La Hacienda Links Golf Resort cuenta con un nuevo director general

                                   

 

La Hacienda Links Golf Resort se ha movido para fortalecer su equipo de gestión al hacer dos nuevos nombramientos clave en el galardonado campo de 36 hoyos.

El experimentado profesional de la industria Fernando Padrón ha sido nombrado nuevo director general de golf en el aclamado resort del sur de España, mientras que Ricardo Barón ha asumido el cargo de nuevo superintendente de golf de La Hacienda.

Padrón, de 54 años, tiene un amplio conocimiento de la industria del golf y ha ocupado una variedad de roles de alto perfil en clubes líderes en España y más allá, incluido el Real Club Valderrama y, más recientemente, el PGA Riviera Maya Golf Club en México.

Barón, que estuvo 11 meses trabajando con Padrón en Valderrama entre 2017-18, también regresa a la Costa del Sol después de un período de trabajo en el extranjero y su currículum como greenkeeper es igual de impresionante, con Quail Hollow en América y The Els Club y Al Zorah. en los Emiratos Árabes Unidos entre los lugares en los que ha trabajado.

“Estoy muy emocionado de unirme a La Hacienda, probablemente el mejor proyecto de golf actual en España”, dijo Padrón, quien comenzó su nuevo cargo a principios de este mes.

“Después de cuatro años trabajando en PGA Riviera Maya poniendo el campo de golf en el mapa y con mi experiencia previa en Real Club Valderrama, he desarrollado una amplia comprensión de lo que se necesita para operar un resort de golf con los niveles de servicio al cliente de un top- club privado de clase.

“Comparto la visión y los objetivos del resort para hacer de La Hacienda uno de los mejores destinos de golf en el sur de España y Europa y estoy encantado de haberme unido en un momento tan emocionante”.

Javier Jiménez, director general de La Hacienda Links Golf Resort, dijo: “Estamos encantados de haber sumado a dos personas con tanta experiencia al equipo.

“Tanto Fernando como Ricardo conocen bien el golf en la Costa del Sol y estoy seguro de que demostrarán ser grandes activos para el resort a medida que continuamos planificando y construyendo para el futuro”.

Ubicado en el municipio gaditano de San Roque, cerca de Sotogrande, La Hacienda Links Golf Resort ha experimentado una importante remodelación en los últimos 12 meses que ha visto al lugar consolidarse como una de las estrellas emergentes del golf europeo.

Además del relanzamiento de su renombrado campo Links el verano pasado después de una importante renovación, la apertura de una nueva casa club y el anuncio de la inauguración de un nuevo hotel Fairmont en 2024, el resort está llevando a cabo una nueva serie de mejoras en su campo de golf y servicios de ocio que incluyen una nueva inversión en su otro diseño de 18 hoyos, el campo Heathland.

Otras mejoras futuras incluyen el lanzamiento de un nuevo sitio web de última generación, una variedad de paquetes de estancia y juego actualizados y la apertura de una nueva casa intermedia para jugadores en el campo Links, mientras que La Hacienda lanzará por completo un nuevo hotel y villas Fairmont de más de 300 habitaciones en la primavera de 2024, lo que subraya la ambición del resort de convertirse en uno de los desarrollos de golf más exclusivos y lujosos de España.

 s

Spring-time in Japan sees golf travel blossom as Asia’s golf tourism industry assembles in Miyazaki for the AGTC revival

 The annual Asia Golf Tourism Convention (AGTC) has returned after a three-year Covid hiatus, bringing with it confidence and optimism from across the Asia Pacific region. AGTC 2023 took place in the Japanese prefecture of Miyazaki on the southernmost main island of Kyushu over six days in March, during which cherry blossoms began to bloom in the warm spring sunshine. The 9th annual staging of the event, which is organised by IAGTO (International Association of Golf Tour Operators), attracted 320 delegates, among them 130 golf tour operators from 25 countries, all selling golf vacations either within or to golf destinations across Asia. 

IAGTO Chief Executive Peter Walton said: “AGTC 2020 was scheduled to take place in Kuala Lumpur in March 2020 and had to be cancelled with only two months’ notice. Since then, the staging of AGTC in Miyazaki had to be postponed twice, in 2021 and 2022, until eventually taking place last week. “The unexpectedly high turnout brought relief and excitement in equal measure from the participating delegates, who benefited from three days packed with appointments and functions, many of them meeting each other for the first time since 2019. “One month ahead of hosting the agriculture session of the 49th G7 summit, Miyazaki launched itself onto the international golf tourism map by hosting AGTC and by showcasing seven of its 26 golf courses in the first three days of the event. There is a wealth of great golf courses within a 30-minute drive of Miyazaki City, which itself boasts a large and vibrant nightlife district full of iconic bars and restaurants.”

