U.S. Masters Archives - Golf Digest Middle East

Angel Cabrera sentenced to 2 years in prison for assault

Golf Digest Middle East — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 03:03:18 +0000

Andrew Redington

By Joel Beall
Angel Cabrera was sentenced Wednesday to two years in prison on charges he assaulted his former partner.

A court in the province of Cordoba, Argentina convicted Cabrera of assaulting, threatening and harassing Cecilia Torres Mana, who was Cabrera’s partner between 2016 and 2018. In the trial Cabrera denied any wrongdoing. He will serve the sentence immediately.

Cabrera, 51, was arrested in Rio de Janeiro in January on charges of assault, theft, illegal intimidation and repeated disrespect to authorities. He had been on Interpol’s “red code” list, which is used to seek the location and arrest of a person wanted by a legal jurisdiction or an international tribunal with a view to his or her extradition.

Cabrera had been on the run from an Argentine case involving assault claims filed by Torres Mana. Her case was joined by Cabrera’s former wife, Silva Rivadero, and another former partner Micaela Escudero.

Cabrera is widely considered the best golfer Argentina has produced, winning the 2007 U.S. Open at Oakmont and the 2009 Masters. He also finished runner-up at Augusta National in 2013, losing to Adam Scott in a playoff. He is credited with 52 official global wins and four Presidents Cup appearances.

He made nine starts on the PGA Tour Champions in 2020, his last outing in September at the Pure Insurance Championship. He made those visits to the United States without asking for permission from Argentine authorities, as requested due to the investigation. His trips to the U.S. forced prosecutors in Cordoba to issue an international arrest warrant.

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Watch: Tiger Woods receives Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Trump

Golf Digest Middle East — Tue, 07 May 2019 14:05:44 +0000

SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

By Joel Beall
In an evening ceremony in the Rose Garden at the White House, President Trump bestowed the honour to Woods, who had his children, mother, girlfriend and caddie Joe LaCava in attendance.

“Today is my privilege to award our nation’s highest civilian honour to one of the greatest athletes in the history of sports, Tiger Woods,” President Trump said.

Woods is just the fourth golfer to be chosen, following Arnold Palmer (2004), Jack Nicklaus (2005) and Charles Sifford (2014). He is the first active athlete to receive the Medal of Freedom.

It’s an incredible privilege to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Considering the recipients, history, and what this means to me and my family, it’s also very humbling. Thank you all for your support and I hope this inspires others to never give up on their dreams. pic.twitter.com/33CJIHwQvz

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) May 7, 2019

Trump went through a rundown of Woods’ career, from his amateur record to his breakthrough win at the 1997 Masters to his triumph at East Lake last fall.

“And then he won the Tour Championship. People forget that he won the Tour Championship last year,” Trump said.

An emotional Woods remarked the honour was an unbelievable experience, and thanked all those who have stood by him over the years.

“You’ve seen the good and bad, the highs and the lows, and I wouldn’t be in this position without your help,” Woods said. “I’ve battled, I’ve tried to hang in there, to comeback to play the great game of golf again. I’ve been lucky enough to do it again.”

Woods said the Masters was certainly one of the highlights of what he’s accomplished in his life on the golf course, and stopped to thank LaCava for “the good reads” to laughter.

The 43-year-old ended his speech by giving a nod to Sifford, who he called the “Grandpa I never had.”

“I became so close to him I named my son Charlie after him, so to be chosen as the next golfer after Charlie (to receive the honor) is truly remarkable.”

For those that missed the ceremony, rewatch the proceedings here:

HAPPENING NOW: Pres. Trump awards Tiger Woods the Presidential Medal of Freedom. https://t.co/8L8MYp1ueQ https://t.co/HpGPoRZsNa

— ABC News (@ABC) May 6, 2019

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Masters morning rundown: Koepka fires back at criticism, Spieth’s struggles continue, Tiger and Phil in hunt, and latest on Day’s injury

Golf Digest Middle East — Fri, 12 Apr 2019 05:24:10 +0000

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

By Joel Beall
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Welcome to the Masters morning rundown, your one-stop shop to catch up on the action from Augusta National. Here’s everything you need to know for the morning of April 12.

Koepka, DeChambeau lead on Day 1

One is known as a tactician. The other, a major mortician. While the Venn Diagram between Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka lacks significant overlap, both turned in a six-under 66 on Thursday to share the Round 1 Masters lead.

