“Obviously, I have had a huge success there in the last two years. I’ve played well and enjoyed it and hopefully, I can find a way to make it three in a row,” said Koepka.

“It’s strange, because I have no idea what it is about Royal Greens that suits me. I think it’s just one of those things where you get lucky and you’ve got to get lucky to win.

“I have obviously got lucky there two years in a row, so I’ll take that!”

During his first LIV Golf victory at Jeddah in 2022, Koepka went head-to-head in a playoff against his close friend Peter Uihlein, his Smash GC teammate at the time. Triumphing in both the individual and team events.

Montana Pritchard/LIV Golf

The winning then continued for Brooks. He picked up a second LIV title in Orlando in April ’23, becoming the first active LIV Golf League member to hoist a major trophy at Oak Hill in the PGA Championship.

Fast forward to October, Brooks would return to Saudi Arabia as the defending champion in LIV Golf Jeddah. Brooks defeated Talor Gooch in another two-hole playoff in King Abdullah Economic City, but this time the W was different for Brooks, it was his first win as a father, having become a dad to baby boy, Crew, just three months prior.

“Winning as a dad is pretty cool. The first time I won as a dad was in Jeddah.

“It’s been pretty cool. It’s been life-changing for me, not even in golf but outside of golf in normal life. But it’s been fun, it’s the coolest experience. I love to be able to see the little guy every day.”

PGA Championship 2023: Warren Little/Getty Images

Before Brooks’ return to winning ways, the last few years for him had been a rough journey. One that he has been open about, especially in the Netflix series “First Swing”, where at the time, he wasn’t sure of the extent of his knee injury resulting in a loss of form and game time.

While he had to sit at home and watch from the sidelines as Scottie Scheffler began his rise to the top of the professional game by winning the 2022 Masters.

“It wasn’t fun. Anyone who has been through that hurt knows it is not the nicest thing to go through. All the rehab and surgery.

“Even more with the surgery because that had never been done before, and there was a lot of uncertainty with it. I’m just happy to be healthy.”

But it was a team effort that brought Brooks back. He got his previous old team back together including his coaches Claude Harmon III and Peter Cowen had to essentially “rebuild” himself a new swing.

“It was obviously very different.

“It took a while after creating bad habits to then try to figure out where your body is at. It probably took a year and a half to rebuild it, but it’s perfect now.”

LIV Golf Jeddah: Charles Laberge/LIV Golf

With the upcoming 2024 LIV Golf League kicking off in Mayakoba, Mexico. Koepka and his new look Smash GC have set themselves goals of hitting the ground running. Starting fresh, especially after their team’s mixed performances to date.

“Hopefully we (Smash GC) can get a win. Having Talor (Gooch) coming over was a big thing for us.

“My close friend as well G-Mac (Graeme McDowell) is a guy with experience, and not forgetting Jay (Kokrak) who is an incredible player and I don’t even think he has tapped into his potential yet.

“I just need to keep doing what I’ve been doing and Talor needs to do the same and more of what he did last year, then I think we have got a good shot at being one of the best teams.

“I’m just happy to be healthy and playing good golf and you never know where the season is going to take me.”

For over a decade, it’s been quite the journey for Brooks. From starting out his professional winning theme on the Challenge Tour in 2012 (above) and 2013, he has carried on that trend of winning across the globe on multiple tours.

A time when he maybe thought of golf as a lot simpler for someone just starting out in the game.

English Challenge 2012. Andrew Redington/Getty Images

“It’s like anything, the more involved you get, the more you realise it’s a business and more of a job. It was more fun back then on the Challenge Tour.

“Being a young kid, you don’t realise all the work that goes into it. We all do “work” but you don’t realise what goes on behind closed doors. To be around other guys and what it takes to be a professional golfer shows that it’s definitely more of a job now than how it was back on the Challenge Tour.”

Main image: Chris Trotman/LIV Golf

The post Brooks Koepka Exclusive – “The more involved you get, the more you realise it’s a business and more of a job” appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

All this and much, much more in the February 2024 edition of Golf Digest Middle East available in both English and Arabic.

