Golf International 99

GOLFINTERNATIONALMAGAZINE

ESSENTIAL READING FROM THE BEST IN THE GAMETH

E YEARIN

GEAR

FROM PORTRUSH TO PEBBLE... AND THEN SOME

Luther Blacklock simplifies swingplane, shaft ‘lean’ & ball positionExercises to improveyour flexibility withDan FrostDr Karl Morris on thepower of selective memory

Improve your game9771368402034

99

ISSUE NO. 99 • £4.25JAN/FEB 2011

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MMEEMMOORRAABBIILLIIAA //// HOT PROPERTY //// JJAAGGUUAARR XXJJ VV66 //// LUXURY GIFTS FOR THE GIRLS

US Open champion and Ryder Cup hero headlines a vintage year for European golf

Editor: Richard Simmons [email protected] in Chief: Robert Green [email protected] Editor: Dominic Pedler

[email protected]: Tony Seagrave [email protected] Teaching Panel: Robert Baker, Tim Barter, Peter Cowen, JimChristine, Andrew Hall, Simon Holmes, Paul Hurrion,Stuart Morgan, Denis Pugh, Stuart Smith, DavidWhelan & Jonathan Yarwood Regular Contributors: Clive Agran, Peter Alliss, Colin Callander, Jeremy Chapman, Tom Cox, Richard Gillis,Anthony ffrench-Constant, Michael Flannery, John Hopkins, Tony Johnstone, Kevin McGimpsey,David Purdie, Ronan Rafferty, Sarah Stirk, JayneStorey, Paul Trow & Jake UlrichPhotographers: David Cannon, Peter Dazeley, Ross Kinnaird, Andrew Redington, Getty Images,Charles Briscoe-Knight, Matthew Harris, Eric Hepworth, Steve ReadRegular Illustrators: Peter Clark, Harold Riley, Dave F. Smith, Tony Husband (www.tonyhusband.co.uk)Overseas correspondents: Karl Ableidinger AustriaJan Kees van der Velden HollandSpencer Robinson Hong KongMario Camicia ItalyAndy Brumer USAAdvertising/Publishing Director:Peter Simmons [email protected]: (020) 7828 3003 • Mobile: 07827 995 080 Advertising Director:Nick Edgley [email protected]: 07774 703 491 Advertising Consultant:Ian Harkness [email protected]: 01702 558512 • Mobile: 07980 464 378US Travel Representative:Gary Edwards [email protected]: (00) 1 843 849 1308Special Projects:Brosnan Event Management Tel: (020) 8691 6836 Printers: St Ives Web Ltd // Tel: 01726 892400Distribution: Comag // Tel: 01895 433600

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GOLFINTERNATIONALMAGAZINE

ESSENTIAL READING FROM THE BEST IN THE GAME

ISSUE 99 • JAN/FEB 2011

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Speculation as to who might walk away with the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year award was asirrelevant as ever around the time this issue went to press – although at least this year golf was included in the discussion. How could it not be? Fully forty years on since Tony Jacklin lifted the USOpen trophy, Graeme McDowell’s epic victory at Pebble Beach not only inspired a glorious season forEuropean golf but established the boy from Portrush as a bona fide superstar, a status he would underline with that sublime, history-making birdie-three at the 16th in his singles match with HunterMahan at Celtic Manor – one of the greatest holes of golf ever played under such pressure. GMac’s legendis far from written, but whatever happens in the future it is hard to imagine he will ever scale suchheights as he did in 2010 – a performance that earns him our vote as golf’s World Player of the Year.

For the cover story to this Annual Issue, John Hopkins travelled to Dubai to interview GMac as heprepared a last-ditch assault on overhauling Martin Kaymer’s lead at the top of the Order ofMerit. As it turned out, however, his season was done. [At least as far as Europe was concerned –a week later he out-played Tiger in his own tournament. Oh joy!] “I wanted to finish strong, butthere was just nothing left in the tank,” he told Hoppy during the course of an interview original-ly scheduled to last just 30 minutes. An hour and a half later he was still talking, and, when youconsider the demands that have been made on him these last few months, his generosity alonegives you as indication as to the character of one of Europe’s most engaging and popular ofgolfers. One of the more thoughtful and erudite, too, as you will discover in a far-reaching andentertaining interview that begins on page 50.

Talking of awards, what self-respecting magazine wouldn’t hand out a few other gongs at thistime of year? The categories were being finalised as the entire staff here at Gi (on a good day afourball) assembled for a pint in the local. Ten minutes later we had nailed it.

* Best Dressed Player of 2010? GMac. Natty cardigans, immaculately cut strides, crisp collaredshirts...and all set off with that rather jaunty cap.

* Worst Dressed Player of 2010? (And he’s dangerously close to making this a perennial award).Sergio Garcia. Seems to have a thing for wearing trousers that look like tracksuit bottoms andshiny shirts you normally see on a sprinter. If he’s really serious about taking a sabbatical, perhaps he should try Track & Field?

* Best Celebration of 2010? No contest at all here. When Jeff ‘Boom baby, yeah!’ Overton holed hisapproach to the 8th in the fourballs on Ryder Cup Sunday, Bubba Watson produced possibly the fun-niest 30 seconds of television this year with a double fist pump and repeated echoes of ‘boom baby!’long after the ball had settled at the bottom of the cup. Watson, as it happened, was a revelation atCeltic Manor, a whacky genius on the golf course and a breath of fresh air off it. Find it on YouTube.

* Best Pressure Putt of 2010? A few contenders, obviously: GMac’s at 16 in that deciding singleswas monumental. As too was Edoardo Molinari’s snaking 30-footer for a two at the 71st hole atGleneagles during the Johnnie Walker Championship – a putt he knew he had to make to keepalive his hopes of winning the tournament and making Monty’s side. But Kaymer’s cool-as-you-like last-gasp 15-footer to get him into the playoff at the USPGA with Bubba was pure class.

* Most Improved Player of 2010? Applying the theory that the better you are the harder andharder it gets to lower your handicap, this one goes to Ian Poulter, a player who increasinglyappears to have the game to match the hype, not to mention the wardrobe.

As for Lee Westwood, well the quality of his ball striking simply gets better and better. And toanyone with the temerity to suggest the 37 year-old was not worthy of the top spot in golf,Worksop’s finest delivered the perfect riposte: in the three tournaments he played immediatelyafter toppling Tiger on October 31, the newly installed World No 1 was a cumulative 48 under par.

Here’s to more of the same in 2011. Enjoy the issue – and best wishes for a very Happy New Year.

All in all, a dream season...

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38 AND ANOTHER THINGMight the Ryder Cup opt for four-play?Following the delays at Celtic Manor,thereʼs every chance the format of thematch may change, says Robert Green

40 ON THE AIRTwo major elemental battles: At both the Open and the Ryder Cup wewere reminded of the totally irresistiblepower of the weather. Peter Allissreflects on 2010

42 AT THE 19THUnder-paid and over-looked...An invitation to a lavish awardsceremony could only mean one thing,right? Alas, no, laments Clive Agran

44 TOUR TALKPositively good for the game:You donʼt dress the way he does unlessyou know youʼre something special –and how Ian Poulter has impressed.Sarah Stirk is a huge fan

44 BETTINGAdvantage Europe: Giʼs bettingcorrespondent Jeremy Chapmanreflects on 2010 and anticipates moreEuropean success in 2011

163 THE LAST SHOTOur tour is better than theirs:Not since the heady days of the ʻFamousFive ̓has European golf been in suchrude health, writes John Hopkins

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128 UNDER ARMOUR Englandʼs Ross Fisher

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Essential readingfrom the best in the game

12 LETTERSDo you have an opinion youʼd like toshare? Why not email us? You could wina custom-fitted Odyssey putter

19 PLANET GOLFOff the beaten track: As this openingimage suggests, Hankley Common is wellworth investigating...19th Hole Q&A withDenis Pugh...New Gear – including thenew FootJoy DryJoys Tour...GalvinGreenʼs range for 2011...Odyssey payhomage to Lefty...2-minute lesson – GiʼsAndrew Hall with a simple drill to help youstay ʻconnectedʼ....more sound advicefrom Dr Felix Shank...Jayne Story andChi-Power Golf...donʼt miss our readerbook offer...

122 THE AMATEUR SCENEColin Callendar suggests the gapbetween top amateurs and tournamentpros is as marginal as itʼs ever been in thewake of some sensational performancesin 2010. We also catch up with WalkerCup captain Nigel Edwards and salute allof the winners of leading amateurtournaments this past year

152 WORLD TOURNAMENT NEWSAndy Farrell pens his end-of-year report,with a full listing of tournament results,money-lists and stats

ISSUE #99 // JAN/FEB 2011

Regulars Columns

ANNUAL ISSUE50 LIVING THE DREAM

The Gi interview: Graeme McDowellUS Open champion and Ryder Cuphero – there is no disputing who is theWorld Player of the Year. John Hopkinscaught up with GMac in Dubai

60 THE YEAR IN GEAR Equipment editor Dominic Pedler casts his eye back over the season in professional golf as he tells the story of 2010 via the hardware that made the headlines

86 IS TIGERʼS RACE RUN?As recently as 18 months ago Tigerʼs quest to topple Jack Nicklaus as the gameʼs all-time greatest seemed a given. Now, things are very different. Robert Green questions whether the man who has dominated the game for more than a decade will ever make it to – let alone past – 18

140 NORTHERN HIGHLIGHTSWith a tour that included Royal Portrushand Royal County Down, Clive Agrantook his B-game to some of the worldʼsfinest links golf courses. With exclusivephotography by David Cannon (and hisvaluable tips on where to play if you canextend your stay...)

Features

ISSUE #99 // JAN/FEB 2011

98 MEMORABILIAWhat a year!: Kevin McGimpseyidentifies the highlights of a seasonthat has seen a return to confidencein the leading auction houses...

102 ITʼS A GIFT...for the golfing girl in your life:Carly Cummins rounds up atempting hamper of stylish items thatwould make the perfect present

106 PROPERTYTime to turn those dreams intoreality? Peter Swain plays estateagent with a look at a changing golfproperty market and a personal Top-10 of the developments that havecaught his eye

112 MOTORINGThis Jag merits the badge: Giʼsmotoring correspondent Anthonyffrench-Constant gives his verdicton the Jaguar XJ V6 Turbodiesel

Subscribe TODAY and you will receive adozen Srixon golf balls with your order. It̓s a no-brainer – for just £34.99 you will haveall eight issues of Gi magazine delivered toyour door PLUS receive a dozen Srixon Z-Staror Z-Star X premium golf balls (which on theirown retail for £44.99 per dozen)For details, see page 77

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WITHIN PLANET GOLF31 2-minute lesson: Andrew Hall demonstrates a

quick and easy practice drill that will help you to keep the motion of the left arm more ʻin syncʼ

with the rotation of your torso – a key feeling that will help you to discover the joys of more solid and more consistent ball striking this weekend

34 Chi-power GOLF: Jayne Storey reveals how practising exercises developed in the martial arts can help you to improve your ʻrooting ̓with

the ground for better posture and a more dynamic body rotation

46 ON TRACK & ON LINETour putting coach Paul Hurrion shares some ofthe fundamental lessons he believes can helpevery golfer build a more solid and repeatingputting stroke

78 JUST HOW SERIOUS ARE YOU?Up and coming tour coach Dan Frost offers anenergetic insight into the type of training exercisesincreasingly prevelant among serious golfers of allages – golfers who understand the importance ofkeeping the key muscles in the body stretched andsupple in readiness to make a good swing

90 ADDRESSING ALL ANGLESMaster PGA Professional Luther Blacklocksimplifies the related concepts of shaft angle, swingplane & ball position with a lesson that will leaveyou with a clearer understanding of the basics

114 LAWS of MOTIONNick Bradley may be familar to you as the coachwho helped Justin Rose hone his swing between2006 and ʻ09, his most successful as a pro. He isalso author of the fascinating book The 7 Laws ofthe Golf Swing from which this extract is taken tocoincide with the publication of the paperbackedition. And there will be a lot more from Nickthrough 2011

130 THE SMART PLAYTrilby Tour ambassador Steve Cowle suggests asimple & practical drill that will help you to fine-tunethe quality of your impact with the sand for thecontrol to get up-and-down more often.

