Gane was able to successfully defend his Pro-Am title with a seven-under par total (273) at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club (AESGC), UAE, finishing one shot ahead of fellow GB&I Professional, Alex Wrigley.

Entering the final round two-shots ahead of his fellow Englishman, Gane managed to finish ahead, despite Wrigley’s pressure-adding final round of four-under par (66), adding to his previous win and second place finishes.

“There’s a really good feel about this place, and I picked up from where I left off last year, so I am very happy,” said Gane. “It’s going to be a busy year for me, so it’s nice to kick it off with a win.”

Second place Wrigley who, like Gane, seems to have an affinity with AESGC has won the event once and now finished second on four occasions, whilst Guillaume Watremez (PGA of Belgium) and Mark Reynolds (PGA of Holland) finished with a one-over par total (281) for a share of third place.

In the 54-hole Team Pro-Am event, Team Dooley [pictured above], led by PGA of GB&I Professional, Steve Dooley, together with amateur teammates, Manfred Engstler, Alfred Velharticky, and Claudia Stritecky, claimed the title with a total score of 255 stableford points (-39).

Team Engdahl finished second with 249 points (-33) followed by Team Watremez in third with 244 points (-28).

The one-day Individual Stroke Play amateur tournament saw some great scores as well, and it was the youngest competitor of the tournament, 10-year old Dimitris Halabalakis from Greece, who stole the show with a phenomenal net 59 (-11).

Second place went to Benoit Pierlot with net 63, whilst third went to Yvonne Hausmann, who also finished on seven-under par.

For Full Final Scores Visit http://eur.pe/6thAESGC

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For more information visit the Tournament Hub Page (http://eur.pe/6thAESGC), follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter and search ‘#6thAESGCProAm’, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

To find out more about Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club visit www.AESGC.com.

Four players were tied for the lead entering the third round of the Pro-Am but following a windy start, Gane snatched the outright lead thanks to a four-under (66) third round, placing him two shots clear of Guillaume Watremez (PGA of Belgium) and Alex Wrigley (PGA of GB&I) entering the final round.

“I played pretty good the first two days, but today I holed a few more putts and the wind was down today so it was a bit more scorable,” said the defending champion after his round at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club (AESGC), UAE. “There are some good players and there have been some other good scores out there today so we will see what happens tomorrow.

“Every year at Al Ain has been fantastic. The greens are like a carpet, they don’t seem to scuff up during the day and the condition of the course is really brilliant.”

Wrigley, who led the tournament after Round 01 but dropped back by four shots after round two, fought back today to also produce a 66, placing him in tied-second – only two shots behind and well within reach of claiming the title that Gane had denied him in a play-off last year.

Watremez also shares second place at two-under par (208) having gradually improved his scores every day, whilst in fourth place, a steady Henrik Engdahl (PGA of Greece) has consistently shot level-par each round for a 210 total.

In the 54-hole Team Pro-Am event, Team Dooley, led by PGA of GB&I Professional, Steve Dooley, together with amateur teammates, Manfred Engstler, Alfred Velharticky, and Claudia Stritecky, claimed the title with a total score of 255 stableford points (-39).

Team Engdahl finished second with 249 points (-33) followed by Team Watremez in third with 244 points (-28).

For Full Round 03 Scores Visit http://eur.pe/6thAESGC

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For more information visit the Tournament Hub Page (http://eur.pe/6thAESGC), follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter and search ‘#6thAESGCProAm’, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

To find out more about Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club visit www.AESGC.com.

Mark Reynolds (PGA of Holland), Guillaume Watremez (PGA of Belgium), Henrik Engdahl (PGA of Greece) and Chris Gane (PGA of GB&I) sit at even par (140), two shots clear of fifth place at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club (AESGC), UAE.

For a second day in a row, the windy conditions and the fast and firm greens have proved to be a real test for the 24 Professionals competing.

Reynolds had a slow start, but his three-under par back nine meant he would make an early climb from tied-sixth to the very top of the leaderboard, adding extra pressure to other six players who were within one shot of the lead after Round 01.

Watremez, who also started his round in sixth, returned to the clubhouse next with a one-under par second round (69), and was soon joined by Gane, who’s first two steady level-par rounds of mean he remains in contention to defend his 2018 title.

“It’s been tricky out there for the last two days. It’s been windy, the greens are firm and very fast, so I’ve had some ups and downs,” said Gane following his round. “There are some birdie chances when you are coming in downwind but there are also some really tough holes when you turn into the wind. A lot can happen over the next two days and there are some good golfers here, so I’ll just keep plugging away and see what pans out, but it’s definitely nice to be in contention again.”

Engdahl played some solid golf for the entire round, holding the sole lead for the majority of the day, but an unfortunate double-bogey on the last brought him back to level-par:

“I just tried to keep the ball in play, did some nice up-and-downs here and there, but finished with a six on my last hole which was a bit disappointing…these are good players who of course can get it round and make three, four, or five birdies tomorrow, so I am just going to stick to my game plan.”

In the Team Pro-Am, Team Dooley followed their strong opening 84 points with an even stronger second round of 86 points, leaving them at 170 points in total (-26) and six-points clear of Team Enghdahl and Team Watremez in second place on 164 points (-20).

For Full Round 02 Scores Visit http://eur.pe/6thAESGC

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For more information visit the Tournament Hub Page (http://eur.pe/6thAESGC), follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter and search ‘#6thAESGCProAm’, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

To find out more about Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club visit www.AESGC.com.

At a very windy Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club (AESGC), UAE, Wrigley’s steady one-under par positions him one stroke ahead of Chris Gane (PGA of GB&I), Henrik Engdahl (PGA of Greece), Petr Skopovy (PGA of Czech Republic) and Mark Ridley (PGA of GB&I) who each share second place on even par (70).

“I got off to a nice start on the back nine, and then the wind just seemed to make the front nine a lot more difficult today, but I’m pretty happy with a one-under start,” said Wrigley.

“I always feel rusty the first couple of rounds after the long break over the winter and hopefully I’ll get more into it on the third and fourth round when we know where everyone is sitting on the leaderboard.”

AESGC is a course where Wrigley clearly feels comfortable having won the Pro-Am event and finished second three times in recent history, so a strong early start sets him on a good path to look for another win.

But with defending champion Chris Gane, who won last year’s event by beating Wrigley in a play-off, only one shot behind, anything could still happen over the next three days.

In the Team Pro-Am event, Team Watremez, led by Professional, Guillaume Watremez (PGA of Belgium), with Amateurs Benoit Pierlot, Barbara Deronchene and Anne Alexis, along with Team Dooley, led by Steve Dooley (PGA of GB&I) and amateurs Manfred Engstler, Alfred Velharticky, and Claudia Stritecky, each share the lead with 84 stableford points (-12). Team Gane sit four points back in third place 80 points (-8).

