Lee Westwood says he has been playing Close House virtually every day for the last three to four months preparing for the Betfred British Masters which he will host this week.
Picture by GETTY IMAGES

FORMER World No. 1 Lee Westwood enters the week not only as tournament host but also as one of the favourites to take the Betfred British Masters at Close House.

The Ryder Cup legend claimed his 25th European Tour win earlier this season at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

It also meant he can boast victories across four decades on tour.

The 47-year-old is the first player to host the Betfred British Masters twice following his first stint in 2017.

And has one eye on another double this week – winning the event for the second time – he won in 2007 when it was played at The Belfry.

Hosting duties will take on a very different complexion now for Westwood, with stringent health and safety measures in place at Close House, near Newcastle Upon Tyne.

No fans will be present because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Westwood said: “Hosting has been very different. There has been nothing to do on site with sponsors and fans, which has been a shame.

“We’re trying to keep numbers to a minimum on site. We’ve taken all precautions. It’s up to us to be very careful.

“From what I’ve witnessed people are sticking to it by the letter. The testing procedures are very thorough.

“Everyone on site who has been through it can only have found it impressive.”

Westwood: I have never felt better

THE evergreen Englishman is delighted to be back playing competitively for the first time in five months.

Westwood has been on a strict health regime and has never felt fitter, so he will be a force to be reckoned with at his home course.

The Ryder Cup veteran, who now lives close to Close House, said: “The golf course is in great condition once again. Probably better than the last time we hosted the Betfred British Masters.

“It’s a better time in the calendar for the golf course. The greens are quicker, fairways are immaculate.

“As long as the weather co-operates, we should have a great week.

“I would like to get off to another good start this year. The last time I had a long break and played was in Abu Dhabi.

“So the break didn’t do me too much harm there. I’ve played this golf course a lot, especially over the last three or four months.

“When the courses opened up myself and my son Sam were out here nearly every day either practising or playing.

“This is certainly the fittest I’ve felt, without a doubt. There was a period over lockdown where I didn’t play much golf for five or six weeks.

“So I got myself into the gym and worked hard and continued once I started playing golf again. I’ve been pretty busy with it over the last five months.”

Pepperell pepped up his fitness

EDDIE Pepperell, who won this event in 2018, has also benefited from a health kick during lockdown in the UK.

The Frilford Heath member is feeling “quietly confident” upon his return.

Pepperell and Westwood spoke out in favour of remaining in Europe to play the UK Swing – rather than heading to the USA for the World Golf Championship in Memphis before playing the USPGA at San Francisco’s Harding Park.

The 29-year-old Oxfordshire-based pro said: “I don’t know what to expect this week. I think I’ll play very well or pretty bad.

“I don’t imagine there will be a lot in the middle. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking and practising so I feel it will go one of two ways.

“It doesn’t really stay in the middle when I do that,” said Pepperell, who won his second European Tour title when the British Masters was held at Walton Heath two years ago.

“I’m quietly confident, seeing quite a lot of nice stuff. It’s not a place I like to be, I actually prefer to be worried the day before – that tends to make me focus a little more.

“I think, ironically, given the circumstances and playing with no crowds, it almost might make me doubly intent on focusing hard.

“I know I’m going to have to play well, but also stay immersed in some way in the golf,” added Pepperell, who has the vastly experienced Micky Duran on the bag.

“I think that will be important for me. I’m quietly hopeful but I don’t know what to expect,” added the former England amateur international.

Kinhult enjoyed less restrictions in Sweden

MEANWHILE defending champion Marcus Kinhult is another player feeling comfortable with his game, having enjoyed plenty of practice over the past four months.

The Swede said: “I’m excited to go out again and compete. It’s been just over four months, so it should be fun and I’m looking forward to the week.

“It’s so different now with all the restrictions because of COVID, so I don’t feel the defending champion part as much – more trying to get into the new routines and everything.

“It’s nice to be defending but at the same time it’s a new course and everything is new.

“I just saw that I’m playing with Lee Westwood so that will be fun.

“I’ve just been back home in Sweden in my house. Sweden has had a different approach to coronavirus.

“So we’ve been living not quite like normal, but close to normal. We’ve been playing golf and we’ve been OK.

“So I’ve kind of enjoyed the four months,” added Lee, who moved to Newcastle to Worksop, where he played amateur golf for Nottinghamshire, and England.

•Follow live scoring by clicking here.

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Last year’s Reid Trophy winner French teenager Joseph Linel – the 2020 English U14s Championship has been cancelled. Picture by LEADERBOARD PHOTOGRAPHY

THE Reid and McGregor Trophy will not take place in 2020 – because of the continuing COVID-19 crisis, England Golf has announced.

England Golf believes the English U14 and U16 championships – due to be held in the last week of July and early August – pose to many obstacles to overcome for them to go ahead.

The England Girls U16 and U14 Championships – which were due to be held at Brentwood’s Thorndon Park Golf Club, in Esssex – have also been called off.

An England Golf spokesman said: “The safety and wellbeing of our junior competitors and their accompanying parents/guardians remains of paramount importance.

“While we are confident the golf element of a championship can be managed successfully, there are additional practical difficulties associated with running junior events.

“With parents and guardians necessarily joining competitors, staff and volunteers on site within the confines of a smaller club environment, it becomes more difficult to adhere to social distancing regulations.”

A spokesman said: “England Golf is most appreciative of the understanding and acceptance shown by the host clubs in making this tough decision.

“We look forward to working with them again in the future.”

England Golf is confident the Men’s and Women’s national championship can still go ahead at its national headquarters at Woodhall Spa, in Lincolnshire, at the end of July.

The spokesman added: “It should be noted that due to the size and layout of the Woodhall Spa facility at the home of England Golf, the English Men’s and English Women’s Amateur Championships – scheduled to be played from July 28-August 2 – remain in the diary.

“England Golf is confident it can celebrate the best of English amateur golf at this joint event.”

