► SUBSCRIBE: http://et.golf/Subscribe
Welcome to the Official YouTube channel of the DP World Tour. Every week you can find extended tournament highlights and individual player highlights from the likes of Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood. This is also the home of the 14 Club Challenge, Little Interviews, Fastest Hole and many more challenges, pranks and world record attempts featuring the biggest golfers in the world.
► WEBSITE: http://www.europeantour.com
► FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/DPWorldTour
► TWITTER: https://twitter.com/DPWorldTour
► INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/dpworldtour/
► TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@dpworldtour?lang=en
Hardly a breath of wind out there this morning. Little bit chilly first thing, but uh the temperature will rise throughout the morning. Well, he knows all about this part of the world. Living in Dubai, if you haven’t been here before to Abu Dhabi anyway, it’s it’s an emerging destination in many ways. DVI always got most of the attention, didn’t it? But that’s well worth a look around, especially as the light fades in the evening and begins to light up. There you go. The Abu Dhabi Lou. Few of the crew have been there this week to enjoy the delight. Spectacular building and uh something for the kids. Yas Island really is a a fun place to come. Warner Brothers World, there’s Ferrari World, all sorts to see and do. water sports. Plenty of that over here. Gas Island, the second largest man-made island in the world. [Music] Carl Phillips, uh the course designer here, the man behind Kings Barnes as well. And there are one or two similarities, aren’t there? Certainly in the uh the undulations in the greens. You get a lot of that at Kings Barnes as well. Year by year it is getting better and better. I think I mentioned it yesterday. What I like as well is that you get a lot of options. It’s not a course that dictates exactly what you have to do. There’s a a lot of holes in which you can take different options. You can take driver be aggressive. Uh but you don’t have to do that. It also offers massive green surfaces. I mean there’s a a bunch of greens that are over 40 steps long. some of them in the 50s. So that offers a lot of different pin positions depending on your golf level. Yeah. He designed Bernardas as well, didn’t he? The course in um Holland. Fantastic. Played a couple of Dutch opens there. Yes. Fantastic. Probably watching the Solah Cup, isn’t it? Hosen the Solam Cup and it’s probably one of the best practice facilities that you can find on the continent. I mean we were we were never really blessed where we come from with with you know modern practice facilities but Bernardas really stands on its own for that. Well, Alex Fitzpatrick, Brandon Robinson Thompson, and you Ferguson are the three ball. Our first feature group out there today. We’re going to have to wait a little while, just uh over an hour now until our second group get going. Game 11. Roman on gas. John Perry and Ludvig Orbear, the Rder Cup star from Sweden. the only player actually to get a full point in the Sunday singles of Beth Paige taking down Patrick Canling. Fitzpatrick in the sandun Ferguson with a nice little bounce away from the thick stuff. And I’m curious to see what Alex is going to do here if he has one of those lofted things. I mean, he barely has a lip in front of him. It’s not really that far to get to the green. It’s only 200 yards from the tip of that bunker to get to the front. So, I think the challenge is on. So, that’s the pin that they’ve changed. It was supposed to be at the back middle on a really small shelf and decided to move it. So, we will see plenty of action here on second, I think, throughout the day. It’s a good job I don’t set the golf course up because I’d have them all on the little shelves and not easy to hit a wood out of a bunker. I think Alex carries a sevenwood Jamie. So yeah. Yeah, but with the flat sole through the sand, it’s can get caught up. He’s obviously got a good lie. I mean, if it’s if it’s a sevenwood, you can squeeze it a little bit. Make sure you catch the ball first and still have the loft to help you to get it up in the air. Yeah, it looked like there was no problem with height there. See, if if you want to have an answer of why these guys are carrying very lofted fairway woods, there it is. Is that better than a four iron or chasing it up there? Low skinny type shot. Yeah, but then you got to make a decision earlier week. It was like what is the what is the club? Yeah. Uh but a lot I mean in in some cases you know people just put these fairways in fairways in the back. Yeah. I’m going to get some. I must be honest with you. I’ve updated my club since 1982. So Oh yeah. Right. Yeah. There’s been a little bit of advanced technology since then. Jas. Okay. Well, he did well to get out of the bunker, didn’t he? Ferguson. trying to draw it into this left hand pin. Looks a great line if it’s the right distance. Go on. Go on. It’s coming. That’s nicely done. Just a little bit of a draw shot. All the slopes are helping to get toward that towards that hole. Like I said, we’re going to see some close ones on second today. Now, you were saying, Jimmy, this guy likes it right to left. He’s left it right a little, has he? A shame. That’s going to Well, it’s done well, isn’t it? Yeah, he was probably a bit aware of an over hook really and getting going down the bank on the left hand side there. But good shot. You can see Ferrari World. You can see the Yas Marina circuit from where we are at Yas Links. happened earlier this week. Rory was out in a very fast Ferrari over on that track. Going to talk you through the cannot winion. up. If you got a problem, I’m the answer. Stand up. Everybody hands up. I’m unstoppable. I ain’t going to stop till I drop them. Yeah, I’m fool. You know I’m fool. Yeah, I’m [Music] Holy. I got up there. Got up over 100. That was all right. I’m exhausted. I don’t know about you. I’m buzzing after that, by the way. That was really cool. He’s got a a share in a Formula 1 team, I think, hasn’t he, Rory? He’s a bit of a petrol head himself. Is that Is that for you, Nikico? 100%. I mean, I I think here for the for the petrol heads, I think that’s one of those FXX Ferraris, which is like a program of proper race cars where there’s a team traveling with you and everything like you buy a share and you travel around the world. I mean, if there’s one Ferrari to be driven in, I think this one is probably up there. Spencer, you’re very quiet. That’s not for me. I I I think he broke the speed limit on a number of occasions, to be honest. Oh, I would be seriously ill if I went on that. But yeah, looks fun. I did a track day at Silverstone in Formula 4. That was good fun. But I have to say, we did it for 20 minutes. I thought it was only 20 minutes. And I must be honest, I I wouldn’t have wanted to do 21 minutes. I’d had enough by then. Yeah. I don’t think we realize, you know, what these guys are putting themselves through when you think of a Grand Prix or over an hour, like 70 laps, 80 laps in some occasions. I mean, yeah, we just think these guys drive a car around a circuit. There’s a bit more involved, mate. I mean, bear in mind, every sport is like that. You look at us and you think we’re traveling the world, we play golf, but you know, you you also have your bad days. It’s a bit of a grind at times. It’s not as glamorous as it seems 365 days a year. My niece Sarah, she’s just got married to somebody who works uh in the pit lane for Red Bull. He’s one of the main mechanics. So, that’s got to be pretty exciting when the cars come in, isn’t it? They get them out with about five, six seconds. It’s the people who change the tires and that sort of thing. People who put refuel and everything, you know, any mistake, you are in big big trouble. You’ve cost your driver potentially the race win, haven’t you? And you and you don’t have to pay for the petrol. Be find it better if they had to get out and actually pay for it. Wait to the till be a new dimension. I just take two part all day long here. This is not easy to get it stone dead for Fitzpatrick. The pace is difficult. Everything’s down. And that’s going to leave a nice little left rider that he struggled to read on the first green. And this one looks like he’s got a little bit more movement as well. One or two contours involved as well here for Brandon Robinson Thompson. Yeah, I’m actually a bit surprised that they move this pin. You know, when you look at this the scores, you know, they’re extremely low. Second has been clearly the easiest holes the easiest hole on the golf course. You know, toughen it up a little bit. There’s no reason to make this easy. It’s pretty quick down there. Go on. Go on. Oh heavens. Is that the slowest shave you’ve ever seen in history? That was in, wasn’t it? That was in, wasn’t it? There we go. But it is a birdie for Brandon Robinson Thompson. has shot a couple of low ones this year, hasn’t he? First round in Bahrain, shot around a 61 and then day three of the Turkish Airlines Open 62. The construction workers don’t get a day off, do they? I was going to say there’s quite an early start, isn’t it? So just uh just left edge I reckon for Ferguson. Great view of it here down the green. Mhm. There we go. First three of the day. Yep. Spot on. We’ve had a few birdies on this hole. And this time yesterday, of course, uh TL was four under par, wasn’t he? That was incredible. I mean, seriously, if you weren’t watching the feature groups yesterday, you missed out. Yeah, he started Eagle, Eagle, Birdie, Birdie. Still bogeied that final hole. He does not like the 18th tier. No, he could wake up having nightmares about that hole. He’s losing the fight on that one. Now, this would be disappointing after finding the green in two from the fairway bunker. Makes it. Okay, we’re on the power after two holes. Must be a Fitzpatrick trait, mustn’t it? Writing little notes. This is the third. Good par four round the corner right to left. First bunker doesn’t come into play. Second one. They won’t be taking that on this morning. They’ll be hitting down the right hand side. Then playing to a pin that’s pretty central at the back of the green. Not too troublesome really this pin unless you it’s going to fall off to the left hand side. But uh it’s a good hole. Good strong hole. Huge green. Quite a big fairway if you hit a fairway metal. Nicholas. Yeah. I mean in these conditions here, this is a nothing hole really. I mean, you you should if things go according to plan, you should you should give yourself at least a 15 foot of a birdie. We saw a lot of guys even to a tight pin left yesterday close to uh to the penalty area. The guys were throwing darts and just throwing birdies for fun. So, but again, you know, this was playing into the wind when we first came here a couple years ago. And, you know, you easily could have got a six or a five iron in into the wind and it was a a total different hole. For me, it’s it’s very similar to Kings Barnes in the respect that when you play Kings Barnes and it’s calm, you feel like you’re going to you could birdie every hole. But when the wind gets up, Kings Barnes, when you play the the Dino Championship there, I feel it’s really really hard. It’s funny because anyway, so par five 16th. That’s a tough hole, isn’t it? Yeah. I mean, only sometimes, you know, people hit a six iron and find a hole and make it another albatross, too. Did you make an albatross there? Yeah. Yeah, I did. Yeah. I didn’t know that. Yeah. I’m really lucky. Both of my albatrosses are on tape. You know, where was the other one? The other one was in Portugal at the Portugal Masters on the 12th Hall. You’re playing with Charles Schwartzel, but we don’t like to talk about it. No, no, no, no, no. I mean, I’m sorry, Huan. Just playing for position. That looked like a loft at fairway woods. A firewood down the right is ideal. Same. Same target, mate. Yeah, that’s that’s the spot to hit it. It’s a big old fairway if you’re hitting a uh rescue type club or even a little 3-wood. How many holes in one have you had? Uh, only one, but also on tape. Gotcha. Yeah. Yeah. Go on then. Six. I’ve had six. Six. Yeah. Do you hear the the Dame Dame Laura Davies? How many she had? Oh, she must have had 20 something. 13. 