Tag: Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

Tommy Fleetwood changed putters, then he tied the course record at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

“When you shoot a 62, obviously everything is going to have gone very, very well.”

The last time Tommy Fleetwood teed it up in a competitive round was a month ago at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, where he finished third.

However, when he got home for one of his first periods of rest in some time, he decided to start tinkering with his putting. He put a new TaylorMade putter in the bag, and on Wednesday in his pre-tournament press conference, he praised how he had practiced with it, but he was excited to put it to use in the heat of competition.

“To have that time at home to work on something that I’ve put a lot of effort into and something I’m really interested in; and like I said, TaylorMade have done an amazing job with it, and it’s felt good,” Fleetwood said.

After one round, it looks like a worthwhile equipment change.

Lynch: Rory McIlroy should have answered the Donald Trump question with a shrug. But he didn’t

Fleetwood shot 10-under 62, tying the course record at Yas Links to take the first-round lead at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, the DP World Tour’s penultimate event on the schedule. He was the best putter in the field Thursday, needing only 26 putts, the lowest of any competitor in the field, and 1.5 putts per hole, which was second in the 70-player field. Fleetwood had eight birdies and an eagle en route to his record-tying round.

“Putted amazing,” he said. “Felt like I read the greens so well. Beautiful pace control and hit a lot of good putts and started holing them. I worked even all the way through to the last hole, I just hit perfect putts.

“When you shoot a 62, obviously everything is going to have gone very, very well. Just happy to have got off to a great start.”

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop new TaylorMade putters” link=”https://pga-tour-superstore.pxf.io/4G5brZ”]

Tommy Fleetwood of England putts on the 18th green during day one of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship 2024 at Yas Links Golf Course on November 07, 2024, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

Fleetwood said through the second half of 2024 he felt he wasn’t getting everything out of his putting as he would’ve liked. He’s a longtime pupil of Phil Kenyon, the putting coach who helped Scottie Scheffler drastically improve on the greens this year.

However, Fleetwood ran into Ken Brown and David Howell, former Scottish and English, respectively, professional golfers, who started to discuss putting with Fleetwood, sparking him to make the change

Early on, the results are paying off.

“I’ve worked with Phil Kenyon for a long time. He’s an unbelievably putting coach. You know, I always feel like I’m a good putter. It doesn’t always show,” Fleetwood said. “I happened to bump into Ken and Howler on the course and we were talking about a couple of things. Working on how I move my head in my stroke in a couple of practice drills and what happens there.

“And it’s always nice to have a good discussion. They are two of the best putters I’ve ever met and any time you’re talking to those guys, you’re always going to pick something up.”

And pick up the first-round lead, he did. Fleetwood is in front by a shot over Thorbjorn Olesen and Johannes Veerman. Tyrrell Hatton is a part of the group T-4 at 8 under. Rory McIlroy, fresh off a revamped swing, shot 5-under 67 and is T-18.

“It felt okay,” the world No. 3 said. “Sort of gotten comfortable with doing this little rehearsal before I take the club back. It felt fine. I probably wasn’t as imaginative out there or I was sort of hitting very straight shots and I hit a couple where I didn’t really see the picture of what I was trying to do with the ball flight because I was thinking too much on what I was doing with the swing.”

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop new TaylorMade putters” link=”https://pga-tour-superstore.pxf.io/4G5brZ”]

Rory McIlroy didn’t like his golf swing’s shape, so he locked himself inside for 3 weeks to improve it

“I thought it was important to get in there and do that.”

Most followers of professional golf would agree: Rory McIlroy has one of the best swings in the game.

It’s powerful, smooth and impactful, leading to him being one of the world’s best players for more than a decade now. However, to him, he hasn’t liked the shape of his swing, “for a while, especially the backswing.”

So what did he do? Locked himself inside.

“I sort of committed after the Dunhill that I wasn’t going to watch my ball flight for three weeks,” McIlroy said. “So locked myself indoors in like a swing studio for three weeks and just hit balls into a blank screen or net and just focused on my swing and focused on the movement of my swing and focused on movement of my body patterns. Had a live feed on a TV in front of me of where the club was, and just sort of trying to get the reps in of making the motion that I want to make.

