Monday, December 2, 2013

Golfing in Ghana

Paul McGinley gives a clinic at Achimota Golf ClubIrish sports fans know more about Ghana that they think and if Paul McGinley has his way, golf will soon be inextricably linked with the west African country best known for producing gold, oil, footballer Michael Essien and boxer Azumah Nelson.
Few fight lovers will forget now Nelson called out Barry McGuigan moments after knocking out England’s Pat Cowdell with a vicious left uppercut in the first round of his WBC World Featherweight title defence in Birmingham in 1985.
“McGuigan is good and he’s a fighter but there is no way McGuigan can beat me,” Nelson said as one of his handlers chanted, “We want Danny Boy, we want Danny Boy!” 
Junior golfers at the Paul McGinley clinicThe McGuigan-Nelson fight never happened but the Ghanaian went on to claim his place as the greatest African boxer ever, becoming a three-time world champion in two weight classes along the way.
Born in Accra, the Atlantic coast capital of the nation formerly known as Gold Coast, the fighter they call The Professor is just one of Ghana’s sporting gods alongside footballers Marcel Desailly - a player who was adopted and raised in France - and Chelsea star Essien.
Ghana’s next step is to produce some golfing stars and Ryder Cup skipper McGinley has no doubt that the sport will take off in a country he has now visited many times through his golf course design work that has led to the setting up of the Ghana Golf Development Board (GGDB).
A joint initiative between the R&A’s Working-For-Golf programme, Tullow Oil, Paul McGinley Golf Design (Africa) and the Ghana Golf Association, the GGDB has been created to help develop the game of golf in Ghana, mainly through school, college and local community golf programmes, and to empower the golf clubs to become self-sufficient in terms of golf operations and revenue generation, opening up golf to new players all over Ghana.
“The standard of play down here has blown me away,” McGinley said at the opening of the Paul McGinley Academy in Accra, the first of three new academies created to develop the game in Ghana. “They play in a Seve kind of way, an Angel Cabrera mode. It’s all very natural, shaping shots and moving the ball around. They don’t study the technique a huge amount. It’s all about feel and touch.”
You get the impression that the fighter inside Paul McGinley would love Nelson as much as he already loves McGuigan. But right now his mission in Ghana is to help bring the game of golf to the people so that businesses can thrive and Ghana may one day have a golfing hero of its own.
“We want to introduce more people to the game,” said McGinley, who spends an average of 40 days a year in Ghana, a country that’s the size of the UK but with a population of just 24 million. “We want to break down the mystique here in Ghana of golf being a game for the rich.”
Golf is growing in GhanaKnown as “the Switzerland of Africa,” Ghana is a developing country that is experiencing huge economic growth thanks to its mineral wealth and a tourism boom.
One of the world’s largest producers of gold, it also exports crude oil, natural gas, timber, electricity and diamonds. Tourism is becoming another huge export with earnings of US$ 2 billion contributing six percent of the country’s GDP in 2011, according to government figures.
The European Ryder Cup captain is doing his bit to grow the game in Ghana with significant investment by Tullow Oil, a multinational oil and gas exploration company founded by Roscommon-born Aidan Heavey in 1985 and now one of Europe’s largest oil businesses with interests in 25 countries. 
Ghana’s offshore Jubilee oil field is Tullow’s largest discovery and the company’s business philosophy is to give the local population a stake in the business and other opportunities. 
As Heavey says: “There’s a whole spectrum of things that we can get right in Ghana, and it can be used as an example of how the oil industry should work in new countries.”
Growing Ghanaian golf is part of that plan as Tullow Oil’s Kevin Quinn explained at the opening of the first of three new golf academies created by the Ghana Golf Development Board, which appointed Limerick native Tom Kennedy as Director of Golf this summer. 
“When we leave Ghana in 25-30 years time, we want to leave a legacy,” Mr Quinn said. “What we want to do is try to create business opportunities through golf.”
Kennedy has worked in the Irish golf industry since the mid 1990s, working at venues such as Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort, Old Head Golf Links, Doonbeg Golf Club, The Heritage and Mount Juliet. 