French teenager Joseph Linel – the 2019 winner – will have to wait a year longer to stand a chance of joining the elite group to have won the Reid and McGregor Trophy.

Justin Rose won the McGregor and Carris trophies in 1995

Carris and other events ‘unaffected’ at the moment says England Golf

ALL other England Golf championships remain provisionally scheduled as before – but are subject to regular review in accordance with updated government advice and regulations, England Golf has confirmed.

The biggest junior event is the Carris Trophy, which was moved to the end of August, from the third week in July, becasue of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The venue was switched from St George’s Hill, at Weybridge, in Surrey, to Broadstone, in Dorset, back in April.

The English Seniors Men’s and Women Amateur Championships have also been rescheduled to the middle of August.

The McGregor has been won by the likes of Justin Rose, back in 1995, and Edoardo Molinari, a year later.

The Italian denied a back-to-back victory for the North Hants GC teenager – a feat only achieved by Lincolnshire’s Jim Payne, in 1987.

It was one of three national victories in one stunning season for Rose, who only turned 15 after he had completed the double by adding the Carris Trophy at the English Boys Amateur Championship, at Burnham & Berrow.

The winners from 1995 and 1996 at Radcliffe-on-Trent GC. The Nottinghamshire’ club ran the comptetion before it became the English U16 Championship in 1982 – both went on to play in the Ryder Cup for Europe.

Graeme Storm, the winner in 1994, played in the 1999 Walker Cup and won twice on the European Tour.

Essex’s Oliver Fisher, the McGregor winner in 2004, broke Rose’s record as the youngest ever player in the Walker Cup in 2005, at just 16.

•The 2020 McGregor Trophy was due to be played at Gateshead’s Heworth GC (July 28-30). It is still played at its spiritual home at Ratcliffe-on-Trent every five years.

Conor Gough – one of just three winners of both the Reid and McGregor Trophy. Picture by Leaderboard Photography

Gough one of three to win men’s and U16s

ONLY three McGregor champions have gone on to win the English Amateur – James Heath (1999 and 2004), Paul Waring (2001 and 2006) and Stoke Park’s Conor Gough (2018 and 2019).

Just two years ago, Gough won the McGregor before adding the British Boys title at the age of 15.

He also became the second-youngest English Amateur Champion by beating Northamptonshire County’s Callum Farr, in the final at Surrey’s Hankley Common last summer.

The Walker Cup player was four days older than when Harry Ellis broke Sir Nick Faldo’s 1975 record in the 2012 English Amateur final.

Only three juniors have won the Reid and McGregor Trophy.

And unsurprisingly Gough became the latest player to have achieved the feat in 2018 after winning the Reid in 2016.

Worthing’s Oscar Sharpe became the first in 2006, followed by his Sussex clubmate Toby Tree, when he won the McGregor in 2010 – two years after claiming the U14s title.

Eddie Pepperell won the Reid in 2005 at Bristol & Clifton and is the only winner so far, to have earned a European Tour card.

Kent’s Jonathan Bell ended up on the bag when Tyrrell Hatton claimed two European Tour wins back-to-back in 2017.

The Reid Trophy was created back in 1995, with Porters Park in Hertfordshire staging what became the English U14 Championship for the first five years.

The English U14s was due to be played at Prestbury Golf Club, in Cheshire, for the first time, from August 4-6.

Quartet of Carris winners played Ryder Cup

NOTABLE Carris Trophy winners include Sandy Lyle (1975), Peter Baker (1983), David Gilford (1981) plus Hertfordshire’s Ken Brown (1974) and Peter Townsend (1965) – who all went on to play in the Ryder Cup.

Ken Brown – Picture: WOJCIECH MIGDA

Another Hertfordshire junior destined for the European Tour was Welwyn Garden City’s Tom Lewis, who won the Carris just along the M25 at Moor Park – the event’s spriritual home since it was first played in 1935.

Lewis went on to beat Frilford Heath’s Eddie Pepperell in the British Boys final at Royal St George the following month.

He became just the third player to win the UK’s top two junior events in the same season, matching Townsend, who won the British title for a second time in 1964, the year he claimed the Carris.

Nine Carris winners have gone on to add the English Amateur Championship to their silverware collection.

The first was Ronnie White, who added the men’s title 12 years after he became the third-ever winner of the Carris at Moor Park, in Hertfordshire.

The other double winners are (Carris Trophy first): –
John Langley (1936 and 1950)
Ian Caldwell (1947/8 and 1961)
David Gilford (1981 and 1984)
Ian Garbutt (1989 and 1990)
Mark Foster (1992 and 1994)
Scott Godfrey (1998 and 2001)
Gary Lockerbie (2000 and 2003)
Callum Shinkwin (2010 and 2013)

Lyle rewrote the record books for the Brabazon Trophy – the English Men’s Amateur Strokeplay – by winning it as a 17-year-old in 1975.

The future Masters winner broke the record set in October 1949 by Hampshire’s Paddy Hine, who had won the Carris Trophy at Moor Park earlier that summer, also aged 17.

Ben Schmidt the youngest to complete the Carris and Brabazon Trophy double at just 16. Picture by LEADERBOARD PHOTOGRAPHY

Schmidt became youngest winner of Carris and Brabazon

YORKSHIRE’S Ben Schmidt smashed Sandy Lyle’s record by claiming the Carris at the age of just 16 last summer.

His win came just six weeks after claiming the Brabazon at Alwoodley, in Leeds.

The Reid and McGregor Trophy may not bear Schmidt’s name. But he became just the ninth player – and just the second in the 21st Century – to claim the Carris and Brabazon double.

Hampshire’s Darren Wright was the first. Rowlands Castle’s England international added the Men’s title at Hoylake in 2010 – four years after his Boys’ victory at Sherwood Forest.

