Joaquin Niemann crowned LIV Golf Jeddah champion

Joaquin Niemann won his second LIV Golf title in three starts, closing with a 4-under 66 on Sunday at LIV Golf Jeddah for a four-shot victory over Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel. (LIV Golf)
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Updated 03 March 2024
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Joaquin Niemann crowned LIV Golf Jeddah champion

  • Crushers GC team to beat after stunning performances at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club

JEDDAH: Joaquin Niemann once again proved he is the hottest golfer on the planet right now and Crushers GC showed they are the most dominant team in the LIV Golf League with stunning performances at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club.

The Chilean golfer, captain of Torque GC, won the individual title by four shots with birdies on his last two holes. A four-under par 66 took him to 17-under par, four clear of Stingers captain Louis Oosthuizen (67) and his compatriot Charl Schwartzel (68).

Niemann’s win, his second of the season in three starts after LIV Golf Mayakoba, was remarkable, but it was the performance of the Bryson DeChambeau-led Crushers (-38) that became the talk of the golf course. They staged a magnificent charge on the final day, coming back from 11 shots behind and beating overnight leaders Stingers (-34) by four shots.

On a difficult, windy day, captain DeChambeau led from the front with the day’s lowest round of eight-under 62, which helped him finish fourth in the individual standings, while Charles Howell III contributed a 64 and Anirban Lahiri 65 (both tied sixth). They beat the previous record of the biggest comeback by a team in LIV history by four shots (4Aces in Adelaide last year).

Niemann now has three wins (Australian Open in December and two LIV wins), a third, a fourth, and a fifth position in his last six starts worldwide.

He started the final round two ahead and immediately increased that margin with a birdie on his opening hole. Thereafter, he continued to hit one good shot after another, with the only bogey of the day on the 13th hole, which also happened to be only his second bogey of the tournament. He closed with birdies on the 17th and 18th, which came after a huge drive of 410 yards.

The 25-year-old from Santiago, who has received a special invitational to play this year’s Masters and also qualified for the Open Championship following his win in Australia, said: “It feels amazing. It’s a super special moment. It’s always nice when you win, but I’m more proud of how I’m playing right now and the way I played out there today. It was a tough day. It was windy.

“I think this is the most confident I have ever felt on a golf course, the best I’ve ever played. I just want it to keep going in the same direction. There is a lot more to improve, and I think I just need to be curious about that and see how much I can learn.”

Niemann won $4 million and 40 points, which takes him to the top of the individual standings after three tournaments at 80 points.

Crushers were off to a solid start, but the real momentum boost was provided by DeChambeau, when he eagled the par-5 18th hole with a 20-feet putt, and then almost willed in a 15-feet birdie putt on his next hole to take his team level with Stingers. Howell and Lahiri kept adding birdies and it turned out to be a romp for the team.

On whether he thought a win was possible at the start of the day, DeChambeau said: “No, but I knew that our team is good enough to do it any day, especially with four scores counting. I can count on these guys to play really well.

“The top priority for us was to play our best, and it obviously showed today. Especially in these conditions, when it’s really windy, we do pretty well. We just hold our heads high.”

Lahiri said: “Bryson’s low round was the key. That was unbelievable golf. I was playing so well given the conditions that I thought I might be one of the lowest scores of the day, and if that gets beaten by two of my own teammates, it just shows how well we played as a team.”

Crushers are the reigning Team Championship winners and have moved to the top of the team standings. With a second place in Mayakoba, they now have 68 points, 18 ahead of second-placed Smash GC.


‘Delighted’ to return to Abu Dhabi, says Team Cup director

Updated 10 January 2025
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‘Delighted’ to return to Abu Dhabi, says Team Cup director

  • Graham Glynn spoke to Arab News about the reasons for hosting the Team Cup in Abu Dhabi, the players taking part, and event’s importance for Ryder Cup selection

ABU DHABI: The Team Cup, the UAE’s first major golf tournament of 2025, tees off in Abu Dhabi on Friday, as Continental Europe, led by Francesco Molinari, aim to defend their title against a Great Britain & Ireland team captained by Justin Rose.

