GW_JAN
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX<br />
30 Golf World September 2014
XXXXXXXXXXXX<br />
COVER STORY<br />
NICE GUYS<br />
CAN FINISH FIRST<br />
Matt Fitzpatrick has won the British Masters and earned<br />
more than £1.5 million in his rookie season on Tour, but don’t<br />
expect the success to go to his head, says John Huggan.<br />
In a world where the vast economic gap<br />
that now separates leading tour players<br />
from the rest of us has never been<br />
greater, Matthew Fitzpatrick stands<br />
out. His talent may set him apart –<br />
increasingly so given the start the 2013 US<br />
Amateur champion has made to his pro career<br />
– but the level-headedness that has always been<br />
an obvious part of his likeable personality and<br />
“ordinary” upbringing remains unaffected.<br />
“If the limelight and everything else<br />
changes Matt, no one else has got a prayer,”<br />
says his swing coach, fellow Yorkshireman<br />
Mike Walker. “I’ll be amazed if he ever<br />
changes in a bad way.”<br />
An example. When the youngest player in<br />
the field at the British Masters clinched his first<br />
European Tour title, the so-called “Mondeo<br />
Man” (yes, he still drives one!) celebrated not<br />
with a slap-up dinner at an expensive restaurant<br />
surrounded by hangers-on, but with a quick<br />
visit to a “Subway” conveniently located<br />
between Woburn and his Sheffield home. With<br />
Fitzpatrick were his two closest pals, brother<br />
Alex and mum and dad, Susan and Russell –<br />
the important people.<br />
“Matt is a bright lad,” says Walker. “His<br />
parents are very risk averse so they wanted<br />
contingencies in place at every stage of his golf<br />
career. They knew how hard he would have to<br />
work and how unlikely it was that he would<br />
achieve what he has done. I think he would<br />
class himself as a good hard worker rather than<br />
naturally gifted academically though.”<br />
“I am so grateful for what mum and dad<br />
have done,” says Fitzpatrick, who won the Boys<br />
Championship in 2012, the first hint that he<br />
could be something special in the game. “For<br />
them taking me here, there and everywhere to<br />
competitions – and spending a lot of money to<br />
get me to those places. I tried to give them my<br />
winner’s cheque from Woburn but they<br />
wouldn’t let me do it. From now on though,<br />
I will look after them. We are going on holiday<br />
at the end of the year and that will be on me.”<br />
Still, perhaps the biggest compliment one<br />
can pay this potential 2016 Ryder Cup player<br />
is that his maiden pro victory came as no surprise<br />
to anyone. Since gaining his tour card at the<br />
2014 Qualifying School, where he finished<br />
T-11, Fitzpatrick has contended strongly more<br />
than once during his rookie season.<br />
First place at the happily resurrected British<br />
Masters – past winners include Seve<br />
Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Sandy Lyle and Lee<br />
Trevino – was actually his seventh top-10 of<br />
the 2015 season, his sixth top-five and his fifth<br />
top-three, of which another quickly followed<br />
September 2014 Golf World 31
Make the ball ‘fizz’<br />
“What I class as a good ball-striker<br />
is when you walk past someone<br />
on the range and you hear that<br />
‘Fssshht’ sound as he hits it.<br />
That’s what I think is a great ballstriker,<br />
that fizzing sound. Most of<br />
the guys out here make it do that.”
