The European Tour heads to Prague for The D+D Real Czech Masters, whilst the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup playoffs kick off with The Northern Trust. With Team Europe hopefuls competing on both sides of the pond, let’s take a look at some of the ones to watch.

Rafa Cabrera Bello – The Northern Trust

Currently the nearest challenger to Thorbjorn Olesen on the World Points list. Olesen snuck into the automatic spots ahead of Ian Poulter with a 4^th place finish in last week’s Nordea Masters, but that far from guarantees his position on the team. The Dane isn’t competing at all this week so Cabrera Bello has a genuine opportunity.

He went undefeated on his 2016 debut alongside Sergio Garcia, so his qualification could also work in Sergio’s favour. I’m predicting a Top-20 then a trip to Denmark next week. He’ll be in Paris.

Russell Knox – The Northern Trust

It’s been a solid year; starting with a T10 at the Sony Open in Hawaii followed by six Top-20 finishes including a T12 at the U.S. Open before going T2-1 at the Open De France and Irish Open.

He’s chasing Tommy Fleetwood on the European Points list, which is a big ask. A strong finish may just convince Thomas Bjorn to hand him a Captain’s Pick, but he wouldn’t get mine. However, that’s more a comment on the strength of the competition because he’s a great player.

Thomas Pieters – D+D Real Czech Masters

Form-horse or team legend? That’s always a question surrounding Ryder Cup teams. Pieters finished the 2016 qualification campaign with a runner-up in this event and a win in the Made in Denmark finale. That earned him a Pick, which proved a worthy one as he impressed on his debut.

Despite opening with a T5 in Abu Dhabi, it was looking a fairly lacklustre 2018 for the Belgian before T6 finishes at the Scottish Open and the PGA Championship got chins wagging about the possibility of a 2016-esque finish. Perhaps not to the 2016 level, but I think he’ll finish high in both events and sneak in.

Eddie Pepperell – D+D Real Czech Masters

He may have won the Qatar Masters in February, but the Englishman was still rarely in the Team Europe conversation until his runner-up at the Scottish Open. Even then, he was a major outsider. Speaking of majors, a hangover-ridden Pepperell shot 4-under on Sunday at Carnoustie for a -5 T6 at The Open. Suddenly he’s right in the mix.

This situation epitomises the brilliance of the qualification system. Pepperell needs to win in Prague. Success under that pressure proves he has what it takes and failure proves he doesn’t. The perfect way to find the perfect player.

The Others

Poulter will be on the team in one way or another, but Bjorn would obviously rather not burn a Pick unnecessarily. Paul Casey doesn’t cut it for me. We’ve seen Poulter, Pieters, Knox, Cabrera Bello and countless other Europeans up their game under immense pressure, but not Casey. Bjorn, I hope, will pick an aggressive team and Casey doesn’t fit that bill. Automatic qualification is still likely for him though. Stenson has pulled out of The Northern Trust with an elbow injury so he will join Sergio in relying on a Pick. I would take Stenson but I’m split on Sergio.

Written by Joe Carabini

joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com

With the World's Top-3 and five more from the World’s Top-20 set to be joined by Tiger Woods (or maybe not… No, just kidding, he’ll be there) and the likes of Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Xander Schauffele, Matt Kuchar and many more superstars scrapping for Captain’s Picks, the competition is stiff as Tiger’s back this time last year. But Europe won't go down without a fight.

Francesco Molinari, Justin Rose, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Alex Noren and, as of this week, Ian Poulter are currently the automatic qualifiers. There may be more Captain’s Picks (4) than ever before, but they’re still at a premium. So… who gets a golden ticket to Paris-dise? (Badum-tish!)

Sergio Garcia

Form is temporary, class is permanent…. Or so they say… Or so Sergio will be pleading to Thomas Bjorn. His form has been truly abysmal since getting married and having a kid (Excuse me? I would never imply such a thing!), but 2017 was his best year ever, so to suggest he is “past it” is absurd. Sergio’s in a slump, but he can get out of it. It’s now just a race against time to do so before September.

I have a feeling it will be a stretch too far for the Spaniard this year, but he's a hard man to leave out.

Thorbjorn Olesen

The polar opposite of Sergio, Olesen is in the form of his life. His win at the Italian Open started a strange string of form: 1-MC-T2-MC, before finding consistency for a run of T6-T12-T3 prior to his T56 at the PGA Championship. He’s now figurative fingertips from automatic qualification, but he’ll have to outplay Ian Poulter for a Ryder Cup spot. Good luck, fella. You’ll need it.

