Tuesday August 23, 2023

 TWO MORE EVENTS CONFIRMED ON THE DP WORLD TOUR’S 2023 SCHEDULE

• Estrella Damm N.A Andalucia Masters and Commercial Bank Qatar Masters confirmed
• Tournaments will take place in consecutive weeks in October
• Both events will have prize funds of $3.25million

 The DP World Tour today confirmed the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucia Masters and Commercial Bank Qatar Masters as part of its 2023 global schedule.

The two tournaments will take place in consecutive weeks in October. Both Race to Dubai events will have prize funds of $3.25million.

The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucia Masters moves to a new venue at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande for the ninth edition of the event. It takes place from October 19-22, a week after the acciona Open de Espana presented by Madrid (October 12-15) at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid.

Meanwhile, the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters returns to Doha Golf Club from October 26-29 for the tournament’s 26^thedition.  It will be the last ‘regular’ event of the 2023 season, offering players the final opportunity to secure their DP World Tour cards for the 2024 season via their Race to Dubai Ranking, as well as the chance to qualify for the Nedbank Golf Challenge Hosted by Gary Player (from November 9-12).

Doha: Scotland’s Ewen Ferguson overcame the strong wind on the final day with a birdie and an eagle over his last three holes to secure his maiden DP World Tour title at the 25th Qatar Masters here on Sunday.

Ferguson, who secured a one-stroke victory from American Chase Hanna, carded a 2-under par 70 in the final round to romp home with an aggregate score of 7-under par 281 at the Doha Golf Club.

“It’s unbelievable and incredible,” said the 25-year-old after winning his maiden DP World Tour victory in 37th appearance.

Ferguson became the fourth Scottish to win the Qatar Masters after Andrew
Coltart (1998) and Paul Lawrie (1999 & 2012).

“I can’t believe it. Really just speechless that I’ve won and I’ve just seen that I might move up to 11th in the Rankings,” he added.

He began the final round three shots off leaders Matthew Jordan and Adrian Meronk.

A double bogey on the second dented his challenge but he played the final three holes in three under – including an eagle on the 16th – to secure the win.

He finished on seven under while American Chase Hanna was a shot behind to finish second.

Doha: England’s Matthew Jordan and Poland’s Adrian Meronk share the lead on Sunday morning at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters at the Doha Golf Club course.

If the Polish triumphs here, he would become his country’s first golfer in the history of the DP World Tour to win a title.

While Jordan can lift his first DP World Tour victory in his 61st appearance, if he keeps the balance and momentum.

Chris Wood (2013) and Eddie Pepperell (2018) were the two Englishmen who had won the Qatar Masters in the past.

Finland’s Kalle Samooja was a stroke behind after shooting 6-under 66 on Saturday.

Jordan (70) and Meronk (72) had 54-hole totals of 8-under 208 as both search for their first European tour win.

The 282nd-ranked Jordan had a front-nine 39 but recovered with five birdies on the back nine in an overall “stressful” round.

Pablo Larrazábal (75), leader on the first two days, slipped two shots back in a three-way tie for fourth on Saturday with fellow Spaniard Adrian Otaegui (70) and South Africa’s Wilco Nienaber (74).

Doha: Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal had an eagle and three birdies on the back nine as he overcame an unimpressive start on Friday at the 25th Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.

“It was a tough start. I didn’t expect the drive on the first to go so far right,” said Larrazabal. “It is even harder mentally when you shoot 40 on the front nine and you’re two over after three.”

Chase Hanna (66), Wilco Nienaber (68) and Adrian Meronk (70) were all one shot behind in a tie for second.

The 122nd-ranked Larrazabal, seeking his seventh DP World Tour title, shot 1-under 71 at Doha Golf Club for a 36-hole total of 9-under 135 to take a one-shot lead into the weekend.

It was a roller coaster day for the Spaniard. In the morning, when he finished hole 9, he was +4 and had fallen to 20th place.

“It was a tough start. Par-bogey-bogey was not in the plans,” said Larrazabal, who added double bogey on the par-5 ninth to complete a front-nine 40 that left him four strokes back after starting the day two shots in front.

He bounced back with an eagle at the par-5 10th before three more birdies, including the 18th.

“Mentally, you have to recover. You have to believe in the shots you plan … that’s what I did and it paid off,” said the 38-year-old, who won Pecanwood Classic in South Africa two weeks ago.

American golfer Hanna felt right at home in the windy conditions.

“Growing up in Kansas, you get a lot of wind,” the 27-year-old said. “I certainly like the wind. I feel like my game suits the wind nicely. … My iron shots were good especially on the par 3s, just kept it pretty stress free.”

