American Ben Curtis, the man who stunned the sporting world with victory in the 2003 Open at Royal St George's, will make his Middle East debut when the Dubai Desert Classic is staged at the Emirates Golf Club from March 3-6.
The 27-year-old from Ohio is the latest big name to join the international line up of players heading for the $2.2 million, Dubai Aluminium-sponsored event where he will join other former Open champions including Ernie Els, Mark O'Meara and Greg Norman in the hunt for the famous Classic trophy.
"Ben's success at the Open is what makes golf such a fascinating sport," said Mohammad Ali Al Abbar, Chairman of the Dubai Desert Classic Executive Committee, organisers and promoters of the event.
"To come into the tournament a virtual unknown and then walk away with the most wanted title in golf is a wonderful story. I'm sure it's a feat you wouldn't find in too many other sports."
Curtis's Open victory two years ago was the stuff of sporting dreams.
The then 26-year-old rookie became the most surprising winner of a Major since John Daly won the US PGA in 1991 when he captured the 132nd Open Golf Championship in his first appearance in a Major Championship.
Ranked 396th in the world at the start of the week and only in the field through his tie for 13th place in the 100th Western Open on the US PGA Tour, Curtis held off the world's best to finish on one under par 283, winning by a shot from Thomas Bjorn and current world number one Vijay Singh.
Not surprisingly, the win heralded a number of firsts for the record books.
He was the first player since Francis Ouimet at the 1913 US Open Championship to win a Major at his first attempt; the first player to win the Open Golf Championship on his first start since Tom Watson in 1975 and the youngest Open winner since Tiger Woods in 2000.
His outstanding success also saw him jump from 396th to 35th in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Since then he has gone on to reach the semifinals of the HSBC World Match Play Championship at Wentworth before losing to Bjorn and took up Membership of The European Tour for 2004.
The American's connection to Bjorn will continue once again when the Dane welcomes him to Dubai for the 16th staging of the Desert Classic.
Besides Dubal as the main sponsor of the Desert Classic, CNN International, Arabian Ranches by Emaar, Nakheel, and Samsung as co-sponsors, other sponsors include Emirates, Jebel Ali Golf Resort, National Bank of Dubai, BMW and Gulf News.