The issue is again free to our loyal audience. You can scroll through the ISSUU link provided here or download it to your favourite device for later. Alternatively, pick up a copy at your favourite club. Whatever option you take, we hope you enjoy the read.

See below for the ninth issue of the Arabic edition of Golf Digest Middle East.

If you want to look back at all our previous Arabic editions of Golf Digest Middle East, click here.

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Practice makes perfect, is a term we hear all the time, but is it true? Well, no, unfortunately not, certainly not just any practice. However, good quality and purposeful practice can certainly get you on your way. Ensuring that we get the absolute most out of our practice sessions no matter if we do that to help enjoy golf more, lower our scores or simply out-drive our friends on the driving range, practice is crucial. Practicing the wrong thing, or in the wrong way puts us at risk of making this game of golf harder than it is. Here are my top three points to help you get the most out of your practice sessions and closer to achieving the goals you have set out for your golf.

1. Routine 

Routine, or pre-shot routine as it’s formally known, is something that I would recommend to any golfer of any ability. It is very common for golfers when practicing to repeatedly strike balls at an alarmingly quick speed. Hitting balls in this manner is not what you will encounter when you are on the golf course, yet many golfers do it with the belief that more is better. 

We want to focus on what we are trying to accomplish. To help with this I like to ask my students to take their time, often having a break between shots. A routine can follow this type of structure; they stand behind the ball determine the objectives, pick their target, ensure their own specific fundamentals are correct, allow themselves to become relaxed, and then make that smooth balanced motion which can help produce the best contacts. 

After the ball has landed (and we are still in our finish position), I would then encourage them to discuss with me, how their shot was. How was the direction? Did it go towards the intended target? Are they happy with the distance? Was the ball curving in the air, or did it fly straight? How did it compare to their objective and would it of worked out on the golf course? These are all internal questions that I would encourage you to ask after every shot to help have a deeper understanding of your objectives and gain quality feedback to allow you to do the most important thing… determine what to do differently next time.

It is incredibly advantageous to adopt your own routine. All the best golfers have one, but it is important to find your own one and ensure you repeat it the same way every time.

2. The target

Our objective can be different every time. It could be how far we want to hit it or more specific to the course how close we want it to go to the target. We can all very easily get into the bad habit of keeping the same target on the driving range, even when we change clubs. However, our journey on the golf course is quite different to this. On the course, we can aim at an array of different targets, the flagstick, bunkers, trees, buildings, and so the list goes on. In order to keep our minds engaged, as well as practicing aiming and also becoming more aware of our clubface relationship to the direction, I would recommend students not to hit more than 3 to 5 shots at the same target, without switching things up. Additionally, use your imagination and utilise everything around you to make your range experience as realistic as possible. Even the barest of practice ground can provide areas or corridors to hit the ball towards by using fence posts, trees or buildings on the horizon to build targets.

3. Changing club

This is probably something that we are all guilty of, no matter what our experience in this game. I often say to students, “How many times in a full round of golf (18 holes) would you hit a full 7-iron? Its full distance from a perfect lie, with no wind, to a non-elevated green?” The answer is that you will probably be lucky if you have this shot twice in a round – so why hit 70 balls like this? If we were to go off of the numbers, then the two most utilised clubs in a round of golf will most likely be the driver and putter. I would encourage students to get a feel for all clubs whilst at the driving range. Although some clubs are harder to hit than others and we all have our favourites, it is vital to become familiar and confident with all of them and the only way to reach this is through gaining experience with the whole bag. An additional benefit of altering your club more often in practice is how to move into the different amounts of bend in posture, stance widths and ball positions. All making you more adaptable and more aware of what you are doing ensuring when on the course, you are more capable of getting it right.

Summary

As we have seen here, it is vital to keep our practice sessions productive in order to get the most out of our time. We can now actually start to build everything here into a practice model. We are standing behind the ball to engrain our focus with a routine. Then, we choose a target that is different to the last, ensuring that our body is all set up accordingly, and then after hitting the shot, we process the strike to get as much feedback as possible. Oh, and then don’t forget to change club before we redo the process all over again.

