Dubai: Spanish golfer Carlos Balmaseda has been named as a brand ambassador for the Mena Golf Tour (MGT), it was announced on Tuesday.
The 43-year-old two-time Spanish national champion is a regular on the tour and boasted five top-ten finishes last season, including a second-place finish in Oman.
In his role as an ambassador, the winner of four Spanish domestic events this season will promote and support a variety of MGT initiatives aimed at enhancing the profile of the tour, which has 2016 European Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke as its patron.
“To be an official part of the MGT family is a great honour for me,” he said. “What the tour has done for the overall development of golf is just so impressive. It has provided the players with a wonderful springboard for a successful career, especially the amateurs.
“If the tour has grown exponentially since its inception in 2011, it is for a good reason. Incentives like attractive prize funds, guaranteed spots in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and exemptions in the Asian Tour qualifying school are compelling enough for players to join the tour.”
Tour chairman Mohammad Juma Bu Amim said: “Carlos has proved much more than a colourful character with his outstanding golf talent, dedication and natural flair. We are delighted to have him on board as an ambassador.
“The Spaniards form the third largest contingent competing on the MGT after Morocco and England and this shows that our events have been well received, with a good number of countries sending players to compete — a key feature that has invigorated the tour.
“With this popular figure joining us as our brand ambassador, we are headed for some exciting times as our aim is to provide a platform to players to realise their potential and build on career opportunities.”
The Spaniard joins Morocco’s Faycal Serghini and England’s Zane Scotland and Joshua White as an MGT ambassador.
The MGT is an annual ten-stage tour held across the region, created to provide a much-needed development pathway between the amateur and professional games locally. Two events were played in Morocco in April and the tour restarts next month with the Dubai Creek Open. The season finale will be held at a location yet to be confirmed in November.