DeChambeau, whose analytical pursuits and scholarly vernacular mask his physical talent, made his mark thanks to six birdies in the final seven holes, including near eagles at the par-3 16th and par-4 18th. He finished with nine birdies on the day in just his fifth professional round at Augusta National.

Though he has three fewer red figures, Koepka was able to keep a clean card, in large part due to hitting 15 of 18 greens.

“Yeah, that was probably the best ball‑striking round I’ve had in a major championship, I would say,” Koepka, a winner of three majors, said. “I left myself with a lot of good looks.”

But it’s far from a two-dog race. Phil Mickelson continued his admirable fight against Father Time with a five-under 67. The 48-year-old is a three-time Masters champ, although Mickelson has just one top 20 in his last eight Augusta appearances. Rather than the confident, brash Phil we’ve come to know, Mickelson was one of poise on Thursday afternoon, bouncing back from putting his approach in the water at the 11th.

“Look, the greens are softer than they’ve ever been, and they’re not as fast as they normally are,” Mickelson said. “So today was a day to take advantage of it. I’m sure they’ll get firmer and faster as the week goes on. But you could get after the pins and you could putt aggressively.”

Others on the board include Dustin Johnson and Ian Poulter at four under, and five players—including Jon Rahm, Kevin Kisner and former champ Adam Scott—at three.

And right behind at two-under?

Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Woods in hunt
It’s only the start of this four-day rodeo. But for Tiger Woods, a start that more than kept him in the saddle. The 14-time major winner overcame a shaky putter and unfriendly conditions to turn in a two-under 70 in the opening round of the Masters.

“I felt like I played well and I did all the things I needed to do today to post a good number,” Woods said. “I drove it well, hit some good iron shots, speed was good on the greens.

“And it was tricky, the winds as of right now it puffs up, it goes down, it switches directions, and it’s typical of this golf course, it just kind of swirls out there and it’s hard to get a bead on the exactly what it’s doing at all times.”

Due to a blitzkrieg of birdies by the final groups, Tiger’s 70 lost some of its luster by day’s end. Still, Thursday has historically thrown Woods fits at Augusta. And for those seeking a sign: in three of his four Masters victories, Woods opened with a 70.

For Woods to make a move on Friday, he’ll need to improve his second-shot performance (only 11 greens on Thursday) and get on the same page as his Scotty. But he’s there, which is all a fan could ask for on a Thursday. He will tee off in Round 2 at 1:49 p.m.

J.D. Cuban

Brooks fires back at criticism
Earlier this week, Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee had some choice words for Koepka, who admitted last month his game had suffered due to a diet change.

“The three times he’s played here he’s finished 33rd, 21st and 11th, that’s a pretty darn good trend,” said Chamblee. “We know why he didn’t play last year, we know what he did at the end of last year, you can extrapolate what he did at the end of last year and what he was likely to do here at Augusta National if everything were the same. Now, for him to change his body and his body chemistry, for vanity reasons, for a vanity shoot, is the most reckless self sabotage that I have ever seen of an athlete in his prime. I get why they ask Gary Player to do that shoot. I get why they ask Greg Norman to do that shoot.

“But to do something that takes you out of your game, to change your game completely, it’s never worked out very well. I think he’d be at the top of everybody’s list to win at Augusta National had he not done this and had his game not declined.”

Koepka’s 66 was a formidable response in itself. But just in case the message wasn’t received, Koepka made sure it was triple-stamped Thursday evening.

“Well, I lift all the time. I lift too many weights, and I’m too big to play golf. And then when I lose weight, I’m too small. So, I don’t know,” Koepka said, laughing. “I don’t know what to say. I’m too big and I’m too small.

“Listen, I’m going to make me happy. I don’t care what anybody else says. I’m doing it for me, and obviously it seems to work.”

We highly endorse those credos, although we don’t think anyone’s ever called Koepka “too small.” For what it’s worth, Chamblee upped the ante Thursday night when stating he’s still unsure if Koepka has the toughness to win at the Masters. That’s, um, an interesting hill to die on. Or maybe this is a worked promotion for a WWE match between Brooks and Brandel. Either way, sign us up for more.

David Cannon

Day injures back
Jason Day’s road to a green jacket took an unexpected—or some would argue, expected—turn on Thursday.

The Aussie re-injured his back before the first round, aggravating it when he bent down to kiss his daughter Lucy. After bogeying the first hole at Augusta National, cameras caught Day receiving treatment on his back, laying on the second tee box as a trainer attempted to stretch him out.

The treatment apparently worked, as Day birdied the second hole, and finished with a two-under 70.