136 THE MIND FACTOR Continuing his series in which he reveals the exercises used by some of the worldʼs leading

golfers to harness and utilise the power of the mind for golf, Dr Karl Morris turns the spotlight

on the power of our memory

ISSUE #99 // JAN/FEB 2011 // ANNUAL ISSUE

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JAN/FEB 2011 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM 9

Celebrating a 21-year heritage as theNo.1 all-weather performance shoe ingolf, FootJoy has delivered on itspromise of further improving one of themost successful micro brands in itsportfolio in the shape of the latestDryJoys Tour. And while the weeklypress releases may be tedious there isno doubting the validity of FJʼs claim: ahefty majority of the worldʼs profession-al golfers choose FootJoy – and a largepercentage of those count the newDryJoys Tour as essential equipmentfor its levels of comfort, flexibility andstyle.

Journalists at the October presslaunch of the latest designs were spell-bound at behind-the-scenes footage ofthe myriad manufacturing processesthat go into the production of a shoethat excels in every department, mostnotably in the stability of the platformand the traction the wearer enjoysthrough the Tri-Density Stability Podsclearly visible here on the outsole.

The fusion of this new technologywith the traditional styling for which FJis renowned is the key to the continui-ing success of the DryJoys brand, sup-ple uppers crafted from the finestleathers and the option of customisingyour look through the MyJoys facilityonline only adding to the attraction of ashoe we will see a lot of in 2011.

Available from January with a sug-gested retail price of £125.

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LATEST GEAR // 19TH HOLE Q&A // DR FELIX SHANK // 2-MINUTE LESSON // CHI-POWER GOLF

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GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM JAN/FEB 201110

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PLANET GOLF


Hankley Common (1890)Tilford, Farnham, SurreyTel: 01252 792493

Professional: Peter StowTel: 01252 793761www.hankley.co.uk

ENGLANDHANKLEY COMMONLast issue we focused on St Enodoc, aJames Braid design blessed with one of thefinest settings in the West Country, rolling asit does through the glorious dunes that over-look the Camel Estuary and beyond to theAtlantic. And it is to another Braid creationthat we turn for some early inspiration thisissue, Hankley Common, a classic Surreyheathland layout in so many ways reminis-cent of Walton Heath, not least for the glori-ous sense of space within which you to enjoythe game.

In 2011 Hankley will host RegionalQualifying for the Open Championship, anditʼs quite a test of golf. Played from the tips, thePurple Yards total 6,782, not long by modernstandards but here the numbers are mislead-ing; anything off line is at the mercy of the

ferocious heather and subtle bunkering.Notable highlights include the 187-yard 7th,

a par-three to a slightly raised green that hasregularly been voted one of the countryʼsfinest short holes.

Hankley first opened for play over 9 holesin 1897. In 1922 James Braid advised on theaddition of a further nine, with the great HarryColt adding his thoughts in 1936. And you areleft with the impression that little has changedsince; holes of immense character weave thisway and that and you itʼs easy to appreciatethe great Bobby Lockeʼs observation that thecourse is ʻthe closest resemblance to a sea-side links ̓you are likely to find inland.

All in all then, well worth a closer inspec-tion. Green fees for 2011 are set at £85 perround, £90 for a day ticket.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID CANNON/GETTYIMAGES.COM

Gi. What’s been your personal

highlight of the 2010 season?

There have been a few, actually. But to

be at Celtic Manor to watch Francesco

and Edoardo in the Ryder Cup was very,

very special. It was funny, after all of the

build up, the weather delay on the

Friday only added to the tension. Come

the Saturday morning Edoardo seemed

normal but I could tell that Francesco

was really feeling the pressure as the

clock ticked down. And for the first time

on a golf course I experienced the real

emotion you read about. I followed the

players over the bridge to the 1st tee

and the whole atmosphere just hits you.

I wasn’t balling my eyes out, but it was a

moment I’ll never forget.

Gi: And they clinched a massive point in

their fourball on the Sunday afternoon?

Right, and Francesco had more confi-

dence over that three-footer on the 18th

green than I did! But it was great to see

and what a story for the both of them.

Particularly Edoardo, given the way he

bulldozed his way in to the team in that

final qualifying event at Gleneagles. He

would get my vote as the ‘Europe’s Most

Improved’ player in 2010. He’s changed

his swing after losing his card in 2008

and he’s going to go from strength to

strength. He was always a natural draw-

er of the ball. At the start of the season I

convinced him that he had to work on a

straight flight with any miss just falling

to the right. That’s the ‘pro miss’. It just

clicked with him, and he worked so hard

on his technique. When I saw him hitting

balls here at The Wisley back in February

I told him he was going to have an epic

season. He actually made it into the

world’s Top 50 on the strength of four

wins on the Challenge Tour and a big

win in Japan. Now he’s ranked 14 in the

world. A quite extraordinary rise from

the ranks.

Gi. How did it come about that you

teamed up with the Molinari’s?

I received an email from Edoardo in

2004, totally out of the blue. At the time

he and his brother were coached by

Sky Sports pundit, tour coach and club pro – Denis Pugh has never been busier. And, thanks tothe exploits of a trio of his high-flying students, 2010has been a most satisfying year. RRiicchhaarrdd SSiimmmmoonnssdropped in at The Wisley for a chat

PLANET GOLF 19TH HOLE Q&A


PLANET GOLF

19TH HOLE Q&A

DENIS PUGH

Sergio Bertain, of the Italian Federation,

whom I have known for many years.

Sergio liked the way I coached but more

than that I think my association with

Monty and the knowledge of what it

takes to make it on tour is what he real-

ly felt the brothers needed. In his email

Edoardo listed all of his and Francesco’s

achievements and asked if I might take

a look at them. His was quite a long

email. My reply was a lot shorter. It just

said ‘Yes’. Sergio remains a part of Team

Molinari and has been able to share in

the success, taking them from school-

boys to the Ryder Cup.

Gi: They appear very close but also to

be very different characters?

They’re an interesting couple. Great

mates off the golf course, while on it

they are simply two golfers who happen

to be brothers. They don’t spend a lot of

time in each others pockets, golf-wise.

Edoardo is the much more traditional

Italian – more expressive and prone to

the mood shifts! He’s quite stubborn –

he admits that – and he’s probably in

the top three arguers in golf [Mark Roe

and Robert Lee being the other two].

What he’s really good at is defending a

losing position, even when he knows

he’s beaten. Around the dinner table,

he’s always a lot of fun. There have been

times where I’ve really had to work hard

to drum into him the importance of a

specific area we might be working on –

but once he gets it (as he did with the

ball-flight issue) he’s off and away.

Francesco is the more reserved. But once

you get to know him you get the sense

of humour. On the surface he seems to

have a very even temperament but he

never ever accepts miss-hitting shots. He

hides it, but he really has the propensity

to go off on one. He’s capable of a few

Monty moments. When you are that tal-

ented you have an expectation to hit

every shot perfectly.

Gi: What has been the main area that

you have helped them with?

Up until recently with Francesco it’s

been all full swing coaching with the

occasional look at the short game. But to

tell you the truth it was the short game

that really needed the attention, which is

why I recommended my Sky colleague

Mark Roe. He knows his stuff inside out.

It was not so much aspects of technique

Francesco needed explaining as the art

of practising of it. He just didn’t have a

great attention span for short-game

practice. But with Roey on board he has

someone who not only coaches him

technique but who then competes with

him. And it’s not easy beating Roey. In

fact, I don’t think Francesco has beaten

him yet.

Gi: Writing in the last issue, Tim Barter

stated that he thought Francesco was

arguably the best player in the world

tee to green.

That’s a huge complement to Francesco,

and when he finds the groove, as he did

in the recent HSBC Championship, he is

like a machine. For him, the key is that

his swing is based on being able to use

what I refer to as the three fundamentals

extremely efficiently: balance, plane and

leverage. When he has complete control

of all three at all times he is very accu-

rate with good power. Overall he is

Faldo-like, in the way he under-

stands the intricasies of his

swing. There’s no secret move

in there. He simply works

hard on getting the basics

and fundamentals right.

Gi: As a tour coach,

give us an insight into

the technical aspects

you look at in a

good swing?

Three fun-

damen-

tals:

leverage,

balance

and plane.

Essentially you want to take the ‘flippi-

ness’ out of the wrists. That is some-

thing that all coaches at tour level are

basically working on. You still need to

have good forearm rotation – but you

don’t want to over-involve the wrists. I

am looking to get pressure through

impact allowing the balance to power

the levers through impact – but that

pressure must be applied on the correct

plane to maximise power and accuracy.

Gi: Just as an aside, you talk about

swing plane, which is a confusing area

for a lot of golfers. What is your point

of reference?

I like to keep my eye on the plane of the

left arm, the left wrist and the clubshaft.

Those three areas are key, from my per-

spective as a coach. Simply stated, from

the address position, my preference is

that the left arm swings over the top of

the turning right shoulder. More specifi-

cally, the underside of the left arm just

touches the tip of the right shoulder as

the player completes his or her back-

swing. That’s what I’m looking for.

Taking things further I look at the

back of the left hand. Ideally it’s flat or

slightly bowed – either is acceptable. But

if the back of the left wrist is ‘cupped’ it

means there is likely to be more release

of the wrists through impact – i.e. they

over-work the club. As for the plane of

the shaft, I like to see it pointing at the

ball-to-target line or left – and never

“I thought his [Monty’s] captaincymight have been a bit more upand down, emotionally but he wason the level. In fact, he captainedin a way I wish he’d playedmajors, because he kept hisemotional levels in check through-out”

Brothers in arms:The Molinariʼs cele-brate their last-holevictory over MattKuchar & StewartCink in the Sundayfourballs – a vitalpoint for Monty

PLANET GOLF

PLANET GOLF EDITED BY DOMINIC PEDLERPLANET GOLF

Marketing men looking for new equipment initia-tives have sparked a new trend in tribute clubsbuilt to the exact specifications of their tour starsʼoriginals.

Odyssey is a ʻmajor ̓player in the new nichemarket, and after the highly limited, online-onlycommemorative version of The Putter That WonThe Masters, back in May, they follow up with amore commercially available limited edition of thesame club.

