The DP World Tour Championship, Dubai – The European Tour’s glittering end-of-season tournament held in Dubai, was given a significant boost today with the news that global ports operator DP World has agreed to continue its title sponsorship for another five years.
The agreement until the 2020 season, will see DP World support the climax of The Race to Dubai, in addition to the company’s existing sponsorship of European Tour events in India, Hong Kong, China, Turkey and here at this week’s BMW PGA Championship in England.
The DP World Tour Championship – which will celebrate its seventh staging this year on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates from November 19-22 – is already recognised globally as one of golf’s premier tournaments.
Its Roll of Honour reads like a Who’s Who of the game itself – Lee Westwood (2009), Robert Karlsson (2010), Alvaro Quiros (2011), Rory McIlroy (2012), and Henrik Stenson (2013 & 2014) – and this year’s tournament will see the top 60 players on The Race to Dubai once again battle for a share of the US$8 million tournament prize fund, with the winner taking home US$1.3 million.
In addition, the leading 15 players on The Race to Dubai at the end of the tournament will share the US$5 million Bonus Pool, with the eventual European Tour Number One pocketing US$1.25 million.
Speaking at a press conference at Wentworth Club in England, His Excellency Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman of DP World, said: “Dubai and the UAE stand at the crossroads of world trade and this cosmopolitan location is a melting pot of talent, expertise and professionalism much like the sport of golf. We are delighted to be supporting this prestigious event to bring to Dubai the world’s best golfers and their fans.
“We chose golf as one of the main sponsorship platforms for DP World because it is one of the most popular sports worldwide and reflects the global reach of our business, connecting us with partners and customers in a variety of locations. Developing the skills of young people is also big focus area for us and we will be actively supporting the Emirates Golf Foundation to promote their youth training programmes. We are very proud to be again part of such a significant global sporting event and are delighted to be confirming our support for the DP World Tour Championship until 2020.”
George O’Grady, Chief Executive of The European Tour, said: “The support DP World has shown The European Tour has been evident right from the start of The Race to Dubai and the strength of their ongoing commitment is further evidenced with today’s announcement.
“We thank His Excellency Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem for his personal vision and we look forward to working with him and all his staff as we continue to make the DP World Tour Championship a fitting end to The European Tour season.”
The DP World Tour Championship is already one of Dubai’s flagship events, helping further raise its already acknowledged profile as a premier destination for prestigious global sporting events, as well as promoting Dubai as a centre of excellence for sport, tourism and trade.
The extension of DP World’s title sponsorship of the tournament through until 2020 dovetails with Dubai’s hosting of Expo 2020, an event which will see the world come to the Emirate and further enhance its goal of attracting 20 million tourists per year.
Over 55,000 spectators attended the 2014 DP World Tour Championship, a third of whom were international visitors, while the global television reach exceeded 450 million people via 40 broadcasters worldwide.
Aside from the galaxy of stars inside the ropes, the tournament venue at Jumeirah Golf Estates offered many attractions outside, including the new state-of-the-art European Tour Performance Institute, which was officially opened in November 2013.
DP World, together with the Emirates Golf Federation, will continue to utilise the ETPI as the catalyst to help grow the game in the region by fully supporting the UAE National Golf Teams training programme and the development of the game amongst boys and girls at grassroots level.
For information on the DP World Tour Championship and to purchase tickets for the tournament, please visit www.DPWorldTourChampionship.com
European Tour www.europeantour.com
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