Worldwide Golf

Briton Luke Donald became the first player to win the orders of merit on both sides of the Atlantic on Sunday while Spain's Alvaro Quiros lifted the European Tour's season-ending Dubai World Championship title.

World number one Donald shot a closing 66 to finish third in the tournament on 16-under 272, one behind fellow countryman Paul Lawrie (67) and three adrift of Quiros (67).

Donald, who had already clinched the U.S. PGA Tour money list in October, picked up $1.5 million for landing the European order of merit and another $487,500 for his performance at the Greg Norman-designed Earth course.

"I'm extremely proud," the 34-year-old Donald told the presentation ceremony. "This is something I've been thinking about for the last half of the season.

"I didn't think it was possible to win the money lists on both tours. This was never going to be an easy week but it has capped off an amazing year for me," he said referring to his four victories and a host of top-10 finishes.

The 28-year-old Quiros collected the first prize of $1.25 million after making it a Dubai double -- he also lifted the Desert Classic crown in February -- by coaxing home a curling, 50-foot, eagle putt at the 18th.

"Obviously I was lucky to hole that long putt," said the smiling Spaniard on another scorchingly hot day at the Jumeirah Golf Estates. "I love playing in Dubai, the great weather helps a lot.

"Long hitters like me have an advantage here," added the green-shirted Quiros who also won in the Middle East at the 2009 Qatar Masters.

The billboards in the city call the tournament the 'greatest show on Earth' and the players did their best to live up to that description with a final round lit up by a host of birdies and the occasional eagle.

MATADOR STYLE

Quiros started out with a two-stroke lead and he began as he meant to go on, blitzing his way to three consecutive birdies from the first.

Lawrie fought back in tenacious fashion, rattling off five birdies in a dazzling seven-hole sequence from the second to throw the destiny of the title up in the air again.

The 42-year-old Scot then found birdies hard to come by on the back nine and Quiros made the green at the 620-yard 18th hole with two mammoth blows before delivering the coup de grace in the style of a flamboyant Spanish matador.

"I felt the pressure because I was leading so I was very pleased to play the golf I did," said world number 52 Quiros who confessed to being a natural pessimist on the course.

"If I'm able to repeat the thoughts I had today every single week then I think it could make a huge difference. This is the way to take away the pressure, the positive way."

Donald also ended his campaign in positive fashion with three consecutive birdies.

"Congratulations to Alvaro," said the Englishman. "What a three to finish -- that was an exciting way for the tournament to end.

"It was hard for me to concentrate today. I had so many mixed emotions but just tried to finish strong and three birdies at the end there for me was a nice way to do that."

Fellow Briton Rory McIlroy needed a victory in Dubai to pip Donald for the money-list title but he could manage only a 71 for 279.

"I didn't see Rory's name on the leaderboard but I kind of knew the double was mine," said the world number one.

McIlroy, 22, who has been struggling with a virus in recent weeks, heaped praise on Ryder Cup team mate Donald.

"He is up there every week and he deserves everything he's got this year," said the world number two from Northern Ireland.

"It's been an incredible year for him. I've practised with Luke and played with him -- he works incredibly hard and that's what you need to do to keep that level of consistency up."

The 2012 European season starts with the $1 million Africa Open in East London, South Africa, from Jan. 5-8.

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP)-The birdie putt on the final hole to win. The sweeping fist pump. The red shirt.

It all looked so familiar Sunday afternoon in the Chevron World Challenge, where Tiger Woods ended a drought that once would have seemed inconceivable. He went 749 days and 26 tournaments without winning as he tried to repair his image, his personal life and a golf game that used to be the best in the world.

When the final birdie putt from 6 feet disappeared into the cup, Woods swept his arm across the air, yelled through the din of the gallery and slammed his fist in a celebration that was a long time coming.

He birdied the last two holes for a 3-under 69 and won against an 18-man field at Sherwood Country Club. It was a two-man race against former Masters champion Zach Johnson over the final hour. Even so, winning is all that ever mattered to Woods-now perhaps more than ever before.

"Any different?" Woods asked about his win. "It feels great. Kind of hard for me to elaborate beyond that. I know it's been awhile, but for some reason, it feels like it hasn't. As far as making the putt and the feeling afterward, I think I was screaming something. But it was just that I won the golf tournament. I pulled it off with one down, two to go.

"To go birdie-birdie is as good as it gets."

The last time Woods won was Nov. 15, 2009, at the Australian Masters for his 82nd title worldwide, and his seventh win that year, back when winning at least looked routine for him. Twelve days later, Woods crashed his car into a fire hydrant outside his Florida home, and stunning revelations of extramarital affairs soon emerged. It cost him his impeccable image, his marriage and four major sponsors.

He has added three sponsors in the last five months. He showed signs of coming back with nine solid rounds in the wind in Australia, finishing third at the Australian Open and delivering the clinching point for the Americans in the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne.

It wasn't clear if Woods was elated or relieved, whether he felt satisfied or vindicated.

It didn't really matter to him.

"It just feels awesome, whatever it is," he said.

A two-shot lead on the back nine had turned into a one-shot deficit as Woods faced a 15-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole. He thought Johnson's birdie putt was going in until it stayed just high of the hole. Woods adjusted his line ever so slightly and drained the putt to pull even going to the 18th.

From 158 yards in the middle of the fairway, Woods hit 9-iron that landed on the slope and rolled down to easy birdie range.

If this win felt different than the last one, Woods wasn't saying.

"They all feel good," he said. "They're not easy. People don't realize how hard it is to win golf tournaments. I've gone on streaks where I've won golf tournaments in a row, but still ... I don't think I've taken it for granted. And I know because of how hard it is."

Johnson had done just about everything right on the back nine-a tough birdie putt on the 13th to tie for the lead, a spectacular pitch from the putting surface, over a ridge to 4 feet to escape with par, and a 12-foot birdie on the 16th to take the lead.

He had a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th that never had a chance, and stood to the side watching a familiar sight-Woods making clutch shots at the end of a tournament to win.

"If the man is healthy, that's paramount," Johnson said. "I mean, he's the most experienced and the best player I've ever played with. In every situation, he knows how to execute and win."

Although those situations have been rare of late, Woods looked as if he had not forgotten how to win. The only other times he has been in contention this year were the Masters and the Australian Open.

"I felt normal, felt very comfortable," Woods said. "I've been here so many times that, you know, I just feel very comfortable being here in this position. Was I nervous? Absolutely. Always nervous in that position. But it's a comfortable feeling, and I enjoy being in that position. For some reason, it's kind of a comfort to be in there with a chance to win."

Woods won the Chevron World Challenge, which he hosts for his foundation, for the fifth time. He finished at 10-under 278 and donated the $1.2 million to his foundation.

The win moved him from No. 52 to No. 21 in the world ranking, and likely will send expectations soaring for 2012. Woods will not play again until starting next season in Abu Dhabi at the end of January.

There were similar expectations last year, even though Woods blew a four-shot lead in the final round at Sherwood and lost in a playoff to U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell. Woods said that was more smoke and mirrors. He only had one shot back then, and took the lead because he made a bunch of putts.

Is there reason for expectations now?

"I think there's always expectations," Woods said. "So be it."

Johnson closed with a 71 and took home $650,000 for the holidays. Paul Casey, who opened with a 79, had his third straight round in the 60s to finish alone in third at 5 under.

"Tiger can have a long career," Casey said when he finished. "We might look back in another 10 years and actually forget about the last couple of years."

These last two years are starting to feel like a blur for Woods, this year in particular. He never looked as low as he did when he hobbled off the TPC Sawgrass, withdrawing from The Players Championship after a 42 on the front nine because of leg injuries that ultimately kept him out of competition for three months, including two majors.

Then he missed the cut at the PGA Championship and failed to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs.

But his peers noticed a difference about the way his game was coming together in Australia, and it appears to be going in only one direction as Woods headed home to Florida.

"Last year I played with him here the first round and I thought, `Wow, this guy is back,"'Steve Stricker  said. "You could tell this time around, he's got even more confidence, more game. He feels even better about the direction he's headed."

Woods' tournament has been a good stepping stone for others over the years. The most recent example was Jim Furyk, who won in 2009 and then had his first three-win season the next year and captured the FedEx Cup.

No one ever imagined Woods needing a boost, but that might be the case.

"I don't think we're going to see another 2011, if that makes sense," Furyk said, alluding to Woods failing to reach the FedEx Cup playoffs this year. "If he steadily progresses, keeps getting confidence and moving forward, he's going to return and be one of the best players in the game again."

Martin Kaymer capitalised on a flurry of birdies to shoot a brilliant final round 63 to win the WGC-HSBC Champions event by three strokes with a 20 under par total of 268.

The 26-year-old German had not won since his Abu Dhabi Championship triumph in January took him top of the world rankings but he made sure he would end the season on a high note with the lowest final day winner's score in the event.

Kaymer had started the round in a share of sixth place, five shots off the lead held by Swede Fredrik Jacobson, who was initially challenged by fast-starting Britons Rory McIlroy and Paul Casey.

However, the entire field was swept aside by Kaymer, who opened with six straight pars before storming to the title with nine birdies in his final 12 holes.

"It was the first time I have had a run of birdies like that since I shot a 59 on the (domestic) EPD Tour in Germany in my first year as a professional," Kaymer said.

"I felt I had been playing good the last few weeks before coming here. Now it's nice to have done it in a world championship event.

"Up to now, I had only had a fair season although I won an HSBC-sponsored event in Abu Dhabi now it's nice to finish up winning an HSBC event here in Shanghai".

Kaymer's golden run started when he holed his recovery shot for birdie from a greenside bunker at the seventh hole.

"After that," he said. "I don't think I missed a shot or a putt. But it was the birdie I made at the 17th (where he holed a 20 footer) that I think won the tournament for me".

Kaymer's win moved him up to second place on the European Tour order of merit, 1.026 million euros behind absent Englishman Luke Donald, and 105,382 euros ahead of McIlroy.

Jacobson, who qualified to play in Shanghai after June's Travelers Championship win ended a wait of eight years on the PGA Tour for a win, started his round with a bogey but remained at the top of the leaderboard with four birdies.

The Swede was unable to make any more birdies after the 14th hole and his overnight three-stroke lead ended up as a three-shot deficit when he completed a one-under 71.

McIlroy started four off the lead and mounted an early challenge with birdies on his first two holes, knowing that if he finished first or second, ahead of Lee Westwood, he would climb above the Englishman to second in the world rankings.

However, two missed short putts stalled the Northern Irishman's charge and he eventually finished in a tie for fourth place alongside Casey and South Africa's Charl Schwartzel, five behind Kaymer.

Casey had made an even more positive move up the leaderboard than McIlroy after starting six shots adrift of Jacobson, the Englishman birdying five of in his first six holes before closing the round with 12 straight pars.

Last year's U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell emerged from the pack to seal third place with a 67 that reflected a remarkable turnaround in the space of seven days.

In attempting to defend his Andalucia Masters title on the European Tour last weekend, he shot 81 and 82 to miss the halfway cut.

"I hope now that was only a small blip on the radar," he said after ending the tournament four shots behind the winner.

The Northern Irishman, who led by three strokes overnight, fell behind on the 11th hole but rallied to force Kim into a play-off with an even-par round of 72, matching the American's 18-under 270 at the Jack Nicklaus-designed Lake Malaren course.

The 22-year old had a chance to win in regulation play but narrowly missed a 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th to head into a play-off at the 30-player, non-sanctioned invitational event.

"I'll be the first to say I haven't won enough in my four years as a pro. I should have won a lot more," the mop-haired McIlroy.

"Today was great for me... under pressure on the back nine. One behind with four to play.

"To win from that position gives me a lot of satisfaction. I don't care how I win as long as my name is on that trophy at the end of the day.

On the first extra hole, the par-four 18th, McIlroy landed his chip from a greenside bunker to within a foot of the cup after both players had sent their approach shots next to each other in the sand.

Kim left himself a five-foot putt for par after his bunker shot but could only look on in horror as his putt to the left of the cup kept its line and skimmed past the lip to gift McIlroy the victory.

"Obviously I came here and I told you guys on Wednesday that the goal was to win," said Donald, who shot rounds of 66-71-70 and 64 to beat Justin Leonard by two strokes with a 17-under-par total of 271. "Nothing was really going to be good enough other than that. I think this is probably one of the most satisfying wins of my career just because of that. It was kind of do or die."

Donald, who is attempting to make history by becoming the first player to top both the European and US money lists in the same season, started the final round five strokes off the lead with the American side of his dream seemingly fading. He had to win and hope rival Webb Simpson finished lower than second to guarantee the money title. To make things even spicier, he was grouped with Simpson all week and his rival began the final round one stroke better off. Four birdies and two bogeys completed a front nine of 34 for the Englishman but Simpson extended his advantage with an opening nine of 33. Donald knew it was now or never and he dug deep to produce a phenomenal charge that Simpson and the rest of the field just couldn't live with, the birdies pouring in on six consecutive holes from the 10^th as he carded a back nine of 30 to seal the win in devastating fashion.

"I think I've answered everyone's questions," said Donald. "Obviously coming into this week I felt like Webb was probably favourite, you know, based on the fact that he was ahead of me on the money list and he was ahead of me in wins this year. Obviously, I've drawn level on wins and I've gotten ahead on money. I feel like I've answered all the questions thrown at me."

RORY McIlroy has ended his 4-year relationship with Chubby Chandler at ISM and has joined his compatriot Graeme McDowell at Dublin-based Horizon Sports Management.

McIlroy, 22, signed his first professional contract with ISM in 2007 and won three times – including this year’s US Open.

“There has been no falling out, it is amicable,” said a statement from ISM. “He is joining his great friend Graeme McDowell at Horizon.”

Chandler said: “We have had a brilliant year. Rory has grown and he leaves us as a major champion.”

McIlroy won his first title at the 2009 Dubai Desert Classic and romped to his first US PGA Tour title a year later at the Quail Hollow Championship. This year he became the youngest US Open winner since Bobby Jones in 1923 when he won at Congressional with a record low 16-under-par total.

The 20-year-old, who first caught the attention of the golf world when he led The Open as an amateur this summer closed with a blistering 65 for a 21-under-par total of 267 and a two-stroke victory over Spain's Rafael Cabrera-Bello.

"If you said that I'd finish 21 under, I'd have said 'no way'," said Lewis, who entered the week 234th on The Race to Dubai and facing a trip to Qualifying School to gain his card for next season but now gains a two-year European Tour exemption and a possible place in the Dubai World Championship after shooting to 53rd in the money list. The win immediately drew comparisons with 22-year-old Rory McIlroy who also managed to secure his playing privileges by winning while competing as an Affiliate Member.

"I'm a long way behind Rory [McIlroy] in the Order of Merit so I've got a long way to go," said Lewis of the similarities with his Major championship winning colleague. "But I'm really pleased.

"To shoot 65 in the last round, I wouldn't have thought I'd be able to do that."

It will be the 29th time that the oldest Major in the game will be held over the famous links.

“We are delighted to announce that The Open will be returning to St Andrews and the historic Old Course in 2015,” said the R&A’s Chief Executive Peter Dawson. “St Andrews has proved time and again that it is perfectly equipped to host The Open and I am certain we will yet again see a worthy winner lift the Claret Jug.

“Players, spectators and officials alike will welcome a return to the game’s spiritual home and I fully expect that we will witness another thrilling Championship.”

Euan Loudon, Chief Executive of St Andrews Links Trust, said: “We are very much looking forward to welcoming The Open Championship back to the Links.

“Almost every great champion in the game has played here and there is no more fitting celebration of the rich heritage of the Home of Golf than hosting golf’s oldest Major Championship.”

Next year’s Open is to be held at Royal Lytham & St Annes in Lancashire before it heads to Muirfield in 2013 and then back down the coast to England again and Royal Liverpool in 2014.

ENGLAND'S Lee Slattery finally realised his dream of European Tour glory with a nerve jangling one-stroke victory over Lorenzo Gagli at the Madrid Masters.

Challenge Tour graduate Slattery led from the second round onwards and looked to be cruising for the finish line when he was three clear with three to play. But after pars on the 16th and 17th his challenge almost hit the buffers when he found the water with his approach at the par-5 last. However, a good chip left him two putts from 10 feet for victory and he finished the job off with a crucial two-footer for double bogey and a closing 71. It was a sweet moment for the 33-year-old who had struggled to make an impact on The European Tour since first stepping up after winning the 2004 Challenge Tour.

"I've never shaken so much in my life," said Slattery who finished 15-under-par 273. "I just stood over that putt and the hole looked tiny. I was strangling that putter because that one putt is a life changing putt.

"I come from a normal working class background. My mum and dad have done everything they can for us and I got kind of emotional walking down the last - I know how much it`s going to mean for them.

"I struggled for a time and had to work in a clothes shop. To come back the year after and win The Challenge Tour was a great feeling.

"Working in that shop actually helped me, it certainly grounded me and made me realize I don't want to do that.

"I also did some modelling for Galvin Green I actually got more exposure out of that than from any sponsor I've ever had, so they've been fantastic."

Eduardo De La Riva and Cesar Monasterio shared third place on 12-under while Thomas Aiken was fifth, two strokes further back.

WWG:   What is the secret to the awesome power you generate off the tee?

AQ: It’s a secret and if I tell you, it’s not a secret anymore! To play football on the beach in the south of Spain you have to be quick. I played a lot of football there so I sincerely think it has helped me in many ways - speed, stability and balance to name a few.

WWG: Have you always been a big hitter or is it something you’ve worked hard on?

AQ: The power appeared when I was in my teens and as I grew bigger the power just got bigger.

WWG: When did you realise that you could hit the ball much further than most people?

AQ: When they started to get irritated.

WWG: How much enjoyment do you take from hitting the ball so far – it’s obviously entertaining for the fans?

AQ: I obviously like it a lot and it’s a great advantage at times, no doubt. But it’s not necessarily what wins golf tournaments. I try to concentrate on other parts of my game in my search for more and bigger victories.

WWG: Every amateur wants to hit the ball further, what tips can you give our readers to help them generate more power and distance?

AQ: Try to feel as though you are dancing! Nothing will help you more than a good tempo. Very few people actually understand the swing well enough to “power” the ball further.

WWG: The huge distance you get off the tee means you obviously have to sacrifice something in terms of accuracy – how important is it to also have good iron play and a good short game when you are a big hitter?

AQ: It’s vey important.  As I mentioned before, I spend much more time on practicing on the rest of my game than I do with my driving.

WWG: Is this something that you’ve had to work hard on since you started hitting the ball so far?

AQ: It has always been important and growing up in Spain we all saw Jose Maria Olazabal and before that Seve and how important it is to have “good hands”.

WWG: Tell us the story of how you began playing golf and what made you decide to follow the dream of becoming a professional Tour player?

AQ: Well, my father has always been a good player and he introduced me to the game. I learned fast I guess and I started dreaming quite early as most young golfers do.

WWG: How did you first come into contact with Jose Rivero and how much of an influence has he had on your career?

AQ: We were introduced to each other by a mutual friend and it has obviously shaped me quite a bit. He has a lot of knowledge and experience and I have learnt a lot from him – in fact, just about everything I know

WWG: What are your memories of this year’s Dubai Desert Classic and where does that victory rate in your career achievements?

AQ: It was very important as I proved to myself that anything is possible. From thinking I was too far behind the leaders on Saturday night to all of a sudden being in contention early in the final round to having a nightmare on the eighth hole, to making a hole-in-one on 11, to not thinking it would be enough…. Needless to say it was a roller-coaster ride but a very important ride for me.

WWG: Talk us through your hole-in-one on the 11th and also how you felt when it went in - to do that at such a crucial stage in the tournament when you had just dropped shots on the previous hole? 

AQ: It was just perfect. It was one of those shots where you are not even that surprised when it goes in.  Not that you can expect it to go in but it was perfect.  It definitely gave me the belief that I was still in contention for the tournament.

WWG: You’ve also won the Qatar Masters and finished in the top three at last year’s Dubai World Championship – what is it about playing in the Middle East that seems to agree with you?

AQ: I’m not necessarily sure it applies only to me. All the Tour players love the region. It’s the wonderful sunny weather, the excellent golf courses, the wide variety of food. The Middle East has everything you could ever wish for when it comes to playing tournament golf!

The Americans went head to head for the biggest prize on the US PGA Tour after they finished on 8-under-par with it was mathematically impossible for any of the other challengers to win the FedExCup. Luke Donald, Webb Simpson and Dustin Johnson didn’t finish high enough on the final Tour Championship leaderboard to win the FedExCup meaning Haas and Mahan were left to shoot it out in extra time. Both players scrambled for par on the par-3 18^th before Haas made another stunning up and down from shallow water in one of the biggest hazards in golf - the East Lake, left of the 17th green.  Haas then prevailed on the following hole – the 18^th again – after Mahan caught his bunker shot too thinly and missed his downhill par putt.

“It’s not worth the stress,” Haas smiled when asked if he was thinking about the $10m bonus for winning the FedExCup. “I was just trying to win the golf tournament. And actually, even more than that, I was trying to hit good shots in the moment.”

Haas didn’t hit a good shot on their first trip down the 18^th. He was fortunate his ball went so far right it ricocheted off a grandstand and back into some trampled down rough, just shy of a greenside bunker. He superbly got up and down to save par and take the play-off to the 17^th but then immediately blocked his drive into a fairway bunker. His pulled his approach from the sand bounding it through the green, down and a bank and into the lake before he hit his miraculous recovery to save par again.

“I got an unbelievably fortunate lie, it was basically a bunker shot and it was all or nothing,” said Haas. “There was a bit of luck involved - I got some spin on it, I didn't know that at the time because I was below the level of the green - I was very lucky.”

Haas would not have won the FedExCup had Luke Donald – runner-up to Jim Furyk in 2010 – finished outright third or Simpson 18^th or better.

Instead, Donald finished tied for third because K.J. Choi saved par with a seven footer on the 18^th and Simpson 22^nd after carding a 3-over 73. "It would be tough to lose by a shot again like I did last year," Donald said after his round, before the final calculations were made, while Simpson said: “If I come up short, it stinks.”

Mahan summed it up best after watching Haas’ lucky breaks in the play-off by saying: “It seemed to me like he was destined to win this week.”

Read all about the FedExCup in the October issue of Worldwide Golf, the Middle East's Number One Golf Magazine.

TIGER Woods is confident of a victory at this week's Frys.com Open as he looks to return to the top 50 on the Official World Ranking after falling way down the ranking to 51st - outside the top 50 for the first time in 15 years.

"Success for this week? Getting the 'W' [win]," Woods said at his pre-tournament press conference. "I've been playing a lot of holes and getting my instincts back."

Woods admitted to preparing with his new caddie Joe LaCava ahead of the event and thinks his game is in good shape going forward.

"So far I have struggled on the pace a little bit, I've been trying to get a feel for the course and I have to do some work on that," he said.

Woods recently posted a score of 62 at his home course in Florida and he believes he's ready to compete again having only played the US PGA Championship (where he missed the cut) since withdrawing from The Players Championship after nine holes.

"I hadn't posted that low a round in a long time, so it felt good to do so," he said. "I needed to play holes, hit shots and feel the winds. Every day is hot in Florida, but there are winds. I have worked my way back gradually."

The Dane posted a magnificent 9-under-par 62 to turn a three stroke deficit into a commanding four stroke win over Germany’s Martin Kaymer, seven days after winning a 5-man play-off at Gleneagles.

“The way I finished was special and it’s been an amazing two weeks,” said Björn, who was 5-under for the last five holes. “I started hitting my wedges so well last week in Scotland and kept it going. Golf seems easy sometimes and you have to remember that when you are not playing well.”

Björn began the day three behind overnight leader Jamie Donaldson and started slowly with three pars before a bogey on the fourth. However, he bounced back with four straight birdies and another at the 11^th saw him take the lead. He then gave a shot back on the 12^th before sinking a 12-foot eagle putt on the 15^th after a stunning second shot. He then sank two putts from within ten feet for birdie to birdie holes 17 and 18 to take the title on 20-under-par as all other challengers faded.

Donaldson posted a 70 to finish in third place alongside Rory McIlroy and last-man-in Jaco Van Zyl on 15-under, one stroke behind Kaymer who carded a 65 for his 16-under total.

Lee Westwood shot himself into contention with a third round 64 but a challenge on the final day failed to materialise as he settle for a share of sixth place on 14-under after a 70.

Defending champion Miguel Angel Jimenez put up a spirit display as he attempted to become the first player to retain the trophy since the late Seve Ballesteros in 1978 but weekend rounds of 67 and 66 couldn’t rescue his opening rounds of 70 and 68 and he finished ninth.

The eagerly anticipated event, organized by Worldwide Golf magazine in conjunction with Boom Events, which took place in the stunning surroundings of The Golf Club at Brocket Hall in Hertfordshire, England on Monday August 22^nd, was hugely over-subscribed with a ballot required to trim down the field to the maximum permitted 120 golfers.

The lucky selected competitors were treated to a day of glorious sunshine with the Melbourne Course – one of Brocket Hall’s two world-class layouts – in pristine condition.  With a maximum handicap of 18 for men and 28 for ladies the standard of golf on display was tremendous and with a trip to the UAE to compete in the Golden Ticket Grand Final, and a chance to tee it up alongside the stars of The European Tour at the Emirates Airline Invitational Hosted by Abdullah Al Naboodah, up for grabs, competition was fierce.

Among the field in the strokeplay event were celebrities such as radio DJ Spoony and ex Celtic and West Ham goal keeper Allen McKnight while competitors were also treated to a breathtaking and highly entertaining show by renowned trick shot specialist Kevin Carpenter who was previously a pro at Riffa Views Golf Club.

With some impressive scores being returned it was going to take a phenomenal performance to take the considerable spoils and 13-handicapper Rafa pulled one out of the bag with a wonderful round of net 69.

“This feels absolutely tremendous,” said an ecstatic Rafa who will fly to the UAE on Emirates Airlines to compete in the Golden Ticket Grand Final next January the week before the Invitational and will be invited to Abdullah Al Naboodah’s event as a special guest even if he doesn’t win the Golden Ticket. “It’s quite rare for me to win a tournament – normally I come sixth or seventh so today being first is special and I feel very, very happy. It’s great.

“I’ve been to Dubai before but I’ve never been to Abu Dhabi so I’m really looking forward to it. I watched the Invitational on TV this year so it’ll be great to actually be there and even better if I manage to win the Grand Final so I can play in the event.”

Taking second place in the overall net category was Mike Trower (17) who shot a net 70 while last year’s winner, Steve Gray (13) finished third with a net 71 and Peter Drew (9) completed the net prizewinners with a net 72.

