Published on November 3, 2022

Morocco’s first ever Tour-level golf champion Ines Laklalech believes this week’s International Series event in Rabat will be the launchpad for the country’s next generation of golf stars.

No less than 10 of Morocco’s finest professional and amateur golfers have earned the chance to tee it up against some of the biggest names in world golf at the Asian Tour’s flagship $1.5 million International Series Morocco tournament, which teed off this morning (Thursday) at the historic Royal Golf Dar Es Salam.

Professionals Ayoub Lguirati, Yassine Touhami, Othmane Raouzi, Ayoub Id-Omar, Ahmed Marjan and Karim El Hali carry Morocco’s greatest chance of a strong performance at the four-day event, with highly rated amateurs El Mehdi Fakori, Hugo Mazen Trommetter, Mohammed Nizar Bourehim and Adam Bresnu also looking to make an impression.

All 10 players will be able to source inspiration from 25-year-old countrywoman Laklalech, who earlier this year became Morocco’s first ever golfer to win a professional title, with victory in September’s Lacoste Ladies Open De France on the Ladies European Tour.

Laklalech firmly believes the talent is there amongst Morocco’s rising male stars – and is hoping that this week’s event will act as a springboard for Moroccan golf looking forward.

She said: “I’ve been following the guys’ results for the last couple of years and when there’s a national event, I’m always watching. It would be amazing if a Moroccan player can win this tournament – and I’m sure they can, because we have incredible talents here in Morocco. They’re working hard and they have really nice courses here. I just think they’re maybe lacking a bit of experience, and that’s all they’re missing. If they just keep playing, they will have some great results in the future, that’s for sure. And if not in this tournament, then it will come. I’m very optimistic for the future of Moroccan golf.”

Ines Laklalech with the Lacoste Ladies Open De France trophy.

The debut International Series Morocco will play a key role in determining the Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, as well as the maiden International Series money list winner.

Its field is packed with big-name stars, with eight of the top-10 in the Asian Tour Order of Merit standings, plus all four International Series winners to date – American Sihwan Kim (International Series Thailand), Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent (England), Thai Ntithorn Thippong (Singapore) and Korean Taehoon Ok (Korea) – all playing.

They will go head-to-head with the likes of Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat, former Singapore Open champion Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, and Australian Brett Rumford, a two-time Asian Tour winner, while James Piot, Chase Koepka, Wade Ormsby, Turk Pettit and David Puig are some of the big-name LIV Golf stars competing.

Laklalech is delighted to see this level of competition return to her home country.

She said: “When I got the news the International Series was coming to Morocco, I was very happy because the DP World Tour event has been set aside for a few years, and this would mean a big tournament coming to Morocco again, which is great.

“We have a lot of great players and I’m really happy for them, being able to play in an event like this. It’s also going to allow the young kids from all over Morocco to come and watch the guys play up close, and that will be a great inspiration for so many of them. That’s how it worked for me: I got inspired when I was watching the Lalla Meryem Cup in Rabat, so now having an Asian Tour event in Morocco is for sure going to grow Moroccan golf.”

Asked about the challenge the players can expect to encounter on Royal Golf Dar Es Salam’s Rouge course, Laklalech said: “It is a very, very nice course, but very tricky. I think the biggest challenge for the guys this weekend is going to be getting the right tee shot, because it’s pretty narrow with a few obstacles, and when you get the ball in the rough, it’s tough to get near to the hole.

“The greens are also pretty firm and fast, so I think the main thing would be to just put your ball on the fairway to have a good chance and create your opportunities.”

The International Series Morocco teed-off at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam this morning and continues each day through Sunday. Admission is free for all those keen to attend.

Published on November 2, 2022

Moroccan star Ayoub Lguirati is “honoured” to be among the 10 local players representing their home country and gaining invaluable experience alongside the best in the game as they battle it out for glory at the International Series Morocco on the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam course in Rabat this week.

Ayoub joins fellow professionals Karim El Hal, Yassine Touhami, Othman Raouzi, Ahmed Marjan and Ayoub Id-Omar along with the amateur quartet of Adam Bresnu, Mohammed Nizar Bourehim, Hugo Mazen Trommetter and El Mehdi Fakori for the US$1.5 million event from November 3-6, the fifth of the Asian Tour’s new flagship series of elevated tournaments.

The Moroccan players will be gaining invaluable experience on the course in a strong field that includes current Order of Merit leader Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe and nearest challengers Sihwan Kim and Phachara Khongwatmai. All three are returning to Asian Tour duties after competing in the season-ending LIV Golf Team Championship on the Trump National Doral in Miami.

Lguirati said: “You cannot imagine the honour for me to be playing this event and representing my country. I am so delighted to play – especially on this course – the ‘Red Monster’ is a wonderful course and it is important for Morocco to host tournaments like this.

“It is a special opportunity for the Moroccan players to test themselves against the best players in the world, and it is a wonderful opportunity to grow the game of golf and raise awareness of the sport in the country.

“We have some really great players here – His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid and the Royal Moroccan Golf Federation are doing a great job developing the players over the years, and developing golf for everyone, and now you can see we have a really good field of local players this week in a big international tournament.”

Published on

Scott Vincent has enjoyed a season of many high points, but with the year drawing to an exciting conclusion the next few months could potentially lead to life-changing consequences.

With just four events remaining, including the International Series Morocco which starts tomorrow, the Zimbabwean is ranked first on the International Series Order of Merit (OOM) and fifth on the Asian Tour OOM, and with lucrative purses still to play for finishing top of both is a realistic possibility.