For Full Round 01 Scores Visit http://eur.pe/6thAESGC

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For more information visit the Tournament Hub Page (http://eur.pe/6thAESGC), follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter and search ‘#6thAESGCProAm’, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

To find out more about Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club visit www.AESGC.com.

More than 90 per cent of TOUR players build up their grip to promote lighter grip pressure and generate more power. The Tour Velvet Plus4 grips simulate the feel of four-layers of extra tape build-up, creating a larger lower-hand profile that is preferred by TOUR players. In addition to the larger lower-hand profile, the re-engineered grip optimises high-performance materials while maintaining the iconic Tour Velvet feel. The grip maintains the recognised plus-sign texture with an increased dimple-to-surface ratio creating additional traction and enhanced durability.

🤔🤭🤫 pic.twitter.com/njG4np1VWS

— Golf Pride Grips (@golfpridegrips) January 19, 2019

“More than 80 per cent of TOUR players trust their games to Golf Pride, so we understand the preferences of the best players in the world better than anyone,” commented Golf Pride Product Manager, Bruce Miller. “Hands down, the preferred grip that TOUR players choose to play is the Tour Velvet. We have taken the most popular grip on TOUR over the last two decades and tweaked it slightly based off insights from professionals on how they are customising their performance equipment. Now all players can benefit from this design, while maintaining the trusted feel and performance they’re accustomed to in the Tour Velvet grip.”

For more information on the Tour Velvet Plus4 grip and the entire 2019 Golf Pride product offering, visit www.golfpride.com.

“We’ve continued to increase forgiveness and optimise ball flight in the G410 Plus driver while adding more dimensions to driver custom fitting,” said John K. Solheim, PING President. “Our new, movable-weight technology provides the benefits of custom CG locations, including directional control, without sacrificing MOI or ball speeds which is what we’ve always seen with other non-fixed weight drivers. The G410 Plus offers golfers a simple, logical way to customise their driver and allows them to swing away on the tee box without fear of missing the fairway. It puts tour-level fitting into the golfer’s hands. We’ve also expanded the loft and lie options with a new eight-setting, lightweight hosel that further fine-tunes ball flight.”

Custom CG locations

In the G410 Plus model, three positions (Draw, Neutral, Fade) for the ultra-high-density tungsten back weight shift the centre of gravity (CG) location by 1/10″ in each direction from neutral to influence left or right shot direction approximately 10 yards (20 yards of correction between Draw and Fade settings). By positioning the weight on the extreme boundary of the clubhead, the moment of inertia increases compared to the original G400 driver – ensuring golfers enjoy the added distance and forgiveness required to hit their tee shots longer and straighter.

“Our engineering team took on the challenge of advancing driver fitting through custom CG locations without compromising the key attributes that ensure performance,” said Solheim. “It’s amazing how they’ve been able to deliver this new fitting element while also improving distance and MOI. The movable-weight technology clearly demonstrates the effects on shot shape and the ability to dial in your desired ball flight. This additional fitting element optimises a golfer’s trajectory – meaning they’ll consistently be further and straighter down the fairway than ever before.”

The G410 SFT (Straight Flight Technology) model is engineered with a fixed ultra-high-density tungsten weight positioned on the clubhead’s extreme perimeter and 50% more heel-side CG than its predecessor to ensure straighter ball flights. A lighter swingweight (D1) further influences direction by helping square the face at impact.

“There is still a large segment of golfers who will play better with a driver completely optimized for performance with the benefit of maximum fade correction,” Solheim added. “When we pioneered Straight Flight Technology several years ago, we wanted to provide a ‘slice-fixing’ driver without adding huge offset or just closing the face. The G410 SFT sits visually square at address and delivers all the performance benefits of the G410 Plus while ensuring a consistently straight ball flight.”

Dragonfly Technology Inside

A new “creased crown” design provides stiffening properties and combines with patented Dragonfly Technology to create an ultra-thin crown structure, which saves weight for optimising the CG location and increasing forgiveness. Together with more aggressive and efficient Turbulator Technology, the 455cc head’s crown design provides a clean, powerful and faster look at address while making alignment nearly effortless.

Forged, T9S+ Face

The unique forging and patented heat-treatment process of the T9S+ face powers a thinner, hotter impact area that is precision machined to elevate ball speed across the entire face for more flexing and faster ball speeds. The forged face and the internal geometry of the head are instrumental in producing the powerful feel and sound of the driver.

Trajectory Tuning 2.0

The new, patented lightweight and aerodynamic adjustable hosel expands from five to eight settings, offering loft (0, +1⁰, +1.5⁰, -1⁰, -1.5⁰) and lie adjustments (including up to 3⁰ flatter than standard) to optimise ball flight.

“The expansion of the loft options is a tremendous benefit for all golfers who can now further optimise their launch conditions, including increasing ball speed, with the guidance of a club fitter or through their own experimentation,” said Solheim. “The lie angle fitting option adds another layer of opportunity for expert club fitters to really fine-tune a golfer’s driver performance based on a more detailed analysis of their ball flight and launch conditions.”

New Counter-Balanced Shaft Technology

Continuing PING’s commitment to optimising the entire club system, the engineering team developed the next generation of the Alta CB (counter balanced) shaft as the proprietary option in the G410 driver. The higher-launching, lightweight Alta CB Red 55 is engineered with an eight-gram counterweight in the grip end of the shaft, shifting the CG higher and allowing for more head weight to increase energy transfer and momentum – resulting in more ball speed and greater forgiveness. The high-performance PING Tour 65 & 75 (lower launch, low spin, stable feel), Project X EvenFlow Black 75 (low launch, low spin) and Mitsubishi Tensei™ CK Orange 60 (mid-launch angle, low spin) are available at no upcharge and ensure a shaft-fitting option to match the launch conditions of all golfers.