Gilbert Hepburn is a PGA Teaching Professional at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club

The post WATCH: Three drills to make the most out of your time when practicing appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

We also reflect on a successful first year for Viya Golf in Abu Dhabi with Cluster Club Manager Julian Danby, get to grips with the new TaylorMade wedges with Robbie Greenfield and look ahead to the third edition of the Golf Digest Middle East Oktoberfest at The Els Club in Dubai.

All this and much, much more in the October 2023 edition of Golf Digest Middle East available in both English and Arabic.

The issue is again free to our loyal audience. You can scroll through the ISSUU link provided here or download to your favourite device for later. Alternatively, pick up a copy at your favourite club. Whatever option you take, we hope you enjoy the read.

See below for the eighth issue of the Arabic edition of Golf Digest Middle East.

If you want to look back at all our previous Arabic editions of Golf Digest Middle East, click here.

The post Get the October 2023 edition of Golf Digest Middle East FREE here in both English and Arabic today! appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Royal Greens serves up two memorable Saudi International treats to pave way to the future

History was made in Saudi Arabia in February as some of the best golfers in the world — male and female — descended on Royal Greens Golf & Country Club for two of the most fascinating and memorable golfing competitions in the Kingdom.

First up was the Asian Tour’s flagship PIF Saudi International, where Mexico’s Abraham Ancer warmed up for his LIV Golf homecoming at Mayakoba with a thrilling victory over American Cameron Young and Aussie Lucas Herbert in the Red Sea breeze, taking home $1 million for his troubles. It was one of the strongest fields ever assembled on Saudi shores, with the likes of Cameron Smith, Bubba Watson, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Paul Casey, Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed all teeing it up. None of them could lay a glove on Ancer, however, who registered a wire-to-wire success to follow in the footsteps of Dustin Johnson, Graeme McDowell and Harold Varner III as champions.

The week in early February also saw a new dawn for golf in Saudi Arabia as Faisal Salhab and Saud Al Sharif were unveiled as the Kingdom’s latest professional golfers, joining Othman Almulla in the paid ranks and beginning their journey to inspire the next generation of young golfers. Both Faisal and Saud impressed in the Asian Tour’s first two International Series events, making the cut at Oman and Qatar respectively. 

With no time for the dust to settle after the men departed, the Ladies European Tour came to town just outside Jeddah, with no less than 13 major champions in tow as part of a field of 120 competing for the groundbreaking $5 million purse — the biggest prize outside the majors and equal to that of the men in the Saudi International. In Gee Chun, Anna Nordqvist, Lexi Thompson and defending champion Georgia Hall all fought it out with the likes of Ashleigh Buhai, Patty Tavatanakit, Hannah Green, Danielle Kang and Hyo-Joo Kim. But it was a dream return to action for world No. 1 and newly-wed Lydia Ko, who held off the sensational Aditi Ashok (win, third, second in her first three outings of the year) for her second success in the tournament and the $750,000 top prize. 

Ko gave credit to new hubby Jun Chung and a rigorous off-season that included eight (8!) rounds of golf during her 12-day honeymoon in native New Zealand for her ability to hit the ground running in her first competitive outing of 2023. It certainly looks like that devotion and dedication paid off big time. Hopefully Jun got a belated Valentine’s Day gift for his understanding! 

As we delve further into the year, eyes are beginning to look to September and the looming Solheim Cup date between Europe and America, and already things are beginning to take shape with familiar front-runners staking their claim for an automatic spot. 

When it comes to the captains’ picks, however, things are getting really tricky as old favourites such as Anna Nordqvist and Lizette Salas are struggling to find form, while emerging stars like Chiara Noja and Lilia Vu are throwing their hat into the ring.

How both captains would be wishing Ashok and Ko were in their ranks too. 

For all the stardust on show at Royal Greens, it is always refreshing to see the next generation thrive, and the likes of Noja, Vu and Albane Valenzuela grabbed the opportunity on the biggest of stages with both hands, with all three in the mix until Sunday and finishing in the top 15.

The Aramco Saudi Ladies International was about so much more than just the on-fairway action of course, with its groundbreaking prize money, on-site golf clinics and talks setting the foundations and framework for equality and parity throughout the game as more tournaments across the globe are set to follow suit and put up equal purses for men and women. 