But despite the stakes being high, Vincent is staying typically grounded and not looking beyond the job at hand this week at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam.

“I try not to think about it,” he said.

“Obviously, it is there, and people talk about it. For me it’s not a priority, I am just trying to work on being present, being here. This is one of the steps in my career, this is where I am now.

“I am focusing on the very next thing I have to do, which is a press conference I have to be at shortly. And, of course, any opportunity I have to come back and play in Africa it is a great thing.”

The Tour journeys to the International Series Egypt next week, before heading to the Bangabandhu Cup Golf Bangladesh Open and the Indonesian Masters – which is also an International Series event.

Vincent leads the International Series OOM with earnings of US$407,025 from the four International Series events played so far, by about US$80,000 from American Sihwan Kim.

While on Asian Tour OOM he trails leader Bio Kim from Korea, who has won US$586,570, by close to US$180,000.

But all that could quickly change, as the Morocco, Egypt and Indonesian events boast purses of US$1.5 million (with the winner earning US$270,000).

“I think the course this week is going to show you who are the best players,” added Vincent.

“My game comes and goes, it is a work in progress and we try and stick to our routines and work the best with what we have. I am constantly working on it, trying to improve, trying to make my game the best it can be.”

In early June he recorded his breakthrough Asian Tour victory at the inaugural International Series England. It was his second victory in two weeks as he also claimed the Gate Way To The Open Mizuno Open on the Japan Golf Tour Organization – a victory that secured him a place in The Open Championship, his first major.

Thanks to his fine season, and success in the International Series England, Vincent has been able to play on the LIV Golf Series – which ended last week with the LIV Golf Series Team Championship in Miami.

It’s been an incredible experience for him and one that has no doubt prepared him well for the next critical stage of the 2022 season.

He said: “Just coming from last week, I haven’t fully digested it. Off the top of my head, those guys who are the best in the world, like Cameron Smith and Dustin Johnson, they are able to do what they do more consistently at a very high level and very often. I have got to find ways to do that very consistently.”

The 30 year old is the highest ranked player from his country on the Official World Golf Ranking in 86^th position and is attempting to follow in the footsteps of Zimbabwe’s all-time greats Nick Price, Mark McNulty, Tony Johnstone and Dennis Watson.

He secured his Asian Tour card at the Qualifying School in 2016 and since then the talented golfer with the distinctive long blonde flowing hair has never looked back: in 2018 he placed fifth on the Merit list, finishing in the top-10 nine times, including three runner-up positions.

These are exciting times for Vincent with the only thing he may be slightly concerned about is that there is another player from his country who may try and usurp him: his younger brother Kieran, who turned professional this year, is very highly rated and is also competing this week.

Published on November 1, 2022

This week’s US$1.5 million International Series Morocco is a giant step forward for the Asian Tour as it visits North Africa for the first time, but it is also marks the return of one of the giants of the Tour, Thailand’s ultra-talented golf star Kiradech Aphibarnrat.

The former Asian Tour number one has not competed on the circuit since 2019, choosing to focus on the PGA Tour, but he returns to his home Tour on Thursday when he tees-off at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam.

And the four-time Asian Tour winner is in confident mood at the famous venue, which hosted The Hassan II Golf Trophy for four decades.

“My form is excellent,” said the Thai, winner of the Asian Tour Order of Merit in 2013.

“I am playing with confidence and playing solid golf, and I’m very comfortable playing with my friends and feeling I am back where I belong, it is my first time on the Asian Tour for a long time.”

The 33 year old rose up through the ranks on the Asian Tour after turning professional 14 years ago – with his most recent victory coming in the ISPS Handa World Super 6 in Perth in 2018.

In June that year he also became the first Thai golfer to earn a card on the PGA Tour, although he has since lost his playing privileges there.

He said: “I haven’t been on the Asian Tour for a while, but I have been keeping an eye on it and it has been going from strength to strength so hopefully I can return with a win for myself, my friends on tour and my friends back home.”

The last time he competed on the Asian Tour was at the Thailand Masters in December 2019 and he returns at a time when the circuit is booming, helped by the introduction of the ground-breaking International Series events, launched earlier this year thanks to LIV Golf.

On the International Series, he said: “It is great, it gives a great opportunity to the new generation, there are a lot of younger players and a lot of new stars of the game and the International Series is helping them to build their careers and judging by the new players, I think the Asian Tour is doing things the right way.”

And, of course, this week gives him a great opportunity to meet the many friends he made on the Asian Tour over the past 10 plus years.

“I got here yesterday and first thing I did was spent a lot of time with Prom (Meesawat) and some other Thai players and it hit me that it was nearly 15 years ago, the first time we came out on tour and how we played together and went out on tour together,” he said.

“We had a lot of chat, talking about the past and the old times, and I think so far this is the happiest week in the past few years, I am at my happiest and enjoying it so far.”

The first of his Asian Tour victories came at the Sail Open in 2011 and as he looks to once again cross the fine line at the top between mediocrity and stardom the International Series Morocco is in his crosshairs.

 

Published on October 31, 2022

Eight of Morocco’s finest local professional and amateur golfers have earned the chance to tee it up against some of the biggest names in world golf, by qualifying for the Asian Tour’s US$1.5 million International Series Morocco at the historic Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat from November 3-6.

