It was a moving moment with players, caddies, officials and others standing still, their heads bowed when the DP World Tour’s maiden event for 2026 paused for a minute’s silence remember Emanuele Galeppini who so tragically, and so unncessarily lost his life on Janurary 1st in the devestating Cran Montana nightclub blaze.

The second edition of the Dubai Invitational is being staged in honour of the 17-year-old Italian golfer, who was based in Dubai, and who among 40 people to lose their lives.

Indeed, Emanuele was captain of the Under-17 team at the Dubai Creek GC and host to this week’s tournament.

Play as halted at 1:30pm local time — a moment agreed in consultation with the Galeppini family — play was paused as part of further tributes to the victims.

As I have mentioned, I have travelled to Crans Montane on so many occasions since the early 1990s to report on the Omega European Masters and have always enjoyed the opportunity to be present travelling, as we did so often, by train from Geneva to Sion, then alighting for a courtesy car to be waiting to take us the short drive up the mountain to Crans Montana.

Each visit always was special but as I remember back to those days, it will be now with much sadness.

Photographs hereunder thank you to DP World Tour/Getty.

Kiwi Ryan Fox and Tommy Fleetwood