Brocket Hall member Kay Wardley used her local knowledge to good effect to win the ladies’ event with a score of 71, closely followed by fellow member Suzi Hyne on net 72 while the impressive Charlie Clare shot 75 to win the best gross category.

Longest Drive prizes for men and ladies were won by George Gros and Helen Hayward while Nearest the Pin prizes were won by Vijay Raithatha (men) and Vicki Stone (ladies).

The event, which also saw competitors give generously in a charity auction, was in aid of the Invitational’s official UK charity, the Jude Brady Foundation which raises funds and awareness to help combat stillbirth and neonatal death.

The Foundation’s founder Peter Brady said: “The Jude Brady Foundation is very honoured to be the chosen charity for the Emirates Airline Invitational UK qualifier I personally feel we could not be associated with a better or more prominent partner. Not only has it been the vehicle to raise in excess of £14,000 in the last two events the profile of our charity has risen significantly as a result too. 

“I would like to thank the Invitational’s Tournament Director James Bowring and Worldwide Golf for putting this event together and being kind enough to involve the Jude Brady Foundation in their plans.”

Emirates Airline Invitational Tournament Director James Bowring added:

“It was great to see so many golfers playing in the over-subscribed event and a big thanks to Brocket Hall for staging the tournament on the stunning Melbourne course. Raphael played great to qualify for the Grand Final of the Emirates Airline Invitational Golden Ticket to be held in the UAE in January.”

With Rafa now confirmed as the UK Golden Ticket qualifier all eyes turn back to the Middle East for the main series of qualifying events, with the Club Member tournaments commencing at the Montgomerie, Dubai on September 23rd and the non-member tournaments beginning at The Els Club, Dubai on October 19th.  

AMERICAN rookie Keegan Bradley sealed a composed play-off victory over Jason Dufner at the US PGA Championship after the pair finished level on 8-under-par on a dramatic final day in Atlanta.

Bradley played the closing three holes in 1-under-par to beat Dufner, who had earlier squandered a five-stroke lead to drop into the play-off.

"I can't believe it, I feel so proud," said Bradley. "I don't want to be one of the guys that kind of disappears. I would love to be up in a category with the best players and be mentioned with Phil Mickelson, one of my idols. I hope I don't disappear. I don't plan to."

Standing on the par-3 15th tee in regulation Dufner watched as Bradley skulled his second shot into the drink and wound up with a triple bogey. Dufner then blocked his 5-wood into the same pond and took a bogey. He then three-putted 16 and 17 while Keegan birdied the same holes with two sensational putts and with both players on 8-under they both two-putted for par on the treacherous 18th to head into a three-hole play-off.

Both players struck magnificent approaches to the difficult 16th but it was Bradley who took advantage, holing his birdie putt from 5 feet after Bradley tugged his left from 6.

Dufner then three-putted the 17th to hand Bradley a two-stroke lead heading down the last where both players found the green in two shots. Dufner putted first and to his credit his birdie putt dropped into the cup, edging a little extra pressure on Bradley. However, Bradley showed no nerves and rolled his birdie putt up to the hole and tapped in for par for a 1-stroke victory in the play-off.

Denmark's Anders Hansen shot a 4-under 66 to finish one stroke back in third place for his best finish in a Major while fellow Scandinavian, Sweden's Robert Karlsson, finished in a share of fourth place with 2001 US PGA Champion David Toms. English hopefuls Luke Donald and Lee Westwood both carded 2-under-par 68s to finish on 3-under and in a tie for eighth.

TIGER Woods has ended his 13-year partnership with caddie Steve Williams who was on the American’s bag for 13 of his 14 Major titles.

Woods said in an announcement on his official website: "I want to express my deepest gratitude to Stevie, but I think it's time for a change.

"Stevie is an outstanding caddie and a friend and has been instrumental in many of my accomplishments. I wish him great success in the future."

Williams worked alongside Australian Adam Scott at the US Open and The Open Championship in Tiger’s continued absence and Woods has made no announcement as to who will replace him he returns to action after his injury.

Williams expressed his shock at the decision and the timing, saying: “"Given the circumstances of the past 18 months working through Tiger's scandal, a new coach and with it a major swing change and Tiger battling through injuries, I am very disappointed to end our very successful partnership at this time.

"I have had the opportunity to work of late for Australian Adam Scott and will now caddie for him on a permanent basis.”

The duo qualified for the Final in the very first Tech Access International Pairs UAE event in October 2010 and waited seven months for their chance to compete against pairs from15 other clubs. But their patience paid off as they emerged victorious, just a point ahead of the chasing pack.

With a luxury trip up for grabs, competition on the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club course was fierce and trying to pick a pre-tournament favourite was impossible.

Many eyes were on home representatives K.J. Singh and Naresh Handa but their solid round tailed off towards the end as they came home with 39 points, two behind the winners and only good enough for fourth place.

With high winds affecting all players, the ladies appeared to suffer the most as mixed pairings occupied the bottom three places, with only Claire Warburton and partner Bob Driver mounting a serious challenge that ultimately came up short on the difficult 18th hole.

The tough weather conditions played into the hands of the better players and so it proved as Kelly and Farrell came into the event with the lowest combined handicap and their score of 41 points was a showcase of consistency throughout.

Both players contributed in the better-ball format as they scored six net birdies including one on the 18th – one of the toughest holes in the UAE. This experienced pair deserve their place in the World Final, which will be played at The Carrick on the shores of Loch Lomond, Scotland.

After finishing with a net eagle on their last hole, J.W. Choi and Roy Holmes from Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club came home with a commendable 40 points, which although good enough for second, was one behind the winners.  Kevin Black and George Gourlay from The Els Club also scored 40 points but lost out on a countback over the last six holes and had to settle for third place.

DARREN Clarke sealed a three-stroke victory at The Open Championship at Royal St. Georges after four days of superb links golf in wet and windy Kent.

The Ulsterman kept his composure to fire a final round of level-par 70 to sign for a 5-under total and hold off Americans Phil Mickelson (68) and Dustin Johnson (72) to win his first Major in his 54th attempt.

It's incredible - it really is," said Clarke, "I'm a bit speechless, the last couple of holes I was trying not to make stupid mistakes and just play really carefully.

"I've been very calm all week, I won six weeks ago and the more you put yourself in winning positions the more comfortable you get. I was very comfortable with my game this week.”

Clarke began the day one stroke clear of playing partner Johnson and made a steady start with a birdie on the second hole. A bogey pegged him back on the par-4 fourth and up ahead Mickelson was making a charge with an outward 5-under-par 30 to sit 5-under for the championship and level with Clarke.

However, the 42-year-old Ryder Cup star sank an eagle putt and the seventh to put breathing space between himself and Mickelson while Johnson was struggling at 1-over at the turn.

From the seventh onwards Clarke played unerring par-golf, sinking every testing par-putt while those around him lost their touch. Johnson did apply some pressure with birdies on holes 10 and 12 but then fired his approach to the par-5 14^th way out of bounds and wound up with a double bogey. Mickelson, after an imperious display putting on the outward nine, missed a three-footer for par on 11 which derailed his charge. He followed that with bogey on holes 13, 15 and 16 before two pars saw him sign for a 2-under 68 for a 2-under total.

With Johnson’s double on 14 Clarke had a four stroke lead but that was cut to three after he failed to get up and down on the 17^th. With a three-stroke lead teeing off on the final hole Clarke bogeyed - but so too did Johnson - and he joyously raised his arms aloft to salute the crowd.

Thomas Bjorn finished in outright fourth place on 1-under-par while Americans Anthony Kim, Chad Campbell and Rickie Fowler finished in a share of fifth place on level-par.

RORY MCILROY ripped up the record books after four astonishing days of golf at Congressional earned him his first Major championship as he was crowned US Open champion.

The 22-year-old Northern Irishman led from start to finish as he cruised to an eight shot victory with rounds of 65, 66, 68, 69 for a tournament record total of 16-under 268.

His win made him the youngest US Open champion since Bobby Jones, 88 years ago in 1923 and the youngest Major winner since Tiger Woods at the 1997 Masters.

He was the quickest player in the event’s history to reach 10-under, which he achieved after just 26 holes; the first to better 12-under and the first to reach 17-under. His 36-hole total of 131 was the lowest in history while his six stroke halfway lead matched Woods’ record set in 2000 and his 54-hole total of 199 was also a record.

"The whole week has been incredible - I could not have asked for any more and I am so happy to hold this trophy," said McIlroy, whose victory elevated him to fourth in the World Ranking.”

“For such a small nation to win two US Opens in a row is pretty special. As Graeme [McDowell] said last year, there will be a lot of pints of Guinness going down.

"I know a few of my friends will be partying and I can't wait to get home and join them."

McIlroy was simply majestic from pillar to post. He made mincemeat of a course was meant to be set up to prevent low scoring and he left his opponents for dust. Taking an eight stroke lead into the final round, he quickly banished any lingering doubt about his ability to handle the pressure cooker of the final round in a Major championship following his Masters Meltdown in April. This was a procession. A victory parade from the outset.

A birdie at the first, despite his tee shot landing in a divot, signaled the brilliant youngster’s intentions and another at the fourth had him out of sight already. He even had Lady Luck on side as he barely cleared the water hazard guarding the green on the sixth but walked away with a par. A faultless front nine of 34 left his rivals in no doubt that they were now playing for second place. His tee shot on the par-3 10th told them they were in the presence of true greatness as he stiffed a six iron pin high and allowed himself a satisfied smile as the ball trickled down to within a foot of the pin.

His first bogey of the day, and only his third of the week, came at the 12th, but even then there was no sign of a wobble. He simply shrugged it off, stayed in the moment and got back to plotting his way around the course with shrewdness of a player twice his age.

It was a display reminiscent of Tiger Woods’ demolition of Pebble Beach in 2000 when he won by 15 strokes and the talk all week was that we were witnessing the heir to the Californian’s throne take the first steps towards dominating world golf for years to come. 

"I know how good Tiger was in 2000 to win by 15 in Pebble. I was trying to go out there and emulate him in some way," added McIlroy.

Australian Jason Day was in second place on 8-under while Lee Westwood, Robert Garrigus, Kevin Chappell and Y.E Yang shared third place on 6-under. 

ROBERT Rock finally won his maiden European Tour title with a convincing wire-to-wire victory at the BMW Italian Open.

The Englishman, who has been a regular on Tour for nine years, carded a final round 5-under 67 to finish on 21-under, one clear of Gary Boyd and Danish youngster Thorbjorn Olesen who had earlier shot a 10-under 62 to post the clubhouse target.

“I’m very surprised to finally win, but once I got started today I felt quite comfortable and I figured that this was as good a chance as I was ever going to have,” said Rock, after winning on his 209th European Tour appearance.

“I was surprised to see Thorbjorn shoot 10-under so that got me thinking that I needed to make a few birdies to win but right now it feels great.

“I thought I would eventually do it. It’s taken longer than planned but it’s incredibly hard to win on this Tour. There are great players already out here and new ones arriving all the time like we saw today with Thorbjorn, so my best weeks have just not quite been good enough before. I’ve had good results but I’ve come up short. Finally, it’s all gone my way.”

Rock began the day with a two-stroke lead but as he was teeing off Olesen had just gone out in 29 to pile on the pressure and it took its toll as the Englishman bogeyed the third hole.

However, he reeled off four birdies in a row and further birdies on holes 10 and 11 took him ahead of Olesen who had signed for his 62 and set the target at 20-under.

A wayward drive on 17 put him in trouble but he held his nerve to sink a 12-foot clutch putt for par and then parred the par-5 closing hole to seal the win.

US PGA Tour journeyman Harrison Frazar defeated Robert Karlsson in a sudden-death play-off at the FedEx St Jude Classic in Memphis on his 355^th start on the US circuit to earn his biggest pay-cheque and a two-year exemption.

Frazar had been playing on a medical exemption after major hip surgery last summer and had missed the cut in six of his first ten appearances this season but found form at the right time as he pipped the Swedish Ryder Cup star to the title.

“It was a whirlwind there. This was the first time,” said Frazar. “I didn’t know what to do. I don’t know if I'm supposed to carry the trophy. You don’t know who you’re supposed to talk to. I felt bad. I didn’t thank the sponsors. I didn’t thank FedEx. I didn’t thank the volunteers. I was not quite sure really what was happening.”

“The only tournament that I won in q-school, you walked in, signed your card in the scoring trailer, and they gave you a pat on the back, 'Good job.' You walked out the door. There was nobody there.”

The American made it tough for himself by bogeying the final hole in regulation to tie with Karlsson who had just sunk an 8-foot clutch putt to save par and signed for a 13-under-par total.

The duo then parred the opening two play-off holes before Karlsson’s chip to the par-4 12^th trundled 15 feet past the hole and after missing the par putt coming back Frazar tapped in for par to clinch the title.

“It just shows you how sometimes when you let your guard down or let your expectations soften, you can free yourself up,” said Frazar, who earned a trip to the US Open at Congressional and will tee it up at The Masters next year.

For Karlsson the result was bittersweet. “It was a great match, and someone has got to win and someone has got to lose,” said Karlsson. “This time it was me. I’m very, very proud of the way I played and handled myself.”

Colombian Camilio Villegas shot a final-round 64 to finish in a tie for third place on 8-under-par with Retief Goosen, Charles Howell III, Ryuji Imada and Tim Herron

STEVE Stricker won his tenth US PGA Tour title with a one-stroke victory over Ryder Cup team-mate Matt Kuchar and Brandt Jobe at the Memorial Tournament in Ohio.

Stricker began the final round with a three-stroke lead and signed for a 4-under 68 for a 16-under-par total to win by one from Kuchar and Jobe who both shot 7-under 65s.

After an opening nine of 6-under 30 Stricker’s closing stretch began with pars from holes 10-14 before a  bogey on the par-5 15^th set up a nervy finish. He then parred 16 and 17 to remain one shot clear before a tense bogey on the 18^th saw him seal the victory.

“I think you stick so much energy into the whole week, and I don’t let myself think about winning so much,” Stricker said after struggling to hold back tears during the presentation ceremony from tournament host Jack Nicklaus. “But when it’s finally over and all that emotion, I think, comes out and you have this guy congratulating you as you walk off, it’s pretty special, pretty cool time.”

Stricker played the back nine in 4-over par for the week but was 20-under for the front nine and was in prime position to ease to victory before he made the turn on Sunday and come home with a slight stutter.

“You’re just trying to finish off the tournament, don't want to give it away, and that’s a hard way to play,” said Stricker, who moved up to No.4 on the Official World Ranking after the victory. “It’s a little bit easier if you’re coming from behind, but if you have that three- or four-shot lead, it’s tough.”

SWEDEN’S Noren won second European Tour title at the Saab Wales Open at Celtic Manor with a solid final round 1-under-par 70 for a two-stroke win over Grégory Bourdy and Anders Hansen.

Noren dropped just one shot in a consistent final round to finish on nine under for the tournament in difficult conditions in South Wales. Indeed, Noren picked up just one stroke over the weekend rounds as his rivals failed to cope with the conditions and his solid play from tee-to-green was rewarded with a €344,358 cheque.

“My driving has been the best it's ever been,” smile Noren after collecting the trophy with a 9-under-par total “I never really believed I could do well on tough courses, but now we play them all the time. I’ve proved to myself I can hit a lot of greens and not just rely on my short game.”

Two of Noren’s compatriots – Johan Edfors and Peter Hanson – finished on 6-under and in a share of fourth place with Argentina’s Ricardo Gonzalez and Spaniard Pablo Lazrazabal.

ENGLISHMAN Luke Donald defeated his compatriot Lee Westwood in a sudden-death play-off at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth to overtake the World No.1 and top the ranking for the first time in his career.

Both players tied on 6-under after 72 holes and Donald clinched the title after Westwood’s approach shot to the re-designed 18th span into the water guarding the green.

“It’s something I’ll be very proud of,” smiled Donald after clinching his ninth title as a professional. “Obviously, there's a lot of work still to do and hopefully there'll be much more to come, but I’ll savour this.

“It’s a lot of responsibility and I’m looking forward to the challenge of being number one and hopefully I can hold onto it for a few more weeks. I know Lee and Martin Kaymer will be chasing me hard.

“To come through in these circumstances in one of the biggest tournaments in the world, going head-to-head with Lee is pretty special. It doesn't get much better.

DARREN Clarke claimed his first European Tour title since the 2008 KLM Open with a three-stroke victory over Chris Wood and David Lynn at the Iberdrola Open.

The Northern Irishman shot rounds of 65-70-70-69 for a six under total of 274 that was good enough for his 13^th European Tour title.

Wood looked to be heading for his inaugural Tour victory and was four shots clear of Clarke and Shane Lowry heading into the final round but the Englishman stumbled with a closing 76 in tough conditions. Clarke, meanwhile rattled off three birdies with his only blemish of the day coming when he found the water on the par-4 11^th, resulting in a double bogey.

It feels pretty good. I got so down after my weekend in Morocco where I played poorly," said Clarke who had finished 7-over par in 77^th place at the Trophee Hassan at the beginning of April.

"I went on holiday with the kids and then worked on a few things. I feel for Woody, he was trying to win his first tournament. Things went for me."

Wood admitted to feeling the strain during the final round, pinpointing an unlucky bogey on the 12^th as the moment is round began to unravel.

“Obviously (I’m) disappointed and gutted,” said Wood. “It was an extremely tough day on the course and it was a bit of a grind all the way round.

“Felt like I was doing alright and getting into my range and I hit a fantastic shot out the bunker on the 12th hole, a foot less and it was six feet away.

“But it’s just carried on and gone up the tier and took three putts, it was almost an impossible putt and from there on I’ve struggled.

“When you start dropping shots and you hit one out of bounds your head starts going all over the place and it’s difficult to keep going really.”

SOUTH KOREA’S KJ Choi became the first Asian to win golf’s unofficial ‘fifth Major’ when he beat David Toms in a play-off for victory in The Players Championship at Sawgrass.

The pair shot matching final rounds of 70 on the TPC’s Stadium Course at the PGA Tour’s headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida to share the lead on 17-under 275 before Toms missed a three and a half foot par putt on the signature 17th Island Hole to hand victory to Choi. It was the only putt from inside five feet he’d missed all week, but it proved the most costly.

"I just wasn't there on the putt," said Toms who was searching for his first win in five years. "I was probably thinking ahead and thinking about the next hole, and I just got up there and missed it."

Choi was delighted to be back on the winning trail after a three year hiatus since his last PGA Tour victory at the 2008 Sony Open in Hawaii.

 "The swing that I have right now doesn't really break down under pressure situations," he said "I was able to hit it precise and aggressive today and I was able to keep my rhythm together."

Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell led the tournament by one stoke heading into the final round but took a leaf out of his Ryder Cup playing partner Rory McIlroy’s book when he collapsed with a final round 79 to finish five-under in a share of 33rd place.

To be honest I felt I ran out of steam a little bit," said US Open champion McDowell. "After bogeys on six and seven I felt the energy sucked right out of me.

"I went flat and everything I tried to do went a little wrong."

American Paul Goydos finished third on 11-under, with countryman Nick Watney and England's Luke Donald another shot behind.

SEVE Ballesteros, one of the greatest players ever to grace the game of golf, has died at the age of 54.

The Spanish legend finally lost his courageous battle against cancer in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Ballesteros claimed 87 titles, including five Majors, during a sensational career. He won The Open Championship in 1979, 1984 and 1988 and became the first European to wear the Green Jacket when he won the Masters at Augusta in 1980 before securing his second victory in the event three years later.

Seve was also one of the greatest match players of all time and lit up the Ryder Cup on countless occasions, playing in the tournament eight times and racking up 20 points before taking the Captaincy in 1997 and leading Europe to an emotional victory on home soil at Valderrama in 1997.

He was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2008 and battled bravely, undergoing four operations and a draining series of chemotherapy. But his condition was said to have worsened recently and the news came that he passed away at 2.10am local time at his family home in Pedrosa due to respiratory failure.

Tributes from his from his friends, colleagues and fellow players - so many of them inspired by his tenacious style and infectious charisma - began flooding in as soon as the news broke.

European Tour Chief Executive George O'Grady: "This is such a very sad day for all who love golf.

"Seve's unique legacy must be the inspiration he has given to so many to watch, support, and play golf, and finally to fight a cruel illness with equal flair, passion, and fierce determination.

"We have all been so blessed to live in his era. He was the inspiration behind The European Tour."

José María Olazábal: “My first memory of Seve goes back to ‘83 or ’84. I was an amateur, and he called me to play in a charity event. It was a big surprise and I was very excited. It's hard to chose one of the many moments that I lived with him, but surely the most cherished are  Ryder Cup moments, particular the 1997 edition. 
  
"What impressed most in Seve was his strength, his fighting spirit and the passion he put into everything he did. I saw him for the last time the Saturday after the Masters. He was not well, but his head was clear. We talked about many things… so many common memories, and particularly about the Ryder Cup. 
  
The best tribute we can pay to Seve is to go on playing for him, although no tribute will ever do justice to everything he did for golf and to everything he gave us." 
 

Miguel Ángel Jiménez: “I first met Seve when I was around 15. He came to play our ’79 Spanish Open at Torrequebrada. I worked there as a caddie, and he was on top of the world… people were crazy about him. I also remember when I won the Belgian Open in 1992. I didn’t speak a word of English so he interpreted for me. He said, “You are the winner, you are the boss, say whatever you feel like saying.” 
  
"He was outstanding for his determination and his passion in everything he did. He never gave up, he always found a way out, and this was reflected in his personality. 
  
"I have lived so many moments with him that it’s hard to chose one. I would maybe highlight the ’97 Ryder Cup, where I was his assistant. It was a truly special week. I loved to watch him fulfil one of his dreams and enjoy it so much. Seve’s passion for the Ryder Cup was unique”.

Sergio Garcia: "He was a game-changer. To come from where he did and do what he did was amazing."


World Number One Lee Westwood: "It's a sad day, lost an inspiration, genius, role model, hero and friend. Seve made European golf what it is today. RIP Seve."

Bernard Gallacher: "He felt it was his duty as the best player in the world to inspire the European team.

"When I became Captain in 1991 he was still one of the best players in the world and he former a formidable partnership with Olazábal, virtually unbeatable.

"Seve's best golf was played in the 1980s but he was still inspiring this new generation of golfers - the Martin Kaymers, the Ross Fishers, we've heard from Lee Westwood how as a young boy he would watch Seve and everyone would want to copy and emulate Seve.

"Every European Tour player today should thank Seve for what they're playing for. America had Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer - Seve was our Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus rolled into one.

"You can't speak too highly of him, Seve was Europe's best ever player."

Billy Foster (Ballesteros’ former caddie: "There's not many players I've worked for in my time that have that aura about them. It was a special time - I was probably 25 years old, I'd caddied for maybe 10 years, and I got the ultimate dream chance of working for an absolute superstar."



Peter Alliss: “He was wonderful to watch. He brought delight and joy to many people who watched and played golf. He tweaked a few tails along the way and bloodied a few noses but that’s what helped make him what he was. He was a fighter, feisty, skilful, cheeky, lovable, he was everything. [To light up a room] he just had to smile. He had hair as black as a ravens wings when he was  a boy, his smile and twinkle in the eyes. When Seve was in a good mood the world smiled with him.”

Colin Montgomerie: “I am devastated to hear the news. He fought so bravely throughout this awful illness and, time and time again, showed such bravery and miraculous recovery skills as he did throughout his career.

“He has left us with so many wonderful lasting memories and his contributions to European golf are unquantifiable. I send my deepest sympathies to his family.”

Paul Casey: "He really blazed the trail for Europeans. Not only in the Ryder Cup, but also in how he played at Augusta and his victories over here. We owe a huge amount to him."


Francesco Molinari: "Seve was a superhero for all young golfers, played shots only he could see."

Guy Kinnings, Director of IMG Golf, EMEA: "‘Legend’ is an over-used word but Seve truly was a legend of the game. He shaped the European Tour into the thriving enterprise it is today and changed the Ryder Cup forever. He inspired those he met and many that he did not even meet such was the sheer force of his personality and will be missed and remembered by all. He was the most charismatic sportsman in history and he leaves a lasting legacy. A perfect example of his  lasting influence on the game of golf is the inspiration he has provided to young rising star, Matteo Manassero who names Seve as his hero and inspiration at every opportunity.”



Andrew Chandler of International Sports Management: "RIP Seve, El Gran Senor as Billy Foster called him, he played the game with such dashing style--it was a privilege to play at the same time."


Dubai Golf and the Australian Business Council Dubai, in collaboration with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Wassl Asset Management, have launched The Ambassador’s Cup, an inter-Business Council Team Golf Event. Official Business Councils can enter eight teams of 14 players including the Ambassador or Consul General of each participating country with the scores of the top 10 players counting in a team Stableford over the two rounds, the first of which takes place at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club on April 28. The second round will be played at Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis Course on October 27. Chris May, General Manager of Dubai Golf, commented: “This is a fantastic event for Dubai which provides a unique platform for the business councils to come together in a setting away from their traditional environment. We are extremely proud to be the hosts of this tournament and we thank our sponsors and partners.”

The event, which is regarded as the most significant industry gathering in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMA) takes place from April 17-19 at the Park Hyatt in Dubai. O'Grady's talk is entitled ‘The Opportunities for Golf in the Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC)'

Following the address there will be a live onstage discussion about the current state of the game in the Middle East and the opportunities for future development chaired by CNN's Don Riddel.

O'Grady is also keen to promote discussion on the development of the grass roots game in the region through the hosting of European Tour events and will analyse  the role European Tour players have played in raising the profile of the golf in the Middle East through the designing of courses and using its courses for winter practice.

For more information about the Golf Business Forum and to register visit www.golfbusinessforum.com.

ON the 50th anniversary of Gary Player’s first triumph at the US Masters, South African Charl Schwartzel won his first major after birdying the final four holes to post a 14-under total and win by two strokes from Australians Adam Scott and Jason Day.

The 26-year-old from Johannesburg fired a magnificent 66 to win from Scott (67) and Day (68) with American Tiger Woods (67), Englishman Luke Donald (69) and another Australian Geoff Ogilvy (67) in a share of fourth place on 10-under. 2009 winner Angel Cabrera finished on 9-under for fifth place outright.

Rory McIlroy began the day with a four stroke lead but collapsed around the turn and shot an 80 to finish well down the leaderboard on 4-under.

“It’s such a special feeling. I don’t even know where to start,” smiled Schwartzel. “I’ve never been in sort of a situation like that in a Major, and I felt surprisingly very calm. I calmed myself as much as I could and from the word go on the first hole, things started going for me. You know, it’s always nice when things start in the right direction.”