The Odyssey ProType PT 82 is a specialblade built to the exact specifications used by PhilMickelson to win his third Masters title last spring.It̓ s made from soft 1025 carbon steel and fea-tures Odysseyʼs White Ice insert with a tungstenweight behind it. The vintage finish and singlewhite sightline that stretches down the backflange are particular cosmetics requested byPhil himself.

“I̓m very excited that the designers atOdyssey have produced this putterwith the same design as my gamer,”says Mickelson. “Tournaments arewon and lost on the green, which iswhy I rely on our design team to giveme the best chance to win.”

Austie Rollinson, the chief designer forOdyssey, explained the background to thisintricate construction: “Phil came to us a fewyears back to develop this particular model as itwas one heʼs been using since he was a junior.We made a steel version that he used to the winthe USPGA but then he started experimentingwith inserts and loved the feel it gave him. That̓s

where this putter came from.”The challenge for the engineers was to make

room for the insert without changing the shape orthe head weight. After much trial and error, theinsert pocket was deepened and a piece of tung-sten was used to achieve Phil̓ s favoured 320-gramme head weight.

Interestingly, the multi-layer insert has beencarefully fine-tuned to enhance sound, feel andresponsiveness including a roughening of theface to increase friction and promote a positiveforward roll.

“It̓ s an exact replica of Phil̓ s gamer in virtuallyevery way and is sure to appeal to golfers theworld over,” adds Neil Howie, President ofCallaway Europe, adding that Odyssey puttershave so far claimed 53 tour victories worldwide in

2010, including two majors [Graeme McDowellplayed a White Hot #7 in the US Open at

Pebble Beach].

Guide: £269www.odysseygolf.com

The evolution of ever stronger, lighter and moreefficient clubhead materials continues with ForgedComposite, a complex form of carbon fibre that isalso transforming the motor industry. A case inpoint is the new Callaway Octane Black driverand its link to the latest Lamborghini.

Golf club designers traditionally tap into theaerospace industry for the latest R&D on highperformance materials. But Callaway Golfʼs newpartnership with Italian super car legend,Automobili Lamborghini (announced at the 2010Paris Motor Show) has opened up some fascinat-ing new design avenues, as already evident intheir latest lines for next season.

The two companies have collaborated in thepast (the crown of the Callaway FT-iQ wasinspired by the sensual curves of the LamborghiniReventon) but this formal meeting of minds hasnow yielded a new clubhead material, ForgedComposite, which debuts in the body of theCallaway Diablo Octane Black driver and match-ing fairway woods.

Replacing the conventional graphite thatdefined Callawayʼs flagship Fusion platform foralmost a decade,

Forged Composite is being touted as a giantleap forward in the way it promotes both greatertransfer of power at impact (tests showing at leastfive extra yards over the Callaway Diablo Edge)and more accurate trajectories relative to bothFusion and all-titanium predecessors.

Callaway explains that, with a density just one-third that of titanium (which remains the chosenface material) and a far higher strength-to-weightratio, the new material can be used in much thin-ner amounts and with a level of precision (in termsof accurately setting the CG and MOI) that waspreviously unattainable with traditional graphite.

Chief designer, Dr Alan Hocknell, reveals howthe performance benefits of Forged Compositeare down to an alternative physical form of car-

bon fibre that, when treated within a specialisothermal forging process, is superior to the

metal alloys generally used in golf clubs.“Whereas conventional graphite has

a regular arrangement of carbonatoms, Forged Composite is derived

ODYSSEYMICKELSON PUTTER IS A WINNER

CALLAWAYRACY NEWMATERIAL

from the turbostratic form that is far strongerdue to the irregular arrangement of the atoms,”says Hocknell. “When the fibres are intertwinedusing a special thermoset resin formula, theresult is an incredibly strong yet pliable materialthat can be precisely moulded and set to withinone thousandth of an inch,” he continues,adding that the resulting lighter, more efficientDiablo Octane Black clubhead is then pairedwith a longer shaft to promote further headspeed and distance gains.

The club also has distinctive new look, with thewavy configurations of the Forged Composite thatvisible beneath the crown being rather more ran-dom than the grid-like patterns of graphite in theold Fusion series.

Elsewhere, the Octane Black retains a titaniumface that incorporates Callawayʼs popularHyperbolic Face Technology which chemicallymills away excess material for a precise facethickness that promotes a a larger effective sweetspot and improved impact efficiency. The facealso features a dark PVD finish that, as reportedin our Munich report last month, is all the rage inso much golf equipment today.

Meanwhile, more conventional graphite doesmake an appearance in the Project X graphiteshaft, carefully configured to complement to thenew clubhead which comes in both Standard andTour versions (the latter with a slightly smallerhead size, a full hosel and a one-degree openclubface preferred by many skilled players).

“Forged Composite provides us with the abilityto engineer performance enhancements likenever before, and weʼve only just begun to tapthe potential of this material,” says Hocknell inclosing. “Weʼre looking forward to collaborating onfuture applications that push our designs beyondany preconceptions.”

Finally, for motoring enthusiasts, co-developersLamborghini feature the same Forged Compositein the suspension arms and internal panels oftheir Sesto Elemento supercar, where it apparent-ly saves more than 100kg in weight and dramati-cally improves both the power-to-weight ratio andacceleration capability.

And, if you know your Italian and your science,you l̓l know that Sesto Elemento translates asSixth Element which, on the Periodic Table OfThe Elements, is carbon.

* Donʼt miss your opportunity to win one of5 Callaway Octane Balck drivers we have upfor grabs this issue – see page 57.

Just as we went to press, news came in of thishighly anticipated golf ball tracking device thatweʼd been hearing about on the industrygrapevine for over a year.

OK, so special golf balls with built-in microchipsthat interact with a hand-held unit are not new but,until now, they have not worked with enoughrange, speed and efficiency to be an effectivepanacea for wayward golfers.

While we wait for our own test sample, the

designers claim that the Prazza is the mostadvanced of its kind, using a high-quality golf ballwith an ʻactive ̓internal chip that delivers a signalstrong enough to guide you unerringly to it within a100m range.

Already it has impressed some big names,including master coach Simon Holmes whodemonstrates the device convincingly in aYouTube clip. We l̓l report back when weʼve tried itfor ourselves.

PRAZZA BALL FINDERTHE HOLY GRAIL OF GOLF GADGETS?

Galvin Greenʼs reputation for producing veryhigh quality rainwear allows the company topull off a neat trick – it occupies around 23%of the UK and Ireland market, 10% clear of itsnearest rival, while charging a premium pricewell above the majority of its competitors. It̓ ssuccess has been built on doing things differ-ently. The Swedish company has helpedchange perceptions of wet weather clothingvia use of vibrant colour, outstandingdesign and an attention to detail cele-brated by its ʻWe NeverCompromise ̓mantra.

The companyʼs GoreTex rainsuitsremain the centre of its product offer,with around two thirds of revenuecoming from this sector. The task forGalvin Green, as its celebrates its20th anniversary, is to retain its repu-tation for being on the technologicalbleeding edge whilst growing itsnon-rainwear product lines.

This is a classic business conun-drum: How to stretch the brandenough to grow the company with-out diluting its reputation. This isknown in business school parlance asthe Porsche 924 Dilemma – theGerman car company brought out ʻThePeopleʼs Porsche ,̓ a cheaper versionaimed at aspirational sales reps, onlyto find that its core customers valueexclusivity, and didn t̓ want to be asso-ciated with other ʻpeople .̓

Similarly, for Galvin Green thebiggest decision its managementfaces is the products it doesnʼt make.Yes, it could get in to shoes, or wetweather gloves, or bags, or go anotherway, out of golf and into sailing or ski-ing, where incidentally the companybegan. But it has chosen none of theseoptions, preferring a more measuredapproach to growth. This is a luxuryafforded them by the companyʼs owner-ship structure – it remains wholly ownedby its founder Tomas Nilsson – meaningunlike a publicly listed company, there are noshareholders demanding quick returns via unre-alistic sales targets.

This leaves Galvin time to develop new prod-uct that meet their customers exacting expecta-tions. Over recent years it has introduced what itcalls a f̒ull multi-layer wardrobe of golf clothingdesigned for all playing conditions anywhere in

the worlds .̓ These includethe Gore-Tex PacLiteShell lightweight jacketand short sleeve jackets,the Ventil8 body wickingshirts and theWindstopper range oftrousers and bodywarmers.To this range of clothing

Galvin has gone head tohead against American brandUnder Armour, releasing itsCompression range of skintighthigh performance suits, designedexpressly for golf. These are divid-ed in to two ranges – Compression10 and Compression 20, the num-bers relating to temperatures, e.g.10 degree Celsius. These suits retailat £49 each and claim to help play-ers stay fresher for longer by helpingto move sweat away from the body.

Galvin Green is selling a tech-nology story here, which someolder golfers may find difficult totake on board. We have beenbrought up to cherish ʻnatural̓fibres, such as wool and cotton,whereas Galvinʼs clothing is madeof high quality polyester. This mate-rial has an image problem, carryingconnotations of cheap work shirts.

But, rather than causing us to sweat, polyesterallows moisture to pass through it. Pull out a cot-ton polo shirt from the washing machine and notehow heavy it is compared to a polyester version.

This use of hi tech fibres may divide the gener-ations on the golf course. But Galvin Greenʼssales figures suggest weʼre getting the message.

GALVIN GREENMULTI-LAYERWARDROBE

INSTRUCTION


With your shoulders level,square the putter face between the line of teeswithin the mirror. The righthand is then placed gentlyon the left shoulder

Feel that the unit of yourleft shoulder and left armworks as one to draw theputter back smoothly

1. 2.

Whatever standard of golfer you may be, investing in a PuttingAlignment Mirror is the quickest route to better fundamentals and arepeating stroke. There are numerous ways in which it can help you(visit my website for the comprehensive lesson!) but here are just acouple that will improve the path of your stroke and the quality of yourimpact with the ball – both of which are vital to hitting better putts

On track,&onlineBy Dr Paul Hurrion

EUROPEAN TOUR PUTTING COACHWWW.GELGOLF.COMPHOTOGRAPHY: GETTYIMAGES.COM

PUTTING WITH DR PAUL HURRION


Tiger Woods is renowned for the way he canstand on a practice putting green and hole outfrom four to six feet or so, running the putter-headthrough a ‘gate’ of tee-pegs. I have watched himstand and hole putts like this for half an hour andnot miss a single one. He often favours using justhis right hand/arm, and it’s like watching amachine. Apart from anything else, it’s an incredi-ble feat of strength – which putting is to a muchgreater degree than you might imagine.Here is my own take on that drill. As I advocate the

right hand low putter grip, I encourage my students topractice with the left hand only, as this engenders aterrific sense of feel for pulling the left hand/arm andthe putter through the ball and down the target line.Placing the right hand gently on the upper part of theleft arm reminds you that the stroke is created with the

gentle rocking of the shoulders, the left shoulder mov-ing down to create the backswing and then up toreturn the putter to impact and through to the finish. To start, square your putter face to the target line,

and then place a couple of tees just outside the toeand the heel of the putter (there are slots in the mirrorspecifically for this purpose). Thus you create a ‘gate’to test the accuracy of your stroke (you can narrow itas you become more proficient). The aim of the drill isto make a full stroke without touching either of thetees on the through-swing. Keep your eyes fixed onthe back of the ball, your right hand comfortably onthe upper part of the left arm, and gently rock theshoulders to create momentum. The left arm and theputter work in tandem. Gradually bring the tees closertogether to reduce your margin for error and to testthe path of your stroke even more.

