Countdown begins for Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

Today marks just one month to go until the world’s finest golfers descend on Abu Dhabi Golf Club for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA from January 18-21 2018.

With 10 of the previous 12 events being decided by just one shot, the event is likely to provide drama and excitement in abundance, as one of the strongest fields of the year battle it out to see who will win the first event of the European Tour’s ‘Desert Swing’ at The Home of Champions.

With the Championship providing many of the world’s best with their first start of the 2018 season, all eyes will be on Abu Dhabi to see who will begin the year with a victory. Last year’s winner Tommy Fleetwood used his win as a springboard to the most successful season of his career, clinching the European Tour’s Race to Dubai crown some 11 months later. Dustin Johnson’s runner-up finish last year, meanwhile, started a historic run of form that culminated in him gaining the Official Golf World Ranking No.1 spot, a position he has held since February 2017.

Five more headline players will make up a group branded the ‘Magnificent Seven’ ahead of January’s event, with Fleetwood and Johnson joined by Rory McIlroy, Henrik Stenson, Matt Kuchar, Justin Rose and Paul Casey in the lead pack hoping to tame the National Course.

Looking ahead to the upcoming event, Abu Dhabi Golf Club General Manager, Ed Edwards, commented: “As ever we’re very excited about hosting the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA and preparations are well under way to host some of the world’s very best players in just a month’s time.

“The tournament always attracts a great field and we feel that this is testament to the quality of the golf course, facilities and hospitality on offer here at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. Likewise, the championship never fails to provide drama in abundance and has contributed many of the game’s most iconic moments in recent years, and everyone at the club is excited to see how the tournament unfolds this year.”

The Troon managed property, owned by TDIC, has become a symbol of golf in the UAE, with the iconic Falcon clubhouse that presides over all 27 holes at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. The 7,600-yard National Course tests every facet of the game, with 90 strategically placed bunkers and undulating greens throughout. Its four reachable par fives, in the past, have provided many champions with the opportunity to make up ground on the field. These include the amphitheatre of the 18^th hole, which has provided some of the sport’s most memorable moments in years gone by.

This year, spectators will be given the chance to play the course just 36 hours after the final putt has been holed, as the course reopens for play again on Tuesday 23^rd January. As well as this, all guests staying in an Abu Dhabi hotel will be offered the chance to attend free of charge through a link made available on the Official Event website.

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