ExxonMobil Qatar has underlined its ongoing commitment to the Commercialbank Qatar Masters, presented by Dolphin Energy, by signing a two-year sponsorship agreement with the Doha-staged European Tour event. The deal is the first multi-year agreement signed between ExxonMobil and the US$2.5 million golf tournament but follows a number of single year agreements since the tournament was first staged in 1998. This year’s event will be hosted by the Qatar Golf Association (QGA), the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) and Commercialbank Qatar at Doha Golf Club from January 28-31. ExxonMobil Qatar President and General Manager Alex Dodds had the following comments: “ExxonMobil has been firmly behind the event since it began twelve years ago and we are delighted to have seen it grow to become one of the premier overseas tournaments on the European Tour schedule. “At ExxonMobil, we have consistently shown our commitment to the State of Qatar not only through our title sponsorship of the Qatar Open through the Qatar Tennis Federation, but also our long-time backing of the Commercialbank Qatar Masters. “Thanks to the QGA, QOC and Commercialbank, this is a golf tournament that ranks alongside the very best in the sport and again confirms the nation as a home of world-class sporting properties – a key ingredient in the Qatar National Vision 2030.” The agreement, which will make ExxonMobil the official sponsor of all scoring services, was signed by Alex Dodds and Commercialbank Group CEO Andrew Stevens in the presence of QGA President Hassan Al Nuami, General Manager, Dolphin Energy Qatar Adel Ahmed Albuainain and Tournament Manager Chris Myers during a signing ceremony at the Commercialbank Pavilion at Doha Golf Club. “The Qatar Golf Association and ExxonMobil have an excellent relationship stretching back to the first professional tournament staged here back in 1998,” said Al Nuami, after thanking ExxonMobil for their support. Al-Nuami added: “This tournament benefits from working hand-in-hand with sponsors who are not only supporters of sport but also of the State of Qatar. ExxonMobil is one of those sponsors who work hand-in-hand with us to maintain the event’s status as one of the most popular and professional events on the players’ calendar and we thank them once again for showing their commitment to our future.” The 2010 Commercialbank Qatar Masters, presented by Dolphin Energy, has attracted a formidable 126-player field including world top 20 stars Lee Westwood, Henrik Stenson, Paul Casey, Kenny Perry and Sergio Garcia as well as former Major winners Retief Goosen, Shaun Micheel and Todd Hamilton. “We have a powerful line-up of players and an equally-strong collection of sponsors,” added Andrew Stevens, “Our thanks go to ExxonMobil for their support in what we have achieved and their belief in the event’s future.”
Sweden’s highest ranked golfer, United Arab Emirates’ resident and current world number eight, Henrik Stenson, is the latest superstar to throw his hat in the ring for January’s 5th annual Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, as he looks to become the first European Tour player to win all three Middle East-based, ‘Gulf Swing’ tournaments.
A veteran of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, running 21-24th January at Abu Dhabi Golf Club’s Par-72 National Course, Stenson – who has wins at the Dubai Desert Classic and the Qatar Masters – knows an elusive UAE capital victory would be an important catalyst to getting his 2010 season underway.
And Stenson is hoping ‘home’ advantage will give him the edge over an increasingly powerful field including European number one and winner of the 2009 Race to Dubai, Lee Westwood; two-time Abu Dhabi champion and world number seven, Paul Casey and Northern Irish young-gun and world number nine, Rory McIlory.
“I am familiar with The National Course; it is a great place to play and I enjoy the wide fairways, which suit my game. I have put in some good Abu Dhabi performances over the years and aim to keep doing so. It would be great to be the first golfer to complete the Middle East treble, although I am just focusing on getting out there, doing my best and hopefully I’ll come away with a great result,” said Stenson, who had nine top 10 finishes in 2009.
Over the last couple of seasons, Stenson has really come to the fore of international golf with a host of impressive performances, including notching up seven European Tour victories throughout his professional career. The big hitting and affable Swede has risen through the ranks to become his country’s top professional, a position he has held for almost a decade.
