01시즌 막바지 BMW PGA 챔피언십, 각양각색의 목표 안고 출격하는 선수들
DP월드투어의 대표 이벤트이자 롤렉스 시리즈인 'BMW PGA 챔피언십'이 영국 벤트워스 클럽에서 막을 올린다. 총상금 800만 달러가 걸린 이번 대회는 '백 9(Back 9)' 시리즈의 네 번째 이벤트로, 시즌 막바지 플레이오프 진출권과 내년 시즌 시드 유지권을 두고 총 144명의 정예 선수가 치열한 경쟁을 펼친다.
대회를 앞둔 연습라운드 현장에서는 커리어의 각기 다른 시점에 서 있는 선수들의 열기가 뜨거웠다. 스페인의 신성 엔젤 아요라는 최근 단장 루크 도널드의 부름을 받아 라이더컵 유럽 팀 연습에 합류했던 경험을 바탕으로 강한 동기부여를 다졌다. 아요라는 세계적인 스타들과 합을 맞추며 아이언샷 정교함과 퍼팅 보완의 필요성을 느꼈다며 이번 대회에서의 반전을 다짐했다.
반면, 홈 코스나 다름없는 벤트워스에서 대회 출전 20주년을 맞이한 45세 베테랑 로스 피셔는 투어 시드 유지를 위한 배수진을 쳤다. 통산 5승의 피셔는 레이스 투 두바이 상위 100위 진입을 위해 경험 풍부한 베테랑 캐디 데이브 맥닐리와 함께 차분하게 승부를 겨룰 예정이다. 한편, 티-투-그린에서 압도적인 안정감을 선보이는 핀란드의 올리버 린델은 주력인 아이언샷을 앞세워 투어 첫 승과 PGA 투어 듀얼 카드를 목표로 출사표를 던졌다.
라이더컵을 꿈꾸는 유망주부터 22년 연속 투어 활동을 노리는 베테랑, 그리고 글로벌 무대로의 도약을 꿈구는 신예까지 저마다의 사연과 목표를 품은 선수들의 치열한 플레이가 벤트워스의 필드를 뜨겁게 달굴 전망이다.
02Original (English) — DP World Tour
As the DP World Tour season draws towards its final weeks, players have different targets at the BMW PGA Championship.
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The Rolex Series event marks the fourth event of the Back 9 and brings together a 144-player field to Wentworth Club for one of the stand-out events on the Race to Dubai schedule.
With places in the DP World Tour Play-Offs and playing privileges for 2027 to be decided as we enter the homestretch of the campaign, motivation is not short in supply for those teeing it up at the $8million tournament.
With the practice range a hive activity as players went through their final preparations on Wednesday, we caught up with three players - each at different points in their careers - to discuss their outlook for what's to come this week and beyond.
The Spaniard has been one of the rising stars of European golf over the past few years.
Such is the hype around the 21-year-old, he was called up to be a part of Team Europe's Ryder Cup trip to Adare Manor on Monday, as one of four potential rookies next year in Ireland.
Despite a DP World Tour win proving so far elusive, his second campaign at this level has only added further credence to the belief that he is a winner in waiting.
Above all though, being around stalwarts of the Team Europe set-up has only fuelled the fire for him to maintain his upward career trajectory.
"After finishing the Omega European Masters in Switzerland, I received a message from Luke saying can I call him and he gave me the invite," he said.
I am here with more motivation than before. I am going to try as hard as possible to be in that team, if not next year then at the next Ryder Cup [in 2029]!
"It was an unbelievable experience. You can't imagine that place [Adare Manor], how unique and good the course is. The set-up, conditions, hotel, everything was... you are in heaven when you are there.
"Being there it provides me with more motivation to keep going. [Luke] sees potential in me. I am here with more motivation than before. I am going to try as hard as possible to be in that team, if not next year then at the next Ryder Cup [in 2029]!
"I played on Monday with Shane [Lowry], Justin [Rose] and Tommy [Fleetwood]. Seeing them up close, I know I need more consistency with my iron game, the numbers and shaping the ball. Putting is my weakness.
"Being there, the players are a family, like friends playing together. That's amazing. It's not just golfers playing on their own within a team. They are all together, laughing and giving advice to each other.
"Honestly, just more experience on the course at tournaments, executing certain shots and managing certain conditions are the next key factors for me [in his development]."