During all the thrills and spills at King Abdullah Economic City, Golf Saudi also welcomed its new CEO, Noah Alireza, who was on hand at Royal Greens to oversee the trophy presentations to Ancer and Ko, and set out his vision for the future of the sport in the Kingdom, through mass participation programmes and increasing access to golf in the country.

While the moveable feast departs Saudi until November, that doesn’t mean the drama is done. Not by a long shot. 

The LIV Golf League 2023 is just getting into its stride following its curtain-raiser in Mexico — where the likes of new signings Mito Pereira and Thomas Pieters took their bows — with dates in Arizona and Florida coming up ahead of the highly anticipated bow on Australian shores at The Grange in Adelaide. 

Oh, and the Masters is just around the corner too, where former chums Mickelson and Tiger Woods will meet face-to-face at Augusta in what is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing majors in recent history. 

Watch this space…

The post Editor’s Letter: A fight to remember appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

American star Lexi Thompson is one of the most decorated, celebrated and well-travelled golfers in the game right now.

With 15 titles, nearly $14 million in the bank from LPGA earnings alone (she has also tasted victory on the Ladies European Tour in Dubai and New York over the past 12 years as a professional), the 28-year-old is still broadening her horizons.

Thompson arrived in Saudi Arabia for the first time ever last month after a short break in Dubai to take part in the loaded $5 million Aramco Saudi Ladies International at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, as she gears up for another crucial year.

And she nearly got off to a perfect start, coming up just short of the winner — world No. 1 Lydia Ko — in a tie for third, with a course record-equalling 63 to boot, all of which helped Thompson settle in nicely in the Middle East to start her 2023 campaign.

“I think it’s just a matter of feeling welcome,” she told Golf Digest Middle East. “The way everyone is made to feel welcome is great and the hospitality that I received is amazing. While it is my first time here, I have been in the Middle East quite a bit and I love Dubai. It’s one of the favourite spots that I’ve ever been to, let alone winning [the Dubai Ladies Masters at Emirates Golf Club in 2011]. Of course that’s a bonus.”

While only 28, Thompson has five Solheim Cups under her belt, including two triumphs, but Team USA has lost the last two iterations at Gleneagles in Scotland in 2019 and at Inverness Club, Ohio, in 2021. The ‘veteran’ is determined to get back on the team for this September’s event at Finca Cortesin in Spain, and wrest the trophy back from Team Europe.

“First of all, it’s such a high honour to be able to represent my country any time I can,” she said. “Whether it’s Solheim Cup, International Crown, or any team event, I want to be on that team representing my country.

“It’s been unfortunate the last two times that we’ve lost, but it happens. We did the best that we could. As I said, win or lose, representing your country is the highest honour, so hopefully we get that trophy back in Spain. I am really looking forward to going there.

Paul Severn

“All we can do is the best we can and bring our ‘A’ games, but I think the Solheim Cups bring a whole other level of people’s games. When you are flying your flag for your country or continent, you have that drive. You’re not only fighting for yourself out there, you have your partner next to you. You’re fighting for your country and representing it.

“It is such a unique experience, bringing out that other attitude of people, which is great to see.”

To say Thompson had an early start at the top level of the game is something of an understatement. She became the youngest golfer ever to qualify for the US Open at the age of 12 and was a professional by the time she was just 15, winning her first LPGA tournament as a 16-year-old in 2011, and breaking the record as the youngest Ladies European Tour event winner just three months later in Dubai. She also became the second youngest major winner at the Chevron Championship in 2014 at the age of 19. 

When asked the secret to staying at the elite end of the game for such a long time, the world No. 7 replied: “I think the key for me is taking the time off when needed, not really overdoing playing, skipping events that I feel like I need to.

“It is important to get the right amount of rest I need and make sure my game is in the right spot for the tournaments that I thoroughly enjoy and the golf courses that I really like and suit my game the best.

“Instead of just playing four, five weeks in a row and tiring myself out, I take the breaks when needed.

“I just finished my 12th year on tour, so it’s pretty unbelievable to think I just turned 28. It is a balancing act between taking the time for myself, living life and enjoying it, but at the same time, performing the best that I can when I do play.”