Ahead of the match-play event, Arab News spoke with Team Cup Championship Director Graham Glynn, who looked ahead to the competition over the weekend at the Abu Dhabi Golf Resort.

The popularity of golf in the region continues to grow. What makes the Team Cup different to some of the other more established events?

There is no doubt that golf fans within the UAE are spoilt for choice when it comes to high-profile events.

In November, we enjoyed the inaugural DP World Tour Play-Offs, comprised of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and DP World Tour Championship, while the New Year sees the return of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.

While the Team Cup (formerly Hero Cup) is less established than those tournaments, what makes the event stand out from others is the match-play format, as opposed to the more traditional stroke-play format.

Match-play golf calls upon collective contributions and, in the Team Cup, every player will be involved in each session, making it the ultimate team test as Continental Europe, led by Francesco Molinari, aim to defend their title against Justin Rose’s Great Britain & Ireland.

While similar to the Ryder Cup, the format is not identical, with players paired up for the first two days, before the final-day singles against each other.

The collaborative element is something fans in the UAE won’t be used to watching in-person, and will undoubtedly make for some exciting and gripping action.

Why was Abu Dhabi Golf Resort selected as the host venue for the tournament?

We are blessed, here in the UAE, to have an array of elite-level golf courses all across the country, and there is certainly no shortage of options.

Abu Dhabi Golf Resort is one of the most impressive courses in the region and offers the perfect layout for match-play golf.

The venue opened over 20 years ago and boasts an illustrious history with tournament golf having played host to high-profile events down the years, including the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, while some of the biggest names in the sport have competed there.

From a logistical perspective, it’s a great venue due to the fact there is an on-site hotel, meaning players have the course and practice facilities on their doorstep, along with the world-renowned Falcon Clubhouse, which offers breathtaking views of the course.

Access for spectators, both in terms of getting to the course, and then moving around once on-site, is also fantastic, which is obviously hugely important for an event which will attract large numbers of fans.

Having hosted the Hero Cup at Abu Dhabi Golf Resort in 2023, we were delighted with its success both from a player and fan perspective, which is why we have chosen to return for the Team Cup.

With the likes of Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Francesco Molinari and the Hojgaard twins (Nicolai and Rasmus) confirmed to be competing, what does that say about the overall quality of the competition?

There will certainly be a strong lineup of talent on show, with plenty of big names who fans will be familiar with, and both teams each have players who have previously competed in the Ryder Cup.

However, what I really enjoy about this tournament is the fact we have those high-profile figures playing alongside some of the DP World Tour’s blossoming talents, with both teams combining youth and experience.

For example, the event’s oldest (Justin Rose) and youngest (Tom McKibbin) players will be part of the same team, with 23 years between them, which is a wonderful story and indicative of what the Team Cup is all about.

Aside from the big names, which players should fans look out for?

Italy’s Matteo Manassero is undoubtedly a player to watch, and he has a very interesting backstory, having become the youngest winner in DP World Tour history, at the age of 17, when he clinched the Castello Masters in 2010, before then stepping away from the game completely.

Following his return in 2019, he has continued to improve. This year, he won the Jonsson Workwear Open and finished 12th on the DP World Tour Race to Dubai Rankings, also securing a PGA TOUR card for 2025.

Aaron Rai, from England, is one of the lesser-known players in the competition, but don’t be fooled. He is a highly accomplished performer who boasts two DP World Tour victories, including at the Scottish Open in 2020 when he defeated Tommy Fleetwood in a playoff. He won on the PGA TOUR earlier this year and is one to watch.

Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin is the youngest player involved at 21 and having only turned professional in 2021, he has already claimed a maiden DP World Tour victory at last year’s Porsche European Open.

Regardless of age or experience, the Team Cup is a tournament packed full of quality, and we can all look forward to watching some brilliant golf over the three days.

Can you tell us about the structure and format of the event?

The event will follow the same format as 2023, with the teams competing in match play across one session of fourballs on the Friday, two sessions of foursomes on the Saturday and one session of singles on the Sunday.

Every player will take part in all four of the sessions. Each match will be worth one point, and the team who crosses the 12.5-point mark will be crowned Team Cup winners.

