‘I Don’t Care If He’s Ken From Barbie, It Shouldn’t Happen’: DP World Tour Pro’s Invite To The Dubai Invitational Questioned After He Shoots 87 In Round One

Ken Weyand

Ken Weyand was given an invite to the Dubai Invitational. But his opening round score of 87 became subject to question regarding whether he deserved to play in the event or not. Moreover, his score was 25 shots behind Rory McIlroy after the first round. McIlroy made an excellent start to the DP World Tour and sat atop the leaderboard after Thursday. 

But the one sitting below the leaderboard, Ken Weyand, was also in the headlines for his devastating performance in round one. Then, in round two, he again gave a below-average score of 82. His total stood at 27-over after Friday. The Dubai Invitational has a limited field and welcoming golfers like Ken has been offending Eddie Pepperell.

English Pro Golfer Shows Discontent With Ken Weyand

In an interview, Eddie Pepperell expresses his disappointment with the authorities’ decision to add Ken to the field. 

“Limited man field, and old Ken Weyand gets an invite and then does this. I don’t care if he’s Ken from Barbie, it shouldn’t happen.”

On Thursday, Weyand had a horrendous experience of seven bogeys, one triple bogey on hole 7, and three double bogeys on holes 8, 12, and 15. Even in round two, he made four double bogeys on holes 7, 8, 13 and 18.

Apart from golf, Weyand is also the general manager of a golf club founded by Michael Jordan in 2019. He’s also involved in Black Cat ventures. These involvements might have allowed him to play in the Dubai Invitational. But after his performance, his next chances seem bleak. 

Even Weyand’s caddie, Jamie Herbert, feels that the golfer’s inclusion has wasted an entry.

“So, I know how important sponsors are, and it’s their prerogative who they invite, but a limited 60 man field 2.5 million dollars, no cut. This is a waste of an entry and I feel for the playing partners.”

It seems that Ken Weyand has to come out of his Barbie land and get back to the game in the remaining two rounds. As of now, Tommy Fleetwood is sitting atop the leaderboard, and closely following him is Rory McIlroy. It is to see which golfer clinches the first DP World Tour title on the weekend. 

Post Edited By: Manaal Siddiqui
Ken Weyand Rory McIlroy Tommy Fleetwood

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Suchita Chakraborty

Suchita Chakraborty is a senior golf writer at The SportsRush. She did her post-graduation at St. Xavier's University. For a year now, she has developed a riveting inclination toward golf, with Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy being her top-tier motivational figures to indulge in the sport. She even lives by the words of the Hall of Famer, "You can always become better", which impels her to excel every day. Her strong suit in golf is covering the LPGA Tour, especially the nooks and crannies of the international event, the Solheim Cup. As a pastime amusement, Suchita also engages herself in reading about golf controversies. Her favorite pick is ‘LIV and Let Die’ by Alan Shipnuck, which covers the PGA-LIV beef.

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