28 May 2017

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 28 May 2017: Golf lovers in the UAE are assured of having one of the world’s most prestigious tournaments on their doorstep for another three years after it was revealed that Jumeirah Golf Estates will remain the host venue of the European Tour’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, until 2020.

News of the extension coincides with DP World’s commitment as title sponsor to the tournament, also until 2020, with the top 60 European Tour players set to tee it up at Jumeriah Golf Estates for the ninth time this year from November 16-19.

The Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates, a member of the European Tour Properties network and branded as a European Tour Destination, has been the permanent home of the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai for the last eight years and is a fitting finale for the concluding Rolex Series event of the season with a prize purse of US$8 million and the additional US$5 million Race to Dubai bonus pool.

Last year over 62,000 spectators flocked to the world-class venue to watch the action unfold, while global household TV reach exceeded 503 million.

Past champions include Lee Westwood (2009), Robert Karlsson (2010), Alvaro Quiros (2011), Rory McIlroy (2012 & 2015), Henrik Stenson (2013 & 2014) and defending champion Matthew Fitzpatrick.

Alandalus’ Tower C is the latest addition to the world-class mixed-use community, which encompasses 715 apartments, 95 townhouses, a hotel, and community retail center, making this a complete integrated community.

The venue encompasses two Greg Norman-designed Championship layouts in the Earth and Fire courses, a luxury residential golf community, a state-of-the-art clubhouse and the first European Tour Performance Institute in the Middle East which boasts world class training facilities for elite professional and amateur golfers alike.

Golf has been played in the UAE for more than 40 years and in Dubai, as recently highlighted in a report by Deloitte, it has grown into an industry worth $270 million a year.

 

The DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates with a prize fund of US$8million has also been the exciting final stage of the European Tour’s US$5million Race to Dubai since its inception in 2009.

From 2017, the Race to Dubai has received an added boost by being formally supported by Falcon Golf as a promotional partner of the Race to Dubai which includes 47 tournaments in 26 countries on the European Tour’s International Schedule with the overall objective of increasing awareness of the city as a world-leading, premium golf destination.

Tourism is a central pillar of Dubai’s economic growth and diversification efforts with the overall objective to increase visitor numbers to 20 million per year by 2020. Promoting Dubai as the preferred choice for international leisure and business travellers will ensure this strategy is a success.

Speaking to the media at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth - the inaugural Rolex Series event - Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour, said: “The support of Jumeirah Golf Estates has been critical in the growth and development of the DP World Tour Championship over the past eight years and we are delighted they have reaffirmed their support until 2020.

“Jumeirah Golf Estates is a world class golfing facility and this new commitment will help us further develop a tournament fitting not only for the final Rolex Series event of the season, but also the climax of the Race to Dubai. As the premier golf and residential community in the UAE, it will also help continue to promote the game of golf in Dubai as a whole.”

Yousuf Kazim, CEO, Jumeirah Golf Estates, said: “We are delighted to extend our partnership with the European Tour until 2020. As the popularity of the DP World Tour Championship continues to grow each year, so too does Dubai’s reputation as the world class destination for golf tourism. Not only does hosting such a tournament underscore Dubai’s credentials as a global hub for international sport, it also provides a platform to tell Dubai’s story on a world stage and provides the perfect showcase to promote Golf at a grass roots level across the UAE.

Celebrating the global connectivity of the European Tour and Dubai, the Race to Dubai is a season-long competition to crown the European Tour’s Number One player, an honour which in 2016 went to Sweden’s Henrik Stenson for the second time, and which since 2009 has also been achieved three times by Rory McIlroy, as well as by Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer and Luke Donald.

His Excellency Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, DP World Group Chairman and CEO, said: “Golf’s international exposure and reputation as a global sport for all is one that fits with our direction as a business, enabling trade for nations across the world. Dubai has now become a leading destination for golf, with many world class courses, regularly attracting top players and contributing significantly to sport tourism in the UAE. We are delighted to continue our commitment to the grand finale of the Race to Dubai, the DP World Tour Championship, and look forward to the ongoing development and enjoyment of the ‎sport across all generations.""

Peter Dawson, Chairman of Falcon Golf, the entity set up to optimise the benefits golf brings to the city that also manages Dubai’s sponsorship of the Race to Dubai, said: “Jumeirah Golf Estates, one of Dubai’s most prestigious golf and real estate communities, and DP World - through their support of the DP World Tour Championship - have made a significant contribution to making Dubai a world-leading premium golf destination and their continued commitment will be integral to the growth of the game and its increasing importance to the city.

“The Earth course has a reputation for delivering dramatic finales and providing a stage for the biggest stars to shine, making the tournament an incredible showcase of Dubai’s golf offering. It not only highlights that visitors can watch elite players up close, but also the extraordinary golfing experiences available. Few places in the world can offer tourists the chance to walk so easily in the footsteps of champions on courses designed by legends in perfect conditions.”

