The biggest names in golf, an upgraded venue and elite sponsors – after months of preparation everything is in place for the biggest sporting event in the UAE capital, the US$2 million Abu Dhabi Golf Championship 2007.
Boasting what Championship owner Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) is calling a ‘field of champions’, tournament week tees off at Abu Dhabi Golf Club on Wednesday (January 17) with the curtain-raising Al-Masaood Pro-Am, when amateurs compete alongside a Who’s Who of A-list stars who between them have won Majors, Ryder Cup events, European Tour Order of Merit and Rookie of the Year titles, and no less than 210 European Tour titles.
The top six placed players from 2006 are making a welcome return to the European Tour-sanctioned event, including defending champion Chris DiMarco, of the USA; Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, last year’s runner-up now ranked 13 in the world; Spain’s Sergio Garcia, the world number 11; and Scottish legend Colin Montgomerie, ranked 17. Also returning is world number 14 Paul Casey, of England, who will be looking to better his two under par finish last year, 18 shots behind DiMarco; and Miguel Angel Jiminez, the popular Spanish player, who was fifth in 2006.
But veterans of the inaugural 2006 event will face stiff opposition from two top-ranked debutants in 2007 – Retief Goosen of South Africa, the two-time US Open champion ranked eighth in the world; and Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, the world number seven.
The presence of on-form Indian ace Jeev Milkha Singh, great Dane Thomas Bjorn, Australian Order of Merit winner Nick O’Hern and England’s Nick Dougherty adds further strength to a line-up that’s the envy of many more established tournaments around the world.
As well as eight of the world’s top 21 players, Abu Dhabi’s ‘field of champions’ boasts 17 Ryder Cup stars, past and present, including six of the victorious 2006 European Ryder Cup Team (Casey, Garcia, Harrington, Robert Karlsson, Montgomerie and Stenson); 15 of the top 20 from the 2006 European Tour Order of Merit, including the top two (Harrington and Casey); three players who between them have 11 European Order of Merit wins – Montgomerie (8), Goosen (2) and Harrington (1); three of the top five Leading Career Money Winners (Montgomerie 1st, Goosen 3rd and Harrington 5th); and 12 former European Tour Sir Henry Cotton Rookies of the Year, including the last six successive winners (Marc Warren of Scotland, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano of Spain, Scott Drummond of England, Peter Lawrie of Ireland and Nick Dougherty and Paul Casey, both of England).
Each player will not only be vying for the first prize of US$333,330 or a share of the US$2 million total purse, but also the chance to win free rooms for life at Emirates Palace Hotel and a Nissan 350Z – the prizes for making the Championship’s first hole-in-one. The luxury Abu Dhabi hotel and car manufacturer are among an elite list of event sponsors, which also includes Etihad Airways, Aldar, Standard Chartered Bank, Etisalat, Airbus, Rolls-Royce, Omega and Xerox.
“The stage is set, the players are in the wings and an audience of golf fans the world over awaits the drama that will unfold on the fairways and greens of Abu Dhabi Golf Club over the coming days,” said Mubarak Al Muhari, ADTA’s Director General.
Wednesday’s Pro-Am will give DiMarco and the many contenders for his coveted crown a chance to play a course that is much changed from 2006.
Enhancements that make it tougher for the pros – and more exciting for spectators – include new bunkers on the first and 11th holes, new tees on the third and sixth, narrower fairways and longer rough grass. Two tee extensions have also been added on 16 and 17, where the wind caused problems for players in 2006. Overall, the improvements have increased the length of the course by some 150 yards, to nearly 7,400 yards.
Commenting on the changes, Goosen, the tournament’s top ranked player, said, “I know that amendments have been made to Abu Dhabi’s National Course to make it more challenging – and I am ready to take up that challenge and really give it my best.”
The popular South African, who won the US Open in 2001 and 2004, will be favourite among his expatriate countrymen living in the region. “I look forward to getting considerable spectator support from the many South Africans – most of them golf addicts – who now live and work in the UAE and neighbouring Gulf countries,” he said.
If DiMarco has his way, however, the trophy will be back in the New Yorker’s hands on Sunday (January 21). “The start of a new year brings many new opportunities and I view the Abu Dhabi tournament as an important personal goal for 2007,” he said, throwing down the gauntlet.
Meanwhile spectators can tune in to Championship Radio – a dedicated FM radio channel (105.4) delivering live ball-by-ball commentary, player interviews and analysis from a top tier broadcast team. By buying a souvenir radio spectators can
listen to the audio stream beginning approximately 15 minutes before the morning’s first tee-shot and extending to 30 minutes after the final putt of the day is sunk.
Specators can also enjoy an after-play jazz session when acclaimed rhythm and blues personality Tyree Glenn Jr will perform.
Tickets for the star-studded Abu Dhabi Golf Championship are available via the official website - www.abudhabigolfchampionship.com - online at www.timeouttickets.com, via the ITP toll free hotline 800 4669 or for international clients +971 4 210 8943 and at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club. Tickets are priced at AED 125 for a daily pass and AED400 for a four-day pass though preferential rates of AED100 and AED300 respectively apply to UGA members. Children under 18 will be admitted free when accompanied by an adult. Car parking will be free during the Championship.