His post is funded by The R&A and his mission is not only to promote participation in the game in Ghana but also give all the golf clubs across the country advice on how to deliver golf and make it thrive as a business.
“I’m working with all the golf clubs, trying to empower them rather than do it for them,” Kennedy says of his new job. “We are filling in the gaps they have. There is a big focus in developing golf and getting more people playing the game. 
“There is a younger generation through college now and we are trying to get them involved in golf as well. Apart from that we are also working on the corporate level to get more companies involved in helping finance golf.”
Stripping away the turf to make more visible target areas worked well.With just 14 golf clubs and fewer than 3,000 affiliated golfers, there is much work to be done in Ghana. However, Tullow Oil’s contribution has been immense.
The new, floodlit academy at Achimota in Accra is now in full swing with 15 fully serviced bays, its four target greens contrasting with the native Ghanaian red soil and sand. It will have eight teaching professionals with uniforms donated by Adidas as well as lost cost rental clubs donated by TaylorMade. 
The other two academies at Tema Golf Club and The Royal Golf Club- Kumasi are nearing completion while all three golf clubs have each taken delivery of thousands of dollars worth of equipment, sourced as distressed sales within Ireland and vetted by equipment specialist Barry Drennan from Reeltech (Ireland ltd) and paid for by Tullow Oil. 
Reeltech Ltd are contracted to provide full technical support and service information to each club over the next 12 months while Tullow Oil are nearing the completion of a $6 million investment in a training facility for greenkeepers.
Stage two of the development plan is well underway and Tullow Oil have commissioned the purchase of $1 million worth of golf construction equipment to help. 
McGinley was commissioned by Tullow to redesign Achimota Golf Club in Accra,  replacing greens and tees, planting modern grasses and installing modern irrigation and enhanced each golf hole with natural landscaping, light mounding, trees and shrubs, without disturbing the original African feel of the 1934 design.
The course, which will be open for play later this year, has been sown with the latest Bermuda grasses and will be maintained by a greenkeeping team that has received expert training from agronomist Sylvain Duval and grow-in manager Paul Kelly.
The Junior Golf Open was a big success.Golf is cheap in Ghana by world standards with membership costing at little as $200 a year and participation is on the rise already with over 100 golfers competing in the recent Ghana Amateur Open.
There are high hopes that players from Ghana will soon be competing in R&A Championships and eventually, the Olympic Games. A fledgling professional tour is also planned for professionals who currently ply their trade in events in Nigeria and other neighbouring countries.
The Ghana Golf Development Board is developing and implementing grassroots programmes with the aim of greatly increasing participation amongst the youth and business communities across Ghana. 
“We would try and get as many schools [involved] as possible, especially those in communities,” says Dr Felix Frempong, a board member of the Ghana Golf Association. “Like any other sport, talent is the youth, so it is all about the youth.”
The future already has name in Accra-born Daniel List, a member of the Achimota Golf Club, who attends school at Wellington College in Berkshire on a golf scholarship. 
Winner of the Under 14 European Junior Championships, organised by US Kids Golf, in Scotland in May, he then finished third behind the Island’s Kevin Le Blanc in the Irish Under 15 Amateur Open at West Waterford in August. 
Duncan Weir of the R&A adds: “The R&A would love to see a golfing role model emerge from Ghana, a Michael Essien, someone the youngsters can look up to. Hopefully in the coming years, we will have Ghanaians playing regularly in our championships.”
The current Ghana Golf Development project is scheduled to last three years with the aim of providing a grassroots legacy that will endure for years to come.
With McGinley, Tullow Oil and the R&A all working together with the Ghana Golf Association, the future looks bright. 
What’s been achieved so far can only be described as a knockout blow worthy of The Professor himself.
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This is too easy for a Ryder Cup route! Nedbank Golf Challenge provides golfers with fast-track to Gleneagles