MORE: Rory McIlroy says Donald Trump’s election win “clears the way” for PGA Tour-PIF deal

“Then over the past ten days now, sort of from last Monday, started to see the ball flight and get a bit more comfortable with what the ball was doing in the air. Still trying to focus on the move that I want to make. But I think those three weeks were important. I had not had time to sort of do that over the past 18 months. So I thought it was important to get in there and do that.”

McIlroy continued, saying if he were blasting ball after ball on the driving range, he would be enamored with the flight and not his mechanics.

The revamped backswing, which he will continue to work on ahead of the 2025 season, will be put on display the next two weeks in the final events of the DP World Tour’s season. This week, it’s the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links, where a top-two finish can secure McIlroy the top spot in the Rolex Series, the season-long points race that McIlroy has won five times previously.

Only two golfers (Colin Montgomerie with eight, Seve Ballesteros with six) have won more.

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays a shot on the 18th hole during day four of the BMW PGA Championship 2024 at Wentworth Club on September 22, 2024 in Virginia Water, England. (Photo by Luke Walker/Getty Images)

“I pride myself — I’m a European player. I would like to go down as the most successful European of all time,” McIlroy said. “Obviously Race to Dubai wins would count to that but also major championships and hopefully I’ve got a few more Ryder Cups ahead of me as well. So that’s something that I would like to, I think is a goal that’s quite attainable over the next ten years.”

This week will mark McIlroy’s 26th start in 2024, and after next week, he will have played a heavy schedule he looks forward to rejuvenating from over the holidays.

But in the meantime, this week is about seeing how his swing changes have helped. And if he was playing like the world No. 3 before the time locked inside, perhaps that is what it will take to finally get back in victory lane.

“It’s nice to come here with motivation of trying to achieve something and give — put all my efforts into the next two weeks,” he said.

Victor Perez takes step towards Ryder Cup with DP World Tour win thanks to ‘greatest shot’ he’s ever hit

Perez earned his third DP World Tour title in dramatic fashion on Sunday.

Victor Perez claimed his third DP World Tour win thanks to “probably the greatest shot I’ve ever hit” on the 17th hole during Sunday’s final round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

The Frenchman began the final round a shot off the pace at Yas Links Abu Dhabi but joined the mix early thanks to a consecutive birdies on both Nos. 1 and 2 as well as Nos. 6 and 7 to take a two-shot advantage. Min Woo Lee and Sebastian Soderberg kept the pressure on, and after a three-putt bogey on No. 14, Perez reclaimed his lead with a birdie on the 15th.

The shot of the day, however, came at the par-3 17th, where Perez holed out for what would be a crucial late birdie from the bunker to take a two-shot lead to the 18th.

Perez made a late bogey on the 18th to sign for a 6-under 66 and earn a one-shot win at 18 under over Lee (68) and Soderberg (66). Old enough to play on the Champions tour, Padraig Harrington finished fourth at 16 under, with Francesco Molinari and Alex Noren T-5 at 14 under. Sami Valimaki shot a course record 10-under 62 to finish inside the top 10.

The win puts Perez in prime position to compete for a spot on the European Ryder Cup team when the biennial bout heads for Italy in the fall. He’s currently second on the European Points list.

“It’s a great year ahead,” said Perez, who also became the first French winner of a Rolex Series event. “There’s a lot of big things coming up. I’ve had a really good off-season, I’ve worked really hard, and it’s just great.”

The DP World Tour will hold its third straight event in the Middle East next week with the 2023 Hero Dubai Desert Classic, Jan. 26-29.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01f5k5vfbhv59szck1 image=]

Thomas Pieters hopes DP World Tour title in Abu Dhabi inspires junior golfers in Belgium

“I just hope all the juniors back at home are watching this,” said Pieters.

Despite holding a three-shot lead near the turn of his final round, Thomas Pieters had to grind out a win down the stretch at the DP World Tour’s 2022 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

“I just hope all the juniors back at home are watching this,” said the Belgian. “I used to watch as a kid and think it was impossible for me but then Nico (Colsaerts) came on the scene and started winning. It’s stuff like that that inspires kids and hopefully I can do that back home.”

Pieters was briefly tied by Rafa Cabrera Bello but held on for his sixth win on the circuit thanks to an even-par 72 Sunday at Yas Links in Abu Dhabi to finish at 10 under. Cabrera Bello was joined by Shubhankar Sharma in second at 9 under, with Viktor Hovland and Victor Dubuisson T-4 at 8 under.