The 33-year-old is only one of a handful of players to have competed in every edition of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship since its inception in 2006, and has narrowly missed out on lifting the Falcon trophy twice, after finishing second in both 2006 and 2008, to American Chris DiMarco and Germany’s wunderkind, Martin Kaymer, respectively.
And having missed the cut in 2009, Stenson is keen to give the 126-man Abu Dhabi field – which also includes Spanish sensation and world number 11, Sergio Garcia; Australian world number 14, Geoff Ogilvy; and Colombian star and world number 23, Camilo Villegas – a run for its money in January.
“It was hard going in Abu Dhabi last January, and I think I was a little bit jaded coming into the new season. However, I’ve been working hard during this winter break and want to come out firing on all cylinders. I’m going to get one or two events under my belt before coming to Abu Dhabi so I should be in good shape to make a strong challenge,” added Stenson, who turned professional in 1998.
With seven of the world’s top 25 golfers already signed up for the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship 2010, and with more expected in the coming weeks, tournament organiser Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), is confident its upcoming event will be the most hotly contested to date.
“Five years on, the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship has matured to become a major addition to the European Tour calendar and continues to attract some of the sport’s biggest names. Everything about this event is geared to create an unrivalled golfing experience, from the players and intimate viewing opportunities to the off-course entertainment and interactive activities, all of which allow fans to connect with a truly world-class golfing destination in the making,” said Faisal Al Sheikh, Head – Major Event’s Division, ADTA.
All four days of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship 2010 will be covered live on high definition TV, reaching a cumulative global audience of over 400 million.
The 2010 Championship formally begins on Wednesday, January 20th with the Al-Masaood Pro-Am and Awards Gala when sponsors and their guests will play and socialise with some of the world’s best professionals.
Annika will attend the 2010 Golf Business Forum, May 12-14 at The Gloria Hotels & Resort, Belek, Turkey, to receive the award in person.
Annika Sorenstam, one of the greatest professional golfers of all time and now an emerging entrepreneur, has been named the recipient of the Golf Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Annika will attend the 2010 Golf Business Forum, May 12-14 at The Gloria Hotels & Resort, Belek, Turkey, to receive the award in person.
During her 15 year professional career, Annika became the most dominant women’s golfer in history and transcended her sport to become a prominent mainstream athlete and celebrity. She has rewritten the LPGA and Ladies European Tour record books, won countless awards and events and brought unprecedented attention to women’s golf. With 89 world-wide victories including 72 LPGA wins and 10 Major Championships, her career has changed the way women’s golf is played, watched and covered. When she stopped playing after the 2008 season, she had earned over $22 Million on the LPGA Tour, which is $8 Million more than the next closest competitor.
Annika reenergized women’s golf and became one of the sports’ most popular players, male or female. She is the only female golfer to shoot a 59 in competition and holds various all-time scoring records including the lowest season scoring average: 68.69 in 2004. Some of Annika’s other prestigious awards and accomplishments include being the first European born player to win both the LPGA’s Rolex Player of the Year, which she has done a record eight times, and the Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average, which she has done a record six times. She was also the first woman to be named World Player of the Year by Golf World. She was honored as the Athlete of the Year in Sweden in 1995, and was named Golf Writers Association of America Female Player of the Year in 1995, 1997, 2000-05. She has been honored by the March of Dimes with the Sports Woman of the Year Award, and in 2004, she won the World Sportswoman of the Year Award at the Laureus World Sports Awards.
Annika stepped away from professional golf in 2009 to pursue the ANNIKA brand of businesses. These include the ANNIKA Academy, ANNIKA Financial Group, numerous golf course design projects around the world, the ANNIKA Collection of apparel with Cutter & Buck, an ANNIKA wine label with Wente Vineyards, and a signature fragrance. Annika has authored two books, the second being “Golf Annika’s Way” in October 2004. In 2008, Annika joined Arnold Palmer as the only two Ambassadors of the United States Golf Association, and in 2009, along with Jack Nicklaus, she was named a Global Ambassador by the International Golf Federation which successfully got golf into the 2016 Olympic Games.