Left shoulder rocks up toswing the putter throughthe line of tees for solidcontact with the ball

Putter and left armmaintain relationshipall the way to the finish

3. 4.

DDRRIILLLL 11

Groove a better swing-path through the ‘gate’Improve the path of your stroke and eliminate inconsistentheel/toe strikes for more accurate and solid impact

FEATURE GRAEME MCDOWELL


DREAM

COVER STORY


As it turned out, the Race to Dubai eluded him, but for Ireland’s Graeme McDowell 2010 will be regarded as a watershed year in a careerforever defined by that historic US Open victory – not to mention a hero’s rolein a landmark Ryder Cup. John Hopkins found GMac in talkative mood

DREAMTHELIVING

Gi: Let’s start with the Race to Dubai – how do

you classify Orders of Merit alongside what most

would assume are the more valuable major titles?

GMac: I put Orders of Merit up there, maybe not

quite as high as a major championship but not

far behind. An Order of Merit, Race to Dubai, is

pretty prestigious accolade. Look at what Monty

did. Did he win eight? Seven in a row. Pretty

incredible. Martin Kaymer has had a magnificent

season and for me to be within touching dis-

tance sitting here at the start of the week is pret-

ty good. It would be huge if I won. [As you will

know, he didn’t.] If I didn’t it would still be a

great season. I played five [tournaments] in a

row because I wanted to put the gloss on a great

season. I didn’t want to put my feet up. I wanted

to finish strong. After Pebble Beach there was a

four-week phase of regrouping and resetting

goals and the two I set out were the Ryder Cup

and the Race to Dubai, so it has been great to

come in just under a million behind him.

Obviously with my win in Valderrama, my third

in Singapore and fifth in Hong Kong, it has been

a great last few weeks.

Gi: Had you set yourself goals at the beginning

of the year and, if so, what were they?

GMac: Getting on the Ryder Cup team and

putting myself in the mix on a Sunday afternoon

in a major championship. Those were my goals

at the start of the season. After that, getting back

in the winner’s circle again and securing my card

for the PGA Tour in the States next year. Those

were my goals for 2010 so I pretty much killed

them. After the win at Pebble there was obviously

a period of resetting. It took me four or five

weeks to get my head around the whole Pebble

thing. It would creep up on me and punch me in

the face at weird moments. I remember the first

round of the Open at St Andrews and I got all

emotional standing in the middle of the 4th fair-

way. I was welling up. It all just hit me. When I

then travelled to Whistling Straits for the USPGA,

I was good and ready for a break. I took four or

five weeks off after that week in August and had

a reset. Which is why I’m so pleased to have

played as well as I have towards the end of the

year. It has been a big deal.

Gi: How are the goals shaping up for 2011?

GMac: More of the same! Nowadays I have goals

like trying to turn up every week ready to go.

Trying to be at golf tournaments for the right

reasons, motivated and prepared to win. Again, I

want to put myself in the mix in the majors. In

2011 I want to experience the FedEx playoffs

and have a run at those. I have never played in






(MAGAZINE ONLY)


We’ve teamed up with Callaway Golf tooffer five lucky readers the chance to win one of the the hottest drivers of 2011 – thenew Diablo Octane Black. Each winner will be fitted by Callaway’s custom-fit experts at the company’s state-of-the-art Performance Centre in Surrey and will be able to choose the model – either Tour or Standard – that best suits their game. The comprehensive fitting process uses high-speed cameras and proprietary analysis software to capture and analyse swing and shot data, enabling the fitting experts to improve player performance with clubs that complement the swing.

For a chance to win, just answer this simple question...Q. Which motoring brand has Callaway collaborated

with to design the Diablo Octane driver?

(A) Ferrari (B) Porsche (C) Lamborghini

THE NEW DIABLO OCTANE BLACK DRIVER

WIN

To enter: visit www.golfinternationalmag.com or send your answer on a postcard to ‘Callaway Competition’ Golf International, 10 Buckingham Place, London, SW1 E6HX

COMPETITION ENTRIES CLOSE AT MIDNIGHT ON FEBRUARY 28, 2011.


A YEAR

IN GEAR

What a year for European golf: GMac ends a 40-yeardrought at the USOpen, Germany’sMartin Kaymer claimsthe USPGA while atCeltic Manor Monty’smen win back theRyder Cup in one ofthe greatest matchesin recent memory. Oh,and England’s LeeWestwood roundsout the year as theWorld No.1.All that and much,much more as Gi’s DDoommiinniicc PPeeddlleerr looksback on 2010 withthe slant on the gear behind the headlines

EQUIPMENT

GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM NOV/DEC 201022

2010

ulations for tour professionals sees some

diametrically opposed feedback from top

names. Ernie Els explains how he is

switching to the new, softer Callaway

Tour i ball in order to compensate for the

lost spin implied by the lower groove vol-

ume and blunter edges. In contrast, Ian

Poulter cheekily suggests he will play a

harder Titleist ball to increase his driving

distance thereby reducing the premium

on spin from shorter approach shots.

The Great Groove Debate intensifies as

Phil Mickelson threatens to exploit a loop-

hole allowing the use high-spinning pre-

August 1989 Ping Eye2 irons that had

been specifically ‘grandfathered’ under the

terms of the now infamous early-Nineties

lawsuit between Ping and the PGA Tour.

While Phil’s stance looks set to make

a mockery of the new rules (and is

roundly castigated by some of his fellow

pros) it is entirely legal, as explained by

Ping chief, John Solheim, who had pre-

dicted the fiasco but graciously left the

door open for negotiation to limit the

damage of this administrative farce.

Shot Of The Month goes to Martin

Kaymer’s 277-yard approach at the final

hole of the Abu Dhabi Championship,

with a 13-degree TaylorMade R9 3-wood

fitted with a Mitsubishi Rayon Fubuki

73-X shaft, which seals a birdie and a

one-shot victory.

The new decade kicks off with the usual

round of commercial endorsements and

high-profile corporate transfers. Geoff

Ogilvy moves to Titleist from Cobra and,

helped by a new Titleist 909D3 driver

acquired two days before the tournament,

immediately wins a successive season-

opening SBS Championship in Hawaii.

Rising rookie Chris Wood signs with

Mizuno and will play a combination of

MP-68 forged blades and more forgiving

M-58 in the 3 and 4 irons. Another for-

mer amateur sensation, Shane Lowery

signs with Srixon, while Paul Lawrie re-

joins Wilson, the company with whom

he won the 1999 Open championship.

Meanwhile, European

No.1 Lee Westwood,

fresh from his defining

victory in Dubai with 14

Ping clubs in the bag,

extends the multi-year

contract with the same

company with which he has been affiliat-

ed since his junior days.

January’s middle eastern sojourn usu-

ally throws up some off-beat equipment

novelty and this time it was Sergio

Garcia’s 675-yard whack with his new

TaylorMade R9 Super Tri driver down

Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Grand Prix

Circuit at the inaugural ‘Whack From The

Track’ golf challenge. (Still, it wasn’t

enough to break the Asian Long Drive

record of 721 yards set by Henrik

Stenson in 2007).

TaylorMade were back in the news

days later as Martin Kaymer earned the

first worldwide win for the company’s

new five-piece Penta TP golf ball when

winning the Abu Dhabi Championship. It

wouldn’t be his last.

The first month of the new groove reg-

2010: THE YEAR IN GEAR


JANUARY2010With this shot in AbuDhabi (below) TaylorMadestaff player Martin Kaymerlaunched his assault onthe Race to Dubai

INSTRUCTION DAN FROST


Just howserious

One of the secrets to effectivecoaching is to first ascertain thephysical capabilities of your stu-dents. If I’m working with a youngprofessional trying to make it onTour, then the likelihood is that heor she is reasonably fit and supple– fortunate to have the physicaltools necessary to achieve anathletic, repeating swing. But thechances are that scenario wouldnot apply to a middle-aged busi-nessman who may only get outonce or twice a week and whohas little time spare to hit balls atthe range. So, from the outset,both player and coach have to berealistic when it comes to goal-setting and expectation levels.Having said that, there is no

doubt in my mind that settingaside the time to work on improv-ing your levels of flexibility is thequickest route to better golf forthe majority of club players. Andthat is the crux of the message inthis article: if you can find just 10minutes a day to rehearse somegolf-specific stretching exercises I

think you will be surprised at theimprovement in your ability tomake a better swing.Lots of golfers work on

strength, but strength withoutflexibility does not increase speed– which is the key to power. Outon tour these days, it’s noticeablehow many pros carry a stretchingpole and many also use a Swissball and weighted training ball intheir regular gym or home work-out routines. None of these itemsis particularly expensive and myadvice to anyone who is seriousabout long-term improvement isto invest in getting suitablyequipped. Bottom line, the better your

flexibility, the better able you willbe to maintain posture and thefuller and more effective will bethe rotation of your torso – thepivot motion at the heart of everygood swing. Young or old, begin-ner or expert, regular stretchingwill immediately yield results andenable you to play to your truepotential.

The bottom line? Improveyour flexibility and you willplay better golf. Immediately.

By Dan FrostTOUR COACH, FROST GOLF ACADEMY, ESHER, SURREY // WWW.FROSTGOLF.COMPHOTOGRAPHY: TOM CRITCHELL

are you?

STRETCH FOR BETTER GOLF


Anyone for a gym& tonic? Make themost of your win-ter training withgolf-specific exer-cises to bolsteryour flexibility

Breathing is animportant ele-ment of stretch-ing. Don’t holdyour breath –always exhale asyou intensify thestretch, allowingthe muscles tolengthen

Back & shoulderstretchLet’s get started with a generalback, shoulder & lower bodystretch that really wakes up yourmuscles and gets you ready toset yourself up in good postureand make a good swing.It won’t surprise you to learn

that this stretch will be felt chieflyin the lower & upper back andshoulder area. It also engages the‘core’ muscles which are responsi-ble for the rotational control andgeneration of power in your swing.To start, stand with your feet

spread to shoulder-width, grip thetop of the pole with both hands(at arm’s-length) and create aslight flex in the knees. From here,the objective is to bend forwardfrom the hips slowly pushing yourarms up and away from yourbody while placing your headbetween your arms. There is alsoa good feeling of lengthening thespine (specifically good forachieving good body angles inthe set up). Hold your fullystretched position for 30 seconds,then relax and repeat.

FEATURE ROBERT GREEN


...where to next for tweeting Tiger?

ince the hitherto meticulously choreo-

graphed world of Tiger Woods went

all Ann Widdecombe just over a year

ago, the rest of the world has

returned to something approaching

what used to pass for normality. For a

while at least, to resurrect and reinter-

pret that (quite) old joke, the planet’s

officially best golfer is white, its most

popular rapper is black, a country

with a coastline holds the America’s

Cup (see * at end of story) and

Germany is keen on going to war,

even if nowadays it’s not in a military sense but rather

against the financial profligacy of other EU member states.