 Walton added: “With its year-round, golf-friendly climate, Miyazaki is already well known to the domestic and Korean markets, but has now positioned itself as a truly international golf destination.   “With Japanese delegates representing one third of all AGTC supplier delegates this year, Japan now has a great opportunity to become a bucket-list golf destination for discerning golf travellers, and Miyazaki is one of the many regions within Japan that can benefit enormously from the country’s successful development as an accessible, desirable and memorable golf destination.” Highlighting the success of the event, Walton said: “In Asia, where the recovery from the pandemic came later than in other parts of the world, it was so important for us to provide golf destinations and golf tourism suppliers the opportunity to engage with golf tour operators at this time. 

AGTC Miyazaki was undoubtedly the perfect springboard for what I believe will be the most important 12 months for the participants in recent golf tourism history.” Shunji Kouno, Governor of Miyazaki Prefecture, addressed attending delegates and told them: “We are excited that these two days of business meetings have given many people from all over the world the opportunity to visit Miyazaki and Japan.” He noted that the prefecture had focused on welcoming golfers from Japan and Asia in the past and had hosted the renowned Dunlop Phoenix Tournament for 50 years, inviting leading golfers including Tiger Woods, Brooks Koepka and Hideki Matsuyama. But he added: “We hope this convention will put Miyazaki on the map as a golf destination of choice for people around the world.” Governor Kouno also told delegates that Miyazaki had the honour of hosting AGTC exactly one month before the G7 agriculture ministers’ meeting in the prefecture, and remarked that the IAGTO golf tourism convention should be called the G25 referencing the number of countries involved. 

Peter Walton added: “AGTC 2023 will go down as one of the best and most influential golf tourism events of the past decade, primarily because of the perseverance, commitment and investment of partners including the host destination, Miyazaki Prefecture, the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) that has recognised sports and golf travel as one of the pillars of its national tourism strategy, the Japan Golf Tourism Association (JGTA) that will pick up the momentum of the work begun at AGTC, and Sega Sammy, the owners of the outstanding Phoenix Seagaia Resort where the convention took place.” AGTC 2024 will take place from 12-14 March next year, with the venue to be announced shortly.   

La Costa del Sol promociona el segmento del golf en las jornadas de IAGTO del mercado asiático

                   

 

Turismo Costa del Sol mantiene una intensa agenda de reuniones en las jornadas profesionales de Japón de la Asociación Internacional de Turoperadores de Golf (IAGTO) una entidad que cuenta entre sus miembros a los principales turoperadores y profesionales turísticos del segmento del golf a nivel mundial A pocos meses de que comience la Solheim Cup, Margarita del Cid ha destacado la oportunidad que supone que un evento de estas características tenga lugar en la Costa del Sol para visibilizar las excelentes condiciones del destino en cuanto a la práctica del golf y la calidad de la oferta complementaria   En el marco del intenso programa de promoción de golf que está llevando a cabo Turismo Costa del Sol, la entidad ha participado en las jornadas profesionales que la Asociación Internacional de Turoperadores de Golf (IAGTO) ha llevado a cabo en Miyazaki, Japón. La consejera delegada de Turismo Costa del Sol, Margarita del Cid, ha destacado la participación en esta cita “una de la más relevantes del segmento del golf y que permite promocionar el destino entre los profesionales asiáticos del sector, con las ventajas que supone para atraer nuevos mercados a la Costa del Sol”. En este sentido, cabe destacar que la IAGTO cuenta entre sus miembros con más de 2.400 turoperadores de golf acreditados, así como complejos turísticos de golf, hoteles, campos, líneas áreas y oficinas de turismo, entre otros. Los operadores de la IAGTO controlan más del 90% de los paquetes de vacaciones de golf vendidos en todo el mundo y facturan más de 2.500 millones de euros al año. Durante dos días, en estas jornadas profesionales, Turismo Costa del Sol ha mantenido una intensa agenda de reuniones con los principales turoperadores y agentes de viaje especializados en el segmento del golf. Del Cid ha destacado la oportunidad que supone este tipo de eventos para “establecer nuevos contactos e investigar las oportunidades que existen para la promoción y comercialización del destino en mercados internacionales de alto poder adquisitivo, como el asiático”. Y ha añadido que el contacto con los profesionales turísticos permite “escuchar al mercado y aprovechar la ocasión para valorar la situación actual, las previsiones para la reserva de paquetes de alojamiento y golf en Costa del Sol, en un año clave, a pocos meses de que se celebre la Solheim Cup”. Asimismo, Margarita del Cid ha subrayado la apuesta de la entidad por este segmento porque “que su poder desestacionalizador es indudable y el nivel de gasto de estos turistas, es superior al del visitante medio. La gran contribución económica que trae este tipo de visitante a la industria turística de la provincia es innegable, por su alto poder adquisitivo, y por la alta calificación que nos otorgan los turistas de golf, así como por su alto grado de fidelidad”. Por ello, del Cid no ha dudado en señalar la oportunidad que supone para Costa del Sol albergar la próxima edición de la Solheim Cup, que por primera vez se celebrará en España y que reunirá en Finca Cortesín a las principales figuras del golf femenino a nivel internacional. La consejera delegada de Turismo Costa del Sol ha señalado que “se trata del torneo del golf más prestigioso del mundo y supondrá una oportunidad única para se refuerza el posicionamiento de Costa del Sol como un destino con servicios de alto nivel, que ofrece la posibilidad de disfrutar de nuestra reconocida hospitalidad, nuestro patrimonio y nuestro clima durante todo el año”.

