Emirates renews sponsorship of DP World tour championship

Emirates, one of the fastest growing international airlines, has strengthened its partnership with The European Tour by renewing its sponsorship of the golf season’s grand finale – the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai - which will see the likes of Rory McIlroy and Luke Donald contest an $8 million Dhs 29m prize fund.

The carrier will be the Official Airline of The European Tour’s showpiece event - to be staged on Jumeirah Golf Estates’ Earth course from 22-25 November – for the next three years.

“Taking into account the tremendous success of the tournament over the past few years, the benefits of extending our relationship were clear,” said Sir Maurice Flanagan, Executive Vice Chairman Emirates Airline & Group. “As the Official Partner of The European Ryder Cup Team competing in the USA later this month, it is a great honour to be further strengthening our relationship with The European Tour.

“It stages tournaments at many of the 34 destinations on our European network, as well as at a number of the 91 other locations we fly to across the globe, so it really is a perfect fit for Emirates. We already sponsor nine other tournaments on The Race to Dubai calendar so it makes perfect sense for us to be involved with the final event of the season, especially with it being held at our home base,” added Sir Maurice.

Nick Tarratt, Director European Tour International, Dubai Office is also delighted by the benefits of the partnership. 

“Emirates is a major supporter of The European Tour and we thank them for their overall support, not only here in the UAE but also across many of the overseas events on The Race to Dubai,” said Tarratt. “For the past three years they have been one of our key sponsors at the final event on The Race to Dubai and we look forward to another three-year relationship as a sponsor of the DP World Tour Championship."

The DP World Tour Championship is the climax of The Race to Dubai, which comprises 46 tournaments played in 25 different destinations across the globe to decide who will be Europe’s Number One player. It will feature The Race to Dubai's top 60 golfers, including US PGA Championship winner McIlroy, the current leader, as well as Justin Rose and Louis Oosthuizen, who lie in second and third place respectively.

With the renewal of the DP World Tour Championship, Emirates will be involved at a total of 10 European Tour tournaments in 2012, as well as this month’s Ryder Cup - the pinnacle event in team golf.

Emirates will play a part in the build-up to the DP World Tour Championship as the Official Airline of three of the last four events: the WGC-HSBC Champions in China, the Barclays Singapore Open and the Hong Kong Open.

Emirates will be flying in many of the players and international golf fans to the event which last year attracted more than 40,000 spectators, as well as a global television audience.