Tournament Hub: https://eur.pe/2020Messinia

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

The 2020 Messinia Pro-Am will take place from 19-22 February across The Dunes Course and The Bay Course at the world-renowned Costa Navarino in Greece.

Costa Navarino – Greece’s premier golf destination, will play host to the event for the fourth time, where Professionals will compete across three days of individual Strokeplay for a €50,000* prize fund, alongside the Pro-Am team Stableford event.

Over the first two tournament days the field will be split into half, alternating play across Costa Navarino’s two courses, followed by a final day cut where the top half of the field will battle it out over the Bernhard Langer-designed Dunes Course, with the other remaining half playing the Bay Course. The recent opening of the stunning earth-sheltered Clubhouse affording breathtaking vistas across the renowned Robert Trent Jones Jnr-designed golf course, to the historic Bay of Navarino, further enhances the course’s positioning among the most breath-taking in Europe.

There is no Pro-Am package fee for each participating professional bringing a team of three amateurs. Complimentary flights from any destination covered by Aegean Airlines’ network and complimentary accommodation at The Westin Resort Costa Navarino are offered to participating professionals.

Amateur packages start at €1567, with five and seven night options available, and include:

• Accommodation at The Westin Resort Costa Navarino
• 3 dinners with beverage package (Welcome reception & dinner, Charity Social Event & dinner, Dinner & Prize giving Ceremony)
• Exclusive welcome gift package
• 3 tournament rounds & 2 practice rounds
• Golf transfers (to/from The Bay Course)
• Shared buggies for all rounds
• Tournament entry fee
• On-course refreshments and light lunch for 3 tournament rounds

And much more…

For more information and package details, download the entry form or visit www.messiniaproam.costanavarino.com to enter online.

For More Information & to Enter Visit http://eur.pe/2020Messinia

For more information visit the Tournament Hub Page (https://eur.pe/2020Messinia), search the hashtag ‘#MessiniaProAm’(http://eur.pe/2c5Di4W), follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

Find out more about Costa Navarino at www.costanavarino.com. 

*Professional prize fund based on 50 teams competing

Ryder Cup Europe – which comprises the Managing Partner the European Tour, the Founding Partner the PGA of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Confederation of Professional Golf – today announced the five-star resort will follow in the footsteps of Whistling Straits in Wisconsin (2020), Marco Simone in Italy (2022) and Bethpage Black in New York (2024) as the venue for golf’s greatest team contest.

It means The Ryder Cup will be staged in Ireland for the second time, 20 years after The K Club hosted the 2006 contest when Team Europe – under the captaincy of Ian Woosnam and featuring three Irishmen who would go on to captain Europe over the next decade; Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley – memorably defeated the United States by a record margin of 18½ – 9½.

Guy Kinnings, European Ryder Cup Director, said: “We are delighted to announce The 2026 Ryder Cup will be staged in Ireland at Adare Manor which is a world class venue, both in terms of the golf course and the wider resort facilities.

“Today’s announcement would not have been possible without the support of An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and the Irish Government who are in receipt of our grateful and heartfelt thanks. Months of careful negotiation behind the scenes have seen us arrive at this point and we could not be happier to be able to take golf’s greatest team contest back to Ireland.

“Equally in receipt of our appreciation are Adare Manor owners JP and Noreen McManus and their entire team at the magnificent County Limerick venue. JP has shown unwavering support for golf and the European Tour over many years and we are delighted that Adare Manor will be the venue to showcase the next chapter in Ireland’s Ryder Cup story in seven years’ time.

“Aside from having provided three Captains over the past four editions, in addition to world-class talent such as Rory McIlroy, Irish players such as the late Christy O’Connor Jnr, Philip Walton, Eamonn Darcy, Graeme McDowell and Paul McGinley are intrinsically linked with providing Europe’s winning moments over the years.

“Added to that the fact that Irish golf fans are rightly recognised as some of the most knowledgeable and passionate in the world, as was shown during Shane Lowry’s emotional Open Championship triumph at Royal Portrush on Sunday, there was no question in our minds that the time was right.”

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour, said: “This is a tremendously proud day for everyone at the European Tour and everyone associated with the island of Ireland and Irish golf. When we started the discussions with both the Irish Government and Adare Manor on this entire project they promised to deliver, and they have both done that today.

“Over the past few weeks we have seen truly wonderful golfing occasions at both Lahinch and Royal Portrush and I know such memorable scenes will be repeated in seven years’ time at Adare Manor. Ireland has golf in its DNA and especially in relation to The Ryder Cup.”

Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar T.D. welcomed the announcement stating: “I am delighted that Ireland will be the host of The Ryder Cup in 2026. It is great news for Ireland, and for County Limerick and the west of Ireland in particular.