Obviously keeping fit during those breaks and in the off-season is also crucial?

“Yeah, of course,” Thompson said. “I worked extremely hard in the off-season, whether it’s training in the gym one, two times a day, but I’ve spent multiple hours each and every day in the practice facility working on the things that I needed to improve on and just keeping everything consistent.

“I had a good finish in my last two events last year [Pelican Women’s Championship and CME Group Tour Championship], so I am just trying to bring that into this year. Consistency has been key for me to keep things ticking along, so just keeping the things going that I’ve been working on and continuing to improve on them with my game and on the mental side as well.”

Following her T3 at Royal Greens, Thompson is confident her game is in the right place. 

“I had quite a long time off over the festive period, with quality time with my family and friends to get that relaxation, but at the same time, I trained harder than ever,” she said.

“I worked extremely hard on my game and fitness, and I am really just trying to keep everything intact, work on a few things in my game, and keep on improving.”

Paul Severn

It was a bit of a family affair in Saudi Arabia as Lexi’s brother Curtis was on her bag, another aspect that helped her relax in the challenging conditions.

“We just talk about the most random things or get deep into a conversation that just goes nowhere,” Lexi said about what the chat was with her sibling. “It’s amazing. He knows me so well and knows my game probably better than I do because we play together every day back home. I’m very lucky and blessed to have him out here.”

And as Thompson becomes one of the more seasoned pros, she has an eye on the legacy she will leave as the women’s game makes great strides towards equality, with boosts in prize money, improved facilities and more airtime on live television broadcasts.

“First of all, I think it’s amazing to see how the game is growing,” she said. “As an athlete, I just want to leave the game in a better place than it was when I first stepped in.

“To have role models and encourage girls to pick up the game at a young age, it’s important. It’s great to see girls thoroughly enjoy the game. Whether you make it professionally or not, it’s such an amazing game that you learn so much about yourself, your dedication, responsibility. Even if you’re not professional it’s great for business, because you don’t get the opportunity to spend multiple hours with business partners for that matter.

“I’ve learned so much about myself along the way, met some amazing people, so I always tell people, you should pick up the game. It’s one of the best out there. Could be frustrating, don’t get me wrong, but you will enjoy it so much, and just have fun with it and just be grateful for the opportunity that you can.”

The post Event Horizons: ‘Veteran’ Lexi Thompson firmly focused on the future following years of success appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

World No. 1 Lydia Ko came into the Aramco Saudi Ladies International unsure what to expect after an extended off-season that included getting married.

The world No. 1 got hitched to Jun Chung to sign off on a 2022 that saw her not only reclaim her spot at the top of the rankings but also pick up three LPGA Tour crowns, including the CME, which earned her the biggest winner’s cheque in women’s golf history: $2 million.

After that extended break and a honeymoon that included — by her own admission — “perhaps too much golf”, the New Zealander arrived at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club uncertain where her game was at in competitive circles.

She had nothing to worry about. 

Ko was returning to King Abdullah Economic City for the first time since her 2021 triumph in the Saudi Ladies International, and oozed class as she saw off a star-studded field to reclaim the crown.

A final-round 68 for a total of 21-under was enough to hold off the in-form India star Aditi Ashok, the likes of fast-charging Lexi Thompson and Manon De Roey, and dark horse Lilia Vu. 

In a topsy-turvy finish that saw the lead change hands a number of times, Ko eventually prevailed as valiant Vu faltered at the last and had to settle for a share of third alongside Belgium’s De Roey and American star Thompson on 19-under, one behind Ashok.

Along with becoming the first player to win the title twice, Ko also took home a record $750,000 from the $5 million prize fund.

Lydia Ko. LET

“I’m two for two on this golf course at Royal Greens, so clearly something is going for me,” Ko said. 

“I’m playing with the world’s best. The field this week was really good, so I knew it was going to be a challenge. And it was the first one of the year. That is really hard because you don’t have anything to base yourself off. You don’t know if you’re going to play well or bad.”

Ko made it career win No. 26 and is looking in great shape for another trophy-laden campaign in 2023. 

