.”

The post Presidents Cup 2022: Yes, there’s a chance the International team pulls off an upset at Quail Hollow. Here’s how appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Adam Scott says his Presidents Cup team has to shoot for ‘one of the biggest upsets ever’

Golf Digest Middle East — Sun, 11 Sep 2022 10:58:12 +0000

By John Huggan
He will be, by a distance, the most experienced member of the International side at the Presidents Cup. On nine previous occasions, Adam Scott has teed-up on behalf of the most diverse group ever assembled in team golf.

But not the most successful. Drawn from anywhere and everywhere other than Europe and the US, the Internationals have managed only one victory and one draw in the 13 matches already etched into the history books.

On paper at least, this time out at Quail Hollow in Charlotte (September 25-28) looks to follow a similar pattern. Weakened by the absence of numerous players who have moved to LIV Golf—Cameron Smith, Charl Schwartzel, Abraham Ancer, Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace, Marc Leishman and Carlos Ortiz, to name but seven — non-playing captain Trevor Immelman’s squad hardly compares to that assembled by US skipper Davis Love.

“I’m sure Trevor had a good idea about what was going to happen with the LIV guys,” says Scott. “As frustrating as that is, he has his plans in place. I’m sure it was a big relief for him to be able to announce his team the other day. Now we can look forward. He can almost hand things off to us to go play. Hopefully we all go out there and just let loose. We have nothing to lose. Not a thing.

“My overall take is that I really like the vibe of where the International team is going,” he continues. “We’re in the infancy stage of creating the sort of culture that is obvious in European teams at the Ryder Cup. In the past it was difficult get everyone in the side on the same page. Efforts weren’t being made in the right areas. Everyone was making an effort, but maybe only when they arrived on-site.”

On that front, Scott surely speaks the truth. In matches gone by, successive skippers struggled to pull together disparate players from such a range of cultures. And while that has been changing for the better, it is hard to imagine even a happy team beating such a powerful American line-up. The highest-ranked player in the International squad is No. 16 Hideki Matsuyama. Nine of the 12 US side are, statistically at least, better players than the Japanese former Masters champion.

“It’s always exciting going into any Presidents Cup, but this year is a little different,” admits Scott, who owns a 16-21-6 record in the biennial contest. “It’s hard to deny we are maybe the heaviest underdogs ever. However, funny things have happened. Not many, I grant you. But I do have a very good feeling generally about the International team. Just generally, not specifically this group of 12. I think the whole environment Ernie Els made an effort to create — and which Trevor has embraced over the nearly three years since we last played — is growing.”

To that end, Immelman gathered his team at Quail Hollow after the recent Tour Championship for a look at the course, as well as a brief bonding session. At least to Scott, it was a great meeting of collective minds.

“I could feel the enthusiasm of the younger guys,” says the former Masters champion. “And the older scarred dogs like me are almost gone. It was really fun to be around that environment. Everything Trevor has done to build that vibe has been fantastic. He’s been really good over the last six-eight months while there have been so many distractions going on.

“On paper I know the difference between the two teams looks huge,” Scott continues. “But in 18-hole match play when some of the best players in the world get hot, anything can happen. At this level, it doesn’t take much for that to come about in such a short format. That has to be our mindset for the week. We could go down in a screaming heap. Or we could have one of the biggest upsets in a golf team event ever.”

As you’d expect, Scott will have an important role to play within the International team room, as well as out on the course. One of the most popular players in world golf, his amiable combination of approachability and experience is something captain Immelman will surely want to utilise.

“My role within all of this can be whatever Trevor and his assistants want it to be,” says Scott. “We haven’t discussed it though. I’m there to win points like everyone else. Without loading pressure on myself, it clearly looks good for the rest of the team if I go out and win some matches. My head is going to be focused on doing just that.

“Over the course of the last couple of Presidents Cups, I’ve certainly had a forum to speak to the team as a player,” he continues. “I’m a senior member. So I’m there if needed. If Trevor feels like I’m the best guy to say something, or to put something across to the others, then I’m there for him. And it goes without saying I’m happy to talk to anyone else on our side if they have a specific question.”