“This news comes at the end of an historic week for golf on the island of Ireland, following the hugely successful hosting of the Open Championship by Royal Portrush Golf Club, and the historic victory by one of Ireland’s most popular sporting heroes, Shane Lowry.

“Shane’s victory is one of many great achievements by Irish golfers, not just in Major Championships but also in The Ryder Cup. Over the years, Irish captains and Irish players have played a huge role in the success of the European team.

“I am sure that when The Ryder Cup comes to Adare, we will see many more great sporting memories created, and great sporting friendships forged. It will be a fantastic occasion for everyone on the island of Ireland, and for the many visitors from both sides of the Atlantic who can look forward to another great Irish welcome.”

Commenting on the announcement, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross T.D. stated: “The passion of Irish people for golf across the island is well known and that was reinforced by the fantastic crowds at last Sunday’s Open Championship in Portrush and the joy at Shane’s great victory. Hosting The Ryder Cup here will be a great occasion for Irish golf and Irish tourism. The Ryder Cup in 2026 will be a must go event for golf fans when we expect thousands of overseas visitors to come to Ireland.”

The news was further welcomed by Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Brendan Griffin, T.D. who stated: “It’s been a fantastic week for golf in Ireland following Shane Lowry’s heroic win in Portrush. The announcement of The Ryder Cup for Ireland in 2026 is further great news and is a wonderful honour for all of us in Ireland, North and South. It’s a special honour for the people of Munster, a province steeped in sporting culture, where this marvellous global event will be embraced by the people to make 2026 the greatest ever tournament in the history of The Ryder Cup.”

JP McManus, owner of Adare Manor, said: “I am delighted that the prestigious Ryder Cup will return to Ireland. We were very happy that Adare Manor was chosen as the venue for this world renowned tournament in 2026 and we look forward to welcoming our worldwide visitors.

“It is a wonderful tribute to the many great Irish golf ambassadors and success stories Ireland has had in golf over the years and a nice follow on from Shane’s momentous Open win on Sunday in Portrush. The nation was behind Shane, it was a great achievement and very well deserved.

“I am confident that the people of Ireland will get behind The Ryder Cup and take the opportunity to showcase Ireland on the world stage and ensure that The 2026 Ryder Cup will be an outstanding success.

“I hope the many tourist, golfing and business organisations will work together to identify all the opportunities for the benefit of The Ryder Cup, the Irish economy and across the south west community.”

Since Ireland last hosted The Ryder Cup in 2006, the biennial contest has extended its reach as one of the world’s leading sporting events.

Last year’s Ryder Cup at Le Golf National in France attracted more than 270,000 fans on course across the week – the largest attendance for a Ryder Cup held in Europe – with record social media engagement of more than 22 billion impressions globally.

The Ryder Cup also boosted economic activity in France by €235.7million – a significant increase compared to the £106 million of economic activity generated in Scotland in 2014 when Gleneagles hosted the contest.

Adare Manor, which was extensively renovated two years ago, hosted the Irish Open in 2007, a tournament won by Padraig Harrington two months before he went on to clinch the first of his two successive Open Championship titles at Carnoustie. The Irish Open was staged again at Adare Manor the following year in 2008 when Englishman Richard Finch triumphed.

The venue has also hosted the JP McManus Pro-Am in 2005 and 2010 and is scheduled to do so again next July, with confirmed participants already including Padraig Harrington, Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm, Justin Rose and Tiger Woods.

The Club first became GEO Certified in December 2015 and has continued to strengthen its commitment to sustainability and protecting the natural links habitat. Examples of this include grassland and scrub improvement and maintaining a thriving habitat for native bee species.

“The Open is played on some of the world’s most revered golf courses, at venues which represent the many ways that golf can be beneficial to communities and the environment. Congratulations to the team at Royal Portrush for their achievements, and for helping to ensure the continuation of The R&A’s leadership policy of high sustainability standards for Open venues.” – Jonathan Smith, Executive Director, GEO Foundation

Hosting The Open for the second time in its history this year, Royal Portrush will be home to several sustainability initiatives including a focus on Fairtrade, local and ethically sourced produce, waste management efforts and The Open Water Initiative, which will see free purified, chilled local water delivered directly to fans, players, staff and officials through the use of on-site water stations and special edition refillable stainless steel bottles.

The initiative will shine a light on the impact of global marine plastic pollution, while helping to drive behaviour change away from the single-use mindset that has led to an epidemic of ocean pollution. The initiative has been developed by The R&A in collaboration with Bluewater and is supported by UN Environment’s Clean Seas campaign.

Steve Isaac, Director of Sustainability – at The R&A, said, “It is important that all venues which stage The Open set the standard in sustainability and we are delighted that Royal Portrush is demonstrating its continuing commitment to addressing issues concerning the local environment, use of resources and the local communities.

