DID YOU KNOW - ABU DHABI HSBC GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP
• The field for the 2011 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship is the strongest in the event’s history, with ten Major Champions competing and a total of 97 European Tour winners in all.
• The 2010 Race to Dubai winner and defending champion, Martin Kaymer will be making his 100th European Tour appearance. Here are is numbers from his first 99 tournaments; eight victories, (including 2010 US PGA Championship); six times a runner-up, twice third and 30 top ten finishes overall. In winning the 2010 Race to Dubai he amassed a single-season record of €4,461,011. His official career money stands at €9,874,544, which averages out at €99,742 per tournament.
• Within the field, there are 14 players who have already claimed a title in the Gulf – they are: Thomas Björn (2001 (Dubai Desert Classic), Paul Casey (2007 and 2009 Abu Dhabi Golf Championship), Robert-Jan Derksen (2003 Dubai Desert Classic), Retief Goosen (2007 Commercialbank Qatar Masters presented by Dolphin Energy), Richard Green (1997 Dubai Desert Classic), David Howell (1999 Dubai Desert Classic), Miguel Angel Jiménez (2010 Omega Dubai Desert Classic), Martin Kaymer (2008 and 2010 Abu Dhabi Golf Championship), Paul Lawrie (1999 Qatar Masters) Rory McIlroy (2009 Dubai Desert Classic), Colin Montgomerie (1996 Dubai Desert Classic), José Maria Olazábal 1998 Dubai Desert Classic), Alvaro Quiros (2009 Commercialbank Qatar Masters presented by Dolphin Energy) and Henrik Stenson (2006 Commercialbank Qatar Masters presented by Dolphin Energy and 2007 Dubai Desert Classic).
• Paul Casey (winner in 2007 and 2009) and Martin Kaymer (winner in 2008 and 2010) will both attempt to win the title for the third time. Should either of them win, they would join Ernie Els as the only player to win the same European Tour event in the Middle East three times. The South African claimed the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in 1994, 2002 and 2005.
• Masters Tournament Champion, Phil Mickelson, like Martin Kaymer is also playing in his 100th European Tour event. His appearance in Abu Dhabi will be his first in any of The European Tour’s Gulf Swing events.