With so much talent on show, across both teams, we are hugely excited about what’s in store and I think it will be a tight and exciting battle.

How important is the event in terms of Ryder Cup selection?

It will certainly play a part, although only Luke Donald, who will lead Team Europe at the Ryder Cup, knows to what extent.

Luke has been heavily involved in proceedings up to now, and he has spoken publicly about how significant the Hero Cup was in 2023, particularly in relation to experiencing the uniqueness of a team environment.

As we know, there were players involved in that event who went on to play key roles in Team Europe’s success in Italy.

Competing in the Ryder Cup is a major milestone for any European player, and naturally those who are involved in the Team Cup will be eager to stake their claim, which should make for some fantastic competitive action.


Continental Europe and Great Britain & Ireland set for Team Cup showdown in Abu Dhabi

Updated 10 January 2025
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Continental Europe and Great Britain & Ireland set for Team Cup showdown in Abu Dhabi

  • Europe captain Francesco Molinari faces off against fellow major champion and Ryder Cup teammate Justin Rose, who leads GB&I
  • The event tees off on Friday with a fourballs session, is followed on Saturday by 2 sessions of foursomes and concludes with singles on Sunday

ABU DHABI: Continental Europe, led by captain Francesco Molinari, begin their defense of the Team Cup against Great Britain & Ireland at Abu Dhabi Golf Resort on Friday.
The Italian, who became the first golfer from his country to become a major champion when he triumphed at The Open in 2019, was in charge when the Europeans claimed a 14½-10½ victory over GB&I, captained by Tommy Fleetwood, at the inaugural event (then called the Hero Cup) in 2023, personally contributing three-and-a-half points to the cause.
This time, Molinari is facing face off against fellow major champion, and Ryder Cup teammate, Justin Rose, who is captaining the opposition in an event that serves as an important part of Europe’s Ryder Cup preparations ahead of this year’s contest at Bethpage in New York in September.
The members of the two, 10-man Team Cup squads boast a combined total of 69 DP World Tour titles between them, and include four Ryder Cup players: Molinari, Rose, Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton.
“I think that the experience from two years ago is going to come in handy,” Molinari said. “I think a lot of the stuff that we did worked. I think obviously we were lucky to get the support from my brother and the other past Ryder Cup captains.”
Rose said of his role as captain: “It’s an honor, first and foremost. I think it’s been something that’s sort of been on my mind. Because, obviously, sometimes when you play as a player, you’re obviously preparing all the time for tournaments that come up but when you have something like this looming large, you start thinking about it months in advance.”
The Team Cup is a matchplay contest that tees off on Friday with a fourballs session, is followed on Saturday by two sessions of foursomes, and concludes with singles on Sunday. Every player competes in each of the sessions.
Rose will be in action in the first match on the opening day alongside five-time DP World Tour winner Matt Wallace. They will take on the French pair of Romain Langasque, who won the Amateur Championship in 2015, and Matthieu Pavon, who last season became the first Frenchman for more than 100 years to win on the PGA Tour.
Five-time DP World Tour winner Rasmus Hojgaard, who missed the 2023 event as a result of injury, will partner last year’s Challenge Tour Road to Mallorca Rankings winner Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen against the English pair of Laurie Canter and Jordan Smith.
Alongside the action on the course, there will be a host of activities and events throughout the three days of the event for fans to enjoy. This includes musical entertainment, which begins on Friday with a performance by Irish singer Rory McGettigan. On Saturday, Shades of Jade will take the stage with their dynamic blend of jazz, pop, funk and party classics. After the champions are crowned on the 18th green on Sunday, singer-guitarist The Dazzler will round off the event with an evening of his signature singalongs.