Anyone else feel uncomfortable about the fact an event featuring just 30 players in South Africa this week could have a large bearing on Europe’s Ryder Cup team?
The Nedbank Golf Challenge has gone through various guises over the years. Back in the day it offered the first million dollar purse, while in 2000 Ernie Els won $2million.
This year’s format not only retains its ‘nice work if you can get it’ feel but, rather more disturbingly, offers a fast-track to Gleneagles next September.

How can it be right, for example, that any European who finishes third against such limited numbers will earn almost as many Ryder Cup points as the man who wins the Dubai Desert Classic in January against a full field led by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy?
Adding to the alarm is the fact most of the stars like the aforementioned pair are competing in Tiger’s invitation event in Los Angeles, the World Challenge, which also starts on Thursday. 
Yet, on offer are an almost identical amount of Ryder Cup points as the winner will receive for claiming the European Tour’s flagship event, the BMW Championship, at Wentworth next May.
Imagine if the Dane Morten Orum Madsen continues his hot South African streak and wins to claim a total of 795,338 points?
He would leap from 34th place on the European points list all the way into the top four who qualify for the Ryder Cup team.

For players who have started the qualifying process well, like Jamie Donaldson, Victor Dubuisson, Joost Luiten, Thomas Bjorn and Francesco Molinari, here’s an opportunity, therefore, that comes gift-wrapped in gold.
Of course it all might work out well for captain Paul McGinley. If Justin Rose or Luke Donald win this week he will be doing cartwheels at them making such significant progress towards qualifying.
But it’s hard to see how any of these scenarios can be viewed as equitable, or anything other than an undeserved shortcut.
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GRIFFIN CLAIMS ONEASIA OOM

Two-time OneAsia winner Matthew Griffin has set his sights on new horizons after clinching the tour’s 2013 Order of Merit Title at the season-ending PGA Tour of Australasia co-sanctioned Emirates Australian Open.
The 30-year-old from Melbourne has led the money list since winning the weather-shortened SK Telecom Open on Korea’s Jeju Island in May and has been such a consistent performer that he hasn’t missed a cut on OneAsia all year.
Griffin earned U.S. $257,480.20 in 2013, beating fellow season tournament winners Ryu Hyun-woo ($207,990) and Choi Ho-sung ($198,615) into second and third respectively.
The title gives Griffin a three-year exemption to OneAsia’s lucrative million-dollar-minimum events including those co-sanctioned with the European and Japan Tours such as the Volvo China Open and Thailand Open.
“I always try to set myself goals and this year was to win the OneAsia Order of Merit,” Griffin said at the Emirates Australian Open where he finished joint 24th after closing with a 2-under 70.
“My main goal for next year is to try to do well in the (European and Japan Tour) co-sanctioned events and try to get some status there as well.”
Griffin’s OneAsia breakthrough came at the Charity High1 Resort Open in 2012 almost a year after his maiden Professional victory in New Caledonia on the PGA Tour of Australasia.
A natural “lefty” who plays right-handed, Griffin joins an illustrious growing band of Order of Merit Title winners since OneAsia was founded in 2009.
Countryman Scott Strange won the inaugural title by capturing the Volvo China Open crown and finishing runner-up at the Australian PGA Championship presented by Coca-Cola. Strange was in the running this year too after strong performances at the Thailand Open and Enjoy Jakarta Indonesian PGA Championship, but had to settle for fourth with winnings of $189,232.
China’s Liang Wenchong won the 2010 money race on the back of victories at the Luxehills Chengdu Open and Thailand Open. With wins at the 2009 Midea China Classic and 2012 Nanshan China Masters, Liang is OneAsia’s most successful player, having so far banked $927,605.
Both Strange and Liang also have a foot on the Japan Tour where they are 49th and 50th respectively in the standings.
Andre Stolz, a past winner on the PGA TOUR, the Japan Tour, the Web.com Tour and the PGA Tour of Australasia, was crowned OneAsia Order of Merit champion in 2011 after claiming the Indonesian PGA Championship and Thailand Open.
The Australian struggled with injuries on OneAsia in 2013, finishing 50th, but retains full status by virtue of his Order of Merit title.
Korean Kim Bi-o was the 2012 winner after back-to-back victories at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open and SK Telecom Open and finished 43rd on the money list this year.
Having played with a niggling wrist injury for the latter part of 2013, Griffin now has a date booked with the surgeon that he hopes won’t thwart his new ambition.
“I’ve got to have some minor (left) wrist surgery which will put me out for a couple of weeks but hopefully if I can get that out of the way I can have a good year,” he said.
“I had to limit my schedule a bit this year because of it. It really is just minor, but if I play too much golf it gets a bit sore and I’ve had to have some cortisone injections to get through to the end of the year.’
Before then, however, he will play OneAsia’s Ryder Cup-style Dongfeng Nissan Cup in Shenzhen from December 12 - 15, where he will represent an Asia-Pacific Select side led by legendary five-time Major winner Peter Thomson against Team China.
“It’ll be nice to play in the team especially with Peter Thomson in charge. He’s one of Australia’s best-ever golfers so it’ll be nice to do that. I think it should be a fun week and it’ll be nice to play a bit of golf with the Chinese guys.
“I played a bit of golf for the Australia national team — I really enjoyed that — so being teamed up with another player and getting into a bit of that team competition will be great.”
Griffin’s success has meant much more stability off the course too, and he has prudently invested his winnings.
“Yeah, I bought a house — the two wins on OneAsia really helped me get to that,” he said.
“I got a nice little townhouse in Highett (a suburb of Melbourne) about 20 minutes outside the centre of the city, right near Royal Melbourne (Golf Club). Great location. It’s a big thing in Australia to get your own house — they’re so expensive.
“I’ve still got the little thing of a mortgage to pay off though.”
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Aussies set for LPGA Tour qualifying event

Ladies European Tour winners Rebecca Artis and Stacey Keating head a large contingent of Australians teeing it up in this week's final stage of the US LPGA Tour qualifying school.

