Abu Dhabi: World No. 1 Rory McIlroy and father Gerry hogged the limelight at the Abu Dhabi Invitational tournament at the Kyle Phillips-designed Yas Links on Sunday.
The senior and junior McIlroys were all pumped up for the fun filled day-out at the picturesque course with the Ferrari World and Yas Marina Circuit as its backdrop and were give a rousing reception by the fans as they teed off.
The father–son pair, however, didn’t have a great outing on the greens and they finished 52nd with scores of two-under par 70. The team title was clinched by Thongchai Jaidee and Gabriel Batistuta carding 11-under, one stroke behind was Rafa Cabrera-Bello and Dino Varkey. In the Individual category, Rory was joint 25th three others.
Unlike previous years, the 2015 Abu Dhabi Invitational was a two-day, 36 hole event, with the famous Pro-Am on Day One and the Am-Am on Day Two. In all, 58 Pros were competing for a $500,000 (Dh1.8 million) purse on Day One while their VVIP amateur playing partners will then play alongside UAE-based executives and guests on Monday, after which the 36-hole Amateur Champion will be crowned.
Branden Grace, who won the Qatar Masters on Saturday, was another star attraction and he was tied 40th with six others after finishing on par in the Individual event.
South African Darren Fichardt with scores of 8 under 64 topped the leaderboard in the individual event and he was richer by $50,000. Jaidee, who was one stroke behind along with Spain’s Rafa Cabrera-Bello and Ross Mc Gowan were all rewarded with $25,000 each.
Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary, Abu Dhabi Sports Council, was delighted at the participation levels in the event. “To have world number one Rory McIlroy playing in such a high-class event is testament to the respect the players have for the Abu Dhabi Invitational.
“We are delighted to be hosting the Abu Dhabi Invitational at Yas Links and over the years it has earned its reputation as one of the most prestigious ‘must-play’ Pro-Ams in the game of golf. We are excited to see the tournament return to Abu Dhabi and look forward to welcoming elite businessmen and professional golfers from around the world to enjoy the event.”
One of the highlights of the Abu Dhabi Invitational was the red-carpet Gala Dinner at the event’s Official Hotel, the Yas Viceroy. One of the main purposes of the star-studded evening was to raise money for the Official Charity via a hotly contested live auction. To this end, Official Watch Partner Hublot has donated a beautiful 18 Carat King Power watch.
