Professional golf returns to UAE with Abu Dhabi Challenge tournament — The National

The UAE will host the HotelPlanner Tour’s Abu Dhabi Challenge this week. The competition at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club in Al Ain will mark the return of professional golf to the region after the conflict began in late February.

As The National reports, the Abu Dhabi Challenge was scheduled to take place in May but was postponed until September due to the war in the region. The situation also affected HotelPlanner Tour tournaments in Ajman and India. The Middle East swing of the DP World Tour concluded before the conflict began.

Participants and security

David Horsey, a four-time DP World Tour winner and Dubai resident, will compete in the tournament. He welcomed the staging of the event and expressed hope that it would show that life in the country is relatively normal, although there are more serious problems in the region.

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Dubai-based professional golfer Ahmad Skaik is also entered to compete. Thirty places are available for players based in the UAE, though most participants have arrived from other countries. Irishman Liam Nolan said he trusts the European Tour Group’s assessment of the security situation.

Qualification before the end of the season

The tournament in Al Ain will be the last opportunity for players to qualify for two tournaments in China before the HotelPlanner Tour final in Mallorca at the end of October. The top 15 golfers in the Race to Mallorca rankings will earn the right to compete on the DP World Tour next season.

The DP World Tour also plans to hold its traditional season-ending tournaments in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in November. Freddie Schmeisser, DP World Tour director of tournaments and operations in the Middle East, said the Abu Dhabi Challenge creates momentum ahead of the season finale in the UAE.