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The 2005 US Open champion is back with his old coach and

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Official Publication of The Emirates Golf Federation & The Arab Golf Federation

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BILLY FOSTERTalks about his freak

accident, his funniest moments and caddying for

the best golfers in the game

The NBA legend gets his kicks sinking putts rather than shooting

hoops these days

COLUMNISTSPLAYER

MAJORS SHOULD FOLLOW TENNIS

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Ping G25 irons – arguably their most versatile club yet

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

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Official Media Partner Middle East

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Talks about his freakaccident, his funniest

moments and caddying forthe best golfers in the game

The NBA legend getshis kicks sinking puttsrather than shooting

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2 www.wwgolf.biz

GOLF has come a long way since I

first started my career and a lot of

things have changed, many of

them for the better. We’ve got better

clubs to play with, better balls, better

courses, better travel, better organisation

and better communications.

Yet we still have only four Major

Championships with three played in the

United States and one in Great Britain: The

Open, the Masters, the US Open and the US

PGA.

Historically, there’s good reason for this

and I don’t expect for one minute that the

situation is going to change. But in this

modern era where golf is now a truly global

game, we should have the four Majors

played in four different parts of the world.

Tennis has got it right. Their four Grand

Slam events are played in England, France,

America and Australia. That’s how you get a

real Champion of the World.

I wonder how many Major champions we

would have had from different countries if

golf’s four Majors had been played in four

different countries or continents. It’s always

easier playing on home soil in front of your

home crowd and the Americans have a

distinct advantage in three of the four

Majors every year.

The Open Championship began back in

PlayerINTRODUCTION Worldwide Golf Executive Editor Since 1999

The 9-time Major Champion and 9-time Senior Major Champion who has witnessed and been a part of some of the most historic and memorable golfing occasions reflects on the game today

g greflects on theeeeeee y

Gary

I wonder how many Major champions we would have had from different countries if golf ’s four Majors had been played in four different countries or continents. It’s always easier playing on home soil in front of your home crowd and the Americans have a distinct advantage in three of the four Majors every year.

1860 at Prestwick in Scotland. The US

Open followed in 1895, with the US PGA

starting in 1916 and the inaugural Masters

was in 1934.

With the game of golf originating in

Scotland it’s understandable that the first

Major should be played there. When the

game was popularised in the United States

it was also understandable that the other

three Majors should be played in the US.

Before the Second World War golf was

predominantly a game played almost

exclusively in Great Britain and the United

States. It’s ironic that it was an Englishman,

Jim Barnes, who won the US PGA

Championship in the first two years of its

existence, 1916 and 1919, and a Scotsman,

Jock Hutchinson who won the third event

in 1920. Walter Hagen and Gene Sarazen

between them won the next seven US

PGA Championships.

England’s Harry Vardon was the first

non-American to win the US Open, in

1900 and it was another 20 years before

another non-American, England’s Ted Ray

won it.

As far as the Masters is concerned I was

the first non-American to win, in 1961. I

won it again in 1974 and for a third time in

1978. So from the inaugural Masters

tournament in 1934 to 1978 I was the only

non-American to win the Masters. Seve

was the next non-American to win at

Augusta National in 1980 and 1983,

quickly followed by a succession of

Europeans.

In my early days I was one of the few

players who were prepared to fly around

the world to compete in the Majors and

the big events. It wasn’t easy to travel back

then but I was determined to play in as

many big tournaments as I could.

I remember once flying from America to

Australia to play in the Australian Open

with Jack (Nicklaus) and Arnold (Palmer)

via Paris where we were delayed by fog at

the airport for such a long time that Jack

and Arnold decided to fly back to the

States. I was so determined to play, I

continued my journey and arrived at Royal

Melbourne Golf Club just three hours

before teeing off in the Championship. I

had no time to prepare but I came out the

winner. Between 1958 and 1974 I won the

Australian Open seven times.

Jack and Arnold did their fair share of

globetrotting but, overall, Americans are

not enthusiastic travellers outside the

United States. But, then, they could make

the point that they don’t have to travel

abroad too much to compete in so many

big tournaments.

TENNIS LESSON

Australia: Novak Djokovic

USA: Andy Murray

France: Rafael Nadal

England: Roger Federer

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FOR EVERY PLAYER.

Editor-in-Chief: Mike GallemoreExecutive Editor: Gary PlayerEditor: Alex Gallemore

Publisher: Mike Gallemore

Senior Editor: Richard Bevan

Editors: Todd Staszko, James Reeves, Tabitha FlorencePlaying Editor: Joel NealeDesign Manager: Joanna EardleyTechnical Manager: Mark Collinge

Editorial Panel: Gary Player, Mike Gallemore, Alex Gallemore, Richard Bevan, Todd Staszko

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COLUMNISTS

Five holes to play before you die, pimp my ride, golf funnies, Tour news and more.

Understanding The European Tour’s Final Series which debuts on The Race to Dubai this year.

INSTRUCTION

Greg Norman, Gary Player and Pete Cowen air their views on the state of the game.

Know your stats to lower your scores and learn how to enjoy windy conditions.

ARABIAN GOLF

News and results from the leading clubs in the Middle East.

Joel Neale catches up with leading amateur Michael Harradine and we report from the sold out WWG Open at Al Ain.

STYLE

Michael Jordan talks golf, Driving Range with the BMW 740Li, Up close with LPGA star Suzann Pettersen.

TOP GEAR

Titleist launch the 2013 ProV1, Callaway turn up the heat with the X Hot irons and Ping reveal the do-it-all G25 irons.

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THE STARTER

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THE STARTER

5 HOLES TO PLAY BEFORE YOU DIE

Hole 1 Doonbeg Golf Club, Ireland567 yards Par 5

The Greg Norman-designed Doonbeg Golf Course in County Clare, Ireland, is home to arguably the most beautiful opening hole in golf. With the Doonbeg Lodge behind you play from a raised tee overlooking the crashing waves of the Atlantic to the west down to a green encircled by towering dunes which create a natural amphitheatre.

Hole 3B Punta Mita Golf Club, Mexico199 yards Par3

The Jack Nicklaus-designed Pacifico Course at the Punta Mita Golf Club in Mexico actually has 19 holes with two par-3 third holes. No. 3B, known as ‘The Tail of the Whale’ involves a shot over the Pacific Ocean to the world’s only natural island green which is situated atop a mound of black lava rock. The green is only accessible by buggy during low tide – during high tide the club has an amphibious vehicle to transport you!

Hole 17St Andrews455 yards Par 4

The Road Hole at the Home of Golf is arguably the most famous hole in the world and there isn’t a golfer alive who wouldn’t sell their grandmother to play it! The tee shot gives you the option of a risky drive over the Old Course Hotel to the right or what looks like an easier shot down the left but actually brings several pothole bunkers into play, and leaves you with an approach that is severely complicated by the notorious Road Bunker to the left of the green. One to tell the grandchildren about.

Hole 15 Cape Kidnappers, New Zealand639 yards Par 5

Every hole on the Tom Doak designed Cape Kidnappers in New Zealand is a stunner, with the course jutting out on a series of promontories into the spectacular Hawkes Bay. In the middle of a stretch of holes that follows these natural cliff fingers is the 15th – “Pirates Plank.” Look where you’re going when playing this long Par 5 as there’s a 140m drop into the sea on the left and a deep cavern to the right.

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Legend Golf Resort and SafariExtreme 19th

437 yards Par 3

South Africa’s Legend Golf Resort and Safari is home to the world’s longest and highest Par 3. The tee box is only accessible by helicopter – 430m up the majestic Hanglip Mountain – and you play to a green cut in the shape of Africa. The view from the top is truly spectacular while the distance between the foot of the mountain and the back of the green is a jaw dropping 400m. Hit from the radically elevated tee the ball takes 20 seconds to land.

GOLFERS DO THE SILLIEST THINGS

Michael Campbell and Billy Foster, who both feature in this issue, have been victims of bizarre injuries in recent times. Campbell did his shoulder in lifting a suitcase off a luggage carousal while Foster stepped in a hole as he kicked a football, causing his knee ligaments to basically snap! In honour Cambo and Foz we decided to look at some of golf’s other strange injuries.

JOSÉ MARÍA OLAZÁBALThe then reigning Masters champion ended his participation in the 1999 US Open by punching a hole in his hotel room wall and breaking his hand after shooting a first round 75. Temper, temper!

ERNIE ELS The Big Easy ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in 2005 after falling off a banana boat. The initial PR described it as a ‘sailing accident’…erm, not quite!

MARTIN KAYMERThe German Ryder Cup star was leading The Race to Dubai in 2009 when a go-karting crash left him with three broken bones in his foot, forcing him to miss two crucial months of the season. He eventually finished third on the money list. Expensive day at the track...

PAUL CASEY A snowboarding injury derailed the Englishman’s 2012 season when he dislocated his shoulder while getting ‘radical’ in the mountains of Colorado on Christmas Eve 2011. Bummer!

LUCAS GLOVERThe 2009 US Open champion missed the start of last season after spraining his right knee while paddleboarding ahead of the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii. You might say it left him up the creek with no paddle (sorry).

MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ The charismatic Spaniard became the latest Tour player to fall victim to a bizarre season-damaging injury when he broke his leg while skiing in his homeland. Well, if you will try to ski with a bottle of Rioja in one hand and a cigar in the other…

RORY MCILROYThe World No.1 dropped a 50lb barbell on his toe when pumping iron the day before the 2011 WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral got underway. He still went on to finish in the top 10…the big show off.

www.wwgolf.biz 13

THE STARTER

RULE AMENDMENTS

A ball sliced or hooked into the

rough shall be lifted and placed

in the fairway at a point equal to

the distance it carried or rolled in

the rough. Such veering right or

left frequently results from friction

between the face of the club and

the cover of the ball, and the player

should not be penalised for erratic

behavior of the ball resulting from

such uncontrollable mechanical

phenomena.

A ball hitting a tree shall be

deemed not to have hit the tree.

Hitting a tree is simply bad luck

and has no place in the scientific

game. The player should estimate

the distance the ball would have

travelled if it had not hit the tree and

play the ball from there, preferably

from a nice tuft of grass.

There shall be no such thing as

a lost ball. The missing ball is on

or near the course somewhere

and eventually will be found and

pocketed by someone else. It thus

becomes a stolen ball, and the

player should not compound the

felony by charging himself with a

penalty stroke.

PimpMy RideGolf carts…bit boring aren’t they? They pretty much all look the same, nothing to differentiate one from the other…

TWITTER WARSThese days more and more golfers have joined the Twitter revolution Tweeting their every waking move to an army of fans around the world – but who’s winning the Twitter Wars?Rory McIlory might be replacing Tiger Woods at the top of the world game but when it comes to online followers, Tiger’s still top dog.

Name Handle Followers

Tiger Woods @TigerWoods 2,982,952

Rory McIlroy @McIlroyRory 1,532,156

Ian Poulter @IanJamesPoulter 1,442,859

Stewart Cink @StewartCink 1,149,265

Tiger might be top Twitter dog in the golf world…but he still has a long way to go to catch this guy:

Justin Bieber @justinbieber 34,807,794!

A couple of elderly gents were golfing when one said he was going to Dr. Taylor for a new set of dentures in the morning. His friend remarked that he had gone to the same dentist a few years before. “Is that so?” the first said. “Did he do a good job?” “Well, I was playing yesterday when the fellow on the ninth hole hooked a shot,” he said. “The ball must have been going 200 mph when it hit me in the groin... and that was the first time in two years my teeth didn’t hurt.”

Dentures

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THE STARTER

PGA Tour consider ‘local rule’ rejecting belly putter ban

THE US PGA Tour are considering adopting a ‘local rule’ which will see them reject the proposed ban on the anchoring of belly putters.

The changes to the rules, which are due to come into force in 2016, were proposed by the R&A and the USGA last November, with a 90-day consultation period granted for views on the subject to be expressed. The US Tour are said to have reservations about the ban and players such as Jim Furyk have been outspoken in their opposition to it.

“Right now we’re just giving our opinion on what we think is best for the game of golf,” said Furyk. “We’re not discussing what we are going to

do if the USGA does this or they do that. That bridge hasn’t been crossed.”

Ian Poulter believes it could get “very messy” if the PGA Tour goes against the governing bodies of the game. “It will be a shame if they get overridden and the PGA Tour go out on their own,” he said. “There is going to be lots of disconnect between tournaments.”

Tournament of Hope postponedTHE International Federation of PGA Tours and the Sunshine Tour have pulled the plug on the inaugural Tournament of Hope which was scheduled to take place in November this year.

The event was set to be contested in South Africa and feature the top 50 players on the World Ranking and the top players from the Order of Merits on the Tours that make up the Federation of PGA Tours.

