The Abu Dhabi Golf Championship takes place this weekend, January 15 – 18, 2009 at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club. This will be the fourth annual Championship, which is part of the PGA European Tour. Germany’s Martin Kaymer is the defending champion, having won his first tour title last year over Henrik Stenson and Lee Westwood.
Kaymer said he was glad to be back in the UAE at a press conference for the event: “That was my first win on The European Tour, so that’s always very special. It was a big event, and I won the first tournament of the year so that gave me a lot of motivation for the rest of the season.”
“It was very special when I came to the golf club yesterday,” he added. “It was nice to walk down the 18th yesterday. It was a very special moment for me last year.”
The Abu Dhabi Golf Championship is the first leg of three Middle East tournaments. It is followed by the Commercialbank Qatar Masters in Doha, Qatar and the Dubai Desert Classic in Dubai, which takes place on the final weekend of January. This year’s Championship will have two of the world’s top five players in its 120 player field, Spaniard Sergio Garcia and Ireland’s triple major winner Padraig Harrington. The winner of this prestigious tournament takes home the Falcon Trophy.
The European Tour’s Middle East swing is a great time to see some of the best players in the world while also enjoying these beautiful golf courses in the middle of Europe’s winter. It is a good chance to see some of the amazing property for sale and under construction in Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Dubai as well as the surrounding Emirates and nations.
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