– An ordinary afternoon at the Emirates Golf Club. Meetings and impromptu chats take place. Luke Donald talks with Javier Ballesteros. Seve’s eldest son is in Dubai with a dual mission. The first, as manager of All in Sports, is to oversee and attend to his protégés, Ángel Hidalgo and Ángel Ayora. The second, to present Rory McIlroy with the Seve Ballesteros award for the best player of the year on the DP World Tour 2024.
Coincidentally, just as he is speaking with the Ryder Cup captain, Ángel Ayora and his coach and caddie Juan Ochoa appear under the entrance arch of the practice range, next to the door leading to the players’ restaurant. Naturally, they seize the opportunity to introduce themselves to Donald. The European Ryder team has been keeping an eye on Ayora for some time, but they had never had the chance to meet in person. It is then that the following exchange occurs:
– Luke Donald: “I see you’re playing very well. I saw you finish fifth at Leopard Creek. Great tournament. Great golf.”
(they exchange a few words and part ways as follows)
– Juan Ochoa: “Our goal is to give you a good headache in September.”
– L.D.: “I love those kinds of headaches. I love it when good players give me a headache. It should definitely be your goal this season.”
– J.O.: “It is, it really is.”
– L.D.: “I like it, keep going down this path.”
The gauntlet has been thrown, and the captain has picked it up with enthusiasm. It’s great to show Donald the desire and ambition to play in the Ryder Cup at just 20 years old or, at least, the firm intention to make it difficult for him when it comes time to make selections. Ayora, by the way, kept his word and, although he’s not playing this week because he didn’t qualify, he stopped by the Emirates to watch Rory McIlroy live.
– Viktor Hovland describes himself as a “diagnosed madman.” He refers to his obsession with the technical aspect of the swing. As you know, he’s debuting a new coach and has confessed that he’s not entirely confident this week. He’s working tirelessly, being the last to leave the practice range in Dubai every day, but he still doesn’t feel completely comfortable. “During my career, I’ve decided to change some things about my swing at different times. It always went well except last year. Yes, I regret the changes I made in 2024. I was looking for a more draw ball, I didn’t achieve it, and when I wanted to return to my natural fade ball, it didn’t come out the same. That’s when new and old habits collide, and it’s not easy to untangle that mess. I made a bad decision, and now I’m paying for it. I think I’m going in the right direction, but I admit it’s taking me longer than I thought,” says the Norwegian. Hovland’s case is just the latest in a story that inexplicably repeats itself too often in professional golf: getting into changes seeking improvement and ending up in a hole that’s very difficult to get out of. Viktor, at least, takes something positive from it: “if with a swing I hate every time I see it on video I was able to fight for the PGA Championship and got into the Tour Championship, it means there are things I’m still doing very well. I’m still not where I want to be,” he acknowledges. Don’t count on him for this week… Or maybe do. After all, we’re dealing with a “diagnosed madman.”
– Speaking of technique enthusiasts. Padraig Harrington. Tuesday’s practice round. The Irishman shares a round with Ángel Hidalgo, Iván Cantero, and Rafa Cabrera Bello. Also in the group is Jordi García del Moral, coach of the first two. At one point, Harrington realizes Jordi is the coach and approaches him to inquire about the players he coaches and exchange some technical ideas. The conversation ends with a statement from Harrington. “I am clear about one thing: to be competitive in today’s golf and to stand up to Rory McIlroy, you have to be above 175 miles per hour ball speed,” more than 281 kilometers per hour. Note the curiosity, Harrington doesn’t mention being Number One, winning the Masters, or defeating Scottie Scheffler, he specifically referred to McIlroy.
– Rory has the opportunity to win the Hero Dubai Desert Classic for the third consecutive time. It’s an extraordinary feat achieved by only four players in the entire history of the DP World Tour. It’s been 21 years since something like this happened.
| European Monte Carlo Open | Ian WOOSNAM | 1990 |
| European Monte Carlo Open | Ian WOOSNAM | 1991 |
| European Monte Carlo Open | Ian WOOSNAM | 1992 |
| Amgen Irish Open | Sir Nick FALDO | 1991 |
| Amgen Irish Open | Sir Nick FALDO | 1992 |
| Amgen Irish Open | Sir Nick FALDO | 1993 |
| BMW PGA Championship | Colin MONTGOMERIE | 1998 |
| BMW PGA Championship | Colin MONTGOMERIE | 1999 |
| BMW PGA Championship | Colin MONTGOMERIE | 2000 |
| Heineken Classic | Ernie ELS | 2002 |
| Heineken Classic | Ernie ELS | 2003 |
| Heineken Classic | Ernie ELS | 2004 |
– The recent Team Cup and the continental team selections continue to generate some controversy. As we already reported in Ten Golf, Jorge Campillo was the first reserve when Julien Guerrier was called to replace Nicolai Hojgaard, but he was skipped for logistical reasons, as they didn’t want to bring him from Spain without the certainty of being able to play, since the Dane wasn’t a definite withdrawal on Wednesday. That’s why Guerrier was called, even without initially speaking directly with Campillo, as the Frenchman lives in Dubai. The strange thing about the matter is that the second reserve for the Team Cup in Continental Europe was theoretically Guido Migliozzi, and he wasn’t called either… And Migliozzi, ladies and gentlemen, lives in Dubai. So, as said, it’s all very strange.