In defence of the last title he held, the JBWere Masters in

Melbourne, the tournament he won in November 2009

shortly before all hell broke loose, a final round of 65 pro-

pelled Woods up the field but only into fourth place. Right

now, the only thing he has to defend is his reputation. And

he hasn’t won a major championship since he hobbled to

that extraordinary third US Open title at Torrey Pines in

2008, since when he has succumbed not only to the world’s

most notoriously slow-speed motoring crash but also yield-

ed to Y. E. Yang after seemingly having got the 2009 USPGA

firmly in his grasp. Golf-wise, in fact, matters were out of

kilter even before his car went out of control.

At the beginning of this year, Jack Nicklaus conceded

that, with 14 majors to date, Woods was on track to pass

his record of 18, but he added a significant rider: “If Tiger

doesn’t win a major this year, he will find it hard.” And he

didn’t. So will he?

I’d suggest he will. Amid being so widely castigated for

his immorality, Woods lost his aura of invincibility in the

minds of such wannabe peers as Ernie Els, perhaps the

golfer who has missed out on the most majors due to the

phenomenon that was Woods at his best. Tiger is now for-

mally the world’s second-best golfer and it is impossible to

expect that the No.1, Lee Westwood, or other players of his

vintage around Tiger’s age (Ian Poulter, anyone?), will ever

feel intimidated again by his presence in their company or

on a leaderboard. As for Rory McIlroy, Ryo Ishikawa and

Matteo Manassero, Woods is just another top geezer there

for the toppling. Even if Tiger ever managed to get his game

back to something approaching its peak (he will never scale

the heights of 2000, when not only was his swing so strong

but his putting stroke immaculate and nerveless), it would-

n’t have the same effect that it had back then because his

previously utterly impenetrable persona has been banished

forever. I mean, joining the Twitterati!

As he embraces social technology, and thereby hopes to do likewise with his fans, the former world No.1 faces several challenges – not least his assault on Jack Nicklaus’s record haul of major championships. So Robert Green asks...

S

TIGER & 2011


Whether he’s playing badly or well, Woods has become even more of afocus for the media overthe past few months


ADDRESSIN

G

ALL ANGLE

S

The natural lie angle of eachindividual club determines notonly the correct distance youstand from the ball but alsothe relative position of thehands as you settle into acomfortbale posture


Such is the importance of the set-up position in golf, the essential DNA of yourswing is – literally – in your hands as you step up to the ball. From the driver to thewedge, the length of the shaft and the lie angle of the club you are using contain allof the vital information you need to stand to the ball correctly and in the posture thatis designed to produce the desired swing.

The principles of human movement have remained fairly consistent over the lastcouple of centuries. Over that same period, clubmakers have refined and improved thelength, shape and structure of clubs with the result that the high-tech models we enjoytoday have evolved significantly to maximise the chances of us hitting the desired shot. Ibelieve that, by default, club designers and manufacturers have developed a greaterunderstanding of a golfer s̓ biomechanics than those of us who teach golf for a living. Inother words, the modern club manufacturer is offering up all of the clues possible tohelp you play your best golf. All you have to do (once you have clubs that are ̒ fit̓ to suityour own requirements) is understand what each of your clubs is telling you!

In this article, I want to explain how the length of the golf club is the greatest fac-tor in shaping our swing plane (i.e. the angle at which the swing is inclined aroundour body) and controlling the length of our swing. A modern driver is around 44” inlength, a pitching wedge would be around 35.75 inches. Consequently, the driverrequires a long, flat golf swing, whereas the wedge demands a shorter and moreupright swing. The clubs in between are swung within the spectrum of movementbetween those two extremes. For that reason, most teachers tend to coach with asix-iron, for that is the central one of the 13 long clubs in a golferʼs bag.

WHAT IS THE ʻLIE ̓ANGLE?The “lie” of a golf club describes the angle between the leading edge of theclubhead and the shaft. And it varies on a graduated scale from the fairlyupright lie of your most lofted, shorter-shafted wedge (somewhere in the regionof 64 degrees) to the flatter lie angle of the longest and least-lofted club in thebag – the driver (typically 59 degrees).

How does this affect your golf swing? Simple: the longer the shaft of the golfclub, the flatter it is designed to sit at address and the more around the body itwill then be swung in a natural motion.

There is another important distinction to make at the set-up position withregards to the way the club is designed to sit (or lie) behind the ball, and thatrelates to the position of the butt-end of the club. You may think, as you workthrough the bag, that the grip of each of the clubs falls at the same height – butyou would be wrong. In the main photo (opposite page) I am demonstrating thefact that the butt of the club rests highest with the driver and lowest for thewedge, with the butt of the 6-iron halfway between the two. “Why donʼt they all

ADDRESSIN

G

As long as y

ou have golf

clubs that ar

e tailored to

meet

your individua

l needs, the

simple act of

placing the c

lubhead

correctly beh

ind the ball a

t address go

es a long wa

y towards

helping you

establish the

body / set-u

p angles tha

t will reward y

ou with a

sound, on-p

lane, repeating swin

g.

By Luther BlacklockPGA MASTER PROFESSIONALPHOTOGRAPHY: MATTHEW HARRIS SHOT ON LOCATION AT WOBURN GOLF CLUB

ALL ANGLE

S






(MAGAZINE ONLY)



MEMORABILIA / WOMEN’S LUXURY / GOLF PROPERTY / MOTORING / & MORE...

GOLF INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2011


With the deluge of new resorts

arriving before the crash now

reduced to a trickle, it’s been

a tricky year for golf develop-

ments abroad. Several new

and existing projects are seeing only stuttering

sales, and a number of future high-end schemes

have been either postponed or shelved altogeth-

er.

In the first half of the year, the weak pound

hurt Brits lusting after pads in Euroland, while

the Celtic Tiger turned into a pussycat. The Irish,

big buyers over the last 10 years, have almost

entirely disappeared from the scene leaving

stacks of empty property behind, not to mention

a few distressed banks needing major bailouts.

All of which is bad news for developers but not

necessarily for buyers. Price falls in Spain, Portugal

and Florida mean there is better value for money

in those markets than at any time in the last 10

years. Turkey’s emergence has created even more

downward pressure at the budget end, so there

are some good deals out there.

New golfing destinations like Morocco and

Egypt are adding spice to life, and the Caribbean

continues to be the ultimate dream location, with

Mauritius close behind.

Altogether, if you’ve got some spare cash,

there’s never been so much choice combined with

such good value. Different buyers have different

priorities, so within typical golfing property crite-

ria, here are my favourites from the year.

Best new kid on the block

LAS COLINAS, SPAINWith so many brash developments in the more

popular parts of Spain still struggling with nega-

tive publicity and all sorts of licensing issues it’s

refreshing to report on a success story. The new

Cabell Robinson designed 6,973-yard course at

Las Colinas, half an hour’s drive south of

Alicante in the relative peace and quiet of the

Costa Blanca, opened just a few months ago and

has the makings of a real gem.

Managed by the ever-dependable Troon Golf,

the superbly manicured layout meanders

through orange and lemon groves, with a num-

ber of sweeping elevation changes adding to the

attraction of what is a challenging par 71 course

for players of all levels. You can just catch a

glimpse of the sea from the higher points of the

course – for a closer look, owners and guests can

head for the Las Colinas Beach Club, a fantastic


Time to turn those dreams into reality?PPeetteerr SSwwaaiinn plays estate agent with a look at a changing market and a personal Top-10 of developments to have caught his eye...

PROPERTY

facility just a 20-minute drive away.

With building complete, 70% of the 124 mod-

ern units are already sold, but there are still two-

bedroom apartments available for £200,000,

semi-detached villas from £290,000 and plush

four and five-bedroom detached villas starting

at £590,000, all with gardens and easy access to

the communal pools. If you’re interested in tak-

ing a look a number of the units are available to

rent making this a terrific destination for a few

days’ golf away from the British winter.

lascolinasgolf.es

Best Ryder Cup venue

THE K CLUB, IRELAND Before Celtic Manor came along most would

agree that the 2006 Ryder Cup produced some

of the greatest scenes in the biennial contest.

The 7,350-yard Palmer Course certainly provid-

ed a glorious backdrop to a memorable

European triumph, the classic parkland set-up

making the most of its setting along the fabled

River Liffey near Dublin. In superb condition,

with big greens and even bigger bunkers, water

is in play on no less than 13 holes. The second

18, the Smurfit, has a wilder, linksy feel to it.

The Ladycastle residential estate is on the

edge of the course, a short stroll from the club-

house. House prices have been pounded by

Ireland’s current economic woes, so fractional

ownership is the way to go: for six weeks usage

a year, two-bed apartments start at £114,000,

three-bed houses from £158,000.

firstlightinternational.com

Best for short-haul winter breaks

PALHEIRO, MADEIRAAnother Cabell Robinson gem, snaking through

the 200-year-old Blandy Estate high up above

the harbour town of Funchal, this is a splendidly

old-school 6,656 yards of sheer golfing fun,

favouring players who can draw the ball around

the many left-to-right, heavily wooded doglegs.

Santo do Serra is the other island course a

snaking 20-minute drive away, while adventur-

ers should also make for Seve’s Porto Santo lay-

out a shortish ferry ride away.

On the vertigo-inducing hillside looking over

the Bay of Funchal, 79 pastel-hued villas and

apartments are being built, well away from the

course, with prices ranging from £282,000 for a

one-bedroom apartment to £1 million for a

three-bedroom villa with a private swimming

pool. palheiroestate.com

Best for all-round sporting facilities

LA MANGA, SPAINFounded 40 years ago, the three championship

18-hole courses have hosted Spanish Opens,

numerous tour events, and thousands of golfing

holidays. With 28 tennis courts, this is also a

Davis Cup location. Eight football pitches, crick-


(Facing page): Owners and visitors to the brandnew resort of Las Colinas in the Costa Blancaenjoy not only a fine Cabell Robinson-designedgolf course but 5 star beach club 15 minutes’drive away; (Left): With its economy in the rough,Ireland is currently open to offers – fractionalownership at the K Club providing the opportuni-ty to play the 2006 Ryder Cup course (Below): Set high above the harbour town ofFunchal, Palheiro also boasts a Cabell Robinsondesigned golf course, while pastel-hued villasdecorate the terraces

(Above): Royal Westmoreland is a magnet for the rich and famous; (below) closer to home, La Manga remains one of Europe’s premier play-grounds with a wide-ranging property portfolio

FEATURE NICK BRADLEY


Since its first publication in 2003 I’mdelighted to say that I have received overfive thousand emails and letters fromgolfers across the globe conveying howmuch The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing hadinfluenced their game for the better. Thefundamental messages and the stunningimagery featured in the book have beenresponsible for creating winners on everymajor professional tour including therecord-breaking 2007 European TourOrder of Merit victory by Justin Rose; afeat that will unlikely be broken again.Speaking as a coach, 2010 was once

again proof that biomechanical laws andcommon sense will, in the long term,always prevail over any ‘method’. Fadswill continue to come and go, but if youseriously want to improve your game thenlook no further than these proven ‘laws’and fundamentals of movement.