Moroccan professional Ayoub Lguirati (main picture) earned his spot as winner of the National Professional Championship, while Yassine Touhami, Othmane Raouzi and Karim El Hali all secured a place in the field by finishing in the top three of the International Series Morocco qualifying events.

The four pros will be joined by a quartet of highly rated amateurs, eager for the chance to battle it out alongside eight of the top-10 in the International Series Order of Merit standings.

Eli Mehdi Fakori, winner of the National Amateur Championship and runner-up in the Africa Amateur Individual Championship, qualified as leading Moroccan on the World Amateur Golf Ranking while Hugo Mazen Trommetter joins him as National Amateur Championship runner-up.

Mohammed Nizar Bourehim secured his spot by finishing fourth in the International Series Morocco qualifying events while Adam Bresnu claimed a wild card from the Sport Commission. Fakori, Bourehim and Bresnu were also rewarded for being part of the triumphant Moroccan team in the African Amateur Team Championship (AACT).

Lguirati said: “As a professional golfer for the Moroccan national team, it is a privilege to play the first International Series Morocco – especially on the Red course at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam which is extremely challenging.

“I’m honored to represent my country for this event. It’s an opportunity for me to challenge myself against some of the best players in the world and I hope to achieve my goal to get in a category to play other international series.”

Budding amateur Fakori, a national team member ranked 259 in the WAGR, added: “I am ecstatic to participate this week on the Asian Tour. I am looking forward to learning and gaining experience from other players.”

The International Series Morocco offers free admission for spectators across all four days. The series was launched earlier this year thanks to a landmark partnership between the Asian Tour and LIV Golf to invigorate the game in Asia and the Middle East, and events have been staged in Thailand, England, Singapore and Korea already this season.

Abderrahim Bouftas, President of the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, said: “The new International Series offers a chance for the world to see the very best from the Asian Tour and Moroccan golf. We are proud of our golfing tradition and this is a wonderful opportunity for Moroccan sports fans to see world class golf at the prestigious Royal Golf Dar Es Salam Red Course.”

Following the tournament, the Asian Tour swings into Egypt for the first time for the International Series Egypt at Madinaty Golf Club, Cairo, from November 10-13.

Published on

The Bangabandhu Cup Golf Bangladesh Open, one of the Asian Tour’s emerging tournaments with huge growth potential, will make a welcomed return to the schedule this season.

The event, which was last staged in 2019, will be played at its regular home Kurmitola Golf Club, in Bangladesh’s capital city Dhaka, from November 24-27 and will offer a purse of US$400,000.

It had to be postponed in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic but makes a popular return as the penultimate event of the season and will play a role in helping to determine the winner of the Asian Tour Order of Merit title.

The tournament has the reputation of providing breakthrough wins for the next generation of Asian Tour stars such as Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana, who triumphed in the tournament three years ago, for his maiden success on the Asian Tour.

In 2017 his compatriot Jazz Janewattananond also lifted his first Asian Tour trophy there which kick started a monumental run which included another five wins and the Asian Tour Order of Merit title in 2019.

Singaporean Mardan Mamat was victorious in 2015 which was the first year the event was played on the Asian Tour; while India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar and Bangladesh’s most famous golfing son Siddikur Rahman triumphed in 2011 and 2010, respectively.

Said Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner and CEO, Asian Tour: “The Bangabandhu Cup Golf Bangladesh Open is an essential part of the Asian Tour schedule and so we are absolutely delighted it will return this year.

“The tournament presents everything that the Asian Tour is trying to achieve in terms of staging tournaments in new, untapped markets and helping to encourage golf at grass roots level. It’s a relatively new event with a very bright future.”

It was first played in 2009, as part of the Professional Golf Tour of India, before joining the Asian Tour later.

General S. M. Shafiuddin Ahmed, Chief of Army Staff, Bangladesh Army and President, Bangladesh Golf Federation, said: “We are proud to organise the Bangabandhu Cup Golf Bangladesh Open at Kurmitola Golf Club in the name of ‘The Father of the Nation’ who was a sports loving person.

“After two difficult years when we were unable to stage our National Open, we are overjoyed to see the tournament return during the current calendar year. Bangladesh being a promising golf country is honoured to be able to host such international sporting events on this scale. This Asian Tour event will be a tremendous boost for the game of golf in Bangladesh.”

Siddikur, a two-time winner on the Asian Tour, will once again lead to the local challenge.

While his victory in the event happened when it was not part of the Asian Tour, he did come close to winning in 2017, when he was runner up.

Remarkably, the Bangladesh star learned the game as a caddie at Kurmitola Golf Club and has an incredible track record in tournaments there.

He has claimed two Asian Development Tour events at Kurmitola: the Grameenphone Bangladesh Masters in 2011, and the 2018 City Bank American Express Dhaka Open.

And he was also second there in the Bangladesh Open in 2011 and 2012.

Published on

MIAMI – Dustin Johnson and his 4 Aces GC swept all four LIV Golf Invitational events in the United States during the regular season. The all-American foursome wasn’t about to tarnish that success at the biggest event of the inaugural year, despite the best efforts of Punch GC captain Cameron Smith.
 


Relying again on its ability to produce in the big moments, the 4 Aces won the Team Championship by one stroke over Punch on Sunday, claiming the $16 million first prize of the historic $50 million purse at Trump National Doral. Smash GC was third, with Stinger GC finishing fourth.
 