“We are confident that the initial

enthusiasm for the Tournament of Hope remains in South Africa and among other potential international sponsors,” said Selwyn Nathan, executive director of the Sunshine Tour. “We are hopeful that, with an improvement in the economic climate, we will be able to conclude all arrangements for a successful staging of the Tournament of Hope at a future date.”

Avantha Masters moves to Greg Norman-designed courseTHE only European Tour event to take place in India, the Avantha Masters, has a new home this year as the tournament moves to the Greg Norman-designed Jaypee Greens Golf Course on the outskirts of New Delhi.

The tournament, scheduled for March 14-17, is the only course in India designed by the two-time Major Champion. It is approximately one hour from Delhi airport and is reminiscent of classic Melbourne Sandbelt courses. South African Jbe Kruger is defending champion.

It’s not every day you win a Major, or The Ryder Cup and Graeme McDowell did both in 2010…so he made sure he celebrated properly!“After the US Open win at Pebble Beach we all went to an old-school Irish bar in Carmel near Pebble called Brophy’s Tavern,” said McDowell. “I was with my family and friends and I may have been the drunkest man on earth. The next day I woke up and saw the trophy on the table in my room and thought, ‘This is a really great hangover.’ I had to pinch myself. When I went back to Ireland we had a party at my golf club, Rathmore, and we did drink out of the trophy cup.“Another fun moment and celebration was after the 2010 Ryder Cup win, Rory McIlroy and I drank out of The Ryder Cup. I really enjoy the social aspect of getting together with 15 or 20 school friends and relaxing in the clubhouse at Christmas time and when I am at home, which isn’t often as I travel so much.”Extract taken from Two Good Rounds by Elisa Guadet

TALES FROM THE 19TH HOLE

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USGA to address slow play issuesJUST a few days after Tiger Woods endured a pathetically slow final round on his way to winning the Farmers Insurance Open on the PGA Tour, the USGA announced a new initiative with the aim of tackling slow play.

The USGA have proposed plans to launch a “multi-faceted programme” later this year in a bid to resolve the issue, which affects those at the top as well as recreational amateurs.

“The cry that pace of play has become one of the most significant threats to the game’s health has become only louder over the last year,” said USGA president Glen D. Nager.

Executive Director Mike Davis echoed Nager, saying: “Six-hour rounds are just not good for the players, our championships or the game. Slow play is also incompatible with our modern society, in which our personal time for recreation is compressed. This is an issue that demands our complete attention.”

Woods said that it took his group just over three hours to complete nine holes – three of which were par 3s.

Lyle still dreaming of Ryder Cup captaincy

TWO-time Major winner Sandy Lyle has said he has not given up on being a Ryder Cup Captain after revealing he was considered for the 2014 role before Paul McGinley was selected.

Players’ Committee Chairman Thomas Björn called Lyle after the McGinley announcement to inform him that he was one of five candidates considered for the role.

“At least I’m still being considered because two years ago I thought I was regarded as too old,” said Lyle, 54. “When I got the phone call from Thomas I knew, and with that they seem to have deleted the unwritten rule that says when you reach 50 it’s the end of your Ryder Cup chances. I live in hope and I shall keep my ears and eyes open. Tom Watson being chosen to lead the USA has opened the door for us oldies.”

Lydia Ko wins her third pro titleFIFTEEN-year-old amateur Lydia Ko won her third professional title last month with a one-stroke victory over American Amelia Lewis at the New Zealand Women’s Open.

In January 2012 the then 14-year-old Ko won the New South Wales Open and last summer after turning 15 she became the youngest ever winner of an LPGA Tour event at the Canadian Open.

“I didn’t cry at the Canadian Open so I don’t know why I cried here. I guess it meant more. It is our national open, so to win means a lot,” she said.

Ko, who is still an amateur, tees it up in her first LPGA Tour Major next month at the Kraft Nabisco Championship.

Dinah Shore is born in Winchester Tennessee on February 29th 1916 and celebrates her birthday on March 1st for three out of every four years until her death in 1994. Shore becomes a famous singer and television personality and is the only non-player to be inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame in 1994, having been a long-time supporter of women’s professional golf. She founded the Colgate Dinah Shore tournament, which has since become the Kraft Nabisco Championship, one of the Majors on the LPGA Tour.

1916 A star is born

THIS MONTH IN HISTORY

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THE STARTER

WWG: What’s your favourite golf course?VS: Augusta National.

WWG: What’s your favourite hole in golf? VS: The 18th at Pebble Beach.

WWG: Who is your favourite golf course architect? VS: Alistair MacKenzie.

WWG: What’s the one mulligan you’d like to take? VS: The 15th hole during the final round of the

2000 Masters.

WWG: What’s your favourite club in your bag? VS: The putter.

WWG: What’s the best golf book you’ve read? VS: The Natural by Sam Snead. WWG: What’s your all time favourite movie?VS: Forest Gump.

WWG: Which is your favourite sports team?VS: The New York Yankees

WWG: Favourite musician or group? VS: Pink Floyd

VIJAY SINGH LOOKING GOOD AT 50

Did you know? Vijay enjoyed rugby, cricket and football as a child, but gave them up to

concentrate on golf after he dropped out of high school at 16.

He often ran across an airport runway to reach the nine-hole Nadi Airport Golf Club near his childhood home in Fiji.

Vijay means ‘victory’ in Hindi.

Vijay became golf’s first 10 Million Dollar Man in 2004 when he won US$10,905,166 in prize money with nine PGA Tour victories.

He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2006.

QUICK 9

Born: February 22, 1963

Height: 6ft 2in

Major Victories: 3

Career Victories: 57

Driving Distance: 290 yards

Driving Accuracy: 58.74%

Greens in Regulation: 70.14%

Sand Saves: 51.27%

Scoring Average: 70.32

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THE DP World Tour Championship, Dubai

won last year by World Number One

Rory McIlroy, will have an even greater

significance this year as the climax not only to the

2013 European Tour’s Race to Dubai , but also to

the newly introduced ‘Final Series.’

The Final Series will consist of four tournaments:

The BMW Masters at Lake Malaren Golf Club in

Shanghai, China (October 24-27); the WGC-HSBC

Champions tournament at Sheshan International

Golf Club in Shanghai, China (October 31-November

3); the Turkish Open at The Montgomerie Maxx

Royal in Antalya (November 7- 10) and will conclude

with the US$8 million DP World Tour Championship

on the Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates from

November 14-17.

The combined prizemoney for all four

tournaments is US$30.5 million, plus the additional

Race to Dubai Bonus Pool of US$3.75million,

awarded to the top 10 players at the end of the

season, after the DP World Tour Championship.

Any European Tour Member hoping to qualify

for the for the DP World Tour Championship – and

therefore earn a chance to compete for The Race

to Dubai $3.75 million Bonus Pool – will have to

participate in two of the three events preceding the

season-ending finale. This regulation only applies to

those European Tour Members who are eligible for

all three events at the close of entries.

Furthermore, at the conclusion of the Perth

International Championship in Australia on October

20, the last event prior to ‘The Final Series,’ The Race

to Dubai will be converted to a points table with €1

equalling 1 point. This will allow for a 20 per cent

“points” bonus to be awarded to any player who

plays all of the first three events in the ‘The Final

Series’. The bonus will be added to the respective

players’ points totals before the start of the DP

World Tour Championship, potentially improving

their chance of either winning The Race to Dubai or

increasing their share of the Bonus Pool.

Keith Waters, Chief Operating Officer of The

European Tour (pictured above, right) said: “The

Final Series is designed to attract the world`s best

players and create a fitting climax to The Race to

Dubai. The large prize funds in all four events plus

an added bonus of 20 per cent if a player plays the

preceding three events is designed to keep The

Race to Dubai alive to the last event, the DP World

Tour Championship.

“Last year Rory McIlroy, through his superb

performances, had clinched The Race and the

Bonus Pool two weeks prior to the Grand Finale at

Jumeirah Golf Estates and while the new format

does not guarantee that will not happen again, it

does create greater opportunities for the chasing

pack to catch the leader of The Race to Dubai.”

Mohammed Sharaf, Group CEO DP World,

commented: “We are delighted to be entering our

fifth year supporting The European Tour, and the

second year as the title sponsor of the season-

ending DP World Tour Championship. Last year will

be a tough act to follow with Rory having secured

the double in winning The Race to Dubai and the

money list on the US PGA Tour in such fine style, as

well as winning the DP World Tour Championship,

birdieing the last five holes. We look forward

to seeing how this year’s Race to Dubai season

develops and the impact of The Final Series. With all

60 of the top European Tour players earning their

place at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, it is certain

to be a thrilling climax to the season.”

The Race to Dubai features a total of 45

tournaments across 24 countries, including the

Majors and World Golf Championships.

Following the Desert Swing in January and

February, the 2013 Race to Dubai moved from

South Africa to the World Golf Championships

in Arizona and Miami before heading for India,

Malaysia and Morocco, in the early stages of a

golfing odyssey that traverses the globe as it builds

towards the exciting new climax of ‘The Final Series’.

George O’Grady, Chief Executive of The

European Tour, said: “The Introduction of ‘The Final

Series’ and the associated changes to the structure

will bring even more drama and excitement to the

conclusion of our season, and further enhance The

Race to Dubai.”

The BMW Masters was won last year by Swedish

Ryder Cup player Peter Hanson, and the 2013 field

will be made up of 78 players comprising the top 60

in the World Ranking, 14 players from the Chinese

Golf Association, three tournament invites and the

balance from The 2013 Race to Dubai.

Eckhard Wannieck, Head of Sponsoring,

Co-operations and Product Placement BMW,

said: “Last year’s inaugural BMW Masters tournament

at the Lake Malaren Golf Club in Shanghai exceeded

even our own expectations – it provided a fantastic

THE FINAL SERIES“The Final Series is designed to attract the World`s best players and create a fitting climax to The Race to Dubai. The large prize funds in all four events plus an added bonus of 20 per cent if a player plays the preceding three events is designed to keep The Race to Dubai alive to the last event, the DP World Tour Championship.” –Keith Waters

RACE TO DUBAI NEWS

Chief Operating Officer of The European Tour

www.wwgolf.biz 19

advertisement for the sport of golf as well as the

BMW brand in the dynamically expanding Chinese

market. We also welcome The European Tour’s

newly-created ‘The Final Series’ as the climax to the

season; it underlines the elevated status of the BMW

Masters and our role as one of the leading partners

in golf worldwide.

A prize fund of US$7 million makes the BMW

Masters one of the most lucrative international

sporting events on the calendar. As The Race to

Dubai enters the home straight, the tournament

will play a key role in determining who finishes the

season at the top of the rankings. This is a major

sporting feather in the BMW Masters’ cap.”

The following week ‘The Final Series’ moves across

Shanghai to Sheshan International Golf Club for the

WGC-HSBC Champions from October 31-November

3, the second HSBC title-sponsored event of the

year after the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.

The final World Golf Championships event of the

season counts towards both The Race to Dubai and

the PGA Tour’s FedExCup for the first time. The field

of 78 players features the current Major and WGC

champions and champions from the other leading

tournaments scheduled across all the Federated

Tours. The top 50 from the World Ranking qualify, as

do the leading five players not otherwise exempt

from both The 2013 Race to Dubai and FedexCup

and six players from the Chinese Golf Association.

Last year’s title went to another Ryder Cup winner,

Ian Poulter.

Giles Morgan, HSBC Global Head of

Sponsorship and Events, said: “The WGC-HSBC

Champions is our flagship event and one of the

things we’re most proud of is the qualification

criteria with the majority of the field qualifying only

by winning a key tournament on their Tours or by

being ranked in the top 50.

“This absolutely guarantees we’ll have a glittering

array of golfing talent in Shanghai and the fact that

the players will also be battling it out for ‘The Final

Series’ adds even greater lustre to what promises to

be a thrilling climax to the season.”

Guy Kinnings, Global Head of IMG Golf,

the tournament promoters, added: “When we first

staged the HSBC Champions in 2005, HSBC and IMG

were well aware of the ever-growing importance of

Asia on the global golf map and we are delighted

with the stature the tournament now holds in the

worldwide schedule today.”

The Turkish Open from November 7-10 is a new

event on The European Tour International Schedule

and follows an exhibition last year when Justin Rose,

another of Europe’s Ryder Cup heroes, triumphed.

The top 50 in the World Ranking, five tournament

invites and the balance from The 2013 Race to

Dubai will make up the field of 78.

Ahmet Agaoglu, the President of the Turkish

Federation, said: “We are honoured to host the

first European Tour event in Turkey and especially

delighted to have secured a prime date on The Tour

Schedule. The venues and coastline of southern

Turkey provide an ideal destination for international

events and tourists alike.”

Andrew Chandler, of promoters

International Sports Management, added: “The

Turkish Open, positioned in the penultimate week

of The Race to Dubai and played on a great golf

course, will attract an exceptionally strong field as

the anticipation at the tail end of the season grows.”