13? Oh, really? How many did Miguel Angel Himeneth have? Oh, yeah. He’s had like 10 in a stretch of a couple of years. And we were Oh, play from Fitz while we’re talking about holes in one. Look at that. That is miles down there. That’s That’s further than Hatton. That’s just a chip. Yeah. I don’t think Jack Nicholas had his first hole in one till quite late in his career. Just not good enough. Jack Sebi as well. I remember had his first one at the Ned Bank where we’re going in a few weeks. An iron here for BRT. He needs to be chasing on the fairway a little bit. Okay, right next to Ferguson be a shootout for these two there. Come on, Brandon. Get your log in. Big Gberg had a hole in one on the eight. I still think they’re too early, but round one. He did. He didn’t fare so better on day two or day three actually. So, not sure that we’ll get to see Ludvig play the eighth. We shall see. He’s going to be in our second feature group a little bit later on. Who’s your winner, by the way, gent? I know you were you were Tommy Fleetwood a little earlier this week. You stick Yeah, I’ll stick with Tommy. Um, it’s going to be it’s going to be close, isn’t it? It’s going to be tight, especially with the last four holes. It’s so difficult. Wind gets up a little bit end of the day. Once you get on that 15, it’s a long way in. Um, so yeah, Tommy, for me, Nico, I mean, iron ray was very convincing yesterday. He didn’t put a foot wrong. He did what Ry did or that’s what he does. But I think Nikolai, if Nikolai catches a little bit of heat, I mean the the ceiling is so high with somebody like that that, you know, I would like to see him play play well and do well. He said he played pretty much a perfect round of golf yesterday, Nikolai. And who do you think, Dom? That’s a very good point. You’re not supposed to ask me questions, Jamie. You know that. Um, I think I would favor. So, you’ve gone Tommy, you’ve gone Nikolai. You can pick the same person if you wish. I mean, you know. No. Well, no, no, you can’t. That’s you. I think there’s a strong case to be made for both of them actually. Tommy on obviously the form that he’s been uh since he won the FedEx Cup. Nikolai is a very dangerous player, isn’t he? Especially when his tail is up. Aaron Ry played really nicely yesterday. Still waiting, Dom. Is there firm firmly on it at the moment, aren’t I? I’m going to go with Tommy just because that I think he’s got it in the bank, hasn’t he? He’s done so much over the last sort of three months. So, it’s been an it would have been an excellent year anyway, but to uh to get over the the mountain if you like and get that first PGA Tour win and do it at the Tour Championship to win the FedEx Cup, brilliant rider cup, tremendous victory at India, albeit that was a very different prospect from what they’re facing this week at Yas Links. Yeah, Richard Stern on the leaderboard there. He’s 51st projected. So, pretty big day for him if he wants to play next week. Yeah, despite that birdie at the second, Brown and Robinson Thompson still projected from 50th at the start of the week down to 54th. You Ferguson, courtesy of the Eagle, jumps a couple of projected spots to 46th. This is a good flag for both these players at the back of the fairway because you have a little bit of space to bring the ball from the right. It’s just this bunker that you have to cover on the right hand side that only covers about 20 paces on the green and the flag is 33. So you have a good 10 paces to play with over that bunker on the right hand side to bring it in from the right. And like Jamie Spence mentioned, anything left of this hole would be gathered into this bowl and further away from the hole and could actually propel that ball into a bunker that’s at the back there. Yeah, it’s um to get it close. It’s a demanding shot. Get it on that top level. Now, would eight RN be enough? I think so. I mean, if you like a trap draw, squeeze draw. Yeah. Good time. What a shot from BRT. Stunner. Yes. Unfortunately, it was an eight iron. Eight iron everywhere, Jamie. Yeah. I was hoping it was a seven or something, but you were right. Of course you were hoping. It’s just a shame that the person sitting next to you kind of knows what he’s talking about, isn’t it? You’re just You’re just disappointed. I’m just not used to it. Now he’s not as long. Ferguson. Would he also try to squeeze draw a bit more direct? Not as much shape on this. Bitched it past. Also a good shot. Very good shot. Yeah, you got BRT likes to play a draw and uh Euan just holds them off all the time. That neutral fly he hits. Bit different proposition from here. I’m not sure this is easier really. Well, he’s got a little bit of an uphill lie. So, I don’t think it’s going to be too bad. Jamie thinking they fly it up there and stick it. Yeah, 100%. I mean, he’s got nothing in. He’s got 89 yards. I mean, you could throw it on the green from there. You’d be disappointed if that’s not inside 15, 12 ft. Yeah, just outside of that. Yeah, just acceptable. Just acceptable. You’re always relying on the bounce, aren’t you? Out of the rough. 61st on the race to Dubai coming into this week. Alex Fitzpatrick. Don’t think he’s going to make it through to the GP World Tour Championship and top 50 unless he manages to do something miraculous out there. Today we are coming towards the end of our race. A journey which has taken us to all parts of the globe. It’s taken in the four major championships. This is the fourth of five Rolex Series events. We started with the uh the global swings, moved on to the back nine and here we are in the playoffs this week in Abu Dhabi and then this next week I should say the uh season concludes with the DP World Tour Championship over at the Earth Course at Jiro Golf Estates that was won last year by Roaring Maroy. He’s going for four in a row for a seventh race to Dubai title collecting the Harry Van Trophy and he’s out in front as well. Marco Pen’s nearest rival 400 points back then another what 770 odd to Tier Hatton these are the projected rankings so Bob McIntyre where he is on the leaderboard at the moment we’ve made gains so too would Alex Nin and Aaron Ry Fleetwood 26th at the start of the week rejected tied second at the moment would take him up to 12th he’ll have his eyes on victory, not on tied second. Justin Rose not here this week, but we’re going to see Justin next week. He has announced that he will not want to be considered for the European Rder Cup captaincy at a dare manner in a couple of years time. He wants to try and play his way into a final Rder Cup team. Nikolai Bondelling who got his breakthrough win in Austria holding off fellow German Marcel Schneider. He’s uh bound for Jira Golf Estates in the DP World Tour Championship for the first time in his career. This is where it gets a bit more interesting. Jakob Scovalison, the young Dane, the lefty at the moment, occupies that 50th and final spot. Three birdie chances coming up here. I can tell you Brandon Robinson Thompson has uh walked up and tapped in. So that’s backto-back birdies for him. Still projected at 54th. So he needs a few more of those between here and the house to get into next week. Big swing of the right this. Not exactly pacy, but it still has a little. I expect this to fall off the right side of the hole. It won’t be the back of the cup type thing. Yeah, look at this. Okay, not too bad. Not too bad. I had a chance on the pro side. They say got to keep it topside. Once you start going low, you’re going to have a bad day on the greens. Yeah, you said that yesterday. You hate a low side. Hate it. How far into the putt? You know, if if it just falls on the low side but still gives it a decent chance, would you still hate that as much as it was just quickly low? Yes, I hate it just as much. Oh, just as much. Yes. You are hard closer. You’re hard to please. Well, you just know, don’t you? You know, you know it’s gone. Uh, always got a chance of it falling in the back door. Three top 10 fetishes this season for you and Ferguson. one of those at the BMW PGA Championship. His best result in a Rolex Series event. It’s not a bad place to top three, isn’t it? Mhm. A little bit of left to right on this. That’ be a decent start. It’s quickly low as well. Just please Jamie Spence. H. Might as well not bother putting if you can hit it that low. Even coming out. I do a drill where I put a coin. I try and put it as far wide as I can and still get the ball in the hole. I think that’s a good drill to have. I mean, that didn’t have a chance since he left the bat. Listen, it’s a probably a misery from you and I’m not just But yeah, I’m I’m feeling uptight now watching a low putt like that. So a par for Alex Fitzpatrick. He stays at five under. Robinson Thompson and Yan Ferguson both minus six. There we go. Two parts car. They’ve always maintained, haven’t they? They’re quite different characters, different strengths in their game. Alex was always a really good driver. Matt was the the putting genius if you like. And if you said if they looked at their two bedrooms, Matthews would be all nice and organized and neat and tidy and Alex’s was like a huracan had just gone through. Which one would you be, Spency? Uh, neat and tidy. Would you? Uh, very neat and tidy. Yeah. From dot from organized. Yeah, I’m organized. Yeah. Boring. No, no, no, no, no. Morning with Jimmy. I think I was a little bit in between actually. I wasn’t I can’t identify myself in any of them actually. I think as a pro golfer as you as you get more and more into being a pro golfer, you just have to be organized. At least I did. I had to be prepared. That’s how I if I didn’t sort of tick these particular boxes before I got to the tea. I was panicking a bit. And very punctual professional. Well, you have to be punctual even now. Yeah. You’re always early, aren’t you? So some when your friends turn up late for whatever a dinner date, you just can’t I just can’t understand it. Doesn’t sleep time. It’s like when people don’t remember where they parked their car at the mall. I know. Who would do that? We were right yesterday, weren’t we? We were okay yesterday. Yeah. [Music] It’s it’s strange with the timekeeping thing as a as a golfer because just the silly things of meeting somebody you’ve got to be there on time. You run your life by the clock as a pro golfer. Let’s look for gobe 10 under off in just over half an hour’s time. As I say, we’ll be watching him in action. We’re now our second feature group get underway to the first of the par 3es here at Yas Ireland. 185 ys today. A front pin here at number four. Second time of the week they use that really small target at the front there. A bit surprised we’ve not seen the the far end pin all the way to the top shelf. But uh this is just going to be a shot high in the air. Maybe playing to the short and release, but it needs to come from high to keep control of the ball and leave it in that small pocket at the front of the green. Left is an absolute nogo, Jamie. Yeah, I don’t not sure that the only easy pin here is is right in the middle of this pin. left, right, long. It’s tough. This is not an easy pin. It’s a trap for the unwary. Looks quite easy, but it’s not hard to get it close. I’d like to see it with that right at the back of the back central. Just waiting for the green to clear in front. John Perry going through his warm-up over on the range. What a year it’s been for the 38-year-old Englishman back on the DP World Tour after three wins on the Hotel Planet Tour last season, winning for the first time in 14 years with that victory in Maitius. Top the opening swing rankings. He looks like he’s going to secure one of those Whoops. PGA tour cards for next year some journey. Yeah, he’s uh going to change tour again, isn’t he? More than likely. I I think you have to applaud the perseverance before, you know, John was a normal journeyman, you know, just trying to you know, make a living out here and all of a sudden you get a massive breakthrough with the wind and and kept the foot down, kept the momentum going. and turn out to have an an incredible year. I mean, you look back at this year and think like, wow, what was what what a ride this was. Yeah, it just shows what’s uh what’s available out there if you just uh keep going. Look at James Morrison. Same sort of story for him. Was going to give up and now he’s back. BRT, he’s off. Should suit him. This flag might be able to get to it if he slings it in from the right. Go on. Down you come. Like that. Not sure that was by design. Did it that far right. But it’s done. Okay. If you’re stuck in between two clubs, I will go for the shorter one. Try to smash it. Try to hit it high. Just try to pitch it around that front edge. If you play the whole slopes down, I mean, the ball is going to do what BRT’s ball has done and probably go past the hole. 83. We’ve just heard 83. It’s 85. Just playing two down. That’s how precise everybody looks at numbers or precisely. Pretty much the yardage he had on the previous hole. And see how he’s working the club left now. He likes to in a little bit of a cut spin. Euan and and Robson Thompson’s coming away from the inside. I I prefer this way of playing. I think it’s got more longevity to it, but you are who you are. You can cut this into the bank. Maybe get a bit of grab bit like that. Needs a bit of wind behind, doesn’t it? This flag and that’s going to be a real real problem later. Possibly more longevity. Why would it give you more longevity? You can control it more. As Javino said, you can talk to a fade, but a hook doesn’t listen. He was pretty good. He’s not fared too well on this hole. Alex Fitzpatrick. He’s two over for the three rounds so far. See, that’s a lot of greens this week. So, if you are playing that early on the Sunday, hitting that many greens, it’s probably because