Everything I know about…<br />
Iron play<br />
By Matt Fitzpatrick<br />
2015 British Masters Champion.<br />
Is it accurateto say right now that iron play is a<br />
particular strength of yours?<br />
I would class it as a strength of mine this year, but<br />
I still don’t feel like I hit it close enough. I know the<br />
stats have shown that I hit a lot of greens but some of<br />
that is down to the accuracy of my driving. Also, if I’m<br />
in trouble at all then I tend to aim for the centre of the<br />
green and the position of the flag doesn’t come into<br />
my thoughts. A lot of the places we go to have small<br />
greens so you are rarely more than 20 feet away.<br />
Do you tend to play for the middle of greens<br />
generally?<br />
That’s my first thought depending on where I’m<br />
placed and where the flag is. Towards the end of this<br />
season, I’ve been going for the flag much more because<br />
I have my card for next year and<br />
I haven’t felt I’ve had much to lose.<br />
So your position in the rankings<br />
affects the way you attack a<br />
course?<br />
Definitely. You’re more relaxed<br />
and you feel confident. Although I did play<br />
aggressively at the Czech Masters this year even<br />
though I’d been told beforehand that it was a slogger’s<br />
course. When I got there, though, the rough had<br />
grown up and there was a premium on accuracy. But<br />
we decided to go for it and if it worked out, all well<br />
and good. I finished third.<br />
What are your expectations with irons from the<br />
fairway?<br />
Just as close as possible. Many people will say their<br />
expectations are higher with wedges and short<br />
irons, but in my head I feel like I do my best with<br />
my long irons – say 3, 4 and 5.<br />
Are those your favourite clubs?<br />
I wouldn’t say I have a<br />
favourite, but they are a<br />
different set to the rest<br />
of my clubs. They<br />
allow me to fly it higher<br />
‘I do like tough courses.<br />
Tight, difficult, can’t miss<br />
the greens, that’s much<br />
more my cup of tea’<br />
and stop it a bit quicker. I like that because if I have a<br />
4-iron and I can see that there is a little bit of room<br />
short of the flag to land it then I feel that I stand a<br />
pretty good chance of hitting it close. I don’t suppose<br />
many people think like that.<br />
So how far away is your comfort zone? What’s the<br />
furthest where you’re thinking you can hit it close?<br />
About 200 yards.<br />
So you can take dead aim from that distance?<br />
Well, I wouldn’t say that I’d hit it stiff but I know<br />
there’s a chance I can gain on the rest of the field. I’ve<br />
looked at the stats and they say it’s harder to hit a<br />
green with a 4-iron than it is with an 8. So if everyone<br />
is hitting the ball into the 4-iron zone, then I’m going<br />
to feel that I have an opportunity<br />
to gain on the rest of the field<br />
because that’s my strength.<br />
So you like courses that require a<br />
lot of long iron approach shots?<br />
I do like tough courses, yes.<br />
I prefer them because I think I can do better on those<br />
layouts. I’m not a huge fan of places where a million<br />
under par wins. Not so much because I can’t do that,<br />
but I just feel that the margin for error is bigger and<br />
that means the competition is wider. Tight, difficult,<br />
can’t miss the greens, that’s much more my cup of tea.<br />
Which irons do you use?<br />
I’ve played Ping since I was a boy, although my first<br />
ever set was actually Snake Eyes. I went for a fitting<br />
with Ping as a junior and they looked after me<br />
fantastically. I used S-56 for quite some time<br />
and won the US Amateur with them. I went<br />
to the Ping headquarters in Arizona with<br />
Lorne Duncan, who caddied for me in the<br />
two Majors that I’ve played.<br />
The caddie who wears sandals and<br />
doesn’t own a pair of socks?<br />
That’s him. Although I’ve discovered<br />
that he does own socks, I’ve seen<br />
January 2016 Golf World<br />
37
XXXXXXXXXXXXX<br />
CODE<br />
44 Golf World September 2014
XXXXXXXXXXXX<br />
EXCLUSIVE<br />
THIS MAN’S<br />
FORMULA WILL<br />
SAVE YOU SHOTS<br />
BREAKER<br />
Professor Mark Broadie’s strokes gained statistics have changed the way the world’s<br />
top players and their coaches approach the game. Stuart Hood went to Columbia<br />
University in New York to meet the man behind golf’s most insightful algorithm.<br />
September 2014 Golf World 45
INSTRUCTION<br />
TOUR INSTRUCTION<br />
PETER<br />
UIHLEIN<br />
World ranking: 237<br />
Scoring: 70.52 (32nd)<br />
Driving accuracy:<br />
47.5% (210th)<br />
GIR: 71.5% (35th)<br />
Putts per GIR: 29.9 (115th)<br />
My 5 Best<br />
Lessons<br />
Peter Uihlein<br />
The European Tour winner and former world No.1<br />
amateur helps you improve from tee to green.
