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The French Open will not be played on its scheduled dates of 6-9 May at Le Golf National following President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to extend COVID-19 restrictions across the country.
Three-time European Tour winner Grégory Havret was set to become the first player to host the tournament but now has to hope he can serve in that role later this year.
“It is clearly disappointing to have to postpone the Open de France, particularly after all the hard work and collaboration between ourselves, the FFG and the many stakeholders involved to stage the tournament in May,” European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley said. “But we feel it is the responsible decision.
“We have also had terrific support from host Grégory Havret and the 12 other French players who had committed to playing at Le Golf National and we will therefore continue to look at all options in the hope of playing the tournament later this year.”
Pascal Grizot, president of the Fédération Française de Golf, said: “We have worked very closely with the European Tour staff and various French authorities over the last couple of months and, through this involvement, have been able to overcome many obstacles.
“However, despite this, we feel that in the current climate it is neither reasonable nor responsible to stage the event in May. We will keep on working hand in hand with the European Tour in order to try to find an alternative date.”
The European Tour hopes to fill the vacant date on the schedule.
Sweden will host two tournaments on this year’s Challenge Tour, the European Tour has announced.
Europe’s junior circuit will make its first stop in mainland Europe in Sweden with the playing of the Range Servant Challenge in Malmö (13-16 May), followed by the Dormy Open a week later at Österåkers Golf Club in Långhundravägen. The latter event will take place on the Öster by Stenson course, 2016 Open champion Henrik Stenson’s first course design.
“The Challenge Tour has successfully hosted events in Sweden for over 30 years and we are delighted to be returning for the first time since 2018 for the Range Servant Challenge by Hinton Golf and the Dormy Open,” said Jamie Hodges, head of the Challenge Tour.
Swedish National Men’s Team head coach Ola Lindgren said: “The step from Sweden’s national MoreGolf Mastercard Tour to the European Tour level has been missing. Our young professionals and best amateurs have had few opportunities to gain experience from international professional tournament golf.
“With the European Challenge Tour now back on Swedish soil, it is an important piece in the rebuild of men’s professional golf in Sweden. I look forward to the tournaments and hope to see our Swedish players play well.”
Both events carry €200,000 purses and bring to 26 the total number of Challenge Tour events for 2021.
With the US Open scheduled for June 17-20 at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, Governor Gavin Newsom of California announced last week that the Tuesday before the tournament begins is his target date to re-open his state.
“On June 15, California will fully open its economy if two criteria are met: if vaccine supply is sufficient for Californians 16 years and older who wish to be inoculated, and if hospitalization rates are stable and low,” said the news release from Newsom's office.
“Everyday activities will be allowed and businesses can open with common-sense risk reduction measures. ... The entire state will move into this new phase as a whole.”
Sources told GGP that the USGA has been monitoring the news, and is very encouraged for the possibility of fan attendance and corporate hospitality at Torrey Pines.
English international Barclay Brown celebrated earning a place on Great Britain & Ireland’s Walker Cup team by claiming his first US collegiate title at the Wyoming Cowboy Classic at the Whirlwind Golf Club in Arizona.
The 20-year-old Stanford student, from the Hallamshire club in Sheffield, closed with rounds of 67 and 65 to finish two shots ahead of Stanford teammate Filippo Celli, San Diego State’s Puwit Anupansuebsai and Loyola Marymount’s Riley Lewis on 14-under-par 202.
Brown, 115th on the World Amateur Golf Ranking, is in his second year at Stanford. “I’m mainly relieved to get my first win out of the way so I can try to get some more without the pressure of never having won one,” Brown told the Stanford Athletics website.
Director of golf Conrad Ray said: “His game has been trending and he had a little extra confidence this week after making the Walker Cup.”
Japan’s Tsubasa Kajitani moved into the top 15 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking for the first time following her victory in the Augusta National Women's Amateur Championship.
The 17-year-old from Okayama defeated American Emilia Migliaccio at the first hole of a sudden-death play-off after they tied on 1-over-par 217 and climbed 13 places to 13th on the WAGR table.
Migliaccio made a three-place rise to 12th while Rose Zhang remains the world's No 1-ranked women’s amateur. She was one of six players to finish in a tie for third place at Augusta.
England’s Lianna Bailey helped her chances of earning a place on the Great Britain & Ireland Curtis Cup team with a 35-ranking jump to 108th after winning The Bruzzy by eight shots. The Oklahoma State player wasn’t part of the 17-player squad when it was announced in December but now is a contender for the match against the United States on 26-28 August at Conwy Golf Club, Wales.
