Abu Dhabi
Not too long ago, Tiger Woods was the golfer everyone followed, both on the course and off it. The 14-time Major winner is arguably the reason why golf has become such a popular spectator sport. How times have changed, though. These days, any talk of golfing greatness centres round Rory McIlroy, who at 25 has already won four Majors, besides also being the current world number one and the comparisons between the two make for great gossip fodder in golfing circles.
Between them, the duo has won virtually everything on offer, but neither has won the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, the traditional curtain raiser for most top golfers on the European Tour. While the 38-year-old Woods has only played the event for two years, the Northern Irishman will be looking to win his first in eight attempts, an odd statistic really, considering that he has been runner-up thrice.
With this being the 10th anniversary of the event, one can again expect to see the cream of men’s golf making life difficult for McIlroy. And given the high standards the Abu Dhabi event maintains year-in, year-out, the 2015 event is unlikely to be any different from previous years, or is it?
Greg Sproule, Managing Director of IMG Middle East and North Africa, believes things can still get better. “We are planning to make the 10th year the best,” he told XPRESS.
“The world’s best player will again be heading a world class field on a stunning course. We have a winning formula and one we are continuing to build upon, so you can expect something different, even as we keep all our signature elements.”
Much in line with what the Omega Dubai Desert Classic had done on its 25th anniversary earlier this year, many of the past champions will be back in action in Abu Dhabi as well. “Between Martin Kaymer and Paul Casey, they have won five of the nine titles, so that’s more than half of the past champions who will be playing here. I can tell you this will be the most exciting field we have had so far and it will have a youthful look about it,” he said.
With Woods returning to golf only in December and also not having finalised his 2015 schedule yet, Sproule refused to be drawn into whether the American is likely to be seen in the Capital. “We will have other greats of golf playing as well. With Tiger, I am sure even he will admit he has not had a great run of late,” he said.
Easy to see who among McIlroy and Woods is the bigger draw at tournaments these days.
