Lottie Woad’s rapid rise has been one of golf’s most compelling stories and standing firmly in her corner is Novellus Finance, a name making its presence felt on leaderboards and in locker rooms alike.

From backing the stars of tomorrow to driving some of the sport’s biggest events, Novellus is doing far more than funding golf, they’re helping shape its future.

Golf News discovers what the company has planned for the game in the years ahead.

Photos: Getty Images

What inspired Novellus Finance to become so actively involved?

At Novellus we have always been very passionate about the game and have built some strong relationships within the sport.

Our brand values align closely with the positive work many of our partners are doing in the game. Supporting emerging talent is a natural way for us to give back and invest in the future of a sport about which we care deeply.

Is golf sponsorship part of a wider brand strategy, or is it more about personal passion within the company?

Whilst it began as a personal passion for our CEO Billy McManus, it has evolved into a key part of Novellus’ longer term brand strategy.

Aligning with people and events that share our values has always been important and as we’ve seen success with the athletes we have backed and the growth of the events, it has become a consistently positive area for continued investment.

How do you decide which tournaments and players to sponsor?

It is still quite a fluid process and often depends on the individual event or athlete. For example, we partnered with Annabel Dimmock after seeing the way she engaged with fans at the KPMG Women’s Irish Open.

Her father caddied for her that week, and with her winning the event, it felt like a special story we wanted to be part of.

We spend a lot of time talking with people within golf whose opinions we value. Being able to pick the brains of leading players, caddies and key people in the game really helps us to identify some of the most exciting up and coming players and critically, learn about them as people.

When it comes to selecting events, the promoters have played a key role. Forefront has done an excellent job delivering top class events in Ireland with both the Woman’s Irish Open and the Legends Tour tournaments.

Supporting the Rose Ladies Series was an easy decision for us because we have long been admirers of what Kate and Justin Rose have done for Women’s golf and again, the organisation and professionalism of the tour, made our involvement a very natural fit.

We think providing pathways into the professional game and also providing playing opportunities on high quality courses with meaningful prize funds is critical to developing the next generation of golfers.

What tangible changes have you seen in the careers of the golfers you sponsor?

We think it’s probably too early in our sponsorship journey to know. We hope that our support goes some way to trying to ease the significant financial burden many golfers face.

The prize money on all of the feeder tours as well as the LET Access and lower rankings on the LET tour highlights just how tough making a living from the game has become.

Novellus’ backing helps these athletes invest into more coaching, technology (e.g. GC Quad or Trackman) or hiring a professional caddie. Ultimately, we want to give them the chance to focus on their performance and potential, rather than whether they can afford to compete at all.

Can you share a story of a player whose journey you’ve been especially proud to support?

At Novellus, we have been lucky to share some great moments with several athletes across tennis and golf, but one story that stands out is still very much ongoing.

We have been supporting Euan Walker for several years now. He’s an impressive young man who has come incredibly close to earning his DP World Tour card, with two fantastic wins on the Challenge Tour (now the HotelPlanner tour), but narrowly missing out overall.

The way he carries himself, continues to represent Novellus and gives everything to the game is something that we are incredibly proud of.

We have a feeling this could be the year he finally breaks through and we’re excited to see what he can achieve at the higher levels of the game.

His journey is a powerful reminder of how tough the game is and how much it means to those who dedicate themselves to it.

How do you measure the success of your golf sponsorships beyond simple brand exposure?

We measure success by aligning with individuals who give their all, which not only brings satisfaction to us as a company but also serves as a powerful reminder to our employees.

The perseverance and commitment that these athletes show, despite such frequent setbacks (which of course are common practice in professional sport), sets a wonderful example for everyone at Novellus.

Many of your partnerships are with up-and- coming players, what qualities do you look for in an athlete?

We are spending more time with players and look for key qualities such as resilience, desire and competitiveness. Golf is an incredibly tough game, and you have to love what you do.

The most successful athletes not only relish competing but also embrace the process and progression.

We also value curiosity and willingness to learn. Asking the right questions and seeking the right advice is crucial and the smartest players figure that out early.

Finally, self-belief is essential. It sounds a bit cliched but backing yourself, when it matters most, is what separates the very best!

What do you think are the biggest challenges for young golfers trying to break into the professional ranks today?

The standard today is extremely high. The costs associated with playing professional golf are significant.