With their four previous wins and other team earnings during the regular season, the foursome of Johnson, Patrick Reed, Talor Gooch and Pat Perez will evenly split a total of $28,250,000 for the season-long team earnings.
 


“My team played unbelievable this year,” said Perez, who had his most productive weekend of the season. “… To have these guys and their caddies and families and coaches and everybody, it’s just one big family now. I just couldn’t be any happier. It’s unbelievable.”
 


“To come out and play the way we did through the season is unbelievable,” added Reed. “Can’t wait for next year to keep it going.”
 


Depth was a huge factor in the 4 Aces’ success on Sunday. Unlike the previous two days of match play, the final round was stroke play, with every score counting for each of the final four teams for the first time this season.

Johnson, Reed and Perez each shot 2-under 70s on the difficult Blue Monster course, with Gooch adding a 1-under 71 for a team total of 7 under. The 4 Aces were the only team on Sunday shooting all four scores under par.
 
“It shows how just deep and good this team is,”

Gooch said.  “… Everybody pitched in. It was a true team effort, and it was just super cool.”
 
Still, the outcome was in doubt, thanks to Smith.

The reigning Open Champion, playing in the final twosome with Johnson, had the lowest individual score of the day, a 7-under 65 that was three strokes better than any other player.
 


Smith birdied five of his last eight holes to put the pressure on. But the 4 Aces delivered when necessary. Perez birdied two of his last three holes, and Reed was 2 under on his last five holes.

His birdie on his last hole, the par-4 second, was the decisive stroke, allowing Johnson to seal the victory with a 3-foot par putt on the 18th hole.
 


“It was a team effort, but … it ended up coming down to me and Cam playing the 18th hole to see who wins the Team Championship,” Johnson said. “You couldn’t have drawn it up any better, but I think that’s what LIV is. Look at all the fans. Look how much they have. I think the season went incredible, and I think next season is going to be even better.”
 


The all-Australian Punch GC had finished in the money one time this season and came into the week as the 11th seed. They posted match-play wins over higher seeds Hy Flyers GC and Torque GC in the previous two days to reach the finals, and nearly pulled off another upset on Sunday.

Along with Smith’s 65, Matt Jones added a 70, with Wade Ormsby contributing a 73 and Marc Leishman a 74 to leave Punch at 6 under and claim the second-place prize of $8 million, to be split four ways.
 


“I think we got off to a bit of a rough start there,” Smith said, referencing an early double bogey by Leishman. “We were kind of clawing back the whole time. We got close there in the end, and all the boys showed some pretty big you-know what there at the end, holing some putts. It was really cool to see, and what better way to finish out a season than that.”
 


Brooks Koepka’s Smash GC were in the hunt early but faded down the stretch, suffering three double bogeys on the final nine of their scorecards. Jason Kokrak carded six birdies in shooting a 4-under 69, with Brooks Koepka shooting 74 and Peter Uihlein and Chase Koepka each shooting 75.

That left Smash at 4 over as a team, good enough to claim third place worth $6 million.
 
Louis Oosthuizen’s Stinger GC struggled early and were forced to play catch up the rest of the way.

Branden Grace, who took second in the Individual Champion race during the regular season but was still not 100 percent due to a recent oblique muscle injury, suffered a quadruple bogey on his fourth hole en route to shooting 80. Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel shot 1-under 71s, while Hennie du Plessis shot a 76 for a team total of 10 over. In finishing fourth, Stinger will split $4 million.
 


QUOTEBOARD
 


DUSTIN JOHNSON (on his clinching par putt): “I do not like stress, so that was a little more stress than I was looking for,” Johnson said. “If that was an individual tournament, it would have been no problem, that putt. It’s straight in from 3 feet. But with it being the team aspect … I had to make that for the team to win – I didn’t like it very much. My hands were not real steady. I don’t know where I hit it on the putter face, but it went in the middle.”
 


TALOR GOOCH (on 4 Aces GC): “I got off to a good start and then I kind of slowed down and I saw that we were still rising and I was like, all right, the team is stepping up. That’s what we’ve done all season. That’s why we’ve won as much as we’ve won and we’ve been the dominant team because everybody has risen when they’ve needed to, so it’s been awesome.”
 


CAMERON SMITH (on his 65): “I feel like I really didn’t miss a shot today. I felt like I holed everything. Typically, on an easier golf course, you’re looking at somewhere around 60, but not the case out here. It’s so demanding and just keeps putting the pressure on. It’s a perfect golf course for this event.”
 


BRANDEN GRACE (on his rough start): “When you see one of your teammates being 5 over through four, it makes it pretty tough. It’s not a golf course where you can start going after stuff. But listen, it was a great year. We came here, we grew closer as friends, as a team, and very excited to see what’s going to happen next year.”

Published on October 30, 2022

MIAMI – The final day of the inaugural LIV Golf season will feature 4 Aces GC, Stinger GC, Smash GC and Punch GC in a stroke-play shootout to decide the LIV Golf Team Championship on Sunday at Trump National Doral.

The four remaining teams were determined on a tense Saturday, in which seven of the 12 semifinals matches went the distance, including two that required extra holes.

Brooks Koepka’s Smash GC, winners of the team title two weeks ago in Jeddah, were the only team to sweep all three matches in beating Majesticks GC. The other results included Cameron Smith’s Punch GC beating Sergio Garcia’s Fireballs GC, despite Garcia knocking off Smith in their singles match; Dustin Johnson’s 4 Aces GC getting tested before beating a gritty Cleeks GC team playing without injured captain Martin Kaymer; and Stinger GC beating Crushers GC in a three-match set that required 61 holes, including captain Louis Oosthuizen’s decisive victory over Crushers captain Bryson DeChambeau on the 23rd match hole.