The pair are joined by Breanna Elliott, Frances Bondad, Julia Boland, Emma de Groot, Stephanie Na, Corie Hou, Kristie Smith and Inhong Lim.

They are in a field of 153 women vying for 20 full tour cards and 25 partial cards in the final stage of qualifying over 90 holes at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida starting on Wednesday.

Artis, 25, broke through for her maiden LET win at the Helsingborg Open in September.

"I am trying to treat it as I would any other tournament," said Artis, from Coonabarabran, NSW.

"It definitely helps take the pressure off knowing that I have my full exemption in Europe after my win this year."

Notables in the field include American Cheyenne Woods, South African Lee-Anne Pace, Canadian Lorie Kane, former LPGA Tour winners Seon Hwa Lee and Birdie Kim.
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Jason Dufner asks Tiger Woods to reschedule tournament so he can watch Auburn

The 2013 PGA Championship winner Jason Dufner is a huge fan of Auburn athletics, as he attended the school and was a walk-on on the golf team. (Yes, Jason Dufner had to walk on to his college golf team.)
As one of the football team’s biggest fans, Dufner is really excited to watch the SEC Championship this Saturday between Auburn and Missouri. The only problem is that on Saturday Dufner is scheduled to play in the World Challenge, a holiday tournament put on by Tiger Woods at the Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, CA.
To try and remedy the scheduling issue, Dufner went right to the man in charge.
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Phil Mickelson to play Scottish Open in 2014

Phil Mickelson appears to be quite serious about his commitment to links golf. After his British Open in this year he said he's always been perplexed by the courses across the pond.
"I never knew in my career if I'd be equipped, if I would have the shots, if I would have the opportunity to win a tournament here. And to do it, to play some of the best golf, probably the best round of my career, and break through and capture this claret jug is probably the most fulfilling moment of my career," said Mickelson.
It was right after pulling off the double-Open (Scottish and British).
He'll be back to defend both in 2014.
"Winning the Scottish Open was a huge factor in my success the next week at the Open Championship," Mickelson said. "I was able to acclimate myself to the time change, the weather, the wind, the links conditions and all in the heat of serious competition, which itself was a big added plus."
In a year in which Mickelson has promised to scale back his schedule it might be surprising to see him play this tournament again but he's convinced it helps him get ready for the British Open.
The Scottish Open will move to Royal Aberdeen Golf Club in 2014.
No word yet on whether the tournament will even let him back after the trophy debacle of 2013.
Phil Mickelson drops Scottish Open trophy while his daughter tries to catch it. 
Phil Mickelson's daughter tries to retrieve the Scottish Open trophy. 
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9 Best Golf Rivalries

Those in charge of scheduling life sure do it right this time of year. Few things beat a long weekend, and nothing beats a long weekend with family and friends, seemingly endless piles of food, and lots and lots of football. All but immobilized and in a left-over-food coma on the couch watching Michigan vs. Ohio St., Georgia vs. Georgia Tech, Alabama vs. Auburn and more, it got me thinking about other great rivalries, especially those in golf. See if you agree:
Tiger Woods/Phil Mickelson
This is probably the most popular rivalry on this list and the one most fresh in our minds. For a while, it wasn’t even much of a rivalry. Tiger killed Phil in nearly every category. From Tiger’s rookie year in 1996 until 2004, Tiger won eight majors and Phil was the best player never to win one. Since then, Tiger only leads Phil by one (6-5) and since 2008, Phil is up 4-0. The turn in momentum was perhaps no better exemplified than at the AT&T National at Pebble Beach in 2012. Paired together for the final round, Phil fired a 64 to capture his 40th career win while Tiger shot a 75, 11 shots worse than Lefty..

Rory McIlroy/Tiger Woods
One of the most difficult titles in all of sports to be saddled with is “next.” The next Jordan, the next Jerry Rice, whatever. In golf, Rory McIlroy is supposed to be the next Tiger Woods. Some would argue he’s already here. Rors has won two majors, both by eight strokes. Since McIlroy turned pro, Tiger has been shut out in majors. Rory even ascended to world No. 1 and amassed 10 world-wide wins since turning pro in 2007. Since then, Tiger has a slight advantage in overall wins, but not in the ones that really count, especially to Tiger.