Lyle became just the second player to land that double in the same season after Hine. Peter Baker became the third 10 years later,

Sussex’s Gary Evans – who won the Carris in 1986 – shared the Brabazon Trophy two years in a row in 1990 and 1991 – before earning his card on the European Tour.

Nottinghamshire’s Mark Foster was the only player to complete the double in the 1990s.

Kent’s Paul Page became the first Carris winner away from Moor Park, in 1988, at Durham’s Brancepth Castle.

That was the year the English Golf Union adopted the tournament as its official England U18 Boys Open Strokeplay Championship.

The tournament now returns to its original home at Moor Park every five years.

In three of the seven Carris Trophies held at Moor Park since 1989, Hertfordshire players have triumped on three occasions.

David Griffiths, from nearby West Herts won in 1997, was followed by The Hertfordshire GC’s Thomas Haylock in 2005, and Welwyn Garden City’s Tom Lewis in 2009.

•A full list of winners of the Reid and McGregor Trophy can be found on the England Golf website.

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Eddie Pepperell is focusing on the European Tour”s plans to play between September and December after the coronavirus wiped out the spring season and early summer events. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

FRILFORD Heath’s Eddie Pepperell believes August’s USPGA Championship is the most likely date for any meaningful return to golf.

With all four of the 2020 Majors rearranged – or in the case of The Open at Royal St George’s, which has been cancelled until 2021 – the PGA Tour is reportedly about to announce a return to action in June.

Speculation has been rife in the past 24 hours that Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial, from June 11-14, is the event the PGA Tour will choose to kick off its resumed schedule, after The Players Championship was abandoned after just 18 holes in March.

Pepperell, who finished tied third at Sawgrass a year ago but was not eligible for the 2020 Players Championship – the last event to be played in the USA – still thinks the middle of June may be both “optimistic and unrealistic” for a resumption.

Speaking to Sky Sports News, Pepperell said the USPGA at San Francisco’s TPC Harding, was more likely to go ahead – possibly without spectators.

Pepperell said: “We’re still quite a long time away from August. I could see it happening, but maybe with no crowds.

“The issue is how international the field is. You’re going to have Asian, South American or African players who may be under severe travel restrictions. So then, how fair is it?

“Personally, I would go if it’s deemed safe to do so,” added Pepperell, who has been in lockdown with his dog Gus at his Oxfordshire home, near Abingdon.

But the former England international, who has two European Tour wins under his belt, admitted he was not keen on the idea of having to spend up to 14 days in isolation in the USA before playing the USPGA.

Eddie, who made his debut in the USPGA at Bellerive, in 2018, added: “I’m not in that much of a hurry to get back to golf that I’d be willing to quarantine myself in a hotel for a week beforehand.

“That would change the game for me,” said Pepperell, who won the Portuguese Amateur in 2011.

Eddie Pepperell – winner of the 2018 Betfred British Masters – is looking forward to a run of events in the UK later in the year if the European Tour plans to reschedule the season work. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

We may have to take 30-50% pay cut

EUROPEAN Tour chief Keith Pelley wrote to all the players earlier this week warning them to expect major pay cuts and less “perks” on Tour.

Tour chiefs based at Wentworth have been working hard on condensing their own events into a possible 16-week window between September and Christmas.

That plan may see events concentrated in the UK with more than one event in the same week – and possibly more than one tournament played at the same venue.

The most likely scenario could see the Scottish Open, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, the BMW PGA at Wentworth and the British Masters all played in the UK within a month.

That would minimise disruption for overseas players who may be required to self-isolate before being cleared to play, as well as the need for testing for COVID-19 before players could compete.

Pepperell, who won the British Masters at Walton Heath, in October 2018, and sits on the European Tour’s influential Tournament Committee has backed such an idea.

“It would be great,” he said. “If someone said to me now that, come September, we’re going to be playing 15 events before Christmas, crikey that would be something to look forward to.”

Pepperell, who is well-known for his insightful, funny and sometimes controversial views in his personal blog, and his comments on Twitter, has admitted he is not always the most positive thinker.

But former Drayton Park junior is still hoping that golf can get back to some sort of normality – along with the rest of society – over the coming months, even if life is unlikely to be the same for the foreseeable future.

The 30-year-old said: “Obviously, selfishly, I hope things will be fine.

“I suspect they won’t be. I suspect we’re going to have to take a serious pay cut.

“But if golfers and footballers and high-earners have to take a 30-50 per cent pay cut, this isn’t a disaster.

“I do have concerns. I’m not naturally the most optimistic person in the world.

“But I can see a scenario where the European Tour comes out of this OK, with some legs to stand on.

“The Tour and its sponsors may survive much in the way they did 10 years ago.

“I just hope that individuals, small businesses and people who have really taken risks over the last few years to make something of their lives come out the other end of this.

“Big companies can always survive, but my brother is a golf pro and I know he’s going to face difficulties.”

Eddie Pepperell knows any move to postpone the 2020 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits will help his own selelction hopes. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

‘Better chance to make Ryder Cup if it’s 2021’

PEPPERELL realises any decision to postpone September’s Ryder Cup clash against America could work to his benefit.

Having gone off the boil since his strong finish at Sawgrass just over a year ago, Pepperell – who was being tipped for the 2020 Ryder Cup at the start of the 2019 season – has slipped well down the rankings with only one top 10 finish since July.

He currently sits in 63rd place on the European Money list on the Ryder Cup rankings – two years ago he came close to making Thomas Bjorn’s team for Le Golf National in Paris – where his former B.B&O. team-mate Tyrrell Hatton made his debut.

Pepperell is not convinced the contest at Whistling Straits can go ahead

“I can’t see how they can keep the qualification process the same with theoretically only one Major before the Ryder Cup that will count,” he told Sky Sports News.

“I can’t see how Padraig Harrington is going to be keen to keep the same system – he’s going to have to change the way he picks.

“If it is postponed, then it gives me theoretically more chances to get in the team,” Eddie added.