All in all, then, Scott will head to Charlotte later this month with optimism in his heart and mind.

“It’s going to be a fun week,’ he insists. “Yes, we’ve got our work cut out. But it is an opportunity for us to go out there and play great golf. No one is going to be on our case if we lose heavily. I’m looking forward to it. Like in Melbourne last time, we have a chance to surprise a few people.”

The post Adam Scott says his Presidents Cup team has to shoot for ‘one of the biggest upsets ever’ appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

LIV Golf uncertainty over Presidents Cup roster leaves International captain Trevor Immelman preparing for anything

Golf Digest Middle East — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 05:44:20 +0000

By Evin Priest
Trevor Immelman has been working the phones for months trying to learn the latest happenings with LIV Golf. It’s not that the captain of the International Presidents Cup team cares about the success of the new circuit, but rather what any player sign-ups mean for his roster as he prepares for next month’s match at Quail Hollow.

“I’ve been calling players, caddies and agents just trying to be the most prepared I can be,” Immelman said on Wednesday when reached by phone.

The 42-year-old South African should only have to wait a few more days before he’ll know who is staying and who is going. Multiple reports suggest as many as seven PGA Tour players who competed in the FedEx Cup Playoffs will announce they are joining the rival tour after the Tour Championship in Atlanta. It is believed the new recruits will then play LIV Golf’s next event in Bolton, Massachusetts, on September 2-4. Those players will be banned by the PGA Tour and become ineligible to play in the Presidents Cup, taking place September 22-25 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“The timeline is barrelling down on us now,” Immelman said, “and I feel we are close to getting a lot of clarity around who is going to be at Quail Hollow.”

Among the seven reportedly leaving for LIV is Australia’s Cameron Smith, the No. 2-ranked player in the world who won the Players Championship in March and Open Championship at St Andrews in July (Smith has not denied the reports). Smith’s countryman, Marc Leishman, also has been said to be joining the Greg Norman-led LIV tour.

It’s safe to say Immelman is on alert. “I don’t know if ‘nervous’ is the right word … maybe it is,” noted the 2008 Masters champion. “I’m a bit anxious but also excited.”

Cameron Smith talks to Trevor Immelman at the 2019 Presidents Cup in Australia. Daniel Pockett

Eight automatic qualifiers for the International team have been finalised — Smith included, along with Hideki Matsuyama, Sungjae Im, Joaquin Niemann, Joohyung ‘Tom’ Kim, Corey Conners, Adam Scott and Mito Periera — while four captain’s picks need to be made on September 6. Davis Love III, the US captain, has six qualifiers in place (Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, Sam Burns, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas and Tony Finau) and will fill out his team roster with six captain’s picks on September 7.

Should Smith take himself out of the mix, it would be a cruel blow for the Internationals, given the 29-year-old is playing the best golf of his life. He was also impressive on debut in 2019 at Royal Melbourne, beating Justin Thomas in singles. His elite putting is made for match play.

Immelman was also eyeing Leishman, a six-time PGA Tour winner who was 17th on the points list but a vital contributor to the Internationals’ team morale in his four previous Cup appearances, as a captain’s pick.

Using his time on the road this year as a PGA Tour commentator for CBS to bond with team candidates, Immelman is confident he can assemble a competitive side even if he has to dive down the standings. Justifiable captain’s picks could include South Korea’s KH Lee, as well as South Africans Erik van Rooyen and Christiaan Bezuidenhout. There are also some big hitters on the list whose driving distance could be useful at the lengthy Quail Hollow, including Canada’s Taylor Pendrith and New Zealand’s Ryan Fox.

“There’s a ton of depth, but we’d be foolish not to acknowledge players who may go to [LIV] have the potential to hurt our team,” Immelman said.

On Wednesday at the Tour Championship, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan was buoyant about both teams but also pragmatic about LIV implications. “There’s so much depth right now, [but] I think both captains and both teams recognise there’s a next-man-up philosophy,” Monahan said.

