ROUND 1 WEDNESDAY MAY 1, 2019 Out of the shadow, into the night Cheyenne Woods can’t avoid the inevitable association with Uncle Tiger but can control her own story and intends making this week’s chapter memorable. By Kent Gray – Editor, Golf Digest Middle East IT’S NOT EASY LIVING in the colossal Championship in Oahu]. I teed shadow cast by arguably the greatest off while he was still playing so I golfer that ever lived. Which is exactly missed everything,” the 28-year-old why Cheyenne Woods doesn’t attempt old revealed on the eve of the $285,000 to despite the unavoidable association Ladies European Tour event at Emirates where and whenever she tees it up. Golf Club. Like the rest of us, the Omega Dubai Cheyenne Woods, like most of the Moonlight Classic drawcard will forever rest of the sporting world, was thrilled remember where she was when Tiger for her uncle, catching a reply of Woods captured his 15th and perhaps Tiger’s march up 18 at Augusta and the most impressive major title at Augusta immediate, emotional aftermath soon National last month. Unlike the rest after she had finished her own round. of us, her story speaks volumes of the “But I was playing my own event…” determination to make her own mark in Just like Tiger, Cheyenne also likes to professional golf. win. She mightn’t be anywhere near as “I was actually in Hawaii playing prolific as Uncle Big Cat but has arrived a qualifier [for the LPGA Tour’s Lotte in Dubai with a simple... Turn to page 2 Meet Nuria Iturrios Lights Out at Moonlight The new LET Order of Merit leader likes Four LET stars get an early taste of night golf what she sees on the Faldo course. PAGE 3 on the Faldo...with a twist. PAGE 5 Six to Watch Round 1 Tee Times EMIRATES GOLF Your guide to the big names chasing the famed Plan your viewing pleasure with all the SEAMASTER AQUA TERRA CLUB DUBAI MASTER CHRONOMETER Dallah trophy at Emirates Golf Club. PAGE 4 groups and tee times for round 1. PAGE 6 1 – 3 MAY, 2019 PATRON & OFFICIAL PUBLISHER More information available at OMEGA Middle East, Emirates Towers, Dubai, UAE. Tel: +971 4 3300455 @OmegaGolfDubai #ODMC2019 2 NEWS And just like you know who, Woods is talking positively. Omega Dubai “With my status on LPGA, I’ve been doing a lot of Monday qualifiers Moonlight Classic so I haven’t played as much as I May 1-3, 2019 would have liked. But I’ve had a Faldo course, Emirates Golf Club lot of time to work on my game and I’m just really excited for the year and this, for me, is a kind of kick start to get back into a more 56 Professionals consistent schedule and playing more tournament golf. “I feel like I’m playing really well, 168 Amateurs just putting the pieces together. I feel like mentally, physically, I’m in a Format: 54-hole Pro-Am really good place to play some really (No cut) great golf so the more I play, the closer I think I’ll get to where I Each pro will be grouped with want to be.” three amateurs for a 36-hole MARIANNE SKARPNORD Woods has played Dubai twice “tour scramble” competition. before, earning shares of 20th and The 56-professionals will Continued from cover page... Winning the world’s first day- 10th place at the then Omega Dubai then play the final round mission despite limited golf given her conditional night professional tournament to Ladies Masters in 2014 and 2016 on their own. status in the U.S. – after missing the cut in two go with her maiden LET win at the respectively. But that was on the events in Australia in February her next start on the 2014 Australian Ladies Masters is Majlis course and there were no Wednesday, May 1: LPGA Tour will likely not be before next month's the easier said than achieved of course. excited Pro-Am partners or night Pro-Am – 8.30am and 3pm ShopRite Classic. Quite aside from being undercooked holes to contemplate. shotguns “Definitely another win,” was the Arizona native’s in terms of tournament play (her “It will be a very new challenge Thursday, May 2: succinct response when asked her ambition for this only other main tour start this but I’m excited. I think it’s a great Pro-Am – 8.30am and 3pm week’s new-look Pro-Am on the Faldo course. year was at the LET’s Fatima Bint event for golf. I think these formats shotguns “A goal of mine is to win on the LPGA Tour. My first Mubarak Ladies Open in January keep the fans interested and it’s good Friday, May 3: win was on the European Tour so if I can get another where she finished 15th), Woods for us too just having a different One tee start – 10.35am win, whether it is on this tour or wherever, it just will be confronted by some in-form experience playing.