TThhee iilllluussiioonn ooff aa ‘‘mmeetthhoodd’’I have a problem with ‘methods’ in golf (such asthe recent ‘stack and tilt’ phenomenon). A ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach is immediately squashedwhen you consider the variables in weight, arm/leg length, dynamic capability and flexibility weprofile individually. Any individual or team thatshouts ‘our method is the answer’ should begiven a wide birth; a ‘method’ sells us a ‘constant’but as we all know, the golf swing is organic andconstantly changing. I wrote The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing with

one purpose in mind – to reveal the truth of thegolf swing for what it really is and write anddepict it in a unique way. And the fact remainsthat until we develop different shaped hands oran extra leg the golfing ability of a human beingwill always be determined by natural biome-chanical laws and truths.I am delighted to share in this article four of the

primary images featured within my book that cap-ture a golf swing’s sense of geometry, shape, tim-ing and dynamics. By studying and employingany one of these four truths (ideally all of them!) inyour own motion I am sure you will experiencenew sensations that help you to play better golf.Looking ahead to 2011, I look forward to

appearing regularly in Gi with a series of fresh andentertaining features – if you have any questionsor if there is anything specific you would like me toaddress, drop me an email:[email protected]

Not only does thecorrect inclination ofthe spine pre-set thecorrect weight shiftfor a fully coiledbackswing but it alsocreates the perfectlaunch conditionswith the driver


Pre-Setting Weight TransferenceLaw 2 was probably the first time in golf instruction that the bonestructure of a golferʼs body was displayed. Law 2 certainly wasthe ʻreaders ̓favourite as it left no doubt as to how and why youshould be standing to the ball. Whilst I agree that the weighttransference during the backswing should be minimal, the currenttheory of leaving it centred over the ball (as per stack ʻn ̓tilt theo-ry) is only half of a story that needs to be told. Modern theoristswill tell you that nothing can go wrong strike-wise with this cen-tralised winding of the body, yet they turn a blind eye to the factthat, equally, the sternum can move ahead of the ball during thedownswing. This is twice as problematic!

You can now see with the smaller pictures (right) how thisworks with the driver through to the wedge. With its small andslower motion, a wedge shot needs little if any weight shift at all.The spine and sternum can assume a frontal position whichleans slightly target-ward with the right foot narrowed.

The mid iron, as you can see, has the spine marginally tiltedaway from the target with the nose directly looking down the ster-num. With this marginal weight shift already pre-programmed,the need to create weight transference or a conscious wind-upbehind the ball is made obsolete. Why do we need a marginalweight shift anyway? Because without something called ʻdisasso-ciation ,̓ which is a stretch between the upper and lower body, nostrong kinematic chain or flow of force can ever occur in thedownswing.

Lastly, the driver; the right foot has widened and the spine isnow at its maximum tilt away from the target. Apart from the auto-matic weight shift I mentioned a moment ago, this rearward tiltprovides a perfect bodily launch angle for the driver especially ifyou position your hands slightly behind the ball at address.

I̓ d like you to note one last detail in the image – it can befound in the way the nose bone is always aligned to the sternumand spine no matter what club. This has two benefits: it is safeand structurally sound to have this linear relationship between thehead and the spine and secondly, it temporarily stalls the turn ofhe torso early in the backswing allowing the club and body tosync up nicely. Now that̓s efficiency!

LAWS

MOTIONBy Nick BradleyTOUR COACH & AUTHOR ‘THE 7 LAWS OF THE GOLF SWING’

A wedge shot requiresbarely any weight trans-fer – accordingly, thest-up sees the bodyangled toward the tar-get weight favouring theforward foot

Mid-iron has sternum marginally tilted awayfrom the target, pre-setting a marginalweight shift, which is allthat is required

Note right foot at itswidest with the driver,the sternum / spineangle at maximum tiltaway from the target,pre-setting the weightshift and coil

DRIVER

MID-IRON

WEDGE

THERE IS STRONG EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST

that the gap between the leading amateurs

and their professional counterparts might be

narrower than it has been at any time in the

last 75 years.

That is just one of the conclusions that can

be reached at the end of an intriguing 2010

season in which one recent convert to the paid

ranks, Matteo Manessero, became the youngest

winner in European Tour history and two other

Continental amateurs, Andreas Hartø and

Romain Wattel, posted victories on the

Challenge Tour.

Elsewhere, we witnessed more history being

made when England’s James Robinson

became the first amateur to win on the PGA

EuroPro Tour and for good measure also

watched as the precocious Ricky Fowler

became the first American golfer to play in

the Walker Cup and Ryder Cup in successive

years.

Then, there was also the exploits of

England’s Matt Haines and Tommy Fleetwood,

both of whom started the season as amateurs

before excelling on the Challenge Tour. The for-

mer began the year by winning the South

African Amateur Championship and ended it

with an impressive victory in the San Domenico

Grand Final, good enough to claim second

place on the Challenge Tour money list and to

book a place on next year’s European Tour. The

latter posted two second place finishes on the

same Tour – one just before he closed out an

impressive amateur career by winning the 2010

English Amateur, the other not long after turn-

ing professional when he chased Spain’s Carlos

Del Moral all the way at the M2M Russian

Challenge Cup.

The first signs that the amateurs were start-

ing to catch up with the professionals could be

found the previous year when Danny Lee

(Johnnie Walker Classic) and Shane Lowry (3

Irish Open) both won on the European Tour

and the likes of Italy’s Manessero, Denmark’s

Hartø, France’s Wattel, and the English trio of

Haines, Fleetwood and Robinson, merely per-

petuated that trend.

If the truth be told, no-one was too surprised

that Manessero made such an immediate

impact in the pro game. The Italian, who shot

to international prominence when he won the

2009 Amateur Championship at Formby and

then claimed the Silver Medal at the subsequent

Open Championship at St Andrews, turned pro

just after making the cut at the Masters and

then claimed second place at the Rolex Trophy

and third at the Omega European Masters

before re-writing the record books when he

became the youngest winner in European Tour

history by capturing the Castelló Masters aged

just 17 years and 188 days.

Subsequently, he went on to post another

runner-up finish behind Ian Poulter at the UBS

Hong Kong Open, consolidating the widely-held

belief that the precocious Italian might well

develop into a major winner of the not-too-dis-

tant future.

The jury is still out on whether Haines,

Fleetwood and Robinson will ever reach those

giddy heights but, if nothing else, their exploits,

particularly when coupled with the fine perfor-

mances of other relatively recent English con-

verts like Danny Willett, David Horsey and John

Parry, does illustrate what a fine job the English

Golf Union is doing in developing new talent.

Indeed, that message was reinforced this year

when, despite losing the nucleus of their previ-

ous team, the English won both the European

Men’s Team Championship in Sweden and the

Home Internationals in Wales. Only a relatively

disappointing share of eighth place, behind a

French team including the aforementioned

Wattel, at the World Amateur Team

Championship separated them from a hat-trick

of British, European and World Team titles but

AMATEUR

36

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GETTYIMAGES.COM

Young Italian superstar MatteoManessero was by no means theonly member of the class of 2010to make a deep impression on this year’s professional scene.Colin Callander reports


These guysare the real deal

their officials still had every right to be

proud of their achievements.

“I think it has been a good year. We have

seen a number of players come through in a

good way,” said the EGU’s Director of

Coaching, Peter Mattsson, before admitting

that his job, and those of the coaches of the

other home Unions, is not made any easier

by the speed at which so many of today’s

young amateurs chose to turn professional.

“Golf’s a bit tricky,” he said. “You need play-

ers who are good, but not too good other-

wise they’ll disappear. We’re guilty (victims)

of our own success at the moment.”

The scale of the problem is perhaps best

illustrated by the fact that the provisional 23-

man training squad for next year’s Walker

Cup match at Royal Aberdeen, which com-

prises 12 Englishmen (Laurie Canter, Tyrell

Hatton, Billy Hemstock, Stiggy Hodgson,

Tom Lewis, Chris Lloyd, Matthew Nixon,

Eddie Pepperell, Jack Senior, Matthew

Southgate, Andy Sullivan and Darren Wright)

four Scots (James Byrne, Ross Kellett, Kris

Nicoll and Michael Stewart), four Welshmen

(Rhys Enoch, Oliver Farr, Alastair Jones and

Rhys Pugh) and three Irishmen (Paul Cutler,

Alan Dunbar and Kevin Phelan) contains

just one player, Hodgson, with previous

match experience.

What’s more, as I write, the young

Englishman was about to compete in the

Second Stage of the European Tour’s

Qualifying School (alongside Lloyd,

Southgate, Nixon and Senior) and, were he to

come through that, and then the subsequent

Final Qualifying School, it might mean that,

for the first time since the match was inau-

gurated back in 1923 GB & I would face the

Americans with a complete team of rookies.

[As it happened, only Lloyd, Nixon &

Southgate made it to the final Q-School

stages, the 6-round examination in progress

as this issue went to press.]

Gone are the days when the amateur

game was dominated by the likes of Bobby

Jones, Michael Bonallack, Joe Carr, Charlie

Green and Peter McEvoy, men who resisted

all thoughts of turning professional. In fact,

even that other archetypal amateur, Gary

Wolstenholme, has elected to switch codes,

with marked success, it should be said, hav-

ing won his maiden European Senior Tour

title at the Casa Serena Senior Open in the

Czech Republic and followed that victory

with a third place behind Peter Senior and

Sandy Lyle at the Handa Australian Senior

Open.

The amateur game no longer features

enduring heroes but it still produces a large

number of stand-out performers and this

year pride of place in that category must go

to 20 year-old South Korean, Jin Jeong, who

emulated Manassero by becoming the first

Asian to win both the Amateur

Championship and the Silver Medal at the

Open Championship. That victory in the

Amateur also meant that at the time all three

of the amateur game’s biggest titles were

held by South Koreans, with Byeong-Hun An

having won the 2009 US Amateur and Han

Chang-Won writing his name into the record

books as the winner of the inaugural Asian

Amateur.

America’s Peter Uihlein was the man who

broke this South Korean hegemony, defeat-

ing Eisenhower Trophy team-mate, David

Chung, in the final of the 2010 US Amateur

at Chambers Bay so it is perhaps fitting that

the 21 year-old Oklahoma State University

student should also end the season as No. 1

on the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

The leading British golfer on that particu-

lar list at the end of the 2010 season was

Scotland’s James Byrne who claimed 15th

place as a result of losing out to Jeong in the

final of The Amateur and also reaching the

semi-final of the Scottish Amateur and fin-

ishing 11th in the European Amateur.

