Shock horror, the European Tour has taken the ground-breaking step of allowing competitors to play in shorts at this week’s Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa. The Brigadier has just recovered after choking on a mouthful of his morning kippers. Has the golf world gone mad or is it finally waking up to the fact we entered the 21st century some twenty years ago?
We pondered yesterday what would the result of the Race to Dubai be if Jon Rahm won the DP World Tour Championship and Tommy Fleetwood was alone in second? The answer was confirmed when Rahm holed a three foot putt birdie putt on the 18th to take the World Tour Championship and also pip Fleetwood to the Race to Dubai title.
In the final Hero Challenge of the year South African Erik van Rooyen defeated former Masters Champion Danny Willett. You know the Hero Challenge, it’s the one where 6 top pros compete at target golf, hitting to a floating green out in an expanse of water. The closer to the flag you are the more points you score, with the closest ring being 50 points the next 25, well you get the gist.
Colin Montgomerie won the Champions Tour’s Invesco QQQ Championship last weekend, but the big story was one Billy Mayfair and the breaking of not one but two rules of golf. The story does not paint Mr Mayfair in a good light and the same must be said about the Champions Tour who seem to be trying to sweep the incidents under the carpet.
Bio Kim has had a busy few weeks. Starting the month by giving the finger to a member of the crowd at the Daegu–Gyeongbuk Open, he won the event before being given a £6,500 fine and an unbelievably harsh three-year suspension. Luckily, the Korean Professional Golfers' Association have seen sense and reduced that ban to one year following a meeting between the Tour's board of directors.
Englishman Josh Hill entered the record books becoming the youngest player ever to win an Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) event with his two-stroke triumph in the Al Ain Open on the Mena Tour. But sadly, as an amateur he couldn’t take home his £10,000 prize money.
It’s Manic Monday, so here is a very quick round up of all the main results and stories from the weekend!
There has been much debate about parity for women golfers and there have been attempts to move in the right direction, for example the Jordan Mixed Open and the ISPS Handa World Invitational promoted by Niall Horran’s Modest media. With all respect to these other events, finally, there is a big one with some serious money attached.
Jon Rahm successfully defended a title for the first time in his career as he stormed to a five-stroke victory at the Mutuactivos Open de España. The 24-year-old secured his fifth European Tour title in just his 39th start, becoming the fastest Spaniard to reach five victories surpassing the late, great Seve Ballesteros who reached that milestone on his 49th appearance.
Sir Nick Faldo, has launched the opportunity of a lifetime, offering two lucky golf fans the chance to live like a legend for a week at a resort he calls ‘his paradise’. So get yourself over to the web link and tell the mighty Sir Nick what makes a legend and who knows this time next year? Well actually next March.
Only a fortnight after playing her part in Europe’s Solheim Cup victory at Gleneagles, Carlota Ciganda claimed the Estrella Damm Mediterranean Ladies Open at Terramar Golf Club in Sitges, Spain to add another unforgettable moment to her remarkable career.
Germany’s Laura Fuenfstueck produced back to back rounds of 68 to lead by three shots at the halfway stage of the Estrella Damm Mediterranean Ladies Open in Sitges, near Barcelona. The 24-year-old from Langen was out of the traps quickly, racking up four birdies in her first 12 holes and made just the one bogey, on the par-4 14th, at Terramar Golf Club.
