Abu Dhabi golf event to host top players

Abu Dhabi: European Ryder Cup 2010 captain, Colin Montgomerie, is hoping for a strong showing at the first major stop on next year's European Tour — January's fifth Abu Dhabi Golf Championship.

The Scot has earmarked the championship, running from January 21-24 at Abu Dhabi Golf Club's Par-72 National Course, as a platform to kick-start his season's preparations and to assess player progress after the winter break.

"I've always believed the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship is a good barometer of how players have worked in the off season and those that do well there tend to keep that momentum going," said Montgomerie, who has five runner-up finishes in major championships.

"I am hoping for a good start to the season and plan to work hard over the winter to ensure I am back on the leader board again. I am very keen to get my ranking back up in the first half of the year before I am too busy with Ryder Cup preparations to focus on my own golf."

With two-time Abu Dhabi champion and world No 4 Paul Casey and enigmatic Spaniard and world No 9 Sergio Garcia already signed up for the Abu Dhabi showcase, and many more Ryder Cup hopefuls being confirmed in the coming weeks, championship organisers believe Montgomerie should be pleased with the turnout from a Ryder Cup perspective.

"A Ryder Cup year always attracts increased attention and many top players will be using the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship as a platform to demonstrate their credentials and to show off the results of their winter training. We already have a number of Europe's top players and will be announcing a host of other big names in the coming weeks," said Faisal Al Shaikh, head of Major Events Division, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), which organises the event.

Hotly contested

"As the first major event on the 2010 European Tour calendar, golf fans will get a unique opportunity to see the Ryder Cup hopefuls as well as a wealth of other big names battle it out in Abu Dhabi. We expect January's event to be the most hotly contested in the championship's history."

Players in the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship will next year have an added incentive as the championship's prize purse has been increased by 10 per cent to $2.2 million (Dh8 million).

"We continue to make investments in the championship, both on and off the course, to ensure people connect with a truly world-class golfing experience," added Al Shaikh.

ADTA is enhancing the event's Championship Village to incorporate a host of new interactive elements. These will give golf enthusiasts and those new to the game a broader platform to engage with the tournament.

The championship's online presence has also been bolstered by introducing VPAR scoring software for its Al-Masaood Pro-Am. VPAR, which is at the cutting-edge of technology, will ensure real-time scoring on the web so fans can follow the action as it happens.

All four days of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship will be covered live on high-definition TV, reaching a cumulative global audience of over 400 million.