the flat stick hasn’t behaved well enough, which makes a difference between, you know, an average and a very good week. the camera. These three know each other very well. Lots of laughter and chatting. End of the year. It’s great to make the playoffs. That’s Roman Gas. We saw a little bit of him yesterday. nine under par A man which uh is not enough to give him the jump he needed or needs to make it into next week. Start of the week 62nd on the race to Dubai currently projected at 61st. Top 50 only. We’ll get into next week’s DP World Tour Championship. Similar stats then Alex Fitzpatrick quiet up there in the greens in regulation. Don’t get misled. That could also be the fact that you were just not close enough from the holes. You can hit a lot of greens, especially here with the size of the green surfaces. You know, they’re not necessarily difficult to find, but some of these areas that are, you know, rather smallish. So we spoke about the importance of how to read the stats. This is perfect example. I think he’d be disappointed about where he sits this year. Romelong, you know, he has high expectations. You know, he wants to, you know, to kick on a little bit. He ticked a lot of boxes. I mean, he’s won on tour. He won the British amateur champ or the amateur championship back in the day, played in the Masters. And I think he there’s a part of him that wants to get back to to those big big big events, but it’s not necessarily easy to do. It’s he’s only won once. I think he’s a better player than that. That’s interesting. He’s hit little chips with the the wedges here off a teeg. It’s an interesting drill. I think he won in Wales, Jamie. Celtic manner. He’s been in the hunt for uh for one of those PGA dual membership cards over the last couple of years. Hasn’t quite worked out for him at the DP World Tour Championship. Just a little treading water season really for the Frenchman. This is the fourth green on our first feature group. Brandon Robinson Thompson, Alex Fitzpatrick, and Euan Ferguson. There’s Fitzpatrick. Yeah, it’s a good it’s a good point you made actually about it’s not just hitting the greens, it’s it’s how close you’re hitting it because if you take that back to the putting stats once you get over sort of 15 16 feet your putting stats 20 feet anyway they they go through the floor you get you get down to about five between five and 10% whereas 15 ft and in you can control it. So, and maybe some of the other players a bit more aggressive going for pins rather than just hitting greens. A try from Fitzpatrick. Then again, when you’re playing on better greens, the further those stats sort of elongate a little bit in terms of putting because 20 footer really on great greens is is like a 15footer on other greens. Does that make sense? Broadly. Broadly. Good. It it it would to some Jamie. Yeah, it does to me in my my strange mind. No, no, no. You’re absolutely correct. I mean, this is, you know, let’s be honest. I mean, you can you can hit, you know, those 85% of green, but if you’re always that far, you know, the odds are a little bit against you from being on top of the leaderboard. I mean, look at these numbers, you know, that’s just they just explained themselves. Yeah. Which is why I would encourage people just to practice really 15 and in 15 ft in they’re the ones that matter when you’re when you’re 25 ft over just just yeah you can hold a few but uh just just to part and wander away really and wait interesting Tomy’s Tommy’s Fleetwood stat from 25 ft now he’s the best on the PJ tour just under 10% which is very very good well it’s a game of fine margins especially at this level isn’t it when you think that well look at the gap at the top and quite often tournaments are won a single or two shots. In fact, it’s very rare that someone runs away from a field. Yeah, it’s it’s very unusual that somebody wins. It sort of just keeps going away, isn’t it? It just doesn’t You think it’s going to happen, but generally they come back. Now Ferguson with the best shot out of the three. What is to share me about 12 ft 14 ft? Yeah, 12 ft something like that. Miss or make? Make similar part that he had on two. Well, I’m going to be going to be a bit harsh here. It doesn’t. We haven’t really seen a lot a lot of great putts from Ferguson since the first hole. So, if anything, I think he’s going to be extra cautious into trying to do the right thing here. Let’s get into the mind. Well, the odds are against me. 31%. Still a pretty good percentage from here. Did that that went in, didn’t it? Oh, yeah. It took about a second to fall on the low side. But you know what I mean? Like I mean the mind thing at putting is is what kills you. You have a couple of good ones and then you’re like, “Oh, oh, okay. I need to hit a good putt here now.” Yeah, we talk about the the technique of putting, but really it’s the the mind control. So early birdie for Ferguson, a par for Alex Fitzpatrick. Another little scratch of the head for him. Of course, he doesn’t have to wait long to uh get underway for for next season. Got a short break and then ZB World Tour heads down to Australia and South Africa for the start of the new season. There’s Ludovig by far the player in the tournament with the most yellow boxes but just couldn’t just just too many mistakes, too many sixes on par fives, just not very like him. Yeah, it’s very difficult to say what’s his weakness. We we always as analyzers trying to look into what people don’t do that well, but uh this man just seems to have it all. To me, and he’s so calm when he plays golf as well. It was such a meteoric rise. It it’s it’s very difficult to uh to keep going at that pace. I mean, when you think of who ended up playing Ryder Cup as quickly as he did, you know, you’re talking about Garcia and guys like that that have ruled the the game for so long. And he’s still learning his trade really. He’s going to get better. Now, fifth hole. It’s funny. We spoke about this fifth hole. You know, it’s rather short, but it hasn’t really been as easy as we all thought. You know, it’s just a a fairway wood or maybe even a rescue off the tea and even just a wedge. A little bit of slope going to the left hand side there. Third time that we see a pin at the back of the grain, which is the thing that has caused players most issue is that sloping enough at the back there. Yes, the pin positions here have been very difficult here on five because it’s a very generous target off the tea. It’s it’s about 45 yds 50 yards wide. Now 3wood for Ferguson. There is nothing complicated to this. Like Jamie mentioned, it is a generous fairway. Looks like a good swing. He’s my son’s favorite player, Yan Ferguson. My son Charles, who’s 30 tomorrow. Can’t believe he’s 30. That makes me old. Now, would your son be watching this then? Uh, maybe not quite this early, but he will be up watching. There’s no doubt about it. I mean, he’s got his favorite player and then listen to the old man on TV. Yeah. It is 4:30 in the morning. Come on. Back in the United Kingdom, you know. Would that be left enough for BRT? Yeah. A lot of people have found this ball here. A little bit of everything happening here. Just got killed by a little bit of grass there to make sure it doesn’t find one of them divots. Yeah, this is where um Tier Hatton’s little run came to an end, wasn’t it? And he found one of those little clumps of grass right behind his ball. It was a really bad break. Although I guess you could say he had a good break at the first cuz his ball was traveling when it hit the pin and went in for an eagle. Loy here from Alex. I imagine this will have a little bit of fire when it once it hits the deck if that pitch is on the fairway. So Abu Dhabi, we’ve been coming here for a long time now, haven’t we? We’ve changed venues for the Abani HSBC Championship. That’s where Rory was in his Ferrari earlier this week. The F1 boys will be there in a month or so’s time for the climax of the F1 season. That’s a little more sedate, isn’t it? Little canoe or paddle board in amongst the mangroves. That fabulous Lou Abu Dhabi [Music] skyline is changing just about every year we come here. Not quite to the extent it was in the early days in uh Dubai and Yas Island is the playground really of Abu Dhabi. We’ve got the Formula 1 circuit, Ferrari world, Warner Brothers worlds. You got a massive mall with lots of great eeries and shops and a wonderful golf course in Yas Links. It is incredible to think when you look at it like that that there was nothing here before and this looks like it’s been here forever. We look over the water probably it’s those uh sort of mangroves. That’s that’s probably what they had here. Something like that. Bush and scrub and amazing job. What do you particularly like about Obear’s swing then, gentlemen? It’s just so simple. It’s so simple. It’s so repetitive. The face control is different league. You know, I I think Jamie’s going to talk about the way that he, you know, steps in a shot and and and go right in it. I just like the way it’s too switch. his is two swings is both sides of the ball. He always gets to his finish on the golf course, which not everyone does. You and when people don’t get to their finish, it’s through tension and doubt, but he doesn’t seem to have any of that. When I first watched him in Switzerland last year, it was last year. His arms and his hands seem to hang very close to his body. Great posture. Yeah, he keeps his upper arms close to his chest so he keeps connected and through they go. It’s beautiful to watch. And not just it’s all of his game. It’s not just, you know, few aspects. Putting’s the same. And once he’s made his decision on the golf course as well, he he goes. Yes. There’s no second guessing, is there? That’s for sure with Old Bear. All three players in the fairway at number five. Pins cut tight to the left hand side. Yeah, that’s a tough pin, isn’t it? To get close, you got to pitch it all the way. I was just thinking that, Jamie. I mean, like you we we just saw this little slope to the left of it, and we saw a bunch of people bringing the back edge into play. So, if you go slightly right of the hole, which is what, you know, visually we would would all be attracted to do, if you go a couple of paces too far, you’ll be running through the back. So, it doesn’t look much, but it still requires very good accuracy to hit it close. I I just maintain if you’ve got wedges in your hand, these guys, you unless the pin’s ridiculous, you you got to go at it. You got to go at it. When you when you play with the top boys, they just go at every pin. They try to back themselves and they back the short games if they miss it as well. That’s the other aspect. If you miss it, you back your short game. Especially in these conditions, you spend all all you know your whole life practicing at pins on the on the range. But when you get on the golf course, you get these you got to go go at it. My my view. No, no, it’s correct. I don’t call them scoring clubs for nothing. 131 yards. This is full green lines. Club twirl. Five out of 10. Four and a half. Jamie, you’re looking at me like I’m crazy. Contact was the contact was excellent, but he’s outside the 20 foot mark. is demanding. Oh, has he come out over the top of that? He might have done great. That’s pretty good. I wouldn’t really mess with that left hand side. I mean, I think that I think the bounce of the ball could have done anything. If you pitch on the down slope here, it could have finished where the camera is. You have no control of the bounce if you go left of the hole here. I like his extension through the ball, Fitzpatrick. There we go. Just love to prove me wrong. I’ll have a word with Alex later. Well, they’re they’re out again. It’s every day now. I tell you what, love it. No, but I was, you know, I’m quite excited at the chance of going on the paddle board in the mangrove. I think I have found the people with the right information of where to go. I think so. We have our people trying to get in contact with those. I’d love to have the intel. It’s a morning ritual, isn’t it? Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, wow. window. I mean, look at the quality of the water. Look at what you have here at hand. So, we got a couple of pretty good looks at Birdie. Um, you Ferguson is in that area far enough away from the hole where you don’t make many of them. It looks like BRT and Ferguson here are looking at, you know, BRT’s ball to make a decision if that’s in the green or not. Usually there’s always one side where you have confirmation if it’s touching. If it’s touching any part of the green, you’re allowed to mark and it would be considered to be on the green surface. It’s taking a long time to debate. Actually, the grass is cut so fine that sometimes it is difficult to to notice. Yeah, that’s interesting. I mean, look at it from here. You can hardly tell the difference between the green and the fairway. There is a line just behind Ferguson there on the on the back of the mound, which is noticeable. I would say that’s off the green, isn’t it? He doesn’t think so. And obviously they want to mark they want to clean it. want to aim their line on it as well. That’s why it’s important. You should be able to make a decision amongst the group really. Well, I guess it just depends how much you like your playing partner or not. I wouldn’t have given it. No surprises there. I think it’s a good opportunity to tell the people that I played my first European tour event in your company. And I was like, “Oh my god, if these golf professionals are all like this, I’m in for a ride.” 15 years old I was. And you just couldn’t resist giving it to me. I remember complaining about you when I got in. Too good. So, what am I do playing with this guy? Look at my draw. Seriously, not knowing that 25 laders would be sitting next to one another and liking each other to a certain extent. Yeah. Well, that was a bit of a qualification, wasn’t it? To a certain extent. It was a right of passage. You got to earn your way out here, Nikico. And you certainly did. So, a little bit of left to right, do we think? I think so. Yeah. Yeah. He’s sold a couple of good parts, isn’t he? It’s probably the longest one. Yeah, that’s a great view. Look at that coming off that shoulder. Oh, Jamie, he’s done it again. He’s testing you, Jamie. He’s testing your patience. Testing himself as well. Not a great weight shot and a poor part. But but but but you get along. There’s a reason why I want to attack these pins cuz long putting is is hard on these greens. There’s so many different slopes. So, Robinson Thompson. This could have a little bit of right to left at the end. If it falls, it’s from the right half. Just not enough base. I might have gotten that wrong, too. I thought it was going to fall left a little bit. Didn’t look like it did that. And his position, I mean, just playing for a spot into Nick Sweet, you can’t really leave putts inside 20 ft short. You have to give yourself a chance. Also, when the greens get quicker, which they got quicker all week, uh the ball will turn more at the end of its journey. So, you have to allow that as well. Yeah, that’s not great, is it? 113th in one putts. I mean he may be that he hits an awful lot of greens doesn’t get it close the hole in two parts everything but uh it also means that I also think when we’re comparing stats you got to remember all these guys are excellent at all the disciplines really so we are we are comparing excellent so you you can be too harsh that was a poor part from there could be could have been a misread I’m not quite sure it’s the insert Alex, you do all your work pre-ournament and maybe during the tournament in terms of calibration and technique or whatever you like. But once you get out here, you’ve got to get into the line of the butt. All that’s done. You got to let it go. And it’s it’s a hard thing for guys some guys to let go of the technique, especially when you park. You’ve got to be massively into the line speed. Just four, just three pass from these three guys. Would have liked a little bit more threatening on this short hall. The fifth. Moving on to the sixth now, which is a little bit more demanding. Hardest toll on the course so far this week. Number six, 18th green just to the right of the grand stands there. Ninth green on the left hand side and the wonderful clubhouse just behind. Bit of a Spanish uh theme into this clubhouse. A little bit like Andalucia Asienda type thing. Not the one in Manchester of course. Yes, that’s slightly different. So, I’m told just unfortunate to lose these amazing places that paved the way. But welcome along. That would have been something the Sienda back in the day if you’re into that sort of thing. Do you still do some DJing? There’s not a day that goes by. I don’t think about electronic music and the scene and It’s my heartbeat. Actually, funny enough, a good friend of mine, man, is staying at home. He’s playing at a festival tonight in Dubai. So, tonight I will be on stage, fellas. Or backstage, let’s say. It’s probably safer for the success of the event. Right. Talk us through this. The toughest hole on the course then. It’s that left rough catches many a player. It’s quite narrow. They narrowed the fairway down here a little bit this week, so it’s a difficult fairway to find. And uh I think this is probably the toughest pin we’ve had all week here tied to that bunker. Ferguson be aiming left. I like the way he gets through the ball. Even Ferguson, it’s full commitment. Absolutely splits the fairway. Very sensible hat for Richie. Richard, a little bit of a bit of a slap for the caddy there. saying great shot and he hits it in the rough. Don’t you love that as a player? Like it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been out here, you still make bad calls. That should be good enough for Fitzy. Yeah, that’s nice. Rounds out of the fairway. Opening up the green a little. So, two in the fairway. Final round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. Oh, hello. What’s that? What do they call that? I don’t know. Well, there’s that one in the middle, which I don’t know. But there was the other one with a foil underneath that has become quite popular. That looks fun. I think if you know what you’re doing, that thing looks like a lot of fun. Some guys do loops looping with them and everything. Yeah. The one on the left there, that’s the remote controlled foil. overboard or something like that. Yeah. Yeah, that looks uh that looks like fun. That does look like fun. Yeah. The other one with the the hose pipe. The large hose pipe. Large hose pipe with a jet on it. I can see Andrew Coltart doing that. Well, I’d like to see Andrew Colart doing that. How does he How does that I suppose the jets are keeping you up, aren’t they? Indeed. He’s a fair He’s a fair way above the water. He’s showing off there now, isn’t he? I got a lot of friends who are into wing foiling, so they’ve got that type of board, but they hold a sort of kite, which pulls them along, but absolutely mad for it. Soon as there’s a a wind in excess of 20 mph, they all run down to the coast and get out on the water. That’s the business end of the leaderboard in the first of the playoff events. this Rolex Series tournament, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. Can Aaron Ry bag himself a second gold star? Nikolai Hoyar likewise or will it be another victory late season for Tommy Fleetwood? Tier Hatton could move past his friend and teammate John Ram with a sixth gold star out there today. Alex Noran won the BMW PGA Championship and the bet for a British Masters at the start of the back nine. Good to see Alejandro Del Rey doing well. His uh close pal Sebastian Garcia got his car. Yeah, Hotel Planetar. Quite similar, aren’t they? In terms of player, those two very aggressive players. Del Ray was wonderful to watch actually earlier this year in Ras Alheim. He’s an aggressive player. Well, I don’t think it’s going to be enough for Alex Fitzpatrick to make it through to next week. He kind of left himself with a bit too much to do on Sunday. He did get off to a good start this week. He opened up with a round of 66, but he’s struggled a little bit since then. 7472 to follow up that excellent opening round. Tiny little bit of mud on the ball. Brandon. No, I think that is Alex actually Alex Fitzpatrick’s ball, isn’t it? Robinson Thompson away in the rough. Looked to be sitting up okay and back on the first heat. Vigil bear with the white shirt. John Perry in blue. Roman Longass wearing the dark colors are about to get underway on this final day. kind of seems throughout the week that more and more players have been reaching for the driver on this hole. We’ll see what they do here. Still not much in the way of breeze at the moment. Long gas. It’s either a driver or a mini driver. He’s going to be first up. So, let’s get down to Alistister Scott. our announcer. Thank you. This is game number 11 on the tea from France. Roma Longas [Applause] 7068 69 to this point for Longas at nine under palm. It’s mostly going to find the left hand side rough there for long. On the tea from England, John Perry. Yeah, we’re seeing a lot more drivers, aren’t we? This uh as they get to know the golf course, these guys are just they just adjust their game plan and realize that drive is probably the play here, especially get a little bit of a cut. Pretty straight ball flight from John Parrick. Courtesy of Trackman there. You can see that arrow straight. 171 mph on the team from Sweden, Ludvik Oberg. I would say let’s compare it to Lud the Gold Bear, but he’s going to hit an iron. Yeah, which is surprising because I mean Ludvik is an extremely straight driver of the golf ball. So if he hits an iron, there will be some thinking behind this. Thank you guys. Thank you. No problem. Paul think about 120 odd from there to that tight left pin. I think this is a great opportunity for John Perry to realize what he’s going to be up against next year on the PGA Tour. Now Fitzy second shot into six. Tight lift bend. There’s nothing too complicated about this if you keep it right. Exactly like that. We have another birdie yet so far today on this sixth hole. Albeit it’s the uh only a few groups have gone through. And just coming out of the rough makes it a little bit more awkward for Robinson Thompson. Oh yeah. Go on. Wow. I mean your defense, Jamie. I mean, there’s a lot of loft on this club. I mean, it’s if you catch half a decent eye, it’s it’s not really that complicated. I I’m attempting to build the tension to this shot, but they’re so good. The control that the ball’s not jumping out the raft this week, is it? It’s It’s coming out quite soft, I feel. Yeah, we haven’t we haven’t really seen, you know, flyers like animal flyers that everybody You think it’s going to You think that’s going to happen, but it doesn’t. There’s nothing worse than an animal flyer. He can do whatever he wants with this Ferguson. Yeah. Okay. A little bit on the safe side. Still okay. Decent shot. Now back to the first and our second feature group. We can see the ball flights of all three. Obear in gray, Parry in gold and long gas in green. If you look at this, I mean like Ludvig hit an iron and he hit it almost just as high as his two playing partners. You know, if you have the the skills to hit the ball high and powerfully like Ludvig, that usually works on the PGA Tour. That’s why he’s been successful over there. Over to six. It’s going to be Yuan Ferguson first to part a few of these from this length. Ferguson that is to go four under an eagle the second you know another one on the low side to please Jamie Spence we have seen quite a few though have we have in your defense we have seen J we have yeah Ludvig with the iron off the first just 135 yards in. You’ll have the luxury of hitting a full shot into this plateau top left. It’s not very deep. You don’t really have a lot of depth to play with. If you go long, it’s going to pitch in the mound and spin back. So ideally pitching it at the hall. Look at the pitch mark. Wow. Wow. We saw two whole outs yesterday here. Almost a third one today with Ludvig throwing a dot. Had two chances to go in, didn’t it? Yeah. On the fly. Little bounce and then a bit of spin. Look at this. Circling the hole. He’s so good. He’s so good. I mean, how many guys have made the Rder Cup team after just being pro for six months? You don’t come across these guys very often. We’re lucky to see him play the game. Yeah, the only player ever remember to play in a Ryder Cup team before teeing it up in a major championship. Eduardo Molinari had a lot to do with it, didn’t he? He was tracking his uh his passage through college golf and he said to Luke Donald, he said, “You will not believe the numbers this guy is putting up. Well, his recent results aren’t uh anything to shout about, are they for long? So, be looking forward to the end of the season really. Have a little bit of a break out of the rough. Well, he will, won’t he? But you know what? He lives in a very nice part of the world. Live lives on the Mediterranean. And he’s also he also lives in Andor. I think there’s been some snow already. Oh, we like he a ski tourer like myself gets the skins on the bottom of the skis and heads up into the mountains with his dad. I think 76 yards. I would have liked that a little bit further back. What’s he going to do with this? Yeah, that’s nicely done. How much action was he able to get from this far? From this close. Great strike from Perry actually. As well as not many flyers. We haven’t seen too much spin on these greens, have we? So far this week as we go to six and Fitzpatrick to get to six under. Burned it there. He thought he had that. Fitzy just broke at the hole. You do need a break from golf. You need to get get your mind away from thinking about all your aspects of your game. So, a lot of guys take a break different times of the year depending on your schedule, where your ranking is. Now, surely we’re going to see a birdie. Yeah, there we go. Right in the middle for Robinson Thompson. Yeah, that’s the first one today at number six. his wife following around. She’s traveled a