Dates revealed for 2020’s major golf tournaments in the Gulf

The full European Tour 2020 schedule, including the remainder of the Rolex Series events, will be announced later this year

RIYADH: Dates have been set for the world’s top golfers to return to the Gulf in 2020 with confirmation of tournaments in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman.

The European Tour has announced the initial sector of the 2020 international schedule featuring 16 Race to Dubai events in 12 different countries.

These include the so-called Middle East Swing comprising the first Rolex Series event of the season, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA from January 16-19.

This is followed by the Omega Dubai Desert Classic (January 23-26) and the Saudi International powered by SBIA (January 30-February 2) which returns to the schedule after this year’s inaugural event won by US star Dustin Johnson. Dates have also been set for the Oman Open which will be held from February 27-March 1.

The Hong Kong Open, at Hong Kong Golf Club, and the Alfred Dunhill Championship, at Leopard Creek, in South Africa, will launch the 49th European Tour season and the 2020 Race to Dubai from November 28-December 1.

Those two events will be followed by the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open (December 5-8) and the Australian PGA Championship (December 19-22) before the winter break.

The South African Open hosted by the City of Johannesburg (January 9-12) then kicks off the 2020 calendar year, and will be followed by the Middle East Swing.

The full European Tour 2020 schedule, including the remainder of the Rolex Series events, will be announced later this year.