‘The giants of golf are here,’ screams down from hoardings as you approach the Abu Dhabi Golf Club. Indeed they are. The event is the opener of the Desert Swing.
With names like three-time Falcon Trophy winner Martin Kaymer, World No.1 Luke Donald, US Open winner Rory McIlroy, US Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, World No.2 Lee Westwood and the man who once ruled the golf world — Tiger Woods, this is arguably the strongest field ever assembled for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.
And what makes it even more massive is the two groups which will tee off at the National Course on Thursday morning. World No.1 Luke Donald, World No.3 Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods have been paired together for the first two rounds of the Championship. The threesome will tee off from the 10th at 40 a.m and will start Round 2 from the first hole at 12.05 p.m on Friday.
In the other group, three-time winner and defending champion Martin Kaymer has been paired with Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia. They will tee off from the first hole at 12.05pm and begin Round 2 from the 10th hole at 7.50 a.m on Friday. The $2.7 million European Tour-sanctioned event, into its seventh year and organized by the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), has also attracted the strongest ever field at a Middle East tournament. The event is the opener of the Desert Swing. It is also the fourth event of the 2012 Race to Dubai. – Khaleejnews
