Abu Dhabi Junior Golf Championship 2010

More than 40,000 young golfers are preparing to participate in the Abu Dhabi Junior Golf Championship 2010 which is held at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club. With a history dating back more than 25 years, this is the place where junior golfers dreams come true and an opportunity to see young talent propelled into future Champions.

Some of the finest junior golfing talent in the UK will be attending the Championship, among them:

Tom Lewis - Represented England in the Home Internationals.
Ross Mitchell - Equalled Nick Faldo’s course record of 63 at Sunningdale Golf Club.

Heidi Baek - Represented England in the European Girls Team Championships, and has recently finished 4th in the British Girls Open Amateur Championship. Baek who came third in Abu Dhabi last year will be hoping to win this time and is sure to achieve this with her impressive record of one bogey, five birdies and an eagle for a course record 66.

Tom Lewis of England

It’s a chance for some of the best undiscovered talent to compete and gain experience from all the top qualifiers around the world. The finals take place in late November 2010.

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2010 Faldo Series Asia Grand Final Highlights Future Golfing Champions

Junior golf is proving to be a game open to up and coming young stars from across the world.

Hosted by its founder, the six-time Major champion Sir Nick Faldo - The 2010 Faldo Series Final, an R&A World Amateur Golf Ranking tournament, saw 76 competitors from 18 different countries playing. Faldo gave players expert advice and support, which obviously paid off for Masamichi Ito when the 14 year old became the first Japanese golfer to win the Faldo Series at Mission Hills Golf Club, Shenzhen, China.

The fourth Faldo Series Asia Grand Final was played under strict tournament conditions over three rounds on the Faldo Course. Boys and girls played from different tees with the Faldo Series Asia challenge trophy presented by Faldo to the player with the lowest gross score.

Masamichi Ito, who last year became the youngest player to make the cut on the Japan Golf Tour lived up to his reputation with rounds of 75, 70 closing with a three under par 69 and beat Chinese Taipei’s Hsieh Chi Hsien with a birdie four. Close on Ito’s heels was determined 2008 and 2009 Faldo Series Asia champion Rashid Khan, 18, from India. Khan became the first back-to-back victor in Faldo Series Asia history last March when he birdied the closing hole of the 54-hole Grand Final which he credits Faldo for his form. Khan was hoping to achieve three Grand Final victories in a row but ended up third.
The Girls’ prize went to Thailand’s Thidapa Suwannapura, who had rounds of 72, 74 and 74 and lead from start-to-finish to claim a two shot victory over Liu Yi Chen from Chinese Taipei. England’s Holly Clyburn, the English and French Under-18 champion, shared third place with Chinese Taipei’s Chien Pei Yun on ten over par 226.
The five age-category winners, three boys and two girls, have been invited by Faldo to compete in the 2010 Faldo Series European Grand Final to be held on the Faldo Course at the Lough Erne Resort, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, on September 21st. The overall Asian champion, boy and girl, will also be invited to play in a flagship event on the Asian Tour and the Ladies European Tour.

Will these juniors eventually become tomorrow’s golf stars?

Fit for Golf

Like most sports, golf is very physical and it’s well known that golf puts a lot of stress on the body. Your body has to be fit to play at your best and by doing some easy golf exercises, you will bring benefits into your game. Medical experts have advised that getting fit for the game of golf will increase endurance, boost strength and flexibility – vital for improving your swing and will also have an impact on your overall enjoyment of the game.

The effects of not properly exercising or warming up before a round of golf is shown time and time again through common complaints such as a sore lower back or shoulder after playing. Other symptoms can be pain in your muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints. The list of injuries from swinging a club is huge. By not warming up properly and preparing your muscles before a round may cause a nagging injury.

When putting and swinging you need to maintain a particular body position which is difficult to hold unless you have strength. Golfers can suffer from aching lower backs after only 10 mins because their muscles are weak. The solution is exercise and increasing your fitness and then you should be able to practice for about an hour and not feel any pain.

Remember - golf causes injuries to bodies that are not properly warmed up so limber up and start your fitness programme and you should also improve your game too.

Golf and flexibility go hand in hand. If your muscles are tight and not flexible you, will have reduced range of motion and a short swing. Pro golfers have amazing range which is down to their increased flexibility in their shoulders, torso, and hips. With a bit of extra skill thrown in of course!

There are plenty of exercise plans you can try, go online or why not pop in and see your golf professional or gym trainer for advice.

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Golf Insurance – An Essential Part of your Kit?

As a golfer, you are faced with choices and decisions at every hole you play. You will already have made some decisions on your choice of equipment – your irons, a particular putter, your favourite driver and undoubtedly a comfortable pair of shoes. Depending on your ability and experience, you will favour some brands over others and will mix and match your combinations of equipment to suit your style of play and ability.

Rain suits are essential and electric trolleys are being encouraged by many to take the strain and help avoid injury – but all of this specialist equipment comes at a price. It is estimated that your average golfer is carrying in excess of £2,000 of equipment – but what happens if you lose some of your equipment, or worse still, the whole lot courtesy of an opportunist thief?

Depending on the circumstances of your loss, you may think…or hope…that your household policy will cover you. In most situations this is not the case and even if you had specified it an individual golf insurance policy will offer you more protection than just theft of equipment.

Apart from protecting you from theft, a decent golf insurance policy should also include the following:

 A minimum of £5 million of public liability cover
 New for old cover – regardless of the age of your equipment
 24 hour theft from car cover
 Worldwide cover if you’re planning a golfing break overseas
 Golf club membership fees covered in the event of illness or accident – on or off the course

The next time you go through your equipment checklist, think about protecting yourself from these risks if you haven’t already done so.

Golfplan is recommended by the PGA and has ben taking of UK golfers for more than 27 years. Compare our policies with our competitors here, you will find fewer restrictions with Golfplan when compared with cheaper providers who are able to offer cheaper premiums by restricting cover. Always check the smallprint before committing to a policy and ask any provider specific questions to ensure you understand what you’re buying.

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