“Our commitment to only host The Open at certified venues has been very well received and is a good match with The Open GreenLinks initiative across the staging of the Championship related to nature, communities and resources.”

The Open GreenLinks initiative was set up with the assistance of GEO Foundation’s OnCourse Tournaments programme, utilising many of the guidelines and resources that are designed to help golf tournaments around the world accelerate their own commitments, actions and results.

“We as a club are delighted to renew our GEO Certification and are able to track our progress and achieve continued improvement in our commitment to being an environmentally sustainable business. We are custodians of the Links here at Royal Portrush and take great pride in the flora and fauna within its sand dune grassland while also managing all departments of the business in a sustainable manner.” – Graeme Beatt, Course Manager, Royal Portrush Golf Club.

Nestled between Lake Geneva and the French Alps, the Evian Resort Golf Club is renowned as one of the most beautiful yet challenging courses in the world. Narrow, undulating fairways, dense rough and sparkling white bunkers protecting the greens provide a stern test for even the most accomplished golfers, requiring pinpoint accuracy and unwavering consistency under extreme pressure. These are qualities synonymous with Rolex and its dedication to perpetual excellence. The brand has been a Major Sponsor of the event since 2000.

For more than 50 years Rolex has developed one of the most enduring relationships between a brand and sport, becoming part of the fabric of the game as one of its most loyal supporters. Rolex has been a partner of the LPGA since 1980 and is the Official Timekeeper of all five women’s Majors.

Rolex also supports legends of the women’s game, including Nancy Lopez, Lorena Ochoa and two-time winner of The Evian Championship, Annika Sörenstam.

RETURN OF THE CHAMPIONS
Past champions returning to play at Évian-les-Bains in 2019 include Rolex Testimonees Lydia Ko and Anna Nordqvist.

When Ko won the title in 2015, aged just 18, she became the youngest woman to win a Major championship.

Two years later it was the turn of fellow Testimonee Anna Nordqvist. The Swede’s dramatic victory in 2017 highlighted her mental strength, winning on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff in driving rain and difficult playing conditions.

ROLEX NEW GUARD
Joining Nordqvist and Ko in Évian-les-Bains will be fellow members of the Rolex family of Testimonees, namely Maria Fassi, Brooke Henderson and Lexi Thompson. Alongside Ko, these young golfers are part of the Rolex New Guard, a generation of players asserting their authority at the forefront of the game and inspiring players of the future.

Playing at the Evian Resort for the first time as a professional, Fassi is one of the most exciting and dynamic new talents in the women’s game. The Mexican turned professional in 2019 after a stellar amateur career, most notably finishing runner-up at the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship earlier this year.

Speaking ahead of The Evian Championship, Fassi said: “I’m really excited to play at The Evian Championship, where women’s golf is celebrated unlike anywhere else. The support Rolex, and this tournament, have provided to the women’s game is incredible.”

Canadian 21-year-old Henderson and 24-year-old Thompson from the United States will arrive with the confidence of recent winners, both recording victories on the LPGA Tour in June; Henderson with her 13th professional victory at the Meijer LPGA Classic, and Thompson with her 14th professional win at the ShopRite LPGA Classic.

Speaking ahead of the event, Director of The Evian Championship, Jacques Bungert, said: “Twenty-five years ago we founded this tournament to be a showcase of women’s golf in France. As we look back at our history, we are indebted to Rolex, a loyal partner of ours for 19 years, and we look forward to the future with them by our side.”

The research will follow hundreds of women across the UK, Australia and Canada from their first expression of interest in the game through to participation or drop out, over a period of at least two years, with the aim of telling women’s stories through their own eyes and learning from their experiences.

Alastair (Pictured above left alongside Dr Martin Toms, Senior Sport Lecturer at the University of Birmingham) says: “The simple goal through all of my work is to give women more opportunities to get into golf.

“I hope the findings will illustrate the value of empirical study and its role in shaping the industry’s response to participation challenges. Ultimately, golf needs evidence-based solutions which introduce and retain more women in the game.”

Alastair’s previous research at the University of Birmingham, for which he was awarded an MSc with Distinction, helped to form the unique philosophy behind love.golf – a ground-breaking approach to female coaching that focuses on learning through experience on the course with a group of peers, rather than technical lessons on the driving range.

After seeing high retention rates across the UK, the programme has begun to demonstrate the universality of its approach with success in Spain, as well as an upcoming pilot scheduled in Canada.

Alastair continued: “While this new study is not about love.golf, the programme will certainly learn from the new findings, as I hope the whole industry will, and use them to refine our approach as we go out and actually try to inspire more women to get into the game.”

Alastair’s study continues to be supported by Syngenta, a leading supplier of innovative turfcare solutions to the golf industry, whose ground-breaking global research into female participation was a significant contributor to the love.golf approach.

