The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship will move to Yas Island for the first time next year when Yas Links Abu Dhabi hosts the opening Rolex Series event of the European Tour’s 2022 season.
The staging of the tournament at Yas Links from January 20-23 will herald a new chapter for the prestigious event as it moves to one of the world’s fastest growing leisure and entertainment destinations in Abu Dhabi.
First staged in 2006, Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship has been played at Abu Dhabi Golf Club for 16 consecutive years and, having built a strong legacy in the Middle East, the move to Yas Island highlights Abu Dhabi as an international sports hub with the season-ending F1 Championship and Ultimate Fighting Championship also taking place at the venue.
The 17th edition of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship will be the first of back-to-back Rolex Series events in the United Arab Emirates with tournaments in Abu Dhabi and Dubai part of the traditional ‘Desert Swing’ attracting golf’s leading players.
Aldar Properties-owned Yas Links Abu Dhabi has seen a series of extensive improvements, ensuring the current course conditions are now perfect for the world’s best golfers.
His Excellency Aref Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said: “We are proud of all our sports facilities that host various events and support our plans for further success. By moving this award-winning tournament to Yas Links for the first time, we will add more excellence to the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and present an exceptional event, especially as it is being held at one of the world’s finest and most magnificent golf courses, and on one of the world’s leading leisure and entertainment destinations, Yas Island.
“We are looking forward to another fantastic Championship to kick off an exciting year of sport in the UAE.”
Keith Pelley, CEO of the European Tour, added: “As one of our Rolex Series events, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and Yas Links offer our players and fans an experience like no other. Yas Island is synonymous with major sporting events in the United Arab Emirates and we are delighted our first Rolex Series tournament of the year will be highlighted on the global stage.”