Tag: European Tour

Have a laugh on this Monday courtesy of the European Tour’s latest video, ‘Angry Golfers’

Have a laugh on this Monday courtesy of the European Tour’s latest video, “Angry Golfers.”

Tyrrell Hatton has been on a great run the last year.

The 29-year-old Englishman has won three times since hoisting the trophy at March’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, most-recently claiming last weekend’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and October’s BMW PGA Championship.

Maybe Hatton is just riding the momentum of re-signing his equipment deal with Ping. Or maybe he’s finally getting help.

Hatton, who jumped from No. 9 to No. 5 in the latest world golf ranking, admittedly wears his heart on his sleeve, which has produced some hilarious on-course moments over the years, like his club toss in disgust at the CJ Cup and when he used his putter as a rifle to shoot at – then give the finger to – a pond.

In a hilarious video posted by the European Tour last week, Hatton admitted to being an “angry golfer.”

In the video, Tommy Fleetwood hosts a group therapy session for some of the angriest golfers on the European Tour, featuring Hatton, Eddie Pepperell, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Henrik Stenson and Ian Poulter. Each player has a little fun made at their expense, with Hatton taking the most shots. Two-time major champion Martin Kaymer even makes an appearance.

Next time you’re on the course, just remember: “When you’re feeling glum, pop up your thumb.” It worked for Hatton.

Justin Thomas speaks in Abu Dhabi after losing Ralph Lauren sponsorship

Justin Thomas spoke about his use of a homophobic slur and losing his Ralph Lauren sponsorship ahead of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

Justin Thomas spoke publicly Wednesday for the first time since losing his Ralph Lauren sponsorship last week in the fallout of his use public of a homophobic slur.

In his first public appearance since being dropped by his sponsor, Thomas answered questions from reporters Wednesday at Abu Dhabi Golf Club ahead of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. One of the questions was focused on Thomas’ using the slur after missing a putt at the Sentry Tournament of Champions on Jan. 9.

“I’m clearly beyond (not) proud of what I said,” Thomas said Wednesday. “It’s humiliating. It’s embarrassing. It’s not me. It’s not a word that I use but for some reason it was in there and that’s what I’m trying to figure out as to why it was in there.”

Ralph Lauren announced in a statement Friday, six days after the incident caught on camera, it would end its relationship with Thomas. The designer, however, left the door open for Thomas to re-join the brand if he “does the hard and necessary work” to grow from the incident.

The 13-time PGA Tour winner spoke of his hope for growth and learning from his mistake Wednesday.

“It’s going to be a part of this process or training program or whatever I need to do not only to prove to myself and prove to my sponsors and prove to those people who don’t know who I am but that’s indeed not the person I am,” Thomas said.

Thomas begins his first round at Abu Dhabi Golf Club Thursday morning alongside Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood.

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Tyrrell Hatton re-signs equipment deal with Ping

Tyrrell Hatton has won once on the PGA Tour and five times on the European Tour, providing great exposure for Ping over the years.

Tyrrell Hatton, ranked No. 9 in the Official World Golf Ranking and winner of five European Tour events plus another on the PGA Tour, has re-signed to play Ping equipment. Terms of the deal were not revealed.

The 29-year-old Englishman most recently won the European Tour’s BMW Championship in October in the same week he put Ping’s new G425 driver into play. Hatton also uses Ping’s G425 LST fairway wood, G425 Crossover 3-iron, i210 irons (4-PW), a Glide 3.0 wedge and a Ping Vault Oslo putter.

“There’s a comfort level with the people at Ping and with their clubs tee to green that gives me a lot reassurance and confidence that I’m always in a good position to play my best golf,” Hatton said in a media release. “I have enjoyed working with Ping for a number of years now, and the team knows exactly what I need to compete at the highest level. I’m excited for the future knowing that I will continue to have Ping as part of my team”.

Hatton is also in prime position to play for Europe in this year’s Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.

“You could hardly turn on a golf telecast over the past year and a half and not see Tyrrell among the leaders, and on a few occasions he’s been holding the trophy at the end,” John K. Solheim, Ping’s president, said in the media release. “Tyrrell has won six times since 2016 and has climbed to ninth in the Official World Golf Ranking. He’s brought the success he achieved on the European Tour over to the states, where last March he earned his first PGA Tour victory on a big stage at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. We appreciate his competitiveness and determination, and we’re proud to be associated with a truly international player who can compete with anyone, anywhere. His record of consistency proves that.”

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Henrik Stenson pulls hilarious prank on a steaming Ian Poulter

Henrik Stenson had some fun at the expense of his European Ryder Cup teammate, Ian Poulter.

Henrik Stenson enjoyed a long laugh at the expense of European Tour golfer Ian Poulter.

During the DP World Tour Championship at the Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, Stenson stole Poulter’s car keys. So when Poulter went to leave the parking lot, he was fuming while struggling to find them. Stenson, meanwhile, filmed Poulter’s frustrations — with some color commentary.

“He’s looking. We all know the feeling. He’s going to be looking for a while. Of course, he’s going to be upset with me, that’s the whole point!” he said on the video he posted to Twitter on Sunday.

