Monat: November 2021

Press Release

Due to increasingly inclement weather in the Johannesburg area, the Sunshine Tour, DP World Tour and City of Johannesburg have been forced to call the result of the Joburg Open after 36 holes.

It means the winner of the tournament is South African Thriston Lawrence, following his matching opening rounds of 65 which gave the 24 year old a 12 under par total of 130 and a four shot winning margin over his compatriot Zander Lombard.

The tournament had suffered weather delays on both Thursday and Friday and today’s lightning storms and heavy rain left large parts of the course unplayable, leaving officials with little option.

The tournament had already been cut to 54 holes yesterday to help non-South African resident players, caddies and tournament support staff return to their home countries. That move followed international travel restrictions imposed on South Africa on Friday due to the emergence of a new COVID-19 variant in the country.

Quelle: Pressemitteilung der DP World Tour

Press Release

The Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour today announced changes to the current Summer Swing of co-sanctioned tournaments in South Africa as a result of the country being placed on the travel red list of several countries following concerns around a new COVID-19 variant, and the effect this will have on the participation of professional golfers.

The Joburg Open, currently being played at Randpark Golf Club, will go ahead as planned and will finish on Sunday as scheduled as a full co-sanctioned tournament between the two tours.

The South African Open Championship, set to be played at the Gary Player Country Club at Sun City from 2-5 December, will also still be played as scheduled. However, it will go ahead as a solely Sunshine Tour event with a prize fund of US$500 000.

The Alfred Dunhill Championship, which was scheduled to be played at Leopard Creek Country Club from 9-12 December, has after lengthy consultations with Alfred Dunhill, unfortunately been cancelled due to the adverse effect the travel restrictions will have on the field.

Quelle: Pressemitteilung der DP World Tour

General Admission tickets are now on for the 2022 BMW PGA Championship, the fourth Rolex Series event of the DP World Tour season, with a limited number of Launch Price tickets available to purchase on a first-come-first served basis here.

The historic event will return to the prestigious Wentworth Club from September 8-11, when many of the world’s best players will converge on the famous West Course hoping to etch their name on the coveted trophy.

Tickets went on general sale for the 2022 edition today at 5pm, following a priority window for pre-registered fans & past event ticket purchasers.

Every year, the BMW PGA Championship attracts more than 100,000 spectators for what is one of the highlights of the British sporting summer, with its mix of world-class golf, live entertainment from internationally-renowned music acts and an unrivalled atmosphere in the vibrant Spectator Village.

The action begins with the Tuesday Practice Day, before the star-studded Celebrity Pro-Am brings together global celebrity superstars and some of golf’s most famous players in a fun-filled curtain raiser to the main event, the BMW PGA Championship, which tees off on Thursday September 8 and runs through to Sunday September 11.

Last year saw Clean Bandit (DJ Set & Live Vocalist) and Feeder headline the Slingsby Showstage on Saturday and Sunday evenings respectively, with acoustic acts providing the background music to the weekend’s daytime festivities.

The BMW PGA Championship takes place less than an hour from central London with a range of transport options available. In 2022, BMW group owners will once again receive preferred parking benefits as per previous years – full details will be released closer to the event. Park & Ride parking will be also available free of charge. Information and location will be available closer to the event.

Complimentary tickets for those aged 12 years and under are available upon purchase of an Adult ticket.

You can also register your interest in priority access and the most up-to-date information about the BMW PGA Championship, including when premium experience tickets go on sale, by clicking here.

Link to Ticket FAQS here.

Quelle: Pressemitteilung der European Tour

Japan will become the 51^st different country to host a DP World Tour event when the ISPS HANDA – CHAMPIONSHIP is included on the schedule for the first time in 2022.

The tournament – which will be played at PGM Ishioka Golf Club in Omitama from April 21-24, 2022 – will be the first regular tournament in history to be co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and the Japan Golf Tour.

Previously, the only event on Japanese soil to feature on the DP World Tour schedule was the Olympic Men’s Golf Competition at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Saitama last summer.

The 2022 ISPS HANDA – CHAMPIONSHIP will have a US$2 million prize fund and is the first event in a three-year agreement. It also deepens the European Tour group’s long-standing relationship with ISPS HANDA, the organisation founded by Japanese philanthropist Dr Haruhisa Handa in the belief that sport has the power to inspire, transform, and unite people and communities across social, racial and socio-economic barriers.

DP World became the new title sponsor of the European Tour group’s main Tour from the start of the 2022 season, in a ground-breaking evolution of a long-term partnership. The DP World Tour will feature a minimum of 47 events in 27 different countries, including new tournaments in Japan, the UAE, South Africa and Belgium.

Keith Pelley, European Tour group Chief Executive, said: “The DP World Tour is a global tour and, as a result, we relish opportunities such as this to break new ground; in the process creating exciting golf tournaments for our fans worldwide and wonderful opportunities for our players and stakeholders alike. 

“We recognise the continued vision and commitment of Dr Handa himself and thank everyone at ISPS HANDA for once again partnering with us, while we also welcome our new partners at the Japan Golf Tour.

