‘There’s always little competitions’ as Olivia Cowan and Todd Clements face off in Northern Ireland
In a relationship. In the same tournament. Olivia Cowan and Todd Clements are doing battle at the ISPS Handa World Invitational.
The events sees players from the DP World Tour, Ladies European Tour (LET) and the LPGA Tour battle it out.
Two trophies, a men’s and women’s are on offer, with the players all playing the same two courses and for equal prize money.
Cowan is aiming for glory in the women’s event, while Clements is looking to do well in the men’s draw.
“Yeah it’s fun. It’s always a good week when both tours are together,” Cowan said in a mid-round interview.
“We can have little chit-chats and catch-ups, so that is always nice.
“Battle? I wouldn’t say we have a little battle but there’s always little competitions between us but I think we just want to support each other and we hope that both do well.”
Cowan ended the second day of the ISPS Handa World Invitational in a tie for third, as one of just six players under-par.
Meanwhile, boyfriend Clements made the first of two cuts – in what is a unique event which sees a second cut after the third day – finishing the day T41.
Cowan came into the ISPS Handa World Invitational off the back of a strong performance at Walton Heath in the year’s last major championship.
The German finished in a tie for ninth at the AIG Women’s Open, in what was her best result at a major tournament.
“[It] definitely gave me a lot of confidence,” she added.
“My game has been pretty good so I have been waiting for that moment. Just going to try and continue it into this week.”
What do you think to the ISPS Handa World Invitational? Is it good for golf that the tours combine and play the same events? Let us know with a Tweet!
Matt Coles
Mention a European country, and Matt will tell you which resorts make the National Club Golfer Top 100s: European Resorts list. He might even throw in who designed the golf course and how many rooms the hotel has got at each one…
Matt got into the game of golf from a young age, following his old man to the local golf club. He fell for the sport, and now can’t seem to go a day without thinking about how to improve his game (Thanks Dad!). Matt has been a member of Howley Hall GC in Leeds since 2020, and is just about managing to maintain a single-figure handicap. He likes to remind people that he once broke 75, but won’t tell people that it was on a shortened course during the winter.
He moved to Leeds after graduating from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class Honours degree in Sports Journalism. Matt joined NCG after almost five years travelling the world with the Professional Squash Association, working on events in all four corners of the globe.
Matt currently plays a Cobra King LTDx driver and RadSpeed 3-wood. TaylorMade monopolise the rest of his bag, with a SIM UDI, M5 irons and both Milled Grind and HI-TOE wedges, along with a Monza Redline putter. He uses a Vice Pro Plus golf ball, because he’s a bit different…
Away from golf, Matt is a Manchester United fan, and a keen runner, having ran the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon (his first and possibly last), in May 2023.
