The one-month countdown to the 2017 DP World Tour Championship, Dubai officially began today (Monday) when H.E. Sheikh Fahim Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Emirates Golf Federation, hit a ceremonial tee shot from the first tee of the Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
The top 60 players on the European Tour’s Race to Dubai rankings will gather at the same venue on Monday November 13th to begin preparations for the US$8 million DP World Tour Championship as the Race to Dubai reaches its climax with the tournament action unfolding from Thursday 16 to Sunday 19 November. To mark the official run in to the event His Excellency fired a straight drive of 195 yards, watched on by a group of dignitaries and media.
Abdulla Bin Damithan, Director of Commercial Department UAE, DP World said: “A global tournament such as the DP World Tour Championship shows how our business and Dubai can work hand in hand to project both our brand and the emirate as a leading business, tourism and financial centre.
“Dubai is a cosmopolitan city and it is recognised all around the world, so this fantastic event definitely puts the emirate on the world stage. We want Dubai to be a destination for all kinds of sports and activities like golf as well as a key centre for trade. What is good for Dubai is good for DP World.”
Yousuf Kazim, CEO, Jumeirah Golf Estates, said: “This is the ninth year that we are hosting the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates, this is a very important spectacle for the United Arab Emirates and Dubai especially. Last year we attracted 65000 spectators and we broadcasted to over 500 million people across the world.
“This year we are trying to upgrade all our facilities so they enjoy the experience even more from the moment they arrive at the course and they enjoy all the facilities we provide such as the village, kids zone and outlets. Working together with the European Tour, we always want to make sure we are meeting and aiming to go above and beyond our customers’ expectations at this fabulous tournament.
Nick Tarratt, Director, European Tour – Dubai, added: “We can’t wait for the DP World Tour Championship to return to Jumeirah Golf Estates in four weeks’ time to showcase the top players on the European Tour. The Race to Dubai has 47
events in 27 destinations and they visit here for the culmination of a great series around the world.
“The Earth course is currently being overseeded so things are taking shape and this year we have a new Hero Challenge stunt at Atlantis, The Palm for our guests to get excited about. There will be plenty of surprises for sport fans to experience and see when the season-ending finale takes place in one month’s time.”
Tyrrell Hatton’s victory yesterday in the Italian Open earned him 990,398 points to move from 11th to fifth in the Race to Dubai while Englishman Tommy Fleetwood still leads the season rankings with 3,974,247 points, followed by Sergio Garcia on 2,851,251 points and Jon Rahm on 2,840,693 points.