It certainly was a statement in her first event of the year as she came out on top in a field that included 13 major winners including In Gee Chun, Anna Nordqvist, Thompson and defending champion Georgia Hall.

“Hopefully I’m going to get some good momentum now,’ Ko said. “Every day is different, so I don’t think you can take anything for granted. I’m just going to stick to my process and keep working on the things I’ve been working on and enjoy it. Hopefully this is a light to a good start of the 2023 season.”

With the tournament prize fund hiked to a whopping $5 million this year — up from $1 million and now matching the men’s Saudi International — Ko is delighted the women are being given a level playing field in Saudi Arabia.

“I think this is the direction we’re trending in not only at this event, but all the events,” she said. “To have partners that support and believe in women’s golf and the talent that’s out here, it is just great to be a part of that and this history.

“Hopefully this is a continuous movement on the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA, and for other tours as well.

“As players, it’s just really cool to be part of that history. I hope this is something that’s going to continue to grow, because playing alongside the best female golfers, week in and week out… there are so many amazing women out here. I don’t think you realise until you come here and you see, wow, like look at all this talent.”

The post Lydia Ko underlines her status as the queen of golf by reclaiming Aramco Saudi Ladies International crown at Royal Greens appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

We also look ahead to the LIV Golf League season-opener in Mexico and catch up with Lydia Ko ahead of her trip to Royal Greens Golf & Country Club for the Saudi Ladies International. 

James Piot talks about how the LIV Golf opportunity was too big to pass up and we take you through 2023’s must-have drivers in Part One of our Hot List.

All this and much, much more in the February 2023 edition of Golf Digest Middle East.

The issue is again free to our loyal audience. You can scroll through the ISSUU link provided here or download to your favourite device for later. Alternatively, pick up a copy at your favourite club. Whatever option you take, we hope you enjoy the read.

The post Get the February 2023 edition of Golf Digest Middle East FREE here today! appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Matt Smith
Only 12 short months ago, a Dubai-based 15-year-old school student took her first step into a brave new world in professional sport.

Last October, Chiara Noja took the decision to become a professional golfer and set out on the Ladies European Tour Access Series in her quest to secure the playing rights on the LET proper in 2023 that come with claiming one of the LETAS Order of Merit top-six spots.

Fast-forward one year and, following a hectic schedule that took her around the world, Chiara is back in Dubai and in schoolkid mode, preparing for her GCSEs — with her LET card in hand.

While cramming and recovering from weeks on the road, the German teenager has been juggling her career as a pro, and the demands that come with that, with another life as a student looking for the best grades in her exams. 

After what has been an exhausting 12 months, and with mock exams going on following her visit to Ferry Point to compete in the Aramco Team Series — New York event, Chiara still has one competition circled on her 2022 calendar: the ATS finale at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in Jeddah from November 10-12. 

“Has it been 12 months?” Chiara asks Golf Digest Middle East, having taken time out from her studying for a quick chat. “That’s right! It was almost exactly a year ago I turned pro,” she confirms.

“It has certainly been a very busy year. It has flown by. I have spent five-and-a-half action-packed months on the road in total, but it was worth it.

“Thankfully I got a win early on at the Amundi [Czech Ladies Challenge in June] and that set me up nicely in the Order of Merit and gave me the confidence to keep up the standards. 

“I was also competing on the Aramco Team Series events thanks to my Golf Saudi backing, so it was quite exhausting.

“The LETAS kept adding events, and I told myself this is a marathon, not a sprint, and took the decision to take a break and select the events I wanted to play in.”

With her card safe, Chiara opted to skip the final three events of the LETAS season, opting instead to concentrate on her studies and the Aramco events in New York and Jeddah instead, knowing it would mean missing out on top spot in the LETAS Order of Merit. 

“It was a very good decision to take a break,” she insists. “Sure, I finished second in the Order of Merit and could have won it if I continued to play, but I was playing my ‘C’ game and it was better to recharge. The No. 1 goal was achieving playing rights on the LET 2023. My card was safe so taking a break was the right thing to do. 