La Universidad de Málaga se convierte en la primera en ofertar la asignatura de golf

                                   

El grado de Ciencias de la Actividad Física y del Deporte de la Universidad de Málaga impartirá una asignatura de golf, con lo que la UMA se convierte en la primera institución académica pública en impartir clases universitarias de esta actividad deportiva, tan esencial para la economía y el turismo de la Costa del Sol y de la comunidad autónoma andaluza.

Para presentar esta asignatura ha acudido al Complejo Polideportivo el secretario general para el Deporte de la Junta de Andalucía, José María Arrabal, acompañado del rector de la UMA, José Ángel Narváez; el presidente de la Real Federación Andaluza de Golf, Pablo Mansilla; los vicerrectores de Estudios y de Estudiantes y Deporte, Ernesto Pimentel y Francisco Murillo, respectivamente: la decana de Ciencias de la Educación, Rosario Moreno, y el vicerrector adjunto de Deportes, Emilio Fernández.

Arrabal y Pimentel han explicado a los 60 estudiantes que cursan el grado la importancia de recibir formación en golf, puesto que se trata de un deporte que brinda un valor añadido a la mera actividad física que conlleva,” al ser la industria que más riqueza crea y que más aporta a nuestra comunidad”

Asimismo, han destacado que en el golf hay carencia de técnicos, por lo que el alumnado que opte por seguir formándose en este deporte tendrá más posibilidades laborales.

Además de las clases teóricas, la UMA también oferta para el estudiantado de Ciencias de la Actividad Física y del Deporte la realización de prácticas en campos de golf de la provincia, gracias a un acuerdo suscrito con la Federación. Y para realizarlas, cada alumno ha recibido hoy un palo de golf.
La vinculación de la Universidad de Málaga con el golf viene de lejos. De hecho, es el deporte sobre el que más campeonatos universitarios se han organizado; nueve nacionales, uno europeo y uno mundial. También existe una Cátedra de Turismo y Golf, creada en marzo de 2016, cuyo objetivo es generar un espacio de análisis, debate, divulgación e investigación académica sobre las oportunidades de negocio, nuevos retos y realidades del turismo del golf.

La importancia de la industria del golf se refleja en algunos datos aportados hoy en el acto de la UMA: España cuenta con 400 campos, de los que más de un centenar están ubicados en Andalucía, con un impacto muy alto en el Producto Interior Bruto. Es la tercera federación en número de deportistas, por detrás del fútbol y de la caza.

LIV GOLF TUCSON: FINAL ROUND RECAP AND NOTES LEE WINS FOUR-MAN PLAYOFF; FIREBALLS CAPTURE TEAM TITLE

 