“Maybe come September when things are clearing up, we’re going to be itching for something like the Ryder Cup.

“It could come at a brilliant time and I know Whistling Straits is just amazing – so it is going to be a great Ryder Cup there.

“From what I’m hearing, the 2022 Ryder Cup isn’t going to budge, so it’d be interesting to have back-to-back Ryder Cup years.”

• Eddie Pepperell switched from being a Mizuno staff player to play Ping clubs in 2020.

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Justin Harding, who produced five birdies on his back nine on Sunday to win last year’s Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, which moves to Education City GC, for his defence.
Picture by GETTY IMAGES

JUSTIN Harding hopes memories of his victory in Doha last year can fuel his challenge for more success at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters – which moves to a new venue this week.

The South African lifted his maiden European Tour title in dramatic fashion at last year’s event after some last day heroics saw him hold off a big chasing pack at Doha Golf Club.

Harding fired five birdies on the back nine – including at the 15th, 17th and 18th – to earn a two-shot victory from a group of nine players who tied for second.

Harding after playing a practice round recalled: “It was a pretty good day.

“I got off to a good start, lost my head a little bit on seven and eight, but looked at the leaderboard and nobody ever really seemed to be running away with it.

“There looked like a lot of guys that were there or thereabouts,” added Harding, who rose from 74th in the Official World Rankings that week to a career high of 42nd, but who is now down to 99th.

“I ended up birdieing 11 and 12, then again 15. When I parred 16 I thought that was a chance given away, but I hit a good shot and made a great putt on 17.

“And birdie on 18 was big because it meant guys had to make two coming in, added Harding, who needs a big week in his quest to move back into the world’s top 50 to secure his place in the USPGA Championship in May.

“It was a bad little 45-minute wait but nobody seemed to really post a score. I think there were nine guys tied for second so I was quite pleased to avoid a play-off.

“It was cool to have finally crossed the line and got a W. It is just a matter of trying to feed on the same sort of memories this week and see if we can defend it.

The 34-year-old won’t have the defending champion’s advantage of returning to the same course as the event moves across the Qatari capital for the first time in its 23-year history.

The action moves from Doha Golf Club to Jose Maria Olazabal’s Education City Golf Club – a landmark project for Qatar and the world of golf – which offers a “revolutionary” approach to growing the game.

Harding, who finished 12th on his Masters debut in 2019, added: “I played so many new courses last year it’s actually quite nice. You’ve almost got no bad memories, you’re playing fresh.

“It’s a nice little challenge. It means everyone is pretty much in the same boat,” said Justin Harding of the 7,307 yard, par-71 course, which features paspalum grass greens.

“It’s not like you’re playing against a bunch of guys that have a world of good memories and good things to bring out on their play.

“It’s just one of those where you’ve got to go out and play with what you have on the day and deal with what happens.

“It’s a good golf course. I’ve played nine holes and I think the wind’s going to blow. It’s going to make it challenging for scoring.

“You’ll probably find it’s not going to be 20-under par winning, it’s going to anywhere in between -12 and -15.

“I’m looking forward to going out, seeing if we can execute plans, make some birdies and see what happens.”

Justin Harding is joined in the field by former World No. 1 Martin Kaymer, the 2018 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters winner Eddie Pepperell, from Oxfordshire’s Frilford Heath, as well as last week’s Oman Open winner Sami Valimaki.

The latter picked up four wins on the German Pro Golf Tour last season – the same route Kaymer, who has won three times in Abu Dhabi during the Desert Swing since 2008, took to the European Challenge Tour in 2006.

Valimaki, who also won as an amateur on the Gecko Tour in Spain, was a 250-1 shot heading into just his sixth event last week at Oman’a Al Mouj Golf, which again attracted high praise as one of the best courses on the European Tour.

•For tee times in the first round of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, click here.

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Second round leader Eddie Pepperell has been putting better after switching to the claw grip. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

OXFORDSHIRE’S EDDIE Pepperell was happy putting his faith in feeling his way around Emirates Golf Club.

The two-time Euorpean Tour winner carded a round of 67 to take a one-shot lead at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic after 36 holes.

Lighter winds made for better scoring in round two and the Frilford Heath member took advantage of the morning condiitions to move to eight-under.

Pepperell, who is looking for a second win in the Middle East after his maiden victory at the Commerical Bank Qatar Masters nearly two years ago, said: “I’ve played with swing feels for a few years.

“I have a couple of drills that have given me some quite strong ones and that’s where I’ve had a lot of success, to be honest.

“It might look very technical with me but believe it, or not, in my mind it doesn’t feel that way.

“At least certainly when I’m doing pretty good, because it’s all about feeling.

“I felt more calm today, I would say. Actually, I would tend to feel more calm as the week goes on at most tournaments,” added the 28-year-old, from Abingdon, who played junior golf at Drayton Park.

“I was happy with how I was feeling early and I got off to a nice start.

“For the most part it was very, very good until the cameras came along. I must have been concerned with how I was looking, because then I started struggling.

“When I looked at my putting in the past I’ve always felt that when I look at my set-up I’ve never looked that comfortable.

“Regardless of what your hands are doing on the grip, great putters tend to look quite comfortable.

“So that’s one thing I’ve never liked about my setup. It’s been very good the past two days and I’ve been surprised with how good it’s been.

“If I can keep doing that over the weekend, with what I’ve been doing with the swing, I think I’m going to make plenty of birdies which would be great.”

Pepperell who has vastly experienced caddy Micky Doran on the bag, has missed his last two cuts and has gone back to some old drills.

He switched to a claw putting grip as he looks to kickstart his 2020 Race to Dubai campaign after wathching Lee Westwood find some form on the greens on the way to his 25th career win in Abu Dhabi, last week.

The 2018 British Masters champion is a shot clear of defending champion Bryson DeChambeau, South African Dean Burmester and Sweden’s Robert Karlsson heading into the weekend.