Day’s injuries have become a hot button as of late. The Aussie pulled out of Bay Hill, his ninth career WD. He later told Golf Digest’s Dave Shedloski that an MRI revealed an injury to his L4-L5 discs. He woke up the Sunday before the Arnold Palmer Invitational and “couldn’t really walk” because of back pain. Alas, some on social media questioned the severity of his pain as he was at Disney World with his family the following day.

At TPC Sawgrass, the 31-year-old responded to the outcry generated by his family outing.

“I don’t care,” Day said. “Like if people make memes about me, I think a lot of them are funny. I think that—I mean, it’s fine. It is what it is. People trying to be funny and that, I get a good laugh out of it and I’m OK with that. You can tell between people that are being funny and people that are actually trying to—that really hate you.

“It’s unfortunate, but it just reflects what they are as a person, because it means—I don’t have a problem with them, they have a problem with me. So it’s more on them than myself.”

Though Day did not stop to talk to media, his management said Day’s back was already sore heading into the week. Nevertheless, Day—who finished the round T-11—is expected to give Friday a go. This is Day’s ninth career Masters appearance. He has three top-10 finishes, highlighted by a runner-up in 2011.

Andrew Redington

Spieth’s struggles continue
This week was supposed to be the elixir for Jordan Spieth. It has been in the past, after all. But whatever pain relief Spieth was seeking, Augusta National did not provide.

Spieth, whose 10-month funk has been one of the sport’s chief wonders and worries, remained in his slump Thursday afternoon, stumbling to a three-over 75.

The problems began early. First hole to be exact. He faced a two-footer for par. A par on the first is one of the biggest exhales in golf. Feels like you stole one on the field. But two feet has looked like 20 to Spieth as of late, ranking 181st in shorties last year and 161st on anything inside 10 feet this season. That showed on Spieth’s attempted save, as the putt lipped out something fierce.

The real daggers came on the sixth and nine. At the 180-yard par-3 sixth, Spieth flubbed his shot short and sideways, falling off the front slope of the green. He failed to get up-and-down from there for double. If that wasn’t humbling enough, Spieth’s chip at the ninth climbed halfway up the green’s incline before deciding to come back down to his feet. For those scoring at home, that’s a four-over 40.

Though he played the back bogey-free, he didn’t birdie the 13th and 15th. The final damage could have been worse, although nine shots behind the leaders is about as worse as it gets if you’re Spieth. Forget a second green jacket; at T-63, it will be a hustle to make it to Saturday.

Spieth will eventually get right. Too talented, too cerebral, too steadfast to be permanently stuck. It just won’t be here, not this week at least.

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Masters 2019 morning rundown: Wallace wins Par 3 Contest, Finau’s prank turns out to be very real, and Augusta National announces new broadcast endeavour

Golf Digest Middle East — Thu, 11 Apr 2019 04:49:28 +0000

Andrew Redington/Getty Images

By Joel Beall
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Welcome to the Masters morning rundown, your one-stop shop to catch up on the action from Augusta National. Here’s everything you need to know for the morning of April 11.

It’s finally here. The Masters, in earnest, begins Thursday morning (PM UAE time). May the weather be kind, the pimento be fresh, the azaleas remain in full bloom and the fist pumps, plentiful.

Wallace wins Par 3
Most Masters entrants will purposefully DQ at the Par 3 Contest, hoping to avoid the event’s infamous curse. Matt Wallace went into overtime in hopes of breaking it.

Wallace, making his Masters debut this week, went three rounds of sudden death with Sandy Lyle at Wednesday’s competition, winning with a birdie on the third hole.

“I wanted to hole that putt on the last (Wallace missed a birdie at the ninth), and I didn’t, and then went to a playoff and it got a little bit more serious than how the nine holes went,” Wallace said. “I guess I just I wanted to win this. I want to break history somewhat.”

Wallace tied Lyle with a five-under 22, which included this ace at No. 8:

Oh Matt Wallace ??pic.twitter.com/zJulN22uHN

— GOLFTV (@GOLFTV) April 10, 2019

As Wallace alluded, no one has captured the Par 3 Contest and Masters in the same week. (Media members reminding their audiences no one has won the Par 3 and Masters in the same week: a true tradition unlike any other.) But there have been close calls, with Raymond Floyd (1990) and Chip Beck (1993) finishing runner-up.

Wallace, who won three times on the Euro Tour last season, will tee off with Bernhard Langer and Alvaro Ortiz at 12:10 p.m. on Thursday.

