KEY to winter golf is essential writes Padraig McGrath is his new golfing column for The Clare Echo.
I learned a big lesson a few years back, while playing in an Alliance competition in Dromoland over the winter months. I simply didn’t have appropriate attire in my golf bag for golfing that day, which lead me trying to play golf while my hands were numb from the cold. I could barely hold the club that day, so I made sure from that moment on that my golf bag would have all the clothing and accessories needed for all types of weather.
After all, Ireland has a climate where you often need rainwear and warm clothing 365 days of the year. I remember playing Castle Island one day when we had literally four seasons in one day on the course, hail, cold winds and rain all in between bursts of sunshine. Having my bag kitted out on that particular day helped me to winning the gross prize and at no stage did I feel uncomfortable because I was the right attire for all the elements. There is no such thing as bad weather if you have the correct attire with you.
- Items needed in your bag for winter golf:
- Warm winter gloves, Mitts, Heated Electronic Trolley Mitts.
- Rain Suit & Rain Hat, Storm umbrella.
- Warm wooden hat & Neck warmer
- Waterproof golf shoes
- Thermal skins, Long sleeve warm polo, Fleece gilet, Warm 1/4 zip mid-layer.
- Take a look at your own golf bag and make sure you have all the attire you need for all the eventualities while golfing in Ireland.
Højgaard secures his maiden Rolex Series title:
Nicolai Højgaard emerged as the victor at the DP World Tour Championship over the weekend. The Danishman secured his win with a commendable final round performance of 64. Taking place at the glamorous Earth Course of the Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, the event concluded the end of the 2023 DP World Tour series.
Højgaard overcame his Ryder Cup teammates Tommy Fleetwood and Viktor Hovland, as well as soaring Matt Wallace to finish on 21-under-par, two strokes ahead of them all. He sealed his win with a fantastic consecutive string of birdies between the 13-17th holes on the Sunday.
The win adds another pleasant memory to the 22-year-old’s already stunning 2023.
Matt Wallace cards a dramatic round of 60:
In a truly phenomenal display of golf, England’s Matt Wallace shot 12-under-par on his third round, making birdie on every single hole on the back 9. Experts say it’s not a record due to placing, however I wouldn’t agree. Placing on the fairway just means you get a preferred lie that you are surely entitled to for hitting the fairway. You should never be punished with receiving a poor lie on a fairway in my opinion, you should be rewarded with a decent lie. At the end of that Friday Matt was in joint 21st place on 4-under-par, and by the end of the Saturday he was leading on 16-under-par.
His performance equalled the current DP World Tour record for most consecutive birdies in a row, which was made by James Nitties when he made 9 birdies in a row at the 2019 Vic Open.
Rory McIlroy wins the Race to Dubai:
Being so far ahead of then second-placed Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy secured his fifth Race to Dubai title ahead of the season’s final tournament being played. Jon Rahm was thought to be finishing in second, but Nicolai Højgaard took his place following his win on Sunday.
The Northern Irishman couldn’t possibly be caught with 5,295.87 points, over a thousand more than Højgaard who ended the season on 3,984.93 points.
LUDVIG NOA ABERG CRUISES TO VICTORY ON PGA TOUR
The last time I was this excited about a new rookie on tour was when Tiger and Rory arrived on the golf scene. I predict huge success for Ludvig he seems to have something special as well and having an extremely consistent golf swing. It is rare you get to see a golfer who stands out among a group of modern golfers with such extreme talents however Ludvig seems to have a fearless aggressive game that I think a lot of these golfers are going to struggle to compete against.
Already with a DP World Tour win and a Ryder Cup appearance under his belt, Aberg matched Justin Thomas’ 72-hole scoring record to secure PGA Tour win No. 1 at the RSM Classic. He also did something no one has done before with a pair of 61s on the weekend to finish at a staggering 29 under par and win by four shots.
Aberg also has played more than 50 rounds now on the PGA tour therefore his stats now officially count and they are pretty impressive :
Driving accuracy: 1st
Driving distance length: 6th
Greens hit: 3rd
Closest to hole 2nd shot: 2nd
Watch this space in 2024.