“ encourages and helps build confidence overall.” competition this week. With that, Woods set off for a Spaniard Nuria Iturrios has just practice round on the Faldo. But not gone to No.1 in the Order-of-Merit before the inevitable questions about standings after claiming her second Tiger. Sorry to ask, but you must LET title at last week’s Lalla Meryem have been excited? Cup. Norway’s Marianne Skarpnord “We’ve seen Tiger at his best and won her fourth LET crown in Tiger at his worst and to see him Australia in February and was tied come full circle and win again at the 4th in Rabat, while 23-year-old highest level, it’s not something you Englishwoman Meghan MacLaren see very often, or ever in the sports successfully defended her NSW world at that level. So it was just Open title in March and went a very special moment to see him LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR close to upstaging the men with a on the course and then you see the 319 PROFESSIONAL GOLFERS | 37 NATIONALITIES runner-up finish at the new Jordan personal side behind the scenes with Mixed Open. the emotion. We’re a Global Tour with world-class players who inspire fans and the next Throw in the likes of Caroline “Yeah, it was just so exciting to generation of golfers. At each event, it’s not just about the Hedwall – the highest ranked player see, so exciting the whole world swing - it’s about a day that goes with a swing. A big day out with in the field at No.128 – 2017 Solheim came together and cheered for him fun entertainment and a festival atmosphere set in beautiful scenery. Cuppers Emily Kristine Pedersen and knowing how far he’s come.” We aim to captivate and excite, but we don’t just appear and Florentyna Parker, former money A very, very long way indeed. leave - we aim to create a legacy. list winners Beth Allen and Becky But for the other Woods, it’s not Brewerton and LET life-member an epic comeback, rather the We are ‘more than just a Golf Tour’ Trish Johnson, the 53-year-old, 18- journey ahead that’s more exciting, time LET winner from Bristol, and starting from the Faldo’s first tee the test for Woods is crystal clear. at 8.30am today. ◼ Editor-in-Chief Editor Chief Commercial General Manager Obaid Humaid Kent Gray Officer – Production Al Tayer Art Director Anthony Milne S. Sunil Kumar Group Editor and Clarkwin Cruz Publisher Production Manager Managing Partner Images David Burke R. Murali Krishnan Ian Fairservice Tristan Jones, LET, Senior Projects Assistant Editorial Director Getty Images Manager – Connect Production Manager Gina Johnson Ingrid Valles Po Binu Purandaran Head Office: Media One Tower, PO Box 2331, Dubai, UAE; Tel +971 4 427 3000; Fax +971 4 428 2270 Dubai Media City: Office 508, 5th Floor, Building 8, Dubai, UAE; Tel +971 4 390 3550; Fax +971 4 390 4845 Abu Dhabi: PO Box 43072, UAE; Tel +971 2 657 3493 London: WWW.LADIESEUROPEANTOUR.COM Acre House, 11/15 William Road, London NW1 3ER, UK; E-mail: [email protected] @LETgolf ladieseuropeantour @letgolf ladieseuropeantour ladieseuropeantour Printed by Al Ghurair Printing Press 3 Nuria’s keeping calm and carrying on The new LET Order-of-Merit leader likes what she sees at Emirates Golf Club. RECONNAISSANCE LAP of averaged 269 yards off the tee in the Faldo course has given Rabat – Iturrios’ winning formula A Nuria Iturrios a booster shot last week paid more to precision. of something she has in abundance How about driving accuracy a heading into the Omega Dubai whisker under 85 per cent which led Moonlight Classic. to a 74 per cent greens in regulation As the Ladies European Tour’s return, 18 birdies and a final, title- latest winner, the 23-year-old clinching 13-under-par total? Spaniard oozes confidence coming A repeat of those impressive into the new 54-hole Pro-Am. stats won’t be easily achieved of Following her opening practice course but Iturrios seems to have round in Dubai after winning that covered too courtesy of a last week’s Lalla Meryem Cup in relaxed attitude. Morocco, her stocks seem to have “Over three days, the winning risen even further. score here could be 13-under or “I really like it,” Nuria said of 14-under, because the par-5s are the event’s new 6300 yard, par-72 easier to reach [than in Morocco].