Danny Lee of Iron Heads GC celebrates after winning the LIV Golf Tucson individual title on the final round's third playoff hole (Photo by Idris Erba/LIV Golf)      Seeking his first professional win in nearly eight years, Danny Lee had a makeable birdie attempt on the second hole of Sunday’s playoff at LIV Golf Tucson. When he missed the putt, he muttered to himself, “What have you done, you idiot.”   Lee didn’t dwell on the missed opportunity, though. With a chance to win the individual title on the third playoff hole, the Iron Heads GC member rolled in the birdie putt at The Gallery Golf Club to claim the individual title in just his second start since joining the LIV Golf League.   The South Korean-born Lee, who represents New Zealand, defeated Carlos Ortiz (Fireballs GC), Brendan Steele (HyFlyers GC) and Louis Oosthuizen (Stinger GC) in the second playoff in LIV Golf history. The last time Lee won, in 2015, he also won in a four-man playoff.   “Maybe it was a coincidence, I don’t know,” the 32-year-old Lee said. “But it feels pretty amazing right now.”   In the team competition, Fireballs GC, captained by Sergio Garcia, won by four strokes over 4Aces GC, with Lee’s Iron Heads GC claiming third for the team’s first-ever podium finish. The Fireballs become just the second team to claim multiple titles, having won last year at the LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok.   The Fireballs were fueled by Ortiz’s 6-under 65, the best round of the day and an impressive one, given the challenging conditions for the majority of the final round due to wind gusts above 20 mph. At one point, the Fireballs led by 12 strokes before the 4Aces rallied late to close the gap.   Ortiz’s low round put him in the playoff, but he was eliminated with a bogey on the first extra hole. “Obviously, super-excited about getting another team win after last year in Bangkok, and super-proud of all of them,” Garcia said. “Especially Carlos, the way he played today. Shame he couldn’t get the individual win. But what a great effort.”   Besides Ortiz’s round, the other two Fireballs counting scores belonged to Abraham Ancer (1-over 72) and Sergio Garcia (2-over 73).   “We felt like we didn’t play very good at all,” Ancer said, “but Carlos definitely bailed us out today. We did a really good job to play good at the right times as a team, and that’s what got us the trophy.”   Said Ortiz, who finished second last year in his LIV Golf debut in Portland: “I think I did a good job of taking advantage of the easy holes, and I just tried to hold on on the hard holes. I think days like this are easy to move up the leaderboard if you shoot low, and I just did a good job today.”    Fireballs GC (L-R; Carlos Ortiz, Abraham Ancer, Sergio Garcia and Eugenio Chacarra) raise the team championship trophy at LIV Golf Tucson (Photo by Sam Greenwood/LIV Golf)   While the Spanish-speaking Fireballs controlled the team leaderboard down the stretch, multiple players had a chance to seize control of the individual leaderboard.   Second-round leader Marc Leishman opened the door with bogeys in two of his first three holes. Charles Howell III, the individual winner in the season-opening LIV Golf Mayakoba, opened with an eagle and was 4 under through his first six holes. At one point, he held a two-shot lead but a triple bogey at the par-3 eighth brought him back to the pack.   Ortiz was making his run with five birdies in his first nine holes before suffering a double bogey at the 10th.   Eventually, Oosthuizen – captain of the all-South African Stinger GC – became the front-runner.  But he suffered three bogeys in a four-hole stretch late in the round. When he bogeyed the par-3 16th, there was a four-way tie for the lead.   Lee, Steele and Ortiz each finished at 9 under, while Oosthuizen, playing in the lead group, was 8 under after a bogey at the par-5 17th. But he knocked his approach shot close into 18 and made the birdie putt to join the playoff.   From there, it took three more trips through the 18th hole for Lee to post the only birdie of the playoff – and make his long-awaited return to the winner’s circle.   “I haven’t won since 2015. I just felt like winning is just not my thing, but today just changed that,” Lee said. “It’s just good to see I’m capable of playing some good golf again.”   TEAM COUNTING SCORES   Here are the standings and counting scores for Sunday’s final round of the team competition at LIV Golf Tucson. The three best scores from each team count in every round for their total team score. The team with the lowest cumulative score after three rounds wins the team title.   1. FIREBALLS GC (-25): Carlos Ortiz 65, Abraham Ancer 72, Sergio Garcia 73 (Rd. 3 total: -3)   2. 