Amateur sensation Bryson DeChambeau will make his Commercial Bank Qatar Masters debut next month, when the 19th edition returns to Doha Golf Club.
DeChambeau, 22, made history last year when he became only the fifth player to win the US Amateur Championship and NCAA Division I individual title in the same season, joining Jack Nicklaus (1961), Phil Mickelson (1990), Tiger Woods (1996) and Ryan Moore (2004).
DeChambeau’s US Amateur victory earned him starts in this year’s first three Majors – the Masters Tournament, US Open and Open Championship – and two more PGA Tour events in June.
However, the Californian is currently focused on his visit to the Middle East, where the US$2.5 million Commercial Bank Qatar Masters from January 27 – 30 sits at the heart of The European Tour’s three-week Desert Swing.
“I’m really looking forward to my debut at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters,” said DeChambeau, who has become known for wearing flat caps. “The list of champions has a lot of big names like Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Adam Scott, Henrik Stenson and Sergio Garcia, so I’m excited to play there and compete with top European Tour players.
“It was so special to follow the NCAA win with the US Amateur title. Later, I was able to compete in tournaments all around the world and now I’m starting 2016 by continuing to travel to new countries. It’s a very exciting period of my life and my career, so I’m looking forward to every new experience and making the most of it.”
Last June, DeChambeau became the first golfer from South Methodist University to win the NCAA men’s title when he beat Pan Cheng-tsung of Taiwan by one stroke at the Concession Club in Bradenton, Florida.
Later that month he progressed through US Open qualifying, finished 45th on his PGA Tour debut at the FedEx St Jude Classic and played in his first Major at the US Open at Chambers Bay in Washington.
In August, he won the US Amateur by downing Derek Bard 7 & 6 in the final at Olympia Fields Country Club in Illinois, and in September he was the only American to go unbeaten as Great Britain and Ireland won the Walker Cup in England.
His travels continued in November when he competed in the PGA Tour Latinoamerica’s Argentina Open in Buenos Aires and then twice in Australia. He finished joint runner-up in the Australian Masters in Melbourne and joint-30th in the Australian Open in Sydney, where Jordan Spieth and Adam Scott were among the star names.
In Doha, DeChambeau will compete against many of the European Tour’s top players, including defending champion Branden Grace, former winners Henrik Stenson (2006) and Sergio Garcia (2014), and 2009 runner-up Louis Oosthuizen, winner of The 2010 Open Championship.
Hassan Al Nuaimi, President of the Qatar Golf Association, said: “It’s very exciting for us to announce that we’ll be welcoming Bryson DeChambeau to the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters for his tournament debut. He joined some of the greatest golfers of all time with his achievements in the amateur game last year and I’m among many looking forward to seeing him compete against many of the world’s top pros.”
Since Commercial Bank began its title sponsorship in 2006, the tournament winners include Stenson, Garcia, Grace, former World No. 1 Scott, two-time US Open winner Goosen, 1999 Open Champion Paul Lawrie, former European Tour Number One Robert Karlsson and Thomas Bjørn, a 15-time European Tour champion.
Tickets are available to buy now at a range of outlets including Virgin Megastores (Online and in-store in Doha), Ticket Master, Time Out Tickets, Q Tickets, Doha Golf Club and more (full list below). Tickets are priced as follows, starting at QAR150:
Wednesday 27 January General admission ticket
QAR 150
Thursday 28 January General admission ticket
QAR 150
Friday 29 January General admission ticket including public access to live music concert (act to be announced)
QAR 250
VIP concert ticket - general admission to the golf course, access to a designated exclusive tented area at the live music concert, canapés and one free drink
QAR500
Saturday 30 January General admission ticket
QAR200
Season Pass Wednesday to Saturday Includes general admission on all four days and live music concert on Friday 29 January
QAR 450
Entry is
free
for children under 14 years of age and each ticket purchased entitles the holder to one free round trip journey to and from the Doha Golf Club by event partner UBER.
For those looking for an extra-special experience with Michelin starred chef, Theo Randall, hospitality packages are available through the tournament’s official website www.qatar-masters.com/hospitality.
Official Website: http://www.qatar-masters.com
Hospitality: http://www.qatar-masters.com/hospitality.php
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CommercialBankQatarMasters
Twitter: @CBQatarMasters
Hashtag: #MyCBQatarMasters
