After a three-year absence, the Turkish Airlines Open has returned to the Montgomerie Maxx Royal course in Belek, which first staged the tournament in 2013. This year, many big names will be chasing a first prize of $2 million, from a $7 million pot.
When Colin Montgomerie began designing the Montgomerie Maxx Royal on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, he hoped that it would become a well-respected course and bolster golf in the region.
From the moment it opened in 2008, his design was immediately recognized by many professionals as one of the country’s best. It took just five years for it to stage its first big event, the Turkish Airlines Open, part of the European Tour. It attracted Tiger Woods in its first year, when he famously shot a 63 (9-under-par) in the second round.
In the two years that followed, big names came to Turkey. Brooks Koepka of the United States, who made his name on the European Tour before winning multiple majors, won in 2014 and Victor Dubuisson of France, who won in 2013, triumphed for a second time in 2015. When the tournament moved to the nearby Carya Golf Club in 2016, Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark took the title, while Justin Rose of England won in 2017 and 2018.
Now a part of the Rolex Series, its importance is emphasized by its place in the calendar. After Turkey, there is just one more event, the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa, before the DP World Tour Championship, which will decide the final standings in the season-long Race to Dubai competition. Last year it was won by Francesco Molinari of Italy.
The Montgomerie Maxx Royal has a par-72, 7,132-yard layout, with undulating fairways within about 260 acres of mixed pine forest and sandy ridges. The course begins and ends with par 5s, offering the chance for a good start and a grandstand finish, when the lead can change hands in the closing holes.
“If they have the rough up, then driving will be key,” said Bernd Wiesberger of Austria, who is in the lead in the Race to Dubai. “Some of the greens are also very undulated, so precision with iron shots could also be essential for low scoring.
“We last played there four years ago, but I always really enjoyed playing at the Montgomerie and have had some good results. The course was always in great condition and set up really well.”
Danny Willett of England said it was a fun course.
“The whole facility is very impressive,” he said. “It can be a little fiddly if I remember correctly, but I think a lot will depend on how the course is set up.”
Montgomerie said his favorite hole was the par-4 12th, because it placed a greater emphasis on accuracy and demanded a strong approach shot to a difficult, undulating green.
But while Montgomerie’s name is synonymous with accuracy, especially off the tee, the Montgomerie Maxx Royal is where birdies are plentiful and driving distance, rather than the pure ability to hit fairways, will reap the bigger rewards.
Any course is only as good as the players who compete on it, but the Turkish Open field is full of strong players, including Shane Lowry, the British Open champion; Molinari; and Rose.
“We’re back at the Montgomerie Maxx Royal this year, and I remember it being a great course and venue, and I’m sure it will be another superb tournament,” Rose told the Turkish Golf Federation’s website.
He is trying to become the first man in almost two decades to win the same European Tour event three times in a row. But just the presence of players like Rose in the event is also crucial to its success, said Ahmet Agaoglue, the president of the federation.
“Justin is central to the Turkish Airlines Open story, and it is an honor to be welcoming him back to Turkey once again,” he told the federation’s website. “He has been one of the best players in the world for so long and is a great ambassador for the sport.”
Source: Golf - nytimes.com