These three events build towards the thrilling

climax to ‘The Final Series’ at the DP World Tour

Championship, from November 14-17 where once

again the top 60 players in The Race to Dubai after

the Turkish Open will be eligible for the season

finale.

BMW Masters

Lake Malaren Golf Club

Shanghai, China.

October 24 -27.

Prize fund: $7,000,000.

WGC-HSBC Champions

Sheshan International GC

Shanghai, China.

October 31-November 3.

Prize fund: $8,500,000.

Turkish Open

The Montgomerie Maxx Royal,

Antalya, Turkey.

November 07-10.

Prize fund: $7,000,000.

DP World Tour Championship, Dubai

Jumeriah Golf Estates

Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

November 14-17

Prize fund: $8,000,00.

The Race to Dubai will be converted to a points table with €1 equalling 1 point. This will allow for a 20 per cent “points” bonus to be awarded to any player who

Championship, Dubai, potentially improving their chance of either winning The

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www.wwgolf.biz 23

OFFICIAL 2013 RACE TO DUBAI

THE 2013 RACE TO DUBAI RANKING AS AT FEBRUARY 25, 2013

1 STERNE Richard RSA 5 €521,389

2 JAMIESON Scott SCO 6 €436,205

3 OOSTHUIZEN Louis RSA 4 €435,328

4 SCHWARTZEL Charl RSA 3 €421,432

5 DONALDSON Jamie WAL 4 €419,932

6 OLESEN Thorbjørn DEN 5 €395,478

7 POULTER Ian ENG 1 €371,546

8 WOOD Chris ENG 4 €363,704

9 GALLACHER Stephen SCO 4 €348,452

10 COETZEE George RSA 6 €332,598

11 SANTOS Ricardo POR 6 €284,050

12 ROSE Justin ENG 3 €270,601

13 GRACE Branden RSA 7 €269,961

14 WEBSTER Steve ENG 6 €267,298

15 GARCIA Sergio ESP 3 €255,177

16 JAIDEE Thongchai THA 5 €237,724

17 FICHARDT Darren RSA 8 €234,544

18 AGUILAR Felipe CHI 4 €206,694

19 MULROY Garth RSA 7 €204,388

20 McDOWELL Graeme NIR 1 €204,350

21 KAYMER Martin GER 3 €200,689

22 FDEZ-CASTAÑO Gonzalo ESP 4 €199,242

23 NOREN Alexander SWE 4 €187,687

24 FRASER Marcus AUS 4 €184,277

25 BOURDY Grégory FRA 7 €180,126

26 SULLIVAN Andy ENG 7 €176,767

27 CABRERA-BELLO Rafa ESP 5 €176,307

28 BROBERG Kristoffer SWE 6 €174,759

29 HARRINGTON Padraig IRL 3 €165,282

30 COLSAERTS Nicolas BEL 2 €152,362

30 LOWRY Shane IRL 4 €152,362

32 MANASSERO Matteo ITA 5 €147,399

33 VAN ZYL Jaco RSA 6 €138,842

34 CLARK Tim RSA 2 €136,124

35 STENSON Henrik SWE 5 €127,822

36 WILLETT Danny ENG 5 €126,324

37 HANSON Peter SWE 3 €124,241

38 HOWELL David ENG 5 €119,345

39 GAGLI Lorenzo ITA 7 €118,379

40 LAWRIE Paul SCO 4 €108,260

41 WESTWOOD Lee ENG 2 €105,987

42 HORNE Keith RSA 7 €103,015

43 QUESNE Julien FRA 4 €102,363

44 RAMSAY Richie SCO 4 €99,339

45 SIEM Marcel GER 5 €97,937

46 KRUGER Jbe RSA 6 €93,954

47 BJÖRN Thomas DEN 5 €92,254

48 ROCK Robert ENG 6 €89,020

49 ELS Ernie RSA 4 €83,844

50 KIEFFER Maximilian GER 6 €81,076

51 MOLINARI Francesco ITA 3 €79,539

52 CASEY Paul ENG 4 €79,496

53 FLEETWOOD Tommy ENG 6 €77,741

54 AIKEN Thomas RSA 6 €77,350

55 LAWRIE Peter IRL 5 €76,621

56 DE LA RIVA Eduardo ESP 4 €73,939

57 SINGH Jeev Milkha IND 4 €72,774

58 DONALD Luke ENG 1 €71,337

58 PETTERSSON Carl SWE 1 €71,337

60 WALL Anthony ENG 3 €70,889

61 WIESBERGER Bernd AUT 4 €67,403

62 KHAN Simon ENG 3 €65,614

63 LUITEN Joost NED 3 €64,621

64 WALTERS Justin RSA 6 €63,147

65 DRYSDALE David SCO 7 €61,973

66 VAN DER WALT Tjaart RSA 4 €57,570

67 FISHER JNR Trevor RSA 4 €55,235

68 CAMPILLO Jorge ESP 7 €54,851

69 LOCKERBIE Gary ENG 6 €53,180

70 CAMPBELL Michael NZL 3 €49,444

71 ÅKESSON Björn SWE 4 €49,293

72 MAYBIN Gareth NIR 5 €49,086

73 BLAND Richard ENG 5 €48,726

74 NIXON Matthew ENG 5 €48,184

75 OLAZÁBAL José María ESP 4 €46,962

76 HOEY Michael NIR 5 €45,913

77 HANSEN Anders DEN 3 €45,162

78 HARTØ Andreas DEN 7 €44,849

79 CHOWRASIA S.S.P IND 5 €42,414

80 WARREN Marc SCO 6 €41,393

81 LEE Craig SCO 6 €41,358

82 MADSEN Morten Ørum DEN 4 €40,719

83 HORSEY David ENG 6 €39,821

84 ILONEN Mikko FIN 3 €39,594

85 SLATTERY Lee ENG 5 €38,689

86 KINGSTON James RSA 4 €38,542

87 GONZALEZ Ricardo ARG 4 €37,290

88 JACQUELIN Raphaël FRA 3 €37,103

89 DERKSEN Robert-Jan NED 4 €36,645

90 GARRIDO Ignacio ESP 7 €36,123

91 LYNN David ENG 1 €34,182

91 McILROY Rory NIR 2 €34,182

93 DA SILVA Adilson BRA 3 €34,150

94 RUMFORD Brett AUS 4 €33,702

95 GOOSEN Retief RSA 2 €33,550

96 MEESAWAT Prom THA 3 €33,079

97 DUBUISSON Victor FRA 3 €33,073

98 TULLO Mark CHI 3 €32,700

99 CLARKE Darren NIR 2 €32,150

100 GREEN Richard AUS 3 €31,739

Pos Name Nationality No. of events Prizemoney Pos Name Nationality No. of events Prizemoney

www wwgolf.biz 2www.wwgolf.biz 23

The Race to Dubai is a season-long competition spanning a minimum of 45 tournaments in 24 countries and all five continents on The 2013 European Tour

International Schedule. The Race to Dubai winner receives The Harry Vardon Trophy (first awarded in 1937), and a seven year European Tour Card exemption. The

winner of The Race to Dubai will secure Category 1 Membership of The European Tour similar to the winners of The Open Championship, the US Open, the US PGA

Championship and the Masters Tournament. The Bonus Pool will count as Official Money on the final Race to Dubai standings.

E X P L A N AT I O N O F T H E E U R O P E A N TO U R R A C E TO D U B A I 2 0 1 3

www.wwgolf.biz26

WITH the consultation process to consider banning the

belly putter now at an end following the conclusion

of the snow-hit World Golf Championships-Accenture

Match Play Championship, there is new speculation that

the US PGA Tour may allow the introduction of ‘local rules’ to override

the proposed ban by the USGA and the Royal & Ancient.

When I heard the news that golf’s governing bodies, the R&A and the

USGA, had finally decided to ban the anchoring of the long-handled

putter I couldn’t have been more pleased, although I didn’t understand

why they wanted to wait until 2016 before implementing it.

Now it seems the US PGA Tour are considering allowing “conditions of

competition” that apply to each tournament, encompassing the possible

use of the long-handled anchored putter.

If the US PGA Tour take this route and the R&A and the USGA go ahead

with the ban it could lead to total chaos. We could end up with a situation

where someone like Ernie Els would be allowed to use his long-handled

putter playing a US PGA Tour event one week and the following week he

could be playing a European Tour event and be banned from using it.

It took the R&A and the USGA many years before deciding to ban

the anchoring of long-handled putters and I welcomed it because I

believe it should have been banned from the outset. By prolonging the

implementation of the ban they are merely allowing exponents of the

anchored putter to continue their campaign to reverse the ruling.

It’s a crazy situation where it seems that the USGA, who are responsible

for making the rules of golf in the United States and Mexico, and the R&A

who set the rules and administer them in the rest of the world, could be

overruled by the PGA Tour through the loophole of using ‘local rules’ to

allow its use.

The simple truth is that the game of golf was never intended to

include long-handled anchored putters. The governing bodies have to

standardise the rules. They have to either do it or not do it but they can’t

leave it open-ended.

I’ll never understand why, having decided to ban it, they then opted to

give everyone three years to get used to the idea.

There is not a great deal between the ability level of players on the

Tour but there’s a big difference in their mind control. I’m only a small guy.

In my career I won 165 golf tournaments, nine regular Majors and nine

Senior Majors. I couldn’t have done that without my mental strength. It’s

what made the difference.

I couldn’t hit the ball anywhere near the distance of my rivals but I

could use my mental strength to use my course management and my

mental focus to get the best out of what I’d got, including the strength

of my putting when the chips were down. Superstars in most sports only

become superstars because of their ability to be in total control of their

emotions and their nerves.

Golf is all about pressure and how you react to it. When you’re in a

tight situation and you’ve got to use everything in your power to get

the job done, that’s what champions are all about. If you take the nerves

out of the game you are ruining the spectacle. Golf is all about making

great shots under pressure and having the nerve to turn those shots into

birdies and eagles or making a vital save.

Take out the mental nerves from golf and you take out the guts from

the game. It’s 30 or maybe 40 per cent of what it’s all about.

By using an anchored long putter, whether you anchor it in your

midriff, your chest, your chin, or wherever it suits you, it’s taking the wrist

action altogether out of your putting stroke. If a player is struggling with

his putting, he has to come to terms with it. Many players suffer from a

lack of confidence with their putting at some stage of their career but

they have to overcome it. But by using the anchored putter it means they

are taking away a vital element of the game. I can remember when some

players used beta-blockers to calm their nerves. Well, using an anchored

GARY PLAYERIt’s a crazy situation where it seems that the USGA, who are responsible for making the rules of golf in the United States and Mexico, and the R&A who set the rules and administer them in the rest of the world, could be overruled by the PGA Tour through the loophole of using ‘local rules’ to allow its use.

BY USING AN ANCHORED LONG PUTTER, WHETHER YOU ANCHOR IT IN YOUR MIDRIFF, YOUR CHEST, YOUR CHIN, OR WHEREVER IT SUITS YOU, IT’S TAKING THE WRIST ACTION ALTOGETHER OUT OF YOUR PUTTING STROKE. IF A PLAYER IS STRUGGLING WITH HIS PUTTING, HE HAS TO COME TO TERMS WITH IT. MANY PLAYERS SUFFER FROM A LACK OF CONFIDENCE WITH THEIR PUTTING AT SOME STAGE OF THEIR CAREER BUT THEY HAVE TO OVERCOME IT. BUT BY USING THE ANCHORED PUTTER IT MEANS THEY ARE TAKING AWAY A VITAL ELEMENT OF THE GAME.

www.wwgolf.biz 27

putter is no different than taking a pill. Fortunately, they have been

banned from the game and the anchored putter should be treated in the

same way.

Orville Moody was one of the best ball strikers on Tour in the 1960s but,

by his own admission, his putting was what let him down. He won the

1969 US Open using a cross-handed putting grip. But when he reached

50 and joined the US Champions Tour he switched to an anchored long-

handled putter and won 11 tournaments including the 1989 US Senior

Open. You shouldn’t be allowed to use the anchored putter as a cure for

your nerves.

Tom Weiskopf was one of the best ball-strikers in the game. He was a

better ball striker than Jack or Arnold or me but he didn’t win the number

of tournaments he should have won because of his nerves in pressure

situations.

Tiger Woods went through a period, after his personal problems, when

he lost his focus. His nerve, which made him the player he was, just wasn’t

there when he needed to sink those five or six foot putts which had been

automatic certainties to him previously. Now, he’s getting it back again.

He’s swinging better and he’s got his mental approach in order again. He’s

won already on Tour at Torrey Pines in January and he’s my bet to win the

Masters.

HOPEFULLY this could be Lee Westwood’s year to win a Major. He’s

done the right thing in moving to the States and taken a lot of pressure

off himself. He’s showing signs of finding his best form and I’d like to see

him finally win a Major. He deserves it. It will be interesting to see how

Rory McIlroy performs at the Masters, which will give us an insight into his

much anticipated season ahead.