The PGA Tour’s banning of LIV golfers has raised an old discussion about whether the International team should work separately from the tour. After a lopsided loss at the 2017 Presidents Cup at New Jersey’s Liberty National, then-captain Ernie Els said his successors should “make our own decisions” on things like the selection process and course set-up when the Cup is played outside the US. If the International team had its own governance structure, LIV golfers such as Abraham Ancer, Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel might still be allowed to compete. As awkward as that may be for tour officials, including these prominent players would strengthen the International team, and in the process the event.

But Immelman said rules were rules.

“We’ve had conversations [with golfers such as Els] over the past five years about the possibility of the International team becoming autonomous. While that sounds good, it’s not as easy as that,” he said. “There’s a ton of moving parts. I don’t think people realise how much work is done to make PGA Tour events run smoothly.”

The Presidents Cup’s future may not look as bright as it did when Tiger Woods led the American team to a stirring victory as a playing captain at Royal Melbourne in 2019. That tightly contested edition breathed life into a lopsided event plagued by the fact the Internationals have won just once (1998) in 13 tries.

But Immelman is prepared to roll up his sleeves for a fight against an American team. “The 12 Internationals we end up with will be the 12 that decided to be on our team,” Immelman said, “and that’s who I want to get in the trenches with.”

The post LIV Golf uncertainty over Presidents Cup roster leaves International captain Trevor Immelman preparing for anything appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

14 Curious Masters Champions Dinner Choices

Golf Digest Middle East — Wed, 08 Apr 2020 05:36:59 +0000

The tradition of the Masters Champions Dinner was started by Ben Hogan in 1952, but players didn’t start personalizing the menu until much later. Here are some of the culinary choices in recent years that have stood out

By Alex Myers

Wiener schnitzel (Bernhard Langer, 1986) (pictured above)
The German was one of the first players to really personalize the Champions Dinner menu and he chose wiener schnitzel (breaded veal) and Black Forest cake, two popular foods in his native country. When he won his second green jacket in 1993, he stuck with the cake, but switched to turkey and dressing for the entree.

Haggis (Sandy Lyle, 1989)
Lyle was so fired up about getting to host the Champions Dinner that he wore a kilt and served the Scottish specialty made of minced sheep organs. “That seemed to make quite a statement,” Lyle told the Augusta Chronicle. “The older guys, like [Jack] Nicklaus, had been to Scotland and knew what haggis was. But the newer ones, guys like Lar-ry Mize, they weren’t too sure about that.”

Chicken Cacciatore (Fred Couples, 1993)
Freddie payed homage to his Italian roots by serving chicken cacciatore with spaghetti on the side (his paternal grandparents immigrated from Italy and changed their last name from Coppola). Couples’ choice thrilled at least one other Masters winner with an Italian background. Gene Sarazen called it his favourite Champions Dinner.

Cheeseburgers, fries, milkshakes (Tiger Woods, 1998)
It’s not a coincidence that the youngest winner of the Masters essentially served a kid’s meal. “Hey, it’s part of being young,” Woods said. “It’s what I eat.” Byron Nelson, for one, didn’t complain. He reportedly told Tiger he was glad he ordered cheeseburgers, “because I don’t get this at home.”

Chicken Panang curry (Vijay Singh, 2001)
Singh served a Thai-themed feast that also included seafood Tom Kha, Chilean sea bass with chili and rack of lamb with yellow kari sauce. Singh reportedly had the chef make the spicy chili sauce milder than usual to better appeal to the other guests. Aww, what a guy.

Elk and wild boar (Mike Weir, 2004)
The only Canadian to win a major championship served plenty of big game from the Great White North. There was also fried chicken and filet mignon for the less adventurous. And a selection of Canadian beer, of course.