Schwartzel began the final round in scintillating fashion, chipping in from off the green for birdie on the first and holing his second shot from the fairway on the third for eagle to get to 11-under and in a share of the lead with McIlroy who bogeyed the first. Schwartzel immediately gave a shot back on the fourth to slip back to 10-under where he remained until his run of birdies down the closing stretch.

McIlroy fell further back at the fifth but birdied the seventh to still sling to his lead by one from Schwartzel, Cabrera, Choi and Woods after the ninth. However, the Ulsterman hit a wayward tee shot on the difficult tenth hole and wound up with a triple bogey and then a bogey on 11 and double on 12 effectively ended his hopes.

Scott was making a charge and got to 12-under on the 16th but could only par the final two holes and Day’s birdie on the 18th got him to 12-under as well. As Schwartzel teed off on the 18th he had a one stroke lead and he wrote himself into the history books with a fine approach and another superb birdie putt to win the title.

ON the eve of The Masters Tournament Worldwide Golf’s Executive Editor Gary Player has re-iterated his belief that Rory McIlroy could be the man slipping into the Green Jacket this coming Sunday evening.

In his press conference prior to the Par-3 contest Player told reporters he “has a feeling” the 21-year-old will win. “I just love the way he plays golf,” he said. “However, we don’t know how he will rise to the occasion if he comes down the line on Sunday and he’s leading.”

PHIL Mickelson stormed to a three-shot victory at the Shell Houston Open with a final round 7-under-par 65 to win his first PGA Tour title of the season and fired off a statement of intent in the process ahead of this week’s Masters Tournament at Augusta.

“It feels really good for me to have played well and gained some momentum heading into next week,” Mickelson said. “I needed to have a week where I kind of put it together.”

Mickelson began the final day in a share of the lead with Scott Verplank after a stunning third round 63 and after making the turn at 2-under for the day he went on a birdie rampage on the back nine. He made four in a row from the tenth and then birdied the par-3 16^th to get to 7-under on the day and 20-under for the tournament. Verplank shot a 4-under 68 to finish on 17-under and in a share of second place with rookie Chris Kirk who carded a 5-under 67.

While many top players, including Woods and World No. 1 Martin Kaymer sat out the tournament, Mickelson saw no disadvantage in coming and trying to win citing Anthony Kim as an example as he won in Houston last year and then finished third at the Masters.

“I think it’s nothing but a plus to be able to gain some momentum,” Mickelson said. “Especially given that I haven’t had the results and the scores that I wanted earlier in the year. It gives me a little bit of momentum.”

KPMG has confirmed that Colin Montgomerie will be the star name among a stellar line-up of speakers invited to the eighth annual Golf Business Forum.

The two-and-a-half day conference – firmly established as the leading golf industry event for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMA) as well as the emerging markets – will revolve around a dynamic agenda and be hosted by CNN’s Don Riddell. It is to be staged at the exclusive Park Hyatt Dubai, UAE, from April 17-19, 2011.

Mr Montgomerie, captain of the triumphant European team in the 2010 Ryder Cup and holder of a record eight European Tour Order of Merit titles, is well respected within the golf business community, and has a number of off-course interests, such as designing the championship course at the sumptuous Montgomerie Dubai facility.

THE four player team of Mark and Karen Evans, Nick Mesquita and Paul Sansom returned a staggering 92 Stableford points in Andy Burrow's Captains Day earlier this month to win by a comfortable four point margin.

The event attracted one of the largest fields of the year with 108 players competing and the format was the best two Stableford scores from the team of four to be recorded at each hole of play. Each competitor used their handicap index as the tournament allowance with 4 points were awarded for a net eagle, 3 points for a net birdie, 2 points for a net par and 1 point for a net bogey.

The key to the winning teams’ performance was only scoring less than four points on a hole on only one occasion and compiling six or more points on a hole at seven holes.

Chipping and putting competitions were held on the practice green throughout the day with Tony Stroud crowned ‘King of the Greens’ and Andre Coetzee winning the Chipping competition.

SCOTLAND’S Ross Bain won the NBAD Men’s Abu Dhabi Open Golf Championship at Al Ghazal earlier this month to make it back-to-back victories in the event.

With harder pin positions to contend with and early morning blustery conditions, it proved to be a very difficult test for competitors but Bain prevailed with an excellent 138 total to win by two strokes from compatriot Simon Dunn.

Dunn did shoot the low round of the day – a stunning 66 – but it wasn’t enough to overhaul Bain’s lead.

Taking the third place professional division was newcomer to sand golf, Chris Davis from DCGYC, who came in with a two round total of 142.

In the Amateurs division Joel Neale kept his head to card a second consecutive level-par score and win by one shot on 142 from John Mills (AGGC) who despite shooting a second round 70 had to settle for second place. Third place went to another newcomer Michael Harradine (JAGRS) as he scored a 152 total, one shot clear fourth placed Paul King (DCGYC).

Winner of the overall net prize with a total 153 (75-78) on countback was John Fellingham (DCGYC) from second placed Jan Philip Friedmann (AGGC) with third place going to AGGC’s Golfer of the Year leader Mark Hayman on 155.

A SERIES of world-renowned speakers, including The European Tour Chief Executive George O’Grady, have been announced for the KMPG Golf Business Forum at the Park Hyatt Dubai from April 17-19 sponsored by Dubai Golf.

A collection of the world’s largest developers and operators will air their opinions on why certain projects proved to be successful during a two-and-a-half day conference that will be filled with engaging, dynamic and interactive discussions, one-on-one interviews, fast-paced debates and presentations from key industry leaders on a variety of topics.

Speaking at the event will be Dr David Chu, Chairman of the Mission Hills Group and Mission Hills Golf Club in China, home of the Omega Mission Hills World Cup, who is to receive the Forum’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Other speakers include Nick Tarratt, Director, The European Tour Middle East; Peter Harradine, Managing Director of Harradine Golf; Michael Braidwood, Operations Director at Braemar Golf; Rod Bogg, Managing Partner, RBGolfconsult; Marc-Francois Dardenne, Chief Executive Officer, Emaar Hospitality Group LLC; Chris May, General Manager, Dubai Golf; Marc Topiol, Partner and CIO, Black Knight Capital Management and Najib Arhila, Deputy General Manager, CGI, Morocco’s largest real estate developer.

Today, the annual Golf Business Forum is widely regarded as the most important golf business-to-business event in the Europe, the Middle East and Africa region. 

 www.golfbusinesscommunity.com

SANA Tufail was crowned Ladies Amateur Open Champion at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club in early March after a superb two-round total of 153. 

Tufail, who is just 14 and hails from Abu Dhabi, fired a superb second round of gross one over par 72 to add to an opening round 81 and beat Emirates Golf Club’s Jo Schoeman to the title by four strokes.

Tufail now hopes to follow in the footsteps of past champions Felicity Johnson and Rachael Cassidy who have gone on to make a career in professional golf.

 “Thank you to all of my playing partners, especially Sandra and all of the ladies who took part,” said Tufail. “The greenkeepers made the course in fantastic condition and thank you to the club for staging such a wonderful event.  Also I would like to thank my parents for their continued and dedicated support towards my golf.”

In the Silver Division Serifa D’Souza won with two solid net 70s as she prevailed by three strokes from Yuko Tsukiori who followed a net 70 with a 73. 

The Bronze Division witnessed G.A Cho card superb net scores of 64 and 71 to win by one shot from H.H Choi who signed for a 65 and a 71 for a net 136.

Picture: Ladies Champion Sana Tufail is presented with the winner’s trophy and flowers by Dubai Creek Club Captain, Joseph Andrade.

MARTIN Laird won his second US PGA Tour title at the Arnold Palmer Invitational just a few hours after his compatriot Paul Lawrie ended a nine-year drought with victory at the Open de Andalucia in Spain to seal a memorable day for Scotland on the golf course yesterday.

Laird endured an up-and-down final day as he secured a one-stroke win over Steve Marino in Orlando with a tough two-putt par from 85 feet on the last while Lawrie sealed a one-stroke win over Sweden’s Johan Edfors.

“I don't know if I was nervous,” said Laird. “I thought in the morning that I’ve let a few tournaments go and when I came out today, I wasn’t joking around - this was going to be my tournament to win, and I felt comfortable.”

AMERICAN Nick Watney won the biggest title of his career after a birdie on the treacherous last hole at Doral gave him a two-stroke victory over compatriot Dustin Johnson at the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship.

Johnson began the day with a two-stroke lead over Watney, Matt Kuchar and Englishman Luke Donald but found himself in a tie for the lead after Watney was 4-under par on the day through 15 holes. Johnson then bogeyed the par-4 16th to hand Watney the lead and Watney made a superb birdie on the final hole to sign for a 5-under 67 and post a 16-under total. Johnson needed to hole his second shot on the 18th to force a play-off but could only manage a par and had to settle for second place.

“I’m not sure about it owing me one, but I felt I had something for this course and I think I settled the score,” said Watney, who finished runner-up to Phil Mickelson at this event two years ago. “It worked out great and I couldn’t ask for a better ending.”

Joint third on 13-under were Denmark’s Anders Hansen and Italian Francesco Molinari who both took home €332,001 for their efforts.

Hansen shot a 5-under 67 and Molinari, winner of the last stroke play World Golf Championship at the HSBC Champions in Shanghai last November, carded a 69.

“I thought I needed at least one more,” said Hansen. “It’s great for my ranking and great for the confidence more than anything.”

For Molinari the performance was bittersweet after putts on the last three holes narrowly missed the cup but he was delighted with his display overall.

“I’m really happy,” he said shortly before watching Watney clinch the title. “I think it’s going to be really close in the end, those couple of putts on 16, 17 could have made a big difference. But I’m happy with the way I handled myself today on the golf course, because I didn’t have the best start.

“It wasn’t easy, but then I got it going by the end of the front nine and it was just another solid round. It was quite tricky with the wind, so I’m really happy with the performance.”

Kuchar signed for a 1-under 71 to finish fifth on 12-under with Donald a shot further back after posting a level-par 72. Former World No.1 Tiger Woods shot a best-of-the-day 66 to finish on 8-under-par and in a share of 10th place.

LORENZO Rivera and Alaistair McGregor produced some solid golf to take their respective divisional honours in the Emirates Golf Federation’s Handicap Scheme Medal at Arabian Ranches while Nestor Labis took the overall Gross prize.

Rivera shot a tidy net 72 to win Division ‘A’ title while McGregor carded a brilliant 39 points to emerge victorious in Division ‘B’ which followed the individual Stableford format.

McGregor, who also walked away with the nearest to the pin prize on hole 2, dominated the proceedings in his division, finishing six shots ahead of nearest challenger Paul Stump.

Nestor Labis also made his presence felt in the event, winning with a fine 81 while Julia Alhemoud also made it to the podium after taking the ladies division title with 33 points.

The handicap scheme medal events are part of Emirates Golf Federation’s initiative to provide golfers who are not a members of any club with healthy playing opportunities to hone their competitive edge and improve their handicaps.

Saeed Albudoor, general manager of the federation, was pleased with the response to the event, saying: “We had a good turn-out and that reflects on the growing popularity of the event. We are grateful to the Arabian Ranches Golf Club for providing all the assistance in successfully putting the event together.”

THE UAE Senior and Junior Golf Teams produced their finest performances in the 15th GCC Golf Championship at The Royal Golf Club, Bahrain.

Sohail Al Marzouqi and Hassan Al Musharrekh combined magnificently to inspire the UAE Junior Team to a brilliant gold medal victory in the Junior Division of the Championship..
Sohail, who plays off a 10 handicap, shot solid rounds of 81 and 78 while Hassan (3 handicap) chipped in with an 83 and an 78 as the UAE posted a gross total of 320 to beat their nearest challengers, Qata,r by four strokes. Faisal Al Marzouqi was the other member of the Team that did the Emirates proud by going the full distance to improve upon their runners-up finish last year.
Sohail also had the distinction of finishing second in the individual division with a gross 158, just one shot behind gold medal winner Ali Al Bishi of Qatar and one ahead of third-placed compatriot Hassan.
The UAE Senior Team, comprising Ahmed Al Musharrekh, Khalid Yousuf, Abdulla Al Musharrekh and Faris Al Mazroui, hit top form as they finished runners-up to Bahrain in the Senior Division.

Khalid Al Mubarak, Manager of the UAE Team, congratulated all the members of the Team for producing good scores when it mattered most, saying: “The boys stayed focused on the job at hand and delivered the results expected of them.
“Their overall performance during the Championship also reflects on the growing standards of the game among UAE Nationals. The aim is to keep getting better and better every year,” said Mubarak, who also thanked UAE National Team sponsors Emirates NBD, Al Naboodah and Callaway/Cutter&Buck for their valuable support to the Team.
“Last but not least, I would to like congratulate National Coach Chris Vallender for all the hard work he has devoted in honing the competitive edge of the boys,” he said.

Pictured is Ahmed Al Musharrekh, winner of the Individual Gold Medal.

MIKI Mirza and Paul King won the Carpetland Monthly Open in January with a superb 5-under-par 66 betterball net score to take a direct route to the Grand Finals held in May.

Brothers Anthony and Paul Saad took second place with a 67 by virtue of a countback over the past three holes ahead of past winners Ashok Kumar and Suresh Shewakramani

All top three pairs will now be invited back to compete at the grand final with now only three more qualifying events left.  

Patrick Morrow won Nearest the Pin on hole 8 with a sweetly struck iron to seven feet while Anthony Saad won the Longest Drive for the day on the 12th hole. 

MIKI Mirza was crowned Dubai Creek Men’s Club Champion for the third time after rounds of 71 and 79 gave him a 150 total and a six-stroke victory over his nearest competitors.

Paul King finished runner up with his 156 total after rounds of 76 and 80 while Francisco Giles finished third with a 159 thanks to solid tee to green play over the two days.

 “Thank you to the club for a great two days of golf and the condition were tough with the wind,” said Mirza afterwards. “Thank you to J.Lindeberg and Chervo for their support and to Rob, the Director of Golf Course Maintenance, as the course was in great condition.”

Janish Khurana was crowned the Net Champion with a 147 total after rounds of 68 and 79 gave him a one shot win over last year’s Net winner Arshad Waheed.

Nasha Sarkari made it back to back Club Championships by successfully defended her Ladies title with two consistent rounds of gross 80 and 81 for a 161 total while Yuko Tsukiori was crowned Ladies Net Champion.

Joel Neale fired a superb final round 68 over the Majlis course to triumph in the Emirates Amateur Open.

Joel, representing Emirates Golf Club, started the day five shots off the overnight leader Michael Saunders but the familiar surrounds of his home course enabled him to produce a superb 4-under par tally over the exact layout that Spaniard Alvaro Quiros triumphed on the previous weekend.

Fantastic golf by Neale got him to 1-under par for the tournament as he teed up on the famous par-5 18^th and he sank a memorable 10-foot birdie putt to post a clubhouse lead of 2-under par.

His closest rivals, Khalid Attieh (Arabian Ranches GC) and Harry Diamond (Belvoir Park GC), also teed off on the 18^th at 1-under par for the championship but both players hooked their tee shots into the trees. Diamond’s challenge ended when he took two more shots to find the fairway while Attieh pitched out sideways and 200 yards from the flag.

A superb shot gave him a 30-footer to force a play-off but his putt failed to drop which handed Neale the title. Attieh settled for second place on 1-under-par 216 while Diamond wound up with a bogey to finish a shot back in third.

Michael Saunders (Dartford GC) finished fourth on 5-over-par 222 while two strokes further back was Ronan O’Reilly (Els Club) and the in-form Miki Mirza from Dubai Creek finished sixth with a 225 total.

The overall Net prize went to Nasser Saleh (Bahrain Golf Federation) as he defeated Billal Isamil from Shanklin and Sandown Golf Club with a countback after both players signed for a 54-hole tally of 226. Last years Net champion, Hamed Afnan (Bahrain Golf Federation) clinched third one shot further back.

The other highlight of the day was a hole in one by Mark Williams on the par-3 11^th, six days after Quiros achieved the same feat in his Omega Dubai Desert classic victory.

MOHAMMED Al Bana turned in a consistent performance to win the UAE National Monthly Tournament at the Arabian Ranches in late January.

Playing off an 11 handicap Al Bana strung together his game effectively to score a brilliant 39 points, taking the honours two shots ahead of Mohammed Darwish and Abdullah Muhrami.

Both Darwish and Muhrami scored the same 37-point total but it was the former who scored the better back nine (20 points) to finish runner-up on a countback.

Khalid Mubarak produced a tidy gross 79 to walk away with Best Gross prize while Hassan Al Suwaidi won the Division ‘A’ title, beating his closest rival on a countback. Al Suwaidi tallied 34 points, including 20 on the back nine. Jamal bin Marghoub topped Division ‘B’, winning the title with a solid score of 35 points.

Part of an ambitious Emirates Golf Federation’s drive to create more playing opportunities for Emirati golfing enthusiasts, the event turned to be a big hit with nearly 30 players lining up for honours.

The presence of H.E. Shaikh Fahim bin Sultan Al Qasimi, the chairman of EGF, and other members of the board in the field further added to the competitive atmosphere.

Saeed Albudoor, general manager of the EGF, thanked the players for making the event a great success. “We are committed to creating and running more for UAE nationals,” he said. “The very intention is promote the game among the Emiratis. Events like this - which are meant exclusively for UAE nationals - provide the players a great environment in which they can hone their competitive edge and improve their skills. We have a separate Order of Merit for these monthly tournaments and that encourages them to do better. We are grateful to all golf clubs in the country for their support in organising the events on a regular basis.”

The next UAE National Monthly Tournaments will be played at Jebel Ali Golf Resort and Spa in March and Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club in April.

Caption - Winner Mohamed Al Bana at the presentation with Saeed Albudoor, general manager of the EGF.

Sabbatini, who now wears a cowboy hat to protect his face from the sun, was five shots clear at the start of the final round but saw his lead cut to one with by 2009 Honda Classic winner Yang's final round of 66. However he weathered the storm (both real and metaphorical after rain stopped play for 28 minutes when he was playing the penultimate hole of the tournament) and held on for his first victory in two years with a 9-under-par total of 271.

"A lot has occurred since my last win (in 2009) so I'm just ecstatic," said a tearful Sabbatini who shot rounds of 71-64-66 and 70 to win prize money of $1,008,000. "It's been a tough road so it definitely is kind of a turning of a new leaf, so it really does feel good. It does feel like a fresh start in a sense."

LUKE Donald defeated the newly crowned World No.1 Martin Kaymer in the final of the World Gold Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona after a week of sublime golf gave him his first WGC title.

“I can’t describe it – I’m close to tears,” said Donald after he defeated his Ryder Cup teammate 3&2 in the 18 hole final. “It feels amazing. I’ve put a lot of work in over the last five years and it’s nice to see it pay off.

“Hopefully it will open the gates. I’m not a modern-day player because I don’t hit it that far and that makes it harder for me, but this is great win and I hope there are more to come.”

It was a matter of brain over brawn as Donald’s unnerving accuracy and incredible short game saw him reach the final in the fewest holes ever in the event’s history as he despatched of Charlie Hoffman, Edoardo Molinari, Matteo Manassero, Ryan Moore and Matt Kuchar in just 73 holes on his way to the championship match with Kaymer. He never had to play the 18th hole and he only had to play the 17th once.

Donald didn’t trail at any stage of any of his matches and got off to a flier against the German, moving 3up through five holes. However, Kaymer bounced back by winning the sixth, eighth and ninth holes and looked set to take the lead after Donald was in trouble on the tenth. The Englishman’s approach to the 493-yard par-4 came up short of the green in a waste area but his short game rescued him as his pitch from the damp sand left him a simple 3-footer for a halve.

On the following hole Donald edged back ahead, sinking a putt from nine feet before Kaymer missed from six and the gap increased when Kaymer failed to get up-and-down from a bunker at the 12^th.

Kaymer then missed a short putt on the 15^th to drop three back and with Donald 3up with three to play he found the green on the par-3 16^th and took the title after Kaymer’s lengthy birdie putt failed to drop.

“My goal every year is to win tournaments. It’s a long time since I’ve tried to play for money, you know,” said Donald, who had undergone a five year drought on US soil and had been accused of a lack of determination to win by some sections of the US media. “My first couple of years, maybe, as a rookie, you think about making your Tour card and making cuts and making enough money to play the next year. But it’s been a long time since that.

“You always have doubts and the wheels were coming off a bit, so the up and down on the tenth was huge and to have three birdies in the last six holes was special.”

Kaymer, who rose to World No.1 as a result of Lee Westwood failing to progress past the second round, was full of praise for Donald’s performance.

“He’s definitely one of the most consistent players on the Tour and I think he’s probably the best in the world in the short game at the moment,” he said. “I have played with Phil Mickelson a few times and it is unbelievable - but what Luke is doing at the moment is a joke. Wherever he is, you know that he will make the up-and-down if he doesn’t hole it!”

In the third and fourth place play-off Matt Kuchar defeated his Ryder Cup teammate Bubba Watson 2&1.

HOME favourite SSP Chowrasia kept England's Robert Coles at bay to secure a narrow one-stroke victory at the Avantha Masters in New Delhi after closing with 67 for a 15-under-par total of 273. 

"I had one bad tee shot on the 16th today - besides that it was an outstanding round," said Chowrasia after landing the €300,000 first prize. "Even after the 16th I knew I had a chance to make birdies on the last two holes.

"However, when the birdies didn't come my way, I was confident of taking it to a play-off. But fortunately for me, the play-off was not required.

"I am now ready to go back on The European Tour and have a real go at succeeding in Europe. That is my goal now, to succeed in Europe because I really struggled there in my first season - with the swing problems and also on the mental side of things.

"I am now going to sit down and rework my schedule so that I can have the best chance of success. I have a little more experience in Europe now and that is so important because I know the golf courses and know the cultures. It's a really exciting time for me."

The Indian's victory, his second in the event, was a tough blow for Coles who was chasing his maiden European Tour title. A double-bogey from Chowrasia on the 16^th gave Coles an opportunity but he failed to make a single birdie on the back nine and missed two great chances on the 15^th and 17^th holes before an agonising bogey at the last, where he thinned his chip onto the green 20 feet past the hole, left him in second place.

"The ball was really far below my feet and a bit of grass in between it and it was just a really awkward shot," Coles, who closed with 70 for 274 total, of his thinned approach on the 18^th.  

"I really needed to get underneath to get it up in the air as soon as I could but the ground was rock hard and it just kind of flew on me a bit.

"Then I got over the putt and I was still thinking I could make it and win the tournament, but I just hit it so hard and it flew out of the middle of the putter and then I obviously missed the one coming back.

"I hit a great drive down there and, let's be honest, should have at least made par from there but the second shot was obviously adrenaline driven and then you saw what happened from there.

"It is obviously disappointing but I don't feel too bad right now talking to you but I will probably feel a lot worse tomorrow when it sinks in. I did have a great chance to win."

BIG hitting Spaniard Alvaro Quiros beat a world-class field to claim victory in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. 

Quiros, who made a sensational hole-in-one on the par-3 11th, edged out Denmark's Anders Hansen and South African James Kingston by a stroke after a captivating day at the Emirates Golf Club with an 11-under-par total.  

The 28-year-old had a bizarre up-and-down day but eventually signed for a 4-under-par 68 to win his fifth European Tour title and the biggest win of his career to date.

“I was lucky with some putts around the turn and then a three-quarters wedge on the 11th - it was a perfect shot - once a year it happens,” he said. “It was like the last piece of a happy birthday cake. It gave me the chance to win the tournament.”

Quiros began the day in sublime fashion with an eagle at the 351-yard par-4 second hole and then picked up birdies on holes three and five to race into an early lead. However, a wayward drive on the eighth saw his ball end up lodged in a palm tree and he ran up a triple bogey 7 to drop back. Quiros picked up a shot on the following hole before making another eagle on the 11^th after his sensational hole-in-one. Pars followed on 12 and 13 before he gave a shot back at the par-4 14^th but he bounced back again with a birdie on the 16^th and hung on to his lead with back-to-back pars to seal the victory.

Tiger Woods made a winning start to his campaign in Dubai when arguably the greatest golfer of all time, pairing with Mark O'Meara, won the Omega Dubai Desert Classic Challenge Match at the Emirates Golf Club on Tuesday evening.

The pair birdied the last hole to post a sizzling four-under-par 23 to take the honours, two shots ahead of the pairing of Lee Westwood and Miguel Angel Jimenez. The team of golf in DUBAi ambassadors - Jeev Milkha Singh and Seung Yul Noh -- finished third a further shot back.

The Challenge Match, one of the highlights of the tournament week, was followed an official dinner reception which golf in DUBAi -- the promoters and organizers of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic -- hosted for players featuring the field. The prizes were presented by Mohammed Juma Buamaim, vice chairman and CEO of golf in DUBAi.

The six marquee players were split into three teams, each comprising two stars and played the nine-holes in the greensomes format in which both players hit their tee shots and then select the best-positioned ball. Thereafter, they hit alternate shots with the same ball until the hole is completed.

The par-27 course, measuring 1,239 yards from blue tees, has been designed such a way that it tests the skills of all. The longest hole on the course is the 194-yard third hole while the shortest hole (the fourth) measures 96 yards.

"The players for the challenge match were selected on the basis of their rankings and, of course, for their star value on the tour," said Buamaim. The intention behind organizing this match is to provide an opportunity to fans to watch the top stars up close and personal.

'golf in DUBAi' is backed by Omega as the title sponsor and Dubal (Dubai Aluminium) as the sponsor. The co-sponsors are: CNN, Gulf News, Emirates airline, Emirates NBD, Mercedes-Benz, Jumeirah and wasl while Dubai Duty Free, Carpetland and Motivate are the Patrons in golf in DUBAi's drive to showcase the emirate's vibrant golfing scene to a worldwide audience.

WORLD No.1 Lee Westwood has been granted Lifetime Membership of The European Tour after 17 successful years on the circuit.

The Englishman was handed the award prior to the Dubai Desert Classic where he will take on the man he overtook on the Official World Golf Ranking - Tiger Woods - and World No.3 Martin Kaymer. "I have always loved the Tour. It has played a huge part in my life and I will cherish this honour for the rest of my life," he said.

Westwood is third in the tour's all-time money list, behind Ernie Els and Colin Montgomerie, with tournament earnings of £20.25m, and has picked up 19 points while playing in the last seven Ryder Cups.

The 37-year-old is the 37th player to receive the honour, joining names such as Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer and Arnold Palmer.

"He is a devoted family man, but also devoted to the tour on which he cut his teeth in professional golf," said the European Tour's Chief Executive George O'Grady.