Jack Nicklaus/Arnold Palmer
For most of the 60s, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus were golf. They traded blows on the course on their sport’s biggest stage and neither gave an inch. From 1962 to 1966, they were the only men to win the green jacket at Augusta and have 10 of the coveted jackets between them. Before Jack, Arnie dominated the sport and was the undisputed King. After Palmer, Nicklaus reigned, but for nearly a decade, the two heavyweights locked horns nearly every week, giving the sports world one of the greatest rivalries ever.
United States/Europe
Perhaps it’s because of national pride but the 730-day (or so) break between each Ryder Cup doesn’t seem to cool any bit of this rivalry. For decades, the Americans dominated the event and there was no real vitriol. After three consecutive wins by Europe, all of that changed in 1991 with the famous War on the Shore at Kiawah Island and carried through to the United States' stunning upset at Brookline. The Europeans have also authored their share of triumphant (or heartbreaking) moments, most recently in 2012 at Medinah, when they overcame the largest final-day deficit to retain the cup. This tournament hasn’t just created a rivalry between two continents, but also between individuals. Most notably, Paul Azinger and Seve Ballesteros.
Paul Azinger/ Seve Ballesteros
While this rivalry never really developed or continued anywhere outside of Ryder Cup competition, there were enough contentious moments and comments during them to warrant a place on the list. It started in 1989, when Azinger called out Ballesteros for trying to change out a scuffed golf ball. According to reports, Ballesteros asked Azinger, “Is that the way you want to play today?” and then challenged the legality of an Azinger drop later in the round. In 1991, the contentiousness continued with accusations of gamesmanship on both sides and famously ended with Ballesteros saying, “The American team has 11 nice guys. And Paul Azinger.”
Sergio Garcia/ The Universe
This is one of the greatest rivalries in all of sport; at least in Sergio’s mind. No one on the planet is subject to more bad breaks, chaos or luck than Sergio Garcia ... according to Sergio Garcia. After missing a putt to clinch his first-ever major victory at the 2012 British Open, Garcia said, "It's not the first time, unfortunately. I don't know … I'm playing against a lot of guys out there, more than the field." The loss to B9N’s own Padraig Harrington resulted in a small feud between the two, which nearly made this list, but Garcia is famous for letting everything else but his competitors get the best of him. Be it the fans at Bethpage Black or Tiger pulling his weapon of choice while Sergio is hitting, there is always someone or something else responsible with the inevitable unraveling of Sergio. This, of course, is a shame for someone so talented who, along with his tirades, also gives us moments like this one from Bay Hill:

Lee Trevino/ Jack Nicklaus
After Arnold Palmer claimed his final major victory in 1970, it was time for someone else to step up and challenge the Golden Bear for golf supremacy. That man was Lee Trevino, who won six major titles during Jack's reign at the top, four of those coming directly at Nicklaus’ expense. The most memorable of these was at Merion in the 1971 U.S. Open. Trevino went head-to-head with Jack and beat him by three in an 18-hole playoff to claim his second U.S. Open crown in four years. Trevino -- who famously told Tony Jacklin, “You don’t have to talk, Tony, just listen,” in regards to his conversation during the final round of the 1972 Open Championship -- also provided this gem of a moment before his playoff with Jack in 1971:

Nick Faldo/ Greg Norman
It could be said that Greg Norman is one of the more tragic figures in golf history. The poor guy had a not-so-awesome “slam” named after him following his 1986 season where he led every major after 54 holes, but only managed to win one. So many times during the late 80s and 90s Norman’s foil was Englishman Nick Faldo. Faldo won both the Masters and the British Open three times during the Norman era, and was world No. 1 for 97 weeks to Norman's 331 during that time. It seems that if Norman was the best of his generation, Faldo was the most successful.

Gene Sarazen/ Walter Hagen
Many of the aforementioned rivalries were ones that never really contained much personal vitriol off the course, but in the case of Sarazen and Hagen, that was not the case. Much was made of Walter Hagen skipping the PGA Championship to avoid playing Gene Sarazen and after the incident there was some, uh, contempt for one another when they met at a match in October of 1922. Sarazen, who was 20 during the incident, said of Hagen, “I didn’t like the way he kept calling me ‘kid.’ I was a champion and I wanted Hagen to respect me as a champion.” Hagen finished his career with 11 major titles to the Kid’s seven.

