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.