The annual Commercial Bank Qatar Masters golf tournament will return to Qatar next month at the Doha Golf Club, with top athletes and a famous UK band confirming attendance.
Champion Sergio Garcia will return to defend his hard-fought title during the tournament, which will be held from Jan. 21 to Jan. 24.
World No. 2 Henrik Stenson and World No. 6 Justin Rose have also confirmed that they will compete.
The prize money for this year’s tournament has yet to be announced, but in years past amounted to some $2.5 million.
Rose, who recently finished third in The Race to Dubai, behind World No. 1 Rory Mcllory and Stenson, said he was looking forward to returning to Doha for a second time.
However, the 34-year-old Englishman said he was not turning a blind eye to the competition awaiting him. In a statement, he said:
“It looks like it’s already shaping up into a strong field. I know Sergio played well last year to win and he played great when I last competed in 2013, so he will be a favorite.
Henrik beat us all in Dubai, so he’ll be another strong contender, especially as I know he plays in Doha every year. It’ll be tough, but I’m confident I’ll be in with a shout this time.”
Entertainment
Apart from the swinging action on the course, game-goers will have an opportunity to watch UB40 perform live following the end of play on Jan. 23.
The Birmingham-based reggae band became famous in the 1980s for songs such as “Can’t Help Falling in Love” and “Red Red Wine.”
Though it has been years since the group recorded such major hits, UB40 lead singer Ali Campbell told Esquire Middle East recently that the band is only getting better with age:
“Now we go to bed at a decent hour because the body doesn’t bend like it used to. Other than that nothing has really changed. We’re still the same people with the same interests.”
In terms of other entertainment, parents should be able to keep their children busy with a plethora of sports activities in the Family Zone during the daytime.
Tickets
Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased from Virgin megastores (in store and online), the Doha Golf Club and the Doha Rugby F.C.
The following are the prices for each day of the tournament, with tee-off at 6:30am:
- Wednesday, Jan. 21: QAR150
- Thursday, Jan. 22: QR150
- Friday, Jan. 23: QR250 (includes evening entertainment UB40)
- Saturday, Jan. 24: QR200
Season passes cost QR450, which includes event entry on all four days and evening entertainment. Entry is free for all children under 14 years. For more information about the tournament, visit the official website here.
Do you plan to go to the tournament? Thoughts?
