Former One Direction star Niall Horan in action during the pro-am event prior to the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Golf Club, in 2019. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

FORMER One Direction star Nial Horan is to lead a drive by The R&A to create new grassroots programmes aimed at inspiring more young people to play the game.

The new programmes will be launched later this year by Horan’s Modest! Golf company, and provide more opportunities for young people to be introduced to golf.

They will utilise fun and accessible formats of the sport that are more in tune with how today’s generation uses its leisure time

They will also be designed to encourage them to stay within the sport, the R&A said today.

The power of social media influencers from the sports and entertainment world will be used to present the sport in a more positive light to new audiences and challenge some of the more unhelpful perceptions that exist about golf.

R&A chief development officer Phil Anderton said, “Modest! Golf has a wealth of expertise and insight from the entertainment and sports industries.

“That will be combined with our experience of developing golf around the world to establish exciting new initiatives aimed at reaching new audiences and inspiring more young people into playing golf with their family and friends.

“Our relationship with Modest! Golf is built on a shared ambition for golf to be viewed as a fun, friendly and accessible sport that is inclusive of all people no matter their age, gender, ability or background.

Horan ‘hugely passionate about golf’

“We look forward to working together to broaden its appeal through our networks in golf and encourage young people to enjoy its many social and health benefits.”

Horan, who founded Modest! Golf in 2016, said, “I am so proud to work alongside The R&A in developing programmes to encourage and inspire more young people to play the game of golf.

“It is something my company Modest! Golf is hugely passionate about and I am honoured that chief executive Martin Slumbers, Phil Anderton and The R&A are entrusting my agency to help drive the game forward.

“The R&A has a long legacy within the game and I look forward to helping to create new and modern initiatives to showcase to the younger generation just what a great sport golf is.”

Modest! Golf evolved from entertainment agency Modest! Management and was founded by Horan and former Taylormade manager Mark McDonnell five years ago.

It is responsible for the management of professional golfers including BMW PGA Champion Tyrrell Hatton, Ireland’s former World Amateur No. 1 Leona Maguire, Scotland’s Connor Syme, Germany’s Olivia Cowan and Italy’s Guido Migliozzi as well as world top five disability golfer Brendan Lawlor.

Modest! also aims to promote inclusivity and opportunity through events like the ISPS Handa World Invitational, and the Horan & Rose charity tournament, which has raised over £2 million for children’s charities across the world, with Hampshire’s Justin Rose.

Tyrrell Hatton claimed the fourth Rolex Series win of his career by winning the HSBC Abu Dhabi Championship, on Sunday – and his third since signing for Horan’s Modest! Golf.
Picture by GETTY IMAGES

Hatton flying with Horan’s team

NIAL HORAN, who played golf, football and gaelic football as a youngster, caddied for Rory McIlroy in the Par 3 Contest at the 2015 Augusta Masters.

The One Direction singer, who has had four UK No. 1s with 1D, has been a regular at the BMW PGA Pro-Am at Wentworth, where Hatton claimed his third Rolex Series win in October.

Hatton, who also won the first Rolex event series of 2021 in the HSBC Abu Dhabi Championship on Sunday, signed for Modest! Golf in 2019.

The Marlow golfer, who came through the B.B.&O. junior ranks, signed an extended deal in November, having secured his first PGA Tour win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March 2020.

Horan’s delight after capturing Hatton’s signature on a longer deal was clear. He said in November: “We are so proud to resign Tyrrell to the business.

“His golf this past 18 months has been incredible.

“To not only witness him make his breakthrough in America and win for the first time on the PGA Tour, but to also watch him win the European Tour’s flagship event at the BMW, was something really special.

“We’re just so delighted and proud to be on that journey with him.”

The 29-year-old’s four-shot victory in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, means Hatton’s place in Padraig Harrington’s European team to face the USA in September’s Ryder Cup, at Whistling Straits, is nailed on.

Hatton made his Ryder Cup debut in Europe’s record victory against America in Paris in 2018, earning one point for Thomas Bjorn’s side in his three matches.

Tyrrell Hatton after his first BMW PGA Championship win at Wentworth in October.
Picture by GETTY IMAGES

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THE European Tour has launched golf’s first esports series, the European eTour – which will see players taking on Topgolf’s World Golf Tour, which is played by some 20 million people online worldwide.

And the best esport players in the world will get the chance to qualify for the live onsite events via an online tournament.

Starting at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in January, the inaugural season-long eTour will feature six esports contests held at European Tour tournaments around the world.

A long-time leader in online golf competitions, WGT by Topgolf offers the most photorealistic golf gaming experience – giving players the opportunity to virtually play some of the most famous golf championship courses.

The eight players who qualify will compete onsite at European Tour events in an exciting nine-hole knockout matchplay format, initially in two round-robin groups, before straight knockout semi-finals and final.

The five tournament winners, along with three wildcards qualifiers, will then contest the season-ending finale at the European Tour’s own season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, which takes place at Jumeirah Golf Estates, from November 19-22, 2020.

Topgolf is currently developing additional European Tour virtual venues to add to its portfolio of WGT golf courses and helping the Wentworth-based Tour – along with epsorts specialists Dreamhack.

DreamHack will bring their extensive esports events and streaming production capabilities to create a premium fan experience.

Fans will be able to enjoy extensive live coverage as well as bespoke ancillary content of all six European eTour events across a multitude of platforms, including broadcast, digital and social media.

The European Tour held its first esports event earlier this year with WGT and DreamHack.

The inaugural European eTour Championship took place at the 2019 Made in Denmark, and the success of that tournament led to the development of the new series of one-day events across the 2020 calendar.

The exclusivity of the European Tour’s esports experience amplifies the benefit of players participating in the event, and the ability to virtually be part of real world tournaments, said a spokesman.

Chief content officer Rufus Hack said: “The launch of the eTour underlines the European Tour’s commitment to innovation, and we believe this is an exciting opportunity for us to be leaders in a market that has huge growth potential.

“The esports industry allows the European Tour to engage with our existing audience in a different way and attract new fans outside of our traditional demographic through our broadcast and digital platforms.

“Our inaugural event in Denmark earlier this year gave a glimpse into the popularity of esports and we are looking forward to launching golf’s first esports Tour in 2020.”

Dreamhack Sports Games chief executive Peter Nørrelund said: “We see a great future for sports games in esports.

“The combination of a good game and a strong player in traditional sports is a winning recipe.

“World Golf Tour is a superior golf game and natural platform for golf esports, and European Tour is one of the strongest brands in the world of sports.

“With our ability to create content, media products and build strong communities I am sure, the European eTour will be a smashing success.

“I am thrilled with the partnership,” Mr Nørrelund added.

Topgolf media president YuChiang Chen said: “We are constantly innovating around how we can connect people in meaningful ways and the competition of esports brings a large, diverse group of people together to share a common experience.

“WGT was always built to be a realistic simulation of golf – rewarding skill and mirroring the level of strategy, course management and mental toughness required to win in professional golf.

“The WGT players have been urging us to take this next step and we look forward to partnering with such innovative partners to further enhance the modern competition of golf and launch an unmatched esports tournament experience on WGT.”

The esports industry is one of the fastest growing media sectors with an audience of more than 380 million enthusiasts worldwide which is forecasted to surpass 1.6 billion by 2022.

A majority of esports fans are in the 18-34 age demographic.

•Find out more about Topgolf’s World Golf Tour by clicking here.

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