Finau returns to scene of crime

On April’s Fools Day, Tony Finau and Nike “released” the Finau1, a shoe with exaggerated ankle support. A sneaker that gave a not-so-subdued, and sardonic, nod to Finau’s gruesome injury at the 2018 Par 3 Contest.

However, Wednesday proved that fake boot is very much real, as the 29-year-old broke out the high, hightop at the seventh hole, the scene of the crime last spring.

.@TonyFinaugolf came prepared for the Par 3 Contest this year. pic.twitter.com/vEXwv9opeZ

— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 10, 2019

A closer view, thanks to our Golf Digest photography team:

Andrew Redington

Considering Finau managed a T-10 finish on a busted wheel last season, go ahead and give Big Tone the green jacket if he has this bad boy at his disposal Thursday morning.

Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley. Picture: Chris Trotman

The latest broadcast innovation fans will love
A common complaint lodged at golf broadcasts, especially on Thursday and Fridays, is the abundance of missed televised shots. A complaint the Masters has heard, and answered with an ambitious endeavour.

Beginning on Thursday, fans will be able to see every shot, from every player, on Masters.com. Well, almost every shot; the occasional strike that’s off the grid—think of Rory McIlroy’s notorious tug on the 10th in 2011—may be missing. Nevertheless, all but a handful of foul balls are at a viewer’s disposal is one of the biggest presentation breakthroughs in the past decade.

The venture was announced on Wednesday by Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley.

“The reason we’re going it is because we have always subscribed to the notion that we want to provide content to our fans in the way they want to receive it,” Ridley said. “You know, the world is migrating more and more towards digital technology. It was something that we thought, and that we were hearing, that our fans wanted, and with a lot of great work of our digital technology committee and our staff, we were able to develop this.”

As our Alex Myers discussed, the Masters website and app will continue to track every player’s shot. Coverage that will now be supplemented with raw video stitched into a virtual scorecard.

“It’s been two or three years in developing,” Ridley said. “We had it in a beta test mode previously, but now I feel like we can actually execute on this.”

An innovation that hopefully manifests in fans’ ultimate viewing desire: clips of Jim Nantz rehearsing his weekend intros and victory calls. With a little teamwork (and IBM), we can make the dream work.

Picture: David Cannon

A new pin on 18, but no new tee on 13…for now
During his annual pre-tournament press conference, Ridley also discussed several items pertaining to the course. Most notably, that plans to lengthen the par-5 13th hole—enabled thanks to the acquisition of land from neighbouring Augusta Country Club—are currently on hold. According to Ridley, the club is waiting on results from the USGA and R&A’s project regarding distance impact in the game.

Conversely, reading between the lines (as well as aerial images suggesting initial steps have already occurred), it seems, eventually, yardage will be added to the 13th.

“Admittedly, that hole does not play as it was intended to play by [Bobby] Jones and [Alister] MacKenzie,” Ridley said. “The momentous decision that I’ve spoken about and that Bobby Jones often spoke about, of going for the green in two, is to a large extent, no longer relevant.”

Additionally, it appears, at some point this weekend, there will be a new hole location on the 18th green.

“The 18th green was a green we rebuilt this summer, and we captured or recaptured some areas on the back part of the green that had been lost to encroachment, which is really a natural process in all golf greens over time,” Ridley said. “So there is a larger area, both on the back left and the back right. The back right I think is going to give us an opportunity for a really good hole location. There’s plenty of room back there, but it kind of looks like it’s almost tucked, almost in the bunker, when you’re in the fairway.”

This will be the second Masters under Ridley’s command.

Ian Woosnam. Picture: Kevin C. Cox

Woosnam’s last ride?
Three years ago, Ian Woosnam, winner of the 1991 Masters, announced his retirement from the tournament. Only he didn’t, as the Welshman’s continued to tee it up at Augusta.

However, it sounds like 2019 will be, officially, Woosnam’s last ride in Georgia. The 61-year-old told Golf Digest’s John Huggan it’s time, his 30-year-bout with ankylosing spondylitis, a rheumatic disease that can cause his vertebrae to lock, is becoming too much to bear.

“I know I‘ve said this before. But this time it feels like the end. I want to enjoy playing but I just can’t,” Woosnam said. “It’s too bad really. I’ve got a new driver and I’m ripping it off the tee. I even managed to knock it past Sandy a couple of times this morning. I’m playing well so it it is really disappointing. But I have to say goodbye sometime. If nothing changes physically, I’m done. I just can’t go on like this.”

