Latest news with #TheR&A
Khaleej Times
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
From K-Drama to Clubhouse: How The Open sparked a Korean superstar's golf passion
It all started with a quiet Sunday at The Open Championship, but for South Korean superstar Song Joong-ki, it was the beginning of something much bigger. Known across the Middle East thanks to hit dramas like Descendants of the Sun and the global Korean Wave, which has captured hearts here alongside K-Pop sensations and Korean cultural hits like Squid Game, Song's journey into golf is inspiring new fans across the UAE and Arab world. What began on a day as a spectator quickly turned into a passion. Today, Song isn't just a fan, he's The R&A's first Asian Global Ambassador, using his star power alongside sports icons like NBA's Stephen Curry to grow golf across Asia and beyond. Song confessed that he didn't know much about The R&A at first. 'I asked a friend who knows golf well, and they told me to say yes without hesitation. My wife and father-in-law were proud that I joined The R&A,' he said. Song is married to Katy Louise Saunders, a British citizen and former actress and model. With golf booming in the UAE, a melting pot where Korean expats, mingle with local enthusiasts, Song's story connects with this vibrant scene, showing how golf transcends cultures and unites diverse communities, just like K-Dramas and pop culture from the dynamic East Asian powerhouse. Song's path from national-level short-track speed skater to global actor to golf advocate reflects a spirit of resilience and passion admired by fans in the Middle East. He's also actively supporting junior golf initiatives, making the game accessible to all, a message that resonates in the UAE's growing golf ecosystem. For golf fans who already cheer for Korean players, Song Joong-ki's ambassadorial role brings a fresh connection between entertainment, sport, and regional enthusiasm. One Sunday at The Open changed everything. Now, Song is helping reshape golf for a new generation, including those in the Arab world who are discovering the joy of the game, whether through a TV drama or a first swing on the fairway.
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
The Open: How long Scottie Scheffler can keep Claret Jug after being caught off guard
Scottie Scheffler won The Open at Royal Portrush to claim the fourth major title of his career, and aspects of the Claret Jug took him by surprise Scottie Scheffler has etched his name into golfing history by claiming the coveted Claret Jug at The Open. The American won the historic major for the first time at Royal Portrush on Sunday. Scheffler, who finished T7 at last year's tournament, soared to victory at Portrush with a three-under-par round on Sunday. The 29-year-old finished on 17-under at The Open, four shots ahead of runner-up Harris English. Scheffler, who is already a two-time Masters winner and clinched the PGA Championship in May, is no stranger to picking up trophies. However, the Claret Jug seemed to fascinate Scheffler shortly after his victory. In a video by The R&A, the champion golfer remarked on the trophy's unexpected weight. He turned to a person carrying the Claret Jug and said: "It's light, isn't it?" The footage tracked Scheffler's journey after his Open triumph, from heartfelt celebrations to expressing gratitude to staff and engaging with the press. Upon closer examination of his newly acquired trophy, Scheffler spotted an intriguing detail. Having inspected the trophy's past engravings, Scheffler shared: "The first thing I noticed was this, '2020: No championship owing to global pandemic.'" The Open has awarded Scheffler a replica of the iconic Claret Jug, which he must return to The R&A next year. The tradition of players keeping the same replica trophy for 12 months began in 1928. For the coming year, Scheffler has the privilege of showcasing the trophy and taking it to events, but the new Open champion must hand back the silverware before next year's tournament. The original Claret Jug is on permanent display at The R&A. Alongside the Claret Jug, Open champions are also presented with a gold champion's medal, which Scheffler will retain. The Claret Jug has been awarded since 1873. It was commissioned in the previous year, and although Thomas Morris' name was the first to be engraved on it, Tom Kidd was the inaugural champion to lift the trophy when he triumphed 152 years ago. Scheffler's recent string of successes has led some to compare him with Tiger Woods, who has won The Open on three occasions. Yet, Scheffler dismissed such comparisons as premature during his post-championship press conference. "I still think they're a bit silly," Scheffler admitted. "Tiger won, what, 15 majors? This is my fourth. I just got one-fourth of the way there. I think Tiger stands alone in the game of golf. "He was inspirational for me growing up. He was a very, very talented guy, and he was a special person to be able to be as good as he was at the game of golf. I don't focus on that kind of stuff."