"He has shown unswerving loyalty to the European Tour for the best part of 20 years and is fully deserving of being recognised with honorary life membership."

THOMAS Bjorn carded a final round 3-under-par 69 to win the Commercialbank Qatar Masters by four strokes and leap into the top 60 on the Official World Golf Ranking.

The Dane began the final round with a one-stroke lead over Austrian Marcus Brier and set out his stall in windy conditions with 14 pars in a row and then birdied holes 15, 16 and 18 to seal the victory at14-under-par. Brier posted a 1-over 73 to drop into a share of third place with Raphael Cabrera-Bello while 2009 winner Alvaro Quiros shot a 4-under-par 68 to finish outright runner-up on 10-under.

“It’s a big win for me and hopefully it can push me on to bigger things now,” said Bjorn, who turns 40 later this month. “When I play golf like this I know I can be up there with the best in the world. I’m going to hit 40 but I’m sure it won’t affect my golf too much. I’ve got to stay fit and healthy but I feel I'm playing well.

“There was a lot riding on today and it’s great to get back up into the top 60. I can start looking up rankings again now.”

World No.1 Lee Westwood missed the cut leaving Martin Kaymer needing to finish second or higher to take the No.1 spot from the Englishman. However, Kaymer could only manager a final round 71 and admitted his chances of overhauling Westwood in Doha were slim. “I was in a position to finish in the top ten, but the greens are not my friends here in Qatar,” he said after finishing 28^th. “Today I played my best golf all week even with a double bogey at the 12th hole. It’s just that the putts didn’t drop and while it’s a disappointing thing on one hand, I am looking forward to going to Dubai and leaving this tournament behind.”

BUBBA Watson overhauled Phil Mickelson to win his second US PGA Tour title at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines thanks to a final round 5-under-par 67 in San Diego.

The Floridian began the day one stroke behind his fellow left-hander but took the lead on the third hole and never looked back, eventually finishing with a 16-under-par total to pick up the cheque for $1,044,000.

"I worked this winter on my mind to be more focused," said Watson. "To be worried about what I'm doing and not what everybody else is doing - just focus on what I had to do. So it just shows that I can do it (win). I did it twice now. I'm only like 50 behind Phil and 80 behind Tiger, so they better watch out.

 "My mind tends to wander around a lot. I'm looking at people flying around in kites. I'm looking at how beautiful the water is. I'm scared of heights, so I'm looking at the cliffs. So basically I'm looking at stuff I shouldn't be looking at while I'm trying to play golf."

Watson fired six birdies and just one bogey in his final round as he kept his focus to add a second win to his maiden title which came at last year's Travelers Championship. The last of his birdies came at the par-5 closing hole after he sank a curling 12-footer to take a two-stroke lead over his Ryder Cup colleague.

It proved to be decisive as Mickelson also birdied the 18^th to sign for a 69 and get to 15-under-par. Dustin Johnson shot a 66 to move up four places into a share of third place alongside Jhonattan Vegas in third on 13-under-par while D.A. Points finished outright fifth on 12-under. Nick Watney closed with a best-of-the-day 9-under 63 to finish sixth while Tiger Woods struggled on his first outing of 2011, eventually finishing in a share of 42^nd after weekend rounds of 74 and 75 saw him finish 1-under for the tournament.

THE National Junior Programme is the latest initiative to be introduced by the Emirates Golf Federation and is aimed at continually identifying and developing young UAE national players by providing them with the best possible opportunities to learn the finer points of the game.

One of the main goals is to develop character through the structure of the rules of the game as golf teaches key life skills like patience, good sportsmanship and the ability to focus on the task at hand. Particular emphasis is placed on core skills and game awareness, including lessons in introductory, educational, rules, etiquette and competition formats.

The programme provides young UAE national players with an environment in which they can grow, express themselves both personally and professionally and realise their dream of representing the country one day. Through this programme the EGF is exposing young people to a leisure activity that they can enjoy for the rest of their lives, no matter what their ability level.

The EGF value attitude, commitment, integrity, and honesty as highly as it does golfing ability. They have assembled an experienced team of coaches, technical experts and support staff who all specialise in player development.

Parents will also benefit from the programme because their children will be involved in an active, social sport which promotes positive values of citizenship and responsibility. Membership to the Junior National Programme is open to all UAE nationals who want to start playing golf or, if they already play, improve their game.

The UAE boasts some of the finest golfing facilities in the world and the interest in the game has skyrocketed over recent years. With support from all the clubs, the aim of the National Junior Programme is to promote and develop the game at the grassroots level which. Creating a strong pool of junior players is paramount to producing future generations of champions.

Introducing youngsters to the game is just one part of the programme, the more important aspect of it is to try and retain them. The National Junior Programme is a step in that direction. Golf teaches that even though the best golfers have the most chances to win, the other golfers have the most chances to improve.

‘Let’s play golf and have’ fun is the overriding theme of the National Junior Programme.

The main goals of the National Junior Programme are:

• Attract young UAE nationals to the game

• Provide the best possible playing facilities for our national players to succeed

• Provide the highest quality coaching by qualified staff

• Provide the most appropriate competitive programme for each player and to constantly review performance in training and matches

• Rules, etiquette and instructional clinics on the game

• Golf at a minimal cost

• Create an environment to promote and encourage good sportsmanship and friendship among junior golfers

• Opportunities to travel and participate in domestic and international tournaments

• To build good working relationships with all players, clubs other related parties

•  To set high standards for integrity, honesty and performance

For further information on the National Junior Programme please contact the Federation on:
Tel: +971 4 3684988   Fax: +971 4 3684974
Email: info@ugagolf.com

JOSE Maria Olazábal has been confirmed as Europe’s next Ryder Cup Captain for the 2012 matches at Medinah Country Club in Illinois.

The popular Spaniard accepted an invitation from the Tournament Committee of The European Tour and follow in the footsteps of his close friend Seve Ballesteros who led Europe to victory at Valderrama in 1997.

Olazábal made the first of seven Ryder Cup appearances in 1987 when Europe created history by winning on American soil for the first time and he was also on the winning European team in 1997 and 2006 in a Ryder Cup playing career that spanned 19 years.  Olazábal and Ballesteros formed the most successful partnership in Ryder Cup history in the fourballs and foursomes with 11 wins and two halved matches from 15 played, and with 18 wins and 20½ points, Olazábal stands fifth in the European lists for most matches won and most points won respectively.

“The two Masters wins at Augusta National are the highlight of my playing career but this is my proudest moment,” smile Olazábal as he was introduced by The European Tour’s Chief Executive George O’Grady. “Golf has been my life and representing Europe in The Ryder Cup has given me so much enjoyment. So to be named the European Ryder Cup captain is something very special and I am looking forward to the next 20 months before we reach Medinah.

“Without question The Ryder Cup has given me many memorable times especially with Seve from the moment we were first partners in 1987 and Europe won in America for the first time. We were unbeaten in 1989 and 1991 and we won our last match together in 1993.

EUROPE staged a dramatic comeback in the Sunday singles to secure an unlikely victory in The Royal Trophy at Black Mountain Golf Club, Hua Hin, Thailand.

The Asian team had dominated the contest and led 6-2 going into the final day of play meaning they needed only 2 ½ points to win back the trophy for the first time since 2009. But Colin Montgomerie's men rallied to win six of the eight singles matches, with the other two all square, giving Europe a 9-7 victory.

''I could not believe that we have won,'' said Montgomerie, who also played in the event. ''To come back from 6-2 behind and not to lose a match today against the strongest Asian team we have seen in this event was a fantastic performance, and all credit to the players.''

The Scot added: ''It was one of the most remarkable days that I have been part of, and I have been part of a number of remarkable days for European golf. Today probably beat the lot.

''It proves the overall strength of European golf and it was an honour and a privilege to captain the team to success again after the win last year. I would love the opportunity to come back next year and go for three wins in a row.''

LOUIS Oosthuizen birdied the first play-off hole to deny Chris Wood and Manuel Quiros at the Africa Open after an enthralling final day in Eastern Cape.

Oosthuizen carded a 70 to reach 16-under-par, level alongside Englishman Wood (68) and Spaniard Quiros (69) and then showed his class with a superb approach to 10 feet as they went down the 18th before rolling in his birdie putt.

“The whole day was a bit of a struggle,” said Oosthuizen after making just two birdies before an eagle on the 15^th helped his cause. “I didn’t get anything in the hole and then made the eagle putt on 15 which helped.

“Then I made this one (in the play-off ) which was nice. I hit a terrible tee shot and then hit a full sand-wedge to get close. Then I made the putt which was great.

“It’s been one of those weeks where the putter was very cold, but my caddie kept me calm and said it would go in eventually.

“So I kept on trying and made that nice one on the last which I will remember. It’s always nice playing in South Africa and you want to perform.

“This week there was a great field here and playing with Retief (Goosen) and (Darren) Clarke was really special. If you look at the leaderboard there were just big names up there so I think it was a great tournament.”

Oosthuizen held the overnight lead alongside Austrian Markus Brier and it was the European who stormed out of the blocks with three consecutive birdies.

However, Brier lost his ball on the sixth hole which put paid to his chances and he wound up with a 73 for eighth place.

As Oosthuizen continued plugging away, Wood set the clubhouse target with a round of 68 which was then matched by Quiros after he birdied the final three holes.

Both Wood and Quiros still await their maiden European Tour title and went home with a cheque each for €92,100.

Defending champion Charl Schwartzel finished in a share of fourth place alongside Jaco Van Zyl and Steven O’Hara on 15-under-par.

Emirates Airline has been unveiled as the Title Partner of The Invitational Hosted by Abdullah Al Naboodah to be played at Yas Links Golf Club, Abu Dhabi, on Monday, January 17.  This is the fifth running of the event, after two years at the Four Seasons Golf Club, Dubai and two years at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club.

The one-day tournament is universally recognised as one of the most popular and prestigious Pro-Ams in golf and with Emirates Airline taking up the title partnership the event has taken off as a world-class golf tournament.

The event is played in a four ball format and among the 52 European Tour Professionals taking part – one Tour Pro per team - there are 41 European Tour Champions, 11 Ryder Cup players, three Major Champions and the World No.1.

This year the Emirates Airline Invitational, will be the curtain-raiser for the four-tournament European Tour Middle East Swing.

Abdullah Al Naboodah is delighted at Emirates’ support, saying: “Emirates Airline’s Title Partnership is great news for The Invitational.

“We have been successful in building a base of select international brands as Premier Partners and Partners over the past few years but to go into our fifth year with the addition of Emirates Airline as Title Partner is a huge step forward.

“The Emirates Airline Invitational will benefit the Pro-Am, and particularly the charities that we - and the Professional Tour players - support. It really does take the Pro-Am to a new level and establishes the event as a world-class golf tournament.”

Khalid bel Jaflah, Emirates’ VP Commercial Operations, UAE: commented:  “Emirates has a great affinity with golf and it is tremendous to be strengthening our commitment to the sport further by supporting a tournament which will feature players of the calibre of Lee Westwood and Graeme McDowell.

“Although we are proud of our involvement in golf around the world, with prestigious properties such as The Ryder Cup, our sponsorship of local events – including the Dubai World Championship, the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and the Omega Dubai Ladies’ Masters – is particularly special to us.

“It is with great pride that we are now the Title Partner of the Emirates Airline Invitational Hosted by Abdullah Al Naboodah, and we look forward to helping the event grow from strength to strength.”

World No.6 Graeme McDowell, who has just been awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours List after winning the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach and sinking the winning putt for Europe in The Ryder Cup, said: “The Emirates Airline Title Partnership is a great boost for The Invitational. It was already one of the best Pro-Ams in the game but this takes the event to a new international level.”

World No.1 Lee Westwood added: “The Emirates Airline Invitational now ranks with the biggest world-class tournaments of its kind. It's just reward for everything Abdullah has put into the game over recent years. It will also help enormously to raise funds for the charities.”

Ross Fisher, reigning Volvo World Match Play Champion and 2010 Irish Open Champion, commented: “The Emirates Airline Invitational has gone from strength to strength over the past four years. It’s an event all the players really look forward to taking part in, and the fact that a global company of the stature of Emirates Airline is involved as Title Partnership shows how highly regarded the tournament has become.”

ERNIE Els won the South African Open Championship for the fifth time in his career after holding off a late surge from compatriot Retief Goosen in Durban.

In what was the 100^th staging of the event, Els carded a final round 6-under-63 for a 25-under-par total and a one-stroke win over Goosen with Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen in third place on 21-under-par.

“It was a wonderful choice to come here,” smiled Els. “This really makes the year very good now. Playing under a lot of pressure, with really good players in the field on a great golf course. It was a great championship.”

A severe rain delay saw virtually no play on Thursday and forced the final two rounds to be completed on Sunday, while further showers on the early hours of Sunday morning made the par-3 fourth hole unplayable.

After shooting a 64 earlier in the day, Els started the final round one shot ahead of Goosen and he once again excelled on Durban Country Club’s new greens with a 63 - which included five birdies, an eagle and just the one dropped shot. Goosen rallied late with four birdies in the final five holes but it wasn’t enough as Els hung on for his fourth victory of the year.

“I knew Retief was going to be the guy I had to beat,” said Els, who won twice in America in March before winning the PGA Grand Slam of Golf in October. “He’s beaten me coming down the stretch quite a few times, so I really wanted to play well. It was really important. He made it really tough for me.”

Oosthuizen didn’t drop a shot as he came in with a 63 for outright third place ahead of Charl Schwartzel who finished on 18-under-par for fourth place.

French rookie Romain Wattel sank a birdie putt on the last hole to finish on 16-under-par alongside Englishman Robert Rock in fifth while another Frenchman, Victor Riu, finished one stroke further back in seventh, level with Germany’s Alex Cejka.

GRAEME McDowell was recognised for his phenomenal season by winning the Golf Writers Player of the Year award on both sides of the Atlantic.

Having shared the European Tour Player of the Year award with fellow 2010 Major champion and Race to Dubai winner Martin Kaymer McDowell, who claimed the US Open among three European Tour titles, played a starring role in Europe's Ryder Cup victory over the US Celtic Manor in Wales, and ended the year with a win in the US at the Chevron World Challenge, got the writers' vote. In second place for the European version of the award was the entire European Ryder Cup Team while Kaymer took third and World No. l Westwood was in fourth.

"I am hugely honoured to win such a prestigious award and especially in a year when European golf as a whole has achieved such amazing things," McDowell said. "To win a Major championship and to hole the winning putt in The Ryder Cup, these are absolute, ultimate golfing dreams for me.

"It has definitely been a life-changing experience the last few months and I feel incredibly lucky. I can't get my head around it for sure now, but I feel very fortunate and privileged that I've had the opportunity."

European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie said:

"In my 24 years as a member of the European Tour, never, ever have we had the success we have had this year," he said. "We have completely dominated the world of golf in 2010. It is amazing the quality we have now and it is not going to stop here."

Graeme McDowell, proudly wearing The Invitational logo on his golf shirt, finished his ‘unbelievable' season in the best way possible - sinking a 25 foot birdie putt to beat Tiger Woods in a play-off in Woods' own event - the Chevron World Challenge at Sherwood Country Club, Thousand Oaks, California, yesterday.

McDowell, who had become an Ambassador of The Invitational hosted by Abdullah Al Naboodah just last month, prior to the Dubai World Championship, had already sunk a 20-foot birdie putt at the 72^nd hole to force a play-off, said: "This win is the stuff of dreams - 2010 has been the stuff of dreams."

McDowell started the final round four shots behind his playing partner, Woods, but the Irishman's final round 69, after shooting 66, 69, 68 in the first three days, matched Woods' total of 272 and took the contest into extra time with another trip down the 18^th.

It had been virtual match play throughout the final day with Paul Casey, their nearest challenger, finishing back in third place on his own, four shots behind. It was McDowell's two birdie putts on 18 (in regulation and overtime) that settled the issue. "They were probably two of the greatest putts I've ever made," said McDowell, who collected $1.2 million for the win, lifting him to seventh place in the World Ranking.

"I went out there today with absolutely nothing to lose but what a great end to a great season," he added. The event was another indication of the strength of The European Tour with five Europeans finishing in the top eight of the tournament - including Rory McIlroy, Ian Poulter and Luke Donald.

It's ironic that 12 months ago McDowell, who had been an Al Naboodah Group Ambassador for the last two years before becoming an Ambassador for The Invitational, was a last-minute alternate entry when Woods dropped out of the tournament for personal reasons.

McDowell finished second in the 2009 event but earned sufficient World Ranking points to help him into the US Open at Pebble Beach, which he went on to win.

It was a great day internationally for European Tour players with Lee Westwood winning the Nedbank Golf Challenge at the Gary Player Country Club at Sun City, South Africa, by eight shots, which keeps the Englishman at the top of the World Ranking.

A sizzling star-cast, spearheaded by world number seven In-Kyung Kim, will feature in the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters Challenge Match on Wednesday, December 8, at the Emirates Golf Club's Par-3 course, starting at 6.30pm.

The South Korean ace will be joined seasoned Laura Davies, Michelle Wie, Christina Kim, Melissa Reid and Carling Coffing in the six-player field that offers fans a rare opportunity to watch the marquee players up close and personal as they deliver a ‘clinic' in wedge play.

The Challenge Match, one of the highlights of the tournament week, will be followed an official dinner reception which golf in DUBAi is hosting for all players featuring the field.

The six players will be split into three teams, each comprising two stars. In this greensomes format, both players play their drives and then select the best-positioned ball. Thereafter, they hit alternate shots with the same ball until the hole is completed.

The par-27 course, measuring 1,239 yards from blue tees, has been designed such a way that it tests the skills of all. The longest hole on the course is the 194-yard third hole while the shortest hole (the fourth) measures 96 yards.

"The six players have been selected for the challenge match on the basis of their rankings and, of course, for their star value on the tour," said Mohamed Juma Buamaim, vice-chairman and CEO of ‘golf in DUBAi,' the promoters and organisers of the event.

"We would like to encourage more and more golf fans to come to the Emirates Golf Club and cheer top professional lady golfers, some of them would be competing in this region for the first time.

Entry to the tournament is free, but access to the clubhouse will be restricted to pass holders. The opening of the Nakheel metro station just across the road would make it much easier for them to commute to the venue without any traffic hassles.

"We have made elaborate arrangements to ensure the fans enjoy the proceedings on all four days of the tournament. A giant TV screen has been installed in the 'public village' for them to catch up the live action," he said.

"Different food and beverage outlets, charity putt competitions and free golf clinics will further add to the carnival-like atmosphere at the village," Buamaim said.

The Challenge Match will be preceded by a pro am, the traditional curtain-raiser to the event, on Tuesday, starting at 7.30 am. The second shot gun is at 12.45pm.

'golf in DUBAi' is backed by Omega as the title sponsor and Dubal (Dubai Aluminium) as the sponsor. The co-sponsors are: CNN, Gulf News Emirates NBD, Mercedes-Benz, Jumeirah and wasl while Dubai Duty Free, Carpetland and Motivate are the Patrons in golf in DUBAi's drive to showcase the emirate's vibrant golfing scene to a worldwide audience.

IAN Poulter wrapped up his second title of the season at the UBS Hong Kong Open after holding off charges from Italian Matteo Manassero and compatriot Simon Dyson to win by one stroke.

Poulter stormed into the lead after firing a second round 10-under-par 60 and held on with rounds of 64 and then a final 3-under 67 to finish with a 22-under-par total and earn his tenth European Tour title.

“It feels more than good,” said Poulter, who won the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship in February. “I think today, I actually played better to shoot 3-under than I did 10-under. I don’t think I’ve hit as many good golf shots today in a long time. So it was nice, I felt calm all day. I felt as if I just kept going around my business, I’d make a few birdie putts and that would be enough to win – it’s very pleasing to do so.”

Poulter could even afford to bogey the final hole and wrap up the win from Manassero, who carded a superb 8-under-par 62 to move up six places on the leaderboard, and Dyson who shot a 65 to move up one place.

Dyson emerged as Poulter’s main challenger after he went out in 30 but his putter fell cold on the back nine and with it his bid for glory faded. “I’m disappointed,” said Dyson. “I played lovely today, I just didn’t hole a thing on the back nine. I got off to such a great start but my bogey on eight stopped me in my tracks a bit.

“I had a good chance at nine and I had a good chance on every hole the back nine. I didn’t miss a green but they just didn’t want to drop and that last one summed it up - absolutely summed it up. It can’t miss - three foot, downhill, downgrain - and it stops two inches short.”

Italian teenager Manassero was pleased with his performance which saw his good form continue having won his maiden title three weeks earlier in Spain.

“It was a fantastic day actually for me,” he said. “I started the day quite far behind - Poulter was at 19, I was on 13. I made some great shots, so I’m very happy with the way I played and the way I tried to catch the leaders.”

American Anthony Kang finished on 20-under-par in outright fourth place with Graeme McDowell taking fifth a stroke further back. Rory McIlroy, who was runner-up in last year’s tournament finished in sixth place on 18-under-par.

THREE-time Major winner Padraig Harrington steered his ‘BMW 3’ team of Tom Barry, Mike Tracey and Mike Sim to victory in the Rolex Pro Am, curtain raiser to the 2010 Dubai World Championship presented by DP World.

Ryder Cup hero Harrington, who currently lies 18^th in The Race to Dubai, proved to be in top form in a 28-team event, which saw stars such as Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood and Louis Oosthuizen give their amateur partners a day to remember over the championship course.

The Irishman and his amateur partners combined to shoot a winning score of 19-under-par, three shots ahead of runner-up Francesco Molinari and his playing partners Ramesh Prabhakar, Moshe Kohli and Sandeep Singh in the ‘BMW 2’ team who took second place on a count-back from Ian Poulter’s ‘Emirates 3’ team of Bob Atkins, Peter Jackson and Mathew Warren on 16-under.

“Padraig was wonderful to play with,” said amateur partner Tom Barry. “Whenever one of us had a chance to score, he would spend time reading the putts and helping us get the best score we could. He was a real team player.”

Free tickets for the Dubai World Championship presented by DP World, which gets underway tomorrow (Thu) are available from www.dubaiworldchampionship.com.

UAE golf fans are being given a unique opportunity to witness the grand final of The Race to Dubai in five-star style thanks to an exciting prize draw courtesy of the sponsors of the Dubai World Championship presented by DP World.

The $7.5 million tournament – the final event on The European Tour’s Race to Dubai calendar – is expected to attract some 60,000 spectators to the Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates from November 25-28.

But while the majority of those golf fans will have taken advantage of the free season ticket offer available online, for two lucky winners watching the likes of Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell go for the biggest pay day in European golf will be just one part of an incredible sporting prize.

“The prize is what we are calling the Dubai World Championship Ultimate Prize” said Colin Smith, Director, Dubai World Championship. “The winner will win a flight to bring a friend or relative from anywhere on the Emirates network to Dubai for the tournament weekend, as well as a five-night stay for two at Atlantis.

 “In addition, the prize includes BMW transfers to and from the tournament each day for two guests, hospitality for two for all four days, two seats on “The Big Red Couch” within the 18^th grandstand and a month of complimentary golf for two at Jumeirah Golf Estates. We believe it is a sensational prize for anyone who loves golf and wants to be at the ultimate celebration of the game here in Dubai.”

 Fans can enter simply by dropping a business card at any branch of Costa’s, MMI and ELR outlets and at golf clubs in Dubai.

 In addition, the public can register through competitions running with the tournament’s radio partner at ARN, particularly on Dubai Eye’s Talk and Sport Drivetime show, Dubai 92 and Virgin Radio, as well as through The National, Time Out Dubai, What’s On and Hello! magazine.

Entry to the competition is available on the event’s website – www.dubaiworldchampionship.com – where spectators can also register for free season tickets. The winner will be announced live on air on Dubai Eye’s Entertainment Show on November 15

In addition to DP World – Presenting Sponsor for the second year in succession – the Dubai World Championship is supported by Premium Partners Rolex, Emirates, and BMW; Sponsors Atlantis, CNN, The National and Polo/Ralph Lauren; and Event Supporters Dubai Duty Free, MMI, TNT and Toshiba.

FRANCESCO Molinari held off World No.1 Lee Westwood in the final round of the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions with a 67 to win by one stroke and take home the biggest victory of his career to date.

The Italian was one stroke ahead of his Ryder Cup team mate heading into the final 18 holes and both carded matching 67s to complete a gripping final day’s action.

“It feels really special right now,” smiled Molinari after lifting the trophy. “I'm obviously amazed with the way I played and, you know, to have the number one player in the world trailing you by one shot, it’s not easy.

“In a sense I feel for Lee because he probably deserved to win the tournament as well.

“I’ve been in his position a few times so I know it’s not easy, but finally it was my time.”

Molinari completed a wire-to-wire victory after firing an opening round 65 and followed it with a 70 and then weekend rounds of 67. Westwood posted identical scores apart from his opening round 66. The Italian finished on 19-under-par 269 and win his first WGC title in just his fifth start at a WGC event while Westwood hung on to the No.1 position on the Official World Golf Ranking with a stellar performance after three weeks off from hitting balls.

“I felt rusty the first couple of days,” said the Englishman. “I made two bogeys during the week and none on the weekend. That’s pretty good after three weeks off and hardly hitting the ball. The rankings come as a consequence of playing well, and I’m playing well and I know I am. Today is just very typical of how I’ve played for the last two years.”

Luke Donald and Scotland's Richie Ramsay finished in a share of third place on 9-under-par while Rory McIlroy finished fifth on his own on 8-under. Tiger Woods was one of seven players who shared sixth place on 7-under-par.

With just four legs to be run in the 2010 Race to Dubai, Graeme McDowell’s victory in the Andalucia Valderrama Masters has set up a sprint finish with Martin Kaymer as the countdown continues to the Dubai World Championship presented by DP World.

McDowell’s battling victory at Valderrama saw him win €500,000 and halve Kaymer’s lead at the top of The Race to Dubai.

The German now leads the man from Northern Ireland by just over €500,000, but with US$23 million to be played for in China, Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai over the next month, McDowell can still catch Kaymer at the top of the rankings.

No matter what the outcome of this year’s Race to Dubai, it is fitting that the German and the Northern Irishman will be the main protagonists in the battle to succeed newly crowned World Number One Lee Westwood as The European Tour’s best player of 2010.

McDowell, who moved up to Number Ten on the Official World Golf Ranking on Sunday night, opened the floodgates to an unforgettable summer for The European Tour’s Membership by winning the US Open. He was swiftly followed into the Major Champions’ enclosure by Louis Oosthuizen at The Open, before Kaymer came good at the US PGA Championship.