DeChambeau would love to repeat his win of 12 months ago and then go on to win the Masters as Danny Willett did in 2016 and Sergio Garcia in 2017 after claiming the Dubai title.

“My wedge game has been immaculate, my putting has been – for the most part – a success, and iron play has kept me in the proper place,” said DeChambeau.

“Hit a couple of nice drives today and getting better with my driving. Just got to iron out a couple more things when the pressure gets to me, or certain situations occur.

DeChambeau spent time after the FedEx Tour Championship in August bulking up in the gym, piling on the pounds, in a bid to give him extra yards off the tee.

And DeChambeau revealed: “Well it has opened new boundaries that I never thought were possible.

“I don’t know necessarily how to control all of it yet.

But I’m getting to the place where I’m starting to learn with driver I need, under the gun – in certain conditions, a left-to-right wind, a right-to-left wind, what to do, and how to apply that power in a way that’s going to keep me in the fairway, and allow me to have more scoring opportunities.

“It’s a gigantic leap for me,” said DeChambeau, who has also addressed the criticism of some – including World No. 1 Brooks Koepka about his “slow play.”

“I would say it is about getting just more comfortable on the golf course, recognising the fact that I’m not perfect.

“I make mistakes and I made mistakes in the past but working on improving everything.

“That’s my whole goal for the game of golf is not only to make myself a better player – but to have people have a more enjoyable experience when I’m around.

“And that’s really what I’m trying to do, so I don’t bother anybody on the golf course, that’s the last thing I want to do.

“I made it a point to work on it and I’ve gotten a little bit better and I think it shows.”

Meanwhile Burmester revealed he has adopted a new mental attitude after being involved in a car accident ahead of the tournament.

His family were also involved in the collision on Wednesday, with all members thankfully escaping with only minor injuries.

Burmester said: “The accident was pretty hectic. We went to the aquarium and on our way back we took an Uber on the way back to the hotel.

“There was traffic on the other side of a blind rise and so we went into the back of a Porsche.

“There were four cars involved, but luckily we just got away with a couple of bumps and bruises and just thank God that we’re all okay.

“I think for the most part I putted really well and I’ve just been consistent trying to hit fairways, because the rough’s quite deep.

“So, for me to hit fairways is pretty good. I think the major difference is probably my mental attitude towards it.

“After the car accident you realise what’s important in life and I think I was taking golf a little too seriously.

“So I just kind of relaxed and looked at the family. We’re just enjoying our time, so that’s been the biggest difference.”

A sore ankle did not look to bother him as he carded a round of 68 putting himself in contention heading into the weekend.

Karlsson seeks first win in a decade

ROBERT Karlsson was the first Swede to be crowned European No. 1 after claiming the Order of Merit in 2008, the year before the introduction of the Race to Dubai.

The tall Scandinavian, who turned 50 in September, is putting his energy into his search for a first win since 2010 – when he claimed the Dubai World Championship in 2010, beating Ian Poulter in a play-off.

A victory just over nine years later would put him in the category of over 50s winners on the European Tour alongside Miguel Angel Jimenez – only three players have achieved that feat in the PGA Tour’s history.

Karlsson, who played in the 2006 and 2008 Ryder Cups, said: “Yesterday, on a very tough day, I kept the ball in play and when I missed I was a little bit lucky.

“I hit it in the fairway bunkers instead of the rough and I holed a lot of important putts.

“Today I actually hit more fairways and it was obviously much nicer weather. I played nicely.

“The tricky thing is we had a couple of years where they set it up a little bit nicer around the greens, with less rough.

“I think players want to have a bit tougher conditions and I’m very, very happy the way that they set it up.

“That’s been my personal response from the players. The problem on this golf course is there’s a lot of doglegs where you cut across, so it’s really hard to hit fairways on holes like one and six and 18.

“But everybody knows it and you play for it, so, but I like it.”

Frenchman Romain Langasque and China’s Wu Ashun are two shots off the lead at six-under, a shot clear of South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout, German Sebastian Heisele, American Kurt Kitayama and another Frenchman in Victor Perez.

Tommy Fleetwood fired the lowest score of the day with an impressive round of 65, edging his way back up the leaderboard to head the chasing pack at four-under, thanks to a strong putting display.

First-round leader Thomas Pieters could not repeat his birdie fest of 24 hours earlier, taking 10 shots more after an opening 67.

•To follow live scoring in the third round click here.

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Thomas Pieters racked up eight birdies at the Emirates Golf Club to lead the Omega Dubai Desert Classic on five-under in much tougher conditions. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

THOMAS Pieters fired eight birdies in an impressive round of 67 to open up a one-shot lead in the first round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

Much thicker rough than normal and a testing wind made Emirates Golf Club a sterner challenge than in recent years.

But the Belgian made a strong start as he chases his fifth European Tour win off the back of a tied 30th result last week in Abu Dhabi.

The 27-year-old was quickly the man to catch after starting on the 10th, making birdies on his opener, the 11th, 13th, 15th and 18th.

A double bogey on the first knocked him back and when he followed it with a dropped shot on the next, he had gone from one in front to two behind.

But the Ryder Cup star birdied the fifth and sixth before hitting a beautiful tee shot into the seventh for his third two of the round to edge a shot ahead of the field.

Pieters, who won the 2016 Made in Denmark to seal his place in Darren Clarke’s European Ryder Cup team at Hazetline, said: “My drives and three woods weren’t very good.

“But somehow I found the greens and if I did hit a fairway, I took advantage of it.

“I played the par threes very well. So that means I’m hitting my irons pretty good as I did last week and I just rolled in a few putts, which was nice.

“I’ve been working on my putting real hard, and I just hope to see some progress.

“I saw that today. Hopefully we can keep it up. I know I’m hitting the ball quite nice, and I’m just looking forward to the next three days.

“There was nothing easy about today, but I found 14 greens, which is always nice in these kind of conditions.”

