It was a windy day at the Emirates Golf Club and only 29 golfers were able to break par in the first round.
Thomas Pieters shot a first-round 67 and leads the Omega Desert Dubai Classic on the European Tour.
David Lipsky shot a 68 and sits alone in second.
There are 12 players tied at 3 under, two shots off the lead.
Defending champ Bryson DeChambeau is among four golfers who shot a 2-under 70.
The skies were hazy for part the day around Emirates Golf Club because of a steady wind, which made conditions difficult. Just 29 golfers broke par in the first round, including Sergio Garcia and Louis Oosthuizen.
“I’ve been working on my putting real hard and I just hope to see some progress,” Pieters told europeantour.com. “I saw that today, hopefully we can keep it up. I know I’m hitting the ball quite nice and I’m just looking forward to the next three days.
“It’s always a bit scary starting out, you don’t know what to expect even though you’ve put the work in – that competitive mindset sometimes takes a while to kick in. But I think today was one of my better rounds of the year.”
Now a winner in four different decades, Lee Westwood earned his 25th European Tour victory at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
Lee Westwood entered the final round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship with a one-shot lead and never looked back, cruising to his 25th European Tour title.
The 46-year-old Englishman shot a final-round 67, finishing with a two-shot advantage at 19 under to take home €1,047,741.36. With the win, Westwood has now been victorious in four different decades.
“I can’t believe I’m that old,” said Westwood. “It’s getting harder. It’s just nice to come out and keep proving that you’ve still got it.”
“I won my first tournament in 1996 in Sweden,” added Westwood. “I won that tournament in three different decades and now won here this week. The 20s could be the ones for me.”
Lee Westwood shot a 7-under 65 to take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
It’s called Moving Day for a reason.
Lee Westwood surpassed second round leader Francesco Laporta and Bernd Wiesberger and will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship after a 7-under 65 on Saturday.
Westwood, who produced the shot of the week to set up an eagle on the par-5 8th hole, sits at 14 under for the tournament. Laporta and Wiesberger are T-2 at 13 under, followed by Matthew Fitzparick in fourth at 12 under and Sergio Garcia and Kurt Kitayama at 11 under.
“It’s always a bonus to be in contention and that’s basically why we come out here,” said Westwood. “I’m not going to lie, I didn’t play a lot of golf coming into it, didn’t know what to expect. To be in the lead with one round to go, it’s a real positive.”
World No. 1 Brooks Koepka improved on a second round 75, shooting a 2 under 70 and currently sits T-48.
Francesco Laporta birdied his final five holes to card a 9-under 63 and take the lead at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
Francesco Laporta had a solid day at the office on Friday at the 2020 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
The 29-year-old Italian heads into the weekend at the European Tour’s second event of the new year with a one-shot lead at 10 under after a bogey-free, 9-under 63 in the second round that featured birdies on his final five holes.
“I just want to enjoy the weekend,” said Laporta. “I played solid all 18 holes, my putting was solid, my driver, my irons. I gave myself a lot of opportunities for birdies and so when I had the opportunities, I took them. Every time I was putting for birdie, I made it. It was a great day.”
Rafa Cabrera Bello and Matthew Fitzpatrick sit T-2 at 9 under, followed by Sergio Garcia, Renato Paratore and Haotong Li T-4 at 8 under.
Patrick Cantlay sits T-7 after a 6-under second round, while fellow American and World No. 1 Brooks Koepka fell to T-35 after a disappointing 3-over 75.
Notable names who failed to make the 1 under cut were Viktor Hovland, Champion Golfer of the Year Shane Lowry, Charl Schwartzel, Ian Poulter and Bryson DeChambeau.
Bryson DeChambeau criticized Brooks Koepka’s physique, making a comment on his lack of abs. Koepka fired back with a hilarious Tweet.
Here’s a friendly PSA to anyone thinking of taking a shot at Brooks Koepka: just don’t.
You’ll thank me later.
Bryson DeChambeau has been working on transforming his physique by bulking up the last few months. He’s also been an active video game player and broadcasts his games via a Twitch stream, where he gives his unfiltered opinion on almost whatever he’s asked by fans on his stream.
Earlier this week when a fan asked about DeChambeau’s new look compared to Koepka’s, DeChambeau took a shot at the four-time major champion (this fact will be important to remember).
“I don’t think his genetics even make him look good,” DeChambeau said. “Did you see the Body Issue? He didn’t have any abs. I have abs.”
Well, Koepka heard about the comments above, and after shooting a 6-under 66 in his return to competitive golf at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Koepka clapped back.
In his first tournament round since October, Brooks Koepka shot a 66 and is two shots off the lead at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
Earlier this week Brooks Koepka said his left knee still wasn’t 100% healthy as he prepared to make his return to competitive golf for the first time since October.