I’m pleased to see how the South African boys are shaping up.

Richard Sterne and Darren Fichardt have won recently, along with Charl

Schwartzel, who, with Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace, Ernie Els and

Retief Goosen, and the up and coming George Coetzee, look like making

this a memorable year for South African golf.

I THNK it’s time to put rules into golf to govern the progress of new

technology. Not for the amateurs, the local club golfers, but for the Tour

pros. There’s a Canadian professional from Alberta, Jamie Sadlowski, who

is one of the longest drivers in the world, who regularly hits the ball over

400 yards. He’s got a personal best of 445 yards and he’s no giant. He’s 5

foot 10 inches and 168 pounds.

Players are driving the ball further and further and If the trend

continues it will change the character of some of the world’s greatest golf

courses and make some of them totally redundant. We need bifurcation

in the game of golf immediately.

www.wwgolf.biz 29

IT’S interesting to see how all the big names are preparing for the

season ahead, with their main focus on the Majors in general and

the Masters in particular.

I was over in Santa Monica, California, last month working with

Graeme McDowell, Padraig Harrington and Martin Kaymer. Graeme is

struggling a bit with his confidence but that’s not at all surprising given

the time he’s been off the course. But his game is in quite good shape

after his 10-week layoff and he’s hitting the ball well enough. He’s fit

physically but he’s missing that vital, competitive sharpness you need

for tournament golf. But he’s happy and playing well overall so it won’t

take him long to get back into the swing of things. It’s not necessarily a

bad thing for players to take a good, long break around Christmas and

New Year. Being fresh is a good thing as Tiger has shown by successfully

taking a long winter break for many years.

You need to make sure you’re in the right frame of mind where you

really want to play. You don’t want be thinking, ‘I’ve already played 8 or 10

weeks and I’m getting tired already.’ You want to be fresh but you’ve got

the have the eagerness to get back into action.

Padraig is also in good shape. He feels he’s got no problems with his

game. Last year he was playing well but he just couldn’t finish anything

off. If he had been putting a little bit better at certain times he could

probably have won a few times and maybe won another Major. But

he just wasn’t putting well enough. If you’re not putting well out there

you’re not going to be winning anything.

Although many of the major European players, like Lee Westwood,

Rory McIlroy, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose are now based

in the United States, Padraig has never been tempted to live over in

America. He’s always taken the view that if you’re good enough it doesn’t

matter where you live.

It’s a difficult thing for the Europeans to go over to the United States

and be successful. We tend to forget that here’s huge strength in depth

on the US PGA Tour and good, new players are joining the Tour every

year.

They play on golf courses out here that are decent, but easy to score

on. Ten-under is a normal score for these guys on most of these layouts.

At the end of the day it all comes down to putting. The putting stats at

each tournament tell you everything about the players. Brandt Snedeker,

for instance, is one of the most naturally gifted putters in the game

right now. Anyone who putts that well is going to win tournaments. If

you’re putting well, invariably the rest of your game is good because the

confidence that comes from putting well is unbelievable. When your ball

is dropping into the cup the hole looks like a bucket to you.

Another player who is putting well at the moment is Richard Sterne.

Last month it was great to see Sterne back in the winner’s enclosure

after two years out of the game through injury. I used to coach Sterne

at the same time as Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel. When I first

worked with all the three of them together I told them that they had

the opportunity to dominate golf for the next 15 years if they wanted to.

They all have that quality. You can also add George Coetzee to that list. It

seems that the Afrikaaners have got that certain edge to them. They’ve

got a steely determination and a real fighting spirit – Ernie, Goose,

Branden Grace, Sterne, Louis, Charl and George, all Africaaners. They’re

all really tough competitors.

In golf you’ve got the level of players who can win Tour events and

you’ve got another level who can win Majors. The Majors are different

from ordinary Tour events. They’re a different kettle of fish. It’s like a

football team doing well in the Championship but they’ve then got to

step it up to succeed when they get into the Premiership.

Mickelson is the perfect example of a Major hunter. He always

comes out firing on all cylinders at the beginning of each season. He’ll

take two or three weeks before getting into action. The only thing

he wants on his CV is more Majors – and that’s what he’s looking for.

As a three-times Masters winner he’s got a great affinity for Augusta

National. He’s always going to be in contention at the big events,

particularly the Masters.

Majors are always contested by the usual suspects with the odd

surprise package thrown in. The cream always rises to the top – with the

odd exception. But that doesn’t happen very often.

Off the course I’ve been doing a bit of work with Callaway. As you can

imagine I’ve seen every possible club out there but the new X Hot series

took my eye. The large 3-wood is unbelievable,

the control and additional speed makes it

a safe driver alternative. I managed to hit a

few and there wasn’t much in it against my

driver. The irons are brilliant. A classic iron

you could argue, is a classic iron but the X- ot

sole progression is spot on. The key is how it

interacts with ground on impact and Callaway

has designed a cracker with these.

Right, I’m now off to the States again to team up with the lads in

Florida in preparation for the WGC -Cadillac Championship at Doral, lets

hope it doesn’t snow!

PETE COWENPadraig has never been tempted to live over in America. He’s always taken the view that if you’re good enough it doesn’t matter where you live.

www.wwgolf.biz 29

ere but the new X Hot series

ble,

ot

t

way

eam up with the lads in

Championship at Doral, lets

www.wwgolf.biz30

Caddies Who Carry the Can

www.wwgolf.biz 31

Getting back on the bag

WWG: How did your bizarre accident

actually happen?

BF: It was just before the Quail Hollow

Championship last May in the States. The

caddies had organised a football match

against a local Charlotte team. They asked

me to play but I told them that I wouldn’t

because I was too old and it was too

dangerous to risk injury. My job was too

important to me. The boys were having a

bit of a kick-around before the game and

the ball came my way. As I tried to kick it

back to them I put my foot in a hole. My

leg went one way and my knee went the

other. It snapped my cruciate ligament

and damaged my lateral ligament. I made

a really good job of it. That was 10 months

ago and it’s been pure agony ever since.

WWG: How’s the knee doing?

BF: I’ve had three operations since the

accident and only yesterday I had my

knee drained and a steroid injection to

calm it down. It’s been a nightmare for

me mentally and physically and a disaster

financially as I’m basically self-employed.

WWG: Have you missed not being on the

course?

BF: When you’ve done the job I’ve done

and enjoyed the highlights and travelled

the world for the past 30 years then

obviously I miss it but it’s also the sheer

boredom of having to lie on the couch

keeping my leg elevated for months on

end and having to watch unwatchable

programmes on television. I’ve missed not

being able to do anything with the kids and

the family. I’ve had to be careful and take

care of the knee and nurse it along. But I’m

getting there and I can see the light at the

end of the tunnel. I’m hoping to get back

out there in the next few weeks. Hopefully,

I’m on the last leg, as it were.

WWG: What are your plans for the future?

BF: I’ve not been able to make any firm

plans because I don’t know exactly when

I’ll get the all clear to get back on course.

I’ve been patient and followed the doctors’

orders to the letter so I wouldn’t hinder

the healing process. Once I get close to a

return to the game I’ll make it known to the

caddies and management companies that

I’m back in business. I’ll just have to bide my

time and be patient a little longer. I’m not

going to jeopardise everything by coming

back too soon. There’s no guarantee I’ll get

a top job when I start caddying. Maybe I’ll

have to freelance for a while.

WWG: How difficult is it to become one of

the leading caddies in the game?

E x c l u s i v e

www.wwgolf.biz32

be beaten. The memory will stay with me

forever.

WWG: Who do you rate as the best of

Europe’s Ryder Cup Captains?

BF: There have been so many good

Captains – Bernhard Langer was

exceptional, Colin Montgomerie and Mark

James were brilliant, especially in the way

they involved the caddies. Before Medinah

I had no doubt that José Maria Olazábal

would make the best Captain ever and

he certainly was. His passion and desire is

second to none.

He’s a very inspirational man and he had

the strength to cope with all situations.

Being Seve’s sidekick in The Ryder Cup

meant he had learned all the tricks of the

trade. In The 2008 Ryder Cup, after the

Captain, Nick Faldo, had made a speech

in the locker room I actually kicked José

first win in the United States and it

reversed the fortunes of The Ryder Cup as

a proper competition after years of it being

little more than an exhibition match for

the USA. I’ve worked at many great Ryder

Cups but the most outstanding and most

emotional was when I caddied for Darren

Clarke at the K Club in Ireland in 2006

when we won 18.5-9.5.

Darren called me to say he’d been

offered a wildcard by Captain Ian

Woosnam shortly after his wife, Heather,

passed away. He asked me what I thought

and he decided that Heather would have

wanted him to play. The atmosphere

throughout the week was something

special and there were a lot of tears.

When Darren won his singles match to

make it three points out of three to keep

The Ryder Cup we all burst into tears. I

don’t think that moment for me will ever

BF: I was fortunate in being asked by

Seve to caddie for him for the following

year when I was with Gordon Brand Jnr in

1990. Seve was the greatest golfer of his

generation and it was a great honour for

me. He had huge highs and lows and it

was a real rollercoaster ride. But six weeks

after starting with him he won three

tournaments in four weeks. It was the

single-minded determination that made

him so special.

One of the most important things about

being a caddie is being able to ‘see’ the

right shots even from virtually impossible

positions. I learned that from Seve. Nothing

was impossible in his eyes. Everything I

know came from those five years with The

Grand Señor. Working with him was the

greatest endorsement I could have. It was

a fantastic experience. We had good times

and bad times. We were close friends.

Being a caddie is a tough job, whoever

you are caddying for. There’s more to it

than meets the eye. You’ve got to know

when to speak up and when to keep quite.

When’s the right time to speak and when

it’s the wrong time.

Sometimes it’s having the balls under

pressure to make your point. You’re always

going to be in a lose-lose situation. There

have been times when I’ve reared up but

you’ve just got to use your judgement. To

have a successful relationship you’ve got to

have mutual respect between caddie and

player. I’ve been very lucky to have caddied

for some great players and I’ve enjoyed

success and got on with all of them. You’ve

also got to do your homework and get the

information right.

WWG: You’ve caddied in 11 Ryder Cups.

What was your most memorable?

BF: My first Ryder Cup was in 1987

when I caddied for Gordon Brand Jnr. at

Muirfield Village, Columbus, Ohio, under

Tony Jacklin’s captaincy. That was an

unbelievable experience. It was Europe’s

Billy Foster

WWG: What was the most

heartbreaking moment of your

career?

BF: Caddying for Thomas Björn when

we all thought he was bound to win

The Open at Royal St. George’s in 2003

was a real heartbreaker. I thought

about it every day for six months after

that. It broke my heart. I remember

standing on the 15th green with

Thomas leading the field by three

shots. I told him: ‘Thomas, there’s a

lot of hard work to do yet, just stay

focused on what you are doing.’

Then he left his ball in that

greenside bunker on 16 twice for a

double bogey and then bogeyed 17

to lose by one shot to Ben Curtis. It

was tough for me but how tough was

it for Thomas? In golf it’s never over

until the fat lady sings. That’s just golf

and I have no illusions about that.

You’ve just got to stay focused.

I’ve been so close to a Major so

many times – I’ve been caddying

at The Open since 1984 and being

on the bag for The Open Champion

remains my biggest ambition in the

game. It’s a special event for me.

‘In the 2008 Ryder Cup, after the Captain, Nick Faldo, had made a speech in the locker room I actually kicked José (Maria Olazábal)under the table and said he needed to say something to rally the troops. He spoke for about 20 minutes and had half the players in tears. José is a strong-minded man and a tough competitor.’

Billy with Darren Clarke at the emotional Ryder Cup in 2006

Billy and Lee Westwood on their way to victory at the 2010 Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor.

www.wwgolf.biz 33

to override everything else that’s going

on. I get nervous but I don’t let it show. I’ve

always had a placid state of mind. I can

be jovial but also serious when I need to

be. Winning golf tournaments is a serious

business.

WWG: You have seen so many funny

happenings on and off the golf course

but which is the funniest?

BF: I was caddying for Thomas Björn at the

2004 Ryder Cup and, for a bit of fun I drove

off with Thomas’s buggy. After they’d hit

their tee shots at the 12th I ran down the

hill and jumped in the buggy and shot off

down the fairway with everyone chasing

behind me. It was like a scene from a Benny

Hill sketch. They started to catch up so I put

my foot down.

I was still standing up with Thomas’s

bag on my back. I slipped on the floor of

the buggy, cart-wheeled onto the fairway,

did a triple somersault and ended up on

my back with clubs and bag on top of me

with the buggy veering off towards the

galleries. Luckily, the crowd parted and

it ended up harmlessly in the trees. I was

lying there thinking I was facing a number

of multi-million-dollar lawsuits from injured

spectators but fortunately nobody was

hurt and everyone saw the funny side of it.