Those Major successes set the tone for The European Team’s unforgettable Ryder Cup win, where Kaymer and McDowell played their part in Europe’s 14½-13½ victory. McDowell, of course, brought home the vital winning point on Celtic Manor’s Twenty Ten Course, the venue where he won The Celtic Manor Resort Wales Open two weeks before his US Open success.

Now that he has added a third title in the Andalucia Valderrama Masters, McDowell has a chance to catch Kaymer in The Race to Dubai, but he will have to produce more of that Valderrama magic to harbour a realistic chance of charging past a man of Kaymer’s class.

The 25 year-old German has been in phenomenal form since his US PGA Championship win, adding the KLM Open and Alfred Dunhill Links Championship titles to his Major success. Kaymer also won the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship at the start of the year to underline his consistency throughout the entire year.

Given the performances of McDowell, Oosthuizen and World Number One Westwood – not to mention the likes of the Tour’s youngest ever winner, 17 year-old Matteo Manassero; or the oldest player to win three events in one season, 46 year-old Miguel Angel Jiménez – it is amazing to think that one player would have a lead of over €500,000 with four tournaments to play.

But that is what Kaymer has managed to achieve in a truly memorable year that could yet see him take that coveted World Number One spot from his Ryder Cup partner Westwood as the second Race to Dubai nears its climax.

In addition to DP World - Presenting Sponsor for the second successive year - the Dubai World Championship is supported by Premium Partners Rolex, Emirates, and BMW; Sponsors Atlantis, CNN, The National and Polo/Raplh Lauren; and Event Supporters Dubai Duty Free, MMI, TNTand Toshiba.

Free tickets are available online at www.dubaiworldchampionship.com

LEE Westwood has ended Tiger Woods’ 281 week reign at the top of the Official World Golf Rankings and become the first European to top the ranking since Nick Faldo in 1994.

“It’s a dream everyone has to say there is nobody better than me at the moment. You have to say it’s a highlight,” said Westwood. “It’s a great honour and a big responsibility.”

Germany’s Martin Kaymer needed a top-two finish at the Andalucia Valderrama Masters to become World No.1 but ended ten shots behind winner Graeme McDowell to stay third in the ranking.

Westwood celebrated at home and stated it was the proudest moment of his career to date. "Becoming number one is confirmation that I'm working on the right things more than anything," he said. "This is nothing but a positive thing. Winning Majors is something you learn to do. You get into position as often as possible and try not to make the same mistakes again. I have seen most things by now and hopefully I will know what to do." 

FRANCE opened up a two-stroke lead over Canada after the first round of the Eisenhower Trophy after carding a superb 7-under-par 137. Alexander Levy and Romain Wattel did the damage with round of 4-under 68 and 3-under 69 respectively at Buenos Aires Golf Club in Argentina. Canada’s Eugene Wong fired a 67 to propel them into second place while Denmark’s Joachim Hansen (pictured) also shot a 67 as they finished in third place on 3-under-par alongside England and Sweden.

Defending champions Scotland stumbled to an 8-over-par 150 while the UAE team lead the way for the Arabian teams after a 13-over-par 157.

Khald Yousuf performed admirably with a 4-over-par 76 while Abdullah Al Musharrekh came in with a 9-over-par 81. Abdullah's brother Ahmed bogeyed four of the five closing holes to fall to an 11-over-par 83 and so his score was not counted towards the team's total. Egypt carded a 20-over-par opening round while Qatar posted a 37-over-par score.

CHILEAN Mark Tullo guaranteed his place on the 2011 European Tour with a superb victory at the Egyptian Open presented by SODIC while World No.9 Rory McIlroy hit top form over the weekend to delight the galleries and seal a 12^th place finish.

Tullo produced a superb 6-under-par 66 to rampage up the leaderboard to 13-under-par and seal a one-stroke victory over Dutchman Floris De Vries and Scotland’s George Murray.

Murray was one stroke clear of De Vries and five ahead of Tullo heading into the final day but only managed a level par 72 while De Vries posted a 71 to finish alongside the Scotsman. Tullo had a nervy wait after signing his card as he watched both players birdie the par-5 17^th to get to within a stroke, however neither could birdie the par-4 finishing hole to force a play-off and Tullo walked away with a cheque for €28,612.

“This is an amazing day for me – I won the Rolex Trophy earlier in the year when I was four behind going into the final round,” said Tullo. “I don’t know how I do it or why it happens but it feels great. Winning once is amazing but to do it twice in the year shows your consistency and that you are doing a really good job.

“Winning the second time, at this stage of the season, is so important for me – it has secured my card for The European Tour for next season and that is like a dream for me.”

One player Tullo can look forward to locking horns with again next year is Northern Irish Ryder Cup star McIlroy who didn’t get off to the best of starts but re-captured his game to post a strong finish.

The Ulsterman opened with a 1-under-par 71 but then posted a 2-over 74 to make the cut by just three strokes. He then bounced back with weekend rounds of 69 and 68 to finish on 6-under-par and in a share of 12^th place.

“That was my lowest of the week and it could have been a lot better as well,” said McIlroy after his 4-under-par final round. “I played really nicely today and carried it on from yesterday. I hit some really nice shots and it was definitely the best that I played all week.

“I missed four short ones for birdie in a row, all inside eight feet, on the back nine so it could have been very, very good but that’s the way it goes.

“It’s encouraging moving forward and for the rest of the season. There was a massive difference between how I hit the ball on Wednesday in the first round and how I hit it today so that’s really good.

“Wednesday was really bad – it was the worst that I have ever hit it as a professional, put it that way. Thursday was a bit better and then Friday was good and I carried that into the final round.”

McIlroy was impressed by the set-up at the JW Marriot Mirage City Golf Club in Cairo and despite his early problems on the golf course he admitted he was delighted with how the week went.

“Overall this week has been really good, I have really enjoyed the trip to Egypt,” he smiled. “The golf course was in fantastic condition and the hotel resort was excellent.

“It was cool to see the Pyramids even though it was a short trip but I was the first guy to ever hit balls at the Pyramids so that was brilliant. It has been a great week – hopefully I’ll be able to come back one day if it becomes a European Tour event.”

ITALIAN teenager Matteo Manassero became the youngest ever winner on The European Tour when he won the Castello Masters Costa Azahar at the age of 17 years and 188 days by four strokes from Igancio Garrido.

Manassero carded a second consecutive 4-under-par 67 to finish on 16-under-par 268 and earn a European Tour exemption until 2012.

His win beats the previous record held by Danny Lee who won the 2009 Johnnie Walker Classic as an amateur at the age of 18 years and 213 days and he also breaks Seve Ballesteros' record of becoming the youngest full European Tour member by 12 days.

“I was very nervous at the beginning and very nervous at the end - even with a good cushion of shots," said the youngster. "I couldn't really image being a winner in my first year, my aim was to keep my card and I did that in September, but now I am a winner. It's very special."

RICHARD Green carded a superb final round 7-under-par 65 for an 18-under-par total and a two stroke victory over four players at the Portugal Masters.

The Australian came from seven shots off the overnight lead held by Spaniard Pablo Martin to win his first European Tour title since the 2007 BA-CA Austrian Open.

“I thought I was a little too far back, being sort of seven shots behind the leader,” admitted Green. “But you know, I set out there today to shoot a good score and I had 64 in my mind and I thought if I got anywhere near, I would have a great week.

“And to be here now with the trophy is just a fantastic feeling. I’ve worked very hard, and I’ve had some opportunities to win this year and let them slip.”

Italian Ryder Cup player Francesco Molinari carded his second 10-under-par 62 of the week but was made to rue two 74s on the first and third rounds as he finished on 16-under-par. Sweden’s Robert Karlsson carded a 5-under-par 67 to finish on the same total with Dutchman Joost Luiten and Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano also sharing second place.

Overnight leader Martin suffered on the final day and posted a 3-over-par 75 to fall into a share of sixth place. The Spanish youngster held a three stroke lead after shooting a 63 in the third round but faltered down the stretch on the Sunday. Martin had reached 20-under-par when he birdied the par-5 fifth hole but a double bogey on hole 7 and bogeys on holes 13, 15 and 16 pegged him back. He did get a shot back with a birdie on 17 but then his challenge ended when he drove into the water on the 18^th and double bogeyed.

“I choked, basically,” sighed Martin. “Meltdown - it was pretty clear. You could see it on TV I guess. I don’t know.  I don’t know what can I say after that?

"I was playing ok, the double on seven - you only have to do two things right on this golf course, the two drives on hole 7 and 18, I hit both of them in the pond, exactly what you don't want to do." 

THAILAND’S Boonchu Ruangkit closed in on the John Jacobs Tropy – awarded for topping the European Senior Tour Order of Merit – by notching his fourth title of the season in spectacular fashion at the Benahavis Seniors Masters at La Quinta Golf & Country Club in Spain.

Ruangkit led by one going into the final round before a stunning final round 7-under par-64 saw him win by seven strokes from defending champion Carl Mason and John Gould. The win left the 54-year-old with €254,796 in prize money for the season with nearest challenger Chris Williams on €209,537 with just two tournaments left to play.

Ahmed Al Musharrekh qualified for the Egyptian Open with a fourth place finish at the Egyptian Amateur Open on October 2 which was won by Englishman Jack Senior (pictured).

Al Musharrekh becomes the first UAE national to qualify for the Egyptian Open at the Mirage City Golf Club in Cairo from October 20 to 23 after a tidy finish to proceedings at Kayameya Heights.

The number one UAE golfer, who featured in the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship earlier this year on a special invitation, carded rounds of 72, 76 and 72 to finish with a 4-over-par 220 total, five shots off winner Senior’s total.

"It feels great - the feeling of becoming the first golfer from the UAE to make it to the Egyptian Open hasn't sunk in yet," Said Al Musharrekh. "The competition was tough, but the key was to remain patient and concentrate on one shot at a time which I did.

"I need to work even harder if I am to do well against some of the top players on the European Challenge Tour. I am looking forward to the challenge ahead and hopefully meeting Rory McIlroy during the tournament."

A strong field of 51 golfers, including seven from the UAE, competed in the event with the first five making it to the Egyptian Open.

Senior defeated his compatriot Eddie Pepperell in a play-off to lift the trophy while third place went to South African Thabo Maseko. Al Musharrekh took fourth while Norwegian Mikkel Andersson wrapped up the final place in the Egyptian Open field with a fifth place finish and they will all rub shoulders with a top-class field in Cairo, spearheaded by Ryder Cup star McIlroy. 

JIM Furyk produced a superb up-and-down to win The Tour Championship by one stroke from Luke Donald and with it sealed the season-long FedEx Cup.

The American started the day one stroke ahead of his Ryder Cup rival Donald and South Africa’s Retief Goosen and closed with a 70 for an 8-under-par total and with it came the $10m FedEx Cup bonus.

“Three wins this year is very, very special to me. I’ve always put a big emphasis on winning golf tournaments and I was very disappointed in ‘08 and ‘09 not to win,” said Furyk. “I don’t think it’s sunk in to be honest with you. I’m usually not at a loss for words, and I struggled a little bit. I wasn’t so smooth in the ceremonies there afterwards.”

Furyk had extended his lead to three shots with three to play and at that point in proceedings six players were in with a chance of landing the FedEx Cup. He then made things interesting with back-to-back bogeys on 16 and 17 and then fired his hybrid on the 230-yard par-3 closing hole into a bunker. However, Furyk wasn’t overawed and splashed out to two feet and tapped in for a memorable finale.

“Forty years from now there should be a lot of history in this trophy, and to have Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk sounds - I'm very proud of that because those two can flat play,” said Furyk. “They’re two of the most dominant players of my era for sure.”

Englishman Donald did share the lead early in the final round but bogeys on holes 4 and 8 pegged him back. He did finish strongly – pitching in from 100 feet on the 17^th for a rare birdie – but he signed for a 70 to end the day where he began it.

“Obviously there’s a little bit of disappointment,” said the 32-year-old, who finished third on the FedEx Cup standing. “I had a good chance and I’m proud of myself for hanging in, but unfortunately I came up one short. I will try and crack that winner’s circle again soon, but hopefully I can take some of this good golf to the Ryder Cup.”

Goosen carded a 1-over-par 71 to finish third with Nick Watney and Paul Casey finishing in a share of fourth place on 5-under-par.

JOSE Manuel-Lara secured his European Tour card for 2011 with a gutsy play-off victory over Englishman David Lynn at the Austrian GolfOpen presented by Botarin. The Spaniard carded a final round 64 to get to 17-under-par, level alongside Lynn who shot a 68. On the first play-off hole Lynn drove into trouble and a simple two-putt par putt gave Lara his first European Tour title since the 2007 UBS Hong Kong Open.

“I have missed too many cuts in the past two years,” said Lara after picking up the €125,000 winner’s cheque  “And after playing so poorly, I could not imagine I could play so well as I have done all this week. Now I would like to climb into the top 60 and make the Dubai World Championship at the end of the year.”

Lara, who had missed nine successive cuts before finishing fourth at the KLM Open a week earlier, was eighth overnight but carded 10 birdies, along with two bogeys, in his 8-under-par round.  Lynn made a par at the last to force a play-off but then immediately handed the initiative to his rival with a nervy tee shot on the first play-off hole.

Lara found the fairway as they replayed the 18th while Lynn drove into a terrible lie just in front of a bunker in the right hand rough. Lynn could only lay up on the fairway, while Lara, using a 6-iron, found the centre of the green. Lynn’s third shot found the green but he left it 12 foot short.

Laras’s third shot, a putt from 30 feet, stopped three feet from the cup and after Lynn’s par putt came up short Lara tapped-in to seal the victory.

European Ryder Cup player Graeme McDowell carded rounds of 69, 68, 68 and 69 for a share of third place and proved he was in fine fettle ahead of Celtic Manor while Alexander Noren and Danny Willett finished alongside the Ulsterman on 14-under-par.

American Dustin Johnson won the BMW Championship at Cog Hill while Germany’s Martin Kaymer took home the KLM Open as the build up to The Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor gathers pace.

Johnson won his second title of the season after a late birdie saw him claim a one-stroke victory over Paul Casey and Kaymer romped to a four-stroke victory in the Netherlands to seal his sixth European Tour title.

Kaymer’s victory was the fifth in succession by a European Ryder Cup player on The European Tour with Ross Fisher also winning the 3 Irish Open in early August as well.

Both players will make their Ryder Cup debuts next month but both have had superb seasons. Kaymer is the game’s latest Major winner after he defeated Johnson at the US PGA Championship at Whistling Straits. Their respective performances both secured them their Ryder Cup berths.

“I felt like I really stayed in the moment,” said Johnson, “I didn't get ahead of myself. I tried not to watch the leaderboard too much. I really did a good job of just being patient.”

Johnson won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am earlier in the season while Kaymer was also successful in the early stages of the season at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship.

USA Ryder Cup Captain Corey Pavin has selected Tiger Woods, Ricky Fowler, Stewart Cink and Zach Johnson as his four wildcard selections for the 38th Ryder Cup at the Celtic Manor Resort in Wales next month.

The four join Phil Mickelson, Hunter Mahan, Bubba Watson, Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, Dustin Johnson, Jeff Overton and Matt Kuchar in the 12-man team.

"I like the overall blend of the team," said Pavin. "I was pleased with the eight after the PGA Championship and I think that these four players add to that blend nicely."

The 12 will be up against Colin Montgomerie's team of Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter, Ross Fisher, Francesco Molinari, Edoardo Molinari, Luke Donald, Padraig Harrington, Peter Hanson and Miguel Angel Jimenez.

MIGUEL Angel Jimenez held off a spirited charge from his Italian Ryder Cup colleague Edoardo Molinari to win his third European Tour title of the season at the Omega European Masters at Crans-sur-Sierre in Switzerland.

The Spaniard carded a final round 67 to finish on 21-under-par, three clear of Molinari while another Italian – 17-year-old Matteo Manassero - finished third on 16-under-par.

Jimenez was six shots clear with seven to play but his lead was slashed by Molinari to just one shot and then hit a tree with his tee shot on the 16^th. However, it was Molinari who dropped a shot on that hole while Jimenez got up and down for par and followed it up with a birdie to extend his lead.

“I made a good recovery at the 16th - that was probably the key to the day,” said Jiménez who became the eighth oldest winner on The European Tour at the age of 46.

“I love to come here. It’s not only my two times as runner-up, it’s the amount of times I have finished top ten and been in contention, so it means a lot.”

Manassero finished with a 68 and with a cheque for €125,200 has secured his European Tour card for next season in just six starts as a professional since May.

“Mission accomplished,” he said. “I am a full member for the first time. It was my goal and what I wanted to do and now I am here.”

EUROPEAN Ryder Cup Captain Colin Montgomerie has left out World No.9 Paul Casey from his wildcard selection and chosen Padraig Harrington, Luke Donald and Edoardo Molinari to complete his team.

The uncapped Italian Molinari, 29, won the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles and impressed Montgomerie sufficiently enough to leave out the experienced Casey and fellow Englishman Justin Rose – a two-time winner in America in 2010.

Molinari joins his brother Francesco on the team and the brothers are two of six rookies in Montgomerie’s 12-man team. Sweden’s Peter Hanson and Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez finished well at Gleneagles to make the team which is completed by Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher.

“It’s a delight that we have two thrilling players coming from an emerging country like Italy and it’s no secret as to who will be partnering each other at Celtic Manor,” Montgomerie said.

Edoardo Molinari, who also won The Barclays Scottish Open this summer, said: “I would have been happy a year ago to have enough money to keep my card by this time. Colin told me he was proud of what I had done and I said 'thank you very much and I can’t wait to get to Wales.’”

Harrington, who has not won a game in the last two Ryder Cups and not won a title since his last Major triumph at the 2008 US PGA Championship, said:  "It was obviously experience as the team is a young team. I won’t normally play the age card, but this time it obviously suits me.

“It’s tough on the two boys and it was an odd occasion. On one hand I’m happy for myself, but I did genuinely feel sorry for Paul.

“I commiserated with him. It’s not a nice place to be. But there’s no doubt myself and Paul, Justin and Luke didn’t play enough in Europe to make it on the team automatically.”

Donald missed out on a place in the team two years ago with a wrist injury while there are doubts over Lee Westwood's fitness ahead of Celtic Manor. The Englishman has been out of action since the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in August nursing a calf injury and if he fails to recover in time Rose will take his place in the side.

MARTIN Kaymer held his nerve to defeat American Bubba Watson in a three hole play-off and win his first Major title at the US PGA Championship at Whistling Straits.

The pair ended on 11-under-par but it was the German who edged home after Watson fell foul of the treacherous 18^th , double bogeying after finding the creek leaving Kaymer to seal the win with a two-putt bogey from 12 feet.

“In the regular round I felt a lot of pressure, especially on the last four or five holes," said Kaymer, who had five European Tour titles to his name prior to this triumph. “In the play-off I was very calm and confident. I just thought, 'don't make any stupid mistakes'.

“It was an amazing feeling on 18 with two putts to win - that felt pretty cool. I don’t realise what has just happened - I just won my first major and I am just on Tour for four years. I have goosebumps.”

Watson, who won his first US PGA Tour title earlier this season at the Travellers Championship, was disappointed but insisted that qualifying for his debut berth in The Ryder Cup in October more than made up for it. “I made the Ryder Cup, so that’s all I care about,” said the tall Floridian who carded a 4-under 68.

Fellow American Dustin Johnson had a putt to win outright on the 18^th but missed, however he later missed out on a place in the play-off after he was docked two strokes for grounding his club in sand earlier on the 18^th hole and ended with a 9-under-par total and in a share of fifth place.

Johnson held a one-shot lead as he went down the 18th but he drove it well right into a tiny patch of sand where the crowds had been gathered. He grounded his club, thinking it was grass that had been killed under foot.
”Walking up there, seeing the shot, it never once crossed my mind that I was in a sand trap,” Johnson said. “It’s very unfortunate. The only worse thing that could have happened was if I had made the putt.”

Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy posted a level-par 27 to finish one stroke behind the leaders on 10-under-par alongside 2007 Masters Champion Zach Johnson. The Ulsterman had a birdie putt on the last to get to 11-under but it slid past the hole and had to settle for par. McIlroy was also third at last year’s US PGA and also came third at The Open at St Andrews last month and he hit three birdies and three bogeys for his 72.

“It was just a weird day,” said the World No.7. “I’ll take the positives from it. It wasn’t the result I wanted, but it’s a learning experience.”

1995 US PGA winner Steve Elkington finished on 9-under alongside Dustin Johnson and Jason Dufner with Colombian Camilo Villegas in a tie for eighth place with China’s Liang Wen-chong.

HUNTER Mahan won the biggest title of his career as he shot a final round 6-under 64 for a two-stroke victory at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational while Tiger Woods faltered to his worst ever professional score.

Mahan finished on 12-under-par to finish ahead of Ryan Palmer by two and Retief Goosen and Bo Van Pelt by three and secured his second consecutive Ryder Cup berth in the process.

“I felt great, I knew I had a chance and to not make any bogeys on a Sunday gives you a great chance to win,” said Mahan. “On the final few holes I just told myself to make pars, I didn't want to open the door to anyone.

“The best players in the world are out here, it’s a beautiful golf course and it means a lot to me. It feels great, I knew I had it in me but to do it feels unbelievable.”

While Mahan was left celebrating the “huge honour” of representing the USA in The Ryder Cup, World No.1 Tiger Woods capitulated, carding a final round 77 for an 18-over par 298 total and in a share of 78^th place out of the field of 80 – only Sweden’s Henrik Stenson finished lower. Woods record at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational was superb with seven wins out of his last nine starts and he had not shot an over par round there since 2006, however he was clearly out of sorts and carded rounds of 74,72,75,77 for an 18-over par total.Woods currently sits outside of the top eight on the US Ryder Cup table with just one event to play - the US PGA Championship.

ENGLISHMAN Steve Gray has bagged a Golden Ticket for the golfing trip of a lifetime to play with the stars of The European Tour in The Invitational hosted by Abdullah Al Naboodah next year after winning the UK Qualifier held at Heythrop Park Resort in Oxfordshire on Wednesday July 28^th.

The event proved to be a roaring success with a full field of competitors, including BBC Radio Five Live Presenter Spoony turning out to play for the sensational prize. The Heythrop Park Resort course was in wonderful condition and players could scarcely believe that the layout is less than 12 months old. The event was played in an 18-hole strokeplay format with full handicap allowance and there was some terrific golf on display. It was tight at the top of the leaderboard and when the scores were calculated three players – Pete Brady (5), Ed Kelly (5) and Steve Gray (12) – were tied on net 70 so a return trip down the par-5 18^th was needed to find a winner.

With so much on the line, tensions were understandably running high and all three players made six but Steve took the spoils after receiving a shot on the stroke index 11 hole. Steve will now join the likes of Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Ross Fisher and Graeme McDowell at Yas Links in Abu Dhabi in the UAE next January to compete in the prestigious ‘invite only’ event.

Prizes at the Qualifier were provided by Titleist and handed out by Spoony, who gave a glowing account of his experience playing in The Invitational in 2010, while £600 was raised for the Make A Wish Foundation UK through an auction for a number of signed photographs of Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group sponsored players Graeme McDowell and Ross Fisher.

In last January’s Invitational World No.3 Westwood shared the individual Pro’s title with Darren Clarke, while former Irish jockey James Collins, who gained entry through the GOLDEN TICKET qualifier in Dubai, and Australian Tour player Richard Green came second in the Pro-Am behind the winners, Westwood and Host, Abdullah Al Naboodah.

For more information, visit www.theinvitational.com

AUSTRALIAN Stuart Appleby became the fifth player – and the first non-American – to shoot a 59 on the US PGA Tour on his way to winning the Greenbrier Classic in West Virginia.

Appleby carded nine birdies and an eagle on the 12^th which saw him come from seven shots back at the start of play and beat Jeff Overton by a stroke. The feat came less than a month after Paul Goydos posted a 59 during the opening round of the John Deere Classic.

ENGLAND'S Ross Fisher showed nerves of steel and the class of a true champion as he saw off all comers to claim his fourth European Tour title with a record-equalling 18-under 266 at the 3 Irish Open in Killarney.

With three-time Major champion and local hero Padraig Harrington breathing down his neck, Worldwide Golf columnist Fisher kept his composure to equal Colin Montgomerie's tournament low score set nine years ago, winning £415,973 and propelling himself into the automatic spots for Monty's Ryder Cup team in the process.

"It just feels great to come out on top against such a world-class field," said Fisher. "I could hear the roars and knew Padraig was making a charge. I just tried to stay patient and this is what we play for - we want to give ourselves a chance and I am no different.

"A Ryder Cup debut has been my goal this year and there's still going to be some changes and shifting around in the qualifying table.

"But this is just the first tournament in a very important three weeks and I am now going to go into the Bridgestone Invitational and the USPGA looking forward to playing well again.

"They are two very big tournaments and I want to go out there and prove this win was not a fluke. I want to show Monty I am playing well."

Fisher, with new caddie Phil 'Wobbly' Morbey on the bag for the first time, had taken the lead when he came close to becoming the first person to shoot 59 on The European Tour with a blistering 10-under 61 in the second round to open up a three-stroke lead over Italian Francesco Molinari. It looked like it was going to be plain sailing when he extended his advantage to six shots after four birdies from his opening seven holes in the third round. But a double bogey on eight followed by a stuttering back nine opened the door to a host of challengers as he signed for 71 to lead by one from Molinari and Englishman Chris Wood. Spain's Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano was one stroke further back on 10-under with Harrington lurking ominously in a group on 9-under.

It seemed like the whole of Ireland had turned out to cheer Harrington on in the final round and he responded with some wonderful play. Four birdies over a flawless front nine put him right in the mix and he drew level with Fisher when he sunk a 10-foot eagle putt on the 16th. But Fisher stayed cool and responded with back-to-back birdies on 15 and 16 before closing out a memorable victory with two pars for a 65.

Harrington, who closed with an impressive 64 for his 27th runner-up spot said: "I had a lot of chances. I've been comfortable with my game for a while but I have to trust it a little more. I shouldn't get so stressed - I just have to let it happen more."

Wood (68), still searching for his first win, tied for third place with Fernandez-Castano (67) on 14-under.

BERNHARD Langer won the The Senior Open Championship at Carnoustie after holding off the challenge of US Ryder Cup Captain Corey Pavin with a final round 72 for a one-stroke victory.

The German, who was Europe’s Ryder Cup Captain in 2004, started the day three strokes ahead of Pavin and could afford to bogey the last to seal his first Senior Major.

“This ranks very high,” said Langer. “Obviously it was pretty close to my two Masters titles and some of The Ryder Cup stuff I won – it’s a thrill to finally hold this trophy.