G410 Plus and SFT Driver Specifications

• Multi-material construction: Cast Ti 8-1-1 body, forged T9S+ face, ultra-high-density tungsten back weight, lightweight aluminium/thermoplastic adjustable hosel
• G410 Plus loft options: 9⁰, 10.5⁰ & 12⁰
• G410 SFT (Straight Flight Technology) loft option: 10.5⁰
• Head volume: 455 cc
• Head weight: 206g (Plus), 204g (SFT)
• Swing weight: D3 (Plus), D1 (SFT)
• Std. length: 45 3/4″ (Alta CB Red 55); 45 1/4″ (PING Tour and aftermarkets)
• Loft adjustability: 5 settings: +-1.5⁰ (0, +1⁰, +1.5⁰, -1⁰, -1.5⁰)
• Lie adjustability: Up to 3⁰ (Std: 58.5⁰)
• Stock shaft option: PING Alta CB (counter-balanced) Red 55 (SR, R, S, X)
• No upcharge shaft options: PING Tour 65, 75 (R, S, X), Mitsubishi Tensei CK Orange 60 (R, S, X), Project X Evenflow Black 75 (5.5, 6.0, 6.5)
• Stock grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 in six sizes (Blue -1/16″, Red -1/32″, Aqua -1/64″, White Std., Gold +1/32″, Orange +1/16″)
• RRP £450

For More Information Visit www.ping.com

Introducing the new #G410 family. Custom-engineered to bring more performance to your game, discover a new dimension in fitting: https://t.co/E9DmSUSH1C #FittingMatters pic.twitter.com/J7qficvRbB

— PING Golf Europe (@PINGTourEurope) January 21, 2019

“With the added distance golfers are enjoying in their drivers and irons due to all the advancements in technology, ensuring a set make-up that delivers the proper gapping is more important than ever,” said John K. Solheim, PING President. “Our G410 fairways woods, hybrids and crossovers offer golfers multiple options to transition from their mid-and long-irons into clubs that are easier to hit and provide tremendous distance while maintaining the necessary gapping benefits. They each provide varying performance features and launch characteristics. We’ve got everything from a low-spin 3-wood option, a 2 crossover all the way to a 6 hybrid. We encourage all golfers to undergo a thorough gapping analysis with an authorised PING fitting specialist to determine their ideal set make up.”

Maraging-Steel Face Technology

To maximise distance in the G410 fairway woods, hybrids and crossovers, PING has employed C300 maraging steel as the face material. One of the strongest alloys in the world, maraging steel is commonly used in the aerospace industry, where strength and flexibility are necessities. It’s those properties that also make it an ideal face material to deliver more flexing for faster ball speeds that launch shots further and higher.

“With maraging steel, we have a material that allows us to go extremely thin with the face to give us the faster ball-speed gains we’re seeking for more distance and higher launch. The results have been amazing as we’re seeing face flexing equal to the thickness of the face,” said Solheim.

A Focus on Forgiveness

In the G410 fairway woods, a low-back CG and high-density tungsten weight positioned at the extreme boundary of the head provides greater stability and forgiveness. A larger profile and high-density tungsten back weight in the G410 hybrid drive the MOI higher to ensure golfers the forgiveness they require while launching the ball higher. The G410 crossover, which has been streamlined to provide more iron-like performance, relies on a 30-gram dual-density tungsten toe weight to maximise forgiveness.
“Providing the most forgiving clubs in the industry remains a top priority for us,” Solheim said. “The use of multi-material construction and high-tech manufacturing processes allow us to consistently increase the MOI and design clubs that fit the needs of all golfers. Whether they prefer the performance of a fairway wood, the reliability of a hybrid or the versatility of a crossover, golfers can always count on a certain level of forgiveness from our clubs.”

PING’s First Adjustable Hybrid Hosel

The addition of a patented, eight-setting adjustable hosel to the hybrid greatly expands the fitting options to ensure proper gapping for golfers who rely on hybrids as mid- and long-iron replacements. The lightweight and aerodynamic adjustable hosel, which is also in the G410 fairway woods, offers loft (0, +1⁰, +1.5⁰, -1⁰, -1.5⁰) and lie adjustments (including up to 3⁰ flatter than standard) to optimise ball flight.
“Loft and lie adjustability in the hybrids will greatly benefit golfers,” said Solheim. “It’s a technology our fitters have been asking for and we’re excited to bring it to them to help golfers fine-tune their ball flight and dial in their gaps. We’ve also expanded the colour code options in the crossover to further customise them for lie angle to better transition into an iron set.”

G410 Fairway Woods Overview

Powered by a forged, maraging-steel face, the G410 fairway woods are engineered to launch the ball easily and deliver faster ball speeds on a penetrating trajectory that maximises distance. PING engineers positioned the low-back CG slightly forward of the G400 model to deliver more energy from the shallower face while providing greater stability. Eight fitting positions in the new lightweight, aerodynamic hosel sleeve enable golfers to tune their trajectories through loft and lie adjustments. Three models (Std., SFT and LST) ensure an option to fit every golfer.

G410 SFT (Straight Flight) Fairway Woods

More heel-side weighting and a lighter swing weight help square the face to create right-to-left shot bend (RH golfers). The heads are slightly larger to drive the MOI higher, and lofts are 1.5˚ higher to produce easier launch.

G410 LST (Low Spin) 3-Wood

The all-new, slightly smaller head has a CG slightly lower and more forward than the standard head to launch shots higher with less spin, resulting in longer shots that get airborne easily for many higher swing speed and high spin golfers.

Specifications

• Multi-material construction: 17-4 stainless steel body, forged, C300 maraging-steel face, high-density tungsten backweight, lightweight aluminium/thermoplastic adjustable hosel
• Head sizes: 3W (171cc), 5W (162cc), 7W (148cc), 9W (144cc), 3 LST (159cc), 3 SFT (188cc), 5 SFT (177cc), 7 SFT (167cc)
• Lofts: 3W (14.5⁰), 5W (17.5⁰), 7W (20.5⁰), 9W (23.5⁰), 3 LST (14.5⁰), 3 SFT (16⁰), 5 SFT (19⁰), 7 SFT (22⁰)
• Loft adjustability: 5 settings: +-1.5⁰ (0, +1⁰, +1.5⁰, -1⁰, -1.5⁰)
• Lie angles: 3 (56°), 5 (56.5°), 7 (57°), 9 (57.5°), 3 LST (56°), 3 SFT (56°), 5 SFT (56.5°), 7 SFT (57°)
• Lie adjustability: Up to 3⁰ flat
• Std. lengths: 3W (43″), 5W (42 1/2″), 7W (42″), 9W (41 1/2″), 3 LST (43”), 3 SFT (43″), 5 SFT (42 1/2″), 7 SFT (42″)
• Std. grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 six sizes (Blue -1/16″, Red -1/32″, Aqua -1/64″, White Std., Gold +1/32″, Orange +1/16″)
• Stock shaft option: PING Alta CB Red (counter-balanced) 65 (SR, R, S, X)
• No-upcharge shaft options: PING Tour 65/75 (R, S, X); Mitsubishi Tensei CK Orange 70 (R, S, X), Project X EvenFlow 85 (6.0, 6.5)
• RRP £275

G410 Hybrids Overview

Our first-ever adjustable hybrid allows golfers to customise their ball flight eight different ways through loft (+- 1.5˚) and lie combinations for consistently better results. Thinner and more flexible, the maraging-steel face generates faster ball speeds and higher launch. A larger profile and high-density back weight provide added stability and elevate MOI for more forgiveness.

