Abu Dhabi Golf Championship
Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, will take place from January 21-24 2010 on Abu Dhabi Golf Club’s National Course. Sweden’s highest ranked golfer and World Number Eight Henrik Stenson is the latest star to throw his hat into the ring for the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship as he looks to become the first European Tour player to win all three Middle East-based ‘Gulf Swing’ tournaments.
Stenson, a UAE resident, knows an elusive victory in Abu Dhabi would be an important catalyst for his 2010 season and will be hoping ‘home’ advantage can give him the edge over an increasingly powerful field which includes European Number One Lee Westwood, two-time Abu Dhabi champion Paul Casey and Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy.
“I am familiar with The National Course; it is a great place to play and I enjoy the wide fairways, which suit my game,” said Stenson, who had nine top 10 finishes in 2009. “I have put in some good Abu Dhabi performances over the years and aim to keep doing so. It would be great to be the first golfer to complete the Middle East treble, although I am just focusing on getting out there, doing my best and hopefully I’ll come away with a great result.”
Since winning the WGC Accenture Match Play in 2007, Stenson has come to the fore of international golf. Over the last two seasons he has notched 20 top ten finishes including a memorable victory in the 2009 Players’ Championship on the US PGA Tour. The big-hitting Swede has risen through the ranks to become his country’s top professional, a position he has held for almost a decade.
The 33 year old is only one of a handful of players to have competed in all four previous Abu Dhabi Golf Championships, and has narrowly missed out on lifting the Falcon trophy twice, finishing second in 2006 behind American Chris DiMarco, and again in 2008 to Germany’s Martin Kaymer.
Having missed the cut in 2009, Stenson is keen to give the 126-man Abu Dhabi field - which also includes Spaniard Sergio Garcia, Australian World Number 14 Geoff Ogilvy and Colombian star Camilo Villegas - a run for its money.
“It was hard going in Abu Dhabi last January, and I think I was a little bit jaded coming into the new season,” he said. “However, I’ve been working hard during this winter break and want to come out firing on all cylinders. I’m going to get one or two events under my belt before coming to Abu Dhabi so I should be in good shape to make a strong challenge.”
With seven of the world’s top 25 golfers already signed up for the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship 2010, and with more expected in the coming weeks, tournament organiser Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) is confident its upcoming event will be the most hotly contested to date.
“Five years on, the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship has matured to become a major addition to the European Tour calendar and continues to attract some of the sport’s biggest names,” said Faisal Al Sheikh, the Head of ADTA’s Major Events Division. “Everything about this event is geared to create an unrivalled golfing experience, from the players and intimate viewing opportunities to the off-course entertainment and interactive activities, all of which allow fans to connect with a truly world-class golfing destination in the making.”
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