INSTRUCTION<br />
1<br />
I<br />
Try the loop waggle for a perfect set-up<br />
used to hit a draw with the driver, but<br />
since working with Mike Walker, that<br />
has changed into a pressure fade<br />
which has really helped me to hit more<br />
fairways without any loss of distance.<br />
It’s all been about eliminating the left<br />
side of the course. We talk a lot about<br />
putting pressure on the ball and it’s<br />
important to get the correct set-up<br />
with a good position for the right<br />
forearm. I use this waggle on all full<br />
shots, not just the driver.<br />
It’s probably a more loopy<br />
movement than these static pictures<br />
show, but essentially I cock the wrists<br />
up then swing the club around into the<br />
‘set’ position before bringing it back to<br />
the ball. I had the toe down on the<br />
driver when I first used it as a drill and<br />
the aim is to feel the right arm tuck in<br />
nicely to the body as you can see here.<br />
This is a great drill for<br />
working on engraining<br />
the feeling of the right<br />
arm being tucked in<br />
nicely to the body for a<br />
powerful but controlled<br />
fade with the driver.<br />
WINDING UP POWER<br />
I like the ball opposite my left heel<br />
with my hands level with the ball –<br />
elements of the position I want at<br />
impact. I have a wide base and tee<br />
the ball quite low; the more trouble<br />
I see on the left, the lower I tend to tee<br />
the ball. When I hit a high draw, the<br />
ball was teed much higher and my<br />
hands were slightly behind at set-up.<br />
I like to feel a tension in my thighs,<br />
sometimes imagining I have a rubber<br />
band you see round the legs. It helps<br />
to use the ground as leverage; wind<br />
up the power using that solid base.<br />
January 2016 Golf World<br />
61
INSIDER<br />
THE INSIDE TRACK ON THE BIGGEST STORIES AND NEWEST TRENDS<br />
Lightweight Caldera<br />
performance leather<br />
is soft, supple, stainresistant,<br />
easy to<br />
clean and waterrepellant<br />
thanks to<br />
Ecco’s Hydromax<br />
treatment.<br />
Ecco gets all spikey<br />
The upscale shoe specialist launches a cleated model with the comfort of a hybrid.<br />
Danish manufacturer Ecco has built<br />
a reputation in golf for producing<br />
the best hybrid sole shoes on the<br />
market but for the first time ever<br />
their 2016 range is headlined by a cleated<br />
model.<br />
The Ecco Cage has been designed to<br />
deliver increased stability, flexibility and<br />
cushioning in a shoe with soft spikes, without<br />
sacrificing any of the long term or straight-<br />
out-of-the-box comfort. It features a unique<br />
one-piece polyurethane stability cage that<br />
wraps from the heel to the midsole and<br />
around the toe. The anatomical outsole aligns<br />
and moves in unison with the foot’s ligaments<br />
and muscles and Freedom Fit combines a<br />
snug fitting in the heel with a roomier mid and<br />
toe section that allows you to move naturally<br />
while the shoe stays perfectly tailored to your<br />
foot. It has a lightweight and low-to-theground<br />
construction and the eight Champ<br />
Slim-Lok cleats are positioned away from the<br />
bend points of the foot and shoe to ensure<br />
they don’t impede your movement or<br />
compromise comfort.<br />
The Ecco Cage is available in five colours<br />
and with an extra sole inlay to ensure a<br />
perfect fit if you’re between sizes.<br />
Price: £170<br />
Web: www.ecco.com<br />
86<br />
Golf World January 2016
EQUIPMENT<br />
Research discovered that eight<br />
cleats is the least you can have<br />
for the optimum combination of<br />
traction and comfort.<br />
A CHANGE OF EMPHASIS<br />
Jesper Thuen, Ecco’s Global Marketing Manager,<br />
explains their focus on a cleated show for 2016.<br />
“Our research shows a lot of<br />
golfers buy more than one<br />
pair of shoes. They like to<br />
have a hybrid pair for the<br />
summer and a cleated shoe<br />
for the winter. Our offerings<br />
in spikes over the last couple<br />
of years haven’t been great<br />
so we decided we wanted to<br />
use the new development of<br />
