By Kent Gray
Abu Dhabi’s three major golf tournaments have been bundled together in a win-win fortnight for golf fans, charity fundraising and the emirate’s wider sports calendar.

The 3rd edition of the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club will kickstart the two-week bonanza after being shifted from its traditional November time-slot to January 10-12.

As well as being contested in a new, shortened 54-hole Pro-Am format similar to the remodelled Omega Dubai Moonlight Classic, the FBMLO will also open the 2019 Ladies European Tour season.

The FBMLO will also now be a forerunner to the Gary Player Invitational a day later at Saadiyat Beach on January 13, with the 18-hole charity event, in turn, preceding the European Tour’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship presented by EGA.

In arguably the most significant change of all, the Desert Swing opener at Abu Dhabi Golf Club will be played from Wednesday-Saturday Jan. 16-19, starting and finishing a day earlier than traditional tour events to accommodate football’s 2019 Asian Cup being staged in the UAE from Jan. 5-Feb. 1.

Getty Images
Tommy Fleetwood will chase a hat-trick of Falcon Trophy wins at the rescheduled Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

Gary Player has led a chorus of support for the changes unveiled by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council on Tuesday.

The new date for the 4th Gary Player Invitational, between the women’s and men’s tour events, means a bolstered field of pros for the charity which will again raise funds for the Zayed Higher Organization for Humanitarian Care and Special  Needs.

“I’ve seen a lot of changes to the game throughout my over 60-year career and I think two of the most important have been the growth and evolution of the women’s game and also the game’s ability to raise money and awareness for a variety of wonderful charitable causes,” said Player.

“While the ladies tour schedule has faced challenges in recent times due to a number of factors, it is essential to find more support for the game, and so, I commend Abu Dhabi and its leadership for introducing this new format for the continued staging of the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open.

“We welcome the event as a forerunner to the 2019 Gary Player Invitational, which thanks to these changes, is set to be our most successful to date.”

The top 15 pairs will survive a 36-hole cut to play the final round while the 56 professionals will continue to battle it out for the FBMLO title, won by Scotland-based American Beth Allen in 2016 and Indian teen Aditi Ashok last year.

Aditi Ashok

“The game of golf continues to evolve globally and given Abu Dhabi’s heritage of innovation in sport, we are continuously seeking ways to encourage and engage both sport fans and participants while at the same time, ensure the longevity of our events,” said His Excellency Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council.

“The new date and format mean that the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open will now offer an unparalleled experience for amateur golfers and a novel new tournament for the professionals.

“The event will also be a spectacular celebration of golf, with the Gary Player Invitational and the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA scheduled in close proximity. Aside from the operational efficiencies, there are many cross-promotional opportunities that will appeal to more fans of the game than ever before.”

LET chairman Mark Lichtenhein said: “We are delighted to be continuing our partnership with the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open and the Abu Dhabi Sports Council into this new era. The new date and format will undoubtedly help shine a strong spotlight onto women’s golf in the Emirate and bring a different sponsor and spectator experience to the LET tournament.”

For more information, visit fbmladiesopen.com  and garyplayer.com/invitational

The post LET event, Gary Player Invitational and Desert Swing opener to dovetail as Abu Dhabi realigns golf portfolio appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Alex Myers
The splitting up of the Patrick Reed/Jordan Spieth partnership was one of the biggest storylines during (and after) the 2018 Ryder Cup. But there’s a good chance we wouldn’t be talking about it at all if not for Tom Watson. In 2014, it was Watson who first partnered the two young stars at Gleneagles. The U.S. lost that week, but it appeared it found a formidable duo for the next couple decades. So much for that.

In any event, Watson was kind enough to join the Golf Digest Podcast this week from the Berenberg Gary Player Invitational at GlenArbor in Bedford, N.Y. to discuss why he originally paired Reed and Spieth. The eight-time major champ also offered his thoughts on Team USA’s latest Ryder Cup loss, relived his memorable run at Turnberry in 2009, and told us why a victory you don’t remember was actually the most important win of his legendary career.

Also, Ryan Herrington, Keely Levins, and Joel Beall joined me to discuss what went wrong for the U.S. in France and all the ensuing drama. Please have a listen:

https://soundcloud.com/user-96678684/ryder-cup-wrap-up-with-tom-watson

The post Tom Watson on the Ryder Cup, why he partnered Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth, and the (surprising) most important win of his life appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Bjorn will tee it up at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club on Jan. 29 alongside Dubai-based Spaniard Rafa Cabrera Bello, Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick (both members of the beaten 2016 team at Hazeltine) and reigning British Masters champion Paul Dunne (Ireland). Cabera Bello, Fitzpatrick and Dunne helped Bjorn’s Europeans rally to a 14-10 win over Asia in the EurAsia Cup in Kuala Lumpur earlier today in a positive precursor to the Ryder Cup.