“Corey played very well all day, he’s a beautiful ball striker and bends the ball both directions and he has a great short game. I knew he wouldn’t go away.

“You still get nervous, and especially a Championship that means something to you. As you know, I've always wanted to win The Open Championship and this is the next best thing. I probably will not win The Open Championship, but I’m very pleased to win The Senior Open Championship on a great golf course like this.”

After the pair teed off in the final group it was clear that no-one within striking distance could put together a challenge for the title so the finale had a slight match play feel to it.

Pavin struck first with a birdie on the second before Langer increased his lead back to three at the fifth. His lead grew further when Pavin dropped a shot on hole 7 but then Langer had a slight wobble with back-to-back bogeys on eight and nine. Pavin then got to within one stroke with a birdie at the 11^th before both players tapped in for a birdie on the par-5 14^th. However Langer then got up and down to save par on the next hole while Pavin bogeyed after finding a greenside bunker. Pavin then needed a two shot swing on the final hole to have any hope of a play-off but couldn’t hole his lengthy birdie putt and Langer closed out with a bogey to seal the victory.

“It’s tough when you almost win,” said Pavin, who was playing in his first Senior Open Championship and closed with a 70. “It’s almost harder when you just finish second and not win – it’s disappointing.

“I played well, and Bernhard didn’t play his best golf today I would say, but he did what he needed to do to win, and that’s what it's about. I just came up one shot short, that’s all.”

American Jay Don Blake, who held the lead in the opening round alongside Langer after a 67, finished in a share of third place, four strokes back from the German on 1-under-par, alongside Russ Cochran, Fred Funk and Peter Senior. Defending champion Loren Roberts finished in a share of 14^th place on 3-over-par.

RYDER Cup Captain Colin Montgomerie has selected European Tour stalwarts Thomas Björn, Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley as his three Vice Captains for the 38^th instalment of the event at Celtic Manor, Wales in October.

Montgomerie said: “The Ryder Cup is about passion, commitment and will to win and all three men I have named today as my Vice Captains possess these qualities in abundance.

“Thomas Björn, Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley are vastly experienced players who have the respect and admiration of everyone in golf. They have all been part of successful European Ryder Cup Teams in the past and know the players who will be part of my team at Celtic Manor in October as well as anyone.

“I am delighted to have them by my side as we head to Wales and I know they will be of invaluable assistance to me and everyone associated with the Team as we aim to regain The Ryder Cup.”

UNHERALDED South African Louis Oosthuizen produced a performance that rivalled the supremacy of Tiger Woods at St Andrews ten years ago to secure a maiden Major title at the home of golf and cap a sensational year of sport for South Africa.

Oosthuizen was the very definition of calm as the gusts coming in off the North Sea blew away his competitors and he was left to stroll to a seven-stroke victory ahead of Lee Westwood.

“It’s unbelievable,” he beamed after following in the footsteps of Bobby Locke at St Andrews and Gary Player and Ernie Els as winners of The Open. “It was a battle for me to keep calm round this course. That was the biggest goal for me, to keep calm. It’s probably going to hit me tomorrow or the week after what I did.”

The 27-year-old began the final day with a four-stroke lead over Paul Casey and after an inspirational chat with Player prior to teeing off he carded a stress-free 1-under-par 71 to finish on 16-under-par for the tournament.

“We had a chat in my home language Afrikaans,” said Oosthuizen. “He said to stay calm, have a lot of fun and that the crowd was going to be on Paul’s side.

“Then he told me the story when he played against Arnold Palmer when he won his first Masters. He said they wanted to throw stuff at him, but he was so focused on beating him in Augusta. It meant a lot him phoning me up. He’s just a great guy.”

Oosthuizen opened with seven straight pars but when he bogeyed hole 8 his lead was down to three strokes from Casey and the crowd showed their support for the Englishman as they sensed a change in fortune. However, the 5’ 10” powerhouse from Mossel Bay moved quickly to exert his dominance, sinking a raking eagle putt on the following hole after driving the green. Casey made a birdie but with the gap back to four strokes Oosthuizen could breath a little easier.

He made it to 17-under on hole 12 while Casey wound up with a triple bogey after hitting some gorse bushes and from there the result was a formality. Westwood couldn’t apply any real pressure on the outward half, making his first birdie on the ninth. A bogey on the 12^th pegged him back to level par for the day but back-to-back birdies on 13 and 14 gave him second place. He bogeyed the 17^th Road Hole but birdied the last to hang on to second on 9-under-par and secure his fourth top-three finish in the last five Majors. Casey wound up with a 3-over 75 and a share of third place alongside Rory McIlroy and Henrik Stenson on 8-under.

Oosthuizen did drop a shot on the 17^th but a simple par at the last was all that was required for him to take golf’s biggest prize on what was Nelson Mandela’s 92^nd birthday.

“It’s amazing. I woke up this morning and I didn’t know it was his birthday, but I saw it on the news,” said Oosthuizen. “It felt a bit special out there. When I walked down the 18th I was thinking about his birthday and then my manager also gave me a list of things for my speech and it was also in there. What he’s done for our country is unbelievable.”

Another of his fellow countryman on his thank-you list was 2002 Open Champion Ernie Els. Oosthuizen revealed that the experienced he gained in his three years in the Ernie Els Foundation set him up perfectly for a career in professional golf. Before turning pro Oosthuizen admitted that Els had funded and supported his progress and said that he wouldn’t be where he is today without his help as his father didn’t earn enough to financially back the youngster to go all the way.

“At that stage things weren’t going that great on the farm, and we just heard of this foundation which had just started,” he explained. “It was an unbelievable three years with what Ernie did for me, travelling around the country, helping with expenses, giving clinics, things like that. He’s such a good mentor, probably without him I wouldn’t be here. It’s just nice knowing him; he’s just a great, great guy to be around.”

The Big Easy himself is proud of his young protégée after he became the first Major winner to progress through his foundation.

“This is absolutely unbelievable,” said Els, who won at Muirfield eight years ago.

“It would be difficult to find anybody in the world who is more proud of him right now.

“He comes from a little town on the outskirts of George in South Africa and needed help so we took him into the foundation and educated him and sent him to various tournaments around the country and also the world.

“I could not be happier. He is our first Major champion and has made us all very proud. His life will change but he won’t. He is simply a wonderful kid. You cannot find a better one. I thought long before anybody had heard of him that he was going to be an exceptional player.”

Words quickly came in from Player too, who never doubted the youngster’s temperament in what was the biggest moment of his career to date.

“He’s very, very good, has a magnificent golf swing and has got a lot of experience," said the 74-year-old three-time Open Champion. “He has won golf tournaments and is very, very strong physically but he doesn’t look like it when you see him walking along the fairways with waterproofs on.

“He wants to buy a farm, it’s a great incentive and I understand because that’s how I wanted to win to buy my farm and that’s my great joy in life.”

Prior to his historic win Oosthuizen had won five times on the South African Sunshine Tour and finally made his European Tour breakthrough earlier this year at the Open de Andalucia de Golf in Spain. Now he’s setting his sights on more Major glory after getting the taste for it around the most famous track in the world.

JUSTIN Rose won for the second time in three starts on the US PGA Tour with a one-stroke victory over Ryan Moore at the AT&T National.

Just a week earlier the Englishman had surrendered a three-shot lead at the final round of the Travelers Championship, collapsing on the back nine for a 75. However, after building a five shot lead heading into the back nine at the AT&T Rose held on, hitting every green in regulation for an even-par 70 for a 10-under total to fend off the charging Moore and take home his second title of the season.

“I knew having not closed out last week it was important for me - just for myself - to do it today,” said Rose, who won The Memorial Tournament at the start of June. “Still, it’s never easy to close these things out, I’ll tell you.”

Rose eagled the ninth to take a five-stroke lead but then back-to-back three-putt bogeys on holes 10 and 11 gave Moore a glimmer of hope. The American one-putted his last eight greens for a round-of-the-day 5-under-par 65 to make Rose sweat right to the last green.

“I knew level par would get the job today,” Rose said. “Every two-putt felt like hard work coming in, I’ve got to tell you. It was good fun. I felt very much in control of my emotions, and it’s been a long week. But I’m very glad we've got to this point with a win.”

The Heythrop Park Invitational Qualifier is taking place at Heythrop Park Resort on July 28^th with a place in The Invitational hosted by Abdullah Al Naboodah, which will be held in the UAE in January 2011, up for grabs. The Invitational sees some of the world's best players join forces with local amateurs for a day of great golf and banter. Expected to be in the field are 2009 competitors: US Open Champion Graeme McDowell, European No.1 Lee Westwood, Darren Clarke, Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia, Paul Casey, Ross Fisher and Steve Webster and many more.

The winner of the 18-hole Heythrop Park event and their partner will enjoy a four-night trip to the United Arab Emirates, including flights, to enjoy the competition and the wonderful hospitality of the emirates.

The partnership with Titleist means that a selection of additional great prizes will be on offer at Heythrop Park Resort including bags, wedges, travel covers and balls. Prizes will be awarded for: First, Second and Third place; Best Gross; Best Lady; Nearest The Pin and Longest Drive. Proceeds from the event will be given to the children's charity, the Make A Wish Foundation.

Two-time European Tour winner Steve Webster was at Heythrop Park Resort recently to officially launch the event by taking part in the Heythrop Challenge. His task was to carry the lake on the 314-yard par-4 sixth hole and stop the ball on the green, something only two previous players had managed. Steve showed his professional talent by pulling it off to win a complementary membership worth £1,250.

"It was a fun day and I was really impressed with the course at Heythrop Park Resort - I think it will make a great venue for the Invitational Qualifier," said Steve.

The qualifying event is open to male and female golfers, aged 18 and above, who hold an official handicap certificate (maximum handicap 18 for men, 28 for ladies).

For more information, visit the EVENTS section of the Worldwide Golf website or visit http://www.theinvitational.com/.

The closing date for entries is Wednesday, July 21^st, 2010. The entry fee is £75, which includes green fees, range balls, prizes and buffet. To enter email goldenticket@theinvitational.com for an entry form and fax it to Heythrop Park Resort on 01608 673 418.

ENGLAND’S David Horsey held off compatriot Ross Fisher for the biggest title of his career with a one-stroke victory at the BMW International Open in Munich.

The 25-year-old was in joint fifth place overnight but shot a final round 67 to finish on 18-under and pip Fisher to the title

“Never really in my wildest dreams did I think I would win this tournament,” said Horsey, who topped the Challenge Tour ranking in 2008 and who had already posted two runners-up finishes on the main circuit.

“I wasn’t really in the mix until 16 and coming down the last I didn’t know what was going on. I just wanted to concentrate on what I was doing.

“The last few weeks have been a bit of a struggle (three missed cuts in a row) and I just wanted to relax this week. This win is what I’ve been trying to get for over a year. I felt I was good enough coming out on Tour, but maybe I put a little bit too much pressure on myself.”

GREAME McDowell became the first European winner of the US Open since Tony Jacklin in 1970 by clinching his maiden Major title by one stroke at Pebble Beach.

The Northern Irishman carded a 3-over par 74 to finish level par for the tournament, one stroke ahead of French qualifier Gregory Havret with Ernie Els two shots back in third and Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods tied fourth.

“It’s an absolute dream come true, I’ve dreamed about this all my life,” said McDowell, who is sponsored by The Al Naboodah Group and won his fifth European Tour title in Wales two weeks earlier.

McDowell started the day three shots back from leader Dustin Johnson – a two time winner at Pebble Beach on the US PGA Tour. However, Johnson carded a triple bogey on the second hole and then fell behind with further dropped allowing McDowell to take the lead which he didn’t relinquish.

McDowell, from Portrush becomes the first Northern Irishman to win a major since Fred Daly clinched The Open at Hoylake in 1947 and the first Brit to win since Paul Laurie won at Carnoustie in 1999.

Havret, who came through 36 holes of qualifying at Walton Heath to make his first US Open, had two putts for birdie to catch McDowell on 17 and 18 but missed both. “I’m caught in between the best surprise of my life and the biggest disappointment too,” said the World No.390. “I’m second, which is probably the worst place, but it’s such a dream to play good golf here, four rounds beautifully.”

Egypt will find itself as a venue on the European Challenge Tour for the first time this year when the 2010 Egyptian Open – one of the world’s oldest Open golf events – is staged at Cairo’s Mirage City Golf Course from Wednesday, October 20 to Saturday, October 23.

With $250,000 in prize-money at stake and in prime position as the last European Challenge Tour event before the Apulla San Domenico Grand Final in Italy the following week, the Egyptian Open is expected to attract a powerful field, while negotiations are currently underway with one of the world’s best players to appear as a guest invite.

“Following the success of the event in 2009 and the support we received from the Challenge Tour, we are proud that the Egyptian Open has achieved full European Challenge Tour status and is now part of the official Order of Merit,” said Egyptian Golf Federation Chairman Ayman Hussein.

“As well as around 80 players from the European Challenge Tour, around a third of the field will be made up of local and regional invites and qualifiers. This is important to us at the Egyptian Golf Federation as the event has a tradition for being a showcase of the best in Egyptian golf as well as the region.”

Home-based players looking to rub shoulders with the likes of last year’s champion Steven Tiley and the cream of the European Challenge Tour will have the opportunity of securing their places in a number of events staged between now and the tournament itself.

As well as the Closed Championship of Egypt, the Egyptian Amateur Open and the Red Sea Amateur Open, players can qualify from their standings in the Egyptian PGA rankings with amateurs having to be of three handicap or less to be eligible.

Hussein added: “It is especially exciting for us is to have allocated the top five spots in the 54-hole Egyptian Amateur Open to be held September 30th to October 2^nd at Katameya Heights Golf and Tennis Resort to qualify to play in the 2010 Egyptian Open.

“We are encouraging all amateurs in the region, whether Arab Nationals or expats, to enter this Egyptian Amateur Open which, we believe, will add significant kudos and credibility to the Egyptian golf calendar. We are also in the process of inviting representatives from the Golf Associations of the Arab Golf Federation to the 2010 Egyptian Amateur Open.”

Now in its 24^th year, the European Challenge Tour has developed into a proven training ground where the stars of the future can hone their skills over 72-hole competition and under differing conditions in a substantial number of countries within Europe and beyond.

Widely regarded as a valuable stepping-stone onto The European Tour, the Challenge Tour has achieved incredible growth. It caters for aspiring, ambitious young hopefuls who aim to follow in the footsteps of Challenge Tour graduates such as Thomas Bjorn, Michael Campbell, Niclas Fasth, Trevor Immelman, Ian Poulter, Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson and Oliver Wilson. In 2009, the European Challenge Tour carried a total prize fund of more than €4 million during a season of 24 tournaments in eighteen countries.

A true test of character, the Tour offers only the top twenty ‘promotion’ each year to The European Tour but scores have gone on to become tournament winners on The European Tour with many earning Ryder Cup honours.

“We were impressed with the way the event was staged last year and received very positive feedback from all of the players who took part,” said Nick Tarratt, Director The European Tour International, Dubai Office. “The fact that Egypt will be the last chance of qualification for the 45 places available at the end-of-season Grand Final in Italy means Cairo will command a strong field.”

LEE Westwood made the perfect preparation for this week’s US Open at Pebble Beach with a play-off victory over Robert Karlsson and Robert Garrigus at the St Jude Classic in Memphis.

American Garrigus needed a six on the par-4 closing hole to win his maiden PGA Tour title but wound up with a triple bogey to drop back to 10-under-par, level with the two Europeans, and it was Westwood who prevaled with a birdie on the fourth extra hole.

“It’s definitely nice to win again,” admitted Westwood, whose last victory on the PGA Tour was in 1998 in New Orleans. “Nobody likes negative questions when you try to be positive all the time. Golf is a funny game. Sometimes it gives. Sometimes it takes away.”

Westwood began the final round three shots behind Garrigus but quickly raced into a one shot lead with three earlier birdies. However, Garrigus picked himself up with birdies of his own on holes 8, 10, 15 and 16 to take back the lead as Westwood could only play par golf.

Westwood then bogeyed the 17th to seemingly hand the title to Garrigus but the American then proceeded the blow his chances on the final hole in regulation.

On the first extra hole Garrigus was eliminated with a bogey before Westwood finally pipped Karlsson to the title with a birdie three holes later after the pair shared pars.

GOLFERS in the region have been handed a golden opportunity to play a stroke play event at Heythrop Park Resort at Enstone, Chipping Norton, on July 28, and qualify for one of the most prestigious Pro-Ams in the game.

The winner of the 18-hole tournament at Heythrop Park Resort will have the pleasure of playing alongside some of the best players on The European Tour in The Invitational hosted by Abdullah Al Naboodah at one of the most spectacular golf clubs in the United Arab Emirates in January 2011.

This exclusive opportunity is the only international qualifying event to win a money-can’t-buy invite to play The Invitational Pro-Am – it’s a strictly invitation-only tournament – and the winner and their partner will have a four-night trip to the United Arab Emirates, including flights, to enjoy the competition and the wonderful hospitality of the emirates.

Graeme McDowell, winner of last weekend’s Wales Open at Celtic Manor Resort, venue for this year’s Ryder Cup, is a regular competitor at The Invitational. “The Invitational is the most fun event of any Pro-Am I’ve ever played,” he says. “The field is as good as any European Tour event but although it’s competitive, the banter between the players and the spectators makes it something special.”

In last January’s event World No.3 Lee Westwood shared the individual Pro’s title with Darren Clarke, while former Irish jockey James Collins, who gained entry through the GOLDEN TICKET qualifier, and Australian Tour player Richard Green came second in the Pro-Am behind the winners, Lee Westwood and Host, Abdullah Al Naboodah.

Among the other leading players in the field were Rory McIlroy, Paul Casey, Sergio Garcia, Ross Fisher, Steve Webster and many more – all of whom are expected to play again next January.

The qualifying event is open to male and female golfers, aged 18 and above, who hold an official handicap certificate (maximum handicap 18 for men, 28 for ladies).

For more information, visit the EVENTS section of the Worldwide Golf website or visit www.theinvitational.com.

The closing date for entries is Wednesday, July 21^st, 2010. The entry fee is £75, which includes green fees, range balls, prizes and buffet. To enter email goldenticket@theinvitational.com for an entry form and fax it to Heythrop Park Resort on 01608 673 418.

JUSTIN Rose won his first title on US soil with a stunning three-shot victory at The Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village.

Rose shot a bogey-free 66 to overturn Rickie Fowler’s four shot lead to beat the youngster with an 18-under-par total.

Fowler, who had lead for three days, settled for second place with Ricky Barnes and Bo Van Pelt finishing third and fourth respectively.

“I couldn’t wish for a better place (to win) – it’s an honour,” Rose said after holing the winning putt on his 162nd start on the PGA Tour. “I have had a few close calls and sometimes you wonder why you can’t get it done. But when you do it feels easy. It’s nice to have the hard work pay off.”

Fowler, 21, posted rounds of 65, 66 and 69 to lead by four going into the last day but bogeyed the 10th before making a disastrous double bogey on the par-3 12th to hand Rose the lead. Rose had gone out in 4-under 32 after four birdies in five holes before birdies on holes 14 and 16 to put daylight between himself and Fowler. With Fowler teeing off on the 18th three shots back, Rose rolled in a simple par putt to seal the victory.

GRAEME McDowell secured his fifth European Tour title at the Celtic Manor Wales Open, enhancing his bid to return to the venue as part of Europe’s Ryder Cup team later this year.

McDowell, who made his Ryder Cup bow two years ago after two wins in Europe, shot a final round 8-under-par 63 to post a 15-under-par total and win by three shots from Welshman Rhys Davies who carded a 62.

“I think that’s the best final round I’ve ever played to win a tournament,” said McDowell. “The first 11 holes was dream golf and I am ecstatic. I feel like I’m in the form of my life right now and I really feel I have a big event in me. To win around here is certainly going to stand me in good stead.”

Luke Donald finished two shots further back on 10-under-par while Scot Stephen Gallacher bogeyed the final two holes to finish in a three-way tie for fourth with Robert Rock and Italian Edoardo Molinari.

LUKE Donald bounced back from the disappointment of missing out at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth by winning the Madrid Masters by one shot from Rhys Davies.

The 32-year-old was level with Davies with three to play but holed a 12-foot eagle putt on the 16th to go a shot clear of the Welshman who made a birdie. Both then parred the 17th and Davies missed a 20-footer for birdie on the final green to leave Donald in the winner’s circle for the first time in four years.

“It’s been a while since I won and to put last week behind me makes me very proud,” said Donald, whose last victory came in 2006 at The Honda Classic in Florida. “The way I played today means a lot to me. The eagle was huge because Rhys put a lot of pressure on me. It’s happiness and relief - definitely some relief.”

Donald closed with a 67 to Davies’ 68 for a 21-under-par total and moved up to ninth on the Official World Golf Rankings to join compatriots Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Paul Casey inside the top ten.

Davies, who turned 25 on the Friday, almost added to his maiden victory on The European Tour at the Trophee Hassan II in Morocco but fell just short behind the experienced Donald.

“I didn’t make a bogey in the final group in a big tournament,” Davies said. “It didn’t quite come off, but I’ve got lots to be pleased about.

“I was chasing the win and I just came up short unfortunately. On the 16th I thought I might keep the momentum (he had birdied 15 to pull level), but he threw in an eagle to be fair to him.”

SIMON Khan got the nod on the Monday that he had a place in the field at The BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth and drove off six days later with the biggest win of his career to date. The 37-year-old from Essex was a last minute sponsor’s invite and made the most of it with a stunning performance on the new-look West Course, shooting a final round 5-under 66 to win by one shot from Luke Donald and Fredrik Andersson Hed.

“I was determined to make the most of the invite and play like I know I can,” said Khan, who started the final round seven shots off the lead on 1-under. “Today was surreal. The course was tough with the condition it was in and the pin positions but I didn’t know the position I was in until around the 16^th. It’s an amazing event, it’s inspired me for years.”

Khan set the clubhouse target of 6-under-par after sinking a birdie putt on the 18^th that ran around the hole before finally dropping, leaving him pumping the air in delight.

From there all eyes were on Donald. The Englishman, who hasn’t won a title in four years, was on 6-under with two holes to play but disaster struck. Donald blocked his drive on the 17^th into a holly bush and wound up making a double bogey seven leaving him needing an eagle on the revamped 18^th to match Khan’s total. It was just what course re-designer Ernie Els wanted. The new stream running across the 18^th green was added to plant doubt in the player’s mind – an increase in the ‘risk and reward’ factor. For Donald the risk was too great and he laid up which left him with a 100-yard shot for eagle. To his credit he almost holed it but the ball checked at the crucial moment and spun back, ending six feet away from the hole and leaving Khan delighted – a world away from the feeling he had after losing his European Tour card last year.

“This has got to be the best year for me to win this tournament,” he smiled. “To lose your card, and to realise at that moment that it’s gone; that was the worst I’ve ever felt. Now this – it’s unbelievable to be standing here right now. This means everything. This tournament is the reason I started playing golf and just being here is special.”

AUSTRALIAN Jason Day wrapped up his first PGA Tour title in nervy fashion with a two-stroke victory over Brian Gay, Jeff Overton and Blake Adams in the HP Byron Nelson Championship in Texas.

Day nearly withdrew from the tournament after feeling ill prior to teeing off on the Thursday but wound up in the winner’s circle on the Sunday after closing out with a bogey on the 18th. Day found water with his approach shot but was given a reprieve when his closest rival and playing partner Adams also put his in the water after admitting he didn’t see Day’s ball get wet.

Day wound up with bogey to claim the title on 10-under while Adams carded a double to drop into a share of second place.

“To finally come through with a win - I’m just so happy,” said Day. “It’s finally good to just put in the hard work and get the job done. I’m so happy that I had my family and friends in town to see it too.”

Day said a dose of anti-biotics had made him feel queasy prior to the opening round but he played on because of a four-hour rain delay that allowed him to relax and recuperate. He went out and shot a 4-under 66 to take a share of the lead and was in the mix at the top of the leaderboard all week before eventually crossing the finishing line with a 2-over 72. Adams also carded a 72 while Overton posted a 71 to finish on 8-under, Gay also finished on 8-under after carding a best-of-the-day 7-under 63 to shoot up 36 places.

Sixteen-year-old high school student Jordan Spieth made a name for himself on his PGA Tour debut shooting rounds of 68, 69, 67 and 72 for a 4-under total and a share of 16th place. Defending champion Rory Sabbatini finished in a share of 43rd in his attempt to become the first repeat winner of the HP Byron Nelson Championship since Tom Watson won three in a row from 1978-80.

Adam Scott ended a two-year drought on The PGA Tour with a one-stroke victory over Fredrik Jacobson at the Valero Texas Open.

After heavy rain washed out play on Friday 36 holes were played on Sunday and Scott found a hot streak with rounds of 66 and 67 for a 14-under-par total.

“It was a long old day but when you get hot it’s good to play 36 holes sometimes,” he said. “Obviously it feels great to win any event anywhere, but to win on The PGA Tour again is a big step. It was a good field here this week.”

After his third round 66 Scott was four strokes off the lead held by J.B Holmes and he quickly moved up the leaderboard with four birdies on the opening nine. He then birdied holes 10 and 12 to move clear, 6-under for the day, before pulling a short par putt on the final green to leave Jacobson – who was still on the course – in with a chance of victory.

The Swede, who carded a top-ten finish at The Players Championship a week earlier had makeable birdie putts down the stretch - including both 17 and 18 - to match Scott’s clubhouse target but failed to hole any to leave Scott in the winner’s circle.

“I certainly felt with five holes to go I could do something,” Jacobson said. “I had good feelings coming from the morning round. I gave myself good looks on all five of them but it just didn’t happen.”

HANK Haney has resigned as Tiger Woods’ swing coach after a six-year relationship with the World No.1.

Haney, who starting working with Woods in 2004, said: “I will always look back upon our past half-dozen years together as my best days in professional golf. It would be a dream of any coach to have a student like Tiger Woods and for me it has come true.

“Just so there is no confusion I would like to make it clear that this is my decision. I know Tiger Woods will be successful in the future no matter who helps him.”

Haney, who took over the role of Woods’ swing coach from Butch Harmon, added: “As we all know, Tiger has been through a lot in the past six months and I really believe that given the chance, mind-free and injury-free, we will all see Tiger Woods play once again like we all know he can.”

Meanwhile Woods said he will have an MRI scan on his neck after withdrawing from The Players Championship midway through the final round with neck spasms but did confirm they were not connected with any injuries sustained in his car accident last November.

