Dubai Desert Classic has stars in its eyes

With Tiger Woods already in the bag for the main draw of the 2001 Dubai Desert Classic the focus now is on the Pro-Am and who will pair up with the world's No 1 golfer. The Dubai Desert Classic will be staged at the Emirates Golf Club from March 1-4. The Pro-Am is scheduled for February 28, giving Woods the opportunity to make his first public appearance at the tournament.

It is being widely speculated in golfing circles that the three amateurs short listed to accompany Woods on the long walk around the golf course are actually hard core 'professionals' in their own right.

The trio are apparently alleged to be none other than Bill Gates, chairman and chief executive officer of Microsoft, Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan of Brunei and Goh Chok Tong, the Prime Minister of Singapore.

There is no doubting the fact that this high profile pairing, if it does take place, will not only enhance the reputation of the event but also give Dubai a further boost as the sporting and commercial capital of the Middle East.

The Sultan of Brunei had come on an official visit to the UAE this April. His possible presence, along with that of Gates and Goh Chok Tong, will ensure that the organisers throw an extra security blanket on the event which has already taken on a new dimension with Woods' presence.

Since the official announcement made by the organisers that Woods had confirmed his participation there has been an unprecedented request for tickets forcing the organisers to place a limit on the gate for the final day of the tournament on March 4.

As tournament director Bob Wilkinson commented earlier, "We have decided to address the situation now. If Tiger Woods is among the leaders and most golfers believe he will be, then most of the spectators will want to come and see him win. This will put a lot of pressure on crowd control and we need to be able to manage this effectively."

Spectators attending previous editions of the Desert Classic have been able to mingle with the world's top golfers with no hindrance. However, Woods' phenomenal rise both as a golfer and a sporting icon has completely changed the way a golf tournament is followed both on the course and on TV. Add to that the possible presence of Gates, Sultan Bolkiah and Goh Chok Tong and it should come as no surprise for the fans that emphasis will be on security both for Woods and the high profile guests hosted by the organisers.

Running concurrently with the Dubai Desert Classic will be the Dubai Open tennis championships from February 26-March 4. The men's competition will be preceded by a WTA Tour Tier II event with top notch women's tennis pros expected to take part.

Among those players who have confirmed their participation are Martina Hingis and Mary Pierce. According to sources, the organisers are apparently still negotiating with Russian glamour girl Anna Kournikova whose presence will be the icing on the cake for what promises to be a star studded sporting fortnight.