For me, he needs automatic qualification because there are too many Team Europe stalwarts around him to warrant a Captain’s Pick based solely on form.

Paul Casey

Consistent, but couldn’t outplay the world’s best on their day. He won’t be the man to lose you the Ryder Cup, but he also won’t be the man to win you the Ryder Cup. It comes down to whether Thomas Bjorn believes he has enough match-winners to justify a safe option. He hasn't played since the 2008 loss, which was followed by three consecutive wins. He’s a no-go for me.

Henrik Stenson

From Consistent Casey to Solid Stenson. The difference is that Stenson can do it on the biggest stage. Sure, he hasn’t done it for a while, but he can. He’s statistically outstanding all-round, even during a title drought. He’s a no-brainer for me.

Rafa Cabrera Bello

Simple: He knows how to win Ryder Cup matches. 12 months ago people might’ve expected him to be an automatic qualifier, but he never really got going. His T10 at the PGA Championship moved him a couple places up to 28^th in the World Rankings; 10 places lower than he was after missing the cut at last year’s event. I expect him to find form and sneak in.

Thomas Pieters

It’s crazy to think 2016 was his debut. His performance at Hazeltine didn’t feel like that of a 24-year-old rookie. After being blitzed by Dustin Johnson & Matt Kuchar alongside Lee Westwood on Friday morning, Pieters teamed up with McIlroy to win 3 of 3 before picking up a fourth point- a European rookie record- against J.B. Holmes in the Sunday Singles. He won Made in Denmark in 2016 to cap off a late surge for a Captain's Pick. I think he’ll finish strongly again and nail down a pick.

Written by Joe Carabini

joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com

Credit: @PGATour - Official Twitter account of the PGA Tour

Tiger Woods will draw the largest crowd every time he steps onto the golf course. It doesn't matter how he plays, the people will watch. In contrast, Brooks Koepka's second major of the year and third in two years still failed to pull anything more than a respectable crowd. Then again, European viewers were... Well, not viewing.

Eleven Sports Falls Short

In my tournament preview I talked about the fact that the 2018 PGA Championship was bound to be a spectacle. It was tailored for fans of big-hitting superstars. Yet the build-up to the event was marred by outrage at the lack of TV coverage, before those who did the dirty work (that's plugging a couple wires into your TV; not that dirty) and tuned into Eleven Sports were outraged at the fairly abysmal coverage they offered. Eleven Sports coverage was available free-of-charge if you signed up for their seven-day trial. The strategy was obviously to attract new viewers who would then go "Oh, this coverage by Eleven Sports is great. I'll sign up!" Yeah, that didn't happen. I'm sure the channel will have gained a few new customers in the form of those forgetting to cancel the subscription in time, but streaming problems and generally poor coverage have not endeared them to golf fans. In a Twitter message to fans apologising for the aforementioned streaming problems at the start of play of Thursday, Eleven Sports thanked viewers for their patience. That's like thanking Patrick Reed for his sportsmanship. Patience was non-existent.

Respect the Koepka

It seemed fitting that, with half the eyes of the golf world blindfolded, the man who is so often unfairly overlooked took the Wanamaker Trophy. Jack Nicklaus tweeted about the incredible array of talent which, as predicted, crowded the top of the leaderboard at the start of Sunday. Five of the World Top-10, with eight of the 14 within 5 shots of the lead boasting major titles. Then, replying to his own tweet, Nicklaus honed in on Brooks Koepka; describing him as "A great young talent. Strong, aggressive, smart golfer." The Golden Bear then went on to say that Koepka will likely be a "force to be reckoned with" for years to come and "Should be in every conversation about today's best". Strong words, but not nearly as bold a statement as you may think. We're talking about the World No. 2, back-to-back U.S. Open champion and 3-time major winner in two years. He may have tagged the wrong Brooks Koepka Twitter account, but I think 18 major titles outweighs confusing @BrooksKoepka2 with @BKoepka. Well said, Jack.