fair bit with him despite that birdie. Still projected at 54 in the race to Dubai. Robinson Thompson. Remember he was the man with a target on his back at the start of the week. Came in 50th, which is the last spot for next week and the season finale, the DP World Tour Championship. Three great chances here at the first. Yeah, when we came here a couple of years ago and it was windy. That was a very hard shelf to find. I remember there was a lot of guys going long and making a mess of this. It’s just completely different now. It’s like playing inside of a dome at the moment. There’s hardly anything. Little bit of right to left Barry here. Start your day in a best of fashion. Just the start he would have hoped for. John Perry. Yeah, what a season Paris had come here seventh in the rankings. Currently predicted to be ninth, but either way, he’s going to go to uh Dubai next week in the top 10. Some performance over from the other side the heart wall left half. Slightly different angle here. Maybe straight. Don’t leave the hole anyway. No, that is very true. Little bit up the hill. No problem at all. Well deserved as well after that wonderful wedge shot which was dancing around the hole. Are we going to get three from three with a long gas? Brendan McCarten looking closely. He’s had really good bags over the years. Brendan won the Masters with Jose Maria Lassabo back in the day and was giving his putter putter that won the masters. That’s a nice token of appreciation from one of European’s greats. All smiles after three birdies. Over to number seven. It’s Par five and Robin Thompson. Yes, two big hits for Brandon. Long extension there. Just trying to get a little bit more out of it up the left. That left rough. I’ve seen a little bit of action throughout the week. There’s something in that left rough that attracts players. I’ve seen more guys left and right. Ferguson, he’s got the right shape for this. If you can keep this a little bit low, like a knuckle ball flat fade. Try to make the most out of the run will be great. Yeah, that was max power for Y down the right hand side. That’s still on the fairway. Up it comes. That’s a long one for him. Bit of chase for him there. It is a great luxury to have when you can step on the tea and and know how to maximize what the fairway does for you. Alex asking this to move a little bit right. Okay, that’s fine. No roll right next to BRT. Aaron Wright takes a one-shot lead into the final day of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. The first of the playoff events and the fourth of the five Rolex Series events this season on the DP World Tour schedule. We’re at Yas Links, this wonderful venue. Four straight years we’ve been coming here. There’s Rory Mroy 14 underpar trying to win the race to Dubai for the seventh time in his career. Orbear with a birdie in the first rising to 11 under par. Good start today from Eugenio Shakara. Fast out of the blocks. Three under through two holes. Alex’s brother Matt Fitzpatrick off in just over 20 minutes time. And birdies two at the first for Parry and Long Gas sees them jump to 10 under bar. It’s been a lowcoring week, hasn’t it? Largely due to the relative lack of breeze. This is the tea at the second and that is Raman Longas. Long gas wouldn’t have the firepower to carry the bunker on the right, so he has to use the fairway. Again, if you can flatten this trajectory a little bit, that’s where you’ll get the most out of the bounce. Got to be a bit careful leading to the right there. Oh yeah, just dodges it. It’s okay now. Good call. Yeah, good point you make about um Perry comparing himself against Ober. Well, both players really. Well, more more in John Perry’s case. I mean, he’s got he’s got the ticket. So, I mean, this is this is the perfect opportunity to actually match or trying to match what needs to be done from a high-c caliber player on the PGA Tour. Look at that. The effort Barry puts in. That was that was some drive. Could have got only got 168 ball speed. Be interesting what if Oberg just steps on this what he will be. Well, Ludberger is not crazy quick. I mean, you’ve got your your Orard twins and, you know, the guys that are on top of the driving stats. I I think Ludvig is the most efficient, quickish, neutral ball flight, extra repetitive. I mean, anyone would like to drive the ball like he does. He’s one of the best. Smash factor. I would say 82. I’m 77. It’s early in the morning. The smash factor is the number, Jamie. Like you said, the smash factor is the combination of the club speed and ball speed. So, the quality of centering of the ball shows your efficiency, doesn’t it? Not just thrashing at it. Funny enough, my smash factor was always pretty good. Problem is, the ball only went about 260. Going back to what you were talking about about taking a break and Alex Fitzpatrick looks like he’s got an enforced week off next week anyway. What was the what was the longest break you were comfortable with taking when you were during your playing career? Well, it’s different different now cuz uh we you did have a a break in the winter. There was there wasn’t anything to play in unless you went play Sun. Yeah. Or maybe Australia. I went and played Australia three years actually. That was that was great fun. But that wasn’t part of the European tour back in those days. So yeah, you do need to get away. But our our break was sort of it was there obvious, you know, through through the winter months. But nowadays, you can almost play all year round, can’t you? Yeah, you you can. But like you like you rightfully mentioned, you you have to take time off and especially when I mean look at take somebody like John Perry who I think has played, you know, close to 30 weeks this year. you need the time off, you know, to reset and and not just from a golf game point of view, but also from a body point of view because you put your body through so much when you play that much golf. I I I think the reasonable, you know, amount of days would be, you know, maximum of two weeks, you know, 12 days and and then slowly get back into it. There’s also certain different there’s different levels of intensity into practice as well. You don’t go straight into full gear, you know, you slowly get back to that uh that cruising practice rhythm that, you know, most of golf professionals will go through throughout the season. I’ll be interested. Alex Fitzpatrick, he’s just come into some form, isn’t he? The last I think he might just keep going a bit. I don’t know what his schedule is, but uh I know he likes playing down in Australia. Surprise if he heads down there. It’s fantastic. It’s one of the best places in the world to play, especially this year playing the the Australian Open at Royal Melbourne. I mean, with Rory Mackar playing, I mean, I I think those Australian tournaments finally get, you know, the buzz that they that they deserve. You know, there were amazing events back in the day with the Normans and and and the Applebees and Allen Bees and Adam Scott. I played uh Royal Mel I don’t know what year it was. I was leading with nine ago. I wasn’t not used to that situation, but Royal Melbourne, what a golf course. And unfortunately, Wayne Riley won. Oh well, I’ve been watching him hold a long poning his fists up the green. Great moment for radar. There has been a a big push. We’re talking about Royal Melbourne to uh to move the PGA Championship around the world, hasn’t there? And a lot of people would say that’s the sort of venue if you are going to have a major that moves around the world that it should go to. maybe maybe a venue in South Africa as well recognizing the the contribution of of those nations to world golf and the history of golf. The Stone Haven Cup is the name of the Aussie Trophy. Yes, that sand belt in Melbourne or some golf courses down there. There’s the It’s It’s incredible how close all of these golfers or these golf courses are. Royal Melbourne, Kingston, Heath, Metropolitan, Victoria, Victoria. I have a soft spot for Victoria. Amazing golf course. Now, Fitzy trying to find this par five into back right bin. There is a way to bring this off the left. Has he done overdone it a little bit? It’s going to go down into that ball. If it stayed there, it would have been a lot easier. If you didn’t know they were brothers, is there anything in the swings which would indicate that they were Matt Fitzpatrick? They load into the ball a little bit in a in a similar way. I mean, his older brother Matt’s got a much stronger left hand grip. And where’s this going to finish also in that bowl? But I I think you know people that have you know multiple childrens will agree with you like they they can be extremely different and I think this is the perfect example quite quite quick rhythms to their swings. That’s that’s about it really for me. Uh both Matt and Alex closer to the green for Ferguson 263. So he has got to press to get there. It’s a good pin for him down the left. Just let it drift. Yeah, clearly playing a lifter right here. Is it moving right enough? He’s lifted into the left bunker. Unfortunately, that’s going to be a long bunker shot. Well, he’d be annoyed with himself there. He just uh squared it up a bit too much the other way down and didn’t get his cut spin. I think seeing his two playing partners bringing that ball on the right didn’t help. Yeah, they’re not going to be easy chips those. Who did we see down there? Was it yesterday playing amazing shot out the rough? Might have been the day before. It was Raasmus. That was it. Well, it’s a beautiful morning in Abu Dhabi. It’s been a beautiful week, actually. These are the projected race to Dubai rankings. John Perry would actually drop a couple of spots from 7th to 9th. See Alex Norin and Aaron Ry pass him on the standings, but he’s still on course for one of those dual membership cards. Long gas with his second shot to the second hole. Right. Is he going to get a bounce? Go, go, go. Up over the hill. Oh, that’s going to be good. Go on, keep going. Excellent shot from Romel. Be better all the time. It’s a bit of a gift, isn’t it? This second once you get your drive away, you could make a birdie here, Dom, I reckon with your shot. That’s going to make the next one a bit hard for Perry. Maybe a little mish hit near Ludvig. This is going to be textbook mid iron 215 yards. Playing a little bit shorter than that. Pitching this about 15. Oh, that’s very unlike Ludvig. Oh, wow. There’s going to be a little bit of slope to deal with here. It’s unusual that lack of balance, a through swing there for Goa and you’ve only got to be slightly out and suddenly you’re faced with a really difficult shot which we’re going to see in a few minutes time. There you go. Even the very best players in the world don’t hit good shots all the time. Right, Ferguson out of the bunker here. Long, long bunker shot, but it will release. Yeah, you said so, Jamie. I mean, it was tempting to go all the way there, but you know, you’re talking what, one or two paces too far and look at what you’ve got next. I mean, you’re going for the green in two and now you’re going to struggle to safe par. Yeah, from his angle there’s a bit of a bank to the right of that pin but not to the left. And just a slight misjudgment there from the Scott. Oh, he’s on the fairway, Alex. And he’s trying to get a bit of spinach on it. Gets it. Look at that. What a shot. I suspect some fresh grooves there. This turf though, doesn’t it’s so tight, isn’t it? If if you get it just right, it will spin. There bit of sand under the underneath this grass as well. That’s a lovely control there from Fitzpatrick. Ferguson has reached straight for the putter. Meanwhile, Brown and Robinson Thompson played it differently but equally as good. a little bit further out. Probably on the better side of the hole. We haven’t actually had the green speed confirmed today, but they they look a hair quicker to me anyway in these early stages. I think the fascinating thing was how much we were told by the the tour officials how much they slowed down throughout the day by a foot or so on the stimp meter. Yeah. Yeah. I don’t know about you, Jimmy, but I’ve never heard such a growth like that of of of grass. Oh, change of speed. No, that’s a lot. Probably why we’ve seen a lot of good schools early in the day when the greens are fresher and uh rolling a bit quicker. These guys prefer it that way. This is not easy this up the hill. A bit of pace on this could could chase by the hole. And equally, he’s got to make sure he hits it hard enough to get it up there. It’s pretty good. It’s pretty good. It’s actually very good. That looked complicated. So refreshing, isn’t it? the runoff areas rather than just thick rusk or rough I should say close to the greens where it can become a a little one-dimensional. He had all sorts of options there, didn’t he, with how to play that shot. Chose the putter in the end. Here’s uh John Perry just off the front edge here at the second. So, this won’t be easy to judge. It’s just visualization, you know, trying to see, you know, how far this ball will