No big names have withdrawn from tournaments that are part of the European Tour’s tournaments in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
While no big names have yet withdrawn from tournaments that are part of the European Tour’s upcoming swing through the Middle East, players and agents are keeping an eye on the situation in light of escalated tensions between the United States and Iran.
President Trump addressed the nation Wednesday after Iran launched more than a dozen missiles on airbases in Iraq housing U.S. troops. The action is viewed as retaliation by Iran for a U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian official Qasem Soleimani.
Increased tensions in the Middle East have raised questions regarding the safety of players planning to compete in the European Tour’s events in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia later this month.
Sergio Garcia is planning to play next week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and the following week in Dubai.
“If I feel like it will be safe to go there, I will be there,” Garcia told Golfweek on Wednesday. “I’m gathering information.”
World No. 1 Brooks Koepka will make his 2020 debut in Abu Dhabi after skipping the Presidents Cup and the PGA Tour’s events in Hawaii. Also in the field are Patrick Cantlay, Bryson DeChambeau, Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry, who won the tournament in 2019.
DeChambeau’s participation in the Abu Dhabi field came into question over comments he made during a Twitch session on Tuesday. “”I seriously may not be going to Abu Dhabi,” DeChambeau said, according to a Golf Channel report. “All this talk, no American is able to go over to that area. Insane, brother. Protecting the country, though, I love it. Gotta love it.”
Dustin Johnson is scheduled to play in the Saudi International beginning Jan. 30, where he is the defending champion. “We remain committed, but will continue to closely monitor any developments in the region,” said David Winkle, Johnson’s agent.
The European Tour has said it will proceed with tournament plans but is monitoring the situation in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, according to a statement released to the Guardian.
“The safety of our players, staff and everyone involved in all our tournaments around the world remains our top priority. The European Tour constantly monitors situations in all our host countries, taking advice from the relevant agencies where appropriate, and we will continue to do so.”
With 2020 upon us, we reflect on year in golf with a closer look at the stories that most resonated with Golfweek readers.
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As we prepare to put a wrap on 2019 and welcome in the new year, we reflect on the year in golf with a closer look at the stories that most resonated with Golfweek readers.
The last 365 days have been a rollercoaster ride for sure. What stands out the most to you? What will you remember most from 2019?
Before we get to our list, it’s worth noting the themes into which these stories fit: Decorum, the Rules of Golf, the personalities in golf, money, the feel-good story of the year and Tiger, Tiger, Tiger.
Without further adieu, here are the most popular stories on Golfweek.com from the past year.
20. DQ’d for not ‘promptly’ returning scorecard
Skyler Fox, 16, learned a tough lesson about the Rules of Golf after being disqualified at a U.S. Open qualifying sectional for breaching Rule 3.3b(2), which states a player must “promptly return” a scorecard to the scorer’s table upon the completion of a round.
19. ‘Take one of these and go (expletive) yourself’
Country music star Jake Owen was among those who paid $29.99 to watch The Match between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson on pay-per-view, only to learn later that technical difficulties allowed for countless others to watch for free. Owen, it seems, was also not impressed with the quality of golf he had paid nearly $30 to watch. Lefty later responded in purely Lefty fashion.
18. ‘I’ve got this’
Amy Bockerstette wowed the golf world at the Phoenix Open. Playing a pro-am round with Gary Woodland, Bockerstette made par from the bunker on the infamous 16th hole and in the process, created the most viral of viral video moments of 2019.
Matt Kuchar poses with El Tucan after the 2018 Mayakoba Golf Classic. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
17. ‘That’s not a story’
It took two months, but it eventually came to light that Matt Kuchar severely underpaid his caddie after a victory in Mexico. Kuchar denied the allegation that he compensated local looper David Ortiz just $3,000 after earning $1.296 million for his win at the Mayakoba Classic in November. The story dragged on for weeks before Kuchar finally fessed up and paid up.
16. What’s in the bag?
David Dusek’s examination of the winning equipment used by Gary Woodland at the 2019 U.S. Open was of particular interest, and with good reason. Woodland won a premiere event at a premiere golf course in storybook fashion.
Seconds after Tiger Woods sank a putt on the 18th hole at Augusta National to win his fifth Masters, Nike dropped a new promo featuring the 15-time major tournament winner.
13. Does Tiger need a bigger boat?
It started as an interesting ‘Hey look at that’ segment during the Golf Channel’s telecast of the Hero World Challenge. But Tiger being Tiger, the visual of his yacht in dock really stuck out.
12. Getting hacked
President Trump was unwittingly at the center of another hacking incident, but this one didn’t involve Wikileaks. No, this one pertained to bogus golf scores entered from courses in three different states on the same day.
President Donald Trump plays a round of golf at Trump Turnberry in Scotland. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
11. Damaging reputation
Sergio Garcia was thrown out of the inaugural $3.5 million Saudi International for willfully damaging putting greens, a day after he slammed a club in a bunker in anger.
10. Showing off
Tiger Woods won the Masters then showed up to his Florida restaurant wearing his green jacket. Because why not?
9. A $10,000 disappointment
A discounted round and the lack of a $5 fee prevented Minnesota golfer Matt Dorgan from cashing in a $10,000 prize after making a hole-in-one.
Masters badges atop a patron’s hat at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
7. A sad passing
Sad news arrived right after Thanksgiving as the golf world learned Hilary Watson, wife of eight-time major champion Tom Watson, died after battling pancreatic cancer.
