Abu Dhabi Championship

The Abu Dhabi Golf Championship has been held every year since 2006 and has traditionally taken place in January, marking the event out on the European Tour calendar as a great opportunity for players to pick up some valuable early points in the Race to Dubai.

The tournament is staged at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club, which has been designed to look stunning but also provide a stern challenge to the competitors. Golfers have to navigate a variety of testing bunkers to make the most of the lush fairways and reach the generous greens, and the action is played out against a beautiful backdrop of trees and seven saltwater lakes.

The prize fund has grown over the years to $2.7 million and organisers have always attracted a high-quality field, dating right back to the inaugural event when American Chris Di Marco shot a magnificent score of 20-under par to hold off Henrik Stenson by one stroke.

Englishman Paul Casey has won the tournament twice, in 2007 and 2009, but it is Martin Kaymer who is the most successful player in the event’s history. The German has won the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship on three separate occasions, and also holds the tournament record after shooting a 24-under par in 2011 to win by a massive eight strokes.