Dubai: Grant Robertson has won Golf Citizen's online competition offering amateur golfers the chance to play alongside Lee Westwood in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic Pro-Am event to be held at the Emirates Golf Club tomorrow.
A keen golfer, Robertson booked a maximum number of rounds on the golf reservation website, well ahead of his nearest competitor to earn the invitation to play with the world number three in the traditional curtain-raiser to the $2.5 million (Dh9.18 million) European Tour event, promoted and organised by golf in DUBAi.
"Playing with Lee would be just awesome," said Robertson, who plays off a decent 13 handicap. "I am looking forward to the experience of a lifetime. Being a member of the club, I know the [Majlis] course pretty well and hope to chip in with some good scores," said the Emirates airline pilot.
The contest was part of a drive to increase golf's popularity and accessibility to golfers around the world through Golf Citizen, whose fast-expanding network includes courses in the UAE and Thailand.
Phenomenal talent
"We are quite pleased with the response to the Lee Westwood Pro-Am contest. It generated the buzz among fans. Lee is a phenomenal talent and playing alongside him is always special," said Mohammad Juma Bu Amim, vice-chairman and CEO of golf in DUBAi.
"Competitions like this one add to the tournament atmosphere and, more importantly, make the fans a part of it, which is great."
The Challenge match today will be no less exciting with a stunning array of leading lights from the world of sports and entertainment promising to spice up the proceedings.
Bollywood star R. Madhavan, celebrated cricketers Sir Ian Botham and Waqar Younus, ace jockey Frankie Dettori and top stand-up comedian Jim Davidson are the major celebrities who will test their golfing skills against some of the world's leading players in a fun-filled foursomes format at the par-three course from 6pm.
Madhavan, who has featured in many successful and acclaimed films in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada, will be paired with ace Indian golfer Jeev Milkha Singh while Sir Ian will team up with world number three Lee Westwood. Other pairings for the new-look match are Fred Couples and Dettori, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Younus, Thomas Bjorn and Davidson and Mark O'Meara and Hassan Al Musharrakh.