These costs exist regardless of the tour you are playing for and prize funds you can compete for. Coach (often coaches for different components of the game), Caddie, Travel, Entry fees, Physio, Physical trainer and psychology.

There’s also an overload of information in the world now with an expectation for instant results, but true success takes time.

Lottie Woad is a great example of this – what looks like an “overnight success” is really the result of 15 years of hard work by her and her support team.

A key challenge is learning to trust the process, to take the advice given and then committing to it for long enough, rather than constantly making changes.

We are strong advocates of trusting the process.

The KPMG Women’s Irish Open, Rose Ladies Series, and Women’s Irish Challenge are all significant events, how does Novellus see its role in helping these grow?

Novellus plays a small supporting role. These events are all driven by passionate, dedicated people and we aim to raise awareness and encourage other businesses to follow our lead by highlighting the positive impact of partnering with high quality tournaments.

We also encourage our Novellus sponsored athletes to compete in the events and, as they achieve greater success, we hope this will help elevate the profile of these fantastic tournaments and tours.

We have seen first hand, how inspiring for the next generation, spending a short amount of time with the players can be.

We try to ensure we are on hand with hats, autograph opportunities with our athletes and some words of encouragement.

We are lucky that the people we support buy into that and have had that from the generations that went before, no more so than in Irish golf where there is a great support network from current and former players advising the next generation as they navigate the professional game.

Are there plans to get involved at a junior or grassroots level, perhaps through coaching programs or youth events?

Absolutely. Lottie’s success offers a powerful foundation to inspire and attract more young golfers into the game.

Novellus is committed to creating a legacy by supporting grassroot efforts and actively engaging with clubs, coaches, and governing bodies to explore the best ways to make the most of this truly unique window of opportunity.

Can you reveal any upcoming golf partnerships or initiatives we should watch for?

We are excited about the next phase of growth at the Novellus academy. We also have several other projects in development, which we look forward to updating you on soon!

Does anyone in the Novellus leadership team play golf themselves? If so, any memorable rounds or personal highlights?

Our CEO, Billy McManus, plays regularly, as do many of our senior team. A memorable highlight is when Billy made two “hole in ones”, within two days, although he is quick to remind us that he hasn’t had any before or since!

If you could sponsor any golfer in history, past or present, who would it be and why?

It’s an obvious choice, but it must be Tiger Woods. While many great players have come before and after him, it’s unlikely we’ll ever see anyone who electrifies the sport or has the same level of impact on the game quite in the way Tiger has.

ABOUT NOVELLUS

Novellus is a privately funded alternative lender providing loans secured against real estate in the UK and Ireland.

The Novellus group have a range of business interests, including co-investments in private debt alongside tier 1 private equity businesses, direct investment in real estate and the pending launch of their fund business, focusing on supporting early- stage funds with cornerstone investments into the strategy as well as investment into the underlying GP.

For more information visit novellusfinance.com

The post HOW NOVELLUS IS DRIVING GOLF’S NEXT GENERATION appeared first on Golf News.

Dimmock held a two-shot lead at the 54-hole mark and produced three-under par 70 to be in the playoff alongside the Frenchwoman on the O’Meara Course at Carton House.

The duo headed back down to 18 for the playoff and both made pars on the first hole, but on the second hole Roussin-Bouchard took a 3-wood off the tee, however, it went left into the deep rough and she had to scramble and ended up making a bogey.

Meanwhile, Dimmock – who has come back from eight months out of the game with a thumb injury – went down the middle of the fairway with her driver and left herself two putts to win as she duly rolled in her two-foot putt to secure her second LET title.

“I am a bit shell-shocked at the minute,” said Dimmock, whose mother is from Cork. “I’m standing here and I think I’m in a dream honestly. I’m just shell-shocked and over the moon right now.

“This is pretty cool to do it in Ireland. The fans out there and the people watching were amazing to me this week and they really cheered me on. It’s kind of what I needed because I haven’t had an easy couple of weeks.”

Dimmock got off to a good start on the final day as she made birdies on her first two holes but dropped a shot on the 12th hole.

A birdie on 13 saw her just one shot behind Roussin-Bouchard and she rolled in another birdie on 17 for her round of 70 and to finish alongside the Frenchwoman on 19-under-par.

Finland’s Ursula Wikstrom finished her week with another round of 69 for a total of 18-under-par and to miss out on the playoff by one shot and end the week in third place.