Ayora, whose sole professional title came at the Rosa Challenge on the HotelPlanner Tour in 2024, made his Rolex Series debut at this event last year and is counting on using that experience over the West Course to mount a strong challenge after seven top tens so far this season.
"Last year, I was not taking risks [but] also not being smart on some shots," he added. "I went out of bounds on 17 because I was trying to hit driver as far as I could to try and make eagle and I finished with a double bogey. This week, I will try to improve those decisions on the course."
At the other end of the experience scale, few know Wentworth better than the 45-year-old Englishman.
Playing on a career money exemption this season, the 2010 Ryder Cup player brought up his 500th DP World Tour start at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in January.
After fading away in the final round at the Amgen Irish Open last week, he arrives aware that a big performance will go a long way in helping him to climb into the top 100 on the Race to Dubai Rankings to retain his playing privileges for next year.
But amid that pressure, he is chanelling his focus on the here and now as he tees it up on the 20th anniversary of his debut appearance at the BMW PGA Championship.
"Season aside, this is a very important event," he said, with the five-time winner on Tour given the honour of hitting the opening tee shot in Thursday's opening round.
"2006 was my first one but it goes way beyond that. I was a scholar member here from when I was 13 years old until I turned 19 in 1999 and then they kept me on as a member. I then obviously came through the amateur ranks and turned pro. Last year was the first [BMW PGA] I've missed. There's a lot of history here for me.
"In 2007, I was actually last group on Sunday with Paul Broadhurst and shot probably one of the worst rounds I think I've ever shot. So that was disappointing but I came very close in 2009.
"Paul Casey finished birdie birdie to beat me by a shot and then obviously seven years ago I holed my second shot on Saturday for an albatross on 18 to win a car. It's got a special place for me."
Alongside his experienced caddie Dave McNealy, who recalls his first BMW PGA Championship being in 1984 and has worked for Sir Nick Faldo, Nick Price and Pádraig Harrington among others, there is no player-caddie partnership with greater insight to call upon this week.
"I've played around this c ourse many a time," he added. "Dave's worked down here many a time. We have a lot of chat, we have a lot of laughter, a lot of banter and I feel like that helps. It keeps me relaxed and it makes me play good golf.
"I think we're both just looking forward to the week ahead. Just going to treat it like a normal week, even though it's a big event, you still want to treat every tournament the same.
"It shouldn't make any difference what tournament it is. You're still trying to do as good as you can. Hopefully I can take the form from last week on to this week."
This week marks his third start in as many weeks and fifth out of the last six, and Fisher is committed to going the distance in his pursuit of making it 22 consecutive seasons of competing on golf's global tour.
Like Angel, the Finn made his Rolex Series debut at this event last year in what was his rookie season on the DP World Tour.
Across the 12 months since, he has technically missed just one cut - at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship - and his consistency has seen him climb to the cusp of the world's top 100.
Add to the mix the drive to turn close calls into a breakthrough DP World Tour and the chance to further his career as a dual member with the PGA TOUR next year, he is intent on making sure he continues to hit the standards he has set since finishing with eight straight top tens to graduate from the HotelPlanner Tour in 2024.
"I've become more comfortable off the tee and been really good with the irons," he said of what's enabled him to enjoy a period of consistency that is the envy of many other DP World Tour members.
"It just depends how I've been on the greens if I can compete at the top. There's been a couple good weeks, KLM Open and in Denmark where I putted really well and straight away I was up on the leaderboard.
"If you play consistently from tee to green, you're basically [already on the way to] making cuts. I would say, however, there's been a couple of times where I've needed a birdie on the last to make the cut.
"Last week I putted really bad in Ireland, finished 55th for my worst finish this season. It's frustrating because you think you're able to have your first win and it's like you still need to get some lucky bounces and everything to go your way."
In his own assesment of where he needs to improve to make the next step in his game and become a DP World Tour winner, he is in no doubt of the final piece in the jigsaw: on the greens.
"Almost every single week I've been really good, I mean at least around the top ten tee to green. It's just the putting, to get it inside the top five would be, I would say, at least enable me to be really close [more consistently to winning]."
With eight events left of the season, including the DP World Tour Play-Offs, Lindell is aware of the need to preserve energy and is weighing up his upcoming schedule as he pushes to grow his career as a global golfer.
"It would be a really, really big thing because I haven't won on the DP World Tour and if you secure that dual member card it feels like a winner's category on the DP World Tour.
"After the finale in Dubai, it's a new year and you need to fight for your card again. So, making it onto the PGA Tour would really feel like a win."
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