Specifications

• Multi-material construction: 17-4 stainless steel head, C300 maraging steel face, high density tungsten back weight, lightweight aluminium/thermoplastic adjustable hosel
• Lofts: 2H (17⁰), 3H (19⁰), 4H (22⁰), 5H (26⁰), 6H (30⁰)
• Loft adjustability: 5 settings: +-1.5⁰ (0, +1⁰, +1.5⁰, -1⁰, -1.5⁰)
• Lie angles: 2H (58⁰), 3H (58.5⁰), 4H (59⁰), 5H (59.5⁰), 6H (60⁰)
• Lie adjustability: Up to 3⁰ flat
• Std. lengths: 2H (40 3/4″), 3H (40 1/4″), 4H (39 3/4″), 5H (39 1/4″), 6H (38 3/4″)
• Std. grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet in six sizes (Blue -1/16″, Red -1/32″, Aqua -1/64″, White Std., Gold +1/32″, Orange +1/16″)
• Stock shaft option: PING Alta CB Red (counter-balanced) 70 (SR, R, S, X)
• No-upcharge shaft options: PING Tour 85 (R, S, X); Project X EvenFlow Black 85 (5.5, 6.0, 6.5); Mitsubishi Tensei Pro Blue 70 (R); Mitsubishi Tensei Pro Blue 80 (S, TX)
• RRP £225

G410 Crossovers Overview

With a thin, maraging steel face for faster ball speeds and a 30-gram dual-density tungsten toe weight to increase the MOI, the G410 Crossover combines the precision and control of an iron with the speed and forgiveness of a hybrid. The G410 design is significantly shorter heel to toe and narrower in the sole than the G400. Available in 2, 3 and 4, the stainless steel head sets up square and offers a clean, premium look with the gearing properties of an iron to allow precision shot making. To ensure a solid feel and sound, the internal ribs are engineered to help stiffen the clubhead body.

Specifications

• Multi-material construction: 17-4 stainless steel head, C300 maraging-steel face, tungsten toe weight
  Lofts: 2 (17⁰), 3 (20⁰), 4 (23⁰)
• Available in all 10 color codes (lie angles): Maroon, Silver, White, Green, Blue, Black, Red, Orange, Brown, Gold
• Std. lengths: 2 (40 3/8″), 3 (39 3/4″), 4 (39 1/8″)
• Std. grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet in six sizes (Blue -1/16″, Red -1/32″, Aqua -1/64″, White Std., Gold +1/32″, Orange +1/16″)
• Stock shaft option: PING Alta CB Red (counter-balanced) 70 (SR, R, S, X)
• No-upcharge shaft options: PING Tour 85 (R, S, X); Project X EvenFlow Black 85 (5.5, 6.0, 6.5); Mitsubishi Tensei Pro Blue 70 (R); Mitsubishi Tensei Pro Blue 80 (S, TX)
• RRP £225

For More Information Visit www.ping.com

The multi-material iron is available for pre-order and custom fitting at authorised PING golf shops around the world beginning today.

“In the G410 iron, our engineers challenged the idea that you can’t make an iron smaller and increase the forgiveness at the same time,” said John K. Solheim, PING President. “They’ve developed a clean, highly appealing design with less offset and a significantly higher MOI when compared to the G400 iron. It’s the most forgiving iron of its size. It will appeal to a very wide range of golfers as it produces faster ball speeds, maximum forgiveness and amazing feel with a pleasing appearance – all the attributes they need to hit their iron shots higher, further and straighter.”

Re-shaping Distance and Forgiveness

PING’s engineering team created a face and cavity structure in the G410 iron that delivers faster ball speeds and saves weight to expand the perimeter weighting. The additional weight savings are concentrated in the toe and hosel to achieve an 8% increase in the moment of inertia (MOI) for more forgiveness and consistency.

The more flexible, free-moving face amplifies ball speeds for greater distance and higher max height, allowing golfers to hit less club into the green with the control and precision to hold the putting surface. This is achieved by de-coupling the weighting structure from the face to create a larger flexing zone, which performs like a hinge to launch the ball faster and higher with consistency and predictability. The next generation of COR-Eye technology powers the performance in conjunction with the cascading sole design and deep top-rail undercut.

“The G410 iron represents several exciting iron design advancements for us,” said Solheim. “Our innovations like COR-Eye technology have allowed us to re-imagine the way we engineer an iron. By increasing ball speed as much as we have in recent models, our irons launch much easier and higher than ever. As a result, we can experiment with the size and shape of the head while improving the MOI properties so critical to consistent performance.”

High Marks for Look, Feel and Sound

The clean, refined shape of the G410 iron results from a slightly shorter blade length and 10% less offset compared to the G400 iron, creating an inspiring blade-iron-style look with broad appeal. Its resilient hydropearl 2.0 finish provides an attractive appearance and contributes to smooth turf interaction. The full-cavity, co-molded aluminum and elastomer badge delivers a powerful, reassuring feel and sound.
“We all know the first impression of any club design is vitally important. It starts with the appearance at address and continues when the golfer solidly strikes that first shot,” said Solheim. “We’re seeing very positive results from our own data and hearing outstanding feedback from others about every aspect of the design and performance of the G410 iron.”

High-spin wedges

Using the same geometry as the Glide 2.0 wedge series, the grooves on the G410 PW, UW, SW and LW are precision machined with a sharper edge radius, increasing interaction with the cover of the ball at impact and creating more friction for improved spin and trajectory control.

“The fully machined grooves on all four wedges are an example of the added detail we’ve engineered into the G410 irons,” said Solheim. “For players who want a consistent look and feel throughout their set, they can now enjoy much higher spin and control in their scoring clubs along with all the other performance benefits of the iron’s technology.