Thomas Pieters admitted it was hard to guage how much progress he had made over the winter break so early in the season.

“You don’t know what to expect, even though you’ve put the work in,” said Pieters.

“That competitive mind-set sometimes takes awhile to kick in. But today was, I think, one of my better rounds of the year.”

American David Lipsky led the way early in the day with five birdies and a single dropped shot to get to four-under.

Lipsky said: “ I hit a lot of fairways and greens, and out here with the way the rough is, and how firm the greens are, you’ve got hit fairways to attack pins.

“The greens are so firm that coming into the greens from the rough is really tough.

“I was fortunate. I was first off so the wind died down my first six, seven holes – took advantage of those.

“With how tight the fairways are, and how they are always at angles, finding the fairways is tough out here and that’s key.

“I just want to put myself in contention more often, with a little bit more consistency to my game.

“I worked really hard in the off-season with my swing coach and I’m seeing it play dividends right now.”

Lipsky sits one-shot clear of a large chasing pack that includes countryman Kurt Kitayama, Oxfordshire’s Eddie Pepperell,

Pepperell, whose second European Tour win came in the 2018 British Masters at Walton Heath, said: “I’m really happy with that.

“It was clear early on it was going to be very, very challenging,” added Eddie, whose breakthrough win came in Qatar two years ago.

“I played a good round of golf today and proud of that – if you know my record on Thursdays.

“It was, I imagine, fun to watch. The course has gone from being a five-under cut to, I suspect, being a couple-over cut,” added Pepperell, who signed a contract to switch to Ping clubs earlier this month.

The 28-year-old, from Abingdon, has also adopted a new putting grip this week.

“The claw grip was inspired a little by Lee Westwood. I must say, I’ve been struggling with the greens,” he said.

“I’ve never been a good putter on Tour, but for me, it’s about not being a terrible putter.

“I was watching the golf last Sunday and I couldn’t believe how comfortable Lee looked on the short putts, especially.

“I thought, I might as well give this a try. I was very good today inside six-eight feet. So I’m optimistic. Best I’ve putted for a while.”

Tied alongside the Frilford Heath member is Sweden’s Robert Karlsson, and Dane Søren Kjeldsen, who made his 600th European Tour appearance last week.

Defending champ DeChambeau: It’s tough

DEFENDING champion Bryson DeChambeau is at two-under after an opening round of 70 left him a shot ahead of Major Champions Sergio Garcia, Padraig Harrington and Louis Oosthuizen.

DeChambeau said: “It’s a very, very good test of golf and you have to make sure your wedge game is on, and your iron play is on.

“It’s playing at least four shots harder a day,” said the former US Amateur Champion, comparing the first round to last year when he won outside America for the first time.

DeChambeau, who won four times in the States in 2018, added: “Iron play was great out of the rough and the fairway, and my wedge game around the greens was impeccable.

“Stuff I’m doing there is awesome. I’m putting still really well. I feel like I’m rolling it on my line except one putt on six today.

“Other than that, it was pretty much smooth sailing and still working on the driver. That’s a work-in-progress, but it will be a work-in-progress until I get the right stuff in my hands.”

•To follow Thomas Pieters and the rest of the field in round two click here for live scoring.

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Eddie Pepperell signed up as a Ping player before this week’s South African Open at Randpark Golf Club. Picture by WARREN LITTLE / GETTY IMAGES

EQUIPMENT giant Ping has announced the signing of European Tour player Eddie Pepperell on a multi-year agreement.

As part of the deal, the 28-year-old from Frilford Heath GC will compete wearing a Ping hat and carry a staff bag bearing its logo, joining the likes of Tony Finau, Louis Oosthuizen, Bubba Watson and big-hitting Cameron Champ in the Ping stable.

The former Drayton Park junior, who lives near Abingdon, currently plays with 14 Ping clubs, including a G410 Plus driver (nine degrees), G410 5-wood (17.5 at 16 degree), i210 irons (3-PW), Glide Forged wedges (52, 56, and 60 degree) and a Custom PLD PrimeTyne putter.

Pepperell is a two-time European Tour winner, having claimed victories at the Qatar Masters and British Masters in 2018.

The former England amateur international also finished tied sixth at the Open Championship at Carnoustie two years ago.

Last season, he recorded his best result in America with a tied third at The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass.

Eddie made his debut as a Ping staff player at the South African Open at Randpark Golf Club in Johannesburg today (Thursday).

Ping president John K Solheim said: “Eddie is one of the most popular players on the European Tour and we are very pleased that he has chosen to represent PING.

“With two European Tour victories already to his name, we look forward to supporting him going forward and wish him continued success. I enjoy his humour on social media.

“He’s fun to follow and always keeps things interesting.”

Eddie revealed to his followers on Twitter that he had gone out the night before the final round of the 2018 Open Championship, and enjoyed “a few glasses of red wine.”

Frilford Heath’s Eddie Pepperell will be playing Ping equipment for the foreseeable future after signing a multi-year agreement. Picture by WARREN LITTLE / GETTY IMAGES

He then proceeded to shot a superb final round of 67 on Sunday, despite feeling a “little hungover” after sharing a bottle with this coach Simon Shanks.

The round left him unsure of whether to leave Carnoustie in case the clubhouse leader might find himself in with a chance of a playhouse as Francesco Molinarni completed his back nine.

As it was the Italian took the Claret Jug, finishing three shots ahead of the Oxfordshire ace, who had started the day eight shots behind the leader, having endured a frustrating Saturday on Carnoustie’s famously tough track.

Eddie, who came through ranks playing for B.B.&O. with Harleyford’s Tyrrell Hatton, regularly shares his life with favoured pooch Gus on social media.

He is not afraid of entering a debate with his followers – and some times critics, or voicing an opinion about everything from human rights in Saudi Arabia to a fellow Wee Wonders graduate winning his first tournament after Aaron Rai’s win in Hong Kong.