“The ISPS HANDA Vic Open in Australia was the first ever tournament for men and women with an equal purse, a commitment to equality that we furthered with the ISPS HANDA World Invitational in Northern Ireland this year, which, co-sanctioned between the DP World Tour, LPGA, and Ladies European Tour, not only offered equal prize money to both men and women, but also hosted a disability golf tournament in tandem.

“As we saw earlier this month with our announcement about the Hero Indian Open returning to our 2022 schedule in February, Asia continues to be an important region for the DP World Tour and our first visit to Japan in April further underlines that.”

Dr Haruhisa Handa, Founder and Chairman of ISPS HANDA, said: “ISPS HANDA is honoured and proud to be title sponsor of the first ever DP World Tour and Japan Golf Tour co-sanctioned event, and my sincere thanks go to the CEO of the European Tour group, Keith Pelley, and his team, and also to Chairman Isao Aoki and his team at the JGTO. 

“ISPS HANDA has deepened its partnership with many tours around the world, but our relationship with the DP World Tour has become special in that we share the passion of using the power of sport in pioneering many ground breaking initiatives. 

“We are excited to bring this partnership now to Japan, where we feel that our shared goals and visions in the power of sport will make a difference in my own country and beyond.”

Isao Aoki, Chairman, Japan Golf Tour Organization, said: “I am very happy that we will be able to hold a co-sanctioned tournament with the DP World Tour in April 2022, which was our long-cherished desire, and we can’t wait to hold it from now on. 

“I am deeply grateful to the International Sports Promotion Society for their full support of the tournament. This is the first time a tournament which is co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour has been held on Japanese soil, which the JGTO, all of our stakeholders, and golf fans in Japan have been waiting for. 

“I am sure that the skill of the players who compete on the DP World Tour will not only attract Japanese golf fans but also stimulate the members of the Japan Golf Tour. On the other hand, the members of the Japan Golf Tour will have a great opportunity to perform in front of the world with this tournament as a foothold, and I’m sure our members will take advantage of this opportunity as much as possible. We are making various preparations for this great event in six months – please stay tuned.”

ISPS HANDA has supported events on the European Tour International Schedule for almost a decade, including the ISPS HANDA Wales Open (2012-14 and 2020), ISPS HANDA Perth International (2012-14 and 2016), ISPS HANDA World Cup of Golf (2013, 2016, 2018), (ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth (2017-19), ISPA HANDA Vic Open (2019-20), ISPS HANDA UK Championship (2020) and ISPS HANDA World Invitational presented by Modest! Golf Management (2021).

The latter event in Northern Ireland was elevated to DP World Tour status after a successful debut on the Challenge Tour in 2019 and continued the Tour and ISPS HANDA’s shared drive for diversity and innovation, becoming the first event of its kind to be tri-sanctioned alongside the LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour in the northern hemisphere – following in the footsteps of the ISPS HANDA Vic Open in Australia. 

In 2019, Dr Handa was also announced as an Honorary Ambassador for the European Tour’s Golfers with Disability programme, in recognition of his role in raising the profile of disabled golfers worldwide. 

Quelle: Pressemitteilung der European Tour

Final Report

Denmark’s Joachim B. Hansen posted a final round of 68 to claim the Aviv Dubai Championship by one shot from Ryder Cup player Bernd Wiesberger and Italy’s Francesco Laporta.

Hansen dropped only a single shot in 72 holes over the Fire Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates  – a bogey five on the 15^th in his third round – as he claimed his second European Tour title to add to his 2020 Joburg Open triumph.

The 31-year-old started the final round tied for the lead with Laporta but he birdied the opening hole to move clear at the top of the leaderboard and never relinquished his advantage, adding three more birdies to his scorecard on the seventh, tenth and 13^th holes to finish on 23 under par.

His playing partner Laporta birdied the seventh, 11^th and 13^th holes but rolled his birdie chance agonisingly past the cup on the last to finish one short in a tie for second with Wiesberger, who had set the clubhouse target of 22 under par with a round of 65.

Hansen needed a victory to secure his place in next week’s season-ending Rolex Series event, the DP World Tour Championship on the neighbouring Earth Course, rising 42 places from 85^th position to 43^rd on the Race to Dubai Rankings in parnership with Rolex.

He also extended Denmark’s success in 2021, joining compatriots Rasmus Højgaard (Omega European Masters) Nicolai Højgaard (DS Automobiles Italian Open) and Jeff Winther (Mallorca Golf Open) as a winner on the European Tour this year, while Marcus Helligkilde topped the Challenge Tour’s Road to Mallorca rankings.

Englishman Andy Sullivan produced a remarkable finish – picking up seven shots in his final six holes, including an eagle on the last – in a round of 65 to finish three back on 20 under par, which looked to have secured his spot in the all-important top 54 on the Race to Dubai and qualify for the DP World Tour Championship.

However, Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond also eagled the last for a round of 67 to join him on that mark, which meant Sullivan dropped to 55^th position and missed out by one Race to Dubai point, and ultimately, by one place.