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Rory McIlroy talks to Sky Sports and says patience is key lesson from 2013

McIlroy has had his well-publicised problems on and off the course this year, but when he talked to Sky Sports at the launch of the new range of Nike clubs he was using he cut an upbeat figure.
The 24-year-old admitted to getting down on himself at times during the year, but was now taking a much more long-term view, as he put it: "If my career was an 18-hole golf course I'd say I'm only on the second or third hole right now, and I've not done too badly so far!"
A spring was certainly in McIlroy's step as he talked the world's media through the new array of golfing weapons he would have in his armoury - with a new driver and ball combination giving him the most confidence along with finally settling on a putter.
McIlroy admitted that he maybe should have played a few more times at the start of 2013 to get used to his new Nike clubs, the attention the big move and being World No 1 would bring and just to settle in the season, but that and his new-found patience has all been part of the learning curve.

Patience

"Just to stay patient is probably the biggest lesson I've learnt," McIlroy told Sky Sports. "Golf is always going to have its ups and downs and it's been a learning curve this year for sure.
"I feel like I probably should have played more at the start of the season just to play my way into the season a little bit more and get used to all this sort of stuff - it was a pretty busy start to the year for me.
"But just really patience has been a big thing because there's probably times when I've got a bit down on myself and a bit frustrated, but when I sit down and think about it there was always going to be periods like this when you're not going to play so well.
"So you just have to ride it out and if you work on the right things in practice then things will turn around for you."
Things did finally turn around for McIlroy - and he says having such an involvement in the new Nike equipment also gave him confidence going forward - and that certainly showed as he came out on top with the in-form Adam Scott during their final round duel in Australia.
Equipment
"I'm really lucky that I've been working really closely with the guys at Nike and they really take notice to the feedback I give them," he added.
"They obviously know a lot more about club design and things like that than I do, but they come back with prototypes and new things that have my thoughts in them so that's nice to see."
In a sign of what was to come, McIlroy also said he was close to being right back at the top of his game, as he looks to get back among the shake-up for the majors next year.
"It's very close, it's really close," he said of his game. "It's the best it's felt all year for sure and it's only getting better - after the Dubai tournament I spent a few more days there and practised with my coach there and I feel like my game's in real good shape.
"So I'm excited for the end of this season and excited for 2014."
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Thongchai Jaidee and Miguel Angel Jimenez named EurAsia Cup captains

Thongchai Jaidee and Miguel Angel Jimenez have been named captains for Team Asia and Team Europe for the inaugural EurAsia Cup next year.
The duo will lead golfers from both continents over three days of Ryder Cup-styled matchplay at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club in Kuala Lumpur from March 27-29.
Thai Thongchai has won the Asian Tour Order of Merit three times and has 16 professional victories to his name, including five wins on the European Tour and two Malaysian Open titles.
"I am honoured and delighted to be asked to captain Team Asia," said the 44-year-old. "Week in, week out, we compete as individuals, but the EurAsia Cup gives us a different way to play the sport.
"I am a huge fan of The Ryder Cup, but being Asian, I will never get to play in it. The EurAsia Cup will offer the chance for the best Asian and European players to come together, and I am looking forward to leading a determined group that will do their very best for team honour and pride."

Experience

Spanish star Jimenez, who has won 19 tournaments in 28 years on the European Tour, believes he can draw on his Ryder Cup experiences to help secure the trophy for Europe.
"The EurAsia Cup is a very exciting event indeed and I can't wait to get to Malaysia for the tournament," said the 49-year-old, a six-time winner on the Asia Tour.
"We have Europe playing the USA at The Ryder Cup, and it is great to now have a fully sanctioned, official competition for the Europeans to play against the best from Asia. With so many world-class players now emerging from the Asian Tour, it is sure to be a close contest."
And Jimenez used his unveiling in Hong Kong to announce the first four automatic qualifiers for his 10-man team will be Graeme McDowell, Jamie Donaldson, Victor Dubuisson and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, who secured their places on the team through their final positions in the 2013 Race to Dubai.
The remaining spots in the European side will be taken from the leading four available players from the official World Golf Ranking on February 3, the playing captain and one captain's pick by Jimenez.
McDowell, the 2010 US Open champion who secured the winning point at the Ryder Cup later the same year, said: "I am really looking forward to playing the EurAsia Cup.
"It's a great concept to bring Asia and Europe together and I think it has a lot of potential to become a very big event."
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Henrik Stenson given Race to Dubai monthly award