I saw photos of Koepka's pre-tournament press conference and, honestly, it was embarrassing. There were more empty seats than an Arsenal home game. Compare that to out-of-form Jordan Spieth, majorless Rickie Fowler and World No. 50 Tiger Woods and it'll turn your cheeks red. I felt sorry for Koepka, to be honest. He's earned the right to the spotlight but nobody's giving it to him. Why? Because he's not charismatic enough? Because he's too professional? Call me old-fashioned, but golfers are there to win tournaments. The entertainment is watching quality golf, not mental breakdowns on the 72nd or eccentric 48-year-olds doing the worm in a £150 dress shirt whilst somebody fires golf balls at him. Koepka may not go out of his way to please the crowd, but he lets his golf do the talking and it's about time we listen.

Going the Distance

As I said earlier, the Bellerive leaderboard was stacked with big names. The biggest came in second as Tiger picked up his best major finish since the 2009 edition of this tournament (outright 2nd), but to dwell on Tiger- as almost everybody else is doing- would be as disrespectful as mentioning his name before the actual winner's name (and with the first words of the article no less). He played very well, shot 70-66-66-64 and put bums on the edges of seats. Adam Scott was a surprise name near the top; only slipping behind Tiger to 3rd after a bogey at the last, but names like Koepka, Scott, Jon Rahm (T4), Gary Woodland (T6) and Justin Thomas (T6) evidenced the effectiveness of driving distance.

Big-hitters have become commonplace atop the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) and it didn't take rocket science to predict their success at Bellerive.

The TV coverage may have flopped, but the tournament did not. The world's best produced some of their best golf to live up to the hype of this showpiece event.

Written by Joe Carabini

joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com

The Major Saver

Having seen an unpopular champion in the first major followed by an unpopular golf course in the second major, Carnousite and Francesco Molinari teamed up to give golf fans what they were craving at The Open. With a star-studded supporting cast- not least a certain Tiger Woods topping a major leaderboard on a Sunday- a flawless weekend from a gracious champion earned Italy’s first major and saw Europe end a run of five American major champions just months before the Ryder Cup. We have reason for optimism heading into the year’s fourth & final major.

Showpiece

Bellerive Country Club and the PGA Championship will be a platform for big-hitting superstars to showcase their skills. With four of the OWGR Top-5 ranking inside the Top-15 for PGA Tour Driving Distance, this is unequivocally important. Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas & Brooks Koepka are those men, but they’re also joined by fellow OWGR Top-10 players Jason Day and Jon Rahm in the Driving Distance Top-15. It’s unsurprising that the bookies’ lists are top-heavy with these heavyweight guys.

Driving distances in the modern game is a subject of much debate, but there is no question this tournament will be a spectacle of big-hitting, top class golfers.

Favourites or Flops?

You’d do well to find a reason to doubt Justin Thomas this week. Rory’s inability to seize a Sunday of late appears to be the only question mark coming into this tournament. This should, in theory, be DJ’s best opportunity to prove himself in a major tournament. Brooks Koepka and Jason Day are tailored for courses like this.

Justin Rose, Jordan Spieth, Francesco Molinari & Rickie Fowler all rank inside the World Top-10, yet aren’t really considered in the mix this week. They are more strategic than powerful and, on top of that, Spieth and Fowler have shown little in the way of winning form. But can we really rule out Molinari and Rose given their form?

A lot of questions surrounding the World’s Top-10.

Bryson DeChambeau

In case you haven’t seen… Ah who am I kidding? We’ve all seen DeChambeau’s antics. Obsessed with off-course stories? He’s grabbed headlines with his compassgate saga. Only watch the majors? You would’ve seen his range-breakdown at The Open. European Tour diehard? The Porsche European Open was a choke for the ages.

I’m still unsure as to whether DeChambeau genuinely has a screw loose (not always a bad thing, for the record) or whether he’s just attempting to brand himself as an eccentric. Either way, it makes for a very interesting story and he’s chasing down Webb Simpson’s Ryder Cup spot so keep an eye on him.

Ryder Cup (Of Course)

This is the final event for the U.S. Team to qualify and the Webb Simpson-Bryson DeChambeau shootout is the big one. 49 points separate Simpson in 8^th and DeChambeau in 9^th, whilst it would take a lot for anybody else to drop out or sneak in. Lefty and Tiger’s absence from the automatic spots means there are, realistically, only two Captain’s picks for the likes of Xander Schauffele, Tony Finau and Matt Kuchar along with whoever loses the Simpson-DeChambeau battle (or anybody else Jim Furyk fancies).