Romain Langasque (71) is two strokes off the lead. Marcus Kinhult of Sweden had the lowest round with 65.

Doha: Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal opened up a two-stroke lead after the first round at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters here at the lush green Doha Golf Club course on Thursday.

India’s Shubhankar Sharma, Denmark’s Marcus Helligkilde, Romain Langasque (France) and Adrian Meronk (Poland) were all two shots behind in a tie for second.

The highly-anticipated DP Tour event returned to its original home after the last two editions, which were held at the Education City Golf Club.

The competition is organised by Qatar Golf Association (QGA) with support from Qatar Olympic Committee, Doha Golf Club and long-term title sponsor, Commercial Bank.

“I’m very pleased. I played very solid. I missed only a couple of shots. I did an up and down there on the last green which I missed. I missed the cut last week but I played very solid golf today,” said the 38-year-old.

The tournament, which is celebrating its 25th year, features Thorbjorn Olesen, Ashun Wu and past champions Chris Wood, Jorge Campillo, Simon Rozner, Justin Harding and Eddie Pepperwell.

With the temperature soared to plus-30 degree celsius at Doha Golf Club, Larrazábal birdied his first three holes and had nine total for an 8-under 64. The 122nd-ranked player dropped only one shot, on the par-4 fifth hole.

The temperature was nice this morning but it started boiling,” he added. “It was 35 or 36 degrees, but I kept drinking a lot of water and making birdies.”

On the prevalent conditions at the course, Pablo said: “The conditions are great. When you come to a golf course that they’ve really changed, and they’ve not only changed it for us but for amateurs too. I’m sure the members here enjoy it a lot more and obviously there are a lot more pin positions for us. I think they did a great job and it’s looking magnificent.”

The tournament was first held in 1998 and since then it is considered Qatar’s annual ‘must-attend’ sporting and social event.

Defending champion Antoine Rozner, who won last year with a 60-foot putt on the last day at Education City Golf club, was tied eighth (-4) after the first day’s play.

Doha: The occasional wind and the chill in the Qatari capital will test some of the world’s best golfers during the silver jubilee edition of Commercial Bank Qatar Masters at the Doha Golf Club (DGC) course from tomorrow.

A total of 144 golfers including 140 professionals and four amateurs will be in action in the DP World Tour – formerly known as the European Tour – event for the first time following renovation at DGC.

This year’s edition will see the tournament return to its original venue after two years due to renovation work at the course, with Education City Golf Club hosted the 2020 and 2021 editions.

But according to the Qatar Golf Association Technical Director Mike Shoueiry the redesigned four new greens can throw some challenge to the competitors.

“All the 18 holes have been reconstructed with four new greens being redesigned differently. If the greens are cut to become faster and given the windy weather forecast over the next few days, the players are in for a tough test,” said Shoueiry.

The DGC course was designed by UAE-based Peter Harradine and was opened in 1997, with the first Qatar Masters held in 1998 with a strong history of winners including double champions Paul Lawrie, Adam Scott and Branden Grace.

Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson, Ernie Els and Thomas Bjorn are also among those to have claimed the title.

Defending champion Antoine Rozner will be back in action along with Jorge Campillio, Chris Wood, Justin Harding and Eddie Pepperell.

DOHA: Around 140 top-ranked golfers will vie for honours at the $2m Commercial Bank Qatar Masters which will be held as a part of the DP World Tour at the Doha Golf Club.

The tournament, which celebrates its silver jubilee this year, will be held from March 24-27, 2022.

“We have made all the arrangements to give the best experience to the fans, officials and all those associated with the tournament,” said Mike Shoueiry Technical Director at Qatar Golf Association (QGA).

The pro-am event will be held on March 23 and the champion will be crowned on March 27.

Qatar Masters, founded in 1998, is a professional golf tournament, which was earlier a part of European Tour.

“The officials of DP World Tour are expected to arrive two weeks before the event while the next batch of officials will check into Doha one week prior to the event. They will be followed by the DP World Tour media team, players, caddies and other personnel,” added Shoueiry.

The tournament is the second oldest DP World Tour event on the Arabian Peninsula after the Dubai Desert Classic, and it now forms part of an extended Middle East Swing on the tour.

The event which has had been previously won by the likes of Ernie Els, Adam Scott, Paul Lawrie and Henrik Stenson will see some of the top ranked players in attendance this year.

Doha: England’s Matthew Jordan and Poland’s Adrian Meronk share the lead on Sunday morning at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters at the Doha Golf Club course.

Finland’s Kalle Samooja was a stroke behind after shooting 6-under 66 on Saturday.