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The pandemic has put a spanner in the works for a lot of people, but what has the last 10 months or so been like for you?
The last year has obviously been very hard for a lot people, so I’m not going to sit here and pretend that not being able to play golf for a few months has been a huge hardship, but it’s not been easy, especially for those just starting out in the professional game.
From purely a performance point of view, it’s been difficult to get any momentum going with the stop-start nature to the season and the lack of events. Our competitive schedule had just started out in Australia when the pandemic hit back in early March last year, so we came back from that and had no tournaments until June, when the Rose Ladies Series was launched, and then events began to trickle back in the autumn and then we ended the season quite strongly.

The Rose Series over the summer was a real bonus for UK-based tour players. How pleased were you that those tournaments went ahead?
It really was a godsend for all of us British players on the Ladies European Tour, and I don’t know how I would have coped without those events. After months with very little to do, it gave me a renewed purpose, firstly to get up in the morning to practice, and then to actually play in them was amazing.
It worked out really well for me, based in Sunningdale, as many of the courses were pretty near to where I live, so I didn’t have to travel too far and I knew most of the venues.
It was great to play at some fantastic courses, including Royal St Georges, as we don’t get to play many links courses on the LET, even the Women’s British Open isn’t always on links, so that was a fantastic experience and kind of took me back to my amateur days when we played more links courses.

How did you find playing and staying in tournament bubbles?
Travelling abroad, getting tested all the time, and playing in tournament bubbles is a very odd experience, and not everyone is comfortable in that situation. I certainly found it tough. At some events you weren’t allowed to leave your hotel room between rounds, and had to have meals in your room, so it wasn’t ideal, although we were obviously pleased to be playing again. I really missed being able to socialise with my friends on tour and sometimes I felt a bit like a caged animal!

It’s obviously quite early to tell how 2021 will pan out, but the LET schedule released last month looks quite strong, especially towards the latter part of the season.
Yes, I’m pretty pleased with how it looks, although it’s hard to know how things will pan out. It’s going to be a slow start, but things start to get going towards the end of February, early March, and then it really picks up towards the end of the year – by which time the pandemic will hopefully be under control and the vaccines will have been rolled out, although nothing is certain.
It was such as shame that so much of the LET’s 2020 season was written off, as at the beginning of the year the schedule was looking strong for the first time in many years. The LET has gone through its well-publicised struggles, but hopefully it can get back on track in 2021.
I was hoping to go somewhere warm in January and February to tune up for the new season, but the third lockdown has put paid to that, so it’s back to practicing at home and trying to keep fit and see how the land lies.

What is your practice set up at home?
In the first lockdown in March and April I was staying at a friend’s house in a bubble, and he had an artificial putting green and a proper practice net in the garden, so I was able to do a fair amount of golf-specific work.
Ironically, with all that time on my hands I was able to do some really good work on my swing and I came out of it feeling in a good place with my game. I was able to groove in some of the swing changes that I might not have had the chance to do if I had been competing, and it showed up in my results in the Rose Series. I also read a lot of stuff about the mental part of the game, and that is something I wouldn’t have had much time to think about during a normal season.
I think the lockdown gave a lot of players the opportunity to work on some of the things that they might have been putting off, so it was pretty competitive when tournament golf started back again.
As soon as we were allowed back to golf courses again in May, I was straight back to the range at Wentworth, where I’m attached.

How did you first get into golf?
My dad played golf, not to any great standard, but he took me to the range with my sister when I was a kid and I kind of enjoyed it from the start. I competed in the HSBC Wee Wonders and US Kids Golf competitions, and then, when I was 14, I was awarded a place on the Wentworth Scholarship Programme. The club has been very supportive throughout my career. I had access to all the superb practice facilities and obviously the three great courses there, so I was, and continue to be, very lucky to use them.
I didn’t much enjoy studying at school – the only subject I was ever on time for was PE – so I left school at 16 and played golf full-time for year while I weighed up my options of either going to college in America, as a lot of English girls do, or whether to turn professional and see how I got on in the UK. I decided not to go to America and turned pro in 2015 and don’t regret that decision for a minute.

You won your first LET event at the Jabra Ladies Open in 2019. I’m guessing the next goal is to win again?
Most definitely, it’s been a goal ever since I turned pro, and although I’ve had some ups and downs, and a few near misses, I knew that I would get over the line eventually. It would obviously be great to win again, but I really want to improve my performances in the Majors too. Winning is great, don’t get me wrong, but professional golf is about turning in consistent performances, and playing well in the big events against the world’s best players.