G410 Iron Specifications

• Multi-material construction: Hyper 17-4 stainless steel head, tungsten toe/hosel weights, aluminum/elastomer badge, hydropearl 2.0 finish
• Available 4-9, PW, UW, SW, LW in 10 color codes (lie angle). Black is standard.
• Std. grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet in six sizes (Blue -1/16″, Red -1/32″, Aqua -1/64″, White Std., Gold +1/32″, Orange +1/16″)
• Stock shaft options: PING AWT 2.0 (R, S, X), Alta CB Red (counter-balanced) powered by AWT (SR, R, S)
• Aftermarket shaft options (no upcharge): True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 (R300, S300), True Temper Dynamic Gold (S300, X100), True Temper Dynamic Gold 120 (S300, X100), Project X LZ (5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5), True Temper XP95 (R300, S300), Nippon Pro Modus Tour 105 (S, X), KBS Tour (R, S, S+, X) added spaces inside parentheses
• RRP £126 steel £136 graphite each club

For More Information Visit www.ping.com

The SAGDB has been operating in South Africa since 1999 and has grown a network of coaches and officials who work across the country to develop the game in cities and remote areas.

The President’s Award for Golf Development aims to acknowledge the work of an individual or project that has excelled in developing golf. The SAGDB has helped over 17,000 young people have been coached through their programme across 14 areas of South Africa, with the aim of broadening the golfing community and transforming its composition to be more representative of society.

“For a small country like South Africa to be recognised internationally by the Confederation of Professional Golf really is something special,” said SAGDB Managing Director, Grant Hepburn. “It is a credit to the people back home that do the work – our coaches around the country, our managers – and obviously the youngsters who participate in the programme, who have done so well.”

The SAGDB has been successful in part at least due to the collaborative nature of the Board and the support given by the Department of Sports and Recreation, The R&A and a variety of South African golf organisations such as the Sunshine Tour, PGA of South Africa, and GolfRSA, as well as financial supporters, The Remgro Group and Alfred Dunhill Links Foundation.

Hepburn added: “We need to say thank you to Mr Johann Rupert – what he does for the Board, for golf in South Africa in general, is amazing. It is nice that we can win this award and give something back to our supporters by achieving something and being recognised.

“We are fortunate that the golf clubs are involved, all 14 golf unions are involved, and we have corporate South Africa involved as well – and it is really important that the PGA plays a big role too – they help us with our coaching programmes, they legitimise what we do, they endorse our coaching programme, and recognise our coaches, so that’s really important to us. We are also grateful for the generous support of Nomads, who provide regular playing opportunities and financial support for our players.”

The children that take part in the programmes are often those that would never have come into contact with golf, bringing a new audience to the sport and increasing the number of players at all levels.

But the Board are also able to then offer them many additional social benefits such as helping the children become positive and stable role models and mentors in their own communities through exposure to the discipline, etiquette and values that they learn through the sport. They also become healthy and active and can become economically independent with their acquired skills making them valuable members of their local communities and society in general.

The programmes are another way that golf can be taken directly to people, particularly helping underprivileged communities through the provision of free coaching and practice equipment, and nurturing elite players by sponsoring equipment, club fees and competition participation and making facilities more accessible.

Many of the children that have been a part of the programme have taken on golf as their sport with one senior national player and four players in senior national squad, 25 senior provincial and U-23 players, 108 junior provincial players, and over 1,500 junior tournament players. 34 of its most talented players have been invited to join prestigious and recognised High Performance Centres such as the Ernie Els & Fancourt Foundation, and six former SAGDB players have earned their tour cards on the Sunshine Tour.

The work of Hepburn and his colleagues continues with a vision to make golf more accessible in South Africa by providing and facilitating practice and playing opportunities for learners and talented players from all the underprivileged communities.

“I think if we strive to improve in terms of the results that we get and focusing as much on results as social-uplift, then I think we’re doing our job well. Hopefully it keeps going the way it’s been going – we’ve had success and I don’t think we need to change much, but we do need to keep looking after the core values of the Board and keep moving forward.”

For More Information On All of 2018’s Award Winners Visit http://eur.pe/2018AnnualCongress

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For more information on the 2018 Annual Award Winners visit Annual Congress Hub Page (http://eur.pe/2018AnnualCongress),follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter and search the hashtag ‘#AnnualCongress’ or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

The Annual Congress Gala Awards are partnered by Rolex, Costa Navarino, the Ryder Cup European Development Trust, and Aegean Airlines.

From 07 to 10 February, the renowned Spanish club will host the Costa Daurada International Pro-Am with teams of one Professional and three amateurs competing over three rounds, together with a guaranteed prize fund of €20,000 for Professionals.

Directly after, from 11 to 14 February, the Confederation of Professional Golf Fourball Championship Presented by Costa Daurada will see up to 120 pairs of PGA Professionals battle it out across the club’s Hills and Lakes courses in what has become one of the largest Professional tournaments in the world for a minimum prize fund of €30,000.

Professionals are invited to enter both events* that have joined forces for the third year in a row as the Costa Daurada Golf Festival, celebrating the ongoing successful partnership that Lumine, the Confederation of Professional Golf and the local tourism agencies of the Costa Daurada have forged.

The PGA of Spain’s Emilio Cuartero captured his first Professional Win at the 2018 edition of the Costa Daurada International Pro-Am on what is his home course, with a consistent play in tough conditions allowing him to finish two shots ahead of the rest of the field.

Later in the week, the Spanish dominance continued in the 2018 Fourball Championship Presented by costa Daurada where PGA of Spain Professionals, Xavier Puig Giner & Adria Arnaus Antunex, produced a wire-to-wire finish to win the Championship with an outstanding -28 total (186) to take home the €6,000 first prize.

To Enter The Costa Daurada International Pro-Am Visit http://eur.pe/2019CostaDaurada
To Enter The Fourball Championship Visit http://eur.pe/2019Fourball

For more information visit cpg.golf, follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

With thanks to LUMINE Mediterránea Beach & Golf Club (www.lumine.com), Costa Daurada (www.costadaurada.info), Cambrils (http://www.Cambrils-Tourism.com), La Pineda Platja (www.lapinedaplatja.info), Salou (www.visitsalou.eu), and Sol Port Cambrils (https://eur.pe/2QVeAqT).

*Please note the Fourball Championship and Costa Daurada International Pro-Am are separate events – entry to one does not constitute entry to the other.

With over 60 years in the broadcasting and sports journalism world, Zachrisson receives the award in recognition of his impact on Swedish golf through his commentary, both verbal and written, on golf. He is also receiving the same award as his friend and colleague, Renton Laidlaw, a fellow legend of the golf journalism world.

With over 60 years in the broadcasting and sports journalism world, Zachrisson receives the award in recognition of his impact on Swedish golf through his commentary, both verbal and written, on golf. He is also receiving the same award as his friend and colleague, Renton Laidlaw, a fellow legend of the golf journalism world.

“I am very surprised to have won this award…and makes you wonder ‘why me?’,” said Zachrisson. It will take a long time for me to understand being given the award…I don’t think I’ve done anything more than what I should of.”