This will be Woosnam’s 31st appearance at the Masters. Aside from his 1991 triumph, the Hall of Famer has not finished inside the top 10 at the tournament, and he last made the cut in 2008.

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Conor Sketches is back with a fresh batch of hilarious Masters impressions

Golf Digest Middle East — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 08:24:34 +0000

By Coleman Bentley
It was about this time last year that we were first introduced to the many (and very familiar) personalities of Conor Moore, an Irish comedian with a penchant for PGA Tour mimicry. Since that faithful video, he’s moved stateside and started plying his trade over at Golf Channel, tackling everything from The Open to Tiger Woods. He even paved the way for golf’s first swing impressionist. It’s been a big, busy year for Conor, but despite the jam-packed calendar, he still found time to craft another Masters masterpiece and, dare we say it, it might be hist best work yet.

Master impressionist @ConorSketches previews #TheMasters debuting his @RickieFowler, @garyplayer, @NickFaldo006, & @b_dechambeau, plus other favorites. pic.twitter.com/7qRPvcXDw0

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) April 9, 2019

A lot of Conor’s familiar characters—from shoe-polish-beard Dustin Johnson to Ian “GOAT” Poulter—are present and in fine fettle, but there’s also plenty of unsettled comedic territory for the regulars to enjoy. There’s another glimpse of his spot-on Tiger and a predictably aggro Gary Player cameo. There’s a perfectly rendered alien clone of Rickie Fowler and absurdist touches like SIR Nick Faldo in a knight’s helmet and Sergio in water wings. Oh, and whatever you do, hang around for the end, when even Firecracker Francesco makes an appearance.

If you’re wondering how the players themselves feel about Conor’s impressions, well that probably varies pretty widely (you’ll notice a conspicuous absence of recent champions and noted thin-skinners Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth). Something tells us they’re preoccupied with far more important issues this week, however…like the effect of azalea pollen on ball rotation and whether or not they’re a 42 regular or a 42 short.

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Masters 2019: What you need to know about the new logo Tiger Woods’ wore at Masters press conference

Golf Digest Middle East — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 08:18:50 +0000

By Ryan Herrington
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger Woods’ Tuesday press conferences at Augusta National typically are remembered for what the four-time Masters champion has to say. But it appears the 2019 edition will be recalled, instead, something else: what Tiger wore.

Or specifically what Tiger wore on his shirt.

“Tiger, what’s the logo on your shirt?”

“It’s Frank.”#themasters pic.twitter.com/lLNF39OdT8

— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 9, 2019

Yes, Internet was all a flutter for the new “Frank” logo that appeared on Woods’ polo. Frank, for non-Tiger fans, is the nickname of the headcover Woods uses for his driver, which developed a persona of its own in the late 1990s through a series of Nike TV ads that brought the headcover to life.

Yet there was Frank, front and center, as Tiger fielded question.

Suffice it to say, social media had a field day:

.@TigerWoods speaking with the media now and sporting a new logo on his shirt. #themasters pic.twitter.com/0zp8Ved3Lk

— Michael Eaves (@michaeleaves) April 9, 2019

Are we gonna talk about the ADORABLE little Tiger headcover logo on Cat’s shirt? It’s so cutie!!!! pic.twitter.com/sKXhNxG7RG

— Samantha Marks (@SamMarksGC) April 9, 2019

Tiger sporting his headcover Frank as a logo on his shirt.@Nike can I purchase a shirt plz?#theMasters pic.twitter.com/TzYWmD0sSu

— Cam Rogers (@MrRogers99) April 9, 2019

Tiger played it coy when asked about the logo by the media, confirming it was Frank but offering few details on how he went from his golf bag to his shirt. Tiger also failed to mention that the shirt he was wearing is a newly-minted Unisex polo from Nike, leaving that up to curiosity seekers who caught a glimpse of it in the presser.

To save you a step, we’ve gathered a little intel on the shirt that the company has dubbed simply “The Nike Polo,” which retails for $65 and went on sale … wait for it … today at Nike.com.

“The Nike Polo was simple in principle, but hard in theory to design,” said Kelly Tweeden, VP of Creative Apparel Design, Specialty Categories. “Our design team obsessed every detail, every minutia of this simple wardrobe staple. From the innovation around the collar, so it won’t curl, to the material innovation that is poly blend Dri-FIT on the inside and a cotton pique on the outside.”