Henrik Stenson has been named Race to Dubai golfer of the month for November.
The 37-year-old capped a superb season by secured top spot in the 2013 Race courtesy of victory in the DP World Tour Championship on 17 November.
The Swede becomes only the second player, after Welshman Ian Woosnam in 1987, to win three of the monthly awards in a single season.
Stenson's performance two weeks ago was hugely impressive as he stormed to a six-shot win after carding a record 25-under at the Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai.
He is now ranked third in the world, behind American Tiger Woods and Australia's Adam Scott.
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Jimenez and Jaidee named captains

Spanish icon Miguel Angel Jimenez and Thailands's Thongchai Jaidee have been selected as playing captains for Team Asia and Team Europe respectively for the inaugural EurAsia Cup next year.
The hugely popular and successful duo will lead golfers from Asia and Europe in a battle for continental pride and honour over three days of Ryder Cup-styled matchplay golf at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club in Kuala Lumpur from March 27 to 29, 2014.
Thongchai is a winner of an unprecedented three Asian Tour Order of Merit titles and has 16 professional victories to his name, including five wins on the European Tour and two Malaysian Open titles.
The former Thai paratrooper has enjoyed a stellar season this year, highlighted by runner-up finishes at the Volvo World Match Play Championship and BMW Masters which helped propel him to an impressive ninth place in the European Tour's 2013 Race to Dubai. He is currently ranked ninth on the Asian Tour's Order of Merit. The Thai number one's experience across both Tours made him the natural choice for captain by the Asian Tour.
"I am honoured and delighted to be asked to captain Team Asia. Week in, week out, we compete as individuals, but the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM gives us a different way to play the sport," he said. "I am a huge fan of the Ryder Cup, but being Asian, I will never get to play in it. The EurAsia Cup will offer the chance for the best Asian and European players to come together, and I am looking forward to leading a determined group that will do their very best for team honour and pride. It is sure to be a great battle and I'll make sure the Asian team is as well prepared as they can be."
Team Europe will be led by Spanish star Jimenez. Also known as The Mechanic due to his love of fast cars, Jimenez has played an astonishing 28 consecutive years on the European Tour, amassing 19 tournament wins along the way.
Famed for his love of cigars and good living, Jimenez brings huge experience of team golf. As a player, he has participated in four Ryder Cups, including victories in 2004 at The Belfry, and 2010 at Celtic Manor. At the prestigious competition in Medinah last year, he was Vice Captain for Europe, putting him in prime position to lead Team Europe in Malaysia come March.
The 49-year-old Malaga native is also no stranger to playing, and winning, in Asia. He has won six high profile tournaments in the region over his career, including his most recent win in 2012 at the Hong Kong Open, a title that also bestowed on him the honour of becoming the oldest ever winner on The European Tour. Jimenez is confident his past Ryder Cup experiences can help his team secure a win for Europe next March.
"The EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM is a very exciting event indeed and I can't wait to get to Malaysia for the tournament," he said. "We have Europe playing the U.S. at the Ryder Cup, and it is great to now have a fully sanctioned, official competition for the Europeans to play against the best from Asia. With so many world-class players now emerging from the Asian Tour, it is sure to be a close contest."
Taking place at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club in Malaysia, the new biennial team matchplay golf tournament is presented by DRB-HICOM, one of Malaysia's largest conglomerates involved in the automotive; services; and property, asset and construction sectors.
Asian Tour Chairman Kyi Hla Han said: "The gauntlet is well and truly laid down now that the two captains have been announced. Over the next couple of months, as the qualification deadline approaches, we will know the full list of players who will represent the two teams. The standard of Asian players has grown so much in the past few years that Thongchai can be assured of a world class team which is more than capable of winning the trophy. Thongchai will be a wonderful captain to lead the team due to his stature in Asian and world golf. He is very popular amongst golf fans in Asia and across the globe due to his stellar career and is also highly respected by his peers. He is the ideal captain for Team Asia."
George O'Grady, Chief Executive of the European Tour, added: "We are delighted that Miguel has accepted our invitation to captain Team Europe. Given his experience and personality, he is well equipped to lead a group that will include Major Champions and multiple winners across the professional tours. I am pleased that the inaugural EurAsia Cup carries with it the support of Seve Ballesteros' family and The Seve Ballesteros Foundation. We will be in close contact with the family in the coming months to identify ways in which these links can be more formally recognised.
"Our relations with players from Malaysia, China, India, Thailand, Korea and Japan have been important to us for many years. We see the development of The EurAsia Cup as a further commitment by us to assist in the development of golf throughout the region and to strengthening one of The European Tour's most important partnerships."
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Bubba shoots 81 using one club