Also confirmed for the 18-hole Gary Player Invitational are the Black Knight himself, D+D Real Czech Masters champion Haydn Porteous, Made in Denmark winner Julian Suri, 2016 South African Open winner Brandon Stone, Portugal Masters champion Lucas Bjerregaard and Jordan Smith, winner of the Porsche European Open.

Cabrera Bello’s sister Emma will also play alongside fellow Ladies European Tour players Olivia Cowan, Carly Booth and Henni Goya. Joining the pros will also be the UAE’s top amateur, Rayhan Thomas, and entertainers Brian McFadden and Keith Duffy (pictured above).

The Zayed Higher Organization for Humanitarian Care and Special Needs as the charity set to benefit from the day of “#golfandgiving”

“We are thrilled to be coming back to Abu Dhabi and Saadiyat Beach Golf Club to kick off 2018 with what will be a field of some of the super new golfing talent in the world,” said Player.

“As illustrated by our field of champions, including the UAE’s very own Rayhan Thomas, the game continues to evolve and strengthen in the UAE which is truly fantastic to see. This, combined with raising money for those in need will make for a fantastic event for all.”

Held in conjunction with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, under the Patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the 2018 Gary Player Invitational at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club is the only Middle Eastern stop in the global series. The series has helped The Player Foundation raise more than $64 million for charities worldwide and plays a key role in helping the foundation work towards its goal of raising $100 million by 2025.

“While the event itself is both engaging and entertaining, it is made all the more worthwhile knowing that funds raised will stay in Abu Dhabi and support the Zayed Higher Organization in all the great work that they do for the community,” said Player.

Supporters include Etihad Airways, TDIC, the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi (host of the post tournament gala dinner), SAP and Rolex. New sponsors confirmed for 2018 include Abu Dhabi Ports and Al Masaood Automobiles.

 Visit garyplayerinvitational.com and follow @GPInvitational on Twitter and Instagram  – #GOLFandGIVING.

The post Ryder Cup stars headline Saadiyat Beach field for 3rd Gary Player Invitational appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The 38-year-old English fashion model and television personality will be joined by cricketers Brian Lara and Ricky Ponting, former Springboks rugby legend Victor Matfield, Boyzlife pop stars Keith Duffy and Brian McFadden and Emirati comedian Ali Al Sayed at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club on February 6.

Nine-time major champion Player will again host the charity Pro-Am which aims to raise funds for the Zayed Higher Organisation for Humanitarian Care & Special Needs.

Former Open champion and European Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke joins Chris Wood, Joost Luiten, Victor Dubuisson, Jason Scrivener, David Howell and South Africans Thomas Aiken and Trevor Immelman as confirmed European Tour starters.

Scotland-based U.S. Ladies European Tour pro Beth Allen, who won last year’s inaugural Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open at Saadiyat Beach GC headlines a strong female lineup including course record holder Georgia Hall, Caroline Martens, Emma Cabrera-Bello and Victoria Lovelady.

The United Arab Emirates’ ‘Year of Giving’ is set to get a significant boost with the announcement of the star-studded line-up.

Darren Clarke in action during the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship – Photographs by Getty Images

Held in conjunction with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, under the Patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the 2017 Gary Player Invitational joins five other global events in a series that together has helped The Player Foundation raise more than $62 million for charities worldwide. Widely recognised as the world’s leading charity golf series, The Player Foundation is working towards its goal of raising $100 million by 2025.

“Abu Dhabi’s hosting of the second annual Gary Player Invitational highlights not only Abu Dhabi’s strong position as a world-class sporting destination, but also the spirit of generosity that the UAE is known for,” said His Excellency Aref Al Awani, General Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council.

“Bringing professional golfers, sporting legends and celebrities together with golfing legend Gary Player, and members of the business community, the Pro-Am event complements Abu Dhabi’s robust calendar of world-class events, as it also supports our growing sporting culture and importantly, the vital work of the Zayed Higher Organisation for Humanitarian Care & Special Needs.”

Player, the course designer at Saadiyat Beach GC, will host a pre Pro-Am skills clinic from 11am on February 6. The clinic and Pro-Am are open to the public.

“Saadiyat Beach Golf Club is one of the most engaging courses in the world and the ideal location to host the mix of professional golfers, sporting greats and special guests during this year’s event in Abu Dhabi.

“It is especially significant to host this event during the UAE’s Year of Giving and thanks to the support of the Abu Dhabi Sport Council, facility owner, TDIC and the wider UAE community, we are able to build upon the work of the inaugural event in 2016 and move even closer to reaching our goal of raising $100 million for children by 2025. I know that all participants will have great fun in support of an even greater cause.”

A gala dinner at the five-star Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi on February 5 will kick-start the Invitational while players can also look forward to a traditional South African Braai (BBQ) after play.

www.garyplayerinvitational.com

The post Jodie Kidd to tee it up in <br> Gary Player Invitational <br> at Saadiyat Beach appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.