Tag: Saudi International 2020

Brooks Koepka on giving interviews during rounds: ‘I won’t do it’

Current World No. 1 Brooks Koepka said he doesn’t understand why golf broadcasts interview players during rounds.

Don’t expect any mid-round interviews from Brooks Koepka anytime soon.

Last week at the European Tour’s Saudi International at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club, eventual champion Graeme McDowell received a slow playing warning after giving a TV interview during his second round.

Apparently Koepka was also asked and politely passed.

“To be honest with you, I don’t know any other sport that does interviews in the middle of play,” Koepka said Sunday. “I know in football you’re not doing it unless it’s the Pro Bowl. Basketball you’re not doing it unless it’s halftime. This is the only sport where you’re talking to people while they are playing.

“I won’t do it. I’m not interested in talking about what just happened or the difficulty of the holes ahead,” added Koepka. “I’m just focused on one shot at a time, where my ball’s at. I understand why it might be beneficial to the fans, but I don’t get it.”

While the European Tour claims that “in-course interviews are an important and integral part” of its broadcasts, the PGA Tour doesn’t interview players during rounds on a weekly basis like its European counterparts.

Koepka, the current World No. 1, will lose that title to Rory McIlroy when the Official World Golf Ranking is updated next Monday. McIlroy elected not to play this weekend while Koepka finished 17th.

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Graeme McDowell ends European Tour drought with Saudi International win

Graeme McDowell shot even par on Sunday to claim the European Tour’s Saudi International title by two strokes.

Back in the winner’s circle again.

Graeme McDowell shot a final-round even-par 70 to finish 12 under and win the Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers on Sunday in Saudi Arabia. It is his 11th European Tour title.

He’s now won in three different decades, has 16 professional wins across 13 different countries and finds himself back inside the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking.

The 40-year-old McDowell finished two shots clear of defending champion Dustin Johnson, whose 3-under 67 (which included an eagle on the final hole) just wasn’t enough.

LEADERBOARD: Saudi International

“It’s special,” McDowell said after his round. “I’ve been working hard the last year and a half. I want to be back up there one more time just to be able to play against these guys.”

McDowell said he’s excited to be back in great form, and that it happened “a little faster than I expected.” He’s hoping this win propels him forward and lays the foundations “for having a big year.”

Kevin (Kirk, McDowell’s coach) said to me, ‘There’s no reason why the best golf in your career can’t still be ahead of you.’ I like that,” said McDowell. “I like that kind of idea. I like that focus.”

Phil Mickelson, Thomas Pieters and Gavin Green finished T-3 at 9 under, followed by Ross Fisher, Victor Dubuisson, Sergio Garcia, Abraham Ancer and Thomas Detry T-6 at 7 under.

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Former Ryder Cup partners Graeme McDowell, Victor Dubuisson lead at Saudi International

Former Ryder Cup partners Graeme McDowell and Victor Dubuisson will be reunited in the final pairing on Sunday at the Saudi International.

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Graeme McDowell has another chance at his first European Tour in nearly six years.

The 40-year-old from Northern Ireland has a one-shot lead over former Ryder Cup partner Victor Dubuisson after 54 holes at the 2020 Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers.

“I always tell my kids we live in a nice house because daddy can putt, that’s about the heart of it, really,” McDowell said after his round. “The putter’s been a little ice cold the last sort of two rounds but I got it heated back up on the back nine today and I’m going to have to putt well to have a chance tomorrow.”

Leaderboard: Saudi International

McDowell shot a 4-under 66 to sit at 12 under after Saturday’s third round action at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in Saudi Arabia. Dubuisson carded a bogey-free 5-under 65 to reach 11 under, followed by Gavin Green in third at 9 under.

The two haven’t played together since the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, where they earned two points for the Europeans who claimed a third consecutive victory over the Americans.

“We shared a car up to the course this morning and I was chatting with him and I always look out for him, great experiences with him in 2014 at Gleneagles,” McDowell said of his time with Dubuisson. “He’s such a great guy, he hasn’t had the best form the last few years and I’m really, really happy to see him at the top of the leaderboard and looking forward to being with him tomorrow. It’s going to be tough to try and play tough against him but we’re both competitors and we’ll go out there and try and do our job.”

Defending champion Dustin Johnson, Victor Perez and Renato Paratore are T-4 at 7 under, with World No. 1 Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson and Thomas Detry T-7 at 6 under. Ross Fisher rounds out the top 10 at 5 under.

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Saudi International: Sergio Garcia wants to ‘show the true Sergio’ after last year’s DQ

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.

The day before he was disqualified, Garcia also lost his cool, throwing a temper tantrum in a bunker.

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.

“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.”

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