Somewhat more worryingly, however,

was the fact the Scot was one of just seven

British and Irish golfers to feature in the

top-100 – the others were England’s

Matthew Nixon (20th), Ireland’s Paul Cutler

(21st), England’s Tom Lewis (47th),

England’s Andrew Sullivan (48th),

Scotland’s Michael Stewart (63rd) and

Scotland’s Ross Kellett (82nd) – which sug-

gests either that amateur golf in GB & I is

about to enter a lean period or else that the

system does not portray a true reflection

THE AMATEUR SCENE


There is no doubting the rookie star of 2010 –Matteo Manasserobecame the youngestever winner on tour andis set to become one ofthe game’s superstars.Among a band of eliteyoung players hoping tofollow in the Italians foot-steps are (clockwisefrom top left) TommyFleetwood, the currentAmateur Champion JinJeong (also pictured withthe silver medal at StAndrews) world-rankedNo.15 James Byrne andEngland’s Matthew Nixon

PHOT

OGRA

PHY

BY G

ETTY

IMAG

ES.C

OM &

TOM

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FEATURE STEVE COWLE


You want to know the secret to mastering sand shots? It all boilsdown to (1) understanding how the sand iron is designed to workand (2) having the ability to make contact with the sand at a pre-determined entry point behind the ball so that you have a real senseof control over the length and the depth of the divot you take. Theseshots involve opening up the face of your sand iron to engagewhatʼs known as ʻbounce ̓and then using that to your advantage, lit-erally bouncing the clubhead through the sand beneath the ball toremove a shallow divot of sand.

But the real crux of the matter is that you hone the ability to enterthe sand at a pre-determined point, which is where the drill your seehere comes in. Itʼs a simple practice routine that provides you notonly with a great visual image as you set up to the ball and prepareto play the shot but one that also provides you with immediate feed-back, as you can see exactly where you enter / exit the sand andhow much of a divot you take.

THE SMART PLAYGood players makethe basic sand shotlook easy for thesimple reason theyhave absolute confi-dence in their abilityto take a shallow &consistent cut ofsand from beneaththe ball. Let meshow you a practicedrill that will help youto fine-tune your feelfor and control of thestrike zone – theTrilby is optional!

By Steve CowlePGA PROFESSIONAL & TRILBY TOUR AMBASSADORWWW.STEVECOWLEGOLF.CO.UK

Feet and body line open to the target (but not excessively so); grip welldown the club for heightenedsense of feel and control.........

Rehearse keep-ing the clubfaceopen through theimpact area –visualise theopen face exitingat the front ofyour circle


THE SMART PLAYFor a shot of this distance –your typical greenside shotof around 15 yards – a half-to three-quarter length back-swing is all you need. Themore compact your swingthe easier it is to repeat andcontrol, and the more consis-tently you will take therequired divot of sand

“Remember this sliding rule of thumbas you get set up toplay a greensidesand shot: the softerthe sand, the moreyou need to open upthe clubface andeven out your weightdistribution; as thesand gets firmer,ease up on the'bounce' and let yourweight favour your forward foot”

My guess is that if you think back to the last round of

golf you played you will very quickly relate to the power

your mind has over your performance: such as when you

stand over a putt and you just know that you are going

to make it; or – and rather more frequently – when you

look at a certain shot and all you can see is the out of

bounds running down the right side of the fairway...and

guess where you hit it?

Welcome, then, to the wonderful world of your MEMO-

RY and the way it influences your performance. We

underestimate the power and the effect our memories

have on our golf at our peril. In fact, I would go as far as

to say that the way that you utilise your memory will be

one of the critical keys to your future as a golfer.

In my own experience with some of the players I have

worked with over the last few years it has become very

clear to me that the way golfers use their memory is very

different. The greats like Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and

Tiger Woods have worked it out. Recently, the field of

neuroscience has begun to question many of our old

models on how memory works and one of the most excit-

ing developments has been the suggestion that we can

actually take an active role in programming the way our

memory functions in terms of our golfing experiences.

We have come to understand that our self-confidence

and our sense of self-belief is a highly complicated

matrix – a culmination of all our experiences in life and

the way we INTERPRET those experiences. Neuroscience

is now telling us that memories are actually quite fragile

in so much as each time we recall a memory, it becomes

‘alive’ again and open to change.

Just how important a discovery could that be?

What the scientists are telling us is that if we re-visit a

certain memory of a past event, while we obviously can-

not change the past event what we can do is change our

interpretation of it. So, if you lost a golf tournament

tournament, you will always have lost the tournament,

but what you can change is your interpretation as to the

meaning of that defeat. And that is significant.

If the meaning of that defeat is stored as the ‘worst thing

that has ever happened’ then the chances are that your

unconscious mind will go to work and PROTECT you from

that experience ever happening again. So, the self-sabotage

kicks in and finds ways of getting you to AVOID that situa-

tion. Poor performance is a great way of avoiding winning!

Now, this doesn’t make much sense to our logical

mind but to the unconscious mind it is job done, as you

have been saved from the experience. There is NO LOGIC

Ben Hogan often said that when he playedhis best golf he would address the ball and ‘itwas as if the shot had already happened’.

Jack Nicklaus was absolutely convinced thathe had never missed a putt from inside threefeet on the back nine of a major champi-onship.

Tiger Woods in his own book said: ‘The secretto the mental game is the ability to instantlyrecall past success and then let go of failure.’

And the common thread running throughthese comments from three of the game’s all-time greatest champions? The power ofthe memory to cement thoughts and feelings associated with ultimate performance

INSTRUCTION DR KARL MORRIS

GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM NOV/DEC 201042

Memoriesand how they affect your golf today

By Dr Karl MorrisEUROPEAN TOUR MIND COACH • WWW.GOLF-BRAIN.COMPHOTOGRAPHY: WWW.GETTYIMAGES.COM

to this, it is just the way that the brain works.

The little boy who put his hand up in a school assem-

bly, said something and the whole class laughed, stored

that memory as something to AVOID. Years later when

as an adult he has to present in public to people and he

is overwhelmed by tremendous fear it is the unconscious

mind at work as a result of the way that the particular

memory of speaking in public is stored.

If, however, we can revisit a memory and RE-CODE it,

then the unconscious mind will look and react so much

differently.

A fascinating study by Kenneth Paller at Northwestern

University gives us an insight into what might be possi-

ble in terms of SHAPING our memories. Participants in

the research project were shown pictures of certain

objects and then asked to imagine other objects. Later

investigators asked whether certain objects were seen or

imagined. Often, imagined images were recalled as REAL!

“We think that parts of the brain used to actually per-

ceive an object and to imagine an object actually over-

lap,” Paller said. “Thus a vividly imagined event can leave

memory trace in the brain that is very similar to that of

an experienced event. When memories are stored for per-

ceived or imagined objects, some of the same brain areas

are involved.”

Our ability to vividly imagine an event in sensory detail

will literally leave a memory trace in the brain, as though

the actual event TOOK place. So, begin to consider how

you have been currently storing your experiences in your

golf – REAL or IMAGINED? And how could you impact

your future by taking charge of the PROCESS of your

memory? Again to restate the point, you are not chang-

ing the actual physical event in the world, you are simply

changing your interpretation.

The following is a series of tools and techniques that

can enable you to really take charge of the way your

memory works for you. Make a commitment to use them

to find out just how good you can be at golf.

The alternative to using these tools is that you will get

to the end of your golfing career and you have lots of

memories of potential which have remained UNFUL-

FILLED. As you imagine that now, what would that be

like if you didn’t take action on this information?

MEMORY TOOLS & TECHNIQUESThe 3 Moments DiaryMany years ago, when I spent time working with people

who were struggling with life (as opposed to sport), it

became painful (but at the same time fascinating) to get

to know people who were seriously threatening suicide –

to discover the kind of life experience they were having

which drove them to the point of making this horren-

dous decision as to what their life amounted to.

What I will never forget is that with a couple of dra-

THE MIND FACTOR

NOV/DEC 2010 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM 43

and how they affect your golf today Great minds thinkalike: winning is agame of confidence,the mindset always‘in the present’ andvisualising success


Gi Travel

It’s no coincidence that Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy aresuch naturally creative artists with a golf club in hand – they arethe products of a privileged environment, both having learned thegame playing some of the finest links courses in the world.Clive Agran took a trip to the Emerald IslePHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID CANNON/GETTYIMAGES

NORTHERN


NORTHERN IRELAND

NORTHERNIt’s not difficult tounderstand the pull ofhome for GMac –Royal Portrush is one ofIreland’s revered links,this a view of theDunluce Course

n the end, nobody could have called

it a memorable victory. It had been

a struggling, scrambling kind of

round: more a triumph by default

than anything. More seasoned, fancied competitors

had fallen away, one by one, and when the winner

did finally sink the putt that confirmed that his

name would be on the trophy, even he looked sur-

prised. Three months later, some would already

have forgotten. “Oh, did he win that?” they’d say.

“Yes. He did, didn’t he. How odd.”

No, I’m not talking about Stewart Cink’s victory in

the 2009 Open, but mine, in the Lindrick Junior

Open of 1991, with a round of 80, in high winds, the

year after Lee Westwood – by this point too old to be

eligible – had won with the same score. This was far

from my greatest round as a teenage golfer, but it’s

one that I’ve perhaps dined out on more than any

other. Westwood did once congratulate me on a

good round – to which I replied by doing something

a bit like speaking, only with more saliva – but when

I spoke to him at the Belfry, four years ago, whilst

researching my last golf book, he didn’t remember me, and I’m pretty

sure he won’t remember me now. I could hardly be described as the

Pete Best to his John Lennon, but for a while, our paths crossed, play-

ing in the Nottinghamshire County Team at the same time (me, albeit,

mostly as an incoming reserve, he as its departing star).

What was it like to be part of the same junior golf circle as the

future World Number One? Would I have believed Westwood could

reach such heights? Well, yes, but perhaps only because at that age,

having a tendency to ignore the mathematical unlikeliness of the situ-

ation, we all believed we’d be playing on the European Tour one day,

and Westwood’s club, Worksop, were always The Junior Team To

Beat. If there was a difference between Westwood and his Worksop

teammates (who do now include another European Tour player, in the

form of Mark Foster) and the rest of us, it seemed to be that they

were that much more dogged, that little bit less likely to spend time

throwing tee pegs at one another in the back of pro shop. Did we

envy them? Yes. But I’m not so sure we fantasised about playing golf

in the style that they did. It looked too much like hard work.

I still feel just a bit like this about Westwood. As “a fellow

Nottinghamshire lad”, I am compelled to support him, I’ve certainly

never disliked him as a player, and, in the

time when he was clawing his way back

from his wilderness years, I often found

myself shouting enthusiasm at my TV as

he holed a putt with more enthusiasm

than I’d ever shouted when holing one of

my own. Now he’s reached number one in the World Rankings,

though? I’m happy, because it was time for a change. That said, I’m

not sure that I’m as excited as I should be, as someone who once

frequently changed my spikes in his wake.

Personally, I wanted Westwood to blaze to the top of the number

one spot by winning The Masters, playing with a back on form

Tiger, in the last round. There’s also something slightly surreal

about seeing him at number one. A golfer from Nottingham, like

me? Whose dad was a teacher, like mine? With a slightly odd dip in

the middle of his swing, like (a much better version of) mine? Who

sometimes puts his tongue between his teeth in determination, like

my Nottingham mate Dave used to do? Surely that’s not right!

