The BMW Masters and Turkish Airlines Open – the first and third of the Race to Dubai’s Final Series events – have agreed to swap dates in 2015 due to the staging of the G20 Summit in Antalya, Turkey, on November 15 and 16 next year.
The Turkish Airlines Open was originally scheduled for November 12-15 at the Montgomerie Maxx Royal in Antalya, but it recently became clear that the staging of two such significant international events over the same weekend would not be possible, leading the Turkish Golf Federation to request a change of date for the 2015 edition of their tournament.
Thanks to the co-operation of BMW, and their willingness to accommodate the date switch, the Turkish Airlines Open will now be the first event of The Race to Dubai’s 2015 Final Series, from October 29 – November 1, with the BMW Masters to be played a fortnight later at Lake Malaren Golf Club in Shanghai, from November 12-15.
Keith Waters, Chief Operating Officer and Director of International Policy of The European Tour, said: “First and foremost, we would like to thank BMW for their co-operation in moving their event to accommodate the G20 in Antalya in November next year.
“Like the Turkish Airlines Open, the G20 Summit is a huge event which brings its own unique logistical challenges, and it would not have been possible to stage both events in the same weekend in Antalya. The Turkish Federation approached us with this problem recently and we looked at finding a solution.
“This date change would not have been possible without the assistance of BMW as well as the China Golf Association and the Lake Malaren Golf Club, Shanghai as the host venue of the BMW Masters. We are indebted to them for their understanding and for making this process far easier than it might have been.”
Thorsten Mattig, Head of Sport Marketing and Brand Cooperations BMW AG, said: “As a long-term partner of The European Tour, BMW is happy to support The European Tour and the Turkish Airlines Open with this switch. We are a dedicated partner of golf worldwide, and we were keen to act in the interest of golf. We are therefore fully supportive of the move, especially as it helps strengthen the Final Series.”
Ahmet Ağaoğlu, President of the Turkish Golf Federation, said: “Our thanks go to our friends at BMW for accommodating this request for a change of dates for the Turkish Airlines Open. Our two great tournaments will not be affected by the changes of date.
“Also, we thank The European Tour for their assistance in finding this solution and we look forward to welcoming back the Tour players, caddies, officials, media and, of course, the fans to Antalya in October 2015.”
The Final Series on the 2015 Race to Dubai
Oct 29-Nov 1: Turkish Airlines Open
Nov 5 -8: WGC – HSBC Champions
Nov 12-15: BMW Masters
Nov 19-22: DP World Tour Championship, Dubai
