With the sprawling hospitality chalets going into place and the tented village taking shape, it’s all systems go as Doha Golf Club counts down to hosting many of the world’s best golfers at the 2007 Commercialbank Qatar Masters.
And as the tournament prepares to celebrate its tenth anniversary on the PGA European Tour, tournament director David Probyn has given his stamp of approval for the event, which will be staged from 25-28 January.
Probyn recently made a final fact-finding mission to Qatar from the PGA European Tour and firmly believes the tournament is ready to make massive strides on the international calendar thanks to the increased commitment of the Commercialbank.
“I’ve been involved in every Qatar Masters since day one so I’m delighted to see the tournament reach the milestone of its tenth anniversary,” he said. “We have always had great faith in the product here in Doha. When you consider the practice facilities, the clubhouse, the golf course, the hotels… the infrastructure is as good as it gets.”
Having overseen every single one of the nine Tour events staged in Doha, Probyn also believes the Qatar Masters offers ambitious and visionary companies an unrivalled opportunity to benefit from the intense media focus that accompanies the booming sport of golf.
“When you have great sportsmen on view, the tournament moves to a new level,” said Probyn. “The PGA European Tour offers incredible TV coverage to a global audience meaning excellent exposure and an opportunity to show off exactly how Qatar is investing and expanding. And with the magnificent new hospitality units going into place, the venue is also ideal for corporate entertaining.”
To be staged over the 7,300-yard, par-72 course, the 10th Commercialbank Qatar Masters is set to be the biggest yet with news of confirmed world-class names and prize-money details due to be announced over the coming weeks.
“With the Doha Asian Games just days away and the Commercialbank Qatar Masters on the horizon, these are busy times for the country and for the Bank,” said Andrew Stevens, Group CEO of Commercialbank. “Our aim is to invest time and resources into making the 2007 Commercialbank Qatar Masters the leading PGA European Tour event on the overseas calendar.”
During his visit, Probyn also met with tournament manager Chris Myers to see how the golf course is developing ahead of 2007 and left with a very positive viewpoint.
“Chris and his team have set high standards for themselves and they will be monitoring the condition of the course up the start of the tournament but at the moment it looks quite magnificent.
“Thanks to the commitment of the title sponsor and the support of Qatar Golf Association President, Hassan Al Nuami, this is an event which continues to evolve and move forward. With the Commercialbank committed to supporting it and big name players to follow, I’m convinced we are about to see the Qatar Masters really take off.”
GolfEx Dubai 2007 is timed to coincide with the conclusion of the Qatar Masters and opens for business at the Madinat Conference Centre on 28-29 January. www.golf-ex.com
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