Simon Elsworth, Head of Professional Solutions EAME at Syngenta, says: “Alastair’s work so far has been so innovative and exciting to support. As an investor and stakeholder in the global game, we can’t wait to see how his new project will contribute to our broader mission of growing golf for everyone.”

Syngenta currently supports the golf industry and the R&A Women in Golf Charter through its Growing Golf campaign. For more information visit: www.growinggolf.com

For more information on love.golf visit: www.love.golf

Up until the 16th hole, the story was all about overnight leader, Federico Elli (PGA of Italy), until Berry, [pictured centre, alongside BlackSeaRama Golf & Villas Deputy Managing Director, Marko Stoychev (left), and Confederation of Professional Golf Tournaments & Special Projects Manager, Emilio Dellanzo, (right)] a seasoned Confederation of Professional Golf competitor himself, holed a dramatic pitch shot on 17 for eagle before going on to scramble an important par on the brutal 224m par-three 18th.

“I thought it could be a bit more scoreable today…the goal was to see if I could get to Federico’s total of minus three and force him to shoot under par,” said the GB&I Professional. “I stayed patient, and fortunately I hit two great shots on 17 and managed to chip it in for eagle which was great.

“BlackSeaRama is a great venue – the staff, the facilities, they’re all second-to-none…of all the Pro-Am weeks I’ve been on – and I’ve been on a lot – this is right up there.”

Despite Berry’s six-under 66 that took the clubhouse target of four-under, a nervous wait ensued to see if Elli could match him. In the end, a wayward tee shot on the last proved costly for the Italian and with it, Berry claimed the honours.

Elli’s closing 72 matched him in tied-second position with PGA of Spain Professional, Peter Gustafsson who closed with a three-under 69.

Team Bond [pictured above] led by GB&I Professional, Liam Bond, and his amateurs, Ivan Skripkin, Nikita Skripkin and Andrey Stolyarov, took the team prize with a total score of 263 points (-47), followed by Team Yamac (with amateurs Catalina Jigman, Bogdan Jigman and Kenan Güngör) in second on 257 points (-41).

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For more information visit the Tournament Hub Page (http://eur.pe/2019Blacksearama), follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter and search the hashtag ‘#BlackSeaRama‘, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

Find out more about BlackSeaRama Golf & Villas at www.blacksearama.com.

Contrary to the rest of the overnight contenders, the midday gusts and a challenging, narrow golf course caused minimal issues for PGA of Italy’s Elli, who countered three bogeys with four birdies to post a one-under-par score of 71 and 140 (-3) total.

“The wind was howling, and it was very tough but I was lucky with the draw to play early this morning with less wind,” said the Italian.  “The key was that I didn’t miss any fairways and was really consistent off the tee.

“Tomorrow If I can drive the ball like I did today that will make things a lot easier. There are some risk and reward holes [at BlackSeaRama], but a lot where you will have to play safe so I will keep to my gameplan and see what happens.”

Team Yamac (with amateurs Catalina Jigman, Bogdan Jigman and Kenan Güngör), Team Bond (with amateurs Ivan Skripkin, Nikita Skripkin and Andrey Stolyarov) and Team Kraljevic (with amateurs Boris Damjanovic, Jasna Damjanovic and Dejan Simic) all share the lead in the team event with 169 points (-25), heading into the tomorrow’s final round at BlackSeaRama Golf Resort and Villas.

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For more information visit the Tournament Hub Page (http://eur.pe/2019Blacksearama), follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter and search the hashtag ‘#BlackSeaRama‘, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

Find out more about BlackSeaRama Golf & Villas at www.blacksearama.com.

Despite a respectably steady front nine score of 35, it was his late charge during the final nine holes where Hayward really made his mark on the tournament, compiling three birdies in as many holes on 14, 15 and 16 for his five-under finish.

“Most of the season I’ve struggled a little bit with my scoring. I’ve not being doing a lot wrong but just wasn’t getting the results, so it was nice to get out today and just go and play,” said the Briton.

“I played a practice round there ready for tomorrow [Thracian Cliffs] and that is a tough, tough golf course. So I’m just going to keep my head down and fight for everything.”

Behind him in solo-second is fellow Brit, Liam Bond (PGA of GB&I), who had held the lead for the majority of the day with his three-under par 66. With a closely packed field of veteran Professionals around the same mark, it is still all to play for tomorrow at Thracian Cliffs Golf & Spa Resort, a course notorious for producing drama in previous editions of the event.

In the team competition, Team Bond, with amateurs Ivan Skripkin, Nikita Sripkin and Andrey Stolyarov lead the way on 91 points (-19), followed closely behind in second by Team Hayward on 89 points (-17).