The four surviving teams will now switch from match play to stroke play for Sunday’s Championship round. For the only time this season, all four individual scores will count toward the team score. The team with the lowest score will share the $16 million first prize from the historic $50 million purse.

“It’s the first LIV Team Championship,” said Johnson, who already has claimed the Individual Champion title this season. “It’s kind of the first year of this and I think it’s gone really well and it just kind of sets up for things to come. I think it would be amazing and it’s something that we all really want to win.”

Here’s a look at each semifinals result from Saturday:

4 ACES GC 2, CLEEKS GC 1

Dustin Johnson/4 Aces def. Shergo Al Kurdi/Cleeks, 5 & 3. The 4 Aces captain and LIV Golf Individual Champion won three of the first four holes and cruised to victory over Al Kurdi, the 19-year-old replacement player for injured Cleeks captain Martin Kaymer. Johnson closed out the match with a long birdie putt at the par-3 15th.

Laurie Canter/Cleeks def. Patrick Reed/4 Aces, 2 & 1. The 32-year-old Englishman continued his fine play his week, knocking off the seasoned match-play performer in Reed. Canter took control by winning four consecutive holes midway in the match, but Reed bounced back with two winning holes. They then split the next two holes with birdies before Canter closed it out with a birdie on the 17th match hole (the par-4 18th).

Pat Perez-Talor Gooch/4 Aces def. Graeme McDowell-Richard Bland/Cleeks, 1 up. The 4 Aces duo rallied down the stretch to win a tight match that decided the fate of both teams. The match was tied after 14 holes, but a Cleeks bogey gave the Aces duo the lead, and they held on by matching scores on the final three holes. “We knew it was going to be a tough match,” Gooch said. “I looked at Pat and said we’ve got to put some pressure on them and get it done for the team.” Said Perez: “I probably had the most pressure of anybody today. I knew I had to show up in alternate shot. I had a blast.”

PUNCH GC 2, FIREBALLS GC 1

Sergio Garcia/Fireballs def. Cameron Smith/Punch, 2 & 1. After squaring the match with a birdie on the 10th hole of the match at the par-4 14th, the Fireballs captain took control by winning three consecutive holes – two with birdies – to knock off the reigning Open champion. Garcia had six birdies on his round. “Had a little bit of Ryder Cup vibes going,” Garcia said. “It’s nice to see that even though some people don’t think so, I can still play this game.”

Marc Leishman/Punch def. Carlos Ortiz/Fireballs, 1 up. Leishman was 3 up after eight holes before Ortiz squared the match by winning four holes in a six-hole stretch. But Leishman won the match’s 16th hole (the par-4 third) with a par and hung on from there for his second match win of the week. “It’s nice to be able to say we’re playing tomorrow and to give us a chance at that championship,” Leishman said.

Matt Jones-Wade Ormsby/Punch def. Eugenio Chacarra-Abraham Ancer/Fireballs, 1 up. The entertaining match was tied through 16 holes before the Australians took the lead with a par against the Fireballs’ double bogey. Both teams bogeyed the final hole as Punch sealed the point.

SMASH GC 3, MAJESTICKS GC 0

Brooks Koepka/Smash def. Ian Poulter/Majesticks 3 & 1. The Smash captain won the first two holes with a par and a birdie and never trailed against the match-play specialist. Koepka put five consecutive 3s on his scorecard midway in the round to go 4 up. Poulter made it interesting by winning two holes late before Koepka closed it out with a birdie. “Poults is never going to give up,” Koepka said. “He’s too competitive, too gritty and he kind of showed that in the last 5-6 holes there.”

Peter Uihlein/Smash def. Lee Westwood/Majesticks, 4 & 2. Uihlein won his second consecutive match, pulling away down the stretch by winning four of the last six holes against the veteran Westwood. Uihlein closed out the match with consecutive birdies at hole Nos. 6 and 7.

Jason Kokrak-Chase Koepka/Smash def. Henrik Stenson-Sam Horsfield/Majesticks, 1 up. The Smash duo won for the second time this week, taking control by winning four holes in a six-hole stretch midway through the match. They were 3 up with five holes to play before the Majesticks won two holes with pars to take the match to the distance.

STINGER GC 2, CRUSHERS GC 1

Louis Oosthuizen/Stinger def. Bryson DeChambeau/Crushers, 23 holes. The Stinger captain, playing with an injured left elbow, never led until winning the 23th hole of the match with a birdie that allowed the Stingers to advance past the Crushers. At one point, the Crushers captain was 3 up before Oosthuizen fought back, tying the match in the final hole of regulation. The two captains then matched birdies on the first two extra holes and pars on the next two before Oosthuizen’s winning hole in which DeChambeau yanked his tee shot on the par-5 1st into the water and could never recover. “I was struggling to follow through on my driver,” Oosthuizen said. “In the end, adrenaline just took over the last few holes. It was a great match. I thought the boys had it covered, then I saw Branden lost and I said, ‘Oh boy, gotta do something.’ Very chuffed.”

