By IANS
Doha, (Qatar): US Ryder Cup star Scott Verplank will be up against the swirling winds of the Arabian Gulf as well as a world-class field when he makes his Middle East debut at the $2.5 million Commercialbank Qatar Masters, held at Doha Golf Club Jan 24-27.
Verplank has shown he is capable of taming blustery conditions in places like Maui in Hawaii – where he tied for 18th earlier this month – but it’s the warm desert ‘shamaal’ that blows across the 7,374-yard Doha course that will be a new and testing opponent for the 43 year-old Texan.
A captain’s pick in the 2006 Ryder Cup where he became the first American to hit a hole-in-one in the history of the competition, Verplank will make his Doha debut in a star-studded field that includes Retief Goosen, Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia and Luke Donald.
The American has forged a successful pro career despite suffering from diabetes and heads to the Middle East following a successful 2007 campaign that saw him win more than $3 million in prize-money thanks to ten top-ten finishes in PGA TOUR events as well as a one-shot victory over Englishman Donald in the EDS Byron Nelson Championship in his home state of Texas.
Despite this being his first trip to the Gulf state, the American will have his eye on the winner’s cheque of $416, 660 – the richest in the tournament’s eleven-year history – as the event continues to receive backing from global brands and Qatari businesses.