“I have always enjoyed the game. I am a journalist, a writer, I create things – I could have been a lot of other things, but it happened to be golf…and it makes you realise the intricacies, and despite golf being a small world, it is important.”

Zachrisson is known throughout not only Sweden but further afield as well, for his distinct style of reporting on golf and a variety of other sports including multi-sports events such as the Olympic Games, as well as his wealth of knowledge around golf as a sport and its traditions. In 2012, he also conducted a famous interview with then Captain of the Swedish national football team, Zlatan Ibrahimović, which was watched by over two million people across the country.

His commentary is known as legendary for its easy-going and gentle tone, as well as his incredible knowledge and experience that helps him portray what is happening to the viewers or listeners with trust and understanding.

“All I’ve done is woke up one morning, started doing it, and I’m still alive and doing the same thing…!” said Zachrisson. “I have the greatest respect for the game and I swore I would not mistreat it – not the history, the passions, the players, not anything.

“I hope that my legacy would be in telling stories, whether it’s golf or whatever it is, a story has to be told. It has to be told clearly, but with a sense of humour and warmth. If I can reach someone and their story, if we can find a relationship then I love it…you want to get in behind the scenes and find the magic of a story.”

His career began in the early 1960s when he became Editor in Chief of the Swedish golf magazine, Svensk Golf. By 1966, he was commentating on the largest golf events in the world for Swedish national television, including the Ryder Cup in 1965 at Royal Birkdale Golf Club, England, and the Open Championship won by Jack Nicklaus in 1966 at Muirfield Golf Links, Scotland.

In the early 90s, Zachrisson was hired by Swedish broadcaster, Viasat, and since then has been a commentator across its portfolio of channels. He has also authored a variety of his books, as well as continuing to write for Svensk Golf and other magazines such as Golf-Store Magazine and Golf Digest.

Having joined the Association of Golf Writers (AGW) in 1987, he more recently has held the position of President of the Association from 2015 – 2018, succeeding Renton Laidlaw and becoming the first non-Brit in the AGW’s history to hold this senior position.

Not only was he involved in the coverage of golf, but, having started with hickory-shafted clubs in his family garden, he played to a high level, competing in the Swedish Championship in 1964 – and showed more incredible sporting prowess by also competing nationally for squash and alpine skiing in that same year as well.

Zachrisson continues to reside in Sweden and is a member of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, as well as Royal Liverpool Golf Club, England, and several golf clubs in Sweden including Djursholm Golf Club, Sand Golf Club, Stockholms Golfklubb, and Svartinge Golf Club.

For More Information On All of 2018’s Award Winners Visit http://eur.pe/2018AnnualCongress

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For more information on the 2018 Annual Award Winners visit Annual Congress Hub Page (http://eur.pe/2018AnnualCongress),follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter and search the hashtag ‘#AnnualCongress’ or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

The Annual Congress Gala Awards are partnered by Rolex, Costa Navarino, the Ryder Cup European Development Trust, and Aegean Airlines.

Olazábal wins the award in recognition of his outstanding achievements and contribution to golf across his career, becoming a recognised ambassador for golf in his native country of Spain, in Europe and across the world.

“It is a true honour for me to receive this award, especially coming from the Confederation of Professional Golf,” said Olazábal. The award was presented as part of the 2018 Annual Congress Gala Awards Supported By Rolex at Costa Navarino in Greece, and given to him at a hugely well-received Q&A session with Confederation of Professional Golf Board Director, Ken Schofield.

“I am humbled by this experience – all I tried to do in my career was to play golf the best I could, to respect the rules of golf, my peers, and my opponents, and to be fair and honest – and hopefully this was the result of that.”

The Spaniard is widely known for his major victories, Professional wins around the world, as well as for his incredible Ryder Cup record as a player, with the most successful pairs partnership with friend Seve Ballesteros, and his captaincy of the ‘Miracle at Medinah’ in 2012.

His golf career began at a young age in northern Spain where his father, a greenkeeper at Real Golf Club de San Sebastian, taught him to play with a cut down three-iron. He went on to win The Amateur Championship at the age of 18, and then turned professional on the European Tour earning the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award in 1986 after finishing second in the order of merit.

Olazábal formed part of a generation of golfers that made an impact not only in Europe but also in the United States, and his consistent finishes spanning a decade ensured he was in the world top-10 for over 300 weeks between 1989 and 1995.

This was helped in part by his break-through major win at The Masters in 1994, becoming the sixth European to win the tournament in seven years. 1999 saw him repeat his victory at Augusta National, securing his place in a list of legends who have multiple Masters wins and major victories, as well as a further 21 European Tour wins, four PGA Tour wins and a place in the World Golf Hall of Fame.

“As a golf player I believe that winning major events is key for us,” said Olazábal. “Those are the ones that determine your career and, in that regard, obviously those are my most important, or highest achievements as a player.

“But I cannot forget the special moments in my career, being Ryder Cup Captain in 2012 was the happiest and most special – it was the first time Seve wasn’t with us and being able to really feel the joy of so many people, the spectators, family members, the team with their wives and girlfriends, children, parents…that is the beauty of the event. I think it reached a lot of people and that is why it is so special to me.”

This Ryder Cup role is what Olazábal is perhaps most known for – as a player he formed one half of the ‘Spanish Armada’ with Ballesteros, the most successful Ryder Cup pairing in history with 12 points from 15 matches together. Olazábal played in seven Ryder Cups between 1987 and 2006, and was victorious in ’87, ’97 and ’06 with a total of 20.5 points to his name; the seventh highest points tally in the European Team’s history.

Having become a Ryder Cup legend, his experience and knowledge has proven to be hugely valuable as he took the role of Vice Captain for three matches in ’08, ’10 and ’14, was also the orchestrator of the previously mentioned ‘Miracle at Medinah’ in 2012 as European Captain, producing one of the greatest comebacks not only in golf, but in all of sport.

Many forget, however, that Olazábal’s career has been one that often saw triumph overcome adversity. On multiple occasions his determination and attitude were relied upon to pull him through difficult times of injury.

Notably in 1995/96 when intense pain in his feet caused by back problems meant he thought he may never compete at a high level again, making his green jacket win in 1999 and return to the top of the sport even more impressive.

“Unfortunately, I had to go through tough times with my health,” added Olazábal. “I had some serious physical issues from playing golf, but not just that – I was in such pain I could not walk for weeks and could not do anything at all…at one point I thought my career was over.

“That puts things in perspective, when you overcome a situation like that…you see not so much the game in a different way, but from a different perspective, you realise golf is not everything. There are other things in life, friendship, family…sometimes even when you are on the golf course and things don’t go your way there is a split second where you go back and say ‘yes I made a double-bogey but there are worse things’.”