4ACES GC (-21): Patrick Reed 66, Dustin Johnson 68, Peter Uihlein 68 (Rd. 3 total: -11)   3. IRON HEADS GC (-19): Scott Vincent 69, Danny Lee 69, Kevin Na 71 (Rd. 3 total: -4)   4. STINGER GC (-16): Louis Oosthuizen 70, Branden Grace 70, Charl Schwartzel 72. (Rd. 3 total: -1)   5. RIPPER GC (-16): Matt Jones 69, Cameron Smith 70, Jediah Morgan 75 (Rd. 3 total: +1)   6. HYFLYERS GC (-15): Brendan Steele 70, Cameron Tringale 74, Phil Mickelson 75 (Rd. 3 total: +6)   7. TORQUE GC (-14): Mito Pereira 67, David Puig 71, Joaquin Niemann 73 (Rd. 3 total: -2)   8. RANGEGOATS GC (-12): Talor Gooch 69, Harold Varner III 71, Bubba Watson 73 (Rd. 3 total: E)   9. CRUSHERS GC (-12): Paul Casey 70, Charles Howell III 71, Bryson DeChambeau 73 (Rd. 3 total: +1)   10. SMASH GC (-8): Matthew Wolff 72, Brooks Koepka 73, Jason Kokrak 73 (Rd. 3 total: +5)   11. CLEEKS GC (-5): Richard Bland 68, Graeme McDowell 72, Bernd Wiesberger 72 (Rd. 3 total: -1)   12. MAJESTICKS GC (-4): Sam Horsfield 70, Lee Westwood 73, Ian Poulter 74 (Rd. 3 total: +4)   NOTES   4ACES IMPRESSIVE DESPITE END OF STREAK   During the inaugural 2022 LIV Golf Invitational Series, 4Aces GC was undefeated on American soil, claiming all four regular-season tournaments plus the Miami Team Championship. While that streak ended Sunday in Tucson, the 4Aces left The Gallery Golf Club feeling good after rallying to claim second place behind the winning Fireballs GC.   Patrick Reed led his team with a bogey-free 5-under 66, while Peter Uihlein and captain Dustin Johnson pitched in with 68s. The 11-under cumulative total was the best team performance of the day by seven shots. The 4Aces started the day in 10th place.   “Dustin, he can turn on the drop of a hat and make eight birdies in a row or shoot 63 any time, and that's how good he is. And Reed, he can basically do the same thing. And Peter's just so comfortable, he's been playing great,” said Pat Perez, whose score counted the first two rounds. “So these guys can turn around. Especially Dustin. I mean, he's just unbelievable.”   The runner-up finish is the second in as many tournaments for the 4Aces this season.   NA GLAD TO ADD LEE   Kevin Na shook up the Iron Heads lineup prior to this season, bringing back Scott Vincent and adding Danny Lee to the mix to join holdover Sihwan Kim. Obviously, the move has paid quick dividends with the Lee victory.   “I’m extremely proud of him,” Na said. “I think I made the right pick.”   The Iron Heads’ third-place finish is the team’s first-ever podium result. They had started the day tied for fourth.   "I wasn't even looking at the individual score all day," Lee said. "I was only asking how is our team doing. That’s the reason why Kevin called. That's why I wanted to win as a team. We were a little bit short on the team, but this individual victory, it means a lot."    HYFLYERS CONFIDENT DESPITE TOUGH DAY   Phil Mickelson and his HyFlyers GC entered Sunday in second place in the team standings, just one shot off the lead. But despite Brendan Steele making the four-man playoff by shooting a 1-under 70, the HyFlyers dropped out of podium contention with a collective 6-over day.   “We were super excited to be in this position obviously as a team,” said Steele, who joined LIV Golf prior to this season in order to play with his good friend Mickelson. “It didn’t turn out the way we wanted today, but I think we’ll learn a lot from that.   “Phil’s been saying and preaching to us that winning’s a process. Just keep taking steps forward. I think we did that by making such a good run yesterday.”   OOSTHUIZEN NEARLY CAPTURES FIRST U.S. WIN   Louis Oosthuizen has 14 career professional victories, including the 2010 Open Championship at St Andrews. But the South African has never won on American soil.   He came close Sunday. Playing steady golf for most of the day, Oosthuizen was 3 under on his round through 13 holes. At that point, he was 11 under with a two-shot lead. But a three-putt bogey at 14 and another at 16 dropped him back into a tie.   After a bogey at the par-5 17th, he birdied the 18th after sticking his approach close to make the playoff. But in the three playoff holes, he faced two long birdie putts and a chip off the green, settling for pars each time. RD. 3 STAT LEADERS   Driving distance – Peter Uihlein, 331.3-yard average   Longest drive – Dustin Johnson, 376.2 yards (5th hole)   Driving accuracy – Harold Varner III, 100% (14 of 14)   Greens in regulation – Carlos Ortiz, Mito Pereira, Talor Gooch, 83.33% (15 of 18)   Scrambling – Patrick Reed (6 of 6), 100%   Fewest putts – Jason Kokrak, 24 putts   Most birdies – Carlos Ortiz, 8   Bogey-free rounds – Patrick Reed (66)