“Winning a Rolex Series, it’s as good as it gets in Europe,” he said. “Hopefully this lists me, I’m not sure where, but I want to play all of the big tournaments and hopefully this gets me close.

“Top 50 is your strive point and when I jumped out maybe three years ago, I took it badly, but I’m happy to be back again,” Pieters continued. “I feel like I’ve turned the corner and I’m playing really good golf. I’m really in control of my ball flight and it’s nice to feel like that and making putts as well. My putting has improved massively and I felt like that’s the thing that really kept me going on the weekend.”

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Shane Lowry and caddie mix up signs, but still make big jump in Abu Dhabi

His caddie, Bo Martin, had Lowry aiming at a completely different sign.

Call it a case of Shane Lowry and his caddie mixing up their signs.

On the final hole of Saturday’s third round at the DP World Tour’s 2022 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Lowry lined up his drive with an HSBC sign and piped what he envisioned to be a perfect shot. Unfortunately, his caddie, Bo Martin, had Lowry aiming at a completely different sign.

The mishap put the winner of the 2019 British Open in a difficult spot.

“Myself and Bo, we were aiming at the HSBC sign but his one was 30 yards right of the one I was looking at,” Lowry said after the round. “New course, I thought I hit a perfect shot. I couldn’t believe it came down where it did. It was a bad mistake to make because we shouldn’t be doing it in that situation.”

Shane Lowry of Ireland talks with his caddie Brian ‘Bo’ Martin during the Third Round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links Golf Course on January 22, 2022, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Lowry used an impressive two-putt to salvage par, however, and after finishing the day with a 67 he sits just a single shot off the lead heading into Sunday’s final round at Yas Links. Scott Jamieson holds the lead at 11 under while Lowry and Thomas Pieters are a stroke back. Viktor Hovland is in the hunt despite a 74 on Friday; his 70 in the third round has him at 8 under for the tournament, and in a tie for third place with Shubhankar Sharma.

Due to his save on 18, Lowry feels good about his chances heading into the final round.

“I was very fortunate,” Lowry said. “It could have been a different story. I might not be standing here, I might be sitting in the locker room sulking right now.

“But I’m happy with the way I’ve played overall. I’m really happy with how the week’s gone and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=none image=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Watch: Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa, and Tyrrell Hatton attempting to hit one-yard fairway is as good as it gets

The DP World Tour has always brought the heat in social content.

There’s one thing the DP World Tour (formally known as the European Tour) has always done better than the PGA Tour — social media content. Sure, the PGA Tour has stepped up its game recently with the year-end reviews video and the Shorties Classic, but the Tour’s European counterparts have owned the space for years.

That trend continued Friday.

The DP World Tour sent Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa, and Tyrrell Hatton to a race track to see if they could hit a one-yard wide fairway in regulation.

The result was hilarious.

Hatton, known for his one-liners on the course, encouraged his teammates to throw their drivers at one point.

“Throw it. It doesn’t make you a bad person.”

Watch the full video below.

Watch: Blustering wind dominates field in Abu Dhabi before play suspended due to darkness

Intense wind made an even-par effort an incredible feat.

It’s not often that the weather absolutely dominates the field during a round of golf. Friday in Abu Dhabi was one of those days.

This week the DP World Tour is at Yas Links for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. Scott Jamieson fired a first-round 9-under 63 and began the second 18 with a  one-shot lead over Viktor Hovland. Like many in the field, Jamieson went the wrong way Friday, signing for a 2-over 74. All in all, the second round effort was impressive and good enough to stay ahead of the pack — for now.

“It certainly wasn’t easy,” he said. “It’s so tricky, obviously hitting shots is tricky with all the gusts but the hardest thing is putting. You get over the ball and you feel like you’ve got to be so tense to stop everything moving but that’s the worst thing you can do when you’re trying to putt. I holed a lot of really good putts from inside five feet today which kept my score respectable.”

You may be asking: “Was it really that bad?” Take a look for yourself.

Hovland, like Jamieson, carded a 2-over 74 — 10 shots worse than his opening round effort. The Norwegian finished before darkness forced a suspension and will be in prime position heading into the weekend.

James Morrison, after starting the week with a 6-under 66, was through 14 holes when the horns blew. He currently stands at even par for his second round with a chance to earn the 36-hole lead with a solid finish Saturday morning.

