Previous winners Henrik Stenson (2006), Sergio Garcia (2014) and Branden Grace (2015), 2010 Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen and reigning US Amateur champion Bryson DeChambeau have already been announced.
Wood made global headlines when he finished fifth at the 2008 Open Championship as a 20 year old amateur before underlining his huge potential by finishing joint third the following year. In January 2013, his victory at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters prompted an emotional reaction as he celebrated his first European Tour title.
After a winless 2014 season that ended prematurely in November due to a wrist injury, Wood bounced back last year. He secured his second title in Austria in June and had seven other top ten finishes on the European Tour – including four in a row from early October – to finish 17th in the Race to Dubai and secure a place in Darren Clarke’s EurAsia Cup team.
“I’m really happy to return to the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters because I had to miss it last year because of my wrist injury. I’ve been playing well since returning from injury and I was really happy to win in Austria, which showed me that I could win again,” Wood said.
“I’ve played really consistently since then and was proud to earn my place on the EurAsia Cup team. Now I’m looking forward to going back to Doha, as it’s a course I can do well on and I’m playing well enough to have another run at the trophy. Winning there remains one of the highlights of my career.”
Fitzpatrick will also be one to watch after a stunning European Tour rookie campaign that featured a memorable win at October’s British Masters.
Wiesberger, 30, won his third European Tour title at the Alstom Open de France last June, Kjeldsen, 40, captured his fourth last May at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory Foundation, while Broberg, 29, won his first title at the BMW Masters in Shanghai, where he beat US Ryder Cup star Patrick Reed in a play-off.
Hassan Al Nuaimi, President of the Qatar Golf Association, said: “We are always proud to welcome back former champions to the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters and Chris Wood is a particular favourite after winning in such dramatic style three years ago.
“We are delighted to welcome Chris and five of his EurAsia Cup team-mates, especially as many of these players are aiming to qualify for the Ryder Cup later this year, so it’s a chance for our fans to see genuine rising stars at the beginning of an exciting season.”
Stenson, Garcia and Grace are among several big names to have lifted the Mother of Pearl Trophy since Commercial Bank began its title sponsorship in 2006. Other big names include former World Number One Adam Scott, two-time US Open winner Retief 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 ticketQAR 150
Thursday 28 January General admission ticketQAR 150
Friday 29 January General admission ticket including public access to live music concertQAR 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 ticketQAR200
Season Pass Wednesday to Saturday Includes general admission on all four days and live music concert on Friday 29 JanuaryQAR 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