6. A Shark rebuke
Greg Norman says the general public does not look particularly kindly on people who “step across the line and take advantage of anything in sport.” The comment was made in reference to a rules infraction Patrick Reed committed.
5. Money, money, money
Anything and everything Masters is going to garner attention. When Tiger Woods wins it, you can double the interest level, including how much money each golfer won at the tournament.
4. ‘Killing the game’
Rule 9.4b states: “If the player lifts or deliberately touches his or her ball at rest or causes it to move, the player gets one penalty stroke.” This happened to Webb Simpson at the Players Championship, who blamed the penalty on his shirt and putter, then added: “So this is where I’m going to be loud and clear, like we have to get intent into the rules. We have to. Because it’s killing our game when it comes to these kind of things.”
3. Genuine concern
Analyst Paul Azinger was riding his motorcycle on a beach in March when his pleasant drive came to a sudden halt. He had gotten word Tiger Woods had withdrawn from the Arnold Palmer Invitational, citing a neck strain. It clearly had Azinger concerned.
2. CBS shakeup
Gary McCord and Peter Kostis, two stalwarts of the CBS golf broadcast team, won’t be back, at least on CBS, in 2020. Both faced expiring contracts that were not renewed. Only Jim Nantz, who started in 1985, has enjoyed a longer uninterrupted stretch with the CBS golf crew.
1. Snubbing an upturned nose
While using the rules of golf to your advantage is wise, it’s confounding to watch someone with a once solid reputation and plenty of cash in the bank to snub his upturned nose at the spirit of the rules. Again. In the same year. On television. This was our most-read story of 2019.
There is no denying that the last decade has been great for the game of golf. From 2010-19 golf fans saw the emergence of generational stars like Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka, Tiger Woods’ grand return, countless rules violations and …
There is no denying that the last decade has been great for the game of golf.
From 2010-19 golf fans saw the emergence of generational stars like Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka, Tiger Woods’ grand return, countless rules violations and controversies, the first-ever women’s event at historic Augusta National, some unforgettable shots and legendary moments in majors and team competitions.
And every one of those events produced memorable quotes that true fans of the game will remember forever.
Check out the best quotes from the last decade, broken up by year, and send us any that we may have missed.
Rory McIlroy hasn’t been afraid to speak his mind, and the Ryder Cup has provided plenty of drama in our top 10 story lines of the decade.
The European Tour hardly gets a break at all.
Last season ended Sunday at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, where Jon Rahm earned the $3 million first-place check for winning his second DP title, and a further $2 million bonus for finishing the season as No. 1 on the Race to Dubai.
The next season starts this week at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa, a mere four days later.
With not much time to catch our breath, Golfweek’s Alistair Tait takes a look back at the top 10 story lines on the European Tour in the last decade:
Sergio Garcia during the Saudi International at the 2019 Royal Greens Golf & Country Club on in King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia. (Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
10. Sergio’s Saudi meltdown
Sergio Garcia displayed a lack of etiquette during the 2019 Saudi International that left fellow competitors disgusted. Garcia willfully damaged several greens during his third round. Players behind complained and the Spaniard was disqualified. It was yet another poor breach of etiquette from the Spaniard, following throwing a shoe in anger during the 1999 World Match Play Championship and spitting into Doral’s 13th hole during the 2007 CA Championship.
Sergio Garcia will get a chance to redeem himself for bad behavior next year when he returns to the Saudi International.
Sergio Garcia will get a chance to redeem himself for bad behavior next year when he returns to the Saudi International. Garcia’s last appearance in the European Tour event in Saudi Arabia ended in disqualification after he willfully damaged greens and slashed around in a bunker during the tournament.
When Garcia played the inaugural Saudi International in February 2019, he received an appearance fee reportedly in the neighborhood of $650,000. The Telegraph reported that he was not asked to return any of it despite the disqualification, which came at the end of the third round when other players complained about the damage he had caused to putting surfaces.
Here’s the catch, though: His next appearance does not come with any fee.
“It is understood this was one of the conditions placed on the 2017 Masters champion by the European Tour as it spared him a suspension,” according to the Telegraph report.
The tournament will once again overlap the PGA Tour’s Waste Management Phoenix Open in 2020. Dustin Johnson won the inaugural event and will return to defend.
ESPN also reported that in addition to Garcia adding his name to the 2020 field, Patrick Reed, Henrik Stenson, Shane Lowry and Brooks Koepka will also play.
Garcia played 16 events on the European Tour in the 2019 season and won once, at the KLM Open.
His most recent headlines have been positive. Garcia and his wife Angela announced earlier this month that they are expecting their second child, a boy.
Angela Garcia, wife of golfer Sergio, announced on Instagram Tuesday whether the couple will have a boy or girl in April 2020.
It’s a boy.
Sergio and Angela Garcia are expecting their second child in April 2020 and revealed on Instagram Tuesday they’re expecting a boy.
“We are so excited to announce the newest member of the Garcia Family will be arriving in April 2020! And it’s a boy!” Angela wrote on Instagram.
Along with the announcement, Angela posted two Boomerang videos from the couple’s gender reveal.
The first Boomerang is of the moment couple discovered they would have a boy at their golf-themed gender reveal. Sergio smacks the gender reveal golf ball and a cloud of blue dust puffs into the air. The second shows Sergio dancing and celebrating the couple will welcome a son this spring.
The couple already has one daughter, Azalea Adele Garcia, whom they welcomed in March 2018.
