Golf: European Tour adds new tournament in Dubai for 2020 season

Dubai: Dubai’s importance to the European Tour is set to be enhanced further after a new tournament, the Golf in Dubai Championship presented by DP World, was announced on Monday. The event will take place on the Fire course at Jumeirah Golf Estates from Wednesday December 2 to Saturday December 5.

It will form a December ‘Dubai Swing’, preceding the fourth and final Rolex Series event of the year, the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, which will be played on the neighbouring Earth course at Jumeriah Golf Estates from Thursday December 10 to Sunday December 13.

The tournament builds on the long-term relationship the European Tour has with Dubai, which began more than 30 years ago, and many of its Dubai-based Official Partners, including DP World, Dubai Duty Free and Emirates.

Since the inception of the Race to Dubai and the DP World Tour Championship in 2009, the Tour has not only brought the world’s best players to the emirate for its spectacular season ending finale, but it has helped to increase the strength of golf domestically, whilst showcasing Dubai as a world class hub for both business and sport.

The announcement of the new Golf in Dubai Championship presented by DP World completes the European Tour’s revamped 2020 schedule which now features 38 tournaments, including 15 additional events which did not exist prior to the season being paused between March and the beginning of July. It also means the European Tour will visit the United Arab Emirates four times in 2020.

With a prize fund of US$1.2million, the Golf in Dubai Championship presented by DP World will be played in the same week as the South African Open, the final leg of a three-event swing in South Africa, which takes place from December 3 to December 6 at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City.

Players in both fields will attempt to secure their spot in the $8million DP World Tour Championship which, due to the disruption this year, will comprise the leading 60 available players on the Race to Dubai as well as any European Tour member in the top 75 on the Official World Golf Ranking at the conclusion of this week’s Masters Tournament who is not otherwise exempt.

Keith Pelley, the European Tour’s Chief Executive, said: “It has undoubtedly been a very different and complex challenge to completely reimagine our 2020 schedule since March, but our team has worked incredibly hard behind the scenes, demonstrating creativity and agility.

“The Golf in Dubai Championship presented by DP World is the final piece in this jigsaw and continues our policy of playing in geographical clusters.

“Alongside the South African Open, it gives our players the option of ending the regular season at one of two terrific locations ahead of our season-finale, the DP World Tour Championship.

“I would like to thank the leaders of Dubai, DP World, Falcon and Associates and Jumeriah Golf Estates for helping to make this new event happen.

“The creation of this new tournament reflects the evolution in our partnership with DP World, through their support of the DP World Tour Championship, the Emirates Golf Federation development programmes, our EDGA Dubai finale and, of course, as an Official Partner of the European Tour.”

Daniel Van Otterdijk, Chief Communications Officer, DP World said: “As a long-term partner of the European Tour, DP World is proud to support the Golf in Dubai Championship.

“Over the past 12 years our partnership has not only contributed to the success and prosperity of Dubai’s economy by driving inbound tourism, but it has also helped to grow the game in the UAE by opening it up to new audiences.

“The new tournament is another great example of Dubai’s ability to host world class events and underscores its position as a leading hub for both trade and sport. We look forward to welcoming the European Tour and its players to the emirate for two back-to-back tournaments, which will help conclude another exciting Race to Dubai.”

Spectator attendance at both events will be restricted to a limited number of invited guests only but golf fans can follow the action on the Dubai Sports channel in the UAE.