Jordan (70) and Meronk (72) had 54-hole totals of 8-under 208 as both search for their first European tour win.

The 282nd-ranked Jordan had a front-nine 39 but recovered with five birdies on the back nine in an overall “stressful” round.

The tournament is celebrating its silver jubilee this year.

This year’s Qatar Open Amateur Championship-winner Denmark’s Mikkel Mathiesen along with Saudi Arabia’s Faisal Salhab will receive wild cards for the DP Tour event along with Qatar’s Saleh Al Kaabi and Ali Al Shahrani.

The four complete the amateur line up in which 140 top-ranked players will be vying for the Mother of Pearl Trophy.

The Qatar Masters is a pro tournament, which was part of the erstwhile European Tour and was founded in 1998, making it the 2nd oldest DP World Tour event on the Arabian Peninsula after the Dubai Desert Classic.

It now forms part of an extended Middle East Swing on the Tour.

The highly anticipated event is organised by Qatar Golf Association (QGA) with the support of Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), Doha Golf Club (DGC) and long-term title sponsor.

This year, the event returns to its original home at Doha Golf Course, after the last two editions were held at Education City.

QGA technical secretary Mike Shoueiry speaks ahead of next week’s @CBQatarMasters #golf @CBQat #doha #Qatar pic.twitter.com/ZYP7mplFoP

— Qatar Golf Association/الإتحاد القطري للجولف (@qatar_golf) March 17, 2022

Last year, eventual winner Antoine Rozner’s closing 67 helped him ward off the challenge of Italian Guido Migliozzie, South Africa’s Darren Fichardt and Indian star Gaganjeet Bhullar, all who finished tied second, one back.

The event has been previously won by the likes of Ernie Els, Adam Scott, Paul Lawrie and Henrik Stenson and the 2022 edition will see some of the top ranked players in attendance.

Doha (Qatar): Antoine Rozner hit an incredible 60 foot putt on the last to win his second European Tour title at the 2021 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters on Sunday.

The Frenchman entered the final 18 holes on a calmer day at Education City Golf Club three shots off the lead.

“Winning a golf tournament is so rare – to win twice in just a few months is unreal. I’m just very happy with the way I got it done today in such a dramatic fashion, it’s amazing. I’m very happy,” he told europeantour.com

“The Ryder Cup in Paris… I was there every day. That’s a dream for me, to compete in one. If I can get it done this year – there is still a long, long road to go. It should be a goal. It will be, for the rest of the season, a goal for me. There is still a long road to go.”

India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar and South African Darren Fichardt, who won the 2003 edition, finished alongside Italy’s Guido Migliozzi a shot off the lead.

Overnight leader Fichardt put his approach at the first inside ten feet for an opening birdie and briefly led by three, but Rozner and Migliozzi made rapid strides on the leaderboard.

Fichardt signed for a level par 71 while Bhullar fired a closing 69, adding three birdies and two bogeys to that closing gain.

McEvoy carded a 68 and Donaldson registered a 70 to sit a shot ahead of England’s Chris Paisley and South African Brandon Stone, who both carded 70s of their own.

Belgian Thomas Detry, Dane Joachim B. Hansen, American Kurt Kitayama and Swede Niklas Lemke finished five shots off the lead.

Doha (Qatar): Darren Fichardt emerged as the sole leader on the penultimate day of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters at Education City Golf Club on Saturday.

The South African will take a one-stroke lead into the final round as he bids to win the Mother of Pearl trophy for the second time in Qatar.

The five-time European Tour winner, who won this event in 2003 put all his experience to good use in very difficult windy conditions to card a 70 which included a double bogey and two further dropped shots.

“When I started today, I couldn’t get the pace right, the greens sped up significantly with the wind. I was three-whacking like it was going out of fashion, on every green. Luckily, I figured my swing out on the range before I teed off,” Fichardt told europeantour.com

The 45-year old’s first win in Qatar came 18 years back at the Doha Golf Club and come Sunday he will have a go at the tile at the ECGC.

England’s Jack Senior, two-time winner on the European Challenge Tour, was on the second spot and will be looking for a maiden European Tour victory on Sunday.

“Then I got to the par five 13 – that’s a hell of a par five, plus wind. I walked off there making a double and felt a bit out of sorts,” he said.

On windy day just four players were under par as Senior carded a level par 71 to be in the second spot.

India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar carded a 68 at five under to move up 28 places and will go into the final day sitting in the third spot. He is a shot clear of Welshman Jamie Donaldson, Dane Joachim B. Hansen and Frenchman Antoine Rozner.