DID YOU KNOW - ABU DHABI HSBC GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP
• The field for the 2013Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship boasts ten Major Champions, and a total of 87 European Tour winners. Three of the top five players in the Official World Golf Ranking are competing; Rory McIlroy (1), Tiger Woods (2) and Justin Rose (5).
• Defending champion Robert Rock will attempt to become the second player, following Martin Kaymer (2010-11) to make a successful defence of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.
• The German has already won in Abu Dhabi in 2008, 2010 and 2011. Should he win for a fourth time, he would join an elite group of players to win the same official European Tour tournament four or more times. They are: Tiger Woods – seven wins in the WGC –Bridgestone Invitational and six times at the WGC – Cadillac Championship. Five times – Tom Watson at The Open Championship and Bernhard Langer in the German Open. Four times – Seve Ballesteros in the Alstom Open de France, Sir Nick Faldo, PGA Championship and Langer at the German Masters.
• Martin Kaymer has a wonderful record at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club. Apart from his three triumphs he was tied runner-up in 2009. He made his debut in 2007 and has played a total of 20 rounds, with a stroke average of 68.30. From those 20 rounds he is a total of 74 under par with 16 of those rounds under par and 15 in the 60s.
• Another player who has an excellent record in this tournament is Rory McIlroy, who starts his 2013 European Tour campaign this week. Although he has yet to win the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, he has not finished lower than 11th in his five appearances. He was tied 11th on his debut in 2008, tied fifth in 2009, third in 2010 and second in both 2011 and 2012. From his 20 rounds he is a total of 71 under par with an stroke average of 68.45. His last 19 consecutive rounds have all been at par or better, with 15 of them in the 60s. The only time the Northern Irishman has been over par in the event was his first round in 2008, when he recorded a one over par 73.
• Tiger Woods is making his second trip to play in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, following his tie for third in 2012.The American has a formidable record in the only other Desert event he has played in. The former World Number One, has competed in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic six times, winning the event in 2006 and 2008. He has only finished outside the top five only once, that was 2011, where he tied for 20th.
• In the 2012 event the par three 12th hole witnessed three-holes-one. They were by Sergio Garcia and José Manuel Lara (both round one) and Graeme McDowell (round four). This was only the third time in European Tour history that the same hole had witnessed three or more holes-in-one in the same tournament. The first two were at the second hole (1991 Fujitsu Mediterranean Open), which had four aces and hole five at the 1990 PGA Championship, which saw three.