That was one of many stupid things that

I got up to. It’s all harmless fun that helps

bring people together.

under the table and said he needed to say

something to rally the troops. He spoke for

about 20 minutes and had half the players

in tears. José is a strong-minded man and a

tough competitor.

WWG: Do you think Paul McGinley will

make a good Ryder Cup Captain?

BF: I think Paul is an excellent choice for

the Team. He’s a very good communicator

and he’ll do a very good job. He’s well liked

by the players and he’ll create the right

atmosphere in the locker room. He’s had

bags of experience and a lot of success in

the Seve Trophy and he’s gained a lot of

knowledge from being a vice captain in

The Ryder Cup. He’s got all the qualities

needed to lead the Team to another

victory.

WWG: What is it that makes a great

player?

BF: Different players have different

qualities but the most important thing is

to be in control of your emotions. A player

with a strong, focused mind and a sharp

short game will always beat a good ball

striker.

WWW: Do you ever get nervous in tight

situations and caught up in the drama

of it all during a tournament?

BF: Any caddie or player is nervous to

some extent. But your thought process has

WWG: What has been your biggest

success?

BF: I couldn’t pick just one but the most

memorable moments for me have been

caddying for Darren Clarke when he beat

Tiger Woods in the final of the WGC-

Accenture Match Play Championship at

Carlsbad in 2000; caddying for Darren

at The Ryder Cup at the K Club in 2006;

Winning The Race to Dubai and the

DP World Tour Championship with Lee

(Westwood) in 2009; and with Seve,

winning the PGA Championship and the

World Match Play Championship in 1991.

WWG: What are your memories of

Dubai and the UAE?

BF: I’m a great fan of Dubai and the UAE

and, like the players, I always enjoy going

over there. Dubai is a hub for the golfers

and caddies. It’s a halfway stopover

whether you’re going to Malaysia, Hong

Kong, the Far East, Australia or New

Zealand. They’ve got a great airline in

Emirates, who make it a joy to travel.

Stopping off in Dubai breaks up those

long distance trips. Dubai, the UAE and

the Middle East Swing has done a lot for

European Golf and The European Tour. It’s

a special place to go to. I missed going

over there last year and earlier this year

but I’m looking forward to getting back

over there, hopefully for the DP World Tour

Championship in November.

WWG: How important is humour to you?BF: I know I have a reputation for being one of golf ’s court jesters but if I didn’t have a sense of humour I’d be lost. You have to have a release from the pressure out there. My humour has certainly got me through the agony of the last 10 months. I’ve got through it and, hopefully, the good times are only just around the corner.

BILLY FOSTER: “It was at The Open at St Andrews with Darren Clarke in 2000 that I first had the idea of raising funds for the Candlelight charity and for Darren’s foundation for Breast Cancer by walking from Loch Lomond Golf Club – venue for the Scottish Open the week before – to The Open Championship but it wasn’t until Turnberry in 2009 that I had the opportunity to do it when I was working a job-share between Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood. I was pleased to complete the ‘course’ by holding my golf bag aloft at Turnberry. We managed to raise £70,000 split between the two charities, which was great.”

Billy caddying for Tiger Woods in The Presidents Cup (above) and for Sergio Garcia (below).

Caddies Who Carry the Can

www.wwgolf.biz34

www.wwgolf.biz 35

Richard Bevan talks to MICHAEL CAMPBELL as the 2005 US Open Champion reveals how the seven bleak years which followed his epic victory almost saw him quit the game for good and how he’s now rediscovering the old magic once again.

Guess who’sback - again?

MICHAEL Campbell knows a

thing or two about bouncing

back, upsetting the odds and

surprising people. You see,

his latest return to form following seven

years in the doldrums isn’t the first time

he’s successfully weathered a storm in his

turbulent career and it might not be the last.

But the New Zealander has a steely inner

core that belies the laid back ‘big teddy bear’

image which sees him frequently described

as the ‘nicest guy in golf.’

“I’m used to making comebacks you know,”

he says. “It sounds a strange thing to say but

I’m used to that sort of stuff where I do kind

of disappear for a period and then come back

again. So it’s just a matter of being patient and

believing that what you’re doing is correct.”

Cambo is finally starting to see the first

chinks of light at the end of what has been

a very long, dark tunnel since he etched

his name into the golfing history books by

becoming the first Mouri to win a Major

championship when he held off Tiger Woods

at Pinehurst No.2 to win the 2005 US Open.

He then followed up by claiming the World

Match Play Championship at Wentworth.

These days Campbell is sticking around for

the weekend at tournaments more often – a

novel experience for someone who at one

point during his barren run made only one

cut in 19 events.

“It’s been a big turnaround for me,

especially during the last six months or so,”

says Campbell. “I came close in Portugal (tied

third, his first top three finish for four years), close

in Hong Kong (tied eighth), Abu Dhabi (tied

17th) and Doha (tied 16th) – so I’ve managed

to get that door open again a little bit. It’s just

down to a lot of hard work, self belief and a

‘never give up’ attitude.

“I think the talent to play golf will always

be with you – it never goes away. It’s just that

sometimes a combination of other things

going on in your life makes it a little bit more

difficult.”

Campbell is in no doubt about what the

damaging cocktail of ingredients were that

saw him drop from a high point of 13th in the

World Ranking following his 2005 heroics to

a low point of 910th last summer as his form

and confidence deserted him.

A major factor was his bad time

management following his epic

accomplishments that made him one of the

most sought-after players in golf.

“It was really surreal. The attention

showered on me was quite overwhelming,” he

says. “A lot of opportunities came along off the

golf course with all my charity work, which I

love doing, helping kids. All of these projects,

including course design, meant there was so

much stuff going on off the golf course that I

didn’t have time to actually practice or play.

“It was my fault and I take full responsibility

because I chose that path, I chose that

schedule. In hindsight I should have divided

my time more sensibly rather than do what

I did. But, hey, that’s just the way it is. I look

back now and think, ‘Well, it doesn’t matter, it’s

gone, it’s time to move on and be in the now

and enjoy the moment.”

Another factor was his split from his long-

time coach Jonathan Yarwood. Like many

before him, Campbell made the risky decision

to overhaul the swing that had seen him

achieve his dream and he parted company

with Yarwood in 2009, having worked with

him for 10 years.

In retrospect he admits it was the wrong

thing to do and when Jonathan moved back

to Europe from America last year the pair re-

connected after a three year break. Since then

things have gone from strength to strength

– he’s gone back to basics and remembered

what made him such a great player in the first

place.

“The main thing was that I was too

obsessed with wanting to hit the ball a lot

further for some reason,” says Campbell. “I

E x c l u s i v e

www.wwgolf.biz36

blessing, and my boys’ support, that’s what

we did. They made huge sacrifices, having

to leave their friends and home, on my

behalf. Behind the scenes there was lots

going on that affected my game and once

you’re happy with your life personally it

reflects in the way you play.”

With the green shoots of recovery now

starting to show through Cambo will be

hoping the cyclical nature of his career

continues in the same vein as it has in the

past. Having enjoyed a spectacular rookie

season on The European Tour in 1995,

finishing third at The Open among a string

of top results that saw him take fifth place

on the Order of Merit, his form deserted

him over the next two seasons – not

helped by injury.

He required a trip to Q-School in 1997

to regain his Tour card. Two years later

he embarked upon one of the finest

seasons of his career, winning his first three

Tour, and in 2010 it was just €13,576. Only

the exemption granted to him for his US

Open win allowed him to keep playing

at the top level. When he missed the

12th consecutive cut of a dismal run at

the 2011 Commercialbank Qatar Masters

he considered walking away from the

game for good. Instead, he made the bold

decision to relocate the family – wife Julie

and children Thomas and Jordan – to

Marbella in Southern Spain.

“I thought, ‘this is the last straw, I’ve

had enough.’ So I went back to Australia

and took six weeks off. It gave me time to

reflect on what I should do with my career.

I said to my wife, bless her, ‘Look I’ve got to

do something here. I can walk away from

the game – I’ve had a great career and I

can look back and say, ‘Wow, what a great

career I’ve had.’ Or, we can pack up the

house in Sydney and move back to Europe

and give it another crack. So with Julie’s

thought that in order to get to the next

level, to be even more competitive, I

needed more distance. So I decided to

change my swing completely in order

to achieve that. It was crazy doing that.

It put me off a lot. My strength is really

my iron accuracy and my short game so

I went from working on my strengths to

working on something that wasn’t exactly a

weakness but it wasn’t really the strongest

part of my game. I was spending too long

working on my length and that’s what

started the whole snowball effect.

“You’d have to ask Jonathan for his

perspective on our split but my opinion

at the time was that our relationship had

gone a little bit stale. We’d been together

for 10 years which is a long time. We split

up for three years and now we’re back

together we’re even better than before as

a team.

“You really do appreciate things more

when they’re not there. I don’t want to say

‘absence makes the heart grow stronger’

because we’re two guys! But it does kind

of happen that way. Now we get on great,

we’re very good friends and we get on

better than ever. Things really started to kick

on when I got back with Jonathan.”

Campbell’s form was also hampered by

the inconvenient location of his Sydney

home in relation to the events he plays

on The European Tour, having made the

decision to move there from Brighton in

2009.

“I tried to play on The European Tour

while living in Australia for three years,

which was really hard because of all the

travelling. Six or seven times a year I was

away from my family for three or four weeks

at a time, then back for two weeks, then

away for five. One time, I was away for nine

weeks from my family. It was absolutely

ridiculous. I wasn’t happy with that situation

of being away from them for so long. So

combine that with not playing well, and

a lack of confidence and you’re bound to

miss cuts.”

Things weren’t helped when he

injured his shoulder lifting a suitcase off a

luggage carousel during one of his many

international journeys. In 2009 the Kiwi

earned just €19,655 on The European

Michael Campbell

MAKING A SPLASH: Michael Campbell pictured with his wife, Julie, holding the 2005 US Open trophy on the beach in Brighton, England, where they used to live.

TEAM CAMPBELL: Michael pictured with his wife, Julie, and sons Thomas and Jordan after he won the HSBC Match Play Championship at Wentworth in 2005 to finish off a bumper season. Through all Cambo’s ups and downs this magical team have stuck together, the major force that enables him to continue to bounce back.

Michael’s Milestones 1993 Turns professional and

the Australasian Tour’s Canon Challenge.

1994 Wins three Challenge Tour titles to gain his European Tour card for the 1995 season

play on The European Tour.

1995

third at The Open and the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and runner-up at the British Masters and the Volvo PGA Championship.

1997 Losing his European Tour card after a combination of injuries and a loss

rd on the Order of Merit after scraping in at 120 the previous year.

2000 Makes his breakthrough on The European Tour winning

fourth on the Order of Merit.

2005

European Tour season as he searches for form.

www.wwgolf.biz 37

terribly and didn’t know what to do. But,

once again, I just knuckled down and

worked very hard and started making a

few cuts. Then I had a few top 10s before

the US Open and Julie convinced me to

try and qualify for the US Open because

the qualifiers were only a few minutes’

drive from my house in Brighton at Walton

Heath. I thought I might as well give it a go.

I played with Steve Webster and he missed

the cut by one and I made it right on the

number – I think it was 4-under. Then I flew

over to America and won it!”

Despite regaining a certain amount

of form prior to the US Open, Campbell’s

putting was all over the place when he

arrived at Pinehurst and he almost decided

to play using a belly putter.

“My putting was very, very poor, to the

point where I was so desperate I had a

practice round on the Monday using a belly

putter,” he says. “My coach arrived the next

European Tour titles and finishing fourth on

the money list.

“I beat Geoff Ogilvy by a stroke to win

the Johnnie Walker Classic at the end of

1999, the beginning of the 2000 season.

Tiger was also playing and I beat him

by five strokes, which was pretty cool.

That gave me a lot of confidence,” says

Campbell. “I was thinking, ‘I can really make

a good living from this game.’ I went onto

have a great season, winning two more

tournaments.”

Three more titles followed over the next

three years but the way his career-defining

season in 2005 began gave no hint of what

was to come. He only decided to try to

qualify for the US Open after his wife, Julie,

persuaded him

Campbell explains: “It was a strange six

months leading up to ithe US Open. I’d

missed nearly every cut – five in a row

at the start of the season. I was doing

day, saw me and said, ‘What are you doing? ‘

I said I’m so desperate Jonathan, I can’t putt.’

So on the Tuesday we spent the whole day

putting. We didn’t go to Pinehurst at all, we

went to a different golf course about 20

minutes away from the championship and

spent about five hours just putting. That

gave me a lot of confidence – I was hitting

the ball great, my short game was great, my

putting was great so I was quietly confident

but I had no great expectations.

“Winning is a pleasure and there are no

guarantees in this game. I just went out

there to enjoy being part of another Major.

