John Parry, Johannes Veerman and Elvis Smylie will look to continue their excellent starts to the 2025 Race to Dubai when they tee it up at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship from January 23-26.
The trio, who occupy the top three spots respectively on the Rankings at the conclusion of the Opening Swing, will travel to Al Hamra Golf Club for the third event on the International Swing, following this week’s Team Cup and next week’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic. Spectators can register for FREE tickets here.
Englishman Parry, the Race to Dubai Number One, claimed his second DP World Tour title, and first for 14 years, at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open in December, just one month after finalising his promotion from the European Challenge Tour after winning three times on the Road to Mallorca.
“Last year was probably the best year of my career in terms of results and I’m hoping I can now kick on and continue that form in 2025,” Parry said.
“Having so much success on the Challenge Tour, and then to cap off the year in Mauritius, helped me regain my confidence and I now feel like I’ve got a chance every time I tee it up. I love playing in the Middle East, everything about it is top class from the condition of the golf courses to the hospitality on offer, so I’m really looking forward to the Ras Al Khaimah Championship.”
American Veerman also won his second DP World Tour title in 2024, ending a three-year wait for victory when he triumphed in the Nedbank Golf Challenge. The 32-year-old overturned a five-stroke deficit to become the second successive American winner of ‘Africa’s Major’ and heads into 2025 with a renewed sense of confidence.
“I’m really looking forward to trying to build on my win in South Africa when I tee it up at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship later this month,” he said.
“I’ve put in a lot of work over the last couple of years and I was delighted to get over the line in South Africa to make that hard work pay off. I always love playing in the United Arab Emirates and I’m sure it will be a great week at Al Hamra.”
Australia’s Smylie showed nerves of steel to claim his maiden DP World Tour title with a wire-to-wire victory at the BMW Australian PGA Championship in November. The 22-year-old only secured his first professional success at the Bowra & O'Dea Nexus Advisernet WA Open the month before on the PGA Tour of Australasia and continued his rich vein of form with a two-shot triumph at Royal Queensland Golf Club.
“The back end of last year was truly life-changing for me and I’m so excited to get the opportunity to show what I can do on the world stage on the DP World Tour,” Smylie said.
“This will be the first year I’ve ever played in the Middle East and I’m looking forward to the Ras Al Khaimah Championship. It looks a great course and has produced some good winners over the years, so hopefully I can continue my good form and compete at the top end of the leaderboard.”
The Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah hosted the DP World Tour for the first time in 2022 with the inaugural staging of the Ras Al Khaimah Championship, followed the week after by the Ras Al Khaimah Classic.
Following exciting victories that year for Danish Ryder Cup star Nicolai Højgaard and New Zealander Ryan Fox, and by Englishman Daniel Gavins when the Ras Al Khaimah Championship returned in 2023, the tournament continued its success last year when Denmark’s Thorbjørn Olesen sealed his eighth DP World Tour title.
A stellar field has assembled for this year’s Ras Al Khaimah Championship, including defending champion Olesen, Rolex Series winners Fox and Paul Waring and Major Champions Pádraig Harrington and Jimmy Walker.
The spectacular coastal venue of Al Hamra Golf Club hosts once again, with the Peter Harradine-designed layout having also previously welcomed three European Challenge Tour events, including the 2018 Challenge Tour Grand Final.
This year fans can once again enjoy free general admission with registration now open. Fans can upgrade their experience with early bird tickets now available for the Championship Chalet, granting you exclusive access to the clubhouse rooftop terrace for a luxurious view of the action from AED 875.
