A colossal total prize money of $2.5 million has been put in place for this weekend’s competition.

Doha Golf Club (DGC) will host this weekend’s inaugural edition of International Series Qatar, with 132 golfers partaking in the competition starting on Thursday.

The second leg of the Asian Tour’s International Series will witness the appearances of Qatar’s Saleh Al Kaabi and Jaham Al Kuwari in the tournament, along with South African superstars Justin Harding and Charl Schwartzel.

Presenting an outstanding total prize money of $2.5 million, the competition will be the country’s first-ever Asian Tour International Series segment.

“We are happy to be a part of Asian Tour’s International Series, and we are looking forward to becoming a regular member of this series,” Qatar Golf Association (QGA) General Secretary Fahad Nasser Al Naimi said in a press conference.

“Asian Tour picked Qatar because of our great history in organising mega events successfully. This tournament has attracted many top players as only four or five of 132 players are amateur, and the rest are all the professional golfers,” Al Naimi added.

Anticipating strong winds for the weekend, General Manager for DGC Gary McGlinchey voiced that the competition would be challenging given the unfavourable weather.

“The forecast next weekend is lots of wind. So my prediction I think the golf course will play tough. The greens will be fast, and with the wind, I think their leading winning score will be under maybe less than ten under par. But we’ll see. I’m looking forward to it. And I’m sure someone’s going to be very happy,” McGlinchey said.

The tournament will end on the 19th of February and will mark DGC’s distinctive association with golf matches after the Qatar Masters.