SUNDAY JANUARY 20, 2013 – ABU DHABI HSBC GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP
• His second European Tour International Schedule victory in his 268th European Tour event.
• Moves to second in The Race to Dubai with €373,875.
• Moves into the top 30 of the Official World Golf Ranking from 47th.
• His second consecutive European Tour season with a victory, following the 2012 Irish Open.
• Had to wait until his 255th European Tour event for his first victory at the 2012 Irish Open. Only had to wait another 13 tournaments to record his second.
• Becomes the first Welshman to win the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.
• This victory comes in his seventh appearance in the event.
• This victory beats his previous best performance in the event of tied 11th in 2011,
• His second consecutive top ten finish in the UAE, following his tie for ninth in the 2012 DP World Tour Championship, Dubai. (Prior to this victory his tied ninth was his previous best performance in a Desert event on The European Tour).
• His two shot final round winning comeback is the second largest in the history of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, behind Paul Casey’s three in 2007.
• His two shot final round recovery would be the second consecutive final round comeback by a winner this season, following the five strokes by Louis Oosthuizen at the Volvo Golf Champions.
• Becomes the second 37 year old to win the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, aged 37 years and 92 days. He is the second oldest winner of the event, following Chris DiMarco in 2006, aged 37 years and 152 days.
OTHER FACTS
• The 46th Welsh victory on The European Tour.
• Becomes the seventh different Welshman to record multiple victories on The European Tour.
• Extends his European Tour exemption until the end of 2015.
• Gains his largest European Tour prize of €336,725.
• Gains a place in the 2013 WGC – Bridgestone Invitational, 2013 WGC – HSBC Champions and 2014 Volvo Golf Champions.
• Gains his sixth win of his professional career.
• Becomes the third former Challenge Tour Member to win on the 2013 European Tour. They are: Scott Jamieson (Nelson Mandela Championship presented by ISPS Handa), Louis Oosthuizen (Volvo Golf Champions) and Jamie Donaldson (Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship)
• Becomes the 310th European Tour victory by a former Challenge Tour player.