For Full Round 01 Scores Visit http://eur.pe/2019Blacksearama

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For more information visit the Tournament Hub Page (http://eur.pe/2019Blacksearama), follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter and search the hashtag ‘#BlackSeaRama‘, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

Find out more about BlackSeaRama Golf & Villas at www.blacksearama.com.

The Rolex Series event, at The Renaissance Club, North Berwick has already gathered some of the world’s best golfers who will provide the entertainment on the course, and for those spectators following their favourite player there is also the added bonus that they can boost their health.

Spectators at the Aberdeen Standard Investment Scottish Open would likely not be confident of beating Rory McIlroy or the world’s best players assembling at The Renaissance Club for the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open, but while they may not get close to beating Rory on the golf course, or win the event, they may get some of the same health benefits these leading players get, by racking up over 10,000 steps while out on the course. The European Tour’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Andrew Murray outlined just some of the benefits from attending golf tournaments;

• Spectators rate gaining physical activity, fresh air and time with family as important reasons to spectate
• Golf spectators in UK gained 11500 steps while spectating, 85% meeting daily physical activity guidance
• Spectators, when given information are keen to become more active in daily life (Legacy)

Dr Murray – whose PhD is in Golf and Health from the University of Edinburgh, explains: “The Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open players will take 11,000 steps on average while out on the course. We know from the 2018 International Consensus on Golf and Health, (presented at recent World Health Organisation affiliated meeting) that golfers live longer than non-golfers, and can get well-being and physical health benefits from playing the sport.

“Our research at European Tour events in Scotland shows that spectators take an average of 11,500 steps, getting out and watching the golf. So, while they may not win trophies, this is well in excess of the 10,000 steps per day advised to improve health.”

So how do spectators keep tabs on the distances they walk at this year’s event?

• Maps will be available for everyone which provide details of routes around the 18 holes and the distances covered.
• Huge deckchairs will be situated throughout the venue providing photo opportunities and important health statistics
• Walk to the 5th hole and post your selfie for the chance to win a signed pin flag

It’s not just health professionals who are aware of the benefits to spectators, the players from the European Tour acknowledge that watching golf is a great way to stay fit and healthy. Richie Ramsay, Scottish European Tour professional said: “When you come to a tournament and you play golf obviously you’re walking around the entire golf course and you’re probably not realising how far you’re going and how much energy you’re using up and maybe not realising how good an exercise it is.

“I remember playing when I was younger and playing 18 holes a day for 6 or 7 days. And you don’t realise it but you’re getting a huge amount of exercise from it. Because at that point you’re growing. It’s just good for you, it’s good to be out there socialising and obviously the main thing is to get the exercise.

“I buy into this completely. I practice what I preach so I go out, like I said I played when I was a junior, you know I go to the gym at the moment. Any kind of exercise just makes you feel so much better. It puts you in a positive mind frame, and it’s good for your body.

Many other Tour players acknowledge the health benefits from golf:

• “Despite the frustration of missed putts, golfers overall live longer. A study from Sweden showed golfers live 5 years longer, regardless of age or income.” Henrik Stenson
• “Golf can put a big smile on your face. Research shows that golf can help improve self-esteem and provide a range of mental health benefits.” Padraig Harrington, Golf and Health Ambassador
• “I owe a lot to the fact that I was encouraged to be active throughout my life from an early age. I hope to encourage generations to do the same.” Gary Player, Golf and Health Ambassador

The Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open will once again be followed by the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open, which will be played over the same course, from August 8-11, 2019.

Fans can buy tickets to see some of the world’s best golfers – including official Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open hospitality packages – at www.asiscottishopen.com.

EDGA, the body that supports golfers with physical, intellectual and sensorial disabilities, is keen to use the opportunity provided by the European Tour to raise awareness and grow participation in inclusive golf this week during the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open, at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick.

A number of leading EDGA players will also be present to encourage the spectators at the Inclusive Golf Stand in the championship village. EDGA is happy to work closely with Leuchie House, one of the tournament’s Official Charity Partners and Scotland’s only dedicated respite centre, which offers caring respite breaks to people with long term neurological conditions.

Scottish Golf has also got behind EDGA by ensuring the members from 11 golf clubs in the area have helped to promote the free golf lessons available during the tournament in the build-up to the event.

The European Tour and EDGA will also be conducting outreach programmes in the wider community. This will include a visit to Leuchie House in North Berwick on Friday to provide a modified golf session to patients and carers.

By encouraging people with a disability to try the game at The Renaissance Club and Leuchie House, EDGA is continuing to work towards its stated objective of introducing 500,000 people to golf.

Mark Taylor, Head of Development for EDGA and a qualified PGA Professional, said: “Thanks to all at the European Tour and EDGA’s partners, we have an excellent opportunity here to introduce many new people to golf, alongside our friends at Leuchie House, with Support from Scottish Golf.