The first three rounds I played quite nicely

but my mate Goose was miles ahead and I

was thinking, ‘OK just enjoy yourself today,

you never know what’s going to happen –

a Major is a Major, and stranger things have

happened.’

“ I think with12 holes to play I was

leading, which was pretty cool. Tiger was

about two groups in front of me. He was

making all of these birdies – he was the

crowd favourite, the TV favourite, everyone’s

favourite and I was the underdog, which

was fine by me.

“It’s a great advantage being able to fly

under the radar. I played some wonderful

golf and had the self belief that I could do

it. I was telling myself the whole time, ‘This

is what you’ve practiced for all these years.

This is your chance, Michael, it’s a special

day for you, you can do it. This is why you

spent all those hours on the range. This is

your time to shine.’

“Anybody can hit the ball from A to B,

anybody can sink a 10-foot putt, anybody

can chip or play a bunker shot and hit

it close, hit fairways, hit greens. But the

bottom line is you’ve got to be able to do it

under the gun when you know you need

to be able to perform well, that’s when it

really matters. That’s a really good gauge of

how well you can handle pressure.”

Campbell, who went on to become

only the fifth person, along with Jack

Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and

Mark O’Meara, to win the World Match

Play Championship in the same year as

winning a Major, is intensely proud of his

trail-blazing achievements for people of

Mouri descent in the world of golf. He grew

“My coach arrived the next day, saw me and said, ‘What are you doing? ‘I said I’m so desperate Jonathan, I can’t putt.’ So on the Tuesday we spent the whole day putting. We didn’t go to Pinehurst at all, we went to a different golf course about 20 minutes away from the event and spent about five hours just putting.”

REUNITED: Michael Campbell pictured in 2006 with coach Jonathan Yarwood. The pair went their separate ways for three years, before reuniting in May 2012.

– Michael Campbell

2005

2005At his wife Julie’s behest he plays in the

2005Creates history as

a Major, beating Tiger Woods by two strokes at Pinehurst No.2.

Caps a sensational season by winning the World Match Play Championship, beating good friend Retief Goosen

2006 Rises to a career high

th in the World Ranking.

2009 Splits with his coach Jonathan Yarwood after 10 years working

th on the Order of Merit.

2010Makes only one cut all

th on the Order of Merit with

2012Drops to a career low Ranking of 910th in July, reunites with Jonathan Yarwood, and returns to form later in the season.

www.prosports.ae

www.wwgolf.biz 39

taxi service every day, it’s ridiculous, we’re

running back and forth, here, there and

everywhere.’ I thought about it and said,

‘OK, I’ll give golf a go.’

“I thought golf was more of a challenge

because back in those days there were no

young Mouri kids playing. I wanted to break

the mould and become the first Mouri

to win on The European Tour, and the

first Mouri to win a Major – which I was. I

wanted to break all of these records and

I’ve done that, which is pretty cool.”

Unlike many of today’s pampered stars

who are born into luxury and live the life

of a rich golfer long before they actually

make it, Campbell worked in a ‘real job’

prior to turning professional in 1993.

“Yeah, I had a proper 9-to-5 job!”

he laughs. “I worked for Telecom as an

engineer. It took me five years to qualify

for that job – from age 16-21. I’m officially

a fully qualified technical officer! So I’ve

done a real job, although I didn’t like it!

But I could afford a car and stuff so it was

pretty cool.

“I always had that dream of turning

pro one day and touring the world but

along with my family I decided to get

the qualification to fall back on just in

case golf didn’t work out – so that’s why

I started working for Telecom as a fully

qualified technical officer at 21. Two years

later, at 23, I turned pro.

“Having done stuff like that has given

me the ‘never give up’ attitude because

up in the New Zealand town of Patea on

the North Island’s West Coast where money

was tight and golf was not a popular sport.

“We used to live in government

housing,” he says. “I remember when I was

a kid, just having a pair of shoes was an

amazing thing. We had nothing really.

Both my parents worked very, very hard

– sometimes working two jobs just to get

by. I think growing up that way has made

me appreciate things much more – having

money and all that sort of stuff. But don’t

get me wrong, I had a great time growing

up. We used to kick a ball around and just

enjoyed what we had. “

A naturally gifted sportsman, Campbell

spent a lot of time playing rugby, dreaming

of becoming an All-Black. He also played

many other sports. He was introduced to

golf at nine years old after being dragged

along to the course by his father.

“The golf course I grew up playing was

actually on a farm!” he says. “There were

sheep on the course, fences around the

greens – sheep droppings everywhere –

and it cost like two dollars to play 18 holes.

I used a chopped down 6 iron I got off my

father!

“I was probably 12 when I thought I’d

try and make a go of it as a golfer. I was

a natural sportsman and played lots of

different sports – rugby, softball, basketball,

golf – during the week. My parents said to

me eventually, ‘Michael you have to choose

one sport because we can’t provide a

I know that what I have is very special.

I know that it’s just one of those things

where you’ve got to stick at it and never

quit. My upbringing has definitely helped

me in that way. I know I’m lucky to be

where I am, doing something I love, so I

need to make the most of it.”

Campbell’s journey has been anything

but smooth, but his immense inner

determination to overcome all odds has

led him to the greatest heights. After the

toughest seven years of his career, all the

elements are now back in place for another

assault on top honours. The level-headed

star isn’t getting carried away just yet.

“The most important thing is not to

look too far ahead and not to think too

much about the consequences or have

too much of an expectation of getting

back to the level of winning another

Major,” he says.

“The most important thing for me is to

take baby steps, get back in that top 50 in

the World Ranking – that’s my first goal.

Then make The Presidents Cup. If I can do

that, things will happen around that. If I do

get into the top 50, that means I’m playing

well, so If I focus on that and keep going

through the same processes I’m doing

now, other things will be achievable.”

If history has taught us one thing, it’s

that you can’t keep a good guy down for

too long, and Michael Campbell is a good

guy and one of the best in the business.

Watch this space.

GOOD LAUGH: Campbell is one of the most laid

back Major Champions we know. Whether it’s

enjoying a track day with the boys in Bahrain,

trying his hand at the World Sand Championship

or having a joke with Samuel L. Jackson at the

Alfred Dunhill Championship, he makes friends

wherever he goes, just by being himself.

Michael Campbell

“The golf course I grew up playing was actually on a farm! There were sheep on the course, fences around the greens – sheep droppings everywhere – and cost like two dollars to play 18 holes. I used to use a chopped down 6 iron I got off my father!”

www.wwgolf.biz40

PETE COWENPGA MASTER PROFESSIONAL & coach to the stars, such as

McDowell, Harrington, Kaymer, Stenson ... if Pete doesn’t know

it, it isn’t worth knowing!

CAMBO HARD ON THE RANGE

THE ACADEMY AT EMIRATES GOLF CLUB in Association with PETE COWEN

7 8 9

1 2 3

Swing

Michael Campbell is a great player and a great character off the course. I’m pleased to see him finding form again and to hear he’s gone back to his old coach Jonathan Yarwood. You can see from this sequence that his swing looks alot simpler and better for it as he’s no longer trying to force things by trying to find extra yardage.

1Michael has nice posture here but I would like to see a little more flex in the lower body and

the shoulders less rounded.

2 As you can see he’s got a one-piece take away which creates a slight over-turn of the body in

the early part of the backswing.

3 As a result of the over-turn you can see in this frame that he has to lift his arms.

www.wwgolf.biz 41

Pete Cowen checks out the swing that won the 2005 US Open

10 11 12

4 5 6

4 Cambo’s continued to lift his arms and not loaded the wrists yet so he’s

not setting the club hard. This makes him consistent but not very powerful.

5The right arm is supporting the club well at the top of the backswing.

6The change in direction is good as it’s coming down the left forearm and

the shift is going to follow accordingly. I’d like to see a little more loading in the wrists but the position is still good.

7Simple and good here with no problems!

8The delivery position is good. The club is out in front so it’s easy to

deliver the club from here.

9 The exit line is good and strong, with everything going left, which is what

you want to see.

10Continues to exit well up and through the shoulders. It’s quite

a decent body match but if I was being critical I would like to see a little more angle in his hips to match his shoulder angle and stop lower back problems.

11Good strong position to finish. Keep up the good work Cambo!

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BEAT THE WIND To hit successful shots into the wind or facing a crosswind (go ahead and swing away as normal when hitting downwind), remember two key factors. First, keep the hands ahead of the ball at impact. This is what I meant by “covering” the golf ball previously. Not only will this produce a lower shot, but a slower release of the hands ought to reduce spin as well. Use these tips to help control your ball in windy conditions and lower you scores.

BY- Bryan Smyth, Golf Professional at Emirates Golf Club

THE KNOCKDOWNIn windy conditions, basically what you’re doing is hitting a knockdown shot. This is a lower, less-spinning iron shot that isn’t as susceptible to ballooning in the wind as a normal shot would be. The action should have a curtailed backswing and finish with the hands in a lower position. This will help you hit down and through, as opposed to down and up, which might add loft to your shot. A knockdown is also a great option for distances in between two clubs, or if you need to hit a controlled shot under a tree.

NEW VOKEY SM4 WEDGES.The Advanced Spin Milled Technology in the New Vokey SM4 wedges deliver maximum spin and control that enable players to hit precise shots. Master Craftsman Bob Vokey has covered every detail in this fourth generation of Spin Milled wedges. His experience working with the best players in the world has resulted in a line that represents his most extensive range of options to date, including more choices in loft, bounce and tour-proven sole grinds. Visit Vokey.com and learn more about the science of hitting it close.

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www.wwgolf.biz58

March’s local contents

ARABIAN

60 GCC CHAMPIONSHIPS62 WORLDWIDE GOLF AL AIN OPEN65 JOEL NEALE COLUMN67 MICHAEL HARRADINE Q&A68 MENA TOUR 201370 EMIRATES GOLF CLUB71 DUBAI CREEK GOLF & YACHT CLUB72 ‘PIC ‘ GOLF SOCIETY LEAGUE SHARJAH73 SHARJAH GOLF & SHOOTING CLUB75 INTERNATIONAL PAIRS UAE76 JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES76 THE ELS CLUB77 THE ADDRESS MONTGOMERIE DUBAI78 AL HAMRA GOLF CLUB

78 TOWER LINKS GOLF CLUB79 ARABIAN RANCHES GOLF CLUB79 AL AIN EQUESTRIAN AND SHOOTING AND GOLF CLUB80 ABU DHABI GOLF CLUB80 SAADIYAT BEACH GOLF CLUB81 YAS LINKS ABU DHABI82 DIRAB GOLF CLUB83 INTERCONTINENTAL RIYADH84 ALMOUJ GOLF85 MUSCAT HILLS GOLF CLUB87 AL GHAZAL GOLF CLUB88 ABU DHABI CITY GOLF CLUB88 AL BADIA GOLF CLUB89 THE TRACK, MEYDAN GOLF

AJYAL GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP HOTTING UPCHILDREN of all ages descended on Dubai Creek

last month for the fourth event of the 2012-2013

Ajyal Golf Championship Under the Patronage

of the children of Sheikh Diab Bin Saif Al Nahyan

and stand-out player Mohmood Skaik improved

his lead on the Order of Merit with another

impressive first-place finish.

Skaik took the gross honours after signing for a

36 over nine holes for a two-stroke win over Abu

Dhabi’s Khaled Al Mutawa. Finishing third with a

gross 41 was Mohammed Saeed Abdulla.

A superb gross 29 saw Mohammed Ali Al Shaer

win his first event as he topped Division ‘B’ by six

strokes. Finishing second was Ahmed Al Marzouqi

with a countback victory over the ever-improving

Alyazya Al Shehhi.

“We are pleased to introduce these events for

our youngsters who are on the programme already

and I am sure this is going to be the beginning

of many more events that will be organised in

the future for our young Emiratis,” said Khalid Al

Shamsi, Secretary General of the Federation. “With

a competitive atmosphere to the game, we will

soon be seeing some of these players making it to

National Team levels.”

Sheikh Khaled Ali Al Mualla who presented

the prizes on behalf of Sheikha Shikha bint Diab

Al Nahyan and Sheikh Mohammed bin Diab Al

Nahyan commented: “I am sure with the continued

support from the Al Nahyan family and parents,

the league will continue to grow bigger and better.

We are also grateful to all participating clubs who

help in making our league a success.”

The winning juniors pose with their prizes after the fourth

event in the Ajyal Golf Championship series.

www.wwgolf.biz 59

LOCAL NEWS

GOLFAL AIN EQUESTRIAN, SHOOTING & GOLF CLUBTurn to page 62 to see who triumphed in the Worldwide Golf Open held at

AESGC last month. Pictured here is the par-5 ninth hole. Turn to page 79 to

read Luke Plumb’s tips on how best to navigate your way down it.

TEAMS from Emirates Golf Club and

The Address Montgomerie Dubai

have progressed to the semi-finals of

the UAE Invitational Scratch League

after the recent set of fixtures.

