RAS AL-KHAIMAH: The inaugural Ras Al-Khaimah Championship presented by Phoenix Capital is set to take place at Al-Hamra Golf Club next year and will form part of a five-week “Middle East swing” during the early stages of the 2022 European Tour season.
Troon has confirmed that the European Tour will visit one of its UAE courses for the first time from Feb. 3 to 6, 2022.
Al-Hamra will host the third of five consecutive events in the region, with total prize money of $2m up for grabs. The tournament will take place after back-to-back Rolex Series events in the UAE: The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic.
“The Peter Harradine-designed course at Al-Hamra Golf Club will be a fitting challenge to those playing in the inaugural Ras Al-Khaimah Championship presented by Phoenix Capital,” said Troon International President Mark Chapleski. “Since coming under the management of Troon International in 2018, Al-Hamra has gone from strength to strength. The fact that we have been selected to host such a significant event underlines the impact our talented team has had on this facility. In addition, the international recognition that this tournament brings will deliver visibility to a broad audience and showcase the fantastic experience that Al-Hamra Golf Club provides.”
Based in the northernmost Emirate in the UAE, Al-Hamra Golf Club has risen to prominence thanks to the course’s renowned condition and welcoming winter climate, with the 18-hole championship course situated within a series of interlinked water features and set against a desert landscape.
“We are delighted to be working with all of the key stakeholders — the European Tour, Phoenix Capital, RAKTDA, Al-Hamra, and Marjan — to showcase the wonderful emirate of Ras Al-Khaimah,” said Al-Hamra Golf Club General Manager Paul Booth. “The long-term strategic goal is to make the Ras Al-Khaimah Championship presented by Phoenix Capital a steadfast tournament on an expanding Middle East swing. These are exciting times for Al-Hamra Golf Club and Ras Al-Khaimah.”
Al-Hamra previously hosted the European Challenge Tour over three consecutive years from 2016 to 2018. It was initially the venue for the Ras Al-Khaimah Golf Challenge in 2016 and 2017, before hosting the Ras Al-Khaimah Challenge Tour Grand Final as the final stop on the Road to Ras Al-Khaimah in 2018.
At the Ras Al-Khaimah Challenge Tour Grand Final, Spaniard Adri Arnaus finished one shot clear of France’s Victor Perez, with the pair ending the season in second and third position, respectively, on the 2018 Challenge Tour rankings behind Denmark’s Joachim B. Hansen. All three players are now firmly established on the European Tour.