Saudi golf team to compete in Arab Professional Golf Championship in Morocco

Updated 07 January 2025
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Saudi golf team to compete in Arab Professional Golf Championship in Morocco

  • Othman Al-Mulla, Saud Al-Sharif among top Saudi golfers taking part in event’s 2nd edition
  • Abdulkarim Al-Najran, Ali Babatin to represent Kingdom in amateur category

RIYADH: Top professional Saudi golfers, including Othman Al-Mulla and Saud Al-Sharif, will represent the Kingdom’s national team in the second edition of the Arab Professional Golf Championship in Morocco.
The event will take place at Mazagan Resort in the major port city of El Jadida on Jan. 9-12.
A media statement on Tuesday said that the participation aligns with the efforts of the Saudi Golf Federation to enhance the Kingdom’s presence in the Arab and international sports landscape, and showcase Saudi talent in the sport.
Al-Mulla and Al-Sharif are two prominent names in the Saudi sports scene who aim to achieve strong results in the competition.
Golfers Abdulkarim Al-Najran and Ali Babatin will represent the Kingdom in the amateur category, reflecting the country’s commitment to nurturing and developing young talent in golf.
SGF is dedicated to creating opportunities for Saudi players to compete in major international and regional tournaments, striving for achievements that elevate Saudi Arabia’s global sports standing.
The Arab Professional Golf Championship highlights Saudi and Arab talent while fostering sports interaction in Arab countries.
Organized by the Royal Moroccan Golf Federation in coordination with the Arab Golf Federation, the championship reflects a shared ambition to develop golf in the Arab world, showcase regional talent and strengthen Arab ties through sports excellence.


Matsuyama maintains one-shot lead over Morikawa on low-scoring day at Sentry

Updated 05 January 2025
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Matsuyama maintains one-shot lead over Morikawa on low-scoring day at Sentry

  • Japan’s Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters champion, got things going with a run of four straight birdies from the third through the sixth
  • Sunday promised to be another Matsuyama-Morikawa duel

 LOS ANGELES: Hideki Matsuyama piled up 11 birdies in an 11-under par 62 on Saturday to set the 54-hole tournament record at 27-under and maintain a one-shot lead over Collin Morikawa at The Sentry tournament at Kapalua, Hawaii.

Morikawa also posted a 62, his featuring nine birdies and an eagle.

With the winds that so often buffet the Plantation Course again largely absent, five players posted rounds of 10-under or better.

Matsuyama’s gave him a 54-hole score of 192 — one stroke better than the previous 54-hole tournament record.

Japan’s Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters champion, got things going with a run of four straight birdies from the third through the sixth. He rolled in a 58-foot birdie putt at the par-five ninth to make the turn level with Morikawa.

After birdies at the 10th and 12th he took the lead for good with a three-foot birdie at the 14th. That launched a run of three straight birdies, and Matsuyama kept the momentum with an unlikely par at 17 after his tee shot wound up on the wrong side of the cart path.

He closed with a birdie at the par-five 18th, where he muscled his second shot to the edge of the green and two-putted to maintain his advantage on Morikawa.

“Collin played well and I just kind of followed him, so good day,” said Matsuyama, who is closing in on his 20th professional win and his 11th on the PGA Tour.

Morikawa hit 12 of 15 fairways and every green in regulation. He kept the pressure on Matsuyama all the way, starting with an eight-foot birdie at the fist.

After birdies at the third and fourth he curled in a 26-foot eagle putt at the fifth and was six-under for the day after a birdie at the ninth.

He added birdies at 11 and 12, and another pair at 15 and 16 before closing with a birdie at 18.

“Today was really, really good,” said Morikawa, whose six PGA Tour titles include the 2020 PGA Championship and the 2021 British Open. “Couple shots out there (were) a little squirrely, but for the most part the irons were center face — knew where they were going.”

His most recent win was the 2023 Zozo Championship in Japan, where he ended a near two-year title drought, and Morikawa was delighted that work he’d put in during the off-season was paying off in the opening tournament of the season.

“It’s nice to have it click together,” he said. “It doesn’t mean you’re immediately going to finish top 10, top five, have a chance to win. But it’s nice to be able to put it all together and shoot some scores in a tournament setting.”

Sunday promised to be another Matsuyama-Morikawa duel. Belgian Thomas Detry was four shots behind Morikawa after a 65 for 197.

South Korean Im Sungjae carded an impressive 62 to claim solo fourth on 198 while England’s Harry Hall posted a 66 for 199.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler wasn’t among the 60-strong field after hurting his hand in a Christmas Day cooking accident.


