BY JEREMY THESEIRA MILLIONS DOLLARS RACE n 2017, luxury Swiss timekeeper Rolex began an initiative to boost the professional game in Europe called the Rolex Series.With Ieight handpicked tournaments in the calendar, each event comes with a prize purse of US$7 million or more culminating in the season- ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

This year’s series opened with the BMW PGA Championships in May at Wentworth Club, which was won by current Open champion and hero, Francesco Molinari. Fellow Ryder Cup teammate Rory McIlroy came in at a close second Above; Francesco Molinari (left) receives with two strokes adrift of Molinari’s 17-under finish. a Rolex watch from Abdul Hamied Seddiqi The following weekend at the 75th , (centre) from Ahmed Seddiqi and Sons and Thorbjørn Olesen took home his fifth Europe- Laurent Delanney from Rolex Geneva. an Tour and first Rolex Series victory with a nar- row one-stroke margin over Molinari at Gardagolf Country Club. tween heavyweights Sergio Garcia and Louis Oost- At the HNA , Swede Alex Norén huizen with a closing round score of 64. scored his second Rolex Series win on what would Last weekend saw the exciting conclusion to the later be the stage for the Ryder Cup — Le Na- Rolex Series in Dubai. Englishman Danny Willett tional. On another note, Norén also won the BMW made a tremendous career comeback with a clos- PGA Championship a year back, which was the in- ing 68 to claim victory at Jumeirah Golf Estates, augural event in the Rolex Series. earning his first Rolex Series victory ahead of Matt The Dubai Duty Free and the fourth Danny Willett (above, left) with Francesco Wallace, Patrick Reed and defending DP World event of the Rolex Series ended with a nail-biting Molinari. Tour Champion Jon Rahm. finish which saw Russell Knox and Ryan Fox pro- Willett, whose last Major win was at the 2016 ceed to play-offs after tying at 14 under after 72 last hole. Masters, dropped to a low of 462nd in the Official holes at Ballyliffin Golf Club. However, it was the This month, The Turkish Airlines Open at Reg- World Golf Rankings at one point after a series of Scotsman Knox who took home the title, well-de- num Carya Golf & Spa Resort represented the start injuries and self-admitted poor form. served after a second-place finish at the HNA Open of the Final Series that consists of three events that In the Race to Dubai rankings, Francesco Moli- De France. ends with the DP World Tour Championships. nari was crowned Europe’s No. 1 and the first Ital- At the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish With yet another play-off finish, de- ian in history to achieve such a feat. The Italian’s Open, Brandon Stone’s win at Gullane Golf Club feated China’s at The Turkish Airlines well-deserved win comes after what has been a was one for the record books. Open to reclaim the World No. 1 spot, and the first season of consistent performances which includes The 25-year-old from South Africa became the to do so with a European Tour event since 2011. wins at The Open Championships and the BMW 18th player in European Tour history to shoot 60 At the hosted by Gary PGA Championships and made history as the first and what would have been the first 59 if not for the Player, Lee Westwood bagged his first Rolex Se- European to win all his five matches at the Ryder seven-foot putt which he narrowly missed on the ries title after a three-way battle on the final day be- Cup.

FULL SHOWING FOR BINTAN’S PRESIDENT’S CUP A record number of golfers turned up at the 4th Bin- ners Ho Chee Chong (Men’s division) and Lam Kui tan Lagoon Golf Club President’s Cup held at Bintan Moi (Ladies division). The golfers were also guests at Lagoon Resort from Nov 3 and 4. From 132 players at Bintan Lagoon Resort’s Batik Soiree event which was the first tournament in 2015, the number has more attended by corporate clients and the media at the than doubled to 282 this year. Great Hall on the first night of the tournament. Organised in partnership with Wonderful Indo- Next year’s Bintan Lagoon Golf Cup is scheduled nesia, which is the official slogan of the Ministry of for Nov 2 and 3. — Benny Teo Tourism Indonesia, the event was played simulta- neously over the Jack Nicklaus and Ian Baker-Finch courses at Bintan Lagoon Resort. Left; 4th BLGC President’s Cup 2018 champion The Stableford System 36-based tournament saw Thiagarajan Pradeep Kumar (far left) receives a total of 19 awards given including those for champi- his trophy from Gerald Hendrick, GM of BLR on Thiagarajan Pradeep Kumar and nett score win- LUT.

THE BUSINESS TIMES WEEKEND | 24-25 NOVEMBER 2018 | SWING BY SPHGOLF | 3