Competitive golf has not left the Spaniard just yet with aims to play on the Champions Tour in the USA in the future, as well as continue to play in European Tour events. Off the course the Olazábal Design business continues to grow, now with the inclusion of the latest two golf courses at Costa Navarino:

“In Costa Navarino we are in a very special place and the Navarino Hills site is beautiful with wonderful scenery of the Bay of Navarino and the mountains, it will be a fantastic place to come and play golf. When you design a course, you want people to have fun and enjoy it, all whilst challenging them, and the feedback is very important from the people that play them – if they are happy then I am happy.”

For More Information On All of 2018’s Award Winners Visit http://eur.pe/2018AnnualCongress

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For more information on the 2018 Annual Award Winners visit Annual Congress Hub Page (http://eur.pe/2018AnnualCongress),follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter and search the hashtag ‘#AnnualCongress’ or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

The Annual Congress Gala Awards are partnered by Rolex, Costa Navarino, the Ryder Cup European Development Trust, and Aegean Airlines.

Kearney, who was nominated for the award by the PGA in Ireland, has spent much of his 25 years as a PGA Professional as a keen student of the sport. He has taken every opportunity to learn from those around him and develop his abilities as a coach, a tutor, and a mentor, and is also a key part of the Confederation of Professional Golf Golf Development Team, utilising these skills around the world.

“It is a big honour…I didn’t expect it…but I am delighted with the award,” said the Irishman after collecting his award at the 2018 Annual Congress Gala Awards Dinner Supported By Rolex at Costa Navarino in Greece. “It’s been a great lifetime in golf to date and hopefully, touch-wood, I am only half way through it!”

Kearney’s impact on all levels of golfers, both as sportspeople and as individuals, across many different facets of the sport make him a fantastic example of a 5-Star Professional that has shown the highest standards and achievements in his areas of expertise and the activities he has undertaken.

“I had great training and a great professional, Kevan Whitson, at Royal County Down set me up on a good road,” added Kearney. “Initially to get the support of my mum and dad to go into a profession that might not have been the place for a west-of-Ireland boy to be heading towards, and end up here 20 years later is very fulfilling for all my family.”

Kearney began his golfing career at Claremorris Golf Club in County Mayo on the west coast of Ireland, before moving to the world-famous host of many professional and amateur tournaments, The Royal County Down Golf Club, where he began his PGA apprenticeship under Whitson.

After qualifying as a PGA Professional, he moved to the United States and The Richmond Country Club near San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge, where he was able to learn from two renowned teachers in Dr Jim Suttie and Mark Evershed.

Suttie’s own clients of Paul Azinger and Loren Roberts exposed Kearney to the highest levels of the game, whilst one of Canada’s greatest teachers and thinkers in golf, Evershed, was able to mentor him, leading the Irishman to move to Toronto, Canada, to study under him.

His globetrotting continued as he moved on The National Golf Club of Turkey for two years where he worked with local players of all abilities, often in using non-verbal communication to coach when language proved to be a barrier. He was able to work with local children and local Professionals to help develop many players, some of which are now fully qualified PGA Professionals themselves.

He would later work again with Turkey as National Coach for the Turkish Golf Federation, training and preparing teams for international tournaments such as the Eisenhower and Espirito Santo Trophies in 2008.

Moving back to Ireland, he opened his own academy and developed his own teaching system that pulled from his experiences and focused on all-round player development, where he also had success with local teams and players with his various activities with junior programmes, as well as with disability golf.

His early experience of working with emerging golf nations no doubt led to Kearney’s interest in both golf and human development, and this has been shown by various activities he has become involved in, including being a prominent member of the Confederation of Professional Golf’s own Golf Development Team, visiting countries such as Panama, Brazil, India, Bulgaria and Hungary, and as a Swing and Golf Coaching Tutor for the PGA of GB&I at the National Training Academy at The Belfry, England.

His national team work has continued as well with the Irish Ladies Golf team, being a key part of the development of many of the greatest female players to come out of Ireland in the past two decades – notably former world number one amateur, Leona Maguire, and current world top-30 amateur, Olivia Mehaffey – helping players earn titles such as Ireland’s first Girls Home International win in 2016, the Ladies Home International 2017 title, and numerous successful individual performances.

Most recently Kearney left the role of Golf Director at Carton House Golf Club in County Kildare, Ireland, having helped to deliver a highly successful World Amateur Team Championship Espirito Santo and Eisenhower Trophies with the International Golf Federation, all whilst continuing his role as Performance Director for Irish ladies golf.

Kearney is a true example of the adage of never stop learning and through seminars and conference appearances is always quick to help his fellow Professionals in their own development, and offer sage advice:

“I often tell Professionals straight away to follow their interest and follow their heart. Ultimately what gets you out of bed in the morning and what makes you make an impact with somebody is the interest you have.

“I learnt a little bit late that it was people I was interested in as opposed to sport or golf, but I would tell people to sit down and have a really good conversation with themselves and see where their interests lay… if you follow your interests it never feels like work at all.”

For More Information On All of 2018’s Award Winners Visit http://eur.pe/2018AnnualCongress

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For more information on the 2018 Annual Award Winners visit Annual Congress Hub Page (http://eur.pe/2018AnnualCongress),follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter and search the hashtag ‘#AnnualCongress’ or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

The Annual Congress Gala Awards are partnered by Rolex, Costa Navarino, the Ryder Cup European Development Trust, and Aegean Airlines.

With a career in golf commentary, presenting and journalistic reporting that spans over 60 years, Laidlaw has provided the narration for most of golf’s greatest moments across 15 Ryder Cups and 150+ Major Championships, including over 40 Masters Tournaments, seeing first-hand the development of European golf and its players on the world stage.

“I’m particularly happy about this award as I’ve spent so much time in Europe covering the European Tour,” said Laidlaw during his acceptance speech shown during at the 2018 Annual Congress Gala Awards Dinner Supported By Rolex at Costa Navarino in Greece.

“I’ve always enjoyed Europe from the point of view of the different cultures, food, etc., but more importantly, the people we’ve met in Europe over the years. There are so many who were so helpful and I think that was one of the great things about being in Europe – we were all different but we were all alike. It was, as Seve used to say, a real family.”

Laidlaw’s journalism career began at the tender age of 14 when he took a job as a copy-taker in a local newsroom in his home city of Edinburgh. Following in the footsteps of his father, he then moved into reporting positions for the Edinburgh Evening News, and into golf after an editor asked him to cover multiple sports.