LIV GOLF TUCSON: LEISHMAN (66) LEADS BY 2; FIREBALLS TAKE TEAM LEAD

  

Marc Leishman of Ripper GC leads the individual competition entering Sunday (Photo by Charles Laberge/LIV Golf)        Marc Leishman hasn’t had many opportunities in recent years to enter the final round of a golf tournament as the solo leader.   “There’s been a few here and there,” the 39-year-old Ripper GC member said. “But it’s been a year or two.”   He’ll get to reacquaint himself with the pressure now after shooting a second-round 66 to move to 11 under at LIV Golf Tucson. That gives him a two-shot lead over Sergio Garcia going into Sunday’s final round at The Gallery Golf Club.   “Obviously you play early in the tournament to try to put yourself into a good position, and I’ve played well enough to do my first part of the job,” said Leishman, who’s seeking his 14th career pro victory. “But there’s probably more than half the work to do tomorrow.”   In the team competition, Garcia’s Fireballs GC have slept on the lead as recently as last October when they won LIV Golf Bangkok. Unlike that tournament, when the Fireballs entered the final day with a seven-shot lead, their lead this time is much smaller.   Thanks to Garcia’s 6-under 65, Eugenio Chacarra’s 67 and Carlos Ortiz’ 68, the Fireballs are at 22 under – just one shot ahead of Phil Mickelson’s HyFlyers GC. Cameron Smith’s Ripper GC are another four shots back.   “Obviously super happy about how the team has done the first two days, even more so today. Very, very strong day,” said Garcia, the Fireballs captain. “… We still have to do more of the same. If we think that it’s done, that it’s over, then we’re going to get passed left and right.”   Indeed, with three counting scores, the potential for volatility on the team leaderboard was on full display Saturday. First-round leaders Torque GC had the least productive day of any of the 12 teams and fell into a tie for eighth. At one point midway in the second round, four teams shared the lead before the Fireballs grabbed the lead down the stretch.   “We’ve seen over the past 10 events how quickly leaderboards can change out on the golf course with a team,” said Oosthuizen, whose Stinger GC is seven shots back. “Five, six behind is not a lot from the team aspect. You need three guys to play really well, and hopefully we can put three good rounds together tomorrow.”   The HyFlyers had three terrific rounds on Saturday to shoot a cumulative 15 under, best of any team, thanks to Brendan Steele’s 65, Cameron Tringale’s 66 and Mickelson’s 67. The HyFlyers had a share of third place in one tournament during the inaugural 2022 Invitational Series but now find themselves with their best chance to claim a team trophy.   “We’re going to have to be really aggressive,” said Steele, who joined LIV Golf this season as one of six new members. “We’re going to have to keep doing what we did today because obviously the scores were really good today.”   Leishman also may have to be aggressive in order to fend off his chasers, as eight players are within four shots of the lead.   One of those is Charles Howell III, tied for third at 8 under with Tringale, Steele and Stinger GC Captain Louis Oosthuizen. Howell won the season-opening LIV Golf Mayakoba with a final-round 8-under 63. Is there another 63 out there for the taking on the South Course?   “Probably not for me, maybe for someone else,” said Howell, who plays for Crushers GC. “I think the hole locations are really difficult. I think it’s really hard to get the ball close, the slope and the greens and all that. You’ve got to putt really well to do that because you’re not going to hit close very often. You’ve got to take advantage of the par 5s to do it.   “It may be out there but it’s going to be one heck of a round to do it.”   Leishman realizes he’ll enter Sunday with a target on his back.   “There’s a lot of great players that are just behind me,” he said. “It’s a course where you can make a lot of birdies, and if you’re a little bit off, you can make a lot of others. So you can lose a lead quickly, or you can extend it.   “I just need to do my job, hopefully do as good as I can, and see where we end up at the end of the day.”                                 