Poulter finally realized he’d been pranked when Stenson texted a selfie with the keys in his mouth. That led to some colorful language. Here’s a look.

It was a rough week for Poulter, who finished 31st in the Race to Dubai standings. Stenson was 147th. Lee Westwood won the Race to Dubai while Matthew Fitzpatrick won the season-finale, the DP World Tour Championship.

Lee Westwood claims third career Race to Dubai; Matthew Fitzpatrick carries off DP World Tour title

Lee Westwood carried off the European Tour’s Race To Dubai for the third time in his career. Matthew Fitzpatrick won the season finale.

Lee Westwood carried off another European Tour honor on Sunday by landing atop the European Tour Order of Merit for the third time in his career. Westwood, 47, first collected the honor 20 years ago.

Westwood clinched it this time on the strength of a runner-up finish at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, the European Tour’s season finale. He fired a final-round 68 and finished one shot behind winner Matthew Fitzpatrick, just 26.

It was a bit of a wild finish at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai. A number of players were in the mix to win the title, including Patrick Reed, who was also aiming to become the first American to win the European Tour money title. Reed, however, dropped shots at Nos. 16 and 17. Likewise, Laurie Canter made a double-bogey on No. 17, clearing the way for Fitzpatrick to win the DP title with a par on 18.

It’s his second victory in this event, which he also won in 2016.

SCORES: DP World Tour Championship

Even though Fitzpatrick won the event, Westwood arguably won the day. The Englishman’s year began with a win at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, his 25th European Tour title and the one that made him the first active player to win in four decades.

His previous two Harry Vardon trophies came in 2000 and 2009.

“It’s been 20 years since I sat there at Valderrama and finished second in the American Express Championship to win the Volvo Order of Merit as it was back then,” he said. “I won here in 2009 to win the Race to Dubai and now I’ve finished second to win it today.

“They have all been very different. I guess 2000, sort of I was winning a lot, but I was still up and coming. It was only my seventh year on Tour. 2009, I was honing in on the best player in the world spot, and I needed to win here to win the Race to Dubai, and I managed to do that.

“And then this one, I’m kind of the more mature player on the European Tour now. It wasn’t something I set out to do at the start of the year, but it shows the consistency I’ve shown. The motivation’s never changed, really. I get to get up each day and do the job I love. I’ve always wanted to be a golfer and I don’t want it to end.”

The Race to Dubai title suddenly opens up the possibility that Westwood might qualify for the Ryder Cup, pushed back from 2020 to 2021 because of the COVID pandemic. It would be his 11th appearance as a player after serving as a vice captain in 2018.

“I’d love to play again, obviously,” he said. “It beats watching. There’s obviously a lot less pressure watching the lads being Vice Captain.

“If I qualify for the team then I’m clearly good enough, and that’s the way I’m going to play it. I can still turn up to the biggest tournaments and compete as I proved at the start of the year in Abu Dhabi; the U.S. Open where I bogeyed the last two holes and, if I hadn’t, I’d have finished fifth, and here.”

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Patrick Reed stays atop crowded leaderboard in Dubai; European Tour’s $3M prize within reach

Patrick Reed is 18 holes away from a $3 million bonus, but he insists he’s not thinking about it.

Patrick Reed is 18 holes away from a $3 million bonus, but he insists he’s not thinking about it.

Reed was good, but not great in the third round of the DP World Tour Championship, shooting a 71 to stay in the lead at Jumeriah Golf Estates. Others joined the party atop the leaderboard, however, as Matt Fitzpatrick fired a 69 on Saturday and Laurie Canter went one better. All three now sit at 11 under after three rounds.

Reed, the 2018 Masters champ, is hoping he can become the first-ever American winner of the European Tour’s Race to Dubai.

He said after the round that he’s trying to maintain his focus on this week and not the year’s body of work.

DP World Tour Championship: Leaderboard

“I’m trying not to really think about that [Race to Dubai victory] honestly,” said Reed. “If it happens, it would be unbelievable. It was always a goal of mine obviously to win golf tournaments but to win this one and also to win the Race to Dubai and be the first American would be amazing.

“We’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow. We still have a full 18 holes left and you can’t really sit back there and think as much about that as just stay in the present and try to play some good golf tomorrow.”

Four players are a stroke off the lead and there are some big names lurking — Lee Westwood, Viktor Hovland, Robert MacIntyre and Adri Arnaus are all 10 under.

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Victor Perez leads DP World Tour Championship, eyes Race to Dubai title

The European Tour holds its final event of the 2020 season in the United Arab Emirates and Victor Perez is off to an early lead.

With the Race to Dubai title in sight, Victor Perez jumped to an early lead at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai after carding 5-under 67 Thursday at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

In the European Tour’s final event of the 2020 season, Perez recorded six birdies and one bogey during the first round to hold a one-shot lead after 18 holes. He gained the lead after carding his sixth birdie of the day on the par-3 17th.