What's a golfer to do after with hovercrafts, music videos and winning majors from behind trees has become old hat?
If you're Bubba Watson, apparently you go out and shoot 81 with one club – a 20-degree hybrid.
That's the story PGA teaching professional Tim Mitchell recently shared. Watson showed up at Pelican Hill resort in Newport Beach, Calif., with friends, a few balls and one club, Mitchell posted at Golf WRX.
In all honesty, there's more to this than just Bubba being Bubba. Whereas a golf-course hovercraft cart or a Golf Boys music video is more about entertainment, there's purpose in a one-club round. It's a drill that forces Watson, or any golfer, to employ creative shotmaking.
"That’s a wonderful illustration of what excelling at the game of golf is really about: having multiple skill sets that give any golfer the ability to control the golf ball with whatever club they have in their hands and whatever swing they bring to the course," Mitchell wrote of the round Watson shot on the Tom Fazio-designed course.
Think about it. Watson certainly didn't swing it well off the tee when he knocked it into the trees in 2012 at Augusta National's 10th hole, under the stress of a playoff, before he was forced to take an unlikely stab at success in order to earn his first major victory. And it came from a spot so dastardly, people went back to see the view this year, too. "He hit an unbelievable shot there," runner-up Louis Oosthuizen said at the time. "I played well. This is not one I felt like I played badly. Great stuff to him. He deserves it."
Mighty praise like that doesn't come without hard work. Or maybe the occasional unorthodox practice round.
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Alfred Dunhill Championship: Charl Schwartzel defends title at Leopard Creek


Charl Schwartzel successfully defended his Alfred Dunhill Championship title, with a steady final round of 68 handing him a four-shot victory at Leopard Creek.
Schwartzel shot his third four-under round of 68 of the week to close on 17-under par and enjoy a four-shot victory over England's Richard Finch as his nearest challenger.
Schwartzel held a two-shot lead overnight but Finch went out in 31 to turn up the heat and close to within a shot at the turn.
But former Masters champion Schwartzel is always comfortable at Leopard Creek and plotted his way around the back nine with just one birdie, whilst Finch floundered with a bogey and a double in four holes effectively ending his challenge.
From there Schwartzel was in cruise control over the closing few holes to card his third consecutive bogey-free round and a total of 17-under that was far too good for the chasing pack.

Flawless

"I had that hiccup in the first round but after that it was pretty much flawless golf with no bogeys from there on in," said Schwartzel. "If you're going to play 60-odd holes or whatever without a bogey then you'd hope you would win.
"Richard got off to a fantastic start and mine was a bit shaky, I hit a few bad shots and got a few bad breaks but I know this golf course from experience and it was a long way from over.
"I'd been putting well all week so I thought if I could keep hitting good shots and stay in good shape I'd make a few putts. I knew if I could hit 67 or 68 which is what I was thinking then I thought he would have to play really well to be able to win."
After letting a three-shot lead slip in the final round of the South African Open last week, it was a fine way for the 29-year-old Schwartzel to respond - with the win also taking him back inside the world's top 20.
Simon Dyson finished strongly with four back-nine birdies in his five-under round of 67 putting him in a tie for third place alongside Ross Fisher (69) and Romain Wattel (71).

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Scott 'gutted' with narrow loss

It's not exactly the way he wanted to finish the year, but Adam Scott knows he can hold his head high after a superb 2013.
Having won the Australian PGA and Australian Masters a few weeks back, Scott was hoping to become only the second golfer after Robert Allenby to win the Australian Triple Crown.
After leading the Australian Open on the opening three days, the world number two came up short on the final day and was pipped to the title by Rory McIlroy.
The Australian, who started the day with a four-shot lead, could only manage a 71 while McIlroy's 66 earned him his first win of the year.
It was a tough defeat to take for Scott.
"I haven't been swinging the club very well for the last two weeks and I played really nicely and the putter didn't behave itself," he said.
"So it's just the way golf is. I'm gutted. I felt like I never had a better chance to win the Aussie Open but it was tight the whole back nine. Rory played so good."
Despite missing out, Scott has had a brilliant 2013 as he ended his major drought by becoming the first Australian to win the Masters at Augusta while he also tasted success at The Barclays.
"It's been a great year. Obviously I didn't want to finish like that (but) I'll get over this tonight and look forward to a few weeks rest and get ready to go next year," he said.
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