The World No. 1’s knee might not be in great shape, but his game certainly is after the first round Thursday of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
Koepka shot a 6-under 66 in the European Tour’s 2020 opener and sits just two shots off the lead at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. Renato Paratore and Shaun Norris are T-1 at 8 under.
“It feels good to be back,” Koepka said after his round. “I drove it really well. Controlled the ball flight, controlled distances really well, and that’s what you gotta to do out here.”
Koepka said his knee started bothering him last March and he had stem cell treatment just after the Tour Championship in August. He came back at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas in October and missed the cut.
He reinjured his left knee slipping on concrete during the CJ Cup in South Korea in November. “Excruciating” pain in his left knee forced Koepka to pull out of the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in China and the Presidents Cup in Australia back in December.
“It feels fine. A little sore last night – just do some treatment on it,” Koepka said of his left knee. “That’s expected. This is the first week I’ve walked 18 holes and I’ve done it three times already (including practice rounds). It’s a little tired.”
Sergio Garcia said he wants to show fans “the true Sergio” after being disqualified at last year’s Saudi International.
Get ready to meet “the true Sergio,” golf fans.
Sergio Garcia will return to Saudi Arabia in two weeks for the first time since his disqualification from last year’s Saudi International for losing his cool and damaging multiple putting greens during the third round of play at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club.
According to Garcia, who kept his reported $640,000 appearance fee despite being disqualified, this year will be different. For starters, he reportedly waived his appearance fee.
“I feel terrible about what happened last year,” said Garcia ahead of this week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. “Obviously there were some outside things that got me to that point.”
“You know, I want to go there,” Garcia added, referring to Saudi Arabia. “I want to show my respect to them. You know, the easy thing would have been for me to hide and never come back there. But I love the people there, and I love the guys, all the people we met and everyone that takes care of us during the tournament. They are amazing people, and they wanted me to go back.”
Garcia said it was an “easy decision” and that he’s excited to return to Saudi Arabia and “Show myself, show the true Sergio.”
Only time will tell if we see a different Garcia this year, but as the 2017 Masters champion makes his 2020 debut, he’ll be doing so without a Callaway deal.
Sergio went to an event in Abu Dhabi today carrying @PingTour irons and @TaylorMadeGolf woods. Spokesman: “Callaway did not renew its agreement with Sergio for the 2020 season. We parted on great terms and the option for Sergio to carry Callaway equipment in the future remains.” pic.twitter.com/ODt5yQLP4f
“Unfortunately our relationship with Callaway didn’t go any farther. So at the moment, I’m a free agent,” Garcia said, adding there were things Callaway wanted that he couldn’t agree to.
“It’s all good,” he said. “There’s no hard feelings by any side, and these things happen. We just move on from there.”
Brooks Koepka was among six golfers who fired golf balls on to a Formula 1 race track in the Middle East on Tuesday.
World No. 1 Brooks Koepka said his left knee still isn’t 100 percent, but it’s good enough to start playing again.
He was among six golfers who participated in a contest where they fired golf balls on to a Formula 1 race track in the Middle East on Tuesday.
Koepka underwent a stem-cell procedure last fall for a partially torn patella tendon in his left knee, which had been bugging him since last March.
He was joined by Louis Oosthuizen, Danny Willett, Bernd Wiesberger, Matthew Fitzpatrick and Viktor Hovland in the Hero Challenge (not to be confused Tiger Woods’ Hero World Challenge, held in the Bahamas last month).
Tuesday’s event was at the Yas Marina Circuit to promote the European Tour’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in the United Arab Emirates. This Hero did not have any waste bunkers (insert Patrick Reed joke here) but did feature some pretty great shot-making:
Each of the golfers fired balls from a mat high up on a platform. It was like they were hitting off a cliff to a target down below that was 100 yards away.
An extra challenge was making sure not to plunk a Formula 1 car parked right in front the target.
Brooks Koepka at the Hero Challenge ahead of the 2020 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Your winner? Viktor Hovland, who called it “My first professional win.”
Hovland faced off against Louis Oosthuizen in the final round. Wearing blue jeans, Hovland won by a score of 190-55 and through three rounds, never missed the target.
A pro golfer’s financial scorecard goes well beyond what’s printed on the money list. Tournament paychecks tell only part of the story.
A professional golfer’s financial scorecard goes well beyond what’s printed on the money list. Tournament paychecks tell only part of the story.
What’s a 50th-ranked player really taking home?