Team Europe have until Made in Denmark at the end of this month, and it’s a Dane In Thorbjorn Olesen putting the pressure on Paul Casey in that final spot through World Points (just 3.5 points behind) in the hopes of playing for Danish Captain Thomas Bjorn. Do I spot a trend?

This week will likely see the the best in the world rise to the top and play entertaining golf along the way. They say "drive for show, putt for dough" and whatever happens on the greens, I expect a show.

Written by Joe Carabini

joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com

Hall-elujah!

No Englishwoman had won the Women’s British Open since Karen Stupples in 2004, and in a tournament boasting the most international field in women’s golf this hardly seemed the time to change that. Still, we were quietly confident in the ability of superstars like Charley Hull, Jodi Ewart Shadoff, Melissa Reid and Bronte Law.

Hull missed the cut, Ewart Shadoff missed the cut, Reid missed the cut. Bronte Law managed an even-par week for a share of 39th, but Georgia Hall was the star of the show. The 22-year-old from Bournemouth turned professional in 2014 aged 18 following a successful amateur career, but her only victory since came on the Australian Ladies Professional Golf Tour (ALPG Tour) at the 2016 Oates Victorian Open. This absence of a European or LPGA title is why she was overlooked by many at the start of this tournament, despite her T3 in last year’s event at Kingsbarns.

How She Did It

Impressively. That’s how she did it. Shooting 67-68-69 on the par-72 Royal Lytham & St Annes course left her a single stroke off leader Pornanong Phatlum of Thailand. The apparently inevitable round of 70 would not be enough, Georgia knew, to secure the title.

An opening-hole birdie was followed by two more at the fourth & sixth to go out in a flawless 32. However, Phatlum made four birdies of her own with just the one bogey to maintain her one-stroke advantage at the turn. Hall made birdie at the 13^th to level things up before both women birdied the 15^th. Hall was not only chasing her first big victory, but she was doing so at the tournament she’d dreamed of winning since she was 9 years old. Yet, somehow, she looked completely unfazed as she expertly holed her birdie putt at the 16^th to take the lead.

Hall’s brilliance forced Phatlum to go for it at 17 and, as we all know, forcing it doesn’t usually end well. Phatlum’s tee shot found the bunker before a short bogey putt missed right. Hall remained nerveless to sink a par putt and take a three-stroke cushion to the last. Knowing this, the Englishwoman played it safe and edged across the green towards the hole; giving herself a short bogey putt for victory, which she duly converted.

A mix of outstanding golf and mental strength gave Georgia Hall the victory she’s always dreamed of and, I’m sure, the victory to kick-start a great career.

Inspiring Stuff

It’s important we realise the magnitude of Hall’s victory. Asian flags often dominate leaderboards in the women’s game, and this week was no different (two Thai, two Korean, two Chinese and a Japanese flag making up seven of the eight spots behind Hall) so the home crowd really were blessed. On top of that, the tournament provided a shining example of the quality of ladies Tour golf. Maminko Higa’s final round 73 (+1) was the only round of par-or-over from any of the tournament’s Top-6. Hall finished two-strokes clear on -17 on a course synonymous with the term “Beast”. Hall’s victory also coincided with England Golf’s Women & Girls Golf Week; an initiative to raise awareness and participation in the women’s game. To see a young English woman achieve her dream is the best advert you could ask for.

Congratulations, Georgia Hall!

Written by Joe Carabini

joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com

Tracy’s prestige within golf is undeniable. Four WPGA Club Professional Championships (including three consecutively), a heralded coaching career and the title of WPGA Chairwoman tells you all you need to know about her talent, but it doesn’t come close to the full story.

‘Girls don’t play golf, do they?’

That’s the question Tracy asked her father when she first picked up a club aged 12. She wasn’t a million miles from the truth; becoming the only girl in the junior team at Weymouth Golf Club. Obstacle? What obstacle? When you win your first ever junior competition it really doesn’t matter what gender you are. Tracy dominated as an amateur before becoming an Assistant Professional, followed by a brief stint on the European Tour before returning to coach as a Head Pro and win an extraordinary three WPGA Club Professional titles. Does that answer your question, 12-year-old Tracy?