“Golf is a wonderful sport for those of all abilities and we have seen so many people who have experienced disability, illness or injury, feeling better physically and mentally by playing golf, including finding new social and confidence-building opportunities, making new friends. We therefore look forward to saying hello to many new and established players with a disability this week, while family members or friends will also receive the warmest of welcomes.”

Find Out More @ www.edgagolf.com

You can find out more and meet the EDGA community across our social media platforms: Facebook: @EuropeanDisabledGolfAssociation, Twitter: @edgagolf, Instagram: @edga_golf

Physically, Andrea is an excellent athlete, having come through the US collegiate system. An experience which gave him a good strength base, as well as technical competency in a variety of lifts. As a result of Andrea’s prior training history, he was able to take to the programmes quickly, he required less supervision and coaching – allowing him to dedicate more time and effort to the work, and he was able to recover well from sessions, without excessive post-exercise soreness. For all these reasons, and more, we would encourage any young aspiring golfer to find a suitably qualified coach and to get in the gym and lifting as early as possible.

The ETPI have been supporting Andrea through the last 2 seasons, and during this time we have transitioned through a series of training focus’.

Andrea first approached us during the start of the 2018 season, and our initial focus was to develop good training habits, based upon programmes which would deliver improved strength during the in-season, but without causing excessive fatigue. Fortunately, due to his previous history, and his excellent consistency, we were able to quickly establish these habits, even despite his busy in-season schedule.

Over the course of the 2018 season and despite a busy competitive schedule, Andrea was able to increase his clubhead speed ~3mph, strength ~28% and explosive strength ~4%, following a largely strength focussed programme. We then continued to increase his strength over his short off-season.

At the ETPI, we typically measure explosive strength using countermovement jump net positive impulse and strength using isometric mid-thigh pull peak force. Andrea’s 2018 in-season improvements are shown below. We will put out a separate blog on our physical profiling approaches in the near future. However, these results clearly highlight the gains that are possible during a busy season of competitions.

2018 Progress

2019 Season

With a new year, came a new set of goals. Having established high levels of strength over our first season with Andrea, we began to move onto an explosive strength focus.

Explosive strength is of great importance in golf. Players are required to generate large forces through the ground, then transmit them through the kinetic chain, into the clubhead to generate speed. All within ~0.5 second window (the golf swing).

Clearly, being able to generate large peak forces is of great value, however if you cannot reach those peak forces within the imposed time-limit, they are not going to be of great use. This can be likened to a car in a drag race. You could be entering the 0.5 mile race with a car that has a top speed of 200mph, but with a 0-60 time of 10 seconds (this is the strong but slow golfer). You could also enter with a 100mph top speed and a 0-60 time of 3 seconds (the fast but weak golfer).

Developing a balance between these qualities is of high importance. In Andrea’s case, we had developed a high top speed over the 2018 season, and needed to shift the focus towards improving his 0-60 time.

The Programme

When working with golfers in-season, we usually use a daily undulating model. This means that we will typically change the training stimuli throughout the week, working towards different focus qualities (strength, explosive strength etc.) on different days. This is usually delivered as a 2-3 day per week programme, starting with more of a strength focus and developing into an explosive focus over the course of the week.

Volume is normally also reduced as the week goes on (especially in less well trained players). This method allows us to control for fatigue over the week, while still getting the hard work done.

Our approach also allows us to work around the lack of ‘out of competition’ time (something which is an inherent challenge in golf). At the highest level, with players competing year round, golf is not a sport which allows for a typical periodisation model, so blending all qualities together, but shifting the distribution and focus is how we work around this.

These points are exemplified in Andrea’s programmes [below] – the first programme shows a 2018 in-season week, with a strength focus. The second programme shows his current 2019 programme, with an explosive focus. It is clear that in both cases, strength and explosive strength exercises are included, but the percentage of time dedicated to each switches.

Andrea’s In-Season Training Programmes – 2018 Strength Focus:

Andrea’s In-Season Training Programmes – 2019 Explosive Strength Focus:

The Englishman, who secured his most recent title at the Czech Disabled Golf Masters last week, will tee it up alongside nine players who have qualified for the event through the World Rankings for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD) at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick, over the weekend of the European Tour’s third Rolex Series event of the season.

Mike joins Brendan Lawlor and Adem Wahbi – who came third and fourth in the Czech Republic – as well as Christopher Biggins, Joakim Björkman, Paul Ellison, George Groves, Shane Luke, Geoff Nicholas and Reinard Schuhknecht.

Continuing the drive for inclusivity within golf, the EDGA Scottish Open field will tackle the same course setup as the European Tour professionals at the Renaissance Club, teeing off approximately one hour and 40 minutes before play begins in the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open on Saturday and Sunday morning.