Lobster ravioli (Phil Mickelson, 2005)
Lefty went Italian for his first Champions Dinner, which also included caesar salad and garlic bread to go with the ravioli in a tomato cream sauce. Apparently, this is a year-round favourite in the Mickelson. Phil and Amy later shared their recipe for the dish with WorldLifestyle.com.

Chicken and beef fajitas (Tiger Woods, 2006 & 2020)
Tiger graduated from burgers and fries to steak, chicken and sushi in 2002 and 2003. Then in 2006 he served fajitas with Mexican rice and refried beans, which friend Mark O’Meara happened to serve in 1999. It was good enough then that Woods had said it was returning to the menu for his 2020 Champions Dinner, which sadly has to wait until this November.

Veal osso bucco ravioli (Zach Johnson, 2008)
Actually, this dish isn’t as curious when you consider how many things Johnson served at his dinner. The menu also contained chilled jumbo shrimp, crab cakes, lobster bisque, filet mignon, seared ahi tuna, Iowa corn pudding, sweet potato casserole, and flourless chocolate cake. Hey, you never know when you’re going to get this chance again, right?

South African bobotie (Trevor Immelman, 2009)
This South African dish is a minced meat pie with egg topping. Immelman also provided a variety of South African wines that were probably a lot more popular with the other guests.

Argentinian barbecue (Angel Cabrera, 2010)
Cabrera served a spread from his home country of chorizo, short ribs, beef filets mollejas (sweetbreads) and blood sausages. When asked about the host’s selection, Jack Nicklaus joked, “Oh, I hope he enjoys it.” Oh, we’re sure Cabrera did.

Spanish seafood paella (Phil Mickelson, 2011)
Mickelson honoUred cancer-stricken Seve Ballesteros, who couldn’t make the dinner, with his meal in 2011. Aside from the paella, machango-topped filet mignon, tortillas and Spanish apple pie were also served. “I just want him to know we all wish he was here and we are thinking about him,” Mickelson said. Sadly, Ballesteros died the following month.

Moreton bay bugs (Adam Scott, 2014)
Adam Scott flew this personal favoUrite in from Australia to accompany the New York strip steak. “They are legitimate bugs, the real deal,” Scott said of the critters that are actually just insect-like lobsters. “I’m not going to serve up anything second rate tonight. I’ve got to go all-out to impress these guys.” Interesting tactic.

Tres leches cake (Sergio Garcia, 2018)
And not just any tres leches cake. Sergio served “Angela Garcia’s tres leches cake.” We believe this marks the first time that a WAG’s name has appeared on the official Champions Dinner menu. Regardless, it sounds like the green jacket winners were in for quite a treat.

The post 14 Curious Masters Champions Dinner Choices appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Trevor Immelman on being named Presidents Cup captain, what it was like to hold off peak Tiger Woods at the 2008 Masters

Golf Digest Middle East — Tue, 07 Apr 2020 22:33:29 +0000

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – DECEMBER 11: Assistant Captain Trevor Immelman of South Africa and the International team looks on during their team photo ahead of the 2019 Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne Golf Course on December 11, 2019, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

By Daniel Rapaport
Having been one of captain Ernie Els’ assistants last year at Royal Melbourne, Trevor Immelman saw first-hand the difference in last year’s International team, which played spirited golf before eventually falling 16-14 to the United States in the Presidents Cup.

Now, after being named captain of next year’s International team which will take on the U.S. from Sept. 30-Oct. 3 at Quail Hollow, Immelman hopes to cultivate a similar cohesive atmosphere among his squad—always a challenge when several countries, languages and cultures are represented.

“One of the areas where Ernie really did breathe new life into our team was really trying to be able to create some kind of platform, some kind of launching pad to where we could start improve as a team,” Immelman said on this week’s Golf Digest Podcast (24:45). “Obviously, we’ve struggled over the years and been beaten up pretty badly.

“But he came with a specific plan as to how we could move forward, and we started to put those wheels in motion over the next year-and-a-half leading up to Melbourne. And then, consequently, whilst our hearts were broken after losing narrowly on that Sunday, we felt good about a lot of the stuff we did leading up to Melbourne. We came up with a pretty clear plan for our team moving forward over the years, and for me, the great news was I was a big part of that…it’s something I’m extremely humbled by, honoured to be a part of this team.”