His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said: “Dubai is committed to continuously enhancing and expanding the visitor experience across all destination pillars and over the years, golf has become a major part of the emirate’s tourism offering – growing from strength to strength. Today, Dubai hosts some of the best global championships on our world-class golf courses and we are very pleased to host the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates, the European Tour’s season ending tournament and one of the biggest golf events in the world.”

About The European Tour

The European Tour celebrates men’s professional golf on a global stage. In 2017, the European Tour International Schedule features a minimum of 47 tournaments in 26 countries, including eight Rolex Series events, all part of the Race to Dubai.

Celebrating the global connectivity of the European Tour and Dubai, the Race to Dubai is a season-long competition to crown the European Tour’s Number One player, an honour which in 2016 went to Sweden’s Henrik Stenson for the second time, and which since 2009 has also been achieved three times by Rory McIlroy, as well as by Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer and Luke Donald. Formerly known as the Order of Merit, points are accumulated based on prize money won, with the top 10 ranked players at the end of the season sharing a $5million Race to Dubai bonus pool.

Since its formation in 1972, the European Tour has witnessed 26 Members celebrate a total of 52 Major Championship titles between them, enjoyed ten Members attaining the pinnacle of World Number One and has celebrated its diversity as players from 36 different countries have won on the Tour.

The European Tour also manages the Challenge Tour, which featured 28 tournaments in 22 countries in 2016, and the Senior Tour, which featured 13 tournaments in nine countries in 2016. It is also the Managing Partner of Ryder Cup Europe, the body which, alongside the PGA of America, administers golf’s greatest team contest, The Ryder Cup.

The European Tour broadcasts live coverage of its tournaments to more than 490 million homes in more than 150 countries every week, generating in excess of 2,200 global broadcast hours for each event. It also enjoys the support of many of the world’s leading business brands with Rolex, BMW, Emirates and Titleist as Official Partners.

About Jumeirah Golf Estates

Host to the DP World Tour Championship since 2009, Jumeirah Golf Estates is one of the Middle East’s most prestigious residential golf communities, offering a wide range of world-class golfing facilities and individually designed homes in the United Arab Emirates. Situated just 15 minutes from the Palm Jumeirah and Dubai Marina and only minutes away from the site of Dubai Expo 2020 and Al Maktoum International Airport, Jumeirah Golf Estates is well placed to provide an unforgettable experience for golfers at its two world-class championship golf courses, Fire & Earth, and residents seeking quality, luxury homes and a peaceful setting within easy reach of Dubai’s top attractions.

The Fire & Earth courses are part of Jumeirah Golf Estates Phase A development, which consists of 375 hectares of a 1,119 hectare land parcel, and incorporates 16 residential communities, comprising of more than 1,700 constructed and under construction properties.

About the Rolex Series

Commencing in 2017, the Rolex Series is the premium tournament category on the European Tour’s International Schedule. Presently comprising eight tournaments, staged in a variety of golfing locations around the world, Rolex Series events will offer a minimum prize fund of US$7 million.

The 2017 roster of Rolex Series tournaments include: the BMW PGA Championship (May 25-28); the HNA Open de France (June 29-July 2); the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory Foundation (July 6-9); the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open (July 13-16); the Italian Open (October 12-15), the Turkish Airlines Open (November 2-5); the Nedbank Golf Challenge (November 9-12); and the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai (November 16-19), where the leading golfer of the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex will be crowned.

About the DP World Tour Championship

The US$8million DP World Tour Championship is a world class sporting and social event and the final tournament of the European Tour’s Race to Dubai. Now celebrating its ninth year, the championship hosts the top 60 golfers on the European Tour on the Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai. The tournament consists of four rounds of stroke-play with no cut and this year will be held over four days from Thursday 16 to Sunday 19 November 2017. An additional Bonus Pool of US$5 million will be split between the top ten finishers on the 2017 Race to Dubai.

About European Tour Properties

European Tour Properties comprises a network of world class golf venues, located in key strategic golf markets. Now an integral part of The European Tour, the venue portfolio will be expanded over the coming years to incorporate a select number of prestigious golf and real estate venues in whose development European Tour Properties will play a key role. This strategy, underpinned by the considerable and diverse resources of The European Tour, is available to those owners and developers who recognise the significant value that The European Tour and European Tour Properties brands can add to their strategic and financial goals.

European Tour Destinations are all world class golf venues offering a comprehensive range of facilities and services to their members and guests. Their identity is closely aligned to The European Tour, creating a unique partnership which ensures that all guests can enjoy the outstanding customer experience to be expected from the family of one of the game’s foremost organisations.

About European Tour Performance Institute

The European Tour Performance Institute (ETPI) allows golfers of all abilities to practise, learn and improve using knowledge and tools developed by elite professionals and medical specialists on the European Tour. Through the ETPImeTM process developed by our on-Tour team of specialists, ETPI’s web & social media channels and licensed ETPI facilities, all golfers from beginners to elite can have access to the latest knowledge in physical preparation, biomechanics and injury prevention for better golf. @ETPI_Physiounit