Cage with a spiked outsole.<br />
That doesn’t mean we don’t<br />
believe in hybrids anymore.<br />
We do, but it was a better fit<br />
for this range to bring in a<br />
spiked version.<br />
“The Cage shoe is very<br />
lightweight and the heel area<br />
locks in your heel, which<br />
gives you great stability<br />
while you’re swinging and an<br />
amazing fit while walking.<br />
Caldera leather is very hardwearing<br />
– it’s also used for<br />
work gloves – and very easy<br />
to maintain and long-lasting.<br />
“We believe comfort is a<br />
performance feature<br />
Ecco’s Direct Injection<br />
Process bonds the<br />
upper and outsole to<br />
create a one-piece<br />
shoe without the use<br />
of glue or stitching for<br />
a water-tight seal.<br />
because you can be playing<br />
for four or five hours, plus<br />
the time you spend at the<br />
range. If your feet start<br />
hurting after 13 or 14 holes<br />
then you’ll be more tired and<br />
lose concentration and that<br />
won’t be good for your golf<br />
game. If you feel just as fresh<br />
when you walk off the 18th<br />
green as you did when you<br />
walked onto the 1st tee then<br />
you’ll definitely have a better<br />
performance.”<br />
PUMA<br />
UPGRADES<br />
TITANTOUR<br />
The new TitanTour Ignite<br />
shoe delivers enhanced<br />
power and comfort.<br />
Puma has enhanced its premium<br />
TitanTour offering with the<br />
introduction of Ignite foam. This<br />
foam has a high support factor and<br />
high compression set that results<br />
in superior cushioning and minimal<br />
deformation over time. It’s been<br />
applied to make the shoe more<br />
responsive and release energy<br />
more efficiently for increased<br />
power throughout the swing.<br />
It also features<br />
TitanTour’s signature<br />
technology,<br />
pwrCOOL powered by<br />
Outlast, which<br />
regulates foot<br />
temperature by<br />
utilising materials that<br />
absorb, store and<br />
release heat for optimal<br />
thermal comfort.<br />
A premium dual<br />
density polyurethane<br />
sockliner provides<br />
additional comfort and<br />
a customised fit and a<br />
pwrFRAME TPU<br />
outsole encases the<br />
midsole for lightweight<br />
strength and durability,<br />
increased flexibility<br />
and superior traction.<br />
The outsole also boasts Duoflex,<br />
anatomically positioned flex<br />
grooves that allow the foot to<br />
move naturally while still providing<br />
support.<br />
The Puma TitanTour Ignite goes<br />
on sale on February 1, 2016 and will<br />
be available in four colour<br />
combinations.<br />
Price: £130<br />
Web: www.cobragolf.com/<br />
pumagolf<br />
January 2016 Golf World 87
DREAM DESTINATION<br />
Dominican Republic<br />
The spectacular comes as standard on this Caribbean island, writes Chris Bertram.<br />
S<br />
ince Christopher Columbus<br />
became the Dominican Republic’s<br />
first tourist in 1492, this Caribbean<br />
country has developed into one of the<br />
most desirable long-haul destinations<br />
for European holidaymakers. With its<br />
many and varied attractions, it is not hard<br />
to see why. As Columbus himself<br />
discovered, here lies a combination of<br />
a diverse ecology that sees dramatic<br />
coastlines and lush tropical vegetation<br />
paired with waterfalls, caves, and forested<br />
mountains combined with an enviable<br />
year-round climate. Temperatures range<br />
from a high 33˚C in August to around<br />
17˚C on winter mornings, with average<br />
daily temperatures between summer and<br />
winter actually fluctuating less than 10˚C.<br />
Its golf portfolio is similarly<br />
impressive. The Dominican Republic –<br />
which shares the island of Hispaniola in<br />
the Greater Antilles archipelago of the<br />
Caribbean with Haiti – has developed its<br />
golf offering steadily and impressively.<br />
There are now almost 30 courses<br />
offering more than 500 holes on the<br />
island – and its ever-increasing<br />
popularity with overseas golfers means<br />
further developments are in the pipeline<br />
by the end of 2015 and beyond.<br />
New roads have dramatically reduced<br />