Tied in second at 4 under are Matthew Fitzpatrick, Erik Van Rooyen and Robert MacIntyre after all carded 68s in the United Arab Emirates.  Sitting T-5 at 3 under are Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Martin Kaymer and Sami Valimaki. Patrick Reed and Lee Westwood are among the nine players to sit T-9 at 2 under.

If the season ended after Thursday’s first round, Victor Perez is primed to win both the DP World Tour Championship and Race to Dubai. Entering this week’s event in Dubai, Reed sat in first place in Race to Dubai points. (2,427.7) followed by Fleetwood (1,967.7), Collin Morikawa (1,881.7), Westwood (1,783.0), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (1,717.7), respectively. Perez sat in sixth entering the tournament with 1,713.9 points.

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Christiaan Bezuidenhout goes back-to-back on European Tour with South African Open title

Christiaan Bezuidenhout: “It’s any South African golfer’s dream to win a national tournament. It’s unreal.”

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Christiaan Bezuidenhout became the first golfer to win back-to-back events on the European Tour in three years on Sunday.

What made it even more special for Bezuidenhout is that his victory came in the 110th South African Open.

“It’s unbelievable to stand here with an Open win,” Bezuidenhout said. “It’s any South African golfer’s dream to win a national tournament. It’s unreal.”

Bezuidenhout is from Delmas, which is about an hour away from the Gary Player Country Club. It’s his third win overall on the Euro Tour in 2020.

Seven days ago, Bezuidenhout’s win in the Dunhill Championship got him back into the top 50 in the world ranking. Now he’s in the top five of the Race to Dubai standings and he will be a contender at next week’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.

SCORES: South African Open

Bezuidenhout, 26, started the final round with a five-shot lead over Jamie Donaldson, who cut the deficit to two but got no closer as Bezuidenhout birdied the first three holes on the back nine to pull away.

“I fought hard today, the front nine things didn’t really go my way and I just dug deep to come out with a win today,” he said. “That was massive (birdieing the 10th, 11th and 12th). I have to say, the second putt on 11 was huge and obviously the putt on 12 was a bonus, I just tried to get it close inside a couple of feet and made it.”

Bezuidenhout closed with a 69 to finish at 18 under. Donaldson was solo second at 13 under. South African Dylan Frittelli was third, seven shots back. Dean Burmester finished solo fourth at 10 under. JC Ritchie was solo fifth at 9 under.

Casey Jarvis of South Africa won low amateur honors.

Justin Rose in 2017 was the last to win consecutive European Tour victories.

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New Golf in Dubai event sees Andy Sullivan jump into opening-round lead

Andy Sullivan birdied four of the first five holes and then each of the final four en route to a 61 to lead the Golf in Dubai Championship.

A new event on the European Tour has its first-ever leader.

Andy Sullivan, a four-time Euro Tour winner, put together some incredible bookends — he birdied four of the first five holes and then each of the final four — in firing a 61 to take the first-round lead at the Golf in Dubai Championship.

The event is taking place at the Jumeirah Golf Estates’ Fire Course this week and has a handful of recognizable names in the field, including former World No. 1 Martin Kaymer and 2016 Masters champ Danny Willett.

Believe it or not, even with no bogeys on the day, Sullivan might still be thinking about the one that got away. The Englishman just missed a short putt on No. 18 for a 60 that would have marked his best professional round. He managed a 61 in 2016 at the Portugal Masters, although that course was a par 71.

Golf in Dubai Championship: Leaderboard

A trio of players — Antonie Rozner, Matt Wallace and Ross Fisher — all sit two strokes behind Sullivan while Kaymer and Robert McIntyre are T-12, five shots off the lead.

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Callum Shinkwin scores European Tour breakthrough at Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Open

Callum Shinkwin finally has a European Tour title to his name after winning the Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Open.

Callum Shinkwin finally has a European Tour title to his name. For an Englishman who authored such a promising amateur career, including a turn on the 2013 Walker Cup team for Great Britain and Ireland, it has been a long time coming.

Shinkwin won the Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Open in Paphos, Cyprus, on Sunday in a playoff with Kalle Samooja. Shinkwin had been trailing by two shots after 70 holes but made up ground with a birdie on the 17th hole of his final round. He then made an all-time eagle – reaching the green at the par-5 closing hole from the rough but then holing a 54-foot eagle putt for a closing 63 that left him at 20 under.

Samooja couldn’t quite pull off the long eagle putt when he came through the 18th hole a few minutes later, which sent the two to a playoff. Shinkwin won with a birdie.

Scores: Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Open

Shinkwin started his pro career on the European Challenge Tour, graduating to the major tour in 2015. He nearly won the 2016 Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open but fell in a playoff to Rafa Cabrera Bello. After losing his Euro Tour card in 2018, Shinkwin played his way back and now is a first-time winner – the 11th one of those on this tour in 2020.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and now I have,” he said. “It’s been a bit of a shock but it feels great.

“I felt relaxed all day, I felt great, to be fair. 15 and 16 were playing me up all week. I was more nervous playing those two holes just to get through them than in the play-off or on the 18th. I managed to get through them really well and I felt great.”

The European Tour remains in Cyprus next week for the Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Showdown.

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