Hello everyone! I've returned to Dubai for over a week now, and the excitement from the LIV Golf Team Championship in Dallas last month still lingers. Following that exhilarating event, I took a much-needed break in Poland, surrounded by serene forests and tranquil lakes. It was the perfect getaway. One of the highlights of my trip was attending Martin Kaymer’s wedding to Irene in Germany. The atmosphere was filled with joy and the warmth of familiar faces. The entire LIV Golf Cleeks GC team was there, making it feel more like a family reunion than just a wedding. Celebrating our captain’s special day with friends made the night unforgettable as we danced under the stars, sharing stories late into the evening.

Before returning to the bustling life of Dubai, I had the privilege of hosting a 5 Stars Junior Golf Tour event in Poland, where I proudly serve as an ambassador. Seeing young talent shine on the course reminded me of why I fell in love with this sport. It was inspiring to witness their passion and dedication, and I felt a deep sense of responsibility to nurture their potential.

Next year, I will be the tournament host for the 2025 World Championship 5 Stars Junior Cup by Adrian Meronk, an event I am eagerly looking forward to supporting. This Junior Tour has been running for a few years, and I have been involved for most of this time. It is exciting to see junior golf in Poland growing. When I was a junior, there were fewer than 50 players participating in events. Now, there are well over 100 kids playing, and the excitement around junior golf activities has soared. Poland is also back on the Challenge Tour calendar, marking exciting times for golf in the country.

I attended the final round of the Challenge Tour at Rosa Golf Club, Konopiska, over the summer. The tournament invites local players to compete and exchanges spots with other Challenge Tour events and federations, such as the Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) here in the UAE, which partners with the DP World Tour—Challenge Tour.

I am proud to be a Dubai Golden Awardee, recognizing Dubai as my true home. I have a new coach, Jerome Theunis, based in Abu Dhabi. Jerome also coaches top players like Thomas Detry, Nico Colsaerts, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Julien Guerrier, a recent winner on the DP World Tour who is also becoming a Dubai Golden Visa Awardee, and many others. I felt it was the right time for a change after being with my old coach, Matthew Tipper, for over 15 years. We achieved great things together, but now that he lives in the US, it seems fitting to move on.

We started working with Jerome last week at JA The Resort, Jebel Ali, for our first face-to-face session. We had done some remote video work over the past few weeks while I was in Poland. I am confident that together, we can elevate my game to new heights. At 31, I still have plenty of good golf ahead of me, and that is what I am focusing on now.

Jebel Ali is an ideal practice and training venue with Jerome. It is peaceful, quiet, and floodlit, exactly what I needed. The golf team there, led by Elliott Rowe, are excellent hosts and very friendly. I enjoy it there.

Next week, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is at Yas Links Abu Dhabi. I like the golf course designed by Kyle Phillips. I finished in 10th place with rounds of 70, 67, 68, and 71, ending at 12 under par on 276 at the last event in January 2023. The Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates also suits my game and my eye. I feel very comfortable there. I had a good finish in 2022, tying for seventh with rounds of 70, 71, 65, and 71, finishing 11 under par and eighth in the 2022 Race to Dubai.

The season-ending tournament is always a fun event to play. I will stay at home and sleep in my own bed, which will be a first. As all players know, this can give you a mental edge over the field. Golf is all about small margins.

I am able to play on the DP World Tour after appealing my case and fines with the DP World Tour. I hope the current dispute between LIV Golf, the PGA Tour, and the DP World Tour is resolved soon. As I look ahead, I am motivated to climb back up the rankings. The experience from the 2024 HERO Dubai Desert Classic, where I lost to Rory, was tough but pushed me to reflect on my game and identify areas for improvement.

My current Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) is 96th, having been 39th at the end of January 2024. It is crucial for me to see this number rise significantly, though it is not easy. My 2024 schedule will conclude with the $5 million PIF Saudi International powered by Softbank Investment Advisers in the first week of December in Riyadh, the final event of the 2025 Asian Tour’s calendar.

I am still a fully paid-up member of the DP World Tour and still have ambitions to play in The Ryder Cup. It is not my priority now, but I would love to be part of a future team if I am playing well. My priority now is to win on LIV Golf and play in the Majors. It took some time to adjust to the team element of LIV Golf, but we recently had a Cleeks team camp in Italy, which was fun. There will be some internal movements at LIV Golf League within Cleeks GC, as we have lost Finland’s Kalle Samooja from the team.

My 2025 schedule is not fully confirmed yet, which seems unusually late to me, but I am hopeful that I will be able to play more DP World Tour events going forward. I will be in Dubai until at least May 2025. I am looking forward to the next couple of weeks and meeting up with all my friends and fans in the UAE. See you on the golf course and wish me good luck!

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