In League C The Montgomerie

team downed The Els Club 3-1 (5-1)

which means they progress on goal

difference ahead of The Els Club with

them both locked on 15½ points after

four matches each.

The Emirates Golf Club team have

dominated League D and qualified to

the semi-finals with a game to spare.

They beat Sharjah Wanderers 4-0 (6-0)

to get to an unassailable 17½ points

with one match remaining against Al

Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club.

With Arabian Ranches already

through from League A the only

remaining semi-finalists to be

determined are from League B. It is still

possible any of the three teams can

qualify with Yas Links still to play both

Abu Dhabi Golf Club and Dubai Creek

Golf and Yacht Club, with both fixtures

at home.

The UAE Invitational Scratch Golf

League sees 12 teams competing in

four leagues of three teams with each

team playing four matches – two at

home and two away.

The points system sees each team

accumulate their individual winning

games added to a bonus of 2 points

for a team win and 1 point for a team

draw.

The matches are played with a

team of 8 players in a scratch fourball

matchplay format. All remaining round

robin fixtures are to be played by the

end of March, 2013.

EMIRATES GOLF CLUB AND THE MONTGOMERIE PROGRESS TO THE SCRATCH LEAGUE SEMI-FINALS League A

Team Played Points Bonus Total

Arabian Ranches 4 12 6 18Tower Links/Al Hamra 3 5 ½ 4 9 ½Al Ghazal 3 2 ½ 0 2 ½

League BTeam Played Points Bonus Total

Dubai Creek 3 6 ½ 4 10 ½Abu Dhabi Golf Club 3 6 ½ 3 9 ½Yas Links, Abu Dhabi 2 3 1 4

League CTeam Played Points Bonus Total

The Address, Mont. 4 10 ½ 5 15 ½The Els Club 4 9 ½ 6 15 ½Al Badia Golf Club 4 4 1 5

League DTeam Played Points Bonus Total

Emirates Golf Club 3 11 ½ 6 17 ½Al Ain 3 5 ½ 2 7 ½Sharjah Wanderers 4 3 2 5

www.wwgolf.biz60

2013 GCC GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS

BAHRAIN BACK ON TOP TO WIN GCC TITLETHE talented Bahraini team reinstated their

domination of the GCC Golf Championships at

Almouj Golf The Wave, Muscat, Oman, in

winning the event for the 16th time in the

tournament’s 17-year history. Their only

blemish was last year’s victory by the UAE

Team at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club.

In the individual event it was the Qatari player,

Ali Al Bishi, who led from his first tee shot until

his final putt. The third and final round of the

54-hole Championship was played in groups of

three with the top players going out last. By the

18th green Ali Al Bishi had carded the top score

of the day, a 72, with Bahrain’s Hamad Mubarak

and Qatar’s Abdul Rahman Al Bishi both three

shots behind after shooting 75 apiece.

In the main team competition Bahrain showed

their consistency with Hamad Mubarak, Nasser

Yacoob, Ali Saleh and Sultan Abdullah staying

ahead of Qatar in the top 10, individually,

finishing second, third, fourth and fifth

respectively, ahead of individual winner, Ali Al

Bishi. Last year’s winners, the UAE Team, sealed

third place with the Oman team pushing them

all the way but having to settle for a credible

fourth place overall. The Saudi Arabia team put

in a spirited chase to finish in fifth, ahead of the

Kuwaiti team in sixth and last place.

Bahrain’s Hamad Mubarak was very happy

with his team’s win, saying: “We knew that when

Farah Al Mansour of Saudi Arabia tees off

during the 17th staging of the GGC

Championships played at Almouj Golf The

Wave, Muscat, Oman last month.

The victorious GCC Golf Championships winners: The Bahrain Team of Hamad Mubarak, Nasser Yacoob, Ali Saleh and Sultan Abdullah.

The staging of the 17th GCC Golf Championship at Almouj Golf The Wave, Muscat, Oman was due to the work put in by Golf Oman, with the support of the Ministry of Sport and key sponsors National Bank of Oman, Omantel and Etihad Airways.

www.wwgolf.biz 61

LOCAL NEWS

“I am very proud to have won the individual competition but as a team we were really hoping to beat Bahrain and take the group trophy back to Qatar with us.” – Individual winner Ali Al Bishi (pictured above receiving his trophy).

we came to Almouj Golf we were facing a

challenge from some of the teams, and that

we could not discount a single one of them.

“The conditions here at Almouj Golf have

been perfect in producing a tight competition

with each hole throwing a new challenge at

us. We look forward to the competition next

year where we hope to win again, although we

know the other teams will be training hard as

well.”

Qatar’s Ali Al Bishi was equally pleased about

winning the individual event, commenting:

“The first day I went out and carded a 70 which

I was very happy with and it really gave me

inspiration for the following rounds. I am very

proud to have won the individual competition

but as a team we were really hoping to beat

Bahrain and take the group trophy back to

Qatar with us.

“But we’ll be back next year stronger and

more experienced and we will give it our best.

In the meantime, I look forward to playing

Almouj Golf again. It is a great course which

offered many challenges throughout the

competition.”

The Championship ended with a closing

ceremony presided over by His Excellency Dr.

Mohammed Bin Hamad Al Rumhy, Oman’s

Minister of Oil and Gas in the presence of

Sheikh Saad bin Mohammed Al Saadi, Oman’s

Minister of Sports. Also in attendance were His

Excellency Sheikh Fahim Bin Sultan Al Qasimi

(UAE) , Pan-Arab Golf Federation Chairman and

Khalid Ibrahim Al Abu Nahyan (KSA), the GCC

Golf Committee Chairman.

ALTHOUGH the UAE National Senior Team had to relinquish their title to the

triumphant Bahrain team the UAE juniors proved that the future of golf in the

Emirates is looking good by claiming the Junior Champions’ Team title by a

clear margin of 12 shots.

The team comprising Abdulla Al Qubaisi, Ahmed Skaik and Ahmed Al Budoor,

produced a series of stunning performances over the Greg Norman-designed

Almouj Golf The Wave, Muscat, Oman.

The host team, Oman finished in the runners-up position in the junior

competition and the Bahrain team, winners of the main senior team event, was

placed third, a further two shots behind.

The UAE Junior Team also won the Net Division, ahead of Oman.

Abdulla Al Qubaisi won individual third place (gross) and was the individual

runner-up (net), while Ahmed Skaik took individual third (net).

Khalid Mubarak Al Shamsi, Secretary General of the Emirates Golf Federation

and UAE National Team manager, expressed his delight over the remarkable feat

by the UAE Junior Team, saying: “We are extremely proud of this achievement.

Our juniors have shown that with clear focus, dedication and rigorous training

we can achieve our goals. In 2012 our junior team was placed in third position

in the GCC Golf Championships, and in just a year they have made a great

strides. We hope for even bigger honours in the future.”

UAE JUNIOR TEAM TAKE THE TITLE

The victorious GCC Golf Championships UAE Junior Team pictured at Almouj Golf The Wave, Muscat,

Oman: Ahmed Albudoor, Abdullah Al Qubaisi and Ahmed Skaik with EGF Secretary General and

UAE National Team Manager Khalid Mubarak Al Shamsi and coach Jason Froggatt (right).

Pictured left to right: Individual

winner Ali Al Bishi putts while

winning Bahrain team member

Nasser Yacoob looks on; Hamad

Mubarak from the Bahrain team

hits an approach shot; Faisal Salhab

of the Saudi Arabia team gets to

grips with the Greg Norman

designed Almouj Golf

Championship Course.

www.wwgolf.biz

DISAPPOINTING TO SEE CLASSIC CROWD NUMBERS DOWN

THE talk around the UAE following

the conclusion of The European

Tour’s Middle East Swing revolves

around Chris Wood winning his first Tour

title in Doha, Stephen Gallacher winning

the Desert Classic and Jamie Donaldson’s

triumph in Abu Dhabi with the World No.1

and No.2, Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods,

not even making it into the weekend.

Most people I’ve spoken to about the

Desert Swing, agree that Great Britain and

Ireland golf at the moment is second to

none with experienced European Tour

players dominating the World Ranking

and so many other up-and-coming young

players coming through.

With the likes of Tommy Fleetwood

showing form and confidence to compete

with the top guys on Tour it seems that a

win may come from him this season as well!

British golfers are exposed to so many

types of courses, such as parkland and links,

which is why I think in terms of their shot-

making ability they are a more complete

‘golfer’ than many of their American rivals.

One thing that was disappointing to

Brought to you by

see was the surprisingly low numbers of

spectators at the Desert Classic this year and

I’m not alone in saying this.

Some people felt like they even had to

voice their opinion in the ‘letters page’ in

the 7Days newspaper the following day

saying things like: ‘Last Thursday I thought

it would be nice to take my young boys to

the Dubai Desert Classic for the afternoon. I

was disappointed to find that the promoters

were charging 175dhs for an adult’s entrance

ticket.’

For a number of years this was the

premium event in the region attracting the

world’s top golfers. This year, perhaps with

the exception of Westwood and Garcia, the

field was made up of yesterday’s men and

current European Tour journeymen golfers.

The less-than-stellar field, combined with

the ticket pricing, resulted in poor spectator

numbers. The promoters should take a leaf

out of the season-ending Race to Dubai

event at Jumeirah Golf Estates, where the

field is outstanding and the crowds are large

due to the free tickets. This is how most

people feel – why charge for ‘journeymen’ at

the Dubai Desert Classic when the likes of

Abu Dhabi pay large endorsements to get

Tiger and McIlroy playing and then promote

it as a free event for spectators.

Most golf enthusiasts look past the

175dhs per ticket but when a family of four

go to Emirates Golf Club for the afternoon

they’re 800dhs down before buying a bottle

of water.

This is sad to see when so much hard

work goes into putting on such an historic

event. There’s nothing worse than minimal

crowds.

I’m not advocating paying huge

appearance money endorsements for

big names, as I don’t believe players

should receive any payments to play golf

tournaments. They should only be rewarded

in the form of payment for doing well.

However, I do believe a small fee should

be paid to watch these sporting events,

somewhere in between 175dhs and free in

my opinion would be fair. It’s good for the

game of golf.

Tiger Woods, winner of the 2008

Dubai Desert Classic, played in

Abu Dhabi rather than Dubai

this year and in 2012.

www.wwgolf.biz

JN: Do you have any sort of regular practice

routine that you try and follow?

MH: Not really. If there’s an area of my game that

needs work I try to spend time on that. I try to use

60-70 per cent of my time on my short game.

My long game tends to be quite steady but I know

there is always room for improvement with my iron

play. It really depends on what needs work on any

given day. If I’m struggling with the putter, I’ll putt a

lot more, if it’s the driver, I’ll drive a lot more. I don’t

really have any fixed routine I just go with what I

think needs work.

JN: How do you balance your time between

working for Harradine Golf and practising?

MH: Obviously, I’d like to concentrate all my time

and effort on playing and practising to get my

game to the highest level I can. Because I’m not

spending all day, every day playing and working on

the range, it’s harder to get into a steaady routine.

I’m sure that if I had the whole day to devote to my

game it would be a lot easier to plan a full routine

that covers all the different elements I need to work

on.

JN: You’ve been selected to play for the Swiss

National Team. You must be thrilled to be asked.

MH: The officials from the Swiss National Team

approached me last November to ask if I’d like to be

considered for the Team. It was a goal of mine two

years ago to get into the National Team and at that

time I met up with the coach and told him I was

interested. I went on to have a horrible season so

last year I decided not to say anything! Fortunately,

I had a good season playing on the amateur circuit

in Switzerland and got some good results. They

always do the selection at the end of the year and

I got an e-mail from the coach saying he’d like to

meet up and go through a few things. I wasn’t

sure at first whether he wanted to talk about the

National Team but when I met with him he said,

‘You’re in the Team.’ So I was quite happy with that!

JN: Now that you’re in do you get much chance

to go and play with them or is it a seasonal

thing?

MH: It’s seasonal. It works well with me living in

Dubai because our season is in the winter and

theirs is in the summer. They knew I was playing

in the Desert Classic, so they told me, ‘Play in the

Classic then work hard for two months and come

over in April’. Fitness is a big thing for them so

hopefully I’ll be in good shape when I go over there

next month.

JN: Do you have any aspirations to turn

professional – maybe at the end of this year?

MH: I’m certainly thinking about trying for

Q-School for The European Tour but that’s

obviously a really tough proposition. I’m definitely

going to be going to Asian Tour Q-School next

January. I’d love to turn professional and play on

one of the major tours but there are so many

talented guys out there trying to do the same

thing. It’s much tougher than people think.

JN: Do you think you’re in a better situation

being based in Dubai with the likes of the

MENA Tour right on your doorstep which

provides a platform for you to get invitations to

play in tournaments like the Abu Dhabi HSBC

Golf Championship, the Commercialbank Qatar

Masters and the Omega Dubai Desert Classic?