come from the right at the end and just try to match the speed. Everything is down the last two/irds of this left to right early and then right to left as soon as it starts gathering speed. Yeah, I think the further left you go, the more unpredictable the pace would have been. You’d also know that if it gets at the hole, like that’s where it’s going to keep going left and away from the hole. And now he’s got a downhiller for his fourth. Robinson Thompson over at seven for Birdie. Yeah, good. That was a slow put. He had to make sure he hit that hard enough and he did. BRT fourth birdie of the day for him. He’s having a crack at it. He’s trying to get inside that top 50. I think it might just be bit beyond his reach. He has moved up a a spot. 53rd from 54. So, but he’s going to need a real low one. Low of the week, I would say. Here we go. This is good. Yeah, that never looked high enough. Everybody that has come from that side of the green has read it low. Yeah. All week, hasn’t it? I’m not sure whether the pottery could keep it up high enough there. Took his medicine. Well, there. Oh, this for par. Put himself under pressure here. Ferguson. Couple of loose shots in a row. Hopefully knocks this in. Bit of right to left. Oh heavens. Never looked comfortable. As soon as the putter started to get at the ball, you could see that wasn’t going to happen. So gas is very much in eagle territory here. French we call that a tear gope. A what? a tearrope which is which is you know when you are very accurate in successful occasions. Yeah, these four eagle tri looks extremely close on one another. If you could have throw a blanket, small blanket as well, a handkerchief, maybe a beach towel. Wasn’t his best effort either way. No, easy birdie. This a birdie for Parry. Good little read from Long Gas. He knows he just drifts to the right if he’s a bit short of pace here. Good part. Good part. Well, you’re not into the top 10 in a race to Dubai if that club is not working. Two under two. And over at seven, the birdie part for Alex Fitzpatrick. Well done. Second birdie of the round for him. So he moves it to six under par, but he’s still projected at 63rd on the rankings. Long way from top 50. I don’t think it’s really realistically on for him now. And just like Parry, this is just too far for Birdie from Ludving having just a mid iron into this green to a relatively easy pin. You know, they’re not automatic those. It’s a bit down. Will get his attention. Full focus needed. Nicely done. It’s a birdie birdie start for all three in this group. Actually could have ironed that shirt a bit better this morning. It’s the wonderful thing about these modern fabrics though, isn’t it Nico? Iron not required generally speaking. I can tell you that Eugenio Shakara the Spaniard has started Birdie Eagle Birdie. So he’s moved to 12 under par. Patton Mroy with nine gold stars, nine Rolex series victories between them. Bob McIntyre got his at his national open championship at the Renaissance Club last year with a a sparkling finish. There’s Chakara with a fast start or bear to 12 under as well. Great turnound from Matty Jordan who had a very poor first day has come back nicely. He too, another player is trying to play their way into next week. Finish the season on a high so far. I agree. Eighth 196 bar three. I like it. Down by the water. Yep. Sweet. Flag back center. Stroke right. Seven on. Good shot. Pretty good shot. Look at the Look at the lagoon there. It’s just like a pond. Glassy. Yes, we’re going to see those two borders come around in a second on their second lap. It’s not an easy shot to find this top shelf cuz a little bit left it gathers towards a bunker and a little bit right slopes away into the rough and also possibly a penalty area. If you go short, it’s a lot wider target, which is what Alex Fitzpatrick done. 46th in the ranking at the moment, Ferguson. And that’s an absolute beauty after that disappointing bogey on the par five. He should be able to get that back. Can’t see him missing next week, whatever he does today, really. No, he’d have to have a a horror show and then others move past him as well. Last with an aggressive play here at three. He’s gone for the driver. Oh yeah, perfect now for Roman. Most of the players hitting fairway woods down this third. Few are taking on the bunker. There’s a great view back to the tea. So just a fairway metal for Parry. Big target with this club. Yeah, nice and safe from John Perry. He’s a player who seems to plot his way around very nicely. Doesn’t seem to make too many course management mistakes. Now, Ludvig with the threewood. Everything’s just sound with this guy. It’s up and down. It’s aggressive. It’s posed. It’s okay. Now it is in the rough. But that’s a funny one, isn’t it? Cuz I assume he he was taking something which he probably thought would he couldn’t reach the bunker with. That’s one of those What is it, Jamie? A curlu. Curlu. Yes. huge beaks and get down into the earth to I become very interested in in bird life with my pal Tony Johnson who’s an absolute genius expert. He knows every single bird in the world. Yeah, he knows all their backstories as well and everything. Yeah, I go out with Tony. We go around the golf courses and he tells me what all the birds are. Especially when you in South Africa or Kenya last year, we saw some amazing birds. Couple of pike king fishes catching a fish. We were very lucky to see it go in there grab a fish. It was great. So if you just look around you when you’re having a walk, you can see all sorts of things. And a lot of birds migrate to this part part of the world now because the the lakes are putting around the golf courses as well. A little stop over, little break or they fly off south or north depending which way you’re going. This doesn’t look too straightforward for Brandon Robinson Thompson. Yeah, we’re talking about the indilation of those greens. You know, if you hit the right shots, you can give yourself a lot of birdie opportunities, but if you are away from those sections, this is what you’re facing. Bit of a lagging exercise. It was coming nicely. Just a bit shy on pace. I think four I think four or five under. Five under would do it for BRT at the end of the week. Four would be on the limit to try to lock that 50th spot. He’s four under at the moment today and projected 53rd. I think four birdies, you giving yourself a chance. Five, you’re looking good. Holes are running out, aren’t they? No such ways for parry. 181 pin back central. started online and is online. Good shot from Perry. There’s just no defense for the golf course. The weather all week has been absolutely sensational though. Hardly any breeze. It’s picked up a bit at the end of the day. I watching the coverage at the end of the end of day yesterday was those last four holes were tough yesterday, but uh early doors you Just take dead aim. Looks awkward this one. That Yeah, I mean it it would all depend of where his left foot sits. A little bit. I think he’s fine. I’m trying to play maybe a 25 shot. I was just reading how that ball is going to come out of that rough. I mean, 146 yards. You know, if that is a wedge, you’ll have to take some off. Try to control how the ball would exit the slide. Something high and soft. Got to be careful to go along left here. Yeah, exactly like that. Ooh, that was probably quite lucky, wasn’t it? Yeah, I think that would have found that big lump of grass there. Yeah, we will never know. But if I found that long grass, it would have been ugly for Ludvig Long. Full green light 108 yards. H you want this to stay there because it will take a bit of a slope and it’s gone. Yeah, that’s a bit of a footfall from Longask unfortunately from such close range where you have all the space on the right to bring it in. Once again to the eighth this time, Alex Fitzpatrick with a birdie putt. It’s slow up that deer. Oh, just a bit hard. Just a bit hard. Different grasses next week. Certainly on the greens there will a little bit of grain involved there. Different grass everywhere. I mean even just chipping. I mean this is past palum. So the the the grass will tend to stick up. I mean even though here it’s got extremely tight but next week is proper Bermuda. So advantage to the guys playing their golf in America and used to that grass especially around the grains and you know reading what the grass does. It’s a bit of a it’s a bit of a niche or at least for European players that grew up on on normal ben grass. Nice recovery there from Yan Ferguson after a bogey at the par five seventh. It’s a birdie there at eight. So back on track back to seven under paredth on the rankings. And there is the rake that may have prevented Ludvig Goldberg from reaching that thick grass. I mean, the ball is not exactly sitting up, but it looks like he can easily get underneath this, but yeah, certainly has had the best break that we’ve seen on our future group coverage so far because that could have been a lot uglier for Ludvik. couldn’t allow to play a shot or hit a swing that would, you know, bring the back into play there. So, a little bit of an unforced error. So, maybe that is our first flyer of the week. Yeah, it was it was deemed to happen. It was bound to happen, Dom, who made it into your fantasy team this week’s six players. If you follow the QR code there, it’ll all be explained for you. Rory Maroy the favorite. Tommy Fleet with the form. Rafa Cabrera Bau with a good record in the Middle East. The wild card pick. I went for Tier Hatton. And we need a little bit of softness here because it’s all down. This is a good angle to watch this from. Let’s run it down a slope. That would have been some three after a very good break at the back. It was tracking at one stage there, wasn’t it? Certainly was. But again, no fuss. Makes it look easy, doesn’t he? It’s quite a quite a gift. A long ask after a rather disappointing wet shot. Yeah. Putting out a little bowl here. Yeah. Left to right at the end of this. Had this firm enough. Oh no. It’s gone the other way. Right to left. That’s surprising. We’ll get rid of that. It’s always nice to leave the stage for for who’s next. For you people watching at home, just tap it in and get out of the way. It looks cleaner and quicker. Mhm. Look at that. Previously his best race to Dubai finished 52nd in his rookie season in 2010, but he he won. Currently projected ninth. What a season it has been for Parry. Bit of movement here. There we go. There we go. Right in the heart of it. Yeah, that’s a three birdie start as well for John Perry. So he jumps to 12 underpar. He’s back projected seventh where he started the week in the rankings. I think he likes these greens. It’s ped beautifully. Yeah, it’s like shelling peas, isn’t it for Barry on these greens. The front line is where you make your score. We saw that yesterday with Tan. He went out 29, didn’t he? It’s hard to keep that. You can’t keep that sort of level of eagles and birdies going. But uh does pose a few more questions on the back nuth. But even so, you still got to make the puts, hit the shots. Got some early chances on the back nine, haven’t you? 10 and 11 certainly, but it does get quite uh sticky, especially when it’s back into a a bit of a breeze on those final four holes. Yeah, got a bit of a hold up on the night. scratched playing the role of spectator. Everyone in good spirits. It’s got that end of term feel about it, hasn’t it? Anyone who’s made it through to the two playoff events has had an excellent season and they’re playing for a lot of money this week and and next. Yes. Let’s not forget the cash. It’s quite important especially when you think of John Perry, you know, he went went through it all, didn’t he? Went dropped a few few levels in terms of tours and um yeah, he would have been scratching around for a while. No doubt about it. No doubt. Oh yeah. Not very glamorous back on the sort of Euro Pro tour. Total purses about last place sort of. But the pathway is there. If you just keep at it and you’re good enough, you you’ll you’ll get what you deserve eventually. You keep keep going. Right. This front pin’s caused a bit of trouble to get really close to it. Needs a bit of a breeze really. There it is. Average to the hole. Just over 25 ft. To get really close, you got to fly it all the way and try and get a bit of grab, but it’s easier just to use the bank on the right. Like that. Lovely. We talk about the simplicity of the uh Ludvig Gold Bear swing, but there’s not too many moving parts with John Parry’s move, is there? Yeah, they both start with good postures over the ball. Perry looks very solid over the ball. Good platform for Roma. Pretty easy. [Music] Just right. Let’s compare and contrast. I think this is a swing that’s going to be taught in a lot of golf schools. Yeah, very relaxed over the balls in the arms hanging straight down. So, we sent a couple of those this morning. It’s going left. Oh, down it goes. And that will leave an interesting one. Right. Finally, they’re ready to go at nine. And uh you Ferguson’s got the driver over the water here to a fairway that sits