CNN
2 days ago
- Sport
- CNN
Sergio García forced to finish Open without his driver after snapping club in frustration
As a Masters champion and Ryder Cup icon, Sergio García boasts a resume that most golf lovers could only dream of. Yet for a few furious seconds at The Open Championship on Sunday, he was relatable to even the most amateur of hackers. The Spaniard played the last 16 holes of his 26th appearance at the major without his driver after snapping the club in frustration just five shots into his final round at Royal Portrush, Northern Ireland. Having opened with par, the 45-year-old wasted little time in showing his displeasure when his drive from the second tee careened left into the rough alongside the fairway. In an almost fluid follow through from his swing, ball still in the air, García slammed his driver into the turf. The outburst stopped there, but the damage was done, as the lower half of the severed club bounced away towards the 11-time PGA Tour winner's bag. With players permitted to repair or replace clubs 'except in cases of abuse,' as per the rules of tournament organizers The R&A, García headed on without one of his most important weapons. On his return to the clubhouse, García said he had not been trying to break the club and was 'surprised' to see it snap in half. 'I've done that 50 times, and I've never broken a club,' he told reporters. 'I don't know, maybe the shaft had a little thing there because I didn't feel like with what I did it should have broken, but that's what it was, and then I got some good practice when I threw it.' Yet, despite not having all 14 clubs, the 2017 Masters champion still went on to card his best round of a solid week on the Causeway Coast. After recovering superbly at the par-five second to make birdie, García poured in four more – including three across the back nine – to shoot three-under 68, bettering his third round bogey-free 70 and lifting him to three-under par overall. Though that left him well short of tournament leader Scottie Scheffler, who took a four-shot advantage into the final round at 14-under par, it looks set to be a marked improvement on his last outing at the major: a tied-68th finish at St Andrews in 2022. '(If) I started with 14 (clubs), I don't know, maybe I would have shot worse. You never know,' García said. Runner-up in both 2007 and 2014, García had played in 24 successive Opens before falling short at Final Qualifying in the past two years. An agonizing missed putt from three feet in March looked to have extinguished his hopes of a place in this year's field, only for him to subsequently secure his spot as the leading non-exempt player on the LIV Golf rankings – a new entry category introduced for the 153rd edition of the tournament. García will be hoping his performance impressed European Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald, as the biennial competition's all-time record points scorer (28.5) looks to make the Englishman's roster for the 45th edition in Farmingdale, New York this September. Should he be chosen as a wildcard, six-time winner García would draw level with Nick Faldo and Lee Westwood for the most Ryder Cup appearances for Europe (11), one shy of American Phil Mickelson's all-time record. 'It's no secret that we have been talking,' García said of Donald Sunday. 'It would mean the world to me to be there. Obviously if I can help the team, that's my main goal, I've always said it. 'I think that I can bring things to the team … to any team that would probably need it. Obviously at the end of the day, he's going to make whatever he thinks is the best decision for him and his team.' 'It's still a couple months to go. I wish I could have a crystal ball and see the future, but unfortunately, I cannot,' he added.