Several Nike golfers will be wearing the shirt this week at Augusta. Ironically, Tiger won’t. He instead is wearing a series of mock neck shirts that harken back to Tiger circa 2003.

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OSN chief hits back at criticism of network’s “unpleasant” decision to jettison golf coverage ahead of U.S. Masters

Kent Gray — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 01:06:04 +0000

OSN Chief Executive Patrick Tillieux/Getty Images file picture.

By Kent Gray
OSN’s new Chief Executive has defended the cable network’s decision to jettison its golf offering in the face of mounting criticism from UAE fans slowly coming to grips with the fact they won’t be able to tune into this week’s 83rd U.S. Masters from Augusta National.

In response to a stinging email from a disgruntled “and soon-to-be ex-paying customer”, CEO Patrick Tillieux pleaded for understanding as a “golfer myself” but also as a CEO and board member of OSN who “must do what I do” for the good of the network.

OSN ditched all but two cricket channels from its sports portfolio on March 31 with Tillieux quoted as saying the company was “redirecting our investments from sports to content that our customers enjoy the most.”

“In the coming months, OSN will be delivering a new binge-watching channel, fresh monthly pop-up channels celebrating the biggest movie franchises, plus more curated lifestyle and women-centric shows,” he said.

Those comments raised the ire of golf fans following Golf Digest Middle East’s news story on Sunday – Major disappointment for golf fans as Masters TV coverage unlikely in UAE – and prompted one fan to pen an email to Tillieux with the subject line “On Behalf of UAE Golfers: The Complaint”.

Identifying himself as an aspiring MENA Tour player, ‘Kamel McRib’ elicited some Game of Thrones imagery to express his disappointment:

“Have you heard of Game of Thrones? Being in TV, I’m sure you have. There’s a character in the show that goes by the name of Tyrion Lannister (also known as “the Imp” or the “the halfman” because of his dwarf stature). There’s a scene in which he, Tyrion, tells Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen: ‘To do nothing at all is the most difficult thing in the world’. I think that was also Oscar Wilde. But I’m sticking with Tyrion.

Why do I quote that phrase you may ask? Well, as a freshly minted CEO it would be hard to resist the temptation of exerting your mark. The earlier the better. Which is exactly what you (board-approved of course) did by removing pretty much all sports channels, including OSN Sports 3 HD (the home of golf in the UAE). All in an effort to introduce ‘… more premium movies and women-centric programming’.”

We’re not convinced Kamel McRib is the author’s real name but know others share his or her sentiments. The presumed alias also didn’t stop Tillieux from responding in an email exchange that Golf Digest Middle East has been copied in on.

“Thank you for your articulate mail. You defend golf like no one else would,” started Tillieux, who succeeded Martin Stewart as OSN CEO in late November.

“I hope that despite the loss of golf you may find many other reasons to stay with us.” – OSN CEO Patrick Tillieux.

“I am golfer myself and I fully appreciate your disappointment. However, I am also a CEO and a board member of OSN and I must take the decisions that are eventually beneficial for the company. Most of the time these are quite unpleasant decisions in the short term.

“I am not excluding that opportunities will pop up again in the future including incidental golf opportunities, but for the moment I must do what I do. I hope that despite the loss of golf you may find many other reasons to stay with us.”

That seems unlikely. Indeed, a number of respondents to a social media post of our original story said they had, or intended to cancel their subscription.

McRib continued his tasty “rant”, pointing out the importance of golf to the UAE and that fans in Dubai could no longer watch coverage of the European Tour’s Race to Dubai.

“I’m sure you knew/were aware of all of the above (a list of UAE golf facts) before proposing the decision to the board, supported by a presentation with great graphs and cannot-say-no economics/statistics. And as a private company, us viewers (and paying customers) must respect your freedom to exert such a decision given that you are working for the protection (and hopefully increase in value) of shareholder interests. Personally, as a capitalist, I understand and respect this principle all too well.

“However, also as a viewer (and soon-to-be ex-paying-customer), I also hold the freedom to express my opinion on what I consider to be a magnanimous mistake. You will disagree, of course. This is the end of the rant. Thanks for lending us your kind ear (eyes technically). Feeling better already.”

Few other fans will be feeling as generous as Masters coverage begins on Thursday. The brighter news is that Discovery’s GolfTV came on stream April 1 to provide UAE fans with a pay-to-view streaming service of the PGA Tour (not including the Masters).

Golf Digest Middle East will carry full and extensive coverage from Augusta National throughout the week.