There’s been a fair bit of talk about Westwood’s status as a rare

number one (though there have been others, such as David Duval)

LITERALLY GOLF

Comfortable in his new-found status as the world’s top-rankedgolfer, Lee Westwood’s recent levity suggests he may well begood and ready to add the onlything that’s missing from his enviable CV: a major

TOM COX

I

It’s been a long journeyfrom the junior ranks ofWorksop to the very topof world golf – the chal-lenge in 2011 will be toremain there

From Worksop to top of t’world

PORT

RAIT

BY

STEV

E RE

AD

joy of Twitter is that there

appears to be no manage-

ment interference or censor-

ing of opinion. Hence it’s far

removed from the guarded

Westwood of earlier years,

whose interviews seemed like

an only slightly more animat-

ed version of the “I’d like to

thank t’green staff for t’con-

dition of t’course” speech

he’d repeatedly trot out at

junior prizegivings in the late

1980s.

The former head honcho of

Nottinghamshire Junior Golf,

Roy Case, tells a story about

asking the county juniors what they wanted to achieve in their golfing

futures. Westwood, apparently, answered with the very simple state-

ment “I want to be the best.” He might need that first major before the

rest of the world believes he’s got there, but one senses his new levity is

the result in his own belief in it: he can finally, if not relax, then at least

give just a bit of an airing to the pro shop delinquent that he sup-

pressed on his road to the top. He’s 37 now – not the youngest of

Number Ones – and he seems comfortable in playing The Big Daddy to

to reach the position without winning a major. If you visit his page

on the social networking site Twitter, and he hasn’t deleted the

comments since, you can see him getting defensive about this, in

reply to the American golf writer Alan Shipnuck. Westwood wrote:

“I’ve won 3 times in the last year,” Westwood told Shipnuck. “I’ve

won 3 times in the last year, up there with most of the others. You

seem to confuse winning majors with the no.1 spot!”

One bit of excitement associated to Westwood’s rise to top dog

status is his Twitter account itself. Westwood seems set free here,

even if he doesn’t seem completely comfortable with the technolo-

gy. “Fiat Uno? Posh! I had a Fiesta 1.1 L,” he wrote on November

28th, clearly in reply to someone, but mistakenly writing it as a gen-

eral tweet, viewable by everyone. And, then, “Sorry Captain Birdseye!

Make sure she’s done the hoovering and washing before you let her

out tonight!” It’s faint praise, a little bit like saying “his essay writ-

ing was better than a moth caterpillar’s” but Westwood’s punctua-

tion and grammar is better than Poulter’s, and he is, in the words of

my friend Graham, “quite funny, for a pro golfer”.

The Guardian’s Lawrence Donegan has already commented on

Westwood’s new comic talent, in interviews. His ribbing of, in partic-

ular, Poulter and McIlroy, on Twitter, can make an observer feel

they’ve been given a private invite to his teamroom – more so,

weirdly, than it actually felt like when I was invited to his team-

room. McIlroy apparently has some interesting opinions on “hair

removal”; Poulter, meanwhile, is referred to as “Sparrowlegs”. The

If there was a difference betweenWestwood and hisWorksop teammatesand the rest of us, itseemed to be that theywere that much moredogged, that little bitless likely to be throw-ing tee pegs at oneanother in the back ofthe pro shop

LITERALLY GOLF

Was this the European tour’s greatest ever year?

In terms of modern golf, you have to go back to

1985 to find another year when Europe won the

Ryder Cup and two Europeans won major cham-

pionship. That year it was Bernhard Langer at the

Masters and Sandy Lyle at the Open. What makes

this year remarkable is that the two Europeans

who won majors did so at the least successful

championships for visitors from over here –

Graeme McDowell claiming the US Open for the

first time since Tony Jacklin in 1970 and Martin

Kaymer winning the USPGA, where only Padraig

Harrington in 2008 was the only European suc-

cess in a lifetime.

Of course, you can add in Louis Oosthuizen

winning the Open Championship, making it the

first time three European tour players have won

majors. And do not forget Ian Poulter (Accenture

Matchplay) and Francesco Molinari (HSBC

Champions) won two of the four World Golf

Championships.

What else? Oh, yes, Lee Westwood displaced

Tiger Woods as the world No 1 and celebrated

with a scorching performance in his last three

events in 2010, a cumulative 48 under par at the

HSBC, Race to Dubai and Nedbank Challenge –

winning the latter at a gentle canter.

Kaymer claimed the Harry Vardon Trophy for

topping the Race to Dubai money list after win-

ning four times, including three times in a row at

the USPGA, the KLM Open and the Alfred Dunhill

Links Championship. He was still being challenged

by McDowell when the pair got to the Dubai World

Championship but the Northern Irishman never

threatened to get into the top-three so the German

took the title. Kaymer is only 25 and might have

won the crown a year earlier had it not been for a

go-karting accident. Westwood was the beneficiary

then but now said of Kaymer: “The thing that

impresses me most is his mental strength. He

seems to have that steely German Langer-

Schumacher-Vettel look about him. If you’re think-

ing of German sportsmen, they all have that sort

of look – nothing fazes them.”

Kaymer said: “Of course it would be nice to be

the No 1 in the world but my goal was to win the

Race to Dubai and then think about becoming No

1 in the world – just as Westwood did.”

Of course the imponderable about the world

No 1 slot is how Tiger Woods will respond next

year. The signs are there that his work with new

coach Sean Foley is beginning to pay off (he was

leading his own tournament in the States as this

issue went to press) but even if he gets back into

the slot for all four rounds of a tournament, the

aura is gone. The likes of Kaymer and Westwood

would not be standing on ceremony as others

have in the past.

Westwood’s ascension to being the best player

WORLD NEWSEDITED BY ANDY FARRELL • PHOTOGRAPHY BY GETTYIMAGES.COM


Whether or not he playsagain this season, LeeWestwood – who hasconfirmed he will remain

At the end of one of the greatest seasons in recent memory, Germany’s Martin Kaymer relievedLee Westwood of the European crown, while theEnglishman himself realised a lifelong dream as he didlikewise to Tiger Woods at the pinnacle of the worldgame. Andy Farrell reports

Kaymer wraps up a golden season

in the world came in spite of his limited schedule

due to a calf injury. Yet his results continued to

be superb, finishing second at the HSBC

Champions and third at the Dubai World

Championship before that win at the Nedbank.

What could he produce if he can get back to

practising full-time? Winning either the Masters

(where Phil Mickelson had his one sparkling

moment of the year) or the Open, where he fin-

ished runner-up to the runaway Oosthuizen –

would have given the European Tour an even bet-

ter year. It would also have quietened those carp-

ing from the States that he should not be the

world No 1. Butch Harmon said: “Did Westwood

win a major this year, or any year? I think not.”

Something of a transatlantic war of words

has broken out between the two tours. Speaking

of the PGA Tour, Westwood, Poulter, Justin

Rose (twice) and Carl Pettersen all won in the

States and Luke Donald very nearly pipped Jim

Furyk for the FedEx Cup – that really would

have been the cherry on the cake of the

European tour’s year.

Having become world No 1, Westwood then

declared that he was not joining the PGA Tour

and that he was not interested in the FedEx Cup

because it was just about money and the play-

offs clashed with his family’s summer holiday.

Then, Westwood’s stablemate Rory McIlroy

resigned his PGA tour membership after only

one year, despite having won at Quail Hollow.

The young star wanted to spend more time at

home in Belfast and at tournaments he enjoys

such as the European Masters in Crans. “If

you’re not playing well in the States it can be a

lonely place,” he said. “But if you're not playing

well on the European Tour you still have plenty

of mates to hang out with.”

Kaymer has also declared his allegiance to the

European tour, on the same basis as Westwood

that if he has won a major and reached No 3 in

the world why does he need to change anything?

“I consider the European tour as my home,” said

the German. This is where I feel comfortable and

I think you play against the best players in the

world. You have all the great players here.”

This last sentence did not go down well the other

side of the pond but, really, what Kaymer meant is

that the likes of Woods, Mickelson, Furyk and Steve

Stricker may not be members of the European tour

but he gets to play against them regularly enough.

And when Europe’s finest turn up for events like

the BMW PGA and the Dubai World Championship,

the Americans are hardly missed.

It turned out that Westwood played 11 times

in the States this year which was one more than

he is meant to be allowed without committing to

fulfilling his 15 as a tour member. Told he would

be restricted to ten events in 2011, Westwood

replied that he may have to skip the Players to

get in the majors, WGCs and adequate prepara-

tion for the majors. Hang on a minute. The PGA

Tour is not about to let slip such a highly ranked

player from their flagship event so he was told

he could play at Sawgrass anyway.

This might not be what Westwood, or

McIlroy, who admits to disliking Sawgrass,

wanted to hear. The point is that the scheduling

of the Players in May means one more trip to

the States, and a trip that does not include a

major. Tim Finchem, the US tour commissioner,

has reshaped their schedule in recent years to

sprinkle the bigger events throughout the year.

It was meant to keep all the best players play-

ing in the States for most of the season. Finally,

some players are saying, thanks, but no thanks

– we’ll play the biggest tournaments over there

but we want to play in lots of other events

around the globe. Seriously, after the ten

biggest events in the States the likes of

Westwood are allowed, how many others are

worth playing in.

Finchem’s policy has also led to another

unintended consequence. There is now a dis-

tinctly two-tier tour in the States, with more of

the leading players limiting themselves to a

similar schedule to Tiger. Take, for example, the

move of the Players from March, where it was

convenient for international golfers as part of

the Masters build-up, to May. Part of the reason

for this was because there was no big tourna-

ment in May – at least in the States; we, of

course, have the PGA at Wentworth. Now Tiger

and the rest had to play somewhere in May.

Tiger might play at Quail Hollow and the Byron

Nelson; Mickelson at the Nelson and the

Colonial – the leading players spread them-

selves more evenly around the events.

So bad has the situation become that a non-

sense of a rule that there would designated

tournaments of which the leading players

would have to play at least one became popular.

But it was recently thrown out, nixed possibly

by the refusal of Tiger and Phil to comply or by

tournament directors who did not want the

sigma of players turning up only because they

had been told to. In an increasingly global game


That cheeky Ian Poulter. Each member ofthe winning Ryder Cup team gets a replicaof the famous trophy and Poulter treatedhis on-line followers to pictures of him andhis family eating cereal from it. Then,when he won the UBS Hong Kong Open,with a brilliant score of 22 under includinga 10-under 60 in the second round,Poulter was asked if he would be dinefrom his latest silverware. “I don't know, Icould get a lot of Cheerios in there, proba-bly half a bag I would think,” he said, ges-turing towards the silver cup. “But myfavourite Chinese dish, it would have to besweet and sour chicken.”

Seve Ballesteros has revealed laugh-ter is his secret weapon as he recov-ers from a brain tumour. “Iʼm verywell. Little by little and week by weekI notice small improvements. Iʼm onthe road towards normality. The keyis to have a strong mind, to acceptthe situation and to beat it. I havebeen on a very strict diet and havedone a lot of exercise. Gym work onMonday, Wednesday and Fridaydoing weights and stretching. I walktwo hours a day, I sleep well, rest alot... and I laugh. Itʼs important tolaugh a lot. Even though we are outof work and suffering with the crisis,laughing doesnʼt cost anything.”

Ernie Els won the PGA Grand Slam ofGolf for the second time, sneaking in frontof David Toms with three birdies in a rowfrom the 14th at Port Royal in Bermuda.Ironically, both Els and Toms were alter-nates after Phil Mickelson and the injured

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