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Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship: a royal Rolex Series

2021-01-19T12:25:26.560Z


PRESENTATION - Worthy of a Major, the field proposed for this first tournament of the year on the European Tour announces Dantesque games during four rounds at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club. Eleven French, including Victor Perez, 34th in the world, will try to win ...


Two weeks after the PGA Tour, the calendar year begins with a bang on the European Tour.

For its first tournament of the season, the 2021 financial year thus offers an enhanced Rolex Series in terms of endowment, from 7 to 8 million dollars.

That is to say more than 6.5 million euros at stake. As such, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, positioned in mid-January as always since its creation in 2006, offers a very high level.

What one could even qualify as royal!

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Three residents of the world top 10 are thus at the start: the American Justin Thomas (n ° 3), who has just been thanked by his partner Ralph Lauren for having uttered a homophobic insult during the Sentry Tournament of Champions (PGA Tour), the Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy (n ° 6) and the Englishman Tyrrell Hatton (n ° 9).

To this magical trio, which should in all likelihood meet next September in Whistling Straits (Wisconsin) for the 43rd Ryder Cup in history, we can add a list of alumni and, perhaps future winners, such as the double winner (2017,18) and current world n ° 19, Tommy Fleetwood, the German Martin Kaymer (three times victorious here in Abu Dhabi (2008, 2010, 2011)), the Irishman Shane Lowry (winner in 2019), the Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell, the English Justin Rose, Matthew Fitzpatrick (winner in December of the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai) and Danny Willett, the Swede Henrik Stenson or the South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout, 36th player in the world, author of a magnificent double in two weeks at the end of 2020 on his land.

To this magnificent field, almost worthy of a Major tournament, we must obviously add the defending champion of the event, Lee Westwood.

This week's course, @ ADGolfClub # ADGolfChamps # RolexSeriespic.twitter.com / p4tvbbMwjt

- The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) January 18, 2021

The British veteran, 47, winner of the Race 20 years after his first title (finishing 2nd in the DP World Tour Championship), is indeed putting his title on the line this week in the Emirates.

This is his 10th participation in this tournament where he has already shone, notably finishing second in 2008. Will he succeed in the feat of starting 2021 as he finished 2020?

"I've always played pretty well here in the Middle East," he explains on the European Tour's website.

My two best results last year were here in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

So I hope to do the same this year again… ”

Ryder Cup 2021 goal

This start of the year on the European Tour is also crucial in relation to the Ryder Cup, scheduled from September 24 to 26, 2021 in Wisconsin (United States).

The points race resumes for the first time since the Qatar Masters in March 2020, just before the interruption of the competition due to the coronavirus pandemic.

All points gleaned will be multiplied by 1.5 until May 9.

Then, from May 12 (and until September 12), by 2.

Victor Perez, 2nd here in 2020, leader of French golf (34th worldwide) and present in Abu Dhabi, is directly concerned by this redistribution of points since he is for the moment "qualified" in this European team led by its captain. , the Irish Padraig Harrington, also aligned in the Emirates.

In its wake, some of his compatriots have not given up the hope of profiting from it.

This is the case for example of Antoine Rozner, 108th in the world, or even of Romain Langasque, both winners for the first time on the European Tour in 2020. We will also note the return of Victor Dubuisson, who no longer played on the European Tour since the BMW PGA Championship in mid-October, or the presence of the stainless Raphaël Jacquelin, 47 years old next May, who begins his… 25th consecutive season at the highest level! 

Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (European Tour) - 6,599,199 euros in prize money 

Players to watch

Lee Westwood (Ang), Justin Thomas (USA), Rory McIlroy (IdN), Tyrrell Hatton (Ang), Matthew Fitzpatrick (Ang), Tommy Fleetwood (Ang), Shane Lowry (Irl), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (AfS), Justin Rose (Ang), Bernd Wiesberger (Aut), Ian Poulter (Ang), Matt Wallace (Ang), Robert MacIntyre (Eco), Andy Sullivan (Ang), Martin Kaymer (All), Danny Willett (Ang), Sami Välimäki (End ), Graeme McDowell (IdN), Adrian Otaegui (Esp), George Coetzee (AfS), Rasmus Hojgaard (Dan), Renato Paratore (Ita), Matthias Schwab (Aut), Adri Arnaus (Esp), Thomas Detry (Bel), Ross Fisher (Eng), Robert Rock (Eng), Jamie Donaldson (CEO). 

The French engaged

Victor Perez, Alexander Levy, Antoine Rozner, Romain Langasque, Benjamin Hébert, Mike Lorenzo-Vera, Matthieu Pavon, Victor Dubuisson, Julien Guerrier, Raphaël Jacquelin, Joël Stalter. 

To follow the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (European Tour) on TV:

Thursday January 21, 1st round: 4:30 a.m. & 12 p.m. (Golf +)

Friday January 22, 2nd round: 8:30 a.m. (Golf +)

Saturday 23 January, 3rd round: 9 a.m. (Golf +)

Sunday January 24, 4th round: 8:30 a.m. (Golf +)

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2021-01-19

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