A lot of top European players have gone over to the States. Is that your ultimate goal?
Yes, it is. I actually won a card for the Symetra Tour – which is one below the LPGA Tour – but I decided that I wouldn’t go over to America unless I had my full LPGA Tour card. I was due to go over for qualifying school at the end of last season, but it got cancelled because of the pandemic. Everyone has kept their cards from 2020, so there is no promotion or relegation, but I’ll definitely give it another go this year.

Can you talk through the current equipment set up in your bag?
I’m with TaylorMade through the bag, so having their performance centre at Wentworth has been great if I need to make any changes to my set ups. I’ve just changed my irons to the P770s – they are the most gorgeous irons I’ve ever seen. I’ve got the SIM Max driver in the bag, which carries about 240-250 yards – that added about seven yards to my driving distance over the M6 driver, which doesn’t sound much, but has made a big difference. I’m one of the longer hitters on tour, so as long as I’m hitting it straight I can be more aggressive when it comes tackling pins.

You’re also sponsored by adidas, which is always looking to push the boundaries when it comes to performance golf wear. What do you feel most comfortable playing in?
I have such a good relationship with adidas, they’re definitely one of the more forward-thinking brands. They really understand my style and listen to what I like. I always like everything they make, it’s so sporty and modern and just my kind of thing. I love that they’re eco-friendly and making clothes out of recycled plastics as well.

Tyrrell Hatton, who is also with adidas, caused a bit of stir when he wore an adidas hoodie at the PGA Championship at Wentworth, what did you think of the reaction to that?
I thought he looked really cool. It obviously didn’t affect his swing, and it looked comfortable, so why not? It won’t go down well at every club, but people need to move with the times.
I turn up at the range and the golf course in so many different things. They’re used to me now at Wentworth, so they’re not shocked. The thing is, we play golf to have fun and I think sometimes people forget that. Of course, you shouldn’t turn up looking scruffy, but there should be no issue with people being fashionable.
We are starting to see more and more golfers who dress really well. Danielle Kang is so cool and she wears adidas like I do. Michelle Wie wears such edgy outfits and stuff that some people might be afraid to wear – like all the high-top shoes and matching socks. It stands out and she really makes a statement.

What do you think golf needs to do to get more women playing the game?
Golf needs to change its image, be less stuffy and more welcoming. It’s got so much going for it as a sport, in that it’s really good for physical and mental health, as has been shown during the pandemic.
Golf is also a brilliant way to socialise with your friends, so the industry needs to get this message out there and get more people trying the game – I think concepts such as TopGolf and Putt Shack are great.
When I was younger I don’t think I told many people I played golf because it just wasn’t deemed to be a cool thing to do. But now I’m older I’m really proud of being a golfer. I love being able to walk into a room and tell people what I do. Some people can be really taken aback by it when they first meet me. They’re like “you play golf?” I like it and I know I’m probably not the stereotypical image of a professional golfer.
Golf clubs can be a little intimidating to walk into, and I feel they could be more of a part of the local community, for somewhere that people might want to go and meet for coffee or do a yoga class. More clubs could offer family memberships, like Wentworth do.

There’s been a growth in mixed events on tour, have you played in any and, if so, what was the experience like?
Yes, I played in The Vic Open last year, a joint event between the European Tour and the Ladies European Tour, which was great. I was due to play in The Mixed Sweden Open, which was going to be hosted by Annika Sorenstam and Henrik Stenson, but that unfortunately got cancelled due to the pandemic. I really enjoy teeing it up against the men, it’s good fun and they are usually surprised how far women hit the ball.
Overall, I am excited for women’s professional golf and how it is growing, I am looking forward to seeing if we can get to a point where there is equal pay for men and women, like there is in tennis. Even if we could get to a place where there are an equal number of tournaments would be a start.

You’re a brand ambassador for the Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro smartwatch. How has it helped with your fitness and overall health?
Using a good smartwatch, like the GT 2 Pro, can really help, especially when you’re following a fitness programme, as it can track your progress and time you’ve spent practicing or working out. I don’t use it when I playing golf, but I wear it all the time when I’m training on the range or in the gym, and for everyday use. It has hundreds of different workout modes, so whatever you’re doing it can track it. It also measures your heart rate and blood oxygen saturation levels, and the built-in accelerometer can record your swing speeds and ratios from backswing to following though. It’s also great for working out your recovery rates after exercise, which helps measure your fitness levels, and it’s excellent for sleep monitoring too. It also looks really smart – more like a normal watch – and it’s got a really long battery life – so I’m really happy with it.