This week also marks the 12th anniversary of Immelman’s victory at the 2008 Masters, where he held off Tiger Woods for a three-shot win and the green jacket.

Immelman held a share of the 54-hole lead with Brandt Snedeker that year, and Woods lurked within striking distance. Heading into that tournament, Woods was in the midst of one of the best spurts of golf ever—he’d won eight of his last 10 starts, including the 2007 PGA, including four straight tournaments to start 2008. Immelman, of course, was keenly aware of his presence all week … and the fact that, given Tiger’s stranglehold on the sport, that opportunity might not come again.

“This guy was winning 30, 33 percent of the events that he was playing in,” Immelman said (40:54). “You had other Hall of Famers who were playing great—Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Phil Mickelson…so I was very well aware that this could be it for me.”

“I actually remember saying to myself on Saturday night—this could be it, this could be your one shot, this could be your best shot. You gotta make sure that you go out there tomorrow, commit 100 percent, have self belief like you’ve never had it before, and see if you can get it done. Thankfully, I did.”

In addition to a terrific chat with Immelman, we also teased our new countdown of the 50 defining Masters moments, discussed the newly released golf schedule and the British Open cancellation. Please give it a listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts.

The post Trevor Immelman on being named Presidents Cup captain, what it was like to hold off peak Tiger Woods at the 2008 Masters appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Michelle Wie, Trevor Immelman joining CBS Sports as network continues golf overhaul

Golf Digest Middle East — Tue, 03 Dec 2019 18:42:52 +0000

Matt Sullivan/Getty Images

By Joel Beall
Michelle Wie and Trevor Immelman are joining CBS Sports, as the network continues to retool its coverage for 2020.

CBS announced a flurry of moves on Tuesday morning, weeks after parting ways with mainstays Peter Kostis and Gary McCord, and adding Davis Love III, with Wie the biggest name in the announcement. Though her role is vague—a statement said Wie “will contribute to CBS Sports’ multimedia golf coverage this season, including the Masters”—Wie’s transition to media has been expected, as mounting injuries have sidelined her playing career. During the Solheim Cup in September, Wie appeared on Golf Channel as a guest analyst in the network’s Orlando studio.

Immelman, the 2008 Masters champ, is considered a rising star in the broadcasting ranks, excelling in his limited appearances in the booth. Immelman, 39, will be contributing as an analyst during PGA Tour, Masters and PGA Championship presentations.

Other notable moves in the CBS announcement include:

• Frank Nobilio, who has been with CBS for five seasons, has been promoted to a full-time role.

• Dottier Pepper was promoted to lead on-course reporter.

• Andrew Catalon will see an increase in responsibilities, including hosting duties at select events.

• Coach Mark Immelman will have an expanded role during the PGA Tour season, while also contributing to CBS multimedia coverage of the Masters and PGA Championship.

Jim Nantz, Nick Faldo, Ian Baker-Finch and Amanda Balionis are returning in their respective roles for 2020.

CBS Sports’ next broadcast is the 2020 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in late January. The network’s contract with the PGA Tour ends in 2021, although CBS is one of multiple entities bidding for future media rights.

The post Michelle Wie, Trevor Immelman joining CBS Sports as network continues golf overhaul appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Ernie Els tabs a pair of Masters champions as assistants for 2019 Presidents Cup

Golf Digest Middle East — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 04:55:15 +0000

(Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)

By Joel Beall
The International staff for the 2019 Presidents Cup isn’t lacking when it comes to major-championship acumen.

Captain Ernie Els, he of two U.S. and two British Opens victories, tabbed a pair of former green jacket winners in Mike Weir and Trevor Immelman to serve as assistants for the biennial matches in Melbourne. The vice captains are rounded out by Geoff Ogilvy, the 2006 U.S. Open champ, and eight-time tour winner K.J Choi.

