Abu Dhabi: The UAE’s second annual Gary Player Invitational golf event, which was held at Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Beach Golf Club on Monday, has been hailed as a great success.
Almost 100 professional golfers, celebrities, sporting greats and business leaders, joined host and course designer, the nine-time major winner Gary Player, for the tournament.
Held in conjunction with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, under the patronage of Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, the Abu Dhabi event opened the 2017 global series of six worldwide events, which together have helped The Player Foundation raise more than Dh227 million for charities worldwide.
Among Player’s special guests for Abu Dhabi’s second union of Golf and Giving were figures from the sport, music and celebrity worlds including golf professionals Darren Clarke and Trevor Immelmann; cricket greats, Ricky Ponting and Brian Lara; South African rugby legend Victor Matfield; and Boyzlife singers, Brian McFadden and Keith Duffy.
“I simply love visiting Abu Dhabi and, of course, Saadiyat Beach Golf Club is special,” said the 81-year-old Player. “Once again, we had an amazing experience in the emirate and I congratulate the UAE’s leadership on building such a beautiful, safe and welcoming country. It was a pleasure to show so many of my fellow athletes and friends, what a magical place this truly is.”
Winners of the tournament were women’s professional Emma Cabrera-Bello’s team, while the children from Zayed Higher Organisation for Humanitarian Care & Special Needs in Abu Dhabi will benefit from more than Dh183,000 raised.
“As with last year’s event, the generosity of Abu Dhabi, alongside our key supporters, Abu Dhabi Sports Council and facility owner, TDIC (Tourism Development & Investment Company), was on full display. It is truly heart-warming to know that the proceeds from the Gary Player Invitational will go towards building a gymnasium for local children at the Zayed Higher Organization,” added Marc Player, chief executive officer of Black Knight International, the organisers of the event.
“The Gary Player Invitational represents both the best of sport, as well as the best of Abu Dhabi,” added Aref Al Awani, General Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council. “Bringing some of the world’s most iconic athletes together here in Abu Dhabi to raise funds for such a worthy cause highlights the emirate’s strong sporting credentials as it also remains true to the spirit of generosity that Abu Dhabi is known for. It is our hope that the fond memories created at The Gary Player Invitational remain with our visitors long after they return home, just as their generosity will remain with the children of the Zayed Higher Organisation.”
Along with the pro-am tournament, the event also included a traditional, post-event South African braai (barbecue) and a gala dinner on Sunday at the five-star Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi hotel.
For more details, visit www.garyplayerinvitational.com and follow @GPInvitational on Twitter and Instagram- #GOLFandGIVING.