 ‘It’s getting better but needs more exposure’

Of course, social media is the first thing everybody mentions when you mention ‘exposure’. Tracy uses a ‘village Facebook group’ to advertise both for existing members and newcomers to the sport, with one particular campaign producing great success for female members. This campaign was called ‘Bring a non-golfing friend’; a self-explanatory title. This resulted in ‘five or six’ new female members, with socialising in the clubhouse afterwards proving to be a particular hit as the new members became good friends.

Recognising this, Tracy tells me that clubhouses up and down the country need to be ‘more friendly across the board’ in order to help make golf a more accessible, attractive game for newcomers.

Making it Happen

Having spoken with a couple of female PGA Professionals whose junior careers spanned through the first decade of the new millennium, it was fascinating to see the difference. One of them captained the junior team- similarly to the female current junior captain at Tracy’s Bigbury Golf Club- whilst another was one of six women on an Applied Golf Management course at university. In contrast, junior captaincy is one of the few things missing from Tracy’s impressive resume.

Don’t be mistaken, Tracy Loveys has not just been lucky enough to witness an improvement in the women’s game; she’s been a key figure in making it happen.

‘Golf is a game for life’

When I asked her if there was any other message she’d like to add, the message was clear and simple: ‘Don’t be scared! Have a go! Golf is a game for life’.

Written by Joe Carabini

Joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com

Going Somewhere

There’s nothing unusual about a toddler picking up some plastic golf clubs and knocking a ball around the garden. However, a six year old girl becoming the youngest member of Newmarket’s Links Golf Club is far more impressive. For her to be playing competitively by the age of eight is downright extraordinary. But then again, that’s just setting the tone for Sarah Smith’s journey in golf.

Sarah attended all of John Starkey’s Saturday morning lessons (even if winning a chocolate bar was the key incentive) and the hard work paid off in her teenage years. Sarah told us that one of her ‘proudest moments’ at Newmarket was being made Junior Captain in 2008. I’ll be honest here and tell you that I was surprised (pleasantly, of course) when she told me that it was ‘kind of normal back then’ for her, as a lady, to be named as captain of a mixed junior team. Sarah recalls weeks off school (an added bonus) playing Cambs & Hunts County golf with particular fondness. Speaking of the ‘pride’ she felt representing her county, Sarah told us how much the ‘team spirit’ had meant to her; citing team events as the thing she misses most about playing amateur golf. In her own words, playing for county was ‘the first time I really felt like I could go somewhere with my golf’. And go somewhere she did!

The McIlroy Effect

One memory that stands out for Sarah is a Q&A with Rory McIlroy when she was 15; somebody she believes to be a great role model and advocate for women’s golf. He was outspoken in his criticism of Muirfield’s ‘obscene’ and ‘horrendous’ men-only policy, and was not entirely forgiving in March last year when only 80% voted to overturn the policy. This sort of intervention from global superstars in the men’s game is critical, Sarah believes (and we couldn’t agree more!).

What's Happening Now?

Since making a last-minute U-turn away from university in favour of a PGA Qualification in 2012, Sarah has been working closely with local primary schools as part of the Tri Golf programme as well as working with Golf Foundation at events like the BMW Championship to coach junior golfers. The word team is a particular favourite of Sarah’s, so it clearly means a lot to her that her current club- Saffron Walden Golf Club- ‘work as a team’ to promote participation for the women’s & junior game.

Despite her success in WPGA events, Sarah tells us that her favourite thing about golf is coaching and seeing the people she coaches improve and fall in love with the game. Sarah says that she often sees girls dropping out of the game between the ages of 14 and 17; an issue she is keen to address through her coaching role at Saffron Walden.

What Needs to Happen Next?

One particular obstacle did leap out at Sarah when I asked her what is stopping newcomers to the game we love: time. People are busy and golf is time-consuming. Slow play has been under heavy criticism and Sarah says ‘pace of play needs to change’, but believes the way forward is an increase in 9-hole courses for newcomers and recreational golfers; giving them the chance to ease into the game because, let’s face it, golf is tough. After 18 holes and 14 broken clubs, you could excuse a newbie deciding it’s not for them. But a leisurely 9 holes could be the answer, Sarah believes.

Sarah is extremely supportive of initiatives and campaigns like England Golf’s Women & Girls Golf Week, telling us that it can simply be a matter of awareness for the women’s game and England Golf are playing a critical role in this. With social media rife, there really is no excuse for a lack of awareness in this day & age.

Written by Joe Carabini

joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com