Golf
EUROPEAN TOUR ANNOUNCES BIGGEST GOLF PRIZE
Golf’s biggest first prize will be awarded at the European Tour’s season-ending event in Dubai in November.
The winner will net $3m (£2.3m), an increase of $1.67m on the amount won by Englishman Danny Willett last year.
The aim is to encourage more big name players to complete the Race to Dubai.
Last year world number one Justin Rose skipped the tournament at Jumeirah Golf Estates because he had no chance of overhauling Francesco Molinari for the overall Race to Dubai title.
Only two players, Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood, still had the opportunity of winning the season-long money list by the time players arrived in the Middle East for the closing event.
The overall prize fund remains at $8m (£6.2m) but the field will be cut from 60 to the top 50 on the money list. The distribution of the prize money will be top loaded to provide the sport’s largest winner’s cheque for an individual tournament.
It is one of a series of changes announced by the European Tour for the climax of 2019 season. There are also significant increases for finishing first at the Turkish Airlines Open and South Africa’s Nedbank Challenge.
The champion in Turkey will take home $2m and the following week at Sun City the winner will collect $2.5m.
Again, the total prize funds for both tournaments remain unaltered but the fields will be reduced, with 70 men at the Turkish event and 60 in South Africa.
“The changes we have announced in terms of enhanced winner’s cheques, Race to Dubai points and bonus pool dividend are designed to increase the excitement around the end of the season, as well as encourage greater top player participation in our final three events,” said European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley.
Pelley added: “Had these additional Race to Dubai points been available over the past five years, on average between five and 16 players would have come to our final event with a chance of winning the Race to Dubai, in addition to an average of 43 players having the chance to earn bonus pool money at the end of the season – both numbers considerably higher than was actually the case in those years.
“With the revised prize money breakdown and the extra Race to Dubai points in place for 2019, this provides a tremendous incentive for our players.”
Previously the top 10 finishers on the Race to Dubai shared the bonus pool of $5m, but now that sum will be split between only the leading five finishers.
Whoever tops the standings will receive an additional $2m compared with the $1.25m won by Molinari last year.
The inaugural edition of the Nigeria Maritime Golf Challenge will tee off on Thursday at the prestigious Ikoyi Club 1938 Golf Course, bringing together 81 golfers from across the country in celebration of World Maritime Day.
Organised by QUBES LLC, the one-day tournament is designed to commemorate the annual global observance on September 25 under the theme “Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity.”
Chief Executive Officer of QUBES LLC, Lanre Bayewu, told journalists ahead of the event that the competition aims to showcase Nigeria’s maritime industry through sport while fostering greater networking opportunities within the sector.
“The tournament structure accommodates golfers of various skill levels and ensures broad participation from both maritime industry professionals and the wider golfing community,” Bayewu said.
The championship will feature seven competitive categories, including Longest Drive, Nearest Pin (male and female), Female Winners, Veterans, General Category Winner Net, Maritime Category Winner, and Overall Best Gross. Winners will go home with trophies and cash prizes.
Top executives and senior management of Nigeria’s leading maritime agencies, including the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, are expected to attend as special guests.
According to Bayewu, the event represents a strategic initiative to project the Nigerian maritime industry onto both global and sporting stages, while also strengthening professional relationships across the community.
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Tiger Woods announced Friday that he underwent surgery to repair a nerve impingement in his lower back.
Woods, 48, has not played competitive golf since missing the cut at the Open Championship in July.
“The surgery went smoothly, and I’m hopeful this will help alleviate the back spasms and pain I was experiencing throughout most of the 2024 season,” the 15-time major champion wrote in a statement on X, formerly Twitter. “I look forward to tackling this rehab and preparing myself to get back to normal life activities, including golf.”
Per Woods, Dr. Sheeraz Qureshi of Hospital for Special Surgery in West Palm Beach, Fla. performed the surgery.
Woods made his first start of the season in February at the Genesis Invitational, his foundation’s tournament, but had to withdraw early in his second round due to illness.
Woods made the cut at the Masters — for a record-breaking 24th straight start — but finished last among the 60 golfers who played the weekend. Then came missed cuts at the PGA Championship, U.S. Open and The Open, where he never shot a round of par or better.
-Reuters
Golf and Country Club, Africa’s most prestigious golf destination is taking the golf in Nigeria to a higher level by rolling out the IBB Golf Classic, a new premium tournament.
In a show of commitment to promoting the sport of golf and fostering community engagement, the Executive Committee of the IBB Golf Club paid a special visit to General Ibrahim Babangida, former Nigerian President and Life Patron of the Club.
General Ibrahim Babangida applauded the superb management of IBB Golf Club, the relentless pursuit of golfing excellence and its demonstrable commitment to boosting Nigeria’s profile through golf.
During the visit, the Exco members pledged to host the prestigious Ibb Golf Tournament Classic, marking a significant step in the club’s efforts to elevate the profile of golf in the region.
The visit was led by the President of the Golf Club, Ibrahim Babayo, Vice Captain Dr. James Agbonhese, and the female Captain Dame Julie Donli.
The Exco members expressed their dedication to organizing the IBB Golf Classic, a world-class golf tournament that would foster community comradeship and attract participants and spectators from far and wide.
The Club Captain Ibrahim Babayo emphasized the club’s determination to showcase the talent and passion for golf within the region. He commended General Ibrahim Babangida for his visionary leadership, strategic thinking and nationalistic foresight in establishing the IBB Golf Club in 1987.
IBB International Golf and Country Club course is an 18-hole course covering about 101 Hectares (1,000,740m2) of land, located at the choice Aso drive area of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria.
Within the course is a driving range, putting green and practice bunkers with a handful of professional golfers and trainers at the service of the members.
The EXCO pledged to uphold the high standards of the Club and stated that: “At IBB International Golf and Country Club, we take pride in providing the luxury and ambiance deserving of our distinguished members. We are also determined to take the game of golf to the grassroots so the game is accessible to more Nigerians.”
General Ibrahim Babangida commended the IBB Golf Club for its proactive approach to promoting golf and expressed his support for the upcoming tournament. He emphasized the positive impact of such events on the local community, stating, “The IBB Golf Tournament Classic will not only elevate the status of the sport in our region but also contribute to the overall growth and development of our community.”
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