Notable names in the field and where they stand:

Ian Poulter (T-2)
Shane Lowry (T-5)
Adam Scott (T-16)
Tyrrell Hatton (T-23)
Tommy Fleetwood (T-30)
Collin Morikawa (T-60)
Rory McIlroy (T-60)

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

After two months off, DP World Tour back in action in Abu Dhabi

United Arab Emirates hosts the first of four consecutive events.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

The DP World Tour (formerly known as the European Tour) saw its 2021-22 season get off to rocky start.

The season-opening Joburg Open in November was rocked by the omnicron COVID outbreak and shortened to 36 holes. Then the next two events were canceled.

This week, the tour is back on track at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It’s the first of four straight events in the UAE and has drawn the likes of Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Ian Poulter, Tyrrell Hatton and Shane Lowry.

After the first round, though, it’s Scott Jamieson in the lead. His 9-under 63 set the pace after 18 holes.

“It’s eight weeks off from tournament golf out here so you’re always a little bit on edge probably to start off the day but birdie at the first kind of settled any edge there was and it was just really solid all day,” he said. “This is the first off-season I haven’t actually peeled the skin back and tried to figure out how to get better.”

Hovland shot a 64 and is a one back. Thomas Pieters is solo third after firing a 65. Defending champion Tyrrell Hatton, James Morrison, Ian Poulter, Takumi Kanaya and Victor Perez are all tied for fourth at 6 under. Rory McIlroy had four birdies but also four bogeys and shot even-par 72, good for a tie for 77th.

[lawrence-related id=778194817,778183859,778183577]

Tyrrell Hatton wins in Abu Dhabi, Rory McIlroy falls short again

Tyrrell Hatton maintained his hot hand in the final round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, while former World No. 1 Rory McIlroy did not.

Tyrrell Hatton maintained his hot hand in the final round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, while former World No. 1 Rory McIlroy did not.

The result?

Hatton’s 66 was good enough for a four-stroke victory, claiming a $1.335 million prize and his sixth European Tour title — including four in the lucrative Rolex Series.

“Even knocking the putt in on 18 doesn’t seem like I’ve won the tournament, but it’s amazing,” Hatton said after the win. “I’ve always loved starting my season here in Abu Dhabi and to now add my name on that trophy with so many great champions before me is a huge honor.”

With the win, Hatton leapfrogged McIlroy in the world standings, improving to a career-best No. 5. He did so by matching birdies with McIlroy on No. 2 and then added two more before the turn to take the lead.

“I’m definitely pinching myself, it’s just very surreal to be that high in the world rankings,” Hatton said.  “I’m struggling to find the words to put it across but I’ll just say it is very cool to be where I am at the moment.”

Meanwhile, McIlroy finished with an even-par 72 on the day to finish at 13 under for the event. He slipped out of second place when Australian Jason Scrivener, who posted a 29 on the back with five birdies and an eagle, nipped him by one stroke.

McIlroy had previously finished in second on four different occasions at this event and hoped to snap his drought, but it wasn’t to be.

“I don’t feel like I played great this week, I felt I was managing my game a bit,” McIlroy said. “It’s nice to get a competitive week under my belt, know where my game is and see what I have to do to keep improving.”

[lawrence-related id=778084816,778084528]

There’s divots. There’s bad lies. And then there’s this.

Jorge Campillo had the most incredible situation at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Friday but got out of it without penalty.

“It’s the most incredible situation I’ve seen in my entire career,” said Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship Tournament Director Miguel Vidaor, who was called for a ruling on the first hole during the second round on Friday.

Jorge Campillo was there waiting for Vidaor, who didn’t initially understand the problem because he didn’t see any golf balls on the fairway.

Turns out, a divot was “left in an open position,” Vidaor said, and Campillo’s ball “ended up wrapped in a divot left from another competitor.

“This looks so artificial. Someone must have put it on top on purpose,” Vidaor said. But there was no evidence of that.

As for the ruling, Vidaor said it was simple.

“The divot is a loose impediment,” he said, but did add that if Campillo moved the ball while moving the divot, there would’ve been a penalty. Campillo couldn’t advance the ball without hitting through the divot so he decided to take the chance of removing the loose impediment.

“He grabbed it from both ends, very carefully,” Vidaor said. “I’d have to say he’d be a good surgeon.”

Campillo took almost 15 seconds slowly removing the divot but the ball remained at rest and he was able to play his next shot. He parred the hole en route to a second-round 73.

[lawrence-related id=778084816]