Paul Casey/Crushers def. Branden Grace/Stingers, 20 holes. Casey won with a birdie on the 20th hole that allowed the Crushers to stay alive before Oosthuizen’s win over DeChambeau. Grace led for eight consecutive holes at one point before Casey won two late holes. Grace tied it on the 17th hole of regulation to send it to extra holes.

Charl Schwartzel-Hennie du Plessis/Stinger def. Charles Howell III-Anirban Lahiri/Crushers, 2 up. The South African duo posted a couple of birdies midway through the match and never trailed in a tight match that gave the Stingers its first point of the day.

PREVIEW OF SUNDAY’S CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND

Dustin Johnson’s 4 Aces GC won four of the seven team titles during the regular season, sweeping all four tournaments played in the United States. They arrived at Trump National Doral as the top seed, and the heavy favorites. Will anything less than the Team Championship and the $16 million first prize be disappointing?

“I don’t think so,” Johnson said. “I think we’ve had a really good year and no matter what happens tomorrow, we’ll still have had a really good year.

“Tomorrow, it’s anybody’s ballgame. All four guys have to play really well if you want to win. Tomorrow is different — we haven’t had one tournament or one event where we’ve had to count all four scores, so you know, I think it’s going to be really exciting and a lot of fun.”

The depth of each four-player lineup will be tested. Perhaps the team with the hottest hands will be the decisive factor. But it could also be decided on avoiding the high scores on a course called the Blue Monster.

Of the four remaining teams, two have played in both the quarterfinals and semifinals rounds.

The 5th-seeded Smash GC, captained by Brooks Koepka, beat Niblicks GC 2 to 1 on Friday before sweeping Majesticks GC 3-0 on Saturday. Peter Uihlein has won both of his singles matches handily, and the team of Chase Koepka and Jason Kokrak won their two foursomes matches. Brooks Koepka lost to Harold Varner III 4 & 3 on Friday but bounced back to beat match-play specialist Ian Poulter 3 & 1 on Saturday.

“I played good yesterday. Played better than I did today,” Brooks Koepka said after beating Poulter. “Just got whacked by Harold, 7 under through 10. Not much you can do. But our whole team is playing well. We’re excited to see what tomorrow brings.”

The all-Australian Punch GC, captained by Cameron Smith, beat Hy Flyers GC 2 to 1 in the quarterfinals, then beat 3rd-seeded Fireballs GC 2 and 1 in the semifinals. Like Koepka, Smith is 1-1 in his singles matches, but Marc Leishman has won both of his singles matches to lead the team.

“It’s obviously going to be hard work,” Smith said of knocking off the 4 Aces. “I think the golf course has got better and better as the week’s gone on. I think typically Aussies like to play firm and fast golf courses and it’s starting to get a little bit like that. We’ll see what happens overnight.

“Obviously the team is playing pretty good, Leish and the other two boys dug me out of a hole today. So good to see that, and yeah, hopefully we can go out there and shoot as low as we can.”

The all-South African Stinger GC, like 4 Aces GC, had a first-day bye but had the most draining set of matches on Saturday against Crushers GC. Charl Schwartzel and Hennie du Plessis went the distance in winning the foursomes match, while Branden Grace lost his singles match in 20 holes. Captain Louis Oosthuizen provided the clinching point by beating Bryson DeChambeau on the 23rd hole. That’s 61 holes played by the South Africans on Saturday.

“We’re not that old yet,” Oosthuizen said with a laugh. “We’re OK. We’ll be fine. Yeah, it’s a few extra holes. But yeah, I’ll probably have an early one tonight and be ready for tomorrow.”

The Stingers also are battling health issues. Oosthuizen had to take up his left elbow after experiencing soreness on a drive, and Grace is still recovering from an oblique muscle that forced him to WD in Bangkok.

But the Stingers opened the inaugural year by winning in London by 14 strokes, the biggest margin of victory posted by any team this season. They’d love to end the year with the same kind of success.

“I’m just glad we made it to Sunday,” Oosthuizen said.

Sunday’s Championship round will include twosomes from different teams, with the captains paired. Johnson and Smith will be in one twosome going off the 1st hole, while Oosthuizen and Koepka will be in the other twosome going off the 10th hole. But captains’ groups will start at 12:25 p.m., 10 minutes later than the rest of the groups.

“Anything can happen tomorrow,” Koepka said. “You never know. Everybody’s got 18 holes and especially with this finish, you never know.”

Published on October 29, 2022

With three matches going the distance, including the singles duel between captains Cameron Smith of Punch GC and Phil Mickelson of Hy Flyers GC, the opening day of the historic LIV Golf Team Championship produced plenty of drama at Trump National Doral.

Smith, the reigning Open Champion and individual winner of the LIV Golf Invitational Chicago last month, beat the six-time major winner Mickelson 1 up with a seven-foot birdie putt on their final match hole. The outcome gave 11th-seeded Punch its second win against the 8th-seeded Hy Flyers in their three quarterfinal matches, allowing the all-Australian team to advance to Saturday’s semifinals.

In addition to Punch GC’s win, the other quarterfinal team winners on Friday were: 5th-seeded Smash GC, which beat 12th-seeded Niblicks GC 2-1; 6th-seeded Majesticks GC, which swept 9th-seeded Iron Heads GC 3-0; and 10th-seeded Cleeks GC, which beat 7th-seeded Torque GC 2-1, with both wins decided on the final match hole.