Fireballs GC leads the team competition at -22 with captain Sergio Garcia (pictured above) in second place (Photo by Montana Pritchard/LIV Golf)   TEAM COUNTING SCORES   Here are the standings and counting scores for Rd. 2 of the team competition at LIV Golf Tucson. The three best scores from each team count in every round for their total team score. The team with the lowest cumulative score after three rounds wins the team title.   1. FIREBALLS GC (-22): Sergio Garcia 65, Eugenio Chacarra 67, Carlos Ortiz 68 (Rd. 2 total: -13)   2. HYFLYERS GC (-21): Brendan Steele 65, Cameron Tringale 66, Phil Mickelson 67 (Rd. 2 total: -15)   3. RIPPER GC (-17): Marc Leishman 66, Matt Jones 67, Cameron Smith 70 (Rd. 2 total: -10)   T4. STINGER GC (-15): Branden Grace 67, Louis Oosthuizen 68, Dean Burmester 68 (Rd. 2 total: -10)   T4. IRON HEADS GC (-15): Danny Lee 67, Kevin Na 67, Scott Vincent 73 (Rd. 2 total: -6)   T6. CRUSHERS GC (-13): Charles Howell III 65, Anirban Lahiri 68, Paul Casey 72 (Rd. 2 total: -8)   T6. SMASH GC (-13): Matthew Wolff 69, Brooks Koepka 69, Chase Koepka 71 (Rd. 2 total: -4)   T8. RANGEGOATS GC (-12): Bubba Watson 66, Talor Gooch 69, Harold Varner III 70 (Rd. 2 total: -8)   T8. TORQUE GC (-12): Mito Pereira 68, Sebastian Munoz 71, David Puig 72 (Rd. 2 total: -2)   10. 4ACES GC (-10): Dustin Johnson 68, Pat Perez 70, Peter Uihlein 72 (Rd. 2 total: -3)   11. MAJESTICKS GC (-8): Ian Poulter 67, Henrik Stenson 68, Sam Horsfield 70 (Rd. 2 total: -8)   12. CLEEKS GC (-5): Richard Bland 69, Laurie Canter 69, Bernd Wiesberger 70 (Rd. 2 total: -5)   NOTES   NEW CONSECUTIVE BIRDIE STREAK   After finishing Friday’s first round with six consecutive birdies, Stinger GC Captain Oosthuizen birdied his opening hole in Saturday’s second round. The seven consecutive birdies set a new LIV Golf record.   Oosthuizen bogeyed his next hole before bouncing back with three consecutive birdies, giving him 10 birdies in an 11-hole stretch.   LEISHMAN’S EAGLE START   Tournament leader Marc Leishman got off to a flying start by holing out for eagle at the par-5 first. He built on that momentum and was 5 under through eight holes before playing even-par golf the remainder of his round.   “To chip in on the first hole is always a nice feeling,” Leishman said. “… It would be nice to get off to a start like that tomorrow.”   OOSTHUIZEN’S DRIVER OFF THE DECK   Trying to gain some ground on Leishman, Oosthuizen decided to hit driver with his second shot at the 601-yard par-5 17th.   “That was the only way I could get there,” said Oosthuizen, who had just over 290 yards to the green.   Oosthuizen’s shot wound up in the greenside bunker and he ultimately settled for par.   “I did it actually in the practice round, and I hit it to 20 feet,” Oosthuizen said. “So I was very positive, and I just pulled it a little bit. Saw the number was two yards different than the practice round and I’m like, ‘I’m going again.’”   Said Leishman: “That driver came out of the bag real quick.”   HOWELL IN A GROOVE   After winning by four shots at LIV Golf Mayakoba, Charles Howell III is in good position to become the first player to win two LIV Golf tournaments.   He started this week’s tournament with a bogey and a double bogey in his first four holes. Since then, he’s a bogey-free 11 under, including his 6-under 65 on Saturday that tied for low round of the day.   “This is a funny game,” said Howell after finishing a post-round range session. “I was 3-over par for the first four holes. Luckily righted the ship a bit. Listen, this is a crazy game and I’ve played it long enough to know it well.”   SERGIO GOES CONVENTIONAL   Sergio Garcia is tied for fifth in the field in putting this week. He’s utilizing more of the conventional putting grip instead of leaning heavily on the claw grip.   “I’m very happy with the way I rolled the ball, even some of the putts that missed,” Garcia said.   STAT LEADERS   Driving distance – Jediah Morgan, 352.8-yard average   Longest drive – Jediah Morgan, 385.4 yards (5th hole)   Driving accuracy – Phil Mickelson, Matthew Wolff, Abraham Ancer, 92.86% (13 of 14)   Greens in regulation – Harold Varner III, 88.89% (16 of 18)   Scrambling – Charles Howell III (6 of 6), Eugenio Chacarra (5 of 5), Cameron Tringale (3 of 3), 100%   Fewest putts – Charles Howell III, 24 putts   Most birdies – Matt Jones, Sergio Garcia, 8   Bogey-free rounds – Charles Howell III (65), Cameron Tringale (66), Eugenio Chacarra (67), Phil Mickelson (67)   ###