“For me not to play all 18 holes, that was as angry and as frustrated as I’ve been in a long time,” said Woods at TPC Sawgrass. “I’ve dealt with other things in my life where people said that I was pretty much done and come back. So the whole idea is just to keep fighting every day. It’s all I can do.”

TIM Clark roared to his maiden US PGA Tour victory with a stunning final round 5-under 67 for a one-stroke victory over Robert Allenby at The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass – his first win in 206 starts on American soil.

The South African made five birdies in a six-hole stretch around the turn to shoot up the leaderboard and post a clubhouse lead of 16-under-par which nobody could match.

“That’s as good as I could have played,” said Clark, who posted weekend rounds of 66 and 67 to set a new 36-hole comeback record at The Players Championship. “I’m hoping that this will give me that little extra confidence that I needed. This may just be what gets me started.

“I had the last two weeks off and didn’t even hit balls I was playing so badly but I just found something that clicked.”

Clark clicked into life on the par-4 seventh making birdie and then parred the treacherous 234-yard par-3 eighth. He then picked up four strokes in a row to get to 5-under-par for the day and into contention alongside overnight leader Lee Westwood and Allenby.

He parred the remaining six holes and then had a nervy wait to see if either player could catch him. Westwood lipped out an eight foot birdie putt on the par-5 16th leaving him two strokes behind with two to play while Allenby did make birdie to leave him one behind on the 17th tee.

The Australian nailed his approach to 11 feet while Westwood’s attempt fell short and into the water which ended his tournament. Allenby’s putt was agonisingly close, falling just short of the cup before incredibly rolling back one inch. He then missed a tough 47 foot putt from off the green on 18 which confirmed Clark as the winner.

“It went up to the hole, stayed on top then rolled back about an inch,” said Allenby about his putt on 17. “That was probably the most disbelief that I’ve ever witnessed, especially in those circumstances, knowing that it’s got to go in to tie Tim. For it to go up to the hole and take a little look over the top and then come back, that was a bit rude.”

RORY McIlroy shot an incredible 10-under-par 62 to win his first PGA Tour title at the Quail Hollow Championship by four strokes from Masters champion Phil Mickelson.

The 20-year-old made an eagle and eight birdies in his final round as he broke the course record in North Carolina to become the youngest winner on the American circuit since Tiger Woods in 1996.

“I’m delighted - I don’t think I’ve ever played a better round in my life,” beamed McIlroy after his 15-under-par total. “I’m just so excited. I got off to a pretty slow start this week and had to fight to make the cut and the weekend was just very, very special.”

McIlroy made the weekend’s play on the cut-line at 1-over-par and then fired rounds of 6-under and 10-under to take home the title. “I suppose I just got in the zone. I didn’t realise I was going eight, nine, 10-under-par. I just knew I’d got my nose in front, I was just trying to stay there.

“Ever since I was 10 or 11, I wanted to be a professional golfer and you know it's been a crazy ride to this point. I’m going to have a bit of a party - if I was back home and had a win like this I’d be having a good one tonight.”

Currently only the front nine of the Kyle Phillips designed layout is open for play so the Yas Links Open will be played over two loops of those nine holes playing from two different teeing grounds. 

Prizes will be awarded to the winners in both gross and net divisions.  The tournament has been oversubscribed with over 100 entries so a handicap ballot was taken to get the field down to the desired 60 and one thing for certain is that the region's first true links course will be a unique challenge for all participating.

Nick Oakley, Director of Golf at Yas Links said: "We are very excited to host the Yas Links Open, the course is in great condition considering its maturity and we are sure the guys will enjoy it.  This is a very special course and when we launch the full 18 in June there is no doubt this will be regarded as one of the best in the region."

Yas Links needed to host the tournament over the nine holes in order to qualify for the Order of Merit events in 2011. Nick went on to say: "Obviously we would have loved to host the event over the full 18 holes but due to deadlines within the EGF calendar we had to host it this way.  The back nine holes are developing very quickly and will be ready by June 1^st".

The Yas Links Ladies open will take place on the 11^th May while golfers can experience the full 18 holes by signing up for the WWG Desert Island Double taking place June 10-11, 2010. See the May issue of Worldwide Golf, out now, for details or read all about it here on www.wwgolf.biz.

AMERICAN Jason Bohn roared to a wire-to-wire victory in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans at TPC Louisiana to claim the second PGA Tour title of his career the day after celebrating his 37^th birthday. 

Bohn fired a final round 5-under 67 to win by two strokes from the battling Jeff Overton (6-under 66) with an 18-under-par total of 270. Rookie Troy Merritt made an impressive final round charge to finish third on 14-under with two time US Open champion Lee Janzen in fourth place on 13-under.

"This is life changing," said Bohn, who earned $1,152,000 for his first victory since the 2005 B.C. Open.

Bohn shot into the lead with an opening 65 before stretching his advantage with a 67 in the rain delayed second round. He finished his third round 71 on the Sunday morning to lead by two at 13-under from Germany's Alex Cejka heading into the final round with Overton and Janzen a shot further back.

Bohn was slow off the mark in the final round, his first birdie coming at the eighth, as Merritt lit up the opening nine, going out in 33 before adding birdies at 10, 11 and 13 to take a one-stroke lead. Bohn regained the lead with a birdie at the 11th to Merritt's bogey on the 14^th.

Janzen put the pressure on with an eagle at the par-4 13^th before a bogey at the 16^th ended his challenge for a first title since the 1998 US Open.

Bohn sprang into life at the 15^th with a stunning approach from 217 yards that left him a short putt for birdie before another birdie at the 16^th put him two ahead of playing partner Overton who had picked up five shots over the first 13 holes to stay in the hunt.

Bohn was still two ahead going up the last and Overton almost sank a long eagle putt to keep the contest alive but, though it missed, it proved academic as Bohn produced another wonderful approach to leave himself a tap in for an emotional victory that drew a line over a tough period that has been blighted by injury since his last win.

 "I want to take this one to the grave. I want to remember every little detail that I missed on my first one," he said. "All week my caddie just kept saying just ‘stay patient, just stay patient. Don't try to force anything', and we really didn't.
"Especially when Jeff Overton got off to a good start, started making some birdies, started to apply the pressure. I knew it was coming. We knew somebody was going to shoot a low round of golf today, and I just really stayed patient.
"So my overall thing that I'll take away from this more than anything is how proud I am of myself for - should I say listening to my caddie or staying patient? I don't know which one is right. But I really stayed patient."

AUSTRALIA'S Marcus Fraser secured his first European Tour title for seven years with a wire-to-wire victory at the 54-hole rain shortened Ballantines Championship.

Fraser, whose only other victory to date came at the 2003 BMW Russian Open, dropped only two shots over the three rounds as he shot 65-70-69 for a 12-under total of 204 to win by four from fellow countryman Brett Rumford and Northern Ireland's Gareth Maybin.

"It's unbelievable, I don't know how I did that today. It has blown me away," said Fraser who lost in a play-off for the Australian Masters last season.

"I have had so many chances to win in seven years and you just don't know if it is going to be your day, and it was. I just can't believe it.

"The second win is harder than the first one, it has just been so long. I have had so many chances to win over the last seven years and I haven't done it so to go out there and play how I did this week is a big lift."

An emotional Fraser admitted that the victory was reward for a lot of hard work that has seen him emerge from the toughest period of his career having considered giving up the game at one stage.

"Probably three or four years ago, I thought about giving it away," said Fraser who won €367,500 for the victory to move to 17^th in The Race to Dubai. "I was playing terrible. Golf swing wasn't improving and everything wasn't really getting any better.

"I thought I was wasting my time and you really start to question yourself, whether you think that you should be out here or whether you deserve to be out here. I went through a patch like that and luckily I went back and saw my old coach that I used to see when I was an amateur, and we got things moving in the right direction.

"It's been a lot of hard work over the last couple of years to get back to this position. My last win was when I was coached by Denis McDade, and I've had another win today, still being coached by him. So I think we've done a lot of things to keep things moving in the right direction.

"I never thought I'd be in this situation again, so it's extra personal this week. At this time last year, I lost my uncle, who was also my Godfather and I missed his funeral because of this tournament. So to come back and win this week, that's definitely for him."

Two days of golf on two of the UAE’s newest world-class desert island courses and a night of luxury accommodation for just AED950.

THE WWG Desert Island Double will see competitors play Yas Links Golf Club and Saadiyat Beach Club on Thursday June 10th and Friday 11th respectively with a night of luxury accommodation at the Radisson Blu Hotel on June 10th and breakfast the following morning.
The entrance fee also includes access to the practice facilities and locker rooms, shared golf carts, range balls, plus barbecues at the end of each days’ play and tournament prizes (beverages are at individuals’ expense). A non-playing guest can come along for the nominal additional fee of AED 100 and family rooms or extra Friday night accommodation can be arranged on request.

To enter fill out the entry form on the events page or contact David Burke on
+971 (0) 4 34 0 3786 or email davidb@wspdubai.com. Credit card details will be required to reserve the booking and payment will not be taken until the event however cancellations must be made before June 8th to qualify for a refund.  If cancellations are received less than 48 hours prior to the event credit card will be charged for the full amount.
 
For more details on the event please see the latest issue of Worldwide Golf.
Enter the Desert Island Double here

MEXICAN World No.1 Lorena Ochoa has announced her retirement from the game at the age of 28. The two-time Major winner has been the dominant force on the LPGA Tour since taking over the top spot from Annika Sorenstam three years ago but an announcement on her website read: “Lorena Ochoa has confirmed her retirement from the LPGA Tour.”

Ochoa’s Major wins came at the Women’s British Open in 2007 at St Andrews and the Kraft Nabisco Championship in 2008 and has recorded 27 victories in eight seasons on the LPGA Tour and missed just four cuts in 172 LPGA events.

ENGLAND’S Brian Davis called a two-shot penalty on himself during the first hole of a sudden death play-off which effectively handed Jim Furyk his second PGA Tour victory in the space of a month at the Verizon Heritage.

Furyk, who missed the cut at the Masters last week, was drawn into a play-off when Davis birdied the final hole with a superb raking putt. However, after Davis knocked his approach shot to the 18th on to the beach he splashed out but notice he knocked a piece of reed during his backswing. To his credit he called over rules official Slugger White who confirmed the penalty before Furyk stepped up to two-putt for par and take the title.

“To have the tournament come down that way is definitely not the way I want to win,” said Furyk, who shot a final round 2-under-par 69. “It’s obviously a tough loss for him, and I respect and admire what he did. To be there and be in the battle and have an opportunity to win, and then have to call a penalty on yourself has got to be extremely disappointing but it’s a testament to our game and the people that play on the Tour, and that we have so many guys that do that.”

Davis, who began the day one shot behind Furyk and shot a 3-under 68 to match his total on 13-under-par, was disappointed he couldn’t close out the victory after dropping shots on holes 15 and 16 and then missing a birdie putt on 17.

ENTRIES are still being received for the Worldwide Golf Midweek Open at Tower Links Golf Club in Ras Al Khaimah on Thursday May 6th.

The WWG Midweek Open in as Individual Stableford event for male and female golfers with an official handicap. Entrance fee for the event includes access to the practise facility prior to play and the locker rooms plus a light buffet presentation dinner at the close of play.

To enter simply fill out the entry form on page 4 of April’s issue of Worldwide Golf and fax it to Tower Links on 07 228 444.

If you do not wish to use your credit card, payment can be made directly to Tower Links Golf Club. Payment is required in advance to book your place in the competition. Advance fees paid by players who fail to turn up will not be refunded unless cancellation notification is received within 48 hours of the competition.

Entry fee AED260 includes Green Fees, shared golf cart, event shirt, range balls, tournament prizes and buffet.

TIGER Woods will make his second competitive start of the season at the Quail Hollow Championship in North Carolina on April 29th.

"I'm excited about competing," Woods said on his website. "It's a wonderful venue, and they always have a great field."

Woods said after the final round at the Masters that he would take a break, but is set to return sooner than expected.

The USGA has announced that the World No.1 has also filed his entry form to participation at the US Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links on June 17th.

Mike Davis, USGA senior director of rules and competitions, said: “Tiger has certainly filed an entry, and we’re certainly anticipating that he’s going to play. If someone fully exempt files an entry, generally speaking, they always do play.”

Woods has fond memories of the Pebble Beach course having won the US Open there in 2000 by a record 15 strokes.

Meanwhile 60-year-old Tom Watson has confirmed the USGA has extended an invitation for him to play in his first US Open in seven years. Watson, who won the US Open in 1982 at Pebble Beach, said: “I am deeply grateful to the USGA for extending me the invitation to play in the US Open at one of my favourite golf courses in the world.”

PHIL Mickelson secured his third Masters victory with a sublime three-stroke victory over England’s Lee Westwood at Augusta National.

Mickelson carded a second consecutive 5-under-par 67 to overhaul Westwood’s one-shot lead and slip in to the coveted Green Jacket for the third time.

“I love this place,” beamed Mickelson after finishing on 16-under-par. “I love coming here. I love Sunday at Augusta. Back in the 1990s it was the most nerve-wracking day. It still is, but I’ve just come to love and cherish it and to play some of my best golf this week as well as today just feels incredible.”

Mickelson started the day level but after a steady 1-under-par front nine was one ahead of Westwood after two birdies and three bogeys by the Englishman left him 1-over. From there on out it was the Mickelson show as a series of sensational shots saw him card back-to-back birdies on 12 and 13 and then a birdie on 15 extended his lead to three strokes.

Westwood fought back and went bogey-free on the back nine but could only manage birdies at 13 and 17. With a two stroke lead heading up the last Mickelson played conservatively, placing a 3-wood up the left hand side before launching his approach to eight feet. After Westwood missed his birdie putt Mickelson stepped up and sunk it to the jubilation of the crowd and his watching wife Amy who was stood in front of the scorers’ hut behind the green. It had been an emotional year for the 39-year-old and his family after both his mother and wife had contracted breast cancer and he called the victory “one of the best things we’ve gone through”.

“To walk off the green and see her was very emotional for us,” he added. “It’s been a difficult year, and to come out on top in this tournament is very emotional.”

For Westwood it marked a third consecutive top-three finish in a Major and he vowed to keep on plugging away as he seeks to win his first grand slam event. “One of these days the door’s going to open for me. I just need to keep doing what I'm doing,” said the European No.1. “I have finished third-third-second in my last three Majors so I think I am doing the right things. Phil said in the scorers’ hut that he has been that man. He has hung around at the top of leaderboards at Major championships and not got anything and there he is today sitting there with four of them.

“He told me to keep plugging away and that I was playing far too well not to win one of these.”

American Anthony Kim, who won the Shell Houston Open a week earlier finished shot a stunning 65 to finish third on his own at 12-under-par. South Korean K.J. Choi and the returning Tiger Woods finishing tied fourth on 11-under-par with 50-year-old Fred Couples one shot further back in sixth.

AFTER missing a short putt for victory in regulation, Anthony Kim made a par in the first extra hole to defeat Vaughn Taylor and pick up his third PGA TOUR title at the Shell Houston Open.

Kim had a six-footer for par on the final green but charged it left of the hole and settled for a 2-under-par 70 meaning Taylor – who was in the clubhouse on 12-under-par after a 68 – was back in which a chance of winning.

Kim played the first play-off hole - the 18th - in regulation, reaching the par-4 in two strokes while Taylor was in trouble off the tee and found a greenside trap with his approach. He splashed out to 18 feet but missed his par putt leaving Kim a tap-in for par and the title.

The win solidified something of a turnaround in Kim’s mental approach as he admitted he wouldn’t have been happy after missing that putt in regulation earlier in his career.

“Two years ago, my bag may have been in the water,” he said. “I might not have had clubs to go to the play-off. But I just feel calm out there, I feel no sense of urgency. It’s something that's happened naturally and not something that’s been forced. I’m comfortable with who I am out there. I found my identity.

“I just look back at last year, after the season was over, I was just complaining about everything. I felt like I deserved to win a golf tournament without trying. That's not how it is. I’ve put in a lot of hard work, so I feel like when I’m out there, I know I’m going to do well. Having that confidence really has propelled my game, I feel like, to a different level.”

ERNIE Els picked up his second consecutive win on American soil with a tense victory at the rain-delayed Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando.

Els was forced to close out the victory on the Monday after heavy rain caused play to stop on Sunday with the South African two strokes ahead with four holes to play.

“It was a tough finish for me,” said Els who saw a five shot lead cut to two after a double bogey-bogey run before the rain came. “I’ve been thinking about these last four holes for 22 hours so it was nice to finally get on the golf course.

“I kind of limped home but the work I have put in has started paying off, and obviously my short game is good. I got it up and down the last two holes.”

Els made four pars to seal the victory – including excellent up-and-downs from a bunker on the par-3 17^th and from just off the green on the 18^th  - and take home his second title of the season,

Kevin Na came close to catching Ernie after a birdie on the par-5 16^th took him to within one shot but a bogey at the last ended his chances. Edoardo Molinari carded a best-of-the-day 3-under 69 to finish in second place alongside Na.

AFTER four runner-up finishes on The European Tour, Louis Oosthuizen stepped into the winner’s circle for the first time with a three-shot victory at the Open de Andalucia in Malaga.

The South African closed with a 3-under-par 67 for a 17-under-par total to seal the win from England’s Richard Finch and Scotland’s Peter Whiteford and jump into the top 50 on the Official World Golf Ranking and seal his spot at The Masters.

“That was my goal two months ago,” said Oosthuizen, who recorded his fourth runners-up finish a week earlier at the Hassan II Trophy in Morocco. “I was quite nervous down the stretch and very nervous on the 18th tee. I just decided to hit it as hard as I could. I knew I was good enough to win one, now I want to stay in the top 50.”

Oosthuizen started the day with a one-shot lead over Robert Coles and quickly extended it with three birdies in the first five holes. Whiteford, who started four back from Oosthuizen, made a charge after picking up five shots in eight holes around the turn and had a chance to close the gap to just one stroke but missed a 12-footer for birdie on the 14^th. He then three-putted the 15^th for bogey. Oosthuizen, who was in the group behind, birdied the 14^th to extend his lead and could then afford to bogey the 16^th as he closed out the victory.

Finch birdied the final two holes to card a 3-under-67 to finish on 14-under-par for his second runner-up finish in the space of a month after finishing second at the Avantha Masters in India.

JUNIOR GOLF in the UAE has received a huge boost with wasl (Dubai Real Estate Corporation and owners of Dubai Golf) joining the Saeed and Mohammed Al Naboodah Group in the sponsorship of the 2010 Junior Amateur Open at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club on April 2.

wasl has matched Al Naboodah’s sponsorship to help create an even bigger and better Championship with 30 juniors competing, ranging from 11-18 years old. There will be three divisions on the day: DIV A - handicaps 0-14 playing off the blue tees; DIV B - 15-28 off the white tees and the Girls Division off the red tees. The overall tournament is a gross format with the Division prizes decided by net scores.

The Championship was launched in 2001 and among the winners are Dubai Nationals Nabil Sharif, who won the inaugural event and the 2007 Champion, Khalid Yousuf.

Abdullah Al Naboodah, who has inspired and sponsored the Junior Open since 2008, commented: “This is an enormous benefit to junior golf in the UAE. The involvement of wasl as a joint sponsor of the Championship will help us take it to a higher level. It was a big step to take in introducing the Junior Open and it has proved to be a great success. We are already witnessing the effect of the event with Joel Neale’s triumph last year and Matthew Turner’s victory in 2006 – helping both players to embark on a professional career in golf. With the support of wasl we can look forward to a great future for the Championship and to further promoting junior golf in the region.”

A delighted Hesham Abdullah Al Qassim, wasl Chief Executive Officer, added: "wasl is proud to sponsor the 2010 Junior Amateur Open alongside the Al Naboodah Group. Over the last two years with Al Naboodah's support it has become the premier Junior Amateur Open event in the UAE and with wasl's added support this year it will no doubt be the best.  

“We have been able to significantly reduce the entry fee to add more value to the event and ensure all the juniors with a valid handicap can afford to take part. Junior Golf Development is very important for the future of golf in the UAE and at our two wasl-managed courses, Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club and Emirates, we have hundreds of youngsters learning the game under the helpful guidance of our PGA Professionals.

“I am sure it will be a thrilling event as proved over recent years and I look forward to seeing who will be crowned champion for 2010."

Matthew Turner and Joel Neale, winners in 2006 and 2009 respectively, are ineligible to compete this year as they are over the entry age of 18 but among the wealth of talented youngsters competing for the most prestigious prize in junior golf in the UAE are the talented Faisal and Sohail Al Marzuki and Hassan Al Musharrekh.

Pictured: Abdullah Al Naboodah and Hesham Abdullah Al Qassim, CEO wasl, with golfers Sohail Al Marzuki, Faisal Al Marzuki and Hassan Al Musharrekh.

JIM Furyk wrapped up his first PGA TOUR title since the 2007 Canadian Open with a one-shot victory over K.J Choi at the Transitions Championship in Florida.

Furyk held a three stroke lead going into the final day and eventually secured the win with a bogey on the closing par-4 18^th for a 2-under 69 and a 13-under total.

“Nerves got me, to be honest with you,” admitted Furyk after he closed out the win. “I have a habit of making it tough for myself.”

Furyk made a clutch par putt on the 17^th hole and stood on the 18^th tee with a two-stroke lead over Choi. However, the 39-year-old blocked his tee shot into the trees and then shanked his second shot into the rough some 70 yards short and right of the green. Choi hit his approach shot short of a greenside bunker and after Furyk pitched on in three shots Choi’s attempt at pitching in came up just short. The American then had two putts for the title and lagged his par-putt to within inches, sealing the win with a tap-in.

“I made it difficult, there’s no doubt,” said Furyk, who moved up to No.6 on the Official World Golf Ranking. “I played very, very well today, but at times I didn’t get the ball in the hole very well. I made three bad plays on three of the par-3s where I didn’t get down in two with the putter and the18th - it was rough to say the least. Bad swings and a bad decision.  It all worked out in the end and for 14 holes today I played phenomenal golf.”

Second placed Choi closed with a 4-under 67 to finish the day where he began while Bubba Watson carded a 3-under 68 to finish one shot back in third place.

WELSHMAN Rhys Davies secured his maiden European Tour title with a two-stroke victory over Louis Oosthuizen at the Trophée Hassan II in Morocco.

The 24-year-old Challenge Tour graduate started the day two behind the South African but posted a superb final round 66 to Oosthuizen’s 70 for a 25-under-par total and thecheque for €229,160.

“I’m a little bit lost at the moment – this is all completely surreal to me,” said Davies. “It’s all a bit of a blur. I just kept focusing on hitting the ball as close to the flag as I could. I felt like I could make every putt and I think that was the key. I had a good speed on the greens and when you have a good speed you hole a lot of putts. I had good control of my swing today. It was probably the best I’ve hit it all week.”

Oosthuizen had to settle for his fourth runner-up finish on The European Tour and admitted he didn’t quite find his A-game during the final 18. “I am disappointed, of course. I just struggled with my irons all day,” said Oosthuizen, who had posted consecutive rounds of 64 to top the leaderboard going into the final round. “It just wasn’t happening for me at all with the irons. I didn’t put the ball close enough to the pin in order to give myself chances. Rhys played brilliantly so congratulations to him.”

France’s Thomas Levet, Spain’s Ignacio Garrido, Finland’s Mikko Ilonen and another South African Thomas Aiken shared third place, five strokes further back on 18-under-par.

TIGER Woods has announced that he will make his return to competitive golf at The Masters in April.

The World No.1 has been out of action for four months following revelations surrounding his personal life but after undergoing therapy for the past two months he is now ready get back into action at the Augusta showpiece, which he has won four times.

"The Masters is where I won my first major and I view this tournament with great respect. After a long and necessary time away from the game, I feel like I'm ready to start my season at Augusta.

"The major championships have always been a special focus in my career and, as a professional, I think Augusta is where I need to be, even though it's been a while since I last played.

"I have undergone almost two months of inpatient therapy and I am continuing my treatment. Although I'm returning to competition, I still have a lot of work to do in my personal life.

"When I finally got into a position to think about competitive golf again, it became apparent to me that the Masters would be the earliest I could play. I called both Joe Lewis and Arnold Palmer and expressed my regrets for not attending the Tavistock Cup and the Arnold Palmer Invitational. I again want to thank them both for their support and their understanding. Those are fantastic tournaments and I look forward to competing in them again.

"I would also like to thank the Augusta National members and staff for their support. I have deep appreciation for everything that they do to create a wonderful event for the benefit of the game."

CAMILO Villegas picked up his third PGA TOUR title with a commanding five-stroke victory over Anthony Kim at The Honda Classic in Florida.

The Colombian carded a final round 2-under-par 68 to ease to victory with a 13-under-par 267 total - the lowest 72-hole score since the tournament moved to the Jack Nicklaus designed PGA National in 2007.

“I’ve just had good vibes in me all week,” said Villegas, who climbed to No.12 on the Official World Golf Ranking with the win. “I’ve been working hard on my game and on my attitude and I’ve been excited about playing golf. Today I just kept plugging away. I kept hitting good shots. If there was a golf course where you can mess up coming in, it’s this one, trust me. The finishing holes are tough. And I just picked my targets, put good swings on them and took care of business.”

Villegas began the day with a three shot lead over Vijay Singh and Nathan Green and quickly extended his advantage with four birdies in his opening ten holes. However, he was pegged back by bogies on holes 11, 12 and 15 but with Singh and Green crumbling to a 2-over 72 and 7-over 77 respectively Villegas had an easy path to victory. He held a four-stroke lead heading down the last with Anthony Kim in the clubhouse on 8-under and wrapped up the win in emphatic fashion with a superb 16-foot birdie putt on the final hole.

HUNTER Mahan shot a pair of 6-under-par 65s over the weekend at the Waste Management Phoenix Open to win his first PGA TOUR title since the 2007 Travelers Championship.

Mahan came from four strokes back to beat 21-year-old Rickie Fowler by one stroke after finishing on 16-under-par with a bogey-free final round.

“It’s just finding a way to win. I just haven’t been able to do it,” he said after firing four birdies and an eagle three on the 13^th hole. “So obviously it feels great to win in just my fifth tournament of the year. It gives me a lot of confidence in myself that I’m doing the right things in my game, and it feels great, it really does.”

Fowler, who is competing in his rookie season on the PGA TOUR, had a lengthy birdie putt on the final hole to take Mahan into a play-off but narrowly missed and had to settle for the second runner-up finish of his young career.

“I played solid,” said Fowler. “I was bogey-free today and ultimately what I wanted was to have a chance coming down the last few holes. That’s what I did but I just missed a couple putts."

IAN Poulter defeated compatriot Paul Casey to become the first English winner of a World Golf Championships event after a 4&2 victory at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Champion ship in Arizona.