across you. Yeah, this is a simple t-shirt for him though. He likes to play the ball left to right. He would be aiming at that bunker in the far left and just trying to move it off that now has it. It will be pretty close to that bunker. Is he checking how far is? Do you think I would have gotten that there? Should be short. Not so much for this guy. He likes to play right to left, Jimmy. Yeah, it’s uh not such an easy two shot. Hence, it’s hitting the fairway metal. Swing game. Go further left. Taking on that right hand bunker. Quite a big fairway. He’s going to have a longer second shot, but quite a big target with this club. Really very nearly up with Ferguson there. Robinson Thompson, Alex with the driver. We have to take this a little bit further right. He’s got a bit more firepower than Hume Ferguson. There we go. The fans are on providing the only breeze there is at the moment. How tight does that grass look? Look at this. You know, on some type of grass, it it’s it looks like half the ball is sitting on it. I mean, here it’s just a couple of dimples of the ball in touch with the grass. Yeah, he’s got the potter out. Yeah, he’s left himself in an awkward spot here. Ludvigor. Yeah, it’s so tight. It doesn’t really leave a lot of space to throw a lobber into there. doesn’t it? I mean, you need some sharp. Anything with a bit of bounce, it would present the leading edge. And I I always prefer to chip from off the green, but in this occasion, you couldn’t butt because it’s so tight. Big swing of the left. How close would he have to get to that sprinkler head? Well, it’s moved a lot. It’s moved a lot. Yeah, he might have had to challenge those sprinklers when they to get close. That was difficult shot from big guy bed, but wasn’t a good T- shot. He’ll be playing next week, Dominic. Yes, indeed. He’s an addition to the field, isn’t he? This week and next as a RDER Cup star. can’t actually earn any Race to Dubai points. That didn’t look like a good roll, didn’t it? That was short and brisk and just never looked like it really rolled correctly. I’m trying to think if I’ve seen a worse part than that for a long That was an awful part I’m afraid on Gask. He got totally bamboozled by that. Thought it was going to be much quicker. Obviously, you think in his position he he’d think, right, I’m just going to give him a roll. But uh someone’s had a nice two from down there. Yeah, seven birdies so far today. At number four, that’s actually a fair bit of birdies for a bin that’s not extremely easy to get close. this for four in a row for Parry and he’s got it as well. Must be like a bucket out there at the moment for uh John. So he moves to 13 under par just cementing his place inside the top 10 of the rankings with this sort of start. Bren Robson Thompson second shot on nine. Just a short left pin. That’s not going to stay there unfortunately. It’d be putting up the hill. Could be chipping. But anything left? We’ll go away from the hole there. He knows it. Doesn’t like it. Hates it. Yeah. Anything just left of this pin, it’s gone. So, Ferg’s going to be aiming at the flag. He just It’s a little bit of a cut. Just try and keep it pin eye right. Be looking at the left edge of that scoreboard TV board at the back there on the safe side. It looks just a bit too safe. It’s ranked the second hardest hole of the week so far. Number nine. Yeah, it’s quite intimidating. Intimidating drive. Not easy to get close either. Wherever the flag is on nine. It’s long as well, Jamie. I mean, it’s 480 yards. Yeah. Yeah. I know the greens are big, but 87% greens. GIR is uh excellent. That’s not going to be one of them, is it? Is it? Maybe. Quick. Quick. Yeah. Run. If you’re just tuning in, let’s give you a flavor of what we’ve seen so far in this morning’s feature group coverage. Beginning with this for you Ferguson at number four. Beautifully rolled in for an Eagle three. Short while ago, Ferguson all round good putt out at number four. Boy did drop a shot at seven but got it back at eight. Second shot into the second par five. Nice draw in bit on the safe side on the third hole. This stone dead Robinson Thompson four under par today. Obear. This was his start. Oh yeah, what a start it was. Watch this one. could have gone in twice there and there. Oh, some start for the Swede. Made that putt for his bird. And uh talking of good starts, John Perry. He has looked so good on the greens today. with the driver on five. Just dodgers. A nice little divot there. He’s okay. Saw a couple of good starts in our future group. St. Hatton yesterday. Um you know, but Jaden Schaper flew under the radar a little bit. Yep. And now John Barry driver for Langask as well. He hit five short bar four. Good catch. Good shout. My goodness, that’s a long way left. At least they found it. By the looks of it, it’s pretty thick this stuff. Just off the golf course. I can tell you Daniel Brown has held his second shot at the first for Eagle. That’s the fourth hole out on the first. Ludvig with his Freewood. That’s just a sensible stressfree play on five. I think Langaski is going to play a provisional here. They’ll find his first one. Meanwhile, to Robinson Thompson putting up the slope. You’ll have to give it a little bit of a belt. That looked good. That looked really good. He may have an anxious wait at the start of the day Brandon to see if he can retain his position. Remember he started the week at 50th in the rankings. Currently projected 53rd. Yeah, he has a big back nine in front of him. Done. Ferguson. Long way out. That’s good for pace. Right, Alex Foundry just kept on to the edge of the green here for Birdie. Slow one up the slope here for him. Give it a chance. Burn the hole a few times. Alex Fitzpatrick is couple under for his round. Had to go out 34. wandering their way down the fifth. Our second feature group, the course record award presented by Nexo, a new initiative this season on the DP World Tour, a good one as well. Paul Wearing, who won last year, is the uh course record holder. 61 on day two 12 months ago, not able to play this year. He’s uh he’s injured. He’s here in a sort of ambassadorial role. I hear $90,000 if anyone were to bet that out there today. And I suppose in these conditions, this would be one of the maybe realistic chances to do so. And if not, then we will uh roll over to next week. They’ll add add another $10,000 to the pot and anyone who breaks the course record at the Earth Course over at Jira Golf Estates will get a $100,000. Yeah, I’ll buy the Christmas presents, won’t it? Mhm. I can think of a few things here. Well, they haven’t found his bull over there. There was two guys up there that quickly ran in the direction where the ball landed, but it is extremely high and thick. I mean, I remember the other day Bobby Mack hit it over the green on three and it took him a few minutes to find it where everybody kind of had an idea where it was. Yeah. They don’t start the clock till the player and the caddy get there. Player or the caddy. So, you just want if there’s a lot of people looking for the ball, we just wander up there a little bit slower. Tricks of the trade. But it’s thick. Yeah. Your only chance in there is actually to step on it. And the rule has changed that if the player steps on it, there’s no penalty anymore. Used to be the case back in the day. I think that’s fair. That’s makes sense. Well, any chance that Raman may have entertained of making it through to next week may be disappearing here. Oh. Oh. Oh. 95. Top flight. Top flight. No. Got it in my hand. Is that it? I’ve got another one. Played in a friendly match down in South Africa with Boxy, Richard Boxel with Anthony Wall, and John Morgan. And uh Anthony had a terrific drive. He was playing with me. Poor him against uh John Morgan and and Boxy. And everyone was looking for the ball. And Boxy said, “Oh, what are you playing, Wally? What are you playing?” He said, “Uh” he said, “Hang on, I get this wrong now.” Yeah, I may have to come back to this story. It was funny at the time. You’ll need convinced. I think he said I think he said a a tightless six or something like that and he said oh well never mind pick this ball up he was that’s that’s the point he was picking he was he picked a ball up and he was looking at the ball and he said Anthony Anthony what do you play he said six he said oh well never mind it was funny at the time I’m glad I started that and even happier that I stuck with it and finished it are you doing standup at some point it’s Only the content and the delivery. Yes, the rest is great. Far from that. Yeah. Oh dear. It’s been a long week. Well, so it looks like a ball has been found. Thankfully, bit of French going on here. It looks like I think they’re wondering if it was actually lying like this, but it doesn’t matter. It looks like it’s bad enough for him to take an unplayable and go back. Couple of T- boxes. These are the fourth whole T- box. Well, the right thing to do there would be these two playing partners on the fairway to play up first and trying to save as much time as possible. Did you win the match, Dominic? Did you win the match? Just stop it, Jamie. Trying to get to the end of the story. I’m intrigued now. Barry, second shot. Pin on the left. Gap wedge. Just a little one. It’s just over a mound. He’s No, he doesn’t like it. He should like it. That’s pretty good. Not bad from down in that hollow. Looking forward to our car journey to Dubai with Dominic. Might have the RA. Oh, there’s plenty more where that came from. Well, uh, he’s dropping on the tea. He wants to he not sure those uh boards you can move those boards. That is correct, Jamie, because I I moved one back in the day and got penalized for it. They’re the only boards that you cannot move and it is on the hard card of the DP World Tour unfortunately. In the meantime, from 120 yards or that was a nice tempo. There we go. There we go. That’s That’s two wet shots. He’s almost hold. Yeah, it’s nice when you stiff a few wedge shots, isn’t it? Tapins. Tapins are great. Still got a chance to make his par here with a good ironed shot. outside chance. Yeah, it was a wide off the tea though, wasn’t it? To reach that thick grass up there on the left hand side. Is there a danger, do you think, in his situation where it’s unlikely you’re going to make it through to next week? you haven’t got off to. You got off to a reasonable start, but not a really hot one that you can just lose concentration a little bit out there. Well, I think you would if you don’t really get off to the start that you want. Yeah. And then there is, you know, there is a certain race on. But here in this case, I think we’re just trying to enjoy the last round of the year. Threewood for Ferguson off the 10th. Just playing down straight into the corner. giving yourself a nice little yardage for your second shot. Yeah, his target was to have a good week and get into next week. So, that’s gone. You sort of sort of the air comes out of the balloon, doesn’t it? A little bit. This man’s got some to play for on this back nine. Yeah, look at that. projected 53rd, only top 50 into the DP World Tour Championship. Well, he can’t do more than four under really, can he? On the front nine, he’s just going to have to have a crack at every hole here coming in and hope he’s good enough. driver as well for Alex Fitzpatrick. He’s in a similar situation to Long Gas, projected 64th. Thanks, Three good T- shots down the 10th. So birdie chances hopefully coming up with a back pin there. Plenty of green to work with on the 10th hole. I tell you what it was. By Wallally Boxy picked the ball up. He picked this ball up. He said, “Wally, Wally, were you playing a tightless for?” Um, oh, I’ve got it wrong again. Were you playing a tight list? And Wally said, “Yes.” He said, “Oh, shame. This is a Callaway.” Roman for a par. An unlikely par after that T-shot. Oh. If you’ve been on a break, you’ve missed a Dom Hollier story fest. So on gas back to 10 under parry. This is for five straight birdies. It shows what’s uh available out there on the golf course. The latest starters might be watching a little bit of this. It’s good part could try. A bit sticky though, wasn’t it? Didn’t really. There’s a little bit of grain in this green. This basalam grass grows straight up. You don’t really get much grain, but sometimes you seem to grab it. Did there for Barry, but excellent starting surely. Yeah. Three under for the first five for Ludvig. and 13 under par like John Perry for the championship. It’s his first time at Yaslings. First time actually in the Abu Dhabi HSBC championship ball positions of our first feature group down the par 10th hole. Robinson Thompson and Fitzpatrick taking it on with the uh driver. Ferguson just laying back a little bit. He’s left himself 101. I think I prefer this shot for Ferguson. Just a little bit quicker at the ball. There you go. Digging it out with a lob wedge. Fly it all the way. Should spin this. Come on. Back you come. Bit too much. Good job. See how See how hard they hit these sand irons. People at home are trying to help it up in the