Depends on the tour. The disparity between the world’s most elite men and women gets the brightest spotlight. In 2019, consider that No. 50 on the Symetra Tour, Allison Emrey, made $26,960 compared to Viktor Hovland’s $111,000 on the Korn Ferry Tour. Or how about the European Tour’s No. 50, Jordan Smith, taking in 735,094 euros compared to Azahara Munoz at 31,227 euros on the LET?
PGA Tour players competed for approximately $343 million in official money in the 2018-19 season, plus $71 million in bonus money (FedEx Cup, Wyndham Rewards and Aon Risk Reward Challenge).
The LPGA’s total purse this season: $70.2 million. Add in $1.1 million for the Leaders Top 10 competition and Aon Risk Reward Challenge.
Even an opposite-field event on the PGA Tour, the Barbasol Championship ($3.5 million), held the same week as the Open Championship ($10.75 million), and had a bigger purse than the LPGA’s first major, the ANA Inspiration ($3 million).
For this exercise, Golfweek talked to several players and agents on both the LPGA and PGA Tour to create composite players who are ranked 50th on their respective tours.
These are average numbers based on interviews. Endorsement dollars vary wildly from player to player based on what country they’re from, Q-Rating, amateur results and professional success.
Brooks Koepka topped the 2019 PGA Tour money list, earning $9,684,006 over 21 events with three wins. (Julio Cortez/AP)
The charts do not take into account variables such as at-home expenses, dependents, mortgage write-offs, insurance, retirement savings, charitable giving, etc. Tax variables include if a player has an LLC, if he or she files as a single or joint and in what countries and states the player made money.
Cash flow: PGA Tour player
Winnings based on 25 events, ranking No. 50 on the PGA Tour.
Total Income
$2,755,000
Prize Money
$2.150 million
FedEx Cup Bonus
$155,000
Additional Earnings
$450,000
Includes endorsements, appearances at events such as store openings and private dinners, as well as fireside chats, speaking engagements and meet-and-greets.
Expenses
$547,500
Hotels
$55,000
That’s $300 per night, seven nights per week. This sum is often higher if the player takes his family on the road and gets an extra room.
Airfare
$30,000
Dependent on whether the player flies first class, takes family members, etc.
Caddie
$200,000
Based on payment of $2,000 per start, plus 7% for made cuts and 10 percent for a victory.
Swing Coach
$60,000
Players could work out a deal on a percentage basis of their earnings with their coach, usually from 1% to 4%.
Trainer
$40,000
Mental coach
$50,000
Agent
$75,000
Expenditure is usually 10% to 20% of contracts, appearances and outings. No prize money is involved.
Meals
$25,000
Breakfast and lunches are typically provided at tournament courses.
Accountant
$5,000
Incidentals
$7,500
This includes tips, entertainment, etc.
Write-offs
$526,000
Player’s travel: 100 percent.
This applies to only the player’s travel. If he takes his significant other or his family, that’s not allowed for a write-off unless the person or people are on the payroll.
Top federal rate is 37%. States taxes and foreign taxes is about 5%. Players could file state taxes in 20 jurisdictions, as well as foreign taxes that are offset by a foreign tax credit in the United States. Players also pay self-employment tax.
Bottom line
Take-home Pay: $1,271,320
Cash flow: LPGA player
Total Income
$480,000
Prize money
$420,000
Winnings based on 27 events, ranking No. 50 on the LPGA.
Additional Earnings
$60,000
This could be much higher. The top South Korean players already on the KLPGA command endorsements in the low six figures.
South Korea’s Jin Young Ko topped the LPGA money list, earning $2,773,894 over 22 events with four wins. (Photo: Laurent Cipriani/AP)
Expenses
$173,200
Hotels
$55,000
That’s $300 per night, seven nights per week. This sum is often higher if the player takes his family on the road and gets an extra room.
Airfare
$30,000
Dependent on whether the player flies first class, takes family members, etc.
Caddie
$200,000
Based on payment of $2,000 per start, plus 7% for made cuts and 10 percent for a victory.
Swing Coach
$60,000
Players could work out a deal on a percentage basis of their earnings with their coach, usually from 1% to 4%.
Trainer
$40,000
Mental Coach
$50,000
Agent
$75,000
Expenditure is usually 10% to 20% of contracts, appearances and outings. No prize money is involved.
Meals
$25,000
Breakfast and lunches are typically provided at tournament courses.
Accountant
$5,000
Incidentals
$7,500
This includes tips, entertainment, etc.
Write-offs
$526,000
Player’s travel: 100 percent.
This applies to only the player’s travel. If he takes his significant other or his family, that’s not allowed for a write-off unless the person or people are on the payroll.
Top federal rate is 37%. States taxes and foreign taxes is about 5%. Players could file state taxes in 20 jurisdictions, as well as foreign taxes that are offset by a foreign tax credit in the United States. Players also pay self-employment tax.