“Honestly, winning the Order of Merit would have been the cherry on top of a great season, but going into it we knew what the aim was and we achieved that.”

She adds with a chuckle: “It was a lovely season — exhausting, but lovely.”

Reflecting on all those weeks of competition, it is clear in Chiara’s mind what the highlight was.

“The Aramco events. Definitely,” she says. “I got to be the kid again playing with the big girls, and I learnt so much. To play alongside the Kordas (LPGA star sisters Nelly and Jessica) and Lexi (Thompson, the Aramco New York champ and world No. 7) was amazing and an honour. 

“I finished T-11 in New York and that showed me how far I had come. On caddie came up and asked me: ‘How do you keep your concentration?’ But I am just soaking it all up and hoping to improve each event. 

“That result in New York really gave me confidence I can compete with the LET players next season. I have no goals other than getting some top 20s and maybe a few top 10s but I have no worries about keeping my card.”

Now, here comes the tricky part — being a 16-year-old student and an LET pro at the same time.

“Like I said, I have no worries about my card, I will just need to balance preparing for my GCSEs and choosing when to play on Tour. 

“My grades would be better without the golf, for sure, and my golf would be better without the studying. But being a full-time student and a golfer has definitely made life more interesting!”

Looking ahead to her final bow of 2022, the Aramco Team Series — Jeddah, Chiara can’t wait to get going.

“Royal Greens is like a second home to me, really, as I have played the Saudi International twice and also on the ATS last year. It is a challenging course to play, due to the wind, but I know it quite well by now.”

One thing that Chiara is not looking forward to is the possibility of stifling humidity in Jeddah at this time of year. 

“The Saudi International is played early in the year and the weather has been perfect, but the ATS last year was roasting and exhausting. Hopefully the weather gets a bit cooler by the time we arrive.”

Those appearances in Jeddah and at other events around the globe have been in part thanks to the support Chiara has received from Golf Saudi, for whom she is now an Ambassador, alongside the likes of Emily Pedersen, Anna Nordqvist, Anne Van Dam, Bronte Law and Carlota Ciganda.

“Even before I turned pro, Golf Saudi gave me incredible support and believed in me,” Chiara explains. “They managed to get me into a number of tournaments, and without those events I would not be where I am or be as good a player as I am now.

“They have been so positive in helping grow the game and are very clear in that vision — helping grow the game in the Kingdom and also globally, while encouraging women to take up the sport.

“Also the money they have invested in the shape of purses for events such as the Aramcos and Saudi International … without these events, the Ladies European Tour would not be what it has now become. 

“Then there is the way you are treated at these events. You get pampered, properly looked after — be it the travel, the courses, hotels, food … you get a little spoilt at these events.” Again, there is that chuckle.

“It is great to see these developments, especially in the womens’ game,” she continues. “It is so nice to be shown respect as an athlete.”

Looking further ahead, once school is completed, Chiara is planning to play it a bit by ear. 

“I don’t know really,” she admits. “Maybe I will look into the online courses that some of the other girls have done to get degrees. I like to be stimulated, so I will wait and see what takes my fancy as we go along. But right now, golf is the No. 1 focus.”

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And the 54-hole, no-cut, shotgun extravaganza is about to get a lot more ‘global’ as the world’s top stars head east for the final two main-season events in Thailand and Saudi Arabia.

First up to the stop at Stonehill outside Bangkok on October 7-9, before the inaugural series wraps up its individual season at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club near Jeddah from October 14-16. 

It doesn’t quite finish there as the Team Championship concludes at Trump National Doral Miami at the end of the month, but the priority right now is the race to the top in Jeddah. 

Smith’s stunning entrance to the fray has produced a T-4 in Boston and victory in Chicago from his two outings so far, already taking him to third spot in the league table on 56 points.

However, he still has plenty of work to do to catch runaway leader and Boston champ Dustin Johnson, who heads Branden Grace by 39 points with a total of 118 after five events.

The team event is also going in DJ’s favour as his 4 Aces (Johnson, Patrick Reed, Pat Perez, Talor Gooch) head the standings on 136 points, from Stinger (Louis Oosthuizen, Grace, Charl Schwartzel, Hennie du Plessis) on 72.