His blogs have showed Pepperell to be a very thoughtful student of life and the human psyche as well as golf.

He has revealed many of the frustrations as well as highlights of a modern tour pro’s life, living out of suitcases and in airport departure lounges.

In 2018, he teamed up with experienced tour caddy Mick Doran, who has worked with the likes of Justin Rose, Lee Westwood, Luke Donald, David Howell Paul Lawrie and Darren Clarke.

The Berkshire-based caddy, who grew up in Englefield Green and caddied at Wentworth before finding himself on the bag when Italy’s Costantino Rocca lost a play-off at St Andrews, in the 1995 Open.

With many pundits believing the Open offers Pepperell’s best hopes in the Majors, Doran’s experience with many of Europe’s Ryder Cup stars over the last 30 years, could be invaluable when Royal St George’s hosts the 148^th Open Championship at Sandwich this summer.

Pepperell lost to Hertfordshire’s fellow England junior Tom Lewis, from Welwyn Garden City, in the final of the Boys’ Amateur Championship, at Royal St George’s, in 2009.

Two years later, Lewis, fresh off his victory in the St Andrews Links Trophy, one of the top three amateur strokeplay events in Europe, led the Open after the first round at Royal St Geroge’s.

Slightly surprisingly, Pepperell, who turned pro in 2011 only qualified for his first Open in 2015 – having lost a play-off in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, at Royal County Down.

Hatton by contrast, played in his fourth Open in six years at St Andrews that summer after finishing fourth in Northern Ireland, after missing out on the play-off by just a shot.

Pepperell’s pay cheque of €217,135 after that play-off defeat, in very windy conditions, was the biggest of his young career, and also saw him break into the world top 100 for the first time.

Eddie Pepperell will be looking for his third European Tour victory in 2020 – and his first as a contracted Ping player. Picture by WARREN LITTLE / GETTY IMAGES

At that point Eddie had already qualified for the 2013 US Open at Merion, when Justin Rose, became the first English winner since Tony Jacklin 43 years earlier, after Pepperell came through the European qualifier at Walton Heath – the scene of his second European Tour victory 15 months ago.

That win lifted Pepperell – who was crowned Portuguese Amateur Champion in 2011 – to an all-time high of 33 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Eddie, who turns 29 later this month, said at the time of his Open debut: “I grew up playing links in my amateur days so it’s something I’m very comfortable with when I’m playing well.

“I’m going to embrace the experience and hopefully go there with my game in good shape and you never know what can happen.”

Currently in 52^nd place on the OWGR, Pepperell will be looking for a strong start to 2020, to get back into the top 50 to secure his second appearance at The Masters – having missed the cut on his debut in 2019.

The last Ping player to win The Open? Louis Oosthuizen at St Andrews in 2010, who is the defending champion in South Africa this week.

•You can follow Eddie Pepperell’s blog by clicking here.

What’s in Eddie Pepperell’s bag? Ping G410 Plus driver, G410 5-wood, i210 irons, three Glide Forged wedges and a Custom PLD PrimeTyne putter. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

The post Eddie Pepperell likes sound of signing for Ping, following Bubba Watson and Finau appeared first on Golf North.

Lee Westwood’s win in Portugal came 10 years ago and he will be joined at Dom Pedro Victoria, in Vilamoura, by fellow past champions Andy Sullivan and Tom Lewis.
Picture by GETTY IMAGES

FORMER World No. 1 Lee Westwood and fellow past champion Andy Sullivan will tee it up alongside compatriot Eddie Pepperell at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course when the Portugal Masters returns to Vilamoura this week.

Westwood, who hails from Worksop, will be making his first appearance at the event since winning what was his 30^th professional title 10 years ago.

Meanwhile Sullivan, from Nuneaton, secured his third European Tour victory at Dom Pedro Victoria, in 2015, when he finished nine strokes clear of the chasing pack.

In 2009, Westwood ended a two-year wait for a European Tour victory as he finished two strokes ahead of Francesco Molinari after carding his third six-under par round of the tournament to post a 23-under total.

The win sparked a rich vein of form which saw him win the Race to Dubai that same season and then become the first Englishman since Nick Faldo in 1994 to become World No. 1 the following year.

“I have some happy memories of Dom Pedro Victoria after winning there in 2009,” said Westwood, who had 26 top-10 finishes between his 2007 British Masters title and his Portugal Masters victory.

“There had been a few close calls between those two wins, so I was really pleased to get over the line in Portugal.

“A lot of players talk about how this tournament has gone from strength-to -strength over the last few years.

“I’m looking forward to coming back and seeing how the tournament has grown. It also gives me a great opportunity to tune-up ahead of my defence of the Nedbank Golf Challenge, so I’m excited for the week.”

Sullivan, who was a teammate of Westwood’s at the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine, was denied back-to-back Portugal Masters titles three years ago when he finished just one stroke behind champion Padraig Harrington.

“The Portugal Masters is an event I always look for when the schedule is released,” said Sullivan. “It’s a great event and it’s always nice to return to a course where you’ve won before.

“I always bring my family to the event as they love it as much as I do – and it never hurts to have some extra support while competing.

“This tournament gives us an opportunity to start building some momentum ahead of the final three events of the year.”

Sullivan added: “I really want to end the season strongly and this event provides the platform for that.”

Two-time European Tour winner Eddie Pepperell has also confirmed he will return to Dom Pedro Victoria later this month as the Frilford Heath member looks to maintain his position inside the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking.

The trio will join Europe’s 2018 Ryder Cup Captain Thomas Bjørn in the field, as well as defending champion Tom Lewis, from Hertfordshire, and Essex history-maker Oliver Fisher, who carded the European Tour’s first 59 at last year’s tournament.

•Tickets for the Portugal Masters (October 24-27) are available from €8 for juniors (ages 12-17), €17 for concessions and €20 for adults. Season tickets are available for €24 for juniors, €50 for concessions and €60 for adults. To purchase tickets, click here.