“Choosing my assistant captains, I gave it quite a bit of thought,” Els said on Tuesday at a press conference in Australia. “I’ve seen what other captains have done in the past. In this instance, I really wanted to try and start a new thinking process around the pairing system. I’m using a lot of data, a lot of science into what we’re going to be doing in December in Australia, and I wanted to get guys who have played a lot of Presidents Cups like myself.”

Weir made five Presidents Cup appearances for the International squad, posting a successful 13-9-2 record in his career. He was also part of the 2017 club as an assistant to Nick Price.

“The Presidents Cup has been a big part of my career. I grew up playing a lot of team sports and when I made my first Presidents Cup team in 2000 it was really one of the highlights,” Weir said. “So it’s been special to still be part of the team as an assistant to Nick and now Ernie. We have a long history. We’re basically the same age, we’ve played a lot of golf together so it’s going to be really fun to try to get the Internationals over the line this time.”

Immelman played in the 2005 and 2007 matches, while Choi has been a part of three teams. “I’m personally very happy and honoured,” Choi said. “You need amazing teamwork to win the Presidents Cup. It’s our role as captain’s assistants to bring together players of different nationalities and have them blend well together. It’s our role to have them open up to us and help relieve some of the pressure they might feel.”

Els, who has an International-best 21 points in the Presidents Cup, will be looking to lead his side to its first victory since 1998.

In February U.S. captain Tiger Woods announced three vice-captains for Team America: Fred Couples, Zach Johnson and Steve Stricker. Woods has the option of adding another assistant to his roster, although he’ll likely wait until the competition is closer to fill that slot. Tiger has made eight Presidents Cup appearances in his career, second only behind Phil Mickelson.

The 2019 Presidents Cup begins Dec. 12 at Royal Melbourne Golf Club, the site of the only International win in the event’s 25-year history.

The post Ernie Els tabs a pair of Masters champions as assistants for 2019 Presidents Cup appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Masters 2018: Ian Poulter reacts to his group being put on the clock during second round at Augusta National

Golf Digest Middle East — Sat, 07 Apr 2018 08:11:21 +0000

Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images

By Stephen Hennessey
It’s not fake news that slow play is an issue on the PGA Tour. That’s an accepted reality. And the reality of getting paired with a slow player, as a tour pro, is sometimes you’re penalised for someone else’s play.

Ian Poulter was put on the clock twice, not penalised, but warned about his play, during his second round at the Masters. Poulter was paired with 2007 Masters champion Trevor Immelman and Patrick Cantlay, and it’s not clear who the culprit for the slow play was—but Poulter let it be known that wasn’t him. And that he wasn’t the happiest about the situation.

“I think as a group we were slow,” Poulter told a group of reporters after his second round. “But I’m not going to say the reasons why we were slow. I’m going to say ‘we’. Let me just generalise and say ‘we’.

“I’m quite happy to be on the clock every hole of my life, it doesn’t affect me. We had to be on the clock. We were too slow. When you’re too slow, you need to speed up. End of conversation. It is never going to affect my golf, so I’m fine. And I know I’m quick enough. That’s all I’m saying.”

The wind was gusty at points during Friday, so we’ll give these guys a break. But given the final group brought it home more than 5 hours and 45 minutes after their tee time (2:00 p.m.), play was certainly slow in general on Friday at Augusta National.

Poulter, who earned the last invite to Augusta National by virtue of his win at the Houston Open last week, is never one to mince words. It’s unclear whether it was Immelman or Cantlay who was the guilty slow player. We’d venture to guess that Immelman, whose first-round 78 didn’t give him much of a chance of making the cut, wouldn’t have played too slow down the stretch. But that’d be unfair to Cantlay.

So we’ll just leave it at that: Poulter wasn’t too happy to be on the clock. He’ll be around this weekend, and we’ll hope he gets a faster playing partner.

The post Masters 2018: Ian Poulter reacts to his group being put on the clock during second round at Augusta National appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.