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Xander Schauffele on Masters scripting, playing soccer during majors, and why he still drives a “scuffed-up” Camry

Golf Digest Middle East — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 03:45:13 +0000

By Alex Myers
Despite residing in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking since winning the first PGA Tour event of 2019, Xander Schauffele’s Masters odds (40-to-1) haven’t quite caught up. But that’s exactly how the young star likes it.

Trained by his father to develop an underdog mentality growing up, Schauffele, 25, is still happy to play that role even as he quickly piles up wins (four in less than three full seasons on the PGA Tour) and high finishes in major championships (three top sixes in seven career starts). Clearly, he also relishes the opportunity of proving himself in golf’s biggest events.

Schauffele joined me on the Golf Digest Podcast ahead of this year’s Masters to discuss how he’s been able to play his best under the most intense pressure, including becoming the first rookie to win the Tour Championship in 2017. He also talked about going through the Masters scripting process, playing soccer during majors, his upcoming second crack at Augusta National, and why he still drives around a “scuffed-up” Toyota Camry.

Plus, Sam Weinman, Ryan Herrington, Joel Beall, and I break down the most intriguing storylines ahead of the Masters, and offer our picks to slip on the green jacket. Please have a listen.

https://soundcloud.com/user-96678684/2019-masters-preview-xander-schauffele

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Masters 2019: Jordan Spieth’s long anxiety dream takes new twists and turns in the run-up to Augusta

Golf Digest Middle East — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 03:37:17 +0000

By Shane Ryan
I could go into negativities, but that doesn’t do me any good at this point.”—Jordan Spieth, on the NoLayingUp podcast

The two most boring stories in human existence are the story of somebody else’s dream, and the story of somebody else’s fantasy team. I’ll spare you my dreams, but I am going to test your patience with a very brief story from my 2019 PGA Tour fantasy draft.

It was the first round, ninth pick in a 12-team league, I was on the clock, and that situation produced three outcomes that would have been unthinkable even a year earlier:

1. Jordan Spieth was still available.

2. When I selected him, some of the other players made fun of me.

3. Thus far, sadly, they were right.

There are better summaries of Spieth’s fall from grace, but that one works just fine to encapsulate how the best player of his generation has vanished from the radar. The implicit question in a piece like this is whether Spieth can win at Augusta, and on that front I would point you to Joel Beall, who made three important points last week: First, that Spieth is already a legend at Augusta, having already held as many post-round leads there as Tiger Woods. Second, and conversely, he’s playing relatively poorly right now, and third, although the Masters winner hasn’t always racked up a victory in the January-through-March stretch, he has usually captured at least two top-15 finishes. So while Spieth is the ultimate horse for the ultimate course, historical momentum is squarely against him.

Or it was, anyway.

Spieth’s performance over the first three rounds at this weekend’s Valero Open comes as a surprise to those who have watched his two-year plummet down the world rankings. His victory dry spell will reach the two-year mark this July, and for the casual viewer, nothing in his recent play indicated this Texas breakthrough. Thursday and Friday put him in the final group, but it was Saturday, maybe, that was the most heartening performance of all—after shooting six over on the front nine in what looked like the latest one-day collapse, he posted 31 on the back to scrounge his way to a 73. Nothing in his recent past could have augured that kind of in-round damage control.

But it was no surprise to Spieth himself.

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

In a fascinating conversation with Chris Solomon on the NoLayingUp podcast, recorded the week of the WGC-Dell Match Play, Spieth first went into great depth on his struggles, and described their origins as follows:

“For me it was physical. It started with kind of the putter blade, how I was viewing things, and my alignment got off because my eyes were not seeing where the putter blade was actually pointed and therefore I couldn’t trust it. And then it bled into to kind of my full swing, and I just got off in setup that then I’d try to fix the wrong things and I’d get down this spiral … of more inconsistent golf. So recently I’ve been shooting five under, and then I’d be shooting four over … in other words, I just had to time to the club better over the past year or so than I’ve ever had to do.”

His analysis of how he fell on hard times proves a couple facts we already suspected. First, Spieth is brilliant. Second, as you might have guessed if you’ve ever listened to one of the pre-shot Greller Dialogues, he’s neurotic. His brain is his great strength, but as with many analytical people, there is a tendency to spiral into realms of over-thought when trouble rises, and to hear Spieth narrate his 2018 and 2019 season is to listen to an anxiety dream. There are three “swing feels” he pursued from bygone periods of transcendence, but none of them were quite accessible, and in the course of trying to fix himself, he routinely grooved new habits that turned out to be harmful, which ultimately put him in a place markedly worse than “back to square one.” It cost him sleep, and it’s easy to imagine a sense of panic, or something close to it, encroaching on his thought process as he followed one false path after another.