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PADRAIG Harrington returns to this week’s D+D Real Czech Masters hoping to go one better than his debut appearance in Prague 12 months ago.

The Irishman finished runner-up to Andrea Pavan after a thrilling final day battle.

The 2020 Ryder Cup Captain shared a three-stroke lead with the Italian going into Sunday last year at Albatross Golf Resort.

And it was Pavan who upset the odds by toppling the three-time Major winner courtesy of a blistering back-nine performance.

Harrington said: “I’ve been injured earlier this year with the broken wrist and I’m back playing for a few months now.

“But they tell me it’s going to be close to the end of the year before it’s fully healed in the sense that I won’t be thinking about it.

“It doesn’t seem to affect my golf swing. It affects me a little bit on some of the bunker shots and chip shots.

“I’m good to play though, it’s not getting in my head on the golf course.

“It was very tight last year, there was a great ebb and flow to that final round. It was exciting, the golf was good.

“It was low scoring so there were birdies as well. There was plenty of drama.

“I thought I had it, all the way up to the 69th hole where I missed a short putt, and then he holed a big putt on the 70th hole and had a two-shot lead with two holes to play.

“There weren’t enough holes for me to come back,” Harrington added.

Harrington’s last European Tour win came three years ago at the Portugal Masters – and he has struggled to build any consistency in the 2019 campaign following a wrist injury over the winter break.

So the winner of back-to-back Majors in 2008 will be hoping memories of his best performance of 2018 can provide a welcome confidence boost in Prague.

The 2007 and 2008 Open winner’s fellow multiple Major winner – Ernie Els – makes his debut this week, while former World No. 1 Lee Westwood returns for his fourth consecutive appearance at Albatross.

Westwood said: “I played well at Royal Portrush and then I’ve had three weeks off since then.

“I’ve been down to Portugal for a couple of weeks for a holiday with my fiancée and my family, and I’m looking forward to getting going again.

“It’s nice to be playing again after such a good performance at The Open.

“The way I approach tournaments now has changed. I take it less seriously but I still try my hardest.

“If it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen, you can only try your best and that’s what I try and do each time I go to a tournament.

“The last thing I want to do is turn up at a tournament and not want to be there. I want to be keen to play at every tournament.

“I’m 46 now so it means I can’t play as many. I enjoy it a lot more,” Westwood added.

“It’s a good golf course. It’s pretty straightforward. The course has been designed well and shows you where you need to hit it, and then it’s up to the individual to execute it.

“There’s a lot of water out there, there’s a lot of risk and reward if you want to take it on. There’s a little bit of rough this year which will be better for me. It should set up well and I’m looking forward to it.”

Els revealed that like Harrington, he has also been battling injury.

The South African said: “I have had a lot of treatment on my back. It’s nothing too serious but serious enough that I couldn’t play an event recently.

“When the ball’s in the rough, it’s tough to follow through. I’ve had it before so we worked it out and it should be good.

“It’s a beautiful hotel here, and a beautiful city. There has been a lot of rain and so it will be very different from last year, but we will see as we go along.”

Defending champion Pavan can’t wait for play to get under way on Thursday morning.

Pavan, who added a second career win in Germany in the BMW International Open, earlier this summer, said: “It’s nice to be back.

“Last year was a very special week and I was looking forward to coming back here for a long time so finally to be here is great.

“Early on in the year I didn’t have a great start and then my game has been trending upwards.

“That win in Germany was very special, it got me into The Open, got me way up in the rankings and set up the rest of the year.

“The Open was a great experience, it was obviously a big week. I didn’t perform as well as I’d like but I felt good playing it, I felt like I was part of it, not just excited to be there.

“This week I’m here to try to defend and play as well as I can. I feel like I’m coming in with some form so hopefully I can do very well.”

Bernd Wiesberger, currently second in the Rolex Race to Dubai rankings, also plays – as does Frilford Heath’s Eddie Pepperell, who accepted a late invite and enters as the highest-ranked player in the field.

To follow live scores from Thursday to Sunday click here.

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JOSEPH Linel became the fourth Frenchman to lift the Reid Trophy denying Worcestershire’s Hugh Adams chance to become the first player to win the English Boys’ Under 14 Open Strokeplay Championship, back to back in its 25-year history.

The big-hitting 13-year-old, from Biarritz, posted a six-under par 54-hole aggregate of six-under despite a closing two-over par 74 at Stoke-on-Trent’s Trentham Golf Club.

Linel was made to fight all the way by Adams, from Hagley Golf Club, who closed with a four-under par 68 to get within three shots of catching the tall Frenchman.

It also proved to be a good final day for Harry Malin, from Bognor Regis, who fired four birdies over his last nine holes to card a 70 and finish tied for third place alongside Doncaster’s Joshua Berry on two-under.

Essex’s Harley Smith, from the Rayleigh Golf Club, performed well in both the McGregor Trophy and Carris Trophy in what is his first season playing in national junior events.

And Smith did it again by finishing with a 68 to share fifth place with Huddersfield’s Dylan Shaw-Radford on level-par.

Italy’s Lorenzo Lombardozzi also shot a 68 to finish in a share of seventh place alongside compatriot Luca Memeo and Prestbury’s Frank Kennedy two shots further behind.

Linel started the final day with a five-shot lead after opening rounds of 66 and 70, but bogeyed the first hole on his way to carding his highest score of the championship.

“I didn’t play as well today but my chipping was good which helped me,” Linel said. “I’m very happy. This is the biggest tournament I have ever won.”

The previous French winners of the Reid Trophy were Stanislas Gautier (2007) Antoine Kuoch (2013) and Alexandre Lasalarie (2015).

Past winners also include Friford Heath’s Eddie Pepperell, Toby Tree, Bradley Moore, Oscar Sharpe and Kent’s Jonathan Bell.

Final scores can be found here.

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