Hideki Matsuyama sets the target at Kapalua and leads Collin Morikawa by 1

Updated 04 January 2025
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Hideki Matsuyama sets the target at Kapalua and leads Collin Morikawa by 1

  • Matsuyama: I’m definitely satisfied with where I am
  • Ten players were separated by three shots going into the weekend of the tournament that invites only PGA Tour winners from 2024 and the top 50 from the FedEx Cup

KAPALUA, Hawaii: Collin Morikawa has played Kapalua enough to know that trailing Hideki Matsuyama by seven shots early in the second round was no reason to panic. Sure enough, he nearly caught up to the Japanese star on Friday at The Sentry.

Matsuyama played bogey-free on another gorgeous day on Maui with moderate wind, making seven birdies in a 10-hole stretch in the middle of his round and posting an 8-under 65 for a one-shot lead going into the weekend of the PGA Tour season opener.

Morikawa ran off five straight birdies in the scoring stretch late — only one of them longer than 5 feet — until his streak ended on the par-5 closing hole at the Plantation course with a 12-foot birdie putt that missed on the high side.

He also had a 65 and was expecting more of the same on the weekend. Conditions are prime for scoring, and The Sentry has the best players from the PGA Tour last year.

“When you look at the leaderboard, I’m through six holes and I’m even par and guys are lapping the field already,” Morikawa said. “But like I said, it’s not telling myself I’ve got to be patient. I just know this golf course, and I know at any point you can go on a little stretch of birdies, and I just had to keep playing my game.”

It was the eighth time Morikawa had 65 or better at Kapalua, the most of any player since 2020 when the two-time major champion made his debut.

Matsuyama went about his business, breaking into one big smile when he holed a 35-foot birdie putt across the green on the par-3 11th. He was at 16-under 130 with a pack of players lining up behind him.

“I’m definitely satisfied with where I am,” Matsuyama said.

Ten players were separated by three shots going into the weekend of the tournament that invites only PGA Tour winners from 2024 and the top 50 from the FedEx Cup.

Corey Conners of Canada and Thomas Detry of Belgium were among those at 14-under 132 thanks to big finishes of their own.

Conners holed a 40-foot eagle putt on the par-5 15th, followed with two medium-range birdie putts and two-putted from the front of the green on the 18th for another birdie and a 66. Detry was 6 under on the final six holes. He drove the green on the 306-yard 14th hole to 10 feet for eagle, and had to settle for par on the 18th for a 65.

The field averaged 68.1, which was skewed slightly by Davis Riley posting the first 80 of the season. He made four straight birdies, a tough two-putt par and then took a 9 on the 17th hole with a lost ball to the right on one tee shot and a second tee shot into the left hazard. The margin of those misses was about the length of a football field.

Only four players failed to break par.

For everyone else, it was a case of taking aim at spots on the contoured greens that feed to the hole and cashing in with birdies.

Sepp Straka birdied every hole on the back nine until he hit what he considered his best shot, a 6-iron to 20 feet, only to miss the putt. He shot 65.

Eight players shot 64, a group that included Davis Thompson, who was 14 shots better than his first round of the year. Patrick Cantlay was 10 shots better with his 64.

“Now I need to do it again,” said Cantlay, who still was eight shots behind Matsuyama.

Among the group three shots behind was former US Open champion Wyndham Clark, who birdied eight of his last 10 holes. Clark made the argument the low scoring was a product of the players, not the course.

“I don’t necessarily prefer this low, but at the same time, we make courses like this look easy,” Clark said. “To be honest, it’s not that easy. Typically, there’s a lot of wind here, and we didn’t have much wind today, so you’re going to have a lot of birdie looks and sometimes eagle looks.

“I’ve never really shot 20 under on the PGA Tour, so maybe I can break it this week.”

At this rate, that won’t be enough.

Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley also had a 64, marked by an eagle on the final hole and his two sons racing onto the fairway as he walked to the 18th green. Bradley has not ruled out playing in the Ryder Cup. But that’s a long way off.

“We’re two rounds into 2025,” he said. “So if we get to July and it’s looking like that, then we’ll start to talk, but for now I’m just going to keep playing my best.”