Abu Dhabi makes the International Golf Scene
picture by asiatraveltips
October 11, 2005
-Michael Lundell
Abu Dhabi has announced that it will play host to a leg of the 2006 European Tour International Golf Tournament to be held in January in the UAE’s capital.
The announcement boosted travel interest in the already well-known country. The golf tournament will include some of Europe’s most famous golfers including Denmark’s Thomas Björn, Spain’s Sergio Garcia and Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie.
The event is set to take place January 19-22, 2006. January weather in Abu Dhabi is some of the best in the world and usually is between 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit.
The tournament will feature a US $2 million prize and is dubbed the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship. The event will take place on Abu Dhabi Golf Club’s National Course, originally designed by Swiss architect Peter Harradine. Mr. Harradine is the designer of some 150 courses in the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Several improvements and changes in the course are set to be undertaken by the city in order to upgrade to the European Tournament’s specifications.
The announcement cements the UAE’s role in developing international sporting competition. Several major sporting events already take place in Abu Dhabi’s larger and better-known sister to the East, Dubai. This will be the largest and most significant tournament that Abu Dhabi will have ever had in the city’s history.
The newly formed Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority has hired on the firm of IMG to run the golf championship.
The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority has involved IMG, the world’s premier sports and lifestyle management and marketing firm, to manage and stage the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship.
The tournament will take place over 72 holes and with up to 120 players, most from The European Tour. The UAE will be the 36th country that The European Tour has visited in its 40-year history.
European Tour
http://www.europeantour.com/home/
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