"The Return of the Champions!" » No need to look any further for the grip of the 47th Hassan II Trophy. Since 1971, the Moroccan tournament has crowned many of the stars of golf as part of the men's European circuit, which has now become the DP World Tour. Bernhard Longer, Colin Montgomerie, Miguel Angel Jiménez and so many great players have been there. The times have changed. But some of the champions have remained at the top of their game. And the Trophy has taken a big turn, different from that of the European Tour. After the agreement signed in 2020 with the PGA TourChampions, which brings together (most often in the United States) the cream of current seniors, Rabat receives its own stage of this circuit of Legends. Under 50, go your own way!

Originally, the PGA TourChampions obviously concerns American sites. But in the context of a globalization that can be observed on all circuits, whatever their denomination, "worldwide" incursions are planned, in dribs and drabs that said. In 2023, of the twenty-eight dates on the program, only three will be held outside the US: The Senior Open Championship, from July 27 to 30 in Wales, The Shaw Charity Classic of Calgary, in August in Canada, and therefore the Hassan II Trophy in Morocco. It's almost the start of the season, since the red course of the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam hosts the second date of the year, just after the Mitsubishi Electric Championship which took place from January 19 to 21 in Hualalai (Hawaii). Victory for Steve Stricker.

To Prince Moulay Rachid, president of the Hassan II Trophy and of the Royal Moroccan Golf Federation, this integration into the PGA TourChampions is an evolution “to shine better” while returning "at the source". VSis to say with the intention of creating a driving event in the promotion of golf, and more broadly of tourist and economic Morocco, as his late father wished, King Hassan II. The Prince even speaks of “new breath” with che 66 great European and American champions announced, whose names have never ceased to speak to the public all over the world.

Who doesn't want to see – or see again – play the German Bernhard Longer, whose sporting performance has hardly changed, he who, over the age of 50, won the Order of Merit eleven times on this PGA Tour Champions, with a career record among seniors at more than… 33 million dollars ! Same curiosity towards his little comrades, quinquas or sexas, like the New Zealander steven alker, number 1 in 2022, and of course Jim furyk, Colin Montgomerie, Tom lehman, Robert Karlson, Alex Cejka, Miguel Angel Jiménez, Corey Pavin ou Jose maria olazabal, who will be part of a field of players with more than 200 victories on the PGA Tour, not to mention a dozen successes in the Majors!

Ines Laklalech, first Moroccan player to win on the LET, winner at the Lacoste Ladies Open de France in Deauville – © Tristan Jones / LET

No French, unfortunately, in this selection of great players of the PGA TourChampions, who will compete for the 2 million dollars of prize money, a usual endowment for this American circuit of “Old luxury cars”. We must therefore turn to the Lalla Meryem Cup to see the evolution of the Tricolores: Emma Grechi, which has just taken a good 9th place in the launch event of the Ladies European Tour au Magical Kenya Ladies Open(February 2-5 at Vipingo Ridge), will be there. As well as Agathe Sauzon, Anne-Charlotte Mora, Nastasia Nadaud, Charlotte Liautier and the hobbyist Sarah BrentchenefOr Anais Meyssonier, who was second in reserve…

A total of 96 players form the field, including the Swedes Linn Grant et maja stark, European numbers 1 and 2. To follow also the Spanish Nuria Iturrioz, winner in 2019 and still very comfortable on the blue course of the Royal Golf Dar Es Salaam. Or Caroline Hedwall et Meghan MacLaren. After the victory of the Indian Aditi Ashok at the beginning of the month in Kenya and before the European circuit leaves for many distant destinations – Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Thailand…- only to return to Europe on the occasion of the Jabra Ladies Open (May 11-13 in Evian), the girls will share an endowment of $450.

This week in Rabat, the public will especially vibrate very strongly for the Moroccans, who have become over the years extremely convincing figures of women's golf. In the wake of Maha Haddioui, Olympic selected for Morocco in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and in Tokyo in 2021, two players stand out in turn. First of all Ines Laklalech, who brilliantly won the Lacoste Ladies Open de France 2022 last fall in Deauville, then qualifying for the LPGA Tour 2023. But also Malak Bouareda, the first Moroccan to qualify for theUS Women's Open. Watch closely from Thursday.

The breakthrough of the Moroccan players is undoubtedly linked to the permanence, since 1993, of this Lalla Meryem Cup, deliberately paired with the Hassan II Trophy gentlemen. This is how high-level women's golf was able to be understood very closely by the country's young female hopefuls. Twenty-six years later, the results are there. This was one of His Late Majesty's visions.  King Hassan II, founder of the two tournaments, and who wanted to establish a perfect tradition of diversity for this great golf festival. Double, Royal and Eternal!

Nathalie Vion