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Doha Golf Club is the venue for the Qatar Masters, not many options really as it is the only golf course in Qatar!

High winds are predicted for the first two days of the tournament which could cause the organisers some issues. The problem with high winds in the desert is the risk of sand storms. We had a small taste of it on Wednesday when everyone was covered in a film of dust. A shower was very much needed at the end of the day.

We continued to work with Alejandro Canizares and his golf shoes. He is beginning to feel comfortable in his new XPS-1, and getting used to the different feel the shoe gives him from the Contours he is used to wearing. A couple more tweaks and we will have another happy customer.

Matteo Manassero has his game face on this week. Hot off a Top 10 finish, he is looking for another good week. Matteo also sat down and placed an order for a few pairs of his favourite FJ Sport shoe in a variety of colour ways.

The new FJ apparel is already creating a buzz on the range with more and more people beginning to notice the clothing worn by our staff players. Who could fail to notice how good it looks when you have someone like Rafa Cabrera Bello modelling the styles on the fairways.

FJ ambassador George Coetzee managed to pack a wrong sized pair of shoes on his journey over from South Africa, so the FootJoy team came to the rescue and sourced him a correctly fitting pair. George is now much happier.

FJ loyalist and new boy in town Peter Uihlein, a former world #1 amateur will be looking to take his game to the next level. Peter made his professional debut last week in India on the Challenge Tour. He opened his career with a tied 12th finish, and will make his European Tour debut this week in Qatar. We all wish Peter good luck as he step's foot in to the Professional ranks.

Martin Wiegle dropped by to see the FJ tour team, and ordered a variety of DryJoys Tour, XPS-1 and FJ Sport shoes for the season. Martin likes to have a bit of variety in his wardrobe, as well as a bit of colour.
This week’s equipment counts further cements FJ position as the #1 Shoe & Glove in Golf, with 55% of the field lacing up in FJ shoes and 43% trusting the grip performance of FJ gloves. Fingers crossed that an FJ player will be lifting the trophy come Sunday afternoon.

 Next week’s diary will be from Dubai for the Omega Dubai Desert classic.

We at FootJoy are pleased to announce that we will be taking yet another significant step into the full line golf apparel business with the launch of our new 2012 FJ Performance Apparel Collection. Available in stores across the UK from the beginning of March, this stunning seasonal collection features a complete range of men’s golf apparel in a selection of contemporary colour stories and a variety of fashionable patterns. Every garment from polo-shirts and trousers to pullover’s and knitwear has been manufactured using the very latest high-tech performance fabrics and golf-conscious construction to ensure the entire collection provides the perfect complement to the existing line of FJ advanced outerwear. The unveiling of the FJ Performance Apparel Collection completes the FJ product line up that now includes all categories of golf clothing, mastering the balance in comfort, style and performance.

Following on from the continued success of the outerwear category, including the hugely popular and innovative FJ Layering System, the time has finally come for FJ to enter the full line men’s golf apparel business following a strategic initiative that has been carefully considered for a number of years. Supported by an extremely sophisticated and comprehensive study of the golf apparel category, the new FJ Performance Apparel Collection features an array of essential garments that can be worn both on and off-course. The range is spearheaded by four stylish and modern colour stories entitled; Cape Collection (Navy/Ocean/Yellow/White), Savannah Collection (Black/Red/White), Valley Collection (Purple/Charcoal/Grey/White) and Shore Collection (Navy/Coral/Khaki/White). These modern colour palettes perfectly complement the garment designs and allow golfers to effortlessly coordinate their outfits throughout the range. The addition of an Athletic fit option within the collection ensures that those seeking a more tailored look are spoilt for choice. The design focus however remains on one sport – golf, which is FootJoy’s sole passion.