With both the European Tour and EDGA (European Disabled Golf Association) striving to create a lasting legacy through the event, EDGA is offering free golf lessons with professional coaches to spectators with a disability throughout the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open, from July 10-14.

EDGA will share the Inclusive Golf Stand in the championship village with Leuchie House, one of the tournament’s Official Charity Partners and Scotland’s only dedicated respite centre, which offers caring respite breaks to people with long term neurological conditions. The European Tour and EDGA will also be conducting outreach programmes in the wider community.

By encouraging people with a disability to try the game at the Renaissance Club, EDGA is continuing to work towards its stated objective of introducing 500,000 people to golf.

The season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai will host a second tournament run by the European Tour and EDGA at Jumeirah Golf Estates. It will be a similar model, but the tournament will be played on Friday and Saturday (November 22-23), with eight players eligible for that event.

Scoring for both tournaments will feature on the European Tour’s website and App for fans to follow, while highlights of both contests will form part of the world feed broadcast. The winner in Scotland will also take part in the main prizegiving ceremony on Sunday afternoon.

EDGA President and IGF Head of Disability and Inclusion, Tony Bennett, said: “The two events in Scotland and Dubai are exciting developments and help to illustrate that golf has the potential to be the most inclusive game of all.

“By offering free golf lessons to people with a disability at the Renaissance Club we hope to engage even more people in the game we love, as we continue to see a rapid increase in interest in both participation and competition programmes.

“We’re delighted to welcome Mike Browne into the ten-player field for the inaugural EDGA Scottish Open, which promises to be an exciting and game-changing event for our sport, and we look forward to showcasing the skills of the field at The Renaissance Club next week.”

Entry List – 2019 EDGA Scottish Open

Category 1 – The leading six available players from the World Rankings for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD) week 20.

George Groves – England

Brendan Lawlor – Ireland

Adem Wahbi – Belgium

Geoff Nicholas – Australia

Shane Luke – Australia

Joakim Björkman – Sweden

Category 2 – The leading home nation player in the WR4GD

Paul Ellison – Scotland

Category 3 – USGA nominated player

Christopher Biggins USA

Category 4 – Golf RSA nominated player

Reinard Schuhknecht – South Africa

Wild Card

Mike Browne – England

The Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open is being played for the first time at The Renaissance Club – which was founded in 2008 and nestles on 300 picturesque acres along the Firth of Forth. Scotland’s national open is the perfect day out for all the family, with fantastic food and drink outlets in the championship village as well as retail experiences and entertainment for all ages.

Fans can buy tickets to see some of the world’s best golfers – including official Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open hospitality packages – at www.asiscottishopen.com

Twenty centimeters, depending on the context, can make an appreciable or insignificant difference. Twenty centimeters too much fabric will cause no real problem to a skilled tailor, whereas the same length short could cause an insurmountable challenge. The tailors perspective then makes an enormous difference. If she looks at a shortfall as an opportunity to redesign, or as a challenge to overcome then her attitude will be generally positive.

Johan Kammerstad views the twenty centimeters difference he had in leg length as being merely something that he had to deal with. Three leg lengthening operations, the last one when he was eighteen to gain an additional seven centimeters, have resulted in Johan doing away with the lifts that he had previously used under his right shoe. Born without some bones, and a lack of muscles in his right leg, there is a knock-on effect into the knee which moves differently than that in his other leg. “It did not grow at the same rate as the rest of my body,” says Johan with a matter of fact tone in his voice, “But it does not affect me, and it is all I have ever known.” Pragmatic perhaps, realistic certainly, it seems that Johan has found a comfortable place, one which is grounded in the realisation that golf is important to him and that he can play the game well regardless of his disability.

Above: Johan Kammerstad [Photo courtesy of Sue Bennett and EDGA]

It all started in his parent’s back garden when just eight years of age. Eva and Lars wanted the best for Johan and Lars who already played golf encouraged his son to take a few swings. According to Johan, he was bitten in the first moments. The various ball sports he had previously played started to fade away, and eventually, golf took centre stage in this youngsters’ heart and mind. One of the many things that Sweden is famous for is its junior sports, which are often operated by clubs, some professional support and with the help of volunteers. Johan joined the local golf club school at Eskilstuna Golfklubb where he found Scottish Professional Alastair Scott Robinson. It was this school and the trainers there that helped add salt to the already golf thirsty Johan. The development of his game is a testimony to the commitment he showed to training along with the technical support he received in those early days.

By 15 years of age, he was competing in local and regional mainstream events and further honing his skills to reach an impressive two handicap. But it was time to put his clubs away and to undertake the last of three major surgeries when he was just 18. It was almost two years before he picked up a club again in earnest. The upward trajectory in his performances was soon back on course, and it was not long before he reached the rare status of becoming a scratch golfer. Johan continued his development, reached +1 handicap and then took the decision to turn professional and join some events on the Swedish Golf Tour. Competing with players who have now gone on to become household names around the world such as Alex Noren, Johan enjoyed the experience but also realised that the competition level was very high. By the time he was 25 years old, he had taken, what in his own words was a “Real job,” golf then could revert to being a fun thing to do.