travel times between the key resorts,<br />
meaning you can comfortably play at<br />
several different courses without needing<br />
to change bases.<br />
And it’s entirely feasible that you will<br />
want to play at several courses, because<br />
the Dominican Republic has more<br />
oceanside holes sprinkled across its<br />
104 Golf World January 2016
COURSES<br />
LEFT: The Jack Nicklaus-designed Punta Espada, ranked in the Top 50 of courses in the Caribbean and Mexico. ABOVE: Playa<br />
Grande is a Robert Trent Jones Snr design that features 10 oceanside holes and is known as the Pebble Beach of the Caribbean.<br />
BELOW LEFT: You generally stay in sensational locations in the Dominican Republic. BELOW RIGHT: Guavaberry, by Gary Player.<br />
courses than any long-haul luxury<br />
destination. While the quartet at Casa de<br />
Campo are most widely known, this is<br />
far from a ‘one resort attraction’.<br />
Following Pete Dye’s ground-breaking<br />
work at Casa de Campo, Jack Nicklaus,<br />
Robert Trent Jones Snr, Tom Fazio and<br />
Gary Player have all left their mark here.<br />
Six of the country’s courses are ranked<br />
in the Caribbean and Mexico’s top 50,<br />
with Nicklaus’ Punta Espada top, ahead<br />
of Casa de Campo’s Teeth of the Dog.<br />
There are more than two dozen holes<br />
right on the sea, most notably on the<br />
country’s east coast in the Bavaro, Punta<br />
Cana and Cap Cana areas. Many require<br />
drives or approach shots over waves<br />
crashing onto coral rocks.<br />
While Cap Cana’s Punta Espada leads<br />
the way, Punta Blanca, Barcelo Bavaro<br />
and the La Cana and Corales courses at<br />
Punta Cana are spectacular options too.<br />
Playa Grande and Playa Dorada sit<br />
further north along the coast in the<br />
Puerto Plata area, while Guavaberry is<br />
the other main attraction on the<br />
southern coast, 20 miles west of the Casa<br />
de Campo extravaganza. La Estancia sits<br />
next door to it.<br />
Off the course, there are a predictably<br />
wide variety of luxury resorts to choose<br />
from, as well as pristine beaches and the<br />
largest marinas in the Caribbean.<br />
The resorts also boast extensive spas<br />
with a bewildering array of treatments as<br />
well as the customary attractions of<br />
pools, leisure facilities and restaurants.<br />
Away from your resort, you can see how<br />
the country’s famous cigars and rum are<br />
made… and sample the produce. Nature<br />
lovers, meanwhile, will adore the diverse<br />
landscapes and film buffs might enjoy a<br />
trip to Casa de Campo’s Dye Fore course,<br />
where scenes from Apocalypse Now, Rambo<br />
and King Kong were filmed on the edge of<br />
cliffs 300ft above the Chavon River.<br />
Santo Domingo, the historic capital, is<br />
the largest and most vibrant city in the<br />
Caribbean. By day you can soak up<br />
history in the Colonial Zone, a<br />
UNESCO World Heritage Site, peoplewatch<br />
in pavement cafes or indulge in<br />
retail therapy. By night, soak up the<br />
sounds of meringue and bachata spilling<br />
into ancient streets from bars, restaurants<br />
and nightclubs, including Dominican<br />
Republic’s famous car wash discos.<br />
KEY INFORMATION<br />
GETTING THERE: Fly to Punta Cana<br />
with Thomas Cook, Air France, Air<br />
Europa and Condor from Heathrow,<br />
Manchester and Birmingham.<br />
WHEN TO GO: A year-round<br />
destination, with only quick showers<br />
on a few days a month to interrupt<br />
golf or sunbathing. The temperature<br />
stays remarkably high all year round.<br />
MORE INFORMATION: Visit www.<br />
godominicanrepublic.com<br />
January 2016 Golf World 105
72 HOURS IN…<br />
Machrihanish<br />
In a land made famous by Paul McCartney’s 1977 ballad lie three courses that make<br />
for one of golf’s most soulful links pilgrimages. Chris Bertram heads north.<br />
It would be misleading to suggest<br />
there isn’t a little bit of effort<br />
required for this long-weekend<br />
golf break. If you want your trips to<br />
be easy, it probably isn’t for you.<br />
On the other hand, if you want<br />
character, soul and a sense of<br />
adventure, be assured that you will<br />
