ON THE EUROPEAN TOUR
CASEY CLAIMS OMEGA DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC TITLE
aul Casey stormed to a four-stroke victory at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic , winning his 15th European Tour title at the iconic Emirates Golf Club .
The Englishman started the day one stroke ahead of Scotland ’ s Robert MacIntyre but increased his advantage to two strokes after birdies on the third and fourth holes .
The 43-year-old finished the front nine in level par after bogeys on the sixth and eighth holes but three consecutive bogeys from the seventh hole ended MacIntyre ’ s title tilt .
Casey steadied the ship with gains at the 11th and 13th holes and a closing birdie saw him sign for a final round of 70 and a total of 17 under par , finishing four strokes ahead of South African Brandon Stone .
The win propels Casey inside the Top 15 of the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time since December 2019 as he joins former and current European Ryder Cup Captains
EGD ANNOUNCES NEW DIRECTION
uropean Golf Design Limited ( EGD ) is poised for a new direction following a change in the ownership structure of the renowned golf course design company .
A two-man syndicate comprising European Tour Chief Operating Officer Keith Waters and businessman Robert Birmingham has acquired 50 % of EGD from International Management Group ( IMG ), who established the company together with the European Tour as a joint venture in 1992 .
The syndicate and the European Tour will now work together to further develop EGD to design new courses and redesign existing member and resort courses , but particularly to host tournaments and The Ryder Cup .
The 2010 Course at The Celtic Manor Resort in Wales was designed by EGD to specifically host The Ryder Cup 11 years ago , while another of its projects , the new 18-hole stadium course at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club on the outskirts of Rome , will play host to the biennial contest between Europe and the United States in September 2023 .
24 GolfPlus MARCH 2021
Thomas Bjorn and Padraig Harrington - who finished in a tie for sixth at nine under par alongside Sergio Garcia and Bernd Wiesberger - on 15 European Tour titles .
Paul Casey : “ I ’ m so over the moon . Not just 15 [ victories ]. The fact it ’ s Dubai . It ’ s an iconic event on The European Tour . You guys all know that . One of the coolest trophies around . he European Tour , LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour will join forces for another innovative mixed tournament at the ISPS HANDA World Invitational presented by Modest ! Golf Management in Northern Ireland , hosted by Galgorm from July 28 – August 1 , 2021 .
The agreement heralds an exciting new chapter for the event , which has been elevated to European Tour status following a hugely successful inaugural edition on the European Challenge Tour in 2019 . The 2021
DOMINANT DJ CLAIMS SECOND SAUDI TRIUMPH
ustin Johnson earned his second Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers title in three years after holding off the chasing pack to secure a two-stroke victory at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club .
The World Number One started the day with a two-stroke advantage and he was pushed all the way by playing partner Victor Perez and compatriot Tony Finau , who briefly pulled level with Johnson on the back nine .
The reigning Masters Champion closed out victory by responding to his only dropped shot of the day at the 16th with a birdie at the 17th to finish with a closing two under par round of 68 for a winning 15 under total .
The triumph is Johnson ’ s first victory since winning his first Green Jacket at the Masters Tournament in November and continues his excellent record in Saudi Arabia after winning the maiden edition of the event in 2019 before finishing second to Graeme McDowell in 2020 .
EUROPEAN TOUR , LPGA TOUR & LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR JOIN FORCES event will continue to be played over two courses , Galgorm Castle and Massereene and will form part of the European Tour ’ s 2021 UK Swing , taking in tournaments in Wales , Northern Ireland , Scotland and England across July and August .
It will be the first time an event of this format is tri-sanctioned by the European Tour , LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour in the northern hemisphere – following in the footsteps of the ISPS HANDA Vic Open in Australia which has the same format .