For more details about the Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro, which has an RRP of £249, click here.

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Stars of the British women’s game, including 2018 Women’s British Open champion Georgia Hall are expected to take part behind closed doors in an event that was the brainchild of Ladies European Tour professional Liz Young and Brokenhurst Manor head professional Jason MacNiven.

Young says the aims of the competition are pretty simple: “It is to find a way to put on a tournament for women’s professionals, so that we can be competitive again and have the chance to earn a little money in these uncertain times and to boost the profile of the women’s game.”

She is acutely aware of the situation facing women’s team sports such as football, rugby and cricket, which have had their domestic seasons cancelled. “It is so important that women’s sport is visible,” said Young. “There was controversy a few weeks ago over the first golf in the US being men’s only. Because golf is a sport that can be played safely now it is key that the women get exposure, too.”

Although, not an officially sanctioned LET event, the Tour has supported Young and MacNiven in getting the message out to its members, but it is also open to any female professional in the UK. Other well-known players signed up include Meghan MacLaren, Annabel Dimmock, Amy Boulden and Gabriella Cowley.

Young stressed that the event will adhere to government guidelines and that caddies must be from the same household as the player, but that they are keen that as many female professionals get involved as possible. “The great thing about this event is that you have a major winner like Georgia and then girls who have won multiple times on the LET, but anybody could win.”

The event is yet to attract a sponsor and players are pitching in a £125 entry fee to contribute to the prize pot.

With the dearth of live sporting action on television Young is making a plea to broadcasters to show the event. “I know people would love to watch live sport because there is so little. I would say to the likes of BBC and Sky that this a professional event with some big names, it is going to be good to watch,” she said. “It would also be an opportunity for people who are new to women’s golf to see just how good our game is. That is why it would be amazing if we could get this on television.”

The event would be a chance for the LET and LPGA members to get a chance to dust off the cobwebs before a return of the major tours. It is understood that organisers are still hopeful that the AIG Women’s British Open will go ahead at Royal Troon on August 20-23. Organisers are also optimistic that the other European women’s major, the Evian Championship, which has already been rescheduled to tee off on August 6 on its usual course at the Evian Resort on the French side of Lake Geneva, will proceeed.

If you are a female golf professional and would like to enter the Women’s Open at Brokenhurst Manor contact Liz Young via Twitter @lizyounggolf 

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Dimmock started the final round at the Evian Resort one shot behind the 18-year-old Bouchard, who was playing at her home club, but birdied four of her first seven holes to gain the advantage.

After Bouchard birdied the ninth, the duo headed into the back nine tied for the lead, six strokes clear of the field, setting up a dramatic duel.

Bouchard bogeyed the 10th to hand the advantage back to Dimmock, but regained the lead after a pair of birdies on the 14th and 15th.

Then, the crowd favourite hit her tee shot into the water on the par-3 16th and carded a second consecutive double-bogey at the 17th to hand a two-stroke advantage to Dimmock, who had bogeyed the 17th, coming to the par-five last hole. Bouchard two-putted for birdie, allowing Dimmock to win on seven-under.

After carding a final round 68, 22-year-old Dimmock, who is a member at Wentworth, said: “It was really tough. Pauline and I both came out of the blocks really quickly, and I knew I had to do that. I got it to four-under through nine and was playing really well, and on the back nine I was trying not to make mistakes. It was quite a battle out there, but it turned out well in the end.”

Dimmock, who had missed the cut in four of the five Ladies European Tour events she had played in this season, said: “I’ve wanted to win on tour for so long, and I’m so relieved I’ve finally won. I’ve been struggling a bit over the last few years since I first turned pro in 2015, so to finally get a win is really special.”

England’s Meghan MacLaren carded a final round of 69 to finish third on two-under par, with Camilla Lennarth, Hannah Burke and Olivia Cowan a stroke further back in a share of fourth.

Dimmock and Roussin Bouchard both earned invitations to play in the Evian Championship, the fourth major of the season, which returns to French resort from July 25-28.

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