Along with the four winners on Friday, the four top seeds, which received byes and did not play Friday, will play in the semifinals. During the captains’ selection Friday night, Dustin Johnson’s top-seeded 4 Aces GC chose Cleeks GC as its opponent; Bryson DeChambeau of No. 2 seed Crushers GC opted to play 4th-seeded Stinger GC; Sergio Garcia of No. 3 seed Fireballs GC picked Punch GC; and that left Brooks Koepka’s Smash GC facing off against Ian Poulter’s Majesticks.

The same format in the quarterfinals will be used for Saturday’s semifinals. The teams will compete in three matches – two singles and one foursomes (alternate-shot) – with all players on each team competing. Each match is worth one point, and the teams that win two points advance to Sunday’s championship finals, which will be a stroke-play format with all scores counting.

Here is a recap of each match played Friday:

SMASH GC 2, NIBLICKS GC 1

Harold Varner/Niblicks def. Brooks Koepka/Smash, 4 & 3. Varner, the designated playing captain for non-playing captain Bubba Watson, won the second and third holes with birdies and never gave an opening to Koepka, the individual winner in Jeddah. Varner produced seven birdies in his first 10 holes to control the match. “I played well. I think I would have beat a lot of people,” Varner said. “… It just sucks we didn’t make it as a team.”

Peter Uihlein/Smash def. James Piot/Niblicks, 5 & 3. Uihlein, the runner-up in Jeddah, won the opening hole with a birdie, then took command midway through the match with four winning birdies in a six-hole stretch. Uilhein was a bogey-free 7 under in his 15 holes played.

Jason Kokrak-Chase Koepka/Smash def. Turk Pettit-Hudson Swafford/Niblicks, 2 & 1. The Smash duo won the first three holes but the Niblicks fought back and were just 1 down after 10 holes. Then Smash rebuilt its lead until another Niblicks rally. Up 1 with two holes to play, Smash closed it out with a birdie.

CLEEKS GC 2, TORQUE GC 1

Joaquin Niemann/Torque def. Shergo Al Kurdi/Cleeks, 5 & 3. The Torque captain won all four par-5 holes to knock off the 19-year-old replacement player for injured Cleeks captain Martin Kaymer. Niemann took the lead for good with a birdie on the sixth match hole (the par-5 10th) and never trailed.

Laurie Canter/Cleeks def. Jediah Morgan/Torque, 1 up. Canter birdied the final hole, the par-4 10th, to complete his rally. The Englishman was 2 down with six holes to play before winning two consecutive holes to tie the match. Morgan responded with a winning birdie to reclaim the lead before finding trouble on the next hole, giving Canter the opening he needed.

Richard Bland-Graeme McDowell/Cleeks def. Scott Vincent-Adrian Otaegui/Torque, 2 up. With the match tied entering the last three holes, the Cleeks duo birdied the par-3 fourth before winning the final hole with a par. The Torque pair was behind most of the match before rallying late with three winning holes, but McDowell provided the decisive shots. “He was just clutch all day,” Bland said of McDowell. “I love this dude next to me.”

PUNCH GC 2, HY FLYERS GC 1

Cameron Smith/Punch def. Phil Mickelson/Hy Flyers, 1 up. The top-billed match of the day lived up to the hype, with the Punch captain prevailing with a birdie on the final hole, the par-5 eighth, after Mickelson caught the rough on his tee shot. The two team captains combined for just six birdies, and the lead was never more than 1 up on either side. “We both struck the ball good,” Smith said. “I probably didn’t hole as many putts as I’d like, but I was able to get the job done there on the last hole.” Said Mickelson: “It’s disappointing on that last hole. I thought I hit a good drive, thought it hit the fairway. Surprised it was in the rough.”

Marc Leishman/Punch def. Matthew Wolff/Hy Flyers, 4 and 2. With the match tied through 12 holes, Leishman won the next four holes to close out the big-hitting Wolff. Leishman was 2 down after seven holes before fighting back, and made two late birdies while Wolff found trouble.

Bernd Wiesberger-Cameron Tringale/Hy Flyers def. Matt Jones-Wade Ormsby/Punch, 3 and 2. The match was tied through 10 holes before the Hy Flyers duo won three consecutive holes (two with pars) to take control.

MAJESTICKS GC 3, IRON HEADS GC 0

Ian Poulter/Majesticks def. Kevin Na/Iron Heads, 4 & 2. Na won the third hole before Poulter roared back. The Majesticks captain won the match’s fifth hole (at the par-5 1st) with a birdie and never trailed after that, as he played 16 holes in a bogey-free 4 under. “He drew first blood,” Poulter said, “and it was head down, get focused.”

Lee Westwood/Majesticks def. Sihwan Kim/Iron Heads, 4 & 3. Kim opened with a winning birdie, but Westwood won the match’s third hole with a par to square it. Westwood’s birdie at the par-4 second then gave him a lead he would not relinquish.

Sam Horsfield-Henrik Stenson/Majesticks def. Sadom Kaewkanjana-Phachara Khongwatmai/Iron Heads, 4 & 2. The Majesticks pair never trailed, taking the lead for good with a par on the fourth hole of the match. That was the start of four consecutive winning holes.

PREVIEW OF SATURDAY’S SEMI-FINALS

4 ACES GC vs. CLEEKS GC. 4 Aces captain Dustin Johnson will face Shergo Al Kurdi, the replacement for injured Cleeks captain Martin Kaymer. The 19-year-old Kurdi was paired with Johnson in the first round in Boston after filling in for Henrik Stenson, but the match play format obviously creates different challenges.

