The field for the final Hero Challenge of the 2017 European Tour season has been confirmed with Ryder Cup stars Rafa Cabrera Bello, Thomas Pieters and Ian Poulter, along with Chinese sensation Li Haotong, confirming their participation.
Those four European Tour stars will add to a star-studded cast for the innovative one-hole shoot-out, which takes place on Tuesday November 13, ahead of the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.
Race to Dubai leader Tommy Fleetwood, World Number Five Jon Rahm, Swede Alex Noren and Italian Francesco Molinari have already been confirmed to take part when the event is played in a brand new format, with players competing in a target golf competition to a floating green.
The event will take place at the DP World Tour Championship Beach Party on Tuesday November 14 and will be broadcast exclusively live on Twitter, as well as being televised on Sky Sports from 7.30pm-9.00pm UK time.
Cabrera Bello will be hoping his return to the Hero Challenge will provide the same good omens which his first appearance did – he starred in the exciting new format ahead of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open in July, before duly going on to win the Rolex Series event.
The Dubai-based Spaniard also made an impressive start to his Ryder Cup career at Hazeltine last year despite defeat for Darren Clarke’s European team, collecting two and a half points out of a possible three.
Belgian sensation Pieters, meanwhile, will be making his debut in the innovative event when it takes place under floodlights at the Atlantis Palm Hotel in Dubai next Tuesday.
Poulter will also be playing the Hero Challenge for the first time as he attempts to become the third Ryder Cup hero to win the event in the 2017 season – after American Patrick Reed claimed the title in July and Englishman Lee Westwood emerged victorious in September.
Li, the highest-ranked Chinese player in the Official World Golf Ranking, will enter his Hero Challenge debut high on confidence after a stunning final round 64 in the Nedbank Golf Challenge last week en route to a fourth place finish.
