The European Swing kicks off as the DP World Tour heads to Türkiye for the first time in six years at the Turkish Airlines Open. Here are your five things to know.
Back in Türkiye
After six years away, the DP World Tour returns to Türkiye for the eighth edition of the Turkish Airlines Open. Regnum Carya is the venue once more after playing host 2016-2018 while Turkish Airlines continues its relationship with the event, having been title sponsor for every edition. DP World Tour Director of Tournament Business Mark Casey said: “The DP World Tour is delighted to welcome Turkish Airlines as title partner, as the Turkish Airlines Open returns to the Race to Dubai this season. We look forward to arriving in the golfing hub of Antalya once again, working alongside Turkish Airlines, Turkish Golf Federation and all tournament partners to deliver what I’m sure will be a memorable week.”
Into the Swing
The fourth of the five Global Swings in Phase One of the Race to Dubai gets under way this week, with the European Swing kicking off in Antalya. After English domination saw John Parry and Laurie Canter take the Opening and International Swing titles, respectively, it was Japanese Keita Nakajima who won the Asian Swing. Like those three, the winner of the European Swing will not only earn entry into all events in Phase Two of the Race to Dubai, the Back 9, but also take home a $US 200,000 bonus. The leading DP World Tour member on the Swing not already exempt at its conclusion will also gain an exemption into the following week's Genesis Scottish Open, the second Rolex Series event of the season and opening event in the Closing Swing.
A short but spectacular history
The Turkish Airlines Open may only have seen seven editions since its inaugural staging in 2013 but it has certainly made its mark. That first edition had Tiger Woods in the field at Montgomerie Maxx Royal but he could not beat Victor Dubuisson to the title, with the Frenchman winning again in 2015. In between it was a HotelPlanner Tour graduate called Brooks Koepka who won en route to the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award and a subsequent five Major titles. A move to Regnum Carya in 2016 brought a victory for Thorbjørn Olesen and the event joined the Rolex Series in 2017, with Justin Rose winning the first of back-to-back titles. The last edition in 2019 saw a return to the Montgomerie Maxx Royal and Tyrrell Hatton ensured that every winner of the Turkish Open would also be a Ryder Cup winner as he won a six-man play-off under the floodlights in one of the most dramatic finishes in Tour history,
Rooftop tee returns
One of the headline-grabbing features on our previous trips tp Regnum Carya was the 16th tee. Why? Because it is on the roof of a villa! When alterations were made to the course to accomadate the construction of villas, the decision was made not to move the tee but to incorporate it and the 469 yards the par four now plays is barely altered from its original length. And the players are not the only ones who have to climb the stairs at the side of the villa - the tee is real grass and it takes several greenkeepers to carry a hand mower up the steps to give it a trim.
Inside the field
European Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald plays this week alongside a raft of DP World Tour winners, many of whom will be looking to impress ahead of September's contest. Winner last time out Marco Penge tees it up as does fellow recent first-time victor Richard Mansell after a five-week break which included his 30th birthday celebrations. Overall there are 28 winners from across the past two seasons and the current campaign and they are joined by five local professionals and two Turkish amateurs. Also among the amateur ranks is Swiss Kai Notteboom, who will tee it up on Thursday just 11 days after his 15th birthday. At the other end of the scale there is also a welcome return for Denmark's Søren Kjeldsen, who completed his final full season on Tour last year but will make his 713th start before entering the senior game when he celebrates his 50th birthday next month.
