Dubai: This year’s Mena Tour champion will be invited to compete in the PGA Tour’s Dean and DeLuca Invitational next year, it was announced on Wednesday.
The US$6.9 million (Dh25.3 million) Dean and DeLuca has a rich history dating back to 1946 when Ben Hogan won the inaugural event for the first of his record five titles.
It is the 10th oldest event on the PGA Tour, is the longest running event to be held at the same venue at the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, and enjoys a unique connection with some of the game’s greatest names with Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer all having donned the plaid jacket.
The invitation came about after Thai real estate firm Pace Development Corporation, who own the MahaSamutr Country Club that sponsors Mena Tour event the MahaSamutr Masters, recently acquired fine food firm Dean and DeLuca.
“It feels great to see well-recognised global brands offer their support to the tour which sends positive signals to the golfing community about the tour’s commitment to supporting the careers of its members,” said Mena Tour chairman Mohammad Juma Bu Amim.
“The invitation to play in one of the most prestigious PGA Tour events is a great development for the Mena Tour, one that will resonate on many levels, reinforcing the growing strength of the game in the Mena region.
“I would like to thank Dean and DeLuca and MahaSamutr Country Club for their gesture and believe it will further motivate tour members to keep pushing forward. All we want is to fuel an ideal climate for competitive golf in the region for young golfers to come through the ranks and make a name for themselves. Every step is a leap forward,” he added.
A spot in the Dean and DeLuca is the latest in a addition to a raft of incentives already offered by the Mena Tour that includes multiple European Tour starts, playing privileges on the Sunshine Tour and exemptions into the Final Stage of the Asian Tour Q-School for leading players.