These reporting roles were the springboard for his access to some of the world’s largest golf tournaments in which he had the freedom to pick and choose which events to attend, including his first Major in 1959 at Muirfield where Gary Player claimed his first Major Championship as well.

A decade on, having worked in a freelance capacity for Reuters covering golf worldwide, he was then able to change medium having seen the opportunities that lay ahead in television. Initially working for Scottish Television, and later with Grampian TV where he became an evening news anchor, he was recruited by the BBC as a news anchor.

By the mid-seventies he was golf reporter for London’s Evening Standard newspaper whilst also taking television and BBC radio assignments on weekends, spending the next 15 years as BBC Radio’s golf correspondent.

In the early 90s he was working full-time with British Satellite Broadcasting, which was later taken over by SKY, and by the middle of the decade he broadcast his first European Tour event for The Golf Channel from the Dubai Desert Classic, where he became the mouthpiece for European golf in the United States and brought a European viewpoint to an ever-increasingly global sport.

“I’ve been very lucky in that I’ve been able to work in newspapers, write books, in television, and in radio,” added Laidlaw. “To be able to work in all these media is quite something…but I’ve been able to somehow scratch my way through and do them all which makes me, I suppose, a wee-bit unusual.

“I was always delighted with my work with the Golf Channel in America, because what we were doing on there was bringing to the Americans knowledge of the European players who they really didn’t know all that well and spreading the European golf message to that market.”

Laidlaw has also played a significant role in golf journalism around the welfare and support of journalists covering the sport through his various roles with the Association of Golf Writers (AGW).

He was Secretary of the organisation from 1978 – 1995 after which he held the positions of Chairman (1995–98) and President (2004–15) in which he was able to influence the working conditions and support of golf journalists working in the field. His influence has undoubtedly played a key part in helping to foster the successful relationships that exist between the professional and amateur organisations and the men and women of the golfing press.

Up until its last publication in 2014, he also edited what is known by many as the ‘golfing bible’ – The R&A Golfer’s Handbook – whilst also authoring many of his own books about the game.

After retiring in 2014, he was awarded the 2015 Masters Major Achievement Award in recognition of his coverage of over 40 Masters Tournaments, becoming the first non-American journalist to win the award.

This joined a significant list of awards received throughout his incredible career, including the title as first European winner of the PGA of America Lifetime Achievement Award in Journalism in 2003, and the 2012 PGA in Scotland Lifetime Achievement Award.

For More Information On All of 2018’s Award Winners Visit http://eur.pe/2018AnnualCongress

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For more information on the 2018 Annual Award Winners visit Annual Congress Hub Page (http://eur.pe/2018AnnualCongress),follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter and search the hashtag ‘#AnnualCongress’ or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

The Annual Congress Gala Awards are partnered by Rolex, Costa Navarino, the Ryder Cup European Development Trust, and Aegean Airlines.

Kenyon was nominated by the PGA in England and Wales’ North Region committee and selected by the awards panel in recognition of his continued success working with some of the greatest golfers of our time, such as Rory McIlroy, Francesco Molinari, Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose, Thomas Björn, and Louis Oosthuizen to name just a few.

“It is obviously a great honour – John Jacobs is a pioneer of golf coaching so to be even just associated with John is fantastic,” said Kenyon during his acceptance speech shown at the 2018 Annual Congress Gala Awards Dinner Supported By Rolex at Costa Navarino in Greece.

“In particular it is a great honour for me as well because Harold Swash who has been my mentor was really good friends with John, I know they had a great relationship, so I would like to dedicate this award to Harold really.”

The John Jacobs Award is the Confederation of Professional Golf’s highest coaching accolade and is presented to a PGA Professional who has excelled as a golf coach at all levels of the game, be it with elite or beginner players alike across a number of years.

Previous winners of the award have included Shane Lowry’s coach, Neil Manchip, along with Michael Bannon, coach of Rory McIlroy, Salvador Luna, coach of Sergio Garcia, coach to seven of the 2016 Ryder Cup Europe Team, Mike Walker, and last year’s winner and coach to the likes of Andy Sullivan and Brandon Stone, Jamie Gough.

“Jamie Gough and Mike Walker are really good friends of mine, I know them both from my travels on tour, added Kenyon. “Jamie is one of the hardest workers out there and he’s had great success with his students. Mike is a great coach and a really good friend of mine as we often share hotels or travel together so to follow in their footsteps is great for me.”

Having been introduced to the game by his parents and playing at a high amateur level, Kenyon concentrated on his academic studies before turning professional, completing an undergraduate degree in psychology and sports science and a Masters degree in sport science at Liverpool John Moores University.

After competing worldwide as a tournament professional on developmental tours, he decided to go into coaching and began his PGA of Great Britain & Ireland training. Having known and worked with the legendary putting expert, Harold Swash, for a number of years, Kenyon was able to absorb much of his knowledge, shadowing him in his work with many of the top players of that time, enabling up close and personal experience of dealing with top level players in that side of coaching.

Since Swash’s passing Kenyon has taken on the Swash Putting business and works out of the Putting Solutions studio at Formby Hall Golf Resort & Spa in the north of England, as well as at sites in Lancashire, England, and Georgia, USA.

His continually evolving client list now reads as a who’s who of the golf world, with numerous major winners, Ryder Cup players, European and Challenge Tour winners, Race to Dubai champions, as well as English, Scottish, and Spanish national squads, all of which has contributed to his recent acknowledgement as a Master Professional by the PGA of GB&I.

Notably he has worked for a number of years with 2018 Open Champion, Race to Dubai champion, and European Tour Player of the Year, Francesco Molinari, as well as the other half of ‘Moliwood’ and another European Tour Race to Dubai Champion, Tommy Fleetwood.

“There’s many things that I’ve enjoyed, and got a lot of satisfaction from, in my career,” added Kenyon. “Being involved with guys that have won majors – Darren Clarke, Henrik Stenson, Francesco Molinari – have been great experiences. I’ve really enjoyed the Ryder Cups that I have been involved with as well.

“But I just enjoy working in golf, and week to week there are highlights for me. Helping players have good tournaments or keeping their tour card, or simply helping aspiring amateurs knock shots off their handicaps – I enjoy it all really and I am very lucky in that respect.”

For More Information On All of 2018’s Award Winners Visit http://eur.pe/2018AnnualCongress

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For more information on the 2018 Annual Award Winners visit Annual Congress Hub Page (http://eur.pe/2018AnnualCongress),follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter and search the hashtag ‘#AnnualCongress’ or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

The Annual Congress Gala Awards are partnered by Rolex, Costa Navarino, the Ryder Cup European Development Trust, and Aegean Airlines.