CNN
2 days ago
- Sport
- CNN
Sergio García forced to finish Open without his driver after snapping club in frustration
As a Masters champion and Ryder Cup icon, Sergio García boasts a resume that most golf lovers could only dream of. Yet for a few furious seconds at The Open Championship on Sunday, he was relatable to even the most amateur of hackers. The Spaniard played the last 16 holes of his 26th appearance at the major without his driver after snapping the club in frustration just five shots into his final round at Royal Portrush, Northern Ireland. Having opened with par, the 45-year-old wasted little time in showing his displeasure when his drive from the second tee careened left into the rough alongside the fairway. In an almost fluid follow through from his swing, ball still in the air, García slammed his driver into the turf. The outburst stopped there, but the damage was done, as the lower half of the severed club bounced away towards the 11-time PGA Tour winner's bag. With players permitted to repair or replace clubs 'except in cases of abuse,' as per the rules of tournament organizers The R&A, García headed on without one of his most important weapons. On his return to the clubhouse, García said he had not been trying to break the club and was 'surprised' to see it snap in half. 'I've done that 50 times, and I've never broken a club,' he told reporters. 'I don't know, maybe the shaft had a little thing there because I didn't feel like with what I did it should have broken, but that's what it was, and then I got some good practice when I threw it.' Yet, despite not having all 14 clubs, the 2017 Masters champion still went on to card his best round of a solid week on the Causeway Coast. After recovering superbly at the par-five second to make birdie, García poured in four more – including three across the back nine – to shoot three-under 68, bettering his third round bogey-free 70 and lifting him to three-under par overall. Though that left him well short of tournament leader Scottie Scheffler, who took a four-shot advantage into the final round at 14-under par, it looks set to be a marked improvement on his last outing at the major: a tied-68th finish at St Andrews in 2022. '(If) I started with 14 (clubs), I don't know, maybe I would have shot worse. You never know,' García said. Runner-up in both 2007 and 2014, García had played in 24 successive Opens before falling short at Final Qualifying in the past two years. An agonizing missed putt from three feet in March looked to have extinguished his hopes of a place in this year's field, only for him to subsequently secure his spot as the leading non-exempt player on the LIV Golf rankings – a new entry category introduced for the 153rd edition of the tournament. García will be hoping his performance impressed European Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald, as the biennial competition's all-time record points scorer (28.5) looks to make the Englishman's roster for the 45th edition in Farmingdale, New York this September. Should he be chosen as a wildcard, six-time winner García would draw level with Nick Faldo and Lee Westwood for the most Ryder Cup appearances for Europe (11), one shy of American Phil Mickelson's all-time record. 'It's no secret that we have been talking,' García said of Donald Sunday. 'It would mean the world to me to be there. Obviously if I can help the team, that's my main goal, I've always said it. 'I think that I can bring things to the team … to any team that would probably need it. Obviously at the end of the day, he's going to make whatever he thinks is the best decision for him and his team.' 'It's still a couple months to go. I wish I could have a crystal ball and see the future, but unfortunately, I cannot,' he added.
Scotsman
3 days ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
'No-win situation' - Jon Rahm calls for change to Shane Lowry penalty rule in The Open
Irishman accepted penalty as he didn't want to be labelled a 'cheat' on social media Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Jon Rahm has called for the rule that cost Shane Lowry a two-shot penalty and effectively killed off his hopes of being crowned as Open champion for a second time to be changed by golf's governing bodies. The Irishman was hit with the punishment at the end of the second round after TV pictures picked up his ball moving as he prepared to play a shot at the 12th. Admitting he'd accepted the penalty as he didn't want to be labelled a 'cheat' on social media, an adjusted 72 left the 2019 winner here ten off the hallway lead. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'You're in a no-win situation,' opined Jon Rahm after playing with Ryder Cup team-mate Lowry in the third round at Royal Portrush. Ryder Cup team-mates Shane Lowry and Jon Rahm shake hands after finishing their round at Royal Portrush |'If you say I didn't see it therefore I don't think it should be a penalty, even though the rule says it should be visible to the naked eye, you always run the risk of being called something you don't want to be called. And, if you take it on the safe side, you're taking a two-shot penalty.' In a statement, The R&A said the penalty had been implemented due to it being 'clear' that the ball had moved immediately after Lowry's club touched foliage close to the ball after making a practice swing and causing the ball to move. 'It's a tough spot to be in,' added Rahm. 'If the rule says visible to the naked eye, we need to uphold that more than anything else. Something needs to be changed for sure, I just don't know exactly how they could change it.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad If it hadn't been bad enough for Lowry, his return to the County Antrim coast got worse when he got back to where he is staying this week on Friday night.