Bottom Line
Take-home Pay: $1,271,320. Gwk
This story originally appeared in the November/December 2019 issue of Golfweek. Click here to subscribe to our magazine.
Tiger Woods made appearance money in European Tour events acceptable after years of bickering, while also driving up the asking price.
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Tiger Woods arguably made appearance money in European Tour events acceptable after years of bickering over the issue. He also drove up the asking price for those lucky enough to demand cash incentives.
Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson likely will receive a minimum of $1.5 million to play in Saudi Arabia at the end of January. There was a time when that statement would have caused many an arched eyebrow. Now the only part of that statement that merits criticism is that they are playing in a country with scant regard for human rights.
Koepka and Johnson each were paid a reported $1.5 million to appear in the previous Saudi International. That was on top of $1 million per man to play in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship two weeks prior.
It’s “reported” and “reportedly” because this sort of information isn’t shared – it comes from reliable sources close to the European Tour. Getting players, managers, sponsors or tour officials to talk on the record about appearance money is as easy as scratching your bottom with your big toe. (If anyone at Hambric Sports, which manages both players, wants to tell me different figures, then go for it.)
They weren’t the only players receiving financial incentives in Saudi Arabia last year. Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Bryson DeChambeau got paid, too.
There was a time when financial inducements to lure players resulted in a slew of negative headlines about greedy professionals. It doesn’t seem too long ago that Seve Ballesteros went to war with the European Tour because he couldn’t be paid appearance money while top American stars such as Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller and others cashed in.
Appearance money was banned for European Tour members. Of course, Palmer et al were not European Tour members and not subject to the same rules as Ballesteros.
The Spaniard eventually got his way. The European Tour changed the rules years ago by allowing players to receive fees to help sponsors promote tournaments. Appearance fees still were not allowed, but promotional fees were. Strictly speaking, that’s still the case. So when you see a group of players, say, sitting on camels for a photo op before the Dubai Desert Classic, those are the guys getting appearance … ahem … promotional fees.
Appearance fees still are taboo on the PGA Tour, but PGA Tour players can collect such promotional fees when traveling abroad on other tours.
Ballesteros soon cashed in wherever he could. So did others. Such fees often were larger than the actual prize money. That shouldn’t sound surprising, and it still happens. Not just in Europe, but other tours around the world.
Justin Rose appeared in the 2018 BNI Indonesian Masters on the Asian Tour for a reported $1.5 million, twice the $750,000 prize fund. (Note to Rose’s manager, Mark Steinberg: Please feel free to join Hambric Sports and enlighten me if the figure isn’t accurate.)
There was a time when appearance money divided opinion among those who saw it as acceptable and others who said it meant less money for the tournament purse.
As with so many other aspects of golf, Woods probably settled that argument back in 2000 when he played in the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open TPC of Europe in Hamburg, Germany. Woods played for a reported $1 million fee, probably the first seven-figure appearance fee in golf history. It was a huge talking point that week, even if Woods or Steinberg weren’t talking about it.
Although Woods received more than twice Lee Westwood’s winner’s check of €450,000, there were no howls from players.
“Look what he’s brought to this tournament,” Paul McGinley said at the time. “There are more spectators, more media interest, more prize money, more world ranking points. Everyone benefits. I think he’s worth every penny.”
McGinley was right, and nothing has changed. When Woods plays in a tournament – any tournament – he is the tournament. Interest soars.
Oh, and Woods’ $1 million fee is pretty much the going rate for a marquee name these days. Call it the Tiger trickle-down effect, with players such as Koepka, Johnson and others cashing in and sponsors, particularly in the Middle East, competing for the names. It enables the stars to play sponsors against each other to see who has the biggest wallet.
And why not? After all, the names know that interest goes up across the board, for fans and media alike, when they tee it up in events. Sponsors get more bang for their bucks.
Fans don’t turn out to watch journeymen pros. They go to see “names.” Poulter emphasized this a few years ago when he said, “You don’t sell tournaments on the back of the player ranked 100th on the money list – you sell tournaments on the back of star players.”
There’s obviously a flip side. Other tournaments suffer because the star names choose to play where the cash is.
And would most of us be any different? Probably not. Although hopefully we wouldn’t take money from regimes like Saudi Arabia that murder dissenting voices like respected journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Face it: If your boss said, “Here’s your annual salary for a 32-week year,” then added, “and if you work these extra weeks we’ll pay you, say, $15,000 per week,” most of us would say yes in a heartbeat.
It’s called capitalism. It’s rife in golf. Always has been. Always will be. Tiger just made it more acceptable. Gwk
This story originally appeared in the November/December 2019 issue of Golfweek. Click here to subscribe to our magazine.
