Welshman Jamie Donaldson will face three of the world’s top 11 players and the European Tour’s hottest young talent when he defends his Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship title this coming January.

Rory McIlroy, the world number three; Justin Rose, the reigning US Open champion and world number five; Luke Donald, the world number 11, and Abu Dhabi’s record-breaking global golf ambassador, Matteo Manassero, the world number 28, have all staked their claims on the Championship’s coveted Falcon Trophy and US$ 2.7million prize fund – the richest purse offered on the Desert Swing, the European Tour’s trio of early-season, regional events.

In addition to the European star quintet, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), the Championship organiser, has revealed a stellar cast of the world’s leading players is being assembled for a tournament now firmly established in the European Tour’s top three events in terms of world ranking points.
“Over the last eight years, spectators at the National Course and those watching around the world have come to expect the unexpected at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship,” said Faisal Al Sheikh, Director, Events Bureau, TCA Abu Dhabi.

“Although the Championship is renowned for throwing up surprises, our commitment to delivering a world-class field is unwavering. While nothing is certain in golf, we can guarantee the Championship will feature four days of unrelenting on-course drama and a pioneering off-course village activation led by our unbelievably supportive title sponsor.”

With HSBC entering its fourth year as the Championship’s title sponsor, officials promised to raise the benchmark even further for the ninth edition - running January 16-19 at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

HSBC Global Head of Sponsorship and Events Giles Morgan said: “The Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship is now well established as the first flagship event of the new golfing year – the quality of the event and the field just gets better and better and it has rightly earned the reputation as the jewel in the crown of Arabian golf.

“As a centre of international trade Abu Dhabi is the perfect location for a high profile HSBC event. We invested here because we saw there was an opportunity for growth and that we could be the catalyst for that growth; the tournament is now a key part of our global golf programme and through our partnership with the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority we are now looking to drive the Championship – and the game of golf – to the next level in the Arabian Gulf.”

Rose returns to the emirate after an agonisingly dramatic Abu Dhabi debut at this year’s Championship. With clubhouse leader Jamie Donaldson one-stroke clear, the Welshman’s victory was sealed when closest challenger Rose saw a 12-foot birdie putt lip-out in-front of packed galleries on the 18th green.

A typically-defiant Rose erased that disappointment with a ruthless victory at Merion Golf Club in June, as he became the first Englishman to secure a Major championship in 17 years and the first to lift the US Open trophy for 43 years. Now he’s ready for a second crack at the Falcon Trophy.

“You always remember your first tournaments in new places and Abu Dhabi is no different,” said Rose. “I remember coming up the last knowing I had a real chance to win the trophy. It wasn’t to be yet from what I gather, my putt lipping out is pretty typical of the drama that unfolds every year in Abu Dhabi.

“Everything in life happens for a reason and that disappointment deepened my resolve to make sure my season didn’t develop into a series of near-misses. Thankfully, the opposite happened and the US Open was obviously life-changing. It’s important to keep progressing and I want to start next season with the same sort of purpose I did this year – Abu Dhabi is key to that.”

Heading Rose’s challengers will be McIlroy – a two-time runner-up at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. Watched by the opening two day’s largest-ever galleries, the Ulsterman unexpectedly missed the cut in January and he’s eager to wipe the slate clean when he returns for a fourth consecutive year.

“It’s been an up-and-down year but my game is going in the right direction and I feel like I’m nearly there again,” said McIlroy, who scooped a Major championship in 2011 and 2012. “I’ve shown good form in the past in Abu Dhabi and I’ve always enjoyed playing the National Course. It’s a great venue that always draws big crowds, so hopefully I can give them more to cheer about next season. I was very disappointed to miss the cut in January but I’ve been close to that trophy a few times before and hopefully it’ll be my turn next year.”

After being made an Honorary Life Member of The European Tour last year, Donald, a former world number one, is another giant tipped for Abu Dhabi glory. The first player to win both the European Tour and PGA Tour money lists in the same season (2011), Donald’s accurate ball-striking is perfectly-suited for a title tilt on the notoriously-treacherous National Course. With three previous Abu Dhabi appearances under his belt (2008, 2011 and 2012), the Englishman insisted the emirate is the destination to tee-off the new season.

“After a break through Christmas and the New Year, Abu Dhabi is a huge stage where the world’s very best players are all looking to start a fresh season with victory. The size and scope of the tournament creates real early season buzz and there’s always a genuine sense of anticipation as everybody guesses over who’ll find their form first – it’s fantastic to be a part of that,” said Donald, who visited the 300-metre high sand dunes of Abu Dhabi’s Liwa Desert – dubbed ‘the world’s biggest bunkers’ - on his last visit to the emirate in 2012.

“My aim for Abu Dhabi is the same as always: be in contention and, if the putts roll in, win. I’ve been more diligent with my preparations recently, working on my putting and harnessing the shots that I know need some attention. I’m definitely moving forward with my game and I have a good feeling about the progress I’m making.”

After securing the biggest win of his fledgling career at May’s BMW PGA Championship, the European Tour’s flagship event, Manassero - who sports ‘Golf in Abu Dhabi’ on his cap as part of a global golf ambassador role with TCA Abu Dhabi – is eager to carry his stunning form through to his next professional outing in his ‘second home’.

“It’s been a busy and crazy year so far but I’m feeling good,” said the youngest-ever three-time winner on the European Tour. “The Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship is right up there with the world’s best tournaments now and the emirate would be the perfect place to secure my fifth professional win. My all-round game is improving with every tournament and I’m feeling stronger mentally and physically. Winning in Abu Dhabi is second only to winning a Major in my objectives list – for me it is a case of when, not if.”

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