Born from golfer feedback at all levels, the FJ Performance Apparel Collection has already received strong feedback from the professional ranks around the world and will be worn on tour by the likes of Spanish star, Rafael Cabrera-Bello and multiple PGA Tour winner, Steve Stricker who is has been wearing FJ apparel for a number of years, “I continue to be impressed with the quality, fit, comfort and overall performance of FJ apparel. The layering system is absolutely terrific, allowing me to regulate my body temperature based upon changing conditions.  In addition, the new performance lisle shirts that I have been wearing all year are superb.”

“We’re excited about our move into the full-line apparel market and believe the timing is perfect.  We’ve talked to golfers and our trade partners, who enthusiastically support the plans and offerings; the response to the range has been nothing short of incredible, generating numerous phone calls wanting to preview and book the product. We are confident we have an excellent range, and look forward to a positive response from golfers across the country. “This represents an important step forward in FootJoy’s mission to enhance the enjoyment of the game for golfers of all ages and abilities.” commented Russell Lawes, European Marketing Manager, FootJoy.

This week’s FJ Tour diary comes from Abu Dhabi for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.

The Abu Dhabi National course has been severely toughened for this year’s event. Tight fairways and ultra-thick rough mean if the players hit it off line; they will need a wedge to get it back in to play.

We have had plenty of early season action, with team FJ having a very busy and hectic start to the season, with players keen to get their hands (and feet!) on the new FJ products.

Our Spanish friend, Alejandro Canizares collected a pair of XPS-1 shoes this week. However after being fitted correctly, it was discovered that he is an even-keeler. This means Alejandro has different sized left and right feet. Lucky for Alejandro we have MyJoys which allows him to order his shoes in a different size for his left and right feet. We recommend that all golfers, professionals or amateurs, get correctly fit for shoes as statistics show the 80% of people wear incorrect sized shoes, reducing the comfort and performance of their shoes. 

Joining Canizares in XPS-1 are Richard Green and Padraig Harrington. Plenty of positive comments relating to the shoes comfort, and especially the stability and support it provides. We know this shoe is the most stable golf shoe on the planet so the feedback is not a surprise, but still a pleasure to hear.

World #1, and FJ loyalist, Luke Donald, headlines the field this week in the Desert. It should prove a great battle with fellow FJ loyalists, Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood, looking to close the gap at the Top of the World Rankings. At the time of writing Rory is sitting proud at the top of the leaderboard after an impressive opening round of 67.

Our French friend, Thomas Levet had to withdraw due to a cracked rib which he suffered last week in South Africa at the Volvo Champions. Unfortunately he slipped down a set of steps on one of the tee blocks. Steve Webster was also hobbling around the practice ground on Tuesday with a suspected torn ankle ligament, after falling from a kerb and turning his ankle. We wish both players all the best with their recovery.

It was great seeing 2012 Ryder Cup Captain Jose Maria Olazabal this week. Jose was looking very smart in a classic pair of FJ ICON’s during Tuesday's practice.

MyJoys fanatics, Joel Sjoholm and Lee Slattery were showing off some of their creations this week. Joel had a funky pair of Shield Tip FJ ICON’s with a white base with orange saddle and tips, whilst Slatts chose the same style, but with a grey base, and black patent saddle and tips.
This week’s equipment counts further cements FJ position as the #1 Shoe & Glove in Golf, with 54% of the field lacing up in FJ shoes and 43% trusting the grip performance of FJ gloves. Fingers crossed that an FJ player will be lifting the trophy come Sunday afternoon.

@FootJoyEurope is pleased to announce the five lucky winners of the recent Twitter competition, who will receive a pair of XPS-1, the most stable golf shoe in the world.

The five lucky winners that were drawn at random are:

1. @MattCrabtree96
2. @Mtang808
3. @AndtBeatty96
4. @tomdytor
5. @Backy35

Follow @FootJoyEurope for behind the ropes access to FJ Tour Players, a sneak peek at new FJ products as well as future competitions giving you the chance to win FJ products.

FJ #1 Shoe & Glove in Golf