Many golfers speak about the need to “fake it ’til you make it”—to model a confident demeanour even if you don’t feel very confident, with the hope that results will follow—but Spieth is a little too cerebral for self-delusion. In the end, to emerge from this hole, he was going to have to think his way out anyway. According to him, with the help of Cameron McCormick, he has.

“We finally got on top of it recently,” he told Solomon. “We finally figured it out, and now it’s just a matter of repetitions.”

Of course, that’s easy to say, and believing him must inevitably be an act of faith. Matt Every once told me at the Colonial in Fort Worth that he was about to start playing really, really well, and in the 10 tournaments he played from that point forward in the 2014 season, he missed the cut five times and finished better than 39th just once. Professional golfers in a slump have to believe they’re perpetually on the verge, but my personal faith is that Spieth wouldn’t say this if he didn’t believe it. He’s not given to banalities, and he’s too rigorous in this thought process—and too realistic about himself—to pump himself up with thin platitudes. If he says that, he means it.

And the Valero is proving the point. Which doesn’t mean he’s going to win—he’s eight strokes off the lead, in a tie for 15th, heading into the final round—or that he’s free from the 18-hole meltdowns that plagued him in January and February. But favourable omens abound—he was among the leaders in strokes-gained/putting in his two rounds at the Players Championship. He finished 1-1-1 at the WGC-Dell Match Play, falling just one hole short of a chance to make the knockout rounds. He’s fighting for a top 10 or better in Texas.

I can’t responsibly predict that Jordan Spieth will win the Masters. But I can predict the imminent end of the nightmare—the repetitions are piling up, and the results won’t be far behind. Spieth is too good to stay in the black forests forever, and when he emerges, he will by necessity emerge with confidence. Put a man like that on his favourite course, and danger blooms brighter than the azaleas.

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Major disappointment for golf fans as Masters TV coverage unlikely in UAE

Kent Gray — Sun, 07 Apr 2019 07:35:08 +0000

By Kent Gray
On the eve of arguably the biggest week of the golf year, the outlook is bleak for UAE fans suddenly starved of golf on TV. The longer range broadcast forecast is brighter but it will be cold comfort for those planning their annual U.S. Masters marathon on the sofa from Thursday.

OSN’s decision to jettison all but two cricket channels from its sports portfolio as of March 31 has had golfers across the UAE sweating on how to watch the first major of the year from Augusta National.

Sadly, Golf Digest Middle East’s enquires have not eased the increasing anguish; as of Sunday, no broadcaster or streaming service has secured rights for the 83rd edition of the Masters from Augusta National Golf Club.

PGA TOUR available via online streaming/European Tour negotiations on-going

The good news is that GOLFTV, Discovery’s $2 billion swing at the international golf market in conjunction with the PGA Tour, was launched in the UAE on April 1.

Brian Williams, Business Development Manager for the PGA Tour EMEA, confirmed the streaming service, launched globally in January, provides live and on-demand video and promises more than 2,000 hours of live action annually. Sadly this does not include the Masters, at this stage anyway.

Subscribers can also enjoy the PGA TOUR’s “Feature Groups” and “Feature Hole” coverage, as well as a wide range of premium content on-demand, including GOLFTV’s exclusive content partnership with 80-time PGA Tour winner and 14-time major champion Tiger Woods.

Access is available on mobile and online via GOLF.TV and the GOLFTV app. UAE fans can find out more and enjoy a seven-day free trial by visiting GOLFTV.

Patrick Reed is the defending champion heading into the 83rd Masters. Sadly, it seems UAE fans won’t be able to see his title defence on TV.

Meanwhile, European Tour Senior Press & Communications Officer Neil Ahern said that coverage of the Masters did not “fall within our remit as Augusta National negotiate all of their own broadcast deals.” However, there is better long term news.

“We are currently in discussions with several broadcasters in relation to finding a solution to this issue before European Tour action returns on Thursday, April 25 with the Trophée Hassan II in Morocco. We will update further in due course,“ Ahern said.

OSN CEO Patrick Tillieux told BroadcastPro that OSN was “redirecting our investments from sports to content that our customers enjoy the most.” The broadcaster has decided to refocus its service to more women-centric and “premium programming content”, he added.

Golf Digest Middle East will carry full and extensive coverage from Augusta National throughout the week.

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