MH: Definitely. Don’t get me wrong, the UAE has

always been a great place to practice. We’ve got

beautiful courses, great facilities, the weather’s

perfect – but previously we had good amateur

events and nothing really after that. The MENA

Tour has really helped. They started with four

tournaments the first year, then six and now 11 so

it’s certainly growing. It’s been just such an fantastic

experience to play six tournaments in a row of

three rounds each. It gives you a great taste of

what it’s like for a touring pro. I was surprised how

draining it is, mentally not physically. When you’re

actually in tournament mode for that length of time

it takes it out of you more than you’d imagine.

SCENEJoel Neale talks to the UAE’s leading amateur, MICHAEL HARRADINE, on his plans for the future now that he has been selected to play for the Swiss National Team.

LOCAL

BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Michael Harradine is pictured with the trophy

after winning the prestigious Shaikh Rashid

Trophy at Jebel Ali in 2010.

www.wwgolf.biz68

NEW EVENTS IN MOROCCO TO KICK OFF THE 2013 MENA GOLF TOURTHE 2013 MENA Golf Tour schedule has

been announced with two new events in

Morocco kicking off the Tour this month

before nine events complete the Tour later

in the year. Last year there were six events

on Tour and that number has almost

doubled this year with 11 set to take place

including new events in Morocco, Oman,

Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

The Tour, now in its third year, has grown from

four events in the inaugural 2011 season and

with the additions of events across North Africa

it now has a truly regional flavour and offers

total prize money of $575,000.

The expansion provides greater opportunities

for players to enhance their careers and the split

in the schedule utilizes the months conductive

to playing golf.

The first section of the tour travels to Morocco

for two events – one each at Royal Dar Es Salam

Golf Club, Rabat, and Royal Mohammedia Golf in

Casablanca – while nine events spread over UAE

and neighbouring Gulf states between

September and November will complete the

schedule.

“With 10 tournaments already confirmed,

including one in Oman and two in Saudi Arabia,

we are hopeful of making additional

tournament announcements in the near future

which will further strengthen the playing

schedule for the broad spectrum of our

membership,” said Mohamed Juma Buamaim,

Chairman of the MENA Golf Tour. “The expansion

of the tour to North Africa will continue to serve

as a platform in developing top talent by

providing top-class playing opportunities with

reasonable entry fees for its members.

“It is, indeed, a matter of pride that a large

contingent from Morocco has competed in the

MENA Golf Tour events, showcasing the rising

standards of the game in the Arab world. We

value their overwhelming support of the Tour.”

The Tour continues to attract global attention

with the top players on the Orders of Merit for

professionals and amateurs winning invitations

Morocco Championship

Royal Dar Es Salam Royal Golf Club,

Rabat, Morroco

March 11 – 14

Prize Money: US $50,000

to the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and getting

exemptions to the final stage of the Asian Tour

Qualifying School. Muhammad Munir of

Pakistan used the experience gained on the

MENA Golf Tour to earn his Asian Tour card for

2013.

“We would like to thank our sponsors Omega

and Mercedes-Benz and colleagues in golf ’s

governing bodies around the world – the R&A

and the Arab Golf Federation – for their support

of the MENA Golf Tour, and we look forward to

welcoming them all to the 2013 season,”

concluded Buamaim. Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan

2013 MENA GOLF TOUR SCHEDULE

Morocco Classic

Royal Mohammedia Golf,

Casablanca, Morocco

March 18 – 21

Prize Money: US $50,000

American Express Dirab Golf

Championship

Dirab Golf and Country Club,

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

September 15 – 18

Prize Money: US $50,000

Mohamed Juma Buamaim, Chairman of the MENA Golf Tour, announces the 2013 MENA Tour Schedule.

www.wwgolf.biz 69

LOCAL NEWS

MENA GOLF TOUR

Qasimi, President of the Arab Golf Federation

and head of the MENA Golf Tour’s new Board of

Trustees, presided over the board earlier in the

day. The new board includes representatives

from Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Egypt,

Morocco and Qatar.

Sheikh Fahim, who is also the Chairman of the

Emirates Golf Federation, lauded the growing

popularity of the tour saying it has given the

emerging players from the region, especially

amateurs, a perfect platform to hone their

competitive edge.

He confirmed that The Arab Golf Federation

would do its best to encourage countries under

its umbrella to host a tour event in the near

future. “We have many other countries in the

region like Egypt, Lebanon, Tunisia and Bahrain

who have shown their keen interest in hosting

tour events. I am sure the tour will expand

further in years to come,” he said.

Sheikh Fahim also praised the Sheikh Maktoum

Golf Foundation for awarding a golf scholarship

to the leading amateur on the Order of Merit.

“Their gesture will encourage other promising

Arab players to work hard on their game. It was

nice to see an Arab player (Ahmed Marjan of

Morocco) win the scholarship in the inaugural

edition of the tour,” said Sheikh Fahim. “It is a

complete Tour in its own right and the only one

which is open to amateurs as well. We want to

develop amateurs who represent their country

in the region since they are the ones who will

encourage more people to take up golf.”

Launched by the Sheikh Maktoum Golf

Foundation in 2011, the MENA Golf Tour is

affiliated to the R&A and the Arab Golf

Federation. Each tournament – a minimum

54-hole stroke-play event – carries World

Ranking points.

2012 MENA Golf Tour champion Stephen Dodd receives the trophy from Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan Qasimi, Chairman of the Emirates Golf Federation, with Mohamed Juma Buamaim, Chairman of the MENA Golf Tour, and Saif Al Shamsi, Board Member of Al Ain ESGC.

TBC

Venue TBC,

Saudi Arabia

September 22 – 25

Prize Money: US $50,000

Dubai Creek Open

Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club,

Dubai, UAE

September 29 – October 2

Prize Money: US $50,000

Ras Al Khaimah Classic

Tower Links Golf Club,

Ras Al Khaimah, UAE

October 13 – 16

Prize Money: US $50,000

Abu Dhabi GOLF CITIZEN Open

Saadiyat Beach Golf Club,

Abu Dhabi, UAE

October 6 – 9

Prize Money: US $50,000

Shaikh Maktoum Dubai Open

Al Badia Golf Club,

Dubai, UAE

October 20 – 23

Prize Money: US $50,000

TBC

Doha Golf Club

Qatar

October 27 – 30

Prize Money: US $50,000

Mena Tour Championship

Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club,

Al Ain, UAE

November 10 – 13

Prize Money: US $75,000

Oman (Title TBC)

Ghala Valley Golf Club,

Muscat, Oman

November 3 – 6

Prize Money: US $50,000

www.wwgolf.biz

STYLEMichael Jordan has switched the court for the course, find

out why the NBA legend is mad for the game.

Suzann Petterson has scaled the LPGA Tour rankings but did you know she’s scared of heights and would love to swap places with Roger Federer for a day?

BMW have found the right balance of pace and luxury while also befriending the eco demands of today’s world with the latest 740Li. Plus...plenty of room for the clubs!

www.wwgolf.biz92

Jordan

www.wwgolf.biz 93

play – you’re battling with yourself and

that makes it more competitive for

me. My whole nature is competitive

and I think when I left basketball I

was looking for a substitute for that

competitive drive. Golf does that for

me because you never conquer the

game – one day you can be playing

great and the next day you can

stink! That’s the way golf is, it’s a very

humbling game and for someone

who’s as competitive as I am – you

need that humbling experience each

and every day to drive you and that’s

what golf does.

What’s more difficult, becoming a

great golfer or becoming a great

basketball player?

MJ: They both take a lifetime of

discipline and dedication. Although

each has a specific skill set, I would not

rate one more difficult than the other.

You were known for getting into

the zone on the basketball court.

Does that happen to you on the

golf course?

MJ: I’ve had many moments on

the golf course where I was able

to simply play the game without

consciously thinking or forcing it.

Unfortunately, my skills are not at the

professional level to allow me to do

that consistently. It’s one of the great

challenges that make golf such a

special game.

If you had discovered golf before

college, do you think you would

have tried to go pro?

What do you enjoy most about the

game of golf?

MJ: It allows me to get away from

people because I’m always in a position

where I really can’t let my hair down

but when you play golf you’re out

among nature – by yourself or with

your buddies and you can just relax. If

I hit a bad shot I can scream and not

worry about it being on the internet

or whatever. It gives you a sense of

pleasure just being away from people

and enjoying the environment a lot

more than you normally do.

What’s it like being Michael Jordan

and not being able to let your hair

down?

MJ: It’s no different to other people who

have a responsibility to people who pay

attention to them and look up to them.

But sometimes you just don’t want to

think about all of that, and that’s what

golf allows you to do, it allows you to go

out and have fun and not worry about

how things are going to be perceived.

You’re amongst friends and you’re just

having a good time.

Are there any similarities between

golf and basketball and do any of

the qualities that made you such a

good basketball player transfer into

your golf game?

MJ: Golf is a very competitive sport –

you battle against yourself a lot more

than in basketball. In basketball you’ve

got team mates – so if I have a bad

day, I’ve got four other guys on the

basketball court that can save me. In

golf, if you hit a bad shot, you’ve got to

MJ: No, my God given path has always

been basketball and I’m grateful for

the success it has brought me. There’s

no doubt that I have a strong love and

appreciation for the game of golf. Golf

is definitely my favourite recreational

activity but basketball is and has

always been my number one passion.

You’re often seen at The Ryder Cup

and the Presidents Cup – what gets

you so fired up about those team

competitions?

MJ: It’s that you’re representing your

country. You’re not just representing

yourself and your fan base, now you’re

representing that red, white and blue

and I get chill bumps every time I go

to those events. It’s not about the

money, it’s about the pride.

Who would make up your dream

foursome?

MJ: Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and

Lee Elder – that would be a great

foursome!

WWG STYLE

Top: Michael chats with Phil Mickelson at the Presidents Cup. Middle: Enjoying a joke with Thomas Bjorn

at The Ryder Cup. Bottom: A young and cheeky Sergio Garcia says something that provokes MJ to give

chase at the Dunhill Links Championship.

94 www.wwgolf.biz

2013BMW 740LI

WWG STYLE

www.wwgolf.biz

THE 2013 BMW 7 Series gets incremental improvements everywhere. Outside the changes are minimal:

fewer vertical slats inside the kidney grille and a larger chrome surround, two horizontal chrome accent bars

splitting the lower intake, restyled side mirrors with turn-signal indicators, and new shades of red on the

taillights. Inside are resculpted front seats, more soundproofing, redesigned ambient lighting, an updated

iDrive controller and “floating” screens for the Rear Seat Entertainment package, and an optional Bang &

Olufsen sound system. Along with those changes, the look of the navigation system has been updated with

new menu organisation, displays, a “pie menu” and 3D elements. The Attention Assistant system gives BMW

drivers their own coffee cup icon to remind you when it’s time to rest while hands-free trunk operation

makes its first appearance in the range.

The eight-speed steptronic transmission, fitted to every model, allows the new 7 to make more of

its engines. Under the hood, the inline six-cylinder in the 740i maintains the same power ratings, 315

horsepower and 330 lb-ft, but is mated to the new eight-speed Steptronic transmission and said to have

“significantly improved” efficiency, with a 20 percent increase noted in the EU cycle. The 4.4-litre V8 in the

750i gets fitted with Valvetronic and gets bumps of 45 hp and 30 lb-ft, for 445 hp and 480 lb-ft total. The

changes reduce its 0-60 time to 4.7 seconds, at the same time as fuel economy on the EU cycle climbs 25

percent with the new transmission.

The second-gen ActiveHybrid 7 drops down an engine size, swapping its previous V8 for the 3.0-litre six-

cylinder from the 740. It’s yoked to a 55-hp synchronous motor. Rated at a combined 349 hp and 367 lb-ft,

BMW says it is 14 percent more fuel efficient than the 740i.

Both the 740i and 750i will come with a new powertrain management system dubbed ECO PRO that

joins the other Driving Dynamics Control settings and that includes a coasting mode operable between 30

and 100 mph. Other driving enhancements include Dynamic Damper Control, an electronically controlled

damping system that works on each shock individually dependent on road conditions, self-leveling rear

suspension now standard on all models, while xDrive is available on the 740i.

DRIVING RANGE

WE HAVE 9 GOOD REASONS FOR VISITING US DURING WEEK DAYS.

MEET ON THE GOLF COURSE AND PLAY A 2 BALL FOR JUST AED 222.

Peace and quiet with no interruptions (ok there may be

a few birds singing) The Track is the perfect place to

catch up and talk business, or not, but for just AED 222

for a 2 ball between 7am and 4pm, you’d be silly not to

make the most of this weekday offer.

Offer valid from 1st to 31st March 2013.

www.meydangolf.com

Email info@meydangolf.com or call us now on +971 4 381 3733 for tee time bookings.

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