Competition is still important to Johan, and as a four-time European Champion 2000, 2006, 2008 and 2010, he is always one to watch when the big events come around. “Golf for the disabled has changed quite a lot, the competition has got harder, there are more good players now competing,… and we play better courses,” says Johan, whose major competitor for many years was Dane Stefan Morkhölt. New players coming into the golfers with disability tour and the Swedish Handi-team helps Johan keep on top of his game, as he realises that he has to keep performing to retain his place with the young pups snapping at his heels, “Everybody in the team treats each other as friends and there is no hierarchy amongst the guys.”

From Johan’s perspective, being involved in golf as a player in the Swedish team and working in golf as a purchaser in a golf store is great fun. He thinks that it would be great for Golf to get in the Paralympics and advises those who would like to play the game with words of encouragement, “Just play, get a PGA Professional [for lessons], and adapt your equipment, then recognise that everyone does it differently.” Good advise from a man who has seen the game change before his very eyes and understands that this process will continue on for years to come.

Article Source: www.edgagolf.com

A new publication, ‘Sustainable Golf Development – Public Facilities Guidelines’, is aimed at public decision makers, developers and other influencers who are considering either new public golf development or planning the future of existing facilities.

The guidance illustrates that through careful and creative planning and decision making, public courses, particularly those in urban areas, can go on to deliver even more enjoyment to local communities, whilst also increasing their wider service to society.

The central rationale behind the guidance is that by thinking more broadly about the ‘whole value’ that a public course and facility can provide can not only boost direct use, revenue and profitability, but can also elevate the wider environmental and social benefits provided.

Key themes that run through the guidance, and over 40 case studies, include:

• Multi-functionality – looking creatively at ways to integrate a diversity of recreational services, that can also diversify customers and revenue
• Naturalisation – as a means to reduce maintenance costs, enhance the golfing landscape and experience, and increase the wider ‘ecosystem services’ provided
• Marketing and communications – letting golfers and non-golfers know what the local public golf course offers, and its value to the area

Inside, the examples and guidance set out the social and environmental benefits associated with responsibly designed and managed public golf facilities, including means and methods of delivering sustainable refurbishments and long-term operations.

Sam Thomas, GEO Foundation Director of Sustainable Golf Development, said: “With increasing competition for peoples’ time, availability of public land and public service budgets, there is a need and opportunity to make public golf courses as productive as possible.

“This guidance aims to help public golf decision makers to effectively review operations and make more significant renovation plans, in a way that creates stronger businesses, as well as providing more services to society. It’s a win win that we are eager to help more people unlock – for the benefit of golf, communities and the environment”.

Highlighting the value of sustainable high quality cities to people and businesses, the European Commissioner for Environment Janez Potočnik stated: “Europe’s cities need more than ever to be sustainable and should offer the kind of quality of life and opportunity that make people want to live in them and make businesses want to invest”.

Included are examples of watershed management in the UK, flood alleviation in Illinois, accessible sport for all in Peru and Portugal, environmental restoration in Switzerland, biodiversity improvements in California and social or education initiatives in Sweden and Brazil.

Beyond examples, there are practical ideas, insights, initiatives and technical guidance covering design, construction and maintenance of public facilities as well as their governance, size, function and costs.

And the golf industry is taking the opportunity to build in these wider benefits as it looks to reimagine public golf facilities for the 21^st century. Ross McMurray, President of the European Institute of Golf Course Architects comments on this approach: “Now, more than ever, golf course architects, like all designers working in open green space, must demonstrate the benefits to the local environment, society and economy – delivering long-term value for future generations”.

 Reinforced by Bruce Charlton, President of the American Society of Golf Course Architects Foundation: “Public golf courses are most often the heart of the community, playing a key role in securing the recreational enjoyment of the citizens while providing an environmental asset that is suitable for many land uses”.

Endorsed by leading golf industry bodies, including The R&A, the publication supports the current focus on the importance of public golf to the sport.

Collated and authored by GEO Foundation, the international non-profit dedicated to helping advance sustainability in and through golf, the contents address wider societal challenges and goals with responsible, well designed and creative approaches to golf facility design, construction, management and operations.

If you are a golf facility manager, professional or otherwise and want to know more, then the full version of the Sustainable Golf Development Public Facility Guidelines is free and available to download as a pdf here. This is the third in the series of Sustainable Golf Development publications including the Voluntary Sustainability Standard and the private industry’s Development Guidelines. Please email hello@sustainable.golf to request hard copies.