Poulter flew out of the blocks and built a 4up lead after 14 holes but Casey pegged him back to just a 2up lead after the first 18 holes. Poulter once again built a 4up lead but Casey came back again and by the 28th hole his lead was again 2up

Casey then missed a putt on the 33rd hole to give Poulter a 3up lead with three to play and Poulter ended the contest early with a par on the par-3 16th to secure the biggest win of his career.

"It's been a long time coming. It was a good day's golf. I knew I was in great form and I felt calm all day - nerves didn't play any factor at all," said Poulter.

"It means I'm up to No.5 in the world, it means all the hard work, the hours, the gym work... it makes it all the more pleasing to be able to go out on this bigger stage against the best players in the world and pull a win off in this fashion."

MIGUEL Angel Jimenez defeated Lee Westwood on the third play-off hole to win the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, his ninth victory since turning 40 in 2004.

The pair began the final day tied with Thongchai Jaidee and Alvaro Quiros and both shot a level par 72 in the final round .

Jaidee dropped three early shots and Quiros squandered the lead after three late bogeys, while Westwood birdied the 72nd to tie with Jimenez at 11-under.

Westwood had two makeable chances to win in the play-off before Jimenez triumphed with a par at the third extra hole.

Westwood looked favourite at the first play-off hole – the par-5 18^th - after clearing the water in two, while Jimenez, having laid up short, pitched agonisingly close to the lake.

However, after chipping onto the green the Englishman missed a 10-footer for birdie and Jimenez got up-and-down to take the pair down the final hole again.

From the tee Jimenez found a difficult lie in the rough and after laying up he pitched through the green into the bunker. Westwood was again over the water in two in a good lie just off the green.

From their positions both played indifferent shots with Westwood leaving his chip 12 feet short and Jimenez blasting out way beyond the hole. However, Jimenez rolled in his tough par putt to heap the pressure on Westwood who again missed his chance to win outright.

With the Dubai sun fading the pair made their way to the ninth and both players missed the green with their approach shots. Their chips were both good and after the match referee was called in to see whose ball was closest, Westwood stepped up and missed his par putt. Jimenez then rolled putt in for his first win since the 2008 BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

"All week I've been playing strong with a strong mind and with good support from my caddie,” said Jimenez. "I have been coming to Dubai for many years and had a few chances to win and now I have it, I feel very pleased and very happy. Like a good wine, with age, I get better and better.”

The lead had changed hands several times around the turn with Quiros in prime position before three-putting three greens in succession to drop out of contention.

Jaidee who was playing alongside Jimenez, had a five footer for birdie on the final green to join the play-off on 11-under but missed.

ROBERT Karlsson won his tenth European Tour title with a superb three-shot victory over defending champion Alvaro Quiros at the Commercialbank Qatar Masters. Karlsson shot a sublime final round 7-under 65 to post a 15-under total and take home the cheque for €294,584.

“The focus this year was to come back and start to put together good rounds and a then a string of good rounds and then you never know what's going to happen,” said Karlsson, who missed large periods of 2009 with an eye injury. “That’s the thing I am most happy with. It’s not really the win, it’s fantastic to win, but to play four really good rounds together, that’s the most satisfying.”

Karlsson peppered the flag all the day and shot a bogey free round with three birdies on the outward half and four coming home – including two at the final two holes.

“It has surprised me a little bit,” he added. “Especially the way I played during the final round. But if you go out and shoot a 65 in the last day of a tournament after being a couple behind, usually you will have a good chance and obviously it was my day.”

It was an ‘old pals act’ of the highest order that became the centrepiece of The Invitational hosted by Abdullah Al Naboodah at the Creek Golf & Yacht Club as Lee Westwood, The 2009 Race to Dubai and Dubai World Championship winner, shared the Individual professional prize with his best friend and ISM stablemate Darren Clarke.

European Tour Player of the Year Westwood was back to his brilliant best and Clarke showed signs of returning to the form that won him two World Golf Championships as the Englishman and Irishman both shot course record-breaking rounds of 8-under 63.

Westwood also partnered his good friend, event host Abdullah Al Naboodah, to take first place in the Professional-Amateur team event with a 9-under 62.

Clarke partnered George Horan, Deputy Managing Director of Premier Partners to The Invitational, Dubai Duty Free, to take third place with a 63, losing out on a one-shot countback for second place to professional Richard Green and amateur James Collins, who qualified through a Golden Ticket at the Worldwide Golf Midweek Open earlier this month.

Sam Walker won longest Drive for the professionals, while Farbod Dowlatshahi of Premier Partners Delwood had the Longest Drive for the amateurs (0-14) with Stewart McIntyre taking the 15+ prize. Westwood joked at the excellent prize-giving ceremony at the Park Hyatt Hotel that: “the secret to winning the team event was choosing the right partner – and Abdullah chose me.”

Joint winner Clarke thanked all the pros for supporting Abdullah and the event and commented that the field equalled the best Tour Pro-Ams. Abdullah Al Naboodah thanked the professionals for turning out in force and making The Invitational a day to remember and also thanked the Premier Partners, Partners and Official Suppliers for making it possible to stage the event.

A live auction raised a magnificent Dh750,000 for the two benefiting charities, Al Noor Training Centre for Children with Special Needs and the Dubai Autism Centre.

At the prize giving ceremony Clarke said he had never played in an invitational event where the fun factor affected everyone from the sponsors to the players to the spectators. Throughout the day the banter and laughter between the players and supporting spectators made this a day to remember.

One young lady who won’t forget the occasion was ten year-old Amelia McKee, who qualified as the leading female player and junior at the Worldwide Golf Midweek Open earlier this month. Amelia was a sensation as she kept pace with her playing partners Jean-Francois Luquin, James Collins and Richard Green. Her team partner, Frenchman Jean-Francois, commented: “She’s an amazing girl and a phenomenal talent.”

The 50 European Tour Professional players, who numbered seven of the top ten in the 2009 Race to Dubai ratings and 22 of the top 50 agreed this was the most enjoyable invitational they had ever played and the joint winners, Westwood and Clarke both said they couldn’t wait for next year’s Invitational.

WORLD No.2 Phil Mickelson has taken advantage of a legal loophole which allows players to play any Ping-Eye 2 made before April 1, 1990 after a settlement was reached between Ping and the USGA.

“I don’t feel that there’s any problem if I were to play those clubs or if anybody else were,” Mickelson said, who will use the square grooved Ping wedge. “All that matters is that it is OK under the Rules of Golf.”

RYDER Cup star Paul Casey has confirmed his participation at The Invitational hosted by Abdullah Al Naboodah and adds his name to the already world-class line-up at the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club on Monday, January 25^th.

Casey won three times in the space of five months last year to reach a career-high third place on the Official World Golf Ranking before a rib injury derailed his season.

Casey won the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship in January on The European Tour before winning his first US PGA Tour event at the Shell Houston Open in April. He then won the flagship tournament of The European Tour, the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in May before his injury – sustained at The Open Championship - forced him out of action until October.

The Englishman is now back to full fitness and finished in a tie for 10^th place at the SBS Championship on the US PGA Tour earlier this month.

Casey joins the likes of Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia and Ross Fisher in the field to become the seventh player in the top ten of The European Tour’s final 2009 Race to Dubai ranking and the fifth player inside the top 20 on the Official World Golf Ranking to compete in the most prestigious Pro-Am in the region.

Garcia, currently ranked 13^th in the World and 10^th in the final 2009 Race to Dubai ranking, will be flying into Abu Dhabi for the first leg of The Tour’s Middle East Swing, the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, in style in his Hawker 4000 aircraft. The prestigious aircraft manufacturer, Hawker Beechcraft, has now become a Premier Partner of The Invitational, along with Dubai Duty Free, Delwood and Atom.

The Spaniard joins a host of leading European Tour players in The Invitational, including Europe’s 2009 Golfer of the Year, Westwood. World No.4 Westwood returns to Dubai on the back of one of the most consistent seasons of his career. He capped a stunning victory in the Dubai World Championship in November, by adding The Race to Dubai title with two wins and 11 additional top-ten finishes to collect €2,750,000 and take his season’s earnings to a record €4,237,762.

In total, 50 Professionals and 50 amateurs will combine in a betterball stroke play competition in teams of two – one Pro and one amateur – with the Pros playing for a charity prize fund of AED500,000.

Al Naboodah Director of Golf and The Invitational Tournament Director, James Bowring, commented: “It’s great that Paul Casey has joined the party and that we’ve got so many leading players competing who are right on the top of their game. The sponsors and the spectators are going to be treated to a wonderful day of world-class golf played in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. It’s going to be a special day for them to be able to play a part in enjoying this unique tournament.”

For more information on The Invitational hosted by Abdullah Al Naboodah at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club on January 25, please visit:

Dubai Duty Free has added their support to The Invitational hosted by Abdullah Al Naboodah by becoming a Premier Partner to the charity event to be held at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club on Monday January 25th.

Dubai Duty Free joins The National, Delwood and Atom as Premier Partners for the prestigious tournament widely regarded as the biggest and most popular Pro-Am in the Middle East.

Colm McLoughlin, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free, commented: “Dubai Duty Free is a long-time supporter of golf in Dubai and we are delighted to extend our support to The Invitational 2010, hosted by Abdullah Al Naboodah. This event has grown over the past couple of years and has caught the attention of the top professionals as well as the media, which is good for Dubai and its reputation as a golfing destination. We are looking forward to participating in the tournament.”

Abdullah Al Naboodah added: “Dubai Duty Free have supported charity and golf events for many years and I am both pleased and honoured that they have become a Premier Partner for The Invitational.”

With Colm McLoughlin having been a long time member of the Creek and a former Club Captain, the connection with the golf club was further strengthened with Thomas Björn, who redesigned the course, confirming that he will be joining the star-studded cast of European Tour players which includes Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy.

Spectators are welcome to see the Professionals up close and personal in one of the friendliest and most competitive invitationals in World golf, where the galleries are made to feel an integral part of the proceedings.

For free tickets visit www.theinvitational.com

Pictured with Colm McLouglin is Rory Mcilroy, winner of the 2009 Dubai Desert Classic, and Salah Tahlak, Director-Corporate Communications, Dubai Duty Free.

NINE-time European Tour winner Thomas Bjorn has joined the already world-class line-up of professionals at The Invitational hosted by Abdullah Al Naboodah at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club on January 25^th.

Bjorn, the former Chairman of The European Tour Player’s Committee and first ever Dane to play in The Ryder Cup, redesigned the Dubai Creek course in 2004 and joins the likes of Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood in the field of the most prestigious Invitational Pro-Am in the region.

Garcia, currently ranked 11^th in the World, finished 10^th in The Race to Dubai and joins a host of leading European Tour players in The Invitational, including Europe’s Golfer of the Year, Westwood. The World No.4 returns to Dubai on the back of one of the most consistent seasons of his career. He capped a stunning victory in the Dubai World Championship in November, by adding The Race to Dubai title with two wins and 11 additional top-ten finishes to collect €2,750,000 and take his season’s earnings to a record €4,237,762.

He was rightfully voted The European Tour’s Golfer of The Year for the third time in his career, having ended Colin Montgomerie’s seven-year reign at head of European Golf by winning the Order of Merit in 2000 after finishing runner-up in 1999 and third in 1997 and 1998.

Westwood and Garcia are joined in the field by fellow Ryder Cup star Graeme McDowell who recently shot back into the World top 50 with a superb second place finish at the Chevron World Challenge in California. Ross Fisher, currently ranked 20^th in the world and who finished fourth in The Race to Dubai is another leading player to confirm his place in The Invitational on January 25.

Volvo World Match Play Champion, Fisher, who is sponsored by the Al Naboodah Group, put in a near-tournament winning performance at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa, finishing in a share of third place.

Another player bringing his best form to The Invitational is host Abdullah Al Naboodah himself. Abdullah teamed up with UK radio presenter DJ Spoony, Vincent Tshabalala and Thomas Aiken to win the fourball alliance competition at the Gary Player Invitational at The Links at Fancourt, South Africa, in November.

Other players confirmed to play at the Creek on January 25 include Rory McIlroy, Jeev Milkha Singh, Darren Clarke, Simon Dyson, Johan Edfors, Charl Schwartzel and Richard Green. In total, 48 Professionals and 48 amateurs will combine in a betterball strokeplay competition in teams of two – one Pro and one amateur – with the Pros playing for a charity prize fund of AED500,000.

Al Naboodah Director of Golf, James Bowring, commented: “It’s great that we’ve got so many leading players competing who are right on the top of their game. The sponsors and the spectators are going to be treated to a wonderful day of world-class golf played in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. It’s going to be a special day for them to be able to play a part in enjoying this unique tournament.”

For more information on The Invitational hosted by Abdullah Al Naboodah at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club on January 25, please visit:

www.theinvitational.com

RICHIE Ramsay won his maiden European Tour title at the South African Open Championship, three years after becoming the first Scot to win the US Amateur Championship in 108 years.

Ramsay and Indian Shiv Kapur finished level on 13-under par and it was the Scot who prevailed with a two-putt birdie on the first extra hole.

“There’s no greater feeling than winning and I’m just a flood of emotions – I’m holding back the tears,” said Ramsay after receiving prize money of €158,500 and a European Tour exemption until the end of 2011.

Ramsay began the final day in ninth place, five strokes adrift from Pablo Martin – winner of the Alfred Dunhill Championship a week earlier - and shot a best-of-the-day 65 to get to 13-under alongside Kapur who posted a 67. Martin failed to improve on his winning position and dropped down to sixth place with a 73.

The pair went back down the 601 yard par-5 18^th and Ramsay, who hadn’t dropped a shot all day, was on in two shots and sealed the victory with a birdie.

“Things just went for me,” he admitted. “But I am a lot more positive now - I go out believing and thinking I can win.”

The trio of Denmark’s Anders Hansen, Sweden’s Fredrik Andersson Hed and Italian Edoardo Molinari could have joined the play-off on 13-under par with an eagle on the last but failed. Hansen made a birdie to take third place outright on 12-under while Andersson Hed and Molinari finished with a par for a tie for fourth, one shot further back.

AS The Invitational hosted by Abdullah Al Naboodah gathers pace the strength of the international field continues to grow in stature. The recent announcement that European No.1 Lee Westwood, who headlines a world-class cast at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club on January 25^th, had won the European Tour’s Golfer of the Year Award, followed a series of excellent results from other leading players competing in the most prestigious Pro-Am in the Middle East.

Westwood returns to Dubai on the back of one of the most consistent seasons of his career, which he capped with a stunning display to win the Dubai World Championship in November. The Englishman topped The Race to Dubai with two wins and 11 additional top-ten finishes to collect €2,750,000 and take his season’s earnings to a record €4,237,762.

He was rightfully named The European Tour’s Golfer of The Year for the third time in his career, having ended Colin Montgomerie’s seven-year reign at head of European Golf by winning the Order of Merit in 2000 after finishing runner-up in 1999 and third in 1997 and 1998.

Westwood is joined in the field by fellow Ryder Cup star Graeme McDowell (pictured) who recently shot back into the top 50 on the Official World Golf Ranking with a superb second place finish at the Chevron World Challenge in California. The Irishman put in a superb performance as he finished one shot behind winner Jim Furyk but ahead of a field that included the likes of Padriag Harrington, Stewart Cink and Steve Stricker.

In South Africa, Ross Fisher, who is sponsored by the Al Naboodah Group, also put in a near-tournament winning performance at the Nedbank Golf Challenge finishing in a share of third place, one shot off making the play-off between Robert Allenby and Henrrik Stenson with the Australian finally winning at the third extra hole.

Fisher, who took home the biggest pay cheque of his career with a dominating display at the Volvo World Match Play Championship at Finca Cortesin in Spain in October, is currently ranked 18^th in the World and will join fellow form-players Westwood and McDowell at The Invitational

Another player in top form is tournament host Abdullah Al Naboodah himself. Abdullah teamed up with UK radio presenter DJ Spoony, Vincent Tshabalala and Thomas Aiken to win the fourball alliance competition at the Gary Player Invitational at The Links at Fancourt in November.

Although the Gary Player Invitational presented by Coca-Cola is a fun charity tournament it is also a competitive event as Masters Champion Angel Cabrera and British Senior Masters Champion Tony Johnstone proved in defeating John Bland and Tjaart van der Walt by three shots.

Other players confirmed for The Invitational include Rory McIlroy, Jeev Milkha Singh, Darren Clark, Simon Dyson, Johan Edfors, Charl Schwartzel and Richard Green.

Al Naboodah Director of Golf, James Bowring, commented: “It’s great that we’ve got so many leading players competing who are right on the top of their game. The sponsors and the spectators are going to be treated to a wonderful day of world-class golf played in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. It’s going to be a special day for them to be able to play a part in enjoying this unique tournament.”

The list of confirmed players for The Invitational hosted by Abdullah Al Naboodah is as follows:

Lee Westwood   Rory McIlroy  Ross Fisher   Simon Dyson  
 Charl Schwartzel   Robert Rock   Graeme McDowell  
 Johan Edfors   Jeev Milkha-Singh   Peter Lawrie  
 Chris Wood   Steve Webster   Gareth Maybin  
 Graeme Storm   James Kingston   Thomas Aiken  
 Bradley Dredge   Jamie Donaldson   Darren Clarke  
 Paul Lawrie   Rafael Enchinique   Ricardo Gonzalez  
 Daniel Vancsik   David Lynn   David Howell  
 Shane Lowry   Paul Broadhurst   Stephen Gallacher  
 Steven Jeppesen   Pablo Larazzabal   Richard Green  
 Simon Khan   Gregory Havret   Jean Francois Luquin 

For more information on The Invitational hosted by Abdullah Al Naboodah at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club on January 25, please visit: www.alnaboodahinvitational.com

ABDULLAH Al Naboodah led his team to victory with a superb performance at the 2009 Gary Player Invitational presented by Coca-Cola at The Links at Fancourt in South Africa.

Teaming up with British radio celebrity DJ Spoony, Vincent Tshabalala and Thomas Aiken, Al Naboodah (left on the picture) propelled the team to a nail-biting victory in the fourball alliance competition of this premier charity tournament.

The competition was eventually decided on a countback on 22-under. This denied Irish property magnate Sinead Kenny the chance to become the first businesswoman to lead a team to victory in the team competition. Kenny combined well with playing partners John Bland, Tjaart van der Walt and South African cricket legend Barry Richards, but on the day Spoony and Al Naboodah’s fourball posted the lower score to seal the win.

“When I lost so narrowly last year, I vowed to come back and it would be game on,” said Spoony. “We cut it pretty fine today, but combined superbly over the closing holes. I’m delighted and I’ll definitely be back to defend.”

Naboodah, who made the biggest contribution at the charity auction, was the team’s star performer and also confirmed that he will soon be booking his ticket back to next year’s tournament.

“It would be fantastic to return and I will do my best to be here,” he said. “This was one of the best tournaments I’ve ever played in. My family and I are very passionate about charities around the world. When I met Gary a year ago, we spoke about giving back through golf. I have a lot of respect for what he does. We just enjoyed ourselves out there and it’s a bonus to walk away with a win.”

WORLDWIDE Golf has partnered with the Al Naboodah Invitational to offer our readers an exclusive opportunity to play alongside European Tour professionals like Race to Dubai and Dubai World Championship winner Lee Westwood, Ryder Cup star Graeme McDowell and World No.10 Rory McIlroy in the charity event on January 25th, 2010, at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club.

This is the only chance to play in the Al Naboodah Invitational as it is a strict invitation only event. Two spots in the field have been reserved as ‘GOLDEN TICKETS’ for winners of the Worldwide Golf Midweek Open in January. The two lucky winners will each become a VIP for the day, partnering a European Tour professional and compete against some of the world’s best players in the most competitive yet friendly pro-am in the region.

There is one spot available for adults (maximum handicap 18 for men, 24 for ladies) and one spot for juniors (maximum handicap 28).

For your chance to win a place in the tournament that every amateur wants to play, and a prize that money just can’t buy, simply enter the Worldwide Golf Midweek Open at Arabian Ranches Golf Club on Tuesday January 5th, 2010.

The Worldwide Golf Midweek Open is an Individual Strokeplay event for male, female and junior golfers with an official handicap. The entrance fee is inclusive of access to the practice facility prior to play and to the locker rooms and a light buffet presentation dinner at close of play (beverages will be at individuals’ expense).

The sign-up is simple. Just fill out the entry form on page 4 of the December issue of Worldwide Golf and fax. it to Arabian Ranches Golf Club with your credit card details on 04 3663355

You can also download the entry form from www.alnaboodahinvitational.com

If you do not wish to use your credit card, payment can be made direct to Arabian Ranches Golf Club. Payment in advance is required to enable us to fill the limited field in the competition. Advance fees paid by players who fail to turn up to compete will not be refunded. Money will be refunded if cancellation is received with 48 hours’ notice as it will allow those on the long waiting list the chance to participate.

The details of the event are as follows: Entry fee AED495, which includes Green Fees, shared Golf Cart, Event Shirt, Range Balls, Tournament Prizes, Buffet at the Prize Presentation.

Date:                    Tuesday, 5th January 2010

Venue:                 Arabian Ranches Golf Club

Time:                   1.00 pm Shotgun Start

Format:                18 Holes Strokeplay Full Handicap Allowance

Tees:                    Men – Gold Tees, Ladies – Red Tees

Entry Fee:            AED 495.00 (Juniors AED195.00)

Closing Date:        20th December 2009

Cancellation:
The entry fee will be debited  from the card details enclosed with this form once the club has confirmed your event entry. If you need to withdraw your entry we require 48 hours notice to make the space available to players on the standby list. Your card will not be debited if you follow this cancellation process.

LEE Westwood won The Race to Dubai with a sensational performance at the inaugural Dubai World Championship on Greg Norman’s Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

The Englishman posted a 23-under-par total to win by six shots from compatriot Ross McGowan and in doing so overtook Rory McIlroy to top the money list for the second time in his career.

“I’m a bit speechless,” said Westwood. “I played fantastic at the weekend. I played well at the start of the week, but 66 and 64 will take some catching.”

“It’s as good as I’ve ever played, especially under this pressure. It gives me so much confidence and it’s definitely the biggest moment of my career.”

McIlroy, who led The Race to Dubai from Westwood heading into the Dubai World Championship, finished third on15-under-par.

“Leading coming in to this week and then finishing third, most times that would have been enough, but Lee was different class and he deserves it,” said McIlroy. “He’s been through the highs and the lows and he’s got his reward for the golf he’s played over the last two years.”

AN exclusive charity auction launched by global marine terminal operator DP World in conjunction with the Dubai World Championship has collected AED 150,000 for charity.

The funds were raised through an online auction in which golf enthusiasts bid for the chance to play with three-time Major winner Ernie Els in the Dubai World Championship Pro-Am on the stunning new Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

The proceeds from the auction were presented by DP World and South Africa's Els to the Dubai Autism Centre and ‘Els for Autism' before the Pro-Am Championship got underway.

Abdullah Al Naboodah, an avid golf fan and charity supporter, was the winning bidder, revelling in the opportunity to raise money for good causes while playing 18 holes of the stunning Greg Norman-designed Earth course alongside Els who is known as ‘The Big Easy'.

Chairman of Dubai World, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, said:

"DP World is proud to become part of the initiative. It is heartening to see golf fans coming forward wholeheartedly for a worthy cause. Autism is close to Ernie's heart and in great fellowship golf fans have stepped forward to stand alongside him to help raise awareness and much needed funds."

Els has devoted much time to raise awareness of autism spectrum disorders since he discovered his son Ben was affected by the condition. The champion has since been working towards building a research facility and school close to his home in Florida in USA.

Mr. Mohammad Al Emadi Board Member and Director General of the Dubai Autism Centre, said:

"We express our immense gratitude to Ernie Els and DP World for taking the initiative to create awareness and raise the much needed funds to provide the necessary intervention programs and spread awareness. We depend entirely on philanthropic activities of organizations and individuals to meet our running expenses."

The Dubai World Championship has attracted 70,000 registrations for free tickets to date which are still available at http://www.dubaiworldchampionship.com/

Going into the 51^st and last event in the Race, which began just over a year ago in Shanghai and enters the final furlong this week in Dubai, four players can capture the inaugural Race to Dubai honours.

Leading the way, at the tender age of 20, is Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, whose runner-up finish behind Gregory Bourdy in the UBS Hong Kong Open enabled him to vault over Lee Westwood of England at the top of The Race to Dubai.

With Westwood - the Number One going into Hong Kong - finishing tied 54^th in that event, McIlroy's €186,190 has taken him €128,173 ahead of his ISM stable mate, and knocked several possible contenders out of the Race.

Only McIlroy, Westwood, Germany's Martin Kaymer and Ross Fisher of England can take the title, as Paul Casey was compelled to withdraw at the weekend without hitting a shot in anger due to a recurrence of his long-standing rib injury.

Quite simply, it all comes down to this: if McIlroy, Westwood or Kaymer can land the Dubai World Championship next Sunday, they cannot be caught by any of their challengers for the coveted position as Europe's ‘top dog'.

Should Fisher prevail, the new Volvo World Match Play Champion could be caught by either McIlroy or Westwood if either of that pair finished second while Kaymer would have insufficient points to reach Fisher.

If none of that illustrious quartet wins, then the permutations are endless. Whatever happens, if promises to be a stimulating and thrilling climax to the season in the desert.

McIlroy, who moved within one stroke of Bourdy at Fanling before bogeying the penultimate hole, admitted: "I am a bit disappointed at the moment, but I have the consolation of going back to the top in The Race to Dubai.

"This is where I wanted to be going into the final tournament. I knew if I put in a good performance there was a good chance (of going back to the top). I am now Number One and in pole position, I suppose."

Westwood, who has battled with McIlroy for several weeks to claim the metaphorical ‘yellow jersey' as Race leader, commented: "It's in my hands, regardless. The difference between first and second next week in more than the difference between us, so if I win this week, I win The Race to Dubai."

Kaymer, working towards full fitness after his lengthy lay-off due to a go-karting accident in August, was one of the group of early arrivals at the stunning Earth course in Dubai today who enjoyed their first taste of the course and facilities on the Jumeirah Golf Estates.

The German realises what he has to do this week, saying: "My goal is to win. Nothing else. If I can achieve that then we will see what happens."

Among the movers and shakers in Hong Kong and the JBWere Masters in Australia, the biggest winner was unquestionably Frenchman Bourdy. As well as collecting the champion's cheque for €279,288, Bourdy moved up from 86^th place on The Race to Dubai to 47^th, to ensuring himself of a starting role in the Dubai World Championship.