By IANS
Doha : Ryder Cup star and world No. 17 Luke Donald will be among the favourites to win the richest prize in the history of the Commercialbank Qatar Masters when the Tour tees up in here Jan 24. The winner will receive $416,660.
The 30 year-old Englishman is the latest big name to join a star-studded field competing in an event now firmly established as one of the most exciting overseas dates on the calendar.
And with event officials confirming a total prize-fund of $2.5 million and a winner’s cheque of $416,660, the 2008 edition will be the richest in the tournament’s 11-year history.
For Donald, it will be a first visit to the 7,374-yard Doha Golf Club to join the likes of Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia and defending champion Retief Goosen for a taste of the challenges faced in playing the lush courses of the booming Middle East golfing scene.
“We are pleased to announce that in association with the Qatar Golf Association (QGA) and the Qatar Olympic Committee, the Commercialbank Qatar Masters will be the richest in the short history of golf in this country,” said Commercialbank Group CEO Andrew Stevens.
“The field is growing in size and quality on a day-to-day basis and it says a lot for the Masters that a world-class player like Luke Donald is keen to join us for Qatar’s biggest sporting event of the year.”
Donald, who married in the summer and celebrated his 30th birthday two weeks ago, is considered by many to be reaching his prime as he goes hunting for the biggest prizes in the game after coming close on a number of occasions.
Following an outstanding amateur career, the art theory graduate from High Wycombe has tasted success at both Walker and Ryder Cup levels, lifted the 2004 World Cup with Paul Casey, and won twice on the European Tour and three times in the US, including a famous triumph in the Tiger Woods-sponsored Target World Challenge in 2005.
Last year, Donald proved to be a star of the European Ryder Cup team winning all three of his matches as Europe equalled their record winning margin, while in 2005 and 2006 he played 28 European Tour events and did not miss a single cut, finishing seventh on the 2006 Order of Merit.
“When we look at the progress of golf in Qatar, it’s hard to believe we’ve come so far in such a short space of time,” said QGA chairman Hassan Al Nuami.
“Over the years, we’ve welcomed some great players to Doha Golf Club but with a field including the likes of Sergio Garcia, Retief Goosen, Adam Scott and now Luke Donald, as well as record prize-money of $2.5 million, we are surely looking at pushing the bar even higher in 2008.”