Fireballs GC leads the team competition at -22 with captain Sergio Garcia (pictured above) in second place (Photo by Montana Pritchard/LIV Golf)

 

TEAM COUNTING SCORES   Here are the standings and counting scores for Rd. 2 of the team competition at LIV Golf Tucson. The three best scores from each team count in every round for their total team score. The team with the lowest cumulative score after three rounds wins the team title.   1. FIREBALLS GC (-22): Sergio Garcia 65, Eugenio Chacarra 67, Carlos Ortiz 68 (Rd. 2 total: -13)   2. HYFLYERS GC (-21): Brendan Steele 65, Cameron Tringale 66, Phil Mickelson 67 (Rd. 2 total: -15)   3. RIPPER GC (-17): Marc Leishman 66, Matt Jones 67, Cameron Smith 70 (Rd. 2 total: -10)   T4. STINGER GC (-15): Branden Grace 67, Louis Oosthuizen 68, Dean Burmester 68 (Rd. 2 total: -10)   T4. IRON HEADS GC (-15): Danny Lee 67, Kevin Na 67, Scott Vincent 73 (Rd. 2 total: -6)   T6. CRUSHERS GC (-13): Charles Howell III 65, Anirban Lahiri 68, Paul Casey 72 (Rd. 2 total: -8)   T6. SMASH GC (-13): Matthew Wolff 69, Brooks Koepka 69, Chase Koepka 71 (Rd. 2 total: -4)   T8. RANGEGOATS GC (-12): Bubba Watson 66, Talor Gooch 69, Harold Varner III 70 (Rd. 2 total: -8)   T8. TORQUE GC (-12): Mito Pereira 68, Sebastian Munoz 71, David Puig 72 (Rd. 2 total: -2)   10. 4ACES GC (-10): Dustin Johnson 68, Pat Perez 70, Peter Uihlein 72 (Rd. 2 total: -3)   11. MAJESTICKS GC (-8): Ian Poulter 67, Henrik Stenson 68, Sam Horsfield 70 (Rd. 2 total: -8)   12. CLEEKS GC (-5): Richard Bland 69, Laurie Canter 69, Bernd Wiesberger 70 (Rd. 2 total: -5)   NOTES   NEW CONSECUTIVE BIRDIE STREAK   After finishing Friday’s first round with six consecutive birdies, Stinger GC Captain Oosthuizen birdied his opening hole in Saturday’s second round. The seven consecutive birdies set a new LIV Golf record.   Oosthuizen bogeyed his next hole before bouncing back with three consecutive birdies, giving him 10 birdies in an 11-hole stretch.   LEISHMAN’S EAGLE START   Tournament leader Marc Leishman got off to a flying start by holing out for eagle at the par-5 first. He built on that momentum and was 5 under through eight holes before playing even-par golf the remainder of his round.   “To chip in on the first hole is always a nice feeling,” Leishman said. “… It would be nice to get off to a start like that tomorrow.”   OOSTHUIZEN’S DRIVER OFF THE DECK   Trying to gain some ground on Leishman, Oosthuizen decided to hit driver with his second shot at the 601-yard par-5 17th.   “That was the only way I could get there,” said Oosthuizen, who had just over 290 yards to the green.   Oosthuizen’s shot wound up in the greenside bunker and he ultimately settled for par.   “I did it actually in the practice round, and I hit it to 20 feet,” Oosthuizen said. “So I was very positive, and I just pulled it a little bit. Saw the number was two yards different than the practice round and I’m like, ‘I’m going again.’”   Said Leishman: “That driver came out of the bag real quick.”   HOWELL IN A GROOVE   After winning by four shots at LIV Golf Mayakoba, Charles Howell III is in good position to become the first player to win two LIV Golf tournaments.   He started this week’s tournament with a bogey and a double bogey in his first four holes. Since then, he’s a bogey-free 11 under, including his 6-under 65 on Saturday that tied for low round of the day.   “This is a funny game,” said Howell after finishing a post-round range session. “I was 3-over par for the first four holes. Luckily righted the ship a bit. Listen, this is a crazy game and I’ve played it long enough to know it well.”   SERGIO GOES CONVENTIONAL   Sergio Garcia is tied for fifth in the field in putting this week. He’s utilizing more of the conventional putting grip instead of leaning heavily on the claw grip.   “I’m very happy with the way I rolled the ball, even some of the putts that missed,” Garcia said.   STAT LEADERS   Driving distance – Jediah Morgan, 352.8-yard average   Longest drive – Jediah Morgan, 385.4 yards (5th hole)   Driving accuracy – Phil Mickelson, Matthew Wolff, Abraham Ancer, 92.86% (13 of 14)   Greens in regulation – Harold Varner III, 88.89% (16 of 18)   Scrambling – Charles Howell III (6 of 6), Eugenio Chacarra (5 of 5), Cameron Tringale (3 of 3), 100%   Fewest putts – Charles Howell III, 24 putts   Most birdies – Matt Jones, Sergio Garcia, 8   Bogey-free rounds – Charles Howell III (65), Cameron Tringale (66), Eugenio Chacarra (67), Phil Mickelson (67)

Alejandro de Miguel, a la conquista del Mundial de Golf para ciegos

                                     

  El golfista madrileño Alejandro de Miguel será el único representante español en el próximo Mundial de Golf para Ciegos que tendrá lugar en Ciudad del Cabo (Sudáfrica) los días 30 y 31 de marzo.

El vigente campeón del Open Británico de Golf en 2022 aspira a conquistar el máximo torneo mundial tras ser, además, el primer español seleccionado para disputar la Ryder Cup para ciegos el año pasado.

A sus 30 años, Alejandro de Miguel reconoce que viaja al Mundial “con emoción, ilusión y nervios”, con la firme determinación de “salir a a ganar desde el hoyo 1” para alcanzar el objetivo que se propuso cuando hace ocho años perdió la vista: ser campeón del mundo.

Alejandro se quedó ciego con 22 años por un glaucoma congénito. Empezó a jugar al golf con 6 años, pero nunca se lo llegó a tomar como algo profesional. Sin embargo en el momento que perdió la vista se planteó seguir jugando para ser el gran referente del golf mundial.

Para ello le acompaña siempre una persona que hace de guía, que en el caso de Sudáfrica será Javier Parrilla. Será el encargado de describir el golpe, ayudar a Alejandro a colocarse e indicarle hacia dónde tiene que tirar. “A partir de ahí yo tengo que ser capaz de coordinar el movimiento, ajustar la fuerza y esperar que todo salga bien”, señala.

Ambos partirán rumbo a tierras africanas el próximo día 24 de marzo con el objetivo de adaptarse al campo y alcanzar el máximo trofeo mundial del golf para ciegos.