air. Different type of shot here for Fitzpatrick. Got to go over the knuckle there of the bunker. Be aiming just left of Ferguson’s ball. This will go in a lot lower. Trying to skip it. Couple of bounces in a spin. Perfectly described to the sixth. Remember this tough par four and old bear. It’s come out a few today but let’s way right. All right. Well, don’t think it might hit the buggy. It’s come back. whatever he’s done. Certainly got something, didn’t it? Bounce left. Big bounce as well to Brandon Robinson Thompson last to play here at 10. Back to six. Parry gave that a little extra John Perry, but he gets through the ball so well. That left hip gets out of the way very quick. That’s where the speed comes from. That turn with the hips. Very good T- shot. Mhm. That’s where Rory gets his power from. That load into the hips. first move, the magic move. Well, he hasn’t put a step wrong out there so far today. John Parry, it’s been impressive. And Non Gas having made a bogey. He was He just smashed it straight away. Looks like he’s found the middle of the fairway. Bit of anger in that one for Raml. Well, it is the final round of the penultimate event of the DP World Tour season. This HSBC Championship, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. The projected rankings on the right hand side of your screen. Aaron Ry with the victory would climb top 10. Tommy Fleetwood just outside and Nikolai Hoya inside the top 20. A nice finish to the season upcoming potentially for Nacho Alvivera. How many would you say are realistically still in this heading into the final day? Well, generally I I sort of look who’s five behind really on a golf course especially like this. And so that’s 11 players in total. Yeah, I think so. I think someone like Shane Lara would be looking at thinking get off to a hot start which is possible. You can get four or five under can’t you through six. I can tell you Dan Brown’s gone eagle birdie and Jaden Schaeer who’s playing with him has gone birdie eagle over the opening two holes. So they have jumped to 14 under par. And it’s important for the leaders to be aggressive from the start. They’ll they’ll know that they’re available and if you don’t if you’re not at least two under through four, you’re going to lose ground. But once you get past sort of anyone on 15 under you know for Pengeon Rory 14 all all three at 14 under I think six I can’t see Fleetwood or Ry or Hy one of them’s going to shoot certainly not all of them. Yeah coming back. Yeah, good line. Quite give it enough. Done that a couple of times today, hasn’t he? Brandon Robinson, Thompson gets windy, which Mhm. could just cause some trouble. It always surprises on a Sunday, Championship Sunday. Golf Ferguson. Yeah, just the one blemish on his card really on the seventh when he he had a just a just a lofted wood into the par five green and made six. So ah that was always a little bit low, wasn’t it? But he’s currently ranked 45 on the race rankings. So he’ll be there next week. Very consistent player. Huan Ferguson. Yeah, he’d have had to have a a real shocker out there this week. Not to uh not to progress. And this man needed something very special. He made a good start, then backed up a little bit on Friday and Saturday. Two under par today. This to go three under and to seven under for the championship. 129. Well, I thought it was in, then I thought it was out. So did he. found the bottom of the cup. That’s the main thing. Ferguson’s ball moved quite a bit at the end. This one I thought it wasn’t coming back, but just enough. And I suppose maybe he’s in a slightly different. We saw the form of Long Gas. He’s had four mis cuts out of the last five, whereas Fitzpatrick has actually found some form. So, he’ll be reasonably excited about his game and looking forward to keeping that going in the short offse. Well, Gas is actually in the rough. Thought he was down the fairway. That’s Paris ball, of course. No way of getting to this pin. Don’t think so. No, they can’t see the ball. So, see the flag just to the right of the TV tower. playing to the front part and hopefully get a bit of release corn. Keep going. That’ll be tricky from there. Coming up over that ridge. Different angle for this man. He can just about get there. 155. So, can he pitch the green in and stop it? And there’s your answer there. Wasn’t even challenging. And that’s going to get worse. Oh, that’s not great, is it? [Music] Parry pitching wedge just over 140 walking after it. I’m not. Does he like it or not? No, I didn’t think he did. Pailed out. Oh yeah, didn’t he? That club that’s a wide. It’s like an OB to the par five 11th Fitzpatrick. Couple of bunkers down the left which he can’t carry. Big swale of rough down the right. And that’s right down the middle for Fitzpatrick and and he can reach from there on the 11th is par five. Flags way way back though here at 11. It’s a long green. 54 yds long and it’s on 46 yards today. given the ball well today as you Oh, it’s coming up. How did that get out of there? I don’t know. But glad it did. What I like about his swing is it’s full commitment all the time. Y that’s a decision you make really. Whatever I do, I’m going to make sure I get into my full through swing. But in golf, we talk a lot about the back swing. We think about through swings. Thompson be aiming down the right trying to draw into this fairway. It’s quite a good picture that a draw down this hole. Yeah, that’s uh that’s a long one. Yeah, he’s got it quite a way past his playing partners. Back to six and long Gas over the little mound down the other side, but that was awkward. He had to hug the left hand side there, Rama, mind you. Um, talking of awkward. Yeah, this is awkward because he’s on a sandy lie down the bottom there. Got a bare sandy lie down there. He’s just trying to get a judge of what is under the ball. And uh he’d like to lob it, but if there’s It looks very sandy down there. And uh I’m sure you can lob it. And when you got lines like this, you really want to keep the club face. I think you want to keep it fairly square because otherwise both of them are realizing this lies causing them trouble. I just wonder whether they could putt it. I was going to say, can you do you think he’s thinking, well, I can’t run it up there and get it close. The only way I can get it close is a lob wedge. Oh, there you go. Change of mind. He didn’t like it, did he? No. Well, he just can’t get the strike. So, he needs to get a bit of elevation if he’s going to chip it. And he can’t. It’s off that live down slope. Sandy can’t do it. That’s a wise choices, but it’s going to sling it a bit, isn’t it? Just going to go right to left off that slope, then come back the other way a little bit, but you get what you deserve. It wasn’t a good T-shot. The line wasn’t great for the second. Come up short. So, this is what I loved about this Yasling’s course. It gives you options around the greens. It’s not just a thrash out of the rough. Makes him think. Both him and his caddy going to work on this one. So, quite a stick to put up here for Obert. Well, all in all, not bad. It’s very awkward. He still leaves himself with about I don’t know 8 n footer for his part, but it could have been worse. The big red roof that is Ferrari World and the the Magilus tents. That’s the Yasparina circuit. Well, birdie putt for Parry, but it’s a long one. Probably take two putts from here. Steady, steady. Yeah, once you get distance on these greens, it’s it’s hard. They’re hard lag greens. [Laughter] So down the 11th they can all reach but Robertson Thompson’s in prime spot there especially with the pin back left. He can draw that one in nicely. Ferguson angle not quite so good. Fitz it’s a it’s a good one from here. What was it? 270 271. And the lines are so tight you you almost got to take a bit of a dip. You got a little bit steeper and just make sure you get the ball first. I expect a little bit of sand to puff up here when he hits this. No, he clipped it right off the top. Oh yeah, plenty of length, but probably in that bunker. Ferguson next to play. So he’s over on the left. He, as you mentioned, he tends to play everything with a a little fade, doesn’t he? Has he got the draw as well? Oh, you must have followed him on course. Yeah. Yeah, he’s all these players have got all the shots really. I don’t think he needs it really. Just he’s more about his ball flight here up in the air. Pitching on the middle of the green here and he carry it comfortably onto the green just right target. Can’t see it. Looking at his caddy. Where is it? Come on. Come on. Come on. Okay. Huge graze here, aren’t they? Yes. Thanks. This one’s 54 yds long. Just an eye. Robinson Thompson. Oh, yeah. He’s on the walk. I think he likes this. Drawing into the pin. Go on. Up you go. Keep coming. Keep coming. What a shot from Brandon Robinson. Thompson. And he’s got that for an Eagle three. Well, as we say, currently projected 53rd. Needs a big back nine. Didn’t manage to make birdie at 10. Yeah, it’s set up beautifully for him, wasn’t it? Robinson Thompson aimed at the buggy to the right of the green. He was on the walk, drove it in there, knew he was going to get some release as well. Well, what a shot. And if he knocks that in, I’ve got to think his ranking will improve a little bit. So, he’s got a chance. Ludvigor at the sixth. This is a par for the Swede. bogey free to this point and that’s his first drop shot today. So he’s pegged back. He drops to 12 under par which is outside the top 30 by the way. Such has been the scoring this week. So, a lot of boats at the uh end of the day watching the golf out here on the uh lagoon. It was like harbor town, wasn’t it? It was. Yeah, there’s some good holes on the back nine. If you’re watching later, particularly like 14, that short par four that that temps them and teases them. The pin there is right at the very back today. Don’t have favorites, but I quite hope he does make it. Brandon Robinson Thompson gets inside top 50. Who do you want him to push out of the 50? Well, that No, no, no, no. That’s a naughty question, Jamie. No, no, only that he started 50. I know. Yeah. Yeah. He he he’s uh that that’s the that’s professional golf though, isn’t it? Someone someone makes it, someone doesn’t. They’re all good mates really, but you are competing against each other. That’s always been the nature of the game. Who was 50th? I think it was Jacob Scott at the moment. The young Dane Oh no. Alejandra Del Rey is currently projected 50th. He won a Razok Kimmer up the road, didn’t he? Earlier this year we were there for that. Yeah, impressively so as well. Very impressive. Looking forward to seeing Sebastian Garcia as well. Very similar players. So coming out of the bunker, Fitzpatrick tucks that shirt under. Trying to keep that top of those arms close in. Should be exiting well left here on this one. Look at the speed of that. Very good shot. Didn’t have any green to work with. It’s all downhill as well from there. Yep. Aaron Ry takes a one-shot lead into the final day here in Abu Dhabi from other Rolex series winners Nikolai Hoya and Tommy Fleetwood. Jaden Shaper off to a fast start much like yesterday. Rasmus Peterson with some early gains and so to Dan Brown who made an eagle at the first. Hatton Mroy lurking 14 underpar. They’ll need something special out there and possibly a little help from the conditions and the leaders. So a long range eagle part for Yuan Ferguson. Yeah, it is a long one as well. Good 60 ft maybe longer up over the bank down the other side. Yeah, very good. Yeah, from Ferguson. cementing his place in that top 50 for next week. It’s always uh not for every player, but most players to get into the final event of the season is is the target the end of the year minimum, especially for a player like Ferguson. So, he’s achieved that Well, uh, we’re just about out of time, I’m afraid, for our, uh, feature group coverage. Hope you’ve, uh, enjoyed it, especially the jokes. We’re going to leave Abu Dhabi. We’re going to head down the road to Dubai to Jira Golf Estates for the season finale, the DP World Tour Championship. Who’s going to be heading there with the Falcon Trophy? That goes to the winner of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, the first of the two playoff events that round out the race to Dubai season. [Music] Should be a cracking week. Should be a cracking final day here in Abu Dhabi as well. Main coverage will follow the other side of this break. And at the end of the day, as I say, we will make the journey up the road to Dubai for the DP World Tour Championship. I love being able to put my name alongside the legends that I looked up to as a kid. Glory Ferrari. [Applause] And it’s a third win of the season for Marco Penge. I believe in myself. I feel really confident. It’s been edge of your seat viewing. What a finish. What a day.
2 Comments
Its amazing how much atmosphere 5 spectators can generate!
Why are U LYING about Who is playing,I am a Swedish Golfer Who would have like to see Ludvig Åberg playing,SOSTOP this LYING to the whatsers,its so STUPID!!!!!!!!!!!……