Annika feels very strongly about giving back, and in 2007, the ANNIKA Foundation was created to teach children the importance of living a healthy, active lifestyle through fitness and nutrition, and offers aspiring junior golfers opportunities to pursue their dreams. In 2008, along with Eli Manning, Annika was named the “Most Caring Athlete” by USA Weekend Magazine.
At the 2010 Golf Business Forum, Annika will be recognized for her commitment to the game of golf combined with her diverse entrepreneurial spirit and will receive the first ever KPMG Golf Entrepreneur of the Year award in front of an expected audience of more than 300 international industry professionals in Belek, Turkey.
Rebecca Hudson signs Scorpio.
Dubai apparel label Scorpio Golf have signed an endorsement agreement with LET player Rebecca Hudson. Known historically in the middle east as the preferred supplier of crested apparel for some of the region’s biggest corporations and royal sporting squads, Scorpio this season launches a very ambitious range of performance wear for European golfers.
Alongside this initiative, Scorpio has also become actively involved with several Tour players, assisting them in designing their own symbols and garments.
Rebecca Hudson is the second LET pro to work with the clothing label, after the Bavarian-born Lisl Esterl signed a deal in July this year. The two players’ long-standing friendship presented a logical extension of the Tour Player Design programme (TPD), because Scorpio is happy to keep the elite group in quite small numbers while the idea takes root on the LET and European and Challenge Tours.
The collaboration with Scorpio is an exciting new project for Rebecca, who has some very clear thoughts on design and fabrics.
“I want my working clothes to be bright and noticeable… something that makes me smile and feel good when I put it on,” she says. “Along with the technology of stay-cool and stay-warm apparel, clothing that offers additional practical benefits such as UV protection is a definite advantage in play.”
One of the Scorpio trade marks is for players to have their own personal symbol – most often placed high on the back of shirts below the collar. Rebecca has designed a simple graphic device based on her nickname Becs, comprising a large blue B with a smaller red x alongside to the right – making a simple and readily identifiable graphic.
Hudson, from Doncaster in Yorkshire, turned pro in September 2002 and since then has four Tour wins to her credit (Hungary 2006, European Team Championship 2008, The English Open 2008 and the Tenerife Open 2008) and has been a consistent high finisher in the rankings. She is currently #17 in the Solheim Cup Standings. She first represented England in the England Girls team aged 15 (1994) and was ’95 and ’96 Champion. She is currently attached to Wheatley Golf Club.
ABOUT SCORPIO GOLF
As an apparel brand, Scorpio has been in business since 2001, servicing the corporate and crested market from its base in Dubai. 2009 sees Scorpio taking its technical expertise and design flair learned to European golfers and leisurewear customers for the first time. The plan is to make the most advanced technical and performance fabrics in the world available to consumers at fiercely competitive prices. At the same time, a growing of Tour golfers wanting to benefit from Scorpio apparel design and technology will boost the brand’s profile more than ever before.
Rebecca Hudson for Scorpio Golf
Rebecca Hudson.
Design rationale – Rebecca’s nickname among family, friends and fellow golfers as Becs (short for Rebecca). The symbol above (unique to Rebecca Hudson) was done by devising a phonetic spelling of her nickname through extending the English George Cross into an X and using the red-white-blue of the Union flag.
Perth, February 17: Singapore’s Lam Chih Bing hopes a maiden appearance at the Johnnie Walker Classic, which tees off Thursday this week will help reignite his stuttering start to the new season.
The 32-year-old, winner of the season-ending Volvo Masters of Asia in December, is itching to get his game into gear at the £1.25 million event at The Vines Resort and Country Club after missing the cut in his first two events on the Asian Tour.
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Doha (QATAR): Ryder Cup Star to Get 2009 Underway At Doha Golf Club. England’s Justin Rose will make his long-awaited Doha debut when he joins a powerful field for the Commercialbank Qatar Masters, presented by Dolphin Energy on Thursday (January 28).
The world number nineteen is just one of a catalogue of big name players to sign up for a US$ 2.5 million tournament that has made rapid strides over the past three years to become a major player on the European Tour international calendar.