Abu Dhabi: The new man at the top of golf’s European Tour would love nothing more than to see an Emirati playing alongside the world’s best, he said on Friday.
Keith Pelley, appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Tour last August, is in the UAE for this weekend’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, and spoke of his hope that the event will inspire a new generation of golfers.
His comments come on the back of an Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC) and HSBC joint initiative to launch the first emirate-wide grass roots programme, which is introducing more than 2,000 local schoolchildren to the game.
The ‘Champions of Tomorrow’ programme aims to educate, engage and inspire Emirati and local youngsters in a bid to unearth future UAE talent.
“I would love to see an Emirati playing regularly on the European Tour,” said Pelley on the sidelines of the region’s showpiece tournament, which runs until Sunday evening at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. “The Abu Dhabi Sports Council has been very proactive in its support of growing the game. I think showcasing an event like this and seeing superstars doing what mere mortals can’t is a great way to inspire the youth and we’d like nothing better than to see that.”
His comments came as the UAE’s first professional golfer, Ahmad Al Musharrakh, missed the cut at the Abu Dhabi event on Friday after carding a 20-over-par 164 for his two rounds following scores of 83 and 81.
Pelley, who has already made headlines by allowing professional golfers to wear shorts during practice days and pro-ams for the first time this week, says he has been impressed by Abu Dhabi and the Championship during his first visit to the region.
The 52-year-old Canadian said: “The Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship is very important to us. We’re a global tour and this is a global destination.
“It’s very important for us to be able to take our players to world-class venues, world-class cities, world-class countries and Abu Dhabi is a perfect fit. The weather is terrific, the golf facility is outstanding and the players are always excited to come here.”
“The hospitality on offer for the players here is outstanding,” he added. “The golf course is also in immaculate shape. It is also very accessible from major markets all over the world. There are a number of airlines that are able to fly to the Middle East.
“All of this ticks a lot of boxes. At this time of year and with this weather, there aren’t many better places to be.”