Brad Kennedy has secured the No 1 spot on the 2020/2021 ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit.
Kennedy won the New Zealand Open in March 2020, the last event before a lengthy COVID-19 disruption, and then, after the resumption, also claimed the inaugural event of the Players Series at Rosebud Country Club. Those victories, together with two other top-fives and a tie for seventh at the recent Golf Challenge NSW Open, were enough to see the 46-year-old finish almost $50,000 ahead of his nearest challenger, ISPS Handa Vic Open champion Min Woo Lee.
The Order of Merit title earns Kennedy a European Tour card plus starts in the Open Championship and two World Golf Championship events.
“Sometimes, as a player, you go unnoticed and I’ve felt that a fair bit, to be honest,” Kennedy told the PGA Australia website.
“I don’t really care what anyone thinks about me or what anyone says, I just go out and do my thing. … In a few years time I’ll probably look back and see it as a great achievement and shows consistency throughout the year, but right now there are so many things going on it’s hard to try and reflect.”
Kennedy and several other Australians are waiting to see when the pandemic rules will allow him to travel to Japan to attempt to secure his status on the Japan Golf Tour for 2022. But, with a card on the European Tour and status on the Asian Tour, he isn’t short of options.
“It’s a real juggling act as to what I do at the moment,” he admitted. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great problem to have, but it’s also a difficult problem to make decisions on.”
Spain’s Rafa Cabrera-Bello will welcome European Tour peers to his Canary Islands home when he plays host at the inaugural Gran Canaria Lopesan Open, 22-25 April at Meloneras Golf in Maspalomas.
The tournament marks the start of a two–week Canary Islands Swing, which culminates on 29 April-2 May with the Tenerife Open at Golf Costa Adeje.
Three-time European Tour winner and Ryder Cup player Cabrera-Bello, who was born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, said: “It’s a proud moment for me to host a tournament on Gran Canaria, and I can’t wait to tee off in the Gran Canaria Lopesan Open at Meloneras Golf. Although I’m now lucky to travel all over the world playing golf, I have remained connected to the Canary Islands and was proud to be able to establish the Circuito Juvenil Rafa Cabrera-Bello in association with Real Club de Golf de Las Palmas in 2019.”
Walton Heath Golf Club will stage the final of the 2021 Justin Rose Telegraph Junior Golf Championship following last year’s cancellation. The 1981 Ryder Cup venue replaces Quinta do Lago in Portugal to avoid complications arising from COVID-19 travel restrictions.
The 12 best girls and 12 best boys will contest the final 5-8 October. The 24 players will qualify for the tournament – which is supported by the R&A, the European Tour and England Golf – from events run in the UK between March and August.
“I’m delighted that the Championship is returning in 2021,” Rose said. “It is great to stage the final at Walton Heath, where I hosted the (2018) British Masters a few years ago on the tour. After the 2020 postponement, I’m planning to bring it back with a real boost, having more net category winners in both the boys and girls sections, increasing the grassroots opportunities for a place at the final.”
Sandy Lyle claimed a spot in the record books when he teed in this year’s Masters.
It was the 37th year in a row the 63-year-old Scot played in the tournament, beating the record for non-American players he previously shared with Gary Player, who missed his only Masters in 1973 to have a pair of major surgeries before returning to win in 1974 and play at Augusta a record 52 times.
“Well, there you go,” said the 1988 champion when told he had a new record to his name. “It’s good. It’s very good, although I haven’t even been thinking about it, quite honestly. You know, the Open Championship, I managed to play 43 years in that. Where the time has gone, I’m not sure myself.”
Lyle currently has some distance to go to match the record for the highest total of consecutive appearances in the Masters. That is currently held by Arnold Palmer, who played 50 times from 1955 to 2004.
Wales Golf has named former fund manager Ashton Bradbury as its new chairman.
Bradbury, whose daughters Gemma and Katie played for the Welsh girls’ and ladies teams in recent years, takes over from Dr Val Franklin at a time when Wales Golf is looking for a new CEO, following the announcement of the retirement of longtime incumbent Richard Dixon.
“While we are sorry to see Richard retire and they will be big shoes to fill, I am confident we will appoint a strong successor to take things forward as we start to review our strategy for the future and our new chief executive can lead that. ”
Colin Callander and Alistair Tait