ABU DHABI Having sealed the 2013 HSBC Abu Dhabi Golf Championship in style, Welshman Jamie Donaldson is looking forward to another memorable outing as he keeps his focus on the 2015 edition that will be held from January 16 to 19 at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
In an interview with XPRESS he tells why he will be amongst one of the favourites in the capital.
You returned a winner from Abu Dhabi not long ago. How fresh is that memory?
Winning in 2013 is still the biggest win of my career and was definitely a moment that is fresh in my memory and helped my game reach the next level. As a result of the victory I rose comfortably inside the top 50 in the world rankings to about 30th which meant I could plan my schedule around the big events and play where I wanted to. My biggest memory from the week was watching Justin and Thorbjorn on the 18th hole from the scorers knowing that if they made a birdie I would be heading to a play-off. I was trying to compose myself because I knew the chances of one of them, if not both, making the putt was high. As it happened they both missed so it was my day.
Having won here once surely should give you an extra confidence on Day 1?
It is always nice to return somewhere that you have good memories and you know your way around the course and are comfortable with the surroundings. I love coming back to Abu Dhabi and the National Course is always in perfect condition and is a real tough test of golf. When you turn up on the first tee, you know you are going to have to hit the ball well to score but the fact I know I have played well here will give me extra confidence.
Would you rate yourself as one of the favourites? Who else do you think have that tag this time?
I have only missed one Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship since the first event in 2006 and was lucky enough to lift the famous Falcon Trophy in 2013 so I would like to think I was up there with the favourites but the field is always very strong and there are a lot of world class players competing. When you have Major Champions in a field like (Rory) McIlroy, (Martin) Kaymer and (Justin) Rose it’s always going to be tough to beat them. Rickie Fowler is coming over to play for the first time after a terrific 2014 so it will be interesting to see how he gets on.
What do you make of the reception you got/get here as a Welshman?
I am not sure I get any special reception for being Welsh but the fans are always very nice when we are out on the course and there always seems to be more and more every time I come back.
How important is a strong showing here in terms of having a good season ahead or overall rankings?
In my experience the way I have started the year hasn’t necessarily changed how I finished on the overall rankings but I would certainly like to get off to a fast start and carry on where I left off in 2014. In 2013 it was great to win early because I gained confidence from the victory and it certainly helped me to carry that form into the rest of the season. In terms of everyone else in the field, I am sure they will want to start well for the same reasons and to avoid too much pressure at the end of the season.
Is there anything that you particularly like about the course/venue/city/country?
I love coming back to Abu Dhabi because it’s such a great place to be in January and the weather is always so much better than the weather in the UK at that time of year. It also feels great to play somewhere that you have won and I love how testing the National Course is. To see how it has changed since 2006 is quite fascinating and I am looking forward to getting back out there this year.