Stonehill Club

Thai for the lead

First up is Thailand. Big crowds are expected at  Stonehill, set on 340-acres in the Pathum Thani province outside Bangkok, where fans will cheer on local favourites such as Phachara Khongwatmai and Sadom Kaewkanjana, who will be up against some of the biggest names in golf, including the likes of Smith, DJ, Patrick Reed, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau. 

Then one short trip later, the cream of the golfing talent will line up one more time at Royal Greens in Saudi Arabia.

The Kingdom has stamped its place on the world golfing map thanks to massive infrastructure changes, the $5 million Saudi International tournament on the Asian Tour, the expanded International Series and significant investment in LIV Golf and the Ladies European Tour Aramco Team Series — which holds its next event in New York on October 13 before hosting its own finale in Jeddah in November. 

Royal Greens Golf & Country Club

Johnson is no stranger to success in Saudi Arabia, having twice won the Saudi International in 2019 and 2021 (he also finished runner-up in 2020), and he will be looking to extend his love affair with the region as he chases glory on two fronts in the LIV Golf individual and team standings. 

However, one man who has other plans is newcomer Smith, who made his debut in the series’ fourth event in Boston, and he is relishing the opportunity to get back to playing in Asia once again. 

Smith is no stranger to Royal Greens himself as he finished T4 at the Saudi International in February, four strokes behind champion and now fellow ‘LIV-er’ Harold Varner III.

Now, he is eager to get back in the swing and, hopefully, go even better on his return to the Saudi port city.

The Australian pocketed $4 million for his three-stroke victory in Chicago and he is looking to taste more success in Bangkok and Jeddah as he aims to reel in his good friends Grace and Johnson. 

“I think LIV Golf is fantastic, said the 29-year-old Smith. “That’s one of the reasons why I came over here is to play golf around the world.

“I think my time when I was a young professional over in Asia are some of the best times of my life. Travelling with good friends and playing really good tournaments was something I will never forget, and I’m really looking forward and really excited for what this series is going to bring to the golf world.”

Smith has been impressed with the new-look feel to the LIV Golf events, which create a party atmosphere on and off the course for players and fans. 

“It’s really cool,” Smith added. “It’s something that I’ve gotten used to over the last couple of weeks, and I can’t wait to keep this going. It’s unreal out there. I love the energy. Everyone is really engaged and everyone is really watching what you are doing. It’s awesome.

“I think the music out on the golf course and on the range is something that I really enjoy. I think everyone out there really enjoys it, as well. I feel like the fans are closer to you and they are probably a little bit louder on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, but I love it. The atmosphere is perfect.”

With Smith joining fellow champions Charl Schwartzel (London), Grace (Portland), Henrik Stenson (Bedminster) and Johnson (Boston) in the winners’ circle, the party is sure to continue in Thailand and Saudi Arabia.

SCHEDULE

June 9-11
Centurion Golf Club (London)
Champion: Charl Schwartzel

July 1-3
Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club (Portland)
Champion: Branden Grace

July 29-31
Trump National Golf Club Bedminster (New Jersey)
Champion: Henrik Stenson

September 2-4
The International (Boston)
Champion: Dustin Johnson

September 16-18
Rich Harvest Farms (Chicago)
Champion: Cameron Smith

October 7-9
Stonehill (Bangkok)

October 14-16
Royal Greens Golf Club (Jeddah)

October 28-30
Team Championship, Trump National Doral (Miami)

Individual Standings (Top 10)

1. Dustin Johnson: 118pts
2. Branden Grace: 79
3. Cameron Smith: 56
4. Charl Schwartzel: 55
5. Matthew Wolff: 50
6. Louis Oosthuizen: 49
T7. Peter Uilhein: 48
T7. Carlos Ortiz: 48
T7. Talor Gooch: 48
10. Patrick Reed: 46

Team Standings (Top 5)

1. 4 Aces: 136pts
2. Stinger: 72
3. Majesticks: 57
4. Crushers: 56
5. Fireballs: 37

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The post Eastern Promise: Cameron Smith looks forward to return to action in Asia for LIV Golf season finale in Bangkok and Jeddah appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.