“It’s an unbelievable matchup,” Kurdi said. “I’ve always watched him on TV in the past, and I’ve always looked up to him. Watching him firsthand in Boston, it was also unbelievable, and obviously he won that week, so it was a brilliant week to be playing with him.”

Said Johnson: “All the teams are great. Any team can win at any point. It’s match play. I felt like this is our best option.”

In the other singles match, 4 Aces’ Patrick Reed will face Laurie Canter. In the foursomes match, Pat Perez and Talor Gooch will take on Friday winners Graeme McDowell and Richard Bland of Cleeks.

Kaymer has high hopes, especially for his foursomes duo. “Richard is a very solid ball-striker. He hits many fairways,” Kaymer said. “G-Mac is very good in the short game, so I think they matched up really well. I don’t want to play against those two.”

CRUSHERS GC vs. STINGER GC. Crushers captain Bryson DeChambeau could have picked one of the lower-seeded teams that played Friday, but instead he opted for the Stingers, who also had the bye. That sets up a singles match against Stinger captain Louis Oosthuizen.

“Considering some of the injuries that they’ve had, and my 4-iron going past his driver in Jeddah, we feel like there’s a good chance there,” DeChambeau said.

Replied Oosthuizen: “I know I’m hitting into the greens first with my match against Bryson. I’m not sure how he copes under pressure. We’ll see that tomorrow.”

In the other singles match, Portland winner Branden Grace – who has an oblique muscle injury that forced him to WD in Bangkok – will play the Crushers’ Paul Casey. In the foursomes match, London winner Charl Schwartzel and teammate Hennie du Plessis, who rejoined Stinger for this event, face off against Charles Howell III and Anirban Lahiri.

FIREBALLS GC vs. PUNCH GC. Fireballs captain Sergio Garcia didn’t hesitate to go up against the reigning Open champ in Cameron Smith in singles. “We’re going to take the ones with the best hair,” Garcia said with a laugh. “Obviously we made a list, and that was one of our choices, and some of the other ones were gone already. We feel like we can match up nicely to them.”

Replied Smith: “Looking forward to playing my boy Sergio. Wasn’t really expecting that.”

In the other singles match, Fireballs’ Carlos Ortiz will face Marc Leishman. In the foursomes match, Abraham Ancer and Bangkok winner Eugenio Chacarra will face Punch’s Matt Jones and Wade Ormsby.

SMASH GC vs. MAJESTICKS GC. Smash captain Brooks Koepka didn’t have much of a chance against the hot hand of Harold Varner III, and now the Jeddah individual winner will face Majesticks captain Ian Poulter, who thrives in this kind of setting.

“Poults is pretty good at match play, so that’ll be interesting,” Koepka said.

Poulter expects Koepka to bounce back. “I need to go out and play strong tomorrow,” he said. “Brooks is coming off a win a couple of weeks ago, so they’ve got a strong team. But so do we. … I think we dominated our match today, but tomorrow is going to be a tougher test, and we need to step up.”

In the other singles match, Smash’s Peter Uihlein will face Lee Westwood. In the foursomes match, the Smash duo of Jason Kokrak and Chase Koepka will play Henrik Stenson and Sam Horsfield.

Published on October 28, 2022

The Asian Development Tour (ADT) is set to make its eagerly awaited return to Malaysia this season, following a break of three years, for the Selangor Masters.

The popular event will be held at the highly rated Seri Selangor Golf Club from November 23 to 26 (Wednesday to Saturday) and will offer an overall purse of US$150,000 – making it one of the most lucrative ADT tournaments this season.

The tournament, which was previously held on the Asian Tour from 2008 to 2014, will play a key role in determining the final positions on the ADT Order of Merit, with players vying to finish inside the top-10 to earn playing rights on the Asian Tour in 2023.

Jointly sanctioned with Asian Tour’s long-time partner Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) Tour, the Selangor Masters will feature a 144-man field consisting of 98 players from the ADT and 40 players from the PGM, along with six sponsor invitations.

It will also be the first international golf tournament to be held in Malaysia since the Malaysia Open, which was the last event to be held on the Asian Tour in March 2020 before the season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The last ADT event in Malaysia, a country that used to host multiple ADT events in previous years, was held in November 2019 and won by Thailand’s Nirun Sae-Ueng.

Pariya Junhasavasdikul triumphed in 2013.

The Selangor Masters has celebrated many worthy champions in Ben Leong (2008), the only Malaysian to have won an Asian Tour event in Malaysia, Australian Rick Kulacz (2009), Angelo Que (2010) of the Philippines and Joonas Granberg (2011) of Finland.

Thai trio Thaworn Wiratchant (2012), main picture, Pariya Junhasavasdikul (2013) and Chapchai Nirat (2014), who emerged victorious in a play-off to end a five-year title drought for his fourth win on Tour, claimed the last three editions of the Selangor Masters.

The Selangor Masters will mark the 14th leg of the current ADT season which celebrated the rise of Order of Merit leader Suteepat Prateeptienchai, who spectacularly won three titles to earn playing rights for the remainder of the current season on the Asian Tour.

The 29-year-old is attempting to become the third player from Thailand to lift the Order of Merit crown following Pavit Tangkamolprasert (2014) and Pannakorn Uthaipas (2017) since the ADT was inaugurated in 2010.

The ADT is set to stage a minimum of 14 tournaments this year across seven countries – Chinese Taipei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Vietnam.