be reliving ‘The Machrihanish Trip’<br />
with your friends for years to come.<br />
The hard yards occur in getting<br />
there, because once you are actually<br />
on the gloriously remote Mull of<br />
Kintyre, travelling to the three links<br />
we cover here is very straightforward.<br />
The difficulty is that while Kintyre<br />
is linked to the mainland, the<br />
geography means it feels like an<br />
island. Getting there is part of the<br />
charm though, and there are three<br />
equally characterful routes.<br />
If driving, you loop around Loch<br />
Lomond and snake down a long,<br />
winding road blessed with peerless<br />
views of mountains and lochs.<br />
Alternatively, you can cut the corner<br />
of the dog-leg by using the CalMac<br />
ferry either direct from Ardrossan in<br />
Ayrshire to Campbeltown or hopping<br />
over via Arran. The third option is<br />
to fly into Glasgow and then from<br />
there to Campbeltown, which is<br />
minutes from both main courses.<br />
None of these three options could<br />
be considered an easy ride, but the<br />
rewards are assuredly spectacular.<br />
The exquisite short 5th, with the<br />
hamlet of Machrihanish visible in<br />
the distance beyond the green.<br />
98 Golf World October 2015
COURSES<br />
DAY ONE<br />
Machrihanish Dunes<br />
On arrival in Machrihanish you realise<br />
that while one adventure has ended,<br />
another is about to begin. For if you do<br />
as we recommend and stay at the<br />
Ugadale Hotel in the hamlet itself, you<br />
blissfully overlook Machrihanish Old.<br />
The Dunes though, despite being<br />
attached to the Ugadale, actually requires<br />
a 10-minute transfer (the hotel minibus<br />
will oblige if you have flown in).<br />
The evolution over the past seven<br />
years of this new addition to the<br />
Machrihanish scene has been both<br />
interesting and significant.<br />
The American owners, Southworth<br />
Development, have a tendency to quietly<br />
get things right and their loving<br />
parenting of their seaside offspring has<br />
been one of the last decade’s success<br />
stories in British and Irish golf.<br />
Having been assiduous in the<br />
development of the prized linksland<br />
under the instruction of famed architect<br />
David McLay Kidd (who used to<br />
holiday here as a child), it is true they<br />
may have opened when it was somewhat<br />
ambitious to do so.<br />
Strictly heeding advice from Scottish<br />
National Heritage meant the fairways<br />
were more narrow than they might have<br />
liked (the gorgeous 11th remains tough<br />
to hold, because the club continue to<br />
respect the environmentally-delicate<br />
marshland on the left) and the initial<br />
routing not exactly as desired. But,<br />
seven years on, it is a links whose ascent<br />
up our GB&I rankings is not over.<br />
The links has settled in beautifully<br />
and is now able to bear the brunt of the<br />
harsh weather which sweeps across<br />
uninhibited by virtue of its outlying<br />
location. In new greenkeeper Simon<br />
Freeman, formerly of The Machrie on<br />
Islay, they have a man with experience in<br />
dealing with west coast conditions.<br />
Mach Dunes is a proper, pure links that<br />
is all about awesome natural bunkering,<br />
fairways laced with humps and hollows,<br />
enjoyably eccentric greens and an excellent<br />
variety to the exam; it is tremendous fun<br />
among this oasis of fescue and marram.<br />
It is not a course where you feel keen to<br />
select individual holes for description, as it<br />
fits together beautifully and offers an<br />
enchanting overall experience. The back<br />
nine is arguably a touch stronger for this<br />
golfer, yet others may easily take more<br />
pleasure from the front half.<br />
The experience remains quirky and on<br />
a day of tough weather will test your<br />
fortitude and your patience. But even in<br />
inclement conditions it is an experience<br />
that lives long in the memory.<br />
We will focus on it in depth next<br />
year, but don’t let that stop you going<br />
before then; Mach Dunes has never<br />
looked better.<br />
October 2015 Golf World 99