Young stars set to take centre stage at Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship
European Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald will tee it up at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship alongside some of the DP World Tour’s brightest young talents as the first Rolex Series event of the year returns to Yas Links from Jan.19-22, 2023.
The former World Number One will be joined by Major Champions and Ryder Cup stars at Yas Links Abu Dhabi on Yas Island - the home of sport and entertainment in the Middle East – and will have a watchful eye on several Ryder Cup hopefuls.
All 20 players named in the Hero Cup, a new match play tournament staged in Abu Dhabi the week prior between Continental Europe and Great Britain and Ireland, will start their 2023 DP World Tour season at Yas Island.
Scotland’s Robert Macintyre, who claimed his second DP World Tour title in October at the DS Automobiles Italian Open at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, the host venue of the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, Italy, is one of many DP World Tour stars hoping to secure a position for Team Europe come September.
Adrian Meronk, who wrote his name into the history books when he became the first Polish player to win on the DP World Tour at the 2022 Horizon Irish Open, is another player to watch following his second victory in December as he eagled the last in a stunning five-shot win at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open in Melbourne.
The 29-year-old arrives at Yas Island ready to kickstart his 2023 season as the prestigious tournament returns to the famous venue for the second consecutive year, having long been a fixture on the global golf schedule, first staged in 2006.
Denmark’s Rasmus Hojgaard will have his twin brother Nicolai by his side as the pair seek a sixth DP World Tour title between them. Rasmus has three titles to his name, with Nicolai the most recent winner of the two following his victory at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship last year, his second professional win ater his 2021 DS Automobiles Italian Open triumph at Marco Simone in Rome.
Abu Dhabi Sports Council has confirmed free general admission tickets for all tournament days, giving fans in the UAE the opportunity to witness the world class field in person for free, including the likes of defending champion Thomas Pieters, Major Champions Padraig Harrington, Shane Lowry, and Francesco Molinari, and Seamus Power, the current Number One on the PGA TOUR’S Fedexcup Rankings. Tickets are available via abudhabichampionship.com
Ten-time DP World Tour winner Alex Noren makes his return to Abu Dhabi to tee it up beside Ryder Cup team-mates and past champions Tyrrell Haton, who won his fourth Rolex Series title when he secured the coveted Falcon Trophy in 2021, and Tommy Fleetwood, a back-to-back